Professor Woodrow Wilson once said that every man sent out from a university should be a man of his nation as well as a man of his time, and I am confident that the men and women who carry the honor of graduating from this institution will continue to give from their lives, from their talents, a high measure of public service and public support.
"There are few earthly things more beautiful than a university," wrote John Masefield in his tribute to English universities--and his words are equally true today. He did not refer to spires and towers, to campus greens and ivied walls. He admired the splendid beauty of the university, he said, because it was "a place where those who hate ignorance may strive to know, where those who perceive truth may strive to make others see."
I have, therefore, chosen this time and this place to discuss a topic on which ignorance too often abounds and the truth is too rarely perceived--yet it is the most important topic on earth: world peace.
What kind of peace do I mean? What kind of peace do we seek? Not a Pax Americana enforced on the world by American weapons of war. Not the peace of the grave or the security of the slave. I am talking about genuine peace, the kind of peace that makes life on earth worth living, the kind that enables men and nations to grow and to hope and to build a better life for their children--not merely peace for Americans but peace for all men and women--not merely peace in our time but peace for all time.
I speak of peace because of the new face of war. Total war makes no sense in an age when great powers can maintain large and relatively invulnerable nuclear forces and refuse to surrender without resort to those forces. It makes no sense in an age when a single nuclear weapon contains almost ten times the explosive force delivered by all the allied air forces in the Second World War. It makes no sense in an age when the deadly poisons produced by a nuclear exchange would be carried by wind and water and soil and seed to the far corners of the globe and to generations yet unborn.
Today the expenditure of billions of dollars every year on weapons acquired for the purpose of making sure we never need to use them is essential to keeping the peace. But surely the acquisition of such idle stockpiles--which can only destroy and never create--is not the only, much less the most efficient, means of assuring peace.
I speak of peace, therefore, as the necessary rational end of rational men. I realize that the pursuit of peace is not as dramatic as the pursuit of war--and frequently the words of the pursuer fall on deaf ears. But we have no more urgent task.
Some say that it is useless to speak of world peace or world law or world disarmament--and that it will be useless until the leaders of the Soviet Union adopt a more enlightened attitude. I hope they do. I believe we can help them do it. But I also believe that we must reexamine our own attitude--as individuals and as a Nation--for our attitude is as essential as theirs. And every graduate of this school, every thoughtful citizen who despairs of war and wishes to bring peace, should begin by looking inward--by examining his own attitude toward the possibilities of peace, toward the Soviet Union, toward the course of the cold war and toward freedom and peace here at home.
First: Let us examine our attitude toward peace itself. Too many of us think it is impossible. Too many think it unreal. But that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable--that mankind is doomed--that we are gripped by forces we cannot control.
We need not accept that view. Our problems are manmade--therefore, they can be solved by man. And man can be as big as he wants. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. Man's reason and spirit have often solved the seemingly unsolvable--and we believe they can do it again.
I am not referring to the absolute, infinite concept of peace and good will of which some fantasies and fanatics dream. I do not deny the value of hopes and dreams but we merely invite discouragement and incredulity by making that our only and immediate goal.
Let us focus instead on a more practical, more attainable peace-- based not on a sudden revolution in human nature but on a gradual evolution in human institutions--on a series of concrete actions and effective agreements which are in the interest of all concerned. There is no single, simple key to this peace--no grand or magic formula to be adopted by one or two powers. Genuine peace must be the product of many nations, the sum of many acts. It must be dynamic, not static, changing to meet the challenge of each new generation. For peace is a process--a way of solving problems.
With such a peace, there will still be quarrels and conflicting interests, as there are within families and nations. World peace, like community peace, does not require that each man love his neighbor--it requires only that they live together in mutual tolerance, submitting their disputes to a just and peaceful settlement. And history teaches us that enmities between nations, as between individuals, do not last forever. However fixed our likes and dislikes may seem, the tide of time and events will often bring surprising changes in the relations between nations and neighbors.
So let us persevere. Peace need not be impracticable, and war need not be inevitable. By defining our goal more clearly, by making it seem more manageable and less remote, we can help all peoples to see it, to draw hope from it, and to move irresistibly toward it.
Second: Let us reexamine our attitude toward the Soviet Union. It is discouraging to think that their leaders may actually believe what their propagandists write. It is discouraging to read a recent authoritative Soviet text on Military Strategy and find, on page after page, wholly baseless and incredible claims--such as the allegation that "American imperialist circles are preparing to unleash different types of wars . . . that there is a very real threat of a preventive war being unleashed by American imperialists against the Soviet Union . . . [and that] the political aims of the American imperialists are to enslave economically and politically the European and other capitalist countries . . . [and] to achieve world domination . . . by means of aggressive wars."
Truly, as it was written long ago: "The wicked flee when no man pursueth." Yet it is sad to read these Soviet statements--to realize the extent of the gulf between us. But it is also a warning--a warning to the American people not to fall into the same trap as the Soviets, not to see only a distorted and desperate view of the other side, not to see conflict as inevitable, accommodation as impossible, and communication as nothing more than an exchange of threats.
No government or social system is so evil that its people must be considered as lacking in virtue. As Americans, we find communism profoundly repugnant as a negation of personal freedom and dignity. But we can still hail the Russian people for their many achievements--in science and space, in economic and industrial growth, in culture and in acts of courage.
Among the many traits the peoples of our two countries have in common, none is stronger than our mutual abhorrence of war. Almost unique among the major world powers, we have never been at war with each other. And no nation in the history of battle ever suffered more than the Soviet Union suffered in the course of the Second World War. At least 20 million lost their lives. Countless millions of homes and farms were burned or sacked. A third of the nation's territory, including nearly two thirds of its industrial base, was turned into a wasteland--a loss equivalent to the devastation of this country east of Chicago.
Today, should total war ever break out again--no matter how--our two countries would become the primary targets. It is an ironic but accurate fact that the two strongest powers are the two in the most danger of devastation. All we have built, all we have worked for, would be destroyed in the first 24 hours. And even in the cold war, which brings burdens and dangers to so many nations, including this Nation's closest allies--our two countries bear the heaviest burdens. For we are both devoting massive sums of money to weapons that could be better devoted to combating ignorance, poverty, and disease. We are both caught up in a vicious and dangerous cycle in which suspicion on one side breeds suspicion on the other, and new weapons beget counterweapons.
In short, both the United States and its allies, and the Soviet Union and its allies, have a mutually deep interest in a just and genuine peace and in halting the arms race. Agreements to this end are in the interests of the Soviet Union as well as ours--and even the most hostile nations can be relied upon to accept and keep those treaty obligations, and only those treaty obligations, which are in their own interest.
So, let us not be blind to our differences--but let us also direct attention to our common interests and to the means by which those differences can be resolved. And if we cannot end now our differences, at least we can help make the world safe for diversity. For, in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.
Third: Let us reexamine our attitude toward the cold war, remembering that we are not engaged in a debate, seeking to pile up debating points. We are not here distributing blame or pointing the finger of judgment. We must deal with the world as it is, and not as it might have been had the history of the last 18 years been different.
We must, therefore, persevere in the search for peace in the hope that constructive changes within the Communist bloc might bring within reach solutions which now seem beyond us. We must conduct our affairs in such a way that it becomes in the Communists' interest to agree on a genuine peace. Above all, while defending our own vital interests, nuclear powers must avert those confrontations which bring an adversary to a choice of either a humiliating retreat or a nuclear war. To adopt that kind of course in the nuclear age would be evidence only of the bankruptcy of our policy--or of a collective death-wish for the world.
To secure these ends, America's weapons are nonprovocative, carefully controlled, designed to deter, and capable of selective use. Our military forces are committed to peace and disciplined in self- restraint. Our diplomats are instructed to avoid unnecessary irritants and purely rhetorical hostility.
For we can seek a relaxation of tension without relaxing our guard. And, for our part, we do not need to use threats to prove that we are resolute. We do not need to jam foreign broadcasts out of fear our faith will be eroded. We are unwilling to impose our system on any unwilling people--but we are willing and able to engage in peaceful competition with any people on earth.
Meanwhile, we seek to strengthen the United Nations, to help solve its financial problems, to make it a more effective instrument for peace, to develop it into a genuine world security system--a system capable of resolving disputes on the basis of law, of insuring the security of the large and the small, and of creating conditions under which arms can finally be abolished.
At the same time we seek to keep peace inside the non-Communist world, where many nations, all of them our friends, are divided over issues which weaken Western unity, which invite Communist intervention or which threaten to erupt into war. Our efforts in West New Guinea, in the Congo, in the Middle East, and in the Indian subcontinent, have been persistent and patient despite criticism from both sides. We have also tried to set an example for others--by seeking to adjust small but significant differences with our own closest neighbors in Mexico and in Canada.
Speaking of other nations, I wish to make one point clear. We are bound to many nations by alliances. Those alliances exist because our concern and theirs substantially overlap. Our commitment to defend Western Europe and West Berlin, for example, stands undiminished because of the identity of our vital interests. The United States will make no deal with the Soviet Union at the expense of other nations and other peoples, not merely because they are our partners, but also because their interests and ours converge.
Our interests converge, however, not only in defending the frontiers of freedom, but in pursuing the paths of peace. It is our hope-- and the purpose of allied policies--to convince the Soviet Union that she, too, should let each nation choose its own future, so long as that choice does not interfere with the choices of others. The Communist drive to impose their political and economic system on others is the primary cause of world tension today. For there can be no doubt that, if all nations could refrain from interfering in the self-determination of others, the peace would be much more assured.
This will require a new effort to achieve world law--a new context for world discussions. It will require increased understanding between the Soviets and ourselves. And increased understanding will require increased contact and communication. One step in this direction is the proposed arrangement for a direct line between Moscow and Washington, to avoid on each side the dangerous delays, misunderstandings, and misreadings of the other's actions which might occur at a time of crisis.
We have also been talking in Geneva about the other first-step measures of arms control designed to limit the intensity of the arms race and to reduce the risks of accidental war. Our primary long range interest in Geneva, however, is general and complete disarmament-- designed to take place by stages, permitting parallel political developments to build the new institutions of peace which would take the place of arms. The pursuit of disarmament has been an effort of this Government since the 1920's. It has been urgently sought by the past three administrations. And however dim the prospects may be today, we intend to continue this effort--to continue it in order that all countries, including our own, can better grasp what the problems and possibilities of disarmament are.
The one major area of these negotiations where the end is in sight, yet where a fresh start is badly needed, is in a treaty to outlaw nuclear tests. The conclusion of such a treaty, so near and yet so far, would check the spiraling arms race in one of its most dangerous areas. It would place the nuclear powers in a position to deal more effectively with one of the greatest hazards which man faces in 1963, the further spread of nuclear arms. It would increase our security--it would decrease the prospects of war. Surely this goal is sufficiently important to require our steady pursuit, yielding neither to the temptation to give up the whole effort nor the temptation to give up our insistence on vital and responsible safeguards.
I am taking this opportunity, therefore, to announce two important decisions in this regard.
First: Chairman Khrushchev, Prime Minister Macmillan, and I have agreed that high-level discussions will shortly begin in Moscow looking toward early agreement on a comprehensive test ban treaty. Our hopes must be tempered with the caution of history--but with our hopes go the hopes of all mankind.
Second: To make clear our good faith and solemn convictions on the matter, I now declare that the United States does not propose to conduct nuclear tests in the atmosphere so long as other states do not do so. We will not be the first to resume. Such a declaration is no substitute for a formal binding treaty, but I hope it will help us achieve one. Nor would such a treaty be a substitute for disarmament, but I hope it will help us achieve it.
Finally, my fellow Americans, let us examine our attitude toward peace and freedom here at home. The quality and spirit of our own society must justify and support our efforts abroad. We must show it in the dedication of our own lives--as many of you who are graduating today will have a unique opportunity to do, by serving without pay in the Peace Corps abroad or in the proposed National Service Corps here at home.
But wherever we are, we must all, in our daily lives, live up to the age-old faith that peace and freedom walk together. In too many of our cities today, the peace is not secure because the freedom is incomplete.
It is the responsibility of the executive branch at all levels of government--local, State, and National--to provide and protect that freedom for all of our citizens by all means within their authority. It is the responsibility of the legislative branch at all levels, wherever that authority is not now adequate, to make it adequate. And it is the responsibility of all citizens in all sections of this country to respect the rights of all others and to respect the law of the land.
All this is not unrelated to world peace. "When a man's ways please the Lord," the Scriptures tell us, "he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him." And is not peace, in the last analysis, basically a matter of human rights--the right to live out our lives without fear of devastation--the right to breathe air as nature provided it--the right of future generations to a healthy existence?
While we proceed to safeguard our national interests, let us also safeguard human interests. And the elimination of war and arms is clearly in the interest of both. No treaty, however much it may be to the advantage of all, however tightly it may be worded, can provide absolute security against the risks of deception and evasion. But it can--if it is sufficiently effective in its enforcement and if it is sufficiently in the interests of its signers--offer far more security and far fewer risks than an unabated, uncontrolled, unpredictable arms race.
The United States, as the world knows, will never start a war. We do not want a war. We do not now expect a war. This generation of Americans has already had enough--more than enough--of war and hate and oppression. We shall be prepared if others wish it. We shall be alert to try to stop it. But we shall also do our part to build a world of peace where the weak are safe and the strong are just. We are not helpless before that task or hopeless of its success. Confident and unafraid, we labor on--not toward a strategy of annihilation but toward a strategy of peace.

