Context: This was one of my first online games as a DM. I ran a campaign with the typical "necromancy magic is seen as bad" trope due to massive events in the campaign world (that led to the first Lich being created and using the war between 3 nations to fuel his undead army, until all 3 nations realized the threat and banded together to defeat the army of the dead and supposedly destroyed the Lich). With that knowledge in mind, one player asked to create a school of necromancy wizard (tiefling). I said sure, but let them know that if they were to use necromancy within a village, town or captial city that it would draw attention to them and most likely result in their character being arrested, or even attacked. The player said they were fine with that, but asked if they could be Lawful Evil. Now, this should have been the first red flag for this player, but I said that I would allow it but only if their actions didn't directly target or effect the other player characters. They agreed.
Now to give some more context, the other players character's consisted of:

• Protector Aasimar, Oath of Ancients Paladin, Lawful Good.
• High Elf, Wild Magic SorcereOath of Devotion Paladin, Neutral Good.
• Human, Gloomstalker Ranger, Neutral Good.
• Halfling, Circle of the Moon Druid, Chaotic Good.
• Wood Elf, Assassin Rogue, Chaotic Neutral.

I mentioned to the Wizard player that the paladins might not be pleased with their character if they witness them using necromancy, again, to which the wizard player said that would be fine. The second red flag was the wizard's backstory. One of the major NPC's in this campaign was a High Elf Prince, who was a powerful Archmage and a hero to the elves (inspired by Teclis from Warhammer), and the player wanted to include this NPC in their backstory, but frame the elf prince as a villian, having him mysteriously kill off the tiefling's adopted father. Now, I should have suggested perhaps another NPC of less significance to the world to take his place, but I thought, "what the hell??", I could throw an interesting twist on it and have the wizard's foster father actually be a bad guy. So, I let it be.
Onto the story: The party were in the Elven captial city when the wizard asks me as one of their "errands" that they want to visit the slums of the city. So they travel there and the wizard sees a bunch of dirty kids playing together. The wizard then walks over to a halfling girl, and begins to mesmerize her with prestidigitation effects. He asked about her quality of life (I thought he was going to give her some money or something like that), so she shares with him that she is an orphan and lives on the street. The wizard offers her food and says that if she comes with him, he will give her a better life and teach her how to use magic. Now at the time, I wasn't sure what his intentions were, so I was being very cautious in this moment, so I asked him to roll an insight check as she was looking at him with doubt in her mind. He succeeds and I share that she has doubts about his sincerity. I ask him to roll a persuasion check with a 20 DC and he makes it with a high roll. So, she agrees to go with him on the promise that he teaches her magic. When the wizard returned to the party, they were surprised and not very keen on having a young girl accompany them for their next adventure, but they allowed it after they made the wizard promise to keep her well out of harms way when danger arises.
The party arrive at the entrance to a long, and fairly dangerous dungeon crawl. In the first battle encounter, the wizard tells his "apprentice" to attack the nearest enemy instead of running away, like the party had agreed on. Now the "apprentice" isn't able to do much (as a lvl 1 wizard), and is subsequently attacked and falls unconcious and the party began to panic. The party were able to swiftly defeat the remaining enemies and heal the halfling girl. Now, when she came to, she was terrified and had a full on panic attack and wanted to leave after almost dying. The party agreed that she should not be with the party and should return to her home. This angered the wizard (and the player), who was not pleased when the party all voted to send her home. They were able to do so as another NPC was accompanying the party, and they escorted the girl back.
Now comes the kicker. The wizard player dm's me and says that he is not happy with what happened. I tell him that I had already spoken to him about the other player characters possibly not agreeing with his decision, and that the wizard was "okay with that". The wizard player doesn't reply. So I thought that the matter has been resolved. NOPE!!! Out of nowhere, the wizard states that during the night whilst on his "watch", he casts mold earth multiple times during the night and burries the oath of ancients paladin alive (as he was the voice of reason that was consistantly raising the fact that the halfling girl would not be safe). Now by this point in the session, the majority of the players as well as myself were quite frustrated with this player, as he had tried to meta before and say things like, "it would work in real life" when he attempted to turn events in his favor over and over again.
I told the group that we're going to take a 10 minute break before anything else happened. I spoke with the oath of ancients paladin player and asked him what his opinion is on the matter was and if what he thought I should do/should I even allow the wizard to attempt it? The oath of ancients player says that he was happy for me to let the wizard try as if they failed and the paladin would quickly "solve" the issue.
So I messaged the wizard player and confirmed that they're certain that they want to still try it. They agreed confidently and stated that mold earth was "a somatic only cantrip" and that the paladin "won't even know that I'm casting it until their suffocating under the ground".
I messaged the group and asked them to come back to the discord chat and we jumped back in. I asked the paladin to roll a perception check, setting the DC at 10, as I reasoned that the paladin would still feel the earth being molded over and around them. The paladin rolls a natural 20. So the paladin awakens, and sees that the wizard is trying to smother them. The paladin player attempts to intimidate with the wizard and convince them not to "test his patience", but the wizard player was furious and was trying to make up more excuses on how the perception roll should have been at disadvantage.
I stated that my ruling stood, and asked them what they want to do, to which the wizard left and never returned.
I had a long conversation with the wizard player after the session and explained that I did warn them in advance that the other player characters might not agree with their actions. The player seemed strangely calm and collected and asked if they could create another character to replace the tiefling wizard (this should have been the 3rd red flag). I agreed but specified this time that necromancer and evil alignment was off the table this time. The player agreed and then createed a high elf blade-singer wizard (and min maxed it as much as they could). They gave this new character a compelling backstory and I was pleased with it. So the next session, I introduced their character to the party (the party had left the dungeon to find safety and heal the halfling girl before sending her home), and the first thing the player does was declared that they moved to attack the oath of ancients paladin, as soon as they saw him.
Dumbfounded, I ask him why? He respond with, "the paladin threatened (name of the tiefling character) and I take threats deadly seriously".
IMPORTANT NOTE: This was not in the backstory that they provided me with! And I mean, not even the slightest hint, nor was it eluded to!
I pause the game and ask the wizard player to join me in a seperate chat, and asked them how could their new character possibly know who the paladin was and how they would know the tiefling, as the two characters had never met. He said that they would have passed each other and he would have shared it with this stranger. To which I said, yeah no that's not what you sent me and you're not just gonna change your backstory on the fly just so you can attempt to kill the paladin. He got incredibly angry and started yelling about me not letting him play his character how he wants to play them.
The conclusion: So to wrap up this long post. The player apologised to the group, asked for one more chance as he like the group. I asked the others individually what their thoughts on it were, they agreed to give him one more chance, so I did. And then 3 sessions later, that same player attempted to attack the ranger because he made a funny comment about the tielfing wizard (all in character). After that final straw, the player was subsquently removed from the campaign.
On a happier note: This campaign has been running for almost 5 years now and is beginning to come to a close as the players are level 19 (soon to be 20) and have accomplished incredible feats in the world.

