"Hi Reddit, this is Dhruv Khanna, also known as Tale Trekker on blogger.com .I have written a fictional story called 'The Lady Luck.' After struggling for the past two years, I have finally completed it and am now moving ahead with self-publishing. I would love to bring it closer to all the readers who fantasize about romance in their lives and how a woman plays a significant role in helping her man achieve success."
Read the prologue, which will buzz you with how i started writing it down and what's the concept of the story.
“Happy hour” wow so I will be getting an extra drink’
Yes, sir the bar is boozing everyone with some extra shots, the bartender told me sitting at the Irish café Colaba, Mumbai; resting my legs at the long chair placed on the edge of the bar I ordered a mug of beer with a five-spice chicken,
A solo trip to a new destination the gateway of India or commonly known as the west coast of India’
“Glug-Glug” the bartender poured chilled fresh beer into the mug, “Enjoy your drink sir” with a wide smile he put the mug in front of me,
Polishing my lips with the intoxicated drink I felt an urge to lighten up a cancer stick,
Taking out a pack of cigarette from my pocket I walked towards the open area to enjoy salty smoke with my drink,
Enjoying the warmness in the weather, a beautiful girl walked towards me all alone “Do you have a lighter?”
Quickly I handed over the fire machine to her; “Hi, this side Kirti Chopra”
Oh Hi, this side Dhruv khanna’
She lightened her stick and stood next to me to enjoy the vapors’
“On a solo trip?” she asked me with a Monalisa smile on her face;
“Yes, on a two-day vacation then I will be heading towards Nashik” I replied visioning towards her;

Diving deeper into the ocean of conversations, she told me about her profession as an air hostess working for domestic airlines and coming towards me a corporate worker working with edtech, taking an off for a couple of days I had come to this place to enjoy with myself’

“A corporate employee is fine, but what you want to become in the next phase of your life, means I don’t think so you are meant for a 9-5 job, your personality speaks a thousand artistic words”
With in a single meet, within the first hour of a conversation she got to know the secrets of my heart with the help of dizziness of my frame;
Astonished me; took the conversation to the next chapter’ “I always wanted to become an Author, even I have a story diluted with immense love and secrets”

Sounds good’ let’s pour another glass of beer and afterwards I would love to listen a short summary of your story;
Happiness flicked on my head “At least someone is interested to listen all of my rhymes”

Cheers! Clinking our glasses to one another I started explaining my story to her,
So, a love story involving thousands of hidden secrets, where a gorgeous billionaire girl falls into love with a poverty-stricken boy who was even longing for some romantic rhythms in his life, finding the treasury of his own life he fell into some unexpected events in the mid of the chapters, a deeper dark night where all the demons were dancing together gazing into the passionate souls, a night where everything turned upside-down and some mysterious foot walked into their life with a torch in their hands.

“Who was that girl?
What was her name?
Who were those mysterious foot?” Kirti curiously asked me with a mask of scariness on her face’

The girl was named as Alia, dressed with millions of diamonds,
That mysterious foot is again the suspense of the story’

“What happened in the end?” Eagerly she asked about it’

Well in the end the door got opened with the reflections of thousands of screaming souls,
Which was screaming from back an era’
The moon played with all the twist and the turns,
Joyful for some and sorrowful for some!
It was all about The Lady Luck!

Damm! Can’t wait to read out this story,
“I’m approving you” write down this story as a novel and gift me a signed copy of it,

With a blissful smile on my face, I decided to write down those lyrics from all the blood in my heart”

My name is Rory Fars, and my little sister, Lily Fars, is the last family I had left.
A heavy sense of dread settled over me like a suffocating blanket as I sat in the worn leather seat of Lily's old jeep. The car, a relic of our happier days, seemed to groan under our shared sorrow. Beside me, Lily, my best friend, and confidante, absentmindedly twirled a strand of her long, dark hair, which swayed gently in rhythm with the haunting melodies from the oldies station on the radio. This car had seen us through countless joyful journeys when our family was whole. Almost three years had passed since that fateful Christmas trip in Texas when our parents were tragically killed in a horrific multi-car pileup. The memory of their loss was a constant ache, a wound that never fully healed.
My dad was from Amarillo, Texas, so my parents often took trips down there, visiting the places that held so many memories for him. During one of these trips, just before Christmas, a sudden blizzard struck while they were on the freeway. The snow fell in blinding sheets, making the world outside a disorienting white blur. As they tried to slowly pull to the side, their vision obscured by the relentless storm, they never saw the car barreling toward them at least forty miles an hour. The impact was devastating, an abrupt and brutal end to their journey and, in many ways, to our lives as we had known them.
My parents were always sticklers for safety, insisting on seatbelts every time we got in the car. So, of course, they had theirs on during that fateful trip. The initial impact wasn't what killed them, the coroner explained to me. Not even the first hit from behind, which was going at least fifty miles an hour, was fatal. I had to practically shake the information out of him—they were so resistant to tell me anything at first. By the time the third car hit, with an unknown speed, their survival was already in jeopardy. The coroner said that by the fifth car, they were likely dead. But it didn't end there. Another twenty-three vehicles slammed into the back of the pile, each collision further crushing their bodies, reducing them to a horrific, unrecognizable state. Each jarring impact pushed my parents deeper into a gruesome amalgamation of twisted metal and shattered lives.
I don't know why I felt compelled to demand those details at the time, but I deeply regret it now. I wish I had never asked. Almost every night, unless I drink myself into oblivion, I am haunted by nightmares of what they endured. I dream of driving up to save them, only to be caught in the same deadly barrage of cars, ending in a twisted metal tomb for all of us.
Lily is never in those dreams. Even in my most horrific imaginings, I can't envision her being hurt. Lily is my little sister, younger by eight years and three months. Whenever I mention our age difference, I see the judgment in people's eyes, but what can I say? Our parents never stopped loving each other. They had Lily late in life; she became our shared joy, our living reminder of the love that had bound our family together.
Lily wasn't my twin in the literal sense, but ever since she was born, it felt like we shared the inexplicable connection that twins often describe. As she grew up, our bond only deepened—we acted, sounded, and even looked remarkably alike. She became my rock, especially after our parents' tragic deaths. We leaned on each other, cried into each other's shoulders, and somehow found the strength to move forward. We eventually moved in together, finding solace in a two-bedroom apartment that became our sanctuary.
Lily seemed to handle our parents' deaths better than I did, or maybe she was just better at distracting herself with technology. Even before their passing, Lily was addicted to any kind of digital screen she could manipulate. Her ability to navigate the digital world was unmatched; she was the most intelligent person I had ever met. Her intelligence was a beacon of light in the darkness that had enveloped us, a testament to her resilience and brilliance.
After my parents' death, I embarked on a quest to find my spirituality by delving into paranormal investigations. I hoped these pursuits would bring me closer to my parents in the afterlife, spiritual realm, or whatever you want to call it. Instead, it created a chasm between me and any sense of spiritual existence. Each investigation seemed to push me further from the answers I sought, leaving me feeling more isolated and disconnected than ever.
I had hoped that by exploring these paranormal claims, I would discover a way to reach out to my parents and feel their presence again. Yet, as the years have passed, this endeavor has only deepened my loneliness and sense of loss. Despite knowing how detrimental it is to my mental health, I can't bring myself to stop. The hope that the subsequent investigation will be the one that proves the existence of an afterlife and that I'll find a way to contact my parents keeps me going. It's a desperate, unrelenting pursuit for a connection that remains heartbreakingly out of reach.
I should have accepted their death and moved on like any sane person would. Instead, I let my grief fester and dragged my sister and a stranger, Mark, through my obsessive quest for answers. My relentless pursuit of the paranormal didn't just alienate me; it consumed us all, leading to their untimely deaths. My name is Rory Fars, and I am here to confess my side of the story about the missing case of Lily Fars and Mark Lawrence.
This is the truth about how my desperate search for a connection with the afterlife led to a nightmare from which none of us could escape.
To start off, no, Lily was not a student of Mark's who fell in love with him and then got jealous of me hitting on him, leading her to kill him and herself. I know that sounds ridiculous, but given some wild theories circulating online, I need to address this one specifically since it seems to be the most popular.
First and foremost, Mark Lawrence was not, nor has he ever been, a professor at a university. Lily and I met Mark at the Local Museum in Redlin, a town nestled deep in the Appalachian Mountains. He was the curator of an exhibit showcasing the history of Raven's Nest, a forgotten mining town that neither Lily nor I had ever heard of. This is where our story begins, in a place steeped in history and mystery, far removed from the convoluted theories that now cloud the truth.
We were constantly searching for new ideas for our podcast about paranormal claims. Each of our twenty-five episodes so far had concluded with a rational explanation, so when Mark told us about the curse of Harper, I was immediately intrigued.
Mark was an older man, likely in his mid-sixties, with a full head of silver hair and a beard that stubbornly clung to its youthful color, only lightly dusted with grey. He had a presence that commanded attention, and his stories about the curse were delivered with an intensity that drew me in.
On the other hand, Lily was always more interested in the technical aspects of the paranormal. She had her own theories and was determined to debunk every claim we investigated. She wasn't easily swayed by Mark's tales about the curse of Harper, but she was willing to listen and give him a chance to prove himself. Her skeptical mind constantly checked my enthusiasm, and together, we hoped to uncover the truth behind yet another paranormal mystery.
"Hello ladies, care to hear about the mysterious town of Raven's Nest?" Mark asked with theatrical enthusiasm.
Lily and I exchanged a knowing glance, trying to stifle our amusement. Despite our attempts to remain composed, a smirk played at the corners of our lips.
"We're all ears," I replied, my tone laced with a hint of sarcasm.
He sighed, almost as if he was disappointed that we said yes. Taking a deep breath, he seemed to steel himself for the task ahead. "Well, you see," he began, his voice tinged with uncertainty, "in the early twentieth century, a man named Harper Franstein exploited many men and children in the coal mines. By the mid-1920s, he had established his own settlement in a secluded valley, which he dubbed 'The Raven's Nest.' It was never officially recognized as a town, but that's the only name we have to go off of."
I could see the beads of sweat forming on Mark's brow as he struggled to recall every detail. Despite his initial enthusiasm, he now appeared flustered, his confidence waning. Eventually, he resorted to consulting his damp and crumpled notes, a sign of his growing unease.
"Um, anyway, yeah, um," he stuttered, audibly gulping as his nerves got the better of him. Lily couldn't contain her laughter, emitting a snicker that earned us a glare from Mark.
"Hey, just relax," I interjected, trying to diffuse the tension. "We're not here to judge or intimidate you." With a gentle touch on his forearm and a chuckle, I attempted to reassure him, hoping to ease his obvious discomfort.
He paused, sharing a chuckle with me, while Lily struggled to suppress her laughter and eventually excused herself, leaving just Mark and me. Evidently, he felt more at ease with fewer listeners, so he pressed on with his narrative.
"Anyway," he resumed, "Harper held complete control over the town and the mine, and he made sure everyone was acutely aware of that fact. When the disappearances began, he tried to sweep them under the rug, attributing them to anything but his own negligence in mining practices."
"What do you mean by 'negligence in mining practices'?" I interjected, eager to delve deeper into his intriguing tale.
He looked up, clearly pleased by my question. "Yes, exactly," he affirmed. "Harper adhered to a mining technique outlined by Dwight Brunst in the mid to late nineteenth century. This method mandated only one entry and exit point into the mine."
"Wait, so they were forbidden from creating additional exits?" I pressed for clarification.
"Not explicitly," he explained. "The practice advocated for just one entry and exit as it was believed to minimize the risk of cave-ins, at least in theory. However, there were instances where miners, feeling uneasy about this restriction, took matters into their own hands and carved out what they called 'Emergency Exits' for themselves. After about half of the town started going missing, Harper couldn't take criticism about how he responded, but most people say he was losing money quickly and didn't want to live in a world where he was poor. He walked into the mine, never to be seen again, much like the cave's past victims. Visitors report seeing and hearing Harper, trying to get them to leave."
As I stood there, listening to Mark's enthralling narrative, I found myself captivated by the mysterious allure of Raven's Nest. Unable to contain my curiosity, I decided to pose a question.
"So, what does the town look like now?" I inquired, eager to learn more about the present state of this enigmatic place.
Mark's demeanor shifted slightly as he rifled through his notes, a subtle indication that he didn't have a straightforward answer to my query.
"You've never been there?" I asked, my tone softening with genuine curiosity.
He flinched as though my question had struck a nerve. "Shhhhhh... shut up," he demanded, his voice tinged with unease.
Suppressing a chuckle, I leaned in closer and whispered, "Okay, hear me out. My sister Lily and I are investigating paranormal phenomena. Your story about Raven's Nest sounds like the perfect addition to our podcast. What do you say we compensate you for your guidance? Let's say, three hundred bucks?"
He straightened up, contemplating my proposition for a few moments. Without uttering a word, he extended his hand, and I met it halfway with my own, sealing our agreement with a firm handshake.
Our journey to Raven's Nest was no easy feat. Situated a good twenty miles from town and nestled deep within a dense valley. After all of the tight turns, narrow dirt roads, and steep inclines, it took us a grueling two and a half hours to go twenty-something miles, but we finally reached the outskirts of the infamous settlement. As we stood at the edge of the "Nest," anticipation mingled with trepidation, setting the stage for the eerie exploration that lay ahead.
I glanced at my phone; the time read 11:56 pm, signaling the late hour. Sensing the exhaustion weighing heavily, I suggested we catch a few hours of rest in Lily's jeep. Mark, though visibly unsettled, remained silent from the back seat, his arms folded tightly across his chest as he slumped against the window like a sulking child.
Drifting asleep in the passenger seat, I soon found myself ensnared in a nightmare. In my dream, Mark was being dragged away into the darkness, his desperate attempts to claw his way back to safety only resulting in broken fingertips. Despite his struggles, he was powerless against the unseen force pulling him inexorably into the abyss. Suddenly, I was alone, engulfed in utter darkness, my heart pounding with fear as I ran blindly from an unseen terror that seemed to pursue me relentlessly, its malevolent presence palpable but unseen.
I jolted awake, gasping for breath, my heart racing as the remnants of dread lingered in the pit of my stomach. It was morning, and I was struggling to adjust my vision. Lily's frantic but comforting voice broke through the haze of my terror, grounding me in reality. With her comforting embrace, I gradually calmed my racing thoughts, drawing deep, steadying breaths.
As we sat there, enveloped in each other's embrace, Mark approached the driver's side window with an unexpected question, "Alright, what's for breakfast?" His nonchalant tone and casual demeanor were a stark contrast to the harrowing nightmare that had just consumed my thoughts, momentarily dispelling the lingering specter of fear that had haunted my dreams.
Lily and I both look up at him and back at each other as we burst out into laughter.
Amidst our shared laughter, Lily and I exchanged amused glances before turning our attention back to Mark.
"Ha...ha, yeah. No, but seriously, what's for breakfast? Eggs, bacon, toast, at least?" Mark pressed, hoping for a more substantial response.
His earnest inquiry fueled our laughter further, our giggles echoing through the quiet night air. Eventually, we regained our composure and stepped out of the jeep, stretching our limbs after the cramped confines of the vehicle.
Mark awkwardly moves to the side, still waiting for an honest answer. Lily tossed him a granola bar, eliciting a bemused chuckle from him. With a shared understanding, we set off on foot, embarking on the hike into the town.
The path ahead was clear: a single dirt road that wound its way from the abandoned coal mine into the heart of the small settlement. The road, now overgrown and muddy from years of disuse, bore the marks of neglect and isolation. Wary of the treacherous conditions, Lily opted to forgo the risk of getting stuck, steering clear of the decrepit road that likely hadn't seen a traveler in at least half a century.
We parked Lily's jeep at the entrance to both the mine and the town of Raven's Nest, opting to proceed on foot from there. Standing at the mountain's peak, gazing down at the desolate town below, I couldn't help but ponder the history beneath the dilapidated structures. I imagined how this valley must have once been a pristine landscape cherished by the indigenous people who roamed its lush terrain.
"Jesus, this place is more like a shit nest," Mark muttered in disgust, his disdain evident in his tone.
Lily shot me a knowing glance, silently communicating her skepticism toward Mark's assessment of the town.
Deciding to put Mark's knowledge to the test, I casually inquired, "So, what year was this area founded?"
Mark's reaction was almost defensive as if my question had caught him off guard. He hesitated momentarily before fumbling for his note cards in his pocket, a telltale sign that he wasn't as knowledgeable as he let on.
Before he could respond, I interjected with another question, "Mark, how long have you worked at the museum?"
As Mark froze, his gaze locking onto mine like a deer caught in headlights, I watched him closely, waiting for any sign of hesitation or discomfort. My narrowed eyes bore into his, silently urging him to be honest.
Finally, breaking the tense silence, Mark confessed, "Look, this is only my first week. I... I haven't had the greatest time lately, and I really need the extra money. I'm sorry I lied, but I'll help however I can."
I met his gaze unwaveringly, sensing the sincerity in his words. Clearly, he was a man in need of redemption, grappling with his own personal struggles.
"Alright, alright, don't cry too much," I teased lightly, trying to ease the tension. Gesturing towards Lily, who was busy preparing her wireless motion cameras in her backpack, I continued, "Lily and I already figured that was the case. Honestly, we're surprised you agreed to come along."
Mark remained frozen, but the tension seemed to melt away from his expression, replaced by a tentative smile. It was a moment of shared understanding, a silent acknowledgment that he was still welcomed into our expedition despite his initial deception.
"Alright, I have the cams and portable batteries to make sure the cameras and anything we have with power can last," Lily said, her voice brimming with determination.
We began our descent into the town, our hiking boots struggling against the thick, clinging mud produced by the constant light rain and years of disuse. Each step was a battle, the mud threatening to swallow our boots with every move.
After an eternity of trudging through the muck, we finally reached the town's only paved road—the main road. It had taken us only about fifteen minutes to hike down, but navigating the muddy slope had sapped our energy. We paused for a break, taking a few minutes to clean off our boots and catch our breath.
As we rested, I noticed Lily rummaging through her bag with a focused intensity. Curious, I asked, "What are you looking for?"
"I brought five motion-detecting cameras that I want to set up strategically throughout the town," she replied, pulling out one of the cameras. She walked over to the nearest building, a structure that served as a post office, police station, and fire station. She positioned the camera outside the building so it was pointed at the only road leading in and out of the town.
"We need to cover all potential points of interest," she explained, securing the camera in place. "This one will monitor any activity on the main road. We should place the other cameras around key locations like the mine entrance, the town square, and some more intact buildings."
I nodded, appreciating her thoroughness. "Good idea. We need to make sure we capture anything unusual."
Mark, having finally caught his breath, joined us. "Alright, let's get these cameras set up and see what we can find," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Look," Lily said, turning her tablet screen toward us. She waved her hand in front of the camera she had just placed. The tablet displayed five squares on the interface, each meant to show a feed from one of the cameras. Since Lily had only set up one camera so far, only the bottom right square showed any footage pointed at the road leading out of town. She stopped waving her hand, and the feed went to a blue screen.
"What happened? Did we lose connection?" Mark asked frantically, his eyes wide with concern.
Lily cackled, struggling to contain her amusement. Composing herself, she waved her hand in front of the camera again, and the bottom right square showed her hand waving once more. "It's motion-activated. It's the best way to save on battery life," she explained.
Mark seemed to relax, though he was still catching his breath after the brief panic.
I glanced at my watch, noting the time. "It's 8:30. We're behind schedule. If you want to place the rest of your cameras, we better move now," I said, walking down the street.
Lily immediately got up and followed me, with Mark struggling to keep pace behind us. We reached the market building, and Lily positioned her second camera on the side of the road, pointing up at the market.
It's not much longer before we make it to the Town Hall. I suggest Lily place a camera nearby. She nods and heads into a building across from the Town Hall labeled, "Slaughterhouse: LOCAL ANIMALS ONLY."
As Lily explores the building to find an adequate spot for the camera, I wait for Mark to catch up. While I wait, I can't help but imagine this town in its prime, picturing the streets filled with families who loved each other.
My thoughts are abruptly cut off by a sound echoing in the distance—a roar unlike any I've ever heard. It was a mix of a human screaming in pain, the roar of a lion, and, near the end, the howl of a wolf. The chilling sound sent shivers down my spine.
I jump to my feet and immediately call out, "Lily, you okay?"
There's no response from Lily, but I'm interrupted by Mark finally catching up, panting heavily.
"Holy... shit... did you... hear that?" Mark said frantically between breaths.
"Yeah, we have to find Lily," I say, bolting into the slaughterhouse. I glance back to see Mark bracing himself on the steps of the Town Hall, struggling to keep up.
As I enter the building, the stench of rotting flesh hits me like a wave, causing me to gag. The smell is too fresh to be decades old.
"Lily? Lily, where are you?" I yell, using my shirt to shield my nose from the overwhelming odor.
"Rory, I'm in here!" I hear Lily yell from a room two doors down. I pass the first door, peeking in to ensure I hadn't misheard, but I wish I hadn't looked.
Inside the first room, I catch a glimpse of what appears to be a pile of animal carcasses, their decayed bodies arranged in a grotesque display. The sight is horrifying, the flesh still disturbingly fresh. The bile rises in my throat, but I force myself to focus on finding Lily.
I rush to the room where her voice came from, pushing the door open. Lily is there, setting up the camera, seemingly oblivious to the horror in the adjacent room. Relief floods through me as I see she's safe.
"Lily, did you hear that roar?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
"Yeah, I heard it," she replies, her eyes wide with concern. "I was just finishing up here. Let's get back to Mark and figure out what that was." She had placed the camera in a window, pointing directly at the Town Hall.
We hurry back outside, where Mark still catches his breath as we meet between the buildings. "We need to stay together from now on," I say firmly, looking at both of them. "Whatever that noise was, it's not something we want to face alone."
"Let's check out the Town Hall!" Mark says excitedly as he slowly clambers through a broken window.
"Did he not just hear what I said?" I mutter under my breath, shaking my head in disbelief.
Lily gives me a shrug, her eyes reflecting a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Guess we're heading into the Town Hall then," she says, adjusting her backpack and walking towards the broken window.
I sigh and follow suit, hoisting myself up and carefully maneuvering through the jagged glass. Inside, the air is musty, filled with the scent of old paper and decaying wood. Dust motes float lazily in the beams of sunlight streaming through the cracked windows.
The main hall is vast and eerily silent, with rows of empty chairs facing a stage draped in tattered curtains. The walls are lined with faded portraits and yellowed maps of the town, remnants of a time when this place was alive and bustling.
Mark is already at the front, examining a large, decrepit desk. "Look at this," he says, his voice echoing in the empty space. "It's like stepping back in time."
I walk over, glancing at the old papers scattered across the desk. Most are mundane—meeting minutes, maintenance logs—but one catches my eye. It's a letter dated June 1925, addressed to Harper Franstein.
"Harper, the disappearances are becoming more frequent. The townsfolk are getting restless, and I fear they may take matters into their own hands if we don't act soon. We need to find out what's causing this before it's too late."
I read the letter aloud, and the room fell silent. "Sounds like things were getting pretty tense," Lily remarks, her voice subdued.
As I'm distracted by the time capsule in front of us, Mark sneaks off.
I'm not sure how long it was before she noticed, but I saw Lily looking around before saying, "Where the hell did Mark go?" breaking me out of my trance.
I look around, turning my head in all directions, and shrug at Lily. I hear shuffling in the second room down the hall, so I slowly walk toward it.
"Mark?" I call out.
Just then, a loud crash reverberates through the building, making it sound like the whole place was about to come down.
We run in and see Mark struggling to keep himself from falling into a giant hole that must've broken under his weight. Trying not to laugh, I glance at Lily. We help him up as he dramatically falls onto his back, wheezing as he catches his breath.
Lily and I can't contain our laughter anymore as we bust out laughing hard. Startled by our sudden outburst, Mark jumps in fear. He looks around, confused for a few seconds, before realizing that we are laughing at him.
"Jesus, thanks, I guess," he says, clearly thankful but annoyed by our reaction.
After we contained ourselves, we headed back outside, exiting through the window Mark entered through. He struggles to climb out, but after Lily gives him a hand, he is safely out of the Town Hall.
"Alright, Ror, where should we put the next camera?" Lily asks me.
I stop to think momentarily, trying to picture the town's layout. "I think the only place left is the neighborhood," I respond confidently. I always talk like that with Lily. Over the years, I've realized she is the only person I can have that much confidence around. With anyone else, I'm worried about saying something stupid or wrong or how they'll view me, but with my sister, everything is easy.
As I look at the replica map of the town in its heyday from the museum, I determine that the neighborhood is to the East. "Okay, looks like we head East past the Library. Let's go." I say, walking away.
It only takes about eight minutes to get to the long strip of road that housed the town's workers. According to the map, there were fifteen houses along this strip of road.
The houses stand eerily silent, their wooden frames weathered and decayed by time. We walk down the road, our footsteps crunching on the gravel and echoing in the stillness. The air feels heavier here like the past is watching us, waiting to reveal its secrets.
"Let's put the last cameras on that house at the end of the road," I suggest, pointing to a house that looks slightly less dilapidated than the others, "another one at the last house on the other side, and the last we can save for a spot you choose."
Lily nods and heads toward the first house, pulling another camera from her backpack. She sets it up on the porch, positioning it to capture the entire street, and does the same in the opposite house. As I stand with Mark breathing hard, still unable to catch his breath since we first got here, I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched. I glance around nervously but see nothing out of the ordinary.
"All set," Lily says, breaking my reverie, "Still no ideas for the last cam?" Lily asks me.
"Like I said, wherever you think it would be best. I feel like we have enough good spots and angles, so go wild with that one," I told her.
She smirked and kept walking next to me. Mark was still struggling behind, but after the town hall mishap, he was trying his best to keep up. I looked at my watch, and it read '12:30 pm'.
"Holy shit, it's already 12:30," I said in amazement, but no one else seemed fazed. It felt like we'd only been here thirty minutes, not almost four hours.
We walked back down the street. Lily and I had been discussing on the walk that she should put the last camera at the town's only stoplight in front of the Library.
As we made our way to it, I could have sworn I was seeing something moving fast past my vision in the corner of my eye. Every time I turned to look, it was gone. I chalked it up to being my imagination until Lily and Mark both experienced the same thing.
"What the fuck was that?" Mark asked as he ducked, bracing for something terrible to happen. Lily and I looked back at him and then at each other as we shrugged. It was after that that I started seeing things, too.
I confided in Lily about the unsettling visions and sounds, and she admitted she had experienced the same phenomena but had kept quiet, fearing Mark would dismiss her as paranoid.
"Well, it's probably just a cat or something," I said, attempting to downplay the situation, but neither seemed convinced.
We continued our trek, and I noticed that the more we walked, the more frequently I caught fleeting glimpses of movement in my peripheral vision. It was beginning to grate on my nerves.
Finally, we reached the light in front of the Library. As Lily mounted the camera, I felt a sense of satisfaction. We were making good progress, and it seemed like a suitable moment to start exploring the town more freely. We decided to split up and cover different sections of the town.
"Wait, we have to go alone? Why can't we stay together like you said?" Mark asked frantically, but Lily and I ignored him as we headed in separate directions. He continued to protest, but we paid him no mind. Eventually, I was either far enough away to not hear him anymore, or he had given up. Either way, I was happy to enjoy the eerie silence of the town.
As I wandered, the stillness of Raven's Nest enveloped me. With its decrepit buildings and overgrown streets, the town exuded an unsettling charm. It was as if I had stepped into a forgotten world, a place frozen in time with secrets waiting to be unearthed. The ambiance reminded me of an amusement park's haunted town section—artificially eerie yet irresistibly intriguing. Despite the creepiness, the mysterious vibe of the town kept me engaged and eager to explore its hidden corners.
I glanced at my watch again, only to find the time glaring back at me: 3:19 pm. It couldn't be right. There was no way it had been that long since I last checked. Panic seized me, and I called out for Lily, my voice tinged with urgency. She appeared beside me in a matter of minutes, her expression mirroring my concern.
"What's up, Ror? You okay?" she asked, her voice laced with worry.
"How long would you say it's been since you put the last camera down?" I inquired, my heart pounding in my chest.
Lily's brow furrowed as she struggled to come up with an answer. "Uh, I don't know, thirty minutes?" she hazarded a guess.
I held up my watch, displaying the time: 3:20 pm. Lily fell silent, her eyes widening in disbelief. She was never great with time, but missing almost three hours of our memory was unprecedented.
"There's no way. Your watch must be—" Lily began, her voice trailing off as she checked her own watch, only to freeze in shock when she found it displayed the same time as mine.
"Lil, something is going on," I stated, my voice tight and apprehensive. I glanced up at the sky, my stomach churning as I noticed the clouds darkening and rolling in from all sides of the valley.
The sky closed rapidly, ominous clouds obscuring the sun as thunder rumbled ominously against the mountains.
"Mark? Mark, where are—" I began to call out, but before I could finish, Mark emerged from behind a wall, appearing as if he'd been too frightened to venture far on his own.
"We have to get inside!" Mark exclaimed urgently, his voice tinged with fear.

