The world beckons with its rich tapestry of cultures, vibrant landscapes, and exciting opportunities. But before you embark on your international adventure, navigating the world of visas can feel like stepping into a labyrinth. At Adric Immigration Consultants, your trusted partner in Bangalore, we understand the complexities of visa applications. This comprehensive guide aims to shed light on the different types of visas available, helping you choose the right path for your aspirations. visa consultant
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The Big Picture: Broad Visa Categories
Visas act as official permissions granted by a country to enter and stay within its borders for a specific purpose and duration. Broadly, visas fall into two main categories:
1. Non-immigrant Visas:
Designed for temporary stays, non-immigrant visas cater to diverse needs, including:

• Tourism (B-1/B-2): Ideal for sightseeing, visiting family and friends, or attending short-term events like conferences.
• Business (B-1): Allows participation in business activities that don’t involve paid employment in the host country. Examples include attending meetings, negotiating contracts, or conducting market research.
• Work (H-1B, TN, etc.): Enables qualified foreign professionals to work in specific occupations for a sponsoring employer. The type of work visa required depends on the profession and the reciprocity agreements between countries.
• Student (F-1): For individuals pursuing full-time academic programs at accredited institutions. May come with restrictions on work authorization.
• Exchange Visitor (J-1): Facilitates participation in exchange programs like cultural exchanges, internships, or research collaborations.

2. Immigrant Visas:
For those seeking to establish permanent residence in a new country, immigrant visas pave the way. These typically involve a lengthier application process with stricter eligibility requirements. Common types include:

• Employment-Based: Grants permanent residency based on a job offer with a sponsoring employer in the host country. Categories exist for skilled workers, investors, and individuals with exceptional abilities.
• Family-Based: Allows sponsorship of immediate family members (spouse, children) by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Diversity Visa Lottery: Provides a limited number of visas annually through a random selection process.

Going Deeper: Specific Visa Types and Considerations
Understanding your purpose for travel is crucial. Here’s a breakdown of some commonly sought-after visas and key factors to consider:

• Tourist Visa (B-1/B-2):
  • Duration: Typically short-term stays, ranging from a few weeks to several months. Extensions might be possible depending on the country’s regulations.
  • Eligibility: Varies by country. Generally, applicants need to demonstrate sufficient financial resources, ties to their home country, and a valid passport.
  • Important Note: Working or studying while on a tourist visa is strictly prohibited.
• Business Visa (B-1):
  • Duration: Similar to tourist visas, with extensions potentially available.
  • Eligibility: Proof of business purpose, such as invitations from companies, conference registrations, or business documents, is essential.
  • Restrictions: Engaging in paid employment or setting up a business venture is not permitted under a business visa.
• Work Visa (H-1B, TN, etc.):
  • Duration: Varies based on the specific visa type and job offer. Extensions and renewals are often possible.
  • Eligibility: Requires a valid job offer from a U.S. employer willing to sponsor the visa petition. Specific qualifications and experience are mandated for each profession.
  • Labor Certification: For certain categories (e.g., H-1B), the employer must first obtain a labor certification demonstrating that hiring a foreign worker won’t adversely affect U.S. worker opportunities.
• Student Visa (F-1):
  • Duration: Valid for the duration of the academic program, with potential extensions for practical training after graduation.
  • Eligibility: Acceptance letter from a SEVP-certified educational institution, proof of financial support, and a valid passport are mandatory.
  • Maintaining Status: Students must maintain full-time enrollment and comply with program requirements to keep their visa valid.
  • Work Authorization: Limited on-campus or OPT (Optional Practical Training) opportunities might be available depending on the program and student category.
• Employment-Based Immigrant Visa:
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status, allowing indefinite stay and work authorization.
  • Eligibility: A valid job offer with a sponsoring employer and meeting the specific requirements of the chosen visa category (e.g., EB-2 for professionals with advanced degrees) (EB-3 for skilled workers with less education but experience) are crucial. The process can be complex, and seeking guidance from an experienced immigration consultant is highly recommended.
• Family-Based Immigrant Visa:
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status.
  • Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents can sponsor immediate family members (spouse, unmarried children under 21). The process can be lengthy, and wait times can vary depending on the relationship and visa category.
• Diversity Visa Lottery (DV Lottery):
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status if selected and the application process is completed successfully.
  • Eligibility: Open to nationals of countries with historically low immigration rates to the U.S. Selection is based on a random drawing.
  • Important Note: Winning the lottery doesn’t guarantee a visa. Applicants must still meet all eligibility requirements and undergo the full application process.

Beyond the Basics: Additional Considerations
Visa processing times and fees can vary significantly depending on the visa type, country of application, and individual circumstances. It’s crucial to factor in these costs and potential delays when planning your international move.
Visa reciprocity plays a role in certain work visa categories (e.g., TN visa between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico). Understanding the reciprocity agreements between your home and destination countries can help determine your eligibility for specific work visas.
Dual citizenship allows individuals to hold citizenship in two countries simultaneously. Eligibility for dual citizenship varies by country. Researching the policies of both your home and target country is essential if this path aligns with your goals.
Travel restrictions can be implemented due to various reasons, including pandemics or political situations. Staying updated on current travel advisories is crucial before embarking on your international journey.
Your Trusted Partner in Navigating the Visa Maze
At Adric Immigration Consultants in Bangalore, we understand that navigating the complexities of visas can be overwhelming. With our extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of global immigration regulations, we are here to guide you every step of the way.
Our Services:

• Visa Type Assessment: We will help you identify the most suitable visa category based on your specific circumstances and goals.
• Application Assistance: We will provide comprehensive guidance and support throughout the application process, ensuring all documentation is accurate and complete.
• Preparation for Interviews: We will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to successfully navigate visa interviews.
• Staying Updated: We will keep you informed of any changes in immigration policies or procedures that might affect your application.

Contact us today for a free consultation and let us help you turn your international dreams into reality. With Adric Immigration Consultants as your partner, you can start on your global journey with clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.

I have recently been diagnosed with OCD. My therapist says that I’ve probably had it my whole life and that I’m already decently insightful about my obsessions and compulsions. Lately, I’ve been dealing with non-stop paranoid thoughts about my memory and imagination, it's been a huge obstruction to the process of going on about my days. I want to stop thinking like this, every time I am mindful about me doing it I try my best to address it and shut it out, but the only problem is that there is some form of logic and reason behind it that makes these obsessions a lot more practical, which supposes importance to me.
I can't pinpoint when or how it began, but I remember realizing that I can’t remember, or, sometimes can only vaguely remember what happened the day before. I started testing myself every day about it which may have turned into obsessing that would make it a little more difficult for anyone to remember a previous day. A lot of things worried me from then until now, but recently it’s been about my capability to picture things in detail and the loss of my autobiographical memories/general knowledge.
It’s like I’m in a constant loop of brain farts, I know that I haven’t completely forgotten everything because I know that I knew that information before and when I am reminded of it I have slight ideas or familiarity with it in my head.
I am also suspected of having a dissociative disorder, mostly by myself, but my therapist wants me to get a psychological evaluation for this. This makes me think that it could be dissociative amnesia, but I won’t have a psych evaluation anytime soon because the wait list is around 2 years long (no people in the area qualified to do it?). So these are my practical reasons behind it being a mental health problem, I have also been diagnosed with anxiety and depression which I have read could have impact on short term memory, but I don’t know if that is exactly my problem. I don’t know how much of a role OCD could have in it mentally, but I’d assume it to be more than I think it could.
Physical reasons: I have hit my head a lot. I’ve had 2 concussions. Im super paranoid that it could be a brain tumor or brain damage from past experience with drugs and using wrong smoking equipment/method/solvents for dabs. And another reason I think could play a factor was that I was on Zoloft when I was 13-almost 15 or something like that.
Anyways, I really want to fix this. I tell myself equally that it is just mental health or something physical, but in all reality I have no thought that I truly believe.
Btw I’m 18 if that helps. Thank you.

