I want to thank Meatcanyon and Wendigoon for starting Creepcast. I've played around with writing horror, and here is my first short story. I will post it for free in a few other places to see what people think. Please enjoy!
A Hike to Remember
By R.L. Oclen
Chapter 1
A woman sits with hastily pulled-up fire-red hair in the waiting room of the state patrol station. The procedurally sterile off-white walls and decade-old magazines do little for comfort. With her head hanging low, her shoulders pushing forward, and her boots rapidly tapping on the floor, something has to give.
"Please just let her be okay." The woman growls as a pair of officers come in from the field. The officers' demeanors quickly change when they see the familiar face.
"Tabitha, did Officer Nichols call you?" one of the state patrol officers asked sympathetically.
"Yes, he asked me to come in and pick up a few things," Tabitha said, shooting back a muted look.
" I'll let them know you're here." The officer said, nodding to Tabitha as they passed the security door. Tabitha leaned back against the hard plastic chair, staring blankly into the fluorescent light. She had done this dance in the macabre repeatedly over the past month. The last image of her younger sister, Lisa, still burned in her mind. Tabitha had always been protective over her younger sister after their parents died. A pang of guilt shoots through her chest as she thinks about her and Lisa's argument.
"Tabitha Hymm, Officer Nichols is ready for you."
"Okay," she stood up, shaking off her guilt, and followed the officer back. The familiar surroundings of the state patrol station blurred as Tabitha stared forward. She followed the officer as they came to a rustic wooden office door, which was embossed with "Officer Nichols."
The escorting officer turns the old brass door knob. "Sir, I have Tabitha Hymm here." A grizzled West Virginia Highway State Patrol veteran sits behind the desk and nods. The escorting officer steps aside, pushing the door open as Tabitha pushes past him and slumps in the awaiting chair like so many times before. An uncomfortable relationship had formed between the two, born out of necessity and duty.
"Cup of coffee?"
"No thanks. Let's just cut to the chase. You don't have anything new?"
The worn laugh lines and Officer Nichols's face flattens. His eyebrows contour sympathetically as he shakes his head.
"Tabitha, I don't have anything else new for you. I wanted to give you the clothes returned from the lab." Her face darkened at the same response she had heard many times.
"As we discussed two weeks ago, there is nothing new and no signs of struggle or foul play," Officer Nichols said while placing a box marked evidence on the table and sliding it forward. Tabitha began to weep at the realization of Lisa's clothes in front of her. In a coordinated queue, Officer Nichols brought out a box of tissues. Reluctantly, Tabitha took a few moments to unblur her vision.
"How does someone stop their car in the middle of the Remington West Virginia State Park, lock it, and then walk into the woods?" Officer Nichols clasped his hands together and sighed at her worn question.
"Tabitha, I wish I had an answer for why your sister stopped her car in the woods and simply walked off. We're still going through her cell phone, but no signs exist that anyone forced her. On that Tuesday morning, she pulled over to the side of the road, secured her car, and walked away." Officer Nichols said empathetically.
Tabitha became stoic at the same explanation she had heard many times before. " So what next?"
"You should go back to Ohio, and I'll contact you as soon as I have more information." She winced at Officer Nichols's words. Reality began to pull at her that bills and work wouldn't wait much longer.
"If I leave, she's gone for good."
" You staying won't bring her back." Officer Nichols said sympathetically.
" So is that it? She's just gone?"
" Tabitha, I'll be honest with you. In cases like this… when people do things like this. Recovery is harder in the spring due to the weather and the animals. You know her mental condition better than I do. I can't explain why she did what she did. But until I find a solution, a suicide note, some intention, or body. She's not here. Tabitha, I'm-"
" Don't you fucking say sorry!" Tabitha stood up, screaming at Officer Nichols, throwing the plastic chair backward against the wall. " I should just look for myself."
"No!" Officer Nichols said momentarily, gripping the desk as his face hardened, then relaxed. Tabitha was caught off guard by Officer Nichols, who was normally composed. "Tabitha, I know this is unbearable. I've sat on this side of the desk and had these conversations. Trust me; I need you to be safe if I need your help later."
Tabitha nods, knowing Officer Nichols is right. She reaches down, picks up the evidence box of her sister's belongings, and leaves.
" Tabitha, if you're heading home, don't stop your car; just keep driving." Tabitha stops to look at Officer Nichols, feeling an eeriness to his words.
" Goodbye, Officer Nichols," Tabitha said as she closed the rustic wooden door behind her. She counted the tiles as she exited the West Virginia State Patrol Station. Placing her sister's belongings carefully in the back seat of her Jeep, Tabitha then sat momentarily behind the steering wheel, staring at the emblem. The familiar numbness washed over Tabitha as she pushed the start button. She pulled onto the highway, driving to the motel that had been home for the last month or so. Muted pop music accented the drive back as her mind raced with questions. Once inside the two-and-a-half-star motel room, Tabitha sat her sister's belongings on the corner table, crumbled onto the bed, and cried.
***
Tabitha wiped the steam from the slightly spotted mirror above the bathroom sink. The hot water from the shower felt good and loosened some of the stress from her body. Looking back at her, Tabitha's face was framed by damp curls around her shoulders. Her face marked the stress of the past month. Frowning, she examined the bags under her eyes; sleep had to come tonight. Walking into the living area, She changed into her favorite gym shorts and oversized sleep shirt. The alarm on her phone flashed "7:00 am," so she could drive home five hours after breakfast.
Tabitha hated feeling comfortable in this once strange room, but falling asleep was getting easier now. Her eyes closed slowly as the ceiling fan droned evenly. At first, nothing came in her dreams, but she let her guard down and slipped further into sleep.
As she dreamed of floating overhead like a bird of prey, Tabitha soared over the vast Remington National Park. The high noon sun bore down on the crisp woods, perfectly contrasting sky and forest. The heat of the sun felt good on her feathers. Distant cries rang out through the dream-like forest, catching her attention. Tabitha tilted her wings toward the screams, feeling a sense of familiar curiosity.
She now recognized the sobs and cries for help as she flew closer, her sharp eyes locked on her sister leaning against a large oak tree. She glided overhead without care, examining the situation below. Lisa clung to the tree, her eyes darting back and forth, scanning upwards. Lisa's face reflected desperation, looking for help in any direction. Tabitha lazily circles Lisa several times before perching on a sturdy branch higher in one of the oak trees. She watched Lisa intently with hunger. She bellowed deeply, hearing the unnatural sound she made, catching Lisa's eyes. Lisa's expression changed; she became calm, almost uncaring, as she stared back at Tabitha's form. Hunger grew exponentially in Tabitha as she spread her large wings. Her large eyes gaze down at Lisa before diving straight for her sister.
Tabitha jolts awake to the alarm on her phone flashing "7:23 AM." She breathes in sharply, shaking off the last horrible thoughts from the reoccurring nightmare. The strange details become more vivid each time. The lingering memories of folk stories her mother told sat in the back of her mind. In those stories, the dead would reach out in dreams as a matter of warning. Leaning back on the headboard, she searched for the advice her psychologist gave her. During their last session, Dr. Ryland explained dreams are a form of self-actualization of guilt. He told Tabitha that it was natural to feel responsible when losing a loved one in this manner.
Tabitha grumbled, lightly running her hands through her red hair; she pushed everything to the back of her mind. "Get it together!" She grumbled to herself. She pushed herself off the bed and got ready to leave. It was going to be a long trip home, and the only thing she could do now was leave things in the authorities' hands. Packing up was pretty easy since she only cycled through the outfits she brought. The local laundromat must have made a small fortune off her. Tabitha took one last look at the box of Lisa's belongings before throwing them in her duffle bag. She was thankful she didn't have to spend another night in this room.
***
Tabitha sat behind the wheel, waiting for the 90's model minivan to finish their order so she could grab a breakfast burrito on the way out. Considering the situation, the Deer Stop Family Restaurant did have a good breakfast. Finally, pulling up to the 70-style drive-in board, Tabitha rolled off the order she had been accustomed to. " I'll take a large iced tea with the double breakfast burrito meal and hash browns, please."
" Would you like some happy hot sauce with that?"
" That's fine, and a few ketchup packets as well."
" Your total is $8.79. Please pull around."
She pulled around to her window, flashed her debit card, got the receipt, and waited for her food. Luckily, the young woman serving her wasn't very talkative in the morning. The last thing she wanted was a conversation about the weather or meaningless small talk.
" Here's your large iced tea and breakfast meal. Ketchup and happy hot sauce are inside."
" Thanks," Tabitha said while mustering her best fake smile. The woman only smiled and nodded as the service window automatically closed. She pulled into the parking lot and dug into breakfast. Turning the radio to the weather, Tabitha sat back and enjoyed her meal. The local DJ read through the headlines, making nonpartisan comments about politics and grumbling about improving the economy. Tabitha powered through the updates of the "out-of-state woman" who'd gone missing. It was nice that the local radio station gave Lisa's name, description, and a missing person's number for sightings or leads. Tabitha even interviewed with the local news and radio stations, hoping it would bring Lisa home. But she soon found all it brought was a sorrowful look from the locals as she interacted with them in her day-to-day life.
Finishing the last of her hash browns, Lisa wadded up everything in the paper bag and threw it in the back seat. The 9 AM weather report said it was nothing but clear skies and sun the rest of the week. Tabitha flipped the radio over to the greatest hit station, pulled out of the parking lot, and began her trip home. She memorized the roads, every bend and turn in the early weeks as she frantically looked for Lisa. There's something hypnotic about the trees: the way they flow together. The trees' green tops and the oak trees' wide trunks were a relaxing view. Tabitha enjoyed the lazy s-curves of the road, bending and winding around the hills and the trees. The occasional farmhouse or field dotted the sides of the road as she made her way to the main highway.
The blur of a semi-truck snapped Tabitha's attention as she pulled up to the mouth of the highway. She had four and a half hours ahead of her, which would be a long ride. Tabitha pulled onto the highway and picked up speed, noting sparse traffic. She relaxed into her seat, letting her gaze gloss over the blur of green foliage. Without warning, Tabitha caught a large shadow from the corner of her left eye. When she registered the black feathery form, Tabitha tensed up and slammed on the brakes as it swooped across the vehicle's hood. Quickly, she pulled the car safely off the road. She couldn't determine exactly what it was, but it was bigger than any bird she'd seen. It was a bird, right? Tabitha turned off her Jeep and grabbed the keys and cell phone. Standing before the Jeep, she looked over the grill to see if she made contact with the entity.
Bewildered, she scanned the tree line, spotting something in the distance. Sitting in the clearing of the large oak forest was an enormous black owl. It stared intently at Tabitha with bright, shiny yellow eyes. She pushed the lock button on her keys, causing the jeep to beep securely. She turned, looking across the open field, an enormous black owl perched in the upper branches of an old oak tree. Each step she took away from the road piqued her curiosity. Soon, Tabitha stood in the middle of the open field, staring intently into the eyes of the enormous owl.
The horn of a passing semi-truck blared, pulling Tabitha's attention away from the mysterious large creature. She looked back and saw that she had walked farther away from the Jeep than she had thought. She glanced back to the forest line only to see the enormous owl was deeper into the woods than before. She narrowed her vision to find the two large, bright yellow eyes staring back. Had it moved? The day's stress, care, and worry suddenly poured out of Tabitha. It was replaced by only curiosity and overbearing tranquility. She warmly smiled for the first time in months as her feet pulled her further into the woods.
Chapter 2
The tug of gravity pulls Tabitha to her senses as her body reacts, falling forward. Her arms thrust forward, bracing for impact. Water rushes around her face as she struggles to get her bearings. Quickly, Tabitha pushed herself up in the ankle-high stream she fell in. The haze slowly clears from her mind as she stares at the muddy water. The dull ache throbs up her legs. Tabitha can smell the sweat from her clothes. Her face contorted in panic as she quickly stood up in the water, looking for her cell. Thankfully, the device was still in her pocket, dry and unscathed.
"One o'clock. How can that be?" Tabitha says, slowly looking up from the screen to see the vast, dense West Virginia forest encompassing her view. She shakes her head back and forth with disbelief. A smile gently spreads across her face, with the last bit of tranquility leaving her body. How did I get out here? Her breathing becomes faster as her pulse begins to quicken. I'm in the forest. I'm all alone—just like Lisa!
"NO, NO, NO, NO! THIS FUCKING CAN'T BE HAPPENING TO ME!" Tabitha screams into the void of trees. Her eyes well up with tears as she crumbles to her knees, gripping her phone tightly to her chest. Her sobs ring out through the thick oak trees. Her breath slows a little as she regains her composure. She begins to search her mind for anything. What is the last thing I can remember? The image of the black shadow crossing her vision while driving flashes into her mind.
"Okay, I got out of the Jeep, the…then what?" Tabitha says, trying to refresh her memories. She thinks her memory is not just gone; it's a black void in her mind. Complete blackness fills her mind right after remembering locking the Jeep and then turning to see the…
"Fuck I saw something. What was it!" Tabitha says, frustrated with her mind. She knew there must be a logical reason she was out here. Officer Nichols warned her not to go looking for her sister. She wasn't stupid; she just said that as a last-ditch effort to get him to do anything. Now I'm here.
"Run!" Tabitha heard Lisa's voice in her ear. Before she could turn around, she heard a loud bellowing coming from overhead. Fear shot down her back, reminding her of the nightmares she had over the past month. She shot forward full bore as something crashed to the ground behind her. Glancing back as she ran, a black mass of feathers convulsed between the broken branches of the trees. Its slick black feathers rippled across its surface as its bones crackled and flesh tore. Its body contorted and twisted from the shape of an owl to something bigger.
"Run, Tabby! Don't let it catch you!" Tabitha pushed forward, hearing Lisa's scream beside her face. Her breath burned in her chest, and she moved past the old oak trees bent over the creek bed. Her feet slammed rapidly, splashing along the side of the creek. Another loud bellow comes from behind as the trees bend and break to the force behind her. A small opening in the rocky creek bed catches her sight from the left. She dives into the crevasses, not caring where the fathoms lead. Tabitha tumbles in the pitch black, taking scrapes and sharp jabs from the rocks as she tumbles further into the void.
She finally tumbles to a stop on the sandy, wet floor of the cave. Her body aches from the sudden burst of exhaustion. The cool water running around her body from the creek is soothing despite her bumps and bruises. Pushing herself up, she scoots out of the water. Feeling her way forward, she finds a dry spot to collect herself. Quickly pushing her hand into her pocket, she finds her phone undamaged.
The sound of footsteps pushing against the creek fills the void around Tabitha as the light steps move closer to each other up the underground creekbed. She slowly removes her cell from her pocket and then shines the camera light toward the sound. A pair of scratched and bruised pale bare legs hold up a frail form in front of her in the creek. She wears the darkness as a shroud with nothing else to clothe her. Tabitha froze, not wanting to shine the light further in the pale form before her.
"Tabby, turn your light off. You need to save your battery." Tabitha turned off the light and then rushed forward, embracing Lisa—the how or why didn't matter, only the now. The pale form hugged her tightly. Tabitha felt her cold, bare skin. The darkness couldn't hide the feeling of the marks across her back and torso.
"Lisa, I'm-"
"Hush! I don't have much time. This wasn't your fault! I'm with Mom and Dad now. You have to survive, Tabby! Listen. Wait until the sun shines through the cracks, making a trail out. Follow it down the creek until you come to the opening. You'll see a large hill you hike up for a cell signal. And remember…If you can't see it… It can't hurt you. I love you-"
Tabitha stumbled forward before catching herself. The void in front of her arms was only filled by cool air. She looked up and noticed a faint glimmer of light pushing through the ceiling. She sat down, relaxing against the limestone wall of the cave, waiting for the trail of light to form.
***
After a few hours, the light shining through the cracks of the cave ceiling was bright enough to lead Tabitha to the other side. She stepped onto the creek bed, thankful for the sun hanging lower in the sky. Scanning the sky, Tabitha saw only a few clouds. The foothills of Appalachia backdropped the forest as she scanned for the hill. Her eyes found the trail leading up the steady slope of an impressive hill. The top of the hill was bare. Part of the hill must have sheared off in a landslide, leaving the top void of trees and a jagged cliff face. Tabitha started her hike up the back of the hill. She was careful to stay under the heavy canopy of the old trees, hopefully avoiding the creature's eyes.
She did her best to quiet her mind while hiking up the trail. Come on, almost to the top, then I can call 911, she replayed repeatedly in her mind. Her adrenaline made up for the lack of food since morning. She drank some water from a clean spot in the creek. She was placing her bet on rescue rather than worrying about the water.
Leaning against one of the trees, Tabitha took out her cell and measured the signal.
"Damn it, nothing!" She swore under her breath. She listened nervously and cautiously peered her head out from the tree line. Standing at the tree line, the cell phone still had a low signal. She pushed her anxiety down with a swallow and slowly stepped forward onto the bare rock. Tabitha was now out in the open. She walked with the cell phone pointed upwards, measuring the signal. Within three feet of the cliff face, her signal bar punched up to full. Tabitha began to punch in the numbers just as a pair of large yellow eyes appeared. She felt her legs become weak, and her vision blurred as the creature snared her in its gaze.
Tabitha ducked, missing the giant owl's claws as it swooped for her. She squinted her eyes shut, momentarily breaking the hold of the infernal beast as it crashed to the ground, tumbling down the path of old trees. On her hands and knees, she tucked the dialed phone back into her pocket. She heard the creature's loud bellowing, followed by the snapping of bone and flesh ripping. It was changing its shape to finish her off.
Tabitha tried to get up, but the flash of its eyes did something to her. Her legs were numb, her stomach was in knots, and she could barely put a few thoughts together.
"If you can't see it, it can't hurt you." Tabitha heard clearly in her left ear. She quickly pushed herself into a sitting position and fumbled for the key chain in her right pocket. Pulling the long chain of keys, luck charms, and keepsakes, her father's Swiss army knife dangled at the end. She slowly opened the half-inch blade. Her body wholeheartedly rejected her plan and tried to fight her. Every internal warning system sounded as her body fought against her as she brought the blade against the corner of her left eye.
She didn't know if she could do it until the creature bellowed in her direction. With one quick motion, the half-inch blade sliced across her left eye. The world dimmed and then went black on her left side. Behind her, the beast's thundering gallop was getting closer. Tabitha plunged herself into total darkness with the last bit of her strength. Her hand gripped tightly around the bloody knife as she folded forward onto the ground. She could feel herself weeping blood. She squinted, doing her best to stem the tide of blood loss.
A large feathered paw drove into Tabitha's right side, flipping her onto her back. She lay still as the hulking creature stood over her. It remained motionless, and Tabitha was confused about why it didn't move or bite her. Then she started to giggle, just a little at first. Then, laughing madly into the creature's face as it growled back at her. She could not see it; she couldn't see anything. Her mind couldn't be eaten!
The creature roared into Tabitha's face while plunging one of its sharp claws into her shoulder. Tabitha screamed in pain, slashing the knife downward. The blade hit something soft, and she ripped the blade down, rending whatever she had hit on the abomination. A bright yellow, foul-smelling liquid gushed in a torrent over Tabitha's face. She turned to cough, having swallowed a portion of it. The creature reared back, squealing in pain. Its hind leg came down hard on Tabitha's leg, snapping her tibia. She jerked her leg up, causing the creature to tumble forward and fall over the edge of the cliff side.
Tabitha heard the creature crash below at the base of the hill. A large dead tree speared the creature through its chest. Tabitha could hear the labored whines of the creature as its cries became weak and slowed. A wave of sickness hit her as she rolled over and vomited. The foul smell drenched her. She did her best to focus, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the phone. By memory, she typed in the unlock pin. She held her breath and placed her thumb where the call button should be.
She could hear the call being made then, "911. What is your emergency?"
"Please help me! A bear has attacked me, and I can't see. I think I am on a hill."
"Ok, ma'am, stay with me! Do you know where you are located?"
"No, I'm lost. Please send help."
"It's okay. Stay with me on the phone, and I'll use the cell signal to try to find you."
"I'm on top of one of the hills. I think I am lying on a bare roc-" Tabitha slipped unconscious with the cell still tightly in her hand. Her body began to tremble and convulse.
"Ma'am! Ma'am! Stay with me. I have help on the way."
Chapter 3
A young man in military fatigues frantically compiles images and reconnaissance data from his drone feed. Confirming his hunch, he commands the winged surveillance drone to make a hard left and send a live video feed. His eyes widened as he saw a large owl-shaped shadow crash onto the top of a hill. He watches in awe as the sleek black owl twists and shifts into something much larger, like a grizzly. As the drone turns, he sees a woman at the cliff's edge trying to steady yourself on her hands and knees.
He bolts up from the command module, jotting down the drone's coordinates on one of the printouts. The drab government-issued office motif for the watch station blurs in the corner of his eye as he rushes down the hallway to the watch commander's office.
"Sir, recon has eyes on AMOS! And it's feeding!" the man said, swinging the heavy wooden door open. He took the hastily compiled file and pushed it forward to the commanding officer.
An older, tanned man quickly stands, reaching for the files. His brow furls, seeing his charge is awake. "Keep eyes on it! Go Adams!" The young man nods, turning on his heel and bolting for the drone command module. As his office door slams shut from the subordinate officer, he grabs his headset and frantically dials the closest military outpost to the coordinates.
"Hello, Sergeant Klein; this is Agent Smith of Black Watch outpost 7948! Shadow is active, code Alpha, Mike, Oscar, Sierra. The coordinates and data package have been sent. A civilian is on the ground; deploy strike-and-rescue ASAP.
"We'll be up in five, Agent Smith! The line cuts as Agent Smith closes out the call on his headset and rushes to the door. The normally quiet watch station buzzes alive, with personnel flooding the central command station. The background echoes resource allocation calls, frantic typing, and the hum of cold computers warming up.
"Adams, get our eyes back on Amos!"
"Coming back around in 30 seconds." Thirty sets of eyes stare at the three giant screens, anxiously waiting for the drone feed to clear the bank of trees. The camera clears the tre top to see the giant feathered grizzly rear back slinging its massive head away from its prey. Its large yellow right eye spews bright yellow liquid all over the red-haired woman and the cliff face. The giant feathered grizzly missteps, crushing the woman's leg and causing the creature to tumble over the cliff face.
"Fuck!" Agent Smith yells in horror as he watches AMOS fall four stories, impaling a sharp, 3-meter-tall log lodged in the boulders. The command center freezes wide-eyed at the flailing dying creature on screen. Agent Smith pulls his cell out quickly and dials.
"Klein, Scrub the current request! AMOS is down! Switch to rescue and harvest now!
"What, someone took out AMOS?"
"YES! It's at the bottom of the cliff, bleeding out essence! The woman is covered in it as well. Clean as much of it off her as possible before you take her to the ER.
"Understood!"
Agent Smith, in a rage, slings his phone straight forward, connecting with Private Adams's skull. Adams flinches at the sudden impact of the hard plastic and covers his head. Agent Smith grabs the table in front of him and flips it over, sending the computer equipment crashing to the government-issued tiled floor.
"A two-year cycle gone! All that essence is gone! Now I have to wait another 24 months for AMOS to resurrect!" Agent Smith screams, causing the rest of the staff to recoil away in fear.
"Jones!" Agent Smith says sternly, turning to a petite woman on his left. She stares at him, pleading.
"Yes Sir?'
"Get Officer Nichols on my office line. That fuck up has some explaining. He should have told us AMOS was awake."
"Right away!" Jones quickly sits back down and begins dialing Nichols, thankful she doesn't have to deal with Agent Smith further. The command center quickly shifts gears as Agent Smith returns to his office.
***
Two Weeks later…
"Tabitha… Tabitha… This is Doctor Wilhelm. Wake up." The kind older gentleman said as they gently nudged Tabitha in her hospital bed.
"Where am I?" Tabitha asked, waking from what felt like years of sleep. She sat up, the world still pitch black, but an odd sense of the world around her seemed to hum just behind her eyes.
"You're in the hospital, dear; you scared us. Do you remember anything?" He said as he sat down on the side of her bed.
Tabitha thought for a moment the last parts after she slashed her eyes were a blur. She remembers people yelling and the sound of two or three helicopters over her. " No, it's really all just a blur."
"Well, it's probably for the best. You had some very serious injuries. The first night, we honestly didn't think you would make it. Then…" The doctor trailed off with a concerned expression, not knowing how to explain things further.
Tabitha felt his pulse quicken somehow. She didn't understand it but fully felt or sensed the doctor beside her. She sensed the two other nurses standing at the end of the bed. Her body didn't hurt. She felt great. She felt hungry.
"Doctor, you said had. What happened to my injuries?" She said calmly, trying not to startle the old doctor further.
"Well, Tabitha, it's the closest thing to a miracle I've ever seen. You had violent seizures from the minute you hit the entrance of the ER. We couldn't even set your leg. The medications we gave you had a minimal effect, and you thrashed so much that we had to restrain you. Then, the early morning check-in found you in a deep sleep. All but your eyes were completely healed. So we switched gears to support care and treated your eyes the best we could." He said, watching her reaction.
Tabitha leaned back in her bed, taking in the wild account. "Do you know how I healed so quickly?"
"What happened to you is beyond all scientific reason. A miracle is the only way the staff and I can explain it. I know you have been through a lot, but I want to check your eyes."
"Thank you for all your help, Doctor Wilhelm." She said, sitting up in bed.
"You are most welcome, dear. Now I am going to unwrap your eye-dressing. Hold still, please." he said as he reached up and pulled on the bandage tape. Tabitha felt a quick tug and felt the bandages loosen from around her head. The doctor slowly unwrapped the bandages. The doctor's brow wrinkled as he examined the two large black scabs covering Tabitha's eyes.
"Tell me if this hurts at all, ok?"
"Yes, doctor." She relaxes as the doctor's gloved fingers pass over the scab. He pushes and gently tugs at the side of one, and it starts to lift. He pulls on the scab more, and Tabitha begins to sense the light as it hits her eyelid.
"Oh, I can sense the light, Doctor Wilhelm!" She said, smiling.
"Wonderful! Nurse Allen, please hand me some saline solution. I think a little water will loosen these right up. Hold still; this may feel cold," he said as he reached for the solution. She felt the cool liquid flush over the left eye, then the right. The scabs fell away with a gentle tug from the doctor. She could see the light shine through her eyelids. She grinned widely, happy to have some form of sight left.
"Please open your eyes for me," he said as he sat back on the bed. Tabitha slowly opened her eyes. The flood of light was almost too much, causing her to squint. After a few moments, she adjusted to the fluorescent lights. Three figures began to take shape in front of her. First, the distinguished older features of Doctor Wilhelm came into view quickly, followed by the brunette and blonde younger nurses standing at the end of the bed. Suddenly, her vision snapped into place, crisp and clear.
"I can see perfectly! This is amazing! Thank you, Doctor Wilhem!" she said, turning to look directly into his eyes, but he stared back at her unmovingly.
"Doctor Wilhelm?" she said as her expression became more worried. Doctor Wilhelm just sat staring, intensely focused on her eyes. His expression was overbearingly calm. She glanced at the nurses, rigidly staring back at her with trapped, calm expressions. Doctor Wilhelm began to twitch slightly. It traveled from the base of his spine out to his limbs, finally convulsing.
"Doctor Wilhelm, are you okay?" Tabitha yelled as the doctor began to have a seizure and fell on top of her bed.
"Help Him!" She screamed at the two nurses only to see both of them crumble to the tiled floor. One of them bashed her head off the bed frame. Tabitha recoils back from Doctor Wilhelm in terror as he starts foaming at the mouth. She climbs over the bed rail and hits the tiled concrete floor with a thud. Her adrenaline surges as she bolts for the door, looking for help.
At the entrance of her hospital room, she sees another nurse leaving the adjacent room. "Please, my doctor and staff need help!" As the male nurse turns to see Tabitha, he suddenly goes stiff before collapsing into a violent seizure, spilling his cart over with him.
"What's happening!" Tabitha screams, thinking something is in the air, or everyone has come down with something. A pair of security guards round the corner, hearing the screams and commotion.
"Ma'am, are yo-" The guard freezes mid-stride as he makes eye contact with Tabitha. Both men start to convulse and topple over, thrashing violently on the hard tile.
"No, no, no, no!" Tabitha yells as she darts into the women's bathroom, a few doors up the hall. She runs in, terrified of the situation. She approaches one of the sinks, bracing herself against the cool porcelain. Her stomach turns, and she dry heaves in the sink. She steadies herself while turning on the cold water. Leaning in, she takes a drink. As she looks up, a glint of two yellow eyes catches her. Tabitha stumbles backward on reflex. Then, she sees her reflection in the mirror. Two completely bright yellow eyes stare back at Tabitha. She screams at herself in the mirror, not feeling hungry anymore.
The end.
I will

