Lyrics green grass and high tides

Hello guys, a bit on me if you'd like: I'm a person who's always been fond for writing, but never really had my hand in it though, in fact, I wrote this incomplete should-have-been series a year ago, but never really completed it. I've only dabbled in it for a bit, writing scraps and throwing them away, but this is the only thing I found that was noteworthy and decided to share it, it's a copy-paste directly from the writing program, but I cleaned it up a bit of course, anyway, I really hope you guys enjoy!
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You don't know who I am, or where I come from, you don't know anything, but if you're reading this that's good, it means you're alive, and maybe the world is better, maybe it's enjoyable, and there are parks again, and kids laughing and cheering. But that's all a maybe, an outcome with an unfair possibility of not happening, but I guess it makes sense, someone decided to destroy the world, and with the technology we had, it probably wasn’t that hard. What happened? well, I don't really know, all I know is that the world is falling apart, it's cracking, small cracks are apparent in almost every surface I come across that's been untouched or unmoved for a while, and they aren't normal cracks, they have a dim white glow, when I say dim I mean almost non-existent but the glow was still there nonetheless, and it feels like the world isn’t as bright, the world just lost all its life, all the grays got greyer and every other color looks dull and monotonous, but that’s just what came about.
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After the first day, all available power disappeared, it was an exposition, a cardinal signal foreshadowing the apocalyptic future yet to come, of course, people started to panic. after one week the water shut off, at this point people had started to get irritable, and heated arguments were becoming a much too common thing to see in a lonely town like mine, then the third week hit, it's when the cracks became noticeable, it's also when people were being discovered, dead people, not many in the first few days, only two or three found a day. Soon enough people had run out of supplies, it's not like people were restocking the stores so no one could get any food or drink.
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The streets were littered with bodies, most died from asphyxiation or gunshots, which was unlike the first killings, the first body found had his throat ripped out and his guts spilled, yet there was no blood anywhere on the body and no signs of a struggle, although I noticed this, I paid little attention to it. Nothing happened after that, aside from me staying in the basement which held enough food and water to sustain me for about a month and then some if I rationed carefully. It sucked in there, I had to have the little lamp in there off most of the time because of the lack of power, and the battery was already three-quarters full when I got down there, but I managed for thirty-two painfully slow and lightless days, then I emerged into my home.
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I saw what I had expected, shattered glass everywhere, tables turned on their sides, and everything else characteristic of a ransacking, but I was not expecting to find a body stuck in a wall, his waist and below stuck in the wall, the wall wasn't broken, it was like something had made the wall a liquid, stuck him in, and made the wall solid again. I didn’t see any fractures in the wall's surface aside from the small squiggly white cracks that remained on almost every surface. At that point I realized I hadn't shed a single tear or even once felt the need to vomit, I felt ashamed of myself, I felt emotionless and lifeless, I could have gone ahead and made my morning coffee and watched the news without giving a care in the world about the body that lay in my home… too bad there was no coffee, or tv.
10/16/2027 Stock:
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• Food: Can of Beans(6x cans). Can of Mangos (2x cans). Jack Link’s Beef Jerky (2x bags).
  
• Drink: Water(4x bottles). BodyArmor(3x bottles). (Empty Large Canteen).
  
• Items: Empty Large Canteen. Flashlight. Extra Batteries.(2x)
  
• Weapons: Colt 1911 (2x 8-Round Magazines, .45 ACP(44x)
  Remington Model 700(2x 3-Round Magazines, .308 WIN(18x) Hunting Knife
  

Note-1: After digging through my dad's closet and finding a false floorboard that always creaked, I gained access to two guns, a Remington Model 700 and a Colt 1911, and their corresponding ammunition.
Note-2: due to me living here for long enough I had the insight into areas of suspicion, an example is the floorboard, it’s unlikely I’ll get the luck to find hidden spaces like that again, but maybe when I’m skillful enough at looting, finding hidden spaces would become more common.
10/16/27
I gathered all of my supplies and put them in a backpack, aside from the M1911 and the 700, I put the M1911 in a holster on my hip and slung the 700 on my back, after I was ready, I left, the first thing I noticed was the lack of wildlife, I don’t live in a big city, it’s just a somewhat sparsely housed town, there’d always be an acre or two between homes at the very least, and birds were usually everywhere, but now I only see a few, only hear a few chirps here and there, I haven’t seen any terrestrial animals yet aside from insects, it seems there are fewer insects though as well. After I left my home I stood on the doorstep, I looked around at the dull scenery, I used to step outside to just look at the trees and the sky, but now everything is unappealing, I took the steps through the grass to my beat up car, all the glass was broken, I opened the door, sat inside and turned the ignition, nothing happened, as I expected cars don’t work anymore either, which put me on edge, what if guns don’t work anymore? But I silenced that thought, I still have a knife if guns won’t work.
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I stepped out of the car and went to the trunk to see if anything was left of value. I opened it and found nothing, with no new supplies I decided the first place I’ll go to is the gas station, there was bound to be something there, even if it was only a little something. I started my two-mile trek to the gas station, I hiked a lot before all of this happened, two miles was nothing at all. There was a trail not too far from my house that I and my dog used to walk at, my dog died a few months back luckily enough, I wouldn’t have been able to support him now, not with the looming fear of starvation following me around. I had walked about one mile when all of a sudden everything went quiet, birds stopped chirping, the wind stopped blowing.
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I got off the road and hid in a bush, I heard things moving, rustling the brush, stopping every now and then, almost as if they were looking for something, I’d hear what sounded like someone taking a knife to glass, it pained my ears and I felt they would start bleeding if the sounds lasted a second longer. I never saw them, I don’t know if it was because they were behind me or on the other side of the road in a ditch or something, but after 10 minutes it went away, nature’s sounds returned after 5 minutes, I had to wait another 10 minutes, my body, shocked and stiff, wouldn’t allow me to move. I stood and dusted myself off, since I didn’t know where the sounds came from I just started searching on the opposite bank of the road, no signs of anything being there, no tracks, no broken twigs, no blood.
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I thought I had gone insane while wallowing in my lonesome, but then I remembered the birds reacted to whatever it was, or whatever they were, I don’t know how many there were, it constantly alternated between the sound of one of them and the sound of an uncountable amount. Happy to get out of the area, I continued to my destination. When I got to the gas station there was only one broken window, and a body with characteristics of the first killings laying on the floor near the register, a broken knife next to him. I looted his body without remorse or disgust. I found a pack of cigs and pocketed them there was also a scrunched paper.
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I read it once, then twice, and even a third time, my stomach churned and felt like it was about to implode, it looked to be a message from the man’s daughter saying how much she loved him and she wants him to be safe because of all the “bad people”, a smiley face sat at the top of the paper, I flipped the paper over to find distinctly different handwriting, presumingly the man’s, it detailed how he was sorry, as well as how he’d been at the station for 3 days, said he couldn’t leave because if he did they would get him, his last words, being written hastily were hardly legible, but I could read enough to understand that the cracks in the world that appeared in the station were much more distinct than in other places, and those things could come in, but they were just staring at him tauntingly. I could barely hold myself back from puking, it wasn’t hard to look at someone’s corpse, it had no effect on me, but the second I realized that man had a family, and had ambitions and potential… I continued looking around the store. I realized there would be more loot on dead bodies because people don’t want to touch them. After looking through all the shelves and in all of the back rooms I found a lighter under the lip of a bottom shelf, lucky me.
10/20/27
I had hoped there would be more, more of everything, but there’s nothing, I’ll put another list of my supplies soon but at this rate, I won't make it to see next week, every single store has been ransacked completely, all the bodies always have empty already eaten foods, I don’t know what to do. I’ve not seen a single soul, everything is dead, not even the insects anymore, the birds are gone too, maybe it has something to do with the cracks, they’ve progressed enough to where they are visible from up to a foot away, I’ve had to hide from those screeching things a couple of times, still haven’t seen them yet, I realized when the wind abruptly stops they’ve appeared, it’s a good thing the birds were still singing those few days ago or I wouldn’t have realized the pattern, I’d probably be dead, just like everyone else.
10/23/27
Nothing much has happened, I’ve seen a bird or two, and it’s nice to know that at least for a little bit longer animals will still be alive, I’ve theorized that whenever I hear the noise it’s only one entity doing it, I think this because I’ve heard an exceptionally large commotion a way off, I assume there was two there. Fortunately, the screeching has only happened near me only once, I’ve heard them in the distance though, in the night while I sleep I hear them far off, searching, waiting for their sinister roulette to hit, hoping, anticipating the kill. I decided to head to the(SO AND SO) I’ll update this then or if something happens along the way.
10/26/27
I’ve come across a hunting stand in the woods, it’s a jackpot. There’s too much stuff to carry, there was a map too so I’ll mark the general location once I find a landmark to orient myself with, I’ll put a list after this log but there’s more to talk about. The fragmentation, It’s what I’ve come to call the cracks, is still spreading of course. I’m starting to see a noticeable separation between the two edges of some individual fragments, still not big enough to stick anything in but instead of being small white lines spread wildly around, They’ve become a prominent feature of every object, I’ve been to some areas where the fragmentation is severe, white snakes slithering across any surface they can find, trying to fracture this world, they do end up doing it I suppose, that’s how the screechers exist, but the breaks only hold for so long until they close. That’s what I think happens at least, it’s not like I’ve seen them yet, and as long as I continue to find zones with little to no fragmentation as I have been, I think I’ll be fine, I just hope my luck doesn’t run out.
PUT A LOG HERE
10/29/27
I think I’m near (VarA), I should be out of the woods soon, but for now, I’ve got my bedroll down and am cooking some beans over the fire I’ve made, I’ll be fed for a while.
This may sound stupid but the fire keeps going out, the flames just disappear, no more heat. The charcoals lose their ember, everything becomes the regular temperature of the air around me. It still works though, there is no reliable frequency I can predict so sometimes it’ll die out as soon as I light it, and other times it takes an hour or two.
11/02/27
()()(())()()(()()()…I was walking when the wind stopped, the biggest problem for me at first was the fact there was nowhere to run, no depressions to dip in, I heard what sounded like a sharp camera shutter that immediately followed the deadening silence, the second I heard it I ran, a branch caught the strap of my bag, pulling it away from me. I couldn’t care though, all I could do was run, the trees vied for me, closing in. I was tripping and falling over and over, nearly impaling myself on the branches of trees I could hardly see.
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I felt a push and fell over, I knew that running couldn’t have saved me, I knew it was there, right behind me, I couldn’t hear it though, I could only hear my breath but it wasn’t like that, I couldn’t hear it because it wasn’t making any noise, I thought for sure it would be screeching out for as long as it’s astral body would allow it to, but it didn’t, in fact, it lay on the ground, the white body, which looked as if it consisted of bolts of white grey lightning and string, pulsated, morphing into a consuming goop of unlight, and then back into it’s shimmering somewhat humanoid form, that process took a minute. I too lay there, my foot just a stone toss away from its hungry hand, the tips of its fingers eager to detach from its parent body, but was disallowed. I lay on the ground staring at it, and for some reason, it didn’t move, I took that opportunity to regenerate as much of my energy as possible, but from fear of losing my safety, I stood up slowly, emphasizing my steadiness, even though it probably detects me through a different means, I shouldn’t let it hear me, some caution is better than no caution at all.
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I rose and took a gradual step back, but my back was met by a thick, gnarled arm of wood, as if that wasn’t enough, I had also stepped on a branch, probably from the same tree. The screecher stirred, its spectral head raised, maybe it used its sight for precision. It tried to raise the rest of its body, but its foot was stuck in a root, not like it was trapped under it, its foot was fused with the root. I guess it noticed it too because immediately the tone of its body got dimmer, I knew it was going to morph into the darkness, to free itself, to kill me. I took the chance I had, the 10s of seconds I had left were diminishing, and every second I wasted increased my chance of death. I turned, and immediately crouched and ducked under my guard that was the trees arm, I didn’t expect to have the keenness I had during that run, I’ve never been a particularly agile person, but in that moment I could see, without any blur caused by my abrupt motions, ducking and weaving through what seemed like the thickest forest I had ever seen.
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I collapsed after only minutes of running, which was unsurprising though, the previous running and endless walking cost me an obscene amount of energy, taxing my body till the end, draining it of its power. I could hear them now, screaming, coming for me, it shouldn’t take as long as it’s taking them, but I guess they’re fighting each other, that’s why there is noise. I turned around and waited, I saw the two of them approaching me, they kept pushing and shoving each other, they were walking so slowly, as if they were sapped for energy, and the density of their body was low, it seems most of the strings of white grey abandoned the parent body for some reason, and with every step they took a few more disappeared, falling off into the ground. One of the entities fell to the ground, and the second took the opportunity and fell on top of it, tearing it to shreds, and repairing its own body with its meal, it seems it was only able to regain a menial percentage of its power back though, it’s speed only bolstered for a minute or so, still not fast enough to keep up with a hasty back step.
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It fell to the ground after a while, and everything below its torso disappeared shortly after, it desperately sunk its claws into the soil, pulling with its full ability, trying to get me. It disappeared, shortly after, leaving quite a thick strand of vibrant white light. I pondered whether picking it up or not would be a good idea, in the end, I decided a little glowing string couldn’t hurt me that much. I plucked it from its place on the ground and immediately felt a strong, radiant sensation, a pulsating heat and cold piercing my body as if it was filling me with energy, I dropped it, even holding it for a few seconds easily removed most of the exhaustion from my body, I wanted to grab it again for another hit of pure energy, but I felt if I did I would explode, my body was not meant for this type of power, although it seemed capable enough to absorb what I presume was a little bit of it, I think it’s capacity is quite high, and powering what was but a little bit of myself was probably the least intensive thing this string could do.