i was playing some random roblox game that was recommended to me: (https://www.roblox.com/games/6731824852/I-Just-Want-To-Be-AIone),,, and it featured one of the default roblox maps, you know those ones lol… and it had a few houses and two of them had a piano within them. now usually this piano is not interactive (i think it’s a Roblox™ decal),,, i try to walk on them whenever i see them in other games but nothing happens (only the pianos that are inside this default house). this time my avatar not only sat down, but also played a full-on animation AND a song which i did not expect… i didn’t expect it because this game looked like a default one with no edits, so i’m really not sure if the song and animation is embedded within the code of the default roblox piano or if the developer added it themself… i’m really not sure to be honest,,, but anyways, i recorded the whole song anyways because if i can’t find the name of it then at least i can listen to it whenever i want in my Files app, or i might upload it as a private SoundCloud track just for myself to listen to. but yeah,,, it might be one of those Royalty-Free, Non-Copyright songs lol, but since it had no words, SoundHound couldn’t help me even when i tried multiple times. i wonder if Shazam would have had the same response… i guess,,, if i can’t find the title then it’s okay, but it would be great to know, if anyone out here happens to know. (maybe not but who knows)… thanks! 💖🖤✨

My favorite book is A Personal Matter by Kenzaburo Ōe. My favorite authors are Yukio Mishima, Camus, Jose Saramago, Kafka, Dostoevsky, and Haruki Murakami. I like, for lack of a better term, “cerebral” books like Infinite Jest and Stoner. Some other books I’ve enjoyed are The Secret History, Anna Karenina, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
In the non-fiction realm I’m open to suggestions for biographies or history books. I’d be interested if anyone knows of a good Rasputin biography, or a good series on the Roman Empire.

A close family member was in a car accident where they were hit by a drunk driver who ran a red light.
They suffered a number of injuries. The primary one I am writing regarding is a fractured pelvis. There were two breaks, one weight bearing and one non-weight bearing. The former was been repaired this morning. They are still healing from their other injuries.
I am trying to get a perspective on what the future holds. Are life expectancies following a feature pelvis similar to hip features? Is it possible that they will eventually be able to return home? Prior to the accident, they were independent, and fully mobile. Looking for some perspectives from folks who have seen multiple people experience similar injuries.
Thanks for any insight.

We've all experienced the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence technology in our lifetimes, and OpenAI's recent Spring Update event just catapulted that progress to a new height. GPT-4o, the latest iteration of OpenAI's language models, has us teetering on the brink of what feels like a science fiction reality.
Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has unveiled the GPT-4o, a version that outstrips its predecessors in intelligence, speed, and interaction capabilities. What sets this update apart is not just its enhanced processing speed but its revolutionary integration of voice and vision inputs. This allows users to converse with ChatGPT in a human-like manner, using vocal inputs and receiving auditory responses, and soon, to interact using visual data.
What's striking about GPT-4o, as highlighted by Altman, is its human-like responsiveness. The AI now can process and respond almost instantaneously, creating a conversational experience that mimics human interaction more closely than ever. Altman described this experience as "natural, fast, fun, helpful," and akin to "AI from the movies," underscoring a significant leap from the previous versions.
What does this mean for us regular users? The implications are manifold. With AI becoming more integrated into daily technology, interacting with machines could become as natural as talking to a human. Imagine asking your computer to book appointments or sift through emails just by talking to it naturally, without fumbling with keyboards or screens.
Further enhancements such as personalized responses, where the AI tailors its interaction based on the user's specific needs and preferences, are also on the horizon. This could revolutionize how we use technology, making it a more integral part of personal and professional domains.
However, it's not just about user experience. Altman's update carries broader implications for the tech world and beyond. As these tools become more accessible and capable, they pave the way for innovative applications in various fields. From education to healthcare, AI like GPT-4o could enhance accessibility, efficiency, and personalization, presenting new opportunities and challenges alike.
Altman also pointed out that despite these advanced features, OpenAI has kept ChatGPT free and devoid of ads for users. This commitment to accessibility ensures that the benefits of these advancements can reach a wider audience, aligning with the company's mission to broadly disseminate the benefits of AI.
Looking forward, the integration of AI into our daily lives seems set to accelerate, with technologies like GPT-4o leading the charge. How this will transform our interaction with technology and its impact on various sectors remains to be seen, but the path forward is undoubtedly paved with fascinating possibilities.

I’d like to begin this invitation of advice or experiences by stating that what I want in life is a partner who feels like home, will always give me their genuine effort, & will love me through all of the highs, mediums, & lows of life.
I specifically want to know about any advice or things I should consider when it comes to the age gap I have with the man I’m seriously considering making a staple & serious part of my life. I (29f) met (40m) 3 years ago & we have been seeing each other for a little over a year. We met at the public school in which we both work- he’s the social worker, I’m a teacher. When I first saw him, he looked like a meat head (he’s pretty muscular, bald, beard, wears hoodies) & I’ve always been into nerds so it never occurred to me that I’d end up attracted to him. The first year we knew each other, it was very surface level, & then, during the second year of my time at the school, I got to know him better, as I did a few coworkers I now consider close friends. This second year of friendship was also a tough period for me as I was going through a divorce from with a man who wasn’t on the same life path as me & kind of made me dislike myself just for being me (wanting kids, needing to be intrinsically motivated in my career rather than financially motivated)- basically he was type A & I am B. I was absolutely enamored with him in my twenties & was crushed that it didn’t work- I spent a lot of time trying to change myself to accommodate his desires.
Anyhow, as I was processing my divorce & creating friendships, I got to know M(40) better both at work & at hang outs with friends outside of work. I watched how the kids at school just flocked to him & how kind he was with everybody. He coached the basketball team, did an after school program with the SRO to help at risk kids, & often stepped in to help others with tasks that weren’t related to his job as social worker. & he always did it with a positive attitude & good sense of humor. People just LIKE him, you know? It became obvious that he was just a really good person. One day, we had a discussion about kids & how we both wanted them. He told me I’d be a great mother because of how I treat the students & I told him he’d also be a wonderful parent. & he cast his spell on me & I slowly started falling for him. I couldn’t quite figure it out. Here I was, recently divorced from a relationship that had a tremendous affect on me mentally/emotionally, & I was gaining feelings for a man who was very different from my ex, & 11 years older than me. Was I just looking for a distraction? Was I using him to boost my confidence up after it had spent so much time at all time low? Or was I simply recognizing that this man had all of the features that I’d been missing in my past relationship & maybe I should pay attention to that? I was worried that my judgement post- divorce couldn’t possibly be clear, so I expressed that I had feelings for him but had to take things very slow. I was a bit of a mess as I tried to take the initial steps to get closer to him. I’d get emotional & have somewhat of a panic attack, or I’d go through some wishy washy phases when it came to wanting to see him in general. No matter what it was, he said that he understood, he wasn’t going anywhere, & that he just wanted me to be ok. He’d always ask what he could do to help & what I needed from him to feel better. If we were kissing & he felt that I wasn’t comfortable, he’d stop. One time he could tell that I wasn’t feeling great & he cried because he thought he’d made me feel bad. Needless to say, he was always there for me & ACTUALLY cared about how I felt. As we got closer, he was always respectful, would leave me flowers on random or special occasions (like when I was in an art show that he attended, or the first day of a new semester at work), wanted to make things like holidays memorable for me (one time I specifically thought was sweet was when he decorated my place with a Christmas tree & lights because “it’s your first Christmas in your new apartment, it should be festive!”). I consistently got solid evidence that he was emotionally mature, ready for a relationship, & wanted the same things as me.
So, I thought, “why is this sweet, courteous, kind, responsible, funny man single?” I’d heard some woman at work “pick” at him about this & say “I just don’t get how you’re single!” & I honestly wondered myself. You always heard that it’s a ref flag if a man dates a woman over 10 years younger & that it’s because “women his age didn’t want him”. Well, there are a few rational explanations I could think of: 1. He’d been sexually abused by his stepsister for years as a child. He’d told me that he’d had a few relationships during his 20s & 30s, but they didn’t last long & he’d had some issues with women not dealing with his anxiety around sex well. With me, this was not an issue, really. We’d taken the physical really slow, & when one of us felt anxiety as things heated up, the other stopped & supported. After a few months, it became a non-issue & we were able to have great sex with no fear that one of us would get anxious. I think us being so patient & supportive in those initial tough moments & making it clear that we were just as happy to show non-sexual affection helped bond us a ton. 2. When he was younger (childhood-20s) he was overweight. He began balding in his 20s & so he shaved his head. Maybe there weren’t a lot of women who wanted to be with the overweight, bald guy? Women can be just as shallow as men.
So, I began to try to look for any signs that maybe this man is “grooming” me or something. I looked for issues as well as green lights. How’s his family? His brother is happily married with children & he is close with his family, seeing them weekly. What are his friends like? I enjoy his friends. They’re nice, fun people & his best friends are in happy marriages. Does he manipulate you? No, he treats me like a princess (I’m not used to it) & tries to establish healthy relationship patterns (he always insists on a weekly date night, suggests activities together, such as me weight lifting with him & him running with me). He also hypes me up like no other- If I’m wearing a risky outfit that I love but know my mom would insult, BAM he is the first one to compliment it as his jaw drops to the floor. Always telling me how strong, sweet, & cool I am. Made me take his gloves when we went on a snowy hike & I’d forgotten mine. Just basically an endless stream of courtesy. Sometimes I worry if he’s just being really sweet to me because he wants to keep me- he’s said he’s trying to be less of a “people pleaser”- but he has always been consistently kind to me in a genuine manner.
I have gotten a lot of evidence that this is a solid person with whom I could build a beautiful relationship & family with. Everything he’s shown me has been positive as far as communication, morals, empathy, kindness & life plans is concerned.
So… is the 11 year age gap a concern? Should I be more paranoid about why he is still single, or are my theories valid? Although he goes to the gym daily & is like a kid at heart, should I worry about his age when it comes to us potentially raising kids? He’d likely be 43-45 by the time I was ready for that.
If anyone has any experience with being the victim of or being a partner to the victim of someone who went through sexual abuse as a child, please give any thoughts of how that might have affected someone when it comes to dating.
If you have any thoughts, please let me know. Truthfully, I do have other potential options if I pursued them & I’m not afraid of being alone, but I’m feeling that I’d like to commit to a relationship.