It had been less than twelve hours since the Emperor, her father, had brought her aboard his starship. Her world looked small below her, almost like she could reach out and grab it from the vacuum. She could if she wanted to, she knew, though not in the physical sense, but then again she didn't need to prove her psychic might to herself.
In those few hours she had met two of her sisters: Juno, a refined woman in blue and gold livery, as well as Ferra, who though gruff and kurt had been welcoming to her. They had both come down to greet her before returning. There was a great deal of work to be done before departing from her home system, but they had insisted on introducing their new sister to the glories of the Imperium from a place with a bit more perspective. After a time Ferra had left them for the forges, leaving just herself and Juno staring out the window at her world.
"Is it just the three of us on this ship," she'd asked, enthralled by the scale and grandeur of the ship. To think that humanity had made such beauty was still hard to accept, let alone that, if they were to be believed, Juno had said it was one of thousands of such ships. "The three of us sisters, I mean."
Juno looked down and smiled wryly. "No, sister. There is another of our siblings aboard, though she didn't want to come down to meet you. She's probably in her quarters, down where you'll be staying, if you'd like to introduce yourself. I warn you, though: she's not as, shall we say, 'dignified' as we are."
Strange, she'd thought. Why wouldn't she come to see me. Not a very welcoming type, I guess.
She'd made her way down the passages towards the living quarters, passing crew and serfs who bowed to her as she passed. Their looks of awe were nothing new to her, such was the effect she had on others. It was something she accepted as the way of things, even her sisters had been reverent and respectful when they'd met her in the city plaza earlier that day.
Her wanderings eventually had led her to the door she'd simply known had to be the one. Unlike the other doors it held bare metal aside from placed where the old decoration had been torn off. On it a single symbol had been scratched into the metal with a sharp object. A tad dramatic, she'd thought, and awfully uncouth for a daughter of the Emperor. She'd put her thoughts aside, mustered herself to be presentable, and pushed open the door.
Magnolia entered a large room that looked to have been ransacked, and beheld a savage sitting in a plush chair at its center. A fire was roaring in the hearth behind the chair, obscuring the details of the woman who sat within it. Two large beasts, what one could mistakenly call wolves, looked up from whete they lounged at the savage's feet. Their throaty growls could be felt even in Magnolia's enhanced physiology. Fascinating, she thought, studying the eyes of the beasts; faintly, she could feel intelligence staring back at her.
"Skoll! Hati! Be still, that's no way to greet your new sister," the savage said, a grin tugging at the edge of her lips. Teeth reflected in the lumens above in that grin, teeth long and sharp. The two beasts quieted and returned their heads to the carpeted floor, though their eyes never left the stranger who had entered their packmate's room. "You're the new one, yeah? He must've found you on this little excursion to whatever backwater system we're in. So, what do they call you?"
"Magnolia, they call me the Crimson Queen where I am from," she replied regally, studying the face of the warrior across from her as she did. Her dirty blonde hair was long, unkempt and braided in places, the bulk of it held away from her face with a strip of leather cord. Her eyes were the blue of glacial ice with black paint swathed across them so they stood out even more than normal. An old scar ran down her left forehead vertically down her cheek. She was dressed in the skins of animals Magnolia could not identify, muscled arms and shoulders silhouetted beneath them. Much like the beasts at her feet, Magnolia was surprised to find intelligence behind those azure orbs; in fact she was almost taken aback at the intensity of that intelligence. There was a calculating mind behind those eyes, one that many would not see fully.
"Magnolia? Pretty name, that," the savage said, grabbing an oversized drinking horn on the table beside her and draining the contents in a handful of drafts. Her lack of decorum or any standards of acknowledgement stung Magnolia's pride that tasted bitter in her mouth. "So, Magnolia, what is it that you do?"
"What do I do?" What kind of question is that coming from such a creature, she thought. Can this thing even be called 'my sister'?
"You know, what do you do," the savage said, swinging her arms out to each side. "From those of our sisters I've met we all do something, usually something different. Well, some I've met are a bit more alike each other but don't go saying that around Petra." The woman threw her head back and let out rolling, boisterous laughter that shook the air. It was hard for Magnolia not to smile at the sound, even with the bitterness of the woman's reproach still acrid on her tongue.
"Well, I am much like our father in what I can do in the metaphysical sense," Magnolia said, standing straighter with pride.
The laughter abruptly ended. A dark look came over the woman's face, the lips that once held a smile now turned up in a snarl. "What do you mean by that? Our father is the greatest man to ever exist and you claim to be his equal the second you meet him?" The beasts at her feet began to growl again, their hackles raised.
"I meant no disrespect to the Emperor of Mankind, sister," Magnolia said, shocked by the sudden aggression. The savage's mood had changed in a heartbeat, the very air in the room seemed to hum with the anticipation of further escalation. "You see I am gifted in the ways of arcana, much like our father is. I am by no means his equal, though I hope to learn to be like him."
"And how do you practice such arcana, hmm?" the woman snarled, raising herself up from her seat. Now standing she was large; not at large as Magnolia but far and above the stature of the Astartes warriors she'd seen when the Emperor had visited her on her homeworld of Prospero. She now saw twin hand axes of dark iron were strapped to each hip, the handles wrapped in worn leather with wood underneath, both of which were stained with the blood of battles long since past. The woman's right hand rested upon the haft of its corresponding axe, not yet an outright challenge but certainly a threatening gesture. "I know how malifecarum works, witch, and I've dealt with those who wield it without discipline. So, how do you do your little spells, Magnolia?"
"I-I use a number of techniques, all of which I've mastered and wield with the utmost ability... and safety, of course," Magnolia said quickly. I can kill her now if she attacks, but I don't think that would be wise. Best to find capitulation with this brute. "I am very much of the mind that wielding such forces for the good of our Crusade our father has so graciously allowed me to join."
The woman stayed standing, staring into Magnolia's eyes with burning intensity. Her body was taut, a musclebound spring coiled up ready to leap forward on a second's notice. Her blue eyes never wavered, the snarl bearing her fangs for Magnolia to see in all their obscene glory.
Then she... started to chuckle. Then she started to laugh. She laughed and laughed, doubling over before throwing her head back again so that those on the decks above could also hear her. Magnolia, stunned into silence, watched on in stupefied bewilderment. What in the Hells is she?
"You should have seen your face," the woman cried, holding her side. She mimed a frightened face, bringing about even more uproarious laughter. She sat back heavily into her seat and immediately reached for another horn of alcohol from the table beside her. Her smile had returned, but it didn't reach her icy stare. Those eyes never lost their intensity. "I think I can come to like you, in time. I hope you'll be a good sport and keep coming back around while you can. I'm sure our father will send such a powerful creature such as yourself out into the universe soon. Until then ask Juno to teach you regicide, I need someone new to play against." She leaned back, teeth glinting in the light.
"Well, thank you for seeing me today, sister. I look forward to speaking again," Magnolia said, bowing her head and turning to leave.
"Farewell, Magnolia the Red," the woman called from her seat, her beasts returning to their places.
"I never learned your name, sister," Magnolia said, turning back in the doorway to address the woman. "I wish to know what to call you when we next meet... hopefully under more pleasant and amicable circumstances."
The grin on the woman's face widened, a throaty chuckle escaping from between her clenched teeth and pointed fangs. Those eyes never left Magnolia's, almost burning bright beneath her shaggy hair and eyeblack.
"My name is Lyana of the Russ, the Wolf Queen of Fenris, Lord of Winter and Wrath, slayer of krakens and the Tamer of Morkai. But for you, Magnolia? Just Lyana will suffice."
(I've seen all the lore being posted and figured I'd throw my hat in the ring. I have ideas for how to further their story so if y'all like it let me know. C&C is always welcome. Also some italicizing is lost in this format but shouldn't hinder the reading.) Edit: spelling/grammar

Light context my boyfriend has many brothers I’ve met a few of them and of the few One just doesn’t give you(me) the right kind of vibe and the things I’ve been told about him and the things he’s done to my boyfriend are subpar. However my bf is very loyal and trusting and protective of his family and no matter the wrong they may do he’s still going to mess with them because that’s his family. (Not my way of living) and still thinks very highly and respectable of them. Being respectful of my bf in turn im respectful of them. If relevant bf is 30 brother maybe 28 Im 26
Last time his brother came by the apartment things were normal cordial they went out for food returned when my boyfriend was in the bathroom I was in his room in bed and he comes in and sits next to me and kisses me on my cheek with a decent amount of force I thought maybe mildly drunk overly friendly, and he did it a second time. I feel like the second time was to push the boundaries of if I was going to say anything which at the time I didn’t (this man carries a 🔫) and im not looking to say anything to upset him when I can go with the flow and not cause a moment that could go poorly when he’s about to be gone. Let me just get through the interaction. I didn’t say anything to my boyfriend about it— oops on my part, but I didn’t want to upset him and get him rocky with his brother as they’ve had an on and off again relationship and he doesn’t see him that often typically and then time went on and I didn’t say anything and it was more difficult to approach and I was like maybe that scenario will just not occur again.
Soo flash forward to tonight and his brothers coming over hung out for an hour or so I was working at the table they were on the couch small talk with all was fine. They leave go to the grocery drop it off go out for food nearby return. When returning im now working on the couch it’s a large L couch and at the time I didn’t know they left for food. I thought they left for his brothers house and wouldn’t be back for the night or until much later so I was taking up a decent chunk of the couch but there was the whole other half of the L and a big leather chair and the table was open so I didn’t feel the need to move. I was sitting with my back against the side of the couch and my legs stretched out towards the the other side the junction of the L. And his brother came and sat down next to me with his back against the couch and legs stretched straight out on the L part.
Boyfriend is cooking they’re chatting I’m working (not work work just laptop things) and his brother squeezes/ pinches some of my toes really hard pulling on my foot a bit like “this little piggy went to the market” (he said that, which I gets a saying but don’t touch my feet im not 4)(and ya know what even if I was don’t go touching my feet) anyways I said “Oh don’t touch my feet” and sat straighter up pulling my feet further away, (and yes @ me maybe don’t have my feet all out on the couch when guests are over but as noted I wasn’t expecting anyone was chilling there was lots of space and opportunity not to be touching my feet. And the way this guy speaks to others he does not have social anxiety that would prevent him from asking me to move my feet if they were in his way so he didn’t need to make some round about way of pointing out my feet were on the couch to try and get time to move them. He would’ve already told me to move them. So in my perspective you’re just touching my foot to…????? What?! Be funny make small talk? It felt like be a creep! Maybe that’s a bit too judgey of me
but I said like don’t touch my feet sorry that’s a boundary of mine and I don’t full remember what he said something along the lines of I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s possible there was an apology in there. Or statement about messing around. My bf joked about how he may do something like that to their other brothers wife as they have a good platonic siblingy close relationship. (I think just trying to break the awkwardness in the air and not make him feel so on the spot, and to move the conversation onward)
they chattered about something else for a little bit and then his brother asked if he wanted to get going to his place and my bf was a little taken a back I think in part because it was later in the evening I think he thought the food and hanging out here was the plan for the night if they go back there now that it’s later what’re the odds he’ll want to drive my bf back here later or will be in a safe state to do so and Ubers are $$s he doesn’t have right now so im sure part of the hesitation is like well then am I there all night or is it going to cost more to be hanging out but he said yes— When his brother asked about leaving he said that he didn’t want to hangout here because she’s(me) being weird and he’s just trying to chill with his brother (meaning my boyfriend) as they were stepping into the hall I said to them both “Oh sorry I wasn’t trying to make you uncomfortable or be weird” and his brother said it’s all good. I tried talking to my bf and he was silent gathering his stuff and primarily ignored me 🫠🙃🤣😭🤪😭 They got ready and dipped no words said —in the hall behind them i was like bye love you to my bf No words said 😖😵‍💫
I texted him right after he left and said “He kissed my cheek when you were in the bathroom before and he was grabbing my feet and it was just making me uncomfortable” which i guess correction foot not feet, none the less, no response for like 50 minutes. I texted about 11:35 which was as they walked out the door so within 5 minutes of then was said interaction. And I wrote it down when I realized my foots still hurting like what the heck
11:48 toe still hurts 11:55 toe still hurts 12:07 starts to hurt less 12:45 still kinda hurts, I question if the pains in my head because why’s it still hurt an hour + later no way he squeeze / pinched /pulled twisted my toes that much right?
My bf texts back 50 minute later saying “I understand” “You don’t have to explain” But gives no other word so I can’t say that for sure means he’s in full agreement. I asked if he needed a ride back and response is tbd. (Meaning no response yet) 😪
I felt given bfs brother past weirdness I had to say something when he grabbed my toes like that and if it had been either of his other brothers that I’ve met that did that it would’ve been odd weird but they wouldn’t have hurt my toe like that and they don’t make me feel uncomfortable so I wouldn’t have responded that way (Not that they’d do that because that’s weird)
There’s a lot of other variations of these conversations with my bf that leave me like ??? Aita and I feel fairly confident I am not but the situations are always complex and intensive enough I’ll not take the time to check in with anyone else via the Reddit world but since this was shorter for me to give the rundown of and im bewildered and like leave my feet alone I have come to here, and because im tired of being told im funny acting!!! By my bf or anyone else— tonight it was him and every time people say that im like!? Im really pretty sure im not 🥵🙄
Ps I was wearing clean socks if that matters at all