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Aside from these, the project also features a playground for children. Its green zones provide a serene atmosphere and allow families to spend quality time together. The residential hub is located close to many schools, hospitals, and shopping malls. The property is also well-connected to major IT hubs in the city.
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I live in a modest house right on the edge of a large forest in Arkansas. I live with my wife and a German shepherd named Kaiser who is a retired police dog. I'm an active police officer and he was formerly my partner in the field. Since retiring and coming home to my family, he's always been quite the paranoid dog. Often, he would wake up in the middle of the night and walk to the back door, and growl at something. We live in a pretty rural area, so I would always check to make sure there wasn't a problem.
On some nights, he would remain on guard at the back door all night. He would never walk out, though. Even if I gestured for him to come outside with me to check if there was anybody outside, he would refuse and appear concerned. Once morning came, he was back to normal as if nothing was bothering him. But over time, his behavior began to change. He less frequently wanted to sleep in the bed with my wife and me and he stopped getting the zoomies altogether. We took him to the vet and she said he was likely experiencing depression.
The vet recommended a few things that we started doing to help Kaiser. I'm a member of the bomb squad and Kaiser was a bomb-sniffing dog. So, every once in a while, I'd hide a decoy in the house and order him to find it. I would also exercise him more. My wife and I are active runners and we started taking him with us. Both of these things seemed to make him much happier, but it still didn't solve the issue of him laying at the back door every night.
I decided to install another security camera that would look directly at the back porch and I started leaving the back porch light on each night to see if I could catch anything. The first few weeks saw no activity. Kaiser would still do his routine, but there was never anything outside. That was until one cold and snowy night in January. It was eleven at night and I hadn't gone to sleep yet. I had my laptop open on the counter with the live feed of the back porch camera on. Weirdly, I noticed a dog appear behind my house and lay down below the steps up to the porch. The camera feed was fuzzy, so I couldn't make out the breed, but I could tell it wasn't a small dog.
I called my wife down the come look at it. "What the hell is some random dog coming to sleep under our porch for?" she said.
"I'm not sure, but this has to be why Kaiser's been acting so weird."
"Are you gonna go out there?"
"Probably not, I'm not sure if he's friendly. I'll give it a few days and see if he comes back." I looked back at Kaiser and he was standing at attention with his ears perked up. I reassured him everything was okay and tried to get him to come upstairs with my wife and me, but he still would leave the back door.
Unsurprisingly, as the next night came, the dog returned. Then the next night, he returned. Finally, when he returned the fourth time in a row, I decided I'd go out to check on him. Not knowing if he was friendly, I got the handgun and flashlight from my nightstand and kissed my wife.
"Get ready to call animal control if he turns out not to be friendly," I said.
"You're taking the gun with you, is that even gonna be necessary?"
"This is my last resort, the last thing I wanna do is shoot a dog."
Once again, Kaiser refused to come outside with me. I could hear the rustling from under the porch when the dog heard me step onto the porch. I left the door cracked just in case Kaiser wanted to walk out with me. I called the dog a few times but he didn't come out. I could hear him moving, but I couldn't hear any clanging from key chains on a collar.
After a few minutes of trying to call the dog out, I walked down to the grass and try to look under the porch. I shined the flashlight under the porch and saw him laying down as far back as he could. He appeared to be an English mastiff, but he was quite dirty. I tried calling him out but he stayed still staring at me. I went inside and got some of Kaiser's food. Surprisingly, he came out when I offered it to him. Once I stepped back away from the bowl, he began to eat.
As I looked closer at him, I noticed quite a few scars and bruises on him. This dog was trying to get away from an abuser. But where could he be coming from? I know all of my neighbors and their dogs and none of them are English mastiffs. I decided to would just try to take care of this dog for now. Once he was finished eating the food I offered him, he went back to laying down under the porch and I took the bowl back inside.
I kept watching the camera feed for about an hour before I went to bed and he never walked out from under the porch. I went under the porch on the morning after and the dog wasn't there. My wife and I decided to name him Buck for the time being until we figured out his real name and who owned him.
This continued for a few nights. I'd bring him some food, he'd come out from the porch just to eat, I'd go back inside, and he'd be gone by the morning. My wife recommended calling animal control to get him out, but I decided not to since he wasn't causing any problems.
After about a week, Buck let me sit next to him while he was eating. He was a bit skittish when I tried to pet him, but he allowed it. But then something even more strange happened the night after that. Buck brought a friend. A blond lab that my wife and I named Charlie. Charlie also had scars and bruises. Weirdly, Kaiser decided to come out with me this time and greet Buck and Charlie. I tried to get Buck and Charlie to come inside so they didn't have to sleep in the cold, but they refused.
My concern was growing high at this point. I knew these dogs were getting abused and that infuriated me. But they refuse to come into my house and would always go back to wherever they were coming from. So, I decided instead of trying to keep them at my house, I'd follow them to whatever they considered home. The next night, I put on my police gear, grabbed my shotgun and flashlight, and waited for the dogs to walk away. When they finally left, around two in the morning, I quickly followed, as did Kaiser.
I kept my phone on me with GPS location turned on so I wouldn't get lost. I searched through the forest for about an hour with no sign of anything. Kaiser was constantly on alert. I knew he was stressed, but he'd been through a lot in his life already, so I knew he was confident. After an hour and about a mile away from the house, I noticed a faint light through the trees.
I kept Kaiser close while we made our way closer to the light. It seemed to get dimmer the closer we got. When we finally reached the location, the light was already out. What we came across looked like a sinkhole with some sort of cave-like opening and an artificial path so you could walk in and out of the hole.
Despite my better judgment, I walk down the path into the sinkhole, Kaiser following skittishly behind me. I shined my flashlight all around the bottom and noticed there was something buried under a pile of leaves. Kaiser started smelling around and he went digging through the leaves. To my horror, he found Charlie nearly dead. He appeared to still be breathing, but he had a huge gash cutting across his torso. I wanted to do something, but it looked far too bad to be helped. Kaiser was whining and looked back at me, his ears plopping down. Rest in peace, Charlie.
I couldn't let whoever was doing this continue. Kaiser didn't want to leave Charlie, but I had to keep him near me so it didn't happen to him, too. We began walking into the cave. My flashlight was still the only light. The smell in this cave was beyond bad. I know what a dead body smells like, and this was far worse.
I began to hear sounds coming from the cave. Kaiser was starting to get more tense, as was I. As we got further down, I could start to make out the noises more clearly. Dogs were whining and barking. The cave started to take shape and look more like a dungeon. I reached the end. There were tons of cages with multiple dogs in each cage. As I walked through, all the dogs turned to me. I couldn't imagine what kind of sick freak would be doing this.
A loud, blood-curdling scream came from the end of a hallway. All the dogs stopped barking, just quietly whimpering. I shined the flashlight in the direction of the scream. It didn't sound human. I walked down, ready to shoot a freak. I turned the corner, and what I saw sent me into a living nightmare. It screamed again, almost deafening me. I shot.
My ears were ringing. I could faintly hear the dog begin barking again. I look behind me and Kaiser is standing, ready to receive an order. I give him the word to attack. I gather my bearings before calling Kaiser back. It was dead. It looked like some demented feline monster. Its ears were cut up, its face was mangled, and its teeth were gnarly.
It was about the size of a large dog, like a dingo or Great Dane, and hairless. But why and how could a creature like this organize a doggy dungeon like this? That was a question I didn't really want to know the answer to. All I knew was I had a bunch of dogs to rescue and get home.
I never found Buck, but I decided to bury Charlie in my backyard. If anybody would like to adopt a rescue and you live in Arkansas, I have plenty that are in desperate need of a home.

