Hi there I'm not much of a poster on Reddit so sorry in advance if I do something wrong
To make a very long (over two-decade long) story short, I (25F) ran away from home when I was 16 due to emotional abuse as well as neglect eg. Not being fed enough, not having my personal hygiene looked after, missing loads of school etc etc. My mum was always smoking pot and I believe took harder drugs as well although I don't have proof of that. She has not had a job in 13 or so years and is on disability allegedly. I also have a sister (23F) who experienced this and can back me up as well.
My brother (14M) is 10 years younger than me. He is experiencing much of the same type of treatment, although more insidious and difficult to prove since he is my mother's only boy and the baby of the family. However he tried to run away last night as food is being withheld from him as "punishment for being rude" which could be literally anything knowing my mother.
My question is where do I go for legal advice? Oranga Tamariki and the police have both been useless in the past and in fact when I myself was 14, I was taken from my mum by them and placed with my Nana for 2 weeks for a "cool down". When I went back home they never checked in and the abuse escalated even worse because my mum was mad I had gotten them involved. I don't want that to happen to my brother so I'm very hesitant to get them involved.
I called CAB this morning but they told me to go to Oranga Tamariki.
My plan was to wait for him to turn 16 and then he could come live with me of his own free will (and he is aware of this plan and wants to live with me), but it looks like we may need to accelerate those plans.
What do I do? What don't I do? Is there anyone I can talk to to make sure I'm taking all the right steps? I'm so scared. I practically raised him for the first 6 years of his life (nappies, bottles, reading bedtime storied, cosleeping- I didn't know any better) you name it I did it. I just want him to be safe. And if that means taking custody I'm prepared to do that. But I don't know how. There isn't any information I can find online that isn't about custody between parents. Btw if it's relevant, we have different biological fathers and he has never met his dad.
I've literally just signed a contract for a new full time job making 70k and am living in a 2bdrm apartment with my longterm partner, just to paint a picture of my capacity to take care of my brother.

I wrote this own my blog for non-pisces people since there are so many questions. It's certainly not all-inclusive of our limitlessness - but it's a good starting point. I hope you enjoy it and please feel free to add your own nuances and experiences to continue to 'unveil' the mysteries of us!

Pisces is the last sign in the zodiac, and is said to hold all the information of all the signs. What does this mean exactly?
Well, one way to begin understanding this complicated sign is by imagining a room filled with 12 people, one from each sign in the zodiac. And while Pisces can go person to person, and understand each and every one of them by sign, all these folks cannot and will not ever fully understand them. This is because they are the last sign in the zodiac, and it is said that they have traveled through all the signs already to become a Pisces. Some may call it past lives, another may say there is some afterlife afterschool program they attended and achieved their metaphysical degree… no matter how, the magic of Pisces is a mystery - and will stay that way. Still, grasping the basic concepts of the fish sign is your best bet at getting an inch or two under the veil, and is good knowledge to peruse, but unless you have a strong Pisces placement in your own natal chart, truly understanding the mysterious workings of Pisces may be a strictly intellectual exercise.
Let’s get to work on it, shall we?
We can get to know Pisces a bit better from the Pisces spirits and souls who have shared experiences and knowledge about their characteristics with us. Again, even this can be complicated as Pisces express themselves in creative ways. These are not always in a language easily understood. Pisces tend to use emotional outlets to find creative expression. Music, the arts, movies, theatre, writing, poetry and dance are just some of the ways Pisces people express themselves. And in that there is so much sub-text. Viewers and critics are always trying to interpret what they mean. On the off-chance Pisces does express themselves in a direct way, they have to feel safe with whom they are sharing. You can imagine that the list of people Pisces has entrusted with their secrets is very small, and even in that list, the depth of what was shared even smaller.
Let’s talk a little more about why.
Pisces is a receptive sign, the opposite of an active sign. Active signs are outward in expression. ‘It’s go time!’ is an active Mars response. ‘Let’s work it out’ - an active Libra. ‘Let’s hit the road!’ - Active Sagittarius. Half the signs are active (aifire) and half are receptive (earth/water). All three water signs, Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces, are more receptive than earth, but none are more receptive than Pisces.
Being that receptive means absorbing all that is surrounding you, from environments to emotions, Pisces feels it all. It’s because Pisces has no boundaries. Traditionally, Pisces is ruled by Jupiter, and in the modern era, Neptune. Jupiter is complete and total expansiveness. It’s infinity and beyond. It’s everything humongous - Neptune is the depths of the oceans and the depths of the universe. So double whammy for Pisces having all that vastness of usable experience. Talk about a google-ton of overwhelm. Because of that, Pisces has unlimited resources, so Pisces is the sign that literally has the ability to travel anywhere anytime in the universe, real or imagined.
How intense is that?
What if I told you that you were moving into a new house that has absolutely no boundaries? Feel a little scared? Sure, it’s your house, but what is in… everywhere? This makes Pisces a bit reclusive, and fickle. Reclusive for protection, and fickle for intended experience.
You ever store something in the attic or basement and forget about it, and then later you uncovered it and were surprised? That’s what it feels like for Pisces ALL. THE. TIME. It would be like you are constantly revealing something that you’ve experienced before - and it’s not always great and wonderful. Hence, reclusive and fickle. So let’s turn that into emotions.
Whatever emotions are being expressed around a Pisces, they too will absorb. Pisces is highly intuitive, lovingly compassionate and selflessly empathetic. And many Pisces are even psychic, so they know the extreme depths of the present moment, and can see and feel things before they happen because they are so tuned in. Sound intense? For them, it is. The Pisces mind is fertile ground with an over-active imagination, so Pisces can easily get overwhelmed. And when the darker side of Pisces takes over, it can reel them in to episodes of self-destruction, severe reclusion, addiction and even institutionalization. Not fun.
What Pisces does like is escapism. Pisces lives in the world of fantasy. Removing themselves from all that physical and mental input is good for Pisces. So even though they are free to roam the universe unbridled, they are often found holed up in a safe room conjuring up their next great creative project or reading a good book that keeps their mind at ease. When a Pisces does feel safe, they are filled with grandiose dreams and desires - and because of that traditional ruler Jupiter, the planet of luck, expansion and fortune, their dreams many times have a way of coming true.
Pisces is a mutable sign. There are three modes to distinguish signs: Cardinal, fixed and mutable. Mutable signs are adaptable, quick and flexible. They are deep thinkers. They are transformationalists and finishers. Pisces shares the mutable mode with Gemini, Virgo and Sagittarius.
Pisces is at home in the 12th House. The 12H is our private life. What we do alone. It’s our intimate experiences with ourselves. It is also the house of the subconscious and the unconscious. People can get lost in the 12H. Become neurotic. Become addicted. Fall into self-sabotage, self-sacrifice and self-undoing. But it’s also the house of faith, dreams, goals and desires. It is interesting to see the polarity of the individual recluse of the 12th house - from healthy retreats, meditation and monasteries to rehabilitative hospitals, prisons and institutions, one needs to find a healthy balance in the 12H to survive.
The complicated sign of Pisces hopefully is a little more clear for you to see, because Pisces is a truly mystical and mysterious sign. I think you can see a little better now why they are the holder of all secrets. So you ever want to know something, ask a Pisces. Although Pisces is also illusive so the answer you get may be poetic or more confusing than the question itself. It’s not that are trying to keep all the secrets for themselves, but more like they are enraptured by so many things that they just don’t feel like sharing - as they are too busy enjoying themselves to want to explain everything anyway.
Universal Blessings,
✪ⴷⵕ/Aquarius
(*A Tropical Pisces / Sidereal Aquarius Sun with a Pisces Moon)

I am a 37 y/o woman. Both of my parents are Asian. I have a very controlling mother, and when I was young, I always felt like I didn't have freedom or agency over my own life. I didn't feel free to explore, and discover myself, even as a young adult. She didn't like it if traveled, made crude jokes, got into animal and environmental rights, or dated men from certain ethnicities. I would fantasize about things, like moving to a different city, (like NYC), studying abroad, or even just being able to date whoever I wanted. However, I always felt like it would just be a fantasy. As a result, in my early 20s, I often would forego opportunities just to avoid the wrath of my mother. As I got older, I was able to push back, like how I slowly started to travel in my early 20s. But, I was always afraid to tell her, so I still didn't feel free. I slowly pushed to do what I wanted. I went to Europe at age 22 with a group, and my mom yelled at me for about 1 uninterrupted hour when she found out that I would be staying in hostels. I signed up to teach at a summer program in Asia for a few weeks, and she yelled at me, saying that she wish the "F*ck" I didn't go. Once at age 28, I went to Asia agin, and my mother was afraid that I would be kidnapped because I would be alone for a few days of trip, so she threatened to commit suicide if something happened to me. She called me many times and begged me to not go. Anyways, when I think about that time in my life, I did end up traveling, which was very good for my independence and confidence. However, I never really felt free, I always felt like a caged animal.
My father wasn't controlling, but he was a bit of a hard @$$. I had always been academically advanced, and I graduated college early. Anyways, I graduated during the Great Recession, and I had a job that I hated. The salary was also low. I wanted to quit, but my father wouldn't let me. I hated it so much, and I started to fantasize about getting in a car accident, just to have an excuse to not to work that day. I tried to find a better place to work, but it took about 4 years to leave due to the recession. Anyways, after the 4 years, I ended up getting another job, which wasn't bad. However, at age 25, all I could think about was taking a year off, and finding myself, and traveling. However, my dad would not have accepted that. I would complain to him about all the overitme hours, with only 2 weeks vacation a year, and that I wanted to take a career break. He just told me to stop complaining. And, I had considered just quitting the new job, regardless of what he thought. However, I didn't quit, because if I had, what would I do when I returned from finding myself? I could possibly have no money, no place to live (in case my dad decided to kick me out), and getting another job could be difficult. I had naively thought that since I graduated early, then I would be allowed extra time to figure things out. But that was not the case.
To this day, I still have problems. I get reminded all the time, I get jealous and so bothered. For example, I get super jealous of people's travels. Another example is that when I hear that somebody is unemployed, and turns down a job that they don't want. Or if I hear of somebody who moved to NYC. Or hearing about how young people at my company, can take more vacation time, just unpaid (my job has become more lenient than 10 years ago). I've always felt like I never was a young, carefree person. I always had strings attached. And I felt the shame of this, because my friends (when I was younger) would say that I was an adult, and that if I wasn't happy with my life, then it's my own choice, my own fault. However, my sitution may have been exceptional since my parents (mostly my mother) was probably abusive. And I did slowly break away. I'm now married to a great man, with a 9 month old baby. However, I still feel trapped, but now it's because I'm married with a baby. I love my husband and baby, and I think the feeling trapped is really due to not having freedom when I was younger. Anyways, I still feel trapped, and I get urges to travel alone, like to go somewhere and explore and wander alone. I feel like I'll always feel trapped. And I love my husband and my baby, and I can't help but feel that had I gotten the "finding myself" out of system earlier, I would be able to focus more on them, instead of always feeling trapped. My husband said that maybe I could travel sometime alone, if it helps me. And if I were to just go travel alone, to assert my freedom, would that even fix anything?
I also feel bad because I feel like I can't tell anybody about this. I fear that if I tell people, then they will tell me either that it's my own fault for giving in to my parents, or that I'm spoiled because I didn' want to work, and that I traveled enough, so what's the problem.
Anyways, does any body else relate to this? Does anybody else feel trapped in their life? Does anybody else with controlling parents always feel the need to assert their freedom?