I expected to have this posted very soon after my trip, but time got away from me! Even the prospect of writing this out is kind of daunting lol so props to all of you who post your trip reports (and I greedily read every word!). Whenever people say stuff like “this is so long, I don’t expect anyone to read this!” I’m always like “of course I’m going to read every word and love it!” But now I am the one telling you guys, this is very long and I can’t imagine who out there is going to read this lol
Thursday 5/16 - Travel Day
Flew to Naples where my friend lives. Plan was to stay two nights with her before we headed to Orlando for one “girls night” before my solo trip began.
Saturday 5/18 - Travel to Disney!
Left at 6:30am to drive to Orlando. It was her and her two girls (age 11 and 5). We had reservations for one night at Beach Club. We bounded as princesses (Tiana, Ariel, Aurora, Jasmine). We walked to Epcot at 11:30am and that short walk was INCREDIBLE. I can’t believe how close the park is!!! Beach Club is amazing for location alone! Here are the things we ate and experienced:
~~Toasted Pretzel Bread (Germany): 20/10 This was absolutely delicious and over the course of the week I think I ate it like 5-6 times lol
~~Raspberry Radler (Germany): same as above, LOVED
~~Harvested a Pearl (Japan): This was seriously THE BEST experience! We all got them put in necklaces. One of her daughters got a gray/blue pearl and it was gorgeous. Lots of attention when she showed mine bc it looked big and she kept moving it up the sizing plate. I ended up with an 8.5mm pearl! It was very exciting and lots of celebration by the workers and crowd. They said it was the largest of the day. Honestly, I recommend this to ANYONE. It was less expensive than I expected, $29 to harvest the pearl, then I think I spent $23 on a cage for it, and I chose to buy a necklace for it to wear right away and that was $26. I am 100% doing it again in September when I go back for my 40th birthday (and I told my hubby he is doing it too and will love it!)
~~Lemon Drop Shandy (The Citrus Blossom): 7/10 good! nothing exceptional, I liked the radler better
~~Cinnamon Roll Bites (Brunchcot): 6/10, I was so excited for these but they were just average. I think maybe if we had a batch that had more frosting it might have been better. They weren’t bad, just not outstanding. Loved the bacon crumbles though!
~~Guardians of the Galaxy: the only reason this is making it into the notes is bc of my Reliefband. I get motion sickness. I tried Guardians last fall (after 2 dramamine) and still had to sit for about an hour afterward to chill and not be sick. I decided to purchase a Reliefband (classic version, Amazon, $129) to try out this trip and see if it would work. I was very skeptical. But I am here to say it worked 1000000000%. I was so blown away. Absolutely ZERO feelings of motion sickness during or after the ride. Kept my eyes open the whole time (it’s the visual speed that usually gets me, screen rides get me too). I am not a big thrill ride person, so incidentally this time around I realized this isn’t the ride for me. I just don’t enjoy it that much, BUT the big deal is to find out that is my ride preference and has nothing to do with motion sickness. It was so liberating not having my motion sickness control me! Ooooo, also, I was absolutely ecstatic that I got the song I’ve always wanted!! Everybody Wants to Rule the World!
We left Epcot at 4pm and went back to the resort to check in. First of all, it’s so gorgeous there. The room was wonderful, the lobby is beautiful and smells amazing. I wish we had the money to always stay deluxe bc I get why people love deluxe resorts so much!
Dinner at Ale & Compass (Yacht Club): 7/10, again, food was decent but nothing exceptional. Actually the Parker House Rolls were 1000% worth the hype, I got the NY Strip Steak though, asked for medium rare and I think it was more medium and that ruined it a bit for me (also taste was just meh)
We spent about an hour and half swimming at Stormalong Bay after dinner. That pool is seriously incredible. I never want to experience anything but a sand bottom pool again. The. Absolute. Best.
18,525 steps
Sunday 5/19 - Girls Leave and Solo Begins
We checked out and then had a Beaches and Cream reservation at 11:30am. We shared the Bacon Ranch Totchos (7/10 tasty but too much topping for me), Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup (grilled cheese 9/10, tomato soup 6/10), aaaaand the Kitchen Sink Sundae (9/10)! Was it smart for us to get this with only two adult women and two children? Probably not. But boy was it fun and delicious and we put way more of a dent in it than I thought we would lol. A little siren goes off in the restaurant when one is brought to a table and there is a back and forth with kitchen staff and customers (they say something about a “whole can of whipped cream” and customers answer back as a group) and it was a very fun vibe! In fact that is one of the reasons I rate it a 9/10 haha, bc I think there is just too much whipped cream and a lot of the ice cream is just buried.
We swam at Stormalong bay for 2 more hours before they dropped me off at All-Star Movies and they headed home to Naples.
Magic Kingdom (solo)
I got into my room at All-Star Movies (Love Bug building 6) and tbh I didn’t mind its distance to the bus stop, maybe bc it was just me, but I didn’t have a problem with it, I thought the walk was quick enough. I was in Magic Kingdom by 5:30pm.
6pm PeopleMover (walk on) 5 min posted
6:30pm Pirates of the Caribbean (walk on) 10 min posted
6:45pm Thunder Mountain (10 min) 15 min posted
7:10pm Enchanted Tiki Room (10 min) 15 min posted
7:40pm Haunted Mansion (20 min) 20 min posted
8:25pm Got the Sweet and Spicy Chicken Waffle sandwich at Sleepy Hollow: 7/10, the taste was great, I don’t like spicy stuff but this wasn’t too spicy. The only con is that the bottom of the waffle was kind of soggy and I didn’t really eat that part.
8:55pm in spot for HEA
9:40pm Peter Pan’s Flight (25 min) 10 min posted
Spent a lot of time in gift shops and doing photopass on my way out of park
11:10pm On bus back to resort
19,626 steps
Monday 5/20 - Animal Kingdom
6:45am On the bus to AK
7:22am Scanned into the park
7:32am Nav’i River Journey (6 min) 10 min posted
8:05am Kilimanjaro Safari (18 min) 25 min posted, was off the safari at 8:45am
9:05am Pongu Pongu - tried the Pongu Lumpia! I know this snack is controversial, it seemed like it was up my alley, but others have said the same and didn’t end up liking it so I was expecting to ultimately dislike it. I enjoyed it! 8/10 would eat again!
9:15am Gorilla Falls Trek, walked for 20 mins
9:45am It’s Tough to be a Bug - this was my first time, honestly, I think I have read articles and seen so many vlogs calling it startling and scary that I think I was expecting the worst so much that it wasn't….that….bad? I didn’t mind it? (side note: the ONLY time this entire trip that I wore tennis shoes was the morning of Animal Kingdom. My feet were hurting by the time I went into this show, so while it was going on I switched to my flip flops and my feet took a complete 180 degrees. I wore flip flops the rest of the trip and had zero issues with sore feet. I guess I’m just a flip flop girly???)
10:15am Feathered Friends in Flight - was actually heading to 11am Lion King but a CM I passed was announcing to people that the bird show was starting at 10:30 so I decided to detour there. It was great!
11:00am Maharajah Jungle Trek, walked for 20 mins, this was the most beautiful trail for me, absolutely lovely!
11:30am Eight Spoon Cafe - got the BBQ pork MacnCheese, found a spot to sit down by Drinkwallah and that is my go-to spot now. It is shaded and the carved tables and chairs are so pretty. I really like that little (hidden?) sit-down area!
12:00pm Discovery Trails, walked for 10 mins, then looked around shops in Discovery Island and Asia
12:50pm Rafiki’s Planet Watch (5 min) I did not get off the train, at this point I needed a break but I did not want to go back to resort, so I sat on the Wildlife Train and drank lots of water, I went around the circuit twice, got off at 1:30pm
1:45pm Festival of the Lion King, got in line for 2pm show, this was my first time…it BLEW MY MIND, absolutely loooooooved this. So so much. It was wonderful!
3:00pm Dinosaur (5 min) 15 min posted - first time! Honestly, I have heard so many disparaging comments about this ride I expected it to be terrifying, painful and just not fun. Again, I had an opposite experience! I love dinosaur movies (like Jurassic park) so I really enjoyed this one. I hope it is still there to ride when I am back in the fall!
3:30pm Nomad Lounge (added myself to waitlist on app, there was no “wait” got the text pretty much immediately) This was such an important break out of the heat. I spent an hour here to recharge. I drank a lot of water, had a delicious cocktail Lamu Libation 10/10, Ahi Tuna Poke Bowl 8/10, and Churros 10/10. I was able to charge my phone in an outlet at the bar. It was the perfect break!
5:00pm Left AK and headed back to resort
7:20pm Scanned into Hollywood Studios, walked around, looked through gift shops
8:20pm Catalina Eddie’s: got the Toffee and Coconut Blondie to take with me into Fantasmic! You guys…this is an absolute favorite of mine! My friend got it at NYE and forced me to try it (I didn’t want to bc I am not a coconut fan) but I fell in LOVE. Definitely a 20/10. I was so excited to get it again this trip. If you don’t love coconut, I find it very mild, you should definitely give it a shot.
9:00pm Fantasmic!
10:00pm Got on the bus to All-Star Sports instead of Movies bc in the gift shop at my resort the worker had told me I could find the pin I was looking for at the Sports gift shop. It was the 30 yr Anniversary pin of All-Star Resorts. I bought that and walked all the way back to my building, was back by 10:30pm
31,437 steps
Tuesday 5/21 - EPCOT
10:00am Scanned in at Epcot - kind of embarrassing…I was “that person” to hold everyone up. The past two days I did not need a park reservation, so I didn’t even think anything of it, but they told me one was required this day and he was setting one up for me on his ipad but then it kept erroring out, I felt TERRIBLE.
10:25am - Living with the Land (5 min) 5 min posted
10:50am - Nemo and Friends (15 min) 15 min posted
11:15am - Journey of Water walkthrough
11:40am - bought the Spike’s Pollination Exploration Scavenger hunt, it was nice bc it was 30% off with the rest of the F&G merch and I got my 20% discount on it. I mean it was only $10 regular price but I was still pretty happy lol
11:50am - got food!!! Toasted Pretzel Bread and Raspberry Radler (Germany) still 20/10, Frushi (Japan) 8/10, Fruit Punch Ale (America) 8/10 good but I would get the radler over this every time
1:00pm Frozen (40 min) 60 min posted, I got splashed a lot more than normal this time for some reason! Sat next to a girl who was videoing on a go-pro, asked if she was a vlogger but she said no and then we chatted for a min about our love of Disney vlogs, it was nice!
2:10pm Kringla Bakeri - Viking Coffee, 9/10 excellent!
2:30pm The Honey Bee-stro - Liquid Nitro Honey-Mascarpone Cheesecake, 10/10 LOVED, the cheesecake was smooth and creamy (even while “frozen”) and the tart blueberry compote that comes with it is a perfect pairing. Plus I was able to Pixie Dust someone here! There was a young girl in line in front of me by herself, she was maybe 13? Anyway she was trying to scan her magic band for payment and the CM told her the band was not authorized to be used for payment, she seemed a bit surprised and embarrassed and I stepped in and started scanning my magic band. It was honestly only $6.50. She tried to tell me no and that she would go get her mom, but I just overrode her and said “It’s Disney! Let me!” with a smile. We were both at the window to pick up our items together and when she got hers she unexpectedly leaned in and gave me a hug and thanked me again. I was so surprised and heartwarmed (and also felt bad that I was kinda sweaty lol). But anyway it was a wonderful moment!
2:45pm Bought the Spaceship Earth cookie jar that I have been wanting so badly! I got it with my gift card I got for “mothers day” from our pets :D
2:55pm Spaceship Earth (walk on) 5 min posted
4:00pm Bus back to resort for a break and shower bc it was a very hot day!
6:40pm Scanned back into EPCOT
6:45pm Spaceship Earth (walk on) 5 min posted
Walked around to find Spike for scavenger hunt
7:35pm Toasted Pretzel Bread and Raspberry Radler (again! lol)
8:00pm watched Garden Rocks concert
More Spike hunting!
9:00pm Luminous
9:10pm Started heading out of park
This was my toughest day of my whole solo trip for several reasons. 1) I don’t think I did enough sit down things, I was on my feet a ton 2) I was not being “park smart”. Epcot is huge enough in the first place but I was not navigating the park in an efficient way and ended up walking WAY more than I should have. Around 7:30-8pm I started to feel something pulled in my leg (after googling later maybe a mild issue with adductor tendon?) it was high up in my inner thigh, I decided to leave the park only 10 mins after Luminous started bc I really wanted to not push myself, the next day was going to be my Magic Kingdom day and that is my favorite park and would likely be a long day and I just didn’t want to ruin it.
29,183 steps
Wednesday 5/22 - Hollywood Studios (not Magic Kingdom!)
Woke up before 7am and decided to pivot on my plans bc of my leg. I decided to stay in the resort room until midday to rest my leg, and due to that decision I switched my park day from MK to HS. I figured if I was going to be in a park for less hours of the day I would rather sacrifice time in Hollywood Studios than Magic Kingdom. I bought Genie+ and bought an ILL for Rise of the Resistance for 1:40pm. This ended up being THE BEST decision I could have made. By the time I left my room, my leg was feeling 100% better and I did not have any issues with it for the rest of the trip!
1:15pm Scanned into Hollywood Studios
1:30pm Frozen Sing Along - I love this fricken show, I always want to see it every time I go to HS, I could watch it a million times, I am always impressed by the Arendelle Historians bc they are so funny, and while they will make jokes in a similar vein, they still have so much variety that you don’t see the same jokes when you watch shows with different historians. A++, this will always be one of my faves.
2:15pm Rise of the Resistance ILL - full A mode, also…bc I was wearing my Reliefband I was able to keep my eyes open during the drop with the simulation of flying through space. It was great!!!
3:00pm Smuggler's Run (G+) - okaayyyyyy, I have never been on this (due to motion sickness fears) but I decided to take the plunge. I got all the way to sitting in the seat and tbh I was terrified. I was by myself, I didn’t know exactly what to expect and I was not so much scared that I would be sick, I was confident in the Reliefband, but I was worried I would hate the simulated feeling of flying. That kinda freaks me out. So then, the ride doesn’t actually start and they tell us that a CM will be in to let us out bc it has malfunctioned and we will be given a LL back. I was quite literally SO RELIEVED. I will try that ride, but in September when I am with my husband!
3:30pm Woody’s Lunchbox - Adult Lemonade 10/10 and Raspberry Lunchbox Tart 7/10. I ended up getting two more Adult Lemonades throughout the night bc I thought they were delicious!! The tart was fine, it tasted “good” but nothing unique or outstanding.
4:00pm Beauty and the Beast Live
4:35pm Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (G+)
5:15pm Toy Story Mania (G+)
6:00pm Baseline Taphouse - Charcuterie Board 9/10 and Blood Orange Hard Cider 7/10
6:30pm Frozen Sing Along - I am not kidding about how much I like this show lol
7:10pm Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway (40 mins) 45 min posted
8:20pm Rise of the Resistance (used the anytime pass I got for Smuggler Run going down) this time around we ended up having to walk down a hallway bc there was a technical difficulty with the 2nd pre show (where you enter the craft and get pulled in by the first order) we skipped that part and walked down a hallway straight into the storm trooper room. Everything else worked except for Finn.
8:45pm Ran my ass through Toy Story land (picked up an Adult Lemonade!) and hightailed it to Fantasmic! This ended up being a very good lesson for me. Getting to Fantasmic! just as it was starting was NOT a good idea. I was in the bleachers in the last section at the top, like with the walkway in front of you. You can hardly see anything back there. I will not make this mistake again. I left just as the floats started bc I could not even see them at all.
Browsed a lot of gift shops!
10:20pm Got on bus back to resort
I go back and forth on whether G+ was worth it today. Ultimately, I side on yes bc I didn’t even get to the park until 1pm, got to walk the park a ton, I did the most photopass spots here than I did on any other day, so Genie+ allowing me to just hop on 3 rides with no wait gave me the time to do all of that (and watch Frozen twice and B&B show), and I had the time to wait for Runaway Railway standby again. Also, bc the Smugglers Run malfunction allowed me to use a “LL” on Rise again, that alone made it worth it!
20,264 steps
Thursday 5/23 - Magic Kingdom
Wooooohoooo! My favorite park! I decided to get G+ today and get an ILL for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train for 7:40pm
9:10 Scanned into MK
9:25am Thunder Mountain (walk on) 10 min posted, this ride has never gotten to me in the past (motion sickness) but I was in the second to last cart and that made this ride feel faster and “dippier” and I did not care for it lol
9:40am Westward Ho - Crispy Chicken/egg/pepper jack breakfast biscuit, 9/10 would get again!
9:55am Pirates of the Caribbean (10 min) 15 min posted
10:25am Enchanted Tiki Room (walk on, got there just as they were ushering people in)
10:45am Enchanted Tales with Belle (12 min) 20 min posted
11:20am Little Mermaid (G+)
11:35am Mickey’s Philharmagic (10 min) 15 min posted
12:20 Carousel (15 min) 5 min posted - tbh this one pissed me off lol, bc I would have never gone on it had I realized I would wait 15 mins, 5 mins was a cruel trick haha
12:50pm Winnie the Pooh (G+)
1:05pm it’s a small world (G+)
1:35pm PeopleMover (8 min) 15 min posted
2:05pm Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin (G+) - I didn’t remember thinking this ride was this hard! But after having just done Toy Story Mania the day before, I did not find this one to be as easy to “play”, I prefer Toy Story Mania!
2:20pm Monsters Inc Laugh Floor (17 min) 10 min posted
3:05 Peter Pan’s Flight (G+)
3:25pm Pecos Bills - slugged some water, had a coke (12/10 refreshing!) and nachos (4/10, I did not remember these being so spicy, I mean I don’t like spice so I am probably a wimp saying this but I did not enjoy these bc of the spiciness, will not get again)
4:00pm Stopped in Columbia Harbour house which was not too busy and found an empty table next to an outlet to charge my phone
4:45pm Haunted Mansion (G+)
Walked to First Aid station for Tylenol (headache)
5:20pm Pirates of the Caribbean (G+)
5:50pm Sunshine Tree Terrace - I tried the I Lava You Float, and I was sure it was going to be too sweet even though I have read many people’s reviews who loved it. I LAVA THIS FLOAT! 10/10 very much looking forward to getting again in fall!
6:05 WDW Train (Frontierland) (6 min) 10 min posted - I felt like chilling for a bit again so I did a full circuit and then went on to Fantasyland
7:05 Mickey’s Philharmagic (5 min) 10 min posted
7:35pm Seven Dwarfs Mine Train ILL - felt the same way about this one as BTM earlier, I was in one of the last carts (row 8) and it felt faster and dippier than in the past, no thanks!
8:10pm PeopleMover (20 min) 5 min posted - this should have been a walk on, but the ride went down as I was in line, I kept debating back and forth about leaving the line and coming back, but I just kept sticking it out a few more mins and a few more mins. Some people in line behind me were speculating if someone had puked on the ride bc of the workers going up. Not sure, doesn’t really matter, PeopleMover is the BEST at night!
8:50pm Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (35 min) 35 min posted - Listen, I wasn’t expecting to be on this ride during HEA, I was just trying to hop in line while everyone was waiting for fireworks bc the wait would be shorter, but the fact that I actually got on it in perfect timing to see fireworks?! Let me just say it is just as cool as everyone says it is! Also, they put me in row 8 again, grrrrr, is that the designated solo rider lane?
9:30pm TRON - I tried getting a boarding group at 7am and didn’t get in. So then my plan was to get in at 1pm but I totallyyyyyyy forgot about it and I remembered at 1:55pm and I was like “crap! I guess I will see if I can still buy an ILL”. I was about to do that and then I thought to myself, “maybe I should just see if the VQ is still open?” AND IT WAS! So I literally got a boarding group at 2pm, an hour after the VQ started, I was shocked and thrilled when I got one! Plus TRON is always so gorgeous at night. I actually have yet to ride it in the day lol And LISTEN, I get that most people prefer Guardians to TRON, I really do get it. BUT bc I am not that much of a thrill ride person, I like easier going coasters. I seriously love TRON so much. It is such a horizontal coaster that it’s like my ideal. You get the thrill from it being fast and a little dippy, but nothing crazy. It’s a fave for me!!!
10:30pm Casey’s Corner - French fries and coke, both 10/10 refreshing and needed the pick me up!
10:45pm Main Street Confectionary - It was on my to-do list to get the popcorn mix from here. I chose Butter Popcorn, dark chocolate sauce, pretzel pieces and snickers. 10/10 definitely recommend. Will be getting a mix again in September!
11:10pm Got on bus back to resort
Friday 5/24 - Bonus Day?!
This was supposed to be my travel day back home. My flight was set to leave at 5pm, but in the morning my husband told me about storms in the midwest and I got an email from the airline about “adverse weather conditions”, so I called and changed my flight to the next day at 7am. (It ended up being the right choice bc my original 5pm flight out of MCO was delayed multiple times until it was finally canceled at like 10:30pm) I was thankfully able to book another night at All-Star Movies and could stay in my same room. I quickly formed the plan to go back to Animal Kingdom to see Festival of the Lion King again bc I had enjoyed it so much earlier in the week and then go to EPCOT to finish the final 4 Spikes that I had not located yet for the scavenger hunt!
11:00am Scanned in at Animal Kingdom
11:50am Mr. Kamal’s - got the Chicken Dumplings that were on my list to try but I did not get the chance to on Monday, also went back to my favorite spot by Drinkwallah, the dumplings were like a 6/10. Idk just pretty average for a potsticker that you can get anywhere, I probably would not get them again
12:15pm walked around Dinoland to really soak it in just in case next time I come it is walled off!
1:pm Festival of the Lion King - man, this is just fantastic! Be Prepared is my favorite villain song and I get so pumped when they do that part!
1:50pm Satu’li Canteen - got the wood-grilled chicken protein bowl, with rice and black beans and the creamy herb sauce. Literally OH MY GOD, this was so flipping good! 20/10!!! Best thing I ate hands-down all week. I wasn’t sure I would eat the slaw in the bowl but that was delicious, the creamy herb sauce was amazing and those little boba balls that add the citrus burst?!?! So so good. I have already altered our plans for September to include two meals here so I can get this bowl twice next time lol
2:45pm Took bus back to Resort
5:30pm Scanned in at EPCOT
5:55pm Living with the Land (walkon) 10 min posted
6:15pm Awesome Planet (walkon, went into theater immediately and show started) This was my first time checking this out, I really enjoyed it! I will def watch again especially in the heat of the day when I just need to sit somewhere cool for a bit!
6:45pm Found Spike (1 of 4 left) by the Butterly Landing!
7:00pm Found Spike (2 of 4 left) in France
7:10pm Checked out the Annual Passholder lounge in Restaurant Marrakesh
7:35pm Gran Fiesta Tour (walk on) 5 min posted
7:50pm Found Spike (3 of 4 left) in Mexico
8:00pm Got another Toasted Pretzel Bread and Raspberry Radler from Germany (dont judge! lol)
8:10pm watched Lit at Garden Rocks concert (who doesn’t love “My own worst enemy”!?!?!?)
8:35pm Found final Spike in Japan!!! - this one was my ultimate nemesis. I had searched Japan on Tuesday, I had searched Japan (twice?) earlier on this day and I was all set to give up bc I couldn’t find the Kokedama garden. I just hadn’t looked up the stone path to the left of Japan. Finally saw it when it was dark out and got my final Spike!!!
8:50pm Journey of Water walkthrough (always better at night!)
9:05pm Shoutout to the photopass guy who I stopped by on my way out of the park, those were the most awkward poses I have ever done in front of spaceship earth but you tried your best and the photos make me laugh every time I see them!
29,941 steps
Overall Thoughts
10/10 Amazing Trip. I found out about people going on solo trips here on reddit late last year and I was immediately certain I had to book one. While I can be a very social person, I am also a loner in the fact that I do enjoy spending time in my own company (not everybody does) so I knew a solo trip was right up my alley. It was everything I hoped for and more. I didn’t have to consult anyone else, I could do what I want, when I want. Also, (not to brag….shhhhhh…I’m not bragging I swear) but I am not a complainer. The heat usually doesn’t affect me too much, I have a good amount of endurance so I get tired of course but it takes a lot. I’m pretty unflappable because I’m just happy to BE AT Disney World. Others I’ve gone with are not like this so much lol so it was nice to just be in my own company in the sense that I was always in a positive mood and didn’t have anyone dimming that? If that makes sense?
Safety
I am a petite woman. I am 4’10” and 118lbs so I am very aware of my size in terms of my safety. I can honestly say though that I felt safe throughout the whole trip. The one time that I got off the bus at All-Star Sports at 10pm to go to the gift shop and then walked all the way to Movies, that did worry me a bit but only as I was walking through the parking lot sections.
And I did get the crap scared out of me at the resort due to the requirement of a “visual check”. I had not ever heard of this, but I was in my room for a midday break and I had a knock at my door by housekeeping. I thought it was odd bc I had my “room occupied” sign out the whole time bc I didn’t feel the need for housekeeping, it was just me in the room. I said “no thank you” and they knocked and announced housekeeping again. I said “no thank you” louder. (internally I was thinking, can they not hear me through the door????) and they did it again! I finally went closer to the door and I heard the person mumble something about a “visual check” and I very sternly and loudly said “no!” bc I didn’t know what the heck they were talking about. I peeked through the curtain at my window and watched the guy walk past holding a phone in his hand. I think he was wearing a uniform shirt but I couldn’t totally tell. I decided to call the resort in the event this was someone trying to pose as housekeeping staff. They ended up relieving my fears by telling me it was legitimate. Apparently, you have to have your room checked at some point in your stay (I was staying 5 nights) if you choose not to get housekeeping. He explained this has to do with the Pulse Nightclub shooting. I guess they had stockpiled guns in their hotel room and kept not letting housekeeping in. He explained that is why they do the visual check, for the safety of all resort guests. I was 100% supportive once he told me that and I felt bad for yelling at the guy. But also, I am a solo woman and I had no idea what the hell was going on, and to be completely frank, I had just showered so I was in a tshirt and underwear which made me feel even more vulnerable bc I was not fully dressed! I was not letting that person in my room. The guy on the phone totally understood that and apologized for alarming me. I told him to have the guy come back and do the visual check. I apologized to him when he came in. He was in my room for all of 10 seconds and that was it. But it was certainly a crazy ordeal!
Walking
I was doing 20-30k steps each day and other than hurting my leg on Tuesday I was honestly fine. I had shin splints too but again, they weren’t terrible and by Thursday they were gone. I brought tennis shoes and flip flops intending to switch on and off throughout the week in order to prevent my feet from getting sore but that never happened. I spent 3 hours in the shoes on Monday before my feet started hurting and I never wore them again. I had 2 different pairs of flip flops the whole time. I guess that is what my feet like!
Backpack vs Loungefly
I typically wear a normal size backpack to the parks, but also I can usually share wearing it with my husband. I didn’t really consider how hard it would be to wear a backpack alllllllll day long. And it wasn’t even heavy, I didn’t put much in it at all, but still it wore on my shoulders and made them sore. On Wednesday I ended up getting a Loungefly even though they have never really been my thing. It honestly ended up being perfect. It felt different on my shoulders and I wasn’t getting sore like I was with a regular size backpack.
Waiting in Lines
I have often read that one of the things that bothers solo travelers the most is waiting in lines by themselves bc it’s boring and they have no one to keep them company. I thought I might feel this way too but waiting in lines was not bad at all to me. It’s so easy to be on your phone that whole time. I was looking at my photopass photos, browsing reddit, and inputting trip notes. I felt like waiting in line was not a hardship for me as a solo traveler.
Photopasses
This trip exceeded my expectations with photopasses! The number of photos each photographer took and the variety of positions and magic shots was awesome. I am assuming part of that is because I was solo? I am not sure but I just felt like the quantity and time spent at each photopass location was better than normal. Special shout out to Hollywood Studios, that day in particular was just awesome. Every photographer was awesome, but especially the ones in Galaxy’s Edge. I was having such an amazing time getting them!
Total Photopasses each day:
MK - 6 photopass spots
AK - 2 photopass spots
Epcot - 3 photopass spots
HS - 7 photopass spots
MK - 6 photopass spots
AK and EPCOT - 7 photopass spots
I can’t wait to do it all again in September with my husband!

