TW: Alcoholism, drug addiction, violence, suicidal ideation, sex abuse
This is going to be a LLLLLOOONNNNGGGGG one. This story goes back quite a way, but yesterday was the tenth anniversary of the ending to this story and I'm feeling it, still got some guilt about everything that happened, wondering what I could have done differently and I just want to vent it out and hope to get some closure from it.
This story started in 2010.
Characters in this story (names are fake, duh!):

• Me, Guy, 32M at the time, 45 now.
• My BFF Stephanie, 33F at the time.
• Stephen, 40M at the time, Stephanie's boyfriend.
• Maryse, 27F at the time.

Background and intro
I had known Stephanie for many years and we had the kind of friendship that made her BFs and my GFs uncomfortable to put it lightly. We had never crossed that boundary and I wouldn't consider us in the friendzone, we were just friend, but the kind of friend where she would sit on my lap with her arms around my neck or her head on my shoulder.
At the start of 2010, Stephanie met her then boyfriend, Stephen. He tolerated me and my friendship with Stephanie because I also had a gf back then. She liked Stephanie, wasn't at all jealous of my friendship with her, so he didn't deem me too suspicious. Then my gf and I broke up for reasons unimportant and all hell broke loose for Stephen. He became convinced that I would try and steal Stephanie from him. He insisted that Stephanie introduce me to her female friends or female friends of his. Thus began what I called the year of the 50 blind dates. It was probably closer to 20, but still I like saying the year of 50 blind dates. Most of them were unremarkable and never went beyond the first date. There are some fun stories in there if anyone wants to hear them eventually!
In July of that year, I had to switch gears because I had to focus up and study for a professional exam for a certification important to my career. This exam required close to 600-800 hours of study over a 3-4 month period. So I hunkered down, told Stephanie to stop the blind dates for now because I had to focus on that. She respected my wishes and, other a text here or there, we went low contact for the last two months before the exam.
Except for one fateful night in September. Her birthday was in September and she always threw these big bashes at her house. She would throw a big pool party that started around noon and would go on to the wee hours of the morning. I knew she would harass me to go to her party, so I made some quick math and figured I would lose more energy and time trying to dodge her calls, texts and most likely visits at my place than by just going to the party itself. So when she called me to ask, I just said: "Okay I'll go to your damn party, now git." I texted her I would get there in the evening probably around 8. She texted back "Great, can't wait. Now study, bitch!"
So I ultimately get there around 8PM. Basically everybody is already drunk off their gourd. Stephanie sees me, squeals in excitement and runs to me in her bikini and just jumps in the air and slams into me, wraps her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist and gives me a big hug. I hug her back and just keep walking back to the pool where she had started, carrying her with me. I just duck my head around hers and say hi to Stephen, who just glares at me.
She drops back down and I give her her gift. We chat for a few seconds and says "There's beer in the fridge and food in the dining room." I told her I'd be right back.
I go inside and grab a beer from the fridge. I head to the dining room and the table is against the wall with a buffet of sandwiches, tomato pizza, salads, etc. I grab a plate and start putting food on it. I was focused on the task because I was starving. I barely noticed, sitting at the end of the table one of the most stunning woman I have ever seen. I just see her in my peripheral vision and I do a quick double take, quick glance at her and back to the food. I do that a second time. And finally a third time. At that point she is just straight up staring at me and I can't help but chuckle and whisper under my breath "Subtle Guy, sub-tle".
Thankfully she starts laughing too, saving me some embarassment. I look at her and greet her. She says "Hi, I'm Maryse and I'm guessing you're Guy?" I just nod and we start talking. At that point, I just thought I have no shot with her, she's so far out of my league that I'm just gonna talk to her until she sees one of the "models" hanging out by the pool and ditches me for him.
So I'm not feeling like I'm playing for anything, so I'm just myself and not nervous, just talking to her as I would any friend. We chat and she laughs at all my jokes, she gets all my cultural references. She never gets up or ditches me. The plate of food I had made and the beer I had gotten are sitting on the table next to me untouched, I was too busy with the convo to think about food or beer anymore.
After what felt like only 20-30 minutes, Stephanie comes in and tells me, fake grumpy: "So that's where you disappeared to. I invite my best friend to a party and he spends the whole night talking to someone else." I laugh and go: "What do you mean the whole night? I haven't been here that long." She says "Dude, it's 2AM. You've been here for 6 hours..." My jaw dropped and I just said: "Wow, time flies when you're having fun." Maryse chimes in, with a big smile: "It sure does!" That made me happy as you can imagine.
Now I was a little stuck because where Stephanie lived, there's no night service for the bus and the subway had been closed for an hour or so. I figured I would cab it. So I turn to Maryse and tell her: "It was absolutely lovely to meet you and I enjoyed our conversation very much." She says that she did too. I continued with "At the moment, my schedule is incredibly hectic. I'm basically working full-time, studying full-time and sleeping part-time. So I don't have a lot of free time, but if she was interested, whatever little free time I had, I would love to call her or text her to keep on getting to know her."
I see Stephanie in the backgroudnd, looking like a proud mama at how smooth that came out, knowing I was always anything but smooth with women, as proven by the string of blind dates! Maryse has a big smile and we exchange numbers. I go to Stephanie to wish her a happy birthday again. While I'm talking to her, my phone buzzes with a text from Maryse: "Just checking!"
I asked Stephanie "What's the best cab company to call in this area?" Maryse chimes in: "Where do you live?" I tell her where I lived and she goes "It's on the way to where I live, I can give you a ride if you want." Stephanie raised an eyebrow in surprise. I learned later, she did it because it absolutely was not on the way to her place, like, at all. I say that I would love that as it would give us a chance to keep talking.
We get in her car, driving to my place. We talk, she asks me what I'm studying as I hadn't mentioned it earlier. I tell her all about the boring maths I had to study. Much too quickly, we get to my place. She parks in front of my building and we keep talking. At some point, I tell her: "Normally, this is where I would try to "trick" you into coming up to my place..." She interrupts me: "You wouldn't need to trick me. I'm willing and able!"
I tell her that "As tempting as that sounds, I know who I am and I know that if you come up and things proceed to where they're going, I'm not going to be able to study for the rest of the month. I have a kind of obsessive mind and when I find someone or something I like, I can push everything else to the side in favor of that. So to make sure I can still focus on my studying, I have to go up by myself."
She looks at me, a little disappointed but then says, half-jokingly: "We don't have to go up, there's a backseat right there!" We laugh and I give her a kiss and wish her a good night. I managed to stay strong and go back to my condo. Damn it, why did I have to stay strong!!!
My exam was at the beginning of november. During the month of october, we texted a bunch of times and talked on the phone. We went for coffee a couple of times and dinner once. She respected my boundaries and never pushed for more, which I appreciated but also hated at the same time, if that makes sense. The exam came and it was a monster of a Friday. I slept for basically 18 hours after the exam as the adrenalin dropped and my system crashed.
I texted her when I woke up at around 1PM. She was working at the clothing store Stephanie owned. She said "I'm off at 5PM, wanna meet me." I said: "Duh! Why do you think I'm texting? ;)" So I met her at the store downtown. I asked if she wanted to grab a drink, go for dinner, or what. She proposed going to her place and getting some take out. Stephanie who was closing the store at that moment, came up to us and said: "Hey, so what are we doing?" I said: "WE, that is Maryse and I, are going to her place and getting some takeout. Bye!" I'm sure you'll understand when I tell you that no food was ever ordered that night!
Thus followed a whirlwind month of November where any free time we had was spent together, and I wasn't going to complain!
The troubles
By the start of december, things were still going great with us. One saturday night, we were having dinner at a restaurant and I mention that this coming Friday is my office Christmas party, that it's employees only, so we wouln't see each other that night. She tells me: "Oh sure, that's fine! It'll give me a chance to go see some girlfriends I've been neglecting lately." I said "Great! BTW I also got us a reservation at [this great restaurant she had mentioned a few times] for next Saturday, so we could go there and I'll tell you all about my party and you can tell me all about her night with the girls!"
That was settled, I thought. I was wrong. On Thursday, we had spent the evening together at her place and I was about to leave to go back to my place. She tells me: "So are you coming to meet me at the store tomorrow or do I go to your place?" I reminded her: "Neither, tomorrow is my office Christmas party and we won't see each other tomorrow." She said: "Oh right, I forgot." I asked her if she had made plans with her friends like she had mentioned last saturday. She said that they were all busy tomorrow and weren't available.
She suggested "If your party is boring, maybe you could come meet me." I retorted that it wasn't going to be, knowing who was going to be there.
"Yeah but what if?"
"But it won't"
"But what IFFFFFF?" she kept insisting and I kept saying no. After what felt like 30 minutes of that (probably only 2-3 minutes in reality), I had enough and just said to end the argument: "Okay, if it's boring, I'll come. but it won't be." She said: "Cool" with a big smile on her face. I came to learn that that smile meant "Challenge accepted".
The following night, my colleague and I were pregaming in a conference room before leaving for the party proper and my phone buzzes. Maryse was wishing me a good party. I replied. She texted me again. I replied. She texted again, but I was in a conversation with a colleague so I didn't reply or even look at the phone. My phone buzzes again. Still talking, and didn't want to be rude to my colleague. Another buzz. I just kept talking. Phone buzzes differently, she was now calling because I hadn't answered her texts.
"Why aren't you replying to my texts?"
"Hey, sorry, was talking to my colleague Patrick."
"What? you don't want to talk to me?"
"I am talking to you now."
"Why didn't you reply to my texts?"
"Because it would have been rude to my colleague to pull my phone out while talking to him."
"But you're talking to me now."
"Because I thought something was wrong, maybe it was an emergency."
"I wanted to talk to you, that's all."
"Well, gotta go back to the party. Talk to you later."
She kept texting and if I didn't reply right away, she would call after two or three missed texts. After about 2 hours of this, I stopped answering the texts. When she called back, I asked her: "Aren't you supposed to be working?" which started another round of guilt-tripping of "why are you asking me this? you don't want to talk to me?" At that point I had had enough and wanted to enjoy my party. I remembered that the Blackberry (no shaming old tech!) I had had an annoying feature, but I was hoping to put it to good use at that moment.
Whenever the battery would get really low, like less than 1%, it would let out an ear-piercing BEEP for about 3 seconds, reminiding you to charge it and giving you a heart attack all at the same time. It would do that even when you were in silent mode. It had happened a few days earlier when I was with Maryse. I figured, if I press a button on the Blackberry, it would make a beep too that could be heard through the phone. So while I was talking to Maryse, I pressed my thumb on the space bar for a good 3 seconds and sputtered; "what... the .... what?" trying to put on a somewhat believable performance.
She asked what that noise was and I tell her that it was my blackberry letting me know I was low battery and it might shut off any second. I told her "Listen I'm gonna wish you a good night, I'm having a good time at my party so I'll see you tomorrow at 5PM to go spend our evening together. I hope you have a good....." and hung up mid-sentence. I promptly shut my phone off and went back to the party. I concede that I may be a bit of an AH for that move.
The party was great, I got drunk much quicker than I expected owing to the fact that I hadn't had a drink in over two months because Maryse didn't drink so I didn't either when we were together, and we were always together. At 1AM, I went home and passed out on my bed.
This is another place where I may have been an AH. I didn't turn my cell phone back on and I unplugged my home line too, because I wanted to sleep the deep sleep of the drunkard. I woke up at around 1:30 PM, not knowing it was already too late. In my mind, I was meeting Maryse at 5PM to go out on the town that night. Maryse had other ideas as you'll see.
So like I said, I woke up at 1:30PM and was sticky with alcohol sweat, so I went straight for the shower to get clean again. While in the shower, my stomach grumbled with hunger and I started daydreaming of bacon and eggs. That pushed me out of the shower right quick. I dried myself off quickly, tied the towel around my waist and went to the fridge. No bacon.... booo. Looked at the egg compartment... no eggs... booo again. Okay then, how about a cream cheese bagel. No cream cheese, damn it. Look in the pantry, no bagels.... god. I was starting to get angry. Okay, cereals then. I pick up the cereal box, that mofo was empty and I get mad: "who's the idiot who puts the empty box back in the pantry?" I remembered I live alone.
I close the fridge dejected and see the grocery list stuck on the fridge, taunting me with everything I wanted to eat for breakfast written on it. But I felt like if I went to the grocery store hungry as I Was, I'm just gonna pay 600$ and not get one single healthy thing to eat. I then remembered there's a restaurant next to the grocery store that serves breakfast until 3PM. I get excited! I get dressed quickly, grab my wallet and keys, put my boots on, my coat on, wrap my scarf, my tuque and my gloves and go to the restaurant. If you notice, I didn't mention my phone in there.
I get to the restaurant and confirm that they still have breakfast and get even more excited when she confirms it. I order the "heart attack", at least that's how I nicknamed it: 3 eggs, 3 servings of bacon, 2 sausages, and, I guess to give one peace of mind, fruit (or to be precise, one single solitary slice of orange). Now that the food is ordered and coming I figured I would check if I have any messages. I pat the pocket where my phone always is. No phone. uh-oh. I start clutching evert pocket, no luck.
I wonder if I should go back home after the meal before going to the grocery store and decide against it, it would be too long a detour. So I scarf my breakfast down, rush through the grocery store. I get home and set my bags down in front of the fridge. I go pick up my blackberry. I turn it back on. The little tape icon tells me there are messages on my voicemail, at that time there were no red dots with a number in it to tell you how many.
I connect to the voicemail while starting to put the groceries away. The little automated voice tells me "You have 25 new messages." I pull the phone away from my ear, look at it in disbelief as if saying: "are you f'ing kidding me?" So I press 1 to start playing the messages.
Remember: Maryse knew I was at a party with a dead phone, no chargers and I probably wouldn't get home until 1AM. From 6:30PM, when my phone died, to 11:34 PM, when she went to sleep she left me 9 messages. BTW I know she went to sleep at 11:34PM because she left me a message saying "it's 11:34PM and I'm going to bed. Thinking of you." The 9 messages were in the same vein. These are the salient details, but the messages were all much longer.
She woke up at 7:15 the following day, I'll let you guess how I know that tidbit of information! She left me 5 more messages like those from the day before: 7:15 woke up. 7:35 going to take a shower. 7:55 out of the shower. 8:25 getting ready to leave for work 8:50 walking out of the subway to go to the store.
She leaves me another message at 9 that was different. She sounded very excited as if she had had the best idea in the world: "Hey it's 9AM, I'm about to start my shift. I know we're only supposed to meet after my shift, but what if you came and met me for lunch so you could tell me all about your party." I just did my best Scooby-Doo "Ruh-Roh" and chuckled that I blew that, not thinking the calamity that was awaiting me.
Another couple of messages to talk logistics: "I could take my lunch at 12 or 12:30, let me know which you prefer." "I'm taking my lunch at 12:30"
A slightly worried message: "It's 11:15 and you stil have not said if you were coming or not, are you okay?"
The first bomb goes off and I knew I was in trouble then: "Where are you? We're supposed to meet for lunch and you still haven't given me any sign of life, you're not answering your home phone either, what happened?" Reminder: we were not supposed to meet for lunch, she suggested doing so a couple of hours earlier and I never agreed to anything. I guess she told her colleagues I would meet her for lunch and it was now fact and could perhaps make her look bad in front of her colleagues.
The second bomb drops: "It's almost noon now, WHERE ARE YOU? Stephanie says you're probably sleeping off your drunk, but I don't believe her. I'm sure you got yourself a slut and cheated on me. Didn't you? didn't you, you asshole." Stephanie knows me very well, but that wasn't enough for Maryse it seems.
Ensued four more messages from 12:30 to 1:15, where she starts sounding more and more drunk and accusatory, spewing more attacks like in the message above. At that point I already knew it was over, there was no coming back from that. I can understand having trust issues, but that was nuclear. I don't tolerate jealousy because of horrible experiences with a couple of jealous toxic exes.
A final message comes in, and it's a different voice, that of my best friend being more than a little angry: "Hey Guy, listen, Maryse tells me you had a Christmas party yesterday, so I'm guessing you're sleeping off your drunk, still. But call me when you get this. I put Maryse, who's f'ing drunk, in the backstore so she can dry off and "do inventory". She can't be on the sales floor obviously and I just don't feel safe sending her home in the state she's in. Call me to tell me how you want to handle this."
