Mutant Gene: An intelligent and fierce woman with the ability to manipulate human genes. She believes that humans are "imperfect" and wants to create a new generation of beings under her control.
‎• Robot: A talented technological scientist who suffered an accident that partially transformed him into a machine. He seeks to create an army of advanced robots to take over the world.
• The Reluctant Gifted: A smart, technologically gifted young man is recruited by the “Evil Team,” but in the end he cannot abandon his conscience and joins the benevolent heroes.
• Mythical Animal: A mysterious being with supernatural powers, and a main weapon in the “Team of Evil” arsenal. It is used in attempts to control the city.
Decisive confrontations:
‎• The battle of the mutant geneticist and the superman: The geneticist tries to control the genes of the superhero and turn him into a monster under her control. ‎• Confronting the robot and the steel soldier: The robot sends his army of robots to destroy the city, and the heroine tries to stop them. ‎• The battle of the legendary animal and the heroic squad: The “Evil Team” uses the mysterious monster to try to control the city, but the heroes bravely confront it.

I've been binging a lot of zombie movies lately, and there's something that really stands out to me: why do people in these films so often turn on each other instead of working together? I get that tension and conflict drive the plot, but when the human population is already so low, you'd think survival instincts would push people to band together.

I'm studying for the technician license, and I have a question for y'all kind folk. This strays a little outside ham radio specifically, so if there is a better place to ask this please let me know.
I have a "system" that I would like to control via DTMF tones, and optionally receive feedback via voice prompts, within a small coverage area (no more than an acre). The system is a complex audio/control system that is already designed to accept DTMF commands, hence the motivation. I am curious if there is a way to use an FM HT to do this, particularly what band(s) I could use.
Basically, I'd like to use an NFM transceiver to send DTMF commands to a fixed, unmanned, receiver (probably a cheap SDR) and pipe the audio to the control system. As far as I can tell, there is no provision in Part 97 for this (as this system is not a "model craft"). With that in mind, is there another band I could use? ISM bands (with power limit)? FRS (with type-approved HT)?
Can I transmit DTMF tones on FRS? Are there any type-approved FRS radios that can do DTMF?
Per 47 CFR 15.231, it seems like I can only use 433 MHz for less than 2s / hr? Does this also apply to the 915 MHz band?
Thanks for any input!

I have a Magic system based on experimentation using elemental crystals with basic abilities. In this word there are six elements Fire, Earth, Water, Wind, Light & Shadow. You can find crystals in the individual elements or in combination, combination crystals are rarer than single and the more elements that are in it the less common they are. For each Single and combination my goal is to have 8 abilities. The goal of this system is to make equipment and enhance individuals by combining different crystals. They also come in 4 lvls of rarity, Common, Uncommon, Rare & Unique, as well as 5 sizes, Dust, Chip, Chunk, Clump & Crystal. They can also be paired with organs from different creatures but that is far beyond where I am now.
Fire: -Control (Pyro-kinesis) -Radiance (Radiates Heat) -Absorption (Absorbs and Nullifies Heat) -Emission (Emits Fire) -Conduction (Absorbs, Stores & Releases Heat) -Combustion (Explodes) -Creation (Creates a Spirit When Placed in Fire) -Infernal (Releases Bursts of Infernal Heat) -Still missing
Water: -Absorption (Absorption and Destroys Water) -Production (Produces Water) -Creation (Creates a Spirit When Placed in Water) -Conduction (Absorbs, Stores & Releases Water) -Restoration (Produces Healing Water) -Control (Hyrdo-kinesis) -Monsoon (Mass Burst Release of Water) -Arctic (Bursts of Massive Cooling)
Earth: -Control (Terra-kinesis) -Creation (Creates a Spirit When placed in Earth) -Densis (Increases Density) -Levius (Decreases Density) -Petrification (Turns Flesh to Stone and Stone to Flesh -Meld (Melds with Earth) -Gravitron (Increases Gravity Around it) -Gravities (Decreases Gravity Around it)
Air: -Control (Aero-kinesis) -Production (Produces Air) -Creation (Creates a Spirit When Placed in Air) -Absorption (Absorbs Air) -Densis (Increases Air Density Around it) -Soniss (Transmits Sound Between Pieces of Itelf) -Still Missing -Still Missing
Light: -Emission (Emits light) -Purification (Cures) -Solidification (Solidifies Light) -Creation (Creates a Spirit When Placed in Light) -Radiance (Flashes) -Quicken (Increases Speed) -Meld (Warps Light around it) -Still Missing
Shadow: -Projection (Projects Shadow Around it) -Mutation (Creates a Spirit When Placed in Another Spirit or a Corpse) -Solidification (Solidifies Shadow) -Control (Umbra-kinesis) -Still Missing -Still Missing -Still Missing -Still Missing
Bonus Shadow: -The Void (Absorbs Magic Power)
Bonus All (All Same Crystal, Can be Used as Any): -The Gift (Eternal Youth When Placed in Someone) -The Seed (Creates a Biome Around it Based on it’s Elements) -The Spark (Used to Start the Ascension)

Hi everyone! Last year I found an old gaming PC left by a previous tenant in my apartment (Not sure what the story was, but it's been lying unused for years in my unit until I came around). A few weeks ago, I was finally able to get the PC started again and things were looking good. The only component I needed to replace was the RAM, but otherwise everything seemed to be in working condition.
However, I've been recently experiencing a few issues. After gaming for about an hour or two, the PC will randomly shut off. Screen black, fans stop, lights off, save for the motherboard.
I also started to notice that it takes a few tries for the PC to boot. I press the power button and successfully log into Windows before the PC shuts down and tries to boot again. It's also been posting in safe mode more often lately.
I'm beginning to suspect that there's a faulty component somewhere, but since I'm fairly new to PC building I don't know where to pinpoint the issue. Any advice is appreciated.
Specs: Motherboard: Asus Rog Strix B550-F Gaming CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 5900 X GPU: Zotac Gaming GeForce RTX 3060 Ti RAM: Corsair Vengeance RGB Pro 32 GB (16x2) PSU: EVGA 850 G5 (80 plus gold)

Hi, it's Stads again covering OU usage trends in April 2024. This is some form of a follow-up to my post last month here (https://www.reddit.com/stunfisk/comments/1bw1732/ou_usage_trends_march_2024/), where I discussed the 5 pokemon with the greatest usage differential between the general population elo bracket and the 1825+ elo bracket in the March 2024 stats. For this month, the stats are sourced from https://www.smogon.com/stats/2024-04/ . This time, I'll cover both the top 5 increases in usage and the top 5 decreases in usage between the two brackets. Let's start off with the increases!

1. Zamazenta (9.79% vs 23.87%, +14.09%)

Zama just keeps taking off in usage, climbing to 2nd overall in usage in the 1825+ bracket and dethroning the elephant last month. Like last month, I suspect Zama is simply an extremely solid pokemon that both checks and fits well into offensive structures. Month-over-month, I see that a novel spread of Impish 16/0/216/0/40/236 has taken over the 1825+ elo bracket this month, albeit only a small plurality at 12.142%. This spread makes it quite a bit more physically bulky while speed creeping Roaring Moon, a key opposing mon for Zama to check. However, this is at the cost of no longer outspeeding key threats like Weavile, Darkrai, and +1 Dragonite. There's been some shifting in which moves Zama is running as well, with Crunch becoming slightly less mandatory, Roar and Heavy Slam becoming more popular, and Substitute falling off quite a bit. I suspect the very standard Sub IronPress Zama simply has been adequately adapted to, and these shifts reflect Zama adjusting to deal with opposing setup sweepers and fairies a bit better.

2. Kingambit (24.50% vs 36.72%, +12.22%)

Another repeat performer, Kingambit continues to be a popular pokemon in all elo brackets but especially the 1825+ region. While most of SV OU continues to adapt and proliferate new strategies, Kingambit seems to be a more locked-in constant, with no new sets, spreads, or moves especially rising in popularity. Leftovers, Black Glasses, and Air Balloon continue to be the main trifecta of used items, and while most sets seem to be Adamant and investing in bulk, running Jolly and max speed retains a solid niche. It remains to be seen if anything can really knock Kingambit from its perch in the coming months, or if we've reached a stable equilibrium.

3. Glimmora (12.23% vs 20.26%, +8.03%)

Finally, a new face! The favoured lead for many Hyper Offensive teams in SV OU since the beginning, Glimmora had a great month in April, coming in at 6th in usage in the 1825+ bracket. Month-over-month, Glimmora has remained markedly stable in how it's used, but the 1825+ bracket loves Red Card quite a bit more, at 41.295% compared to to 15.172% in the general population. I suspect this is because Red Card can be tricky to use, requiring some prediction to be best used in displacing an opposing setup sweeper while switching into an attack that won't OHKO Glimmora. I wonder if much of this usage was pre-Volcarona ban, with how reliably Glimmora could take a fire-type attack from the moth and get rid of all its terrifying boosts. I'm a little surprised that Glimmora has thrived with the emergence of Fast Taunt Landorus-Therian with Earth Power, but perhaps Hyper Offensive teams have simply adapted and are now finding other leads that can adequately threaten Lando.

4. Roaring Moon (13.17% vs 21.04%, +7.87%)

Salamence's prehistoric cousin has been terrifying since it was unbanned with the advent of DLC2, but it continues to really come into its own. A ludicrously strong Knock Off can not only be leveraged to sweep teams but also break open cores for teammates to later abuse, and its typing and natural bulk gives Roaring Moon the ability to often find openings against mons like Gholdengo and Gliscor. Everyone agrees that Roaring Moon runs Booster Energy, Dragon Dance, Knock Off, and Acrobatics (with tera flying), but while the general population seems to enjoy Earthquake and then Taunt for that last moveslot, the 1825+ bracket has a mild preference for Taunt, with Brick Break narrowly edging Earthquake as the runner-up. I'm not positive whether this is more of a niche tool against screens or just the best option available against the ubiquitous Kingambit, but it's an interesting development that's only really taken off this month. As an aside, I'm quite surprised that Tera Flying + Acrobatics has persisted as not only the premier tera option for Roaring Moon, but realistically, the only option. Flying is an extremely good offensive type with few fat electrics around, but I'm a bit surprised that no specialized counter-teras have developed for Moon to beat some of its established checks such as Weavile and Dondozo.

