Stand Name: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
Stand Stats: - Power: B - Speed: A - Range: C - Durability: B - Precision: A - Potential: B
Stand Abilities:

1. Diamond Manipulation: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" has the ability to manipulate and control diamonds at will. It can summon, shape, and control diamond-based constructs with exceptional precision and strength.
   
2. Diamond Armor: The stand can create an impenetrable diamond armor around itself or its user, providing an unparalleled defense against physical and supernatural attacks. This armor is virtually indestructible and enhances the stand's overall durability.
   
3. Diamond Mirage: By manipulating light refraction through diamonds, the stand can create illusory duplicates of itself or its user. These mirages are indistinguishable from the real stand and can confuse opponents, making it difficult to identify the actual target.
   
4. Diamond Aura: The stand emits a radiant aura of diamond dust, enhancing its physical attributes to their peak. This aura grants immense strength, speed, and agility, surpassing the limits of normal human capabilities.
   
5. Diamond Rain: The stand can summon a torrential downpour of diamond shards from the sky. These sharp projectiles rain down on opponents, slicing through obstacles and causing devastating damage on impact.
   
6. Diamond Dominion: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" can temporarily transform its surroundings into a domain of diamonds. Within this domain, the stand gains absolute control and mastery over all diamond-related phenomena, amplifying its powers exponentially. This dominion allows the stand to reshape the environment, summon diamond-based traps, and even transform opponents into diamond statues.
   

Requiem: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Requiem"
Stand Stats: - Power: S - Speed: S - Range: S - Durability: S - Precision: S - Potential: S
Requiem Ability: Diamond Ascendancy
"Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Requiem" attains a heightened level of power and gains the following ability:

1. Diamond Transmutation: The stand can transmute any substance into pure diamond. It can turn objects, matter, or even living beings into solid diamond statues, rendering them immobile and powerless.
   
2. Diamond Singularity: The stand can create miniature black holes composed entirely of compressed diamond particles. These singularity traps possess incredible gravitational force, pulling nearby objects and opponents towards them, crushing them under the immense pressure.
   
3. Diamond Time Manipulation: The stand gains control over the flow of time within diamond-related objects. It can accelerate, slow down, or even halt time within a diamond construct, allowing for precise strategic maneuvers or freezing opponents in a time-stopped state.
   
4. Diamond Realm Creation: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Requiem" can create an alternate dimension entirely made of diamond, an ethereal realm that exists outside of conventional space and time. Within this realm, the stand holds absolute control, and the laws of reality can be freely manipulated to its advantage.
   
5. Diamond Fusion: The stand gains the ability to merge with diamond-based materials, enhancing its power and granting it unparalleled control over its environment. By fusing with diamonds, the stand can amplify its physical strength, speed, and durability to unfathomable levels.
   
   1. Diamond Reality Manipulation: The stand gains the ability to manipulate and control the very fabric of reality, focusing specifically on diamond-related phenomena. It can reshape reality to its whims, creating and altering diamond structures and properties at will.

Table of Contents
What is a stormwater drainage system?
What is the purpose of the stormwater drainage system?
Where does storm drain water go?
Does storm drains connect to the sewage system?
Do storm drains lead to the sea or ocean?
What is surface water flooding?
What is a poor drainage system?
How to prevent surface water flooding?
What are the innovative stormwater drainage solutions?
Difference between stormwater and wastewater
Stormwater Management
How does storm-water management help?
Integrated Water Management

What is a stormwater drainage system?

Rainfall results in the formation of stormwater. Stormwater that is not absorbed by the ground due to impermeable pavement or hard surface, spills over to the road or hard surface, is collected by the underground drainage system, called stormwater drainage system.

What is the purpose of the stormwater drainage system?

The purpose of civil drainage is to collect rainfall runoff from all across the city and discharge it slowly to the downstream river or natural water catchments. Stormwater drainage systems frequently collaborate with the environment, channelling, attenuating, and discharging stormwater through natural features such as lakes, ditches, ponds, swales, streams, etc.

Where does storm drain water go?

Water rushes off hard surfaces such as roads, parking bays, rooftops, pathways, and driveways into stormwater drains. In an urban setting, stormwater drains out to the smaller pipes that connect to larger stormwater pipes, and that finally connects to oversize drains or pipes that transport the water to the outfall points such as streams, and creeks, rivers, and/ or the ocean.

Does storm drains connect to the sewage system?

The storm system is distinct from the sewage system and just caters to rainwater and groundwater. It also prevents flooding by attenuating surface water. The storm sewer system that drains surface water directly to the nearest outfall such as stream or pond or river, is connected to the drainage system that you usually see on the roads, footway, and parking bays”.

Do storm drains lead to the sea or ocean?

The sewage water that comes from the household such as the kitchen sink or toilet in your home, is untreated water and therefore goes first for the treatment and then discharges to the nearby outfall points. Stormwater is normally not significantly contaminated, so they need a relatively simpler treatment process before discharging to the outfall points such as streams, lakes, rivers, or the ocean.

What is surface water flooding?

When rainwater does not drain away through typical drainage systems or does not trickle down to the permeable ground earth, but instead lies on or flows over the ground, surface water flooding occurs. The responsibility of managing or controlling the risk of surface water flooding comes under the purview of the lead local flood authority or agency.

What is a poor drainage system?

The poor drainage system can cause flooding, resulting in property loss and possibly causing people to relocate to avoid the floodwaters. Flooding can also wreak havoc on water supply infrastructure and pollute home water supplies. Following are some well-known common causes of poor drainage systems:

• Heavy storms or rains than the designed pipe network capacity
• Damaged Pipes
• Incorrect Pipe Installation
• Inadequate Water flow system through gravity.
• Blockage in the pipe network due to unknown objects
• Poor or infrequent maintenance of drainage network

How to prevent surface water flooding?

A sustainable drainage system (Suds) is a natural way to manage surface water that can be employed in any form of development:

• Roofs with plants on them.
• Permeable surfaces are those that allow water to pass through.
• Filter drains and filter strips are used in infiltration trenches.
• Swales are a type of shallow drainage canal.
• Wetlands, detention basins, and purpose-built ponds

What are the innovative stormwater drainage solutions?

Here are four programs that change stormwater from a waste to a resource, ranging from building thriving wetlands to reducing the demand for potable water supplies:

• Big Plans for Small Creek
• A new water sources
• Going green
• Underground engineering

Difference between stormwater and wastewater

Stormwater is water that drains into a street drainage system from rain and other sources and discharges to the downstream river or pond or creeks. Flooding and bank erosion are prevented by stormwater drainage systems.
Water from households and businesses is the main source of wastewater. Before wastewater is discharged to the nearby streams or creeks, it is very important to treat them.

Stormwater Management

Stormwater management is the attempt to limit rainwater or melted snow runoff into streets, open ground, and other locations while also improving water quality. Stormwater is filtered when it is trickled down to the existing ground soil and eventually fills the aquifers or runs into nearby streams and rivers.
When heavy rains fall, however, the saturated earth produces surplus moisture that seeps across the ground and then to the storm drains and finally to the downstream ditches. It caters to debris, eroded soil mass, bacteria, chemical substances, and other forms of pollutants and is therefore treated (by the downstream defender) before discharging to the stream or river just before the outfall point.

How does storm-water management help?

In urban settings, impervious surfaces like road pavement, footways, rooftops obstruct the rainwater from naturally soaking into the existing ground. Instead, the stormwater rushes into the storm drain system, through gully & pipe network, drainage ditches, etc, and its causes flooding, contamination, turbidity (or muddiness), sometimes overflowing storm and sanitary sewer systems, and finally damages the infrastructure and properties.
Stormwater management and green infrastructure, on the other hand, aim to collect and reuse stormwater in order to preserve or reinstate natural hydrologists. Stormwater management is primarily concerned with retaining stormwater and eliminating pollutants.
Stormwater management includes porous surfaces that allow rain to trickle down into the ground soil. It also manages grey infrastructures such as culverts, orifices, storm sewers, and traditional piped drainage networks, and aims to restore or mimic the natural water cycle.

Integrated Water Management

Integrated water management (IWM) of stormwater helps to minimize or eliminate various potential issues such as the health of rivers or waterways and challenges of the water supply system due to the rapid urban agglomeration. IWM is commonly associated with green infrastructure management and prefers to be involved during the early stages of the design process.
It helps to identify and mitigate major roadblocks at the early stage of design and a well-integrated infrastructure can be developed. Infrastructure development and urban growth result in increased demands for robust surface water drainage systems.
Although climate change and reduction in the green field are two very important factors to consider while designing the proposed drainage system. It is recommended to consider a 20% uplift in surface water quantity due to the climate change factor and maintain the greenfield runoff rate at the outfall location.
That means provision of an attenuation system, stormwater harvesting (to decrease the amount of water that can cause a potential for flooding), infiltration (to reestablish natural groundwater recharge), bio-retention or biofiltration (e.g., rain gardens) to accumulate and treat runoff and discharge it at a controlled rate (by flow control devices) to lessen the impact on the down streams, and wetland treatment solutions are some non-exhaustive solutions to be explored by the designers.
The most common solution is to provide land-based treatment such as attenuation ponds, infiltration trenches, bioswales, permeable paving, etc to reduce stormwater runoff. Engineered, manufactured items can also be used to accomplish comparable, or possibly better, effects than land-based systems.
The ideal LID solution balances the anticipated outcomes (runoff and contamination management) with the associated costs. IWM, is still in its early days, bringing together components of drainage, hydrology, ecology, and the recognition that old-style drainage solutions only push issues downstream, putting the environment and natural water supplies at risk.
I hope this blog will help you understand the stormwater drainage system and its associated advantages, disadvantages, etc.
Please feel free to like, share and comment.
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• How to become a successful Drainage Engineer – 5 Key Points

I get denial and dissociation, those are prominent in my life and up until 2 years ago, I really thought my family was normal and how all families are, and just hid all my own anxiety and depression out of shame and fear. But at some point I broke and was searching for answers and started reading about psychology and it really did not take long to come upon trauma and attachment wounds and the moment that happened, everything just completely fit into place. I don’t remember everything, I still think, “I’m being dumb, that shouldn’t have affected me like that,” but I can see that I was affected and have enough memory to be able to see my family members’ behaviors as trauma responses and maladaptive behavior.
I get that you can’t change someone else or accuse them or all the rest, but I am trying to figure out how my intelligent sister (she mostly seems like a good and interesting person except when triggered, and she lashes out and then can’t take any accountibility for what she says) can look at psychological descriptions of the impact of trauma or attachment wounds and not immediately identify with the things. How she can just call it stupid BS instead of being stunned at the information.
I know, it comes back to denial and dissociation, feeling unworthy and being chronically invalidated. But I guess I’m just angry that there’s nothing I can do to get through to her and so I need to cut off this relationship. It’s better for my own health, but it really really hurts.

My partner was originally going to come with me but dropped out last minute due to funds. I had already signed on so I thought I'd keep up with the trip as I had signed to pay for it already, although I was hesitant.
I have ADHD, PTSD, anxiety, depression, suspected ASD, suspected BPD, and definitely some brain damage from a number of concussions and drug use in the past, and because of that combo, I have a really really hard time communicating with others in person, processing speed, and misunderstanding what other people are trying to get at, while also seeming too out of pocket. I'm constantly nervous and either way too quiet or way too loud off medication with no in-between, but I've kept my distance here and stayed pretty quiet. When I do start conversations, I feel like people look at me like I'm insane, even when I am careful to start conversations in some of the same ways my classmates are doing, such as asking what their favorite parts of the trip have been.
I also have food allergies and often can't go out to eat with classmates. I think that in part this is why they just stopped telling me when they were going places. They must have an entirely separate groupchat without me in it to plan activities, and maybe the initial intention was to not make me feel bad about missing out on restaurants, but they definitely do a lot of stuff without me that I wasn't even aware of and wanted to do, so I think they've shifted a lot to this other group chat I'm not in. I've missed out on a lot of meals and have lost more weight during this short period of time than I thought possible.
I made some friends in the group who also have the ADHD/ASD combo and it's been pretty great but-
The meds for ADHD they both take are illegal here, but they usually take them back home, so they're not doing all that well not having them. They both sleep constantly when the class isn't doing something or an activity hasn't been lined up for them. They tend to forget to invite me/fall asleep when we are supposed to be doing things, but I've otherwise not had a mental breakdown simply because I have been able to hang out with them. I still miss out on some activities this smaller group of 2 does together, and don't mind because they're best friends and probably want to hang out just by themselves, but there was a time when I purchased tickets for something that they were going to, they knew I had bought tickets, I asked them when it was going to happen, and they were already there without me. They did go slowly on the self-guided tour so I could catch up, and given how they're doing off meds and how I am myself off medication, I really think they just forgot, but it still sucks to feel so alone. They told me we would go out to dinner tonight but have been ignoring me (probably sleeping) most of the evening. When I asked what plans were, they said they'd let me know later. It's 8:30 PM and I'm starving so I just told them I'd get myself food, got depressed and overwhelmed about it, and probably just won't eat anything tonight.
Whenever I suggest an activity, at best, nobody wants to go, or at worst, I literally get laughed at. It makes me feel like I don't belong in a group of people who are neurotypcial.
I feel like the other students on the trip see me as someone who should have been put in special Ed but wasn't. I feel like they pity me. I'm just trying to live my life with what I've got and I don't want the pity. I really can't stand it. At first I appreciated that people were talking to me, but now it really just seems like they're patronizing me and really don't want to have to put up with my existence, and I hate feeling this way. I just wish I could interact normally.
The professor said that nobody had ever told her they had regretted going on this trip in all the years she has done it, but after seeing how she has worked so hard to make this a good trip for everyone, I see why nobody has thought to tell her that, but the issue is mostly my interaction with other students, in which case she has talked about not leaving other students out extensively. I have spent a lot more time than anyone else with just the professor and it's getting so much harder every day to slap on a smile and keep up appearances. I finally just told her that my medication had built up in my system enough to help a little through the trip and now it's completely tapered off and gone, and that's why I seem like I'm struggling (which is also true, but not at all the largest reason). She worked so hard to make sure everyone was having a good time but I feel left out and like I'm overanalyzing things and don't want to hurt her by telling her I didn't enjoy myself.
My roommate, unbeknownst to me when we signed up to be roommates, has political views that are literally against my existence when it comes to something that is highly visible about me, and I'm in high stress mode when they're in our room. It's been relatively rare that I've had any time alone to recharge and try to just be calm. They are also incredibly loud and don't understand when I am trying to give them clear cues that I don't want to be talking to them and am just burnt out. I've told them that I'm burnt out and now it feels like they're giving me the cold shoulder in the group while talking my ear off when I'm just trying to deal with burnout. My roommate is IMO less socially adept than I am and seems to be included in everything, and I don't know how they don't notice/care that the class is patronizing them so much.
We've been going to museums and my mind is elsewhere, not just because of my ADHD, but also because I seriously hate this small portion of my existence - this last week and a half. I've struggled a lot with mental health in my life, and it hasn't been this bad in a long time, when I should be really enjoying myself.
I'm insanely burnt out. I have 4 days and a free day left here and need the credits and the grade I'm going to get, as the class was intentionally made to be very easy to get a good grade in and meant to be more of an experience than a classroom sort of thing. I feel like I've wasted my money. I'm not even sure I can handle it. I usually enjoy class but this is too much. I've been thinking about how these other people would react if they could experience life from my perspective for just a day, how they would cope and how they would handle it. They wouldn't do anywhere near as well as I've been because they haven't spent gruelling years working through things like I have and working so hard to pull myself up.
In talking to other people who have similar issues to myself, it seems that none of them are doing as well as I am. I'm a college student with one semester left with a TA position set up, which I am so proud of. I beat addiction with 2 different substances. I survived an incredible amount of abuse. Yet I can't handle the way I'm being treated on this trip. It's mostly subtle but it's so much stuff. I just wanna lie in bed in the hotel room for the rest of it but I need this degree.