At that point I had finished putting away my groceries and had put my boots and my coat on and was making my way to the subway to go to the store. I call Stephanie and tell her I got the messages and I was coming. She was right, I was sleeping off my drunk and had just woke up (didn't feel the need to mention the breakfast and grocery store). I ask her if she knows what I'm gonna do when I get there. She says that she knows and understands. She knows my bad history.
When I get out of the subway, I call her again before getting to the store. I ask her how she wants me to do this. It's her store and I don't want to create drama in front of her customers. Does she want me to wait outside and she tells Maryse to meet me in the street or do I go in the store and she takes me to the backstore and I do it there? She says to come to the store.
I walk in the store and every saleswomen on the floor looks at me and gives me the biggest case of the stink-eye. They only have Maryse's side of the story, so they think I did all these horrible things. I see Stephanie in the middle of the store and I walk towards her. She shakes her head and points me towards the cash register. I look over there and see Julia, a salesperson that I've known for a couple of years and really like, who also happens to be the biggest gossip in the store. I understand what Stephanie is trying to do. She's gonna make me tell her my story in front of Julia so Julia can spread the "good news" to the other employees and rehabilitate my name possibly.
So I get to the register and say Hi to Julia. She barely acknoledges me. Steph joins me. She asks me:
"How are you?"
"I was better an hour ago, before I listened to those voicemails. I had gone to our office party last night, had a great night, got drunk off my ass, got home at around 2 and woke up around 2."
Julia asks "Maryse told us you were supposed to meet her for lunch."
"No we weren't. I have a reservation for tonight at XYZ restaurant. I was supposed to take the day to do errands, stuff around the condo and meet her here at closing time. She suggested that it could be fun if I came at lunchtime to meet her, but that was never the plan."
Julia asks again "But why didn't you answer your phone?"
"It ran out of battery last night during the party and when I got home, I was so drunk that I forgot to plug it back in. I only plugged it when I woke up at 2. That's when the messages came in."
Julia asks "She says she tried calling your home line and you didn't answer and your machine didn't kick in."
"Yeah, that one's my fault, I knew I wanted to sleep and telemarketers have a habit of calling me early saturday mornings so I didn't want to be awoken by a call for a rug cleaning service, so I unplugged it yesterday morning, knowing I would be drunk when I got home and forget and be angry if I was awakened by a telemarketer."
Julia gave me a hint of a smile, showing me she was starting to believe me. She asked me a few more questions and then she asked what I was gonna do. I told her that whatever I'll do, I would tell Maryse first.
I looked at Stephanie and said: "Can you open the back store so I can go see her?" So we went to the backstore. As we reached the door, it swung opened and out popped Maryse, looking absolutely terrifying, I actually jumped back when I saw her. Her usual perfect makeup was completely smeared, her mascara streaking down her cheeks from the crying. Her hair was disheveled. She was a mess. Apparently, she had had enough of waiting back there and was planning on leaving the store to go home and had put her coat and boots on.
When she saw me, she went into an unhinged rant about me being an asshole for cheating on her, me not being great in bed, me not treating her right, etc. I let her vent everything she had to say, I looked at Stephanie and apologized for creating such a scene in her store. I tell Maryse we should go outside and talk in private. She keeps on yelling, but when I grab her hand to lead her outside, she follows.
When we get outside, her anger had started to wane a little, or maybe just her energy. I was able to talk to her to explain everything, how I had gotten drunk, had overslept (alone) and woke up at 2PM. I reminded her that we were only supposed to meet at 5PM not for lunch. The anger was leaving her and a smile almost appeared on her face. Through all of this I was being very calm and patient with her, which she interpreted as me not being mad at her. I then said in a firmer tone: "However..." and let it hang for a second.
The beginning smile vanished. I continued: "When you accused me of cheating on you, that broke me. That triggered memories of toxic exes who would always accuse me of cheating, not trusting me when I would tell them where I was, snooping on me, stalking me. Because of those experiences, I have a zero tolerance policy for jealousy. I told her that if she was behaving like after only two months of dating, it didn't bode well for the future and I have to protect myself."
At that, the tears started again and she just turned and ran/waddled away. I told her to wait, but she didn't hear me. I turned towards the entrance of the store to see basically all the employees and customers milling around the door trying to catch the drama. I went back inside to talk to my best friend. The mood had definitely changed and no one was giving me the stink eye anymore, but I didn't really care. I was just sad that it had ended, but proud of myself for having stood up for myself.
So AITA for getting drunk and keeping my phone turned off?
There is a lot more to this story and if you want to learn what happened afterwards, then read on.
The immediate aftermath
So I went back inside the store and talked to Stephanie. I told her that I had a reserrvation for XX restaurant and if she wanted to go with Stephen, she could take it, I wasn't in the mood for a dinner. She said "I already have plans for tonight, but thanks for offering." Julia said she would go with me if I wanted, but I just said that I wasn't in the mood to go out. I just wanted to crash and eat a pizza and get into a food coma.
Stephanie said she didn't feel comfortable leaving me by myself and I should join them at her house. They were having friends over to play board games and it could at least distract me a little. I said why not. So brimming with enthusiasm, I went to play bored games. I left early as I wasn't in the mood. I was feeling a little better, but still a bit down. I thanked Stephanie for the invite and left. I got home and just passed out on the bed.
I woke up at around 7AM the next morning and I saw along the corners of the window the tell-tale signs of a snow-drift and got excited as it was the first snow of the season. I pushed the curtains aside and looked on to see a beautiful white carpet outside. It was early enough that very few cars had marred the whiteness. I was admiring it when I noticed that, against the red bricks of the building across the street, there was a pink blotch. As I focused, the blotch became human shaped and I cleared my eyes enough to realize that it was Maryse and she was raising her cell phone to her ear.
On cue, my phone rings. I pick it up. Still sounding drunk, she asks me if we can speak. I ask her to give me five minutes to get dressed and I'll meet her down there. She asks why she can't come up. I say that I'm not sure I want her in my apartment. She says that it's cold out. I say: "Good, then this will be quick."
I get dressed and meet her outside. I'm still bleary-eyed from having woken up 5 minutes ago, but I try to get my wits together. I tell her that we're going to walk to the subway. It 's a 10-minute walk normally, but with her drunkenness, it might take 15-20 minutes. That's how long she has to tell me what she wants to tell me.
She wants to apologize for accusing me of cheating on her. She says she knows I'm a great guy and... I may be the A-hole at this point too, but I start to drift off in my little bubble and start daydreaming about, if I go back to bed, would there still be some residual heat or would it be cold? I could take a hot shower and warm the bed that way. I could still hear her in the background making excuses, saying how she had been cheated on, but I wasn't really listening.
During the daydreaming I notice it got quite quiet. I look on my left and she's not there, I turn around she's a good 5-6 steps behind me looking angry and she says: "you're not listening" I just say: "when you're right, you're right." I tell her that I understand she's been hurt too in the past, and I hope she can work to resolve her issues, but I was done and I'm going back to bed. I was a bit harsh there, but I was tired and still down.
I walk past her and get maybe 10 paces past her when I hear a scream coming from her. I turn around and I see her messing with something inside her coat. She pulls out a chef's knife with like an 8-inch blade. That wakes me the fuck up. Byebye bleary eyes, hello wakefulness. better than a cup of coffee or a red bull I tell you!
So she's got the knife, she's screaming something that I can't quite understand. She gets quiet and then she charges at me with the knife. If I'm being honest I could have stayed where I was and she probably would have missed me anyways, but someone charges at me with a knife, I'm gonna nope out of there. I take a massive side step and once she gets to where I was and realizes that I'm no longer there, she turns her head towards me and says heyyyyy.
At that point, I have a moment of clarity and see what's gonna happen. She's drunk running one way and looking another, I know she's gonna trip. As I predicted, she stumbled over her feet and starts falling to the ground. I start praying to god and anybody who would listen: "Please don't let her cut herself. I don't want to have to explain this to the doctors, EMTs and nurses. I don't want her drunk ass deciding to take revenge on me by saying I did it."
Thankfully, she winds up in a sitting position on the sidewalk holding the knife up and it was clean. Thank god for small miracles. She starts crying and, other moment of clarity, I know she's gonna turn the knife on herself now. I jump towards her and I realize I was right, the knife starts moving towards her left wrist. I tackle her, grab her right wrist and twist it so she drops the knife. I pick the knife back up and put it in my pocket. She looks at me crying and says: "Why did you stop me?"
I pick her up and take her back to my building. In my building there was a couch in the lobby, so I take her there and I sit her down and plop myself next to her. I look at her and wonder out loud: "What am I gonna do with you? What can I do?"
She goes: "Just let me go, I'll be good." I tell her that's not going to happen. I realize I have three options and I give her the three options.
"So here's the choice I give you.
1- I pull out my phone, call 911 and tell them about the attempted murder back there and they send the police to arrest you. I don't want to do that because that could derail your life and not get you the help you need. Besides, they might not do anything anyway as it's your word against mine.
2= I pull out my phone, call 911 and tell them about the attempted suicide back there and that you need to be placed on a 72 hour hold. I could do that, but at the same time, again it's my word against yours, so maybe they don't believe me.
3- I'm gonna hazard a guess here. From what I've seen, you have alcohol problems. So I'm gonna guess you were in AA, had been sober for a while, I want to say 6 months, maybe less, when we met."
She confirms my guess.
"alright so option 3, I'm guessing you had a sponsor in AA." she nods "we call them up and tell them about your relapse and what happened this morning. Can they come get you and take care of you?"
She takes her phone out and picks a contact and calls. She hands me the phone. Someone answers and I explain the situation. They said they were coming right away. I give them my address, they get here 15 minutes later. Maryse had fallen asleep in the meantime, so I wake her up gently and help her to the car. Off she went.
I went back to my apartment and just crashed back to sleep.
A month later
Mid-january, my phone rings and I see Maryse's number on there. I send her to voice mail. Another call. Voicemail again. 5 minutes later, Private number calling. "Gee I wonder who that could be." Voicemail once more.
Afterwards, I didn't get any unidentified callers for a little over a week. One afternoon, I was at work and my phone rings and it's a number I do not recognize. I pick up.
"Hello."
"Hi, is this Guy?"
"Yes, to whom am I speaking?"
"This is Hannah, Maryse's sponsor. we spoke last month." I started fearing the worst.
"Yes, I remember. How can I help you?"
"Maryse tried to reach you last week and you rejected the calls. I think it could help Maryse if you listened to what she had to say. You're obviously not obligated to entertain her, but I think despite everything that happened, you still care about her or you would not have called me that morning."
"You are right, I do still care about Maryse. I'm just not sure how good it would be for her to meet me this soon after everything that happened. I understand wanting to work through the 9th step and making amends, but..." She interrupts me.
"So you know about the steps."
"Yes I have friends in the program. which is how I could guess that she was in the program too that morning."
"You know it's important."
"I know. I know. How about this: we meet in public at a cafe, you would have to be there. Not necessarily at the table with us, but nearby in case she needs help, in case meeting me causes her pain. Tell her I promise to be in a more receptive mood than I was that morning."
So we make an appointment for that saturday afternoon.
I get to the coffee shop. She's already there, and so is her sponsor. I realize happily that she's not wearing makeup. I say happily because that means she understands that this is not a date, but something serious. She's still stunningly beautiful, and I feel sad almost right away.
I grab a coffee and go join her at the table.
"Hey" I say,
"Hey. So this is gonna be uncomfortable, but thank you for agreeing to meet me and for coming, I appreciate it more than you know. I'm sure you heard I quit the store."
"I have, I'm sorry about that, I hope you didn't do it just because of me."
"No, I needed time to focus on myself for now."
She proceeds to tell me about how I wasn't far off with my guess. She had been sober 4 months when we met. Now she had 39 days. She tells me that in AA, if you are single, they recommend not dating anyone new for at least the first year of your sobriety as it can cause issues, similar to what happened with us. I was like her "drug" and as long as I was available, she could get her fix. But the moment I wasn't available all hell broke loose, and that is what led her back to drinking that day.
I told her I'm glad to see her back sober again this quickly and I hope she can get all the help she needs from it. I ask her if she wants to talk to me about her drinking.
She starts to share a story about how she started drinking at around 11 years old. When puberty hit her, she got into a deep depression because the sexual feelings she was starting to feel were triggering responses. As a child she had been abused by two of her uncles repeatedly and her parents never believed her. They accused her of trying to make herself interesting. That was until they caught one of those uncles red-handed.
They finally believed and took the necessary steps to protect their daughter. But they were poor and they couldn't afford therapy. So she never really got help for it. At 11, she started self medicating the depression with alcohol. When alcohol wasn't enough, she added drugs.
At that point, I was full on crying. She asked me if I wanted her to stop. I told her that she doesn't have to stop. That the tears are there because that was one more thing we had in common. I was also a survivor of sexual assault as a child. In my case, it wasn't a family member, it was only a stranger, so it only happened once. But I also self-medicated with alcohol at the onset of puberty, switching to drugs later on too. I was lucky to avoid the pitfalls of addiction, but I was still dealing with my demons, slowly making peace with them.
So there we were, sitting at a coffee shop, both crying and holding each other. I tell her that I think it's great she's getting help for her alcoholism and addicion, but was she doing anything to help with the underlying issue, the original trauma? She said no, she couldn't afford therapy. I tell her that I am a member of a survivors group and if she is interested, I could get her into a meeting and perhaps learn to heal that part of herself too.
She said that she could give it a try. I tell her I have to talk to the other members to know if I can bring someone new and I would let her know. If they said yes, we would go to her first meeting together, I would introduce her and then we would coordinate so that I never went to meetings where she was. I wanted to do that because I wanted her first few meetings to be about healing and I didn't want our own history to be intertwined or mixed in with that.
After that, we left both feeling content and, while not necesarily happy, at peace if you will. Later on, I contacted Stephanie who was one of the "pillars" of the support group (that's how we met) to ask her if it was okay for me to bring in a new member to the group. She said sure. She asked if it was anyone she knew. I told her she would have to meet her at the meeting if she decides to come.
We were having a meeting the following day. I called Maryse, told her the time and place, and she said she would be there. She came to the group meeting and was shocked to see Stephanie there but Stephanie kinda guessed that it was Maryse I was referring to.
I introduce her, we start sharing stories, talking about how we're feeling, etc. The meeting was good and Maryse liked the vibe. So for the first six months after that, I never saw Maryse and we planned which meeting we would be attending to ensure we didn't cross paths. She started feeling much better.
After maybe 2 and a half years, she finally felt ready and she started dating again. She met someone and she fell for him. They were together for about six months, she looked happy. Unfortunately after about six months, she caught him cheating on her. We tried supporting her, being good friends, cursing his name, doing all the things we could to make sure she didn't relapse. But on April 5th 2014, she ODed on heroin. She was hospitalized for 2 weeks after that.
Hannah took her in and she set up a room for Maryse. She was still in a fragile state, so a group of her friends and I started taking turns watching over Maryse, making sure there was always at least one person there with her to keep her company.
Despite our vigilance, on May 14th 2014, when Hannah was out running a quick errand, she was gone maybe 15 minutes tops, Maryse found a way to cut her wrists and she died. We found a note saying that "the OD was not an accident, and neither was that. Thanks for everything you did for me. I love you all, but I can't do this anymore."
It feels good to write that story (I'll just ignore the fat tears rolling down my face!). Thanks for reading this far and sorry for the long story, I just started writing and couldn't stop. I apologize if it was a bit of a bummer.

