Old peasant legends tell of a magnificent treasure at the peak of Firetop Mountain in the realm of Titan. This treasure is sought out by many adventurers, although few make it back out of the mountains in one piece, and none are able to find the two-locked chest containing the prize. The treasure is guarded by an enigmatic warlock who commands terrible beasts to guard the chest’s keys. Some say he's old, some say he's young, some say his cards are his source of power, others say it’s his black gloves. The only thing that the peasants can agree on was his name; Zagor.
The terrible warlock would fight three different adventurers on their quests to claim his treasure. Each time, if the reader makes the right choices and defeats Zagor in combat, he manages to crawl back from the blackness of death using another morbid spell. Upon his third incarnation, he even made the jump from the realm of Titan to a new world called Amarillia. It's here that the sorcerer would finally meet his end, burned to ashes in the mystical Heartfires.
Feats come from three books, The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, Return to Firetop Mountain and Legend of Zagor. Hover over a feat to see what book it’s from. Since they’re Choose Your Own Adventure books, they aren’t distinguished by chapters but rather by paragraph numbers, which are included in the images themselves.

General

Human Form

• He has a Skill stat of 11 and a Stamina stat of 18. This makes Zagor more skilled than a Vampire, who can catch the player’s sword, and tougher than a Giant.
  • If the player burns his magic cards, Zagor physically shrinks, his Skill stat goes down to 7 and his Stamina stat goes down to 11.

Resurrected Form

• After resurrecting into a patchwork body, he maintains his stats of 11 in Skill and 18 in Stamina
• If the second adventurer kills him a second time, they return to identify the corpse a few days later. Zagor’s body is completely dead, but he’s grinning and his skeletal left hand is missing, something the adventurer worries will lead to a third encounter down the line.

Demon Form

• In another realm called Amarillia, a war with a Bone Demon ended when the Casket of Souls was created, which allowed the humans to banish the demon to another plane. However, Zagor’s pernicious spirit felt this event in the realm of Titan and used the Casket to manifest himself in Amarillia. By crossing into the parallel world, he bonded with the trapped Bone Demon, and Zagor’s third physical form is a demonic/human hybrid. This incarnation grows stronger as Zagor spends time in the demon’s lair, Castle Argent, and can only be killed for good by the Heartfires below the castle.
• Zagor’s Demon form is four meters tall and visibly strong. He fights using a rune-covered staff.
• As his Demon-Thing form, his stats go up to 16 in Skill and 20 in Stamina. He uses a variety of attacks in combat, like a Thunderbolt spell, a Fireball spell, a Life Drain spell that lowers an adventurer’s Skill and Stamina stat, a Poisoned Dagger, and melee attacks with his Taloned Fists. If the Zagor Demon reaches critical health without dying, it will become Frenzied and thrash around violently.
• After beating the Zagor Demon, the adventurer must throw his body into the magic Heartfires to completely destroy him. If he’s not thrown into these flames, he will revive himself and slay the adventurer with his claws.

Magic Abilities

Immunities

• He cannot be harmed by non-magical means. Attacks like arrows do no damage to Zagor.
• Zagor is immune to the magic paralysis spell used by a genie
• He can see through the effects of invisibility-granting garments
• If an adventurer attempts to use offensive magic against the Zagor Demon, his reaction depends on if he has a higher Attack Strength than the opponent. If his stat is higher, his Magic Screen spell cancels the offensive spell and damages the adventurer.
• He’s immune to instant Death Spells
• A master thief’s flowing cloak allows the wearer to confuse enemies, lowering the hit rate of their attacks. However, Zagor sees through this technique and is unaffected by the distracting garment.
• If an adventurer uses a handheld catapult on Zagor, and Zagor has a higher Attack Strength stat, the projectile misses and the adventurer is injured

Combat-Related

• He’s capable of teleporting around the room as well as levitating
• If the player shoots an arrow at Zagor, he lifts a hand and halts in mid-flight, centimeters away from his chest
• Shoots a plume of blue flames from his hand
• Magically slows the adventurer as they climb up some stairs. As this happens, Zagor magically summons a mid-level, poisonous monster to duel the adventurer. Damage done by this creature is transferred to Zagor himself. This spell can be neutralized by an adventurer’s protective spell.
• He can form invisible barriers, useful for creating obstacles to knock flying adventurers from the air

Control Over Life

• While he initially appears as a withered, ancient man, he quickly assumes a younger form in opulent clothing when preparing to fight the player
• Right before his defeat in the fist book, Zagor cast a dark spell on himself called Raise Dead, preventing his spirit from fully dying
• Coming back from the dead was not a perfect process, and most of Zagor’s body is decomposing. He must have his minions claim body parts from living victims in order to replace his failing body, piece by piece.

Curses

• He uses a curse to raise deceased residents of Firetop Mountain as his Undead servants
• He’s cursed the land around Firetop Mountain. The once red rocks have turned black, and livestock who graze around the mountain die sickening deaths shortly afterwards.

Other Abilities

• He has a hypnotic gaze and his voice seems to come from the walls of the cave rather than his mouth
• If the player finds and uses an Invisibility Potion, Zagor can still sense their presence and track them through scent
• Zagor personally rigs a trap with a spell called Demon’s Breath. If the adventurer stands too close to a wall, a puff of gas is released that continually poisons them until they eat orc fleas.
• Zagor can draw his monsters from other planes of existence. This is how, upon his jump from Titan to Amarillia, Castle Argent is already full of his minions.
• When an adventurer opens a casket, Zagor casts a spell that further decomposes and animates the corpse within to attack the adventurer. This spell is performed over a great distance.
• He can sense when his name is uttered in Castle Argent and dispatch monsters to that location

Magic Artifacts

Zagor's Portrait

• The adventurer can come across Zagor’s painting in Firetop Mountain, a frightening portrait that lowers their Skill stat through intimidation
  • If the adventurer draws their sword against the artwork, the blade is telekinetically grabbed and dropped on them, wounding their face
  • If the adventurer draws a wooden stake against the artwork, their wrist is suddenly wracked with pain and they drop the weapon. They also lose one more Skill point before fleeing.
  • If the adventurer throws cheese at the painting, Zagor laughs at them
  • If the adventurer produces the jewel found in the Iron Cyclops, the painting is defeated and the adventurer receives two Skill points
• A different painting found in Castle Argent uses a telepathic attack to frighten an adventurer and lower their Luck stat

Elementals

• As a tradeoff of using the Raise Dead spell on himself, the powers that be placed brought Elementals to his lair in Firetop Mountain. These supernatural beings are the only thing that can truly harm Zagor and must be summoned by using a dragon’s tooth along with an awakening word. However, Zagor can also subjugate these forces under his rule after he gathers his own summoning artifacts.
• If at any point, the adventurer fails to produce the right dragon tooth during the duel with Zagor, then Zagor’s Elemental will pick them up and throw them at a wall, rendering them unconscious. If they fail to say the right magic word, they also be magically rendered unconscious by a telekinetic backlash.
• Upon encountering the adventurer, he first summons his Demonic Air Elemental with a yellow crystal and magic chants
• If his Air Elemental is defeated by the adventurer’s Earth Elemental, Zagor summons a Water Elemental
• If the Water Elemental is defeated by the adventurer’s Air Elemental, Zagor summons an Earth Elemental
• If the Earth Elemental is defeated by the adventurer’s Fire Elemental, Zagor will summon an identical Fire Elemental
• If the Fire Elemental is defeated by the adventurer’s Water Elemental, Zagor will finally get out of his throne and fight personally

Other Items

• Zagor has complete knowledge of the secrets of Firetop Mountain and controls all of the beasts within. This information has been collected in his spellbook.
• A silver earring is found on a Cave Troll. If the adventurer puts it on, it turns into a living earwig that attempts to enter the person’s ear and attack their brain. This Brainbiter is described as one of Zagor’s enchanted assassins.
• A silver necklace is found on a Goblin. Upon contact with human skin, it turns into a feral rat with poisonous bites. The charm is said to have been created by Zagor.
• Magic cards from his magic set offer a variety of positive and negative effects for those who manage to collect, on, including: one that turns into a magically terrifying face, one that lowers the holder’s Skill and Luck stats, a blank card, one that confers Stamina and Luck into the holder and one that can turn into a silver dagger that can weaken Zagor himself

Weaknesses

• A jewel found in an Iron Cyclops can easily kill Zagor. If the player can find and produce this item during the last battle, the Warlock is aged into dust.
• The adventurer can collect Golden Talismans in Castle Argent, which can reduce Zagor’s Skill stat

In recent developments, the World Health Organization (WHO) has underscored the urgent need for countries to combat the pervasive issue of high salt consumption. Through its latest suite of recommendations, WHO has called for the imposition of legal limits on salt content in manufactured foods, restaurants, and canteens, aiming to mitigate the alarming rates of heart disease globally. The organization's plea is a clarion call for a healthier future, highlighting the critical correlation between salt intake and the prevalence of hypertension, a leading risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
The statistics provided by WHO paint a dire picture, with cardiovascular diseases claiming approximately 10,000 lives daily within the European region alone. This staggering mortality rate, constituting 42.5 percent of all annual deaths in the said region, is primarily fueled by hypertension, which, in turn, is exacerbated by excessive salt consumption. The current average daily salt intake in nearly all countries in the European region significantly exceeds the WHO-recommended maximum of 5 grams, underscoring a pervasive dietary risk that demands immediate action.
The implications of salt on health extend beyond the well-documented rise in blood pressure. Recent studies, such as the one conducted by the Framingham Heart Study, further elucidate the detrimental effects of arterial stiffness on metabolic functions, drawing a link between vascular hemodynamics and hepatic conditions like steatosis and fibrosis. Such findings accentuate the interconnectedness of cardiovascular health with broader metabolic dysfunctions, reinforcing the importance of addressing salt consumption as a multifaceted health concern.
WHO's call for mandatory front-of-pack labels represents a vital step towards empowering consumers to make informed dietary choices. The initiative seeks to cut through the clutter of voluntary nutritional information, which has often left consumers at the mercy of less transparent food labeling practices. The proposed legal framework aims not only to foster an environment conducive to healthier eating habits but also to galvanize countries into adopting more robust public health strategies.
The organization's report, "Action on Salt and Hypertension," published during Salt Awareness Week, advocates for a comprehensive approach to salt reduction. This includes enhanced diagnosis, treatment, and control of hypertension, alongside public awareness campaigns designed to shift consumer behavior towards lower salt consumption. Such targeted policies, as WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Kluge points out, have the potential to save an estimated 900,000 lives from CVDs by 2030.
The WHO's recommendations come at a critical juncture, highlighting the need for immediate and concerted efforts to curb the global salt crisis. The call for legal limits on salt content in food is not just a policy recommendation; it is a life-saving strategy that addresses the root cause of a significant public health issue. As countries grapple with the challenges of implementing these recommendations, the overarching goal remains clear: to reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases through proactive salt reduction, thereby ensuring a healthier future for populations worldwide.
Herbal Formula for Supporting Cardiovascular Health

1. **Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa):** Hibiscus has been shown to have blood pressure-lowering effects. Its high content of anthocyanins and other antioxidants can help in reducing blood pressure levels. A meta-analysis of clinical trials showed that hibiscus tea significantly reduced systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
2. **Garlic (Allium sativum):** Garlic is well-known for its cardiovascular benefits, including blood pressure reduction. Allicin, a sulfur-containing compound found in garlic, is responsible for its vasodilatory effects. Garlic supplements have been found to have a significant impact on reducing blood pressure in individuals with hypertension.
3. **Hawthorn (Crataegus spp.):** Hawthorn is traditionally used for heart health, with research supporting its use in treating heart failure. It is believed to improve cardiovascular function by dilating blood vessels, improving blood flow, and protecting against blood vessel damage.
4. **Olive Leaf (Olea europaea):** Olive leaf extract contains oleuropein, which has been studied for its potential to lower blood pressure through various mechanisms, including vasodilation and anti-inflammatory effects.
5. **Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale):** While not directly linked to lowering blood pressure, dandelion acts as a diuretic, which can help manage hypertension by reducing fluid volume and blood pressure.

