So I'm from London and have lived here my whole life, when I was younger in the summer we'd go to Cyprus because that's where my dad's from.
He invited me to come down for 2 weeks, a couple years ago I went with friends and it was fun. But when I go on my own I always wanna come back after a few days and I just don't feel right. It's hard to explain but it's this weird mix of loneliness and homesickness, despite nothing bad happening there. I'm able to eat good food everyday, but I just don't feel right. I can't speak the language so usually when I'm around my dad which is most of the time given he is who I'm visiting, I don't understand what's going on so can't really conversate unless English is spoken, which isn't so often.
Is there any ways to shrug off this feeling, I'm 23 but when I'm with my dad I feel like a kid, not in a good way. When I am on my own I feel like myself, so I'm thinking maybe I'll just do my own thing somedays to feel slightly better, play some music and walk around. I've always had issues meeting like minded people, who share my interests in the last 5 years. But when I travelled to Copenhagen by myself I felt more than fine, I really enjoyed it. I just don't get it.
It's only 2 weeks so I don't know why I'm stressing so much, but I guess that's what happens when you have an anxiety disorder. Can anyone empathise a bit, and do they know how to deal with it. I always make rash decisions like this, and end up regretting them immediately after, trying to find cancellations and such.

IT IS POSSIBLE! This is the first and most important fact to remind yourself consistently. There is no step by step plan for this. But there are things you need to know and study up on. Im going to go into some facts and get into what you can do to help yourself maneuver through life and out of the reality surrounding your life that is gangstalking….
*COVERT NARCISSISM- these aren’t your typical narcissistic people… they are harder to detect and utilize more dark manipulation tactics, like coercive control, manipulating you to try to play the wounded healer role, and playing the caring friend role, giving gifts (don’t except gifts! More on that later) “helping” you so they can act like you use them and take credit for good things that come in your life and your accomplishments. HOW TO DEAL WITH THE ISSUE? Research! YouTube, Ben Taylor’s channel called raw motivations, YouTube also has information about dark psychology manipulation tactics and I would really dig DEEP into that, recognize the tactics of dark psychology being utilized by the people you interact with in your day to day life and then proceed to cut them off! And when they try to act confused understand that it’s more manipulation. Covert narcissists LOVEEEE to use an internal podcasting system to play their group podcasts through your devices with multiple audio output so you can hear them talking shit while they watch you, this way they can call you crazy and make you look crazy to everyone. HOW DO YOU SOLVE THIS? block the people that you hear, on your accounts and cut them off completely, also raise your vibrational frequency and the voices will fade. They will send you texts that have t”ypos” that have a period in between two words instead of a space or just a period where it wouldn’t belong, it’s a hack link and you need to block them immediately and turn off your phone immediately after blocking them and cut them off and out of your life immediately, they are hacking you to know what your plans are so they can Sabotage you, along with watching you to later fuck with your head.
*UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE NOW IN SPIRITUAL WARFARE!!!!!! These people are in cults for the most part…. Look up the INEE handbook. These cults have different names because there’s more than one cult. Ouiinee is the one I dealt with personally. They use a language of context, which means they use code words for many things. “School” is what they call the humiliation ritual they do on a victim they have targeted, “teachers” are your handlers, they break you down to control you and try to teach you that conformity is your only option, “work” is their word for organized operations against you that they document record so they can make money off your suffering, by selling footage on dark web platforms. They will do black magic on you for energy harvesting and to create blockages…. Ever get a gift given to you and then you lose your job or something you love, or become more and more trapped? Pray to your Devine god, call your guardian angels ( YouTube “dark knight of the soul” and “spiritual warfare”) they also supercharge their technology with dark magic to make you hear their internal podcasting system down to the core of your soul, they will also attack you in your dreams, and you just have to get closer to the Devine. Don’t fear being alone, isolate yourself to research and reconstruct yourself to vibrate higher. What helped me know what they were doing was the tarot readers on YouTube. REMEMBER THAT THE DEMONIC SIDE DOES’T ATTACK SOMEONE THAT HAS NO LIGHT!!! IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE ENERGY THAT COMES FROM THE DEVINE LIGHT EMBEDDED IN THE FABRIC OF YOUR SOUL, YOU AREN’T A THREAT AND YOU CANNOT BE OF USE EITHER!! You must listen to your intuition and develop your discernment, your gut feeling will always tell you something is not right, and listening to it is more important than falling into the trap of not wanting to believe that someone you care about isn’t who they pretend to be, it’s a mask and they were never who you thought they were. It’s important to not be having sex with these people and it’s safer to stick with solo action until you are in the clear, this is one of the ways they attach energetic cords to you so they can harvest your energy and bind demonic entities to you and make their black magic more effective in keeping you vulnerable, stuck and stagnant in life
*THINGS WILL HAPPEN WITH NANOTECHNOLOGY. Strange fibers growing in your skin, seeing small dust particle drones, etc……. You need to move unannounced and mostly unplanned, tell no one, and move far enough away that it’s inconvenient for them travel to watch you, being trapped is an illusion. It may seem like they fallow you everywhere, also an illusion, they are simply just EVERYWHERE! This is where understanding dark psychology, setting firm boundaries,discernment, and intuition is important! Don’t disrespect your boundaries, when you do that they have the upper hand and will always take it farther, as soon as someone disrespects your boundaries, simply walk away and cut them off. Make room in your life for those that respect your boundaries. Not everyone is like that, also don’t over share your personal life, you don’t owe anyone an explanation for everything. They appear to be fallowing you to every town because you display behaviors that they can exploit. They can sniff out easy targets like a bloodhound. Have boundaries and tell people when they are disrespecting a boundary and if they don’t stop they you will cut them off, then fallow through.
*ADVANCED BIOFUELS- genetic engineering, feeling crawling under your skin, covered with a very oily/waxy substance, getting random cuts on your body like invisible razor blades are coming out of nowhere and doing driveby on your skin? Making you feel like you’re being attacked by parasites? That’s advanced biofuels and they have a code word for it called buty wax that refers to butamax you need to RELOCATE and this will eventually destroy your body and your immune system and they will keep putting it into your environment until you move. They can make it at home or get it from the dark web for cheap, this is a torture tactic and as long as they know your location you are not safe from this. To help treat the effects of this, do cleanses to eliminate toxins from your body and take natural herbal remedies that will boost your immune system, get sunlight and exercise, avoid drugs and alcohol.
*DONT USE HARD DRUGS they target people with addictions because people don’t want to believe that what is happening is true if you’re on drugs, people don’t take addicts seriously because they assume they they are just hallucinations, making them an easy target for this type of abuse. Also many people in the drug world target people so they can get more drugs as payment and use drugs without being the target. And numb their pain all at your expense.
*AVOID THE PEOPLE, PLACES, AND THINGS, avoid the people you know are your gang stalkers, avoid places like bars, strip clubs, and trap houses, and avoid things that trigger you to relapse on drugs or get involved with certain people, also avoid the people places and things that give you a bad gut feeling.

• I am open to answering any questions to the best of my knowledge. I know these things from experience dealing with these assholes for years, I have a heightened extra sensory perception, which means that I have spiritual gifts that have made it easier to practice divination (communicating with the deceased and spirit guides) spot on intuition that got me out of some very fucked up situations at last minute, as well as just knowing exactly what to collect samples of in my environment to look at under a microscope, and I also research everything that I feel is suspicious. Also look up the court documents for MK-ULTRA and research everything you don’t understand. I got away and nobody came to my rescue, I had to save myself and this is a great start. It goes way deeper than this but it’s too much to type here. Just ask me in the comments and I might be able to help with whatever answer you’re looking for.

I have for many years shoulder tendonitis, especially on hyper-acanthus, sometimes also pinched nerve pain, or pain while i sleep on shoulder, but those aren't my problems. I am doing stretches, and exercises and i can cope with those problem, even eliminate them.
Sometimes with random actions, i feel a crazy pain on shoulder, right or left, which lays me on ground for maybe 1 minute. Generally i can suffer pain at some degree, but this is too much. The strange is that after a minute i am ok. I can work or exercise without a problem.
Can this be shoulder dislocation? Why MRI doesn't show it? Is there any test that can identify it?
I did many shoulder tests, but on most i don't feel a pain or instability.
Some actions that i did and had this pain :
Throw a rock in the air
Did overhead triceps extension with band ( happened a week ago )
If i remember correctly, did standing one-arm chest flys with band
Tried to tie my shoelaces, in a seated position that i had to extend my arms
Tried to fasten the zipper of my trouser, in a position that i had to extend my arms
In general, most times i had this pain is when i tried for whatever reason to extend my arms to do an action or to reach something. But i don't have the same pain when i am hanging on pull bar. It's very minor.
I don't understand why and how. But i try to eliminate all the above. For example the last shoulder pain was a week ago with the triceps exercise, and i won't do it again. The same reason i try not to throw again heavy things cause i am afraid, cause i don't want to reproduce the problem. Cause although it lasts for a minute and only once each month+, it's painful in a strange way.. Like i gonna lose my conscious.
I have visited some doctors, but can't help me. They saw MRI, did some tests on me, all good.. Classic.. Maybe i should try a chiropractor?

