When the circumstances around us become desperate and hopeless, it's natural to seek refuge in our dreams and aspirations. In times of hardship and uncertainty, having a dream to hold onto can provide a sense of hope and purpose, and can serve as a source of motivation to keep pushing forward. In some cases, we may be willing to pay anything for a dream that we can resort to. In this story, Jack is one of those who devote their lives to his desires.
***
The sun was shining down on the garden as the family fired up the grill for their barbecue. The sweet smell of marinated meat filled the air, and the sound of laughter echoed throughout the yard. The son and daughter ran around the garden, playing tag and chasing each other.
The father stood by the grill, flipping burgers and hot dogs with a huge smile on his face. The mother was busy setting up the outdoor table, arranging plates and glasses and silverware.
Max ran up to Jack and asked, "Dad, can I help you with the burgers?"
"Sure, Max," Jack replied. "Just be careful not to burn yourself."
As Max took over the grilling duties, Lily tugged on Sarah's shirt. "Mommy, can I make the salad?" she asked.
"Of course, Lily," Sarah said, passing her a bowl of chopped vegetables. "Just remember to wash your hands first."
While Max and Lily helped with the food, Jack and Sarah chatted about their plans for the upcoming vacation. "I was thinking we could rent a cabin by the lake," Sarah suggested.
"That sounds like a great idea," Jack replied. "The kids would love it."
“Do you think you will need to do overtime for that?” Sarah asked.
“I’m afraid so. But don’t worry about that,” Jack replied.
Just then, Max ran over to the table, a huge grin on his face. "Dad, can we play a game of catch after lunch?" he asked.
"Sure thing, Max," Jack said, handing him a cold soda. "Just let me finish up these burgers first."
As they all sat down to enjoy their meal, Lily piped up. "Can we do this again next weekend, Mommy and Daddy?"
"Absolutely, sweetie," Sarah replied, ruffling her daughter's hair. "We'll have another barbecue."
Suddenly, Jack's eyes darted to his wristwatch, a look of worry on his face.
Sarah noticed and asked, "What's wrong? How much time do you have left?"
Jack let out a sigh and said, "We only have an hour and a half left until I have to leave."
Sarah frowned. "That's not much time. Then let’s just enjoy the moments we have left."
As the family gathered around the table, they shared stories and jokes, passing around dishes of potato salad and baked beans. Max and Lily took turns showing off their latest drawings and school projects, and their parents praised their creativity and hard work.
As Jack and Sarah sat on the blanket, enjoying the warm sun on their faces, Snowy appeared, wagging her tail with excitement. She knew that where there was food, there was always a chance for a tasty bite. Jack couldn't resist her cute face and tossed her a few pieces of meat from the barbecue. Snowy devoured them eagerly, and then lay down next to them, looking content.
After the meal, the children ran around the garden, laughing and playing games. Sarah laid out a blanket on the grass, and Jack sat next to her, putting his arm around her. At that moment, the family was at peace, surrounded by love and warmth and the simple joys of life.
"Do you think you could find another job that pays more?" Sarah asked, her voice tinged with worry.
"It's impossible. All jobs are the same, and all jobs pay the same," Jack replied, his expression downcast.
"I wish we could spend more time together," Sarah said wistfully.
"I'll try to do more overtime," Jack said, his voice hopeful.
"That's a good idea," Sarah replied, nodding her head in agreement.
Jack checked his watch and saw that there was less than half an hour left before he had to leave. He sighed, wishing he could stay longer with his family. Snowy seemed to sense his mood and nuzzled up to him, trying to comfort him in her own way.
"Thanks for a wonderful day, honey," Jack said, giving Sarah a kiss on the cheek.
"It was lovely, and hopefully we could do this more often," Sarah replied a hint of sadness in her voice.
The sun was still shining bright, and a gentle breeze blew through the garden, rustling the leaves of the tall trees that surrounded the property.
Sarah sighed. "I know. The kids are going to be so disappointed."
Just then, Max and Lilly came running up to them, laughing and playing. They were both dressed in their favorite summer clothes, ready for a day of fun in the sun.
"Daddy, can you play with us today?" Max asked, looking up at his father with big, pleading eyes.
"I'm sorry, buddy," Jack replied, ruffling his son's hair. "I have to go to work."
Lilly's face fell, and she looked up at her father with a sad expression. "But we want you to stay and play with us."
Jack knelt down and put his arms around his children. "I know, sweetie, and I wish I could. But I promise I'll make it up to you later. We'll have a big family day on Saturday, okay?"
Max and Lilly smiled, and Sarah hugged them all. "We'll miss you, Jack," she said softly.
"I'll miss you too," Jack replied, kissing his wife on the cheek. "But I'll be back before you know it."
With a heavy heart, Jack got up from the blanket.
"Bye, Daddy," Max and Lilly called out, their voices full of emotion.
"Bye, kids," Jack replied, his voice tinged with sadness. "I love you all."
And then, he disappeared into thin air.
***
The sleek white walls of the room’s interior shone brightly in the artificial lighting. The hundreds of cylindrical pods lined the walls, each with a transparent dome on top that revealed the occupants within. In each pod was a person, some of whose eyes were closed, while others were waking up.
Then a robotic female sound spoke up from the speaker of his capsule:
YOUR SESSION IS OVER. TO CONTINUE YOUR VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE, PLEASE TOP UP YOUR SESSION WITH ADDITIONAL WORKING HOURS. PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR MINIMUM SESSION TIME IS 1 HOUR, WHICH IS EQUIVALENT TO 8 WORKING HOURS IN THE VIRTUAL REALITY ENVIRONMENT. THANK YOU FOR USING OUR VIRTUAL REALITY SYSTEM, AND WE HOPE YOU CONTINUE TO ENJOY YOUR EXPERIENCE.
Jack got out of the capsule and headed to work. He exited to the hallway, which stretched ahead, metal walls were painted a neutral gray, with small lights flickering and sparking in the ceiling like stars. The walls were lined with metal panels and pipes, stretching out into the depths of the building. There were some consoles built into the wall, buttons with blinking lights, and transparent glass windows looking out at the limitless barren desert beyond.
After a brisk five-minute walk, he arrived at his workplace and quickly changed into his work clothes. Once he was dressed appropriately, he checked in at the factory to begin his shift.
In the factory, people, and machines intermingled in a chaotic overlap. Thick gray clouds of smoke and dust enveloped the workers in a thick haze, while sparks flew from the ancient machinery like fireflies in the night sky.
The machinery was large and looming, with gears that groan and grind as they rotated, and the metal surfaces were rusted and covered in thick layers of grime. Its automated arms were patched together with pieces of scrap and exposed wires, sparks flashed as they move in jerky motions.
Everything was bathed in a sickly yellow hue, the air was thick with sweat and toil. People of all sizes, shapes, and ages worked tirelessly at the assembly lines, their clothes caked with years of dirt and grime, their faces glistening with sweat in the overhead lights.
The factory hummed with a low, constant rumble of activity. The whirring of machines and the clanging of metal on a metal mix with the shouts of workers, orders barked out from foremen over the din of industrial noise. The rumbling motors and clanking gears of the machines fill the air, punctuated by the hisses of steam pipes and the occasional shouting from workers. The whirring saws, thudding hammers, and screeching belts create a nonstop cacophony of noise. The factory stank of sweat, oil-burnt metal, rust, smoke, and burning rubber that lingered in the air.
They were all working to go back to their dreams. Just like Jack, they all knew that these dreams would never become a reality.

I guess that's how long it's supposed to be. 🧺☮️🏛️
I've been contemplating the thought I've been aware of lately, 'i am the only one here,' bc it's not a course statement, not a quote, yet it feels so right. I did not say 'i am alone'. I am standing in the cave, and I am aware of seeing this body me looking at 3 body people who turned into me. This awareness, watching the body me, experiencing, is me. Everyone is me, a reflection of me.
When I picture the 'cave vision' I recently experienced where I really saw (Carl Jung said everything in the awake state is you, like a dream. Plz correct me if I am wrong here) that all the people bodies are just me, and are symbols of some part of me, that 'they' are a part of me that seems to do that, whatever it is, I was so relieved and felt like I could rest.. I am the dreamer, I am awareness of the dreamer, of the character.
So seen as somebody else, they, anyone I see as a 'body person', as some one else, are illusions. It is 'a you' in the egoic illusions. Every one is a part of my dream, 'my' illusion. I am not 'in the illusion' the illusion is 'in me', in mind.
An illusion of me interacting with 'you', conflicting with 'you' in my mind, who I made up, thought up, imagined up, made an ego for, dreamed up, is illusion bc I do battle with my self disguised as an other. Twoness. A hallucination. I am the only one here. It is all only 'happening' in my mind. Conflict, which needs another by definition, is a thought that I think I think based on the illusion of other, based on a dream of needing to be other than I am. It could be my 'self' that is other. But I am Christ in truth. Right now. I am in heaven where I 'stand', thinking up fear, thinking I have to 'make it' on my own, having to study acim and understand it and 'get' it, bc otherwise....
It, everything is in my mind. You cannot think a thought that is outside your mind. You are in my mind, but since you are in my mind, you are me. Thoughts leave not their source. Everything that is in your mind should be there, bc this is how we learn. We look at whatever thought comes up and welcome it without judgement.
And my greatest fear...that as I understand these ideas I will go manic bc I had almost all of these same insights while I was manic in 2014. This fear seems real and legitimate. I have asked for the hs's Answer and trust it will come. Hell is not real. And in this moment, I am not an illusion, I am not a story. I am not created for conflict. When I battle 'something' in my mind, I experience fear, and i seem to become who I am not. There is no 'you' 'out there'. We are all I., Christ, at one with our Father.
We have also attempted to make concepts of God Jesus HS Christ. We imagined them up with our understanding. It is virtually impossible to grasp who they are. All is God and all is love. If I need to know more, I will be told.
I am, and I am innocent. We all just got a little confused about our identity, our labels, and our Father, Jesus, holy spirit, Christ, Christ Mind. They are our help, bringing us to the awareness of truth. There is nothing to be saved from, in Reality. 'Ask and receive. What's so hard about that?' - Jesus, acim.
Chapter 23
What you remember is a part of you. ²For you must be as God created you. ³Truth does not fight against illusions, nor do illusions fight against the truth. ⁴Illusions battle only with themselves. ⁵Being fragmented, they fragment. ⁶But truth is indivisible, and far beyond their little reach. ⁷You will remember what you know when you have learned you cannot be in conflict. ⁸One illusion about yourself can battle with another, yet the war of two illusions is a state where nothing happens. ⁹There is no victor and there is no victory. ¹⁰And truth stands radiant, apart from conflict, untouched and quiet in the peace of God.
Conflict must be between two forces. ²It cannot exist between one power and nothingness. ³There is nothing you could attack that is not part of you. ⁴And by attacking it you make two illusions of yourself, in conflict with each other. ⁵And this occurs whenever you look on anything that God created with anything but love. ⁶Conflict is fearful, for it is the birth of fear. ⁷Yet what is born of nothing cannot win reality through battle. ⁸Why would you fill your world with conflicts with yourself? ⁹Let all this madness be undone for you, and turn in peace to the rememberance of God, still shining in your quiet mind. (ACIM, T-23.I.7:1-10;8:1-9)
circleofa.org Dream Figures, Robert Perry
'We are the dreamer'
The dream figures are figures in our dream. Therefore, we are the ones pulling their strings. We are making them act out. But since they seem to be someone else performing these actions, it is obvious that through the dream figures, we are carrying out actions that we don’t want to admit we are doing.
Projection We project the darkness in us onto the dream figures for two reasons:
We can’t bear to admit it’s in us
We still want to see it acted out
Our compromise is that someone else acts it out. Now it gets done, and we get to be innocent for what is done. But our denial that we are the ones doing it also causes us to feel victimized by the dream figures.
There are many explanations for why the dream figures attack us:
We project onto them our own murderous thoughts, so they are murderous
We project onto them our murderous thoughts, which are thoughts of treachery against ourselves, so the dream figures are treacherous to us. They turn on us.
We project onto them the sinful things we did that we don’t want to admit we did. Now they do those things to us.
We project onto them our own desire to get vengeance on ourselves, so they get vengeance on us
We project onto them our desire to attack ourselves for what we’ve done to others, so they attack us
We project onto them our need to be punished, so they punish us.
We project onto them our own hatred of our Creator, so they hate us, their maker.
We project onto them the abusive motives we have given our body, so they abuse our body
We project them out of our need to judge and condemn. So they become figures that attack us and so “make” us judge and condemn. Our need to judge and condemn seems to come from them.
With several of these there is a clear “boomerang effect.” We make the dream figures out of some impulse of attacking something else (other people, God, attacking others with our body), and this makes dream figures that attack us. I can only assume that some sort of psychological justice principle is at work here. It’s as if when I project out there my own murderous thoughts, they morph slightly and take on their “just” form of murdering me.
We assign the dream figures double purposes
Consciously, the dream figures are supposed to do our will, to fill our needs, to save us from the dream. Unconsciously, they are supposed to attack and punish us and turn on us. When the dream figures fill this unconscious need, they frustrate the conscious need. And since we have denied the unconscious need, they seem to be acting against our will.
(There is so much good stuff in this section that I almost posted the entire section....fukina)
'May all who enter here be welcomed as Christ.'

