Context is at the end of this post __________________________________________________
In the stormy northern seas lies the island of Amaria. Under the polar lights in cold forests live the descendants of the once great Varaki, who in turn followed the mammoth herds across the steppes for countless eons. These are the gods and spirits of this land. They live in every tree, every lake, every star, deep below the ocean and beyond the polar lights in four domains.
The underworld, a place of transition between life, death and rebirth. It was made after the creation of the material to help souls find their way back to life. The spirits of this domain all take the shape of dragons with red eyes and golden patterns.

• Räkimarak: Lord of the underworld and of all its riches. Every stone, flint and gems alike, belong to him. A great violet dragon with enormous antlers. He reviews the lives of all that died and guides them to the new lives they deserve. Father of all dragons of the underworld.
• Idaka: Wife of Räkimarak, goddess of love and beauty. She resides at the darkest place, where her light shines the brightest. A violet dragon with a frill and wings of red rose petals with golden patterns. She stands for all encompassing unconditional love and reunites loving souls in their next lives. Mother of all dragons of the underworld.
• Kimorak: Firstborn son of Räkimarak and Idaka, guide of souls who escorts the souls of the dead into the underworld. A great black dragon with golden horns. Every mortal he touches sees and feels their life in great detail from the point of view of those they affected. In the process, mortals always see something they need to see.
• Galorak: Lord of caves and their denizes, bats. A small black dragon with bat ears and a bat nose. Caves are entrances to the underworld and bats are its sacred animals. They are not to be harmed. But since they are also messengers of death, one must keep a safe distance. Don't disturb the bats or Galorak may convince his older brother to take you too soon.
• Letorak: Messenger of the underworld. A small black dragon with golden antlers. Whenever Kimorak takes a soul, they often have something to tell their loved ones. Something they didn't have the time or the courage to say in life. It is Letorak's task to convey these messages through dreams.
• Vhedurak: The white dragon who heals souls between death and rebirth, so they don't take wounds from one life to the next.
• Ohnarak: Craftsman of the underworld. A great yellow dragon who can make anything out of the riches of this realm.
• Vahirak: Builder of the underworld. A great brown dragon with antlers he can use to dig new caves or cover up old ones as needed.
• Voomarak and Vothorak: The great hunters keeping the underworld free of demons preying on scared souls. Two emerald dragon who can turn invisible. The younger brother Voomarak has golden horns and is also the patron of boys and unmarried men. The older brother Vothorak has great golden antlers and is also the patron of married men.
• Mokorak, Kaharak, Roporak and Sukorak: The four golden-headed red dragons guarding the entrances to the underworld. Mokorak has the ears and nose of a bat, Kaharak has four horns, Roporak great antlers and Sukorak the wings and feathers of a swan.
• Tathorak: The great beast, god of violence and bloodshed, the only dragon of this realm who is not a son of Räkimarak and Idaka. A huge gray dragon with three heads, three tails and three pairs of wings. The most powerful beast in the cosmos, but devoid of empathy or understanding. He is imprisoned at the second deepest, darkest point of the underworld, where he guards the only being living even deeper below, the Nameless One.

The boundaries. This is the realm of souls and spirits, dreams and nightmares, the skies and oceans and all waters deep and shallow. This domain has existed before time even began. It is endless and timeless.

• Kavijohka: The moon, a great silver dragon with glowing teal eyes. Sister of Räkimarak and goddess of wisdom, cunning and battle.
• Vellamun: The ocean, husband of Kavijohka, a great blue dragon with red eyes and golden patterns. God of the unknown and lord of all waters. Sometimes, he stretches his hands out to land, creating bogs and swamps.
• Lukilan: The morning star, son of Kavijohka and Vellamun. He is the lightbringer who gives people the power of sight. An azure dragon with emerald eyes and a golden morning star on every scale and a third eye on his forehead.
• Sojulan: The great traveller, son of Kavijohka and Vellamun, a black dragon with red eyes and the neck and wings of a black swan. He travels between the waters, land and air and protects all fellow travelers.
• Turikan: Lord of storms, thunder and lightning. The loudest and most unruly son of Kavijohka and Vellamun. A blue dragon with red eyes and a golden lightning pattern on his scales. His tail is like a hammer, hurling lightning bolts at the ground as he roars.
• Lumika: Goddess of magic, daughter of Kavijohka and Vellamun, a silver dragon with teals eyes and scales shimmering with polar lights. She continues in the footsteps of her mother.
• Ilunika: Goddess of grief, daughter of Kavijohka and Vellamun, a silver dragon with teal eyes and the neck and wings of a black swan. She travels to and from the world of the living and the dead to take the grief of letting go upon her. Whenever she crosses the boundary, she has to go through the ocean and that is where tears comes from. That is why they are salty.
• Avastaja: The great trickster. A shapeshifter, usually appearing with the attributes of a barn owl. Most often as an owl-headed human or a fox/dragon with the head and wings of an owl. The youngest child of Kavijohka and Vellamun who defies all boundaries, uses the powers of all his/her siblings (except for Ilunika, because Avastaja has standards) to protect the jesters and jokers. But he/she is also a scolar and explorer, who uses Lukilan's light to find new ways to mess with people.
• Aiwana: Wife of Avastaja and goddess of memory. A shapeshifter, usually taking the same shape as her husband/wife Avastaja. She paints everything she sees into the skies and caves of Amaria and lives in every single one of the most sacred objects of all Amaria, the fairy memory stones. But Avastaja is rubbing off on her and sometimes, she plays tricks on you.
• The Ashirana: Goddesses of the arts, each of which has its own Ashiran patron. One for painters, wood carvers, musicians and for storytellers.

The world of the living. This is our material world.

• Kadath: The sun, greatest of all dragons with shining golden scales and golden eyes. God of justice who sees all... during the day that is. At night, his sister Kavijohka rules and she has a different idea of justice. Sometimes, she tries to turn the day to night, causing an eclipse. But in the end, Kadath always wins these confrontations. Especially when people light fires and cheer him on.
• Inari: Mother nature, goddess of life and all plants and animals. A great green dragon with wings and a frill made of flowers. She provides all food, but only as long as nature is in balance. Unlike her husband Kadath, Inaro does not care about justice, only balance. Those who anger her are punished mercilessly, no matter how long it takes, sometimes more than they deserve.
• Ilmania: Goddess of healing, firstborn daughter of Kadath and Inari. She was the first fairy, a tall woman with long pointy ears. Her descendant, although far shorter, are still endowed with her healing powers and compassion.
• Vrila: Protector of the home and hearth, patron of married women and the goddess of affectionate familiar love between equals. Secondborn daughter of Kadath and Inari. A woman, always accompanied by a cat and carrying a sling. The weapon of a lady, which requires skill and finesse instead of strong arms and can be more deadly than a bow in the right hands.
• Aria: Protector of girls and unmarried women, goddess of erotic love. A young woman with hair reaching to her ankles. She often reincarnates among mortals for fun. That is why the Amarians do not look down on women looking for fun. They might be dealing with a goddess in disguise.
• Mahaseta: The great white mammoth, goddess of the old world of Varaki. She and Inari together created dogs to protect humanity from dangers of the material and other worlds. All forest elephants and mammoths are her children and as such, sacred. But she was not born a goddess. Mahaseta was born a human. When Avastaja wanted to prove to the others that the material world and humanity are worth preserving, he appeared to Mahaseta in the most terrifying form and ordered her to sacrifice one of her own children to him. But Mahaseta refused. First she begged for the lives of all her children, then she offered her own life instead and when Avastaja refused, she spat in his face. No punishment could be worse than having to murder your own child. With these words, Mahaseta ascended to godhood.
• Retaro: Son of Mahaseta, who became a god by his mother's love. A great white tiger with blue eyes. Guardian of Amaria, lord of the forests and god of the hunt.
• Red Lady and Blue Knight: Also known as the Blue Lady and Red Knight. A pair of lovers who find each other in every new life they are born into. Living as mortals, they are the paragons of loyalty for all Amarians.

Evil. This is not actually a domain, but a state of mind. A very lonely one.

• The Nameless One: God of Evil, who goes by many false names. He lures mortals in with impossible promises to make them do his bidding. The Nameless One orders blood sacrifice and the killing of those who disobey him. He demands to worshiped and praised every day and is jealous of all those gods who receive praise without asking for it. Thus, the Nameless One also seeks to be the only one. No matter the cost to everyone else or even himself.

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Context: I am currently working on a stone age fantasy novel and I'm sooo close to finishing it, but the last couple chapters are taking longer than expected. It's set on a forested island named Amaria\ at a time when people are making their first steps towards sedentary life and domestication** of plants and animals. Here is the pantheon I worked out for the Amarians.*
You can read my novel for free on Wattpad and Inkitt. I am planning to publish it on Royal Road too. If you know any other platform that might be good for fantasy stories, feel free to tell me.
\Amaria is short for "Amara Aria", which translates to "Gift of the gods/spirits". Aria means gift and Amara is the plural of Amar. The term Amar can not be literally translated into English. It's an umbrella term for all sorts of nature spirits, gods as well as entities one might compare to angels or saints. So it refers to a person with transcendent characteristics and always carries positive connotations.*
\*Dogs have been domesticated by the ancestors of the Amarians for tens of thousands of years already and are central to their culture. It is believed that they have the same souls as humans, so eating a dog would be considered cannibalism. So far the only other note on domestication I have in the books is the pruning of hazelnut trees to get more nuts. That's something I will change in later drafts. Nightshades will be far more important to the civilization emerging on Amaria in the coming millennia.*

I have moved three times over the last few years. All four states being different environments entirely ranging from rain forests to desert. As different as the environment was however, society doesn't really change much and you find most of the same things. Not really that different after all.
I've spent a long time thinking about why no where I go feels like home.
It hasn't felt like home because I've come to find that home is wherever my favorite person is. I don't really have one of those and haven't for about four years so no where has quite felt right. I love my friends and family but it just simply cannot fill the space in my heart for some romance.
I thought it might be LA recently and I came all the way out here hoping for love and a much better job when a girl invited me this way. I don't regret it and the job part was true and I am super happy about it but the relationship fell apart and now I am just in LA. Doing whatever and working and living on my own.
Maybe someone could show me around or give me an excuse to fly somewhere else you never know but I am always seeking some new adventure and maybe you could be the next one.
Being single for this time was useful and required to learn what I need and want out of life myself but I've never really cared for being single. Life just has a certain energy to it when you have a partner that you can't find anywhere else and my most cherished memories always involve someone else in one way or another. I was never meant to be alone and I am passionate in the way I love, and my life won't quite feel complete until I convince someone to journey through life with me.
As far as what you'd get with me - well I am nothing special. I'm relatively intelligent but no genius. I am not ugly nor would I call myself particular handsome. I'm just a dude who talks to much and has way to much energy for his own good and smokes pot like it's going out of style soon and still somehow manages to never procrastinate much.
I am always looking for a new thing to do, a new adventure to go on, another person to meet. I am not rich but I could be a lot worse off and enjoy the work I do even if it's nothing anyone would ever notice much. I am in decent shape as well, I actually leave the couch occasionally unlike most potheads...
Just kidding I love you guys and if a cute stoner girl shows up I'd be just fine with that. You don't have to be anything special either. I can't say looks don't matter at all but I'm not look for a super model or an actress.
They said there was a loneliness epidemic recently but maybe you and I could remedy that and at least solve it for each other.
Though I wonder why you're still reading this if you've decided I am not in fact that one.