I'm just looking for advice on where to take this and if it's even good. I don't know what direction to head in after this. Should it be fantasy or more reality like? I started writing this probably about a year ago, I really like the idea that's going on, but I don't know where to go from here. As you can probably tell from my writing, I'm a huge amateur, so it would be great if you could read it and give feedback and tips. It's going to be a bit messy because I haven't reread it much, but it's right below here.
Chapter 1
It’s the same as any other day, I live a pretty basic life, in fact, scarily basic. I’m a normal 16-year-old high school student. I slave away at my schoolwork and then come home and play video games. Just rinse and repeat all of that and that’s my life at the moment. I’m currently just staring at my ceiling right now trying to force myself to go to sleep, because I know I'll hate myself tomorrow for not getting any. I guess that’s the downside of staying up all night and sleeping all day on the weekend. I turn around and force my eyes shut trying to drift away. After what felt like hours of just laying there, I finally fell asleep.
I wake up and realize I’m late for school. I get up, put my clothes on and run out the door, sprinting towards my school. It’s pretty handy when your school is only a 15-minute jog. As I'm running I realize how quiet it is. I stand there with the void of sound only illuminated by my ragged breath. I start looking around till I see something strange. A gummy bear, just over a foot tall, and it looks like it’s staring at me. As I'm walking towards it I see it start animating as it shifts towards me. I look at the abnormally large gummy bear and crouch down next to it. As I look at it, it responds by looking at me with cute sparkling eyes. I reach my hand to pet it and all of a sudden there is a sharp burning pain going throughout my entire body. As I stare at the gummy bear I see its cute eyes replaced with eyes that look drowned is blood, and razor sharp teeth holding something. As I try to focus my eyes with the burning pain I see what looks like a finger. I finally look down towards the source of the pain and see a hand covered in a sea of crimson red with 4 fingers. I take a step back and then realize I'm surrounded by the same bloodshot eyes gummy bears baring their teeth at me. As I try to process what's happening, suddenly the same yellow gummy bear dyed in my blood leaps towards my leg, my reaction causes it to go flying with a kick with all my strength which shakes off in an instant. Suddenly like a hallucination coming undone my vision flickers as it reveals corpses sprayed across the ground like crumbs, and the gummy bears reveal their true appearance. A swamp green creature with fur covering its back like a hedgehog and the same razer teeth and blood filled eyes. As the creatures start closing in on me, I and everything around me, is now covered by a shadow that looms over as far as I can see. I look towards where the sun was and see nothing but a deep black surface…. Or is it even a surface? I can't tell what it is but what I know for a fact are those familiar blood filled eyes stared into my very soul….. No, my very being of existence, everything I've ever known or loved was being peeped at by this…. thing. I stood there with a single tear stretching across my face as I accepted my fate.
Chapter 2
Is this the 100th time? No, it may be well over the triple digits, at least that's what it felt like. I lost count an eternity ago. It looks like every time I die I restart the day in my bed, with the time always the same on my alarm clock. I've tried almost everything I can think of. I've tried knives, guns, bats but they've all produced the same result, dying. Hell, I've even tried to stay in my room but one thing that never changed is the feeling of being watched. I realized that I'm under something like a hallucination that makes me unable to truly see what things are like. It seems something like an ability that the creatures I've called gremlins (I’ve neither the creativity nor the energy to be unique right now) use to give their prey a sense of safety, although in the 5 senses it seems it can only change sight. It also seems that they can only change it to an extent, for example, they can't seem to reanimate organisms, although that might be because they can't reproduce their speech. But I do know that they can't make themselves just disappear, and it seems their go-to form is a gummy bear. I've done extensive research on them and here is where I'm at.
Their biggest weakness I found so far seems to be blunt weapons. I don't know the reason as I can't exactly dissect them, but it seems that knives and guns don't work nearly as well. Part of the reason that I do know it is that the gremlins have an extremely fast regeneration rate in which they can heal gunshot wounds in only 15 seconds. I think blunt weapons work because they crush their internal organs if you swing hard enough. It seems like their durability to attacks is surprisingly low, maybe because they've evolved without needing a lot of durability because of their regen. I think that swords would work well if you just cut them in half, or at least almost in half. I've no way to test that as I have no way to get close enough to them with my knife without losing some fingers. But by far the most important thing I've found out is how to get out of the illusion. It seems if i focus some type of energy into your eyes the illusion becomes undone. I can do it right now without the need of outside sources, but it is a lot easier with pain. But even after all those retries and all that research one thing, I still know nothing about is that thing in the sky. I still don't even know how to describe its irregular body color, because when I look at it, it just looks like nothing. I feel as if for the first time I've seen nothing. Not the surrounding air, no that has tiny little gas particles everywhere. But when I look at its body it reflects no light, I can't seem to focus on its body, and it doesn't even have any sense of the depth of it. It looks like it tore a section of reality itself and its peering into my world in a state of nothing. Although one thing I am sure about is its eyes. What seems like a hundred feet in circumference all it does is watch, it hasn't made any movements as I've been killed or killed the gremlins it just stays put staring at me, like I’m a source of entertainment. But besides my research, I'm currently in my kitchen looking for something to use to try and kill the gremlins. As I'm looking for something I smell something I've become quite acquainted with over the past hundreds of restarts.
Blood.
As I look around, I realize I'm still in the hallucination state and can't see what's happening, so I look around the kitchen to try and find something to get me out of it. I consider chopping off a finger, but I know I'm not brave enough for that yet. I then see a lemon and decide to try that out. I slice open the lemon and squeeze the juice into both my eyes. I clench my eyelids down as the burning sensation bounces around in my eyes. After about 30 seconds I open my eyes and look around and I finally see what I've avoided finding this entire time, my mom. As I stare at the soulless corpse, I see what's left of my mom. It seems like the gremlins bit almost completely through her throat and completely ate her arm. I fall to my knees and tears start running down my face. All the emotions I've been holding back set in, the loneliness, the sadness, the anger, the hopelessness, all finally break out of the cage I've locked them in and are taking control of my thoughts.
“Mom….”
My voice comes out coarsely, barely audible.
I break down. My sobs echoing throughout the empty house. My head caked in her blood as I rested it on her chest. After ten minutes I lay there, out of tears. I've realized, This isn't some fun game where I get to defeat some enemies or some comic where I get a cool superpower and defeat an evil villain. No this is real life. And even if I defeated all the gremlins, there's still that thing in the sky. And even if theoretically I defeat that, there's nothing left, no friends, no family. Soon enough the power plants will shut down, I'll run out of electricity, water, everything. Assuming there are any survivors besides me I don't know where they are, and with that, there's no way to even carry on humanity. And if I live my life until let's say I'm 70 and best-case scenario there's another human who's a girl, who becomes my wife and we become the new Adam and Eve. I’ll still die eventually and when that happens, I'll restart. This isn't some fun cool superpower, no this is a curse, I've been cursed with this by something, and it has seemingly no end. I pick up the knife lying beside me and hold it against my throat. I realize there's no point in that and just drop it. I get up and walk outside, with tons of those gremlins outside my door they start leaping towards me, gnawing my skin and bones until there's nothing left, before my eyes give out, I still see in the sky, that eye staring at me. As I fall and close my eyes. I subconsciously let out a smile. After all this time the only thing that proves my existence, the only thing I've come to have as a friend is pain. And as my friend sores throughout my body, I can't help but laugh. A laugh comes out of my blood-filled throat, a laugh I could only think of coming from a psychopath. That laugh rings throughout my head as everything goes black. A familiar feeling. Death.
Chapter 3
I open my eyes once again staring at my pale ceiling, everything's the same. I figure there’s no point in trying right now. I could lie here for however many lives I wanted. Nothing would change. I close my eyes again trying to shut myself off from the world. After a while of lying there, I heard something coming up the stairs. It’s a bit early but the gremlins have come again. Although it was strange. I only heard one pair of footsteps coming up. Maybe for some reason, it hasn't told its friends it found me. And then something even weirder happened, the door opened, and on the other side of the doorway was something that looked exactly like my mom.
“Shane! What are you still doing in bed? School started over an hour ago!”
Shane… Shane…
My Mom used to call me that. Everyone used to call me that.
“What's wrong?”
It started speaking. The figure that looked like my mom has started speaking and it knows my name.
“Mom, is that you?”
I said with tears streaming down my face. My Mom, with a worried look plastered on her face, asked me.
“Of course, it’s me, what's wrong? Did something happen?”
“Just a nightmare “
I said with my face moist with tears. Although I know, that was no nightmare. Nightmares are dreams that never last that long. I felt it, I felt everything going on. Especially the pain, that pain was the most real thing I've ever experienced.
“Well just because you had a nightmare doesn’t mean you get to skip out on school.”
She sighed with a frown on her face.
School…. I forgot that it even existed.
“Alright Mom, just let me get ready and I’ll be down in 5.”
“Okay Shane, breakfast will be ready downstairs.”
My Mom left me alone and I sat there in disbelief.
Is this real, am I in another dream? Is this a dream and the other world is reality?
Well, thinking won't solve anything but I'm glad I'm out of that hellhole, even if it's temporarily. I quickly get ready and put on my backpack. My Mom made me some eggs on toast, and I headed out the door. It feels great, I heard the birds chirping, and my neighbor mowing his lawn. And no smell of blood. But one thing hasn't changed. Someone is watching me. I look in the sky, but a blanket of blue covers the vast plain. I shake it off, I’m probably still paranoid from the dream. I take a deep breath and continue on my way.
After around 30 minutes walking i finally arrive at school
Why didn’t I just take my bike?
I sigh and open the front doors to the school. I walked into the front office and as my pass was printing the office lady started speaking.
“There are 20 minutes left of the first block, so I’d hurry up.”
“Alright, thanks Mrs. Garcia”
“Anytime, now hurry up.”
That’s Mrs. Garcia. She lives near me, and I frequently do Jobs for her like Pet sitting and lawn mowing. She's kinda like a grandma I've never had.
I arrive at class and knock on the door. My classmate lets me in and as I walk towards my desk and see a familiar face frowning at me.
“Where have you been? You haven’t been responding to my texts, I was worried.”
I smile and look at her face. I still don’t know how I managed to get a girlfriend as beautiful as Katie, even after these past months of dating. I’m definitely glad I built up the courage to ask her out.
“Yeah sorry, I overslept and kind of forgot to check my phone.”
Katie makes a bitter face then sighs.
“I’ll forgive you now, but don't let it happen again.”
“Yes ma’am”
I sit down next to her and try to pay as much attention as I can, but my mind always ends up wavering from the subject. Before I know it I’m either on my phone or trying to talk to Katie, which she interrupts with a stare and shushes me. Finally, what feels like hours later I’m out of the block. I pick up my bag and say my goodbyes, then I trial off to second block. As I’m walking, I just can't take my mind off what happened. I can’t figure out whether it's a dream or reality, it’s almost as if I was trapped inside some kind of simulation for years, or even decades. I also don't know whether I should tell Katie or not or even any of my other frie-
My thoughts were interrupted by someone knocking into my shoulder. I look at the perpetrator to see who it is and my mind is relieved.
“Shane! What was that for? Trying to knock me over?”
I look at my friend and scoff, me and Jake and I have been friends since middle school, sometimes he’s a bit too much for me but he's a good person. He has a similar build to me but instead he has blonde hair and blue eyes in contrast to my brown hair and amber eyes. We’re also racing to see who will reach 6 feet first, we’re currently tied at around 5 '11.

Welcome new readers. Please start with chapter one https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/11ai7iv/last_of_the_defenders_ch_01/
Previously https://www.reddit.com/HFY/comments/1219ns7/last_of_the_defenders_ch_29/
Allah leaned against one of the tables, purring softly. Li was beside her swiftly, gripping her shoulder reassuringly.
“But we’re not gonna let that happen,” the human promised. “And you’re going to help.”
“I knew they were evil,” Allah started to say but stopped. She bit her lip, tail flicking up a cloud of dust in the long disused room. The lights flickered again and the U’knock clawed at the glow stick on the table beside her, holding it before her, eager to have something stable to hold onto.
Li patted her shoulder again and turned to the table with the helmets. She lifted one to Allah’s head, pursed her lips and set it down. She picked up another, nodding in satisfaction, and began taking it apart. “I’m sure they think the same thing about humans,” she said.
“Who would care what they think?” Allah tried to keep the bile from her voice.
“PsyOps,” Li answered, as if the strange word should explain everything. When Allah only lowered her ear in confusion she said “‘If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither, you will fail in every battle’.” The human smiled. “The swarmers consider us a meddling subspecies that steals the resources that are rightfully theirs. We keep getting in their way, preventing ‘progress’ and forming unnatural alliances with other, lesser, organisms.”
“You sound like you have spoken to them.”
Li nodded. She removed two panels from the top of the helmet. “I’ve spoken to millions of them,” she admitted, then said softly, “I was probably the last voice most of them ever heard.”
She lifted the helmet and adjusted it to fit atop Allah’s head. “These millions,” the U’knock asked, “are all dead?”
The Defender nodded. “Very much so,” Li’s tone was light but the human face was a stone mask in the green light. The overheads flickered like lightning, casting her in hard brightness before the green gloom returned to paint dark shadows under her eyes and mouth. It made her look more predatory; a hunter hiding in tall grass, bent to pounce.
Li removed more sections from the helmet, the odd thing sliding down around Allah’s ears.
“I would like to know how to kill that many.”
A different kind of shadow crossed the human’s face, a sadness that cracked through the hardness.
Li turned to the panels she had removed, taking a pair of tiny buttons out. She held one up and turned Allah’s head, trying to fit the button in the U’knock’s ear.
“Let's hope you don’t have to find out,” Li said, trying a different button from a different helmet. “It was a pretty expensive day for me.
“And I’m still paying the tab.”
Li patted Allah’s shoulder again. The U’knock turned to look at her.
“Looks like that fits,” the human forced a grin. She handed Allah another button. “How's it feel?”
“Strange,” Allah admitted. She shook her head and felt the button wiggle inside her ear. “What is this?”
“Virtual Reality Education Helmet,” Li grinned again but the smile did not reach her eyes. “Welcome to Primary School.”
Allah tapped the thing on her head with a claw. It was stiff, but not hard like bronze. And it held an odor--several--of something cheesy and vinegary and a little moldy all at once.
“Careful,” Li cautioned. “Plastic that old can get pretty brittle.”
The U’knock wondered why humans would use something so obviously inferior if they could make things with the new metal. Then she considered her mother’s Com’Cha and retracted her claw from the gift. Even if a warrior offered a replacement made entirely of new metal, the old bronze weapon held a special place in her life.
Perhaps these helmets held such prestige for Li’s people?
“This will teach me to fight?” she asked, trying to muster the proper amount of reverence for the object.
“No,” Li shook her head, “I’ll take on that job. And Jung, too. This,” she tapped the helmet on Allah’s head, “will teach you basic commands and instructions for ground equipment and the extravehicular combat suit. You remember the mess hall? How hard it was just to get hot water from Demeter?” Allah nodded, perking and flattening her ears, “That's because you weren’t ‘thinking’ the right words. We’ll start you out with English because Demeter uses that by default. Once you have basic commands memorized, we’ll move to general tactics, strategy, and combat.”
“You used this,” Allah touched the helmet. It was cool, hard, alien in her head, “as a child?”
Li chuckled. “No,” she admitted. “V-REHs are intended to acclimate xenoforms--species other than human--to our ways. From farmer to front line fighter, there’s a training program for just about any job.
“That's also why the helmets are so modular,” she gestured to the discarded pieces. “They can accommodate almost any ‘head’ shaped configuration; kitty cat ears, literal four eyes. In some cases, like the Shoo, they can accommodate a species with no head at all.
“I gotta get back to work,” Li left the mess where it lay and strode toward the door. “Demeter, offload basic command lessons one through thirty to a microcore at the Romeo-02 terminal.
“C-c-commmmmmmmmmmPlying!”
“Can we trust Demeter to provide proper instructions?” Allah asked. Fears from last night--particularly one about melting brains--crossed her thoughts as they strode down the hall.
“I’ll do a quick file check to make sure but,” Li looked over her shoulder. She chuckled at Allah’s expression: ears flat, lips pushed out and constantly glancing upward to try to “see” the thing on her head. “V-REHs can’t hurt you. Maybe trick you into walking into a wall, but that won’t be an issue; the basic lessons are designed to be used while seated.
Do you need to poop or anything before you start? You could be in there for a while.
Allah nodded, eliciting another trip to another room similar to the showers aboard Star dancer, filled with more tiny rooms. This one was cream colored, and inside each room was a tiny cream colored throne with a bowl in the seat.
Li stood outside, giving instructions on the throne’s--the bidet toilet’s--use. Then it was back to the room of warriors--the security station, Li corrected--and Allah’s first lesson.
“Touch the V-REH,” Li lifted her hands to her own head, pressing her palms to her temples, “here. It’ll run through a self adjustment process and I’ll link it to your nanites. That should speed things up a lot.”
“Will it hurt?” Allah asked, “as much as last time?”
“This shouldn’t hurt at all,” Li said with a grin, “so if it does either take it off immediately or ask me to. It might be disorienting at first though so get comfy.”
Allah returned to the corner and settled on the hard floor, sitting cross legged. As she did, Li returned to and began tapping on the face of the monitor. A soft click sounded and a tiny shiny stone flickered in the faltering lights. Allah had still not touched the V-REH when Li moved the stone to another hole, pressed on her keyboard with her fingers and nodded in satisfaction. She turned in the tiny throne and regarded Allah quizzically.
“I can’t initiate a session for you,” Li said by way of explanation. “It’s designed to be voluntary, so nothing can. I can disengage you but that's about it.” She stood, walked the short distance to Allah’s corner and held out the stone to the U’knock. “The V-REH will need to calibrate with you, then recognise it needs this,” Li pressed the stone into Allah’s paw.
“I’ll be right here if you need anything,” the human pointed to the monitor, turned and strode to the throne.
Allah looked at the tiny stone. In the flickering lights, she had thought it was white. Up close, however, it looked more of a pale green. She carefully picked it up to inspect. As she did, it moved away from the light of the glowing stick beside her and captured the myriad hues projected by Li’s monitor. The stone shifted in color again, a dizzying burst of different colors packed so close together they appeared white again.
Why was she hesitating? Allah had pledged to help defend her planet, had stood before the quorum of Umati’clam and professed it as fact. Now, she dithered. Li had returned to her work, finger beating a rhythm like raindrops on the surface of the table. Allah felt alone, ignored. And part of her realized that she was. Li had good reason to--she was working to save Allah’s people--and to grow upset because her friend so easily turned to the task was beyond petty.
“What if I don’t?” Allah asked aloud.
Li’s fingers stopped suddenly, then the human placed her hands in her lap. She did not turn to look at Allah, but sat with the stone mask again and stared at the monitor.
“It's your choice, Allah,” she said slowly, “and it’s not one I can make for you. If you’re asking ‘Will I throw you out on the street?’ or ‘Will we stop looking for your father?’ the answer to both is no. I took you in last night, frankly, because you had the lowest chance of survival of those around me. Those that,” Li sighed, pulling on the thin cored that held her hair in a tail. “Those that had a chance.”
She shook her head, combing her fingers through the long, thick black hair. “I know you’re worried that you won’t be much help. And you’d rather be out there,” she gestured to the screen, wiggling her fingers. The glyphs disappeared to be replaced by images from seven times two plus two drones patrolling the city and the surrounding wasteland. “Looking for him right now.”
“That’s not what I--”
“And I know you’re scared,” Li interrupted. “And angry. You’ve got good reason to be. This…won’t be much fun when the shooting starts.” She did turn now, the sad smile that would not reach her eyes painting her lips. “But you were right,” she said. “I do need a friend. I’d like that friend to still be you in the morning.”
The human shrugged her shoulders. “I'm sorry to put that on you. I don't want to add to your burdens.” And Li turned back to the monitor and began tapping again.
Allah did not know what to say. She sat in the corner, watching Li return to work. Allah had felt alone, afraid. And angry, yes. But what must Li be feeling right now? Her own people had abandoned her quest. She stood in defiance of the bullies and defenders now.
This planet's protector.
“When I finish with this machine,” Allah asked, “we will pop the corn and speak of mates?”
The corner of Li’s mouth rose. “And watch Journey To The West while I paint your claws.”
Allah nodded. This was a burden she could, would, must happily bear. To stand beside Li, no matter the cost. Not out of honor, nor pride. Not even to save her people.
She would do this because her friend asked her to.
The U’knock raised her paws to either side of the helmet, pressing gently.