Credit to u/SpacePaladin15 for the NOP Universe.
Hey, I hope everyone's doing well!
Today we return to the namesake of this fic, an actual lesson about animals. This one focuses on Koalas! One of Australia's most recognisable critters. I hope you enjoy.
It's hardly worth mentioning, seeing as I'm an infrequent poster at the best of times, but I'll not have another chapter out for a few weeks due to limited free time and devoting most of my writing time to an upcoming ficnapping. Be sure to look out for that!
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Memory transcription subject: Rysel, Venlil Environmental Researcher
Date [Standardised human time]: 8th September 2136
“Koalas!”
Bernard’s energised voice boomed through the air as the classroom's monitor flickered into life, images of this paws lecture topic popping up one after the other until the entire screen was filled with a collage of furry quadrupeds.
Squee! I’ll never get tired of this, it’s all so cool!
As usual the sight of something new stirred immediate discussion, hushed murmurs swelling into vibrant discourse in little more than a heartbeat. Most of the class swiftly huddled together into small herds to bounce ideas around while the rest opted to stick to the solace of their own thoughts as they took in the display.
I’d be quite happy in either situation, though seeing as Sandi had already sunk into deep concentration and Kailo had peeled off to talk with Ennerif and Solenk, it seemed the decision had been made for me on this occasion. Wasting no more time on idle inspection of the people around me, I focused my full attention forward, eager to form first impressions before the lesson began in earnest.
Now then, time to make some educated guesses. What traits does this animal have? I wonder if I’ll get any right this paw?
Professional assumptions went paw-in-paw with the lectures, examining and coming up with hypotheses about the specimens was only natural. Recently however, I’d started to make a little game of it to make things even more interesting than usual. A veritable bonfire of ideas had been set ablaze within me, fueled by my newfound knowledge of Earthen wildlife. Every flash and spark of the flame was a fresh theory I could try to apply to the lectures. It was an invigorating exercise that further stoked my unceasing wonderment.
So far I’d only done this once during the previous class and, to my disappointment, I’d not done too well.
I was right when I guessed that chickens were omnivores, but wrong in my assumption that they could fly. And that red thing on their head, the um… what was it called? The comb! Yes, the comb. I thought that was to attract mates, but it regulates body heat instead. It’s fascinating. Oh! Stars damn it I’m rambling!
I bapped my tail against my leg, the soft thud being just enough to snap me back from my runaway thoughts before I went completely wall-eyed. I was becoming more and more accustomed to getting lost in my own head while remaining conscious of the fact; it was happening so frequently now that it was pretty much impossible not to. Now I was able to pull myself back to the world around me without having to rely on someone else shaking me out of it. Most of the time anyway.
Sandi still keeps an eye on me, and Kailo even decided to help out once without being too snide about it. Anyway where was I? Oh yeah, Koalas.
Glancing at the furred animals, two things immediately stood out. Firstly, their eyes were in a more central position on their face. And second, all the images showed them being on or close to trees. There were other noteworthy observations of course, such as the Koala’s prominent nose and rounded features, but they fell to the wayside as I honed in on these points first.
Hmmm… ok. I already know to discount the idea that they’re predators just from eye position, so let’s get that thought out of here. Maybe omnivorous? Herbivore? Agh no, I can’t just guess that for the sake of guessing, that’s the same problem! Hrm, it’s tough making these assumptions now that everything I thought I knew has been turned on its head.
Nevermind, I’ll focus on the other thing. All the trees make me think they’re arboreal, that seems to be a reasonable assumption. I wonder what else they-
Clearing his throat, Bernard broke my concentration, his call for attention silencing the murmuring conversation and redirecting everyone's focus to the lecturer's podium.
His gaze panned across the room as he waited for everyone to settle, a beaming smile lighting up his face, “As ever I’m delighted to see you all get so into the subject matter from the get go. I’m looking forward to hearing what you were discussing should you wish to share. For now though, how about we get started, hm?”
A chorus of merry bleats rang out from across the audience, ears and tails flicking happily in agreement. Bernard's grin grew in tandem with the class's fervour, clasping his hands together enthusiastically as he launched into the lesson, “Excellent! Then let’s get started.”
The pictures on screen dissolved away until only one remained, enlarging to cover the entire monitor with the fluffy grey face of a Koala peacefully reclining in the crook of a tree.
“Ah, there we are,” Bernard’s baritone timbre drifted through the room as he looked up at the image, his own tone reflecting the relaxed attitude of the animal on screen, “He looks so comfortable doesn’t he? Perfectly at peace with the world, not too surprising considering they sleep almost 20 hours a day. A full paw!”
A wave of beeps and gasps rippled through the herd, punctuated by a single yawn-dressed comment from Rova, “A full paw? Hwuuu… jealous.”
Her drowsy remark elicited several whistling giggles from the herd, Bernard's own jovial chortle joining them as he turned to face her, “Late evening Rova?”
I twisted a little in my seat, panning an eye in Rova’s direction just in time to see her bleary eyes bulge open and her ears shoot up, now intensely aware of the fact she hadn’t been as quiet as she thought she had.
Sitting up abruptly, she hastily tapped down errant tufts of wool that’d flared in surprise as she composed herself, though her nervousness at becoming the centre of the class's attention was still plain for all to hear, “Uh- I um… achem, a little bit yes, um- …sorry. Lokki dragged me out to a movie viewing in the rec centre. It went on pretty late.”
A melodramatic bray from the other side of the room drew everyone's ears away from Rova to the now aghast Lokki, paw splayed across his chest in faux indignation, “Dragged you? Well excuse me for trying to broaden your horizons with human movies. That’ll be the list time I- …Ahaaaa…”
Lokki’s theatrics were cut short by a heavy yawn of his own, a swell of whistling laughter rolling through the herd as vibrant bloom lit up his snout, a sight that elicited a particularly amused bleat from Rova.
Turning away from the duo I looked back at Bernard, pleased to see that he was chuckling along with us. Behaviour like Lokki’s would never have been tolerated in my school and university days but, in stark contrast, Bernard revelled in it, the liveliness of his students fueling his own bombastic style of teaching. It was a pleasant change of pace having a teacher who let us all be ourselves in class; provided we weren’t too disruptive to the lesson plan.
Speaking of which.
His laughter still rumbling through the air, Bernard clapped his hands to pull everyone's focus back to him, “Ok, ok, let’s get back to it then shall we? Rova. Lokki. Hopefully the two of you can stay awake long enough until you can grab yourselves a coffee.”
As the class settled down and the last few giggling beeps petered out, Benard pointed a hand to the screen, “So, the Koala. Let’s start simple shall we? They are herbivorous marsupials native to the eastern and southern coasts of Australia. Easily recognised the world over, they are a well known and beloved symbol of their homeland, along with other animals such as the Kangaroo and the Emu. The former of which you might remember from one of our earlier lectures.”
Indeed I did remember, along with how angry Bernard had gotten after some speh-head had derided the Yotul after he explained how he held specific disdain for such attitudes.
Uuuggghh… I never want to see him angry again. So chilling.
I shook my ears in an effort to dismiss the unpleasant memory, panning my eyes back to the monitor to try and distract myself by inspecting the Koala’s physical appearance once more. Thankfully, by some Star's blessed intervention, Bernard had the exact same idea.
“Koala’s are rather squat in stature, ranging around sixty to eighty-five centimetres in length and weighing little more than fifteen to sixteen kilograms at their full size. As you can see, the fur of this fellow before you is a lovely silvery grey, but their fur can also sport a chocolaty brown hue as well. Arguably the most distinctive part of their appearance is their head, being rather large for their body size and having rounded ears, a large nose, and a pair of small eyes. These are often brown but variations do occur.”
It didn’t slip past my notice that Bernard didn’t bother to point out that the Koala’s eyes were forward facing. I didn’t think he’d simply forgotten, so perhaps he just felt it wasn’t necessary given that he’d already stated it was herbivorous. Either way, no one stuck up a paw or tail to question him.
“Now this will hardly be surprising considering how long they sleep, but Koala’s are largely sedentary and it’s rather easy to see why when you have a look into the contents of their diet.”
With the press of a button the Koala on screen was replaced by images of vibrant green vegetation. Soaring trees and flowering shrubbery weaved together across landscape framed pictures pulled admiring trills from the herd, the diversity of the plant life being shown standing as a reminder that it wasn’t only animal life that flourished on Earth.
After giving everyone the chance to take in the picturesque scenes, Bernard casually hammered that point home, “This is eucalyptus or, more accurately, a choice selection of more than 700 plants belonging to the eucalyptus genus, though the Koala itself favours 30 of them in particular.”
700!? Stars…
Realising that my ears had drooped in my momentary awe, I twisted them back to tune into the lesson, only for them to splay out in shock at the next words to come out of Bernard's mouth.
“The leaves of these plants are the primary food source of the Koala and there are a couple things worth mentioning when talking about these plants. For starters they do not have much nutritional or caloric value, leading to the Koala’s low-energy lifestyle. Additionally, they contain toxic compounds.”
A shiver instantly ran through the herd, ears flicking rapidly in confusion and alarm followed by a few quizzical whispers. It didn’t take long for someone to decide to give a proper voice to the murmuring.
“Excuse me Doctor. Did we hear that right? Their diet is made up of toxic flora?” Vlek’s grumbling incredulity cut through the herd's mutterings with ease. Until Kailo’s recent change of heart, the fifty something rotation old blonde Venlil had been a close second in terms of scepticism. Mercifully his rebuttals had always been relevant questions as opposed to ranting diatribes, so he at least remained on topic if nothing else.
Bernard nodded in confirmation, smiling back at Vlek while absentmindedly twirling the end of his moustache, “You heard me right, they do indeed consume plants that are toxic. Just not to them.”
Any worry or uncertainty still clinging to the herd was swept away by the provision of the glaringly obvious answer, leaving me chuckling inwardly at the oversight.
Ah of course! The plant might be poisonous but they’ll have evolved to deal with that. Stars… I’m so used to expecting the unexpected with Earth that I didn’t even consider the simplest solution.
“I see, thank you Doctor,” Vlek replied, a tinge of interest still audible in his tone, “I assume they’ve developed some adaptation to become immune to the harmful effects?”
The question immediately evoked a smirk from our teacher, but he hurriedly suppressed it while bobbing his head, “They have indeed. There are several factors that aid in their digestion of eucalyptus leaves without succumbing to the plant's baleful properties. The first is a part of the intestinal tract called the cecum. It contains a microbiome that allows the Koala to digest the eucalyptus. Coupled with this is an enzyme in the Koala’s liver that helps them break down the toxins. They are also capable of sniffing out the plants with the least amount of toxins, ensuring that they ingest as little as possible.”
Pausing for a breath Bernard looked back at the screen before turning to face us, another grin curling at the edges of his mouth as he continued with his explanation, “This is mostly for adult Koala’s, because while their young also possess these same adaptations, they don’t just go straight to munching through foliage right after being born. No, they need a little help making that jump and getting a stomach full of all that good gut bacteria. It’s nothing bad, but those of a sensitive stomach may wish to prepare themselves for this next part.”
Bernard’s assurances did little to assuage the concern that his warning had foisted upon us. Having been exposed to so much of the weirdness Earth had to offer everyone always ended up on edge whenever Bernard gave advice like this, even if he did say it in jest.
What strange nonsense thing do Koala pups do then? Judging by the way he’s acting it probably isn’t something as simple as drinking milk from the mother. Hmmm…
“So,” Bernard began, snapping us from our pensive stupor, “Young Koala’s, known as joeys, have a gestation period of thirty-five days on average, which is approximately forty-two paws. Once born they travel from the birth canal to a pouch in their mother so that they can continue to develop and grow. In the pouch the joey finds and latches onto one of two teats and these provide the newborn with a steady stream of nourishing milk. It spends the next six to seven months growing in the pouch, its eyes, ears, and fur all developing as time goes on.”
Okay, interesting. But this is exactly how I thought it’d go. What’s different?
The unexpected normalcy of the Koala’s birth and growth cycle had calmed everyone's nerves, only to be replaced with an air of suspicion as we waited with rapt attention for Bernard to drop the other claw and upend our expectations like he always did.
Not wanting to keep us in further suspense he forged ahead, the tempo of his voice picking up as the smile started to crease his face once more, “Now to make the switch from milk to eucalyptus, the mother also feeds the joey a substance called pap. It comes from the cecum I mentioned earlier, and contains all the gut bacteria required to help the young Koala in making the switch to eucalyptus.”
He stopped and looked around, searching us for a reaction to what I felt was a rather bland statement of fact. What was it he was saying without actually saying? Koala pups drink milk to mature and then include this pap substance so that they can start eating plants. I don’t see what-
The cecum is part of the intestine.
I blinked.
I blinked again, the intrusive interruption scouring my brain clean of any other thought bar the one it’d just implanted itself in the forefront of my mind.
Oh stars. They-
“They eat their own poop!?”
The shocked bleat shattered the peace of the room to reveal that most if not all of us had come to the same tail curling conclusion. As the hall filled with unrestrained vocalisations of disgust, an ‘Ugh’ over here and a ‘Blegh’ over there, Bernard’s own bellowing laughter joined the throng of voices.
“Ha! Everytime! Each and every time. Clearly it doesn’t matter if my students are Human or Venlil. Whenever someone learns about the Koala’s dietary development the reaction is the same!”
Pleased with himself beyond reason, Bernard chuckled away while the rest of us grappled with this ghastly reality. While there were plenty of animals that feasted on things that ranged from simply unappealing all the way to the stomach churningly grotesque, I’d never heard of an animal that actively consumed the excrement of its own species. Benefits aside, the prospect of having to do that to survive to adulthood sent a shiver of revulsion down my spine.
Ewww… Stars, I hope I forget this feeling by 2nd meal. They’re serving sturen and magamroot stew later. I was really looking forward to it.
With the herds mood beginning to temper Bernard tapped the podiums controls, removing the verdant collage of eucalyptus to display several similar yet distinct environments, still chortling merrily to himself in the process, “Ok then, with that little foray into their diet complete, why don’t we look at their habitat in more detail? As you might imagine given their diet and arboreal nature, Koala’s live in forested regions, and can be found in tropical and temperate zones. About a century ago they were classed as a vulnerable species, however efforts were made to turn this around and increase their numbers. Sadly the largest factor in their decline was human activity, as the fertile lands that gave rise to their bountiful forests were coveted farm land for our settlements.”
It was strange to hear Bernard so matter of factly admit to humanity's negative impacts on other species. He’d alluded to such things in the past but always with an air of caution, carefully pawing the line between honestly answering a question while not painting humanity as uncaring and destructive. AKA, the ‘predators’ we’d all initially expected them to be.
Perhaps his comfort in making such admissions was a reflection of the class's comfort with him, for no one so much as batted an ear. Even Kailo, who I would’ve expected to jump at the chance to use this as a prime example of predatory danger, only flicked an ear in stern yet silent concern.
A cough from Bernard drew my attention back, a new picture on screen that showed a forest from a bird's-eye view. Drawn across the image were around a dozen ringed areas, some bordering one another while others overlapped to some degree. It took me a moment, but I soon recognised that what I was looking at was a map, the rings representing what I assumed to be territories. And it didn’t take much effort to guess who each one belonged to.
“From habitats we move onto behaviours, so let’s start with territories. Koala’s are solitary animals. Yes, despite being herbivores. Considering they’re only awake for roughly four hours of the day I can hardly blame them. Lots to do and not a lot of time to do it. Jokes aside, once they mature they are quite independent, carving out a little slice of land for themselves, as displayed in this example, called a Home Range. That is not to say they go it alone and leave everything else behind however. Rather, as shown in the map behind me, they live in their own space while still being part of a larger social group.”
With another press of his pad the picture was updated to show one of two symbols in each segment, along with a key to the side of the map displayed in helpful Venlang. A quick glance told me that the symbols were representing whether the territory belonged to a male or female of the species.
“As you can see there is quite a bit of overlap between different Koala’s territories. It is in these areas that most of the socialising takes place between neighbours. The trees in these locations represent the few areas where intrusion across territories is acceptable for the sake of social interaction. Outside of that the Koala’s stick to their own territories for the most part, with the exceptions of Koala’s who are passing through, attempting to become part of the social group themselves, or dominant males who sometimes go off into another Koala’s range. But how do they know where one range begins and another range ends you might ask? Well, this brings us onto the next part of the lecture. How do Koala’s communicate?”
Wiping away the map from the monitor, Bernard loaded up a video of a Koala sitting in a tree and pressed play. Head held high, the Koala’s body shook as it belted out a reverberating call into the wilderness that could only be described as a garbled combination of a car engine failing to turn over mixed with the hiccups of someone with a particularly sore throat.
That’s how they sound? Oof that must be rough on the lungs.
I clearly wasn’t the only one to share such a thought, because I clocked Sandi tracing a paw along her neck as the noise went on, ears fluttering in discomfort at the noise.
Bernard himself cleared his own throat as the video came to an end, minimising it and replacing it with another image of a tree with a Koala rubbing up against the bark, “I think they’ve got me beat on who’s got the deeper voice!”
His joke garnered several amused beeps, a rare reaction that caused a beaming smile to shine across his face at lighting speed, “Oh you’re too kind. I’ll be here all week. Now where were we? Oh yes! Communication. As you’ve just heard, Koala’s are capable of loud low pitched bellows that can carry over vast distances. These express everything from ‘Hello I’m over here’ to ‘This is my turf, stay away’. Bellowing is more common in the males than the females, opting for shouting matches as opposed to outright fights when it comes to asserting dominance. Other vocal expressions include grunts, wails, and snarls if they’re acting particularly angsty. Mother and joey pairs also communicate through gentle clicking, squeaking, and murmuring sounds. And there’s one more thing worth mentioning. Something they have in common with Humans and Venlil when it comes to emoting.”
Really? They do something we do?
Curious, I pressed myself against the desk, straining as close as I could to once more scrutinise the Koala’s features. Not a lot stood out to me at first, the grey marsupial not sharing many similarities with a Venlil that I could identify.
Ok think. We show emotion with our ears, tails, and our wool on occasion. They don’t have tails so it’s obviously not that. Wool standing on end is more a reaction than a conscious expression. So it must be the ears then.
To my quiet satisfaction, my hunch was soon validated by Bernard, “As well as their vocalisations, Koala’s are very emotive through their facial features. Just like humans, they use their mouths and lips to show how they feel, but these tend more towards the aggressive side of the scale than what you might see on a human. Regarding yourselves however, Koala’s utilise their ears in tandem with their mouth movements when showing strong emotion.”
I was delighted to hear that my assumption was correct, a little happy flick twisting out through my tail and bapping against my chair with a muted thump against the plastic.
Hehe yes! Got one right!
“Now then, we are getting close to lunchtime so I’ll finish this segment off with something I think you’ll find particularly interesting. Diplomacy.”
Perplexed mutterings followed in the wake of the bizarre inclusion to the lecture, my own thoughts being dominated by bewilderment as I tried and failed to make sense of how the two could possibly be related.
Why would Koala’s, or any animal for that matter, be linked to diplomacy? Hmmm...
I could understand dispatching exterminators to deal with a predator issue as a show of goodwill, that at least includes animals, but Humans aren’t like that so I think I can safely scratch that off the list.
Maybe the humans who live in that region benefited from Koala’s in some way. Could they have gotten something from them? But what?
Hopefully not what the pups get from their mothers.
Agh no! Begone awful intrusive thoughts. Blegh! I don’t need that in my head.
As I wrestled with the short-lived revulsion inflicted upon me by my Star's damned subconscious, Bernard placed a new image on screen, one that was decidedly different from all that had preceded it.
On screen were more than a couple dozen pictures of humans. Some were pictured alone while others congregated in large groups while cameras surrounded them from all angles. Across all the images, I noted two common themes. First of all, a solid majority of the humans were wearing formal wear similar to what I’d seen worn by UN representatives on TV. If the gaggle of journalists in the background of the photos didn’t already confirm my suspicions, then it was this similarity which made me conclude they were all people of some importance. Likely politicians judging from context clues.
Secondly, each of the individuals was interacting with a Koala in some form. Some cradled one against their chests while others were feeding it eucalyptus leaves or pellets of some kind. One of the assumed politicians had become an impromptu bed for a snoozing bundle of fur, a gleeful smile spread across their face as they lovingly gazed down at the sleeping Koala in their lap.
As I continued to stare at the assorted photos something clicked into place, a sudden spark flickering into life. A burgeoning light of comprehension that flared and swelled with every wide-eyed breath I took. Some things still escaped me, things I hoped would soon be explained, but in staring at all of the humans happy smiling faces, I was struck with an instant of pure understanding.
If someone, say a Nevok for instance, offered to gift me a creature that was common to them but which might exotic and breathtaking to a Venlil, how could my feelings not be swayed? How could I walk away from that encounter and not have grown closer to them as a result?
“Koala diplomacy,” Bernard waved his hand up at the monitor, a slight reverence in his tone, “My favourite kind of soft power diplomacy. Where political leaders take photo ops with Koala’s and, on occasion, the Australian government loans Koala’s to other nations for a time to bolster positive relations. It certainly helps that Koala’s are a beloved animal worldwide, drawing large crowds and revenue for countries fortunate enough to host the adorable critters.”
The truly alien concept predictably sparked instant discussion in the herd, two polar opposite schools of thought swiftly cementing themselves as the most popular opinions. Simultaneously, I heard one voice trill excitedly while another scoffed at what they clearly saw as a ridiculous and offensive notion.
“Squee! That’d be so cool! I’d love to get the chance to see a Liri from Coila. Remember the Rainbow Boa? Think of that shimmering effect and colour but put it on a bird! Ah! I’ve only heard their song on video. It’d be a treat to hear it in person!”
Ooo! I’ve read about them! I’d love to get up close to one.
“Loaning. As if animals are property to be hoarded and traded? Pugh! Another predatory trait the humans don’t want to acknowledge for what it is.”
Ugh, typical. Jump right to the worst possible option.
However, despite my dismissal of their disparaging fumings, an uncomfortable thought pressed upon my mind. While it was plain to see how much humans cared for the Koala, it didn’t change the fact that humans did keep animals as property just as the scornful herd member had said.
This begged a rather important, disquieting question. Aside from keeping some animals as cattle, a stomach tightening minefield I had no desire to step a claw onto right now, how else did humans keep other creatures. And how did they treat them?
Before I was fully conscious of doing it my paw was in the air, the question primed on my tongue.
Noticing my elevated paw Bernard pointed at me, smiling warmly, “Yes Rysel? What’s on your mind?”
Sorry Bernard. I hope this one’s not too awkward for you to answer.
Flicking my ear in appreciation, and waiting for everyone to settle enough so that I could be heard, I voiced my concerns as neutrally as possible, “Thank you Doctor. I uh, just had a thought. We know that humans keep certain animals for… particular reasons, and we know why. From how you’ve spoken about Koala’s I think it's fair to say that the same cannot be said for them. However, this makes me wonder, what other reasons do humans have for keeping animals and how do you treat them?”
A flash of surprise blinked across Bernard's eyes but vanished so quickly that it felt like I’d imagined it. Had he not expected such a question? Maybe he was just shocked that it’d been me who’d ended up asking it?
Stars, am I so predictable that no one expects me to ask difficult questions?
Unfortunately, a quick glance at my deskmates seemed to prove that to be the case, as both Sandi and Kailo were looking at me with differing degrees of astonishment flapping in their ears.
Well speh.
“A very good point Rysel, certainly one that’s worth raising. Yet another example of you all anticipating what I have to say before I can bring it up myself.” Bernard tapped the podium, switching off the monitor before returning his focus to me, “We won’t be needing that. I’ve nothing prepared that I can show you and we’re heading to lunch in a few minutes anyway. Still, that’s plenty of time to give you a bit of an answer.”
A bit? What does he mean just a bit?
Made even more curious by Bernard's preempted admission that he wasn’t going to fully answer my query, I dialled both my ears on him, fixing him with an inquisitive stare as he started to explain with a tone that was noticeably more nonchalant than any of his previous explanations.
“So, animals in captivity for reasons other than what you already know. Honestly I would love to delve into other reasons regarding why we keep animals. However, I have a lesson plan in the works that I hope to share with you all in the not too distant future. Some of it touches upon this very topic and I’d quite like to bundle it all together. That said, I can tell you how animals in captivity are treated. In short, the answer is very well. There are a mountain of laws both on private and public interests that govern the standards and ethical treatment of animals, and breaches of these laws are quite severe even for relatively minor infractions.”
While I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed by the vague answer to what was really the bulk of my question, I was at least satisfied by Bernard’s assurances that animals in captivity, such as the Koala, were well looked after. Considering the barely subdued grumbling coming from some corners of the audience it was clear that several of the herd didn’t believe Bernard outright, but I trusted him to be honest. Additionally, the mention of an upcoming lecture focused on humans keeping animals caused quite the buzz.
I felt a mix of excitement and trepidation at exploring the topic further. He’d pretty much confirmed we wouldn’t be talking about cattle farms, for which I was relieved, but that still left a huge amount of uncertainty in what was to come.
Humans keeping animals as cattle was a forgone conclusion. As horrifying as that reality was, it was one I could understand from a detached and strictly clinical point of view. Being predators they ate meat and therefore they kept cattle. But the concept of keeping animals for any other reason baffled me.
What could be the purpose? The diplomacy thing makes sense now that I have context, but what other reasons could they have.
The class's discussions were interrupted by the recognisable ring of the break bell, the shift in attention eliciting a change in conversation from confused hypotheses to peppy conversation on how everyone was planning to spend their break and what they had in mind for 2nd meal.
“Well I can see everyone’s excited for lunch, and who am I to disappoint,” chuckling Bernard waved us all up from our seats, pocketing his pad from the podium and heading to open the classroom door for us, “Enjoy your break, get a good rest along with a hearty meal, and I’ll see you all back here at the usual time.”
As everyone else filed out I stayed behind, waving at Sandi and Kailo as they left, and pawing over to Bernard once he and I were the only ones left in the room.
Ears folded down and with an apologetic tinge in my voice I greeted him as I sidled up to him, “Hey Bernard, I uh… sorry if that last question was unexpected.”
Chortling in reply, Bernard waved a hand through the air in a sign I’d come to understand meant ‘not a problem’.
“No need to apologise Rysel. It was a good question and most certainly not a problem.”
Heh, called it.
I sighed, allowing tension I didn’t realise I’d been holding to relax itself from my shoulders, “Phew, that’s a relief. I’m glad. I’m curious to hear what this new lesson is you’ve got in store for us by the way.”
Bernard wagged a finger at me, throwing up his eyebrows in mock amazement, “Oh are you now? Well I’m afraid you’ll have to remain curious for the time being. It’s going to be quite the surprise if all goes to plan. But…”
He trailed off, glancing at me before looking to the door like he was making sure no one else was around.
Wait, is he going to tell me? Oh please yes let me know now!
Stopping myself from jumping on the spot in excited anticipation, and trying my damndest to stop my tail from wagging in equal measure, I stared up at Bernard as he stewed in his thoughts before turning back to face me.
“I can’t tell you the specifics, but I’m working with Alejandro and Tolim to get something together. A trip that’s not a trip as it were. And when it happens, I’m going to need a few of the more accepting members of the class to lend me a hand. I’m hoping you and a couple others will be able to help with that?”
A trip that’s not a trip? What does that mean? Agh who cares about that right now! Bernard’s relying on me to help out!
Still trying not to keep myself from bouncing around with pup like glee I swished my tail and nodded my head in joint agreement, happy to help with whatever Bernard had in store for us, “Of course! Anything you need I’ll be there to lend a paw. You can count on me!”
A broad warm smile lit up Bernard's face, a hand patting me on the shoulder in appreciation, “Thank you Rysel. I knew I could rely on you but it still warms my heart to hear it. And, as thanks for this and for the many times you’ve shown your support, the surprise includes a little something special I think you’d appreciate the most.”
If my earlier enthusiasm had been at a nine, then the implication of a supposed gift sent it rocketing all the way to a hundred in a heartbeat.
“Wait… WHAT!? What do you mean? What are you doing?”
As impossible as it seemed, Bernard's grin grew even wider as I almost lost myself in wool shaking exhilaration, “Call it my own form of Koala diplomacy. But I’m afraid that’s all I can say for now. Wouldn’t want to ruin the surprise even for you!”
“Oh you ass!” Whistling jovially I bapped my tail against Bernard’s leg in fake indignation, evoking a barking bellowing laugh from the man himself.
Still laughing, the two of us departed the class and made for the canteen, my rumbling stomach leading me on while my mind spun with fantastical thoughts as to what Bernard had prepared for us.
And what specifically he had in store for me.