I am a 37 y/o woman. I have a very controlling mother, and when I was young, I always felt like I didn't have freedom or agency over my own life. I didn't feel free to explore, and discover myself, even as a young adult. She didn't like it if traveled, made crude jokes, got into animal and environmental rights, or dated men from certain ethnicities. I would fantasize about things, like moving to a different city, (like NYC), studying abroad, or even just being able to date whoever I wanted. However, I always felt like it would just be a fantasy. As a result, in my early 20s, I often would forego opportunities just to avoid the wrath of my mother. As I got older, I was able to push back, like how I slowly started to travel in my early 20s. But, I was always afraid to tell her, so I still didn't feel free. I slowly pushed to do what I wanted. I went to Europe at age 22 with a group, and my mom yelled at me for about 1 uninterrupted hour when she found out that I would be staying in hostels. I signed up to teach at a summer program in Asia for a few weeks, and she yelled at me, saying that she wish the "F*ck" I didn't go. Once at age 28, I went to Asia agin, and my mother was afraid that I would be kidnapped because I would be alone for a few days of trip, so she threatened to commit suicide if something happened to me. She called me many times and begged me to not go. Anyways, when I think about that time in my life, I did end up traveling, which was very good for my independence and confidence. However, I never really felt free, I always felt like a caged animal.
My father wasn't controlling, but he was a bit of a hard @$$. I had always been academically advanced, and I graduated college early. Anyways, I graduated during the Great Recession, and I had a job that I hated. The salary was also low. I wanted to quit, but my father wouldn't let me. I hated it so much, and I started to fantasize about getting in a car accident, just to have an excuse to not to work that day. I tried to find a better place to work, but it took about 4 years to leave due to the recession. Anyways, after the 4 years, I ended up getting another job, which wasn't bad. However, at age 25, all I could think about was taking a year off, and finding myself, and traveling. However, my dad would not have accepted that. I would complain to him about all the overitme hours, with only 2 weeks vacation a year, and that I wanted to take a career break. He just told me to stop complaining. And, I had considered just quitting the new job, regardless of what he thought. However, I didn't quit, because if I had, what would I do when I returned from finding myself? I could possibly have no money, no place to live (in case my dad decided to kick me out), and getting another job could be difficult. I had naively thought that since I graduated early, then I would be allowed extra time to figure things out. But that was not the case.
To this day, I still have problems. I get reminded all the time, I get jealous and so bothered. For example, I get super jealous of people's travels. Another example is that when I hear that somebody is unemployed, and turns down a job that they don't want. Or if I hear of somebody who moved to NYC. Or hearing about how young people at my company, can take more vacation time, just unpaid (my job has become more lenient than 10 years ago). I've always felt like I never was a young, carefree person. I always had strings attached. And I felt the shame of this, because my friends (when I was younger) would say that I was an adult, and that if I wasn't happy with my life, then it's my own choice, my own fault. However, my sitution may have been exceptional since my parents (mostly my mother) was probably abusive. And I did slowly break away. I'm now married to a great man, with a 9 month old baby. However, I still feel trapped, but now it's because I'm married with a baby. I love my husband and baby, and I think the feeling trapped is really due to not having freedom when I was younger. Anyways, I still feel trapped, and I get urges to travel alone, like to go somewhere and explore and wander alone. I feel like I'll always feel trapped. And I love my husband and my baby, and I can't help but feel that had I gotten the "finding myself" out of system earlier, I would be able to focus more on them, instead of always feeling trapped. My husband said that maybe I could travel sometime alone, if it helps me. And if I were to just go travel alone, to assert my freedom, would that even fix anything?
I also feel bad because I feel like I can't tell anybody about this. I fear that if I tell people, then they will tell me either that it's my own fault for giving in to my parents, or that I'm spoiled because I didn' want to work, and that I traveled enough, so what's the problem.
Anyways, does any body else relate to this? Does anybody else feel trapped in their life? Does anybody else with controlling parents always feel the need to assert their freedom?