The Egyptian pyramids (Pyramids) are said to be the tombs of ancient Egyptian pharaohs (kings), but archaeologists have never found the mummies of pharaohs in the pyramids. Pyramids were mainly popular during the ancient kingdom of Egypt. So why did the pharaohs build the pyramids?
According to legend, before the third dynasty of ancient Egypt, whether the king and ministers or common people after death, were buried in a kind of mud brick built rectangular tomb, the ancient Egyptians called it "Mastaba". Later, a clever young man named Imhotep invented a new construction method when he designed the tomb for the Egyptian pharaoh King Zoser. He used square-shaped stones quarried from the mountains instead of mud bricks, and constantly modified the design of the tomb, and finally built a six-step trapezoidal pyramid - this is the prototype of the pyramid we see now.
In ancient Egyptian, the pyramids were trapezoidal and layered, hence the name tiered pyramids. This is a tall, angular cone building, the base quadrangular, each side is triangular, looks like the Chinese character for gold, so we call it "pyramid". The tower tomb designed by Imhotep was the first stone tomb in the history of Egypt. The Egyptian pharaohs after King Zoser followed his example and built tombs for themselves in a big way during their lifetime, thus creating a wind of pyramids in ancient Egypt. Because the pyramids originated in the ancient kingdom period, and the largest pyramids were also built in this period, therefore, the ancient kingdom period in Egypt is also known as the pyramid era.
Ancient Egyptian pharaohs (king) tombs, why did the pharaohs build pyramids?
Why did the ancient Egyptian pharaohs repair the tomb into the form of a corner cone, that is, repair into the Chinese characters in the form of gold? It turns out that in the earliest times, the Egyptian pharaohs were prepared to use the mastaba as a permanent residence after death. Later, around the time of the second to third dynasties, the Egyptians developed the concept that the king would become a god after death and his soul would ascend to heaven. In the Pyramid Inscriptions that were later found, there are words like "Build him (Pharaoh) a ladder to heaven so that he may ascend to heaven". The pyramid is such a ladder. At the same time, the horn cone pyramid form and expressed the worship of the sun god, because the ancient Egyptian sun god "la" is the symbol of the sun's rays. The pyramid symbolizes the sun's rays that pierce the green sky. Because, when you stand on the road to Kiser, in the angle of the pyramid prism to the west, you can see the pyramid like the sun rays scattered to the earth.
The Pyramid Inscription contains these words: "The sky extends its rays to you so that you may go to the sky as if it were the eye of Ra." The later worship of the obelisk by the ancient Egyptians also had this meaning, because the obelisk also indicated the rays of the sun. The largest of all the pyramids in ancient Egypt was the pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu of the Fourth Dynasty. This great pyramid, originally 146.59 meters high, has been stripped of its top by nearly 10 meters after thousands of years of wind and rain. But until the Eiffel Tower was built in Paris in 1888, it was the tallest building in the world. The base of this pyramid is square, each side is more than 230 meters long, around the pyramid a week, almost a kilometer of travel.
The question about the origin of the Egyptian pyramids has been debated by historians for many years, and there is no definite conclusion until now. A British scientist has come up with a new theory that the pyramids may have been launch pads built by ancient Egyptian pharaohs in order to launch them to other planets after their deaths.
Wilkinson is a scholar specializing in ancient Egyptian history at the University of Cambridge in England. He said he came to this conclusion based on research into the pyramids' pointing, shape and naming.
The ancient Egyptians believed that the arch-polar stars near the sky were the most symbolic of the afterlife because they appeared to the naked eye to never stop revolving around the North Star, Wilkinson said. They never fade, are indestructible and are the home of the pharaoh's soul after his death. And research has shown that all the pyramids since they appeared have pointed precisely to the North Star. The first pyramid built in ancient Egypt had its altar facing north, and the ramp leading to its underground chamber was also built on the north side, Wilkinson said. If you stand in the chamber and look up this entrance ramp, you will see the sky to the north. He speculated that the ancient Egyptians believed that from here the souls of the pharaohs could be launched up to the North Star, where they could continue their afterlife. Moreover, numerous studies have shown that the names of many pyramids are also related to the stars, including one pyramid named "Twinkle" and another directly named "Pyramid of the Stars. And in the Egyptian dynasty long before the pyramids appeared, an Egyptian king had built a huge mound himself, named "the king rose like a star".
Wilkinson also deduced that the shape of the pyramids was also built by the ancient Egyptians according to the shape of the stars in their minds. According to historical records, during the fourth dynasty of Egypt, there was a shrine called Helipolis, in which a stone was enshrined, shaped like a pyramid. It was called "Ben Ben", and the Egyptians also called the stone at the top of the pyramid "Little Ben Ben". Wilkinson speculates that the stone may have been a meteorite from ancient times, which formed an obelisk shape when it entered the atmosphere, and the Egyptians worshiped it as a heavenly guest and were inspired to build the pyramid.

