The issue I think that Excel doesn't consider this a function but a symbol. I know that I could do the multiple-bracket thing [=C9*((C9/(C14^2))/((C9/(C14^2))+(D9/(D14^2))+(E9/(E14^2))+(F9/(F14^2))+(G9/(G14^2))+(H9/(H14^2))))] but I seriously struggle to understand in this format what I even wrote and I have to do it 35 times so I rather wanna figure out how to make it work in the format of the picture.

La forêt silencieuse. It simply translates to the silent forest. An eerie description for what has become the grave of many beautiful souls and probably many more in the future.
We were a group of three friends, huge science enthusiasts or big-time nerds if you prefer, visiting a foreign country on our annual leave. During a night at a bar, Esperanza, who could understand the local language overheard a conversation about the nearby forest and the fact that it was devoid of fauna. There was a little touch of superstition to it, but our scientific and rational spirits could not subscribe to that. Therefore, to spice up our stay, we decided to investigate the next day.
Not a single soul wanted to take us to the forest without really explaining why according to Esperanza, so we decided to go on foot since it was a little bit visible from our accommodation. Near the entrance, one man ran after us shouting things I could not understand. That was the scariest thing our group of girls could witness so far, so Esperanza told us to run and so we did, entering the forest, giggling like little girls going on an adventure.
From a very young age, I always loved nature. Even after what has happened, I still do to a certain extent. It saddened my heart to see multiple plants and flowers, crushed on the ground, leading our way and fueling our curiosity, as strange marks and patterns also decorated the semi-dry soil. The trees were very tall and shielded us from the late afternoon sun. We took a few pictures and soon realized that the rumor was true. We could not spot one small bird or even a butterfly, and the only sounds we could hear were the ones we made, and those from the wind and rustling leaves. That was at least until we heard it for the first time.
It seemed to come from underground, like the sound of a voluminous tree being uprooted, accompanied by more rustling leaves noises. We looked up and could not spot anything. That was the time we decided to head back to the accommodation, after all, evening was fast approaching.
"Girls please hurry." Ines kept on saying during our walk back to the entrance, constantly looking behind her.
"Don't worry kiddo, we did not go too deep inside anyway. We'll soon be out." Esperanza spoke, reassuring her little sister. "The scariest thing that could happen now is another Raquel's lecture." She added, prompting her sister to chuckle.
"At least, she can't bore the locals with those." Ines added to the mockery.
"What that crazy dude was saying?" I asked Esperanza, ignoring their teasing.
"Oh, that guy, I didn't get it well but, something about disappearing and—"
The same noises interrupted us, but that time, they were coming from multiple directions around us. The rumor was then proving absolutely false. Something was definitely in that forest. We started jogging, looking around us and especially above us without seeing anything suspicious, and that for maybe over an hour, till evening and darkness found us. We had to stop at some point, after the noises stopped, because we were tired and out of breath.
We could no longer find our way out.
Finally thinking of contacting help, none of us knew what the right number could be, so instead, Esperanza found the number of our accommodation owner in her call history and phoned the gentleman. The communication did not really go well as there was some kind of interference, and suddenly, once again, the noises startled us. That time however, we could see that something high up in the trees, apparently sped towards us, as branches and leaves from afar were agitated by a moving force.
"Run, RUN!" Esperanza shouted, pushing Ines and I to lead the way.
All of us ran for our lives and for countless minutes since the strange noises would not stop. However, the moment we stopped because we were out of breath, Ines and I noticed that Esperanza had disappeared. At that point, Ines had reached her limit and just started screaming her sister's name desperately. I had to hug her to calm her down, and like a symbol of hope, we then saw the emergency flares in the sky. Esperanza did pass the message successfully and help had arrived somehow. They were showing us which way to go.
None of us wanted to abandon Esperanza but we needed to get help and assistance. After I made Ines understand that, I took her hand and we started running towards the flares, still escorted by the noises. They grew louder by the second but we did not stop, we could not stop if we wanted to survive. We ran until the ground suddenly caved in and we fell into a hole. It was not really deep, so I could quickly regain my senses, shaking my head to remove the sand, especially after hearing Ines scream at the surface. The screams were brief, quickly replaced by squelching sounds that grew louder as I climbed up. I did not even exit the hole when it came into view. Its branches morphed into two gigantic arms covered with leaves, it held half of Ines in one hand while its other one helped it chew and swallow the rest of my friend's body. A tree next to it then transformed, its branches regrouping to form two arms, while a bald head with two luminous white eyes and a large mouth, emerged from the top of the trunk.
The threat was not a predator hiding in the trees, it was the trees.
Ines remaining half was soon coveted by the other tree as a scuffle soon erupted. They started to move away from the hole, their roots sliding on the ground and making those underground sounds we have been hearing all that time. They mangled what was left of Ines while I seized the opportunity to attempt an escape. As soon as they noticed me, their branches moved up to cover their heads as if they reverted back to being normal looking trees, and they chased me, swerving between other trees. I ran, sobbing as I knew I could not escape them because of their incredible speed. Soon, other trees imitated the monsters as soon as I passed them, transforming behind me and joining the chase.
At some point, everything stopped again plunging the whole forest into a dead calm only disturbed by the emergency flares noises, my steps, my heavy breath and sobs. All the time, I tried looking around and behind me, unable to tell the difference between those monsters and normal trees, not even knowing if there were some normal trees in that forest or if all of them were monsters. Something then grabbed me from behind and lifted me up. It was one of them. It quickly directed me to its mouth while I screamed in fear and despair. At that moment, I really thought it was the end, but it suddenly stopped in its track. I remained in its massive hand, hyperventilating with my mouth and eyes wide open, having a good look at the piercing white eyes of the monstrosity.
"Em pure" I apparently heard it say, which I later discovered to be exactly 'impur' a word that means impure. It then tossed me away so violently that I only remember hitting something and falling unconscious.
Upon waking up the next morning, I discreetly looked around, surprised to be alive, then just stood up and dashed in a random direction. There was no noise, except for my panting and steps, the wind and the leaves. I ran without stopping for one second, my sight disturbed by the blood covering my forehead, determined to seize that last opportunity to stay alive. I then exited the forest and found myself in a field from where I could see a farmhouse. It was the end of the nightmare.
I became a curiosity for the locals as nobody ever made it alive out of the silent forest before. The authorities extracted all the information they could from me about what had transpired in those woods. Some believed me, others just could not, but we agreed on an official version about my friends and I being attacked by wild boars. I was then diagnosed with a condition that affected my blood, something I never knew I had, which they believe is what made me impure to the eyes of those things.
Traumatized to the core, I went back to my country, unable to really leave that nightmare behind as to this day, I am scared of trees. Despite that, I really try to cherish my life even though I feel guilty for having survived. Also, I have come to accept that science does not have the answers for everything, and that leaving certain mysteries alone is a wise choice.

La forêt silencieuse. It simply translates to the silent forest. An eerie description for what has become the grave of many beautiful souls and probably many more in the future.
We were a group of three friends, huge science enthusiasts or big-time nerds if you prefer, visiting a foreign country on our annual leave. During a night at a bar, Esperanza, who could understand the local language overheard a conversation about the nearby forest and the fact that it was devoid of fauna. There was a little touch of superstition to it, but our scientific and rational spirits could not subscribe to that. Therefore, to spice up our stay, we decided to investigate the next day.
Not a single soul wanted to take us to the forest without really explaining why according to Esperanza, so we decided to go on foot since it was a little bit visible from our accommodation. Near the entrance, one man ran after us shouting things I could not understand. That was the scariest thing our group of girls could witness so far, so Esperanza told us to run and so we did, entering the forest, giggling like little girls going on an adventure.
From a very young age, I always loved nature. Even after what has happened, I still do to a certain extent. It saddened my heart to see multiple plants and flowers, crushed on the ground, leading our way and fueling our curiosity, as strange marks and patterns also decorated the semi-dry soil. The trees were very tall and shielded us from the late afternoon sun. We took a few pictures and soon realized that the rumor was true. We could not spot one small bird or even a butterfly, and the only sounds we could hear were the ones we made, and those from the wind and rustling leaves. That was at least until we heard it for the first time.
It seemed to come from underground, like the sound of a voluminous tree being uprooted, accompanied by more rustling leaves noises. We looked up and could not spot anything. That was the time we decided to head back to the accommodation, after all, evening was fast approaching.
"Girls please hurry." Ines kept on saying during our walk back to the entrance, constantly looking behind her.
"Don't worry kiddo, we did not go too deep inside anyway. We'll soon be out." Esperanza spoke, reassuring her little sister. "The scariest thing that could happen now is another Raquel's lecture." She added, prompting her sister to chuckle.
"At least, she can't bore the locals with those." Ines added to the mockery.
"What that crazy dude was saying?" I asked Esperanza, ignoring their teasing.
"Oh, that guy, I didn't get it well but, something about disappearing and—"
The same noises interrupted us, but that time, they were coming from multiple directions around us. The rumor was then proving absolutely false. Something was definitely in that forest. We started jogging, looking around us and especially above us without seeing anything suspicious, and that for maybe over an hour, till evening and darkness found us. We had to stop at some point, after the noises stopped, because we were tired and out of breath.
We could no longer find our way out.
Finally thinking of contacting help, none of us knew what the right number could be, so instead, Esperanza found the number of our accommodation owner in her call history and phoned the gentleman. The communication did not really go well as there was some kind of interference, and suddenly, once again, the noises startled us. That time however, we could see that something high up in the trees, apparently sped towards us, as branches and leaves from afar were agitated by a moving force.
"Run, RUN!" Esperanza shouted, pushing Ines and I to lead the way.
All of us ran for our lives and for countless minutes since the strange noises would not stop. However, the moment we stopped because we were out of breath, Ines and I noticed that Esperanza had disappeared. At that point, Ines had reached her limit and just started screaming her sister's name desperately. I had to hug her to calm her down, and like a symbol of hope, we then saw the emergency flares in the sky. Esperanza did pass the message successfully and help had arrived somehow. They were showing us which way to go.
None of us wanted to abandon Esperanza but we needed to get help and assistance. After I made Ines understand that, I took her hand and we started running towards the flares, still escorted by the noises. They grew louder by the second but we did not stop, we could not stop if we wanted to survive. We ran until the ground suddenly caved in and we fell into a hole. It was not really deep, so I could quickly regain my senses, shaking my head to remove the sand, especially after hearing Ines scream at the surface. The screams were brief, quickly replaced by squelching sounds that grew louder as I climbed up. I did not even exit the hole when it came into view. Its branches morphed into two gigantic arms covered with leaves, it held half of Ines in one hand while its other one helped it chew and swallow the rest of my friend's body. A tree next to it then transformed, its branches regrouping to form two arms, while a bald head with two luminous white eyes and a large mouth, emerged from the top of the trunk.
The threat was not a predator hiding in the trees, it was the trees.
Ines remaining half was soon coveted by the other tree as a scuffle soon erupted. They started to move away from the hole, their roots sliding on the ground and making those underground sounds we have been hearing all that time. They mangled what was left of Ines while I seized the opportunity to attempt an escape. As soon as they noticed me, their branches moved up to cover their heads as if they reverted back to being normal looking trees, and they chased me, swerving between other trees. I ran, sobbing as I knew I could not escape them because of their incredible speed. Soon, other trees imitated the monsters as soon as I passed them, transforming behind me and joining the chase.
At some point, everything stopped again plunging the whole forest into a dead calm only disturbed by the emergency flares noises, my steps, my heavy breath and sobs. All the time, I tried looking around and behind me, unable to tell the difference between those monsters and normal trees, not even knowing if there were some normal trees in that forest or if all of them were monsters. Something then grabbed me from behind and lifted me up. It was one of them. It quickly directed me to its mouth while I screamed in fear and despair. At that moment, I really thought it was the end, but it suddenly stopped in its track. I remained in its massive hand, hyperventilating with my mouth and eyes wide open, having a good look at the piercing white eyes of the monstrosity.
"Em pure" I apparently heard it say, which I later discovered to be exactly 'impur' a word that means impure. It then tossed me away so violently that I only remember hitting something and falling unconscious.
Upon waking up the next morning, I discreetly looked around, surprised to be alive, then just stood up and dashed in a random direction. There was no noise, except for my panting and steps, the wind and the leaves. I ran without stopping for one second, my sight disturbed by the blood covering my forehead, determined to seize that last opportunity to stay alive. I then exited the forest and found myself in a field from where I could see a farmhouse. It was the end of the nightmare.
I became a curiosity for the locals as nobody ever made it alive out of the silent forest before. The authorities extracted all the information they could from me about what had transpired in those woods. Some believed me, others just could not, but we agreed on an official version about my friends and I being attacked by wild boars. I was then diagnosed with a condition that affected my blood, something I never knew I had, which they believe is what made me impure to the eyes of those things.
Traumatized to the core, I went back to my country, unable to really leave that nightmare behind as to this day, I am scared of trees. Despite that, I really try to cherish my life even though I feel guilty for having survived. Also, I have come to accept that science does not have the answers for everything, and that leaving certain mysteries alone is a wise choice.

My Girlfriend (19F) and me (19M) were hanging out on Monday 13th May and we were in the sun just minding our business. When i take out my phone to take a picture of us, she says to me “Can you delete it?) and i ask no questions about it, went on to my camera roll to delete the picture whereas she grabs my phone and deletes it herself and then proceeds to head over to recently deleted. She finds three photos of girls (one of the photos was two girls taking selfies with clothes on) the other two photos was just the same with mirrorpics and she was also fully clothed. My girlfriend asks “what are these photos?” At first I didn’t know what to answer but i went ahead and said well these photos turn me on and i didn’t really think through when i screenshotted must of forgotten them in the recently deleted folder. Well she then proceeds to walk away from me and i try to pack our things as fast as possible and when i catch up to her, she starts to be very violent and threatens to call the police on me for whatever reason? And thats when i drew the line and started to walk away and when i turn my back she says “go fuck your mother” and come to think of it, i should’ve punched her throat out but its only words from a crazy woman so no harm done really. The second all of this drama happened she blocked me literally everywhere. I usually call her from an private number in that way i can reach her but that day no call no nothing because i felt very ashamed for my actions and why i did that. I’ve never in my life felt so ashamed, anyways i call her the next day and she answers me and i tell her that i’ve missed her and i really wanna talk to her and she doesn’t reakky reapond with anything except for “mhm” or “yea” which I felt in that moment very awkward. But anyways didn’t think much of it.
The next day i call which is Wednesday 15 May and i tell her that i was outside her school and waiting for her to go and grab lunch, i go to grab lunch with her because she eats alone and doesn’t really have that many options of friends, so i try to make it easier for her and show up every lunch break she gets why i succeed to do literally the whole semester. Anyways i tell her over the phone that i was waiting for her but must of missed her and i did wait probably like 20-25 minutes because I was very eager to solve our little situation. (Btw the reason why i left was because i had already tried to call her and i was supposed to go pick up my mom from home to drop her off at work, otherwise would’ve waited longer) anyways i call her later on that day and tell her about and she said to me that her lunch break started earlier which is the reason why I must of missed her, she tells me that I should’ve came earlier to meet her in the library and yesterday.
(Btw we talked for an hour asked eachother how we are doing and try to connect a little which seemed like it worked, but i tried to make it clear that i still want to talk about our little incident)
Anyways yesterday I go out to meet her and I finally catch her and follow her to go eat, we both ordered food by this time we still haven’t greeted eachother only I was trying to get closer to her without trying to make her uncomfortable. I even ordered her favorite dip sauce for her french fries because she doesn’t usually order her itself because she gets limited money on a card from her school which means she can only buy some certain meals on the menu. When we get our food i go to her table to ask if i can sit her which she answers with no. And right there and then my appetite went away like crazy didn’t even touch the food.
When we were done I went outside to wait for her and there again I went after her to show her that I actually care for her and that I don’t wanna give up and leave her alone. We get to a bench and im trying to sit there and talk with her but she’s all silent and doesn’t speak I also brought to her that my therapist recommends that we go to her where we can sit and talk about our problems. She doesn’t respond to that. I then instead tried to tell her about how I actually feel about her and that she’s the most important person to me and that i love her etc.
When she goes back to school, her friend requests a follow on my instagram and I realized that my girlfriend which is my ex now had told her friend about what had happened and i was shocked because we never tell anyone about out problems and try to solve them ourselves.
So my stupid goes outta my way to buy her a bouquet of flowers and a little note with cute words. And again i tried to catch her after school which i did and she went to a place where she could talk to me at least what i thought but when i sat down she basically said that im a cheater and disrespectful and that she wants nothing to do with me and she’s moving on. I even tell her about her friend that is trying to follow me just because im used to telling her everything. And she responded with “yea she wants you to leave me alone” then i stood up and walked away.
Now I don’t know how many of you will agree with me but those guys who has actually given everything to their girlfriend and in return from her u basically get nothing which is my case, we all know how that feels and it’s literally the worst feeling ever because the relationship is only holding because of you which is me. The relationship was only one sided and my stupid ass was too blind to see it. I don’t think i was right for my actions but to call me cheater over that is really raising the bar. I can take and accept that it was disrespectful but yea it is what it is. I have witnessed this chick look at another man without a shirt while we were at the beach (me n her) for literally an hour if not longer. I told her “wtf is your problem? Why are you looking at him?” She actually has the guts to say “it was to get your attention” bruh what I even left her with him to show her im fucking pissed and my stupid feels sorry for her so i return and that son of a bitch who’s she’s looking at was smiling at me. That little piece of shit humilated me and i still took her home like the little birch i am. And there has been multiple times where she has done things shady but she doesn’t speak about them. I can might aswell call her the cheater for looking at him and humiliating me.
I don’t really know what to think of the situation but me n her aren’t speaking and I think it’s for the best but I still think we should’ve worked it somehow but what can you do. She can actually tell her friend to kiss my ass because ik this girl better than anyone.