In conclusion, the WHO's latest stance on salt consumption is a testament to the organization's commitment to combating non-communicable diseases at their core. By targeting salt, a ubiquitous and often overlooked dietary component, WHO sets the stage for a global health transformation, one that promises to reduce the prevalence of hypertension and its devastating consequences on a global scale.
Sources:
https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/376580
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38752348/

Hello guys, I've been trying to typify myself but I always identify with different functions and maybe my compression is not the best in the subject.
I'm a girl and I'm 21 years old, English is not my main language so sorry for any mistakes.
Section 1
How do you work? Why do people go to work? Are there any parameters that determine whether you can do work or not? What are they?
I work because I have no choice, that's how the world I was born is and that's how I'm going to live, I admire those who try to change the course of things like a superhero but I'm a mere citizen.
Because people have dreams and goals and they can't achieve what they want without money unless they're lucky enough to be born into an elite family, if so they won the lucky roulette wheel of life.
I don't work well in heavy environments, I survived only 1 day in a factory because a woman keep screaming at me, everyone tried to convince me to try harder but I was feeling to overwhelmed.
How do you determine the quality of work? How do you determine the quality of a purchase? Do you pay any attention to it
Result.
I'm a bit picky with the quality of my stuff, especially the fabric of my clothes. It's because of comfort but also for aesthetics.
There is a professional next to you. How do you know they are a professional? How do you evaluate their skill?
They get the job done on time and well done. I don't think there's only one way to do things, we are all taught in a certain way but then we also adapt, we end up creating our own way of doing things that work for us.
If you struggle to do something, how do you fix that? Do you know if your performance is better or worse than others?
It depends, I usually learn by trying until it works but I can't always use this technique so I seek tutorials or ask for help.
Definitely, I'm very paranoid about my job, I hate feeling incompetent. If I have the conditions and knowledge to take the initiative to do something at work, I'll do it, but if I'm insecure then I'd rather stay quiet I don't want to mess things up.
How do you measure the success of a job? What standard do you use? Do you pay attention to it? When should you deviate from this standard?
I like easy jobs, constant stress is not for me. Easy, the money, the free time I will have, the responsibilities (few I expect) and the effort.
Section 2
What is a whole? Can you identify its parts? Are the parts equivalent to the whole?
I'm so confused, am I supposed to give a definition or come out with some abstract sentence?
What does "logical" mean? What is your understanding? Do you think that it correlates with the common view? How do you know you are being logical?
Logic to me is something that makes sense, when your actions and words are coherent and when you take into account all the factors to make a correct decision. Contrary to what the Alphas may believe, Logic is not coldness, in fact, to be completely logical you have to take the emotions of others and your own into account, otherwise you are just emotionally unavailable. For example, killing half the population just because someone killed your cat is not logical, you're actually being driven just by emotions.
What is hierarchy? Give examples of hierarchies. Do you need to follow it? Why or why not? Explain how hierarchy is used in a system you are familiar with.
In short, it's when you're on the first floor and need to climb the stairs to get to the second, you may be able to pay someone to build an elevator to get up there faster, or you can't afford it and you have to overcome all the conditions, shortness of breath, pain in your legs, the stairs that are old and falling apart...
Hierarchy is something natural and will always exist, no matter how much you hate it, the world is not a fair place and there will always be someone eating fried chicken in a lamborghini at the expense of a child who makes clothes for shein.
If you're ambitious you have to do it, but if you're like me who just want to have money to live a "basic life", then you don't need to climb so many stairs, just the necessary ones.
What is classification? How does classification work? Why is it needed and where is it applied? Give examples.**
Is when you take a product, tangible or not (e.g. a bread or skills) and give it a certain punctuation/category according to certain requirements.
Obviously, imagine that you built a building made of toothpicks (product) that would collapse 1 minute after being exposed to the wind because no one had the brilliant idea to take into account the meteorological conditions (requirement)
Are your ideas consistent? How do you know they are consistent? How do you spot inconsistency in others' ideas?
I'm usually an introspective person, so even when my ideas are incoherent I think about them at some point and "correct" the incoherence, unless I'm really emotional I think that during those moments no one is coherent.
Yes, but I usually prefer to keep quiet if it's none of my business.
Section 3
Can you press people? What methods do you use? How does it happen?
Usually no, first of all I don't like to force anyone to do anything because I don't like to be forced either, second that I'm not good at forcing people especially strangers and it's the main reason to have been bullied and still have problems with people walking over me.
What I do is that I tell the advantages of doing something the way I want or admit that it would be convenient for me.
What can happen is when I do something for a person over and over again and they never reciprocate, and there is when I can be a manipulative and childish (passive-agressive)
How do you deal with opposition? What methods do you use to defend your interests?
It depends on the situation, I react badly if it's the example I gave earlier. If someone starts trying to control me indirectly, I can react two ways, or I play dumb for the sake of peace or the manipulation goes directly against my interests and in that case I walk away (with strangers) or protest (people close to me).
When do you think it's ok to occupy someone's space? Do you recognize it?
When they occupy yours is the only situation I can think of right now.
Do others think you are a strong-willed person? Do you think you have a strong will?
I don't know what others think.
It depends if it's about something I'm sure I want, for example a lot of people say I'm crazy for wanting to leave the country but I made that choice for myself and that's what I'm going to do, if I don't change my mind until then (which usually doesn't happen). Otherwise I think I can be seen as lazy, I need a very strong motivation that comes from myself.
How do you satisfy your physical senses? What examples can you give? What physical experiences are you drawn to?
I really like hot baths and pleasant smells. I'm a bit paranoid about my own smell, I'm always putting on deodorant for example.
On the other hand I'm not very good with my internal health, I have to force myself to remember to drink water and food is optional, I don't usually eat breakfast and especially at work I only eat salty snacks or soup most time. I tend to eat more when I want to be greedy or have food available, if I have to do it then I don't eat or I make something simple. I have a friend who judges me for it (I think she has strong Si).
I like some extreme activities, for example I've done canoeing which I loved and every summer I go to the scariest carousels at the fair, I feel free.
How do you find harmony with your environment? How do you build a harmonious environment? What happens if this harmony is disturbed?
I like quiet environments where everyone is genuinely fine and not pretending, so if any of my friends are feeling bad I try to help them. I also like to go to beautiful places with friends or alone like organize a picnic, go to a waterfall...
What does comfort mean to you? How do you create it?
Being in a place alone where I don't need to be anxious all the time, where I can let my guard down, eat sushi while listening to the sound of the rain in warm pajamas and under my blanket creating some fake scenario on my head.
How do you express yourself in your hobbies? How do you engage yourself with those things?
When I was a kid I tried to start playing piano but I dind't last long because It requires a long time to get results and I didn't want to practice at home. I prefer simpler hobbies without commitments, for example playing video games, painting, reading books, and trying new hobbies.
I'd really like to start trying to go to craft classes, but short classes to then be able to try another one until maybe I find one that suits me.
Tell us how you'd design any room, house or an office. Do you do it yourself, or trust someone else to do it? Why?
If I had the money I would call someone to take care of the big part, I would tell them exactly what I want, then I would just take care of the details.
Is it acceptable to express emotions in public? Give examples of inappropriate expression of emotions
That's not a question of being acceptable or not, emotions can't always be controlled, you never know what someone is going through behind the scenes.
But I admit that I prefer people who don't show emotions in an dramatic way, for example in my work there are a lot of people who start screaming and who are clearly exaggerating and I have to control myself not to laugh.
I'm mostly touched by people who are more reserved with their emotions because I identify with them.
How do you express your emotions? Can you tell how your expressions affect others in a positive or negative way?
I never had emotional support so I like to deal with my emotions alone.
I don't know if I consider myself a very emotional person , I have my moments where I start crying for many different reasons because I kept a lot of things inside me, I also have days where I'm in a very bad mood without knowing why and I start being mean to close people.
I'm a very private person, I don't like exaggerated demonstrations, a lot of "i love you" and compliments make me bored and seem fake.
Are you able to change your demeanor in order to interact with your environment in a more or less suitable way? How do you determine what is suitable?
These questions make me think that I don't know myself that well.
I think so, I know how to dress up and not talk about inappropriate things even if I make some mistakes, like smiling in the middle of a funeral because my colleague told a joke or showing involuntary annoyance when someone try to do a lot of small talk with me.
In what situations do you feel others' feelings? Can you give examples of when you wanted to improve the mood of others?
I am fickle in many aspects of my life, empathy is one of them, sometimes I have a lot and sometimes I don't have any. It really depends on my relationship with people and how much I like their personality. I'm very suspicious of other people's motives.
My father doesn't usually cry a lot and he's not manipulative at all. I suspect he's a Lse or sli, so when he cries I know it's real and it affects me, in other hand my mother is manipulative and when she starts crying I always think it's fake or that she deserves it (maybe she is a iei).
Section 6
How can you tell how much emotional space there is between yourself and others? How can you affect this space?
Complicated, I wouldn't say I'm completely blind to how others feel about me, but I'm definitely very pessimistic and because of that I like to be reassured about what my loved ones think about me.
I'm very suspicious of others and sometimes I start overthinking that everyone hates me or wants to hurt me. As soon as a friend has a more negative reaction, sometimes because of their own problems that have nothing to do with me, I get hurt or I start trying to guess what they are thinking about me and as you can imagine it's almost always negative. Although now I'm starting to try to be less negative because you never know what others are thinking or feeling.
How do you determine how much you like or dislike someone else? How does this affect your relationships?
By personality, values, way of seeing the world, I like people I identify whit and I can trust. People with character that I consider dubious I try to not interact.
I have a very small group because I have a set pattern, at the same time they are different obviously but what unites us is that we are all very open-minded and we don't like to meddle in other people's lives.
How do you move from a distant relationship to a close one? What are the distinguishing characteristics of a close relationship?
We start talking, I like what they are about and it's that simple. Sometimes it takes me 3 months to consider someone a friend, other times I only see the person 3 times and I already know I can trust them.
It has happened once that I stayed in a "friendship" because I wanted company at school, but I stopped seeing him as a friend and started seeing him as an acquaintance.
How do you know that you are a moral person? Where do you draw your morality from? Do you believe others should share your beliefs on what's moral? Why?
I am a moral person in my own criteria. There are people who follow the morality of religion, others follow the morality of a group... Some of them I consider wrong and stupid, but I just don't make friends with these people and it's as simple as that.
The only thing that everyone should do is to respect others because it made life easier for everyone and it's such a simple thing if everyone does it.
Someone you care about is acting distant to you. How do you know when this attitude is a reflection of your relationship?
I don't know, it depends on the situation.
But I try not to take it personally (don't mean that I don't take it, on the contrary but I try to suppress it). What I do is that I ask what happened or i leave them alone. I don't like is chasing after others so I've ended friendships without knowing why, the person just stops talking to me and I take that as a sign.
Section 7
How can you tell someone has the potential to be a successful person? What qualities make a successful person and why?
I would say that one of the things is to have the ability to always be ahead of others, to have that special touch that some people have.
Where would you start when looking for a new hobby? How do you find new opportunities and how do you choose which would be best?
I already have ideas of hobbys that I want to try, so I would look in my internal library and choose the one that I felt like doing. I like manual and simple activities (I'm not an artist) I've done canoeing and I don't hate extreme activities, but I don't think it's considered a hobby and I don't know if I would do it that often either.
How do you interpret the following statement: "Ideas don't need to be feasible in order to be worthwhile." Do you agree or disagree, and why?
Ideas have to start somewhere, at first they may not make sense, but then when more ideas come up and they are molded, they can become a possibility. Or maybe people just want to come up with crazy ideas and that's okay too.
Describe your thought process when relating the following ideas: swimming, chicken, sciences. Do you think that others would draw the same or different connections?
I didn't make any connection, unlike the guy I took this questionnaire from. I just read the sentences and nothing else.
How would you summarize the qualities that are essential to who you are? What kind of potential in you has yet to be actualized and why?
The part that I fear the most, having to describe myself even more with qualities (gives me the impression that I'm bragging). This is going to feel more like a list than a text, sorry for the disappointment. I'm faithful, I like to make people's lives easier (if they haven't done me wrong), I strive to do what I promised, I hate being in debt.
I definitely have to improve my charisma and try to get along with new people more until I get used to it and don't get so bored.
Section 8
How do people change? Can you describe how various events change people? Can others see those changes?
Everything changes people, the personality you have today was the result of all the moments of your life and also of your brain (parts more or less developed and this also affects).
We're always changing every day, it's just that we're so used to the changes that sometimes we don't even notice it.
Sometimes I go through a similar situation that has happened before and I see how much I have changed in the way I deal with the problem.
How do you feel and experience time? Can time be wasted? How?
I think time is the most powerfyl weapon, you learn to deal with things with time, time brings peace but also chaos, time makes life evolve both positively and negatively, time kills you but also brings life. Time is truly the most important thing there is, when a certain moment passes you can no longer go back and fix things.
It all depends on the point of view, today you can consider it something important but later you see that it was a waste of time, the important thing to keep in mind is to think about the future because what has already happened cannot be changed.

