Hey folks!
I was trying to get Olympics tickets and having a hard time, but finally figured out how to get access to the resale platform (they seem to have hidden it as some sports haven't sold out on the primary website). Thought I should spread the word. YMMV as to what is considered reasonable, but I've seen CAT D (cheapest) and C (second cheapest) tickets going.
If you live in Europe or even Asia, I suspect this'll be your cheapest Olympics to attend till 2036 at the earliest.
Official resale website with filter for Archery and Para Archery
Seems like most sports are popping up on the resale, if you interests extend beyond archery.

TWINFLAMES #AWAKENING #KUNDALINI

Twin Flame Kundalini Activation: Signs of Kundalini Awakening
Spiritual Awakening can be a gentle process or sometimes it can be brought on intensely. More and more people are experiencing this awakening as we proceed through the cosmic energy that is literally activating our light bodies and our DNA. It can be a very confusing and even fear-filled process when we don’t understand what is happening. We are propelled into places both within and external that we have never before experienced. Many people have thought themselves going crazy or losing hold of reality and in a way that is true. This energy allows us to see the truth of the nature of our existence in human form. Veils are lifted and illumination takes place. They call this ‘Enlightenment”
Our kundalini energy lies dormant at the base of our spine, a slumbering snake in eternal sleep. It is said that our DNA was genetically altered at the time of our creation so that we would remain unaware of our own power as creators and to keep us imprisoned in this 3D construct. There is some in depth information on this and I will leave a link at the end for you to explore further. I just wanted to present a few of the signs and symptoms that indicate your kundalini has been activated.
In regards to twin flames, a part of the purpose of union is to activate the kundalini energy in each other for full union and expression of the third Divine energy the union creates. This activation is key as many of the twins have one twin at a slightly accelerated rate of vibration than the other. I believe this is why there is the separation phase once they find each other. They both need to readjust and assimilate this new energy activation and come to a place of balance and awareness individually. This activation forces them to do all the necessary shedding, clearing and healing of anything that no longer serves their shared purpose. Understanding what you are going through can make the journey a little less confusing and uncomfortable.
It helps to know that all the crazy things you are going through are actually Divinely intended at this time and will bring you into alignment for your ascension.
Some symptoms in no particular order:
Seeing/Feeling Energy: seeing orbs of light within peripheral vision…prickly or tingling sensations…a pulsing, tremor or vibrating sensation, tracers, after images among objects or people…unexplained warmth in the hands or feet…seeing colors of frequency. Emotional Upheaval: You will experience the extreme polarity of emotions moving from euphoria to depression as if your emotions are completely out of your control. This is the result of your hormones changing through your endocrine system. Identity Crisis: An isolation builds where you can no longer understand yourself, who you are, what is your path or reality itself. It is the essence of dissociation. There becomes a deep fear that you cannot deal with material reality as everyone around you is still in illusion. This is where the ego starts losing it’s bearings over your consciousness. The Urge to Create: You want to explore things creatively, cooking, music, art, poetry, writing etc. One instance of awakening is you are becoming more in tune with your subconscious and releasing the mind into the imagination. We create our reality with the power of our thoughts. This is the Universe giving us a sign to start creating literally and figuratively.
Increase in Psychic Abilities: When we awaken our senses, they not only become sharper but your intuition is guiding you more than you ever thought possible. You start to listen to your gut instinct…synchronicity and patterns become too strong to ignore…you start predicting events before they happen…knowing things before you you even knew them…precognitive dreaming.
In Tune with Celestial Events: When our consciousness changes we become more in tune with frequency and in turn the frequency of the earth. When we are aware we start to notice the subtle patterns especially during the moon phases and astrological alignments. Since everything is connected through the ripple effect, we are effected in magnitude during these events. Past Life Memories: Our long term memory is returning. These are deep suppressed memories within our soul blueprint and encoded in our DNA. We are seeing glimpses of who we were within various lifetimes. Past life memories for some occur in flashbacks, visions, daydreams or glimpse into the past. It is a memory so vivid and real that it brings confusion because you know it is not from this current time line.
Flashes into Other Realities: The feeling as if you are living in multiple realities at once or parallel lives. Time is more fluid as past, present and future merge as one. You will feel as if straddled between worlds or moving into different realities all together. It activates a very disoriented feeling of not being grounded because you are opening yourself to different timelines of perceived reality.
Seeing a Person’s True Form: It is like the concept of the mirror into seeing other’s reflections of their past lives through their own energy aura. As we become stronger, sometimes we can see loved ones or even strangers with a superimposed face enabling something from their past life or parallel life to come through to us. Anxiety/Panic Attacks: The flow of energy can be overwhelming as the ego loses it’s grip. This can cause your brain to move faster than the body enabling a concept called ‘black hole’ thinking. (please check out that link, it is important) Your perception is changing and with that comes a desire to fall into a cycle of past and future thinking enabling fear and loss.
No Low Vibes: There is an innate desire to surround yourself with ‘like minded’ people and healthy relationships. You simply cannot tolerate lower vibration environments, duality behavior or toxic unhealthy relationships any longer.Your body is longing to move away from the 3D dualistic concepts completely. You come into alignment with the higher energies of the new paradigm.
Rapid Synchronicity: Synchronicity begins increasing rapid;ly, certain number sequences begin to haunt you…11:11, 1212, 111, 333, 444, 555, 666, 777. You begin to experience increased deja-vu, dreams taking form or certain archetypal symbols appear in your life. The symbols work in a way that is similar to Jungian psychology. The symbols help awaken us.
Clarity of Communication: You feel more in tune listening to the silence. You are not going crazy, but you feel a desire to speak with this ‘inner voice’ or listen to the silence. Many experience meeting their spirit guides or having angelic communication this way. Channeling becomes innate and natural to us as we open ourselves up to being connected to the higher spiritual realms.
Time Dilation: The concept of how we view time changes completely. WE are operating from a a unified sense of past-present-future perception. The time is now. Your consciousness is striving for a present mindset. Time doesn’t feel like it has a structure anymore, it is very fluid. Left-brain Short Circuit: Consciousness is going through a rewiring of sorts, so everything our right hemisphere operates on will be heightened. This means our empathy, our spatial memory, psychic abilities and our ability to experience through vision will be magnified. Whereas the left hemisphere will tune down. Brain fog, memory lapses and no focus will be prevalent.
Feeling Disconnected: Your consciousness is wanting you to look within for answers. As your frequency shifts, your interests and relationships will change, you attract what you are. Old friendships and relationships will fall away for more soulful aligned relationships. We are releasing our karmic bonds from our soul family. Sometimes we must let go in order to grow and evolve. Looking Within: This could be a desire from out of the blue to mediate, talking to yourself or being more introspective with your thoughts rather than voicing your opinion all the time, hermit mode. You basically become more telepathic and in tune with your thought perceptions of the world around you. You are becoming an observer of your thoughts and feelings, a watcher between worlds.
Moments of Elation: Once you awaken you feel more at peace with yourself and your reality. This creates moments of bliss and euphoria. You are able to see beyond the illusions of separation and knowing that you are never alone. We are all connected and guided by the Universe within.