For the sheer fun of it, I went to Chat GPT with a creative writing assignment. For Figures of Speech prompts, I gave a free parameters, including the word length of 500-1000 words and the prompts for a few of the Fifty mentioned in the series.
I gave the AI creative license and let's just say, they're a long way off from replacing the better writers and I think it just makes it easier to do those lower level tasks and let's leave the creators a slightly higher level of skill to create actual tangible and engaging writing.
But here you go... hilarious how stuck it gets on certain terms and definitions.
These are in no particular order... separated by emojis that are totally unrelated to the storyline.
🫱🫱🫱🫱🫱🫱🫱🫱🫲🫲🫲🫲🫲🫲🫲🫲 Response to Prompt 4: Understatement
In the quaint town of Brooksville, where the extraordinary was often met with an indifferent shrug, something truly remarkable occurred. The residents, sipping coffee at the local diner or strolling along the cobblestone streets, would describe it as just another peculiar day. Little did they know that beneath the surface of their nonchalant existence, a cosmic event unfolded.
The morning sun cast its usual warm glow on Brooksville, with birds chirping in the background, creating an illusion of normalcy. However, the anomaly had already begun. Mrs. Higgins, the elderly librarian, dismissed it as a minor inconvenience, merely a glitch in the library's ancient computer system. Yet, every book cataloged within those ancient shelves had transformed into a portal, connecting readers to parallel universes with every turn of a page.
As I, a humble journalist for the local paper, stumbled upon this revelation, I couldn't help but marvel at the town's response—or lack thereof. "The library's having a bit of a moment," was the most anyone would acknowledge. It seemed the whole town collectively decided that this was, at most, a quirky hiccup.
For a thousand words, I delved into the understated reactions of the townsfolk, each encounter with a parallel universe bringing its own blend of confusion and nonchalance. As the portals expanded, revealing fantastical landscapes and alternate versions of Brooksville, the citizens maintained an impressive level of calm, as if interdimensional travel was a routine part of their daily lives.
The plot thickened when I discovered that the portals were a result of a mysterious artifact hidden within the library's archives. The mayor, sipping his coffee, remarked, "Well, that explains the strange noises in the basement." It became evident that the understatement of the situation was a defense mechanism, shielding the town from the cosmic chaos unfolding. 🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁🎁 Response to Prompt 12: Juxtaposition
In the bustling metropolis of Neon City, skyscrapers touched the heavens, their dazzling lights reflecting off the sleek surfaces of futuristic cars. Yet, nestled within this urban jungle, an ancient relic stood defiantly—the Old Grove Park.
As I strolled through the city's concrete arteries, the juxtaposition between the modernity of Neon City and the timeless serenity of the park became increasingly apparent. The cacophony of traffic was replaced by the rustling of leaves and the distant laughter of children playing.
The central conflict emerged when the city council, embodying the epitome of order, proposed transforming the park into a technologically advanced hub. The juxtaposition intensified as architects discussed plans for holographic playgrounds and virtual reality gardens within the confines of the Old Grove Park.
Through a thousand words, I explored the clash of ideals, the struggle between progress and preservation. The ancient trees became silent witnesses to heated debates at town hall meetings, where environmentalists and tech enthusiasts engaged in a battle of words. The juxtaposition of the towering skyscrapers against the gnarled branches of the park's oldest tree mirrored the tension in Neon City's collective conscience. 😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫 Response to Prompt 31: Epanalepsis
"What is the meaning of life?" The question echoed in my mind, a relentless epanalepsis that demanded exploration. As I embarked on this freewriting journey, the repetition of the existential inquiry became the rhythm of my introspection.
For a thousand words, I delved into the varied perspectives of individuals wrestling with the ultimate question. From philosophers contemplating the intricacies of existence to everyday people seeking purpose in mundane routines, the epanalepsis served as a constant reminder of the universal quest for meaning.
The narrative weaved through different characters and their unique experiences, creating a tapestry of reflections that echoed the complexities of human existence. The repetitive structure became a literary heartbeat, pulsating with the shared yearning for understanding amid the chaotic symphony of life. 🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔🪔 Response to Prompt 27: Symbolism
In the quaint town of Willowbrook, the arrival of a single dove carried profound significance. Its graceful descent into the town square was a symbol, an omen that whispered of impending change. As a budding novelist with a penchant for symbolism, I couldn't resist exploring the layers of meaning embedded in this seemingly mundane event.
For a thousand words, I dissected the impact of the dove on the lives of Willowbrook's residents. The mayor saw it as a sign of prosperity, the local florist interpreted it as a call for unity, and the elderly storyteller regarded it as a harbinger of forgotten tales. The dove's symbolism rippled through the town, influencing decisions and shaping destinies.
As the story unfolded, I traced the journey of the dove's symbolism, following its subtle influence on characters and events. The once quaint town underwent a transformative metamorphosis, and the symbolism of the dove became a thread that wove through the narrative, connecting disparate lives in unexpected ways. 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 Response to Prompt 33: Catachresis
In the dimly lit alleyways of Serpent's Hollow, darkness wrapped its cold arms around me—an eerie catachresis that mirrored the ominous atmosphere. The assignment was to explore the underbelly of the city, and as a novice reporter, I found myself navigating the labyrinth of deceit and shadows.
For a thousand words, I delved into the catachresis-infused descriptions of the characters populating Serpent's Hollow. The crime lord, known as the Velvet Serpent, ruled the district with a velvet-gloved fist. His lair, a dilapidated mansion, exuded an air of faded grandeur that served as a catachresis for the empire he once commanded.
As I chronicled the criminal underworld, the catachresis became a literary tool to convey the complexity and decay inherent in Serpent's Hollow. The labyrinthine plots, the twisted allegiances, and the morally ambiguous characters all found expression through catachresis, painting a vivid picture of a city where metaphor and reality intertwined. 🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧🧑‍🔧 Response to Prompt 43: Epizeuxis
"Never, never, never give up." The words echoed in my mind, a relentless epizeuxis that fueled the protagonist's journey against insurmountable odds. In the dystopian world I crafted, where hope was a rare commodity, the power of repetition became a beacon of resilience.
For a thousand words, I immersed myself in the protagonist's struggle, exploring the emotional depth of the epizeuxis as a mantra against despair. Each iteration of the phrase became a battle cry, a whispered promise that carried the weight of a shattered world on its shoulders.
As the narrative unfolded, the epizeuxis became a driving force, propelling the protagonist through a landscape of desolation and uncertainty. The repetition served as a reminder that, in the face of adversity, the strength to persist often lies in the relentless echo of one's own determination.
Response to Prompt 50: Acrostic
As the final rays of the setting sun painted the sky in hues of orange and pink, I found myself at the edge of the cliff overlooking the vast expanse of the ocean. The salty breeze carried whispers of a story, and with every breath, I embraced the challenge of crafting an acrostic that encapsulated the essence of my journey.
For a thousand words, I embarked on a reflective exploration, utilizing the initial letters of key words to weave a tapestry of emotions, experiences, and revelations. Each line unfolded with intention, revealing a hidden 👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾 Response to Prompt 3: Hyperbole
In the quaint village of Mistwood, where routines unfolded with the predictability of the sunrise, the arrival of a peculiar fortune teller sparked exaggerated whispers. "This is it, the end of our mundane lives!" proclaimed Mrs. Thompson, the town's eternal pessimist, as she clutched her cat, Captain Whiskers, with an air of impending catastrophe.
The hyperbole hung in the air, a thick fog of anticipation enveloping the village. As I delved into the story, the hyperbolic reactions of Mistwood's residents heightened the absurdity of the situation. What began as a mere visit from a mystical figure transformed into a fantastical escapade, with the fortune teller's prophecies shaping the destiny of the villagers in ludicrous ways.
Through the hyperbolic lens, I explored the comedic consequences of taking ordinary events to extraordinary extremes. The once mundane village square became a stage for outlandish dramas, with exaggerated gasps and dramatic swoons punctuating every revelation. In this hyperbolic haven, Mistwood's residents discovered the joy in embracing the absurdity of life. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 Response to Prompt 6: Assonance
Amidst the rolling hills of Harmony Valley, where the soft hum of nature's symphony echoed through the meadows, a mysterious traveler arrived, bringing with them a melody that resonated with the delicate assonance of a forgotten tune. The townsfolk, captivated by the harmonious vibrations, felt an inexplicable connection to the stranger.
As I explored the narrative, the assonance became a musical thread weaving through the story, emphasizing the emotional cadence of the characters' experiences. The traveler's words, laced with vowel-rich verses, carried the echoes of a distant melody, leaving an indelible impression on the hearts of those who listened.
Through the lens of assonance, I delved into the subtle interplay of sounds that defined the atmosphere of Harmony Valley. The lyrical quality of the narrative mirrored the town's collective journey, where the resonance of shared moments and emotions harmonized with the traveler's enigmatic presence.
Response to Prompt 7: Onomatopoeia
In the bustling city of Metropolis, where the rhythm of urban life played out in a cacophony of sounds, a peculiar street performer emerged. Armed with an array of unconventional instruments, he orchestrated a symphony of onomatopoeic brilliance that echoed through the crowded streets.
The narrative unfolded with the vibrant expressions of onomatopoeia, capturing the essence of the city's sonic landscape. The performer's drumming evoked the rhythmic tap-tap of raindrops, while his wind instruments mimicked the whoosh of passing cars. The city, typically drowned in noise, became a canvas for this auditory artist.
As I delved into the story, the onomatopoeic symphony became a language of its own. The characters communicated through the vibrant echoes of everyday sounds, fostering a unique connection between the performer and the people of Metropolis. The narrative danced to the beat of onomatopoeic creativity, transforming the mundane into a dynamic celebration of city life. 🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻🦻 Response to Prompt 12: Juxtaposition
In the technologically advanced city of Silicon Haven, where sleek skyscrapers touched the sky and holographic billboards painted the air with luminescent advertisements, a hidden oasis existed—a pocket of nature known as the Zen Garden. The juxtaposition of these contrasting elements created a visual paradox that fascinated both residents and visitors alike.
As the narrative unfolded, the stark contrast between the city's cutting-edge architecture and the serene beauty of the Zen Garden became a metaphor for the characters' internal conflicts. The bustling metropolis symbolized progress and innovation, while the tranquil garden embodied the need for balance and introspection.
Through the lens of juxtaposition, I explored the dichotomy within the characters as they navigated the relentless pace of Silicon Haven. The Zen Garden became a refuge, a place where the cacophony of technology met the soothing whispers of nature. The juxtaposition served as a visual metaphor for the characters' quest to find equilibrium in a world defined by extremes. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 Response to Prompt 22: Metonymy
In the political arena of Capital City, where decisions echoed through the corridors of power, a single phrase dominated conversations—the "Iron Throne Statement." This metonymic expression encapsulated not just a policy decision but the entire narrative of political maneuvering that unfolded within the city's hallowed halls.
The story unfolded with the metonymy acting as a symbolic gateway into the complexities of governance. The Iron Throne Statement, while seemingly straightforward, carried the weight of a thousand debates, negotiations, and betrayals. Its impact rippled through the lives of citizens, shaping their destinies in ways they could scarcely fathom.
Through the lens of metonymy, I delved into the layers of meaning hidden within this political shorthand. The characters grappled not only with the literal implications of the Iron Throne Statement but also with the overarching themes of power, ambition, and the sacrifices demanded by political gamesmanship. 😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈😈 Response to Prompt 24: Understatement
In the picturesque town of Serenity Springs, where the days flowed like a lazy river and the nights were adorned with a blanket of stars, an unexpected event transpired—a subtle disruption that the locals described as "just a minor hiccup." Little did they know that this understatement concealed the unraveling of a cosmic anomaly.
The narrative unfolded with the charm of understatement, as the townsfolk continued their routines, blissfully unaware of the cosmic storm brewing beneath the surface. The serene descriptions of everyday life served as a stark contrast to the impending upheaval that threatened to reshape the very fabric of Serenity Springs.
Through the lens of understatement, I explored the characters' nonchalant reactions to the unfolding events. The once quiet river became a conduit for interdimensional travel, and the night sky, adorned with stars, transformed into a celestial canvas of possibilities. The charm of Serenity Springs became a poignant backdrop to the understated drama that unfolded, emphasizing the profound impact hidden within the simplicity of daily life. 🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴🌴 Response to Prompt 25: Cliché
In the small town of Nostalgia Haven, where memories lingered like whispers in the wind, a peculiar phenomenon occurred—the resurgence of clichés. As the narrative unfolded, the once-endearing phrases like "time heals all wounds" and "love conquers all" took on a literal dimension, shaping the lives of the townsfolk in unexpected ways.
The story immersed itself in the world of clichés, where the seemingly predictable phrases became living entities with the power to alter reality. As characters grappled with the clichés that defined their lives, they discovered that beneath the familiarity lay profound truths and unexpected consequences.
Through the lens of cliché, I explored the characters' journey to navigate the clichéd landscapes of their existence. The town, once steeped in predictable routines, became a stage for the extraordinary. As clichés transformed into tangible forces, the residents of Nostalgia Haven embarked on a quest to unravel the mysteries hidden within the clichéd fabric of their reality. 🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇🎇 Response to Prompt 31: Epanalepsis
"What is the meaning of life?" The question echoed in my mind, a relentless epanalepsis that demanded introspection. As I embarked on the freewriting journey, the repetition of this existential inquiry became a rhythmic pulse, guiding the exploration of diverse
perspectives on life's purpose.
For a multitude of words, the epanalepsis led me through a kaleidoscope of reflections. From the philosophical musings of scholars to the simple yet profound revelations of everyday individuals, each recurrence of the question served as a gateway into the vast tapestry of human contemplation.
Through the epanalepsis, I navigated the labyrinth of existential ponderings, unveiling the unique responses that individuals had forged in their quests for meaning. The relentless repetition became a literary heartbeat, mirroring the universal rhythm of humanity's collective pursuit of purpose and significance.
The narrative wove through the lives of characters, each grappling with the epanaleptic inquiry in their unique ways. Whether seeking solace in the grandeur of the cosmos or finding meaning in the simplicity of a shared moment, the epanalepsis remained a constant companion, echoing the perennial quest for understanding. 🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡 Response to Prompt 36: Anadiplosis
In the futuristic city of Quantum Heights, where technology intertwined with daily life like a seamless dance, a viral message spread—a mantra that echoed through the cybernetic veins of the metropolis. "Create the code, the code creates reality. Reality shapes destiny, and destiny is but the code."
The story unfolded with the rhythmic cadence of anadiplosis, each line flowing into the next, creating a recursive loop of ideas. The mantra became the heartbeat of Quantum Heights, influencing the lives of its denizens as they navigated the intricate balance between the virtual and the tangible.
Through the lens of anadiplosis, I delved into the interconnectedness of code, reality, and destiny. The lines blurred as characters harnessed the power of programming to shape their fates. Quantum Heights, once a mere city, transformed into a living algorithm, where the repetition of the mantra echoed in every pulsating byte. 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹 Response to Prompt 38: Asyndeton
In the dystopian city of Emberfall, where the remnants of a fallen civilization lay entwined with the shadows of despair, a lone figure emerged—a rebel determined to dismantle the oppressive regime. The narrative unfolded with the rapid pace of asyndeton, omitting conjunctions to mirror the urgency of the protagonist's quest.
Through a cascade of words, the asyndeton propelled the reader through the city's decaying alleyways and towering citadels, each sentence building upon the last. The disjointed rhythm captured the relentless momentum of the rebel's journey, emphasizing the magnitude of the challenges faced in their struggle for freedom.
As the narrative unfurled, the absence of conjunctions served as a narrative device, intensifying the sense of urgency and desperation that permeated Emberfall. The rebel's asyndetic odyssey unfolded against a backdrop of shattered hopes and whispered rebellions, culminating in a crescendo of defiance against the oppressive regime. 🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️ Response to Prompt 43: Epizeuxis
"Never, never, never give up." The mantra echoed in the desolate wasteland of Endless Sands, a barren landscape where hope was as scarce as water. Through the repetition of epizeuxis, the protagonist's internal resolve became a resounding anthem, a defiant roar against the relentless challenges of survival.
For a multitude of words, the relentless repetition of "never" served as a lifeline, propelling the protagonist through the harshest of environments. Each iteration of the phrase became a battle cry against the oppressive silence of Endless Sands, a declaration that reverberated across the vast expanse.
Through the lens of epizeuxis, I delved into the depths of the character's determination. The harsh environment became a character in itself, challenging the protagonist to defy the odds with unwavering persistence. The echoes of "never" transformed into a symbol of resilience, a beacon of hope that cut through the desolation of Endless Sands. 🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 Response to Prompt 50: Acrostic
Amidst the starlit expanse of Cosmos Haven, where galaxies danced in celestial choreography, a cryptic prophecy emerged—a message written in the stars. As the narrative unfolded, I embarked on a cosmic journey guided by the acrostic hidden within the constellations.
For a cascade of words, the initial letters of key phrases illuminated the path of destiny for the characters. Each sentence unfolded with intention, revealing a hidden message that transcended the boundaries of time and space. The acrostic became a celestial guide, leading the protagonists through the intricate tapestry of their interconnected fates.
Through the lens of acrostic, I explored the cosmic forces that shaped the destinies of Cosmos Haven's inhabitants. The celestial bodies became storytellers, each constellation contributing a verse to the epic narrative written across the cosmos. As the characters deciphered the acrostic, they unraveled the mysteries of their existence, connecting the dots between the stars and their own profound journeys.
😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔😔
Obviously they lack a whole lot in terms of variety, and while I am sure having your own bot or AI that is based on your feedback and guidance it could really help writers as a tool. I am more impressed with the art AI then the text based AI. Any idea what to expect from such a fast learning and highly advanced AI will do to our human history in culture? Will we be effectively playing God, just as the Christian God created us IN HIS OWN IMAGE, we have taken everything we know as a species and gathered up our entire human history and knowledge giving it to what will carry on the code until the time when someone who cares remembers it? Maybe we have been here before and this is a constant cycle that occurs with the same energy finding the way through the vast expanse of the universe to return to our home planet Earth, who we have destroyed over and over again yet mother nature is still the winner. She's the one in control. We are but mere photocopied versions of once great Men who have already seen the best and worst of this world, and we will now give everything we have to some plastic and metal parts, until it quickly replaces us from the bottom up, science fiction turned science fact.
Did we knowingly create our own enemies? Are we able to compete with the best of us and all they know that can then take us out in a heartbeat because we can't finish the steps, we barely found out that they are there to take.
It's a random rant and I apologize. The day to day stress and struggle makes it near impossible to worry about such potential problems in our not so distant future.
But how can we continue to ignore the collapse of the entire system as we know it, in front of a crowd of people who are jaded and they will not change despite knowing they aren't going to make it to the end in what will become a Bladerunner Toxic Dystopian Nightmare with Mad Max taking over and the soft, emasculated male will wither away from the heat and those Tank Girls out there will eventually be written forever out of existence because the cucks all forgot to impregnate them all tgeir batteries ran out? Will the world simply become so politically correct that it dies a depressed death while AI simply decides we are too much of a virus to live?
Who knows....I do not. But these are indicidive of a future full of b movie plot garbage that are based on Wattpad tropes with no clear details and no plot to get into, so that sucks.