I have moved three times over the last few years. All four states being different environments entirely ranging from rain forests to desert. As different as the environment was however, society doesn't really change much and you find most of the same things. Not really that different after all.
I've spent a long time thinking about why no where I go feels like home.
It hasn't felt like home because I've come to find that home is wherever my favorite person is. I don't really have one of those and haven't for about four years so no where has quite felt right. I love my friends and family but it just simply cannot fill the space in my heart for some romance.
I thought it might be LA recently and I came all the way out here hoping for love and a much better job when a girl invited me this way. I don't regret it and the job part was true and I am super happy about it but the relationship fell apart and now I am just in LA. Doing whatever and working and living on my own.
Maybe someone could show me around or give me an excuse to fly somewhere else you never know but I am always seeking some new adventure and maybe you could be the next one.
Being single for this time was useful and required to learn what I need and want out of life myself but I've never really cared for being single. Life just has a certain energy to it when you have a partner that you can't find anywhere else and my most cherished memories always involve someone else in one way or another. I was never meant to be alone and I am passionate in the way I love, and my life won't quite feel complete until I convince someone to journey through life with me.
As far as what you'd get with me - well I am nothing special. I'm relatively intelligent but no genius. I am not ugly nor would I call myself particular handsome. I'm just a dude who talks to much and has way to much energy for his own good and smokes pot like it's going out of style soon and still somehow manages to never procrastinate much.
I am always looking for a new thing to do, a new adventure to go on, another person to meet. I am not rich but I could be a lot worse off and enjoy the work I do even if it's nothing anyone would ever notice much. I am in decent shape as well, I actually leave the couch occasionally unlike most potheads...
Just kidding I love you guys and if a cute stoner girl shows up I'd be just fine with that. You don't have to be anything special either. I can't say looks don't matter at all but I'm not look for a super model or an actress.
They said there was a loneliness epidemic recently but maybe you and I could remedy that and at least solve it for each other.
Though I wonder why you're still reading this if you've decided I am not in fact that one.

I posted on here a couple days ago sharing that I wish this sub was more into actual onomastics. Many people in the comments shared my sentiment but I was also told by many to be the change I want to see. This is my attempt at that 😊.
Here’s a sneak peak into my notes app. All the names I can think of that derive from or share roots with the Hebrew male name ‘Yochanan’. The meaning "God is gracious." This ancient name has given rise to a diverse array of beautiful variations across different cultures and languages, for both males and females. Let's explore as many of them as we can!
Male Variations:
John - The classic English form, widely used in many English-speaking countries.
Johannes - A formal and elegant variant found in German, Dutch, Scandinavian, and other European cultures.
Juan - The Spanish version, common throughout Spain and Latin America.
Jean - The French adaptation, pronounced with a soft "J" sound.
Giovanni - The melodious Italian version, often associated with historical and cultural figures.
Johann - Another German variant, frequently seen in Central Europe.
Ivan - The Slavic take on Yochanan, popular in Russia, Ukraine, and other Slavic countries.
Ioan - The Romanian and Welsh version, each with its unique pronunciation.
Jan - Used in Dutch, Polish, Czech, and Scandinavian languages, a simple yet strong variant.
Evan - The Welsh form, which has gained popularity in English-speaking countries as well.
Hans - A diminutive form of Johannes, widely used in Germany and Scandinavia.
Hannes - A short and sweet version, popular in Scandinavia and German-speaking countries.
Sean - The Irish adaptation, reflecting the unique linguistic flair of the Irish language.
Shane - An Anglicized version of Sean, common in English-speaking countries.
Jonas - A variant used in several languages, including German, Lithuanian, and Scandinavian countries.
Johan - A simplified version of Johannes, used in many European countries.
Gianni - An affectionate diminutive of Giovanni, frequently heard in Italy.
Yannis - The Greek variant
Ioannis - The formal Greek form, often used in official contexts.
Iwan - A Welsh and Polish version, similar yet distinct.
Eoin - Another Irish version, pronounced similarly to Owen.
Iain - The Scottish Gaelic form, adding a Celtic twist.
Eoghan - An Irish variant, often Anglicized to Owen.
Johannus - A Latinized form, used historically and in ecclesiastical contexts.
Juhani - The Finnish variant
Juha - A shorter Finnish form of Juhani.
Johan - Common in Scandinavian countries as a simpler form of Johannes.
Jón - The Icelandic and Faroese variant.
Janek - A diminutive form used in Poland.
João - The Portuguese version, common in Portugal and Brazil.
Juanito - A diminutive and affectionate form used in Spanish-speaking regions.
Giovannino - An affectionate Italian diminutive of Giovanni.
Yochanan - The original Hebrew form, still somewhat used in Jewish communities.
Hovhannes - The Armenian version, reflecting the rich heritage of Armenia.
Yehohanan - Another Hebrew variant, with a slightly different pronunciation.
Iohannes - The Latin version, used in historical texts and ecclesiastical contexts.
Janusz - A Polish variant, adding a Slavic twist.
Juozas - The Lithuanian variant, common in Lithuania.
Jovan - A South Slavic variant, used in Serbia, Montenegro, and Macedonia.
Joona - A Finnish form, slightly different from Juhani.
Jānis - The Latvian variant, reflecting the unique Latvian language.
Ivano - An Italian variant, particularly used in Southern Italy.
Jani - A Hungarian form, short and sweet.
Yann - A Breton variant, popular in Brittany, France.
Juhana - Another Finnish variant, used less commonly.
Juhános - A Hungarian form with a unique twist.
Ivo - Used in several European countries, including Italy and Croatia.
Yohannes - An Ethiopian form, reflecting the Amharic language.
Juhász - A Hungarian occupational surname derived from the name.
Johni - A colloquial English variant, often used informally.
Chananya- Another Hebrew variant in which the prefix has been moved to the suffix position.
Female Variations:
Jane - The classic English female form.
Joan - An older English form, also found in Catalan.
Jean - Used as a female name in Scotland and English-speaking countries.
Joanna - An elegant English form, also common in Polish and other languages.
Johanna - A formal version used in many European countries.
Giovanna - The beautiful Italian variant.
Ivana/Ivanka - The feminine form of Ivan, used in Slavic countries.
Juana - The Spanish female form.
Juanita - A diminutive and affectionate Spanish form.
Siobhán - The Irish Gaelic form, pronounced "shiv-AWN."
Shawn - A modern English variant, sometimes used for girls.
Shawna - A feminine form of Shawn.
Joanne - A combination of Jo and Anne, popular in English-speaking countries.
Joanina - A Portuguese diminutive form.
Jovana - A South Slavic female variant.
Jovanka - Another South Slavic variant, adding a diminutive suffix.
Zhanna - The Russian and Bulgarian form.
Jana - Used in many European countries, including Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Germany.
Janka - A diminutive form used in Slovakia and Poland.
Janina - Used in Poland and Lithuania.
Johanne - A French female variant.
Ioana - The Romanian female form.
Yana - A diminutive form used in various Slavic languages.
Vania - A Bulgarian and Russian diminutive form.
Gianna - A popular Italian diminutive form.
Hannah* - While it has a slightly different biblical origin, the root of the word is the same.
Annie/Anne/Anna* - A diminutive of Chana, related through its meaning and use.
Janice - A modern English variant.
Janet - Another English diminutive form.
Janelle - A modern elaboration of Jane.
Johnetta - An English variant combining John with a feminine suffix.
Jeanette- A French diminutive from.
*Yochanan means G-d is Gracious. The ‘Yo-‘ prefix relates to G-d. ‘Chanan’ therefore is the masculine version of ‘Chana’, meaning grace. Chana is where we get Hannah, Anne etc.
I hope you enjoyed and I look forward to making more posts like these in the future! Also I apologise if I got any of the above wrong- I’m by no means an expert I just really like names!
Feel free to share your favourites or comment any I missed!

Today’s one page challenge is for The City in the Clouds by J.B. Williams. Finally, a requested challenge, rather than the usual cycle of me finding a story and the person being triggered that I did so. At 234 pages and a whopping price tag of $20.99 for a paperback, it’s a wonder why it looks untouched. Flip some burgers for an hour to pay for this… whatever it is. I was told the editor is good, so let’s see how he gummed up the works.
The rules of the one page challenge are simple: I go through the first page of the book(about 300 words or 3 paragraphs) and say where the average reader would stop. These reviews are short, sweet, and to the point (unlike most of these books). The main things we look for are things like tension, a hint at the plot existing, good feng shui, a feeling like the blurb is accurate, a lack of obfuscation, and the story fulfilling its role as a story. As we go along, I’ll explain why readers love or hate certain elements and we’ll see what straws break the camel’s back.
The title, The City in the Clouds, makes me think of fantasy, but it’s meant to be sci-fi. Clouds symbolize knowledge beyond our reach or something like daydreaming, treated as water in air(mystery in knowledge). Saying the title this way makes it seem like the focus is the city itself, which would be cool if it was something like a dystopian or utopian story. Maybe a tech noir or detective story, but… it’s not. This story is actually about a woman, and it’s a comedy, completely conflicting with the genre in two ways.
I didn’t want to say this but Huston… we’re already having problems.
The ebook cover is a drawing of curly haired woman staring at the camera like she’s constipated, while the paperback version is of an anime girl holding a gun and looking like she has diarrhea. Both versions have her in a suit, with a giant gas planet behind her. Both have similar fonts for the title and name, but the ebook version is so blurred and darkened that it reads like a secret message; the physical version being slightly less blurry. If I saw this on a shelf, I wouldn’t recognize this as a book or know what it was called. I find it strange because the back of the book is very clear, given a blue box for clarity, and has a sun with a red sky that would have made more sense than these frumpy women.
I guess the title and name are made illegible because we’re supposed to zoom our eyes straight to the blurb:

Robin Alia Brook is considered a loser. She works at customer service for one of the largest companies in humanity's interstellar empire, gets stood up on dates, and accidentally kills people. Then when her ex-online boyfriend gives her the winning vacation lottery ticket to the famed habitat, The City of Clouds, she reluctantly accepts it.
Upon arrival, she is greeted by the massive, beautiful gas giant Bellona, and all the glamour and prospects of expansion for the famous habitat. And it is the beginning of a celebration, too! For the election of the new habitat captain! But the celebration and vacation are ruined when pirates attack, seeking the captain's riches.
They are ruthless, they are bloodthirsty, and they won't stop until they get what they want. Unfortunately for the pirates, Robin is really good at accidentally killing people, and with her is a rag tag team of a pilot recruit, an egotistical journalist, a veteran photographer, and the captain himself.
It will be a long battle for The City of Clouds, and the outcome is unknown, but one thing is certain... This is the worst vacation ever.