“And for the missing person reports that date back many years, police still have not found any leads to the odd disappearance of multiple people around our little town of Welks, Utah. If police find any new leads, I, Nathan White, will be the first to give you the news.” Nathan White is a small town reporter who is finishing up his final words of the day's news. Charlie Akins, Nathan’s colleague and long time friend is manning the camera. Nathan is your typical guy who never gives up and has the determination of a beaver building its dam. He will take any story he is given and will do his best to make it the best. Charlie on the other hand is about as outgoing as a sloth and so paranoid he can’t go anywhere without thinking the worst, but will never leave his friend’s side. Soon after the two wrap up, Charlie gets a call from their boss who claims to have a new story they could cover. Nathan places their gear in the news van as Charlie walks over. With the way Charlie nervously walks over, Nathan knows something is odd. “So what’s the deal? We got a story or what?” Charlie gets in the driver seat of the van without saying a word and Nathan quickly follows, getting into the passenger seat. As Charlie begins driving, he tells Nathan what their boss had spoken to him about. An old abandoned government facility sits out in the farthest outskirts of the town. It’s in the shape of a dome that’s large enough to house an entire town. There’s no records of anyone ever entering the facility since the 50’s and no one seems to know what it was for. Only thing anyone knows, or suspects, is that it may be cursed or haunted as people who have ever been near it claim to hear screams and voices coming from within. Charlie is hesitant of even the thought of covering the story but continues to drive assuming Nathan will be intrigued. Charlie was correct, of course, as Nathan quickly calls their boss to inform him that they’re checking it out. Without question, Charlie continues driving until they are so far out that Welks is completely out of sight in the rearview mirror. They eventually see a large structure in the distance that they quickly realize is the center of their new story. “Holy shit, Charlie! I’ve never seen this place before and just… Wow,” Nathan says excitedly. “Nathan, I don’t know about this one. Something seems off. Even the boss seemed hesitant to tell me about this place,” Charlie responds. “Come on, Charlie. We’ve always wanted to cover a GHOST STORY.” “No, YOU have always wanted to cover a ghost story. I’ve always wanted to get the hell away from every single person I come in contact with and sleep in my bed.” “Don’t do me like that.” “You know I’ve got your back through thick and thin, Nate. But I’ve seriously got a bad feeling about this one.” “I know but come on, serious-... ly…” Nathan is awestruck by the sight of a large sign on the outer brink of a long driveway leading to the entrance of the dome. The sign reads:
RESTRICTED AREA
ENVIRODOME “WE EXPERIMENT FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR PEOPLE”
SPECIAL ACCESS IS NEEDED BEYOND THIS POINT
Although it was obvious by the city-sized dome in the middle of the desert, this sign fully confirmed they were in the right place. They continue down the driveway until they finally reach a parking lot that lies in front of the only noticeably cube-like design of the entire facility. The parking lot was small, or at least it seemed that way based on how huge the building was. Nathan and Charlie assumed it would be glass, but instead, the decrepit building, now known to be The Envirodome, was made of a strong thick, yet rusted metal. They realized this was most likely by design considering the people who created it wouldn’t have wanted anyone to know what went on inside. Almost the entire building was covered in a thick layer of vines except for the front door. The doors at the entrance were oddly only covered in smaller vine growth that was far more fragile than the rest. Charlie parks the van as an awestruck Nathan barely waits for him to stop and exits the passenger side. Charlie hesitantly follows suit. Nathan reaches the double entrance doors and rips away the vines. He quickly finds the handle of the right door and much to his surprise, it cracks open. “Ooh spooky,” Nathan jokingly says to Charlie. “Shut up,” Charlie snaps back. As Nathan and Charlie open the large metal door and walk inside, they find far more than, yet somehow everything, they had expected. The duo walk inside only to find an entire small community within. Businesses, homes, trees and more fill the miles long dome in all directions, seemingly to no end. “There’s a whole damn town in this place?! How the hell did not a single person know this existed,” Charlie exclaims out of pure shock. “Dude… How the fuck am I suppose to know? That’s why we’re here, remember? To cover the story of this place and get it out to the people…” Nathan sarcastically snaps back. Charlie, nervous as all hell, ignores Nathan as they continue forward in the hopes to find information on this place somewhere inside. They don’t even reach but about 10-15 feet inside before the door slams shut behind them and locks itself into place. Once fully locked, the doors start to change as if there was never a door or wall there at all. It quickly changes into a hyper-realistic hologram of more trees and roads. Soon enough, it looked as if an exit never even existed. Nathan quickly realizes that there seemingly are no walls in any direction. However, realistically and logically, there must be dead ends in all directions, the dome was obviously designed in a special way. Although there was a dome surrounding the town inside, there were still plenty of places Nathan and Charlie could explore. With beautifully green trees all around, houses and even rundown businesses, the entire place looked and felt like a normal little town instead of the inside of a previously government owned facility. Despite absolutely not a single structural flaw in the dome, a small breeze glides through the air, whistling to the ears of any who would listen. Both Nathan and Charlie are confused, yet in awe, by the experience at hand, but still they carry on. Nathan suggests going to the nearest building to search for information as he takes his next steps into the oddly beautiful scenery. Charlie, however, hesitates his next step until he realizes Nathan is already further ahead of him. Trees dance and sway in the cool breeze, grass and vines grow over large rocks and multiple buildings, and even clouds sail through the beautifully blue skies that couldn’t possibly be real but at this point it’s not unbelievable. With so much to admire, Nathan quickly loses focus on the task at hand until Charlie speaks up. “Hey, Nate. Shouldn’t we hurry up and get to wherever the hell we’re going?” “Huh? Oh… Yeah, yeah. Sorry…” Nathan snaps back to his senses and continues forward. As they continue to what seems like a small neighborhood, they notice something in the distant wooded area. It’s a four-legged creature that could be a wolf or coyote. Nathan and Charlie pick up speed as they are unsure of what it could really be and prefer not to be attacked. On arrival to the neighborhood, the two men notice that multiple mannequins are oddly placed around as if they had been living a life. An eerie feeling washes over them as they both become a little more skeptical of being there. Nathan looks back to check on his friend and notices Charlie is visibly paranoid as he looks around. He feels a moment of guilt for making him come here for a story to cover, but that moment was just that. A moment. Nathan quickly nudges Charlie to get him to come with him as he walks up to an open house. As they walk in, they split up. Charlie searches the living room and kitchen. Nathan goes straight to the farthest bedroom in the back. Searching every nook and cranny, Nathan finds absolutely nothing but an old withered bible. He begins to walk into another room when suddenly, Charlie’s voice echoes through the empty hallway. “Holy fuck,” Charlie exclaims. “What’s wrong,” Nathan yells while running into the living room. Nathan finds Charlie holding an old yellowed stack of papers. Charlie hands them to Nathan without uttering a single word. On top is an old document that reads:
Aug. 17, 1953: Testing is ready to commence for Project 718/Operation “SUPER” in the environment dome. However, there are no volunteers for testing just yet.
Aug. 18, 1953: Chief scientist, Dr. Maximus Woods, has volunteered as prime subject under the name: Subject Zero. All tests are now being prepared.
Aug. 20, 1953: Day 1 of testing has started. The Super Serum has been injected into Dr. Maximus Woods A.K.A Subject Zero at approximately 12:53 A.M. It has been hours and nothing has happened thus far.
Aug. 25, 1953: Subject Zero has gained a slight form of telekinesis. Small signs of abnormally quick healing factors have also appeared, taking only a couple of hours to fully heal mid-large wounds made on the subject's body. Tests, so far, seem to be successful with no side effects.
Aug. 30, 1953: Subject Zero has had impressive changes with easy to control telekinesis, rapid healing, and even large amounts of strength.
Sep. 5, 1953: Over the past week, Subject Zero has been undergoing small changes in personality, possibly a slight side effect of the serum. This will be monitored.
Sep. 10, 1953: Subject Zero has become rapidly unstable, showing major signs of insanity. Subject does not seem to realize the environment is simulated and treats test mannequins placed around the environment dome as if they were living beings.
Sep. 17, 1953: Multiple teams have been sent in to try and allow real communication with living beings. However, all teams have been killed by Subject Zero. He also does not allow anyone to retrieve the bodies and it is unclear what he does with them.
Oct. 3, 1953: Subject has become far too unstable to continue any further testing. All research will be abandoned but a small team will remain in the overseer’s office. For full safety measures, this team has agreed that if the facility must be destroyed then they will die with it. This was the intended way in case of emergency. If the facility is self-destructed, no one inside will survive.
“What the hell…” Nathan says fearfully. “Read the newspaper article that’s attached,” says Charlie. The newspaper article reads:
October 3, 1953 Today, the government-run facility, Envirodome, had been shut down after multiple men had been slaughtered at the hands of the company’s very own test subject, Subject Zero. The few men who made it out alive today could not speak of or about the tests done but we were told that their subject is still inside the facility. Test Subject Zero was locked inside only as a safety protocol but many wonder, how long will he remain there?
Upon this discovery, Nathan stops to think and wonders if he screwed up by taking on this story to cover. Nathan, being himself, tries to lighten the mood but before uttering a single word, he is cut off by a rough and deep voice in the distance. The voice now being the only thing to focus on, Nathan and Charlie look out the front windows of the old house and spot the figure of a man playing baseball with a mannequin. Upon further inspection, the man is wearing clothes obviously not of this era. With an old 50’s jacket that is nearly torn to shreds, an old pair of blue jean slacks, a red shoe on one foot and a black one on the other and hair that clearly hasn’t been washed in years, the man is the exact look and description of pure insanity. Not just with his looks but also with his actions, he clearly is not a stable man. In the yard of the next house over, the man is talking and playing catch with a mannequin. “For the last time Jimmy, I’m tired of your shit! Catch the damn ball or at the very least attempt to instead of just standing there,” the crazed man screams as he chucks a baseball at its head resulting in its immediate decapitation. Nathan, with a humor full of bad timing, nearly bursts into laughter. “Shut the fuck up, Nathan! That’s the guy from the document and newspaper article. He’s Dr… Uh… Maximus Woods! Subject Zero! He’s been here since the 50’s,” Charlie fearfully exclaims. “There’s no way in hell, Charlie. The guy doesn’t even look like he’s past his mid-30’s.” “I told you to call me Subject Zero! That old name is dead to me!” The man, now confirmed to be Subject Zero, yells out to another mannequin. “Believe me now, asshat,” Charlie snaps at Nathan. “Shush! What was that?” Subject Zero quickly snaps his attention to Nathan and Charlie’s direction and begins to walk to them. The two men look at each other in fearful confusion and simultaneously say, “oh shit.” Instinctually, Charlie runs out of the house from fear and with a quick, “FUCK!” Nathan follows him. Running out of the house like a couple of preyed upon animals, they run up the street further into the neighborhood. Taking a quick glance, Nathan spots a strange sight. Subject Zero and many other figures are chasing after them. Upon further examination, Nathan realizes that what he’s witnessing is something straight out of a horror movie. The other figures are , in fact, not even humans. They’re mannequins! All the mannequins they had seen back at the other houses are now moving like humans and coming right for them alongside Subject Zero. Nathan is running so fast you could mistake him for a train breaking loose from its tracks, but sadly, Charlie is slowing down, unable to keep up with his friend. Nathan manages to reach a hiding spot behind a dumpster, unintentionally leaving Charlie to await his own horrors as Nathan is nothing but forced to watch. Charlie begins to stumble and trips over his own feet. Soon after, the mannequins catch up to him. Nathan wants to help, but knows he can’t so all he does is watch in horror. Lying on the ground, Charlie gasps for air as the mannequins and Subject Zero surround him. They stare at him for a moment before eventually beating him simultaneously until Charlie is soaked in his own blood, barely alive. Suddenly, they stop. Charlie, nearly lifeless, drags his gaze in Nathan’s direction. He mouths, “GO” before coughing up blood. Nathan holds back tears and vomit as he looks away in guilt. All the mannequins that were once beating the life out of Charlie turn around and scatter before ultimately becoming, once again, inanimate objects. Like a lion searching for its prey, Subject Zero scans the area. With danger nearby, Nathan looks around to find a house with any open doors to attempt to find safety. He spots a nearby house with an open window and decides it's his best option. Without hesitation, Nathan sprints to the window and leaps in like a gazelle escaping its demise. Much to his surprise, he went unnoticed. “I might be insane, but I know I wasn't just seeing double of your little friend here. Where the hell are you,” screams Subject Zero as two mannequins carry Charlie's bloodied, yet still alive, body away. Nathan, afraid, yet determined, locks himself inside the house and sits behind a kitchen counter. He looks up to see if it's safe enough to search the house. Once he realizes it is, he begins to look around. The kitchen is oddly empty. Not a single piece of silverware, plate or food. Out of the entire house, the living room is the best looking part, even though it still looks like a tornado came through it. With hopes of finding something, Nathan scrummages through everything lying on the decrepit wooden floor. After a moment of searching, Nathan notices multiple papers scattered around all dated October of 1953. All the papers say different things about Project ‘SUPER’ and Subject Zero. Although most papers essentially say the same things, one paper stands out the most. It’s a newspaper dated a few days after the imminent shutdown of the facility. October 9, 1953 The project was abandoned and only a few escaped but one former employee of Envirodome decides to speak up about the events. “The main doors may have been closed but they sadly were not locked,” the scientist tells our interviewer, “Oddly, the doors were made to allow people in but not back out unless you went to the overseer’s office and unlocked the main doors. All this means, anyone who decides to go inside without knowing this info will be trapped forever with a psycho maniac. Fortunately, Subject Zero’s insanity affected his mind so badly he doesn’t even realize he’s in a fake little world that’s specially made for him.”
A little further down the same newspaper article it reads:
The former Envirodome employee continues. “All documents will state that Dr. Maximus Woods volunteered to be Subject Zero, but that just isn’t true. We tricked him. You see, we needed someone and Dr. Woods was just this weird scientist that no one really liked. We convinced him that if he volunteered that he would be a hero. Someone who could save our world if the serum worked. He was so happy and we just laughed at him but knew we needed him for the tests. As soon as everything began, it all ended. As he became more and more deranged, he also became more determined to make the serum work. He eventually took living people he kept with him and made his own serum to try and perfect it. But it never worked. It just leads to each person to become crazier and far quicker. He ended up just killing everyone that the serum didn’t work on. God knows what he does to any poor soul that innocently walks into that building and gets trapped.”
With this new knowledge, Nathan knew he fucked up by coming into this beautiful hell. Now filled with dreaded emotions, he gets onto his feet and sets onward through the hallway. As he reaches the beginning of the hallway, the front door is unexpectedly busted down by an already all too familiar figure, Subject Zero. Reacting quickly, Nathan sprints to the farthest back room of the house. Being the master bedroom, it has plenty of space but sadly doesn’t have a lock on the door. Thinking quickly, Nathan slams the door and nervously shoves a large stand up dresser down on its side and in front of the doorway. He knows it won’t hold for long, especially considering, just a mere seconds ago, he witnessed Subject Zero burst a door off its hinges in the blink of an eye. Subject Zero is on the hunt, looking in every room all while Nathan stands in the master bedroom freaking out. Eventually, he comes to his senses and looks out the room's only window. It’s quite a drop below due to the house sitting on a slanted yard. Without hesitation, Nathan prepares himself for his only option. He opens the window and prepares to jump as the door of the room begins to be beaten upon. The door eventually breaks in half and standing on the other side is Subject Zero. Nathan slings himself out the window but it inevitably leads to pain. Nathan, with a possibly broken ankle, stands against the wall to stay as Subject Zero looks through the window wondering how he could lose his only entertainment so easily. Subject Zero eventually angrily wanders off as he cusses at himself. Nathan takes that as his cue to stumble his way into the nearby forest. Nathan manages to make it a decent distance into the forest before stumbling and falling next to a large oak tree. Expecting to be free from danger for at least a while, he relaxes against the tree and closes his eyes. Far too early for assumptions, he hears something and quickly opens his eyes to see Subject Zero’s fist unexpectedly rushing to his face, resulting in a knockout. After a while, Nathan cracks his eyes open, barely able to see. He looks around in a trance until he hears a familiar voice. “Hey, Nate! Nate! Wake the fuck up! I’m not dead!” Nathan fully comes to and looks over to see an upside down Charlie. Confused, he looks at Charlie unsure of what to say. Eventually he speaks. “What the fuck…? Why the hell are you upside down?” Charlie points to Nathan’s feet, revealing he is in fact, the one upside down hanging by his feet. “Oh, fuck… WHAT THE FUCK?!? Get me down, you asshole!” Charlie unties the rope, leading to Nathan falling on his head. Rubbing his head, Nathan gets up with ease, which leads him to wonder why there’s no pain in his ankle. He quickly shrugs it off and looks back at Charlie as he finally realizes the situation. “Wait a damn minute, how the hell are you alive? I saw you get beaten to a pulp.” “Yeahhhh… Well, first off, thanks for leaving me, but I’ll tell you everything I know, just as they did for me.” Charlie points over to a small crowd of people waiting behind the dark shadows of the room. With a short, yet detailed, briefing, he tells Nathan that these people are all the missing people they’ve been reporting about. They all have been curious people who have wandered into the facility but inevitably became a morbid science experiment by Subject Zero. Charlie continues on to tell Nathan that every single one of these people have been injected with a similar serum as Subject Zero but each one is a slightly altered version. “So, let me get this straight… These people have all been injected with the same damn insanity poison as that madman and there’s absolutely no telling who could lose it and kill us with FUCKING TELEKINISIS!” “Yeah, pretty much. But I’ve been told that Subject Zero murders every failed attempt before they hurt any of his other precious test subjects. So far, all he’s done is prolong the insanity effects.” “Charlie, we have to somehow get the fuck out of here.” “We can’t. Do you not understand what I just said?” “Look, I get that these people are innocent but they’re obviously going to be massive dangers to humanity. We can get out of here. I don’t know how but… Somehow!” “Nate! I can’t get out of here.” “What the fuck are you talking about?” Charlie raises up his arm and reveals a small pinprick of a needle in his skin. “Charlie, what is that? No… Wait, you were injected too?” “Yeah.” “FUCK!” “Look, as far as I’m concerned, you haven’t been injected. There’s no needle mark in your skin. YOU could actually get out of here.” “I’m not leaving you behind again, Charlie! It was a nightmare seeing what they did to you the first time.” “Nathan, I -” Suddenly and very unexpectedly, one of the people in the crowd begins to scream from within the shadows. Nathan, confused and afraid, looks over at the man losing his sanity. Within seconds, the man stops screaming as the entire room falls into a deafening silence. The man looks in Nathan’s direction and shines a demonic grin with a stare that could pierce the soul of any mortal man. Knowing the man is coming toward him, Nathan slowly starts backing up against the cold concrete walls. The man, with all new senses, uses his new telekinetic ability to push others from the crowd aside. Charlie, being brave for the first and possibly final time in his life, attempts to stand in the way but is quickly subdued as he’s flung against the wall. Finally reaching Nathan, the man brings his gaze into a full on stare into Nathan’s soul. For Nathan, it’s as if death has come for him. Suddenly, the man’s gaze is ripped away by a familiar face of evil. Subject Zero heard the screams and came to claim his failed experiment. This led to an all-out brawl between the two men. Anyone would describe it in the same way you would if two rabid dogs were fighting over food. One dog gets up after being ripped open and the other gets its face gashed by a hard hitting blow, yet they still fight. Only difference between the two, one is just a dog wanting its food and the other is trained to kill. Suddenly, with a vicious blow, Subject Zero wins the fight when he takes the man’s head and slams it so hard into the concrete floor that his skull cracks open causing blood, brains, and skull fragments to fly over the silent crowd. With one final glance, Subject Zero looks over the entire crowd. He ends his gaze by making sure Nathan is the last to see his devilish eyes. Soon after, he leaves the room and locks the door. Nathan stares at the corpse lying on the ground with a look of pure terror and proceeds to collapse onto the floor while holding back tears. The small concrete room soon fills with despair as everyone watches the tears of pain and fear run down Nathan’s face. Charlie tries to make his long-time friend feel a little more hopeful, although he soon gives up as well until he has a moment of realization. He remembers back to when they first were searching for information he had found an article with some intriguing details. “Okay, so, there may be some hope after all.” “Charlie, what hope is there? Huh?! You’re pretty much fucked and I don’t exactly see a way out of here.” “One of the articles back at the house we were in said something about a self-destruct button. That’s also how you open the main doors. Apparently, no one ever bothered, or I guess, never got the chance to hit the self-destruct timer and run their asses to the door. What if we- I mean, YOU could actually do that?” “Charlie, I already told you I don’t want to leave you behind.” “GOD DAMN IT, NATHAN! I know… FUCK! I know. But I want you to survive. Can’t you just listen to me for once?! I would follow you through hell and back and it kind of feels that way right now. So? Can you just listen to what I want you to do for once while I’m practically on my deathbed?!” “Okay! Okay…” Suddenly, an unexpected chance of escape arrives at their feet. Subject Zero and a few of his mannequins walk in to remove the mutilated corpse from the room. Unexpectedly, one of the people in the crowd begins to scream out in pain just like the other man did moments ago before his demise. “Oh, great…” Subject Zero says irritatedly. Soon after, multiple others begin to scream out in pain until eventually the entire crowd follows suit. Nathan, and somehow Charlie have not been affected. The room quickly becomes engulfed in a hurricane of insanity. This leads Subject Zero and the mannequins to getting distracted by the madness and accidentally leaves the door open. Subject Zero quickly gets attacked by everyone in the room but he holds his ground firmly. Nathan knows this is the perfect chance to escape and signals Charlie to come with him. Charlie hesitantly comes along but right as they reach the door Nathan turns to hear the sounds of Charlie going through the worst pain of his life. Nathan looks in confusion but quickly realizes he’s about to have to accept his friend’s fate. Nathan refuses to accept it, but he knows he needs to. Charlie suddenly lunges at Nathan and uses his last act of sanity and control to push him out the door. “Get. To the button. Please.” “Charlie, I- I’m-” “I’m sorry…” Charlie finally snaps and is engulfed in pure raging insanity. He lunges at Nathan but before he reaches him, Nathan, with teary eyes, slams the door onto his friend, turns, and begins running out into the seemingly vast wilderness. As he runs, Nathan hears the cries of a dozen men and women as they get ripped apart. Knowing that among them is his best friend, Nathan begins to cry as he continues to run away from his previous hell.
End of Part 1.

