For context my mom have always given her niece (my first cousin) first priority in her life lets just call her B. So B is mom's sister's daughter. B have always tried to control and be involved in our lives from the very beginning she have no boundaries whatsoever and my mom never sees a problem with that. Ever since I was a kid she hated me just so you know she is 20 years older than me, she always have found a way to ruin my birthdays every year to the point that I stopped celebrating it for the past 12 years im 24 now but still she just hates me for no actual reason she always would pick on me on my skin colour as I'm dark skinned girl and she's comparatively fair and as you can tell being indian how that works so she always would comment how ugly I am and even looking at me irks her and it's disgusting that I exits on a daily basis all this infront of mom and other relatives my mom would laugh with her and never stood up for me and all I would do is cry infront of everyone well I wouldn't lie it did affect my mental health and self esteem till this day it wasn't just one incident it was about everything like even if we went for shopping and as always she has to be there cuz she have no life of her own she would comment that how dark my hands are and how can I even think about wearing sleeveless things and how can I even think about it , whenever I tried to click pictures she would say please get out of the family picture you're ruining it by being in it cuz I'm ugly it literally felt like something in me broke till this day i never once click my pictures I Just can't seem to get over it and there are many more racist incidents but she didn't stop there after all of this I just felt like even after trying so hard to build a good relationship with my family it seems to never work so I Just gave up cuz besides my colour they never saw any good in me so i decided to make friends and socialize but that too was not beared my B as she started rumours that I'm seeing boys and roaming around and I'm a hoe and to the point where my mom used to beat me up .Btw i was just 10/12 at that time ,she always tried her best to isolate me from everyone never let me make friends or go out. Till this date I don't have friends I feel so alone. After all this when I decided that lets just focus on my career so that I might have a future and I'll be free from all this but guess who's back with another hurdle in my way, yeah B she denied my mom to sent me to a prestigious college which i was compatible for because of my grades cuz according to her I'm too dumb and if I live in different city then again I'm a slut which she have ingrained in everyone's mind. So everyone believed her suggestion and forced me to do bcom which is a useless degree as I'm still unemployed and mentally exhausted. I seriously don't know what I've done for all this hatred. I don't even feel like there any hope left in my life for any thing good to ever happen, I don't have anyone who I can share how I feel or even someone i can talk to,what can I even do about it.I feel like giving up and it's not like I've never tried to take a stand for myself but every time I did my mom have severely injured me by beating the fuck out of me even just yesterday we had an argument about her and my mom beat me by slapping me so hard that her glass bangle broke and scarred my face. I'm mentally exhausted and have no strength to deal with any of this anymore.

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Top 15 Attractions in New Delhi

● Taj Mahal: 139 feet of stones inlaid into the walls.
● New Delhi Parliament House (Sansad Bhavan): The construction of this Parliament was carried out by the British architects Lutyens and Baker and the house is built of sandstone. It symbolically embodies the Great Stupa of Sanchi and the Ashoka Chakra for the wheel-like layout it adopts.
● Qutub Minar: This beginning red-brick-builtTriomphe minaret, which stands today at 139 feetBuilt-in high, was built by the rulers of Muslims who conquered Delhi in 1193 A.D. This structure is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a tourist's favorite spot. Measuring 240 feet tall, the structure demonstrates exceptional architectural and construction prowess from the historic period under consideration.
● India Gate: This 138 feet twenty-four inches war memorial, which is in the form of an arc de TriompheTomb looks like the one in Paris and was constructed in 1931. Built-inred-brick-built neoclassical architectural style, the monument developed by Sir Edwin Lutyen is an important photo stop in New Delhi.
● Humayun's Tomb: That’s why it is also known as the Tombfeet of Humayun; it is a UNESCO site that offers a snapshot of early Mughal architecture. It also indicates the humiliating defeat of the uprising in 1857, when the last Mughal emperor, Bahadur Shah II, was captured.
● Lotus Temple (Bahá'í House of Worship): attracts twenty-fourattractstwenty-four from Greece; it is located in a thirty-acre situated a garden including more than twenty four fountains and nine Kunds.
● Red Fort (Lal Qila): This was looked at as a historical site by UNESCO and it has been pointed out that it was the home of the marble twenty-fourMughal Empire for 200 years after Shah Jahan shifted his capital to Delhi. It still draws a fair amount of tourists and is situated in conjunction with Chandni Chowk today.
● Jama Masjid (Masjid e Jahan Numa): The largest mosque in INDIA is Jama Masjid in Delhi which was constructed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan between 1644 and 1658. Due to its large structure and a blend of red sand stone and white marble, the place attracts sandstone sandstone a large number of tourists.
● Chandni Chowk: Chandni Chowk is the oldest market in India, located in the capital city of Delhi, and it has narrow lanes filled with a large variety of spices, jewelry, etc. It is a very good place to take pictures and wonder if you can bargain.
● Office and Residence of the President of India (Rashtrapati Bhavan): Situated in the epicenter of New Delhi, India, this beautiful structure comprises a vast 340-room building that resembles a palace and magnificent Mughal gardens. People go there to visit the Changing of the Guard ceremony, which is very popular in the palace.
● Tomb of I'timad-ud-Daulah: It is nicknamed the “Baby Taj” and is generally acknowledged as having been constructed before the Taj Mahal was built. It was designed to be the first Mughal monument made of white marble; this indeed marked a shift in Mughal architecture.
● Lajpat Nagar Central Market: Apart from food, the textile market of Central Market, situated in Lajpat Nagar, is a good place for shopping attire and accessories like bangles and saris, which create an eclectic feel of the Delhi bazaar.
● Swaminarayan Akshardham: This massive temple, one of Delhi’s largest and youngest, will feature a temple, a life-like animated tour, a fully 3-D digital presentation theater, and a boat ride in a fun park.
● Raj Ghat: Visited by a large number of tourists and pilgrims, the place features a black marble platform with the quote by Gandhi, ‘My life is my message’; and an eternal flame. It marks the place where he was cremated and the words, said to be his dying lines, are engraved, ‘Hey Ram’.
● Gurudwara Bangla Sahib: One of the largest Sikh shrines depicts white marble blades, golden buds, and domes, with a broad sacred cloister. It dates back to the mid-17th century and provides ample opportunity to explore the area’s beauty and enter the premises.

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What types of car hire services does ChikuCab offer in Delhi?

ChikuCab offers various car hire services in Delhi, including 8-hour and 12-hour car rentals for sightseeing, shopping, and visiting relatives. They also provide airport pick-up and drop services, bulk bookings for weddings and business events, and luxury cars for special functions.

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What are some popular tourist attractions in Delhi that I can visit using ChikuCab?

Popular tourist attractions in Delhi include the Taj Mahal, New Delhi Parliament House, Qutub Minar, India Gate, Humayun's Tomb, Lotus Temple, Red Fort, Jama Masjid, Chandni Chowk, Rashtrapati Bhavan, Tomb of I'timad-ud-Daulah, Lajpat Nagar Central Market, Swaminarayan Akshardham, Raj Ghat, and Gurudwara Bangla Sahib.

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Have you ever thought about who you are? Are you John? That’s your name. Are you British? That’s your nationality. Are you a doctor? That’s your occupation. Do you hold a Ph.D degree? That’s your educational qualification. Are you a millionaire? That’s your financial status.
Who are you? Have you ever stopped to think?
Man has invented everything from submarines that go deep into the oceans to supersonic jets that fly in the sky. Man has discovered new lands, stars in space, a thriving underwater life, but man has forgotten to discover himself – who he truly is. It is only when man discovers himself, experiences a spiritual awakening that leads him to self-realization and God-realization, that he will be able to live a peaceful, blissful and happy life.
What We Are Not
So, we all think that we are ‘me’. But who is this ‘me’?
The best way to find out who or what we are, is to discover what we are not. As we keep eliminating what we are not, we will be rewarded with the realization of who we are. Are we this body? Everybody thinks, “I am this body.” But just like we have a car and a house, but are neither of these, we also have a body, but are not the body. If I say, I ‘have’ a body, then it certainly can’t be who I am!
If not the body, then we must be the mind. Our mind thinks, feels and remembers. Therefore, that must be who we are. But then, we feel our mind worrying, and we watch it wandering. Moreover, when we try to locate the mind, we cannot find it. Thus we realize that we may have a mind, but we are not the mind. We are distinctly different from it.
If we are not the body and the mind, then we could be the ego. But the ego is invisible and intangible. Then, how can we be the ego? We are the ones who have an ego, mind, and body but we are different from these. We know that we are none of these. There remains only one unanswered question after we know what we are not – ‘Who am I?’
We Live In Ignorance
Now let’s consider another analogy. We look at a gold ring, a necklace, and a bangle and think these to be different ornaments. The truth is that while these appear to be different pieces of jewellery, in reality, they are nothing but gold. Our mind doesn’t let us realize the truth that there is no bangle, no ring or necklace. It is only gold that appears in all these different forms. Remove the gold and there will be no ornaments.
We fail to realize who we truly are because our mind makes us live in ignorance. We are not able to go beyond the body, mind, and ego to realize who we are.
We are the Life Energy
We now understand that we are not the body or the mind or the ego. Then, who are we? Scientifically, when the smallest particles in the cells of the human body are examined under sophisticated instruments, they are proved to be nothing but energy.
Yes, the truth is that we are Energy. The Life Energy that causes our breath and without which, there would be certain death.
However, ‘mere knowledge’ of who we are is not enough. It is the ‘realization’ of the self that leads to everlasting happiness, spiritual enlightenment and liberation from pain and suffering. And to progress on the spiritual path to enlightenment, which is the only path to happiness, a seeker needs the guidance of a spiritual guru, besides the grace of God. A true spiritual master can help a seeker realize the self.
“What I see is not me. I am the one who sees. The Body may suffer, or the Mind may suffer, but that is not me!”

Source: https://thecosmiccircus.com/discord-marvel-studios-qa-with-alex-perez-june-2024-part-1/

Avengers, Secret Wars & the Marvel Studios Multiverse Saga

Kosta: Hi Alex, how are you? I love you. Do you think Secret Wars will become 2 films and, therefore, 3 Avengers films in this saga?
Alex: Hey! Love ya too. I suspect that Secret Wars may be heading into a two-parter territory for a number of reasons. The main reason is that there are too many stories happening plot-wise that really can’t be condensed into the average 2-hour runtime. One thing I even heard through the grapevine was the idea of having more than one central antagonist. So yes, I think the films will be split.
Bird Sister: What is the probable new name for Avengers 5?
Alex: What I can say is that I’m hearing that Avengers 5 will be a multiversal film with a particularly grounded story involving multiversal elements. In all likelihood, the safest route would be to split Avengers: Secret Wars into two parts. However, I will take the opportunity to mention a rumor about a possible adaptation of elements from the Avengers Assemble/Avengers: Forever event, which is a storyline involving a Multiversal Council of Mephisto variants known as the Council of Red, Multiversal Masters of Evil, and an Avengers team up to save the day before all of existence is destroyed. I might have to look into that storyline given Mephisto’s coming introduction into the MCU, but it might be an interesting story to adapt heading into Avengers: Secret Wars.
Vin: What comic would you recommend to anyone interested in the future of the MCU?
Alex: Obviously, the Secret Wars comics would be a good start. Time Runs Out as well is a good run to get into. I have heard through the grapevine that elements from the Avengers Assemble/Avengers: Forever event might be interesting to look into. However, if people really want to look ahead, beyond Secret Wars and beyond the soft reboot, they should look to the stars—specifically, Eternals Vol. 3.
CamCam: Hey, Alex! Hoping you’re doing well! What’s the likelihood of Marvel greenlighting [more seasons of] shows like Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, She-Hulk, Hawkeye, and Echo for production before the Multiverse Saga ends?
Alex: It might be a while before any of these shows get a second season, since some of them are scheduled to pop up in other projects before getting a second season. It’s also too early to tell which shows will go into production before the Saga ends.
Elyse✨ – Shoalsandsuch: Hi Alex! Welcome back! Have you heard any names in the mix/front-runners for Avengers 5 director? Any idea what size role Loki and Sylvie may have in A5/SW?
Alex: Hi! Recent reporting indicates Shawn Levy is in the mix for the potential directors for Avengers 5. But directors have never been my forté, so I can’t give you a list of answers for that.
Loki and Sylvie are certainly going to play a role in the upcoming Avengers films, that’s an idea that’s definitely going to come to fruition. As for how big their roles might be, it wouldn’t be wise for me to say how big their roles are since these things always vary in pre-production, production, and then post-production.
Folkito1hunnid: ALEX! With the rumors of Marvel finally re-casting Kang(s) could we see a combination of World War Hulk and Avengers Forever elements… using both grounded and multiversal elements in Avengers 5? What do you expect to be on the slate projects wise for the rest phase 5 +6 and maybe possible phase 7 to finish up the saga …and Secret Wars split into 2 movies?
Alex: Hi. For your first question: My personal opinion? Combining both of these stories together would be a very bad idea. A movie that’s coming out later will be doing something similar to what you’re suggesting, and it sounds like a terrible mess already.
My expectations for the slate are definitely Wonder Man, Spider-Man 4, Shang-Chi 2, Vision, Blade, and Young Avengers/Champions.

Blade and Brother Voodoo

Din Djarin: Sup Alex, Thoughts on what’s up with Blade, if there’s anything at all? Do you think someone like Jericho Drumm will show up in the future?
Alex: Be patient with Blade and let them cook. I have faith in Mahershala Ali and his vision for the movie. I think it’s possible for Brother Voodoo to show up. His brother exists after all.

Captain America: Brave New World and World War Hulk

Lukeb4577: Hey Alex, hope time doing well. Any idea who Giancarlo Esposito may be playing in the MCU?
Alex: Nope.
ReyD: After the comment of [Bob] Iger and Marvel slowing things down. Are we still confident that a follow-up to Cap 4’s Hulks story is still planned?
Alex: There are a lot of side stories currently running at the same time in the MCU. And we know that the endgame for the Multiverse Saga is going to be Secret Wars, there is no doubt about it. However, there is a story that has been built up by multiple projects in the MCU, which I call “The World War Storyline”. This storyline has been set up by projects in:

• Spider-Man: Far From Home
• WandaVision
• The Falcon and the Winter Soldier
• Black Widow
• Eternals
• Spider-Man: No Way Home
• Ms. Marvel
• She-Hulk: Attorney At Law
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
• Secret Invasion

This storyline, which has been cooking from the sidelines, essentially has the countries of the world in fear of the unprecedented number of heroes that have started to pop up in recent years, and the number of incidents that have occurred recently in the MCU since the events of Endgame. And with no Avengers currently active, the nations of the world are in a race with each other to try and develop their own superhuman soldiers or teams to defend themselves from all enemies foreign and domestic.
It’s why France was suspiciously trying to obtain vibranium from Wakanda in a covert operation at the beginning of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The same reason applies to the United States trying to obtain Vibranium without Wakanda’s knowledge in the middle of the ocean before being intervened by Namor and the Talokans. It’s also why the United States has the Department of Damage Control (DODC) handle any superhuman incidents such as in Spider-Man: No Way Home, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk: Attorney At Law.
This storyline is about to reach its peak point in the MCU in stories like Captain America: Brave New World, where we’ll see some countries trying to harvest materials to develop their own superhuman teams, while others are already so advanced that they’re already experimenting and creating their own version of superhumans such as The Leader, Red Hulk and don’t get me started on the ones we’ll see in Thunderbolts\.*
Where am I getting at with this? Marvel Studios is setting up a World War Hulk project, albeit not in the way that people would expect. The idea is for Bruce Banner, who teased the dangers of Hulk’s blood back in She-Hulk: Attorney At Law, to finally see his worst nightmare come to life; the United States government and the governments of the world creating their own Hulks.
This might be the breaking point for Banner and could potentially see the return of the Savage Hulk people have been wanting to see for so long as he goes toe to toe with President Ross as the Red Hulk, which I’m being told will happen sooner rather than later.

Captain Marvel and King Valkyrie

DisappointinglyLethargic: Hey Alex, do you know what Marvel plans for Captain Marvel now that The Marvels severely underperformed? And do those plans involve Valkyrie?
Alex: Carol Danvers’ role in the Multiverse Saga moving forward has not been diminished, nor will it be toned down due to The Marvels underperforming. Carol’s role in this saga is going to be very personal as she is currently dedicating all of her time to investigating the nature of the Quantum Bangles, where they actually came from, and using their power to find a way to bring back Monica Rambeau into the MCU following the events of The Marvels.
As for King Valkyrie, I haven’t heard much about what role she will have to play in the Multiverse Saga as of yet, but there is something I heard through the grapevine about Thor 5 and her connections to Valhalla. So I’d suspect her story to continue there.

Daredevil: Born Again, fights, Muse and the Kingpin

Vacanus: Hi Alex, thanks again for doing these! I’ve got two DD:BA questions. If you have any information, do you have any teases for Muse and what type of villain he will be, similar to the post you made for Cassandra Nova?
Have you heard whether Daredevil: Born Again will feature a one-take hallway sequence similar to the ones in the OG show?
Alex: What I’ve heard about Muse is that his character will fan the flames of chaos in the show. He’ll be very sinister and deranged and will actually be an antagonist to not only Daredevil but also Kingpin, which will be an interesting dynamic to see play out.
As for whether Born Again will feature a one-take hallway sequence similar to the ones in the OG show, I have heard many wonderful things about how the stunt and fight coordination teams worked on this show and the way it was done. If I had to explain how this show overall was approached, I would compare it to the way Marvel Animation approached X-Men ‘97. They respect the original material, built up on it, and elevated it to a new standard which I’m sure fans will love.
CamCam: How long do you expect Wilson Fisk’s reign as NYC’s mayor will last in the MCU? Will it end in Spider-Man 4 or Daredevil: Born Again season 2, depending on what releases first, or will it extend beyond those projects and have a longer and larger impact on the MCU than we currently expect?
Alex: I expect Fisk’s run as Mayor to last a while since it is a storyline that will continue beyond Daredevil: Born Again.
joshua: Have you heard if DDBA will bring back John Paesano as composer?
Alex: I have not heard anything about the composer for the show.

Doctor Strange and Clea

Rebel: Is the plan for Doctor Strange 3 still to happen before SW, and can you share any details/tidbits about plans for that movie?
Alex: What I’ve heard about Stephen Strange’s story leading into Secret Wars requires a minimum of a third Doctor Strange movie for it to be explored properly, or at the very least three Avengers films. Anything less, and I’m afraid that both Stephen and Clea’s characters might fall short of fans’ expectations.

