Blue little tikes slide

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.

Cover Art!
Just because you’re transported to another world, doesn’t mean you’ll escape from your pain.
Abused by her parents, thirteen-year-old Frances only wants to be safe and for her life not to hurt so much. And when she and her class are transported to the magical world of Durannon to fight the monsters invading the human kingdoms and defeat the self-titled Demon King, Frances is presented with a golden opportunity. If she succeeds, Frances will have the home she never had. If she fails, Frances will be summoned back to the home she escaped.
Yet, despite her newfound magic and friends, Frances finds that trauma is not so easily lost. She is dogged by her abuse and its physical and invisible scars. Not only does she have to learn magic, she has to survive the nightmares of her past, and wrestle with her feelings of doubt and self-loathing.
If she can heal from her trauma, though, she might be able to defeat the Demon King and maybe, just maybe, she can find a home for herself.
Teaser: Martin and Ginger are thrust into an unenviable role.
[The Beginning] [<=Chapter 182 part 2] [Chapter Index and Blurb] [Chapter 184 on April 5 or now on patreon ]
The Fractured Song Index
Discord Channel Just let me know when you arrive in the server that you’re a Patreon so you can access your special channel.
Despite his curly crimson beard and heavyset build King Jerome was quite a mild-mannered man. His soft chin and cheekbones lent the man a face more inclined to smiling than scowling.
He was doing both, which wasn’t something Martin nor Ginger had seen that. His eyes were narrowed and brow furrowed. His lips however were tilted in a wry smile.
“We did give you the authority to make treaties with Queen Janize directly, but these are harsh terms for us, Sir Martin, Lady Ginger.”
Martin had set up their mirror so he and Ginger were standing in front of it. He dipped his head, placing one hand over his chest. “I am afraid I don’t see any other option, Your Majesty. You know of the strategic situation and the dragons that Thorgoth has under his command. We didn’t want the civil war in the first place, but now we must end it or risk annihilation.”
Queen Forowena, despite her limp, was pacing around her chair. One hand clenched her chin. “We don’t even know if Janize will agree to meet with us in the first place. Though, that’s beside the point. You want to know if we ought to approve of this at all.”
“Yes ma’am, I mean, Your Majesties.” Ginger swallowed. “More importantly, we want to know if there are any terms you are demanding Queen Janize to accept.”
The eyes of Forowena and Jerome met. No words passed between them. Jerome only raised a thick eyebrow and Forowena nodded, before turning to the pair. “No, but I do have one question. Did Elizabeth and Frances tell you about my infertility?”
Martin winced, whilst Ginger coughed officiously. “Elizabeth did, Your Majesty. She said that she will take full responsibility for that breach, and states that trying to keep the secret was impossible given the nature of her mission and our involvement in it.”
Nodding, Martin braced himself and clasped his hands behind his back. “Which brings the question, Your Majesty, with all due respect, did you intend for us to assassinate Queen Janize and her child?”
Forowena and Jerome again glanced at one another. This time, Jerome was giving his wife a knowing smile and the Earl was pinching her nose.
“To speak truthfully, Sir Martin, Lady Ginger, we were not sure ourselves whether we wanted to kill Janize if she was pregnant. We have continued to debate the question and its consequences,” said Forowena.
Jerome grimaced. “What we knew for sure was that Erisdale had to be put to siege. Now, I argued that my sister should be spared as with her child.”
“And I argued that Janize and her child were a threat to our rule and our chosen successors. I don’t want to kill them for both moral and practical reasons, but I was not sure how to neutralise them.” The Earl ran a hand through her hair and glanced at her husband. “Dear, I believe that we can accept most of the terms that Martin and Ginger have offered our behalf except for the second point.”
The king took her hand, running his scarred fingers over Forowena’s knuckles “You are correct my dear. We will allow Janize's child to enter the line of succession, but we have chosen our successors.”
Martin did his best to keep his expression neutral. “Your Majesty, I don’t understand. There’s no other direct descendant of House Grey left.”
Forowena sighed, her eyes meeting Martin and Ginger’s. “No. That’s why after very careful thinking, we planned to appoint our successors. We have even talked to all the other lords and ladies who support us and even our kingdom’s most powerful mages. That’s why there’s no way we can fully accept that second condition. It would be impractical if not impossible to get them to switch their support.”
Martin frowned. He suddenly recalled a call where his mothers and sister had given him a very strange look. They seemed oddly proud, even when they’d just been talking about family gossip.
Jerome nodded, “That and we would still be at war with Alavaria. A child successor would be inherently less appealing, and especially one underneath the influence of Queen Janize at that.”
Rubbing her temples, Forowena drawled, “It’s also why Janize and her child are such a threat. Unless Janize formally renounces her claim, she’d always be able to make a bid for the throne through her child. Not to mention she could just influence the throne through her child if he or she becomes ruler of Erisdale.”
Ginger coughed into her fist. Lifting her chin, she glared defiantly at the mirror. “With all due respect, Your Majesties, it would be better than continuing this pointless civil war. So long as we execute Darius and strip the rest of the Traditionalists of their power, who cares if Janize has some influence over her child? She won’t be able to harm Alavari in Erisdale, or affect lasting change. We’ll still be here. We’ll watch her and if she goes too far we will have Queen Titania’s Alavaria assisting us.”
Martin narrowed his eyes. Forowena and Jerome were exchanging looks again. Both were smiling at each other, but the ends of their lips were curled into just a bit of a smirk.
“Your Majesties, perhaps you can enlighten us on who you decided to be your successors? If they are not a very popular choice, maybe we can accept Janize’s terms.” The knight watched the king and queen carefully as his words hung in the air. He watched as King Jerome blinked, tried to avert his gaze, before forcing himself to look him in the eye. He noted how Queen Forowena forced her features into an expressionless mask.
Martin felt a cold shiver run through the very core of his being. Unconsciously he grabbed Ginger’s hand. His fiance blinked, tuning to look at him with wide eyes. Martin swallowed.
“That is, unless for some insane reason you’ve chosen me and Ginger?”
The queen let out a small breath, while trying to keep her neutral expression. Jerome’s shoulders sagged and he patted Forowena’s shoulder. “Told you he’d figure it out.”
Ginger’s head whipped back to face the royal couple. “Wait, what? Impossible. I’m a commoner. A former convict!”
Forowena’s eyes narrowed and her voice rose. “You’re also popular with the people, one of our national heroes. If your little rebuke to us was any indication, you also are loyal not to Erisdale’s monarchy, but our country and people. As for the matter of your commoner background, you’re marrying Martin and you know what that means.”
Ginger hands clasped behind her head, almost screamed, “Yes, I am marrying into a distant relation of the Royal Family and one of the founding noble houses of Erisdale. I was ready for that! You’re asking me—us to become King and Queen of Erisdale!”
“Yes.” Forowena growled, bitter tears wetting her eyes. “And we would never do so if there was no other option, Lady Ginger, but I can’t conceive a child!”
Jerome’s hand reached over to squeeze his queen’s shoulder. “And there’s no way I’m divorcing my queen. I am a man of my word and I vowed to be with Forowena until death do us part. That won’t change.”
Martin coughed to clear his throat and crossed his arms. “Then why didn’t you just have a surrogate give birth to your child, Your Majesty? I know it would be shameful but did you consider that we may not want to be king and queen?”
The king blinked, looking a little like an owl caught by torchlight. Forowena grimaced. “I did discuss this with Jerome, but I couldn’t quite convince him. You do have a good point, Sir Martin. However, even if Jerome did finally agree to father a child with a surrogate, we would still want you and Ginger to become the next King and Queen.”
“Right, potential child ruler. Not good for Erisdale,” Ginger muttered.
Forowena grimaced. “That and how many children could Jerome father? He cannot simply start fathering children haphazardly. More importantly, children are vulnerable. Even if by some miracle I could bear children, I would push for you both to be added in the line of succession.”
Jerome nodded solemnly. “Neither of us are willing to risk the fate of Erisdale on a child, even if it was our own. Considering that our original discussion was about the potential for Janize’s child to inherit, I think you see our point.”
Ginger, biting the tip of her thumb, yanked her hand out of her mouth. “We couldn’t have been that popular a choice, though…right?”
Forowena grinned. “You weren’t everybody’s first choice, but you were on the lips of many and once we started to seriously press those who were hesitant, they agreed you two were the best option. They even pledged to support you.”
Ginger glanced at her husband, but he was still crossing his arms. He’d gone so still for a moment she wondered if he was breathing. Then her mind caught up with her.
“Every lord and lady under your command agreed on us?” she stammered.
“Including your sister Mara, Martin,” said Jerome.
Clutching her hands, Ginger took a deep breath. “But why not Lady Edana—
“Of Erlenberg and not Erisdalian,” said Forowena.
“Frances!”
Jerome shook his head, wincing. Forowena sighed. “Otherworlder and clearly too close to Prince Timur to make her look out for Erisdale’s interest.”
Ginger pressed a hand over her mouth, her free hand clenching into a fist and opening. “Shit. This…this is really happening.”
Martin closed his eyes and nodded. “I believe so. My…personal feelings aside, I will do my duty. But what do we tell Janize?”
“That we’ve appointed our own successors, but her child will be in the line of succession, with our successors house to take precedent over her own. That might complicate the succession law for the future, but that can be resolved in time.” Forowena snapped her fingers. “Ah, and we will also make it a condition that the amount wealth and land confiscated will be determined on the basis of who the Traditonalists persecuted and to provide compensation for property damaged by their forces in the war.”
Martin and Ginger exchanged a glance. “Including Alavari, Your Majesty?” Martin asked, his voice quiet.