Hi friends, im a linux newbie who recently found home in Fedora 40 w/KDE. I've noticed something odd, it seems the system automatically installs new bleeding-edge Kernels (& without noticing me🤣). I saw this in the Grub menu, where suddenly there are more than the 2 boot options of fedora safeboot & the 6.~ kernel alongside win11, but now there are a couple more - 6.8 (i think) & 6.9. From reading some posts here, i learned that upgradibg kernel isnt always a good idea, and so I'd like to ask for your advice on how to fix that. Also, I wish to change the output of some keyboard keys. For example, [Right Control] key to input the section symbol "§". How to do that? I saw some different sources but they were rather complex and seemed like waaay too much for such a small tweak. Im optimistic that a simple terminal line with the ability to solve that matter probably exists, but maybe im wrong hahah.
Thanks in advance for your help, and im looking forward to reading your thoughts on these subjects. T.

[F4M] looking for creative detailed dominant players, school theme play. all characters are 18+. discord only I'm a school girl who's nerdy,sweet and innocent.i have never dated anyone and usually rejects most of the guys. But i have a busty figure, fairly big tits and a round ass,a decent height,long hair,thick thighs with flawless fair skin that makes me pretty.all this wasted on me who's not interested to date anyone.You're my classmate who has a crush on me,we have just exchanged some conversations a few times.i am not interested in you neither we are friends.you're an above average student in studies and sports, people know you cause of your academic achievements.everyday u see me in red skirt and white shirt in school and bus(we both share the same bus to home) and desires start to rise inside you and you feel lustful towards me,having dreams about me, jerking off to me at home etc.soon this lust becomes an obsession and you just wanted me to be yours at all cost,you were like my biggest fan,you know and stare at each and every corner of my body that you could see, visualising me in different positions under you.one thing i wasn't aware is that I'm submissive in nature and bed to a real respectful dominant man. This is not a romantic play.both characters are adults I need a detailed creative guy who can describe me,my body, his thoughts and the situation.this'd be a slow burn plot with buildup to intimacy.If you could send gifs or pics related to the scene that's a plus but not necessary! Also someone who'd come up with ideas for the scene together and not just expect me to do everything,we can brainstorm together.Dm me if you like the idea or could put ur ideas into it to make it good roleplay for both of us.pls dm me with some effort of your writing style if you loved the idea cause i only want players who'd enjoy and be invested in it.dont dm me with just hey/hi or sticker,i don't reply.more into my kinks and limits is in my profile previous posts. Thanks!

aybe someone can help me... I am 24yo and my pain isnt normal, i dont get these pain thrusts, i have constant pain for months. I got surgery done in december last year and had no pain for like 6 months. Since last week i am suffering from pain again and i dont know what to do. I am taking max. dose of carbamazepin 200mg, gabapentin 300mg and amitriptylin 25mg, also i take ibuprofen 800mg and tilidin 100mg, but the pain is still at a high level. Yesterday I took like 5000mg (not at once) of ibuprofen to lower the pain level and it worked for like 12 hours, but this is not a long time solution, cause my kidneys and stomach will fail at a certain point.
I am ready to try everything, from meds to sports/activities as diversion or some techniques to lower the pain.
PS: I also tried oxcarbazepin, oxycodon, pipamperone, quetiapin, physiotherapy and a fascia roller. And sorry for my bad grammar
Edit : i figured out, that the pain can be suppressed with doing push ups... but i only can do 50, so its a short time^{^} but it helps for a few seconds

So I have an issue right now with my screen & keyboard. I reached out to support to repair it under warranty. Image retention issues I've confirmed like this is 100% not my fault(I'm pretty sure) so I probably have it covered under warranty. My issue is the keyboard, I have 1 key important that broke and the other, a key unimportant I just broke physically I think the thing under it is missing one tiny piece of rubber so it keeps springing out of the keyboard sometimes.
I talked to support about the costs(since I'm new to warranties and whatnot) and they said it is free but my warranty will be voided if there are physical damages. Their exact quote "but sometimes we consider if theres any physical damage then the warranty will be voided" is this. So I'm a little worried right now, I complained about my W key wanting it fixed. Somehow if they find the other unimportant key that has physical damage, is the warranty just voided and I cannot get it repaired for free? or will the repair guys only care about the W key and ignore the key that is damaged? I'm very confused and need some help figuring this one out, I don't have a lot of money right now especially for repairs and this voiding warranty talks is scaring me.