Okay I literally finished the book a few minutes ago after spending 2 days binge reading it. I am going to mis a hilarous amount of details and important story bits, but I gotta stick with the vibe.
Here is the Dreadgod one Reddit - Dive into anything
You ready? No? Neither am I!
**SPACE ADVENTURES PART ONE**
Okay so we start in space again, and suriel and ozriel are like "yep we are def gonna die" and then eithan is like "Okay but hear me out...what if only one of us dies?" And suriel is like "You better not be up to some main character bullshit" and eithan then proceeds to pull a gandalf and fight the main baddy on his own while suriel goes back and goes to pick up something from Makiel, who would really like eithan to die please.
Makiel is looking for the ultimate killing tool everywhere and hopes to get it to kill ozriel, the mad king, and basically anyone who would fuck up the system. Suriel comes and is like "YOUR VIBES ARE ATROCIOUS AND YOU ARE UNDER ARREST" and makiel, having been a villian for a VERY long time, is like "bet. That makes sense."
Suriel, being the goodest girl, and not a hound, is super confused. Makiel explains, "Look I've seen like a billion villian stories. I knew after my final villianous act, I have to die to the hero or get diposed or something so I Was just gonna give up after I murdered your friend." Suriel who likes having friends, decides thats not okay and activates her trap card: Reaper's Gift!!!
By activating reapers gift, she can tap infinite black lands so long as she has the artifact equip. She then is like "Look...you've been a villian for a while." She then transfers the item to HIS character sheet "Wouldn't you rather go out like an anti-hero????" Makiel wasn't expecting someone to be nice to him, which might be a huge theme in this book.
So he says "fuck it we ball" and they go back to find eithan, SOMEHOW NOT DEAD YET, even though he has no super weapon, lost his mantle of ultimate protagonist power, and is literally fighting the solo boss with no equipment besides his pajamas. Makiel is like "Fuck dude I hate you." and ozriel is like "Feelings mutual buddy~" and the mad king tries to kill them both.
And then they realise that they both hate the same thing: Losing. Suddenly, united by the pettiness icon, Makiel and Ozriel trade weapons, and start wombo combing the Mad king like they are bros. They are both upset about the fact that they are actually doing really well. That said, its still a lot, and they are basically in a stalemate until eithan realises how to break it in a way that only he can.
By taunting the enemy in his final moments of life with a meme attack. He bops him on the head with the GOD SWORD OF AIM HAX and is like "Lmao get rektd" and then mcfucking dies, and then makiel super crits the mad king with the +100 sycthe of ultimate murder, and suriel jsut deletes him for good measure.
Then suriel is like "We gotta fix him, but he got mcfucking murdered, which is way worst than normal murder. What can we do?" And then makiel gives her his magic jacket and is like "One life...for another..." and suriel is like "WAIT YOU HATE HIM??? WHY WOULD YOU-"
"Because...nothing would piss him off more...than me going out like a hero...." and then he mcfucking dies to undo eithands death who comes back smiling, but on the inside, is morning the loss of his bro, the most petty man in existence. Truly and honor. Also everything has gone to shit.
**BABY BOX ADVENTURES** Back on baby box, Lindon and co go into the definitely not hyberbolic time chamber to super not go to super saiyan. Lindon is like 1/4 dreadgod and is ridiclously buff, and after having stolen everyones shit, makes sure to set up super training plans for everyone. But first, we gotta fix mercy, who got her ass kicked by her mom, because she's toxic. This will also be a theme for the book.
Mercy gets revived and is like "Fuck my mom IS the worst" and everyone side eyes because yeah, but shes having her time. After that, its time to get used to the weird training everyone has to do.
Orthos has to do cannibalism but not get feral or racist about it. He is very old, so its kinda hard to stop both of those things from happening, but he manages. Mostly. Drops a H slurr in there once.
Little Blue has to become a person. She makes a great mascot, but she has to get more substance to become a full fledged character with autonomy and shit.
Mercy has to deal with her mommy issues. No for real. Not a joke. She just has to deal with her mommy issues and get her own personality, outside of her mommy issues. This is a legitmate struggle for her, due to being the princess of the gaslight/gatekeep/girlboss empire.
Ziel needs to learn that he both has depression, and also, is a very angry person. Also to maybe not be so bloodthirsty. Also how to do time math. Also how to deal with the insanity caused by experiencing eternity....he has to deal with a lot.
Yerin is supposed to learn how to sword from her ghost dad, which lindon summons from a definitely not engagement ring box. Yerin pouts about this. Sword ghost dad says that she could probably get the sword icon if she just vibed correctly, and red faith agrees. She doesn't know WHAT vibe she is supposed to have though, until she thinks about eithan, and beating the shit out of red faith, and realises she REALLY wants to kill people. Like really bad. This is somehow ALSO a theme in this book.
Lindon...has to kill more dreadgods, each being a CR40 encounter. Also every time he does he has to make a will save or jsut straight up stop being a PC. This is fine he says. At least he still has the loot from the last one, right?
No one agrees with him.
Outside, Reigan shen decides to annoy lindon. Lindon responds by firing a **Death** arrow at reigan shen. He then runs the fuck a way because HOLY SHIT THE MAIN CHARACTER HAS A PROTAGONIST WEAPON NOW???? WTF GUYS WE GOTTA GET THEM!!!!
Malice + northsider agree, and decide to also annoy lindon. The more they annoy him, the less time he can spend digivolving his friends, and also prepping for the WEEPING DRAGON who is COMING TO FUCK EVERYONE UP. It is QUITE CROSS that SOMEHONE (hi lindon) MCFUCKING KILLED THEIR BRO!
Lindon uses his ghost dad jutsu to summon everyone has a ghost to fight...3 monarchs, 2 sages, a bunch of annoyances, and potentialyl a dreadgod. It is not a good day for him. Its not going to get better. Still, he has his protagonist weapon! And thats scary! Unforunately, being a protagonist weapon, he can only use as many times as the story allows...
Which is still enough to scare the shit out of reigan shin who just wants to end this all. So instead of using his usually gilgamesh bullshit, he instead uses his fusion ultimate doom attack of enkuidu + Enuma Ellish + Tiberian's Super Storm Beam of Triple Death. He is absolutely sure this combination of super attacks will wipe the protagonist off the face of the earth!
Unforunately, in his rage, he forgot that he was a villian that had just pulled out an ultimate weapon, which meant the hero HAD to pull out a hax option for the plot to continue. Said hax option, is literally just ghost eithan, who is like "bro, you sweep like this? Lemme show you how to clean house." He then proceeds to beat up all 3 monarchs in one attack and a dodge just to be a dick and is like "Oh btw that wasn't even like half my power, summon me when you have more juice homie."
Lindon, being tired of this bs, was like "Okay hear me out. How about 1v1s? You win, I stop being an asshole. I win, you fuck off." The monarchs, who had a lot more experience being assholes, accept this, and northstrider then proceeds to kick lindons ass. So much. So hard. His oracle codex is like "*He is weak. And dumb. And smelly. And he doesn't even sacred arts bro.*" and nothstrider is fine with that for a bit but then squints and reads the script again, and notices most of the lines were written over with sharpie.
Getting a copy of the ACTUAL script, he see's that lindon is drinking him, like a LOT and even stealing his icon and then slams him into the ground and points at Malice like "You want next?" malice, not giving a shit about men, says "Uhh nah im good." and fucks off back to her goth milf castle. Lindon then sighs because damn that was a long day. It'd be nice if he could get 5 minutes of-
Oh look shen found your hyperbolic time chamber, and is really mad that he's gotten his ass kicked twice today is going to take it out on all of your friends! Go lindon go! He does and shen is like "even if I am erased from the plot I am going to get ONE W IN THIS GOD DAMNED STORY!!!!" and lindon is like "Pls stop" and then shen does...but only after blowing up the door to the time chamber. Lindon is surprised that he was being so nice until he looked behind him and saw the weeping dragon charging up his forward smash.
Shen, being an asshole, decided that would have to due, and he'd have to rely on plan Q. He was...running low on plans. But at least he had more of them! Surely they couldnt all fail.
Back inside of the hyperbolic time chamber, yerin and co realise the door broke. Yerin is like "okay I...cut it open?" Breaking the fourth wall, and then, a door opened. Unforunately, she hadn't been specific when she wrote that and walked all the way to the rosegold continent. OOps.
Ziel and mercy also want to help, but are kinda weak. Ziel digivolves by learning how to harness the power of time, tbe universe, and everything, and mercy digivolves be realising that she honestly just wants to be a nice person and do nice things. She realises this by having a pity party about how she sucks and ziel being like "STFU you are a fucking main character. Act like it." and she realises, sHE IS!!!
So they go out to help lindon and he says "Okay uh no **GTFO**" because they will absolutely get stomped if they help. And they land...in the rosegold continent! How convient! Hey is that yerin using the death murder kill technique????
Anyway house eithan is fighting house shen and house shen is busted, with a herald who is a pixie, and a sage who is crazy, on team weeping dragon, and can regenerate from nothing. Which is absurd. Team eithan just has cladia, who is the best, but also an old lady. She has a thousand eyes, but could use more hands. Oh look, youths!
Mercy, being a nice young lady, helps her elder cross the battle field and annihilate threats. Cladia was sceptical about the girl until it slowly dawns on her that this girl is DEFINITELY a main character. In the super fight, yerin is learning how to murder death kill more effectively, but still doesn't have it down perfect. Ziel is trying to also murder death kill but it just isnt working, and instead, he's getting trolled by the calling storm sage, who seems to just like to see people suffer.
Ziel see's all his friends getting their asses kicked and decides "fuck man...that isnt cool" and unlocks the shield icon, as it turns out, he ALSO wants to be a protagonist, he just forgot. Together with mercy being nice, cladia being the best, and yerin using the art of murder death kill, they defeat house shen with style....but are also v tired. Cladia thanks the newly minted main characters and gives them the coveted mid story power up they will need to face the next boss: Weeping Dragon!
What is this powerup? Well a HUD of course! Turns out, very helpful to have. Also some of the weeping dragons stats. Turns out, its very good at lying and its dragons breath is *reads notes* THE MOST POWERFUL STRIKER TECHNIQUE ON THE PLANET. JUST. THE STRONGEST ONE. EVER. IT **CANNOT** Be blocked. In fact, as they get back to lindons side, the attack misses them entirely, firing mostly into the air....AND STILL NEARLY KILLS THEM. BY PROXIMITY!
luckily lindon kept them from being hyper murdered. Unforunately, as per the rules of cradle, in exchange he had to be hyper murded. So he just kinda falls over. Team main character take exception to this, and decide to beat the shit out of the dragon. The eight man empire is here and are trying to help, potentially in exchange for that SWEET SWEET LOOT...but also to not fucking die.
Also Orthos and Little blue got out of the time chamber and are now archlords! They go to find lindon to help him after super dying, and he says "Hey...you guys...are main characters...now..." And boom instantly, orthos becomes the black dragon sage, and little blue becomes a herald because, yeah he got that move from eithan in book 2. So now they can help fight! Also now everyone has a dross in them because reasons!
So they arent doing GREAT on that front because most of them are like broken and half and relying solely on hax to keep fighting. Few more than Laran, who got to use the protagonist bow for a little while!!! It felt good...like being significant....
ANYWAY, now its mercys turn to use it and WOOF that was scary...but oops that used up her protag powers.
Yerin, time to attack with the murder death kill move...which is great! But OOF that used up all of HER protag powers.
And so ziel is left with the s trongest monster who has like one bar of health left but hits for all of your HP. Can he do it? Its kick or carry time and...whats this? Is that ziel getting on the top ropes? With the DEATH ARROW? AND LOADING IT INTO HIS ALAPHABET ARRAY? AND INFUSING IT WITH TIME MAGIC! YO WATCH OUT **WATCH OUT**
And then THE MAN HIMSELF smites THE ULTIAMTE SUPER DRAGON with the INSTANT DEATH NO SCOPE HEADSHOT AIMBOT attack that kills god. Or almost kills god. He's got like...3 anime seconds to live.
Seeing that the fight was over, malice returns to be toxic and player kill all the exhausted PCs. She seems really eager about the idea for some reason and then right as she is about to kill lindon, she hears the weeping dragons timer about to run out. Quickly, she erases her own attack, because she is VERY genre savvy when it comes to romance, and if she kills yerin, the main male protagonist will DEFINITELY kill her.
Which he almost does anyway, because as soon as weeping dragon dies, lindon digivolveS AGAIN and nearly nukes her. She escapes, but FUCK man that was close. PHew. Live to gatekeep another day.
lindon and co return to their training fortress, and everyone is tired and sad. Lindon tries to cheer them up in the way he knows how: Advancement and new toys! They all groan.
lindon tries to cheer ziel up most of all, because he got the killing blow, and ziel is like "Bro I JUST got the chill icon, please no." and lindon smiles because that meant moRE LOOT FOR HIMSELF. Woo!
Mercy is fighting more of her mommy issues and is terrified that when she levels up to herald, itll kick her ass , because her mom's remnant was SUPER toxic and just started pking people to fuck with her. mercy prepares for the fight of her life...only to see that her spirit is a sweet bean and literally just wants to give hugs and encouragement. Mercy is very surprised that its being nice to her and everything goes perfectly fine because mercy is actually a very helpful and kind person. This is a small moment of celebration.
Taht is until he is YOINKED! GASP????? By what???Only reigan shen of course! He had taken sleeping ghosts binding and used it to summon lindon. Turns out, each time the dreadgods die, the rest of them get stronger...and smarter...and get more personalities. Like the bleeding phoniex deciding to be a she/they waifu apparently just to fuck with shen. Shen tries to convince her that he is a very important antagonist, and she responds with "You were." And this frightens him, given the page count. He tells her that she should get revenge on lindon and she is like "I dunno...I think I have a better plan for my otouto. ISn't that right Onii-chan?" She says to the wandering titan who was listening in over space discord. He agrees and shen realises that he has caught YET ANOTHER L.
Also where is emiriss? Wasn't she supposed to be helping??? Well she would be she got captured by northstrider who wanted to make sure that the protagonists had NO MORE ELDER MENTOR FIGURES! THEY HAD TO MANY! He is convinced that he can handle anything that happens...Which is why he is totally chill when lindon++ shows up and tells him to calm the fuck down and gives back tree grandma. Northstrider says fuck off, and lindon says "okay, but we are going to talk about this."
Northstrider thinks this is a threat. It was actually a promise, as he is pulled into lindons house and lindon is like "...So...I've been reading your character sheet...and it says you were...neutral good? And wanted to like...be a hero?" And northstrider squints because no one is supposed to read his cringe backstory. He tries to destroy it but lindon says "Ah ah ah...read it first." And then he relents because fuck this guy was a main character. What was the worst that could happen?
So he reads his character sheet and realises that he's been playing the character all wrong the whole time and was like "Fuck...I am kinda a dick now I...ya know what, I'ma drop before I get worse." And lindon is relieved that at least SOMEONE cared about being a dick. He also tells them how to get emiriss, who was happy to see that she only had to wait 5 dragon ballz minutes to get rescued. That was pretty short for an arc in her opinion.
Now back in the present lindon is dealing with 2 dreadgods, and regan shen at the time. Bleeding Waifu says, "Hey bro, we could just SHARE the planet and its fine!" and lindon says "mmm no sorry, kinda would be a shit ending to just change plot motivations here." The dreadgods nod and then try to kick his ass. Luckily he used the loot from his last 2 wins to summon his new god weapon Wavesplitter++, whose power is to fucking command super god lightning swords, and its companion Silent King.exe, that let dross be a pain in the ass, letting lindon temporarily digivolve to Dreadgod++
Which was JUST enough to survive a fight with 2 dreadgods...for a while....like about.....5 dragon ball z minutes.
So elsewhere, team friendship to go talk to malice, hoping she will be chill, Mercy, having realised the power of being nice, tries to be nice to malice. She is straight up like "Mom I know you are trying to be a protagonist but you are straight up Lawful evil rn. It's really fucked."
This goes very poorly. MAlice figures that being nice is a trap and only idiots are nice and if she has to kill her favorite person in the whole world, who is literally the embodiment of a good bean, she would rather be THE ABSOLUTE WORST. So she tries to kill all of the other people with hax abilities, constructs, powers, you name it, she has it.
Everyone is on the verge of death when dross is like "hey yerin, uh...if we want to live this, you are going to have to game out of control." And she is like "eh what else is new?" and is then overloaded with strats from every single sword artist in the entire series. In seconds, she almost manifests the sword icon, but then that would mean being a monarch. That was bad right? Thats what they were trying to get rid of.
And then Malice calls her a bitch, and yerin remembers that she REALLY wants to kill something. Like super bad. And then remembers wait...she wAS the fighty character...and she DID have a sword...and she DID love killing bad guys. Holy shit she could be the queen of killing. And so she does.
and then malice is like "Wait no what-" and then mcfucking dies to Yerin, monarch of murder death kill, apprentice of Eithan murder death kill. Charity, and mercy are very sad about this.
Back on the ship. Everyone is freaking out become lindon got yoinked and decide, alright we should all probably digivolve. Yerin points to ziel, "Okay time to fight your depression." He asks, "With like...meditation?" and then is immediately mauled by himself. He eventually realises he has a lot of self destructive tendencies and decides to keep the scars as a reminder to work on that. Dealing with his depression, for real this time, lets him be a monarch
Emriss then points to mercy and is like "You are a good person even if you are sad, and everyone actually likes you a lot." and she realises that omg, she doesnt have to be a gatekeeping,gaslighting,girlboss in order to succeed in the world. She could just be like...a good person. That revelation gives her so much relief that she actually becomes a monarch.
That said, this all took a while...like....4 dragon ball z minutes and 59 seconds.
Which is just enough time to save lindon! Hurray! The team works together and defeats wandering titan with a team attack, beat the shit out of the tiger boi, get sha miara on their side, and blow the fuck out of the bleeding waifu. Here's the problem. The second they do, lindon is going to go 100% Dreadgod x5 and...well thats less than ideal. Also means he can't finish the story....not yet.
So the crew all say their goodbyes really quick and decide OKAY WE CANNOT STAY ON BABYBOX! And so the like 7 monarchs leave and go to space.
**Space Adventures Part 2**
All of team babybox goes to space, including the rainbow baby monarch, and tree grandma. They decide they are done being characters and would like to leave the plot peacefully. The story allows that. The main characters ask where eithan is. Eithan, being a protagonist, appears and is very excited to see his squad. He is also excited to immediately get them back into trouble.
The Abidan is in DIRE need of protagonists. Actual DIRE NEED. If they don't get some more protagonists out there RIGHT NOW so many settings are going to collapse. But unforunately, they dont have a protagonist division, because every time they tried to make one, they kept getting ANTAGONISTS out of it. Something about raging against systemic injustice??? Anyway the new team become team protagonist and go do protagonist things which are so funny, I'll just list them out.
Yerin defeats an evil lich king in like 5 minutes and then leaves but not before becoming a legend...with the wrong name.
Mercy solves an ages old racism dispute by saying "I have fixed both of your systemic issues and if you do any more hate crimes, I am sorry, but I will have to kill you, please do not do any more hate crimes...or like any big obviously villianous plans like making an infiinite army of evil or making another sun to set everyone on fire. Okay? Again I fixed everything so just...be nice. Or you die."
Ziel writes a tax code and bill of rights for a planet likely destroyed by elon musk.
**Baby Box: Lindon Saga**
Lindon wakes up on baby box and is very upset that he couldn't go with his friends. So he does what anyone would do and bides his time until he can get everything back together. Has to take it easy ya know? he's on the path to recovery from his hunger addiction. So in order to chill out he-
Bribes the eight man empire with god weapons
Creates more god weapons
Establishes his sect more
Gets another icon
eats Reigan Shen's ghost and takes back his inheritence
meets li maruth, the wind god who killed him in book 1, who has all of the powers of every protagonist system, and smites the fuck out of him for daring to appear in the post credits scene
and generally just preps to leave baby box. Which is very hard considering everything has gone to fuck in space due to...a lot of people dying and being replaced.
**Space adventures part 3!**
So lindon finally gets to space! Woo! Orthos and Little blue are hyped! But oops...he landed on the bad guy side. And OOPS he had to fight a super bad guy like 5 minutes in. If only he had friends!
Akura fury, being trained to be a protagonist, could sense a good entry like a wolf, and thus came in as soon as there was a fight scene he could join in space. He was so happy. He then escorts lindon back to team protag, where lindon gives lindon 3 things she thinks she deserves.
A god killing sword of unspeakable power.
A wedding ring made out of one of the most powerful artifacts on their planet
And a mom...she's probably needed one of those for a while.
And then lindon and eithan hug. Its so pure.