Hi there, welcome to my post! Feel free to make an offer for anything listed :D
The Boring Stuff: - Items come from a non-smoking home, and are all new / never used unless noted. Used items have photos showing usage. - Prices exclude shipping & insurance, to be calculated to your zip code ($5+).

ISO List

(trades only, not looking to purchase at this time. Will also look at lists!)

• Imaginary Authors: A City on Fire, Memoirs of a Trespasser, O Unknown, Saint Julep, Whispered Myths
  
• Too Faced mini Gingerbread Spice palette
  
• Too Faced mini Salted Caramel palette
  
• Tetris x Ipsy brushes
  
• Christophe Robin Regenerating Hair Mask - FS or multiple minis from beauty boxes
  
• Necromancy Cosmetica lipsticks in Ancient Queen, Lydia, Solis Mortem, or Ophidian
  
• Try me on lip scrubs (new please)
  
• Pat McGrath Subversive palette (also interested in other gold PM items)
  
• Lalique fragrances: Fleur Universelle, Or Intemporel, Silver, Zamak, and Zinc
  
• Jo Malone fragrances: particularly interested in Bloomsbury (non-floral - Leather & Artemisia, Tobacco & Mandarin, and Whiskey & Cedarwood) and Ginger Biscuit, but try me
  
• Zoologist samples
  
• Marc Jacobs fragrances: Ginger Cocktail
  
• Diptyque fragrances: Eau Lente and Eau Duelle
  
• Ginger / clove forward fragrances in general...if someone has a decant of CB I hate perfume Gingerbread that would be awesome
  

Palettes, Kits, and Sets

Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow singles, listed L-R, top then bottom. $25 for the 4 shadows, or priced individually below: - ABH eyeshadow single in Wine, full size, swatched - $8 - ABH eyeshadow single in Surface of the Sun, full size, swatched - $8 - ABH eyeshadow single in Chocolate Crumble, full size, new - $8 - ABH eyeshadow single in Metal, full size, swatched - $8
Benefit Greeting From Cabana Glama DesTANation Makeup Kit, used as shown - $15
Karl Lagerfeld x ModelCo Minaudière with Mini Lip Kit, full size, NIB P - $100 Includes: - Minaudière hard clutch / makeup bag, with attachable (heavy) chain to use as a shoulder bag and dust bag - Full-size Lip Liner in Rosewood (0.05 oz.) - 2 Mini Lip Glosses in Ramatuelle and St Tropez Sunset (0.04 oz. each) - 2 Mini Lipsticks in Kate and Stella (0.05 oz. each)
Flesh Starshine eyeshadow palette, full size, new. Open. Back of palette. - $20
Kat von D Shade + Light eyeshadow palette in Plum, full size, used 2x as shown. Back of palette. - $10
Make Up For Ever MUFE 9 artist shadow palette Volume 4 (shades 100, 842, 240, 620, 806, 536, 126, 546, 530), full size, used 2x as shown. Back of palette. - $25
Smith & Cult Book of Eyes quad palette in Noonsuite (bronzey), full size, NIB - $25
Tarte Be Your Own Tarteist Eye & Cheek Palette, used as shown - $20
Urban Decay Naked Cherry palette, full size, NIB - $40

Eyes

Brows:
Anastasia Beverly Hills ABH Clear Brow Gel, travel size (2.5ml), NIB - $7
ModelCo More Brows in Light / Medium, Full Size - $10
Ulta Brow Tint in Medium, full size, new - $6
Eyeliner:
BareMinerals Lasting Line Long-wearing Eye Liner in Absolute Black, Full Size, New - $10
Beauty For Real I-Line 24-7 Eyeliner in Black Magic, full size, new - $10
Estée Lauder Automatic Eye Pencil Duo Refill in Charcoal, full size, NIB - $10
Lancome Drama Liqui-Pencil in Noir Intense, Travel Size, .018oz - $5
Laura Geller I-Care Waterproof Eyeliner in Charcoal, Full Size - $10
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (white), full size, new - $3
Sephora Waterproof Contour Eye Pencil in 33 Love Affair (plum), new, travel size (.017oz) - $3
Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Stingray (jet black), full size, NIB - $15
Tarte Sex Kitten Eyeliner in Black, travel size (half size, .0035oz), new - $8
Ulta Dual-Ended Liner, in Halo & Black/Brown, Full Size - $3
Victoria's Secret Very Sexy Sparkling Eyeliner in Blacklight, Full Size, cracked cap used 2x - $5
Eyeshadow:
Kat Von D KVD Metal Crush Eyeshadow in Thunderstruck (warm white gold), full size (.1oz), swatched - $12
Laura Geller Baked Marble Eyeshadow in Amethyst, full size, new - $12
Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow in Amethyst Smokes, used 3x - $2
NYC HD Color Trio Eye Shadow in Late Night Latte, Full Size, used 5x - $2
NYX Prismatic Eyeshadow Single in Punk Heart (plum with purple shimmer), full size, used as shown - $3
Trestique Color and Smudge Shadow Crayon in Marimoto Pink Pearl, full size, NIB - $15
Ulta Eye Shadow singles Duo in Petite (light beige matte) and Beauty Junkie (mauve glitter), both full size (.06oz), both new - $8 for the pair
Ulta Eye Shadow Palette in Lace, Charm, Nostalgia, Vintage, Delicate, and Seaside, .21oz, new - $6
Lashes:
Eyelure London Limited Edition Party Lashes in Snow Princess, full size, NIB - $3
Wet n Wild Fantasy Makers Blue Glow in the Dark Lashes, full size, NIB - $2
Mascara:
BellaPierre Volume Lash Waterproof Mascara, full size, new & sealed - $10
Butter London Double Decker Lashes Mascara in Black, travel size (.18oz), NIB - $6
Clinique Chubby Lash Mascara in 01 Jumbo Jet (black), travel size (4ml), NIB - $5
Clinique High Impact Mascara in black, half size (.15oz), new - $10
Clinique Lash Power Flutter-to-Full Mascara in 01 Black Onyx, travel size, new - $8
Estée Lauder Sumptuous Knockout Mascara in 01 Black, travel size (.09oz), new - $10
Julep Length Matters Mascara in Jet Black, travel size (.2oz), NIB - $8
Laura Geller StyleLASH Intense Lengthening Mascara, FS (.33oz), NWOB - $14
Maybelline Great Lash Mascara in Black, travel size (.15oz), new - $2
Pur Big Look Mascara with Argan oil, full size (.12oz), new - $6
Ulta Amped Lashes Mascara in Jet Black, full size, new - $6
Ulta Beauty Maximum Lashes Defining and Lengthening Mascara, full size, new - $6

