TRIGGER WARNING! This post will go into topics relating to mental illness, mental health and other related topics, including autism, bipolar disorder and PTSD, along with other trauma based things, as somebody who (Likely?) has these too, im going to be as tasteful as i can be, infact this post is being made to hopefully make discussion about wheatley a bit more tasteful, as ive found that discussions about him can (as a neurodivergent person myself) feel a little bit ableist. and if you have these too and feel like you have your own pov, or if ive gotten anything wrong, please let me know, id love to hear your opinions (:
Howdy! I'm Alice, I've been a fan of portal 2 for as long as I can remember, it still is one of my favourite games of all time. and for the longest time i have always related myself to the character of Wheatley, it started since we were both British and had blue eyes lol, but i feel since I'm older, i feel like that connection goes deeper.
first off, as almost all neurodivergent people have experienced, bullying, in portal 2 Wheatley has dropped hints of him being bullied, as other cores saw him as too different, and getting lied to and mocked, for example other people telling him turning his light on and getting off your rail would kill him, I've experienced this type of bullying before, too, where people would tell me not to do a certain thing, which is completely harmless, probably to make me look stupid, now as somebody who experienced excessive bullying throughout my childhood, the negativity and badness rubbed off on me, to the point where i likely have ptsd from the bullying i had endured, for a long time, and still now, i get extremely paranoid amongst new freind, as im scared they will hurt me as others had before, or alternately, that my annoying nature will push them away, sound familiar?
now i want to go onto Wheatley's betrayal, and where i feel the most passionate to get my opinion out, when Wheatley betrays chell he says that she "bossed him around" which, obviously through the course of the game, never happened, i feel as if many people misinterpret this scene, as him revealing himself to be "evil" and while Wheatley has and will do very objectively bad things, mental illness or not (we will get there later), i see this less as a evil awakening and a ptsd induced mental breakdown, again as i have said, my past experiences with bulling, lying and misdirection, very commonly make me paranoid that the people closest to me have ulterior goals that I'm not aware of, I've been bossed around too, and i wouldn't be surprised if Wheatley's main trauma point is him being "bossed around".
The evidence for him being bossed around are mostly work related, which i find to be interesting as neurodivergent people do have it hard in the work space, at the beginning he is confined to a job that he doesn't like, forced into it, but with no way to quit, i feel as if a lot of neurodivergent people would relate to this, feeling bound by societal pressures to stay at the job they don't like, after his "murder" by glados, he seems to have gotten a new job, specifically to aid chell, but he makes a accident, hitting part of the elevator, where his boss then fires him on the spot, this is also something that slot of neurodivergent people can relate to, getting heavily punished for making an accident.
with that in mind i want to discuss why i don't think Wheatley himself was ever "evil" nor had "evil motivations", since the beginning of the game his only goal is to escape with chell, it only goes downhill when he accidentally wakes glados up, if Wheatley was actually evil im sure he would've purposefully talked about "hacking into the mainframe" from the start or something, which he only does later on as a final resort, even then the two of them didnt really know what to do except, defeat glados, then escape, hell, even when Wheatley gets in control he still talks about wanting to just escape, but then the mainframe get too in control of him, where he succumbs to its will.
The mainframe muddies things up, but in the context of this lets say it feeds the host bad thoughts, bad thoughts that put the host in a stable mindset to test sufficiently i think it is expanding Wheatley's paranoia and wanting to belong, with it expanding his paranoia to levels that make him want to get revenge on people who wronged him, taking it out on people who didn't even do anything to him, this is also another think neurodivergent people can relate on, as due to the bullying we feel as if we should become as bad as the bully, even if it is wrong.
thats it for me! i hope this can inspire some people to be a bit more thoughtful while discussing the character, and i hope if there's a portal 3 that Wheatley will return and hopefully be as cool of a character as ever (:

My sister has what we think is onset schizophrenia, or some mental disorder. She started having delusions and hallucinations since 2019 since her relationship with her extremely abusive boyfriend. It seemed to click a light switch in her. Some of the current delusions have to do with my family and how we are evil pedophiles and evil demonic people. Her delusions and coherency got better during her pregnancies but a year after her last pregnancy she ran away from our house last year with my niece and nephew.
She lived with us with her babies for two years where we helped raise them because she was struggling. I have a lot of sympathy for my sister because I know a good amount of what she went through with the guy but feel a lot of anger at this point. I am angry she never decided to go into treatment and let it get this bad, I am angry the courts think it’s safe for her kids to stay with her even though it constantly feels like she’s having some sort of break and on the edge of doing something stupid, I am angry my relationship with my niece and nephew are severed and being replaced with a fake memory of what is actually was.
But most of all it hurts me how it feels like I will never get my little sister back and the relationship we had. She was bright, witty, smart, and one of my favorite people. I love my sister. I always envisioned us accomplishing our big dreams and growing old together and causing mischief. She would have been the bridesmaid at my wedding and I wanted all of those stupid experiences with her.
It seems, up to now, she truly believes everything she deludes and it just becomes part of her fake memories. So I just have to live with the fact that my niece and nephew will grow up thinking that I am a evil pedophile and that our family is evil when it couldn’t be further from the truth.
It hurts because I truly feel confident in saying that I tried my best to be the best sister and auntie to those kids and those experiences seem like they disappeared into the abyss and feel like just a dream to me. I want to just shake my sister and tell her to wake up and come back. I’m angry at mental illness, I’m angry that she continued doing weed because it made everything worse for her, I’m angry at myself that I stopped living my life the past years to help her in any way, I’m angry at the kids father for hurting her that bad that she felt she needed to numb herself to that extent.
At this point my entire family has to move on and continue living their lives. How do you move on knowing your sibling is still alive and they believe you are evil? Also with the fear that anything could happen and she could kill herself or her kids and there’s absolutely nothing you can do about it?
My fiancé thinks it’s extreme in a way but my brain has started to think of them as deceased at this point. I want to grieve this in a healthy way and I don’t know how. It’s such a wild, complicated situation. I just need to put this aside, being as we’ve been told there is nothing we can do, and start living my life for myself again.
I also wanted to know if there was anyone out there who dealt with anything similar with the mental health of a family member and what your journey was with processing all of it. I’ll talk to my therapist tomorrow about all of this but just wanted to vent and maybe talk to people in a similar situation in the meantime. Life is freaking hard and I can’t stop crying.

I 29F and my husband 38M have been married for 4 years (5 years together). We're not the best at communicating but we did discuss a lot of things before we got married. One of the things we agreed on was having kids in the next few years.
Three years ago my husband lost his 7M with his ex gf to a hit and run accident. Both he and his ex went through a tough time. I never had the right to show any sign of sadness because the first thing he told me and kept saying whenever I tried to just listen to him or comfort him was "You don't have any of your own. You can't possibly understand what I'm going through" "You won't get it" And when I say nothing and carry on with my day he says things like "I'm glad one of us still has a normal life" I literally never knew what to do. I tried my best to just be there for him whatever he wanted but I never knew what it is.
A few months later he started to say things like how he doesn't want to experience such a thing ever again. How he never thought the loss of a child could affect someone this way. But I didn't think much of it because I thought he was grieving. (I've been on birth control since we got together. He never uses protection but after what happened he would ask if I take the pills on time constantly)
10 months after his son's death I got pregnant. It was unexpected. Maybe I would have argued a little but since he wasn't emotionally prepared both of us decided on abortion.
A few weeks ago, I had a busy week at work and couldn't do much on the weekend. I didn't go out (I cooked but couldn't do the dishes) and just tried to get as much rest. He came back later that night with two pregnancy tests. He's been paranoid about me getting pregnant since.
Last week we had an argument where he expressed how the idea of me ending up pregnant again scares him and that he barely remembered how to breathe when we were waiting for the tests result. I told him that I have no problem to wait for a few years but I want kids and nothing can change that. He lashed out at me and how I'm just looking for a reason to leave him and that he never really said he wanted kids. We really talked about this before we even got married and that's not what he said then.
It's been a week now and we haven't talked since. I'm staying with a friend. I'm close with one of my SILs she have been texting me how it would be horrible of me to leave him while he's still dealing with the loss of his son. I didn't leave him for that. I need tome to think and they know nothing about how much our life changed this past two years. He used to be sweet and calm. He's no more affectionate with me. I'm always careful about what I say or do. I love him but I don't like the way he treats me now. All he does is yell and scream at me. Now he can't even talk without grabbing me by the arm or face. Not to the point where I can't bear it but it does hurt (When he wouldn't lower his voice the last argument we had I refused to look at him and tried to go to the bathroom. He grabbed my face a couple of times and forced me to. When I pushed past him he smacked me on the back of my head. it wasn't hard but it did hurt a little). I feel like his family is right I'm his wife and supposed to support him but I really don't know what to do anymore.
Has anyone else been in the same situation? How did you handle it??

Hello, this is going to be a long post but I desperately need advice on what to do.
Quick background I'm 28 and went to the dentist for the first time in February of 2024 since before COVID (yes I know this was very stupid on my part but trust me I've learned my lesson). I should mention I had absolutely no pain in any of my teeth before this journey. As expected I had quite a few cavities. They started with my lower left quadrant filling cavities on tooth 19 and 20. I had a bad reaction to the epinephrine, and they gave me multiple injections, and I still felt the whole thing. I was in a lot of pain even a week after. I couldn't even bite down without shooting pain. They filed the filling down, which helped a little bit, but was still in a lot of pain. They finally took another X-ray and said I had "high pulp horns" and that I'd probably need a root canal on tooth 19 bc the filling was so close to the nerve (even though it was a shallow filling). Also I'm sorry I don't have access to these X-rays to post.
Ok so I finally get in to an endodontist (at this point it's been 1.5 months since the initial filling and being in pain). He tells me that because I'm so young he doesn't want to have to do a root canal, but agrees with the "high pulp horns" diagnosis. He suggest taking Advil for a week and seeing if that helps. (I wish I was joking)
I say ok and obviously taking Advil did not help so I have to make another appointment for the root canal. This root canal took place April 24. I was pretty terrified of the whole experience based on my past of the reaction to epinephrine and also the numbing not working. Essentially this doctor gave me so much numbing (including epinephrine despite my past reactions because he said it would make it more effective). Well, it didn't and the numbing didn't work. Like half my face was completely numb but the one tooth would not get numb at all. He eventually said he was going to have to drill into my tooth and numb it from the inside. I cannot express how painful this was. The worst pain I've ever experienced in my entire life. But I just kept thinking to myself, just get through this, and it's over. Once he numbed my teeth from the inside, that helped a lot (I still felt pain at some points, but compared to what I had been though it felt like nothing)
As to be expected I was in a good amount of pain for a few days after that. Let's fast forward to May 9th (about 2 weeks after my root canal). Overall things were mostly good except for flossing between tooth 19 and 20. These teeth are very close together which makes it really difficult and when I pull the floss back up I feel that same tooth nerve pain. It is not the gums. I'm sure my gums are a bit inflamed there, but I can tell the difference between nerve pain and gum pain. I also have cold sensitive in the exact same spot where it hurts to floss. I called the endodontist and he says to come in again for evaluation.
I had that this morning may 15th. I explained this all to him and he said it sounds like gum pain. When I told him about the cold sensitivity he said that was not possible because they removed all the nerves. He did the cold test on the affected tooth, and sure enough I felt it. He wanted more X-rays. Finally he comes back in saying he doesn't see anything wrong on the X-rays and nothing wrong when examining my tooth. He says the only thing he can do is give me ANOTHER root canal on the SAME tooth. I am clearly very distraught about this fact after what I've been through with the numbing no working for me. He goes "well it's up to you what you want to do. You don't have to get the retreatment if you don't want. But you said you're in pain and I do root canals. So I can do a root canal for you. Up to you"
As you can imagine this did not I still confidence in me. I have no clue what to do. He seemed very perplexed that I could still feel cold. If he told me that getting another root canal on the same tooth would completely fix my pain then I would suck it up and go through it again. But it seems like he has no idea if that will even help? Are there any dentists out there that have heard of anything like this happening. What do you suggest? I have been dealing with this for 3 months and I am at the end of my rope. I am not a doctor or a dentist, but to me pain means something is wrong. So the fact that he said I can just do nothing about the pain seems very odd to me. Like surely that will just make things worse in the long run? But I'd rather not have to get a root canal again just based on a guess. Please please help. I am desperate. Any advice you have is so appreciated.
If you made it to the end of this mad respect.