Duccio Chiapello has written another paper on Linear A:
https://www.academia.edu/97515497/Minoan_graffiti_and_beyond_The_Minoan_Greek_two_base_words_as_a_key_to_interpretation_and_the_meaning_of_J_A_SA_SA_RA_ME
As always, the implications of his findings go far beyond his words. My remarks are based on the similarity of the LA symbol *319 to *24 (NE). Since ne is written with what looks like “ I ” with a small bar in the middle, removing this would create a variant that did not hinder understanding (no 2 symbols would be the same, no room for confusion). This can be checked by its use in the future, if other examples are found. Younger also considered it could be for ne ( http://www.people.ku.edu/~jyoungeLinearA/HTtexts.html ). This allows me to analyze the LA words as compounds with -ti-ne, not derivatives.
​
He mentions that Doric changed th > s, but there is more evidence this was more extensive, even beyond Greek.
G. thálassa, Dor. sálassa ‘sea’, *thalamxa > Mac. dalágkha-; = or ~ Salamī́s ??
G. thalámē ‘cave/den’, ophthalmós ‘*socket > eye’, salá(m)bē ‘vent-hole / light opening’
(could be < *dhol-; Go. dal(s) ‘valley’, MHG tol(e) ‘drainage ditch’, G. fem. thólos ‘vaulted room’, Slavic dolŭ ‘pit/hole/valley’ )
and py > pθ > pt / ps (also in Ph. if pserkeyoy, Marsúas : Márphsos, etc.). Even IE in which k^ > t^ > θ ( > th ) exist, making θ > s in those with k^ > s(^) possible.
​
Sū́mē on Mt. Dicte, formerly a Cretan sanctuary where the burnt remains of many animals have been found, shows evidence of both animal sacrifice and many bronze figures of men and women. These might represent those buried in place of the dead, and the many more men than women might show that infants were not given these. Instead, these might represent the gods given offerings, etc., and a popular male god received many more.
The possibility that Sū́mē is related to -su-ma- found in LA there (Younger mentioned this, too) seems strengthened by G. thûma, Lac. sûma ‘sacrifice/victim’. If the derivation allows *suma ‘sacrificing / place of sacrifice to the gods’, and Sū́mē : sûma :: mnā́mā : mnâma then the presence of both in LA:
wi-ja-su-ma-ti-ti-ne
&
a-ju na-ma-ma-ti-ti-ne
(at a height that allows the containers of records (found elsewhere in the sanctuary, with seals used in this still remaining as evidence within) to be placed below) makes these words both ending in -ma-ti-ti-ne in need of some explanation. Since the G. words both end in -ma(t-), a compound with ti-ne is likely. Since these could mean ‘container’ (for records of _ (the preceding word)), it is likely this corresponds to:
LA ti-ne : G. tína
This would allow: G. tī́nā \ tītís ‘bath tub’, LA *tī́nē > ti-ne ‘chest? / coffer? / receptacle? / container?’, confirming Chiapello’s theory that some kind of box of records was kept beneath each “label”. This also allows the words before -ti-ne to make sense. Since Symi had animal sacrifice and many bronze figures, it could be that (close to Chiapello’s work in many aspects):
na-ma-ma-ti-ti-ne : nmāmat-tī́nā ‘container of records / memorials (in honor of the dead)’
This does not help in analyzing the meaning of the bronze figures, since G. mnêma, Dor. mnâma, Thes. nmâma ‘memorial / remembrance / record / monument (in honor of the dead)’ can refer to ‘memorial (to gods)’ or ‘monument (in honor of the dead)’. Either might be expected to have records in a temple, whatever the meaning.
​
The word a-ju before this likely is from *ayo-s, related to *ay- > OIr. ái ‘a saying’, G. aînos ‘decree/tale/praise’, ainéō ‘tell of / praise/approve / promise/vow’, which might show LA a-ju ‘praising/vowed / with a funeral ritual of praise?’, without complete certainty, though the meaning is clearly related to nmâma ‘memorial / remembrance / record’ in some way, whatever the specifics.
​
Since Chiapello’s work shows (to my satisfaction, at least), that *dyeus > jo-u I’ve looked for other examples of Greek words with *dy- > *y- ( > í- ). This might allow *dwy- and *dw- > wy- and y- also, so it seems that :
*dahw- > Skt. dav- ‘kindle/burn’, *d-h-av- > Khw. thw-
*dahwy- > G. daíō ‘kindle’, Pashto *dway- > alwoy- \ alwey- ‘scorch/roast’
which already shows met. in thw- & alwoy- (probably more common due to hw and wy breaking up), when forming the common G. verb in *-ny- it would almost require more met. to avoid *hwyny and create:
*dahwy- >> *dahwy-ny- > *dwyah-ny- > *wiyanny- > G. iaínō ‘heat/warm / cheer’ (probably related to īā- ‘heal’ ?)
(that *dahwy- was a unit at the time this formed, whatever, its PIE origin, seems likely) which makes it clear that
wi-ja-su-ma-ti-ti-ne : *wiyā-sūmat-tī́nā ‘container (of records) of burnt sacrifices’
​
With -ma-ti-ti-ne found in both, the other parts referring to the same aspects (expected at the sanctuary due to archeological findings), the G. words in -mat- matching these and other aspects, the improbability of sequences like na-ma-ma-ti-ti- existing and eithe not representing nm- or -mm- and -tti-, etc., which is unlikely to be found in a language in Greece unrelated to Greek when Greek has words with these very sequences, any other analysis would not explain nearly as much with as much probability.
​
I’ll add that Chiapello only let me know he had finished this hours before I wrote this, and I don’t think I could have done this work with such exact matches, all parts fitting together, if this was somehow yet more chance that just happened to favor Greek words in LA. If they are unrelated, why does this continue to happen?

Moved into an 8 unit building the last week of January. Couple issues right off the bat...
1 Power was off when I moved in, was told to get my power (teco) switched over, I requested that service before moving in and account was active. Moved in on a weekend and couldn't call teco so decided to poke around. I found my breakers in the hallway, they were all turned off. Spent a weekend without power while trying to move in.
2 Hot water. My water would start to get hot then turn to ice. Maintenance came by, checked valves and temp settings etc and says teco probably just gave me electric and not gas too. Office seemed unsure about gas, so paid teco to come out just to tell me everything is all electric... meanwhile I'm boiling water to bathe my kid(more on that later). Finally got ahold of the property manager, they replaced the water heater around 2/15. Spent at least 3wk with no hot water and repair people in and out not repairing anything.
3 Oven. The appliance that was here when I moved in was missing knobs, they kept saying they'd replace it. Maintenance bought knobs that didn't fit, told the office it was fixed. On top of that the range would warm food but not get really hot hot, boiling water for bathes took a looooong time. Also the oven itself didn't work, wouldn't turn on. That was replaced a couple days after the water heater around 2/22. So spent a month only able to cook what can go in a microwave or air fryer or ordering out.
4 Neighbor. Upstairs neighbor repairs bicycles, lawn mowers, atvs, a bunch of stuff. He sets up shop right out front or in this field next to the building, both of which are right outside my bedroom windows. Sometimes early, sometimes late. As I'm typing this at 5am, there's a floodlight outside the window at the foot of my bed that's been on since 3am. If I ask the neighbor to pack it in, he usually does but will continue to work on smaller projects inside... this sounds like an elephant bowling and when his wife gets annoyed the elephant is usually accompanied by music loud enough to drown out my TV and vibrate my ceiling. Neighbor gave me his number to call/text him to avoid problems, but it goes to voicemail or says message blocking is active sooooo I started texting pics or videos to property owner when it's extremely obnoxious to the point I can't hear my own thoughts or sleep and I NEVER FUCKING SLEEP.
The property owner mentioned before working with me for these inconveniences but didn't specify anything and hasn't mentioned it since.
Am I wrong to presume "working with you" meant some sort of prorate for limited habitability and lack of quiet enjoyment?
They had a move in special in January where after move in costs, first month was free, 2nd month prorated so I paid for only 10 days. First regular rent payment is due this Saturday, and their website is showing the full amount due plus the pet deposit I was told would be waived since I had to put my dog down shortly after moving in (senior dog, developing cancer).
Should I call the property owner back and ask what they're willing to negotiate for these issues or how do I politely remind them? I know I got a deal moving in, and they had to replace multiple appliances, but that doesn't negate that my unit clearly wasn't ready to be moved into and I wasn't told I'd be living in a body shop.