This story has been gaining some small online traction over the past couple of days, and Russell Edwards has been namedropped again by Keith Bennett’s brother, Alan Bennett, on social media. I want people to be in no doubt about what Edwards did back in 2022, and I want to make sure that the following ranks near the top of Google searches too so that people can easily find information that discredits this complete and utter charlatan.
Header photo description and credits: Greater Manchester Police employing a drone in the excavation of the site searched for the remains of Keith Bennett on Saddleworth Moor, 2nd October 2022. Manchester Evening News

Who is Russell Edwards?

Edwards is a self-proclaimed “amateur detective”, who has for many years invested a lot of his own time and money into trying to get to the bottom of numerous infamous unsolved cases. He has claimed to have identified Jack the Ripper as a Polish barber named Aaron Kosminski, and wrote a book about his “findings” called “Naming Jack the Ripper” - which have since been called into question along with the credibility of both Edwards and the forensic scientist he collaborated with in regards to both Jack the Ripper and the Moors Murders, Jari Louhelainen.

The known facts of Keith Bennett’s disappearance and murder

Keith was walking to his grandmother’s house on the evening of 16th June 1964 when he was abducted by Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. According to their accounts, he was driven up to Saddleworth Moor and endured sexual assault before he was strangled to death and buried in a shallow grave. There is a detailed and extensive write-up on Brady’s and Hindley’s conflicting accounts linked here. Tragically, to this day Keith Bennett remains the only one of the couple’s victims whose remains were never recovered.
I would strongly encourage everybody to read these FAQs around the search for Keith too. I wrote these up a while ago, and Alan himself has been kind enough to contribute to them as well after the fact.

The 2022 “findings”

First off, here’s where exactly Edwards made his “discovery” in relation to where the other bodies were found. I should state that this area consists of plenty of gullies and peat soil. If you click on the 2022 Search on Saddleworth Moor flair, you‘ll see everything we discussed in this subreddit as the search was being carried out. But I will recap what happened anyway.
In a statement published on 30th September 2022, GMP Force Review Officer Martin Bottomley said:
“At around 11.25am on Thursday 29th September 2022, Greater Manchester Police was contacted by the representative of an author who has been researching the murder of Keith Bennett, a victim of Ian Brady and Myra Hindley. Following direct contact with the author, we were informed that he had discovered what he believes are potential human remains in a remote location on the Moors and he agreed to meet with officers yesterday afternoon to elaborate on his find and direct us to a site of interest.
“The site was assessed late last night and, this morning, specialist officers have begun initial exploration activity. We are in the very early stages of assessing the information which has been brought to our attention but have made the decision to act on it in line with a normal response to a report of this kind.”
It was first reported in the Daily Mail that a “skull” had been found, although the same article then went on to say that “detectives are preparing to exhume a particular area where suspected skeletal remains have been found including what experts believe to be a child’s upper jaw with a full set of teeth”. It was also reported that a small piece of blue and white striped material, and potential samples of body tissue (although this was later discredited as a probable mixture of vegetation and muddy water), had been found.
Edwards had claimed he and his team had conducted extensive soil analysis of the area, which they had discovered 4 weeks before. There were high levels of calcium, which can indicate the presence of human remains (but the team did not mention that it also indicates the presence of limestone or another high calcium natural material). Describing the dig, he said “the smell hit me about 2ft down. Like a sewer, like ammonia. I worked as a gravedigger when I was 19. It hits you, that smell of death. It is distinctive.”
Alan Bennett later stated that the smell was probably methane - of which there are pockets containing it across the moor. Edwards also falsely stated that everything was left in situ - more on that in the paragraph after the next one.
On Saturday 1st October, Greater Manchester Police issued a statement saying that “no identifiable human remains have been found” - despite what several tabloid and local newspapers had been reporting. It was confirmed that drones were being used in the search on the 2nd October, and a statement issued by GMP later that day confirmed that excavation of the site will continue for the foreseeable future.
Edwards and members of his team started posting on Facebook and declaring that Keith Bennett had already been found. On 2nd October, Jari Louhelainen, a Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology at Liverpool John Moores University and a member of Edwards’ team, posted a photo of himself analysing what he suspected was a “bunch of hair” from the dig site. He later confirmed in the comments of his post (after being called out for posting it in the first place) that it was a “look-a-like plant material”.
On 4th October, Detective Chief Inspector Cheryl Hughes, of GMP’s Force Review Unit, said: “Forensic Archaeologists and Forensic Anthropologists have now completed a methodical archaeological excavation and examination of the area previously dug and refilled by the member of the public. No bones, fabric or items of interest were recovered from the soil.
“These accredited and certified forensic experts are now continuing with a methodical and controlled excavation of the area immediately surrounding the original site to provide a higher level of assurance of the presence or absence of any items of interest. Further soil samples have been taken for analysis, but at this time there is no visible evidence to suggest the presence of human remains. The scene examination is ongoing.
“A report of possible human remains is always treated with seriousness. As such, we have deployed police search advisors who can support our scenes of crimes officers – this will result in more visible and high profile tactics, such as officers walking in lines to identify any potential sites of focus.
“GMP is committed to providing Keith’s family with answers following this report, both from the physical excavation and subsequent analysis of samples. This will take some time but we will keep the family updated at every stage and request that their privacy is respected.
“We have seen the outpouring of support since this news broke so know how our communities feel about this case but we are asking members of the public not to travel to the area and can assure them that we will provide timely and appropriate updates.”
At 2pm on 7th October 2022, Greater Manchester Police announced that they had closed the scene on Saddleworth Moor after finding no evidence to indicate the presence of human remains. “At this time, there is no evidence of the presence of human remains.”
Assistant Chief Constable Sarah Jackson, portfolio holder for crime, said: “We have always said that we would respond, in a timely and appropriate manner, to any credible information which may lead us towards finding Keith. Our actions in the last week or so are a highly visible example of what that response looks like, with the force utilising the knowledge and skills of accredited experts, specialist officers and staff. It is these accredited experts and specialists who have brought us to a position from where we can say that, despite a thorough search of the scene and ongoing analysis of samples taken both by ourselves and a third party, there is currently no evidence of the presence of human remains at, or surrounding, the identified site on Saddleworth Moor. However, I want to make it clear that our investigation to find answers for Keith’s family is not over.
“We understand how our communities in Greater Manchester feel about this case, the renewed interest in it and the shared desire to find Keith. Much of Saddleworth Moor is private land so we would ask that members of the public, in the first instance, report any perceived intelligence to their local police service. The discovery of suspected human remains must be reported immediately to enable the use of specialist resources to investigate appropriately.”
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Chief Inspector Cheryl Hughes said: “The investigation into Keith’s disappearance and murder has remained open since 1964 and it will not be closed until we have found the answers his family have deserved for so many years. We are thankful for their continued support of our ongoing enquiries. This has been a distressing time for them and we ask that their privacy is respected.
“We understand the confusion which may have been caused to Keith’s family and communities across Greater Manchester by reports to the contrary. We hope that by giving this detailed update today, we provide reassurance that GMP are committed to finding accurate answers for Keith’s family.
“In response to the report made on Thursday 29 September 2022, officers met with the member of the public who later provided us with samples and copies of the photographs he had taken. He also took officers to the location from which he had obtained these and provided grid references.
“In the days since, independent accredited forensic archaeologists and certified forensic anthropologists, together with GMP’s Crime Scene Investigators, have completed a methodical forensic archaeological excavation and examination of the identified area and beyond. An accredited forensic geologist also took a number of soil samples – analysis of which is ongoing.
“The items given to us by the member of the public have been examined by a forensic scientist and though this hasn’t yet indicated the presence of human remains – more analysis is required. With regards to the photograph, we have sought the assistance of a forensic botanist. We are now utilising the knowledge and skills of a forensic image expert to put a standard anthropological measurement to the object to assist with identification. At this stage, the indications are that it would be considerably smaller than a juvenile jaw and it cannot be ruled out that it is plant-based.
“The excavation and examination at the site is complete and, to reiterate, we have found no evidence that this is the burial location of Keith Bennett.”

Aftermath

It was discovered that two of Edwards’ team members, Lesley Dunlop (a geologist) and Dawn Keen (a forensic archaeologist) were not accredited professionals in their respective fields. Alan Bennett clarified in a Facebook post on 5th November 2022, in reference to Keen:
“Any professional archaeologist would ask for a scale in any pictures or video taken at a scene [in reference to the fact that police confirmed the object found was too small to be a juvenile jaw], that was not the case here and the reason police had to call in a photographic specialist to determine the scale of the supposed jawbone..which turns out to be too small for a child from what I've been told so far and, of course couldn't be found anyway and could only have been vegetation if anything at all.”
I am not entirely sure what the “blue and white striped fabric” turned out to be - I assume that nothing was found.
Alan has since posted evidence that Russell Edwards had been planning the “discovery of Keith’s remains” as part of a stunt to promote his upcoming book on the case - a book that Edwards has been radio-silent about since all of this controversy.
Edwards has refused to apologise to Keith’s family and despite being proven wrong, and him and his team being called out for the charlatans they are (with even him admitting that his own reputation is in tatters), as of December 2022 he stood by his actions and his claims that he believed he had found Keith’s body.
To my own understanding (though I do not speak on behalf of Alan Bennett or on behalf of anybody who was involved in this whole debacle, let me be clear), there has been complete radio-silence on news of Edwards’ book since this date.

I posted the following on Kendrick on the day EB had given a noon deadline. But the mods deleted it.
Basically it seems like it’s worth posting here since this is the more conspiracy theory minded reddit. 😝
The Crying of Lot 49
This is not about the specific beef but the nature of conspiracy theories. There’s a novel by Thomas Pynchon some of you may have read called The Crying of Lot 49. I don’t know if it’s taught much these days. I used to cover it when I taught 20th century literature. But that’s me.
Anyway. The brief novel is about a woman named Oedipa (just go with it) who is contacted by a lawyer who says she has been named the executor of her ex husbands will. She has no idea why she would be chosen. And so she begins to try to execute the will and find out what role in this man’s life and death she had or has.
Every time she gets a new piece of information more questions arise. She eventually learns of a massive conspiracy involving the US postal service that extends back to the Pony Express of the 19th century. There’s a strange horn symbol that keeps coming up in her research. Everyone seems to know something, but no one knows everything.
And so she believes that the auctioning off of one of her ex-husbands items will reveal the person who has been leading her on this wild path of answers leading to questions. And it will definitely link to the horn symbol and the postal service and so on.
But the novel >! just ends with her waiting for the person who will buy lot 49 in the auction. !<
And here so many of us are trying to decide EB tweets and IG vids and court filings and printed emails — I mean the guy is posting about an auction! I can’t NOT think of Lot 49!
Don DeLillo, another author similar to Pynchon has written that “all plots lead deathward” bc death is the only thing we can use to consider a plot “finished”. Otherwise plots go on and on. They shift their focus, implicate all sorts of random people an beg us to find connections to make it all make sense (his novel LIBRA covers this well in relation to Lee Oswald).
Which is all a way of saying Americans crave conspiracies but refuse to understand that they don’t end. There are no real answers.
Ironically one of Pynchon best selling novels was Inherent Vice — which is about a vast conspiracy that IS unraveled by a California hippie burnout and an overzealous LAPD officer.
Anyway. I’d love for all this EB stuff to lead to dismantling a massive sex trafficking ring or abuse network, but I’m also not sure it will lead there or means anything.