Ik this is rlly long, if u don't wanna read, just read like the last 1 or 2 paragraphs
(Just encase) Cw: Literally being hopeless, mentions of religion, mentions of suicide, mentions of CAHMS, mentions of social services, mentions of overdose, mentions of gender dysphoria, mentions/implications of abuse
So idrk what to do with my life, I'm 13 and literally just feel so hopeless. Ik someone's going to call me an edgy 13 yr old, but I just genuinely just want to vent and get some help from people in a similar age range. Idk how rlly say this, so sorry if I say this in a weird order, or it doesn't make sense.
So, when I was young, I always knew who I was and who I wanted to be. I was an athiest/humanist and I knew what job I wanted and what back-up jobs I wanted. But at some point, I started changing my mind more and more and started having gender dysphoria and shit. At the same time as this my brother (with at the time, undiagnosed autism) started having arguments with my dad more and more often, and I remember this one specific arguement so well, like I can literally recal what happened word for word. My dad and bro were arguing again, so I had gone upstairs, and later on my dad sent my brother to his room (which is next to mine). As my brother went upstairs, he was still yelling, so my dad followed him up, and my mum followed my dad up, trying to stop them from arguing. I couldn't tell what they were saying, but I remember lots of banging and screaming, from my brother and mum and then remembering my brother calling 999. My dad had finally shut up when he heard what my brother did and went to his room (I think) while my mum took my bothers phone and started talking to them, saying stuff like "it's not abuse if her didn't touch him" (I'm not sure if he was hitting him or not, but my bro said that my dad was pushing my mum around when she tried to stop them). And later on the police came around and spoke to all of us, and now my parents r on a social services list thingy. My dad and brother have had arguments before (my dad has smashed and ipad on his head so hard that the ipad was literally bent and broken, and he's hurt him in other ways too, but I don't remember exactly what he did) but none of the arguments have had police involved before. I think that's one of the first times I started questioning my future and shit like that. (I'd like to add this was before I was in high skl)
I later on started having rlly bad mental health, like wanting to kms all the time, being so insecure that I'd suck in my stomach all day to look skinnier, and end up feeling sick in the mornings (I'm pretty sure bcs of this). Whenever I tried to tell my mum, I physically couldn't, like I'd get a lump in my throat, and whenever I tried to speak, it was just a lot of squeaking, so I would write or draw pictures instead. But my mum didn't rlly do much to help.
When I started secondary skl, I did my first suicide attempt by tried to jump off of a bridge that was over a bypass, but I ended up not being able to climb over the fence. After that I had around 3 weeks off of skl which was prolly worse for my health than it was good, because I didn't get to see any of my friends, and to hide the fact that I was constantly exhausted and mentally drained, I'd say stuff like "imagine going to skl". I think that's when I started wondering what the point of living was if humans just do tons of horrible things, and then still aren't happy, and what the point of life was if we're just going to get eaten by the sun. At some point, when I felt rlly low, I ended up turning to religion to give meaning to life, but after a while, I started questioning life again (I still believe in God, I'd just have to constantly remind myself that life was a gift from God, and that's why we should live it). Around a year later, I lost 4 of my best friends. 2, because we just stopped talking as much, 1 because her mum said we aren't allowed to talk anymore and the other because when me and one of her mates was messing around, I accidently pushed them off of a chair (ofc I apologised and even tho they didn't mind, she had a go at me). We ended up getting into beef and we just argued a LOT. Because I was insecure, hated myself, lost 4 of my friends, didn't see any point of life, was scared of talking to my family, was kind of a germophobe and thought a LOT of things were gross, I ended up trying to OD, but after I had taken all the pills I got really scared that I was going to hell, because suicide is a sin and if you can't forgive, you won't be forgiven. So I ended up calling 999, and waited 6 hours in A&E. While in A&E, the girl that was beefing with me started texting me, trying to argue, so I told her to stfu and that I was busy, and when she asked what I was doing, I told her I was in A&E (I thought telling her that would make her think like a normal human being, and that she'd leave me alone) and then she started asking me why. Since she was trynna argue over a stupid thing anyway, I told her what I had done, and instead of just leaving me alone, she started spamming me so much that my phone started lagging and freezing (I have a shitty Motorola, so it does that a LOT). So I was just sat in A$E, my phone buzzing like mad, while a nurse was hooking me up to one of those blood machine thingys. After that happened, I had 1 day off of school and now I had weekly check ups with CAHMS nurses.
I just realized there are some over details that I've missed out and idk how to add them in to what I've already wrote, so imma just add them now. -After my second attempt I started doing things like refusing to go to skl and arguing with my parents and at some point (abt a month after the od) I was refusing to go to skl, I was sat in out toilet room floor crying, lent against the door and outside my mum was yelling "YOU CAN'T DO THIS!!" while jumping up and down. My sister was saying stuff like "Just leave her, she's only doing it for attention." and stuff like that (I was refusing to go to skl bcs I felt more insecure than usual, idk why, and was literally scared of ppl seeing me). Eventually my mum said that I could go to work with her, so I did. -After my OD, social services (or CAMHS, idk who) said that I'm not allowed to be left on my own for too long (with acceptations like waiting in the car while my mum is food shopping) -On Wednesdays, I go to a support group that helps you with ur feeling and stuff -When my mum found out I sh, she took all the sharp things from mine and my sister room (they're connected my an arch thing, with out a door) and my sister started saying that I'm not even depressed (I never said, acted like, or pretended I was) and she told me to stop being emo and that I was just being attention seeking.
Anyway, so now I feel like I'm just drifting through life, not rlly doing anything. I have friends but no besties or close friend. I don't have a job or any hobbies. Idrk much abt myself and idk what I want to do when I'm older. Sometimes I just go to my parents room and cry for what feel like hours, alone, and sometimes my mum finds me and hugs me. But I just feel like such an alien now. I feel like I don't fit in with anyone, I feel like I can't be me, I feel like I can't talk to anyone, I feel like I look different, I feel like I don't know how ppl are supposed to act. Idrk what advice I want, but I feel like the ppl reading this can at least know what advice I need. I've also probably forgot to add some other things to this post, so if anyone needs any gaps filling, just ask and idm answering x

Hi everyone,
I've won the city's housing lottery and was able to score an apartment for a good deal, comparatively. The catch is, it's a shoebox. But it's a shoebox with loads of storage! I'm trying to figure out the best layout for this space and currently have 2 layouts in mind. Is one better than the other? Are there any changes you would make to these layouts to make it more livable? Any help would be appreciated - thanks in advance!
Here is the floorplan for the space:
https://preview.redd.it/0y87ci0uig5d1.png?width=903&format=png&auto=webp&s=8fd7d9f0ecb9c1c3cb82b78d0622cbf1aae55799
Couple things that I've noted thus far:

1. There's no entry way space that I could use as a designated area to take off shoes (shoe-free household!), throw keys, hang umbrellas, etc. The current plan thus far is to mount a storage unit next to the dishwasher for all of the items but I'm still not quite sure of where to direct guests to remove their shoes. In the storage next to the bathroom perhaps?
2. The closet that opens in the living area are bifold closet doors, which means that there will need to be enough space for clearance.
3. The HVAC jut out is approximately 2' x 4'8" which cuts into the already small space.
4. I work from home at least two days a week so it's probably best that I still keep my desk and desk chair.

The layouts I've thought up:
First layout would incorporate a couch (love seat - approx. 65") and a coffee table (I would use the coffee table to eat meals while sitting on a cushion on the floor). The TV console (which would also act as addition storage) would have either the TV on top or the TV would be mounted into the wall. I would maybe have an end table next to the bed with this layout
https://preview.redd.it/qz0nzn3xig5d1.png?width=971&format=png&auto=webp&s=17e45bb8a62037bd38e22ac78b96e9eebc7e73fd
Second layout would just incorporate a dining table and seats. The TV console (bigger this time) would be on the wall opposite from the bed, also with the TV probably mounted into the wall. Both layouts have a full/double sized bed.
https://preview.redd.it/ifm2pujigg5d1.png?width=976&format=png&auto=webp&s=fbc78fed40a5369c930ec30f5ac4d892ffaa3ce6
Mood board for reference (Can you tell I'm a little excited about the move?)
https://preview.redd.it/hk383gbjgg5d1.png?width=1308&format=png&auto=webp&s=296ae699e7e56818ff1c03417870dc35755d5988

When I (21M) got into a relationship with my partner (20F), it was awesome. Then she involved her friends in the relationship. She came off as very codependent (“I’m very attached”) to her friends, even saying her friends (20F) are never wrong (you’re gonna see some red flags here that I was stupid to ignore). Met one of her friends - wonderful guy not a bad bone in his body, hope all of them could be Ike that. She expressed (I don’t even know jokingly) that her girl friends were jealous that she got a boyfriend - yet she wanted us to be friends.
I have never met such hypocritical people in my life on first meet. They would criticize my career (I earn decent money in school), my race (they continually called me a brown boy), the fact I didn’t drink underage, they would question my validity as a partner in earshot much to my partner’s silence. They would criticize my colloquialism after poking fun at me- I would say “shut the fuck up” when a funny story came up while laughing. They would tell my partner (not me) that they didn’t like it (happy to not say it if it makes them feel uncomfortable) but then they proceeded to tell me to shut the fuck up with impunity. The double standards sucked. The dishing out but not being able to take it sucked. I was always made to be the villain. When I brought these up to my partner - “Oh you feel that way because they have siblings, and you’re an only child”. They showed up to my apartment unannounced when I was on a date with my partner (I live on the 3rd story). After the date was over, they would make plans to go out and say “This is a friends only thing”.
I held my tongue for a lot of disrespect. The people were openly known in their friend group to be third wheels in the relationship. They used to call me a b-word and a groomer (because I had friends who were 2 years younger than me). I used to call the main instigator a horseface after she made fun of my forehead and looks. But then it was too far. They could say whatever to me but the moment I come back I’m in the wrong.
They would openly ask my partner “Did he even get girls before you” to which my partner felt she had to defend her “choice” in me. My partner had told me that we won’t talk about our sex life. I was like yeah ofc. Her friends then started to tease me with info from our sex life - and they didn’t hear it from me. I confronted her on this and she was like “Oh it was a wine night and we started talking”. It was all ok until she started downplaying my skills. Then when her friends made fun of me with this info - I would then make fun of myself and then they would go to her saying that THEY were feeling uncomfortable about ME making fun of MYSELF.
They would cause fights to the point where I’m crying and hoping I’m no more. I would dream they would make fun of me so much - I would get up and walk out (I actually did this once but chalked it up to having to take a phone call).
They would compare me to their brothers and fathers. Token me for my race but then ask me to set them up with someone from my race. They would make fun of my career, yet ask me to get them a job. I tried to play nice with these people. On my own birthday, one of these girls was stressing out over organizing a career fair, I walked 40 minutes to help her out. These people would cause fights between us and I would apologize to them about stuff they do to me all the time saying “I just want to be accepted by the group”.
Worst part came when her friends pulled switchblades out on a moving bus as a joke and were brandishing it. I was the only voice of reason telling these people to stop, protecting my partner, motioning others to sit down and telling them that the group can get in so much trouble because of their idiotic behavior. Yet all her friends laughed at the fact I was getting serious. One of her friends had come up to me afterwards and showed me her palm, laughing. It was blood- she had cut her hands on the blades trying to play with the knives. Laughing.
Whether it was them blacking out drunk, headbutting each other, and touching each other inappropriately- I need to make sure no one falls behind or gets in trouble. Her friends would smack me for sitting on their bed by accident just to charge my phone near the wall. Everyone would laugh.
Her friends dressed up during Halloween as red flags (can’t make this up) and they kept making racial remarks to my friend. “Dance white boy”, “bathroom’s over there white boy”, etc. He took it as a joke the first few times but then started to feel uncomfortable. He told me wayyyy too late that this is what he experienced.
One day, I had fallen through my chair and winced in pain to which they laughed. I had enough of their immaturity, their laughter at my pain, their double standards, and their unresolved hatred. I thought since these people frequently call me out for every small thing (albeit behind my back), I can confront them directly and fairly (never confronted them on their behavior before). I asked them to treat me with some respect and just apologize. My partner stood silent as they continue to make insulting and demeaning faces at me and avoid the issue. I had a freeze response. I could not get any more words out of my mouth. Then my hypervigilance took a toll on me 30 seconds later in the form of an extreme panic attack (first one ever) where I cried and clutched my chest on a train. They stared indifferently. I sat crying with the doctor hugging me, while they called an Uber to go to a bar. They called the paramedics- they were heroes. I had enough, went up and yelled some disgusting things at the main instigator, who was making disgusting invalidating faces at me while I was approaching her for accountability. Called her a horsefaced. Told her “Why should I die on the train? You go kill yourself!”
My partner threatened to break up with me if her friends had told her to and told me I wasn’t fit to meet her dad. The next day, her friends guilt tripped her “You made a choice to go home with him instead of come with us to the bar”. They talked about how it was “bizarre” why I was so kind to the doctors and the paramedics yet yelled at them.
Partner said “Oh they have panic attacks all the time”. “It must have been caused by something else”. “They make those faces even when their relative died”. “There was a girl who doesn’t like her because she didn’t apologize to her properly”. “She thinks you’re attacking her face - just like her dad and uncles”.
I had tried to apologize several times but they shut the door in my face and asked me to stand to the side or avoid any communication. A few days later, the pain in my chest was tough. I went to the doctor, got some tests and was diagnosed with a cardiac arrhythmia as a result of the panic attack. When she told her friends, they said “we don’t care he had a heart attack, we care more about what he yelled at us afterwards”.
Then blame was shifted. I was the scapegoat. They were the ultimate victim. The whole group - people who didn’t even have anything to do with the situation brought up 9 month old issues that I had apologized for. I was ready to apologize for it all again. I begged my partner if I could fight for my story since she was sweeping everything under the rug. She told me “They don’t want to hear your side of the story - they don’t want to see you ever again”. Ganged up. They said I brought too many bad memories to the group.
When I asked my partner why she lets such people run from accountability for their actions. She said how her father told her to never give up on her friends. How her father lets his friends insult him and his wife till she cries. And that was his takeaway.
I ended up breaking up with her and getting a CPTSD diagnosis. They got away…