5. Clefable (5.63% vs 13.32%, +7.69%)

This one did surprise me. While the happy pink blob (no, the other one) continues to fly largely under the radar amongst the general population, it's experiencing a breakout in the 1825+ bracket. I suspect this is because post-Volcarona ban, the metagame has gotten slightly fatter despite the presence of Waterpon and Kyurem, and Clefable fits excellently into many fat structures. Magic Guard is an amazing ability always, but especially in a hazard meta, and also makes Clefable one of SV OU's two premier knock absorbers alongside Gliscor. The support movepool is just as good as ever with Thunder Wave, Stealth Rock, Knock Off, Wish healer, and Calm Mind wincons all quite viable. Magic Guard and the prevalence of booster energy also makes Clefable an excellent user of Sticky Barb, which can attach itself to mons post-booster like Great Tusk and Roaring Moon, easily dooming their sweeps. The general population acknowledges this set with 13.93% Sticky Barb usage, but the 1825+ bracket expects it, with Sticky Barb as the #1 used item at 43.833%. The general population also seems to enjoy specially defensive Clefable sets quite a bit more - perhaps to better deal with Kyurem, albeit in a very risky way - while the 1825+ bracket leans into the Sticky Barb with physically defensive sets being ubiqutious. While Clefable has exploded in popularity, it does seem to be only on balance and fatter team comps, with its most common teammates being Gliscor (completing the knock absorption perimeter), Corviknight, Dragapult, Great Tusk, and Dondozo. If Clefable gets more usage on offensive teams, it'll truly be a sign that the SV OU meta has at long last started to slow down.
I'll also go over the 5 pokemon with the greatest usage drop between the general population and 1825+ bracket. If you see your favourites here, don't necessarily worry - they may still have realistic niches to fill on OU teams! But it is still good to analyze why certain pokemon will be favoured or disfavoured in certain environments.

1. Serperior (6.58% vs 1.44%, -5.14)

This is hardly a surprise anymore. While Serperior will have a certain floor of usage due to it's status as a starter pokemon and the allure of the Contrary + Leaf Storm combo, it's simply too pidgeonholed to exist much in the 1825+ bracket. Tera Blast is used around 60% in both environments, though I'm very curious if they tend to use the same tera type or if there's some difference. The slight boon of having a great matchup into Webs has also faded a bit as that playstyle has fallen off slightly, and with Rillaboom, Waterpon, and Grasspon providing plenty of grass-type attacking prowess, it seems unlikely Serperior will find a niche even with the exit of Volcarona. The real discussion is how Serperior will fare in UU come the June tier shifts, with many great answers such as Hydrapple and Tornadus-Therian seemingly poised to handle it.

2. Corviknight (10.69% vs 6.00%, -4.69%)

I'm not 100% sure why Corviknight remains popular amongst the general population while sliding in the 1825+ tier. It might be due to Lando-T taking its spot as a pivot, it might be because it simply doesn't wall things as hard as it wants to. Mirror Armor has a sizeable fanbase among the general population at 32.949%, but the 1825+ bracket practically ignores it at just 3.263% usage. In both environments, Corv is very predominantly physically defensive to better deal with threats such as Kingambit, SD Gliscor, and Roaring Moon. One absurd data point - Roost only has 90.999% usage in the general population. Is this a typo? Are there really 9% of people who don't use Roost on Corvinkight? I imagine even cheesy sets like Bulk Up + Power Trip would be running Roost. I have absolutely no idea what's going on here, and I suspect that looking too far into it will only induce madness.

3. Torkoal (6.91% vs 2.50%, -4.41%)

Torkoal is generally used to provide sunlight for Sun teams, but is rarely also run on trick room teams with Choice Specs to nuke everything with Eruption. Sun, among other 'gimmicky' Hyper Offense styles such as Webs, Trick Room, and other weathers, tend to be a bit less reliable up in the 1825+ bracket where teams are more sturdily built and nuking everything with force generally won't go quite as far. So it checks out that everyone's favourite sun turtle would get a bit more usage amongst the general population.

4. Cinderace (9.82% vs 6.13%, -3.70%)

Cinderace getting less usage in the 1825+ bracket represents the continuation of a philosophical shift to the hazard subgame. Hazards have been very difficult to remove conventionally this entire generation due to Gholdengo blocking most forms of removal. This means that previously, Cinderace having unblockable psuedo-removal in Court Change was an excellent workaround. Now however, offensive teams generally prefer to have their own hazards up and simply try to limit how many hazards get set up on their side of the field with tools like Fast Taunt Lando as well as the popularity of Glimmora and its Mortal Spin. I expect the general population will gradually catch up to this trend over time, though with Cinderace being a starter - and one banned in previous generations at that - it likely has a bit higher floor of usage than it would in a vacuum. I also note that the 1825+ bracket seems to try Blaze Cinderace a bit more, 26.526% vs 16.816%, with Blaze taking Pyro Ball from a very good attack to one that can really dent even bulkier mons.

5. Garchomp (4.18% vs 0.81%, -3.38%)

Another Pokemon whose general popularity is probably carrying it to decent usage among the general population, while the 1825+ bracket has moved on. It's slightly strange to me that SD + Scale Shot Garchomp sets have been completely absent from the meta, but perhaps that niche is simply not compelling enough with Roaring Moon, Gouging Fire, Kyurem, and even Haxorus as physically-attacking Dragon-type alternatives. What usage Chomp does get in 1825+ seems to be confined entirely to defensive hazard sets, with Rocky Helmet, Dragon Tail, and at least 1 hazard. But even in this use case, it's hard to find a real niche when Ting-Lu, Deoxys-Speed, Glimmora, and other great offensive hazard setters exist. I won't go so far as to say it's completely Garchover, but it may take a large meta shift on the back of a ban or two for Garchomp to find true OU usage again.
I hope this was an enjoyable follow-up to the previous post. Feedback is appreciated, let me know if I've missed anything this time!

This is taken from and is copyright protected by globalsoup.net, a website that promotes flash Fiction with annual writing contests.
I am reprinting these Flash Fiction Prompts because they are outstanding ways to freewrite and offer plenty to work with for those who want to learn how to write Flash Fiction.
So check out these prompts and the article and work some of them into your journal! Post the best responses!
100 Awesome Flash Fiction Prompts - Plus Bonus Prompts!
We’ve put together 100 flash fiction prompts, each one designed for a very short story. These prompts will probably be best suited to a story of between 300-1,000 words. If you want to write a longer story using these prompts, you can easily expand these ideas to fit a story of any length.
What is flash fiction?
Flash Fiction is defined as a very short story that can be anywhere from just a couple of words to about a thousand in length. The beauty (and difficulty) of writing flash fiction lies in trying to tell a complete story in so few words. Great flash fiction is succinct, emotive, thought-provoking, and impactful.
What’s the difference between flash fiction and a short story?
The only difference between flash fiction and a typical short story is the word count. However, this scarcity of words means that writing flash fiction can feel like a completely new skill. Just like the short story is a different animal to the novel or novella; flash fiction is kind of unique.
When writing flash, you’ll need to use fewer characters, a simpler plot, and you’ll have to make each word count. This is why editing is so important. You have to be brutal. Cut out everything superfluous and really make sure each and every word is performing an important function in the story. If you’re interested in writing very short fiction, why not check out drabbles? Drabbles are stories of exactly 100 words in length, and they can be a great way to practice keeping your stories very, very short.
How to plot a flash fiction story
When you sit down to write flash fiction, you must begin by choosing an appropriate plot. You cannot simply use a short story plot and tell it using fewer words. A typical flash fiction plot is like looking at one part of a story under a microscope.
For example, let’s look at prompt #21 in our list of 100 Flash Fiction Prompts:

1. Two people on a sinking ship must decide who should take the last seat in the last lifeboat. If you were writing a novel about a sinking ship, you’d probably want the actual sinking to be the climax of the story. Of course, there are infinite ways to write a novel about a sinking ship, but this would structurally be the most obvious. You’d use the first part of the novel to introduce your characters and describe the voyage leading up to the sinking and the sinking of the ship would be the dramatic climax, leaving the last part of the book as the resolution.

The golden rule of writing short stories is to begin as close to end as you can. So, to turn the same story from novel to short story, you’d probably want to begin with the ship sinking. You haven’t got time to introduce the characters before the action begins, so you’d need to feed in exposition and backstory here and there during the events.
All stories need a good climax. So, you would find the most dramatic moment in the story and build up to it. Perhaps your climax would be the two main characters having to decide who will take the remaining seat on the last lifeboat.
Finally, you need a resolution. In a longer short story you do have time to bring in some kind of satisfying resolution at the end.
But, if you’re writing flash fiction and your story is only a few hundred words, you really need to zoom in on one tiny moment in that story.
You don’t have time to tell the entire story of a sinking ship, but you can turn one moment into a story.
We’ve chosen the lifeboat situation as the key moment in this hypothetical story. Two characters must decide which one of them will take the last seat on the last lifeboat. This is an appropriate plot for flash fiction because it’s simple, high-stakes, dramatic, and thought provoking.
Not all flash fiction will have a plot quite this dramatic, but all great flash fiction will have a plot that can be expressed in just one or two sentences.
If you have a plot in mind, but it seems more suitable for a longer story, you can sometimes find several flash fiction plots hidden within it. Just look for little stories within the story, like the lifeboat moment in our hypothetical tale of the sinking ship.
This brings us to our top tip for coming up with ideas for flash fiction stories:
if you’re ever stuck for ideas, you can find little stories within the story in books, movies, and TV shows. A full length feature film might have as many as 20 little incidents in it that could easily be flash fiction.
Don’t directly write a story based on the film, though. Just carefully pick out those little moments, write down what’s happening as a one or two sentence plot, and then use it to inspire your own, completely original flash fiction story.
One of our 100 Flash Fiction Prompts was actually taken from the movie Pulp Fiction!
How to write very short flash fiction
There are several reasons writers might start writing flash fiction. Of course, it could be that they just love and enjoy the form, but sometimes they’ll be a more strategic and practical reason at play.
Perhaps they want to practise the process of writing stories within the confines of a certain word limit. Maybe they are trying to develop a daily writing routine and they don’t have a lot of free time. It could be that they’re trying to break a habit of not finishing writing projects, or perhaps they are entering a flash fiction competition.
Whatever the reason, very often when we sit down to write flash, we must work under an imposed or self-imposed word restraint. We’ve set ourselves (or been set) the task of keeping the story under a particular number of words.
So, how do you plot a flash fiction story when you have to keep your story very, very short.
We’re not going to discuss stories of 100 words or fewer here. Technically, those stories are still flash, however, we prefer to categorise 100 word stories as drabbles and anything under 100 words as micro fiction.
But what if you have to keep your flash fiction story under, let’s say, 300 words? How do you write a flash fiction story that short?
The answer is: get your microscope out again. Remember earlier when we said writing flash fiction is like looking at part of a story under a microscope? If you have to write very short flash fiction, you’ll need to zoom in even further.
Let’s look at a couple of examples from our 100 Flash Fiction Prompts:

1. During a match, a young boxer must decide whether to throw the fight.

If you had 1,000 words to devote to the story, you could have time to tell the story of the entire fight. With only 300 words, it might be better to zoom in on the very moment when the boxer must choose whether or not to go down.
In a longer flash fiction story you might have time to go into detail about why he’s in this situation and why he’s so conflicted. In a 300 word story, you might only devote one or two sentences to his gambling debt and the large sum of money waiting for him if he goes down in the third round, as instructed.