Jerome nodded. “That is the intention, Sir Martin. Now…I believe you and your fiance have much to discuss. If that is all, you may request to be dismissed.”
“We do wish, Your Majesties,” said Martin, bowing. Ginger mirrored her fiance and the images of the king and queen faded.
Promptly walking over to one of their chests, Ginger fished into it and drew out a bottle of wine.
“Care for glass?” she asked as she fetched a goblet.
Martin sat down heavily onto his bedroll. “Yes. We…well nothing is guaranteed. I mean we haven’t even gotten married yet.”
Ginger poured herself and her fiance two glasses and handed one to Martin. “But we pledged to after the war, and so have the other lords and ladies of Erisdale. Damnit, of course Frances, Elizabeth and the others would support us, but everybody else?”
“It’s unexpected, but now that I think about it, most people wouldn’t want to be named heirs to Erisdale. It’ll be a hard job rebuilding this kingdom after the war and essentially starting a new dynasty.”
Sitting down, Ginger sipped from her glass. “Dynasty. Fuck, I’ll have to do something about my family.”
“Give your parents a stipend and nothing else.” Martin pursed his lips. “Of course, if you don’t want to be queen, Ginger, you can just—”
His fiance leant against his shoulder. “Finish that sentence and I will smack you. We’re in this together, Martin.”
“I know and I love you. I just wanted to make sure.” Martin took a deep gulp of wine and swallowed hard. “Hopefully, this is the last of the big responsibilities we get.”
Ginger snorted. “I would not bet on it my dear knight.”
Her fiance chuckled, before his lips pinched together. “Promise that you’ll never start calling me Your Majesty, please.”
Wrapping her arm around the blonde man, Ginger smiled. “You’ll always be my shining knight, Martin. Nothing will change that.”
“Thank you, Ginger.”
Pulling her feet off the table where Janize’s mirror was and sliding them back into slippers, Leila crossed her arms. “How many years since you’ve seen your brother?”
“Not since the civil war started, so about two years.” Janize smiled gave Leila a peck on the cheek. “Honestly, I am both irritated and a little proud of Jerome. I didn’t expect him to hold out, much less turn the tables on me. I always teased him when we were younger. He was too honorable, to the point that he was dumb. I suppose he just needed to find the right group of people to help him along. How long before the meeting by the way?”
Leila glanced at the high noon sun outside. “Not long now. I’ve also redoubled the security spells and checked the room.”
Janize nodded serenely. “Good. Anything else you can think of with regards to the conditions we have and their terms?”
The Otherworlder tapped her fingers on her arm. “Well, it’s not exactly something they demanded, but it might come up. They probably will demand compensation for the Alavari that we’ve been experimenting on. It’s probably why they demanded land and wealth from our rebelling nobles.”
“Pardon?”
Leila frowned, meeting Janize’s narrowed grey eyes. “I mean, it’ll be hard to argue with them. They’ve captured several of the labs and have our research notes—”
Janize raised her hand, her usually relaxed brow now furrowed. “Leila, what are you talking about? What do you mean by labs and experiments?”
The Otherworlder’s eyes widened and she found herself sitting up ramrod straight. “Um, is this a particularly amusing prank of yours?”
“We are minutes away from a critical meeting. Why would I joke about this with you now?” Janize hissed.
Leila blinked and slowly shook her head. “You’re kidding me. There’s no way you could have not been aware of this. The castles and labs were garrisoned with army troops and Red Order mages.”
“Leila this is the first time I’ve heard about these labs and castles—” Janize grimaced as the mirror began to glow, the sign that a call was coming. “Oh dear. Oh dear. I…I suppose I will have to request to be informed.” Settling herself, the queen touched the mirror and watched as King Jerome, Queen Forowena, Elizabeth, Ayax, Martin and Ginger appeared.
“Hello Janize,” said Jerome, coolly.
Janize smiled without mirth. “Greetings, Jerome. I must begin this meeting with a bit of a somewhat incredulous confession. But please bring me up to date on what exactly has been going on in the labs you have found that were apparently operated by my forces?”
The queen’s smile thinned as sceptical scowls and narrowed eyes met her question. Ayax blinked, tail whipping side to side. “You’re joking right?”
Janize cut before the stunned looking Reformists could ask another question. “I wish I was, but I was just informed by Leila here that they did exist. Speaking of which, how did you come to know about them, Leila? This is not something discussed in my palace.”
A grim, almost haunted look came over Leila’s face. “I found out about it recently as well. A few months ago, Master Scarlet of the Red Order requested Otherworlder assistance in defending their outposts and castles. They had no strategic value so we pressed her and she told us they were magical research laboratories and they couldn’t move the research easily. After that meeting, Earl Darius tried to convince me, saying that it would please Janize if I sallied forth. I wouldn’t normally have believed him, but our situation was so desperate I thought it made sense. I started to prepare a counterattack, but then it didn’t matter anyway because you folks in the Lightning Battalion started to attack them and there is no way in hell we would survive a fight with a full army division.”
Taking a deep breath, Elizabeth tried her best to get her own temper and confusion under control. “You mean you weren’t told what was going on in there? When did you find out about the children?”
“Our standing orders were to take Alavari prisoners of war and hand them over to the Red Order. So I figured—” Leila dropped her arms to her side. “Hold on. Children? What the fuck are you talking about? I thought they were experimenting with prisoners of war and criminals?”
A cold snarl twisting her normally serene expression, Ayax rose to her feet. “You Traditionalists haven’t even been fighting the Alavari! How could you have gotten prisoners of war? And experimenting on them is still wrong!”
Feeling a headache coming on, Janize gingerly massaged the side of her temple. “Wait, children? I thought that was propaganda you were spreading. Where the hell did you even get children from?”
“From the Alavari that lived in Erisdale, and from those that you kidnapped from Alavaria!” Elizabeth hissed.
“I authorized funding and troops for magical research, not that.” Her stony-masked stoicism wavered as her lips twitched. It was as if the queen was trying to prevent a wince. “It’s not that I don’t believe you, but this is extraordinary.”
His eyes narrowed, King Jerome leaned onto his elbows. “Janize, I don’t understand. How could you have known nothing? You don’t trust Earl Darius or Master Scarlet that much.”
Janize pulled her hands from her temples. Drawing herself straight, she narrowed her eyes at the mirror. “No I don’t, but this is the first time I’ve heard about these experiments.”
Leila blinked. She knew her lover better now and as good at hiding her feelings the queen was, she did have some subtle tells. In this case, her shoulders were just a bit too stiff, stretching skin across her high collarbone. “Janize, I’m sorry, but that’s…not entirely true isn’t it?”
The queen tilted her head toward the Otherworlder. Her grey eyes glared daggers at Leila for a brief moment, before she turned back to the mirror. In an arch tone, she hissed between gritted teeth, “I know they were making mana batteries. However, it’s the first time I’ve heard about children. I have been suspicious about why Master Scarlet and Earl Darius require so many facilities for some time and have been trying to audit them. They’ve been stonewalling me with magical and military jargon or burying it in budget books under nondescript lines.”
Leila blinked. “Oh that’s why you were asking me what those words meant.”
“Yes, dear. Now, if the interrogation is over, I will agree to offer compensation to those children and their surviving family members. In return, I have my own conditions.”
Forowena sneered. “Name them. We have our own conditions as well.”
Janize grinned back. “First, my child is not to be next in line to the throne of Erisdale. In fact, I would like to renounce my right of succession and that of my child.”
It was rather hard for Elizabeth, Ayax and their allies to hide their surprise. Admirably, King Jerome only managed to show his shock through a series of rapid blinks. “That’s a major concession, sister.”
The queen turned her chin up. “In return, once you depose Earl Darius, you grant me his personal lands and make me an Earl.”
Crossing her arms, her thoughts racing a mile-a-minute, Elizabeth muttered. “You’d become Erisdale’s chief powerbroker.”
“I am surrendering after all and most of my allies will be gone. You got to give me something. Besides, if I remain Earl, I’d be able to keep what remains of the Traditonalists in check. Exile honestly doesn’t suit me, as comfortable as it would be. I want my child to have a future, not one where he or she has no allies and is bound to the crown.”
Forowena and Jerome glanced at one another, exchanging frowns.
Martin also looked to Ginger, who shook her head. He nodded. They’d had their own discussion about Janize’s possible offers and they had their own opinion.
“Go get em, Martin,” Ginger rasped.
The knight swallowed and coughed officiously. “If I may be so bold, Your Majesties, I propose we grant Queen Janize a county, not an earldom. In return, we shall protect her from reprisals and reparations that the Crown of Alavaria will undoubtedly request.”
Leila rolled her eyes. “What crimes? As you said, we didn’t fight Alavaria.”
A shit-eating grin blossomed over Ginger’s face. Idly twirling a lock of her hair, she crossed her legs. “Earl Darius’s forces kidnapped Queen Titania’s niece, Princess Morgan Greyhammer from the Alavari Academy of Magic and subjected her to a year of torture and experimentation.”
In the silence that followed, all that could be heard was Leila trying not to sputter. Janize was quiet and still. Yet the color was drained from her face.
“That dumb bastard,” Janize whispered.
Leila slammed her fist on the table, causing Janize to flinch. “Fuck.”
“So a county it is, then?” Ginger asked in an airy tone.
“Yes. Do you confirm your side of your terms?” Janize asked.
“We do. Our demand was that your child could not be our successor, which you have agreed to.”
“So the dynasty of the House of Grey ends I suppose.” Janize let out a shuddering breath and shook her head. “Then who is to be your successor?”
Martin and Ginger clasped each other’s hands in unison before facing the group.
“We are,” said Martin slowly.
“Until someone better is found,” said Ginger.
Janize arched an eyebrow. Leila sighed. The queen, however, nudged her Otherworlder quiet and gave a nod of assent. “A wise choice. Shall we continue?”
Author’s Note: So yeah, this is a bit of a twist, let’s see what happens.