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Synopsis:
Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess. Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read … and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.
Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle, and taking matters into her own hands, escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Copious Ohohohohos.
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Chapter 14: Yearning For Stars
Rextros the Black Scar was, incredibly, a man noted for his black scar.
It was his symbol as a survivor. And more importantly, as a winner. He may have a scar, but the man he'd last fought had two broken arms and a big enough gap in his front teeth that he now whistled in between speaking.
Over the years, he'd fought with the best of the worst, turning bars inside out and alleys upside down. As a D-rank pugilist, he regularly left a reminder that of all the mean sods to ply their trade in this land, he was the meanest of them all.
And his reward? His own cozy little forest hideout, complete with a gambling table, a drinks bar and semi-loyal goons. It was everything a good little outlaw wanted. Except that he never wanted to be an outlaw in the first place.
He wanted to be a pianist.
“... Damn … !”
Rextros the Black Scar had no wish to lead his own group of bandits. A cold tent in a damp forest? A dirty camp filled with the stench of a dozen guys who didn't bathe, even though there's a river right next to them?
These weren't the dreams of a normal lad growing up on a farm. But he knew that working the land wasn't for him. His hands were made for more than sowing seeds and milking cows.
It was for playing nocturnes beneath the moonlight, his soul reaching out to gently sweep across the keys faster than his fingers did.
However, that dream wasn't to be.
Once he was old enough that he could no longer sneak his way into fancy bars and ply his budding skills on the pianos reserved for the famous, he knew he had to buy his own. It infuriated him that pianos were the playthings of the nobility. He couldn't even walk into a piano workshop before being tossed out. It was a closed circle for the rich and the few. And that lit a fire in his belly.
So what if the fancy lords and ladies couldn't stomach the thought of a mere peasant like him dirtying their favourite pastime? It wasn't them he'd play for.
Rextros the Black Scar would play for the people.
And he'd play a piano he could move with his heart as much as his hands—a St. Liane baby grand in mahogany red, rolled straight out of the Royal St. Liane Workshop in the middle of the royal capital and onto the bustling street outside.
That was the dream.
A dream which had slid further away with each passing day. The crowns he'd earned from his fights were barely worth the silver needed to hire a sister to stitch himself back up afterwards. And all the callouses on his hands were suddenly around his knuckles and not his fingertips.
Then, like a twisted angel summoned from the lowest abyss, that's when she appeared.
“Rextros the Black Scar. What a dreadfully dull name. It's as if you picked it out from a book of villains. Couldn't you have gone for something more original? The Black Etude, perhaps?”
“Hah? You picking a fight? And what's with that get-up? You hard selling for a casino? I don't gamble, so find someone else to fleece.”
“You say that, but isn't every day a gamble with the law to you? Honestly, however are you going to acquire the funds to buy a St. Liane of all things? You couldn't have picked a more expensive thing even if you tried. Greedy much?”
“... Who are you?! How do you know …”
“Hey, hey, hey. Wanna hear about a get rich quick scheme? Super reliable! Everyone's done it! And don't worry, it has nothing to do with gambling. Unless you want to?”
“D-Don't mess with me, woman! Who are you?! Keep away! I'm no fool—”
Rextros clenched his teeth as he recalled the memory.
He was no fool … Except that he was.
“... Damn … it … all! ...”
He crashed his fist down against his small table beneath his tent.
He'd stopped doing that lately. Firstly, he'd gotten used to the idiocy of his underlings. Secondly, it spilled his crowns everywhere and picking them up from the grass was a pain. If he ever wanted to buy that immaculate St. Liane, he'd need every last crown this rotten venture in poor decision making could get him.
So … how did it all go so wrong?
First it was the type of jobs. They'd started easy. Shaking down couriers and breaking into warehouses. Then they got harder. Not because the couriers got wiser or the warehouses tougher.
It was because he'd pieced together what he'd been stealing—and why.
He'd left in the middle of his last job and never looked back. Not because he had no regrets about running. But because he'd feared he'd see the face of that girl in her casino get-up looking right back at him.
The thought sent shivers running down his spine.
But maybe that was just because of the cold.
A forest. A cold, damp forest. This wasn't much better. But it was easier. Merchants used this road. He left the farmers alone. And the trolls. But the merchants? They took extortion as a business expense. And every now and again, a wandering nobleman and his family would come to hunt, forgetting that they were more likely to be found by the death beetles before they found a deer.
Was it kidnapping? Sure. But he was doing them a favour. The ransom reward was his just earnings. And what a reward they always were.
He was close. So close.
One last gig. One last merchant. One last idiot.
He knew this camp wouldn't last. But it didn't need to. He was so close. Then he could abandon this damp lifestyle and these stinking men and play ballades beneath the acoustic roof of the Reitzlake Grand Bridge.
That girl with a huge gob, haughty expression, fine clothes and dark hair without so much as an inkling of dirt on it was his ticket to freedom. That sword alone looked like it could be traded for any piano he wanted. He was even glad the idiots hadn't taken it from her. If they had, he likely would never have seen it.
Now he wished they'd just tried mugging her and suffered the consequences for it. Their dead bodies weren't likely going to reveal where he was.
“B-Boss … what was that? Who was she? Why did we have to give everything over?”
Rextros smashed his fist against the table again. This time, a cloud of dust came up as a crack appeared.
“Shut up! Shut up, all of you! I'm thinking!”
One by one, his underlings looked at each other with differing amounts of confusion and resentment. They didn't understand. They didn't know.
That girl, that ticket to freedom, was a poisoned bait. She'd come with one purpose and one alone. And that was to remind Rextros that so long as he lived, his obligations remained. He knew it. He'd dreamed it.
And now he feared the consequences of his flight.
But what could he do? That girl's message was clear. No matter where he ran, he would never be allowed to wander freely again. Every crown he stole wasn't his to keep. He wanted an out. But how could he? He'd seen too much. Not on purpose. But that didn't matter. He wasn't as blind as the rest.
And that was a problem.
“Boss! What's going on! That was everything! It was our pay, our weapons, you gave it all away! Who was she?!”
A problem like losing the loyalty of his men.
Forget making back his losses. He'd lose his life if they all turned on him. And he knew for a fact that the knives and daggers they carried were still on them, hidden in their boots and their clothes.
As every pair of eyes turned black, Rextros clenched his fist.
There was only one thing he could do. It was … It was dangerous. But it was his only choice. Not just to make it out of here alive. But to escape with it tomorrow, too.
He had to silence that girl.
Before she could reach her mistress, she had to be dealt with.
That way, he'd have time. That casino girl had to only suspect. Otherwise, she'd be here herself. Despite his fears, he knew she wasn't truly omnipotent. More importantly, it'd mean he'd have the money to flee. Even with just the crowns, he'd have enough to survive. More than enough.
He had to deal with that girl … and yet, if she was anything near as strong as that monster ...
No.
He had no choice. Not if he wanted to survive. Even if she matched him as a fighter, he had to deal with her. Then, he'd get out. Lay low. Flee the kingdom. That St. Liane was beyond his reach. But there were others. A Zelronto, perhaps. Lacking in finishing and incomparable with the tonal brilliance of a St. Liane, but bearable nonetheless.
It was time to leave these idiots behind.
But not without using them one last time.
“Shut up! All of you!”
“But Boss—”
“That girl. She was here on behalf of the Adventurer's Guild.”
“What?!”
The looks of rebellion were quickly replaced by panic.
Rextros smiled internally to himself. It was every outlaw's worst nightmare. Those that weren't him, of course.
The Adventurer's Guild weren't like knights or soldiers, who'd make so much noise looking for them that they could pack up and leave without so much as leaving an empty bottle behind.
Adventurers were hunters. Hunters that got paid absolute jack for the work they did. And that meant they did their jobs for reasons other than crowns.
In short, the worst type of people.
“She wanted to cut me a deal. All our gains for a day to leave. Except that won't matter if she's dealt with first. Go get her. Now.”
A few of the men shifted. Most were just confused.
“B-But if she's an adventurer, why didn't we just jump her already?”
“Fool! I was watching the treeline! You guys can't stand sentry even if I peel your eyelids off! I had to make sure there was nobody else! Now you see why I'm the leader and you idiots are not!”
“B-Boss!! Then, then that means ...”
“She's alone. Probably thinks she's stronger than all of us. Some brat that just got promoted to E-rank and thinks they're hot stuff. You know what to do.”
“Yes, Boss!!”
Rextros sighed as the underlings shot off, their hidden daggers being pulled from whatever sorry part of their bodies they hid them in.
It was going to be close. That girl … the sword she had. Only an extremely capable swordswoman would dare wield such a weapon. To be anything less was to invite every rogue within spitting distance to try and steal it from her, alive or dead.
Even so, she was alone. She had to be. The way these people operated demanded it. He had fourteen men under his command. Idiots to the last, but idiots with brawn and no discipline. If they all hurled themselves at her, there was simply no way she would be able to defeat them all.
And if so few made it back that he could claim all the loot for himself, then so be it.
Rextros smiled. Perhaps this wasn't such an unfortunate meeting, after all. He'd been meaning to consider a way to leave his goons in the lurch. If someone could deal with them for him, then all the better.
He simply needed to be ready to make good on his escape.
BRRROOOOOWWMMM.
It was at the exact moment that Rextros the Black Scar thought this that his feet suddenly left the ground.
“Gwaaaahhhhhhhh!”
Letting out a scream, he flailed uselessly at the air as he was suddenly flung against the back of his tent, taking it and also a tree with him as he went hurtling down the mound he'd pitched his makeshift throne on.
An enormous, ear splitting explosion drowned out his scream. Or at least what sounded like an explosion. He couldn't be sure with the entire forest groaning in pain. Leaves, branches and trees bent wildly as though slapped by the force of a thousand hurricanes. And yet Rextros instinctively knew that it could have been worse.
The source of that explosion was further away. And it was not aimed towards him.
If it had, he wouldn't be in a position to feel breathless with shock.
Sweat ran down Rextros's face as he crawled up from the dirt. He was lucky. He'd narrowly missed impacting with the tree that now had its roots torn from the soil. Looking around, all he saw was carnage. Bits of the camp were everywhere. And the forest was groaning even louder than before, as though it now had to right itself after being struck by the hand of a god.
Or perhaps a goddess.
That girl … it couldn't be ...
His entire body shaking, Rextros thought about the idiots he'd sent after her. They'd only just left. They … They were probably okay. Even so, could it possibly be a coincidence that she'd set the entire forest on its knees the moment he'd decided on his treachery?
What … What kind of power was this?
That was not the power of some D-rank punk like him. It was beyond that. The sort of power that only named legends past the point of being human possessed.
Had that girl lived a warrior's life, in solitude, training her swordsmanship on some distant mountaintop to achieve that level of destruction?
Rextros now knew he couldn't stay. Not even if all the copper, silver and gold in the world was made available to him. It was time to flee. Right now. Away from this kingdom, filled with more monsters than anyone as insignificant as him had the right to know.
And then maybe, just maybe.
When enough time had passed—he'd be able to take over the farm, and go back to milking cows and tilling fields.
​
[<< First] [< Previous] [Next >]