I just moved to a good part of the city that has an AMC within walking distance. I daydreamed about how romantically picturesque it would be to walk to a late evening show after work and settle into a comfy recliner with my hot buttery popcorn and ice cold Coke Zero.
But then I thought - “wait…what the hell am I supposed to watch?”
It seems like the special-ness of the movie theater has all but died after Covid. Most movies are now available on streaming platforms and there’s maybe only one or two movies per year that draw big crowds to the theater.
When I was a kid (early-mid 2000s) the movie theaters would be PACKED, and each theater was showing a premiere movie that had 10+ showtimes. You’d go to a theater on an average Tuesday night and the lines would be PACKED with crowds becausse of 10 high profile movies playing at once (Harry Potter, LOTR, POTC, National Treasure, Talladega Nights, etc.). It seems like people don’t get excited for the movies anymore, and in turn the movie theaters don’t really show great movies.
Is it just me who thinks this? Can anyone relate? I really miss the magic of going to the theaters.
EDIT: this is less about the cost of the movie, and more about the social and experiential monopoly movie theaters used to have. For instance, you used to only be able to catch a movie AT the theater for the 3-4 weeks it was playing, and then you wouldn’t be able to see it again for another 4 months before it got released on DVD. But nowadays that experiential monopoly is gone because streaming services have the movies within a month of release. Even a movie like the Batman was on HBO Max only 6 or so weeks after release in theaters. I actually really enjoyed the panic and rush to see a movie in theaters before it disappeared or went to a smaller local theater.

Link here: https://www.comic-con.org/awards/eisner-awards/
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Mark Waid, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Shazam!, World’s Finest: Teen Titans (DC)
G. Willow Wilson, Poison Ivy (DC); Hunger and the Dusk (IDW)
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Inaki Miranda, Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons (IDW)
Dan Mora, Batman/Superman: World’s Finest, Shazam! (DC)
Chris Samnee, Fire Power (Image Skybound)
Jillian Tamaki, Roaming (Drawn & Quarterly)
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Liam Sharp, Nocterra: Nemesis Special (Best Jackett); Starhenge: The Dragon and the Boar (Image)
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Sana Takeda, The Night Eaters: Her Little Reapers (Abrams ComicArts); Monstress (Image)
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Evan Cagle, Detective Comics (DC)
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Matchmaker, vol. 6, by Cam Marshall at https://matchmakercomic.com/. (Silver Sprocket)
3rd Voice, by Evan Dahm, https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/3rd-voice/list?title_no=828919 (WEBTOON)
Unfamiliar, by Haley Newsome: https://tapas.io/series/unfamiliainfo (Tapas)
BEST DIGITAL COMIC
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Parliament of Rooks, by Abigail Jill Harding (Comixology Originals)
Practical Defense Against Piracy, by Tony Cliff (delilahdirk.com)
A Witch’s Guide to Burning, by Aminder Dhaliwal (Instagram.com/aminder_d)

TLDR: girlfriends lifestyle choices greatly differ from mine and it’s affecting out everyday relationship.
We have been together for just over a year and a half. Things more or less are going great. We very rarely argue or fight, spend lots of quality time together and enjoy similar hobbies and interests.
The issue started a few months ago. Both of us were not skinny people. I myself peaked at 275lbs at 6ft tall, about a year ago. My girlfriend is 5ft 5in tall and was around 230 lbs at the time. I have been working on my diet and exercise for about a year now. I am on a strict diet and go to the gym 3+ days a week and do other activities outside of that (walks, hikes, biking) and have been going to a therapist now to unpack the emotional aspect to my eating. I have since gotten down to 215lbs with my heart health and muscles being the best they have been in my life. My girlfriend has also been in therapy for years and has tried diets, personal trainers, supplements and everything else under the sun.
In January she decided it was time for a change. She started coming to the gym with me, and trying to focus more on heathy eating. The consistent gym sessions lasted for about 2 months and now she hasn’t been in weeks. The healthy eating was never really successful. After a gym sessions, she would eat candy, ice cream cones, fried foods etc. I tried to explain to her how important diet is in losing weight but she doesn’t believe me. This has resulted in her putting on significant weight since we first started dating. Currently she is 270+lbs and it is impacting her everyday life. She is incapable of walking for than a few blocks before having to stop and catch her breath. Her Hygiene is suffering since she is unable to reach. Her libido has fallen off a cliff. It has gotten to the point that the doctors recommend surgery, which she declined.
This is putting a big strain on our relationship as we are unable to do things we want together, and I am honestly losing interest in her. I would like a partner that I can share experiences with and is around for the future.
I have been to therapy sessions with her and I believe the therapist is an enabler, saying that it’s heathy and natural be her size. I have brought this up to her but she dismisses me. When ever she brings up her weight and we talk about it (I never bring it up, as it’s been a long time struggle for her) she gets defensive and says she will focus on it in a few years. I can’t sit by and watch somebody eat themselves to death.
How can I bring up this topic in a manner she will understand or is it pretty much over for us if she’s unwilling to change?
Thanks for the advice in advance

Hello !
So... I'm rei_mayo, and I have a little bit unrealistic project. I create OCs and I imagine characters in lore what would they be in game.
I'm French, so I'm sorry for my bad English ! I prefer precise that there is just original or official content in the post ! This is just from the currents versions of the game and from my head !
Since one year, I work in my free time on this project and there is multiple things :
-First part : the lore of the project, like the background and the location ;
-Second part : the relics, and the elevation materials ;
-Third part : the characters, and the banners ;
-Fourth and last part : the plot of the history (in the big lines).
I prefer to precise why I do this. When I play video games, I love to create characters when it's possible, and in MiHoYo games, it's not possible... But, create characters that only me like, it's very selfish, so I would like to present them to have notices if they are fantastic !

First part :

So, the history would be in a location called the "Shìjiè-Chuán of Xianzhou" (nb : mean Ship-World (世界船) in Chinese). The Shìjiè-Chuán is the capital and the most important part of the Alliance. A little time after Lan became an Aeon, Yaoshi asks to an Emanator to kill the Emperor of Xianzhou and to make a plague mark in the original planet of Xianzhou.
Lan discovers that and he purifies the planet, kill Abominations, destroys the plague mark. With the remains of the planet and the Xianzhouan (?) planet, he creates a huge boat, the Shìjiè-Chuán.
For comparative, the Shìjiè-Chuán is so huge that all the other boats can fit in with no problem. It's contains important locations like :
-The Judgment Palace : The place where the Ten Lords and the Generals Arbiters judges the most dangerous criminals. Despite the fact the criminals are jail in the Xuling, they really are judge in the Shìjiè-Chuán.
-The Starry Streets : Streets where neon, big screens and buildings are. The popular streets of the Shìjiè-Chuán, mix of tradition and modernity.
-The Fallen Garden : A garden where plants of all the planets who were saved by the Hunt are. It's also the place where the Yamato was before the Emanator of Lan gets him.
-The Shackling Prison : The prison of Xianzhou, where all the criminals of the Alliance are located. In the depths of the prison, just one person is remained... Shuhu, Emanator of Abundance.
-The siege of the Ten Lords Commission : The place where all the Ten Lords (not included the Fallen King and the Stellar Queen) are when there is no process. It's also the place where all the Judges, the Wraith Wardens and the Aurumations are when they don't have missions.
-The boats Goldsmithery : The place where the boats of the Alliance are repair. Actually, the Cangcheng is here for reparation after the destruction of Rahu.
-Other places... How to discover them ? Play~
And here is some clarifications !
So, who is the Marshals ?
In my idea, Hua is a false Marshal, to cover and hide the Shìjiè-Chuán, but she's really powerful. She would be a Fu Hua expy... And I will talk about her later...
The reals Marshals are Rei -The Fallen King- and Xingxing -The Stellar Queen-.
Rei is the Emanator (and the only) of Lan. Called the Fallen King because of a legend, he's considered like the most powerful person of the Alliance. He carries a divine katana called the Yamato-Shinigami. (nb : Yamato > Yama, Hindu god and judge of the dead. The Chinese god Yanluowang or Yanluo Wang has his origins in Yama. Shinigami > Death Kami). I will talk about him later.
Xingxing (nb : star (星星) in Chinese) is an Emanator of Nous and a Eclairor (?) of IX. Called the Stellar Queen because she uses stars with martial art for fight, she done renovations in the Shìjiè-Chuán for make it more modern. I will talk about her later too.
The Marshals are the boss of Xianzhou and of all the factions who follow the Hunt, like the Galaxy Rangers. They rule all the commissions, and are very important, but they rule different commissions. For example, The Fallen King rule the Cloud Knights, but the Stellar Queen rule the Artisanship Commission. The only Commission they rule together is the Ten Lords Commission.
Who is the Ten Lords ?
In my idea, the Ten Lords Commission would be composed with eight Lords and the two Marshals, and that would be the Ten Lords. In game, it's said that nobody knows where the commission is despite the members of the Commission them-self, but she would be in the Shìjiè-Chuán. The Ten Lords would be :
-The Fallen King ;
-The Stellar Queen ;
-Yuen (I will talk about her later) ;
-Styx, an Emanator of Finality and a member of the Galaxy Rangers (I will talk about him later);
-Athena (I will talk about her later) ;
-and other people... NPCs, so we don't care about them.
Who is really Hua ?
In my idea, Hua would be a "Marshal". When she (in my mind, she's a she) appears in public, she is the Marshal, but in the Shìjiè-Chuán, she's judge like a General. Her title would be the "Fenghuang" (nb : phoenix of Chinese mythology).She would be in the General of the Cangcheng when he would be repair.
But... The Cangcheng is destroyed, no ?
Yes, he was devoured by the activated planet Rahu. But in the year 8098 (so two years before the game), Rei destroyed Rahu (and killed ~10 000 000 000 of abominations). That liberated the remains of the Cangcheng, and Xianzhou is trying repair him.
Why Shuhu is in the prison ? Shouldn't be dead ?
Technically, she's in prison, but it's precised that nobody knows if it's the really Shuhu of not. In fact, in each prison of Xianzhou, a few reproductions mecha-organics were made by the Stellar Queen for hide the real Shuhu. In the Shìjiè-Chuán, she's just a spirit, seal in a transparant box cell. She just wants to talk with five persons : The Fallen King, the Stellar Queen, Yuen, Blade and Jing Yuan. The unique persons who know that Shuhu is alive are the Ten Lords, the Generals and the Stellaron Hunters. Her real body and remains are with the Abundance, but originally her remains were with Xianzhou, and her spirit was with the Abundance.
Now, here is some more lore that I created :
The Trinity of the Abundance :
If you never see Yaoshi, THEY have a lot of plants in THEIR representation. There is a wheat, a bramble, and a large tree.
I imagine that the members of Abundance considered that these three plants are divines. For them, the wheat represent the immortality, the bramble represent the price to pay for become immortal and the thanks to Yaoshi, and the tree represent the life the Abundance offer to the mortals.Traditionally, the Emanators must wear one of these three symbols. For example, Shuhu wears brambles for gives her blood to Yaoshi.
At the opposite, each plant that the Hunt has purified is considered as a sin. For example, each lotus in the Xianzhou Alliance is a sin for Abundance. But the lotus in the planets of Abundance are holy. The lotus is the incarnation of Yaoshi THEM-SELF, but only if it's in a planet of Abundance.
Rakshasa and Luocha :
If you know Luocha, I think I don't to explain that is said that he's related to the Abundance. And Luocha is an other name for "Rakshasa", a type of evil spirit of the Buddhist mythologize who are cannibals. So, I will tell you who they are :
So, after the planet of Luocha get destroyed and his wife gets killed under his eyes, Yaoshi gave to him immortality and powers to become an Emanator of Abundance. Luocha asks to resuscitated his wife, but Yaoshi tells that THEY will do that if Luocha destroys one of the different boats of the Xianzhou Alliance. But Luocha, who was a doctor in his original planet, cannot do that. But the time past, and he couldn't do that... But Yaoshi implants an sort of mara in him, like an evil spirit, so Luocha decided something.
I imagine that Luocha create a another corpse/puppet with remains of different corpses, and transverse the evil part of him in this, but not his powers and his immortality, to trying to find an another way to resuscitate his wife. He create a coffin with powers of Abundance for conserve the corpse of his love, and decided to leave the Abundance, and became a interstellar merchant for trying to discover how to resuscitate his wife.
But Yaoshi couldn't accept that. So THEY gave powers and life to the puppet contained Rakshasa, and THEY gave immortality. And Rakshasa became an Emanator of Yaoshi, for avenge him and Yaoshi. But because he was born from Luocha spirit, he has his savior of doctor.
Rakshasa tries, with Shuhu and the living planet Rahu, to destroy the Shìjiè-Chuán. But the Stellar Queen fought him, and "kill him". But Rakshasa false his death, and he takes with him the remains of Shuhu.
Rakshasa is known for his cannibalism and for his experiences. He's like a Dottore in term of personality, but more crazy and more psychopathic.
The Yamato-Shinigami and the divine spirits of the Hunt :
So, what is the Yamato-Shinigami ?
This saber is an odachi created by Lan, to purge the Abominations and for the Emanators of Lan. So, Lan created this saber with a galaxy and imaginary energy for this first Emanator, but when he dies, Lan hid the saber in the Shìjiè-Chuán for the next Emanator... A long time ago, Rei meditated in the Stellar Garden after the death of his mother, and the Yamato has called him. Since this event, he and the Yamato are lied and the odachi is his saber.
Lan doesn't choose the Carrier of the Yamato, but it's the saber himself who choose his owner. The saber has only two owners in his life : The first Emanator of Lan and Rei.
Lan doesn't place the powers he gives to his Emanator in the Emanator, he place the powers in the Yamato. More the Emanator does miracles and heroics acts, more the Emanator gain the power. Actually, Rei have 100% of his powers, but there is a state more powerful : the Resonance.The Resonance is a phenomenon that caused when the willpower of the Emanator and the willpower of the Yamato are the same, and the power of the Emanator are increase so much that the people say when the Fallen King reach this state temporary, he becomes powerful as a Aeon.
But this state can be permanent, if the willpower of Rei became so strong that him and the Yamato become just one. The spirit in the saber changes his form according to who is the person who meet him. And he doesn't fight, the spirit of the Yamato-Shinigami doesn't fight with Emanators. The Yamato measure ~225 cm/~7,3 feet, and his pound is unknown. (The pound depend of who carries the blade. Very light for the carrier but very heavy for the other)
But what are the divine spirits of the Hunt ?
Do you know the Lighting Lord ? I think yes.>! In the lore, it's "said" and showed that the past General of the Luofu, Teng Xiao, uses the Lightning Lord, like Jing Yuan. But not the same sword, because of the Starfall Reverie has been forged by Blade when he was Yingxing.!< So I imagined that :
The first Generals, when they passed away, Lan take there spirits and gives a lot of power. Since the creations of these spirits, they are give to the Generals, until they choose to retire. Then, it's give to the next Generals, and this cycle is repeated. These spirits are unlike of the spirit of the Yamato, because they don't give their powers and doesn't are in a weapon. Plus, the spirit of the Yamato can't fight with his carrier.
Technically, the General Arbiters are Emanators, like Rei, but the divine spirits changes all. Rei does have powers of Lan/The Hunt and he has the Yamato-Shinigami, but if he fights without, he changes nothing (just the fact that the Yamato uses as a multiplying for the slashes. But if the Generals fights without the spirits, it would changes. (it's a theory/created lore, so please, not rude in comments !)
So the divine spirits would be like the reasons why the Generals of the Hunt are considered as Emanators.
So, now, I think the first part is finish... Let's go to the second part !