Mile distance challenges on the treadmill and rower. Fusion exercises on the floor. 90 seconds recovery between blocks
Tread / Row Block - 23.5 minutes * Goal: Get within 2 minutes of your last mile benchmark time, PW is half distance starting at 3% * 160m / 0.1 mile tread @ 1% * 160m / 0.1 mile tread @ 5% * 160m / 0.1 mile tread @ 1% * 160m / 0.1 mile tread @ 10% * 160m / 0.1 mile tread @ 1% * 160m / 0.1 mile tread @ 15% * 160m / 0.1 mile tread @ 1% * 160m / 0.1 mile tread @ 10% * 160m / 0.1 mile tread @ 1% * 160m / 0.1 mile tread @ 5% * Switch to rower * Repeat until you reach 1600m on the rower: * 200m row + 10 x squat jack * 200m row + 10 total x alt forward lunge with overhead reach * Bonus: * Tread for time OR * Row for time * Finisher: 1 min AO tread OR row * Collapse (member’s choice)
Floor Block 1 - 8 minutes circuit * 8 total x alt lateral lunge * 8 x hammer curl * 8 x neutral grip front squat * 8 x neutral grip shoulder press * Repeat until buy-out fusion: 90 sec of alt lateral lunge to hammer curl to neutral grip front squat to shoulder press
Floor Block 2 - 8 minutes circuit * 8 x dumbbell push up * 8 total x high plank alt low row * 8 x clean * 8 total x front loaded neutral grip alt reverse lunge * Repeat until buy-out fusion: 90 sec of dumbbell push up to high plank alt low row to clean to front loaded neutral grip alt reverse lunge
Floor Block 3 - 4.5 minutes circuit * 4 x broad jump to shuffle * 4 total x high plank to low plank * 4 total x alt low side plank * 4 x plank pop * Repeat until finisher: 1 min of broad jump to shuffle to high plank to alt low side plank to plank pop
DC commentary: >! Mayhem #5 felt like a mini everest + not quite 2k row with restercise and then a mashup of weights and power moves on the floor. Pretty brutal today with all the incline work, rowing. Did feel pretty non-stop with not too much breaks in between. \ \ Your run / row block today is a doozy. First off is a mile run where your goal is to complete this within 2 minutes of your benchmark time. Think that is easy, what you also have to do is flip between flat road and an incline every 160m / 0.1 miles. Start off on your flat road and then after 160m you up the incline to 5%. Keep going up in increments of 5% until you get to 15% and then work your way back down again. I thought this was pretty tough and you will need to bank distance on the flat roads and moderate your speed on the high inclines. I just missed my two minute cut off by a couple of seconds - 7:05 on the mile run, I think if I did it again I would have gone a little faster on the flats and then maybe an all out right at the end even if it was at 5%. \ \ Once off the run you move to the rower where you have a mile to row as well - 1600m. This time the row is broken up into 200m sections with two different types of restercise you will work with in between. The first exercise is a squat jack and the second is a forward lunge with an overhead reach. Keep repeating this pattern until you get 1600m and then you have a choice to either keep rowing or go back to the treadmill. Tread or row for time until the finisher - a minute all out. \ \ Pretty brutal and most people only just finished the row before getting back on to the treadmill (no one was willing to row after yesterday). I had plenty of time on the treadmill but the legs were super heavy after all the rowing and the incline work. \ \ After the run / row you head to the floor. You have three blocks here. First block and second blocks are weighted. The idea is that you are completing four exercises in a row circuit style and then bring them all together in a fusion buy-out for 90 seconds. In the first block you are doing a lateral lunge, hammer curl, front squat and a shoulder press. The Frankenstein’s version of that for the fusion buy-out then c becomes a lateral lunge to a hammer curl to a front squat to a shoulder press. Second block is similar but it now has a pushup, high plank low row, clean and a reverse lunge. The fusion buy-out then kind of reminds me of those ultimate burpees with the weights. \ \ Last block is a power block - broad jumps, palms to elbowshigh plank to low plank, low side plank and a plank pop. Bring it altogether and it is a jump to a shuffle to a high plank, down to a low side plank and then a plank pop. \ \ Liked this one but it is definitely on the tougher side, particularly the run / row. I give today a 1 (🪶) out of 5 for gentleness and a 4 (☠️ ☠️ ☠️ ☠️) out of 5 for Mayhell. !<

After rereading the books, and falling down a deep dark hole of theories and musings on this reddit, I'm worried a few conspiracies are sadly going to happen. I just need to get it off my chest.

• Denna is a denner resin addict: It's strange to mention someone's white teeth twice. But it's a bit of cliche story line, the troubled free willed woman becoming a tragic addict, the fact she only imbued it by accident etc. To me it is sad as I like her, but it's also got this inevitable and tedious feel to it.
  
• Kvothe will kill either Auri or Sim. When chronicler says he had to kill an angel to get to his hearts desire it probably means he killed someone to get to the chandrian. I know the theory about the angels (and yes it's great) but I'm not convinced this quote is literal. Either way it seems inevitable from young Kvothes rash actions and how Kote speaks in the present, that his desire for revenge resulted in hurting those closest to him. It's the archetypal revenge plot line, the protagonist either doesn't get revenge but ends up happy or loses everything but succeeds. So far it doesn't seem like it's going to be the former.
  