Slight grammar issues here and there, but most wouldn’t notice that “ex-online boyfriend” would mean the boyfriend was online and not anymore. The delivery is a little bouncy, almost appropriate, but doesn’t give much tone from how much info it tries to cram in. Something I noticed is that very little sci-fi is mentioned, with the only thing giving a sci-fi vibe being the idea of traveling to another planet. If this was a vacation to an island, very little would change from how it’s described. Like the title and name on the cover, a lot of what makes this book a book is hidden from us, in plain sight.
At this point, the average reader would probably not give it a shot, unless the idea of pirates and an ironic Die Hard premise is their cup of tea.
No prologue, no maps, no glossary, just a simple chapter 1 to greet us. Ok, I’m liking this already. I know this is a small thing, but the simplicity of just starting a story is a blessing that should be the norm, and isn’t. I haven’t read a single word and this is already the best OPC so far. Yes, it’s that easy.
Don’t ruin the experience with all your fancy try-hard nonsense and the reader will be in hog heaven.
We are told the planet, sector, system, and date. Very effective in establishing the sci-fi element in this single aside, which also lets us know it’s 400 years in the future. The planet is named Andromeda, which is a well known galaxy, so if this is in that galaxy, I assume it’s going for a “New York, New York” type of gag. The editor did a good job, with the first page establishing a scene in a restaurant. What he messed up on was… everything that’s not the scene itself, which makes up 90% of the words.
The protagonist, Robin Alia Brook has her day off described as “shot in the face”, being delivered in present tense and this has it come out awkwardly. I say this because the second sentence is past tense, then it shifts back to present, back to past. This is why people stick with past tense to avoid the headache, and present tense is now used as a hipster novelty to act as if things are more important because they’re happening as they’re written. Most readers just find it as a distraction and it causes something niche to become more niche in the process. The first paragraph ends with us being told that she’s in a restaurant that is 500 feet under the sea, of a planet called Andromeda.
She is to be dining, but she is NOT dining because her date didn’t show. Cue the audience gasping, because this is a travesty. The part that really kills this opening is the sentence “She is currently obtaining nutrients through Poseidon's generous supply of free lemons water and cheesy garlic biscuits.” This was the perfect chance for worldbuilding, to express something futuristic and fresh. Instead, it tied itself to Earth, talked about mundane food like lemon water, and it didn’t use any of these for a punchline.
This is meant to be a comedy, but is absent of comedy. We don’t need a bunch of humor in the first paragraph, but we do expect a comedy to present a tone that can lead to humor occurring. Every scene for a comedy is a setup for gags and punchlines. Much like horror, the scene is built around the mood, which is brought to a peak around half way. The introduction of a comedy book is going to hold a joke in relation to the entire book.
I believe the blurb when it says this Robin character can kill things by accident, because this book dies right after she’s introduced, around the second paragraph. The third paragraph changes the subject to be about other people in the restaurant, acting as a distraction that leads to infodumps of Robin’s outfit and such. I understand that the “joke” is that this woman is stood up on her date and we are to feel her anguish, but the reader shouldn’t be suffering through the opening this soon. Starting here is either far too late or far too soon. If anything, this is something I expect in chapter 2 or something we hear about as she’s on her way to Bellona.
A good way to put it is that this scene is a non-sequitur done in order to give fashion statements, with the important exposition ignored for window dressing.
The average reader needs tension to get sunk into a sci-fi story, because this is a planet we don’t know about with a character we’ve never seen before. What is the point of having this restaurant so deep underwater? There is a city underwater? She has a job, but where does she work? At the Krusty Krab?
Non-sequitur is a distraction that removes us from the scene and the plot to explain things that don’t serve a purpose to either. If I changed the first sentence to only hold what was part of the scene, it would be the characters name and nothing more. To strengthen an opening like this, we would have to set it up for a punchline, reinforce the sardonic tone, and tie the scene with the situation. The first sentence would go like:

Five hundred feet below the sea’s surface, Robin could not stop drinking.

This will give the impression that she’s getting drunk, while attaching her drinking to the sea outside, giving the impression that she’s drowning. But even then, I wouldn’t start here, I would begin with a comedic amount of assurance that she’s going to have her date show up, then the next scene is her waiting with this. That, or I would have her doing the walk of shame, allowing the plot to begin sooner when she gets her golden ticket, which would be like:

The ocean floor outside was slowly swallowed by darkness as the elevator pod took Robin away from Poseidon.

Here, we have a moment for her to think back to the situation, and the word “darkness” gives hint to her current feeling about the restaurant. This is a setup for the punchline that follows, already skipping the failed date and able to move forward to the poster she sees in the elevator. Movies tend to do this type of exposition with the main character telling the situation to another person, who is helpless to escape. That can add more humor and make the main character express their personality quirks. The goal is for less opening to be used up for non-sequitur and to focus it on moving forward in relation to the plot.
For a story like this, the rejection comes from a lack of being straightforward. We can always fix up a sentence and how it sounds, but this doesn’t mean much when the bones are disjointed. Thankfully, for this one, a lot of readers are used to openings like this from online serials, so there is hope that a lot of it will get a pass. It’s that first hump that it has to get over in order to shine. Sadly, for little Robin, that hump was not achieved, so her journey through the city in the cloud might as well not exist.

Whenever I’m online I see videos of black men (and sometimes white men) talking about how they would never date a black girl, and that if she’s mixed and light skin they would date her, or similar stuff. It hurts me so much, I’ve experienced colorism against black boys at my old highschool. I’ve tried dating black men, but they say I act too much like a white girl, or call me too dark. I’m 20 and I don’t have much experience dating but currently I’m dating a white guy. I often get people saying “wow I didn’t think he would like someone like you” because he’s an attractive white boy who lives a life of luxury compared to me who grew up poor. I’m starting to feel so insecure, and sometimes I question if he even likes me because one of my friends said that it didn’t look right for us to be together, but he tells me he loves me. He’s spoiled me with love and gifts, he takes care of me, and for some reason I feel like I don’t deserve any of it. I even feel bad because I wasn’t even originally attracted to white men. I’m not a hot girl, I have been called pretty but I’m not the type of girl you stare at because she’s so pretty. His friends (who are all single) do not like black women even though I’m not any of the stereotypes they claim black girls are all like. My boyfriend has defended me against racists, and he tries his best to keep me happy. But he’s really disconnected from what I’ve gone through because he’s rich and grew up around other rich white people. Besides my insecurity our relationship has been perfect. I used to always get jealous seeing girls get spoiled by their man, or giving “princess treatment” I thought that was a fairy tail for a girl like me because the one black guy I dated said I looked like a man and would make fun of me with his friends “as a joke”
I’m not talking about this to put black guys down or really anyone. This is just my own personal experience. I feel like I have some sort of trauma or anxiety with people because I assume they hate me because of my skin color.

Am I wrong for screaming at my friend
I screamed at my friend for everything she’s done I guess
So my dad died five years ago( I was 13) and she’s always been kind of a bad friend . She was my best friend at one point and her parents took me in after my mom had to go stay at the hospital while my dad was dying .
I told her everything as it was happening and obviously I trusted her and she was all I had to be honest . She told me that “it was better this way that my dad is dying because it would be hard for him to get a job again “ and I was obviously angry .
I told her “ that’s not for you to say “ and she started crying . I was staying at her house and she was upset so I apologized and she said “ it’s okay “ . Now looking back , idk why I apologized .
I also found out that she went and told random people I wasn’t close with and didn’t talk to that my dad’s dead without my permission and publicized it so much . I don’t want people to know this about me and it’s my place to tell people .
I got her something for her bday and obviously I don’t give to receive and I value our friendship over gifts but she didn’t get me anything for my birthday .
Yes , she doesn’t owe me anything but at the same time we used to get each other gifts for years each year and she just stopped putting in effort the second she got a boyfriend ( who would make fun of me , call me ugly , make fun of my trauma , talks about women like objects ). He also talked about other girls having fat asses once INFRONT OF HER and she stayed with him despite that .
If she was financially struggling then obviously I don’t give a fuck if she doesn’t get me anything but she’s hella rich . Giant ass house , drives my dream car , an Audi . She didn’t even offer to get me anything after we’ve been friends for years . If our friendship was always like that then I don’t care if she gets me anything or not but she just stopped trying .
It’s been 5 years and she’s always been doing shitty insensitive stuff , getting with guys that treated me like crap and made fun of me , twisting narratives to people that don’t know me of why I stopped talking to her for a bit , be friending people that shit talk me in front of her and she doesn’t defend me .
So I screamed at her about everything for the past 4 years and yeah that’s what happened . She still cries at the grown ass age of 18 when people confront her about the shitty things she does.

AITAH for screaming at my friend
I screamed at my friend for everything she’s done I guess
So my dad died five years ago( I was 13) and she’s always been kind of a bad friend . She was my best friend at one point and her parents took me in after my mom had to go stay at the hospital while my dad was dying .
I told her everything as it was happening and obviously I trusted her and she was all I had to be honest . She told me that “it was better this way that my dad is dying because it would be hard for him to get a job again “ and I was obviously angry .
I told her “ that’s not for you to say “ and she started crying . I was staying at her house and she was upset so I apologized and she said “ it’s okay “ . Now looking back , idk why I apologized .
I also found out that she went and told random people I wasn’t close with and didn’t talk to that my dad’s dead without my permission and publicized it so much . I don’t want people to know this about me and it’s my place to tell people .
I got her something for her bday and obviously I don’t give to receive and I value our friendship over gifts but she didn’t get me anything for my birthday .
Yes , she doesn’t owe me anything but at the same time we used to get each other gifts for years each year and she just stopped putting in effort the second she got a boyfriend ( who would make fun of me , call me ugly , make fun of my trauma , talks about women like objects ). He also talked about other girls having fat asses once INFRONT OF HER and she stayed with him despite that .
If she was financially struggling then obviously I don’t give a fuck if she doesn’t get me anything but she’s hella rich . Giant ass house , drives my dream car , an Audi . She didn’t even offer to get me anything after we’ve been friends for years . If our friendship was always like that then I don’t care if she gets me anything or not but she just stopped trying .
It’s been 5 years and she’s always been doing shitty insensitive stuff , getting with guys that treated me like crap and made fun of me , twisting narratives to people that don’t know me of why I stopped talking to her for a bit , be friending people that shit talk me in front of her and she doesn’t defend me .
So I screamed at her about everything for the past 4 years and yeah that’s what happened . She still cries at the grown ass age of 18 when people confront her about the shitty things she does.

