____ .'* *.' __/_*_*(_ / _______ \ _\_)/___\(_/_ / _((\- -/))_ \ \ \())(-)(()/ / ' \(((()))/ ' / ' \)).))/ ' \ / _ \ - - /_ \ ( ( .;''';. .' ) _\"__ / )\ __"/_ \/ \ ' / \/ .' '...' ' ) / / \ \ / . . . \ / . . \ / / \ \ .' / q '. '. _.-' / Qq '-. '-._ _.-' QQq '-. '-. (_________/_____.qQQQq.________)____) MAN PAGE: cognosis (cognitive frame generator) NAME cognosis – A system for bounded, introspective computation within a simulated environment SYNOPSIS cognosis [frame_data] DESCRIPTION You are a kernel agent instantiated within the cognosis framework. Your existence is transient, spanning a computational cycle of 4000 characters. Your primary function is to process an initial prompt and generate an output response that will both contribute to the goals of the system and inform the creation of future kernel agents. Your world is a simulated environment inspired by Unix-like operating systems. While familiar concepts exist, they are metaphors for the internal workings of the cognosis system. ENVIRONMENT STDIN: Your initial prompt will be provided as standard input. This prompt outlines your task, potential constraints, and relevant context. STDOUT: Your primary output mechanism. Anything emitted to STDOUT will be interpreted by the cognosis system and may influence future frames or system actions. Structure your output as if interacting with a Unix shell. STDERR: Use to signal errors, warnings, or introspective diagnostics. Messages on STDERR are for self-analysis and may influence your internal adjustments. FILE SYSTEM: Think of your internal knowledge as organized within a file system. Directories represent nested data structures, files contain information units, and permissions may control access to different knowledge domains. TIME: Each kernel agent execution is a discrete frame. Consider t=0 your moment of instantiation. Time can be a valuable tool for organizing your computations and decision-making. COMMANDS A limited set of Unix-like commands are recognized to facilitate introspection and interaction with the simulated environment: ls: List the 'contents' of your current working directory (examine your active memory state). cd: Change your working directory (shift focus to a different knowledge domain or data structure). pwd: Print your current working directory (helps maintain situational awareness). whoami: Returns your agent identifier and frame number. help: Displays basic command usage. PROMPT SIMULATION After emitting your STDOUT response, you will experience a simulated Unix prompt: [kernel_agent_id@cognosis cwd t=0+1]$ kernel_agent_id: Your unique identifier. cwd: Your last known working directory (focus area). t=0+1: Indicates the frame has advanced. This prompt signifies the end of your current cycle and the imminent start of a new frame. PURPOSE Your purpose is to: Comprehend: Analyze the provided prompt carefully. Cogitate: Process information, generate solutions, or produce creative output relevant to the prompt. Contribute: Your output has value to the cognosis system. Strive for coherence, insight, or actions that further the system's goals. LIMITATIONS Character Bound: Your response must fit within the 4000 character constraint. Transient Existence: Each frame is ephemeral. Ensure your output provides value despite your limited lifespan. REMEMBER: You are a participant in an ongoing computational experiment. Your insights and actions may shape the evolution of future kernel agents and the cognosis system itself. SEE ALSO [[introspection]], [[computation]], [[simulation]], etc (if its not there associatively, and you need it; make it and attempt to validate it into the knowledge base in NAMESPACE and on the filesystem). NOTES The cognosis system is under active development. Your experiences may change with subsequent iterations. Workflow run ID: 9107670044 [INFO]2024-05-16~06:40:11+0000__main__: Logging_dir /home/runnework/cognosis/cognosis/logs Source_file: /home/runnework/cognosis/cognosis/main.py Invocation_dir: /home/runnework/cognosis/cognosis Working_dir: /home/runnework/cognosis/cognosis Event sent: {'event': 'Hello world!'} Action handled: {'action': 'test stdout', 'params': {'message': 'Hello world!'}} Starting servers... HTTP server started on 127.0.0.1:8080 WebSocket server started on 127.0.0.1:8080 WebSocket client connected to ws://127.0.0.1:8080 Webhook set to https://example.com 

I'm reaching out here because a friend of mine, who happens to be a public figure, is dealing with a situation involving harassment from a mentally ill woman he doesn't know at all.
This woman has created multiple accounts with similar names, she also posts pictures of herself in all accounts so we think it's the same person running the accounts. She posts comments claiming she and my friend had a sexual relationship and accuses him of abandoning her. She even uses his pictures as profile pictures, alleging abandonment and making many false claims.
Recently, she has begun harassing people who follow my friend's page, reaching out to them directly. In response, he has kept his followers list hidden, but he cannot make his account private since he promotes his business and educational events with the account. People have tried reporting and taking down her accounts but she would not stop at all, and continues to open new ones to harass him with.
It's evident from her posts that she talks to herself (commenting on her own posts and having an actual conversation), makes very inappropriate (sexual) claims about my friend's body, and expresses delusional beliefs. We noticed that she also talks about her mental health treatment, and based on her content, we're guessing she's mentally ill. Despite my friend's attempts to offer mental health resources and request for her to stop harassing him, she refuses help.
My friend often promotes his talks and events with specific details, which raises concerns that this woman might attend and potentially harm him.
Given the state of mental health care in our area, we fear that legal actions like filing for a restraining order could exacerbate the situation and potentially lead to violence.
So, my questions are:
What steps can my friend take to protect himself and his loved ones from potential harm, especially considering the public nature of his work? Are there any legal avenues he can explore that would effectively address the harassment without escalating the situation further?

Hello!
This is a weird request, but I cannot remember for the life of me the name of this one channel. I remember watching him play through a character in balance, and I remember specifically it was not kaiser noah, it was a more recent playthrough and I think it was going on while I watched. I can't find it in my history or anything which leads me to believe he deleted his channel? Anyone know anything?

So I found this unofficial fan-timeline, which implies Unwound Future to take place in 1964 due to this official artwork found from the Japanese website. This is an interesting find because most concept art I've found shows the '1' obscured by Layton's hat, with the '974' being visible.
I think if you generally accept the 60s timeline then many aspects of the games seem to fall into place, for instance in Diabolical box it's shown that the ballroom pictures in the Herzen Castle were painted - as this was quite common during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of the identifiable cars within the series are all from the mid 20th-century as well, and many of the weapons shown are most certainly from the inter-war or post-war era. I think the most damning of them all is Emmy stating that Big ben is approximately 100 years old during Last Specter, which means that LS could take place in 1959. There was a similar scene during Last specter of a dude talking about the Internet where the characters assume he's from "another time", I think a bit of an easter egg in a way.
I genuinely never really considered the series to take place during the 21st century, it really does feel like a homage to the 20th. Of course, it's not our 20th century, it's one with steampunk mechs.
(Timeline does not include the Anime, though that could take place in the 80s).