The Battle of Endor was over. The once mighty Galactic Empire lay shattered, its troops scattered across the moon's forested surface. As night fell, a small group of stormtroopers huddled together in a makeshift shelter. Their white armor, once a symbol of fear and order, was now scuffed and battered, offering little protection against the unknown dangers lurking in the darkness.
Sergeant Rax peered out into the dense forest, his blaster rifle gripped tightly in his hands. "Keep your eyes open," he whispered to his remaining men. "The Ewoks are out there. They know these woods better than we do."
Private Kellen shivered, not from the cold but from fear. He had seen what those seemingly primitive creatures could do. "Sergeant, what if they come for us? We don't stand a chance out here."
"We stick together and keep moving," Rax replied, trying to sound more confident than he felt. "If we stay put, we're sitting ducks."
Suddenly, a rustling sound echoed through the trees. The stormtroopers froze, their blasters trained on the shadows. The moonlight cast eerie patterns on the forest floor, and every shifting leaf seemed to hide a threat.
Corporal Vess, the squad's scout, moved ahead, his eyes scanning for any sign of the enemy. He paused, pointing to a barely visible tripwire. "Booby traps. They're trying to herd us into a kill zone."
"Then we outsmart them," Rax said, determination hardening his voice. "Vess, find us a path through."
Vess nodded and began leading the group through a series of careful steps, avoiding the traps set by their furry adversaries. The night was alive with the sounds of the forest, each one making the stormtroopers more jumpy. They knew the Ewoks were watching, waiting for the right moment to strike.
Hours passed as they trudged through the undergrowth, the weight of their armor and fear wearing them down. Just when they thought they might have escaped the worst of it, a high-pitched war cry pierced the night. The Ewoks were upon them.
Small, agile figures darted from the trees, wielding spears and slingshots with deadly precision. The stormtroopers fired back, their blaster bolts lighting up the night. But for every Ewok they hit, two more seemed to take its place.
"Fall back!" Rax shouted, trying to form a defensive perimeter. But the Ewoks were relentless, their intimate knowledge of the terrain giving them the upper hand. One by one, the stormtroopers fell, overwhelmed by the sheer number of their attackers.
In the end, only Rax and Kellen were left, their backs against a massive tree trunk. Rax's blaster was empty, and Kellen was down to his last charge. The Ewoks circled them, their eyes gleaming with a mix of curiosity and vengeance.
"This is it, Kellen," Rax said, his voice resigned but not broken. "We fought well."
Kellen nodded, gripping his blaster tightly. "At least we go down fighting."

So, to start this off I play shooters with a Tablet, which seems crazy for alot of people and think I'm lying, which is exactly why I'm trying to figure out if there is a way to have an input overlay like all the other overlays for mouse and keyboard. The Driver I use for my tablet already kind of has one, but it is very ugly and non customizable making it quite hard to see on recordings. If this already exists I'd love to get a link to it, if not, is it even possible? The Drivers do output raw input data so I feel like it wouldn't be too hard to create one, I just suck at coding or anything like it.

What will you be doing with this PC? Be as specific as possible, and include specific games or programs you will be using.

Three use cases, in order from highest to lowest priority:

• For work: run various IDEs, build and run relatively large projects (Go, C++, Rust).
• Home servegeneral use: photo (but not video) editing: Lightroom and Photoshop, Plex server, PiHole, Docker, a self-hosted Password Manager
• Gaming: I am not particularly up to speed with gaming (haven't played anything in 10+ years). I'd like to get back to it. I don't care too much about playing AAA+ games on the highest graphic settings, but I'd like to be able to play smoothly for a few years. I will be probably playing a mixture of sport and managerial games (no names unfortunately, the last game I remember buying was CoD:MW2...)

What is your maximum budget before rebates/shipping/taxes?

3000 Euros, and I'd like to get as close as possible to it.

When do you plan on building/buying the PC? Note: beyond a week or two from today means any build you receive will be out of date when you want to buy.

I plan to order the parts this weekend, next week at most, and build ASAP.

What, exactly, do you need included in the budget? (ToweOS/monitokeyboard/mouse/etc)

Everything except mouse/keyboard. I do have a monitor already but I'd like to add at least another 27inches one. However, if this means sacrificing the build, I can delay the purchase of a monitor to later in the year.
If possible, two different lists with and without monitor would be much appreciated.

Which country (and state/province) will you be purchasing the parts in? If you're in US, do you have access to a Microcenter location?

Ireland.

If reusing any parts (including monitor(s)/keyboard/mouse/etc), what parts will you be reusing? Brands and models are appreciated.

I have a 32 inch monitor (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01NBH7IW2), a cheap logitech keyboard and a tecknet vertical mouse (https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B089N996BZ).
Since I don't plan to play any FPS/RTS or similar games, I think I am happy with not buying a better keyboard/mouse.

Will you be overclocking? If yes, are you interested in overclocking right away, or down the line? CPU and/or GPU?

No interest in overclocking.

Are there any specific features or items you want/need in the build? (ex: SSD, large amount of storage or a RAID setup, CUDA or OpenCL support, etc)

Definitely an SSD. I do have external hard drives for storage, but at least 2T of storage would be good.
I'd really appreciate any effort on having a PC as silent as possible.
A WiFi card would be appreciated, but not 100% necessary (I am working on getting wired connection to my home office, I'd just have to prioritize)

Do you have any specific case preferences (Size like ITX/microATX/mid-towefull-tower, styles, colors, window or not, LED lighting, etc), or a particular color theme preference for the components?

Nothing in particular.

Do you need a copy of Windows included in the budget? If you do need one included, do you have a preference?

No need.

