Update post on my progress and protocols for my treatment with side effects and how I managed it all.
Now that I'm done with treatment, I hope that this can help others who may be starting the same journey and have questions. I attribute my easy time to the premeds and my mental willpower. I focus on the positives and silver linings over the negatives. You can only control one thing -- your reactions. The rest requires you to practice acceptance.
Diagnosis: Stage 2 Endocervical Adenocarcinoma Gastric Type with LVSI
Treatment Plan: Surgery (cervix, uterus, and ovaries) followed by concurrent Chemo with Radiation with a PET Scan scheduled 2 months after treatment to determine if NED or more treatment is required.
I was scheduled for 6 chemo cycles, once a week, and 28 radiation beam therapies. Chemo happened on Monday and Radiation was Monday through Friday. I had to skip Cycle 3 on Chemo only because I was hospitalized with Norovirus and my counts were too low. I still did radiation those days.
Chemo Protocol in order of meds:

1. Magnesium Sulfate + Potassium Chloride. Cisplatin strips this from your body, supplements.
2. Emend (Fosaprepitant) - antiemetic. I had to get a port for this, it burned my arm vein and I had to use other arm for Chemo, no fun.
3. Aloxi (Palonosetron) - antiemetic.
4. Decadron (Dexamethasone) - steroid. It burns in your nether region, if it burns too much, ask them to push it slower.
5. Lasix (Furosemide) - diuretic. Cisplatin is hard on kidneys, this is to help purge the chemo faster. Be close to a bathroom and ask nurse if you can just unplug your IV pole and go to bathroom freely vs. pushing call button -- its easier.
6. Cisplatin (Platinol) 70mg (my dose). Didn't make me feel any different than the other infusions.

Plan for at least 5 hours for the above. I started at 7:30am and ended between 12 and 12:30pm.
Cisplatin Symptoms: This is going to vary person to person and you may get different premeds than me.

• Mon (Day 1) - just the cold feeling in your veins from all the fluid infusions. You also gain like 5lbs of water weight that day. I was typically ravenous and ate whatever I wanted, the antiemetics made this possible. Be wary of constipation from chemo, it took me by surprise the first week. The other weeks I ate a few prunes on Sunday and then after chemo on Monday to help. Otherwise you won't poop for a week and be miserable.
• Tues (Day 2) - no appetite and I don't eat. Even marijuana does not work to stimulate. I'll force myself if DH forces me, but since I eat everything in sight Day 1 I'm not too hard on myself. Important to have first BM this day, if nothing then you need to start addressing. Of course I BM daily so this may not apply to you.
• Wed - Thu (Day 3 - 4) - acid reflux and indigestion. Keep some Tums handy or use pills, it doesn't really help and you get used to it. All in, better than throwing up, so take it as a win if this is the worst for you. Appetite back.
• Fri - Sun (Day 5 -7) - less side effects, should be at normal BMs, if you are not you need to address for next cycle. Very important to purge your bowels if you are constipated before your next chemo. I ended up doing Miralax my first week, I had zero BM before Sat and I could feel the pressure. The following weeks I just did a handful of prunes Sunday night after dinner and Monday when I got home from chemo. I happen to like prunes and they worked to keep me regular.

Pelvic Radiation Symptoms: This is going to be different based on what areas are treated. My bladder, vagina, and pelvic nodes were heavily treated. Be sure you understand the side effects before you start treatment - so you can be on top of everything. Below is my experience and I had a fairly easy time of it.

• The fatigue sets in slowly. By week 3/4 I needed 12 hours a night to sleep. Don't ignore this important rest. I adjusted my work schedule from day 1 -- from 7a to 1p Tue - Thu. I didn't work Mon due to Chemo and Fri I had to get labs done and radiation so I worked from 7a to 11am. I did this from day 1 to set the tone with my boss and ensure I had the time needed to rest even if I didn't need it. I ended up working Sat and sometimes Sun to make up for things. I am a WFH executive - right hand of CEO and in charge of operations. Helps to have a great boss pick up the slack and an amazing team who supported me every step of the way.
• Bowels get softer over time, they do not go from hard to diarrhea overnight. If you have diarrhea fast, don't ignore it or let your doctor's ignore. I thought it was the prunes week 2 that did it, no it was norovirus. They didn't catch it until I had a 102 fever week 3 and had to be hospitalized. The chemo constipation masked it during the week.
• AZO is your BEST FRIEND. Take it every day. It is made to as a pain reliever for the bladder. I missed it for a week and paid for it so bad. Do not skip this important drug. I need to keep taking it for a few weeks until the symptoms subside.
• When you go in for your initial telemetry setup for the machines, make sure you are comfortable before they start anything. The moment you lay down on the machine bed, you need to make sure you are in a good position. They used a mold on my legs and I was not in a good position so it really hurt my hips every session thereafter.
• You have to put your hands on your chest. They give a ring, I hated it. I recommend relaxing your shoulders or you'll have a hard time while they do the treatment.
• You get used to the flow. You walk into the treatment room, hop on a bed while two techs adjust you (I had x marks on both hips and belly that they lined up). Then you get a quick CT to ensure your bladder is full and you're in a good position. Adjustments are made as needed. You know when the radiation beam starts because it is the only thing with noise. Don't move until they say you can. Whole thing is 10 mins or less.
• Bladder management is the worst part. You need to have a full bladder for this and as the treatment progresses you will have a harder time determining if your bladder is full or not. Your kidneys will also work slower (I attribute to the chemo) as the weeks go on, so you'll need to drink earlier. I recommend drinking what will fill your bladder two hours before your treatment. It is easier to let of some pressure than it is to fill the bladder. Tea is a natural diuretic and is very helpful to giving your kidneys a boost. I usually drank 20+ oz of Powerade two hours before (chugging), then tea when I arrived (they had fancy machines) and this worked 90% of the time.
• Be wary of foods you eat. I did great until Week 4 when I had lots of stuff with red sauce and it caused gas. I had to pass this gas before they could do my treatment, it was a riot but you don't want your visits to be like that every day. Stay away from tomato products and anything else that gives you even mild gas outside of treatment. It is nearly impossible to pass gas with an overfull bladder.

Nurses are your best friend. Having cancer and going through treatment sucks, but the nurses are there for you and my experience was all-inclusive resort service. Take advantage of the snacks (yes they have ice cream) when you're getting chemo. Don't be shy about asking them about your meds, they did a good job explaining this to me, but I still had questions now and again. It takes a special person to be an oncology nurse and you feel it. It never felt fake or like they were putting on a show/smile just for me. They truly cared. I never want to see them again either way :)

- May 10, 2024
Good:

• AMC Networks reported strong free cash flow growth in the first quarter of 2024.
• The company has a healthy balance sheet and has extended its debt maturities.
• AMC Networks has a diverse and exciting content slate for the year ahead, including popular shows like The Walking Dead and Orphan Black.

Bad:

• Consolidated revenue decreased 17% in the first quarter, primarily due to nonrecurring revenue from the previous year.
• Domestic operations revenue decreased 14% in the first quarter, mainly driven by a decline in content licensing revenue.
• Advertising revenue declined 13% in the first quarter due to lower ratings for acquired programming.

Ugly:

• The company did not provide specific details on the percentage of streaming subscribers that come directly through their platform versus third-party platforms.
• AMC Networks did not provide an update on the full-year outlook for affiliate trends, which previously indicated a 10% decline.
• The company did not discuss the impact of competition and market dynamics on ad-supported streaming CPMs.

Earnings Breakdown:
Financial Metrics:

• Consolidated revenue decreased 17% to $596 million in the first quarter.
• Adjusted operating income was $149 million, representing a 25% margin.
• Generated $144 million of free cash flow in the quarter.
• Domestic operations revenue decreased 14% to $524 million in the first quarter.
• Subscription revenue decreased 7% due to a 14% decline in affiliate revenue.
• Advertising revenue declined 13% due to lower ratings for acquired programming.
• Domestic operations AOI was $162 million for the quarter with a 31% margin.
• International segment revenue was $76 million, representing a decrease of 3%.
• Adjusted operating income for the International segment was $13 million with an 18% margin.
• Ended the quarter with net debt of approximately $1.7 billion and a consolidated net leverage ratio of 2.8 times.
• Approximately $775 million of total liquidity, including $600 million of cash on the balance sheet and an undrawn $175 million revolver.

Product Metrics:

• AMC Networks serves an aggregated audience of more than 91 million across its linear networks, targeted streaming services, and more than 100 channel feeds on third-party CTV and FAST platforms.
• 70% of AMC Networks' linear footprint is enabled for addressable advertising, with addressable slots in every hour of programming on each network.
• 40% of the addressable linear footprint can be bought programmatically, the largest percentage of programmatic linear inventory in the industry.
• Popular streaming brands such as Acorn TV, Shudder, ALLBLK, and HIDIVE will have ad-supported versions available on a standalone basis.
• The film Late Night with the Devil had the biggest opening weekend in IFC Films' history and became the number one film in Shudder history.
• Acorn TV unveiled a smart and expansive brand refresh and has a lineup of new seasons of shows coming.
• WE tv is focusing its original strategy on Friday nights with new series and a new season of the Love After Lockup franchise.
• AMC Networks launched new streaming offerings on ITVX, the British ad-supported streaming service operated by ITV, including AMC Stories and soon-to-launch AMC Reality.
• Strong audience performance in southern, central, and northern European divisions, with The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live becoming the number one show in the history of AMC+ in Spain.
• AMC Networks has a strong content slate for the year ahead, including new seasons of The Walking Dead, Orphan Black: Echoes, and other popular shows.

Source: Decode Investing AI Assistant

Hey y’all! I’m fairly new to camping as a hobby. I’ve got my first summer trip planned in just a few weeks in the northern Colorado Rockies. The average night low is in the 30s. My current sleeping bag is rated for 30F. I have a large 4 person tent from Academy so not anything high quality. It will just be me and my 25lb dog going. I used this same set up last summer when it dropped to 50-60s overnight but had to use a flannel sheet inside my sleeping bag and wear sweats to keep warm. If I have to replace both to be safer, I will. I’m just having a hard time justifying spending the extra money on a new tent and/or sleeping bag. I’ve found a 0F sleeping bag from Amazon for $70. And I can get a Coleman 2 person tent for around $70 also. Should I replace one or both? Or am I overreacting? I have a Mr Buddy heater I could use but to be honest, I’m a little scared to use it in a tent. I have Nalgene bottles I can put boiling water into for heat. Would just a disposable heating blanket be of good use? For sleeping, I upgraded to a Teton xxl cot and the sleeping pad for it so there will be air flow under me which I know means less warmth. I have sweaters and jackets for my dog. I also have flannel sheets and a big wool blanket I keep in my car for emergencies.