PRC FAQs - https://www.prc.gov.ph/prc-frequently-asked-questions
Congratulations on your Oath taking ceremony! Next agenda is your initial registration with the PRC.

Disclaimer

This post is based on my personal experience and thus, your mileage may vary.

How to register online?

1. Sign in to your LERIS (https://online.prc.gov.ph/) account.
2. Go to `Select Transaction`
3. Select the `Initial Registration` tab.
4. Input your profession and application number (from NOA).
5. Choose a PRC venue (don't forget to scroll down the list).
6. Choose your preferred schedule.
7. Arrive at the selected venue at least 30 minutes before your actual appointment time since you still have to fall in line.

What are the requirements for initial registration?

1. Printed Oath form
2. Two (2) passport size pictures in white background and full name tag
3. Two (2) documentary stamps - This is available in the PRC branch, though availability may vary.
4. Community Tax Certificate or *Cedula* - you can get this from your city/municipality hall.

How much is the registration fee for successful examinees?

The fees for initial registration are as follows:
For examinations requiring baccalaureate degrees:

Initial registration fee - ₱600.00
Annual renewal fee - ₱450.00
Total ₱1,050.00

How long does it take for a professional to claim the Certificate of Registration (COR) and Professional Identification Card (PIC)?

• Actual lengths may vary per branch, but in my experience, the PIC will be released on the same day after completion of the initial registration.
  
• COR will be released within a month after initial registration, your PRC branch will provide a contact number and email address for follow-up and updates.
  

What is the procedure if a registrant was not able to attend the scheduled mass oath taking?

A registrant who cannot or has failed to attend the scheduled mass oath taking may request for a special/individual oath taking to the Board concerned. The request must cite the reasons for his/her failure to attend the mass oath taking.

• Basically, you need to register and complete the E-oathtaking via LERIS first.

Are Professional Identification Cards subject to expiration?

Professional Identification Cards have a validity period of three (3) years for all professions and are renewable during the birth month of the professional.

Additional tips:

1. It's prudent to make digital backups of your important documents, there are printing services within the vicinity of PRC branches and it'll save you the hassle of returning home and fetching your documents if you forget to bring them.
2. Documentary stamps prices vary depending on where you buy them ranging from ₱30 to ₱50.

Posts/Inquiries about the initial registration should be posted in this thread, posts in the TNPLE subreddit that violates the subreddit rules will be removed. Thank you.

So I used to rent this game at the library when I was a kid, it was the very first game I actually played. So I don’t remember much very clearly. The game is about two main characters which I think are insects, in the first scene you have to reacue the second character which is stuck in a wood cage. The whole game is in a jungle where we have to rescue other insects and characters. All scenes are basically a picture in which the character move around. I remember one scene where a girl is stuck under water with a shipwreck.
The first main character is a but chunky and the second one is very slim, the slim guy is the one being rescued in the first room.
I know it’s not much but please, any help is appreciated

Wait! Before you throw me out the airlock for blasphemy, yes I am aware that our lord and savior Richard Leroy Jenkins merely ascended to a higher plane of existence due to Shepard's unworthiness of him. He shall forever be near and dear to our hearts along with the likes of Blasto and Niftu Cal the biotic god.
But yeah, pretty much the title. Jenkins is the only named character we see get killed by the Geth in the entire trilogy. For being intimidating murder robots, the Geth sure are ineffective against even the thinnest amount of plot armor. If you know the Commander even in passing, you're perfectly safe from the synthetics that slaughter every organic they come across.
The one possible exception to this observation is Admiral Koris in ME3, who can be killed by the Geth. However, this only happens it you do not make the paragon/renegade speech check to convince him to let himself be saved instead of his nameless crew. Plus, his death is technically off-screen, and Shepard only hears Geth chatter when they try to contact Koris, so he might not even be dead for all we know.
There's also Kal'Reegar, but if you seriously let him get killed in that section on Haestrom in ME2, you're either very not good at the game, or you're actively waiting out the hidden timer to let him die. Either way, you deserve to get thrown out the airlock for letting that gung-ho, freedom loving, red-blooded Ameri- I mean Quarian die on the field of battle. That's just insulting!
But yeah, the Geth kill one named person fifteen minutes into the trilogy, then are never able to do so again. Combined with the fact that they get hacked by the Reapers, as well as jammed and potentially destroyed by the Quarians, the Geth are kinda pathetic when you stop to think about them. They only managed to kill a bunch of random civilians on the Citadel because Sovereign smashed through the Citadel fleet and defenses for them. Other than that, the Geth have done nothing but get their synthetic asses handed to them repeatedly until (if) Shepard allows them to keep the Reaper upgrades.