That Darlene character from that Roseanne show; the original airing specifically I love to bits; my favorite the original airing and Darlene with her long black curly hair and Grunge flannel jeans look; is exactly what I like and I’m a lesbian…
I had a dream about Darlene during that grungy time I had a dream about that grungy Darlene and I loved the dream. I’ll tell you what the dream was. Before I do. I don’t know why remember it full swing.
I’m in this room 90’s grungy like greys and blacks and scratchy television static and she’s there too. I’m walking around looking for something it seems. …and out of nowhere it is like I jumped hiiigh into the air and landed in what seems like a regular Ol retangle pool in the other end of that room.
…and she takes one of her hands; arms with something black looking dangling on her rist pushing up her flannel sleeve unbuttoned sleeve and pulls me out. When she pulls me out it is as if nothing happen because I’m not drenched or anything. I stand up and walk over to this table right front corner of me and shove some what seems like yellow Lays in a grey blue blue bowl into my mouth. Then out of nowhere I’m on the floor on my left side legs curled up like you do sleeping and am crying. Shes standing like back behind me but not behind me over by my head like a straight line from my face to her how I’m laying crying and she asks “if I’m ok like what is wrong?” Then out of nowhere I’m standing up and I say to her that “I was told that I’m a stupid woman” and she says with an awwwe that “how am I stupid? I’m not stupid”.
I continue saying “ and not to mention my sexuality my sexual orientation.”
She says “come on now let’s eat and I’ll help you figure this out.”
We walk over to this table and it is a bunch of clear glass bowls of mashed potatoes. Then out of nowhere I’m helping her dye her hair black. “Are you attracted to me?” she says. “You’re a lesbian aren’t you? You can just tell me you know. Not like I’m going to judge you. Hell not like anyone wants to be with me” she continues.
I’m standing there with the clear bottle hair dye in my hand as she says that. Out of nowhere I'm in a bed with her. …and she looks at me it seems and she says grabbing my hand “when the summer heat is creeping on us all we will get that house and move in and finally you can have your straightened out art room and we’ll make dinner on nights we are to be at home at night and we’ll have our vegetable garden and we’ll just be happy in our own little world” Then as she finishes saying that it feels like I’m falling asleep with her on her on my back way on the bed.
The end. That is the dream. I don’t know what to make of it. But I want to dream it again tonight but more of it.

A little about me, I’m a phenomenal listener and avid cookie eater. So as long as you don't mind me eating cookies like the cookie monster then we should get along quite well. I like to always have fun and am quite adventurous! I love traveling, and learning about new cultures and binge eating their food. So if you are super bored and looking for a friend, let's start thinking about new handshakes, A bit more about me:

• *Techy sarcastic nerd - Music depends on my mood, if I feel ambitious then Rap/Hip hop, otherwise edm, jazz, oldies, blues and pop will do.
• Video games, I play warzone, valorant, gta, rust, and csgo. I often cry myself to sleep when 12 year olds bully me.
• Food, Cake, Cookies, Ice Cream, Pizza, anything thats not green vegetables (yucky) * Love tattoos! Have them myself
• Sports, I love sports basketball, baseball, football though I tend to get hit in the nuts quite a bit with balls

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.

Hey, fam!
I'm trying to figure out the best method to acquire transmog via the Creation Catalyst and want to make sure I understand everything correctly. I primarily do the Storms to obtain gear via the storm sigils. Before 10.0.7, I acquired a full set and then catalyzed most of it to obtain the tier appearances for normal raid difficulty and that worked well enough. As far as I understand it, the following is true:
The ilvl 259 Storms gear (Raging Tempests) acquired with elemental overflow cannot be catalyzed, but gives the blue appearance of the set.
The ilvl 385 Storms gear acquired with sigils and upgraded from the 259 gear does not give a new appearance, it shares an appearance with the 259 Storms gear. However, it can be catalyzed into the Normal raid tier set for your class.
With 10.0.7, you can upgrade the Storms Raging Tempests gear again, to ilvl 395. This grants the green tinted appearance of the set. If you either catalyze the ilvl 395 Storms gear into tier, or upgrade the catalyzed ilvl 385 to 395, you obtain the Heroic raid appearance.
I believe this means that I would have to obtain the gear twice to get all appearances because of the divergent upgrade paths. Is there a way around this that anyone can think of? Did I miss something?
Thank you in advance for your time - I wish this was a bit more straightforward, it's a little dizzying.

I’m new to reddit so I’m not sure exactly where to post this. Apologies for the length.
This was the weirdest experience I have had to date, and I still get choked up and emotional when I think about it. It was 2010 and I was 25 years old, living at home with my very supportive parents who were helping me through college (after previously dropping out of high school and having two amazing children)
It was an early autumn afternoon, around 4-5 pm. I was in my room, doing some homework on my laptop, at my desk. The desk faced the wall directly across from my bed, and my older style box tv was on top of my dresser to the left of my desk, about 2 feet away. I was, as usual, procrastinating doing my homework, so I was mindlessly watching some dumb tv show.
Because my tv was so close, I stood up instead of using the remote to change the volume on my tv. As I reached out my left hand to press the button, as if a switch flipped, my entire environment changed. This affects me still to this day; I still feel it in my soul that something strange happened. I didn’t hallucinate, it was real. I was back in my childhood home, some 20 miles away, and seemingly 18 years in the past!!
I was standing in front of the only hallway closet in the one-bedroom house that I grew up in. The house was over one hundred years old, and the closet was one of those with the doors that slide open on tracks. You know, the ones that the doors NEVER go back on the tracks right, so you must be careful of how you open it. Anyway, the door to the closet was open, and my already outstretched left arm was reaching toward a very distinct item.
When I was little, my mother had this perfume bottle that, for some reason, I was absolutely in love with. The perfume itself was cheap and didn’t smell particularly good to me. The bottle was glass, and shaped like a bird, maybe a dove. Its wings were up and outstretched. It was beautiful, but it had a broken wing. I probably broke, being the curious and clumsy child I was (and still am, lol.)
So, there I was, one moment in my somewhat modern bedroom in 2010, the next in the old one-bedroom hallway across town, back in time 18 years. I was there, I saw the bird bottle. I was within inches of grabbing it. My heart melted for that dumb little bottle of stinky perfume shaped like a one-winged dove. (Oh my god, this is not a Fleetwood Mac song, I swear!)
Before my hand could actually make physical contact with that precious bird, the switch flipped again. I was back in front of my tv, outstretched left hand and all. My mind could not comprehend what had just happened, and I felt immediately sick and dizzy. I was in such a state of shock and confusion that I just walked out of my room, down the hall, into the living room and out into the front yard.
I could do nothing but lurch over, hands on my knees and try desperately to catch my breath, but mostly my sanity. This experience was so jarring, so real. I was physically in front of that open closet, reaching for that damn bird bottle, then I wasn’t.
I wasn’t particularly stressed about classes; it was community college. I’m not prone to hallucinations and was stone cold sober when this experience happened. I’ve only told a few people because honestly the subject of momentarily teleporting through time and space doesn’t come up in conversation often, and I only know a few people that I can tell.
Has anyone had anything like this happen? I still have no explanation and it might have just been a weird break in psyche, but it was not a dream, and I was not under the influence of anything or under any unusual stress.

So I was riding back from Emerald Ranch towards Valentine. I was feeling kind of low. I mean Arthur is dying and that big ass boar just killed Hamish. I've had better days, just saying. Anyway I spotted some smoke and when I got closer I saw it was some O'Driscolls. I decided to make myself feel a little better and shoot those SOB's with a dynamite arrow. 🤔🤔 BTW did you know that all O'Driscolls have blue eyes? Well they do. One blew this way and one blew that way. 🤷 Anyhow as I started back on my journey I came across this train just sitting empty in the middle of nowhere. Not sure what happened but I haven't seen it before. If the hear an explosion do they just haul ass??? I mean I wouldn't blame them at this point. Bad shit tends to happen when you ride trains around here. 😂 So does anyone know what causes this or is it just a glitch?