Lips

Lip Gloss, Balms, & Stains:
ChapStick Lip Butter in Green Tea Mint, full size, NIB - $2
First Aid Beauty FAB Ultra Repair Lip Therapy, full size (.5oz), new - $8
Jane Iredale SPF 15 Lip Drink Lip Balm in Flirt (sheer pink), full size, NIB - $10
MAC Vamplify Lip Gloss in Suggestive, FS, new - $12
Mally Beans High Shine Lip Gloss in Pilar Bean, DS (.07oz), new - $6
NYC City Proof Extended Wear Lip Gloss in Mauving All Night #458, Full Size - $3
Philosophy High-Gloss Lip Shine in Fresh Cream, full size (.4oz), new and sealed - $6
Pur Chrome Glaze High-Shine Lip Gloss In DIY (pinky nude), full size (0.07 oz), NIB - $10
Ulta Double Duty Lip Stain and Balm in Drama (Dark Red), full size, new - $4
Ulta Double Duty Lip Stain and Balm in Romance (Pink), full size, new - $4
Urban Decay Revolution Lip Gloss in Savage (bright pink), travel size (.05oz), new - $5
Whole Foods organic lip balm in Peppermint, full size, new and sealed - $1
Whole Foods organic lip balm in Pomegranate Orange, full size, new and sealed - $1
Whole Foods organic lip balm in Tangerine, full size, new and sealed - $1
Victoria's Secret Beauty Rush Lip Balm in Minty Kiss, Full Size - $3
Lip Liners & Primers:
Kat Von D Everlasting Lip Liner in Homegirl, full size (.25g), used 2x as shown - $10
Milani Color Statement Lip Liner in 02 True Red, full size, new - $2
Tarte Tarteist Lip Crayon in Thirsty (bright red), .01oz, NIB - $10
Lipstick - Liquid:
Julep It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in At Midnight (Fireball Red Matte), full size (.14oz), new - $10 for 1, $16 for 2
Julep It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in Love Potion (Bronzed Black Metallic Matte), full size (.14oz), new P - $10 for 1, $16 for 2
Julep It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in Pillow Talk (Victorian Pink Matte), full size (.14oz), new - $10 for 1, $16 for 2
Julep It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in Say Hello (Rich Marsala Matte), full size (.14oz), new - $10 for 1, $16 for 2
Julep It's Whipped Matte Lip Mousse in XOXO (Femme Fuchsia Matte), full size (.14oz), new - $10 for 1, $16 for 2
Laura Geller Lip Silk Liquid Lipstick in French Kiss (soft pink), full size, new - $10
Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid Matte Liquid Lip Color in Nude Flush , Full Size, swatched 1x - $3
NYX Suede Cream Liquid Lipstick in Orange County (bright orange), travel size (.05oz), new - $4, or 2/$6
NYX Suede Cream Liquid Lipstick in Pink Lust (bright pink), travel size (.05oz), new - $4, or 2/$6
NYX Cosmetics Soft Matte Lip Cream in Transylvania (deep wine), full size (0.27 oz), new - $4, or 2/$6
OCC Lip Tar in Disintegration (pale plum metallic), full size, NIB - $12
OCC Lip Tar in Hoochie (magenta / purple), full size, NIB - $12
Tarte Lip Sculptor, Lipstick & Lipgloss, in VIP (cool nude), travel size (1.5g lipstick 1ml lipgloss), new - $10
Tarte Tarteist Lip Paint in Bae (red), full size, new - $13
Lipstick - Bullet & Pencil:
Almay Demi-Sheer Creme Lipcolor in 80 Demi Mauve, full size, used 3x as shown - $8
Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick Topper, no shade listed but a shimmery bronze, full size, new - $18
Bite Beauty High Pigment Pencil in Rhubarb, full size (.09oz), used 1x - $10
Bite Beauty Matte Cream Lipstick in Barberry (cool dark plum), full size, used as shown - $16
DCA Lipstick in No. 108, full size, used 2x as shown - $4
Estée Lauder All-Day Lipstick in Ancient Brick, full size, swatched as shown - $12
Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in Irresistible, full size (.12oz), new P - $15
Illamasqua Glamour Lipstick in Tease (pale Nude), full size, used 3x - $12
Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Homegirl (satin matte berry), travel size (.04oz), used as shown - $6
Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Poe (cool metallic blue), full size, NIB - $12
Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick in Roxy (purple), mini size (1g), used 1x as shown - $6
Korres Matte Twist Lipstick in Tempting Coral, full size (.05oz), new - $10
Lancome Rouge Absolu Lipstick in Rose Espace, full size, used 3x as shown - $12
Laura Geller Color Brilliance Lustrous Lipstick in Cute, full size, new - $12
Laura Geller Italian Marble lipstick in Strawberry Toffee, full size, new - $12
MAC Retro Matte Lipstick in Flat Out Fabulous (bright pink/purple), full size, new - $12
Makeup Academy Lipstick in Persian Rose (bright pink), full size, used 1x - $3
Makeup Revolution Scandalous Lipstick in Depraved (violet), full size, used 1x - $3
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in 413 BLKR (fuchsia), full size (.08oz), new - $16
NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Let's Go Crazy (cool fuchsia), 3/4 size (1.8g, FS is 2.4g), new - $10
Nudestix Magnetic Matte Lip Color in Greystone (greige), .088oz (FS is .1oz), new - $12
NYC Lipstick in Fragile Pink, Full Size - used as shown - $2
NYC Ultra Moist Lip Wear in Blossom #316, Full Size, Used 2x - $2
NYC Ultra Moist Lip Wear in Ruby #305, Full Size, Used 2x - $2
Sephora Collection Rouge Cream in #49 Belly-Dancing (red), mini (.03oz, FS is .14) - $2
Smashbox Be Legendary Cream Lipstick in Inspiration (cool fuchsia), .08oz (FS is .1oz), new - $10, or 2/$15
Smashbox Be Legendary Cream Lipstick in Legendary (cool red), .08oz (FS is .1oz), new - $10, or 2/$15
Smashbox Be Legendary Cream Lipstick in Tabloid (cool violet), .08oz (FS is .1oz), new - $10, or 2/$15
Ulta Lipstick in Cherry Picked 202 (medium true red), Full Size, Used 1x - $4
Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani lipstick in Spiderweb (satin red cream), full size, NIB - $12
Urban Decay Matte Revolution Lipstick in Temper (red-orange), full size, NIB - $12
Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in Phone Call (bright pink with cream finish), full size, NIB - $10
Wander Beauty Wanderout Dual Lipstick in Wanderberry (rich burgundy), half size (.07oz), new - $10
Winky Lux Matte Lip Velour in Royal (purple), .14oz, NIB - $10

Face

Blush:
Lancome Blush Subtil in in Rose Fresque, full size (.18oz), used as shown - $12
Ulta Cheek Palette in Fresh Glow Highlighter and Nude Pink Blush, .155oz, new - $5
Bronzer & Contour:
BareMinerals BareSkin Serum Bronzer in Sheer Sun, Travel Size (.1oz) - $3
St. Tropez One Night Only Finishing Gloss, travel size (.16oz), new - $2
Foundations, Concealers, CC Cream, & Powders:
Bee Naturals Tinted Moisturizer in Shade 2 (Medium/Dark), Full Size (1oz) - 1/$15 or 2/$20
Benefit Porefessional Pore Minimizing Makeup in Shade 1, travel size (.16oz), new - $10
Dermablend Loose Setting Powder, travel size (.11oz), new - $10
Jane Iredale Smooth Affair, travel size (.24oz), new - $8
Julep Cushion Complexion concealer 5-in-1 Skin Perfector with Turmeric in 200 Nude, full size, NIB - $18
Laura Geller Balance-N-Brighten Baked Foundation in Medium, full size, new - $15
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, travel size (.12oz), new - $6
Pixi by Petra Beauty Bronzer in Summertime, Travel Size, .16oz - $4
Highlighters:
Laura Geller Baked Gelato Lace Illuminator in Ballerina, full size, new - $15
Laura Geller Baked Golden Rose Highlighter, full size, new - $12
P/Y/T Upgrade Highlighter in Backstage Pass (warm shimmer nude), .07oz, NIP - $8
Primers & Setting Sprays:
Becca First Light Priming Filter, travel size (.2oz), NIB - $7
Japonesque Velvet Touch Primer, travel size (.3oz), new - $8
Laura Geller Spackle Even Tone Primer, travel size (.5oz), new - $6
Pur Correcting Primer, travel size (.3oz), new - $10
Too Faced Hangover 3-in-1 Face Primer & Setting Spray, travel size (.06oz), NIB - $4
Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer, travel size (.16oz), NIB - $4
Urban Decay All Nighter Long Lasting Makeup Spray, travel size (.5oz), new - $6

Skincare & Body

BareMinerals Skinlongevity Vital Power Infusion, full size (1.7oz), new - $35
Bliss Leave it to Cleavage, Travel Size, .5oz - $4
Bliss Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Foaming Mask, new, travel size (.16oz) - $3
Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, new, Travel Size (.5oz) - $4
Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream, travel size (1oz), new - $5
Daily Concepts Exfoliating Body Scrubber - $5
Elizabeth Arden Prevage Daily Anti-Aging Serum, Travel Size, .17oz - $8
Erborian Bamboo Creme Frappe Skin Reviving Gel, new, travel size (.17oz) - $4
Estée Lauder Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam, travel size (1oz), new - $6
Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Global Anti-Aging Cell Power Creme, .5oz, new - $15
First Aid Beauty FAB Facial Radiance Intensive Peel, travel size (.34oz), new - $6
First Aid Beauty FAB Ultra Repair Cream, travel size (1oz), new - $6
First Aid Beauty FAB Ultra Repair Cream Intense Hydration in Honeysuckle, travel size (1oz), new - $6
First Botany Cosmeceuticals 50X Strength Hyaluronic Acid Serum, .5oz, new - $8
MAC Cleanse Off Oil, travel size (.2oz), new - $4
Milk Makeup Sunshine Oil, Sample, .1oz - $2
Murad Age Reform Nutrient-Charged Water Gel, travel size (.25oz), NIB - $10
Omorovicza Budapest Magic Moisture Mist, full size (1.7oz), NIB - $65
Omorovicza Balancing Moisturizer, full size (30ml), new - $50
Perricone MD Blue Plasma Cleansing Treatment (gentle cleanser), travel size (2oz), new - $18
Perricone MD Cold Plasma Plus + Eye Cream, travel size (.25oz), new - $30
Proactiv Skin Purifying Mask, travel size (1oz), NIB - $10
Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate, travel size (.33oz), new - $15
Strivectin TL Advanced Light Tightening Neck Cream, travel size (.25oz), NIB - $10
Toulon Mineral Infusion Serum-92, 1oz - $6
Whish Self-Tanner, Travel Size (.75oz) - $2

Hair / Tools / Nail Polish / Etc

Alterna Haircare Caviar Anti-Aging Miracle Volume Mist, travel size (1.4oz), new - $6
Bumble & Bumble BB Pret-a-Powder, travel size (.5oz), used 1x - $8
Essie Nail Lacquer in Say it Aint Soho (metallic copper), full size, new - $5
Fatboy Spray Putty, full size (4.8oz), new - $15
Julep Color Treat Polish in It Girl Lillian (pink creme), full size, new - $8
Living Proof TBD Multi-Tasking Styler, travel size (1oz), new - $7
OPI Nail Lacquer in Can i Bairro This Shade (dusty teal), full size, new - $5
OPI Nail Lacquer in The Taupe of the Iceberg, full size, new - $5
Phyto Paris Phytoelixir Cleansing Care Hair Cream, travel size (1oz), new - $8
Phyto Paris Intense Hydrating Brilliance Mask (Dry Hair Phytojoba), 1.7oz, NIB - $8
Matrix Total Results Miracle Creator Multi-Tasking Treatment, travel size (1oz), new - $3
Urban Decay Heavy Metal loose glitter in Reverb (blue), full size (.10oz), NIB - $10

Fragrance

Full Size
Aromachology Exotic & Spicy EDP, full size (1.7oz), used 1x - $40
Jo Malone English Oak & Redcurrant Cologne, full size (3.4 oz), sprayed 1x - $100
Penhaligon's Heartless Helen, full size (75ml) in box, used 3x - $160
Ralph Lauren Polo Sport for Women, used as shown - $12
Travel Size
Armani Air di Gioia EDP, travel size spray (.5oz - bigger than a rollerball), NIB - $20
Armani Sky di Gioia EDP, travel size spray bottle (.5oz - bigger than a rollerball), NIB - $20
Bvlgari Au The Rouge EDC, travel size (.17oz), used 2x - $10
Candie's Candie's EDT, travel size (.5oz), about 60% remaining - $5
Lush All Good Things solid perfume, travel size (12g), used 1x as shown - $15
Origins Ginger Essence Sensuous Skin Scent, travel size (.5 oz), used as shown (about 80% remaining) - $12
Philosophy Pure Grace EDT spray, travel size (.5oz), NIB - $15
Samples 3/$5
Atelier Cologne Vanilla Insensée Cologne Absolue, sample size + postcard, new - $3
Burberry Mr. Burberry EDT, sample size (2ml), new - $2
Calvin Klein Eternity for Men EDT, sample size (1.2ml), new - $2
Clean for Men Classic EDT, sample size (1ml), new - $2
Versace Eros EDT, sample size (1ml), new - $2
Viktor & Rolf Spicebomb EDT, sample size (1.2ml), new - $2.