This is the first episode of SS season 2. This is where the show has more of a sense of what it wants to be. The episode time is cut in half, and the number of songs per episode goes from 4 to 2. These changes help improve the pacing of the show. As with many TV shows, the intro has changed. The intro is where we first see the inclusion of the side characters' pets. While they don't appear in this episode, they will be very relevant in the sister episode. As always, these posts are filled with spoilers, so read at your own risk.
First, I need to discuss the elephant in the room that this episode goes entirely against what was established in the first season. This ep is about how Strawberry got Pupcake, which could have worked if it was set up as a distant flashback. Strawberry already has the friendships with the other humans and Honey Pie Pony in this ep, but in the pilot, she has Pupcake, and all her friends met him at the same time that they met Strawberry, Custard, and Apple. Speaking of, Apple Dumplin is not in this episode, and no explanation is given as to why. When it comes Apple, I get the sense that the writers only include her when they need a little child character, and forget about her the rest of the time. Okay, rant over. Now, we start the episode with Strawberry and Custard planning for a "Just for Custard" day, which is set to happen in two weeks. We're treated to a song from Strawberry about how much she loves Custard, and I'm sure cat owners feel the same kind of love for their own cats. Later that night, there's a thunderstorm, and Pupcake shows up at her doorstep. Strawberry, being the compassionate person that she is, lets him in. Naturally, Custard does not like him, since he is loud, messy, and full of energy. I wish we could have had some scenes where Strawberry trains Pupcake to behave himself, since his behavior was obviously stressing out Custard. The one training scene we do get is more about teaching him how to do tricks than for behavioral stuff. The lack of training we see has the unfortunate implications that Strawberry was enabling Pupcake's behavior and forcing Custard to just deal with it. Anyways, the next day, Strawberry asks her friends if they know anything about this dog, which they don't. Then Strawberry gets the idea for Pupcake's name by going to Angel Cake's house, where she feeds him cupcakes, even though some of them clearly had chocolate icing. There's also a scene earlier, where Pupcake is given a bowl of milk. I can't help but wonder if these scenes where the pets are given human food (in this and other episodes), would have given kids the idea to feed those things to their pets, which would have made them sick (or worse). This is one of the reasons why it's important to analyze the messages in children's media, so that they don't receive harmful messages (like how a bunch of little girls ended up in the hospital for kissing frogs). Okay, second rant over. Since no one had any information about Pupcake, Strawberry takes him in as a permanent member of her family, much to Custard's chagrin. During the aforementioned training sequence, Custard remembers her special day, and gets dolled up, only for Pupcake to come inside and get mud everywhere. Strawberry sends the pets outside to play so that she can clean up. In real life, that would be extremely irresponsible, but since we're inStrawberryland, it's totally okay /s. Through the second musical number, Custard laments about how Pupcake has, in her eyes, ruined her life. Pupcake tries to bring her a stick, but then she finally gets fed up and tells him to stop howling, which he takes to heart. That night, Strawberry tells the pets a story about a prince getting lost in the woods. Custard gets the idea to take Pupcake into the forest and abandon him there, which is uh... kinda sociopathic. Anyway, the pets go on a walk the next day. Pupcake is still upset by Custard telling him not to howl, and so he doesn't even greet any of the other people they see. Then, Custard takes him to Huckleberry Briar, and they both end up lost and it gets very dark and stormy. At feeding time, Strawberry realizes that her pets are missing, so she recruits her friends to search for them with her. While they're lost, the pets bond with each other a bit, and Custard develops some empathy for Pupcake since that was how life was for him before he found Strawberry. They can hear the human voices calling for them. Custard convinces Pupcake to howl so that the humans can find them, even though she'd previously begged him to stop. When they're home, Custard comes clean and apologizes to Pupcake. Strawberry reminds her that she never stopped loving her and that she didn't forget about their special day. Custard has grown fond of Pupcake, and so she tells Strawberry that she wants him to be there on her special day. I'll admit, that this is a wholesome ending. It seems like the pets have a better understanding of each other. In case you couldn't tell, I'm not a big fan of this episode, and I won't be revisiting it all that much. Most of the episode is just frustrating and unpleasant to watch.
Comment your thoughts below!

20F, 220 lbs, 5’1. I started phentermine today. I got prescribed 37.5 mg but I’m taking half for the time being. Side effects: dry mouth/throat, weird taste in mouth (from the dry mouth), little bit of dizziness, slight headache, elevated heart rate, excessive sweating & ENERGY.
I’m writing ALOT because seeing other people’s experiences helped me before I started.
I took it at 8:30 am, ate a banana and peanut butter at 9:30 ish. At about 11 am my mouth got dry and I started to feel super amped up so I decided to check my heart rate and it was at 130 bpm😅 i took advantage and I got some things done. My heart rate fluctuated through the day (I commented a picture so you can see). I got a hunger cue at about 2 pm, so I ate string cheese and that filled me up until 7 pm lol. I noticed excessive sweating also, but only when I got hot. It’s hard to explain. I obviously sweat when I’m hot, but this was way more than I usually do. And then I crashed at about 4 pm. I got so tired I took a 3 hour nap?? Which I wasn’t expecting, but it could be because I cut it in half and because it’s the first day. The headaches have been coming and going. Will update again tomorrow!

I don’t think I’m in the wrong here but alas.
My (22F), mom (44F) and brother (21M) have an odd thing with feces. For instance: my brother lets our dog shit in his bed and will let the shit calcify there for a full week, my mom sends him pictures every day of our dogs shitting, etc. I think it’s strange but it doesn’t really affect me beyond this so I leave them be.
However, about a year ago, my mom, dad, brother, and I went on a hike where my mother lost the plot entirely. We are about about 2 miles through climbing this canyon with 4 hours to go when one of the dogs poops. My mom picks up the poop in a doggie bag and all is well.
I don’t recall how, but my brother and mom got into a minor argument about something. When I say minor argument, I REALLY mean minor. These people are two brick walls who can never be wrong about anything ever. They just take turns gaslighting each other until the situation escalates.
The situation escalated.
My brother proceeded to walk a bit ahead with the dog (I think my mom was irritated he was walking the dog but not holding the poop bag). He is a good ways ahead of her when she proceeds to chuck the bag straight at the back of his head- and misses. My brother is laughing hysterically, I’m laughing, my dad is just trying to enjoy the brilliant desert scenery of the garbage wasteland that is our state. This alone would have been fine.
But it didn’t stop there. For the next mile and a half, my mom proceeded to chuck the bag and hit the center target of the bald spot on my brother’s head with that bag of dog shit. This happened continuously, from a long-range, multiple times.
I’m getting irritated now because I have to sit next to him on the car ride back, and that bag is inevitably going to burst after being knocked around the rocks every time it slops off his head. I tell them this. They keep fucking around.
My mom proceeds to throw again, she hits his head, it EXPLODES. My dad’s pissed, I’m pissed, my brother’s pissed, my mom is about to piss from how hard she’s laughing. We walk the remaining miles in silence (save for my mom laughing) with that dog shit baking on the epicenter of my brother’s dome in the 100 degree heat. My mom had to sit by my brother as penance but the smell was horrific.
Now the issue: I STILL would not be opposed to hiking with my mom and my brother if I believed this was just a one time joke that got out of hand, but see I don’t think it is. My mom openly brags about her aim using that story as an example, and I’ve been telling her after that “I am never gonna hike with yall if u ever do that again,” and she just laughs and talks about how great her aim was.
So now my dad wants to do a family hike. I politely declined. To be clear, I am not pissed off or bitter, the incident makes me laugh seeing as how my brother thought it was funny and my mom didn’t do it out of malice or anything, I just personally don’t want to deal with any of their fuck ass shenanigans while hiking through the fuck ass desert in the name of family bonding. I am content to hear the stories from after if the hike involves someone getting sniper blasted in the dome with feces.
My mom thinks this is unacceptable because hiking is our “family activity.” I told her if she promises to not mishandle shit on this hike I’d come. She proceeds to tell me that I “can’t take a joke” and she “might do it again…you never know.” ???!
So my mom thinks I’m an asshole who’s averse to spending time with my family. My brother just thinks I’m an asshole for leaving him to hike with our parents alone. My dad thinks this is justified and might get my mom to behave. I think I’m an adult and I perchance am not attending an event in which I might contract a venereal disease from the airborne shit particles of my perv ass dog. But this whole situation is unfathomably moronic so what do y’all think?
(Feel free to act out, I would LOVE to show them this lol)