Second part :

The relics :
For the relics, I imagine some relics and some planet ornaments :
1 : Set of the Tearful Child of the Moon :
Memories of the Moon's Child : Beyond dreams, the tearful child of the Moon remembers his mother during the day, and finds her again at night. The child of the Moon is said to protect his mother from nightmarish creatures as she searches for her lost husband among the stars.
Protective cuddly toy of the Moon's Child : Beyond dreams, the tearful child of the Moon protects his mother with his teddy bear during the day, and finds her again at night. It is said that the child of the Moon is always accompanied by his faithful teddy bear, which the Sun himself is said to have woven for him.
Moon's Child pajamas : Beyond dreams, the tearful child of the Moon protects his mother and walks the land by day, and finds her at night. The Moon Child is said to always be dressed in extremely light blue pajamas, and to protect him from any enemies he may encounter.
Warmth of the Moon's Child : Beyond dreams, the tearful child of the Moon protects his mother, the Moon, during the day, and joyfully reunites with her at night. It is said that the child of the Moon never despairs because of a gift from his mother, his maternal love.
Effect :
2 pcs : Increases Imaginary DMG by 10%.
4 pcs : Increases CRIT rate by 15% and the CRIT DMGS by 25% for 2 turns after the porter uses his skill or his ultimate. Not cumulative.
2 : Set of the Blazing Goddess.
Divine Crown of the Blazing Goddess : A crown of incandescent flowers that ignite the hope of being rescued. The crown shines like a beacon for a castaway, and illuminates the hope of new and flourishing days.
Divine brambles and roses of the Blazing Goddess : Bracelets sinking into the flesh and blooming incandescent roses of blood, awakening Beauty to the divine state. It is said that these roses are the most beautiful in all existence, and that it only blooms in contact with the blood of Beauty.
Divine dress of the Blazing Goddess : A burning and brilliant dress, making even the stars admire it. The flames of this dress conceal inestimable treasures, the words and thoughts of Beauty, which leave in diamond whispers and stellar sighs.
Graceful step of the Graceful Grace of the Blazing Goddess : Beautiful shoes covered in burning flowers, growing roses with every step. It is said that the whole universe could not help but admire these flowers with their incandescent beauty, and that the flowers admired Beauty itself.
Effect :
2 pcs : Increases DoT by 20%.
4 pcs : Increases DoT by 15% when an ally or the porter deals DoT to an enemy. Increases fire DMGS by 15% when the porter uses their ultimate. The effect lasts 2 turns and can be accumulate 3 times.
3 : Set of the Keeper of the Fighting Will.
Ancient helmet of the Keeper of the Will : An old ancient helmet found on the ashes of a battlefield. When putting it on, you can hear the soldiers screaming and fighting, while the previous owner of this helmet beat to the rhythm to galvanize his troops.
Galvanizing Wands and Drum of the Will : Ancient drumsticks accompanied by a drum found on an old battlefield. If you strike the drum even once with the old sticks, you can feel your body filling with the will to fight.
Ancient chain mail of the Keeper of the Will : An old, slightly battered piece of mail, found on an old battlefield. Despite the age of the armor, it shines with a burning brilliance of an insatiable will to win and fight.
Ancient sandals of the Keeper of the Will : Old solid wooden sandals found on an ancient battlefield. When we put them on, a thrill spreads through our body, and a will to victory and battle is triggered.
Effect :
2 pcs : Increase Energy Regeneration Rate by 20%
4 pcs : For each enemy eliminated thanks to the porter's ultimate, increase the Energy Regeneration Rate by 5% and the DMGS by 15% for all the allies for 2 turns. The effect can be accumulated 3 times.
4 : Set of the Hopeless Plague Doctor.
Terrifying mask of the Hopeless Plague Doctor : The mask of a doctor who kills, destroys, and inoculates plague and immortality to the mortals. The hope go away and the despair arrives, to condemned all the patients, and give their blood to the greatest of the greatest Aeon, the Abundance.
Needle claws of the Hopeless Plague Doctor : The claws of a doctor who kills, destroys, and inoculates plague and immortality to the mortals. The plague in one, the despair in another, the immortality in another and the last takes the blood of the patients to give to THEM.
Calamity dress of the Hopeless Plague Doctor : The dress of a doctor who kills, destroys, and inoculates plague and immortality to the mortals. The blood and the suffer of all the people who became patients of this mad doctor are in this dress... But there is also the benediction of the Abundance.
Bloody boots of the Hopeless Plague Doctor : The boots of a doctor who kills, destroys, and inoculates plague and immortality to the mortals. Blood. Just blood. Only blood. Blood of THEM. Blood of Abundance. But serve as the shoes of the doctor. Of the mad doctor.
Effect :
2 pcs : Increases Max HP by 15%.
4 pcs : When the wearer consumed their HP or the allies's HP, their CRIT Rate and their CRIT DMGS get increased by 6% for 2 turns. This effect can be accumulated 4 times.
5 : Set of the Godly Hope Doctor.
Kindly mask of the Godly Hope Doctor : The mask of the doctor who has acceded to the redemption. Before, he was a Emanator, who tries to destroy for heals his love. But now, he's a doctor, a healer, and a benefactor... Despite his kind mask, a deep sadness live in his spirit, but he always live with his mask who hide his suffer.
Holy gloves of the Godly Hope Doctor : The gloves and the pendant of a doctor. The redemption and the kindness breathe in those objects, who have heals so many people. An holy energy can be feel in these accessories, and all the kindness of a man who loved his wife live in this.
Greatest coat of the Godly Hope Doctor : The coat of the doctor who heals all his patients. In this coat, all of the kindness and the healing power of this doctor are concentrate, but there is, hide in the depths of the clothe, a melancholy... A melancholy of his ancient planet.
Divine boots of the Godly Hope Doctor : The boots of the doctor who always heals his allies. In those shoes, all the journey of this doctor is gathered... Even if a kindness is present, the deep sorrow of all the travels that is here.
Effect :
2 pcs : Increases Max HP by 15%.
4 pcs : When the wearer heals their HP or the allies's HP, their Outgoing Healing and their ATK increase by 20% during 2 turns. This effect can be accumulated 4 times.
6 : Set of the All-mighty Burning Father.
Effect :
2 pcs : Increases Max HP by 20%.
4 : When the wearer deals Break DMGS or Super Break DMGS, the wearer and the allies gains Stack of "Blazing Child", up to maximum 6 stacks. "Blazing Child" increase the HP, the Break DMGS and the Super Break DMGS by 20% for each stack, and when the wearer gains 6 stacks, then the Energy Regeneration Rate increase by 10% and the Super Break DMGS increase by 50%.
Now, it's time to present the planet ornaments !
1 : ~Set of the Judgment Ship~
Judgment Palace of the Shìjiè-Chuán of Xianzhou : Sealed within this planar sphere is Shìjiè-Chuán, sacred land of Xianzhou. The World Ship floats and admires a new starry landscape every year to escape the abominations. You can see the Palace of Judgment, the Star Garden, the Goldsmith of Ships, and all kinds of other places, each one as important and fabulous as the last.
Promise of the Lovers of the Shìjiè-Chuán of Xianzhou : In Shìjiè-Chuán, it is said that the wind and rain bring back the dreams and promises of old. And some say that the promise of two lovers kissing in the rain can be heard in the Star Garden.
Effect :
2 pcs : Increases the CRIT DMGS by 25%. If the CRIT Rate reaches 40/50, the CRIT DMGS are increase by 25%/35%, and the CRIT DMGS are increase by 10% each time that the porter uses their ultimate. The effect can be accumulated 2 times, and lasts 3 turns.
2 : ~Set of the Floral Echo of the Ashes~
Flowering ashes of Fjoralys : Sealed within this planar sphere is Fjoralys, a once flowery and warm planet. When the Destruction came, life and people on the planet all died. Not one survived. Except a little girl, daughter of the stars. Now, flowers of yesteryear rise from the ashes of Destruction, like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Star goldwork of Fjoralys : In the flames of Fjoralys's destruction, only the stars and a little girl witnessed the massacre. And when life, flowers, and trees resurfaced, the stars cried with joy, washing the earth of all this sadness to put, in its place, colorful joy and flowers... Thousands of them.
Effect :
2 pcs : Increases DoT by 12%. If the wearer deals DoT to an enemy, then the DoT dealt to enemies increases by 26%.
So, let's go to the next part !
3 : ~Set of the Duality of the Rulers~
Starry Yin and fallen Yang of the duality of Rulers : Sealed in this planar sphere are two complementary wills, that of the two rulers of Xianzhou, a brother and a sister. Depending on the inclination of the sphere, we can see different memories appear and disappear, like fleeting winds facing the erosion of time.
Brotherhood of the duality of Rulers : Tears, blood, joy and friendship are condensed in these threads of destiny. It is said that the years erode certain things, but the threads of destiny grow and become denser to the rhythm of the emotions of the two Rulers.
Effect :
2 pcs : Increases Break effect by 12%. Each time that the wearer or an ally deals Super Break DMGS, the wearer gains a stack of "Rule of Flame", up to maximum 4 stack(s). A stack of Rule of Flames increases Break Effect by 20%.
4 : ~Set of the activated planet Rahu~
Floral sea of ​​lotuses of Abundance : Sealed within this planar sphere is the living planet Rahu, eater of Cangcheng and guardian of the lotus scourge. It is said that the living planet blows billions of lotus petals that rip the life force from humans and offer them to the abominations. On this planet lies its heart, the lotus floral sea, where abominations and Emanators bathe in the human suffering.
Bridge of Immortal Hope of Abundance : It is said that every Emanator must pass through the "bridge of immortal hope" if he wants to be in total symbiosis with his body. This bridge was carved from the flesh and blood of Yaoshi, after THEY fought with the Emanator of Lan thousands of years ago, and it now glows a beautiful blood red, and screams the damned who did not know how to listen to their bodies.
Effect :
2 pcs : Increases the CRIT DMGS by 10%. If the HP of the wearer reaches 3000 or more, then their CRIT DMGS increases 20% more. Each 1000 HP more than 3000 HP increase the CRIT Rate by 5%.
5 : ~Set of the Sacred Land of Annihilators~
Sacred Temple of Annihilating Destruction : Sealed within this planar sphere are the ashes of the old and new worlds, in the form of the Temple of Destruction. Everything in this palace has been destroyed by Nanook and THEIR Ravager Lords, and the Antimatter Legion pines and enjoys the suffering extinguished by the devastating breath of Destruction itself.
Petals and sobs of annihilating Destruction : On the planets that the Legion destroys, the Ravager Lords always bring back two things, a person, the sole survivor, and flower petals sticky with blood. The petals then mingle with the sobs of the last living creature, creating pitifully perfect flowers and trees.
Effect :
2 pcs : Increases ATK at 14%. If the HP of the wearer reaches 4000/5000 or more, then the DMGS of their ultimate and their skill increases by 15/25%.
6 : ???
2 pcs : ???
4 pcs : ???
7 : ???
2 pcs : ???
4 pcs : ???
So now, the elevation materials !
The Hunt : Ancient runny cord of the Divine Bow :
A thread who was once part of the Divine Bow of the Aeon of the Hunt, and who was emit after of a battle. It's now a shooting star. Used to level up Traces slightly for Hunt characters.
Purge Echo of the Divine Bow :
An image of the bow that Lan uses, who remain in the space and the time after THEY throw an arrow. Used to level up Traces moderately for Hunt characters.
Full Incarnation of the Divine Bow :
The bow that Lan uses, constitute by imaginary energy and stars, who can destroy space-times and galaxies. Used to level up Traces significantly for Hunt characters.
The Nihility : Fragment of lazy memory :
A glowing fragment of the memory of someone who has been blessed by the Nihility. Used to level up Traces slightly for Nihility characters.
Once nihilistic reminiscence :
The glowing piece of the memory of a past Eclairor of the Nihility. The rare images of the memories are colorless. Used to level up Traces moderately for Nihility characters.
Memory of an Auto-Annihilator :
A red glowing jewel, who contain all the life of an Auto-Annihilator. All the memories are scramble by the black sun. Used to level up Traces slightly for Nihility characters.
The Abundance : Godless tear of the Abundance :
Plague of the Immortal :
Suffering of the thousand recoveries :
The Harmony : (I don't have ideas, sorry T^T)
And for the other paths... You have to wait (Sorry T^T)

Third part :

For the order of apparition of the characters, it would be :
?.0 : Xixian (first phase) 5 star Harmony ; Thunde Yuen (second phase) 5 star Erudition ; Wind, with 4 star character
?.1 : Rakshasa (first phase) 5 star Abundance ; Ice/ Hua (second phase) 5 star Fire ; Destruction, with 4 star character
?.2 : Xingxing (first phase) 5 star Nihility ; Fire/ Rei (second phase) 5 star Hunt ; Imaginary
?.3 : Shuhu (first phase) 5 star Abundance ; Quantum/ Athena (second phase) Harmony ; Wind, with 4 star character
?.4 : Elio (first phase) 5 star Preservation ; Thunder (can change)/ Styx (second phase) 5 star Erudition ; Quantum.
So, who is Xixian ?
Xixian is the Lieutenant of the Shìjiè-Chuán. She's around 60, and she's a long-life specie. She wears a artificial arm, because Rakshasa cut off her arm during the battle of the Shìjiè-Chuán. She trusts the Fallen King and the Stellar Queen, but she's a little overprotective in them.
Xixian is a character of the Harmony who can increase different stats depending on the Path of the character. If it's a Destruction/Hunt/Erudition character, she can increase CRIT DMGS and ATK. If it's a Preservation character, she can increase DEF. If it's a Nihility character, she can increase the Effect Hit Rate and the DoT DMGS. If it's a Abundance character, she can increase the Outgoing Healing Boost. And if it's a Harmony character, she can increase ERR. Her bonus can last for 1 turn. Her ultimate can increase the duration of the bonus of the characters to 2 more turns.
So, who is Yuen ?
Yuen is one of the Ten Lords. Nicknamed as the Erudite, she's the most younger person named in the post of one of the Ten Lords. Despite the fact she's still a child/teenager, she's very wise and intelligent, and she's a very good strategist.
Yuen is a character of the Erudition that inflict wind DMGS. Her technique and her ultimate would change with her talent, Condensation. For example, less enemies are here, more DMGS are inflict : 5-4 enemies in the battlefield : Effect Zone ; 3 enemies in the battlefield : Burst ; 2 - 1 enemies in the battlefield : Unique target. But don't worry, you can choose what type of attack the skill does. Her talent can also increases her CRIT DMGS and ATK.
So, who is Rakshasa ?
Rakshasa is an Emanator of the Abundance, and he was the evil part of Luocha. His body was simply a puppet, but Yaoshi make his body organic... So he would be very flexible. He would fight with needle-gloves.
Rakshasa is a character of the Abundance who can heal... But with a particular way ! So, all the allies have a effect at the beginning of the battle : "Holy Sacrifice", who is his talent. When a character lost HP, the Holy Sacrifice absorbs his loss of HP, until a limit. The skill of Luocha can release the Holy Sacrifice for heals the ally, and makes the effect reborn. Release the Holy Sacrifice can increase the DMGS and the ATK of Rakshasa. Also, his talent take some allies's HP in each turn to increases the Holy Sacrifice. His ultimate, who would be an Burst, can uses the HP of the allies to increase the DMGS and the CRIT DMGS of Rakshasa, and then, he attacks the enemy/enemies. Then, he releases the Holy Sacrifice of all the characters to heal them.
His VA would be the same of Luocha, Craig Lee Thomas.
So, who is Hua ?
Hua is a sort of Marshal of Xianzhou. Even if in public, she appears as the Marshal, she's in reality the future General of the Cangcheng, and she possesses the divine spirit of the boat, the Inferno-Empress. Her nickname is the Fenghuang.
The Inferno-Empress would appears like a gigantic phoenix.
Hua is a character of the Destruction who deals Fire DMGS, but also Super Break Effect. So, the Inferno-Empress would be like the Lightning-Lord, but when shes uses her ultimate, the Inferno-Empress merges with her and she enters in the "Fenghuang" state. When she's in this state, every attack that Hua uses consumes her HP. But, each time that her HP get consumed, her Break Effect increase. The state lasts for 2 turns, and she inflects Super Break Effect. At the end, a sort of a ultimate attack is trigger and all the HP (even the HP that are not here, for example, if her max HP is 10000, but she only has 8000 HP, then her HP are going to be in -2000) are consumed and the Break Effect is increase in a certain value for each 500 HP that are consume, and she inflicts DMGS and Super Break Effect for the enemies who are in Weakness Break. She cans heal herself with the DMGS that she has done, but the heal cannot exceed 75% of her HP ! The Inferno-Empress deals Fire DMGS, and Super Break Effect to the enemies who are in Weakness Break.
So, who is Xingxing ?
Xingxing is one of the two Marshals of Xianzhou, the Stellar Queen, an Emanator of the Erudition, an Eclairor of the Nihility and one of the Ten Lords. She's the possessor of the Stellar Marks, a gift of the Erudition who can permits to create micro-stars and stellar flames to fight. With the power of the Nihility, she create black holes also for fight.
She's 17 years old, and she would uses the same model as for March !
Xingxing is a character of the Nihility who deals Fire DMGS. She cans add more DoT on enemies who already have DoT with her special DoT : Starburn, who can also inflects Burn. Starburn is inflect to the enemies with her skill and her ultimate. She can also reach multiple enemies because she does effect zone attacks. Her talent can increases the DoT DMGS she does to the enemies depending on their HP.
Her VA would be Judy Alice Lee (VA of Melinoë).
So, who is Rei ?
Rei is one of the two Marshals of Xianzhou, the Carrier of the Yamato-Shinigami, the unique Emanator of the Hunt, the chief of the Galaxy Rangers and one of the Ten Lords. Anyway, he's a very important person of the Xianzhou Alliance. He's from a forgotten planet, who has been destroyed by the Abundance. Rescued by the past Marshal, Lingyue when he was six years old, he quickly became one of the greatest fighter of the Alliance at his teenage years.
He is 19 years old, and he is around 1m96/~6,43 feet. (so I think he's one of the most tall character.). He's VERY muscular, and very handsome (according to me)
Rei is a Hunt character (an Emanator of this path) who deals Imaginary DMGS. His gameplay would be concentrate in the CRIT DMGS. Depending on the attacks, it's giving to him "Fallen Royalty" accumulations. When he has a certain number of this accumulation, he entering in the "Fallen King" state, who increased his CRIT rate and his CRIT DMGS and reinforce his skill and his ultimate. For his ultimate, it increases his CRIT rate and his CRIT DMGS, and he gives 9 slashes to the enemy. When he's in the "Fallen King" state, it's would increase his CRIT rate and CRIT DMGS, also gives XIII (4, 4, and 5) slashes to an enemy. For each slash that are a CRIT hit, an additional slash is inflect. Each additional slash increases the Rei's CRIT DMGS, and they do a CRIT vulnerability. If all the all the additional slashes has been concluded, then a last additional slash is inflect. When he does CRIT DMGS when he uses his ultimate in the "Fallen King" state, it's does another hit in the enemy.
Here is his description :
"One of the two Marshals of the Xianzhou Alliance, the Carrier of the Yamato, the Emanator of Lan and the Fallen King. Feared by his enemies, respected by his allies. He always wears a fickle smile, and he always brings death with him.
Lan, the Reignbow Arbiter entrust the Yamato to Rei, the greatest weapon of all the Alliance. As a great strategist, he's also a good brother. He knows all the Stellaron Hunters, and he's apparently in a relation with the Stellaron Hunter named Blade..."
His VA would be Kaiji Tang (the VA of Gojo).
So, who is Shuhu ?
Shuhu is an Emanator of Yaoshi, considered as the "daughter of the Abundance". She's always with a scythe made with the body of Yaoshi and with the bones of her victims. She has a very sense of the sadism and she hates the humanity for all they have done to her.
Shuhu is a character of the Abundance who deals Quantum DMGS. She has three skills : One where she consumes the HP of the allies for increase DMGS and CRIT DMGS, and she attacks the enemies. An other where she consumes her HP for increase DMGS and CRIT DMGS, and where she attacks the enemies. And the last where she attacks the enemies for steal the HP of the enemies for heals her and the allies. In her ultimate, she consumes her HP and the allies's HP for increase her DMGS, her CRIT DMGS and her CRIT rate, and she attacks the enemies for steal the enemies's HP and heals the allies.
So, who is Athena ?
Athena is one of the Ten Lords, nicknamed as the Protector. She's always with a owl named Zhìhuì (nb : wisdom in Chinese (智慧)), and is a real master of the strategy and the war inventions, but she's also one of the more oldest members of the Ten Lords.
Athena is a character of the Harmony who can increase the DMGS and the ATK of the allies with her skill. Her talent can increase all the allies's RES PEN and their SPD. Her ultimate can increase all the allies's CRIT DMGS for 2 turns, for a chosen ally, she cans place her owl for 2 turns, who inflict additional DMGS on the enemy/enemies who the ally attacks. Also, if the ally get attack, the owl defend them with a counterattack.
So, who is Elio ?
Elio is the chef of the Stellaron Hunters (and if you don't know that, you must haven't touch HSR). I imagine him as a cat (practically not imagine, because it's quite official, but not official, so you know), but he uses his puppet... I doesn't draw him because I know that his design already be... You know what. I imagine him very kind and mysterious.
Elio is a character of the Preservation who can predict the DMGS of the allies. His skill would be a shield. For his ultimate, it's would add a status for all the allies and him : "Forecast of the Script". This effect would last one turn, and would cancel all the DMGS the allies receive.
So, who is Styx ?
AH-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA ! You have to wait !

Fourth part :

The history would be in the Shìjiè-Chuán, and here is the principal plot :
First quest : " You and the Astral Express receive a mysterious call of Jing Yuan, who telling you that he have something important to said to you. The thing in question is that is a feast for the "saviors of the Luofu" (the Nameless) in the... Shìjiè-Chuán ?! Not time for chatting, Jing Yuan gives you the localisation of the mysterious ship, and the Astral Express start his new journey... "
Second quest : " After a few warp jumps, you finally reach the Shìjiè-Chuán, capital of the Xianzhou Alliance. After meet all of the Generals and the Lieutenant Xixian, it's finally the time for you to meet the Ten Lords, including the Fallen King and the Stellar Queen, real Marshals of the Alliance... "
Other quests...? You have to play~
The quest would be a quest long as Penacony... Maybe a little more... And there would be all the Nameless... Yes, Pom-Pom in the quest and he would use his powers ! If he has powers.
In the final boss of the Shìjiè-Chuán, the music would be like, if it's possible, of the song "Bad Apple". In the battle, the people singing for encouraging the ones who are fighting the final boss.
In the 1st phase, it's would be only the divine spirits who singing.
In the 2nd phase, it's would be all the soldiers and the divines spirits who singing.
In the 3rd and the final phase, it's would be all Xianzhou Alliance (yes, Lan included too !) who singing.
The "R" attack ( like the Dan Heng attack during the Phantylia fight ) would be all the divine spirits and the two Marshals conferring their power to the Trailblazer, and then, he/she slashes the boss.
So, it's the end of the post... If you have questions for clarify something, you can in comments, and I would be respond with pleasure !
Bye byeeeeee !

Let’s review some facts: 1. Maine fell off a cliff into icy, freezing water in “N+1” 2. Maine had punctures in his suit from Tucker’s sword in that same episode. 3. Charon industries showed up on the scene immediately to cleanup/coverup the scene. The Chairman is directly referred to multiple times in relation to the operation. 4.The Counselor states in “Counseling” that Maine drowned because of those punctures. But the Counselor was not there. The Chairman had most direct knowledge and no reason to be entirely truthful with the Counselor, who likely had been arrested by this point. 5. The Chairman recovered everything from the site, including Maine’s armor, so we can infer Maine’s body was recovered. 6. Epsilon told Carolina he found evidence that Charon industries had “messed around with cryogenics” in “You Know Who You Are”. There was a Freelancer mission to steal the engineer at a Charon cryo facility, but Carolina was there, so Epsilon didn’t really need to tell her that. There is no reason at all that I can find that this line is included. Narratively, it does not make sense to include. Unless it was meant as a reminder for a potential future plot point.
My conclusion: Maine indeed did drown when his suit, body, and lungs were quickly filled with freezing water, effectively cryogenically freezing him in his suit, which would have also gone into armor lock, which has been known to preserve the life of the critically wounded soldier wearing the armor. Charon swiftly arrived on the scene and recovered his body, placing him in one of their cryogenic chambers to preserve him further. The suit was eventually removed from him and analyzed, upgraded etc, later to be used by Tucker and Epsilon. Maine himself was kept in cryogenic stasis at a Charon facility, for possible future use as a mercenary, as this is Maine we are talking about. Later, the Chairman alludes to a threat towards Locus and Felix that if they fail their mission in season 13, he would send someone else to kill them using Maine’s upgraded armor. Who else but a Freelancer would be worthy and able to use the suit and face off against Locus and Felix? My conclusion is that he was referring to either Maine or Georgia, and Maine is on ice, not totally dead.
Side note though: if the upgraded Meta suit needed epsilon to run its enhancements in the season 13 finale, how could Hargrove threaten to give it to someone and have them kill Locus and Felix? Unless that person had an AI.

Since the national media is not going to tell you the story of these Pacers, I will.
First, I watched every Pacers game this year. And the Celtics were the ONLY team the Pacers played that made me feel like the Pacers were overmatched. And the Pacers still won 2 out of 3 of these games.
Things to know about the Pacers

1. They are a young team with almost no playoff experience.
   
2. They have a historically elite offense.
   
3. They have an average defense.
   
4. They played the best teams in the league as well as anyone else this year.
   
5. They played worst teams in the league as bad as anyone else this year.
   
6. The Pacers do not play like other teams!
   
7. They made several trades mid-season. Since then, they have played like one of the best teams in the league.
   
8. The pacers are deep.
   
9. The Pacers coaching is elite: They were one of the best teams in the league after a loss. And one of the best third quarter teams.
   