Fantastic Four cast

mothman9583: Hey Alex, I hope you’re doing well. Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions for us. Do you know who any of the actors in F4 are portraying that haven’t been revealed?
azuredreamer: Hello there Alex, hope you are in good spirits. Who do you think John Malkovich and Paul Walter Houser are playing in The Fantastic Four, are they allies or antagonistic to the First Family?
Alex: I cannot comment on those castings at this time.

Ghost Rider

Vin: How do you expect them to handle Ghost Rider?
Alex: I’d expect them to make Ghost Rider an antihero who is loyal to Mephisto but also looking for a way out.

Hawkeye season 2

Rebel: Can you confirm that Hawkeye S2 is happening. If so, can you share any details/tidbits about the season?
Alex: I have no information on that, given that I expect Kate Bishop to be teamed up with Kamala and Cassie, as well as appear in Avengers 5 before we even get a Hawkeye S2.

Hulk/Bruce Banner

BraveFire: Hi Alex, When, how and why (if you can tell us) Smart Hulk will become Savage Hulk again? (related to Skaar, Betty Ross, his wife Caiera?) Was Avengers 5 transformed into WWH (or the opposite, it doesn’t matter) or will WWH be a separate film? (will its future be promising?)
Alex: Read what I had to say above under Captain America: Brave New World
ShadowBeard: Hey Alex! What will be the next appearance of Hulk/Bruce Banner? Who will direct the World War Hulk film? Do you have more information on the project?
Alex: I have no other info on either of those things at this time.

My essay about All Over the Place is only two weeks late for the 40th anniversary! https://underthepavingstones.com/2024/06/06/revisiting-all-over-the-place-the-bangles-criminally-underrated-1984-debut-lp/
A few things going on in this piece: first of all it’s a defense of this album’s greatness and timelessness despite how terribly undervalued it is in the mainstream. I try to capture what it was like to have it hit me for the first time at the age of 16, and how much it changed my life.
I also talk about the album’s feminism — which was not labelled as such at the time but I believe is key to understanding it. To me it’s significant that the majority of songs on it are about bad boyfriends and creeps — there’s almost no romance at all, and that rules. I make a case that this album demonstrates the Bangles’ debt to punk — and that the punk influence and the feminism are actually intertwined. And I get into how difficult the recording process was for them.
Perhaps these are unusual approaches compared to the usual focus on 60s revivalism, but the idea is to show how fresh and relevant and exciting this album still is, and how it connects to not only the past but also the present and future of rock — especially rock made by women.
Hope you enjoy it, and let me know what you think!

Indian fashion is a beautiful blend of tradition and modernity, and nothing complements this fusion better than platinum jewelry. Platinum, with its timeless allure and unmatched durability, makes for an excellent choice in jewelry. Here are seven stunning platinum bracelets that every Indian fashion enthusiast should have in their collection.

1. Intricate Filigree Platinum Bracelet

First up is the Intricate Filigree Platinum Bracelet. This piece is a masterpiece of craftsmanship, featuring delicate filigree work that mirrors traditional Indian artistry. Perfect for both festive occasions and everyday elegance, it adds a touch of sophistication to any outfit.

2. Platinum and Diamond Charm Bracelet

Next, we have the Platinum and Diamond Charm Bracelet. This bracelet combines the elegance of platinum with the sparkle of diamonds. Each charm tells a story, making it not just a piece of jewelry but a keepsake of cherished memories.

3. Modern Geometric Platinum Cuff

For those who lean towards contemporary styles, the Modern Geometric Platinum Cuff is a must-have. Its sleek, angular design offers a modern twist, perfect for pairing with both western and traditional outfits. It's bold, it's stylish, and it makes a statement.

4. Classic Platinum Chain Bracelet

The Classic Platinum Chain Bracelet is a timeless piece that never goes out of style. Its simple yet elegant design makes it versatile enough for daily wear. Whether you're heading to work or a casual outing, this bracelet will add a subtle shine to your ensemble.

5. Platinum Kadas with Gemstones

Traditional Indian jewelry lovers will adore Platinum Kadas adorned with gemstones. These bangles are a modern take on the classic Indian kada, with the added luxury of platinum and the vibrant colors of gemstones. They’re perfect for festive occasions and can be paired with ethnic wear for a regal look.

6. Minimalist Platinum Bangle

The Minimalist Platinum Bangle is for those who prefer understated elegance. Its sleek and simple design makes it perfect for everyday wear, adding a touch of class without being too flashy. It's the ideal accessory for those who appreciate subtlety in their style.

7. Personalized Platinum Bracelet

Lastly, the Personalized Platinum Bracelet allows you to add a unique touch to your jewelry collection. Whether it's initials, a special date, or a meaningful symbol, personalizing your bracelet makes it a special piece that holds sentimental value.

Why Choose Platinum?

Platinum is not just a metal; it's a statement of luxury and resilience. Its natural white sheen does not fade or tarnish, making it a perfect choice for lifelong jewelry. For Indian fashion enthusiasts, platinum bracelets offer a blend of tradition and modernity, making them a versatile addition to any jewelry collection.

Conclusion

Whether you prefer the intricate designs that reflect Indian heritage or the sleek, modern styles, platinum bracelets offer something for everyone. Investing in these stunning pieces not only enhances your fashion quotient but also ensures you have a timeless accessory that lasts a lifetime. So, which of these beautiful bracelets will you add to your collection next?

Indian bridal jewelry is renowned globally for its opulence, intricate designs, and deep cultural significance. But what exactly makes it the best in the world? Let’s explore the reasons why Indian bridal jewelry outshines others.

Rich Historical Heritage

Indian bridal jewelry is steeped in history, tracing back thousands of years. This rich heritage is reflected in the designs and craftsmanship that have evolved over centuries. Each piece often tells a story, connecting brides to their ancestral roots and traditions. This historical depth adds a layer of significance that is hard to find elsewhere.

Intricate Craftsmanship

When it comes to craftsmanship, Indian jewelry artisans are unparalleled. The intricate detailing and precision required to create traditional pieces are astonishing. Techniques like Kundan, Meenakari, and Jadau involve meticulous labor, often done by hand, ensuring each piece is unique. These techniques have been passed down through generations, making every jewelry item a masterpiece.

Cultural Significance

In India, bridal jewelry is more than just adornment; it’s a crucial part of the wedding rituals and traditions. Each piece, from the Mangalsutra to the bangles, holds symbolic meanings and is believed to bring good fortune to the bride. This cultural significance adds emotional and spiritual value, making the jewelry deeply cherished.

Variety and Diversity

India’s diverse culture is reflected in its bridal jewelry. From the elaborate North Indian Polki sets to the elegant South Indian temple jewelry, there is a wide variety to choose from. Each region boasts its unique style, materials, and designs, catering to different tastes and preferences. This diversity ensures that every bride can find something that resonates with her personal style and cultural background.

Use of Precious Materials

Indian bridal jewelry often incorporates high-quality materials like gold, diamonds, pearls, and precious gemstones. The use of these materials not only enhances the beauty of the pieces but also adds to their value. Gold, in particular, holds a special place in Indian culture, symbolizing wealth, prosperity, and purity.

Timeless Appeal

Indian bridal jewelry has a timeless appeal that transcends trends. Pieces like the Nath (nose ring), Maang Tikka (forehead ornament), and Kamarbandh (waist belt) have been worn for generations and continue to be popular. This timelessness ensures that the jewelry remains a treasured heirloom, passed down from one generation to the next.

Personalized and Custom Designs

Jewelry in India is often custom-made to match the bride’s outfit and personal preferences. This customization ensures that each piece is unique and perfectly suited to the bride’s vision for her special day. Personalized designs add a touch of exclusivity and make the jewelry even more special.
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Bangled, Tangled, Spangled, and Spaghettied
The “hairy summer” might come out as a one-off. I’ll write a trailer, and you guys tell me if it’s worth posting the short story!
From the weirdo who brought you Funky P. Beard and Married Mary... comes the story of a summer musical brimming with soulful singing, delightful dancing, and horrifying heaps of human garbage. Get bangled. Get tangled. Get spangled. And get spaghettited.... Cringey Val (and maybe ReddX Industries???) presents... A Hairy Summer and a Pearl Jam Cocktail!
Okay, here are the highlights: Scumbanger did something so vile and inappropriate, I’m not sure I can put it in writing without getting sued by an advocacy organization. Then there was this bossy cast member who stank so badly, the guys had to use the girls’ dressing room just so they could breathe without barfing. This pong monster was a tall, glamorous, genuinely talented drag queen named Thomas. He was American, but his name was pronounced, “Toh-MAH.” To this day, he remains the only gay guy I’ve ever known who had a hygiene problem.
And then there was the “historical consultant” who was supposed to be an expert on 1960s counterculture. This bozo couldn’t have possibly been much older than 40, so his claims of having "lived through the late 60s" just meant that he was a wee one at most during that era. He dyed his hair gray (this was obvious because he had brown roots), he dressed like Lewis Skolnick from Revenge of the Nerds, he was obsessed with Richard Nixon (even though he should have been talking about LBJ), and he openly hated everything about modern pop culture. Imagine a non-wholesome, Nixon-obsessed Norman.
And he loved younger women who enjoyed modern pop culture, yet he made it his mission in life to capture us and teach us the error of our ways. Don't get me wrong. I absolutely adore music, movies, novels, fashion... all sorts of things that were before my time. But I also enjoy generationally-appropriate pop culture. Video games. Shows like It's Always Sunny. Modern musicals like... (horrified gasp!) Hamilton. That doesn't make me a shallow moron, NORMAN. And I'm not going near the "mini museum" in your basement, ya creep. Nasty Norman finally got fired for sending Dionne a sausage selfie (she said he even dyed his pubes gray).
And then there was Mary’s inappropriate (and illegal) behavior when she came to see the show. Big titty privilege kept her out of jail, but she enjoyed running around making up stories about having done hard time and having swapped snail trails with her celly. She continued to write love letters to her "prison wife" long after she was released. That was probably a healthier marriage than her real one, to be honest. And remember, Mary never got arrested at all. The prison wife did not exist.
And because I began writing this section with the intention of connecting Married Mary to Funky P., please allow me to spit out an observation. Funky, according to the tales I heard from the remaining chummers in the Shadowrun crew, was indeed a tall, bearded bump on a log who basically just did Mori’s bidding and engaged in excessive grumbling over trivial matters (namely, the attractiveness of other men) during the formative years of the gaming sessions. He only occasionally lost his temper. But he seemed to become considerably more aggressive around the time of his dalliance with Mary. WHY?
While Funky never spoke of his feelings regarding Mary’s ensnarement of his tantalizing tally-whacker, I suspect that he felt somewhat emasculated by her ability to exert control over him. Mary was indeed a ferocious force when she wanted something. And she always wanted something. But I also think that Funky was taking notes while she was bossing him around. The pitiful crying. The yelling. The tantrums. The constant scrutiny and the keeping of tabs, which was (in my mind) the male equivalent of Mary’s insane clinginess. I think he picked up a fair amount of manipulation tactics from her and then managed to improve on them.
Did Mary “create” Funky? I don’t think so. I think Funky was fucked up long before Mary started grinding on him at The Imp. But I think she facilitated certain elements of the goblinization, namely the manipulation. She served as both baggage and inspiration. Dennis might have done something similar for me. Of course, he was baggage. But his inconsistent attention, instead of making me more considerate of the other’s person’s time and feelings, made me more inclined to be distant. To this day, I catch myself pulling away when I realize I’ve caught feelings for someone. I can usually override that tendency and communicate like a fucking adult. But the instinct to go radio silent as soon as feelings emerge got its hooks in deep. I am not proud of this. And I'll continue to work on it.
So when I began to think of pre-Funky Whisky as a legitimately dateable dude, I pulled away. Remember that I was fresh out of the Dennis Debacle at that point. But when I pulled away, I think that thrilled pre-Funky Whisky. I wasn’t blowing up his phone. I wasn’t camping out on his doorstep. I wasn’t whining for his attention. So our respective pseudo-exes fucked us up in a way that made us initially compatible. Do I blame them? Fuck yes! Dennis was a piece of shit and Mary was bat-shit crazy!
Do I honestly blame them? Not really. The whole mess was a runny, undercooked casserole of bad experiences serving as the ingredients for even worse experiences... and bad decisions getting smothered in the gritty goo of truly atrocious decisions. So let’s see what happened when summer ended and Mary decided to pick on Funky one more time!
Things had begun to simmer down, but Mary just had to stir up some drama by making Funky a pearl jam cocktail at Filthy McNasty's. He ran crying to me over this heinous slight, even though this all happened during our one and only bona fide break. And he lured me back into his life with feigned emotional distress, assuring me that he just needed a friend. Nasty Norman had turned his creepy "old guy wanna-be" energy towards me after the show closed, and Funky offered to pose as my boyfriend a few times in an effort to discourage Norman. Somewhere along the line, it ceased to be an act. I'll give Funky this. He knew how to use creeps and flakes to prop himself up. I'm embarrassed that it worked on me. My current solution is to stay far, far away from the creeps and the flakes. So there's not even an opportunity for a gallant Nice Guy TM to offer his "services." Double WIN!!!
But once things began to feel dangerous with Funky, what could I have done differently? I've spent a great deal of time asking myself this. I recently heard a mental health TikTokker from The Manosphere rant about how humans always have agency, even in the most seemingly hopeless situations. Did I lose my agency with Funky? Certainly not. But my agency became impotent with Funky (just like his own precious peen). My words fell on deaf ears. He assigned nefarious intentions to even the most innocuous actions. "Why are you making coffee? Are you imagining some time when you had coffee with one of your pretty boy douchebag exes????" No, dude. Just wanted a cup of coffee. "BULLSHIT!" And then a screaming match would ensue.
In retrospect, I could have definitely gone to Mad Mox for help. I could have gone to the university and asked them to place another call to social services. I could have gone to one of my professors and asked them to put me in touch with someone who specialized in helping people out of coercive control situations. But even though we had studied coercive control in one of my classes, I wouldn't admit that Funky was doing that shit to me until I looked back on the relationship with nothing to prove to myself.
The truth was that I was humiliated to have been in that kind of situation. Since I was a psych grad student, I felt like I should have known better. That's why I get so bristly when people leave comments that call my intelligence and my credentials into question, haughtily stating that I should have known better. I know they probably think they're making an astute observation or calling me out on some bullshit. Try taking a beat and just do a cursory google search next time you feel the need to make such a comment.
You'll quickly see that it's not at all uncommon for individuals in every corner of the mental health profession to have been victims of some sort of maltreatment. Yes, even AFTER having completed grad school, an internship, a fellowship, med school, or even decades of practice. If I hadn't been so ashamed, I would have reached out for help as soon as the mask slipped. And when I finally got away, I had to work through the shame over letting it go on for as long as it did, the shame over not reaching out when I could have, and the shame over getting trapped in an unhealthy relationship in the first place. I thought I had made my peace and I felt confident that I had overcome the shame.
And then I posted these stories on the internet. Dude... I have struggled emotionally with the shaming and blaming that appears in every single comments section I've dared to peruse throughout the airings of these stories. And if you've reached out to me and made it right, it's ancient history. But I can count on one hand... One FINGER the number of people who've done that. So, yeah. A bunch of you are dirtbags. Just say you don't like my writing or you don't vibe with me if you HAVE TO pop off. As I've said many times, I deserved to get dumped. I didn't deserve to get terrorized.
And the aforementioned blaming and shaming is a broader problem that I'm really not equipped to tackle alone. What I mean is that it goes far beyond my own personal butt-hurt. It's an egregious thing to say to anyone who's been mistreated. But I don't know if there's an answer to the problem since the people who blame and shame will die on the hill of, "I'M HELPING." You're not. You're harming more than you could possibly imagine. But I don't know what it would take to make any of you understand the degree to which such nonsense is detrimental.
Okay, what was that? My third dash of salt? I really am done now. And I'm pretty sure there's still plenty of salt left over for The Hot Dog Man! Let's get back on track! Coulda, shoulda, woulda. Hindsight's 20/20. I learned a hard lesson. And, for better or worse, I decided to share it. Warts and all. Not genital warts... I just mean I tried really hard to own it where I fucked up.
Let’s lighten the mood and catch up with the beardos and weirdos!
WHERE ARE THEY NOW???
I’ll kick things off with some dirt on D.E.N.N.I.S. I hadn’t thought about him in years. We had remained Facebook friends, but we’d never had any meaningful exchanges. And then one day, out of nowhere, I got a very long DM from him. He apologized profusely for his behavior in grad school, admitted that he knew he’d broken my heart, and he insisted that we should meet for drinks when he was back in California on business. Drinks? I thought Dennis didn't drink... Maybe that accidental shot to tequila steered him away from the LAWD and down the sinful path of the bottle! then again, when was Dennis EVER honest (with me or with himself)? Never.
I should probably mention that Funky had hacked into my laptop, copied my diary, and posted it online in its entirety while we were dating. So Dennis had gotten to read my terrible Carrie Bradshaw impression in which he was the Mr. Big character. “I could help but wonder... How could a grown man, a grown who loved to study human behavior, fail to muster the courage to meet the eyes that had looked upon his naked body the night before.” Ugh...
When I arrived, with some trepidation, at the hotel bar... I couldn’t spot The Golden God. And then a man in a snazzy suit with a mighty beer gut and an unflattering goatee tripped my fusiform face area. Being a bit of a "short king," his frame didn't exactly allow him to rock the beer gut. So apparently it was the beer can, not the tequila bottle that had corrupted douchey, duplicitous, oh so dashing, butt-blasting Dennis.
Despite the booming beer gut and hideous facial fuzz, Dennis put on a cocksure and flirtatious air straight away and was shocked when I wasn’t receptive. Looks like the D.E.N.N.I.S. system won’t work forever. And it wasn’t the weight and the awful goatee that made the thought of bedding The Menace uninteresting. It was the fact that I had bedded Axton. That was one of those “unicorn situations” where the reality exceeded the expectation to an extent that I feel slightly uncomfortable describing... There was no way in hell Dennis could compare. Axton, at his most basic, could fuck circles around Dennis at his peak.
The Menace nevertheless started spamming me with long, inappropriate, saccharine text messages. No sausage selfies, fortunately. Just half-hearted apologies, vague declarations of love, and then paragraphs upon paragraphs of cringe-worthy erotica that seemed to have been copy/pasted from an old fanfic forum full of filthy-minded freaks. No one could ever build palaces out of those paragraphs, let alone cathedrals. Burn, bitch. How the mighty fall.
Now let’s move on to Moe. Funky’s tasteless smear campaign had absolutely no effect on Moe’s ways, for the record. Another altruism fail for Funky. The last time I bumped into Moe, he was throwing a temper tantrum because an extremely inebriated, much younger woman had called her girlfriend to pick her up instead of getting into the car with him. He was wearing baggy jeans, a Vulcan Science Academy hockey jersey, some bizarre medallion, ridiculous kicks, fake freckles (most of which got lost in his wrinkles), and a sideways baseball cap. And he had made a miserable attempt to paint his fingernails. I think he currently has a livestream where he talks about Tarot Cards and love spells. And he apparently pays escorts to appear on these streams. To my knowledge, Moe has never actually harmed anyone, but all signs point to him continuing to be a creepazoid.
And now for some good news! Mary is a normal human being now!!! She spent at least a year in a mental health facility where she was obviously an active participant in her own recovery because the treatment seemed to do a world of good. I’m not super close to her anymore, but she was well-mannered and pleasant last time I saw her. I honestly had a good time catching up with her. She’s lost a bunch of weight and is now as gorgeous as she believed herself to be during the events of the story.
But I don’t want to put too much emphasis on the weight. She was obnoxious during the Married Mary saga, primarily because of her behavior. And even though it can come off as cringey, I have some degree of admiration for women who can strut their stuff no matter their size. If I get so much as some mild monthly bloating, you can bet I’ll be wearing oversized sweatshirts. Anyway, Married Mary is RE-Married Mary, and she seems genuinely smitten with her new hubby. So let’s all give her a big round of applause for doing the work and embracing personal growth. Way to go, girl!!! But please stop talking about your golden shower from The Golden God. You're more than a big-tittied urinal cake. Plus... It's gross.
As for Funky? His ass was in jail. Excuse me. PRISON. It’s difficult to explain what landed him there because mentions of the specific crime that he committed are frowned upon under any and all circumstances. So I’ll be vague. A few years after I escaped, he sloppily photoshopped some poor dude’s face onto some... truly vile images in an unsuccessful effort to frame the poor dude. And he posted these images all over social media, so he got busted for distributing... that.
For whatever reason, he didn’t stay in prison for very long, and he’s once again a free beard. I have no contact with him, I have no desire to know more about his current situation, and I don’t even think I’d recognize him if I saw him since he probably had to shave in prison. But for the sake of those close to him, I do hope that he finds a way to explore the roots of his rage. I’m just not sure what it would take to convince him to consider the possibility that his various vicious attacks are not, in fact, acts of altruism.
And now feels like a good time to reveal the single most shocking truth about Funky... He was well-endowed. Why was he so insecure about the size of his member??? Maybe because its largeness made the whisky willy worse since there was more surface area for the reduced blood flow to (quite literally) “let down.” Maybe he watched too much hentai and felt itty-bitty in comparison to cartoon dongs. Maybe he’s just a generally insecure person. I have no idea. But it’s weird, right? He positively oozed small pee-pee energy.
Mori, according to reliable sources, is now running a small sex cult... Excuse me. A “kink retreat” in Hawaii. I never got to know Mori well enough to attempt a deep dive into his psyche. Weird and power-hungry as he appeared, he never struck me as cruel. But it seems that his monkeyshines were exceptionally off-putting to some people, and I do apologize if I crossed a line by writing about the staff shenanigans. I wasn't personally bothered by it; but as I've said many times, I've apparently encountered more nasty situations than the average person, so my gross-o-meter needs some recalibrating.
And as a person who, believe it or not, takes writing seriously, I’ll certainly take the negative responses into account if I ever decided to try to spin this story into something resembling a book. Mori played an integral role in my escape by putting Funky in his place just enough to give me the upper hand for a moment, so I feel horrible for accidentally writing him as nothing but a loathsome perv. I mean, he *was* weird as hell, but he was also nuanced. I think I failed at getting that across. Then again, I feel like some people really enjoyed Mori. I suppose it's fun to have a divisive character in your story! So I'll have some pros and cons to weigh.
But let’s move on to the guy who got a universally good reaction!!! Snorlax married a girl named Eevee and I still see them fairly regularly to play non-degenerate games of Shadowrun at the vintage gaming shop that Sage and Athena intend to take over when the current owner retires. Oh, and Snorlax’s physical therapy eventually got him back in the ring, and he’s a mound of pure, intimidating muscle again. Still smokes the devil’s lettuce, but in moderation. Sage and Athena got married a few years after the events of the story and they have two adorable kiddos. Axton remains one of my dearest friends in the world even though we never really became a couple.
I was worried that people would be annoyed with me for including a romantic subplot in the Funky P. story. And then I was worried that people would be mad because Axton and I didn’t get married and have babies. But I think I was once again worried about imaginary critics. I’ll reiterate what I said in the afterward of Funky P. Beard: I’m genuinely happy being single. Some of us are just wired that way. I love Axton to the moon and back, but I don’t think I would love him so much if we’d tried to force a labeled relationship that wasn’t happening naturally.
Let’s move on to the non-beardy people from the Married Mary saga! They’ve been through some rough stuff that’s really not my place to share. But they’ve all landed on their feet! I’m currently gathering my costume for Lucy’s daughter’s birthday party. Yes, I still do the party princess thing. I doubt I’ll ever stop donning costumes for kids’ parties, even if I eventually have to switch to dressing up as Disney villains when I get too old to pass for a princess. Is there an opportunity for some social commentary about ageism? Yeah. Probably. Go nuts in the comments!
And thank you so, so much for reading! I know I’ve said it before, but I don’t have the words to express how much it means to me when anyone is able to power through tales of my bizarre experiences, even if those experiences aren’t relatable. If you made it, I have endless admiration for your patience. Extra special thanks to ReddX for lending his voice and his hysterically funny and insightful commentary to these stories!!! Without the videos, Funky P. Beard and Married Mary would just be a bunch of impotent words disintegrating in the dumpsters of publishing houses, or bleakly existing in the void of an unvisited blog. To ReddX and the entire ReddX gang, you guys are LEGENDS for breathing life into these stories.
As for me, I’m certainly no legend. But I am a functional, content human being with a fabulous family and plenty of friends who love and accept me despite my past foolishness. My life is far from perfect, but I’m still perky and free-spirited. Funky didn’t take that away. And for whatever it’s worth, I never got duped by another neckbeard following the Funky farce, although quite a few tried. I’m a little weird. I'm not particularly bothered by weirdness in others. And that sometimes makes me beard bait. I know that. So whenever I clock a warning sign of beardery, I slowly back away from the impending drama, smoke a bowl, and laugh it off... so to speak. I’m just saying I try to be more like Snorlax.
And the time has come for me to slowly back away from this story. It’s been both a labor of love and a healing exercise to write this, but it might have felt like a chore to read it or listen to it. If so, I deeply regret that. I tried to make this an entertaining ride, but I can certainly understand why it might not be universally relatable. And I probably could have done a better job of explaining what made me feel trapped in the relationship with Funky if I had been willing to take a big, steamy trauma dump on the internet. But I’m hoping this installment was more of a trauma shart. So now... I wipe away the skid-marks, flush the remnants of Funky down the toilet and simply light a match. No need to spray an entire can of Axe.