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[One week later - One week old]
This is not happening. It must be some kind of reaction to my mind while in the vis state. I never looked into the effects on the mind for prolonged exposure to the vis state. I am sure this is all a bad dream.
[One month later - One month old]
I am trapped. This body is weak. My arch nemesis is, as the one my “mother” has dubbed, blankie. She wraps me in a cocoon of polyester and wool. My wrath will rain upon these people. I will destroy blankie. I will get back to my old self! I hate this!!
[One year later - One years old]
I have learned more about the current situation in the world from the adults talking. If I have been thrust forward in time, it is from me underestimating my own ability or Albian doing something. I do not know which I prefer to be the truth. I still hope this is a bad dream.
I have not seen anything to prove a time change. Technology seems to be similar to what I knew from 2020. No one seems to own phones though. It appears glasses or some form of contacts fill the role of a cell phone. I study every chance I get, unfortunately my “family” seems to be some kind of royalty and do not watch TV often.
I will learn something from this place that does not exist and is totally made up in my own mind.
[Two years later - Three years old]
A cold, dark reality has set in. If this is a dream, it is too real. I have started to walk and string together words. Dreams do not have this much realism. I can’t even defecate of my own accord. I, Liam Von Viea “The Great”, am useless. A failure with a poopy diaper.
[Three years later - Four years old]
I have come to enjoy the company of my family, I can’t believe I am saying it. From the children's stories I have been told, I have determined I have moved forward in time. It is a surreal feeling to listen to stories of my past self. Even though they are filled with inaccuracies, I am flattered.
My hair has grown out and it is half black and half blonde. Testing was inconclusive and was determined by melanin was influenced by my vis. It is illegal or unethical to test vis and abilities on children under six due to the “dangers” involved. The people of this time are weak. I would have gone through with the testing if I was not considered a minor. Damned body.
Biohacking was just starting to become a thing back in 2020 if I remember. Using testing and readings to estimate ability or bio-age. It has been taken to an extreme now. According to my father, who I have found out is a mid-ranking adventurer, once I get my contact implants and fully tested the rest of my life will be planned out.
It seems vis strength and power rule the world now. Poor souls. At times I do not know if I want to go back to my old life now. Haha! It is probably not even possible anyway. I have already drafted plans in my diary. Of course, the notes are illegible to anyone but me. One of the good things about this body.
My mother has set up a “play date”. I have spent most of these listening to adult gossip, my only way to learn about the world. From the sounds of this one though, Mother and Father will be in a closed meeting. I will have to interact with the other children. I do not mind most of the time. Since I am here I will need friends and allies for my future plans, retirement and an easy life!
However, we will be going to the local Lords estate. Lord Warrin. Lord Warrin is fathers boss, at least that's how I see it. He is kind of like the Governor of the state and my father is the Mayor.
I have not been to Lord Warrin’s estate, but I have had the unfortunate opportunity to meet his devil of a child. Julian Warrin. His red hair beaming with confidence and pride. All steaming from his father. I doubt he knows what hard work is. Last time we met he called me “Halfy” because of my hair… the nerve!
“Liam! Why aren’t you ready?!” Mother whipped.
“My lady, he refuses to get up.” Cidny, a young maid working for our estate said with a tired look.
“Liam, get up now or I will delay your contact implantation!!” Mother yelled. She knew that would get me going. I swear she must have some psynotic vis in her.
“Fine.” I huffed as Cidny began brushing my hair.
I got up and finished getting dressed. I am unable to do anything until I get my implants. Computers are no longer used commercially, for me to access the internet the implants are a must. I have gone to the public library a few times, but so much is age restricted! Why is vis taboo until six? I think I will never understand.
I would be lying if I said I was a little excited to take the train. I was ecstatic. Maybe it was the child in me or maybe it was the fact that trains are powered by vis. It doesn’t matter, it is cool and I want pictures!
I have not told anyone and have kept it a secret that I can control vis already. Apparently it is unheard for my age. I will keep this secret, after all I am almost six. Like hell I will let the CIA or whatever organization they have now take me away and test me like a lab rat. I hate those CIA guys.
I took many pictures of the train. I was told by one of the train employees that the train pulls in vis and uses it to run the engine. It only takes in what it needs. I wonder if vis is a renewable resource? I would not like to hear a train is taking my power.
To call the Warrin estate grand would be doing it a disservice. Through only gossip I know it is famous for its garden and welcoming environment. I am interested to see it, only because I have heard so much of it.
“Liam. This is Godfrey, he will take you to the other kids. Play nice and be safe.” Mothers stern eyes told me she meant business.
“Yes Ma'am!!” I raised my arm in a sarcastic salute.
“Young master, you might want to work on that salute. Come this way.” Godfrey smirked.
I can tell Godfrey is a meticulous man. His black suit is free of any blemishes or wrinkles. Every step he takes is planned. Even his glasses had no dust or smudges on them, an impossible feat.
“Sir, Mr. Butler Godfrey, what is your job here? Salute corrector?” I said with a childish chuckle. One thing I have enjoyed about my youth is getting away with little quips!
“Young master, I correct many things. Shall I make your attitude next on the list?”
Godfrey did not look down. I still felt eye contact. It sent a shiver down my spine. No one has made me feel this way in a long time. Excluding what I have started to call “the years lost”, it has to have been more than 10 years.
I better not pry into this man.
“Ok Sir Mr. Butler Godfrey” I smiled.
“Just Sir.”
I felt my spine shiver again.
“Sir” I whimpered. My body is scared of this man. He is stronger than me.
We approached a garden area. A group of three kids were waiting under a pagoda. Turning a calm relaxing scene into complete and utter chaos. I knew that devil Julian, the other two I had not met before.
“Young masters, this is Liam Reznor, first son of Lord Reznor. Get along and play nice. I am watching. Even when you think I am not.” Godfrey said in a cold dark voice.
There goes my spine again… damned thing.
Who’s idea was to make this guy our chaperon. Why couldn’t one of the maids take care of us?
“Hey Halfy! Long time no see!” Julian's smile was the inverse of my frown. His red hair neatly kept and black fitted suit matched his commanding presence. When older, he would be powerful.
“Julian I…” I was grabbed and brought in close to Julian.
“I don’t like Godfrey. Me and my friends here plan to ditch him like always. Follow along, Halfy.” Julian whispered.
While I did not like the way he spoke to me, I agree with getting away from Godfrey. Just knowing he is around is uncomfortable. I swear he wants to murder everyone not named Godfrey. I can’t believe I agree with Julian. Today is not my day.
“Ok, what next?” my eyes rushed around nervously.
“We run!”
Julian threw a gray ball into the air. I darted in the direction Julian ran in. Dark Grey smoke appeared above us.
“You little.. Young master, where did you get a smoke shell?!” Godfrey coughed.
“I do NOT get paid for this!” I could not imagine this man losing his cool like this. I might regret this choice later… but I was enjoying it. Even in my prime a primitive smoke shell could cause me issues. Not only did it block vision and smell, it acts as an emulsifier. It mixes all vis in an area making tracking and identifying a target impossible. Not a cheap toy a kid should have.
Keeping up with Julian and his little entourage was easier than I thought it would be. I have not been exercising like I want. Muscle production at my age is detrimental to my long term gains. I am not in any kind of routine, but I pick things up and put them down at times. When I am six I will start a vis and muscle building routine. One created by “The Great” Liam Von Viea of course.
“Julian, where are we going?” One of the boys, Grigor Chernin, asked. He is large for his age, in a gray suit with black hair. He was squinting as he asked. He was using more power than necessary for the question.
At least I was not the only one out of the loop on this.
“There! Grigor. I told you about it, remember?” Julian boasted.
“You can’t be serious…” the girl said. I think her name is Olivia. Her purple hair stood out to me. Perhaps vis was the cause of this unusual color.
I looked at where Julian was pointing. A cave. More accurately a dungeon. Was this little shit about to take a bunch of children into a dungeon? He is mad!
“Relax, it is an F level dungeon for training the servants. To build up vis resistance. I have been in like a billion times.” Julian smirked as he pulled out his training sword.
The other two pulled out training swords as well. So I was the one out of the loop… with no weapon. This could be a chance to test my vis resistance I guess.
“Hey, Halfy! Catch!” Grigor threw a stick towards me. “Use this!”
“This?” I looked down at a stick, well no not a stick. A twig.
When I looked up. They had entered the dungeon. I had done this countless times in the past. The pale blue and white swirls brought back memories. Why was I anxious? Maybe the twig or the fact I had not really used my vis in the body?
My spine shivered. I forgot about him…I took a breath and jumped into the dungeon.
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• Barney is gay
• Insert character has a huge ass
• The female black ops assasin is in fact thicc
• Opposing Force is the best
• Blue Shift Sucks
• Blue Shift has no end boss
• There is an actual location named Black Mesa in OK
• A character that normally does not smoke weed is funny when you make a poorly edited version of character that is holding a joint
• HDTF is fine as long as you play it ironically
• We dont talk about episode 1 because episode 1 = bad
• An average half life fan will make in fact the mental connection with Half Life when he sees a crowbavalve/tall building/city/lambda
• Decay explotion looks photoshopped
• Black Mesa is controversial
• It starts with one thing
• In the end it dosent matter
• Half lifes 2 corpse is in fact a real corpse
• The combine is funny
• Haus is the most funniest thing ever
• Gordon freeman does in fact use his shotgun when there is a threat in the world as opposed to Steven who prefers dialogue with the threat
• Eli wants you to bang Alyx
• Houndeyes are cute.
• The marine corps do in fact look like the HECU
• Dr Coomer reminds you of the coomer meme
• Child Slavery is funny because the HL2 Beta
• a joke involving the title of the game is very funny
• You're sexually attracted to an alien/charachter
• Source is the worst thing ever
• Ravenholm has saw circles
• Headcrabs are in fact similar to the goombas in Super Mario
• A billboard with a charactehuman on it is similar to a breencast
• Right wing memes but replace the conservative with the combine and the liberal with the resistance is kek
• A shitpost on halflife is cringe
• halflifememes is cringe
• Replacing the anime meme with a half life character is so funny
• Aperture sceince is bitch made
• Gordon Freeman is thicc
• Barney does in fact own ya a beer
• HEV suit edits are hilarious
• You dad did a CP violation
• G Man does stand for Gay man
• Omori sucks
• Portal sucks (a little bit)