1. A family must decide what to take and what to leave behind as a wildfire approaches their home.

If you had 1,000 words to devote to this story, you might be able to write about the whole process of choosing what to take and what to leave behind. You might be able to mention many different choices and have the whole family participate in the story. You’d be able to go into some details about certain choices and the stories behind individual objects or mementos, as well as the implications of choosing certain things over others.
With only 300 words, it would be advisable to zoom in on one member of the family and to focus on one profound and important choice.
How to write a flash fiction story
Now you have your mini plot, you still need to make sure your flash fiction feels like a complete story. It should still have a beginning, middle, and an end.
Just like a short story, you may need to bring in a little exposition here and there to give texture, context, backstory, and to bring some depth to the characters. But, unlike a short story, you won’t necessarily need to end with a full, detailed resolution. It’s quite common for a flash fiction story to end with a quick twist or plenty of ambiguity.
Flash Fiction is much more about eliciting emotions and provoking thought, than setting up and resolving a complex story.
100 Awesome Flash Fiction Prompts
A young ballet dancer chooses not to tell the other dancers in her troop about a loose paving stone outside their dance studio.
Two sisters realise they’ve both been on a perfect first date … with the same man.
On the car journey home, two parents realise they’ve left their child’s favourite teddy on a park bench several hours away.
A writer suffering from writers’ block looks for inspiration in a strange place.
Set 200 years in the future, a young man realises he’s too emotionally dependent on his robot assistant.
A young woman discovers she’s taken the wrong suitcase home from the airport. The contents of the case make her question her own life choices.
A murderer realises he has only 10 minutes to dispose of a body.
A child decides to walk home by themselves after their parent forgets to pick them up from school … again.
Your protagonist manages to talk the grim reaper out of collecting their soul.
Your protagonist suddenly realises they’ve been living in a simulation.
A young couple has chosen to spend the night in a haunted house to fix their marriage. Your story starts just as things get very weird.
Your protagonist finds a letter they wrote to themselves when they were a teenager.
Your protagonist must decide whether or not to drink from a fountain that erases all painful memories from the mind.
Your protagonist comes across a street called ‘Memory Lane’. They quickly realise the name is eerily apt.
A bride finds out something startling about her future husband an hour before the wedding.
Your protagonist finds an advertisement for a company that promises everlasting youth.
A youngest sibling shows up at a family reunion they weren’t actually invited to.
Your protagonist finds a piece of paper with a spell on it. If they say the words out loud they aren't sure if something terrible or wonderful will happen.
Your protagonist is watching a jazz band play when they realise they know the drummer from somewhere — but where? It takes a whole song for them to figure it out.
Your protagonist must meet their ex for lunch to tell them they’re now engaged. It’s been just a few weeks since they split up.
Two people on a sinking ship must decide who should take the last seat in the last lifeboat.
During a match, a young boxer must decide whether to throw the fight.
Your protagonist must pack their belongings before moving to a new colony on mars.
A pilot realises they have lost control of their aircraft.
Your protagonist doesn’t want to attend their 100th birthday party — and for good reason!
Your protagonist gets stuck in a lift with their ex … 5 minutes after breaking up with them.
A child says goodbye to the fairies in his garden before moving to a new home.
Your protagonist saves someone’s life … and then wishes they hadn’t.
Your protagonist arrives at a blind date. They’ve been set up with someone they actually know a little too well.
Set in a dystopian future in which public displays of affection are banned, your protagonist faces an agonising choice.
An agoraphobic must face their fear in order to save something important.
Your protagonist must make her partner fall out of love with them. Both their lives depend on it.
Your protagonist is hiking with her small children, they come face to face with a grizzly bear and her cubs.
Cinderella and Prince Charming realise they got married too quickly.
A message written in graffiti on a bathroom wall has serious implications for your protagonist.
Your protagonist finds a bag, looks inside, and realises the owner might just be their soulmate.
Your protagonist has been seeing the same stranger everywhere they go for months. They finally decide to confront them.
A couple realise their relationship is over during the trip of a lifetime. They’ve been saving up for the trip for years.
A public debate sees two previously married people letting their private grievances come into their arguments.
Your protagonist plans their escape from a retirement home.
A couple realise their fundamental beliefs are at odds with each other.
An artist develops an obsession with drawing a next-door neighbour.
Your protagonist finds themselves trapped in a cabin with a group of hikers during a heavy snowfall.
An ice skater must face going back on the ice after a dangerous fall.
A couple must decide their plan for New Year’ Eve. They both have secret reasons for their choice.
A family must decide what to take and what to leave behind as a wildfire approaches their home.
Your protagonist is waiting for someone important at the airport. They begin to think that person isn’t going to show up … and then they realise why.
Your protagonist must find their way through a maze. What they find in the middle of the maze is the last thing they were expecting.
An actor waiting in the wings has forgotten his first line.
Your protagonist is wrongly identified as a hero. Do they come clean?
Your protagonist realises their past is catching up with them.
Your protagonist overhears something that has serious implications for them while trying on clothes in a changing room.
Your protagonist is in a costume shop trying to decide what to dress up as for Halloween.
Your protagonist realises they’ve slipped into an alternate dimension.
A surgeon must make an impossible choice on the operating table.
A pregnant journalist interviews the mother of a missing child.
Your protagonist must ask his girlfriend’s father for his blessing, only to discover the father knows his deepest secret.
Your protagonist sees something on social media that will change their life forever.
Two work colleagues realise they’ve been dreaming the same dreams for weeks.
A reluctant daughter comes to terms with having to carry on the family business.
Your protagonist realises she must go on the run.
Two bank robbers disagree on their plan to rob a bank. This leads to a disastrous consequence.
A strange case of deja vous leaves your protagonist convinced of supernatural interference.
A sceptic begins to question their beliefs during a psychic reading.
Your protagonist uncovers a scandal at their workplace.
A hapless cook tries to recreate her late father’s favourite recipes in an effort to feel connected to him.
Your protagonist has a premonition that makes them certain they can’t visit their mother-in-law for Christmas. Now he must convince his husband.
A young backpacker discovers something unexpected in a cave.
An impulsive character and an indecisive character are brought together by chance. They must make an important choice.
Two characters cleaning up after a party discover an object that sheds light on something strange that happened earlier.
Two strangers are trapped together during a blackout.
Your protagonist must take a leap of faith in order to save something important to them.
Your protagonist discovers a huge part of their life has been a lie.
Your protagonist has set up an elaborate way to propose. Inexplicably, everything goes wrong.
Your protagonist must buy a dress for her mother’s funeral.
Your protagonist goes back to her favourite city in the world, only to find it has completely changed.
While stargazing, your protagonist realises the stars are forming secret messages in the sky.
Your protagonist hears a news story on the radio that will mean the world changes forever. However, she seems to be the only person who heard it.
Your protagonist is crossing a frozen lake. They see something under the ice that definitely shouldn’t be there.
A workaholic must come to terms with retirement.
An Olympic athlete must decide whether or not to report their teammate for doping.
A young mother feels isolated from her childless friends.
Your protagonist is about to realise their greatest ambition. Will it be everything they were hoping for?
Onboard a spaceship, a couple prepare to go into stasis for hundreds of years.
Your protagonist has an obsession with thinking about the past.
Set in a post-apocalyptic future, your protagonist meets an unlikely love interest.
Your protagonist visits a place from their childhood and realises their memories of that time might not be accurate at all.
A small child has decided to run away from home. Her parents watch on with amusement as she decides what to put in her backpack.
On a whim, a bus driver decides to radically change his route, much to the chagrin of his passengers.
Dystopian. A couple in love are only allowed to spend time with each other one day a year.
A shapeshifter begins to realise their powers are fading. They must decide what form will be the last one they take before they cannot change again.
The devil visits your protagonist with an offer on her soul.
Your protagonist suddenly has the ability to read minds. There’s only one place they want to go now!
Your very wealthy protagonist has designed a simple test to see who will inherit her estate.
An archaeologist discovers something that will change how we see the history of the world. It could be dangerous. Does he keep it to himself?
Your protagonist must clear out their late mother’s house. She discovers an incredible family secret.
Your protagonist is meeting his brother. They haven’t seen each other for 20 years.
Your protagonist develops the ability to see the world literally through someone else’s eyes.
Your protagonist starts to believe their partner might be a spy.
Your protagonist discovers a hidden camera in their living room.
Looking for a flash fiction competition? Check out our ‘Big List of International Writing Competitions!’ Looking for inspiration? Why not check out our list of the 20 Greatest Short Story Writers of All Time! Just received another short story rejection? Here’s our post about ‘How to Deal With Story Rejections’ Bonus Prompts! Two characters waiting by the side of the road realise they are both meeting the same person.
A woman loses her young niece in a busy shopping mall.
Three strangers must solve a riddle in order to gain entry to a secret club.
A poor woman must borrow ingredients from her neighbours to bake her husband a birthday cake.
A waiter finally finds out why an old man has been coming to the restaurant where he works every day at exactly the same time.
Two work colleagues must decide which of them is to take the blame for a terrible mistake at work.
Your disgruntled protagonist goes to confront the couple next door about the strange noises they’ve been hearing at night.
A family dinner party sees three characters make three very surprising announcements.
Two women argue over who should get to buy the last dress available in a store. How do they decide who should get it?
A young couple find out they knew (and disliked) each other vehemently as children.
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ANYONE ELSE NEED TO YELL INTO THE ABYSS, COME JOIN ME.
I FELL BEHIND ON MY ELECTRIC BILL.
MY HUSBAND HAS BEEN TELLING ME FOR WEEKS TO MAKE A PAYMENT SO WE DONT GET SHUT OFF.
GUESS WHOSE FUCKING POWER JUST GOT SHUT OFF?!?!
GUESS HOW LONG IT IS UNTIL THEY TURN IT BACK ON?! (UP TO 24 HOURS)
IF THEY DONT COME BEFORE HUBBY IS BACK FROM WORK HES GONNA BE SO UPSET AT ME.
I'M SO ASHAMED OF MYSELF AND ANGRY AT MYSELF RIGHT NOW WHAT THE FUUUUUUCCCCCKKKKKKKK