Issey Miyake:
Right off the bat, it's citrusy but in a faint way. The citrus is there and will be there throughout but it's not overpowering any smell. It's fresh. Very fresh. Non-confrontational.
Uses: Gym, office, EDC.
Longivity: 6-7 hrs. 1-2 hrs projection and then it lingers. You catch a whip once in a while and it pleases you.
Might become my new favourite tbh. My previous was Zara 8.0. Still waiting on a decant of Lacoste White. Armaf Hunter was out of stock too. 9/10. Definitely a blind buy worthy.
Davidoff Coolwater:
Right of the bat, it smeels like Flipkart Grocery's handwash or detergent. I hated it. My sister hated it. But once it settled in, the smell became fresh and sweet. I'll describe it as that Ocean Water sugared drink. And it's unique imo. The scent.
Uses: I can see this as an EDC.
Longivity: 3 hrs at most. Projection is maybe half an hour to 1 hr.
Virdict: I can also see this scent growing on me if I use it constantly. Longivity is where it takes a hit. 6.5/10
Dior Sauvage:
The famed Dior. Right off the bat, it's strong. Almost overpowering. My friend(female) said it gave her a slight headache, lol. But once it settles in, the scent becomes subtle and pleasing and not loud. It'll attract a second look from people who brushes past you. I'll describe it like that school friend who's not flashy but the second best in everything, who's also mysterious and girls swoon over her, but he's too comfortable with himself that he doesn't care. But in a perfume way.
Uses: Evening semi-formal party with jazz in the background.
Longevity: Easy 6-7 hrs. Projection of 3 hrs where the first half hr is really strong.
Virdict: Unless I become super rich, like 50 LPA guy, Would keep a decant for occasional use. Can't see it as an EDC. 8/10
Lataffa Nebras:
Oriflame perfume. Bought a decant for my sister, she gave it back and took my YSL Y decant. 🤡🤡
Seller reviews:
u/Fragrance-Addict23: Top tier packaging, Decant bottles are just so good. Everything about him is great from communications to delivery. He was my first seller and has set an extremely high standards. His collection being limited is why I don't order from him more. I always go back to his list to see is it available from him first. Will definitely buy from him again. His recommendations are actually spot on. Can't sing enough praises. And I'm from Manipur where average delivery is 7-8 days. Dude made it happen in 3 days. He also got that firm big brother vibe who'll give you money for outings but also put you in your place if you do something stupid. 10/10
Imran: Talking to him is like talking to the girl you're interested in but she isn't. Replies takes a while. Packaging is decent, not great. His decants are the cheapest though. Communicating with him makes me feel desperate. Decant bottles can be better, especiallythe 2 ml ones. His decants are the cheapest though. So that's a big plus. And I think he's a seller, so that's another big plus.6.5/10. If you priorities communication and is an anxious person, not the guy. If you're a "chalta hai" guy, go for him.

The Kit/Ruthie argument bothers me. Ruthie should have been the more understanding one given the circumstances. She was obviously super generous in giving Kit her dress and everything, but when Kit's mom tells Kit that maybe Ruthie is actually jealous of Kit because her life is more interesting with all the boarders and everything, it just seems very much like rich girl problems. I get that there's a lesson to be learned there about adopting other people's perspectives and considering they may have problems even if they do have money, but....this was literally the Depression. You have to be a special kind of priveleged to give your friend the silent treatment just because you're insulated from the effects of an economic crisis and she's not. It just makes me wonder what message girls are supposed to be taking away from this? Seems a little victim-blame-y...though maybe the point is that they are both young girls, and Ruthie, while seriously lacking awareness, does ultimately just want to help and honestly has no way of fully comprehending how serious Kit's situation is.
Thoughts?

Synopsis:
Carlos was an ordinary software engineer on Earth, up until he died and found himself in a fantasy world of dungeons, magic, and adventure. This new world offers many fascinating possibilities, but it's unfortunate that the skills he spent much of his life developing will be useless because they don't have computers.
Wait, why does this spell incantation read like a computer program's source code? Magic is programming?
___
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"So, in short, the most stuck-up bully of my life is now begging for our help to fulfill his greatest dream, because we've happened to become his only remotely realistic hope of achieving it. Do I have that right?"
Carlos looked up from his plate of succulent roasted meats and vegetables, all covered generously with a rich gravy, and raised an eyebrow at Amber. They were in Mayor Stelras's personal dining room, enjoying the service of his personal chef. "You know you do. You've read the letter yourself, what, a dozen times now?"
Amber set the letter aside yet again and took another bite of her own lunch. "Yeah, I know. It's just…" She shook her head and chuckled. "Out of all the things that happened the last few weeks, this one is somehow the hardest for me to believe is real. It's ridiculous. I know it's ridiculous. I've personally met and spoken with royalty! Kindar should be nothing compared to that! But, somehow… This is hitting me harder than anything."
Carlos nodded calmly. "Makes sense to me. The presence of royalty is completely new to you. It's huge and important, and far beyond anything you ever expected might happen, but the only thing you've experienced before that's different is its absence. You don't have any memories in the back of your mind telling you 'that's not how this is supposed to work.' For Kindar, you have a lifetime of memories telling you that he's more powerful and better supported than you are, and that you're mostly helpless against his bullying. Now that you're the one in power, and he's the one helpless against you, that's not just new, but contradicts a lot of your past experiences. Some part of you in the back of your mind is having difficulty reconciling the contradiction; it's like you have a subconscious voice shouting 'that's wrong; it's not how this is supposed to work!' For meeting Princess Lornera, that voice is only confused and surprised, not feeling like something's wrong."
"Hmm." Amber cocked her head and paused. She looked down and idly speared another forkful of tender steak. She made a few more contemplative sounds as she chewed and swallowed. "That makes some weird kind of sense. I think." She shook her head. "How did you know that? I never would have figured it out."
Carlos chuckled. "Don't feel bad about it. Not many people would ever figure out that kind of thing about how human minds work without being taught. I certainly didn't. My dad's a therapist, and he taught me a lot."
Amber blinked, then blinked again. "I have never heard of that profession before. In fact, I think it doesn't exist here."
Carlos realized on reflection that "therapist" hadn't translated. There was no word for it in Ganler, the native language here. "Huh. … I hadn't thought about it, but I'm not surprised. It took a long time for people where I grew up to realize that kind of thing can be important. Or maybe the hard part was realizing that it takes education and training to do it well."
"Ah."
They ate mostly in silence for a while, occasionally humming in thoughtful consideration while they chewed. Eventually Amber was leaning on her elbow, just watching as Carlos scraped up a few last bits of gravy from his plate. She stared distantly at nothing. "Hmm… You know, I'm tempted to actually accept, just so I can rub his face in how I succeeded better at his own greatest ambition than he ever will."
"Hmm? Oh right, Kindar." Carlos chuckled. "I imagine a few sessions of smugly condescending to him would be rather cathartic revenge for you. Would it be worth the downside of helping him actually achieve his ambition, at least to a minor degree, though? I'm sure that if Darmelkon had any other viable options for helping his son with this, he would have taken care of it years ago. If we refuse, we'll be denying Kindar from achieving his ambition at all. Wouldn't that be better revenge?"
"Logically, yeah, that makes sense. But it just doesn't feel satisfying to me." Amber took a sip of water and pushed her empty plate away. "I want to show him how badly we outclass him now. I want to see his face when he realizes that he will never measure up to the 'annoying stupid girl' he used to tease."
Carlos put his hands together, resting his elbows on the table, and rested his chin on his hands as he looked at Amber. "Not to mention how much money Darmelkon will pay us for doing it." His voice was calm and level.
Amber nodded quickly. "Yes, that too."
"You realize we're already rich now, right? Receiving taxes, and all that."
Amber threw her head back laughed uproariously. When her laughter finally tapered off, she leaned forward and looked Carlos in the eyes. "You may have heard that Darmelkon is rich, but you clearly don't understand how filthy rich he really is. Yes, I was shocked when he offered a hundred gold bounty for finding us back before we became nobles, but that was only because I didn't know why he considered us valuable. For this? For helping his son achieve his otherwise impossible greatest desire? A price in platinum would be cheap! I would bet that he'll pay in mythril and be glad about it."
"Hmm." Carlos quickly did the math in his head. 100 gold was roughly equivalent in value here to a million dollars on Earth, and is also equal to 1 platinum. So 1 million dollars per platinum. 100 platinum is 1 mythril. So each mythril coin is around the same order of magnitude value as 100 million dollars. Just 10 mythril to match a billion dollars. "Okay, that's more than I thought. So he's a major business tycoon? What the hell is he doing living in a backwater in the middle of nowhere like Erlen?"
Amber shrugged. "I have no idea. Ask him."
Carlos stared for a moment and snorted. "I suppose it doesn't matter." He took a deep breath. "Alright, I guess we're at least seriously considering it after all. So, let's break it down, pros and cons. Pros: personal satisfaction for you, Darmelkon loses any basis for claiming we still owe him a favor, and we get a ridiculous amount of money. Cons: Kindar becomes a noble. Also, we have to put up with him being here for a while. Anything else?"
"Another one for pros: Even with the favor and Darmelkon paying so much, Kindar himself will personally owe us, bigtime." Amber grinned. "His house will just about be permanent vassals in service to us."
Carlos hesitated, then frowned. "… Just how much, and how long, do you intend to keep paying him back for how he treated you?"
Amber raised an eyebrow and shrugged. "…Until I get tired of it? I don't know."
"I'm all for giving him a well-deserved comeuppance, turning the tables, and giving him a taste of his own medicine to teach him a lesson. But I will not countenance continuing to humiliate and abuse him long term!" Carlos shook his head emphatically. "If we do that, we would be bullies just as bad as he was. I hate bullies, and I refuse to be one."
Amber slowly lowered her eyes, blushed, and nodded shyly. "I… You're right. That is not the kind of person I want to be. I'm sorry for suggesting it."
Carlos leaned forward and reached out to gently put his right hand on top of her hands. "It's okay. What's important is that you recognize your mistakes, learn from them, and make yourself a better person. My parents taught me that very, very thoroughly."
"Yeah." Amber sighed and shook herself. "Thanks. I'll try to remember that. And… Should we just call off the whole idea?"
"Only if you truly want to." Carlos squeezed her hands gently. "If you can get some satisfaction without taking it too far, then that's completely okay, and you were right that there are serious benefits to it. Even having him as a vassal house, as long as we treat him reasonably. Though… Hmm." He frowned. "There has to be a reason why strong noble houses aren't raising up new vassal nobles all the time, right? It's not all that hard to make a noble soul plan if you know the requirements details."
"I suppose. Lorvan probably knows the reason."
Carlos nodded. "Yeah. I feel like he might just ask if we can figure it out ourselves, like he did about nobles keeping mana wellsprings, though…" He shrugged. "I'm sure Darmelkon knows too, and he wouldn't have asked if the Crown forbids it, or anything like that. He's ambitious and ruthless, not stupid. We should ask, certainly, but I expect any consequences we might have overlooked will be manageable. As I see it, the core question is just…" Carlos reached his other hand forward, firmly clasped and lifted both of Amber's hands, and looked her in the eyes. "Amber, what do you want to do with this?"
Amber stared back for a moment, then averted her gaze. "Don't you have an opinion about this too? Why are you only asking me?"
"Of course I have an opinion, but all he did to me was loan me a sword in a dungeon and then act rude and arrogant when he demanded it back afterward. You are the one who grew up being bullied by him. How to treat him matters far more to you than it possibly could to me." Carlos squeezed Amber's hands reassuringly. "Amber, please, look at me." He waited, and after a few seconds Amber hesitantly turned her head to face him directly again. "My opinion on this is that I want our response to be something that you will be content and happy with. All other relevant considerations that I can think of are less important than that."
Amber stared and slowly nodded. "I… Thank you." She squeezed Carlos's hands back and awkwardly extracted her hands from his grip so she could lean forward and rest her head on them, propped up by her elbows on the table. "I think… I do want to accept, but maybe with some conditions. I still want to show him up in person and see his reaction. Part of me still feels afraid of him, and I want to prove to myself that he doesn't have the power to threaten me anymore. That seems like something your 'therapists' would say something about. Would they say it's a good idea? Do you know?"
Carlos nodded. "Yes, absolutely. Standing up to something you used to fear is a great way to resolve residual fear of it that lingers in your mind."
"Then, yeah. I want to do that, and I do still want to get some payback." Amber hesitated. "But if I start bullying people like he did, I'd start hating myself as soon as I realize it. So, no bullying. And that goes for Kindar too. If he can't learn to stop being a bully, then he doesn't deserve what he wants. Let's give him a chance. Make our conditions clear, and demand partial payment up front, but give him an opportunity to earn our help."
"That sounds fair." Carlos cocked his head and frowned in thought. "Having him with us may require adjusting some of our plans. … Actually, we're overdue for making certain plans in the first place. I got a bit too carried away with my excitement over all the spell keywords we can learn now. Sorry."
Amber grinned. "Have you forgotten that I told you I'm well known for always having a plan? What do you think I've been doing the past two days?"
Carlos raised an eyebrow, then grinned back at her. "Oh really? Let's see what you've got!"
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I screamed at my friend for everything she’s done I guess
So my dad died five years ago( I was 13) and she’s always been kind of a bad friend . She was my best friend at one point and her parents took me in after my mom had to go stay at the hospital while my dad was dying .
I told her everything as it was happening and obviously I trusted her and she was all I had to be honest . She told me that “it was better this way that my dad is dying because it would be hard for him to get a job again “ and I was obviously angry .
I told her “ that’s not for you to say “ and she started crying . I was staying at her house and she was upset so I apologized and she said “ it’s okay “ . Now looking back , idk why I apologized .
I also found out that she went and told random people I wasn’t close with and didn’t talk to that my dad’s dead without my permission and publicized it so much . I don’t want people to know this about me and it’s my place to tell people .
I got her something for her bday and obviously I don’t give to receive and I value our friendship over gifts but she didn’t get me anything for my birthday .
Yes , she doesn’t owe me anything but at the same time we used to get each other gifts for years each year and she just stopped putting in effort the second she got a boyfriend ( who would make fun of me , call me ugly , make fun of my trauma , talks about women like objects ). He also talked about other girls having fat asses once INFRONT OF HER and she stayed with him despite that .
If she was financially struggling then obviously I don’t give a fuck if she doesn’t get me anything but she’s hella rich . Giant ass house , drives my dream car , an Audi . She didn’t even offer to get me anything after we’ve been friends for years . If our friendship was always like that then I don’t care if she gets me anything or not but she just stopped trying .
It’s been 5 years and she’s always been doing shitty insensitive stuff , getting with guys that treated me like crap and made fun of me , twisting narratives to people that don’t know me of why I stopped talking to her for a bit , be friending people that shit talk me in front of her and she doesn’t defend me .
So I screamed at her about everything for the past 4 years and yeah that’s what happened . She still cries at the grown ass age of 18 when people confront her about the shitty things she does.