• Don't typify me according to clichés, thank you.

Is there anything that cannot be described with words? What is it? If so, how can we understand what it is if language does not work?
Language is limiting, you can indulge feelings in others through sentences but you are never sure how others will interpret it.
I would say feelings and experience is one of the things, you have to go through them and let others go through too.
How do you anticipate events unfolding? How can you observe such unfoldments in your environment?
I don't really know, I think from what has already happened, from the people involved, from myself.
I sometimes tend to try to predict things and I like to be prepared for all eventualities because it makes me feel safer, but I also know that predictions are not 100% certain. I've missed opportunities because of this.
In what situations is timing important? How do you know the time is right to act? How do you feel about waiting for the right moment ?
It depends on when I've decided it's time to act.
I'll use the example of my driver's license, I started getting my license 1 year before the end of school but then I decided to finish school first to focus on my license after (also out of laziness I admit). My parents bothered me a lot because I needed to get the license but I only did it when I saw that I needed it to work and I couldn't leave it for later anymore (can expire). It was a bad choice, but I needed a reason to have motivation.
I finally finished this, I couldn't take it anymore. Thank you for reading this far ;)

The way I remember it. The tiger( the size of a fairly large dog like a mastiff, not a 300+lbs tiger) walked into my parents livingroom,
the animal had copious amounts of puss sticking to its underbelly (between its hindlegs, dont know if the unmentinables were involved , all i could see is the hypogastric region from my position)
and
it was dripping puss from hypogastrium region and a lil bit from its chin(might have been the mouth ) not as much puss dripping from the face bit still worrying amounts
The tiger was ineffectually atacking me, trying to bite the back of my neck, it managed to barely scratch me there with its teeth,
not because it didnt get me,
just that it didn't have the strenght to hurt me seriously.
I got it off my back and put it in a "restraint" I got it face down on the sofa, put my arms under its armpits and crossed my hand behind its head .
My father came in and we were wondering what now, do we treat the animal (i think that is what we were discussing, maybe i was just thinking that).
For context im finishing veterinarian colege (almost done with my master thesis), im getting the hang of the veterinerian buisness, fairly slowly but im improving, , trying to learn to paint and draw (fairly good at it but not pro level, im constantly working hard to improve) and helping my frend make better stuff for his band including coverart for an album he is making (he is not famous but can earn spare cash performing as an intro band .
Basically he preforms before the famous bands do, to fill out a bit of the night, give the audience something now to hear, and time for the main event to check if everything is working.
There was also a stray cat that snuck into my home to steal some food that night and woke me up when she nockt over a bag of dry catfood (i have catfood for my cat not strays) Halp with interpretation?

Ever since I was very small, I would draw in my free time. I quickly built my skill and was able to create hyperrealistic works of art of mostly people, earning me the title "gifted."
I learned very quickly that my art was not for me and was exclusively what made me useful/entertaining to others which is exactly how I treated my skill until I inevitably burnt out before highschool. Aside from a burst of inspiration from ages 18-20, I stopped drawing completely outside of that. I always had the idea that I'd one day "get back to it" at the back of my mind, it's ALWAYS there. But art doesn't make me happy, nothing does. I've been emotionally numb since I was a kid and now I'm wondering if I was ever an artist at all.
I don't want this to sounds dismissing to artists who primarily copy what they see, like when I draw people or nature. However, I'm completely disconnected from what makes creating art so beautiful; the emotion that comes from it and the emotion it's supposed to invoke. I can't read facial expression in works of art, I can't read tone. I can't figure out what any work of art is "saying," I can't feel what others feel when a work of art "touches" them or have any idea of what the artist was feeling while creating the piece just from looking at it.
When I put my pen on paper, I don't feel like I'm creating anything. I don't feel like a person at all in the first place, so how could I create anything? Doesn't make sense to me, I don't feel like an artist at all. I feel like anything I "create" is as empty and stale as I am because I'm not really here like everyone else seems to be. I feel like a joke of an artist, a joke of a person.
I want to paint what my existence is like, but I can't even begin to communicate that through art.

I think this issue is magnified among the old guard salseros, those who've been around for 10 or more years. Now I'm not saying ALL of them, most older men are sweet, sometimes they want nothing but music & dance. But I'll say that some of these men or groups are trying to monopolize the newer, younger dancers, especially women in their 30s or younger non-Latina white women like us.
I've had experiences, and I wouldn't have noticed it if I had quit earlier. These men, particularly those aged 40-50, often chat us up right after a dance, complimenting our moves. While it's flattering, yeah, it's a pattern sure. Though I'll say that it's not just Latino men (so you "salseros bachateros" calm down) but men in that age range. Interestingly, the older guys, around 60, are mostly sweet though a few, but the 40-50 'silver foxes' I think can just be the ick.
And for women who are reading this, share with me too, iykyk.
An example, I do my best to follow but some of these men still use the same old moves from 10 years ago, I've seen the vid Jose.. Linear, dip, dip, linear. It's fine if you like the LA style of salsa, & I'm mostly fun with it, though there could only be so much dips I can take... But if you're going to teach me or correct my moves, maybe mix it up a bit?? And for 10 or so years, it's still these???
Juanito, a good acquaintance of mine. He likes to chat after a dance, most def to secure a second dance & also to flirt, while I don’t mind, he once grabbed my arm and turned me around so that my friend, a decent lead who’s new to this certain dance enclave, couldn’t ask me for a dance. That was really off-putting.
"You're really good at dance, again let's do a second??? My oh my good dance!". Like okay dude, are you here for you, you're literally in every single night and have been doing so for a decade. What is it FOR you types?? Do you like maybe also cultivate the community?? There are newbie leads who wants a chance, what's it with you targeting women who seem to be younger, fresh off in the scene and stick with them as much as you can, like do you get off dancing with us is that your thing??? And if you like dancing so much why the damn same moves. Is this the only dance you do out of more than a decade???? Are you for the community or is it your ego or something?
To the more passive men, thank you for being humble. In smaller, cliquey salsa communities, I'll call little enclaves, egos can inflate, especially near the DJ's floor. You might feel like you have to fight for dances, but please don’t copy these rude idiots. Don’t grab us by the arm and pull us away. It’s disrespectful. Just a rant I needed to share.
My friend told me, it didn't matter if he was about to ask me this other lady for a dance, this 40 year old dude literally pulled her by the arm. it can really be tough when the ratio is bad & 80% of the dancers are acquaintances or friends with each other.
Last rant, these guys with their slick, gelled hair with moves heavily cumbia centric. I came for salsa, & while I enjoy a cumbia or two, I can't help but frown when they insist on dancing cumbia to popular salsa songs. I understand that many of my good Mexican friends have more experience with banda & cumbia, and their eyes light up when the DJ, who specifically announces a salsa night, plays cumbia. I enjoy it too & never turn down La Chona especially in quince's (I help teach sweet 15s dance) however, these slick-haired, & sometimes too greasy looking guys target newcomers and chat them up. They’ve been doing this for over 10 years. So I have to ask... why? I'm fine with it to an extent, but if you’ve been part of a small salsa community for a decade, and you still have the same style, the same type of dance, and the same ego approach, what are you trying to achieve with your life?
Dedicated to my actual good friends Juanito, Jose, Cesar (but Cesar's Colombian) tip for ladies, have a good posture, sometimes these types of men (again not exclusive to latinos so calm down) would really feed off of your type of vibe. Be firm and strong, most guys will get it & categorize you as just an avid salsera & so you just dance & draw in the better types of people after 2 months or so. The silliest part is when you realize the players just start leaving them alone and it's the nightlife whatever but things can change.