Part 14.3

Heracles VS Lernaean Hydra

Author Note: I was thinking about it and I really wish that GT9 used more draconic symbolism throughout the story when (or if) I revisit Team Crowley VS Rosencreutz I'll have symbolism of Aleister (TheBeast666), Aiwass (Codename: DRAGON) and Coronzon (The Dragon of the Abyss) all have symbology of them being Dragons preying on a God/Hero like CRC and the reversed conflict of Chaos VS Order you see in mythology, I also wanted to achieve something similar with Kakine Teitoku as he can represent the Fallen Angel and the Seraphim but for now I'll try adding draconian symbolism into Gunha VS CRC.
True Expert Christian Rosencreutz, with his golden rosy cross sword, clashed relentlessly against the indomitable force of the Strongest Gemstone, Sogiita Gunha. With each clash of their powers, the air crackled and compressed, and the pavement trembled beneath.
CRC, observed Sogiita with a mixture of intrigue and disdain. "You fight like the legendary Heracles," he remarked, his voice carrying over the din of battle. "But know this, I am the Lernaean Hydra, and no matter how many heads you sever, I shall always rise again!" Rosencreutz roared to slice the #7’s midsection.
Sogiita, his entire body wreathed in unknowable energy, met CRC's blade unyielding. "Bring it on, old man!" he retorted, his voice brimming with confidence. "I'll knock you down as many times as it takes! I won't stop till you come to your senses and remember your roots, like the roses you love so much, Rosencreutz!!"
Their clash intensified, that old man’s higher dimensional sword colliding with the raw power of that boy’s fists and kicks as they pushed each other to their limits with each sword swing, punch, kick and flash.
Sogiita unleashed a barrage of punches, each strike carrying the force of a meteor, while that silver young man countered: he wielded his sword in his right hand and released impacts followed by white light that was enough to previously take down all of The Bridge Builders Cabal.
As the battle raged on, the very fabric of reality seemed to warp and shift around them, bearing witness to the titanic struggle between two unparalleled forces.
The founder of Rosicrucianism who intimidated reality itself to obey his will and that Gemstone with an unstable personal reality that could change on a whim.
The atmosphere crackled with electrifying distortion.
Sogiita's fists tore through the air with the ferocity of meteors, their velocity enhanced by his ability to adapt and accelerate, surpassing even CRC's speed. As each blow was released, the friction with the surrounding air molecules ignited a scorching heat, intensifying the impact.
The rapid movement of molecules generated an escalating thermal energy, causing the air to seethe with increasing temperature. It was akin to a tempest of incandescent projectiles hurtling towards CRC, their speed surpassing the limits of human perception.
It was like a storm of brilliant fiery arrows was fired at Rosencreutz.
These blazing arrows of force were reminiscent of the elusive strikes employed by the Rose & Cross Leader, ignoring distance with deceptive agility.
With each thunderous punch, that bandana boy sought to overpower his adversary through sheer kinetic force, his unwavering resolve palpable in every motion.
But that wasn't enough for this superhuman.
CRC, wielding his cross sword with precision and skill, deflected each and every one Sogiita's flaming arrows with calculated strikes of his own. Each impact unleashed a burst of blinding white light, sending shockwaves rippling through the chaotic city.
"You think brute strength alone will defeat me?" the silver man taunted, his voice cutting through the chaos of battle. "You may be strong, but strength without strategy is nothing but raw power wasted."
Sogiita grinned, his confidence unshaken. "Strategies for cowards who can't handle a real fight," he retorted, his voice ringing with defiance. "I'll K.O. you with my fists and guts alone!!!!"
Rosencreutz's eyes narrowed as he parried another of Sogiita's punches. "Your arrogance will be your downfall," he warned, his tone tinged with certainty. "I may not match your overall speed, but I have something you lack: intellect and precision.”
Christian Rosencreutz then plunged his cross sword into the ground.
"This is what harmed Kamijou Touma," he declared, grinning and unleashing a torrent of lethal invisible attacks from his outstretched palms.
However, the #7 countered with a relentless barrage of flaming arrows from the thermal aftershock of his punches.
Each strike akin to a particle accelerator in its intensity and speed. That Gemstone was the particles being fired on the right and that True Expert was the particles fired on the left.
As the attacks clashed, the battlefield became a spectacle of raw power and precision.
“Roar!” CRC held his open palm to his mouth and blew gently on the tip of the middle finger.
That was all it took for a blaze easily outdoing a flamethrower to rush out. And this was not just any fire. It fed on the power of a ley line and stole vitality from space itself. This overwhelming mass of light and heat was wielded for no other purpose than to take lives. Anyone who tried to survive it using simple composite armor or special fibers would dry up and burn away in less than a second.
But that wouldn't kill another superhuman would it?
Of course not.
“Aaaaarghhhh!!!!” screamed the #7.
Some assaults bypassed the fray entirely, slipping through the chaos like elusive particles in a collider.
A smokescreen.
Those brilliant fireworks from hell weren't meant to take Sogiita’s life. They were meant to disrupt the Gemstone's senses and sight so he couldn't counter all of that old man’s deadly attacks.
Invisible strikes found their mark on that Gemstone, and the searing arrows of the arrows scorched Rosencreutz.
CRC was wounded but he rejected to make any whimpers. Instead with a sudden burst of velocity, the young silver man picked up his cross sword from the ground and launched a flurry of strikes, cutting at the #7’s body with pinpoint accuracy.
His arms, his head, his face, his stomach, his legs, his midsection, his back.
Each blow landed with devastating force, causing Sogiita to stagger back under the onslaught.
If that bandana boy hadn't had his defenses and general stats raised by the #5 he’d be cut to pieces.
The #7 fell on his back.
"There's a fire," Sogiita declared, his voice ringing out amidst the chaos of battle.
With each attempt to break his spirit, Sogiita's resolve only grew stronger, fueling the flames of his determination. "Every time someone tries to make me give up, it's like wind feeding my flames, making them burn even brighter just like my punches," he explained, his words carrying the weight of his unwavering determination.
He refused to stay down.
With a roar of defiance, Sogiita surged forward once more, his movements blurring with speed as he disappeared from view. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Christian Rosencreutz, catching the magician off guard.
"Hey, old man," Sogiita taunted, his voice filled with confidence as he seized Rosencreutz from behind.
Christian Rosencreutz's eyes widened in surprise as he realized he had been outmaneuvered.
As Sogiita Gunha faced off against Christian Rosencreutz in their airborne duel, he felt the flames of determination burning within him, driving him forward with unstoppable force.
Before he could react, the boy lifted him effortlessly and slammed him onto the pavement below with a resounding thud.
"I'm not just a kick-boxer!!" Sogiita sang.
As the impact reverberated through the air, the young silver man let out a pained cry. The force of the collision compressed the surrounding air, heating it up until it crackled with energy. Christian Rosencreutz's head struck the ground with a velocity equivalent to mach 20, igniting his body in flames upon impact.
This move is called a suplex.
Struggling to regain his bearings, Rosencreutz muttered in a daze, "The House of the Holy Spirit...the seven walls..."
"You said it yourself, didn't you?" the gutsy boy retorted, cocky. "My power and my guts can break through your impenetrable walls. And I can spread those same guts to the world around me."
With a grimace, Christian Rosencreutz acknowledged the truth of the boy's words. "Your uncontrolled AIM field grants you the ability to imbue non-organic objects with the properties of your virus," he observed, his voice tinged with begrudging admiration. "Allowing them to bypass even the defenses of the seven-walled tomb.”
"A virus? Don't be so gutless, CRC," the #7 retorted, his voice filled with defiance. "This battleground ruled by wills is a two-way road between you and me."
Christian Rosencreutz raised an eyebrow at the boy's words. "Hey Gemstone, you could've killed me if I weren't a superhuman with an idealized body that accomplished The Great Work and crossed the Ungrund, what then short-stack?" he questioned while fitting an insult against his height.
Even without the seven-walled tomb or sheets of diamonds Rosencreutz was cartoonishly durable.
"Sorry, old man," Sogiita replied, his tone tinged with annoyance. "I might've gotten carried away, but I know it'll take more than that to kill you. No matter how many heads you regrow, like Hydra, I will not give up until I've completed all my labors."
"Mhm, so you do know your mythology," CRC remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "The Lernaean Hydra, or simply Hydra, is a serpentine lake monster in Greek and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, known as an entrance to the Underworld. In the canonical myth, the monster is slain by Heracles as part of his Twelve Labors."
"Yeah, I know," Sogiita replied confidently. "I studied the tales of great gutsy heroes in school.”
"So, short-stack," Christian Rosencreutz began, his voice carrying a hint of scholarly interest. “Have you ever considered the parallels between our battle and ancient Near Eastern religions?”
Sogiita listened intently. "Are you saying you see yourself as a god of war or a hunter?" he inquired.
CRC chuckled softly. "In a sense, indeed. We are both assuming roles in this grand theater, are we not? I, the Hydra, and you, Heracles."
He continued, "Consider the Second Labor of Heracles. Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns, sent Heracles to slay the Hydra, which Hera had raised specifically to defeat him. Heracles approached the swamp near Lake Lerna, where the Hydra dwelled. To protect himself from the poisonous fumes, he covered his mouth and nose with a cloth and shot flaming arrows into the Hydra's lair, causing it to emerge and terrorize the surrounding villages."
CRC paused, drawing a comparison. “In our own clash, the flaming arrows that Heracles hurled at the Hydra find their echo in your lightning-fast fists, generating shockwaves that ignite the air with their speed and force. It's as though each strike of yours is akin to shooting a flaming arrow, much like Heracles did.”
“Huh? Are you suggesting we're caught in a time loop? That some enigmatic group, like the Bridge Builders Cabal, manipulated events to resurrect you, pitting us against each other in a timeless struggle? I've never met them, and I'm certainly no child of Zeus. Are you implying that our battle will be distorted into a Greek legend by a meddling time traveler?!” frantically asked the boy.
“No, no, you simpleton. This world contains synchronicities. In Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian mythology, the war and hunting god Ninurta was celebrated for his deeds. The Angim credited him with slaying eleven monsters during an expedition to the mountains, including a seven-headed serpent, possibly identical to the Mushmahhu, and Bashmu, whose constellation was later associated with the Hydra by the Greeks. In Babylonian contexts, the Hydra's constellation is also linked to Marduk's dragon, the Mushhushshu.”
“Uhhh….” That shounen boy was dumbfounded.
"Hhm, I suppose calling it a time loop isn't technically wrong," Christian Rosencreutz began, his tone measured. "I'll break it down from history class and reconstruct it through the lens of the occult. Historic recurrence, young Gemstone, is the phenomenon of events echoing throughout time. Whether it's the rise and fall of empires or the repetitive cycles within a single society, it's all part of this grand plan that was decided when Adam ate the forbidden fruit."
The #7 with his guard up but curious listened: "So, history just keeps repeating itself? Just a series of coincidences?"
Christian Rosencreutz shook his head sagely. "There is no such thing as coincidences. Take, for instance, the Doctrine of Eternal Recurrence, pondered upon by thinkers like Heinrich Heine and Friedrich Nietzsche. While it's said that 'history repeats itself,' it's not quite that simple. Rather, these recurrences stem from identifiable circumstances and chains of causality."
He continued, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of philosophical debate. "Consider the phenomenon of multiple independent discoveries in science or the reproducible findings in natural and social sciences. These recurrences, whether in the form of rigorous experimentation or comparative research, are vital to our understanding of the world."
Christian Rosencreutz paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. "G.W. Trompf, in his seminal work, The Idea of Historical Recurrence in Western Thought, illustrates the recurring patterns of political thought and behavior since ancient times. Through these patterns, history offers us invaluable lessons, often leading to a sense of resonance or déjà vu."
Their words reverberated like a challenge to destiny itself, a testament to their unyielding determination in the face of adversity.
That Gemstone didn't surrender his characteristic fervor. "History echoing through time, huh? It's like the universe itself is stuck on repeat, and we're just caught in the cycle. But you know what? If history's gonna keep looping, then let's break the pattern! Let's smash through those chains of causality and forge our own path. Who cares about déjà vu? We'll create something entirely new, something that'll shake the very foundations of this world and we’ll do it with guts!!!" He defied that silver monster.
But Rosencreutz wasn't finished. He pulled out his Crystal World Map.
The supposedly old man listened intently to that boy's impassioned response, his expression inscrutable behind his clairvoyant card. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.
“Gemstone, you speak of breaking free from the chains of repetition, of forging a new destiny against the backdrop of eternal return. It is a noble aspiration, indeed. However, consider this: eternal return is not merely a philosophical concept or a whimsical notion of fate. It is the very fabric of existence, woven into the nature of time itself.” He pressed his finger on the Miniature Garden and a 3D holographic projection flew out—
“In ancient times, the Stoics grappled with the idea, seeing in it both a sense of cosmic order and a challenge to individual agency. Augustine and others recoiled from its implications, fearing it as a negation of free will and salvation. And yet, Nietzsche, in his brilliance, dared to confront the concept anew, exploring its depths in the crucible of human consciousness.”
Didn't Aleister Crowley say that he had to shatter every single phase in order to eliminate the concept of fate?
“I will shatter every last phase and put an end to all mysticism. It can be helped and we need not restrain our tears and bite our lip when faced with tragedy. I will bring back the pure world in which everyone can feel anger like normal and question it all like normal!!”
And didn't Coronzon appear to break down all the phases including the Pure World?
Partial destruction would be meaningless. If anything remains and an eternal distortion is born from that, then it will all happen again. I will eliminate the ten spheres, the twenty-two pathways, and the hidden eleventh symbol. Collisions between phases? Sparks and spray? You cannot save anyone if you only treat those symptoms. All of the fundamental clogs must be removed. All so we can pass the baton to whoever comes next.”
“Sparks and Sprays…” Rosencreutz muttered.
“Eh?” The #7 didn't quite hear him.
"Beside time stands fate, cruelty's steadfast herald. In the silent chambers of the soul, whispers the most profound wisdom. Humanity, in its folly, neglected to exalt life's splendor, its radiance, its grandeur. Truly, it is a rare gift to comprehend the forces that shape our existence.” That magician spoke in despair.
“From the moment man ate the fruit of knowledge, he guaranteed your species’ failure... Entrusting his future to the whims of fate, man clutches to a flickering hope. Yet, within the Miniature Garden lies the key to all revelation. Beyond the well-trodden path lies the ultimate terminus. It matters not who you are; Death is the sole certainty awaiting all.” he finished with scorn.
Shokuhou Misaki was currently linked to Sogiita Gunha so was overhearing the entire conversation.
“Are you okay, Leader?” asked Kamijou back at the hospital.
“Yeah…” she responded.
“Really?” Mikoto breathed a white sigh. “It wasn’t the shock of seeing their school destroyed. Nor was it the fear of having those rioters attack. …They’re afraid of their own power. And after learning how exactly to use that power to survive, they’re not sure they can just switch it off and return to their normal lives. So their gears have ground to a halt.” Tokiwadai Middle School was a prestigious esper development school.
The young ladies registered there were Level 3 at the lowest and Level 5 at the highest.
Almost all of the students had a power that surpassed that of a blade or handgun if used properly, but something had become twisted.
Yes.
“A lot of them weren’t really sure why they were training their powers.”
Shokuhou breathed a white breath, wrapped her own arms around herself, and rubbed her thighs together.
Why are you studying?
How many people could give a proper answer to that question? Because my parents told me to, because my teachers taught me to, because that’s how the world works. Those would be most people’s answers. Even the students with a clear vision of their future would only have something vague like “for the entrance exams” or “for my future”.
Only a small handful would have specific puzzle pieces in mind, such as “I need to learn how to use this equation so I can build a rocket”.
The young ladies of Tokiwadai Middle School were the same.
What if the very gears that humans have…their actions, reactions, inactions were all the result of some transcendental entity hovering above.
Like God or The Devil watching over humanity’s reality sphere and ordering around his system like everyone was a pre-programmed NPC that had specific events occur to them to get them to develop in the way that they did and determined their genetic bloodline that composed their psyche?
Is there truly a free will?
It was said that in order for you to break out of the system of society that the working class was stuck in you had to climb to the top where the corrupt elites resided.
Imagine Breaker negated sparks, Aleister Crowley could see through the veil thanks to Holy Guardian Angel Aiwass, Great Demon Coronzon could always see the cogs.
Christian Rosencreutz could view the entire world through his Miniature Garden.
The rest of humanity was at the mercy of their own destinies.
A Guardian Angel wouldn't arrive to save a parent’s child from fate every single time.
"Okay, nice poetry, can we get back to fighting already?" asked the #7 impatiently.