Final Fantasy is one of the biggest(if not the biggest) RPG franchises out there. As an anthology series, the games each hold a different world, every single numbered installment, as well as a different story. The patterns that connect the stories are there in order to keep a Final Fantasy game a Final Fantasy game. They’ve been able to make these games feel consistent in their approach for about 10 installments, with the titles after 10 being more on the subversion side. Now that Final Fantasy 7 is getting a remake “trilogy”, this subversion has become a complete deconstruction of what made the series well loved. The new people in charge of the IP seemed to have lost the magic, resulting in the series becoming a hollow husk of its former self.
With so many RPG Maker people wanting to recapture the magic, as well as Square Enix itself, this brings up the question: what exactly is a Final Fantasy plot?
In the 80s, Final Fantasy was conceived as a response to TTRPG games like Dungeon and Dragons and computer RPG games like Wizardry, with Dragon’s Quest being an influence and sharing the same influences itself. These fantasy game influences created a lot of the gameplay, with the story coming from what came prior in the form of Tolkienesque stories. To further the chain of influence, these Tolkienesque stories were inspired by Arthurian romance and mythology, holding a big focus on how alchemy approached the combination of mythologies to express a monomyth. Carl Jung helped popularize the monomyth, along with Joseph Campbell, which would later establish the media usage of the hero’s journey. When Lord of the Rings came out, the prevention of the world ending by the usage of a MacGuffin became a staple in heroic fantasy storytelling.
Final Fantasy began with nameless characters of unknown origins, having you play as the 4 warriors of light. 4 warriors were picked to represent the 4 elements, the 4 corners of the world, with 4 monsters of the elements acting as their main form of opposition as they head to the final boss. Fire, water, air, and earth were treated as vulnerable crystals that must be restored, bringing order back to a chaotic world, with the final boss being Chaos itself, to end the game with a peaceful kingdom. Rather than a single ring to rule them all, the MacGuffins in FF1 are instead key items, each one unlocking a new location to move the story forward. The world map is entirely used, from land to sea to air, forcing a journey process across different areas as these heroes attempt to fix the world.
The gameplay focuses on classes, with each class serving a different party purpose, forcing the player to pick different types for easier results. Each class was given a different outfit, easy to tell the difference between their roles, with each one symbolically having a different personality. It’s not that they had a personality in the game where they never speak, but rather the roles they hold grant them different paths on how they got there. For example, the fighter would have to become physically stronger and knighted to become a knight, while the thief would have to sneak around and learn black magic to become a ninja. In fact, having more thieves in your team was a way to make the game harder, because of their lower HP.
This combination of classes and a quest to save the world changed upon the second installment, where characters were finally given names and backstories. Due to this held history, their hometown was presented as the catalyst for the story to begin, being saved by a princess this time as they start a rebellion against an evil Emperor. Sounds familiar? This is where Star Wars comes in more full, acting as an inspiration for the science fantasy elements that come in during the later half of this game and the first one. The final location of a floating island could be considered part of Star War’s Cloud City, but it can also be tied to the more Japanese inspiration of Castle in the Sky.
Studio Ghibli, the “Japanese Disney”, came out with this movie a year prior to Final Fantasy 1’s release. In this movie, steampunk retrofuturism was inspired by science romanticism books of the 1800s, while its castle in the sky was inspired by the floating island in the satirical novel Gulliver's Travels (1726). All of these are still directly inspired by both the hero’s journey of alchemical study (through Star Wars) and mythological journeys(with floating islands being found in Homer’s Odyssey). The steampunk style continued into later titles, allowing the usage of swords with the combination of robots to make sense to the player. This also reinforces a romantic approach to storytelling, as Arthurian romance and scientific romance are combined into a mythological premise concerning the end of the world and heroes who go out to save it with MacGuffins.
Two creatures that would play important roles for the heroes were both made by the same designer: Koichi Ishii. The Chocobo would be used as a giant bird that you ride like a horse, while the Moogle was meant to be a spiritual assistant that has a pom-pom growing out of its head, symbolically declaring itself as your personal cheerleader. The cat-like body of the Moogle, as well as its infinite source of magical assistance, could easily be traced back to the 60s blue cat named Doraemon. While the cute Moogle was based on a culturally significant source (as well as the kami of Japanese folklore), the chocobo turned itself into one by becoming a cute form of transportation, both allowing the game to become more appealing to kids and animal lovers. These additions allowed the traveling merchants of the game, as well as the trusty galliform, to serve more of a story purpose when their significant locations are visited.
By the time we hit Final Fantasy 6, the classes are changed from choosing outfits to become character locked. At this point, the characters themselves are the class, with more classes collected as more characters are collected along the way. Their backstories come with their discovery, allowing their hometowns to become different locations across the map, and their relationships growing into pre-game histories and future romances. The summoner, a special type of mage, is treated as the most important type of character, due to their control of creatures that are based on our polytheistic gods and some mythological characters. Their role is to serve as a humorous deus ex machina, a reference to how plays would use a god of mythology to interfere with a story and set things right when the writer usually wrote themselves into a corner.
The roles of characters each become a repetition of this setup from 6, causing several key plot points to occur. The main “leader” is a young male who holds a bladed weapon, in the form of a sword or dagger. This is the “Luke Skywalker” of the group who is aided by an older magician or mentor who shows him the ropes. Along the way, they find a “princess” with access to ancient powers who is able to lead them to the MacGuffin that will save the world. From the beginning, they are opposed by a “black knight” who is the shadow of the leader, with an emperor antagonist that is overshadowed by this black knight, leading to the final showdown that is fought in several stages.
Three stages are utilized to represent the destruction of the antagonist’s body, mind, and spirit. Their presence throughout the story is in the form of stages, acting as spiritual checkpoints for the heroic leader to confront their shadow. Once the evil “emperor” is defeated, the shadow's presence brings in the apocalypse that threatens the world, as well as their symbolic four horsemen. Across the journey of the main party, they unlock the 4 forms of transportation: earth(main map), water(boat), air (airship), and fire (combustion vehicle/chocobo). Each quest unlocks the next quest with the next ability to access it, whether it’s a key item or a form of this transportation.
Each game comes with about 10 hours of storylines, making up about a fifth of total gameplay for an average playthrough. This sounds like a lot, but when split up by the 5 point story structure, this gives about 2 hours per point. When we realize there are an average of 70 locations per game, we can feel overwhelmed by the amount of locations to visit. Thankfully, only a small handful are actual story locations and the majority are battle locations for gameplay. The trick to figuring out their location planning is all in the types of locations they go through.
Locations are split into two types: 1. Hub 2. Dungeon
Hubs come in: 1. Small merchant 2. Rest stop(usually a save point) 3. Village (people but no shops) 4. Town (people and shops) 5. City (people, shops, side quests) 6. Castle (people, shops, main quests)
The dungeons come in the variety of: 1. Grassy 2. Desert 3. Snowy 4. Mountain 5. underwater 6. Cave 7. Forest 8. Haunted House 9. Laboratory 10. Castle 11. Space/unknown
When we view it in this way, those 70 locations get split into 35 each, with about 4- 5 hubs for each type and 3 - 4 dungeons of each type. With how each game needs a main hub as the kingdom, the emperor’s tower, the shadow’s fortress, a hometown(plus dungeon) for each side character, 3 to 4 main islands, and remakes of locations caused by running themes(like the gardens in 8), the tall order becomes far more shorter than presumed. The gathering of the side characters make up the bulk of act 2, which include: 1. A driver of the airship 2. An unconventional “mancer” 3. A gag character 4. One who betrays the empire (sometimes comes as an NPC or temporary character) 5. Secret characters 6. A tragic character (seeks revenge on the empire) 7. A dragoon (or sniper in the case of FF8
These character types can be combined in any way, but the goal is to include them for a full experience.
As for villains, the typical boss will be based on a particular weakness to a single(or theme based) type of attack. Reoccurring “Team Rocket” style battles will act as another form of story checkpoint, with these goons being a creature like Ultros or a trio like The Turks. In the final dungeon, a boss rush will either summon a lot of previous bosses to take you on at a higher level, or introduce a cast of new bosses that are to be fought at different layers. The defeat of a boss is meant to be the ending of a quest and the expansion into the next quest area until the game is over, with optional bosses causing neither of these(hence the name “optional”). The normal enemies of the area are (supposed) to train the player for the encounter with the boss of that same area.
Final Fantasy followed this simple formula for about 10 installments until the PS2 era started to make it shaky and then Final Fantasy 12 removed the doomsday weapon. 13 removed the male lead and any coherent recollection of a main antagonist. Once we got to 15, the doomsday weapon was back but now the summonings are treated like main characters. The remake of 7 flips everything on its head as it tries to force Midgar to be a world of its own, not realizing that the journey requires the player to leave the castle and get on an airship within the same game. As time goes on, the romanticism of its origins will be lost and it will just be building over itself without understanding where any of the structure comes from, because each installment comes with more deconstruction.
Final Fantasy started as romantic mythology, tied together with the fairy tale magic of Disney and Studio Ghibli. Everything about it is supposed to be cute, aimed at kids, hits hard enough to make an adult cry, and blessed by the presence of consistency. We don’t need the games to be more realistic, we need them to be more enjoyable. But hopefully, with this guide, you will be able to make your own Final Fantasy one day. You will make it better, make it proper, and it will certainly not be the final time we see it.