I’ve been wanting to make some pins for my specific needs for a while, finally tried but I don’t know how you make curved sentences to fit the shape. The only thing I have rn is google slides and I’m not allowed to buy anything online (let alone something my mom thinks I can make myself) so I’ll have to make them myself. I also feel bad for “stealing ideas” from other pins that are available for purchase but I can’t buy them so I kinda gotta do what I gotta do.
I kinda wish need pins were so available for free irl like pronoun pins have become. Like the little bowls of them you can find and take one free.

Hello, everyone! I am about 6-7 weeks pregnant and I decided to go with HeyJane for my abortion. I am currently in the middle of the process, this is just a journal of how it’s been going.
For anyone that doesn’t know what HeyJane is, they provide medicated abortions through their website. The process was very easy and straightforward. They didn’t accept my insurance, and I had to pay $199. (Not bad in my opinion) I went on their site on Sunday and received my pills today, Wednesday, with free shipping. They use sliding scale fees to accommodate to everyone. They are very responsive and helpful. You can talk to a real worker at HeyJane (not sure if I should call them customer service reps as they are labelled Patient Care Advocates on the app) if you have any questions during the process. They send you a lottt of extra ibuprofen and ondansetron! Super neat :’)
3 PM - I took the mifepristone and then 2 ibuprofens and the ondansetron (nausea).
3:30ish PM - I took the misoprostol pills vaginally.
5 PM - I took a nap
7 PM - I woke up, my stomach was hurting (about a 5-6/10) and I had cramps (honestly not as bad as I thought they would be). I went to turn around in my bed and it felt like my abdomen was being stretched which was pretty shit but it was only that one time and that was the worst part. I had slight chills. I haven’t had any other side effects besides my body temp being a little more difficult to regulate 🥲 but it’s manageable. No bleeding yet.
11 PM - I was nervous that the pills didn’t work but now I am passing blood clots!! (Yay) I haven’t been bleeding a lot but I have surely been bleeding. I think I started bleeding at 8-8:30. Ever since I woke up from my nap I’ve been having dull cramps but they are not bad. I would say the pain is a 3/10. I was really surprised because I thought since I don’t normally get cramps on my period, that it would be unbearable! Everyone seemed to say the cramping was the worst part and that it gets pretty intense, maybe I’m just lucky (fingers crossed).
I will update this tomorrow!! Hopefully it continues to go this smoothly!

I’m new to reddit so I’m not sure exactly where to post this. Apologies it this does not belong, and for the length.
This was the weirdest experience I have had to date, and I still get choked up and emotional when I think about it. It was 2010 and I was 25 years old, living at home with my very supportive parents who were helping me through college (after previously dropping out of high school and having two amazing children)
It was an early autumn afternoon, around 4-5 pm. I was in my room, doing some homework on my laptop, at my desk. The desk faced the wall directly across from my bed, and my older style box tv was on top of my dresser to the left of my desk, about 2 feet away. I was, as usual, procrastinating doing my homework, so I was mindlessly watching some dumb tv show.
Because my tv was so close, I stood up instead of using the remote to change the volume on my tv. As I reached out my left hand to press the button, as if a switch flipped, my entire environment changed. This affects me still to this day; I still feel it in my soul that something strange happened. I didn’t hallucinate, it was real. I was back in my childhood home, some 20 miles away, and seemingly 18 years in the past!!
I was standing in front of the only hallway closet in the one-bedroom house that I grew up in. The house was over one hundred years old, and the closet was one of those with the doors that slide open on tracks. You know, the ones that the doors NEVER go back on the tracks right, so you must be careful of how you open it. Anyway, the door to the closet was open, and my already outstretched left arm was reaching toward a very distinct item.
When I was little, my mother had this perfume bottle that, for some reason, I was absolutely in love with. The perfume itself was cheap and didn’t smell particularly good to me. The bottle was glass, and shaped like a bird, maybe a dove. Its wings were up and outstretched. It was beautiful, but it had a broken wing. I probably broke it, being the curious and clumsy child I was (and still am, lol.)
So, there I was, one moment in my somewhat modern bedroom in 2010, the next in the old one-bedroom hallway across the county, back in time 18 years. I was there, I saw the bird bottle. I was within inches of grabbing it. My heart melted for that dumb little bottle of stinky perfume shaped like a one-winged dove. (Oh my god, this is not a Fleetwood Mac song, I swear!)
Before my hand could actually make physical contact with that precious bird, the switch flipped again. I was back in front of my tv, outstretched left hand and all. My mind could not comprehend what had just happened, and I felt immediately sick and dizzy. I was in such a state of shock and confusion that I just walked out of my room, down the hall, into the living room and out into the front yard.
I could do nothing but lurch over, hands on my knees and try desperately to catch my breath, but mostly my sanity. This experience was so jarring, so real. I was physically in front of that open closet, reaching for that damn bird bottle, then I wasn’t.
I wasn’t particularly stressed about classes; it was community college. I’m not prone to hallucinations and was stone cold sober when this experience happened. I’ve only told a few people because honestly the subject of momentarily teleporting through time and space doesn’t come up in conversation often, and I only know a few people that I can tell.
Has anyone had anything like this happen? I still have no explanation and it might have just been a weird break in psyche, but it was not a dream, and I was not under the influence of anything or under any unusual stress.

...
"Gotta be a hell of a time for ya," Richard remarks while he slides me a faceted-bottom drinking glass, Captain Morgan-ing it with his seat opposite me. This'll be the third time tonight, I think. We ran out of whiskey- the rum's great though, he said it was in a smoked barrel, whatever.
"Bet you were hopin' lil' Spooky was gonna lose, huh?" He cocks his heavy brow toward me, left upturned. I... Can't tell what he's pulling here. "Lucky for you, I'm a gamblin' man... Don't worry pal, I've been keeping you in my mind."
"See," he begins as he sees me raising my glass to drink, and rushes to accompany me. "I've been swingin' my weight [he was a very thin man] around at the Meeting Table when I go back to do my Reports. My reputation is pretty known as a... Man of chance... And the Stodgies weren't really giving me much while I was explaining my Plan."
"My luck's... Not so good." He plants his drink down with a solid clap against the hard wood table. "At least, that's what I tell Them. So I made them... A Wager." He steps his foot down from the top of the chair and turns, walking to his desk in the corner of what I assume to be his Office- it's mostly just the desk and some strewn papers, some... Bizarre mish-mash of writing and seemingly random numbers, written all throughout the pages with seemingly little order or care for placement. He opens the top drawer and pulls something out.
"Check this out, buddy." He turns, stumbling, and tosses... A key? "Oh, whoops- hang on," is uttered slurrily as he was way off-mark and it lands short of the entire table area. He walks over and picks it up, comes back to the table. Places it with a confident hand onto the table. "This... Is the new Program."
"I told the Stodgies that it was a stupid idea to just get rid of these guys if the Experiment isn't Completed. I Proposed that... We could develop a new Program for the promising Subjects that become Obsolete for the Experiment. There's no point in losing all our investments over and over again. They... Mostly wanted to focus on the last part. But I convinced Them that I'd bet, my Salary against Implementing my Program, that Our buddy Spooky would impress Them... That key... Is to my stable. When I get it finished in about a week or so, won't be long. That's gonna be for Spooky's gate. I'm keepin' it."
...
Everything got a little blurry after that- too much good rum. Needed some time away from the Papers, and to make a visit, so it's been a few Months [plot time]. Richard has Implemented the Graduation Program after the Board spectated Spooky's matches. They agreed that its potential was too great to be subject to Obsoletion, and wish to see it thrive going forward and achieve higher Classes outside of my Experiment. Richard has a team that he Supervises which will take care of the Graduated Subjects, and they'll be treated finely- he bet a huge sum of cash on Spooky in the Tournament, too, and won nearly everything. Its caretakers are fantastic- they're taking Orders from Richard very well, who, turns out, was taking notes from me while I was doing Training with it. Spooky will be... Fine.
The Board has Dismissed the Ethics Complaints, and they've expressed great Interest going forward. They are sending Case files with more data in the ID as each Experiment progresses to a higher Class.
My new Case: (42, x, 2, 80, 30, 46). I named it Roon, the LavaLessie. Metric Total: 716. A good-looking Subject; not the most nimble I've ever seen... But quite hardy and seems versatile in its potential for either Skill type. We start with Head Slap and Spike as our Skills, so we'll be leaning into that and focusing on its resilience over speed while we Train it to be able to break rocks with its skull. We'll see if you can follow-up on Spooky... Gonna be a tough spot to fill around here.
First Month goes smoothly, as Roon took well to both the Accuracy Training on Week 1 and the Mixed Strength Training on Week 3, resting in between to keep from too much fatigue. We feed Nuts in the second Month, and repeat the Training in the same fashion; very good, and these early Mixed Trainings are doing great to adjust Roon's Combat specialty. I believe maintaining this schedule might be a bit too much for it this early on, though, as we see a Failure in Month 3 during Accuracy. We'll take note, and adjust to Endurance to give it some variety in the next sessions. Though the Mixed session was a success, there's definitely a toll being put on Roon as another failure in Month 4 forces me to reconsider the Regimen. We don't want to be too soft on Roon here, and push it to try again in Week 2. It succeeds, and we call it there for the rest of the Month. AGIMA arrives, but we have a ways to go- and Roon's gonna need to recover a while before we think about any more training. We'll have to see... But it could definitely be worse. I'm seeing some good promise here; and I don't want to let these past two Months affect my outlook too harshly.