So recently I wanted to do a character build were I Multiclass Drakewarden Ranger (11) with Battlesmith Artificer (9) but noticed that it falls off pretty heavily combat wise as you only have one Bonus Action to give a command to one or the other. So I wanted to pitch an idea for a Magic item that helps alleviate that issue somewhat.
The Commanding Copper Cuff Rare Wonderous Item (Requires Attunement)
When attuned, the wearer of this copper bracelet or bangle has the ability to make an additional Bonus Action so long as it is used specifically to give an order to a creature under the wearer's control.
Do you think this would be too busted or maybe up the rarity of it so it makes a little more sense?

So umm hey. I am a fellow south east asian and here's my story which needs help.
I was born a boy and im a gen z and around the ages since i was 9 years old i had these extreme liking towards my mums bracelets so i'd hide in cupboards in my house whilst my elder brother and elder sis studied and wore those bangles and were like " i wanna wear these the whole day!" but then a few weeks later i realised it was extremely stupid and went back to going to school and playing minecraft everyday. 3 years later when i was 12-13ish i moved towns and all and i saw my mums closet being moved for the first time and i saw sarees that were like so friggin pretty!! anyways one day around 1am i secretly wore a saree blouse and tried to wear a saree with youtubes help which ultimately didn't work but it awakened something in me like i felt weird af but comfortable in a awkward way. when i was 14 i started digging into my elder sisters closet when she went to classes and my family was outside and so i found these cool t shirts that felt so soft on my skin. Few months later i started borrowing my elder sisters unused panties and started wearing them, i weirdly liked how soft they felt on my skin instead of the mens underwear that just makes my butt scratch the whole time i wear them. Then i turned 15 and the world seemed completely different because i came out to my school classmates and friends and everyone started treating me differently and all and i went to the school counselor and told her the whole story and how people were tryna inappropriately touch me around my groin to see if i have kitty or not and so my school counselor went and told my vice principal who is like basically one of my bestfriends and then told my dad to come to the school but since my dad is super busy he never went and neither did my mum but my parents started asking me all sorts of questions like are you tryna cut your penis off? and stuff like that. This weirded me the fuck out and i went into panic mode and denied all allegations. almost at the same time i was removed from school to chase after higher studies to do privately and just go to tuition because school is expensive to afford so the bullying of me being trans by everyone at school stopped. At the same time i got so traumatized i was like never again and completely changed and did a 180 and became a man and went to gym and did all the studies blah blah blah. however since last year i randomly went to a wig shop and bought a eyeliner and wig and started wearing it secretly at home and my "girly" phase started all over again and i started going to tailors secretly after my tuition and got girly stuff tailored by them like sarees or dresses etc. and i bought ton of makeup and started wearing makeup and doing all these girly stuff secretly from my family after midnight. Now I'm 17 and I haven't done none of those crossdressing or girly stuff in 2 months and i do these manly stuff and go for boxing yet the thought still remains in my head and bothers me 24/7 telling me if im a girl or not and i dont know who the fuck i am.
I want to tell my mum cause i'm getting shit ton of mood swings and it has been disturbing my studies and stuff but i'm so close i'm just scared of what she will think of me even though she is a teacher who dealt with transgender students of her own in the past but its her OWN "son" that would be announcing she is a girl and i'm just scared that i'll get bullied like in my school again and also i might regret everything and fuck everything up just like i did in the past. I don't want to wait to tell. I want to tell her now...but i don't want to mess up.

Hey, Does anyone have a connect they can share that makes 1:1 rep for a Tiffany Atlas bangle, lock bracelet & ring, and other items? TIA🙃