• I especailly hate on this theory: Devi is "The Woman". She is not very trustworthy and for kvothe to suddenly change when he's clearly loved Denna for so long just seems not right. And she love loves him. It also once again makes me worry Denna will become another tragic fallen woman in a long line of Madam Bovaries and Kathy's.
  

What other theories do you hate?!
(I love the Aurie/Ariel and bredon/master Ash theories)

I'm looking for more input to help me decide what to do about my job situation.
Some not so quick backstory on my narc:
I took an Executive Assistant position with a six-person company (with no HR department) just over a year ago. Shortly after I started, my boss went through a divorce, which significantly changed his behavior. Initially, the job was great, with hybrid and work-from-home options. However, as the divorce progressed, he began making inappropriate comments and exhibited troubling behavior.
He kept insisting that I hook him up with some of my friends. This is after telling me he was not looking for anything serious, so he was really asking for me to find someone he could have sex with. When I told him that was not part of my job description he just laughed and said I was also his personal assistant and I have to do anything he asks. He would often come into the office sick and would end up getting me sick. When I asked if he could cough into his shoulder instead of coughing openly all over the office (sometimes in my face like a child) he made a comment to the 27 year old he was seeing at the time that he and I made out with him and that's why he was sick. He came into my office laughing about how upset his 27 year old girlfriend was that he was making jokes about making out with his assistant. I told him "you can't say things like that to me or her" he laughed and walked away. I spent the next two hours crying on the phone to my coworker (who happens to be related to him and in no position of power any more because she's close to his ex wife so she cannot help me) and she insisted he wasn't like that. I couldn't tell anyone but my partner because I felt so ashamed. I went back into the office after crying and his first words to me were "wow you look like shit" I explained to him that I had been crying because his inappropriate comments made me feel like I am not professional and instead just a joke to him. He apologized and said he couldn't afford a defamation suit right now with the divorce and sent me home for the day.
This is only a few weeks into having this job so I am panicked thinking I am stuck at this point because who's going to hire someone that's only been at a company for a few weeks? How is that going to look on my resume.
As time went on I feel like I really dove in and made the job my own. I'm basically everything to the company with HR, IT, Accounting etc. as some of us EA's end up being for small companies. I am also taking over duties for his relative who is pregnant and she basically runs the company for him so I am truly the end all be all for all operations of the company.
While the inappropriate comments stopped (I think it was because he finally got a long term gf) other things started coming up. I took a long weekend vacation in August, October, December and February and on each of those vacations he ended up texting me that he didn't feel supported by me and that I needed to focus on streamlining things for him and he's not getting that enough from me. The October, December, February vacations I spent the first day crying because of these texts. Both times I came back from vacation and wrote emails asking how I can do better but both times I was written off and told "I don't want to talk about that right now." I asked him "can you please not text me criticisms while I am on vacation and instead have a sit down conversation with me face to face so that we might tackle these issues" he would say yes then of course it would never happen and this behavior continues.
More recently he has been getting a bit more emotionally abusive I guess? I have to text him reminders (which I have now stopped because of this conversation) every hour, half hour, 15 minutes and 5 minutes before each meeting. He was upset because a meeting got moved and I didn't adjust my notifications and he ended up being a half hour early to a meeting. He was very irate and has called me unreliable multiple times and has asked me to stop sending these notifications because my JD clearly states that I need to set up these notifications through technology (my mistake for trying to defend myself). I reminded him that my JD and operating manual that the old EA made states that I need to also text him these reminders, I had already had the notifications set up on his phone and asked if he was not seeing them. His response was "I'm saying the lack of self awareness with how you communicate to me is getting tiring. Your job is not on the line here but as you can see are going to keep moving forward and keep making improvements." I think he is projecting the self awareness but I just don't find this kind of feedback respectful or helpful.
He started off my annual review by telling me that I would not be getting my bonus as "freely" as I did last year and he's going to put a lot of stipulations in place to make sure I don't get it without a lot more work (that was feb and it's now almost june and these stipulations have still not been stated..). He said that he needs to spend more money on marketing and he's overpaying people so he will not give me a raise this year. He also went on to talk about how I have a bad attitude and how I've been frustrated with the new office. My commute tripled with this move and this office is a coworking space that does not give us the proper tools to operate our company - his gf helped him pick it out without knowing how we operate and it's only continued to hinder and cost us money so yes, I am frustrated and feel way out of my depth with zero support. On top of the fact that he makes snide comments that he doesn't believe I can't do xyz because the office wifi doesn't support it. He just recently hired another relative to take over the IT duties for the new office because I've been struggling and even she is running into the same problems I am seeing. (obviously he only hires relatives because those are the only people that put up with his bs longterm)
In conclusion, I am terrified of working the two weeks if I give notice given his penchant for hurting me. I am also terrified of giving same day notice but would be far more relieved if I block him on everything. However, he's the kind of vindictive person that would stalk me to find out where I've gone next to call them and let them know I did not give two weeks and actually quit the same day. I am also paranoid that he would try to sue me for leaving because I run EVERYthing in this company right now. I feel so beat down that I don't even feel like I have the energy to be a good EA right now. I know that's the point with all this gaslighting and demeaning behavior so I just need some help. I am trying not to end up with being sent into a grippy sock vacation but my mental health is definitely veering that way at this point.
(good news is I am on my fourth job and fifth job interview with another company this week)

it happened really really quickly for which i’m so grateful for, but it was also so unexpected that i don’t really know what to say. i was sitting on my bed right next to the cage when i heard kinda digging sounds so i looked over wanting to see who it was, when i saw my sweet girl daisy all sprawled out. she was still moving at that time & im sorry to say i just froze because i immediately knew this was not a position a normal healthy rat would take. i wish i had moved in that moment, had taken her out immediately, just anything, but i froze.
she made three weird tiny sounds, it wasn’t like a cough or a sneeze, i can’t really describe it, and immediately two of her sisters ran over to investigate but i think by that moment she was already gone. i’m honestly so shocked, but doing the maths it’s been 15 months since i brought my girls home & they were already a couple months old at that point, so maybe i shouldn’t be so shocked? but they never really grew that big (rescue situation) and they’ve never once showed signs of aging and slowing that this just hit me.
i just feel so guilty because ive been down with a lung infection since last week & i couldn’t do anything for them. i just barely got out of bed to feed and change the water and i felt so so so awful that i couldn’t clean them properly or let them out, i finally felt better a bit today and thought i might do it on thursday, and now this happened. i was looking for pictures to attach so i could show everyone my beautiful daisy but i rlly am not one to take pictures which i regret so badly now so my words are all i have.
daisy was one of three of my white girls, she wasn’t entirely white, she had one tiny fleck of grey between her head and shoulder blades & those adorable dumbo ears. she always liked to climb the most, honestly sometimes id find her hanging basically upside down and she’s the reason i really entirely changed up the set up so we could include even more climbing. first thing she’d do during free roam was climb up on the cage and survey the situation. she didn’t like to be held much, but when she had something to munch on you could scratch behind her ears. yesterday i gave them cucumber slices, and she sat right at the door and i did just that & i just didn’t think it would be the last time i’d get to do it.
i guess this is tonight’s cautionary tale to hold your babies a little tighter and appreciate every second just a little more and to take those silly videos and pictures even if they don’t look good. make that short time count.

chapters 1&2
chapter 3
chapter 4
chapter 5
chapter 6
chapter 7
chapter 8
chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
The lecture was supposed to be on Rationality 101, apparently not for Newcomers only. Serene was there to have her back but G was having a hard time focusing.
The boring black uniform more fitting for a hotel receptionist defaced the godlike beauty standing in front of a huge screen. Gentry couldn’t believe her eyes: this was the man she had her hands on a little while ago?
No, it couldn’t be.
It had been just an avatar, too perfect in its unblemished visage, too pure for this world. Yet the man whose face she remembered as if it was etched on the back of her eyelids, who she’d been constantly thinking about, who her hands itched to snatch, was standing right there, in the flesh.
Back in the dreamy simulated world she caught herself thinking that a trim waist like this couldn’t anatomically work on a human, yet here he was: a towering spread of fit shoulders perfectly balanced above the flexible whip of his midsection. The light-grey eyes that betrayed every movement of his pupils were as real as the ones that reflected the mock moon during her test. Below them lay the sharp slope of the cheekbones one could cut themselves on.
The only thing a bit different, apart from the outfit choice, was the young god’s hair. In the simulation, it was flowing and probably too long to be practical. This person’s mane was much shorter and fell down his neck in a neat ponytail, tastefully tamed with a single hairpin.
She had to get her hands on this treasure.
He was making last minute preparations for the lecture, looking through the papers on the desk, dark strands framing his face, light grey eyes sharp in careful concentration.
Professor Q, huh.
He said this was his name, and so did the note on the lecture hall door.
She was sure it was the man who had melted in her arms making the most delicious sounds a male throat could produce.
Had he recognised her?
Unlikely.
At the time of the simulation session, she didn’t have a camera that could pick up her facial features but just to be on the safe side, she decided to go by “G” in his class. There were bound to be lots of people with a name starting with a G, right? What would be the odds it was this particular newcomer that Q had tested that would end up in his class?
The man finally lifted his eyes at the audience and a gentle smile momentarily graced his features before disappearing as if he didn’t see someone he’d expected to.
The holoboard on the wall behind him obediently lit up following his nonchalant gesture. Gentry found it annoying that one needed a pair of special glasses to see all the augmented reality stuff and really navigate the city but again, with Sereen’s help she had more or less gotten used to it in the couple of days she had to deal with the necessities like settling down, getting food and finding her way around Ashtapada.
Still, could they use a piece of chalk or, at least, a marker to write on the board? No need to show off your Fully Automated Luxury Space Communism tech just to write a couple of notes on the board!
On second thought, high-tech-crazy or not, if this city brought up men like this one, she would definitely do her best to stay here to… reap the benefits!
They took a desk next to a huge clear floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the winter garden.
“Professor Q seems a little distracted today,” Sereen said, swiftly tapping a couple of buttons on G’s wrist to show her how to confirm that she was attending the lecture. “He’s usually much more chatty and friendly. I wonder what got into him.”
“Is he?” Gentry responded with an artificial air of indifference. “I just hope he’s more open to a discussion than that Poe guy.”
“He is! And Professor Poe isn’t that bad,” Sereen reprimanded before chuckling a little — since his little secret became known to students, he became known as Holopoe. “Just wait and see, it’s gonna be a blast. Q’s lectures are always very engaging.”
It proved to be utter bullshit.
After fiddling with the symbols on the interactive screen for ten minutes into the class, students getting more and more agitated behind his back, the lecturer seemed to give up. Turning back to the audience, he absentmindedly nodded to a couple of people in the lecture hall and sighed with a painfully fake smile.
“For today’s class, we are going to need to read a certain extract from a book,” he said, tone apologetic for some reason, but it solidified G’s conviction that she already knew this person. “I’ve just sent it to each of your wristcomms. We’ll have some quiet time and read it by ourselves, alright?”
“Reading from the comm?” Sereen mumbled to herself. “Couldn’t he just print them out?”
The rest of the students’ grumbles showed that they shared her disappointment. Q could only hopelessly smile again before returning to his work on the board.
Reading from the little semi-transparent screens was indeed torture. Quickly giving up on trying to awkwardly use gestures for scrolling through the text, she looked out of the window to entertain herself with the garden outside. From the modest height they were sitting at, the people below were quite discernible, partly hidden by the greenery, spread here and there in small groups and pairs. Gentry longed to be there, too. What was the use of being here with the most attractive person in the whole world if the only thing she could see was his back?
Well, the back didn’t look half bad, if she was honest, and what was below also pleased the eye.
But still. It would soon bore even the most easily entertained.
Her gaze fell to a small clearing where a lone male figure was sitting, writing something in a notebook. By the looks of it, the notebook was a real paper-made thing without the bells and whistles usual for Ashtapada. The next thing G noticed was a pair of slender legs, barefoot, stretched to dip the toes into the clear water of the artificial stream.
God bless the urban designers of this place!
The figure lifted the head and in an inconceivably graceful motion, swung the long blond bangs away from the face.
G straightened her back. Was it... Ok, maybe Q was the most handsome man she’d seen in her life but this... This was the younger boy she’d noticed a couple of days back, the one in a plaid skirt, shamelessly flirting with everyone within reach. Today, he wasn’t wearing one but the blue jeans hugging his thighs, rolled up almost to the knees, presented a picture just as tantalizing. Even with the hair was a completely different colour, even though the half-up, half-down style kept his face hidden, she was absolutely certain it was the same person.
Just you wait, young beauty, as soon as this “lecture” was over, your princess in shining armour was coming to pick you up!
Suddenly snapping out of the dull weariness, she turned on the auglasses S helped her obtain earlier and tapped away on her comm screen.
What a chance to give the local text sharing feature a go!
“The garden is pretty, but with a blossom like you, it is truly breathtaking. I wonder if anyone has picked this sweet flower or if anyone dares to,” she typed a cheesy note and folded the message into a neat 3D figurine of an origami paper crane with her fingers in the air.
Was S watching? Screw it, even if she was, she couldn’t read the message with her glasses off, right?
Carefully aiming the device at the lone figure, she launched the crane downwards, and it fluttered like a weightless butterfly in spirals, through the glass and right into the young man’s lap, not disturbing the notebook pages. He started at first at the intrusion but then turned his own glasses on and unfolded the message. A shy smile appeared on his plump lips, and he looked flattered, turning his head around to see if the sender was in sight. Catching no one, he typed something below the initial message and deftly folded it back into a crane that, to G’s surprise, flew directly at her, in uneven spirals along the wall. The man traced it with a smile, propping himself back on his arms, his whole slim body and face on full display now.
God, was he good-looking.
Easily passing the physical border of the glass again, the crane crashed into Gentry’s wristcomm, dutifully delivering the message and betraying her tactical position at the same time. An amused kind of surprise showed on the young man’s face and he waved at her to show that she had been exposed. She waved back, trying to look nonchalant but probably failing miserably.
Very smooth, G, way to go.
The message read, “Is a flower only good for looking at? Not this one.”
Oooh, this boy was playing with fire!
“Hey, G,” Sereen nudged. “Have you finished reading?”
“Mm? Oh, yeah.” Gentry lied easily. She had skimmed the first couple of paragraphs and was sure she’d be able to come up with something if asked.
“Done everybody?” the deep gentle voice called from the holoboard and G’s attention snapped back to the dignified face.
The class murmured affirmatively.
“I’m sorry today’s lecture isn’t as fun as usual,” he admitted. “I must say I’m still unsure how to approach such complex topic as this one. But with your help, I hope we’ll figure it out.”
Everyone seemed to perk up.
“You just read an extract on paradoxes,” Q went on. “And you might be wondering why we are raising a philosophical topic on a rational thinking course.”
“There you go,” Sereen whispered. “He’s back to normal!”
G humphed. This did seem interesting. Was it a good idea to read the extract after all?
Q continued, “In the text, you might have encountered the definition of a paradox. Would anyone explain it with their own words?”
A raised hand and the lecturer’s nod brought some courageous soul to their feet.
“It’s when you start with the correct premises, use consistent logic but wind up with an impossible conclusion,” they said. “There are three types: falsidical, veridical and antimony-type, which are...”
“Correct,” Q smiled and nodded the person back down. It was a smile worth starting a thousand wars over.
“Now there’s a reason why I asked you to read about them. Why do you think people have been fascinated with paradoxes for such a long time?”
S raised her hand and received a kind invitation.
“I might be wrong,” she said. “But it seems that they point at the limitations of our thinking, things that seem rational but in fact aren’t. We feel that with our all-conquering logic we can solve any puzzle but it’s not always the case. Right?”
“This is very insightful,” the teacher confirmed. “It is believed by many that what’s rational is true and therefore what rationality cannot explain must be false.”
“I definitely know someone who would die on that hill,” Gentry grumbled under her breath.
“I’m sorry?” Q asked. “Is there something you wanted to add... sorry, I don’t know your name?”
Still half mad with professor Poe, Gentry stood up. “It’s G, I’m a Newcomer. I was saying how a human mind can fool itself into thinking it knows what it looks at as long as it makes sense. But in reality, it’s not there, like the sky.”
That was the only thing she remembered from that last lecture! She felt the tips of her ears heat up but the kind and considering look on Q’s face showed her gamble paid off.
“These are very insightful observations, G, why don’t we try exploring them together?” — he waived her to sit down and turned back to the class — “Five minutes to discuss how paradoxes might reveal the weaknesses of rational thinking. Send your answers to the board when you’re done.”
“Whoa, daring as usual,” Sereen smiled. “I knew you’d enjoy his class.”
“Now, consider these two questions,” Q said to another student who stood up at his hand wave. “If an unstoppable force meets an indestructible object, what is going to happen?”
The person seemed to contemplate it for a while and the teacher didn’t rush him.
“Isn’t it one of those which are impossible to solve because the existence of the one automatically disproves the existence of the other?”
Q nodded, “Correct. The second one about the barber in a small town is of the same sort. Sereen?”
S stood up too, “The one that shaves all and only men that don’t shave themselves?”
“Yes,” he confirmed. “At first, a premise like this seems perfectly reasonable, doesn’t it?”
“It does,” S responded, somewhat rashly. “But it’s clear that a barber like this cannot exist.”
“Wait, really?” Gentry whispered as Q nodded in satisfaction and urged her friend to go on.
“Yes, if we ask ourselves if this barber shaves himself. If he doesn’t, then he is part of the group which he does shave that do not shave themselves, but if he is in this group, then he does shave himself which makes it impossible for him to be this barber by definition.”
While the rest of the class was catching up with the logic, Q’s smile got only wider, more inviting.
“What does it tell us about the nature of the premise then?” he asked.
“That although it seems that it sounds logical on the surface, it is in fact nonsense and we don’t even need to hear the rest of the riddle to discard it completely,” S concluded.
The man chuckled.
“Well, I wouldn’t be that brash, to be honest, but on balance, you’re right,” he said. “If you stay after the lecture, I might recommend a couple of books on the topic. Your Newcomer friend is welcome to stay, too.”
G put up the best of the aloof fronts, “I’d be happy to, Professor.”
“Q is fine,” he smiled again and went on addressing the rest of the class that immediately exploded into a heated discussion.
***
“Basically, what I think we’re supposed to learn from this,” S concluded after a while, standing up so that everyone could hear her. “Is that before applying rationality, we have to make sure that all the premises we are dealing with are in fact realistic. Otherwise, there is no way rational thinking will help us.”
“Excellently put, as always,” Q applauded. “I’d love to see if everyone agrees or has something else to add to the discussion but our time is up. Feel free to write me a letter with your reflections on the topic.”
As interesting as the class was, the urge to leave the premises as soon as the teacher dismissed everyone seemed to be universal and applicable even to the Ashtapadans.
“I have to go now,” Sereen said. “Text you later, ok?” And with a reciprocal nod to Q, disappeared in the doors, joining the rest of the students.
Sadly, she couldn’t recall what they were talking about after the lecture, nor what titles Professor recommended for some home reading. She just hoped she didn’t make a fool of herself.
What Gentry did remember though was that after Q left as well and she came up to the panoramic window, Sereen and the mysterious flower boy were leaving the garden together. And it was hard not to notice that her new friend took off her wristcomm before they took off, and hid it in the tall grass.