It's a long story. Please bear with me, my mind is really chaotic right now. I am in college and have a circle of female friends since the first semester. All of us went to the same major. This year will be our 4th year being a group of friends together. I cherished them a lot, they helped me a lot and one of the reasons I survived college so far.
Then came the guy. It's a little too common actually. I first got close with this guy when we're in our second year, that's on 2021. The classes were still held online due to COVID back then, so we actually never see each other in real life. He was a quiet, shy guy who didn't get noticed by others, and as the class' leader, I contacted him a lot to make sure he didn't feel leave out since the others were joking around frequently in the class' group chat. From that, he began to ask me if I already have a partner for group assigments (there were quite a lot of assigments for group of 2 people) and since my other friends know other people too, I said yes. We began to become a duo for every group assignments. He was responsible and working together with him was pretty enjoyable. We began to talk everyday about random things to each other. We even played game together. I considered him as a close friend at this point.
Then, I introduced him to one of my close friends since she also plays the game we played together. I didn't actually know the extend of their interactions, just that he helped her in game sometimes and I guess they played from time to time without me too. Then, one day in 2022, my class had a first gathering where we booked a villa and held many games and gift trades, you know the thing you did to create a bond since it's our first meeting as classmates due to the pandemic. I was very shy at the thought of seeing him in real life for the first time (he actually a good looking, he got really popular among the girls in my major after this gathering) and pretended not to see him, yet he walked up to me first and greeted me. That time was ... really magical. The villa was located in an mountain area so it was really cold and he gave me his hoodie since I got cold easily. We took a lot of photos together at that time, and it seemed everyone in our year already treated us like a "campus couple" because of that. I, of course, denied that I like him and said that we're only good friends because ... a girl like me is afraid of rejection and reading the signs wrong.
But after the gathering ended, one of my close friends (the one that I introduced to him to play game together before) suddenly announced to our female friends group that she has a crush on him. Little by little, she began to show hostility to me then there was this one point when she ignored me for two months. Even when I tried to talk to her in, she didn't give me respond. At that time, I was scared I will ruin this friendship groups. I was longing for female friendships, the thing you saw in movies, and I finally have one when I entered college so I saw them as a blessing. In high school, I either got bullied or not having friends at all since I was always coming straight home after school ended (I came from a poor family so I didn't have the money to hang out and friendship in high school requires money for me since I attended a prestigious school where almost everyone has rich parents). So, I made a decision to cut him off. I stopped talking to him. For group assignment, I grouped with other people. Little by little, the distance between the two of us widened. In the end, we didn't talk to each other anymore, and that's when my friend started to talk to me again. I didn't ruin my friendship group. My friend and him got close and by then she already "replaced" me being his group assignment's partner. I let him go, thinking that I didn't have the time and energy to date anyway since I was busy doing part-times to earn money. He came from a good family, and so does my close friend. They suited each other. I won't become a girl who abandoned her friend for a guy. Since summer of 2023, I never had a talk with him again.
I was fine, well not really. It hurt not being able to talk to him again when we used to be close, but I did this to myself. My close friend talked about him a lot in our group's chats. Apparently, she already confessed twice and got rejected. But she wanted to stay as a friend so both of them were "best friends" until now. She told us she still held feelings for him. She sent him flowers on his graduation since he graduated early than us. I didn't. Yet, he approached me and asked me to take photo together. After 1 year of no contact. On his graduation day, he asked me to take photos together, just two of us. With everyone watching.
Later, he confessed to me that he always has feelings for me. It was ... not quite a shock since I wasn't that dense, but still ... I got nauseous. Part of me wants him too, but the realistic part of me reminding me that I couldn't be that kind of girl who betrayed her close friend. I told him, I couldn't. I got a lot in my plates, I haven't graduated yet, I am not ready for relationship ... all the reasons because I couldn't bring myself to lie that I don't like him. Because I do. Very much. For years. He was everything I ever wanted in a boyfriend. He said he could wait until I graduate. He was waiting for me for the past 2 years, waiting a few months won't matter much.
What should I do? Should I confess everything to my friendship group? I want to talk to my friends about this, to hear their thoughts, but I couldn't because I always kept my feelings for him as a secret. Then, how about my friendships? My close friend who likes him will definitely got hurt ... am I just not suitable for friendships, since I wasn't honest? If you were in my position, will you choose your crush or your close friend?
(Thank you so much for taking your time to read this.)

Hi! I'm 24(F) and yes I guess you can call me a "rich kid" kasi dating sea man daddy ko at may business ang mommy sa construction industry. Only girl at panganay, pero aaminin ko these days parang ako yung bunso at mas responsible pa mga kapatid kong mas bata.
Overachiever, kasi since elementary to high school lagi akong nasa top 5, madaming extra curriculars and awards (regional-national), and ang school ko for gifted children. Nung college naman, pinagaral ako sa magandang university as a BSBA Business Management student. tuloy tuloy parin academic achievements ko and naging President pa ako ng isang malaking org sa uni.
Sa mga nilista kong qualities about me and my upbringing one would think na hindi na ko mahihirapan maging successful in life, pero eto ako ngayon, undergraduate and living with parents without any significant money in my bank account na masasabi kong pinaghirapan ko.
How did I get to this? Tbh ang hirap ipinpoint kelan nagstart pero I remember being so stressed to the point na I developed a seizure disorder and then I just grew tired and listless to everything. Naramdaman ko back then na walang nakaka appreciate ng lahat ng ginagawa kong pagpapagal at parang wala namang silbi...na kahit anong gawin ko I will never be good enough to anyone.
Kaya nung pandemic, hindi ako nagonline class. Parang protest ko na din yun sa lahat na I don't give a f***k anymore. I don't have to prove anything. So anong ginawa ko the following years? I quit social media, disappeared from everyone, and then I cooked, and baked, tried painting, sold the goods I cooked and baked, tinry ko din maging plantita, nahilig ako sa farming...I focused on myself kasi I recognized na baka the emptiness I felt must've been due to my lack of self and self-love, my lack of character that makes me--Me.
While I did that 4 years passed already. Habang yung mga peers ko, pahaba ng pahaba ang mga pangalan, ako undergrad parin, no specific job. Hearing things like sayang ako became a common thing lalo na sa mga kapamilya ko. And although it doesn't affect me that much kasi I know naman na na life is not a race, na kanya kanya tayo ng pace, minsan I can't help but feel small.
Yes, I'm in a much better place sa mental health ko. Yes, I found my passion and calling (sustainable agriculture) during my hiatus. Pero minsan naiisip ko din yung mga missed opportunities na napalampas ko while trying to rediscover myself. Na had I just been stronger, pushed through the storm, baka hindi ako "sayang"? Na baka my status would have been higher by now?
Sa ngayon I'm planning on continuing my studies in Business at my hometown. I'm also trying to establish a training school for organic and sustainable agriculture. May farm kasi yung family namin na tengga lang kaya I had this idea to turn it into a farm school. Syempre hindi ko sariling pera pinang gastos dyan, pero I'm proud of myself for pushing this idea for the youth, our farmers and farming enthusiasts in our community.
Pero yun nga, if it weren't for my family's wealth, hindi ko to magagawa. And I'm not really earning anything from it (yet). Kaya I can't really call it my achievement or success story (yet). Tambay parin ako in the sense na walang pera, pinapakain pa ng magulang at madaming time sa buhay na nakaka binge watch parin ng Bridgerton sa Netflix.
I don't intend to be like this forever. It's just that due to my circumstances, I didn't take the common or conventional path. Kumbaga sabi nga ni Robert Frost, "I took the road less traveled by, and that has made all the difference." The actions I took made people think I was crazy stupid but those very actions were what I needed most at that time---to rest and realign myself to the things that truly mattered to me. I needed that pause, I needed that "failure" to discover my true wins in life. Nagsisimula palang yung main story ng buhay ko.
Gusto ko lang ishare at ilabas to lahat. Siguro kasi na trigger ako dahil naikumpara ako sa isa pang overachiever high school friend and classmate ko na si Juan Dela Cruz, AB, C.D.E, Fg na iniinvite ko maging keynote speaker sa grand opening ng farm school namin...
Thank you sa pagbabasa hanggang sa huli! I wish for you heal from things that wounded you, and for you to achieve economic empowerment! Cheers!