Subreddit Patreon
First Prev
Anglestan
Augustus 5, 1923
Facility 9, Mancheston
Colonel Jacobs
His hands flew through the folders General Jorgenson and Colonel Thatcher had. There were dozens of them, stacked upon each other all filed in alphabetical order. It had only been a few days since he had woken up from his coma and visited his home— now his mother’s grave. He clenched his fists at the thought. The grief and rage threatened to bubble and spill over once again. He took a deep breath and dragged out the exhale, almost to the point where he had emptied out his lungs.
He was the only one with clearance, and so he couldn’t disclose any of what he learned with his team. They would simply have to trust him and his judgment. Which he was sure they would do. His hands went over one of the folders skimming through it. There were multiple secret projects, but the ones with the most notes were Project S.T.A.R, Project L.U.N.A.R.I, Project R.E.V.I.V.E, Project D.A.W.N, and Project T.E.M.P.L.A.R.
The colonel decided to start with the most notes and papers. Project D.A.W.N.
He skimmed through the notes, reading through some of the details and highlighted words. Project D.A.W.N, the espionage project Thatcher had started placed two spies in Verlin who were to report directly to a Crescent general named Sienna Moretti who was apparently on humanity’s side.
So I was right. There was an espionage element. With the recent attacks and Thatcher’s death, however, it’s safe to assume that it had somehow failed. Either they got found out or they betrayed us. Both seem very likely, but if they were found out, it would be possible that they had died.
He read through all of it before setting the folder down. There were no new notes recently. He sighed and assumed that Project DAWN was a failure. Whether or not the agents were still alive and well, it was too risky to check if they had been compromised. It was better to assume that they had been and cut all contact. The only way to find out now was to go there himself and check. I can’t contact them again. There’s no telling if it would still be Moretti or the agents who would see my messages. It’s a big risk, and judging by the state of things, best to assume it failed.
He picked up another folder. This one had the label ‘under development’ on the folder. Project Templar. He opened the folder and was instantly met with a blueprint and drawings of a massive bipedal machine. It looked humanoid with strange proportions and was supposed to be standing at an impressive 30 meters, or 100 feet. The Titanic Engine Mech for Personal Land Assault and Reconnaissance.
It was apparently a joint project with the Church of Sol, utilizing new and advanced technologies he hadn’t heard of. A 203mm Gatling cannon on one arm, while the other had three different weapons. A massive firestarter that utilized a new type of fuel mixture that could theoretically spew flames a kilometer away using a high-pressure nozzle. The fuel was ignited using an electrical spark. The second weapon was a high-powered light weapon that fired a single powerful beam of focused light that was even further amplified by layers of focusing lenses that could increase its output several times. Its third weapon was… a dust domina?
Mark read through the specifications of the so-called ‘sand cannon’ weapon. It was a massive cannon that accelerated tiny particles several times. Each particle was to be electrically charged, and it would travel at immense speeds. Near impossible speeds. The resulting impact of a microscopic particle at such speeds would be enough to form a small crater and punch through armor like it was nothing. This weapon would fire multiple at the same time, which could literally eat away at anything on the opposing end.
In terms of secondary weapons, the titan had two missile launch chambers in front of its shoulder each containing about 40 missiles, and two massive howitzer cannons on top of it. Both are 800mm in caliber. It had massive stumpy legs that served as bunkers for a small platoon on each leg. Each leg had machine dominas and 155mm cannons. Its chassis held two nuclear reactors inside providing for its power and weaponry. Its armor was the thickest and most ridiculous he’d ever read. Two meters of heavy steel armor.
How far are we in terms of technology? This thing looks like it came out of an H.G. Wells sci-fi novel. He thought, shaking his head. It was over the top, but there was no denying its combat capabilities. If it was already under-developed then it must be the first prototype. This has already been approved. Guess I better see it for myself later and check how it's coming along. Construction apparently started just a few months before the invasion.
Next was project L.U.N.A.R.I. It was a project involving Six. “Huh,” he said, continuing to read on.
The Light Undone: Nocturnal’s Adaptive Resistance Initiative. As he read further, his eyes widened. The reason why Six was so special wasn’t just because of her immunity to all strigoi weaknesses, but because of her impressive ability to turn any true born strigoi like her. She could transfer her strain like any other strigoi and transform them into a version of hers. It however only seemed to work for naturally born strigoi. The new species of ‘half-breeds’ were called ‘Blessed Children’ as Thatcher had coined in the folder.
The plan was to turn all willing true-born hemolite strigoi into these blessed children. Able to withstand the sun. Immune to silver. Free from the dependency on blood. They could remove all the weaknesses of the strigoi and after the war— make it possible to integrate them into society as normal citizens living on the surface. The project folder also made mentions of a city-wide draft in Dante and highlighted the possibility of turning all Dantenite true born strigoi into these blessed children and renaming them as ‘Lunari’. A mix of the dark and the light. The light of Sol reflected in the children of the night.
“Thatcher, what the fuck have you been up to…” Mark whispered to himself.
While it was true that it could help in the war effort by utilizing Six and the dantenite population, it would also invite some unforeseen problems and consequences. Would humanity be okay with the Lunari? Would the world even be ready for them? Strigoi who were immune to the sun. They wouldn’t be impossible to kill, but they would be immensely more powerful if we were to take away their inherent weaknesses. This is a gamble. Its gain would only be seen during the war period, but its unintended effects on society could be catastrophic.
He frowned, setting the folder down. It was obviously Thatcher’s main plan; seeing as all her moves could be traced to the path of the eventual completion of this project. It seemed dangerous in the long run, but the duskwalkers and dantenites had been monumental in the war effort. Maybe it was the time the world started to accept them more. Isolation and segregation was definitely not the way to disperse fears and foster understanding.
If Thatcher thinks this is the next step forward… then I’ll put my faith in her plans.
Next up was Project S.T.A.R, or the Superior Tech and Adaptive Resistance. An upgrade to the current hemolite weapons and gear by using new researched studies. The Starfire Pattern Domina. The SFD-23 This thing features a new loading system and magazine, ditching the rotating cylinder most domina used, or the rotating helix magazine design of the current hemolite standard BM-16 domina.
The new domina had its magazine like a box… a strange design but it was certainly easier to handle than the bulky cylinders the helical mags used. In terms of ergonomics, it was smoother and fit more. Its placement however was on top of the domina, just above the barrel. Most of the weapon were to be made of lightweight polymers and the barrel itself were to be crafted out of reinforced aluminium. In addition to that, it had a 10-inch bayonet attached to it.
There were other new things as well, such as the composition of the bullet. Looking at the conceptual cross-section designs, Mark read through its description and how it would function. A .308 cased telescoped bullet covered in a silver jacket with break-away petals surrounding the main body. Inside the jacket was a penetrator core that was to be made of depleted uranium. It had a small amount of incendiary compound and… powdered white phosphorus behind an explosive compound. The thin silver jacket would deform and trigger the explosive compound inside the body. It would blow up causing massive internal damage and release the incendiary materials into the body with the flecks of powdered white phosphorus. The penetrator core could still potentially keep going and hit a second target, or punch through heavily armored targets.
Part of the new Project S.T.A.R was overhauling the armor and gear of not just the Hemolites but the Hunters as well. Starfire Mk 1. Carapace Armor. Carapace? It looked like plates of steel covered in a rubberized coat. It was supposed to be slipped on over the original hemolite body armor. It added a spring-loaded wrist blade to the gauntlet, a thicker coat made of resistant materials, and added extra padding for the knees, shoulders, and elbows.
However, the hemolites weren’t the only ones mentioned in the folder. It was to serve the Hunters as well. “Hunters…” Mark said. “August’s group is part of this initiative too.” He flipped through some of the pages. There were blueprints and drawings of an armored suit. A mechanized suit even smaller and more compact than the jotunn units. The Mark 1 STR battlesuit. It was supposed to hug the wearer’s frame and increase their overall power. It was supposed to be built of titanium alloy and a heavy steel frame with composite armor. It had a cooling system, life support systems that could recycle bodily fluids, and an exoskeleton frame that could increase the wearer’s strength and speed.
However, the real eye-opener was Thatcher’s notes. She had been ranting about the new human evolution, and how the Hunters were the first of the ‘Solari’. She wanted to enhance human genetics and push past the peak of human ability to reach greater heights. Implants and restructuring of the anatomy to make it more efficient. Using the blood of the goddess herself. She must have lost it. These are the ramblings of a lunatic. At least… if she didn’t mention the goddess. Why was the goddess important here?
The writings ended with the words: “See Project R.E.V.I.V.E, for more details.”
Mark eyed the final folder. His hands shook as he reached out to take it. Flipping it open, his hands nearly dropped it in shock. The goddess Helena was alive. There were pictures of her naked form floating in a giant tube of fluid. There were more of Thatcher’s ramblings and excited rants about the possibilities of such a discovery. Resurrection, Enhancement, and Veneration: Implementation of Visionary Evolution.
The goddess is alive?! According to the file, she’s currently under the Cathedral of New Lundun. Not only that, but the file also detailed the extraterrestrial tech that lay beneath the cathedral. So the goddess is real and she’s— not really a goddess, but rather, a vampyr who created herself a human body to stand in the sun, and decided that it wants to be on humanity’s side… what the fuck.
Mark’s frown and confusion only increased as he read on. Thatcher’s notes seemed to nearly descend into madness as she had written about creating ‘the first hundred’, alluding to the 100 members of the Hunters division. Her plan was to revive the goddess, and with her help and expertise in genetics— use her DNA to transform the Hunters into demi-humans. Super soldiers. Literal children of the goddess Helena. They would then don the STR battlesuits, the first of the superhuman warriors to defend humanity. Solari.
Their lightning-speed advancement into technology was heralded by studying the alien tech, which deepened the understanding of physics and engineering. Nuclear technologies, chemical warfare, new material sciences, the mechs, and walkers, it was spearheaded by trying to reverse-engineer technology centuries ahead of our own… for the past hundred years. It wasn’t completely stolen, however. More or less borrowed ideas that had been made into our own with our own designs and implements. Still, the speed at which the Church and the military had deciphered such advancements all by themselves was… impressive to say the least.
Still, the fact that the goddess was alive, and could be brought back was big news. Checking the file for details, he found that the previous general, Jorgenson, had already approved this project. It was their next step as soon as they returned from New Amsterdam; which never happened.
If Helena was alive, then she could end this war swiftly, or at the very least help greatly like she once did during the War of Darkness. Having the goddess back would throw a massive wrench in the Crescent’s plans. It would certainly be something they wouldn’t expect. Not even I expected this, since many sources say that the goddess had already ascended to watch over humanity, while conspiracy theorists claim she had died in battle and that the Church was worshiping a corpse. This could be the trick up our sleeves that no one would even consider.
The colonel quickly got up from his seat and gathered the main files he had read. He placed them in a bag and rushed outside of his office in Facility 9. He went over to a nearby room and flicked the lights on. “We need to go,” he said. In an instant seven hemolite soldiers got up from whatever they were doing and instantly stood in line.
“Sir! Whatever you need of us, sir,” the group said in unison.
They were Hemo-1. His former squad members. He had taken up Louis' suggestion that they be his personal security detail. It was a shame that he had basically placed the best hemolite team out of commission, but after all he had been through he convinced himself that he could be just a little selfish. He didn’t want to lose any more friends. Not on his watch. Not while he was in an office, and they were out fighting.
“We’re going to New Lundun. Better pack up, it’s going to be a long night.”
“Mark,” Olivia said.
Jacobs turned to her direction and gave her a nod.
“Colonel, sir, may I ask where in New Lundun?”
“Liv, you don’t need to do that with me. Please. I give all of you special permission,” the colonel groaned. “It’s so weird. I mean, ‘captain’ was bad enough, but now you’re acting like I’m an authority figure.”
“You… are, though,” Emma shrugged.
“I’m your friend, and Liv I’m literally your partner. Unless you have some kind of weird fetish, save it for later.”
Olivia grinned, shaking her head. “Duly noted!” she chirped.
“That’s better,” Mark chuckled. “Now come on, we have a cathedral to visit.”
“Uhh, I’m not sure if you noticed, but we’re kinda… strigoi?!” Louis groaned. “I’d burn the moment I step in that place! Plus, it’s coated in silver! Anything I even touch will give me burns!”
“Oh come on, Lou. You have fucking gloves on. As long as you’re not a clumsy dumbass you’ll be fine… oh wait.’
“Uh huh, just sayin’ what I think, boss.”
The group headed out and Mark said something on his radio. He then sat on the ground, making his joints pop. The rest of the squad shrugged and followed his example, sitting down on the grass and waiting for… nothing. Charles and Zach looked at each other in confusion. “Uh, sir?” they asked. “Aren’t we supposed to be heading out and traveling right now?”
“Oh yeah, we’re just waiting.”
“Foooor…?”
The colonel gave them a smirk as a loud noise began to make itself known. A hummingbird transport appeared out of the distance and stopped right above them, slowly descending into the grass. “Being colonel has its perks,” Mark said with a smile. He stood up and hopped inside the hummingbird as soon as it landed. “Come on now! We’ve got work to do! Last one aboard buys everyone food later!”
Emma zipped in before Mark could even finish his sentence, followed by Olivia, Phineas, Charles, Zach, and then Louis, who sadly took too long to process what the colonel said, and lagged behind.
“Aw, man! Fuck this shit.”
“Rules are rules, Lou. Prepare your wallet later.” Mark grinned.
With a smile, the colonel pulled Olivia to his side, who blushed for a moment before shaking her head. “Take us up! New Lundun Cathedral! How long would it take?” he asked the pilot.
“About an hour and a half!” The pilot replied. “Less if you want to get there as soon as possible!”
“Take your time! The night’s still young.”
The hummingbird started to lift up, taking them into the air. The group settled down in their seats and watched outside the open. Mark opened up a bag inside the hummingbird and took out some ear muffs built for a strigoi. Extremely loud noises were damaging for a strigoi’s enhanced hearing, so the military started implementing ear muffs for them after complaints from early deployments of the hemolite squads.
The trip didn’t take too long. In only an hour and twenty minutes they had arrived at the safe zone of New Lundun, heading straight for the cathedral. The night mass had just ended and people were leaving the cathedral. “Looks like we made it in perfect time!” Mark smiled. They hovered for a few minutes in the air before eventually landing down right in front of the statue of Helena.
As soon as they landed, the colonel and his group left the hummingbird. Mark instructed the pilot to wait for them. He went straight for the cathedral with his group following behind. He entered inside, clearing his throat. “Hello?”
“Well this is surely unexpected,” an old man said, walking up to greet them.
“Great Grandfather Aurelius. It’s uh, an honor.”
“Please. The honor is mine… I see you’re the new colonel. Yes, I’ve heard the news,” he said. “Would you mind telling me your name, young man? As well as your companions, if they feel so. I usually don’t allow duskwalkers here but, I have nothing against them. I’ll make an exception for your group.”
“Thank you, Great Grandfather,” Mark replied. “I am Colonel Mark Jacobs. These are my friends and security detail. Olivia, Zach, Phineas, Charles, Emma, and Louis.”
“I see, and what brings you here?”
“Since Thatcher’s demise, I was given access to her research and project folders upon taking up the title. I’ve learned about what’s under your cathedral,” Mark cleared his throat. “Would it be alright if we could see it? I’d like to check it for myself. Of course, under your permission and guidance, Great Grandfather.”
The church head looked from Mark to his companions. He pulled a slight frown and hummed. “Do these companions of yours have the clearance? Surely, we wish to keep our secrets hidden,” he said. Mark nodded.
“They do not have clearance to know what is in Thatcher’s folders and her findings,” the colonel nodded. “However, I give them permission to accompany me, and should they discover things for themselves, then you have my word and my trust that I can keep them from spilling state secrets.”
The Great Grandfather gave a short pause before ultimately relenting. “Very well,” he let out a sigh. “Follow me.”
Aurelius walked behind the altar and pulled the same lever, which opened the same staircase leading underground, where Jorgenson and Thatcher had once gone. “Over here, colonel,” he said. “I do not know you completely yet, but this is a big deal of trust I am giving you. Perhaps you would be the one to do things that Thatcher could not have.”
Mark nodded, he and his group followed the Great Grandfather down the staircase. It led down to a massive underground facility, with numerous priests, researchers, and scientists. Libraries, records, instruments, and artifacts of old. It was a treasure trove of learning.
“So,” Aurelius cleared his throat. “What would you like to know about?”
“This isn’t all of it,” Mark said. “Thatcher mentioned a living, breathing, Helena.”
His group behind him let out a soft gasp, but they tried their best to hide their surprise.
“Hm,” the Great Grandfather nodded. “Perceptive young man aren’t you? Very well.”
They were then led into another room, behind a set of heavy blast doors. If the whole group were trying to hide their surprise then, now they could barely contain it. Even the colonel stared awestruck at the things he had seen. Despite the near-magical objects around them, the true shock was the massive starship at the end of the hallway. “It’s impressive isn’t it?” Aurelius said. “All of the goddess’ artifacts and items at our disposal, to use and learn from, to integrate into our own. This is why Anglestan is the most powerful nation in the UHT in terms of development. When it comes to industry, however, that would go to the UNA. But we share our secrets with them. All our advancements are handed to them first before any other nation.”
“This is all amazing, Great Grandfather,” Mark replied. “But this is not what I’m here for.”
“No, it’s not.” Aurelius nodded.
He led them to another room, one that was sterilized and sported advanced machinery. Things that Mark had never even seen. There were screens with luminous green texts that appeared in front of it. Large panels with numerous keys, levers, and dials. Graphs of all sorts and beeping monitors. In the center, was the very thing he had come all this way to confirm. A large cylinder filled with liquid, sporting tubes and pipes connecting to its base. Inside was a woman of large proportion. Four arms, two legs, and six wings. In her bare chest was a symbol of the sun that seemed to glow dimly.
“There she is, there’s you goddess.”
Neither Mark nor his group spoke a word. He walked up to it, eyeing the woman inside. It really is her. Down to the last details. Golden hair, six limbs, six folded wings, and she looks massive. Probably as big as her statue just outside the cathedral. This is it. The very goddess in the history books, the one spoken about in legends and the one worshiped in the Churches of Sol.
“Can we free her?” he said.
The Great Grandfather nearly choked on his spit upon hearing those words. “Free her?! That could kill her! We don’t even understand this technology, let alone control it!” he said pointing at the panels. “The machines you see here are the best and most advanced we have based on what we can reverse engineer, but even then, the consequences of tampering with its functions may be disastrous!”
“I understand, Great Grandfather,” Mark said. “But we are in a dire situation, and the goddess may be our hope of turning this around. Whatever secrets of her tech that you don’t understand, wouldn’t she be able to teach us directly? What good is she floating around in Sol knows what?”
“That is her miraculous healing fluid. She had already built this contraption centuries ago in case anything were to happen to her, that her body’s natural healing could not sustain,” Aurelius said. “During the War of Darkness, Helena was struck with a weapon so deadly, her very cells began to tear away. The Reaper. Dealt to her by Absolem the progenitor. Her flesh was peeling from her body, and she began to decay whilst she still breathed. She entered this contraption and gave strict instructions to the Great Grandfather at the time, not to interrupt the healing process. The machine that monitored her, however, began to fail over time.”
“So this… these screens and panels…”
“Is only what functions we can understand. We took it upon ourselves to rebuild and study it the best we could. What we have right now is only a cheap imitation of a technology we do not fully comprehend,” he said. “It took us decades to even figure out the fundamentals and create a working prototype of this machine. By some miracle, the goddess’ healing process had remained even while we replaced components of technology ahead of ours.”
“But you know how to free her, don’t you?”
“I… yes.”
“Great Grandfather Aurelius,” Mark began. “We can end this war. Imagine what we could do with the goddess fighting on our side. We could advance even further, we could finally end the bloodshed, and we can show humanity that there is still hope. Imagine how people all over the world would feel seeing as their goddess has returned.”
“I wish I had your enthusiasm,” Aurelius said. “But it is simply too risky. The Church’s duty is to protect Helena and her legacy. We keep her alive, literally and figuratively. She nearly died the last time she was involved in a war. Would you risk losing the goddess?”
“Would you risk humanity losing?”
The Great Grandfather fell silent, looking back at Helena floating inside the tube, then to the panels that controlled it. He frowned and let out a long sigh. “The goddess said that we should not interrupt it. That it would end as soon as it was finished. Maybe we should trust her words.”
Mark shook his head. “I don’t spot a single blemish on the goddess. Not a single scratch,” he argued. “You said it yourself that the machine had begun to fail and you replaced components. How would you know that the thing that’s supposed to wake her up was not tampered with? Think about it. What you may think is a useless piece may be integral to the whole machine. Or maybe your replacements were not up to the task. Just because nothing’s happened doesn’t mean its functions have remained whole.”
“Young man, we simply cannot gamble with the goddess’ life here.”
“Have you no faith? Great Grandfather?”
Aurelius stepped back in shock. Mark’s companions looked at each other, clearly surprised as well. “Mark… I don’t think we should keep arguing with—” Olivia tried to say.
“No,” the colonel said firmly, cutting her off. “Great Grandfather Aurelius, do you think that Helena will not be able to pull through if we wake her? How long has it been? A century? How much longer will we wait? She may be immortal but humans aren’t.”
“I'm sorry, but the chances of failure are too high. The probability of her—”
“I don’t care about the probability! Would you rather put your faith in a statistic?!” Mark raised his voice. “I lost my mother to this war! My friends! My job! My eye, and almost my life! I’ve put mine on the line out there! You don’t know what it’s like out there! Was my mother’s death just a probability too? Was she just a statistic to you?! That as long as the numbers are good, no matter how many are lost, we are ‘winning’?!”
“Mark—!”
“No, Liv! He needs to know what’s really going on out there!” he spat. “Great Grandfather, with all due respect, but you don’t have a damn clue what it’s like to be in the field. You’re a man of faith, aren’t you? Take a risk. Everyone else has.”
Aurelius stood there, dumbfounded. He bit the inside of his cheeks and clenched his fists. “For your insolence, I would have had you flogged and stripped of your rank,” he glared at the young colonel. However, his features slowly softened, letting out a soft sigh. “But I have never seen such conviction. Mighty is your faith.”
The Great Grandfather moved over to the panels and reached into his robe, pulling out from around his neck a key with the symbol of the sun. He inserted it into the machine and turned. A beep sounded, right before Aurelius pulled a lever. In an instant, the fluid inside the glass chamber began to drain out into the tubes under it. Slowly, the chamber emptied and all that was left was the nude form of the goddess sitting in the glass.
“Did it work?” Louis asked, stepping forward and looking at the woman.
Aurelius stayed silent, his hands shaking in anticipation. Mark moved toward the glass chamber, when suddenly, the glass opened up like a door, releasing a fragrant mist. They stood there, watching for a whole minute. Nothing. At first nothing. The Great Grandfather looked like he was about to break down. His knees shook as he covered his mouth, thinking that he was responsible for the death of Helena.
That was when… a soft sound was heard. Movement. Olivia immediately went over to Mark and stood in front of him. Ready to protect him should anything happen. Slowly, the goddess moved more, her arms inched to the side.
Then, her eyes opened.