"Seems I got carried away," the old man conceded with a nod. "The synchronicities of this world, akin to the astral configurations in astrology, serve as an example of synchronicity, according to Jung. It describes circumstances that appear meaningfully related yet lack a causal connection, much like the parallel relationship between celestial and terrestrial phenomena. Synchronicity experiences entail subjective encounters where coincidences between events in one's mind and the external world may lack a clear causal link but still harbor an unknown connection.”
"Ah," Sogiita chimed in, recalling his philosophy class discussions. "We talked about synchronicity back then. Jung thought it was a good thing for the mind, but said it could get dicey in psychosis. He cooked up this theory as a kind of mental link between those meaningful coincidences, calling it a noncausal principle. This term came about in the late 1920s, and then he teamed up with physicist Wolfgang Pauli to dive deeper. Their work, The Interpretation of Nature and the Psyche, dropped in 1952. They were big on this idea that these connections, even the ones that don't seem to have a cause, could still teach us a lot about how our minds and the world work."
“Mhm, you know more than you lead on, Gemstone.” pondered CRC.
“Oh this? My teachers say I'm not good at remembering speeches hahaha…” The #7 looked slightly nervous. “You know, analytical psychologists really push for folks to get what these experiences mean to boost their awareness instead of just feeding into superstitions. But funny thing is, when clients spill about their synchronicity experiences, they often feel like no one's really hearing them out, or getting where they're coming from. And hey, having a bunch of these meaningful coincidences flying around can sometimes ring the schizo bell. Delusions aren't healthy.”
Where was this conversation going?
"Delusion! Hah! That's a good one coming from you," CRC fired back.
"The real delusion is thinking humanity isn't worth a damn," Sogiita shot back, pulling out some info from Johansen and Osman. "Some scientists think coincidences are just random flukes, but counselors and psychoanalysts reckon there's more to it, like some deep-down stuff needing to come out.”
"Delusion! Hah! That's a good one coming from you," CRC fired back.
"The real delusion is thinking humanity isn't worth a darn," Sogiita shot back, pulling out some info from Johansen and Osman. "Some scientists think coincidences are just random flukes, but counselors and psychoanalysts reckon there's more to it, like some deep-down stuff needing to come out. Unconscious material to be expressed."
Rosencreutz interjected, his expression reflecting a mix of confusion and concern. "Aleister Crowley's actions have left a lasting scar on this world and this city," he began, his voice weighted with solemnity. “The vacuum-like dichotomy between magic and science created by the use of that colossal psychotronic weapon, has damaged this world's memory irreparably.”
Psychotronic weapon?
The Archetype Controller?
He paused, his gaze piercing as he continued, "Jung's exploration of synchronicity as evidence of the paranormal paved the way for further inquiry, notably by Koestler and the subsequent embrace of these ideas by the New Age movement.”
Sogiita shrugged, "Some folks say synchronicity is impossible to test or prove, so it gets labeled as pseudoscience. Jung even acknowledged that these synchronicity events are basically just coincidences, statistically speaking. But hey, who's to say what's really going on without some solid scientific studies, right?"
"Dubious as his experiments may have been," CRC interrupted, "Jung believed in a connection between synchronicity and the paranormal, drawing parallels to the uncertainty principle and works by parapsychologist Joseph B. Rhine.” CRC posed a thought-provoking question, "How are we to recognize acausal combinations of events, since it is obviously impossible to examine all chance happenings for their causality? The answer lies in the fact that acausal events are most readily expected where a causal connection appears inconceivable upon closer reflection. It's impossible, with our current resources, to explain ESP or meaningful coincidences as mere phenomena of energy. This challenges the very notion of cause and effect, as these events occur simultaneously rather than in a linear cause-and-effect manner. Hence, I have coined the term 'synchronicity' to describe this phenomenon, placing it on equal footing with causality as a principle of explanation."
Getting closer to that Gemstone, CRC emphasized, "Esper abilities cannot be fully understood with science alone. They defy traditional cause-and-effect explanations, instead representing a convergence of factors that create a quantum phenomenon affecting both the micro and macro. Why were there the naturally gifted and the naturally ungifted?”
Why did some students get praised for their abilities while others needed to work harder?
Others among them would have worked every hour of their free time and not progressed anywhere in this city’s leveling curriculum.
Why did this city present such an unfair and unpredictable status quo of potential?
Why did hard work barely matter in a city of empirical evidence to record any possible progress?
Sogiita Gunha wasn't a normal Level 5 but he wasn't always this powerful. He went through the curriculum same as everyone but if the outside conditions for his Gemstone ability to manifest didn't form in the exact way that it did, in such an acausal form then would he even be here to challenge Christian Rosencreutz right now?
Everything just happened to fall right into place.
All those puzzle pieces that would lead to this moment here and now.
Was it all just talent? God picking a fool as his champion?
The #7 leaned back, absorbing CRC's words with a thoughtful expression. "So, what you're saying is, there's this whole other layer to reality that we can't quite wrap our heads around," he summarized, nodding slowly. "I mean, it's like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands—slippery and elusive."
He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Historic recurrence, synchronicities, all these things—they're like pieces of a puzzle scattered across this substantial reality. And sometimes, they just... click into place, right? It's like the universe has its own plan, and we're just along for the ride."
That bandana wearing boy's gaze drifted, lost in thought. "You know, CRC, it's funny," he remarked, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Here we are, with all our powers and potential, but at the end of the day, we're still grappling with the same questions as everyone else. Talent, destiny, divine intervention—maybe they're all just different sides of the same coin."
He shrugged, the weight of the philosophical musings settling over the broken city. "Who knows? Maybe God does have a sense of humor, after all.” that boy chuckled.
There was a deep silence between them.
Rosencreutz’ response was swift and resolute, his tone filled with certainty. "All this ‘universe has a plan’ banter is just a distraction from the inevitable," he declared, his eyes narrowing. "We can debate the nature of us being all-powerful yet struggling with mortal issues until the sun burns out, but it won't change the fact that our fate was sealed upon the knowledge Adam learned."
“To think so many trivialities have developed while this old man wasn’t watching. Heh heh. Then I should assume the thread of fate has again begun to weave its strange connections between myself and some unknown human.”
He rose forward, his movements purposeful. "It's time to put an end to this dance of platitudes," CRC continued, his voice cold and unwavering. "We'll settle this the only way that somewhat matters—through objective action in this grand play."
“Silence, preserved doll. Illusionists are meant to remain silent. That is all we magicians are: wielders of substanceless illusions. Opening your mouth serves only to break the illusion.”
With a flicker of resolve in his eyes, he locked gazes with the #7. "I am Hydra, Gemstone," he said, his voice carrying a hint of challenge. "Our battle ends now.” CRC opened both his palms and began shooting at their surroundings, the buildings, the pavement, the apartments, the rubble.
It probably wasn't random as it seemed to create a pattern.
“Huh are you getting senile old man?” asked the young Gemstone.
“What fun. I never imagined someone would bother diligently polishing their skills this far while knowing it is all essentially an illusion. Didn’t you ever feel silly going to the effort?”
Rosencreutz dropped to all fours, his rosy cross sword gripped tightly in his right hand.
He moved—
“Arrgh!” Sogiita yelled amidst the relentless and precise and precise strikes from that golden cross. “Old man?” he asked.
That magician didn't say anything.
That silver man’s movements became more beastly.
Faster.
Stronger.
Fiercer.
Something new was beginning to manifest.
With each strike of his higher dimensional blade that old man’s blows seemed infused with an otherworldly energy.
The wounds inflicted by his weapon burned with a venomous intensity, sending searing pain coursing through Sogiita's body.
That boy grimaced as the poison from that silver man’s strikes surged through his being, each wound feeling like it was ablaze with venomous fire.
"Damn... That burns…like a killer hornet’s sting," he muttered through clenched teeth, his voice strained with effort. Gritting, he fought to maintain his focus, despite the agony threatening to overwhelm him.
Was this another application of The Four Stages? Citrinitas? No, there was nothing yellow here, it was more like a dirty purple.
But it wasn't just the physical damage that posed a threat.
As the Rosy Cross leader leaped on all fours his movements took on an almost erratic quality, he was bouncing from one building to another with an animalistic agility.
With each jump, a shockwave rippled through the air, carrying with it a palpable sense of dread.
Something was spreading.
The air around them seemed to thicken with a toxic miasma. The #7 struggled to breathe, the noxious fumes clouding his senses.
Like a chaotic monster’s venomous poison breath.
The once-clear air now felt thick and suffocating.
Gasping for breath, the bandana boy struggled to maintain his focus amidst the swirling chaos.
His vision blurred, his movements sluggish as he fought against the oppressive atmosphere.
Blinded that heroic boy could only fire a flame arrow without his sight.
His fists striking out with all the strength he could muster. Igniting in that poisonous compressed air.
It seemed to be flammable like a dragon’s breath.
???
At the hospital, Shokuhou's voice carried a mix of surprise and relief. “He caused real damage.” she exclaimed.
Kamijou turned his attention to her, intrigued. “What happened?”
“It's hard to see clearly, but it looks like the #7 managed to rip off CRC's left arm,” she explained. “Though, I'd say it was more of a lucky shot. I can read he acted on pure instinct.”
Kamijou nodded, a hint of melancholy in his tone. “Yeah... the psychic link and all.”
Had the #7 Level 5 given up on the old man?
Back on the battlefield, Sogiita cursed under his breath. “Dammit... Sorry, old man,” he muttered. “I was aiming to hit your whole body to maximize the surface area, maybe break a few bones as a casualty. We can probably get your arm reattached at the hospital. Heaven Canceller has enough guts to even fix me.”
It was clear—he hadn't given up.
It was an accidental strike of his arm.
“As each ghastly head was severed from its serpentine form, dreadfully, two more writhed forth from the abyss.” a cryptic voice amidst the chaos spoke.
Wasn't it said that the Hydra’s lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid.
Lerna was reputed to be an entrance to the Underworld.
The abyss.
The Ungrund.
There is no limit to the depth of the Alcyonian Lake, and I know of nobody who by any contrivance has been able to reach the bottom of it since not even Nero, who had ropes made several stades long and fastened them together, tying lead to them, and omitting nothing that might help his experiment, was able to discover any limit to its depth. This, too, I heard. The water of the lake is, to all appearance, calm and quiet but, although it is such to look at, every swimmer who ventures to cross it is dragged down, sucked into the depths, and swept away.
The keeper of the gate to the Underworld that lay in the waters of Lerna was the Hydra.
The serpentine Lake Monster.
“Rosencreutz……?” The #7 muttered.
That magician chuckled ominously. "Indeed, young Heracles," he intoned, his voice echoing with a bizarre resonance. “The Lernaean Hydra's curse is upon you now.” as he said that he ripped off a bit of his arm that was cuterarised and it began bleeding.
Anna Sprengel’s blood was said to create unknown miracles when spilled.
Christian Rosencreutz’ blood was so virulent that even its scent was deadly.
As Sogiita Gunha glanced at his severed arm lying on the ground, a creeping sense of horror enveloped him. "All fate is a curse and that curse," he murmured, his words barely audible over the din of battle, "extends even to my severed limb.”
Christian Rosencreutz’ left arm grew back.
No.
Two new arms grew in its place.
The arm was fully functioning with no defects.
Although one of the arms appeared somewhat scaly and lanky like a serpent.
It had human anatomy but something was abnormal here.
He almost looked like a spider as he emerged from the poisonous fog as he remained on all fours.
“So short-stack. Are you ready to complete your final labor: Crossing the abyss!!!” He challenged that boy with his cross sword facing him.
"Boss, what's up? You look kinda stuck," Kamijou asked, his tone concerned.
Two students were sitting together in the waiting room at a hospital.
"—abyss, Hydra, curse, synchronicities, Historic recurrence." she replied, her words carrying a weight of unease.
"Huh? What? Can you give me the lowdown?" Kamijou prodded, his urgency evident.
"Can't quite wrap my head around it. But what I can tell you is that after CRC started talking about these esoteric concepts, he leveled up his power ability, managed to seriously hurt the #7 despite me cranking up all his stats for the win condition," the honey-blonde girl explained, frustration creeping into her voice.
"Can you beam all that stuff into my head, like a memory download? You're a psychological esper, right? My right hand won't mess with it, and we've done the telepathy thing before," Kamijou suggested.
"Memory download's not quite it, but I can send you a recording," she clarified.
"Got it," Kamijou muttered as he absorbed the info.
"You got any ideas to help the #7’s situation ability, Kamijou-san? We're kinda desperate here," she asked.
"I wish Index was still here, dammit.” he lamented, “But you know about magic, right?" he queried.
"Yeah, people converting their delusions into reality right?," she admitted.
"Well, magic's not just about delusions; it can be tied up to the whole world. Not sure if it's relevant, but based on Idol Theory, Rosencreutz might be pulling in 'energy’ from the Greek 'phase’ of Heracles for an edge," Kamijou theorized.
"Like a chessboard flip?" Shokuhou Misaki inquired, her brow furrowed with concern.
"No, more like... imagine you're playing checkers with a buddy, and you're totally crushing it because you're a checkers pro. Then suddenly, your buddy switches it up and challenges you to an arm wrestling match, and you lose because, well, arm wrestling isn't your forte," Kamijou Touma explained, trying to paint a vivid picture.
"So, by taking on the role of the Hydra from Greek myth, he's essentially forcing the #7 into the role of Heracles? But didn't Heracles defeat the Hydra?" Shokuhou sought clarification.
"Yeah, but..." Kamijou recalled the tale from the movies he'd seen. "Lichas gave Heracles a shirt soaked in the Hydra's poisonous blood from his arrows, which ends up killing him by tearing his flesh down to the bone," he elaborated.
"It was actually Nessus seeking vengeance and tricking Deianira into giving it to Heracles as a gift, delivered by Lichas without disclosing the tunic's lethal bloodstained secret from the Lernaean Hydra, but you're right," Shokuhou corrected gently. "So, Rosencreutz is harnessing the power of that legend to slowly poison the #7 to death?"
"Not literal. I mean the poison is real but his slashes do significant harm now so it's more like shifting the paradigm in his favor shifting his position.” The spiky-haired boy wasn't in the mood to explain Phases, “Earlier, he mentioned Sogiita spreading his 'virus' throughout the world. A virus isn't a poison in the traditional sense, but the Rosicrucians originally sought to create a universal cure for all illnesses. Now, CRC is spreading a literal poison, positioning himself as the ultimate predator and his opponents as prey rather than his savior role, the paradigm has been shifted." Kamijou concluded, his voice tinged with gravity.
“So he’s changed the environment to get the win condition? The #7’s durability doesn't matter in the face of the world being forced to go about a certain way because of Rosencreutz stage play?” The girl asked.
“Yeah…if things keep going this way…Sogiita will….goddamnit….” The spiky haired boy swore. “I can't let someone else die after all that's happened but I feel like if I go out there I really will kill him…” he muttered that last bit while clenching his right fist that began shaking uncontrollably.
The girl’s eyes seemed confused. “What did you say?” The honey blonde middle schooler asked.
“Nothing, just mumbling to myself.” he spat out.
That boy and girl could never come to the right conclusion on their own without the aid of former Magic God Othinus by their side.
“Did you think I had challenged you with no hope of succeeding, you cesspool? The magic born on earth is bound by the directions based on the earth’s magnetic field and by the density and composition of the air which is determined by air pressure which is in turn influenced by gravity. That is inevitable when you are focused on the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west or on the basic elements of fire, water, wind, and earth. But what you will find upon leaving the atmosphere is an unknown. Coronzon, are you sure there will be no malfunction in the magic giving you control of Avatar Lola? And before, my power was bound by the puny speck named earth which failed to become a black hole or even a sun, but once we enter outer space, just how far do you think that power will be released? I do not mind at all that I will lose the support of Academy City.”
Well the boy was half right.
“Let us test it out, you cuspidor. On one side, we have you using the planet and bound to an avatar. On the other, we have me exposed and freed from the planet. Now, who will be the star of this show?”
Christian Rosencreutz did not shoot at his surroundings for no reason.
The battlefield transformed into Rosencreutz's canvas, resembling the legendary battleground of Lerna where Heracles once clashed with the Hydra.
Yes.
He didn't unleash his powers randomly; every action was deliberate.
In the magical side of Idol Theory, mimicking an object, event, or person allowed one to tap into a fraction of its power.
And that even applied to locations that essentially worked as stage plays.
Idol Theory was so absolute that even the basic cross held a portion of the son of God’s power.
As Above, So Below.
As Below, So Above.
Macro to micro.
Micro to macro.
And the macrocosm and the microcosm are always linked.