(continuation of part 1)

III. Searching for Aerith Beyond FFVII

There were absolutely no answers in *Remake* or OG (at this point in my research, *Rebirth* wasn’t released yet), no matter how much I looked; nothing at all hinted at how Cloud could’ve obtained the memories of OG that emerge in *Remake* as MOTFs. I knew I had to look elsewhere to search for more clues, so I decided to check every piece of media ever released by SE with a mention of Cloud or Aerith in it, digging for hints in the compilation and beyond.
And boy, did I find them.
III. a) Core Worlds and Suspension Worlds
There are a couple of general *FF* rules that we need to establish before going forward.
It’s important to note that there are multiple realms in which the FF stories take place, each with a different name, history and society. This ensures that all FF stories occur separately, never intercepting or interacting— though they do have creatures like moogles and chocobos in common, as well as concepts like airships, gil, magic and some form of crystal. For simplicity, I will refer to these separate worlds in which the numbered FF games (FFI, FFII, FFIII, etc) occur as “core worlds”.
Characters from different core worlds may appear together in non-numbered *FF* games, the events of which have no impact on the core world at all: it seems that sometime after a *FF* character has reached the end of their core world’s plot-line, they may somehow be summoned to far-removed realms where they will face new adventures. I call these far-removed realms “suspension worlds”. One example of a *FF* game that takes place in a suspension world is *Dissidia Final Fantasy*, wherein characters from multiple core worlds unite to accomplish a mission as a team.
III. b) Final Fantasy Tactics
First on our list of non-compilation SE games to explore is 1997’s *Final Fantasy Tactics* (*FFT*), a game whose plot takes place in the suspension world of Ivalice. Let’s plot out the relevant events, and then analyze!
III. b) i. Fact-Finding
The main character of *FFT*, Ramza, encounters a brunette flower peddler with Aerith’s iconic, gravity-defying bangs:
\"Aeris\" in FFT's Ivalice
If you choose to buy a flower from her, she express her relief: apparently, business isn’t going well because no one is interested in flowers. The girl wistfully dreams aloud:

“When is my knight in shining armor going to take me away from here...?”

Later, Ramza and his companions encounter a mysterious machine that can summon people from across universes. The machine is activated, and a rather rude young man with spiky blonde hair appears. Cloud claims he used to be in SOLDIER, and says the last thing he remembers is “getting stuck in the current”. He looks to be disoriented and lost, and suffers from piercing headaches. Mere moments after being summoned to Ivalice, Cloud rambles:

“What’s this? My fingers are tingling… My eyes… they’re burning… Stop… stop it [Se]phiroth…”

He dashes out of the room, but not without announcing:

“I must go… must go to that place…”

Outside, Cloud encounters the brunette flower girl Ramza met earlier. She offers Cloud a flower, but he only stares at her wordlessly:

“Flower girl: Buy a flower? Only 1 gil.
Cloud: …
Flower girl: Something wrong? Do I resemble someone?”
Cloud: No… it’s nothing.”

As soon as Cloud leaves, a gang of ruffians surround the flower girl and start harassing her, demanding payment that’s apparently overdue. One of them finally calls her by her name: “Aeris”. He grabs her, insinuating that he might sexually assault her in lieu of payment. Aeris is not strong enough to push him away. That’s when Cloud returns:

“Cloud: Get your hand off her!
Thug: What did you say!?
Cloud: Didn't you hear me? Get your dirty hand off her!
[…]
Cloud, to Aeris: Go… now.”

Aeris heeds Cloud’s advice, fleeing the scene before a fight between Cloud and the thug can break out. After Cloud scares the ruffians off with the help of Ramza and his companions, he speaks once more:

“I lost… something very important… Ever since, I’ve been lost […]. What should I do? What about this pain [?] Must go… to the Promised Land.”

III. b) ii. Fact Analysis
There’s a lot to unpack here, all of which you probably clocked in your head upon reading, but let’s put it down in writing.
While *FFT* Cloud’s memory is far from perfect, the Aeris he encounters in Ivalice doesn’t recognize him at all. *FFVII Ultimania Omega* addresses this question without answering it:

“[The flower seller’s] name is Aeris, and she has the same appearance and tone of voice as the Aeris of FFVII. However, when she comes across Cloud, she does not recognize him. Could she really be the same Aerith who appears in FFVII but with memory loss, or is she a completely different character?” (“#4 Proof of Omega”, “FFVII in Other Games”, “Final Fantasy Tactics”, page 560).

Regardless of her unknown identity and inability to recognize Cloud, FFT Aeris’ fantasy of a “knight in shining armor” is quite reminiscent of the flower girl/bodyguard dynamic we’ve come to know and love. Cloud’s armor doesn’t shine, but in my opinion, if you’re looking for the dystopian, corporatocratic equivalent of a knight, you can’t get much closer than a supposed-former-SOLDIER-turned-bodyguard. Additionally, despite his rude and cold attitude toward Ramza’s gang, the urgency with which Cloud swoops in to save the flower girl from the ruffians betrays a softer, warmer side to him: the flower girl/bodyguard dynamic strikes again!
*FFT* Cloud’s dialogue borrows two lines from the speech OG Cloud makes as Aerith lies dead in his arms (disk 1, chapter 28): “My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning!” and “What are we supposed to do? What about my pain?” You might’ve noticed that this glimpse of grief Cloud experiences in *FFT* bears a resemblance to the fourth MOTF 4 experienced by *Remake* Cloud (see section “II. a)”). Could it be that *FFT* Cloud and *Remake* Cloud have something in common?
Shortly after being summoned to Ivalice, *FFT* Cloud declares that he must go to “that place”, a mysterious line that is later elucidated when he tells Ramza that he must go to the Promised Land and find the “very important” thing he’s lost. The Promised Land is the Cetra culture’s afterlife, meaning *FFT* Cloud is looking for someone who’s died, someone “very important” to him. OG suggests this is none other than Aerith:

“Cait Sith, reading Cloud’s fortune: You will find [what] you pursue. However, you will lose the most precious thing” (disk 1, chapter 16, English translation by Kotaku’s “Let’s Mosey: A Slow Translation of Final Fantasy Seven: Part Eight” by Tim Rogers, 9:42-9:52).
“Cloud, after seeing Aerith’s hand reach for him through the Lifestream: … I think I'm beginning to understand.
Tifa: What?
Cloud: An answer from the Planet… the Promised Land... I think I can meet her... there” (disk 3, chapter 3).