The final straw happened today.
I asked him about the song, told him I know he posted it for a reason. He ofc denied it. I know it is emotional manipulation. He can deny all he wants, I know him too well.
Messages back and forth, devolving pretty quickly from him being sad and lost and being upset at the situation to how it is my fault, my behavior Yada Yada Yada. Kept my words non confrontational and honest. Reminded him again he is splitting and he was the aggressor. Made sure to clearly explain our experiences are different. Ofc no accountability on his end.
Threw out some details that need to be dealt with. Was then called a narcissist for wanting my things and money. Probably didn't help that I step by factual step reminded him exactly what my experience was.
He then proceeded to claim he told his therapist everything and that she essentially said it was okay because he was reacting and felt threatened.
I had to repeat that back: You're telling me you told your counselor you physically threatened me and that she said that was okay. That is highly unlikely
His reply: Yep because i didnt actually do anything but react to your outburst of which youve done repeatedly. and i felt theatened as i was driving. and i did not actually follow through
This certainly does not sound correct to me dear reader....it sounds like a distorted version or an outright lie.....
He did say once over the past few weeks that nothing can be changed because I told my therapist...he didnt finish the thought..I do wonder what was actually said, although it is none of my business. I do not care I was there and I know what happened. And he doesn't even have the time line right in his version. I am tempted to finally email her with this. I have it in writing now that he is manipulating the narrative. I might. Im gonna talk to my therapist first.
Anyhoooo, after expressing my experience and asking for my property and money, I ofc got called a narcissist full of shit gross ugly whatever. The whole time as I was stating all I want is respect and decency while he is still in the house and we will just avoid each other.
Then, after all the vitriol and venom, a half passed apology and thanking me for everything I've done. 🙄
He was gone when I came home, no clue where and I do not care. I will move his shit to the garage when I have the energy.
And the only thing he did was remove his own pictures from the walls.......if that doesn't scream narcissist I do not know what does.....
I am completely and utterly done. Via con Dios you poor thing. If you can't make it with me, I'm pretty sure you don't have much of a chance. Everything you do is gonna fail, and it will be by your own hand as always. You've forgotten what the world is like without me, you're only mirroring me after all. But you never really absorbed the lessons, just distorted them for your own needs. The universe will sort it out. This I know for a fact. It always does.
And that dear reader, is the end. YE who enter here abandon all hope. save yourself some time and energy, if you're questioning whether it will work out or if you should ever expect things to change, that's a no from me dog. It will always be something and it will always be your fault.