Hi gang,
Keen to get your thoughts on this. I run a number of ecom accounts which all rely heavily on PMax. These are setup as feed-only to get as much traffic on Shopping as possible. They consistently out-performed Standard Shopping, even after removing brand keywords from them and so on.
It seems to me that all of these accounts have independently fallen off massively since about the start of this year. Traffic is massively down, along with conversion.
Now I know what Google is like - we're entirely at their mercy, and they can change things up on a whim. We have campaigns broken out into brands, and even several campaigns per brand if there are different product types within those. These individual campaigns all have a decent amount of conversions within them to justify them being separate. But...

• Is Google trying to force people into just sticking everything in one place?
• Will it work better if I truncate all of these into fewer campaigns?
• Will it perform better if I add in more assets (despite that opting into poorer placements and channels)
• Do we need to revert back to Standard Shopping with this stuff?

These brands, and product types within them all convert at different levels and with different ROAS, so it makes sense (you would think) to segment them as such. But if that hurting our overall performance?
I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences!

I've been fuk slammed by fate fortune or folly me whole life it ain't all by chance it's a fuking statistical impossibility that's a story and victim for another time so take it for what it's worth f9r argument just sub in your experience. If its anything like mine I can tell you Id thought I had already lost everything loved and cared for the limits of my heart and mind so many times over from the bottom i rebuilt in catastrophic totality I've lost count and perhaps my way. There were times I had even convinced myself there was nothing left to give and every time I got back up because at times I'm just either to stupid to know when I'm done or I had nothing left to lose. They better kn8ck me out because that shit doesn't hurt tell latter and there's just to much it's come to far for me to give a fuk about any of that and every time I just get better by now we're all bone and grizzle tough as nails the darkest holes this side of the US Corrections and rehabilitation systems has tempered me with the will to run towards the flames into the fire and to the service of me fellow men and women and especially tyr children and I have a feeling that you all hear have a not to dissimilar experience if not your own downward spiral into this madness lead, entertained, and fed upon by fools and pedofiles I don't think they ever could have guessed that that in the dark we would find ourselves each other our families our lives that together we would not only just live and survive we would thrive, they would not could not know, because of the struggle they do not. suffering is the abstract lesson that brings temperance humility fortitude and self reliance when we may be tired but we are not Alone we are Many we are strong and together we hold the key the power of the king and queen is by consent of the governed and I for one resend my consent and reserve all of my rights regardless we hold the keys take back your hearts and power cast these paper tigers to the feeding foul mouths of thier own creation let thier bodies own pay thier debts. Our son's and daughters or not for sale. Our lives not forefit we are the natural indigenous and free people of the earth. Engage with your environment and it will respond together all things are possible. Hold the line

Can someone help me decide the best way to get rid of marcons in the sinuses and also delete toxins from body. My lower back hurts and my legs feel like they are burning and vibrating. I have sinus pressure really bad that makes me not be able to think well. But i am definitely not in the financial pool to be able to see a doctor or a professional in the shoemaker protocol. So can someone dumb down the steps to feeling better and having a clearer brain. My biggest problem is sinuses and brain fog. But trying to understand the shoemaker protocol without a doctors explanation is hard. And a lot of it requires prescriptions that I can not get. So if anyone has any idea how to treat yourself without the prescriptions, any advice is great.
Also, I am currently using Argentyn23 nasal spray for sinus.