This is the most plausible answer. I think this is exactly how he did it using facts from sermons, emails, texts, news, interviews, maps, and extensive experience with parasitic Narcissistic sitic abuse. If there is anything that I am incorrect on please let me know and I will recalculate. After typing this up two days ago, I stumbled upon Mica’s father‘s interview, and it completely solidified it to the point where I started violently shaking. I think this is what happened.
I was told Winslow‘s property backs up against that state forest. 200 acres. Right down the road. Now remember. Somebody on his staff was told to go and trim back the overgrowth on that specific property shortly before all of this happened,
I think Mica at some point had conversation with Winslow and agreed to come and talk to him at his property, a “safe place JP wouldn’t know.”, thinking she could trust him. I think mica went to winslows and JP was waiting there for unknowingly.
I think Winslow has JP‘s phone and I think JP has Winslow‘s phone so they’re not gonna ping the towers. All they saw was the license plate they never verified He was actually there.
I think JP and Winslow met at a undisclosed location and swapped vehicles. JP went up to Winslow’s NC property with Winslow‘s vehicle and cell phone, and Winslow went down south with JP cell phone and truck. I can’t quite place the girlfriend, but she is an alibi therefore she is aware that something has happened or is going on. I cannot figure out whether or not Winslow was with JP and she took the vehicle down south either or we need to find out the location of where the girlfriend was and where Winslow was. That could all be found by bank financial records of the days in question. Nobody uses cash in 2024 for an entire getaway.
Didn’t they say he got a new truck? There was something new about the truck? Did he get a new one so it wouldn’t have any of Winslow’s DNA inside of it? If Winslow drove it, his DNA/finger prints on the steering wheel would easily be on the steering wheel. Why else would he need to drive Winslow‘s vehicle if there were indications, he was driving the vehicle. Now remember one of them is a lawyer he knows what they look for. JP‘s and Winslow‘s vehicles both need to be tested for gunpowder residue.
Mica shows up to Winslow’s property, JP is there with Winslow’s vehicle, ambushes her OR Winslow is there too and the girlfriend took her phone and truck south. He already has a plan of where he’s going to take her to unalive her before she arrives. JP drives Mica’s car with Mica in it to the final location parking lot, walks her into the woods kills her, puts her stuff down and walks back to Winslow property through the woods. Girlfriend says she was with him, I think she stayed at the property or she drove a vehicle to come get him after he was done if she was there. either way Winslow or girlfriend somebody picked him up or was waiting or he went back to the property and gotten Winslow‘s vehicle and left. Remember it’s not that far away..
Now, after reviewing the 911 recording again, I do not think it is AI. The biggest reason why I know it wasn’t AI is because if you listen to the fast response when asked for the phone number, there wasn’t enough time to record that and send it at the same time. So she replied too fast. Now, when have you ever heard a 911 operator asking somebody for their phone number? That never would have been written. You still have the type stuff in the AI creators. Also, she delayed pause between every number, how would she have replied in half the time it would have taken to type all of that out. Think about it, he would have had to type a number hit space type a number hit space over and over. In a rush I know I mess up you don’t think he would have messed up? He never would have been able to get that recorded smoothly quickly in the time it took for her to respond. Again, when have you ever heard of 911 asking for your phone number?. I believe he is in the car with her after they just left Winslows property. I believe he’s sitting right next to her in the car and allows her to make the call thinking it’s going to cover up everything and benefit him. She was sending out the whistle to her family and She’s trying to buy time for them to locate her. He knew to turn off the location because she mentioned She turned it on notice how it ended at that?. My point with this is at the end.
Logically speaking if she was purposely driving to that park, she would have known the name to GPS it. She would’ve known the name of the park to give the operator. That’s why she was pausing, probably looking to him to see where they’re at. That’s why she says “yes that’s it” cause he nodded. he had enough time to process what the operator was saying before Mica was able to answer that’s why she was able to reply quickly because the operator was speaking slowly. He heard the first word and nodded. She didn’t know, but now suddenly she knew? If she was going to purposely take her own life, and she really wanted her body found, why wouldn’t she have found the name of the park before she called to give them proper location?
She would have seen oh look it’s a park and read the sign and pulled into it. She didn’t know the sign because she was terrified because he was with her. She just knows she’s in a park.
I would possibly look to see if there was any dirt roads that led to where her vehicle is at back to Winslow’s property. That might be why she didn’t see a sign. I haven’t looked too much into that part but it’s a suggestion if anybody wants to do any homework.
SO That’s why the phone was put on airplane mode so cops wouldn’t track them into the woods at the site of the incident and he would be able to get away in time into the woods without being seen.
Also airplane mode was turned on while in the car, at the end of the 911 call, I think he took the phone put the airplane mode on which is why the airplane mode was put on because she mentioned it out loud specifically, he knew the cops were coming time to MOVE, can’t follow us to the woods though. THATS why there’s no bird sounds, they did it in the car after they got to the parking lot. I think subconsciously she thought knew this was going to happen. Kinda like I told my family this was going to happen, and then it clicked what she needed to do. He brought the phone with them to paint the picture. Why would she turn off her location herself if she wanted to be found? She was already going to enter her life right? She was obviously not going to wait a long time right? Listen to her voice when it got emotional when she said she was going to kill herself. If she was unsure, why did she skip up in the exact moment? She was almost free, she had fought so hard. When you’re almost free, what would make you think she would want to stop now? Listen to me clearly, he was in the car. She needed to send out a dog whistle to the people she had told she she told him she would admit to the suicide if she could have her body found. She knew she was going to die and she knew she needed to make sure her family could piece this together. Therefore the only plausible answer is he was in the car with her. She was emotionless probably because the gun was already on her, the phone was removed from her because she mentioned the airplane mode specifically he thought they can’t trace us out to the woods, airplane mode goes on. He walked out to the woods. He needed Time to get away and couldn’t have them knowing exactly where he was to go to first so he could escape right after.
Now he goes into the woods by possibly dragging her which is why she has a bruised wrist. That might be why she started crying. She might have tried to get away when she knew what was going to happen or that it was happening hence why there’s multiple rounds. This led to possible yanking, and then the gunshot, which is why the fisherman heard the crying. Then it was over. Put her in the water he placed her belongings and Then he walked back towards Winslow‘s property. I want to know if there’s a phone call between mica and Winslow, was this drive scheduled day of or days prior and gave enough time for it to be planned. I believe at that time he got back into Winslow’s vehicle met somewhere with Windlow switched vehicles again. JP going to his home and Winslow going back to his home. The funeral and everything was already preplanned and scheduled due to the fact they already knew what was going to happen and already had it pre-planned and needed to make sure it was swift and left no room for delay. Her family, knowing they would want to see her, he manipulated them into signing the cremation holding her body over their heads. Taunting them via text message blaming them to create the narrative. Otherwise, what would be the big deal of allowing them to see the body without needing something in exchange? He knew they would have questions afterwards. At that time all they had was the 911 call and a body, sometimes you need time to process. You know when something happens and then later on you’re like wait what? He wanted to make sure that body had no stop on the cremation process to get rid of all evidence before thosequestions inevitably came. He got ahead of it so there was no hiccup in delays because he knew he had to allow them to see the body to the public that would be the moral right thing to do. Not allowing them to see the body would be suspicious. He figured out how to make it work for both. He talks about laying with her body four times and trying to raise her from the dead, was this guilt or was it like when somebody puts a deer head on the wall?
Now remember, she has already been predisposed to trust Winslow. He mentions Winslow in an email to her previously, obviously showing that he & his wife were a trusted friend of hers as well. It’s 100% a possibility that Winslow told her to come up and talk where she was protected and JP wouldn’t find them, and Winslow left with the truck and met with JP and they switched. Winslow south, JP north. Winslow had asked his staff to clean up that overgrowth on the property. It being a wooded area, was this done so that the roadway was assessable for the plan? she probably drove down some type of dirt road, and he ambushed her in some manner. North Carolina Woods are dense, therefore easily to hide when she pulls over.
Now, how do I think that JP convinced Winslow to help, I believe JP convinced Winslow , Mica was going to tell on all of them and ruin their lives. This could have been backed up by the fact that all the documentation that she had previously collected had gone missing, and was brought to Winslow to paint Mica as an enemy so this was enough for him to convince Winslow that their future and freedom was inJeopardy. When JP was actually afraid she was going to tell on his abuse and life and ruin him. So they killed her to protect their life.
They said something yesterday about breaking news how they found that the notary was forged? Thats enough for me to draw speculation because it was done by Winslow that he is now in on the dirty dealings. He is a part of the actual dirty dealings against mica He knows something is being done wrong and he is condoning it.
That notary that was done on the power of attorney from mica was falsely notarized. Mica was not present for the notary. There was an article on earlier I was looking at but I was in information overload. I just know It was not legally notarized. This shows that Winslow does not have integrity. How far is he willing to go to protect JP and all of their secrets?
I think she told JP she just wanted her body to be found for her family and she would go without a fight. I believe that it was a dog whistle to her family. The clue they would need to know this wasn’t suicide. She told them and now she needed them to remember. She knew she was going to die and everybody needed to know about the gunshot specifically that she warned everyone about days prior. He didn’t know she told people close to her that that. That’s why her voice broke up when she said she was going to unalive herself. She did not want to die. She just wanted people to be able to solve the crime. She manipulated him into thinking he was going to get away with this because she is admitting to it being a suicide. Not knowing She had whistled what was going to happen, she needed people to listen. She offered up no extra information during the 911 call which then delayed the process hoping they would find her location. She told her dad days prior she’s getting a gun for protection. I think she got it before she drove up there just incase and the bruises on her hand may be him wrestling it from her. Maybe at arrival.
A search and rescue dog can smell from weeks to months after somebody has left the area, and if anybody can get something of his and be able to place him there in the woods, you have convincing beyond a reasonable doubt.
After writing this up yesterday when I was complete, I got super sick to my stomach. I was shaking. I could see it completely out in my head where all the facts completely aligned. I believe tthis is the only plausible theory there is.
What people need to realize at the end of the day the good attention and bad attention is still attention to a narcissist. He is enjoying the intention is getting from this primarily from getting away with it. That’s why I believe he visited her body four times after she was deceased. Because he already had a girlfriend, he already talked about going and getting a hot wife and then after she dies, he does an interview about how she’s the most incredible wife and supportive. He made the obituary about how awesome he thought she was to still collect her validation and the validation he got from being her husband because she was good. She was light and he was jealous of that. He wanted that that’s why he had that position. She loved him so much he claimed and how she was so wonderful he claimed yet she didn’t want him when she had a no contact order and wanted a divorce obviously, he wasn’t that. and if you guys don’t think he groomed her go to the memorial of life sermon and listen to the poem again. Now switch the words, “school” and “church.” And follow the story line.
He killed Mica Miller.

I get frustrated with genius annotations, especially re: Vampire Weekend's discography. While I was reading through some of the lyrics last night, it struck me how surface level many of the associations are on the lyric page for "Ice Cream Piano," which is a shame for such a thematically rich song.
That said, I decided to take a stab at dissecting the song as a whole, while tying some of the more obscure references with themes in the larger project.

Verse 1

"Fuck the world," /you/ said it quiet No one could hear you, no one but /me/ "Cynical, you can't deny it" 

Ezra seems to be describing a conversation between "himself" and "his partner" reacting to an unspecified issue. "She" reacted to something, and "he" criticizes that reaction. However, there is some ambiguity regarding who exactly is saying the last line; is it the singer himself, or is he quoting her as he did the opening line?
This ambiguity is a carried theme throughout the rest of the song, and as the lyrics continue, which side is throwing out accusations becomes less relevant. The implied goal of these first lines is to frame the rest of the song as an argument between two individuals, and to show the sneaky ways in which their conflicting viewpoints mirror each other.
I think it's important to mention here that, ahead of "Father of the Bride," Ezra spoke about wanting to move away from the more impressionistic style present in earlier Vampire Weekend records and experiment in writing lyrics where the general theme of the song can be understood in the first few lines. Furthermore, during the Zane Low release interview for "Only God Was Above Us," Ezra dove deep into the track listing process, stating he knew early on that "Ice Cream Piano" needed to be the opening track.
Knowing these two facts, these deceptively unassuming lines in fact carry a significant weight. Where the high-level reading describes a conflict between two individuals, the deeper understanding is that they each represent a conflicting philosophy or idea -- a conflict that will serve as the central thematic core for the album as a whole.

"You don't want to win this war 'cause you don't want the peace Armistice, /we/ never tried it *You're* the soldier, *I'm* police Listen, baby, we can't deny it You don't want to win this war 'cause you don't want the peace" 

As this section of the song is accompanied by a second vocal track, we can assume these lines as sung to each other, implying that their only point of agreement is the recognition of the other's uncompromising nature.
Armistice, simply stopping conflict, is so beyond an option because they're hypocrites -- criticizing the other based on one's subjective position. In her eyes, he's the soldier; in his, police. In this metaphor, one serves as the agitator and the other as defender.

Verse 2

The word was weaponized as soon as it had passed your lips 

The "word" here seems to be either war or peace. But with either it's a loaded offer because, as implied earlier, they're not engaging with the other's viewpoint in good faith and, as such, their criticisms are unfounded. His distaste towards cynicism and her more myopically aligned viewpoint sit diametrically opposed. Their definition of peace is incompatible. As the music builds, it seems to come in conflict with Ezra's vocals; he's nearly shouting as they climb and create a barrage of competing sounds.

I am a gentleman, I refuse to show my gentleness Fuck around and find out, the angry child recites this every day The universe will pry out, the truth which is you've got nothin' to say 

What's interesting about this verse is that, on first reading, the beginning of each statement seems to support the last -- as if said by the same person. However, on closer inspection it seems as though the following mocks the prior; "I am a gentleman, I refuse to show my gentleness" is clearly self contradictory -- as are the other two when read as single statements.
When split at their conflicting point as "I am a gentleman," and separately, "I refuse to show my gentleness," it continues to follow the theme set in Verse 1 of a conversation between two individuals. So, the verse can be read as:

I am a gentleman, I refuse to show my gentleness Fuck around and find out, the angry child recites this every day The universe will pry out, the truth which is you've got nothin' to say 

When one side says something, the other interrupts and mocks that statement. This pattern can be observed in the following two lines. However, by choosing to frame both the initial statement and its contradiction in the first person, Ezra is able to explore the narcissism present in the respective ideologies of the two individuals. They cannot see past their own egos to agree with the other, because the criticisms levied by one are exactly those which the other is accusing them of. As the verse continues, this rising tension and anger becomes more pointed and prevents either side from finishing a complete statement, the screams of one silence the other; and as they are both screaming, neither is able to say anything of import.

Fuck around and find out, the angry child recites this every day 

Following this, the second line is a slightly more direct accusation, presumably in the third person.

The universe will pry out, the truth which is you've got nothin' to say 

The final line is a direct accusation, and the only of the three in second person.
It becomes clear here that Ezra seems to be less interested in the specific opposing ideas and more in the conflict between the two, and the dissonance between that conflict and each of the participant's apparent similarities. The words each one says are weaponized before they are even uttered, demolishing any chance for good faith discussion.

Chorus

In dreams, I scream piano, I softly reach the high note The world don't recognize a singer who won't sing 

There are a couple bits of wordplay happening here, outside of the dream imagery.
The first, and most obvious, is the phrasing of "Ice Cream Piano" in the title and "I Scream Piano" in the verse; pointing back to the song's overarching metaphor, "Ice Cream Piano" and "I Scream Piano" are simple homophones, which is to say they are two different phrases spoken the same way -- here, two ideas saying the same thing.
The second bit of wordplay is the actual usage of "I scream piano." Ezra is purposefully employing the Italian-rooted musical usage of "piano" which, when present in a composition, means to play that section quietly. The second half of the line turns yet another self-contradictory observation into a double-entendre; the "screaming" piano is softened by the instruction of "piano."
The first line of the chorus, when coupled with the second, paints a picture of someone who desperately wants to express their beliefs but, whether it be because the screams are quiet or because screams themselves are not songs, the "singer" and their "song" are rejected by the world at large.
Framing this whole verse as a dream connects these ideas to the larger themes of the song, as being unable to run or scream in a dream is a fairly common experience for people, it seems as though Ezra is using the chorus here to highlight the end of the second verse, "the truth which is you've got nothing to say."
Another equally valid analysis is to literalize the quiet screaming; the anger and animosity between the couple motivates them only to scream, and never to sing. Their unending fighting reduces any opportunity for growth through debate to rubble; at this point, they just don't fucking like each other.