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.

Continued from part one.
In the mirror I saw a figure of the darkness next to the foot of my bed. I screamed, only for the figure to dash back inside my closet and close the doors behind it. To the naked eye, the doors seemed to roll back on their own, but because of the many mirrors inside my room, I could see the shadowy figure.
“What’s wrong?” my mom burst into my room not even four seconds later.
“J-j-just a nightmare?” I was uncertain if my imagination was too strong for my own good so I held back on the truth.
I wish I told her the truth. That wasn’t the last time I would see the figure in the mirror.
It happened again, about five years later. Yeah it didn’t happen right away. I wondered if the figure I saw was friendly and I simply scared it away for a while. That was my first mindset, but then I second guessed myself and simply thought maybe it was just my imagination playing with me.
At age 12, things started to become rocky with my parents. They fought over the same things, but they also fought over me. I had gone into the world of music to the point where I wanted to take up guitar, piano, and violin. My mom took one side of the stance where she didn’t believe that I could commit to any of them. My dad believed the opposite, fighting that I could do anything if I set my mind to it.
Again, conflict resided. My angry mother could still barge into my room if I didn’t lock the doors. She once found me writing, insisted on me showing her what I wrote, when I resisted she pulled it away from me and read my vampire fanfiction.
I was an angsty girl. Hence my writings were a bit suggestive at the time. My mom and my dad both read my work. My dad actually liked what I wrote aside from the fact it was about the supernatural. Of course, my mother again got mad since she’s the most religious in our family. She was, in a sense, a heretic.
Needless to say, since my family’s religion absolutely detests “spiritualistic and demonic” media, I got grounded. Also to clarify, yes this also meant I never read or watched the Harry Potter series, including the Twilight series. Although I don’t think I missed out on much with the Twilight series lol. Eventually I managed to rent a book that I got from my school’s library, called Hush, Hush, which laid in my backpack, tempting me to read it.
So there I was, no laptop and in my room. I didn’t really care since I had a guitar and a notebook. I still could find pleasure outside of my laptop, which of course my mother absolutely detested as well. Whenever she grounded me, she used to take away any kind of toy. Then, once she realized I could read on my own and was making up stories when I couldn’t read, she began to take books away. Punishments with my family wasn’t really a punishment, I could always find a way to entertain myself. Even if she took my notebooks away, I’d still end up daydreaming about something, even act out scenes I’d come up with in my head.
Now you can understand why I pushed off the incident with the figure in the mirror as a figment of my imagination. I had figured it was a draft, that the wheels and tracking were well lubricated with some kind of oil that makes it hard for them to stay in place.
Sitting on my bed at age 12, I leant back and closed my eyes. I had notebooks, several books, a keyboard for me to practice piano on, and a guitar. It wasn’t a big deal. (Yes I was a spoiled child. I’m owning up to this since I was the only girl among four boys- plus I was also 13 years younger than my youngest brother.) However I was so tired, that I decided on lazily daydreaming. Besides, I could always sneak my laptop back late at night.
As a devoted writer, I continued on imagining the story I began. I imagined what it would feel like to have fangs teasing the throat of the neck, how it would be to be kissed and then bitten by a vampire... my mind was rolling and it didn’t stop. I was a twelve year old girl going through puberty.
I told myself to stop and I decided to pull out the book, smiling at my little success. I went back to the page I left off on at the library earlier that day. I buried myself into the book and became sleepy. I nearly finished the book by the time I set the book aside and stupidly put it on my bedside table.
I passed out soon after. I don’t recall what kind of dream I had at first, all I know is that sometime later in the night, I woke up again, but I could not move my body at all. I looked around my room, which was now fully dark. I barely could recognize anything around me. The familiar outline of my vanity was gone, any silver reflection was gone, I did not see a single mirror, so I knew I was no longer in my room anymore.
A slight humming noise was around me, the room I was in lit up with a red flashing light. It felt like I was being pinned down by some kind of restraint system, so I looked down and noticed these short pale creatures crawling on top of me, towards my face. I felt a sharp sting in my leg, and I knew one of the creatures had bit me already.
It became to feel like sharp knives stabbing me all over my body, until five creatures met my face, their eyes sullen- beady- staring down at me with bloodied mouths and lunged at my neck, causing me to scream..The sound finally piercing through and I could hear myself breathing again, I could hear my screams and my frantic prayers escaping my lips.
Had my mom not come into my room and slapped me on my face, jolting me out of it- whatever it was- I would have seen more than I could bare. She saw the book and her anger brewed even more at me.
“Are you tempting the demons to attack you or something?” she fumed and took the book off of the table. She led me down to the entryway and opened the garage door. “Put it in there.”
I followed her command and put the book into the garage. I knew it wasn’t the book’s fault, but it was associated with “demunz” in her eyes, so I didn’t dare argue against her.
“Do you want to die? If you keep associating with demons, you know god will never forgive you. You won’t inherit everlasting life, only everlasting death. You know that right?!?” she yelled at me, had my dad been there that night- he would have stopped her from going that far. I suddenly missed him.
Her anger then died down after she ranted at me, once she recognized that I was still petrified. She at least brought me to, which made me thankful, but I also felt betrayed. She was supposed to protect me, but all she cared about was the idea of force feeding me her belief system. All she cared about was telling me I was wrong.
“I’m-” she had begun, and I just looked away from her and saw a shadow in my mirror again, standing behind my mom. It didn’t feel as eerie anymore. It felt almost comforting to see it, it moved from my mom to me. A figure of it’s arm wrapped around my shoulder, and I felt the cool breeze raise goosebumps at it’s touch.
“Do you want me to sleep with you tonight?” her voice lowered.
“I’ll sleep alone,” I remarked, still stung with the hurt from her hurtful remark.
She looked hurt for a second, but then returned to her normal frown. “I’ll sleep in the little entertainment room next to you, if you need me just yell out again.”
“Fine,” I simply just pulled my blankets over me again, waited for her to leave, then cried into my pillow.
My mom left, not seeing the dark figure in the mirror and went into the adjacent room. At her departure, the darkness came into my bed, the eerie feeling no longer there and it snuggled against me.
Shh. It hushed me and brushed my hair.
I didn’t question it. I had been afraid of it for so long, but with the sweet affection it gave me- the affection I desired and longed for from both of my parents.
The falling tears turned into a silent sob, my body shook against the bed, little breathy whimpers muffled by my pillow.
Shh, it repeated until I fell asleep again.
When morning came, I woke up with a sore neck and I was irritated with my mom. I remembered what happened and then I snuck out to my laptop and searched up what had happened to me. I learned it was sleep paralysis and figured maybe my imagination went too far with the vampire thing. I was stiff, my body was so sore and I saw my closet doors closed.
Again, I had felt as if my imagination had made it up. I knew the kind of comfort it gave me is what I desperately longed for. It gave me what my family didn’t, and I hated myself. I thought it was a figment of my imagination since it knew all the things I wanted. That is, until something else showed up. The shadow figure in the mirrors was just the start of it all.