So I started rewatching the series and I can't unseen them as these zodiac signs (based on season 1 and 2):
Sabrina - Aquarius . She is the one always challenging the status quo, always fighting for the community and the ones that are oppressed by the unjust system. She can see through the harmful systems and fight for everyone's rights. Actually bringing change. She is not seeing the differences between the gender roles but sees everyone as equal in rights. She challenges the authority and she's a rebel with a cause. Independent.
Nick - Libra . He is the charming, beautiful and sociable guy, having the girls after him. He has a pleasant nature.
Harvey - Pisces . The artistic one, the one who falls deeply in love but has no problem to enter a new relationship soon after a break up. He support his friends and over is peacful. He has the guts to kill when it's about saving.
Lilith - Gemeni/ Scorpio . She is submiting to the one above her, she plans and manipulate the others to follow her plan. She can act as it is needed to get other to do her will. The mastermind, the one that would do anything for her social plan to succed and who can come up with ideas for it to work. The drama starter, spicing things up.
Prudence - Leo. Very Leo behavior. Surrounded by helpers but keeping straight her place in the hierarchy. She leads her pack, she's comfortable in the spotlight and she's stunning. No need to say more.
Agatha - Virgo. She's submmissive to the leader but when the leader is not around she's the one to come up with a nasty plan ( the death of Harvey's brother)
Dorcas - Taurus. Not afraid to demand her teritory in front of strong persons ( when she tried to claim Nick at Lupercalia).
Ambrose - Sagittarius. The who would do many colleges, who has the knowledge, who would bomb the Vatican. The one who would help Sabrina in risky situations (such as Astral projection). Who would risk himself for a date.
Zelda - Capricorn. She has strong traditional values and she stands by them. Doesn't show much emotions but she cares so much about her family. She has high ambitions in the hierachy of the academy. Overall mature and authority vibes. She cares about how she's seen in the eyes of others.
Hilda - CanceTaurus. She's the cook, she has motherly vibes, she's not engaging in fights, she supports you to be a better person. She cares a lot about her family. Cheerful. She gets your symphaty immediatly.
Theo/ Sousie - Aries. He takes actions impulsively such as hurting his bully on the staiers, cutting his arm to keep his male body. He has a childlike vibe and confronts his bullies. He don't let others tell him who to be or what to do, he fights for himself (to be taking seriously as a trans, to be in basketball team, to change in boys locker).
Roz - Leo. She's there to support others and stand by her family when it needs (protecting her grandma). If she appears shy at first she proves she can stand up for herself.
Faustus Blackwood - Taurus. He is very rooted in tradition. The most stubborn one. He sticks to the patriarchal values and does not accept any rebelion or challenge of the beliefs and the systems from anyone, especially from a "girl".
So these are the archetypes I see in them and also the vibes I'm getting. What zodiac do you see in them and why?

A DE-based CT that's inspired by the Goosebumps book "One Day at HorrorLand", that allows the user to cast a DE that's reminiscent of the theme park from the book. This domain mirrors the eerie and dangerous aspects of Horrorland, complete with menacing attractions and terrifying monsters. The user can control and manipulate this park, using it to trap and frighten enemies. Upon activation, the user is automatically transported into a master control room of sorts that allows them to oversee the entirety of the park and opponents via cameras strewn about the park.
The user can also summon and control an innumerable amount of green-skinned, muscular horned shikigami dubbed "Horrors" to be used for offensive, defensive, or support purposes. These shikigami are not only physically strong, but also immensely durable, to the point where nothing can really hurt them. The only thing that can kill these shikigami is pinching them.
The main sure-hit effect of this domain, revolves around the gameshow-based aspects that this domain has to offer. Upon getting caught in this domain, the opponents are randomly placed in different sections of HorrorLand where they are then forced to participate in games involving the various attractions or rides. Everyone is then given 3 lives, that can't be brought or won back, and if all exhausted will result in the death of the opponent.
The unwilling participants and/or participant is able to freely pick which ride or attraction to compete in, with each one having the same win condition: SURVIVE. The how doesn't matter, as long as you survive. They must survive a total of 5 games in order to win, which will then transport them to the exit point of the theme park, or in other words, forcefully deactivate the users domain, which results in a heavy amount of backlash on the user. If there are multiple opponents caught in this domain, only one of them needs to win in order for the whole group to win.
Some of the notable rides and attractions (because it'd take forever to list EVERYTHING lol), as well as their effects are as follows:
Attractions:
Deadly Doom Slides: 10 monstrous slides, each with a different interior and effects. The slides themselves are way bigger on the inside than outside, being more like tunnels than actual slides, or even separate realms entirely. The slides are as follows:

1. Ear Wax Alley: Appears as a twisted tunnel filled with grotesque, towering sculptures made entirely of ear wax, that can attack whoever enters, with their main method of attack involving coating and immobilizing victims in earwax that slowly corrodes their skin.
   
2. Electric Banshee: Appears as a realm of perpetual thunderstorms, where lightning strikes indiscriminately and the air is filled with the haunting wails of spectral banshee-like shikigami that are capable of attacking opponents. The ground crackles with electrical energy, and those who enter risk being struck by lightning or driven mad by the banshees cries.
   
3. Worm Belly: Appears as the stomach of a massive, writhing worm. The walls are lined with pulsating organs, and the ground is covered in squirming, slimy worms. The air is thick with the stench of decay, and stomach acid that slowly eats away at those who dared choose this slide.
   
4. Dragonbreath Drive: This slide leads to a fiery landscape dominated by a colossal dragon-like shikigami. The sky is filled with smoke and ash, and rivers of molten lava flow through the terrain. The dragon's fiery breath scorches everything in its path, and those who enter must evade its wrath to survive.
   
5. Just-a-Drop: A normal slide in appearance at first glance. The effect of this slide however, takes the form of a massive bottomless pit that the victim must figure out how to escape from.
   
6. Hairy Luge: This slide is coated in a thick layer of writhing, sentient hair that grips and pulls at anyone who enters. The hair seems to have a mind of its own, forming into grotesque shapes such as hands or weapons, and faces that leer and taunt those trapped within.
   
7. Carpenter's Delight: This slide leads to a realm where everything is made of sharp, splintered wood, that unless your entire body is reinforced with CE, you'd easily get impaled. Trees twist and contort into nightmarish shapes, and the ground is littered with jagged wooden shards.
   
8. Sewer Slide: This slide descends into a maze-like network of dark, dank sewers filled with toxic waste and monstrous shikigami that can spew toxic waste that burns flesh. The walls are slimy with filth, and the air is thick with the stench of decay.
   
9. Infinity Dreadful: This slide leads to a dimension of infinite darkness, where the concept of time and space are warped. Those who enter find themselves trapped in an endless void, with no hope of escape. The darkness consumes everything, including the minds of those who enter.
   
10. So That's Where All the Axes Went!: This slide transports individuals to a realm where every surface is covered in sharp, spinning axes. Surviving in this realm requires constant vigilance and agility to avoid being struck by the deadly blades.
    

Rides:

1. Bumper Carnage: This bumper car ride is set in a twisted, nightmarish version of a carnival midway. The cars are equipped with spikes and blades, and riders must dodge not only other cars but also the deadly obstacles that litter the track.
   
2. Calamity Canyon: Victims board a seemingly normal log flume ride that quickly descends into darkness. The waters become murky and filled with unseen shikigami that pull riders under, only to spit them out onto a crumbling, narrow path along a cliff's edge. The ride culminates in a final drop into a pool of blood-red water.
   
3. Dead Ringer: Riders board a carousel where each horse is adorned with a skeletal rider. As the carousel spins faster and faster, the skeletal riders come to life, reaching out to grab and pull a riders soul out of their body, and then them into a another skeletal rider.
   
4. Wheel of Misfortune: This Ferris wheel takes riders to dizzying heights before suddenly stopping, leaving them suspended in mid-air. The cabins then begin to rotate rapidly at supersonic speeds, causing disorientation. Some cabins even detach randomly and plummet to the ground.
   
5. Monster Mash: This haunted house ride is filled with animatronic monsters that come to life, chasing and attacking riders as they make their way through dark, winding corridors.
   
6. HorrorLand Derby: Riders board decrepit bumper cars that take on a life of their own. The cars steer themselves, crashing into each other with bone-jarring force. The arena is shrouded in darkness, and eerie laughter echoes through the air as the cars relentlessly pursue their terrified opponents.
   

(I do have all messages screenshotted and saved for proof of every word)
to sum it up: I asked a lady to polish and set a rock in a necklace... she allegedly did that. She sent polished photos and that was it. ghosted me for 2 months, asked for payment cause it was "done" I sent the money and got a tracking number but usps never got the parcel for delivery....
the long version: I sent a message to a lady on facebook asking if she could polish and set my very special rock into a necklace. she said yes. I sent her the rock, and a bunch of other free stuff as well as a thankyou note. she updated me for the first few days then didnt respond for weeks at a time making up excuses of her daughters birthday, and her aunt passing away. eventually i found her number through WhatsApp on the page and texted her once a day for a week. she eventually replied when i threatened with c civil suit and said "I am happy to return it but since i haven't received any form of payment i am unable to send it back. your necklace has been completed. i will attach an invoice for the services. once it is paid in full i will send you the shipping conformation and tracking number. thankyou so much for your business we look forward to hearing from you" BULLSHIT LADY! I immedatley sent the money and she made up exscuses for days and never sent photos. I got a tracking number from USPS weeks ago, but no shipping conformation. I called today and they never received the item to be shipped...
WHAT THE FUCK CAN I DO??? it was such a special and valuable rock.... im sad, heartbroken, mad, frustrated, and just hurt. Im coming to realize i may never actually get it back. It was an agate i found on the ocean when me and my boyfriend went to florida. it was the most beautiful special rock ever :(
(her facebook is Rubie Rocks out of sellersberg indiana. she hasnt posted much but DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH HER)