Verse 3

You talk of Serbians, whisper Kosovar Albanians The boy's Romanian, third generation Transylvanian I see the vampires walkin', don't be gripped by fear, you aren't next We're all the sons and daughters of vampires who drained the old world's necks 

Russian iconography is further mentioned throughout "Only God Was Above Us," and serves as one of the more important throughlines of the album -- connecting Ezra's familial history in Eastern Europe, their ties with Russia, and its relationship to modern issues. This, as the first reference in the album to Russia at large, works as a bit of place setting.
Here, the specific namedrops highlight the same conflict described earlier in the song; the Serbians and Kosovo were once a united country as Yugoslavia, but were split by civil war as a result of fundamental ideological differences at the end of the last millennium. Moreover, the usage of "talk" versus "whisper" implies open discussion about the first (Serbia) and the need to sweep the more complicated history of the second (The Kosovar Albanians, the Kosovo War) under the rug.
The conflict between Romania, Kosovo, and Serbia is a deeply complicated and delicate situation that spans generations of ideological and political conflict. The mention of the Romanian's history surrounded by the context of Serbia and Kosovo, and the subsequent criticism of that observation, again highlights the nature of the conflict between the two individuals in the song: where one recognizes the material legacy of these terrible "vampires," the other points out that the new generation is not the old, and are not necessarily beholden to their crimes or traditions.

Chorus 2

In dreams, I scream piano, I softly reach the high note The world don't recognize a singer who won't sing 

Outro / Chorus 3

In dreams, I scream piano, I softly reach the high note The world don't recognize a singer who won't sing 

The repetition of the choruses at the end of the song, combined with the strong call-and-response of the instrumentation between and after the chorus and outro sections, points towards an unending conflict. By the end of the song's narrative, neither side has arrived at a compromise. In reference to the album, "Ice Cream Piano" serves as a massive "YOU ARE HERE" marker on a larger map of western and American political culture. There's a pretty clear line to draw from the struggle between the two characters described in this song and the ouroboric nature of modern-day political discourse, as we witness two parties cannibalize each other in an attempt to garner support from a majority of peoples. But to say that's the entire message of the song feels reductive to the incredible songwriting here. Even that conclusion lends to the broader observation of two ideas that exist only to oppose the other.
Fuckin Ezra, man

This is the most plausible answer. I think this is exactly how he did it using facts from sermons, emails, texts, news, interviews, maps, and extensive experience with parasitic Narcissistic sitic abuse. If there is anything that I am incorrect on please let me know and I will recalculate. After typing this up two days ago, I stumbled upon Mica’s father‘s interview, and it completely solidified it to the point where I started violently shaking. I think this is what happened.
I was told Winslow‘s property backs up against that state forest. 200 acres. Right down the road. Now remember. Somebody on his staff was told to go and trim back the overgrowth on that specific property shortly before all of this happened,
I think Mica at some point had conversation with Winslow and agreed to come and talk to him at his property, a “safe place JP wouldn’t know.”, thinking she could trust him. I think mica went to winslows and JP was waiting there for unknowingly.
I think Winslow has JP‘s phone and I think JP has Winslow‘s phone so they’re not gonna ping the towers. All they saw was the license plate they never verified He was actually there.
I think JP and Winslow met at a undisclosed location and swapped vehicles. JP went up to Winslow’s NC property with Winslow‘s vehicle and cell phone, and Winslow went down south with JP cell phone and truck. I can’t quite place the girlfriend, but she is an alibi therefore she is aware that something has happened or is going on. I cannot figure out whether or not Winslow was with JP and she took the vehicle down south either or we need to find out the location of where the girlfriend was and where Winslow was. That could all be found by bank financial records of the days in question. Nobody uses cash in 2024 for an entire getaway.
Didn’t they say he got a new truck? There was something new about the truck? Did he get a new one so it wouldn’t have any of Winslow’s DNA inside of it? If Winslow drove it, his DNA/finger prints on the steering wheel would easily be on the steering wheel. Why else would he need to drive Winslow‘s vehicle if there were indications, he was driving the vehicle. Now remember one of them is a lawyer he knows what they look for. JP‘s and Winslow‘s vehicles both need to be tested for gunpowder residue.
Mica shows up to Winslow’s property, JP is there with Winslow’s vehicle, ambushes her OR Winslow is there too and the girlfriend took her phone and truck south. He already has a plan of where he’s going to take her to unalive her before she arrives. JP drives Mica’s car with Mica in it to the final location parking lot, walks her into the woods kills her, puts her stuff down and walks back to Winslow property through the woods. Girlfriend says she was with him, I think she stayed at the property or she drove a vehicle to come get him after he was done if she was there. either way Winslow or girlfriend somebody picked him up or was waiting or he went back to the property and gotten Winslow‘s vehicle and left. Remember it’s not that far away..
Now, after reviewing the 911 recording again, I do not think it is AI. The biggest reason why I know it wasn’t AI is because if you listen to the fast response when asked for the phone number, there wasn’t enough time to record that and send it at the same time. So she replied too fast. Now, when have you ever heard a 911 operator asking somebody for their phone number? That never would have been written. You still have the type stuff in the AI creators. Also, she delayed pause between every number, how would she have replied in half the time it would have taken to type all of that out. Think about it, he would have had to type a number hit space type a number hit space over and over. In a rush I know I mess up you don’t think he would have messed up? He never would have been able to get that recorded smoothly quickly in the time it took for her to respond. Again, when have you ever heard of 911 asking for your phone number?. I believe he is in the car with her after they just left Winslows property. I believe he’s sitting right next to her in the car and allows her to make the call thinking it’s going to cover up everything and benefit him. She was sending out the whistle to her family and She’s trying to buy time for them to locate her. He knew to turn off the location because she mentioned She turned it on notice how it ended at that?. My point with this is at the end.
Logically speaking if she was purposely driving to that park, she would have known the name to GPS it. She would’ve known the name of the park to give the operator. That’s why she was pausing, probably looking to him to see where they’re at. That’s why she says “yes that’s it” cause he nodded. he had enough time to process what the operator was saying before Mica was able to answer that’s why she was able to reply quickly because the operator was speaking slowly. He heard the first word and nodded. She didn’t know, but now suddenly she knew? If she was going to purposely take her own life, and she really wanted her body found, why wouldn’t she have found the name of the park before she called to give them proper location?
She would have seen oh look it’s a park and read the sign and pulled into it. She didn’t know the sign because she was terrified because he was with her. She just knows she’s in a park.
I would possibly look to see if there was any dirt roads that led to where her vehicle is at back to Winslow’s property. That might be why she didn’t see a sign. I haven’t looked too much into that part but it’s a suggestion if anybody wants to do any homework.
SO That’s why the phone was put on airplane mode so cops wouldn’t track them into the woods at the site of the incident and he would be able to get away in time into the woods without being seen.
Also airplane mode was turned on while in the car, at the end of the 911 call, I think he took the phone put the airplane mode on which is why the airplane mode was put on because she mentioned it out loud specifically, he knew the cops were coming time to MOVE, can’t follow us to the woods though. THATS why there’s no bird sounds, they did it in the car after they got to the parking lot. I think subconsciously she thought knew this was going to happen. Kinda like I told my family this was going to happen, and then it clicked what she needed to do. He brought the phone with them to paint the picture. Why would she turn off her location herself if she wanted to be found? She was already going to enter her life right? She was obviously not going to wait a long time right? Listen to her voice when it got emotional when she said she was going to kill herself. If she was unsure, why did she skip up in the exact moment? She was almost free, she had fought so hard. When you’re almost free, what would make you think she would want to stop now? Listen to me clearly, he was in the car. She needed to send out a dog whistle to the people she had told she she told him she would admit to the suicide if she could have her body found. She knew she was going to die and she knew she needed to make sure her family could piece this together. Therefore the only plausible answer is he was in the car with her. She was emotionless probably because the gun was already on her, the phone was removed from her because she mentioned the airplane mode specifically he thought they can’t trace us out to the woods, airplane mode goes on. He walked out to the woods. He needed Time to get away and couldn’t have them knowing exactly where he was to go to first so he could escape right after.
Now he goes into the woods by possibly dragging her which is why she has a bruised wrist. That might be why she started crying. She might have tried to get away when she knew what was going to happen or that it was happening hence why there’s multiple rounds. This led to possible yanking, and then the gunshot, which is why the fisherman heard the crying. Then it was over. Put her in the water he placed her belongings and Then he walked back towards Winslow‘s property. I want to know if there’s a phone call between mica and Winslow, was this drive scheduled day of or days prior and gave enough time for it to be planned. I believe at that time he got back into Winslow’s vehicle met somewhere with Windlow switched vehicles again. JP going to his home and Winslow going back to his home. The funeral and everything was already preplanned and scheduled due to the fact they already knew what was going to happen and already had it pre-planned and needed to make sure it was swift and left no room for delay. Her family, knowing they would want to see her, he manipulated them into signing the cremation holding her body over their heads. Taunting them via text message blaming them to create the narrative. Otherwise, what would be the big deal of allowing them to see the body without needing something in exchange? He knew they would have questions afterwards. At that time all they had was the 911 call and a body, sometimes you need time to process. You know when something happens and then later on you’re like wait what? He wanted to make sure that body had no stop on the cremation process to get rid of all evidence before thosequestions inevitably came. He got ahead of it so there was no hiccup in delays because he knew he had to allow them to see the body to the public that would be the moral right thing to do. Not allowing them to see the body would be suspicious. He figured out how to make it work for both. He talks about laying with her body four times and trying to raise her from the dead, was this guilt or was it like when somebody puts a deer head on the wall?
Now remember, she has already been predisposed to trust Winslow. He mentions Winslow in an email to her previously, obviously showing that he & his wife were a trusted friend of hers as well. It’s 100% a possibility that Winslow told her to come up and talk where she was protected and JP wouldn’t find them, and Winslow left with the truck and met with JP and they switched. Winslow south, JP north. Winslow had asked his staff to clean up that overgrowth on the property. It being a wooded area, was this done so that the roadway was assessable for the plan? she probably drove down some type of dirt road, and he ambushed her in some manner. North Carolina Woods are dense, therefore easily to hide when she pulls over.
Now, how do I think that JP convinced Winslow to help, I believe JP convinced Winslow , Mica was going to tell on all of them and ruin their lives. This could have been backed up by the fact that all the documentation that she had previously collected had gone missing, and was brought to Winslow to paint Mica as an enemy so this was enough for him to convince Winslow that their future and freedom was inJeopardy. When JP was actually afraid she was going to tell on his abuse and life and ruin him. So they killed her to protect their life.
They said something yesterday about breaking news how they found that the notary was forged? Thats enough for me to draw speculation because it was done by Winslow that he is now in on the dirty dealings. He is a part of the actual dirty dealings against mica He knows something is being done wrong and he is condoning it.
That notary that was done on the power of attorney from mica was falsely notarized. Mica was not present for the notary. There was an article on earlier I was looking at but I was in information overload. I just know It was not legally notarized. This shows that Winslow does not have integrity. How far is he willing to go to protect JP and all of their secrets?
I think she told JP she just wanted her body to be found for her family and she would go without a fight. I believe that it was a dog whistle to her family. The clue they would need to know this wasn’t suicide. She told them and now she needed them to remember. She knew she was going to die and everybody needed to know about the gunshot specifically that she warned everyone about days prior. He didn’t know she told people close to her that that. That’s why her voice broke up when she said she was going to unalive herself. She did not want to die. She just wanted people to be able to solve the crime. She manipulated him into thinking he was going to get away with this because she is admitting to it being a suicide. Not knowing She had whistled what was going to happen, she needed people to listen. She offered up no extra information during the 911 call which then delayed the process hoping they would find her location. She told her dad days prior she’s getting a gun for protection. I think she got it before she drove up there just incase and the bruises on her hand may be him wrestling it from her. Maybe at arrival.
A search and rescue dog can smell from weeks to months after somebody has left the area, and if anybody can get something of his and be able to place him there in the woods, you have convincing beyond a reasonable doubt.
After writing this up yesterday when I was complete, I got super sick to my stomach. I was shaking. I could see it completely out in my head where all the facts completely aligned. I believe tthis is the only plausible theory there is.
What people need to realize at the end of the day the good attention and bad attention is still attention to a narcissist. He is enjoying the intention is getting from this primarily from getting away with it. That’s why I believe he visited her body four times after she was deceased. Because he already had a girlfriend, he already talked about going and getting a hot wife and then after she dies, he does an interview about how she’s the most incredible wife and supportive. He made the obituary about how awesome she thought HE was to still collect her validation and the validation he got from being her husband because she was good. She was light and he was jealous of that. He wanted that that’s why he had that position. She loved him so much he claimed and how she was so wonderful he claimed yet she didn’t want him when she had a no contact order and wanted a divorce obviously, he wasn’t that. and if you guys don’t think he groomed her go to the memorial of life sermon and listen to the poem again. Now switch the words, “school” and “church.” And follow the story line.
He killed Mica Miller.