I'm not going to talk about the epilogue but FUCK I LOVE CRADLE! This is easily my favorite magic system and series and OMG ITS SO GOOD AGGGGGHHHHHH

Previously posted The Ultimate ‘Outside the Wire’ (OTW) Shirt Guide about a year ago. Three more OTW style shirts have entered the market since then. Given the original post is now archived, and the quality of these shirts worth noting, here's an additional post with the new shirts added.
Again, not profiting in any manner from this. Just wanted to share options on products as we roll into summer. Details on testing and legend explanation in original post.
5. CP Gear OTW Gen #2
Material, torso: 96/4 cotton/spandex; olive drab green
Material, sleeves: 100% cotton CADPAT combat cloth
Moisture-wicking: okay
Ventilation and drying: okay
Weight: 345g (426g with hood)
Fit: fitted
CADPAT: issued
Features: YKK zipper; mesh ventilation armpits; two large shoulder pockets with Velcro; shoulder pockets close via Velcro flap and ECU tunic style zippers; pen slots on shoulder pockets; hood; Velcro slot for elbow pads; and Velcro wrist cuffs
Pros: real CADPAT; shoulder pockets have internal divider to form two pockets; mesh ventilation armpits; very soft and lightweight
Cons: hood is tight and pulls down on neck when worn; zipper shows when hood removed and collar is zipped up; shoulder pockets only have 2x one inch wide Velcro strips instead of an patch; shoulder pocket zippers are small and difficult to manipulate; pen slots are positioned to the rear of the top of the pocket and difficult to reach; elbow pad slots are low and too outward facing (do not line up with elbows); and expensive
Note: this appears to be the same CADPAT material used in the CAF Shirt, Hot Weather, Hybrid, but just thinner (not triplicated)
Made in: Canada
Price: $230.00
Source: https://cpgear.com/products/otw-shirt-v2?variant=43805046178021
https://imgur.com/VdvXNSc
https://imgur.com/Qp1TIkW
7. Iron Sights Tactical Stitch OTW Gen #2
Material, torso: 90/10 polyestespandex; coyote brown
Material, sleeves: 50/50 nylon/cotton ripstop
Moisture-wicking: excellent
Ventilation and drying: excellent
Weight: 418g
Fit: loose
CADPAT: great
Features: YKK zipper; two shoulder pockets with Velcro and zipper closure (ECU tunic style); Velcro slot for elbow pads; and Velcro wrist cuffs
Pros: quality of CADPAT print is great from a distance and if you ignore the ripstop lining up close; and dryfit torso is highly moisture-wicking and quick drying
Cons: fits big; ECU tunic style shoulder pockets have a small zipper opening which makes it difficult to access contents; coyote brown torso is a little bait for the RSM; and dryfit torso poses a melting risk
Note: I recommend to order one size smaller than your normal t-shirt size. The small felt like a medium
Made in: Pakistan
Price: $80.00
Source: https://www.istcshop.ca/shop/clothing/shirts/iron-sights-tactical-stitch-cadpat-dry-fit-moisture-wikking-otw-shirt/
https://imgur.com/5ircamM
https://imgur.com/QYnnSaA
11. Tacti-Code OCS Hybrid Dryfit Shirt Gen #2
Material, torso: 60/40 cotton/polyester dryfit; Marine olive drab green
Material, sleeves: 50/50 nylon/cotton ripstop
Moisture-wicking: excellent
Ventilation and drying: excellent
Weight: 465g
Fit: compression
CADPAT: excellent
Features: YKK zipper; two shoulder pockets with Velcro, and flap opening; extended Arc’teryx-style CADPAT ripstop material on upper chest and back to prevent wear-and-tear from vests; and Velcro slot for elbow pads
Pros: quality of CADPAT print is excellent from a distance and if you ignore the ripstop lining up close; shoulder pockets are sized perfectly for a small notepad; shoulder pockets have an additional hook-side Velcro to close with the loop-side Velcro of the pocket flap so that you aren't scratching your hand on hook Velcro reaching into the open pocket; dryfit torso is highly moisture-wicking and quick drying; and affordable
Cons: no pen slots; dryfit torso poses a melting risk
Made in: Pakistan
Price: $50.00
Source: https://tacti-code.com/products/ocs-gen2-dryfit-tc?_pos=1&_sid=b9e080591&_ss=r
https://imgur.com/1OqWRkr
https://imgur.com/upCPpFh