Secret Dragon - Chapter 2: Ignite
I opened the book and skimmed through a few chapters, happy to finally see some true information, with substance. Although I had many books of my own, I had never brought any of them to class; I had no intention of being asked about them or pressing the issue.
By virtue of my existence, it and I would be scrutinized. I had neither the patience nor the desire for another microscope to be placed above me.
But Sasha had no such reservations even after I told him about the curriculum, although he relented and said he would figure out a way around that nonsense. It seemed as if he was determined to go against the grain.
We spoke deeply, about different subjects, our project, and his books. The more he talked the more at ease he became. I unknowingly got closer and closer to him as the time passed. I had to literally pull myself back a few times. I wondered if he noticed. It was confusing how I kept leaning into the heat coming off his breath.
We were both startled at the sound of chairs scraping. We looked around as our peers gathered their things.
“It seems that for the first time this class is actually worth my time. Usually I am the first to leave,” Sasha said, surprised.
“I know,” I revealed.
“Hmmm,” he vocalized deeply. I had no idea if it was “oh really” or “interesting” or any other answer. It was just a deep throat vibration. I just knew he would do that a lot. I could feel it.
As I was packing my things, I realized I was a little feverish. I put a hand to my cheek. Was it hot? Or was it that he was speaking heat in my direction? I couldn’t tell. I never ran hot.
He watched me touching my face and chuckled to himself, putting away his books. I really wanted to be annoyed—at anyone else I would have been—but his lighthearted laughter surprised me; so joyous after so many weeks of being a specter in the classroom.
I looked him in his eyes, though, and shook my head challengingly at him, as if to say “what?” That only made him laugh out loud. It was both quiet and bassy all at the same time. The kind of laugh that was bottomless, scratchy. The kind of laugh you could tell would boom and shake you if given the space.
I never thought I’d hear that coming from him, let alone directed at me. I refrained from expressing an iota of emotion beyond a small smile. I had to stay cool.
Pam walked over to our table swiftly, no doubt looking to be rid of Jonah. She smiled at Sasha, grinned really.
“So. We finally meet! Pam Swiftwater,” she chirped. Her hand shot out as fast as she walked. Sasha halted his movement. He extended his hand more slowly, gently, engulfing her delicate hands in his large ones.
“Of course. I am Sasha Emberscale,” Sasha said, pulling his hand back to pat his chest.
Pam gave me a knowing glance of drama. “Oh I know who you are,” she said.
“Likewise; you are in my open physical hour,” he reminded her. “You are on the track team.”
“That’s right! It’s nice to finally, officially, meet you.”
Sasha raised his brow at her. “My friend has spoken of you,” he said offhand.
“What friend?” Pam asked, taken aback.
“Seth Fairbreeze, dragon of the wind.”
“Oh?” Pam said, her interest piqued. I didn’t know whether she knew who that was. But it intrigued both of us nonetheless.
“I will introduce you, of course, now that we are properly acquainted.”
“I can’t wait.” I knew she couldn’t.
Pam glanced back at her table and groaned. “Let’s get out of here. If I have to talk to Jonah any longer, I swear Imma strangle him.”
Sasha laughed heartily. “Very well. Let us depart this place to avoid attempted murder,” he joked.
“Why don’t you stick with us? We’re in the same course after this,” I suggested, gathering my items. I didn’t even hesitate asking him that. I’d done enough hesitating.
Sasha’s laugh tapered off into a quiet chuckle. “Of course. I would desire nothing more.”
I couldn’t hide my elation this time. Pam snickered at me. Thankfully he didn’t notice. I assumed.
Sasha draped his jacket across his arm, opting not to put it back on. Admittedly I enjoyed the view. He gestured for us to exit the class before him.
Every once in a while he would look down at me as we walked through the halls. I noticed his eyes following me.
I would sneak a glance at him when he wasn’t looking. It was apparent just how large he was now that I was walking right next to him. He was one of the only people in school taller than me. His shoulders were broad, arms thick. I know I was staring at the way they flexed as he moved. Couldn’t help but to.
Everything in me wanted to take that arm of his for my own. The thought of it being mine just felt so natural. I had to check myself a few times walking beside him.
It would be mine in time. That I promised myself.
—
We entered our Dragontongue class where I took a seat on his right at a table. Pam sat at mine.
Class with Sasha was much more interesting than ever before. He spoke freely and pleasantly, a stark contrast to the silent dragon he had been before I sat at his table in Dragonology. It was like something that had weighed on him had vanished.
I wasn’t unaware that he was happier since we had talked. I was pleased that it was me that had pulled him out of whatever darkness was holding him.
Again a pang of irritation ran through me. Why had I not introduced myself before? Just hearing the depth of his voice and the eloquence of his speech had me feeling some type of way. I could have been hearing that in my ears for weeks, those words of his carried on desert sands.
As class droned on, I saw that Sasha was appraising the professor with a raised brow as if too polite to allow complete disdain across his face.
He began to tell us about different Dragontongue dialects quietly, I suppose to keep himself occupied or distracted. I had to lean all the way in to hear his voice. It reverberated in my ears.
“If you were to say that word in the southern regions of Lyfax, it would mean to place bricks or stones atop each other as if building something. If you said that in the northeastern region, it means much the same, but doubles as a slang word meaning to fu— I am sorry, to have relations with someone.”
Pam squealed and covered her mouth. I covered mine too. I had wanted to hear the word ‘fuck’ come out of his polite mouth.
“Are you serious?” I asked instead.
“Yes, I am,” he said, brow raised. “Take care in who you say it to and in what context.”
Sasha tapped another paragraph “This term here. If you were to say it in the Northernmost tip of the country, it is basically calling someone a piece of filth in the wrong context, while just a few regions down it simply means to clean something without any further colloquial use. Their origins most likely started off with the same meaning and deviated as the people left and settled elsewhere. Knowing different dialects of Dragontongue in Lyfax is important. Linguistics interests me, as you can probably surmise.”
“Do you speak a lot of languages?” Pam asked.
“I occasionally travel for my work and interact with different dignitaries. I must know many languages and dialects at least at a rudimentary level.”
“Oh wow…” I said, truly impressed. Now that I had listened to his voice, I couldn’t place his accent. Unless deep was one. It wasn’t as if I was familiar with Lyfaxians’ manner of speech or various accents anyway. “What do you speak?” I asked
“Hmmmm. Common Lyfaxian. Common Lizardtongue. Dragontongue, of course; several dialects: fire, moon and wind. Many people know these. Shelltongue. Salamandra…one other.”
“Goodness,” I said in awe. I stashed away that “one other.” I’d ask about it later. I couldn’t imagine why it would be a secret. Hypocritically.
“My speech is not perfect in Shelltongue or Salamandra yet. But I can hold a conversation. I would enjoy learning and speaking your dialect of Dragontongue, as you mentioned earlier,” he remarked to me. Of course, Pam regarded me in shock. She gave me a chiding look, rightfully so.
Sasha didn’t miss her reaction. “If it is trouble, do not worry about it,” he said, frowning.
“No, It’s okay,” I reassured him. “I don’t mind.”
He was still uncertain, looking at Pam’s concerned face. “If I am to converse with a new group of dragons, I would prefer to know their dialect,” he whispered. “But not if it is cause for alarm. For some reason.”
Pam sighed in relief upon hearing him refer to me as a dragon. “Oh okay.”
“It’s fine. Complicated. I’ll tell you later,” I said, waving it all away. Sasha nodded.
“So did you all decide on a topic for your assignment?” Pam asked.
“Of course. We spoke much of it. I look forward to working with Leila.” Sasha said. I liked the way he said my name, the way he swung the vowels upward to where they needed to go. As it should be. “It will be interesting,” he said.
Pam glanced over to me. “How so?”
I looked amused, I’m sure. “Let’s say our Dragonology topic is about to be spicy,” I hinted.
“Sasha you’re a horrible influence already,” she accused, raising her brows at him.
“Of course,” he confirmed, chuckling deeply. “One needs a little corruption in the right direction, every once in a while.”
“Corruption? Oh really?” I said, regarding him in what I intended to be mock surprise. But I was genuinely shocked that he said it. He hadn’t corrupted me yet. He could try, but only when I was through with him.
Sasha chuckled silently. Just a trembling of the shoulders. A soft billow of scalding heat wafting across my face. Mmm, maybe sooner then.
Pam’s eyes widened, but she was beyond amused. If she could manifest a snack to observe our rapidly forming dynamic, she would have in a heartbeat.
She sat back, twirling her pencil. I knew she was about to start something. The twitch in the corner of her mouth was working. She was about to instigate her heart out. I groaned quietly.
“You know, Leila speaks all the same languages you do. She’s fluent in Shelltongue even; one of her best friends is Turtlefolk. She works at a place where a lot of people from different places come through. She took it upon herself to learn their languages.”
I groaned more.
“Is that so?” Sasha inquired, angling his body toward me. He sounded impressed.
I just rubbed my brows. I did not advertise my language skills. He looked at me with interest. “That is admirable. Why do you not wish to speak of it?” he asked.
“I don’t like puffing myself up. Drawing attention. Not that you are doing that,” I clarified.
Sasha smiled. “I know what you meant,” he said, speaking Shelltongue. I grinned. “I have been somewhat successful at not drawing attention—past my appearance at least—for a few weeks now.”
“Except your grades of course,” I pointed out in Shelltongue as well. “Literally perfect grades except two, and that’s only because of inaccuracies.”
Sasha raised his brow. “Ah, right, you have been keeping tabs on my marks. Very well; I have been under the radar except for my marks.”
“See? Y’all can speak tongues to each other in every flavor,” Pam said casually.
My mouth dropped. To say my eyes widened would be an understand. I shielded the side of my face.
Sasha choked and laughed quietly, holding his chest.
Never had she been that brazen. And she had said some crazy ass things for as long as I’d know her.
She looked so proud of herself.
“Pam, you are trying to start something, are you not?” Sasha guessed—back in Lizardtongue—looking away in laughter.
“Of course not. I don’t know what you mean,” she said, smirking.
I rubbed my face. “What were we even talking about?”
Sasha spoke as quietly as he could. “Different languages. Dialects. Things of that nature. Tongues, apparently,” he said, leaning toward me.
Really Sasha? I thought. He was something else.
He leaned back again and looked ahead, his smile dimming. “Also, things your professor apparently will not teach,” he said, the scales of his brows beginning to furrow.
“Yeah. It’s frustrating,” I agreed, uncovering my face.
“This class is testing my endurance. To hear my language butchered and be told that the proper way is incorrect is vexing.”
Pam stared at the professor, then at Sasha. “I’m sorry. This class is far beneath how you—and we—speak.”Pam and the rest of the Swiftwater Clan spoke to my family in the True way, the way of Sun Dragons.
Sasha leaned back. “And yet I have no choice but to be here,” he remarked. “And, apparently, neither do you both.”
It was a painful requirement, but a mandatory one. I nodded.
Pam turned back to the front of class. “You must be bored here at this university,” she said.
Sasha rubbed his chin. “Hmmmm,” he rumbled deeply. The vibration of that inquisitive hum made my shoulders tingle. I had to close my eyes and put a hand to my chest to halt my heart’s pounding.
“I was, yes,” he said slowly, “but yesterday was my last day of boredom. Today, the season has changed.” He glanced at me as he said it.
My mouth twitched into a smile. I found his choice of words particularly appealing. Pam looked curiously at him, but said nothing.
Sasha angled his body back toward me. I don’t know if I imagined it, but it felt like his whole existence was radiating heat now. It sent rush through my body.
“Let us return to our ‘lesson’ and pretend to care,” he suggested.
“Sasha,” I laughed, nudging his arm. It was hot to the touch. I was not imagining it.
“What?” he said innocently.
I shook my head at him, incredulous. I had no idea he was so funny. Who would have thought that sullen dragon was full of humor. He relented.
“I will behave myself,” he lied through his fanged teeth, patting his chest.
“Doubtful,” I returned, amused. It was easy to talk to him. Like we were old friends. Sasha was right: Pam had started something.
—
Sasha continued pointing out more language dialect rules and vocabulary from Lyfax. Things we couldn’t have learned on our own.
There were so many regions to learn about. I listened intently as he described them, and asked questions about everything. It was as if he was taking me on a mental tour of those far away places…
Before that day we hadn’t said a word to each other. Hadn’t shaken hands or anything. Whenever we had met eyes, we would quickly look away. I didn’t understand why we had done that. Now here we were hunched over a text book with our heads damn near touching. The heat of his breath warmed my face. It was hotter than earlier that day. Much hotter. No one was close enough to be bothered by it but Pam, and she did not seem to react to it.
And still I kept on gravitating closer. Because of how he had angled his body toward me, my left arm eventually pressed against his right.
My breathing stuttered, being in such close proximity to him. And I knew he felt it. He had to have felt it. Because I felt him tremble.
And there it was again! That strange rumble emanating from him, from his throat, I could now tell. Now that I was touching him, it was amplified, coursing through me. I tried to pinpoint its essence. It was very much like a growl, the crackling of a fire. And a hum; it reminded me of the way he responded to things without words. Hmmm.
All of it together was a magnetic song. I couldn’t help but listen. Let it lull me into a dream.
I wandered from the lesson for a moment to imagine what it would be like to just feel all of it pressed up against my chest. To embrace him and the heat he radiated.
I wanted to feel his fire whipping around me, not just the heat off him. To embrace a cascade of his flames. washing over me, engulfing me fully.
What would kissing Sasha be like? By the Goddess, the thought of drinking his fire until the persistent ice inside me melted was too tantalizing. If only I could just taste his breath inside my mouth… I wanted to look into his throat where I knew a flickering flame lie in wait. To explore it. Mmm.
It was like some deep ancestral memory was awakening. My breathing grew heavier. I swear to the goddess I heard his breath do the same. Except his breathing was punctuated by the rumbling crackle right under it. I knew he was in the same place I was.
I had to close my eyes and turn my head away from the heat coming off the words from his mouth. Because if I didn’t I would do something about it in that classroom—
“Leila?”
I emerged from my other world, his voice having shaken me from my daydream. I looked back to him.
“Class is over,” he rumbled into my ear quietly, the hotness washing over my neck and face. I rubbed those intense thoughts from my brows but they lingered everywhere else. I inhaled deeply and set about gathering my stuff. My hands shook.
Something hot brushed down my arm as he got up to gather his things. I looked down to see his claw drifting away from it. I thought it was an accident until he glanced at me. He smiled faintly though his brows were intense.
“Let us go,” he said gently, nodding toward the door.
“Okay,” I said, my eyebrow raising in interest. I slipped my bag over my shoulder. When he turned toward the door, I touched the trail of burning scales where he’d run his finger. When I say I could not breathe… I covered my mouth, then just rubbed my face with both hands. I didn’t know what to do. Mercy.
Looking around, my peers were also preparing to leave, so I composed myself the best I could and followed Sasha through the doorway.
—-
Dragontongue had been our last class of the day—”wow, you want that Dragontongue real bad huh?”Pam said— and it was time for us to part ways.
She chatted with Sasha, and I examined him while he was distracted.
I followed his gestures and mannerisms, wondering how he could weave such a spell over me that day. My behavior and my carefully curated facade were usually well under my control, perfected to give nothing away but pleasantness. But this dragon…
What I thought had been a perfect program was utterly interrupted. And the funny thing was, I wasn’t even mad at it. It was a break from the rigidity and monotony of my endless time at school. A break from my own reluctance to invite unknowns to myself, even those I desired. Like him.
For the first time in my life I thought ‘this is what the Sun must feel like to everyone else.’
From the moment I knew myself, my body had been cold. It was a point of contention between me, my parents and my Clan, all the Sun Clans. My mother was literally the leader of the Sun Dragons. And we, Sunscales, were Prime. Named directly after the Goddess.
People thought I was sickly. Anemic they called me. Even worse, some thought I was cursed. Most thought I wasn’t fit to be a leader in the future.
I did not let it stop me. I aimed for absolute perfection to stave off any doubt. Even at the expense of my own happiness sometimes.
My cold scales did not bother me. Although, at times, I wondered if I would be that way forever.
But now, I had felt Sasha’s warmth. This dragon had actually apologized in our first class for giving me the heat I never felt outside of putting my whole hand in a woodfire. It lingered in my scales as if they had drank it. They had awakened from a cold slumber.
I couldn’t go back.
I touched my arm that had been pressed against his, where his claw had grazed. Still hot to the touch. In fact everywhere he had breathed on, been near or looked at blazed. He had touched other things, shook hands with peers, finally, spoken to Pam, and none reacted as if he was exuding endless fire. Just me. Just for me.
“It has been a good day. You two have been so welcoming,” he said graciously. I was broken from my musings, realizing he was leaving. “I hope we continue to be friends during my time here.”
“For sure,” I said without hesitation, a little breathlessly. I didn’t want him to leave. He smiled warmly at me, almost in relief.
Pam smiled too. “Same,” she said. She began to rummage in her bag.
“It was nice to finally meet you,” he said softly to me. He put his hand out. I took it in mine. It was even hotter than before, unless I imagined it. I again put my other hand on top of his as if taking the warmth from it, to hold till later.
I don’t know what possessed me, but I let my thumb slide over the scales on the back of his hand. I didn’t even realize at first. But then I looked up and noticed Sasha was staring at me with his brow raised.
Gods, I could have died right there. Melted right into the floor and fallen into the void.
I almost pulled my hand in embarrassment, but he did not seem startled or upset. Instead Sasha placed his other hand atop mine. His face became intense for a moment, then softened. It seemed that neither of us wanted to let go. We did, though. The moment was brief, but it held much.
Pam, who had glanced up at us, had a barely concealed grin spreading over her face. She broke the spell that had drifted over us.
“Thank you for teaching us all that extra stuff about different dialects. I especially like that ridiculous word with the bricks,” she said, breaking the tense air.
Sasha shook his head as if clearing it. “Of course. I thought you might find that one amusing,” he said. He glanced at his phone, which had vibrated.
“You can lay your bricks on me anytime,” I mumbled to myself, still feeling the heaviness of that moment in my chest. I couldn’t help myself, saying that. I knew good and well it was provocative. I knew he might hear me. My mouth simply didn’t care. It was going to get me in trouble, I just knew it. I stared at my hand in wonder. It felt like fire had spread over it. What was he doing to me? Did he even realize that he was doing something? It didn’t seem like it.
In that same vein, Sasha didn’t say anything; he hadn’t been paying attention, I thought. Probably for the best. But then I heard him say something under his breath.
“Wow,” he whispered, silently laughing. I looked up at him. He covered his eyes, his shoulders shaking.
“Oh shit,” I said, covering my eyes as well.
Pam looked up. “What?” she asked, startled.
Sasha tried his best to keep a straight face, but it was impossible. He just laughed aloud then, a laugh that shook me to the core.
“Shut up,” I said, also laughing. I shielded my face in my hand as if I could hide from the embarrassment.
“I have said nothing,” he pointed out, his hands up.
“Please, please, let’s pretend I didn’t just say that shit,” I pleaded with him.
Pam’s eyes widened. “Oh my gods, what?”
“I will not say, Pam, yet I will never forget it,” Sasha said, smiling widely.
“What?” I replied, shocked.
“I will never forget it,” he repeated.
“By the Goddess Sasha. Are you serious?”
Sasha rubbed his eyes, still chuckling occasionally. “I am. Would you, if you were in my position?”
“Oh my gods,” I said weakly, still covering the side of my face.
Sasha patted his hand on his chest. “Gods, truly I needed today, desperately. It is no trouble to me, that you have said this. Certainly not. Unfortunately, I have a meeting to attend to, but we will discuss this permanent memory later, Leila Sunscale,” he said.
“Yeah, I bet,” I groaned, my voice shakey. I covered my face more. I was out of my mind, surely.
I heard Sasha begin to walk away, but his footsteps slowed. He hesitated, I guessed.
“Leila, do you have plans today?" he asked.
I looked up. He was looking at me expectantly. I couldn’t even say anything. I was still reeling from my ridiculous blunder. Now he wanted to see me! “What? I… umm—“
“No she doesn’t have plans,” Pam spoke up. Bless her.
Sasha smiled. “Perhaps we can speak of our project. I will find you later this evening as long as you are outside. I apologize for my abrupt departure but I must go.”
“Okay, cool,” I said. I rubbed my forehead.
He walked to the exit and looked back at me. “Perhaps we can build something later; I am not a bad mason, Leila Sunscale,” he said, chin raised. My mouth dropped. This dragon…
He let out a deep laugh and left. I watched him disappear through the doors of the hall, then followed him out. I saw a flash of red turn a corner into another building, vanishing from my sight.
"No he didn’t," I said in disbelief. "Did you hear what he just said?" I asked incredulously, gesturing toward his exit.
“What the hells did you say Leila?”
“I may have said a little something about bricks under my breath but his ass heard me. My gods.”
“Are you serious? Girrrrl," Pam said, shaking her head. “The gall on you.”
"Why did I say that? I must be crazy." I placed my hand over my forehead. Hot.
"I mean, he liked it," Pam said. "He thought it was funny. See, no harm done. If anything it sounds like Sasha has some business with you Leila," she teased.
I rubbed my face. I couldn't believe that I had run my mouth like that. In the other hand, I was pleased to have been so reckless. It had led me down this path. My scales prickled despite my embarrassment. Why should I feel bad now? He took my accidental flirtations as an invitation. And wasn’t that what I wanted?
Pam’s demeanor softened.
“Hey, for weeks you’ve been talking about how attracted you are to him. He turned out to be super nice, and he has a sense of humor, too. I like him. Fate is smiling on you again.”
"You sound like my mother," I noted.
“That's 'cause she's always right, isn’t she?" Pam pointed out, brow raised.
“Fine… She is,” I conceded. She would have said those words. In truth I had heard her say them many times.
Resigned to my fate, I stepped into the quad with Pan. I walked into a shaft of sunlight and sat on the bench it spilled onto, the Sun’s rays warming me. I closed my eyes against them, basking.
“I may as well go study while I wait for him. I can’t believe this is happening,” I remarked.
“Well believe it. Your bricklayer is seeing you today,” Pam teased.
“Pam, for real?” I remarked, opening my eyes.
“What? Come on. We can both go study.” Pam hugged me. She looked puzzled though.
“Leila. You feel hot. You never run hot. You’re not having a stroke are you?” she asked, alarmed.
“No. That’s just because he sat next to me the whole day,” I revealed. And breathed on me, leaned on me… I shut my eyes, wishing I had lied.
Pam nodded, not noticing my apprehension. “Oh okay. That makes sense. We did just get out of class. I didn’t know fire dragons were like that just idly,” she mused. “Let’s get on out of here.”
I wanted to tell her what I really felt. But I was sure it would sound crazy. Maybe I would after I met him and spoke to him. Privately.

We walked together through the courtyard. I glanced through the windows of various buildings looking for red scales moving in the halls. I saw nothing, of course.
We ended up going to the library. The room was large and made of ironwood. Small nooks with tables were tucked away amongst large shelves full of tomes.
We chose a table with a window next to it.
I studied as attentively as I could, trying to occupy my mind. But I could not stop seeing Sasha in my vision. Pam gave up trying to get me to engage in conversations with her. Instead I studied for the assignment in Dragonology on my laptop, and daydreamed.
—
“It’s getting late. You don’t know when Sasha will be looking for you.” Pam said, shaking me from my focus.
The light from the windows had waned somewhat, giving way to the Sun readying for slumber.
“Oh, right. I was deep into this essay here. I wish I had borrowed his books and saved my eyes,” I said, rubbing them.
Pam yawned as we packed our things, hefting her bag up. “I’m going to head home. Tell me how everything goes. Tell me if y’all build a house!”
“Pam!” I gasped. “Oh my gods.”
“Love you! Bye!” Pam called, rushing off.
—
I strolled around the grounds reading a book, looking up at the Sun every once in a while. But I didn’t spot Sasha anywhere. I hoped that I had not missed him. I had studied a bit longer than I intended.
Eventually I sat on a bench to wait. I would wait until dusk settled. And if he didn’t show I would see him the following day. It was not as if we had exchanged our numbers.
I pulled out my notebook full of writings, poetry, doodles. It was just one volume from a collection of filled books over the duration of my life, where I pressed flowers of my heart through its pages.
Before I could put pen to paper, I paused.
I put away my old faithful journal and pulled out a new one in deep red. It was not a coincidence by any stretch. I had stared at it on the shelves of an art store until I gave in and bought it.
I hadn’t written one thing in it since. After all, I hadn’t known him, and didn’t want to write only about his appearance. I wanted to know what he was made of. Now, having met Sasha, the red book was begging for ink.
So I let myself fall into a rhythm. So many elements of Sasha had revealed themselves to me that day: this dragon’s voice, his heat, his mannerisms. The words he said, the way he said them, his sense of humor hidden under all that seriousness.
I searched my brain and gathered up all my own words, sifted through them. I wrote a few things here and there, but nothing like what I wanted.
I looked up toward the Sun for some bit of inspiration, and my breath caught. A red form flew in front of it, wings beating. Seeing Sasha framed in that circle of fire was more than I could have hoped for. I stared up at him flying until he stopped, scanning for something.
The moment of inspiration I had been searching for was right there. I spoke aloud what I had and wrote it as swiftly as my claws could move:
“A dragon in a Circle. An Inferno wrapped in the Sun A scarlet vision framed in fire A cloud of embers in the Goddess’s hands She Holds all of him out toward me The gift of a flame within a flame “
I dropped my pen and covered my mouth in embarrassment. “Oh my gods what am I writing?” I asked myself. I stared at the words.
I turned my head to read them as if a new perspective would make them less mortifying.
“Hmm,” I muttered. “Needs some work but…’A flame within a flame.’ That’s some good shit.”
I looked back up. Sasha’s gaze swept over me then away. I waved my arm up at him, bangles jangling, hoping he saw me so he wouldn’t be looking all around all day.
When Sasha looked back in my direction he stopped where he was. He descended slowly until he locked eyes with me. My heart pounded again. It was driving me up the wall, the anxiety. Or rather anticipation. I pressed my hand to my chest watching him grow closer. His wings were huge, blocking out the Sun.
I had been staring at Sasha from a distance since he had arrived, his very first day. He was imposing, the way he had entered my classes, but exceptionally polite. I had been silently competing with him since laying eyes on his grades.
Now the distance was finally closed after my nervousness had kept me away. I folded my notebook shut and stood as Sasha landed with a woosh of air.
I looked upon him not as a mysterious figure in the back of class but as a new friend. More. I couldn’t help but smile when he straightened his already straight clothes as he moved toward me.
He smiled right back at me, chin raised.
“Leila,” he said.
“Sasha. Hey,” I replied.
“So,” he said, “you spoke of bricks earlier,” he teased.
My mouth dropped again. This dragon…
“You aren’t letting that go are you?” I asked.
“Never. Even if nothing ever came of it, I would never forget.”
“By the gods,” I muttered.
“I am not complaining,” he clarified.
My eyes widened. Then it occurred to me that he had insinuated something would come of it. Goddess, I felt my own fire sweep across my cheeks. I was so flustered I covered my mouth with the heel of my palm letting my claws settle over my cheek. I couldn’t stop the motion fast enough.
Sasha laughed good naturedly. Sweetly, even. “I will stop teasing. For now,” he said.
“For now?” I repeated past my palm.
“For now.”
I lowered my hand. “You are a trip, do you know that?” I said, raising my eyebrow. Even though I had been nervous, actually talking to him made me feel like meeting all his words head on.
He gestured for me to walk beside him without answering. I did. I almost took his arm again, so I clutched my notebook to my chest to keep my hands in check. We didn’t say much as we walked along the quad together.
Some students were staring at us as we walked. I suppose we made quite the pair together.
“It appears we are a bit of a spectacle,” he muttered to himself curiously, agreeing with my thoughts.
I couldn’t help stealing glances at him every once in a while.
His posture was impecable. He held his left hand behind his back. The other lingered in front of his chest as if ready for something. I didn’t know how else to describe it. It was interesting, that pose; deliberate. I saw that he had rings on his fingers as well. I had not noticed them before. They were red like his scales, rough hewn. The overall pose made him seem so stately.
I couldn’t quite describe his expression. It was both intense and peaceful all at once.
He caught me staring one time, though. He was looking right at me when I peeked. I turned away and put a hand to my face. I hoisted up my bag.
“Here,” he said.
I turned back. “Here what?” I asked.
He put his hand out to me, gesturing toward my bag. I stopped walking.
“Oh. Okay. Such a gentleman,” I said, a smile playing on my face, impressed. He chuckled to himself, accepting my compliment.
I slipped my bag from my shoulder, and he took it to hold on his elbow. We started walking again. I didn’t care after that; I looked at him openly, a little bit enamored.
‘Ok Mr. Sasha Emberscale. I see you,’ I thought.
PART 2