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Time seemed to pass much quicker when Ghrruk and I were swimming together, finding small insects or algae to eat, and sleeping in the same place by nightfall. It was strange at first, but I felt safer. As if teamwork made us stronger.
Our front legs started to grow a few weeks after the attack. I was surprised to see Ghrruk’s lost leg regrowing too. It was still a stump, but a little longer.
“Do you think it’ll regrow entirely?” I asked her.
“I hope so. I’m the only one with a missing leg.”
“There are a few others whose legs have been damaged by the predators, though.”
Ghrruk’s tail drooped a little. “I’d rather have a damaged leg than a stump. At least they have a chance that it’d heal…”
“Maybe yours will heal as well. I’ve been looking at it lately and I’m certain it’s growing back.”
“Or maybe our bodies are simply becoming larger. And so does the stump.”
She was quite negative when it came to her leg, even though she saw our future, and Thomas, in a very positive light. Speaking of which, Thomas did install a defense of sorts above our home to protect us from predators. It worked because we hadn’t been bothered since.
THUMP – THUMP – THUMP
Speaking of the human…
“Thomas!”
Ghrruk immediately swam up. She wasn’t as graceful as before her tail started to shrink. The main reason, though, was that she was kicking water with one leg, which made her veer slightly to the left. It was almost unnoticeable. Any other tadpole would think it was the usual way she swam.
She really likes him, I thought, following her from a distance. My trust issues weren’t completely gone. My trip inside the jar had left quite its mark.
Small red worms swirled down and all the other tadpoles frantically ascended to fill their bellies. I did as always, staying a little below the rest, catching whatever came through.
Funny how they trusted Thomas, yet slurped, expelled, and then slurped again on the worm, likely examining the worm to make sure it’s actual food.
“Oh. Oh! Look at you!” Thomas exclaimed. “Some of you have front legs! You’re becoming actual frogs. Amazing!”
Thomas’ face descended so close to the water his nose almost dipped in it. Most tadpoles scattered away in fright, before curiosity – and food! – got the better of them and compelled them return to peek at their savior. I was certain he was looking for me so.
“Ah! Ghost! There you are! Wait a minute.”
The moment he uttered my name I dived down.
Thomas stood up and left. Ghrruk came swimming back to me in swift leg bursts.
“Why do you think he left? He usually stays longer, telling us stories,” she said.
“I don’t know but I don’t have a good feeling about this. I think I’m going to hide behind a rock or something.”
As expected, when Thomas returned, he held a stick of sorts and was looking for something – me! But I had a few good hiding places. It had taken a lot of effort to dig up dirt and arrange things on the bottom.
He tried to catch me with that stick again and again, stirring the bottom of the pond in order to find me. Unlike previous attempt, he didn’t linger for too long, where he’d be waiting for me to take a few gulps of breath. Whatever he tried to achieve, it didn’t seem that important to him. Or maybe he grew tired a lot quicker than the first time he saw me and my peculiarity.
Days turned into weeks, and slowly but surely, we had all grown our forelegs. Our tails were also shrinking, forcing us to adapt a new swimming technique. And best of all, I could distinguish tiny knobs poking out of Ghrruk’s lump, sign that her toes were growing back.
“See,” I said, undulating the end of my tail rapidly, “your leg is growing back!”
“I’m not so sure...”
“It’s really there. I know you can’t see it, but I can. Why won’t you believe me?”
“Because it feels completely different than how it was before. When I walked out of the pond, I could feel every toe on my right leg. My left was just… weird.”
A few bubbles left my mouth.
“Wait, when you what?”
“Walked out of the pond.”
“When did you… how did you walk out of the pond?”
I was so surprised, even though I had seen other tadpoles, or rather, froglets, climb up and out. But that wasn’t reason enough to follow them. I never even thought about it, what with all those predators out there. And let’s not forget Thomas.
“A few days ago,” she said, her body wobbling excitedly. “You were busy digging the sediment to improve our hiding spots, as usual, and when I noticed a fellow froglet clambering out, I wanted to take the leap myself.”
A stream of bubbles left my mouth.
“You went out of our home? To do what? Get killed? Wasn’t losing one leg enough?”
Ghrruk’s kicked her hind legs, floating right in front of me.
“That leg wasn’t my fault,” she declared, her tiny front legs making an abrupt, agitated movement. “I did what everyone else did. You are the weird one, always wishing to hide deep inside our pond, spending countless hours digging in the depths. Don’t you feel the urge to leave? To explore? To have a glimpse what is beyond the water?”
“Maybe later. Now, I want to avoid Thomas. And the predators.”
She slowly drifted backwards, creating some distance between us both.
“Then, we will have to go our separate ways. Thomas is our savior and the outside is safe. Hasn’t he told us that this place is like our pond? Encompassed in such way that we can’t leave but also that others can’t come in? Why won’t you trust him?”
“I guess it’s in my nature not to trust humans.”
Ghrruk blew a few bubbles out. Her mouth gaped open and close, as if she was gasping for air. I knew I had infuriated her.
“Well, I trust him. I have also needs. My body desires to leave this place and find… whatever I need to find.” She twirled in place. “Ghost. See you around.”
Ghrruk sprung her hind legs hard against the water, darting away for the surface. I trailed her until she climbed out of the pond.
Why does she have to do this now?
I carefully popped my head above the water, observing Ghrruk clambering out. Without even glancing behind her, she clumsily snuck between the blades of grass and she was gone.
“Ghrruk? Ghrruk!” I called.
No answer came. Other froglets were following her lead. I decided to dive down to the comfort of my hiding place near the plants, which had grown considerably since the attack. There, I pondered about Ghrruk, about Thomas, about the meaning of my life, and what I ought to do, leaving only for food or air.
During that period, Thomas came and went, unlike Ghrruk, who I didn’t see again. She was gone.
Sometimes, when I ascended, I broke the water to check whether Ghrruk was somewhere around the edge of the pond. All I could see were other froglets, sitting immobile in the shadow, waiting patiently for no apparent reason.
Each day, more froglets left the pond. Of course, they ended up returning. But the murky waters had never felt so lonely. Loneliness. A sense that had never occurred to me. Not before Ghrruk. Thinking about her made me anxious, constantly wondering where she went, and how often she returned to the pond. I was certain she did return, except she never came back to my place, so there was always that possibility... I could only hope she didn’t get eaten.
Then, one day, when my tail had shrunk a bit more and most of my brethren’s color changed from black with tiny specks of brown to a lighter color with larger specks, sometimes even a hue of green, my entire body tingled. A curious sensation, an impulse akin to Ghrruk’s.
This call of nature drove me to the sand bank that Thomas had built on the edge of the pond to let the froglets leave easier. Initially, I thought it was a trick to catch me. But then I realized that it was a lot of effort just for me, and thought he was simply trying to help us, as he has always done.
Ghrruk was right, a voice whispered inside.
My tiny head and eyes popped above the water. No sign of Thomas. I kicked my legs, a new form of swimming that was much faster than the tail undulation, until I set foot on the sand bank. I was about to leave our home. My tiny heart was racing.
Grains of sand stuck to my body. It was a small hindrance, but nothing that would impede my will to find out what was beyond. With a few awkward steps, advancing leg by leg, I arrived at the edge of the grass.
Maybe I will meet Ghrruk today? Mayb – aaah!
“Gotcha, Ghost!”
Thomas!? Why didn’t I hear him come?
My entire body was stuck between his two fingers, so small I was.
“Exactly as I thought! Your eyes. They’re red! They don’t look evil or anything. They’re just… red. That’s so weird.”
If I could’ve screamed, I would have. I attempted to squeeze myself out, but the force of his fingers was far beyond my ability to do anything. My legs were the only thing squirming in place.
“You know what? I think you deserve a new name. A better one.”
Another name? It can’t be much worse than “Ghost”.
“To be honest, I never really liked your name. I know, I’m the one who gave it to you, but it felt a little hollow. Too… translucent, if you know what I mean.”
Thomas chuckled, which scared me even more.
“Hmmm… ‘Red’ is too plain so let’s call you Carmine.”
That’s worse!
“Yes, Carmine sounds good. Do you know what it means?”
I don’t care, I just want to return to the tranquility of my pond and never leave it ever again!
“Carmine’s a Latin name that means ‘Song’. At least, that’s what my teacher told me. It’s also the name of a red color. Slightly deeper than crimson red, though I’m not gonna name you Crimson, right? Besides, Carmine is fitting for you.”
His hand suddenly moved towards his mouth. I was panicking, certain he’d gulp me down and that’d be the end of me. I was completely helpless, unable to get out of his strong grasp, rapidly advancing towards the two red bulges, widening into a circle until –
Smack.
My snout grazed his moist mouth and he inexplicably moved his hand back to where it was, with me still stuck between two fingers in the middle of the void.
“You’re adorable, Carmine. I hope you’ll sing a lot of beautiful songs once you get your frog voice.”
Another shadow loomed over me. Another human.
Thomas’ father? Oh no…
If being scared of what Thomas just did wasn’t enough, the human who detests me had arrived. From our very first encounter, I always felt uncomfortable whenever he was near. Likely because his first advice upon seeing me was to flush me down the drain – whatever that may be.
“Again with that disgusting thing. Throw it away, will you?” he growled.
“Why do you hate this frog so much? It’s such a cute thing. Look at it!”
“Yeah. It looks like piece of mold.”
“What? Because it’s white?”
“If I found that in the kitchen I wouldn’t touch it with my bare hands. Why won’t you just discard it? You’ve got hundreds of healthy frogs. Why are you so obsessed with this one in particular?”
“Maybe because Carmine’s a peculiar frog.”
“Carmine?” His whole body leaned back as he frowned. “Didn’t you name it Spooky or something like that?”
Thomas sighed and his eyes rolled. “No, dad, he was called Ghost, but now that his eye color is more pronounced, I think that Carmine’s a better name.”
“So you won’t –”
“No. Stop asking. He’s my favorite frog of all.”
The father’s head approached. His eyes filled the entire space in front of me.
“That’s why you’re squeezing him to death? Look at how frantically he tries to escape!”
“Oh, sorry, Carmine. I’ve been holding you for so long, it must hurt. Here!”
Thomas crouched and returned me back exactly where I was. Instead of continuing to the grass, I tumbled over. With one swift kick of my legs, I repositioned myself correctly and clambered through that sticky sand, which was now irritating my body – likely due to the lack of moisture – until I reached the water. I surged down to my hiding place and stayed there until Thomas was gone.
Around nighttime, part of me wished to try again, yet I didn’t. I was too scared to be picked up once more.
There’s no way I’m going back there.
But deep inside, I knew that I’d have to leave the pond. I knew I’d have to do the same as the others; explore the great outside and explore the rest of the world. For now, all I wished was to have Ghrruk in my vicinity so we could communicate, eat, and sleep together. If only I could have peace of mind in anticipation of what was to come next.
Good night Ghrruk. I miss you.
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Does he even know every experience i remember always trumatized me so i try to capture everything in photograph so i can remember the sweet times only? Does he know how i feel knowing i can never be close to his family and how i feel when they make me realize in this house ill always be lonely?
Did he ever realized how hurt i was when he talked to him, closer them ever like him own son when i said everything that person did to me. Well he ever understand that making me talk to that person like my brother will always make me feel like that truma will never let me be free.
What will he do if i tell him his other 'son' slut shamed me when i tried to be comfortable in the place he wants me to call home? Or will he ignore it like he always does and tell me he is just your brother dont let your mind roam?
If i tell him im tried of trying to always force a relationship with his family and try to mend smth that i never broke , what will he say? Will he try to understand me or make me feel like its my fault every second till I break down someday?
He will never know what made me happy or how i would die to receive a thoughtful gift from him even if its a handwritten card. Nor will he ever know the hours i waited for him hoping he would show up for me in that cold yard.
Mayb im just overreacting but they will never stop saying how i fucked up every chance i get to talk properly with his family. But how do i make him understand the people who he wants me to call my own are the ones who drove me to insanity?
In his eyes ill always be a troublesome kid who never understood the trouble he went through for my existence. But he will never understand how i prayer for his embrace and how i craved in every moment of my life for his assistance.
Does he know how much i love dark red roses? Nah he will just tell me to shut up if i say my wishes till my every dream closes.

…Instead of the Nihil being the main antagonist of the series, it was the Mandalorians.
Okay, so this general feeling of mine has been prompted by the more recent releases in the series, more specifically The Eye of Darkness, in which the Nihil manage to take over massive swaths of the Outer Rim using something that they call the Stormwall and effectively become a bandit empire that overpowers every threat that the Jedi and the Republic throw at them.
I'm not a general fan of this. I mean, I've always kind of been reviled by the Nihil, which of course is meant to be the point, but now I'm just put off by them in a meta sense. They've suddenly gone from this barely functioning band of raiders to a freaking star empire that bulldozes everything in its path with the Stormwall. The Nihil in Phase One of the High Republic are this roving clan of marauders that just want to do whatever the hell they want with no consequences, and I had assumed that they'd stay that way in Phase Three.
In fact, all the way through the flashback stories of Phase Two, I had assumed that Phase Three would revolve around the Jedi and the High Republic weeding out the rest of the Nihil in a sort of roaring-rampage-of-revenge following their attack and destruction of Starlight Beacon, and the Jedi having to couple with their darker impulses and the consequences that come with that over the entire order, setting up how the Jedi Order came to be in the position that it is in the Prequels, as well as those working in the background, the corporations and the Sith and so on, would take advantage of the situation, setting the foundations for the decadence and corruption that exists within the Republic by the time of the Clone Wars.
But instead, the Nihil suddenly become this huge threat that, while definitely fragile and prone to infighting, is such a massive threat to everyone and so overpowered with their Stormwall and Occlusion Zone that I cannot help but feel like it completely defeats the point of the Nihil.
The Nihil in Phase One are a roving tribe of hedonistic raiders, whereas the Nihil in Phase Three are>! a violent star empire that can challenge the Republic and the Jedi on a one-on-one basis!<, and I can't help but feel like these two states of being do not coincide well with each other, not in such a short amount of time at least.
I can understand threat escalation, of course, but even then I feel like this is a bit much.
However, I feel like something like this makes more sense if we replace the Nihil with the Mandalorians.
Think about it, the Nihil are simply a dysfunctional group of bandits raiding anything and everything that they come across by the time of Phase One. The Mandalorians, however, are multiple clans of fighters and warriors, trained in the art of fighting everything up to and including Jedi and Sith, and have the capacity to wage war on a galaxy-wide scale.
Imagine if, during Phase One of the High Republic, the Nihil were simply a front for a clan of Mandalorians in a bid to try and return Mandalore to a state of galactic prominence, starting out as a group of renegades and mercenaries before pulling off a daring raid on Starlight Beacon and bringing it to the ground, using the deaths of the Jedi onboard to rally the other Mandalorian clans to their side and bring themselves up to the strength of the Nihil in Phase Three, taking over the worlds around Mandalore and turning it into the beginning of a new Mandalorian empire, only for the Jedi and Republic to come in and destroy them in a final battle, ending Phase Three with the Annihilation, or the Mandalorian Excision as it was named in Legends thanks to the Essential Guide to Warfare.
(And also, I like the idea of the leader of the Mandalorian clan(s) and the one holding the Darksaber at this time being someone who should seemingly be the exact opposite of Mandalorian values, that being instead of someone strong and capable, instead being this sickly girl who has to walk around with a cane and an IV drip, only to also be force sensitive and a cunning manipulator. It's just something that I find entertaining to think about.)
Hell, if you want to push it even further, change Mara Ro in Phase Two to a young Mandalorian, or even change the entirety of the Path of the Open Hand from a force cult into one of the more religious sects of Mandalorian culture, or even have them be deeply tied to the force themselves, maybe as a result of interacting with the Jedi or dark side adepts.
And you know what, if we're going the whole way? Change the motivations of the main villains of the High Republic as well. Instead of just simply wanting to hurt the Jedi and do whatever they want, how about they've instead seen visions of the future, of the Clone Wars and the Rise of the Empire and the First Order and all the chaos that came with it, and deciding that Mandalore needed to be a strong state in order to survive it, or even trying to save the galaxy by taking it over first to make sure that the horrors that they've seen in their visions never comes about.
Honestly, this are all just my own opinions. I'm not really the biggest fan of the Nihil, and I've never really been the biggest fan of the pure evil character archetype in fiction (that's not to say that it can't be done really well, but when it isn't, it just leaves the characters themselves feeling flat and boring), so I figured why not have a go at imagining something else to go in their place?
Feel free to agree or disagree with me. I'd love to hear your thoughts.