The ZPM found on Praclarush Taonas was depleted in that timeline by Sheppard using the chair in Antarctica to fend off an Ori attack because Atlantis was never discovered.
However in our timeline, the whole Ori arc started because the data burst sent back to Earth from Atlantis in "Letters from Pegasus" contained the list of the last Ancients who lived on Atlantis, and Daniel noticed the name "Myrddin" among them, which he theorized to be a reference to Merlin, and because of that they started investigating Glastonbury Tor, where they found the long-range communication device, through which Daniel and Vala accidentally contacted the Ori.
Was it ever explained how did the Ori ever found out about the Milky Way in that timeline without Earth discovering Atlantis first?

My ex (24F) blindsided me (26M) with a breakup 3.5 months ago out of nowhere. She was acting distant a few weeks before the breakup but avoided communicating with me. Straight after breaking up with me, she blocked me off EVERYTHING and ghosted me over a 12 minute conversation over text.
Her reasons were that she wasn’t happy anymore, despite showing 0 signs of this the previous weeks/months. She said she couldn’t commit to the relationship anymore. She said that she wanted to be alone and independent and that it was NOTHING to do with me. She kept emphasising the fact that the breakup was nothing to do with me, that there was no one else and that she was going through something and she needed to explore herself.
The relationship was great, we hardly ever had disagreements, we travelled all around the world. We were more than just a couple, she was my absolute best friend. We had very similar lives growing up and we shared a strong emotional bond. Believe me when I say that that we were literally super compatible in about nearly every sense.
Over the last 3.5 months, I’ve spent countless hours analyzing and reflecting on the entire relationship. I’ve searched for any signs of where things went seriously wrong, any hint of recurring issues that might have driven her away, any words that I bought up constantly, any recurring arguments or any disputes that lingered. But no matter how hard I look, I can’t find a single thing that justifies the way things ended between us. I couldn’t find ANYTHING that might have been affecting her, which hurts me to realize there must have been something that she was hiding from me - could she not confide in me?
One of our mutual friends (who she hasn’t spoken to in a year) met up with her a few weeks ago and went into the conversation acting oblivious to the breakup. She told my mutual that she said she wasn’t feeling happy with herself in terms of her religion and spirituality. She was shunned by people around her for not being religious but realized that her relationship with God is the most important. She said she is feeling closer to her family and herself, and that her relationship with herself and God has made her happy. That she needed to be alone to reconnect with God. She said she has been happy for the last 3.5 months and is happy with her choice. I genuinely think she was putting on a brave face, because why would she tell her friend that she hasn’t seen in a year that she’s broken or upset. I know her and her home life.
She said the relationship was amazing with great memories and she cherishes it. That she has so much love for me and I was an amazing boyfriend and I did so much for her. She said I treated her amazingly and I did nothing wrong and she can’t fault the way I treated her. She said she hopes I am happy and hopefully am moving on and that she has no intention of meeting any other guy for a long time.
I am so confused. I don’t know whether I should reach out to her to ask her why she didn’t tell me any of this, why she discarded me like I was nothing despite me being an amazing boyfriend. I am still blocked off everything. I have a desire to reach out and express my feelings regarding the breakup and how she handled it - being blindsided is the worst, I don’t want to ask for her back although that would be amazing but I am not going to cry or beg in my message to her but I am simply hoping to let her know how I have felt during this time. The fact she did this over text just makes it worse.
I am hoping for some words of wisdom from people who are emotionally aware and have also shared a beautiful relationship with someone that still came to an end. The relationship was not toxic and not abusive so I kindly request those who are butthurt about their ex leaving them to not reply. It’s not black and white, no contact isn’t a one size fits all approach - it has been 3.5 months of 0 contact.
I appreciate everyone here for the last few months :-)

LF 1 Tank for 7.0 World Prog
Group Overview
We are a newly formed raiding group for Dawntrail that is looking to world race and improve throughout the expansion. We are all like minded players with previous HC raiding experience that have a strong desire to improve and compete in the next expansion. As such we are looking for a long term commitment to improve over the course of the expansion and work towards pushing top 10 or better.
What we are looking for
We are looking for a like-minded player with the same skill and drive as us. We expect consistency during prog and the ability to adapt and have strong situational awareness. Players should also have strong communication skills, comfort, flexibility, and a deep understanding of their role, ability to receive and give constructive criticism, and overall positive attitude. We are looking for a player who is able to learn fast, asking questions when necessary, and is able to retain that information and perform in a prog setting with a prog mindset.
Expectations for our ideal candidate

• Long term commitment to preparing for raid tiers and performing our best during raid
• Ability to alarm clock for racing and take PTO as necessary (Both Savage and Ultimate)
• Previous alarm clock/racing/HC experience
• Ability to optimize and flex jobs within your role
• Consistent gameplay, ability to adapt, and strong mental during prog
• Overall positive vibes and ability to find enjoyment raiding in the game
• Alts for splits for faster gearing and desires to speedkill and optimize after week 1

An ideal candidate would share our sentiments, have the drive to improve, and be willing to put in the time and effort to place high in upcoming races. Overall, as a group, we want to enjoy raiding and have fun with new content with the goal of performing to the best of our abilities.
If you feel as though you could be a good fit for our group, please contact me on discord: caneocan for further inquiries. Thank you!

I am F(22) and my ex girlfriend is 24. We dated for five months and she was my first wlw relationship. We cared about each other very much but she was moving away, and we already had issues with our communication styles (I work a demanding job and don’t love texting, she wanted to be in contact 24/7 and told me that) and love languages so we mutually broke up. We were on good terms, and would text and check up on each other. Well, that brings us to yesterday she starts texting me about a girl I knew from my high school we will call her E. I had spoken before about how E was one of the first girls I had a crush on,(when we were talking about our past gay experiences) showed her pictures and we had joked they could be doppelgängers because of how similar they looked. She calls me on the phone and says “If I have a really funny story but it involves me making out with a girl do you want to hear it?” I was immediately upset as we had been broken up about 6 days at this point. I said not really but she might as well tell me since she already kind of did. She proceeds to tell me she saw E at a bar, got her number and they made out all night. I hung up and she texted me over and over asking what was wrong, So I told her I thought it was fucked up to try and rub that in my face, and she knew I had liked E. She denied EVER knowing any of that, claimed she just wanted to be friends, she thought I’d find it hilarious etc. We basically went back and forth over text for awhile until I angrily asked her to please just give me space and I’m upset with her for being so petty. She sends me countless voice messages of her crying and voicemails while i’m at work and stuff. She said she can’t believe I would ever think she’s being petty or malicious after all we’ve been though, that she’s upset I can’t see her side, she doesn’t want to lose me as a friend etc. At this point I was sick of arguing and basically called a truce, I was like look I’m hurt I just don’t really believe your 100% innocence, but I don’t want to dwell, I said I still care about her and we can be friends but I needed some time. She kept bringing it up and drunk texting me and everytime I would try to explain why I was “still” mad she would just act like I was attacking her. I never said anything bad about her, her character, our past relationship or anything, only about the E situation, and yes I was angry, and felt betrayed but at the end of the day we were already broken up and long distance so I told her I don’t want to remain friends with someone I can’t trust, she says she doesn’t want to be friends with someone who “beats them over the head with their mistakes” even though I had tried to end this conversation multiple times. Well here’s the kicker, she asked if we could talk on the phone because she’s in a bad mental place. I said of course and told her when I would be off work that day. She texts me later and says she doesn’t want to speak to me actually and wants space. I say sure just let me know if you need anything, She proceeds to send me a 6 minute long voice message of her crying saying how the past three days she hasn’t ate or slept and how I caused her to have multiple panic attacks and the only person that ever made her feel as bad as I did is her emotionally abusive dad. She compares me to him multiple times and basically blames me for causing her so much stress. I am very hurt over this comparison, and as someone who grew up in a very chaotic broken home myself I feel it is very unfair to try to flip all that onto me. I would never compare her to my parents or try to pin any of my childhood issues on her. But now I’m just spiraling and really need some outside opinions. AITA for making her feel like her dad?