Hello again!
My "pen" name is Kairi Aoyama.
I'm looking for assistants to finally be able to draw the manga for a story I've been planning for a while.
First, let me tell you about the story and then the details of what I'm looking for.
The story follows Lily Valse, a young woman trying to achieve her dream of becoming a professional singer and leader of her own band. After being deceived by her previous group, Lily meets Mia Akabane, a musician trying to become a writer, and both will try to achieve their dreams together as they discuss topics like finding your place in the adult world, dreams, failure, and the daily fight to try to achieve your goals.
The story has a relaxed and joyful tone, yet it can get romantic and dramatic at some points. If you're still interested, please keep reading.
I'm looking for assistants. I can't offer any payments because I'm not in a good financial situation. Yet, as an artist myself I don't take work for granted. I'll be doing most of the work. I just need a couple of people to help me with whatever. A page, a panel, or even the script would be really helpful. Once again, I'll be doing most of it, and any revenue we make (which is the goal) will be divided proportionally.
The only requirements are the following:

1. Have some free time. Again, this is not a job and I'm not paying for your time properly (yet). But I'd require to at least have some free time. I know school or work can get heavy, but I'm looking forward to someone who has some time available. Not a lot, but like I said, if I ask you for help in a panel and you're going on a two-week vacation to Europe, then things won't work out. Just a certain amount of time a day would be fine. An hour or two would be a good place to start
2. Have Clip Studio Paint (or Photoshop). That's the tool we work with and I think it is very helpful. Other software can work well but sharing files might get tricky. If you have any experience using other programs with CSP or Photoshop files without problems, please let me know.
3. You don't need to know how to draw. If you can draw lines in different intensities naturally, then you will be my savior.
4. Be over 18+ The story won't have any NSFW content but I'd still prefer that you'd be over the age of 18 so we don't have problems with maybe discussing mature topics, anatomy or even being way too young to be on the internet and hence, putting our project in a delicate situation.
5. Speak English fluently. I also speak Spanish but I bet most people here talk in English so, it'd be preferable that we all could communicate.
6. In case it wasn't clear, the two main leads are girls and will fall in love. The story doesn't explore in-depth themes of sexual preferences as they are established as something normal. If you have any problems with said topic, I think this isn't the story for you.

If any of you are interested, I'd be thankful. I've been preparing myself to write this story for nearly two years but I know I can't do it alone. It will be a mountain to climb but I will do it cause this is what I dreamed for so long.
We are already two people in this project. You can check the prologue here https://www.pixiv.net/en/artworks/118120029#1 (i'll be changing the cover soon)
You can DM me here. On my discord: kairiaoyama_ or even my email: [kairiaoyama@gmail.com](mailto:kairiaoyama@gmail.com)

How To Paint A Cherry On Nails?

Let’s talk about painting cherries on your nails. It’s super fun, I promise! Steps: So, first things first, grab your besties color. You know, that perfect red? That’s the one! Then, get a thin brush. Gotta have that for the stems. Now, let’s draw those stems. Make two thin lines that meet in the middle. That’s where the magic happens! Tips: For the stem color, think green or brown. They’ll make your cherries pop! When you’re painting those thin lines, take your time. Precision is key! Get creative with your cherries. Big or small, it’s up to you! And hey, why not add some glitter or tiny rhinestones? Make those cherries sparkle! So, there you have it! With a little practice and a lot of love, you’ll have the cutest cherry nails around.

Hey I’m Kat! A few things about me, I’ve got a decade of experience working with animals, 14 years vegetarian, 7 pets of my own! I love scary movies and ghibli films, as well as stardew valley and retro games! I love making art, mostly drawing and painting but I think sculpting is fun too! I’m mostly a very unlucky person but I keep a positive attitude!

So I am a middle school art teacher and I've been teaching for 23 years and would like to cut my time in half in the near future, and spend the other half of my time working from home. My strength is drawing, I'm also a fine art painter, and love ceramics though I know that part doesn't apply. I can pretty much draw or paint anything given enough time. I'm old and I've put in enough practice over my lifetime. Anyway I'm pretty much a noob to digital painting and digital arts outside of scanning in ink work to color in Photoshop. So really I know virtually nothing about digital arts comparatively, though I am currently teaching myself to paint digitally with my new pen tablet. I would really appreciate some advice and direction as far as choosing the best areas of study and programs in digital arts to be able have the best amount of options work-wise to stay at home creating art in the future.
Recommendations could just be jobs that typically do allow working from home, computer programs that have a lot of crossover appeal to potential clients or companies that would hire, or even programs of study at school. I have both a sociology degree and a fine art degree so hopefully some of my units would transfer if another degree is necessary.
Thank you in advance for any direction or recommendations you could give. I just bought my first tablet where I can draw straight onto the screen rather than my cheapy I've had for a decade where I have to look at The laptop while I draw on the tablet. The world has expanded! So fun. Anyway thanks again in advance for any advice.

We often sacrifice much for those we cherish showing them how much we care but sometimes they disappoint Us by exploiting our kindness for their own gain. They might seem friendly when they need something but once they've gotten what they wanted they vanish like a bird in flight so how can we regain control of such situations.
Today we delve into nine crucial aspects of interaction between men and women drawing inspiration from the stoic philosophy that has withstood the test of time. By avoiding these nine actions we can swiftly notice positive changes in our relationships empowering ourselves in the process so if you are experiencing difficulties in your relationship take a seat open your minds and let's embark on this enlightening journey together.

Number 1 - Don't reshape your life to fit others

Imagine trying to build a puzzle with pieces that just don't fit together causing frustration and confusion at every turn that's what it feels like when you try to conform to others expectations, it's like Seneca said everywhere means nowhere, trying to do too much at once leaves you feeling lost and unsure of where you're headed instead of trying to blend in like a chameleon, it's time to stand out like a shining star in the night sky. Be proud of who you are and the things that make you different, don't let others dictate how you should live your life it's time to take control and walk your own path.
Remember your life is your own story to write not someone else's so let your true colors shine and paint the world with your authenticity and purpose.

Number 2 - Don't ruin your life by being too obsessed with someone

Don't let your life revolve solely around others like a satellite stuck in orbit. When you focus too much on someone else it's easy to lose sight of your own dream and what makes you special instead of nurturing your own goals and aspirations you find yourself constantly catering to their needs and desires neglecting your own thirst for fulfilment as the wise Marcus Aelius once said, nowhere can a man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.
When you become too entangled in someone else's world it disrupts your balance casting you into the shadows and stripping away your sense of worth. Break free from their hold and stop being a mere satellite to their planet, your life isn't a supporting act in someone else's story.
You're the lead role the star of your own Journey, always remember that and never let anyone dim your brilliance.

Number 3 - Don't let anything harm your mental health or happiness

Prioritizing someone else's happiness over your own mental well-being is like giving away your flashlight in the dark leaving yourself stumbling and lost. When you neglect your own health to cater to someone else's needs you're essentially surrendering control of your own happiness instead of finding fulfilment, you end up in a cycle of trying to please them while your own spirit's plummet.
It's crucial to take a step back and reclaim ownership of your life. Your mental health and happiness are invaluable assets that shouldn't be compromised or traded away rather than playing a supporting role in someone else's narrative seize the spotlight and become the protagonist of your own story. Protect your inner peace and joy with unwavering determination strengthen your resilience and refuse to let anyone steal your happiness, your mind belongs to you alone and you have the power to shape your own destiny.

Number 4 - Don't push friends or family away for someone else

Don't keep your distance from your friends and family just because you're really into someone else, it's kind of like cutting off branches from the tree that's holding you up each friend and family member is like a branch that's always been there to help you, if you start pushing them away it's not just about losing friends, you're also weakening the support system that's been there for you.
Plato once said people are like dirt, they can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die.
When you isolate yourself from your loved ones just to seek approval from someone else you're picking a tough road, take the initiative to rekindle those significant relationships, nurture your support system your friends and family form an Irreplaceable Network serving as your bedrock and source of strength. Embrace the steadfast companions who have stood by you through thick and thin.

Number 5 - Don't invest too much time in them

Don't pour all your precious time into someone else's bottomless well of need, it's like tossing your most valuable asset into into a dark abyss. Each moment you devoted excessively to them is a moment of your life slipping away forever.
Time is your greatest treasure not a bargaining chip in someone else's endless demands as Seneca wisely observed it is not that we have a short time to live but that we waste a lot of it by surrendering all your time to someone else you're forfeiting the most vibrant moments of your existence.
Reclaim your time it belongs to you alone not to anyone else. Don't allow them to overshadow your entire life, seek equilibrium invest your time thoughtfully cherish it and allocated to endeavors that ignite your passion foster growth and bring you fulfilment, remember you wield authority over your own time don't fritter it away on someone who may not value its significance.

Number 6 - Don't reveal everything about your past especially the tough times

Revealing your entire past to someone is like unfolding every hidden aspect and challenge you've encountered. Your past especially the difficult aspects is deeply personal.
It's the narrative of your own Journey that helped you navigate through tough times, it's not something to divulge for others to take pleasure in or pass judgment on. Discussing all your past Secrets means you're revisiting old challenges. Now You're vulnerable to potential harm or exploitation, keep your secrets securely held within yourself not everyone deserves access to them. Only disclose what is necessary while safeguarding the core elements of your narrative.
This is what fortifies you and ensures your protection, don't relinquish your defenses to someone else, exercise caution in choosing whom to confide in. Your life story belongs exclusively to you, it's not for others to casually revel in.

Well, Hi all! again! 4Th Wall here, I figured since I just got power back, I might as well play some catch up on both series. Hope you enjoy this episode!!
Yup, I fucked that up. This is a repost with the correct Episode number, LOL! It's been a while since I've done that.
First, Previous, Next (Patreon)
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Benjamin smiled, watching the girls skip ahead of him. Today was a testing day of sorts for him. Unwilling to release firearms into this world haphazardly, yet unwilling to go without them as a backup; he had pulled from one of his sister’s favorite video games. He had “melted down” his bowie knife, repurposing the metal to be used in his latest creation. The final product rode on his hip like a short sword, but Ben was satisfied in the design when the vast majority of the people he passed ignored it as just another adventurer’s blade. Benjamin hoped, that with the existence of Majik, that he would be able to pass off any… peculiarities... as the realm of the supernatural.

The three of them arrived at the tailor’s establishment, and the girls were met with a customary indifference that seemed to present itself when a slave’s “master” was present. The moment Benjamin entered, the seamstress ceased to pay attention to the girls, and instead addressed him directly, “Ah, The Forgemaster’s Protégé. What can I do for you this day.” She said cooly, bowing slightly in welcome. “I’m here commission some clothing for these two, a reward for good service.” Benjamin began. It was technically true; the success of the forge had afforded him much more coin than a mere apprentice could have made. Qort had taken him on as a true partner, and Benjamin earned enough to comfortably afford to cloth his “slaves” in whatever he chose.

Some stigma’s remained however, and the seamstress seemed to glare sideways at the girls as they perused the fabrics adorning the walls. “Is that wise? A slave could lose her place with such gifts.” she asked, her polite tone barely hiding her disapproval. Benjamin sighed internally, ‘oh for fucks sake’ he groaned in his own mind before putting on facad, “I find that proper reward, afforded on the right servant can result in” he paused, projecting a smug expression and blatantly looking the girls up and down. “a profound dedication to their duties” he finished with a satisfied smile as the seamstress covered her mouth with a hand to hide a smile of her own. The gambit worked, and the Seamstress was obviously satisfied that the “Aereesen slave whores” were being properly “used”. “Ah, I understand. What did you have in mind for them.” She practically moaned back at Benjamin. ‘This hag needs a good pounding….’ Benjamin’s inner monologue threatened to crack his facade, “That’s the fun part, my good lady. It’s their choice. The surprise is half the excitement.” He chuckled.