So for context I'm a college student, when I'm at school, I'm not expected to get a job because I'm allowed to "focus on school" but during the summer I have to get a job. Every time school is done, I fear going back home because I feel like my dad always finds SOMETHING to get mad at me about. So much that I almost PREFER being at school to being at home because I don't have parents looking over me all the time looking for something I'm doing wrong. If I forget to study or do homework, I'm responsible for myself.
The things is, my dad isn't mistreating me, he doesn't call me names or put me down, but every time he gets angry I end up crying (like, a lot, so much so that sometimes I get physically sick) and end up spiraling into a pit of self hatred and feeling like a failure and that I'm not good enough for him, and then he wonders why I don't want to talk to him, I don't want to talk to somebody that makes me hate myself. In addition to that, the things that he criticizes me about are things that I'm insecure about myself, I'm on my phone too much, I'm too spacey and don't pay attention, I don't have a job yet. These are all valid concerns, but he hits me where it hurts most. I once thought I was a narcissist because I couldn't handle his criticism, but after careful consideration I decided that it wasn't criticism that I couldn't handle but his Anger. I can handle constructive criticism perfectly fine when it's given calmly. When he does the same thing to other people I react the same way. One time he yelled at my dog because she barked at her when he came home and he said "I'll take your head off" and even though I know he would NEVER do that, I feel like I have to protect my dog from him every time he gets angry. It's a positive feedback loop. I fuck up, he gets mad, I cry and withdraw and then he gets mad at me for withdrawing. And I don't feel like he's going to stop getting angry. So I have to stop fucking up. The thing is I shouldn't have to feel like I always have to perfect in front of him, I should be allowed to fuck up sometimes and not have to worry about him getting angry so much that I end up hating myself. And he shouldn't have to feel like he always has to worry about hurting my feelings.
My mom was the same way when I was a kid. But with her, she realized that what she did was hurting me and she stopped and now we are closer than ever. When I was a kid I found myself wishing my mom would cry more like I did. Not because I WANT her to be sad but because I wish she would express her emotions in a way that doesn't hurt me instead of taking her anger out on me. No hate to her, but this all feels VERY familiar.
My dad wonders why my dog and I don't like him. Or why I don't want to talk to him and only talk to my mom. Well, maybe it's because my mom doesn't YELL at us like you do?? He told me yesterday that he doesn't like getting angry, he doesn't like being the bad guy. Then why does he do it?? He asked "is that fair to me?" And I felt like answering yes. (I didn't) Idk but if you're making your child hate themselves every time they do something wrong, maybe, just maybe, you're doing something wrong. ​
Like I said he's not verbally abusing me, he's simply expressing the kind of frustration any parent would when their kids misbehave. Out of curiosity I took an abuse test and he checks NONE of the boxes. But I took a trauma test and scored much higher. Is he being unreasonable or am I just too sensitive? how do I handle this relationship with my dad in a way that validates my needs as an HSP while also validating his frustrations with my behavior?

I’ve had a few people ask me how to play, and this is intended as a basics guide and some of my personal thoughts on the subject. Anybody who wants can butt in with their experiences as well, but I wanted to get this up so I don’t lose it.
Let’s start with the very basics. Each game you select a total of 4 patrons which inform what card suites are available to you and your opponent. Finding the right decks for you is essential to your success. Not every deck clicks the same for everyone.
Know every deck. This comes with practice, but by knowing the decks you know the probable strategies your opponent wishes to employ. If he picks Hermaeus Mora, he’s going fast. If he picks Raj he’s going to make you suffer etc
Don’t clutter your deck. Pick only what you need. If you’re stumped, just upgrade a coin to a 2 coin at the bank. You could have amazing cards, but if you only get to play them once every 5 hands, you’re probably not going anywhere. You want a fast deck cycle time. That’s how often you can expect to play your whole deck. As an example your starting deck has a cycle time of 2 turns.
When possible try to stick to only building a deck of 1 or 2 colors. These cards have synergies with their suite so the more you stack your deck with a given suite, the more likely your cards will “do the cool thing”.
Gold allows you to buy cards. You can also spend it at a couple different patrons.
Power allows you to kill opposing agents, and at the end of the turn is converted into prestige.
Prestige is the “Win” condition. Less complicated than the others.
Crow (Purple) is the best all around deck. If he’s in the shop, buy purple. You do NOT want your opponent to build a deck of him. That’s gold, power, AND draw. Nasty stuff. If you’re a true beginner, focus on Crow and hope for the best. My advice? Don’t use his patron ability unless you’ve got a FAT pile of gold (at least 10+). Prevents you locking yourself out of the ability. Pairs well with gold generating decks like Hlaalu or Rhajiin.
Pelin (Red) is straightforward power gain with some minor attention to defensive agents. A good deck, and pairs very well with patrons who SPEND power such as Red Eagle (Black) and Mora (Dark Green).
Hlaalu (Gold) is the ultimate gold generator. Focus is on gaining high value cards or simply massive gold piles (excellent strat to pair with Crow patron). The real trick with this patron is to continually pare down junk cards after play so you can keep your cycle time low. Otherwise it’s a noob trap that bloats the deck.
Psijiic (Blue) focus is on deck manipulation by SKIPPING your junk cards. Decent gold gain. Patron is a decent emergency anti agent button. Not my favorite but that’s just because his players tend to take forever haha
Ansei (Light Green) is focused on choice and versatility. Most of his cards let you choose the effect, tailoring to your need. Can also recycle old cards back to top of draw. Not my favorite. I prefer more pointed win conditions.
Red Eagle (Black) is another power deck, but also focused on shrinking your deck. I like to pair him with chain heavy decks like Crow or Mora because his patron helps you push out just one more when you’re on the edge of a monster turn.
Orgnum (Light Blue) is focused first and foremost on prestige gain directly. Almost always turns into a match of “who can click the patron the most” because you can’t afford to let your opponent spam it. I pair it with Hlaalu because it has some cards that can give you cards for free. You can spend gold at the patron and use the free card for more merchant cards. Not a favorite deck.
Almalexia (Dark Blue) is about controlling the opponents cards and tossing your own cards for synergies. Complex but versatile. Good but not a favorite.
Druid (Super Light Green) is all about agent spam. I hate him lol. Can also control the shop by spending power.
Rhajiin (Orange) is focused on gold gain, but MOSTLY trolling. Excellent at killing agents, reducing prestige, cluttering decks, and generally slowing down your opponent. It’s a good deck but if both players are good at him it makes games take ages.
Hermaeus Mora (Dark Green) is my favorite. He focuses on accelerationism. He does a lot. He can prune your deck, generate gold and especially power (at ludicrous rates). The catch is that each card you play helps your opponent. This means you have to COMMIT to a Hermy deck or you’re just handing free resources to your opponent. Patron ability can spend a little power to hand a card to both players (can be great to use tactically such as if it’s a card that helps you but hurts them. Or if you’re fighting over crow cards and you’re out of gold… sometimes it’s better to make sure you both get it rather than only them). Leads to fast games.

I wanted to detail my experience and hopefully bring a bit of positivity to future people obsessively hitting this sub because I feel like the majority of what i see here is very negative.
TLDR; seriously, the most important thing is to KEEP YOUR HEAD UP. do not let bad thoughts infect your mind.
im a 29M and on 4.4.2024 i tore my meniscus skiing in canada on vacation. I almost immediately couldnt bear weight on it and got crutches the next day (off doordash lol). Since im insured in Germany, knew i needed an MRI, and still had about 10 days till my flight back I decided to ride out the rest of my vacation disabled. (makes the airport incredibly pleasant). Some maybe important context is, 8 years ago i tore my acl with a grade 2 tear. I chose not to go for the surgery because i wanted to avoid the trauma, and did PT + PRP shot. Luckily my ACL had completely healed.
As soon as i arrived in Germany i got my MRI and confirmed it was a medial meniscus bucket handle tear. 7 days later i had my partial meniscectomy where the doc removed about 20% of my meniscus. The surgeon told me he does about 300 operations per year and arthroscopy to me seemed WAY less barbaric in comparison to an ACL surgery hence why I had a cooler head going into it. The consistent pain my leg was causing, i couldn't see a way around it. he said there is an option to do either repair or removal but he cannot say until hes inside me (lol) if a repair would make sense, because it heavily depends on if the tear is in an area where blood can flow.
Day 1 - they stuck this fluid bag in my leg that was so incredibly uncomfortable that i had to down myself in ibuprofen. Im a little freaked out by pain meds so this was the only day i took them. this was by far the worst thing about this experience but in the end it was probably better than having my leg blow up from swelling. The nurse yanking the tube out of my leg the next day however, haunts me to this day.
Day 2-3 - between pain from the scars, weakness of muscles, and general trauma of hurting my delicate leg i toyed with putting pressure on my leg with crutches while hobbling around at home. I was instructed that i really should start working my leg back into normalcy ASAP because it is part of the general healing process for a meniscectomy. I was also icing 2-3 times a day to bring down the swelling.
days 3-9 - with an ace bandage on, i started some mild PT at home. heel slides and leg raises mostly, to start building up my atrophied muscles. around day 5 or 6 i abandoned my crutches entirely, which felt empowering. I live on the first (second in US) floor and stairs were a bit of an obstacle as i had to strategically place one leg at a time and keep my balance. small activities would still wear me out so i limited myself to my small exercises, going to the kitchen, playing MTG Arena and on TTS, and rewatching scrubs. still icing 1-2 times a day.
days 10-17 - got my stitches out, had my first shower since the surgery(!!!), started PT and was given a few exercises and a thera-band to do at home, which i did religiously daily. started talking a bit longer adventures walking for a coffee etc. still having a bit of a limp and my calf and ankle would get hella sore after a long stretch of walking. i also always wear my stabilising knee band when i go out. but still a noticeable amount of progress and freedom. icing maybe once a day.
days 18-22 (now) - im feeling a lot more confident in my ability and stamina to walk. stairs are starting to feel almost completely natural and am working it out in PT. I rode my bike and drove my car out of the city to catch the northern lights. im really focusing on bringing up my surrounding muscles to support my knee and i can see the progress in how much i can straighten my leg. The area where the arthrocopes went in (specifically the medial side) still has a noticeable bump, and im told that scar tissue is whats causing the occasional pain in joints when i straighten my leg. but each day the gets less and less. I really do feel like I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. my leg looks basically normal in size and im still wearing my knee band when i go out. I still cant think about jumping or running but with time im positive it will get there.
There is hope, just be patient and don't let negative thoughts get to you. happy to answer anything i can.

