There are a lot of unhealthy relationships in Downton Abbey. Both platonic, and non-platonic. But there are also some incredibly healthy ones and they're all based on mutual love and respect (and trust). And I think it would be fun to talk about them for a change instead of trying to persuade each other that love can be abusive (it can't, if it's abuse it's not love).
Let's start with the more seemingly unlikely (but actually makes a world of sense) sibling relationship, the one between Tom and Mary.
I think, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the first real interaction between them happened when Sybil got injured at the by-election.
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Sybil, in her distress, asked Tom to bring someone from her family to Crawley House, and that someone was Mary. She didn't ask for Edith or Cora, even though she was Cora's favourite daughter (and if anyone wants an elaborate essay, or a long comment on how I reached that conclusion, let me know). She asked for Mary, because Mary was the one she trusted the most and the one she felt closest to. And the one she knew would stand by her, no matter what. Because, from what we've seen on the show, if you've got Mary's devotion she'll fight for you like a mama tiger.
So Tom and Mary unite forces for the first time because of their love and devotion to Sybil. And it shows. For all his reservations, Tom speaks to Mary openly after they come back to the house with Sybil. About his ideals and about who he is (someone who cares for Sybil). And Mary respects him, she doesn't rebuff him, doesn't tell him he speaks above his station (which, she could have, easily).
Even more she promises to give him news of Sybil's recovery when she notices how honestly he cares, and tells him to be prepared for Robert's wrath (which could have been considered out of turn, to speak about her father to a servant like that, but Mary didn't give a shit).
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Mary doesn't lose respect for him, and he doesn't lose respect for her, after Tom and Sybil try to elope. She doesn't talk down on him, and she is gracious, asking if he has money to pay for the room, and then accepting his reply without further questioning. What's more, she is honest with him, that she'll try to change Sybil's mind. But Mary doesn't find it necessary to talk down on him. After all, he is a man her sister loves. Whether it's smart for Sybil to do so is irrelevant, so Mary offers him the respect he deserves as the man her sister has chosen so far.
And Tom knows that Sybil values Mary's opinion. So he tells her "you think you can bring her around, don't you?" because he knows that the only person who could persuade Sybil, because it's the only person who would truly offer an opinion with only Sybil's best interest in mind, would be Mary.
Thankfully for him (and for Sybil), beyond advising her on what she thinks is best, Mary backs Sybil 100% and does all she can to keep her in her life and in the family.
And we know this through many things. First of all, she begs her father to send money to Sybil and Tom so they can be at her and Matthew's wedding.
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Second of all, she is the one who writes to them. When they eventually do come for the wedding, Tom tells Carson they know what goes on at Downton because "Mary keeps them informed". THEM. Which means her letters are adressed to both Tom and Sybil, because Tom is her brother now. And as her brother, he gets a certain set of benefits. Including her devotion. Which also shows from her private conversation with Sybil, and how happy they are to be together and be able to share their happiness with each other.
And this is what I mean by saying the family we choose. The people we turn to in our hour of need and our hour of joy are the people we form the closest bond with. Sybil turned to Mary in her hour of need, and Mary wanted Sybil there in her hour of joy.
Their bond had now expanded to include Tom, and then, even further, to include Matthew.
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Because of course it did. All those things that hold these people together, the love, the trust, the respect, extend to him through Mary, so of course he'd be bound to Tom and Sybil in the same way. Obviously, their characters and personalities match as well, but that becomes part of the deal, you don't develop those deep connections with people you don't match with.
And Sybil held on to that bond with her sister to the very end, confiding in Mary all the things Mary would need to fight for Tom when the time came. About how much Sybil loved him, and about Sybil wanting her baby to be baptised into the Catholic church. Sybil chose Mary to support her in these battles (or fight them for her, if need be).
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Sadly, Fellowes chose to show us very clearly who were Sybil's nearest and dearest in a very tragic way, considering whom he chose as the people literally holding on to her as she was slipping away.
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Which brings me to Tom asking Mary to be Sybbie's godmother.
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Mary is the Crawley who engages with Sybbie the most in season 3. More than Cora even. We see Mary at the nursery all the time, and it makes so much sense that Tom would pick her.
And I get that Fellowes did not want to bother with child actors, but it is sad he let those relationships move in the background once they were established.
First of all, again, Mary is clearly the one bonding the most with Tom's daughter. Second of all, her and Matthew were the ones who did their absolute best to integrate him to the family, Matthew making him his best man and Mary fighting Robert left and right in Tom's favour.
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So Tom had, initially, only invited Mary and Matthew to Sybbie's christening and nobody else from the family (not even Cora), and offered her the role of godmother. Because Mary loved Sybil, and Mary loved Sybbie. And Mary was the closest to Sybil that Sybbie would ever get.
Mary and Sybil were similar in many ways (even if Mary was a coward and Sybil was very brave), and Mary always loved and respected Sybil for who she was, and would do the same with her daughter. And she was so invested in keeping Tom and Sybbie in Downton, she was in fact the one to invite Tom's brother Kieran to stay with them during the christening.
I read a nice quote today that said death might end love, but it doesn't erase it. And that works for this family, because Sybbie gets so much love from her mother, through all these other people.
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So Mary chose to love Tom for Sybil, and Tom did the same, but eventually, they learned to love each other for who they were as individuals. And to work together and squabble together as siblings do.
And develop their non-verbal communication skills:
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Note: I love that Tom brought Sybbie to stay with Mary in the second movie while they were in France. Because of course he did. Why leave her with the nanny when she can be with her godmother and her cousins?
Let's move on to Rose.
Rose was a glaring replacement for Sybil, even if they were quite different people. And so, Rose was a replacement for Sybil in Mary's life too, although in this case, Mary was a parent figure for Rose.
Nothing makes this more obvious than the case of Mr Ross.
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Mary *sees* Rose with Mr Ross at Robert's birthday, and in typical Mary fashion when she comes across a situation outside the ordinary, she freezes. But once she reaches a decision on what to do, she doesn't say anything. She doesn't judge Rose. Mary has been through this. She knows what it's like to be young and stupid. She knows Rose is consenting to what is happening, and that it's a different time from when she was Rose's age. So she doesn't interfere until it becomes necessary.
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Enter Tom. In his very brotherly role, he immediately tells Mary, and not anyone else in the family, of what he saw. Btw, I love how he stands in front of her like a sergeant reporting for duty.
Because again, we reach out to the family of choice, and he trust Mary more than anyone else, more than Edith or Cora or Rosamund, to do what's right.
Tom, like the good brother he was, warns Mary of what he's seen.
Fellowes, then, very tellingly, puts two scenes back to back:
From Cora complaining to Mary of how hard it is to parent Rose and that she doesn't know what to do with her.
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To Mary very expertly parenting Rose and making no fuss about it.
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She doesn't treat her like a child, she doesn't attack her, and she never betrays her confidence.
She says "I don't want YOU to lose control of YOUR life". She makes sure Rose knows that ROSE is her priority. Not the family, not her mother, not anyone else. And she makes it clear that she doesn't judge her for whom she loves.
And THAT gives Rose the comfort to confide in Mary when the time comes and tell her of her plan to marry Mr Ross.
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This evolves in a very similar vein to Tom and Sybil with the difference that there's no elopement so Mary doesn't need Edith to drive the car.
She treats Mr Ross with the same respect she treated Tom. And she even tells him she wouldn't have been against his and Rose's union if it weren't for the cruel world they lived in.
What I find interesting here, is that she respects Mr Ross for himself, more than for being Rose's choice in partners. Because she thinks it's ROSE, who is being unfair to him, in using him as a means to spite her mother, even if she cares for him.
And you can tell the difference by the way the scenes are setup. Rose stands before Mary like a child stands before their mother. Mary sits across from Mr Ross and they share a cup of tea like adults, and equals.
Eventually, Rose understands, and forgives her. And loves her, and expects Atticus to love her as well (he does).
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So there you have it. It's almost like there's a string running through all these relationships, because all these people are bound together, and it's not because they're family. It's because there's positive emotions that keep them together and keep them in each others corner. And they're all about love and respect, between partners and between siblings and between cousins who are caught in a parent/child relationship because the actual parents in their lives are crap.
It's beautiful, and quite uncomplicated, and I like it's something we get to see on this show so much.

LOOOONG first time trip report! 5/13-5/18, stayed at Beach Club, visited all four parks, bought Genie+ every day, had the standard DDP. Family of 4, two girls 5 and 9. I learned so much from this group over the past year and especially loved trip reports, so hopefully this post will be helpful to someone!
💲BUDGET💲
-- I booked the trip a year out so I could break it up into 12 manageable payments. I opened the no fee Disney VISA, which gives you several months of no interest on charges made towards Disney travel packages, rewards dollars to use at Disney, and a couple other perks like character meet and greets and discounts.
-- I signed up for Disney Movie Insiders. This is what you're supposed to do with all those little codes that come in Disney DVDs/Blurays. You enter the codes in exchange for points, and at 1000 points, you can redeem for a $10 Disney gift card. You also get points for being subscribed to Disney+, seeing Disney movies in the theater, their social media accounts, and a whole bunch of other things. I got $50 in gift cards from this alone.
-- If you want Disney-themed luggage, try thinking outside the box to save money! I got plain luggage in Mickey colors--red and black--and Mickey luggage tags to make them Disney themed.
-- I tried to budget for souvenirs via gift cards... but I failed, lol. Everything is so expensive, $100 is gone in a second. Plushes are like $40, coffee cups are $20, etc. Whatever you're planning to spend, double it! I get what people say about most shops having the same stuff, but it's definitely not all of them, most of the ones post-ride have unique stuff. And honestly it's kind of nice most of them have the same stuff, if you want to get whatever your kid was asking for earlier, you don't have to walk all the way back to the one shop you saw it at.
-- We paid for Memory Maker and I'm on the fence about it. On the one hand, it's really nice to get all the ride photos and meet and greet photos and magic shots. It's also really nice for the whole family to be in a lot of pictures and not have to swap with the other adult or find someone willing to take your picture. On the other, we definitely didn't utilize it as much as I wanted to because a lot of the photographers had pretty long lines and I just didn't want to spend time waiting for a picture I could take myself. If we came across someone with a shortish or no line, we made sure to get it, but for anyone with a long line, we just stood around the same spot and took our own.
🗓️PLANNING🗓️
-- If you have kids and live within easy driving distance of another amusement park, highly recommend making a visit BEFORE going to Disney to get an idea of how they handle that kind of day/environment, especially if they have never been. I quickly discovered we would absolutely need a stroller and I would need to be militant with the kids about staying hydrated. Also to avoid face paint, as heat + tears + paint + eyes = bad day! I felt so much better making these discoveries beforehand and being able to prepare accordingly, rather than making them at Disney.
-- USE AN AGENT! An agent is free to you, so why not have the help? Ours was amazing, she gave us quotes, booked the package, rebooked as needed later when a better deal came out, made all the payments, dining and extra reservations, and was just all-around awesome to work with. It was such a load off to know I wasn't on my own with all this stuff.
-- Watch everything Ear Scouts. No one explains Genie+ better, and Rob and Erick's videos are just so positive and beautiful and well done.
-- I also enjoyed reading Disney Tourist Blog--lovingly snarky but super informative!--and Disney Food Blog for fun tips and news.
-- I didn't find any park to be a half day park, we filled our whole day in every one and still didn't see everything!
-- My kids did really well, whenever they were on the verge of cranky, we had one ride in the stroller for a while, bought a snack (usually ice cream or popcorn), and used the bubble wand, and/or gave them some ibuprofen, and everyone felt better pretty quick. We never tried to do fireworks, we were all done by 8 so always left after dinner. The only park we closed down was EPCOT because we didn't get out of dinner until after close, and that was a really cool experience, the park was so quiet and empty and beautiful!
-- You don't NEED a Magic Band... but man, was it convenient. We just had 1.0 Magic Bands though, we didn't bother with the 2.0s.
-- I guess moving through security fast is important to people rope dropping... but as someone who didn't, it added like maybe 30 seconds to a minute to the experience the couple times my bag got flagged, it's really not a big deal.
-- I'm not saying anyone's lying about bad experiences or exaggerating or anything, but try to remember that far more people go on the Internet to complain than they do to praise. I got so stressed about all the things that could go wrong, and we had a pretty much perfect trip. The only attraction that broke down on us was Muppetvision, of all things. The only "bad behavior" we witnessed was the morning we were leaving, we could hear a dad across the hall yelling at his family, I think they overslept and were going to miss their flight or something? We just turned the TV on so we didn't have to hear him. A couple times we forgot to take our stuff with us when we parked our stroller or forgot some food in it, and neither people nor animals bothered it. The only dicey thing that happened to us was me dropping my phone into the Dumbo moat, the cast members fished it out and it still worked, I sent them a cast compliment for all their help! All the cast members were great, I'm not really sure what people expect but IMO they all do amazing for having to be peppy and helpful all day in absolutely blazing heat, walking a ride conveyer belt nonstop, repeating the same spiels over and over, meeting person after person, etc. I wouldn't last a 2 hour shift let alone 8. Cast members, you rock!!!
✈️TRAVEL✈️
-- We flew Delta, flight there was flawless, flight home was delayed by an hour waiting for crew and was a little bumpy (which is not great for a nervous flyer like me) but otherwise fine.
-- Get TSA PreCheck! Good for a few years, if the adults have it the kids have it too. It made the whole experience so much easier. That said, even PreCheck still moves kind of slow at MCO, so definitely get there at least 2 hours early for your flight. Use curbside check-in for bags, way faster than the long line inside!
-- On our agent's recommendation, we used Away We Go for ground transport in Orlando. They communicate really well, both ways were flawless, no complaints!
-- We used Minnie Vans to get to Animal Kingdom + Sanaa and Magic Kingdom, what a wonderful service! Definitely pricey, but they had cartoons on in the car, booster seats they set up for you, and the drivers were so nice and friendly and had fun trivia to share. I never had any problem requesting one when I needed it.
⛱️BEACH CLUB⛱️
-- We knew we wanted an onsite hotel where you could walk to at least one park. This pretty much limits you to a handful of Deluxe hotels or the Swan and Dolphin. Beach Club won for us because it's "in the Disney bubble" and you can walk to 2/4 parks. Note that while you can technically walk to Hollywood Studios, it is a LOOOONG walk. The boat is a nice not crowded alternative! We did not make use of Early Entry or Extended Hours, we're just not built for either. Beach Club was lovely, we booked a resort view but I think we ended up with a water view, we were right by the quiet pool and could see the water beyond from our room. Stormalong Bay was a little crazy for us but we loved the quiet pool. Best thing about Beach Club though is the location, EPCOT is literally steps away!
🌳ANIMAL KINGDOM🌳
-- We had read that there's really no bad day to do AK, so we started there. We rode: Navi River Journey, Flight of Passage, Kali River Rapids, Everest, Kilimanjaro Safaris, Triceratops Spin, and Dinosaur--so pretty much everything! With Genie+ we walked onto all of them. We also met Moana, Pocahontas, and Russell! The only thing we didn't do here that we wanted to was the Gorilla Falls trail, but we just ran out of time before the park closed.
🌐EPCOT🌐
-- We had read to avoid EPCOT on Fridays and Saturdays, so we went on Wednesday. We rode: Grand Fiesta Tour, Living with the Land, Nemo, Spaceship Earth, Imagination with Figment, Frozen, Remy, Journey of Water, and Guardians--everything we wanted! Again, with Genie+, we walked right onto everything! Outside of our character meal (more on that in the dining section!), we also met Anna, Elsa, and Asha! Tried a couple of Flower and Garden snacks: chicken and waffles, fruit and cheese strudel, and potato pancakes, all were delicious! Everyone had a different favorite day, but EPCOT was personally my favorite day, it felt like we were firing on all cylinders and the day just went really smoothly!
🏰MAGIC KINGDOM🏰
-- We had read that Wednesdays were the quietest days at MK, so we were originally going to try to do it that day, but we could only get a reservation for Cinderella's Royal Table on Thursday, so we switched it up. Definitely the most crowded of all the parks we visited, but I think that's just the norm for MK, everyone wants to go to the castle park with the most rides. We rode: Regal Carousel, Tomorrowland Speedway, Barnstormer, Magic Carpets, Mad Tea Party, People Mover, Dumbo, Small World, Little Mermaid, Pirates, Space Ranger Spin, Jungle Cruise, TRON, and Peter Pan. Again, with Genie+, we walked right onto everything! The only ride we missed at this park that we wanted to do was Pooh, I couldn't manage to get a return time that was earlier than we planned on leaving. Outside of our character meals (more on those in the dining section!) we also met Mirabel, Tiana, and Rapunzel! We had both the Rapunzel and Aurora ice creams, both so good and cute!
🎬HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS🎬
-- We had read that, like MK, it's better to do HS later in the week, so we went Friday. We rode: Slinky, Alien Saucers, Toy Story Mania, Rise, Smuggler's Run, Runaway Railway. Again, with Genie+, we walked right onto everything! The only ride we missed was Tower of Terror, again I couldn't manage to get a return time that was earlier than we planned on leaving. We also met Olaf, be aware Olaf doesn't sign stuff, they just give you a signature card. This park needs more shade IMO, especially Toy Story Land, I know it's supposed to be Andy's backyard, but I don't see why that means we can't have some shade from trees or something. 🤪 Blue milk from Galaxy's Edge was really good, the family was all fighting over it!
🍽️DINING🍽️
-- We almost certainly lost some money on the DDP, but I'm still glad we got it because it allowed us to do more table service meals and have less stress overall about expenses. We easily used up everything but child quick service credits, we had a few of those left over near the end.
Here's where we ate!
BOARDWALK DELI/PIZZA WINDOW: Pizza for the kids, sandwiches for the adults. Tasty and satisfying after our day of travel!
BEACHES AND CREAM: Got the kitchen sink for the experience, but honestly it's not great, all the ice cream and toppings melt together quick and you just end up with weird ice cream soup.
SAT'ULI CANTEEN: LOVED this place, everything was so yummy! Best quick service we had!
SANAA: Since Animal Kingdom closes so early, we thought we'd try to extend the experience by eating at Sanaa. What a great idea, we got seated right by a window and saw so many animals! The food was great too.
AKERSHUS: Our favorite princess meal! We met Aurora, Tiana, Snow White, Ariel, and Belle. They were all lovely, and the breakfast was really good too. Only 1 credit on the DDP!
GARDEN GRILL: Our kids really enjoyed getting to look down over Living with the Land and the fact that the restaurant spins. We met Farmer Mickey, Pluto, and Chip and Dale. They were fun and even came to our table more than once. Food was good!
SPACE 220: Not on the DDP, but wow, what a cool restaurant! Almost like a ride with the theming and the elevator up. Food was really good.
CINDERELLA'S ROYAL TABLE: You gotta eat in the castle! We paid for it OOP because we didn't want to use up 2 DDP credits here. You're really going for the location and the princesses, the food is kinda meh, not bad but not as good as other places. The restaurant is small and they have to turn tables quick, so it's very understandable to me that the princesses have to move fast. It's not that they rush you, they'll take all the pictures you ask for and sign whatever and answer your questions, but if you don't have much you need, they try to keep moving. Akershus is much bigger so they are able to be more relaxed there. The only small bummer is that we didn't see Merida (maybe she was on vacation too!) We did meet Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine, and Aurora though!
CRYSTAL PALACE: We are not big on buffets but we enjoyed meeting Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore and Tigger!
TOPOLINO'S: Maybe the best food of the trip, steak and eggs were so good! The character artist costumes are so cute too. It was fun to have an excuse to ride the Skyliner to get here from Beach Club too.
DOCKING BAY 7: The theming is great, but the food wasn't as good as Satuli Canteen IMO.
THE MARKET AT ALE & COMPASS: We had quick service credits we wanted to use up on the last day and we didn't want to leave the resort again, otherwise I would have gone somewhere else, food was meh.
✨EXTRAS✨
-- I originally wanted to book Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique for my kids, but it's so expensive/competitive that I decided I didn't want the stress. Instead I booked Have Wand, Will Travel to come to our room and bought dresses from Presley Couture and Only Little Once. I chose Have Wand, Will Travel because they keep character throughout. Fairy Godmother Elyse was amazing and so much fun, my kids loved it and kept talking about it all day!
-- That same morning I ordered a Sammicakes breakfast box with beignets for us to eat. I also ordered a pretend letter from The DCP and Me on Etsy to make it seem like the breakfast came from Tiana. My kids also loved this and had fun telling Tiana about it both times we met her. Sammicakes was good but a LOT of food, sadly we didn't end up eating half of it. It can last you at least 3 days!
-- We had Birthdays and More decorate our door, it was a really fun surprise for the kids on our first day and made our room easy to find. The kids also loved reusing the decorations at home on their own doors!
-- Matching shirts and ear hats, all from Etsy! So many cool designs there, hardest part is choosing!
-- Got my kids a pin trading lanyard with some pins, they loooooved pin trading! It was like free souvenirs.
🧳PACKING🧳
-- Things the Internet Told Me to Pack That I Needed: Scissors, ziploc bags, ibuprofen (kids and adults), garbage bags, big carabiners to hook on the strolleuse to carry multiple bags at once.
-- Things the Internet Told Me to Pack that I Didn't Need: stainless steel straws (the paper straws are more like hard cardboard, they really don't break down unless your kid is gnawing on them or something), ponchos (it did rain some most days, but wearing a poncho was almost more miserable than not wearing one, it's so hot and humid to be walking around in a plastic bag! We did better taking shelter and using umbrellas.), wipes (obv you need them if your kid is younger, but mine were older and just never got messy enough to need them), glow sticks (we never stayed anywhere long enough to use them), bottled wateLiquid IV (the tap water tasted the same as home to us, but we live in a rural area so maybe we are just used to imperfect water?) Basically, the less you can get away carrying in the parks, the better. It's annoying to lug stuff around you don't end up needing or using!
🛞STROLLER🛞
-- I know it seems insane that your 5 year old and 9 year old will need a stroller, but mine definitely did. Once I accepted that I was going to have to get one, I tried to make the best of it, and actually got really into decorating it so we could always easily spot it in the sea (the decorations also later made nice wall decor for a gallery of our trip!) The Magic Spotter flag was the best investment, hardly anyone had them so it was easy to instantly spot our stroller anywhere we left it, even if it got moved. That said, I definitely didn't want to spend a lot on a stroller we were really only buying for this one trip, so I got a used Joovy Caboose on Facebook Marketplace for $50. It was very hard to handle with two older kids in it, and even with one it was hard to handle unless the kid was in the back seat. So we basically used it like a single stroller, glad I didn't spend a lot on it since it was so hard to drive!
☔WEATHER☔
-- We had mostly great weather, it rained some every day except Magic Kingdom day but it passed within an hour each time. We wore socks with Crocs so that if/when it rained, we could just take our wet socks off and walk in our Crocs, this worked great! Don't trust the weather reports though, two days it wasn't supposed to rain. One day it actually didn't, the other day it did and we had to walk in wet shoes because we didn't wear the Crocs that day. Just figure it might rain any day and be prepared! See above note RE: ponchos being not great and shelter + umbrellas being better. When it didn't rain, It. Was. Hot. 🥵 In the 90s but definitely felt hotter with the humidity making it so sticky. We felt there was plenty of shade at Animal Kingdom and EPCOT, but hardly any at Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, which I would say slightly affected how much fun we had on those days comparatively.
Phew! That's about it, let me know if you have any questions!