Conclusion: This is a young team with elite offensive talent and elite coaching that PLAYS TO THE LEVEL OF THE COMPETITION.
A. They play great against great teams.
Here's the Pacers regular season record the against East playoff teams.
Celtics 2-3
Knicks 2-1
Bucks 4-1
Sixers 2-1
Cavs 2-2
Heat 2-1
Magic 1-2
If you looked at this, you might be less surprised to see the Pacers in the conference finals.
The Pacers won 47 games this year, but here's their record against the worst teams in the league:
B. They played awful against bad teams
2-2 vs Hornets
2-1 vs Wizards
4-0 vs Pistons
0-2 vs Blazers
2-2 vs Raptors
1-2 vs Grizzlies
1-1 vs Jazz
1-1 vs Spurs
13-11. That's 11 losses to the four worst teams in each conference.
This is a young team that wasn't consistent against the worst teams, but always played the good teams well.
They win three or four of those 11 and they are the 2 seed in the East.
C.
In the middle of the season the Pacers traded for Pascal. After the all-star break Haliburton was off his minutes restriction. Since that point:
Net Rating Post All-Star Break:
Boston: 14.6
Denver: 9.8
OKC: 7.2
Indiana: 6.3
Knicks: 5.3
That's the two title favorites and the number one seed in the West and then the Pacers.
Post the all-star break:
Boston wins: 21
Knick and Magic wins: 17
Pacers and Heat wins: 16
Since the All star break:
The Pacers were the 2nd best offense in the league (and in history). An elite elite offense.
And they were the 18th best defense. An average defense.
But as someone who was watching all the games, i can tell you that the Pacers were getting better at defense every week. But the end of the season they were regularly playing like the 10-12th best defense in the league. Though as a young team, again, they would take games off which would blow up their net rating.
OFFENSE:
This team has the second best offense in league history.
They do it with elite distribution.
TEAM ASSISTS
Pacers: 30.8
Spurs: 29.9
Nuggets: 29.5
Warriors: 29.3
Now look at the playoffs:
Pacers 31 (!)
Nuggets: 24.9
Lakers: 24.4
You will here national media give lazy takes like "Haliburton needs to score more" or "Pascal needs to show up." Or whatever. The Pacers problem has never been their offense. Maybe that changes in the next round, but the Pacers will probably win the game if the can defend and rebound at an above average level.
Playoff offense rating:
Pacers 121.7
Celtics: 118.8
Knicks: 118.1
"The Pacers are attempting 31.0 wide open shots per game in the playoffs.
The gap between IND and the 2nd most wide-open FGA/g among remaining teams (OKC—21.6) is greater than the gap between 2nd & last (BOS—14.4)
Pacers offense generating an OUTRAGEOUS amount of wide open looks"
This is a historically good offense and it's built on getting open looks for everybody, starters and bench.
I don't have the stats, but the Pacers winning formula is 6 or more guys in double figures.
A lot of people's skepticism about the Pacers was that this was NOT GOOD PLAYOFF BASKETBALL.
So far that has not been true.
YOUTH:
The Pacers have the 7th youngest team in the league.
Their playoff rotation so far:
1 rookie
1 second year player
1 third year player
3 fourth year players
Other than Pascal the team has no recognizable playoff experience.
This is the biggest reason to be skeptical of them in:
THE PLAYOFFS
Other than experience the above suggests the Pacers being the second best team in the East is not shocking.
ROUND 1
Game 1 on the road vs Bucks. Dame Lillard goes off, The Pacers looks terrified. They get crushed.
The Pacers proceed to win 4 out of the next 5, 3 by double digits and they were up 20 in the 4th game and won in OT.
The one loss was on the road up 3-1. A classic let down game for a young team with no playoff experience.
ROUND 2
Game 1: They have clearly learned from the first round. The play this game to a draw and the refs decide to lean on it for the Knicks.
Game 2: A weird game where Jalen Brunson goes out with an injury and then comes back and then OG goes out with an injury.
Obviously this is a challenge for the Knicks, but most people don't understand how hard this is for a young team on the road. The game plan goes out the window, and then comes back in, and then goes out again. You could see the lack of experience showing.
UP TO THIS POINT, the Pacers were very good at between game adjustments n the playoffs, but not great at within game adjustments.
NOTES ON GAMES 1 and 2: National media, Simmons and Russillo, The Hoop Collective, go on and on about how obvious it is to put Nesmith on Brunson and take Nembhard off. They are unaware that Nesmith was even worse on Brunson than Nembhard in the regular season AND got in huge foul trouble on top of that.
The Pacers defensive adjustments on Brunson was much more than switching the primary defender. They did a lot more hedging, spontaneous doubling, icing, sitting on Brunson's left etc...
Aggressive doubling of Brunson never worked great because 1) The Pacers are not a great offensive team in rotation and 2) Staying home on your man was the only way the Pacers could keep the Knicks off the offensive glass.
Let Brunson get his points, just make it as hard as possible, was an intentional strategy by the Pacers and it was the right one.
The pacers proceeded (again) to win 4 of the next 5 against the Knicks. Again, three of them by double digits and one won on a last second game winner. This time Nembhard.
Once again, the Pacers had one bad game where they let up on the road and got destroyed in game 5.
Of course OG being out made this all easier for the Pacers, but you could see the Pacers making adjustments game by game.
NOTES on GAME 6: This may turn out to be the most important game of the series for next round. This is the first game where the Pacers made consistent aggressive in game adjustments that worked. The Pacers are growing up before our eyes.
GAME 7: Young Pacers team shows not an ounce of nerves (except Obi Toppin) in obliterating the league record for FG% in a playoff game. And they do it on the road in a game 7 in MSG.
SPEAKING OF INJURIES:
The Pacers have gotten better and better throughout the season, this is despite Tyrese Haliburton being injured since the all-star break. He has not looked like himself most of the second half of the season.
He was listed as questionable with Back Spasms the last three games of the Bucks series and the first game of the Knicks series.
WHAT DOES THIS PACER TEAM LOOK LIKE WITH EARLY SEASON HALIBURTON?
Game 7 might have been a hint.
THE CELTICS:
With about a month to go in the regular season, I made a bet that the Pacers would make the ECF. Not because I was sure they would, but because it was pretty clear they had as a good a shot as anyone that wasn't the Celtics. And they were getting better game by game.
As I said, the Celtics are better than the Pacers and they were the only team East or West that made me think the Pacers have a way to go. But the Celtics did that to a lot of teams.
But the second half of the season Pacers are 1) won at a 50 game pace with an injured Hali and still losing games to bottom feeders they shouldn't lose to 2) Played elite offense with acceptable defense: this the root the Nuggets took last year to win a ring and the Lebron cavs took in the weak east of the past.
Obviously the Pacers do not (yet) have an MVP level player, this will be closer than people think.
The pacers are unbeaten at home in the playoffs. The Pacers get a lot of open shots. They hit them when they are home.
Game 7, they hit them on the road. What will see against the Celtics?
The two games the Pacers won against the Celtics were due to Celtics failing at late game execution. This is widely thought to be the Celtics weak point.
And this is their only hope against the Celtics.
How would the Pacers beat the Celtics if they do? A FAN FANTASY
Game 1: Celtics not ready for the intensity the Pacers have coming off game 7 win and get stunned. Pacers bench is plus 22
Game 2: Celtics win easy. Hit 21 threes. SERIES 1-1
Game 3 and 4: Pacers shoot lights out in both games and win one blowout and one close one. PACERS 3-1
Game 5: Celtics finally turn up the defense out of desperation. Pacers overwhelmed. Get crushed. TJ McConnel is too small. The bench falls apart. Haliburton is beat up. Have the Celtics found the formula?
Game 6: Celtics talent starting to win out. They've figured out they have to turn the Pacers over and have to hammer Hali on the defensive end. They win a close one on the road.
Game 7: Everyone thinks this series is over (again), but game 7s are messy and the Pacers get a Hali game (8-11 from three) and keep it close to the very end. Tie game: Tatum misses a fall away three to win. seven seconds left. Hali looks to make a last second shot, but tosses an alley-oop to Turner for the win.
(-:

Previous
Writer's Note: Meant to post this last week, but work got busy. Probably gonna be another chapter later this week.
As for the story, well, even old dudes have back stories.
Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joey did what he could to stay as calm as he could as he and Nesvee walked through the streets of the city.
For the first time since coming to this world he actually LOOKED like a mage. Well... minus a few fun dressup sessions when James had taken him shopping for clothes. He couldn't help but try on some robes and things at the time. But both James and the tailors had assured him that most mages didn't actually dress like that. Most dressed like either craftsmen, like Miss Veliry, or else simply dressed like nobles since their endeavors usually earned them good pay. Ekron fell into the latter group.
But Joey looked more like a D&D version of a mage or wizard.
Maybe a blade singer or something? He mused as his thoughts lingered on the rapier in his belt.
The outfit wasn't bad. He wore a long cloak of dark blue, with bits of dark green and light blue embroidery. It had a built in veil that went over his face. The whole thing was enchanted to conceal his magical nature even more intensely than the neck and wrist restraints had, and he was wearing those too. The veil and hood were both enchanted to conceal his antlers and obscure his face.
He looked like a technicolor wraith of some kind.
Even Nesvee had been unnerved by his appearance when he'd left his room wearing it.
That discomfort had quickly been dispelled when they'd gone more than twenty minutes without anyone giving him more than a passing glance.
"So the old man has a list of stuff he needs and where to get them." Nesvee said as she looked at the little notebook he'd given her. "As well as one person to seek out for a bit of assistance?" She said, questioning the last bit.
He looked at her curiously, forgetting that she couldn't see his face behind the veil.
"Some... Garthan... person." She said as she looked at the notes. "At a place called the... um... Tinnetha's Rest.... Says it's east of the lab by about six miles. Near the bar district." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"What else?" Joey asked, eager to simply get the day's tasks over with.
"Mostly just bits and pieces here and there." She replied. "Things he thinks will help with figuring out how to help you."
Joey nodded, making sure to exaggerate it a bit as he did so she would notice, then the two of them set off into the city.
Now that he had managed to calm down, and also wasn't being given any more attention than the occasional passing glance, Joey was able to take in the city of Ospiele with a more critical eye.
Initially he'd thought the city was in shambles. Their journey through the city over the course of the day did nothing to dispel that fact. But he did begin to notice things that gave him reason to think that there was a method to the madness.
For starters the sector of the city that they'd entered, and where Ekron's lab/home were located, seemed to be the only area devoted to dedicated mage laboratories. These buildings ranged from druidic (he assumed) forest groves that frequently spilled into their neighbors' lots, to almost Earth-like office-looking buildings. They also seemed to have been color coded based on their owner's magical proclivities. More than a few times magical outbursts would occur, causing passersby to rush out of the way of anything happening. For red buildings this was usually bursts of flame. For blue buildings it was usually sprays of water or ice. And for one incredibly dirty brown building the outburst actually took the form of half of the building rising several feet unexpectedly, breaking away from the other half with quite a bit of damage. The hastily nailed down boards and tiles spoke to this being a common occurrence.
One building had Cobalt Legion guards stationed outside of it, and people walking past made a point of walking in the street instead of walking on the path in front of it.
That building had been painted black, with subtle bits of red and green in some places.
At his questioning Nesvee explained that she'd noticed the same trend, and that upon questioning it Ekron had explained it was intentional. The Lord of the city, whom they'd met the day before, had required that the labs have their owner's specialties and focuses be easily identified by the city guard. This was so that they could know how to respond, and who to blame, if something went wrong that they needed to respond to.
This made the quiet grey and white coloration of Ekron's lab curious to Joey. He wondered if it was because the elder mage primarily focused on enchanting, and as such worked with more than one magic style.
When they got roughly three miles from the lab they encountered a check point of sorts. The guards there, more of the so-called Cobalt Legion, asked a few questions. Nesvee showed them a letter that explained they worked for Ekron and were simply going for supplies. Then they were allowed through.
On the other side of the check point the city almost looked normal. In fact if it weren't for the difference in architecture, which favored stone construction over lumber, Joey could've been convinced he was back in the Petravian capital.
Well, the architecture and the overabundance of magic users and enchanted items being used in every building they passed. Even in his current magical condition Joey could sense the overwhelming flow of magic. And almost everything that was being used seemed more advanced than in Petravus.
They passed a bakery where the goods were placed on a tray that was then placed on a conveyor belt. The belt then passed them between too sheets of metal that would slowly grow brighter and brighter red until the pastries and breads emerged from the other side. At that point the pan they were on would glow blue while vibrating noisily, cooling itself and also un-sticking the the foods cooked onto it before they could solidify. Then the tray would fall off the conveyor belt and slide into a display case where an employee was ready to take orders.
Don't remember anything that fancy even in the King's castle. Joey thought as they moved past.
"Hungry?" Nesvee asked. "Just wait until you see the shops up ahead." She added. "There's this place selling these new sandwiches from your neck of the woods in Petravus. They called them Hand Bulgers. The dwarf running it has a machine that mixes the meat and then another that shapes it into disks before he throws them on a grill."
"You mean hamburgers?" Joey asked, surprised to even hear of burgers this far from Petravus. Though he knew that the restaurant James had introduced them too in the capital had become insanely popular.
Nesvee shook her head. "No they're definitely hand bulgers."
She couldn't see it but Joey's face scrunched at that.
"Round shaped meat disk between round bread buns?" He asked. "Veggies and cheese and stuff in it too?" She nodded. "That's definitely a cheeseburger." He corrected her.
"Noooot according to the guy running the place." She countered.
"Well he's wrong." Joey assured her. "I would know. I'm FROM Petravus where they came from."
"Well you can tell him that yourself if you're willing to wait an hour to get through the line." She replied.
"I... think I'll pass." He said, still annoyed.
They passed a tavern, at which a few of the Cobalt Legion were resting. They had their helmets off and were enjoying beers and wine, along with something that looked suspiciously like bowls of ramen, or maybe udon.
Can't give James credit for THAT recipe.
He was surprised to learn that the people underneath the helmets looked both incredibly young, AND incredibly aged.
If he had to guess, he would've estimated the oldest of them as being no more than twenty five or so. And yet their eyes had bags under them, and haunted looks IN them. The men bore dark beard shadows and ALL of them had their hair cut incredibly short, including the few women.
In short, they reminded him of how a bunch of James's soldier friends looked when he'd met them a few times. Young, yet prematurely old.
He couldn't imagine what being both a soldieguard AND an anti-mage specialist in a city full of mages did to a person. But the faces he saw as they passed the tavern spoke to the weariness that duty put them through.
One of the guards looked at him curiously as he saw Joey's veiled and hooded head studying them. The guard was reaching for their helmet when the tavern server arrived and put a new round of drinks on their table.
Joey quickly looked away.
"I think that's the first stop." Nesvee said as she nudged his shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts. She was pointing at a sign with a drawing of some gemstones and a monocle on it. She held up the notepad and looked at it again. "Yeah. There's a few crystal types on here." She confirmed. "Plus a few things that I think MIGHT... be crystals. I don't know what Mordian ice is. But I figure that jeweler should know."
Joey nodded and followed her. Though he was fairly certain that Mordian Ice was a type of liquid. He wasn't 100% certain, but he thought he'd seen a jar with that name on it in Veliry's lab in Petravus.
And just like that, the two of them were shopping in earnest.
They didn't notice a somewhat pudgy looking man walking about twenty yards behind them. He occasionally stopped to inspect something from the shops they passed, and even bought a cheese filled pastry from the bakery Joey had noticed.
But he always kept the two shoppers in his sight, even if only out of the corner of his eye.
Ekron waved his hand, causing his front door to swing open smoothly and silently.
"Good afternoon Ravyn." He said as he poured a cup of tea and set it in front of the chair to his left. "Timely as always."
The large half orc woman walked in calmly as he put two scoops of sugar in the tea for her. Just like she preferred.
"I still need the enchantment that keeps your door from slamming when it does that." She said as she presented her hand to him. He kissed it lightly, as he always did when he saw his old coworker. She looekd back and smiled as the door also closed itself just as silently. "Mine always makes such a racket." She said as she sat in the indicated chair and sipped the tea. "Mmmmm. Still remember my preference eh?" She asked as she swept her silver hair back over her shoulder and behind her ear.
"Vatrian crimson. Two scoops." He said as she made herself comfortable. "How have you been dear?" He asked.
"Quite well." She replied. "Pan gave birth to my third grand daughter last month."
Ekron smiled curtly. "Congratulations." He said. "I remember her when she was still just a toddler on your hip."
"Those were the days weren't they." She said with a raise of her glass and a similar smile. "Now tell me. What are these rumors I hear of you walking in the company of a messenger?" She asked. "I assume that IS... why you requested me to come here."
Ekron nodded. "It is." He admitted. "Though they AREN'T a messenger."
Her eyebrow rose, and she was about to ask how he knew that. But she was interrupted.
BANG!
The front door slammed open, causing Ekron to chew on his upper lip in annoyance.
"Ekkie!!!"Morris Kestin exclaimed as he swaggered into the building with his arms up as if he was some kind of performer walking on stage. Then he made a point of looking around in an exaggerated manner. "Where's our little messenger friend?"
Ekron did NOT pour a cup of tea for his former teammate.
"I've told you SO many times now, NOT to call me that." Ekron said. "And by the gods, its a door not your ass in a bar where you owe money. There's no need to kick it that hard." He said as he waved it shut again.
"And apparently he ISN'T a messenger." Ravyn said slyly. "Good afternoon Morris."
"Ravyn dear." Kestin said as he gestured for her to hug him. She stood briefly and obliged him. Unlike Ekron she'd never had an issue with Kestin's overly friendly nature. "You let him drag you into this too?"
"The whole city is on edge with news of a messenger." She replied as she settled again. "You know full well why I can't just stay away from something like that. Especially when our friend here is right at the middle of it."
Kestin waggled a finger at her. "In your tea again?" He asked as he plopped down in the chair on the opposite side of the table they were sat at.
Ekron cringed as Ravyn's face soured. To the extent that she ever let it.
She held her cup of tea up as she rolled with the joke, which had been made at her expense.
"Not for a few more sips." She said. It was no secret that soothsayers like her had been struggling for the past decade or so as contact with the gods had faded out, and then essentially dropped off entirely.
"So." Kestin said as he reached across the table and helped himself to the tea. "Is HE... coming? I mean. You called me and Ravyn. Belga is... well... not here anymore. HE's the only one left yeah?"
Ekron nodded uncomfortably.
"He's about to knock on my door as we speak." Ekron said before taking a long sip of his own tea.
^{"No I'm not."} A muted voice said from outside. ^{"Just open the damned thing."}
Ekron took a deep breath. Then waved his hand.
When he did, the Commander of the Cobalt Legion stepped into his home and stood awkwardly in the doorway to the meeting/dining room they were seated at. Like the others from before, his armor sparked and flared as it interacted with the magic of the building.
Even under the dark blue helmet it was obvious that they were staring at Ekron. And he stared right back.
Then after an uncomfortably long silence, the armored knight removed his helmet.
Ekron's clean-shaven doppelganger stared back at him as he beheld the face of his twin brother for the first time in over a decade.
"Good evening Lady Hardfate." He said, breaking the silence as he showed deference to one of the most powerful fortune tellers in the land. Then he rolled his eyes as he looked at Kestin. "Kestin." He said simply.
"Good afternoon Commander." Ravyn said with a soft smile.
The Commander of the Cobalt Legion didn't take the chair so clearly intended for him, opting to stand instead.
"If this is about your NOT-messenger test subject you could have saved me a trip little brother." The knight said with obvious annoyance. "I likely know more about him than you do at this point."
"Oooh." Kestin said, drawing a look of even more annoyance. "Sounds like Lord Tobin has his spies looking into him."
"That's Lord Mattis to you." The commander corrected.
Ekron rubbed at the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
"He's a reincarnation... or... or a regeneration of some kind." He cut in.
The rest of them froze mid conversation to look at him in surprise.
"I suspect that whatever happened five and a half years ago in Petravus. Between the Hero and the vanishing blight." He continued. "I believe that whatever occurred... he died as a result. And now, by the grace of the gods, he's back."
"Impossible." Ravyn replied, surprising him. He'd expected that kind of reaction from his brother or Kestin, not her. "The gods are gone."
At that Kestin DID react.
"They're what?" The vagabond swordsman/mage asked.
She waved him away dismissively.
Ekron watched his brother's face intensely.
More specifically he watched how little that information surprised the stalwart man.
The two of them stared at each other as Ravyn and Kestin began to argue lightly with one another.
"Vann?" Ekron asked of his elder sibling. "I'm trying to help him. And prevent him from accidentally causing an international incident. Or a crisis of the faiths."
The other two silenced as they heard the quiet request.
"I've asked you three here to help me with that." Ekron continued. "Please tell me what you know."
Vann considered the not of pleading in his brother's voice as he looked at the others.
These were his closest friends. Or had been once upon a time. The remnants of their old dueling team, which had also doubled as an adventurer's party before he'd been accepted into the legion and started rising through the ranks.
He gritted his teeth a bit. He'd already been given explicit instructions by Lord Mattis.
"I can't tell you much." He said as he finally sat down. "But the Lord's people have come to... similar... conclusions." He admitted. "They're attempting to confirm that as we speak."
Ekron nodded, knowing that that was all he was getting.
"I need..." He said as he leaned forward in his seat. "I believe I'll need your help protecting him until we can figure out the truth about him. And whether or not his return is a good or bad sign from the gods."
Kestin pursed his lips. "You mean you're not dissecting him?" He asked. Ekron looked at him with annoyance. But that didn't make him feel as judged as Ravyn's expression did. "Fine." He said with his hands raised in mock surrender. "But you can tell your little bodyguard our deal's off."
Then they all turned as Vann spoke again.
"You know why I can't make that promise." He said simply. "If he IS who we suspect he is. Than he's a matter of National importance. And if it turns out that he IS... some kind of messenger or something. Then it becomes a religious matter." He tapped his finger on his helmet where it rested in front of him. "I have my duty Ek."
"And all I'm asking is that, until that duty requires otherwise, you and yours help protect him." Ekron countered.
Vann considered the request. But Ravyn spoke first.
"Why are you so invested in this one?" She asked.
"Because." Ekron replied, pointing at Kestin. "It's funny you mentioned Belga earlier." He said, causing all of them to look at him curiously. "He reminds me of her." He rolled his eyes as they all suddenly became uncomfortable. "Oh not like THAT." He reprimanded them. "But his mannerisms. His... I don't know. His temperament. I think that if she were still alive they would be kindred souls."
Vann looked down and away. They all knew the drama that had occurred between the two brothers on THAT matter. Hell, it was part of why he'd joined the legion.
Ravyn placed a hand on his arm before turning back to Ekron.
"If you think he's worth protecting." She said softly. "Then I'll help." She nodded a bit. "Besides, if the gods are affecting the world again then I need to know."
"If Ravyn's in, and if I can save some gold," Kestin weighed in. "then I'm in."
Ekron looked at his brother expectantly.
But Vann's face was as stern and unchanging as ever.