25YO female, 5'4, 93 pounds (formerly 120lb) albuterol. no prior history before 2020.
Got COVID-19 in 2020, pre vaccine. Hospitalized. When I 'recovered' I had newly developed asthma and no white blood cells. They never returned to any normal level. I don't remember exactly numbers but the chart of blood draws over 1.5 years looked exactly like this: 📉
I get sick all the time post 2020 if anyone around me is sick; flu, covid, etc. I always catch it. Last month I was only healthy 1 week out of 4.
I've gotten covid 9 times.** I've been told by friends that thats unusual, maybe? Right now rashes cropping up all over my body. The cells on my tongue died one night few days ago and turned my whole tongue black. Im currently spitting up bits and pieces of the dead cells the inside of my mouth and cheeks that are shedding. I dont knowwhy. My lymph nodes are swollen and never stop being swollen.
I get woken up every single night with hot flashes of mild fever up to 101-2. then goes away. Affects my ability to sleep. I start seeing things in the corner of my eyes by day 3 of no sleep.
I'm extremely dehydrated and no amount of water will do it. I've had almost 2.5 liters, Feels like drinking sand, and my lips Crack and Bleed. I look so ugly. I look like a ghost. sunken eyes, gray skin, blistered mouth
Doctor won't run other tests or treatment other than more antibiotic
I don't know what I should do or look for. Or what I should ask my doctor to do next. Please let me know if there are any recommendations
I just want my weight back. I don't want to look like a ghost haunting a manor. I want to hang out with my friends. Thank you. Feel free to tell me it's hopeless and I should start meditating

I had an appointment today and I went out like I normally do. Capri’s, a band tee, hair down. I’m only 6mo on HRT and though there are changes, they aren’t that big. I know it takes time.
Well, I go to check in and the lady behind the desk doesn’t really look up as she puts me in.
She turns around to ask her co-worker where they moved some button and said, “I need to get /he billing info…”.
I was shocked and in the middle of processing that I was gendered correctly for the very first time in public, she looked up at me and it was immediate. Her eyes widened and she started to apologize over and over.
All I could do was say, “It’s okay hun.” But I’m kind of being hit by the realization that, sure, I’m a lot more fem than I was. But I’m still not recognized as a woman.
I know my own self view is the most important, but it still hurts so much.
I’ve tried to brush it off since then but when I walked past my bathroom mirror and glanced at myself, I broke. Just kind of been crying a lot and I wanna dress up and doll myself up as much as I can but that’s a terrible way to cope.
I don’t even really want to post because I don’t wanna bring anyone down, but I really need to get it out.
Anyway, Stay safe girls. 🩷