I’m so relieved to say that I passed the PMP exam on my first try. Just wanted to share my long-ish journey in case it helps anyone else 😊 Feel free to ask any questions!
Background: My current role is a Project Manager (official title I’ve only held since January this year), however I work in architecture and have managed my own projects for a few years now.
Prep: I first started studying in December 2023 with AR’s Udemy course to get my 35 hours so I could apply to take the exam. I completed Andrew’s course by February 2024, which is maybe longer than most people take. However I work full time and have a toddler so I didn’t have much spare time to devote to studying.
I then applied to PMI to take the exam. I didn’t end up get audited, so that was a relief. Then from there I moved on to getting PMI’s Study Hall Essentials and took all of the mini exams, some practice questions, and 1 full mock exam. My mock exam score was 73% (including expert), and average score for all practice exams was 77%. I actually tried to work my way through most of the learning materials just in case I could gain any benefit from it, but honestly didn’t find it very valuable so I can see why a lot of people skip this.
I also watched some of David McLachlan’s YouTube videos with practice questions and would pause the questions to answer myself first, then proceed and listen to his breakdown of the correct answer.
Finally I also purchased Third3Rock’s exam notes a couple weeks before my exam date, however I really only had time to skim the cheat sheet (there’s a lot of detail in these documents though, so it’s definitely a great resource too)!
Exam: I slept pretty horribly the night before (probably because I was so nervous). My exam was scheduled for 8am and was just over an hour drive away, so I had to wake up pretty early to make sure I got to the test centre in time and felt prepared/not rushed. I ended up writing the exam when I was 14 weeks pregnant (which was a bit risky since you never know how you may feel around this time in pregnancy). Because of this, I ended up asking PMI for Accommodations which they granted - being extended time to take the exam, writing it in a private room, an extra 10 min break was allowed, and watesnack allowed in the private exam room. *However, they actually ended up forgetting to give me the extra time allowance (my clock had 230 mins like a regular PMP exam), but this wasn’t an issue for me since I had a good flow going and was sure I could complete it in time. I also did not end up using the extra 10 min break, but it was nice to know it was an option in case I suddenly felt sick.
I did take advantage of the watesnack allowance in the private room, and this probably helped keep my nausea at bay while I wrote the exam.
The exam itself was hard for me to judge how well I was doing while I took it. I had mostly scenario-based questions, some were quite tricky (1 or 2 where I wasn’t sure what exactly the question was even asking, and some had a couple answers that seemed equally correct) and others were pretty straightforward. I had 1 calculation type question that required a calculator, and maybe 5 or so drag-and-drop questions. I’ve read here on this subreddit that the questions aren’t as “wordy” as Study Hall, but I didn’t find that to be true on my particular exam. Some questions were still quite long. I ended the exam with about 30 mins remaining (and I used 5-10 mins after each section to review before I took my break), so I used an extra 10 mins to do a final review of the last section as well. I had only flagged a couple questions in the last section, but figured I should glance through a lot of the other questions too just in case since I had the time.
Aftermath: The walk from the exam room to the checkout desk was never-wracking as I had no idea how I did. I was so relieved once they handed me the paper and I could read that I preliminarily passed the exam! Phew!
It took about 27 hours to get my exam result breakdown (I took the exam on Monday at 8am, and got results Tuesday at 11am).
Overall it was a long process but I think it was worth it to finally have this certification. I’m looking forward to not having to study anymore and celebrating a bit. 🎉 Good luck to everyone out there who is taking the exam! 🤞🏼

I started working for the siren maybe a month or so ago. Said I would love 32 hours, but I could take 27 as a minimum because they asked on the availability sheet. I did not expect to be getting a lot of hours right after being hired as I knew I needed to be trained. I came from a licensed store but we followed different policies and had a different flow.
I was being given about 20 hours to start out with. Then it went down to 15. Now on the two newest schedules I only have 10! Two days a week, and that’s it. I’m looking for a different job at this point. I don’t even want to ask about it because this job is already dragging me down, all the promotions are killing me 😭. I worked mother’s day, the 50% off day before that, and it seems like we never have enough people on the floor to accommodate the order volume.
I also wasn’t really trained how to properly close and I’m meant to be a closer mainly, and I was given the wrong info about tips during training. It’s just a mess. I really do think they’re trying to push me to quit with the hours thing. I thought policy was that you had to be scheduled at least 12 hours a week? Idk like I said I don’t have the energy to fight for myself 😩

Shorts are still playing psychological warfare. That's their game, that's their job.
The latest installment is the 125k shares they borrowed before market open (per IBD), which reflects borrowings from only one brokerage. They probably borrowed from others as well.
They did it because they're trying to SHAPE THE EMOTIONAL REACTION TO EARNINGS.
Blowout earnings would have been nice, but this was JUST FINE. The 7MM on compliance stuff was one-off. The mark-to-market... investing in deals with a little hair on IS THEIR BUSINESS. And they don't just invest/loan, they help those companies turn themselves around. The interim can be messy, but they've been making shrewd deals for 27 years, and consistently been successful.
And hey, if I were them, I wouldn't rush a GAG sale either. Or any other super-positive-news announcements, including on the earnings call. Why? Because their buy window (for companies and insiders) FINALLY OPENS two days after earnings.
If I were them, what would I do? I wouldn't rush a GAG sale. I'd announce earnings, buy back debt/shares at a massive discount... And then, after fortifying the balance sheet and benefitting shareholders that way, I'd complete the GAG sale (and possibly other intelligent moves) to further fortify the balance sheet.
That would be great for the balance sheet. It would be great for EPS. It would be great for shareholders. It would make fair value significantly higher. It would be a huge win for the company - turning lemons into lemonade for the company and all its shareholders.
As a friendly aside, which some of you may not like to hear... Buyer beware for those with a super-short-term orientation, playing options with near-term expirations. It's gambling. It can get you burned. The company's obligation is to make solid business decisions that generate returns. That's the long game. Their goal is not to create hype to drive the price high (only to have it knocked down when the shots stop flowing and the disco music stops). They're investing for the long term. Their actions will not be tailored to support your option positions. The low stock price hasn't hurt their ability to do business; they're structured smarter than that. So be careful, and if you see value in the company, make sure to take a position with an appropriate timeline. You may not like hearing that, but it's important to hear. Manage your risk. NFA.

Patient Profile:

• Name: MJ
• Weight: 80 kg; Height: 6 feet 1 inch
• PMH: hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia

History of Present Illness (HPI): MJ is a 60-year-old male who presented to the emergency department with swelling and pain in his left leg that began two days ago. He was admitted and diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT). There are no known allergies.
Clinical Information:

• Diagnosis: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Allergies: None

Medication Orders:

• Heparin infusion: Initial bolus of 80 units/kg, followed by a continuous infusion of 18 units/kg/hr.