Just came back a few days ago from a 3 week trip to Japan. Here was my experience:
To preface:

• I'm Canadian, Vietnamese, gay man, solo traveller
• I like new experiences and eating food, but I am not one to seek out the best or hottest place to go or obsessively look for tips on social media
• I like shopping and fashion and love discovering brands I am unable to get in North America
• I've been to Vietnam and I understand the very complex socioeconomical discrimination between Asians and Southeast Asians, colorism and what is considered a "rich" Asian country and a "poor" or "jungle" Asian country. I will have a hot take on this later in my breakdown.

General overview:
Day 1-3: Tokyo - I landed right on Pride weekend! It was fantastic. I knew only 1 person in Tokyo and I had some friends randomly also in Tokyo the same time I was. We went out for a drag brunch, one of the first of its kind in Japan as it's still a very new concept for the country. Performers were great though. Went to the Shinjuku gay district and had a blast discovering all these cool bars all with different vibes. It's also a great place to meet locals, tourists and immigrants (not just immigrants from Western countries, but from other Asian countries like China, Vietnam, Korea etc. who now live in Japan). There was also a festival for Pride in Yoyogi park and it was crowded and fun. Great to see Tokyo really embracing Pride.
Day 4-10: Based myself in Osaka but went exploring with my Setouchi JR West Pass throughout the week I was in Osaka. Went to Hiroshima and Miyajima Island, Nagoya so I can make my way to Ghibli Park (not a part of JR West so I paid out of pocket for that), and went to Kyoto twice. Overall, I really liked Osaka. I love big cities that are lively and noisy. I don't mind the crowds when I am also shopping in the Dotonbori area. The best part was cutting my day short in Kyoto because I was feeling sick, and then discovering that there was an exclusive Sailor Moon Museum happening in Namba and deciding to get tickets for that. Best unplanned experience that was actually better than Ghibli Park. Also, shopped on Orange Street, one of the best places for fashion lovers. Osaka castle was great but the line up to get in the castle was way too long and the day was super hot. Got to a see a high school Kendo tournament going on though so that was a neat experience!
Day 11-12: Flew to Sapporo from Osaka. It was cold. Windy on the first day. Rainy on the second day. Overall, just cold. Not Canadian Winter cold, but I wish I had a warmer jacket cold. It was the few places that had cherry blossoms left. The Sapporo Beer Museum was really neat and I liked learning about the history of such an iconic brand.
Day 13-21: Back to Tokyo. I am a remote worker and my job doesn't care where I work so I took the opportunity to save some vacation days for a future trip, and just work remotely while exploring Tokyo and surrounding areas. Went to Mt. Fuji for a day and back, did not get to see the mountain as it was really rainy and foggy that day. Wento the lucky cat shrine and it was cute but also busy for such a small shrine thanks to TikTok. Went out to the gay bars two more times and had a blast and met some new people (locals and tourists) who I still keep in contact with on social media. Got a tattoo at one point - LOVE IT. The artist was amazing and so gentle, I hardly felt anything. Did some more shopping in Ginza, Shibuya, Shinjuku and my favourite place - Harajuku! Overall, I really enjoyed Tokyo and my Japan trip as this was my first time.
Time and weather:

• rainy for half of it, warm for the other half. Chilly in Sapporo.
• was in Sapporo and Tokyo for Golden Week. Not as crazy as everyone says it would be. It was much crazier leading up to Golden Week. Was still able to get reserved seats tickets at the station itself easily and no need to book in advanced online. Honestly, didn't even bother booking online as the website isn't very clear especially when you have a JR West pass already.

Getting around:

• Digital Suica card on my iPhone. Worked for everything. So easy to use and got me around everywhere including the Kansai region and Sapporo.
• Right when I got off the plane, I got on a Airport Limo bus which was so much easier. No need to know which station to get off from and they had space for all my luggage. Took me to a hotel stop that was 2 blocks away from my hotel. Honestly, after a 9 hour flight, a limo bus is worth the $25 instead of the train and subway.
• Subways became easy to use and once you get to used to them, Osaka and Sapporo was easy to navigate as it was similar to Tokyo's subway.
• If you have a JR pass, pay attention to if you can use it on the local JR lines. Typically, you can. I forgot, and I tapped my Suica to enter a JR local line in Hiroshima, then I realized I could use my JR pass, so I stuck my pass in the machine and it let me through. But because I never tapped my Suica to leave the JR line in Hiroshima, my Suica card stopped working for train stations because it thinks I'm still on a trip in Hiroshima. Had to go to a subway guard (the ones in the booth next to the station gates where you tap your Suica), told them what happend using Google Translate and showed them my JR pass and they understood right away. They took my phone and put it on this scanner and it reset my Suica card. Very easy as if they've done this a million times before (they have).
• Used the convenience store and hotels to send my big luggage to my next hotel so I wouldn't have to deal with it on the train or train stations or flying with it when I flew from Osaka to Sapporo. Such a great service. Just bring your luggage to your hotel reception and tell them your next stop and when you want the luggage by. They will try to get it there the day you requested or the day after. Just be prepared to live out of your carry on for 1 or 2 days. If your hotel doesn't offer it, any 7-11, Family Mart or Lawson offers it. Lawson uses Japan Postal, 7-11 and Family Mart uses Yamato. I also sent my luggage to the airport before I had to leave Japan and it was a breeze. But be warned, for any transfer to an airport, it has to be 2 days before your departure flight or it won't make it on time.

Eating:
As much as I loved having a list of some places to eat at, I abandoned it and didn't really care anymore. From high-end restaurants, cafes, local places and even fast-food, everything was delicious. I stopped caring about where I ate, and just took a walk down any street and when I saw a menu I liked, I just went in. Honestly, even Denny's in Japan was amazing (it's a different menu and not like Denny's in Canada).
Shopping experience:
Loved shopping in Japan. I brought one large suitcase that was empty, put a smaller suitcase inside of it and then had my backpack and carry on suitcase. The yen was weaker than CAD, plus if you spend over 5,500 yen, and show them your passport, you'll get the tax off and some stores offer additional discounts for foreign passport holders.
Brands I bought:

• Onitsuka Tiger - best shoes ever. So stylish, comfy and very popular in Asia.
• Beams - they carry a variety of brands and their own brands.
• FR2 - great streetwear brand. They have different stores in different cities and exclusive pieces for that city.
• In Osaka, look for The Goodland Market on Orange Street. They carry brands that emphasize sustainability. Very laid-back and casual.
• Master-piece - great brand for bags.
• Saturdays NYC - this is an American brand but has a store in Tokyo. Loved the vibes. Very laid back.
• Rage Blue - easy styles with nice colours and cuts. Often had sales going on. Has a variety of brands.
• United Arrows - great styles here too. You'll be coming back to your country so fashionable.

A personal view:
I really like Japan and I would go again, but now that I've experienced it, I now know what I like and don't like. As much as everyone raves about Kyoto, I honestly didn't care for it. Inari shrine was great, the climb to the top was great exercise and most people give up not even halfway up so it gets less and less busy. I also like Nishiki market as I love street food in Vietnam so that type of vibe of just trying everything was a great experience. But honestly, Kyoto was a tourist trap (as with most places). Gion district was cute but you definitely won't find locals hanging there unless they work there. The street will be quiet for 10 minutes, then the next set of tour buses will come, 8 taxis will come and the whole experience walking through the street is kind of ruined. Also, it just felt a bit like...Disneyland. Everything was catered to tourists. I'm not someone who even seeks out places where locals are so you can meet locals as I don't really care that much if I meet a tourist or a local, if it happens it happens, but I'm not obsessed with it. But I somehow just got this feeling that Gion has been warped into a thing for tourists who are sold an "authentic, cultural experience". It reminds me of tourist traps in Vietnam, and maybe I only have this view because I've experienced Vietnam too. Perhaps a non-Asian tourist won't see this and to each their own of course. It didn't really help that there were signs saying don't take photos on private streets, and tourists would stand in front of those signs and start taking photos...
Another take is that the Japan that's shown to you on TV shows, dramas and the news is not the Japan you'll experience (unless you're always a part of a tour group). The media portrays Japan as a nation that is ONLY Japanese people, and that you will only meet Japanese people serving you and that despite a low birth rate, immigration is just not a thing in Japan. This is false. I can't count the number of times where I'll order food, have the cashier speak to me in English and Japanese (because I don't know Japanese), sit down and then hear the cashier and other staff speak Vietnamese. It dawned on me that pretty much all the food service staff were Vietnamese in Osaka and Tokyo. Probably more in other areas if I paid attention more. I started speaking Vietnamese back to them and they were surprised that I knew they were Viet. We made some pleasant conversation and for the most part they liked that someone acknowledged that they were Vietnamese. However, one time, one girl told me not to speak Viet to her or she'll get in trouble. The staff are allowed to speak Vietnamese to each other but not to the customer because the boss didn't want people to know that they weren't being served by Japanese people. Some places were more obvious such as people from Nepal, India or Pakistan working there but spoke perfect Japanese. Some places clearly only hired Vietnamese people because they can pass as Japanese. This was more shocking to me than any culture shock I could have experienced as a Canadian.
I think there's a sense of Japan being a rich nation, aligned with the US, that it's better than places like Vietnam. But after spending some time in both countries, I saw that even buildings were built in a similar way. Narrow staircases, no baseboards, sometimes low ceilings, and businesses stacked on top of each. I loved Japan and like I said, I would go again. But I think I would stick to just to Tokyo and Osaka next time. Both are also very touristy but not in a way that it's disguised as anything else. Osaka Dotonbori is a place to shop. People know that. It's extremely crowded, but you're there to shop, not for a cultural experience. If I were to go elsewhere, I would try Okinawa and maybe a rural experience too. But other than that, I'm someone who goes for the shopping and eating experience and the nightlife. I know some people might not agree with my take, as most subs about traveling to Japan always seem to be finding an authentic Japanese experience. But being able to realize that some people serving you aren't Japanese and that most experiences are waterdown and overpriced tourist experiences, you quickly realize that authentic Japanese experiences (as with any country popular with tourists) are hard to come by.
Edit: I replaced the term expat with immigrant for sensitivity.
Edit 2:
Just to provide more details on my experience that contrasts a lot of what you may find on Reddit.
Cleanliness:
Yes, parts of Tokyo and Japan itself is clean. But I have seen some parts of Toyko with garbage on the ground. Osaka is more obviously dirty if you want to put it that way. More garbage on the street, especially at night. My local friend told me that Japanese people are just good at hiding their litter and when they think no one is watching, they do litter.
Homelessness:
I saw homelessness. In Asakusa where my hotel was, there was one homeless lady on the main street near Don Quitos. I also some when you are walking to Shibuya Scramble Square. It's a big city, I'm sure homelessness is an issue there. I saw a TikTok while I was there about homeless runway children in the Shibuya and Shinjuku area.
Shyness/Attitude:
I was always told that many Japanese wouldn't really want to make small talk with you. But honestly it really depends. I had pink hair and had my nails done with a cute fun design on them. So many cashiers, retail people etc. wanted to compliment my nails and tell me how cute they were. Even leaving Japan, as I was going through security, the security lady complimented my nails as I was placing my liquids and computers in a bin. I also carried around a Sailor Moon tote bag I got from the museum and strangers on the street were stopping me to compliment it. I'm a man and I have my nails done, pink hair and a Sailor Moon tote bag. If you give them a reason to talk to you, they will.
Weak yen:
The best part about clubbing is going to the 7-11 near the gay district alleys, buying cheap alcohol, drinking it with your newly made friends, and then going back into the club to dance some more before doing it again 20 minutes later. Alcohol is so cheap there! 450 yen for a can of Jack Daniels and Coke...that's like $2-3 Canadian. We Canadians usually pay $6 or $8 for a can!
More on fashion:
I tried my best to avoid buying brands I could get in North America but sometimes the exchange rate and no tax was too good. Commes Des Garcon Play sneakers in Canada are $200 before tax. Found a design that isn't available in Canada, no tax and the conversion made them $160. Had to get them. Bought a Dior cardholder that's $480 before tax in Canada. No tax and converted price in Japan turned out to be $390. I say definitely look for the Japanese brands you can't get back home because you'll come back with more unique pieces (even if it's a popular, mass product in Japan) but also if you have your eye on designer pieces, chances are the piece is cheaper in Japan. The only thing I found that Hermes and Chanel were the same price or more expensive in Japan. But other brands like Gucci, Dior, Prada, Burberry and Louis Vuitton were cheaper.
Even Uniqlo is cheaper. The viral bag that people like is $25 in Canada. In Japan it's $13. There was a Golden Week sale that made the bags $8 each.
I did avoid some brands like A.P.C or Diesel (which is everywhere in Japan) because despite it being cheaper, I know when there's a sale on SSENSE it's even cheaper than what you could get in Japan.