The seamstress openly smiled at him this time before nodding and stepping over to the two girls. Benjamin breathed a sigh of relief as she seemed to treat them at least marginally more warmly. The old racist bag didn’t need to know that Benjamin was secretly building a small nest egg for his girls, or that his sending them out to do errands for him was how he was teaching them about money, value, and the application of Mathematics. She also didn’t need to know that the full Cutlery set that she had purchased last week had been made by Vi’s own hand as her first full solo commission set. Benjamin had stamped his “mark” on them, because slaves were not allowed to own anything, including their own work; but Vi had begun with raw steel and finished with one of the finest cooking knife sets he had seen in this world or his.

Benjamin settled onto a bench outside, using the excuse of wanting to enjoy the morning air to afford his girls some privacy. Now that Viola and Valtrya were eating a healthy diet, and the right calorie amount; they had blossomed into absolute bombshells. Their hair had recovered, and both sported long flowing locks that boasted a silky satin black color and texture that betrayed hints of deep royal purple. The color reminded Benjamin of one of those expensive custom car paints that changed color depending on the lighting.

Their skin recovered almost as quickly as their hair. The sickly, scabbed look was quickly replaced with the same satin quality as their hair to the touch, but with a light grey coloring that almost seemed to tease the edge of hinting at a greyish purple. A dense pattern of Small freckles of the same dark, almost royal, purple as the highlights in their hair frolicked on both girl’s cheeks, and down the sides of their necks. Because of their early lack of understanding on modestly, Ben knew that those freckles traveled much further. The sad truth was that Benjamin understood fully why Aereesen’s were the prize of slavers and brothels, and he silently prayed that he could give them enough self-worth and skill to have a better life than that, once he got them out of the Principality.

A door’s soft creaking broke Benjamin from his thoughts as the two sisters stepped out smiling, “Get everything you need?” he asked standing as the three of them departed the establishment. Val nodded vigorously, and Vi smiled as she spoke, “I think so, but I had to practically beg the woman to stop showing us lingerie… what did you tell her?” Benjamin felt his cheeks heat as he responded, “What I had to. The old hag doesn’t get enough at home. It’s not my fault that your ‘enthusiasm’ is in the forge and your studies, not between the sheets. I didn’t lie to her, I just let her draw her own conclusions, sorry.”

Vi’s eyes twinkled for a second, “Oh,” She smirked, “Thaaat’s why she broke out the silk. Some of her options were..” She blatantly bit her lip at Benjamin. “You didn’t…” He asked in shock, and Vi lifted up on her tippy toes to brush her lips against his ear, “Not telling” she purred, setting Bens senses on fire. She backed up a step, openly smirking at his beet red face. “But your expression is adorable… My Lord” She stated the last two words with a deep sultry tone, knowing that Ben couldn’t scold her in public before taking his hand, “May we visit the bazar next? Val saw some jewelry she wanted to look at.” Benjamin gave her a pointed look, that turned into a smile as she beamed at him, “Ok, sounds good. I need to pick up some food for the week.”

It was later that afternoon when the three of them left the bazar. They found Jukha waiting on the bench in front of their home. “Jukha! How are you!” Benjamin called, clasping the Orc’s hand firmly as the girls rushed inside to put up their purchases. Jukha reciprocated, if somewhat stiffly, to the strange to him gesture. “Benjamin, it is good to see you well.” His tone stopped Ben in his tracks, “What is it. Is your wife, ok?”
Jukha shook his head, “Vilora is well, but I have been tasked with finding you.” He said carefully, “The slaver, the one you dueled for those two,” he nodded to Vi and Val as they stepped back out of the building, “The Heir of The Romoregin house is here. He has lodged an official demand for satisfaction, and he brought a champion.”

Benjamin stiffened, “Another duel? You said an ‘official demand’… what happens if I refuse.” Jukha winced at Ben’s tone, “It is an archaic practice of my people, rarely remembered, and even more rarely demanded. You cannot deny a satisfaction claim, but should you prevail, no further claims can be made upon your person. I am sorry Benjamin, but if you flee or refuse, your life is forfeit; and your property goes to the claimant.” Jukha looked pointedly at Viola and Valtrya. “The young puke has put me in danger as well, if I do not deliver you and them to the duel, I can be detained. If they torture me….” Benjamin’s eyes widened before hardening in understanding. “Jukha…” He turned to find Viola standing next to him, with his musket in one arm and his ammunition bag in the other, and sighed, “Fuck”. He loaded his musket with a single roundball cartridge this time, unwilling to fire buck and ball in the town streets. He pealed the ball out of the paper wading after pouring the poweder, reaching into his haversack to retrieve a small round patch made of pillow ticking. Jukha looked on in mild fascination as Benjamin spit on the cloth patch before wrapping the ball in it and ramming the whole thing down the barrel. It wasn’t much, but it reduce windage, ensuring at least reasonable enough accuracy from the smoothbore to keep from hitting innocent bystanders. It would also virtually eliminate blow-by, upping the chamber pressure and giving him a little more velocity. “I’m ready.”

The four of them entered the small city square to be met with Qort and three Org guards. These soldiers wore different insignia that Benjamin had been taught were the mark of the capital. “Beenjaymen Shayfe” one of them butchered his name, “I am.” Ben nodded firmly, the other guard nodded, “And your two slaves, good. Has Jukha informed you of the proceedings.” Benjamin scowled, “A legalized way to attempt a revenge killing? Yea, I’ve been told.” Ben didn’t bother to hide his vitriol, “So I have to kill a motherfucker for defending myself from his father?”

“Not quite. The Heir has brought a champion. The rules are simple, all forms of combat are allowed” The first guard began as the second one began chaining the wrists of Viola and Valtrya. Benjamin began to move before thinking, only to be held back by Jukha, “Peace albino. They must do this. Fighting them will cause a forfeit.” Benjamin looked at the terrified faces of the two girls. He forced himself to calm down outwardly, but Benjamin could feel the rage building. He had worked so hard to save those two, to get them out.. now some snot nosed brat was going to try to kill him because his father didn’t know when to fuck off. Benjamin stepped out from around the guards. The “heir” was a young Durr. Ben had no frame of reference for age, but the Heir was substantially shorter, and his facial tentacles were almost mere buds. Beside him stood a crimson colossus, the same species as the Hunter he had shot saving Jukha. He was taller than that female, and was wearing plate armor, gilded in silver. He hefted a great sword of some kind and smiled openly at Benjamin. It was not a pleasant expression. “Ah, so You’re the puke I’ll be cleaning from my blade. I am Krastorin. Come here, pale one, I’ll make it quick.”

Benjamin looked him over, subtly shifting into a shooting stance but keeping his musket looking like he was resting the butt of a spear on the ground. “You look accomplished, what makes you do the bidding of the boy.” He asked, blatant scorn on his tone. The Young Durr flinched, his small tentacle buds writhing violently. “H’Dare Yee!” he bellowed, voice cracking with the strain of fury, “Aye’ll ‘ave Yee Head on Me’Wall!!”
Benjamin ignored him, focusing on the Hellirine. The man looked back at the boy with a raised eyebrow, “The young puke promised me one of those.” He pointed at Vi and Val, who had reverted to their former trembling submissive postures that Ben had met them in. “It appears that they are as well kept as claimed. I look forward to sampling them.” He leered. Benjamin looked over at the Young Durr and found his face a mixture of relief and anger. ‘Ah, lied about daddy’s slaves.’ He turned to the soldier standing next to him, “Is the duel on?” he growled.

“Combatants! Begin!” was the Soldiers response, and the crimson mercenary lifted his sword from his shoulders advancing forward with a long confident stride, “at last, let’s get this over wi..” a clap of thunder echo’d through the Feral wood, and most of the crowd cried out in surprise as Benjamin disappeared, seemingly behind a bubble of fire, and brimstone. The single round ball ignored the mercenary’s plate armor. Punching straight through as the soft lead mushroomed out into a ragged disk that measured almost an inch and a half. The mangled projectile, still travelling at almost half the speed of sound, eviscerated the chest cavity of the Mercenary before blowing a one foot wide hole out of the crimson man’s back. The exit wound missed Krastorin’s spine by an inch, but it didn’t matter. The projectile embedded itself into a post, thankfully missing any bystanders by mere inches in some cases. The Young Durr, who was standing just behind and to the side of his champion, was screaming as he pawed at the bits of pale yellow blood, bones, and fragments of internal organs now covering him from head to toe.

Benjamin handed the smoking musket to Jukha, drawing his short sword and walking over to a sputtering, choking, and coughing Krastorin. The Hellirine lay face down on the ground, having fallen that way from the momentum of his initial advance. The back of Benjamins mind was sickly amused as he remembered the old Hollywood trope of bullets throwing people backward, and a pinch of regret sparked in his soul as his opponent death rattled. He stepped up to the Heir, resting the blade against his neck, “Are we done here. Be a better man than your father and learn when to save your own life.” The Young Durr froze, staring up at him in abject terror for several moments as a puddle formed at his feet. Benjamin opened his mouth to speak again when the boy simply passed out, falling into the puddle of his own mess as his mind refused to stay conscious.

Benjamin turned to walk back towards Jukha and the girls. “Unchain them.” Benjamin’s tone could have frozen a raging forge’s inferno. To his surprise, two of the soldiers drew their weapons on him, “You need to come with us. All Touched must be registered with...” Benjamin pointed his short sword at the one talking… and pulled the trigger. The percussion revolver built into the hilt of the short sword was zero’d using a notch Benjamin cut into the crossguard, and the tip of the curved blade as a crude set of open sights. The barrel of the revolver lay along one side of the blade, and was rifled. The speaking soldier orc’s took the smaller pistol round through the forehead, exploding the back of his skull in a cone of dark green and grey mist. The exit wound showered his companion in bits of bone and brains. Benjamin’s thumb found the hammer, and four satisfying clicks echo’d in the stunned silence, “HEAR ME!” He growled, “I, am touched by the Gods. I posses the power to end any life I choose using the power of Hell itself!” ‘if I have to show them a gun, might as well throw them off the trail’ “The violence of the raging volcano obeys my very fingertips.” His revolvesword bucked a second time as another soldier orc made a move to rush him. The smaller pistol round still punched through the orcs armor and out the back, but only left him screaming on the ground. Benjamin re-cocked, and leveled his weapon at the orc holding the chains to Val and Vi. “Now, release them.” This last remaining Orc did as asked, before gathering up his screaming companion as the girls rushed to Benjamin, he pulled them close, whispering, “I’m sorry we wont be able to pick up your dresses.”

The three of them packed up that night. Qort had understood, knowing all too well what the Principality would do to acquire a Touched of Benjamins ability. “Stay safe my friend. I pray our paths cross again.” Jukha snuck them out of the village that night, using his wagon to get them to his home. They stayed a week, laying low while they planned their next move. The girls spent their time learning recipes from Jukha’s wife, and ben took the time to unwind a bit. Jukha and He went on a hunt, and Benjamin was given a run down on the flora and fauna of the Feral wood. The two of them brought back a pair of Stags, and the three women cooked them a feast.

“Dinner’s ready!!” called Viola, setting the last of the sides on the table as the dutch oven roasted meat was brought off of the stove top. It was a simple yet elegant meal. Stag, potatoes, some kind of Kale style vegetable that Benjamin had never seen before. Soon enough, everyone at the table was leaning back, as full as they could make themselves. “So, pinkskin,” Jukha asked, “Where do you plan on going. I wouldn’t mind you staying with me. I could use another hunter, but I suspect that they would notice the extra product I brought to the village.”

Benjamin Hummed, “The Maridian Combine. Qort told me that they banned slavery over a century ago, the girls have learned so much already. It would be easy to find jobs for them.” Vi and Val drooped slightly but hid it well. Jukha noticed it but said nothing. “A good choice, their boarders are well guarded, you would need to free them before you cross, or end up in a dungeon yourself.”

“Good point, I can write up a simple writ of freedom. Something I can sign and give to them.” Benjamin nodded, “I can get started on that to…” he paused as a hand fell on his. He looked to see Viola staring at him, fighting back tears, “Hey, what’s wrong. You will be free…” Jukha nodded slowly and stood. “love,” he said to Vilora, “I need some help with the livestock” The Farie met his eyes in unspoken understanding, fluttering out the front door with Jukha.