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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.

TLDR: I made mistakes and we broke up. But she led me on making me believe that I have a chance for a month straight after we broke up.
This is a pretty weird situation. Or was. Me and her met early September and we immediately clicked. So many similar interests and hobbies, the conversations were wonderful. As we started hanging out more and more we both developed feelings for each other. One night she asked me to be bf and gf. I said yes in a heartbeat. Everything was perfect I thought I found my last everything. Sure we had our differences here and there.
I would get sad or pissed when she wasn’t available and would go crazy. She would go out drinking every weekend with her friends. I guess I really didn’t like that part of her, I tried to change her. I asked her multiple times “can you please dedicate either Friday or Saturday to me?” And she would reply with “I want to hang out with my friends. You know I like partying.” Why go to a college bar when you have a partner? Isn’t the whole reason of going to a bar in college is to get laid? I was always on edge about her going out because I knew how she is when she is drunk. She is overtly kind to people. Her story growing up is painful. Filled with a lot of emotional and physical absence from a male figure. I tried to be that male figure, but did the same mistakes as her dad did. Trauma dumping, gaslighting, etc,
I’m not proud of what I did. I didn’t realize I was even doing those. Fast forward to late March, one night I jokingly hid my phone from her as she was trying to look at my twitter (just sports stuff) I only wanted a reaction out of her, but that was the biggest mistake I did. She lost trust in me and eventually feelings too. The very next day she called me to talk and I came running. We sat down and she gave me the news to break up. I started crying and shaking. She was talking about how we are not suitable in the long run. At first she said maybe we can stay friends with benefits, but then she said okay we can try one more time if you fuck up once it’s over. A week or two from that situation, i felt that she was gradually getting farther away from me. Sure we did text all day long but she didn’t want to hang out. It was like that for a week or so. Then I finally got her to start hanging out with me. On a Friday, she told me “I’m going to be busy I won’t be able to text you fast” I said okay. I got drunk with my friends. She did too with her friends. She texted me during all that time too. She didn’t respond for about an hour and all hell broke loose in me. I called her 20 times, sent her harsh words, accused her of cheating(she didn’t), telling her to come to my house immediately. She said she was already in bed but I kept bugging her until she gave in. I made her scared of me. The same thing happened a week later too. And she thought it was time to actually break up.
I tried apologizing saying that I will change for good. She said okay I will wait for you. But she already started talking to someone else. When I found about this she brushed it off by saying we’re just friends. Me and her still hanged out but only out in public. I begged her to wait for me while I grow up mentally and throw away my flaws. She told me that she thought about getting back together. That gave me hope. I made the mistake of still keeping in contact with her till last weekend. That weekend I get a picture randomly out of nowhere of her kissing another guy. And I went crazy. I said my words and blocked her on everything. Note that her friends were bullying me too and on many occasions. She would always say “I shouldn’t have let that happen” but kept letting it happen.
Now I realize that we were never meant to be. I only got into a relationship with her because I didn’t want to be alone and the opportunity was right in front of me. But I feel like she has hurt me this past few weeks more than I ever hurt her. She lead me on this whole past month, which made me delusional that I was still close with her. And she told me that “I only said that we can try one last time to make you stop crying.”
I admit I made horrible decisions and was toxic. But she was more toxic than I ever was to her this past month. I dont know who is the villain.