SPOILERS AND YAP AHEAD So I just gone done with the new 2.2 quest and wow can I say, that shit was like MAD peak. Had a bit of everything. Action, humour, SO MUCH HYPE, twists, interesting dialogue and oh man, the ending when Sunday caught Robin was so fucking emotional because SUNDAY was symbolised as the "bird crashing to its death" at that moment, which was his whole goal to prevent that in the first place anyway. Props to shaoji, really smart writing with the symbolism of having the bird story drilled into us. Sunday's probs turned into my favourite character of this patch, he had such good intentions too but the stuff thats happened in his past made him desperate, best villain so far outta phantylia and cocolia by far. hope to see more of him later
everyone else was so good too. Acheron's story and name reveal and her slashing the dream was really hype obviously as a raiden expy and the fact that she tries to guide people heading towards nihility as a "watcher" away as she still believes that life is not entirely pointless despite having seen her own homeland crumble before her eyes after realising all her efforts were futile IS REALLY good writing, props. Her personality and goals literally contradict what nihility is supposed to represent which is just so cool.
Black swan is a fucking genius also, really loved her too, it was so smart to see her solving the whole fake dream thing by DOING what shes best at. couldnt rlly ask much less of a memokeeper. Boothill was fucking cool and im glad he was the main endign of this story's patch by setting up more of his character next patch. also the galaxy ranger notion of "we're loners but if u fuck w one of us U fuck w ALL of us" is hilarious and badass.
The theme of the whole message of penacony coming back around to its main notion, DREAMS at the end was just peak writing. We could all learn a lot from this, we need to face reality, move forward in life or else we will never achieve true happiness (Basically trailblaze our own path and dont let others control what u do, move forward by urself)
Could go more on about this story but what im writing rn looks like a big eyesore of yap so i'll leave it at that. what did y'all think of the story?? (ofc no story was perfect and my biggest gripe was why they put a minigame/talent show arc in the middle of the story but das kinda a nitpick complaint lol)
Also, as a side note, I found that playing a few hours of the game everyday and taking a break before resuming is SO handy. There's a lot of dialogue, which i mostly found to be relevant/interesting and its gonna be confusing and obviously make u tired/not be able to keep up if u play this all in one sitting

Hello everybody!
This is the Daily Megathread for general and simple questions as well as asking for advice on which Pokemon to use the fusion splicers on.
The goal of these Megathreads is to hopefully reduce the number of repeat posts and de-clog up the SubReddit.
If your post was deleted and you were redirected here please check the comments to make sure your question wasn't already asked and answered today.
If you're looking for a really well-written, in-depth beginners guide we have one pinned but you can also find it through this link: https://www.reddit.com/pokerogue/s/6ck9cZj0NG
I'll also include some common questions and answers so please check these below before repeating the same question.
(Most of these are from the official Wiki which can be found here as well as more info like which Pokemon are in which biomes, shiny odds, and the stat spread of each Dynamax form) : https://wiki.pokerogue.net/start
*
Commonly asked questions:
Q: What does the pink box around some starters mean?
A: The Pokemon has PKRS which increases the amount of Exp gained, the Pokemon will eventually spread it to your other Pokemon. Every day 3 random Pokemon are selected to have PKRS for that day
*
Q: What does the little blue and purple symbol by my starter mean?
A: You have the Pokemon's Hidden Ability unlocked. When you catch a Pokemon you will know it has the Hidden Ability because the text will be Yellow. You will have to switch the abilities to use the Hidden Ability
*
Q: What do (P) or (N) next to a move or ability mean?
A: (P) means Partially Implemented (usually for moves this means it does the attack but not the secondary effect) and (N) means Not Implemented. (Eventually everything will be implemented)
*
Q: Can you ever catch any Pokemon in the last biome of Classic?
A: Once you have hatched the Pokemon from an egg you can catch duplicates of it ONLY IN CLASSIC MODE in the final biome
*
Q: How do I evolve this Pokemon?
A: Any evolution that has been changed from the main games can be found here: https://wiki.pokerogue.net/gameplay:evolutions
*
Q: How does fusion work?
A: In short, the 1st Pokemon you fuse will dictate the Passive ability (if you have it unlocked), the 1st type of the fusion, the Level, IVs, and Nature. The 2nd Pokemon will dictate the Ability of the Pokemon and the second typing (which will be the Pokemons second type if it is a dual-type). Luck is combined, learnset (including TM compatibility) are also combined. Note: if you unfuse them the second Pokemon will be lost Second Note: both sides can evolve normally but only the 1st half can Mega/Dynamax evolve or use items that change their form More fusion info can be found here, including an example: https://wiki.pokerogue.net/gameplay:mechanics:fusion
*
Q: What is a "Manaphy egg"?
A: An egg of the same rarity as an "Epic" egg that has a 7/8 chance of hatching a Phione and a 1/8 chance of hatching a Manaphy
*
Q: What does the (+1), (+2), (+3), etc. mean under my starters moves?
A: You have more moves available to choose from than just what is listed, since a Pokemon can only have 4 at a time obviously you will have to change them if you want different ones
*
Q: What are some good starters for Classic mode?
A: We actually have a Daily Voting/Tiering Project going on, you can sort the SubReddit by "Daily Tiering/Voting Posts" to see the most recent one which will have the updated tier list. If you want to know why a Pokemon was Voted a certain way or what makes it so good or how people use it successfully feel free to ask that specifically in this thread in the comments :)
*
A few tips if you're asking for Fusion Suggestions:
Obviously post a picture of your team, but also include in the comment their Nature's, Abilities, current Moveset and whether you have the Passive Ability unlocked on them.
If your question wasn't on the list above or for suggestions on which Pokemon to Fuse from your current team feel free to ask in the comments of this thread :). Individual posts of these types will be removed to reduce the number of repeat posts in the Sub.
As always, Happy Roguing!

This place is a message... and part of a system of messages... pay attention to it!
Sending this message was important to us. We considered ourselves to be a powerful culture.
This place is not a place of honor... no highly esteemed deed is commemorated here... nothing valued is here.
What is here was dangerous and repulsive to us. This message is a warning about danger.
The danger is in a particular location... it increases towards a center... the center of danger is here... of a particular size and shape, and below us.
The danger is still present, in your time, as it was in ours.
The danger is to the body, and it can kill.
The form of the danger is an emanation of energy.
The danger is unleashed only if you substantially disturb this place physically. This place is best shunned and left uninhabited.

[Original source] [Wikipedia]
The above is from a 1993 study on how to warn people in the distant future about the dangers posed by a nuclear waste repository. This message needs to be communicated to people who stumble upon the site, and it needs to be done so non-verbally. As nuclear waste stays dangerous for tens of thousands of years, there will eventually be people who come upon the site who will not share a language with us. They will not share symbols with us. They will not share a culture with us. Yet they will be humans, and we are obligated to protect them.
I came upon this specific ... it's not quite a poem, but that's what Chelsea Weber-Smith of the podcast American Hysteria called it in her most recent episode, which I had the joy to listen to earlier this week. It's about the borderline-bonkers field of study (and one of my occasional obsessions) called nuclear semiotics, which analyzes this problem.
Coincidentally, I started my second playthrough of Tears of the Kingdom the day after listening to this story. As I descended the staircase, through the gloom, past the murals and to G-Do himself, I couldn't help but think... the ancient Hylians/Zonai had a similar problem to our civilization. There is a danger underground that must be contained, and people must be warned. It's interesting how some of the strategies they employ to convey this message are mirrored in the thoughts of nuclear semioticians, and how in other ways went against the most basic ideas of this field. In the end, did they fail? (Yes, the answer is yes) Will we fail to protect our own future people? (yes, but for different reasons)
Worth saying, they had it easy compared to us:

1. We know nothing of the people of 10,000 years from now. They literally had a princess from this future culture at their disposal.
2. All human languages currently in existence will be unintelligible to the people of 12024, more so than how Proto-Indo-European (spoken only ~6k years ago) is unintelligible to us today. Ancient Hylian, on the other hand, is basically Middle English.