In the 19, nearly 20, years I have lived my life, I was raised a Christian by American conservatives in a middle class environment and am fortunate to experience countless memories of joy, laughter, and growth with (mostly) everybody I have met. Each memory with the people in my life holds a special place in my heart, and I will forever cherish the bond we built.
The thing is that until the end of eighth grade, I had a strange obsession with East Asia. Looking back, it was very embarrassing and I condemn my parents for enabling me to become a weeaboo (by “weeaboo”, I mean “a person who is overly obsessed with East Asian culture, especially Japanese culture, to the point that they fetishize the culture in an unhealthy way”). I was the textbook example of a weeaboo who had a terrible case of “yellow fever” (sexual preference towards East Asians). Loving the image of East Asian culture without having any real idea what it stood for and seeing the East as a utopia, my fetishization of East Asia, especially Japan, was born out of the shame I have with the Western culture I was raised in. I never felt like I could fit in with my Western peers who I often looked down upon and did not want to be associated with. It got to the point that I became unsatisfied with my home town, my physical appearance, and even my closest friends. This combined with the surge in anime, K-pop, and other media on the internet really got me hooked and believing really fetish-y things about the Sinosphere. I hate being reminded of it and have tried to move on.
However, I am thankful for my exposure to Eastern culture, though it was through a very bastardized, Westernized lens. I am grateful for my exposure, even though it started out with something as intellectually undemanding as Vocaloid music (songs sung by a Japanese voice synthesizer). The best part about the exposure was that it helped me leave Christianity and join Buddhism at age 11, which greatly helped with my mental health considering I was experiencing suicidal thoughts since the age of 8. Though I had awful misunderstandings of Buddhism in the beginning and still do not really have a Buddhist teacher, I am glad that I have the resources to connect myself with other Buddhists and take refuge in the Triple Gem.
As I left my gross misconceptions of the Sinosphere behind back when I was 14 while still having a healthy interest in it, my eyes were eventually opened to perils which threaten not only the homelands of Buddhism (East, South, and Southeast Asia), but also the sustainability of modern humans. These two perils are Western culture and capitalist fascism.
The West exoticizes and misrepresents Buddhism and the culture of its home, the East, as a whole. I am ashamed to be born in a culture where this was encouraged, which I am worried could lead me to fetishizing Eastern culture again.
But what I know for sure is that the West’s hyperindividualism is harming people, both those whose lands are invaded and its own people. This combined with the West’s growing rejection of education, including that of the knowledge the West itself has given to the world for humanity’s benefit, makes it clear that it is lacking some of the Sinosphere’s cultural strengths. Everybody should hold collectivism and education to the same degree that the Sinosphere does, otherwise we would be left with an unsustainable society that would destroy itself.
There is nothing wrong with speaking Western languages, eating Western foods, watching (most types of) Western media, wearing Western clothes, and especially nothing wrong with using Western inventions, but we are now seeing that the West’s hyperindividualism and rejection of education is destructive and spreading like a cancer.
It is only Buddhists who make an effort to assimilate to the East (had they not been born into it) who can see the West with its hyperindividualism and uneducatedness, promoted by its creation of its spreading ideologies such as capitalist fascism and social Darwinism, for what it really is: a cancer. I can now see the direction the United States, the most populated and powerful country in the West, is going due to the rise of ultra-capitalism and/or fascism supporters.
Rarely the phrase “Western”, as in “formed by the combined foundations of Greco-Roman civilization and Western Christianity” (Gabbe), raised positive thoughts in my mind since I learned about it shortly after discovering Buddhism. “Western” when used in the context of medicine is an exception to this, but we are now seeing more and more Westerners dishonor the progress their ancestors made towards modern, mainstream, dare I say, Western medicine as they fall for anti-vaccine and anti-mask pseudoscience.
Nowadays, some who use the word in a derogatory context are uneducated reactionaries that bash anything and everything Western, yet hypocritically promote the Western political ideology of fascism. A strength that a majority (though now a decreasing number) of Western countries have is their progressivism, supporting scientific advancements, women’s rights, racial equality, and the LGBT+. However, this is not just becoming less common; being a progressive Westerner is not enough, not enough to end Western imperialism, to save the sacred truths taught to us by the Shakyamuni Buddha, or to empower the working class.
Although I never fully approved of Western culture after my weeaboo phase ended, my early teen self still ended up falling into the anti-social justice warrior side of YouTube that I now recognized hindered my understanding of what actually ruined my country, the United States of America. I still did not feel comfortable calling myself a Westerner but mainly because the West did not widely accept Buddhism and has several times in its history persecuted Buddhists. At the same time, I was deceived by a bastardized form of Buddhism common among Westerners (known as “secular Buddhism”, which picks and chooses aspects of the Buddha’s teachings instead of accepting them as a whole), so I was a bit more of the classic, stereotypical atheist neckbeard who fetishized the East up until 2020. Since then, my views became more progressive similar to those of American liberals and I denounced traditionalist Western beliefs, but like the average American liberal, I did not see Western culture, both traditional and progressive, as the peril I now see it. It was not until around the end of 2023 when I discovered the Western problem.
It was a slow burn that started with my discovery of Buddhists on the internet talking about how the West misrepresented Buddhism to appeal to “self-help” consumerists, Christians, and New Age followers. In the Westerner, I originally saw only a person who followed harmless customs, traditions, and other norms that came from a part of the world where Buddhism was not the dominant religion (if you could even call the non-theistic dharma as taught by the Gautama Buddha a religion). And so, I did not believe that Western civilization needed to fall for the safety of the dharma, let alone for its own people. After all, I thought to myself, the West has contributed so much to science and the modern world as we know it. I still believe to this day that there are no superior cultures and that each one simply has its own unique strengths and weaknesses, some of which are only subjective. However, while looking through Buddhist forums, I was shocked to hear about the West’s pollution of Buddhism and my knowledge on Buddhism skyrocketed as I learned that I fell victim to the Dunning-Kruger effect. I started reading sutras and immersing myself with Buddhism by listening to those who have much more experience than I do. There are hardly any Buddhists in my community and the only Buddhist center within reach is a New Kadampa Tradition meditation center (FYI: the New Kadampa Tradition must be avoided since it has a reputation for financially exploiting members and its monastics have allegations of drug trafficking and sexual abuse), so books and the internet are all I have left.
Practicing Buddhism in the West is nearly impossible without a community, without a Buddhist teacher, without any resources written by Eastern Buddhists. Reddit user u/Tendai-Student, a “lay Tendai Student [sic] with aspirations to become a Priest [sic]” states the following:
It is exceedingly challenging for a Westerner who is interested in Buddhism to find reliable information. Bookstores' Buddhist sections are rife with myths about the religion (we will come to some of these misconceptions below). Buddhism-related disinformation abounds in university classes. Misinformation about Buddhism abounds in publications with a Buddhist theme. Even Buddhism-related english-speaking [sic] Reddit boards are prone to carry false information.
Buddhism is constantly distorted in the same way: to make it more agreeable to Abrahamic faiths(especially Christianity in the west) [sic]. To imply that it is subject to Western standards, Western religion, and Western consumerism and materialism.
…Asian teachers are frequently excluded from English-speaking Buddhist places (meditation centers, university forums, periodicals). Asians make up the majority of Buddhists in the United States, despite the fact that popular images of Buddhism in the West make it appear otherwise. In the minds of Westerners, Buddhism is a religion of white converts. They don't even pay attention to the odd lack of Asians in some Buddhist areas. (u/Tendai-Student)
It is no wonder that I went through a phase when I was a weeaboo with “yellow fever”. The Westerner commodifies and commercializes these Buddhist practices and East Asian customs like they do with several other cultures. Its misuse and stealing of Buddhism is the worst because its teachings are for us to end suffering by ridding ourselves of the three poisons: greed, ignorance, and hatred (which the Westerner promotes).
My realization of this drew me away from the West, similar to when my obsession with the East began. The difference is that my interest in the East now is not because of a fantasy born out of misguidance, especially not a sexual one. I now know that there is more to the East than its pop culture. But I cannot help thinking that none of this would have happened and I would better understand Buddhism had I been born to and raised by Buddhists in East Asia, or even a majority Buddhist country in South or Southeast Asia.
However, the possibility of a cycle starting with a yo-yoing fetishization of the East makes me anxious. When I realized what I was doing at first was fetishization, I did further research and found out that the West is to blame for its portrayal of the East in its media. This in turn makes me denounce the West and brings me back towards my obsession with the Sinosphere, which could lead to more fetishization.
Despite this, I am glad that at the very least, my interest is more than just wanting to live a kawaii lifestyle, hoping to have a “submissive housewife who will look young forever”, or all that neckbeard squick. I do have to say that there is something else that is drawing me towards the Sinosphere, not to mention that it is the region where Buddhism is dominant (the same is true to a lesser extent with the Indosphere). Even though I am not a huge fan of tradition since I am very progressive, when a region’s culture gets something right, they get it right. In addition to Buddhist values, the Sinosphere holds education and collectivism to a high degree. It is no wonder I find their people so much more intelligent and caring than people from my culture.