A stern warning for international students: This university treats international students as second class citizens, at first you might think I might be exaggerating, we always get the short hand of the stick but that difference will decide if you'll continue or drop out(KICKED OUT), the amount of dates available for the finals for international students when compared to the Czech students is around 5 times the difference which is huge. Not only that, due to the un-updated syllabus which dates back decades, can take a mental toll on student which can permanently scar students. THIS LINE IS NO JOKE. You might think ah yes I got accepted into this university this has to be a sign. NOPE, absolutely not they treat internationals as cash cows the milking never stops. Don't believe me check the university photos and campus and check the amount being paid :)
This university will either make you or break you, for them you are just a small pin in a haystack. Also the vice-dean the biggest clown 🤡 there is, always with a motto we are not there to kick you out; DOESN'T DO AS HE PREACHES. A kind message to him ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS. The dean is the biggest couch potato there is he gets paid to do absolutely nothing. Such a waste of tax payer money.
Also a message to the university itself, a student may crack don't know when or how but when that happens we will never know what would happen.
Also for the people who are going to say Medicine is hard it is expected; No it's not like this the pass rate is a mere 20-25 students who graduate 6th year from 350+ students. The beaurcrcy here is immaculate honestly.
If any students have any questions feel free to message me.

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Meanwhile, at the same time as the purple cloud first descended...
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SLASH
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A guttural, wheezing cough escaped the goblin's throat as it knelt, thick globs of saliva and mucus splattering the dusty ground.
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[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(E)]<<] The proficiency of your passive skill has been increased by 0.01%! 

‎
In a blur of motion, a razor-sharp jian cleaved through the creature's neck, its wicked edge leaving a crimson wake in its path. The goblin's severed head hit the earth with a dull thump, viridian eyes still wide with shock as its body crumpled lifelessly.
‎
From the roiling miasma of noxious purple mist arose the attacker, a lithe figure wreathed in an aura of deadly grace.
‎
The jian in their grasp glistened, coated in a grotesque mixture of goblin blood and ichor. As they stepped forward, crimson eyes flickered with an eerie inner light, glaring balefully at the remaining goblins struggling to regain their footing.
‎
"I know it's unfair, but you came with an army," the attacker remarked, their voice cutting through the fog like a knife. Their form shimmered and phased in and out of reality, the poisonous vapors parting briefly to reveal chiseled features set in an impassive mask.
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One particularly massive goblin, clutching a greatsword nearly as tall as itself, let out a guttural war cry. Veins bulged obscenely beneath its mottled green skin as it charged, each thunderous footfall shaking the very earth.
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SLASH!
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[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(E)]<<] The proficiency of your passive skill has been increased by 0.01%! 