Age of Legends
Prologue(Death and birth of a dragon)

Rand was happy, there wasn’t much else he could say about how he felt right there at that specific moment. Lying there in bed wearing nothing but his small cloths and a silk shirt half buttoned. Beside him sleeping so peacefully was one of his beautiful wives, Elmindreada, though she hated that name and preferred Min. Thinking back on many long years of peace and growth, yes he was fated to break the world, and he had. Though the prophecies never mentioned the creation and growth he would also leave behind. The creation of the black tower and the worldwide acceptance of male Aes Sedai, his crown and epitome of success the cleansing of saiadin. That and the discovery of ancient knowledge to confirm anyone should be able to learn to touch at least a small part of the true source, at least most people could. Those two things alone would have vast and far-reaching consequences for the good. The covers beside him shifted as his wife turned over in her sleep showing him her short curly hair. Thoughts drifting again to convincing the Aeil and Tu’athan(the tinkers he thought fondly still) to make peace, them taking it a step further and settling in the two rivers. The tinkers, the wondering people and followers of the way of the leaf, coming to terms with the Aiel spear wielders and settling in one place, that one place being his boyhood homeland. Perrin was there, as well as all the Emond fielders, what’s more they set him up like some king and started calling the place Manetheren.
Mat even came back and settled down to retire with the remainder of his family after his wife the empress died. Rand frowned because that wasn’t a happy memory, her battle with some kind of internal growth that even the best healers couldn’t fix, it was slow and painful. She was tough and knew enough to put things in order so there wouldn’t be any war for succession, but after her death and with no children not adopted, Mat just had no pull to stay. He came back and Perrin gave him an estate where he spent the rest of his days carousing in taverns even if no one would play dice with him again. The rest of his days were not much however, less than two years after his wife Mattrim died of a heart attack. The same strange fox head medallion he wore around his neck that had saved him so many times from enemy power wielders, due to its powers of absorbing any of the one power used against the wearer, was strangely the main cause of his death as there had been an Aes Sedai capable of healing close by. Rand wondered what ever became of that medallion. Trying to shift his thoughts back to happier things he thought of Elayne another of his wives and queen of the region this new “kingdom” was growing. Or at least she was. Having not one but two kingdoms to run was taxing her, especially when one played that awful game of houses so much, as if it were breathing. She actually willingly gave that area to Perrin, that and more besides. “Having friends at your back, especially friends who know they owe you can only help.”, he remembered her saying when he asked her.
He laughed remembering how her cute golden-haired little face grew so stern while she rounded on him for not caring about his friends and shouldn’t they also get something for all the help they provided at the last battle. Of course, it also had nothing to do with being such close friends with Perrin’s wife Fail. Manetheren though, when asked Perrin just shrugged his huge shoulders saying one name is as good as any, and it was the one that everyone agreed on.
Min groaned softly beside him still wrapped in the silken bedding spread. His laugh seemed to have disturbed her, he quickly stifled it and glared at the lavish bedroom they slept in as if that were the fault for his mirth. Lying on top of the silken covers because he never quite got used to sleeping on feather mattresses. It really was a lavish bedroom, filled with rugs and wall coverings, paintings, not one but two large dressers with mirrors, a matching and equally large wardrobe, currently opened showing two other mirrors on the inside of the doors, smaller than the dresser mirrors, and a neat array of blouses and trousers with floral embroidery(Min’s things). Otherwise, there was also a washstand with another small mirror, a desk and one chair slightly askew and away from the desk. On the desk are several stacks of books, and an open notebook with a nearby quill and ink pot. There was a lone unlit lamp also on the desk gilded in gold, as well as several gold gilded wall lamps also unlit around the room.
Sighing softly as Min settled back to comfortable sleep, he stared back up at the bland whitewashed ceiling above him and thought about the schools he had patroned. So many new ideas and inventions were springing up and with traveling prevalent they all spread to the world almost as fast as the ideas can be thought up. This would hopefully lead to a golden age for the world, and his schools were even branching off on their own into new learning institutes. These alone seemed to keep the peace between all the nations. Rand couldn’t tell if he was trying to be modest or humble. Yes he patroned and started the first few schools, but it was not all him coming up with any of the ideas and inventions, many of which had become marvels in and of themselves. Transportation, communication, education These would be left behind and he would be known for that as well as the other.
Breaking the world to make it whole, and his victory with that world’s armies at the last battle. He fought the dark one while the armies of all the nations fought the shadowspawn and darkfriends and dreadlords. Despite everything against him, including it seemed sometimes even the creator, he not only won the battle, but he survived it, he survived it and had a nice long life. The world was at peace, headed to a golden age which he would get credit for, and so Rand was happy. His eyes closed and his thoughts grew that sort of muffled feeling they get just as they start turning into dreams.
PAIN! Rand knew pain, he was no stranger to hurts, especially from a half healed old wound in his side, but that was not the same thing right now. For some reason panic started rising up in him, this was something new, this was something worse. A sharp pain again, in his chest, his body wildly spasmed up kicking his sleeping wife awake.
“Ow you bloody tall buffoon, if you think you can kick me out of bed you have another thing …” Min trailed off as another spasm of pain racked through Rand. Her face contorting with fear as she watched him clutching his chest nearly double over with the pain spasm. He tried to tell her he would be alright, but all that came out was a groaning grunt. He tried lifting his hand to show her it would be alright, but he couldn’t get it to move. Suddenly a hand hit him in his face, it was his hand. He couldn’t feel his hand or his arm. Fear started creeping in as another spasm of pain caused him to let out another groan and clutch at his chest with this hand he couldn’t feel.
“Creator shine his light on me, of course you would choose to die when you’re with me.” Min started shouting hysterically. “For the love of light you bloody wool head, you hang on until I can get Aviendha to come heal you, she’s not far, just hold on damn you.”
Rand vaguely had an impression of Min running towards and out the door. Another spasm of pain, except somehow this was less. He knew it should hurt just as much, but it didn’t. He must have found the void so it wouldn’t hurt as much, that was it. Rand thought about his third and final wife Aviendha, how she would likely come in to find him as healthy as a bull and upset his stomachache disturbed her wise one’s practice. Stomachache? Wasn’t it his chest that was hurting him? Another very small spasm, yes its his chest, but he was also feeling decidedly nauseous too, and that was the greatest issue right? Sleep was all he needed, he would sleep, and everything would be fine in the morning, tomorrow he had to get up early to sheer the sheep.
The void completely surrounds and envelops Rand. As he fades away he hears a sinister voice in his head, “YOU WON THIS ROUND DRAGON REBORN BUT WE WILL COME FACE TO FACE AGAIN” The dark one, what, again? No, the dark one is dead, am I dead, wake up you light blinded fool. There was nothing but the void, not even the light of saiadin could be seen. Rand listened as hard as he could, he thought he heard something, something almost familiar. There it was again, soft but rhythmic, sounding not exactly far, but muffled as if listening through water. Thump Thump and it hit him, that’s the sound of a heartbeat, but who’s heartbeat his? Sleep, that’s what he needed, a really good nights sleep and he would feel better in the morning. Rand drifted off into a dreamless sleep listening to the heartbeat, Thump Thump.
Thus did the dragon reborn die after seeing the end of one age turned into the beginning of another. The people of the land wept at his passing, they swore they would remember him forever and always. Time however is not a kind mistress, when an age is gone it starts to fade from existence, times deeds even people change in the telling’s of the years and centuries. Eventually when the wheel goes round and gives birth to the age again all details have been forgotten, muffled, or contorted.

Mariann Jo’sheen Sedai was old. She had a proper last name once if she could just remember. It had been so long ago since she had last thought of it, a life in the white tower could do that, and Sedai was as good a last name as could be for formality. Just saying Mariann was old was an understatement though, being a woman with a stronger channeling ability, and having sworn on all 8 Life Oath Rods, a prerequisite to becoming Amyrlin of the tower, that she even has any grey hair showing means she must be well past 800 years old, and to show the amount of age she did it must be closer to past 900 years. She was still sharp in mind mostly, at least anything from the last 100 years or so she could recall as sharp as if it happened yesterday. Had it really been longer than a hundred years since she last though of her family name, having long lasted past the last of her lineage, her family long gone or married into others.
She thought even harder surly she had been at her last relative’s funeral, when was it, it was a great aunt she remembered, and the surname was …, she thought really hard. She was in the Amyrlin’s bedchamber reserved for the current leader of the white tower. That said like most of the past Amyrlins before her she kept the bedroom nice and simple. The single window held a cooling fan with right below it a heater coil. The other wall held a closed door which led into her bathroom, the next wall holding another door leading out of the bedchamber into the office of her role. The last wall held the only other furniture besides the plain brown four poster bed she was laying on. A white nightstand with built in mirror and matching white clothed chair. The bathroom was large and would hold her wardrobe of clothes along with the indoor plumbing necessities.
Mariann thought back to each of the eight oaths she took on the life rods, trying to remember which one she had last taken when she attended her aunt’s funeral. Small cylindrical devices no longer than her arm, when you take an oath on one your life actually increases by a standard lifetime or roughly 100 years depending on the person, those stronger in the one power given slightly more. Really giving any oath at all would do for the increasing your life, the only requirement being you channel Saiadar while making your oath and someone else that can also channel does so to activate it. However each specific Ajah required you to take a specific oath, and the eighth oath rod was solely for those like her who have taken the Amyrlin seat after having have pledged on the other seven, again a specific oath.
“I will say no word that is untrue”. Eight oath rods, and eight times this is spoken to ensure you do not offer a false oath, as if anyone would think of lying so many truth seekers everywhere.
“I will faithfully serve as Amyrlin to all of my children for the rest of my days”. The Amyrlin seat was a lifelong position and would not open again until her death. Serve all her children, it was said that the ancient honorific Amyrlin meant something like mother to all, it means that she was a servant to everyone in the world, matter it not she was the leader of the white tower. That first part about serving faithfully as Amyrlin could leave some wiggle room depending on how one viewed the title of Amyrlin, the last however left no wiggle room for anything.
“I will treat everyone with fairness and justice as is prescribed by the dai’shan aiel of the grey tower and the Aes Sedai code of ethics”. Those were binding stronger than time itself. The grey tower first because only the dai’shan aiel more than anyone can decide what is fair and right, they were and are the original truth seekers among so much more. You would also have as much power to reach the moon as you would to get the Aes Sedai code of ethics changed. First it would take a proposal from either of the leaders from the white or black tower. Either the Amyrlin of the white tower or the Pope of the black tower has to make a suggested change, which then needs to go through each Ajah/Faction and receive 90% approval, then it gets sent to the other tower to make its way up through the chains until it finally ends with the other towers leader. If it passes all of that it gets sent to the grey tower for approval again 90% before finally appearing before the first servant leader of the grey tower for final approval, and at any stage it can be stopped if it doesn’t pass.
That wasn’t it though, no she was not Amyrlin at her aunt’s funeral. Before then was the Blue ajah, which was closer. But still too recent, what level was she? The sleeping shift she wore was one of the new fads called a one piece. It was literally one garment that covered both legs and torso. It had several convenient buttons for keeping it on or taking it off. It was grey cotton all one solid color, and it was bunching up at the knees. Mariann distractedly Jerked it back into position. Her thoughts drifted too far back to when she had her very first foretelling which was that she would one day become Amyrlin seat. She was a young girl of only 16 years, and she knew without a doubt. It came in bursts though and it was not something she could control.
This vision came on stronger than any she had ever encountered before. So strong it jerked her body stiff as a board and slammed her down thankfully into the bed she was already laying on. An Evil shadow of a man, a giant taller than mountains, and blacker than the darkest shadows on a moonless night, peering down at the world smiling, that smile turning your blood to jelly and freezing you in place with its ill intent. A great serpentine beast came flying from the other side of the world, Long and scales glimmering like diamonds with talons made of pure gold but sharper than the sharpest knife, fire trailing from its partially open moth off its gleaming sharp teeth. It was equally large as the malevolent shadow man and flew on giant tornado causing wings straight at the other. They fought a great battle against each other, but in doing so caused so many deaths as swaths of their destruction ravaged the world. A flash of light and Mariann was staring at the grey tower as if just a few hundred yards away. She started walking towards it only to watch in horror and bewilderment as the tower before her cracked and collapsed as if a mirror or glass shattered. Another flash of light and she saw a baby boy, but he aged so fast right before her eyes until he died as an old man. She couldn’t remember much, but she knew deep down that he was in some way related to the other visions and this man, for it was definitely a man, was likely the cause of them.
Opening her eyes to stare at the brown four poster cloth above her and remembering every detail about her vision she distractedly spoke to herself . “Goshin is my sur name and I last heard it at Aunt Maragel Goshin’s funeral while I was at the green level”. She shook her head, that wasn’t important anymore if it ever really was. She quickly sat up in her woolen one piece swinging her feet over the side of the bed and hurried to her nightstand. Sitting in the chair she reached in one drawer to get paper and another to get an ink pointer. Channeling a single small strand of fire into a swinging glass bulb above her bed brought light into the room. She hastily started scribbling down every detail from her vision, she was grateful she always kept ink and paper nearby to do so.

Mr. Telamon was a nervous wreck while sitting in the hospital waiting room. He somehow knew, sensed something was wrong with his wife’s delivery. Dai’shan aiel were everywhere; as were nurses, patients or close kin waiting, Every once in a while a doctor’s assistant would come out and call a name ushering someone to see a doctor. Really bad cases would be taken in through a separate entrance known only to the healers. It didn’t matter, and he got confirmation as those doors opened up and not the assistant, but the doctor who had taken his wife looked around the room first at the dai’shan, then at him. A group of three of the white clad figures started moving towards him even before the doctor did. They felt his grief or rather the grief he was going to feel, even before he himself felt it. That and they knew it would take three of them to calm him down. Tears were streaming from his eyes before the doctor even started speaking.
“There was a complication during the pregnancy, your son is ok, your wife however did not make it, I’m so sorry. She did manage to tell us a name before she passed. Lews, Lews Therin after her father. Is that what you would like on the birth certificate?”
Baby Lews’s father numbly nodded, and the doctor walked away as uncontrollable sobs started emanating from the man. The three dai’shan aiel circled around him arm in arm and started singing a song of comfort and peace and mourning.
***
Rand Al’thor was asleep soundly when something woke him up, but he couldn’t tell what or where, or even anything for that matter. It was like the void, nothingness, but a sound, not a feeling, a heartbeat. The heartbeat was much faster than it was and suddenly something pushed him hard in the head. Go away he thought I’m trying to sleep. However the push came back stronger than before, this time managing to flip him upside down, upside down?, he could tell direction in this floating nothingness. Really awake now Rand tried to remember, remember?, remember what? Again the push and he was being squeezed to death and suddenly he remembered something about the dark one. A voice, a word, a sentence, the dark one wanted him dead. Was this the dark one trying to kill him, again push, again very tight squeeze, this time a light as if from a tunnel. It wasn’t the only light though, Rand went to the real void, and he saw it, Saiadin. He reached out with all his might to grab it and it came like a flood. He couldn’t control it, he had no strength, and his memory was foggy, he just expelled it to get out the other light and away from the pushing and death squeeze.
As Saiadin left him so did more and more memories, he tried to shout that he killed the dark one, sealed the bore so it could never be open. All that came out of his mouth was a scream. No blood and fire no I did this already, I won, I’m done. And with that last thought Rand Al’thor fell deep deep asleep into the furthest recesses of the brain. Lews took a deep breath and let out another scream wanting his mother or anyone to come pick him up and sooth his little soul.

The dragon is born!

Chapter 1
16 years later
The wheel of time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the fifth age by some and the first by others. An age yet to come, an age long past, a dark icy wind arose from about as far north as you can get. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the wheel of time. But it was a beginning.
A steam vent in an icy mountain let out a puff of sulfur like particles riding the wind. High and fast the dark tainted wind rode across the Nym fields, high enough to escape the notice of the Nym, ever vigilant in their desire to protect the world. Over the borderlands of mankind, given graciously by the Nym when mankind needs more space to grow. Still high in the sky the dark wind blew through wild wilderness where only the Nym, the Ogier, the dai’shan aiel, and the Aes Sedai were allowed to travel if at some risk. The wind started descending as it traveled into the warmer southern air. Up ahead in the distance was a magnificently large tower made of stone black like obsidian, but much stronger. Along the northern wall of this Black tower were several windows, most open hoping to catch some of the cool breeze which it did nicely.
It was into one of these windows the dark wind blew, a classroom, though filled only with boys. The tainted breeze flew around several students, all dressed in black school uniforms and sitting at wooden desks on little rickety stool like chairs with just the barest of backrest. The flow of air flew so close to the face of one student he gave a start, finally going up the next nearby student’s nose just as he took in a deep breath.
Lews gave such a start at the intrusion, and he stood up sneezing loudly, the rancid smell still strong in his nose. Taller than most of his peers he certainly stood over everyone’s head while they were all sitting down.
“What are you doing, you look like a dork, hurry and sit down before anyone notices.” His best friend [Ishamael]() tried to warn him. However, it was already too late for that, most of the class was now looking at him which made him self conscious even if the women all said he looked like a dream. Worse, the teacher at the front of the class in a very similar black colored uniform was looking at him expectedly.
“Yes Lews, do you think you know the answer?” To Lews’s horror he realized he had been spending most of the class in a daydream about being the most powerful weaver ever. It was important that distinction, woman channel men weave. Saiadar and Saiadin, two halves of the same whole, both apart of the one power the true source. Everyone could learn to use it, or at least almost everyone. The dai’shan don’t channel or weave for all the power of their songs, not one of them it’s a law to join among other things. Other people might be so weak in the power it should be they don’t have it at all, there are objects which can amplify or temporarily give someone use of the one power, those with so little power that resort to using these transcognative devices were often socially outcast. Transmogs they were called when someone was being nice.
That didn’t help him now, he was in history class, and definitely not studying Transmogs. Lews desperately wracked his brain trying to remember what they were discussing. The teacher’s slight smile was starting to droop to a slight frown. Nym’s that was what they were discussing, what about Nym’s? Desperately looking around for some hope, he finally remembered. It was a question about the first Nym, what was his name?
“Goak him jim knee?” Lews answered with a rightfully apologetic look on his face. Sighing the teacher said “close, Oakhimgimee. At least he was close!” The teacher got progressively louder while giving the rest of the class an evil eye. The laughter that had started quickly quieted. Just at that particular moment a loud bell decided to ring calling an end to that class period.
As the other students started standing up, talking, and starting to head for the door, the teacher weaved a small weave that produced a louder voice reminding the class they had the test coming up at the end of the week.
Lews slowly grabbed his bag and followed the steady stream of students leaving the class.