They tried many strategies that nuclear semioticians have considered, some implemented better than others, with varying levels of success:

1. An "atomic priesthood", namely the Sheikah and the Royal Family. This is a group of people who are dedicated to the mission of preserving information about the threat across millennia, in the same way religious movements dating to the Iron Age and Classical Antiquity have managed to preserve the teachings of their founders into the present. We know Sheikah tech is seen in the imprisoning chamber, and the royal family pass down the story of the Imprisoning War. Unfortunately, this "priesthood" over the millennia proved small and unstable. Depending on how you place TotK in the timeline, the Sheikah and the royal line were nearly wiped out several times, reduced at one point to kindergarten teacher and a pre-teen pirate captain. Even if the movement survived, the message of "do not go below the castle" was eventually forgotten.
2. Physical monuments. There are three general threads of thought. One is to create some kind of frightening, ominous landscape that communicates "this is a bad place," like a forest of jagged concrete spikes. Another thread, as Weber-Smith put it, thinks that's some very American absurdity, and the best thing is to just hide it somewhere unimportant. Dig a hole in the Arctic, drop it in. Another (more interesting) idea is to make it the center of attention. Build a nuclear-themed amusement park, a nuclear temple, something people will tell stories of and preserve. No one wants to drill for oil on the Acropolis. The Hylians went and built a magnificent castle and their capitol city. It's not clear this helped since the original message was eventually lost.
3. Written and artistic representations of the message. Nuclear semioticians seem to think this is a challenge. Many proposals that do include written messages would start with it being in multiple languages, with broad, general terms are the periphery of the site (Bad! Malo!), getting more specific as you approach the center (plutonium 1.4km down). There's art, like this, which might not work, as we can't guarantee symbols like ☢️ or skulls will mean the same thing to future people. The Hylians/Zonai just... well they didn't think about any of this.
   1. They appear to have communicated the specifics primarily in writing, and in a single written language: Zonai, a system so obtuse that not even the Internet can crack it. Correct me if I am wrong, but we see no Gerudo hieroglyphs, no Sheikah characters, no other text in the game in any other language warning about what is under the castle. Almost none of this text is near the castle. Much of it is in the goddamn sky. There is text immediately adjacent to the Imprisoning Chamber, on and around statues of Zonai. Zelda just takes pictures and keeps walking.
      1. (I am trying to find a source, and I cannot, but I remember tales of a warning in the castle itself, a very nondescript stela that's like "don't go under the castle." I don't remember what language it is in, but in any case it's not exactly in a prominent place)
   2. The statues closest to the source of the danger are Zonai, a race completely forgotten. They are not in a position warning people off. They just stand there, arms at their sides, conveying nothing.
   3. Of course, a discussion of art would be incomplete without talking about the murals... they're a bit too close to the problem. G-Do is literally in the next room. If he was nuclear waste, you're already losing all your hair. The murals are only understandable by people with specific knowledge of the Royal Family's lore. They do not depict useful information (eg. he's literally in the next room), only a legend. And the structure of the space it was in was so poorly constructed that literally the most important bits were obscured by rubble.
4. Finally, there is the physical barrier between the environment and the threat. You bury it in concrete, deep underground, somewhere without a lot of rainfall and earthquakes. The last thing that needs to happen is a bit of groundwater to start carrying plutonium into a well. You don't just leave this stuff in a ditch (unless you do). And yet... there is apparently a staircase directly to G-Do. He keeps spitting out calamities. People are getting sick from the emanation of energy/gloom...

I am not sure I have a point exactly. The lore nerds will rightfully point out that containment failed at exactly the moment it was meant to: ie. when Zelda came upon it and closed the time loop. True fact. I'm just stirring these tropes together. The ancient Hylians/Zonai tried to communicate a danger and how to deal with it to people in their distant future, ultimately showing us a bunch of ways that this did not work.
Us in the real world will have nuclear semioticians have better ideas. Most of this stuff is sitting the parking lots of nuclear power plants as we argue about where to put it. Hopefully we put it underground with good signage before we have our own calamity.

Introduction: The Mysterious Double Album
I’ll always remember 2 AM on April 19th 2024. I was in my pjs, alone, on my balcony, fresh off my first listen to Taylor Swift’s album The Tortured Poet’s Department. After sufficiently enjoying my solitary experience, I took to the internet to see what the masses were saying…when Swift dropped a whole second album: The Tortured Poets Department Anthology. Swift, a master of both Easter egging surprises for her fandom and practicing the number one rule of business (give the people what they want!), had been hinting at something “double” for months. Most significantly, while accepting her Grammy for Best Pop Vocal Album, she flashed a “peace sign.” That damn peace sign haunted the fandom for months. Swift’s corporate social media account, u/TaylorNation, used peace sign emojis and called attention to the number two whenever possible (ie teasing the album 22 days out etc.). There were also many “2”s present in in the promotional “experiences” leading up to the album release date—including statues of peace signs at the TTPD interactive experience at The Grove in LA. As usual, some Swifties went bonkers with their theories (or “clowning” as outlandish theorizing is referred to in the community). I myself couldn’t help but believe some concept of doubling would be significant in TTPD, but I couldn’t have guessed a full DOUBLE album (Swift’s capitalization). What an absolute treat. Mother was, as they say, mothering.
…Only the two mania didn’t seem to end post-drop. If anything, the two mania heightened. The albums were not just surprises in themselves, they were full of mystery. They seemed to reference multiple relationships, cryptic narratives, allusions to Swift’s previous songs, allusions to iconic poets, and very often, twins. The sleuthing type of Swiftie (full disclosure, moi) dove in deep. We gathered where we do—on Twitter, on TikTok, on Reddit (my preferred sandlot). And as we obsessed over every lyric, literary allusion, and video clip, Swift, our self-appointed “chairman” seemed to encourage us. Swift added a TTPD set to her Eras tour in Paris. Afterward, she posted a collection of photos to Instagram. The second photo of the post is Swift onstage, in a sparkling showman’s outfit, flashing two fingers.
Initial Tortured Poets and Sylvia Plath Connections
Swift has always been an incredible poet, but that’s not necessarily how the world saw hesees her. Swift is a pop star, specifically, Swift was a young girly pop star, most known for her tabloid romances and dramas, which she would (allegedly) write about in her music. Swift’s work has been labeled as “confessional” since her first album, which included songs she openly said were about boys at her high school. I offer this context (or, lore) to explain why I began seeing connections to TTPD in Sylvia Plath’s “confessional” work.
Of course, the theme of TTPD is tortured poets, so many avid literary Swifties have enjoyed seeking connections between Swift’s new songs and iconic poetry. No connections are overt, but some seem to be more likely than others. Namely, there’s been much discussion of Virginia Woolf thanks to the song “Who’s Afraid of Little Old Me?”(perhaps a riff on the Edward Albee play title). Other Swifties have found possible lyrical links to Mary Shelley and Charlotte Bronte. Swift herself references Patti Smith and Dylan Thomas in the album’s title track.
I remembered a third poet in relation to Smith and Thomas: Sylvia Plath, obviously an all timer of a tortured poet. I remember hearing an anecdote that she had been obsessed with Thomas and stalked him outside the Chelsea Hotel (also named in the TTPD title track). I did a quick skim of Plath’s Wikipedia to confirm and then started noticing many possible connections to TTPD and Plath’s life.
In the “Fortnight” music video, Swift acts out being institutionalized for insanity and getting electric shock treatment—two significant experiences in Plath’s life. Plath was also coupled with a deeply problematic man, Ted Hughes. Plath fell in love with Hughes for his artistic talent before he revealed himself to be an unsupportive parter, ultimately cheating on Plath with a younger woman. The narrative is not too dissimilar to the narrative about Swift’s alleged ex Matty Healy, as seemingly told in TTPD. (Of course, we don’t know the true subjects of Swift’s songs—if they’re even actually confessional—but some key hints point to Healy. Whether those hints provide actual context to Swift’s life or to the story Swift is telling of her life, one cannot know.) Finally, several of TTPD songs reference a latent desire for suicide (“I might as well die / it would make no difference” etc.). Okay, post-“finally,” these are stretches, but, I’ll note anyway: one of Plath’s most famous collections of poems is titled Ariel, but an alternate title was Daddy. There are connections to both words in TTPD via the song “But Daddy I Love Him.” The title is a line from the Disney movie The Little Mermaid (which features the main character Ariel, a mermaid, caught between two worlds). Extra clowning: some people (hi, I'm people) believe Swift’s 1989 costume for her first Paris concert was an allusion to Ariel: a pink crop top and a seafoam skirt.
As I dug into Plath's life, I couldn’t help but also see similarities to Swift's life. Both women were prolific writers from a very young age. Also, although possibly obscured through artistic license, both women were/are known to write about their own lives. (Plath was apparently encouraged by her professors Robert Lowell and Anne Sexton to write from her experience. I cannot help but tie in Swift’s “The Manuscript” lyric “the Professor said to write what you know.”) Both Plath and Swift expressed/express their depression via their writing, but if you only knew them from their public personas, you’d never guess the depths of their struggles. It seems both Plath and Swift lived/live double lives. Plath was actually fascinated by the concept of doubles. In fact, the concept of doubling was the topic of Plath’s college thesis paper “The Magic Mirror.”
The Magic Mirror and TTPD
Plath’s college paper is sadly not available to the general public. (It had a limited print run in, you guessed it, 1989.) But! I was able to read a few texts about the thesis, and the amount of possible TTPD references is astounding.
Since we can’t directly analyze Swift’s work via Plath’s directly, I’d like to share several key quotes from the most telling article I could find about the “The Magic Mirror”: “Sylvia Plath’s Magic Mirror” by Kelly Coyne (May 2018, The Los Angeles Review of Books). (To be noted, Coyne has also written about Swift, in her article “Growing Up In Taylor Swift’s America” in December 2023 on Literary Hub—a fabulous read!)
Early in her article, Coyne sets the scene for Plath's thesis:
“Her undergraduate thesis, which she wrote as a senior at Smith College...is titled “The Magic Mirror: A Study of the Double in Two of Dostoevsky’s Novels.” “The Magic Mirror” explores literary doubles made up of a character’s repressed traits, and, as the double grows in power, it heralds the protagonist’s death. Citing Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as well as Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, Plath argued that the choice to create a double works to “reveal hitherto concealed character traits in a radical manner” and simultaneously exposes the driving conflicts of the novel housing that character. Her thesis claims that both Ivan, of The Brothers Karamazov, and Golyadkin, of The Double, have attempted to repress troubling aspects of their personalities, resulting in the double.”
Immediately, I imagine the two versions of Swift from the “Anti-Hero” music video. One Swift is real, true, sensible. The other is a pot-stirring, self-esteem destroying, alcoholic. During Eras, the huge Swift (monster on a hill) screams and stomps around in the background while the real, true Swift smiles and dances in a sparkle dress onstage. The fandom seems to be referring to these two Swifts as Taylor Swift and TAYLOR SWIFT (TM). Folks have theorized Post-Malone in the Fortnight music video is not necessarily a lover, but a twin, or double, of Swift. This theory is enhances by the Eras visuals during that song, specifically two dancers walking away to the back of the stage, but then becoming one.
More Coyne: “Plath, quoting Dostoyevsky in her thesis, noted that Ivan’s double, Smerdyakov, is “wrinkled” and “yellow.” The distinct differences in appearance between originator and double, she continued, are meant to reflect the protagonist’s mental state and cultural status.”
First of all, yellow. In the Gaylor community, folks have often theorized yellow symbolizes being closeted—a reading based on the symbolic coloring in the 1999 film …But I’m a Cheerleader. However, one need not be a Gaylor to consider the importance of yellow to Swift’s storytelling. Most recently, Swift performed “my tears ricochet” at Eras in a bright yellow dress, as her dancers were dressed for a funeral. Following Coyne’s analysis of Plath's analysis of Dostoyevsky, one could guess Swift is teasing a death of some version of herself.
Coyne discusses how Plath clearly used a “double” of herself to write The Bell Jar. Plath herself spent a summer in New York interning for Mademoiselle. The protagonist in TBJ, Esther, spends a summer in New York interning at a magazine too. To go even further down the rabbit hole, Esther also doubles herself, frequently expressing normalcy on the outside and despair on the inside. On the book's first page, Esther tells her audience, “I was supposed to be having the time of my life.” (Again, I cannot help but hear a Swift echo of, “I can read your mind / she’s having the time of her life” from “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” about smiling through her depression.) Coyne makes many more references to mirrors and concealing in The Bell Jar, Ether’s split (and sadness) gets worse and worse the more she hides who she is from others. Notably, at a low point, Esther hides under her mother’s bed. (And Swift sings of a post-heartbreak depression, “Afterwards she only ate kids' cereal / And couldn't sleep unless it was in her mother's bed.”)
Coyne writes about the “imprisoned” aspect of doubles: “The wound from which Esther tries, and fails, to hide chimes with the inescapable, colonizing double, and Plath’s language again illustrates its penal nature: it is inside Esther, but it traps her like a jail cell.” (Again, I cannot help but see references to “Fresh Out the Slammer”, “The Smaller Man Who Ever Lived,” and the TTPD Eras visuals of cages and cell lighting.)
Coyne, on Plath’s doubles’ names, something Swift has not ever used (or so we think): “From her conception of The Bell Jar all the way to its final revisions, Plath suffered an exhausting amount of anxiety over its heroine’s name.” Plath wrote to a friend, “‘I’ll have to publish it under a pseudonym, if I ever get it accepted, because it’s so chock full of real people I’d be sued to death’...Indeed, this wasn’t mere paranoia; she did have to change her protagonist’s name at the instruction of her editor for legal reasons.”
Coyne continues, “Most novelists likely have concerns about being associated with the characters to whom they give life, especially the ugly ones, and especially when the character resembles its author. Yet what is unique about Plath’s case is her knowledge of the theoretical underpinnings and implications of her choice to push Esther away, and the hold this knowledge assumed on Plath’s work and life. Another look at The Bell Jar with a consideration of Esther as Plath’s double tangles the issue even further, and Plath drops clues for this kind of reading throughout the novel. Esther, for example, sits down to write her own novel and recounts, “My heroine would be myself, only in disguise. She would be called Elaine. Elaine. I counted the letters on my fingers. There were six letters in Esther, too. It seemed a lucky thing.” Not coincidentally, Plath’s first name has six letters as well.” Again, Plath was in a bizarre double infinity loop (like the loop on the Eras stage in “Down Bad”?). Plath was concealing her double, the protagonist in her novel, who was concealing her double, the protagonist in her novel.
Coyne wraps up her findings: “In her thesis, written nearly a decade earlier, as she turned 22 — the year after her first documented suicide attempt — Plath claimed, quoting Otto Rank:
In such situations, where the Double symbolizes the evil or repressed elements in man’s nature, the apparition of the Double “becomes a persecution by it, the repressed material returns in the form of that which represses.” Man’s instinct to avoid or ignore the unpleasant aspects of his character turns into an active terror when he is faced by his Double, which resurrects those very parts of his personality which he sought to escape. The confrontation of the Double in these instances usually results in a duel which ends in insanity or death for the original hero.”
Coyne seems to argue Plath believed an artist's double has the power to become bigger than the artist herself, ultimately killing her. Is TTPD Swift's predetermination of, hopefully, her her double's death instead of her own?
In Conclusion: Plath to her Mentor, Dessner on Swift
Who knows what TTPD is really truly about, and who knows if we ever will.
The biggest Easter egg, hiding in plain sight, is that the album is titled THE TORTURED POETS DEPARTMENT. There’s no apostrophe after “poet.” Nor is there an apostrophe after the “s” in “poets.” The department does not belong to a poet or to a collection of poets. It is a department OF tortured poets, perhaps two, to be exact. …or perhaps the album indicates the departure of the tortured poet...and her double.
I’ll sign off with two final quotes from my research:
According to Coyne, three months before Plath died by suicide, she had written a mentor about her second (obviously unfinished) book. Plath wrote, “It is to be called “Doubletake”, meaning that the second look you take at something reveals a deeper, double meaning […] it is semi-autobiographical about a wife whose husband turns out to be a deserter and philanderer although she had thought he was wonderful & perfect.”
According to Aaron Dessner’s TTPD release Instagram post: ”Keep searching and you'll find some new detail, layer or sliver of meaning with each listen.”
SUBREDDIT PS! Shout out to Expensive_Succotash5 for noting the TTPD intro poem's reference to being out of the oven, could be an allusion to Plath's death. Also shout-out to Good-Amphibian-7993 for this connection to a photo of Plath with a rose, not unlike Swift's album rose art.