This new show everyone’s talking about has twisted a nerve. It rely’s on a seriously convenient plot with cartoonish caricatures that make no sense whatsoever. Why does Mr. House think there’s “a lot of earnings to be made” in a post apocalypse? Why does Maximus FAIL the entire show, but get promoted at every turn? Cooper is supposed to be some cold-blooded mother fucker that kills anything in his way, but REFUSES to kill a fellow mc when they are on screen.
Yea I’m talking about the Fallout show n’ those aren’t even the worst parts. As a Communist, these caricatures of Communism as well as Capitalism are just goofy. Of course the “Communist” in the form of Moldaver (who we aren’t told as to how they specifically are 200+ years old) is not even a Communist, at least she deny’s it. And is shown to just have a personal vendetta against Cooper’s wife on top of being the leader of a raider group/cult whose actions aren’t particularly good karma.
Communism, or more relevant to the economy Communism uses, Socialism. Is about worker owned means of production. Similar to how a Capitalist uses private property. A Communist/Socialist believes the businesses, and state should be publicly owned by the workers. It’s not a 200+ year long vendetta because some guy’s wife bought out your CAPITALIST business that you work for. It being used in the show is just red scare bullshit which the show buy’s into by making the not Communist (but definitely implied to somehow be one with no rhetoric indicating such) Moldaver a Raider.
Unfortunately the caricature of Capitalism is worse. To start off lets go with a good example the show does give. Cold Fusion. It makes complete sense Vault-Tek, or any other Capitalist entity, would buy out this technology because “free” energy would mean no one could get their power shut off by (real world example) the Entergy company for not paying their bill. Cold Fusion would end that in theory. A fiduciary responsibility in collaboration with investors to prevent that if you will. I don’t even think the show meant to have a half truthful idea about it, that seems like pure accident. The show was made by Amazon after all. I doubt these very ideas weren’t on purpose.
As to Vault-Tek planning to drop the bomb which is the much, much worse example. There is multiple reasons given at the meeting where it all takes place: “Earnings/profit, eliminate competition, factions”. None of them make sense. Nuking the world nukes the economy & the people who work/buy to keep it running. Where’s the profit?
They want to eliminate competition, but are telling all of their known competitors their plans. They’re telling a lady that wants to build robots that delivers milk to the door their plans on nuking the goddamn world.
What about the Factions? Well I don’t really get it because Shady Sands was started by Vault 15 n’ they got nuked like the rest because Hank’s wife left. There’s not an inkling of understanding given as to why 1. Vault-Tek has the ludicrous idea that they will “end all factions”, and 2. Vault-Tek destroys their own factions that they’ve created aside from the ones they gave to their competitors I guess? Nice one, just create more factions you have to destroy later, wtf?
Capitalism is about the economy being centered around private property. Land rights/deeds. Extracting capital from the workforce that is working on private land owned by a capitalist. None of this makes sense in the motivation for capitalist businesses which is profit. It’s not a cabal of illuminati individuals trying to nuke the fucking world for “power”? In Capitalism money is power there is no point in essentially nuking your power away because there’s people you don’t like.
Character bullshit includes:
Lucy going from wasteland badass, back to aloof girl looking for her dad, back to badass, back to aloof. No real consistency imo. We need to see her go from unadapted to adapted, not flowing between both at random.
Maximus, and everyone hating him. Him stating that he wanted Dane (his only friend) to get hurt the way he did. Him impersonating a knight, stealing a suit of power armor, conspiring to kill a squire. None of that matters. He’s promoted to knight at the end with no consequences. Vault 4 even lets him leave with their only source of power, only getting it back because of Lucy. (Dane even acts like Maximus was the one that did it after the whole interrogation scene, and we hear nothing until the end about how Dane did it to himself. I guess Dane forgot about his own self-inflicted wound?)
Cooper is just like a complete Gary Stue. I prefer his flashbacks when he actually has a sort of character. The flash backs also don’t have any awful yodeling which is a plus.
Norm should be dead if Bud weren’t completely fucking useless. Just lock him up not with all the cryogenically frozen people you’re protecting.
Hank is a fucking anti-character. He’s in two scenes. The very beginning, and the very end. Lucy doesn’t even have any flashbacks of him.
Almost every other character feels like bullshit sitcom punchlines, or setting up the punchlines. We got the cousin fucker, chicken fucker, the awkward guy that’s never went a few miles over a hill. That old lady with the STUPID fucking meat grinder prosthetic foot. It’s the exact same problem that The Outer Worlds (video game) has. When you boil everything down to some edgy slapstick comedy gig you cheapen all your characters; nothing seems even possible in the already fictional world which is a failure on the world building front.
Music:
The music is abysmal. There’s hardly any ambient music. It’s all jazzy shit from the games which ruins a lot of the show’s tones. The worst example is probably Lucy walking in on a dead ass dead family with their baby. They killed themselves so they didn’t have to experience the Great-War. It’s a hard scene, and we could get invested in the hard tone of this scene if it wasn’t offset by juke n’ jive music.
Same with the Raider’s killing people Lucy has grown up with, was raised by, and even loves. Nope more 50’s music. The radio only works in the games because you can turn it on/off at any point in time. You the player are kinda given an element in shaping the tone for your character. Imo a fallout show/movie needs only ambience. Maybe a radio or jukebox in the background albeit limited?
The Plot:
It’s apparently about looking for Lucy’s dad, but just like the Bethesda games they just do that to get the character out of the vault; like the water chip in Fo1, or GECK in Fo2. And just like the Bethesda games it’s a problem because of the characters agency. Probably more so because we can’t sit here n’ be like “well Lucy doesn’t care about their dad” because this isn’t an RPG where you make the character. This is a pre-established character. It fucks up the player agency with all of the side stuff you’re doing when in both the show, Fo3, and Fo4 priority #1 should be finding your fathechild.
It turns into this guy Wilzig’s head because he’s got the cold fusion in his neck. And Cooper is there because of a bounty. Knight Titus (not even worth mentioning) conveniently lands almost right where Wilzig was because “he wants to shoot stuff” then dies.
There’s a lot of conveniences. Like Lucy finding Wilzig twice, and all of the mc’s arriving in Filly around the same time. Wilzig gets the meat grinder prosthetic then promptly obviously dies, a while later, after taking cyanide?
Then the head becomes the mcguffin which is tossed around between Lucy, to Maximus, and Thaddeus (other brotherhood guy) then back to Lucy at the plot’s convenience.
I mean that was it up until the end. Cold Fusion gets activated, and the big reveals happened like the show had much drama to begin with. There’s some here, and there, but it really gets overshadowed by the astronomical attempts at comedy the show makes.
Theme:
The theme is mostly based on the zany Fallout 4, and 76. Which I don’t have much to say other than I don’t like it opposed to the grittiness of every game before them.
The theme of Fallout being the rhetorical “fallout” of humanity with ourselves is very lost, but this is nowhere near a new thing. I hate to see a desolate wasteland be made “fun” rather than asking the relevant questions for our characters, or more importantly ourselves in order to ever prevent something like a Nuclear Holocaust from ever taking place.
TL;DR:
The show doesn’t match up with itself much less the core material. It simply doesn’t know what it wants to be or do. At points it feels like a super hero show. Then it wants to do mystery, and drama which comes off as a poorly written soap opera. Or it’ll usually cash out to be this overly edgy sitcom.
2/10

Banyak eh kes curang,dengan lelaki lain,dengan rakan universiti,check in lah..Korang ni gile eh??Bila kau berkahwin,hubungan itu bukan sekadar perkataan,lelaki itu bawa keluar harta dia,yg dia bekerja dengan titik peluh dia,kena maki kena hadap,dan bagi kat kau,walau dia tkda duit..Itu pengorbanan dari lelaki sbb dia cinta kau..ambil penting skit bila kau kahwin,itu satu ikatan yang kuat memerlukan masa dan tenaga..Kahwin bukan couple,ia menggabungkan keluarga,dan keturunan..Mungkin kau terlalu banyak tengok drama yang direka oleh orang non Muslim atau tgk porn,yg kau ingat benda tu boleh berlalu mcm tu sahaja.kalau kau curang,anggaplah kau dh tknak teruskan perkahwinan sbb most men takkan tolerate curang..Kau telah letak satu dilema yang besar kat lelaki tu yg terpaksa melepaskan org yang dia cinta sbb kehormatan dirinya.Melepaskan keluarga bahagia dan kesejahteraan anaknya.Dan menghanguskan usahanya selama ini..Kalau kau tk betul2 suka lelaki tu dan kau tk hormat suami kau,jangan kahwin dengan dia lebih murni dari kau tipu dia