1
When lilacs last in the door-yard bloom’d,
And the great star early droop’d in the western sky in the night,
I mourn’d—and yet shall mourn with ever-returning spring.
​
O ever-returning spring! trinity sure to me you bring;
Lilac blooming perennial, and drooping star in the west,
And thought of him I love.
​
2
​
O powerful, western, fallen star!
O shades of night! O moody, tearful night!
O great star disappear’d! O the black murk that hides the star!
O cruel hands that hold me powerless! O helpless soul of me!
O harsh surrounding cloud, that will not free my soul!
​
3
​
In the door-yard fronting an old farm-house, near the white-wash’d palings,
Stands the lilac bush, tall-growing, with heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
With many a pointed blossom, rising, delicate, with the perfume strong I love,
With every leaf a miracle......and from this bush in the door-yard,
With delicate-color’d blossoms, and heart-shaped leaves of rich green,
A sprig, with its flower, I break.
​
​
4
​
In the swamp, in secluded recesses,
A shy and hidden bird is warbling a song.
​
Solitary, the thrush,
The hermit, withdrawn to himself, avoiding the settlements,
Sings by himself a song.
​
Song of the bleeding throat!
Death’s outlet song of life—(for well, dear brother, I know
If thou wast not gifted to sing, thou would’st surely die.)
​
5
​
Over the breast of the spring, the land, amid cities,
Amid lanes, and through old woods, (where lately the violets peep’d from the ground, spotting the gray debris;)
Amid the grass in the fields each side of the lanes—passing the endless grass;
Passing the yellow-spear’d wheat, every grain from its shroud in the dark-brown fields uprising;
Passing the apple-tree blows of white and pink in the orchards;
Carrying a corpse to where it shall rest in the grave,
Night and day journeys a coffin.
​
6
​
Coffin that passes through lanes and streets,
Through day and night, with the great cloud darkening the land,
With the pomp of the inloop’d flags, with the cities draped in black,
With the show of the States themselves, as of crape-veil’d women, standing,
With processions long and winding, and the flambeaus of the night,
With the countless torches lit—with the silent sea of faces, and the unbared heads,
With the waiting depot, the arriving coffin, and the sombre faces,
With dirges through the night, with the thousand voices rising strong and solemn;
With all the mournful voices of the dirges, pour’d around the coffin,
The dim-lit churches and the shuddering organs—Where amid these you journey,
With the tolling, tolling bells’ perpetual clang;
Here! coffin that slowly passes,
I give you my sprig of lilac.
​
7
​
(Nor for you, for one, alone;
Blossoms and branches green to coffins all I bring:
For fresh as the morning—thus would I carol a song for you, O sane and sacred death.
​
All over bouquets of roses,
O death! I cover you over with roses and early lilies;
But mostly and now the lilac that blooms the first,
Copious, I break, I break the sprigs from the bushes;
With loaded arms I come, pouring for you,
For you, and the coffins all of you, O death.)
​
8
​
O western orb, sailing the heaven!
Now I know what you must have meant, as a month since we walk’d,
As we walk’d up and down in the dark blue so mystic,
As we walk’d in silence the transparent shadowy night,
As I saw you had something to tell, as you bent to me night after night,
As you droop’d from the sky low down, as if to my side, (while the other stars all look’d on;)
As we wander’d together the solemn night, (for something, I know not what, kept me from sleep;)
As the night advanced, and I saw on the rim of the west, ere you went, how full you were of woe;
As I stood on the rising ground in the breeze, in the cold transparent night,
As I watch’d where you pass’d and was lost in the netherward black of the night,
As my soul, in its trouble, dissatisfied, sank, as where you, sad orb,
Concluded, dropt in the night, and was gone.
​
9
​
Sing on, there in the swamp!
O singer bashful and tender! I hear your notes—I hear your call;
I hear—I come presently—I understand you;
But a moment I linger—for the lustrous star has detain’d me;
The star, my departing comrade, holds and detains me.
​
10
​
O how shall I warble myself for the dead one there I loved?
And how shall I deck my song for the large sweet soul that has gone?
And what shall my perfume be, for the grave of him I love?
​
Sea-winds, blown from east and west,
Blown from the eastern sea, and blown from the western sea, till there on the prairies meeting:
These, and with these, and the breath of my chant,
I perfume the grave of him I love.
​
11
​
O what shall I hang on the chamber walls?
And what shall the pictures be that I hang on the walls,
To adorn the burial-house of him I love?
​
Pictures of growing spring, and farms, and homes,
With the Fourth-month eve at sundown, and the gray smoke lucid and bright,
With floods of the yellow gold of the gorgeous, indolent, sinking sun, burning, expanding the air;
With the fresh sweet herbage under foot, and the pale green leaves of the trees prolific;
In the distance the flowing glaze, the breast of the river, with a wind-dapple here and there;
With ranging hills on the banks, with many a line against the sky, and shadows;
And the city at hand, with dwellings so dense, and stacks of chimneys,
And all the scenes of life, and the workshops, and the workmen homeward returning.
​
12
​
Lo! body and soul! this land!
Mighty Manhattan, with spires, and the sparkling and hurrying tides, and the ships;
The varied and ample land—the South and the North in the light—Ohio’s shores, and flashing Missouri,
And ever the far-spreading prairies, cover’d with grass and corn.
​
Lo! the most excellent sun, so calm and haughty;
The violet and purple morn, with just-felt breezes;
The gentle, soft-born, measureless light;
The miracle, spreading, bathing all—the fulfill’d noon;
The coming eve, delicious—the welcome night, and the stars,
Over my cities shining all, enveloping man and land.
​
13
​
Sing on! sing on, you gray-brown bird!
Sing from the swamps, the recesses—pour your chant from the bushes;
Limitless out of the dusk, out of the cedars and pines.
​
Sing on, dearest brother—warble your reedy song;
Loud human song, with voice of uttermost woe.
​
O liquid, and free, and tender!
O wild and loose to my soul! O wondrous singer!
You only I hear......yet the star holds me, (but will soon depart;)
Yet the lilac, with mastering odor, holds me.
​
14
​
Now while I sat in the day, and look’d forth,
In the close of the day, with its light, and the fields of spring, and the farmer preparing his crops,
In the large unconscious scenery of my land, with its lakes and forests,
In the heavenly aerial beauty, (after the perturb’d winds, and the storms;)
Under the arching heavens of the afternoon swift passing, and the voices of children and women,
The many-moving sea-tides,—and I saw the ships how they sail’d,
And the summer approaching with richness, and the fields all busy with labor,
And the infinite separate houses, how they all went on, each with its meals and minutia of daily usages;
And the streets, how their throbbings throbb’d, and the cities pent—lo! then and there,
Falling upon them all, and among them all, enveloping me with the rest,
Appear’d the cloud, appear’d the long black trail;
And I knew Death, its thought, and the sacred knowledge of death.
​
15
​
Then with the knowledge of death as walking one side of me,
And the thought of death close-walking the other side of me,
And I in the middle, as with companions, and as holding the hands of companions,
I fled forth to the hiding receiving night, that talks not,
Down to the shores of the water, the path by the swamp in the dimness,
To the solemn shadowy cedars, and ghostly pines so still.
​
And the singer so shy to the rest receiv’d me;
The gray-brown bird I know, receiv’d us comrades three;
And he sang what seem’d the carol of death, and a verse for him I love.
​
From deep secluded recesses,
From the fragrant cedars, and the ghostly pines so still,
Came the carol of the bird.
​
And the charm of the carol rapt me,
As I held, as if by their hands, my comrades in the night;
And the voice of my spirit tallied the song of the bird.
​
16
​
DEATH CAROL.
​
Come, lovely and soothing Death,
Undulate round the world, serenely arriving, arriving,
In the day, in the night, to all, to each,
Sooner or later, delicate Death.
​
Prais’d be the fathomless universe,
For life and joy, and for objects and knowledge curious;
And for love, sweet love—But praise! praise! praise!
For the sure-enwinding arms of cool-enfolding Death.
​
Dark Mother, always gliding near, with soft feet,
Have none chanted for thee a chant of fullest welcome?
​
Then I chant it for thee—I glorify thee above all;
I bring thee a song that when thou must indeed come, come unfalteringly.
​
Approach, strong Deliveress!
When it is so—when thou hast taken them, I joyously sing the dead,
Lost in the loving, floating ocean of thee,
Laved in the flood of thy bliss, O Death.
​
From me to thee glad serenades,
Dances for thee I propose, saluting thee—adornments and feastings for thee;
And the sights of the open landscape, and the high-spread sky, are fitting,
And life and the fields, and the huge and thoughtful night.
​
The night, in silence, under many a star;
The ocean shore, and the husky whispering wave, whose voice I know;
And the soul turning to thee, O vast and well-veil’d Death,
And the body gratefully nestling close to thee.
​
Over the tree-tops I float thee a song!
Over the rising and sinking waves—over the myriad fields, and the prairies wide;
Over the dense-pack’d cities all, and the teeming wharves and ways,
I float this carol with joy, with joy to thee, O Death!
​
17
​
To the tally of my soul,
Loud and strong kept up the gray-brown bird,
With pure, deliberate notes, spreading, filling the night.
​
Loud in the pines and cedars dim,
Clear in the freshness moist, and the swamp-perfume;
And I with my comrades there in the night.
​
While my sight that was bound in my eyes unclosed,
As to long panoramas of visions.
​
​
18
​
I saw askant the armies;
And I saw, as in noiseless dreams, hundreds of battle-flags;
Borne through the smoke of the battles, and pierc’d with missiles, I saw them,
And carried hither and yon through the smoke, and torn and bloody;
And at last but a few shreds left on the staffs, (and all in silence,)
And the staffs all splinter’d and broken.
​
I saw battle-corpses, myriads of them,
And the white skeletons of young men—I saw them;
I saw the debris and debris of all the dead soldiers of the war;
But I saw they were not as was thought;
They themselves were fully at rest—they suffer’d not;
The living remain’d and suffer’d—the mother suffer’d,
And the wife and the child, and the musing comrade suffer’d,
And the armies that remain’d suffer’d.
​
​
19
​
Passing the visions, passing the night;
Passing, unloosing the hold of my comrades’ hands;
Passing the song of the hermit bird, and the tallying song of my soul,
(Victorious song, death’s outlet song, yet varying, ever-altering song,
As low and wailing, yet clear the notes, rising and falling, flooding the night,
Sadly sinking and fainting, as warning and warning, and yet again bursting with joy,
Covering the earth, and filling the spread of the heaven,
As that powerful psalm in the night I heard from recesses,)
Passing, I leave thee, lilac with heart-shaped leaves;
I leave thee there in the door-yard, blooming, returning with spring,
I cease from my song for thee;
From my gaze on thee in the west, fronting the west, communing with thee,
O comrade lustrous, with silver face in the night.
​
​
20
​
Yet each I keep, and all, retrievements out of the night;
The song, the wondrous chant of the gray-brown bird,
And the tallying chant, the echo arous’d in my soul,
With the lustrous and drooping star, with the countenance full of woe,
With the lilac tall, and its blossoms of mastering odor;
With the holders holding my hand, nearing the call of the bird,
Comrades mine, and I in the midst, and their memory ever I keep—for the dead I loved so well;
For the sweetest, wisest soul of all my days and lands...and this for his dear sake;
Lilac and star and bird, twined with the chant of my soul,
There in the fragrant pines, and the cedars dusk and dim.

Hi guys, so I've finally finished pushing my alts to 1460 and have enough mats to push my main from 1472 to 1490. Though, before I do, I just have a few questions/ community consensus:

1. Currently sitting on green accessories (~1550 spec w/ pet). Should I prioritize getting blues/purples first, or do I start honing?
   
2. Would it be better to +21 the weapon/gloves rather than +20 chest/legs?
   
3. Should I have a Lvl 2 set first before I try Brel? I wanted to do Clown with my friends, unfortunately, they've all decided to parked at 1460.
   
4. I have full 7 gems. Will I be needing 1 or 2 9s for Brel or will my current gems be good enough to not get gatekept?
   
5. Class is Empress Arcana. My 5th engraving is currently Cursed Doll - do I keep it that way or do I switch to Adrenaline? Crits are hitting more often than not, but it feels smodge whenever they don't. I opted for CD initially cause bigger numbers.
   

Really looking forward to trying Brel now after missing out for a few months. Felt kinda underwhelming missing out on both Clown and Brel.
Any other comments or suggestions are highly appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

I know a little garden-close, Set thick with lily and red rose, Where I would wander if I might From dewy morn to dewy night, And have one with me wandering.
And though within it no birds sing, And though no pillared house is there, And though the apple-boughs are bare Of fruit and blossom, would to God Her feet upon the green grass trod, And I beheld them as before.
There comes a murmur from the shore, And in the close two fair-streams are, Drawn from the purple hills afar, Drawn down unto the restless sea: Dark hills whose heath-bloom feeds no bee, Dark shore no ship has ever seen, Tormented by the billows green Whose murmur comes unceasingly Unto the place for which I cry.
For which I cry both day and night, For which I let slip all delight, Whereby I grow both deaf and blind, Careless to win, unskilled to find, And quick to lose what all men seek.
Yet tottering as I am and weak, Still have I left a little breath To seek within the jaws of death An entrance to that happy place, To seek the unforgotten face, Once seen, once kissed, once reft from me Anigh the murmuring of the sea.

As a reminder, the TBR voting is currently open and here are the midway results...
Leading with a whooping landslide is This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone! Here's where it gets interesting... books/series that are in 2nd-7th place are all within 1 point of each other - that means it is neck and neck between those contenders!
1.) This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
2.) Grace Draven’s Wraith King Series (Radiance)
3.) Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb Series (Gideon the Ninth)
4.) Andrea Stewart’s The Drowning Empire series (The Bone Shard Daughter)
5.) Shelley Parker-Chan’s The Radiant Emperor series (She Who Became the Sun)
7.) Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga (Jade City) and Pirates of Aletharia by Britney Jackson
8.) Tasha Suri’s The Burning Kingdom series (The Jasmine Throne)
10.) AK Caggiano’s Villains and Virtues series (Throne in the Dark) and Carissa Broadbent’s Crowns of Nyaxia series (The Serpent and the Wings of Night)
11.) Sigrid and Elyn by Edale Lane
12.) Katherine Arden’s Winternight Trilogy (The Bear and the Nightingale)
14.) Aurora’s Angel by Emily Noon and AK Mulford’s Five Crowns of Okrith series (The High Mountain Court)
If our selected hold their current ranks, this is what the reading schedule would look like:
04/15 The Seventh Bride by T. Kingfisher 04/29 Bryony and Roses by T. Kingfisher 05/13 Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher 05/27 This is How You Lose the Time War 06/10 Radiance by Grace Draven 06/24 Eidolon by Grace Draven 07/08 The Ippos King by Grace Draven 07/22 Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir 08/05 Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir 08/19 Nona the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir 09/02 The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart 09/16 The Bone Shard Emperor by Andrea Stewart 09/30 The Bone Shard War by Andrea Stewart 10/14 She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan 10/28 He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan
As stated above, our current books that hold 2nd-7th place are all 1 point away from each other... Your vote can change the results! Vote here and now!

When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.
​
​
I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.

You were there today like most days.   This day though you unhooded.   Standing plain in the light so I could see.   Face bare to the giant heat.   No more hiding, no more dancing.   Just there, and just her.   She’s mine you should know.   This other version of you.   Not lesser, not more.   The reflection in the mirror.   Which you is the original?   Who can say at this point?   You weave in and out of each other.   Woven into being by the gods.   Made to be who are, and who you are.   And as for me dear one.   I’ve called you so many names.   As we walked this journey together.   Names that echoed themes.   Of lust and later so much more.   If those two can be divided.   Names that match words from your lips.   Words of honey and jasmine.   Words that strike hammer blows.   We are who we are.   We may as well be the tide.   Rising and falling, low and high.   In and out and in again.   It’s a weird life and it’s beautiful.   Strange and terrible yet glorious.   And you are purpose made flesh.   Perhaps you’ll be there tomorrow.   Perhaps it will be weeks or months again.   But you should know she is mine.   And her pious worship my fuel.