I [25] have been dating my boyfriend [22] for over a year. We have a very good relationship; he is always supporting me and usually treats me very well. However, sometimes he is lazy about making an effort or reading social cues. I have communicated to him that I had a traumatic experience with an ex-boyfriend on my birthday, so I thought he’d understand how I feel about this event.
So when it was his birthday week, I planned a surprise party, cleaned his apartment, contacted everyone, paid for the food and accessories. Also, I gave him clothes and a nice breakfast in the morning with a cake. I think it was a lot, but that’s my gratitude for him being such an amazing person. I don’t request the same amount back from him, but something little would already make my day.
So in the month of my birthday, I was trying to pay for my clothes I was ordering online and he offered to pay, so it was settled as a birthday present. Now it’s my birthday and I think I had some expectations from him. He wished me a happy birthday and that’s it.
I don’t know if it’s because of my trauma, but I got sad to expect him to make breakfast or come with flowers. Even though he’s an amazing boyfriend, I think he didn't put much thought/effort into my day. Is it okay for me to feel sad about this? I am very embarrassed to talk about this to him because it sounds petty.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY,MG Timothy J. Lowenberg, Adjutant General and Director State Military Department Washington
Military Dept., Bldg1 Camp Murry, Wash 98430-5000 USA.
Good Day To You: ,
I hope this email finds you in good spirit and in good health? because i am quite aware of your losses in the past years now through this security office intelligent track devices, it may surprise you that i am also aware of your Consignment Boxes Pursuit In Benin, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Spain, France, Malaysia, Indonesia, China, Korea and etc .My name Is Supp. Tony Jeh Johnson,the Current secretary of U.S Department Of Homeland Security , i am in charge to monitor all Foreign Transactions In Africa Europe And Asia and this kept me in constantly traveling round the world.
I have been in The U.S Department Of Homeland Security Secret Service now since The Government of President Barack Obama, monitoring the various transactions going on in Africa, Europe And Asia, most especially Consignments Cases, A.T.M Card Cases And Bank Transfer. I
do not intend to spoil your day or to put you under duress.
But you can not receive any of your Consignments Boxes, A.T.M Card And Bank Transfer pursuit, without a Clearance from this U.S Department Of Homeland Security. However, upon my arrival in Benin Republic after series of meetings with our President Barack Obama and United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, due to numerous complains from other Security Agencies from Africa Asia, Europe, Oceania, Antarctica,South America And The United States Of America Respectively, and against the Benin Government and Nigeria over the rate of Scam/Fraudulent Activities going on in these Africa Countries and around the World.
When i arrive in the Benin Parliament in Cotonou and going through all cases of unpaid funds, i found your Consignment Box Clearance File lying on the Foreign Affair Office Desk without any attention and on a thorough scrutiny, i discovered that your Consignment have been abandoned by your delivery agent. Meanwhile, i was made to understand that the Foreign Affair Office have tried to reach to you, but no way and they have made several attempts to contact your delivery agent but to no avail.
To my greatest surprise, during my recent routine Re-Checking, i personally discovered that your Consignment Content Declaration
Document (C.C.D.D)stated that your Consignment Contains Personal Effects meanwhile, it contains United States Dollar Cash Us$946Million Dollars, (Forty Million United States Dollars) which made it impossible for the Consignment to be delivered to you earlier before now.
Based on this personal discovery, i am contacting you now to let you know that with my position and power as the secretary of U.S Department Of Homeland Security and now i am presently here in Benin Republic to handle this matter of all unpaid foreign payment to their respective owners like you, i can assist you to legally clear your Consignment Funds and personally make the shipment to you on my
traveling back, but you must agree with the following conditions. Because i have called our office in Washington,Dc from here in Benin, who has been intercepting all your E-Mail Communications, telephone Text/Sms messages & all telephone Calls, with the help of Mtn, Tigo Vodafone And Airtel Network Benin.
I also received some information from our Homeland Security Office representing here in Benin Republic, they have confirmed about your emails, & other communications that you have been dealing and sending Money to people in Benin, Ghana, South Africa, Togo, Nigeria , UK & etc who claims to be the Western Union Directors and representative of other unofficial offices. You are also dealing with a Bank, and other names which i am still waiting to be forwarded to me from Our Office In Washington,Dc. My office authority have monitored all your dealings with those Hoodlums.
You are advice to from hence fort stop further dealings with all the above mentioned people, until we complete our investigation. Because your dealing with them is termed as illegal transaction. I wish to inform you that we the Homeland Security is on look out for all the above mentioned names, mostly those who claims to be the director of West African Debt settlement, Western Union And Money Gram And A.T.M Card offices and including the property recovery Benin. All these mentioned people are imposters, and we intend to apprehend them soon.
I want you to please stop communicating, and dealing with them until we complete our investigation. I wish to notify you about the latest development concerning your Consignment Box content of your total USD$946 Million that was already handed over to me today. Your Consignment Box content of your total USD$946 Million was assigned to me today after the meeting held between me and some of the top Parliament members of Benin and the Foreign Affair Minister in the Benin Capital Commecial Headquarters Cotonou, due to the delay by you as nobody has heared from you to receive your Consignment Box For Long time now.
Accordingly, we have waived away all your Consignment Box "Clearance Fees" and authorized the Government of Benin Republic to allow me fly with this your approved Consignment Box to make the delivery to you without any delay which they have agreed. The only Fee you will Pay to confirm Your Consignment Box received in your possession is the "Air Flight Weight Fee" of your Consignment Box which is the sum of USD$238.00 only.
In order words your Briefcase is with me now and i shall be coming to your country to make the delivery to you as soon as you sent me your below shipping details/Address where you will want your consignment be deliver to you.
Hence i hear from you also with the MTCN Numbers for the fee payment of the Air Flight Weight Fee of your Consignment Box which is the sum of USD$238.00 only, then, i will be coming along with your Consignment Briefcase Box content of your USD$946Million, but remember that as the secretary of The Department Of Homeland Security United States Of America, i am a Us Government Secret Security Agent and i have the power to go through any Airport Customs and security Agents without personal inspection or inspecting what i carry along.
And as soon as i arrive in your state, i will give you a telephone call and instantly send an email to you from my official Ipad Hand Computer which is always with me while traveling around the world so that you will give me a direction on how we can meet Face to Face and i will physically hand over your Consignment Box to you before proceeding back to to my official duty Post in the States.
As soon as i arrive, i shall call you on your Telephone Number following an email to you then when you immediately respond, i will Meet you in person, hand over your Consignment Box to you and all these will end once and for all now.
I have taken this assignment upon myself because i understand that you have really paid so much on the cost of these Delivery which i want to stop now, because, nothing was received by you. So be advised to contact me hence immediately you get this email now because, every thing has been done ok.
Once you send the money, try to immediately notify me with the Mtcn for easy pick up and for the immediate action on the delivery of your Consignment Box,for you to receive your Funds without any further delay Again . Since you was unable to receive it since .
Send the fee of USD$238.00 via Money Gram or Western Union Money Transfer using the below stated receivers name and information.
Please make sure you copy this information well to avoid mistake okay
Receiver’s Name:....: Emmanuel Ogbonna Country:. . . . . Benin City:. . . . . . . Cotonou Amount:. . . . . . USD$238.00 Question:. . . . . Update Answer:. . . . . . .Today Mtcn:. . . . . . . . . . Sender's Name . . . . Sender's Address. . .
As soon as you send the fee, make sure that you send me the MTCN numbers, senders name and other payment information. Once you send the Money, Try to immediately notify me with the Mtcn for confirmation and for the immediate action on the shipping of your Consignment and its Handing over to you. Also you are to forward to us any email that you have been receiving from people for proper verification and investigation before you deal with them okay.
I have a very limited time to stay here so i Will like you to urgently respond to this email message with the fee payment MTCN Numbers ok , my dear, this is the opportunity for you and you have to urgently comply so that your Box shall be deliver to you at your designated address. But remember that after (Some Days) you did not make the Payment, then i Will have not other option than to regard your funds as unclaim and divert it to Us Government Reserve Fund or to Benin Government Treasury. Please treat this as a matter of urgency.
Sincerely Yours, SUPP. INTELLIGENCY GENERAL, JERRY FOX E-mail;( [howardbutler584@gmail.com]() ) CURRENT SECRETARY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY USA

Almost a year ago me and my bff both F(22) had a falling out due to a lack of communication, betrayal on her end, and on my part I was being distant which is not sometime I am proud of and I should have communicated better with her. Before our last time we talked we were texting and basically going off on eachother about the friendship and the people she surrounded herself with have hurt me in the past or at the time in the present. We were great friends for a number of years and I spent a lot of time with her, we were both close to our families as well and would have great times. Although I am still a bit hurt, I just wish we had more time to talk. We even both agreed that we wish we had more time to talk before I blocked her on everything. I have since removed my Instagram and I have unblocked her on everything else. I would love for her to reach out but I don’t think she ever will. I’m not sure what to do, I’m constantly seeing her family in public at times and her “friends” she’s around now go to places I also go to and used to be my friends as well. I’m not sure what to do or how she might be feeling? She even said before I blocked her that it was unnecessary to do so but I had to for my own heart. Any thoughts ?

Repost as my other post was removed for some reason 🙄
My friend, I will call her Jane, and I grew up together as children. We were neighbors and best friends, and then I moved away and we lost contact for 20 years. Somehow she found me online 5 years ago and the rest is history.
In the last 5 years, she's never been able to hold onto a job. She appears to have undiagnosed mental health issues, and a big victim complex. She gets fired from every job, and I know this because every time she gets a new job, and every time she gets fired from said job, she posts about it on Facebook and rants to me via text. It's always the fault of the coworkers or her bosses, but it's never her fault, according to her. I've lost track of how many jobs she's gone through.
I work at the local school over the lunch hour. I have been there for a little over 2 years and have a good relationship with my boss. Jane came to me and asked for help on getting a job doing the same thing I do. So I talked to my boss, Jane chatted with her, the boss asked me for a reference, so I gave her a good reference, because she had told me she was doing much better. My mistake was that I believed her. In the end, she was hired.
She showed up on time every day, for every shift for 2 months. And then stopped. She has been a no show, and no communication. My boss asked me if she was okay. I reached out to Jane asking what was up, if she was okay. She confirmed she was fine, and that she would text our boss. Again, I believed her. She never did reach out. My boss has told me and even shown me the texts, that she will text her at 8pm asking her to come in for her shift at 11am, and if she gets a response, it's not until after 2pm, long after the shift is over.
It has been 6 weeks now of her being no show. Now I understand why she was fired from every other job. Every day I see her posting on Facebook "I wish I had a job, I wish someone would give me a chance. I should start my own business!!" I know for a fact she has not been fired (though I'm not sure why), as she is still on the schedule and our boss is still trying to text her every day.
My boss is a wonderful woman and very understanding and caring, but I feel like this is making me look bad as I was the one to recommend her for the job and give her a good reference...
WIBTA if I called her out on this? She's been ignoring all of my texts lately.

Tl;dr currently auditing my non negotiables in a relationship, survey: is it reasonable to want my future partner to not have an ex as a best friend?
I recently broke up with my partner of 2.5 years. We had a lot of issues throughout our relationship - but the main things are my ex’ communication issue which feed into my jealousy/ trust issue. One particular issue that came up often was him having his ex as a best friend. They hung out like 2-3 times a week without me because he said he preferred to hang out with his friends 1-1, this was also in addition to them messaging intensely throughout the day. He didn’t introduce me to her until we got into a big fight 2 years into our relationship and I threatened him to leave if he didn’t let me meet her. He used to name her contact on his phone with a nickname. It wasn’t like a lovey dovey nickname but still a nickname. I had to beg for him to change it coz it bothered me a lot. When he ended up letting me meet her they chose an activity where its literally impossible for me to get to know her. He swore that his friendship with her was platonic and that I should not worry. I used to tell myself that I needed to work on my trust issues until a month ago I just exploded and gave up on the relationship.
Now I’m at that stage of my life where I want to audit all my life choices and learn my negotiables/non negotiables for a relationship. But I also want my list to be reasonable and logical. So I guess my question is how normal it is for a guy in a relationship to have an ex as a best friend? I wouldn’t be ashamed/defensive if I turn out to be the one in the wrong and need to work on my trust issues. But is it reasonable for me to ask my future partner not to be best friend with his ex?

I am in a bit of a pickle right now with Hydro Quebec and my old landlord regarding some utility billing that occurred after my lease ended and I moved out of the apartment. I am now attempting to gather documents in order to prove my length of stay at this particular apartment.
If I am unable to contact my landlord, or they have refused to provide me with the original signed lease, is there another way I can obtain the document? I have looked into Tribunal administratif du logement of Quebec services but every time I call, I am told that all representatives are busy and that I need to call back.
Is there another pathway or governmental office I can approach to obtain an official lease document?