Note: Info on monetization and all that jazz: An Introduction To The Book That Is Me : ASMRScriptHaven (reddit.com)
Note: My library: Masterlist for edgiscript : ASMRScriptHaven (reddit.com)
Part 1: [F4M] Please Believe I Love You [Yandere?] [Bully Ties You And Tries To Convince You She Loves You] [Current Bully Is Your Future Wife] : ASMRScriptHaven (reddit.com)

Part 2

(Fireplace ambiance.)
Girl: Good morning, dear. Did you sleep all right? I know you’re still tied up. Or is it considered tied down?
What am I saying? It doesn’t matter. The important part is how did you sleep?
(Pause.)
Good. I’m glad.
(Long awkward pause as nothing is said.)
Um… I, uh… I made some breakfast. French toast with butter and maple syrup, and with plenty of bacon on the side. I was going to make some eggs over easy too, but I didn’t know when you’d wake up and they don’t taste as good cold. I could make some now if you want.
(Pause.)
Yes. I know it’s your favorite.
(Pause.)
Wait, honey, before you struggle any further with your thoughts, I know how strange and difficult and flat-out crazy this all is. And you’ve just woken up. Why don’t we wait to say anything more until you’ve eaten? Ok?
(Pause.)
Yes, I’m not naked anymore. I put on a shirt. I was a little chilly. Sorry. Would it make you feel more comfortable if I took it off again? I want to make sure you know I’m still not pranking you.
(Pause.)
(Confused.) I’m sorry? How would my being naked keep you from using the bathroom?
(Suddenly realizing.) Oh. Ohhhhhhh. Nope, I get it. (Smiling.) Yes, well, we can’t have that, now can we?
(Soft laugh.) Ok, then I shall remain clothed at least until you’ve had a chance to… well, you know.
(Pause.)
Yes, you can’t do that all tied up. I had a thought about that. Or rather, I prepared for that. Here.
(Optional moving of a chain and a click.)
I’ve attached this chain to your leg which is attached to that steel beam over there. It’s long enough that you can pretty much go anywhere inside the cabin. You won’t be able to change your pants while it’s on, so try not to get them dirty.
Let me untie you now so you can use the facilities.
(Pause.)
(Somberly.) Yes, I’ve considered that. You might try to overpower me this way and then find the key that will set you free.
Are you going to?
(Pause.)
(Softly.) Thank you.
There, you’re untied. Go ahead.
(Optional footsteps and a door opening. Then footsteps after a pause.)
I’m here, at the kitchen table. Please, have a seat.
(Optional footsteps and sounds of a chair being moved to sit in it.)
Please, eat. I’ve also prepared a glass of milk, a glass of orange juice, and a glass of V8. I wasn’t sure which one you’d prefer today. You tend to rotate between those three. Sometimes you’ll throw in grape juice or apple juice for a change of pace.
(Pause.)
Nope. No coffee. You hate it. It’s too bitter. You tried… or rather, you do try in college to learn to like coffee since you’re going to spend a lot of time staying up and studying and black coffee is fairly cheap, but after a week of suffering through it, you decide that it’s not worth trying to make yourself like something you detest so much.
(Pause.)
No, you don’t find tea disgusting, you just find it bland. Any “hot tea” tastes like warm water to you. You used to smile at me and tell me that I was the only “hottie” you enjoyed. (Soft laugh.)
You like sweetened iced tea, but you prefer Arnold Palmers, tea and lemonade together. You used to guzzle colas of all types, but you discovered… I’m sorry, you will discover five years from now that the caffeine addiction is really getting to you, so you stop.
(Pause.)
Yes, it’s a little difficult for me trying to wrap my head around what has happened versus what will happen and when.
And I have to acknowledge the fact that my being here like this changes what I know to be true, so everything I say about anything that hasn’t happened yet to you might not turn out to be true now.
Wait, does this mean you believe me? That I’m from the future?
(Pause.)
No, no. That’s fair. Believing that I believe it isn’t the same as believing it’s real. I could really be crazy.
To be even more fair, the technology that brought me here was experimental when I used it thirty years from now.
(Soft laugh of incredulity.) “When I used it thirty years from now.” It does sound completely insane, doesn’t it? I never thought I’d be mixing past tense with future tense like that and believing that it made sense.
(Pause.)
You’re right. It’s right out of a science fiction novel. If you think this is difficult to believe, consider it from my point of view. It’s possible that it didn’t work and that my brain was fried in the attempt. In reality, it could be that I’m still lying in a bed somewhere. I’m a vegetable that’s just locked away in a coma dreaming about all of this.
But, here’s the thing, if that’s the case, I don’t want to wake up. I love you. I love you and I’ve missed you so much. Being here with you right now, sitting next to you at the breakfast table, staring into your glowing eyes, being able to reach out like this and hold your hand again, (Tearing up.) it’s exactly where I want to be. If this is a dream, then I never want to wake up. I can’t be without you again. I just can’t.
(Pause while both are quiet.)
Do you… do you at least believe… that I love you?
(Pause.)
No, don’t apologize. I do understand. As sincere as I sound, my story is still a little hard to accept.
(Pause.)
No, I can’t take off the chain. If you left… (Breaking down.) If I lost you again for any reason…
(Composing herself.) Well, let’s not go there right now, ok?
(Sniffles. Wipes the tears from her eyes and moves on calmly.) So, where do we go from here?
(Pause.)
Ok, yeah, that’s a good idea. I’ll start from the beginning.
(Deep breath.) Well, you already know what’s happened so far. You and I at each other’s throats, back and forth.
You and I continue fighting and bullying one another for the rest of our senior year and then even on for a couple of years after that. We then each go our separate ways and, long story short, we meet up again ten years later and reconcile.
(Pause.)
You’re right. You deserve more than the short version.
Truth is, I went to therapy and got counseling. I didn’t know why I was obsessing over you so much. Why you drove me to act the way I did.
I found that I was attacking you when I was younger… or, you know, younger to me, but right now to you… because I had a crush on you and didn’t know how else to express it.
(Pause.)
Yeah, that’s the simple way of putting it.
Most of the male role models in my life left me in some way. I had a brother who was twelve years older than me. I loved him so much, but he graduated high school when I was just entering first grade. He got married and moved across the country. I only saw him a couple of times after that.
A childhood friend I’d had for two years suddenly decided he wanted to bully me and push me around and so I stopped playing with him.
Even my father… he died when I was eleven.
(Pause.)
Thank you for saying that. I know you lost your parents too when you were young.
Anyway, it all adds up to the fact that I… I liked you when I met you. Our first few days of knowing each other and hanging around were great.
(Pause.)
Good, I’m glad you thought so too.
(Pause.)
Yes. That’s right. I started acting out against you, for no reason. My therapist said it was because I was imposing upon you every angry or bitter feeling I’d had towards every man I’d ever loved in my life.
Something within me snapped. Every man I’ve ever loved left me in some way. Whether they’d changed, met someone, or… or even died, I started lashing out at you because… because you were kind and sweet and nice, and because… I liked you.
Apparently, it was because you were so wonderful that I started hating you. Something within me jumped ahead to the inevitable point where you’d betray me or hurt me in some way by leaving me, and I started to treat you like you’d already left me.
And I’m sorry for that. I explained this once and apologized before, but I’ll do it again. And I know I haven’t explained it to you, the you of right now. I explained this to you, like, ten years from now, when we reconciled.
(Pause.)
Yes. That’s exactly what happened. You were very sweet and understanding. You forgave me. We started hanging out. First it was because I wanted to make it up to you for all of the terrible things I’d done to you, and you were going along with it to make me feel better. But then you really started to like being with me. We became friends, then the closest of friends, then lovers, then we married, and then…
(Pause.)
Yes. You did… leave me.
(Pause.)
(Slowly getting sadder with the remembering.) No. It was just one of those things. It wasn’t some exotic disease or cancer or anything like that. We thought you’d just caught a cold. But you ended up with double pneumonia, you were in intensive care for a few days… and then you were gone.
(Pause. Listener is speaking while girl is crying, but trying not to.)
No, it wasn’t your fault. I did know that. I was… hurt. I was angry. But not with you. I wanted to blame the universe. I wanted to blame fate. But in the end, I realized that the person who deserved all of the blame… was me.
I was so sure that I was going to be hurt, that I kept myself from the greatest love I had ever known, for years. We could have been together all this time. I could have loved you right now instead of blaming you for something that hadn’t happened yet and then wasn’t your fault when it did happen.
So, when the technology was invented, I volunteered to be a test subject, because I so desperately wanted to correct the errors I made with you. Because I so wanted to hold you in my arms again and tell you how much I loved you. How much I still love you.
(Pause.)
Please, say something. I know it’s all so difficult to believe, but it’s the absolute truth. I really am back from the future, your future, and I really do love you with all of my heart.
(Pause.)
Isn’t it obvious? I tied you up and brought you here because you never would have believed me if I, your bully, had approached you with this story. I needed time to get it all out. I needed you to listen to the whole thing. I thought if I had you at my mercy and did nothing harmful to you but treated you with love and showed you how I feel, that would help you believe me.
And, admittedly, I missed you so much. I love you so much. I couldn’t be without you any longer. So, yes, it was a little selfish. I’ll be honest with you about that. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do if you didn’t believe me and kept hating me. Was I going to keep you here all of your life? Or would I just… give up… on everything?
(Pause.)
Yes, we were trying to have a child. It hadn’t worked in our first two months after getting married, but we weren’t stressing it. We thought we had plenty of time.
(Pause.)
Erin. We would have named our child Erin. E R I N if it was a girl and A A R O N if it was a boy. After your grandmother, Erin, who raised you after your parents died. That was non-negotiable. You demanded that be the name of our first child.
(Listener pushes his chair back.)
What are you doing? Why do you want me stand? Is there something…
(Long, deep kiss.)
(Tears of joy.) My love. Does this mean…
(Kiss.)
(For the rest of the script, girl is happy, but still crying and sniffling. I’ll let you determine how you want to do it, but that’s her general attitude.)
Whoa. You’re picking me up. Where are we going?
The bedroom? But you haven’t finished eating your…
(Kiss.)
Ok, I’ll shut up. My love. You just want to lay down and hold me like you couldn’t do when you were tied up. Of course. Whatever you want. Anything. You name it and it’s yours.
(Pause.)
Oh, no. I think I’m still going to tie you up tonight and for several nights.
(Pause.)
No, I don’t think you’ll try to run away from me. But you were so damn cute all tied up like that.
(Laughs.) You want to tie me too? Well, maybe we’ll just have to take turns.
(Kiss.)
Oh, my love, hold me. Please, just hold me.
You’re back. You’re back and you’re mine again. We have our whole lives to be with each other. And I want to spend all of it right here in your arms.

Age of Legends
Prologue(Death and birth of a dragon)

Rand was happy, there wasn’t much else he could say about how he felt right there at that specific moment. Lying there in bed wearing nothing but his small cloths and a silk shirt half buttoned. Beside him sleeping so peacefully was one of his beautiful wives, Elmindreada, though she hated that name and preferred Min. Thinking back on many long years of peace and growth, yes he was fated to break the world, and he had. Though the prophecies never mentioned the creation and growth he would also leave behind. The creation of the black tower and the worldwide acceptance of male Aes Sedai, his crown and epitome of success the cleansing of saiadin. That and the discovery of ancient knowledge to confirm anyone should be able to learn to touch at least a small part of the true source, at least most people could. Those two things alone would have vast and far-reaching consequences for the good. The covers beside him shifted as his wife turned over in her sleep showing him her short curly hair. Thoughts drifting again to convincing the Aeil and Tu’athan(the tinkers he thought fondly still) to make peace, them taking it a step further and settling in the two rivers. The tinkers, the wondering people and followers of the way of the leaf, coming to terms with the Aiel spear wielders and settling in one place, that one place being his boyhood homeland. Perrin was there, as well as all the Emond fielders, what’s more they set him up like some king and started calling the place Manetheren.
Mat even came back and settled down to retire with the remainder of his family after his wife the empress died. Rand frowned because that wasn’t a happy memory, her battle with some kind of internal growth that even the best healers couldn’t fix, it was slow and painful. She was tough and knew enough to put things in order so there wouldn’t be any war for succession, but after her death and with no children not adopted, Mat just had no pull to stay. He came back and Perrin gave him an estate where he spent the rest of his days carousing in taverns even if no one would play dice with him again. The rest of his days were not much however, less than two years after his wife Mattrim died of a heart attack. The same strange fox head medallion he wore around his neck that had saved him so many times from enemy power wielders, due to its powers of absorbing any of the one power used against the wearer, was strangely the main cause of his death as there had been an Aes Sedai capable of healing close by. Rand wondered what ever became of that medallion. Trying to shift his thoughts back to happier things he thought of Elayne another of his wives and queen of the region this new “kingdom” was growing. Or at least she was. Having not one but two kingdoms to run was taxing her, especially when one played that awful game of houses so much, as if it were breathing. She actually willingly gave that area to Perrin, that and more besides. “Having friends at your back, especially friends who know they owe you can only help.”, he remembered her saying when he asked her.
He laughed remembering how her cute golden-haired little face grew so stern while she rounded on him for not caring about his friends and shouldn’t they also get something for all the help they provided at the last battle. Of course, it also had nothing to do with being such close friends with Perrin’s wife Fail. Manetheren though, when asked Perrin just shrugged his huge shoulders saying one name is as good as any, and it was the one that everyone agreed on.
Min groaned softly beside him still wrapped in the silken bedding spread. His laugh seemed to have disturbed her, he quickly stifled it and glared at the lavish bedroom they slept in as if that were the fault for his mirth. Lying on top of the silken covers because he never quite got used to sleeping on feather mattresses. It really was a lavish bedroom, filled with rugs and wall coverings, paintings, not one but two large dressers with mirrors, a matching and equally large wardrobe, currently opened showing two other mirrors on the inside of the doors, smaller than the dresser mirrors, and a neat array of blouses and trousers with floral embroidery(Min’s things). Otherwise, there was also a washstand with another small mirror, a desk and one chair slightly askew and away from the desk. On the desk are several stacks of books, and an open notebook with a nearby quill and ink pot. There was a lone unlit lamp also on the desk gilded in gold, as well as several gold gilded wall lamps also unlit around the room.
Sighing softly as Min settled back to comfortable sleep, he stared back up at the bland whitewashed ceiling above him and thought about the schools he had patroned. So many new ideas and inventions were springing up and with traveling prevalent they all spread to the world almost as fast as the ideas can be thought up. This would hopefully lead to a golden age for the world, and his schools were even branching off on their own into new learning institutes. These alone seemed to keep the peace between all the nations. Rand couldn’t tell if he was trying to be modest or humble. Yes he patroned and started the first few schools, but it was not all him coming up with any of the ideas and inventions, many of which had become marvels in and of themselves. Transportation, communication, education These would be left behind and he would be known for that as well as the other.
Breaking the world to make it whole, and his victory with that world’s armies at the last battle. He fought the dark one while the armies of all the nations fought the shadowspawn and darkfriends and dreadlords. Despite everything against him, including it seemed sometimes even the creator, he not only won the battle, but he survived it, he survived it and had a nice long life. The world was at peace, headed to a golden age which he would get credit for, and so Rand was happy. His eyes closed and his thoughts grew that sort of muffled feeling they get just as they start turning into dreams.
PAIN! Rand knew pain, he was no stranger to hurts, especially from a half healed old wound in his side, but that was not the same thing right now. For some reason panic started rising up in him, this was something new, this was something worse. A sharp pain again, in his chest, his body wildly spasmed up kicking his sleeping wife awake.
“Ow you bloody tall buffoon, if you think you can kick me out of bed you have another thing …” Min trailed off as another spasm of pain racked through Rand. Her face contorting with fear as she watched him clutching his chest nearly double over with the pain spasm. He tried to tell her he would be alright, but all that came out was a groaning grunt. He tried lifting his hand to show her it would be alright, but he couldn’t get it to move. Suddenly a hand hit him in his face, it was his hand. He couldn’t feel his hand or his arm. Fear started creeping in as another spasm of pain caused him to let out another groan and clutch at his chest with this hand he couldn’t feel.
“Creator shine his light on me, of course you would choose to die when you’re with me.” Min started shouting hysterically. “For the love of light you bloody wool head, you hang on until I can get Aviendha to come heal you, she’s not far, just hold on damn you.”
Rand vaguely had an impression of Min running towards and out the door. Another spasm of pain, except somehow this was less. He knew it should hurt just as much, but it didn’t. He must have found the void so it wouldn’t hurt as much, that was it. Rand thought about his third and final wife Aviendha, how she would likely come in to find him as healthy as a bull and upset his stomachache disturbed her wise one’s practice. Stomachache? Wasn’t it his chest that was hurting him? Another very small spasm, yes its his chest, but he was also feeling decidedly nauseous too, and that was the greatest issue right? Sleep was all he needed, he would sleep, and everything would be fine in the morning, tomorrow he had to get up early to sheer the sheep.
The void completely surrounds and envelops Rand. As he fades away he hears a sinister voice in his head, “YOU WON THIS ROUND DRAGON REBORN BUT WE WILL COME FACE TO FACE AGAIN” The dark one, what, again? No, the dark one is dead, am I dead, wake up you light blinded fool. There was nothing but the void, not even the light of saiadin could be seen. Rand listened as hard as he could, he thought he heard something, something almost familiar. There it was again, soft but rhythmic, sounding not exactly far, but muffled as if listening through water. Thump Thump and it hit him, that’s the sound of a heartbeat, but who’s heartbeat his? Sleep, that’s what he needed, a really good nights sleep and he would feel better in the morning. Rand drifted off into a dreamless sleep listening to the heartbeat, Thump Thump.
Thus did the dragon reborn die after seeing the end of one age turned into the beginning of another. The people of the land wept at his passing, they swore they would remember him forever and always. Time however is not a kind mistress, when an age is gone it starts to fade from existence, times deeds even people change in the telling’s of the years and centuries. Eventually when the wheel goes round and gives birth to the age again all details have been forgotten, muffled, or contorted.

Mariann Jo’sheen Sedai was old. She had a proper last name once if she could just remember. It had been so long ago since she had last thought of it, a life in the white tower could do that, and Sedai was as good a last name as could be for formality. Just saying Mariann was old was an understatement though, being a woman with a stronger channeling ability, and having sworn on all 8 Life Oath Rods, a prerequisite to becoming Amyrlin of the tower, that she even has any grey hair showing means she must be well past 800 years old, and to show the amount of age she did it must be closer to past 900 years. She was still sharp in mind mostly, at least anything from the last 100 years or so she could recall as sharp as if it happened yesterday. Had it really been longer than a hundred years since she last though of her family name, having long lasted past the last of her lineage, her family long gone or married into others.
She thought even harder surly she had been at her last relative’s funeral, when was it, it was a great aunt she remembered, and the surname was …, she thought really hard. She was in the Amyrlin’s bedchamber reserved for the current leader of the white tower. That said like most of the past Amyrlins before her she kept the bedroom nice and simple. The single window held a cooling fan with right below it a heater coil. The other wall held a closed door which led into her bathroom, the next wall holding another door leading out of the bedchamber into the office of her role. The last wall held the only other furniture besides the plain brown four poster bed she was laying on. A white nightstand with built in mirror and matching white clothed chair. The bathroom was large and would hold her wardrobe of clothes along with the indoor plumbing necessities.
Mariann thought back to each of the eight oaths she took on the life rods, trying to remember which one she had last taken when she attended her aunt’s funeral. Small cylindrical devices no longer than her arm, when you take an oath on one your life actually increases by a standard lifetime or roughly 100 years depending on the person, those stronger in the one power given slightly more. Really giving any oath at all would do for the increasing your life, the only requirement being you channel Saiadar while making your oath and someone else that can also channel does so to activate it. However each specific Ajah required you to take a specific oath, and the eighth oath rod was solely for those like her who have taken the Amyrlin seat after having have pledged on the other seven, again a specific oath.
“I will say no word that is untrue”. Eight oath rods, and eight times this is spoken to ensure you do not offer a false oath, as if anyone would think of lying so many truth seekers everywhere.
“I will faithfully serve as Amyrlin to all of my children for the rest of my days”. The Amyrlin seat was a lifelong position and would not open again until her death. Serve all her children, it was said that the ancient honorific Amyrlin meant something like mother to all, it means that she was a servant to everyone in the world, matter it not she was the leader of the white tower. That first part about serving faithfully as Amyrlin could leave some wiggle room depending on how one viewed the title of Amyrlin, the last however left no wiggle room for anything.
“I will treat everyone with fairness and justice as is prescribed by the dai’shan aiel of the grey tower and the Aes Sedai code of ethics”. Those were binding stronger than time itself. The grey tower first because only the dai’shan aiel more than anyone can decide what is fair and right, they were and are the original truth seekers among so much more. You would also have as much power to reach the moon as you would to get the Aes Sedai code of ethics changed. First it would take a proposal from either of the leaders from the white or black tower. Either the Amyrlin of the white tower or the Pope of the black tower has to make a suggested change, which then needs to go through each Ajah/Faction and receive 90% approval, then it gets sent to the other tower to make its way up through the chains until it finally ends with the other towers leader. If it passes all of that it gets sent to the grey tower for approval again 90% before finally appearing before the first servant leader of the grey tower for final approval, and at any stage it can be stopped if it doesn’t pass.
That wasn’t it though, no she was not Amyrlin at her aunt’s funeral. Before then was the Blue ajah, which was closer. But still too recent, what level was she? The sleeping shift she wore was one of the new fads called a one piece. It was literally one garment that covered both legs and torso. It had several convenient buttons for keeping it on or taking it off. It was grey cotton all one solid color, and it was bunching up at the knees. Mariann distractedly Jerked it back into position. Her thoughts drifted too far back to when she had her very first foretelling which was that she would one day become Amyrlin seat. She was a young girl of only 16 years, and she knew without a doubt. It came in bursts though and it was not something she could control.
This vision came on stronger than any she had ever encountered before. So strong it jerked her body stiff as a board and slammed her down thankfully into the bed she was already laying on. An Evil shadow of a man, a giant taller than mountains, and blacker than the darkest shadows on a moonless night, peering down at the world smiling, that smile turning your blood to jelly and freezing you in place with its ill intent. A great serpentine beast came flying from the other side of the world, Long and scales glimmering like diamonds with talons made of pure gold but sharper than the sharpest knife, fire trailing from its partially open moth off its gleaming sharp teeth. It was equally large as the malevolent shadow man and flew on giant tornado causing wings straight at the other. They fought a great battle against each other, but in doing so caused so many deaths as swaths of their destruction ravaged the world. A flash of light and Mariann was staring at the grey tower as if just a few hundred yards away. She started walking towards it only to watch in horror and bewilderment as the tower before her cracked and collapsed as if a mirror or glass shattered. Another flash of light and she saw a baby boy, but he aged so fast right before her eyes until he died as an old man. She couldn’t remember much, but she knew deep down that he was in some way related to the other visions and this man, for it was definitely a man, was likely the cause of them.
Opening her eyes to stare at the brown four poster cloth above her and remembering every detail about her vision she distractedly spoke to herself . “Goshin is my sur name and I last heard it at Aunt Maragel Goshin’s funeral while I was at the green level”. She shook her head, that wasn’t important anymore if it ever really was. She quickly sat up in her woolen one piece swinging her feet over the side of the bed and hurried to her nightstand. Sitting in the chair she reached in one drawer to get paper and another to get an ink pointer. Channeling a single small strand of fire into a swinging glass bulb above her bed brought light into the room. She hastily started scribbling down every detail from her vision, she was grateful she always kept ink and paper nearby to do so.