For example, using a one handed weapon will make your character's body be facing the direction you are looking at, but using a Spear or a Pole-Axe will make your character's body be sideways because of the weapon stance (you'll notice the difference in 3rd person)... Does that affect the hitbox and the ability to dodge attacks by looking up and down?.
If the hitbox moves depending on the body position then the answer would be yes, and that would put spear and other two handed weapons in a disadvantage toward swings because when trying to lean back and dodge they would still hit your shoulder... But using a one handed weapon stance would make the swing miss near your chest right?.
In that case the spear would get an advantage against trusting weapons because you would be able to just sidestep and dodge... Using a one handed weapon would make the trust hit you because your hitbox is fat on the sides

Want to preface this by saying this is a very rare incident and does not represent the actions of the homeless community by and large (who I’ve had lovely interactions with in Oxford and are very respectful and dealing with a lot of shit I can’t begin to imagine.
But wanted to give a warning for a scam (not sure if that’s the right word), I’ve been witness to / heard about twice now. Same guy who lingers outside Tesco on Magd Street- I’d say mid 30s who is very pushy and quite twitchy. First time he targeted my young F friend who offered to get him a hot drink and lunch. He insisted she get him cash (which she didn’t have). She said she couldn’t withdraw cash as she didn’t have her physical card. He frog marched her to NatWest to make a withdrawal using her ID. Surprisingly despite it being very uncomfortable and coercive the bank staff allowed her to withdraw money. She said she’d give him £10 but he kept hassling for more then wouldn’t give her the change he’d offered to exchange. In the end tried to take £30 off her (he got £20) and she was nearly in tears feeling unsafe.
We’ve just seen him at it again watching over the shoulder of a girl at the ATM at Tesco. I was with the same friend he scammed the first time and she wanted to stop it happening to someone else. We approached her and asked if she was okay and comfortable with withdrawing cash or if she felt pressured - he was not happy we were checking on her. After a couple of attempts to stay with her she sheepishly said she was okay and the guy seemed pretty insistent we left. Again he was supposed to take a £20 from her and give her some coins back. Lo and behold he takes the £20 and legs it. We followed him to Gloucester Green and watched him hand over the note for drugs a few minutes later (genuinely).
I don’t say any of this to diminish the plight of the homeless community and as I say I always try to help if I can with a hot drink, umbrella or lunch. But I’ve watched this guy coerce young female students twice now and left them both £20 down and nearly in tears. If someone is making you feel unsafe it’s okay to say no I’m sorry I can’t help.

After years of struggling, even more so in the last couple of weeks, I have finally have some answers.
To rewind, I started Zoloft a couple months ago and have seen tremendous benefits from the medication. Initially starting with 50mg, I was soon brought up to 75mg a month later to which I saw great benefit.
Benefits aside, I quickly began experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions. I was warned by this community that something in my behaviour was odd. So after some contemplating, I sought help at the ER. Initially I didn't get the help I needed, and was discharged after waiting for hours and speaking to a doctor. Two days later I once again found myself at the ER, this time extremely suicidal and with a lack of will to live. I was going to take my life.
After feeling like I had lost it all I decided to cling for help, show one last cry of desperation. And so, I had taken an Uber to the ER and told them everything. I said I was suicidal, said how I wanted to end my life and was completely content with doing so. I wasn't put on a hold, but instead they booked me an appointment with the Mental Health crisis team a few days later (little did I know this would change everything). Although I didn't have much hope, the days went by, I pulled through and spoke to the lady over phone, and after telling her everything (with her kindly listening and making me feel heard) I was referred to a Psychiatrist.
That brings me to today, I just spoke to the Psychiatrist and we had a long and meaningful discussion. I told him everything I thought was concerning, everything that came to mind. I mentioned all of my thoughts and concerns, ideas as to what I was dealing with, and the questions I had with his consensus.
Pretty much, he said I had traits of both ADD and Bipolar Disorder. He said, because I'm young, the feelings I'm experiencing are normal, however, the grandiose ways in which my feelings manifest are not. I didn't get a formal diagnose, however, I was told that I'm at an increased risk of developing Bipolar and Manic episodes in the future. Not only that, but he said I have likely experienced a hypomanic episode already. Although I didn't get an official diagnosis I'm still content with the answers I did receive. He is going to put me on a low dose of mood stabilizers to act as a proactive measure, and with some coping mechanisms hopefully I will be set on the right track.
I want to thank everyone for the concern and support you have provided over the last month. This likely wouldn't have happened without this community. I know I was acting a little rash to some of you who were giving advice and for that I apologize. I think we can safely say I was likely experiencing a manic episode. I'm still going to stay on Zoloft (which I'm happy about) and I will be adding the Mood stabilizer in combination with that. Thanks again for the help!
Feel free to ask any questions, vent, express concerns or say whatever else you so desire. If you want someone to talk to, shoot me a PM. There's hope my friends. Reality might be bullshit but at least there is hope. 😊

Hey, so I’m unable to get a breast reduction at the moment unfortunately…
I just had my reconsultation with my surgeon today. I received some bad news on how he thought that the amount of breast tissue that my insurance company deemed medically necessary (375g) was too high for someone who was my height (5’5”). He also didn’t want to put a random number and it not meeting expectations with how much tissue I had taken off, then have the hospital go after me and cause trouble. So long story short, I have to hold off my breast reduction for a while, at least until another year. I have tried everything to lose the excess fat on my boobs, but nothing has worked. I still have severe pain in my back, shoulders, and neck. My surgeon did recommend physical therapy, which I’ve done before but for a different purpose. That still didn’t work. I was still the same size. I also have dieted but they still haven’t gone down.
FYI I am a 36DD-DDD, but they make life so unbearable. Not only do I have to deal with my poor quality of life, but I also hate how I look in everything. I hate my body. I hate how I look. I always get the wrong impression that I’m trying to be sexy when I’m not.
Yes I’m the right size, and NO my pain hasn’t gone away. at all.
I’m at such a loss right now, I can’t get a reduction so are there different ways that I can lose breast fat instead of getting a breast reduction, at least until the time being? Please let me know of any, thank you so much…..

I really love crossbar knives and I’m always looking for new models and manufacturers. Some of them turn out to fantastic, like the Hogue Deka and TRM Shadow. I was disappointed by the Iridium just because it sort of felt cheap, though for its price that’s sort of expected, but the Bel Air is a huge improvement.
Right out of the box it feels smooth and fast, and the action just pops open. The knife runs on ball bearings so that’s to be expected. I also really love the shape of the blade and handle. The blade is very practically sharped and the handle just rests easily in the hand. I’m not sure how I feel about the sort of black stonewash finish on the blade, but it is magnacut so such issues are minor.
The problems with the Bel Air really only became apparent when I took the knife apart to see how it works. Now I’m aware that there are plenty of knives that you’re not supposed to disassemble, but I’m of the belief that you should be able to maintenance your own pocketknife and simplicity in a design is a virtue. The bearing/washer system is pretty over the top. The Bel Air has four steel washers and two captive bearing washers. The steel washers sit in either side of the bearing washers. This makes for a smooth action, but reassembling the knives if very tricky because you have to make a washebearing sandwich on each side of the blade. I was struggling with this a bit and decided that I’d take the scales off to reassemble the knife like one big sandwich. To do that I had to remove the exterior aluminum scales, remove the clip, pop out the omega springs, pop out the steel frame plates, and then finally reassemble the knife with the four washers and two bearing washers in their place. It just feels overly complex to use six washers rather than two large ball captives bearing washers.
And there’s a bit of lock stick with the bar.
I think the knife is very good so far, but the design seems overly complicated, especially compared to other crossbar knives. The knife does feel premium in the hand, and I’m glad that the crossbar design is now available for other companies to use. I think with some simplifying the Bel Air could be improved and considered among the best crossbar knives and likely the best one on bearings.

Hey, so I’m unable to get a breast reduction at the moment unfortunately…
I just had my reconsultation with my surgeon today. I received some bad news on how he thought that the amount of breast tissue that my insurance company deemed medically necessary (375g) was too high for someone who was my height (5’5”). He also didn’t want to put a random number and it not meeting expectations with how much tissue I had taken off, then have the hospital go after me and cause trouble. So long story short, I have to hold off my breast reduction for a while, at least until another year. I have tried everything to lose the excess fat on my boobs, but nothing has worked. I still have severe pain in my back, shoulders, and neck. My surgeon did recommend physical therapy, which I’ve done before but for a different purpose. That still didn’t work. I was still the same size. I also have dieted but they still haven’t gone down.
FYI I am a 36DD-DDD, but they make life so unbearable. Not only do I have to deal with my poor quality of life, but I also hate how I look in everything. I hate my body. I hate how I look. I always get the wrong impression that I’m trying to be sexy when I’m not. also YES I’m the right size but NO the pain doesnt stop.
I’m at such a loss right now, I can’t get a reduction so are there different ways that I can lose breast fat instead of getting a breast reduction, at least until the time being? Please let me know of any, thank you so much…..