Just looking for the two games in the title and Paypal (my region is EU), nothing else. If you offer a huge list of games or anything that's not in the title or on my wishlist you might get blocked for not having basic reading comprehension
I know Coromon is in a pricy build your own bundle rn so could do multiple smaller games for it but no ridiculous offers please
https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/diamond-collection-build-your-own-bundle
Only interested in Paypal offers and games in the title don't comment if you don't have either to offer. For AAA games I'm only taking Paypal offers, not trades Any comments with lists of random games I likely already own will be ignored and possibly blocked. My region is EU, if you are outside of EU you have to cover Paypal fees. I do not have a set price for anything, if you ask "how much for" you'll be asked if you have a price in mind.
Jurassic World Evolution 2
Hero's Hour (might keep)
Rogue Lords
Golden Light
Batora: Lost Haven (might keep)
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
112 Operator
911 Operator
Agent in Depth
Alchemist's Castle
Arcade Spirits
Armello
Cris Tales
Death Squared
Detached: Non-VR Edition
Doughlings: Arcade
Doughlings: Invasion
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Farming Simulator 17
Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue (might keep)
Frick, Inc.
Ghostrunner
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload
Guns & Fishes
Hack 'n' Slash
Hyper Gunsport
Izmir: An Independence Simulator
Lighthouse Keeper
Little Orpheus (might keep)
Lust from Beyond: M Edition
Meow Express
MirrorMoon EP
Monaco
Mount & Blade: Warband
Non-Stop Raiders
Orbital Racer
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
PAYDAY 2
Planet TD
Project Chemistry
Quadrata
Remnants of Naezith
Rym 9000
Soul Searching
Soulblight
Soulflow
Space Crew: Legendary Edition
Stacking
Stick Fight: The Game
Strange Brigade
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
Sunlight
SYMMETRY
System Shock 2
System Shock: Enhanced Edition
The Amazing American Circus
The Inner World
Ticket to Ride
Worms Rumble
XCOM 2
X-Morph: Defense Complete Pack
XEL
Zombie Driver HD Complete Edition
Dorfromantik (might keep)
DARQ (might keep)
Fallout
Five Dates
Othercide (might keep)

• GameGuru Classic
• STAR WARS™: Knights of the Old Republic™
• Driftland: The Magic Revival
• Red Faction: Armageddon
• Puzzle Chronicles
• STAR WARS™ Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy™
• STAR WARS™ Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast™
• Distrust
• Radio Commander
• Fury Unleashed
• Main Assembly
• RPG Maker VX (may keep)
• Hamilton's Great Adventure
• Reventure
• [Amnesia: The Dark Descent](httpsa://store.steampowered.com/app/57300/)
• LEGO® MARVEL's Avengers (may keep)
• Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD (may keep)
• Dungeon of the ENDLESS™
• Go Home Dinosaurs!
• Soulblight
• Lust for Darkness
• RPG Maker VX Ace - DS Resource Pack
• RPG Maker VX Ace - Zombie Survival Graphic Pack
• Iron Danger (may keep)
• The Swindle
• Morbid: The Seven Acolytes
• Amnesia: Rebirth
• X-Morph: Defense
• Treasure Hunter Simulator
• Orbital Racer
• Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition
• LEGO® MARVEL Super Heroes 2 (may keep)
• Where the Water Tastes Like Wine
• Monsters' Den Chronicles
• Telefrag VR
• NecroWorm
• We are alright (Wszystko z nami w porządku)
• RPG Maker VX Ace - Old School Modern Graphics Pack 2
• Rebel Cops
• Farmer's Dynasty
• The Plague: Kingdom Wars
• PlataGO!
• LEGO® MARVEL Super Heroes (may keep)
• Bang-On Balls: Chronicles (may keep)
• Jetboard Joust
• Forgive Me Father (may keep)
• Aliens vs. Predator Collection
• LEGO® Star Wars™ III: The Clone Wars™
• Golf Gang
• Maid of Sker
• Hedon Bloodrite (may keep)
• Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning FATE Edition (may keep)
• Blade Assault (may keep)
• DOOM Eternal (may keep)
• Grow: Song of the Evertree (may keep)
• Scribble It! - Premium Edition
• [Liberated] (GOG)
• [Wanderlust Travel Stories] (GOG)

My full list of games: https://barter.vg80b7/t/ (this link might be more up to date than the list above)
Full wishlist (bundled games are at the top so you don't have to scroll through tons of unbundled and upcoming games): https://barter.vg80b7/w/f/?filter=0,17,0,0
https://store.steampowered.com/wishlist/id/superteletubbies64/
IGSRep (no longer updating): https://old.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/p7k848/superteletubbies64s_igs_rep_page/

Just looking for the two games in the title and Paypal (my region is EU), nothing else. If you offer a huge list of games or anything that's not in the title or on my wishlist you might get blocked for not having basic reading comprehension
I know Coromon is in a pricy build your own bundle rn so could do multiple smaller games for it but no ridiculous offers please
https://www.fanatical.com/en/pick-and-mix/diamond-collection-build-your-own-bundle
Only interested in Paypal offers and games in the title don't comment if you don't have either to offer. For AAA games I'm only taking Paypal offers, not trades Any comments with lists of random games I likely already own will be ignored and possibly blocked. My region is EU, if you are outside of EU you have to cover Paypal fees. I do not have a set price for anything, if you ask "how much for" you'll be asked if you have a price in mind.
Jurassic World Evolution 2
Hero's Hour (might keep)
Rogue Lords
Golden Light
Batora: Lost Haven (might keep)
Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice
112 Operator
911 Operator
Agent in Depth
Alchemist's Castle
Arcade Spirits
Armello
Cris Tales
Death Squared
Detached: Non-VR Edition
Doughlings: Arcade
Doughlings: Invasion
Euro Truck Simulator 2
Farming Simulator 17
Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue (might keep)
Frick, Inc.
Ghostrunner
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload
Guns & Fishes
Hack 'n' Slash
Hyper Gunsport
Izmir: An Independence Simulator
Lighthouse Keeper
Little Orpheus (might keep)
Lust from Beyond: M Edition
Meow Express
MirrorMoon EP
Monaco
Mount & Blade: Warband
Non-Stop Raiders
Orbital Racer
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
PAYDAY 2
Planet TD
Project Chemistry
Quadrata
Remnants of Naezith
Rym 9000
Soul Searching
Soulblight
Soulflow
Space Crew: Legendary Edition
Stacking
Stick Fight: The Game
Strange Brigade
Stygian: Reign of the Old Ones
Sunlight
SYMMETRY
System Shock 2
System Shock: Enhanced Edition
The Amazing American Circus
The Inner World
Ticket to Ride
Worms Rumble
XCOM 2
X-Morph: Defense Complete Pack
XEL
Zombie Driver HD Complete Edition
Dorfromantik (might keep)
DARQ (might keep)
Fallout
Five Dates
Othercide (might keep)

• GameGuru Classic
• STAR WARS™: Knights of the Old Republic™
• Driftland: The Magic Revival
• Red Faction: Armageddon
• Puzzle Chronicles
• STAR WARS™ Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy™
• STAR WARS™ Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast™
• Distrust
• Radio Commander
• Fury Unleashed
• Main Assembly
• RPG Maker VX (may keep)
• Hamilton's Great Adventure
• Reventure
• [Amnesia: The Dark Descent](httpsa://store.steampowered.com/app/57300/)
• LEGO® MARVEL's Avengers (may keep)
• Oddworld: Stranger's Wrath HD (may keep)
• Dungeon of the ENDLESS™
• Go Home Dinosaurs!
• Soulblight
• Lust for Darkness
• RPG Maker VX Ace - DS Resource Pack
• RPG Maker VX Ace - Zombie Survival Graphic Pack
• Iron Danger (may keep)
• The Swindle
• Morbid: The Seven Acolytes
• Amnesia: Rebirth
• X-Morph: Defense
• Treasure Hunter Simulator
• Orbital Racer
• Nongunz: Doppelganger Edition
• LEGO® MARVEL Super Heroes 2 (may keep)
• Where the Water Tastes Like Wine
• Monsters' Den Chronicles
• Telefrag VR
• NecroWorm
• We are alright (Wszystko z nami w porządku)
• RPG Maker VX Ace - Old School Modern Graphics Pack 2
• Rebel Cops
• Farmer's Dynasty
• The Plague: Kingdom Wars
• PlataGO!
• LEGO® MARVEL Super Heroes (may keep)
• Bang-On Balls: Chronicles (may keep)
• Jetboard Joust
• Forgive Me Father (may keep)
• Aliens vs. Predator Collection
• LEGO® Star Wars™ III: The Clone Wars™
• Golf Gang
• Maid of Sker
• Hedon Bloodrite (may keep)
• Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning FATE Edition (may keep)
• Blade Assault (may keep)
• DOOM Eternal (may keep)
• Grow: Song of the Evertree (may keep)
• Scribble It! - Premium Edition
• [Liberated] (GOG)
• [Wanderlust Travel Stories] (GOG)

My full list of games: https://barter.vg80b7/t/ (this link might be more up to date than the list above)
Full wishlist (bundled games are at the top so you don't have to scroll through tons of unbundled and upcoming games): https://barter.vg80b7/w/f/?filter=0,17,0,0
https://store.steampowered.com/wishlist/id/superteletubbies64/
IGSRep (no longer updating): https://old.reddit.com/IGSRep/comments/p7k848/superteletubbies64s_igs_rep_page/