Author’s Note:
Upvotes and comments go a long way in helping me reach a larger audience <3
First
Inside GB-2
“Huh, that wasn’t there before,” Ron said, pointing to a new hole in the wall – another passageway.
Henry turned to look where Ron pointed. Sure enough, there was a new doorway. It must’ve been a section that opened after they restored the power. “Huh, yeah. Let’s check it out.”
He went through, finding a short hallway past it and another room just beyond. Henry signaled for his team to form up, preparing to breach. As they stepped in, they found themselves in a brightly lit room filled with various types of furniture – empty pedestals, comfortable-looking single couches, and empty desks with opened cabinets.
Henry stepped further into the room, eyeing the oddly arranged furniture. The single couches were lined up in neat rows, all facing the same direction – towards the empty desks. It was like some sort of waiting room, but for what?
“Is it just me, or are these couches set up weird?” Isaac asked, voicing the question on everyone’s mind. “I mean, who lines up a bunch of single couches like this?”
“Strange, indeed,” Sera agreed. “They seem arranged as though for spectators, yet naught lies before them to behold.”
Like a movie theater, Henry thought. However, there weren’t any screens or holograms to watch. If there was a clue, it would probably be within the couches themselves.
Dr. Anderson approached one of the desks. “Perhaps this was some sort of office or workspace? The desks and cabinets certainly suggest that.”
Isaac then decided to touch one of the seats, eliciting no reaction. He pushed further, sitting down on one of them. At that point, the couch began to adjust its form to better suit Isaac’s envirosuit, as if able to optimize its comfort for the user. Then, a nozzle slowly stretched up from the seat’s headrest area, stopping just short of Isaac’s neck. “Woah!” Isaac bolted up as the nozzle bonked against his helmet.
“Neural interface, maybe?” Henry wondered. “I think we should leave this to the researchers… unless you wanna volunteer as a lab rat?”
“Hell nah,” Isaac vigorously declined the offer. “Hey, there isn’t anything on my helmet is there?”
Henry dusted off the back of Isaac’s helmet with his glove. “Nope, you’re clear. Just gotta hope it ain’t grey goo.”
He could see the dread and uncertainty through Isaac’s visor. Henry gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Well, think about it this way: if it really was grey goo, it would’ve gotten to us – or the Spiranids, for that matter – long ago. C’mon, let’s secure the next room.”
With a nod, Isaac fell in line behind Henry as they moved towards the doorway leading to the adjacent room. Peeking inside, it couldn’t be further from the rest of the room’s they had encountered so far; not at all what they could’ve possibly expected inside an ancient, high-tech alien facility. It was expansive, with a layout that reminded Henry of a high-end restaurant. Comfortable booths lined the walls, while tables of varying sizes filled the central space. The furniture looked almost human – perhaps even indistinguishably so.
The room was tinted with a soft, cozy yellow light. The warm and inviting ambiance felt soothing compared to the clinical feel of the previous areas. The lighting, combined with the plush booths and elegant tables, gave Henry a nostalgic impression.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Ryan remarked. “Think they got any cheesecakes?”
If it wasn’t for the alien decor and helping of sleek devices scattered around the room, Henry would’ve thought they were back home. Hell, there was even a bar, filled with exotic liquors that could probably fetch millions at an auction – or give them the trip of their lives. Beside it however was something unusual. Where he might’ve expected a path leading to the kitchen, he instead found a wall with a slight, rectangular-shaped recess that was just big enough for a tray.
He glanced at Isaac, who returned a knowing look. “Replicators,” Isaac said.
Henry smirked. “Personally, I’m partial to synthesizer, but to each their own.”
They gathered around the wall, which didn’t seem to respond to their presence. Taps on the wall didn’t seem to do anything, either. Henry considered probing further, but decided against it. “Alright, let’s not take any chances. We’ll make a note of this for the research teams to analyze later. Let’s keep looking around.”
Henry split apart from the others, pairing with Ron as they continued to walk around the room. They soon came across another doorway on the far side of the room, which opened up into a short corridor that led into multiple sets of doors. Each had a symbol on the wall beside the doors – one that depicted the basic figure of a person.
Ron pushed open one of the doors, taking a peek inside. “Looks like even the Gatebuilders needed restrooms.”
Finally! “Alright, let’s take a quick break here. Bring everyone else over.”
Thankfully, the amenities within were easily comparable to those of modern society. The toilet looked like a toilet, and the sink resembled a sink. Even in a space as mundane as this though, the Gatebuilder’s technology was evident: self-cleaning surfaces and enough technology to put a high-quality Japanese bidet toilet to shame. At least, that was just from the look of things. Henry didn’t think now would be the best time to check whether the restroom had ass-washing robots or not.
After a few minutes, Henry regrouped with the rest of the team around a central table in the ‘restaurant’. Dr. Anderson was already present, his archaeological kit opened and a spread of alien items organized on the table.
“Ah, Captain!” Dr. Anderson noticed him approaching. “We found cabinets that weren’t empty. Most of the artifacts appear to be personal effects.” He held up a necklace, emphasizing his point. “Jewelry, memorabilia, and some other artifacts that I – admittedly – can’t quite describe.”
Dr. Anderson pointed his pickup tool at a small disc laid out on a padded mat. “It hasn’t shown any active properties yet. It’s rather peculiar; it seems to be a solid disc. Lightweight, unblemished surface, no visible markings or etchings.”
“Have you tried touching it directly?” Henry asked.
Dr. Anderson frowned, manipulating the claws of his pickup tool. “Well, not directly.” Catching the implications in Henry’s query, he continued, “I’ve checked for radiation, toxins – all clear. While I’d advise against direct contact, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit curious.”
Henry nodded. Yeah, the Doc was probably right, but what was discovery without risk? He reached out and picked it up, rotating it in his hands. As his gloved fingers brushed against the surface, the disc suddenly emitted a soft glow.
Henry flinched slightly, almost dropping the disc in surprised. As he fumbled with it, the disc seemed to respond to his touch. Suddenly, a series of objects materialized on the table, appearing out of thin air.
“Oh, shit!” Ron exclaimed. “It just… spawned a bunch of stuff!”
Henry stared at the new items. Several containers, probably holding some kind of food, were still sealed tight and impossibly effective at insulating its contents. It was crazy to think that the food inside might still be hot after who knows how long.
Next to the containers was a bracelet. Possibly normal, possibly enchanted or integrated with technology they couldn’t hope to understand. There was also a bottle of some bright blue liquid – probably for drinking, but there was no way to be sure until Perdue tested it. And then there was the picture, showing a strikingly human couple, holding each other underneath a gorgeous alien sky. It reminded him of memorabilia people would sometimes keep in their wallets, though why humans were there was a mystery.
The last object the disc spat out was a thin, transparent sheet. Coincidentally, it was about the same size as a smartphone. If he had to guess, it probably had the same function as one, too.
“Incredible,” Dr. Anderson gawked at the items. “The disc must be the Gatebuilders’ version of a wallet, somehow using dimensional storage technology!”
“Akin to the Holding Bags,” Kelmithus noticed. He peered into his own Holding Bag, his expression indicating that he was connecting the dots. “Fascinating!”
Dr. Anderson then inspected the image, his face reflecting the same confusion Henry felt when he first saw it. While they continued to sort through the items, Henry explored the sheet further. The moment he tapped the screen, a holographic interface sprung into existence above it.
What he had initially thought was a simple hologram was something far more advanced, almost indistinguishable from reality itself. Almost instantly, they were surrounded by mountains and valleys, details springing up to form a realistic, three-dimensional map.
It was like a pocket holodeck. The only anchors the projection had were the various icons and pockets of text floating around – and the fact that the hologram was transparent enough for him to see his surroundings and his teammates.
Sera seemed to be the most shocked out of all of them. He couldn’t blame her. The sight was surprising enough for himself, who was even familiar with the concept through sci-fi; how much more alien would it seem to someone from – effectively – the past?
“I’ve not beheld such a spell… ever!” she exclaimed softly, pausing to gather her thoughts. “Hold on…” she continued, pointing to the distant peaks. “Why, yon mountain range! Does it not strike you as familiar?”
“Huh?” Ron squinted at it. “Does it?”
“No, yeah, it does!” Isaac said. “Shit, uh, is that the Ovinne Mountain Range?”
Henry brought up the file for the Ovinne Mountain Range on his visor, comparing it to the hologram. “Huh, yeah, it is. What’s a map of that doing in here, though?”
Dr. Anderson raised his hands in the air and spread them apart, mimicking a zoom. Lucky for them, the alien tech seemed to understand what they were going for. Now up close and in full detail, the Ovinne Mountain Range dominated the room. Somewhere in the mountains, an icon that looked like a pair of glasses sat right on top of a Gatebuilder tower, barely poking out of the mountainside.
Ryan crossed his arms as he scrutinized the hologram. “Is this what, Find My iPhone?”
“Hmm… rather likely,” Dr. Anderson agreed. “This device must be some sort of Locator.”
“Locator, huh?” Having this clue was an incredible breakthrough, but he noticed something else. “And right where the Ovinne Mountain Campaign’s supposedly taking place, at that.”
“Indeed, that you mention it, such alignment is surely noteworthy,” Kelmithus remarked. His voice took on a more excited note, “Be it fate, perhaps?”
Henry smirked. “Hah, you’re sounding a bit like Sera, now. Well, looks like fate’s telling us where to go next. Let’s pack this up and head back.”
They carefully stowed the various artifacts in their holding bags, Henry holding on to the Locator. They made their way back to the locker room where they first entered, everyone excited for the next step in their mission.
Henry stepped through the airlock first, emerging on the other side. As he did so, a faint sound caught his attention. It was distant, muffled, but definitely not a sound that belonged to this facility. He wanted to take off the envirosuit, but it seemed that had to wait.
Ron came through the airlock after him. “Bro, you think –”
Henry held up a hand, stopping him short. He raised his weapon, picking up on the ‘something’s not right’ vibe.
Activating his infrared vision and using the laser mounted on his M7, Henry searched for signs of thermal distortions, just like he’d done back at Duke Vancor’s mansion. Ron did the same. As the rest of the team emerged from the airlock, they quickly caught on to the situation. Without a word, they joined them in securing the room.
After clearing the locker room, Henry signaled to move on to the lab next door. It was just as empty as the locker room, but now the sounds were more audible, definitely coming from the hallway just outside. Instructing his team to hold still, he crept toward the doorway to investigate.
He peeked around the corner, and felt his stomach drop. There, in the main hallway, was a group of soldiers. They were decked out in distinctive black armor and cloaks. They had no identifiable markings or insignia on their armor, but it was obvious – these were Nobians.
Henry pulled back, returning to his team. “Contact outside. At least a dozen Nobians securing the hallway.”
Ron’s expression grew serious. “Shit. Any idea on their entry point?”
Henry positioned himself behind a desk, aiming his weapon at the doorway. “Probably the same way we came in.”
“Main corridor’s the only play, huh?” Ryan said.
The main hallway only had one line of sight, and it just happened to be the only way out. Well, the only one they could reasonably access. The facility probably had other exits or fancy teleporters, but they’d already scoured the area for the former and wouldn’t be able to figure out the latter.
“Dozen hostiles doesn’t seem like a lot,” Isaac pointed out, taking out another Black Hornet from his bag. “We’re still good on ammo, too.”
Ron shook his head. “Dozen? Yeah, a dozen that we can see.”
“Owens is right,” Henry agreed. “We can’t confirm their numbers outright. If I had to guess, it would probably be at least fifty. Manageable, but I’d prefer that to be our last resort.”
“How might we fare with a disturbance?” Sera offered.
Kelmithus gripped his staff. “I might conjure an echo of noise distant hence. It shan’t last, but it can afford us enough time for our escape.”
Kelmithus’ plan seemed like it could work, but only if the Nobians didn’t know they were here. “No,” Henry disagreed. “They’ve seen our MRAPs outside. We’d get surrounded.”
“How about negotiation?” Dr. Anderson suggested, a hopeful note in his voice.
“Negotiation? With the Nobians?” Kelmithus questioned.
They all knew what the Nobians were like. It really did come off as a ridiculous idea, but what if Dr. Anderson was right? The archaeologist defended himself, “I know, I know. However, we have yet to confirm their hostility, and it would not serve us well to initiate hostilities with the Nobians.”
Taking in the silence as contemplation, he continued, “If talks break down, we hold our ground here. It’s not ideal, but we’ll control the engagement area and prevent them from flanking us.”
Henry reviewed the situation again. 12 hostiles, but they should expect the worse, so at least 50 hostiles plus failed negotiations. Holding the only way out, they were likely spread out between the hallway, the cave system, and possibly even the forest outside. Dr. Anderson’s plan was solid, but he had a few minor qualms. In particular, holding the line meant possibly exhausting themselves in a battle of attrition.
“Alright. We’ll open with negotiations. I’m skeptical, but it's worth a shot. Should that fail, we can’t engage in a drawn-out conflict. We’ll disrupt their positions and quickly move to the cave outside.”
“Smoke grenades and flashbangs,” Ryan muttered.
“Affirmative,” Henry said, nodding in agreement. “If we can’t see them, we’ll level the playing field so they can’t see us.”
“Captain,” Kelmithus quickly interjected, “Bid me aid your efforts. I’ve insight enough to create fog. I’ve learned from our encounter with the Sentinel Lindwyrm.”
“You can replicate that heavy fog?” Ron asked.
Kelmithus held up his palm, producing an opaque puff of steam to prove his point. “Indeed so, Lieutenant. Adequately do these envirosuits shield us, that I might harness more extreme temperatures for more effective casting.”
Henry was impressed with how quickly the archmage grasped such a concept. “Good. Yen, get that drone into the cave. We’ll hold for updates.”
Yen nodded, carrying out Henry’s order silently. The drone’s feed directly streamed to their HUDs, and after a few minutes, Isaac looked up. “Done.”
Henry analyzed the data. They had visual confirmation of a dozen Nobians inside the facility itself and a staggering forty outside, both in the cave and around the cave entrance. It was an assumption, but there probably weren’t many cloaked soldiers past the hallway. He sighed; the worst-case scenario would have them facing a hundred men in total.
It was a challenge, but the drone’s intel granted them a critical tactical advantage. He analyzed his minimap, selecting and sharing a route with minimal enemy contact. “After clearing the facility’s entrance, we’ll proceed along the designated path. Upon exit, I’ll deploy a flare to signal our movement to the MRAPs for extraction. We will then rendezvous with Zulu-9 and coordinate with air support before re-engaging to secure the site.”
His team nodded, fully on board with the plan. He took a deep breath to steel himself before checking his watch – 16:24. “Alright, time to show ourselves.”
Letting his M7 sling over his chest, Henry prepared two flash grenades – one in each hand – before stepping out. With his team in tow, he moved to the center of the hallway, catching the attention of one of the Nobian patrols.
“Attention, Nobian forces! We request parley. I am Captain Donnager of Alpha Team, Tier 6 Adventurer. We are on an official quest sanctioned by the Adventurer’s Guild. We have no intention of hostilities and seek to discuss our presence and objectives to ensure mutual understanding.”
As Henry’s words echoed through the hallway, the Nobian soldiers snapped into action. He heard the sounds of bowstring being drawn taut and the rasp of metal as swords cleared their scabbards. His hands tightened around the flash grenades.
He kept his gaze steady, projecting a sense of calm; of confidence – enough to convince the Nobians that even outnumbered, he and his team were still no match for them. More soldiers joined the patrol, until all twelve of the previously identified Nobians were upon them. They kept their distance, but Henry could feel the tension boiling.
Just as the standoff seemed to reach a critical point, the air in front of them seemed to fold outward from itself, like watching the effects of gravitational lensing on light. A figure coalesced from the distortion – so this is what invisibility magic looked like.
The man was broad-shouldered and tall, seeing eye-to-eye with him, even despite the extra inches in height the envirosuit gave. As the last wisps of the cloaking magic faded away, Henry found himself staring into a pair of piercing gray eyes that seemed to bore into his very soul.
The newcomer had an angular face and was clad in black armor with a different sheen than the black armor of his comrades. Silver trimmings and an insignia emblazoned on his chestplate – a dagger through a swirl of mist – differentiated his status. A cloak of the same dark hue billowed behind him as he walked forward and drew his sword.
Keeping his sword to the side, he stopped a respectable ten meters away from Henry. “I am Carvus Alnect Virelius, Umber Vicearch of the Order of the Shadow.” He then pointed his sword at Henry, declaring, “Of desecrating sovereign Nobian territory, you stand accused.”
As Carvus spoke, more soldiers materialized alongside him, shimmering into existence as they dropped their cloaking spells. Henry had expected this to happen, but seeing it play out still sent a chill down his spine. How many more were still lying in wait?
The Vicearch kept his weapon on Henry, eyes narrowing. “Commander unto commander, I offer a choice: cede your Holding Bags, that secure passage may be granted unto you. Refuse, and you shall be declared as spies and enemies of the Nobian Empire, your lives forfeit to swift execution.”
READ 2 WEEKS AHEAD: Season Finale Chapter 17 is now available for Tier 2 Manifest Fantasy Patrons and higher!
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I’m new to henna after using chemical box dyes and salon color for about 30 years (!) My hair had been so damaged from bleaching and dying over the years, I had to make the switch to henna. I went with the color burgundy from Light Mountain, because the shade seemed the coolest of their reds from the colors shown on the box. My natural color is a medium mousy brown that looks more bronze in the sun. My skin is very cool toned, so I was hoping for a darker cool red, but what I got was a slightly brassy dark brown. I really would like to continue with henna color, but I’m wondering if I could use a color depositing conditioner in a shade that would get me to more of a dark raspberry, cooler burgundy, or black cherry soda shade. I know I can’t bleach my hair now that it’s got the indigo in it, or it will turn green, right? Has anyone found a solution? Thanks!

I have a bedroom light switch that still turns on after I switch the breaker off. Im confident its the correct breaker because all of the outlets lose power. Is this an easy fix? Or do I need a professional to take a look?