“Vi, what’s wrong.” Benjamin asked gently.

“No… go… Val… stay…” Both of them turned to Valtrya in shock. She was trembling, “I wont..leave.”

“You speak?” Benjamin looked in shock, but Viola spoke next, “Benjamin, we don’t want to leave. We want to stay, with you. I…” She paused. Ben sighed, “I want you to stay too.” He said, finally admitting it to himself, “But I can’t own you. It’s killing me that you are my property.” He reached up and wiped a tear from Vi’s eyes, “You are so much more than property. I feel evil, every day that I wake up knowing that I could do anything I wanted to you, or worse, die and have someone else hurt you for the fun of it.” Benjamin bowed his head. Viola reached out, lifting his chin to look into his eyes, “Then come with us.” She whispered as Val stood up and stepped around the table, “yes.. You, come.” She wrapped herself around Ben from the side leaning in until she was resting her head against his shoulder, “I’m… staying.. with you.” she said softly. Viola nodded, “Benjamin, how old do you think we are.”

Ben looked at her in confusion, “I have no idea, I’ve always assumed you were teenagers. 13-14 years old for Val, maybe 16 for you, but that was when you were skin and bones.” He admitted.

Viola’s eyes widened in understanding. “You did not want to bed us because you thought us children.” Benjamin nodded slowly, answering. “And forcing sex on a child is the worst kind of crime on my world”. Viola and Valtrya looked at each other, before Vi spoke. “Ben, my sister will turn one hundred and three in a fortnight. I just had my one hundred and fifteenth birthday last week.” She leaned in, pressing her lips to Bens as she kissed him passionately for a moment. “We are no children,” Viola paused as Valtrya leaned in, kissing Ben lightly on the neck, “You are not forcing us to do anything, but leave.” Viola whispered as she began to close in to a surprised Benjamin for another kiss.

The door to the cabin flew open violently, and the girls pulled back to a more modest distance. Jukha walked in, carrying a panting Vilora. “What happened.” Ben asked hurriedly, hoping he wasn’t blushing as hard as the heat on his cheeks suggested. Vilora waved a hand as Jukha set her down in her chair, “The Vin… My sisters… they reached out… They wish to meet…” The Farie gathered herself, “They also sent a warning. We must leave, tonight… hunters.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you made it this far, I very much appreciate it. I hope you enjoyed the episode! If you believe I have earned it, I have a Patreon that is two episodes ahead of the free releases for this series. I hope you feel taking a look is worth it. Either way, come hang out in the comments. Everyone's welcome! I've discovered Im a bit of a "warts and all" poster, so even critical comments are welcome. Hell, You might even teach me something (it happens more than I'd like to admit).
I have heard people off and on reference Royal road, So I am going to give it another shot. I'll be adding the Royal Road link from now on. If you like reading over there, It is on the same schedule as here. I would greatly appreciate a like/review/comment if you feel so inclined. Thank you again for stopping by.
First, Previous, Next (Patreon) Royal Road

We often sacrifice much for those we cherish showing them how much we care but sometimes they disappoint Us by exploiting our kindness for their own gain. They might seem friendly when they need something but once they've gotten what they wanted they vanish like a bird in flight so how can we regain control of such situations.
Today we delve into nine crucial aspects of interaction between men and women drawing inspiration from the stoic philosophy that has withstood the test of time. By avoiding these nine actions we can swiftly notice positive changes in our relationships empowering ourselves in the process so if you are experiencing difficulties in your relationship take a seat open your minds and let's embark on this enlightening journey together.

Number 1 - Don't reshape your life to fit others

Imagine trying to build a puzzle with pieces that just don't fit together causing frustration and confusion at every turn that's what it feels like when you try to conform to others expectations, it's like Seneca said everywhere means nowhere, trying to do too much at once leaves you feeling lost and unsure of where you're headed instead of trying to blend in like a chameleon, it's time to stand out like a shining star in the night sky. Be proud of who you are and the things that make you different, don't let others dictate how you should live your life it's time to take control and walk your own path.
Remember your life is your own story to write not someone else's so let your true colors shine and paint the world with your authenticity and purpose.

Number 2 - Don't ruin your life by being too obsessed with someone

Don't let your life revolve solely around others like a satellite stuck in orbit. When you focus too much on someone else it's easy to lose sight of your own dream and what makes you special instead of nurturing your own goals and aspirations you find yourself constantly catering to their needs and desires neglecting your own thirst for fulfilment as the wise Marcus Aelius once said, nowhere can a man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.
When you become too entangled in someone else's world it disrupts your balance casting you into the shadows and stripping away your sense of worth. Break free from their hold and stop being a mere satellite to their planet, your life isn't a supporting act in someone else's story.
You're the lead role the star of your own Journey, always remember that and never let anyone dim your brilliance.

Number 3 - Don't let anything harm your mental health or happiness

Prioritizing someone else's happiness over your own mental well-being is like giving away your flashlight in the dark leaving yourself stumbling and lost. When you neglect your own health to cater to someone else's needs you're essentially surrendering control of your own happiness instead of finding fulfilment, you end up in a cycle of trying to please them while your own spirit's plummet.
It's crucial to take a step back and reclaim ownership of your life. Your mental health and happiness are invaluable assets that shouldn't be compromised or traded away rather than playing a supporting role in someone else's narrative seize the spotlight and become the protagonist of your own story. Protect your inner peace and joy with unwavering determination strengthen your resilience and refuse to let anyone steal your happiness, your mind belongs to you alone and you have the power to shape your own destiny.

Number 4 - Don't push friends or family away for someone else

Don't keep your distance from your friends and family just because you're really into someone else, it's kind of like cutting off branches from the tree that's holding you up each friend and family member is like a branch that's always been there to help you, if you start pushing them away it's not just about losing friends, you're also weakening the support system that's been there for you.
Plato once said people are like dirt, they can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die.
When you isolate yourself from your loved ones just to seek approval from someone else you're picking a tough road, take the initiative to rekindle those significant relationships, nurture your support system your friends and family form an Irreplaceable Network serving as your bedrock and source of strength. Embrace the steadfast companions who have stood by you through thick and thin.

Number 5 - Don't invest too much time in them

Don't pour all your precious time into someone else's bottomless well of need, it's like tossing your most valuable asset into into a dark abyss. Each moment you devoted excessively to them is a moment of your life slipping away forever.
Time is your greatest treasure not a bargaining chip in someone else's endless demands as Seneca wisely observed it is not that we have a short time to live but that we waste a lot of it by surrendering all your time to someone else you're forfeiting the most vibrant moments of your existence.
Reclaim your time it belongs to you alone not to anyone else. Don't allow them to overshadow your entire life, seek equilibrium invest your time thoughtfully cherish it and allocated to endeavors that ignite your passion foster growth and bring you fulfilment, remember you wield authority over your own time don't fritter it away on someone who may not value its significance.

Number 6 - Don't reveal everything about your past especially the tough times

Revealing your entire past to someone is like unfolding every hidden aspect and challenge you've encountered. Your past especially the difficult aspects is deeply personal.
It's the narrative of your own Journey that helped you navigate through tough times, it's not something to divulge for others to take pleasure in or pass judgment on. Discussing all your past Secrets means you're revisiting old challenges. Now You're vulnerable to potential harm or exploitation, keep your secrets securely held within yourself not everyone deserves access to them. Only disclose what is necessary while safeguarding the core elements of your narrative.
This is what fortifies you and ensures your protection, don't relinquish your defenses to someone else, exercise caution in choosing whom to confide in. Your life story belongs exclusively to you, it's not for others to casually revel in.

We often sacrifice much for those we cherish showing them how much we care but sometimes they disappoint Us by exploiting our kindness for their own gain. They might seem friendly when they need something but once they've gotten what they wanted they vanish like a bird in flight so how can we regain control of such situations.
Today we delve into nine crucial aspects of interaction between men and women drawing inspiration from the stoic philosophy that has withstood the test of time. By avoiding these nine actions we can swiftly notice positive changes in our relationships empowering ourselves in the process so if you are experiencing difficulties in your relationship take a seat open your minds and let's embark on this enlightening journey together.

Number 1 - Don't reshape your life to fit others

Imagine trying to build a puzzle with pieces that just don't fit together causing frustration and confusion at every turn that's what it feels like when you try to conform to others expectations, it's like Seneca said everywhere means nowhere, trying to do too much at once leaves you feeling lost and unsure of where you're headed instead of trying to blend in like a chameleon, it's time to stand out like a shining star in the night sky. Be proud of who you are and the things that make you different, don't let others dictate how you should live your life it's time to take control and walk your own path.
Remember your life is your own story to write not someone else's so let your true colors shine and paint the world with your authenticity and purpose.

Number 2 - Don't ruin your life by being too obsessed with someone

Don't let your life revolve solely around others like a satellite stuck in orbit. When you focus too much on someone else it's easy to lose sight of your own dream and what makes you special instead of nurturing your own goals and aspirations you find yourself constantly catering to their needs and desires neglecting your own thirst for fulfilment as the wise Marcus Aelius once said, nowhere can a man find a quieter or more untroubled retreat than in his own soul.
When you become too entangled in someone else's world it disrupts your balance casting you into the shadows and stripping away your sense of worth. Break free from their hold and stop being a mere satellite to their planet, your life isn't a supporting act in someone else's story.
You're the lead role the star of your own Journey, always remember that and never let anyone dim your brilliance.

Number 3 - Don't let anything harm your mental health or happiness

Prioritizing someone else's happiness over your own mental well-being is like giving away your flashlight in the dark leaving yourself stumbling and lost. When you neglect your own health to cater to someone else's needs you're essentially surrendering control of your own happiness instead of finding fulfilment, you end up in a cycle of trying to please them while your own spirit's plummet.
It's crucial to take a step back and reclaim ownership of your life. Your mental health and happiness are invaluable assets that shouldn't be compromised or traded away rather than playing a supporting role in someone else's narrative seize the spotlight and become the protagonist of your own story. Protect your inner peace and joy with unwavering determination strengthen your resilience and refuse to let anyone steal your happiness, your mind belongs to you alone and you have the power to shape your own destiny.

Number 4 - Don't push friends or family away for someone else

Don't keep your distance from your friends and family just because you're really into someone else, it's kind of like cutting off branches from the tree that's holding you up each friend and family member is like a branch that's always been there to help you, if you start pushing them away it's not just about losing friends, you're also weakening the support system that's been there for you.
Plato once said people are like dirt, they can either nourish you and help you grow as a person or they can stunt your growth and make you wilt and die.
When you isolate yourself from your loved ones just to seek approval from someone else you're picking a tough road, take the initiative to rekindle those significant relationships, nurture your support system your friends and family form an Irreplaceable Network serving as your bedrock and source of strength. Embrace the steadfast companions who have stood by you through thick and thin.

Number 5 - Don't invest too much time in them

Don't pour all your precious time into someone else's bottomless well of need, it's like tossing your most valuable asset into into a dark abyss. Each moment you devoted excessively to them is a moment of your life slipping away forever.
Time is your greatest treasure not a bargaining chip in someone else's endless demands as Seneca wisely observed it is not that we have a short time to live but that we waste a lot of it by surrendering all your time to someone else you're forfeiting the most vibrant moments of your existence.
Reclaim your time it belongs to you alone not to anyone else. Don't allow them to overshadow your entire life, seek equilibrium invest your time thoughtfully cherish it and allocated to endeavors that ignite your passion foster growth and bring you fulfilment, remember you wield authority over your own time don't fritter it away on someone who may not value its significance.

Number 6 - Don't reveal everything about your past especially the tough times

Revealing your entire past to someone is like unfolding every hidden aspect and challenge you've encountered. Your past especially the difficult aspects is deeply personal.
It's the narrative of your own Journey that helped you navigate through tough times, it's not something to divulge for others to take pleasure in or pass judgment on. Discussing all your past Secrets means you're revisiting old challenges. Now You're vulnerable to potential harm or exploitation, keep your secrets securely held within yourself not everyone deserves access to them. Only disclose what is necessary while safeguarding the core elements of your narrative.
This is what fortifies you and ensures your protection, don't relinquish your defenses to someone else, exercise caution in choosing whom to confide in. Your life story belongs exclusively to you, it's not for others to casually revel in.