(continuation of part 4)
I already considered this piece the second greatest musical evidence for Clerith after the London Symphony Orchestra’s Final Fantasy VII Symphony’s second movement “Words Drowned by Fireworks” and its guide, but now that I know about the Clerith reunion that was baked into the ending, the gap between the two is narrower. Each time I hear Cloud begin to call out for Aerith in part 3 (3:04), I immediately start crying. It sounds so much to me like Cloud’s voice in the dark saying “Aerith…?”, meek and scared. If you’ve read everything so far, you know how long Cloud has been looking for Aerith, lost without her, searching relentlessly for decades in real-life time. Through FFT, DFF, Advent Children, MFF x FFVII… all of it spent looking for his Promised Land. In OG, Cloud was so tormented by Jenova’s manipulation and so consumed by the chase for Sephiroth that he could not realize what or how much he felt for her until she was taken away forever. The piece we’ve just analyzed tells the story of Cloud and Aerith intertwining and separating against their will, and you can truly feel Cloud’s anxiety as he struggles to wrench Aerith out of fate’s cruel grasp. Perhaps it is because of Aerith’s ultimately fatal responsibility, inherited from her mother, that this iteration of her theme is called “The Cetra”.
Though in part 5, Cloud and Aerith reunite… could this reunion symbolize their meeting again in Remake, or something more permanent? I think it’s meant to leave us wondering.
I’m very sensitive to music, and as I’m typing this, I’m crying a bit. I wanted to share my interpretation of “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” with you very badly, because it makes me feel so much and really enhances Clerith’s story. I’m overjoyed to have found out about the reunion at the very end. And it’s all because you guys showed love for my last analysis! You guys are giving me gifts every day.
V. b) i. 3) Combined Analysis
Please listen to and watch the scene of Cloud’s MOTF 6 (4:21-8:46) again, and consider section “V. b) i. 2)”. What is Uematsu telling us? Similarly to how main world theme of FFVII informs us that Jenova is sabotaging Cloud’s identity far before it becomes a plot point in OG, “Aerith’s theme - The Cetra” is telling us what not even Remake Cloud consciously knows at this point: he’s been searching desperately for her, and fears losing her once more.
As if that wasn’t proof enough, the timing of the shots and musical phrases is absolutely damning. Recall that part 3 of “Aerith’s theme - The Cetra” specifically symbolizes Cloud’s anxiety surrounding Aerith’s safety. It is this particular part of the piece that plays for the entirety of Aerith’s allusions to her murderers and her death (7:25-7:54), including the very moment where “Cloud feels his chest constrict tightly” (7:51-7:54). What’s more, part 5 the piece, which specifically Cloud freeing Aerith from the restraints of fate, coincides with the moment Tifa grabs Aerith’s hand and pulls her out from the circle of Whispers closing in on her (8:42-8:45). This moment leads me to believe that the reunion in part 5 of the piece indeed symbolizes Cloud succeeding (perhaps with Tifa’s help) in saving Aerith from her tragic fate and reuniting with her for good.
It’s heart-wrenching and brilliant. Our theory stands strong.
V. b) ii. Credits: Piece Inclusion
I find it very telling that the character themes included in the credits of Remake are Cloud’s “Hollow” (0:00-5:24), an orchestral arrangement of Aerith’s theme (5:24-9:24), and an orchestral arrangement of the main world theme, (9:24-14:27) which of course includes Cloud’s true theme. No other character themes appear during the rest of the credits (14:27-18:09). This is telling: the credits are communicating to us that Remake is about Cloud and Aerith. Our Mission Theory only gets stronger.
V. b) iii. Showing Relationships Through Music: Intermingling Character Themes
This doesn’t have to do with the Mission, but here’s a pretty good anti-Cloti argument while we’re here.
As shown in section “V. a) i.” where we explored the roles of Cloud, Jenova and Sephiroth’s themes within the FFVII world theme, the way character themes interact in a piece can tell you a lot about those characters’ relationships. This is certainly the case in “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” as well (see section “V. b. ii. 2)”).
I’d like to mention that in all of my listening to the Remake OST and rewatching playthroughs of Remake, I’ve never encountered a single piece that united Cloud and Tifa’s themes. Not once. Let alone a piece that depicts them as intimately or emotionally as “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” depicts Cloud and Aerith. Even the most Cloti cutscenes in Remake aren’t supported by pieces mixing or even juxtaposing Cloud and Tifa’s themes. I can’t find any of Cloud’s motifs anywhere during the orchestral arrangement of Tifa’s theme that plays during her resolution scene in chapter 14. I can’t find either of their motifs in the track the plays when Cloud calls Tifa beautiful at Seventh Heaven in chapter 3. A motif from Tifa’s theme does appear in the track that plays during the childhood promise scene in chapter 4, (0:00-0:25), but it never plays at the same time as or even near Cloud’s motifs (1:23-1:47 and 2:03-2:29). They’re distant or otherwise unaffiliated.
The only exception is that an altered version of Cloud’s theme’s section A phrase 1 appears in the background of Tifa’s theme (1:17-1:23). This symbolizes her connection to Cloud and how much of her attention and worry revolve around him— a reference to how she cares so much that it borders on dependency. Of course, it doesn’t go both ways: Tifa isn’t in Cloud’s theme at all. To me, this lack of reciprocity concerning the inclusion of Cloud’s motif in Tifa’s theme signifies that the only time Cloud and Tifa are together is in her head. She does think about him a lot, which we witness in her chapter of Trace of Two Pasts. Tifa loses sleep over him even two years after he left Nibelheim, despite the fact that she barely knew him at all:

“The moment she heard the word “Soldier”, the few memories she had with Cloud Strife came flooding back. He never contacted her after they parted ways two years ago […]. She tossed and turned all night. When she counted them again, her memories with Cloud were so surprisingly few that others might find it hard to believe that they grew up as next-door neighbors” (Trace of Two Pasts, translated by pekotranslates on Tumblr).

FFVII Remake Ultimania also comments on the superficial nature of Cloud and Tifa’s water tower promise, and how regardless of its naïveté, it became fundamental to Tifa:

“Though rooted in a jejune heroine fantasy of being rescued in a pinch by her hero, this promise is clearly etched in Tifa’s memory” (Tifa’s profile in section 01 of “Character & World”, “An Enduring Childhood Promise” in “Topics of Tifa” page 20).

You could argue that “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” is only one song wherein Cloud and Aerith’s themes interweave, but you’d be proven wrong by the Rebirth OST…
V. c) The Rebirth OST
Unfortunately, the full Rebirth OST isn’t out and available where I can listen to it right now. However, based solely on the incomplete OST that’s available to me right now, I can tell you with certainty that the composers were told to incorporate Clerith into the musical storytelling: Cloud and Aerith’s themes intermingle in multiple pieces. I can’t imagine what else I’ll discover once I listen to the full OST. For now, I checked out what was available on YouTube and listened to cutscene audios. This section would be eternal if I included every time Cloud and Aerith’s motifs interact, especially in chapter 14. Trust me, I’d love to talk about every single one, but this thing is long enough already, so let’s just address what pertains to our Mission Theory specifically rather than stopping at every single Clerith reference in the OST.
V. c) i. Ending Cutscene Music
Ending cutscenes are often used to address the next step the characters will be taking as well as their emotional and mental state. They also open up new questions to make the player curious. Indeed, Rebirth’s ending cutscene (18:56-25:00) gives us an impression of how the party members feel by the end of the game: everyone misses Aerith. Barret looks upset and confused at the mention of her (19:35-19:45), the girls are crying and Nanaki is mourning (19:58-20:35). Additionally, we are shown the empty White Materia and Black Materia in Cloud’s possession (20:40-21:24), foreshadowing that they will come to be important in part 3. Cloud and Aerith share a warm goodbye, and exchange promises: Aerith will send smoke signals if something happens to her so a worried Cloud can remain updated on her well-being and she will stop Meteor, and Cloud will stop Sephiroth (23:00-25:00). The fact that this scene is animated in CGI is enough to tell us that the devs consider it narratively important, just like they do Bugenhagen’s observatory and the party’s advance into the Forgotten Capital CGI cutscenes. What did the composers decide to communicate with us about the end of Rebirth and the plot going forward?
Big surprise: Clerith.
During the entire cutscene, only two themes play: Cloud’s and Aerith’s. The cutscene’s music begins only when Cloud notices Aerith among the party members and begins watching her (19:21). She interacts with the rest of the party without their knowledge, different segments of her theme playing one after another. Her theme only stops when Cloud finally looks away from her and to the empty White Materia in his hand (20:45). The music focuses on the mystery and ominousness of these materia, only returning to Aerith once Cloud hears her voice and repeats her message to the party (21:30).
Cloud’s theme appears when he asserts that Barret needn’t worry about him (section A of Cloud’s true theme, 22:41), though soft and tentative, only swelling when Barret and Tifa climb aboard the Tiny Bronco and Cloud finds himself alone with Aerith again (22:57). As he asks Aerith if “[she’ll] be okay getting back” (23:08), the final phrase of section A of his theme plays, but without its concluding note, the tonic. He waits for her to answer him as his theme waits for hers to complete and answer it, that final note dragging long over the seconds (23:09-23:13). She answers with a teasing remark that references their unwillingness to part from each other back in Remake’s Evergreen Park:

“[Cloud has] a chat with Aerith, from whom he’s reluctant to part” (chapter 9 in section 04 “Scenario”, “Main Story Digest”, “4. Saying Goodbye”, page 275)”.

As soon as Aerith answers Cloud’s question with this romantic callback, her theme answers his too: section C of Aerith’s theme begins with the key’s tonic, resolving Cloud’s incomplete phrase (23:13): she gives him resolution. He chuckles, getting her reference, and the music swells (23:16). The music ebbs and flows thusly, following the rhythms and underlying emotions of their conversation. Finally, the piece ends with phrase 2 of of section A of Cloud’s true theme, following a strong repetition of the first half of Aerith’s theme’s section A. The two make their promises to each other, and “No Promises to Keep” begins, leading us to the credits. This is most definitely a Clerith song, but more on that later.
What this shows us is that Cloud and Aerith’s relationship is fundamental to the plot of Rebirth and will also be fundamental to the plot of part 3: they are isolated one one-on-one in this cutscene, and the music depicts their warm, sweet interaction as well as the strength of Aerith’s character to contrast with Cloud’s somewhat meek personality. The composers are telling us that these two, specifically, together alone, are hugely important to the plot here. This was already true in OG, but no such emphasis was ever placed on their interactions and relationship in its music. Something is different, deeper, more intense now. The Mission Theory explains why. It also suits our theory that the composers are emphasizing the centrality of Clerith in the plot of the Remake trilogy. Cloud’s love for Aerith is the reason for the trilogy’s existence, and it will be the greatest motivator for Cloud in part 3. It’s a grand announcement.
Just like in Remake, I could not find a single instance of Cloud and Tifa’s themes interacting in Rebirth, apart from at the end of the intimate Skywheel date— but every girl receives this treatment in their intimate dates, so each of these instances can be crossed out. Additionally, the Tifa date is not the canon one, but I digress…
V. c) iii. Credits

1. Piece Inclusion

Once more, I find it very telling that of all the pieces included in the credits of Rebirth, the only character themes are Cloud’s and Aerith’s. We start with a song about Aerith’s point of view to mirror *Remake’*s “Hollow”, “No Promises to Keep” (5:18-11:10), followed by the FFVII world theme (11:10-16:12) which of course contains Cloud’s true theme, then we move into a piece whose unofficially translated title is “Parade Battle Ceremony - The Dawn of a New World” as an arrangement of the parade ceremony theme from chapter 4 (16:12-19:03), followed by a theme for the Lifestream springs whose name I don’t have (19:03-21:38), “Junon - Fortified Metropolis” (21:38-24:28), and finally, a gorgeous arrangement of Aerith’s theme (24:28-28:47). No other character is referenced in the credits music: the credits are telling us Rebirth is about Clerith. Our Mission Theory explains why.
V. c) iii. 2) “No Promises to Keep”
At the very end of this song written and performed by Aerith, we’re treated with a sweet little piano conclusion (10:46-11:10): it begins with a variation on Aerith’s theme’s section A (10:46-11:01), and concludes with two ascending arpeggios, each four notes long (11:01-11:10). Each of these ascending arpeggios is a variation of the phrase 1 of Cloud’s true theme’s section A. The differences are minimal. The phrase is usually five notes long rather than four, the first arpeggio ends on the tonic rather than Cloud’s iconic subtonic, and the second arpeggio starts on the subtonic rather than the tonic. The song Aerith wrote concludes with Cloud’s most famous motif. This is also the case in her Gold Saucer performance (3:31-3:41).
V. c) iii. 3) Arrangement of Aerith’s Theme
The final piece in the credits is an arrangement of Aerith’s theme (24:28-28:47) which has noticeably similar elements to the version of her theme that plays during the Jenova Lifeclinger battle in chapter 14 (0:12-3:36), such as the female choirs. Since these female choirs are only heard in the Forgotten City version of Aerith’s theme, and since the credits arrangement of her theme plays at the same time as clips from her chapter 14 pseudo-death roll across the screen, I estimate that this credits arrangement specifically reflects the event of Aerith’s pseudo-death. Recall that composers had access to the credits video as they composed, meaning this piece is specifically written for Aerith’s pseudo-death in Rebirth.
What I find fascinating is that, just like the arrangements of her theme that play during Aerith’s pseudo-death and the Jenova Lifeclinger battle, this credits arrangement contains the sound of Cloud’s pain, rage and protest. Phrase 1 and the first three notes of phrase 2 of Cloud’s true theme section A play on the strings and brass quite loudly and insistently, just as Cloud blocking masamune appears on the credits screen (25:11-25:21). Sephiroth’s dissonant, high and screechy violins appear just as his face comes onto the screen (26:33), and almost as a protective response, phrases 1 and 2 of Cloud’s true theme’s section A return (26:47-27:00). Finally, similarly to what we hear in part 5 of “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra”, a slightly modified section A phrase 1 of Cloud’s true theme play along with section C phrase 3 of Aerith’s theme (oh wow section A and C section Aerith for Cloud’s theme and section Cloud for Aerith’s theme I just realized that’s such a cute coincidence), though unfortunately they do not meet in the middle like last time since they start two octaves apart (28:20-28:25). I’ve recreated it for you once more here so you can really appreciate it. The fact that their motifs don’t truly reunite like in “Aerith’s Theme - The Cetra” is sad, but the very last thing you see onscreen is Aerith’s goodbye to the Tiny Bronco (27:10-27:42), so it makes sense that this piano conclusion implies that Cloud and Aerith aligned, but not yet reunited for good. That’s exactly what you get from the ending cutscene. It does seem to imply that they will be reunited in part 3, as both the ending cutscene and this piano conclusion read as a “till we see each other again” rather than a “farewell”.
VI. Textual Evidence
Now that the musical evidence is done, let’s compile some textual story evidence that supports our theory!
VI. a) Remake Trilogy (Thus Far) Handholding Explained?
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, handholding is a motif in Cloud and Aerith’s relationship— and an extremely symbolic one at that! When researching for info to validate my theory, I found that this Clerith motif was extremely helpful! Its inclusion in the Remake trilogy, and especially in Rebirth, is hugely significant in my eyes.
VI. a) i. Pre-Remake Trilogy: Aerith’s Initiative
Before examining the significance of Clerith handholding in Remake and Rebirth, we should establish the meaning of this motif in OG and Advent Children.
Cloud and Aerith have reached out to take each other’s hands many times since 1997. Aerith used to literally drag him by the hand a lot, shocking the cold and distant merc, before she left. After her death in OG, Cloud surely longed to be able to feel her hand take his again, cursing himself for not enjoying it while she was alive, and for never being the one to grasp her hand first: he never got to tell her how he feels about her, or to save her. It was always her reaching out for him, saving him.
This is why the scene in OG when Aerith reaches for him from the Lifestream after Cloud defeats Sephiroth in chapter 3 of disk 3 is so touching: Cloud sees her hand and reaches out to take it, so close to finally establishing that mutual connection, but she soon fades, and replaced by Tifa’s hand in the tangible world. He doesn’t get to hold Aerith’s hand again.
That is, not until Advent Children, where near the end of his battle with Bahamut Sin, he sees Aerith reach out to him once again (1:08-1:30). Cloud finally gets to hold her hand for the first time in two years when he lost her. This moment was given extra importance by the devs. In fact, Nojima told us the following:

“The ending scene of the battle with Bahamut, the scene where Aerith reaches out her hand, is an homage to the last scene from a previous production. It was [Nomura]'s idea” (FFVII Reunion Files, “Story Digest”, “Summoned Beast”, page 113).

VI. a) ii. The Remake Trilogy (Thus Far): Cloud’s Initiative
As I’ve said before, if I’m right that Remake is all about Cloud stepping up to be more attentive and active in his relationship with Aerith in order to save her, there should be concrete evidence of this in the Remaketrilogy thus far. If OG Cloud’s memories of and love for Aerith exist somewhere within Remake Cloud’s subconsciousness, then Remake Cloud should be far more active in the Clerith dynamic than OG Cloud was— after all, he’s supposed to know better this time around. Thankfully, the motif of handholding can help us evaluate this. Since we know pre-Remake Cloud was quite passive when it comes to handholding, Cloud initiating handholding in the Remake trilogy would be a strong indication that our theory has validity. Keeping this in mind, let’s see what we can find thus far in the Remake trilogy in relation to handholding, and if Cloud is indeed more active than he was in OG.
VI. a) ii. 1) Hollow Hands
Remake’s theme song “Hollow” makes allusions to the handholding motif: “This time, I will never let you go” is pretty clear. And so is “No Promises to Keep”, wherein Aerith speaks of Cloud “[taking her] hand and never [letting her] go” multiple times. Interestingly, these theme song lyrics seem to suggest that Cloud will be much more active in the Remake trilogy than in OG. “Hollow” even promises that Cloud will come to his senses and take charge of the situation: “this time, [he] will” be the one to offer his hand to Aerith, unlike in OG and Advent Children. This makes a lot of sense with our theory: now that Cloud has lost Aerith once, “this time for sure, [he]’ll” be the one to reach for Aerith’s hand, take initiative and save her the way she saved him.
Even though theme songs are extremely telling of a game’s main themes and intentions, lyrics are still all talk and no proof. What about the game itself? Do Remake and Rebirth deliver on this promise? Let’s see!
VI. a) ii. 2) Resolution Hands
The only significant time Cloud initiates handholding in Remake is during Cloud’s resolution scene in chapter 14 (5:18-5:40), wherein he tries to grab Aerith’s hand but is unable to keep her with him. He fills with determination and tells her in no uncertain terms that he’s coming for her. Just as we predicted, Cloud is the active participant in this iteration of the Clerith handholding motif: he’s even explicitly insisting against Aerith’s wishes that he should “get a say in all this” and that he’s “coming for [her]”. Let’s not forget that Cloud’s resolution is meant to reflect not only Aerith’s kidnapping by Shinra, but also her fated death. Nojima implied this by commenting the following on Aerith’s “Even if you think you have, it’s not real” line:

“Those who know what befalls Aerith later on will find the line really heart-wrenching” (FFVII Remake Ultimania, section 08 “Secrets”, “Development Staff Interviews, Part 2: Tetsuya Nomura, Yoshinori Kitase, Kazushige Nojima”, page 744).