Astrid makes one of my absolute favorite lilac perfumes, so I was extremely excited about this collection! Though my gut instinct was to blind bottle all 8 Studies, I played it cool & ordered 4 decants. I am definitely bottling at least 1 of these, but 2 others are full size contenders as well so this has been a very successful sampling experience.
Astrid is a brand that I really admire but don’t own much from. Often our aesthetics are a bit misaligned & it’s rare that I find a scent of theirs that feels like me. The scents often don’t have the best performance on my skin as well- I generally find them to be a bit too quiet & have a wear time of only 3 hours or so.
That said, Astrid is always worth sampling since they have a great talent for marrying approachability with peculiarity.
On to the reviews!
——
Lilac Study No. 2 “lilac, nag champa incense, spun sugar, and frankincense.”
Opens with the nag champa, the cotton candy swirling in, the lilac at first a silken accent. I get a citrusy frankincense next that makes me a little wary it’s going to stomp on the other notes. The lilac in this one is quite subtle to me- the incense cotton candy along with the bright frankincense are definitely the main players, with the lilac adding a grace & softness. I do wish the frankincense (or whatever else may be leading to the citronella-y note I get once in a while) was left out, but it’s not that distracting & may smooth out with age. Eventually this blends into a gauze of cotton candy tinged with incense & lilac essence, & remains that way throughout wear. If you like sugary incense scents, please check this one out- it does not disappoint. Average throw for an oil- I can smell it when I move around but not when still for the most part. Average to low longevity.
Lilac Study No. 3 “lilac, honey accord, black pepper, vanilla absolute, and bergamot”
Lots of honey & bergamot to start with a tinge of pepper. Cheerfully sweet, a little perfumey, the honey lighter-bodied but powerful. The lilac here complements the honey, infusing it with soft petals. The honey/bergamot combo makes me think of perfumieless realistic takes on green tea- Serpentina from Darling Clandestine comes to mind. Over time, the vanilla comes out a little more, working to tame the honey & smooth over & bring together the other notes. The lilac in this one still acts as an aspect of the honey, it’s subtle in this blend. I get a shake of pepper & could do with a heavier dose to help balance the honey out. I like this one too but it’s my least favorite so far. I’m not always into honey- if you are, this one is quite nice with that sunny bergamot. It’s stronger than the average Astrid blend as well in terms of both throw & longevity.
Lilac Study No. 7 “lilac, iron distilled patchouli, violet leaf absolute, vanilla absolute, rice flower, jasmine sambac, velvet musk, and benzoin”
A cleaner, sheerer lilac with a dab of patchouli & a bright grassy green. This one opens as a more vibrant Spring scene than the other studies, the lilac just part of the tableau at first. Slowly it fuzzes into a musk. The lilac, jasmine, & rice flower are a pale, clean feeling bouquet with the lilac serving as the dominant flavor. The violet leaf is dialed down by the musk, the patchouli even more so. As this dries I would say the rice flower is the most impactful note of the composition- the lilac, jasmine, violet leaf, musk, & patchouli are all in evidence but filtered through the sheer rice flower. I get more patchouli than lilac over time & I am very curious how this one would age- if that patchouli would come out even more & how it would play under the curtain of rice flower. Average throw, & I’d say average to low longevity for me at this time.
Lilac Study No. 8 “lilac, butter co2, vanilla, and cream”
This smells like cereal milk at first, creamy & milky fruity. As the lilac materializes, the fruitiness abates- I’m not sure what I was getting there. The lilac here is gorgeous, fusing with a sweet cream note that is neither too heavy nor sour in the slightest. This one is distinctly lilac petals to my nose. They are ultra satiny & mesh beautifully with the texture of the cream & butter. The lilac is dominant well into wear, though the cream, fortified with a little yellow butter & vanilla, does gradually get stronger- eventually it’s cream & lilac instead of creamy lilac, if that makes sense. Well into drydown the vanilla gets nice & marshmallowy, with cream luscious & smooth & a breath of lilac. This is a lovely flormand specimen & I’m really in love with it. It wears close but I wouldn’t call it overly quiet or faint, it’s just the type of scent that hugs to the skin. I think that lends itself to longevity as well as it was discernible & enjoyable for over 4 hours (I stopped being able track after that).
——
Bonus review of Astrid’s Barn Owl “soft old barn wood, cream, and lilac blossom.”
I immediately wanted to sample No. 8 since it shared notes with one of my favorite scents, Barn Owl, so I figured I’d do a short review for that one too.
Barn Owl’s lilac is ethereal, creamy, & has a touch of, I think, white musk to it. The creaminess is perfumey, never going gourmand. It is a silken ghost on silent wing, the barn wood far below. Barn Owl is undeniably a lilac scent, but it feels more like white blooms in the night than the palette of pale purples I’ve gotten from the Studies. During drydown, Barn Owl is lightly sweet, soft against the skin, the wood more present but never overtaking the cream or lilac or weighing down the ethereal quality of the scent. I love this one for its clean creaminess & whispery veil of lilac.
Bonus review of BPAL’s Pleasing Two Women “oakmoss-infused vanilla bourbon, smoked lilac petals, and orris butter.”
& since it’s the season, I’m sampling other new lilac scents as well. This one is from this year’s Shungas & I thought that a short review may help others make informed lilac decisions.
Pleasing Two Women is a more romanticized take on lilac, with additional smoothness, almost to the point of waxiness, from the orris butter. The lilac petals are higher pitched & slightly more funky than in the Astrid blends & I unfortunately don’t get any of the listed smoke from them. The oak moss is one drop of dark green swirled into lots of whites & purples & it provides an anchor for the lilac & orris. Later in wear the sheer vanilla is the star here, a little mossy, slightly waxy, with more orris than lilac discernible. It’s a highly glamorized take on Springtime- a perfumed impression of blossoms & greenery instead of actual scents captured. BPAL always has good longevity & throw for me & this one is no exception.
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Thanks for reading if you’ve gotten this far! Astrid absolutely excels at creating gorgeous lilac scents & I highly recommend sampling some of the Studies if you love lilacs!