So me and my mate were out having drinks and drugs and some boys come pick us up my friend knew. We was in the car sniffing coke. I'm in the back of the car in the middle seat inbetween 2 of the lads. Already they were starting to stroke my thighs all the up to just before My pussy.im already Getting all steamed. We arrived at the house we all go upstairs settle all on the bed and takin more drugs. I was the bed all talking but one guy was just staring at me with those I wanna fuck you eyes. I wanted it. Just ended up getting closer and closer just tickling eachother talking and we started kissing in front of all the boys and starting taking My clothes of my pussy dripping at this point fingers going inside me cock in my hand playing so it's hard as it can be for me. Shoving it down my throat choking on it so I just about catch a breath of air an tears coming from eyes it's so deep in my throat. By this time another guy joined and started playing with My pussy and trying to shove his cock in my mouth too. I love the way they talked dirty to me telling me I'm a sexy bitch just wanting to cum all over me. Had one suckin on my nipples with the other one forcely fuckin my pussy and I am screaming with that nice pain of my little pussy being fucked by a big man. Just throwing me on my front to fuck me from behind holding my hair tight slapping my ass as hard as he could and I'm gagging on another cock. Just playing with with his balls. He wants to also fuck me he wants me too he wants to feel my hot wet pussy so we switched and after they both cum alll over me one cum all over my face and the other all over my ass and pussy. I went the bathroom to clean myself and one of the lads I liked the most driving the car was there and he just shut the door and started to tell me how he wanted to fuck my tight ass all night and I wanted him too I was still horny for cock I unzipped his pants and got his cock all nice and wet and Bent myself over the bath spreading My cheeks for him to hurt My ass and shove his fingers in my pussy at the same time. Screaming in pain the 2 guys come in the bathroom when they heard me and started wanking watching me be fucked everywhere and he cummed deep inside me. Just felt it dropping out

Today, as I was bathing myself (of course), I don't have bath tub, so I batu while standing and I also am naked while bathing (of course), As I was bathing myself as soon as I started rubbing soap on the my ass, I felt a burning feeling.
I felt a weirdly shaped hole on one of my ass cheeks, it was mildly burning but not hurting, I tried to see what it was, but as a Fat Ass I am, I could bend enough to see my glorious Ass cheeks.
But suddenly and shockingly something stated crawling coming out of the hole that formed on one of my ass cheeks, I felt the tightness of the Hole, it was soo tight that the "thing" that was trying to come out was obviously struggling, I pulled the "thing" out with my hands and to my utter bewilderment and surprise it was Weird Centipede like creature but it was not something of this Earth, It look very obviously Alien too me.
Soo, I realised that I was impregnated by an Alien in my Left Ass cheek, my Maternal instincts kicked in and I washed my Baby Alien with warm water and took it to the bed.
I prepared some milk for the baby and fed it the milk, it looked like it was enjoying the milk, Soon the "baby" stated growing and within 15.55 seconds the "baby" was almost looking like a grown adult.
My baby was now grown into a Man
I was soo emotional, now precious Baby Alien Boy stays with me and I take care of him. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hello, this the brother of the original writer, I am speaking after 15 months after the original post was written, Today as I went to visit the brother (original writer), I found blood smeared all over the house, to my utter disbelief and Horror, my Alien Nephew had started feeding from the body of my brother and was eating his body out from his insides and spilling out the blood, Liver, Guts, Kidneys, Lungs, it was nibbling on everything.
I ran away and changed Cities that very day..

It's late. And it's that time again for me. And I have been pondering something for a while. A motorcycle to me represents not just a mode of transportation.
In my 5 years of being Free of Caffeine, 3 of those have been spent riding a motorcycle. At the time, I was actually looking at "Groms" because I wanted to take a ride around my block along the dirt embankments during the Covid Lockdown. I settled for a $1200, 40 year old, 250c instead.
If you would have told me, approximately 2 years later, I would be riding this small bike 40 miles into the local mountains, at an elevation of 5,000 feet, I wouldn't have believed. Albeit, at the time, it took baby steps. And a lot of balls.
In some respects, I had to "build up" to a feat like that. Some men, who have been riding for years, find these journeys just another walk in the park. For me, venturing up a mountain on a 250cc bike that weighs 270 pounds is basically a test of stillness. The ability to be mentally still. To be one with the mind, breath, and surroundings. A similar trip, 30 miles into barren wilderness with just 2 bottled waters soon followed.
With Coffee, came darkness.
I've lost something since I decided to partake. I did an experiment to see if it would help with dexterity, focus, weightloss, etc. The veil of spirituality soon became clouded. I no longer could see. In the midst of my experimentation, we went to the mountains for a family get-togther and a wedding. I brought my 40 year old beatup, 250cc. When I arrived, I found myself on some twisty trail-like roads being chased by 1,000 liter sports bike. I pulled over. The next day, hail, ice, and fog hit my visor, and for the first time in 3 years of riding I had a panic attack and pulled over to the side of the road. That was in January.
A week ago, I got the flu and was bed ridden for 5 days. I decided this would be the best time to quit Caffeine. My spirit was longing for that sense of power and peace it had once lost. These past 3 months have been bathed in a darkness I do not understand. A darkness that, under scientific standards, have been dubbed "Beneficial to health, prevention of Alzheimers, antioxidants, dexterity, focus etc." - I've read the wikipedia entries. I've seen the scientific testimonials of Caffeine's benefits.
But deep in the recesses of my mind, the fogged lens on my helmet, the sleet hitting me in the face, and the cold, mountainous road that induced a panic attack remained. Was it the sleep-aid and both caffeine that did it? The darkness bathed me. Stubbornly, angrily, I gripped the handlebars shaking, in the rain, and forced myself to ride 10 miles to the nearest gas station, visor barely visible. A 10 minute ride of absolute fear of death. Pulling over to the side of the road as I was battered with fog, sleet and rain.
As I went through having the flu, and continued the detoxifying of removing Caffeine from my mind, laying in bed with headaches, and aches, occasionally I would go for a drive, and walk around for a bit. Something strange dawned on my decaffeinated brain, which had been free of it's grasp for a few days. The trees swayed in slow motion as the sun set behind me. I stopped at a local church in my small town, and marveled at it's beauty and simplicity. "Caffeine is a psychoactive" they would say. I recall, passing through it's field of energy upon partaking it. Everything became elated. It is rumored ancient monks in the Arab world discovered Coffee and used it for spiritual purposes, to pray and meditate more stringently. I reflected on this as my reality was surreal, in the haze of fighting the virus, headache, yet bathed in a calm nostalgic serenity of my spirit once again at rest.
No hot liquid, to disturb my senses in a fervor to twitch, or move "for the sake" of moving. Or clean my room, and detail my toilets, and obsess over the minuscule smudged on my bathroom mirrors. Just the simplicity of the breeze, and my slowly decaffeinated mind passing through this vortex, this, once visited psychoactive experiment.
Today marks roughly a week now, and even though there is fatigue lingering from the overworked adrenals of chasing the morning high of first 40-60mg of tea, and "feeling tired still."
The peace is returning. The bags under my eyes are clearing up. And a warm lingering began manifest; and I was called once again to the familiarity of my home town, the side roads, and dirt trails I've been venturing since the Covid lockdown previously.
To Cultivate peace?
It is strange to me the better I've become at cultivating peace and clearing the mind, the more capable I feel of the daring feats. Culture would say the opposite. Things, like the X-games and Extreme Motocross have some thinking the way to go is "Monster Energy Drinks, Red Bulls," etc, to get there.
And maybe there is short term elation.. until the lack of sleep catches up with the cells..
​
A few days ago, I had a shitty headache and a deep feeling of drowsiness. The brain was signaling for it's fix. I took a nap, and got back on the road. Driving down the highway, the heavens and sky opened up to my perception for the first time in 3 months. "Oh yes. I forgot." I thought.
I was ever grateful to stare into the heavens, doing a steady 65MPH in my beat up old car. The sky, the clouds, and the sun beckoned me into heaven once again, blissfully. It makes me wonder the legitimacy of monks who claimed they used this for spiritual elevation, the scientists who tout the benefits of its effect on mind, and the 60% of the population that scramble, and fight, for a drop of it's black essence in their bloodstream every morning. Is this the proverbial "spice" that has been spoken about in "Dune" Novels?
The image of a Tree, and an old worn out bench some kids dragged up on some hill called to me again. Suddenly the idea of getting back on my bike, and riding to the spot for a peaceful study was very appealing. I'm passing through some kind of vortex, but I'm not sure what that is. Can it be, maybe even 5mg is the sweet spot? or has it always been 0g? My sense of smell returns. The pollen of Marches sun emanates to my nose as those sweet honey-smelling flowers hit me.
My natural state. Not afraid. Welcomed, to the saddle. Warmth emanating my backpack, my study books, my boots, and the blissful freedom of riding again all of a sudden seemed so appealing.
What was this black cloud that passed before me, in this experiment ? The nervousness, the ill temper, the road rage, the impulsivity. For the sake of progress? Because our ancestors supposedly doused themselves with "mead" as peasants for the king and their courts, before the caffeinated Renaissance that took Europe in the 1600s? I guess that is for the individual to find out..