I am the godmother of a 2-year-old (born in 2022). My sister and I aren't very close, but she chose me partly to strengthen our bond (we're not Christian, it's just a tradition in our country). She also has a younger child. I'm also an aunt to a 4-year-old (born in 2020) on my brother's side.
I live abroad and visit home twice a year, staying about an hour away. I love all the kids but struggle to connect with my goddaughter. She's clingy to my sister and shy, playing alone. She recognizes me but doesn't seem to care much. In contrast, my older niece is outgoing and loves playing with me, making it easier to bond with her.
I'm worried this will seem like favoritism, especially since my older niece already has a very involved godmother. I'm not naturally good with kids, but I want to build a strong relationship with my goddaughter for everyone's sake.
I rarely stay in touch with my siblings except through the family group chat. How can I strengthen my relationship with my goddaughter from a distance and avoid growing further apart?

It’s been a long time I wanted to submit this story to the Potato Queen herself!
It’s a long story, actually it’s two stories in one, because as it involves the same person over more than decade long, it’s worth telling the whole story all at once (and it makes it may more fun too!). I decided to share it because it’s the kind of story that doesn’t seem to happen very often.
Below you will find goodies about an ex, a wedding, a dress, a delivery company and more! Please simply be mindful English is not my first language, trying my best to entertain you all the same.
This story goes back a long way, when (let’s name him) Frank (M) and myself (F) were both in college (both 17 at the time, we’re now 33), young and naive teenagers. We started as friends and eventually decided to be together. We then decided to move to another city together, as I was about to start university.
It went well for a while and then started to go south. So, long story short, after about two years together, we decided to break up. It wasn’t a mean breakup or anything, I think we were mostly disappointed it didn’t work out. Anyway.
We live in the province of Quebec. For those who don’t know, there is this weird tradition of starting and ending about any lease on July 1st. I have no idea why, but Canada’s Day has always been for anybody moving, in this province, a synonym of sweating under the sun, moving boxes, lifting heavy things and ending the day with cold beer and cheap pizza in a new and probably not so clean apartment. Why this context? Because we broke up two weeks before July 1st. It means it was virtually impossible to find another apartment so close to this date. We were about 7 hours away from both our families living on the countryside. We were also awfully broke students. We decided to give it a chance at being roommates.
Yes, it was super awkward at first, really not easy to manage to say the least. We were walking on eggshells and were definitely on edge for a while. There were also some pretty awkward situations, like this one time he decided to bring a one night home as I was sleeping in the adjacent room. Not only that, but the shameful phone call he had to make, waking me up in the middle of the night, so I could unlock the front door because he had forgotten his keys to find out he had brought home an acquaintance of mine. Nowadays I find this story delightfully funny tbh. But on that night, as I couldn’t go back to sleep because the gal decided to show off how an amazing singer she could have been —because, oh boy, this voice carried loudly all the way to my ears for more than an hour — I did not find it funny. I was furious, but prepared myself for the eventuality it would ever happen again. Do you remember the “Tiny Wall Challenges”? Let’s just say I had some games ideas after that night.
Anyway, anybody would probably have walked away but we still deeply cared for each other. We even did better than just survive through this whole year as roommates, we decided to move into a bigger apartment with two other friends. Believe it or not, we stayed there two more years. Moreover, these years were some of the best years and I still keep lots of good memories from this period.
Fast forward to the second part of the story. After being roommates for years, at some point we parted ways and lived our lives. We maintained contact throughout the years and when Frank finally started dating his wife to be, I was absolutely happy for him. He asked her to marry him and she said yes! Our friendship still held such a high place in both our hearts that he asked me to be one of his groomsmen, with his other best friend and his little brother. I felt so honoured, as I was technically a female, to be chosen to be on his side at the wedding.
The bridesmaids chose matching dresses in a beautiful forest green, all from a specialized website from UK, and I was to also be in a dress on the groom’s side, but matching the colour of the other groomsmen suits. With Frank, We all shopped together for their suits, chose a beautiful dark grey for his and a light grey for us, and we were able to match it perfectly with clothing samples I ordered from the website. Everything was going as planned. That being done, I ordered the dress, considering buying two inches heel shoes to go with it. It would take about four months to be done and the dress would arrive about a month and a half before the wedding. I decided to wait for the dress to arrive to pick shoes to go with it.
Four months passed, and I finally received a notice that the dress was on its way. The bridesmaids dresses arrived a bit before mine and they were all absolutely beautiful. As we all ordered from the same shop, we were able to choose different dresses that suited each of our styles, with identical fabrics that made the whole thing look fantastic.
I received the delivery’s notice, saying it was to be delivered by DHL. (If you never had to deal with this delivery company before, let’s just say this in itself is a red flag, but what could I do.)
I chose a delivery date that I could be home all day. I awaited their arrival, and waited. At some point I received a notification that they couldn’t deliver it because there was an error in the address. I called DHL customer service as soon as I read it and could verify with the clerk on the phone that there was no error on the original delivery address and that actually, internally, they miss-wrote a letter of the postal code. The person assured me that the delivery person would be notified and they would then be on their way back.
I waited. It never came.
The next morning, I received a notification that, unable to deliver it, the expeditor had agreed to DESTROY the package! I screamed! Why in the world would the UK online shop allow to destroy a custom made dress that took four months to do?! And why the hell the delivery service didn’t make any other attempt after being responsible of the address error in the first place. I was beyond mad. I called DHL, they confirmed someone at the company had agreed on the destruction of the item. I wrote to the person I was in contact with from the beginning at the online shop (this lovely clerk who clearly never asked for any of this). Over there, they couldn’t find who the hell agreed to this insane request to destroy the dress. They were also appalled and didn’t understand how it could have happened. They could put a request to redo the dress rush, but we first needed to either try to stop the destruction from happening by going to the DHL warehouse directly, or to obtain a proof from DHL that the dress was irreversibly lost forever.
It felt surreal! The fiancées were both furious too. There was only one DHL warehouse we could go to do this kind of request in the city and it was really far. As the clock was ticking, they jumped in their car, joined me, and to the warehouse we went, arriving a few minutes before closing like an epic movie scene. The clerk there was mind blown by the whole situation. It seemed we were too late and the best we could do was to have the proof that, in their system, the dress had effectively transited and was destroyed.
With photos as proof in hand, I forwarded everything to the clerk of the online dress shop. Days passed, as they were awaiting the okay to start sewing a new dress. They were really trying their best to help the situation but it seemed to be a mess over there about the whole situation. We were now a month before the wedding. At some point, I was starting to panic. They finally agreed to redo it, but it would be waaaay too close before the wedding to receive it. Like a few days before kind of close, if nothing happened in transport this time.
I decided to go shopping for another dress. I spent a whole day trying to find the perfect grey that would fit the other groomsmen suits. In the last possible boutique, there was one dress checking all the criteria. I bought the new one and wrote to the first shop, hoping they would agree to refund the lost dress.
I took an appointment later that week to do the adjustments on the new dress. I then shopped for shoes. I found a cute pair with one inch heel that would be perfect for me. I’m not used to walking with heels, so the lower the better after all.
Like all this turmoil wasn’t enough, my family called and told me that my grandfather’s health suddenly decreased. Remember? Seven hours drive from family. I canceled some plans and bought a ticket for the night’s bus ride right after the dress fitting. On that morning, the UK shop agreed to refund the dress. That part was a big relief. I went to the dress fitting. At last, three weeks before the wedding, The second dress would be ready in about seven days. I came back home to gather some things to get back out to catch my bus.
But suddenly, the doorbell rang.
I opened.
Some DHL delivery man casually gave me a package and left.
Yes. That’s what you think.
I closed the door, went to my room, sat on the bed, opened the bag. It was indeed the first dress. I had a melt down. I cried so hard. I put the dress down, looked at it, told it “I’ll deal with you when I come back” and went away to the bus station.
Few days later, coming back from the family, I collected the second dress and dealt with the first one, which no longer fitted the length of the shoes! My MIL at the time knew an old lady who was lovely enough to accommodate me and do the fitting of the first one for a as modest price. I decided to keep it a secret until the wedding day. (These friends wouldn’t do any drama about reveals etc, nor would they think it was stealing any of their thunder, don’t worry about that.)
On the wedding morning, I effectively surprised the bride and groom with both dresses. They were mind blowed, flabbergasted to say the least! I put the original one for the official photoshoot and discretely changed right after dinner for the other one. People around that had followed the incredible adventures were laughing out loud and finding it hilarious that I decided to wear both of them as I had so much troubles!
Quite a story with dresses and with an ex, right? Guess what, I’m also the godmother of their first child!

My fiancé (m27) and I (F25) got engaged in October of last year. Our wedding is August of this year. We have always planned on having a small wedding as we are paying for everything ourselves. We also want our wedding to be child free so everyone can relax for the day and because we have a lot of cousins and friends with kids so inviting everyone would increase the head count significantly.
We discussed who we wanted to marry us pretty early into planning and decided it would be nice if my aunt/godmother (f42) would do it, because she made me her maid of honor when I was younger because I was there with her and helped her through her through her cancer treatment. She was ecstatic when we asked her and said yes.
For context, I was very close with my aunt and grandparents on this side of the family growing up. We have drifted apart in recent years since me and my fiancé began dating and I moved out of my parents house at 18 with him. They wrote me letters openly expressing that they were unsupportive off my relationship when I moved out and stated that they “didn’t raise me to be like this” (they didn’t raise me) but we have moved past it in the past few years and started seeing them a bit more (usually once a year at Christmas.)
Anyways, after I sent the save the dates, ( my aunts was addressed to just her and my uncle and not their children since it is a child free event) my aunt texted me asking if her kids were invited. I responded “No, unfortunately, our wedding is going to be child free. I’m sorry!”
Immediately I got a call from my grandmother asking “why I’m doing this to our family.” I tell her our wedding is child free, my intention isn’t to hurt or target anyone. Basically tells me I need to stop being selfish and they won’t be able to come to my wedding because they won’t be able to find childcare. I told her I really hope they’ll be able to find childcare in the next 10 months because I would love for them to be there.
After I got off the phone with her, I texted my aunt apologizing for hurting her or the kids, explaining again that there are going to be no children at the event, and it had nothing to do with them in particular. I didn’t hear back.
I followed up with her 2 more times asking if she still was going to come to the wedding and marry us and I never heard back. I followed up a month later to let her know that because I never heard from her I found someone else to marry us. She called me a few hours later, but I wasn’t able to answer the phone. I sent a text saying we can talk on Saturday. I forgot to call her and she never reached out to me. We have not spoke at all since then.
I sent out my wedding invitations this week and my aunt RSVPed and declined their invitation. She also texted my mom and told her she isn’t coming to my wedding shower. I think it’s totally reasonable to have a child free wedding and to be selfish with who we invite. But maybe I’m missing something? Am I in the wrong for this?
UPDATE my grandparents have also declined

Apologies in advance for how long this is, but the backstory on this definitely matters...and it just gets worse and worse.
I (27F) want to ban my father's (57M) mistress, let's call her Patty (57F), from a family trip I am planning with my sister (31F) and our mom (58F) Mind you, they are still married- not legally separated but living apart - and my mom does not want to divorce, she wants to work on their marriage of 35+ years but he has refused at every turn to attempt to reconnect.
BACKGROUND INFO:
My father has been "best friends" with his now mistress since childhood. She is also MY GODMOTHER. She divorced her ex-husband 15+ years ago and they have 2 boys and a girl. When they divorced, my father was constantly driving 4 hours away to her home to help her with everything from window replacements to painting her walls because "she doesn't have anyone else to help her" while her boys were in high school/jr high and perfectly capable to help when she needed it. Meanwhile, he was always gone when me or my mom needed help with something. My mom was basically a single mother my entire high school career because he was traveling for work during the week and spent most weekends at Patty's. My mom confronted him a few times about how it looked with him spending so much of his time with Patty but he blew her off saying Patty was "too crazy and mentally unstable" for him to ever be with her in any capacity except friendship.
Fast forward to when I was in junior year of college and my grandfather, my father's dad, had a stroke and needed someone to be living with him especially at night. My father and I split the week at my grandfather's house so someone was always there with him, which I didn't mind at all because my grandfather was a wonderful person. My grandfather was 88 when this happened and not in the best of health. When this started, my father had a talk with my mom that he wasn't feeling connected to her and that he was thinking of separating. My mom said that he had a lot going on with his dad at the moment so he should focus on taking care of him and after he passes they can really start to work on their relationship because he'd be around to actually work on it. He agreed that would be best and never brought it up again. At this point I was hearing from Patty that she and my father were not friends anymore because he did something to make her upset and she wasn't going to forgive him. I had a gut feeling that something was up so I talked to my sister who was very close with our father and she said it was probably nothing, that he would have said something to her if there was something more going on between Patty and him. So I dropped it; a couple years went by and I got married, moved with my husband and had a baby girl a few weeks before covid hit and that's when everything changed.
My father was now living with my grandfather full time as I was states away with my family. About half way through 2020 Patty calls my father and they start talking again. She has "long covid" and her daughter "just can't help her the way she needs to be helped" Her daughter was 18 at the time and perfectly capable of helping her own mother. So my father's bright idea was to take Patty into my grandfather's home to take care of them both. Meanwhile, my mom is alone in the house I grew up in, that my father still owns and has all of his stuff in, taking care of the house and family dog while also working full-time/overtime in healthcare. One of the big reasons my mom didn't move into my grandfather's house with my father was that she couldn't work from home like my father and would most likely bring home covid or the flu and the added stress of a dog that could knock my grandfather over was too much. I asked multiple times where Patty was sleeping and he kept saying she would sleep during the day and he would sleep at night, that way they were never sleeping together in the same bed. I called bullshit so many times but was told I was being "dramatic" and that I need to "drop it."
After 2 months of Patty living with my father, my mom wanted to retire and spend more time with my father and have time to travel to see me and her new granddaughter. She asked him if it was financially possible for her to retire and he said that it wouldn't be an issue since finances were good. 2 weeks after my mom officially retired, he had his lawyer send a letter of intent to divorce through the mail.
My mom called him crying asking why he would do this. His response was "I just don't want to be married anymore." and then asked her not to tell me or my sister until he's had a chance to speak with us. She spent 3 months quietly being a mess yet masqueraded like everything was fine around me, my sister, and our extended family for thanksgiving and Christmas. She finally told me when I pushed for her to tell me what was wrong. I was livid. I couldn't believe he would stoop so low and LIE straight to my face. Of course I called my sister and told her what happened, she was horrified as well but decided to give him a chance to come clean and hear his side of the story. She got him to tell her what happened and why he decided to end the marriage. It then took him another month to face me and I knew he was being a coward.
When he did finally talk to me and tell me what happened I then responded with "have you tried to reconnect with mom? What about couples therapy? When's the last time you and her went on a date? Is this happening because of Patty?" and he was just refusing to talk about it left and right coming up with excuses like "therapy wouldn't have worked" and "I would never be with Patty she's too crazy" MEANWHILE I had been talking to one of her sons about this and he confirmed that they were in a relationship.
I felt so disrespected not just because he lied to me or that he blindsided my mom but also on behalf of my grandfather who was every night sleeping right across the hall from them. At this point my grandfather was deep into his dementia and didn't really know what was going on around him, but I know for a fact he thought "cheaters were the scum of the earth" which just adds insult to injury.
My grandfather passed away peacefully a year later and at the funeral Patty avoided me like the plague. Granted I was pregnant, hormonal and grieving so everyone knew I was one side comment away from throwing down. After the funeral my sister and I went back to the house to see just how comfortable Patty had made herself in my grandfather's home. The bed her and my father slept in now had twinkly lights on the backboard, the room had all her furniture in it and on her bedside table there was an 8x11 framed picture of my father from his high school senior year. I could feel the white hot rage radiating through my body.
I called it out and stood my ground for an answer from him. I said "does she sleep facing you or facing your senior portrait at night? Seems to me that you are either in a relationship or she clearly has an obsession with you" and he raised his voice saying "Drop it now" My sister's jaw dropped and backed me up saying "she's right, that's weird" and he walked out of the room.
I was ready to cut off all ties to him if it weren't for my mom saying "wait until we are through our divorce" because she had hope that maybe he'd come to his senses and reconnect. I went low contact and only spoke to him when it concerned buying a house for my mom near me and selling the family home since he wasn't even living there and had no plans on moving back in. About a year later my therapist told me I needed to talk with my father and get everything off my chest if I wanted to truly get past everything, so I did. We talked for 3 hours and I told him every damaging thing he has done to me personally and then to the family; all the lying and gaslighting and making me feel like the crazy one. He apologized to me and agreed to do family therapy with me but that has yet to be followed through on, which isn't a surprise to me.
This brings us to present day, it's been 7 months since that heart to heart and my father is still not admitting that him and Patty are together, yet they still live together in my grandfather's house. My mom now lives a few houses down from me and her two grandchildren and is a big part of their lives whereas my father has only seen them two times per year. Nothing legal has happened since giving my mom the letter of intent to divorce which tells me he is either too broke to divorce or is not ready to let go of the 35+ year marriage.
My husband is now going to be away for training for roughly the next year for his new job and won't have many opportunities to see me or our kids so I am planning a trip to Disney world since it's kind of close to my husband's training center and we can see him on the weekend and then at his graduation later in the week. It also happens to be a good time for my sister to travel as well and my daughter has been asking to see her Papa for a while now. So my sister and I think a family trip wouldn't be a bad idea since our mom is civil with our father while he acts as if nothing has happened between them.
Here is where I might be the asshole; I have no problem with my father joining us on the trip, however, I do not want Patty anywhere near me or my children. I want to invite my father with the ground rule of no dirty mistresses allowed. I personally feel she is an incredibly toxic person and I don't want my kids knowing or asking who that lady is with Papa because it'll open up a whole can of worms. I do realize my father is also toxic but I can't cut him off completely because my daughter knows him enough that she wants to see him but is too young to understand why we don't see him as often as Grammy (my mom).
So, would I be the asshole for telling my father he can't bring Patty to the family trip?

Fox news reports Brooks, 39, sent two letters to court officials over the course of two years in connection with the child support case for one of his children.
As of Nov. 16, 2021, Brooks owed $41,239.36 in connection with his paternity case for his son, records show. He missed one such court hearing. He wrote the following letter: Brooks told the judge he returned to Wisconsin because his daughter’s surgery was scheduled then delayed – "due to her mother not having insurance. How do you have 3 kids and no insurance?" he wrote.
He said he was offered a job with his godmother and had applied to attend a technical college, but both were held up because of his incarceration.
"I’m not trying to make excuses for myself your honor. I understand I have a responsibility to pay my support," he wrote. "I just want the court to take into consideration that if I can be given a few months on the streets to get my benefits going, my support will be paid …"
He asked the judge to also consider his mental health. Because of this, I’ve always had trouble getting a job cause (sic) they are always afraid to touch me. The concern is always my mental health and what I can and cant (sic) do. The fact that I’m a felon doesn’t help me either your honor."
Brooks wrote to the judge that it was "never my intention" to be unable to support his son.
"Yes I’ve not been fortunate to have the best hand in life, but this is not my fault or anyone else’s. It’s life," he said.
He added that he grew up in a broken home in which his father "chose [the] bottle over his children and couldn’t keep his hands off" Brooks’ mother.
"I’m more committed than ever to take care of my son," he says. "I’m in his life, and he’s a bright, ambitious and wonderful kid." He asks Judge Pieper for the opportunity "to prove I can be the man my mother and GOD, and also myself, knows I can be."
He then asks the judge to release him so he can help support his family. Brooks told judge in the letter that he was out of town visiting one of his other children, a daughter, who was sick and in need of kidney surgery. He then asks the judge to release him so he can help support his family.
"My family needs my help your honor, he writes. "If I can be released your honor and given just a few months, I know I can get the ball rolling in the right direction. I pray everyday (sic) that I can be released to help my family before things fall apart."
The mother reported Brooks has come and gone from her son’s life, making sporadic attempts to forge a relationship with him, she said. The teen, who last saw Brooks a few years ago, was gutted by the carnage allegedly wrought by his father, the mother said.
Court papers regarding the paternity case were filed as recently as Nov. 18 – three days before the parade tragedy.