Author’s Note:
If you enjoy the story so far, please consider upvoting and commenting! These go a long way in helping the story reach a larger audience. (Also, reddit removes all my formatting for some reason so if you want a fully formatted read, check out my story on RoyalRoad)
READ 2 WEEKS AHEAD: Season Finale Chapter 17 is now available for Tier 2 Manifest Fantasy Patrons and higher!
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First
Three, two, one... execute.
Ron peeked around the corner, his M4E1 Carl Gustaf already loaded with standard HEAT rounds. The rest of Alpha Team stacked up behind him or behind Ryan, who was on the other side of the doorway. Through the opening, they could see a nightmarish tangle of webs and egg sacs, with the skittering shapes of Spiranids lurking in the shadows in the far corners of the room.
The Queen was positioned in the center of the room, completely exposed by a cluster of eggs. Henry watched as Ron leveled his Gustaf, taking aim at the Queen while they stayed along the wall to ensure Ron’s backblast was clear. It should have been an easy kill, but a flicker of movement caught Henry’s eye.
A blob of white flew across his vision, smacking into Ron just as he fired his weapon. The thick strands of webbing bypassed Kelmithus’ shielding and wrapped around him, sending him flying back a couple of meters. He landed on his back, his body and launcher completely stuck to the floor by the condensed silk.
Around the same time, the Gustaf’s projectile struck the Queen’s abdomen section. The resulting blast tore through its exoskeleton but was far from a fatal blow. The Queen shrieked, a sound far deeper than Henry expected.
“Fuck!” Ron shouted, struggling to break free from the webbing.
Henry exhaled. They were a man down, but helping him had to wait; the not-dead Queen and its minions took precedence. It would be great if he had another launcher in his own Holding Bag, but that was something he’d have to bring up to Chief Cole later. Henry tossed his grenades into the room, the pops mingling with the screeches of injured Spiranids. Ryan struck simultaneously, throwing his own collection into the mix. Like firecrackers, the explosives were violent but short-lived.
As the chaos subsided, Henry pushed in. Raising his shotgun, he tore through a Spiranid that pounced at him, its carcass smoldering from the white phosphorous. Beside him, Isaac, Ryan, and Dr. Anderson’s shots rang out, tearing through their own sectors of fire.
Almost immediately upon their entry, the Queen surged forward with terrifying speed. It reared its head back like it was about to vomit, mandibles covered in a sick, yellowish color. Henry recognized immediately what it was trying to do. “Acid, move!”
Henry dove away from his previous position, taking a shot at another Spiranid that had taken the opportunity to jump at him while its master was preparing to attack. He narrowly escaped the lethal spray as it jetted toward him. The acid splattered on the ground where they had stood not even a second before, sizzling fiercely as it corroded the thick webbing sprawled across the floor. He noticed as he ran that, rather curiously, the acid was simply puddling on the floor. There was no damage to the floor itself, but if it could tear apart high-quality monster silk just like that, he didn’t want to find out what it could do to an envirosuit.
Henry glanced back after blasting apart his third Spiranid. His teammates were fine – Ryan helping him keep the Queen’s attention, Sera already on her way to Ron, and the others taking care of the smaller Spiranids. He tried to get a quick headcount of how many Spiranids they’d already eliminated. Between their guns, Kelmithus’ magic, and the grenades, he estimated they had killed at least a dozen so far. Solid progress, but the fact that they weren’t able to take out the Queen with their first strike was an issue.
Henry rolled to his left as the Queen pounced on his previous position. It was fucking fast, like a Goliath birdeater but scaled up – and with nasty abilities that really shouldn’t belong on a creature like this. He recovered quickly and took aim, firing point-blank into its thorax. The white phosphorous pellets hissed as they burned into its exoskeleton, forcing it back.
Beside him, Ryan’s shotgun boomed. He struck the Queen’s legs, which seemed to be more fragile than the thick exoskeleton surrounding the head and thorax. The pellets bit into the chitin, likely striking a nerve as evidenced by the leg’s subsequent buckling and collapse. It was a lucky shot – one that he doubted they could repeat four or five more times.
“Sera, use my knife! Here, right here!” Ron called out.
Sera’s sword must’ve been too large to effectively cut through the webbing. They had to hurry up. He and Ryan had been dodging the Queen’s attacks, but mostly by a hair’s breadth. All it took was one lucky hit from the Queen to put them out of commission, possibly for good. “Sera, status on Ron?”
“One minute!” she responded.
Damn. That was one minute later than he’d hoped. Reacting instinctively, Henry noted the Queen raising one of its legs – a sure sign of it preparing for another attack. The Queen struck again, this time cleaving the air with the leg, aiming to corral him into a predictable escape route. As its leg swept through the air, Henry caught sight of the Queen rearing its head back in a grotesque mimicry of a snake about to strike – another acid attack.
Anticipating the monster’s strategy, Henry feinted to the right, a move he hoped would mislead it about his true intentions. As the Queen’s head followed his feint, Henry twisted sharply, scraping against the rough ground. With a powerful push from his legs, he launched backward just as the Queen unleashed its attack.
Acid spewed forth in a wide arc, splattering where he had just been. The corrosive globs almost instantly melted the webbing on the floor, collecting into pools. And there was the second issue. The longer this fight dragged on, the less room they’d have to maneuver.
Henry unloaded into the creature’s compound eyes before tossing a flashbang near its legs. The creature staggered backward, blinded in both its eyes and its sensory hairs. Henry used the precious few seconds he bought to reload his weapon and check up on his team. “Yen, sitrep?”
“Stragglers neutralized; we’re moving to you now.”
Automatic gunfire erupted as Isaac and Dr. Anderson joined the fight against the Queen, dumping their mags on the creature’s head. The 6.8mm seemed to penetrate well, but he could say the same if they fought an elephant; the Spiranid Queen was simply too large for the relatively small caliber rounds to have any effect besides pissing it off.
The Queen lunged again, its legs surrounding him from all sides. There was only one way out, and it was through the belly of the beast. Henry rushed forward, ducking under the Queen’s mandibles as he slid underneath its abdomen. He fired his shotgun as quickly as he could, unloading pellets into the beast’s underbelly. The white phosphorous scorched the softer flesh, drawing a shriek of pain from the massive creature.
As the Queen writhed under the relentless assault, Ryan and the others seized the moment to reload their weapons and reposition. They poured everything they had into the creature’s cephalothorax, bluish ichor oozing from the hundreds of new wounds that they opened up. Yet, it was like chipping away at a mountain – it simply wasn’t enough. The creature thrashed around violently in response; Henry knew it was only a matter of time before it landed a hit on someone.
And land a hit it did. With a terrifying swiftness, one of its massive legs slammed into Henry’s chest, launching him backward. The shield Kelmithus cast on him flickered as it absorbed the brunt of the impact. He crashed into an egg sac by the entrance – its membrane ruptured on impact, drenching him in a sticky, corrosive slime. The sac provided little cushion, and he hit the ground hard, the breath knocked out of him.
Pain flared across Henry’s chest where the Queen’s leg had struck him. Gasping for breath and battling the encroaching blackness in his vision, he instinctively checked his envirosuit. He started with the areas he could see, glancing down at his chest. It was visibly deformed, dented but not quite a gash.
Still intact, thank goodness. No breach, but another hit like that would be disastrous. He breathed a sigh of relief, his chest hurting like hell as he did so. He checked his sides and back. Parts of his suit were covered in slime from the egg sac. It didn’t seem as corrosive as the Queen’s acid, but it was still a hazard. Quickly, he swiped at it, removing as much as possible with his gloved hands to prevent further damage.
He forced himself up, grabbing his shotgun from the floor. The Queen was already barreling toward him, the damn monster not letting up. He didn’t have time to make a run for it; he needed to jump to one side or the other, and the timing needed to be perfect. Just as the Queen’s shadow engulfed him, the air turned icy cold, frost creeping up on his visor.
Ice formed from thin air, spearing up from the ground and piercing through the Queen’s legs. The spikes rooted the beast in place. Not one to waste an opportunity, Henry dashed away from the entrance, firing at the immobilized giant spider as he linked up with the others.
“Sera?” Henry asked again.
Sera’s voice came in strained. “Almost…” Then, with a triumphant shout, she announced the word Henry had been desperate to hear. “Done!”
“Owens!” Henry said, risking a glance back.
Ron had already grabbed his Gustaf and was in the process of loading another HEAT round. “On it!”
Henry grinned. It was a relief, to be sure. With Ron free and back in the fight, the odds had just tipped heavily in their favor. The Queen was tough, but it wasn’t invincible; they just needed an opening.
Given the damage the Queen sustained to its body, Henry couldn’t imagine it being in peak fighting condition. Even in its weakened state, though, it still had the capability to dodge Ron’s attack, and it seemed to be saving its web ability for that very inevitability.
“Take out the legs!” Henry ordered.
They combined their fire on the left legs, since Ryan managed to break one of them earlier. He heard a crack that might’ve been the chitin giving way or the leg snapping, but it was hard to tell. He was just about to chalk it up to the prevailing gunfire around them, but then he saw it: a brief stumble. The Queen recovered quickly, but it was clear to Henry that it wouldn’t be able to manage any more damage to its legs.
Then, he noticed a blur in his peripheral vision to his right, moving so fast his eyes could barely keep up. Shit, he was certain he kept track of the Queen’s movements. With the existing damage to his envirosuit, he’d be completely fucked. He braced himself for another impact, but it never came.
As he focused harder on the blur, he caught a glimpse of a flash of light that could only be one thing – Sera’s sword, And, just like a flash of lightning, she had already cleared the vicinity of the Queen. The Queen’s foreleg seemed to simply vanish, severed so cleanly that it took a moment for the beast to realize what had happened. When it did, it let out a screech of pain, its balance faltering as it tried to adapt to the sudden change.
While Henry focused on taking out another leg from the left side, Sera had already shifted to her next target. Their assault was brutal: white phosphorus pellets and hard-hitting 6.8mm on one side, ice magic and skilled swordsmanship on the other. And to think, they managed to inflict all this damage by the time Ron completed his reload.
“Clear the way!” Ron called out, his Gustaf aimed right at the Queen’s head.
Henry jumped back, watching as Kelmithus conjured another set of ice spikes to root the beast again, in case the five obliterated legs weren’t enough to keep it down. The Queen thrashed against the icy bonds, its remaining legs slashing through the air in a frenzied bid for freedom. It spat acid – a tactic that would’ve worked effectively on most other materials, but instead simply got diluted with the melting ice. Even as the acid reacted with the ice, the spikes held firm, anchoring the beast in place like steel cables.
Henry’s heart pounded in his ears. Come on, Owens, he urged silently. Take the shot.
As if on cue, Ron pulled the trigger. The Gustaf bucked in his hands as the HEAT round streaked towards its target. Henry barely had time to brace himself before the explosion hit, the shockwave slamming into him and nearly toppling him over. He staggered back, gazing into the settling dust.
When the smoke cleared, the Queen’s head was obliterated – replaced by a gory mess of shattered chitin and pulverized flesh. Blood sprayed from the gaping hole, covering the ground in a pale blue hue. The creature’s body convulsed, its remaining legs scrabbling weakly at their surroundings.
A surge of triumph washed over Henry, but it was fleeting. From the corner of his eye, he locked on to a glimpse of movement. One of the Queen’s legs continued to spasmodically jerk around and spray the ground with blue ichor. He raised his shotgun in a nonchalant motion and blasted the errant limb, watching as it shuddered and went still.
Sera stepped up, her sword barely catching the light as she jammed it into what was left of the Queen’s thorax. A sharp twist, and it was over. She then yanked the blade from the carcass, her grip shifting subtly along the hilt. As she flicked the sword, frost swiftly coated the ichor clinging to the metal. The frozen debris was flung off, hitting the ground and shattering like glass.
He glanced down at his Holding Bag. Damn, the fight took out most of his shells. Swapping out his shotgun for his M7, he turned to his team and took stock of their condition. It seemed everyone had mostly gone unscathed, only debris and dirt scarring their envirosuits. Well, except for himself and Ron. “Think we’re gonna have to start calling you pinata now,” Henry said, clapping his friend on the shoulder.
Ron scoffed. “Yeah? Says the runner-up,” he said, tapping the dent on Henry’s envirosuit. “Better ‘pinata’ than ‘roadkill’, though. But seriously, what’s next? Don’t even know where to start.”
The room was empty, save for the debris strewn about and the singular obelisk standing in the center of the room. He didn’t notice it earlier, but as he got closer, he realized that the obelisk emitted a faint light that barely escaped the canopy of webs. He looked it up and down before turning to the others. “Only one place to start. Let’s clear out the webs, see what’s hiding below.”
“Doc, Kel, clear out the eggs. Hayes, Sera, see if the Queen’s got anything useful. Everyone else focus on the webs,” Henry ordered.
Ron drew his knife and started slicing through the dense cobwebs. “Hey, what y’all think the Queen’s Tier is?”
Isaac paused to consider. “Eh, Tier 8, probably. Minotaur boss and Rillifane boss were both Tier 8, so I’d say the spider’s around the same level.”
“Well, the resilience of the specimen isn’t a definitive measure of the Tier,” Dr. Anderson pointed out. “It’s quite possible that we merely had the most suitable tools at hand in this particular encounter.”