Greetings once more my lovely readers!
Yes it is I, the marvellous, maleficent Meridiana, your scintillating spectacularly sexy Succubus here yet again to regale your with my tale of adventure in the modern world.
I know you’re excited, so am I!
Now then… right… here we go.
“This will do nicely,” I said with conviction because it was true.
No summoner had ever treated me this well before, well not without me charming and dominating their mind so utterly that they became my helpless worshipful slaves but that’s another thousand or so stories which are, quickly frankly, boring. I mean really, who wants to hear about a slave that is always wanting to kiss your ass all the time? What? Plenty do apparently? (My Magus is in the office at the moment and can hear me speak aloud as I type – he thinks it is most amusing) Ahem…
I shall have to investigate Fetish-Dommy-Mommy.com and perhaps create an account to make even more money. How wonderful!
Anyway…
“I am glad you are satisfied Meridiana. This saves us a lot of time. Later you can go shopping and buy whatever you wish but for now, you will have to make do with these clothes. Now I’ll quickly show you how the shower works and operation of the toilet.”
The Magus took a step back from the walk-in wardrobe and gestured back to the ensuite bathroom that my sumptuous bedroom contained.
I followed him as I needed to learn everything about my new home.
Inside the bathroom was a large glass cubicle to the right with a metallic spigot set high up on the marble tiled wall. There was an enormous triple mirror above a marble topped bench that had a wash basin cut into the centre of the bench with yet another metal spigot coming up and out of the bench. To either side of the main mirror were cabinets behind the smaller mirrors and cupboards under the bench.
“This is the shower. You pull that level there and water will come from the shower head above. Turn the level to the left and the water will get hot and to the right, cold. Shampoo and soap etc all there for you. Same with the wash basin tap. More things are inside the cabinets and cupboards for your use.”
The entire bathroom was covered in tiles making it look like a Roman bathhouse. Well sort of, as this was actually clean and most Roman baths, even at the height of the empire, were filthy places. You didn’t go there to get clean… well not really. You went there to get sex, food (often bad) and do business with either your patrons or clients, depending on who you were on the social ladder. Some bathhouses were better than others but meh… the Romans may have perfected the Aqueduct and running fresh water but they zero concept of keeping the bathwater clean and fresh.
“This is the toilet,” he said pointed to the porcelain seat with a lid next to the marble bench. “You operate it by pushing the metal button on the top of the cistern. See the roll of paper there next to it?”
I nodded.
“Clean yourself up with that then dump it into the pan and flush it all away. We don’t use Tersoriums anymore but there are wet wipes if you need them. Put the lid down first before you flush as germs spray everywhere when you flush.”
“No rough sponges to scrap my nethers clean? I used to like that Magus,” I said with a teasing smirk.
He shook his head slowly, rolled his eyes and carried on.
“Inside the cabinets are perfumes and lotions that you can indulge yourself in as well as teeth cleaning brushes, mouth washes and toothpaste.”
The Magus opened a cabinet revealing a vast array of perfume bottles of varying shapes, sizes and colours. My heightened senses inhaled the heady mix of powerful scented oils and fragrances. There were also make up products that I could see, a cornucopia of beauty in creams, pastes and shades, all would be worth a fortune back in the day.
“How utterly delightful,” I murmured, taking in what would be worth tens of thousands of Solidus (gold) back in Constantinople in perfumes alone, just sitting there inside a bathroom cabinet. He closed the cabinet.
“Behind you is the heated towel rail with towels, obviously, for you to dry yourself with.”
“Ahh… I know of these. Some of the Emperors’ nobles had copper pipes that performed a similar function in their bath houses, piping hot running water through them.”
I examined the towels which appeared to be of the same high quality cotton as my white soft robe that I was still wearing.
“Alright. I suppose you’ll be wanting a shower to clean up then?” he said with a flat tone.
“Will you be joining me Magus?” I said as I let my robe drop to the floor, smiling coquettishly at him.
He took a step back.
“No. Let me be absolutely clear: you are epitome of perfection of the female form. That is evident and indisputable. I cannot and will not have sex with you Meridiana. I know of your needs… for seminal fluid as it is one of your main sources of nourishment. That will be provided to you. Simply put, I know you will use my lust as a means of controlling me. I just can’t let that happen. Too much is at stake and I have worked too fucking hard to let my little head rule the big one. I’m not going to risk my plans for a quick knee trembler, no matter how tempting it is. I shall stick to raping the right hand for my needs. Now have a wash because you reek of sulphur.”
My jaw dropped in shock once more. I was lost for words at this point.
I was extremely and deathly affronted.
If I were not bound to him, forbidden to harm him I would have torn out his heart and shat inside his gaping chest wound for those grievous insults!
I narrowed my eyes, the infernal light flaring up but held my rage tightly within.
He watched me, almost bemused, with folded arms.
“You’ve never been rejected before have you?”
“No! How dare you refuse me like that? And saying that I smell!?! Intolerable!”
I folded my arms back over my heaving bosoms, as I was almost panting with frustration, barely holing my fury in check. Never before have I been spoken to like that, and had the offender been able to walk away still breathing.
“You do stink Meridiana. The stench of hell is on you. That needs to go. I am sorry if this insults you but remember, I said I was always be truthful with you, even if it is a painful truth.”
Now that made me pause.
I had never considered my odour in the past because everyone stank.
The Magus didn’t.
He was also extremely clean, free from lice, fleas and other unsavoury parasites and pests, unlike most of the people from Gerbert’s time. In fact he had a pleasant aroma of some scented oils, Sandal Wood, Lavender and Bergamot maybe? The scent emanating from him was faint but my enhanced senses could easily detect it now that I focused on it. He was also correct. I would most definitely tried to enslave him with sex as all males in the end are ruled by their cocks and balls. In addition, he was very well informed as to a Succubus’ needs. Normally we have absolutely no trouble in getting a man to “donate” his life giving juice to us. We do not need it everyday yet after a week or so in the universe, the hunger becomes powerful. Yet that was never a problem… until now.
“You are correct Magus. I do have the foul reek of hell on me and yes, I will require the fluid of life to survive here,” I said in cold clipped tones back to him.
“And you will get it from me, in a specimen jar, as and when it is necessary.”
“You take all the romance out it,” I muttered tersely, pouting and scowling at him.
“That’s the point Meridiana. You are not here to be my lover or replace my dead wife. I will appreciate your company as it does get lonely but I’m also used to that too. I want to learn from you, not fuck you. I can get that from any woman for the cost of a mere small sum of cash. It just does not interest me at all. What does interest me is all you have experienced and learned. That I find interesting. And of course, get you to flay and eviscerate the evil fucks who truly deserve it. Now, please, have a shower. Use the shampoos and soaps, you will feel better for it. Then find something to wear and join me back out in the lounge as I want to show you how the TV works.”
“TV? Huh?”
“The Television. Words are now often abbreviated into simple letters to save time in speech. Much like the Romans did with their inscriptions.”
“Oh… I see… hmmph! Well since you do not wish to embrace the unearthly delights my body would bestow upon you, I bid you begone from my bathing chamber!” I said pointing out, demanding he leave forthwith. I was not going to tolerate his presence any longer.
“As you wish,” he said with a dry ghost of a smirk on his lips as he backed away closing the double wooden doors as he left.
Now I was alone inside the bathing chamber, I leaned up against the cool tiled wall and let out a long exhalation. A few moments later I could hear music coming from the “lounge” room as he called it. It was gentle and honestly, relaxing. I listened for a minute, letting the notes and melody wash over me as the window next to the porcelain seat or toilet was partially open. My mood calmed as I suspect was his intent.
My admiration and dare I say it, respect for my Magus grew exponentially. Such self-control and discipline! Again, this was worthy of a Demon Prince such his control over his base urges. No male, or for that matter female, had ever resisted my allure. Often I had no need for employing my demonic powers of Charm and Suggestion as the humans would be almost begging me for my touch. No matter, I had time and he was male. Somewhere down the road of this… ‘partnership’, he would succumb to my charms, be begging on his knees to enter me and when that happened, he would be mine!
With a small sigh I picked up my discarded robe, it was far too valuable to leave laying on the floor even though the tiles were incredibly clean. There were hooks on the back of the double doors which I hung it upon then opened up the glass door to the ‘shower and stepped in.
The lever that activated the shower was in front of me, in the central position.
Pull it I suppose?
I screamed!
Cold water blasted into my face and body.
A cold laugh emanated from the lounge room.
“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” I screamed back at the Magus as he chuckled to himself.
Then the water began to warm and became extremely pleasant to my senses.
He knew this would happen and didn’t warn me! Oh how delightfully, devilishly, and charmingly devious is my Magus. A harmless prank but also a lesson for me. Ask more questions! I admit I am supremely arrogant. After all I am an extremely powerful demon possessed with powers beyond human imagination, well that is not true as your kind have a vast imagination and have already worked out what we can do in a game of all things! Ahem. My point is that I must be much more humble and considerate of my new world. I have no desire at all to be returned to hell. I would butcher tens of millions of humans and demons to stay here if need be.
I stood in the shower, letting the warm clean water cascade over me in a very pleasing and powerful way. It was… bliss. Turning, I examined the various plastic bottles of soaps and shampoos, opened a few and sniffed the contents. Taking one that suited my senses, I proceeded to wash my hair with it. It was glorious dear reader. Nothing like this was present during Gerbert’s time. Yes there were scented oils, unguents and balms but nothing came close to this splendid liquid that nourished my hair, making it feel even silkier than before.
I stayed in the shower for a long while, playing with the heat and also the shower head as I discovered it could be adjected to differing levels of spray. Finally I had had enough so I depressed the lever and stepped out of the shower, reaching for my lovely warm fluffy towel. Despite the Magus being who he was, he was trying to make my new life comfortable. That was a small mark in his favour but he had a mountain to climb for those insults he gave to my self-esteem and dignity. I would find a way to make him pay or demand more in the way of homage and tribute for him to overcome those insults!
I took my time in selecting make up, lotions and balms plus testing all the perfumes that obviously once belonged to his wife. She had quite a range of beauty products as I later discovered they were called. Yet strangely, they were hardly used? Interesting.
Satisfied that my make up was alluring but not sluttish and wearing a few discreet dabs a scent called Issey Miyaki which was wonderfully fragrant, I left my bathing chamber and walked nude to my wardrobe to select something to wear.
The light was still on as I examined the hanging row of gowns, dresses and other clothing. One nearest the door caught me eye. I gently took it off the hanger, feeling the incredibly soft plushily wonderous material in my hands. It was a long dress, simply cut to allow the arms to be almost fully exposed while at the same time extended well past the knees, just stopped a few inches above the ankles. The colour of it was like red wine splashed on white linen (the Magus told me it’s called Burgundy) and it had a most intricate and repeating pattern or motif upon it to the likes I had never seen before. I had to wear this!
Adjusting my body size to be slimmer and a few inches taller, I eventually fit the dress perfectly. I made sure though that my tits still fully filled the bust region of the dress and my hips swollen just wide enough to still draw the eye. I saw many pairs of shoes and sandals on racks upon the floor. I selected an elegant but simple design of sandal and came out back into the lounge area.
I was again stunned but this time so was my Magus.
The reason for my surprise was that the ‘television’ was on. I could see moving pictures all lit up in incredible colour and fidelity and sound coming from the massive black metal and glass device. It was mesmerising!
The Magus however was shocked at seeing me in the burgundy dress. He closed his eyes as a flash of pain washed over his face. He drew in a shuddering breath, focused his towering will and recovered. I could feel it! Even I was taken aback by what he just felt within himself. It was such utter sorrow and anguish. While normally I would relish that in my victims, this time I did not as the bond between Magus and I allowed pain, of any kind it seemed, to flow between us. He finally spoke,
“Perhaps I should have gotten rid of that dress,” he said in a hollow low voice.
“Why Magus? It’s simply a dress?”
“It was one of the first ones my wife bought for herself when we were initially courting. She always looked so lovely in it,” he sighed as he stood up and sadly regarded me. “And now you do too.”
I blinked.
I had always been told that I was beautiful, a paragon of female perfection yet I knew that was often flattery or the results of my charms and suggestions or domination. The Magus would never lie to me. He meant everything he said. It made me feel…strange.
He sighed deeply once more, pinched the bridge of his nose while he gathered himself.
“I thought I was past this… but obviously not. No matter, it is a good lesson for me. I must not give in to it. I am the master of my own reality, I am free to choose whatever state of being I desire, I do not desire feeling s of loss and sadness,” he mostly to himself before continuing, “Now… since you took your sweet god dam time in the bathroom, a trait that seems to extend to female demons, we now have no time for me to show you how the TV works. Instead, we will go for a drive. I am going to show you what the wider world looks like Meridiana. How long is it since you saw the ocean?”
Now that was a question I did not expect.