If this content is something you want to see more of, comments below will be taken into consideration as we prepare to start finding the open submissions for a variety of writing and artwork competitions. If it's of no interest, let us know that too! This is YOUR subreddit!
Seeking Submissions for Poetry Chapbook Prize
Deadline: December 31, 2023
The winner of The Headlight Review’s 2024 Poetry Chapbook Prize Contest will receive publication (a perfectly bound book with a full color or black/white cover), an award of $500, and 25 copies of the book. A list of finalists will be announced sixty days after the close of submissions. All manuscripts will be judged blindly. The finalists who make it through the first round will be judged by esteemed poet Valerie A. Smith.
2024 Press 53 Award for Short Fiction
Deadline: December 31, 2023
The 2024 Press 53 Award for Short Fiction will be awarded to an outstanding, unpublished collection of short stories. Reading Fee: $30. Award: $1,000 cash advance, publication, and 53 copies. To Enter: Submit online with Submittable or by mail from September 1–December 31, 2023. Press 53 short fiction editor Claire V. Foxx will serve as the only judge. Winner and finalists announced by May 1, 2024; advance review copies sent to major reviewers and outlets; publication in May 2025.
Complete details at www.Press53.com/award-for-short-fiction.
After Happy Hour Contest (Theme: Animals)
Deadline: February 15, 2024
For this year’s contest, we want submitters to go wild—or domesticated, or sentient, or whatever other form of beastly you’re feeling. Submissions should feature some kind of animal that is integral to the story. Note that this doesn’t need to be a real animal—it could be a cryptid, a hybrid, or a human-to-animal transformation. Each $10 contest entry covers 1 short story, creative nonfiction piece, or suite, or up to 3 individual poems or flash prose pieces. Winners receive publication and a cash prize determined as a percentage of total entry fees (full details are on our website).
The swamp pink Prizes in Fiction, Nonfiction, & Poetry
Deadline: January 31, 2024
Formerly known as the Crazyhorse Prizes, the swamp pink Prizes award $2,000 and publication to a story, essay, and poem. From January 1 to 31, submit a story or essay of up to 25 pages or a set of 1–3 poems via Submittable. Judges for each genre can be viewed on our website. The entry fee is $20; all entries will be considered for publication. swamppink.submittable.com/submit
2024 Bill Hickok Humor Award Deadline: February 28, 2024
I-70 Review announces the Bill Hickok Humor Award for a poem. The winner receives $1,000, and the poem will appear in I-70 Review 2024. Submit one to three poems with a $15 entry fee to i70review@gmail.com. Reading period: Jan 1 to Feb 28. No submissions before January 1. Submissions will be eligible for publication in I-70 Review. The judge is Alice Friman.
For more info visit i70review.fieldinfoserv.com.
The Orison Prizes in Poetry & Fiction
Deadline: April 4, 2024
The 2024 Orison Prizes in Poetry & Fiction offer $1,500 and publication by Orison Books for a full-length manuscript in each genre. Judges: Ellen Bass (poetry), Kaveh Akbar (fiction). Entry fee: $25. Entry period: December 1, 2023–April 1, 2024. For complete guidelines visit orisonbooks.com/submissions.
2024 Colorado Prize for Poetry
$2,500 honorarium and book publication: Submit book-length collection of poems to the 2024 Colorado Prize for Poetry by January 14, 2024 (we will observe a 5-day grace period). $25 reading fee (add $3 to submit online) includes subscription to Colorado Review. Final judge is Brenda Shaughnessy; friends and students (current or former) of the judge are not eligible to compete, nor are Colorado State University employees, students, or alumni. Complete guidelines at coloradoprize.colostate.edu or Colorado Prize for Poetry, Center for Literary Publishing, 9105 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523-9105.
Burnside Review Press Contest
Manuscripts of 50-100 pages of poetry will be accepted until December 31, 2023. Arda Collins will judge. The winning book will be published by Burnside Review Press in 2025. The author will receive a $1,000 prize, plus ten copies of the book. A $25 entry fee must be paid at the time of submission. Contest entrants will receive one Burnside Review Press title. The editors may select an additional manuscript from the submission pool for publication.
Visit www.burnsidereview.org for complete guidelines.
2024 William Saroyan International Prize for Writing
Deadline: January 31, 2024
Submissions are now being accepted for the 11th Saroyan Prize. The awards, co-sponsored by Stanford Libraries and the William Saroyan Foundation, are intended to encourage new or emerging writers and honor the Saroyan legacy of originality, vitality, and stylistic innovation. Two prizes of $5,000 each are given for works of fiction and nonfiction. Writers who have published four books or more are ineligible. Submit five copies of your work published between January 1, 2022, and December 31, 2023, with a $50 entry fee by January 31, 2024. Visit our website for complete eligibility and submission details: saroyanprize.sites.stanford.edu.
Interim Poetics: The Test Site Poetry Prize Deadline: December 15, 2023
Interim will choose two winning books for the series—one title publicized as the winner of The Test Site Poetry Series and the other as the Betsy Joiner Flanagan Award in Poetry. Both winners will receive a $1,000 award and their books will be published by the University of Nevada Press. Submit by December 15, 2023. www.interimpoetics.org/test-site-poetry-series
Driftwood Press In-House Contests + Additional Submission Opportunities
Deadline: January 15, 2024 (In-House Contests)
Driftwood Press is happy to share a plethora of submission opportunities for writers and artists! Our In-House Short Fiction & Poem Contests, in which every work submitted is considered for publication as winner or runner-up, is ending soon! For our yearly print anthology, we are looking for poems, short stories, comics, and visual art that will wow our readers with innovative language and strong craft. We are a paying market, and our published writers also get to take part in bespoke interviews about their work! Driftwood is also on the hunt for amazing book-length titles to grow our catalogue, so if you have a novella, poetry collection, comic collection, or graphic novel manuscript, we would love to read it! Visit us here for our Submittable page, and we encourage you to follow us on social media (@driftwoodpress) to learn about even more submission opportunities!
The Twin Bill’s Second Annual Baseball Lit Contest
Deadline: December 30, 2023
The Twin Bill, a baseball literary journal, is open for submissions for their annual contest for best baseball fiction, creative nonfiction, and poetry. The winner in each category will receive $100 and an engraved baseball trophy. The runners-up will receive $50 and will be published in our January 31 issue. Each piece will be professionally illustrated. Contest submissions are $10 and will be considered for both the contest and the Opening Day issue. thetwinbill.com/submissions/

A Potemkin village is the expression used to describe a built façade that is designed to make a location or situation seem better than it is. The expression is attributed to Field Marshal Grigory Potemkin and his effort to impress Catherine the Great by building a fake village, moving it and rebuilding it downstream, on their river trip to Crimea. Religious bigotry was the likely reason – Crimea included a large Muslim population who were thought to be allied with the Ottoman Empire, and the fake village and villagers were meant to hide political discontent in the region. Potemkin, history notes, was also Catherine’s lover, so maybe he regarded the whole thing as a bit of foreplay in his effort to curry favor with the court. Each version of the village featured the same fake villagers, warmly welcoming the empress, enthusing about their personal happiness.
Russian historians don’t believe it happened – not the modular village, nor the mobile citizenry staffing it – and thus it falls into the category of myth, one humanity would come to need, true or not, to make sense of the world upcoming. Potemkin village has evolved to occupy so much conceptual terrain, fake architecture seems like a lesser concern, something we’ve already long ago adjusted to. The table has a nice wood grain? It’s probably a veneer. The pillars are made of polished pink marble? Cladding over steel. You’ve seen these houses and stores before? Just up the road? We don’t regard any of this as sufficient cause to alter our itinerary or reappraise our impressions of the locals. We have normalized the Potemkin village motif, think of it as theater of the real, make movies about it, build urban plans around it, balance business models upon it.
Universities are Potemkin villages of a sort – witness the role architecture plays in projecting the life of the mind over vast distances, to diverse populations. The university system’s legitimacy is rooted in its capacity to reproduce authority across the generations, which is a political act, by its nature, one that tends to reproduce social inequality as well. In point of fact, one might argue that the reproduction of inequality is the thing that really butters the state’s bread, and the rest of what universities do is dedicated to, devoted to – what again? A bit of a mystery, let’s admit, especially given that most of the residents of the county, surrounding counties, wilds beyond know the local world-class university by its sports teams and almost nothing more. Picture the university’s insignia on shirt or poster, and the average person’s first thought is hoops, pig skin.
Today, the University of North Carolina at Chapel-Hill announced it was diverting $2.3 million from its Department of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and giving all of it to the police – this in response to the campus protests against the plausible genocide being committed by the state of Israel against the innocent people of Gaza by means of U.S. militarism and its will to control the global order. In response to students risking their safety and wellbeing to protest such an ethical abyss, local authorities are going to wipe out the perceived source of dissention – call it a purge. They start with an obvious target – the department with an existential mandate to right historic wrongs at the institutional level. Once the institution has defunded its own conscience, then the rest of the purge might proceed in an orderly fashion, our dissention rounded up, sent packing.
One point of neighborhood pride for me this season is the way the local world-class university allowed the anti-genocide activist encampment to remain in its brilliant pose of nonviolent civil disobedience at one end of the quad until the point was made, the tents cleared out, and those lovely activists went their separate ways. The banner called it a liberated space – in the evenings, I looked forward to lying in the grass near the encampment, gazing at the stars. How’s this for a new tradition: every spring semester could end with a tent city on the quad dedicated to peace and justice for the world’s oppressed populations, plus an urge to hold ourselves to account for making the world a better place, not least by remaking community and togetherness, an ethic of self-determination, human progress, the human program – circles of resistance aglow in a field.

Howdy fellow CC community, I'm new to posting here. I'm a scientist who still takes Covid precautions. Most obvious to friends, family, and colleagues are my ever-present Aura masks. I also haven't eaten in a restaurant since early 2020. When I have to go to a work dinner, I hang out in a mask and take the food to go.
For background, my main motivation to avoid Covid has been concern around Long Covid, especially given the fact that I already deal with long-haul tickborne infections. I'm not looking to collect chronic illnesses like Pokemon.
I was motivated to post this partly because of the dismay around the recent unmasked scientists pictures. I'm neither a celebrity scientist nor a medical doctor, but I am one more person with scientific training who is absolutely not going to take my mask off. And now I have even more reason to say that...
Obviously, based on my post title, in spite of my precautions, I got Covid (thanks to non-optional work travel). Having now been quite sick for almost 3 weeks, in spite of taking both Pax and metformin, I just wanted to say that I would continue to mask and take other precautions indefinitely *even if LC were not a concern* (to be clear, it is). This is the sickest I have ever been from a virus in terms of a composite of duration & severity. My body is obviously having a very tough time clearing SARS2 and it's not surprising to me at all that there may be long-term viral reservoirs that cause ongoing damage. Not a cold, not the flu.
tl;dr Avoiding LC has been my main motivation for being CC, but now that I've experienced acute Covid, avoiding the *acute phase alone* completely justifies CC behavior in my view. With both considerations together, being CC is a no-brainer.