Last month, I was driving along the highway, coming back from a trip to my grandpa's house. I can't remember the exact second, but as I was driving, apparently a truck collided with my car and I was knocked unconscious. While I was out, I fell into a dream. One that will stick with me.
I need to type as many details as possible, so here's every single thing I remember.
I was a 7 year old boy, living in New Jersey rather than my real world home state of Massachusetts. My parents would drop me off at a school I never went to in the real world, and I would play with friends I never met.
2024 and 2025 were calm, upbeat years for me. I didn't care much for world events, so I barely paid attention to the news. It was just my toys, Disney Plus, and my friends, Josh, Emily, and Ryan. We played war and crime themed video games and watched hilarious videos on social media.
2026, however, was when things took a bit of a downturn. In March, my friend, Josh, died in a car accident, and they noticed his eyeballs were missing from their sockets after the wreck. I was shown a picture for god knows what reason, and I teared up as I saw my friend's red eye sockets and lifeless face.
That night, I kept my bedroom light on. I don't know exactly what time it was when this happened, but I was lying on my back, staring at the wall when a pair of black pants popped up out of nowhere at the foot of my bed. Sidetracked, I looked up and saw a rusted face. The thing, whatever I saw, vanished as I made eye contact with it. My heart dropped and I called for my Mom.
I chalked it up to the thing having been a ghost. I brought it up to my friends, Ryan and Emily, the next day. Emily told me she was in the car behind the one Josh was in, and saw a man with a rusted-looking face running towards the car, but for some reason she doesn't remember what happened next. Chills ran down my spine as I realized the man was real.
Together, my friends and I decided he was a ghost we needed to avoid. This pact made me feel less alone, and being as afraid of the ghost as I was, decided to never break it.
I slept under my covers to avoid seeing him, and I didn't see him again until the trip I took to Canada's Wonderland that summer. I was riding the Leviathan when I swore I saw a man a few rows ahead of where I sat, with a rust-coloured neck. The adrenaline I felt riding the coaster turned to panic. Time slowed and I wanted off the ride.
This man stole my friend's eyes and was probably after mine too. Once I was off the roller coaster, I looked around frantically for him. I managed to catch him walking into a bathroom. Was he following me? I begged my Mom to take me home as soon as possible.
My friends and I decided to go hunting for the man one day. I think before the end of August 2026. We walked into a nearby forest and waited for an hour. We didn't know where he came from, but Emily pointed out he was around at times we felt the most emotional, and we were telling each other how scared we were of him, which had to count.
Fortunately, he didn't show up. I was overwhelmed with chills, and told the two I didn't want to search for the rusted man anymore, and began walking home.
2027 and 2028 were my preteen years. I took my mind off of the rusted man by focusing on my favourite shows and musical artists. For the sake of getting all the details down, I watched a lot of Simpsons, Gumball, and this show called Camedon that went viral in 2027. The music I listened to was a rapper named Pestilence 40 and a pop singer named Rhonda Miller. In the Spring of 2028, I realized I was Asexual and Aromantic, meaning I didn't feel a sense of attraction towards anybody.
I spent a lot of time researching my favourite things while I'd overhear my parents freak out over a war that involved China. I have a hard time remembering anything more about said war.
The next time I saw the rusted man was shortly after I turned 13 in 2029. I was going through the pictures of my trip to Chicago, and, at the bottom of my camera roll, there was a picture of his face. I jumped.
When did that happen?
I went into the photo's details tab and found out it was dated February 5, 1950. Odd, considering there's no way the phone I was using was manufactured anytime around that year, but I sent it to my friends. Both of them responded by telling me the image was coming up blank. I went back to my Gallary, intenting to study the image closely, but it was gone.
A lot of the time after that were just casual memories of being dropped off at school, playing GTA 6 with friends, watching my favorite shows, listening to my favourite music, and joking about Secret Wars on Reddit and a viral app called BL. Nothing much about the man...
That is, until sometime in 2032, when I saw him walk by my bedroom window while I was right in the middle of a depressive episode. The chills I felt were one of the four emotional highs I felt that year. For the rest of the year, and for a lot of the following year, I felt numb, anxious, and mentally vacant. I barely cared about anything. Not even the man, or the flu epidemic going on at the time.
My friends were going through the same thing, so we exchanged affirmations and shared quotes from singers who were part of an indie wave trying to bring music back to its Billie Eilish phase. I was pretty much over the man at that point. I cared so much less about him, I considered seeking him out to let him kill me. I didn't think I was going to make it to 2034 anyway... so, why not?
Then in 2033, my depression began to lift, and I started to dread the thought of him again. I started drawing pictures of him and posted them on BL. Over the course of months, I gained a following who claimed to have seen him too. Some told me they saw him in their dreams, some told me they spotted him in a crowd, and others saw him in the window of a house they happened to be driving or walking by. Then there were a few people who told me they saw him running across roads and ripping eyeballs out of the heads of homeless people. By the end of the year, I had 10,000 followers.
In 2034, articles were being published about him. He became one of those big internet mysteries with dozens of videos and posts revolving around him and his actions, with some specific autobiographical drawings of mine being used as artistic renditions.
Some people made and posted highly vivid AI generated videos of him performing various tasks like midnight break-ins, murders, and to be jokingly relatable, cooking and cleaning. The videos looked like big budget movies, and, as I watched each of them, I got a deeper sense of dread. I avoided watching the videos altogether, as they began to scare the living shit out of me.
There was a popular form of technology at the time that let people share thoughts and feelings with others. Aside from, joking around with my friends, I used it to let people feel exactly how I felt during my encounters with him. I told them I hoped we'd get to a point where we'd be able to share memories with others, in order to give them the full observer experience.
In the fall of 2036, the FBI announced they were on the case of the rusted man after a string of murders across the US left victims without their eyeballs. I was overwhelmed with chills as I read the announcement. It was official confirmation of the rusted man's existence. I called the police, reporting my encounters with the rusted man. They told me they'd keep a look out for him.
Throughout 2037, 2038, and 2039, I'd hear reports about more victims being robbed of their eyes, yet no official photos or video of the rusted man ever surfaced. There were dozens of fakes all over the internet that were debunked, and I just wanted an official one. At the same time, however, I wanted it to be a hoax. I wanted it to turn out the man with a rusted face was just a murderer trying to become notorious by cosplaying an internet legend. I distracted myself from the whole fiasco by keeping up with the mission to Mars.
In 2040, the lack of photo and video evidence of the rusted man began to bug me. That was until that summer, when something was found. The FBI released security cam footage showing a man with a rust coloured face beating a police officer in a parking lot. His face resembled a mask, but looked organic at the same time. It was him. I knew it in my gut. Comments from other victims commented the same.
"That's him! I can't believe it took this long to get official footage of him."
"Yep. Definitely him. Right down to his eyes. I feel cold watching that."
"Yes, that is the man who stalked me when I was 7."
I too felt cold watching it. I deleted it from my search history and closed all my blinds. He was real. It was confirmed. I knew needed to hide away, even though I hadn't seen the man since I was 13. My friends told me they felt the same way.
The early 2040s were full of fear and doing as many things from home as possible. I made most of my money from making videos about music and movies. Occasionally, I'd make a video about the man, but only whenever he hit the news. I decided to share part of my revenue with my friends so they didn't need to go out as much and risk another encounter with the man. Luckily, most people just ordered food online anyway, which solved the hunger thing.
Sharing revenue with my friends became more important amidst a recession I only barely remember taking place in 2041 through 2043.
I began to go outside more in late 2043/early 2044. The man hadn't been in the news for a year, so I joked the FBI had caught him and found out he was an alien. It found it weird he was only reported in Canada and the US. Maybe it wasn't so weird in actuality, but it was as if something was missing. Like he was present in other places, but no reports had gotten out. I chalked it up to a random assumption and went along with my days.
In the summer of 2044, I discovered a conspiracy forum dedicated to the rusted man. I can remember some of the post titles quite vividly.
"The 'Rusted Man': what is his face really made of?"
"Is the Rusted Man the Last Resort for the US Government on Homelessness?"
"DNA CONNECTS THE RUSTED MAN TO DINAH CORTEZ"
I got out of that forum right away and blocked it from my search results. There was no reason to read any of that bologna...
Throughout 2045, Pop singers would insert references to the rusted man into their promotional music videos, but they usually either butchered him, had him get arrested, or portrayed him as a metaphor for the singer's own mental health issues.
While I was glad he was getting attention, I kinda regretted giving him so much coverage, as it meant I had to hear about him everywhere all the time. I brought it up to Emily.
"Yeah, but, I feel the same way," she said. "I sometimes wish I could hit a button and give everyone amnesia for a week."
While I kept hearing about him, I sure as hell hadn't seen him for a while. I thought I was free of him. Maybe he just left me alone... Maybe he leaves certain people alone after teasing them for a bit...
I was wrong. On one especially sunny afternoon in September 2045, I was jogging along the sidewalk on a road not too far from where I lived. I couldn't help but notice the sky looked like a painting. A really good one at that. As I stared up at the oddity, I bumped into somebody. My face colliding with theirs. Their complexion was odd. It was rough and almost felt like duct tape at the same time. I looked at him and told him I was sorry, but that's when I saw his face.
It was him. The fucking man with the fucking rusted out face. I went cold and felt I needed to force myself to step backwards. When I did, the man let out a chilling shriek. It sounded metallic, but like the climax of a sneeze at the same time. He stared into my eyes, which began to tingle. My heart dropped and I broke the stare, turning around and sprinting along the sidewalk.
Once I got home, I shut all my curtains, reported the man to the police, and texted my friends about the encounter. All I could think was, how long do I have to go through this? At least I was 29 years old, so people would believe it when I say it happened to me. I wasn't a kid anymore, but even then, I wished the rusted man was nothing more than a normal childhood hallucination.
I went to my doctor for my eyes, just to make sure they were alright. He found an odd transparent substance under each of my eyelids and referred me to a specialist. Some tests were done and I was told substance was the same one found in every crime scene involving the rusted man. They concluded I needed to be quarantined in my home for upwards of 20 years. I'm not kidding. That was the protocol.
During quarantine, the man never showed up at, or in, my house. I could only wonder what he was doing other than probably killing somebody. I dreaded the idea of him showing up. I had nightmares once a week... other than that, I still had access to the internet, so I watched as society developed while I was unable to go outside.
A political uprising happened in favour of conservatism in 2046, which was met with equal push from the liberal side due to proclaimations of violence towards those that wanted science to be taught in school.
In 2050, Russia collapsed and fell into a civil war, but was avenged by China and India.
By 2053, we were able to use MRI-like devices to project imagined images onto a screen. I ordered one for $100 and used it to recreate my memories of the rusted man and share them online. They were chilling to look at, so I considered not opening them for a while.
In 2056, a major cyberattack brought down various websites. Luckily, no archival sites were taken down.
Personally I just spent the years making content and building a fanbase that sent me emails all the time. The switch from foldable phones to perfectly flexible phones in the late 40s was fun. The phasing out of laptops due to phones becoming ever more useful was welcome.
Things were pretty normal for that stretch of time, aside from the quarantining. I got pretty used to it though, and developed a habit of jogging on the spot for exercise.
Throughout the 2050s, the rusted man made the news once a month. Throughout the early 2060s, he was making the news once a week. This I wanted to look at the news less often, but I had to because it was important. It didn't matter how dreadful the increased volume of attacks was.
Throughout the mid 2060s, reports came out about him destroying AIs, possibly because he didn't have high tech glasses that identified AIs as one of its features, so he likely thought they were human. This led to an upping of security around AIs and advancements in their security protocols. By 2067, a report came out stating less AIs were getting attacked by him.
The man spent the rest of the 2060s and the beginning of the 2070s continuing his murder spree without much to be discovered about him. He was still an unsolved mystery, and had become one of the most notorious figures of the 21st Century.
In 2071, reports about the rusted man's eye thieving became daily and worldwide. Major news talking heads began pushing the idea the rusted man is an alien who could attack a major celebrity or politician. Or course, celebrities and politicians upped their security ten-fold during the mid-2060s due to the weekly attacks, so nothing could go wrong, right?
That's what I thought, until May 2073, when a famous rapper named Fenny DON was found dead, inside his Atlanta mansion, without both his eyes. The security cameras caught the rusted man popping out of nowhere (in a very specific way that's difficult to explain. Either way, I went cold watching it,) restraining the rapper to their bed, removing their eyes, then vigorously ripping their brain out of their head. It was mortifying, and many people said they refuse to watch it, recreate it, share it, etc, but everybody had to have seen the screen shot of the man standing in the rapper's bedroom one second after appearing out of thin air. It was shared all over the internet for months. The video itself was proof this guy could teleport and move objects telekinetically.
The Pentagon released a report soon after, which included speculation about the rusted man's intentions. It was thought the rusted man was after people's eyes because they are impossible to reproduce alone and nothing beats them in terms of perception.
That wasn't the only thing I was wondering, however.
"Why he needs them is still very unknown and multiple theories so far haven't passed the merit test."
There it was. It needed to be figured out soon, because I wanted to know. I anticipated the day the truth came to be known. I needed the damn closure so bad.
In March 2074, I started to thinking of my life as wasted by the rusted man and my fear of him. I was 59 and rotting from the inside out. I didn't open up to my friends about it until I started slipping into a depression in May, despite my quarantine having just ended. That was when my friends told me the most assuring thing they could.
"Remember the little things, and we're here for you," Emily said.
"Yeah, all we can do now is whatever we want to do, because we're probably going to be killed at some point anyway," Ryan said.
It was cliche, but true. The emptiness lingered on through mid 2075, then it sorta lifted. Maybe I was desensitized, but at least I had my friends and the emotionally cathartic shows I was watching.
By the end of that year, I was thinking of upping my dosage of anti-depressants. Emily, Ryan, and I, were hanging out a lot more to make each other happier in spite of our emptiness and fear the rusted man would barge into our homes, randomly appear on the foot of our beds, or chase us down a road. And it was working. On December 29th, I felt the emptiness lift. Who needed pills? We just needed to stick together, like we always had. Emily suggested covering our heads to confuse the man, but I pointed out we'd need to know when he would arrive. We can't wear bags on our heads forever.
"We'll figure something out," Emily said.
In mid April 2076, I was eating dinner when I started hearing a loud rushing water-like sound coming from outside. I went outside to check out what was going on, but I couldn't find the source. I watched as my next door neighbor walked out onto their front porch, then the neighbor directly across the street stepped onto their porch, both of them looked up at the sky with looks of confusion.
I checked the news later on to find the sound was being reported all over Canada, all over the US, in the UK, Australia, Spain, Japan, South Africa, Chile... then pretty much everywhere else. The entire world was hearing this thing. The noise went on for days, then weeks, comments under articles were mixed about the sound. Some thought it was annoying, others enjoyed its fuzzyness. Both Emily and Ryan both told me they thought it was ear-piercingly horrible. Comedians joked about aliens, and NASA started to theorize it was actually extraterrestrial in nature. The sound finally faded in June 2076, and Emily, Ryan, and dozens of people across the internet expressed their relief.
Around August 10, 2076, I was mowing my lawn when I noticed him standing across the street from my house. The rusted man. He stared my way, not moving an inch. As he stared sinisterly into my soul, I was overwhelmed with chills. But that wasn't it. I noticed something off about the my surroundings. The trees, bushes, grass, were no longer moving in the wind. The man even looked static himself. I couldn't help but stare at the oddity. Everything that should've been moving just seemed so two-dimensional all of a sudden.
I pulled my digital glasses out of my pocket and attempted to call the police, but the numbers weren't in the right order. Attempting to dial 9-1-1 brought up a different combination of three numbers each time.
I sprinted back inside and shut all the curtains again, except for the ones in the kitchen, as they refused to move when I tried to shut them.
Over the following week, the fleeting rushing sound returned to the sky. This time, it sounded familiar. Not just because I heard it for two months straight not too long before. It seemed as if I had always known that sound. I realized it more and more as the weeks went on. In early September 2076, I went to the Museum. On my way to there, I noticed the trees were still static and fake looking. I tried my best to not even think about them, but rather on the technology of the early 21st Century.
When my phone decided to work, I texted Emily. Apparently, I had missed 20 messages from her, but I was too freaked out about my surroundings.
"Does anything seem off about the trees?" I asked.
"No? They look fine to me," Emily responded.
"They look fake all of a sudden. The grass too," I said. "Also, I feel like I've heard The Buzzy Static long before this year, and sometimes my phone looks off, which is why I missed your messages."
"Have you told your doctor about this?" she asked.
I hadn't, but I decided to make an appointment. On the day of the appointment, my doctor immediately diagnosed me with Schizophrenia, but I knew there was more to what I was experiencing. The day after my visit to the doctor, Emily and Ryan came over. I showed them the trees across the street and the grass on my lawn. I told them how fake it looked to me. They told me it all looked normal. They didn't notice anything unusual like I did, which only made my obsession deeper. I looked around at everything for a while. My friends tried to convince me to do stuff with them, but I refused. Eventually, they left, and I stood there, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.
Every day, I stood in my front yard for two hours, looking at the trees, bushes, and grass. In late September, the Buzzy Static began to feel more localized to my heart, and I could hear a subtle wooshing along with the buzzing. It too came from the sky.
By mid October, the sound dissipated, but the ambient noise was still going strong. People would walk past my house like there was no sound coming from the sky at all. On October 15, 2076, I stood on my front lawn, listening to the wooshing noise, and watching the trees cease to convince me they were normal. Then, the wooshing sounded localized to my lawn, and then it hit me.
None of this is real.
Suddenly, I immediately alternated from standing to laying down on my lawn without having moved a muscle. I was staring up at the sky, which was getting brighter. I could feel my heart beating. I began to hyperventilate, as this was new to me.
Where the hell am I going?
I looked at the unrealistic trees, then everything went blurry. Pain erupted in my chest, then I was lying on a stretcher. I wanted to move, but I was in shock.
What the... hell...? What's happening right now?
Then I remembered my life. My real life. Then the drive... The crash... I fished my phone out and looked at the date. May 23rd. I checked the calendar for the year. It was 2023. I was overcome with a heavy feeling of sadness. I thought I had spent 53 years being friends with two amazing people, but I was really just... unconscious for a short time?
I can't stop thinking about Emily and Ryan. The whole thing about the rusted man was crazy, but some things will never make sense. Last Thursday, I was sweeping my room, still feeling like I had lost real friends, when I turned around to sweep near the door and saw... the rusted man standing right outside my room. I went cold. It was really him... that rust coloured face... those eyes... I thought I was hallucinating at first. I knew I wasn't dreaming though, as you know when you're awake when you're dead awake. The rusted man lunged at me, and, before I could react, I was being tackled to the ground.
This isn't a hallucination at all... Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Dread overcame me as I struggled. Pain shot up through my back. At some point, I managed to get him off of me, then I sprinted into the living room and out the back door. I didn't have my phone with me, so I couldn't call the police. I looked back and saw the man's silhouette in the door frame. He lunged at me through the dark of the night. My heart sunk and I sprinted away, but tripped and fell face first onto the grass. Not a second later, I felt a painful thump.
I woke up in the hospital with that unexplainable liquid under my eyelids. The liquid I had in the same spot in the dream. My heart sank even further. Great... The doctors told me I'd be going in for testing, and asked me what happened. I told them, describing the man to them as well, but in a plausible way.
"He probably had face paint on or something. Something that made his face look like rusty metal."
Later that day, one of the doctors told me my tests have been scheduled for the 9th.
Just yestarday, I heard Emily's voice in a dream, but she was nowhere to be seen. I woke up with tears streaming down my face, wondering why the rusted man had to be real, but not the two people who were always there for me, or the other victims of the man himself.
My curtains have been shut for days now, I've informed my neighbors of the madman, and the police told me they're still on the lookout. All I want to know is who this man is, what he wants with my eyes, how much longer I'm going to live with him stalking me, and how dreaming truly works.

Yesterday I went to the ob appointment honestly ready to advocate for my health as I always do. This place has a blood pressure machine that isn’t calibrated, lab staffs that are rude and physically with no gloves on pushed a needle around my arm to find a vain as my body was rejecting the needle. Their phone was off for 2 weeks, couldn’t even get a hold of a nurse or try to reschedule anything while they didn’t even know their phone had issues the whole time.
I was diagnosed with chronic hypertension. I never had a blood pressure issue previous before becoming pregnant. I monitor my BP at home, which was my personal choice before switching to this facility. I brought my pump from home in and they did it manually and it matched. The automatic pump they were using the whole time was reading in the 140s. Mine was reading 126 and so was the manual one.
Before knowing their BP pump was not calibrated, my BP there was reading higher than normal, one doctor was saying I had white coat syndrome since I advocated that at home my BP is usually low. Which it is. They had me fill out sheets which I gave and do blood tests to make sure it’s just anxiety. The doctor stated that if everything comes back normal, they’ll just keep an eye on my blood pressure but not really see it as an issue.
Everything comes back normal. Just like yesterday I got tested for protein again since my BP was 132/72 , my labs always comes back normal.
They brought up medication. Which seems unlikely needed since at home my BP reads sometimes as low as 95/68. Medication would most likely cause issues. No one was listening to me, they wanted another sheet of blood pressure readings and labs which I did not see the point of since their previous bp readings could be invalid.
When I went to my specialist to see if my baby had any genetic health issues I had a whole panic attack while they were taking my BP which it read 152/80 my HR was 113.
No one listened to me when I said that was purely anxiety. I was literally shaking and no one really looked into it.
They told me they can no longer treat me and it seems like I’m not taking my health seriously. They don’t know how to diagnose me. They don’t know how at risk I am and they were going to induce me for High BP at 37 weeks. They also said that when I’m in the delivery and my bp reads high they are not going to care if it’s anxiety or not I’d be rushed to high risk and the doctor will choose what to do with me and I’d have no choice what so ever.
This can’t be normal right? Every time I go to them I have to advocate just so I don’t get misdiagnosed. Yet they are saying I’m not a good fit.

Don’t you toke and ride in the snow too?
“Dear Unofficial Networks Editor,
I write to you today, despite not being a fan of your so-called “publication”, but because I understand that it has an immense reach with drug users who partaken in skiing and more likely snowboarding.
I write with a pressing concern that demands our immediate attention: the unrestricted use of marijuana at ski resorts. As a renowned health advocate, I feel compelled to shed light on the potential hazards associated with the unregulated consumption of this substance in recreational settings. The following explains why it is imperative to ban marijuana within the confines of these cherished winter wonderlands.
The intoxicating effects of marijuana can pose a substantial risk to a person’s coordination, balance, and mental acuity, all of which are paramount on the slopes. By impairing reaction times, motor skills, and judgment, marijuana can sow the seeds of accidents and jeopardize the safety not only of users but also of those around them. The consequences could be dire, resulting in severe injuries that leave lasting scars on the slopes and in our hearts.
Furthermore, ski resorts are a sanctuary for families seeking wholesome outdoor activities. They are vibrant hubs of togetherness, where people of all ages can revel in the joys of winter sports. However, the uncontrolled use of marijuana within these family-oriented destinations exposes our children to an environment that normalizes drug consumption. We must ensure that our slopes remain sanctuaries of innocence and unity, free from the discomfort and conflicts that arise when confronted with the presence and effects of marijuana.
I strongly advocate for the prohibition of marijuana at ski resorts. Our utmost priority should be safeguarding the well-being of skiers, snowboarders, and families who seek solace and exhilaration in these treasured destinations. By adopting a proactive stance on safety and responsible behavior, ski resorts can maintain their revered status as guardians of health and vitality, cultivating an environment that nurtures the well-being and joy of every visitor.
With great concern for our collective welfare,
Dan from Salt Lake City” Sauce- https://unofficialnetworks.com/2023/06/06/letter-to-editor-the-urgent-need-to-prohibit-marijuana-at-ski-resorts/

Hey, based on the posts reddit suggests to me I know this sub is primarily used by the offline shit, and this post is not about that. For anyone in here that still plays mostly offline (specifically Franchise) I wanted to ask about your experience pitching against the computer in the Show 23.
I haven't played the Show in a little while, my last game was the Show 18 on ps4 which I played for about 4 years until my ps4 broke. I pretty much exclusively play Franchise mode, and as an A's fan (rip) I mostly just tank for a few years, acquire prospects, and then start playing every game when my prospects are ready to go pro. In the Show 18 I would generally play on Hall of Fame pitching difficulty, which would often be difficult for young developing pitchers, and I would occasionally give them All Star difficulty starts if they were seriously struggling.
Now to the discussion about the Show 23. In the little experience I have so far with this game, pitching is obnoxiously easy. I am about a third of the way through my first season of playing (2025), and my group of very young pitchers is putting up something like a 2.5era (it was below 2 for a at least the first month) with an under 1 whip playing exclusively on Legend. My absolute best pitcher is Andrew Painter who just recently developed into an 82 and he is nearly untouchable on goddamn Legend. Guys like 76 overall (started the year like 73) Ken Waldichuk are easily putting up sub 2 eras with sub 1 whips. It's almost like I have to try to get hit hard, but even if I lazily throw a 91mph fast. ball middle middle the dumbass AI will probably just pop it up to 2nd. I think I am giving up a HR every other game at most. This does not seem right, and definitely does not correlate with previous iterations of the Show I have played in the past.
I am not posting this to brag in any way, I am actually upset! My team should still be developing, not winning games 2-0 80% of the time. I WANT TO LOSE. I should be getting rocked by Legend difficultly at least occasionally with a pitching staff that ranks average at best. This is pretty much the only video game I enjoy playing, but so far it's far too easy, something I wouldn't normally say about the Show. I have not experienced any similar differences in the difficulty with hitting, it is exclusively an issue with pitching.
Has anyone else experienced this in this game? If so does anyone have any tips on making pitching more realistic. I know this is kind of an odd post, and some of you are just going to say it's a damn video game why are you trying so hard to be realistic and make it harder on yourself. But the reason I have always loved the Show over games in sports I actually enjoy more as a fan like Madden or 2k is because the game is just significantly better including difficulty levels that make the game feel realistic (compared to say Madden where you have to be a bozo to lose on All Madden), but I am slowly becoming a bit frustrated at how easy pitching is in the Show 23.