‎
With a horizontal sweep of its blade, a fan of virulent emerald droplets exploded outward.
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The attacker's body flickered once more, the jian becoming a blur of motion that ended with its razor tip buried in the goblin's throat.
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The creature's pupils blew wide, a gargled death rattle its only eulogy as it crumpled bonelessly to the ground in a spreading pool of its own vile ichor.
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No sooner had one foe fallen than the attacker had phased through the miasma to engage the next, the jian carving a deadly through the air. A goblin head sailed in a grotesque arc, jaw still locked in a perpetual snarl, before thudding wetly into the dirt.
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One by one the goblins that had besieged the village fell, hewn apart by an unstoppable flurry of strikes that left their broken forms littering the ground.
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At last, Ji Wuye, the crimson-eyed swordsman whose jian ran slick with vital fluids, came to a halt before the shattered remnants of the wooden palisade wall.
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With measured strides, Ji Wuye advanced, right arm extended as the jian's razor edge caught the wan rays of sunlight piercing the miasma.
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THUD-!
‎
THUD-!
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THUD-!
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With each footfall, his form shimmered and phased, leaving a wake of severed goblin heads bouncing across the trampled earth.
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His steps slowed as a familiar silhouette resolved itself from the roiling vapors in the distance. "Still indifferent, huh?" he murmured, shifting aside in a single fluid motion.
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SWOOSH-!
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A fierce gust of wind rushed through the space he had just vacated, momentarily parting the thick purple mists to reveal an elf woman, holding a bow.
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A flurry of strikes left a trail of goblin corpses scattered in her wake. The elf woman's strikes were as precise as they were lethal, each blow a calculated expenditure of pure, economical violence.
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In her wake, the street lay strewn with broken goblin forms, their viscera intermingling in a grotesque tapestry of greens and crimsons.
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Yet amid the carnage, scattered like fell blossoms upon the bloodied cobbles, were unmistakable human remains - severed limbs, torsos cloven nearly in twain, all bearing mute testament to the elf's indiscriminate fury.
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She moved on, features an inscrutable mask of indifference, leaving behind a trail of horror - not just the shattered goblin corpses, but the slack, lifeless faces of elderly villagers, eyes still wide with their final moments of shock and pain.
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Dirt and mingled blood streaked their pallid countenances in macabre rictus grins.
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“Sigh…” Ji Wuye dropped to one knee amid the butchery, throat constricting as he gently slipped his fingers beneath the eyelids of each fallen elder, closing their eyes with a reverence that seemed discordant amid such wanton destruction.
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Prying apart the rictus jaws, he sealed their mouths, granting them a semblance of peace in death. When at last the grisly task was done, he rose and bowed deeply to the still forms, holding the stance for a solemn moment of silence.
‎
Humans and elves have developed natural defenses or adaptations that provide some resistance against the lethal effects of the poison.
‎ ‎
Despite appearances, the poison—or rather, the combination of poisons—used to cloud the battlefield was specifically formulated to affect only monsters such as goblins.
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Unlike humans, goblins have a distinct respiratory system that rapidly absorbs the poison, leading to swift and lethal effects. Additionally, their skin is more permeable to the specific toxins in the poison, allowing it to quickly enter their bloodstream.
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Moreover, due to their smaller size, goblins inhale a relatively higher dose of the poison compared to larger races like humans and elves.
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On the other hand, the current reaction in humans involves the poison's psychoactive compounds, which induce hallucinations in humans and elves, even at lower concentrations.
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These compounds interact differently with the brain chemistry of non-monster races, causing vivid and terrifying hallucinations without the lethal effects experienced by goblins.
‎
In short, what the non-monster races are experiencing right now is merely how they 'imagine' being poisoned. Each person's reaction varies; one might immediately faint, while the majority have their vision altered to see the scenario they imagine.
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"Also, the effect should be gone in a few minutes," he murmured, shaking his head. "Yet I forgot to consider her indifferent view."
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A weary sigh parted his lips as Ji Wuye's gaze roamed across the broken corpses once more. It seemed achieving zero casualties hidden achievement was an impossibility as long as the elf remained here.
‎
His plan had been to utilize the noxious purple vapors to incapacitate the goblin horde while the villagers remained safely sheltered, emerging once the threat was neutralized and the challenge cleared.
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But the elf's interference had introduced an unforeseen variable, one with tragic consequences.
‎
Suddenly…
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COUGH-!
‎
COUGH-!
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The sound of raucous coughing and pained shouts snapped Ji Wuye from his morose reverie. Pushing aside this matter, he strode towards the commotion to find a familiar knight surrounded by a knot of goblin assailants.
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Though grievously wounded, chainmail rent and weeping crimson life from a dozen punctures, the knight fought on with grim tenacity.
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His guard wavered as he was forced to pause, doubling over to expel thick gouts of blood in a spasm of hacking coughs. Under normal circumstances, such a paltry cluster of foes would prove little challenge.
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However, the knight's imagination of being poisoned felt overwhelmingly real. Despite there being no signs of poison—only the stab wounds from countless daggers inflicted on his body—the knight acted as weakly as if he had been poisoned with a deadly toxin.
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"That's the limit for one person," Ji Wuye muttered, shaking his head as he accelerated into a sprint, jian held low.
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Leaping off the spot, he launched himself into the melee in a soaring leap, right arm cocked back as the blade's razor edge sliced parallel to his cheekbones.
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Pulse of the Blade: First Move, Gentle Breeze! 

‎
Ji Wuye's lithe form swayed with a dancer's grace, his movements harmonizing with the gentle currents of air as if guided by some unseen choreographer.
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The jian became an extension of his being, lashing out in blurred arcs to the left and right. Each strike met its mark with surgical precision, goblin heads toppling from ruined necks to become macabre ornaments skewered upon the blade's slender length.
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[>>[PULSE OF BLADE SWORD ART(??)]<<] Your understanding of Pulse of Blade Sword Art has slightly increased! 

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The cadence of Ji Wuye's footwork merged with the wet patter of blood striking the ground, composing a perverse rhythm that seemed to goad him into an ever-quickening tempo.
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When at last the final goblin fell, its decapitated corpse joining its brethren in a sprawl of broken forms, an eerie stillness descended once more.
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[>>[PULSE OF BLADE SWORD ART(??)]<<] Your understanding of Pulse of Blade Sword Art has slightly increased! 

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With an almost casual flick of his wrist, Ji Wuye sent the grisly garland of severed heads tumbling free, the gory mass impacting the packed earth with a sickly squelch reminiscent of a dropped barrel.
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The Pulse of Blade Sword Art comprised a vast repertoire of techniques, yet Ji Wuye had only glimpsed the opening movement as demonstrated by Song Jia.
‎
Yet, here, thanks to the Tower's system, Ji Wuye could feel each strike and parry, which incrementally deepened his understanding.
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A faint smile played across Ji Wuye's lips as this realization took hold. Turning to face the battered knight who leaned heavily upon his blade. "What a great performance, wake up, Knight of Averial House—this poison only works on those monsters."
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[!] Congratulations, Climber Ji Wuye, on successfully defending Kenlan Village! 

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[>>[INFORMATION]<<] Challenger Ji Wuye, Congratulations on successfully clearing the third floor! 

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[!] You've encountered a hobgoblin! A being who should not be involved in this challenge! The gods are impressed by your incredible achievement! 

‎

[!] You have defeated a Hobgoblin, impressing all the gods who are watching your performance! It is truly a remarkable feat! 

‎

[!] You have single-handedly defeated 3/4 of the goblin army, which is an incredible accomplishment! 

‎

[!] Your participation in defending Kenlan Village is unparalleled, and you have accomplished an extraordinary feat! 

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Hey everyone,
My 6 year old son is already signed up for a summer camp at Shrewsbury school from late June to July, but he'll have August free. He's a curious and active kid who loves math, science, and all kinds of sports.
I'd love to find some engaging and enriching activities for him in August that tap into his interests. Any recommendations for camps, classes, or programs in the Shrewsbury area?
Thanks in advance!

Good afternoon! This is my first time writing a query letter and I'm quite nervous, thank you in advance for all the valuable advice.
Dear Agent,
Markus lies, cheats and steals his way through life. After his father is killed in a mining accident while working underneath Viscount Dane, Markus gladly accepts to play the role of a thief to prevent his older sister, Isolde, from having to sell her body in the Aristocrats’ brothels to keep them fed.
The city of Fortuna and the Aristocracy are protected by a dragon— a god called Vortigan. Once a noble warrior that guarded the nation of Albion from monsters and invasions, Vortigan now represents the corruption of high society. In order for the wretched god to continue bringing the Aristocrats’ peace and justice, Vortigan is given sacrifices; young adults are taken from the Lowborn and pampered until they are fed to Vortigan at the end of the year. The Aristocrats call it a sign of loyalty and devotion.
When the Rite of First Night comes, Isolde is taken by the High Lords to be sacrificed. Markus raises his voice and fights the guards in an attempt to free his sister. Only to be hung in front of his people and for his body to be thrown in the river. In the darkness, Markus meets a mysterious woman who offers him the power to either raze the country to the ground or seize it from his oppressors and rebuild it anew. With fire coursing through his blood, Markus accepts the woman’s offer.
A group of rebels fishes Markus’ body from the river. They come to him with a plan to free the Lowborn from the oppression of the Aristocrats and get his sister back before the end of the year. For this plan to work, Markus must steal the face of a recently deceased noble and infiltrate Fortuna to assassinate the High Lords. Markus will continue doing what he does best; lying, cheating and killing to rescue the only person that matters to him in the world.
SONGS OF JUSTICE is a 95,000 word Adult fantasy novel with YA crossover potential. It will appeal to those who enjoy the themes of rebelling from an unjust society, and a protagonist who does whatever it takes to protect his family, which can also be seen in The Will of the Many by James Islington and Sky’s End by Marc J. Gregson. It’s a standalone book, with potential for future stories set within the same world.
Thank you for your time and consideration.

Verse 29 - The purpose of sending this chosen messenger:

God says:

"That he may make evident that they indeed have conveyed the Messages of their Lord. He has encompassed what is with them and He enumerated all things in number.” (The Quran 72:29)

The verse uses the past tense verb "أَحَاطَ" (aḥāṭa) which means "encompassed" or "surrounded." The verb "لَدَيْهِمْ" (ladayhim) involves possession and is not bound by tense in the same way verbs are. So an accurate interpretation would be that God has encompassed what is with them, meaning what is with this chosen messenger and his time (i.e. the Quran), or that God has encompassed (past tense) what was with them (past tense), meaning the prophet and his companions. It can refer to a present or ongoing state resulting from a past action but the "he may make clear" refers to a future event, which indeed makes this a prophecy. Either way, Rashad fully fulfilled it all. This is exactly what transpired. The verse continues:

"And He enumerated all things in number."

The preservation and guarding of the Quran was done by way of numerical patterns/codes embedded within the Quran, God enumerated everything in numbers.

Answering the weak claims of liars, doubters and rejecters:

I will quickly go over a couple claims that I found online and refute them. I will only answer claims I personally think are response worthy. The rest are not even worth the time.

Claim: "Rashad's overall message was unlike that of other prophets/messengers":

This is totally false, because he eradicated prevalent Shirk, the same Shirk that still to this day continues to "flourish" amongst traditionalists.
God says in the Quran, interestingly in the same chapter that we discussed above (i.e. Chapter 72, The Jinn):

"And the mosques are for God, so do not call upon anyone with God." (The Quran 72:18)

The traditionalists are all invoking the prophet, in the same manner they are invoking God. They are all (and I mean literally all of them) saying during their 5 daily prayers:

'as-salaamu 'alaika ayyuha n-nabiyyu' (Peace be on you, O Prophet!)