Given this note by Nojima, it looks like we’re supposed to watch Cloud’s resolution scene with Aerith’s fated death in mind. Considering this, Cloud’s “I’m coming for you” line sure seems like an subconscious promise that he will save Aerith from her tragic fate. This subconscious promise could be the result of post-OG Cloud’s feelings and intentions rising to the surface. Nevertheless, he’s absolutely determined and he’s staying true to the promise he made in “Hollow”. I think it’s fair to say that this instance of the handholding Clerith motif does indeed fit perfectly with our theory. This is only one strong example though, and we need a pattern in order to pat ourselves on the back on this. So, let’s keep looking! There isn’t any handholding initiated by Cloud beyond that point in Remake. At this point in my research, I moved on to Rebirth to go digging for handholding there.
Hoo boy. I was not disappointed.
VI. a) ii. 3) Golden Hands
Let’s begin with the obvious. In their high-affinity gondola date in chapter 12, Cloud bravely interlaces his fingers with Aerith’s: Cloud’s taken charge not only of handholding, but the most intimate kind of handholding. I’m sure you’ve encountered the phrase “こいびとつなぎ” or “koibito tsunagi by now (literally translates to “lovers’ tie” or “lovers’ connection”); this is the term used in Japanese to refer to the type of handholding Cloud initiates with Aerith on the Skywheel. It’s considered the most intimate form of handholding. In Japan, skinship is normally considered quite significant and indicative of the closeness between two people— you could say it’s a big deal. Cloud also offers Aerith his hand when they step off the Shywheel, once more making the first move. Though some might say that the Skywheel dates shouldn’t be counted as canon, I believe Aerith’s date is indeed canon (I have my reasons but this post is long enough). Even if we discount the Skywheel date however, Clerith's use of the koibito tsunagi returns in a non-optional scene we will touch on later.
For what it’s worth, Alfreid offers Rosa his hand in the Loveless play too. I can prove that Aerith is the canon Rosa too, but I’m going to save that for my next analysis! You can take my word for it now, or just wait for that analysis to drop. Take it or leave it!
VI. a) ii. 4) Meta Hands
However, the narrative weight of these Clerith handholding instances doesn’t even come close to my very favorite iteration of the handholding motif in Rebirth. I’m referring to what I consider a severely underrated Clerith moment in chapter 13. First, some context: Sephiroth manipulates Cloud into giving over the Black Materia. Cloud seems to be firmly under Sephiroth’s control. However, the sight of Aerith being swarmed by Black Whispers snaps Cloud back into the driver’s seat: he breaks out of Sephiroth’s grasp to run to her and save her. Aerith gets knocked off into a fatal free-fall by a Black Whisper before Cloud can reach her, but he won’t have it: he lunges forward, hand extended. What results is a beautiful shot of their outstretched hands (56:25-56:27).
Let’s analyze this great shot. Notice how the seconds where Cloud is reaching downwards to grasp Aerith’s hand are treated. This key moment is stretched longer by a slow-mo effect, building up the tension and drawing the audience’s focus to the distance between their hands before Cloud actually catches Aerith’s in his, fulfilling the promise he made in “Hollow”. Their hands take up the whole screen in a deliberate close-up shot. All the ambient noises of the scene go quiet: Aerith’s theme is all we hear as Cloud reaches desperately for her. These are blatant audiovisual cues, signalling to the audience that whatever is happening on screen is especially significant. We should therefore examine this specific instance of the Clerith handholding motif to see what the devs are trying to tell us, and maybe it will fit with our theory!
We should begin by comparing this Clerith hand-reach shot to previous ones. If you compare it to the Advent Children’s hand-reach that occurs during Cloud’s battle against Bahamut Sin, it’s evident that Cloud and Aerith’s roles are reversed: just as our theory states, Cloud gets out from inside his head and reaches for Aerith this time. She saved him and the world in OG, and now it’s his turn to save her. This change becomes especially evident when you juxtapose the two scenes and notice how their hands have switched places, reaching from above and below, from left and right. I think the Rebirth hand-reach was deliberately made to look like the Advent Children one —and even the OG one in disk 3, chapter 3—, just to highlight this role reversal.
This Rebirth hand-reach is my favorite out of all because it shows that Cloud is much more conscious and attentive toward Aerith in Rebirth than he was in OG. At this point in OG (disk 1, chapter 25), Cloud is meant to be beating Aerith up at Sephiroth’s command, to the horror of the rest of the party. In fact, a few minutes before Cloud rushes to save Aerith in Rebirth, he has absolutely no problem violently shoving Tifa to the ground when she gets in Sephiroth’s way (53:27-53:33). This shove and Cloud’s earlier attack on Tifa in Gongaga (Rebirth, chapter 9) proves that Sephiroth is just as capable of making Cloud hurt his party members as he was in OG… though Sephiroth can’t seem to make Cloud hurt Aerith. Why is this? Why is it that Cloud beats Aerith in OG, but doesn’t even lay a finger on her —and snaps out of Sephiroth’s control at the mere sight of her in trouble— in Rebirth?
Our theory provides the answer. In disk 1, chapter 25 of OG, Cloud had not yet realized he loved Aerith. Sephiroth was therefore able to make him hurt her. But things are different in Rebirth. The Cloud we see in the Remake trilogy has gone through the OG timeline and traveled back in time, kicking off Remake as his second try at the OG timeline— and he did this precisely because he loves Aerith. His love for her is clearer and stronger in the Remake trilogy than in OG because Remake Cloud is an amnesiac, post-OG, time-traveler Cloud. He’s been through the OG before, has fallen in love with Aerith and realized it before, so this time around, he can’t even lay a finger on her. This is made evident by how closely the moments where Cloud pushes Tifa and saves Aerith are juxtaposed, separated by mere seconds of gameplay. Merely seeing Aerith in trouble wrenched control from Sephiroth and put it in Cloud’s hands again— Sephiroth probably couldn’t have gotten Cloud to attack Aerith if he tried.
This isn’t the only time we get evidence of this though! As Cloud approaches Aerith’s praying form in the Forgotten City, Sephiroth’s Black Whispers swirl around the buster sword: Sephiroth is trying to kill Aerith with it, while Cloud’s struggle to wrench it away plays out visibly on his face. Interestingly, Cloud is not being controlled by Sephiroth here. We know this because we can quite literally see the Black Whispers trying to move his sword, but also because every time Cloud is being controlled by Sephiroth in Rebirth, he has an empty-eyed, zombie-Cloud look on his face. Either that or he laughs or smiles somewhat maniacally. There is never any resistance on his part. To see an example, simply pay attention to Cloud’s blank face as he attacks Tifa in Gongaga in chapter 9 (19:20-20:30). You’ll see the very same expression on his face if you watch this video of Cloud following Sephiroth’s orders in chapter 13 (53:36-54:15). Additionally, look at how strangely Cloud smiles (41:01) as he grasps the Black Materia. Cloud makes none of these faces as the Black Whispers try to take control of his sword: quite the opposite. Cloud looks like he’s trying his hardest to pull his weapon back down and away from Aerith, a horrified look on his face as he grunts from the effort. Once more, Sephiroth is unable to make Cloud hurt Aerith.
Back to my favorite handholding moment. Think about this devs intention for this shot for a minute. The devs have been teasing us as to whether or not Cloud will succeed in saving Aerith in the Remake trilogy since it was first announced, and this slow-mo shot of Cloud catching Aerith’s hand as she falls to her death is a reflection of this tension. The audience holds their breath during those slow-moed seconds, all that hope and fear hanging in the balance. This instance of the handholding motif is a meta way for the devs to reassure us that Cloud will indeed save Aerith. I firmly believe this.
VI. a) ii. 5) Self-Sacrificing Hands
Alright, alright, enough about my favorite! Let’s move to chapter 14 of Rebirth! There’s evidently a lot going on with Clerith in this chapter. Let’s address the Sector 5 date. The handholding is first initiated by Aerith as she tugs him toward the candy vendor and Cloud reacts with a quiet gasp (4:07-4:17). Soon, it becomes a reciprocal embrace: Cloud holds his hand out for Aerith’s and tightens his fingers around hers, smiling at her before they head to the photographer (7:07-7:17).
Then of course, when Aerith pushes Cloud into a portal in her church, you can see Cloud reach his hand up toward her desperately as he falls (17:38-17:58). What I find particularly emotional about this moment is that Aerith pushing Cloud away from her is kind of the opposite of reaching for his hand: it symbolizes Aerith accepting her fate and giving up on a life where she can be with him. This Aerith seems to be a post-OG Aerith who exists separately from the main world we experience in Rebirth, meaning she knows all too well that her fate is to die. In fact, it looks like she is the very same or a similar Aerith to the one who appeared to Cloud in his resolution scene in Remake. By literally pushing Cloud away, just like she figuratively did in Cloud’s resolution scene, she is sacrificing both herself and the happiness she could share with Cloud. She’s going against her heart’s wishes, just like she did in Cloud’s resolution scene when she would not let Cloud take her hand. Indeed, post-OG Aerith seems to be resigned to her fated death and completely devoid of hope: she only wants to ensure the planet’s survival, because she thinks she knows there is no way she can or should be with Cloud. In contrast, Cloud reaches his hand out toward Aerith as he falls into the portal, and even though he does not know that her push symbolizes her self-sacrifice, his outstretched hand represents his protest. So far, our theory is fitting beautifully.
VI. a) ii. 6) Grieving Hands
Later in chapter 14 of Rebirth, after Aerith’s death/non-death, there is more handholding. As Cloud cradles Aerith’s body close to him at the Forgotten Capital, Aerith places her hand on his cheek. Cloud covers it with his, curling his fingers around it (1:03:33-1:03:53). Before he leaves her lying down on her back to go fight Sephiroth, he squeezes her hand as he tells her “I got this”— or, per the Japanese version, “Wait for me”, meaning he’ll reunite with her once he’s done (1:04:56-1:05:10).
VI. a) ii. 7) Hero-Heroine Hands
Next, the koibito tsunagi returns as Cloud and Aerith interlace fingers back to back in a classic hero-heroine pose, right after their two-versus-one fight against Sephiroth. This time, they both reach for each other simultaneously (7:42-8:18), without even having to look down at their hands or talk to each other, as though perfectly in sync. As you can see, Aerith and Cloud are now on the same page. This is different from post-OG Aerith’s attitude in the Sector 5 church earlier in chapter 14, as well as in Cloud’s resolution scene in Remake— my interpretation of this mutual koibito tsunagi is that both of them are agreeing to hold onto each other now, with neither of them pulling back or being inattentive of the other: their priorities are now the same. It seems now they are aligned, and hopefully this means that Aerith will be working together with Cloud so they can reunite again in part 3. Even if she doesn’t prioritize her life and happiness though, we know for sure Cloud will.
VI. b) Blocking Masamune Explained?
Another piece of evidence that Cloud has been through the events of OG before is the fact that he is able to block masamune. Cloud looks up and sees Sephiroth descending with his blade poised to kill Aerith. Screaming, Cloud instantly rips the buster sword from the Black Whispers’ hold and successfully blocks masamune. Hatred and determination fill his eyes as he rallies his strength and successfully pushes Sephiroth away, saving Aerith’s life (6:00-7:26)— at least, in one reality.
Obviously, something about Cloud is different in Rebirth from in OG, otherwise, the events of Rebirth’s chapter 14 would be the same as the events of OG’s disk 1 chapter 28. In my opinion, what happened here is that upon seeing Sephiroth swoop down with masamune, Cloud remembered Aerith’s death in OG, and the post-OG Cloud’s determination to stop it came surging up from within him. This is frankly the very best proof there is that Cloud is far more ready, stable, determined, and clear-headed about Aerith in the Remake trilogy than in OG. Our theory explains why! In fact, this very moment is what our entire theory banks on: Cloud saves Aerith in one reality, as is shown by the rainbow effect produced by the event, and just like that, the promise made in “Hollow” has been fulfilled! However, now we face the question of how to make sure that Aerith is alive and by Cloud’s side when the multiverse converges again into one protected timeline. I’m sure it will be done; we will see how in part 3.
VI. c) Theme Song Lyrics
What the theme songs’ texts have to say about the trilogy so far is quite important, as they summarize the feelings of the characters they represent: Cloud and Aerith. We can glean a lot from their perspectives that could help support the Mission Theory.
VI. d) i. “Hollow” Lyrics
“Hollow”, Remake’s theme song, was written about Cloud’s feelings and rumination. Nojima confirmed that, when he was given directives for the lyric-writing, “Nomura just gave [Nojima] the keywords: ‘told from Cloud's point of view’ and ‘standing in the rain’. [Nojima] interpreted that as ‘a ballad for a man who lost something/someone important’” (Nojima and Uematsu interview “‘I wanted to put the word ‘empty’ in the theme song of Remake. That was how it started’ - Music-Related Interview Part 6: Kazunari Nojima”, by Famitsu). Our theory is about Cloud’s motivations and mission to save Aerith, so “Hollow” is especially relevant.
Let’s run through the lyrics and analyze, starting with the song’s first verse:

“I would be lost, drifting along
Floating up high, time after time
And there you'd be, shining brightly
Your smiling face to guide my way
Bloody and bruised, brought to my knees
When beaten down, when broken up
You would appear, reach out to me
Heal every wound and make me whole”

Makes sense with our theory in mind, doesn’t it? This is post-OG Cloud remembering Aerith and what she means to him. “Hollow” seems to be told from the perspective of the post-OG Cloud hidden somewhere in Remake Cloud: a suppressed or eroded part of him that remembers Aerith clearly. Or maybe it’s told by Cloud after the events of the MFF x FFVII Remake collaboration and before the start of Remake, asserting his mission to save Aerith.
Next, here are the pre-choruses:

“Was it all, a dream? Will I never know?
Foolish and blind to everything
Had I realized, had I thought it through
Would you be here in my embrace?”

&

“With your every smile, hiding something more
Dark mysteries lurking beneath
But I was consumed with this emptiness
This selfishness, this void to fill”

(continued in

We have Kindergarten graduation next week and it’s the last week of school. I was planning on sending Kindergarten graduation details on Friday, since it’s this coming week. I had one parent reach out to me about graduation. My admin emails me “I had a few parents contact me about graduation. I need the exact communication you sent to parents. I also need you to ensure that it’s on the daily plan for next week”. I teach online and I haven’t put it on the daily plan yet, it’s next Wednesday, I have time. I would like to repeat that none of these parents reached out to me. Why does she need to see the exact communication, which none of the kindergarten teachers have sent out yet. Also, it’s almost like she doesn’t trust me to put it on the plan. I think since I resigned she is afraid that I am going to abandon it. I can’t. I have to tough it out to keep my insurance for one more month.

Hey everyone, a couple of weeks ago I was travelling in Frankfurt area using S-bahn. I bought a ticket in the app, and they charged me the ticket price, but the ticket did not load in the app. When controller came over, they said they need to write a fine, but that I can go to the RMV (local public transport operater) office and show them the proof of pay and that they will cancel the fine. When I went to the office they told me I need to do it online and send a mail, since they cannot do that. Once I contacted them via mail they said that they cannot cancel the fine if I don't show them the valid ticket. I sent them the proof of payment and explain the situation once more but they still refuse.
Now I want to respond that I will not pay it and that they can sue me if they want - I will respond with my lawyer. Can anyone help me write that part of email? I would like to hit the correct phrasing with maybe also quoting exact consumer protection law or something similar, to make it more solid. Thanks in advance!

I [25] have been dating my boyfriend [22] for over a year. We have a very good relationship; he is always supporting me and usually treats me very well. However, sometimes he is lazy about making an effort or reading social cues. I have communicated to him that I had a traumatic experience with an ex-boyfriend on my birthday, so I thought he’d understand how I feel about this event. So when it was his birthday week, I planned a surprise party, cleaned his apartment, contacted everyone, paid for the food and accessories. Also, I gave him clothes and a nice breakfast in the morning with a cake. I think it was a lot, but that’s my gratitude for him being such an amazing person. I don’t request the same amount back from him, but something little would already make my day. So in the month of my birthday, I was trying to pay for my clothes I was ordering online and he offered to pay, so it was settled as a birthday present. Now it’s my birthday and I think I had some expectations from him. He wished me a happy birthday and that’s it. I don’t know if it’s because of my trauma, but I got sad to expect him to make breakfast or come with flowers. Even though he’s an amazing boyfriend, I think he didn't put much thought/effort into my day. Is it okay for me to feel sad about this? I am very embarrassed to talk about this to him because it sounds petty.
TLDR: Feeling let down on my birthday despite past efforts and trauma disclosure; wondering if it's okay to feel this way.

Hi all,
So am trying to start T have been trying since my first Endo appointment on 4/2. I went to this Endo in my area because she's known to be trans friendly.
I had my first appointment with her on 4/2, and she agreed to start me on both T and Monjouro (I'm prediabetic, which is another concern of mine). So she said let's just run some tests and then get you on. I was like okay, yes, sounds good! So I finished all my labs on 4/19, and the results were sent to my health portal on 4/23.
I waited until 4/26 and called their office asking if I needed to do anything else. They said no and that the doctor would call me back.
A week later on 5/2 she sent me a message on my client portal that just said Are you ready to start T? And I was already on my phone and got the notification so I immediately replied and said Yes I'm ready,. Am I also starting the Monjouro?
I haven't gotten any response since 5/2. So this morning, 5/16 I sent them another message asking if there was anything else I needed to do to start both things. I'm just sitting here waiting.
Is this normal for endocrinologists? Just weeks without a response? My wife said I should call, but the last time I called I still waited a week for any kind of response.
I'm considering trying to find another person, but it sort of scares me because I don't know what my other options are in my red state area (my closest city is Dallas,TX). She's supposed to be very trans friendly, and I mean she was nice when I had my first appointment. The communication since then though has been frustrating.
I'm considering asking my PCP but I don't know if she's comfortable RX'ing T to me, or if she would just refer me to another Endo anyway, which would probably be the woman's center that's close by (and I don't want to go to). I had wanted to use an Endo anyway because I'm prediabetic (likely bc of PCOS) , so I figured I could kill 2 birds /1 stone.
I'm feeling kind of frustrated I guess because I don't know what's happening. Should I find a new doc? Are there other trans friendly Endos (or other sort of specialist) in that area? I don't really want a different PCP (mine is very close to my house and generally nice/responsive to me).