Question: Calculate the initial bolus dose and the continuous infusion rate in mL/hr if the heparin concentration is 25,000 units in 250 mL. Round the infusion rate to the nearest tenth.
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layer, lead, leader, leadership, leading, leaf, league, lean, learn, learning, least, leather, leave, left, leg, legacy, legal, legend, legislation, legislative, legislator, legitimate, lemon, length, less, lesson, let, letter, level, liberal, library, license, lie, life, lifestyle, lifetime, lift, light, like, likely, limit, limitation, limited, line, link, lip, list, listen, literary, literature, little, live, living, load, loan, local, locate, location, lock, long, long-term, look, loose, lose, loss, lost, lot, lots, loud, love, lovely, lover, low, lower, luck, lucky, lunch, luxury, machine, mad, magazine, mail, main, mainly, maintain, maintenance, major, majority, make, maker, makeup, male, mall, man, manage, management, manager, manner, manufacturer, manufacturing, many, map, margin, mark, market, marketing, marriage, married, marry, mask, mass, massive, master, match, material, math, matter, may, maybe, mayor, me, meal, mean, meaning, meanwhile, measure, measurement, meat, 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night, nine, no, nobody, nod, noise, nomination, nominee, none, nonetheless, nor, normal, normally, north, northern, nose, not, note, nothing, notice, notion, novel, now, nowhere, nuclear, number, numerous, nurse, nut, object, objective, obligation, observation, observe, observer, obtain, obvious, obviously, occasion, occasionally, occupation, occupy, occur, ocean, odd, odds, of, off, offense, offensive, offer, office, officer, official, often, oh, oil, okay, old, Olympic, on, once, one, ongoing, onion, online, only, onto, open, opening, operate, operating, operation, operator, opinion, opponent, opportunity, oppose, opposed, opposite, opposition, option, or, orange, order, ordinary, organic, organization, organize, orientation, origin, original, originally, other, others, otherwise, ought, our, ours, ourselves, out, outcome, outside, oven, over, overall, overcome, overlook, owe, own, owner, pace, pack, package, page, pain, painful, paint, painter, painting, pair, pale, Palestinian, palm, pan, panel, panic, pant, paper, paragraph, parent, park, parking, part, participant, participate, participation, particle, particular, particularly, partly, partner, partnership, party, pass, passage, passenger, passion, past, patch, path, patient, pattern, pause, pay, payment, PC, peace, peak, peer, pen, penalty, people, pepper, per, perceive, percentage, perception, perfect, perfectly, perform, performance, perhaps, period, permanent, permission, permit, person, personal, personality, personally, personnel, perspective, persuade, pet, phase, phenomenon, philosophy, phone, photo, photographer, phrase, physical, physically, physician, piano, pick, picture, pie, piece, pile, pilot, pine, pink, pipe, pitch, place, plan, plane, planet, planning, plant, plastic, plate, platform, play, player, please, pleasure, plenty, plot, plus, PM, pocket, poem, poet, poetry, point, police, policy, political, politically, politician, politics, poll, pollution, pool, poor, pop, popular, population, porch, port, portion, portrait, portray, pose, position, positive, possess, possession, possibility, possible, possibly, post, pot, potato, potential, potentially, pound, pour, poverty, powder, power, powerful, practical, practice, prayer, preach, precisely, predict, prediction, prefer, preference, pregnancy, pregnant, preparation, prepare, prescription, presence, present, presentation, preserve, president, presidential, press, pressure, pretend, pretty, prevent, previous, previously, price, pride, priest, primarily, primary, prime, principal, principle, print, prior, priority, prison, prisoner, privacy, private, probably, problem, procedure, proceed, process, processing, processor, proclaim, produce, producer, product, production, profession, professional, professor, profile, profit, program, progress, progressive, project, prominent, promise, promote, prompt, proof, proper, properly, property, proportion, proposal, propose, prosecutor, prospect, protect, protection, protein, protest, proud, prove, provide, provider, province, provision, psychological, psychology, public, publication, publicity, publish, publisher, pull, punishment, purchase, pure, purpose, pursue, push, put, qualify, quality, quarter, quarterback, quarterly, queen, quest, question, quick, quickly, quiet, quietly, quit, quite, quote, race, racial, radiation, radical, radio, rail, rain, raise, range, rank, rapid, rapidly, rare, rarely, rate, rather, rating, ratio, raw, reach, react, reaction, reader, reading, ready, real, reality, realize, really, reason, reasonable, recall, receive, recent, recently, reception, recipe, recipient, recognition, recognize, recommend, recommendation, record, recording, recover, recovery, recruit, red, reduce, reduction, refer, reference, reflect, reflection, reform, refugee, refuse, regard, regarding, regardless, regime, region, regional, register, regular, regularly, regulate, regulation, regulator, reinforce, reject, relate, relation, relationship, relative, relatively, relax, release, relevant, relief, religion, religious, rely, remain, remaining, remarkable, remember, remind, remote, remove, repeat, repeatedly, replace, replacement, reply, report, reporter, represent, representation, representative, Republican, reputation, request, require, requirement, research, researcher, resemble, reservation, resident, residential, resign, resist, resistance, resolution, resolve, resort, resource, respect, respond, response, responsibility, responsible, rest, restaurant, restore, restriction, result, retain, retire, retirement, return, reveal, revenue, review, revolution, rhythm, rice, rich, rid, ride, rifle, right, ring, rise, risk, river, road, rock, role, roll, romantic, roof, room, root, rope, rose, rough, roughly, round, route, routine, row, rub, rubber, rude, ruin, rule, run, running, rural, rush, Russian, sacred, sad, safe, safety, sake, salad, salary, sale, sales, salt, same, sample, sanction, sand, satellite, satisfaction, satisfied, satisfy, sauce, save, saving, say, scale, scandal, scare, scatter, scenario, scene, schedule, scheme, scholar, scholarship, school, science, scientific, scientist, scope, score, scream, screen, script, sea, search, season, seat, second, secondary, secret, secretary, section, sector, secure, security, see, seed, seek, seem, segment, seize, select, selection, self, sell, Senate, senator, send, senior, sense, sensitive, sentence, separate, sequence, series, serious, seriously, servant, serve, service, session, set, setting, settle, settlement, seven, several, severe, sex, sexual, shade, shadow, shake, shall, shallow, shape, share, sharp, she, sheet, shelf, shell, shelter, shift, shine, ship, shirt, shock, shoe, shoot, shooting, shop, shopping, short, shortly, shot, should, shoulder, shout, show, shower, shrug, shut, shy, sibling, sick, side, sigh, sight, sign, signal, significant, significantly, silence, silent, silver, similar, similarly, simple, simply, sin, since, sing, singer, single, sink, sir, sister, sit, site, situation, six, size, ski, skill, skin, skirt, sky, slave, sleep, slice, slide, slight, slightly, slip, slow, slowly, small, smart, smell, smile, smoke, smooth, snap, snow, so, so-called, soccer, social, society, soft, software, soil, solar, soldier, sole, solid, solution, solve, some, somebody, somehow, someone, something, sometimes, somewhat, somewhere, son, song, soon, sophisticated, sorry, sort, soul, sound, soup, source, south, southern, Soviet, space, Spanish, speak, speaker, special, specialist, species, specific, specifically, specify, speech, speed, spend, spending, spin, spirit, spiritual, split, spoil, sponsor, sport, spot, spray, spread, spring, square, squeeze, stability, stable, staff, stage, stain, stair, stake, stand, standard, standing, star, stare, start, state, statement, station, statistical, status, stay, steady, steal, steel, steep, stem, step, stick, still, stimulate, stimulus, stir, stock, stomach, stone, stop, storage, store, storm, story, straight, strange, stranger, strategic, strategy, stream, street, strength, strengthen, stress, stretch, strike, string, strip, stroke, strong, strongly, structural, structure, struggle, student, studio, study, stuff, stupid, style, subject, submit, subsequent, substance, substantial, substitute, succeed, success, successful, successfully, such, sudden, suddenly, sue, suffer, sufficient, sugar, suggest, suggestion, suicide, suit, summer, summit, sun, super, supply, support, supporter, suppose, supposed, Supreme, sure, surely, surface, surgery, surprise, surprised, surprising, surprisingly, surround, survey, survival, survive, survivor, suspect, sustain, swear, sweep, sweet, swim, swing, switch, symbol, symptom, system, table, tactic, tail, take, tale, talent, talk, tall, tank, tap, tape, target, task, taste, tax, taxi, tea, teach, teacher, teaching, team, tear, technical, technique, technology, teen, teenager, telephone, telescope, television, tell, temperature, temporary, ten, tend, tendency, tennis, tension, tent, term, terms, terrible, territory, terror, terrorist, test, testimony, testing, text, than, thank, thanks, that, the, theater, their, them, theme, themselves, then, theory, therapy, there, therefore, these, they, thick, thin, thing, think, thinking, third, thirty, this, those, though, thought, thousand, threat, threaten, three, throat, through, throughout, throw, thus, ticket, tie, tight, time, tiny, tip, tire, tissue, title, to, tobacco, today, toe, together, toilet, token, tolerate, tomato, tomorrow, tone, tongue, tonight, too, tool, tooth, top, topic, toss, total, totally, touch, tough, tour, tourist, tournament, toward, towards, tower, town, toy, trace, track, trade, tradition, traditional, traffic, tragedy, trail, train, training, transfer, transform, transformation, transition, translate, translation, transmission, transmit, transport, transportation, travel, treat, treatment, treaty, tree, tremendous, trend, trial, tribe, trick, trip, troop, trouble, truck, true, truly, trust, truth, try, tube, tunnel, turn, TV, twelve, twenty, twice, twin, two, type, typical, typically, ugly, ultimate, ultimately, unable, uncle, undergo, understand, understanding, unfortunately, uniform, union, unique, unit, United, universal, universe, university, unknown, unless, unlike, until, unusual, up, upon, upper, urban, urge, us, use, used, useful, user, usual, usually, utility, utilize, vacation, valley, valuable, value, variable, variation, variety, various, vary, vast, vegetable, vehicle, venture, version, versus, very, vessel, veteran, via, victim, victory, video, view, viewer, village, violate, violation, violence, violent, virtually, virtue, virus, visibility, visible, vision, visit, visitor, visual, vital, voice, volume, voluntary, volunteer, vote, voter, voting, wage, wait, wake, walk, wall, wander, want, war, warm, warn, warning, wash, waste, watch, water, wave, way, we, weak, weakness, wealth, wealthy, weapon, wear, weather, web, website, wedding, week, weekend, weekly, weigh, weight, welcome, welfare, well, west, western, wet, what, whatever, wheel, when, whenever, where, whereas, whether, which, while, whisper, white, who, whole, whom, whose, why, wide, widely, widespread, wife, wild, wildlife, will, willing, win, wind, window, wine, wing, winner, winter, wipe, wire, wisdom, wise, wish, with, withdraw, within, without, witness, woman, wonder, wonderful, wood, wooden, word, work, worker, working, workout, workplace, works, workshop, world, worried, worry, worth, would, wound, wrap, write, writer, writing, wrong, yard, yeah, year, yell, yellow, yes, yesterday, yet, yield, you, young, your, yours, yourself, youth, zone.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer limited to science fiction movies. It's woven into the fabric of our daily lives, quietly working behind the scenes to enhance our smartphone experience. From streamlining communication to fueling creative expression, AI-powered apps determine the mannerisms through which we interact with our mobile devices.
In this article, we will look at the ten best apps for iPhone and Android. Alongside this, we will weigh their pros and cons for optimal transparency. Make better data-driven decisions with AI and big data by the end of this article. Here are our top ten picks.

1. Otter.ai

Drowning in sticky notes and illegible handwriting? Otter.ai is your AI-powered solution for effortless note-taking. This app uses real-time speech recognition to transcribe conversations and lectures as they happen.
Focus on the present moment during meetings, interviews, or classes, knowing Otter.ai captures every word. Search through the transcribed text later to pinpoint key points, revisit specific moments, and ensure you never miss a crucial detail again.
Pros: Ditch notes, capture every word, easy search later
Cons: Less clarity, limited free storage, freemium account

2. Grammarly

Grammarly is one of the top ten Android apps for users. Its AI-powered app analyzes your text, identifying grammatical errors, typos, and awkward phrasing. It doesn't just point out mistakes but also suggests corrections and improvements.
Whether crafting an email, composing a social media post, or tackling a report, Grammarly ensures your message shines.
It can even suggest synonyms to enhance your vocabulary and recommend different sentence structures for smoother flow. With Grammarly by your side, you can confidently write, knowing your communication is clear, concise, and polished.
Pros: Flawless writing, improves clarity, boosts vocabulary
Cons: Limited free features, over-reliance, lack of human editorship

3. Moises App

Moises uses AI to separate audio tracks, allowing you to remove vocals from a song to create karaoke tracks or isolate specific instruments for musical experimentation. This app is a treasure trove for musicians, music lovers, and anyone who wants to get creative with audio manipulation.
Pros: Create Karaoke tracks, isolate instruments for remixes, a treasure trove for music lovers
Cons: Mandatory subscription, may require high-quality audio, limited editing features

4. Lensa

Lensa takes your selfies and transforms them into captivating works of art. Explore a library of artistic styles, from classic oil paintings and Renaissance portraits to whimsical cartoon filters and edgy pop art.
Lensa.ai utilizes AI to blend your features with these artistic styles, thereby creating unique and personalized digital masterpieces.
What’s more? You can even experiment with various filters, find your perfect artistic doppelganger, and share your creations on social media to impress your followers. Whether you crave a touch of artistic grandeur or a playful cartoon makeover, Lensa.ai offers a fun and creative way to see yourself in a whole new light.
Pros: AI art makeover, explore art styles, fun social media fodder
Cons: In-app purchases, subjective taste in art, privacy concerns

5. ELSA Speak

Regarded as one of the top ten apps for iPhone, Elsa is a pioneer in language development. Struggling with English pronunciation? Look no further than ELSA Speak, your AI-powered English coach. This app utilizes AI to analyze your spoken English, identifying areas for improvement. It provides personalized feedback on your pronunciation, highlighting sounds and words that need work.
ELSA Speak goes beyond simple corrections. It offers interactive lessons and exercises to help you master specific sounds and improve your fluency.
With regular practice and ELSA Speak's guidance, you can gain the confidence to speak English clearly and effectively in any situation.
Pros: Personalized feedback, improves pronunciation, gains speaking fluency
Cons: Limited languages, requires commitment, subscription format

6. WOMBO Dream

Ever feel creatively blocked or simply yearn for your inner artist? Look no further than WOMBO Dream. This art generator takes the reins, transforming your simple text prompts into unique and captivating paintings.
Describe a "mystical underwater city" or a "portrait of a courageous astronaut" to the app. WOMBO Dream uses its artistic intelligence to translate your words into stunning visuals. Explore a variety of artistic styles, from dreamlike landscapes to classic oil paintings.
With this app, anyone can become an art director, generating conversation-starting masterpieces in seconds.
Pros: AI art generator, explore creative prompts, instant artwork
Cons: Limited control, subscription for extensive styles, lack of artistic interpretation
Overwhelmed with AI? Here’s a step-by-step guide to AI basics and platforms.