Waukesha parade suspect dodged jail in deadbeat dad case just five days before deadly attack https://www.foxnews.com/us/waukesha-parade-darrell-brooks-avoided-jail

Just think if that judge had properly disciplined Brooks for being the indecent sperm donor he was 5 days prior to parade attack...

Hi Charlotte, I’m an avid fan and I’ve been watching for years, plus your vids are the only thing that has gotten me through the worst 18 years of my life, so without further ado here is a story full of fake names and bitches. So I (18F) am graduating in early June and to say I’m thrilled to be out of high school is an understatement. I’ve always been a bit of an ugly duckling nerdy kind of girl, especially within my immediate family such as my mom, Karmen, my aunt Noreen (her sister), my older cousin, Katelyn, my oldest sister and Karmen’s favorite first born golden baby, Jen. This opinion was made known by all of them when Katelyn would call me a “failed fix me baby” and terrorize me in every way you could imagine, constantly reminding me that my dad wanted three kids (im the youngest of four🤠) and that my mom only forced my dad into a fourth thinking he wouldn’t be able to leave her (he did anyway). My father has also confirmed this as did everyone else when they witnessed this themselves and said nothing. However, I am extremely extroverted by nature and love people (for the most part), and this is how I’ve met some of the best and worst people ever. Unfortunately, I moved going into my junior year to a new school, because Karmen couldn’t afford the rent in our old town and promised me a car if I agreed to moved as it was easier and cheaper (I also like didn’t actually have the option she just needed me to tell her family it was my choice so they would get off her ass).
To sum up a gruesome and horrible story, plus the other 17 years I lived with her (this about to be discussed event happened last June), an argument ensued about her not keeping up to her promises and once I accepted defeat, I begged her to leave my room, she didn’t leave, I threw my wallet, she then picked it up, brought it outside, and threw it across the street with all my money and my debit card in it, and then when I ran to get to it before she could, she grabbed me from behind and I ended up in the ER with a golf ball on my head, a concussion, and honestly, a little bit of a death wish. And even though I possess literal PHOTO EVIDENCE of the injuries and medical records, and an entire RESTRAINING ORDER, her entire family has listened to her and my grandma’s, Ellen, side of the story, who told my brother (also estranged) that after the event both of us were no longer welcome at her house, and she continued to ignore my existence every day and holiday afterward, even the annual Christmas Eve celebration. Because the petty potato queen herself taught me two important things, 1. Never stay anywhere you’re not wanted, and 2. The best way to seek petty revenge.
So, what did I do you ask? I sent the photos (printed out because it’s more personal that way) and a hand written, passive aggressive letter thanking Ellen for nothing and the monster she raised, and signed it with my new middle name, which used to be her, Ellen, but is no longer. After this, Jen called our dad (they have a very rocky relationship, plus she is just Karmen 2.0) and tore him a new one saying I threatened Ellen and was an insane bitch, told him I ruined Ellen’s Christmas by showing her those photos, AND the most important thing to them, and I quote “her name is ‘first Ellen’ not ‘first new middle name’”. First off, I did not threaten anyone, as I am only a little crazy, and I mostly move in the shadows like the wise judge Charlotte has taught me. BUT ALSO they were so pressed about the name changed because Ellen no longer had a name sake. After that, I have not spoken to Ellen or any other characters since, as I want to protect my peace and my sanity.
However, here is where the graduation party comes in. For my grad party, I invited my godmother, Judith (Ellen’s sister), and my Gruncle Danny (Ellen’s brother) whom I adored, and as far as I new at the time, were neutral. Yet, after sending my Evite link, as well as requesting not to tell Ellen the details of my grad party, I was greeted with a lecture on how the family was already broken enough and how Ellen was crushed by me cutting her off, and that I needed to invite Ellen, Jen, Karmen, Noreen, Katelyn, and the rest of my immediate family because they were family and it was wrong to pursue legal action against family. Followed by that bullshit, was either being ignored, left on read, or, if lucky, texted, that they were not attending because I was in the wrong. I truthfully only ask the wise Charlotte because my therapist told me not to let anger cloud my judgement, but I’m just starting to heal and I can’t handle seeing them there, and I couldn’t invite Karmen if someone held a gun to my head because she is,b and I stress this, ON TRIAL for CHIKD ABUSE, AND I have a RESTRAINING ORDER against her. This is also her second arrest for assault, and her twentieth run in with CPS.
Truthfully, I don’t want them there and I don’t think I’m wrong, but maybe I am making a mistake? Idk, truthfully, and this sounds cruel, after the crap they put me through I wouldn’t care if they all dropped dead tomorrow, and if that were to happen, then at least I wouldn’t be looking over my shoulder all the time. But maybe I’m wrong, so AITA?
I know this is pretty heavy, but whether yall think I’m a big butthole, I truly wouldn’t be on this earth if it weren’t for Charlotte, I quite literally live for her videos and she makes my day!

Five days after visiting a live show with Midnight, Mineta was in bed getting ready to sleep after days of intense training. Though training with Izuku and Inasa really helped his bravery and kisses from Camie were very rewarding, but keeping Midnight alive will be worth it.
Mineta: I'll be strong and I'll be a great hero. A hero that Midnight will be proud of.
He said as he slowly went to sleep. He dreamed that he'll be loved by his true friends, and viewed as a hero instead of a menace. Hopefully he'll grow up without being mutilated by "heroes".
???: Daddy? Daddy!
Mineta was waking up, and he has a daughter named Touka.
Mineta: yawns yes, honey?
Touka: Daddy, come on! They're announcing the rankings!
They rushed to see the news, and Mineta's wife, Camie, was waiting for them with their son, Amai. This is Mineta's better future, he has a wife and two kids, A short daughter, and a tall son.
Amai: About time, they just started!
The News announced the rankings of the top ten heroes, it showed that Mineta was the 3rd ranked hero, Camie was ranked 5, Seiji was ranked 4, Inasa was ranked 2 and the number 1 hero was Izuku, who named himself All Might Jr. As for the 6th hero, it was Nagamasa, their old hairy senior friend from Shikestu.
Camie:😀 We're in the top tens!
Mineta:😁 YES! All our training paid off!
Touka: Now everyone knows how cool our parents are!
Amai: Don't forget our Uncles!
A few hours later, Mineta and his family were visited by the children's godmother, Midnight. She was still alive, thanks to Mineta.
Midnight: Hello, everyone. Did you see the news?
Camie: Yeah we did! We're the top rank heroes, now.
Midnight: I'm so proud of you all, especially you, Minoru.
A few years ago, All for one somehow escaped, and when alot of heroes confronted him, he almost killed Midnight, but Mineta was able to save her life by using alot of his balls as a shield to protect her.
Mineta: Thanks. When I said I'll protect you and keep you alive, I ment it.
Midnight: sigh Shiketsu High was lucky to have you as a student, you would've been a great student in UA.
Unfortunately going to UA ruined his old future.
Mineta: um...Let's just say that it's a blessing in disguise. I probably would've been stuck in a bad class.
Midnight: 😅 hehe, That's true.
She DOES work at UA and knows someone who's terrible at his job, which is why some students didn't make it to the top ten or quit, due to his lazyness and just plain irresponsible. And suddenly the news reported an attack at downtown. Izuku was there but he'll need some help.
Camie: You ready, High Noon?
Mineta: I was born ready, baby.
Yes, Mineta's hero name is High Noon, he wanted name himself similar to Midnight's name. Mineta and Camie rushed to their car, which have their hero suits, and went to downtown. Leaving Midnight with the kids.
Touka: I can't wait to be a hero, just like mom and dad.
Amai: Yeah, me too.
Midnight: You kids will make great heroes one day, I'm sure of it.
The kids hugged her, and she still remembers Mineta's letter and speech from the live show years ago, even when he saved her life when he was her sidekick.
Midnight: 😌(You've become so strong, Minoru. Thank you.)
Mineta was genuinely happy to have a better future. Not only does he still have his arm and eye, but he also have a family and the best part is that his best friend and his hero were both still alive.
Camie: What's wrong, honey?
Mineta: Nothing. (My future turned out better than hoped.)
The End

Brand/Model/Style/Size of Item:

• Ja’Dior pumps Transparent Mesh Embroidered with Black and Gold-Tone Butterfly Motif and Metallic Thread RP $1450 USD

Seller and Factory:

• Seller: Cherry (via WhatsApp)
• Price Paid: $125 USD (item) + $15 USD (PayPal fees) + $30 USD (shipping via FedEx or DHL)
• Payment Method: PayPal Friends & Family

Your Thoughts:

• If you're anything like me, you've spent countless hours ogling over designer shoes, dreaming of slipping your feet into a pair of exquisite Dior pumps. But let's be real, the price tag can sometimes feel like a punch in the gut, and I could not fathom spending that much $ on the auth. even though I have a strict no fake shoes policy as I value my comfort and have not come across any reps which are of a high standard. That's where Cherry comes in. I took a leap of faith and messaged her on WhatsApp, armed with a couple of photos and a whole lot of hope. And boy, did she deliver!
• Now, let me tell you, the moment I opened that package, it was like Christmas morning all over again. The shoes were nestled inside a beautiful Dior box , wrapped in delicate tissue paper, as if they were the crown jewels themselves. And let me tell you, they might as well be. From the transparent mesh delicately embroidered with black netting and gold-tone butterflies to the metallic thread on the straps that glimmers like stars in the night sky, these shoes are a work of art.

Your Photos:

• Rep - my pics and provided factory pics: Imgur Album
• Authentic pics taken by me in store dressing room: Imgur Album
• auth shoes review video by someone I came across on YouTube (interesting to see shoes, this is what made me realize how great the reps were) : YouTube Link

Author Expertise:

• Now, let me give you a little background. I've been dabbling in the world of replicas for over a decade. It all started with a chance encounter of someone selling reps in London England that ignited a passion for finding the perfect reps. And let me tell you, I've become quite the connoisseur over the years. Went from purchasing strictly authentic Hermes, Dior, Chanel and Valentino for years to buying reps constantly now (this was due to a change in my financial situation) . From Laparis for Hermes Bags, Cherry for Dior and Valentino bags, to MC & XY for VCA jewellery, I've seen it all. trust me when I say I am picky! So when I say these shoes are top-notch, you better believe it. I strutted confidently into the Dior store with my Cherry sourced Dior D-Joy handbag (which let me tell you was comparable to authentic in the best way, this will deserve a review of its own!) aimed to try on authentic thinking I would be disappointed with the reps after seeing the auth, but that could not be further than the truth! seeing the auth made me appreciate the reps and made me feel so great I didn't need to liquidate my bank balance.

Disclosure:

• I made sure to loop Cherry in on the action before posting this review. Transparency is key, my friends. And no, I didn't receive anything in exchange for this glowing review. Cherry's reputation speaks for itself and I wanted to share her awesomeness with all of you!

Seller Contact:

• Cherry is the real MVP, let me tell you. I reached out to her via WhatsApp, and she was quick to respond, like lightning in a bottle. We chatted back and forth for a few moments, and before I knew it, she had sourced the perfect pair of pumps for me. It's like she's got a sixth sense for this stuff.

Price Paid for Item:

• $125 USD for the shoes
• $15 USD for those pesky PayPal fees
• and $30 USD for shipping via FedEx or DHL. But let me tell you, it was worth every penny.

Factory:

• Now, I wish I could spill the tea on the factory behind these masterpieces, but alas, it remains a mystery. All I can say is that Cherry assured me they were top-tier, and she wasn't kidding, ive included the factory photos if anyone has a clue please let me know!.

Quality of Your Rep from Your Factory:

• Alright, let's get down to the nitty-gritty. If I were to blindfold you and hand you these shoes or placed them on your feet, you'd swear they were the real deal.
• Stitching/Material: The materials, the stitching, the construction—it's all top-notch. I've seen some shoddy replicas in my day, but these? These are the cream of the crop.
• The color of reps to auth is identical
• the netting feels crisp and identical to the auth.
• the comfort, softness of the insole and the perfect smooth leather sole is identical. I didn't bring my reps to the Dior store with me however I took detailed pics of authentic in store dressing room which I included some here on this post (which I analyzed once home against the factory photos and the actual rep shoes I received).
• Serial #: the stamping of serial number within the actual shoe strap is not identical, font is off and numbers dont match, but do I care? no? does it take away from the quality of the shoe? absolutely not! it something I wouldn't even focus on as it rubs off after time anyway.
• Shape: overall shape of pumps, heels and even the folding on strap and letter placement on fold is pretty spot on, they feel the same on feet as auth, same height heel: 2.5cm 'comma heel' as Dior calls it. the front toe part is the same shape as auth.
• Sole: the sole was the same leather buttery softness of auth, even the Gold star logo was exact! they even came lined like the auth with protective film on bottom soles (which I removed for pics)
• Yes I worked hard for this review people!!
• the transparent mesh used is same colour and same softness as auth.
• The gold stitched letters on straps are placed equally aligned to auth. and the metallic thread feels just as silky and smooth neatly stitched and same gold as auth.

Accuracy:

• I did my homework, folks. I compared these babies side by side with the pics of the reps and authentic version in the Dior store, to my reps at home and the factory photos I was sent and let me tell you, it was like playing spot the difference with a magnifying glass. The placement of butterfly embroidery was very accurate, the way the wings spread out the stitching of the 'antenna' and within wings stitches were pretty mirror quality. Sure, there were a couple of very minor discrepancies, like the size number ending with a mysterious "D" on the sole. and maybe one stitch place to close to another but really are these things noticeable when your gliding through a dinner party in your Dior pumps....nope... But trust me when I say, you'd need a microscope to spot any differences to auth.
• Link to auth: dior butterfly motif pumps authentic

Rep Satisfaction:

• Listen, I'm not one to toot my own horn, but I've got an eye for quality. And let me tell you, these shoes? They've got me walking on cloud nine. I'm already planning my next Cherry haul as we speak. I will never buy another auth Dior pump ever again!

Seller Satisfaction:

• Cherry, if you're reading this, consider me a customer for life. Your communication skills are top-notch, your sourcing game is on point, and your dedication to quality is unmatched. Consider me a Cherry stan from here on out.

The Wrap-Up:

• So, would I strut into the Dior store wearing these bad boys? You bet your bottom dollar I would. In fact, I'd do a little twirl while I'm at it. These shoes are the real deal, folks. And Cherry? She's the fairy godmother of replicas, turning dreams into reality one pair of pumps at a time. I have a Dior lady bag on the way (i used to own the authentic so can give a thorough accurate review/comparison on that one once it arrives) as well as Dior ballet flats and new just released Dior 2024 pumps with pearls and ribbons. If this quality is anything to go by, I cannot wait to receive the next batch!

I [25F] have know my step family since I was 5 years old. My dad [52M] and stepmother [54F] married when I was 8. I have an older biological brother [27M] from my dads first marriage with my mother (they divorced when I was 2), and my stepmother had two sons [29M] & [15/25M] from her previous marriage. The latter one was my age, but passed away suddenly when we were 15. My dad and step mother had a daughter, my half sister, some years after they married.
Growing up I grew up on the idea that I had 3 bothers and 1 sister, and I had 3 families, my mother's, my father's and my stepmother's. As I have talked to my mother about this lately she admitted that she thought I spent too much time with my stepmother's family, which took away from her time with us sometimes, but in the end she was happy we were included in that family. When it came to Christmas shopping I always tried to include my step family, making my list go up to 35 people. Planning theoretical weddings with my ex-boyfriends I always had their names on my invitee list. I'm my mind there was no real difference between my biological family and my step family.
Growing up there has been instances of my stepmother treating us kids a little different, always in favour of her children. Nothing major, but things like buying a donut for my same-aged stepbrother he would take to the school outing but not one for me going to the same school outing. Buying a set of 4 ice-creams that had her biological children's favourite icecreams, and left me with one I did not like. Or giving my my biological stepbrother one less pudding because "he already had two and her son had none", when he had extra was traded with her son fair and square for that pudding. As I said nothing major, but these kind of things do build up over time. This still wasn't enough for me to cut them out, but four recent incidents is why I am considering it, and this history just shows that treating us differently isn't new.
First instance was a recent birthday or Christmas, where my half sister got a letter from her grandparents, my step-grandparents, and exclaimed she didn't need to open it because she knows she always gets $100. This shocked me, because in all my years of knowing him I have "only" gotten half of that. Don't get me wrong, $50 is a lot, and I am super grateful, but it hurt knowing I get half of what my sister gets, despite knowing them for longer, really hurts. It left me feeling like I am only half-worth as family.
Second instance happened last year, at my step-aunts wedding. She had an amazing wedding, and invited all her nieces to be her bridesmaids, which included my step-cousins and my sister, but not me. She also included her goddaughter. Age was not an issue, as the goddaughter is 9 years older than me. This told me I am not considered her niece.
Third instance was a few weeks ago, when my stepbrother's son was baptised. He invited his halfsister [30sF] from his dad's side (my stepmother's first stepdaughter and whom she still has a good relationship with) and our halfsister to be godparents, but not me. Number was not an issue, nor was age. This told me I am not considered his sister.
And last is an event that is going to happen soon, which is our half sisters confirmation. Due to religious reasons she needs new godparents for her confirmation who are also in the religion, as the ones she got when she was baptised isn't in the religious and the current leader in the curch isn't as liberal as the one from when she got baptised. My issue isn't that she need to have new godparents, but who it is. Originally her godparents was my stepmother's first stepdaughter mentioned above, and my paternal uncle's stepdaughter (yes, explaing my family is very complicated). Now it is going to be my step-aunt who got married last year, and my stepbrother. Step aunt is OK with my, but stepbother really hurts to hear. This now feels like just another family event where I am excluded for not being biologically related, and this knowledge was the breaking point for me. I know it's religious, but my stepmother would have never accepted it if the roles were reversed and my stepbrother was excluded. This was just the final nail in the coffin that proved to me I am not truly considered family, at least not on equal terms with the rest.
So now I am facing the question if I should cut them off or not. Cutting them off doesn't mean being mean or anything like that, but it does involve stopping buying gifts, stopping prioritising and showing up to their future events, and not inviting them to my future events. It will save me a lot of time and money by no longer including them in what I consider "family". At the same time they have included me in a lot, it's not like I have been completely ignored. I was still invited to all the different events, and I still get Christmas presents. They clearly care for me at some level, just not as much as my sister who is biologically related to them.
But, mainly I am considering this as I want children in the future, and I am wondering if it is worth it introducing them to my child as family if they are going to treat my child as second rate too. If my child and my stepbrothers child were visiting their grandparents at the same time, would they be treated equally? Or would my stepmother treat my child differently, the same way she did to me? And if my father died, would they still be there?
Sidenote - My dad is a loving person who will love me no matter what, and I have an amazing relationship with my sister, so those will still be in my family. But my father is not someone I can talk to about this, as he is terrible at understanding how other people experiences things, and he does whatever my stepmother says. Before my stepmother he would do whatever his dad said, and he is unable to say sorry, two of the main reasons my mother divorced him. I am not going to make my dad choose between his wife and me, and I will still keep him in my life regardless of what I do. This question is purely regarding my stepfamily.
How should I handle this? Should I try to keep them as family, or mentally change their status to acquaintances?

B. Christina Naylor's 1984 paper, "The Silence of the Gods and the Confusion of Nichiren"
This is a 56-page paper; that's the first 20 pages.
This is a super-important reference because it authoritatively dismisses all the "miracle" narratives within the Nichiren mythology, which as you'll see are NOT present in the most-authenticated Nichiren letters. Naylor's scholarship is first-rate; she's the real deal.
The SGI presents these Nichiren "miracles" credulously, without the slightest hint of critical thinking. They are simply presented as fact. Naylor gets into it; the first "miracle" she addresses is the "ball of light" that "miraculously" shows up in the nick of time just to save Nichiren from being beheaded (aka "The Tatsunokuchi Persecution") - from Page 1:

As an example of how the phenomena of the universe perform the work of devas in response to intense meditation for a single instant (ichinen) by the mind of the Original Buddha, we may take the occasion when a luminous object (hikari-mono) protected Nichiren from execution at Tatsunokuchi [Daibyaku Renge No.394, Dec. 1983].

This is part of the explanation by Sakuma Shō, Deputy Head of the Education Section of Soka Gakkai, of a story widely circulated among members of the Nichiren Sect. (Soka Gakkai is a lay movement based partly on the "True" Sect of Nichiren - Nichiren Sho Shū.) It is often included in biographies of Nichiren (1222-82), without any hint that it may not be true. Some Japanese scholars have analysed the different accounts, but as I have not seen a detailed examination of their authenticity in English I have thought it worthwhile to bring the evidence to view, for his followers today are numerous, vocal and influential.