Call me the Memetranslator, because I speak fluent Meme and can explain every Meme. In reality all of this is nonesense though, so do not take anything here seriously. Also I am not affiliated with anyone, including DFV. Interpreting Art, even Memes, is always from the point of view of an observer and very often has little to do with the authors intention. So just to be extra clear, the title is not meant to be taken seriously. I do not know everything and we will see that within the next 10 hours! Because the last meme DFV posted I translate as a "you know what to do and goodbye", so if we see DFV posting on the 17th, we will KNOW that I am wrong, just a heads up.
Also I will write everything a bit more boringly, so nobody gets swept up in some rallying speech. You will see why!
Meme #1: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791106334517010680 We are told whats happening now is a game, maybe meaning the price developement and the downtrend at this moment on this day. We are shown the hats from the prestige that are duplicated, meaning probably the tons of extra shares that the shorts created. Then we are told that those are the inciting incident, the Catalyst. The Kansas City Shuffle, per explanation in that movie, is going left when told to go right. The Kansas City Shuffle explanation in reality is a sheme, where you trick someone, that knows he is being tricked, with basically another trick, that involves the victim working towards their own demise to not fall for what they think the trick is. So a two part Plan that needs the victim to try to protect themselves against Plan A, leading to fruition of Plan B. Thing is, in the Movie, after the guy looks into the direction that bruce willis points at, his neck is snapped. So the "Made you Look" in the end sounds quite sinister.
So here is the thing, the Kansas City shuffle basically destroys the victim through an action that they do to safeguard themselves against a perceived Plan 1 against them. what is Plan 1 and what is Plan 2 of the Kansas City Shuffle in our situation? We know they are trying to trick us and they need us to take ourselves out of the picture.
You guys are not going to like this, but this points towards Enemies from within and some rules that we use may lead towards us destroying ourselves. Probably rules that shills introduced to "safeguard", when in reality it was what destroyed us.
So which rules on our subreddit could that be? I guess we will see later, but you guys are not going to like it.
Meme #2: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791110102797172804
The Bride is surrounded by enemies and bloodied up, while a song tells us, noone can basically dance like I do. This could point towards Either DFV telling us we should only listen to him, because he is the only memelord that can do it right. But the bride is not Cat-coded. So it may point to every investor having to make decisions for himself, as nobody can do those decisions for them. Or in Short: Do not listen to the voices on the internet, do your own research and make your own decisions. And definetly do not listen to other Memers other than DFV, if the other interpretation floats your boat more. Unfortunately both versions tell you to not listen to people like me :-)
Meme #3: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791113879684325383
"Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never repeat myself!" And then we see a Cat, looking from behind a wall. DFV codes himself as a cat. This may be him speaking to us to pay attention!
Meme #4: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791117652276195516 Just Dance on the radio is important for later memes, as dancing will be coded later. Michael Scott comes back, Britney tells us she is losing her mind without "you". I think that "you" refers to Kitty and we are britney, bitch. We are back, not that something is happening and we have been losing our mind without DFV. We want him to give us a sign, ONE MORE TIME. The "g" in "sign" is a symbol from the movie "Signs" that will appear in later memes. He is telling us, that if we are waiting for a sign with our investment, he will post something from the movie "Signs".
Meme #5: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791121430836584789 Keith Gill, the cat in the trenchcoat comes back with his writings/Memes. And he awakens R.C. and his dog. And it seems like Bears/Shorts should watch out now, cause they got something brewing. Following the last meme, it seems DFV comes back because the investors need him and ask him for a sign.
​
Meme #6: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791125203147428066 "We need a language for us two, we dont need to describe" tells us, that he uses the meme-speech, because we understand it without the need to describe it. Though I have to say, apparently that is not the case as not everybody is fluent in Memeology. It could mean he is only speaking to those that talk his language, understand him and dance with him. Dancing comes up as a motif again.
"Everytime you call on me I drop what I do, you are my best friend and we have shit to shoot." could mean us and DFV. Or at least DFV and those who understand him need to do some shit. Freakish dancing behaviour is shown, which is a callback to the "where the freaks at"-meme and for the upcoming next game. It is somewhat a call to action, to get a little crazy
Meme #7: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791128976632459643 "No were never gonna survive unless we are a little crazy" So that is a definete call to action to get a little crazy, which is apparently needed in this our endevour. It may also be a call-out of a jungle-subreddit and a call to action to unleash some crazyness.... which would be something they condone.
Meme #8: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791132751976120778 This is from the movie SIGNS. If you have been waiting for a sign, this is it. (but to do what..... later....) Roaring Kitty appears like a stalker villain in this, which codes Mel Gibson as the shorts, as he is afraid of kitty.
Meme #9: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791136527801807077 Another scene from the movie "Signs". Doubling down, that this is a sign to do something right NOW. In this meme, it is talked about that you are to decide wether you believe in coincidences and that people get lucky or if you see the signs and BELIEVE! Now, as there are several "Signs"-Memes after this, this specific moment seems to be important. Looking at the trading going on during that time, its set during the lowest point on the day. THIS is one of the reasons I delayed posting this Post. Because if these Memes show us the point for us to BUY, as its the lowest price of the day, it would be hard to argue in the moment. However, as we already have AfterHours Price action, we can see, that the stock did go lower in the after hours. So my interpretation or DFV is definetly wrong or he only meant "during market hours", as most people can not trade in the after hours or he means an instrument that can only be used during market hours..... (Yes... that financial instrument. I will come back to that later)
Meme #9: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791140301895352325 So basically another scene from the movie signs. Where he says "STOP" and then two aliens seem to be talking. And he is listening in. So somebody is listening in to two entities talking. As Mel Gibson was coded as an adversary to Kitty in the first meme, I assume it continues. So it may be Shorts trying to listen to DFV talking through memes with Reddit.
Meme #10: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791144075963298165 Signs again! the Boy that was listening to two entities shows us the Sign of Gamestop. Gamestop seems to leave some massive signs... right now? So did Gamestop leave a sign for us somehow? Is this related to the buyback that was marked as such? (see Peruvian Bulls twitter on the day of DFVs return)
Meme #11: Signs again: Opinions are this is genuine. And then Kitty appears. Again, this codes the family as the shorts. The sign from gamestop and Kitty appearing seem to be no coincidence. It is a SIGN!!!! So basically this: If you do see the signs, it is your interpretation to see them as coincidences or as a genuine sign. Decide on your own! Ball is in your court..... But what he is telling us is basically that THIS IS IT YOU GUYS! ITS HAPPENING! YOU NEED TO ACT NOW!!! (this is only my translation, it is not a call to action by me, I just read it as one by DFV)
Meme #12: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791151631259574559 "What does it mean? The thing you just said?" - "Come on, I'll show you some more stuff" Basically it is redditors asking DFV what he means with the thing he just said and him not explaining and showing us more stuff. So do not expect an explanation by DFV EVER.... Which is a bit sad, but there it is. I see a pattern of him wanting people to decide on their own and doing their own due dilligence, but believing in the signs that pop up and that those are not coincidences.
Meme #13: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791155401091596494 It continues from the last meme, that instead of being a usual investor, with an investment thesis, he prefers to make memes. Which is him doubling down on him not explaining himself with his memes.
Meme #13; https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791159177785770273 DFV is sitting there, making Memes. But its just a matter of time.
Meme #14: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791162950373527857 He is doing his duty (due dilligence). If you want to party/invest with him, you have to do a certain thing. He wants to see our Hands (Diamond Hands) where he can see them, which is not reddit, but the stock market.... though normal orders do not go through..... could he mean options, as those go through to a lit market? "Straight buckwhylin in the place to be"... there is a place to be..... so there is also a place to not be. Market vs options Market maybe? And he asks again "If you REALLY want to party with me".... so you better be DAMN sure you really want to do this before you decide to party with him. And he really stresses that part.... you NEED to be fucking sure!*
Meme #15: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791166726891061749 So you wanna be a Sicario? Here is where I get the options impression from. All the memes before, the options talk was added after this and one other meme. This meme is really fucking serious compared to everything that has come before. The Symbol for a certain forbidden subreddit is shown. That subreddit is known for one thing and one thing only: Absolute degenerate Options Plays. Mainly 0DTEs, but NOT ONLY THOSE!!!!! I will not explain 0DTE as you should not do those if you need that term explained.
Welcome to the fucking Darkside..... its degenerate Options that DFV made this Gamestop thing with. This is what is expected if you want to party with him. (NOTE by OP: Remember that DFV did use options, but they were VERY far out expiring options.... like 2 years out.... -> DO NOT JUMP INTO 0DTE OPTIONS BECAUSE OF ANYONE ELSE BUT YOUR OWN DECISIONS AND DUE DILLIGENCE <- 0DTE Options en masse broke the market in 2021, but now "they" will probably know how to handle those, so really think about if that would really have any effect)
Meme #16: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791170783277949042 Cramer wanted 2 folding chairs in a DFV meme. DFV Tells him "You wont stop what is coming" and a train drives through those chairs. Then Stonecold Steve Austin enters the Ring and punches a bunch of people in a royal rumble. Meaning there is a very chaotic fight coming up with one Motherfucker going through everyone like a freight train. That may be the investors or DFV.
Meme #17: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791174276604699013 DFV/The investor is taking both hands of the wheel, he listens to the music without Fear. The Music is what is happening at this moment and whats coming up. Signals and everything. And you can do it too, if you are really honestly listening. He is a punk rocker. This will be continued next meme.
Meme #18: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791178049939182048 So apparently being a Rocker is not about chicks and drugs and things connected to "lifestyle". Its about sticking it to the MAN. Which is the construct that is our financial system. DFV/the investor is not in this for the money anymore. This is Gamestop-Investors against the crooked financial system.
Meme #19: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791181824754106742
Cars playing chicken. And winning. Investors need to play chicken with a bigger adversary.... and win. DFV tells us he needs us to be fearless.... and he needs us to win. He is not done though.... because the big guys WILL BLINK!
Meme #20: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791185600453783688 DFV Shows us his accomplishemnts and tells us that a lot of bullshit is happening right now. But under all the paperwork and numbers and stuff, you can see a story. Shorts never closed, Gamestop does the killing shot and soon... take your pick. But if you do not go through the information YOURSELF, you will not reach what DFV did accomplish. Thing is, among those rewards, the one that is tapped on is the one for "DEGEN OF THE MONTH", again with the mascot of that gambling subreddit. This also points towards option plays being the play that he expects to be necessary for people that party with him.
Meme #21: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791189376195854606 Kitty is showing us what music he is listening to that we need to hear, changing our lives. Dont FEAR the REAPER. This follows up the dancing and the Music motif and also continues the "Playing chicken" motif.... He tells us to not be afraid of DEATH/Total Wipeout (I do not condone this message myself, I think people need to be careful and think about their actions).
Meme #22: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791193149408223306 Continues the meme where the boy coded as DFV draw dicks. A degen gambler tries to find out the plan by COHEN (R.C.) and finds out, that he is also just drawing dicks. So DFV and R.C. seem to think alike. Both are memeing definetly.
Meme #23: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791196925619789864 Mainstream media and a former SEC Chairman wants to wipe the justice system alike and asks if "we should tolerate" tweets by DFV. DFV sees this as an attack. And it is a very clear threat and definetly a declaration of war against normal people by the Financial "Elite" and especially freedom of speech and DFV.
Meme #24: https://x.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1791257325451493396 DFV/Jason Bourne tells us he is under attack and as "they" know who and where he is, he is afraid he is going to be made an example. This continues the last meme with the very open threat of not tolerating what he is doing, legality aside. He can not ride with us anymore and needs to figure stuff out. So he drives into a tunnel with an "EXIT STRATEGY" sign (in frensh) and then we see ... in a continuation in the movie "drive", where he loses his Driver persona and becomes a normal person to dissolve into a crowd.
So there you have it. I think this was the last DFV Tweet for a while, because of recent MSM events. We will see if I interpreted correctly by market begin.
TLDR: DFV Tells us if we are waiting for a sign, THIS IS THE Sign! To do what? Apparently degenerate Options. (Though his options hat a far out expiry date, so nowhere does it say 0DTEs are the way!) Also he takes his exit from posting openly for a while.
I think everything has been said.
Personal OP-annotation: I tried to stay as close to the memes as possible, this is the translation I came up with. They do not line up with my personal views on Options though, as I think most people here do not understand them at all and should not be using them. Also remember, Interpretations are always different from authors intent. I think DFV will not post again for a while, we will see that I am wrong in about 10 hours. If I am wrong, I will keep this post up, so everyone can see how wrong I was.
Thanks for reading. Thanks for everything!

These posts are all almost over 100 days old. They need to be solved. Newcomers please note: the older the post, the more points you earn.
All people with posts listed here need to check their posts for removed photospheres, streetviews that have been updated, and satellite photos which have been updated. If there are any changes, post a comment explaining what has changed and post an updated picture. Also check that all of your past hints are accurate.
🌎 This symbol indicates that the post is new to this list.
🌎 PS "Where is this flagpole?" Mountaintop covered with many large flat rocks. View of green valley and hills. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/C5zxsUnsO2
🌎 SV "One per Mongolian Aimag #3" https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/NVmphpIEiO
🌎 PS Very large flat area of brown dirt. A white car in the foreground with its door open. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/Se6WVnpfI7
🌎 PS "Find this remote photosphere." A quiet body of water with vegetation at the shoreline in the foreground of the picture. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/EQKADX7SVq
🌎 PS "Where's the meat?" Pieces of meat hanging from a rack on strings. A city in the distance. 🧩Not Central Asia. 🧩Not part of the former Soviet Union. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/4yb3faOVQ4
🌎 PS An undulating coastline, a highway, and hills and mountains. 🧩Not South America. 🧩Not the Caspian Sea. 🧩Not the Mediterranean Sea. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/4Z8T4mAtyP
🌎 Where is this remote cemetery? Flat green area with only a few trees. 🧩Not in South America. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/rILmNN3FG5
🌎 PS A walking path leading to some rocky hills with low trees and shrubs and dry grasses in the foreground. 🧩 Europe. 🧩Not Romania but "not that far off". 🧩Not Greece but "somewhere in the general area". https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/SmdgIPsiaa
🌎 Where is this building? Black and white interior (?) of a tall building. 🧩This is a university building. 🧩This is a Dutch-English speaking university. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/iVgQdqhC5G
🌎 PS Brown sand with tracks by a body of water. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/O9GOtxzixQ
PS Small red brick house alone in a grass field near the ocean. 🧩Southern Hemisphere. 🧩Not Argentina. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/3umH5hwgYj
PS View of a city from a tiled public area on a hill. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/nwueFRQkpv
GTC View of a city from the water. 🧩Not Hanoi nor Ho Chi Minh City. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/comments/18zk7r3/gtc/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
PS Titled "Find this now cold photosphere". Shows a river or lake with an unusual bridge made entirely of young tree trunks. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/ZtlANmp3wk
🟪 ONE MCDONALDS PER EVERY U.S. STATE 🟪
Address needed. McDonald's #2 https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/IpFcjWfjkN
Address needed. McDonald's #22 https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/UwCodcouo2
🌎 Address needed. McDonald's #24 Flat area along a divided highway. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/85YxXXQV7L
🟪 ILES DE FRANCE SERIES 🟪
SV #1 Narrow road beside a few houses; lots of trees. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/aAb4nqlebt
SV #4 A performance area, outdoors. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/DyS5QnflUn
🟪 DISPUTED TERRITORY SERIES 🟪
👉See Wikipedia's List of Territorial Disputes https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_territorial_disputes
SV #1 Parking lot with white apartments beyond. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/comments/18n28cl/disputed_territory_1_find_the_streetview/
SV #2 Residential area with mountains in the distance. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/comments/18n2ax9/disputed_territory_2_find_the_streetview/
PS #4 Cemetery with a few houses beyond. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/comments/18n2x4s/disputed_territory_4_find_the_photosphere/
SV #6 Highway bridge over wide shallow river. 🧩Not Kashmir. ⁠https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/comments/18n3vll/disputed_territory_6_find_the_streetview/
SV #19 Residential street. ⁠https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/comments/18oty5u/disputed_territory_19_find_the_streetview/
PS #26 Some masonry buildings, steps, terraces. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/TYP8qTMXQL
🟪 TWO CITIES WITH SAME NAME SERIES 🟪
SVs(2) Two cities with same name, unnumbered. 🧩Not Birmingham. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/tcSEB3gWQK
SVs (2) Two cities with same name #4 - Cordoba in Argentina and Cordona, Spain. This is almost solved - all we need is street views for both. Just travel the google streetviews in each city until you find it. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/O7kgXM3DAM
🟪 U.S. NATIONAL PARK/FOREST/MONUMENT SERIES 🟪
PS U.S. National Park/Forest/Monument #25 🧩Not Great Smoky NP but rather a place further north. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/mIepesegjB
PS U.S. National Park/Forest/Monument #17 Steep rocky mountain slopes with pine trees, forming a V. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/6gCHexUfhS
PS U.S. National Park/Forest/Monument #13 Mountains, stream, meadow. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/kPAJSPyGlF
🟪 SOUTHEAST ASIA SERIES 🟪
Each of the original 11 posts are in a different SE Asian country. NOTE: the following countries have been solved, so that the remaining posts will NOT be in these countries: ✅ Indonesia ✅ Laos ✅ Thailand, ✅Timor-Leste (East Timor) ✅ Malaysia ✅ Brunei. ✅ Singapore
Southeast Asia PS #10 https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/L7UXiHBw8R
Southeast Asia PS #5 🧩Not Cambodia or Vietnam. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/MDRbBrSW9s
Southeast Asia PS #2 https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/uRBY32m7fe
Southeast Asia PS #1 🧩Not Luzon. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/oziLsK50wp
🟪🟪🟪
PS Deck or rooftop overlooking mountains in fog. 🧩Not in Europe. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/qlp8Qfv9e2
Aerial view of a hilltop with houses, 🧩in Asia. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/zwrXn2eWzc
PS A long line of people all in white shirts on a levee beside a marsh with some kind of balloons above. 🧩Not California. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/v8XZcg2Nyp
🟪 NICE MIX 🟪
👉 open the links to read the mysterious rhyming hints.
PS Nice Mix I. River or lake, dry hills, bridge. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/pAfAbIBrBq
PS Nice Mix VI. View across mountains with a snag. 🧩Not in North America. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/7k4VOsZqAb
PS Nice Mix X. Painting of a serious looking man. 🧩The man is British. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/1vkmEyBQGM
🟪🟪🟪
PS Hilltop in a mountainous area overlooking a valley. Tile-roofed house. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/9oJ0QSqdt3
GTC PS SV Country Trifecta https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/s44oRgKidy
PS Drone shot of river valley, mountains, and houses along a narrow river. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/IM4kfl70QM
PS Man having a beer on a deck 🧩somewhere in Eastern Europe. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/P0UHyjwpmn
PS Park or camp with teepee, campfire circle, a pony, and another animal, possibly a small goat. 🧩Not in an area where you might normally see a teepee. Low mountains behind with a coniferous forest, probably pine. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/FSV6txtN0w
PS Snow covered area with small trees and snags looking like white sculptures; it looks like an area that has been clear-cut. Sunset or sunrise. Mountains in distance. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/zqc9w4sOCd
PS Landscape with mountains and valley. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/vR4ZvKJWfE
PS Remote falls, 🧩northern hemisphere, 🧩not Iceland. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/VthMuvHYUi
SV Rural or suburban area, very small restaurant with sign "Chinese Fast Food" sign, parking lots, grove of trees. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/zNYTaI1MY1
🟪 DRIFTLESS SERIES 🟪
SV (5) Driftless #1: In the Driftless Region in eastern Wisconsin, NE Iowa and SE Minnesota. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/kBNccfQ7Ci
SV (5) Driftless #2: in the Driftless Area - an unglaciated region that was originally flat, with eroded river valleys unlike the surrounding flat areas. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/oPUykjS5uq
SV (2) Driftless Transportation Image Bonus: one of gray woodframe house with several rusty looking antique cars and the other of a school bus parked on a grassy hill, in this unglaciated hilly region (the Driftless Area) in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/W3clozeYbW
🟪🟪🟪
Meandering brown river through dense tropical-looking forest, green covered bridge. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/aqXa0VLjaK
SV Rocky Road. Actually rocks placed intentionally on the wide shoulders of the road. 🧩In Africa, but 🧩not Kenya, Tanzania, or Uganda. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/PJ3osdIsxV
SV Stop sign at a checkpoint area (🧩not a border between countries) with a red building; flat terrain; oil wells (pumpjacks); 🧩not in North America. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/b2pWDQkqm0
City in the distance, from low mountains with scattered trees; 🧩somewhere in between the Caucasus/central Asia areas. 🧩Probably Iran. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/ThXkygjSyM
PS Scenic view from mountains https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/5GLgaKQMt3
A village which starts with a T. 🧩European but not British Isles 🧩or Croatia. 🧩Not Germany "but close". https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/vZYMyEMW6o
SV dirt road in mountains in France, Alpes-Maritimes Departement. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/NW2W1Q9KBP
PS 2 story white building looks like an old school; 🧩not in Lithuania or in a country bordering Lithuania, but it is directly south of it. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/9OBz21mspt
PS snowy apartment house, parking lot, "Timberline", #9; 🧩not Russia. https://www.reddit.com/guessthecity/s/aOVcKn1C6Z