2 years later...
Place: A house in Gangseo
Zygarde: I'm going off!
A tall, pale-skinned teenager wearing a high school uniform stood at the entrance. His uniform included a red blazer, a white shirt, and black pants. The boy had white hair in a double curtain that ended in green streaks. He had heterochromia, with his left eye blue and his right eye grey. He wore round glasses that sat firmly on his nose.
[North Gangseo (No 5): "Commander" Zygarde Lee]: 192 cm, 88 kg; ???, ???, A+ (Awakened), S+, ???
Hae-in: Say bye to Daddy!
A 2-year-old was sitting down and pouting. She had chubby cheeks and big round eyes -- the colours taking after her father. She has black hair like her mother. She was wearing a light blue onesie.
Her mother had short black hair and black eyes. She wore round glasses like her husband. She had tattoos on her arms and back. She wore a white waffle T-shirt and black shorts that ended just above the knees.
[Hae-in Kim]: ???, ???, A(Awakened), B, ??? [Yeon Hwa Lee] ???,???, S,???,???
Yeon Hwa toddles over and hugs Zygarde's leg. She looks up with big eyes, pleading silently for Zygarde not to go.
Zygarde lifts her and nuzzles her — Yeon giggles.
Zygarde: Oh what will I do with you?
Zygarde and Yeon both look at Hae-in with puppy dog eyes.
Zygarde: Hon- Hae-in: No. Zygarde: But I haven't even- Hae-in: No. Zygarde (whispering): Time to pull that move Yeon! Zygarde and Hwa Yeon (eyes sparkling): M-mama... Hae-in (deadpan): No means no. Hwa Yeon (pouting): Bwummer... Zygarde: You evil woman. You want to separate my daughter from me!
Hae-in sighed and ruffled their heads. She smiled.
Hae-in: The both of you...
Zygarde gave Yeon back to Hae-in. Yeon grabbed his finger.
Yeon: Papa... Zygarde: Yeon... Hae-in: Enough with the drama! You're gonna be late brat! Zygarde: Fine :(
Zygarde runs off, blowing a kiss to his daughter and wife. His daughter squealed and his wife cringed.
A while later...
Place: North Gangseo Office: The Guards
[North Gangseo (No 4):"???" ???]
A jovial teenager hugged Zygarde. He had bright orange hair and a scar on his face. He had olive green eyes and a wide smile. He wore an unbuttoned red blazer and black pants.
Zygarde: Yo! ??? (4): Zy!
The men gave each other a bear hug.
Zygarde: How's our "Lu Bu" doing? "Lu Bu": Great!
[North Gangseo (No 4): "Lu Bu" Evan Yang]: 182 cm, 99 kg; ???, ???, A+ (Awakened), D, ???
Behind him, a few men were sitting on the floor, playing a game of Uno.
[North Gangseo (Personal Executive [Head of Action Force A]): Samgawi Gonchung]: 165 cm, 62 kg; S-, A+, A, A+, S-
Appearance: Pale skin, long Black Hair and green eyes. Outfit similar to Zygarde.
[North Gangseo (Personal Executive [Head of Action Force B]): Jun Hao]: 185 cm, 82 kg; S+, S, A+, C, S+
Appearance: Pale skin, black hair, crew cut and red eyes. Has a scar on his face over his right eye. Outfit similar to Zygarde.
[North Gangseo (Personal Executive [Head of Action Force C]): Seojun Ha]: 155 cm, 54 kg; S+, SS-, B(Awakened), B, S
Appearance: Pale skin, grey hair with white highlights, wolf cut and grey eyes. He wears a brown contact lens and Has a scar on his face. Outfit similar to Zygarde.
[North Gangseo (Personal Executive [Head of Action Force D]): Jinun Kang]: 178 cm, 76 kg; S, S-, A, C, S
Appearance: Pale skin, blue hair, brown eyes. Outfit similar to Zygarde.
[North Gangseo (Personal Executive [Head of Action Force E]): Wooseok Shin]: 177 cm, 68 kg; S, S+, A, B, A
Appearance: Tanned skin, black hair, green eyes. Outfit similar to Zygarde.
???: We aren't late, are we?
A group of men waltzed into the room.
[North Gangseo (No 6): "The Scourge" Kai Jin Ma]: 185 cm, 90 kg; ???, ???, A(Awakened), B+, ???
Appearance: Blond hair, heterochromia -- green and yellow, pale skin. Has a scar on his lip. The outfit consists of a half-slack black shirt and black pants with an Armani belt.
[North Gangseo (No 7): "Swordsman" William Texiter]: 188 cm, 90 kg; ???, ???, S(Awakened), A, ???
Appearance: Black hair tied up in a man bun, black eyes, pale skin. Has a scar covering his left cheek. White T-shirt with black pants and a black parka hoodie. Has a belt with a sheath that holds his sword.
[North Gangseo (No 8): "Tactician" Oh Yechan]: 189 cm, 92 kg; ???, ???, B+(Awakened), S, ???
Appearance: Blue hair, ice-blue eyes, pale skin. The outfit consists of black pants with black straps (overalls) and a striped green shirt.
[North Gangseo (No 9): "Six Fingers" Seongji Yun]: 180 cm, 92 kg; ???, ???, S(Awakened), B, ???
Appearance: Black Hair in a wolf cut, black eyes, pale skin. Has 14 fingers and 14 toes. Wears a black singlet and denim-blue pants. A white windbreaker is tied
[North Gangseo (No 10): "Vanguard" Kim Seol Jin]: 184 cm, 79 kg; ???, ???, B(Awakened), C, ???
Appearance: Long purple hair, red eyes, pale skin. His outfit consists of a blood-red shirt and black dress pants.
Zygarde: Great. We can start the meeting.
Zygarde's men stood behind "Lu Bu", and the rest of the executives sat down and Zygarde started his meeting.
Zygarde revealed his first slide. How much territory they had gained over the past 2 months leading to the summit.
Zygarde (pointing): Here is the "DMZ" or "Maginot Line". Our progress has been halted ever since Brad of Big Deal showed up. Numbers 19 and 20 were sent to infiltrate. We have not heard from them ever since.
Yechan: Could they have betrayed us?
Zygarde: No clue. Their territories are under No 18 right now. Execs below them are scrambling to the border and reinforcing the line. Word has it the South is regrouping and preparing to launch an offensive.
Seol Jin (stands up): We should start moving then. What are we waiting for?
[North Gangseo (No 10): "Vanguard" Kim Seol Jin]: LR+, LR, B(Awakened), C, LR+
Yechan (patting Seol Jin on the shoulder): Calm down.
[North Gangseo (No 8): "Tactician" Oh Yechan]: UR, LR+, B+(Awakened), S, UR
Zygarde: I understand your concerns Seol Jin. But please listen to what I have to say.
Zygarde pointed to the map once more.
Zygarde: Thanks to the efforts of "Lu Bu" and the action force leaders, we have established footholds in Ojeon-dong, Oseo-dong and Gaehwa-dong.
"Lu Bu" reclined his chair and flicked his sunglasses. The men surrounding him did the same.
Yun: Jokesters.
Zygarde: Samgawi. You're up.
Samgawi took the position of Zygarde and began his presentation.
Samgawi: Thank You. As he mentioned, we've taken care of most of the regions. Using this, we could cross over the line and attack the very heart of the South -- Naebalsan-dong.
Samgawi also pointed at Bucheon.
Samgawi: Very soon, we may even be able to take over Bucheon.
William: Well what about the original plan of going through Haneul Park?
Samgawi: That will be done too -- a two-pronged attack. The 5 greats are on it.
Zygarde stepped in.
Zygarde: Our job is to support them.
Zygarde: Action
Zygarde: Kai. William Action Force A and B. Haneul Park.
[North Gangseo (No 6): "The Scourge" Kai Jin Ma]: LR, UR+, A(Awakened), B+, LR
[North Gangseo (No 7): "Swordsman" William Texiter]: LR, LR, S(Awakened), A, UR+
[North Gangseo (Personal Executive [Head of Action Force A]): Samgawi Gonchung]: S-, A+, A, A+, S-
[North Gangseo (Personal Executive [Head of Action Force B]): Jun Hao]: S+, S, A+, C, S+
Samgawi's potential is peaking Jun Hao's potential is peaking
Zygarde: Yun. Yechan. Action Force D and E. Gogang-dong.
[North Gangseo (No 8): "Tactician" Oh Yechan]: UR+, LR, B+(Awakened), S, UR+
[North Gangseo (No 9): "Six Fingers" Seongji Yun]: UR+, UR+, S(Awakened), B, LR+
[North Gangseo (Personal Executive [Head of Action Force D]): Jinun Kang]: S, S-, A, C, S
[North Gangseo (Personal Executive [Head of Action Force E]): Wooseok Shin]: S, S+, A, B, A
Zygarde: Evan. Seol-jin. Action Force C. Me. Naebalsan-dong.
[North Gangseo (No 4): "Lu Bu" Evan Yang]: LR+, UR+, A+ (Awakened), D, LR+ (Resting)
[North Gangseo (No 5): "Commander" Zygarde Lee]: UR+, UR+, A+ (Awakened), S+, UR+
[North Gangseo (No 10): "Vanguard" Kim Seol Jin]: LR+, LR, B(Awakened), C, LR+
[North Gangseo (Personal Executive [Head of Action Force C]): Seojun Ha]: S+, SS-, B(Awakened), B, S
Zygarde: The fall of the South will be imminent.
Zygarde's potential is fighting its limits!

I am a first-time writer, I've taken on a creative project to try to write a full novel from front to back. I am around nine chapters in, the deeper the chapter, the more unpolished the editing. The Book Writing Project can be found: here.

BOOK 1 SUMMARY WITH GRAPHICS

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DEADCOAST-INTRO #

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“Deadcoast Book 1: Heat and the Grizzly Reds” transports readers to a 2063 Earth, a world on the brink, where the scarcity of fresh water has led to previously unseen geopolitical tensions. Amidst this backdrop, the nation-backed militant group DAGGR has emerged as a formidable force, leveraging advanced technology to assert control over Canada’s abundant water resources. At the heart of their arsenal is ‘slugTech,’ a technology pioneered by James Broadshaw, intended for ecological restoration but repurposed for militaristic dominance.
The story unfolds with the chilling invasion of Vancouver, marking a turning point as DAGGR makes its ambitions clear, culminating in the assassination of the Canadian Prime Minister. This act of aggression leaves the country reeling, exposing vulnerabilities and igniting a global reaction.
The UNE-EYE satellite is central to the international response, a significant narrative element representing the world’s most advanced orbital tracking system. Once decommissioned in favour of privacy, the Dutch reactivated the satellite as a strategic move to monitor DAGGR’s movements and coordinate a unified international effort against the aggressors. This revival of UNE-EYE symbolizes a crucial turning point, highlighting the global stakes and the interconnectedness of nations in the face of a common enemy.
As Canada grapples with its plight, the DAMU (Deserted American Military Units) rise in solidarity, breaching borders to fight alongside their Canadian counterparts. This act of defiance is mirrored by international forces, including the Netherlands and Ukraine, each bringing their unique strengths to the coalition, underscored by the strategic oversight provided by the UNE-EYE satellite.
Amidst the geopolitical chaos, a man who had all but given up, a boxer on the ropes, emerges from Vancouver’s Gastown. Known as HEAT, this leader of the Grizzly Reds becomes a symbol of resistance and hope. HEAT’s story, and that of the Grizzly Reds, is one of resilience, rallying not only Canadians but also global citizens to stand against DAGGR’s tyranny.
“Deadcoast Book 1: Heat and the Grizzly Reds” is a compelling narrative of survival, alliance, and resistance. It deftly weaves elements of advanced technology, international politics, and the indomitable human spirit. The inclusion of the UNE-EYE satellite serves as a testament to the complexities of modern warfare and the critical role of global surveillance and coordination in maintaining security and freedom. But something else stirs amongst it. The UNE still shrouds its use, albeit assuring it is for record-keeping purposes- there is no way to be sure. Join HEAT and the Grizzly Reds as they navigate the challenges of Time, War, Science and liberating their fellow man in Vancouver. THE GRIZZLIES NEED YOU, in this action-packed, emotional saga, speaks to the resilience and camaraderie inherent in the human condition.
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DEADCOAST-SUMMARY-ILLUSTRATED #