7. Color by Number

This app takes the classic coloring-by-number concept and injects a dose of AI. It utilizes AI to generate unique pixel art coloring pages based on various themes and styles. While coloring is a relaxing and therapeutic activity, the AI-generated aspect adds a touch of novelty and keeps things interesting for creative minds.
Pros: Short video clips, caption comprehension, target language learning
Cons: Lacks broader understanding of the topic, requires internet connectivity, does not emphasize speaking or writing

8. Socratic by Google

Stuck on a homework problem and traditional methods aren't cutting it? Look no further than Socratic by Google! This learning app is your virtual study buddy. Simply snap a picture of your math problem, science question, or even a historical passage you're struggling with.
Socratic uses its AI smarts to analyze the content and provide you with step-by-step explanations, relevant videos, and alternative solution methods.
It even tackles multiple subjects, making it a versatile tool for various academic challenges. While Socratic can't solve every problem for you, it acts as a powerful guide, helping you understand concepts and develop problem-solving skills for future success.
Pros: Step-by-step solutions, multiple subjects supported, explanatory videos
Cons: Limited problem-solving types, limited solving capabilities, best for understanding concepts

9. Adobe Premiere Rush

This is a great option for anyone who wants to create and edit professional-looking videos on their phone. It has a simple and intuitive interface, but it also offers a wide range of features, including the ability to add multiple video clips, music, and titles.
You can also use Premiere Rush to adjust the color and lighting of your videos and to add special effects.
Pros: Easy to use, mobile-friendly editing, rich asset library
Cons: Limited features, cloud dependence, export restrictions

10. PlayPhrase

This app combines AI and language learning to create a fun and interactive experience. PlayPhrase uses AI to analyze short videos and generate captions in multiple languages. You can choose a video clip, and select the target language you're learning, and the app will transcribe the audio with captions.
Pros: Engaging video clips, interactive learning experience, multilingual options
Cons: Limited context, Excessive comprehension, needs web connectivity
Read more: Take Your First Step With an AI Basics Course For Beginners

Hello everyone!
I'm going slightly crazy going through a ton of breakthrough bleeding on my new combo pill and wanted some advice, reassurance, other experiences, anything to bring me some piece of mind.
I have a 3.5cmx3.5cm submucosal fibroid that has caused me very heavy bleeding, especially in the last year or so. My last regular period (not on BC) was 12 days long and on day 9 I had a horrible hemorrhage episode while out where I bled through my night pad, my jeans, everything and on top of that I passed a clot so large I cannot fathom how it even fit in my uterus.
Due to this last terrible period experience I decided to go on hormonal BC based on the advice on my GP. She put me on a low dose pill with 0,03mg ethinylestradiol and 0.15mg levonorgestrel. I started this right at the end of my last period, so day 13 of my last cycle and it went fine for the first 2-ish weeks. I had very little spotting twice, which I was very aware is normal for the first time being on BC. Due to my horrible period in the prior month I decided to try to skip the placebo week to rebuild my Hg that had dropped to mildly anemic levels. Both my GP and a gynecologist had confirmed it's absolutely fine to do so.
Then about 3 weeks and a half ago I started spotting again, 3 days before finishing the first sheet. I wasn't concerned initially since it was just spotting and I decided to still skip the placebo week. Well joke's on me because I've basically been on a "period" for the last 2 weeks quantity and cramps-wise. I've kept in contact with my GP who gave me TXA for 6 days, which did help but the bleeding just continued as before after finishing that, and then sent me to a specialist clinic where I had an appointment next week. I asked my GP if I should take a break and she advised not to do so to avoid increasing the bleeding. The last 2 days I've had bleeding episodes very similar to my usual period day 2, with clots, cramps and heavy bleeding for a couple of hours but fortunately not as bad as my hemorrhage episode from last month.
So here I am, waiting for my appointment, bleeding every damn day for almost a month and feeling absolutely horrible about it. Has anyone had similar experiences? Is there anything I can do to stop this bleeding?

Hello fellow fibroid sufferers!
I'm going slightly crazy going through a ton of breakthrough bleeding on my new combo pill and wanted some advice, reassurance, other experiences, anything to bring me some piece of mind.
I have a 3.5cmx3.5cm submucosal fibroid that has caused me very heavy bleeding, especially in the last year or so. My last regular period (not on BC) was 12 days long and on day 9 I had a horrible hemorrhage episode while out where I bled through my night pad, my jeans, everything and on top of that I passed a clot so large I cannot fathom how it even fit in my uterus.
Due to this last terrible period experience I decided to go on hormonal BC based on the advice on my GP. She put me on a low dose pill with 0,03mg ethinylestradiol and 0.15mg levonorgestrel. I started this right at the end of my last period, so day 13 of my last cycle and it went fine for the first 2-ish weeks. I had very little spotting twice, which I was very aware is normal for the first time being on BC. Due to my horrible period in the prior month I decided to try to skip the placebo week to rebuild my Hg that had dropped to mildly anemic levels. Both my GP and a gynecologist had confirmed it's absolutely fine to do so.
Then about 3 weeks and a half ago I started spotting again, 3 days before finishing the first sheet. I wasn't concerned initially since it was just spotting and I decided to still skip the placebo week. Well joke's on me because I've basically been on a "period" for the last 2 weeks quantity and cramps-wise. I've kept in contact with my GP who gave me TXA for 6 days, which did help but the bleeding just continued as before after finishing that, and then sent me to a specialist clinic where I had an appointment next week. I asked my GP if I should take a break and she advised not to do so to avoid increasing the bleeding. The last 2 days I've had bleeding episodes very similar to my usual period day 2, with clots, cramps and heavy bleeding for a couple of hours but fortunately not as bad as my hemorrhage episode from last month.
So here I am, waiting for my appointment, bleeding every damn day for almost a month and feeling absolutely horrible about it. Has anyone had similar experiences? Is there anything I can do to stop this bleeding?

I had a dream probably 12 years ago that I’ve never forgotten, during one of the darkest times in my life when I was scared I’d fail in life
The dream began in a volcanic Ashland where I was traveling with a ragtag band of refugees trying to escape some horrible volcanic event or maybe even super volcanic event, so we were all journeying through this grey valley flanked by ashen mountains with a few distant volcanoes, I was the leader of this group and they were depending on me to hopefully guide them to survival.
We came to a huge obsidian temple structure and it was built onto the valley wall so we had to climb it to ascend out of the valley, so we entered. But the building had an ominous energy like something dark was sleeping inside of it.
Part of the way up, a young boy in my group was running ahead even though I told him to wait and tried to run after him, but as happens in dreams my legs were like lead and I couldn’t keep up. I had this growing sense of dread.
Then the boy slipped off the edge over an overhang and as I looked down after him he plunged into a lava pool, burning to death. My sense of dread didn’t go away it only increased. Somehow I knew (maybe because it was a dream made by my own mind) that that wasn’t the only horror that awaited us in here, this place wanted all of us not just the boy.
That dread manifested as the boy came clawing his way out from the lava pit and let out a horrifying cry like a nazgul or a ghoulish undead, with his flesh bubbling and dripping off of his bones in places he began sprinting with inhuman speed back towards the entrance of the obsidian temple he had fallen from, right back into the entrance.
My band of refugees began panicking, torn between the anguish of watching the boy die and the horror dawning on them of what he had become- a monster- and why he would come sprinting back into the temple some floors below us.
We all heard the inhuman commotion as his undead body slammed into corners, so great was his speed, and we all realized rather abruptly that he was closing in on our group.
I urged the group to begin climbing the stairwells that wrapped around the precipices of this obsidian temple, up towards the valley wall. We had only one possible escape: somehow reaching the top and whatever salvation waited for us up there from the desolate volcanic wasteland and the undead monster that had once been a little boy. So we all begun to sprint, but we were slow.
some of the refugees had bags, some were elderly men and women, it began to dawn on me that we had no hope to escape as i heard the monster closing in from below. I turned to confront him, readying to fight with no weapons.
When he emerged he looked at me with his ghastly skull shining through his melted off face and he spoke and said "You did this to me so I will punish you by making you live while your people die." And he ran past me with superhuman speed and tore into my group, beginning to butcher these weak powerless refugees even as I tried to fight him, plead with him, even as I tried to urge them to keep running, he eventually killed every last one of them with his long ghoul clawed skeletal hands.
"Im sorry." i said to him. "Im sorry i let you become a monster." and he just smiled back at me and stepped off the ledge, plunging again into the lava, this time to rest eternal, but the carnage of my mangled people now lay all around me, and still the black obsidian stairway beckoned, leading up into the tallest passes of the ashen mountains where smoke and fog obscured the path, I had nobody left and nowhere to go but up.
So i went up. Up, up, up through winding valley corridors of sheer black jagged rockfaces, ascending thousands of steps until the atmosphere seemed thin and the night stars shone from above, the distant red glow of the lava flows fading to a dull reminder of the carnage i was leaving behind me.
eventually the climb slowed but the path continued and the stairs began to turn downwards, the rock walls opened up into a dusty grey plain of old ash that had blown here from distant eruptions in the ashlands below, but it was cold up here and dark, and the fog parted and i saw in the distance a structure, not ominous and unnatural like the obsidian temple but a human structure, a distant farmhouse, but I had a feeling when i looked down the winding stairs at this house like i was looking into the blackness of a night that has a rapidly approaching tornado, totally invisible, the sight of this farmhouse gave me a sense of existential dread greater than even the obsidian temple had inspired. But i knew i had to keep going forward anyways. So, with despair in every step, i put one foot infront of the next and kept walking.
As i approached the house I realized its scale, it was not some small farmhouse, more of a manse, and the stairs on this path led straight to its roof where the stairs that had once led down from its top were gone. There was only a gaping black hole in the roof, my only way forward was into this abandoned structure, so with a heart full of fear i lowered myself down into pitch blackness.
I found myself in an ash flooded attic full of furniture like old spinning wheels and some misshapen objects with soot stained sheets over them, the room was so very cluttered with dillapidated old stuff that i could hardly navigate it. I kept bumping stuff then I froze, because on thr far side of the room i saw a sillouhette standing motionless. A feminine sillouhette that seemed like it moved slightly as I brushed against an old desk, causing a noise.
As she reacted, she turned towards me and I saw her face, and her mouth hung open, her jaw split in two, one half dangling and the other holding a malicious grimace.
She moved like a squid striking out from inky blackness at its prey, lifting up off her feet and drifting rapidly to me, her mangled jaw soon centering around my field of view as her face filled my vision and she grabbed the sides of my head, talking to me
"You have to pay for what he did to us, you have to see it all"
And she entered me, i just remember at this point in my dream my vision was full of motion, like she had possessed me and was flying me through the pages of her own history book, in a misty ashen blur of colors and shapes i found myself chopping wood in a dark forest with green leaves around, when a rage filled every fiber of my being and i turned towards a tent, gripping my axe as i swung it through the fabric, turning it on my first wife (in my dream i understood this to be the vision of the woman's husband when he murdered her with his axe) and splitting her jaw and head open rather than any log
I was crying abd begging to be left alone and allowed to leave when we swirled back into the attic, and the ghost was standing right there with inhuman stillness, i couldnt look away from her mangled face as she said "now you know what he did to me…" and she slowly disappeared into a small mist
I was deeply disturbed and crying and disoriented as i looked around the attic and saw a small wooden panel with some grey filtered light showing through it and i went that way, but as i did another ghost of a different women, her neck angled violently screamed at me and grabbed me and possessed me, now I was her husband, the same man with his second wife wringing her neck as she turbed blue
In this manner a series of murdered women ghosts possessed me, forcing me to witness their deaths from the poijt of view of their killer, all killed by the same horrible man in different violent ways, in total 7 stories of 7 murders of 7 dead wives, and each one whisming me to another part of this forsaken farmhouse where they had lurked waiting for whichever man was unlucky enough to enter this cursed homestead
My experience dreaming this was mostly an unsettling amount of vertigo during the dream and images of violence and these ghastly faces of ghosts filling my vision before flying me to another room where another ghost would stand motionless waiting to possess me, the entire time i felt like i was crying and falling from a very extreme height
Eventually though the last ghost released me from her possession and i stood in the kitchen room where she stood with me, her face blue from drowning in a bath tub, and she smiled at mr and spoke more gently than thr others had, she reached to take my hand but when i flinched and screamed she dropped her arm back down to her side and just smiled sadly at me
"Thank you"
And she and all other ghosts were gone and it was just me alone in this forsaken manse's kitchen, and i heard a sound i never expected, trickling water. So i walked towards it and found a back door on the ground level which opened easily, and i stepped outside and saw some white, ash-filtered sunlight and a sight that took my breath away, about 300 yards away was a running river with lush green trees and plants and a thundering waterfall, and i knew that my trials had passed as i walked out towards the end of the ashlands with my boots squishing in fertile muddy soil, and i woke up completely drenched in a puddle of my own sweat