This is a summary of Digital Daily #15 (March 26th). Detailed are events that happen after the POV comp leading up to the POV ceremony. Please no spoilers beyond this digital daily in the comments.
Pre-Digital Daily: Kuzie nominated Santina and Hope. The winner of the POV is Hope.
TL;DR:
Will Kuzie make a big move this week? Or do what Ty wants… Digital Daily #15 kicks off in the HOH room, where Kuzie speaks with POV winner Hope. Kuzie asks him questions so she can figure out who her replacement nominee will be; assuming Hope uses the veto on himself, the replacement nominee will sit next to Santina. During this convo, Hope confirms to Kuzie that he was the 4th vote to keep Roberto in the house. Later, we learn from an unhappy Daniel in a talk with Anika that Zach is Kuzie’s likely replacement nominee and target. Anika wants the replacement nominee to be Ty, as she sees Ty as the glue that keeps the guys alliance together. Later, Hope confesses his 4th vote secret to Renee. Meanwhile, Anika approaches Kuzie with an attempt at getting Ty on the block in stead of Zach. Kuzie reveals that Ty thinks of Anika as disposable. Anika fails to get Kuzie to consider Ty as a target, as Kuzie only gives reasons to target Zach. Later, Ty approaches Kuzie to hear her plan; they become frustrated with each other, as Ty desperately wants Zach, and to a lesser extent, Dan, to stay off the block, but those are Kuzie’s main options right now. They talk in circles but neither budge. After this discussion, Ty goes to Hope with the idea of Hope using the veto on Santina, not himself. Ty then tells Zach of his possible nomination, which rattles him while he’s trying to work out.
Going into detail…
0:00:07 - HOH - Kuzie Speaks with the POV Winner
Kuzie asks Hope what his thoughts are on Renee. Hope: “she’s very trustworthy.” Kuzie asks if Hope is close with Shanaya. Hope says in every conversation he’s had with her, they are close, but it’s never been game-related. Kuzie: “so Shanaya would not be horrible to get out, but don’t touch Renee.” Kuzie says she likes Renee, but she wonders why 2 people have put her on the block already; what did the other HOHs see? Kuzie: “then I’m looking at Dan and I’m saying ‘this guy has absolutely no plans for me in his life.’” Kuzie says the sensible thing for her would be to backdoor Dan this week. Hope: “between you and me, about the whole JM situation: I wish Ty never saved Anika off the block. Because I feel like JM could have done a lot of big in this game. I wish he stayed.” Hope thanks Kuzie for putting him on the block because his POV win yesterday is motivating him to win another comp. Ty literally barges in without knocking. Kuzie apparently gives him a face because he walks right back out. Hope also won $5,000 in the comp. Hope asks Kuzie if she trusts Daniel/Anika. Kuzie trusts that they are genuine, but she’s not sure how hard they will play. Hope calls Daniel a real one: “outside of here, I want to be friends with him.” Kuzie trusts that Jonathan is a good person. Hope: “I don’t know how he is going to survive in this game.” Hope says he (Hope) is with Kuzie from now on; he says again that this POV win has given him a new purpose in the house. Hope: “whatever move you make, I’m with you 100%.” Hope about his vote for Roberto: “you know the truth about that obviously.” Kuzie: “yeah.” Hope: “I couldn’t tell anyone.” Hope says he could tell that Kuzie knew when she said she “didn’t care” who voted and they shared a look. Hope says he changed his vote last second. Kuzie: “spilt milk.” Zach barges in (without knocking); Hope motions for him to stay and that they are done talking. Zach asks Hope when he wants to lift. Hope leaves and Zach stays with Kuzie.
0:11:16 - Parlour - Anika & Daniel React to Kuzie’s Plans
Anika tells Daniel why she thinks Ty should be the next target: without Ty, Santina/Zach won’t work together; Ty also has influence on Claudia. Daniel says Ty has to go, but Kuzie would never do it: “there’s no fighting it anymore, it’s gonna be Zach.” Daniel says he will not vote Zach out over Santina, even if it destroys his chance at alliances. Daniel says if they get rid of Zach and keep Ty, they (Daniel/Anika) are still gonna be the targets since Ty won’t come after Claudia and her friends. Anika says Ty would go after Renee and Shanaya. Daniel asks how she knows. Anika says because Ty knows Renee is close with Claudia, so he wants Renee to leave before they get closer. Anika remembers to tell Daniel about a conversation she had with Ty last night: Anika says Ty approached her about why she was feeling stressed, and started asking game questions. Anika responded: “you know what Ty, I can’t trust you enough right now to tell you that” and added that Ty is always talking game with Santina and Zach, not her. Anika stresses that Ty is the person that connects that big alliance. Daniel says he had a relationship with Santina, but then she blew them up as a group, and now they are keeping her? Anika says it’s about perspective. Daniel: “I get it, I get it.” Daniel says he is upset at Santina because her pitch to get rid of Zach was that she doesn’t like what Zach is doing with Daniel: “I’m a grown ass man. Everyone needs to stop protecting me.” Daniel says on a game-level, he’s pissed. Daniel reveals that he is conflicted about the information Santina told him; either Santina is 100% lying or Zach can’t be trusted at all. Daniel says the house is going to be so boring (without Zach). Daniel says he just needs a day of misery, and Anika leaves.
0:19:36 - Purple Bedroom - Talk Later?
Anika joins Hope/Renee in the bedroom. Daniel enters momentarily then leaves. Renee leaves, and before Hope exits he tells Anika they need to have some one-on-one time. Anika agrees.
0:22:10 - Hot Tub - Socializing
Daniel joins Shanaya/Claudia/Zach outside.
0:22:39 - Library - Hope Confesses to Renee
Hope/Renee continue to talk about Hope’s age. [honestly I’m getting bored of his “what age am I??” talk]. They play pool and focus on the game for a while. Then Hope says he is just going to play an honest game. Hope: “I feel like you know me.” Renee says she has a pretty good understanding of who he is. Hope: “so I guess you know the truth about that 4th vote…” Renee: “was it Zach?” Hope: “…” Renee: “it was you?” Hope says it was a pity vote. Renee: “oh, well at least you’re honest about it.” Renee asks if Zach/Ty know. Hope says yes. Renee asks if the 3rd vote was Vanessa. Hope says no, he doesn’t think so [it was]. Renee asks if the guys were mad when Hope told them how he voted. Hope says he just explained that it was his friend: “I’m not good at lying.” Renee says Hope cannot give a pity vote moving forward, starting this week with whatever Kuzie wants to do.
0:32:31 - HOH - Anika Tries to Sway Kuzie
Anika approaches Kuzie about nominating Ty instead of Zach. Kuzie says one of her reasons for wanting to get rid of Zach is “not that I want to weaken Daniel,” but it would make Daniel a better ally for them since he won’t be on the fence. Anika tells Kuzie about her conversation with Ty last night; Ty tried to get Anika information from Anika and Anika went off on him about not being able to trust him. Anika says Ty said he stopped talking game with Santina after week 1; Kuzie says that’s not true. Anika goes on to say that Ty said Anika was so smart and he wants to work with her etc. Kuzie: “Anika. He has said your name to me. He said if he gets HOH you are going on the block.” Kuzie tries to reassure Anika by saying that if those 3-4 people (Zach’s side) want to target the 5-6 leftovers, they would target Kuzie first. Kuzie says she told Ty straight up that she doesn’t care if her nominating Dan will hurt Ty’s numbers. Dan enters to listen to Kuzie’s music while he does cardio. Anika looks annoyed. Dan goes to the bathroom area and Kuzie/Anika continue whispering. Anika says that if Ty stays, he will control that side by being the glue. Kuzie asks Anika to look at the game morally. Kuzie says Zach angers her, Ty scares her. She would happily lose to Ty, not Zach. Anika asks if Kuzie told Ty about nominating Zach at the upcoming POV ceremony. Kuzie says no. Kuzie adds that Zach has been telling Renee “you’re lucky you have a pretty face.” Kuzie asks what kind of a stupid comment is that. Anika says Ty will come after herself though. Kuzie says Ty will target Renee and Kuzie before Anika. Kuzie says Zach is grimy. Kuzie says people have been telling her that Ty will be against her after this move. Anika brings up what Kuzie revealed earlier: “Ty really suggested to you my name? Like as a pawn or the target?” Kuzie says as a pawn. Kuzie: “like you’re not a target but you’re disposable to him.” Jonathan enters for a minute then he leaves. Anika whispers that Hope needs to go too; also Kuzie should also be careful of Renee. Kuzie repeats herself about Zach playing a dirty game. Anika agrees that Zach can go this week but Ty has to go soon. Kuzie agrees to that. Anika says once Zach and Ty are gone, it will be an even playing field for everyone. Kuzie says if they come to her and threaten her about not having any physical players on her side, she doesn’t care; Jonathan is a physical player, and if Kuzie can talk to Santina well enough, she could be on her side. Anika advises Kuzie not to tell anyone about her plan to nominate Zach. Anika leaves the room.
0:54:52 - Living Room - Ty Wants to Talk
Kuzie leaves the HOH room. Ty sees her leaving and tells her to get her “ass back in there.” He wants to talk with her. Kuzie says she is making her rounds so she will get Ty when she comes back to the room. They split up. Ty whispers to Santina that he will tell her what they (Ty/Kuzie) talk about later.
0:56:54 - Hot Tub - Comp Talk
Renee/Claudia/Ty/Daniel hang out outside. Small talk about the HOH comp and previous comps.
1:01:24 - Backyard - Working Out
Shanaya/Anika work out in the backyard while Zach/Hope hang out nearby. They talk about about working out. Dan is also working out in the backyard. Anika helps Shanaya with her lifting form. Hope whispers to Zach that early in the game he told Anika that he would keep Vanessa around because she cooks. Ever since then, Anika has been cooking big breakfasts. Hope laughs.
1:17:15 - HOH - Kuzie & Ty Debate
Kuzie and Ty meet to talk. Kuzie says she is a calm person until she gets irritated. Ty says they are the same person. Kuzie says Zach is trying to make her feel stupid; in no world can anyone convince Kuzie that taking out Renee is a good HOH move. Kuzie declares that Renee will not be going on the block. Kuzie says at this point, she is looking at Dan or Zach as the replacement nominee. Kuzie says Kuzie/Ty can protect each other, not each other’s people; Kuzie will always vouch for Ty, but she can’t promise she will protect Zach just because they are friends. Kuzie mentions she was talking to Daniel last night, and Daniel burst into tears at the thought of Zach going on the block. Kuzie asks Ty to put his game into mind, and ask himself if he would make a weak move like Renee during his HOH week. Ty says everyone is expecting Renee to go up because she is an easy option since she’s been up twice. Ty defends Zach for pushing the Renee idea because everyone was thinking it anyway. Ty warns that if she puts Dan up, Kuzie will lose Zach. Ty tries to float the idea of evicting Hope instead, but Kuzie reminds him Hope isn’t eligible since he got POV (assuming he uses it on himself). Ty says he would consider voting Dan out if he was on the block, he wouldn’t consider voting out Zach. Kuzie says if she decides to nominate Zach, she will have the numbers with or without Ty’s vote. Ty says it’s too early to get Zach out. Ty argues that you don’t have to make big moves on an HOH to make big moves in the house. Talking in circles, Ty is desperate to change Kuzie’s mind about Zach or Dan. Kuzie doesn’t budge. Ty says Renee is an indirect threat to Kuzie. Kuzie: “I’m not going for indirect, I’m going for direct. I’m going for direct threats.” Ty tries to scare Kuzie by asking what happens if she nominates Dan, Santina gets evicted, and then Dan becomes HOH next week? Kuzie: “let’s not focus on Dan, let’s focus on Zach.” Ty: “obviously I’m closer to Zach, so I’m not gonna offer him up to you.” Ty asks his question again. Kuzie says “then that’s okay.” Kuzie adds that she didn’t come here to hide. Kuzie: “if this was your HOH, you wouldn’t consider half the things you are saying.” Kuzie says Ty is the biggest player in the game but she won’t come after him because he is straight-forward; Dan gives Kuzie nothing, and Zach gives her lies. Kuzie says as smart as Ty thinks Zach is, she promises she can think that same way and be an asset to Ty. Ty asks if Kuzie wants to go to the end with a bunch of weak players. Kuzie says everyone doesn’t know everything about everyone in the house; some people might think Ty is playing a “weak game” if they don’t know what he has done. They have a moment of loud frustration; Ty tries to twist Kuzie’s words but she doesn’t allow it. Ty asks Kuzie to keep her calm with him. Kuzie says Renee isn’t connected to any guys in the house, so Kuzie can possibly “work” Renee down the line. Ty says Kuzie shouldn’t nominate Dan then since he is connected to Shanaya, by that logic. Kuzie: “don’t bring that in here. We aren’t talking about Dan.” Ty accuses Kuzie of not being real right now. Kuzie gets frustrated: “Ty. We’re not talking about Dan right now. I’m talking about a theory about Renee. Don’t twist that into talking about why I shouldn’t nominate Dan.” Ty: “you’re getting defensive.” Kuzie: “yeah I am, because it’s not time to bring up Dan.” Dan walks in and offers to clean Kuzie’s bathroom [worst possible timing lol, they are both pissed]. Kuzie asks for some more time alone with Ty and he leaves. Ty apologizes for cutting Kuzie off. Kuzie says Renee isn’t connected to any guys. Ty: “what about Hope.” Kuzie: “it’s not romantic.” Ty insists that doesn’t matter. Kuzie insists Renee is “workable”. Ty: “okay Kuzie…” Kuzie says still has a day to think about it, but the Renee thing is probably not gonna happen. Ty: “alright Kuzie…” Kuzie: “but I have my own game to play so you can’t get angry—” Ty: “I’m not angry!” [he definitely is, trying to play cool] Ty says its a bulls—t move if the reasoning is to “not follow someone else”. Kuzie says if it’s a bulls—t move then that’s what it’s gonna be. Ty says he is getting frustrated because he is seeing certain things that don’t align with their team; he sees Kuzie on his team and this decision doesn’t add up, at least not right now. Ty says Shanaya is a girl that gets infatuated with someone and then acts a fool, but Claudia is clearly not like that [really?]. Kuzie says if she puts her trust in Shanaya, Kuzie will get burned in the end because Shanaya will choose Dan. Ty says Claudia thinks of Renee as disposable. More talk about Dan/Shanaya/Renee. Eventually Kuzie brings it back to her decision: “I can promise you, but I can’t promise your friends. So you might hate me…” Ty says Daniel/Anika are disposable but he would want to target Shanaya/Renee before them.
2:00:40 - Backyard - Father Talk
Zach and Hope discuss the relationship between parents and their children. Hope says he isn’t close with his father.
2:03:31 - Pink Bedroom - This Isn’t Over
Ty makes his bed. He whispers: “you’re not about to f—k up my game, believe that.” He goes searching for Kuzie. Daniel says she went to the DR.
2:05:12 - Pantry - Pantry Hug
Ty finds Claudia in the pantry. They hug. Claudia asks how his talk with Kuzie was. Ty: “we’ll see.” Renee enters and Ty leaves.
2:05:43 - Kitchen - Ty Plans to Plan
Ty tells Dan that they are going to have to figure something out, and that they will chat later.
2:06:46 - Purple Bedroom - Bedroom Stuff
Dan gets dressed in the bedroom.
2:07:02 - Backyard - Ty’s Brilliant Plan for Hope
Ty just told something to Zach/Hope about what Kuzie said. Zach: “I knew it. I knew it.” Ty says he has to talk to Hope later, so Zach leaves to let them talk now. Ty asks when Hope “wants to go home”. Hope says he wants to stick around as long as possible to be a shield for the group when it matters the most. Ty says he might need Hope to do something crazy this week: use the veto on Santina (leaving Hope himself on the block). Ty says he will tell him if he gets the numbers to keep him safe. Ty: “I’m not gonna make the decision until I know.” Hope agrees. Zach returns to the area.
2:09:29 - Backyard - Ty Warns Zach
Ty and Zach walk away. Ty tells Zach that Zach made things worse for himself by talking to Kuzie last night. Ty says Kuzie was distraught with the way Zach was talking to her. Zach is shocked that he came off as aggressive. Ty tells him that Kuzie is considering nominating Dan or Zach. Zach: “me?!” Ty: “I already told her ‘you’re not f—king putting up Zach’.” Ty says Kuzie isn’t even considering Renee. Ty says worst-case scenario is that Dan goes up. Ty: “I might need to get Hope to use the veto on Santina.” Zach, still in shock: “she’s that mad at me?” Ty advises him to apologize to Kuzie for being aggressive in a natural setting; he shouldn’t approach her or it will look obvious that Ty told him. Zach continues working out with Hope. He whispers: “f—k man, is that the end of my game…?” And that’s a wrap for Digital Daily #15!