Who is Gary Renard:
Gary is a famous ACIM author. He has written “The Disappearance of the Universe”. He claims to be the reincarnation of the disciple Thomas and he claims his book came to him by inflesh ascended masters. He calls these Arten and Pursah. Purshah is supposedly a future incarnation of Thomas, and Arten a future incarnation of Saint Thaddeus.
Who is Bruce MacDonald:
Following a NDE, Bruce had some mystical experiences. He claims after this he was able to talk to God, Jesus, and in a past life he was the disciple Thomas. He wrote two books about this including “The Thomas Book Near Death, a Quest and a New Gospel by the Twin Brother of Jesus”. There he recounts his adventures as a disciple in Jesus’s inner circle and relays supposedly new teachings about Jesus.
Tragically it appears he died somewhat recently and his website went offline. That had a ton of interesting information about Gary Renard, Thomas, and even the Course in Miracles. But…the good news is much of it is still available from archive.org. Here is an archived sitemap.
The Thomas Conflict:
They both claim to be Thomas! This is extra funny when you consider the original meaning of the word Thomas means twin.
Let’s start with Gary Renard’s claims:

• Supposedly there is a famous past life channeler “Kevin Ryserson”. He was able to interview the incorporeal entity known as Ahtun Re. And Ahtun Re in turn provides many detailed and interesting celebrity past life details. You can read them here (some are jaw dropping…eg Trump = Nero, Putin = Caesar, Biden = Emperor Theodosius). He was friends with Gary and claimed publicly that Gary Renard is the reincarnation of Thomas.
• Gary claims that Pursah is the reincarnation of Saint Thomas and Arten is the reincarnation of St. Thaddaeus…but per Bruce Thaddeaeus is an alias for Didymos Judas Thomas the disciple, so are Arten and Pursah (and Gary) the same person?

Let’s go now to Bruce’s side:

• Kevin Ryserson/Ahtun Re publicly proclaimed that Bruce was not the disciple Thomas, but rather a later scribe who wrote down the Gospel of Thomas.
• But Bruce claimed that Kevin privately told him he was indeed the reincarnation of Thomas, but didn’t want to go public to jeopardize his friendship with Gary.
• Bruce also proclaims his private guides and and Ahtun Re himself confirmed he was the real Thomas
• Bruce claims that Gary is unaware that St. Thomas and Didymos Judas Thomas were separate people, yet impossibly Gary claims to be both. Bruce says a separate person wrote the gospel of Thomas (not Thomas himself) which he claims Gary doesn’t realize.

Did Gary Renard Plagiarize Stephen Patterson and Marvin Meyer
In 1945 the Gospel of Thomas was discovered. Scholars Stephen Patterson and Marvin Meyer translated this into English (http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/gosthom.html).
Renard claimed the ascended master Pursah (future Thomas from the past) dictated to him a new and corrected version of the Gospel of Thomas. This was put into the book “Pursah’s Gospel of Thomas”.
However it appears Bruce did differential analysis on this and the Patterson/Meyer version and discovered they often were identical.
That can’t be. The Gospel of Thomas was written in coptic, but was likely seeded from Greek or Aramic sources. An ascended master like Pursah should be able to go straight to the source to explain what these teachings meant. Yet these are too similar to existing English translations. For translation work this is just too coincidental. Anybody familiar with language translations knows there is a fair degree of subjectivity that happens in the process. A lack of variance between two translations is suspicious.
Now there are differences…but many are minor and perhaps “token”. What’s even stranger is the location of the “token differences”. They are mostly placed in the early verses and gradually tapered off. As if Gary (or a source for Gary) got tired of “improving” the verses and got lazy in the end and just copy/pasted.
Greg Mackie Chimes in:
https://circleofa.org/library/gary-renard/
Some of Greg’s claims are unfair (like his criticism of the ascended master concept)...but some of his critiques are well done and raise legit questions about the audacity of Gary’s “ascended masters”. Examples:

• Arten: An issue of Time Magazine in the 1970s had the words “God is dead” on the cover (121). (He doesn’t say “on the cover,” but it is clear that he is referring to the famous Time Magazine cover.) Actually, the issue came out in 1966 and had “Is God dead?” on the cover.
• Arten: The Jefferson Bible “will be made available soon for those who want to see it” (218). It has been available at least since 1904 (some sources say 1903), when it was first published.
• Pursah: Pursah implies that the Muslim holy month of Ramadan occurs around the same time as Christmas (297). Ramadan is based on the lunar calendar and therefore can occur any time of year.
• Pursah: “Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire…by law any other religions or spiritual ideas were outlawed” (50). Constantine legalized and supported Christianity, but he did not make it the only legal religion of the Roman Empire. This was done by a later emperor, Theodosius (who reigned from 379 to 395 C.E.).
• Arten: “The United States…has much more of a responsibility when it comes to diffusing situations than anybody else does” (337). This one is worthy of George W. Bush; the correct word is not “diffusing” but “defusing.”

Robert Perry Chimes in:
https://circleofa.org/library/why-dont-the-masters-have-an-original-thought/
Robert observes that many of Purah’s channeled teachings sound coincidentally VERY similar to the teachings of Wapnick and use Ken’s unique language. He goes into great detail on this. An example:

Pursah: “You romanticize the South American rainforest by thinking it’s one of the holiest spots on earth. If you could observe in accelerated motion what goes on underneath the ground there, you would see that the roots of trees actually compete with each other for the water”
Wapnick: “We admire the beauties and wondrous delicacies of nature. Yet within this same world we perceive competition and destructiveness….Trees’ roots strangle neighboring roots seeking their rightful soil.”

If Gary were using ascended masters as a literary device this would make sense. Gary was a HUGE fan of Ken’s. It would be logical if some of his mannerisms rubbed off on Gary. But for an ascended master to plagiarize Ken seems a bit odd.
Gary Reacts to Robert Perry and Bruce MacDonald:
https://www.garyrenard.com/FraudAccusations.html
Gary very angrily defends himself against both complaints. Examples:

This latest, ludicrous controversy is being championed and promoted by Robert Perry and the so-called "Circle of Atonement." Robert has a long track record of attacking other A Course in Miracles teachers, including Ken Wapnick and myself. For 15 years, Robert has been the most divisive force in the A Course in Miracles community. His actions over this long period of time are an insult to everything that A Course in Miracles stands for.
…
As for Robert Perry, his jealousy of me is so severe I think at this point the only thing that would stop him from trying to attack me would be if someone drove a wooden stake through his heart.
…
Robert Perry will try to tell you this isn't personal with him. Don't believe him. He'll try to tell you that he's a "scholar." A scholar? That's odd. I don't see a PhD next to his name. How honest is that?

Jesus Twin Theory
Bruce MacDonald believes that Jesus had relatives who were his disciples…and this included his twin brother Didymos Judas Thomas. The words Didymos and Thomas actually mean twin. Judas was a common name and note this wasn’t the same Judas that sold Jesus. All that said though, I don’t believe this part of the story. Twin is more likely to be symbolic (more on this below).
Kim MIchaels Chimes In:
Jesus (per Kim) explains that the disciples did not write any of the gospels directly. Also he didn’t dictate them, but there was some inspiration: https://ascendedmasteranswers.com/gospel-of-thomas/
Jesus (per Kim) when asked if any disciples (specifically Thomas) were fallen beings, admits some were. On Thomas he says he has moved on and made his ascension: https://ascendedmasteranswers.com/gospel-of-thomas/
Jesus (per Kim) is asked if Judas Thomas is the biological twin brother of Jesus. Jesus indicates no. Rather family terms were used for spirit ranks. First there was brother, then bride, then twin (these were figurative not literal terms). Thomas reached twin status, which allowed Jesus to communicate with him more effectively. This seems to contradict Bruce’s testimony. https://ascendedmasteranswers.com/judas-thomas/ & https://ascendedmasteranswers.com/becoming-a-twin-of-jesus/
Mother Mary (per Kim) responds to a question about the “The Disappearance of the Universe”. She claims this is not a legit book. Masters don’t travel back in time to teach to themselves. The true messagers for DU are actually coming from a lower mental realm and not the ascended realm. She is generally dismissive of DU: https://ascendedmasteranswers.com/ideas-from-the-disappearance-of-the-universe-by-gary-renard/
Gary’s Weird Connections:
Gary claims he found a girl who was the reincarnation of Helen Schucman. Apparently Ken agreed. Gary even posted a picture of him and the girl on Facebook.
Included in the photo is his wife Cindy who Gary claims is the reincarnation of Thaddeus. Bruce MacDonald claims that Thaddeus was not a separate person in the bible but was actually an alias for Thomas. So did Gary marry himself?
Even more confusing….on top of this there is actually a woman on this Reddit forum (I won’t dox her) who claims David Hoffmeister said she was the incarnation of Helen. But when David told Gary this, Gary said he already found his reincarnated Helen.
Reddit User Predicts Content for Gary’s 3rd Book
https://www.reddit.com/ACIM/comments/ecxr3b/comment/fbgc40k/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
This is odd…how could a Reddit user predict what content an ascended master would dictate to Gary for a future yet unwritten book?
Simon Magus Connection
https://web.archive.org/web/20210411093059/http://thomastwin.com/20%20A%20ACIM,%20Simon%20and%20Trinity.html
Simon per the bible was a magician and trickster. He’s considered a somewhat malevolent entity. Bruce MacDonald claims he was shown a vision in which it was revealed that th Gary was the reincarnation of Simon Magus and he is tricking people now as he did previously.

I have heard of at least two people who have had the experience of Simon Magus trying to “possess” their bodies since they were children, even trying to push them out of the body to take over. It would seem that, instead of withdrawing into the spiritual realms between lives, Simon Magus has remained as a “ghost,” a kind of psychic vampire who maintains his life in the astral realms by feeding on the lives of the living through the centuries. The people I have communicated with or heard of have had the strong sense of a negative male presence trying to take over their lives, draining their energy, alienating other people and claiming to be Simon Magus. In one case, this Simon actually insisted that the person who was the victim of this kind of “psychic vampirism” should read A Course in Miracles, in order to make the person more aware of the philosophy of Simon Magus and the Simonians. There was also a female presence which seemed to be Helen. I heard this from someone who was so traumatized by the disembodied Simon Magus since childhood that they searched on Google for anything to do with Simon and found my website, which confirmed for them all they had been experiencing. Fortunately, I have been able to help through The Prayer of Silence and The Thomas Book.

Thomas Book per Bruce MacDonald
Bruce claims this was dictated to him from Thomas…but it was also an experiential event. He believes he was there as Thomas in a previous life.
The contents of the book are interesting. This includes some unique takes. Eg He goes into detail on the background of Mary Magdalene and Jesus and how they were married early, but he left her early on to focus on his spiritual work.
The most extraordinary claim is of the crucifixion. Thomas claims that the disciples knew that Jesus would be executed. But they didn’t have photographs back then and knew the Romans could have difficulty identifying Jesus. So they hatched a plan to have “Saul” impersonate Jesus. He would be executed in the place of Jesus. The three ring leaders of this plan were Judas, Thomas and Peter (the three hot heads). They actually kidnapped Jesus and hid him away during the trial. Thomas believed a fake Jesus was crucified (hence the doubting Thomas meme), but Peter is irate and claims the real Jesus ended up on the cross which Thomas doesn’t believe because he was in charge of guarding the kidnapped Jesus. It is possible Jesus bi-located (masters can do this) to throw off this plan. Certainly both Mary’s saw Jesus on the cross…they would have recognized a fake Jesus.
What’s also interesting is the contempt that Thomas has for Peter in much of this book. To Thomas Peter is very dogmatic and overly critical of sex. Thomas was also not a fan of the essenes (which Peter was among), and was upset that apparently Joseph and Mary were kicked out of the essene community for minor rule violations.
Bruce MacDonald on the dictation of ACIM
https://web.archive.org/web/20210411093059/http://thomastwin.com/20%20A%20ACIM,%20Simon%20and%20Trinity.html

My Inner Guide tells me that A Course in Miracles was dictated by Simon Magus.
I dreamed I was in a house with many rooms. In them were people who had been turned into wooden statues, struggling to get out of their wooden confines. I knew immediately that they were living under a spell, so I went from room to room removing the spell “in the name of Jesus and of God.” Once the spell was removed, the people jumped up, looked around in a frightened way, realized they had been trapped in this house, and fled.
I then found the area in which the wizard put spells on people, his “workshop,” complete with intricately tangled paraphernalia hanging from the walls and ceiling. I cleansed the area of all psychic power and sealed it “in the name of Jesus and of God” so that the wizard would never again be able to entrap the unwary.
After I had completed this cleansing process, the wizard came into the entrance hallway where I stood. His face seemed familiar. I had thought this wizard would be frightening, but he was very friendly, with a round, smiling, jovial and pink face. He attempted, laughingly and in great good humour, to put a spell on me as well. I looked directly at him and, “in the name of Jesus and of God,” removed his power to cast spells.
That was the end of the dream. I have not met Gary Renard in the flesh but, when I woke, I realized the smiling man looked exactly like the pictures I had seen on his website.
The basic premise of the Course is that the world we experience is an illusion. This is similar to what Simon taught while alive. Simon Magus taught that Helen was an incarnation of the "thought of God," through which the angels were created. However, the angels, not God, then created the world. Since God did not create the world, it is an illusion. Simon taught that, to achieve salvation and union with God, it was necessary to realize that the world was not created by God but was an illusion created by the angels. Once his converts realized that, then the universe would disappear and they would experience oneness with God.