The world beckons with its rich tapestry of cultures, vibrant landscapes, and exciting opportunities. But before you embark on your international adventure, navigating the world of visas can feel like stepping into a labyrinth. At Adric Immigration Consultants
, your trusted partner in Bangalore, we understand the complexities of visa applications. This comprehensive guide aims to shed light on the different types of visas available, helping you choose the right path for your aspirations.
The Big Picture: Broad Visa Categories
Visas act as official permissions granted by a country to enter and stay within its borders for a specific purpose and duration. Broadly, visas fall into two main categories:
1. Non-immigrant Visas:
Designed for temporary stays, non-immigrant visas cater to diverse needs, including:

• Tourism (B-1/B-2): Ideal for sightseeing, visiting family and friends, or attending short-term events like conferences.
• Business (B-1): Allows participation in business activities that don’t involve paid employment in the host country. Examples include attending meetings, negotiating contracts, or conducting market research.
• Work (H-1B, TN, etc.): Enables qualified foreign professionals to work in specific occupations for a sponsoring employer. The type of work visa required depends on the profession and the reciprocity agreements between countries.
• Student (F-1): For individuals pursuing full-time academic programs at accredited institutions. May come with restrictions on work authorization.
• Exchange Visitor (J-1): Facilitates participation in exchange programs like cultural exchanges, internships, or research collaborations.

2. Immigrant Visas:
For those seeking to establish permanent residence in a new country, immigrant visas pave the way. These typically involve a lengthier application process with stricter eligibility requirements. Common types include:

• Employment-Based: Grants permanent residency based on a job offer with a sponsoring employer in the host country. Categories exist for skilled workers, investors, and individuals with exceptional abilities.
• Family-Based: Allows sponsorship of immediate family members (spouse, children) by a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Diversity Visa Lottery: Provides a limited number of visas annually through a random selection process.

Going Deeper: Specific Visa Types and Considerations
Understanding your purpose for travel is crucial. Here’s a breakdown of some commonly sought-after visas and key factors to consider:

• Tourist Visa (B-1/B-2):
  • Duration: Typically short-term stays, ranging from a few weeks to several months. Extensions might be possible depending on the country’s regulations.
  • Eligibility: Varies by country. Generally, applicants need to demonstrate sufficient financial resources, ties to their home country, and a valid passport.
  • Important Note: Working or studying while on a tourist visa is strictly prohibited.
• Business Visa (B-1):
  • Duration: Similar to tourist visas, with extensions potentially available.
  • Eligibility: Proof of business purpose, such as invitations from companies, conference registrations, or business documents, is essential.
  • Restrictions: Engaging in paid employment or setting up a business venture is not permitted under a business visa.
• Work Visa (H-1B, TN, etc.):
  • Duration: Varies based on the specific visa type and job offer. Extensions and renewals are often possible.
  • Eligibility: Requires a valid job offer from a U.S. employer willing to sponsor the visa petition. Specific qualifications and experience are mandated for each profession.
  • Labor Certification: For certain categories (e.g., H-1B), the employer must first obtain a labor certification demonstrating that hiring a foreign worker won’t adversely affect U.S. worker opportunities.
• Student Visa (F-1):
  • Duration: Valid for the duration of the academic program, with potential extensions for practical training after graduation.
  • Eligibility: Acceptance letter from a SEVP-certified educational institution, proof of financial support, and a valid passport are mandatory.
  • Maintaining Status: Students must maintain full-time enrollment and comply with program requirements to keep their visa valid.
  • Work Authorization: Limited on-campus or OPT (Optional Practical Training) opportunities might be available depending on the program and student category.
• Employment-Based Immigrant Visa:
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status, allowing indefinite stay and work authorization.
  • Eligibility: A valid job offer with a sponsoring employer and meeting the specific requirements of the chosen visa category (e.g., EB-2 for professionals with advanced degrees) (EB-3 for skilled workers with less education but experience) are crucial. The process can be complex, and seeking guidance from an experienced immigration consultant is highly recommended.
• Family-Based Immigrant Visa:
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status.
  • Eligibility: U.S. citizens or permanent residents can sponsor immediate family members (spouse, unmarried children under 21). The process can be lengthy, and wait times can vary depending on the relationship and visa category.
• Diversity Visa Lottery (DV Lottery):
  
  • Duration: Leads to permanent residency status if selected and the application process is completed successfully.
  • Eligibility: Open to nationals of countries with historically low immigration rates to the U.S. Selection is based on a random drawing.
  • Important Note: Winning the lottery doesn’t guarantee a visa. Applicants must still meet all eligibility requirements and undergo the full application process.

Beyond the Basics: Additional Considerations
Visa processing times and fees can vary significantly depending on the visa type, country of application, and individual circumstances. It’s crucial to factor in these costs and potential delays when planning your international move.
Visa reciprocity plays a role in certain work visa categories (e.g., TN visa between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico). Understanding the reciprocity agreements between your home and destination countries can help determine your eligibility for specific work visas.
Dual citizenship allows individuals to hold citizenship in two countries simultaneously. Eligibility for dual citizenship varies by country. Researching the policies of both your home and target country is essential if this path aligns with your goals.
Travel restrictions can be implemented due to various reasons, including pandemics or political situations. Staying updated on current travel advisories is crucial before embarking on your international journey.
Your Trusted Partner in Navigating the Visa Maze
At Adric Immigration Consultants in Bangalore, we understand that navigating the complexities of visas can be overwhelming. With our extensive experience and in-depth knowledge of global immigration regulations, we are here to guide you every step of the way.
Our Services:

• Visa Type Assessment: We will help you identify the most suitable visa category based on your specific circumstances and goals.
• Application Assistance: We will provide comprehensive guidance and support throughout the application process, ensuring all documentation is accurate and complete.
• Preparation for Interviews: We will equip you with the knowledge and confidence to successfully navigate visa interviews.
• Staying Updated: We will keep you informed of any changes in immigration policies or procedures that might affect your application.

Contact us today for a free consultation and let us help you turn your international dreams into reality. With Adric Immigration Consultants as your partner, you can start on your global journey with clarity, confidence, and peace of mind.

I need help/advice. here's my story. i'm 17 years old, 5 months from being 18. when i was about 10 i met a guy on kik messenger, who was 14-15. we were friends off and on until i was 14 and he was 18-19, when he started a relationship with me. it was very sexual and he would frequently ask for pictures which i would give. i was dealing with emotional and physical abuse in my home from my father, and i often felt worthless and that nobody loved me, so i would search for that love wherever i could, even in stupid online relationships/friendships. i was admitted to long term inpatient treatment from 14-16. when i got out, the man i had the relationship with was waiting for me. from january-april 2023 the relationship continued and it was even more sexual than before, but now he would frequently give me money and even sent gifts to my house. he once ejaculated on a sweatshirt and mailed it to me. he talked about planning to meet me and having sex with me as soon as i met him at the airport. he even told me he wanted to marry me. at this point i was 16 and he was 20. he had hundreds of sexual and non sexual photos of me dating back to me being 10 years old. if he ever knew i was talking to any male friends he would message them nasty things about me. he also would allude to having cartel relations, i dont know if this is true or not. once he sent me a video of a woman being stabbed to death by her boyfriend and he said that would happen to me if i left him. he knew and still knows my address. i ended up threatening to call his police department so he would leave me alone. almost a year later, yesterday, i decided to confront him. he says it was all my fault and if i tell i will get in trouble since i sent pictures, and also because the legal age in my state is 16 theres laws that he wont get in trouble. (even though the sexual stuff started when i was 14.) i feel so disgusting and used and i hate myself for what happened. i want to tell but im scared. will i get in trouble? what if he hurts me?