Actually, gusto ko lang talaga mag rant kasi masama loob ko. My Family is very including yung Family side ng father ko. So ngayon, nakatira ako sa tita ko ngayon and ilang weeks palang ako dito. I actually don't like the vibe nung nagstart na siya magsalita nung unang apak ko rito. She's mocking other people, she's preaching bible verse, kinukwento niya pati yung manugang niya na napaka gastos daw niya ganyan tas hindi raw niya siya marunong makisama kasi hindi raw ini-include yung asawa niya kapag kakain sila, kinuwento niya pa yung pinaalis niya yung ano kasama niya sa bahay kasi inuubo like wtf. So the more na nagk-kwento siya, the more na na-off ako sa vibe niya. Syempre ako go with the flow kasi gusto ko mag aral. Yes, sumama ako sakanya kasi gusto ko mag aral.
For the background story saakin, tatlong beses akong nag stop na mag aral and may reason naman ako. Yung una, kasi nagkaroon kami ng alitan nung kaibigan ko sa pera kasi nagpapaliwagan kami noon and ako na yung magsasahod kaso hindi niya binigay yung pera ko na nasa 3k+ sana (Actually may utang pa siya saakin na around 1.5k and hindi niya pa binabayaran hanggang ngayon). Malaki laki na iyon for me kasi hindi naman mayaman yung family ko and nangangailangan din ako during that time. Nung 2017 pa iyon nangyare and nasa Junior High palang ako. Ayun nga nag away kami and pinagbantaan niya buhay ko noon. Natatakot ako syempre kasi kasali siya sa mga frat no'n and hina-hire yung gang nila nung government to delete people. Kaya nag drop out ako haha. Gusto ko pa sanang ipagpatuloy noon kaso sobrang natatakot ako sa buhay ko kahit pinipilit ako ng teachers no'n na pumasok. Hindi alam ng side ng Family ko na nangyari eto pero alam ng Lola ko. Kaya kung ano anong kinukwento nila sa ibang relatives namin. Yung pangalawa naman, pandemic na eto and sobrang depress ko that time. Like, 3 years akong depress noon. So nag stop ulit ako kasi hindi ko gusto yung mga classmates and teachers ko noon kasi sobrang toxic nila and mostly pa nung mga naging kaklase ko noon sila yung mga nang bully saakin nung Junior high (nag aral ulit ako and bumalik ako sa old school ko). Actually, pinilit lang ako ng Mama ko na mag aral doon and kapag di raw ako nag enroll d'on sa school na iyon hindi raw niya ako papaaralin. Syempre natakot ako and kahit ayoko, nag enroll ako ron haha. Kaso nag drop out din kasi sobrang na depress ako. And yung pangatlo is nag drop out ako dahil sinunog nung brother ko yung mga modules, project and work sheets ko. Umiyak ako ng malala noon kasi ipapasa ko na iyon ng friday and nawala lahat. Around 2021 to 2022 nung nangyare iyon. Sinunog niya dahil lang maingay yung volume ng pinapanood kong tiktok noon and naiirita siya dahil don. Ayun lang yung reason niya kaya niya nagawa. Sobrang na discourage akong mag aral ulit kaya nag work nalang ako ng ilang years kahit depress ako. Wala akong Senior High diploma kaya nahihirapan akong pumasok sa ibang trabaho. Yes, ayan yung reason kaya sumama ako sa tita ko dito sa Manila kasi gusto kong mag aral and mag work.
Ilang weeks palang ako sa bahay niya pero pinapalitaw na niya yung totoong ugali niya. Nung unang kita ko sakanya napaka nice niya and approachable. Akala ko nga hindi siya strict e kasi sabi niya nung nag video call sila ng mama ko hayaan daw ako matulog. Pero nung nandito na ako nagrereklamo kapag nasosobrahan tulog ko sa hapon. Tapos ang dami niyang bawal. Gumagawa naman ako ng gawaing bahay and dinidiligan naman yung mga halaman niya. Sumusunod naman ako kapag may inuutos siya. Oo, hindi siya madamot sa pagkain pero napaka damot niya sa mga gamit. Like, example, bawal manood ng TV kasi sayang sa kuryente, bawal mag electricfan kapag di siya kasama kasi sayang sa kuryente, bawal gamitin yung basong ganito ganyan kasi ginagamit nila, pati halaman may bawal diligan kasi raw baka lumambot yung stem niya e di naman niya sinabi anong halaman yung bawal diligan and etc. So ayun nga, kahapon medyo di kami nagkasundo and hindi kami nagpapansinan now. Nagstart uminit ulo ko nung tinago niya yung towel na sana gagamitin ko kasi marumi na yung towel ko and nagkaka breakouts ako dahil don. Di ko pa malabhan kasi kakalaba lang namin nung last week e hindi ko siya nasama kasi malinis naman siya noon. So ayun i have no choice but to use that dirty towel. Tapos ayun nga after ko maligo eh di tumambay ako sa sala kasi gusto kong mapag isa para mawala init ng ulo ko. Kaso pinipilit niya ako na sa kwarto nalang kami kasi para iisa nalang electricfan na gagamitin namin, kaso ako parang bingi bingian. Yes oo, binuksan ko yung electricfan kasi mainit. Tas ayon nagalit siya biglang lumipat ng sala and nagsabi sabi tas inagaw yung buong electricfan, hindi nalang ako nagsasalita pero masama loob ko that time kasi inagaw niya yung electricfan and ako sobrang pinagpawisan that time. Pawisin kasi ako kaya gusto ko naka electricfan tsaka siya naman mismo nagsabi saakin nung nag video call sila ni mama na pwede ko naman gamitin electricfan niya buong magdamag. So ayon, kinausap ko mga kaibigan ko na help ako kasi gusto ko ng lumayas. Ayoko rin ugali ng tita ko since napaka homophobic niya, insecure and pinapalo niya yung mga pusa rito tas once a day lang pinapakain. And nagpapatulong ako sakanya na mag apply ng work around QC kasi wala pa akong alam sa place dito and need ko help niya, ayaw naman niya kasi malayo raw. Sinabi niya rin na tutulungan niya ako magtanong sa Munisipyo about sa ALS, kaso di rin natuloy kasi tinatamad siya. So ano pang gagawin ko dito diba? Tapos ngayon nanonood siya ng TV and naka electricfan pa, tas ako bawal gumamit ng electricfan kasi sayang daw sa kuryente ahahhah. Sinabi ko eto sa Mama ko pero sabi lang niya dun daw ako sa may electricfan hayp. Hinahanap ko nga mga pamaypay, tinago rin niya. Hindi ako mamatay sa sama ng loob dito, kung hindi sa heatstroke.
So ayun, balak kong umalis dito and bumalik nalang sa province ko. Kasi andoon mga friends ko and maraming hiring na work sa province. Alam ko namang maraming hiring sa Manila, pero hindi ko naman alam yung mga sasakyan and pupuntahan lalo na lagi lang kaming nakakulong ng bahay tapos bawal pa akong lumabas, kaya babalik nalang akong province. I hope matuloy yung balak ko bukas na lumayas kasi nauumay narin ako sa kaka preach niya ng Bible verse pati sa Religion namin e hindi naman niya ina apply sa sarili niya. Hindi ako religious na tao, kaya nauumay lang ako sa sinasabi nila. Makikituloy muna ako sa kaibigan ko ng isang month lang hanggang makahanap ako ng work. Hindi narin ako uuwi saamin kasi pagod na ako sa ka toxic-an ng pamilya ko. If want niyo ng background story pwede ko namang i-kwento.
Wish me luck, i hope makahanap agad ako ng work and makapag aral ulit ako :>>

Methylene blue, renowned for its efficacy in treating methemoglobinemia, harbors a plethora of medical utilities beyond its conventional usage. This article delves into the multifaceted world of methylene blue, exploring its diverse indications, recommended dosages, and potential side effects to foster optimal patient care and safety.
Indications for Methylene Blue
While primarily employed for methemoglobinemia, methylene blue extends its therapeutic reach to several off-label applications. Noteworthy indications include mitigating post-injection pain during propofol administration, combatting chloroquine-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria, and averting ifosfamide-induced encephalopathy. Moreover, it aids in identifying parathyroid glands during surgical procedures, showcasing its versatility in clinical settings.
Mechanism of Action of Methylene Blue
Methylene blue's efficacy stems from its intricate mechanism of action:

• Restoration of Hemoglobin Function: By reducing oxidized hemoglobin, methylene blue reinstates its oxygen-binding capacity, pivotal in treating methemoglobinemia.
• Vascular Regulation: Inhibiting enzymes like endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), methylene blue facilitates vasoconstriction, regulating blood flow and pressure.
• Antimalarial Activity: Vital in combating Plasmodium falciparum, methylene blue reduces resistance to chloroquine and inhibits glutathione reductase, amplifying susceptibility to treatment.

These multifaceted actions underscore methylene blue's efficacy across various medical domains.
Administration of Methylene Blue
Typically administered intravenously, methylene blue dosage and regimen vary with the indication:

• Methemoglobinemia Treatment: A recommended dose of 1 mg/kg of a 1% solution, infused over 5 to 30 minutes, ensures therapeutic efficacy.
• Lymph Node Mapping: Utilized as a dye, intraparenchymal administration doses of 2 mL and 5 mL of a 1% solution facilitate precise mapping.

Adherence to prescribed guidelines by healthcare professionals ensures optimal therapeutic outcomes tailored to individual patient needs.
Adverse Effects of Methylene Blue
While efficacious, methylene blue usage warrants vigilance owing to potential adverse effects:

• Bluish-green Urine Discoloration: Benign and transient, urine discoloration may occur post-administration.
• Limb Pain: Intravenous administration may evoke mild limb discomfort, typically tolerable.
• Serious Adverse Effects: Caution is warranted to avoid serotonin syndrome, CNS-related symptoms, and neonatal complications, including hyperbilirubinemia and respiratory depression.