My wife, Mia, and I were driving cross-country. It was our first attempt at the “Great American Roadtrip.”
Mia and I rented a small RV; more of a camper than a full blown RV. We packed up a couple suitcases with plenty of room for any souvenirs and we hit the dusty trail.
We started our journey on the “Mother Road”-- Route 66-- driving south from Chicago until we connected to i-70 and shot straight west through Missouri.
The goal was to see those parts of the country we had never seen before, stopping anywhere that seemed interesting. From the plains of Kansas up through the badlands of Wyoming and South Dakota.
In Missouri we saw the world’s largest cap gun. In Kansas we visited the Evel Knievel Museum and the World’s Largest Belt Buckle.
We love all those kitschy, tourist trap places.
Eventually, we made it to Colorado and after a few hours more of driving through amber waves of grain, we saw them... the Rocky Mountains.
We made an exit and headed north through the winding mountain highways.
The Rockies were gorgeous. Snow capped in the middle of summer, some of the peaks pierced through the white fluffy clouds.
We saw a sign that read “Traffic Tunnel - 3 Miles.”
A little further and sure enough, there it was, a large tunnel bored directly through the mountain in front of us.
A large sign read, “Pike Tunnel - Longest Traffic Tunnel in the Nation! - Please turn your headlights on now.”
“How long is it?” asked Mia.
“That’s what she said,” I quipped.
But she was right, there was no information beyond the detail that this was the longest tunnel in the nation.
“Can’t be more than a mile or two,” I said as I watched the little white car ahead of us slip into the darkness. A moment later we joined it.
The tunnel was lit by fluorescents that gave everything a greenish yellow tinge. On the left hand side was a raised walkway behind a railing for maintenance access.
Initially I was struck by the incredible amount of work that went into the construction of this man- made marvel.
“We’re under a million tons of rocky mountain right now,” I said.
“How many years before this caves in?” Mia responded.
I shot her a look--
“Let’s save the cave-in talk until we’re out on the other side.”
“I’m just saying, nature will take this back eventually,” she continued.
I scanned the empty road ahead of us.
“Where did the other car go?” I asked.
We were now alone in the tunnel, no cars ahead of us nor behind us.
“Huh... they must have sped off ahead. Maybe they’re scared of a cave-in?”
My Spotify playlist had stopped playing. Mia looked at the phone.
“No cell service.”
She turned on the radio and spun the dial only to find static.
“You’re not going to be able to pick up a station in here,” I said.
She turned the volume down.
“Just wanted to check... If only we had some CDs. This tunnel really keeps going.”
“I would have thought we’d be through it by now,” I replied.
I looked at the RV’s odometer, 45,600 miles. I picked up speed. I wanted to try and catch up to the little white car.
Up until this point, the tunnel was a straight shot, but now the tunnel started to curve to the right. It may have been my imagination but it also felt as though we were descending…
Mia felt it too and she started to get antsy.
“Where did that other car go? How long is this tunnel?”
There was an urgency in her voice.
I was getting nervous, claustrophobia was not usually a problem for me but when I looked down at the odometer and I saw that it had gone up by 3 miles, my mind began to wander to unsettling places.
We were descending in altitude. I could feel it. I could see a slope in the lights on the ceiling and the railing of the maintenance walkway. I could feel a pressure in my head, and I was getting cold.
“Could you grab me a coke from the back, Mia?”
I couldn’t have Mia getting anxious, that would only start a chain reaction and make me freak out which would then make her freak out.
She unbuckled and ducked into the back of the RV to where we had a cooler stocked with drinks and food.
Just as she stepped into the back, I saw something.
There standing on the side of the road was a MAN wearing a reflective safety vest and a hard hat. He was WAVING to me as I passed him by.
Something about him looked... strange…
I watched him in the side-view mirror as we passed and he was still watching the RV, still waving at the back of our vehicle as he faded into the distance.
Mia reappeared from the back of the RV, Coke in hand. She popped it and handed it to me.
“You look worried.”
“I’m fine,” I smiled and took a sip of the Coke.
“Eric, slow down!”
I slammed on the breaks as I saw what made Mia scream. In the road in front of us was a roadblock.
Two reflective traffic sawhorses blocked both lanes of the tunnel. Beyond the roadblock, the lights of the tunnel were dark. There was nothing but a void of blackness.
Standing in front of the roadblock was another man wearing a reflective vest and a hard hat, only this time his hard hat had a light on top which obscured his face.
We came to a jolting stop.
I turned to Mia
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” she replied. “It’s a cave-in isn’t it?”
“God, I hope not.”
I rolled down the window, leaned out and yelled to the man in the hard hat.
“Hey! What’s going on?!”
The man was about 5 yards away. He took two steps towards us and then raised a hand to his mouth and yelled.
“Just doing some maintenance!”
“How long is it going to take?!” I yelled back.
The man made a hand gesture as if he didn’t hear me.
“How long is it going to take?!” I called again.
He made the same gesture. I unbuckled my seat belt and grabbed the door release.
“What are you doing?” Mia asked.
“I gotta know what’s going on.”
“Eric, just stay here, it might not be safe.”
“I’ll be just a second,” I said.
I pushed the door open and stepped down from the RV.
“Stay in your vehicle!” the man yelled.
He took a couple steps towards me with his hand out telling me to stop.
“What’s the hold up?!” I shouted.
The man was a bit closer now but I still couldn’t see his face through the shining light on his helmet.
“Please stay in your vehicle!” he shouted.
There was something off about him.
Then I heard it–
“EEEAAAUUUUUUGHHHHHHHH!!!”
A scream, or something, rolled from deep in the tunnel. The worker turned and looked into the darkness. Then he ran past the barricades and soon all we could see of him was the light on his helmet.
The light disappeared a moment later.
“What the hell was that?! Is someone hurt?” Mia asked.
“I have no idea,” I said.
“Should we do something?” Mia asked.
I just sat there and watched the pitch black tunnel in front of me. I had no idea what to tell her. I checked the sideview mirrors. There was still nobody behind us.
“Where are the other cars?” I asked.
“They must have gotten through before the roadblock... Or maybe they caused the roadblock?” Mia replied.
“I saw another worker a little ways back. We could try to go back and talk to him.”
“We’d be going straight into any oncoming cars.”
“There’s a maintenance walkway. We didn’t pass him that long ago. We can probably catch him on foot.”
“Maybe we should just wait for the guy to come back.”
She reached over and grabbed my arm. I squeezed her hand.
She was right.
I looked out at the tunnel ahead of us. I turned on the RV’s high beams but all I could see beyond the roadblock was more tunnel and more road.
I checked my phone. Unsurprisingly, there was no service still.
We waited, but the man never came back.
“It’s been twenty minutes,” Mia said, “How come there hasn’t been another car behind us?
I was having the same thought. I rolled down my window and stuck my head out. I looked back at the road behind us. It went back about 200 yards before curving out of sight.
There was no sign of that first worker I saw on the maintenance walk way. I looked at the roadblock ahead of us and clicked on the RV’s high beams. There was nothing beyond the roadblock but more tunnel. It didn’t look like it was under construction, just very dark.
“I think we should keep going,” I said.
“What about the roadblock?”
“We’ll move those sawhorses out of the way and just drive past,” I said as I opened my door.
Mia looked at me, then she cast her eyes to the dark tunnel ahead of us. I knew she was processing the same limited options that I was.
Driving backwards would be a huge risk in the instance of another car finally coming along.
Getting out and walking would take God knows how long, we could have driven 10 miles at this point.
Forward was our best option.
“Let’s do it,” Mia said.
We jumped out and quickly pulled the two sawhorses out of the right lane. I pulled the RV up past the barriers, then we jumped out again and put the sawhorses back where they were. We didn't need another car to come barreling through.
We were finally moving again, slowly. It was pitch black save for the high beams of the RV.
We crept forward at around 15 miles per hour. As the tunnel turned and twisted, my eyes started to play tricks on me. I kept seeing shapes at the furthest point of the tunnel.
I kept seeing something standing just at the end of the next bend but as we roll forward, there was nothing there.
“Where are the workers?” Mia asked.
“I don’t know.”
I was done rationalizing. This was all wrong. Traffic tunnels are never this long.
My mind started to wander to all the road trip urban legends I’d read about; The Killer in the Backseat, The Disappearing Gas Station, The Pale Man In The Corn Field.
Did we stumble into some strange outlier location? An in-between point on the endless roads that cross this country?
Then I saw it–
“Look! A person! Thank god!” Mia shouted.
As we rounded a curve in the tunnel, a group of maintenance workers entered our view.
The three of them stood on the left side of the road behind two more sawhorses topped with flashing lights.
Two of them faced towards us, the third was facing the other two.
The one with his back to us wore a light on his hard hat. Was this the same guy we saw earlier? How did he get this far away?
I approached slowly and rolled down the window.
“Hey! You left us waiting back there!” I yelled.
There was no response.
In fact, all three men were completely silent, and it was hard to tell in the flashing light of the sawhorses, but they looked to be standing COMPLETELY STILL.
“Hello?!” I yelled again.
I pushed open my door and stepped out onto the pavement.
“Eric wait--”
I held up a finger to Mia.
“Just a second.”
I slowly stepped towards the 3 men.
“Hello?”
No response… What the fuck?
The bright lights of the sawhorses obscured their faces.
I kept moving closer.
“Hey, what’s going on--”
Then I saw it.
Their faces... They were plastic.
In front of me stood three mannequins.
I backed away toward the RV, then I turned and walked hurriedly to the vehicle.
I was seriously freaked out but I didn’t want to alarm Mia. I climbed into the driver’s seat and slammed the door shut.
“They’re mannequins.” I said.
“What?”
“They’re mannequins.”
”Why?... What?...”
“I don’t know…”
I looked back over at the three figures and my blood ran cold…
The Hard Hat Mannequin had somehow TURNED AROUND to face us. All three figures appeared to be watching us now.
Then we heard it--
A loud resonant banging on the side, and then the roof of the RV.
“What the hell was that?” Mia whispered.
We listened, holding our breath. Then--
A shuffling sound--
Something was moving ON or IN the RV.
“Stay here.” I said.
I got up.
“Eric, wait!”
I moved to the back of the RV.
It was dark. I went for a drawer in the kitchenette space and pulled out a flashlight.
I moved to the rear of the RV, the bedroom. My flashlight illuminated an empty room.
“Whoever is back here, I have a gun…”
A shitty bluff. But I didn’t see anything.
I shone the light out of the windows of each side of the RV. Nothing.
Then I heard it–
A shuffling sound, from right above me.
I looked up and screamed–
“Fuck!”
On the roof of the RV, staring through the skylight was a woman with vacuous black eyes and a dead smile.
Her stringy black hair dangled down towards me casting thing black shadows across her horrible pale face.
“Mia, drive! Fast!” I screamed.
Mia JUMPED over to the driver’s seat, shifted into gear and STOMPED on the gas. The RV was clunky but it could move when it needed to.
We lurched forward and I fell back.
I trained my flashlight up onto the skylight again and the woman was gone.
I scrambled to my feet and looked out of the side windows.
Did Mia shake her off? There was no sign of the woman. I moved to the passenger seat, breathing heavily and sweating.
“What happened?” She asked, keeping the RV at a steady 50 mph.
“There was a woman on the roof,” I said flatly.
I realize now that I was in a kind of shock.
“A woman?”
“Her eyes were black.”
Mia just looked at me, then back at the tunnel ahead of us.
“There’s something wrong with this tunnel.” I whispered.
Mia pointed at the road ahead, “Look.”
I looked out at the tunnel. There were more mannequins. A LOT more mannequins. They were positioned on both sides of the road.
They were all facing us and even though I never saw them move, when I looked in the side-view mirror, they were somehow STILL facing us, turning to watch us as we drove past. Watching without eyes.
“Just keep driving.” I said.
As we drove on, the mannequins crowded the sides of the road more and more. There were thousands of them. Eventually they were so close that some of their outstretched arms hit the side of the RV.
They were closing in on us. Squeezing our path forward. One stood in the middle of the road.
“I don’t think i can get around it.”
“Run it over. Don’t stop.”
The RV smashed into the mannequin. Its head shot forward and bounced against the windshield and the vehicle shuddered as it rolled over the body.
Soon there were two in the road. Then three.
I could see where this was going. Pretty soon there would be too many for the RV to ram through, but goddammit we were going to get through as many as we could.
“Speed up, Mia.”
CRASH!
The sound was surreal, smashing into mannequin after mannequin at nearly 60 miles per hour.
Hands, legs, heads and torsos flew.
The windshield cracked, the RV shuddered and screamed and eventually slowed down, despite the screaming engine.
I’m certain the axle was jammed up with lifeless, plastic body parts. Eventually we came to a stop.
“She won’t move,” Mia said.
She pressed on the gas but it was no use, the RV just rocked a little bit.
“Try reverse.”
She shifted and pressed on the gas, we got some decent movement before running into another jam.
“Fuck.”
“Should we get out and look?” Mia asked.
“I’ll go,” I said as I grabbed the flashlight and popped the passenger door. Mia unbuckled her seatbelt.
“We’ll go together.”
We stumbled out of the RV on the passenger side. It was like stepping into Hell.
Countless, lifeless faces stared out at us from the darkness. The only light came from the headlights of the RV and my flashlight.
We clumsily made our way along the side of the RV. The ground was littered with mannequin pieces.
I thought to myself, if we could get a couple yards cleared out behind the rear tires, we might be able to back out and get enough momentum to reverse all the way back out of here.
Instead, when we got to the back of the RV, my stomach flipped and my heart sank.
I was expecting to see a trail of flattened mannequins, instead the RV was now surrounded by thousands of perfectly intact mannequins standing at attention. As if their ranks had some how been replenished after our vehicular assault.
“This is impossible.”
She started to cry. I held her close.
“We’ll keep moving.” I said.
“It will never end. The tunnel makes no sense. It only curves one direction.”
I looked at her.
“What do you mean?”
“This whole time the tunnel has only been curving to the right. it would sometimes straighten out or go left for a few yards but before too long we were curving to the right again. We’ve either been driving in circles or spiraling downwards.”
“So we’ll go back the way we came and hope we’re not going in circles.” I said.
We had been driving for hours at this point. Walking back out the way we came would take days. But now that I thought about it, Mia was right, we’d only been curving to the right.
This tunnel seemed to be very gradually taking us downwards into the earth.
Going forward would not get us any closer to escape.
“We’ll need food from the RV,” Mia said.
I nodded and we stumbled our way back to the front of the RV, the mannequins’ lifeless faces watching us the whole time.
I stepped up to the passenger door and nearly fell back when I looked through the window.
“What the fuck?” I breathed.
What I saw were two mannequins sitting in the driver’s and passenger’s seat.
How they got in there? I have no idea, but what really made my blood run cold was that they were dressed EXACTLY like MIA and I.
They wore identical sets of clothes. The one in the passenger seat had my same New Order T-shirt and black jeans. The one in the driver’s seat had Mia’s green striped sweater and denim shorts.
Their plastic faces stared out through the shattered windshield at the endless crowd of mannequins staring back at them.
Mia stepped up and saw the uncanny display.
“What the fuck?” Mia echoed.
I pulled myself up into the RV and slowly stepped around my mannequin doppelgänger. I avoided looking into its face but I swear i could feel it watching me as I stumbled around it.
Mia followed and we made our way into the back of our dark RV. Luckily we had just stocked our cooler full of deli meat and water not long after crossing the Colorado state line.
I handed Mia the flashlight and pulled open the cooler. I filled a backpack full of food and water.
I turned and saw them–
My mannequin double had somehow moved. It was standing in the aisle watching us.
Mia’s doppelgänger was still seated in the driver’s seat but had turned to peer back at us with its eyeless gaze.
Mia saw the look in my eyes and turned. She screamed when she saw them and backed into me. I put my arm around her and we stood there a moment, letting our skyrocketing heart rates return to Earth.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said.
I slid the backpack onto my shoulders.
Mia joined me at the door. I looked into her eyes. “Are you ready?” She nodded. I kissed her.
“I love you,” I said.
“I love you,” she said.
The look on her face killed me. She was terrified. I’m sure the look on my face was similar.
I opened the door and we stepped out…
We again stumbled to the back of the RV. Once we were clear of the RV and all the crushed mannequin body parts, it became easier to find footing, though weaving through an endless crowd of lifeless people was a slow process.
It was pitch black. Without the flashlight we wouldn’t be able to see a foot in front of us.
As I walked, the beam of light created the illusion of movement in the crowd. At least I hoped it was an illusion.
The limbs of the mannequins seemed to stretch and turn, but the only sound was that of Mia and I shuffling our way through the crowded tunnel.
Things went on like this for what felt like hours. Mia and I were sweating and aching. I was about to suggest we stop and rest, but then I saw it and I froze…
Out in the crowd, beyond rows of blank faces I saw a pale face, black hair and a dead smile.
I saw two vacuous eyes staring right at me.
“Mia, do you see her?” I whispered.
“See who?”
I slowly raised my arm and pointed.
It was the woman, or whatever it was, that stared back at me through the skylight on the roof of the RV.
“Oh my god!” Mia squeaked.
I could see now that the Pale Faced Woman was tall. A few inches taller than the mannequins.
As I pointed, she stared back at me with that terrible grin.
“What do we do?” Mia whispered.
I raised the flashlight and pointed it right at the Pale Faced Woman. I thought maybe this would scare her off.
I was wrong.
The light only made her appear more unsettling as she stared back, unflinchingly.
“What do you want?!” I yelled.
She only stared back at me. She was as still as the mannequins.
“We have to keep going.” I whispered.
Mia didn’t respond. Her body was tense as she held onto me.
“We’ve come this far, we can’t turn back again,” I continued.
I pulled Mia’s hand and we continued on our way through the mannequins, keeping the distance between us and her as wide as possible.
As we moved past, she kept watching us. Though her movements were imperceptible to us, her eyes never left us. Like one of those portraits whose eyes appear to watch you no matter where you stand.
Finally, we got far enough that she was out of sight. But the thought of her being somewhere behind us only unsettled me further and I quickened our pace.
As the hours wore on, there was no sign of the Pale Faced Woman and the crowd of mannequins began to thin out. They still populated the tunnel from one end to the other, but there was more space between them, allowing Mia and I to walk more freely.
The mannequins on the maintenance walkway on the side of the tunnel seemed to thin out as well and I decided it would give us a better vantage if we were walking up there.
I helped Mia climb up the railing that bordered the walkway, then I climbed up behind her. The walkway was elevated 3 or 4 feet above the roadway. We could easily see over the heads of the mannequins in both directions.
There was, of course, no end to the tunnel in sight.
We kept walking.
The mannequins continued to thin out, but they were different now.
There were mannequins dressed as maintenance workers again, but also mannequins dressed as families and businessmen. There was even a group of mannequin nuns standing in a single file line, heads bowed in prayer.
Needless to say, we passed none of this on the way in to the tunnel. I was feeling very hopeless that we were going to be able to find our way out.
I was far beyond speculating how this was at all possible. It’s NOT possible. And even if it were, there is no good reason for someone to do this to us.
The only explanation was the supernatural. Then I saw Her. Rather, I saw THEM.
Arranged in the middle of the tunnel was a circle of mannequins with long black hair and tattered cloth.
They looked exactly like the Pale Faced Woman, minus any facial features. I kept a close watch on them as we passed to make sure they didn’t start following us.
“A door!” Mia shouted.
Mia pointed a few paces ahead of her. There was a door leading into the wall of the tunnel.
We ran towards it. Mia grabbed the handle, turned it and pulled. It was heavy and Mia had to brace her foot on the wall to get it moving.
The metal door groaned as if it hadn’t been opened in years.
Finally, it was open enough to see past.
It was a hallway. It went out about 5 yards then turned right at a 90 degree angle.
The strangest part was the design of the hallway.
It wasn’t cement or pavement like the tunnel.
The walls were wood paneled and the floor was covered in a thick carpet, like a house from the 1970s.
“I say we see where this takes us.” Mia said.
There was no reason to disagree, but I wasn’t going to get us trapped in there.
I opened up my backpack and took out a water bottle. I opened it and handed it to Mia. She drank half, then I drank the other half.
I slowly closed the door, shoving the empty water bottle in the crack to keep it from closing all the way.
I turned to Mia-- “Okay, let’s go.”
We slowly made our way down the quiet hallway. We got down to where the hallway cornered to the right and that’s when we heard it–
KA-CHUNK!!!--
I whipped around. The door had closed behind us. I ran back to it and tried to push it open, but it was no use. There was no way it closed on its own.
Someone had to have removed the water bottle. Our path had been chosen for us.
There was no turning back.
We continued down the hallway. We turned right. The hallway continued, then turned right again. That should have led us right back to the tunnel. But it didn’t. This part of the hallway went on far longer than was possible without running into the tunnel. Then it turned right again.
It went on like this. Sometimes a section of the hallway was 20 feet long, sometimes it was 20 yards long, sometimes it was 3 feet long. But it always turned to the right.
At first it was a relief to be somewhere other than the cold, dark tunnel. But the hallway very quickly became claustrophobic and before too long, I heard someone walking behind us.
We had stopped to take a break and I heard a third pair of footsteps on the carpet coming from behind us. I backtracked to the last corner.
I was terrified as I slowly peeked around the corner, tense and waiting to see the vacuous eyes and inky black hair of the Pale Faced Woman... but there was nothing there. I wasn’t about to backtrack any further.
“There was no one there.” I whispered.
Mia slumped against the wall and slid down to the carpet.
“I think I need to rest.” She said.
I put my backpack down on the ground for Mia to use as a pillow. She laid her head down and was passed out in seconds.
I had no idea how long we had been walking at this point. I stood leaning against the wall. My body was telling me to rest but I couldn’t risk falling asleep. I had to keep watch. I knew SHE was following us.
I took in the details of the hallway for the first time. The carpet was a dull brown and the walls a cheap wood paneling. The hanging lighting fixtures were shaded by stained glass, something you might see in an old diner.
Who built this place? Did someone pick out the carpet and the lighting fixtures? Did a team of workers blast these tunnels into the Earth? Or has this place always existed? Was this Purgatory?
I began to feel dizzy. I was panicking. My heart felt like it was trying to escape my chest. I slumped to the floor and tried to slow my breathing.
I closed my eyes... –
I SHOT up in a panic. I had fallen asleep while I was meant to be keeping watch.
I snapped to my feet and looked around.
Mia was still asleep on my backpack.
Then I noticed that the hallway had changed. A few paces away there was now a plain wooden door in the wall.
I slowly approached it. I put my ear to the door and I could hear what sounded like TV static and the low murmur of voices.
I discreetly grabbed the door handle and turned it slowly. I felt the latch bolt clear and I carefully cracked the door just enough to peek inside.
It was dark, so it took a second for me to register what I was seeing. I saw a small board room. A long table in the center was surrounded by seated men in suits.
At the end of the table stood another man next to an old CRT TV that was playing static. This was the only source of light in the room and all the men around the table were turned towards the tv.
Suddenly the screen flickered from static to a solid dark background. And some warped new age style muzak began playing.
Then the words appeared on the screen that terrified me like nothing else before. In plain text the words read–
“YOU WILL LOSE HER.”
I froze as I knew these words were meant for me I watched with terror as the men seated around the table slowly turned toward me in unison.
They were mannequins.
The TV screen then clicked off and they continued staring at me as I could barely make out their forms through the near pitch darkness.
I quickly pulled the door shut. And whipped around to look at Mia, I had a horrible feeling of dread that when I turned around she would be gone, like the message on the TV promised–
“Eric? What are you doing?” Mia was leaning up and staring at me.
Thank God. There was Mia, right where I left her.
I pointed at the door and said, “This door appeared and I--”
“What door?” she interrupted.
I turned and sure enough, the door was now gone.
I explained what happened to her, but I left out the message that appeared on the screen.
-- YOU WILL LOSE HER –
Those words still burned in my brain. I tried to force them out.
We drank water, ate granola and then got moving again.
Hallways. Endless hallways.
After a couple hours of walking we started to hear music. There were small speakers in the corners of the ceiling.
I recognized it as the same new-age muzak that played on the TV in the board room. The melody drilled into our minds. Combined with the dull aesthetics of the quiet hallways and the endless right turns, the music had a hypnotizing effect.
The lengths of the halls became more uniform. That is to say, the straight section of hallway was about 7 paces, then a right turn, then 7 paces and a right turn.
“I think we’re walking in circles... or a square,” Mia said.
I looked at her and took out a bottle of water. I peeled off the plastic label and dropped it on the floor.
Then we kept walking.
7 paces, right turn. 7 paces, right turn. 7 paces, right turn. And there it was... Mia was right.
The label from my water bottle lay in the middle of the hallway. Somehow we had been led into a loop. I lost it.
“FUUUCK!”
I kicked the wall repeatedly and screamed. Mia just leaned her back against the wall.
This was our dynamic. If one of us lost it, the other became zen and thought of a solution. More often than not, I was the one to lose it.
I finally stopped freaking out
“There has to be a way out. A door,” Mia said.
“We would have seen it,” I replied.
“A hidden door,” she said.
She turned around and ran her hands along the cracks of the wood paneling.
“Most likely on the outer wall,” she said.
She beat her fist on the wall, listening for a change in the sound. I exhaled heavily, sweating and tired, and I started searching the wall as well.
We checked the whole first wall, nothing. We checked the second wall, nothing. The third, nothing.
The final wall... Nothing. I gave up and slumped on the floor. Mia immediately went over to the other side of the hall and started checking the inner wall.
“What are you doing? I thought you said it would be on the outer wall?” I asked.
Then we heard it.
Mia beat the wall and instead of the dead thud, we heard a resonate BOOM –
A door…
I shot up and started tapping the wall with Mia until we found where the door ended. It was the width of about 4 wooden panels. I lined myself up in the center, lowered my shoulder and pushed–
IT MOVED! It barely moved but it was enough to confirm this actually was a door! I re-centered and tried again, lowering my center of gravity, I pushed as hard as I could. The door pushed inward about 3 inches, then Mia joined in. We slowly moved the door, 5 inches, then 10, then 15, then 20.
Then Mia slipped inside.
I had a moment of panic as she disappeared into the darkness and those haunting words came back into my mind, “YOU WILL LOSE HER.”
I darted past the doorway, falling through the threshold and hitting the concrete floor.
I looked up and there was Mia, thank God. I promised myself I’d never let her out of my sight again.
“The exit...” Mia said.
She looked and sounded as if she were a thousand miles away. I got to my feet and followed her gaze. What I saw nearly brought me to tears.
We were back in the tunnel, but there was light. About a mile down was the mouth of the tunnel, and daylight pouring in. Beautiful daylight. I grabbed Mia tight and kissed her.
“Thank God...” she cried.
We started moving. Nothing was going to slow us down this time. We sped up into a RUN down the maintenance walkway towards that beautiful sunlight.
As we approached, something else came into view. Parked in the middle of the roadway was a large vehicle…
It couldn’t be…
It was!
Our RV sat in the road waiting for us. We ran all the way to it, pulled open the passenger side door and climbed in. There were no mannequins to be seen.
I fell into the driver’s seat and Mia handed me the keys. I turned over the engine, the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard. I shifted into gear and floored it towards the sunlight.
As we got closer, I could see the green of trees and the blue of the sky. We were maybe one hundred yards away.
I turned to Mia, tears in my eyes…
And what I saw turned my blood to ice.
Just beyond Mia’s window, that horrifying pale face grinned at me.
The Pale Faced Woman was somehow floating outside of the RV.
Before I could say anything, her hand smashed through the window and gripped Mia by the throat, then in one horrible motion the thing PULLED MIA SCREAMING THROUGH THE WINDOW AND…
Disappeared…
I SLAMMED on the breaks just as the RV passed through the exit of the tunnel and sunlight flooded the cab of the RV. I threw it in park and shot out of the door screaming.
“Mia!? Mia??!!”
I screamed over and over. I rounded the front of the RV and looked back at the tunnel –
-- and what I saw shattered my mind…
The tunnel was gone.
There was only open road.
I had lost her.