This is literally an invocation directed to an entity other than God, namely prophet Muhammad. Rashad came and eradicated this Shirk from the Muslim community, but traditionalists remain in their worship of the prophet and refuse to be reminded and reformed.
The real question should be; why would an imposter (who hypothetically was inspired by Satan) want to eradicate prevalent Shirk from the Muslim Ummah?

Claim: "All messengers were prophets, therefor there's a seal on messengership as well!"

And when we ask them: why? They indirectly answer: "Because we say so!" and expect us to just take their words for it.
There's literally nothing behind this erroneous analogy of theirs that supports it. They are literally just claiming that God is bound by a rule. They are literally just inventing and fabricating rules they expect God to submit to.
God says:

“but he is the Messenger of God and the seal (i.e. end) of the Prophets” (The Quran 33:40)

They quote this verse and use it as some sort of evidence while this very verse is the exact opposite, it is against them, but they are rendered incapable of perceiving it.
Messengers are not prophets by default, they are just messengers, whereas prophets are individuals who receive prophecies from God that they convey to people, which makes them messengers as well. This is the linguistic definition of these words. It's baffling how this understanding has been reversed by traditionalists, with the claim that messengers are both prophets and messengers, while prophets are merely prophets. This claim is totally baseless and makes no sense at all.
God has not defined these words in the Quran in any specific way because the Quran is not a dictionary or lexicon; the definitions of the words are something we should naturally understand. Just as we naturally should know where Mecca is located or where the former Qibla was located. Both messengers and prophets are sent by God with a revelation (Scriptures or not) and with Clear Signs, whilst calling for submission and the worship of God alone. Prophets, in addition to all of that, also receive prophecies, foretelling the future, which is why they are called 'prophets.'
Rashad was a messenger of God, not a prophet. He didn't receive a new prophecy because the knowledge of the timing of the Hour was already present with us embedded within the Quran. He was only guided by Gabriel and shown how to uncover it. Prophet Muhammad is the one who received this prophecy originally, but it was obscured from everyone (including prophet Muhammad), hence why he was directed to say:

"Say, 'I do not know whether that which you are promised is near, or if my Lord has appointed for it a distant term. [God is] the Knower of the Unseen, and He reveals unto none His unseen, except who He has chosen of a messenger..." (The Quran 72:25-27)

God states:

"And We did not send before you except men to whom We revealed. So ask the people of the scripture if you do not know, with the clear proofs and the Scriptures. And We sent down to you the Reminder so that it may make clear to the people what has been sent down to them, and perhaps they may reflect." (The Quran 16:42-43)

Everyone that was sent by God had some sort of revelation, whether it was by way of Scriptures and Clear Signs. There's no specific thing distinguishing the two (except for the linguistic distinction I mentioned here above).
It is only their fallacious analogy, that's all. It is based on a passage from the Quran saying; prophets ruled according to Moses Law, the Torah, therefor, a messenger is someone who brings a new Law. Did they forget that Jesus was a messenger and a prophet and he didn't abrogate the Torah?:

"[The Day] when God will say, 'O Jesus, Son of Mary, remember My favor upon you and upon your mother when I supported you with the Pure Spirit and you spoke to the people in the cradle and in maturity; and when I taught you writing and wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel." (The Quran 5:110)

Do you see how fallacious their reasoning actually is? Disregard their weak arguments; it is all weak in my eyes and should be equally so in yours too. God says:

"And We do not send the messengers except as bringers of good tidings and warners. So whoever believes and REFORMS - there will be no fear concerning them, nor will they grieve." (6:48)

Messengers are bringers of good tidings and they serve as warners, and their purpose is to make us believe and to reform us (by the Will and Grace of God). Messengers are also described with revelations of the Book and the Balance (which literally has to do with "Laws"):

"We sent aforetime our messengers with clear signs and sent down with them the Book and the Balance, that people may stand forth in justice; and We sent down Iron, in which is strong material, as well as many benefits for mankind, that God may test who it is that will help, unseen, Him and His messengers: For God is full of strength, exalted in might." (The Quran 57:25)

Prophets are also specifically described as being sent with Scriptures so they can "judge between people":

"Mankind was [of] one religion [i.e. before their deviation]; then God sent the prophets as bringers of good tidings and warners and sent down with them the Scripture in truth to judge between the people concerning that in which they differed." (The Quran 2:213)

Both are described as being sent with revelations containing Laws.

The Sunni definition of "prophet" is derived from the founders of Sunnism, the ancient rabbis:

From a Sunni/Salafi Fatwa:

"The well-known difference between a Prophet and a Messenger is that a Messenger is one to whom a law is revealed and he is commanded to convey it, whilst a Prophet is one to whom a law is revealed but he is not commanded to convey it. But this distinction is not free of problems, because a Prophet is also commanded to call people, convey the Message and judge among the people."

Source
That it is possible for a prophet to receive revelations from God and suppress them and not convey them to the people, is nothing but a copy/paste from ancient rabbinic literature. The Sunnis got this from the rabbis of old (Maimonides, to be exact):

"But with regard to one who suppresses his prophecy because he does not want to share it with the public, and one who contemptuously forgoes the statement of a prophet and refuses to heed it, and a prophet who violated his own statement and failed to perform that which he was commanded to do, his death is at the hand of Heaven, as it is stated: “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall not hearken unto My words that he shall speak in My name, I will exact it of him” (Deuteronomy 18:19)."

Source: Sanhedrin 89a - 8.
Two points to consider:

1. Why would God reveal something to someone and not command him to convey it to the people? Why are they attributing this sheer stupidity to God?
2. To claim that God would reveal something to someone with the purpose of conveying it to others while simultaneously allowing him the free will to choose whether he wants to convey it or not, and if we hypothetically say that this is the case, then if a prophet were to actually not convey the revelation, then this would imply that God doesn't know the future or that He randomly sends Revelations to people and hopes they will convey it to others. Either way, this is a stupidity God is far above.

To refute both of these points, we have to look no further than the Quran itself:
God says:

"O Messenger, convey that which has been revealed to you from your Lord, for if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message. And God will protect you from the people. Indeed, God does not guide the disbelieving people." (The Quran 5:67)

And,

"Indeed, those who conceal what We sent down of clear proofs and guidance after We made it clear for the people in the Scripture - those are cursed by God and cursed by those who curse." (The Quran 2:159)

Hiding what God sends down is only done by cursed individuals, to claim that God would send revelations to cursed people stems from nothing other than ancient Rabbinism*.
^\Rabbinism: Rabbinic Judaism has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonian Talmud, and also "coincidentally" after the advent of the Quran.)
The phrase: "for if you do not, then you have not conveyed His message" - implies that the purpose of the revelation is to convey it to others. It implies that it is expected of him.

The two deleted verses:

It is interesting to note that there's only 2 extra verses, because matching the mastery of the Quran with more than 2 verses is impossible. It's impossible to mimic the Quran with more than 2 verses without making mumbo jumbo phrases and sentences that make no sense. The shortest chapter in the Quran is made up of 3 verses, nobody has ever brought 3 verses that match the Quran.
If you think it is to deny the Quran if one were to believe that 9:128-129 are added verses, not belonging to it, then you would also believe that 'Ali disbelieved, according to historical accounts. This is recorded in the history books of Sunni scholars themselves.
We find in Kitab al-Masahif by Ibn Abu Dawud, where he suggests that Umar ibn Al-Khattab considered adding verses 128 and 129 to a separate Surah if they had been three verses instead of two, indicating some recognition of their contentious nature during the compilation of the Quran. It is also mentioned that Zaid bin Thabit found these two verses with only one scribe, namely with Khuzaima ibn Thabit. A whooping 65 scribes to the disposal of prophet Muhammad, and only one had these two verses written down. They still included them, which was unusual given the strict criteria for including verses based on multiple witnesses (Source: Ibn Abu Dawud, Kitab al-Masahif; Al-Suyuti, Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran).
In As-Suyuti's Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran, we read that Ali ibn Abi Talib expressed concerns about additions to the Quran. According to a narration by Muhammad ibn Sirin from Ikrima, Ali refrained from pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr because he believed that something had been added to the Book of God, indicating his suspicion regarding the integrity of certain verses (Source: Al-Suyuti, Al-Itqan fi Ulum al-Quran).
Do you also consider 'Ali to have apostatized? If not, then why would we be? Especially considering the fact that we now even have substantial evidence that two additional verses were added and that precisely these two verses, the verses that always have been shrouded in doubt, that they ruin the 19 code. But when omitted, the code remains in tact.

The verse saying "No falsehood approaches it":

The traditional translation of this verse is:

"Falsehood does not approach it from before or behind; it is a Revelation from the Wise, the Praiseworthy." (The Quran 41:42)

This above is a deviation from the Arabic grammar of the words and the Arabic idiom being used. Let's go through each word, but before doing that, we need to read a few verses before this verse so we get some context:

40: "Indeed, those who are deviating concerning our Âyât (Signs/Verses) are not concealed from Us. Is he who is cast into the Fire better off, or is it the one who safely comes forth on the Day of Resurrection? Go ahead and do whatever you wish. Indeed, He is Seeing of whatever you do."
41: "[these are] indeed those who disbelieved in the Reminder after it came to them. And indeed, it is surely a Mighty Book."
42: "Falsehood does not come to it, neither from its past nor from its future. It is a Revelation from One who is Wise, Praiseworthy."

The phrase: "بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ" (From its past): Literally: "Between his hands" - As I have already explained earlier in this post, this is an idiom which all traditional translators seem to be totally ignorant about. It simply means "his past" or "before him (i.e. his time)."
The phrase: "وَلَا مِنْ خَلْفِهِۦ" (nor from its future): Literally: "And not from after him/it" - The word "Khalfihi" can mean "Behind it" and it can mean "After it." Because the idiom "Bayni yadayhi" precedes it and means "Its past," and has to do with time, therefor "Khalfihi" likewise is about time and should be translated as "its future." The word "Khalaf" is the opposite of the word "Salaf," which is generally taken to mean "predecessors" while "Khalaf" is the opposite, "successors." It is about the past and the successive future.
God is ensuring us that the Quran is immune to falsehood and cannot be corrupted,even if attempts are made to alter it with lies and fabrications. How can this be best demonstrated and proven true? Through a numerical code that preserves every aspect of the text. If a single letter is added or removed, the code fails. This is exactly what Rashad Khalifa discovered during his lifetime. In other words, even if intentional attempts are made to distort the Quran, they will fail because there is a safeguard in place. This verse does not state that people cannot attempt to distort the Quran; anyone can distort its contents (even you or I can do it right now at this current moment). Rather, it means that falsehood cannot successfully infiltrate it at any time and be forever being considered to be the original Quran, thereby ensuring its preservation.
To claim that this verse is implying that nobody ever will be able to distort the Quran and remove or add from it, then you would also essentially be saying that Rashad Khalifa disproved the truthfulness of the Quran because he did just that, he removed two verses from it and millions of Muslims are reading his Quran and fully believe the Quran was distorted while it wasn't (hypothetically).
Another interpretation of this verse (that is fully valid and plausible) is that God is talking about the time during which it is being revealed and written down by scribes. Because the verse ends saying "...It is a Revelation from One who is Wise, Praiseworthy." In other words;

"Falsehood does not come to it neither in its past nor its future, (because) it is a Revelation from a Wise One..."