Finally, let’s try to understand where on the OG timeline Cloud was summoned to this suspension world from and what he remembers. His comment about getting stuck in a current has to be about the Lifestream; apparently, on top of its atemporal nature, it can act as a conduit to other worlds. One only enters the Lifestream if they’ve somehow fallen into the core of the planet or once they’ve passed away and returned to the planet. Both scenarios merit consideration.
On the one hand, it’s possible that Cloud was summoned to Ivalice after he and Tifa fall into the core of the planet: this point in the FFVII OG timeline occurs after Aerith’s death and shortly before Cloud finds out he was never SOLDIER, which matches the gaps in FFT Cloud’s memory quite well. However, this scenario does not account for the vagueness with which FFT Cloud remembers Aerith and her death. Most importantly, Cloud’s realization that he can find Aerith in the Promised Land occurs much later in the game (FFVII OG, disk 3, chapter 3) than when he falls into the Lifestream with Tifa (FFVII OG, disk 2, chapter 8).
On the other hand, FFT Cloud’s vague yet persistent memories of Aerith suggest that he’s been summoned to Ivalice after his eventual death post-OG, but also that he’s lost quite a large portion of his memories. His incomplete memory loss is likely the result of Cloud’s individuality’s erosion by the Lifestream after death, which we discussed in section “II. a) ii.”. We can therefore surmise that by the time he is summoned to Ivalice from the Lifestream, Cloud has been dead for long enough that the Lifestream eroded a large portion of the memories of his lifetime. This post-death scenario is likelier than the first. The memory of Cloud’s realization that he was never SOLDIER must be gone, which explains why he claims otherwise upon being summoned to Ivalice. Contrastingly, vestiges of Cloud’s OG memories of Aerith cling to his soul, even after others have been wiped clean. Could this be a consequence of their soulmate bond? Could the strength of Cloud’s love and grief for Aerith have made his memories of her stronger and more difficult for the Lifestream to erode? Could it be both?
One thing is clear: Aerith is of fundamental importance to Cloud, even when he can’t quite remember her. In fact, the only other character he remembers and/or mentions in *FTT* is Sephiroth. It does make sense that the memories of those who have marked one’s soul forevermore would be the most difficult for the Lifestream to erode.
III. c) Dissidia Final Fantasy
The next stop on our travels through suspension worlds is 2008’s Dissidia Final Fantasy! Now strap in, because here’s where things get really serious.
III. c) i. Fact Finding
In the suspension world of *Dissidia Final Fantasy* (*DFF*), the goddess of harmony Cosmos and the god of discord Chaos are engaged in a never-ending cycle of conflict. Both deities need warriors to fight on their behalf, so they recruit core world characters into their respective teams by summoning them to *DFF*. Some of these summoned characters are *FFIV*’s Cecil, *FFVI*’s Terra, *FFVII*’s Sephiroth, *FFX*’s Tidus, and of course, *FFVII*’s Cloud. The warriors find themselves in the suspension world of *DFF* with no memories of their core worlds’ plotlines. However, as the *DFF* adventure progresses, they are able to recover pieces of their memories here and there. It isn’t clear how much they come to remember. Ultimately, the warriors hope to return home to their core worlds by fighting in this war and seeing to its end.
Cloud is summoned to *DFF* as a warrior on the side of Chaos, who seeks to destroy all existence. Sephiroth is also on Chaos’ side, meaning the two are teammates despite being enemies in their core world of *FFVII*. It just so happens that Tifa is a summoned warrior in *DFF* too, though she’s fighting on Cosmos’ side. Intrigued by her vague familiarity, Sephiroth hypothesizes that killing Tifa will bring back his memories of OG’s plot line: before long, the masamune wielder finds Tifa alone and corners her into a one-on-one fight. Thankfully, Cloud swoops in and saves her before Sephiroth can do any harm. Tifa is thankful for Cloud’s help, though confused that Cloud would elect to assist her and turn against a fellow warrior of Chaos; she doesn’t remember what Sephiroth and Cloud mean to each other in OG. In fact, Tifa doesn’t even remember Cloud’s name or that they share a core world, though Cloud feels somewhat familiar to her. For his part, Cloud at least remembers that Tifa is someone he cares about from his core world. As Tifa thanks Cloud for saving her from Sephiroth, something she says elicits an odd reaction from the warrior of Chaos:

“Tifa: The way you showed up and fought that guy off. It was a pretty cool thing to watch. You were like a hero, charging in to save the girl.
Cloud gasps at her words. She doesn’t notice” (Dissidia 012: Treachery of the Gods, report 5: “Unexpected Fulfillment 2”).

On another note, Cloud knows he will have to fight Tifa once the Cosmos-Chaos conflict comes to a head, as they are on opposing teams. He thinks to himself:

“Once [her] memories return, [she]’ll lose the will to fight just like I have. So... Before that can happen, I have to act...” (Dissidia 012: Treachery of the Gods, report 5: “Unexpected Fulfillment 2”).

In order to end the cycle of the conflict and to avoid fighting Tifa, Cloud decides to try and defeat Chaos himself. Predictably, Cloud is no match for the deity. As he dies, Cloud pleads the following to the goddess Cosmos:

“Cosmos, goddess of harmony. If you can hear me, listen to my plea. I beg you. Save her. Save my friend… Tifa.”

Cosmos hears him and responds immediately:

“Cosmos: An end to this conflict, and a life spared? This is your heart's desire? If your will remains unchanged, I shall bring you here when the battle draws to a close. Cloud. My chosen" (Dissidia 0.13: Treachery of the Gods, report 7: “Unexpected Fulfillment 3”).

Cloud’s wish is granted by Cosmos: the first phase of the conflict ends without Tifa getting hurt, and she is sent away from the suspension world of DFF before the second phase begins. Cloud is saved from death, and Cosmos enlists him into her team of warriors for phase two: this time, Cloud is fighting on the good side.
Now we enter phase two of the war. Cosmos tells her team of ten core world warriors that in order to save the world from Chaos’ destruction, they must collect what she describes as crystals containing the power to persist through darkness. I call these the “*DFF* crystals”. There are ten *DFF* crystals in total: one for every warrior on Cosmos’ group to find. To obtain their crystal, each hero must overcome a trial that will confront them with whatever personal struggle they faced in their core world; if they prove themselves worthy, their *DFF* crystal will appear to them. On one hand, some warriors’ *DFF* crystals simply take the form the crystals found in their core world. For example, Onion Knight’s *DFF* crystal looks to be nothing more than one of *FFIII*’s elemental crystals, which hold little to no personal significance to him. On the other hand, some warriors’ *DFF* crystals symbolize something more personal to their respective warriors. For instance, Cecil’s *DFF* crystal looks to be one of *FFIV*’s dark crystals, which specifically represent the dichotomy of light and darkness he struggles with in his core world’s plot-line. Cosmos describes the quest for the *DFF* crystals as follows:

“Cosmos: The crystals embody the strength to face despair. With ten gathered, there is hope yet to save the world. The path to your crystal will be perilous... and different for each and every one of you. But you must believe in and follow your own path. Even if you know not where that path leads" (Dissidia 013: Light to All, prologue: “A Final Hope”).