Methylene blue usage is contraindicated in individuals with hypersensitivity reactions or glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency, necessitating careful monitoring and prompt intervention if adverse effects manifest.
Conclusion
Methylene blue emerges as a versatile therapeutic agent with a spectrum of medical applications, transcending its conventional use. Understanding its indications, mechanisms of action, administration protocols, and potential adverse effects is paramount for ensuring safe and efficacious patient care. Collaboration among healthcare professionals facilitates optimized methylene blue utilization, enhancing patient outcomes and fostering holistic well-being.
📋 Source: Methylene Blue: Benefits, Dosage & Side effects

Huge shout out to & for helping with Brainstorming and Co-Writing this.
As always, all credits for the original Nature of Predators and it's content goes to Space Paladin15, thank him for allowing artist and writers to use his original work of art for their own uses.
Gaian Ref Sheet-Here, Done by the artist
As well as a *Huge* thank you for Julian Skys for filling in for the editor for this chapter. I'll post a comment as to why I haven't been posting too much, safe to say though, kept ya waiting huh?
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[Subject Memory Transcription: Rux Limpbut, Venlil News Anchor and TV Show Host]
Date [Standardized Galactic(?) Time]:August 1st, 2136
Now I'm regretting not taking that transfer last week. This just keeps getting better.
I was in my car outside of the Network’s station. I was at my wits end yesterday and was trying my damnedest *not* to freak out on air. Now? Now I had the pleasure of my network telling me they needed me to come in way early to report on some breaking news. Just as I was about to leave for Solgaliks sake!
I took a small sip of the “coffee”. Now this was a blessing, coffeehouses on Gaia were open paw around, no matter what. I was giving a small prayer to those “ancestors” for their love of anything strong. Well, anything strong that wasn't alcohol. They could stomach one drink or two but after that? They were out.
Slurrrrrp
I let out a relieved sigh as the warm liquid flowed down my maw, the reward of caffeine soon following after this. Hopefully in time for the recording. With that I opened the door, grabbing my briefcase as I greedily drank the rest of the coffee as I approached the wide doors of the Networks station.
They creaked a little as they always did as I appeared in the doorway, a sleepy, overworked ghost. I tossed the coffee cup into the trashcan by the door as I nodded over the after work plans that I had to either postpone, or completely not do.
No bar time, going to be too tired. Not going to have enough time to do more digging in what that Farsulian diplomat released, even after it's been nearly two months. Brahk. Still need to be ready for the shift tomorrow-
“Rux?” The front desk secretary pulled me up and out of my thoughts as I blinked a couple of times, my ears raising as one of my eyes focused on her, a bit frizzled from the overtime I was clocking at the moment.
“Hm? Oh. Hey Liakal, caught me off guard almost as bad as the padcall I got. What's up?” I rubbed my eye as I fully focused on her, making my way over to her.
“Well, whenever you're ready for them they'll give you all you need, apparently, when you get into the studio. What they told me is uh, it's not a pleasant amount of news.” She nervously played with her claws and her headset, her lips quivering a bit.
“That bad? Speh. What about that uh, guest? She gets off-”
“O-oh! Mrs Tarva. She got off the planet easily. I can't say anything else though Rux. They said whatever they have to tell is very, very pertinent not to be let loose until you broadcast it… sorry Rux.”
I patted the top of the semi circle desk that Liakal was sat into, before giving her a quick, albeit small smile with a finger gun before I quickly deflated. It was that bad. With a nod from me I departed into the hallway to the left of the front desk, approaching one of the elevators.
A button press, a chime and the feeling of gravity and anxiousness about to make me hurl later, I was on the floor with the studios. I retraced the steps I had taken only claws before to mine. The green sign saying “Predator Problems” told me I hadn't failed as usual. Something had to be done with our program and segment name, if for nothing else there was apparently much more juicy stuff to talk about.
Opening the door, I expected the hustling and scrambling of the cameramen, the lighting crew, audio specialists. But nothing except a small huddled group of uniformed men. Brahk, I was hoping this wasn't the case but I was never that lucky. I resigned myself to fate as the group finally paid attention to me, and the door clicking and shutting behind me.
“Mr. Rux. Please come over here and sit. You're all good, we just need to go over what we need you to announce in this upcoming impromptu broadcast.” Why the hell were the Gaians on Prime? Wait no. That's not the problem. Why are officers from their military here? Oh stars.
However I could feel my body coming towards the oval shaped table. Eventually knocking into a chair and pulling it out, resting my briefcase onto the ground and taking a seat, pulling up to the desk. I rested my paws on it as I gave a look to the group assembled around it.
All were wearing roughly the same uniform, their fur patterns one of the only differing things between them. Aside from the one at the end of the table. They wore a green beret atop their head, nestled in between the horns that adorned it. They cleared their throat and slid a small packet of papers towards me, startling me a tiny bit.
“While I wish to be polite and respectful, there's simply no way to say this without being blunt. Sole Speaker Jikem is dead. With the current atmosphere on Gaia we thought it'd be best to announce the formation of an emergency government and a leader to head it. All of which has been done in a roundabout manner so as to not alert any radicals or terrorists.”
I had only taken a cursory glance at the front of the small packet before that bombshell of an information was dropped onto me nonchalantly. My paw was halfway to the front page to turn it before my gaze looked up at the Gaian at the end of the oval table who had done so.
“What? Sorry can you-”
“Rux. Come on, you know what I said. Now, I know it isn't everypaw that you get to report on the death of a head of state, let alone be the first one to do so. I'll most certainly give you that. So, we'll give you some time alone…well mostly, to get acquainted with the packet and once you and your crew are roaring to go we'll release the news to the Commonwealth.”
I took a small lookover of the second page but had to pause for a short moment again as I took it in. Yes, yes I did have some questions. Half from the large info dropped on me and the other half that I was now reading with my very own eyes now.
Before they could fully get up I had worked up the courage to get a short clearing of the throat and read out of the lines in the packet out aloud after I had decided it would be better to ask now rather than after. “In conjunction with recent attacks the Armed forces has decided to-” I put down the packet in its entirety now.
“What in the stars could you possibly mean by “safeguarding” democracy? This just seems to be some type of justification for a military takeover. I mean, who's going to fall for this?”
The chairs of the small clique of officers seem to find themselves filled once more as they returned to their positions, most of them now gazing between me, some random crew member scurrying near me and the head honcho with the green beret.
The intensity of the stare of the Gaian at the opposite end of the table seemed to intensify, seemingly his gaze looking through me. “Mr. Rux, I can assure you any such speculation to that matter and that, frankly, justified if albeit imaginary fear is going to be the last thing people on Gaia are going to worry about. Alright?”
I anxiously nodded back, sighing. “L-look I'm just-”
The Bereted officer seemed to nod while holding up his paw, my line of reasoning and thought being stopped by the intrusion. “Worried, you ancestors are always worried. It's why we're here, yes? Anything too dangerous or otherwise unsafe we've always volunteered for so as to save our more cultured self from such. Think about this announcement like that. A warning and an update from our side of the Commonwealth about current affairs, nothing more, nothing less.”
With that it seemed settled for the time being, as the small clique once again rose, and this time was actually able to depart to the booth that overlooked the studio, keeping what I was sure to guess a keen pair of eyes to observe anything.
I settled into my seat more as I gave the small packet a read. It was general stuff as of this point when it came to announcements. Why it's happening, what happened in more details, what they planned to do in the upcoming future, all that juicy stuff. Overall a very plain, if very informative script to go by. Still, being the first to announce the death of a head of state via “Unnatural Causes” would make even some of the most resolved Gaians a bit jumpy, yes?
Once I finally gave the entirety of the packet a quick read over I sat it down giving a glance to my, by now, very familiar set that we used for “Predator Problems”, the entire reason for why I had started it had been to educate and warn people about what to do with predators and the like. Now I was going to have to educate them, apparently, about the fact that our “brothers” in species so to speak were having a bit of topsy-turvy time on their capital planet. Now I was kinda hoping I was one of the more conspiracy theorist nut jobs just so I didn't have to get contacted.
Resigning myself to fate, and the fact that apparently I of all Vens was the most level headed to announce this, I looked over the studio, eventually finding the small group of uniformed men again. I got up and out of the chair as I made my way over to them, flicking my tail into a questioning sign as I did so, my approaching presence quickly noticed.
“Seems like you've got some questions, you read the packet though yeah?” One of them said, I simply signaled a yes with my ears to respond.
“So, is this immediately being aired? Or is it being aired later on tomorrow-well, this paw? Should it be the first thing or the last thing or is it the only thing I'm doing for this one?” With these questions the small clique seemed to talk in-between themselves, small glances were made in my general direction, they seemed to come to some type of conclusion though as they turned back to me, the bereted one now taking center stage again once more.
“Yes. It's being immediately aired. You do realize you are a bit of a celebrity on Gaia, yes? A special breaking news from you would certainly draw the right eyes. Then it'll spread from there. We do have other stuff for you to read, but it'll appear on the prompter. Other than that though we'll take our leave once everything is said and done.”
I gave a small thanks to Solgalik, as that would mean I would be able to go back home and get at least a claw or two of rest. Speh, if I just slept here I could get an extra one easy. But I didn't have much time to dwell on that, instead I apparently had a job to do right now.
With that bit of information I decided to go around, talking to the crew, who as of this point has finally settled down and has stopped scattering from the Gaians. A small conversation with each helped us plan out the next few tantalizingly painful minutes that were about to unfold live on air.
With everything and everyone in place, I took my seat at the curved table in the middle of the cameras, getting my little tie ready. With a countdown from 3, I settled into my on screen persona as the red lights of the cameras went on.
“Good Paw to everyone tuning in! I'm your host as always, Rux Limpbut, and this is Predator problems. This time though, we do have some breaking news that we need to get to. So with that being said, I suppose it's time for me to get to it.”
I straightened my back, placing my paws firmly as I closed my eyes, breathing in and then opening my eyes again.
Alright. Just gotta break the news that the head of state of the other half of our Commonwealth is dead and their Army just decided to seize power for democracy's sake.
“I have some sad, and what some can and should be saying is unsettling, news. Sole Speaker Jikem of the Gaian Cooperative, has died earlier this paw. Details are scarce and hard to come by as of this point, but from preliminary reports and investigations, it seems as though he *may* have been assassinated while at a checkpoint. As many of you know he was elected on a lockstep ticket with the current governor of Venlil Prime, Veln. He oversaw the last closing years of the Dominion-Federation war, as well as the beginning of closer federation ties. Many people are bound to ask as of this point what is going to happen, and the easiest and most truthful answer is…we don't know.”
I shuffled some papers, discarding the packet to the side of the table before continuing on with the information I was to spout out.
“Already reports are coming in that the Armed Forces of Gaia have declared a state of emergency and already there are rumblings that they have formed… an emergency government?”
I gave a bit of a confused look before continuing, I could see the group of uniformed Gaians nodding as I did so, apparently that was good enough for them.
The rest of the news report was generally a bit unsettling, or at least info packed by many people's standards. Updates on the federation at large, some reports on the status of the Venian Commonwealth and what was the plan going forward and before I knew it the red blinking light on the cameras had vanished, and the lights overhead had dimmed.
“Alright, that's good for us. We'll have one of our guys stay over the paw to help your team edit it but other than that? You can head on home.” The bereted one informed me, before signalling to one of the clique, most likely the one to stay here and “help” us edit.
I rested back in my chair and closed my eyes, I think it was time for me to get some shuteye.
—----------
Smoke billows out from the mouth of the Uniformed figure, a lit cigar cradled in his claws. He takes a survey of the trio gathered in front of him.
“So.” The figure grunts out, leaning back into his chair.
“So, what?” One of the trio asks inquisitively, shifting in their seat.
“So now what? Not many paws you get to make a masterstroke of a situation like this. Sole speaker is dead, people are looking to any type of stability and we perfectly fill the slot.” The Uniformed figure takes the cigar up to his mouth, smoking it lightly.
“Well there are numerous concerns.” The most center of the trio speak.
“Like what to do with those brahking predators that apparently still exist.” To the right of the first speaker.
“I vote we integrate them posthaste!” And finally the one on the other end.
A thick billowing cloud of smoke escapes the lips of the Uniformed figure, fidgeting for a moment before rolling forward. His face now fully lit.
“Gentlemen. Calm down. We have plenty of problems with plenty of solutions. But that's why you put me in charge of this little emergency government anyhow right? Levelheaded, warhero, clean political record.”
The trio murmur for a moment before returning a nod, the middle one piping up as he did so.
“Yes, that is why we decided to throw our towel in with you Marshal.”
The Uniformed figure now places his elbows on the table, his paws bridging each other while the cigar is still in-between in his paws.
“That's Marshal-at-Arms Jyuvernik to you. Now where were we? Ah right. The Dark corner. I want you to send a diplomatic team to assess the cattle debacle.”