Introduction
In today's competitive world, ensuring the best education for our children is paramount. As parents, we constantly seek schools that not only impart knowledge but also nurture the overall development of our little ones. In Noida, a bustling hub of education and innovation, the quest for the right school can be daunting. However, fear not! We're here to guide you through the maze of options and shed light on some of Noida's best school choices, with a special focus on Delhi World Public School.

1. Delhi World Public School: A Beacon of Excellence

Nestled in the heart of Noida, Delhi World Public School stands tall as a beacon of excellence in education. With its holistic approach to learning and state-of-the-art facilities, DWPS has carved a niche for itself in the educational landscape of the city. From modern classrooms equipped with smart boards to sprawling playgrounds that foster physical development, every aspect of DWPS is designed to provide a conducive environment for learning and growth.

1. Academic Rigor with a Global Perspective

At DWPS, academic excellence is not just a goal; it's a way of life. The school follows a rigorous curriculum that is designed to challenge students intellectually and foster a love for learning. With a faculty comprising seasoned educators and subject matter experts, DWPS ensures that every child receives personalized attention and guidance to unlock their full potential. Moreover, with its focus on global citizenship, the school exposes students to diverse cultures and perspectives, preparing them to thrive in an interconnected world.

1. Beyond the Classroom: A Multifaceted Approach to Education

Education at DWPS extends far beyond the confines of the classroom. The school believes in nurturing the overall development of students by providing a myriad of extracurricular activities ranging from sports and arts to music and debate. Whether it's participating in inter-school competitions or volunteering for community service projects, students at DWPS are encouraged to explore their interests and passions beyond academics. This holistic approach ensures that every child receives a well-rounded education that equips them with the skills and confidence to excel in all spheres of life.

1. Safety First: Ensuring a Secure Environment

As parents, the safety and well-being of our children are paramount. At DWPS, safety is not just a priority; it's a non-negotiable commitment. From stringent security protocols to regular safety drills, the school leaves no stone unturned in ensuring a secure environment for students. Moreover, with its dedicated team of counselors and support staff, DWPS provides a nurturing and inclusive space where every child feels valued and protected.

1. Parental Involvement: A Collaborative Partnership

At DWPS, we believe that education is a collaborative effort between the school, parents, and the community at large. We actively encourage parental involvement through regular communication channels, parent-teacher meetings, and workshops. By fostering a strong partnership between home and school, we ensure that every child receives the support and encouragement they need to thrive academically and emotionally.
In conclusion, when it comes to securing your child's future, choosing the right school is paramount. In Noida, Delhi World Public School emerges as a shining beacon of academic excellence, holistic development, and safety. With its unwavering commitment to nurturing young minds and shaping global citizens, DWPS stands tall as a symbol of hope and promise for the next generation. So, if you're looking for a school that not only educates but also inspires, look no further than Delhi World Public School. Your child's future awaits!

Hi! I made an account just to ask some questions i had for myself.
Okay so for context I turned 17 a couple months ago and recently I decided that i wanted to be a Femboy. Mainly bc I’ve had the thought of presenting more feminine/androgynously for a while since i realized i was bi, and because it seems more manageable than straight up transitioning because it’s not such a life changing commitment if that makes any sense.
I also come from a really sports oriented family, so i’ve grown up playing sports basically my whole life up until i started high school, which is when i decided to stop because i got bored of it. I played mainly basketball and american football (idk if i have to specify or not lmao) because i’m on the taller side and i weight a decent amount and im a little muscular. (around 6’3, 240 ish)
The questions I have are as follows.

1. Should I worry about losing weight/slimming down more/losing muscle, and how should i go about it if so?

• i’ve seen some people say that weight doesn’t really matter but i’d still like to get some type of slimmehourglass-esc figure without losing my thighs. mainly bc my end goal was looking like kirara from jjk lmao

1. Is makeup something I should look into eventually?

• i know people talk about makeup a lot, and i’ve seen other femboys near my skin color pull it off pretty well, but i just don’t think it would fit me personally

1. Should I eventually think about coming out?

• the only people i’ve told about my sexuality and things are my friends who are gladly really accepting and supporting. I feel like coming out to my family wouldn’t cause anything because a decent amount are also lgbtq and have friends that are as well so i know they’ll be accepting, but it just feels kinda weird and complicated to do even if i know they’ll most likely be okay with it.

1. Is there anything I should care about looks wise?

• i’m already planning on cutting off my dreads and growing my hair out to be more fluffy and curly, and i already understand most of femboy fashion as well but any other suggestions are appreciated!(even though i’d most likely just wear hoodies and thigh highs)

Im sorry I wrote so much but i just wanted to give as much as i think i should so i could get the best advice/feedback possible. Thank you in advance!