Less so now than as perceived then (1984 or earlier)! But still! TRUTH MATTERS!
I for one am infinitely grateful she went to the trouble! Now let's ALL have a look at it, shall we?

Nichiren had antagonised the Military Government in Kamakura (Bakufu) by his criticisms of other sects, and had finally been accused of harbouring outlaws, and of cursing Japan.

As you'll see a few pages later, another factor that contributed to him being seen as a threat was Nichiren's habit of surrounding himself with "armed soldiers" (p. 130/12) - certainly an odd choice for someone so supremely confident in the divine protection he was CERTAIN he deserved, isn't it? Oh, wait - SGI didn't tell you about that detail? Huh. I wonder why...

He was sentenced to exile on the island of Sado, and on the way did apparently escape a covert attempt at execution. The account of the story of intervention by the devas (Indian deities) is found in Shuju Ofurumai Gosho, a work pieced together from four different sources.

Nothing sketchy about THAT!

In this account Nichiren is portrayed as being quite in command of the situation, eager to lay down his life immediately for the Lotus Sūtra, and yet encouraging his disciples with promises of deliverance:

"Tonight I go to be beheaded. It is what I have desired for several years. In this saha-world, when I have been born as a pheasant I have been seized by a hawk; when born as a mouse I have been devoured by a cat; the number of times I have lost my life to the enemies of my wife and children is beyond calculation, like the dust of the earth. Not once have I lost my life for the sake of the Lotus Sūtra. . . . This time, by offering my neck to the Lotus Sūtra I intend to transfer the merit obtained to my parents, and any surplus merit to my disciples and supporters". . . . Just as I was thinking, "This will be the spot", rowdy soldiers surrounded me, just as I had anticipated, and Saemon-no-jō

You may better recognize his name as "Hei no Saemon":

Also known as Taira no Yoritsuna or by his full name and title, Hei no Saemon-no-jō Yoritsuna Source

Back to the narrative:

sobbed "The time has come!". I said, "What dull-witted gentlemen you are! You must laugh for joy at this! How can the promise be broken?"
Just as I spoke, a moon-like object shot out like a shining ball from the direction of Enoshima, making a brilliant path from the south-east to the north-west. Normally, towards the dawn of the 12th night people's faces are not discernible, but this was like a moonlight night, with every face visible. The man holding the sword was dazzled and fell down in a daze; the soldiers were terrified, galloping away a hundred yards or more, or else dismounting to show their respect, or cowering on their mounts [Shuju Ofurumai Gosho, Zenshū 1369-70; Gosho 913-14].

THINK for a moment - I know the brightness of the full moon can be a bit annoying when it shines in through your window onto your face while you're trying to sleep, but has ANYONE ever described being "blinded" (a "strong match" for "dazzled") by moonlight? EVER??

Shortly after this we are treated to an astonishingly naive account of a second "divine intervention" - written, apparently, to satisfy the belief that the "three heavenly luminaries" would come to Nichiren's aid. These were Candra, Lord of the moon-gods, Sūrya, Controller of the light-gods, and Venus. Sakuma Shō writes of these as the "three guardian deities of the Lotus Sūtra" (idem], but the expectations of their aid are found in a letter of very dubious authority:

Of the three heavenly luminaries, Candra appeared as a shining object to save me from execution at Tatsunokuchi; Venus came down four or five days ago and lighted on a plum tree to visit Nichiren; now only Sūrya tarries. I eagerly wait in confident expectation of his aid [Shijō Kingo-dono Goshōsoku, Zenshū 702-3, Kubota 161, Gosho 1114].

This does not even agree with the account in Shuju Ofurumai Gosho, where on the following night Nichiren is presented as censuring Candra for not having appeared yet to save him:

As it was the 13th of the 9th month, and a very clear moonlight night, we went outside into the courtyard and paid reverence to the moon. I read a little from the jiga-ge (about the eternity of Sakyamuni's buddhahood), then about the relative merits of the different sects, and about various texts in the Lotus Sūtra. Firstly I said that this Moon-deva now visible was no other than Divine Son Excellent Moon (Candra), who had been seated . . . before the throne of the Lotus Sūtra on the Vulture Peak, as recorded in the "Introductory" chapter of the Lotus Sūtra (TLS 31-32]. He was among those in the "Precious Stupa" [Treasure Tower] chapter who received the decree of the Buddha to "declare his vow" to "guard and keep, read and recite the sūtra [TLS 202]. He . . . vowed in the "Final Commission" chapter: "We will do all the World-Honoured One has commanded" [TLS 302]. . . . Now because these things have come to pass, this [Candra] should joyfully hasten to take the place of the devotee of the Lotus Sūtra, and give evidence of his intention to fulfil [sic] his vow. I find the lack of such evidence strange indeed. . . . How can he shine forth over the land with such clear and joyous mien? In the Great Collection of Sūtras it is taught: "The sun and moon will not show their light" [T397/13/2/363b].

Isn't it tragic when a GROWN ADULT who is supposedly intelligent and EDUCATED is such a gullible CHILD when it comes to fairytales full of outlandish bullshit written long ago by persons unknown? "Of COURSE my fairy godmother will appear to SAVE me - and give me a pretty dress!!" This illustrates a lot of things, but two of the points that stand out to me are the LUNACY of believing silly supernatural stories are true just because they're in texts regarded as important/sacred/the writings of some famous spiritual authority, and how Nichiren was so ARROGANT he could believe that HE HIMSELF was important enough that the laws of nature should be abrogated JUST FOR HIM!

Then just as I was ... bitterly reproaching Candra, there came down from heaven a great star like Venus (surely in answer to my prayers) and lighted on a plum tree in front [Shuju Ofurumai Gosho, Zenshū 1372, Goshō 915].

SURE it did, Nichidolt!

The plum tree was apparently unscathed [😄], but the soldiers were suitably terrified, and there was a great "roaring in the sky" [idem]. However, in a much more prosaic account of Nichiren's arrest and punishment there is no mention of these heavenly visitations. It is addressed to a leading disciple, Toki-dono [Toki Jonin], dated 15th of 9th month, Bun'ei 8 (1271), and its authenticity is undisputed.

As its aim is to encourage the beleaguered disciples, the absence of the "hikari-mono" story is remarkable.

As you can see here, in Japanese legend "hikari mono" means "strange light" and it is used in other contexts as well. I love the way Naylor just tosses that culturalism in there - she's the real deal!

(Note also the date is different- "13th", not "12th" for the Tatsunokuchi Persecution episode):

The very fact of being punished by the authorities shows that I have believed the Lotus Sūtra. The moon waxes and wanes; the tide ebbs and flows without fail. Likewise, as there has been punishment so there must also be merit. Why should I weep about it?

Well, ya sure do seem to be WHINING about it!

I was sentenced by the Bakufu on 12th of this month, at about 8.00a.m., and under the custody of Musashi-dono left Kamakura on 13th, about 2.00a.m., to be cast onto the island of Sado. But for the time being - four or five days - I have been left in the custody of Umatarō ... in the domains of Honma of Echi.
It is only natural for you to be sad, but I am not sad, having been prepared for this from the beginning. That I had not been beheaded up till now shows that I had not really been dedicated to the Lotus Sūtra. If I had, would I have been such a miserable person in this life?
Also it says "Repeatedly shall we be driven out" (TLS 219]. Because I am being punished repeatedly and expiating my grievous sins, I shall attain buddhahood, for this is a voluntary penance [Toki-dono Gohenji, Zenshū 700-01, Gosho 950-51].

There is no hint that Nichiren knew why he had escaped execution.

Which letter is to be believed? Authentic copies of Toki-dono Gohenji are held at Nakayama Shokyoden, whereas there are none of Shijo Kingo-dono Goshosoku. Further, in the latter the official sentence is implied to have been execution while "the [Regent] had ordered me secretly to Sado". This conflicts with Shimoyama Sho (authenticity undisputed) where the official sentence was exile, and the execution was to be secret (Tokoro 325].
More importantly, in Hō-on Shō (another major work whose authenticity is not disputed), Nichiren clearly admits that he did not know why he was not executed:

In Bun'ei 8, on 12th of 9th month, they were to have beheaded me at Tatsunokuchi, Sagami-no-kuni, but for some reason or other they postponed it that night and we reached a place called Echi. Again on the night of the 13th there was a commotion. I had been pardoned, but again for some reason or other we went as far as Sado. Four years passed under the daily threat of execution. Finally I was pardoned on 14th of 2nd month, Bun'ei 11 [1274], and on 26th day of 3rd month I entered Kamakura [Tokoro 289-90, Zenshu 1458, Gosho 322-23].

So much vague!

Judging by this, and by Toki-dono Gohenji, then, it was a subdued monk resigned to the workings of past karma, more aware of the indifference of Nature, and much less hopeful of worldly success, that set out for the bleak island of Sado. During his time there, and also during his ensuing retirement on Mt Minobu, Nichiren wrestled with the acute problem of desertion by the gods. Not only did he need to satisfy his own mind; he had to try to convince his disillusioned disciples as well, in order to rebuild his shattered following. It is his answers to their doubts, as well as to his own mind and to his enemies,

that provide strong confirmation of the position taken here - that the stories of miraculous intervention are false.

But before looking at the way he tried to overcome his doubts, between 1271 and 1281, it is necessary to trace the events leading up to the second exile, and the reasons why he had come to expect divine intervention.

Okay, FIRST you have to believe that such "divine intervention" is even possible, which can only occur when one is completely deluded about reality, believing reality to exist at the WHIM of invisible, all-powerful supernatural beings that a person can cultivate spiritually to act in that person's own selfish interests, much like bribing a police officer to look the other way when the person in question is caught speeding. Is it any surprise that the people who believe in "magical thinking" like this end up doing worse in life? They expend so much psychic energy trying to first bend reality to their will, and THEN to rationalize and explain to themselves why the "gods" (Buddhist or otherwise) or "Mystic Law" or the magic chant (whatever) didn't come through for them at the crucial moment and provide the "benefit" or "protection" they were expecting - over and over and over and over. ALL THE TIME, in fact!
You can see an example of this kind of delusional thinking in this recent statement by one of the Dead-Ikeda-cult SGI's longhauler Olds, someone now in his 70s who has been subject to the Ikeda cult indoctrination for over half a century:

• Sensei has pointed out our prayer to the Goho0nzon, infused with the Great Vow, bring benefit and protection without fail.

SURE it will! 🙄
Dang - "Goho0nzon"??? "Our prayer bring"?? Lord have mercy!
EVEN while they're DENYING elsewhere that this "divine protection" even exists!

• There are 2 (at least) SGI “straw men” Whistleblowers invented so they can attack them. One is that the SGI “blames the victims” for their problems. The other is that the SGI teaching of “protection” means nothing tragic or injurious should ever happen to SGI members.
  
• The SGI, of course, teaches neither of those ideas. Advising someone to deepen their faith to break through an obstacle is not “blaming them for their problems”, and “protection” is not the same thing as “immunity”. Oh, they might find quotes in the publication that have the word “protection”; and yes, the SGI teaches that practitioners of the Lotus Sutra are protected by the positive forces within their lives and the universe. But True Reconciliation points out, correctly, that Whistleblowers worry about it a lot more than the SGI does (and no, there is no longer a specific prayer for protection in the SGI silent prayers).
  

But there WAS! Here, see for yourselves. So WHAT if the Dead-Ikeda-cult SGI has CHANGED this? They TAUGHT it AS A TRUTH for how many decades?? Were they LYING then? What?? There are no consequences for these authority figures DELIBERATELY LYING TO AND MISLEADING THOSE WHO TRUSTED THEM??

• Protection takes many forms, and nowhere does the SGI say “practitioners are immune from difficulties”. Buddhism is reason, and SGI members live in the same universe as everyone else, subject to the same laws and vicissitudes of life as anyone.

Yuh huh 🙄
We're abundantly impressed, okay?

“An attitude in faith that reveres and honors the Gohonzon dignifies and honors the treasure tower of our own lives. When we chant before the Gohonzon, all Buddhas and bodhisattvas throughout the universe will instantly lend their support and protection.” - Dickeda, from The Wisdom for Creating Happiness and Peace, part 1, revised edition, p. 79

So just what was Dickeda referring to THERE ↑ huh? HUH?? What were these "Buddhas and bodhisattvas throughout the universe" supposedly "lending" here, if not REAL "protection" in some meaningful sense? "Oh, 'protection' - it's just a space-filler sound like 'like' or 'um' or 'uh'!" REALLY?? Who wants to go first and tell "Sensei" he's WRONG??

II. Nichiren's Expectations and Interpretation of Divine Aid

Next installment!

As I’ve got older I’ve come to understand the Dursley’s perspective more and more.
Not all the abuse. Obviously. Just the unwavering fury towards the magic freaks.
The timeline of events, as I see it:

• Petunia knew from an early age her sister was special and she wasn’t when she got rejected, felt embarrassed
• Lily leaves home, Petunia left behind in an emptier home, parents worried but proud Petunia talks a lot for attention, felt resentful
• not sure if they kept in touch via letters at school, but even if they did Lily would’ve had to sensor what she let on to not upset Petunia, so they likely weren’t that close during this time and Petunia would’ve been left constantly curious and jealous
• Petunia and Lily both marry very young, straight after school, and Lily (from Petunia’s perspective) moves to [[[a village with wizards in it]]] They keep in touch via letters, but by moving to Gods Hollow Lily has chosen to live somewhere Petunia will likely never visit - provided she knows there are actually wizards there. I’m sure Lily might’ve mentioned the conflicts going on in her world which would’ve sounded terrifying for Petunia considering normal people like her and her husband were targeted. Lily hopefully would’ve mentioned that her village might have floating skulls above it at times. Petunia probably wouldn’t want Lily coming around her house at this time, knowing there’s a war on and being wholly negative on anything magic near her child. So, they’d both know they weren’t going to be visiting each others houses any time soon, and whilst I’m sure they could’ve met for coffee on a park bench or something it seems unlikely they were ever going to be all that close again.
• At this point I have no idea if Petunia had told Vernon about magic, but probably not considering she is embarrassed, embittered and scared of it.
• Lily and Petunia both send letters to say they’ve had children, and send gifts but seemingly don’t go to visit one another’s new babies.
• Lily does not name Petunia godmother. JKR is Christian, the meaning of Godparents (and CofE in general) was more respected in Britain in the 90s than they are now so this would mean she specifically chose not to name Petunia and have a “backup guardian” in case Sirius died too… just nope.
• One random normal night the Dursleys are awoken by an approaching biker gang - then they hear hear encroaching grunting and potentially loud shaking and banging around their home (it’s Hagrid so) then the bell rings and they find a baby at their door. Their first thought must’ve been “what kind of psychopaths are toying with us?” but then they find a letter.
• Petunia, likely cottoning on would probably take the letter first and read it quickly. She’d see the same handwriting from potentially the most embarrassing moment of her life but this time his bad news is worse. Dumbledore cements himself as the harbinger of doom in her life. Letter tells her her sister is dead, and that she is now the guardian of this magic-baby. She learns a magical serial killer slaughtered her special sister, and may come for her one day. This magic child will attract the killer… always. She is told he might revive himself from the dead one day, and she learns for the first time that that necromancy is not only real but happening locally.
• Maybe then she realises this will force her own child to relive the same embarrassing cringey childhood she did, which is the opposite of what she wanted. She wanted him to be confident and self-assured. In response to the injustice of this enforced adoption she stubbornly vows she will never show this child an ounce of pride. Dudley won’t grow up like she did.
• Now, I imagine, on her doorstep at like 3am or something whilst random celebrations are being heard at a distance she has to turn to Vernon, holding a child that has been thrust upon them, and potentially explain about this huge secret she’s kept from him knowing he might think she’s insane and leave her with 2 babies. Vernon would be terrified, world crumbling, pure panic in the house their baby is crying this freak stranger baby is screaming.
• They spend the next 11 years knowing very little except that magic starts at an early age (even without a wand) and that one angry spell killed her superior-self-defence sister, so every time he has a tantrum they think their son might die, so they keep the danger away whenever possible.

All that, and you’d always know they could cure 90% of muggle diseases but choose to prance about in fancy invisible castles instead.
if I’ve got any of this wrong i apologise, I reread the books obsessively but I’m largely going off my sub-par memory, so feel free to correct me below
EDIT: just to clarify I do understand this is a children’s book, and none of this in any way affects my enjoyment of them as an adult. If anything it enhances it.

Our ten year anniversary is coming up. I bought my husband a gift but I didn’t plan a date night for our anniversary.
I feel numb and tired all of the time.
My husband has a best friend. They’ve known each other since they were teenagers.
They’re very close. She’s godmother to our kids.
I found out a couple of years ago that they did have a short romantic relationship but they kept it from me because they didn’t think it was relevant.
They had a fling for about a month in college before it made her realize that she’s a lesbian. I understood why they kept it from me but felt I should know.
A few months ago I came across letters husband had written to her. He loves her. She was his first love. The passion in those letters was more I had ever seen.
He lights up when he sees her. She’s more joyous around him. She’s made joking comments that if he was a girl, they’d be married by now.
The way he described her in these letters…soulful and passionate. He’s so in love.
I talked with my husband about them. He said that he was trying to get his emotions out and let go of hopeless love. I understand his turmoil.
It’s not his fault that he’s in unrequited love with her. And he isn’t a bad husband at all. I just don’t inspire passion like that.
An ex once told me no one would love me for who I am, just what I do for them. It’s true. I can’t be loved like that.
I don’t ask for that. I feel tired all of the time. I still make my family feel loved. I can’t let them down.
Husband says I look sleepy and almost sad all of the time. I went to my annual checkup and they said I wasn’t eating or sleeping enough. I forget to eat sometimes.
How do I let go of this desire for this all consuming love and passion? What can I do to snap out of it?