A few months ago I did a little project where I wrote an in-depth Overview of each Job (and all their combos), it’s been a while and to make it easier for those that enjoyed my posts here is a link to each and every class guide I did:
Archer (Sagittarius)
Black Mage (Capricorn)
Bushi (Aquarius)
Foebreaker (Scorpio)
Knight (Leo)
Machinist (Gemini)
Monk (Virgo)
Red Battlemage (Cancer)
Shikari (Pisces)
Time Battlemage (Libra)
Uhlan (Taurus)
White Mage (Aries)
NOTE: I'll update this to add some other info, going to post this now in case someone wants to suggest something. Some info I'll include: Esper assignment recommendations, and useful gambits.
EDIT 1: Added weapon section, going to add gear later today, working on the Gambits and Esper part.
EDIT 2: Added armor section, fixed some grammar and info.
EDIT 3: Added Esper Assignment recommendations.
As a little send-off (for now at least, as I want to revise those posts on a later date) to this project, I decided to add some extra useful info for players in a way they can quickly reference, I tried to make it a bit more concise and to the point compared to the main posts, but yeah...... I’ll also avoid stating some obvious things like how the Cure spell heals.
Some FFXII Original info will be included for the sake of comparison, and as a little bonus. Feel free to give recommendations in case I missed something! If it is your first time playing I don’t recommend seeing all sections as they can spoil some of the fun of finding things out for yourself, ultimately you’ll be judge of what is fine spoiling or not.

Character info

A reference to the raw base stats and starting licenses of each character, keep in mind that while some of theses attribute gaps may seem large, you are looking at their raw stats without any Magic/Battle Lores (stat increasing augments) and gear, and that they also only get bigger like that on later levels, even on Weak Mode/New Game Minus, Original (where Battle Lores/Magic Lores cap at +5) and IZJS (Single Job), classes, gear and augments defines your character and not their base stats. Point is see these as suggestions/lore/min-maxing things rather than something enforced, not even gonna touch on the topic of animation speed.
Base Stats
HP and MP are random when a character joins the party, and when they level up, each party member has a different modifier and base value that dictates how much of each they will get, to keep things simple I’ll simply note the range, it can vary for you due to RNG, however it isn’t worth stressing over it as HP nodes, gear and extra MP from Quickenings (in Original only) give you a ton of HP and MP (MP is pretty bad for everyone in Weak Mode/New Game Minus). Values were rebalanced between Original and Zodiac to account for the different progression systems and other balance changes.
NOTE: Reiterating character stats don’t matter, this is for comparison and for the sake of having a quick reference for those that care, do whatever you want.
I’ve used Balthier as mage and Penelo as a physical fighter plenty of times with no issue, same with using Fran on those roles. Even something like a single-job Knight and Time Battlemage can heal well with Basch and Balthier.
Vaan
Original:
LV 1: 82-84 HP, 25-27 MP, 23 STR, 20 MAG, 24 VIT, 24 SPD.
LV 99: 4,818-6,203 HP, 204-330 MP, 77 STR, 64 MAG, 61 VIT, 37 SPD.
Zodiac:
LV 1: 82-83 HP, 30-33 MP, 23 STR, 22 MAG, 24 VIT, 24 SPD.
LV 99: 4,786-5,643 HP, 473-786 MP, 78 STR, 73 MAG, 61 VIT, 37 SPD.
Summary: High stats all-around with the highest STR (tied with Basch) and great HP (second best), also high MAG. Great for any single-job/job combo, especially ones that focus on either physical, magic damage or use dual stats for their weapons (like Bushi), also great for hybrids that need the extra magic and MP for their spells (Knight, Uhlan, Monk, Time Battlemage or even Archer and Machinist). Steal and high STR are also helpful for White Mage.
Penelo
Original:
LV 1: 65-66 HP, 36-37 MP, 20 STR, 18 MAG, 23 VIT, 24 SPD.
LV 99: 4,321-5,096 HP, 217-346 MP, 70 STR, 69 MAG, 60 VIT, 36 SPD.
Zodiac:
LV 1: 64-66 HP, 38-41 MP, 20 STR, 21 MAG, 23 VIT, 24 SPD.
LV 99: 4,288-5,058 HP, 539-895 MP, 70 STR, 76 MAG, 60 VIT, 36 SPD.
Summary: High MAG and MP, decent VIT, low STR and HP, tied with best MAG with Ashe on Original, and second best on Zodiac. Any mage class, especially ones that need the extra MP (White Mage and Time Battlemage), Foebreaker (uses VIT weapons, also Black Mage and Machinist if you get Hand-Bombs) or high STR single-jobs/combos with Heavy Armor and magic (will max out STR anyway, and have more MP and magic for spells, Knight, Uhlan, Time Battlemage and Archer with Shemhazai fit that bill).
Balthier
Original:
LV 2: 99-103 HP, 20-22 MP, 25 STR, 17 MAG, 24 VIT, 24 SPD.
LV 99: 4,691-6,044 HP, 177-289 MP, 75 STR, 56 MAG, 58 VIT, 38 SPD.
Zodiac:
LV 2: 101-105 HP, 34-39 MP, 25 STR, 18 MAG, 24 VIT, 24 SPD.
LV 99: 4,661-5,495 HP, 453-752 MP, 75 STR, 63 MAG, 58 VIT, 38 SPD.
Summary: Second best STR, third best HP, best SPD, low MAG and MP. Any physical single-job/combo, with an edge for SPD weapons (Shikari and Archer, especially with their lower innate STR), tanking (Foebreaker and again Shikari, also Knight and Monk, though he lacks MAG to help them as much), also good for lower STR single-jobs/combos that need to do physical damage (White Mage, since it will max MAG anyway, and Steal is helpful for the job, Red Battlemage if you plan on nabbing Greatswords and Heavy Armor, Machinist and Black Mage if you get Hand-Bombs as STR is still priority even with his slightly lower VIT).
Fran
Original:
LV 2: 85-89 HP, 25-27 MP, 23 STR, 18 MAG, 20 VIT, 23 SPD.
LV 99: 4,486-5,879 HP, 205-333 MP, 71 STR, 59 MAG, 53 VIT, 36 SPD.
Zodiac:
LV 2: 84-89 HP, 44-50 MP, 23 STR, 20 MAG, 26 VIT, 24 SPD.
LV 99: 4,453-5,252 HP, 489-807 MP, 71 STR, 68 MAG, 62 VIT, 36 SPD.
Summary: Stats aren’t as high as Vaan’s or Ashes (the other Jack-of-all stats party members), however, they are decent all around, some greatly exaggerate how bad her base stats are, even in Original before they got buffed they were perfectly fine, highlights are her decent HP and MP, and in Zodiac her VIT, her balanced stats make her decent for any class. Good Tank with her HP (Foebreaker which also uses VIT weapons, Knight, Shikari and Monk), MP is helpful for any mage, but, especially for those that can benefit from it more (White Mage and Time Battlemage, for the former Steal and ok STR is also helpful), lastly similar to Vaan, Penelo and Ashe she works well for hybrids due to her MP and ok MAG (Knight, Uhlan, Time Battlemage, Monk, Red Battlemage, Machinist and even Archer).
Basch
Original:
LV 3: 138-145 HP, 19-22 MP, 26 STR, 21 MAG, 20 VIT, 23 SPD.
LV 99: 4,903-6,347 HP, 161-264 MP, 77 STR, 58 MAG, 47 VIT, 35 SPD.
Zodiac:
LV 3: 139-146 HP, 31-38 MP, 26 STR, 21 MAG, 26 VIT, 24 SPD.
LV 99: 4,841-5,703 HP, 410-684 MP, 78 STR, 63 MAG, 47 VIT, 35 SPD.
Summary: Highest HP, tied with Vaan for best STR, lowest VIT and slightly lower SPD (Speed has the least difference between characters, outside of Balthier having a bit more), low MAG (slightly better than Balthier's in Original, and when he joins) and MP. Any physical class outside of Foebreaker (needs VIT), also not as helpful for something like Knight that also benefits from MAG, like Balthier he is also good for high MAG, low STR mages that need to do physical damage as he will max out his MAG anyway and have more STR to do physical attacks (White Mage, and Red Battlemage with Greatswords+Heavy Armor)
Ashe
Original:
LV 3: 100-106 HP, 25-27 MP, 22 STR, 22 MAG, 24 VIT, 23 SPD.
LV 99: 4,452-5,827 HP, 216-349 MP, 73 STR, 69 MAG, 57 VIT, 36 SPD.
Zodiac:
LV 3: 99-106 HP, 56-65 MP, 22 STR, 25 MAG, 24 VIT, 23 SPD.
LV 99: 4,420-5,512 HP, 529-871 MP, 73 STR, 78 MAG, 57 VIT, 36 SPD.
Summary: Her stats are very similar to Vaan’s, however, she trades his STHP for MAG/MP, highest MAG (tied with Penelo on Original), slightly lower HP on Original, but good in Zodiac, third best STR. Everything I said about Vaan applies to her, with her having an edge on magic while Vaan has on physical.
Initial Licenses
Pre-unlocked abilities that are going to be available independent of job assignment, not game-defining, but can lead to some fun synergies (Original included as bonus/comparison, not relevant to jobs and combos. A lot of balance and equipment changes between Original and Zodiac).
Worth noting that character levels and initial LP when they join the party are based on Vaan’s, so don’t be afraid of other party members lagging behind if you don’t proceed with the main story quickly, also characters that join later naturally have more initial licenses, that doesn’t give them a significant advantage over other characters outside of very particular challenge runs (like Original no Licence Board):
Vaan:
Original: Steal (Technick), Light Armor 1 (Leather Cap, Leather Clothing), Smallswords (Mythril Sword, Mythril Blade). Comes with 150 gil and 5 Potions.
Zodiac: Steal (Technick), Light Armor 1 (Leather Cap, Leather Clothing), Daggers 1 (Dagger). Comes with 150 gil and 5 Potions.
Penelo:
Original: White Magick 1 (Cure, Blindna), Daggers 1 (Dagger, Mage Masher), Light Armor 1 (Leather Cap, Leather Clothing). Comes with 100 gil, 2 Potions and 1 Phoenix Down.
Zodiac: White Magick 1 (Cure, Blindna), First Aid (Technick), Daggers 1 (Dagger), Mystic Armor 1 (Cotton Cap, Magick Curch, Cotton Shirt, Light Woven Shirt). Comes with 150 gil, 3 Potions and 1 Phoenix Down.
Balthier:
Original: Steal, First Aid (Technicks), Guns 1 (Altair, Capella), Guns 2 (Vega, Sirius), Shields 1 (Escutcheon, Leather Shield), Light Armor 1 (Leather Cap, Leather Clothing), Light Amor 2 (Headgear, Headguard, Chromed Leathers, Leather Breastplate), Heavy Armor 1 (Leather Helm, Bronze Helm, Leather Armor, Bronze Armor). Comes with 200 gil.
Zodiac: Steal, First Aid (Technicks), Guns 1 (Altair), Light Amor 2 (Headgear, Headguard, Chromed Leathers, Leather Breastplate). Comes with 300 gil.
Fran:
Original: Steal (Technick), White Magick 1 (Cure, Blindna), Black Magick 1 (Fire, Thunder, Blizzard), Bows 1 (Shortbow, Silver Bow), Bows 2 (Aevis Killer, Killer Bow, Longbow), Shields 1 (Escutcheon, Leather Shield), Light Armor 1 (Leather Cap, Leather Clothing), Light Amor 2 (Headgear, Headguard, Chromed Leathers, Leather Breastplate), Heavy Armor 1 (Leather Helm, Bronze Helm, Leather Armor, Bronze Armor). Comes with 200 gil, automatically unlocks Cure+Fire without having to buy them.
Zodiac: Steal (Technick), White Magick 1 (Cure, Blindna), Black Magick 1 (Fire, Thunder), Bows 1 (Shortbow), Light Amor 2 (Headgear, Headguard, Chromed Leathers, Leather Breastplate). Comes with 300 gil, 2 Phoenix Downs, automatically unlocks Cure+Fire without having to buy them.
Basch:
Original: Libra (Technick), Smallswords (Mythril Sword, Mythril Blade), Swords 1 (Broadsword, Longsword), Axes & Hammers 1 (Handaxe, Iron Hammer), Shields 1 (Escutcheon, Leather Shield), Shields 2 (Buckler, Bronze Shield, Round Shield), Light Armor 1 (Leather Cap, Leather Clothing), Heavy Armor 1 (Leather Helm, Bronze Helm, Leather Armor, Bronze Armor), Heavy Armor 2 (Sallet, Iron Helm, Scale Armor, Iron Armor), Accessories 3 (Armguard, Tourmaline Ring).
Zodiac: Libra (Techinck), Swords 2 (Longsword, Iron Sword), Shields 1 (Leather Shield, Buckler), Heavy Armor 1 (Leather Helm, Bronze Helm, Leather Armor, Bronze Armor).
Ashe:
Original: White Magick 1 (Cure, Blindna), White Magick 2 (Vox, Poisona), Swords 1 (Broadsword, Longsword), Swords 2 (Iron Sword, Zwill Blade, Ancient Sword), Shields 1 (Escutcheon, Leather Shield), Shields 2 (Buckler, Bronze Shield, Round Shield), Light Armor 1 (Leather Cap, Leather Clothing), Mystic Armor 1 (Cotton Cap, Magick Curch, Cotton Shirt, Light Woven Shirt), Heavy Armor 1 (Leather Helm, Bronze Helm, Leather Armor, Bronze Armor), Heavy Armor 2 (Sallet, Iron Helm, Scale Armor, Iron Armor), Accessories 1 (Orrachea Armlet), Accessories 2 (Bangle, Steel Gorget). Automatically unlocks Cure without having to buy it.
Zodiac: White Magick 1, Swords 2 (Longsword, Iron Sword), Shields 1 (Leather Shield, Buckler), Heavy Armor 1 (Leather Helm, Bronze Helm, Leather Armor, Bronze Armor), Accessories 2 (Bangle, Firefly). Comes with 6 Hi-Potions, 2 Phoenix Downs, automatically unlocks Cure without having to buy it.
Notable Synergies:

• Characters with Steal can unlock Poach without Zalera as Black Mages.
• Characters with Steal are also appealing as tanks or healers, the former as a party leader (for consistency and also staying in front of the rest of the party) since with Steal they tend to be the first ones to engage enemies, pulling their attention, the latter as it gives them something to do during downtime while traversing safe areas.
• Fran can use her innate Black Magicks 1 well as a Bushi, White Mage and Red Battlemage, especially in IZJS where they were AoE spells, that is due to those Jobs innate magical abilities (high Magic Lores, all magic augments, Mystic Armor and Rods for White Mage), this doesn’t apply to Time Battlemage as their Magic Lores and augments are spread far apart, and they lack Mystic Armor, by the time they get decent magic those spells will very likely have fallen off in damage and utility.
• For the above, same logic applies for White Magicks 1 from the women (it is also AoE in IZJS), even outside of early game healing, it is useful endgame for off-battle healing and topping off characters, for this reason Time Battlemage can also use the spell well despite lacking Mystic Armor due to it’s high magic stat and access to Serenity/Spellbreaker.

What each Stat does and what weapons it affects

• Level = Pretty obvious what it does, but it also affects damage of most weapons and spells, so even if you cap a stat, leveling up still increases your damage.
• MP = Also obvious, but, getting Quickenings in Original increases your max MP, double for Lv2 Quickenings, triple for Lv3 ones.
• EXP and LP = KO, Stone and X-Zone prevent gaining those stats, Guest also don’t level up in Original (they also don’t waste items from your inventory there, you also can’t change their gambits though).
• Strength = Unarmed, Swords, Daggers, Axes & Hammers, Greatswords, Katanas, Ninja Swords, Spears, Poles (this one hits for Magick Defense instead of Physical, it still does physical damage though), Rods, Staves, Bows, Crossbows and Hand-Bombs, some of these arms also use a secondary stat, but, STR will always have the bigger impact on their damage output (that doesn’t mean you can ignore the secondary stat though).
• Magic = Magic Attacks, rate of hitting status effects, healing spells, as well as Maces, Katanas and Staves. The arms that use MAG deal physical damage, and simply use the stat for scaling.
• Vitality = Duration of status effects (increases for positive ones, decreases for negative ones), used for Axes & Hammers, and Hand-Bombs.
• Speed = Affects ATB/CT speed (not significantly though), used for Daggers, Ninja Swords and Bows.

Clearing up some things about Augments

Some augment descriptions don’t give all details about how certain augments work, so here are some clarifications. Note that the board Augments don’t stack with their accessory counterparts, so for example Focus doesn’t stack with Blazer Gloves.