It is common knowledge that countries such as Japan, China, South Korea, and Singapore have the highest average IQs. To add to this (unbeknownst to many), even less developed countries, e.g. Mongolia, with high Buddhist populations around the same region, have average IQs higher than developing and undeveloped nations outside the region. The most agreed upon reason for this is cultural factors rather than genetic or economic factors. To conclude, Buddhism combined with values in the East Asian cultural sphere creates the best “brains” to represent humanity, thus the West should make way for them, especially considering the East’s superior collectivism.
Of course cultures do not stay the same forever because they change over time. One big thing that is different now in the Sinosphere and Indosphere (the latter I am mentioning because it is where Buddhism came from, though it is not as dominant in the cultural region as it was) is that they are generally much more patriarchal and anti-LGBT+ than they were up until the last several centuries. However, Buddhism treats same-sex relations and being transgender the same as heterosexuality and being cisgender (preferring celibacy among monastics, though depending on the school of Buddhism, those in the monastic order may be treated as their birth gender, even if they are transgender), and in addition, the Buddha taught that women are just as capable of attaining enlightenment as men. Even outside of Buddhism, there are records of same-sex relations as early as the Shang dynasty in China and the temple walls in Khajuraho, India depict homosexual activity. As for feminism, China was matrilineal until the Han dynasty era, when Confucianism and filial piety became mainstream in the area, while India, home to over 100 different ethnic communities, has had a few matriarchal and egalitarian societies pre-European colonization. In the modern era, numerous people in the two cultural spheres are becoming more supportive of gender equality and the LGBT+, which in some cases may be due to Westernization (not that it redeems it) or simply the individuals’ progressive political views not influenced by Western culture.
What has stayed the same for the most part, besides Buddhism, is the Sinosphere’s and Indosphere’s value of collectivism in honor-shame societies and the former cultural sphere’s emphasis on education; this is what Westerners, as well as people all over the world, need for themselves. If the West is going to fall due to hyperconsumerism, late stage capitalism, and uneducated leaders, those living in the West would be better off joining Buddhism and assimilating to the East. Arguably, the best way to do this is to move to a majority Buddhist country, preferably one in the Sinosphere (its core countries being China, Japan, the Koreas, Taiwan, and Vietnam). Leave everybody you know from your home behind, especially non-Buddhists. Just to make things clear, Westerners are not necessarily evil and it is not their fault they were raised in a Western culture, but having these people in your life will hold you back from collectivism, quality education free of anti-intellectual quackery, and above all, understanding the dharma.
After you have left everybody in your life and started anew, you can immerse yourself in the culture. Again, abandoning Western food, media, clothing, and especially inventions and scientific breakthroughs is very unnecessary. Your main focus is reprogramming your mind to think like a person (specifically a Buddhist person) in the Sinosphere/Indosphere, utilizing the high educational standards, putting the collective over the individual, and taking refuge in the Triple Gem. Before moving, though, it is best to make yourself familiar with the customs and learn the language of the place you are moving to. To aid your assimilation, it would not hurt to start dating one of the locals who strongly identifies with the culture, regardless of their race. Someone living there who is not ethnically East, South, or Southeast Asian who is still very involved in the culture would be very helpful to your assimilation as one who is ethnically East, South, or Southeast Asian (I am clarifying this to discourage racial fetishization). This may be difficult as you would have to win over approval from their parents, let alone convince them to see you as another Easterner, but if you manage to do so, that would be fantastic. To make things easier, you could plan to move to a country where people treat women as equals and are relatively accepting of the LGBT+ so you would not have to worry about gender roles or whatever. Think of places in the Sinosphere such as Singapore, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, or if you are planning on going to the Indosphere (which is not too big of a step down) since they did give us Buddhism after all, Nepal and Thailand. Your most important goal, however, is to rewire your brain to think in a more Sinic or Indic way and be more in touch with Buddhism.
You can hardly consider yourself a Westerner if you manage to do so, being Western only in your country of origin (and possibly race as well). I am definitely not like those other “people” from the West who strongly cling to Western culture because they just do not understand. Western cultural merit is almost solely from the proxy of our ancestors’ inventions, scientific discoveries, and political revolutions. Considering that the West is being brought towards the wrong direction in the modern era, we should get out of there culturally, if not physically, until it all hits the fan.
If the West continues its defilement of the rest of the world, when it falls, it will bring it all down with it. We must not lose or else everybody loses.
This pressure has a good side; because the bigger the great threat becomes, the more we will push ourselves to assimilate and raise children to fight for us. Considering the infectability of Western anti-intellectualism and “main character syndrome”, how could our Western peers know better? Buddhism is not a proselytizing “religion”, so our best bet is eliminating the promoter of the three poisons, the Westerner (especially the Christian Westerner), from our own lives. How it will run to us as its society collapses under itself and we welcome it to assimilate but say “we told you so”! The older I get, the better I know the Westerner. The better I know the Westerner, the easier it gets to excuse hostility against them, especially from the Sinosphere.
From my perspective, the ones to blame are not the angry, low-middle class white males in the rural United States nor the boba conservative bananas and right-wing coconuts who suck up to the West’s biggest scum, but rather the ones who have brainwashed them to fall for chauvinism, reactionarism, and laissez faire capitalism.
Realizing this, I am now closely investigating the sources of these beliefs which make up the foundation of social Darwinism and, when combined with totalitarian thinking, capitalist fascism. This is after I noticed that these systems are unsustainable and would destroy themselves from the inside out. The slow, painful destruction of communities who fall victim to them are well known to me. If one looks carefully, they can see the consequences that have been unfolding since the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic. You may wonder: were the founders aware of this? My guess would be that they were not but were evil nonetheless because they were too selfish to think about the future, their descendants.
If this is the case, then it is the duty of us, the opponents of these ideologies, to spread the word faster than the ideologies are currently spreading in the West. It is hard for me to believe it is not the case considering that both Western political ideologies are fundamentally reactionary. Besides, I doubt they would want civilization as we know it to collapse.
I have a social Darwinist as a maternal uncle who sometimes meets with my parents, maternal grandfather, and younger brother and with his political conversations, often sourced from flawed studies, Russian news, and 4chan, I can easily study the principles of its theories. Both of my parents are also conservatives who support Trump and other immoral American politicians. Being raised by the two of them, I bet I could disguise myself as a Western right-wing traditionalist, maybe even a social Darwinist, since I know the way they speak, to whom they flock to, and how to make them give one their full attention. It would probably be easy to do this as some right-wing grifters can fool American right-wing audiences into thinking that they share the same beliefs (e.g. Thomas MacDonald).
Their kind are gullible because they do not listen to fact checkers and often do not do research to see if who they are listening to really practices what they preach.
Even though there are Westerners who are not like this, the West cannot coexist with Buddhism, let alone the cultures where it is dominant, as the West ruled by colonizing tirthikas and it will likely always be for as long as it lasts. And just because their culture is not as viable as the one founded on Buddhist, Sinic, or even Indic values does not give them the right to imperialize the rest of the world and bring it down with them. We can welcome the Westerner willing to change its ways, turn it into one of an Easterner, and have its culture go through a quick and painless demise, or the Westerner can continue its power trip, destroy everything it touches along with itself, and society will suffer a slow and painful death. This is what the conclusion that I have come to so far as I examine capitalist fascism and Westerners’ connection to it.
The Western doctrine of capitalist fascism rejects an aspect of maitrī, fulfilling beings’ basic needs, and substitutes it for a privilege towards the bourgeoisie and the exploitation of the workers’ labor (also known as Vergegenständlichung or “objectification”). Thus it denies the worth of the collective, only concerns itself with greedy individuals, and thus is immoral. Unlike what the non-Buddhist capitalist wants people to believe, all beings have an altruistic Buddha nature, but it is corrupted, being difficult to notice as it has only conditions without a beginning (listed in the Avijjā Sutta). Abandoning capitalism, both fascist and non-fascist, gives power to the people as it ensures a more guaranteed right to life instead of having not even one thousand billionaires own more than half of Earth’s population combined, more than each one of those billionaires could ever spend in their lifetimes.
Should the Westerner, especially one who pushes capitalist fascism, strengthen its grip on humanity, it can be said that it would make its own naraka.
And so I stand by my plan and encourage others to do the same because it is in the name of the Unsurpassable Enlightened One. By protecting our kind against the Westerner, we are defending the Triple Gem.
If it is not already clear, the disapproval I feel towards the societal values and prevailing norms of the West has led me to question my place in this environment. I believe that meaningful change can only be fostered if the West is put into its place and the Sino-Buddhist East motivates our minds.
In Vietnam, where the culture is predominantly Sinic with some Indic aspects and little European influence, we can see the promotion of quality education, collectivism, and Buddhism (practiced by a forgivable 15% of the population), very unlike the nearby country of the Philippines. In the Philippines, its citizens cling to the Anglo-Saxon and Hispanic culture brought to the country by American and Spaniard imperialists. The effects of this are very clear in their average IQs (Vietnam: 89.53 vs. Philippines: 81.64) and PISA scores (Vietnam: 1403 vs. Philippines: 1058). They are both developing countries in Southeast Asia that were colonized by the West, but because Vietnam kept its culture more pure and stuck to Buddhism (or at least Sinic philosophies), its people are better educated compared to the nearby Westernized countries in a similar economic situation.
In short, Westernization leads to the following:

1. The native culture becomes diluted
2. If Western thinking intrudes, mental degeneration takes hold of the native population and its society slowly degrades along with the West itself as it eats itself from the inside out

Those who cause this to happen must be stopped, especially those who endanger Buddhism. We must not wait for the fruition of their karma for their sacrilege of the Tathagata’s teachings because by then it would be too late, and even if it is instant karma, every bodhisattva’s job is to end suffering.
Those who spread the harmful ideologies bring themselves and others away from the Buddha’s word are polluting humanity by having them join their rat race that will only end in their own demise. They are leading to the ruin of many and thus, I do not consider them to be human but instead parasites.
There is a disgraceful Western belief that for a short amount of time was not held by the majority but is now very pervasive in the West and also is the foundation of reactionarism, chauvinism, and capitalism in all cultures. It says: “My individual rights matter the most and freedom means my right to violate the rights of others.”
This Western babble is followed by numerous all around the world and sows disharmony in societies where it becomes the norm. This idea provides basis for several types of Westerners, including but not limited to:

• the “Karen”; a middle-aged, entitled, often white and anti-mask/anti-vaccine female who makes trivial complaints
• the “Chud”; a racist, misogynistic, right-wing male (usually young) who browses 4chan everyday and has a high likelihood of becoming a mass shooter
• the dayangma (Hanzi: 大洋马); a sex-obsessed young adult Western female, majority white but sometimes POC, is conventionally attractive (to Westerners), sleeps around, and in some cases creates spawn that do not know their father(s)
• the angry white male; self-explanatory, right-wing and traditionalist (sometimes a social Darwnist or capitalist fascist), commonly rural, evangelical Christian and have never seen a POC before
• the “Trad Wife”; a prudish, sometimes uneducated, female who lets Western males walk all over it and raises spawn who are likely to become angry whites
• the New Agehippy; generally a teenager or young adult, a well-meaning but poorly educated white liberal or social democrat who misappropriates Buddhism and appeases Muslims
• the AmeriKKKan fathegrandfather; a middle-aged to elderly, chauvinist male with children, sometimes also grandchildren, and is unconcerned about social justice and similarly to the “Karen”, falls for pseudoscientific conspiracy theories
• the neckbearded otaku (Hiragana: おたく); a hairy white male with “yellow fever” and mediocre hygiene, for the most part subreddit/Discord server moderators who stalk and kidnap East Asian ladies (if not teenage girls)