I.e. It is not falsehood that is being revealed, neither in its past nor will there be any revealed in its future, because it is all from God. The last phrase is what makes this the most likely accurate interpretation.

Weird Sunni translation of this verse exposes their ignorance and thus also their mistranslation of 72:28:

This very verse uses the exact same idiom that 72:28 contains. The "Between his hands" one. This is how traditionalists translate it in this verse (i.e. 41:42):

It cannot be proven false from any angle...
— Dr. Mustafa Khattab, The Clear Quran
Falsehood cannot approach it from before it or from behind it...
— Saheeh International
that cannot be approached by falsehood, neither from its front, nor from its behind...
— T. Usmani
which falsehood cannot touch from any angle...
— M.A.S. Abdel Haleem
Falsehood may not enter it from the front or from the rear...
— A. Maududi (Tafhim commentary)
Falsehood cannot come at it from before it or from behind it...
— M. Pickthall
No falsehood can approach it from before or behind it...
— A. Yusuf Ali
Falsehood cannot come to it from before it or behind it...
— Al-Hilali & Khan

The rendering: "From any angle" is a complete mistranslation because that is not what the Arabic verse says.
The rendering: "its front nor from behind it" - What does this even mean? Does the Quran have front doors and back doors? It is not even an idiom in Arabic, let alone English. These translators just assumed that this is an idiom in both Arabic and English, while the literal translation makes very little sense in both Arabic and English. How would someone come to the Quran with falsehood behind it?
Does it mean "from the frontside" of its cover? And the "backside" of its cover as well? The Quran was not even in book form at that particular time when this verse was revealed, so how is that explained? The fact of the matter is that they have failed to understand this idiom, which is why they also mistranslated the verse where Rashad Khalifa is prophesied:

"Except who He has chosen of a messenger, for indeed he will follow a path from before him (i.e. before his time), and after him will be a (guarding) monitoring."

The same idiom is used in this verse. I see this as a significant sign from our Lord. It seems He used this idiom in these two verses specifically for this very reason, to show that they are ignorant of the Quran's language, its idioms, and that they completely disregard its grammar and structure of the verses and etc. This is why they end up with these awkward phrases like, "Falsehood may not enter it from the front or from the rear," and "Falsehood cannot come at it from before it or from behind it," among others, which we won't delve into any further. Not only is the English grammar appalling, but these statements are also meaningless in English. They pay no attention to this and have likely confused people by the masses.

The only person to claim messengership that has been assassinated is Rashad Khalifa:

It is very notable that, out of all people who ever have claimed messengership (or prophethood), Rashad is the only one who was assassinated. This also speaks volumes. Sure, Sunni Hadiths speak about a few who claimed prophethood and were consequently executed, but we all know how truthful and accurate Sunni Hadiths are.
This is just an interesting tidbit, it speaks volumes to me personally.

Conclusion:

Wasn't everything in Chapter 72 exactly what Rashad Khalifa experienced and accomplished? It undoubtedly was, and it is impossible to deny. Knowing this, a rejector will certainly be called to account and questioned on Judgement Day as to why he rejected and denied something God made confirmable and undeniable.
God has made it evident that the Hadiths are nothing but fabrications and He has made it evident that they even tempered with the Quran. If you keep on believing that the Quran Sunnis uphold is fully from God, you are literally dooming yourself and transgressing against God because He has revealed means for us that enables us to confirm Rashad's claims. You are part of the problem. What is the difference between you and a Kâfir (disbeliever) of the past such as those who opposed prophet Muhammad? Nothing at all. So fear God and submit to Him fully.
I urge you, O Muslims, to fear God! O people, fear God, because denying a messenger of God renders you an apostate or a Kâfir (a rejector who covers the truth after knowing it). You have no right to deny Rashad Khalifa. God did not send a messenger and allowed you to keep living your life doubting him or totally disregarding him. Imagine if the early Muslims behaved like that? Do you think God would have been pleased with them? All the excuses I have found online are very weak and based on flawed analogies and fallacious reasonings, such as "God said that every messenger was sent to people who spoke his mother tongue, therefore, Rashad must be a fake messenger." And these people actually believe this will be a plausible excuse on the Day of Judgement🤦‍♂️.
Fear God, O believers, and submit to Him fully! You have been shown the truth, and it is now upon you to testify it. How you do that is your decision to make.
Another major excuse people use is that Rashad supposedly claimed that his Quran translation was divinely inspired/guided, and this is nothing but a lie. Nowhere has he claimed this (as far as I know). There are interviews on YouTube where you can clearly hear him saying that he made a personal promise to God in a supplication that he would not move past a word (while translating) until he fully understood its definition. This does not mean "My translation was guided/inspired by God Himself."
Remember this Statement God made concerning those who are rendered incapable of seeing His Signs:

"I will turn away from My Âyât [i.e. Signs/Verses] those who are arrogant in the earth without right. And if they see every Sign, they will not believe in it, and if they see the path of right guidance, they will not adopt it as a path, and if they see the path of misguidance, they will adopt it as a path. That is because they denied Our Âyât (Signs/Verses) and were heedless of them." (The Quran 7:146)

With this, I end this article, and may God open your hearts to Truth and guide us all and keep us steadfast upon His Straight Path until we die, âmîn.
/ By your brother, Exion.

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2nd happiest day with my KJ was the day I got it.
Happiest day - when I gave it away for free 2 years later and bought a pellet grill.
I think in 10-15 total cooks on the KJ only one came out edible. Out of control fires, fires dying out in the middle of the night, adjust the tiniest fraction but it added 100 degrees, etc. I could never figure out the exact right set of incantations and signals and secret signs I was supposed to perform at the exact right moment to get it to work.
1.5 years in I tried selling it for half of what I paid and had no takers. Thought I'd be stuck with it forever. Finally convinced a friend to come take it for free. I felt like I finally got rid of some cursed household item.
In one week I've already done 2 fantastic cooks on my new pellet grill.

Puppy biting is easily a top issue people ask about - especially on this sub. So I want to share what I have learned when asked: "How do I stop puppy biting?"
Here's the thing: you don't want to stop puppy biting. People misunderstand what it's all about and come at the problem all wrong.

Why do puppies bite?

Play biting and fighting is absolutely one of the most important developmental pieces for young dogs. In fact, the only thing puppies do more than bite is poop, pee and sleep. That tells us that it's important.
There is a reason why Mother Nature has programmed them to do it so much: Puppies play bite because they must receive feedback for their bite pressure so they can acquire the skill of monitoring and adjusting the force of their jaws.
That process is what develops "acquired bite inhibition" or ABI. And, good ABI is what makes a safe dog in adulthood. It can only be done in the early stages before it’s locked in forever. There are no methods to alter this after adolescence.
So, play biting is not only natural, it’s necessary. An adult dog that has never developed ABI will not know how to monitor and adjust the force of their jaws when they have big adult teeth and big adult jaw muscles.’
Consider a dog sleeping in your family room and a family member accidentally steps on the dog. A dog with good ABI won’t even make contact. A dog with poor ABI might bite that person, perhaps badly.
So, bottom line - you don’t want to stop puppy biting, because then the training stops too. Okay, so how to train?

How to properly train for ABI

First, we focus on intensity before frequency.
In the correct progression you will see a reduction in the intensity before you see a reduction in frequency. Biting will get softer and softer before actual incidents of biting diminish. And it’s critical that Force be trained before Frequency because they are separately processed in doggie brains.
Second, provide meaningful feedback. You MUST socialize your dog. Other dogs train this naturally in one another, so get them to off-leash puppy classes or playgroups after their second round of shots (I’m not a vet, consult with a vet).
Third, your puppy has to believe that humans are super sensitive. Every time they bite you, you cry out. Act like it hurts (which it probably does). Loudly say, "Ouch! That hurt!"
Here's the secret to making that work. The internet tells you to cry out but never fills in the rest of the strategy. First, do not jerk your hand (or whatever body part) away. Quick movement is stimulating and that triggers chase drive. They'll just go harder for it. Instead, leave it there.
Your puppy needs to be the one to back off.
Second if you say "Ouch" loud enough and sharp enough, your puppy should buck their head back. Immediately start praising and allow them to re-engage. If they're softer tell them "good puppy." If not keep up the feedback. Ramp it up a little with tone and volume without making it scary.
This feedback has to be binary: Right and Wrong. It also has to be constant. One of two times isn’t going to do it. This is a progression. And remember: At this stage you aren’t trying to stop biting, you want to see it getting softer and softer, and then frequency will diminish too.
Also, make sure to cry out even if the puppy bites your clothing or hair. The puppy doesn’t know what the differences are and should be gentle with both.

Be ready to briefly leave

If during a session your puppy is too jazzed up and is not responding to the work then leave, simple as that.
You probably have a puppy playpen area, so don’t move the puppy (presuming you’re playing in the playpen) - it isn’t instructive and fast enough. YOU have to get up and leave. This is exactly how dogs do it - a painful bite causes a yelp and play stops momentarily.
Well, no one wants that, so they learn to monitor and adjust. If you - the playmate of the moment - get up and leave for say 30-60 seconds, the puppy will begin to make that association.
This is why we don’t give puppies free reign of the house at the start and use playpens. They exist in gated off rooms or areas for a while and earn more space over time. In the meantime you have to be able to get away when the puppy is too intense.

Play Biting isn't 'bad behavior'

You also can't keep labeling play biting as bad behavior—it's not. It's inconvenient for us humans, but we don't call it bad behavior when a baby poops its pants or cries at night. You know this is part of what you signed up for, inconvenient as it is.