Previous Part
The next day went by in a blur. Rocco was walking the perimeter of the camp, keeping an eye out for Brooke when I woke up. I didn’t really think he’d leave, but it seemed to give Rocco something to do other than being a general menace to society. All of us ate breakfast as normal but no one really said much. I’m not sure if they were still reeling from things they saw yesterday or if they just weren’t in a talking mood. The thought occurred to me that Shaoni may have payed a visit to each of them as well. Prying into what they saw and answering questions they might have. Honestly the whole thing felt like we were guinea pigs. Shaoni didn’t really seem to have a great handle on the trials so far. It was… mildly concerning that the ringmaster of all this didn’t seem 100% in control anymore.
Actually, I’d thought about that a lot last night. Shaoni just sort of left us to our own devices when we went through those “visions” yesterday. It’s not like she backed up her claim that she’d know what we’d seen either. If anything the fact that she came to ask me about it made me even more suspicious that she wasn’t really sure what she was doing. It was the first time I’d ever thought of Shaoni as anything other than in complete control. Slowly but surely it was becoming glaringly obvious that wasn’t the case.
If I was remembering correctly today’s trial was the trial of strength. I sincerely hoped that was a metaphor for something. You’ve got to understand, I’m not a very strong person, not physically anyways. I hoped Shaoni wanted to test mental strength or strength of will something like that. My hopes shattered as we arrived at the coliseum and saw an arena set up. There were several dummies in a corner, the kind you would see used in martial arts or HEMA or something to that effect. At the foot of the dummies were several wooden clubs. I couldn’t see them to clearly but they almost looked clawed from a distance. The real centerpiece was the platform in the middle of the coliseum. It looked like a stage and I’m sure that’s exactly how we were going to use it. The raised wooden platform had been constructed with boards placed across the top. It looked like those boards could be removed and under that was simply the cold hard ground about two feet below.
Katrina’s eyes lit up as she looked over the room.
“Now this is what I’m talking about, a real trial!”
She just about shrieked in excitement, throwing one fist in the air and startling the rest of us to attention. Katrina was the only one that really seemed excited about this. John and Robert just looked accepting and I’m not sure Brooke had put two and two together yet. I’d seen the clubs laid out by the dummies and already figured we’d be sparing with each other.
“Good morning everyone, I hope your ready for today.”
Called Shaoni, emerging unseen from behind us. Anyone who wasn’t fully awake at that point sure was then. There’s just something about Shaoni that makes you really really not want her to show up behind you unannounced. Probably why she kept doing it to us.
“Today I will test your strength, while I’d rather avoid conflict it’s sometimes unavoidable. My ideal candidate not only knows themselves but can handle themselves as well. We will allow you some time to familiarize yourself with the war clubs you’ll be using. Then you will compete against each other to find the strongest, most skilled warrior among you.”
Shaoni explained, Katrina’ excitement growing with every word.
I wasn’t to keen to participate in any of this but, like usual, I didn’t really have much of a choice at this point.
“So will you be sticking around this time then?”
I asked, wondering if Shaoni was going to cut and run again.
“I have other matters to attend to today. While I would like to stay and observe the whole day I need to prepare things for the final trial tomorrow. I’ll be back in time to see you test each other though.”
She replied dismissively, already on her way out. Shaoni seemed almost uninterested in us now. For someone evaluating us she seemed awful happy to pass off the evaluation to her followers. I didn’t say anything else as she walked out of the coliseum and towards the exit.
As I walked over to the little training area I saw the clubs were actually ornate masterpieces. They were carved from a hard dark wood. The handles resembled an eagles talon, curving near the end to grip a wooden orb. Whoever made these was beyond skilled, these things were works of art. I didn’t have much time to admire them before Katrina interrupted me.
“Hey, Keith was it? Want me to show you how to use these things?”
She called over to me, it was more of a command than a question but that’s pretty par for the course with her.
“If you want, sure. I’m uh… I’m kinda a fish out of water with this find of thing.”
I told her, rubbing the back of my neck with one hand in embarrassment. I wasn’t sure why she was singling me out for that but she answered that question for me.
“Good, Those two creep me out and that one has been drooling over me since we got here.”
She said, pointing over at Robert and John who had already started practicing, then at Brooke. Katrina showed absolutely no subtly in any of this, earning us looks from all three of the others.
I was a little afraid of Katrina teaching me anything, if someone was gonna kill me by accident it would be her. That and she still had that gun on her. Despite my misgivings she was actually a pretty good teacher. She was a bit like a drill instructor but I learned a thing or two. By the time we were done I felt like I might stand half a chance in this trial.
“Just remember your footwork, keep your balance and the rest should come natural. Oh, and if we get paired up, take a dive, it’ll be less painful.”
Katrina added with a smirk, walking over towards the group by the stage in the center of the room. Shaoni had just come back in and was up on the balcony. A few of her followers had collected us and informed us we were about to start the, ”practical part”, as they put it.
“There’s five of you so for the first matchup one of my own will serve as the opponent. Anyone what to go first?”
Shaoni asked us, looking down with a raised eyebrow and waiting for a response. Before I realized what I’d done my hand was in the air, my body subconsciously wanting to get this over with as fast as possible. Shaoni actually looked surprised as she gestured for me to take my place on the stage. Two of the boards had been removed on either side leaving us something like six feet of space to work with before falling off the platform. But I was far less concerned about that after I saw the guy walking over. It was the driver from a few days ago when Shaoni had me brought out to the camp. The guy that had his friend stabbed by Bianca, he didn’t look like he’d forgotten about that as they gave him his club.
As I took my place on the stage the only thing I was thinking was exactly how bad it hurt when you got hit with one of these things.
“Begin when you are ready.”
Called Shaoni from her place on the balcony. The guy across from me took absolutely no time to think, charging at me wildly right away. I tried to brace myself and remember Katrina’s training, taking an even stance and angling my club for the coming blow. I did manage to block his strike but the force of it threw me to the ground. My mind went into full survival mode as he swung down at me. He was way less fluid than Katrina had been when she was showing me the ropes. He just seemed like he wanted to hurt me by any means necessary. As I rolled from side to side avoiding his blows I waited for an opening. He took a particularly hard swing at my head and I rolled at the last possible second. He lost his balance, giving me a chance to slip between his legs and get back to my feet. I stood back up narrowly avoiding a swing for my head as my opponent regained his balance and swung back at me. His wide hate fueled swing carried his whole body around with it and gave me another opening. I planted my feet and took one hard swing at the man’s turned shoulder hitting him right on the bone with a sickening crack. He stumbled around towards the edge, turning his back to me. I took one final swing, hoisting the club above my head and bringing it down in between his shoulder blades with a hollow thud. The blow sent him tumbling forward over the edge and off the stage, falling to the floor below.
Katrina shot me a quick thumbs up as I walked off the stage while Shaoni looked down at me and gave me an approving nod. No one else seemed to pay me any mind as I rejoined the group. I felt empowered, I hadn’t expected to get even that far, maybe there was a chance for me in this trial after all. Robert and John fought next and despite their age they each held their own. In the end John forced Robert off the edge, his age and weight throwing off his balance. I was still impressed either of them could move like they had, I guess I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Then Katrina fought Brooke in the last… round I guess I’d call it. The smile on her face was unsettling from the moment she realized she’d be paired up with him, like a shark smelling blood in the water. You could just tell that she was going to take pleasure in what happened next.
That smile was still on her face as she walked up onto the stage and took her place across from Brooke.
“I hope you like it rough baby, cause I’m not going easy on you!”
Brooke called to her from the other side of the stage making a point to puff out his chest and flex his muscles. That set her off like a bomb, the smile disappeared and she exploded towards Brooke. I saw the exact moment that false confidence left his eyes and he actually turned to run, he was far to late and way to slow. Her first strike went low, shooting out in front of Brooke and coming back to catch his knee sending him tripping forward. He tried to regain his balance but she had no intention of letting him. Katrina swung out in front of him again, this time catching his neck with the club on its way back. That sent him flat onto his back, the club falling form his hand and rolling off the edge of the stage was the only sound in the whole coliseum. All eyes focused on Katrina as she took a breath then delivered a kick to Brooke’s ribs so hard that he went rolling off the edge, following his club. I returned her thumbs up she had given me as she rejoined the group.
Next, those of us who remained got matched up with each other. Shaoni wanted to use another one of her followers to stand in but Katrina insisted on just going twice. That meant I’d fight her and then the winner would fight John to see who the victor of the day was. As I stood across from Katrina I considered taking her advice from before, “…Just take a dive…” she had said. I thought about it, I really did, but I’d done so well earlier right? Why stop now? While I’d been thinking Katrina had walked up to me and started to swing. I had just enough time to realize my mistake before she cracked me across the head so hard she knocked me out.
I came to an hour later, alone on an animal skin cot. I was still in the coliseum but everyone else had left apparently. The only thing I saw when I got up from the ground was the torchlight illuminating the passage that lead back outside. That and the note scribbled on a scrap of a sticky note taped to my fore head.
“I told you to take a dive.”
Well at least she might feel bad about knocking me out. I figured we must be done for the day given how dead the camp seemed when I emerged back into the light. With nothing better to do, I walked off towards the forest to clear my head. I wondered what Bianca had been up to since I’d been gone as I aimlessly wandered around the forest’s edge.
“No that wouldn’t work! We don’t know what’s up there and we are not just waltzing in through the front gates!”
Stein yelled at me as I went over my most recent idea for breaking Keith out of whatever trials were going on out by the old mine. It had been two days since I watched him get kidnapped in front of me and I was getting drastic, aaaannd maybe a little dramatic.
“But I could do it guys! Remember back at the reservation? Those guys were willing to do anything for me and there can’t be that many guards in one place. Maybe I just convince a small group to lead us in and make an excuse for us.”
“For the last time Bianca, They’re just about cultists far as I can tell. You ain’t gonna be able to fight the kinda conviction they have to that bird, even if ya could its to much of a risk.”
Tuck protested from his seat at the kitchen table.
The kitchen table had become our war room over the past few days. A map of Eagles Peak Frank had made lay across it with dozens of pins stuck in around where the old mine would be.
“I don’t think an approach from the front is a good idea at all. You and Keith got to the mine through the forest once. Could we follow that path, approach without anyone knowing we were there?”
Stein theorized as he paced back and forth at the head of the table.
“Well, we really just wandered around for a bit and ended up there. We didn’t find the mine either, it was a hole that lead down to an old cavern near the mine. They turned out to be connected but that was just dumb luck.”
I explained to the group. Tuck looked like that had given him an idea.
“So you two got some backdoor entrance figured out that you’re only just tellin’ me about? That could be perfect! The four of us could make our way out and drop through that hole, take em all by surprise!”
Tuck exclaimed, leaping to his feet. His enthusiasm was nice but it wasn’t going to be that easy.
“We… kinda made a bit of a scene when we were there, they might be watching for something like that to happen again.”
“True, but it’s the best entrance strategy I’ve heard so far, I think following up on it is worth a try.”
Frank added with a nod. Stein then started pacing up and down the length of the table for a bit. He was coming up with something, that much was obvious.
“So we’ll enter through this hole leading into a cave connected to the old mine. From what you told us about your time there its some sort of staging area for these trials, at least that’s my best guess. Odds are there won’t be many people there overnight so we make our way out there during the night. From there we move through the cave and into the mine but after that we know nothing about what we’re running into.”
Stein lectured to his audience.
“But I think we have a solution for that. Frank do we still have that drone?”
An hour later the four of us were gathered at the edge of town on that path Keith and I had taken into the forest. The trees growing together forming a sort of arch over our head’s were unsettling but I couldn’t decide why. It just didn’t sit well with me, it looked unnatural I guess and that just gave me the creeps. I get that’s rich coming from a literal succubus but its how I felt.
“Alright, just watch the trees as you take it up, I don’t want a repeat of Missouri.”
Stein instructed Frank as he got the drone in the air.
“You’re never going to let me live that down are you?”
Frank chuckled, shaking his head.
“It was the first time we used this thing, there was bound to be a few unexpected variables.”
“If you call “unexpected variables” an itchy finger on the throttle. We had to have Rocco untangle it from the branches.”
Stein joked as he checked to make sure the drones camera was feeding back into the app on his phone.
I hadn’t seen them like this, being friendly with each other. There was never a time where they hated each other or anything like that but they’d been so… business like with for a long time now. It was nice to see them act like real people again. Leaning over Stein’s shoulder I got a birds eye view from the drone.
“ Just go East, its what we did. Just walked East till we stumbled into everything.”
Frank followed my advice and flew the drone due East. Eventually a campsite came into view, there were a bunch of tepees and a bunch of people just walking around.
“What, they just look normal?!”
I blurted out, a little louder and a bit more distressed than I meant to.
“How’re they supposed ta look then?”
Tuck asked
“They’re just people like you n’ me. Nothin to special about em other than the fact they worship some big ass bird.”
He continued with mild annoyance.
“I don’t know, I guess I expected these creepy guys in tarps, like from Keith’s story. These are just… well they’re just people!”
I responded, Throwing my arms out to my sides in exasperation. Tuck was right, I shouldn’t have expected everything to be just as Keith had said. Still, something just didn’t fit together for me about that whole thing. What had the deal been with those people in Imalone then? I shook my head, clearing the question from my mind, it wasn’t important now.
“There! That’s the entrance to the old mine.”
Tuck told Stein as he looked at screen. I looked over myself and felt my entire being freeze. It was Brooke, walking out from the entrance with some bitchy looking girl and two older guys that I’d seen around town before. How could he be here? After all this time why, why was he anywhere near me?
My vision swam, when it came back Frank was standing in front of me. His mouth was moving but I couldn’t hear anything.
“…anca! Are you ok, what’s going on? Bianca!”
I finally heard over the sudden ringing in my ears.
“Him.”
Was the only thing the escaped my lips as I pointed one finger at the screen. I felt warmth coming back into my limbs as that frozen feeling slowly left me.
“He’s here…. Shouldn’t be here… why.”
I mumbled to myself as Frank helped me into the back of the SUV twenty minutes later. I was still nearly catatonic as we headed back into town.
“So… that was him, the one you were running from when we found you.”
Stein said, breaking the silence that had fallen. I could talk normally again but I still only managed a quick “yes”.
“You know you don’t have to come with us, I’d understand.”
Frank said, snapping me to attention again.
“NO! I’ve got to help Keith, I don’t care if… if Brooke’s up there too.”
I tripped over my words just mentioning his name.
“I can do it, I can do this Frank, please.”
I begged, taking deep breaths to try and calm myself down. We pulled into the driveway before Frank said anything back. As we were all getting out he muttered something under his breath. He didn’t mean for me to hear him but I did.
“I’m not sure you can girl.”
I went straight up to my room after that, I didn’t want to be around anyone. All I caught before I left Frank, Stein, and Tuck before running up the stairs was the hard look Stein shot both of them. A look that said “We need to talk” and told me that he finally had a real plan. I spent the rest of that night thinking about the past and what I’d been through. Could I go out to that mine and rescue Keith if I had to face Brooke again? The last time I’d seen him had been as I leapt out of a moving car as my eyes turned to meet his one last time, rolling down that hill to freedom. I’d never seen him since and it was rare for him to even cross my mind. I wanted to go with the rest of them but despite what I said I really wasn’t sure I could do this anymore. Eventually I just decided only time would tell, hopefully Stein’s plan was a good one and we could put this whole thing behind us.
“Ey! Ey Keith!”
Someone yelled out as I came back from my little hike around the edge of the forest. My eyes darted around behind me before they finally focused on a rustling bush. Rocco jumped out of it holding a cigar in his mouth.
“That Brooke asshole hasn’t gone anywhere, I found him out by that trail the trucks drove in on with this.”
He said, tossing the cigar up in the air where it twirled around before he caught it in his mouth again.
“I figured I should frisk him just in case. I took a bite of his pants and stole this little number out of his coat pocket.”
He continued, shaking a silver lighter with a gold inlayed image of a lion in his paw.
“Oh and the cigar, I took that too. Cuban so the guy’s got taste, still a prick. Anyways, it looked like someone got to him before me. The guy was pretty beaten up, had some nasty bruises.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I was just trying to picture Brooke getting mugged by a raccoon In my head and I burst out laughing. Rocco walked back to the camp in toe with me, only stopping to look up at some weird buzzing sound we both heard above us. Probably some rickety old plane or something way up there. I think I was finally starting to get why Frank and Stein had kept Rocco around. He may be a furry criminal mastermind but when he was motivated he could actually be really helpful. I never would’ve been able to keep any sort of tabs on Brooke without his help.
We made our way back to the long tent that still had remnants of lunch sitting on the table. Usually I would’ve tried to hide Rocco but at this point I figured he deserved the free food. Plus I just didn’t want to argue with him after getting my shit rocked most of the morning. Someone walked up behind me and I heard Shaoni’s voice, of course she was creeping up behind me again.
“Your feeling alright after today I hope?”
She asked me, taking a seat next to me.
“I’ll be alright, I’m sure I’ll have a killer headache in the morning but I’ll manage.”
“Good, good. We’ll be gathering in a few hours so I can announce the final trial. I expect you out by the entrance to the mine by 6.”
“What’s the matter? No cryptic questions this time Shaoni?”
I asked, paying no mind to what was sitting next to me.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you always stop by to check in after these trials. You don’t have any questions this time?”
“No, Katrina was the victor today, there is no question about that, the woman is… brutal. I just wanted to make sure she didn’t hit you to hard, you were unconscious for some time.”
She answered, some genuine concern slipping into her voice again.
“Heh careful, I might start to think you actually care.”
I joked, less nervous than I should’ve been.
“I’ll see you tonight with the rest for the announcement.”
She said with a deep sigh, standing up and walking off toward where ever she came from.
I took a nap and just barely managed to wake up in time for this “meeting” Shaoni had planned. I couldn’t find Rocco before I left but I wasn’t all that concerned about that anymore. When I got to the entrance a massive bonfire was lit and Shaoni stood alone in front of it. Robert and John were already there and Katrina showed up a little after me. Brooke hadn’t arrived before Shaoni started her speech.
“I thank all of you for coming here tonight. Regrettably one of you is missing but I won’t be waylaid by his absence.”
She spoke with clear annoyance in her voice.
“Tomorrow marks your final trial, the most important of the three. The trial of justice. Tomorrow there will be a murder in Eagles Peak. I want you all to work together to stop it. Then, succeed or fail, pass judgment on those involved in the murder. Afterwards I will select which among you will receive my gift. But for tonight, talk amongst yourselves, plan, and rest. Prepare yourselves for tomorrow, I will have my eye on each of you.”
With that Shaoni stepped away from the fire and into the night. Not accepting any questions about anything she had said.
“What do you think she has planned?”
Robert asked me as I took a seat by the bonfire to think over everything Shaoni had said.
“I don’t know, a murder apparently. Shouldn’t you know more about it? You’re one of her followers after all.”
I said as I turned my head to see John walking off into the night. That man was weird, really weird. I knew next to nothing about him and he seemed to never speak.
“Usually sure, but she hasn’t said anything to us about this. It’s why she hasn’t directly overseen all the trials, she’s set this last one up all on her own. I guess there’s nothing to do but wait, we’re all in this together for the first part of the trial I guess.”
Robert explained, leaning back and sprawling out on the ground. He was right, there wasn’t much we could do until we were in the middle of it.
I looked around, searching for Katrina in the firelight. I found her leaning against the rocky wall that made up the entrance of the mine. I stood up, leaving Robert to relax and made my way over.
“How’s the head?”
She asked, feigning taking a swing at me again with an evil grin on her face.
“I told you to take a dive.”
“Yeah, I should’ve listened.”
I admitted, rubbing the goose egg that had formed on my head over the course of my nap.
“So what do you thin about this last trial?”
“Well, I can say that If that Brooke guy tries flirting with me one more time the murder won’t be that hard to solve. Seriously though, I think she’s gone off the deep end. How does she know there’s going to be a murder?”
Katrina made a really good point, how was Shaoni so sure?
“That’s… hmmmm, you’re right.”
“Well I’m gonna head to bed then. Something tells me tomorrow is gonna be a headache. Just try to stay out of my way when we’re all forced to work together and you should be fine. All goes well and maybe we’ll be out of here tomorrow, I know I will.”
Katrina said as she pushed herself off the rock wall she’d been leaning against. Something about the way she said that last part, it made me think she was up to something. Like she was leaving no matter what or she had some sort of exit strategy.
As I left Robert relaxing by the fire and hiked back to my own tepee for the night I spied Katrina. She had climbed up a tree and had her legs wrapped around the trunk and one of her arms gripped a branch above her. There was some kind of box in her other hand, a radio maybe. I had no idea what she was saying, she was too far off, but it had to mean something. As far as I knew none of us had any contact with the outside world since we got here. My gut feeling was that she wasn’t meant to be doing that. I wasn’t going to bother her at this point though so I went my own way and settled down for the night.