I am F(22) and my ex girlfriend is 24. We dated for five months and she was my first wlw relationship. We cared about each other very much but she was moving away, and we already had issues with our communication styles (I work a demanding job and don’t love texting, she wanted to be in contact 24/7 and told me that) and love languages so we mutually broke up. We were on good terms, and would text and check up on each other. Well, that brings us to yesterday she starts texting me about a girl I knew from my high school we will call her E. I had spoken before about how E was one of the first girls I had a crush on,(when we were talking about our past gay experiences) showed her pictures and we had joked they could be doppelgängers because of how similar they looked. She calls me on the phone and says “If I have a really funny story but it involves me making out with a girl do you want to hear it?” I was immediately upset as we had been broken up about 6 days at this point. I said not really but she might as well tell me since she already kind of did. She proceeds to tell me she saw E at a bar, got her number and they made out all night. I hung up and she texted me over and over asking what was wrong, So I told her I thought it was fucked up to try and rub that in my face, and she knew I had liked E. She denied EVER knowing any of that, claimed she just wanted to be friends, she thought I’d find it hilarious etc. We basically went back and forth over text for awhile until I angrily asked her to please just give me space and I’m upset with her for being so petty. She sends me countless voice messages of her crying and voicemails while i’m at work and stuff. She said she can’t believe I would ever think she’s being petty or malicious after all we’ve been though, that she’s upset I can’t see her side, she doesn’t want to lose me as a friend etc. At this point I was sick of arguing and basically called a truce, I was like look I’m hurt I just don’t really believe your 100% innocence, but I don’t want to dwell, I said I still care about her and we can be friends but I needed some time. She kept bringing it up and drunk texting me and everytime I would try to explain why I was “still” mad she would just act like I was attacking her. I never said anything bad about her, her character, our past relationship or anything, only about the E situation, and yes I was angry, and felt betrayed but at the end of the day we were already broken up and long distance so I told her I don’t want to remain friends with someone I can’t trust, she says she doesn’t want to be friends with someone who “beats them over the head with their mistakes” even though I had tried to end this conversation multiple times. Well here’s the kicker, she asked if we could talk on the phone because she’s in a bad mental place. I said of course and told her when I would be off work that day. She texts me later and says she doesn’t want to speak to me actually and wants space. I say sure just let me know if you need anything, She proceeds to send me a 6 minute long voice message of her crying saying how the past three days she hasn’t ate or slept and how I caused her to have multiple panic attacks and the only person that ever made her feel as bad as I did is her emotionally abusive dad. She compares me to him multiple times and basically blames me for causing her so much stress. I am very hurt over this comparison, and as someone who grew up in a very chaotic broken home myself I feel it is very unfair to try to flip all that onto me. I would never compare her to my parents or try to pin any of my childhood issues on her. But now I’m just spiraling and really need some outside opinions.
NOTE: I immediately put my feelings aside after the voice message and called her and told her that first and foremost I never want to make her feel like her father did, and regardless of whatever I intended that I am truly so sorry, and that’s not okay for me to make her feel like that, and that comparison shocked me and hurt to hear. *She didn’t really care to discuss anything I was upset about, but gladly accepted my apology.

Okay so to preface, I know I am young and I still have my whole life ahead of me, but this truly feels like something I don't know how to come back from. The beginning is a vent but the last paragraph is the actual question.
TL;DR I was in a completely healthy happy relationship that now after it ended, I don't know how to move on or love again. i feel completely stuck on him and would do anything to get him back.
I (18F) met my ex-boyfriend Nick (20M) after I graduated high school through a mutual friend. He was on a road trip at the time to visit his family back home, he lived across the country from his family for work, I had gotten his Snapchat through one of my close girlfriends who was dating one of his friends. One of the first things I was told was he had never been in a relationship, and never kissed a girl. I thought this was INSANE because if you saw this man (tall, muscular, dark hair and iconic jawline) you wouldn't believe for a second that he doesn't have girls fawning all over him.
Ironically, I had gotten his snap right as he left for this week-long road trip, so the first week we communicated was solely through pictures. I thought he was dry at first, but he was really (and I mean really) cute. I ended up getting the courage to call him so we could properly chat. He was super funny, sweet, and nerdy. I remember I couldn't wait for our first date. Fast forward a month and Nick and I are dating, things are going better than ever. I truly have never felt more loved, supported, and protected than when I was with him. He bought me flowers "just because", and would keep his fridge stocked with my favorite drinks. He taught me how to play chess and video games, would always have a hand on the small of my back, and for the entire length of our relationship, I never so much as touched a door handle.
I have a history of problems with mental health, specifically eating disorders and depression. Even though I was his first relationship, he handled it in stride. I occasionally had panic attacks, and somehow he just knew innately how to deal with them. One thing I had never experienced before was someone lightly blowing on me while having a panic attack, which I have since learned is one of the only things that can calm me down. I had asked him once how he knew what to do and he just said it just "felt right" . That was how things worked with him. He saw a problem and solved it. I barely ever had to ask him to do anything more than once if at all. My family loved him, and he helped my dad out around the house, joked around with my sister, and had a great relationship with my mom. We were the couple my single friends wanted to be like. I had been through so many awful relationships and situationships that I truly thought this was the universe apologizing.
The issue, however, comes down to how we grew up. Nick grew up in a very religious and right-wing state, whereas I grew up more west coast in a relatively liberal area. Before I met Nick, when I started recovery from my ED, I discovered marijuana. Weed was something that genuinely helped me eat, deal with my anxiety, and helped me sleep. I can admit during my senior year of high school I took it a bit far, and definitely smoked more than my fair share. He knew about this early into the relationship, and he never really liked it, but he knew it was part of my life. Being someone who grew up religious, Nick was adamantly anti-weed, and I knew this so while we both knew about my usage, it was kind of an unspoken issue. I never smoked around him, avoided calling or messaging him when I was high to avoid him being uncomfortable, and I did my best to not talk to my friends about weed when around him either.
Fast forward a few more months, and we had plans to go to the zoo after I had gone on a hike with my friends. He picked me up and drove me to a parking lot off the highway and explained that he wanted to talk. I have pretty bad abandonment issues so I immediately went into fight or flight mode and asked if he was breaking up with me. With tears in his eyes, and not looking at me, Nick mumbled yes. Cue the instant and debilitating panic attack from me (arguably the worst one I've ever had). He somehow managed to calm me down enough to talk, and he explained that the weed was a huge issue for him even though he said he was fine with it in the past. I was shocked and blindsided because as far as I knew, we were just going to the zoo. I tried to explain how it helps me and I could quit if he wanted me to, and he said that was not what he wanted. he just couldn't think of me the same way knowing I smoke. While we were talking, I had texted my mom to come get me. We were trying to work things out, at this point we are both crying, he said he loves me and wanted to be with me, but he doesn't think he could get over this. My mom gets to the parking lot, I sort of stumbled to the car, basically holding myself together by a thread. As soon as I closed the door I screamed. A blood curdling scream that held so much anguish and pain that my mom started crying. I truly felt like I had lost a limb.
Those three days without contact were brutal, and on the fourth day, I caved and called him. We met up that day (I called him at 5am and we met up around 6am) and we both apologized. He said he felt like he made a huge mistake, and that he hadn't been able to stop thinking about me. I promised I would stop smoking weed, and we both swore to each other that there would be no more secrets or issues between us, that we would talk about how we feel as soon as we feel like something is wrong.
For a while this worked, the no-smoking wasn't too bad, even though it was still a point of contention between us. But then I started to remember why I smoked in the first place. I became more depressed, food stopped looking good, and I was withdrawing into myself. He noticed this and we talk about it, but ultimately there was nothing we could do, because I knew I would lose him if I went back to smoking.
Things were good for a while, we talked about everything, and every issue got resolved within the week if not the day. I had my person back, and life felt good again. Everything was going smoothly up unitl a few weeks before our 6 months (I know this was a lot to happen in 6 months). I started to feel Nick going distant, not cold or anything, and he said nothing was wrong, but I could tell something was nagging at him. One Monday, he called me and said he wanted to talk. This immediantly raised red flags because last time he said that we broke up. we facetimed and he confessed he was feeling like he wasn't being true to himself in the relationship. He felt like he wasn't going to the gym as often as he wants, and he doesn't have any time to himself. This one conversation ended in him driving to my house, a hours-long confession of everything he had been bottling up, and when he left that evening, I was single again.
My actual question paragraph is below:
I hope now everyone has context for why this relationship was so influencial in my life, and now getting to the part i need advice on. It has currently been about a month and a half since we broke up, and though I was half-hearted trying on dating apps, and I am somewhat talking to a guy right now, I can't stop thinking about Nick. I know if it didn't work out not once but twice, its probably going to happen, but I haven't had such a deep connection so fast before, and I don't want to give up on us just yet. its not that I don't want a relationship right now, but if its not with Nick I don't know if I want one ever, he taught me to never accept less than I deserve, and that I am worth loving and being treated like a princess. I have never felt more appreciated, safe, or cherished than when I was with Nick. Is it worth moving on? Or am I leaving my soulmate? Is it possible to feel love like this again? Is it worth messaging him or will I just get my heart broken instead?
Sorry for the long post, I guess I needed to get stuff off my chest. Any advice or similar experiences are welcomed, thank you!!

I wanted to start a thread so people could share any suggestions, tips, useful advice and so on that they may have found to help cope with living with floaters…
For example, I am wondering if there is anything out there such as, a screen protector for a laptop or PC screen that would reduce the appearance of the floaters on the screen?
I work an office job and look at a screen all day long. The floaters are the most prominent and distracting when I work, which makes me really upset and I find it hard to focus on work.
I am looking for absolutely anything that I can try at this point, specially tinted glasses, screen protectors/digital settings on a screen, even contact lenses. Anything, that is made to help reduce the visibility of floaters.

So I, an INFJ (f) have met an INTP (m) and I find him absolutely fascinating. I met him through mutual friends, and the first time we ever spoke alone (during a smoke break at a social gathering) we wound up talking and talking for so long our friends kept checking on us to make sure we were okay.
Over time we've gotten closer (we typically work out together during the week and hang out on weekends) and talk in depth for hours on end (lots of debates included, lol). One of our mutual friends told me "You know he's falling for you, right? I've seen the way he looks at you." We've both established that we like each other, however he told me up front he's not looking for a relationship. 🙄 I know I probably should've stopped right then and there, but in my typical "I cAN maKe HiM fALL iN LovE" fashion (I know, I KNOW!), I continued spending time with him and we've had casual sex.
He's affectionate with me (he initiates hugs, prolonged eye contact, flirting, cuddling, etc.) However after our last sexual encounter, we had an in-depth discussion on love/romance/intimacy and determined we have vastly different views. I set up a serious discussion afterward where I expressed that I've developed feelings (I felt comfortable doing this because we both appreciate open/honest communication) and he quite literally told me I should "focus on myself." He believes eliminating sex will save our friendship (and spare my feelings ig), while in reality my feelings were there before sex came into the picture. I tried explaining that but I don't think he understood. Anyhow, he reiterated that he "likes me a lot," and is adamant on remaining friends and attending gatherings/working out together as before.
I know it can be hard getting close to an INTP and if they allow you in their space it's a big deal. I respect his boundaries, we have a cadence in communication that works, and I see where he's made efforts to initiate conversation and make plans to hang out. My gut tells me he likes me more than he cares to admit but doesn't believe his actions reflect that. My brain says "leave him tf alone and focus on yourself" like he said. But where's the fun in that? Lol. I'm good at hurting my own feelings so I'm built for it ig.
I don't know if it's wise to remain friends if he's unsure of his feelings about me when I know I feel so strongly about him. It's incredibly rare that I've found and established such chemistry with a man of intellect (and he's easy on the eyes 😏) so it's hard to imagine letting that go.
Should I cut him off or continue going with the friendship flow? FYI, we've only known each other for a few months so I recognize this dynamic is still fairly fresh.