After intensity dies down

The play biting will eventually just be soft mouthing. At this point it is appropriate to start addressing the frequency of incidents.
We can begin addressing the number of incidents because we've cultivated a dog that thinks differently about the way they use their mouth.
You should ideally have been integrating obedience training into your puppy work all along the way anyways, so it's a simple manner to use incompatible behaviors to stop the mouthing.
By now the mouthing behavior is more about controlling their environment than it is trying to elicit feedback, so now you can focus on polite behaviors, redirecting, building impulse control, engaging them in interactive and instructive play, and simply continuing to give good representative feedback on their behavior.

What not to do:

Tap them on the nose—this is great if you want to teach your dog that you're a bully. Also great for creating a head shy dog. However it does nothing for bite inhibition. Actually you'll probably get some relief from the biting though because the puppy will just stop interacting with you altogether.
Using a squirt bottle—do we squirt babies in the face when they're doing something that annoys us?
Using a muzzle— this prevents all mouth interaction and pretty much guarantees a hard biter as an adult. Also it means no eating, drinking, playing with toys, or anything else related to just being a puppy. It's lazy and irresponsible.
Redirecting to a chew toy—Seems weird, but hear me out. Puppies aren't trying to relieve teething pains when they play bite. As you've learned they bite to learn ABI. You might get a temporary respite but it'll be short-lived and you missed a teachable moment. Chew toys are awesome but they're for chewing during quiet times. Chewing is relaxing and it does relieve teething discomfort but play biting serves a whole other purpose. Don't waste the opportunity.

TL;DR and Conclusions

• Puppies need to learn about their bite pressure which is why they play bite
• Puppies need you to train them on Acquired Bite Inhibition (ABI)
  • Intensity of bites should be the first thing to train ("ouch! that hurt")
  • Frequency of bites should be trained next
• Don't be a bully to your dog. These behaviors are totally natural and we don't bully babies for pooping their pants. Learn the behaviors and how to control them, and why they exist

Wishing you all well in your puppy journey!
Note: Much of this information has been sourced from the puppy101 subreddit. Go there and read all their awesome content.

Hello fellow tutor aspirees, side hustlers, academic extraordinaires. I’m here to give you the scoop on the various tutoring platforms, how their services work, tutoring requirements, the types of students on each platform, and of course - how much you get paid for your time.
A little about me. I’ve tutored for a few months now on the following platforms: Varsity Tutors, Wyzant, and SuperProf. I’ve had a number of students on each platform, and it’s safe to say I’ve definitely realized the pros and cons of each one.
Wyzant
Money Info: You set your hourly rate. Wyzant takes 25% of it. If you set your rate to $20/hr you get paid $15/hr.
The Requirements: Each subject you tutor you have to take a 10–20 question multiple choice test on it. The test will be beginner to intermediate questions on the subject you’ve chosen. You only have one chance to pass the test.
The Pros:

• You set your own rate
• Tutors and students can freely schedule meetings on their own, rather than have someone assign you
• The user interface is better(mobile app, messaging system, teaching platform, etc)
• Students can largely vary(this can be a con too). You will get a wider range of students, who can be adults with various full time jobs.

The Cons:

• You are charged 25% of your hourly rate
• It’s very hard to get started as a new tutor. There are tons of tutors with a lot of reviews already.
• There are scammers(be cautious of people asking you to communicate off the platform)

Final Verdict
Wyzant is an easy to use platform that takes a while to build a student base. You’ll have to apply and reach out to students a lot at first before you start getting more consistent jobs. This can take a few months, so consider this before you start. The 25% fee is high, but certainly not unreasonable compared to other platforms.
Varsity Tutors
Money Info: Unless you’re tutoring GRE or LSATs, the flat rate is $15/hr, regardless of the subject. GRE and LSAT tutors make $28/hr. Varsity Tutors charges their students $50 - $75/hr.
Requirements: Most subjects do not require a test, however you do need to send in a video interview of yourself, mostly to confirm that you can speak eloquently.
The Pros:

• You are assigned students after declaring interest, so you can get started tutoring within a few days.
• Students are screened so you’ll mostly get students more prepared for lessons.

The Cons:

• A large amount of tutors will only make $15/hr, whereas they charge $50 - $75/hr per student. This can be a huge cut, and limit on pay, especially if you’re teaching harder subjects like programming, sciences, higher level math.
• The user interface is not as great. Basic functionality is there, but the overall platform is not aesthetic.
• You are legally not allowed to take students off the platform.

Final Verdict
Varsity Tutors definitely has the lowest pay amongst all the platforms. $15/hr to teach is what you can make at some retail jobs in the US. The platform can be better if you need to start making money immediately, or if you live in a country where the cost of living is lower. The amount you are paid is better for people who are teaching subjects that aren’t too difficult.
SuperProf
Money Info: You set your own rate, SuperProf takes 10%. The caveat, SuperProf charges students $39 a month to use the platform.
Pros:

• For tutors, SuperProf takes the least amount from your pay compared to other platforms.
• Students are generally more prepared because they are paying $39 a month to use the platform.
• The user interface is also pretty good.
• You can set your own cancellation policies

Cons:

• There are less students because of the monthly subscription fee.
• It’s very hard to get started as a new tutor. There are tons of tutors with a lot of reviews already.
• You have to teach your first two lessons free.

Final Verdict
SuperProf is very similar to Wyzant in that students and tutors can openly communicate and set up time with each other. The 10% fee is lower than the other platforms. But because it’s already hard to get started as a new tutor, and there are less students on the platform, it’s one of the harder platforms to build a student base.
Additional Notes
While all these platforms have their pros and cons. You can always consider tutoring independently. You do not need any licenses or business registration for tutoring in most places. Once you get a student base through Wyzant or SuperProf, you can take them off-platform and teach independently. The best part? You keep the money you work hard for.
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Welcome to the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast!
We welcome San Jose Sharks' Director of Player Development Todd Marchant back to the show for our 50th episode! Todd was our very first guest on the new San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and we celebrate our 50th episode by getting his thoughts on tons of Sharks prospects, from Quentin Musty to Alex Young. (57:13)
But first! It was the NHL Scouting Combine this week and Sheng was on the ground in Buffalo. He shares loads of buzz, rumors and some confirmed prospect interviews. He added a new name to his list from yesterday. (3:25)
We cover whether we think Macklin Celebrini is actually going to return to the NCAA or sign with the Sharks, after multiple interviews have come out that Macklin is undecided at this point. (16:00)
We have some coaching search updates, including some rumored finalists to share. Also, did the San Jose Sharks ever reach out to David Carle or Joel Ward? (25:05)
Are the Sharks going to be active in free agency this summer? Jeff Marek floated the possibility of Jake Guentzel as a FA target, and we give our thoughts on that possibility. Also, will Eetu Makinemi be back? (33:25)
Our last topic is the retirement of Joe Pavelski. We share some of our thoughts about his tremendous career, and whether he has enough of a resume for the Hall of Fame. (42:50)
And now it's time for Todd Marchant! (57:13)
We decided to go through the San Jose Sharks system, from the 2023 Draft to the 2020 with Todd, discussing some well-known and lots of lesser-known prospects as well, focusing on mostly non-Barracuda prospects.
First, the 2023 Draft!
Quentin Musty (59:10) Kasper Halttunen (1:03:47) Brandon Svoboda (1:05:15) Luca Cagnoni (1:08:03) Axel Landén (1:10:28) Eric Pohlkamp (1:12:10) David Klee (1:14:30) Yegor Rimashevsky (1:16:15)
2022:
Filip Bystedt (1:19:45) Cam Lund (1:21:45) Mattias Hävelid (1:23:10) Michael Fisher (1:26:35) Mason Beaupit (1:28:45) Jake Furlong (1:30:20) Joey Muldowney, Eli Barnett and Reese Laubach (1:34:02)
Who's left from the 2021 Draft, not playing with the Barracuda or the San Jose Sharks?
Theo Jacobsson (1:37:19) Yevgeni Kashnikov (1:38:25)
2020:
Alex Young (1:39:25) Timofei Spitserov (1:40:25) Brandon Coe (1:41:30)
We also discuss with Todd some prospects not drafted by the San Jose Sharks, starting with David Edstrom, acquired in the Tomas Hertl trade. (1:43:35)
Finally, what does Todd think of Collin Graf? (1:45:10)
Todd shares some final thoughts about the direction of the Sharks going forward and who has taken some big steps from last year. (1:47:50)
Thanks for watching!

For introductions, we have Olive, the person in question, and our friendgroup composed of Nika, Lana, Jay and I for simplicity’s sake.
A little bit of background on Olive is that they’d been the center of a lot of fights in my year, and I knew for a fact they enjoyed hurting people in that way. I was under no impression that they’d be at my wedding, but they were a person i confided into a lot.
Near the end of the year, Olive sends me a text : "hey, is it just me or have you been lacking tact recently?". I told them that i was on edge as the musical, of which i was in charge of, was just a few days away. they asked what they could do to help, and i answered that if they wanted, they could help with the musical, but that it was my esponsibility, and they didn’t have to. They then went on an entire tangent about feeling exclusded from the musical. to be clear, they had been invited to help in the begining, but then had never showed up to any rehearsal or any staff meeting, which i reminded them of. They eventually told me my friends all hated me.
i blocked them, and that was essentially it, as the year ended just a few days later and then that was it.
at the begining of the year, though, Lana, came to talk to me about the fact that Olive had asked them not to keep looking at their insta stories, which Lana complied to even though they hadn’t done anything. a few months later, Olive posts "its so fun to manipulate people" only to send a text to Lana the NEXT DAY asking them if they’d know what the apologize for if they could. Lana told them they didn’t have anything to apologize for. I texted O calling them an asshole.
then, they tried signing me up to tinder and grindr, but as those require verification from the phone number, i only got the notification.they did manage to put me on a job search website, which meant a lot of annoying calls in the morning. i retaliated by sending a whole lot of free bibles to their home, as well as jehova's witnesses.
Jay in that time stopped talking to Olive, who sent them a text calling her unlovable and telling her they regretted defending her from her abusive sister.
I snapped a little bit, and wrote them a paragraph about my grievances with them as a person. This, I think, went a bit over the line as I said some pretty shit stuff in there, as much as I think it was deserved.
Olive then wrote a letter to my parents, not only accusing me of having consistently bullied her for over a year, but also outing me, which ended up not causing issues as my dad was the first one home and asked for my side of the story, but could have been really dangerous for some of the other people involved.
I do think that maybe i should have let it go rather than sending them an angry paragraph, but i believe that they crossed a line in doing something that could have ended up in people getting hurt. I don't know. I'm letting pose your judgement here.