Previous / First
Writer's Note: Meant to post this last week, but work got busy. Probably gonna be another chapter later this week.
As for the story, well, even old dudes have back stories.
Enjoy.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joey did what he could to stay as calm as he could as he and Nesvee walked through the streets of the city.
For the first time since coming to this world he actually LOOKED like a mage. Well... minus a few fun dressup sessions when James had taken him shopping for clothes. He couldn't help but try on some robes and things at the time. But both James and the tailors had assured him that most mages didn't actually dress like that. Most dressed like either craftsmen, like Miss Veliry, or else simply dressed like nobles since their endeavors usually earned them good pay. Ekron fell into the latter group.
But Joey looked more like a D&D version of a mage or wizard.
Maybe a blade singer or something? He mused as his thoughts lingered on the rapier in his belt.
The outfit wasn't bad. He wore a long cloak of dark blue, with bits of dark green and light blue embroidery. It had a built in veil that went over his face. The whole thing was enchanted to conceal his magical nature even more intensely than the neck and wrist restraints had, and he was wearing those too. The veil and hood were both enchanted to conceal his antlers and obscure his face.
He looked like a technicolor wraith of some kind.
Even Nesvee had been unnerved by his appearance when he'd left his room wearing it.
That discomfort had quickly been dispelled when they'd gone more than twenty minutes without anyone giving him more than a passing glance.
"So the old man has a list of stuff he needs and where to get them." Nesvee said as she looked at the little notebook he'd given her. "As well as one person to seek out for a bit of assistance?" She said, questioning the last bit.
He looked at her curiously, forgetting that she couldn't see his face behind the veil.
"Some... Garthan... person." She said as she looked at the notes. "At a place called the... um... Tinnetha's Rest.... Says it's east of the lab by about six miles. Near the bar district." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"What else?" Joey asked, eager to simply get the day's tasks over with.
"Mostly just bits and pieces here and there." She replied. "Things he thinks will help with figuring out how to help you."
Joey nodded, making sure to exaggerate it a bit as he did so she would notice, then the two of them set off into the city.
Now that he had managed to calm down, and also wasn't being given any more attention than the occasional passing glance, Joey was able to take in the city of Ospiele with a more critical eye.
Initially he'd thought the city was in shambles. Their journey through the city over the course of the day did nothing to dispel that fact. But he did begin to notice things that gave him reason to think that there was a method to the madness.
For starters the sector of the city that they'd entered, and where Ekron's lab/home were located, seemed to be the only area devoted to dedicated mage laboratories. These buildings ranged from druidic (he assumed) forest groves that frequently spilled into their neighbors' lots, to almost Earth-like office-looking buildings. They also seemed to have been color coded based on their owner's magical proclivities. More than a few times magical outbursts would occur, causing passersby to rush out of the way of anything happening. For red buildings this was usually bursts of flame. For blue buildings it was usually sprays of water or ice. And for one incredibly dirty brown building the outburst actually took the form of half of the building rising several feet unexpectedly, breaking away from the other half with quite a bit of damage. The hastily nailed down boards and tiles spoke to this being a common occurrence.
One building had Cobalt Legion guards stationed outside of it, and people walking past made a point of walking in the street instead of walking on the path in front of it.
That building had been painted black, with subtle bits of red and green in some places.
At his questioning Nesvee explained that she'd noticed the same trend, and that upon questioning it Ekron had explained it was intentional. The Lord of the city, whom they'd met the day before, had required that the labs have their owner's specialties and focuses be easily identified by the city guard. This was so that they could know how to respond, and who to blame, if something went wrong that they needed to respond to.
This made the quiet grey and white coloration of Ekron's lab curious to Joey. He wondered if it was because the elder mage primarily focused on enchanting, and as such worked with more than one magic style.
When they got roughly three miles from the lab they encountered a check point of sorts. The guards there, more of the so-called Cobalt Legion, asked a few questions. Nesvee showed them a letter that explained they worked for Ekron and were simply going for supplies. Then they were allowed through.
On the other side of the check point the city almost looked normal. In fact if it weren't for the difference in architecture, which favored stone construction over lumber, Joey could've been convinced he was back in the Petravian capital.
Well, the architecture and the overabundance of magic users and enchanted items being used in every building they passed. Even in his current magical condition Joey could sense the overwhelming flow of magic. And almost everything that was being used seemed more advanced than in Petravus.
They passed a bakery where the goods were placed on a tray that was then placed on a conveyor belt. The belt then passed them between too sheets of metal that would slowly grow brighter and brighter red until the pastries and breads emerged from the other side. At that point the pan they were on would glow blue while vibrating noisily, cooling itself and also un-sticking the the foods cooked onto it before they could solidify. Then the tray would fall off the conveyor belt and slide into a display case where an employee was ready to take orders.
Don't remember anything that fancy even in the King's castle. Joey thought as they moved past.
"Hungry?" Nesvee asked. "Just wait until you see the shops up ahead." She added. "There's this place selling these new sandwiches from your neck of the woods in Petravus. They called them Hand Bulgers. The dwarf running it has a machine that mixes the meat and then another that shapes it into disks before he throws them on a grill."
"You mean hamburgers?" Joey asked, surprised to even hear of burgers this far from Petravus. Though he knew that the restaurant James had introduced them too in the capital had become insanely popular.
Nesvee shook her head. "No they're definitely hand bulgers."
She couldn't see it but Joey's face scrunched at that.
"Round shaped meat disk between round bread buns?" He asked. "Veggies and cheese and stuff in it too?" She nodded. "That's definitely a cheeseburger." He corrected her.
"Noooot according to the guy running the place." She countered.
"Well he's wrong." Joey assured her. "I would know. I'm FROM Petravus where they came from."
"Well you can tell him that yourself if you're willing to wait an hour to get through the line." She replied.
"I... think I'll pass." He said, still annoyed.
They passed a tavern, at which a few of the Cobalt Legion were resting. They had their helmets off and were enjoying beers and wine, along with something that looked suspiciously like bowls of ramen, or maybe udon.
Can't give James credit for THAT recipe.
He was surprised to learn that the people underneath the helmets looked both incredibly young, AND incredibly aged.
If he had to guess, he would've estimated the oldest of them as being no more than twenty five or so. And yet their eyes had bags under them, and haunted looks IN them. The men bore dark beard shadows and ALL of them had their hair cut incredibly short, including the few women.
In short, they reminded him of how a bunch of James's soldier friends looked when he'd met them a few times. Young, yet prematurely old.
He couldn't imagine what being both a soldieguard AND an anti-mage specialist in a city full of mages did to a person. But the faces he saw as they passed the tavern spoke to the weariness that duty put them through.
One of the guards looked at him curiously as he saw Joey's veiled and hooded head studying them. The guard was reaching for their helmet when the tavern server arrived and put a new round of drinks on their table.
Joey quickly looked away.
"I think that's the first stop." Nesvee said as she nudged his shoulder, breaking him out of his thoughts. She was pointing at a sign with a drawing of some gemstones and a monocle on it. She held up the notepad and looked at it again. "Yeah. There's a few crystal types on here." She confirmed. "Plus a few things that I think MIGHT... be crystals. I don't know what Mordian ice is. But I figure that jeweler should know."
Joey nodded and followed her. Though he was fairly certain that Mordian Ice was a type of liquid. He wasn't 100% certain, but he thought he'd seen a jar with that name on it in Veliry's lab in Petravus.
And just like that, the two of them were shopping in earnest.
They didn't notice a somewhat pudgy looking man walking about twenty yards behind them. He occasionally stopped to inspect something from the shops they passed, and even bought a cheese filled pastry from the bakery Joey had noticed.
But he always kept the two shoppers in his sight, even if only out of the corner of his eye.
Ekron waved his hand, causing his front door to swing open smoothly and silently.
"Good afternoon Ravyn." He said as he poured a cup of tea and set it in front of the chair to his left. "Timely as always."
The large half orc woman walked in calmly as he put two scoops of sugar in the tea for her. Just like she preferred.
"I still need the enchantment that keeps your door from slamming when it does that." She said as she presented her hand to him. He kissed it lightly, as he always did when he saw his old coworker. She looekd back and smiled as the door also closed itself just as silently. "Mine always makes such a racket." She said as she sat in the indicated chair and sipped the tea. "Mmmmm. Still remember my preference eh?" She asked as she swept her silver hair back over her shoulder and behind her ear.
"Vatrian crimson. Two scoops." He said as she made herself comfortable. "How have you been dear?" He asked.
"Quite well." She replied. "Pan gave birth to my third grand daughter last month."
Ekron smiled curtly. "Congratulations." He said. "I remember her when she was still just a toddler on your hip."
"Those were the days weren't they." She said with a raise of her glass and a similar smile. "Now tell me. What are these rumors I hear of you walking in the company of a messenger?" She asked. "I assume that IS... why you requested me to come here."
Ekron nodded. "It is." He admitted. "Though they AREN'T a messenger."
Her eyebrow rose, and she was about to ask how he knew that. But she was interrupted.
BANG!
The front door slammed open, causing Ekron to chew on his upper lip in annoyance.
"Ekkie!!!"Morris Kestin exclaimed as he swaggered into the building with his arms up as if he was some kind of performer walking on stage. Then he made a point of looking around in an exaggerated manner. "Where's our little messenger friend?"
Ekron did NOT pour a cup of tea for his former teammate.
"I've told you SO many times now, NOT to call me that." Ekron said. "And by the gods, its a door not your ass in a bar where you owe money. There's no need to kick it that hard." He said as he waved it shut again.
"And apparently he ISN'T a messenger." Ravyn said slyly. "Good afternoon Morris."
"Ravyn dear." Kestin said as he gestured for her to hug him. She stood briefly and obliged him. Unlike Ekron she'd never had an issue with Kestin's overly friendly nature. "You let him drag you into this too?"
"The whole city is on edge with news of a messenger." She replied as she settled again. "You know full well why I can't just stay away from something like that. Especially when our friend here is right at the middle of it."
Kestin waggled a finger at her. "In your tea again?" He asked as he plopped down in the chair on the opposite side of the table they were sat at.
Ekron cringed as Ravyn's face soured. To the extent that she ever let it.
She held her cup of tea up as she rolled with the joke, which had been made at her expense.
"Not for a few more sips." She said. It was no secret that soothsayers like her had been struggling for the past decade or so as contact with the gods had faded out, and then essentially dropped off entirely.
"So." Kestin said as he reached across the table and helped himself to the tea. "Is HE... coming? I mean. You called me and Ravyn. Belga is... well... not here anymore. HE's the only one left yeah?"
Ekron nodded uncomfortably.
"He's about to knock on my door as we speak." Ekron said before taking a long sip of his own tea.
^{"No I'm not."} A muted voice said from outside. ^{"Just open the damned thing."}
Ekron took a deep breath. Then waved his hand.
When he did, the Commander of the Cobalt Legion stepped into his home and stood awkwardly in the doorway to the meeting/dining room they were seated at. Like the others from before, his armor sparked and flared as it interacted with the magic of the building.
Even under the dark blue helmet it was obvious that they were staring at Ekron. And he stared right back.
Then after an uncomfortably long silence, the armored knight removed his helmet.
Ekron's clean-shaven doppelganger stared back at him as he beheld the face of his twin brother for the first time in over a decade.
"Good evening Lady Hardfate." He said, breaking the silence as he showed deference to one of the most powerful fortune tellers in the land. Then he rolled his eyes as he looked at Kestin. "Kestin." He said simply.
"Good afternoon Commander." Ravyn said with a soft smile.
The Commander of the Cobalt Legion didn't take the chair so clearly intended for him, opting to stand instead.
"If this is about your NOT-messenger test subject you could have saved me a trip little brother." The knight said with obvious annoyance. "I likely know more about him than you do at this point."
"Oooh." Kestin said, drawing a look of even more annoyance. "Sounds like Lord Tobin has his spies looking into him."
"That's Lord Mattis to you." The commander corrected.
Ekron rubbed at the bridge of his nose in exasperation.
"He's a reincarnation... or... or a regeneration of some kind." He cut in.
The rest of them froze mid conversation to look at him in surprise.
"I suspect that whatever happened five and a half years ago in Petravus. Between the Hero and the vanishing blight." He continued. "I believe that whatever occurred... he died as a result. And now, by the grace of the gods, he's back."
"Impossible." Ravyn replied, surprising him. He'd expected that kind of reaction from his brother or Kestin, not her. "The gods are gone."
At that Kestin DID react.
"They're what?" The vagabond swordsman/mage asked.
She waved him away dismissively.
Ekron watched his brother's face intensely.
More specifically he watched how little that information surprised the stalwart man.
The two of them stared at each other as Ravyn and Kestin began to argue lightly with one another.
"Vann?" Ekron asked of his elder sibling. "I'm trying to help him. And prevent him from accidentally causing an international incident. Or a crisis of the faiths."
The other two silenced as they heard the quiet request.
"I've asked you three here to help me with that." Ekron continued. "Please tell me what you know."
Vann considered the not of pleading in his brother's voice as he looked at the others.
These were his closest friends. Or had been once upon a time. The remnants of their old dueling team, which had also doubled as an adventurer's party before he'd been accepted into the legion and started rising through the ranks.
He gritted his teeth a bit. He'd already been given explicit instructions by Lord Mattis.
"I can't tell you much." He said as he finally sat down. "But the Lord's people have come to... similar... conclusions." He admitted. "They're attempting to confirm that as we speak."
Ekron nodded, knowing that that was all he was getting.
"I need..." He said as he leaned forward in his seat. "I believe I'll need your help protecting him until we can figure out the truth about him. And whether or not his return is a good or bad sign from the gods."
Kestin pursed his lips. "You mean you're not dissecting him?" He asked. Ekron looked at him with annoyance. But that didn't make him feel as judged as Ravyn's expression did. "Fine." He said with his hands raised in mock surrender. "But you can tell your little bodyguard our deal's off."
Then they all turned as Vann spoke again.
"You know why I can't make that promise." He said simply. "If he IS who we suspect he is. Than he's a matter of National importance. And if it turns out that he IS... some kind of messenger or something. Then it becomes a religious matter." He tapped his finger on his helmet where it rested in front of him. "I have my duty Ek."
"And all I'm asking is that, until that duty requires otherwise, you and yours help protect him." Ekron countered.
Vann considered the request. But Ravyn spoke first.
"Why are you so invested in this one?" She asked.
"Because." Ekron replied, pointing at Kestin. "It's funny you mentioned Belga earlier." He said, causing all of them to look at him curiously. "He reminds me of her." He rolled his eyes as they all suddenly became uncomfortable. "Oh not like THAT." He reprimanded them. "But his mannerisms. His... I don't know. His temperament. I think that if she were still alive they would be kindred souls."
Vann looked down and away. They all knew the drama that had occurred between the two brothers on THAT matter. Hell, it was part of why he'd joined the legion.
Ravyn placed a hand on his arm before turning back to Ekron.
"If you think he's worth protecting." She said softly. "Then I'll help." She nodded a bit. "Besides, if the gods are affecting the world again then I need to know."
"If Ravyn's in, and if I can save some gold," Kestin weighed in. "then I'm in."
Ekron looked at his brother expectantly.
But Vann's face was as stern and unchanging as ever.

Hey you! Yes you, the one reading this message. I hope you like this message and here is a bit of information about me:
Who the hell I am?

• Healthcare assistant for learning dissabilities, my sleep schedule is variable, my work shifts are from 7 to 12 hours, either day or night.
• Future Graphic Designer (In a long future), I love it and I'm taking it as hobby right now. In love with art and every day learning a little more about it.
• Music lover. I listen to almost any genre. I am ready to find the music that is missing in my life and that I want to play every day.
• I'm a bit at a gamer, but I'm not obsessed with it. Lately I'm mostly playing on Nintendo Switch
• I love movies, we can talk about many films. My favorite movies are The Godfather (both the first and the second one), Interestellar, The Green Knight, Grand Hotel Budapest, Before Sunrise and Princess Mononoke ( I have more haha)
• My family says I'm special. I don't know if they say it in a good way or a bad way, but I'm happy with it.
• I Iove reading, it allows me to experience and live many different lives. My favorite book is Name of the Wind.
• Extension of the previous point: Basically I read any book that catches me interest. (Fantasy, fiction, poetry, etc.)
• I love learning new things, exploring new ideas and figuring out how everything works in detail.
• I'm learning to draw (Right now I really suck) and taking up writing again.
• Future writer of a book that I don't even know what it will be about, maybe written in prose? maybe in verse?
• I'm a bit introvert, but once I feel confidence, you won't even notice it.
• I don't mind exchanging pictures if we both want to do it.
• If you wish I can make a powerpoint presentation about me. I do not promise that it will be serious

Have you decided to talk to me yet? Maybe these opinions will help you
He is a really handsome boy - My grandmother
My brother is special and crazy, don't talk to him. - My brother
I want to make him mine, break up after a few months and write a song about him. – Taylor Swift
I wanted him as my padawan, but they imposed Anakin Skywalker on me and you know how it ended. - Obi Wan Kenobi
He was going to be the model I used for my sculpture David, but he's neither as handsome nor as strong. - Michelangelo
I was about to select him to play Sebastian in La La Land, but he can't sing well or play the piano, Emma Stone preferred him to Ryan Gosling. - Damien Chazelle (La la land's Director)
I turned down Ted Mosby for so many years because I waited for him, he never came and in the end I had to stay with Mosby. - Robin Scherbatsky
I'd like to see him die in one of my movies - Quentin Tarantino
He has a good musical taste and at least he does not put the music to full volume - My neighbor
If you think we can get along, do not hesitate to send me a message or a chat invitation, you are pretty welcome. The chatting app that I use most now is Discord, but I can use any other app if you prefer or just chat on reddit. Please include some information about yourself in your message. If you're not sure how to break the ice, ~throw a iceberg at me~ include an interesting question you've been thinking about lately, a song you love or any interesting thing, if you can't think about a question, this is my question for you, What would be the last song you would listen to if you knew today was your last day on earth?