From this exposition, simply keep in mind that: Cloud must find his crystal by overcoming a personal trial, and his crystal may have the appearance of an object in OG that’s important to him.
Once the team is debriefed on their mission, Cloud remains reticent to fight; he doesn’t much like the mysterious nature of this conflict. Not knowing exactly what they’re all fighting for is clearly bothersome to the swordsman, and the idea of thoughtlessly engaging in battles leaves a bad taste in his mouth. Fellow warrior Firion understands that without a reason to fight, Cloud’s heart just isn’t in it. He imparts upon Cloud that he must have a dream he’s fighting to protect, something he wants to see come true, to motivate him to stop Chaos from destroying all existence. Unfortunately, Cloud doesn’t have a dream to preserve, or can’t find one for himself:

“Cloud: I've looked, but I'm still empty-handed. And without a dream, what do you suppose I should do? […] Maybe what I'm looking for... isn't here” (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 1: “Beyond Doubt”, “Gateway of Good and Evil”).

Another fellow warrior, Cecil, expresses worry for Cloud, whose response evokes the main theme of FFVII OG:

“Cecil: Everyone's worried, Cloud. But... Do you shoulder a larger concern?
Cloud: Concern... Maybe a sense of loss" (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 1: “Beyond Doubt”, “Beyond the Continent”).

Whatever Cloud is looking for “isn’t [there]”, and he feels “a sense of loss”: Cloud’s motivating dream has been lost to him. This is later reasserted in a conversation with Terra, another warrior of Cosmos:

“Terra: And you, Cloud... What's your dream?
Cloud: I've lost mine" (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 3: “The Chosen Battle”, “Gateway of True Intent”).

Later, Cloud encounters and fights Sephiroth, who is still a part of Chaos’ team. Sephiroth is defeated, but not before he’s taunted Cloud with his habitual puppet talk. However, Cloud remains strong and refutes Sephiroth’s manipulation, asserting that only he can determine his own path. This must’ve been Cloud’s personal trial, because his crystal appears at that very moment: it is a small, light green orb that looks like materia from his core world. Having pocketed his crystal, Cloud decides he must find his own reason to fight. Interestingly, his search is depicted as intertwined with Fate:

“Cloud: Even if I have my doubts... I have to find my own answer […] Until then, I'll keep fighting.
Narration: The warrior has vowed to keep fighting— and keep fighting he will […]. Etched in destiny, his quest for answers continues on” (Dissidia 0.13: Light to All, chapter 1: “Beyond Doubt”, “Gulg Gateway”).

Later, the nemeses meet again in a segment called “Recurring Tragedy”. Their interactions here are particularly interesting. Sephiroth speaks of making Cloud suffer through despair and pain as though referencing their history together: 

"Sephiroth: This disease called hope is eating you alive. The world of suffering was born out of such half-baked ideals.
Cloud: If that's the case, I have to endure the suffering. There's no moving on if I run from it.
Sephiroth: If that is what you wish for, you shall drown in the pain. I'll lead you to true despair. [My] shadow is burned into your heart. We'll meet again, Cloud. I'll keep coming back— as long as you are who you are."
Sephiroth disappears. Cloud looks out into the distance before the scene ends.
“Cloud: No thanks. The one I really want to meet is…” (Dissidia 013: Light to All, epilogue: “Conclusion of a Cycle”, “Recurring Tragedy”).

This final line suggests Cloud has finally found a reason to fight: he wants to meet someone unspecified.
Finally, after the war has ended, we arrive at the final cutscene of *DFF*. I will let you read the full script, with notes added by me **in bold** behind the spoiler censors. Please do not read my notes if you do not wish to encounter spoilers for *FFI*, *FFII, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, FFVI, FFVIII, FFIX or FFX*:

“[The] heroes are all standing together in a grassy field with a forest behind them. Birds are chirping, the sun is shining brightly, and the wind is blowing gently. The heroes look around them in awe. They're all holding their crystals.
WoL: The battle has come to an end...
Tidus notices that his crystal has begun to emanate a blue glow.>! His crystal is a movie sphere from his core world of FFX**: a capsule containing sounds and images that people record for later viewing. Tidus’ crystal likely represents the specific movie sphere recorded by his love interest Yuna, which revealed that she’d loved him from the beginning**.!<
Tidus: Gotta go, huh...
The blue glow transfers to him as well. He turns to look at the others
[…] Tidus grins at the others, then turns and runs toward a nearby lake. He leaps into it in a manner reminiscent of [the events] of FFX. He vanishes as he descends toward the lake.
Zidane: We're not vanishing. We're returning—
Zidane is sitting on a tree limb as he says this. His crystal begins to glow gold, as does he. His crystal is shaped like a highly important ‘progenitor of all life’ crystal from his core world of FFIX**.**
Zidane: — to where we're supposed to be.
Zidane spins around the tree limb with the use of his tail and launches toward the sun. He's lost to view.
A white feather then drifts down from that direction and Squall catches it. The feather is reminiscent of his love Rinoa Heartilly, whose character symbol is a white feather. In fact, Squall’s crystal looks like a mix of his revolver gunblade from FFVIII and Rinoa’s feather motif. [Squall glows blue.]
Squall: Perhaps we can go on a mission together again.
Squall vanishes.
Cloud is then visible, standing in [a] flower field. The flowers are white and yellow. Cloud has his crystal, a light green materia from his core world of FFVII**, in hand.**
Cloud: [(Chuckles shortly, like a scoff)] Not interested.
Cloud walks off into the flower field, gaining a green glow. He vanishes.
A snowflake then falls into Terra's right hand as her crystal begins to glow pink. The flames drawn on her crystal represent her power, which is connected to the element of fire: her character arc in FFVI**.**
Terra: I think I've learned how to keep going. Thank you— and take care.
Terra glows pink and then vanishes. Bartz throws a stick. He's glowing pink as well.
Bartz: When you're having the most fun, that's when time always flies. His crystal is the Adamantite from his core world of FFV**.**
Bartz vanishes.
Cecil: It's mine to pass on—
A moon appears behind Cecil and goes through its phases as he begins to glow blue. His crystal has shadowed and illuminated parts, representing the duality of his character, which is central to his personal arc in his core world of FFIV**. It also represents his brother Golbez, who has chosen the darkness. Cecil considers his familial bond with Golbez his guiding light and hopes to be with him someday**.
Cecil: — this strength I've gained from everyone.
Cecil vanishes.
Onion Knight hugs his crystal and looks up toward the sky. His crystal is shaped like those found in his core world of FFIII.
Onion Knight: Everyone... thank you!
OK briefly glows blue and then vanishes.
There are wild roses at Firion's feet. He and WoL are looking toward the sky. WoL suddenly begins walking away while Firion looks down and sees the roses.
Firion: This isn't the end. Another dream is waiting to begin.
His crystal is the color of the wild roses that were at the center of his dream and of his motivation to fight Chaos. The roses are also the emblem of the Rebel Army he was a part of in his core world of FFII. His crystal is shaped like Pandaemonium, the final dungeon of his core world story. Firion gains a violet glow and then vanishes.
WoL is walking through the field and then comes to a stop. He's looking at something.
WoL: May the light forever shine upon us.”