“Unnhh… centuries?” I shrugged, mystified yet intensely curious now as I was aware of what he meant by a ‘drive’. We would be going out in his metal and glass box, also known as a car or automobile or vehicle.
“I am glad you are ready to go. Just a few things Meridiana, some rules you need to follow. One – we do not shit where we eat – that means no killing in this city unless it is absolutely, I truly mean absolutely, necessary. We need to stay hidden, especially you. As I said earlier, there are demons who have made Earth their home. Your presence has not been noted yet but once we start our campaign, you will draw attention from others of your kind to yourself. So no going out and draining stupid young men just because you feel like a bit of fun. Do you understand? I want the chant of three to know you fully comprehend!”
His Sea Green eyes flashed with power.
My eyes widened as I felt the force of his will, held in check, just barely brushing against my mind.
“I accept, I accept, I accept,” I said hastily. His sorrow had been morphed into anger. Not at me as such, at the world in general but it wouldn’t take much for me to be the brunt of his ire. This is common amongst Demon Lords and Princes, those used to wielding power and have supreme control over their mind and will.
“Next – there are a few people I still call friends. They may visit me from time to time and even meet us out in the wider world. As such, you will be my new partner for the sakes of appearances. They will see this as me having finally moved on and accepting the loss of my wife. We will have to concoct a suitable narrative that will bare up to scrutiny so that you will pass as a normal human woman who has gained my affection. None of these people are to be harmed and if they are ever under threat, you will help them as best you can. Don’t think you can use them against me either as I will know and I will break you worse than your lord ever did. Do you understand?”
“I accept, I accept, I accept,” I repeated in a meek voice. He would hurt me in way that my lord could not even imagine. This I knew instinctively and once he had broken me, would cast me back into hell to be tormented for eternity. He’s so dreamy!
“Oh, one final thing for now, we don’t wear shoes inside the house. I know I have mine on but that’s because I was in the garage and it’s a dirty place and I forgot to take them off once we came upstairs. This is not something you need to be bound to by oath by the way, just it’s better and cleaner for us both plus it makes it easier to keep the floor clean.” He paused for a moment, considering his next words. I was puzzled by that request but saw the logic of it so what do as he asked. He then spoke on,
“You are going to be… stunned for want of a better description in a few minutes once we get going. Just remember who you are, what you used to do, how to blend in and observe. I think that you will enjoy this Meridiana. Now, come on, lets go and have a look at the beach. I think it will do us both the world of good. Follow me please,” he said as he gestured towards the stairs. I nodded and quietly followed him down the staircase back to the basement garage.
He stopped briefly back at the kitchen bench to retrieve a.. hat? Of the likes I’d not seen before which contained a leather wallet (I now knew what somethings were) sunglass and a set of keys. He also handed me a pair of sunglasses and took off a bright red, wide brimmed floppy hat from a hook that was behind the door that lead down to the basement stairs. I took the items wordlessly from him, mildly amused by it all. We descended the short flight of stairs.
The summoning circle was still there, the blood now fully congealed.
“Magus…as question if I may?”
“Yes?”
“How was it possible to you to have used so much of your blood in making the circle of summoning and binding and not be dead?”
He laughed and smiled, them walked over to what I now knew was a refrigerator and opened the double doors.
“Phlebotomy my dear Succubus!” he grinned with a devilish smile and harsh glint in his eyes.
I could now see a plastic bag, full of blood, hanging inside the fridge.
“I have a dear trusted friend, who is a medical doctor, that for the past couple of months has taken my blood and we stored it here inside the cold fridge. She thinks it’s because I might need an operation, a medical procedure. Once I had enough, I rested and rebuilt my power and strength and voila! You are here and bound to me. Science and magic, an unbeatable combination!,” he broadly grinned as I gaped in astonishment at him.
I could now see a container next to the fridge that had at least half a dozen of the soft plastic bags with the residue of his blood still within them.
What genius!
No wonder he wanted to fully bind me and he worked out why none of the previous summoners had ever truly succeeded in fully binding a demon to it’s summoner. The ENTIRE circle had to made of their blood. And no one in the past had ever had the method in which they could safely store and preserve their blood for such a use.
“I had to have a few infusions of blood to replace what I lost as well as it’s unsafe to give out so much in a short time. Lucky for me Victoria is a very caring, understanding, and above all, discrete person. I think you’ll like her. She’s probably one of the nicest people you will ever meet. And again I stress, she is inviolate, untouchable. You might be surprised at making a friend you know?”
I nodded, not wanting to argue with him. And he might actually have a point. I might need allies beyond the Magus. It never hurts to have a backup plan.
He stepped back over to the car, opened a front door and gestured that I take a seat within.
I did so, carefully so as not to bump my head on the vehicles roof. I stared around the cars interior.
“Ahh, if I may? I need you to put your seatbelt on Meridiana. Here, I’ll do it for you this time. You take this buckle on the belt,” he said as he showed me what he was speaking of, “and insert the buckle into the clasp next to the right side of your waist, just there,” he said as he leant partially over me and placed the buckle in the clasp with a little click. “Now you are safe and secure.”
“Why would I need to be retrained in such a fashion Magus?”
“Good question Meridiana. Basically it is for your own safety as we will be on the road with other cars and drivers and sometimes, humans being the idiots they are, fail to drive properly and thus become a danger to others as well as themselves. The seatbelt will stop you from flying out of the car if we are impacted by another vehicle.”
My eyes widened then narrowed.
“I would not be harmed by such an event. You should know this.”
“Oh but I do. I know only an enchanted or blessed weapon or magical attacks will harm you however, the local laws demand that all who travel in vehicles must wear seatbelts and I do not wish to attract the attention of the local police if they spot you not wearing one just because of your demonic invulnerability.”
“Ahh… I see. Prudent. I respect you thinking of outcomes and possibilities Magus. It is… refreshing.”
He gave me a brief nod then closed my door, walking around to the other side that had the wheel in front of the seat he was going to sit in. He got in, buckled his belt and inserted the keys into the base of the column that the wheel rested upon. Pressed a small button, the massive metal wall that was in front of us suddenly began to open much to my surprise.
“I used a remote to open the garage door Meridiana,” he said with another dry smirk at seeing my reaction.
I sniffed and turned away, trying to pretend not to be impressed. It didn’t work.
Starting the engine, a little roar of life came from the front of the car. He reached down to his left and pulled a small lever, shifting into a setting that read D. The vehicle suddenly began to move, slowly at first. The Magus carefully eased the car out of the garage and I now saw that it opened into a large paved laneway that was lined with houses, all adjoined to one another.
Simply astonishing!
My eyes were wide once more as I gaped at the marvellous building acumen in front of me.
The Magus turned the wheel that he held in his hands which in turn guided the car in the direction he wished it to go. Now I can fly, when in my true form, but this was just so nice. Sitting comfortably in a soft seat, having cool air gently blow on you from small vents in the front of the dashboard as I later learned it was called… just bliss. Flying is hard work by the way. Ever run up a hill? That’s what it’s like. You can do it and once you’re at a certain level, you can glide along easily but getting into the air… not so much fun to be honest. Yes I know, I’m a demon and lies are second nature for us but in the case of flying, this is true. It’s a thing I don’t need to lie about.
The Magus had us sedately travel down the laneway till we came to a junction where he turned right. All the while I was staring up and around the buildings about us and then I caught a glimpse of the bright blue sky above us. No matter who long I have lived, that sight never failed to move me. You humans always seem to ignore the wonder that is around you. Ahh well.
My eyes grew even wider once we turned into the main tree lined street as I saw even bigger buildings ahead of us.
“Those are apartment blocks, or what the Romans would have called Insulae,” said the Magus casually as we drove past them.
“Some things don’t change do they?” I said in idle fascination as we continued.
“I suppose not,” he replied as we now came to a stop in front of a number of coloured lights mounted in a sequence upon yellow metal poles. The lights were red at the moment.
“Red mean stop, green means you can go and amber means go very fast,” he remarked as he saw me staring at the lights in some confusion.
“Oh… I see..” Not really but I sort of understood.
The light changed to green and we moved off once more, this time traveling a speed faster than a galloping horse. I was in complete awe as we effortless travelled down the well paved, black road, seeing other cars driving alongside us and in the opposite direction. Trees were everywhere as were hundreds of buildings. I could see people waling along the side of the road on a paved path, leading dogs on a rope?.. I couldn’t quite tell. I saw a man on a very slim, two wheeled device, his legs pumping away on some small peddles that his feet seemed to be attached to.
“That’s a bicycle,” said the Magus. I nodded once more as it was almost overwhelming.
“Where are the city walls?” I asked in a small voice as we must have travel a few miles by now.
“We have none.”
“What?”
“We have no need for such things. This city has over two and a half million people who live in an area than spans probably about seventy miles north to south and about thirty or so from the coast to the hills in the east. This is the lucky country Meridiana. Our shores have never been invaded, well they were once by my ancestors, taking it from the indigenous peoples who had lived here for probably sixty thousand years of more? Non one is really sure or perhaps you might be?”
“Terra Australis?”
“The Romans know of it? Incredible!”
“They heard of rumours of it from traders from the far eastern Spice Islands. The only people who bothered to head that way were divers for the rare shells of creatures that lived in the reefs there.”
“Ahh Troccus Shell of course. Makes complete sense. Indonesians must have been sailing from their islands down here for thousands of years but simple fishermen don’t write historical journals for later generations to read now do they?”
“No, they don’t. I found fishermen to be a mostly rough, ready, usually rude and definitely ignorant bunch of sea lice infested peasants. Literacy and leaning and the preservation of knowledge was never high on their list of priorities,” I replied with a smirk.
The Magus nodded with his own smile. I could see that these little snippets of my experience were intriguing for him as he mentioned that he is a historian, a scholar of learning. A person who was almost on my level of intellect.
We carried on down the wide open road in comfortable silence for now as I sat and admired the incredible vista sweeping by us.
Soon we crested a hill after a few more stops and starts at various intersections contained the coloured lights on poles.
I couldn’t help but let out a gasp of delight as I suddenly saw the magnificent blue ocean before me.
Far off in the distance I could see massive ships?... just sitting there in the ocean. There was an island on the horizon that was clearly visible as it was a perfectly clear late afternoon.
We drove down the descending hill and turned onto a very busy road that was full of cars and people.
“Aha! We are in luck Meridiana!”
“We are?” I had no idea what he was talking about.
“We got a parking spot right there. People pray for these you know?” he said as he guided the car into the free space between two other cars.
“They do? Who do they pray to? Do they offer sacrifice for such eventualities?” I wondered as he parked the car.
“Maybe? My best friend calls upon a goddess he named Pamelia, goddess of Parking, invoking her name in praise when he finds a free parking spot in a good location.”
I shook my head with amusement and disbelief but I knew the Magus wasn’t lying. It was just so ridiculous that it had to be true.
“Praise Pamelia then?” I said hesitantly.
“Indeed,” he replied as he switched off the car’s engine. “Just press the red button on your clasp and that will release your belt. The door handle is just there,” he said as he pointed to it.
I did as he said and was out and standing on concrete pavers that formed a neat and well-constructed pathway that led past busy tavernas, shops and eateries, all full of people enjoying themselves.
“Come this way Meridiana. I’m going to buy you a Gelato. I think you will enjoy it. Oh, put on your hat and sunglasses, you’ll feel better and blend in more,” he suggested.
I did so and what surprised me even more was that he offered his left arm for me to hold.
“We have to look normal Meridiana, although most people are going to take one look at you and think what the hell is that gorgeous woman doing with that pudgy, middled aged old fart then?”
I let loose a genuine laugh.
“True but they don’t know who you or I are,” I said with a demure smile back at him.
“And that’s the point. Always leave the proles guessing.”
And with that we walked down the path, with many furtively looking at me. I notice that I drew the glances of women more than men as women always compare themselves to others, they simply can’t help it. It pleased me greatly and I ignored the stares and longing looks from both sexes, keeping a serene smile on my sensual lips as I lightly held the Magus’s left arm between my hands.
We soon came up to a busy food venue that had a large lit up sign saying “Gelato!”.
We made our way into the venue with little fuss, just briefly waiting to be served as the people working behind the counter were quick and efficient.
“Hmm… I think I’ll get you a Rum and Raisin double scoop to start with,” said the Magus.
I shrugged, not knowing what that was but knowing what Rum and raisins were.
“One Rum and Raisin and one Vanilla double scoop in waffle cones please,” he requested. The server nodded and I was again astounded as the Magus just took out his phone and tapped it to a device that the server held out. That was a financial transaction!
We got our Gelatos, walked out, crossed the busy road, found an empty bench, sat down and I tried Gelato for the first time. Dozens of people just walked by us with little regard.
I closed my eyes as I sampled the ice cold substance.
Nirvana in food form!
This must be just like living in Paradise.