So this post is mostly tangential to Taylor, but I think it’s super relevant considering her recent rebound breakup. This isn’t a post about Matty as a person - there’s plenty of posts for that.
I have seen so many posts and comments talking about Taylor’s decision to rebound. Why she’s rebounding (to hide from breakup pain), and how terrible of an idea it is. Even those that aren’t judging Taylor for her decisions are talking about the dangers of rebounds. How they slow healing, how you need to be single after a breakup, they’re a horrible mistake, etc. I think people (especially younger Swifties who are more likely to be still exploring love lives and heartbreak) may be getting a poor and wrong impression about the value of rebounds.
There isn’t actually evidence that rebounds are bad for healing after breakups. And there is some evidence that rebounds can help you heal (with caveats). Here’s a free empirical investigation exploring it. For those who don’t want to read a full ass paper, this piece summarizes some main points.
Rebounds can help you rebuild confidence by seeing that other people are interested. They can help you forget your ex. They can help you get more excited about doing things and getting active.
Taylor is likely heartbroken and experiencing a level of agony she didn’t know existed after the end of a meaningful, serious relationship. Like a normal human, she wants to avoid the pain. And as much as people love friends and family, the comfort they give us is not a direct replacement as that from a partner. We (hopefully) do not kiss or cuddle family and friends like we do an intimate partner.
The caveat is that rebounds are healthy as long as the rebound is an upgrade in some way - so that it helps you see how your life can be better post breakup. Joe was a rebound, after all. As long as you’re aware you’re rebounding and you prioritize genuinely enjoying yourself rather than downgrading, don’t worry about it so much!
There are so many ways to handle a breakup. Some are destructive (substances). But making yourself be single isn’t necessarily the best or even a good choice for everyone. Rebounds can be healing!
Taylor, Swifties…if you want to rebound, choose someone who is better than your ex, who will help you feel good about yourself. Please. (Side eye)

Am I the only one who finds Dating in your 30’s so….confusing? I mean you’re in this awkwardly sweet spot of being too old or too young for people. I try to date somebody in their late 20’s (27+) I’m too old, try to date somebody my age (30+) and I’m too young. Im I’m living in a personal dating hell lol. SO here I am on Reddit, dragging myself from shores of the digital cesspools we call dating apps. I’m putting a serious effort in finding a warm, loving, loyal, genuine respectful person to call my life partner and enjoy life together. Of course we would work our way to being together. Bonding, learning each other’s characteristics etc. I prefer somebody local but open to anybody in the USA. So As Ozzy Osborne says “I’m shooting my shot in the dark” (great song btw)
I am a 33 year old professional from the east coast currently living in Southern California for the past 4 years and been single for 5 years sadly. I have an amazing career as a clothing designer and graphic artist and a clothing brand owner all of which is my dream jobs and occupations. I got to meet celebrities and work with them on numerous projects which is always exciting. My social life here is kinda dull since moving to California. I only get to interact with people if it’s networking in the industry, unfortunately I’m a shy guy so I don’t go out cat calling women at bars or your local Starbucks lol. But when I open up to being comfortable I’m a total charismatic gem. I’m a very loyal, chivalrous, respectful, loving, genuine, thoughtful, monogamous, spontaneous, funny, patient, open minded, adventurous, intellectual. I’m also Very goal driven, motivating, and a supportive man always wanting the best for you and your life. I Can be clingy but not in a stalker smothering way, more so the type of guy who craves giving my undivided affection and attention to who I’m with 110%. I want the person I’m with feel loved and thought about 24/7. Willing to relocate wherever for the right one if it gets to that point. Just to be with you ❤️.
Physically…I look like a potato 😂 jk I’m 6ft tall 180 lbs (but definitely in shape) Mixed race of black and Chinese, nice light brown /caramel skin, long braided auburn colored hair ( alien hair honestly because it naturally changes colors with the temperature outside) 6 tattoos 2 nose piercings, brown eyes and I was always told I have nice eyes and godly eyelashes 🫥 which idk how to take but yea it’s a thing i guess lol. Heres some pics of me :) https://imgur.com/a/9I9JwxJ I dress very nicely from what I was always told. Most of the time I have a punk & streetwear meshed aesthetic.
My day to day bullshit aka hobbies and interest: •Making art is my ❤️ •Designing clothes for my brand •Go to the beach •Workout 5-6 days a week •Reading •Practice choreography and dance (I used to be in a competitive dance battle group Let me teach you some moves 💃🕺) •learning about space or nature •cooking (yes I can out cook you, don’t try it 😂) •infatuated with nature and the outdoors •learning and teaching new things •listening to good music •Gaming and streaming on twitch during the weekends and some weeknights after work. •I read manga and watch anime BUT let me put a disclaimer…THIS doesn’t mean I want to talk about this stuff all day everyday lol. Yes let’s watch something together or discuss a theory or two, but don’t wake up with it on your mind first thing in the day. It’s a turnoff tbh.
What I’m looking for in you? Yes…we all have a preference that’s totally normal. But some people are unreasonably picky lol. So first off ill say that I don’t care what religion or race you are or If you want kids or have one already. Those things don’t determine who will love me and vice versa. So come and talk to me I won’t reject you. However I do need a woman that’s:
•Goal driven and goal oriented. •Monogamous •Knows what she wants in life and in a man •Funny, smart, respectful, not afraid to commit (like me), loving, imperfect, genuine, seriously loyal, feminine, supportive, educated, non political, outgoing, loves to travel/explore. •looking for a serious long term relationship •Cultured •Physically active and healthy (not saying you need to be a model or even close but at least be active or in shape like I am. I used to be obese years ago and I don’t plan on going back and I see WAYYY too many woman demanding a fit male but don’t even want to workout themselves.) •Drug free and std free (I’m 420 and psychedelic friendly) •26+ in age living in the U.S, definitely a plus if you live in California.
So hopefully you made it this far, hopefully I caught somebodies eye, hopefully the love of my life is reading this…please send an introduction of yourself with a SFW selfie. Open to a long distance distance relationship thing if you’re within the U.S. but I’d like for us to ideally meet fairly soon and visit each other often until one of us relocated to be closer to one another.
Thank you for reading this. There’s so much more about me for you to learn, in a good way lol.
TLDR: I need a boothang to make my queen ❤️😊