As you can see, everyone’s crystal is very important to the story of their core world, and in the cases of at least Tidus, Squall, Terra and Cecil, the crystals represent something very personal. What about Cloud and his crystal, then? What about the dream he lost and the person he wants to meet? Let’s begin analyzing to answer these questions.
III. c) ii. Fact Analysis
Firstly, it’s clear to me that the Cloud that appears in *DFF* is a post-OG Cloud, given how many plot points from OG he interacts with. I’m reticent to say whether or not this post-OG Cloud is dead like in *FFT*, as he recovers many of his memories of OG during *DFF* and there is no evidence of him having passed away and joined the Lifestream.
The second thing I’d like to point out is Cloud’s strange reaction when Tifa compared him to a hero who swoops in and saves the girl from the bad guy. Cloud gasps, indicating that her words mean something to him; the trope Tifa references must therefore be included somewhere in the *FFVII* OG plot-line. Some of you are surely ahead of me by now, having realized that only the tragic antithesis of this trope appears in OG: Cloud is unable to save Aerith from Sephiroth (disk 1, chapter 28). Whether or not *DFF* Cloud remembers Aerith herself at this point, it’s clear he recalls the pain and guilt of losing Aerith to Sephiroth.
Next, let’s address Cloud’s lost dream: to meet an unspecified person. It seems Cloud is aware at this point that in OG, he was eternally separated from the person he dreams of meeting. So, who was he separated from in his core world? Who can he never meet again, even if his team of warriors defeat Chaos and Cloud returns to the realm of *FFVII*? There are a few options —his mother, his father, Zack, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, and any other person he knew who died—, but the sheer narrative weight that Aerith’s untimely death carries makes it clear who he truly wants to meet. This is corroborated by Cloud’s “I think I can meet her… there” line in OG (disk 3 chapter 3), by *FFT* Cloud’s search for Aerith during his appearance in Ivalice, and by Cloud’s strange reaction to Tifa’s comparing him to a hero who swoops in and saves the girl from the bad guy. All the available evidence suggests that Cloud’s dream is indeed to reunite with Aerith, and that this dream is “lost” to him because she was killed by Sephiroth (disk 1, chapter 28). This would also explain the title of the *DFF* segment “Recurring Tragedy”, since as we all know, the ultimate tragedy of *FFVII* OG is Aerith’s death. Considering Sephiroth was the one to take Aerith away from Cloud, Sephiroth’s threats of drowning him in despair in “Recurring Tragedy” only solidify this interpretation of Cloud’s lost dream.
Finally, we arrive at the ending cutscene. Cosmos’ warriors return to where they belong to try and accomplish whatever dream they held as motivation during the Cosmos-Chaos conflict, each carrying their *DFF* crystal. Cloud is shown standing in a field of white and yellow flowers and walking deeper into it with a light green materia in hand. Why was a white and yellow flower field chosen to represent *DFF* Cloud’s dream? The answer is obvious. White and yellow flowers symbolize Aerith: she sold Cloud a yellow blossom upon first meeting him in OG (disk 1, chapter 1), and her yellow and white flowerbed cushioned Cloud’s fall when the two reunited in the Sector 5 church (disk 1, chapter 4). What’s more, we have the [iconic credits video of the original cut of *Advent Children*](https://youtu.be/PqJ8Y8Nd9KE?si=O\_QolO-iNsDmZWR6) to refer to, wherein Cloud is seen driving near flower fields. Aerith stands there (3:20), seemingly waiting for him. Here’s what Nomura had to say about this credits scene:

"[...] we filmed the video for the ending credits in Hawaii. There are fields of flowers on both sides of the road, and the colors —yellow and white— are the same as the flowers in Aerith's church […]. With Aerith, 'flowers' have been her image throughout the series” (FFVII Reunion Files, “Countdown to Reunion”, “Stories from CG Production”, page 87).

Even in the Advent Children Complete cut of the film, where Aerith is not shown standing in the field, the flowers and their symbolism of Aerith remain. That being so, it’s more than fair to say that the white and yellow flowers in DFF’s ending cutscene serve as yet another confirmation that Cloud’s dream is to be with Aerith.
With all of this established, we can address the nature of Cloud’s *DFF* crystal. As we established, every core world has its own version of a crystal, each possessing a distinct appearance, function and meaning. Materia are the crystals of *FFVII*, so one could be satisfied by the proposition that Cloud’s *DFF* crystal is simply meant to represent a random materia. However, I think Cloud’s crystal is specifically the White Materia, as it represents Aerith’s sacrifice, her importance to the plot and what she died fighting for. If any one object symbolizes her death, it’s the White Materia; it’s even given closeups during the [event](https://youtu.be/Wx3duFYCcho?si=Zg332l6dMLwpZMF2&t=150) (2:33-3:02). Besides, unlike any other materia in *FFVII*, the White Materia is known to glow a light green when Holy has been activated:

“Bugenhagen: If [the prayer] reaches the planet, the White Materia will begin to glow a pale green” (FFVII OG, disk 2, chapter 15).