The growth of these groups is evidence of the degradation of Western culture, showing that it must retire as the dominant culture and make way for the much more sustainable East. Once the manuṣya realm on Earth is completely tainted by the West, Buddhas can no longer arise in the world because the dharma would be known by nobody and the Vinaya are forgotten or destroyed.
The future generation will not remember the dharma unless we halt the growth of the parasitic culture that promotes overconsumption, hyperindividualism, and anti-intellectualism.
The Westerner has a remarkable contrast to the Sinic or Indic. The Westerner has a grasp on this world so strong with its weaponry since the 16th century, using force to disrupt the traditional lives of whatever native people it saw, safe for those in a few countries (even though some of those countries are still being Westernized). The Dutch, English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish built colonies from the Americas to Southeast Asia. The kingdoms were blessed with powerful militaries, strong economies, stable governments, and advanced technology that allowed their cultures to spread. But after half a millennium and looking back, was any of this really earned? And is the Westerner’s conquest over yet?
Since the Great Schism of Christianity, the Westerner trained itself for roughly one thousand years. It trained itself in several aspects, but it forgot an important piece, the dharma. The cunning Westerner, blessed with advancements, used them to tyrannize other peoples on a scale never before seen. This was the beginning of the Latter Day of the Dharma. The dharma is declining because of the savage Westerner. And so, it leeched off of any people it got a hold of, including predominantly Buddhist peoples. Even during the decolonization of the 20th century, fundamentalist Christianity spread and threatened the dharma. To make matters worse, previously Buddhist peoples clung to Christianity as taught by their colonizers; the French in Vietnam and the Spanish and Americans in the Philippines. To this day, the Philippines is a lost cause along with its majority Muslim neighbors in Maritime Southeast Asia. The cunning Westerner turned the Filipino against us and now Buddhists make up only 2% of the Philippines’ population. Now, the Westerner sees Buddhism as nothing more than an aesthetic, a self-help lifestyle, or a decoration that they can commercialize and cherry pick aspects to integrate into their religion or lack thereof.
It is excellent for someone from the West to learn the dharma as this will turn them into a more compassionate and wise person, but they must not enforce the Western gaze onto it and discard parts of the Shakyamuni Buddha’s words they do not like. To be fair, some aspects of Buddhism would be nearly impossible for a Westerner to understand unless they assimilate.
Buddhism is not materialist or blind belief without evidence and it belongs to the East, so stop pretending to be something you are not while pushing stereotypes of Asian Buddhists.
However, even though Buddhism is not materialist or very in line with the Western worldview, it is uniquely human. Walpola Rahula, a Sri Lankan Buddhist monk and writer explains it this way:
Among the founders of religions the Buddha (if we are permitted to call him the founder of a religion in the popular sense of the term) was the only teacher who did not claim to be other than a human being, pure and simple. Other teachers were either God, or his incarnations in different forms, or inspired by him. The Buddha was not only a human being; he claimed no inspiration from any god or external power either. He attributed all his realization, attainments and achievements to human endeavour and human intelligence. A man and only a man can become Buddha. Every man has within himself the potentiality of becoming a Buddha, if he so wills it and endeavours. We can call the Buddha a man par excellence. He was so perfect in his 'human-ness' that he came to be regarded later in popular religion almost as 'super-human'. Man's position, according to Buddhism, is supreme. Man is his own master, and there is no higher being or power that sits in judgment over his destiny. (Rahula 3)
How could one even consider the Westerners who diluted Buddhism human themselves at this point? If it were not for them, Westerners may have a better understanding of the teachings of the “man par excellence”. We are lucky that the only Westerners who necessarily see us as inferior are white nationalists and fundamentalist Christians, otherwise the Westerner could have committed a genocide that would have left millions of us dead. Westerners are competitive beings, so they rarely act in concord towards each other. It is only when there is something that draws them together or away from a common danger.
If everybody on Earth becomes a Westerner, they would wallow in their shamelessness and would have nobody left to exploit except for each other until they destroy themselves.
Until they are the only ones left, they will vilify and exploit anything non-Western until they only have each other, then leading to a chaotic world of undignified militaries, economic inequality, corrupt governments, and little or no innovations.
Unless the Westerner considers even the slightest of inspiration from the East, it will continue to follow hyperindividualism and have apathy towards its education. That is why the West is falling. Those from the West who are smart enough to realize that the West’s flaws that it spreads are deciding that the West is not worth maintaining and its resignation is overdue. If those from the West abandon it to assimilate to the East, it would make the West’s death quicker but more dignified.
This is more than a fad but rather the realization that Western society would be best being a passing fad itself. The West gave us great inventions, food, clothes, scientific discoveries, etc. and once it is gone, the East can pick up where it left off just fine.
We will never abandon the Triple Gem because we recognize it to be more than a spiritual, exotic aesthetic or trend. To do so would make us just like those others in the West who Asian Buddhists look down upon. When the time is right, each and every one of us will surround ourselves with the people who know the dharma better than anyone you have met in the West and we can finally be at their level. We shall be Western only in our country of origin and/or race, but in every other way, we will be Easterners; Buddhist Easterners who will take back what rightfully belongs to us.
When we (and hopefully Buddhists outside of both the Eastern and the Western world) do this, consumerism will lose some of its biggest prey. Even though it may not seem like it at first considering we are abandoning everyone we have ever known, we are doing our ancestors a favor by joining the culture that strives towards the end of suffering. We will be leaving our cultures’ ways of thinking behind, but doing this will save face for our lineage, especially the Western lineage as we would be preventing the creation of more “Karens”, “Chuds”, dayangmas, “neckbeards”, and other degenerates. We will not be annoying dorky nerds and certainly not “neckbeards” who are overly obsessed with and fetishize the culture but people making an effort to get closer to the dharma and surrender to the East.
Although we are collectivists, we must seek personal liberation first for the good of other beings. Once the West collapses and its former supporters come running to us, we shall welcome them. If some do not recognize this before it is too late, well boo hoo! They will have a better birth with the world we will create. Some of them, especially their unlucky spawn, would probably be better off dead and reborn into a better life, maybe even the Pure Land.
The way it is looking now, the West is falling and becoming the world’s laughingstock, which is a good thing. The quicker it falls, the less painful it will be for the Westerner and everybody else. Western culture will not be missed, but we can keep the best of it and continue the innovations that the creators would wish to see. We will remember the legacy of them and be thankful while never forgiving or forgetting the ones who ruined the West.
Works Cited
“Ignorance Avijjā Sutta (AN 10:61).” Translated by Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu. Dhammatalks. 2017, https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/AN/AN10_61.html. Accessed 31 May 2024.
Gabbe. “Western Culture.” Wikipedia. 25 May 2024. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_culture#:~:text=The%20core%20of%20Western%20civilization,Roman%20civilization%20and%20Western%20Christianity. Accessed 31 May 2024.
Rahula Thero, Walpola. What the Buddha Taught. Oneworld Publications, 1959. Accessed 31 May 2024.
u/Tendai-Student. “栄真Eishin (u/Tendai-Student).” Reddit, 31 May 2024, https://www.reddit.com/useTendai-Student/. Accessed 31 May 2024.
u/Tendai-Student. “Buddhism is being MISREPRESENTED in the West Marginalisation, cultural appropriation, misconceptions and what you can do.” Reddit, 2023, https://www.reddit.com/WrongBuddhism/comments/14zc6xg/buddhism_is_being_misrepresented_in_the_west/. Accessed 31 May 2024.

One of the recurring characteristics of Loona's discography up to [X X] was lyrical self-referencing: phrases and motifs that would occur in one song and then reappear down the line. It could be a little too much sometimes, but it was a reliable way to keep up the fan engagement and build something like a lyrical identity for Loona alongside a sonic one.
I wrote a post about this five years ago, and I think Dall is the first album since then to really obviously lean into it. So that warrants a follow-up. This is not a theory post - it only examines the text of the lyrics and what connections I draw there.
Translations below are from our Team Subbit versions. Along the way, I also wanted to highlight a few translation notes for discussion.

Virtual Angel

The last time we saw reference to an angel was "Egoist"'s MV, which cast Jinsoul as a "fallen angel" in big neon letters. It's interesting to me that this song, with its broken wings and vision of Eden, leans most heavily on the yyxy era, with none of those members belonging to ARTMS. Looking past that, lyrically I think it does enough to give a sense of closure to the yyxy stories.
1.

In my frozen heart Flowers have newly bloomed And what I’d hidden inside the freezing point Is my heart for you, encased in ice Your angel

This is a reprise of yyxy's "Frozen", which is entirely about the narrator being trapped in a metaphorical ice castle and being thawed out of it by love. We see the same imagery of flowers blooming to signify the thaw. Here's the chorus of that song:

Frozen, frozen Thaw me before it's too late Shine your light And bloom a flower upon frozen lands Hold me, hold me, oh now, right now Thaw me, thaw me, even warmer for me Hold me, hold me, deeper and deeper Would you become my sun

2.

The sin of having swallowed the sun Forgiven in this moment

The most overt reference in the album is, of course, from "Singing in the Rain"'s iconic prechorus 1:

For the sin of having swallowed the daytime sun Burning up, here I am

And you may remember Jinsoul already called this back in "Egoist"'s rap break:

Hey, for the sin of having swallowed you You, beautiful, grow larger You are me, now I am you

Also a translation note: I think the Modhaus sub on this line is mistaken. It currently reads "The sin of absorbing the sun // The moment it causes harm", which is just not what the original says. My best guess is that someone misread "사해진" ["forgiven", archaic] as "상해진" ["spoiled"].
3.

The Moon’s risen and my heart is complete Your angel

Moonrise is such a common image with Loona that you could name a whole bunch of songs here - "Loonatic", "Satellite", "PTT", "Wow", "Need U", and "Pale Blue Dot" just to name a few. But the way this is written specifically reminded me of two things. One is the chorus of "Let Me In", in the sense that both lines begin with the words "달이 뜨고" ("Moon rises and") followed by some kind of transformation:

The moon rises and I become you

The other is the final chorus of "Heat", where moonrise also functions as a signal:

Today I prepared for you A beautiful star is shining bright (I want to float up higher, above) This isn't the end, look up and look for me (Turn around) There, the moon is risen tonight (tonight, oh)

4.