(Part 1 https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/15hwx0i/a_hidden_history/ )
(Part 2 https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/1b7ypzs/a_hidden_history_part_2/ )
(part 3 https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/1big0s0/a_hidden_history_part_3/ )
(Part 4 https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/1bkvptw/a_hidden_history_part_4/ )
(Part 5 https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/1bo3zz6/a_hidden_history_part_5/ )
(Part 6 https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/1brj8pi/a_hidden_history_part_6/ )
(Part 7 https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/1bum8h0/a_hidden_history_part_7/ )
The next hour on board the ship were in dead silence as the two Kings carefully read the short history of the Sol System. Both men had faces white with shock at the events that unfolded during that time. Edward remained in silent contemplation, while Taurus paced with concern. Marcus on the other hand was growing frustrated minute by minute, with Arcturus having to do most of the work.
All three girls were crowding around him, hounding him with questions and asking what button does what thing. Marcus, having three barely clothed women surrounding him, tried his best to answer what he could, with as polite a demeanor as he could muster. It was even worse now than it was before, owing to the fact all three girls had come across a cargo crate containing a shipment of questionable women's clothing.
"Okay... Where the hell did you get those clothes? Like... seriously?" Marcus asked.
"We found them in the cargo hold of course! You have some neat stuff in there!" Jaquelyn said with a sly grin as she adjusted a tie on her new bikini.
"Okay, from now on PLEASE ask if you can take anything from there! I do run a cargo route as a merchant on the side, some of that stuff in there does NOT belong to me. Please, next time, just ask." Marcus scolded the three with a scowl.
All three said "Sorry!" and blushed, embarrassed. "We'll put it back." Serris said.
"DO NOT. It's fine... that shipment was abandoned anyway. Its fine, keep." Marcus said, holding his hands up to stop Serris from removing what little she was wearing, in this case a set of white lace lingerie, stockings and garter included.
"Okay then! I wanna try on that cute pink number with the fluffy bunny ears!" Arianna said with excitement, and all three girls charged out the door in a giggle fit.
"Arcturus... Electroshock, level three please." Marcus said.
"As ordered sir." Arcturus replied, then mechanically cringed as he sent a 400 volt electrical shock through poor Marcus' body.
"OH god that's... ow... that's ow! OW!" Marcus collected his thoughts and waited a bit. "Sorry Arc... I know you feel it too."
"It's quite alright sir. I'm starting to understand your frustrations." Arc responded in kind.
"Press X to doubt. Any news from the net?" Marcus said with a sigh.
"A new starship has entered the system. It has yet to disengage FTL procedures and start transmitting data. It appears to be a Citadel Class Battlecruiser." Arcturus replied, displaying blurry images from a surveillance satellite.
"Oh!? Okay then... sooner than expected. And a Citadel class no less... That's interesting. What are the Templars doing here?" Marcus asked.
"No ident details as of yet sir. Will take about two hours." Arc said.
"Alright then. Have you figured out what the interference was during startup scans yet?" Marcus asked.
"Yes sir." Arc said, displaying some data as Taurus walked in the cockpit. "The interference seems to come from the thing called 'magic'. It interferes with our sensors to an extent. I have filtered out most of the frequencies and am performing Deep Scans with the Ion Satcom network. It is... difficult. Translations will take more time than expected.”
"What's that then?" Taurus asked as he stood by Marcus.
"Magic interferes or compromises my electronics network. It's how I was lied to when I came here. Every planet is scanned with a complex satellite network to see if it is inhabited or habitable. Interference from magic stopped that from happening properly. Im... very slowly fixing that issue." He replied in kind.
"Oh, I see. What does this 'scan' do?"
"It lets me know things. It's basically like getting a magnifying glass and taking a really, really, REALLY good look at something, for a very long time, many many times over until you understand everything about it. A scan is just that, but really fast, and really detailed. I can tell what kind of rocks are in the mountains, what kind of pollutants are in the water, what kinds of animals and how many are in your forests. I can even go so far as to be able to tell everything you've had for breakfast for the last ten years." Marcus replied with a sly grin.
"Oh.... wow..."
"Information that shall be translated into your language and handed over freely. What to make of it is basically your problem but hey, you can make use of it in due time." Marcus said.
"Well. I'm sure it will be very useful. Do you actually want to study magic?" Taurus asked.
"Well it would be interesting to try to understand, I suppose. I doubt I can actually do any of it but, cataloging it would be a start. At the very least I can use it to adapt my sensor arrays and circuitry so it doesn't flip out anymore." Marcus shrugged and closed the displays, resuming his flying.
"I shall see if I can get a mage of decent standing to join you then. Has to be of decent quality of course... I think I know. Snow Elves... they are the best mages in the kingdoms. I can think of a few names of note." Taurus said as he scratched his chin thoughtfully.
"Well I guess we will see soon. We're on the final approach." Marcus said and got back into piloting his craft.
The mountain loomed in front of the ship, a minimum of Everest's size and scope, with an entire city carved into the side of its southern face. Dozens of blimps, dirigibles and aircraft of varying sizes buzzed around the local area, dwarfed by Marcus' frigate that had to engage in minor maneuvers to avoid hitting a few of them. The sight of the massive beast appearing out of the clouds into the open from the east took a few ships by surprise. The frigate's weapons array on display made a few others suddenly start wearing brown pants.
"And... there maybe. Docking arms there for airships. Let's hope it's stable."
"It should be. Granite that was carved from the mountain, then strengthened by magic. Usually the big ones are used to house multiple airships but there does not seem to be too much traffic. Should be able to just slip right in." Taurus said as he pointed towards one of three large docks.
"Lets see... cut main thrusters, set to RCS, redirect to forty percent..." Marcus idly spoke to himself as he completed a checklist.
"I shall join Edward on the platform for the welcoming party. Please don't be too long in joining us." Taurus said in an authoritative tone.
"Okie dokie."
Taurus nodded and returned to the ship's airlocks. His retinue was already waiting, as was Edwards. The ship rocked with a thud, indicating it was docked up and the airlock opened with a hiss. With a number of guardsmen and curious onlookers already waiting for them, the two men regarded each other. Two guards front, one in back, the king in the middle. Taurus made his way down first, followed by Edward. The guardsman on duty on the docks holstered their bows or sheathed blades, yelling to send for the ambassadors.
With the situation calmed down somewhat, curious bystanders and wanderers began to flock to the dock to look at the frigate. The shock of the moment quickly gave way to a state of blissful awe as the mechanically inclined elves got more and more interested at the sight of the strangely ornate warship. Within minutes the Mountain Elf rulers arrived and greeted the royal retinue in person.
"Taurus... This is.... unexpected." The mountain elf king said.
"Indeed it is Valarian, Indeed it is, but a most auspicious one. This is for the Moot that I called. We have much to say and little time in which to say it. I figured we could use our guest as a taxi to speed up the process. Come, quick, we have much to discuss." Taurus replied as Edward approached with a grin.
"EDDIE!!!" A tiny, cute voice suddenly pierced through the air as a small mountain elf girl pounded out of nowhere into Edwards arms.
"My goodness! There's my little goddaughter! I missed you!" Edward said as he hugged the child.
The crowd of soldiers dispersed back to their stations and kept the royal retinue under guard. This was the moment Marcus started the cargo ramp, and the assembled crowd let out a collective gasp of shock as a stack of gold and silver appeared in front of them. Proudly sitting on top of this stack of cash was Marcus, who casually wandered away and started directing paladins and officers to gather the treasure and put it in the vaults. Marcus approached one of the Snow Elf paladins and handed him a clipboard.
"Sign here please." Marcus said.
The shock of the ridiculous situation caught him off guard and he had no idea what to do. How would one respond to a situation like this anyway? Without any recourse or anything, the elf just signed it and handed it back.
"Cool. Will deliver your share of the treasure when I'm done here. Read this letter, it will explain everything." Marcus said, handing him a sealed envelope.
The elf just fake smiled, then ran as fast as he could towards the grand hall. Marcus was very cautious, very nervous, especially with this being an entire kingdom full of Jaquelyn type elves. The crowd kept its distance however, fully recognizing the fact that this ship was very heavily armed, and its weapons were actively tracking people who were getting too close. Edward and Taurus disappeared into the kingdom's halls and Marcus simply started handing out his food packages, or offloading them, setting them aside at the Dockmasters direction.
A half an hour passed by and the Royal Retinue had begun to filter out of their chambers. This was the first time Marcus saw a Snow Elf, fair skinned, white haired elves with a slightly more muscular build than their fellows. One such Snow Elf, the Court Head Magister, spotted Marcus and with ridiculous speed, she charged forward, grabbed him and stared directly into his eyes. She remained as such for a solid minute. Marcus however, had enough, and broke the clutch sending her away. He tilted his head and cricked his neck in annoyance.
"Whhhyyy!?" Marcus simply said, glaring at her.
"It's an actual human! THIS SHIT IS REAL!?" She yelled.
The assembled crowd gasped in horror at the utterance of a curse word from the Head mage. Especially for her, this was highly abnormal.
"Yeah, I AM human. Could you respect personal space please!? Jesus!" Marcus shrugged and walked back on board the ship in a huff, swearing in Spanish as he walked.
She gathered herself and bowed her head in shame as her King came closer to her. "And... that was...?"
"I needed to see into his soul for a bit... there is no doubt." She replied.
"Well of course he's human, we can see i-"
"No... He's been through hell. I saw that sparkle in his eyes. His appearance betrays him. Those are the eyes of a grizzled veteran not a spunky youngster. I think these new humans are immortal somehow." She said.
This statement caught everyone off-guard and they had to look at Marcus for a minute or two afterwards. The subject in question returned down the boarding ramp, holding several tablets and handed one to the Snow Elf king, then the other to Valarian.
"READ it." Marcus ordered sharply and stood aside to welcome the party to the ship. "We have a three hour flight back to the factory. Plenty of time for you to discuss matters. In the meantime, errr... you. C'mere." Marcus gestured to one of the nearby soldiers.
The elf in question, one of the Snow Elf Paladins on guard at the docks pointed at himself, then walked forward. "Cool. See that?" Marcus said, gesturing to the rapidly lowering cargo ramp, once again stacked with treasure.
He nodded in response. "Good. see THAT?" Marcus said, and gestured to the large cargo drone that was now on fast approach.
"Yes sir." The soldier replied.
"Good. Load THAT..." Marcus pointed at the treasure. "Into THAT thing there." He pointed to the transport vehicle. "Then get inside it, and it will take you home. That's yours now. Follow THESE directions when you get back, and give this letter here to your treasurer or financier. Or whatever his or her title is." Marcus said, and handed him two letters.
"Yes SIR!" The soldier said with a salute and waved for help as the small cargo carrier drone landed on the dock.
Marcus walked towards the Snow Elf King and handed him a letter as well. "Come on. Get in. We don't have much time. My reinforcements have already arrived."
The Snow Elf king simply presented his hand. "Lucius."
"Marcus. Pleasure to meet you." Marcus said with a smile and showed everyone inside.
With all said and done, everyone of relevance entered the ship, settled into their cabins and began to explore the ship.
Julius settled into the library with almost unnatural speed. Taurus set up shop in the arboretum while Edward joined Jaquelyn in exploring the cargo hold. Valarian began to talk to Arcturus in the ship's computer core, having a heated debate on the qualities of cheese. Marcus on the other hand, was back to being annoyed as his new 'apprentice' and the Magister were now with him in the cockpit. The snow elf girl stood over him with a smile, her clothing a better alternative to her fellows but still nowhere near enough to be considered modest, at least by Marcus' standards. She had already introduced herself as Tamara.
The Magister was closer to him, enamored with him, her mage robes leaving almost nothing to the imagination. Marcus sighed and started up the ship's intercom.
"Would all of the females on board the ship please report to the bridge? I have a question to ask you." Marcus' voice echoed through the halls.
All the ladies on board hastily went out of their seats, and escorted by two Paladins made their way into the ship's bridge. Marcus left the cockpit and took a look at the women arrayed in front of him, flanked by two soldiers.
"Okay then... WHY?" Marcus said, gesturing wildly with his hands at the women.
"Why what?" Serris asked.
"WHY DO ALL THE WOMEN ON THIS FUCKING PLANET WALK AROUND NAKED!?" Marcus loudly, frustratingly bellowed.
The ladies looked at eachother, then themselves and said, almost in unison: "Were not naked."
Marcus facepalmed and yelled. "YES YOU ARE!!! That one is wearing the equivalent of a leopard print miniskirt and tank top! No panties, no bra either! Those three are wearing Victoria's Secret Premium catalog stuff too! That's lingerie! YOU... What even is that? A robe? It's not covering anything! The only one whose even vaguely sensibly dressed is Queen Valencia, and even THAT is pushing it! SERIOUSLY WHY!?"
The group looked at each other in confusion.
"Please tell me PLEASE. This is becoming VERY frustrating." Marcus begged.
"We don't really understand it but it's all to do with magic. When a girl... uhm... becomes a woman, magic starts to affect her body as much as Nature does." Lucius said as he appeared on the bridge. "When she reaches a certain age her... uhm... Womanliness gets augmented by magicka more and more. Skin becomes more sensitive and... whatnot. Around the age of... if i remember correctly compared to humans, around twenty five or so, the magicka within a girls body stabilizes and she gets more comfortable. Eventually she… calms down, so to speak.”
"SO IF SHE CAN WEAR PLATE MAIL AT THIS POINT IN HER LIFE WHY IS SHE IN A BIKINI!?" Marcus yelled.
"Well I like being comfortable, don't you? A girl just gets used to it after a while and the boys don't... really seem to care." Serris replied in kind.
"On the contrary my dear, we love it. The world always needs more beautiful things anyway." Lucius said with a sly smile and left the bridge.
Marcus breathed deeply and cradled his head in his tired hands. "To think it's only been sixteen hours!" He yelled in frustration.
"Okay then. OKAY then..." Marcus yelled to himself and got back into his pilot's seat.
"LADIES and gents, please hold onto your pants! We're making a little detour! There's something I gotta know." He said as the ship lurched forward.

My (28 F) husband (24 M) and I have decided we are no longer attending my cousins wedding. For context, my cousin and I are 3 months apart. We grew up together. Went to the same schools and grew up in the same apartment complex. We have always been best friends and I even chose her to be my first child’s godmother. During my cousins wedding planning, she asked me if my daughter, her goddaughter, could come out as a flower girl in the wedding. I said yes. She sent me the link to buy her dress back in October of 2023. During that time, I had a lot going on in my personal life which also involved me being in a financial tough spot. I told her I would buy it as soon as I could. I admit, this is where I messed up. I let time go by and now the dress is sold out. I found a very similar dress, almost identical on Amazon. I apologized to my cousin and told her I was sorry I didn’t buy the dress on time but found a replacement dress my daughter could wear, if she was okay with it. No response. A couple days passed and my cousin responded back. She said due to not wanting to add on any additional stress, my daughter would no longer be included in the wedding as a flower girl since the dress is sold out and the other intended flower girl already bought her dress. She also casually asked if I had already found a babysitter for my daughter and son. I assumed since my daughter was going to be part of the wedding and my cousin, the bride, is her godmother, I was excused from the no kids rule. My daughter is 6 and my son is 2. I was taken aback by this as we have always been close, although these past couple of years we have become distant. I just thought she would at least excuse her goddaughter and allow her in the reception. Not only that, but the dress is almost identical and now she took my daughter out of the wedding entirely. I told her I was no longer attending the wedding as my kids could not be a part of it, and of course all of my trusted family members will be at the wedding. I don’t just leave my kids with anyone. She knows this. I might have been willing to make an exception if she came to me and personally told me the no kids rule also applied to my kids and didn’t take her goddaughter out of the wedding. Her actions seem spiteful to me. I am not trying to be spiteful myself but I am truly hurt she chose to take my daughter out of the wedding and my kids are not allowed at the reception. Am I in the wrong?

Hi there, I'm looking for feedback on the first chapter of a romantasy retelling of Mulan. I'm concerned about my pacing and worried it takes too long to get interesting. Here it is!
Chapter 1 Apart from a few maids, the throne room was empty. It was the sixth place I checked after eating breakfast alone this morning. And the fact that I had not encountered a single member of the court all day was eerie.
I would wager a good amount of gold my ladies-in-waiting would know where everyone had disappeared to. Lucia and Daela were always the first to hear of any news or gossip. Unfortunately, if I sought them out now, the Grand Mistress would have my head. Everyone was so busy with last-minute preparations for the upcoming Spring Equinox feast, the servants couldn’t afford any distraction.
The palace was usually abuzz with activity in the days leading up to our seasonal celebrations. During the Winter Solstice, I couldn’t dodge all the lords and dukes and noblemen fast enough. And that was when nearly half the noble families were absent after getting caught behind a nasty blizzard. Something was going on. I hated being kept out of the loop.
I walked over to the maid polishing the coats of armor and cleared my throat. Her eyes widened a smidge as she stopped cleaning and quickly curtsied, bowing her head.
“Where are Lady Lucia and Lady Daela?”
“I don't know, Your Highness.”
“Have you seen either of them today?”
“No, Your Highness. The mistress called all the ladies away during morning tea.” Her hands wrung the cleaning rag and she snuck a nervous glance towards the double doors leading to the entrance hall.
Interesting. “Are you saying the Grand Mistress intentionally left no one to wait on Queen Elara?”
“No, Your Highness. Please forgive me, I must be mistaken.” I stared down, making her avert her eyes. She knew more than she let on. But intimidating the maids would get me nowhere.
“It’s alright. Where is the mistress now?”
“The formal ballroom, Your Highness.” I looked at her carefully as she chewed on her lip. “—and if not, then the rose gardens.”
I smirked and dismissed her. Whether she intended to or not, she had pointed me in the right direction. And it wasn’t the ballroom. Nor the rose gardens.
I wasted no time taking an old servant’s passage towards the North Wing. The Grand Mistress had been instructing servants to lie to me my entire life. It wasn’t her fault she had the impossible job of keeping me away from certain parts of the palace. But I caught on to her misdirection tactics years ago. If she wanted me to head towards the rose gardens, that meant something was happening in the exact opposite direction.
The only thing remotely interesting about the North Wing was the abandoned war room. Tucked away with its own hidden entrance and hardly utilized, that entire section of the palace was so rarely occupied, the maids only cleaned it once or twice a fortnight. If it weren’t for the portrait gallery highlighting every member of the royal family dating back over a century, I doubt it’d be maintained at all.
I stepped out of the passage into a dusty powder room and strode quickly in the direction of the gallery. I only slowed when I reached the antechamber leading to the main portrait hall, not wanting my footsteps to echo off the stone floor. I didn’t see any royal guards yet, but I didn’t want to take any chances.
Bright streams of sunlight flooded in through the dome-shaped skylight when I passed through the circular portrait hall to a secondary hallway, with numerous alcoves tucked against arched windows. I crept along the wall, listening for voices. Nothing.
When I peeked around the corner, I saw a lone guard standing to the right of a frayed tapestry, one hand on his sword. Not an official court gathering then. Straightening up, I pulled my shoulders back and adopted a stern expression before rounding the corner with quick, deliberate steps. The guard glanced up and stood to attention, moving in front of the tapestry.
When I approached, he gave a curt neck bow. I adopted a snooty tone that worked most of the time. “Stand aside, I’m late.”
“Sorry Your Highness, strict orders.” I stared up at him and frowned.
“Have you forgotten your place? I’m under the impression you exist to serve me.” I drawled, hiding my irritation. “Shall I take this up to the captain?”
“These are the captain’s orders, Your Highness.”
“The captain asked you to restrict where I might go in the palace?”
“Sorry, I can’t you let through.” He didn’t break a sweat and barely glanced at me before adding, “Your Highness.”
I moved to step around him and he moved to block me. I made to push past him and he unsheathed his sword. My eyebrows flew up and I glared. The audacity.
“How dare you pull a sword on me,” I fumed, unable to hide my irritation. “And look at me when you speak. Does your disrespect know no bounds?”
He looked at me and spoke again, “My apologies, Your Highness. The King requested no one enter except the royal family and his advisors.”
“I am family!” I hissed. “And I am your princess. Now move aside.”
He looked a bit remorseful, quickly backtracking. “Of course, Your Highness. But I cannot allow—”
His voice abruptly cut off when I stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. He stiffened and for the first time during the entire interaction, he looked mildly uncomfortable.
He cleared his throat and continued, “I cannot allow you through.”
“What is your name?” I asked in a calm voice, not letting any of my prior agitation show. Mentally, I lightly reached out and willed him to ease up and relax.
“Jax, Your Highness.” He said a bit uncertainly, and I smiled seeing the hand on his sword loosen.
“Jax, I know you’re under orders to guard the war room.” I spoke softly, taking a few steps to the side. He nodded, and I willed him to move with me. He took a couple steps away from the tapestry.
“You’re confused Jax…” I observed his expression as I pressed on his mind, making sure I wasn’t overdoing it. His brows furrowed and he frowned a bit. “The King requested no one enter but the princess and his advisors. The royal family is already inside, aren’t they?”
“Y-yes, the royal family is inside.” His eyes were a bit dazed now. I was pushing it, but this was a delicate process. I took another step to the side and he followed subconsciously.
“The captain wanted you to keep an eye out for the princess,” I nodded, willing him to repeat it. “That’s why you’ve already stepped aside to let me in…”
“Yes, Your Highness. Captain’s orders to keep an eye out for you..” He repeated in a monotone. Good. I moved my hand away and slowly stepped back from him. I didn’t release my grip on the haze I created in his mind until I was a few yards back and walking towards him again.
Clearing my throat, I nodded in acknowledgment as he bowed again in greeting with no indication that he recalled our interaction moments ago. When he looked up, I checked his eyes to make sure they held no sense of confusion.
“Step aside, I’m late.”
This time, he moved swiftly to pull aside the tapestry for me to enter. I sighed in relief and stepped through to the dimly lit passageway.
It was a big risk to manipulate the minds of anyone on the staff, which is why I rarely did. But most of the guards were so accustomed to following orders, that they were more susceptible to suggestion and rarely fought the influence. Still. It was sheer luck that only one guard stationed. I could not have pulled that off otherwise.
#
“Alexo doesn’t turn 25 for another 3 years.” I recognized the voice to be my mother’s and decided to listen in before making my presence known.
“Yes, but a crown prince has not been drafted in over 70 years.” The person who replied seemed exasperated. I didn’t recognize the nasal drawl. “Last night’s incident speaks volumes, Your Highness. The people are growing restless. It will reflect poorly on His Grace if he waits any longer.”
“Indeed, the reports from the scouts at the border are troublesome. Talk of war, my liege.” That velvety voice was unmistakably Spymaster Eldric. I hadn’t realized he was back at the castle.
“And you advise sending your future king to the heart of the rebellion?” My father’s voice was blunt and gravelly. I had never heard him raise his voice, but he exuded authority and power all the same.
Spymaster Eldric clearly found him intimidating since he quickly backpedaled. “I am but a humble servant, your Majesty. If the situation escalates, Falke will make a move for the crown. Our spies have detected increased activity at their armories and blacksmiths.”
“If I fail to serve my term, the Falkens thirst for war won’t be our only problem.” My heart sank. That was Alexo’s voice. “There’s already whispers in the outer factions that I’m unfit to be heir.”
A moment passed before anyone else spoke.
“Prince Alexo is wise. There will not be a more opportune time to quell the dissent; the treaty with Falke is set to expire at the Winter Solstice.” It was that nasal drawl again. I had heard enough.
I threw the door open and looked around the room. “Hello family!”
My mother, the beautiful Queen Elara, shot me a disapproving look but didn’t seem surprised that I was here. Her light blonde hair was pulled back into an elegant knot, hiding the couple strands of grey. The stern expression she wore was a stark contrast to her soft features. It never fazed me, not even when I was younger.
She was sitting next to my father, King Tyrian, whose gaze I was actively avoiding. He had this innate ability to make people cower that had nothing to do with the royal compulsion gene. And I didn’t need to look at his face to know he wasn’t happy with my interruption.
Of course, that didn’t discourage me from my usual snark. But in my defense, we could have avoided this entire dance if he included me in the first place.
“Apologies. What I meant to say was,” I mocked, before clearing my throat dramatically. “My sincere greetings to Your Royal Majesties. Long may Eldoria reign.”
I gave an exaggerated curtsy. Alexo caught my eye and grinned.
The Spymaster looked bored, leaning over to whisper something to the man sitting next to him—a stout, oily slab of a man whose shiny head held a couple pathetic strands of hair. Funny, I wouldn’t have matched the nasal drawl to his stature. This must be the Chancellor.
My father pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, closing his dark brown eyes. He waved off his advisors as they were already getting up to leave. I waited until their footsteps disappeared down the hall before grabbing the chair across from Alexo, mentally bracing for the lecture.
“Do I want to ask how you got in here?” I felt the pinch in my brain and shrunk back into my seat at the commanding ‘king’ voice he used. He must be in a foul mood if he was trying to compel me. “You are 19 now Astria. The reckless behavior cannot continue—it is a dangerous game you do not understand.”
When I didn’t say anything, the pinching feeling intensified and I flinched, grabbing my head. “Do you think me ignorant of your antics? Perhaps you believe I enjoy having to dismiss the guards every time my Spymaster requests an audience?”
“Tyrian! That’s enough.” I was grateful for my mother’s intervention. The grip on my mind disappeared and I huffed. Compulsion didn’t work on anyone with royal blood. It was simply a flex of power and authority meant to remind me he was in charge.
“All I've ever wanted is to be included in secret and not-so-secret meetings with my family,” I whined, dismissing the lecture. The advisors were gone, so I did not hesitate to speak my mind. “Especially if these fools are going to push for Alexo’s enlistment again.”
“Come on, Ria. Don’t be a brat.” I glared at Alexo’s interjection. “The court already finds it strange that you’re titled.”
“Why? It’s not like I was born with it or anything.” I retorted sarcastically. There was a collective inhale and I knew I was testing the limits of my parents’ patience.
“Careful Astria,” my father’s voice took on a warning tone. “There are no royal princesses, and certainly not one in my kingdom.”
My frustration bubbled to the surface and I launched into a seething tirade. “Is that why you keep asking the servants to lie to me? Because I’m not royalty? So I don’t deserve to know of any court affairs? What exactly happened last night?”
“You’re getting emotional darling,” my mother cooed. “Over nonsensical men’s issues at that.”
I rolled my eyes and turned my head to look at her. “Men’s issues. Then why is it you get to be here while I’m left to dine alone? Perhaps we ought to strip me of my title, since I am clearly not a part of this family.”
Alexo opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but I didn’t give him the opportunity, as I rounded on him next.
“Just stop Alexo. We both know you’re in no condition to enlist. You’re an idiot for agreeing with the advisors.” I snapped, feeling a moment of guilt at his hurt expression, before turning to fully face my father.
“They will send assassins after him the moment his name shows up. And if they don’t, the trials will crush him anyway. Do you care at all?”
My father’s eyes hardened and he fixed me with a cold stare. “Mind your place, Astria. Or the next time Chancellor Enir suggests marrying you off, I will not hesitate to trade you for an additional army.”
A tense silence hung in the air as I fought the prickling sensation behind my eyes. I clenched my jaw and refused to cry.
“My apologies, Uncle Tyrian,” I finally said with deathly calm, shoving back my chair and standing abruptly. “I must take my leave now.”
I dodged my mother’s hand when she made to reach for me and stormed out of the war room, throwing back the tapestry at the end of the hall. I walked purposefully until I reached my suite and safely shut the doors behind me.
Only then did the emotional weight of the argument slam into me with full force. And when I allowed myself permission to shed a few tears, they wouldn’t stop coming.
Finally, I gave up wiping my eyes and crawled into bed with hopes of napping away the tension in my heart.
#
I woke with a start and rubbed my eyes. They were probably puffy and red from all the crying. All my feelings of indignation had been cleared away by the nap and now, I was left only with a deep sense of sadness.
I sighed and got out of bed, noting the darkened sky outside. I grabbed the stone talisman off my vanity and held it until it glowed. I traced a figure eight figure in both directions before tapping the center three times. I sat down and started pulling my ash-brown hair out of the messy updo.
There was a knock on the door when I started brushing my hair.
“Come in,” I called out, running the bristles roughly over a tangled patch.
There was a gasp behind me and light footsteps rushed over, setting a tray of food on the vanity in front of me and grabbing the brush from my hands.
“Princess!” It was Daela, one of my ladies-in-waiting. She glanced over my blotchy face and the mess I made of my hair and frowned. “What happened to you?”
I laughed at her shocked face, grabbing a piece of bread from the tray she brought. “I wasn’t expecting you to be so quick. I thought you’d be swamped.”
She started detangling my hair and talked as I ate. “Lucia got your summons first, but the Mistress has her testing the new harpsichord. You know how she has a real gift for it. Luckily for you, Prince Alexo stopped by the kitchens earlier when you skipped dinner, so the tray was already there.”
I smiled. Alexo had always looked out for me. Despite being in poor health most of our lives, he never ceased to take his older brother duties seriously. Even if it was just to save me from a pompous lord or nobleman. Which reminded me...
“Why was the palace so empty today? Is it not the first day of Equinox?”
Daela’s hands paused and met my eyes in the mirror. She leaned in conspiratorially and spoke in a hushed voice. “Rumor is.. the castle was breached last night, so King Tyrian locked down the palace.”
I shot her a concerned look. “What do you mean breached?”
“I heard from one of the guards--they found traces of Raeleaf powder all along the training yard.” She hesitated before adding, “And heavily concentrated in Prince Alexo’s armor.”
My pulse accelerated. Raeleaf powder was highly toxic. It was the same substance that almost killed Alexo when we were kids. That explained why the Chancellor and Spymaster suddenly needed a private audience today.
“Daela, I need you to be honest with me…” I began slowly, turning around on my chair to face her. “Have you heard anything about Alexo’s military term?”
She frowned and glanced around the room. She walked over to my nightstand and grabbed the music box before coming back to stand in front of me. Soft melodies began to echo around the room as she set the open box on the vanity. Then she spoke again, much quieter.
“The last letter I received from home told me to be ready to leave the palace. There are whispers that some of the Lords find it disgraceful His Highness has not completed the required term. They believe King Tyrian is trying to find a way around the rule.”
“Do you know which of the Lords are saying this?”
She shook her head and continued. “One of the maids saw a military talisman in Prince Alexo’s room a fortnight ago. And several scrolls with blood signatures.”
“You’re certain she said blood signatures? He’s not king yet.” My mind was racing at this new piece of information.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Daela understood the significance. But from her guarded expression and frequent glances around the room, I had the sense she was more familiar with the old ways than most. She was raised in the palace, but she came from a military family.
“She didn’t say blood signatures... but she mentioned how odd it was that His Highness would have so many scrolls singed at the ends.” I frowned at the pointed look she gave me. I understood immediately.
Blood-bound scrolls could not be burned. They were an ancient practice used to declare a duel, sealed with a drop of the sender’s blood. And in Eldoria, every reigning king could be challenged for the crown if he did not have an eligible heir. To further complicate things, it wasn't simply a matter of having a son to pass the throne to. For a prince to formally be accepted as heir, he must complete a military rite of passage by the age of 25 to be deemed eligible.
Alexo receiving these scrolls could mean a lot of different things. It could be an empty threat from naysayers expecting him to fail. Or an indication that our enemies would not wait to take him out and formally challenge my father.
I ate the rest of the meal in silence as Daela finished helping me with my hair.
#
I threw the covers off my bed for the third time and re-lit the lanterns in my room. The nap I took in the afternoon made it impossible to sleep. Not to mention, I’ve been wracked with worry ever since Daela left.
From the meeting with the Spymaster and Chancellor, the consensus was for Alexo to enlist soon. But if rebels were already bold enough to infiltrate the castle... there was no doubt he would be even more of a target at the training compound.
Where he’d be completely isolated. Vulnerable.
The only thing remotely reassuring was the anonymity clause. Some archaic policy meant to demolish any ego or entitlement. Every cadet started training with no rank or title. And most people would fail to recognize Alexo's face out of court. His health kept him out of the public eye for the most part...
Still, it was tradition for the Commander to announce publicly when the heir started his trial. With the rising tension in the kingdom, our enemies would immediately go after him the moment the news came out. And unlike me, Alexo hadn't mastered his compulsion abilities. Since being poisoned in our childhood, he was extremely inconsistent and struggled to control it.
When I dwelled on the random pieces of information I had, a sinking feeling dug into my gut. And try as I might to think positively, I could not shake the horrid feeling that something very bad was going to happen.
I racked my mind for everything I knew about the trials before a ridiculous idea hit me.
There are no royal princesses, and certainly not one in my kingdom.
Perhaps it was the late hour or the emotional wreckage I’d been processing all day. But it struck me that I was just as much an heir as Alexo was. Even if no one outside of my immediate family was aware of this fact.
There were no true princesses on the continent. Not anymore. Women born to royal bloodlines were killed at birth. To everyone in the kingdom, I was simply the goddaughter and niece to the King and Queen of Eldoria, taken in and generously raised alongside the Crown Prince when my parents were killed in a raid.
But royal blood was royal blood. The registration talismans shouldn’t know the difference. No one would think to look for a princess. And as long as my father had an eligible heir, he could not be challenged for the crown. My heart raced as I began to formulate a rough plan.
Court would be held all day tomorrow, I was sure of it. Given the rising tension in the kingdom, my father and his advisors would do all they could to reassure the subjects. Especially with our guests being barred from the palace earlier today. While my attendance was not required nor requested for that matter, Alexo's duties involved responding to grievances. His rooms would be empty all day.
It could work. It would work. After all, there had to be some advantage to hiding my true identity my entire life. My princess title was meaningless. I had no duties, and I was already left out of royal obligations as it was. Either way, I had made up my mind.
I was going to complete Alexo’s military term for him.
​