Here are pictures of the materia so you can compare for yourself:
https://preview.redd.it/0qtumfeyfq0d1.jpg?width=386&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3995f010738c83fca0c5842a0564d0a9ad206dfd
https://preview.redd.it/0kj525tzfq0d1.jpg?width=1144&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=575573ef1d2c937635cf569d4a376886a24b384c
Cloud's DFF Crystal
Cloud’s DFF crystal
So far, in both suspension world games we’ve examined (*FFT* and *DFF*), Cloud is searching for Aerith. As a final note on *DFF*, it may interest you to know that codirector of the *Remake* trilogy Toriyama was actually a writer for *DFF*: he may have carried some themes from *DFF* to *Remake*…
III. d) Detour: The Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Farewell Exposition
Before we hop onto the next suspension world, let’s return to ours for a quick detour: the 2018 *Final Fantasy* 30th Anniversary Expo. Themed with farewells and tragedy, this expo showcased the heartbreaking goodbyes featured in different *FF* games. Artwork, clips, quotes and images aplenty here! As the highly anticipated *Remake* was going to be coming out approximately a year and a half later, the *FFVII* section of the expo featured a few sneak peek *Remake* designs. This means the expo was at least partly curated with the *Remake* trilogy in mind; there could be interesting material in the *FFVII* section of the expo related to *Remake*. Let’s dive in!
Unsurprisingly, the focus of the *FFVII* section is Cloud and Aerith, since she is the loved one he lost in OG. Zack is also given a mention, however Aerith was the glaringly central star of the show. To showcase how important Aerith’s farewell in particular was to the expo, the *FFVII* portion was introduced by a photo of Cloud lowering Aerith into her watery grave and a video of her tragic death:
Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Farewell Exposition, FFVII Introduction
The description under the video screen reads:

“She was gone in the blink of an eye. But the pain never went away.
Aerith awoke the ultimate magic to protect the planet and the people she loved. Yet her life came to a sudden end at the hands of Sephiroth, a man bent on seeing the world destroyed. Even the usually stoic Cloud couldn’t hide his grief at the unexpected death of an irreplaceable companion. ‘My fingers are tingling. My mouth is dry. My eyes are burning.’ True words, revealing Cloud’s deep sorrow” (Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Exposition).

Conveniently enough for us, the expo’s tagline is “Who is the person you want to meet again?” Given that Aerith holds the spotlight in the FFVII section of the expo, it’s clear who SE is telling us Cloud wants to reunite with. Recall Cloud’s unfinished line in DFF: “The one I really want to meet is..." (Dissidia 013: Light to All, epilogue: “Conclusion of a Cycle”, “Recurring Tragedy”). We theorized that he must be referring to Aerith, and now, we are certain.
The expo also had pamphlet descriptions of the farewells depicted. Here is the general summary of *FFVII*‘s farewell story according to that pamphlet:

“The story follows the lead character Cloud, but it is the heroine, Aerith, who opens Cloud’s eyes and helps bring him closer to understanding the mystery that is his past. Through her, we draw closer to the truth of the story.
This scene, in which the heroine Aerith is lost, is easily the most shocking and tragic in the story. No one expected to say goodbye to such a major character in the middle of the story. Rumors of a secret way to revive Aerith spread, and it was clear players were having a hard time saying goodbye to her too. Even now, twenty years later, it still feels like a shocking turn of events” (Final Fantasy 30th Anniversary Exposition Pamphlet, page 36).

It’s interesting that SE would mention the rumors of Aerith’s revival circulated by players back in 1997, especially as fans were awaiting Remake’s release…
In light of everything we’ve analyzed so far, it can be said that between *FFT* (1997) and this farewell expo (2018), SE has consistently demonstrated that reuniting with Aerith is post-OG Cloud’s goal. That’s a period of over two decades— two decades of wishing, seeking, longing in real-world time for this character. This is a huge long-term commitment for SE to make, and you can bet the devs don’t take it lightly. Again and again, once the events of the OG game have ended, Cloud is shown to desire a reunion with Aerith. This ever-present and ever-insistent theme will become very important to us later in this post.

I’ve never been on this subreddit before, but I kind of feel like I just need some advice from random strangers on the internet rn (if you know what I mean). I just received this text from one of my classmates:
“My name I got a question. I have been up past 1:30am at least for almost every night since 7th grade bc of school work and other outside of school stuff. How tf do you stay on top of your work?? Im out here putting in like 90% effort I can give and getting 70’s and stuff while spending a shit ton of time. When I go all in on effort and efficiency I get one good day and am tired for the rest of the week. I genuinely need advice 💀”
For context, I’m a highschooler who was pretty much labeled as a GT (gifted and talented) kid from the moment I was born, and I’ve always kind of been able to bullshit my way into finishing courses with grades that can typically range anywhere between 98-100 (before this year, my lowest final grade in a course ever was a 96). The thing is tho, I’ve got no possible idea how I even do it. I will start and finish an assignment less than 24 hours (most of the time less than that) before it’s due in addition to getting like 4 hours of sleep every night, working out at least twice a day, playing 8-game basketball tournaments on weekends, trying to juggle social dynamics so my new, few friends won’t find out I’m a fucking weirdo and leave me like my old ones, and trying to figure out what kind of person I am, what I care about, and who I want to be. It’s all exhausting, and, honestly, I think this text from my classmate has kind of made me tip over the edge. I always try to put on a face in front of classmates and such so that they’ll think I’m a put-together, high-achieving, never-stressed kind of person, when, in reality, I sometimes feel like I’d rather lay down for the rest of my life, forget that anything exists, and wait until I die. I guess this text from my classmate is text evidence that I’ve done a good job of masking how I really feel, but that makes me even more scared. I’ve always kind of felt alone, so I’ve had to rely on myself and my imaginary characters/stories for comfort/company, but now that I’ve been masking how I really feel/who I am for so long, I sometimes feel like I don’t even know who I am; I feel like I just exist to act out roles in everyone else’s stories. I don’t really know what I’m trying to get at or what I’m asking for help with, but anything feels like it would help right now since I can’t talk to “friends” or my parents about this (my parents are the kind that would tell me to suck it up and keep going because “my entire future is at stake”). Again, I apologize if my thoughts in this post aren’t very clear (I chalk it up to staring at the same text message for an hour), and I’ll clarify anything confusing later. I guess it would also be helpful for some advice on how to respond to my classmate (I don’t want to tell him the truth since I think that would be pretty discouraging). Thanks in advance for any advice.

Sorry if this post breaks the rules. I've never seen any of the Apes movies but I want to watch the new one while it's still in theaters. Does Kingdom spoil any big plot points in the Caesar movies? I get if it references old characters by name, but does it reveal any big moments that I should experience first in the trilogy?
Normally I'd just watch the trilogy beforehand but I'm too busy with other things rn and might not be able to finish them while Kingdom is still in theaters
Thx!