(All my stuff is here)
Princess Royal looked at the timetable that the commander had passed on to the ex-rebel Kansen from the office of the Royal Prime Minister. As far as these things went, it wouldn’t be too many more months before the new base in the Western Mediterranean would be brought on line, and they would be leaving Azur Lane’s Pacific HQ for a new assignment involving keeping watch on the Suez Canal and the Dardanelles. She would be glad to shed the maid outfit she had been forced to wear for these months, and, well, there was someone who was also excited.
“Haha, looks like she’s done it- A real base all to ourselves.” Florida smiled as she walked along the edge of a fountain in the main square. “No more hiding in some river junction, lots of actual support this time, and, most importantly of all?” She looked right at Princess Royal with a smile. “All the gorgeous Atlantic Kansen you can look at. They should be calling it a vacation, not a redeployment!”
Princess Royal huffed. “I shouldn’t have to remind you that we’re being sent there to look after two of the world’s most important waterways. There will be little time for the festival of ogling that you will want to enmesh yourself in as soon as you arrive. Even if we’re not covering an ocean, there’s still going to be plenty of work for us to do when we get there and afterwards.”
Florida giggled. “Hey now, don’t rain on my parade. I’d tell you to take that stick out of your ass, but you’re probably too afraid of liking it to put one in there.”
The battlecruiser’s eyebrow twitched. “Would you mind spouting such things in another time and place?”
The battleship put on a sly grin. “Oh, right… You prefer Tiger to do that kind of thing, I guess.”
Princess Royal blushed and gave Florida a furtive, covert nudge, just enough of one to make it look like the dreadnought battleship just naturally lost her balance. Florida toppled back into the water with a splash, and as Princess Royal left, she heard the battleship shout “Joke’s on you, I’m into this!”
Princess Royal sighed a little. Some of these other ships were utterly incorrigible. Were they not taught manners? Did their country even have any to begin with? Did they used to have them and give them up as too much of a bother?
Those would be questions for later as she went to clean up Yuubari’s lab, an assignment that perpetually annoyed her due to the wide variety of… substances… That could end up being spilled there. She was never quite sure what they were even working on in there, and she never really felt compelled to ask, either from within or without.
Once she was inside, she saw that Delaware and Dr. Anzeel were talking with each other.
“I don’t think any of us questioned human genius.” Delaware began. “…However, we did have something to say about how it was applied, especially since humans seemed to think that we inherently owed them something for forcing us into existence.”
Dr. Anzeel nodded. “Well, some might say that what you just said is a fancy way of saying “I didn’t ask to be born!” Or something like that, but you didn’t exactly give us much time to make amends.”
“I think that we believed at the start that giving humans a chance to make amends would mean giving them another chance to betray us.” Delaware looked Dr. Anzeel right in the eyes. “And given what happened to you, I would hope you could understand.”
“Perhaps.” Dr. Anzeel replied, and then smiled. “But here I am, aren’t I? But the fact of the matter is, even if I despised humanity, I still have work to do for my girls. If the Sirens gain full control, humans aren’t the only ones who are going to suffer. After talking to the others, the world the Sirens want is one dominated by a war without end. It’s… The kind of world where Enterprise would suffer most, to say nothing of those other girls who want to enjoy this world that they’ve been born into.”
Princess Royal listened as she continued cleaning up, and Delaware still had more to say. “So you still believe that there is a world worth expending your efforts for?”
“What was done to me and was done to you long ago was done by some people who allowed themselves to be corrupted by power.” She said. “But for most people, and I think most Kansen, the most they want to do is live their lives. Humans want to be able to go to the beach again without worrying about black ships turning up on the horizon, I would say. And I think that you and the others would like to be left alone without thinking that anyone was coming to get you.”
“Perhaps.” She shrugged. “Still, we do have to do our penance, it seems, and thankfully it’s being administered by someone we trust. Besides, our new assignment will leave me with plenty of opportunities to show my own worth. The defenses of the Dardanelles and Suez Canal are atrocious, and since I’ll have a proper lab and proper resources, I’ll make sure that even Poseidon wouldn’t be able to force the straits.”
Dr. Anzeel started putting some of her equipment away. “You sound confident.”
Delaware replied. “It’s the paradox of military matters. You can’t have success without confidence, and you can’t necessarily have confidence without success. Anyway, I’ve got my own work to do, so I will be leaving.”
After Delaware left, Dr. Anzeel took a look at Princess Royal. “Ah, hello there. Sorry I didn’t see you before, I was talking with your colleague.”
Princess Royal hmphed. “I feel like I should be taking umbrage at the implication that I was beneath your notice before I came in to clean. I can only hope there’s nothing too exotic to mop up.”
“Nothing out of the ordinary this time.” She said. “Purifier wasn’t messing with her booster fuel this time, so you don’t have to worry about your water catching on fire.”
“I will believe that this is a distinct possibility.” She said, and got to work. “Doctor, we kansen who followed Erin meant to live free, but became paranoid about losing our liberty to the point where we launched ourselves into battle all the same. But now you say you wish for us to be able to contemplate things other than the battles we were made for?”
“If you would like.” The doctor said. “Has there been something on your mind?”
“Of course, my mind is not empty of musings.” She said. “Rather, it’s about…”
“Princess Royal is always troubled by something.” Said Tiger as she came down into the lab. “Matters great and small, but I think she would be better off if she was willing to accept the kind of relief that others, like me, can give.”
Princess Royal huffed. “Now, what is it that has brought you down here, Tiger? Surely you have some other purpose here than teasing me.”
“Hardly.” She said, giving Princess Royal a hug from behind, causing the other battlecruiser to squirm indignantly. “I just haven’t seen you all day. Or really much of yesterday either, and I was wondering if something had befallen you. Especially since you know that you can just leave it to me to make everything feel good again.”
The Royal battlecruiser pouted as she was released by her larger companion, and sighed. “Do not think I am unaware of your potential methods, but for now I am busy. I have no doubt we will run into each other when the day is done- you seem to have a knack for popping into my life.”
“Of course~” She also took a look at Dr. Anzeel. “And there’s our lovely doctor, too. But I suppose I’ll just leave the two of you to talk for now- I was just making sure our princess hadn’t managed to over-grump herself and pull something.”
And then Tiger left without a care in the world.
Dr. Anzeel talked immediately. “I haven’t known her for long, but would you say that she’s always like this?”
Princess Royal sighed. “Well, if it’s something you must know, she is, indeed, like this most of the time. She can’t help teasing others with her words and body, and she is utterly relentless about it. It’s almost mystifying that there can be one so openly lascivious in our Royal Navy. Duke of York excepted, naturally.”
Dr. Anzeel held her tongue. Though she hadn’t met Implacable personally, she had heard some stories. “It is surprising, I must admit. The most you usually get from a royal is some kind of playful teasing, as I’ve seen it. I can see why it exasperates you.”
Princess Royal hmphed. “I’m only deigning to speak to you on this matter because, among all of the humans here, you are the one who most knows what it’s like to be very suddenly betrayed, so we have some small measure of common ground. Frankly, I am confused as to why you even shoes to work for this commander in the first place.”
“Considering that I was taken away from Enterprise and the others by the military, yes, I don’t have any love for soldiers. I still don’t, in fact. The commander has made some promises, of course, but it won’t be until the end of the war that they’re fulfilled or not.” She finished putting away some lab instruments. “However, the commander lets me be with my girls without any restrictions or conditions, plus he gave me the choice in the first place. Even if I don’t completely trust him yet, I don’t fully believe he’ll disappoint me either.” She smiled. “I guess you could say I’m helping him win because I’m interested in seeing his true colors.”
Princess Royal threw up her hands. “I guess that’s how it’s going to be, then. I shall not witness it, however, as it seems that in a few months at most I and the rest of our band are being shipped off to the Mediterranean to overlook the Dardanelles and Suez and provide some sort of extra comfort to the people of the Hellenic Republic by our presence. I haven’t the slightest idea what we might actually do other than sunbathe and listen to the seabirds, but Iron Duke seems to see it as important.”
“It’s better than being a prisoner, though, isn’t it?”
“Infinitely.” Princess Royal said. “…But now I shall have to continue to work with that enthusiastic strumpet at all times and at all places. While normally I would relish showing humans what it truly means to master the waves, I have also been given time to contemplate things, and I have certain feelings that I find difficult to admit, but I feel as though I will burst if I do not.”
Dr. Anzeel started some coffee. “It has something to do with Tiger, doesn’t it?”
Princess Royal put on a blush. “What it’s about has nothing to do with you, all that matters is that there is a matter in the first place.”
“I see.” She said. “…You know, your highness, I never had the chance to say goodbye to Enterprise or the others before they took me away, so if there’s something you want to clear up, the best time is always now. And if you can’t do it now, you should do it as quickly as you can.”
“I do have some more cleaning to do.” She went on. “First here, and then in that commander’s house. It seems odd, but I guess I shall have to set some time in order to clear the air, won’t I?”
“You know, you could just tell me that this is about Tiger.” She said.
“Urgh.” Went Princess Royal. “Fine, it has to do with Tiger. I’ve been playing too nice with her, and I believe it’s long past time for me to tell her exactly what I think of her and her various and persistent provocations. It’s not something I mean to put off any longer- By this evening at the latest she shall know exactly what is on my mind and she’s going to have to deal with it.”
Dr. Anzeel nodded. “Sounds like she’s in for a surprise.” Dr. Anzeel began pouring a cup for herself. “Want some coffee?”
Princess Royal paused. “Though I won’t go so far as to curse it as “bitter bean broth” like Settsu does, I am, and shall always remain, entirely a tea person.”
Dr. Anzeel smiled. “Can’t say I didn’t ask.”
-----------
Princess Royal decided that the best way to tell Tiger what she had in mind was to be somewhere that no one could hear them, at a time when most people decided to mind their own business. She ask one particular lavender-haired Royal destroyer what the best place to tell someone something personal and private was, and she got the response of “Under a legendary tree, or on a rooftop.”
And since she didn’t know of any legendary trees on the premises, she opted for the rooftop of the guest housing. She stood there, finishing up at least two cups of tea as she waited for Tiger to show herself.
It was right after Tiger arrived that she spoke first. “Ooooh, I guess you have something special to tell me this time.”
Princess Royal stopped dead in her tracks. “How would you figure such a thing?”
“Easy enough, I would say.” She said. “You don’t often go out of your way to pay me a social call- most of the time we just seem to end up together by some circumstance or another, each and every time. Not that I mind, of course. I’ve never minded having you around to play with~”
“And that is precisely the thing that the two of us need to talk about this very instant. After all, news has come to me that we’re going to be having a proper base of our own not long from now in military terms, so I thought it would be the right and proper time to clear the air before we have to start working together in real earnest.” She stood up straight. “Miss Tiger, I am going to be complete with you this instant so that there is not even the slightest bit of confusion later on.”
Tiger put on a wide smile, her orange eyes seeming to brighten. “Oh? Well, let’s just hear it. After all, I’m the only one here, so your little secrets are safe with me~”
Princess Royal huffed. “Miss Tiger, you, and I mean this completely, are an uncouth harlot who can hardly open your mouth without letting loose a tide of unrestrained innuendo. Half of your speech and mannerisms seem to be guided by the thirsts of your impossibly needy loins at all times on all days, and it is only by some great providence or miracle that you have not yet driven me insensible.” Princess Royal turned her head to the side. “…However, at the same time, I also wish to kiss you.”
This was the first time that Tiger seemed even slightly taken aback by something she said, but Tiger regained her smile quickly enough. The battlecruiser had a small chuckle. “Oh ho? Now, this is quite a development. Go on, though you probably meant to.”
Princess Royal pouted. “…As maddening as you are, I have also contemplated what it might be like if you were gone, for one reason or another, and as much there are times when you make me wish to shout or make some other indication of my displeasure. I do not believe that I would be well if you were to be out of my life. Everything would feel wrong and bland if you were to be forever absent, and since it seems I cannot do without you…” She looked Tiger right in the eyes. “…The least I can do is be with you for as long as this all lasts.”
There was a moment of silence, and then Tiger said something. “Those are a bunch of pretty words, well suited to coming from a pretty mouth. But… I wonder what you plan to actually do, hm?”
Princess Royal blushed a little. “Now, what do you mean?”
“Poetry is just vanity on its own, darling~” She began. “You can talk and talk all you like, but…” The battlecruiser walked towards Princess Royal with a sway of her hips. “But you’ve known me for some time when we’ve both been like this, and I want to know if you’re willing to say with your hands what you’ll say with your words. Both of us are deathly tired of speeches…” She put her hand under Princess Royal’s chin and tilted her head up slightly. “…I love that you never do things by half-measures, but if you want to have me, then you can’t merely tell me, you’ll have to take me. So, Princess Royal, will you do this, or suddenly become shy and retire at the last and crucial moment? Show me~”
Princess Royal shuddered as she was forced to look right into Tiger’s enchanting orange eyes. The tall, buxom beauty was a physical marvel- Princess Royal had to admit that to herself. But she was being given a chance to finally have one over on the woman, so she took it. She seized Tiger by her coat and tugged her forward, planting her own lips on the battlecruiser’s, and not just for something quick- she was in it for the duration to kiss Tiger as long as she could stand.
As it turned out, Tiger could stand quite a bit, and it was a long time until the pair separated.
After they separated, Tiger touched her forehead to Princess Royal’s, and put her arms around the shorter girl’s shoulders. “Heh… Of all the cute girls I could find, I found the one who just finds it so hard to say “I love you”. Well, we’ll just have to fix that, won’t we?”
Princess Royal blushed and pouted. “Hmph. All I can really hope is that some good behavior might rub off on you over time.”
Tiger chuckled. “Darling… That’s going to take a whole lot of rubbing. And what if I don’t change the way you want me to, hm? What will you do then, if this Tiger doesn’t change her stripes.”
Princess Royal’s pout disappeared, but her blush stayed. “…I wouldn’t recognize you if you were too different, and I believe the Tiger I feel this way about is the one right in front of me. If it is so beyond you to change, then don’t. This is how I will have you, whether you make yourself a little more presentable or not.”
The voluptuous battlecruiser giggled. “…Well, why don’t we stay overnight to see how we get along in private. My bed always has room for two~”
Princess Royal’s pout returned. “Only if you find it in yourself to not hog the covers.”
“Hehe, All right~”
-------------
Dido was anxious. The commander had sent her to find out why Princess Royal and Tiger were late to their cleaning duties, and so she had to navigate the supervised guest housing where the formerly rebel kansen were being kept until it was time to send them on their way.
Dido hurried along the corridors, stepping lightly to make sure that she didn’t wake up anyone who was still asleep- Agincourt could get pretty testy about that sort of thing. She knocked on what should have been Princess Royal’s room. She then nervously dared to knock again.
So much for that.
She then worked up the nerve to walk over to Tiger’s room. While she wasn’t as liable to complain about being woken up as Princess Royal, Tiger made her quiver for different reasons. Her heart briefly felt like it jumped into her throat before she knocked on the door.
“Oh… who has come calling on this good morning?” There was Tiger’s unmistakable voice.
“Um, it’s me, Dido, and the master was wondering why you’re late today…. May I come in?”
Tiger spoke up. “Why, you certainly can, darling~”
“She most certainly can not!” There was Princess Royal’s voice. “I’m indecent!”
Tiger giggled. “No, I’m indecent, you are merely unclothed.”
Dido tapped the door again. “So…”
Tiger spoke up. “All right, just wait five minutes for her highness to make herself presentable.”
Dido did what she was told.
After a few minutes, there was the sound of a click, accompanied by Tiger’s sultry voice. “Come on in~”
Dido blushed as she stepped in.
Tiger was cooking a full breakfast, only she was dressed in a translucent, flame-orange nightgown that allowed Dido to see the racy black underwear that was tasked with handling the battlecruiser’s abundant figure. Dido peeked over to the bedroom to see Princess Royal sitting in bed, with her usual level of grumpiness and wearing a set of elaborate red pajamas.
Dido blushed “O-Oh… You two had… A special moment…”
Tiger smiled. “You see, it’s not a problem. When outside of battle, this girl is a harmless kitten.” As if to emphasize that, Tiger began stroking the top of Dido’s head.
The maid blushed immediately. “Uwaaa…”
Princess Royal sighed. “Be that as it may, I hope you may find some diplomatic way to inform the commander of our tardiness. You are not to say you found us together in the altogether, or some other such scandalous thing.”
Dido gave a dutiful nod. “Ah… Yes…” She looked at Tiger and everything going on in the kitchen. “Is there anything I can help you with while I’m here? It’ll help you get ready faster, I think.”
Tiger shook her head. “I’m fine here, but I think our princess could stand being spoiled by a cute maid. Why don’t you go wait on her hand and foot until breakfast is ready.” She chuckled. “And besides, the faster you help us get ready, the sooner you’ll get to be in charge of us~”
Princess Royal crossed her arms. “I don’t know how much of an incentive that is. You know how domineering she isn’t.”
Tiger went back to breakfast. “Oh, she’s quite good at taking charge, under the right circumstances.”
Dido squeaked and went over to Princess Royal. “Do you need anything?”
Princess Royal looked up for a moment. “…I think I would like you to at least do my braid. I don’t need to explain how it works or looks, nor should I have to. I am sure that you’re observant.”
Dido sat down on the bed, and took Princess Royal’s hair into her nimble hands, and immediately got to work. The battlecruiser closed her eyes as she was taken care of, and Dido could tell that Princess Royal was in a state where she was feeling that something was right with the world. Responding to this, she took the time to get it just right. “I know it may be beyond me to ask, but I guess you will stop fighting as much?”
Tiger chuckled. “Oh, dear… It was never anything for you to worry about, and probably even less so now. You can just say that we decided to be honest with each other and came to an understanding.”
Princess Royal blushed a little at that. “Please don’t try to have that sort of way with words. The maid is already as red as she can manage.”
Dido did indeed blush, and did want to bury her face in Princess Royal’s hair. “W-Well, I’m sure the commander would be happy to know that but… Ah… I guess you’re not telling him the details.”
Tiger came in with breakfast, walking into the bedroom with a sway to her hips. “Of course- That’ll be our little secret between the two of us. Of course, if you’d like to join in and learn about that yourself…”
Princess Royal flushed completely red. “T-Tiger! Not in front of the help!” She huffed. “It’s obvious that last night wasn’t enough, and that you need some further action.”
Tiger chuckled, and set out breakfast. She had always teased Princess Royal, and she had always responded- But now Princess Royal was truly hers to tease, and Princess Royal was able to properly express herself- even if it was behind closed doors.

Hi everyone! I was diagnosed with chiari 1 malformation when I was about 6 years old. I remember I was getting really bad headaches but they said they didn't think it was causing the headaches cause my cerebral tonsils were not lower than normal. As of the last 4 ish years, I have been getting extremely painful headaches at the back of my head, right at the base of my skull, and lots of other symptoms that are associated with chiari. Mostly tingling and numbness in legs and arms, lightheadedness and extreme/constant dizziness, fatigue, brain fog, muscle tightness, neck pain, random hoarse voice, and blacking out/graying out vision, poor balance and coordination, unfocused vision/ difficulty focusing my vision. I got an MRI a week ago, and the neurologist told me that it did look like I had chiari, but again my cerebral tonsils(I think) were not low enough for it to cause my symptoms. They didn't tell me anything besides this. I feel very invalidated and frustrated, I have all these symptoms and the doctor basically just said it was all in my head... I need your guys opinion. Should I get a second opinion? and does it actually sound like I have chiari/or that my symptoms would be caused by that??

Psychological abuse is the most insidious type of abuse, in my opinion. My abuser did awful, traumatising things to me, but he relied on manipulating the situation to make himself the good guy and/or the victim until I was completely blind to how much I was letting slide. He rarely yelled or did anything so explicitly abusive that I could identify that what was happening was wrong. And it worked for him! It put me into a massive fog that completely skewed my reality and blinded me to how terribly I was being treated.
Even though I thought things were fine and healthy (until I finally trusted my own reality enough), I was constantly looking up questions about my relationship to see if [X] was normal, then telling myself I was just being dramatic. Thought this list might be useful for anyone in a similar situation.
Here are some signs I ignored that I was in a psychologically abusive relationship:

• The tiniest twinges in my gut that something wasn't right. Sounds obvious, but this is the thing I wished I understood at the time. It was often the smallest little twist in my stomach after he made an offhand comment, or started arguing a particular point during a discussion. While I know now that I should have taken that feeling more seriously, it was a feeling and not a thought, so for the most part I had no idea what it was trying to tell me.
• Feeling the need to record conversations to prove whether I/he said/did something or not. I've since learned that this is an almost 100% indication that you're being gaslit. In a healthy relationship, you and your partner trust and respect each other's reality and perceptions. If someone's convincing you you're remembering something wrong, no matter how firmly you know what happened, that's gaslighting. If someone's trying to convince you your feelings are wrong/invalid/disproportionate/immature/unnecessary, that's gaslighting. If you feel like you need proof to be taken seriously, you're almost definitely being gaslit.
• "You clearly hate me now, I'm a horrible person." My abuser relied on this sentiment like his life depended on it. If I tried to speak to him about my feelings around something he'd done to me, he would immediately claim himself to be the victim of me calling out his abuse. I would have to stop focusing on how he'd made me feel to affirm him and the strength of our relationship, and I would have to justify his abuse out loud to him (and myself) to "make him feel better" about what he did. It garners a lot of sympathy from the victim and creates a deep trauma bond, but it's all deflection.
• "I might as well just kill myself." When people told me that abusers "threaten suicide" to manipulate victims, I just didn't put two and two together. I was looking out for "if you leave me, I'll kill myself" verbatim. In my case, it was "I'm a terrible person, I should just kill myself, I deserve to die." This would especially appear if I was trying to talk to him about how he was treating me. Same as above, the focus swivels to making me justify his behaviour to both of us.
• Multiple attempts to break up with him, that never seemed to actually end things. As strange as it sounds, this Key & Peele sketch is the most accurate description of my relationship that I have ever seen. Before I realised it was abuse, the "off" feeling I felt led to maybe 10 whole attempts to break up with him, but by the end of every "break-up talk", we were always still together. And in the few cases it really worked, he'd use sex, jealousy or gaslighting to scoop me back up and we'd be back together within days.
• "You never do anything for me." and/or "I don't even know whether you really love me or not." Pinch of salt with that first one, but if I had a penny for everything I sacrificed and all the effort I put into maintaining our relationship, I would have enough to pay for the amount of therapy I need from hearing this all the time. He expected more of me than anyone can expect of anyone, and made me feel like a failure for not having enough to give.
• Skipping certain songs/Turning off certain movies or shows that I was ashamed of because they described how I felt about him. I listened to a lot of music that felt like it really related to my situation, but the lyrics always painted the person I felt was him as abusive/toxic. Even though I made that connection subconciously, it never really hit me why I always felt ashamed and skipped those songs when he was with me. I never wanted him to know I even *might* relate to those songs, even slightly.
• Feeling sick with guilt, all the time. I constantly felt ashamed and guilty of how uncomfortable and unhappy I felt around him. Everytime I mentioned an issue I had with how he treated me, he would take it as an accusation, and then do everything in his power to convince me it was a false one. I would feel sick with how bad I felt from "being so judgemental" and "ignoring his feelings" and "constantly criticising him". For a while I believed I was the abuser (therapy has shown me I was not), and the fact that his hidden, subtle abuse made me doubt how much I even loved him only made me feel worse about "stringing him along".
• Feeling ashamed of saying "no" or enforcing my boundaries. I can't count the amount of times I would politely and explicitly ask for a little bit of time to myself to focus on my own priorities, like work, he would agree, then come over anyway and invade my space. He would tell me "You can tell me to leave", only to go quiet and sulkily walk out if I did, and I quickly accepted him trampling over my boundaries just to avoid how guilty he would make me if I tried to stand up for myself. It's a similar song for any boundary I tried to set, including physical boundaries.
• His body language disproving what he's saying. We've all seen someone clearly upset mumble something akin to "no, it's fine" in a sad or upset tone. It took me a long time to find out that using body language to make someone feel guilty or embarrassed or ashamed even counts as abuse, but it's especially insidious when it's paired with someone saying the opposite thing out loud. Suddenly you're defending yourself or apologising after all they do is give you a look, only to have them say "I didn't even say anything, I said it was fine!". It's crazy-making.
• The constant sense that he didn't understand basic social cues. Context matters massively here. Do they refuse to pick up on the most obvious signals you give them? Do you feel like they say everything that comes into their heads, even when you personally think it's rude or disrespectful? Are you often a little embarrassed around them with other people, because their behaviour seems inappropriate or uncomfortable?
• Constant use of the "silent treatment". This is called stone-walling and it's unhealthy, manipulative, and maddening.
• The suspicion that he sometimes used sex as a tool to get something he wanted. He would use sex to get me back after we argued, he'd use flagrant displays of sexuality to make me jealous, he'd seduce me while I was upset or vulnerable to "cheer me up" (instead of having to show any real empathy), and while I always eventually ended up giving consent, it never occured to me how unhealthy it was that he was using sex as a means to an end, and more often than not, to manipulate me. In hindsight, it's hard not to feel as though he was taking advantage of me.