January 29, 2384 - the day of the last total eclipse is when the raid began. “The day of the sun's false shadow” as people call it now. We, humans, were an unsuspecting victims in a universe habited by multiple vastly stronger existences. When it happened the world had been thrown into utter chaos and shock. The sun had been completely covered by the moon and this event was supposed to last only a short while however after two hours sunlight had still not shown its face upon the earth's surface. This was the beginning of humanity's greatest tribulation. After days of the sun's light not being shown the planet's temperature began to drop and to compensate for this people began to create massive fires but this did not stop the problem. Photosynthesis in plants began to stop, making it harder for humans to breathe. This made humans build labs and create artificial oxygen, which took care of that problem but humans still began to die from hypothermia, frozen oceans, and forced stoppage of blood flow. After two weeks, the sun finally revealed itself and all hope had been restored in humanity collectively only for half the population to be massacred in an instant. “The watchers” had been slowly waiting with armies to colonize our planet and technology beyond our wild comprehension. Technology we can only dream of had been shown and used right before our very eyes and for the first time in all of human history, we had been united as one in our mutual fear and horror. 2 months later, 90% of humanity has been wiped out and the few who remained were used as slaves to cultivate energy. With the use of a Dyson shell, nearly 80% of the sun's energy and heat had been directed into maintaining their energy. Amongst all this time, humanity had collectively agreed to fight back. This began the creation of the liberation group, “the Plague”. These groups of people were the last hope of humanity and carried an extremely large ambition and dream on their shoulders. While “the watchers” were extremely advanced this doesn't change the fact that they were fallible and this group of people were their scourge. They didn't have the military might nor the advanced brain to even keep up against “the watchers” but through slavery and forced labor, the human body began to develop into something stronger. They began to surpass their limits and break the barriers that the human mind had once placed on themselves. Through the selective farming of “the watchers” a new plant had developed that was essentially a stimulant to the human body and a limit breaker for their physical capabilities. At first, they began by using strong levels of acid to corrode the buildings and structures and then stopping their heartbeat to give the impression of suicide so they could not be caught, however, they did not die due to a new system developed from the human's newfound evolution. Due to the strict regimen that we had to follow, we knew all of the places where they would and wouldn't be, all the blind spots of the planet, all the places where they were in close proximity to a chasm, and all the places where we were at a disadvantage. We used the blindspots as bases and hideouts where we could plan our vengeance. After a year of just observing their behavior, habits, bodily functions, and even their schedules we developed a hypothesis that 24 seconds after 7:39 PM we have approximately 19 minutes and 53 seconds in Greenland where we are not being watched nor located. We used this small window of time to gather the fundamental items we needed to fight back and build the foundation for our organization. We gathered food, plants, water, armor, and weapons. We realized that they were immune to cutting/slicing damage and could only be hurt through blunt attacks. With this knowledge, we developed a specific fighting style and used that small time frame to train others in it. We adapted to the harsh conditions and created clothes using spare pieces from “the watchers” specially made for insulating heat, weighing less, and being less penetrable by outside attacks. After a year every person on the planet was a master at this martial arts and had fully developed a counter to all technology that “the watchers” had. However, we could not initiate immediate war on them so we needed a plan. We came up with the idea to have one of our strongest members report to the watchers about our activity and give away one of our bases. This created the false notion that not only did they have someone working as a double agent on their side but also they knew where we would be so they could catch us off guard. We were all there like they expected and they attacked like planned. We had all moved our weapons, armor, and vital items into a different base but kept some things where they attacked to make them think we had not gotten far but this was a dud. Eventually, we had all “died” and had our bodies left at that place as a sign of victory on their side. However, because of this, their ego had grown and they began to underestimate us. The surveillance had gotten weaker as they assumed their “double agent” would tell them everything as a trade for luxury living. We knew that physical power would not be enough so our smartest man collaborated to develop a virus specifically made for their genetic makeup which took about 5 years to extract small strands of DNA without them realizing. Once the virus had been created the incidence began and eliminated more than 60 percent of “the watchers” because of how they were too distracted trying to develop a cure and the vast amount of them dying, we had gained more time to develop our forces and we began to ingest various harmful substances but in small doses in order to gain resistance to any harmful poisons and acids. After new children start to be born this began the origin of a new human species. One massively stronger, smarter, more durable, and with all the immunities and benefits without the downsides. With the birth of this new generation, all of the human race had experienced a collective euphoria. We had begun to secretly train these kids for years and strengthen them in a way the human race had never been before. Due to the circumstances of their birth, they had also developed a strong ability for adaptation and healing factor which ultimately led to humans finally being able to physically compete with “the watchers”. However, we were still lacking in numbers despite the virus taking a vast majority of “the watchers” away. Some of us grew confident and because we were now physically capable some believed we could win the war while others believed we couldn’t yet. This created division within our ranks but did not necessarily break our ranks but that was all depending on your interpretation. We gathered our smartest men and women to make a plan to initiate war, and for 14 days they were stuck in ruminative thought. 2 years passed and we had finally built up the numbers, technology, and physical capabilities to contend with the watchers. Now on the day of the war, all of our strongest soldiers imitated the attack. But this time they were an unsuspecting victim on a planet habited by a stronger species. During the war we had counters for nearly everything the watchers could dish out but one thing we were not aware of was the fact that the watchers could transform into a smaller but faster, stronger, and more durable form. This form took the shape of humankind. So closely related that it struck fear into the hearts of many. Not only was this extremely off-putting but the revelation that came along with it had altered the perception of humanity as we know it. The war had been put to a halt, and all forced fighting in the war had directed their attention to one watcher and one watcher alone. All forces had been completely immobilized and fighting back was no longer capable. With this, the words that had been spoken out of the watcher were a revelation that humanity had not even considered possible. “We are not your enemies. We are you but from the future. In our original timeline, we have been attacked by a species even higher than us. We had been pushed to the brink of extinction and our last hope was only to go back in time in hopes that if we returned to our past selves we could help evolve even more to contend with the world-ending threats from the future. This siege we had laid on this planet and the forced evolution, progression, and tragedy among humankind also brought extreme progression in human capabilities. All of you are vastly superior to your previous forms because of our arrival. While we acknowledge our methods were not the ideal we had no other option. This was the fastest and most effective method to progress the human species although we could not allow the human race to have this win. It would boost the ego of your race and our all of you in a state of comfort and stagnation. With this being said we resign from our participation in this war and would greatly appreciate it if you allowed us to help humanity rebuild and donate technology.” Speechless as to what humanity has just heard we just stood there in utter shock and disbelief. Not a single soul knew what to say and all of humanity had stood in confusion. One man spoke “how do we know this is true” the watcher proceeded to show pictures and videos of them being massacred while some stood in human form and others did not. They showed is this along with the words, “we initiated this war as a way to put the human race through natural selection and eliminate all the weak human being who would not be able to contribute to our growth and success in any upcoming battle. So with that being said what is your decision?” Our leader, and the smartest woman among us had stated, “We humbly decline this offer as we would prefer to evolve by our capabilities and we have already surpassed you so what can you possibly teach us.” After this being stated the war had been started again and the watchers had been for the first time since the “great cleansing” began utterly defeated and annihilated. With the war being won, humanity being victorious, and newfound abilities being discovered humanity had been thrown into an era of peace and prosperity. All tragedies had been blamed on the watchers and for the first time humanity had an ever lasting peace and a perfect utopia where everyone agreed and benefited from each other. With this, we have been vastly improving and slowly but steadily rebuilding our planet and all of humankind. Our members started family’s and genuinely enjoyed the life they were living once again. Everyone acting coyly and with one another was a beautiful side to behold. Everything was perfect until the same monsters who killed the watchers, showed up to eliminate us due to fear of what we could evolve into this time we had no way to fight back and our ranks were already diminished or severely weakened. How would humanity be able to survive this time???Most people had been massacre and captures to be experimented on. Very few of us had actually managed to get away from them and we had only been able to do this through shadow banishment. It was a skill that we had acquired through the technology of the watchers. Living in the void was not the ideal lifestyle as it was ruthless, dirty, and unsafe but the chances of surviving here were massively higher than surviving on earth. Only a hundred of us remained and the human species were basically extinct. With this small group left we had resorted to instead of trying to repopulate and exact revenge immediately we would take the short route. In the void monsters had no sort of civilization and the only rule amongst these creatures were the strongest prevail. There was no sort of rule, order, or even a sense of respect between these monsters. The weak were prey for the strongest, and the strong were killed by the stronger. We took this as an opportunity to not only increase our strength by training and battling but also amassing an empire. The remind of humanity collectively agree that we would bring order and peace to the void. The best way to go through this was by entering the tournament. The monsters held tournaments to watch the strongest fight and kill each other for pure fun. We joined this colosseum and while at first we easily overwhelmed our opponents we had slowly been facing harder and harder opponents as we rose through the ranks. By the time even a single one of us was defeated we had made a name and gained the attention of multiple monsters within the void. We were not necessarily respected or followed but we were feared and simultaneously an opponent that monsters wished to fight. After this we had developed our own fighting ring in which monster could fight and battle against us and only us. We implied a set of rules in this ring. Rule 1; no killing Rule 2; reservations must be made to fight Rule 3; both parties must consent Rule 4; do not make the fight personal Rule 5; it must be between a human and monster. These rules created a sense of security amongst the monsters and while driven by their desire of battle they also abided by the rules. Eventually after fighting throughout the tournament and gaining more traction with the monsters in it. Eventually even the most high ranked demons had begun to make reservations in for our fights. Our strongest soldiers had been the ones to fight them as nobody else can really compete. The first fight had been with a demon who had the ability of immunity. This ability did not only revolve around internal status effects but also could be applied to his physical body. The fight had been the biggest one the ring had ever experienced and it did not disappoint. Eventually we had won and this through the whole entire void and everyone in it into an uproar. Monsters who never even bothered to fight had shown up to battle. The strongest monster in the void and the only monster with a sense of order, self, and purpose had shown up to fight all humans by himself. He agreed that if we win he would pledge allegiance to us all and work under our rule however if we lose we will be killed. This monster bore an extreme resemblance humans. The structure of his body and the contents of it were all human like however he claimed not to be. This monsters name was angel and he possessed the ability to manipulate and control all matter with the sole exception of any other organic material that resided outside of his own body. Our commander and strongest member amongst us was the person to fight him. His name was Alexander and despite the fact that we didn't have any singular special powers like him however our physical bodies were honed greater than any other species in existence. They were evenly matched in speed and strength and even in our capabilities to rapidly heal from damage. They had been evenly matched in all physical ability and the fight had ultimately come to hand to hand combat and who could last longer. Angel was unmatched in combat and had barely even been hit due to how experienced in martial arts he had been; however throughout the fight Alexander had been naturally adapting to his fighting style and developing counters to everything. Our natural ability to adapt to all attacks and effects placed upon us had given a clear win condition; however time was needed to actually see and fully understand how to possibly adapt to everything. The longer the fight took the higher the chance of Angel losing. Alexander had slowly but steadily been adapting and developing new combat styles to counter everything angle could do and even had grown to