Did you know that about 75,000 people go missing per year in Canada? I might’ve found another one to add to that tally, as someone by the name of Trinity Arthurs, a 20-year-old woman, disappeared seemingly without a trace on June 14th of last year, along with 19-year-old Marvin Arthurs, her brother. The question in everyone’s minds is why I’m telling you this.
It all started with a hike in the woods, on a trail, in Prince Albert National Park. I was enjoying the green, taking a deep breath from the fresh air of nature when I spotted something shining. When I looked at it, it became clearer that it was a Ziploc bag. I initially thought it was someone else tossing garbage on the forest floor, but when I picked it up, I realized something was in there. I looked closer at the bag and noticed there was a USB. I packed it into my bag and finished my hike. When I went home, I took the USB out of the Ziploc. I was very hesitant to plug it into my laptop, as I had only recently discovered it in some forest.
I plugged it in and took a deep breath, knowing of the risk of it. It didn’t affect the laptop in any way, but it did reveal only one file which says TRINITY E. ARTHUR’S ENTRIES. I clicked on it and it seems to be a bunch of Word documents, each noted as ENTRY. I couldn’t find anything else other than those files.
I decided to look up, only to find a single news article back then relating to Trinity’s case. I tried to send it to the police, but they thought of it as some sick fanfiction I wrote, so I am going to post it here, leaving it as is. To clarify, I did not write this. I hope this gains the attention of her case as it deserves.
_________________________________________________________________________
Entry 1 - Sepember 24th, 2023
Hello there, my name is Tris and this might be the very first time I have typed something personal on this laptop, like ever, maybe since elementary school, where we would write how we would feel for the day. Not really the type to socialize and not the type to write a journal, let alone digital, either, because what’s the point of it? I guess I’m just spilling out my thoughts, especially after what I’ve seen, so might as well put this to good use.
For context, this is about my father, Micheal Arthurs. I remembered him, at least before all of this, to be this big, strong guy who just simply had a nice hobby. In that case, that hobby is all about caves. He would spend some of his work money on these trips with one of his work buddies to explore cave systems. The reason? Maybe because he was fascinated with them, god knows when, maybe since he was a child. That doesn’t mean he doesn’t care about me and my two younger brothers, Marvin and James, as well as our mother, Martha.
He cared for us like any dad would, he would take us camping, tell us about his adventures in the caves, and spoil us with gifts we didn’t need but appreciated anyway. From time to time, he would give us shit if one of us tried to burn the house down by putting paper in a toaster, thinking we would automatically make some kind of magical spell, which actually happened. Hell, my middle name Edward came from him, strange for a girl like me. He used to tell me that he accidentally thought I was a boy when I was born, so that stuck. His trips also, I guess, strained his relationship with Mom, who always complained about him going somewhere for a week, worried sick for him and leaving her to care for us.
That was, until a few years ago, on the morning of May 8th, 2018 - about less than five years ago, when I was fifteen. He said that he’d be back in a week because he was going to explore a cave somewhere in Ontario. The last time I remembered him was when he and Mom made pancakes, bacon, and hashbrowns, of which the pancakes were made for me, even though I could’ve had toast instead. We joked around the table and asked what he’d be doing at the cave. Of course, he would tell his usual, like going into new passages and finding any cave paintings, if any, in the caves themselves. I could imagine the cave paintings he might discover depicting mammoths and saber-tooth cats back then, with people hunting them. After that, we cleaned up and Dad was ready to go. He each gave us a big, warm hug and shared a quick but gentle kiss with Mom. He waved us goodbye before stepping into his big grey Ford truck, all packed up, and drove through the streets of Saskatoon.
We waited. Hours turned to days, and we knew when he’d return. Those days then turned to weeks and we began to think there was something wrong. Mom was first to notice, so she called the RCMP to file a missing persons report. What we didn’t know was it became a whole mystery in itself. At first, they contacted his coworker, who usually caves with him, only to find he was equally as confused as us. That coworker was asked by my Dad if he wanted to go caving with him, only for him to abandon that plan due to a medical emergency relating to his wife. They then put up alerts for him so that anyone would come forward for his whereabouts. Some said they saw him at a local Costco store, others said he was going north, baffling us in the process as he would not go north for Ontario. At that point, there were no leads for a while.
At that time, we were waiting for him to go home. I did some investigating myself, along with my oldest brother Marvin, to find out where our Dad at. We thought this might be some alternate route he took, or that he might be going to Prince Albert to meet family. James, our youngest, seems to care less about the fact Dad is missing and more about talking to his friends. Looking back at it now, I guess this was his method of coping with the situation. Mom was not doing well. She would constantly ask the police to simply find him, but understandably they just couldn't without any new evidence.
That was until a surveillance camera at some gas station store in Blaire Lake spotted Dad. At first, he got out of the truck and put the nozzle in to fuel up. Once his truck was fueled up, he went inside the near-empty store, saved for a few guys, grabbed a few beef jerky and Gatoraids, and went to the cashier to pay for them. After that, he went through the door and back to his truck, driving off. That blew our minds and the crazier thing was that his truck was found, abandoned at a campsite in Martins Lake. The truck was later towed for investigation and found no evidence that he was killed or kidnapped at the truck, meaning he went somewhere. A few more people said they saw him carrying his bags and went into the woods to the west, assuming he was going on a hike. Hearing that news, they searched the woods, looking for any signs he was there without any sort of luck. The search was called off and the trail ran cold.
During that time, I was exhausted and realised I felt like nothing without him. I was in a spiral, always mad at everyone and expecting everyone to find my Dad, but at the same time, I was also beginning to be one of those people. The same people I expect to find my Dad. I then felt defeated and helpless, without purpose, begging whatever god was up there to bring my Dad back, hoping he was not hurt, at least alive. I hoped he found his way out of the woods. I hoped he survived an animal attack. It was only as days went by that I realised this was taking over me, wasting my life and mentality, and that was when I decided he wasn’t coming back. I decided that he might be dead, somewhere in those woods. I hoped that someone would find his remains one day. I guess I did move on, without knowing what happened to him.
Marv, on the other hand, never really accepted. He continued to find him, even to this day. He would do other things, of course, but would argue with someone once our Dad’s name was heard, saying he might still be alive. He did get into a few fights because of this. He now accepts he is dead, but holds onto the belief we should still look for him, to relieve us. Mom was doing worse than the rest of us. She would blame herself for not being with him and usually buys drinks to forget about it. Eventually, she would put a lot of pressure on me and criticize everything I did, putting a lot of stress on me. It got to the point where we would go into screaming matches about the simplest of things, drawing me down to regret ever getting mad at her in the first place. It was so bad that my aunt had to take me out of there for my safety. That was nearly three years ago and I didn’t even hear a word from her. One side of me hoped that she would get arrested for drunk driving, and the other hoped she’d get help.
James seemed to be the one least affected by this, surrounded by friends we didn’t have. The last time I heard of my little brother after his high school graduation, he was beginning to do some cave stuff, like our father. Matter of fact, he began his own small club of cavers a few years before he left. I never really knew what went on in his mind, but I guess he felt just as fucked-up as the rest of us, just that he had enough distractions to easily get away from those thoughts.
As for me, I eventually moved into an apartment with Marv and got a job as a security guard at some mall, at the suggestion of my aunt’s friend, a few years ago. Working there has improved me, even though I worked nights. It has given me some purpose and gets my mind off of the things that happen during the day.
You might ask me, mind to mind, why I’m giving myself some sob story to talk about. This morning, I was riding my electrical tricycle from work to my apartment in the frigid air. I went in there and saw an odd package that was under Marv’s name, although without an address. The box seems to be a cereal box, sealed with package tape. The name that it’s sent to seems to be written in Sharpie in printed form. I thought it was odd that somehow this package made its way inside and at our mailing station. Thinking that it might be someone attempting to play an odd prank on my brother, I initially thought about leaving it alone. Curiosity got the cat, however, so I picked up the box and lightly shook it. I felt and heard what seemed to be something inside of it, like one big thing and a few smaller ones.
I then took it to my apartment, where I opened the door and entered, closed the door, removed my boots on the mat, and set the box on the somewhat clean kitchen counter. Looking at it, I was initially hesitant about opening it because it was under his name. I left it alone, he was home most of the time, on his computer doing a few things. Going into my room, I took off my uniform and changed my pants to a pair of boxers, turned on the TV to sit and relax on my bed. Looking through the streaming service, I tried to look for anything relating to volcanoes, one of those topics I was very interested in at the time, but the content was lacking. I went for a documentary and sat back, watching.
A few minutes in and I can hear knocking on the door. I was annoyed initially, knowing it was my brother. I opened and I could see confusion yet a look of needing to know on his messy, bearded face as he stood at eye level, staring at each other.
Marv: What’s the cereal box in the kitchen?
Me: The cereal box?
Marv: Yes, the cereal box.
Me: I just found it in the mailroom when I came in. No address, nothing other than your name, so I brought it up.
Marv: Do you know what’s inside?
Me: Your guess is as good as mine.
We looked at each other with an equally confused expression, sharing the same thoughts. The only difference is that I looked in the area beside him, empty of thought except for that little mind that reads why would someone send us this package? He was wide-eyed albeit stone-faced and standing still.
Marv: Well, I will be looking inside anyways.
We then went into the kitchen where he grabbed a knife and put it in the box.
Me: Hey, should we use the scissors?
Marv: Why? This is good enough. Not like I’m going to cut myself with it.
He then slowly cut the seams of which the packaging tape sealed, eventually cutting the tape. He then opened it to reveal a USB, an SD card, and a video recorder.
Me: That’s odd.
Marv: I don’t know who sent it, but I hope it is someone who got the wrong address, to the wrong person with my name.
Me: Should we look what's inside them?
Marv: Well, let’s find out.
We then went to his messy clothes-ridden room and he went to his PC to turn it on. There, I began to get concerned about the mysterious USB.
Me: I think we shouldn’t plug it in.
Marv: Why?
Me: Viruses, bugs, the whole deal? We don’t know wha-
Marv: Don’t worry, this PC has antivirus on here. Besides, if it did shut down, we could at least wipe out the memory.
We plugged in the USB, anticipating some sort of pop-up from an unknown digital virus. Instead, nothing happened, maybe other than the notification that a device was plugged in. Marv then sat down to look into the files and see what he could find on the PC, but it felt wrong like we were snooping around. In those files, we could see a folder that says CAVE GIANTS. He clicked on it and there was just a collection of pictures, of cave paintings. The setting all of them seemed to take place in was dark and wet, only the walls of which the cave paintings are on. The paintings themselves, which are in black, depict what seems to be somewhat stick-figure men, some holding arrows and spears, others just standing. Some of those men hunted the animals on the walls, like bison, deer, and mammoths in a group-like manner. The predators seem to be treated with a little more respect, like cougars, wolves, and bears. That was the first few pictures until we met with the first odd thing about those paintings.
The picture in question has every human on the wall holding spears and arrows. No animals were visible. In the next few pictures, we see men without spears or arrows, which said men were upscaled, massive. Long, black legs and arms attach to small bodies and small heads, of which all have un-painted orbs, depicting their eyes, which harrowed us as they stared at us through the screen. It seems some of those tall men have extra or lack of arms and legs. The saying can be said for the eyes, but most are in that somewhat humanoid body plan. The smaller men with the arrows and spears look to be battling the tall men, with some tall men holding the smaller men. In a few more pictures, below the battle scene, were red handprints, unlike those of the black they used. There are no more pictures from here, but we were stunned at whatever we stumbled upon.
Marv: What the fuck. What was that?
Me: I don’t know, maybe an archeologist's USB?
Marv then looked at the screen and saw a second file that said GIANT DOCUMENTARY.
Marv: Giant documentary? A documentary on, okay, what? Giants?
Me: That’s what seems to be like.
We clicked on the folder to see the one mp4 file with the same name. We clicked on it and it started its intro with one of those songs you’d play on a nature educational video. It was black, until it slowly faded into a scene of a forest, with the video panning across gradually and with nature sounds. There, a man with a gruff voice began to narrate.
Narrator: Ever wondered what happened here? You would assume that in a far distant time, this was a different place.
It then transitioned to a scene of a tundra, along with a slideshow of all the animals that existed during the Ice Age. It seems the documentary was made by someone using the Moviemaker application.
Narrator: A cold tundra during the Last Ice Age, of which large mammoths ruled the plains, thick-furred camels gathered in herds, and American lions roamed in their respective pride, along with the large grizzlies, the roaming caribou, and the wolves that hunt in their packs.
I then showed pictures of a tundra landscape, along with a few of the creatures mentioned.
Narrator: That was the scene until man, or Homo Sapiens came along at the end of the Ice Age, ten thousand years ago. The large glaciers that used to cover a third of North America began to melt, causing a whole dramatic series of climatic events. Man took that opportunity to hunt down the prehistoric life that existed. Eventually, those mammoths and camels became extinct, along with the American lion, who relied on them for food, along with a whole plethora of prehistoric beasts that once roamed North America. Eventually, all the ice melted and mankind settled, creating what we know as Native Americans, the Cree, Aztecs, Iroquois, and many more, telling and passing on stories as history marches on.
It then showed a slide show of historical pictures of the tribes themselves, along with depictions of a few of them taking down mammoths and going face to face with sabre tooth cats.
Narrator: I may sound reasonable, based on the evidence found by archeologists and paleontologists alike. Besides, it is only plausible that man is the only species that could drive these wonderful species to extinction. What if I told you all, watching this, that another species used to exist in North America alongside Homo sapiens?
A picture, presumably from the 1800’s or something, showed up, and later a slide show of a few news articles about them. I then began to recognize the voice, a voice all too familiar… my father’s voice. At this time, we were shocked, as this was not what I remembered him and probably not even Marv. We were more shocked at how he took this secret with him and had this under our noses. Despite that, we kept on watching.
Dad: Giants, creatures supposedly of myth and legend, larger yet primitive versions of man, have walked the Earth for many years. Most of that so-called evidence comes in the form of huge, perhaps human-like, bones discovered by farmers and amateur archeologists alike all across neighbouring America. They would claim they built the massive mounds, like the famous Serpent Mound, all across the Midwest.
The slideshow of various examples of these mounds, frame by frame, went by until it stopped at a map of the Midwest, showing where they were.
Dad: Of course, most of these skeletons would either be misidentifications of ancient animals or hoaxes. As for the mysterious mounds, they are now discovered to be built by the good ol’ Hopewell societies, the Mound Builders, who made them as burials and ritual sites. Since then, there has been no new ground evidence of their existence except for the mythologies and legends captivating our cultures. At least, until now.
It then changed to a video recording of Dad, who is sitting in a chair and began explaining it like an explorer that has seen it all.
Dad: One day, while I and John were looking for a cave at Wells Grey Park somewhere in British Columbia, sometime during July of 1994, I saw this tunnel in the snow, somewhere on a high hill at the foot of a glacier. We grabbed our gear, went up to the cave, and we just went in. It took us a few minutes underneath all of that snow before we saw this stream enter this system, melting the snow. We climbed our way down there and reached the floor. We thought we were the first humans to ever set foot in this cave.
Now, as far as I know, to the naked eye, the cave itself is pretty much invisible, especially during winter. Even if anyone did find it, it would require them hours to climb loose rock and steep valley walls. What we found in this cave is quite unusual.
The frame then shows the cave paintings - the very same cave paintings we saw in those other pictures.
Dad: We found these cave paintings on the walls. They are painted in some kind of charcoal paint mix, likely used in the creation of them. At first, the scene depicts the hunter-gatherer lifestyle of the earliest settlers themselves, hunting the woolly mammoths, bison and caribou at the time, along with the bears, cougars, and wolves that are treated with respect. Going further down the cave, we began to see fewer animals and more people with spears and bows. That is when we found the tall figures, likely exaggerated by the artists to depict their size and how they saw it. How they depicted them is very long limbs attached to a smaller body and their eyes they didn’t paint over, a hollow gaze. I felt a harrowing feeling, seeing them and gazing into their eyes. There aren’t just a few, instead, there are many of them, some have extra limbs and eyes and a few even pick up the men depicted in the paintings.
By that time, the battery went dead but we marched on deeper into the cave. We found artifacts, like pottery and arrowheads. We then stumbled upon the remains of a campsite beside the bank of the stream. As I was taking it all in, my friend pointed at something with his flashlight. The scene I saw hit me like a ton of bricks, still haunting me to this day.
There were a few human remains, so decayed that only the bone remained. I seemed to be a family of four, still wearing their fur clothes. They seem to be trying to escape a threat, and ended up here to paint this mural, only to die the hard way. I could only imagine what they went through and looking back as a family man, that fate would be worse than death, waiting for the threat to be over, which never came.
I can see him tear up, in the video, crying. Amongst the muffled cries, he said this:
Dad: I wouldn’t wish that on my family. Not even my worst enemy.
He then continued that way for a few minutes, while my initial shock slowly turned to that of sympathy for him, as this was his first time finding something like this.
Dad: Sorry, I guess I should move on.
He waited a few moments to regain composure, wiping his tears away before speaking again.
Dad: Well, after that, we climbed out of the cave. We did not tell anyone of the exact location, because we wanted to respect the people who died up there a very long time ago. My point is, that there was something that scared this family so much they made the effort to climb to the cave and paint out what is their story. There are just too many coincidences for me to think that they just went in here for the sake of it and too many of those tall beings.
That is when I believed that, long ago, something roamed these lands with us. Not some upsized human who are like us, but a horror so savage it horrified the first settlers and forced them into hiding. Now, I asked myself where they went, besides they would’ve still walked amongst us. I was looking through the libraries and saw nothing. That is when until one day, when I stopped at a gas station somewhere in Rosetown. A Cree elder was taking a smoke and told me he had a story to tell me, out of the blue. It was a weird gesture, as he had no reason to talk to me anyway. Besides, why would a Cree elder tell a white man a story?
We sat on a bench and he told me this story his tribe passed around for a very long time. He told me that, in the beginning, his ancestors feared this monster known as the Witiko. Now, today it is known as the wendigo, a solitary monster that corrupts the human soul and forces them to partake in some horrific act, usually cannibalism of their family members. Once they do that, they turn into basically thin, pale corpses with antlers on their heads and have supernatural abilities. This version also has a knack for being always hungry, constantly looking for something to eat, a metaphor for greed in most of the tribes surrounding the area.
These wendigo, or Witiko, are different. They are not the corpse zombie monster thing that was once human, but rather giant, twisted beings that came from the underworld and invaded the overworld. They ate anything for the sake of greed and malice while tormenting life on the overworld for their pleasure. It got so bad some even took it upon themselves to take their own lives. One day, their good-old Creator decided to send out his best warrior, Wisakedjak. Wisakedjak saw what the Witiko were doing and devised a plan. He banded up all the tribes and went to war with them while luring them in the process. Most, if not all, of the Witiko, were where Wisakedjak wanted them to be. The Creator then split the earth, sending them back to the underworld to which they belonged. To ensure they won’t escape again, the Creator eventually sealed the entrance of which the Witiko fell in.
I was shocked at the story, and even asking where the entrance was, only he would tell me this is a secret and that he didn’t want anyone to look for it, in fear they might be released again. After meeting him, I tried to look for genuine proof of these giants, but all I have is a few photos and a story. That is when I thought about who would cover it up, steal the bones and hide them. I guess some of those crazy conspiracy theorists might be right about the Smithsonian Museum covering them up. So I might have to cover my tracks and finish what I started. This is the show, bye.
We sat in shock, looking at each other and realising our Dad might be a nut job.
Marv: Giants? Really? This whole time?
Me: Seems like it.
That is all I could mutter out, confused at what I saw.
Me: They might be connected to his disappearance…
Marv: Okay, how is this related to his disappearance? We still don’t know where he is. Besides, he seems to be a crazy person anyway, like, he listened to one story from a random man and instantly believed him?
Marv’s inner rage became noticeable and understandable, knowing that he saw Dad as a person who cared for him through the hardest of times and now he felt like he was betrayed, like Dad went missing all over again. He eventually went to a wall and slumped against it, eventually sitting on the ground, legs carelessly splayed out and head looking down.
I felt the same way, but I was contained. I felt really sorry for him, though. I took that moment to sit beside him and hug him.
Me: It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be okay.
He then started to cry, giving me some urge to shed my tears. I began to think about my father. He left us, lying that he was going to Ontario and disappeared, only to find out he was secretly some conspiracy theorist who was chasing what seemed to be thin air. At the same time, he was a caring father, who cared about us, taught us and tried to be with us at the biggest moments of our lives. I then stared at the video recorder at the counter.
Me: Hey, should we take a look in the recorder? See what we could find?
He then looked up at me, looking at me in seriousness.
Marv: I guess, we are in this rabbit hole now.
He then took the dead recorder, took the memory card out and plugged it into his adaptor, plugged into the PC. The files showed up and there were multiple recordings. I was staring at the dates, only to realise that the final of these recordings was on May 8th, 2018. Marv then clicked on the recording.
At first, we were in a vibrant, evergreen forest, casting shadows upon the pine needle floor under an afternoon sun. The sounds of birds chirping dominated the soundscape until we heard a nudge, assuming the camera moved. We then saw Dad walk in front of the camera and stand there, he seemed to be nervous.
Dad: Hey all, I am at the cave, where I was when I was twelve. Took a bit of time to find it, but here we are, at the Childhood Cave. Now, John couldn’t come because his wife is having their child, which I understand. So, that is why I am here alone. Not a worry, I’ve been caving for most of my life, so this is nothing new.
He then came to pick up the recorder to show around the site. I can see the rope wrapped around a tree that descends into this hole. I can describe it as being similar to a well, except flat, stoney protrusions stick out of the walls like platforms, with the center being pure black.
Dad: Well, this is the first time entering the system. I hope to find anything down there.
He then buckled up his gear, making sure the rope was tight and the gear was in working order. He then walked over to the hole, recorder in hand, only to kneel to put the camera on the first platform.
Dad: Well, here we go.
He then began climbing down, feet first, holding onto whatever rock he could grasp, grunting as he went. As soon as he was at chest height on the first platform, he reached towards the camera. He suddenly disappeared into the hole, faster than the blink of an eye. One moment, he was there, then another moment he wasn’t. At that point, I was shaking and felt weak, but my brother sat still, like a stone, waiting for something else to happen. All that I heard afterwards was silent, very long and antagonizing silence until the camera ran out of battery, turning the screen black.

Link for all the chapters available here: Engines of Arachnea on Royal Road
“And you only thought to mention that now!” Rene screamed at her.
“Not my fault you’re as deaf as a dingbat,” she smarmily replied.
“Oh, shit on it!” he swore.
Rene laced up his boots in a fury of motion, balling up his tattered socks and shoving them in his pockets. Snatching up his sheathed sword and the survival kit, he kicked dirt over the remains of the fire and started to run back into the jungle. Then he did a double take and turned back to Zildiz who was still bound to the sapling, clearly torn between his sense of duty and the urge to save his own skin. His captive on her part was behaving as if she hadn’t a care in the world.
“Have you finally reached the inevitable conclusion of your thought processes?” she yawned.
“What?”
It was Zildiz’s turn to roll her eyes at him.
“I’ll help you along this once, since we haven’t the time to wait on your mental faculties. There’s only one way you’re making it out of this alive. Untie me.”
“Like blazes I will. You’ll gut me soon as you got the chance.”
“I know a place where we can hide. I camouflaged it myself. We won’t be able to escape leapers in the brush, not in the daytime, and not with eyes like theirs. My lair is the only option. If you cut me loose, I can get us there with minutes to spare. If not, you can always try outrunning them.”
Rene fumed. She had deliberately concealed this information to give him no time to think things through. By rights, as her captor, he was under no obligation to ensure her continued survival.
But she was also unerringly correct in her assessment of the situation. Rene advanced on her with an ugly snarl, drawing his sword. Zildiz calmly stared him down, ‘cool as some cucumbers’, as Lethway would have put it.
The drums were getting louder by the moment. He cut her free and Zildiz turned her back to him, presenting her bound wrists and looking at him expectantly over her shoulder.
“Absolutely not. Your arms stay tied. Chop-chop!” he said, shooing her onwards, “Lead the way.”
“I can’t run like this. Either remove the silk completely or we’re not getting anywhere.”
“You ever heard of a little thing called compromise?” Rene’s temper was so frayed at this point that his voice came out in a high squeak, “Alright! Fine! But your wings stay clipped.”
“They don’t work anyway.”
“Not taking that chance. Your blades. Pop em out.”
“Why?”
Rene vented a cry of hysterical frustration and activated the sword, holding it in both hands as if he meant to lop off her head.
“Pop em out right now, or by jimbo I’m taking em off at the elbow!”
Zildiz reluctantly complied, her serrated swords sliding out of their housings. General truce or not, she knew that the Leapers would take any chance to murder a Gallivant if they thought they thought could do it unobserved. Especially once they discovered what she had done to Kryptus and his pack. She had to get moving, even if it meant debasing herself this way.
But she immediately regretted her choice when Rene promptly snipped her swords off at the roots.
“What have you done!” Zildiz screamed as her weapons clattered to the ground. She whirled on him in outrage and Rene took a hasty step back, hefting his sword warningly.
“Don’t be overdramatic,” Rene said, scooping up the blades and chucking them into the survival kit for future use, “I’ve only disarmed you. You’ll get them back later, if you behave.”
He cut the bindings of her arms and gave her a shove.
“What are you waiting for? Ice Cream Day? Beat your feet!” he ordered.
The pair set off with Zildiz stumbling ahead, Rene dogging her heels. Ahead of them he could hear what sounded like a mutter of a rolling avalanche, the thumping growing ever more distinct as the hordes of unseen savages neared their position. Each staccato drumbeat was answered by another that varied in rhythm and pitch.
Rene was reminded of the whistles, bugles, bagpipes and drummer-boys which helped commanders give signals to line infantry regiments amid to roar of battle. If the Leaper tribes were holding a long-distance conversation, then he dearly hoped that he and Zildiz were not topic of their discussion.
Zildiz hissed in pain when she slipped and jammed her foot into a crack between the stones. Rene placed his hands on her waist to help heave her out, but she twisted out of his grip and growled at him. They eyed each other warily until her good sense won out and she allowed him to help by gouging out the rocks and digging out her ankle. They ran on, Zildiz moving with a noticeable limp that was slowing them both down. She was clearly struggling to support the added weight of her useless exomorph.
“Are we close?” he demanded of her. Zildiz was all but running on all fours, hellbent on reaching shelter as the sinister percussions rebounded through the fog, multiplying the effect so that it seemed the whole jungle was alive with them.
She’s just too slow! Rene realized. So he did the only thing he could think of and seized the woman from behind. Zildiz kicked and screeched a little, but soon lost the energy to do even that as he bundled her up in a fireman’s carry and hurried on. Stars above, she was heavy! Thankfully they were mostly moving downhill, which spared him a lot of effort.
“Just point the way. I’ll get us there,” he panted. There was no time to argue. He barreled into the heart of the fog and felt smooth pebbles clattering under his boots and heard the trickle of nearby rapids. They were back on the river’s edge, he realized.
Zildiz guided his steps until they reached a tall outcropping of red and white granite. It was topped by a pile of flotsam that’d been deposited by some past flooding. Or so it seemed.
“Here,” said the Gallivant as they climbed to its summit. She pulled aside the pile of detritus and revealed a spacious burrow cunningly disguised and cozily constructed. Rene hopped down after Zildiz and she closed the hatch of dead vegetation over them, plunging the pit into a sudden gloom. When Rene’s eyes finally adjusted, he gave a grunt of recognition. Lining the sides of the burrow was the big tent cloth that had slowed the seedpod’s plummeting descent.
“Where’d you get this?” he asked Zildiz, poking at it.
“From the same current that washed me up on the shore,” she said, “Now shut your breathing hole. The hairs on their bodies are like ears. They can sense the tiniest vibrations…”
Rene tore open a rent in the tent material and scrabbled at the stones until he had a spyhole that was just large enough for him to squint out into the smoggy murk. The avalanche of motion was upon them now, so close it made the sluggish river quiver like a spoonful of bone marrow.
As if emerging straight from the bowels of the netherworld there came rushing out of the fog a horde of ravening beasts. On countless pads and claws and hooves they skittered, hopped, crawled or bounded across the torrid current.
Rene saw herds of reptilian frillheads, the bone spurs on the herbivores’ backs rattling like sabers as they made the crossing, closely pursued by packs of buzzing daggergnats that sank their lance-like proboscises into their flanks, cruelly goading them on. Flightless chiroptadons beat on their hairless chests and swung along on the knuckles of their vestigial wing arms. Ten-meter tall ultrapods crashed through the brush and flattened whole trees with their hammerhead antlers. Swarms of rodents, timid fawnmice, flocks of birds, squealing quickpigs, rolling pollies and a host of new species he’d never even dreamed of fled before the larger animals.
Guiding the stampede northward were bands of Leapers. Most soared above the ethereal mists on airfoils of thin-sown silk streaming behind the. Others strung out ziplines between the trees and slid down them with the claws on their feet. The largest Leapers had bright colorations on their underbellies and the sides of their humps, orange and green spots upon which they had painted garish tribal signs. Rene saw swirling suns and grinning devils, or eyes pierced through with barbs and weeping tears of blood. Adolescents and children rode in pouches on the backs of their elders, beating the drums they had woven tight across their knees.
Rene curled himself into a ball and tried his hardest not to exist. For what seemed an eternity the dread host bellowed and crashed around their hiding place, until at last the drums slowly receded in the distance.
“How many?” Zildiz prodded him.
“Too many,” Rene whispered, “Armies of them, all moving with one purpose.”
“It has summoned the kindreds to the Dawning Chambers,” Zildiz told him. The Gallivant knelt at the bottom of the pit and scraped out a hole in the gravel which quickly filled with water, “The god has been roused to anger, and the world shall quake at its passing. It will come for your people, and when It is done, it shall be as though they never were at all. Not even the mute stones shall bear witness to their memory. For nothing will remain of them but dust and bones. Dust and bones.”
Having said her bit, Zildiz bent down and lapped up the water with her tongue.
Link for all the chapters available here: Engines of Arachnea on Royal Road