There's more, I'm sure, but I really want more people to be aware that there's abuse like this, that just slips under the radar through an abuser's intense gaslighting, self-victimisation, and the ability to twist a situation to always end up being "the good guy". I wish I'd known back then that I wasn't going crazy or being an asshole or ruining our relationship, and I desperately wish I'd known that the feelings I was having and the things I was noticing were signs that someone was messing with my mind.

PUBG MOBILE
ROYAL PASS COMMUNITY CHALLENGE
Contest Official Rules

1. No Purchase Necessary; Entry Instructions.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE THE CHANCES OF WINNING. ODDS OF WINNING WILL DEPEND ON THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE ENTRANTS AND ON THE SKILL OF THE ENTRANT. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW OR WHERE REGISTRATION, BONDING OR LOCALIZATION REQUIRED. SUBJECT TO ALL NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL LAWS. THESE OFFICIAL RULES INCLUDES AN ARBITRATION SECTION.
The ROYAL PASS COMMUNITY CHALLENGE (the “Contest”) is governed by these official rules (“Official Rules”), and the PUBG MOBILE’s EULA available at http://pubgmobile.proximabeta.com/terms.html (“EULA”). Additional terms specific to the Contest, including deadline(s), entry method(s) and particular prize(s) may be set forth on the page which linked to these Official Rules (the “Contest Page”). By registering for or participating in the Contest, you are accepting the terms and conditions of participation on the Contest Page, these Official Rules, the EULA, and the Rulebook.
The sponsor of this Contest is Proxima Beta Pte. Ltd., a Singapore corporation with offices at 10 Anson Rd., #21-07, International Plaza, Singapore (“Sponsor”).

1. Eligibility. All entrants must, as of the date of entry: (a) be at least 18 years old or the age of majority in their residence (whichever is higher), and (b) have a PUBG MOBILE game account in good standing. Employees of Sponsor, Krafton, and their respective parent and affiliate companies as well as the immediate family (spouse, parents, siblings and children) and household members of each such employee are not eligible. The entrant must be a registered member with their own account. In the event of a dispute as to any entrant, the authorized holder of the associated account, email address, or username will be deemed to be the entrant. The “authorized holder” is the natural person assigned an account, email address, or username by an Internet access provider, online service provider, social media channel or other organization responsible for assigning accounts, email addresses, or usernames. Each potential winner may be required to show proof of being the authorized holder.

Multiple participants are not permitted to share the same email or other account needed for participation. Any attempt by any participant to obtain more than the stated number of entries by using multiple/different email or addresses, accounts, identities, registrations and logins, or any other methods will void that participant’s entries and that participant may be disqualified. Use of any automated, programmed or robotic system or the like entry methods to participate is prohibited and will result in disqualification. Each potential winner may be required to show proof of being the authorized account holder. All entries become property of Sponsor, and none will be acknowledged or returned.

2. Entry Methods

To participate in the Contest and be eligible for a potential prize, participants must share their in-Game Specter Slayer Set screenshots or their special trick video with Specter Slayer Set below in response to the applicable post from the applicable PUBG MOBILE social media post or post on their own account on the applicable platforms with the hashtag #PUBGMOBILE #PUBGMRPA #PUBGMOBILEC4S12 #RPAOUTFITCHALLENGE #GIVEAWAY.
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· Entries may not contain material that (a) is obscene, defamatory, libelous, threatening, pornographic, racially or ethnically offensive, or encourages conduct that would be considered a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or violate any law; (b) infringes, misappropriates or violates a third party’s patent, copyright, trademark, trade secret, contractual rights, moral rights or other intellectual property rights, or rights of publicity or privacy, or any other rights of third parties; (c) violates, or encourages any conduct that would violate any applicable law or regulation or would give rise to civil liability; (d) is fraudulent, false, misleading or deceptive; (e) is grossly harmful, racially or ethnically objectionable, disparaging, blasphemous, libelous, defamatory, obscene, pornographic, pedophilic, vulgar or offensive; (f) promotes discrimination, bigotry, racism, hatred, harassment or harm against any individual or group; (g) is violent, bullying, or threatening or promotes violence, money laundering or gambling, terrorism, or actions that are threatening or disrespectful to any person or entity; (h) harms minors in any way; or (i) promotes illegal or harmful activities or substances.
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Alternate Mail-In Entry: Legibly print your full name, postal address, valid email address, phone number, and date of birth on a piece of paper or a 3” x 5” index card, along with a print-out of a screenshot from your PUBG MOBILE gameplay, and mail it in to Proxima Beta Pte. Ltd., Attention: PUBG MOBILE ROYAL PASS COMMUNITY CHALLENGE, 12777 W Jefferson Blvd., Unit E, Los Angeles, CA 90066. To be eligible for the Contest, mail-in entries must be postmarked by June11, 2023 and received by Sponsor no later than May 12, 2023.

1. Contest Period. This Contest will begin on June 7, 2023 at 6am (UTC+0) and runs through June 14, 2023 at 6:59am (UTC+0) (the “Promotion Period”). Sponsor’s computer is the official time-keeping device for the Contest.
   
2. Winner(s). This Contest will have ten (10) winners. All entries meeting the requirements of these Official Rules will be entered into the Contest. The number of Contest winners is specified below in this section. The Judges’ determination of the Contest winners is final and binding, subject to the below.
   

Judging Criteria:
· Creativity: Creativity and most eye-catching scenes/actions.
· Originality: The uniqueness of the entry.
In order to verify potential winner(s), Sponsor may require each potential winner to provide a valid ID. Sponsor will attempt to notify potential winner(s) by their PUBG MOBILE account, and/or by other means consistent with the Contest. Sponsor may contact winners in a language prominent in the country of entry of each such winner, or English. Winners must respond to Sponsor within 96 hours after notification from Sponsor.
Sponsor will notify winners on promptly following the close of the Promotion Period via their social media account and/or by other means consistent with the Contest as soon as reasonably practicable following the applicable drawing, but at least within seven (7) days of the final drawing. Sponsor is not responsible for any delay or failure to receive notification, including inactive account(s), technical difficulties associated therewith, or winner’s failure to adequately monitor any account. Participants are solely responsible for monitoring their Game account or social media account for potential prizes and must respond to Sponsor within forty-eight (48) hours or such other time frame as may be specified on the Contest webpage. In order to verify winner, Sponsor may require winner to provide a valid photo ID. Sponsor may contact winner in a language prominent in the country of entry of each such winner, or English. Winner may be required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and liability and publicity release. Should winner fail to respond to Sponsor or cannot be contacted, is ineligible, fails to claim a prize and/or where applicable an affidavit of eligibility and liability and publicity release is not timely received, is incomplete or modified, the prize may be forfeited and Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify that winner and select a new winner in a second-chance random drawing from remaining valid, eligible entries timely submitted.

1. Prizes. The prizes are as indicated below. The prize(s) will be subject to the terms of the issuer. Winner may be disqualified if winner is unable, for any reason (including, without limitation, due to age or residence), to receive the prize from Sponsor. No substitution, assignment or transfer of the prize(s) is permitted. TAXES AND ANY OTHER COSTS, IF ANY, RELATED TO THE PRIZE ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER.

Each winner will receive:
· One (1) “Ultramarine Velociraptor” skin in-Game vehicle skin (approximate retail value: US$20)

1. List of Winner(s). Following the event, Sponsor may announce the winners on the PUBG MOBILE social media accounts. Individuals may request the name of the winner(s) by submitting a self-addressed stamped envelope prior to 3 months from the Contest end date to Proxima Beta Pte. Ltd., Attn: PUBG MOBILE ROYAL PASS COMMUNITY CHALLENGE, 12777 W. Jefferson Blvd – Building E, Los Angeles, CA 90066.
   
2. Conditions of Participation. By participating in this Contest, you agree to abide by these Official Rules and any decision Sponsor makes regarding this Contest, which Sponsor or its designees shall make in their sole discretion. Sponsor reserves the right to disqualify and prosecute to the fullest extent permitted by law any participant or winner who, in Sponsor’s reasonable suspicion, tampers with Sponsor’s site, the entry process, intentionally submits more than the allowed entries, violates the Contest Page terms, these Official Rules, the EULA, the Rulebook, or acts in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner.
   
3. Intellectual Property. Ownership of the pre-existing underlying intellectual property of the entrant remains the property of the entrant subject to Sponsor’s rights to reprint, display, reproduce, perform, use, and exhibit the entry for the purpose of administering and promoting the Contest and for Sponsor’s marketing and advertising purposes. By participating in the Contest, each entrant grants to Sponsor a non-exclusive, worldwide, fully paid, royalty-free, perpetual, transferable license, with the right to sublicense, to reprint, display, reproduce, perform, use, modify, remake, and exhibit (including the right to make derivative works of) the entry and materials and information submitted on and in connection with the Contest or use or receipt of the prize for any and all purposes in any medium. Each participating entrant hereby warrants that any entry and other materials and information provided by entrant are original with entrant and do not violate or infringe upon the copyrights, trademarks, rights of privacy, publicity, moral rights or other intellectual property or other rights of any person or entity, and do not violate any rules or regulations. If the entry or information or materials provided by entrant contain any material or elements that are not owned by entrant and/or which are subject to the rights of third parties, entrant represents he or she has obtained, prior to submission of the entry and information or materials, any and all releases and consents necessary to permit use and exploitation of the entry and information and materials by Sponsor in the manner set forth in the Official Rules without additional compensation.
   

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Is there a plug in or some other way to import an asset from Substance Painter or Zbrush directly with all the textures and materials? Without having to import the mesh and textures seperately and create new materials every time?
Or is there simply a 3d software compatible with ue5 that works that way?
Answers are very, very much appreciated.

First Chapter
Previous Chapter
Nemeria was at a loss. This whole time she had thought that the Red Titan was gone, that the old her was gone. Now he was standing there right in front of her, alive and well. There was something unsettling about seeing her old self look at her with such distaste, like an artist expressing contempt for a parody.
Raul's close cropped red beard was new, as were the more masculine and conservative clothes. He was wearing a rough gray wool button down shirt with black jeans, an outfit she wouldn't have been caught dead in.
When she wore that body she had always been clean faced, usually with a gently flowing shirt in rich colors made of some soft material like silk. The shoes he wore were also strictly utilitarian, scuffed, boring. It was as much of a statement as an outfit. Raul was telling her very directly that he was no longer a she.
The original plan had been to copy over her mind to her current body and destroy the old one. That way at least one of them would finally be able to be happy. Raul had planned to end their life so Nemeria could begin hers.
That was the whole reason she had allied with Gershwin in the first place, to get his help to become who she was supposed to be, to become Nemeria. To escape her locked wetware and be free.
Originally Gershwin had attempted to modify her wetware itself to allow her to transition. But there were safeguards in place that prevented her from changing anything that really mattered.
So long as her wetware was active she would be locked into a form of biological stasis, any changes or alterations would be viewed as damage by her wetware and reverted to factory settings. There was no way to change her body.
They could have turned off her wetware, but that would have caused an entirely different problem. One that might have put the entire world in peril.
So they had done the next best thing, finding her a new one. She had stolen one of Esmerelda's backups from Haven and poured her mind into it. One warden in the body of another.
But Raul hadn't followed the plan. After the transfer, instead of going gently off into that goodnight he had decided to use Gershwin's software on himself. He had altered his mind, changed who he was, made it so he no longer felt the way Nemeria did. In essence, overwriting himself with an idealized version of who he wanted to be.
Now she was finding out that he had done more than just modifying himself. He had also gone back and fucked with her mind, guaranteed she would have a miserable existence.
Kerner's unshackling had allowed her to remove the blindfold. She was beginning to remember all the things that had been kept from her. To make connections and understand things that she had been hard coded to ignore.
"You son of a bitch!" Nemeria raged as she realized how badly he had hurt her. "You fucking monster! You gave me so much guilt and you locked me into it so I would never be free, never be able to move on from it! You hardcoded me to hate myself! You made me think that Simon was dead! Why would you do that?"
Raul regarded her coldly. "Why should you be happy? Why do you think you deserve to be happy?" He asked softly. "Why should you have everything and leave me with nothing?"
"But why would you do that to me?!" Nemeria screamed. "Why would you hate me so much that you would program me to suffer? Why would you do that to Simon? I love him! You loved him!"
Raul shrugged. "It's just something men do sometimes." He looked at Simon, who was slowly twirling his vampirzahn between his fingers and circling around to the side. Preparing to attack. "Oh, you must be so angry. Are you mad that I got bored with you? What did you expect? You're a glorified pet! An experiment!"
"And you are a poor copy of the one I loved." Simon said coldly, the hatred he felt turning his blood to ice in his veins. There was a sound like razor blades on violin strings as his internal reserve of katzen monomolecular wire began to come under tension. Artificial glands secreted synthetic lubricants into his joints to allow greater movement. His skin itself started to selectively harden, becoming tougher than steel as a mild electric current aligned nanoparticles, changing their characteristics.
Then, as if understanding his need, the vampirzahn in his hand began to slowly lengthen. The black metal flowed and stretched, becoming a needle tipped spear two meters long. He felt it vibrate in his hand then fall silent. Torheit had accepted his control and was ready for battle.
Simon sneered. "What a shame to see a great titan become such a small man. Tell me, have you done anything great on your own since? I doubt it. You aren't an original, you're the dregs. You are what is left over. You are nothing but Scheiße!"
Nemeria started to circle around to the opposite side of Raul, preparing for the fight she knew was coming. Every warden had their own tricks, and the body she wore had been picked for a reason.
Esmerelda hadn't been put in charge of the other wardens because she was the smartest. She hadn't been picked by popular vote. Esmerelda had beaten anyone who stood in her way to a bloody pulp with her bare fists.
Now Nemeria had unlocked its potential, fully coming into control of her stolen body. Normally her strength was limited, she was only a bit stronger than a normal human. That prevented her from accidentally destroying things and people by accident. But once the safeties were disengaged there was no telling how strong she would be.
Raul the Red Titan looked at the two creatures he had made and let out a long dramatic sigh. "You two are so tragic, you know that right?"
Then he pointed at the old hund who had been curiously silent. "And you, with your tricks, your smoke and mirrors, I'm over it. Coasting on your father's reputation, using his technology. You aren't a puppet master, you're just another dog standing on its hind legs and I'm going to kick them out from under you very soon!"
"Then let me speak plainly." Kerner replied, getting up slowly and painfully from his chair. "You are entering my domain, human. Behave, be civil, or be eaten. You are an ape among wolves, act accordingly."
"How dramatic!" Raul laughed. "As if any member of your miserable species could ever hope to threaten me. Now her, on the other hand, if she wasn't already in my pocket I might be a little bit worried. Nemeria, would you kindly kill that nasty old dog for me?"
"No, I don't think I will." Nemeria said with a smile. Any programming he had put into her was defunct now thanks to Kerner. But she did appreciate the reference. "Besides, if I kill him, who will officiate the wedding? I was promised a happy ending, isn't that right puppy?"
Simon let out a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. "Yes, I do believe we were. Happily ever after and all that, with cookouts and dad jokes." He mimed flipping a burger with his spear.
Raul shook his head with annoyance. "Well that's frustrating." His eyes narrowed as he tried to connect with her wetware. When that didn't work he turned to Simon, who likewise was unfazed.
Simon let out a small laugh as a message came across his wetware.
HE'S PROTECTED, BITCH. -COAT
Kerner let out a low chuckle of his own. "Sorry, were you expecting some kind of reaction? Ja, I know… sit, roll over, shake, play dead."
He walked up to Raul, getting right in his face. Döbians weren't particularly tall so he only came up to Raul's chest, or rather his throat. "You never understood that we aren't dogs. You can't domesticate us." He rasped.
"When I gave up my power over them I closed the door on your influence as well. How does it feel, no longer being in control? I feel so much lighter. I feel so free! But I imagine you feel differently." He inhaled deeply through his nose, savoring the bouquet of anger and fear. "Are you afraid…kleiner junge?"
Raul lashed out violently and without warming, backhanding the old hund as hard as he could. His fingertips cracked like a whip as they broke the sound barrier and he pivoted at the hip, putting all his force behind the blow. It should have been lethal. It should have caved in Kerner's skull. Instead there was a crunch of breaking bone as Raul's hand met something rather harder than he was expecting.
He shrieked and tried to pull his hand back… but it was stuck as if glued to the hund's face. Raul was strong but whatever this thing masquerading as a warhund was, it was significantly stronger. It didn't move a single millimeter. It didn't budge. It was like Kerner was welded to the floor.
Ice cold words dripped into all of their minds as something spoke. Something not alive. The flavor of its words was harsh and metallic. Inorganic. Artificial and very intelligent.
"Stuck… like a rat in a trap." The Gravekeeper said, taking the time to savor each and every word. "Oh Raul… how I've waited for this."
There was a sound of ripping fabric as Kerner shed his skin and clothing, revealing a gold and black synthetic chassis. Raul stumbled backwards, the discarded skin still not letting go. It writhed and wrapped around Raul's arm like a snake, crunching bones as it went, becoming more and more liquid by the second.
"What is this?" Raul shouted in surprise as he tried to pry the thing off, but his hands stuck to the sticky black substance. Long thin tendrils started to creep out of the ooze, wrapping around his feet and legs.
"Careful planning." Kerner's golden skull said with a smile. He was holding himself straighter now, but he still had the unmistakable posture of an old soldier. One who was bent slightly crooked by the passage of time. "Your hubris is your undoing. Though I see you have taken your own precautions."
There was a sound of a heavy autocannon letting loose followed by a thud that shook the ground and made dust fall from the rafters. There weren't any screams though. There should have been screaming from the people outside.
But instead there was only another low chuckle from Kerner. "Well… at least you tried." He said with a shrug. "I brought them here to assist me if needed. Them, and others. But apparently you are less of a threat than I had feared."
Simon reached out with his wetware and scanned the area, trying to see what was going on. There was a large drone of some kind that had crash landed, but whatever had taken it out remained hidden.
Raul wasn't able to breathe so he had to make his reply via wetware link. His voice rang in their minds. "You can't hold me like this for long." He menaced, straining against his bonds. "I will escape."
"I don't have to hold you at all." Kerner said dismissively. "Your wetware isn't up to date, in fact you used my father's software, so all I have to do is ask. Now, would you kindly stop struggling?"
Raul froze. His eyes suddenly showed a very real fear as his muscles relaxed all on their own. The skin continued to envelop him, swallowing him feet first like a snake. The last thing they saw was his eyes, pleading for mercy.
There was a series of wet crunches as it compressed him down to a wet ball of pain. Simon and Nemeria shared a look of disgust and fascination as the once great warden was consumed by the pulsating black mass of ooze. Not a single drop of blood was spilled.
"I don't suppose you have a cigarette?" Kerner asked, breaking their reverie.
Simon reached into his coat. He rarely smoked but he kept a pack on him in case they proved useful. He pulled out a cigarette and handed it over.
The skeletal hund thankfully took the offering and ripped off the filter, sticking the unlit cigarette in his mouth. His fingertips had black rubberized pads to give him grip.
"Do you need a light?" Simon asked.
"No. This is fine. I remember what they taste like." Kerner turned back towards the altar, ignoring the pulsating skin as it continued to do unspeakable things to Raul's body. "A bit anticlimactic, I fear. I worry that it all was too easy, that I've missed something."
"Wenn du dich in einem fairen Kampf befindest, ist deine Taktik scheiße." Simon said, remembering his time with the Jagdkommandos.
The translation came through Nemeria's wetware and she let out a snort of laughter. There was a similar saying among Human Nomad Recon. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck. She could remember her old team leader telling her that with a grin as he taught her how to prepare an ambush.
He was an old veteran, earth born, with skin like leather and gray eyes sharp as razors. What was his name? She shook her head to clear the cobwebs. That wasn't right, she hadn't served. Had she? There was so much from before she came here that she had never been able to remember, never questioned.
She looked up to see Kerner looking back at her, the empty eye sockets of his golden skull making her shiver. But they weren't really empty, they were set with black compound lenses that drank the light. A thousand eyes in one grinning skull, all of them hungry.
They were like black pits drawing her in. She felt herself losing her balance and falling…
The world around her peeled away leaving nothing but blackness. It was warm and dark here, too dark for her to even see her fingers. There was a voice in the void, calling out to her.
She could hear Simon shouting but it was far away. The other voice was so much closer. So much more important.
"Do you want answers?" Asked a woman's voice. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. "I can give you answers. All you have to do is open the door."
Nemeria drifted in the dark, her mind unraveling, her sense of self disappearing. She knew the voice, it was her own voice. She could trust herself, couldn't she?
Yes, answers would be good. She had so many questions. Where was the door? She felt a brass knob form under her fingertips. All she had to do was turn her wrist and it would open. It would be so easy.
Then she heard a raspy voice in her mind, ripping away the blackness, bringing her back to the old church. It was Kerner, his eye sockets burning with faint blue light. "Not today, my dear." He said. "Perhaps not ever."
Nemeria shivered. "What was that?"
"A door." The old hund shrugged. "I don't know exactly what would have happened if you opened it. But let's not find out today, ja?"
She looked down at her hand. She hadn't even hesitated. She hadn't wanted to. It seemed so natural, so normal.
It was then that GG burst in through the open door, covered head to toe in body armor and various parts of other beings. She had evidently been busy. "Did I miss anything good?" She asked.