This is my catchall list, for interesting and specific speculative fiction recommendations that don't have another home. Recommendations may be moved to another list (say, a new one) without notice.
My lists are always being updated and expanded when new information comes in—what did I miss or am I unaware of (even if the thread predates my membership in Reddit), and what needs correction? Even (especially) if I get a subreddit or date wrong. (Note that, other than the quotation marks, the thread titles are "sic". I only change the quotation marks to match the standard usage (double to single, etc.) when I add my own quotation marks around the threads' titles.)
The lists are in absolute ascending chronological order by the posting date, and if need be the time of the initial post, down to the minute (or second, if required—there are several examples of this). The dates are in DD MMMM YYYY format per personal preference, and times are in US Eastern Time ("ET") since that's how they appear to me, and I'm not going to go to the trouble of converting to another time zone. They are also in twenty-four hour format, as that's what I prefer, and it saves the trouble and confusion of a.m. and p.m. Where the same user posts the same request to different subreddits, I note the user's name in order to indicate that I am aware of the duplication.
Thread lengths: longish (50–99 posts)/long (100–199 posts)/very long (200–299 posts)/extremely long (300–399 posts)/huge (400+ posts) (though not all threads are this strictly classified, especially ones before mid?-2023, though I am updating shorter lists as I repost them); they are in lower case to prevent their confusion with the name "Long" and are the first notation after a thread's information.

• "Mentions of Sociology in SF" (printSF; 1 September 2022)—long
• "Law firms in Sci-fi or Fantasy settings." (suggestmeabook; 13 September 2022)
• "SF about pregnancy, childbirth, nursing, childcare" (printSF; 24 October 2022)—longish
• "Requesting Feminist Speculative Fiction" (suggestmeabook; 18 November 2022)—longish
• "Sci-fi books which are respectful of women/girls, men/boys or any other gender?" (booksuggestions; 29 November 2022)
• "Are there any other works beside Handmaid's Tale and Children of Men which explore mass infertility?" (Fantasy; 30 November 2022)—longish
• "Any good books of a human being raised by aliens, animals, ect?" (scifi; 13 December 2022)
• "Fashion Fantasy Books?" (Fantasy; 09:48 ET, 14 December 2022)—u\dark-and-the-light
• "Sci-Fashion Works?" (printSF; 11:16 ET, 14 December 2022)—u\dark-and-the-light
• "Looking for books involving ships and travel (not space, but earthbound)" (printSF; 23 December 2022)
• "Who are some of the smartest characters you've seen that felt genuinely smart and what did they do that made them smart" (Fantasy; 2 January 2023)—very long
• "Best non-romantic relationships in fantasy" (Fantasy; 3 January 2023)—huge
• "Any good books on social and communication technology?" (printSF; 23 January 2023)
• "Books that take place between two dimensions of reality?" (booksuggestions; 08:55 ET, 25 January 2023)—long
• "Looking for stories like Piranesi with liminal spaces, mystery realms, or 'other' planes of existence" (suggestmeabook; 12:07 ET, 25 January 2023)—longish
• "Do you know of any books about a zoologist/ecologist caught up in a fantasy plot?" (Fantasy; 27 January 2023)
• "Any novels where mc is or becomes a parent, and has a significant other, relatively early?" (Fantasy; 12 February 2023)
• "What are your favourite magic trees?" (Fantasy; 14 February 2023)—long
• "Recommendations for SF that explores issues of sexuality, including how sex and gender might work for alien races?" (printSF; 22 March 2023)—longish
• "First person female POVs written by men?" (Fantasy; 16 April 2023)—extremely long
• "Works of science fiction that show that bureaucracy can work." (printSF; 1 May 2023)—long
• "Recommendations for weird babies in sf/fantasy" (printSF; 7 May 2023)—longish
• "Fantasy about tres?" (Fantasy; 17 May 2023)—trees
• "I am in love with evolution!" (printSF; 24 May 2023)
• "Can anyone recommend science fiction works that deal with the field of nuclear semiotics?" (printSF; 26 May 2023)
• "What's your favorite sci-fi about geoengineering?" (scifi; 3 July 2023)—AKA climate engineering
• "Sci fi about leadership" (printSF; 14 July 2023)
• "I'm looking for novels about or contains woods, jungles, forests. Not interested in YA." (OPost archive) (suggestmeabook; 31 July 2023)—very long
• "Any book with Incredible smart MC." (booksuggestions; 9 August 2023)
• "Request for SciFi novel suggestions" (scifi; 13 August 2023)—"include human reproduction, general reproduction that is related to human life, or the creation of new life"
• "Fantasy book with interesting use of drugs" (Fantasy; 25 August 2023)—longish
• "Looking for fantasy jungle media." (Fantasy; 29 August 2023)
• "What is a good supernatural psychological thriller book" (suggestmeabook; 1 September 2023)
• "I'm looking for books that deal with higher dimensions." (printSF; 8 September 2023)—longish
• "Human civilization entirely dependent on Nuclear Power" (printSF; 20 September 2023)
• "I'm looking for a very mathematical novel (not short story)." (printSF; 7 October 2023)—longish
• "Is there some sci-fi work where organisms reproduce offspring with more than two parents?" (scifi; 7 December 2023)—long
• "stories about loss of social identity" (scifi; 8 December 2023)
• "Suggest me a book that has farming and magic" (suggestmeabook; 2 April 2024)
• "What is the best horror fantasy books you have read?" (Fantasy; 6 April 2024)
• "Can anyone recommend some sci-fi books to me that deal with the evolution of a species" (scifi; 24 April 2024)—longish; short listing