Mr. Telamon was a nervous wreck while sitting in the hospital waiting room. He somehow knew, sensed something was wrong with his wife’s delivery. Dai’shan aiel were everywhere; as were nurses, patients or close kin waiting, Every once in a while a doctor’s assistant would come out and call a name ushering someone to see a doctor. Really bad cases would be taken in through a separate entrance known only to the healers. It didn’t matter, and he got confirmation as those doors opened up and not the assistant, but the doctor who had taken his wife looked around the room first at the dai’shan, then at him. A group of three of the white clad figures started moving towards him even before the doctor did. They felt his grief or rather the grief he was going to feel, even before he himself felt it. That and they knew it would take three of them to calm him down. Tears were streaming from his eyes before the doctor even started speaking.
“There was a complication during the pregnancy, your son is ok, your wife however did not make it, I’m so sorry. She did manage to tell us a name before she passed. Lews, Lews Therin after her father. Is that what you would like on the birth certificate?”
Baby Lews’s father numbly nodded, and the doctor walked away as uncontrollable sobs started emanating from the man. The three dai’shan aiel circled around him arm in arm and started singing a song of comfort and peace and mourning.
***
Rand Al’thor was asleep soundly when something woke him up, but he couldn’t tell what or where, or even anything for that matter. It was like the void, nothingness, but a sound, not a feeling, a heartbeat. The heartbeat was much faster than it was and suddenly something pushed him hard in the head. Go away he thought I’m trying to sleep. However the push came back stronger than before, this time managing to flip him upside down, upside down?, he could tell direction in this floating nothingness. Really awake now Rand tried to remember, remember?, remember what? Again the push and he was being squeezed to death and suddenly he remembered something about the dark one. A voice, a word, a sentence, the dark one wanted him dead. Was this the dark one trying to kill him, again push, again very tight squeeze, this time a light as if from a tunnel. It wasn’t the only light though, Rand went to the real void, and he saw it, Saiadin. He reached out with all his might to grab it and it came like a flood. He couldn’t control it, he had no strength, and his memory was foggy, he just expelled it to get out the other light and away from the pushing and death squeeze.
As Saiadin left him so did more and more memories, he tried to shout that he killed the dark one, sealed the bore so it could never be open. All that came out of his mouth was a scream. No blood and fire no I did this already, I won, I’m done. And with that last thought Rand Al’thor fell deep deep asleep into the furthest recesses of the brain. Lews took a deep breath and let out another scream wanting his mother or anyone to come pick him up and sooth his little soul.

The dragon is born!

Chapter 1
16 years later
The wheel of time turns, and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the fifth age by some and the first by others. An age yet to come, an age long past, a dark icy wind arose from about as far north as you can get. The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the wheel of time. But it was a beginning.
A steam vent in an icy mountain let out a puff of sulfur like particles riding the wind. High and fast the dark tainted wind rode across the Nym fields, high enough to escape the notice of the Nym, ever vigilant in their desire to protect the world. Over the borderlands of mankind, given graciously by the Nym when mankind needs more space to grow. Still high in the sky the dark wind blew through wild wilderness where only the Nym, the Ogier, the dai’shan aiel, and the Aes Sedai were allowed to travel if at some risk. The wind started descending as it traveled into the warmer southern air. Up ahead in the distance was a magnificently large tower made of stone black like obsidian, but much stronger. Along the northern wall of this Black tower were several windows, most open hoping to catch some of the cool breeze which it did nicely.
It was into one of these windows the dark wind blew, a classroom, though filled only with boys. The tainted breeze flew around several students, all dressed in black school uniforms and sitting at wooden desks on little rickety stool like chairs with just the barest of backrest. The flow of air flew so close to the face of one student he gave a start, finally going up the next nearby student’s nose just as he took in a deep breath.
Lews gave such a start at the intrusion, and he stood up sneezing loudly, the rancid smell still strong in his nose. Taller than most of his peers he certainly stood over everyone’s head while they were all sitting down.
“What are you doing, you look like a dork, hurry and sit down before anyone notices.” His best friend [Ishamael]() tried to warn him. However, it was already too late for that, most of the class was now looking at him which made him self conscious even if the women all said he looked like a dream. Worse, the teacher at the front of the class in a very similar black colored uniform was looking at him expectedly.
“Yes Lews, do you think you know the answer?” To Lews’s horror he realized he had been spending most of the class in a daydream about being the most powerful weaver ever. It was important that distinction, woman channel men weave. Saiadar and Saiadin, two halves of the same whole, both apart of the one power the true source. Everyone could learn to use it, or at least almost everyone. The dai’shan don’t channel or weave for all the power of their songs, not one of them it’s a law to join among other things. Other people might be so weak in the power it should be they don’t have it at all, there are objects which can amplify or temporarily give someone use of the one power, those with so little power that resort to using these transcognative devices were often socially outcast. Transmogs they were called when someone was being nice.
That didn’t help him now, he was in history class, and definitely not studying Transmogs. Lews desperately wracked his brain trying to remember what they were discussing. The teacher’s slight smile was starting to droop to a slight frown. Nym’s that was what they were discussing, what about Nym’s? Desperately looking around for some hope, he finally remembered. It was a question about the first Nym, what was his name?
“Goak him jim knee?” Lews answered with a rightfully apologetic look on his face. Sighing the teacher said “close, Oakhimgimee. At least he was close!” The teacher got progressively louder while giving the rest of the class an evil eye. The laughter that had started quickly quieted. Just at that particular moment a loud bell decided to ring calling an end to that class period.
As the other students started standing up, talking, and starting to head for the door, the teacher weaved a small weave that produced a louder voice reminding the class they had the test coming up at the end of the week.
Lews slowly grabbed his bag and followed the steady stream of students leaving the class.

Introduction

Given the nature of RH Novels, there are a lot of LIs, and as someone who has read many RH books in the last few years, I have seen a lot of unique LIs but also noticed that most MMCs follow a few tropes.
So, I have decided to make a series of posts highlighting some of my favorite tropes and iconic (or my favorite) LIs that fit them, with this being the first one.
(This will have direct book quotes and a lot of spoilers. Proceed with caution)

Who is The Unhinged Psychopath?

The Unhinged Psychopath is one of the most popular tropes in RH books. Usually found in Dark Romance and Urban Fantasy, the Unhinged Psychopath is probably the easiest trope to distinguish. They are usually impulsive men, who have little to no morals and a penchant for discarding people's lives with no remorse.
Do you remember reding a book, where there is that one character that is always playing with a knife? Or maybe you remember reading a character's POV that had the weirdest train of thought? Or, you were reading an Urban Fantasy book that happens in an academy, and suddenly a character is described as wearing clothes that could be taken from Hot Topic. Perhaps, there is a character that gives a very cheery monologue, clashing with the unhinged content of said monologue.
Well, there is a big chance that this LI is the Unhinged Psychopath. While not all of the MMCs in this category have all of these traits, they are very common. They are also going to be usually feared oand treated cautiously by the other MMCs, with some even warning the FMC about the unstableness of The Unhinged Psychopath.
Since this is my list, my requisite to put a MMC in here was that he had to, at least once, make me have this reaction.

The Spotlight

Damien from Fate Hollow Academy

^{Pain fueled my magic, and I got pleasure out of seeing others suffer.
But for the first time in the twenty-six years I’d been alive, pain made my skin crawl. Maybe it was because I hadn’t inflicted it. Knowing how to create pleasure from pain was something I was good at. Maybe I could teach her to do the same. She needed to learn that pain can empower.
I stalked through the shadows and into room one-zero-three. Something about that wolf named Grayson caused my little bird pain, and I wanted to paint the walls red with his blood. I’d cut off his dick and present it to her on a fucking platter.}

(Damien's POV - Term 1)
Probably one of the most iconic Unhinged LI's in RH novels. Damien is a Pain/Shadow Demon, that needs to cause others pain to get his powers recharged. He also has a traumatic past, that made him hate and distrust humans. Those two things make for a very disturbed individual, who throughout the whole series is a lunatic.
From maiming people left and right, to his Hot Topic sense of style, Damien has become a very popular character, that has probably inspired more than a few RH LI's in the past years, something that earns him the spot on this list.
Highlight

^{He reached into his pocket and grabbed something before holding his hand up with something inside it. I opened my palm under his hand and he dropped a bone.
To be exact, he dropped Grayson’s pinky bone.
My mouth dropped, and I blinked once, twice, and a third time before shutting it. “You took his pinky bone and gave it to me?”
“I made him suck it clean,” he told me, his eyes twinkling. “Turn it over.”
I gripped it in between my thumb and index finger and flipped it over to reveal a white wolf with its head cut off carved into it.}

(Wren's POV - Term 1)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Arion from All The Pretty Monsters

^{My eyes dart to the top of the stairs when a familiar, shirtless man dressed only in a pair of sweatpants that barely hang on his hips starts dancing his way down them, licking blood off his fingertips as his head tips back. He dances up two steps, and then he dances back down the rest of the way, his eyes closed as he moves toward us with the beat of the music.
His eyes open and hone in on mine, sending a trickle of painful awareness and dread coursing throughout me, just as the song changes. A wicked smile curves his lips as he keeps dancing his way down them, hips moving in a salsa rhythm in beat with the music.}

(Violet's POV - Gypsy Blood)
Arion is a vampire that has no soul and was kept in a coffin underground for more than a century. So, to no one's surprise, he is not the most well-adjusted man in the world.
He gains a spot in here because first, I love his official entrance/meeting with the FMC. In this household, we love a camp king. And, secondly, his whole history of absolute devotion to his ex-girlfriend (and then the FMC) and friends is just insane. The more the story went on, and the more Arion kept talking, the more I became absolutely flabbergasted by this character (still love him).

^{Damien and I both swing our gazes to the beta I have penciled to the wall now that he’s released the illusion. And by penciled to the wall, I mean I’ve stabbed two-hundred-and-forty-three slightly long pencils into key places on his body to pin him there. He’s on his tiptoes, and if he steps down, they’ll all snap and we’ll have to start all over again.
“They still need a few more inches of length for this process to be less tedious. It wouldn’t hurt them to be a little stronger, too. Still superior craftsman ship, though,” I say as I lift up the pencils that haven’t spilled off the desk.}

(Arion's POV - Gypsy Freak)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Savage from Her Vicious Beasts

^{“Hold my chicken.”
“Rooster,” Xander corrects, accepting the black bird.
I scowl at my pack-brother because he can take his private school education and shove it up his big dragon ass.
“His name is Eugene,” I snap. Patting said chicken on his red head-frills, I turn back to the trembling cashier of the Opal Feather. The sight of us always makes these humans piss their pants. A dragon, a wolf and a shark walk into a luxury store and, well…they all know what comes next, I suppose.
Or it could be the blood still on my teeth and the bare skin of my torso. On a hunt, I only stop for lunch, you see. Lunch being the two birdie security guards now lying on the shop floor behind me.}

(Savage's POV - Her Feral Beasts)
While this series has only two books and a prequel out as of now, Savage has already been solidified as one of the most unhinged LIs that I have ever read about. As, a mostly feral, wolf shifter who is also part of a gang, Savage is an impulsive man, that lacks morals and common sense, making for some hilarious scenes, despite how disturbing his actions can be.
He get's progressively unhinged (and weird) as the story goes along, and I doubt that will change in the future books.
Highlight

^{I position the final explosive at the base of the anima dorm and beckon to my little leopard friend to follow me as I move back. I can’t very well make sweet love to my beautiful regina if I’m blown to pieces now, can I?
...
The Forklift Brothers spent a little time distracting the guards with a student who “managed” to get his entire arm stuck down a toilet. Bob’s your uncle and now I’m ready to go.
“Ready, spotties?” I ask the gathered felines. “On my count⁠—”
One of the kits whose name I don’t care to know gives me a panicked look under his comb over. “But, Mr Fengari, there are girls in there.”
“Yes,” I say, not so patiently. “But the prettiest one is far beneath the building. This is the way I get to her.”
Pickle, one of the nerdy leopards who made the bomb, clears his throat. “Sir,” he says nervously behind his protective goggles. “Should we, er… give them a chance to get out?”
“Who?” I frown disapprovingly at him.
“Um… the other animas?”
“Oh,” I say slowly. I forgot about other people for the moment. Correction. Didn’t care about them for the moment. “Hear ye, hear ye!” I broadcast into the minds of all the animas in the old building. “Get out of the anima dorm in one minute because I’m about to blast it up to the Wild Mother herself!”}

(Savage's POV - Her Rabid Beasts)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Caspian from Myths and Monsters
Now, Caspian is not as well known as the other MMCs on this list, but, to me, this would not be a complete list without his inclusion. I did ponder if I should add him here, or on a future list of the more calculist psychopaths, but this man goes off the rails during the actual book events, so he stays here.
Now, why is here in this list, you ask? Well... Is he an obsessive monster? Yes. Does he turn into a rockstar, and as soon as the FMC is interested in him, discards his band and goes camping across the US with her? Also yes. Commits mass murder in the name of the FMC? Check. Tries to BITE OFF one of the other MMC's arms? Actually yes.
Highlight

^{Flip— Caspian tackled me to the ground, slashing his claws at my face. I bit into the cigarette as I threw my arms up, trying to protect my head from his attack. I felt a sharp pain in my arm and yelped.
He fucking bit me! I grunted and rolled. He fell into the dirt beside me but kept trying to claw and bite me like a damn cat. I looked no better, batting at his hands and face like I was trying to play-fight a kitten.}

(Mothman's POV - Run & Hide)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Enzo from Kept

“Fucking skank,” Eddy spits out, even as he trembles. “Talking to the cops.”
“Oh,” I breathe in delight, wiggling the blade a little until his chin is tilted high in the air as he works to avoid it. “I’m not a cop, Eddy boy.”
I feel the jolt as he jerks against the needle I slide into the soft flesh of his stomach, a high-pitched grunt leaving his throat.
“Who the hell are you, then?” I love this part. Leaning in, I press my lips right against his ear.
“I’m Batman. Welcome to Gotham City, bitch.”

(Enzo's POV - Kept)
While making the list, I knew that I needed some representation from a Contemporary book, but I couldn't choose _who_. And then I remember the Batman scene, and that was it. I know that me putting this man instead of a more popular MMC will be controversial, but his POV, or even his other scenes were just...He is just so fucking weird. I can't even choose which moments to highlight.

^{"She’s ours, and I’m taking her. Pull your head out of your ass, Ryder. She was fucking made for us, and I’m not letting her go. I don’t give a flying fuck what you and Maverick have to say about it.”}

^{He shoves past me towards the door.
“Or her, come to think of it. None of you get a fucking say in this. Pick her or don’t, but I’ve made my choice. She’s not going anywhere.”}
(Ryder's POV - Kept)
Enzo is a psychopath that redirects his murderous intent to only evil people, such as pedophiles, rapists, men that are violent to their partners, and other scum of the earth. He still has a few screws loose, and it's consistently unhinged throughout the book. He doesn't mask it, it's not a slow burn. From his first scene, you know that you will be on a wild ride during his POVs.
Highlight

^{“Nobody else touches what’s ours.” He says “I will kill them, prey. I will kill them slowly, and then I’ll fuck you on top of their corpse. Tell me you understand.”}

(Zella's POV - Kept)
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Lorcan from The Fifth Nicnevin

^{“You’re my redcap.”}

^{He beams, showcasing a mouth full of sharp teeth. With one hand, he pulls off his cable-knit hat—which is as blood red as his species suggests—and waves it in front of him with a flourishing bow.
“Lorcan, or Lore, if you prefer. Not Daddy, though, I’m not into that.”}
(Rhoswyn's POV - Beyond the Faerie Gate)
Lore is an underfae, more specifically, a redcap, a fae species that need their hats to be bathed in blood regularly or they will die, they are known for being ruthless and violent. And, Lore is one of the most famous ones, being thousands of years old and an ex-assassin of the Autumn Court.
Everyone is wary of this man, for good reason, and his thought process is absolutely hilarious sometimes. My favorite scenes involving him are when we are reading from any of the other MMC's POVs since they are always just weirded out and flabbergasted by Lore.

^{Lorcan, on the other hand, doesn’t. “Are you really surprised that she’s special?” He blinks into a different chair. “She’s perfect.”
I wish I was a psychopath. I imagine that life without giving a fuck would be simple.
“The nobles are going to freak,” Jaro shudders. “Regular fae necromancers are treated with suspicion, and their power is limited to whatever they’re born with. Hers…”
“She could raise an army of the dead using her connection to the Goddess,” I confirm.
“Pretty Rose has thorns.” Lorcan looks almost… aroused by the idea.
His pupils are blown wide, and on his head, his knit cap springs upward into a stovepipe hat in a disturbing display that makes me grimace.
To a redcap, I suppose learning your mate has the capacity for untapped slaughter and bloodshed would be a turn on. But the visual was just unnecessary.}

(Drystan's POV - Beyond the Faerie Gate)

Honorable Mentions

Vincent from Saint View Psychos - Vincent fans, I'm so sorry... I love him so much, but he is only 50% psycho.
Everyone from Darkmore Penitentiary - I really wanted to put someone from this series, but I couldn't choose which of the MMCs was more unhinged, so, unfortunately, they were all relegated to the Honorable Mentions. Suffering from sucess, I suppose.
Jude from Dance Butterfly, Dance - He is very kooky, but he never fully reaches the full potential of his unhingeness.
West from Four Horseman - Unhinged man, but all of the MMCs are a little psychotic on this series, so oh well.
Boogeyman from Her Feral Beasts - If the next book was out, I'm sure that I would put him on the actual list, since even Savage thinks he is insane.
Oscar from Ironside Acadamy - While he is unhinged, compared to the other people on this list he is very nice, a golden boy, truly. Still putting him in here because he's absolutely hilarious.
Annex by The Blackened Blade - His outfits were so Hot Topic coded. Does the author think that those are cool? Even Damien dresses better than that. Overall, very unhinged, but there is only one book out as of now.
Ryder from Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac - Before the riot starts, this man will appear on another list of mine. Despite him being a lunatic, I decided that he fitted my other Spotlight more.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
So, what do you think of this trope? And do you have any other Unhinged Psychopaths to add to the list?

Spoilers ahead for the first Saw video game so if you haven’t played it and plan to don’t read.
I’ve seen a lot of posts on this sub asking questions that are answered by the SAW video game so having just finished it, I figured I’d give a rundown of the game that is technically canon to the SAW universe.
The game is centered around David Tapp who is trapped by Jigsaw in an abandoned asylum (Whitehurst) to test him due to his obsession with catching Jigsaw. Jigsaw tests him to show him that his obsession has been harming not only himself, but everyone else Tapp has ever been involved with. Most of those people are in other traps which Tapp has to save them from.
So, now the game itself.
Tapp awakes to find himself in a reverse bear trap, but is successful in getting it off. Tapp then navigates the Asylum digging through syringe filled toilets and vats of acid for keys as well as defending himself from others trapped in the asylum who are after the key Jigsaw has placed inside Tapp’s body using shotgun door traps, melee weapons, and other traps (gas, explosion, and stun traps).
The first victim Tapp is tasked with saving is none other than Amanda Young. Amanda is tested due to reverting back to drugs and not learning her lesson. She is locked in a chair with two needles in her arms and Tapp must save her by sitting himself in a chair with two needles in his neck and separate antidote vials from poison vials. Each time he screws up both Amanda and him are injected with a small amount of poison.
After Amanda is saved, Pighead appears and separates Amanda and Tapp. Shortly after, Tapp is captured by Pighead and a shotgun collar is placed around his neck. The shotgun collar is set to go off if Tapp is within the proximity of another victim with a shotgun collar. He must kill them or stay away from them long enough for the enemy’s collar to detonate to prevent himself from being killed.
The next victim Tapp is tasked with saving is Jennings Foster, a fellow police officer who framed a man for a fatal motor accident that he committed. Foster is in a pendulum trap and Tapp must save him by connecting circuits in fuse boxes.
The next victim is Melissa Sing, the wife of Detective Sing who was killed in the first movie. She is tested due to the fact that she has neglected her son because she has focused on blaming Jigsaw and Tapp for all of her problems. Her trap is an Iron Maiden where two boards lined with saw blades lie on each side of her and will lift up and trap her in between if Tapp fails to configure the circuit boxes. He succeeds, but Sing decides to blame Tapp for her husband’s death and leaves him.
The next victim is Oswald McGillicutty, a journalist who has berated Tapp and even claimed he is Jigsaw. His trap bends his limbs backward until he is torn apart, but Tapp succeeds in freeing him. However, he dies after walking into one of Jigsaw’s traps.
Obi Tate is the next victim. He is in a trap as he wanted to be tested by Jigsaw, but his trap requires Tapp to save him. He is in a furnace that will burn him alive, but Tapp frees him.
The last victim Tapp must save is Jeff Ridenhouer, the man who Tapp and Sing saved in the first film. He is tested because he has been driven suicidal by Tapp constantly harassing him about Jigsaw. He is propped against a board with a bunch of holes in it that are filled with spikes that will pierce him if Tapp screws up. He is also saved.
Jigsaw then tells Tapp that Pighead has gone rogue and is actively trying to kill him. Tapp kills Pighead by electrocuting him to death. Pighead is never named.
Tapp then comes face to face with Jigsaw who tells him to make one last choice. He can leave and rescue everyone in the asylum or he can learn the truth. If the truth door is chosen, Tapp chases down who he thinks is Jigsaw, but turns out to be Melissa Sing. A tape is played that reveals that Sing placed traps for Tapp in order to save her son, but she runs through a door and is killed by a trap. Tapp is then taken to a mental asylum where he believes he is still in a game. If the Freedom door is chosen, Tapp is labeled a hero, but his obsession continues and he takes his own life for not capturing Jigsaw (this is the canon ending as SAW II: Flesh & Blood picks up right after this).