• Focus: 1.2x multiplier in Original, and 1.5x in Zodiac. Important thing is that since it isn’t a flat stat increase, so it affects all normal attacks, this includes Guns.
• Adrenaline: Same as the above, however it is a 2.0x multiplier that activates below or equal to 15% of your character's HP, since it is percentage based, this means that it also counts for the extra HP from Bubble, which can lead to safer use of the augment.
• Serenity: In Original the increase is 20% for damage Spells and 50% for healing, in Zodiac both are 50%. It also doubles your chance of hitting status effects.
• Spellbreaker: Offensive spell damage is doubled, but healing stays at 50% and status effect hit rate stays at double. The threshold is the same as Adrenaline.
• Last Stand: It specifically halves physical damage, it doesn’t do anything to magic damage, the threshold is the same as Adrenaline and Spellbreaker.
• Martyr, Inquisitor and Warmage: MP received from dealing/receiving damage are based on certain thresholds. To keep it simple, if you deal/receive 1-499 damage in Zodiac you recover 1 MP, 9000 - 9998 gives you 15, above that 30, MP recovery values change between Original and Zodiac but there isn’t a huge difference. High damage classes like Black Mage can recover MP quickly, while low damage ones like White Mage don’t recover a whole lot (this is one of the reasons why great physical damage is great for White Mage's MP recovery).
• Item Lores: Phoenix Lores are the simplest, a 10% increase in all versions. Potion Lores are 10%, 15% and 25% on Original, and 20%, 30% and 40% for Zodiac. Ether Lores are the same as Potion Lores for Original, but are 10%, 20% and 30% on Zodiac. Remedy Lore 3 is the only way to cure Doom, however it doesn’t cure Reverse (Esuna), Stone (Stona) and X-Zone (leaving the current area after the battle, touching a save crystal).
• Battle and Magic Lores: They are flat stat increases to your characters base stat and not multipliers.

Overview on Weapon classes

NOTE: Melee weapons combo (chance to do more than one attack, increases at lower HP and with Genji Gloves), Ranged weapons do Critical hits (double-damage for single-target attack). CT speed difference between arms don’t have that noticeable of a difference outside of extremely fast or extremely slow weapons.
One-handed:

• Unnarmed = Only does good damage on really high levels even with great STR, or with Brawler and the Amber Armlet (an augment/accessory that improves it), mostly for flavor or roleplay, also fun on a Strong Mode/New Game Plus run. It can be used with a Shield.
• Swords = Consistent damage, can be paired with a Shield. The three best Swords have ok-ish combo rates (much lower than dedicated combo weapons though). Average elemental and status effect variety. Slightly low CT speed in Original, improved in Zodiac so it is a bit faster.
• Daggers = Extremely fast CT speed, hits fast not hard, can be paired with a Shield. Good status variety, and wind options. Slightly better combo rate on average compared to other one-handed weapons outside of ultimate weapons. Main Gauche has ridiculous Evade, which can be paired with a Shield and a Jade Collar to make your character nearly untouchable to physical attacks (outside of those that ignore Evasion).
• Hammers & Axes = Extremely high ATK at the expense of consistency, can hit for extremely high or low damage, can be paired with a shield. Axes have good CT speed, Hammers have average ones. Ultimate weapon have a good combo rate. No status effect or elemental coverage, they are purely designed to hit hard, and relatively fast.
• Maces = Average CT speed on Original, and good in Zodiac, can be paired with a Shield. Tends to lag behind a little in attack power compared to other one-handed weapons, but since it only uses MAG for scaling it is a good damage option for magick geared party members as they focus on using Mystic Armor. Ok status effect variety, but, lackluster elemental coverage.
• Measures = They have a pierce property like Guns, so they ignore defense, they also don’t take character stats into account, and can be paired with a Shield. They have extremely low Attack power, but have buffs tied to them, and also really good Evade, they are a tool for support or evasion tanking, not for damage dealing, also as an option to remove the Confuse or Sleep status from a party member due to its low damage. For some ungodly reason they can crit in Original, but not anymore in Zodiac.

Two-handed:

• Greatswords = Great ATK power, but two-handed. Good CT speed in Original, but average in Zodiac. Great endgame holy damage, but lackluster status effect coverage. Some late game Greatswords also have an ok-ish combo rate.
• Katanas = Lower ATK power than other two-handed weapons, but, great combo rates to compensate for that. Lackluster status and elemental coverage (strong wind options though), good CT speed (slightly lower on Zodiac). They also use MAG for scaling so they are a decent option for magick geared characters for physical damage. Their ultimate weapon in Zodiac is a one-handed Katana that can be paired with a Shield.
• Ninja Swords = Second fastest CT after Daggers, great combo rates overall, they are two-handed for balancing purposes despite the characters holding them with one hand. Decent status effect and elemental coverage, includes some rare elements too (In Zodiac at least, they are all dark elemental in Original, which is more of a curse than a blessing as few enemies are weak to dark, and a lot of them resist it).
• Spears = Good ATK power, good CT speed in Original (slightly lower in Zodiac). They aren’t as strong as Greatswords, but they don’t need accessories like Germinas Boots, or Genji Gloves to optimize their damage compared to other arms, so they are consistent and reliable, and great for using accessories to counter fight mechanics without losing out on damage. Good elemental coverage (including great Holy), lackluster status coverage, but, later Spears have a high hit chance to inflict deadly negative status effects on enemies. Pitiful combo rates outside of one particular Spear. It can hit flyers (in Zodiac only).
• Poles = Decent ATK power, great Evade, high combo rates like Katanas, average CT speed in Original, but, fast in Zodiac. They hit for Magick Resist instead of Physical, so they are good for low Magick Resist enemies. Lackluster elemental and status coverage (it has a strong wind option though), it has a weapon that increases water damage, which is a bit niche. It can hit flyers (in Zodiac only).
• Rods = They aren’t that great in normal game, outside of one particular endgame Rod (that does great Holy damage, and also increase the damage of the Holy element). Low ATK power, can’t combo, they increase a bit of MAG and give a decent increase to MP, however that is mostly relevant on the very early game, on Original before you got Quickenings for MP, on Weak Mode/New Game Minus where everyone has really bad MP, even then the best Rod doesn’t give that significant of an increase in that area, especially by the time you get it. They can hit flyers though (Zodiac Only), and some have beneficial status effects that can be useful before you get certain spells, or if you miss them (one of them hits for the rare Earth element, but it is pretty weak overall). Average CT speed, but, outside of that particular Rod I mentioned they aren’t made for beating enemies (even single-job White Mage can eventually unlock much better options for damage).
• Staves = Most of the things I said about Rods apply, but, Staves are actually great, again not intended for fighting physically (one of them can inflict Stop on-hit though, 25% chance, they can also hit flyers in Zodiac), but most Staves have a pretty good increase to Magic, and more importantly increases the elemental damage by 50% for example the Flame Staff increases Fire damage, some later Staves can even increase damage of multiple elements. Overall a great tool to increase elemental damage. They are slightly slower than Rods.

Ranged:
NOTE: All ranged weapons can hit flyers in all versions.

• Bows = Ranged physical damage, great elemental variety with Arrows which includes a rare element, but, lackluster status coverage (it has a KO arrow though). Ammo from Ranged arms scale well due to not being tied to weapon attack power, so they will always be useful even if you got an elemental arrow right at the start of the game. Later Bows have a good Critical rate, all Bows receive a 20% accuracy penalty during bad weather (like raining). Reliable and quite powerful with good equipment. One of the Bows increases Fire damage.
• Crossbows = They are pretty bad compared to other arms sadly, they tend to have better ATK power and Critical early on, and win on the CT speed front (third fastest CT), but all the other ranged options surpass them one way or another in other areas. In Zodiac even their bolts provide little status effects utility as they mostly overlap with Time Battlemage’s kit, and they have no elements tied to them. Their accuracy is generally worse than Bows, and is halved in bad weather. They aren’t completely unviable or awful if you want to use them for flavor, roleplaying or are playing single-job Time Battlemage, but, mechanically, pretty much every other option is better.
• Guns = Ignore targets defense and evasion, also character stats (like Measures, they are affected by buffs and augments as they aren’t flat stat increases, early game Guns are generally a bit weak, but mid-late game ones fare much better in terms of reliable damage), however they have incredibly slow CT speed, it is one of the few arms where CT difference is noticeable in any significant way (there are ways to mitigate that though). Their uniqueness does lend them to have a lot of interesting niches though, for one they are great for undergeared characters, and are royalty in Weak Mode/New Game Minus (consistent damage in a run where you can’t level up speaks for itself), even better elemental coverage than Archer, also including some rare elements, decent status coverage. Low Critical rate chance outside of the best Gun which has ok-ish Critical chance. Certain enemies are also highly resistant to Guns and Measures, it is pretty noticeable when your Gun suddenly starts doing no damage.
• Hand-Bombs = A bit of an odd one, they are the ranged version of their sister arms (Hammers & Axes), they have high ATK power at the expense of consistency, can hit for really high damage or really low damage, decent status variety with their bombs (25% hit rate), they have a specific niche in doing Water elemental damage due to one of them increasing Water damage and also having access to Water Bombs. They can’t do Critical hits, but they ignore weather penalties.

Other

• Always read equipment descriptions, certain weapons can be equipped without needing a license, others have on-hit effects, etc. The same logic applies to armor and accessories.
• Invisible weapons are extremely overpowered (they are significantly better than even the ultimate weapons, and are practically debug tools) that are meant more as secrets or Easter Eggs, they are pretty much impossible to bump into if you don’t know their deal, unless you enjoy a power trip just ignore their existence for your first playthrough or if you even remotely want some kind of challenge.

Notable elemental/status weapons

I won’t spoil their location, or comment on how to get overpowered stuff early, this mostly focuses on powerful mid-endgame viable options, with some exceptions. I’m also ignoring invisible and non-licence weapons for this (with two exceptions).
Ammo:

• Ammo in general since it isn’t tied to weapon attack power. Bows, Guns and Hand-Bombs also cover the rare water (Guns & Hand-bombs only) and earth element (Bows & Guns only), and also have good alternatives to other ones. For status effects you normally want to use spells as they are much more reliable, but having some coverage can be helpful.
• Bows = Fire, Lightning, Ice & Earth. Can also hit for Poison and KO in a 25% rate.
• Guns = Water, Fire, Earth, Wind & Dark. Can also hit for Silence, Blind and Petrify in a 25% rate.
• Bolts = Hit for Slow, Disable, Immobilize, Blind, Doom and Sap in a 25% rate, outside of Blind all the others status can be hit for more reliably with Time Battlemages normal spell kit.
• Bombs = Water. Mostly focused on status effects with Poison, Stop, Oil, Confuse and Sap in a 25% rate.

Swords:

• Blood Sword = 100% Sap rate, Sap isn’t all that great as it doesn’t scale with enemy HP, so it is mostly a drop in the bucket compared to Poison, it is an option for a bit of extra damage if you are undergeared on running Weak Mode/New Game minus, just don’t expect much.
• Karkata = Good ATK power, slightly higher combo rate than earlier Swords, 100% Confuse rate, this means you can pretty much stunlock any enemy that isn’t immune to Confuse, so in a way it is more powerful than even the Simha in certain circumstances.

Daggers:

• Gladius = Great wind damage for early game.
• Zwill Crossblade = Wind damage for endgame due to its good ATK power and ok combo rate.
• Mina = 70% KO rate, good ATK power, but the first part is the highlight, it consistently kills enemies that aren’t immune to one-hit KO effects.

Maces:

• Zeus Mace = Ok ATK power, but, the main highlight is the 50% increase to dark damage, for doing damage with dark spells, but, it can even be used on your party for healing with dark absorbing equipment.
• Bonebreaker = Non-licence, but terrible attack power, uses Gun/Measure damage formula, main niche is 100% Sap and Disease rate, it is one of the few ways to inflict Disease which is incredibly useful for certain foes.

Measures:

• Available buffs are: Protect, Shell, Bravery, Vanish, Haste and Bubble at 50% hit rate in Original, and 70% in Zodiac.

Greatswords:

• Excalibur = Pretty much the best source of Holy damage in the game (not counting the next one), great ATK power, ok-ish combo rate, holy weak enemies are plenty in certain parts of the game so it speaks for itself in terms of usefulness.
• Wyrmhero Blade = Was a bit of a trophy in Original, but it is useful for Trial Mode in Zodiac, amazing ATK power, Holy element, 80% combo rate, permanent Bravery and Faith. One big downside, it is unbelievably slow with a max CT value, you need to invest in a lot of ways to increase its speed to make good use of it.

Katana:

• Ame-no-Murakumo = Endgame wind Katana, good ATK power and combo rate.

Ninja Swords:

• In Original, all Ninja Swords are dark elemental so they are all useful for Dark damage, since damage was capped to 9999 there was little reason to get the ultimate Ninja Sword as Dark damage is only useful for certain enemies, which you could already hit for cap with some earlier swords, and it’s combo rate was only a bit higher than other ones.
• Koga and Iga Blade: Hit for the rare Earth and Water element respectively, good ATK power with decent combo rate.

Spears:

• Gungnir: Good ATK power, fire elemental and 10% chance to disable.
• Holy Lance: Good ATK power, holy elemental, not as strong as Excalibur (outside of gear synergies that I will talk about next section).
• Dragon Whisker, Zodiac Spear and Vrsabha: 15%, 20% and 50% Disable hit rate, 50% Disable is extremely useful to traverse dangerous areas, all of them either have good or great ATK power, and Vrsabha even has an ok-ish combo rate compared to the pitiful ones from other Spears.

Poles:

• Six-fluted Pole: Increases water damage by 50%, not that useful for the Aqua spells as it falls off pretty quickly, but great for Aquara/Water Motes.
• Zephyr Pole: Decent wind option, decent ATK power, decent combo rate.

Rods:

• Healing Rod: 100% Regen on-hit, uses the same damage formula as Guns/Measures, but, its use is meant for the Regen effect as its ATK power is pitiful even for Rod standards, and also you probably don’t want to give Regen to enemies.
• Holy Rod: Holy elemental, and also increases the damage of the Holy element (50%), so it increases its own damage, a decent source of Holy damage especially when paired with Heavy Armor+Battle Lores+Physical damage augments. The Holy spell is a bit lackluster so you are actually better off hitting things with this weapon.

Staves:

• Cherry Staff: Increases the potency of Wind damage (50%).
• Flame Staff: Increases the potency of Fire damage (50%).
• Storm Staff: Increases the potency of Lightning damage (50%).
• Glacial Staff: Increases the potency of Ice damage (50%).
• Cloud Staff: Increases the potency of Lightning, Water and Wind damage (50%), better MAG stat.
• Staff of the Magi: Increases the potency of Ice, Wind and Holy damage (50%), better MAG stat.

Bows:

• Burning Bow: Increases the potency of Fire damage (50%). Can be paired with Fiery arrows for increased damage. Eventually even with the elemental boost, you’ll need better Bows to do damage with Fiery arrows.

Hand-Bombs:

• Fumarole: Increases the potency of Water damage (50%). Can be paired with Water bombs for increased damage. Eventually even with the elemental boost, you’ll need better Hand-Bombs to do damage with Water bombs. Black Mage can make good use of it with Aquara Motes as the Cloud Staff comes in a lot later.

- = Continued in the comments = -

Currently on my first Hard play through and this has been FOR SURE the hardest fight yet. Especially with how annoying it is that the load out resets every time you lose.
I kept trying to figure out a pattern and find the perfect strategy online to beat him , but honestly the battle system is so much more about what feels natural to you as the player than finding a specific build to beat him. I went in on this fight with very low MP.
Anyway, here's what worked for me, took me about 15 tries.
Cloud load-out Igneous Saber - Celestial Bangle - Healing Carcanet
Materia
Elemental - Lightning Wind /Steadfast Block /Precision Defense /HP UP x2 /Healing /Chakra /Strength Up /ATB Boost /Enemy Skill - MP Absorption
Combat Settings
L1 + Square - Triple Slash
L1 + Triangle - Focused Thrust
L1 + Circle - Sonic Boom
Strategy
Some notes first:
While doing this make sure to use your best judgment on when to evade, when to go in for a slice and when to heal/recover. This battle is absolutely on his terms, you need to play by the rules to survive.
The strategy is built around keeping him locked into blocking while you spam long range attacks, it's essential to keep an eye on him as he will sometimes not block and move to swipe you instead.
Triple Slash and Focused trust will pressure him if you land it right before any of his attacks. This is key.

• When the fight starts lock on and start hitting him with Cloud's long range slash (evade then attack) make sure you do 3 slashes then evade, then start over, anything past 4 slashes will have you close in on him and get counter punished. Keep doing this to build ATB.
• Once you have 2 ATB bars , stop long range attacks and wait for him to make a move, as soon as the attack name pops up or his attack animation starts, hit him with Sonic Boom. He will immediately pressure and you will get the free buffs, once that happens cast Regen on yourself with the 2nd ATB bar and wait for him to get back up again.
• Repeat long range attacks to freeze him into blocking while you build up ATB.
• Once ATB is back up, wait for attack animations to start and pressure him immediately with Triple Slash, (if faith and bravery have worn off, use sonic boom instead). When you pressure him like this you can get at least 2 combos in before he punishes you with a counter. You can add Plasma Discharge to your buffs to get some extra damage in during combos and take advantage of the MP absorption link.
• Rinse and repeat making sure faith/bravery/regen are on. (the healing carcanet accessory works wonders here as it makes Regen better and longer lasting, it's super hard to heal during this battle by any other means, if you're low on HP cast Chakra during Rufus' reload animation.
• Keep going at it. As Rufus' health bar reaches the halfway point make sure you are set up with buffs and decent health for stage 2. Prioritize healing and buffing before you start pressuring him mid attack with triple slash.
• At the halfway point dark star appears. DUN DUN DUN
• By this point you should have a full limit bar or 2 ATB bars, or ideally both.
• If you have 2 ATB bars, conserve your limit break and go off immediately with Triple Slash as soon as the cutscene ends , pressure Dark Star and go full berserk with combos on him (it helps a ton if plasma discharge is active during this time).
• Focus on DarkStar but don't lose sight of Rufus and evade, evade, evade. Repeat Triple Slash as soon as you build ATB, this helps keep Dark Star pressured and it's highly likely you will also pressure Rufus and take him off your ass for a bit. The goal here is to stagger Dark Star as soon as possible. Triple Slash is key here in keeping them both at bay.
• Once DarkStar is staggered, unload your limit break on him. This should either kill him or almost kill him.
• After DarkStar goes away, repeat the previous strategy for Rufus, keep in mind he's stronger and more aggressive now so make sure to evade, block and parry.
• Pressure him with triple slash.
• Get your combos in.
• Retreat and repeat.
• KEEP CALM.
• Think more Sekiro/Dark Souls than Final Fantasy.
• This should lead him to a stagger where you can unload ATB abilities to finish him off!