Cover Art!
Just because you’re transported to another world, doesn’t mean you’ll escape from your pain.
Abused by her parents, thirteen-year-old Frances only wants to be safe and for her life not to hurt so much. And when she and her class are transported to the magical world of Durannon to fight the monsters invading the human kingdoms and defeat the self-titled Demon King, Frances is presented with a golden opportunity. If she succeeds, Frances will have the home she never had. If she fails, Frances will be summoned back to the home she escaped.
Yet, despite her newfound magic and friends, Frances finds that trauma is not so easily lost. She is dogged by her abuse and its physical and invisible scars. Not only does she have to learn magic, she has to survive the nightmares of her past, and wrestle with her feelings of doubt and self-loathing.
If she can heal from her trauma, though, she might be able to defeat the Demon King and maybe, just maybe, she can find a home for herself.
[The Beginning] [<=Chapter 216] [Chapter Index and Blurb] [Chapter 218 May 28 or see the next chapter now on Patreon]
The Fractured Song Index
Discord Channel Just let me know when you arrive in the server that you’re a Patreon so you can access your special channel.
Frances and company catch up before the final battle.
***
“Hold on. How would he win this battle if we outnumber him and surround him?” Ginger asked.
“He could target our leadership. Focus on killing Titania, Antigones, you and Martin,” said Ayax.
“Only, he’d have to kill Sebastian and Megara, as well as Edana and you too, Frances, along with a whole list of targets. I’m not sure how he could pull that off,” said Elizabeth.
Ayax grimaced, brow furrowed, but Frances knew the answer to that question.
“Thorgoth doesn’t need to find half the targets he’s after. Myself, mom, Titania, our strongest mages and the rest of the people that will be on his list have leadership positions. Like it or not we’ll be involved in the battle and he just needs to find us on the battlefield. A well-placed spell and he’d snuff any non-magic person out,” Frances said.
“So what do we do then?” Martin asked.
Frances’ heart was pounding, for she knew the answer, but was afraid to give it life. Yet what could she do but tell what she knew was the truth?
“Take the battle to him. Thorgoth will have to operate by himself with maybe just his Royal Guards. We need to hold him and his escort and defeat him before he hurts everybody else.”
“So, all the Otherworlders, our best mages?” Ayax asked.
“Not all of them. But my mother and I, Jessica and Leila, Dwynalina and Jim and Nicole, with a few Otherworlders holding off his guards,” said Frances.
Elizabeth pursed her lips. “Ayax and I can go after Queen Berengaria. I can’t imagine her going far from her husband.”
“This is assuming we can at least split the attention of the dragons and keep them occupied of course,” said Martin. He touched Ginger’s elbow. “Not that I don’t trust you dear.”
“Oh I know, but it is a consideration.” She swirled the wine in her cup. “That means Martin and I will be directing the battle with Sebastian and Alexander.”
“It’s likely you’ll be the overall commander with Martin. Alexander and Sebastian would then take charge of their own contingents,” said Elizabeth. She bit her lip. “Do you feel up for it?”
Ginger shrugged. “I mean, we have to—”
Elizabeth reached out to pat her friend’s shoulder. “Martin, Ginger, you know we have every faith in both of you, but if you need help, there is no shame in asking for it.”
“Besides I think we’re all scared. I know I am,” Ayax said with a smile. Even so, they could all see how her tail looked like it was trying to twist itself into knots. Frances figured her cousin wasn’t trying to hide her fear, just trying not to alarm or panic them.
Martin sighed. “I think that’s the problem, Liz. Duty compels us. Love binds us. So I know no matter what happens, I know we’ll stand together to face him. Still, we are afraid and while I know I won’t run, I worry that fear may cloud my judgment at a crucial moment.”
Ginger wiped her eyes, but her tears now flowed freely down her cheeks. “How do I know I won’t panic, and make a bad call? How do we know we are all coming back? We can’t. I…I guess we have to accept that, but I don’t want to lose you. Any of you.”
Drawing her friend into a tight hug, Elizabeth gently patted Ginger’s back. “I don’t either. I suppose that for me, I’ve always looked to my faith in God, and in you all. Have we not triumphed in all we’ve faced?””
Frances found herself nodding, her throat unclenching and the tight nervousness in her shoulders and neck fading. What remained was a faint feeling of lightness that lifted her chin.
“You’re right. We should believe in ourselves, and hope. Hope for a future when we win this war. Hope that our good will triumph over Thorgoth’s evil. Hope that in a few days, we’ll be home with our family, and our friends.”
Martin gave Frances a wondering look. “How are you able to hope that?”
Frances smiled. “I think that I have always been good at having hope. I didn’t realize it until now, but even in my darkest moments, I always hoped that I would find a place where I could be me.”
Ayax stood up, raising her glass. “To faith, friendship and hope. May it see us all through our final trial.”
Rising to their feet, the five touched glasses and drank deep. They all were smiling. The pain and fear in their hearts soothed by the hope they held and the determination to see each other once again.
***
“Frances, can I walk with you?”
Frances would never have said no to her best friend, and she could tell that past Elizabeth’s bright smile, her friend was worried. There were just too many small signs learnt from years of friendship. She was scratching behind her ear, and her eyes were narrowed just slightly from the tension in her face.
“Of course,” said Frances, falling in beside the tall Otherworlder. “How are you and Ayax?”
Elizabeth giggled. “We’re great! Fantastic even. She and I are even talking about what we might do after the war. We have so many plans and well, I kind of wanted to talk to you about that.”
Frances waited as Elizabeth continued to walk beside her, lips pursed.
“I know that after the war, I’m choosing to stay here with Ayax, with all of you. I just…” her voice trailed off, and her walk slowed to a crawl.
Taking a slight breath, Frances touched her friend’s hand. “Liz, you know it’s okay for you to doubt that.”
Elizabeth stopped and shook her head. “Oh no, I don’t have any doubts about my decision. At the very least, I’m past the point where my doubts aren’t going to change my decision. I know I’ve changed too much in the past seven years. I’ve come to terms with my sexuality. I’ve fallen head over heels in love with a woman who loves me just as much. I’ve commanded armies, led soldiers into battle and helped to make decisions affecting hundreds of thousands of people. I can’t go back pretending I’m Grade 8 and neither do I want to.” She squeezed Frances’s hand. “My decision is the right one. I know it in my heart and I’ve prayed about it. I can do a lot of good here and me going back? That won’t just hurt the people I love here, but it’ll hurt me and my family at home. I can’t hide who I’ve become and I’m proud of what I’ve grown into.”
Frances closely studied her friend knowing Elizabeth wouldn’t mind her staring.
“So what are you feeling, Liz?”
Closing her eyes, Elizabeth sniffled. “Guilt. It’s stupid. I know I’m making the right choice. I’m sure in my heart that God is encouraging me to make this choice, but I still feel guilty.”
“How could you not? You know your family loves you.”
“And I’m abandoning them. I know I’m doing the right thing but I still feel like I’m doing something wrong,” said the Otherworlder.
Frances hugged her best friend, squeezing her tight, hoping that her warmth and touch could comfort the woman who she’d trusted as much as her own mother.
“Liz, if they are everything you told me, they’re going to be alright. Have faith in them, like your faith in me and your friends.”
Elizabeth let out a sigh, but returned the hug. “Thank you, Frances. If…if the worst comes and you are sent back without me, go to them. Tell them I love them.”
Tears in her eyes, Frances nodded. “I promise. If you are sent back, I will take care of Ayax.”
Elizabeth let out a gurgly hiccup. “Thank you. I know you will.”
***
The historic coronation of King Martin and Queen Ginger would found what would be known as the Congrey dynasty. Con for Conthwaite and Grey for King Jerome’s dynasty.
It was an unusual coronation as King Martin and Queen Ginger were long-betrothed but not married. Yet King Jerome and Queen Forowena’s wills had been clear. Apart from that, the coronation involved as many of Eridale's traditions as possible in light of the circumstances.
Down the parade route attended by all those that could be mustered, King and Queen marched in at the head of an honor guard composed of their closest companions. These included Frances, Elizabeth, and Ayax, who held three poles of a crimson banner that hung over the pair. The fourth corner was held by Martin’s sister Mara, who wore a slightly undignified grin. Yet, nobody could really blame her.
Martin wore a black-white checkered tunic with red-gold trimmings and shoulder epaulets. His trousers were dark gray with again red-gold tassels. Ginger did wear a dress. It was of a dark maroon with silver lacing. A bejeweled gorget studded with emeralds hung from her neck and her ears sparkled with dark blue sapphires.
There was one minor alteration. As the procession marched up to the entrance of the old Goblin Empire palace, on a raised wooden dais dressed with elaborately embroidered carpets stood the attending dignitaries. They included all the other Erisdalian lords and ladies such as Viscountess Katia and Lord Tarquin, dressed in all the finery they could muster. Other notables such as Prince Timur, representing the Kingdom of Alavaria, Grandmaster Edana of the White Order and Alexander and Eloise of Erlenberg stood proudly side by side.
Towards the center of the dais were three figures. King Sebastian and Queen-Consort Megara, and the former Queen Janize. Sebastian and Megara were standing, holding Queen Forowena’s crown, whilst the heavily pregnant Janize sat, holding King Jerome’s crown. Thorgoth may have taken their decorated helmets, but he did not have their ceremonial attire.