Platform(s): PC
Genre: Educational first person
Estimated year of release: Mid 90s to around 2005 maybe
Graphics/art style: Cartoonish 2D drawings
Notable characters: Miguel was the main character, Miguel was a kid and he was sort of like your teacher in the game, he was white, had brown hair with bowl cut and used to wear a navy blue and green stripped shirt.
Notable gameplay mechanics: you had to look at Miguel's photo album, each photo was from a different place like the dentist, school, restaurant, the city, aquarium and once in that place you had click on the objects, animals, ect, that's where Miguel would tell you the translation, for example you could see a chicken in one of the photos and when u clicked on it Miguel would tell you the name of that particular animal in both English and Spanish and whichever thing or creature you clicked would do a funny thing after giving you the translation for example the chicken would sing, dinosaurs would dance, light sockets would sing, teeth would sing, ECT. Then after learning the words using the photo album you would go into the slides where you would do your exam to check what you've learned from the photos and if you managed to pass your exam that would unlock new places in the photo album so you could learn new words.
Other details: there was a side menu where you could click a microphone to switch from English to Spanish or viceversa.

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At some point during the journey aboard the RCX Yekaterinburg, someone had set up a display in the commons showing the names of all the militaries assembling on Omen, in order to boost the morale of the incoming Russians. Of course, the US’s forces were first on the list, being first to arrive, but then came the Bundeswehr, and then, curiously enough, the French Foreign Extraplanetaries. ANZAC, the Royal Marines, and the JSDF came next, followed closely behind by the remainder of Unified Combat Command. It was an impressive show of force, but it would be a nightmare to coordinate. Svetlana just hoped the people in charge of this whole operation hadn’t slept through their foreign language classes.
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The Yekaterinburg dropped out of warp within visual range of the USS Montana, which provided yet another boost to morale. During the Contact Wars, the Montana had driven back a previous attempt to invade New Vancouver near-singlehandedly, routing an Intruder fleet with a mixture of genius maneuver and overwhelming firepower and achieving the highest kill count of any human spacecraft before or since. The sight of the hulking missile battleship and its veteran crew was a welcome sight. It would remain in orbit, raining kinetic impactors on anything impervious to regular bombing.
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However, not all was well. When they were still a day out, word had made it to the Russians that the same fleet that had carried out the devastation of New Vancouver had arrived in-system, having more than recouped their losses in the engagement with Admiral Kuznetsov. Instead of a task force of six, it was a flotilla of more than two dozen, with more to arrive in the coming days. Already, there were nicknames for its enigmatic leader, some more vulgar than others, but the most popular of them was “The Cornered Fox of the Void,” the story being that they had escaped destruction by the Nikitovna by showing unbelievable aggression, driving them aside with threats of a ramming maneuver before using their own ships as shields to cover their retreat and evacuation of a further ten thousand captives.
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Still, that wasn’t relevant to now. Svetlana couldn’t afford to distract herself with “what-ifs” and whatnot. Determining everything that could go wrong in a war was a one-way ticket to an asylum.
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The Yekaterinburg quivered as though alive as it broke through Omen’s aerospatial boundary. Blinding orange light shone through every porthole, and the craft left a trail of white condensation behind it. Svetlana braced herself in her chair, clenching her body when the ship began to decelerate. Someone always braced a little too late and lost bowel control in these descents, and Svetlana was determined not to be the unlucky one.
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The G-force let up after a minute or so and the ship settled into a gentle float about a kilometer in the air, its ventral guns scanning the ground below. A moment later, a general alert went over the intercom, instructing all ground forces to prepare for disembarkation. Svetlana stood, grabbing her cap and jogging from the commons to the shuttle bay. Along the way, she passed an embarrassed-looking maintenance tech, who hastily darted into a bathroom.
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The shuttle bay was nothing if not hectic, but it was especially frenzied now. Exosuited technicians scurried around, arming and refueling the shuttles. Most of the aircraft were the common dual-engine variant, but there were also a few haulers, with an engine nacelle on each corner of the fuselage instead of wings. Those would be used to offload the various vehicles and heavy machines of their forces.
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“Fall in!” their commander shouted. Svetlana and the rest of the officer corps rushed to their places in formation, the enlisted following shortly behind. The shuttle bay was just barely large enough to harbor the men, the shuttles, and the support staff.
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Admiral Kuznetsov turned to face his charges, lips pursed and brows furrowed. His uniform was untidy, which was quite unlike him, and there were great big bags under his eyes. He looked like he had aged ten years in a few days.
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“Today, men, you are doing what the Russian military has never done: you are landing on a real, not simulated, enemy planet. The backbone of this world’s force is broken, but they are far from pacified, and with the Cornered Fox in our orbit, it is likely they will be receiving reinforcements soon. USSAC is already gathering a fleet to intercept them, but it’s unlikely they’ll be able to decisively engage them before they bring themselves to bear upon us.
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“I expect you not to buckle under their assaults, no matter how withering. You will perform to the best of your ability, and you will show these degenerates,” Svetlana cringed at the sheer vitriol in the word. “why Russia was feared and hated for so long. And you will show them that we are still to be feared today. Am I clear?”
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“Sir, yes sir!” everyone called simultaneously.
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“Good. Dismissed,” Georgy bowed his head and let them proceed to their shuttles. Svetlana, however, took a brief detour to him.
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“Hey, are you feeling alright?” Svetlana asked.
​
“Oh, I’m fine. I’m… I’m just tired. I don’t think I’ve slept in a few days.” Georgy said. He was in his mid-sixties, and it was in these moments that Svetlana was reminded of his age. He seemed smaller and frailer than normal. He had already served long enough to earn his pension, but Svetlana suspected that he wouldn’t have anything left to live for if not for the military, so he remained diligent as ever.
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“Why, what’s wrong?”
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Georgy frowned, considering whether or not to tell her. Then, he smiled half-heartedly. “It’s nothing you need to worry about, Svetka. Just admiralty things.”
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It was a flat-faced lie, but Svetlana understood why he told it. “Okay then. Just… tell me if you need me, okay? You can’t just go on working yourself to death.”
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“Well, either I work myself to the bone out here or you do in a mine somewhere in the orgy of imperialism they call a state. Just…” Georgy teared up for a moment. Svetlana couldn’t bear to see the invincible officer cry, so she grabbed him in a powerful bear hug, choking back her own sobs. Georgy soon reciprocated the gesture, wetting her shoulder as he rested his head on her.
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“You’re the only thing I have left, Svetka. Don’t let them catch you. Don’t let them take you and turn you against everything we stand for. Please.” Georgy whimpered. In this moment, he was just a fragile, pitiful old man, completely vulnerable, a war hero no longer. This was just too much.
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“I promise! I promise, I promise, I promise.” Svetlana cried, bursting into tears. For a few minutes, they stood like this, propping each other up, trying not to let the horror of this situation overwhelm them completely. As Svetlana regained her bearing, a fell anger gripped her.
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“War should be a curse word.” she spat.
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Georgy looked up at her with a similar fire in his eyes. “In-fucking-deed.”
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“Everyone unpack your weapons quickly! Los, los, los!” the 467th’s commander yelled as the first of the shuttles touched down on what would soon become Fort von Richthofen. As the loading doors of the hauler unsealed and descended, Hersch turned on the Leopard’s engine and eased it down the ramp and towards the rally point.
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A Sternjager in a spacesuit waved them in the correct direction, his special-forces insignia glinting in the harsh blue sunlight. Johann couldn’t imagine what it felt like to be dropped straight from orbit and practically crash-landed into enemy territory. Hersch maneuvered the tank into its designated spot and switched it off, the crew dismounting.
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“Oberst-leutnant Weiss, Hauptmann Hess and crew reporting for assignment, sir!” Johann saluted the 467th’s commander. Weiss returned the salute.