CONGRATS!!! YOU DID IT !!
HAPPY PRIDE!!!

To clear up a common misconception that this is something that only happens extremely rarely, here's a list of every time more than 4 words have fit one of the categories and what number puzzle it occurred in. The first 4 words are the answers and every word after that in parenthesis are words that fit that category but were part of another group. Also, category names might not be exactly the same as the ones used.
Edit because some of the comments think I'm actually angry about Connections doing this: Some people think that I compiled this list because I'm anti-overlap when it's actually the opposite case. I actually like the overlap since I think it makes for a more interesting puzzle. I feel like every so often there's an angry comment about more than 4 words fitting a category and acting like this has never happened before so partially out of pettiness and a love of useless stats I decided to make this list to serve as proof that this has been a deliberate part of Connections since the start.

#4 Cleaning Verbs

Possible answers: DUST, MOP, SWEEP, VACUUM, (IRON)

#5 Condiments

Possible answers: KETCHUP, MAYO, RELISH, TARTAR, (MUSTARD)

#5 Clue Characters

Possible answers: GREEN, MUSTARD, PLUM, SCARLET, (PEACOCK)

#6 Shades of Blue

Possible answers: BABY, MIDNIGHT, POWDER, ROYAL, (SEA)

#6 Rappers

Possible answers: COMMON, FUTURE, ICE CUBE, Q-TIP, (CHANCE)

#9 Shirts

Possible answers: CAMI, HALTER, TANK, TEE, (POLO)

#9 Vegetables

Possible answers: BEET, CARROT, CORN, ONION, (SQUASH)

#9 Insects

Possible answers: ANT, BEETLE, MANTIS, TERMITE, (CRICKET)

#10 Countries

Possible answers: CHAD, GEORGIA, JORDAN, TOGO, (TURKEY)

#10 Birds

Possible answers: CRANE, JAY, TURKEY, SWALLOW, (KIWI)

#11 Spices

Possible answers: CARDAMOM, CLOVE, CORIANDER, CUMIN, (GINGER)

#11 Terms of Endearment

Possible answers: BOO, HONEY, SUGAR, SWEETIE, (BABY)

#12 Animal Group Names

Possible answers: FLOCK, PACK, POD, SCHOOL, (PRIDE)

#12 Deadly Sins

Possible answers: ENVY, GREED, LUST, PRIDE, (SLOTH)

#13 Airlines

Possible answers: FRONTIER, SPIRIT, UNITED, VIRGIN, (DELTA)

#13 Greek Letters

Possible answers: BETA, CHI, DELTA, IOTA, (NU)

#13 Silent G's

Possible answers: GNAT, GNAW, GNOCCHI, GNOME, (GNU)

#14 Famous Brothers

Possible answers: JONAS, MARX, WARNER, WRIGHT, (MARIO)

#14 Honda Vehicles

Possible answers: ACCORD, CIVIC, PASSPORT, PILOT, (CANOPY)

#15 Colors

Possible answers: BROWN, PINK, TURQUOISE, VIOLET, (SILVER)

#15 Fishing Equipment

Possible answers: LURE, REEL, ROD, TACKLE, (HOOK)

#16 Nuts

Possible answers: ALMOND, CASHEW, PECAN, WALNUT (PEANUT)

#17 Neck Accessories

Possible answers: ASCOT, BOLO, TIE, SCARF, (BOW)

#19 Disagreement

Possible answers: QUARREL, ROW, SPAT, TIFF, QUARREL, (BEEF)

#20 Grains

Possible answers: BARLEY, OAT, RYE, SPELT, (RICE)

#20 Royal Titles

Possible answers: BARON, EARL, KING, PRINCE, (DUKE)

#23 60's Band Member

Possible answers: BEACH BOY, BEATLE, BYRD, MONKEE, (ROLLING STONE)

#23 Dance Fads

Possible answers: DOUGIE, MACARENA, MASHED POTATO, TWIST, (VOGUE)

#25 Desserts

Possible answers: CHEESECAKE, FLAN, MOUSSE, TIRAMISU, (FUDGE)

#25 Animals with Tusks

Possible answers: ELEPHANT, HIPPO, NARWHAL, WARTHOG, (WALRUS)

#26 Countries (Holland is technically a region but it's often used as an informal name for the Netherlands)

Possible answers: DENMARK, GREECE, POLAND, PORTUGAL, (HOLLAND)

#26 Spelled with Roman Numerals

Possible answers: DILL, LIVID, MILD, MIX, (MIMIC)

#27 Body Parts

Possible answers: HEART, LIVER, LUNG, KIDNEY, (SPINE)

#28 File Extensions

Possible answers: GIF, PDF, TIFF, ZIP, (DOC)

#28 Fruits

Possible answers: BANANA, COCONUT, MANGO, PINEAPPLE, (KIWI)

#30 Joints

Possible answers: HIP, KNEE, SHOULDER, WRIST, (ELBOW)

#33 Boats

Possible answers: FERRY, JUNK, TUG, YACHT, (SUB)

#33 Cuts of Beef

Possible answers: FLANK, LOIN, ROUND, SHANK, (CHUCK)

#34 Smell

Possible answers: AROMA, BOUQUET, FRAGRANCE, SCENT, (FUNK)

#34 Music Genres

Possible answers: BLUES, COUNTRY, FUNK, SOUL, (ROCK)

#35 Metals

Possible answers: IRON, LEAD, TIN, ZINC, (NICKEL)

#36 Animals

Possible answers: KANGAROO, KOALA, WALLABY, WOMBAT, (MOLE RAT)

#38 Trees

Possible answers: ASH, CEDAR, MAPLE, PINE, (ELM)

#38 Land Formation

Possible answers: HILL, MOUNTAIN, PLATEAU, VALLEY, (PLAIN)

#38 Bagel Flavors

Possible answers: EVERYTHING, ONION, PLAIN, POPPY, (SESAME)

#41 Islands

Possible answers: CUBA, JAPAN, MALTA, PALAU, (FIJI), (JAVA)

#42 Punctuation Marks

Possible answers: COLON, COMMA, HYPHEN, PERIOD, (DASH)

#43 Birds

Possible answers: BOOBY, GULL, PELICAN, PUFFIN, (CANARY)

#45 Modes of Transportation

Possible answers: BOAT, CAR, PLANE, TRAIN, (SUBWAY)

#46 Cities

Possible answers: CHICAGO, MUNICH, PHILADELPHIA, RIO, (MANHATTAN)

#46 Fashion Magazines

Possible answers: ALLURE, ELLE, GLAMOUR, W, (COSMOPOLITAN)

#46 Storms

Possible answers: BLIZZARD, CYCLONE, SQUALL, TORNADO, (HURRICANE)

#48 Apparitions

Possible answers: GHOST, PHANTOM, SPECTER, SPIRIT, (GENIE)

#49 Relatives

Possible answers: AUNT, COUSIN, MOTHER, NEPHEW, (GRANDFATHER)

#49 Offbeat

Possible answers: DAFFY, KOOKY, QUIRKY, WACKY, (CUCKOO)

#49 Fictional Ducks

Possible answers: DAISY, DEWEY, DONALD, SCROOGE, (DAFFY)

#50 Imperial Measurements

Possible answers: FOOT, INCH, MILE, YARD, (QUART)

#52 Rodents

Possible answers: GERBIL, HAMSTER, RAT, VOLE, (MOUSE)

#52 Musical Instruments

Possible answers: HARP, HORN, ORGAN, TRIANGLE, (KEYBOARD)

#52 Complain

Possible answers: CARP, GRIPE, GROUSE, MOAN, (HARP)

#53 Animal Group Names

Possible answers: COLONY, HERD, PRIDE, SWARM, (FAMILY)

#53 AP Classes

Possible answers: BIO, CHEM, GOV, STATS, (LIT)

#54 Places for Worship

Possible answers: ALTAR, RELIQUARY, SHRINE, TEMPLE, (ABBEY)

#54 Presidents

Possible answers: CALVIN, CHESTER, GROVER, HARRY, (GARFIELD)

#56 Dances

Possible answers: HUSTLE, SALSA, SWING, TANGO, (TAP)

#57 Patterns

Possible answers: HOUNDSTOOTH, PAISLEY, PLAID, STRIPES, (DOT)

#58 Arachnids

Possible answers: MITE, SCORPION, SPIDER, TICK, (BLACK WIDOW)

#58 Fish

Possible answers: CHAR, EEL, PERCH, SHARK, (CATFISH)

#58 Superheroes

Possible answers: BLACK WIDOW, BLADE, FLASH, STORM, (TICK)

#59 Quantity

Possible answers: FEW, HANDFUL, SEVERAL, SOME, (PAIR)

#59 Celestial Objects

Possible answers: ASTEROID, COMET, MOON, PLANET, (SUN)

#60 Sports Venues

Possible answers: COURT, DIAMOND, FIELD, RINK, (RING)

#60 Jewelry

Possible answers: ANKLET, BANGLE, BROOCH, PENDANT, (RING), (CHARM)

#62 State Abbreviations

Possible answers: CO, MA, ME, PA, (LA)

#62 Period Table Symbols

Possible answers: FE, HE, NA, NI, (CO), (PA), (LA), (TI)

#63 Slang for Zero

Possible answers: JACK, NADA, NOTHING, SQUAT, (ZIP)

#63 Exercises

Possible answers: CURL, LUNGE, PLANK, PRESS, (SQUAT), (CRUNCH)

#63 Captains

Possible answers: CRUNCH, KANGAROO, OBVIOUS, PLANET, (JACK)

#64 Dog Names

Possible answers: FIDO, LUCKY, ROVER, SPOT, (REX)

#64 Perceive

Possible answers: CATCH, NOTICE, OBSERVE, SEE, (SPOT)

#64 Fishing Terms

Possible answers: BAIT, CHUM, FLY, SINKER, (CATCH)

#65 Energy

Possible answers: JUICE, SPIRIT, STEAM, VIGOR, (GAS), (FIRE)

#66 Time Periods

Possible answers: CENTURY, DECADE, MILLENNIUM, YEAR, (MONTH)

#66 Breakfast Foods

Possible answers: CEREAL, OMELET, PANCAKE, WAFFLE, (BACON), (EGG)

#67 Desserts

Possible answers: CAKE, COBBLER, PIE, TART, (FUDGE)

#67 Occupations

Possible answers: FISHER, MASON, MILLER, SMITH, (DOCTOR)

#68 Extremely

Possible answers: AWFUL, QUITE, SUPER, VERY, (REAL)

#68 Currencies

Possible answers: RAND, REAL, STERLING, WON, (POUND)

#68 _____Cake

Possible answers: CARROT, COFFEE, POUND, SPONGE, (CUP)

#69 Shoes

Possible answers: CLOG, PUMP, SLIDE, WEDGE, (MARY JANE)

#69 Slang for Marijuana

Possible answers: GRASS, HERB, MARY JANE, WEED, (BUD), (POT)

#70 Camping Supplies

Possible answers: COOLER, LANTERN, SLEEPING BAG, TENT, (CAMPER)

#70 Insult

Possible answers: BARB, DIG, DISS, JAB, (SLIGHT)

#71 States

Possible answers: ARIZONA, COLORADO, NEVADA, UTAH, (KANSAS), (MONTANA)

#72 Santa's Reindeer

Possible answers: COMET, CUPID, DASHER, VIXEN, (DANCER)

#72 Seen on Valentine's Day

Possible answers: CARD, HEART, CHOCOLATE, ROSE, (CUPID)

#73 Facial Hair

Possible answers: BEARD, GOATEE, MUSTACHE, STUBBLE, (HANDLEBAR)

#73 Pursue

Possible answers: DOG, FOLLOW, TAIL, TRACK, (SHADOW)

#74 Failures

Possible answers: BUSTS, FLOPS, MISSES, TURKEYS, (DUDS)

#75 Social Gathering

Possible answers: BASH, BLOWOUT, PARTY, SHINDIG, (MIXER)

#75 Found in a Kitchen

Possible answers: COUNTER, MIXER, RANGE, SINK, (ISLAND)

#79 Depart Quickly

Possible answers: BOOK, BOUNCE, RUN, SPLIT, (JET)

#79 Shades of Black

Possible answers: EBONY, JET, ONYX, RAVEN, (BLACK)

#80 Influence

Possible answers: CLOUT, PULL, WEIGHT, SWAY, (IMPACT)

#81 Appetizer Unit

Possible answers: FRY, NACHO, POPPER, WING, (CHIP), (CRACKER)

#81 Response to a Correct Answer

Possible answers: BINGO, CORRECT, RIGHT, YES, (DING)

#82 Drink Vessels

Possible answers: GOBLET, SNIFTER, TUMBLER, STEIN, (FLUTE)

#82 Woodwinds

Possible answers: CLARINET, FLUTE, OBOE, SAXOPHONE, (BASSOON)

#82 American Poets

Possible answers: BISHOP, FROST, OLDS, POUND, (STEIN)

#83 Unclothed

Possible answers: BARE, NAKED, NUDE, UNCLAD, (BUFF)

#83 Football Actions

Possible answers: FUMBLE, PUNT, SACK, SNAP, (TURNOVER)

#83 Finger Actions

Possible answers: BUFF, CLIP, FILE, POLISH, (SNAP)

#84 Female Animals

Possible answers: COW, DOE, HEN, MARE, (EWE)

#84 Pronouns

Possible answers: I, IT, THEY, WE, (YOU)

#84 Roman Numerals

Possible answers: D, L, M, V, (I)

#86 Information Displays

Possible answers: CHART, DIAGRAM, GRAPH, MAP, (PIE)

#86 Additional Benefit

Possible answers: BONUS, EXTRA, ICING, PERK, (GRAVY)

#86 Creatures in Folklore

Possible answers: GNOME, GOBLIN, OGRE, TROLL, (DRAGON)

#89 Alcohol

Possible answers: CIDER, PORT, SAKE, STOUT, (SPIRIT), (SCOTCH)

#89 Pixar Movies

Possible answers: BRAVE, CARS, COCO, UP, (SOUL)

#90 Baseball Calls

Possible answers: BALL, OUT, SAFE, STRIKE, (WALK)

#90 Fish

Possible answers: CARP, CATFISH, FLOUNDER, SMELT, (SALMON)

#91 Jungle Animals

Possible answers: ANACONDA, CAPYBARA, JAGUAR, TOUCAN, (LION)

#91 Lowest Point

Possible answers: BASE, BOTTOM, FOOT, FOUNDATION, (LEGS)

#92 Halloween Decorations

Possible answers: BAT, COBWEB, PUMPKIN, TOMBSTONE, (BONES)

#93 Animal Sounds

Possible answers: BUZZ, CLUCK, MEOW, OINK, (BARK)

#93 Inside Info

Possible answers: DIRT, DISH, SCOOP, SKINNY, (TEA)

#95 Songs that are Names

Possible answers: ALEJANDRO, LOLA, MICHELLE, STAN, (IRIS)

#96 Animals

Possible answers: BUFFALO, COW, GOAT, SHEEP, (HORSE)

#96 Gymnastics Apparatus

Possible answers: FLOOR, HORSE, RINGS, VAULT, (BEAM)

#97 Fairy Tale Figures

Possible answers: GIANT, PRINCESS, WITCH, WOLF, (QUEEN)

#97 "Peanuts" Characters

Possible answers: CHARLIE, PEPPERMINT PATTY, PIGPEN, WOODSTOCK, (LUCY)

#98 Fruits

Possible answers: APRICOT, FIG, GRAPE, LIME, (BERRY)

#98 Luxurious

Possible answers: DELUXE, GRAND, LAVISH, OPULENT, (SWANK)

#99 Intelligent

Possible answers: BRIGHT, CLEVER, QUICK, SHARP, (SMART)

#100 Web Browser-Related

Possible answers: BOOKMARK, HISTORY, TAB, WINDOW, (LINK), (POCKET)

#100 Dirty_____

Possible answers: DOZEN, JOKE, LAUNDRY, MARTINI, (WINDOW)

#101 Bowling Terms

Possible answers: ALLEY, BALL, LANE, PIN, (SPARE)

#101 Common Merch Items

Possible answers: MUG, PEN, TEE, TOTE, (PIN)

#102 Vehicles

Possible answers: BUS, CAR, MOTORCYCLE, TRUCK, (SCOOTER)

#102 Muppets

Possible answers: ANIMAL, BEAKER, GONZO, SCOOTER, (CHEF), (PIGGY)

#103 Soda Fountain Orders (Concrete can mean a type of milkshake or frozen custard)

Possible answers: FLOAT, MALT, SHAKE, SUNDAE, (CONCRETE), (SPLIT)

#104 Robust

Possible answers: FIT, HEALTHY, SOUND, STRONG, (WELL)

#104 Water Sources

Possible answers: FOUNTAIN, SPRING, TAP, WELL, (SINK)

#105 Kitchen Utensils

Possible answers: GRATER, LADLE, PEELER, WHISK, (CLEAVER)

#106 Wedding Items

Possible answers: BOUQUET, RING, TRAIN, VEIL, (CAKE)

#106 Encase

Possible answers: CAKE, COAT, COVER, CRUST, (VEIL)

#107 Snakes

Possible answers: BOA, MAMBA, PYTHON, VIPER, (GARTER)

#108 Produced by Trees

Possible answers: ACORN, CONE, POLLEN, SAP, (GUM), (NEEDLE)

#108 Candy

Possible answers: CHOCOLATE, GUM, LICORICE, LOLLIPOP, (SUCKER)

#108 Target of a Scheme

Possible answers: CHUMP, FOOL, MARK, SUCKER, (SAP)

#109 Rap Subgenres

Possible answers: BOUNCE, CRUNK, DRILL, GRIME, (TRAP)

#110 Golf Clubs

Possible answers: IRON, PUTTER, WEDGE, WOOD, (CLUB)

#112 Coffee Counter Items

Possible answers: CUP, LID, STIRRER, STRAW, (STICK)

#114 Talk

Possible answers: BLATHER, CHAT, GAB, JABBER, (YAK)

#115 Christmas-Related

Possible answers: MISTLETOE, REINDEER, SNOWMAN, STOCKING, (PRESENT), (CANDY CANE)

#116 MLB Teams

Possible answers: ANGEL, CUB, MET, RED, (NAT)

#119 Celebratory Occasion

Possible answers: ANNIVERSARY, BIRTHDAY, SHOWER, WEDDING, (RECEPTION), (SERVICE)

#120 Crops

Possible answers: CORN, CUCUMBER, PEPPER, TOMATO, (MELON)

#121 Bible Books

Possible answers: ACTS, JOB, KINGS, MARK, (GENESIS)