I’ve recently begun to buy the graphic illustrations that I read like 8+ years ago. I’ve got a few of them including some new ones I haven’t ready. I can’t remember the titles but I can remember some specific details and I’m hoping someone here knows the titles. … One graphic illustration was Cable coming back and killing X-men, like total eradication of any mutants/ superhero’s like iron man and captain America, in this one Wolverine is an old general I believe and had one of his hands cut off and it was replaced by like a single blade and in the end Cable/ multiple Cables pour acid on him completely melting him away, like every cell of his being. But the very end they end up stopping Cable and it was a younger Cable they were trying to save and future Cable sends his younger self so a foster home where he’ll be abused thus starting the cycle of his hatred and causing a loop. … The second graphic illustration (and I know this isn’t much to go on) it was Wolverine like in a berserk rage I think he had something on his head and he was just straight up slicing through people, one picture I remember was red and it was Wolverine like looking over his left shoulder with his claws out but it was like this pencil thin 2 foot long claws. … I ask because I’d like to buy what I’m looking for, not something I’m not. Any help would be greatly appreciated thank you. I’ve got: Wolverine the complete collection volume 1-4 by Jason Aaron Wolverine Old Man Logan - where he kills the Hulk gang Wolverine vs. Predator

Hi all,
I started collecting Brets in the midst of the pandemic, when The Old World being launched was a mere twinkle of hope in the wistful eye of that old fellah at the back of the bar…
Lo and behold it’s come to fruition!
During Covid I also started collecting a lot of old white dwarf magazines which in part inspired my interest in brets… in particular I was whole heartedly converted by the article on Stillmania as an approach to army building!
The below is my attempt at a 2,000 point list - one that I am hoping to lock in soon and not look to change it too much once it is, in keeping with the Stillmania theme.
I’d appreciate any one giving their 2 cents on how they think it will play, tips and tricks I could pull off, if there’s any glaringly obvious mistakes, or any minor optimisations you might recommend (builds, items, banners, choice of lore’s, models per unit etc etc)
The force itself is inspired by Lord Dunsany’s story Carcassonne - and I’ve tried somewhat to reflect that in how I have modelled the army and named the various champions etc. I’ve also tried to make the force fairly “historical friendly” if that’s the right term thus the lack of Griffons, Pegasus, Unicorns etc etc.
I mostly play against Ogres, Lizardmen, Skaven, maybe rarely against Chaos and Vampires - and it’s not that I am looking for tools to abuse, and I realise I’ve handicapped myself in limiting the types of units and by adopting a Stillmania approach to games - but I would like to be minority competitive / able to hold my own for at least interesting games against the above forces!
Please let me know what you think!