In the light of the most recent chapter, I came to wonder whether Kaiser's refusal to fight Noa in the BM enviroment is proof of cowardice. I'm now confused. Some used to think that his justification was the answer of a coward in the face of a great obstacle; others firmly believd that one can't rationally argue with Kaiser's logic; and then we have the 50-50 faction. What's been buzzing in my head is the fact that Kaiser's inner monologue revealed how he can't feel he's successful unless he can psychologically scar his rivals and opponents - which explains a lot about his obsession with Isagi -. So... now that I'm beginning to put pieces together, I'm puzzled - lol - and skeptical to our earlier assumptions. Maybe, the very reason why Kaiser has been avoiding having a confrontation with Noa is that as of now he doesn't think he can hurt him, that any attempt would backfire on a personal level a lot more than just being defeated. I know that we saw the Prince-Kaiser face off only after the first mocked the latter but it's not like Kaiser chickened out in the end. With hindsight, my hunch is that Kaiser just picks fights only when he's ready to overwhelm and scar his preys. He is not your average bully nor a scaredy cat, he just doesn't step up when the time is not right.
Let me know your thoughts on the matter.

Hello, my name is Daunte 17 M nice to meet whoever is reading this. I am warning you if you take time out of your day to actually read what I am saying it will likely be sloppy and not easy to truly understand, but it’s very hard to grasp a whole life of experiences through writing.
My mother abused me my whole childhood, she’d let other men (her boyfriends) mentally fuck with me, because I was feminine. I’m not going into full details, but it was both physical and mental. My father was aware of the abuse, but ignored it and glamorized himself to be a bare minimum father, because he bought me things I wanted, but when I started emotionally acting out he verbally and physically disciplined me instead of getting me help. My mom would look past my abuse, but I remember her talking about my mental and emotional issues to her friends rather than getting me help. I feel like I was failed by everyone, because everyone could notice it even my teacher. I’d always show up to school late with bruises and I was in the 4th grade, I even tried to tell one of my teachers about it but he looked past it weirdly. Everybody in my fucking life recognized I had issues but never did anything. I am turning 18 this year, and my family fight to have this good relationship with me now for some reason, but this grudge feels eternal. When I was 12 I went to a counselor to tell him I wanted to die, instead of sending me to a psych ward or anything like that he sent me home with my mother and took her side as I was to scared to admit about my past nor did I have any visible self harm scars so I just said I was stressed with life. My mother made more of a joke about me, telling me I was faking it. I then vented to one of my friends on my phone and saw and kicked me out. When i told my father I wanted to die he did nothing, fuck I had to schedule my own therapy appointment at 12 that I only went to once, because nobody cared to schedule another visit for me. Everybody knew about my abuse, they knew I wanted to die, and did nothing. My whole family, my grandma, auntie, uncle, took my mother’s side and said I was just looking for attention. I was only 12. My sister has been sent by my mother to psych wards multiple times, and used that as her excuse to not sending me to one. I really don’t know why they cared about my sister more than me, yes she had her own fair share of issues but she got help with them. I never received any psychological help, which caused me to start using drugs to escape my issues. When I turned 14 I would often skip school to use, and my mother instead of helping me just told me I was amounting to nothing. I gave up on school very quick, even though I use to be a straight A student, apart of student council, extemporaneous speaker, and did track, until my issues started to catch up to me. The abuse was still ongoing when I was 14 and I told one of my REACH teachers about it, but we didn’t have enough evidence for him to contact CPS. This large neglect for my health really took a toll on me. My only escape for awhile was my friends, but funny thing is they just made jokes out of me as well, I was small and skinny so I was usually the bud of the joke or the one they slapped around. I never understood why I was treated the way I was until I stopped pitying myself. My last time going to therapy I told her I heard voices that weren’t there and she gave me a book to cope. That was the last straw. I realized how truly sick everyone in my life was and let my anger get the best of me, I cut off my friends, verbally abused my parents till the little relationship we had was diminished and completely socially isolated myself and figured out my issues by myself. Truly this was the best thing I’ve ever done as I bought my own car by myself at 16 with NOBODYS help but a slight loan from some dude whos a family friend (which I payed off quickly) and am graduating early and attending college for polici science and philosophy. My family has made attempts to create a relationship with me and I have put on a fake facade to make them think they have, but truly they could all fucking die and I could not care less. That might sound awful to say. I know. But I mean it in a sense of dis-acknowledgment rather psychotically. One reason I am making this post is, because yes I am stable and independent but I still can’t escape this anger. I am filled with memories and trauma and I feel like I will never fully heal. I can’t help but feel like I could make it big but still be rooted in this pain and just lose it. I am not looking for engagement or pity, again I just needed to chaotically write something as I felt it would be healthy. If you read all of this thank you and I’m sorry if I hurt your brain. I can’t even fit all my issues into one post or I’d be here all day. I always still feel like a child no matter how much growth I have had. I am always alone now and my only hope is that I can get a decent profession and make end meets. I am proud of myself for still being here, but I can’t help but feel like I’ll be alone forever. Surviving SA (I am not getting into because it doesn’t matter), abuse, neglect etc makes me feel as I will never make friends or relationships, because I can never be fully stable without these things haunting me. I do have hope though not gonna lie, I know others have it worse and survive to tell the tail which only gives me aspiration rather than some complex of foreshadowing my issues, because they don’t compare to some others. If you’re reading this, your issues are valid no matter how big or small and your feelings truly matter. I wish somebody told this to me before so I’m telling this to you. No matter how evil this world is, it is truly a gift at the end of the day and I know we can all soon live life to our fullest potentials. Thank you for reading and I apologize for the sloppiness I just wanted to do this for a while as I felt it would be therapeutic.

My boyfriend and I have been together since highschool and survived being long distance during college. After college I got a high paying engineering job and had to move to a specific city for it. He struggled to find a job after college and continued to work in his school's library part time. He didn't have much financial freedom because of that, but still wanted to stay in an expensive, east coast city rather than moved back to the midwest. I think he expected that I would eventually move to his new city instead, despite me telling him that I can't really compromise this job.
He moved into a place with some roommates in his college town. After a while of putting up with some abuse from these roommates (others have agreed that he was subject to some abuse from them; those aren't just his words) he finally agreed to quit his job at the library and move in with me across country. Almost immediately the problems began. Up until that point I had been living alone for a year, working full time, and keeping a very strict diet and work out regimen. I don't want to get too much into it, but I've struggled with disordered eating in the past and while tracking calories and macros aren't the best practice, it's what I need to do to avoid bingeing and starving cycles. It was a lot of work but I managed to keep myself healthy and my apartment mostly clean by myself.
When I say clean I don't mean a deep clean every weekend type of deal, but things like putting groceries away, making sure the dishes aren't piling up, hanging up laundry, etc. Apparently that is wanting to live in a "show home," to my boyfriend. Upon arrival he unloaded a cargo van's worth of things into my apartment, which fair enough that's how moving works. After the first week of things going unpacked and making it impossible to use the living room, however, I expressed how much it was stressing me out to not be able to use my own spaces anymore and he guilt tripped me about how he just away from two roommates that would scream at him over slight messes while not cleaning up their own messes, saying I was triggering him. I decided to give him more time to unpack and get organized. I even bought more shelves for him to store all his things on so they're off the floor. It's been months and there are still boxes of things just shoved in the corner and apparently there are more things on the way because when he went to college he left some boxes with a friend of his from highschool.
Since he was unemployed when he got here and was already struggling financially before that, and I make more than enough money to support my own life style, I was covering all the rent, groceries, transportation, etc. I was also doing pretty much all the cooking because I wanted to keep up with my meal prepping and whenever he uses the kitchen he leaves behind a huge mess. One time I made the mistake of telling him how much his mess was stressing me out and I got hit with the same "you're triggering me because you know roommates X and Y would keep me from using the kitchen." I had even prefaced my statement by saying "I know this is a rough subject, but..." So now I'm buying all the food, and cooking all the food, but he's apparently so stressed from the last few years that his "threshold of tolerance," is so low that the only thing he can eat is bland, simple food, usually soup. If I spend time cooking my own food he assumes it's to share and will complain that I added spices or made a curry or chili that's thick instead of soupy how he likes it, but then if I make him the bland food his stomach can handle he'll forget it in the fridge and it gets thrown away. And I am ALWAYS the one dealing with rotten food that needs to be thrown away. He just leaves the containers of food on the counter until I deal with them.
On top of that he leaves half eaten food out for days at a time, leaves empty food container like chip bags or apple cores sitting out, leaves napkins and tissues all over the place, misses the trashcan when throwing stuff away and just leaves it. And there's just constant clutter of his art supplies. Art is the one thing he can handle focusing on, an I try to support him to put his things online and try to make some money off of it. A lot of his art work circles around repurposing literal trash though and he uses maybe 1/10 of the "supplies" he gathers. There's a container of onion skins on the counter that he tells me to save because he wants to make ink with it, he makes me save the bags from frozen fruit and veggies so he can make "plarn" and weave it into a picknick blanket, he gathers random bits of literal garbage that he sees on walks to basically piles in up in the spare bedroom which I cannot even enter anymore because of the mess.
There's been a little progress with getting his digital artwork on a website, but I had to hold his hand and walk him through the process of putting together a shop because the task was too much to deal with on his own. That's really the biggest issue: he cannot handle any tasks if I'm not holding his hand all the way through it. Doing the laundry is basically the only thing he can do without prompting or input. There are big things I understand wanting moral support for like putting in job apps and going to interviews, but even little things like making sure he goes for a bike ride or eats enough is offloaded onto me. Everyday I have to spend like a half hour going, "hey are you going to go for that ride you said you wanted to? You should get going before it's dark, you'll feel better afterwards, etc" in order to get him out because I KNOW if I didn't get him to do it then he would make it my problem that his back hurts from not working out. Every day it's "have you eaten yet? What would you like? Can I make you something?" Because I KNOW if his blood sugar gets low and he gets cranky it'll be my problem. I have to spend an additional half hour every night making sure he eats the food I bought and I cooked.
And all this time I spend making sure he's comfortable and taken care of and being productive on his own tasks takes away from time I used to spend doing enjoyable things. I used to enjoy reading and writing and was working on a novel, but I just don't have time anymore. I'm missing days at the gym and needing to take shorter runs. I have to cut down on time I spend playing D&D with my friends. I can't find time to go to the local maker space and blacksmith, which is my favorite hobby. I can't even get my own chores done because every time I try to get locked in on a task I'm interrupted every minute by him calling me to come give him input on something or rub his back or just sit with him while he does something. It's actually making me worse about keeping up with cooking and cleaning. Silly me for thinking having an unemployed person living with me for free would make it easier to keep the apartment in order.
Before I go on, I need to emphasize that I understand why he's acting this way, and I know it isn't malicious, which is what makes this so hard. I know the hording comes from his abusive mother who would get drunk and throw away or break all his things randomly when he was a kid. I know the hype stress responses to doing anything work/money related is because his aunt forced him to go to school for a degree he didn't want, he was rejected from so many STEM jobs, and he's been living in poverty his whole life. I know the cleaning is because he just lives with the clutter his whole life and I don't think he even recognizes it. I know why he's doing all the things he does and needs all the support he does, and I know he isn't doing it to intentionally hurt me. That said I was already practicing a lot of discipline and exerting a lot of energy to keep my life on track before he moved in and now it feels like I have double the responsibility and half the progress.
A few weeks ago he finally got a job as a shipment manager in a grocery store, which I thought would be good for him: he could meet some new friends, earn some money, get out of the apartment more than once a week. He hates it, says there's work drama, and has needed to come home early multiple times because the stress was causing him to dissociate. We need to move again soon because I'm being relocated for work and he says he's glad he won't be working there for very much longer. We move at the end of June and he's supposed to go live on a farm for a few months in September. For context there's a self-sufficient farm community that takes volunteers in exchange for a stipend and room+board that he's been talking to for years. It didn't work out during college, but he's supposed to go this year for a few months.
Obviously I have mixed feelings on that. 1) that means he'll probably be unemployed for two months again after we move. 2) I'll be glad to be living alone again. 3) I'm afraid he's going to find out how much work a farm is and come back in even worse shape than he's already in. All around I don't know how to handle this. I know I don't want to live with him, which really should mean we break up, but we've been together for almost a decade and I know exactly why he is behaving the way he is. I don't know if he can recover and get back to being self sufficient like he was before college, but I know it is hurting me to try and help him in his healing. I still love him and I don't want anything bad to happen to him, which is why I can't just kick him out. He doesn't have the money to live alone and he doesn't know anyone else he could live with without moving across country again. I don't want him to be homeless because he needs support that I can't keep giving, but I can't keep living like this.
TL;DR: My boyfriend moved in with me and due to valid stress and trauma he is nearly incapable of adulting. The stress of supporting him in basically every facet of life is becoming too much to handle, but I don't want to kick him out and make him homeless.