#121 NHL Teams

Possible answers: FLAMES, KRAKEN, STARS, WILD, (KINGS), (RANGER)

#123 Conceal

Possible answers: BLOCK, COVER, HIDE, MASK, (SHIELD)

#124 "L" Cities

Possible answers: LAGOS, LIMERICK, LINCOLN, LUXOR, (LIMA)

#124 Poetry Terms

Possible answers: LINE, METER, RHYME, VERSE, (LIMERICK)

#125 Butt

Possible answers: BOTTOM, BUNS, SEAT, TAIL, (BOOTY)

#126 Tools

Possible answers: HAMMER, FILE, LEVEL, SAW, (WRENCH)

#126 Keyboard Shortcuts

Possible answers: COPY, FIND, PRINT, SAVE, (FILE)

#127 Days of the Week

Possible answers: FRIDAY, SATURDAY, SUNDAY, THURSDAY, (WEDNESDAY), (TUESDAY)

#127 Go Bad

Possible answers: ROT, SOUR, SPOIL, TURN, (FESTER)

#129 Bit of Air

Possible answers: BREEZE, DRAFT, GUST, PUFF, (PANT)

#130 Falsify

Possible answers: FABRICATE, FAKE, FIX, FORGE, (FUDGE)

#130 TV Shows

Possible answers: FARGO, FIREFLY, FLEABAG, FLIPPER, (FRIENDS)

#131 Animal Homes

Possible answers: DEN, LAIR, HIVE, NEST, (WEB), (WARREN)

#131 Equitable

Possible answers: EQUAL, EVEN, FAIR, JUST, (GOOD)

#132 Tableware

Possible answers: BOWL, DISH, PLATE, SAUCER, (CROCK), (CUP)

#133 British Food

Possible answers: MASH, ROAST, SCONE, TRIFLE, (BANGER)

#133 Predicament

Possible answers: BIND, PICKLE, SCRAPE, SPOT, (JAM)

#134 Impel

Possible answers: DRIVE, INSPIRE, MOTIVATE, SPUR, (SPARK)

#135 Compound Words

Possible answers: BACKPACK, BIGWIG, DOWNTOWN, RAGTAG, (TEXTBOOK)

#136 Grammar Tenses

Possible answers: FUTURE, PAST, PERFECT, PRESENT, (SIMPLE)

#136 The 12 Days of Christmas

Possible answers: DRUMMER, LADY, RING, SWAN, (LORD)

#137 Excellent

Possible answers: ACES, KEEN, NEATO, NIFTY, (SWELL)

#137 Bubbles

Possible answers: FOAM, FROTH, HEAD, LATHER, (BUBBLE)

#138 Metals

Possible answers: COPPER, GOLD, NICKEL, SILVER, (BRASS), (MERCURY)

#139 Aesthetics

Possible answers: DRESS, LOOK, MANNER, STYLE, (TASTE)

#140 Mishmash

Possible answers: HASH, JUMBLE, MEDLEY, STEW, (LITTER)

#143 Filler Words

Possible answers: ERM, UH, UM, WELL, (LIKE), (ER)

#146 Clue Weapons

Possible answers: CANDLESTICK, KNIFE, ROPE, WRENCH, (PIPE)

#147 Unchanging

Possible answers: EVEN, LEVEL, STABLE, STEADY, (UNIFORM)

#147 Long, Sharp Objects

Possible answers: LANCE, PIN, SKEWER, SPIT, (PITCHFORK)

#148 Musical Format

Possible answers: LP, PLATTER, VINYL, WAX, (CD)

#148 Cube-Shaped

Possible answers: BOUILLON, DIE, ICE, SUGAR, (STOCK)

#150 Equivocate

Possible answers: HEDGE, SEE-SAW, WAVER, YO-YO, (FLIP-FLOP), (WAFFLE)

#151 Podcasts

Possible answers: RADIOLAB, SERIAL, UP FIRST, WTF, (FRESH AIR), (REPLY ALL)

#152 Intelligent

Possible answers: BRIGHT, QUICK, SHARP, SMART, (SAGE)

#152 Medieval Weapons

Possible answers: CLUB, MACE, SPEAR, SWORD, (AXE)

#153 Filmmaking Equipment

Possible answers: BOOM, DOLLY, LENS, TRIPOD, (GRIP)

#154 Sports Professionals

Possible answers: COACH, GM, PLAYER, SCOUT, (SUB)

#154 Car Companies

Possible answers: BMW, HONDA, JAGUAR, SUBARU, (FORD), (GM)

#156 Vocal Fanfare

Possible answers: BEHOLD, PRESTO, TADA, VOILA, (SURPRISE)

#157 Magazines

Possible answers: O, OK, US, W, (EW), (SI)

#157 Yes

Possible answers: HAI, JA, SI, DA, (OK), (OUI)

#158 Animals

Possible answers: BUFFALO, DEER, FISH, MOOSE, (BULL), (STEER), (SEAL)

#160 Quick Observation

Possible answers: GANDER, GLANCE, GLIMPSE, LOOK, (PEEK)

#160 Parts of a Mountain

Possible answers: CLIFF, CRAG, LEDGE, RIDGE, (BLUFF), (PEAK)

#161 _____Day

Possible answers: EARTH, GROUNDHOG, LABOR, MAY, (BIRTH)

#162 Primates

Possible answers: BABOON, BONOBO, GIBBON, GORILLA, (APE)

#162 Fashionable

Possible answers: CHIC, HIP, HOT, IN, (VOGUE)

#164 Area Between Mountains

Possible answers: CANYON, GULCH, PASS, RAVINE, (GORGE)

#165 Food

Possible answers: PASTY, PIE, TART, TURNOVER, (PARFAIT), (RAGOUT), (CURRY)

#165 Countries

Possible answers: JAPAN, POLAND, TUNISIA, TURKEY, (JORDAN)

#166 Reality Shows

Possible answers: ALONE, CATFISH, CHOPPED, SURVIVOR, (BACHELOR)

#168 Municipalities

Possible answers: CITY, TOWN, COUNTY, VILLAGE, (CAPITAL)

#171 Parts of the Foot

Possible answers: ARCH, BALL, SOLE, TOE, (HEEL)

#171 Dog Commands

Possible answers: COME, DOWN, SIT, STAY, (HEEL)

#173 Ways to Remove Hair

Possible answers: SHAVE, THREAD, TWEEZE, WAX, (CUT)

#174 Hold Back

Possible answers: CAP, CHECK, CURB, LIMIT, (HAMPER)

#175 Excite, with "Up"

Possible answers: AMP, FIRE, HYPE, PUMP, (GAS)

#177 TV Shows

Possible answers: CHEERS, EUPHORIA, FELICITY, GLEE, (FRASIER)

#178 Found on Sheet Music

Possible answers: CLEF, NOTE, REST, STAFF, (SCALES)

#178 Zodiac Symbols

Possible answers: BULL, CRAB, SCALES, TWINS, (VIRGIN)

#180 Absolute

Possible answers: PURE, SHEER, TOTAL, UTTER, (STARK)

#180 Express

Possible answers: AIR, SPEAK, STATE, VOICE, (UTTER)

#181 Cooking Oils

Possible answers: CORN, OLIVE, PALM, PEANUT, (RICE)

#183 Luxurious Fabrics

Possible answers: CHIFFON, SILK, SATIN, VELVET, (LACE)

#185 -ough

Possible answers: BOUGH, COUGH, DOUGH, TOUGH, (ROUGH), (ENOUGH)

#189 Used to Build a Snowman

Possible answers: CARROT, COAL, SNOW, STICKS, (STONES)

#190 NYC Avenues

Possible answers: BROADWAY, FIFTH, MADISON, PARK, (SECOND), (FIRST), (ELEVENTH)

#191 Accessories

Possible answers: BELT, BRACELET, TIE, WATCH, (CHARM)

#199 Name Prefixes

Possible answers: GEN, MS, PROF, REV, (DR)

#200 Parts of a Car

Possible answers: BUMPER, HOOD, TIRE, TRUNK, (DASH)

#201 Single Letter Homophones

Possible answers: BEE, EX, GEE, JAY, (TEE)

#203 New Years-Related

Possible answers: BALL, COUNTDOWN, FIREWORKS, KISS, (PARTY), (RESOLUTION), (CHAMPAGNE)

#207 Gift-Giving Accessories

Possible answers: BOW, BOX, CARD, WRAPPING, (MESSAGE)

#210 Kinds of Exams

Possible answers: BAR, FINAL, ORAL, PHYSICAL, (EYE)

#211 Long, Skinny Objects

Possible answers: POLE, ROD, STAFF, STICK, (CLUB)

#212 Cooking Elements

Possible answers: ACID, FAT, HEAT, SALT, (PEPPER), (SMOKE)

#213 Seen at a Casino

Possible answers: CARDS, CHIPS, DICE, SLOTS, (POKER)

#213 Ways to Prepare Cheese

Possible answers: CRUMBLE, MELT, SHRED, SLICE, (GRATE)

#217 Thieve

Possible answers: PINCH, ROB, STEAL, SWIPE, (JACK)

#218 Medicine Formats

Possible answers: CAPSULE, CREAM, SYRUP, TABLET, (POD)

#221 Colors

Possible answers: BLUE, GREEN, WHITE, YELLOW, (SCARLET)

#222 Minced Oaths

Possible answers: CURSES, DARN, RATS, SHOOT, (FUDGE), (NUTS)

#224 Contains Wax

Possible answers: CANDLE, CRAYON, HONEYCOMB, SEAL, (EAR)

#229 Baseball-Related

Possible answers: BALL, BASE, BAT, GLOVE, (STRIKE)

#233 Mario Power-ups

Possible answers: FEATHER, STAR, MUSHROOM, FLOWER, (HAMMER)

#234 _____Pit

Possible answers: BARBECUE, ORCHESTRA, SNAKE, TAR, (FIRE)

#235 Make Shorter

Possible answers: CLIP, CUT, PARE, TRIM, (PRUNE)

#235 Muscular

Possible answers: BUILT, JACKED, RIPPED, SWOLE, (TRIM), (BUFF)

#237 Farm Fixtures

Possible answers: COOP, PEN, STABLE, STY, (RANGE)

#238 Unexciting

Possible answers: BORING, DULL, MUNDANE, VANILLA, (ROUTINE), (DRY)

#239 Ecclesiastical Titles

Possible answers: BISHOP, CARDINAL, PASTOR, PRIOR, (BROTHER), (LORD)

#251 Media Attention

Possible answers: COVERAGE, EXPOSURE, PRESS, PUBLICITY, (MEDIA)

#254 Little Bit of Liquid

Possible answers: BEAD, GLOB, DROP, TEAR, (DRIP)

#257 Shades of Green

Possible answers: OLIVE, FOREST, LIME, MINT, (CACTUS)

#260 Ilk

Possible answers: KIND, SORT, TYPE, VARIETY, (MANNER)

#263 Propel into the Air

Possible answers: HOP, JUMP, LEAP, SPRING, (VAULT)

#266 Large Amount

Possible answers: MASS, SEA, SLEW, TON, (WAVE)

#266 Fall under Pressure

Possible answers: BUCKLE, CAVE, COLLAPSE, GIVE, (FLOP)

#268 Pop Stars

Possible answers: GRANDE, MARS, STYLES, SWIFT, (LEGEND)

#269 Found at an Airport

Possible answers: HANGAR, RUNWAY, TARMAC, TERMINAL, (WINDSOCK)

#269 Ends in an Article of Clothing (A Mac is a raincoat)

Possible answers: FOXGLOVE, GUMSHOE, TURNCOAT, WINDSOCK, (TARMAC), (LAWSUIT)

#271 Food Preservation Techniques

Possible answers: CAN, CURE, DRY, FREEZE, (SPICE)

#272 Space_____

Possible answers: BAR, CADET, HEATER, STATION, (BLANKET)

#273 Keyboard Keys

Possible answers: COMMAND, CONTROL, OPTION, SHIFT, (SPACE)

#283 Seen at a Sports Stadium

Possible answers: ASTROTURF, JUMBOTRON, SCOREBOARD, SKYBOX, (KISSCAM), (JOURNEYMAN)

#284 Animals

Possible answers: COW, DOE, HEN, EWE, (YAK)

#284 Palindromes

Possible answers: BIB, EYE, GAG, POP, (EWE)

#285 Olympic Sports

Possible answers: BREAKING, HOCKEY, TRAMPOLINE, SKELETON, (CRICKET), (SQUASH), (VOLLEYBALL)

#289 Plant Growths

Possible answers: BLOOM, BUD, SHOOT, SPROUT, (CORONA)

#290 Quarrel

Possible answers: FIGHT, ROW, SCRAP, TIFF, (WAR)

#290 Games of Chance (Poker is technically a game of skill but it's still highly associated with chance)

Possible answers: BINGO, LOTTERY, ROULETTE, WAR, (POKER)

#291 Whale Species

Possible answers: BLUE, FIN, GRAY, RIGHT, (PILOT)

#293 Food Preservation Techniques

Possible answers: CANS, CURES, SALTS, SMOKES, (JAMS), (PICKLES)

#296 Thrust

Possible answers: JAB, POKE, PROD, STICK, (ELBOW)

#301 _____Horse

Possible answers: CHARLEY, CRAZY, DARK, GIFT, (PRIZE)

#302 Brief Moment

Possible answers: FLASH, HEARTBEAT, JIFF, WINK, (ZIP)

#302 Dispute

Possible answers: CLASH, TANGLE, SCRAP, TIFF, (SPAT)

#303 Hair Care Items

Possible answers: BRUSH, COMB, DRYER, IRON, (OIL)

#307 Seen at the Circus

Possible answers: CLOWN, RING, TENT, TRAPEZE, (LION)

#310 Parts of a Theatre

Possible answers: BALCONY, BOX, ORCHESTRA, STAGE, (FLOOR), (FLAT)

#312 Golden_____

Possible answers: FLEECE, GIRLS, PARACHUTE, RULE, (MEAN)

#315 Starting with the Same Sound

Possible answers: CYMBAL, SCIMITAR, SIMMER, SYMPHONY, (SYMBOL)

#318 Mexican Food-Related

Possible answers: CILANTRO, LIME, ONION, SALSA, (PICO), (WRAP), (MOLE)

#328 _____Sale

Possible answers: BAKE, CLEARANCE, GARAGE, SAMPLE, (YARD)

#329 Enjoy

Possible answers: FANCY, LOVE, RELISH, SAVOR, (LIKE)

#330 Quantity

Possible answers: FEW, MANY, SEVERAL, SOME, (COUPLE), (HANDFUL)

#333 Restrict

Possible answers: CHECK, CONTAIN, CURB, LIMIT, (CAP)

#334 Things that Spin

Possible answers: CAROUSEL, GLOBE, RECORD, TOP, (MERCURY)

#336 Cuts of Meat

Possible answers: CHUCK, FLANK, LOIN, ROUND, (RIB)

#339 Forthright

Possible answers: DIRECT, FRANK, OPEN, STRAIGHT, (PLAIN)

#342 Games

Possible answers: CATEGORIES, CHARADES, FISHBOWL, WEREWOLF, (MOUSETRAP)

#345 Billiards-Related

Possible answers: BALL, CHALK, CUE, RACK, (POCKET)

#348 Things You can Crack

Possible answers: EGG, KNUCKLES, SMILE, WINDOW, (CORN)

#351 _____Iron

Possible answers: PUMP, STEAM, TIRE, WAFFLE, (FLAT)

#355 Things People Shake

Possible answers: HANDS, MARACA, POLAROID, SNOWGLOBE, (BODY)

Navratna jewelry, meaning "nine gems" in Hindi, is a vibrant and timeless tradition in Indian adornment. Each piece incorporates nine precious gemstones, meticulously chosen to represent the nine celestial bodies impacting our lives. Not only are these pieces imbued with symbolic meaning, but their dazzling colors and intricate designs can elevate any outfit. Whether you're drawn to the rich history or simply captivated by the beauty, navratna jewelry offers a unique way to add a touch of magic to your wardrobe.
The Allure of the Nine Gems
The nine gemstones traditionally used in navratna jewelry are:

• Ruby (Manikya) - Sun
• Emerald (Panna) - Mercury
• Sapphire (Neelam) - Saturn
• Yellow Sapphire (Pukhraj) - Jupiter
• Diamond (Heera) - Venus
• Pearl (Moti) - Moon
• Coral (Munga) - Mars
• Hessonite (Gomed) - Rahu (ascending lunar node)
• Cat's Eye (Lehsunia) - Ketu (descending lunar node)

Each gem is believed to possess unique astrological properties, offering its wearer benefits like good health, prosperity, and protection. While the traditional selection is based on these beliefs, modern navratna pieces often incorporate these gems based on aesthetics or personal preference.
A Spectrum of Styles
Navratna jewelry encompasses a wide range of designs, from delicate earrings to statement necklaces. Here are a few classic pieces to consider:

• Navratna Mala: This is a multi-strand necklace featuring all nine gems, often arranged in a specific order. Malas can be quite elaborate, incorporating gold or diamond accents, or more understated, showcasing the natural beauty of the gemstones.
• Navratna Choker: A choker is a shorter necklace that sits closely around the neck. It can be a more contemporary way to wear navratna jewelry, perfect for adding a touch of elegance to a formal outfit.
• Navratna Earrings: Earrings are a versatile choice, available in a variety of styles like studs, hoops, or jhumkas (dangling earrings). They're a great way to incorporate the vibrant colors of navratna into your everyday look.
• Navratna Rings and Bangles: These pieces add a touch of sophistication to your hands and wrists. Bangles can be rigid or have a hinged opening, while rings come in various styles, from simple bands to cocktail rings.

Modern Interpretations
While tradition holds a special place in navratna jewelry, contemporary designers are creating new and exciting pieces that cater to modern sensibilities. These pieces often incorporate modern cuts, lighter settings, and a wider variety of gemstones. You can find navratna jewelry crafted in different metals like platinum or rose gold, making them perfect for everyday wear.
Caring for Your Navratna Jewelry
Like any fine jewelry, proper care is essential for maintaining the beauty of your navratna pieces. Here are some tips:

• Store your jewelry in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
• Use a soft polishing cloth to clean your gemstones regularly.
• Avoid exposing your jewelry to harsh chemicals or perfumes.
• Have your jewelry professionally cleaned and inspected periodically.

A Timeless Treasure
Navratna jewelry is more than just an adornment; it's a connection to a rich cultural heritage. Whether you're drawn to the symbolism, the vibrant colors, or the exquisite craftsmanship, navratna jewelry offers a unique and beautiful way to elevate your wardrobe. So next time you're looking for a special piece to add to your collection, consider the magic of navratna.