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“Speak with Hauptmann Myers; he’s the Panzergruppen’s leader, he might have something for you to do.” Weiss ordered. Johann nodded, mouthing a quick “yes sir” before running to the outskirts of the camp.
​
The Panzergruppen were so named for their ultra-heavy suits of powered armor, treading the delicate line between exosuit and war stomper. Just barely short of three meters tall, their armor marked with tallies, an iron cross displayed prominently on each shoulder in metallic paint, they were nothing if not imposing. Johann and his crew were just lucky they weren’t armed at the moment, instead busying themselves carrying two-ton reinforced barriers to the outer boundaries, two men to a wall segment.
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Captain Myers saw the three as they approached, no emotion visible from behind his composite-armored gas mask. “Captain Hess reporting for duty, sir.” Johann nodded.
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“And I assume these two are under your command?” Myers’ voice was distorted and harsh; he must’ve “forgotten” to maintain his vocoder in order to sound more intimidating.
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“Yes, sir.”
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Myers grunted in acknowledgement. “String out the razor wire and set up the MG emplacements.”
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“Yes, sir.”
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The work was long and dangerous, even with cut-resistant gloves. Thankfully, none of them sustained more than a few nicks, along with a few bruises when Hiedrich accidentally dropped an M2 on Johann while they were bringing it to its place in the defenses. A few hours later, they, along with many other tank crews, had succeeded in setting up the beginnings of the perimeter. With luck, the engineers would handle the trench-digging, heavy emplacements, and other heavy lifting tasks of the construction.
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With his work done, Johann was on his way back to the base when Svetlana appeared seemingly out of the blue.
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“Did they really name this place after the Red Baron?” she asked.
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“Gah!” Johann yelped, jumping back. “Don’t do that!”
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Svetlana put her hand over her mouth, apparently a habit of hers. “Oh, did I startle you?”
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Johann, flustered, tried to play it down. “You just caught me off guard. It’s okay, and, yes, they did name the base after him.”
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“Wouldn’t it be a better name for an airfield?”
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“Probably, but I wasn’t there to name it.”
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Svetlana nodded pensively. “We’ve set up camp about a kilometer to the west. It means we’ll have plenty of time to get to know each other, eh?”
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A rush of worry flooded through Johann. “Svetlana, you can’t just say that in public.”
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“Why?”
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“Well, you outrank me, and if people find out about us, they’re going to ask if it’s consensual, if you pulled rank to force me into it…” Johann put two fingers to his lips, collecting his thoughts.
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“Even if I say everything’s fine, they might not believe me. I don’t want you endangering your job, Svetlana.”
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Svetlana’s eyes widened. “I didn’t even think of that.”
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“It’ll probably be fine, but we need to be careful. Just watch who’s around when you’re talking, okay?”
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“Alright, then.” Svetlana nodded. They walked in silence from then on.
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“Where are we going, anyway?” Johann asked. By this point, they had covered half of the camp.
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“I was just taking a tour of the accommodations and thought you would make a good walking partner.” Svetlana shrugged.
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“Fair enough.” Johann responded. Just at that moment, a transport ship steamed overhead, a blue-and-purple flag hastily stenciled on one side. It banked a few degrees to the right, then fired its main engines and flew north.
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“Who was that?” Johann pointed at the outgoing craft.
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“They call them the Free Poslush Army. Turncoats, basically.” Svetlana explained.
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“They aren’t all brainwashed?”
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“Apparently, they only do that for the people old enough to remember life before their conquests. Must be too expensive to brainwash every one of however many billions they have.”
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“Even then, why would the Poslushi fight their own government?”
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“Their culture puts a lot of value on mental and emotional abuse; it’s something about expunging hesitation and cultivating loyalty. It’s been this way for centuries, but I guess some people are just meant not to accept it.”
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Johann pursed his lips and looked down. “Interesting.”
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“Indeed.”
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The bulbous, ovoid craft of the 1st Bombardier Legion were the first to reinforce the 1447th after Wakizashi put in a call for reinforcements, followed shortly after by the sleek, bird-like ships of the Aralu Janissaries and the bright iron-colored ships of Her Dominance’s Twelfth Judicial Guard. Rapier may have had his preconceptions about the Viceroy, but she sure had contacts.
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“What do you know of the conquests of our great founder Sunsword, Captain-General?” Wakizashi asked from atop her throne.
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“I’ve read every annal of her exploits that I could find, Viceroy.” Rapier replied semi-passively.
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“Do you know of the Battle of Jhoda?”
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“Yes, Viceroy; it’s the most famous of the Venerable Ancestor’s victories.”
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“So you remember her heroic charge uphill to defeat the forces of the Tenth Warlord?”
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Whatever divine exists, please no, Rapier thought. “Yes; her courage under fire won the day there.”
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“There are two encampments of the enemy located on a ridge our forces can easily access. We can show that our great founder’s strategy remains sound to this day!”
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Rapier went into crisis mode. Sunsword won a battle against greater numbers, charging uphill, but that was in the day of swords and spears, when her elite bowmen could devastate the front lines of the Tenth Warlord’s defenses and allow her shock troops to press the advantage. Now, the human forces could bombard the incoming forces with artillery and their odd, tracked vehicles before they could get close enough to start shooting. It would be a massacre, and Rapier knew Wakizashi would, as all Broodmatrons excelled at doing, find a way to make it her subordinates’ fault. He would start storing evidence to give to the Dynastic Commissariat if need be, but now he was undergoing damage control.
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“Viceroy, perhaps you should consider what should occur if–and this is a small possibility–we were to lose this battle. Should it not go as you planned, we could besmirch the good name of the Venerable Ancestor, and surely you would not wish to do that?”
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Wakizashi straightened her antennae pensively. “You make a good point, but what alternate strategy do you have?”
​
Rapier racked his mind for information on the ridge Wakizashi was speaking of. Then he found it. “Viceroy, if we could utilize the airmen of the Judicial Guard, we could suppress their forces with aerial and artillery bombardment and use the Janissaries to encircle them. Then our regular infantry and armor could wipe out their fortresses with impunity.”
​
“Ah, quite the tactic indeed. We will save the actions of the Venerable Ancestor for a later date, then.”
​
Rapier saluted, then silently went back to work. He may have ha–he stopped himself again, reminding himself that it was unsafe to even think such things. He tried to force himself to believe the opposite, that Wakizashi was his rightful and wise liege, who only occasionally required guidance to avoid being taken on flights of fancy. After all, it would be presumptuous to imagine that she was dependent on him in any major way. It was not his place to question, only to shape the occasionally-optimistic ideas of his liege in more pragmatic directions.
​
As he told himself this, he just couldn’t accept it. Not to say that he doubted his loyalties, as he never did, but perhaps Khopesh could’ve selected a Viceroy of greater pedigree. There had to be a reason behind her appointment, but Rapier wished he could have less reasons and more rationality.
​
Still, there was no point wishing for anything one could not work for, and any measure of control over his liege, or her liege, or hers, was soundly out of his reach. The best he could do was fitting the tradition of males of his kind, keeping his head down and bearing pain without complaint.
​
After all, in a world based upon his inborn inferiority, what else was there to do?
​
---
​
(AN: I have a wiki! I'm a big boy writer now! Once again, subplots cooking up quite nice. Some live, some die, some tell their stories. All's fair in love and war, but that doesn't mean people won't still judge.
​
Love 'ya!)