Martin and Ginger stepped out from under the awning, giving their bearers a brief nod, before taking the last steps up the dais.
Whistling a spell, Megara touched her throat with her wand. “Who stands before the crowns?”
Martin knelt to one knee. The bearers of the awning followed. “Sir Martin of Conthwaite. A Knight of Erisdale.”
Ginger curtsied low. Frances nearly split her lips as she grinned at her friend’s perfect form. “Ginger. Just Ginger of Erisdale.”
Janize’s expression was unreadable as she rose to her feet. There was a slight archness to her features, and yet that could just be how she lifted her haughty cheeks.
“As witnessed by all, and by the King and Queen of Lapanteria, do you swear to defend Erisdale with all means at your disposal including force of arms?”
“We do.”
“Do you swear to uphold the laws of the land and the rights of Erisdale’s citizens?”
“We do!”
“Do you swear that until your dying breaths, to govern and reign over Erisdale not for your benefit, but for the benefit of the people and for their future generations?”
From her kneeling position, Frances frowned. That wasn’t quite the right oath. The wording was “Do you swear to govern over Erisdale wisely and justly?” She supposed that she might have missed it, or maybe there was a variation.
Yet as she noted her fiance’s face, she noticed his eyes were wide and her mother’s eyebrow was arched.
Not skipping a beat, Martin and Ginger bellowed. “We do!”
“Do you swear that you will do your utmost not to make the same mistakes as your predecessors and do whatever it takes to preserve Erisdale’s peace, even if it may cost you your lives?”
Frances blinked. Janize had gone completely off script. There was no fourth oath.
However, Martin and Ginger only hesitated for a moment as they exchanged a glance and looked up to meet Janize’s gaze.
The blonde woman’s eyes were bright and the hands holding Jerome’s crown were trembling ever so slightly. Frances had wondered why she’d insisted on doing this. Martin and Ginger had wanted to approach her to ask if she was willing, but the enigmatic former queen had surprised them by demanding they allow her to crown them. She now had an idea as to why.
“We do,” said Martin, smiling.
Ginger returned that smile. Blinking back her own tears, she took a breath. “In the name of Queen-consort Forowena and your brother, King Jerome. We solemnly swear.”
Janize closed her eyes, a single tear running down her cheek.
“Then as the last heiress of House Grey, I pass the crown of Erisdale on forever. Long live the Congrey dynasty. Long live Martin the Hero of Erisdale and his queen to be Ginger, whom I dub Erisdale’s Burning Heart.”
Lifting Jerome’s crown high, she set it onto Martin’s head. Swiftly taking Queen Forowena’s crown from Sebastian, she set it on Ginger’s head.
“Hail King Martin and Queen Ginger!” Janize bellowed as Martin and Ginger rose to their feet.
The crowd chanted back, their voices filling the great cavern. “Hail King Martin and Queen Ginger! Hail King Martin and Queen Ginger!” Frances could barely hear her own voice over the crescendo. The call that they all raised. Like the sound carried up into the void, she could feel herself be carried up. It was like she was floating on the power of their united song.
Turning around, Martin and Ginger smiled at Frances. Their eyes were wide, and she could see them clasp each other’s hands tightly.
Frances found herself standing on her feet, the pole to her awning in her hand. Without a second thought, she stabbed the pole’s spike into the ground. As her hand dropped to Alanna, she paused for a moment before her mind caught up with her body, and she nodded as if to herself.
Drawing the estoc, Frances raised her blade high, saluting her two friends.
“Long may they reign! Long may they reign!”
Elizabeth was right behind her, hammer raised high. Ayax followed suit with her staff and Mara and the rest were soon drawing their weapons. From the corner of her eye, Frances even spotted Morgan and Hattie raising their wand and staff.
“Long may they reign! Long may they reign!”
***
Helias glanced over his shoulder toward the accursed city. Despite the distance, there was a tremble in the air of Kairoun-Aoun itself.
“Helias?” Sara asked.
“Sounds like they crowned Martin and Ginger. They’re going to attack soon,” he said.
Sara nodded, her tense jaw the only sign of the worry that had seized the harpy-orc. As gently as he could manage with his rough, scarred hands, he wrapped his arm around her waist.
“Sara. We’re going to be fine.”
“You’re lying,” she said with eyes fixed forward.
The general couldn’t help but wince. “Sorry.”
Slowing in her stride, Sara placed a hand over Helias’s. “I still appreciate you trying to comfort me but I would prefer you to tell me the truth. How bad is it?”
Helias looked around. “Thorgoth may pull off a miracle and get himself and Berengaria out. However, a lot of Alavari are going to die.”
“What are you going to do?” Sara asked.
“I’ll have to attend this meeting and see what Thorgoth is planning. We’ll make a plan after that.”
“You and I know it’s not going to change anything,” Sara said, looking up at her husband, who could not meet her gaze. Yet, she didn’t push him away. Instead put her hand around his waist, drawing him closer.
“I know, but I want to be sure,” said Helias in a low tone.
“I understand. See you soon,” said Sara.
***
Helias found himself exchanging side-long glances with Glowron. The pair sat, both leaning forward toward King Thorgoth and a pacing Queen Berengaria, who’d finished explaining tomorrow’s strategy.
“Do you have anything else to add, my good generals?” Thorgoth asked. The king still smiled easily as he swirled a cup of wine in his hands.
Glowron shook his head. His tone was short but he kept this expression neutral. “No sire.”
The goblin general was Helias’s superior in rank and social class. The fact of the matter was that if Glowron had no objections, then there was no way the tauroll could object.
And still, Helias felt bile rise in the back of his throat. He froze, ever so briefly. Closing his eyes, he shook his head. Nothing mattered, except for Sara and Gwendilia.
“No sir. I’ll have my troops ready for tomorrow.”
That should have been that. They would have been dismissed to prepare for tomorrow’s suicide mission, but the king’s whims had other plans.
King Thorgoth put his cup down and leaned forward. “Oh come on my good generals. Surely you have something to improve on this plan.”
Glowron’s expression remained blank, whilst Helias smiled. “Your Majesty, you were the one who taught me everything I know. I can think of nothing I can add to your strategy.”
Queen Berengaria strode toward him. “You’re usually so talkative, Helias. Are you sure you have no other thoughts?”
“I beg your apologies, but I do not have any further additions to your plan, Your Majesty. My lord Glowron?” Helias asked.
“I do not either, my liege—” Glowron fell silent and Helias’s tail stiffened.
Thorgoth and Berengaria were no longer smiling and with a few more steps, the harpy queen had put herself behind the two generals.
“Let me be plain, we are now not asking you about how to improve the plan. We are asking for your thoughts. Give them.”
The Demon King’s remaining dark eye was narrowed. The other was now covered with a black silk eyepatch, the remains of the scar that Queen Forowen had given him, a discoloration scouring a line along the side of his face and right over his ear. In spite of the king’s injury, Helias felt nothing but cold dread dry his mouth.
“Your Majesty, my only thought is that we have no option but to follow your plan. No matter how we got into this situation, the only thing we can do is go forward and try to win this day,” Glowron said.
“And do you blame me, Glowron?”
Helias watched, eyes wide as somehow the much smaller goblin general continued to meet the king’s eyes. “I would be lying to you if I said I didn’t assign some responsibility to you at all, but I believe we ought to have thought of the possibility of such a trap. So the responsibility is mine as well.”
Thorgoth nodded. Out of the corner of his eye, Helias saw the slightest of nods that Berengaria gave to her husband. Alarm shooting his gaze back toward the Demon King, Helias found the full attention of his sovereign and sometimes uncle directed right at him.
“And you, General Helias?”
Lie and he might not be able to make it convincing enough. Tell the truth about what he thought about this war and he was never seeing Sara and Gwendilia again. Thorgoth hadn’t just been hurt, his pride had been wounded and he was now backed into a corner. It would be unwise to anger him, but what to say? What could he say?
All he could think of, and see was his child and her adoring gaze. All he could feel was the touch of Sara’s hand against his. They’d become closer than he could have imagined and were more than just companions with mutual goals now.
If he was to die, then maybe he could tell this truth.
“I am mostly thinking of my wife and my child, my king. The coming battle has me greatly concerned with how dangerous it shall be.”
Thorgoth narrowed his eyes at Helias for a brief moment. The tauroll, staying very still, waited for the presumed reaction by Berengaria.
Whatever Berengaria did made Thorgoth arch an eyebrow.
“I thought you didn’t consider your wife to be worth much,” said the king in a mild tone.
His mind racing, Helias ran with the idea. “She has responded well to the constraints and discipline I’ve enforced on her. She does nothing but facilitate all my needs and has served me well.”
He could feel Berengaria’s eyes narrow, but Thorgoth was already leaning back onto his chair. “Good for you. You are dismissed.”
“Thank you, sire,” said Helias, almost unable to hide his sigh of relief.
***
Author’s Note: While I wish I could have spent more quality time with Martin, Elizabeth, Ginger and Ayax, I do love the best-friend/team that I created for Frances. This chapter and the last was my little way of giving each of them a bit of time with Frances before the final battle.

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