Kingdom of Bretonnia [1999 pts]

Warhammer: The Old World, Kingdom of Bretonnia

++ Characters [727 pts] ++
Duke [343 pts] - Hand weapon - Heavy armour - Shield - General - Bretonnian Warhorse - Gromril Great Helm - Paymaster's Coin - Sirienne's Locket - Virtue of Heroism
Prophetess [206 pts] - Hand weapon - Level 4 Wizard - Bretonnian Warhorse - Prayer Icon of Quenelles - Illusion
Paladin [178 pts] - Hand weapon - Heavy armour - Shield - Battle Standard Bearer [Errantry Banner] - Bretonnian Warhorse - Giant Blade - Virtue of the Impetuous Knight
++ Core Units [590 pts] ++
9 Mounted Knights of the Realm [257 pts] - Hand weapons - Lances - Shields - Heavy armour - First Knight (champion) [Berserker Blade] - Standard bearer - Musician
8 Mounted Knights of the Realm [233 pts] - Hand weapons - Lances - Shields - Heavy armour - First Knight (champion) [Foebreaker] - Standard bearer - Musician
10 Peasant Bowmen [50 pts] - Hand weapons - Longbows - Unarmoured
10 Peasant Bowmen [50 pts] - Hand weapons - Longbows - Unarmoured
++ Special Units [257 pts] ++
6 Questing Knights [177 pts] - Hand weapons - Great weapons - Shields - Heavy armour - Paragon (champion) - Standard bearer - Musician
10 Squires [80 pts] - Hand weapons - Longbows - Scouts
++ Rare Units [425 pts] ++
Field Trebuchet [100 pts] - Field Trebuchet - Hand weapons
8 Grail Knights [325 pts] - Hand weapons - Lances - Shields - Heavy armour - Grail Guardian (champion) - Standard bearer - Musician
Created with "Old World Builder"
[https://old-world-builder.com]

(This is a repost from 4 weeks ago.)
Hi everyone,
With VoG challenge starting I wanted to post this to hopefully help some people complete Atheon challenge easier. It’s a pretty long guide since it contains pretty much everything I know about this challenge.
The challenge is that every guardian needs to destroy exactly one Oracle every time before Time’s Vengeance starts. (The weird wording is intentional - this is important for one of the items below.) So you do need a full team of six guardians to do the challenge. (FYI, I tried doing it with three guardians destroying two Oracles each, and it didn’t work - the “challenge failed” message came up as soon as the last Oracle was destroyed.)
In this guide, I will use “Venus” for the green/past/right and “Mars” for the brown/future/left timeline. I also use “teleport” to describe the time shift. I know these are not correct, but that’s how most people describe the Atheon fight.

Weapons and Subclasses

Load out wise, the best weapons are (in order):

• Sleeper Simulant (use an exotic chest armor with heavy ammo perk to get 12 shots)
• High impact sniper (Ex Machina, Event Horizon, Devil’s Dawn, Black Spindle archetype)
• Machine gun
• Rockets (only if you don’t have any of the above, and be very careful - jump straight up in the air to shoot them)
• Primaries from this raid (for Oracles)

Do not use supers other than Weapons bubble and Shadowshot tether. Time’s Vengeance will reduce supers’ cool down but their damage will not be buffed like regular weapons. Unless you run out of ammo, even a Celestial Nighthawk Golden Gun is worse than Sleeper - the GG’s dramatic animation is too long. All Titans should switch to Weapons with Bastion and Illuminated. (If you don’t have Illuminated, and there is someone else who does have Illuminated, do not use your bubble unless the other person is not available, or you may cost the team 10% of DPS). All Hunters should switch to Nightstalker with Black Hole. The Titan and Hunter who gets to the middle first should call out “I’ll do the bubble/tether” so others don’t have to worry about it. Also, call out again when the Weapons bubble is activated (near the back edge of the island preferably) so people know when to go back to find it. For the tether, jump straight up and shoot it on the ground at Atheon’s feet (not hitting Atheon directly will make the tether last longer). Only one person needs to tether. Shooting three Sleeper shots then tethering is about the right timing. Warlocks should be on self-res, as staying alive is paramount in case you can’t one-phase Atheon. Do not try to throw grenades, you will have to jump high in the air to do so, which wastes time. I takes about 23 seconds with 5 max light guardians shooting Sleeper with Weapons and tether active the whole time to destroy Atheon.

The Challenge

To make portals opening as smooth as possible, put 3 people on Venus side and 3 on Mars side. Stay inside the circle so you can start building the portal immediately when teleport happens even while you are detained. Do not jump on the monolith before the teleport, as it will aggro Atheon and he’ll start shooting at you and cause a lot of splash damage to you and your teammates.
The ideal situation is that the “inside team” gets #1/#2, the “outside team” gets #3-#5, and Relic holder gets #6. Two people from the outside should go in as soon as the portal opens, and the last person goes in when someone comes out. One notable exception is that if nobody is on the correct portal, then Relic holder needs to get #3 and outside team will get #4-#6. Make sure you watch the kill feed (above your super bar) to confirm you have indeed destroyed an Oracle. After the teleport, avoid unnecessary emoting so you won’t clog up the kill feed.

The Inside Team

The main goal for this team is to have Oracles #1 and #2 destroyed and get the non-Relic guardians out as soon as possible. So if you’re not grabbing the Relic, this is what you need to do:

• Shoot Oracle #1 or #2 (#1 is straight ahead on Venus and slightly left on Mars, #2 is slightly right on both) as soon as they spawn. It may help to call out immediately (“I got #1” “OK then I’ll get #2”) to avoid any confusion.
• Run to the portal as soon as you destroy your Oracle. There will be no cleanse at the bottom. Once you get cleansed at the portal, get out and call out “I’m out, you can go in” to the last person outside.
• Do not ask for cleanse, it will just clog up the comms. If you need a cleanse, quietly stand next to the Relic. The Relic holder will cleanse you every now and then.
• If you are #2 and you are sure your teammate #1 will not need help with his Oracle, you can run immediately to the portal and turn around to shoot Oracle #2. Oracle #2 will spawn around the time you get to the portal.
• If you are #2 and you are shooting your Oracle from the spawn and someone else destroys it instead, don’t try to shoot another Oracle, instead immediately run to the portal. You should have enough time to get there to receive a cleanse before you go completely blind.
• Once you’re out, help clear Supplicants and go to the middle island to be ready for DPS. If you’re the Weapons bubble or tether, tell people that you got that role. There will be three Supplicants that spawn on the other side that should have made it to the portal ring by then, so make sure you shoot them while you’re waiting.
• If you get out and notice you were not cleansed at all, go back in and wait just inside the portal for another cleanse.
• One more thing for the inside team to watch out for is the Relic holder accidentally destroying an Oracle. #1 on Venus is halfway up the stairs, and #2 is on the floor level, both destroyable by a single Relic slam. If the Relic holder destroys Oracle #1 or #2 while trying to kill the adds, you need to notify him (he’s probably too busy dealing with the adds to notice). If this happens, the inside team should take #1-#3, and the outside team takes #4-#6.
• And as always, throw a grenade at the Minotaur at the bottom on Venus, and don’t do anything to the adds on Mars. In any case, do not shoot the adds. The Relic holder needs to kill all three adds to build his super quickly. Even if you don’t kill the adds, it will cause them to wake up early if you shoot them and cause all sorts of havoc (like Hobgoblins throwing up their shields on Mars, or the Minotaur running up the stairs on Venus).

The Relic Holder

If you are the Relic holder, you want 300 Intellect (for Relic super) and 300 Discipline (for cleanse). Do not pick up the Relic if you don’t have 300 INT and DIS. Also don’t pick up the Relic if you’re the only Weapons bubble or tether. As a Relic holder:

• Call out which side you are, and remind people about the grenade/no grenade.
• Run down the right side behind the short pillars, not the middle stairway. Make a mini double-jump at the bottom and smash the adds with the Relic slam. On Venus, if they are not clustered together, you want to make sure you take out at least one of the Goblins (smash the one that’s closer to the Minotaur). One mistake that can cost you is to attack the Minotaur only when they are spread out, and by the time you get rid of it, you’ve had two Goblins shooting at you the whole time and have little to no health left.
• Once you’re done with the adds, run to the portal. If the portal is still not open, that probably means the outside team are all on the wrong side, so use your Relic super to take out Oracle #3. This is the one that is floating pretty high in the air on the right side (looking back from the portal, it will be left if you’re facing the portal). If you take out Oracle #3, call it out (“Relic holder took Oracle #3, last person take #6”).
• Stand near the portal so that the cleanse shield overlaps the portal. This will make sure anyone who runs through the cleanse on the way out will not go blind outside. Face the portal and watch your radar. When you see a green dot or two catch up on you, cleanse them.
• After the first set of guys are out, call in the last person and turn around. Make sure everyone is shooting Oracles in order (they don’t have to be destroyed in order, but each of them will wipe you after a set time, so it is better to shoot them in order). Cleanse occasionally.
• Once Oracles #1-#5 are destroyed, do one last cleanse and tell everyone to get ready for DPS. If possible, do a 3-2-1 countdown before smashing Oracle #6 so everyone knows exactly when Time’s Vengeance starts. Rush to the middle and activate the shield.
• Watch Atheon’s health bar as time progresses. Assuming most people started shooting as soon as Time’s Vengeance started, if Atheon’s health is about half or less at the 15 seconds mark, you should be able to kill him in one phase. If so, tell people to “commit”. If not, when Atheon’s health is about 1/3 left, tell people to get out and start clearing supplicants near portals. Turn around with your shield and leave after everyone is gone.
• If you had to destroy Oracle #3, then cleanse and leave after #5 is destroyed to go to the middle. The last person in doesn’t need any cleanse; he can shoot #6 and turn around to get to the middle in plenty of time before he goes completely blind.

The Outside Team

This team’s job is more complicated because there are many variants. The key is to immediately elect who is going to be the last guardian out. So if you are left outside:

• Watch your radar while the teleport is happening. You will see an extra green triangle on your radar that indicates where the inside team went. If it shows up on top-right, that’s Venus, if it’s bottom-left, it’s Mars. (The little triangle directly left or right is probably outside guardians on the opposite portal.)
• First thing to do is to elect the person to go in last.
  • If you are the only one on the correct portal, tell people you are going in first. Build the portal and go in. Make sure you don’t leave the ring until you see the message about the portal being active.
  • If you are the only one on the wrong portal, tell people you will be the last one to stay out.
  • If everyone is on the wrong portal, tell the Relic holder that he needs to take Oracle #3.
  • In any case, make sure two guardians go in and one stay out.
• Remember that nobody needs to stay inside the portal ring once the portal is activated (and there are no Praetorians to steal the portal from you), but one person needs to be outside at all times. If you’re the last one outside going to the portal from the wrong side ring, you don’t have to go to the ring that builds the portal at all.
• If everyone runs in by mistake and see the “lost in the dark corners of time” message, the last person can immediately run out to avoid a wipe if you are quick enough (although by this time most likely the team has freaked out from the message and is on a way to a wipe anyway).
• Before going in, try to toss an AOE grenade to the Atheon side of the portal to keep Supplicants at bay to help the one guardian that will be defending the portal by himself for a while. You can also shoot a tether there.
• Oracle #3 will be the one that is straight ahead as you go through the portal, and pretty far away.
• On Mars, #3 and #4 are almost overlapping but #4 is much closer. If they are both up, make sure you shoot #3 first.
• On Venus, #4 is below your sight line to your left.
• On both sides, #5 is above your left shoulder and #6 is above your right shoulder.
• If you are the first one in from outside, do not shoot Oracle #2. You destroying #2 will likely confuse the inside team member who was trying to shoot it, and if he didn’t run to the portal first like one other tip above, he may go blind before being able to destroy another Oracle.

A Special Trick

Now, one last tip - if Atheon is almost dead after a DPS phase, but so are any of your teammates, the outside team should go all out to attack Atheon. You can complete the challenge by destroying Atheon this way if you have done the previous Time’s Vengeance correctly.

• Use whatever you have to destroy Atheon. Offensive supers (Nova Bomb etc.) are good again here since weapons are no longer buffed by Time’s Vengeance.
• Oracles will still wipe the team if you do not destroy them all. If you have already destroyed Atheon (and gotten loot) and get wiped this way, you will be waiting in the wipe screen for several minutes while the game searches for a checkpoint to restart. Finally the game will realize there are no usable checkpoints and dump you back at the beginning of the raid. X-D
• In the off chance that the outside team is still trying to kill Atheon, do not destroy the last Oracle (#6). Doing so will start Time’s Vengeance and you will fail the challenge.
• If you have fewer than 4 guardians left while doing DPS, then all Sunsinger Warlocks should jump off and kill himself just before Time’s Vengeance ends. Then resurrect yourself after the teleport and try to destroy Atheon.

That’s all, sorry for the wall of text. Let me know if you have any comments.
Have fun, PSN: Lightfoot (without the “one” at end)