“The scholar speaks truly,” Sera agreed. “There is nary a defining criterion; defense is but one of many that are considered by the Guild. Were it so simple, Kelmithus and I would have attained Tier 9 ere now.”
“So, what do you think the Queen is, then? Tier 7 maybe?” Ron asked.
Henry shook his head. Tier 7 didn’t seem accurate. Using his knife to scrape some of the webbing off his glove, he voiced, “Spiranids are weak in general, but are classified as Tier 5 or higher because of their traps, ambush tactics, numbers, and abilities. Archers can use Wind Snipe and mages can use wide-area spellcasting, but they can’t reliably penetrate the exoskeleton’s armor. If anything, this is probably on the lower end of Tier 9.”
“Tier 9, huh?” Isaac muttered.
Sera smiled as she stood back. She stuffed a frost-covered gland into her holding bag and paused from her work as she chimed in, “Hmm… how keen. I expected nothing less from the first Tier 6 entrants in Eldralore’s history! It shows plain why the Guild did so swiftly raise you.”
“Hah,” Henry chuckled. It was an amusing thought, but… “Say, ya think we can get to Tier 7 after this?”
Sera’s eyebrows shot up. “Tier 7? A mark of no slight merit. What have you achieved since attaining Tier 6?”
Henry reached to scratch his chin, then cursed softly as his glove thudded against his visor. “Well, we took down a Rillifane pack, a Sentinel Lindwyrm, and now this primal Spiranid Queen. That’s not too shabby, eh?”
“Firm victories,” Sera admitted, “but advancement weighs more than battle alone. The Guild also considers quest difficulty, knowledge gained therefrom, and impact – in other words, glory.”
“The Baranthurian Ruins,” Dr. Anderson blurted, taking the words out of Henry’s mouth. He turned to Kelmithus, who approached them after confirming that the eggs had been cleared out. “Surely, working with the Sanctum Arcanum must be quite the honour. The Guild holds their quests with high esteem, wouldn’t you say?”
Kelmithus nodded, burning a clump of disposed webs on the ground. “True as that may be, advancement oft hinges upon the cumulative experience of dozens of quests.”
“Well, ain’t no small feats for us lately,” Ryan remarked. “The quest to the Baranthurian ruins, what was it, Tier 8? Yeah, that was Tier 8. Sentinel Lindwyrm? Hell, Tier Nine. That there beast?” Ryan pointed his gun at the carcass of the Spiranid Queen. “Tier 9 as well.”
Ron interjected, “Plus we’ve been helping out along the way, like those villagers, and taking on quests others won’t touch. Honestly, the Hardale quest should be pretty weighty too, considering the Nobian shenanigans.”
Sera hummed, mulling over Alpha Team’s experiences. The fact that most of their quests at Tier 6 had essentially been Tier 7 quests or higher in difficulty was probably unheard of in the Guild. Not only that, but they’d been able to complete these difficult quests successfully. Hell, with flying colors, even. That had to count for something.
Henry looked over at Sera, stepping back as he allowed Kelmithus to dispose of the webs that he had cleared out. “So, whaddya think? Based on what we’ve done, you think we got a shot at Tier 7?”
Sera looked up at the ceiling as she weighed her response. “Ehh, you’ve a strong case. Alas, it’s Taldren’s call to make. His favor seems yours, though; I wager he’ll agree.”
Henry grinned. Moving up meant they could have access to more quests. Naturally, that also meant better rewards and in turn, access to some truly magical equipment. “Good to hear. Guess we’ll see to it once we get back to Eldralore. Now, we should probably –”
A soft glow of light gradually lit up the room, interrupting Henry mid-sentence. He squinted, readying his weapon. The light came from the walls and ceiling, illuminating the once-dark chamber. The obelisk, now free of webs, now hummed… healthily? It wasn’t like he had a manual to tell him if this was a good or bad development, but judging from the facility’s reaction, it must’ve worked.
Henry glanced at his HUD. The temperature readings were rising, too. The icy chill from Kelmithus’ magic rapidly dissipated as the environmental controls kicked in. “Well, looks like we’ve done all we can here. Let’s head back to the containment cell room and see if we can find anything else of interest.”
– – –
Outskirts of GB-2, Grenden Forest
Carvus Alnect Virelius narrowed his gaze toward the brightening sky, his eyes cutting through the retreating mist that had long veiled the forest’s canopy. This unprecedented clarity above the ruins was strange. After centuries cloaked in an impenetrable fog, why did the skies clear now?
The Umber Vicearch’s mind worked like a whetstone, sharpening the fragments of reports from his scouts, cryptic as they were. The recent skirmish, occurring concurrently with the lifting fog, could not be mere happenstance. Regardless of the answer, the unexpected fold presented a welcome complexity to test his mettle.
He set his thoughts aside as the sound of footsteps approached.
“Leuarch Eldreyn reporting, milord,” one of his men said. “We’ve word from Serarch Trelian.”
Carvus gave him a nod to continue.
Eldreyn relayed the news. “The scouts espy traces of battle: a fallen Sentinel Lindwyrm and two carriages left abandoned near the cave’s entrance. The land bears scars from some form of magic, strewn with strange metal tubes and other objects unknown to us. Save for the Lindwyrm, no other bodies are to be found. What are your commands, milord?”
Carvus took a deep breath. No other bodies? Two carriages? That such a formidable creature was felled with no apparent casualties among their ranks suggested a small but extraordinarily capable force. Each member was no doubt Tier 7 at the least. The limited number of carriages implied a party not larger than ten. But… what could the metal objects mean?
Powerful though they might be, could such a small group withstand his numbers? Carvus entertained the thought briefly. No, direct confrontation would be unwise. The site bore secrets too vital to squander on rash gambles. Better to maneuver them into a position where the only viable option would be to comply with his demands.
“Hold our position, Lornus,” Carvus commanded. While he preferred the safety of their hidden vantage in the forest, the intrigue of Trelian’s findings – the slain Lindwyrm – was too compelling to ignore. “The contents of Trelian’s report compel our own investigation. Lead us, that we might see for ourselves.”
“As you command, milord.”
It was a short walk to the clearing. As they reached the treeline, Carvus held up a hand, signaling his men to halt – they should go no further than the cover of the forest. The aftermath of the battle lay evident before them. The massive form of the Sentinel Lindwyrm sprawled near the far side of the clearing, its outline murky at a distance.
Carvus squinted, adjusting his position slightly for a better view. He felt his jaw drop, a lapse in composure that surprised even him. Yet, who could fault him? The beast lay nearly torn asunder, its massive body riddled with gaping, jagged wounds that no sword or arrow could inflict. Indeed, not even traditional siege weapons or combat spells could inflict such damage.
The destructive capability of fyric powder was well-known to him – he had seen its use in adamantite mines. The wounds on the Lindwyrm, however, spoke of a force of another Tier entirely. Where fyric powder might clear a path through a stubborn boulder, the agent used against the Sentinel Lindwyrm seemed capable of obliterating several boulders at once, perhaps even an entire cliffside.
Turning his attention from the ravaged beast, he scanned the battlefield. Among the chaos, his eyes caught the glint of metal – strange tubes scattered about, all some lighter shade of bronze. The craters were blackened and littered with debris: shards of metal mixed with wires. This was clearly no ordinary skirmish.
He moved closer to the tree line, cautiously examining the unfamiliar objects. The metal tubes bore no resemblance to any weapons known to Nobian forces. However, their presence here implied that somehow, these objects were related to the catastrophic wounds on the Lindwyrm.
Near the cave’s entrance, two metal carriages lay abandoned. Their exteriors were marred by dirt and marked with an array of dents that appeared to be from the Lindwyrm’s armored tail. The carriages, in style and make, aligned with reports of American machines observed by their Umbercari in distant Eldralore. Mounted atop each was a long cylinder. As foreign as they were, he could tell they were weapons – ones capable of unleashing formidable destruction.
Adventurers throughout the ages had ventured here, all repelled by the formidable Lindwyrm that long guarded these grounds. Had it been folly to devote their resources to the conquest of their neighbors, rather than to mastering and exploiting this site? Such questions surpassed his station, yet irrespective of the answers, the Emperor would surely take no pleasure in learning that he had allowed Americans to plunder the Gatebuilder’s secrets.
Carvus turned to Lornus. “Bid our scouts to investigate the cave.” As Leuarch Eldreyn departed to carry out the orders, he beckoned to one of his serarchs. “Bring me one of those metal tubes. I wish to examine it.”
He sat on a rock, watching the light bend around the man’s form until he vanished from sight. The serarch then adjusted the temperature around his body, matching it to that of the forest. Were it not for the subtle shifts in the man’s mana as he held the spells, Carvus would have surely lost track of him.
The serarch made his way forth, passing through the trees and into the clearing beyond. With haste, he seized upon one of the tubes that lay scattered about, and then, as quick as he had come, he turned and made his way back to the forest’s edge. When at last he returned, Carvus stood up and held out his hand.
The tube, lighter than its solidity might have portended, was chill to the touch and was marked by a patina that showed clear signs of bending. He tried to bend it with his fingers, but the metal resisted. Even when he used magic to strengthen himself, it yielded naught but scant impression. What could have possibly moved the metal?
Looking closely, he noticed that the metal wasn’t bronze, as he had first thought. Though bearing a hue akin to bronze, it was of a kind unfamiliar to him. The surface was engraved with American script – characters and sequences that held little meaning to him. Yet, to deem the letters ‘engraved’ would be to err; it was as if they were imprinted with a craftsmanship nary a smith could rival.
He turned it over in his hands, his eyes drawn to a circular groove near the base. Examining both ends, Carvus noted the open end was distorted as if a great force had expelled something from within – an insight into his previous question. The other end was sealed, marked by a small, precise indentation. He held it up, aligning it with a similarly sized hole in a nearby tree.
This was no common weapon. As a trebuchet releases its load, so too must this tube have hurled its own projectile. It gave him an idea. What if one were to use an adamantite tube with fyric powder, place a keen arrowhead atop, and ignite the mixture below? Would it rival a standard Wind Snipe combined with physical enhancement magic?
Carvus’ thoughts were interrupted by someone calling out to him. “Milord.”
“Hm?” He looked up, finding the face of Leuarch Franus. “What is it, Martano?”
He hesitated, as if second-guessing his words. “The… The Lindwyrm… The men grow restless, milord. They wish to claim the spoils of this battle – the Sentinel Lindwyrm’s materials are prized in many a lore. And these carriages, would it not profit us to salvage what we can? They may hold more secrets – or riches.”
He turned the leuarch’s words over in his mind as he would a well-worn coin. In truth, the idea held merit. Even the smallest measure of a Lindwyrm’s blood was a treasure beyond compare – to say nothing of the other materials, sought after by alchemists and smiths alike. That the Americans had forgone harvest was a curious thing indeed. Could it be that they were ignorant of the creature’s true worth? Or perhaps, had they found something more valuable?
And then there were the carriages, gleaming in the sun like ripe fruit waiting to be plucked. If they could but glean some understanding of how the Americans had so deftly slain a beast of the Lindwyrm’s standing, it would surely prove a boon to the Empire’s own martial pursuits. Perhaps, armed with such knowledge, they might at last gain the upper hand against the accursed Sonarans.
Carvus cast his gaze once more upon the clearing, then turned to face Martano. “Aye,” he said. “Let it be so.”
Yet, as he made to step forth, a low, droning sound beckoned his attention – a buzzing hum that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at once. The unfamiliar noise compelled him to halt. He raised his hand, stopping his men as he searched for the noise. He tilted his head skyward, squinting as he beheld a strange sight: a winged thing hanging in the air above the clearing, like an animal circling its prey. As the sunlight reflected off its surface, it became evident to him that this was no creature of flesh, but a machine – much like the metal carriages.
“Hold,” Carvus ordered. “We dare not venture forth.”
Martano stepped forward, doubt and confusion etched across his face. “But, milord, if we shroud ourselves in invisibility, surely they cannot see us.”
Carvus shook his head. “Nay; recall the umbercari we sent to infiltrate the Duke’s mansion. They, too, thought themselves hidden, yet were somehow discovered. We know not what sorcery that flying machine might possess, and we cannot risk exposing ourselves.”
Before Martano could respond or venture any further protest, the scouts returned, led by Serarch Trelian. The search bowed his head before providing his report, “Milord, the cave lies empty, and the Lindwyrm’s nest remains untouched. We discovered footprints leading to a great sealed door, which we believe to be the entrance to the ruins.”
Carvus nodded. The Americans had ventured forth and left the loot behind for a reason. He thought back to a fortress that the Empire once sacrificed to encircle the forces of the now-conquered Kingdom of Durenelle. “So be it. Let us abandon these lesser spoils. As our adversaries have forgone these spoils in pursuit of greater gains, so must we sacrifice Straltus.”
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My car wont start unless i jump it. When the keys are in the ignition lights turn on radio is on etc. Jump it its good to go. Can drive perfectly fine, power doesnt slowly go out so it cant be alternator. But the moment i shut it down and wait maybe 10-20 min it wont start again & needs a jump. I replaced my starter prob around 3 years ago, spark plugs been changed half a year ago. Now the same thing is happening to my other car. It was gifted to me from a family member & they for some reason dont remember the latest maintenance that has been done to the car. Battery looks fine & is probably less than a year old. Its a 2019 car so its fairly new. Not really sure whats happening. 2014 Nissan Frontier & 2019 Hyundai Tuscon