Why? Cause "Ha! You still live with yo mama, you ain' got no car, you ain' got no house" so on and so forth which are all valid reasons IF YOU'RE NOT A FEMINIST.
You know who would date/marry someone who works at McDonald's and doesn't have a cahouse? Niggaz would. Niggas don't care, they wouldn't be like "THIS GIRL STILL LIVES WITH HER MAMA, THIS GIRL GOT NO CAR, SHE ONLY MAKES BLAH BLAH A MONTH" MEN DON'T CARE. MILLIONAIRE MEN WOULD PUT A RING ON A WAITRESS HE WOULDN'T CARE OR EVEN THINK ABOUT HER JOB OR EARNINGS.
But the fake Feminists do. Why is that?
Because deep down in her nature she knows the man is supposed to be the breadwinner and the leader of the household so she can't bring herself to be cuffed by a low income no promising future man who can't lead. SHE IS JUST NOT ATTRACTED TO A MAN WHO CAN'T PULL HIS WEIGHT.
WHAT HAPPENED TO GENDER ROLES BEING FAKE? WHAT HAPPENED TO "IT'S TOTALLY NORMAL FOR MEN TO STAY AT HOME AND WOMEN TO MAKE A LIVING"
SHOW ME ONE GOD DAMN FEMINIST WHO EARNS HIGH, WHO MARRIED A GUY WHO WORKS AT WALMART. I CAN SHOW YOU PLENTY OF RICH MEN WHO MARRY LOW INCOME WOMEN.
But nah, as with everything left wing and woke, Feminism too is self contradicting.
AS A MATTER OF FACT FEMINISM ISN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE REAL ACCORDING TO THE LEFT BECAUSE ANYONE WHO SAYS THEY'RE A WOMAN IS A WOMAN SO THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS INCOME INEQUALITY ANYWAY SO LONG AS HIGH EARNING MEN IDENTIFY AS WOMEN HAHAHAH PROBLEM SOLVED! Anyway that's another topic.