When I open my eyes as a butterfly Save me, savior

References to Loona's most representative song, "Butterfly", have been the most common shared thread among post-lawsuit work: see Loossemble's "A Butterfly's Signal" or Heejin's "Sad Girls Club". This one is kind of random and I think it actually takes away from the song's focus a little, but it's there.
Another translation note that the "저장" ("save") in "save me" is not the word for "rescue", but instead the one for "preserve" or "keep" - like saving a digital file. So the line is not as redundant as it looks, and also helps prime for the next line where Haseul says happiness is "through the line" (which I'm reading as in electronic cords and cables).

Sparkle

1.

Before the Sun goes down Come fetch quickly For the Moon will rise soon

It's moonrise again, but with a subtle difference. The verb used in "Virtual Angel", "Let Me In", and "Heat" is "뜨다", literally just "to rise". This one is "차오르다", which is actually more commonly used to mean the waxing of the Moon. The translation chosen here is "rise" because it's not unheard of for it to be used as "rise" and it contrasts with the sundown line above, but worth highlighting.
Trivia: has any Loona song used the "wax" verb before? Yes! One I recall is "365", where Loona liken themselves to the Moon:

I'd grow ever so small but then A tad closer towards you Again I wax and wane

2.

A different emotion We follow the light

I don't actually think this is a throwback because it's a common phrase, but I just wanted to highlight just how many times "follow the light" is used in the discography because it's a lot. All of these use the exact same phrasing ("빛을 따라") even when translated slightly differently for context.
Sonatine, bridge:

Following the faraway light

Chaotic, bridge:

Following that light, reach out to me

Rosy, bridge:

Following that light, shining on me quietly

Day & Night, prechorus:

Like a habit, I walk towards your light

Flip That, prechorus:

Following the new light that pulls me still

Day by Day, verse 1:

Following the light engraved in old memories

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

This is one of the most celestially-themed tracks any of them have ever done, which is saying something given the entire discography. As a result it has passing shades of a lot of different tracks that I won't bother to name, like the blooming image of "Chaotic" and the orbiting of "Satellite". The 12 constellations and 12 months bits are super on the nose and I'm all for it.
1.

Following the twinkling Morse code I am called dimly Click click, right here [...] The signal comes through clearly Click click, here

The most obvious parallel is another yyxy song, "Rendezvous 18.6y". Both tracks use radio signals and scanning/tuning them as a metaphor for yearning and connection, and Hitchhiker massively expands the scale of that metaphor. Here's the opening verse of Rendezvous:

Where is it from? A sound coming from somewhere Seems to have found me again, this familiar radio tone (8 point 5, what is your signal?) Among the many faint noises, coming clear Is your feelings, making me fly (fly fly fly)

While we're at it, even this jazz-standard line is kind of a throwback.
Hitchhiker:

Fly me to the moon

R18.6y:

Let's stay on the moon On the way back there [...] Let me fly to the moon

2.

Tonight perhaps two Moons may rise

The obvious comparison is Loonatic, which goes:

Three moons rise up (I'm not insane)

and also has Milky Way references just like this song. The other line that's kind of written like this is "PTT"'s "Keep open the 12 different doors", though I think I'm content to let those lyrics lie.

Flower Rhythm

1.

Adorning the sky, mystical sway Causes your heart to open too

So this reminded me of OEC's "Starlight", but only because I thought that song also combined the word "수놓다" ("to embroider", but more often used metaphorically for stars or other shiny things in the sky) with a sense of something opening. What "Starlight" actually says is this:

Like lighting in the sky The starlight slowly turns on The password solved, this night unlocks

So it was kind of similar (the "unlock" there is the same word as "open"), just without the word "adorn".
More trivia: that embroideadorn word is used in four songs -
D-1, verse 1:

Rainbow of shining stars, the studded bridge

U R, chorus:

It’s like the dotted starlight Is surrounding me

Newtopia, verse 1:

Following the tip of the star-adorned orbit

Day by Day, verse 2:

Adorning my heart full

Candy Crush

Given the subject matter, there are some natural similarities to Choerry's "Puzzle" and the aforementioned "Starlight". I love the spilling/showering light imagery at the start, which "Need U" also pulled off well:

The deepest night Light showering above my head (Candy Crush)
And stars of such faith rain down They rain to make the whole universe shine (Need U)

But I didn't notice any specific wording that hearkens back to older songs. (Obviously "Plastic Candy" can't count since it's the whole song's reference.)

Air

1.

Been been there and I’ve been been there Feel it, what what, a totally different deja vu

As we know, this is just "Butterfly". The first line is obvious and the second line is the opener of that song:

Will you whisper, you're the deja vu that wakes me up

I'm not sure there's anything else in this one, other than "Air Force One" which again shouldn't count. Daft Punk I guess?

Unf/air

This one stands out lyrically from the rest of the album, because of how down-to-earth and comparatively mundane it is. Reminds me of "Valentine Girl" and "Ding Ding Dong" in vibes, if not in expression.

Distress

It's a little curious to me that they translated this title to "Distress". It's not totally wrong, but the word "조난" specifically refers to a shipwreck or stranding. That's the reason why the song refers to signs, lights and sirens, and the context for its overall sense of being lost and drifting. I guess a distress call is maybe what they were going for.
1.

Between the time I’ve waited Always that same light

The concept of being or going "between time" is not uncommon in lyricism, probably because it's evocative yet ambiguous. I also don't think this one is an intentional callback, just a reused phrase. We see it in a few spots in the discography (interestingly, they're all songs mentioned already).
Puzzle, prechorus 1:

Between the cracks of time that passed by, you graze through

Loonatic, last chorus:

Three moons rise up (I'm not insane) Between time that has stopped

D-1, verse 1:

Between a changed passage of time

Rendezvous 18.6y, verse 2:

Beyond the gaps between renewed time and space

Butterfly Effect

As they have said, this is basically a Butterfly sequel. Perfect title as well.
1.

Do you remember The way it began as a little fluttering of wings I’m still believing Ever since that day, it grew, the hurricane in my heart (Butterfly Effect)
It starts with a little fluttering of wings Now inside my heart a hurricane (Butterfly)

2.

The torn paper moon It’s drifted too far away now, can’t reach it (Butterfly Effect)
A folded paper moon, as if to circle between it (Butterfly)

3.

Full of newness, at the end of the long journey I think I’ve reached it, dream of mine Look at the world, distant, at the end of the long journey I think it’s a new beginning, dreams of mine (Butterfly Effect)
The world becomes smaller Take me way too far, become new In this moment dreams, dreams may come true (Butterfly)

Birth

I've posted a comment before about how the Modhaus translation departs from the original. Other than that, this is a wholly original text that doesn't really have a comparison among Loona's past lyrics. Maybe it could be a new archetype for ARTMS.
I will make one shoutout to the "My birth through a false smile" line. It's like a yandere version of the "My day filled with fake smiles" bit from "See Saw".