I finished the game about 2 months ago on PS4 Pro and just playing insurgencies, no New Game plus yet. For context I played 3, 4, 5 and New Dawn so I may have certain biases compared to the vets and superfans. I haven't read every piece of lore in the game so feel free to correct me where I get things wrong. These are just some. . . . ok a lot of thoughts I had about the game since finishing it.
THE WORLD
The game encourages and rewards exploration with gear and world building that wouldn't work in expository dialogue and cutscenes. I went in almost blind because I love the feeling of a brand new world and 6 did not disappoint. I think I only opened the map to set waypoints to the first three camps and for mission markers. The size of the map and the varied environments really gave the feel of an actual Island nation and not just a district. It kind of reminded me of Just Cause 3 despite there being no snow regions.
The formula they introduced in 5 really shined here to me because after meeting the Three/four factions i just went wherever the wind/game took me and when I finally decided it was story time I pretty much had everything I needed from just meandering around.
If I had to choose a favorite region I'd have to say El Este, from the coastal roads and mountains, the vibe and characters were the game's peak. It even gave us a Beach Episode.
The music was on point as always. I've added several songs to my playlists.
STORY
The overall story did not go the way I expected even for a Far Cry game but I still found it fitting and in some ways it made sense. Don't get me wrong I would have loved a happy ending but it's far more realistic that after the revolution, with the leadefounder dead everybody would be going. . . . "what now?". Clara had the plan for the future her mistake was perhaps not having a willing and capable second in command to take over since she knew she would die, just not before the final battle. Dani's not a politician or a willing leader so it made sense he would leave it to those who were fighting before he got involved especially since his reasons for fighting (Clara's vision, Diego and Castillo's death) are pretty much all gone. I feel the 67 revolution was more successful because Lobo was taken care of before he could kill Santos who could then lead the rebuilding. Lucky even told Dani if you're going to be another Lobo she'd end him.
It made sense, in our world, for Clara to want to discuss peace talks with Anton for a somewhat peaceful transition but this being Far Cry it was clearly a trap so it wasn't a surprise. I loved the stealth mission to rescue Clara, although I don't know if I needed stealth, it just felt right to do it that way because of how tense everything felt.
Clara's death was the greatest tragedy for the revolution but the battle of Caballero was the hardest loss for me.
CHARACTERS
Something I loved about the recent Far Cry games is the characters and how their relationships with you and other characters grow as the story progresses. Don't get me wrong, nothing happens in a major story mechanics standpoint but you sort of feel their vibe towards you change for better or worse and your impact on their lives is communicated in a meaningful way.
Clara felt like a mix between a naive youth fighting for change and a pragmatic leader. The assault on Isla Santuario and the meeting with Anton showed her naivete. Though I thought the meeting necessary at some point in the conflict, in Far Cry there was no way it would go well or bare fruit. It's clear Dani joining Libertad was the force multiplier they needed as they were not equipped or experienced to fight the FND. Her pragmatism showed in the conversations she had with Dani regarding Yara's future in that she realized hard choices had to be made and it wouldn't be a smooth transition with compromises from all sides.
I loved that she chose this path despite having no real reason to do so being of "True Yaran" descent. Her relationship and being motivated by Talia
Juan, the old man in a profession where people die young. To me he felt like a more likable Willis Huntley, still willing to do whatever it takes to win but less likely to double cross you unless you crossed him. There's even a letter from Will congratulating him for besting them in a previous encounter. I never got why he figured shooting Diego was necessary despite Dani's apprehension, maybe he just saw another Anton in the making. He made sense as Clara's mentor in the actual fighting of a revolution and dealing with the darker, dirty side of the cause.
The Monteros didn't really do anything for me. From the Tsundere Dad and daughter to the clearly a snake prison guy the whole story of the family was just meh. Perhaps it could have been written better because i did not feel anything for these people. I kind of felt bad for the Prison dude that got left behind but even then I was like why stick around after the betrayal, why not tell Big Montero to his face after the prison break that you flipped and it was his fault. Philly, his magic and Chorizo were the only stand outs in that farm.
From what I gather Maximas Matanzas wasn't everybody's kind of fiesta. Paulo's conflict made the most sense to me being part of another group nobody had any interest in fighting for (which happens a lot IRL). Talia despite being the catalyst for Clara was to me the most problematic. This may have been a side effect of the brainwashing by María Marquessa but shooting her (a non combatant) on live television was just overboard and IRL would have done more harm to the cause than good. I get that Maria egged her on and it may have been involuntary but it would have done more good for Talia if she kept her cool and had Maria expose herself instead. Paz was cool, enjoyed the moment he had with Dani about him just being seen as just a gun.
The people of El Este had to be my favorite simply because their conflict, Young vs Old felt the most real and well written. The Old Legends who are experienced but too tired and the young inexperienced and sometimes extreme La Moral. The conflict didn't feel forced and I could honestly say this story Arc made the game for me along side Diego's. Being around La Moral's young people just felt more natural to Dani than with any of the other factions, they wanted him around from early on (unlike the Monteros) and weren't doing completely dumb shit (Talia). Jonron and El Tigre were so great I customized guns in their honor to liberate El Este and carry them with me into Esperanza. An RMS-18 shotgun with the Tiger stripe paintjob and a 67' dog tag charm and an AR-C with a blue and white paintjob and a catcher's mit charm. Dumb sentimental crap dammit it felt right to me.
The Legends of 67 were these almost perfect heroes when you heard about them but meeting and reading their lore throughout the game shows you their imperfections. This to me was a realistic depiction of the victors if they were told to be honest with themselves after the battle was won.
Lucky Mama came of as bitter and old when you first meet her but after learning her story and meeting La Moral I understood her anger at the youths, including Dani. It's shame her luck wasn't enough
Lorenzo spread the word of the revolution like his seed. Only wished to breed, he exploded into a million seeds. In hindsight I wish Dani could have told him to join the cause for his kids. . . his many, many, many kids.
El Tigre. BADASS.
Yelena to me felt like Clara if you took her naivety and replaced it with vengeance and bloodthirst. Made sense for a student hardened by admiral Benitez' heavy-handed tactics. Giving up her lover for the revolution (though she didn't realize at the time) was
Jonron like her namesake, a Homerun of a character. Should've been a gun for hire
Rosa Mel made me uncomfortable at first being that I'm not that open minded but I can see how someone who can literally change their whole persona would be La Morals Spymaster. The Chameleons were also a great touch.
Anton's like an abusive father but not to Diego but rather the whole country. Him slowly dying of Cancer was a twist I wasn't expecting but it put a lot of his actions into perspective. Think about it, he's dying so he has to strengthen Diego and prepare him and his country for his absence. If he fails to do this he can't leave Diego to experience what he went through in 67 as he's not strong enough so he mercy kills him instead
Diego deserved better, more detail below
María Marquessa, I just hate PR and marketing people in general so for me disliking her came naturally, thanks Ubisoft. Grrrrrrrr-pow
Sean McKay, see you in hell ey'.
That's why I blew up your port, you fat motherfucker
El Este, Fat Boy killers
Seriously fuck this dude and anyone who spared him, I hated him more than Anton tbh. No amount of Pesos would make up for the lives of Jonron, El Tigre and the countless Yarans killed by this guy and his company. And to the pinche pendejos saying he could have helped with the reconstruction I say FUCK THAT THERE'S ALWAYS ANOTHER YANQUI
GAMEPLAY
I didn't notice any real changes in gameplay besides the skills being tied to clothing and no human companions which I can't say I'm fond of. I get that it encourages more varied gameplay and sort of nerfs the main character so you aren't just an all powerful God. Gear matters more now but I could see having to find specific gear pieces in RNG Libertad crates be a problem. It's cool they allowed us to change the appearance of clothes while keeping the abilities though.
Having no human companions to me was a major downgrade. As someone who's always played solo it was a great feature in 5 and New dawn to have an NPC especially if it was a named character. Running around with Carmina Rye (in New Dawn) to liberate her home felt so natural because in a way you were training her (at least in my mind) and it made sense for her to be on the frontline with you. Same with the other guns for hire who had a loyalty mission as well. Imagine Jonron or El Tigre as companions, their deaths would have hit even harder (not that they weren't devastating to begin with)
Even if they weren't named characters (call them Comrades) it would have been great to have someone drive while I was in the passenger seat of El Presidente's ride or in the turret of Karlito. This was sorely missed when riding with Yelena to the party or when assaulting the fort. Going past all the guerillas in an armored vehicle after freeing them from a hostage situation just felt off because I could have taken them with me to liberate the outpost or checkpoint they just told me about. It's great that random guerillas can revive you when you get downed in their presence but it was so rare I ended up maining the Medico supremo.
Speaking of supremos, they're cool and all but I didn't see them as that much of a gamechanger beside the rocket barrage, medico, Oluwa thing and Berserk ones.
THE NEW YARA
I would love to see 6 get the New Dawn treatment, not in a gameplay sense but a story sense. The end of Far cry 5 was heartbreaking after all the effort to save Hope County to then end up with Joe in a bunker for 17/18 years left a sour taste in my mouth but honesty speaking it was well executed by the story team for that even though I hated the feeling (very Far Cry). When New Dawn came around I was ecstatic when I found out Rooks Goddaughter was the one who found us and I just had butterflies in my stomach the whole time I was exploring the altered Hope County. Saving Nick and reuniting him with his family was the greatest feeling I have ever had in all my years gaming. That happy ending isn't what the series is known for but good god did it give me a satisfying feeling.
If 6 did get something like that i would have wanted it to be something like Diego taking the place of Clara (if he hadn't died) and having Dani (us) and Lucky Mama as his advisors and sort of mentors as he attempts to rebuild Yara when Espada, Paulo and Yelena are having a difficult go at it. Perhaps having the CIA or some other foreign company trying to get Viviro by usurping the current regime. Diego was clearly intelligent and deeply knew and cared for his people, even those his father hated. He'd be hated as the son of Castillo and it would give him an opportunity to grow into a great leader with Dani fulfilling the promise he made to Anton had he not killed him. Raising your greatest enemy's son at his request just feels . . . poetic (don't know if that's how I'd use that word but you get the idea).