Hi All
TLDR: - I used to dive in contact lenses in the past, no issues. - I had LASIK surgery - Vision above water fine - Vision underwater in goggles blurry - Optician & Surgeon don't have much advice (there's a £100 consultation fee to investigate further into it) - Not sure whether my diving life is over and I'm not sure what to do
I had LASIK surgery a few years ago to correct short-sightedness, and it's changed my life. There haven't been any side effects above the water and my vision is near perfect.
I stepped back in the pool for the first time a few months ago, I used some Zoggs googles (standard off the shelf at a sports centre type thing) to swim with. As soon as I put my head underwater I realised that it was as if my vision was short-sighted again. I could see the outline of where things were and what colour they were, but I couldn't see any great detail; when I looked at my watch I could not see what time it was, even with the backlight on.
This is a bit of an edge case; I haven't been able to find anything online about it so far and my optician and my surgeon hadn't encountered this before, thus didn't have much advice for me. The only thing they have been able to suggest is that it may be the material of the goggles (plastic lenses), and that I should try with the diving mask (tempered glass) and see whether that changes things. I have yet to try the mask.
Before I had LASIK I used to wear contact lenses to dive with and swim with and I could see fine underwater with goggles or a face mask.
I'm a BSAC Ocean Diver, and I always wanted to get back into diving in the future. At the moment I'm trying to figure out whether this is even possible for me anymore, or whether I need to just get diving out of my head and keep the happy memories of the past.

Hi All
TLDR: - I used to dive in contact lenses in the past, no issues. - I had LASIK surgery - Vision above water fine - Vision underwater in goggles blurry - Optician & Surgeon don't have much advice (there's a £100 consultation fee to investigate further into it) - Not sure whether my diving life is over and I'm not sure what to do
I had LASIK surgery a few years ago to correct short-sightedness, and it's changed my life. There haven't been any side effects above the water and my vision is near perfect.
I stepped back in the pool for the first time a few months ago, I used some Zoggs googles (standard off the shelf at a sports centre type thing) to swim with. As soon as I put my head underwater I realised that it was as if my vision was short-sighted again. I could see the outline of where things were and what colour they were, but I couldn't see any great detail; when I looked at my watch I could not see what time it was, even with the backlight on.
This is a bit of an edge case; I haven't been able to find anything online about it so far and my optician and my surgeon hadn't encountered this before, thus didn't have much advice for me. The only thing they have been able to suggest is that it may be the material of the goggles (plastic lenses), and that I should try with the diving mask (tempered glass) and see whether that changes things. I have yet to try the mask.
Before I had LASIK I used to wear contact lenses to dive with and swim with and I could see fine underwater with goggles or a face mask.
I'm a BSAC Ocean Diver, and I always wanted to get back into diving in the future. At the moment I'm trying to figure out whether this is even possible for me anymore, or whether I need to just get diving out of my head and keep the happy memories of the past.

Hi All
TLDR: - I used to dive in contact lenses in the past, no issues. - I had LASIK surgery - Vision above water fine - Vision underwater in goggles blurry - Optician & Surgeon don't have much advice (there's a £100 consultation fee to investigate further into it) - Not sure whether my diving life is over and I'm not sure what to do
I had LASIK surgery a few years ago to correct short-sightedness, and it's changed my life. There haven't been any side effects above the water and my vision is near perfect.
I stepped back in the pool for the first time a few months ago, I used some Zoggs googles (standard off the shelf at a sports centre type thing) to swim with. As soon as I put my head underwater I realised that it was as if my vision was short-sighted again. I could see the outline of where things were and what colour they were, but I couldn't see any great detail; when I looked at my watch I could not see what time it was, even with the backlight on.
This is a bit of an edge case; I haven't been able to find anything online about it so far and my optician and my surgeon hadn't encountered this before, thus didn't have much advice for me. The only thing they have been able to suggest is that it may be the material of the goggles (plastic lenses), and that I should try with the diving mask (tempered glass) and see whether that changes things. I have yet to try the mask.
Before I had LASIK I used to wear contact lenses to dive with and swim with and I could see fine underwater with goggles or a face mask.
I'm a BSAC Ocean Diver, and I always wanted to get back into diving in the future. At the moment I'm trying to figure out whether this is even possible for me anymore, or whether I need to just get diving out of my head and keep the happy memories of the past.

So I don’t even know where to begin. I guess I’ll start from the very beginning. Sorry this will be long. Tia for anyone who leaves advice. My husband and I have been married for 13 years. We have two kids A who is 9 and L who is 13. In the beginning of our relationship my husband treated me horribly. I was essentially a single mother in a marriage. There has never been any DV, but he has cheated on me, crushed me, been an absent father, etc. When child A came along he did a complete 180. He stopped going out to bars he helped me more at home and became an overall better father and husband. He continued to cheat on me. I brought it up time and time again about him cheating and it was always the same old story I’m sorry I won’t do it anymore blah blah blah. Well fast forward a few years and things are going great. He stopped cheating he became a wonderful father and husband. He helped out with the kids, helped with chores at home etc. I have always been a stay at home mom so we rely on his income. Keep in mind my husband now makes really good money. Right around 6 figures a year - maybe slightly more. The kids and I live a wonderful life. We do whatever we want whenever we want because money isn’t an issue. We travel, the kids are in multiple select sports, we go to Disney yearly as well as the beach, etc. point being is we live a very comfortable lifestyle. A loves him so much and but L sees right through him. L holds some grudges from early on in her life of how crappy a father he was and how he treated me. But yet again I have found out he’s started cheating on me. AGAIN!!! I have no idea what to do. If I divorce him my kids and I will loose this comfortable lifestyle we live. I know for a fact he won’t be able to keep his good paying job he will resort back to his old ways of barley working and hanging out at bars. Should I just suck it up and let him continue to cheat then leave him once the kids are older?? Or do I leave him now and no longer have a comfy income and me and my kids lives would be turned upside down.

I am flooded with information and links and products only to find out their a bit more than what I was looking for, or didn't solve the problem.
I am looking for a Macro pad (or similar) that I can use for online gaming (Helldivers 2) that is external to a keyboard or a mouse.
I remember some Macro pads like the World of Warcraft one from many years ago created additional keys instead of using the keyboards 1, 2, 3, Alt etc. This would be nice, but not a deal breaker.
What would really make my day and month is to find:

1. External Macro Pad so I can bind hot keys (up, down, left, right, alt in a seq etc.)
2. Can label the buttons with small symbols (not a deal breaker, but that would be so perfect).
3. Can be wired or wireless.
4. Price is not a factor.

Any help would be so much appreciated!