Hey ya'll, I'm new to the area and looking for some advice on starting a lawn from seed. I had a patio project in my backyard recently, and all of my pre-existing grass is gone thank to said project. I'm approaching the point where I have to decide on the type of grass to get/seed. My parents recently did a re-grade of their lawn, in the same area, and they used tall fescue to seed in the winter months. The seed took great and it's lush and green right now, but summer hasn't even started yet so we'll see how it holds. My concern with seeding tall fescue is that it won't hold in the summer. I've heard that bermuda is a pain to seed and that it takes forever. I really don't want to go the sod route, as I'm trying to stay on a budget. What are my options? Can I seed tall fescue, and some bermuda at the same time with the hopeful goal to have the fescue germinate quickly and then the bermuda will eventually overrun it? Any advice would be great, thanks in advance!
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TLDR: I want to seed my backyard, which is currently a bunch of dirt and I'm getting screened topsoil delivered to seed grass on, and I'm looking for the type of grass to use, and the best way to do it. Could I do tall fescue with bermuda mixed as a quick turn-around and then overseed bermuda in the summefall?

Hello everyone. I don't know if I'm addressing my issue in the right subreddit, but I really need your help. I've been searching for a specific song for the past 4 years, since 2019.
I heard the song the first time while working at a clothing store and fell instantly in love with the melody. I wanted to shazam the song, but phones were prohibited at work. The second time I heard it, I did shazam it, but nothing came from it. I tried asking my co-workers for any clues, but in vain. I never heard the mysterious song again after that…
I tried checking with my boss for the playlist (it is on Stingray) but it is only accessible by the company, and it is via a usb key that couldn't be removed from the hifi station for some reasons. I did email someone who ran not only the playlist, but also their social medias, but again, in vain. I tried searching with google's microphone, on Spotify, Apple music and SoundCloud by genre and nothing. As you can see, I am very desperate and don't know what more I can do. Sometimes, it feels like it was only a hallucination.
I am not a huge music expert, but here's what I know about the song:
The style is like a synth indie "rock", kinda chillwave, almost psychedelic, with a semi-synthetic voice, sung by a man. It sounded almost robotic in the first half, but ended with a faded echo "head" voice The voice sings kind of slow, while the music as the same tempo (but not the same melody!!) as Meet me at our spot by THE ANXIETY. There are melody shifts in the song. The beginning was in the "mi" register, and mid-song almost at the end, it goes up the "fa" register The two last notes played on the keyboard (with a kind of wavy sound) were a long "fa" and a long high "do" The song was maybe about 4min or 6min long I do not remember the lyric since the music was a little bit more louder than the man's voice. I think there were mentions of "universe", "time" and "love", but those are guesses… The song was released before 2019, or before march 2019. Here are some exemple of the kind of genre of the said song: https://open.spotify.com/track/0xtIp0lgccN85GfGOekS5L?si=X99kUfi-SGGVfj0VAHFo3Q
https://open.spotify.com/track/2FooLzRRBu5TTFdIsYEQKm?si=3HeFZvdBR7Wb_pM_fXMFIA
https://open.spotify.com/track/11vTDizUttoqwZofrMDj2H?si=zsm_RHFIRIK2waVX9VYQmw
https://open.spotify.com/track/7qCZgvV98j6RjUULW1s1it?si=8TeEyPSERs-R9saX8Wjw9Q
Any kind of help is really appreciated. Thank you for your time and hope my dumb problem won't bother you all. Bless yall 🙂

Hello everyone. I don't know if I'm addressing my issue in the right subreddit, but I really need your help. I've been searching for a specific song for the past 4 years, since 2019.
I heard the song the first time while working at a clothing store and fell instantly in love with the melody. I wanted to shazam the song, but phones were prohibited at work. The second time I heard it, I did shazam it, but nothing came from it. I tried asking my co-workers for any clues, but in vain. I never heard the mysterious song again after that…
I tried checking with my boss for the playlist (it is on Stingray) but it is only accessible by the company, and it is via a usb key that couldn't be removed from the hifi station for some reasons. I did email someone who ran not only the playlist, but also their social medias, but again, in vain. I tried searching with google's microphone, on Spotify, Apple music and SoundCloud by genre and nothing. As you can see, I am very desperate and don't know what more I can do. Sometimes, it feels like it was only a hallucination.
I am not a huge music expert, but here's what I know about the song:
The style is like a synth indie "rock", kinda chillwave, almost psychedelic, with a semi-synthetic voice, sung by a man. It sounded almost robotic in the first half, but ended with a faded echo "head" voice The voice sings kind of slow, while the music as the same tempo (but not the same melody!!) as Meet me at our spot by THE ANXIETY. There are melody shifts in the song. The beginning was in the "mi" register, and mid-song almost at the end, it goes up the "fa" register The two last notes played on the keyboard (with a kind of wavy sound) were a long "fa" and a long high "do" The song was maybe about 4min or 6min long I do not remember the lyric since the music was a little bit more louder than the man's voice. I think there were mentions of "universe", "time" and "love", but those are guesses… The song was released before 2019, or before march 2019. Here are some exemple of the kind of genre of the said song: https://open.spotify.com/track/0xtIp0lgccN85GfGOekS5L?si=X99kUfi-SGGVfj0VAHFo3Q
https://open.spotify.com/track/2FooLzRRBu5TTFdIsYEQKm?si=3HeFZvdBR7Wb_pM_fXMFIA
https://open.spotify.com/track/11vTDizUttoqwZofrMDj2H?si=zsm_RHFIRIK2waVX9VYQmw
https://open.spotify.com/track/7qCZgvV98j6RjUULW1s1it?si=8TeEyPSERs-R9saX8Wjw9Q
Any kind of help is really appreciated. Thank you for your time and hope my dumb problem won't bother you all. Bless yall 🙂

Jynweythek: time passes as the chime of the anvil is struck and the world is still for only a moment
Vordhosbn: this is very blurry blue streaks with blue and red dots. to me this is just a breed of synthetic materials trying to figure out something relatively important, dunno what, i cant say.
Kladfvgbung Mischk: Immediately, i don’t want to think about it but i see a beach. it’s night time and there are torches lighting a full cave with upside down masks on the wall, nobody’s home.
Omgyjya-Switch7: From brown to a light rusty coloured yellow, this songs is like the sound of neurons trying to convey emotions that they weren’t designed to. It does almost well but they have a complexity of their own. the first of my favourites.
Strotha Tynhe: A mouse is scurrying into a field of Magnolias. it is so happy. But is reached a point with no flowers on sight, and the screen goes dark.
Gwely Mernans: Welcome to the inside of what you didn’t know existed. You are really not supposed to be here but alas here you are. better make it worth it. i think that would be in your best interest.
Bbydhyonchord: Palm trees and extremely reflective water. No sand in sight, only roads. Highway Roads for miles containing nothing but palm trees with lights surrounded by water. you drive for eternity. until you don’t.
Cock/ver10: the previous song has crashed into a wall and created a chemical reaction of intrusive motions within the entire line of driving. The wall it hit didn’t even exist, where are we going? i don’t know but i think the car is on some (aphex) acid. it must rest.
Avril 14th: Stone buildings in fine, colourful grass in the middle of France from an alternate universe. fine mist makes you smile.
Mt Saint Michel + Saint Micheals Mount: little green men with three antennae are sprinting from left to right, they are wearing blue jumpers and now they’re dancing. they don’t have history just enjoy the show. Are you entranced yet? To some folk, This is how to get lost into sound. And it couldn’t be better. If it’s not for you, the door glows for those who see it.
Gwarek2: Richard’s dad has a presence on this track. i don’t know why but i just feel like he has been a major part of this atmospheric administration. i may be completely wrong but this is him speaking from tones. He is working and producing influence through his son. This to me is the bside of qu1.
Orban Eq Trx 4: A bratty, clumsy teenager is riding his skateboard whilst those around him cheer with empty soup cans. he’s about to hit the jump! Will he make it? i’m not sure. he’s pretty drunk.
Aussois: Congratulations! You’ve discovered picturesque time travel. You can now look at any photo and hear the last 6 and a half seconds of audio that was around the event at the time.
Hy A Scullyas Lyf Adhagrow: Have you ever thought an inanimate object could become melancholic? me either, but this is it. i cant tell you what object it is.. you decide that all for yourself. in fact, you decide all of this yourself. Everything can feel.
Kesson Dalek: This sounds like a message of great urgency. it must be answered or everything they’ve ever loved is smashed in a billion shards of obsidian. i wish i knew but then again, i do not.
54 Cymru Beats: This is an AI robot attempting to process a 1:1 ratio of what it’s like for a human to have two small doses of ketamine and MDMA. The glitches are unbearable and unfortunately it’s a robot and gets this test completely wrong. Well, on second thought-
Btoum-Roumada: An empty mall. Vacant. covered in a shine of burgundy. very very dark and heavy emphasis on the burgundy. pretty.
Lornaderek: the car is not clean
QKThr: A windmill in a wind storm, but you can’t hear anything except peace. it is a navy blue sky and dark green grass.
Meltphace 6: A massive orange/tan coloured nuclear reactor with extremely intricate (green) wiring on the inside. the colour is green for a very specific reason but this reason is unknown to me. alexander graham bell from another world is playing his telephone inside. He loves the beeping noises. He’s got so many machines.
Bit 4: Ungodly amount of thin, stretchy material. but at the same time is very brittle and will break upon contact. a very unstable material.
Prep Gwarek 36: The clay soldiers build their very long and flat wall, comparable to the Great Wall. These blocks are somewhat smaller than an Average Toolbox and of an aquamarine blue colour. A timelapse.
Father: The crow in the cage is watching you. it has a human face but the details aren’t there. you can’t tell what they really look like. Don’t answer it if it mimics someone you know.
Taking control: the tunnel is narrow but the space is infinitely long. it just doesn’t make sense in a euclidean world. it has red lasers and some voice disguised in the colour of the darkest sapphire echoing through the entirety of your being. rocks are banging together in such a way that they are they’re own percussion group. you can’t see them in front of you but your mind can certainly hear them. not sure what that’s all about. another favourite.
Petiatil Cx Htdui: A world where homes look like churches. They’re white, made of wood and not very tall. but it would seem something went wrong. there is nobody here, the entire land is empty. why?
Ruglen Holon: Pottery class from 286BC. the fire is really warm and there is bread, although hard and tacky it is filling. a pot is shaping up to be the best, but it takes time. Am eternity it feels like.
Afx237 v.7: Half computer half human hybrid disgusting being is let lose and is causing terror on humanity. there are so many very not fun things going on in this scenario but the monster thing is just doing gang signs whilst strobing everyone to death. what a world to live in! this was the first one i was exposed to, another favourite. the baselines are sex
Ziggomatic17: the pinnacle of past, present and future influence my neurons transmit to one another. i don’t even know what to say for this one. a garbage bin has begun a career in stair falling, in which they create sound people love. it talks too. cute little thing for sure. very polite, big mouth for big sounds. it has a doorstopper as a friend and it’s so annoying but really knows how to make beats so the bin keeps it around. all in all, sometimes things are really nice and it feels good. sometimes you wish it doesn’t end, but you know the best things always do.
Beskhu3epnm: remember the clay soldiers? they’re in a waiting room right now. but there’s tension in here and i can’t seem who hates who but it’s about to get heated !!!! maybe not though. they seem level headed.
Nanou2: duotangs, love, bread, tapestries, aerosol cans - whatever you want. you can finally have it for free and you don’t need to prove anything. just enjoy what you want for once, sometimes you deserve it.