I’ve always been there for my friends and my mother. Due to some major events in my life, I was forced to reevaluate my values and priorities. People have always been precious to me. My Grammy used to say: “They can take everything from you but what you have between your ears.” Meaning knowledge and memories. (She was always big on photos, baseball and hockey, jazz, make huge meals and feeding the birds.) Since 2018, when it rains, it pours. I graduated with my bachelors finally and a month later my oldest got married. I should’ve become a nun. The day before my oldest got married, I drove down with my boyfriend at the time, his 3 girls, and my youngest son. Myself and his oldest were sick. I don’t know what it was. Fever, sweats, vomiting on the side of the road (6 hour drive from where I was coming from) and lightheaded. My oldest gets us at the hotel to help check us in and inform me that my mother will not be taking pictures at the wedding with me and in order for my father to be there, I’m not allowed to interact in anyway with my parents. Per my mother’s request. My older brother, my oldest father (my ex), and my boyfriend all tried to get me to see my dad before he left the rehearsal dinner but I couldn’t think about anything other than if I did, I might ruin my son’s wedding. Neither of my boys have a relationship with my boys. My oldest had finally had enough of what my mother had been doing to all of us after he discovered how she had treated his MIL and had spoken about me, her daughter, at the wedding. Then the dog escapes, twice, and injures the same little girl. So not only do we go through measures to have him snipped and trained and pay the find but I can deal with him any more. I (we) move to another state and rent the house his parents are moving out of. I’m done trying to keep peace with two baby mommas while he thinks all he has to do is pay the bills. I’m done being present for kids that aren’t mine and I have zero legal responsibility for when I share information that can save their lives. I’m done watching a guy play dad while his daughters are having sex at 13/14/15, drinking and driving, posting pics on TT, IG, SC, TW, X that are inappropriate. Break a phone-daddy buys a new one while talking trash about people with learning disorders or making negative comments about his daughter’s own ancestry (all three of the girls are half Mexican. There are family jokes like: The help aren’t supposed to be picking from the family tree, they’re supposed to be doing the laundry or landscaping… OR hey Jay, what do you and UPS have in common? They’ll both take whatever you’ve got bank account… OR from the mouth of a former CPS agent and their grandfather: “coming to the stage for your viewing pleasure tonight are the sisters three. Jade, Esmeralda, and Ruby the stripper sister trio they be…” I got tired of being used as an emotional weapon against the mother’s of his children by him and his family. So when, his mother finally comments that maybe he needs to be honest and quit leading me on, I break my contract with her on the lease and move 90 minutes away to another town. I’ve also rescued my goddaughter from her mother. Sisi calls me in the middle of my move to tell me she can’t do it any more. Two years of silence and no support from me is too much and mom finally did it to her. When she graduated and moved back to her dad’s in another state with her younger brother, her dad and I were finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. We, as friends, didn’t have to deal with their mother any more. I could finally block her Ava walk away… I thought. One day, I get a call from her while she’s living with her dad and she’s bent out of shape because she doesn’t like the rules to live under his roof (get a job, no boys overnight, be in by ten for his sanity and her safety, she’ll get her inheritance when she’s older) and wants me to help her get back to her mother. I said: no. You’re an adult now and the last time I saw this game played, your mother moved 3 times in the space of 2 days between your dad and her 3rd ex-hubby… She made it back to her mother without my help and without her car (it was still in her father’s name along with the insurance and he refused to give her the money because he knew her mother would use it for herself and screw their daughter over. Want proof? Get ready because when Sisi and her boyfriend finally found a place they could afford, they just needed mom’s help to co-sign but didn’t mean she was a tenant. A few months into this, mom and hubby get kicked out for failure to pay rent at their place so they move in on Sisi and take over the lease and apartment. Just went into the office and told the landlord she was staying for a while and didn’t know when she would be leaving unless they had a spot open for her (they didn’t and wouldn’t for a while as there was a waiting list). So, in the middle of my move at the beginning of 2020 with COVID blown full force, I get a call from Sisi telling me she had to buy a key lock for her bedroom door just to keep her mother out and to keep her from yelling at her. She agrees to help me move even though she too is going through some stuff. So we moved twice. She moved to me and we moved to another city. In rolls 2020, my older brothers kidnap my dad and take him half way across the country to get him away from my mom. The new doctors take dad off 75% of his meds. Meds for Lewy body dementia and Parkinson’s disease. Not only does he get better but he’s finally filing for divorce but he can’t talk to until it’s done at Christmas. Almost all of 2021 I get to have him back. 3 years of no contact and forced isolation and I finally get to call him to wish him happy birthday or Father’s Day. One whole year, one answered prayer for my dad to laugh freely and have peace. I don’t have to tell anyone about the struggle of 2020-2021 but dude. May, my godfather passed away - pneumonia COVID. July, my godmother passed away - broken heart at home. September, one of my dearest friends, the father of the child we gave up for adoption, the man who has always been there for me no matter when life got messy, died the day after surviving COVID. His daughter, my goddaughter, and his ex-wife buried him without me. I had to wait a week to find out why he wasn’t returning my phone calls. December, dad died. He fell at my oldest brothers house during Thanksgiving dinner and bruised what was left of his kidney. That’s right. Kidney. My Pop was a walking, functional polio survivor who had hypoglycemia. He had cancer twice (an abdominal sarcoma and two years later prostate) and worked right through chemo and radiation therapies at home. Between those treatments and surgery my dad had lost a kidney, part of his bladder, intestines, and 1/4 of his diaphragm (you know, that thing that makes the air go in and out of your lungs), and had to learn how to pee again. Then January 2022, one of my first kiddos committed suicide. He and his sister were the first kids I ever babysat and still had a relationship with later in life. I watched him turn into a mini version of his dad after his sister died from cancer at 13. I watched him graduated from the academy and with for the same department his father worked for. He was a legacy but he was respected in his own right and proved himself to be just as great as his father if not better. I’m in therapy for so many things. I’m trying to be a better mother than the one I got and it’s hard to admit I’m unlearning doing things she did with me. I’m creating new boundaries in lifelong relationships. My goddaughter can use my car to go see her brother and niece and accept that she may see her mother. Her mother doesn’t get to know where I live. I buy her niece things I know she might use while she’s with her grandmother (Sisi’s mother) but as long as that little girl is happy I don’t care. When I go visit Sisi’s older brother, I don’t care of their mother is there as long as she leaves me alone. If I can be an adult at my son’s wedding then I can do the same here. So you might ask: where’s the just no? My mother called me out of the blue for the first time in a year to ask me to help her. She broke her “driving” ankle helping out a neighbor in their yard. She said the driveway was wet and even though she was using her cane, she slipped. She wanted me there yesterday. When I prodded her for how long and what did she need? She said she didn’t know and she needed a ride to her oncology appointment. She says she has blood cancer and didn’t really want to have to call this expensive home health care company she’s been paying for and she just bought a new car. First off, my bachelor’s was in health science with a minor in psychology. Let’s not play with me. I realize my mother’s a very educated person with two degrees of her own but not in this area of expertise (explosive engineering and finance are hers). Even a young health person would need at least 6 months for the able to be functional thought not fully. She has a “blood” cancer but can’t tell me what kind. Her brother, my uncle, has polycythemia vera (bone marrow cancer) and has to be cautious about his activities and illnesses. He likes to geocache and hike but scraping his knee can take months to heal and gets easily infected if not babied so when she tells me 3 weeks I can feel bubbling inside me. Blood cancer and a broken ankle for 3 weeks? I call BS. I can’t move. I’m honestly frozen and calling my therapist. I’m in tears. Why? The guilt trip. She raised and trained me to take care of her in her old age. Even into my adult years she demanded things and behaviors from me or my oldest. I was her favorite target even when I wasn’t around to cause trouble. She took care of her mother until she died. She kept dad alive through two rounds of cancer and dementia. She took care of my younger brother and me when dad didn’t want us around. She was also the only one who told me she hated me and said I’m not her daughter. While I make a life of mine own doing what makes me happy, she sends my pedo younger brother money in the fed pen every month and dumps everything the world is out to do to her in nightly phone calls with him. No. Not when the one person who lives less than two minutes away from her is willing to do anything she needs, but my mother thinks that woman thinks she too good for my mom. No. Not when I know everyday I will hear you gaslight a man who no longer breathes or complain my son won’t talk to you. No. Not when money dictates loyalty over love and memories. Just no to Sisi’s mom who thinks that moving to a state I’ve been living in for years is her sanctuary and that she should be informed of my impending presence. Her oldest son and daughter moved away from her and closer to me on purpose. She followed them. I don’t owe her anything nor do I want to have anything to do with her. No her son doesn’t have to tell her he’s driving 90 minutes away with his daughter and baby momma to have a BBQ party with his sister and a cousin of theirs. No one needs to stop by just because they were driving close by (20 minutes off the interstate) on their way to see one of your off-spring. I’m also gonna just no the personal aspects of her life. Sisi’s stepdad is her mom’s first and fourth husband and was married to her mother when she was conceived. Sisi’s dad is hubby number 2. Sisi’s mom left hubby number 3 to be with hubby 2, then a boyfriend, and then back to hubby number 1 before making him hubby final four. Let’s round off this last part with Sisi’s mom declaring she’s lesbian while he states he’s wants to transition into being a woman (actually left me a message asking if I wild mind of he could model himself after me… not his wife but me). They had a special needs child (agenesis of the corpus collosum, which means he only has the back portion of the webbing that separates the brain halve) that was taken by CPS because neither parental parties (the want-to-be tranny had this child with another woman while he and Sisi’s mother weren’t married) could be sober and present. I’m done. Just no to the men who show up and then give up when money doesn’t fix things. Just no to a whole lot of things

I had posted a few times before on Reddit about my fiancee and I (about my not wanting kids, our engagement, the love we have for each other). For the most part, my posts have had happy endings but this one just isn't a really happy one.
Soon after my engagement, my best friend (since elementary school) and his wife passed away in a car accident, leaving behind their 11-year-old daughter (Amy - not real name). Amy is my goddaughter, but we do refer to each other as niece & tia. I've been there for her her whole life and she has always been one of my favorite people (and still is).
It's been a really hard several months since the accident and everyone is having a tough time. I have spent most of my life with my best friend in it than without him. Our parents are best friends (due to us being friends at first). I refer to his mom as "Mama *his last name*" and dad as "Papa *his last name*" and he did the same with my parents. My siblings were his siblings (he was an only child). We went to events/concerts together a lot so multiple times since he passed...I've subconsciously bought him a ticket, forgetting that he wouldn't be able to use it. I introduced him to his wife in high school (we were the only two openly nerdy cheerleaders at our school). They got pregnant young, and I was there to help & I even went so far as to stop eating foods she couldn't eat because I could tell being pregnant was not fun for her. I was at the hospital because she was scared and asked me to be close by. I was the first non-blood family member to see Amy.
I say all this because him and his family are indeed my family.
So them passing was a huge hit for everyone, especially for Amy.
Now the month when it happened, Amy went to stay with her grandparents. Luckily we all stay in the same big city so the farthest anyone of the family is from the other is an hour AT MOST (and that's mainly due to traffic). The issue though is that her grandparents are much older (70s) compared to my parents (50s) so while they do very much love her, they are already at that point where they themselves need help. Plus they just lost their only son and daughter-in-law! Amy's mom's parents are out of state and they also didn't believe moving her to them and away from everyone she knows was the right thing either. Her grandparents overall didn't think Amy staying with them was the best for her and they relayed that to my parents who then mentioned this to me.
So after talking to my fiancee about it as well as talking about it in therapy (which included: me, my fiancee, and both our therapists), we came to the conclusion that we would be happy to take her in since we are financially capable, have the space and we do also just love her so much. Before the accident, she was realistically at our house at least 3 times a week. She is the reason why I even have an art room since it was an activity we always did together (even at 11 she's a fantastic artist).
When we approached her grandparents, they were completely on board with the idea and I do think that a part of them had hoped we would take her without them asking us directly (hence the comment to my parents).
However, when we had broached the idea to Amy, she was hesitant. It turns out that she is aware that I never wanted kids and is afraid that I will hate her for having to raise her. It 100% broke my heart that she felt that way and I tried everything to convince her that was wrong.
In the end, I told her the truth: I will never be able to replace her mom or her dad, and I have no plans to. Her parents made me her godmother because they knew that I would love and care for Amy the way they loved and cared for her. I could never hate her. My fiancee even pointed out that I was the one who had the idea to foster her. But I also had to stress to her that this is a new situation for all of us. We are all grieving together and we are all jumping into this new living situation together. So there will be mistakes but there will also be a lot of love. We also put her in therapy, which she has been very hesitant about but after finding out that my fiancee and I are both regularly in therapy, she felt a lot more comfortable.
My fiancee has been great through all this and my absolute rock. He was also very close to my best friend (my best friend was going to be his groomsman and was the second person my fiancee asked after he asked his brother to be the best man). My best friend was the type of person who will see something and say "this looks like something so&so would like so I'm going to buy it for them". So some days I will catch my fiancee staring at one of those many gifts for a long time. Or he will say something like "I hope they both knew how much I loved them". We hold each other tighter now when we hug and kiss longer than before.
When I asked about Amy living with us, my fiancee was shocked and wasn't sure how he felt since change was happening lightning fast with the engagement then the accident and now with Amy. So I didn't bring it up again until he did a week later with "I thought about it and I think it would be good for all of us but let's get our therapists together to make sure we aren't jumping the gun because we love her".
Amy moved in right after Thanksgiving. All the families got together for the holidays with her to remind her that she is never alone. She has her mom's family (out of state but they call often), her dad's family, my family, my fiancee's family (out of the country too minus my fiancee's brother + his wife) and let's not forget all our friends & their families. There was a lot of crying but a lot of laughing too.
Her living with us is a huge adjustment but nothing we can't handle. She has always been a sweet girl and very bubbly & loud. Since the accident, she obviously has been a lot more withdrawn and quiet. But I am seeing sparks of herself come back briefly and slowly. We had to switch her therapist a few times but this current one is definitely helping a lot. Amy really likes her too.
Her grades did slip a bit. But my fiancee has made it a point to do homework with her every day and it made her cry the first few times he did it. He asked her if she wanted him to stop but it turns it that it just reminded her of her dad so it really meant a lot that her tío was so willing to help her too.
I was expecting some rebelling but that hasn't happened...yet lol.
Actually, she has been doing the absolute most. She would clean up after us before we had a chance to do it ourselves or try to do things for us that seemed a little out of character. After some prodding, it turns out it was because she is afraid we would get rid of her if she upset us or did something wrong. We have stressed that in no way has that even crossed our minds. We are here for her and - unless she wants nothing to do with us - we will continue to be here for her through the good AND bad. But let me tell you...I cried so much that night feeling terrible that she felt that way. I want her to know that our love is unconditional. And it always has been.
We are also in the process of setting up a trust for her. Her parents left behind money and there is money coming in from their insurance policies too so all that is going in that trust for her. I will also help supplement this trust (plus my fiancee, even though I stressed that he doesn't need to). Neither myself or my fiancee will touch this trust. When she turns 18, she will have access to use the money for college if she decides to go and a set amount will be available every month to live on. If she decides not to go, then she will still have access to a set amount every month. (Side note: we would prefer she go to college and will encourage it but her dad didn't go to college and did well as an artist and we see that she has his talents so we just want to be supportive of any decision she makes.) When she turns 21, she will have access to the full trust to use as she wishes but we will do our best to ensure she is responsible with it when the time comes. At the end of the day, she will be an adult and we have to trust she will be responsible when she has access to the money. I also want to say we didn't come to this decision on our own. We consulted with all four sets of grandparents and this was what we all thought was the best approach (as well as help from a lawyer). When Amy is a little older, we will discuss this with her but for now she's still so young and dealing with a lot.
Some nights I sleep with her in bed (with my fiancee sleeping on the floor by the bed) because she cries herself to sleep & she feels so alone. I don't know if that feeling will go away anytime soon. I think about how I'm in my 30s and I still can't imagine not having my parents. So I really have no idea what she is feeling. Best I can hope for is that I can help the pain just a little bit.
Amy's mom was going to be my bridesmaid and I was going to have Amy be the flower girl but I think I'm going to ask Amy if she would prefer to be my bridesmaid. Amy looks so much like both her parents and I see SO much of their personalities in her. A part of me feels like having her up there with me will make me feel like her parents are up there with me too. And I never once imagined getting married without either of them by my side. All planning stopped the moment of the accident for that reason and even now typing this has me crying that they won't actually be there.
But also that's a lot of pressure to put on Amy. I don't want to tell her all that. I do want to give her the option to be my bridesmaid if she wants and if she doesn't want to, then that's also okay because she is still going to be part of my wedding. I won't even bring this up for a while because I still am not in the headspace to plan the wedding right now.
There is no real reason why I'm posting this. I tried a couple times to write out what happened but each time I broke down or deleted it. I think I just want to vent or just feel better. Maybe to get validation that we are doing the right thing and not messing Amy up.
One step at a time I guess.
TLTR: my best friend and his wife died in an accident. My fiancee and I offered to take in their 11-year-old daughter. There is still a lot of grief but we are working on healing together. We just want the best for her.
​
EDIT: I'm seriously overwhelmed by all the comments. I was trying to respond to every single one but now I'm falling behind because there are so many lol. If I don't respond to your comment, still know that I really appreciate your support/love/kind words. I wish I could hug every single one of you. I don't know what I was looking for posting here but I feel immensely grateful I did because you have all shown me so much love and support. I'm just a crying mess but just know it's definitely happy tears because I now feel like I am doing the right thing for Amy. Thank you all so much. <3