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THE YEAR IS 2063
In a future world plagued by scarcity and desperation, DAGGR, a shrouded nation-funded militant group, emerges as a significant player. They focus on Canada, a land rich in the most valuable resource left on Earth: fresh water. DAGGR, a state-of-the-art military faction, features boat hulls fitted with tech from forgotten scientists, silenced for their discoveries out of fear, not fortune. The DAGGR technology, originally known as ‘slugTech,’ was a technological marvel in 3 breakthroughs. 1. Quantum Computing, 2. Data Compression, 3. Power Generation. ‘slugTech,’ created by a young Canadian Scientist ‘James Broadshaw’ 30 years earlier, was a true innovation. James created the slugs to heal, to help. The slugs were a 360-degree plan to encapsulate the earth in self-repairing atmospheric “slug swarms.” A self-repairing Global Bandaid. The project’s potential caused widespread alarm among the Need-to-know world leaders. Just like that, the slugTech was delegated and prohibited at the highest level of classification: TWA Technology. A Total World Annihilation Classification.’ slugTech was shrouded in secrecy and hidden to avoid events like the ones to come. No trace of James Broadshaw has been seen or heard from 19 years ago. Today, DAGGR approaches with an abomination tainting James’ legacy.
DAGGR’s innovation extended beyond self-repairing hulls. It involved trillions of quantum scale molecules, a new man-made molecule reactive to electric currents, programable to scale, to human eyes — A manifestation of slimy consistent liquid. The Molecules, capable of constructing honeycombing at a microscopic level, chains of strength tested by time in Darwin's evolution. The honeycomb is fine-tuned to absorb, create, repair, and discard. It scatters in and out of vision like a hive, moving as if bleeding while discarding its damaged former molecular brethren. Adversaries dubbed them M’YASNI HOLOVY, aka MEAT HEADS. This was just a taste of what DAGGR had to offer, the tip of the military iceberg. This tech alone was thought of only in science and prototyping. But DAGGR’s mission was not solely about military prowess. It was about unlocking new Technological Marvels via destruction and power, paving the way for swift world domination.
And so…
The enigma persists: who was DAGGR, and how did they outpace the world’s best? This Faction, a force to be reckoned with, traces its strength back to ancient times when men spoke a forgotten tongue. The Romans, the Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, and the great philosophers of Greece. Structuring their Military ranks as the Roman Legion once did was a cusp to dawn the new Legionaries. The mystery of their origins and ability to surpass the world’s best is a puzzle that continues to intrigue and confound.
— -
Under the veil of fireworks on Canada Day, a sinister plot unfolds as the then-unknown (DAGGR) assailant assassinates the Canadian Prime Minister. Chaos ensues as the highest echelons of the government are either eliminated or driven into hiding, leaving a power vacuum in their wake.
The world is shocked by the unveiling of DAGGR and its sudden, unprovoked invasion of Vancouver.
“As the DAGGRS military might descend upon Vancouver, the world watches in stunned silence. It was Canada…Who dared with The United States so close? So intertwined?”
The countries almost became One after the American Water Crisis. The United States, with all its power and might, could not battle the grim reality of a dry well — that is until the Canadians intervened.
During the 2043 American water crisis (due to overpopulation), Most of the world clung to its Dwindling supplies. Canada and Russia were becoming vastly wealthy nations with vastly different ideals. Each harnesses 89% of the natural water left on Earth between them.
Canada, NOTWITHSTANDING, fiscally bankrupted its country, sending trillions in drinkable, H2O aid to the impossible, seemingly unquenchable thirst of the American Populace. The talks of liquid gold had come to pass. Most of Canada’s still bountiful glacial runoffs prove vital for its controlled population.
Canada, its citizens, and its shield were dedicated to ensuring the safety and survival of their American counterparts. The Canadian Nation essentially shut down for three months, pivoting all infrastructure to aid RED BLEED BLUE.
Operation “Red Bleed Blue”
Canada suspended its airspace for three months. It took control of all aircraft with two wings and an engine in its flying zones, including small planes in the east, seaplanes in the west, and Inuit icebreakers in the north. All international pilots were required to join the effort or relinquish their respective companies’ aircraft temporarily. Airspace clearance was strictly controlled from coast to coast. Natural spring pools near the Canadian borders were donated to help the United States immediately by providing a pumpable source close to the border. This was a Canadian-led coalition to support its loyal allies in the south; the world, inspired by the Northern Nation, came together to offer overwhelming manpower support. As a result of this effort, America’s recovery operation was streamlined, ensuring a full economic and strategic recovery. These events immeasurably further strengthened the bond between Canada and the United States. In exchange for steady water supplies, America would provide permanent military incorporation to Canada, making Canada’s young and too optimistically forward-thinking leaders believe there was no need for an underfunded, rudimentary Canadian military.
The Canadian Military was Designed to be an operational elite force of cutting-edge units. Some soared above in the skies with the eagles; some stared through scopes at their prey miles away, and some lived at the depths of the ocean’s crust, researching the next edge. It wasn’t a large force but a technologically forward one. The Canadian Military, all Research projects and its personnel are cut overnight.
Aside from these events and the Sacrifices of the North, it wasn't enough when Canada’s time of need came.
The US finds itself handcuffed by a technological marvel of DAGGR Faction ingenuity — the “C2c,” a super bomb designed not for destruction but to hinder AI in Machines. This leaves America’s Technological might and size paralyzed, unable to intervene without risking its national security. The closure of borders and refusal to accept Canadian refugees ignite riots within the U.S.; the Americans take to Social news outlets, and these phrases take hold;
“BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER.”WE REMEMBER:”
Freedom fighters awaken in their populace, not for themself, but for the Canadian Citizens so much like their own. They are the DAMU.
As the American people grapple with their government’s inaction. Militant groups, mostly “Deserted American Military Units” or “DAMU,” rip open their border gates.
The DAMU march to Seattle, where they are openly greeted, shown, and instructed on how to broadcast nationally by the Local News Agencies. It would seem the want, the need to help was not just limited to those that can fight. The DAMU, with the help of the Media, both left and right, was broadcasted, Unified, Nationally, Globally.
“*WE WILL COME TO THE AID OF THE NORTH. WE ARE THE DAMU. WE CALL ANY TRAINED MILITANT OF AMERICA. IT IS IN OUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO DEFEND OUR FAMILY, OUR NEIGHBOURS, OUR FRIENDS WHO SACRIFICED FOR US IN THE NORTH. IF YOU ARE TRAINED, YOU ARE DAMU, AND THIS IS YOUR FIGHT. LEST WE FORGET THE THIRST OF THE CRISIS? OUR BLOOD IS TO THE TRUE NORTHERN SACRIFICES IN OUR TIME OF NEED. WE MARCH FOR VANCOUVER AT DAWN. WE MARCH– WE FIGHT; IF YOU WISH TO JOIN US, ALL TRAVEL WILL BE COMPENSATED TO SEATTLE. DIAL ‘#FIGHT’ (‘#34448’)*”
DAMU CONVOY MARCH TO ZERO BEACH, VANCOUVER, BC.
They demanded their own smaller(than the now 400-strong DAMU) national guard units lower their weapons or fire on them(DAMU), but they sure as hell weren’t going to do anything while the Civilians in the North were openly Slaughtered. The UNE-EYE(A world Monitoring Mega Satellite Structure provided a Full Scope, degree stream of the invasion, live as it unfolded. The DAMU were fired up and ready for what may come after witnessing the atrocities on civilians in the violent invasion. The border forces subtly obliged; they didn’t want to be there either. A small sign of humanity, a small flame doused by the arrival of the entire American border forces not a day later. The DAMU militants crossed the border into the grey. If the government wasn’t going to, the American people were. Despite the political constraints, there’s an undercurrent of hope and solidarity among the American populace, a belief that their Canadian kin won’t be trounced so easily — they are Northmen: Strong, Weathered, Proud. The Canadians will buy themselves enough time to allow the American people to mobilize independently. Riot or Revolution- Canada will not be abandoned in their darkest hour.
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Amidst this international turmoil, a forgotten ally rekindles an old bond. The Netherlands, moved by the atrocities and recalling a debt from a world’s past, announces a Declaration of War that is both Swift and Symbolic. In a historic gesture, 10,000 dead tulips are sent to DAGGR’s “SUNKEN CITIES.” Not underwater, but an alias for their innovative creation of continental Landmasses in the Pacific Dark Zones. It is a grim reminder of the Dutch’s loyal tenacity, bond to lives lost, and vow to honour past sacrifices from Forgotten World Quarrels. The Dutch mobilize their military for an operation named “Vrijheid” — a phrase that means freedom, a principle they’re determined to uphold.
The Dutch Royal family, with ties to Canada dating back to World War II, leads the charge. Princess Margriet’s Direct Descendant, Halifax van Royal(“Royal,” a warrior title replacing his traditional royal Surname ‘Orange Nassau.’ The Highest Honor in the Dutch Military Elite), a symbol of the enduring bond between the two nations, reignites his family’s commitment; a vow from a different time, violence born of a different struggle, the Canadians once Liberated Dutch lands from tyrants, and he would vow to return that very same favour.
During their(Dutch Royalty) refugee status in World War II, Princess Margaret van Orange Nassau sought asylum in Canada’s parliament. Canada even temporarily granted parts of their “Dutch soil” land so Margaret’s children could be born officially on Dutch Lands. As a boy, Halifax’s family passed down stories of the Fateful days of the great struggle, generation to generation; the stories passed off tongues as the test of time-shifted legacies and gifted life. The gratitude survived the tests, the sands of time– about the days the Canadians arrived. The day they roared into Holland ferociously, battling the Occupying Nazis and expelling them from household to household, driving them from city to city, until the Netherlands was once again a free reign. Canadians sacrificed to save Holland’s people Halfway Across the World in a war that wasn’t theirs. Halifax was determined to honour this Sacrifice.
Halifax, infuriated by the atrocities streamed by the UNE-EYE(World Surveillance), personally promises his “Korps Commandotroepen (KCT)” to liberate one Canadian town for each of the 8,000 Canadian soldiers buried on Dutch soil, a tribute to the heroes who helped liberate Holland during the war. Before a full hour passed in the Canadian invasion.
Korps Commandotroepen — KCT(English: Commando Corps) is the elite special forces unit of the Royal Netherlands Army. The KCT traces its origins to the Second World War with the founding of №2 (Dutch) Troop.
The royal family pulled in generational favours to the powers of the U.N.E.(The United Nations of Europe.) to recommission its Mega Structure Satellite, the once intrusive World Eye. A Satellite can find almost anything, anywhere, at face-recognizing precision. A mother to a web of smaller surveillance satellites, it could track a fly in the desert. For the first time in 7 years, the UNE-EYE was back and operational, fully utilizing its global tracking and orbital streaming system.
The world’s state-of-the-art orbital tracking system. It was mainly decommissioned to search and rescue after the global privacy initiative before being wholly outlawed and shut down a few years later. The power of the Mob and privacy were prime.
Unbeknownst to Canadians, the world was watching their struggle, fight, and determination.
As the world watched on, it burst into flames. Inspired by everyday Canadians’ hearts in their battle against torrential odds, their hearts, minds and souls felt for them and prayed for them. Every denomination, religious alignment, and political authority seemed to unite under one banner; “how can we help the Canadians?” Politics ensued as the world's populace helplessly watched as Canada burned.
With Halifax leading the Efforts, The reality of warfare and logistics proved to be a daunting challenge. Despite the royal efforts, including setting up refugee centers in various locations and sending evacuation ships to Newfoundland, Halifax(the Canadian Province), and Montreal, the Dutch faced an uphill battle against time and dwindling resources.
Meanwhile, another unexpected ally emerges from the East. Ukraine, forged in the fires of conflict and struggle, remembers Canada’s aid during its decade-long fight for independence.
Canada was there, officially or unofficially, for all ten years. The arrival of the Ukrainian flagship, ZELENSKY II, bearing the flag “UTF-FLR.’’ followed by a new garrison name, “UKRAINIAN TASKFORCE — FOREIGN LEGIONS REVENGE,” an homage to the INTERNATIONAL CANADIAN LEGION forces that fought for Ukraine and the brave Canadian JTF-2 “12 of Hope” a unit shrouded in secrecy and anonymity until then. Their actions shattered their veiled secrecy. It’s hard to stay hidden when you disobey direct orders to liberate half a Ukranian city. Saving hundreds of thousands of civilians, throwing their lives on the line in the process, losing six members, and igniting the Ukrainian Civilians they were trying to rescue. Elite soldiers and Ukrainian civilians alike, side by side, fighting for survival. With its golden yellow hull and blue stripes, the Zelenskyy ii signals a new chapter in this unfolding saga. The UKRAINIAN TASKFORCE — FOREIGN LEGIONS REVENGE.
Hope.
However, tragedy strikes as the Zelensky II falls victim to DAGGR’S C2c weapon. Rendered immobile, a sitting duck in open harbours. A low rumble flies ahead, eight engines grown on a mammoth aircraft dawning the letters ‘SPIT FLARE.’ As their bomber flies overhead, Canadians watch in horror from the beach; a small black dot falls slowly from the craft above, and with a flash of white, the Zelenskyy II vaporizes.
The “Small Bang” bomb, as DAGGR calls it, is the rapid spinning of plasma in a small diameter, increasing and accelerating its speed until the molecules in the plasma begin to flare outwards in a disc formation, stretching their fabric in the very space-time itself, expanding, thinning and super-heating the plasma to sub-molecular level, then rapidly infusing the process with oxygen and at the same speed decelerating it completely. The molecules super-compress, contract, and expand explosively. It would almost seem modelled as the same process of creating the universe. In its current state, it reaches temperatures close to the sun. The bomb resulted in the loss of 180,000 lives and shattered the morale of those waiting for evacuation on the Atlantic Shore.
The NORTHERN DAGGR forces, failing to enter through the Arctic, encounter resistance from the “Canadian Shield,” the formidable natural defences of the North. DAGGR is stopped in their tracks. With the invading forces, there is a new All-in focus on Vancouver for its strategic ports and supply lines. However, the Atlantic side of Canada succumbs to fear tactics, with the evacuation efforts ceasing after the destruction of the Zelensky II.
Amidst the challenging times, a hero unexpectedly rises from the ashes of Gastown in Vancouver. Known by the code name HEAT, Ryan emerges as a symbol of hope and resistance.
HEAT becomes the founder and leader of the Grizzly Reds, a resistance group that plays a pivotal role in igniting the spirit of defiance across Canada. Their true origin is rooted in the Red Brick Road incident, a gruesome act of violence by the DAGGR FACTION to enact fear in the uprising. This heinous act catalyzes HEAT and gives a new birth to the Grizzly Reds, a symbol of Canadian tenacity and the fight for freedom.
The Grizzlies are known for their guerrilla “Roar and Move” Tactic, which strategically surrounds their militia unit around a target. The streets are that of the grizzlies; it's their hunting grounds, homes, and native streets they know best: Zero Beach, Gastown, Vancouver, Canada. The Grizzlies exchange Roars one by one around their target as if banshees transcending physical barriers— haunting, taunting their prey. Their unbreakable spirit inspires a global movement to rise up.
Across the border, Americans, forming the DAMU(DESERTED AMERICAN MILITARY UNIT), flock to the Seattle coast and organize the march to Zero Beach. True to their word, the Dutch include the ‘Vrijheid’ Garrison, comprising military personnel who volunteer to fight for Canada’s liberation, commanded by the elite Korps Commandotroepen (KCT).
The story of HEAT and the Grizzly Reds is a powerful reminder of humanity’s unyielding resilience in the face of adversity. It speaks to the deep-seated desire for justice and compassion that runs through our veins and the unwavering commitment to our fellow human beings.

• JOIN HEAT AND THE GRIZZLY REDS AS THEY FIGHT TO LIBERATE VANCOUVER IN THIS ACTION PACKED EMOTIONAL DRAMA.
• JOIN THE FIGHT
• JOIN THE RESISTANCE

WHERE WERE YOU THE DAY CANADA WAS INVADED?

Since we are in a quiet moment for the Real Housewives franchises, why not rank the most recent seasons of all the available shows? And yes, I know “New Jersey” started this week, but please use the completed Season 13, not 14.
Here are mine:
1) Salt Lake City Season 4 – Just perfect reality television. Not a weak link in the cast, with the season finale ranking as one of the best Housewives episodes ever. A
2) Miami Season 6 – The ensemble still crackles with love and joy all the way through. Adriana is likeable again, Guerdy’s storyline was beautifully told and Larsa is aiming to become a legendary villain. Now if only Lisa could find a new storyline… A-
3) Orange County Season 17 – A lovely bounce back in quality, fueled in major part thanks to the awesome feud between Tamra and Heather. Still not close to the peak years, but an engaging watch nonetheless. B+
4) Beverly Hills Season 13 – A breath of fresh air after the Rinna-infused darkness of the past seasons, I’m loving the lighter tone and comedic moments. Such a shame, then, about Annemarie offering up one of the worst Housewife performances ever and Kyle’s tabloid scandals not causing any sparks on the show. B
5) New York City Season 14 – Growing pains all over the place, but I love the more aspirational tone and those sexy AF main titles. Also will be forever grateful for putting Brynn and Jenna on my screen. C+
6) Ultimate Girls Trip Season 4 – A cute enough fond farewell to our NYC OG ladies, if completely disposable. Kelly and Kristen represented fat that could have easily been trimmed, but at least we can always look back on Dorinda lost in her own hotel room and smile. C+
7) Dubai Season 1 – Chanel was perhaps born to be the ultimate Real Housewife… it’s just a shame that she’s stuck on an otherwise lame show. Caroline is trying to perk things up, at least. C-
8) Atlanta Season 15 – An uptick in quality and drama in the final few episodes, particularly the finale, could not save an otherwise awful, repetitive and dull season. You deserve better, Kenya. D+
9) Potomac Season 8 – No longer fun to watch. Production allowed the housewives to sidestep their two biggest storylines, and what we got instead was horrible nothingness. And the less said about the Wendy/Nneka feud and Ashley’s involvement, the better. D
10) New Jersey Season 13 – Whoever wins in the Teresa/Melissa feud does not matter… because the viewers lose either way. Like “Potomac,” it’s simply no longer fun to watch. Just nasty, nasty, nasty. D