Hey everyone, this is chapter two, for more info on what this is and other chapters click the link down below :
Reddit - Dive into anything
The collective walks. It waltzes. The collective screams. The collective loves. The collective stands still for a moment, looking around, and then continues to walk. Years pass by, the collective continues to walk, continues to waltz and it continues to scream, and yet every now and again the collective stops and takes a glance. It looks at everything, the people, the weapons, the lives that are lost, and he continues. All of it again and again, every time he looks it’s all the same, and time continues to pass. Time is meaningless to the collective, as there is no time from where the collective is from. Moments exist and pass, but that isn’t time leaving him but space.
The collective waits, attracted to something long since past. A voice that echoes something inside that was long since dormant. The collective runs, runs to the voice, through the crowds and towards the source of it. And that is when the collective sees him. An old friend, but time doesn’t exist and they were never really friends. He’s shorter than the friend recalls, however what is memory but false?
There he stands, alongside a group of faces, some nostalgic others not, looking up towards the sky. Osmundowne. The collective stops walking, halts their waltzes, and forces back the screams. And that old love, the one thing long left behind, begins to grow. The collective smiles, and begins to think.
Dundis was rather large for a castle, it was a landmark one could see from miles away, as if it beckoned to travellers who dared approach it. Stone bricks and mortar were laid in this place, the number of which was exuberant to say the least. Spires creeped to the skies above, observing the carnage that had been displayed. Even from here Osmund could see the shattered windows in many parts of the castle, in as little as half an hour the Alizian’s had reached even the tops of the Vaunghe base, and the battle was sure to be a swift one.
The other thing that stood out to Osmund about Dundis was the decadence. Statues lined every surface, shrubs depicting the gods were everywhere, and there was a strange metal rod poking out of the ground besides a lectern. Osmund approached the objects, and marvelled at the copious amounts of food that lay on the ground. Food of every description, from apples to cattle, were strewn at the foot of the metal pole. On the lectern was a message, scrawled on a yellowed piece of paper.
For now is the time of deepest sorrow, our lord King Kivok has graciously offered food to the gods, and we can now pray for them to smite our foes. Even in hunger we shall fight, for we are the servants of the gods.
Osmund read the message a few times, before placing it back on the ground. Now was the time to enter the castle, explore the passages and support the troops. Osmund approached the gate, now wide open, and removed the map of Dundis, ensuring he’d have the right path.
The group followed suit, pushing the gates open fully and revealing the site of further bodies. They were inside the building’s inner wall now, the sun still bearing down upon them. This was the location home to many of the more important stables and areas for battle preparation. The ruins of a barricade lay around the door, alongside the copious number of trainee bodies who failed to protect themselves. While there was no evidence of the wall’s debris assaulting this place, there was still a large amount of destruction here.
The remains of statues greeted the group, once magnum opus now a disfigured remnant of what was. They were made of marble, and once depicted the Vaunghe gods, although who each one was could not be discerned, due to the broken faces and pieces they had been split into. The statues lined the walls of this castle, with a new statue lining the wall every five metres. If they weren’t destroyed they would likely be the most impressive feat Osmund had ever seen, standing at almost double his nine and a half foot frame.
Moving forward, Osmund looked to the north, where the entrance of the tunnel system began. According to the map the entrance was hidden below the royal stable, and gave passageway into the complex’s vast tunnel system that could lead to several strategic positions. Motioning for his group to follow, they moved slowly around the curved walls of the inner wall. The bodies gradually stopped appearing, prompting the drawing of Osmund and the other’s weapons, save for Balmun who still lacked anything to protect himself with.
The royal stable was just as grand as Osmund expected, long silver poles supporting a twenty metre stable. Beside each pillar was another statue of a god, albeit these gods were untouched and in their full glory. First was the god of thought, Merculd, a figure of 19 ft who sat upon a throne of gold. Adorned with jewels and royal fabrics, the bearded man watched down upon those that approached, beckoning them inside. The man himself was crafted out of intricate copper and glass, an architectural marvel that Osmund couldn’t comprehend its creation.
Beside the father of thought was the mother of art Freya, whose statue was in opposition to the metals of Merculd. Freya was a wood carving, an intricate and detailed depiction of the woman who was 15 ft tall, standing up with beckoning hands towards any visitors. Her face was carved to the smallest detail, with each individual tooth lovingly crafted on her mouth. In contrast to the first statue Freya’s was carved alongside her body, a tight fitting tunic layered over hard to know pants, due to the lack of colour or texture upon them.
The last of the three statues was Zid, the proposed god of the wall, a 19 ft tall mass of flesh and muscle. There was nothing to this god but his muscles, they were the only trait he has, a blank, general male face looming over the entryway. It was made out of stone, likely being the oldest statue here and thus the simplest. That is not to say the statue wasn’t a work of its own, every detail to Zid’s veins had been lovingly placed, it’s just compared to the other two Zid felt… irrelevant to Osmund, past its time.
The stable was enclosed in intricately carved stone, helixes intersecting each other granting slimmers of light into the stable. There was no damage here, no bodies, no other people, this was Vaunghe architecture at its finest, and all of this hard work was spent on a singular, slightly inconveniently placed barn. The oddities of the Vaunghe never failed to surprise Osmund, and he braced to enter the barn.
Straw floors and hay bales greeted him, alongside a single lone steed. A fine horse, certainly of nobility, awaited patiently for its master to return. It had been alone for time unknown, and yet Osmund noticed it was still being fed quite well, a decent number of carrots awaiting on a plate. Osmund opened the gate to the horse and approached the fine steed. He slapped it on the behind, sending it out of the stable and into the inner wall.
“Sir, I’ve stepped into horse dung. May I have another pair of shoes?” Balmun’s voice rang through the room, echoing slightly. Osmund responded by throwing a carrot at his head. Balmun dodged with less than a second to spare, and the armed man behind him was hit dead on.
Reeling back from shock and surprise, the armed soldier moved his sword to his front, trying to shield any further blows. The man was tall, 8’5 ft to be exact, and dirty. His armour was coated in dirt and remnants of the smoke from the wall. Osmund could see the desperation in his eyes, and now charged the man.
Osmund met the man’s blade with his own, parrying immediately. A foot swept the enemy to the ground and Osmund stood above him sword raised. The man went for the blade only to find his hand was removed, spouting blood everywhere. Osmund grabbed the man and pushed him to his feet.
“There is a base for any injured troops at the entrance to Dundis, go now before you bleed to death.” The man’s face flashed in surprise, and he quickly scrambled out of the room, hand stump spouting blood.
“Hey sir?”
“What is it Balmun?”
“Can I have his sword now that he’s not using it?” Osmund proceeded to throw a washbucket at Balmun, this one doing a much better job at hitting him.
Osmund glanced at his surroundings, noting the strange way the straw seemed to be above the ground in one location. Sweeping it away Osmund found the small door, built directly into the floor since the creation of the stable. A rusted latch made way for the opening of the door, and the entrance of the tunnels.
A black, unlit expanse greeted them, stretching for length unknown. Gazing down into the tunnel the light from behind Osmund illuminated the ground slightly. Paved floors and stone walls made for a pathway that would likely be uncomfortable to say the least. Osmund could feel the coldness emanate from the expanse, and longed to stay in the warm outside of the world. But faced with no other option Osmund moved down the stairs swiftly, entering the darkness at a swift pace.
The others followed him inside, although with much more apprehension as to the contents of the black tunnel. Balmun briefly tried to leave, however he was penned in by the Enick twins.
Dark. Footsteps echo down the long and unseen halls. Dark. There was no light in this place, only the inky murk of nothingness. Dark. The blackness blanketed Osmund and the party, freezing them to their core. Dark. There was no warmth here, only the coldness that began to take over Osmund’s heart. Dark. Osmund reached a turn, he was meant to take a left, and he knocked on the wall to signal the party’s direction. Dark. The rasp was responded with by Balmun’s incessant questions of why no one was talking. Dark. The Enick twins muttered about breaking Balmun’s hands. Dark. The group continued their advance, confidence at an all time low. Dark. It was hard to gauge how much time had passed, however Osmund was sure it had been only a few minutes. Dark. Someone tripped, prompting the use of the word ‘fuck’. Dark. Everything was blackness, there was nothing, only the advancing. Dark. Osmund felt himself fading into the blackness, becoming one with it. Dark. Osmund kicked his iron plated boot onto the first step. Dark. Osmund trips on the stairs, feeling someone fall behind him, prompting further use of the word ‘fuck’ and its frequently used companion ‘shit’. Dark. Osmund regained his composure and slowly began his ascent. Dark. Hugging the wall the party ascended, occasionally tripping slightly until finally-
Light. It was slight, but Osmund slowly became aware of vague shadows playing before him. As he ascended there was more light, those shadows began to take form, and his sight slowly returned to him. There weren’t many stairs, although as the group came to a plateau he became aware of a second staircase, this one a wide spiral. They were likely just on level with the ground floor here, and the short staircase above was likely to the room directly above the tower’s entrance.