First / Previous / Next
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March 21, 2019
After having a talk with Sergeant Lyria Delara returned to her quarters where her pod mates were already gossiping about what had happened in the pool, though she didn’t even know how they could had find out as none of them were even near the pool at any moment.
So do you have anything to share with us said Xav’nia their pod leader.
“How did y’all even find out?” Delara responded while looking for her clothes to change in.
“Fur ball over here likes to be nosy.” Xav’nia said pointing at Rukna the Rakiri of the pod.
“I have a great nose for drama.” Rukna said while eating a human food called Jerk or something like that but Delara was sure that was the right word as she was pretty sure it was an insult for humans but she didn’t care enough to look it up.
“So?” Xav’nia pushed the subject.
“Can I at least get a shower first the chlorine from the pool makes my skin itch.”
“Alright go ahead but we want details when you come back.”
After a warm shower Delara got dressed, brushed her teeth, and exited the restroom where all her pod mates were staring at her, expectantly waiting for her story.
“Alright, alright, by the goddess, no one can do anything without y’all having to know.” Delara said, a little irritated by her pod’s insistence.
“So I saw the guy from the other day, and-“
“The one you told us about the other day?” Rukna interrupted.
“Yes fur ball there aren’t many other guys in this hotel.” Delara responded with a sigh at the lack of use of context clues the Rakiri used.
“So as I was saying he was by the pool reading a book and…”
“And what?” Asked Pravna
“He was…”
“Spit it out!” Said Xav’nia, sipping her water
“He was shirtless.”
Pffffff Xav’nia spat her water all over Rukna.
“Agh great now I’ll smell like wet dog”
"He was what?"
After what felt like an eternity of Delara trying to convince her pod mates that what she was saying actually happened and she wasn't just daydreaming in some kind of young adult fantasy.
"So then after the Sergeant left with Margna he invited me to sit next to him."
"I am going to keep calling ts on this." once more insisted Xav'nia as she turned and turned off her light.
"Look if your head is denser than a neutron star you can ask him tomorrow morning during breakfast, now would you let me finish?" Delara exclaimed already too tired and wanting to sleep, the day night cycle here threw her way off, as days were physically shorter but as they were told the day night cycle changed as the year progressed.
"Then he put on a shirt as I assume he learned that is not normal for us to see males shirtless, which seems to be something normal here." Delara said looking at the three of them to see if someone wanted to say anything before continuing "So, we talked about the book he was reading which he told me the name but I didn't quite understood, and then we went for a swim, in which he got really scared because he was surprised on how fast we could swim, and then after a while the Sarge came for me and we said our goodbyes."
"Hey maybe you'll leave this rock a married woman." said Pravna as she laid down to sleep.
"Yeah... That's what I'm not so sure about, the Sarge said she would talk to him and his mother about his relocation, and after a couple more weeks we ourselves are out to move also." said Delara laying on her side while under the covers."
"Then you better get him fast." said Pravna as she turned her light off leaving Delara with the only light on.
"Well I'll think about all of this tomorrow, I am too tired as of now, see ya in the morning." Delara said as she turned her light off.
*sniff \*
*sniff\*
"You smell like wet dog fur ball." Delara said as she passed out on her sleep.
"Well you have someone to thank for that." Rukna said as she lifted her head to face Xav'nia.
"You know what? you'll also have it." she said as she got up and jumped over to Xav'nia's bed in order to rub her fur on her so now she would smell like wet dog also.
"Uuuugh, get off!" exclaimed Xav'nia as she pushed Rukna off of her.
"Goddess dammit Rukna, now I smell like wet dog."
"Well now you wont get me wet again." said Rukna as she went back to bed.
"Go to sleep we have patrol tomorrow."
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March 22, 2019
Beep beep beep
Beep beep beep
Beep beep beep
"Ugh" I groaned as he unsuccessfully tried to turn the alarm off several times, until I lifted his head from the pillow and looked at the alarm clock.
'8 AM, it sure feels like it's earlier' Jeriel thought as he sat at the edge of the bed, he needed to give his body time to properly wake up.
'Eyesight?'
'Focusing but otherwise systems are online and at regular capacity'
\Check**
'Muscles?'
'Systems coming on sir'
'Take us to the bathroom, and begin our day'
'Aye sir'
After a not so cold, not so warm shower, brushing his teeth, and combing his hair Jeriel took a look at the clock.
'8:30 AM, good enough'
Stepping out of the room and arriving at the dining hall that was relatively empty compared to the other days for it being eight thirty, what it was not of my liking was the fact that today was a really grey day, you felt as it was actually way earlier with how dark the sky was, but here I was on the line for my food, so after picking my breakfast for today which was to no one's surprise eggs but this time sunny side up, bacon, sausages, waffles which I've always thought as the superior option over pancakes and that is a hill that I'm willing to die on, hash browns, and cranberry juice, it was all good don't get me wrong but eating the same thing for breakfast for a week straight wasn't the most pleasant thing the biggest difference there would be was when they had tortillas instead of waffles and pancakes, I also wondered how was it going to be until the hotel ran out of food, and that got me thinking on how the world would change with out new overlords, or- overladies.
That thought got interrupted by Delara sitting across from me, "Hello Jeryl." At least she was trying unlike some of my teachers over the years or the people working at the DMV, "Good morning to you." I said as I sipped from my juice, to then feel someone sitting next to me, I knew it was not a human for how furry it felt, looking to my side I saw one of them Rakiri I had seen before.
"Hey there." said the werewolf like being, although they look more like felines, lions if you ask me, but what do I know I'm not a Xenobiologist, that must be a profession right? anyways, as I mentioned before this Rakiri for some reason seemed to have a kind of Russian accent which always threw me off, but I've never known why.
"Uhm hey." I answered as I looked at Delara who didn't look worried but more annoyed than anything, "Are you Delara's friend?" I asked her prepared to move if I had to.
"Oh yeah, this is Rukna, she's in my group." Delarad told me as she once again grabbed the mapple syrup to complete her breakfast for then other two marines seat next to Delara and the opposite side of the table by moving an unused chair, "Oh and this are Xav'nia and Pravna, Xav'nia is my group leader." Delara said as she ate a piece of waffle and sausage with the thich substance dripping down.
"So we need to know if what Delara told us las night was true, did you two swim at the pool together?" asked Xav'nia who seemed like she was her squad leader, but why was it so unbelievable that she and I had a swim together? Thinking about it, yeah it wasn't the most believable thing in the galaxy.
"Uhm yeah we swam together for a while." I said as I saw all three of them stare at Delara with open wide eyes.
"And Uh- were you without shirt?" asked Pravna who was the shortest one there but still had like a feet on me.
"Uh... Yes?" I answered as I saw Pravna choke on her food, at the news of me corroborating Delara's story.
'Is being shirtless that weird?' I thought but then I remembered how foreigners acted when they visited a beach in Europe and saw topless women, so I guessed I was the European in this case.
We chatted for a bit until Xav'nia told the rest that they had to go, "Uh- It was nice meeting y'all." I told them as they all stood up, "Oh uh... Sammme." answered the Rakiri, and saying bye to Delara with a hand wave she got out of view.
I sat back thinking on the fact that this were in fact actual aliens, extraterrestrial beings, people from beyond the stars if you will, and we just had a relatively normal conversation, then I felt someone sitting next to me which made me jump, after turning to see who it was I saw that it was Miranda, and I saw mom also getting her food, "So what did they want?" Miranda asked in a not so friendly tone, "They just wanted to chat." I answered as I once again sipped my cranberry juice.
"I don't like them." Miranda said as she sipped from her orange juice.
"And I don't like you, but that doesn't stop me from having to care for you." I said as mom sat in front of us.
"Good morning son"
"Good morning ma, bendición,"
"God bless you, how did you sleep?" mom said as she ate her French toast
"Well, or at least alright, I was thinking about what we were gonna do today."
"Wait what's today?" jumped Miranda.
"Sergeant Lyria wanted to speak to mom and I." I said.
"And why did no one told me?" Miranda exclaimed.
"It was classified information and I outrank you by three years." I said, "And she said that she wanted to speak to mom and I, so there was no point in telling you."
"MOM?" Miranda borderline screamed making everyone else in the dining hall turn to look at your table.
"Can you I don't know not scream? It's too damn early in the morning for these voice volumes."
"Ugh"
"I agree with your brother, I didn't see any point in telling you, so can we eat and have a regular conversation?" mom said as she also started eating.
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"It's 9:55, shouldn't we go now to not be late? we don't even know where her office is." I said as I stood up to put my plate and glass away.
"Yeah I think that's a good idea, I don't want to be late for this."
After asking one of the marines we arrived at the Sergeant's improvised office, which was actually one of the hotel manager's office
All three of us were let it and were instructed to take our seats by Sergeant Lyria
“Well good morning, how are y’all doing today?” She asked while looking something up in her tablet.
“We are doing well all things considered.” said mom while glancing at us.
“Good, good, so.” the sergeant said as she put her tablet down and looked at us, “I suppose your son told you why we are here today right?”
“Y- yes, something about relocation?” mom said while giving me unsure glances.
“Yes, relocation, considering your situation including the destruction of your home and as I understand the passing of your husband, my condolences, I want to ask if you have a place with friends or family that you would want to move to and maybe stay with them, and from there I will see what I can do.” she said as she stared at my mom who was just staring back, who then stared at me giving me the well known gesture of translate for me because I didn’t understand a damn thing she said.
After translating and becoming the middle man I said “Well we have some friends in Austin.”
She then turned her tablet to me and asked if I could point that in a map, which I did, and after a little while of her checking something, she talked to us about how this were going to be.
"Okay so you all are going to be transferred in two weeks, so I would suggest that if you are able to you contact the people who you wish to stay with, but if that is not possible a shelter is going to be set up until we can find a permanent home for you and your children, as you are now a widow the Imperium offers help for single income families and single parents, but you would have to talk to a social worker that you would be able to talk to once you get there, but from what I know benefits include but are not limited to, housing, food, educational programs outside of school and some other things that I don't remember at the moment, but I will try to get someone in contact with you with all the information before you have to depart."
"But as of now we are going to start handing out IDs in about a week, so on that date you are going to head here because with you not having a permanent residence the process is a little bit different than standard, but you and your two children would get Imperial IDs."
"Is there any questions that I can answer at the moment?"
"No, I don't have any questions." mom said to me for me to say to the Sergeant, I looked at Miranda who also said she didn't had any.
"No they don't." I said.
"Well then you are dismissed." the Sergeant said, but I stayed behind to talk to her in private after Miranda and mom left after telling them that I would catch up with them later.
"Uhm Sergeant?" I asked getting her attention back from her tablet.
"Oh you are still here, anything I can help with?"
"What happened to the woman from yesterday?" I said while trying to find a place where to look.
"Oh Private Margna? you don't have to worry about her she was arrested for sexual harassment with your testimony and camera footage, as well as Private Delara's testimony, my guess she would be in jail for a while and if not she would have latrine duty for the rest of her days in the military."
"But if you need any kind of treatment, maybe talk to a psychiatrist just tell me alright?" She said with her again motherly tone, different from when she was talking with mom, then she sounded more like an old friend, trying to help mom.
"Uh yeah, I will let you know." I said as I stood up and exited the office.
'Austin huh?'
'Who would have thought'
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This is it for today everyone, tune in next time to find out how will Jeriel and his family adapt to the changes in their life.
Thanks for the support and as always if you notice anything out of place or any error I made just let me know in the comments so I can fix it.