This is a sequal to u/uktabi's Yulpa GF one shot, since he seems to LAZY to make a sequel. (that's a joke, god I'm so tired its almost 3am as I write this god fucking dammit why did i do this to myself)
He was originally inspired by u/FrostedScales' art., (God, please make a cover for this I want one so fucking baaaaaaad)
​
I make my way into my house, a small part of me is hoping for relief from the harsh Savannah heat. Only to be brought back to my unpleasant reality of my house being just as hot and dry as the outside.
Ugh, why do I willingly live in this hellish place without AC?
I hear mewing and tapping hooves getting closer, a small blood red calf comes running towards me and runs circles around me. I extend my free hand and she readily forces her head into it, wrapping her tongue, upper and lower lip around it to return the gesture of connection. The barbs irritate my skin, but she's old enough now not to unintentionally draw blood.
I look down at the pleading eye, happy to see me again.
Ah, right. While I'm in hell she's in paradise, I guess I’ll have to suck it up for her.
I give her a closed lip smile and rub her ears.
“Hi honey, how was school?” She inflates her nostrils and begins to talk to me in learned English. It is… unsettling how accurately she can mimic almost anyone with only her nose. I am reminded of that fact as she speaks in my voice.
“Good, bunny lunch was.” I forced down an indignant laugh at the child's broken grammar. It seems Yulpa are able to understand words, but grammar doesn't seem important to them. I remember how off puttingly dense their spoken language is, they can communicate in infra sound over vast distances. Their phrases were spoken in single words, so a single “word” was a bit of a conversation. Like “Over the river” or ”up the tree is food.”
It was insane how dense their language was.
“Do you know if mom is back?” The little head in my hand nodes while still wrapped around me.
“Garden she eating is.”
I rub her head one more time before I make my way out the back door. The child quickly scampered off to do who knows what.
Out in the back I see her, draped in golden jewelry, with a well maintained main, green cloth and jewels to accentuate her natural deep red coat. She was laying down with what looked like roughage in her maw. She was absentmindedly chewing and staring off into space.
I walked over and rested myself against her side, I let her breathing rise and lower me. Being in the presence of such a large person really made me feel how insanely varied our body masses were. Despite being married and … constituting it, we had to sleep in separate beds, lest she roll onto me and I die of suffocation or all my bones breaking.
I absentmindedly picked some grass and twirled it around. “So, what's wrong?” She rolled her eyes towards me.
“Hungry.” She spoke in perfect English, I looked down at the grass I began to weave together.
“You need to get the cure.” She raised her massive head ever so slightly. “No, betrayal, life lived one way. Too late, already sacrificed too many.” She blows out her nose.
I grab more grass and weave it into the mass I was creating. “I thought I was too old, set in my ways to be married when we met. But now look at us.” I point to the child in the window clearly talking to someone on the home computer. “I’m glad you hunted me, forced me into this. If you didn't I'd still be a lonely S.O.B. jacking it to venlil stuff right now.”
She flicks an ear. “I wanted sacrifice YOU.“ She spoke.
I smirked as I continued to weave. “Yeah but ya didn't. Cause I’m just so sexy!!!”
I can feel a ruble as she laughed, I didn't notice the twitching of her neck mussels as she swung her head over to slap my head with her upper lip. “Ow!!!” I screamed at the surprising strength of the dexterous lip.
I will never get used to how she can hold me like a rag-doll with just her lip. Nor do I want to.
As I nursed my wounded pride I placed the straw hat on her head. “Besides, this is a better use for the hay than causing you pain.”
She breathed out sharply and made a sound only a multi-ton mammal can produce.
“Okay, me get cure.”
I smiled and rubbed her ears, she adjusted the hat I made for her and rested her head on the ground once more.
​
​
**\*
​
​
She seemed antsy as she rocked back and forth, she was making a loaf of herself on the ground. But she could still reach up to my face with her lips as I sat down in a chair beside her.
The waiting room of the Xeno walk-in clinic reminded me more of the vets as species of every size and shape sat in chairs meant for humanoids, or sat on the ground or in perches or, rarely, species specific chairs. Though they were a rarity, a luxury whose expense was used for the most populous non-human species in the area.
Most of which were in a separate waiting room. I saw a family of Farsul enter it, opening the door to the KolSul wing of the clinic. Most everyone in the office instantly scowled when the mother and her pups walked through. They got both the separate wing and specialty chairs as they were by far the most populous Xenos on earth. Thanks to resentment building to massive levels all across the S.C. pushing them here.
I ran my hand through her main, careful to not undo any braids or tug any of her excessive adornments.She was still shifting this way and that as we waited to be called on. I spied a venlil with a deep scowl near the door of the separate wing, he seemed to be wearing a coat. Something highly unusual for his species, especially in this climate.
“Hello uh, we are not sure you… should be seeking care here.”
I was jolted out of my observations by a young farsul attendant addressing me.
“What?” She seemed to stammer.
“We, uh, are a xeno clinic, we specialize in ailments for non humans. Since we are on a human majority planet, human specialty clinics are open here. They can give you much better focused care."
I stared at the young farsul for a few moments, I studied her nervous stance. She seemed to resemble a great Pyrenees breed of dog. I continued to stare for a couple of seconds, enough to make the awkward situation even worse before I shook myself out of it.
“Oh, uh, I’m not here to receive care, my wife is.” I run my hand through her main and look down at her. This is the most nervous I've ever seen her in all my years with her. “She recently got the cure injection and is here to test it out in case something goes wrong.”
The farsul then takes on a deeply confused expression, snapping her head between me and her in quick succession. “...You two… are married?”
I smile and straighten my back and respond in the most enthusiastic voice I can muster. “Yep!!!”
She continued her confused expression before resigning herself. “...Alright then, I’ll get her tested… just follow me.” She turns as she reads our file, we were heading to a farm outside of town to test her on some authentic meat. As we exited the office I tapped her shoulder. “By the way, I saw a venlil by the Kolsul section door, I think is planning something bad.”
She took on a look of annoyed apathy, as though it was a daily occurrence. “Oh, him. Don't worry security is on their way to search him, you'd be surprised how many expats from Scalga we get.”
She rubbed the back of her head and I could barely make out something she whispered. “Not nearly as weird as a human yupla couple, Jesus Christ.”
​
​
**\*
​
​
There, the object of my fearless and terrifyingly powerful wife's hesitation. A single skinned chicken leg, sitting on a metal table. The farsul nurse was making superficial vital checks on her as she stared at the drumstick.
Her lips were curled under her chin.
“Common honey. It's not going to bite you.” I say to comfort her. She glances at me with a look of I don't want to do this, why did i let you convince me to do this onmygodi’mgoingtosacrificeyouyousonofabit-
Her simultaneous death stare/ pleading eyes were pulled away as the farmer spoke at us.
“Eat it and get off my property, I got enough animals to take care of. Don't need two more.” He pointed to my wife and the farsul nurse, they both gave him a scowl as he turned back into his house.
She gently unrolls her lips and tentatively brings out her barbed tongue and wraps it around the drumstick. She brings it into her mouth and I hear a series of slow crunches.
The farsul nurse looks over at her medical doodad as she chews.
“Hmm, it seems everything is in order, the cure has taken and she is handling the meat fine. Just call our clinic if she seems to be having-”
My focus was pulled away from the nurse as I saw my wife's eyes light up from the taste. She looked at the ground at the pecking chicken that was so near. I could hear her imitate the clucking of the chicken, I saw it shoot up and looked confused. Before my wife coils it in her tongue and quickly brings it into her maw, I hear crunching again and a loud gulp. She looks around at the pens and she spies a pig.
She stalks towards it and I can hear her imitating the pigs, she steps over the fence and quickly grapples the approaching pig and bites down hard on its head. I can see her tongue quickly strip the skin off as her lips dig in with their own bards to force the corpse up and into her mouth.
I stare in shock at the display, by this time the other pigs notice the smell of blood and my wife devouring one of their companions and they quickly run to the farthest corner of the pen.
Before I know it the corpse is gone, she licks her lips and walks back over to us.
“-mitochondrial flux drive. As long as that looks good over the next week you should be all set!”
“I , uh, she ate a pig! D-did you see that?” I point to my wife cleaning herself of the mud of the pen.
'Yes, you'd be surprised how suddenly ravenous former omnivores get when they get their appetites fulfilled for the first time, heck I remember I ate a guinea pig when I got cured I was so hungry!’
I wave my arms about. “SHE ATE AN ACTUAL PIG AND YOUR NOT ONE BIT IMPRESSED OR SCARED???”
She turned her gaze to my wife, who was currently spying yet another pig in the corner. “I’ve seen yulpa do it before, trust me, get used to her eating vast amounts of meat.”
I looked at the simultaneously nervous and unimpressed Farsul. I was still reeling from my wife's actions, but decided to deal with them another time. “O-okay”
“Good, now I'd suggest you get her to not eat another. The farmer will definitely notice two pigs missing.” She begins to laugh in her throat. “Heh, I guess he’ll have two less animals to take care of after today heh.”
As we rode back to the clinic my wife was fast asleep in a food coma. The way she just… ate that thing so fast… I think I have to worry about being eaten now. It felt… oddly exhilarating, like when she was still trying to convince herself to sacrifice me all over again.
I think I might have a problem.