Osmund turned to his team, motioning for them to unsheathe their weapons, to which they swiftly obliged. Now advancing above the staircase Osmund saw the opening. A loose wall panel was all that barred Osmund from the enemy congregation. He could hear them now, active panic in their voices as a few steady voices spout commands from above.
Whatever forces left in this tower were evidently inexperienced, as anyone with a high enough rank would understand and evacuate via the tunnel, and yet there was no sign of knowledge as to its presence. That made it likely the stern commanding voice belonged to a trainer of some sort, and these were his pupils, now thrust into a bloody conflict they lie unprepared for.
Beyond the gap Osmund saw the shadows flicker and pass through, rushing between one place and the other. The sound of something being pushed signalled that the Alizian’s had somehow broken the initial barricade and this was the next front to be defended. Listening closer Osmund could hear the banging of his soldiers on the door, much to the fear of the panicking trainees.
Osmund readied his sword, placing it in front of him, and awaited a shadow that moved just close enough, just slowly enough for movement. The first shadow was close but too fast, however the next was just right. Osmund kicked through the wall, plunging his blade into the enemy. Blood burst before anyone could understand what happened, and the man’s head flew across the room.
The force of the head flying was so great it hit a comrade in the foot, prompting a loss of balance. For a brief moment nobody moved, just gazing down at Osmund, the headless Vaunghe, and then down to his head. One man raised his finger, pointing at the now emerging Alizian’s, and proceeded to scream.
This prompted panic from every Vaunghe in the room, every single one of these fresh faced troops was filled with a sense of fear and shock, sending some bumbling up the second entrance to the spiralling stairs. Osmund looked around, quickly noting the cleaning supplies and beds, and concluded that this room was in fact the maid’s quarters.
The men were barely armed, with one or two swords being dwarfed by the number of Vaunghe holding mops and glass objects. Osmund and the others all revealed their weapons to the group, and prepared to fight. The trainee’s swarmed the group, glass going everywhere, comrades hitting comrades and an entire clump of people together. The room was too small for so many people to use weapons, and as such the fight was a chaotic mess.
Osmund punched a young man in the face, sending teeth flying through the air. He pushed the man against his friends, who collapsed in a heap. Another man threw something at Osmund, and was dispatched with a kick to the side. More people appeared, with the room’s capacity doubling as people descended the stairs, ready for carnage. Osmund kicked, someone flew across the room knocking over even more, which in turn hit Balmun on the floor also.
As Osmund punched and dodged, swerving away from any injury, the rest of his party were slightly less proficient. Jumun had been hit in the head by a mop, sending her barrelling through a group of people. The Enick twins were throwing glass back at their enemies. Edmun still had the flail out, swinging it against his enemies, proceeding to hit Josmu in the arm and sending him to the ground.
Jab. Return. Sword. Dodge. Mop. Catch. Snap. Osmund’s mind raced, sending the Vaunghe to the ground in their tens. They crowded him, trying desperately to overwhelm him to no avail. Osmund had his back pressed to the wall, using it as a springboard against anyone trying to attack him. Osmund grabbed a Vaunghe and bowled the crowd to the ground using him as a makeshift battering ram.
Osmund kicked a Vaunghe to the ground, blood splattering across the room from a broken knee. The ground was covered in the Vaunghe trainees, sputtering blood and mumbling on the ground. And yet more still poured down the stairs, until finally it happened, a perpetual cycle of tripping.
For a brief few moments everyone was falling, Osmund, the party, the Vaunghe soldiers, everyone was tripping over everyone else, breaking bones and fracturing the body everywhere. Someone was just yelling perpetually, everytime he slowed down they just started back up again.
And it was as Osmund flew across this room, it was now that he remembered the gift of the gods. It had been about three days since it was gifted to him, a weapon to use in an emergency. It was a small handheld device, with a large pin sticking out of it. Upon removing the pin the device would combust, destroying everything around it. The one thing Osmund was told was to never be in a situation that risks removing the pin, or else he would explode.
Osmund had completely forgotten about the device, what he called god’s gift, until now. He scrambled into his pocket, feeling only two of the three gifts in his pocket, apparently the third had fallen out somewhere. Now beginning to sweat, Osmund called out to his soldiers around the room.
“Everyone, one of the gifts is missing! Move now!” The party began to panic, and now the squirming ocean of people became even harder to navigate.
Everywhere were bodies, Osmund attempting to wade through the field of people. He was halfway through strangling an obese man to death when he saw it. The god’s gift was lying on the floor between the mass of flesh this room had become. Osmund released the fat man and forced his way through the wide group of people, hand reaching for the gift. The string of Vaunghe had ended at this point, however it was at this point the Alizian military finally broke through into the room.
Flooding the room the force of their entry threw another Vaunghe into Osmund sending the gift flying directly towards Balmun, who appeared to be trying to climb the wall and escape the flood. Balmun unexpectedly caught the gift, and looked down at it in surprise.
“Hey Osmund, I have a very cunning plan!”
“No Gods be damned you idiot do not pull that pin!” Doubt came across Balmun’s face as he looked at the object, and then at the pin in his other hand.
Osmund then saw something fly through the air and back into the hole the group had entered from. Osmund looked back towards Balmun, who shrugged and raised the pin, embarrassment high on his face.
And then there was a loud bang, an explosion filled the room. Osmund was thrown against the wall alongside everyone else in the room, and for a brief second no one did anything. Reeling Osmund slowly clambered out of the mass of bodies he was now trapped inside of, looking around for survivors. There was a larger hole where the entrance used to be, alongside large bloody chunks of some poor sod who attempted to escape.
The Alizian’s reappeared in the doorway, noticing Osmund and approaching him with support. Everyone in the room was now bloody and beaten, save for Balmun who was for some reason running up the stairs, sword raised, issuing a battle cry. Osmund sighed, a loud ringing in his left ear silencing everything, and proceeded to follow the idiot upstairs. He was followed by one of the Enick twins and Jumun, with the other members of the party being unconscious amongst the heaps of flesh the room had become.
The group kicked in the top door of the tower, greeting the last few of the army. These men were older, and armed with real weapons. Osmund pushed Balmun forward with great force, stopping him from being hit by a sword and sending him tumbling into two of the soldiers.
Osmund dodged a sword swing, sending a gut punch in turn. The snap of bone and another Vaunghe was forced to the floor, blood spurting. Osmund’s hard rock fist shattered a man’s face in two, sending another Vaunghe down. Two more were taken out by Osmund’s party, with Balmun still on the floor.
A tall man, one of around 9 ft, charged Osmund to the floor, the impact deep on Osmund’s back. Osmund rolled, forcing the man to the ground and began pummeling him. Punching Osmund slammed through the man’s cheap armour, then his face, and Osmund kept punching until the man’s insides now coated Osmund’s outsides. Moving back, Osmund failed to see the man from behind him. By the time Osmund realised it was too late.
Something hard and metallic rasped off of Osmund’s head, sending him flying onto the ground, and as Osmund sweeped his feet he felt someone fall behind him. Blood rushed through Osmund’s nose and ear onto the floor, feeling the damage overwhelm him briefly. For a brief second Osmund forgot who he was, felt nothing but existence itself, and then his inner self focused on the pain, and came back to his senses.
Osmund turned, looking down at the man he’d tripped, now on the floor, and the item in his hands. It was silver, and oddly shaped, although Osmund felt he’d seen it before somewhere, although from where he knew it escaped him. Osmund crawled onto the man, pressing his hands against the man’s throat, and began to squeeze. The man’s resistance was futile, he spun around, kicking back at Osmund to no avail, until finally his windpipe gave way and caved in.
Slowly Osmund began to rise, the blood pouring out of him at an alarming rate. Covered in the blood and filth of himself and others, Osmund rose up and finally realised what hit him. The metal object was a bedpan, although hopefully not a used one, and Osmund picked it up, remarking at the dent his head had left on it. A lesser man may have been killed by such a weapon, however Osmund is by no means lesser.
He looked around to see the last Vaunghe soldier standing alone, surrounded by his allies. However there was something by the soldier’s feet that made Osmund freeze. The second gift of God was lying there, right beside the soldier’s foot. As the soldier moved for a valiant last fight he slipped on the gift, and Osmund heard the pin shoot out.
As Osmund moved to the stairs he grabbed anyone he could, two shapes clutched to his body, and jumped out of the room and down the stairs. The explosion rocked the tower, and as Osmund rolled down the stairs he took out a great number of Alizian’s trying to join the fight. As he rolled he also noticed the tower itself was also coming down, although Osmund knew he’d be dead by the time it hit the ground.
As Osmund and the two beside him hurtled to the ground Osmund’s vision began to fade, his eyes glossed over, and everything was black.

I’m a FTM and 21 weeks pregnant. I finally felt her moving for the first time tonight. I was laying in bed with my hand on my tummy and I felt a series of little “pokes”. I even woke my boyfriend up and he was beyond excited because he could feel it too!
Crazy that I didn’t realize what it was before, when she’s now already making big enough movements to feel from the outside!
Anyways, just wanted to share a cool milestone :)

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