Some old feelings got brought up recently and it made me think of a guy I knew in college telling me you just have to look rich and girls will like you. He spent money on nice clothes, cologne, going to the bar, money he did not have.
To find a girl, which the bar isn't the best place to find a relationship.
So he's changing his identity, one I think isn't fillfilling, to get something he probably isn't ready for or wants.
Meanwhile you could just embrace things you like to do and become a well rounded person and then those things you thought you wanted, like a girlfriend, are more easily attainable. And now your happy with yourself and most likely will get what you want since your healthy.

Ok so im a youngin (18F) and my girl (18F) is also a youngin, and I really need some cynical millenial advice. My girl wants the princess treatment like all the way, yk paying for her food/ordering for her, choosing her outfits, running her baths, etc. But thats not really something I want to do, I dont want to baby my partner or even be like "Chivalrous".
The Chivalric standards basically mean nothing to me and thats just now how I show love, nor do I care when someone does the same for me. But my GF does alot, she is used to having questionable dates with older rich men, and I am neither a man nor old or rich. So I Just dont really have that mindset idk.
Idk how to describe it she just basically wants a different type of love than I do, and I dont know if I really want to change how I show love so she can be okay, because then its inauthentic, and Ill never actually be able to show her my form of love. Which is more so just hanging out, checking on each, doing stuff together and talking together yk, the little things dont matter to me, i just need a partner in crime yk, so idk, idrk what to do. I almost broke up with her bc of this and various things but she convinced me otherwise.
I know there is alot of gaps in my rant my bad bro, you can ask for more details in the comments.
TLDR: me and my girl are very different and show love very differently and idk what to do.

Sylvia https://imgur.com/gallery/GK6ShZQ

Sylvia Rhodes

"One whom strives is one whom succeeds.."

Age: 15
Birthday: August 22, 2024
Godrent: Triton , Leiutenant of the sea..
Identity: Female (she/her), straight ally

Appearance:

Ebony skin, she always wears her hair in fashionable dreads with silver beads strewn through it. Heterechromia: One bright blue eye and one interestingly red-pink eye. No one can explain where it comes from. She has a scar down, diagonal, through her red-pink eye, she covers it with makeup often. Sylvia has snakebite piercings on either side of her bottom lip, that she switches out for shiny metals often, as if changing clothes. Her hair kind of moves like water.

Personality:

Bratty rich girl - She gets what she wants, doesn't matter how she has to achieve it. If she wants it, it's her's. She gets angry easily and is good when it comes to manipulation and playing the victim. She's a bully, you're different? Weirdo. Kind of bully.

Family:

Kira Rhodes: mother, famous model and ex-olympic swimmer, gives her daughter whatever she wants, 39
Triton: father, never met him, hopes he's cool (and possibly hopes he'll give her something if they ever reunite), Greek god
Naomi Rhodes: Kira's wife, stepmom, spoils Sylvia as well, 35, filmstar
Cerberus: her little black lab puppy, 3 months old, not the actual cerberus

Powers:

Weapons:

Trident - "it's pretty and practical, okay, darling?" High heel - "look, they're always there. It makes sense."

Background...

Sylvia was 13 when her mother had to tell her the truth, who her father was.
Sylvia had, unironically, drenched a saleswoman in water from the mall fountain when the woman tried to touch her. Of course; Sylvia doesn't like that. No permission? No access. That's how she works. So of course she did not take kindly to a 'lowly salesperson' grabbing her 3,000 dollar faux-fur jacket.
When her mother explained everything, it seemed that everyone was in the loop. Her mom, her maid, her stepmom, everyone but her. But whatever.
Sylvia was born on one of the Caribbean islands and her and her mother moved to California when her mom stopped representing the Bahamas in the Olympics. That was when her mom's job took off like a rocket. And there she was, the rich, pretty, smart, popular girl at school who came from abroad (or about abroad at it can bs counted) and whose mom(s) were famous. Everyone wanted to be her, or with her, or something like that.
When she was 12, she'd gotten into a bad accident resulting in her scar. And she's ashamed of it.
Then, one of those 'stupid dog penguins' attacked Sylvia while she was at a beach party her school was hosting. Then her moms whisked her away to camp, where she was left to, as she put it, shrivel up and die.

Present...

Sylvia stood at the edge of camp, wearing her baby blue tank-top crop-top and gray jeans with her (3,000 dollar) faux-fur jacket. Her blue heels weren't sinking in the dirt, yet.
She flicks her dreads over her shoulder and starts to walk into camp, standing tall and walking proud. Her while suitcases were all attached to eachother aside from her purse, which hung from her shoulder whilst she dragged the suitcases. She was not happy about this, but atleast her parents allowed her to pack whatever she wished.
So now she made her way down the hill, her silver ring shimmering with a seafoam green sheen. Of course, her Trident was hidden within it.

Reddit Account: ValyrianRizz
Discord Tag: Indigo
Name and House: Aelora Belaerys
Age: 25
Cultural Group: Valyrian
Appearance: Of unmistakable Valyrian descent, Aelora’s ancestors left their mark in the cool, glacial tint of her eyes and tresses of silver-gold that spill past her shoulders like so much silk. Her fingers are slender and petal-veined, strong and quick and never wrong, whether curling about a bowstring, a quill, or the waist of a lover. If ever her velvet voice and striking appearance are not enough to command attention, no doubt it is the way she carries herself–like a member of the noble family to which she belongs. Though youthful in appearance, there is an aura about the young woman that suggests she is wise far beyond her years.
Trait: Agile
Skill(s): Bows (e), Ranger (e), Footwork
Talent(s): Poetry, Hunting x 2
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Scion of House Belaerys
Starting Location: Opening Event
Alternate Characters: The High Septon

Family Tree

House Belaerys of Aegon’s Rest

Biography (Timeline)

4 AC – Aelora is born to Baelor and Baela of House Belaerys on the island of Dragonstone.
7 AC – House Belaerys is gifted Aegon’s Rest by Queen Visenya and the family moves to the Riverlands.
9 AC – Studies under a septa in an attempt by her mother to expose her children to Westerosi culture. Aelora hates this and remains a staunch adherent of the gods of Old Valyria. She does, however, develop a fondness for western poetry.
12 AC – Lady Baela passes away, and her death greatly affects her daughter, who becomes increasingly rebellious. Takes up the bow to turn her anger into something productive.
16 AC – The rebellious attitude culminates in Aelora running away from home upon learning that her father intends to remarry. She is gone for almost a week before a handful of knights bring her home cold, hungry, and smudged in dirt, but nevertheless unharmed.
18 AC – Meets Renfry, a young woman from Oxcross who works as a traveling farrier. She is immediately intrigued by the idea of a woman doing such an inherently masculine job. Absolutely seethes with jealousy at the news her brother has tamed a dragon.
21 AC – Reunites with Renfry after a few years apart, who joins the household staff as a farrier, and Aelora’s self-proclaimed protector.
22 AC – Has become quite a proficient archer and spends a lot of time riding along the river with Renfry, shooting at small game. Aelora gifts her a proper set of armor for her nameday.
25 AC – Travels to King’s Landing along with the rest of her family to attend the birthday celebrations for the princes.
Name and House: Renfry of Oxcross
Age: 24
Cultural Group: Andal
Appearance: Tall for a woman, with starry eyes and rich brown hair always pulled out of her face. Faded scars on her lip, the arch of her cheek, and her brow.
Trait: Champion
Skill(s): Polearms (e), Andal Knight
Talent(s): Swimming, Climbing, Running
Negative Trait(s): N/A
Starting Title(s): Sworn Sword, And They Were Roommates
Starting Location: Opening Event
Alternate Characters: The High Septon

Family Tree

N/A

Biography (Timeline)

1 AC – Born the eldest of six girls to a farrier and his wife in the village of Oxcross.
5 AC – Rides her first horse.
11 AC – Begins to take an active part in the family business, traveling with her father to shoe horses. Attends a tourney while in Lannisport.
12 AC – Crafts a makeshift quintain and practices the tilt with a tree branch “lance” in her free time.
16 AC – Allowed to work on her own on small job for the first time.
18 AC – Meets Aelora Belaerys for the first time after picking up work at Aegon’s Rest.
19 AC – Enters a tournament as a mystery knight wearing bits of armor scavenged and salvaged from her many journeys.
21 AC – Reunites with Aelora and eventually joins the household staff.
22 AC – Receives a proper set of armor from Aelora as a nameday gift and enters several more tourneys.
25 AC – Accompanies House Belaerys to the festivities in the south.