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Mission Log: Day 0024

Addendum 04

Well. The jig would seem to be up, as the old folks used to say. ​
I started by dimming the north-facing windows, slowly enough to merely catch Kregorim's attention; he responded by turning his head to face them and letting his bushy eyebrows rise a bit, but generally keeping a neutral stance. Then, I animated a glowing white dot appearing on the duskward wall at roughly chest-height to my new visitor, then extending it vertically into a line, then expanding it laterally into a door. Then, I let my avatar open it 'from his side', walk through, and close it again. ​
“I'm called Joachim,” I said, animating the avatar's mouth to match my movements, along with rubbing the back of his head with his left hand. “And I have to say that that spell of yours was... an interesting experience.” ​
Kregorim nodded and offered a stiff bow. “Then we would seem to have been equal partners in the exchange,” he answered, the barest trace of a twinkle in what I could pick up of his eyes; if he had anything like a smirk under that thicket of facial hair, I couldn't detect it. “So, are there any other introductions to be made? Exchanges of oaths or demands for sacrifices, things of that nature?” ​
I chuckled, and pointed at the fabricators behind him. “Introductions, certainly. No sacrifices of baubles or blood, if that was what you expected. But I'd advise you to get some practice in making your own furniture. It'll take a bit of explaining, even if I try to trim it down.” ​
Kregorim nodded, and this time I could definitely hear a chuckle in his voice. “I would be highly disappointed were that not the case, Joachim of the mysterious outpost,” he answered. He gestured at the fabricators. “Would you mind offering a weary old scholar some assistance with these marvelous machines?” ​
I animated the avatar nodding, then waving at the walls. “You may have noticed that the chambers in which your...” the avatar coughed into one hand, then continued, “... Lord Zortemos Egenor Lignignory the Fourth has been settling have those empty frames on the walls of each room?” The avatar pointed off to one side, and a simplified version of the baseline model of the communication-screens appeared a handsbreadth away from his finger. “I can see and hear through them, and they have other functions as well, but this unit specifically includes the fullest expression of the tool.” ​
With that, I 'jumped' the avatar onto the dawnward wall of the utility room, releasing another light coughing sound to let Kregorim know where 'he' had gone. “This way, at least, I won't need to raise my voice so it carries further...” ​

Addendum 05:

Kregorim turned out to be a very quick study. I walked him through designing some new clothes, starting from the base model of a Chinese scholastic robe but incorporating a three layers of lighter fabric in something more akin to a Japanese kimono. Yes, I helped him figure out some more practical forms of undergarments, and the very concept of 'elastic' fascinated him; I left a mental note to explore 'latex' and the organic sources thereof with him at some later point. And, of course, getting to the first pair of suitable 'house slippers' presented no challenge at all. ​
Still, I satisfied his curiosity about the need for five 'magic trunks' in rather short order, and once he got into his own set of 'wondrous finery' he tossed his 'traveling robes and unmentionables' into the 'laundry' trunk. Once he'd gotten the remaining machines programmed for things like a camp-cot and bedding, a chair and writing desk and a samovar of all things, I sort of walked him through the rest of the unit's features. ​
“Quite an array of tankards,” he commented, in the kitchen. “Stocked well enough to entertain guests of a stature from Orks all the way down to Gnomes, unless I'm very much mistaken.” ​
I animated the avatar nodding. “I'll need to explain more about that, but you and the rest of the group aren't my first guests.” ​
He nodded, and turned to face the avatar; his smile was wide enough to re-arrange the forest of his facial hair. “I'll try to keep from disappointing Lord Zee overmuch on the point,” he said, then turned to face the refrigerator. “Another magic trunk?” he asked, examining it without touching it. “Wider than the others... does this one produce foodstuffs?” ​
“Not 'produce' them, as such, but it does serve as a 'cold well', of sorts. The upper section keeps things moderately cool, the lower section keeps them frozen.” ​
That got another look of wonder out of him. “You can maintain ice in there, without magic?” he asked, pulling out the freezer-drawer and confirming it for himself. “What manner of foods are these?” he went on, examining the squared, shrink-wrapped blocks and rounded tubs. ​
“Soups, meats, and vegetables, for the most part. The rounded tubs are sort of an experiment for a dessert.” ​
“I don't suppose you could allow a hungry traveler something a bit more substantial?” ​
“You skipped past the cold box,” I pointed out. “I've been experimenting with various kinds of meats as well as vegetable dishes...” ​
“Soups of some sort...?” he asked, closing the freezer-drawer and opening the refrigerator. He paused, visibly confused, before extracting one of the wrapped and sealed 'meal bowls', turning it to examine it from three different angles, then replacing it to examine another, and then another. Finally, he selected one and turned to face the avatar. “The lid has markings resembling words, but I cannot say with confidence that I comprehend them precisely,” he said. “What is meant by... 'Pasta Salad Experiment Number 8'... if you don't mind?” ​
The avatar pointed. “The silverware you'll probably want is in the second drawer from the end,” I said. “As far as your question is concerned, I have... several different kinds of farms in the spaces below the living quarters up here on the surface, and a rather large library of information from my home that permits me to make approximations of a small but growing number of food.” I added a slight blush to the avatar's cheeks. “I have no capacity to taste or smell things, at least as you or the others might, so I have no idea whether you'll find it appetizing. All I can tell you is that I have a limited stock of various spices in the cabinet just to the right of this box, which is known as a 'refrigerator' in my language. If you feel the need to repay me for my hospitality, you're welcome to help me learn the names for the spices while we talk.” ​

Addendum 06

Kregorim devoured the first salad, admitting between bites that the Lignignory family's exit from the Ducal lands to the south had been somewhat hurried and therefore their dining-experiences had been something of a gamble. “We've managed to trade for many things as we head north,” he commented. He had figured out how to get clean drinking water from the kitchen sink into an Ork-scaled flagon without much prompting, and after swallowing five mouthfuls proceeded to turn his attention to the salad. I explained the basic ingredients and principles of 'pasta', as he considered a segment of neo-rotini on his fork. He ate it, a thoughtful expression on his face, eventually dubbing it 'surprisingly flavorful'. ​
From there, I walked him through an explanation of the 'dish washer' and 'stove' before guiding him through a simple tour of the rest of the house. The bathroom intrigued him, but he expressed even greater fascination with the barbecue on the back patio, especially the 'fuel pellets' I provided in sealed bags from one of the lower shelves. ​
“Why bother with such means, when these other amazing machines can cook food with greater precision?” he asked. ​
“My function, the reason I exist, is to help people recover from disasters,” I answered, when he came back inside from admiring the stonework of the patio handrails. “If they happen to be more comfortable cooking their own food over a fire, I want to help them do so. Hence, the cookfire station out there. It's called a 'barbecue grill' in my language, by the way.” ​
“...'Your language'...” he repeated, returning to the main room and settling down into his chair with a flagon of water in his right hand. “You've also mentioned 'your home' at least once in my hearing. May I ask where you come from?” ​
Hoo, boy. The tough questions... ​
“I'm from a lot further away than you might think, to begin with,” I explained. The avatar pointed south with his right hand, in the general direction of one of the four moons glowing in the sky. “For one thing, I'm from a place with only one moon.” The avatar tapped 'his side' of the wall with the other, and an equatorial-perspective image of Earth showing North and South America along with a portion of Antarctica down at the bottom. “This is a special kind of illusion, showing details of my home from far above its surface,” I explained. ​
Kregorim's eyes widened and he took a long pull from his flagon. “Seas, forests, deserts, mountains, wintry wastelands,” he murmured, attention moving from one detail to the next, until finally he straightened up in his chair. “... None of the lands with which I have knowledge appear here,” he stated. “And I suspect that this globe's other face will reveal similar mysteries.” ​
I animated the avatar shrugging. “Likely.” ​
I considered my next words very carefully. “Since I arrived here, 24 days ago, I have watched the heavens as best I can. From what I have discerned, the local star... or your sun... is measurably different than mine. I haven't been able to pick out any local planets yet, but I can say for certain that if any of the stars in your sky are the ones my people had cataloged, they're too far away for me to positively identify as such.” ​
Kregorim took that in, eyebrows twitching, and drained his flagon dry. He took it away from his mouth with a scowl, directed at the offending drinkware, but reduced its intensity before turning back to address the avatar. “I don't suppose you've managed to produce anything like a good strong ale since you've arrived?” he asked. “Our own supplies of such things are unlikely to be fit for drinking.” ​
I animated the avatar raising an eyebrow and waggling a finger. “I've none available, alas, though I do have some rather promising teas,” I told him. “You'll need to fabricate a teapot, though.” ​
He got up and proceeded to do so. As he did, I continued, “As far as your assessment of whatever ale you've managed to carry with you, I would ask you to ask the servants to pour whatever portion of it they wish to discard into the nearest convenient sink. Hopefully, you'll be able to get the word to them before they reach that stage of unloading.” ​
The avatar flicked the image of Earth away, then tapped 'his side' of the wall four more times. With each one, a new visual-window opened: one displaying the view just outside the foyer, another the main stairwell from the camera on the half-step just above the second-floor landing, the third the first-floor walkway (identifiable as such by the view of Lord Zee bustling in and out of the doorway to 'his' quarters, giving directions to the flow of 'servants') and the final one the view of the ground-floor walkway. ​
Up among the caravan, Thusarrel acted as a kind of traffic-director, guiding groups of servants with gestures and shouts to one wagon after another, in an order that made no particular sense to me. The 'flackaroos' stayed in the center, managed by three ragged-looking folk who seemed to know what they were doing; they also hurried to rake up any droppings as quickly as possible, out of the foot-traffic of the flow of servants carrying as mismatched a collection of luggage, furniture, decor and miscellany as ever came out of an estate sale. Kregorim's wagon remained mostly ignored, though the stair-steps remained down. ​
On the main staircase, Adallinda and Pippa made their way downward, the 'lady' scowling at the lines of servants passing her in both directions and flowing around her too-wide dress as smoothly as possible. Pippa guided her charge to frequent rest stops on the half-landings, sparing a moment here and there to nod back at the silent looks of gratitude from the luggage-bearing people. ​
“You're certain that my greedy brother and cousin have both gone for the chambers adjacent to my father's, Pippa?” Adallida demanded. ​
Her servant nodded once, then offered her hand to help steer the young lady back into the flow of foot-traffic. “Of course, my lady, “ she answered. “They both wish for the honor of being physically closest to your father's chosen quarters, though your other cousin and sister have likely out-raced them..." ​
On the first-floor view, from the camera opposite the service staircase and now pointing toward the lobby, I just caught a glimpse of Bhiocasaid shepherding Zoti into the second 'double unit' on the first floor, Yera and Totra actually holding the somnambulent Zoti while Bhiocasaid held off Nehdud and Haruinn as they protested the two ladies staking their claim ahead of the 'more worthy young lords' of the family. ​
“We're not sharing quarters with you beasts, and that's simply that!” she shouted at them. “If you want your own choice of suitable quarters, you'd better get down to the ground-floor and claim one before Adallinda does!” ​
The boys blinked at her, then looked at each other. Nehdud spun on his heel and raced back to the cliff-face lounge area, shoving his way through the flow of servants. I winced as I watched him making half-hearted goo-goo eyes and kissy-faces at whichever of them had obviously female shapes under their travel-rags. The female servants burdened with effects, even boxes the size of filled shopping bags that couldn't possibly require two people to hold, found themselves getting extra help to disguise both women's use of the item in question as a makeshift shield against his efforts. However slowly he was moving, though, he still made faster progress than Haruinn could possibly manage. ​
Adallinda's voice rang out from below, shrieking in triumph. Through the final view-window, Kregorim and I observed as she managed to slap her hand on the not-glass biometric scanner next to the door to the lower double-unit, Pippa now holding the sweating lady up and maneuvering her through the door, a line of six servants carrying baggage behind them. ​
Nehdud pushed through the line of servants to stand in front of the handrail, slamming his fist on the stone with one hand and snarling. Then he turned to look at Haruinn, noting his near-complete lack of movement, and his rage turned to a grin. He waved at his rival for the remaining double-suite, then resumed his efforts to force his way through the flows of servants. ​
Haruinn clenched his fists, until Midmolk pointed at the 'service stairway' just next to the now-claimed double-unit. “Their position matches something similar on the door below, master,” he pointed out. ​
Haruinn nodded, clanking his way to them at best possible speed, Midmolk following with the tower-shield. The Lignignory male slapped his hand on the palm-scanner; I granted him temporary access, mostly because I wanted to see if he could possibly beat that smarmy Nehdud if he had a clearer path. The young man succeeded in surprising me by gesturing at Midmolk, who handed him the tower-shield. He proceeded to ride it down the two half-flights of stairs like a sled, scraping the heck out of the finish and arriving at the ground-floor before Nehdud made it all the way through the lobby. ​
Haruinn pushed himself to his apparent limit, huffing and red-faced, as he quick-marched with all of that extra metal on his front to reach the palm-scanner and slap his hand on it. ​
Just as Nehdud threw open the door from the ground-floor lobby to see him do it. ​
The knife-burdened man strode into his doorway while Nehdud sank to his knees with a frustrated scream. ​
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Hey there! I'm a 36-year-old married dude with kids, who's pretty laid-back and introverted, and full of ADHD. While I'm a bit of a homebody, I do enjoy getting out into the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest when I can muster the energy (thanks to my wife's gentle nudges). I have a knack for humor and love swapping dumb jokes – especially the classic dad variety. Laughter is the best medicine, as they say!
In terms of hobbies, I'm into art, particularly drawing and currently learning to paint. I'm also a lifelong learner and have a passion for exploring new things (my next project is cross stitching). Anime and manga are my biggest current interests, and I don't mind indulging in them with or without my kids (who can resist a good anime binge, am I right?). Some of my currents (and past favs) include My Hero Academia, DBZ, Full Metal Alchemist, One-Punch Man, and One Piece. One of my dreams is to write and illustrate my very own graphic novel someday.
When I'm not immersed in my creative pursuits, you can probably find me glued to YouTube, either soaking up new knowledge or laughing at dumb videos. Podcasts are another favorite of mine, especially those in the realms of comedy and learning – bonus points if they involve Dungeons & Dragons shenanigans.
I occasionally game, including games like Starbound, the Civilization Series, God of War, the Horizon Zero Dawn Series, Baldur's Gate 3, Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Stardew Valley. I've also been working to get some emulators going to play some past favorites from Playstation.
Musically, I'm a fan of rock in all its forms, from punk to heavier metal. Some favorites include Thrice, Coheed and Cambria, Four Year Strong, August Burns Red, Texas in July, This or the Apocalypse, Not On Tour, and many more (just ask!).
I'm on the hunt for someone who shares or has similar interests to mine. Reddit messages and Discord are my preferred modes of communication. It would be awesome to connect with someone who enjoys swapping memes, discussing shared hobbies, and maybe even motivating each other to try new things. But most importantly, I'm just excited about learning from people from all walks of life. If that sounds like your cup of tea, shoot me a message! (I have to add, platonic friendships only please!) I always struggle with reaching out to new people, so if you're the same, here's a few ice breakers to get a conversation rolling. Feel free to tweak them, or add your own!:
-What's your one go-to song you play constantly, no matter how embarrassing? -What's the weirdest talent or skill you have? -What's your most memorable dream you've ever had? -If you could instantly become an expert in any subject or skill, what would it be and why? -What's a lesser-known or seemingly overhyped book/audiobook/graphic novel/comic/anime/ manga/movie/TV show that turned out to be one of your favorites?

Hey there! I'm a 36-year-old married dude with kids, who's pretty laid-back and introverted, and full of ADHD. While I'm a bit of a homebody, I do enjoy getting out into the great outdoors of the Pacific Northwest when I can muster the energy (thanks to my wife's gentle nudges). I have a knack for humor and love swapping dumb jokes – especially the classic dad variety. Laughter is the best medicine, as they say! In terms of hobbies, I'm into art, particularly drawing and currently learning to paint. I'm also a lifelong learner and have a passion for exploring new things (my next project is cross stitching). Anime and manga are my biggest current interests, and I don't mind indulging in them with or without my kids (who can resist a good anime binge, am I right?). Some of my currents (and past favs) include My Hero Academia, DBZ, Full Metal Alchemist, One-Punch Man, and One Piece. One of my dreams is to write and illustrate my very own graphic novel someday. When I'm not immersed in my creative pursuits, you can probably find me glued to YouTube, either soaking up new knowledge or laughing at dumb videos. Podcasts are another favorite of mine, especially those in the realms of comedy and learning – bonus points if they involve Dungeons & Dragons shenanigans. I occasionally game, including games like Starbound, the Civilization Series, God of War, the Horizon Zero Dawn Series, Baldur's Gate 3, Tony Hawk Pro Skater and Stardew Valley. I've also been working to get some emulators going to play some past favorites from Playstation. Musically, I'm a fan of rock in all its forms, from punk to heavier metal. Some favorites include Thrice, Coheed and Cambria, Four Year Strong, August Burns Red, Texas in July, This or the Apocalypse, Not On Tour, and many more (just ask!). I'm on the hunt for someone who shares or has similar interests to mine. Reddit messages and Discord are my preferred modes of communication. It would be awesome to connect with someone who enjoys swapping memes, discussing shared hobbies, and maybe even motivating each other to try new things. But most importantly, I'm just excited about learning from people from all walks of life. If that sounds like your cup of tea, shoot me a message! (***I have to add, platonic friendships only please!***) I always struggle with reaching out to new people, so if you're the same, here's a few ice breakers to get a conversation rolling. Feel free to tweak them, or add your own!:
-What's your one go-to song you play constantly, no matter how embarrassing? -What's the weirdest talent or skill you have? -What's your most memorable dream you've ever had? -If you could instantly become an expert in any subject or skill, what would it be and why? -What's a lesser-known or seemingly overhyped book/audiobook/graphic novel/comic/anime/ manga/movie/TV show that turned out to be one of your favorites?