use his own severed limbs as projectiles and use his blood as a coat over all other objects to cancel his ability to use his field. Angel's main ability had been to control the air around him to increase speed, power, and even get a sense of what his opponent would be doing before it happened. After finally adapting to this his body had begun to heat itself in an attempt to turn it into vapor and due to blood being organic matter of another life form he would no longer have control of the air and the surrounding area. After this the fight had come down to solely base physical capabilities and for 10 minutes they had been mindlessly brawling and instantaneously healing through the damage taken. After a long period of time their healing began to slow down due to bodily fatigue. Biting, punching, scratching, kicking, anything you can think of, they did it. That fight was a bloodbath unlike anything else and in the end they both passed out on the floor with nothing left besides their bodies soaked and bathed in each other's blood. After they had both been knocked unconscious their bodies had been left there in anticipation for them to awaken. The ring filled beyond capacity as people argued and fought about who would awaken first. In anticipation for this once in a lifetime event the whole void had stopped with all its attention. Angel was the first to awaken and he had been exhausted and utterly stunned as to how he actually had gotten knocked out. He had the opportunity to kill his opponent as he had technically won the battle but out of respect for his opponents strength and capabilities he possessed. After the fight had finished Angel had left and was never to be seen again. After 2 weeks Alexander had awoken in a small shack being guarded by one other human and confused after everything had been explained to him he had went around looking for angel but he was not to be found. After awakening Alexander had been massively stronger than before. Due to the physical state his body was put in and all the damage that he had taken from Angel his body had adapted and become more dense in order to take all the attacks while sustaining the least amount of damage possible. After his awakening this began our political revolution. We had now implemented the ring with rules and gotten multiple monsters to follow by these rules and with them being accurate to filling orders more now we had decided to initiate a leadedictator in a sense. The top 5 strongest creatures in the void had been the leaders and this had consisted of Alexander at 1, 2 other demons at 2 and 3, and humans to fill the final spots. We began to implement laws and rules in order to stop the mass murder and destruction happening and within a small time frame we had created structures similar to the ones of the earth. Houses and gyms in order to train in hopes of becoming stronger and even professional combat sports. After 2 months time had passed we had developed a military with our best members in it and humbly had began to repopulate. All this had been done in hopes of regaining the earth and defeated our oppressors. Fast forward 1 months the and the siege of the home planet had begun. They had not been suspecting us however took the preparations in case we had come. Based and soldiers set up in every corner of the world to fight back when the time came we did come back. With this an all out war for the fate of humanity had began and the extinction of either race lay in the balance between life and death.
After the war had began all forces had been deployed to different areas of the planet. Groups that had worked together best being deployed to one part while our strongest being deployed to another. At first we had been nearly even in everything besides technology. They had everything that we lacked and this gave them the combative edge. However despite lacking in technology we made up for it in numbers. Most fights had consisted of large groups of monsters fighting against one or two of our enemy and this has convoluted till their forces had been somewhat deployed. The one on one fights had been more dragged out and heavily impacted the war. Our strongest soldiers fighting against their strongest soldiers in a one on one fight. Everyone has put their all into this battle and left nothing to spare. Our second and third strongest soldiers had the most impact in this war not because of who they fought but because of what they could do. They didn’t actually have abilities specific to them but instead they were born with a type of energy within their bodies in which they called “synergy”. This synergy could be used to amp all their physical abilities but also be used to crate and use techniques or even use techniques that are specific to the traits of the individuals soul. The strength and physical stats of the individual depended on how much synergy they had at their disposal and while some of them were able to gather strength from other life forms it was not a very common occurrence. Alexander fought someone with the ability to control and manipulate momentum. They used synergy and funneled it through all objects of their choice to increase or decrease of momentum of that. This didn’t do much on a wide scale and was a very basic ability but in a solo battle this made it extremely hard to land attacks and even when they were landed they did little to no damage. The most important one to kill had the ability to manipulate all probability. Meaning the likelihood of us even winning this war was less then .0001 percent with them being alive. Whether it was because of a collection of small losses or one major loss did not make a difference. All odds were stacked against us as long as this person remained on the battlefield. In simple terms the whole war relied on the defeat of that person. Our second in command and smartest soldier, “Cassandra” decided to take this upon herself. She was the only one among us who possessed an innate ability and was viewed as the most special soldier but this came at a cost. She gained a talent no other human possessed but in return she no longer had the natural ability to adapt to all circumstances. Her ability was to take the form and attributes of any and all creature she knew to exist. Mythical or not she could take the shape and ability of these creatures and use it as long as she desired. However she could only use one at a time and had to wait 30 seconds in between shifting. Our third in command, “Vladimir” had took the roll of fighting their head technologist. While his opponent had not specialized in battle he still was one of the most dangerous and this was because of his ability to create machines as small as molecular level that shared his thoughts and emotions. These machines were used to repair his body in case on injury, transport information, invade any opponents body and restrict movement, anything that he deemed possible could be done with the use of those machines. But he chose to mainly use them as sort of technological tools to help him further advance his society. The rest of our battles were not nearly as important and were mostly group battles. Afro the beginning portion of Alexander’s fight he had been losing severely and could barely land any attacks at all. After a few minutes of getting beat down and not being able to fight back the adaptation process began. The first adaptation was only a temporary solution to the problem but his body had been explosively shooting out sharpened pieces of his bones and even using tiny droplets of blood as weapons. However this was only a temporary solution because eventually those bones and blood just started being slowed also. The final adaptation and most effective one happened when his body created a function in which he can store kinetic energy and then release it at any given time. This allowed him to rapidly boost his speed whenever his momentum had been slowed and basically cancel out his opponent power. However this still did not stop how his opponent made himself significantly faster. After this the fight had been more tipped into Alexander’s favor but still not enough to actually win. Throughout the progression of the fight Alexander had been gathering more and make friction between the clothes he had and his feet running against the floor. After gathering as much friction and kinetic energy as possible he let it all explode and release all over his body. This altered the form of his body. His body and skin began to form cracks and let off steam. He began to turn dark red and his eyes became shot with blood. His body was slowly crumbling and deteriorating. He had 5 minutes left to defeat his opponent and if he did not then his body would crumble and he would die. Due to his rapid healing factor he had a chance of living if he was able to end the fight within 5 minutes and give himself some time to rest but this all depended on how much he could get done. The battle had been tilted all the way in Alexander’s favor and had no longer been a battle. It had turned into if his opponent could outlast him in those 5 minutes. Brutally beating his opponent and taking full advantage of the situation Alexander did not relent on his rampage. Stopping his momentum no longer mattered and it seemed like the more he tried the faster Alexander got. Steam had been blowing off him. In the end he had managed to kill his opponent within those 5 minutes and had been at deaths door. Cassandra had began her battle and had been absolutely obliterating her opponent. The ability to shape shift from dragons, unicorns, hydras, centaurs, and any mythical creature you can think of. At first she had taken the abilities of a dragon but throughout the fight she had been developing into stronger and more complex creatures. After a while her opponent had been decreasing the probability of her even landing attacks. This made it extremely hard for her to fight and maintain the advantage. She took the appearance and abilities of the mythical deity sun wukong. Due to sun wukong being a monkey that ascended into a higher power he is one of the only gods that she can transform into. After this she gained the ability to not only make clones out of every hair on her body but also multiply the power of each clone. While she does not possess every power sun wukong has she possesses some of them and the most prominent ones. This fight had been a one sided beatdown and only lasted longer than 2 minutes because the probability of each clone attacking each other had been raised to its maximum percentage. Despite this every 1000 punches that had been thrown at least 1 hit her opponent and this was more than he could handle from millions of clones. Vladimir had no special capabilities; he only possessed an extremely honed body and battle experience. At first they had been near equal but the battle began to take a turn when the tiny bugs began to infest his body and eat him from the inside. Due to his advanced healing factor he had been able to stop any significant damage and fight with mild discomfort but this did not change that if he continued in for a longer period of time then he would inevitably be defeated by these bugs and killed. This made the battle a race against time. Expending everything his body had to offer and leaving not a single drop of energy left. Pushing his body to the absolute peak and physical limit. Even going beyond the known capabilities of his body he began to evolve into a higher form. He did not develop any new type of power or gain a newfound power but he did increase and rapidly evolve his physical capabilities. He began to punch with such speed and strength that he created shockwaves from breaking the sound barrier. With this his punches became far more explosive and with every punch thrown he was exploding giant parts of his opponents body and everything within the perimeter. With no regard to his surroundings the battle had destroyed everything in sight and left them fighting in a bare wasteland. Basically erasing everything within line of his punches he began to annihilate his opponent with speed and strength unmatched. Due to all the tiny machines within his body he regrow limbs and was able to counter attack with near no fatigue or even lag in his action. While pushing his body to its absolute limit his body had given up on him. Rapidly healing from constant damage, pushing muscles to their utmost limit, moving, attacking at his highest speed, and even understanding/ perception of all attacks massively faster then he could ever before. Due to all this his body began to give out and in the midst of battle he fell and was unable to recover. No longer able to fight back and maintain the performance he had, he was defeated. Being eaten from the inside, limbs being torn from his body, and being damaged so much that not even his regeneration could keep up. His head had been ripped off his body and with this humanity had suffered its first major loss. After this all other forces began to gain support from all his other bugs and humanities forces had been rapidly depleting. With loss in sight humanity had lost hope and accepted defeat. Right when humanity had accepted defeat and all hope had been lost the king had shown himself once again. Like an Angel coming to bless all of humanity he had run through and obliterated all enemies of humanity. Destroying everything in sight and bringing all enemies to his feet he had saved humanity and restored hope and just like that he had disappeared into the void once again. There was no explanation as to how or why but in that moment all of humanity knew who we would be forever grateful and indebted to. Not many opponents had been left standing but the few who were, were extremely weakened and overwhelmed by numbers. After this decisive battle humanity had been in a state of joy and excitement out of their new victory. Once all the excitement and happiness from winning had worn off all the sorrow and remorse from the losses had come rushing in. All the lost family members, dead soldiers, limbs lost, and mental trauma had taken a toll on humanity. After we had gotten our planet back we did not spend our time rebuilding and trying to repopulate. We spent months mourning the loss of our loved ones and all our soldiers. We laid in depression and sorrow for our mutual loss and mental trauma. This brought humanity closer as a whole and we bonded over our suffering. Humanity had been one but at what cost. After years of processing humanity had finally been able to rebuild all of our structures, population, and even expand to different planets. After all these trials and tribulations we had finally evolved completely and after ages of loss we had finally entered a golden age of humanity. After all this we had begun to explore the deep parts of our planet and while exploring we discovered something far beyond our comprehension. Humanity had only been a small part of a vastly bigger world and a whole new world had now been exposed to us. We had breached through the ice caps of the north pole and had been greeted with hostility from a race on our planet we did not even know existed. After entering this “new world” humanity had found out the truth of our existence and creation. After finding out the truth of our creation and the prophecy of our faith we had all collectively regretted winning that war. Beyond our world laid horrors and truths we were not yet prepared for. After all this we had once again been thrown into a dark age with no will to fight. In the end this was the beginning of the end for humanity…