His rifle and helmet were not that far away- he knew he could reach them before the two battling cats noticed his presence. What he was doubtful of, was that if he distracted them from fighting each other, they might instead focus on the cave and the rest of his team and family. A truly unacceptable risk.
Brashi’i raced through his mind, and Blaine was moving before he realized he was. He reached his helmet and rifle without being noticed, and didn’t wish to push his luck, so he slunk off towards the old palace ruins. Finally feeling he was far enough away, he took off his jetpack and took out the grenades he’d squirreled away when he’d fled the Abbadon weeks prior on Sacorion.
Taking some silver tape that he always carried with him, and the grenades, he attached the aerosol can to the grenades and closed his eyes in a solemn hope that his crazy ploy might work. Stuffing his helmet on, and securing his gear in his jetpack and returning the jetpack to his back, Blaine ignited the jets and roared skywards.
Swooping down on the two battling Cariolinous, Blaine pulled the pins on the grenades and let the spoons fly, before aiming his throw and releasing the Rube-Goldberg-grenade-contraption directly on target at the big cats’ feet.
Zoom-climbing away, Blaine felt rather than saw the explosion of the twin grenade contraption. Swinging around in a second pass, he noticed two Cariolinous lying in pools of red blood on the dirt, which made it look like they were simply lying in shadows.
“One of y’all, check them cats teh make sure they’s dead. I’m fer Ardor, an’ I intend to bring Hell with me!” Blaine said, as he streaked off towards Ardor.
“Good luck.” Tess’ voice said in his ear.
Blaine didn’t answer her, but simply flew for all he was worth. The darkness and the waves of the Sea of Carmen, were his only companions, as he pushed his jetpack to its limits. Terror at what he might find gripped at his chest and groped his heart. His mind was a squall of fear, loathing, helplessness, dark images, and suppositions which he couldn’t be certain of one way or the other from his position amongst the clouds.
For a solid hour, he flew in pure terrified silence, until the lights of Ardor showed on the horizon in the darkness of the weeks of pure darkness before the Vaalorian twilight of dawn. Cold as it was, Blaine’s blood was a roiling inferno.
He was so worried about what he might find, he was hesitant to land. Swallowing his fears, he landed on the balcony of his room. Leenah and Narah met him there, having expected him to take this avenue.
“You shouldn’t have come!” Leenah said, looking at her feet in shame.
“Your sister is fine… Thought you should know.” Blaine said off the cuff. “How bad is it?” He added, his voice cracking.
“I… I don’t know.” Narah said, speaking up. “She’s not gone, but she was hurt badly. They… SOB- They took the children, and… SNIFF- Oh, I’m so sorry!”
Blaine walked inside, to a complete wreck of a bedroom. Drapes were shredded, chairs and endtables were shattered and splinters, and several smears of blue and a couple red ones as well, adorned the walls.
“We tried to get here as fast as we could… when we got here… We found this.” Leenah said hesitantly. “Ghost-”
“What?! What happened to Ghost?!” Blaine said, whirling around on his toes and walking straight up to Leenah with his eye twitching slightly.
“He’s hurt really bad!” Narah said, sliding in between Leenah and Blaine in an effort to protect her. “You might be able to help them both, if you hurry!” She added, pointing down the hall towards the parlor.
Blaine didn’t hesitate, and didn’t listen to anyone or anything else, making a beeline for the parlor. As he walked in, Ghost raised his head and roared a challenge, before whimpering piteously at Blaine.
“Hey, bubba… I’m here… I’m gonna make the owies go away, kay?” Blaine said, as he walked gingerly up to Ghost’s side where he was laying, barely able to move. “I’m so proud of you, bubba… You did good. Good dog, Ghost.” Blaine said as he squatted next to the terribly injured dog.
Focusing on the healing fire, Blaine let his rage and his concern and his love fuel the force of healing energy, which created a blooming effect. Brashi’i groaned and sat up in her seat next to the countertop wetbar.
“B-blaine? They… Where are the children? GASP! GHOST! WHERE’S GHOST?!” Brashi’i sputtered groggily.
Ghost barked sharply, admonishing her for her panic. Brashi’i saw him, and wincing with each movement, half-crawled and half-hunched her way over to the dog’s side.
“You should be restin’.” Blaine said darkly. “You all will be fine, said. I need to go outside for a minute…” He added, making for the door as Ghost stood up and shook vigorously.
“Don’t tell Mari’a!” Brashi’i said, wincing. “I can’t bear to tell her Vendance is gone!”
Blaine, stopped dead in his tracks. “Who was it?”
“Mahl. Wearing the mark of Nidavellir. The Fallen.” Brashi’i said. “I fear the remnants joined the Rising Tide… We fought back… I… I couldn’t stop them!” Brashi’i sobbed as she spoke. “They were too strong!”
Blaine’s face darkened, and he said nothing as he walked through the door. Anger coursed through his veins, and rage lendt his feet speed. The closer he got to the balcony, the faster his legs pumped and his feet slammed against the floor as he ran. Leaping from the balcony and deploying his wings and lighting the jets in the same moment, Blaine thundered off for Nidavellir.
Roaring across the snow covered landscape, Blaine barely had the bearing to recognize the cliffs of the deserts of Oor. Finding the cliff he was looking for, Blaine landed and walked up to the cavern mouth. He barely registered the lack of the sandscreen over the entrance to the cave, so focused was he on his task.
He walked inside, and found the cave in much the same way he’d left it last, right down to the heap of desiccating Mahl bodies. Looking around, he found nothing disturbed since he’d been here last, and recognized that the Mahl of the Fallen weren’t using Nidavellir as their hidy-hole anymore.
At a mental loss of where to turn next, Blaine racked his brains and cast about for anything that could give him a lead, even though he knew deep down, his search was fruitless from the start. Thinking back, he remembered that the Mahl had captured Zubrim. Grasping for anything in his desperation, Blaine hoped against all else that the Mahl that held Zubrim were of the Fallen, and his children were there.
Leaping into the freezing night air, Blaine rocketed towards Zubrim; an unholy rage seething in his chest, and a vindictive hate gnawing at his mind. He flew for several hours to the darkened city of Carmen, and Fort Zubrim, where he flew in, hugging the ground and landing finally in an alleyway just outside the fortress citadel.
“... Take the children to the saferoom… I’m not sure, but I’m getting a strange feeling.” A familiar voice said. Blaine did a double-take.
“Kel’ze? How is that possible?” Blaine muttered to himself.
“Yes, my Lord. I will see to it straight away.” A gutteral bass voice replied.
Peering out from behind a dumpster, Blaine saw the two who were speaking, and his blood ran cold. Kel’ze, stood mere feet from a Mahl warrior. And he was smiling- if one could call that a smile. Dropping back behind the dumpster again, Blaine listened and waited.
The two continued on, walking through a large double-french style steel-reinforced wooden spar door. Blaine followed at a distance, watching the two as they conspired. Barely making it inside without making outrageous amounts of noise, Blaine tiptoed between shadows and breathed quietly as he could, following the two conspirators up the stairs to the second level of the fortress.
They came to a room with a codelock, and proceeded to log in the code and walk through the door as Blaine watched from an adjacent hallway corner. As the door began to swing shut, Blaine slunk quickly up to it and stuck his small knife in the doorjam, stopping the door from attaining its electromagnetic lock.
Slipping through the door to the other side and allowing it to close quietly, Blaine observed the duo turning the corner further up, and snuck quietly to the corner of the hallway. He listened as the soft clicks of the Mahl’s claws on the floor slowly became less distinct.
Peering carefully around the corner, he watched as the two came to a large reinforced security door, and stood chatting for several minutes. Then, the Mahl turned around and began walking back, as Kel’ze stood impatiently waiting next to the heavy door.
Blaine quickly backed off several feet and waited, legs like springs, ready to pounce. The Mahl rounded the corner, directly into a heavy jumping right uppercut from Blaine, which knocked the brute out cold.
Checking around the corner to be sure he wasn’t heard, Blaine quickly lifted and carried the Mahl to the opposite end of the hall and through a door he’d passed on the way. Shoving the large alien into the room, Blaine was surprised to find himself in a storage room for cleaning supplies and building maintenance.
“Oh, yeah…” Blaine said, rubbing his hands together in a cheesy display of sadistic satire. “This won’t take long!”
Stuffing a dirty mop in the Mahl’s mouth, and awkwardly tying the creature’s large killing claws together at its neck, Blaine cast about for a way to wake the beast. Finding a bottle of ammonia and some sulfur and some table salt, Blaine quickly mixed up a teaspoon’s worth of toxic smelling salts.
Waving the concoction under the Mahl’s nose, Blaine waited for the creature to stir. As the beast came around to sense, Blaine smiled and held up a hammer he’d found while rummaging around for rope.
“Y’all know who I is… I ain’t gotta introduce mahsel’ said… But, I have no idear who thah fuck ‘re you…. So I’m gonna ask yeh a test queshun. If’n you do anythin’ or says anythin’ whah ain’t the answers I need from you, I’m gonna break somethin’. It might be your face, it might be a coffee cup… You won’t know until I get the wrong answer teh mah queshunz, heard? Says whah, now… Whah’s yer name, son?” Blaine said at length, before removing the mop gag.
The Mahl sputtered and ran his long tongue against his teeth, before spitting and then looking Blaine directly in the eyes before responding. “I am Soriel’Nak, Majesty. I know you to speak true.”
“Where‘re my chill’en, Soriel?” Blaine asked, point blank.
“They are in the gatehouse, by the front gates of the walled citadel. Kel’ze will know when I do not return… And I can fly with quite a payload, Majesty…” Soriel said, his brown eyes narrowing in accusational question.
“Kel’ze is already dead. He just hasn’t gotten the email yet.” Blaine said, and stuffed the mop back into Soriel’s mouth. “Stay here… Don’t speak a word, or I will kill you myself. If you spoke true, you will be Heard in the halls of Cathedral City on Saccor. Deal?”
The Mahl’s eyes opened wide at the offer, and the large alien creature nodded slowly and deliberately, as if to emphasize they were uncomfortable with the human gesture but knew its worth all the same.
Slipping back through the doorway, Blaine walked boldly back down the hall and turned the corner to face a bewildered and shocked Kel’ze.
“Hey, pussnuts!” Blaine said, waving cheerily and smiling as he walked up. “I kil’dt’choo already!”
“You really think that dropping a building on me would kill me, monkey boy?” Kel’ze said, smirking.
“No!” Blaine said with a goofy smile, as he sauntered up jovially. “I just, I says, I just thought it would piss you orff! I can see now, you’re not as pissed as you was the last time I saw yeh, and that’s sayin’ summat! Tess an’ Leetah did a number on you!”
“Who?” Kel’ze said, puzzled.
“Ah… I see… You’re a differen’ Skylass…. All works fiddlewise in the end…” Blaine said, taking the pneumatic dart from his belt, depleting his antiserum stores completely. “I got’s a present fer yeh. C’mere and lemme give it, said!” Blaine added, moving like chain lightning.

Hey there! Names John and it's great to see ya here! If you're an avid r4r stalker - you've maybe seen my short and sweet posts here and there. I usually give it a go and then take breaks depending on my luck! I wanted to take this one post and describe myself and what I'm looking for in greater detail though.
Again, my name's John. I'm 5'9 and ginger through and through. I've got a red beard to go with it, and currently I'm growing out my curls. I had a sick afro in high-school and if you ask nicely, I'll share a picture with ya. I struggled with some medical stuff and am finally getting back on track so I'm a little over my ideal weight - but working hard to get back to where I was. I've only got two tattoos so far. Currently, two dogs and two cats as well. I may be using my GI bill to start school this fall - I haven't really decided. I'm a big nerd who loves fantasy books, shows, movies, games. All of it. I've read all 14 books of Wheel of Time so I'm a pretty dedicated guy ;). I'm obsessed with the Stormlight Archive, eagerly awaiting book 5. I've only read the first book to Red Rising but it's amazing as well. I play games like Elden Ring, WoW, League, Ark, Fornite and many others. I watch a lot of the mainstream Anime really - so not a whole lot of unique personality there lol. Keeping up with Kaiju #8 and Go, Go Loser Ranger.
Okay, so the nerdy thing usually scares off plenty of people - but I'm also very country. I grew up in BFE, in the woods on a gravel road. We had to have water delivered to us lol. I spent so much time in the woods, finding animals or building forts out of sticks. I caught snakes and frogs and lizards as much as I could. I would spend days down on the river just swimming or fishing. I fell in love with the night sky and would get lost in the stars all the time. With this - I do want to be able to be apart of nature a bit more, I want to camp and hike and visit beautiful places. I want to travel a bit as well.
Give me a weekend camping and playing in the woods to return home and play games and I'll say it was the perfect weekend.
I like to cook, although I'm probably not great. But good enough to take care of ya =P. I love to be crafty and come up with ideas. It would be great if I had someone who shared some of that excitement and wanted to help implement them! I love the zoo, museums, art galleries, thrifting and so much more.
I'm a bit of an old school romantic I'd say. I want to get the car door, pull out your chair, take care of dinner and all of these things. I believe in doing random acts of love, whether it's flowers on a Wednesday or I was worried you didn't eat so I made you food and brought it to your work. I listen to my partner and act off it. If I can tell you've had a rough day, then it's time to put in a little extra effort to make sure you have a better night. I display my affection a lot through touch, so I love holding hands and the like. I believe relationships are 50/50 overall - not that every action has to be 50/50. Communication is huge and what works for us could be unique, so long as we both feel the affection we are looking for and are happy, that's what is important. I do want kids some day, whether you have a little one already or even adoption if you're unable. (Or me unable, god knows I haven't tried). A lot of what I said above was pretty long term goals - so on the short side - I'd like someone who I can be myself with, to laugh and tell me they miss me. I'm patient and understanding but I would like to plan a visit within a few months. Voice calls when we can. Video chat even if possible. I want to feel like I'm desired and missed. I have a big heart with lots to give and while it can take time, I would like someone who appreciates it and can reflect it somewhat. Just like many women out there, I've been hurt a lot too. So I understand the need to ease into things. Take a month or two just laughing and slowly getting to know each other sure.
As for who I'm looking for - Well, I've always been more attracted to women who are smaller, petite to athletic. I like the idea of being my ladies big ole shield. I don't have any preference on race or ethnicity. I'm willing to learn traditions and things of other cultures of course, although I don't think I could ever swear to another religion (even though I'm not terribly religious and don't claim any particular one as it is). I don't much care about the past so long as it doesn't super effect our future. Most of us have made mistakes, or been through hell so I won't judge or pass up on someone who's trying their hardest to find their happiness. I'm open to working with someone who has trauma, whether it's the need to take things slow or to learn how to best love someone - for the right person, there is nothing I wouldn't do. Just because bad things happen to us, doesn't mean we don't deserve love. I hope for loyalty and pride in our relationship.
Anyways if you made it through all of this then - good on you, I'm incredibly surprised. Some times, you just feel the need to express things more deeply, and that's what I tried to do here. According to all the pretty colored lines that are riddled through my post, I'm awful at sentence structure so I'm sorry for that lol. I do hope that if you're interested you'll reach out and if not, I truly hope you find what you're looking for. Feel free to message me, i'll be around all weekend. The chat system works great for me, and if you're comfortable - share a photo! I'll send one back!
Take care!

If you can prevent it, do not rent from these greedy and shady assholes. This is a long post, but I want to share my experience and warn other renters out there about this place.
I needed somewhere to rent quickly, and in the city which I was moving to, the options were very slim. I have rented from several places and Kading Properties has been the shadiest and greediest BY FAR and I want other Iowans to be aware and not get taken advantage of.
I applied, paid the $45 non-refundable application fee. I was contacted via text and told a unit was available and asked if I would like to move forward with signing a lease. I wasn't offered to see the place first, which I thought was odd, but again I needed to rent somewhere quickly so I let that slide and replied that I would like to, yes. After accepting to move forward, I got a text that the unit was actually not available, the tenant decided to stay, and the offer was rescinded. You decide the kind of business practice/ethic it is to offer a unit to someone that isn't going to be readily available. They offered to either let me move into a unit in a different city (um, what?) or keep me on a waiting list. Again, I needed a place and slim pickings, so wtf choice did I really have? Be homeless? Sure, put me on your waiting list.
Surprisingly I was contacted a few days later and told another unit was available. After making sure that this unit was truly available, I moved forward with signing the lease. I read through the lease, thoroughly. I provided the proof they required of utilities being set-up in my name and trash service. What follows is really what gets under my skin about these shady fuckers.
I had to hook up everything prior to my move in date, meaning the trash receptacle was delivered and placed outside the garage. I kept it out there because everywhere else I've rented from, the trash receptacle was placed outside, near the garage. I thought literally nothing of it. Fast forward to paying my first month's rent via their online portal and I see a $50 trash bin violation fee. Wtf is this? I call them and get an Indian guy (now I'm convinced that they outsource their customer service because they're cheap) and he tells me that the trash bins need to be pulled into the garage after trash day. I told him I had no idea that was even a thing and asked for it to be waived. He basically said he would waive it this time but threatened that future violations would not be waived. THIS WAS LITERALLY THE FIRST TIME THIS HAD EVER BEEN DISCLOSED TO ME. Who tf does business like that besides shady mother fuckers who want to suck every nickel and dime out of you when you are already paying rent for a place not worth it. I will get back to that point in a minute.
Well fast forward another month and I log in to pay rent and there is another $50 violation fee, this time for non-patio furniture. I had put outdoor benches alongside the garage leading up to my front door. I had been so excited, too, because I had imagined placing planters on them, decorating for christmas, and they were just super cute. But apparently, my outdoor benches weren't "patio furniture" because I called again, got the same Indian guy and this time I'm told about a patio furniture policy and that the property manager marked them as not being allowable outdoor furniture. I asked where tf these policies are because they are not in the lease (I even had a friend read the lease and they didn't see any mention about policies and violation fees or even a hint about them) and again asked for the fee to be waived. This time I'm told about a web page on their website regarding their policies and he suggested I go and visit it. Nice to find this out after basically TWO MONTHS AND TWO VIOLATION FEES later. So this one was also waived, but again threatened future violations would not be. I asked to speak to a manager at this point because I need these policies explained to me, esp if OUTSIDE BENCHES aren't considered outdoor furniture, yet in the video there's huge wicker chairs, tables, and fucking loveseats. Never got a call back.
What's ironic about the whole outdoor furniture violation fee, is that they actually have patio decorating contests and give out gift cards to winners. Glad to see my rent is going to fucking contest gift cards and not into upgrading units because....
...back to the place not being worth the price. Rent was basically $1000/mo and there is no dishwasher, no garbage disposal, no automatic garage opener (my garage didn't even have a handle on it like others, which I asked to have replaced and never was). The water heater sucked -- I had to turn it all the way to the max for the water to be even hot. No central air so no furnace. It was baseboard heating and a one wall-unit AC for the whole place. Didn't come with blinds or curtain rods. If I didn't have my front door locked it would literally blow open on a windy day. I've rented from cheaper places in bigger cities with more amenities than this place offers.
Maintenance? Hardly. You are responsible for any plumbing issues, infestations, and fuck, I could literally go on and on, but I've bitched enough.
STAY AWAY FROM THESE GREEDY AND SHADY FUCKERS!!! DON'T RECOMMEND THEM TO ANYONE!!!
Oh, and just read about their lawsuit with the city of Indianola, which the city won thankfully. Indianola wins lawsuit filed by Kading Properties over development plan (desmoinesregister.com)
They don't give a shit about community as much as they advertise that they do. I know a lot of landlords/rental companies are greedy, but this place really tops the cake.