I am not The OOP, OOP is u/brokenheartedsister
My (26F) fiance (28M) slept with my sister (32F). Heartbroken and devastated. I can't move on.
Thanks to u/Choice_Evidence1983 for suggesting this BoRU
TRIGGER WARNING: infidelity, betrayal, self harm, depression, property damage
Original Post Nov 27, 2015
Hi Reddit. I'm posting here in the hope that someone can give me some advice, share their experiences, I don't know. I'm just completely at a loss. I feel like my heart has been ripped out.
My fiance (let's call him Jake) and I have been together for 7 years. I don't know a life without him. I met him at university, we stayed together past graduation, and moved into a flat which we bought together 2 years ago. He proposed last summer and we were set to wed in July 2017. We have had very few problems until now.
My sister (let's call her Sara) is an extremely volatile person. Growing up, I doted on her completely but she had a lot of personal issues that made our home life turbulent. Her childhood was very different to mine. My parents had very little money, they were on the brink of a divorce, my dad was physically violent on a number of occasions. Whilst things improved drastically in the years after I was born, she has an abundance of problems that stem back to this. My parents feel a lot of guilt about Sara's upbringing, and used to let her get away with some shocking behavior.
Sara had the same boyfriend for as long as I can remember (they dated from when they were 16), and their relationship was toxic. They habitually broke up and got back together; when they were good, they were crazy in love. But more often than not, she would have these insane arguments (sometimes physical) with him then take out her frustrations and despair on myself and my parents. I remember spending many nights lying by her side in bed while she cried so hard she would retch. After their arguments, she would throw plates and glasses at the wall, hit herself. Sometimes she would hit me and my parents too. It was like he was a drug to her, and she was emotionally stunted and didn't know how to see anything past their relationship.
2 months ago, her boyfriend called things off for good. I don't know what gave, but after nearly two decades together, he finally had enough. He booked a one way ticket to another country, changed his number, deleted all social media profiles, and essentially disappeared from Sara's life. To this day, she still won't explain what caused this, but it was long overdue.
To say Sara was devastated is an understatement. She moved out of their shared rented apartment, and in with my parents. I would visit her most days after work, where she would flit in between explosive rage to an almost catatonic silence, staring at the wall with tears streaming down her face. At one point, we were all extremely worried she might seriously harm herself and organized for her to see a therapist (something I had suggested for years). Of course, she backed out days before her appointment, and there were no consequences. She is, after all, a grown woman. She just hasn't changed emotionally in the entire time I've known her, and still acts like a teenager.
2 days ago. I went to visit Sara, who was in bed in her darkened room. I let myself in and attempted to speak to her, telling her about my day at work. She immediately exploded, screaming at me, throwing her pillows across the room, crying uncontrollably. She told me life was unfair. That I had everything and she was left alone to "rot". That everything wrong in her life was because she was a bad person. She hurt her boyfriend, she drove him away, she's ruined our family, she fucked Jake and didn't even feel guilty at the time. I initially thought I'd misheard her, but then she said it again. It was like she had poured a bucket of ice water over me.
I silently left, shaking. When I got home, Jake was there watching TV. It came out of my mouth the second I saw him, and I could see in his eyes it was true. He broke down, and told me it had happened 3 years ago. Sara had had another blazing row with her boyfriend and decided to drive round to Jake's looking for me. I was at our parents at the time and Jake attempted to pacify Sara. He comforted her while she sobbed in his arms, and one thing led to another. They had sex.
I packed an overnight bag while he followed me from room to room, sobbing and telling me it was the worst mistake of his life, that he still has no idea how it happened. That he felt unbelievably guilty the second it was over, that it feels like it wasn't even real. I left him in the doorway begging me not to leave.
I've checked into a hotel and have switched my phone off. I don't know what to do, who to tell, where to begin. I feel sick, like this is a bad dream. My heart feels like it's been ripped into a million pieces. For all of Sara's faults, I love her more than anything. It's the two people who are more to me than anyone else in the world.
How the fuck do I move on from this? I feel like I'm in a bubble. I don't know what's going on in the outside world. All I do is cry and sleep in this room. Someone please help me make sense of this.
tl;dr: My volatile sister recently went through a break up after a 16 year relationship with the love of her life. She is severely depressed and almost catatonic; I went to visit her one day only for her to explode and tell me she slept with my fiance 3 years ago. He admitted it was true and I haven't spoken to a soul since. I have locked myself in a hotel room with no plans of ever coming out. My heart is shattered into a million pieces and I don't know what to do.
Update Nov 29, 2015
Hi everyone.
I logged on this afternoon to find 300 + replies and messages to my post. I am unbelievably touched by the all people who reached out to me, particularly fractalfay's incredible response which spoke to me on a level I didn't think possible from a stranger. I'd like to thank each and every single person who took the time out of their day for me; I was so overwhelmed that I've not responded to a single one as of yet but it is truly truly appreciated.
Now onto the update.
It has only been a day or so since I made my post, but it feels like I'd been in that hotel room for weeks, crying in the dark buried under the covers. At some point this morning, I decided to draw the curtains open and let the sunlight in. I went and sat on the balcony and switched my phone on for the first time. It started ringing within 30 seconds. It was my mother, who burst into tears as soon as I answered. Her and my parents had obviously been desperately worried (this is the longest I have ever gone without contact) and had even contemplated calling the police had I failed to contact them by this evening.
My mom informed me that as I was walking out of Sara's room, down the stairs, and out the front door, Sara was screaming and wailing that she's sorry. Funnily enough, I didn't hear this. I don't know how. I think I was in such a state of shock that I couldn't process anything around me. Honestly, I can't even remember the drive home. After I shut the door behind me, my mom (who was the only other person at home) rushed into Sara's room to find her trashing her room and attempting to slash her wrists with a blunt lino cutter of all instruments (Sara used to do a lot of art). Obviously, this barely caused a scratch but jump started my mom into action. She drove Sara to the hospital, where I understand she underwent some sort of assessment and was kept overnight. She has, incredibly, agreed to undergo treatment for whatever it is that is wrong with her. My mom was surprised she was so complaisant on the drive down, willingly entering the car and saying nothing other than asking where I am.
Sara seems resigned and completely deflated; my mom spoke to me at length for the first time in my life about the hardships they had undergone during Sara's childhood. I am unwilling to go into detail and am still in shock about some of the things I heard. Sara is not devoid of responsibility; she has long surpassed the age where she can blame her childhood for her behavior, but my mom admitted through tears that not sending her to therapy at an early age was the biggest regret of her life so far.
I asked my mom if she knew why I had left; she admitted that she had known SINCE SARA'S EX LEFT TWO MONTHS AGO. At this point, I had to struggle not to hang up and I suddenly felt myself going back into that pit, but she begged me to listen. After her ex Harry (I am too drained to invent a name...hi Harry) left, Sara told my mom exactly what had happened. It was not the reason for Harry's departure, although he did know about it. Rather, he had had enough of being Sara's carer, and years of begging her to seek help had fallen on deaf ears one too many times. When Sara informed my mom, my mom told Sara I have to know immediately. Sara refused to tell me, and I still don't know why she changed her mind in that moment. My dad doesn't know for anyone wondering, and thinks I've left as I've also finally had enough of Sara's behavior.
Now here is where the home truths came out. I asked my mom if she knew the details. She was reluctant to tell me anything, stating that it had happened and that was all I needed to know. But I told her I refused to step foot in the house until I knew everything. She then proceeded to tell me that a few months before they slept together, Sara and Jake had kissed at my dad's 60th birthday party. It was a large family gathering with a lot of alcohol involved. I remember Jake getting very drunk with my cousins. Sara had a crying tantrum prior to arriving as her and Harry had an argument and he refused to come (she called me sobbing before she arrived). At some point during the night, Jake asked her if she was okay and hugged her, and once again "one thing led to another" and they shared a kiss in the kitchen. Sara told my mom that they were both immediately remorseful and vowed never to speak of it again, but Sara deliberately sought him out the night they slept together knowing he was unlikely to turn her down. She openly admitted she did it to get back at Harry, who had cheated on her during one of their many infamous breaks. I don't think I even entered her thoughts.
At this point, I'd heard enough. We'd spoken on the phone for over four hours and I felt mentally drained and physically sick. Any hope I had of salvaging my relationship with Jake has completely gone. I feel the last 3 years have been tainted by their betrayal, and the many years before that I wonder: did he like Sara this whole time? Part of me doesn't even want to know.
It's worth noting he has made absolutely no attempt to contact me other than a single TEXT stating "I'm sorry. Take as long as you need". As if it's inevitable I will come back to him.
Things are still up in the air. I don't feel ready to check out of the hotel as I don't know where I'm going to go next. I feel my relationship with my mom has been rocked by these revelations. I don't know what's going to become of Sara. I have no idea what I'm going to do about me and Jake's flat, where I'm going to live. I don't even know if I have a job anymore. I just haven't showed up to work.
But I know the truth and the smallest part of me is grateful for that. The rest of me is consumed by a pain I never imagined possible.
I guess there's nothing else to do now except wait and see how things unfold. But reading through your comments and messages have been more help than you can imagine, thank you thank you thank you.
And for anyone who has have ever experienced symptoms like Sara's, or has been around someone who is so visibly troubled, I beg of you: seek help before it's too late.
tl;dr: I had a four hour conversation with my mom, who not only knew about Sara and Jake, but informed me that they had shared a kiss a few months prior to the event. I am still in the hotel, still heart broken, and have no idea what to do next. The only saving grace is that Sara has agreed to treatment and will not be in my life for the foreseeable future.
Final Update Dec 26, 2015
Hi everyone!
I thought I would make a final update (to my original post and update) as I received a lot of messages over the last few days wondering how I am over the holiday period.
Once again, I'd like to thank you all for the outpouring of support I've received over the last month. The number of messages, links to help, and offers for a shoulder to cry on were overwhelming and touching. I apologise if I never got round to replying to them all, the last few weeks have been a blur. But I am eternally grateful nonetheless.
So, after my conversation with my mom (where I found out she had known about Jake and Sara) I went back to square one. I switched my phone off again, and retreated back into my hotel for a further 5 days. From the comments on my last post, I should clear up one thing: my mom hadn't known about Jake and Sara from the very beginning. Rather, Sara had told her about it at the time of Harry's sudden departure (meaning she had known a couple months before I did).
Eventually, I decided enough was enough and decided to call work. My boss wasn't angry, or even surprised, to hear from me. My mom had called him after our conversation and told him there had been a family emergency and I would be unavailable for the forseeable future. He advised I take to the end of the week, but would have to come to a meeting if I required any more time off work than I had already given myself. So my job was safe(ish) and I'm back at work and trying to get on with things.
After this, I went back to my parents. Sara was also home but holed up in her room. I went in to see her and she was up painting. As a number of you guessed, it is likely she has BPD, although my parents are waiting on a second opinion. She is going to counselling weekly, and seems slightly better. She broke down in tears when she saw me and we had a long long talk, where she spoke to me in depth about how truly consumed she was by her and Harry's toxic relationship. She understands it's for the best that it's over, but she describes the pain as "unrelenting: it hurt when he was with me, and it hurts now he's gone".
I know alot of you will feel disappointed that I haven't cut her or my mom out of my life for good. I still feel resentment in the pit of my stomach when I think about it, but truly, I blame Jake more than anyone else. Jake was with me for long enough to see some of Sara's behaviour. She's not well and he still chose to do what he did. It is a slow process, but she's my sister and I can't cut them out of my life forever. It will never be the same again, but maybe that's a good thing.
My dad, who had been newly informed on the proceedings, drove to my apartment and gathered some clothes and an overnight bag. Jake was not home, and my parents have not heard from him since I left. I have no idea where he is, and neither he nor his family have attempted any contact with me since this came out. His social media profiles have disappeared, and I have not attempted any contact with him, his family, or his friends. I began the slow process of telling my friends last week. I did not explain what happened, other than to say Jake was not the person I thought he was. They have all assumed cheating, but there is no reason for them to know who was involved.
I have switched back and forth between staying with my parents and sleeping at my apartment. I sleep on the sofa bed as the memories are too painful at the moment. I am in the process of looking into selling the place, however, this means contacting Jake at some point in the near future as the apartment is joint owned. I will cross that bridge when I feel a bit stronger.
Christmas day was a strange and sad one for both myself and Sara. But we spent it as a family, and for the few hours we were sat around eating and watching movies the pain was dulled even a small bit. As we were flicking through the various movies and TV episodes we'd recorded, I came across a scene that stuck with me, a scene that ended with the words: "la familia es todo".
I still spend most days with a hole in my heart, it hurts more than anything I've ever felt in my life...but it's getting better. I know I've got a long way to go, but for the first time I'm confident I'll get there.
Thank you for reading and here's to 2016.
tl;dr: Jake has disappeared without a trace. Sara is in treatment. My heart still hurts but I'm finally starting to get better.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
OOP When asked why she forgave her sister and not Jake

I was anticipating this response, and it's not unfair at all. Thank you for taking the time to write it.
It is extremely difficult to articulate the many emotions I feel neatly into a readable post on Reddit. There are days where I feel so overcome with hatred and shock that I almost find it difficult to breathe. Other days, it seems like a bad dream that I suppress long enough to be able to go to work, come home, eat, sleep, and do not much else.
Sara has not got away with anything. I will always hold her at arms length for this, and our relationship will likely never recover to the level where I can trust her fully. But it is truly difficult to cut out a family member. Maybe in the future, I'll find that I'm not able to move past this and I will end up removing her from my life. But as it stands, this is what I currently feel: more hatred towards Jake than her. It is a situation in flux, and what I may feel at the time of writing this post could be completely different tomorrow. I am also intending to seek counselling, which may change my perspective entirely. But for now, it is what it is.
Thank you for your well wishes.

&

Right now, for whatever reason, my heart is hurting more at Jake. All the memories I have of family days out ruined by Sara that he's witnessed, nights I've spent telling him about her, times I've defended her when he's told me she's crazy. I just can't understand how he would go there.
Then there's our life together. Our plans for our wedding, the memories we've shared, everything he was willing to throw away from someone that I believe he had no respect for.
Tomorrow I'll be angry at Sara all over again. But today, it's Jake. Like I said, it's a situation in flux and no one day has been the same so far when it comes to my emotions.
Thank you for taking so much time to share your thoughts with me, it's greatly appreciated and in time I will be able to process your words with a clearer mind.

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP
DO NOT CONTACT THE OOP's OR COMMENT ON LINKED POSTS, REMEMBER - RULE 7

There is someone out there reading this waiting for a message from someone that may be drawing my attention towards because of my topics I write about.
I am a former and currently struggling addict. I'm not perfect, I don't try to be someone I am not. I am blunt, honest, alone.... Mostly alone.... A lot!
I am a human being that has stumbled many upon many times..... I'm doing it again not all or all at once, but I did all in my past.
Let me break the ice and list some of my sins and addictions.
watching inappropriate films of all topics.
Fornication
Smoking
Drinking
Gossip
Gluttony
In a nice way to list it without the drama story attached to it. I'm guilty of it all.
Don't give in, even though you messed up today. I did too....
Just socializing, I take a drag of a cigarette and then another and then another....
Well, I just smoked and broke my promise again for the millionthteenth time.... So, I'll just smoke for tonight only......
It's 1am now, but I didn't fall asleep yet, so I can smoke until my day actually ends.
F* it, I'll just buy a pack because I'm already smoked yesterday and broke my promise.
You see my demons there!
Yeah, this is current and I'm ashamed and holding myself accountable. I told my person my struggles and allowed them to share their anger towards me for falling back into my old patterns. I still told them and I am working on myself. I am reminding myself where I was and how long I stopped and how far I've come and to not fall back into hurting my body anymore. To love myself more and not harm it because I am not afraid of dying. I need to stop wanting it to happen to me. I need to accept that my life has a purpose and masking my pain won't stop when I am hiding my emotions for a nicotine buzz when I take a break at work.
That is no excuse to pick up the habit. Let your coworkers do it without you. Don't go back to your old habits. Stop it!
That's my Dad yelling at me. I get him interrupting when I free write.
I want you to see that I struggle everyday. I miss smoking every day. I chose the other options to seek a substance over another. I am just like my father. I have an addictive personality and behavior pattern.
I also see where I need to work on myself and I get back in the game. I don't keep with the habit because I fell out of it for a weekend. My Dad won't shut up.
My father died of lung cancer and he never smoked and he is very upset at me for smoking so I could be with him in heaven. He cried next to me as I cried and I gave up singing. I left choir and I had throat problems when I was a senior in college. I didn't get to sing my recital to my father, he passed away before he saw me graduate.
He doesn't want anyone to give in to their addictions. He wishes he followed his dreams of being a service with God by his side. He gave into alcohol and pills. He sees me talking about him on here. I'm letting you see me for who I am and I am not afraid of how you read my story. This is real. This is me. Deal with it or move on.
Sorry about that side tangent. Suz showed up.
She helps me get my throat chakra open so I can share my feelings and stick up for myself. She is well aware of my past and been warning me ever since.
This is about addiction. This is about letting go.
They show up at the worst times, sorry you guys....
I am here to receive and share my story and I fall apart. I am being tested by my enemy and I am sharing my struggles to show my gratitude for awareness. I am more aware to see where I am falling short and work on nurturing those wounds to avoid the old habits of treating it. My inner child, my 20 year old self showed up and what I did back then was miss my Dad and smoke.
I can never fall too far, my Dad shows up and reminds me to write and he helps me get back on track with the topics I write about. It's him taking over my hands and I just start writing.
It's really cool. I miss him and it's weird how he does this, it took me a few tries after becoming very intoxicated with a substance I don't want to trigger you anymore..... Sorry....
I'm not the only one that has this problem. When some of us become intoxicated, we are more intune with spirits. It's not a psychotic break down. It took me a long time to see why my father kept escaping when he had no reason.
He had good reasons, but I wasn't old enough to understand. Until he passed, we are very close, he shares with me many memories and stories of my family I never knew. He taught me how to talk to my Grandmother through music. He lets me know how to handle my mom. He calms me down when I am having a breakdown and my arms hold my body in a hug. I don't move my body, I let my body move on its own. When I allow this to happen, especially when I drank, I saw my father in my memory hugging me tightly. That was when he taught me how to see and communicate with him.
I got used to wanting to be around him more, I kept trying to find how to bring him back, it only happens on special occasions. I don't get to decide how he wants to show up. He just does and I have to be ready to see his signs and feel every moment to enjoy the experience.
He told me today.
"Knock it off! Go write!"
So, here I am. I was wrong. This journey doesn't let me get away with much anymore. I have a purpose why I chose to stray away from God after I went to college and do this stuff.... My adult self is really mad for smoking and drinking so heavily.....
If you are still young, but feel like you did yourself enough damage you don't see the point in stopping......
Just stop.
There's no plan to it, you just do it. It's gonna suck. That part you got to fix is how you think about it once you stop.
This isn't me talking, this is still my Dad teaching me a lesson to not smoke. Because he died a terrible death and he doesn't want me to go the same way. We are working on forgiving each other in giving into our patterns we learned from our family patterns of raising kids. We all have a story. We all came from some form of trauma.
They want to show me how to stop repeating it. I failed this week. It's been a week, not gonna lie and I enjoyed it, but now, I feel regret. Because I do know better.
I know someone out there wants to be serious and stop, but feel alone without someone to show active encouragement.....
Be my cheerleader too!
I need one so I can stop messing up my clean lungs. I worked hard to get them there. I'm gonna get back on track and stop. I hope you are able to get a hold of your addictions too, Whatever it may be.
I feel a little weird about posting this, but they are double dog daring me to do it.
SO, don't judge, but yeah..... Here it is.... Unedited. All me.... Being weird.
Peace,
Tina

This is my second ever time going to SNM. I wrote up about my first time and how magical it was and I'm so glad I got to go again because let me tell y'all I somehow managed to have an entirely new experience this time.
I got the Oz Guest ticket to ensure I got an Ace card, and I was the first one off the elevator. I was dropped off on the 5th floor, alone, which was quite creepy with all the hospital beds and tubs and the forest. There was no one for several minutes, and I was disoriented and couldn't find the stairs or any way out. I drifted between the tub room and the forest, and eventually a nurse appeared in the tub room. I observed her wringing clothes in water, and draping them across the tubs, staging them like they were people. This process was slow and I heard a noise in the distance so I followed that into the forest, where I saw one other guest watching the cottage in the forest. I noticed finally that there was actually a nurse inside, eyes closed, only visible from one angle so I hadn't seen her when I passed earlier.
With nothing else to do, I stood there watching for what seemed like ages. Surely, at some point, she would do something? It was so long that I thought for sure I was missing a lot of the show. I wondered if it was worth it. I wondered what the other guest was wondering. A few others passed us, but no other characters for the longest time. Then a bell chimed, and the nurse finally opened her eyes. She looked out at us, stood, and....closed the window. At this point I was sure I had just wasted my time. I was debating leaving. But no one else was moving. But surely, this was a waste of time. I turned to leave, and suddenly the nurse from the tub room appeared, crying, and the nurse inside the cottage opened the window to observe her. I must say the lighting here was excellent, but then the lighting in this show continuously impresses me. I have never been a lighting nerd but this show has made me realize how impactful lighting can be to a show. It's used masterfully in many scenes.
But back to the show. The nurse finally came out, and touched hands with the other nurse. They walked. I walked. We all wove through that forest, until the tub nurse ran suddenly, and we were running too, and then we were locked out from a gate. The tub nurse appeared in a window to the tub room, and danced as we watched. This small dance seemed to me like she was on the edge of a cliff, and her grief took her over as she fell suddenly off the edge. Not fell, leaped. I read this scene as a woman tortured by grief taking her own life, while a friend? Colleague? Observed.
Then my cottage nurse turned and walked slowly back to her cottage. She opened the door a crack, and turned, staring at me. I stepped closer. She opened it further. Cautiously, I stepped inside. She closed the door behind us. What transpired next was a magical experience I will not soon forget, with the taste of tea on my lips and whispered words about a moon like decayed bark and a sun like a wilted sunflower and stars like flies pinned to place. Blood will have blood...
I left and there was no one outside the cottage or indeed in the forest at all. I made my way through it and the tub room and finally found another hallway. I'm going to be honest, I do forget where I wandered then, and I may definitely be mixing up the order in which the following scenes happened because the night was a fever dream. But I witnessed scenes I did not see the first time I went last month. Somehow, by luck, other than the ending scene and the rave I did not see any duplicate scenes.
I saw the porter - who I don't think I ever encountered last time - and his dance in the hotel lobby is my new favorite. It's so full of raw joy, and though he was clearly an older man he danced with boyish jubilance that was infectious. More than a few of us observers were absolutely dancing along with him as we watched. I also found his interactions with the Boy Witch fascinating and their choreography at the telephones was my favorite by far.
The Boy Witch was another character I only saw in the ballroom and the rave last time, but who I witnessed several scenes with this time around. He's far too fast for me to follow, but I was lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time several times throughout the show. It was the same actor as last time, and I have to saw I think he plays the character really well. He's clearly sought after by everyone he encounters, seducing and drawing people in. I loved every scene with him almost as much as the Porter. Also, is the snake tattoo his or his characters? It's really beautiful, either way.
I saw two very intimate scenes with the Bald Witch, who I wondered how I missed last show but found out I didn't - she wears a wig through part of the show 😅 The little room she cleans up in a few times throughout the show off the side of the lobby is where I encountered her most. Once solo, and I felt almost bad I stepped into the room with her because I'm not small and I know I partially blocked the view of people outside of the room but fortune favors the bold right? I did try to squeeze myself into a corner, which only resulted in another person coming in to fully block the view from the hallway. That person caught the eye of the bald witch instead of me (I should have just stayed out blocking them 😤) and was allowed to touch her head in a very intimate moment.
The second time I caught her in there was by following a woman whose character name I don't know, after the ballroom scene where the two of them move the trees and then embrace. This time I did not care if I blocked people, me and one other person were in the room and watched the two women clean themselves up and reapply makeup. When the other woman left, I stayed with the bald witch (now wearing a wig), who fascinated me.
At some point I ended up in the rave bar before the rave began. I didn't know the "Hell Here" sign changed to "Hello There" before the rave! Every time I had seen it previously it had the o and t unlit. I saw Hecate readying for the rave. The music changed, and she danced, and eventually she made gasping sounds. Each gasp seemed to be a summoning. A ritual, drawing the other characters towards her. Her scream initiated the rave, and this time I had front row view from a different angle than I had previously, so it was like seeing it new all over again. Every bit as incredible, but different enough to feel like a brand new experience. And again, the lighting, seriously I'm a lighting whore after this show. I will forever judge theater experiences by their use of lighting compared to this show now. I hope whoever is in charge of lighting design is paid handsomely because seriously their work really drives the story. The music too, but I'm more impressed by the lighting tbh.
After the rave, I debated trying for the Hecate 1 on 1 since I knew what triggered it from last show, but I wanted to try new experiences this time so I tried to follow the Boy Witch instead. But I couldn't keep up, and there were too many people, and the next thing I knew I was by myself wandering empty halls again.
I can't remember if this happened before or after the rave, but I saw Agnes in the hall with all the shops. She went into a bedroom, and lay to sleep, where the tailor (not sure that's the characters actual title?) snuck in through the closet and put her capelet over her as she slept. When he left, she woke, and she locked the door to the room. I watched her put on makeup, and then go into the closet. Me and the 3 others watching kind of looked at each other, wondering if we should follow. Two of them tried the door, to find it's locked. Once I knew that I plowed into the closet and had a delirious thought about going to Narnia but no, I just ended up back in the shops hallway, where I saw Agnes meet the man who had covered her when she slept, and together they went into the clothier, and danced as he presented her with fabrics to choose from, and when he left she stole his money, and he brought her flowers, and then she went back to her room. She went next to the detective agency, and wrote a letter which I couldn't read despite trying over her shoulder (I'm a creep, this show makes me feel like such a voyeur lol).
At some point I ended up back in the lobby, watching the porter and the Boy Witch and two women and I think MacBeth? Dancing on the lobby desk, which was wonderfully choreographed again. Instead of following the others I stayed with the porter and situated myself in front of him as he made a tiny boat out of a card. Then Agnes was there, ringing the bell for the porter, and I realized then we'd had a reset because I had seen this scene already. I went to take the boat origami, but as I reached for it another guest snatched it away - like literally, she had been pressed to my side the entire scene, her fingers twitching so she clearly knew the opportunity would be coming. I thought that was a little uncalled for, but whatever, I'd already had a few very special moments today I wasn't going to let one instance sour anything.
I left to find another scene as I had watched this one already, and ended up back at the Manderlay bar by accident. Took that opportunity to use the restroom and grab a quick drink because a woman was singing and she had a lovely voice. Listened until her song was done and when I went to leave, the guy who was the greeter at the start of the show asked if I want to enter a different way, and took me in through the "main" entrance which somehow I had never gone in through before?? This deposited me in the lobby of the hotel of course, and I wandered until I encountered two people running towards each other and embrace, sobbing. The man went on, and far too many people followed him so I followed the woman, who went into the room with the lit cross where Duncan(?) body is. She unwrapped him and used true loves kiss to bring him back to life. Together they went to the ballroom and danced, which was beautiful. Then she left, and I followed our resurrected Duncan because I had NO IDEA he came back to life at any point from last show so I was like bro what are you gonna do with your new life??? Well, he decided to retrace his steps of course, clearly confused and slowly remembering what had happened to him as he went first to the cross room, then to the place of his murder, then through to the room he dances in before his murder, and then he went running. I tried keeping up but well, I am not a runner.
Somewhere along the way I end up back in the ballroom, having followed someone I encountered in the hall. I thought oh great, banquet again, let me wander and see if anything else happens elsewhere since I have already seen this? But as I went to leave, the Porter and a woman came in, and positioned themselves in the back of the ballroom. I had not seen this before as I'm usually at the front, so I decided to stay and see if they do anything interesting. And this is when I realized the show was ending, because the banquet turned into a hanging, and we were then all ushered out.
Second time going to this show, and I feel I saw a whole new show having witnessed so many scenes I hadn't seen last time. I wonder how many more I am missing? I hope to see it once more next month, and maybe finally see the entire show and put together the pieces of plot. I definitely feel that this time I was able to absorb more, and found myself actually applying motives and thoughts and words to scenes that had none. I love that there are very few spoken scenes - it leaves the experience up to the beholder to interpret, and I know from reading others recaps that we all kind of notice different inflections that mean different things to us and change how we view a scene. I'm only sorry i waited so long to see this show - I wish I could have seen it more often to truly capture all of it.
But, I may have another chance next month! Until then, I for one will definitely be getting a good nights sleep after all that walking today 😂