For the next three hours, Laika mourned Marigold and the District 1 duo waited for the Stage Reaper. The commentator’s booth couldn’t slow down as many developments were happening simultaneously. Four more tributes fell over the course of those three hours. The D2 killer, the Soldier, discovered his prey in the house they were hiding in. Suyin and Toph (2) fought valiantly, even landing a few injuries but Toph was killed by bayonet to head. Suyin incapacitated the Soldier, who then tore off his own mask and condemned the Capital for choosing him. He claimed to be innocent of the crimes that imprisoned him and refused to partake. He was about to slit his own throat with the bayonet when his tracker was detonated. The force of the blast threw Suyin across the room and she cracked her head open, her cannon sounding after five minutes of bleeding out. Meanwhile, Raleigh (6) resolved to fight the Berserker himself and the two continuously stabbed each other to death in the streets. The Berserker was the last one standing but Siobhan (6) finished him off herself.
The District 3 tributes unfortunately came out of hiding at the worst possible time and ran head first into the D7 killer, the Lumberjack, who was fighting Edward and Gloucester (7). The District 7 pair had used their time salvaging supplies and bonding over their favorite pastimes. They managed to evade many tributes and the killers, even outsmarting the Andes Monster minutes before his demise at Laika’s hands. They decided to take a chance and confront the Lumberjack after receiving an axe as a sponsor gift. However, the Lumberjack proved to be more formidable than anticipated with his double hatchets and brute strength.
The Lumberjack, aka Treech Galloway, was imprisoned after murdering four of his coworkers and two peacekeepers as revenge for being accused of chopping illegal trees and being punished by public flogging. When the District 3 tributes Hiro and Tadashi ran head first into the Lumberjack, Gloucester used the opportunity to slam his axe into their pursuer’s head but accidentally got Hiro instead, sounding his cannon instantly. The Lumberjack shoved Tadashi off and continued to fight his prey. Tadashi used this opportunity to run the opposite way but not before throwing a stone in their direction. Surprisingly, the stone hit Edward in the back of the head, stunning him briefly. The Lumberjack seized this opportunity to trip Gloucester and swing his axe sideways into Edward’s neck, completely decapitating him. Gloucester screamed in anger but was quickly disarmed. The Lumberjack failed to strike him, and Gloucester ran for his life, swearing vengeance.
The cameras switched back to the District 1 house where Royce and Barron waited for the Stage Reaper to arrive. Royce reminisced of his childhood and his mother while staring at a picture of her. Barron put a hand on his shoulder and said that he missed her terribly. Royce gave him a stare he didn’t notice and instead said, “I hope one of us gets back. Pharaoh needs us.” Barron agreed and said he was glad to be with him. Suddenly, the front door was thrown open and it was none other than their pursuer. “Stage Reaper”, a former actor by the name of Giorgio Tremblay who snapped after a disastrous stage performance and murdered nine people before being apprehended by peacekeepers. The Stage Reaper wore a phantom mask and a jester’s costume wielding a rapier. The boys had varying reactions upon the revelation. Royce had a mixture of horror and anger on his face while Barron was as white as a sheet. The Stage Reaper greeted them and voiced how surprised when he learned he was hunting the Moriarty family. He asked if Barron remembered him, but Barron didn’t answer, instead holding up his trident. He then turned his head to Royce and commented on how he grew, recalling the last time he saw him outside the Golden Globe Theater. Royce shouted at him for killing his mother, but the Stage Reaper laughed instead. As much as he wanted to tell the full story, he’d rather finish them.
The Stage Reaper charged towards them and went after Barron first. Barron blocked with his trident and Royce attempted to stab but was kicked to the side. The Stage Reaper’s glee morphed into rage as he tried to kill Barron, blaming him for his confinement and the sexual assault he endured while in prison. Barron was struggling to land a blow in the midst of all the Stage Reaper’s attacks and resorted to dodging and throwing nearby objects. Some managed to hit its target like a saltshaker to the forehead and teacup to the rapier hand. The momentum took a nosedive when Barron tripped over a chair and tumbled to the ground. The Stage Reaper ran towards him and was ready to stab but Barron luckily used the trident to stab him in the groin. He grimaced in anger, intensifying after Barron said, “Looks like you were had at both ends.” The Stage Reaper raised his sword in the air ready to kill but Royce jumped up and thrust both knives into his chest. He growled, “This is for my mother you pasty dropout!” The Stage Reaper fell to the ground dead. However, his death wasn’t completely in vain. His rapier had managed to penetrate Royce’s right thigh, going straight through.
Barron rushed to his son and began to freak out, at first about their pursuer’s death before Royce snapped him back to reality. Barron rushed to find a towel in the bathroom. He found it and grabbed a bottle of bleach as well. Barron treated his wound the best he could, using the towels to wrap up the wound and bleach to clean the wound. Royce did his best to refrain from screaming. Barron snapped at him to stop whining and let him work. He asked him why he stepped in front of him when he had everything under control. Royce argued that he clearly didn’t and wondered what the Stage Reaper meant when he could’ve told him the “full story”. Barron chalked it up to him being a psycho, but Royce remained unconvinced and dropped it nonetheless. After taking a breather, Barron excused himself to refill their water bottle and put the bleach away. Royce munched on their last sandwich while he did so. What Barron actually did inside the bathroom greatly shocked the entire Capital. He did indeed refill the water bottle but three quarters. He filled it up the rest of the way with bleach. When he brought it back out, Royce declined a sip, unknowingly escaping death.
While the aftermath of the battle with the Stage Reaper was incredibly interesting, something equally surprising was Laika’s path of mayhem. Laika had finally stopped mourning Marigold’s death and decided she couldn’t stay in the house longer. As she was going down the stairs, she was mumbling to herself about how ridiculous it was that these irredeemable killers were allowed to live in the first place. It was unfair that district citizens were executed for far less while these psychopaths were holed up in prison. She looked at her sword and swore to herself that she would be the justice for all the families who lost their loved ones.
Laika stormed out of the D12 house and started marching through the streets searching for any sign of any of the killers. After traversing the two leftmost streets, she heard a cannon nearby. It was Roman (9) who was caught by surprise by the Scarecrow and hacked to pieces. Laika rushed over to the next street over and saw the Scarecrow standing over his body cleaning his scythe. Laika walked over to him while he obliviously stared at his reflection shining from his scythe. When she was ten feet away, he finally noticed her and a grin spread across his face. Now that all of his targets had been eliminated, he could go after any tribute he wanted. Laika yelled, “Come at me straw for brains!”
The Scarecrow charged after her but she was too quick. She rolled away from his first strike and swung her sword behind her. The Scarecrow received a deep cut to the knee and staggered. He tried one last attempt to strike Laika who was charging behind him. However, she slid across the asphalt on her knees and leaned back, narrowly avoiding the scythe. Laika stepped up and thrust the sword into his chest. The Scarecrow was defeated. Laika’s popularity skyrocketed and was now the favorite to win. The commentator’s booth reviewed the overwhelming comments of viewers enjoying the absolute chaos happening all across the arena simultaneously. Artemis couldn’t believe how Laika took down three of the killers so efficiently. Luther quipped that revenge was a strong motivator. He announced that since there were now ten tributes remaining, the betting circuit was closing. Artemis switched her final vote to Laika and Luther kept his on Royce, uttering “Always vote for the best stories.”
Laika took a brief break and sat by the curb contemplating recent events. Her thoughts were interrupted when a sponsor gift floated down to her. Inside was a water bottle and a bowie knife with a note attached reading, “Be generous with love and time - BJ”. Laika was confused as to who BJ was and assumed it was an inspired fan. Laika nodded to herself and continued her journey around the arena searching for any remaining killers. She spotted Tartan being strangled by the D8 killer, the Seamstress, at the end of the sixth street. She snuck up behind her as the life in Tartan’s eyes disappeared. Laika carefully maneuvered her bowie knife around the killer’s neck and slit her throat. The Seamstress fell on Tartan and she convulsed as she bled out. Before Tartan could regain his breath, Laika stabbed him in the head. His cannon sounded immediately and Laika proceeded to leave the scene.
Laika walked down the eighth street and had no luck. She didn’t have time to search every house, so she was unaware Siobhan (6) was watching her from a window. When Laika came across the brown roofed D7 house, she hesitated. As she contemplated going into the house, the D3 Killer, aka the Mad Scientist, burst through the front door and onto the lawn. Laika was ready to fight but paused as she studied his movements. The Mad Scientist walked as if overstimulated and jittering constantly. Viewers guessed he was feeling antsy over not finding his prey but couldn’t know for certain because of his rubber mask. Laika stepped forward ready to kill him but the Mad Scientist blindsided her with a palm to the face. Laika stumbled back, dropped her knife, and swung her sword at his face. At the same time, the Mad Scientist leaned back in his ecstatic behavior and avoided injury. Laika’s sword caught onto his rubber mask, and it flew off his face. What was under the mask shocked all of Panem.
It was none other than the infamous Jansen Toliver, father of Jase Toliver and instigator to the Quelltastrophe. Jase himself was horrified by his father being in the arena. Laika recognized him immediately and was in utter disbelief. She looked at her sword and back at him. She told him, “You’re not a killer.” Laika decided to let him go and walked away. Suddenly, Jansen in his loopy state tried to grab Laika but she jumped out of the way just in time to feel an intense heat push her further into the ground. Due to Jansen Toliver violating the killer rules, his tracker was detonated and his right arm blew off. Laika ran as fast as she could away from the scene. She didn’t get to see Toliver regain his senses and his face morph from confusion to absolute terror upon seeing his missing limb. Toliver desperately dragged himself into a house and used a towel as a tourniquet before using cleaning supplies to disinfect the wound. The intense pain he felt caused him to pass out. In the victor’s booth. Jase was absolutely livid and was ready to physically assault the peacekeeper captain in the room. Thankfully, Spruce Queensberry and Bacchus were there to hold him back.
Back in the D1 house, Royce was struggling to deal with his pain while Barron tried to ignore him while keeping a lookout. Royce begged sponsors to send him something and offered to sing for them but Barron quickly shut that down. Royce couldn’t fathom why singing was a bad idea as he didn’t need to sing that loud. Barron claimed that he hated it when he sang. Royce was stunned and tears began to form. He said he loved to sing as it helped him feel closer to his mother. Barron wished she never brought him to the theater and filled his head with delusions of creativity and art. Royce wondered why he was so hostile all of a sudden as he thought they were finally bonding. Barron was tired of hearing him complain and told him to shut up.
Royce grimaced and picked up the water bottle. He took a sip and spit it out. Royce wondered why the water tasted funny and smelled it. He identified the smell as bleach and told Barron he let some fall into the bottle by mistake. Barron barked that he didn’t make mistakes, which left Royce and the entire Capital speechless. Royce deduced that he was trying to poison him. He asked, “How could you do this to your own son? Didn’t you want me to be the next victor?” Barron insisted he did but saw him as a liability due to his injury. Royce stood himself up and used a chair as a crutch. He was fuming and had something to say, “If you want to kill me so badly, I might as well get something off my chest.”
Royce asked if the Capital was listening. He revealed that he never wanted to train for the Hunger Games in the first place. After his mother died, Barron forced his son to abandon his singing and train for the games. If he didn’t comply, he would beat and starve him. Royce opened his shirt up and showed the bruises on his back as proof. He went on to say that he would sometimes starve his little brother Pharaoh as assurance. Royce couldn’t run from the reaping and only volunteered because a hired peacekeeper put a gun to his back. He proceeded to call Barron a crooked, snively little coward who loved power and riches more than his own family. As a side note Royce said, ‘By the way, that scar on his cheek was not from a duel. He cut himself while shaving.”
The Capital was absolutely shocked by the earth shattering revelations Royce was spitting. Public opinion of Barron plummeted drastically and many in Maximus Square called for his death. But Royce wasn’t done. Royce said that his mother was more of a parent than he ever was and was the only one who understood him. Royce claimed he knew his father’s dirty little secret. Barron stepped towards him with a knife and threatened him. While being backed into a wall, Royce shouted that the Stage Reaper did not kill his mother. Her husband Barron Moriarty did. She planned on leaving him and taking the kids with her. Barron resisted and the two fought. In a scuffle, Barron stabbed his wife with a letter opener. He blamed her death on the Stage Reaper to avoid suspicion. Barron couldn’t believe he knew of this the entire time. Royce claimed he figured it out after a conversation with a former secretary who overheard the scuffle from outside. Royce taunted the terrified Barron. His secret was out. The whole world now knows he is a child abuser and a murderer. Royce began to wonder, “After all of the terrible things you’ve done, why aren’t you one of the killers running around? You would fit right i-”. His sentence was interrupted by a knife to the gut. Barron had stabbed his own son. Royce crumpled to the floor with tears in his eyes. Barron, horrified by what he’s done, bolted out of the D1 house and into the night.
Meanwhile, Laika was reaching the same street as the D1 house. She heard shrill screams all the way back in the second street and listened carefully. She heard two cannons sound within three minutes of each other. The two cannons were revealed to be Kerry and Gallus (10). The Torturer had found them and cornered them upstairs in a house. The two barricaded the door and valiantly stood their ground but it wasn’t enough to stop the strong clay faced killer. Gallus put up a strong fight and managed to break a couple of his ribs, but the Torturer was stronger and snapped Gallus’s neck. Kerry screamed and tried to keep her husband’s killer at bay but her efforts were fruitless. The Torturer beat her to death with his spiked wooden club.
Laika decided to continue her own search and kept exploring the ninth street. Across the street and three houses from the D1 house, the Lumberjack was seen skulking in the bushes. He was chasing Gloucester (7), who had managed to evade him and was now hiding at the playground. Laika ran over and charged towards him. The Lumberjack spotted her in time and blocked her attack with his hatchet blades. He twisted his hands around until the sword flew out of her hand. He then began swiping at her with his double hatchets, but Laika was proving to be very agile. For nearly four minutes, she ducked and sidestepped all of his attacks all the while the Lumberjack became more annoyed. After a strike down attack, Laika rolled between his legs and kicked him in the groin. She used the brief distraction to grab her sword. The Lumberjack turned around and was met with a blood-soaked sword. Laika brought the sword down on his left hand, chopping it clean off. The Lumberjack screams of agony were cut short when Laika swung the sword into the side of his head. At that moment, the Lumberjack was dead, and two killers remained.
Laika struggled for a few minutes to pull her sword out of his skull. When she was successful, she scanned her surroundings and pondered over her next move. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the sound of a door fly open. She turned her eyes to the sound and spotted Barron fleeing out the backdoor of the D1 house. Curious as to why his son wasn’t with him, she carefully ventured into the house with her sword at the ready. She didn’t expect to see Royce on the floor with his hands on his stomach.
Laika knelt down and shook his body. Royce stirred and opened his eyes. “Hey. It’s you from the training center. Congrats for making it this far.” Laika asked if Barron did this to her and he nodded. He found it poetic that she was here for his final moments considering the stark contrast between their fathers. Laika began to cry and said sorry. Royce said she had nothing to be sorry for and thanked her for showing kindness during training. Laika asked how he could face his father as he seemed more unhinged than the killers themselves. Royce revealed that he has a bad right ankle. Laika thanked him and promised to avenge him. Royce died with a smile on his face. Laika tearfully left the house and went back to walking the streets. She wasn’t fazed when Siobhan (6)’s cannon sounded after she was spotted by the Torturer, who killed her with his club.
Now that there were five tributes left, Head Gamemaker Grimstone prepared his gamemaking team for the grand finale. He gave an announcement congratulating the remaining tributes for surviving a “real life horror movie”. The two remaining killers, the Mad Scientist and the Torturer, were ordered to stand down. Grimstone ordered the remaining tributes to meet in the fifth street in three minutes and to never enter any of the houses or have their trackers detonated before wishing them luck. Barron was already on the fifth street, so he grinned and hid in the bushes. Waver (5) was the second to appear and quickly noticed Barron. The two began to duel with their sword and trident respectively.
Tadashi (3) and Gloucester (7) arrived near the same time from the same end of the street. Gloucester was quick and tackled Tadashi to the ground. Gloucester proceeded to strangle Tadashi until his cannon sounded while promising Edward he would win for him. Gloucester ran to join the fight between Barron and Waver. This allowed Laika to arrive on the street without issue with only nine seconds to spare. Laika watched as Gloucester picked up a big stone and threw it at Waver’s head. Waver nearly toppled over which gave Barron an opportunity to thrust his trident into his chest. As Waver lay dying, Barron turned his attention to Gloucester. Gloucester attempted to run but Barron threw his trident into his back. Gloucester fell and Barron methodically pulled the trident out of his back before impaling his brain, sounding his cannon instantly. Barron proceeded to do the same with Waver, sounding his cannon too.
Laika was ready to fight. As Barron was turning around, Laika charged. Barron blocked her attack and the two became locked in another sword/trident duel. Everyone in the Capital was glued to their screens and loudly cheering. Almost everyone was cheering for Laika to kill the child beating lowlife Barron, including all of the victors in the victor’s lounge. Laika wasn’t as strong as Barron, but she was making up for it with her nimble agility and speed. Barron was surprised she was lasting this long, and his anger intensified. He struck down hard and caused Laika to recoil. Barron thrust his trident forward, but Laika quickly stepped out of the way. Barron then elbowed Laika in the face, sending her to the floor. Barron roared, “Say hello to your father!” In a last-ditch effort to save herself, Laika kicked at his right ankle. The years of chronic pain shot right up his leg and he cried out in pain. Laika scrambled to her feet and narrowly avoided a desperate swipe from Barron. She used her sword to sweep his foot out from under him and he fell onto his trident. One of the prongs punctured his clavicle and he couldn’t get up. Laika knelt down in front of his face. She told him, “My father once said that only cowards hurt innocent people and it took courage to be kind. But I think he would make an exception here.” She pushed her sword into his back with the tip penetrating his heart. As the life left his eyes, Laika said, “That was for Royce.” The final cannon had sounded. Head Gamemaker Grimstone declared Laika Brown of District 12 the winner of the 3rd Quinquennial Quell. The peacekeepers came to pick her up and she came willingly. She was happy to see that they had gathered all of the pictures from the D12 house and gave them to her. She spent the entire trip back to the Capital staring at the picture of her parents.
Laika was evaluated by the doctors of Maximus Hospital and received treatment for her bruises and cuts. When she was released, she was surprised to see Bacchus Johnson picking her up instead of Corpse. He congratulated her for her victory and thanked her for being there for Royce in his final moments. Laika couldn’t imagine what he went through back home and asked if he knew. Bacchus had his suspicions but didn’t know it was that serious. He wished he could’ve done something about it but Laika assured him that it wasn’t his fault. She looked on the bright side and joked that he no longer had to worry about Barron. Bacchus chuckled and said it at least gave Candace some peace. He thanked her again for “being generous” with Royce. Laika was confused at first by his phrasing until she put two and two together. It was Bacchus who sent her that sponsor gift. Laika thanked him for the gift and thought this as the start of a new friendship.
Laika returned to the D12 apartment and was met with a surprise party. Nearly all of the victors were present, except Spruce Queensberry (victor of the 19th Hunger Games), Savannah Pickett (victor of the 6th Hunger Games) and Jase Toliver, the latter two trying to get answers about Jansen’s involvement in the games. Corpse was over the moon for Laika and wouldn’t leave her side. He introduced her to all of the present victors. However, she was interested in meeting someone in particular. Low and behold, Candace Freeman was there and sat in a corner avoiding the other victors. She was nervous as she thought all of the victors hated her. Candace embraced Laika and tearfully thanked her for being there for Royce. The two talked for nearly an hour. Candace wanted to make amends with all the people she wronged but was scared everyone would hate her. Laika admitted that she probably won’t receive forgiveness from everyone but told her she must forgive herself first. Laika grabbed Candace by the arm and led her into the party.
The party was interrupted by the AfterGames show hosted by former Head Gamemaker Jasper Deparnieux. Deparnieux was greatly excited over this year’s chaotic games and the shocking twists both big and small. The killers twist was universally lauded by Capital viewers. Deparnieux revealed that this year had the shortest Hunger Games in history with nine hours and seven minutes. He brought Head Gamemaker Grimstone for his final interview. Grimstone was inspired after being given access to a film reel labeled Scream. The idea of masked killers intrigued him so much that he gained permission from President Rain himself to select them from the Wolvson Maximum Security Prison. He admitted that the Soldier (D2), the Mad Scientist (D3), the Submariner (D4), and the Seamstress (D8) were simple low level Capital criminals since those districts didn’t have a serial killer. Deparnieux claimed this to be his favorite of his games and wondered what he thought of this year’s victor. Grimstone absolutely loved that Laika won as she was the epitome of the “final girl” trope, but admitted even he was surprised that she killed nearly half of the killers.
Deparnieux switched to public opinion and it was clear that the Capital absolutely adored Laika. She was universally praised for her optimism, courage and resilience, obtaining her revenge against the Prospector, and defeating Barron Moriarty. There was little objection when Laika was honored with the title of Golden Victor. When asked his favorite victor out of all of his games, Grimstone declared Laika to be his favorite with Sherpa Kapoor (victor of the 16th Hunger Games) a close second. The moment everyone was waiting for was the announcement of the next Head Gamemaker. Grimstone had the great pleasure to reveal his successor to be his fiance, twenty nine year old Priscilla Cardew. Priscilla had shiny blonde hair with pink designer clothes and green leggings. She was honored to be the next Head Gamemaker and promised to continue the Golden Victor saga.
The victor’s interview had a massive turnaround that rivaled that of Meridia Vilewater (victor of the 18th Hunger Games)’s. Artemis and Luther were excited to speak with Laika again. Artemis made jokes at Luther’s expense over him having to surrender his betting money. Luther admitted his predictions weren’t perfect but patted Artemis on the back for a job well done. The opening monologue was going for a little too long with some audience members heckling them to bring Laika out. Artemis relented and welcomed Laika to the stage. To the sounds of rapturous applause, Laika walked the stage wearing a white dress with red splotches. Artemis first attributed her betting wins to Laika to which Laika joked, “First time for everything.” Luther wanted to know what she thought of the games. Laika considered the games absolutely horrifying but was thankful it didn’t last more than a day. Artemis couldn’t believe she was terrified after watching her mow down nearly half of the killers. Laika found it absurd they were allowed to live after their crimes and considered their deaths justice for the victims. She always made an effort to see the bright side of things but couldn’t find any with the killers' continued existence. Luther guessed she came to this conclusion after her run in with the Prospector. The screen replayed the fight with the Prospector and Laika turned away with tears in her eyes. Laika missed Marigold terribly and said as much. She was unsure how to feel after not only avenging her but also her father. She had his picture from the arena in her pocket and said she would treasure it forever. Artemis asked Laika if she at least knew how to feel about the justice she served for fan favorite Royce. Laika simply stated she was glad someone was there for him in the end. Laika realized at this moment she needed to win and be there for her fellow orphans and the retirees so they wouldn’t be alone like Royce nearly was. Luther asked if she was to abandon her geology studies, but Laika shrugged and said “We’ll see.” The two hosts wished her the best of luck before welcoming Grimstone to the stage. Grimstone begged and was granted permission to give Laika her victor’s nickname. He shook her hand and dismissed her to thunderous applause as “The Final Girl”.
Laika was invited to many parties but she turned them down in favor of attending Corpse’s latest fashion show. Corpse took Laika’s advice and decided to create his own self image. He strutted the stage wearing a white t-shirt with brown pants and a jeans jacket. The strangest addition was the black fanny pack on his waist. Corpse called it his “dad” line and attributed his inspiration to being a dad soon. This new line was positively received and the fanny pack became a popular fashion accessory.
Laika also used her limited time in the Capital to visit Candace and Bacchus, often dragging a reluctant Candace to victor outings at the Dippy Downers bar. Candace slowly came out of her shell and began to enjoy herself. Laika inspired her to try and make amends with those she wronged. By the 21st Hunger Games, she rekindled friendships with Phoebe Bentley (victor of the 3rd Hunger Games), Troy van Stomm (victor of the 5th Hunger Games), Silas MacIntyre (victor of the 7th Hunger Games), and Quarry Grounds (victor of the 12th Hunger Games). After some time, Daria Wood (victor of the 1st Hunger Games) and Fabeline Granger (victor of the 15th Hunger Games) followed suit. Candace was absolutely crushed when the family of Pisco (the D6 tribute she drove to suicide in the 15th Hunger Games) refused forgiveness and cursed her. Thankfully, Candace had a great support system.
Laika returned to District 12 a hero and moved herself and three of the youngest orphans into Victor’s Village. The orphanage held a somber funeral for Marigold which drew in much more people than expected. Donations to the orphanage and retirement home flooded in. Laika was overwhelmed with the many new developments occurring. Corpse volunteered to move back to District 12 temporarily to help run the orphanage so Laika could pursue her dream of becoming a geologist. She erected a statue of her father Daniel Brown in Plasma Square near the Victor’s Village and would often visit it. Three years later, Laika had become a geologist and added safety specialist to her name two years after that. Laika’s career grew until she became head safety supervisor of three of the biggest oil reserves. Her leadership brought workplace casualties to an all time low and prevented what could’ve been a major environmental disaster during the 33rd Hunger Games.
Laika grew very close to Corpse. A few months later after her victory, Corpse’s wife Tilly gave birth to their son Daniel. Laika became a devoted godmother and would help babysit on off hours. Unfortunately, Corpse had to return to the Capital to continue his fashion career after the 24th Hunger Games. There were rumors that Corpse planned on retiring but was drawn back after the Capital threatened to put his son on the reaping ballot if he wasn’t in the fashion shows too. Laika became good friends with Candace and Bacchus, assigning the former to watching over Corpse. Laika would talk to Candace over the telephone (a valuable gift installed in the houses of Victor’s Village). Laika developed a friendship with Phoebe Bentley and the two bonded over philosophy and therapy. She would also continually check on Savannah Pickett and Jase Toliver for updates on Jansen Toliver’s recovery and eventual release following the 23rd Hunger Games. Laika fell in love with gold miner Holden Hemsworth, the grandson of a retiree Laika cared for. The two had nine kids. Laika had to be hospitalized and put into therapy while pregnant with her first child because of a mental breakdown. She feared Holden would die in some freak accident and didn’t want him to leave the house. Thankfully, with Phoebe Bentley as an outside consultant, Laika made a full recovery and got over her fear.
Laika was one of the five Golden Victors to disappear following Savannah Pickett’s “accidental” death before the 41st Hunger Games. After the 47th Hunger Games, the underground terrorist group The Phoenix Fighters leaked a dossier detailing the lengths the Capital went to cover up all of the district’s worst criminals. It also brought up numerous examples of district criminals who were wrongly executed for far less crimes, highlighting the hypocrisy of the Capital justice system. All of the killers from the 20th Hunger Games were listed along with some others with all of their identities leaked. The dossier leaked the identities of the four Capital criminals that were forced to be the D2, D3, D4, and D8 killers. Ironically, the D2 killer aka Vernon Wright was indeed innocent of the vandalism charges he was arrested for. However, the most shocking piece of information concerned Jansen Toliver’s transformation into the Mad Scientist. Toliver had to be pumped full of stimulant drugs in order to make him comply. The moment his tracker detonated was when he regained his clarity and saved himself. Felonius Raghav volunteered for the role of the Torturer and resumed his role as prison interrogator like nothing happened. Laika became a prime suspect in the bombing of the Capital Judicial Court that took place three months after 52nd Hunger Games when witnesses claimed to have spotted her outside the building a week before.