​

#	Name	Year Released	Genres
1	The Blue Lagoon	1980	Adventure, Romance
2	Breathe	2017	Drama, Romance
3	The Brothers Warner	2008	Documentary, History
4	The Circle	2017	Drama, Science Fiction, Thriller
5	Clean and Sober	1988	Drama
6	The Cold Light of Day	2012	Action, Mystery, Thriller
7	Coraline	2009	Animation, Family, Fantasy
8	City by the Sea	2002	Crime, Drama, Mystery
9	Dark Blue	2002	Action, Crime, Drama, Family, Thriller
10	Drive Angry	2011	Action, Crime, Fantasy, Thriller
11	Dumb and Dumber To	2014	Comedy
12	The Warriors Gate	2016	Action, Adventure, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
13	Entertainment	2015	Comedy, Drama
14	Experimenter	2015	Drama, History
15	Ghost	1990	Drama, Fantasy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
16	The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard	2009	Comedy
17	Harriet the Spy	1996	Comedy, Drama, Family
18	Hit & Run	2012	Action, Comedy, Romance
19	The Host	2006	Drama, Family, Horror, Science Fiction
20	House at the End of the Street	2012	Horror, Thriller
21	The House Bunny	2008	Comedy, Romance
22	Hunter Killer	2018	Action, Thriller
23	I Am Love	2009	Drama, Romance
24	Iris	2014	Documentary
25	The Kid	2019	Action, Drama, Western
26	Kiss the Girls	1997	Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
27	Knowing	2009	Action, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller
28	Land of the Pharaohs	1955	Drama, History
29	The Last Circus	2010	Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Horror, Thriller
30	The Last Days on Mars	2013	Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
31	The Last Days on Mars	2013	Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller
32	Lemon	2017	Comedy, Drama
33	Let's Be Cops	2014	Comedy
34	Letters to Juliet	2010	Comedy, Drama, Romance
35	A Lion Is in the Streets	1953	Drama
36	The Long Riders	1980	Action, Crime, Western
37	Lucy	2014	Action, Science Fiction
38	Monos	2019	Drama, War
39	Mud	2013	Drama
40	Music Within	2007	Comedy, Drama
41	Mystic Pizza	1988	Comedy, Drama, Romance
42	Noma: My Perfect Storm	2015	Documentary, Food
43	No Way Out	1987	Thriller
44	One Missed Call	2008	Horror, Mystery, Thriller
45	The Outlaws	2017	Action, Crime
46	Outrage	2009	Documentary, Erotica
47	Push	2009	Science Fiction
48	Rachel, Rachel	1968	Drama, Romance
49	Results	2015	Comedy
50	Safe Haven	2013	Romance, Thriller
51	Safe in Hell	1931	Drama, Thriller
52	School-of-life	2016	Documentary, Music
53	Smokin' Aces	2006	Action, Comedy, Crime, Thriller
54	The Smurfs 2	2013	Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
55	The Smurfs	2011	Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Family, Fantasy
56	The Soloist	2009	Drama, Music
57	Spring Breakers	2013	Crime, Drama
58	Storm Warning	1951	Crime, Drama
59	The Strawberry Blonde	1941	Comedy, Romance
60	Taken 3	2014	Action, Thriller
61	Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby	2006	Comedy
62	Tangerine	2015	Comedy, Drama
63	Trespass Against Us	2016	Action, Crime, Drama, Family
64	Huevos: Little Rooster's Egg-Cellent Adventure	2015	Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Erotica, Family
65	Valkyrie	2008	Drama, History, Thriller, War
66	The Wave	2015	Thriller
67	We Are the Best!	2013	Drama, Music
68	White God	2014	Drama
69	Whitey: United States of America v. James J. Bulger	2014	Crime, Documentary
70	Moonage Daydream	2022	Documentary, Music

https://preview.redd.it/x1v5o1o0msqa1.png?width=1890&format=png&auto=webp&s=b615a11c5fe8128d1517b096901d113f762ae8e3

Season 2 just wrapped up today and boy, do I have thoughts. I think the highs of this season vastly outshine season 1. There was a lot to enjoy and the last three episodes were super solid from a narrative stand point.
However, I feel this season is more a mixed bag than season 1.
Season 2 opened with the two parter Spoils of War and Ruins of War which were fine episodes. It was until episode 3: The Solitary Clone that the show started to shine. Crosshair really comes out the best character this season. Watching him go from token bad guy to a more nuanced character with the potential for a true redemption arc.
Unfortunately, this kinda set a tempo for how the rest of season was gonna go. It was a pattern that was followed through most of the show. Two or so mediocre (or down right bad, looking at you Entombed) episodes around the Bad Batch followed by a really strong non batch bad related episode.
I like how this season didnt rely on legacy characters as much as some other recent projects did (season 1, Book of Boba Fett or even Mando). Sure, they showed up, but it all felt organic rather than a shocking moment. Krennic felt a little forced, but I can let it slide. The characterization they gave Saw was another compelling aspect. Seeing him as ruthless and causing more problems than solving was really impactful.
The addition of Hemlock was great. He is menacing and cunning. Cant wait for season 3.
Cid becoming more a snake, eventually betraying the Batch, was a great direction for the story. Personally, I found her annoying and the nicknames last their charm quickly. Im not happy it happened, but Im curious to see what happened.
Now, for the Batch. I really didnt feel anything strong for most of the show. Omega really didnt feel important, and almost more reduced/childlike than season 1. Wrecker and Hunter seemed unchanged. Although Tech softened up, it really didnt leave me floored.
By episode 13, I was convinced that I was only going to care about the CrosshaiWorld building episodes.
Then Episode 14 happened. Holy shit. From the raid led by Echo to safe captured clones, to Tech mentoring Omega, to Crosshair trying to help. It hit all the right boxes and made a solid episode.
Episodes 15-16 were the way to end a season! I really liked seeing the Batch face a situation together. After a relatively easy season, seeing a challenge kept me engaged. Saw worked really well being an overzealous bastard.
Tech’s death hit like a freight train. It actually made me choke up a bit. It set up high stakes. (i still count it as a death, although we dont see his body. I hope they keep him dead)
Having Omega have to grow up and be in denial of Tech’s death worked so well. As the show goes on, more drama please.
Fuck Cid. Had to say it again.
Overall, it’s low 7. Carried by the last three episodes. Most episodes were average. There were a few that were great. Crosshair is the most interesting character and I look forward to next season.

The original thread was deleted so I want to let people know that this content pack is still available and being updated 😀
The Nostalgia Pack is a content pack that brings back assets from Toontown Online to replicate the 2010-2013 Toontown experience, with a few bits and pieces from the 2008-2009 era. Many original textures, music files, and sound effects have been restored!
Textures

• Restored Toontown Online intro background and logo
• Recreated the Cog battle and Goofy's Gag Shop interfaces in their original style
• Restored original ToonTask icons
• Restored old clock/timer texture
• Restored old jellybean jar texture
• Restored old elevator "Hop Off" button texture
• Restored original textures for the Small Magnet and Big Magnet
• Restored some lower-resolution textures from Toontown Online for:
  • Chat bubbles
  • Eye pupils
  • Cog emblems
  • Whole Fruit Pie and Whole Cream Pie
  • ...and many more!
• Restored old green and gold Jellybean bank texture from TTO
• Removed Doodle-shaped holes from the Daisy Gardens pet shop exterior
• Restored the original blurry map texture in the Shticker Book
• Removed the mysterious cloud from the map
• Restored an earlier version of the blue Pick-a-Toon screen used in TTO
• Partially restored original Gag/Laff barrel texture
• Restored miscellaneous old Field Office textures
• Restored old Cast Member and Staff badges from TTO
• Restored old Ambulance Chaser hat texture
• Restored old Nurse Shark texture

Sounds & Music

• Restored Toontown Online intro theme
• Restored old running sound effect
• Restored old Cog question sound effect from early 2010
• Removed Clarabelle sound effects
• Removed the Cog attack sound effects added in the July 2018 update
• Shortened the teleportation, Lipstick, and Hang Up sound effects as they were in TTO
• Restored original, "glitched instrument" versions of several music tracks:
  • Cog Thief theme
  • Toon Escape theme
  • Ice Slide theme
  • Cog Building floor intermission theme
  • CEO feeding round theme
  • CEO final round theme
• Replaced Daisy Gardens building theme with street theme as in TTO
• Removed underwater themes in Donald's Dock and Chip n' Dale's Acorn Acres
• Removed Silly Meter themes from Toon Hall
• Restored old Cashbot HQ main area music
• Restored old Cashbot HQ mint music
• Restored old Lawbot DA Office music
• Restored old Bossbot Cog Golf Course final floor music
• Reverted the CEO Cog battle music to once again use the regular Cog battle music
• Swapped the CJ Jury Round and Scale Round themes as they were in TTO
• Removed Lava Room and Silo ambient sounds from the Factory
• Removed MiniGolf obstacle sound effects

New in Version 3.0 (3/29/23)

• Restored old Ambulance Chaser hat texture
• Restored original Nurse Shark texture
• Reverted the CEO Cog battle music to use the regular Cog battle music
• Swapped the CJ Jury Round and Scale Round themes as they were in TTO
• Improved whole fruit pie/whole cream pie texture to more closely resemble their TTO counterparts
• Tweaked appearance of "Select a Cog" battle GUI
• Fixed bugged middle arrow texture in Boiler battle GUI
• Redesigned the middle arrow texture in Boiler battle GUI
• Classic "Select a Cog" GUI now displays correctly during Boiler battle
• Restored various old textures for Cherry on Top, Cozy Cabin, Happy Hut, and Royal Residence house exteriors
• Restored miscellaneous old Field Office textures:
  • GUI and icons for Cold Caller Cubicles minigame and Mega Mover Maze
  • GUI for elevator Toon Resistance briefings
  • Surveillance Room floor and decoration textures
  • For those who would like original TTO Field Office music, install the new Classic Field Office Music content pack alongside this content pack!

Download Here: https://www.mediafire.com/file/hs1lue82b80uriz/NostalgiaPack3.0.zip/file
Extras:

• Classic Accessories
• Classic Clothing
• No Organic Tweak
• No Options Tweak
• Classic Intro Only
• Classic Battle Menu Only
• Classic Field Office Music

If there's anything I missed, or if something doesn't look quite right, leave a comment with your suggestions on what to improve.