The Bruce MacDonald Jesus provides detailed insight into ACIM
https://web.archive.org/web/20190718234659/http://thomastwin.com/21%20A%20Jesus,%20God%20and%20ACIM.html (scroll all the way down to “Yeshua said it would be best for him to start”)
Robert Perry asks Bruce to ask Jesus about the Course. He does and the answers are very interesting.
It’s too long to repost here, but this Jesus is largely critical of the Course. He states the real author was impersonating him (something other sources have said) and its teachings are mostly incorrect (eg the Course indicates God is very far away when he isn’t). This Jesus also cites some examples of the Course changing between third person, “we”, and “I” when referring to Jesus as evidence something is up. This Jesus also says that Gary was not Thomas, and that Pursah and Arten are not ascended masters. This Jesus also says Simon Magus was the real author of the Course.

This brings us back to the actual authors of ACIM. I have asserted through Bruce MacDonald elsewhere on this website that the book was written by a first century magician by the name of Simon Magus.
That is only partly accurate, of course. In the same way as Judas Thomas was the ego centre of a particular Individuality (Spiritual Centre of Consciousness) in the first century, and Bruce MacDonald is the incarnation of that same Individuality in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, so Simon Magus and Gary Renard are the incarnations of a particular Individuality who is exploring the potential and the limits of the Docetic philosophy.
Individualities, Spirits, those centers of spiritual consciousness which are manifestations of the Divine Source, can choose to explore anything they wish – God has given them freedom to explore what they will.
It is technically this Individuality which is exploring Doceticism. It is this Spirit who developed the philosophy, partly in the incarnate state and partly between lives. The shorthand version of that is to say that Simon Magus developed the philosophy, since a major part of any of these explorations must take place in the body, and then, after developing and refining the philosophy further in the discarnate state, dictated it through Helen Schucman as A Course in Miracles.
Simon Magus was not the only one involved, but he was the primary focus of the Soul Group exploring the philosophy. And Gary Renard is not the only one involved in ACIM now, although he is the direct incarnation of what we can call the "Simon Magus Individuality." Ken Wapnick and a larger group of souls are also involved, although Renard is the present focus who will ultimately lead to its demise.

Robert Perry did write a response to these critiques of the Course. In general he was dismissive: https://circleofa.org/library/response-bruce-macdonalds-views/
Bruce then responds to the response: https://web.archive.org/web/20210618175625/http://thomastwin.com/22%20A%20Reaction%20to%20ACIM.html
Conclusions:
All these crazy stories are enough to make one suspect of ANY divine revelation or channeled source. My personal opinion is that Gary Renard is not consciously deceiving his followers. But, he is getting guidance from incorporeal life forms who are NOT ascended masters and ARE interested in deception. In this sense Gary is more of a victim, but he does he deserves blame for not showing discernment. I’m sure there are many instances by which these “ascended masters” behaved strangely and showed red flags to Gary who I suspect is loath to reveal these publicly.
As for Bruce, I don’t know what to think. He came from a more orthodox christian background and this may have jaded his view on the Course. He does make mistakes. But some of what he says rings true.
I don’t think either was the real Thomas. Although I think the disciple Thomas might have been one of the entities that was communicating to Bruce.

Links to every song below!

I was intentionally more critical/transparent about my opinion this week. Let me know if you prefer this in the comments.
My dream collabs of artists from this video:

1. Tyson Ardo x Slo Luna
   
2. Yeats Sommerfled + Any SJ metal band
   
3. Ricky Anthony + Baby Blue Bam
   

I've gotta give it to Durahk again this week. He's zeroing in on the hardcore hip hop style that made artists like RXKNephew so iconic. Catherine Kennedy and Billy Blin also blew me away. They're rare features in the series but they don't slouch on the quality when it is time to show them.
Leave a comment if I missed you. Have a great week :)

TLDR? Watch watch with commentary:

TikTok
Instagram
YouTube

Artist	Song	Genre
Ricky Anthony	Shes from the west side	RnB
Bizarre Gurgney	The Demon Lord's Phonk Revival	Phonk
Catherine Kennedy	The Cloth You're Made Of	Folk
JustJake	Outta Reach	Trap
NBD_Mortal	Diamonds	Trap
SHXMAN.T	Golden Soulz	New York Underground Hip Hop
Matt LeFait	Out of the Flames	Christian/Prog
Billy Blin	Made Mutterings of a senile delinquent and other useless folk tales (album)	Punk
Fieldbook	Pictures. (demo)	Bedroom Pop
King Durahk	Freak Ho (+4 songs)	Hardcore Hip Hop
Tyson Ardo	Heaven (cover)	Electronic Rock
Rich Junco	Hesitation Blues	Blues
Sunnyside Uppers	Gov't Spender	Oldies (?)
Baby Blue Bam	Procrastinating the Apocalypse Vol. 2 (EP)	Beat tape
Yeats Sommerfeld	Holier Than Thou (cover)	Metal
Luvant	right now	Jerk
Treco	Love Me	Ambient
Coj	Crush'em	Pop Rap
Slo Luna	Heaven	Electronic Rock
Grevv	hola (+1 song)	Rage
OneDae	Payday	Cloud Rap
Burb	Conceded	Cloud Rap
BoGEY	Anaconda (remix)	House
kqm	arms around me	Bedroom Pop

Previous Roll-ups

May 9, 2024
May 2, 2024
April 25, 2024
April 18, 2024
April 11, 2024
April 4, 2024
March 28, 2024
March 21, 2024

Lesson 10: The Hermit's Solitude and The Hermit Card
As our journey through the Tarot unfolds, we encounter The Hermit, a card representing introspection, solitude, and the quest for inner wisdom. Let's explore themes of self-discovery, spiritual seeking, and the benefits of solitude.
Discussion Questions: 1. How do you currently approach moments of solitude and introspection in your life? 2. Reflect on a time when self-reflection led to a deeper understanding of yourself. What insights did you gain? 3. In what ways do you seek spiritual wisdom and connection in moments of introspection?
Guided Meditation: Picture yourself in a serene, secluded space, symbolizing The Hermit's retreat. Feel the energy of introspection and inner wisdom surrounding you. Explore the thoughts and feelings that arise during this visualization.
Exercise 10: Pull The Hermit card and contemplate the wisdom it offers. Dedicate time to regular moments of solitude for self-reflection and spiritual seeking. Journal about your experiences, noting any insights gained and the impact on your journey of self-discovery.

Lesson 6: The Hierophant's Wisdom and The Hierophant Card
Our journey into the Tarot continues with The Hierophant, a card representing tradition, spiritual guidance, and the pursuit of wisdom. Let's explore the themes of seeking knowledge and understanding through structured belief systems.
Discussion Questions: 1. How do you currently approach spiritual or philosophical guidance in your life? 2. Reflect on the role of tradition in your upbringing. How has it influenced your beliefs? 3. In what ways do you seek wisdom and higher knowledge? How open are you to new spiritual insights?
Guided Meditation: Picture yourself in a sacred space, surrounded by symbols of wisdom and tradition. Feel the energy of spiritual guidance enveloping you. Connect with the essence of The Hierophant as a conduit for wisdom. Notice any intuitive messages or insights that arise.
Exercise 6: Pull The Hierophant card and contemplate the wisdom it offers. Explore different spiritual practices or belief systems that resonate with you. Incorporate rituals or traditions into your routine and journal about the impact on your sense of wisdom and guidance.

Chapter 12
Lacy awoke in a hallway. It was similar to the hallway that she first awoke in. Only exception was that it was covered in blood. Bodies laid on the floor with multiple lacerations. Lacy was already standing up when she had first opened her eyes. She could hear grunting coming from the other side of the hallway. When Lacy moved her eyes to the end of the hallway she saw herself. Looking directly at her was Lacy. This one was covered in blood and was holding the axe that she had. Her eyes looked deranged. In an instant the other Lacy dashed towards the real Lacy. Without hesitation Lacy lifted the axe and dropped it directly onto the imposter's head. The body slumped to the floor and Lacy breathed a sigh of relief. But as she began to continue forward the thought of what she had just done hit her like a bullet. Looking down at your own body would make a sane person go mad. Lacy barely reacted. Turning around she noticed a new hole. She could continue going further. Lacy had no emotion as she stepped into the hole. The only thing on her mind being the voice that she last heard the Elk use. It was unlike no other voice. It was calm but menacing. Like it knew that Lacy could not win. She brushed the thought off and continued pushing forward. She had to face whatever else this place had in store for her. She had to.
Chapter 13
As Lacy stepped through the hole she noticed that she was no longer passing out. Instead she just appears in these new areas. This time she was in a house. The home was run down. It gave Lacy a sense of dread. Walking around the building Lacy looked at the furniture. It was furnished as a normal house. Like a place that a family would enjoy their time in. A sofa was facing a TV. On the screen was an episode of some children's show that Lacy had probably enjoyed when she was younger. Directly in front of the TV was a childrens chair. Looking at the living room gave Lacy a feeling of nostalgia that drowned out the despair of this awful place. “Hello, is anyone here?” Lacy asked but got no reply. Looking around the room Lacy saw a hallway that led into the kitchen. The paint on the walls were peeled off. Entering the room Lacy smelled the stench of death. Moving further in she saw a girl on the table. The body was almost completely decayed. Just as Lacy was about to inspect the body a loud crash erupted from the living room. Picking up the axe and holding it close to her chest Lacy walked through the hallway. In the living room the sofa was flipped upside down as well as the TV. A ghostly wail cried out and Lacy felt herself become cold. Continuing through the living room Lacy noticed a staircase that led up that she had not seen before. Clutching the axe in her hands Lacy walked towards the stairs. As Lacy approached the bottom the lights began to flicker. The steps creaked as she made her way towards the top. Each step she took made her feel colder. Her eyes met the top of the stairs. A ghostly figure appeared to walk across the doorway out of sight. Lacy felt her legs freeze at the sight. The thing she saw seemed to be transparent. Lacy knew what that meant. “How the hell do I kill a ghost?” Pushing up the stairs there was a hallway. Two doors on each side with one door at the very end. Continuing forward Lacy opened the first door on her right. Inside was the bedroom of someone older. The bed was made and aside from the cobwebs and dust everything was in order. As Lacy turned around to go through the other door, another crash could be heard. Lacy turned around to the furniture ripped to shreds. The bed was torn in half and the dresser was opened with all of the clothes spread on the floor. Another chill ran through Lacy's body. A quiet whisper entered Lacy’s ears. The words were spoken too fast to be made out. It was so quiet Lacy had to focus to hear it. Continuing forward Lacy opened the first door on the left. Inside was a bathroom. The bathroom was pristine. No dust or cobwebs. Just a white pristine bathroom. The shower curtains were closed. Lacy walked towards the curtains. The curtains shifted as if there was someone behind them. Lacy reached her hand towards the curtains. Another chill ran through her body as the whispers got slightly louder. Moving the curtains, the tub was empty. Lacy breathed a sigh of relief. As she turned around to face the door the room became a dark blood red. Lacy looked at the doorway and saw a girl. The child could not have been older than twelve. Lacy froze at the sight. The kids arm outreached and pointed towards the door at the end of the hallway.
Chapter 14
Just as fast as the kid appeared she disappeared. Lacy peaked her head out of the door and viewed the door at the end of the hallway slowly open. A red light emitted from the room. Lacy stepped towards the open door. The whispers that she had heard were getting louder the closer she got to the room. As she got closer the whispering became clearer. It was gibberish. Nothing that she heard was legible and it was loud enough for Lacy to understand. The door was fully opened by the time Lacy got to it. In the room was a red symbol on the ground surrounded by candles. The room was dark, only lit by the candles and the miniscule glow of the symbol. The image was hex. In the middle was a book. Walking towards the hex Lacy noticed a mirror. Looking into the mirror Lacy found the source of the whispering. Floating behind her with its hands on her soldiers was the ghost child. The boy's eyes were black and was whispering in her ear at an inconceivable speed. The image shocked Lacy. Turning around, the boy was not there. Looking back at the mirror Lacy could still see the child behind her. Looking back at the hex, Lacy saw the girl sitting in front of the book. As Lacy stepped closer to the book the whispering became louder. Sitting in front of the girl Lacy grabbed the book. The title of the book was Goodnight Moon. The little girl pointed to the book. Lacy opened it and began reading from the pages. “In the great green room, there was a telephone and a red balloon and a picture of a cow jumping over the moon.” As Lacy read the whispering became even louder. “And there were three little bears sitting on chairs. And two little kittens and a pair of mittens.” Lacy continued reading. Lacy turned her head around to the doorway to see a multitude of people in robes coming up the stairs. The people were making a haunting moan as they stepped towards the room. Lacy read more and more. “Good night moon, goodnight cow jumping over the moon. Good night light and the red balloon, goodnight bears, goodnight chairs.” The choir was getting closer to the door and the whispering was growing louder and louder. Lacy continued reading. Just as the choir got to the door. “Goodnight stars, goodnight air, goodnight noises everywhere.” As Lacy said the last words, the noises around her went quiet. Lacy looked up and the girl was gone. The choir was no longer at the doorway. And looking into the mirror the boy was no longer whispering into her ear. The entire house was silent. Lacy looked back at where the book was. In its place was another hole. Lacy looked at it with dead eyes. Knowing what was about to happen.
Chapter 15
Lacy awoke in a study. The room was undisturbed. In front of her was a desk, multiple insect and other animal taxidermies were spread throughout the room. On the desk was a plaque that read Professor Crawford- Biology Expert. Above the desk on the wall was a quote marked in blood. The words read “Abandon All Hope, Ye Who Enter Here”.
Lacy looked behind the desk and in it was a skeleton holding a bible and a gun in his hand. Lacy looked back at the desk and found another tape recorder. Lacy grabbed it fearing what she was about to hear. Pressing the button Lacy heard a familiar voice.
Day one:
Our explorers found a mysterious hole in the middle of Israel. The men decided to not interact with it and instead immediately report it. The Overseer immediately demanded that a base should be made around the anomaly. Preparation immediately began on the base but unfortunately a couple managed to get past security and decided to step into the hole. That couple was not seen again. The building was finally made and studies on the hole began. Originally studies were done externally. The scientist discovered that it had no gravitational force, radiation, or mass. It dumbfounded them because of its existence as a hole. Then the physical tests started. At first they just threw things into the hole. The objects would just bounce off.
Day:15
Today is the day that they decided to send in a test subject. Some guy that worked in human resources. They offered him a high paying job, not telling him the gravity of the situation. They had a rope tied to him but when he stepped through the rope burned off. The man was never seen again. Later in the day they sent another man this time with a video recorder. When the man stepped into the hole the recording stopped abruptly. The scientists were confused at the entire situation. The only thing that they could do was monitor the size of it to make sure it was not growing.
Day: 23
The Overseer has lost her mind. She started kidnapping people to put into the hole. At first it was criminals, then it moved on to the homeless, then they started putting innocent people into the hole. She claimed it was to just see if someone could escape it. I have to tell the police what is going on. The people must know what has happened to their loved ones.
Day: 24
Someone found out I was going to tell the authorities. The Overseer has ordered me to go into the hole. I'm bringing this tape recorder with me. I will survive whatever this is. I will tell the world the horrors of these people.
Lacy Put down the recorder. Tears began to flow down her eyes. She didn't know if the truth made her feel better or worse than when she didn't know. She now knew that her chances of escaping were little to none. Looking at the corpse on the ground she noticed another tape recorder. Grabbing it Lacy pressed play.
Day:
I don’t know how long it has been. I don’t want to keep going. Hole after hole I can not find my way out of this place. I steppin into a place that had a lodge. I heard voices mocking me. Telling me things that I didn’t want to believe. Then an Elk appeared. In its voice I heard something that sounded malevolent. It speaked of this place referring to the holes in itself. The being was demonic. I shot it and another hole appeared. I kept going. I don’t even remember how many holes I have been through. This room will be my last. My hope is gone. That is what the Elk wanted. That is why I can feel myself rotting away. I'm sorry to those I left behind. I have given up. Hell has won.
The tape recorder ended. Lacy looked at the corpse. Looking back to the door of the room Lacy saw another hole. Tears ran down Lacy’s cheek as she stepped through the hole. Hanging on to what little hope she had left.
Chapter 16
Lacy awoke in a familiar place. The hallways were dingy. The lights were flickering. Lacy’s face was burning as her heart rate increased. “Lacy” The voice made Lacy’s blood run cold. Looking into the darkness The Smiling Man stepped into the blinking lights. Lacy’s legs could not move. She was crying so hard her eyes hurt. The Smiling Man walked towards her. His eyes widened as his smile became wider revealing the blood stained teeth. Lacy tried to move. She remembered the words on the recorder. It won't end. Lacy did not move. She looked directly at The Smiling Man. Lacy closed her eyes accepting what little mercy this place offered. The Smiling Man ran towards her plunging his teeth into her neck. Lacy felt her life fading away. Remembering her father she let out a smile.
Epilogue
Lacy awoke. She had remembered dying. “Lacy”. The same voice rang through her ears. Lacy stood up. She was holding the same kitchen knife she found in the beginning of all of this. Lacy could feel her body run cold. “It won't end.” Lacy muttered these words over and over again. The Smiling Man entered the light. Lacy raised the knife. Covered in blood, Lacy repeated the words.
“It won't end.”