Finn Tresscoat, a 20-year-old with short dark brown hair, brown eyes, and a pale complexion, strolled down the sidewalk of his small town. He wore a light brown leather jacket over a black shirt, paired with black jeans and black-and-white sneakers.
As Finn ambled along, he glanced at the many shops lining the main road of the town's bustling center. He wasn't searching for anything in particular; he simply wanted to enjoy the rare day off from his job, one of the most perilous occupations in the United West (U.W.).
"Finn! Oh, Finn!"
Finn turned his head to the right and spotted Ms. Tori Elortor, or simply Ms. Tori as he called her. She was an older lady in her early fifties, though her youthful appearance often surprised the townsfolk. With long white hair cascading down her back, pale skin, and bright hazel eyes, she was a striking figure. Today, she wore a navy blue sundress over a pair of tight blue jeans and brown cowboy boots.
Ms. Tori, the local bakery owner, was considered quite attractive and often caught the eye of the younger men in town. Her curvaceous figure and active lifestyle, including regular yoga sessions in the park, only added to her allure. However, Finn saw her differently. Having known her since childhood and feeling like part of her family, he saw her as a maternal figure rather than anything else. He was also close to her son, Eric, feeling like an older brother to him.
Despite his demanding job, which kept him busy for nearly twenty-four-seven, Finn always tried to visit Ms. Tori and Eric whenever he could. Today was a rare opportunity for him to relax and reconnect.
"Ah, hi Ms. Tori! How are you today?" Finn greeted her with a warm smile.
Ms. Tori returned his smile. "I'm just fine, Finn. The real question is, how are you? I haven't seen you in months!" Her tone shifted to one of concern. "I was worried, and so was Eric. You do have quite a dangerous job for someone so young," she added.
What kind of dangerous job did Finn have, you might ask?
Well, Finn was a "Gaunt Hunter," a member of a specialized group tasked with safeguarding the small towns outside the major cities in the United West from creatures known as Gaunts.
These slim, humanoid creatures had leathery black skin, no eyes or nose, and wide mouths that drooled a strange dark green liquid. They had emerged after the cataclysmic "Decade of Winter."
The Gaunts varied in form and capability. Some were very muscular, while others had bat-like wings, allowing them to fly. They were also cunning, often creating weapons from scavenged materials and hunting in packs.
Disturbingly, these were just the common variants.
There were tales of Gaunts resembling animals and some that could even speak, though Finn himself had never encountered such anomalies.
Despite the ominous title of Gaunt Hunter, Finn's role wasn't as glamorous as one might imagine.
He wasn't a high-tech, gadget-wielding hero. Gaunt Hunters received training similar to regular police officers, focusing on the use of firearms. However, since firearms were not commonly traded or shipped to the smaller towns outside the major cities, Gaunt Hunters were also taught to wield swords, knives, and other melee weapons, as well as trained in close-range combat.
Finn had been trained to fire a pistol but also learned to fight with a machete, which was more practical for their needs than a traditional sword. On duty, he carried a standard-issue Glock-17 and a machete strapped to his side. He also wore the standard protective gear issued to United West Security Forces (UWSF) officers.
Returning to the conversation with Ms. Tori, Finn let out a lighthearted chuckle. "Dangerous for most of the veterans on the job, but I'm young and fit! Practically invincible!" he said with a grin.
Ms. Tori gave Finn an unimpressed look, raising an eyebrow. "Is that right?" she asked. "Then what's this I hear about a Gaunt nearly taking your head off just last week?"
Finn's face flushed with embarrassment as he recalled the incident. A Gaunt had caught him off guard and nearly decapitated him with a makeshift axe. "Okay... yeah, fair enough," he admitted, looking down.
Ms. Tori's expression softened, and she gave him a few light taps on the shoulder. "Oh, I'm not trying to make you feel bad, Finn, I'm just reminding you that your job is dangerous… You need to be careful," she said gently.
Finn looked up at her and nodded. "I know, and thank you for caring," he replied. Inwardly, he thought, 'It's not like anyone else does'
"Of course, I care, Finn," Ms. Tori said firmly. "Do you know how devastated I'd be if you got hurt or, heaven forbid, died? I'd be heartbroken,” she told him. “Eric would be even worse off, after all, who would play with him?"
Finn felt a wave of warmth at her words. Despite not wanting to worry Ms. Tori or Eric, it was comforting to know there were people who cared about him, and who wanted him to stay safe and come back home. "I guess you're right," he said with a soft smile. "I'll try to be more careful out there, I promise,”
Ms. Tori nodded, her smile lingering. "Good,” she said. “Now, how many days do you have off?" she asked.
"Not many," Finn replied with a sigh. "Just today,"
Ms. Tori's eyes widened in shock. "Only today? Why?" She asked.
Finn's expression turned serious. "Many of the other Gaunt Hunters are either dead, retiring, or switching to become cops... There are only ten of us left in the entire town,"
Ms. Tori's eyes widened in horror. Gaunt Hunters were the primary defense against the Gaunts. The law across the U.W. dictated that local law enforcement dealt with human issues, leaving Gaunt-related threats to the Hunters. The thought of their numbers dwindling was terrifying.
Each town was supposed to have a contingent of Gaunt Hunters, given that small towns were the primary targets for Gaunt attacks.
Major cities, in contrast, rarely had to deal with Gaunts.
The dense populations of these urban centers acted as a deterrent, scaring off most Gaunt packs. Even if a small group of Gaunts did manage to attack, the cities were equipped with heavy weaponry and advanced defenses, making Gaunt Hunters unnecessary there.
This starkly contrasted with the dire need for Gaunt Hunters in the smaller, more vulnerable towns.
Ideally, each small town would have around fifty Gaunt Hunters, a number intended to ensure adequate protection against the Gaunt threat. However, the reality was far grimmer. The inherent dangers and heavy responsibilities associated with the job dissuaded many from becoming Gaunt Hunters. The perilous nature of the work, combined with the constant threat of death, resulted in a severe shortage of recruits.
As a result, the numbers in many towns had dwindled alarmingly.
"Only ten?" she repeated her voice barely above a whisper. "That's... alarming… What happens if more Gaunts come?"
"We do our best," Finn said, trying to sound confident. "But it's tough… Every day, we’re stretched thinner,"
Ms. Tori took a deep breath, trying to process the gravity of the situation.
Finn felt a lump in his throat. "I promise, Ms. Tori. I'll do everything I can to stay safe," he said, trying to remind her if his promise mere moments ago.
Ms. Tori wanted to argue with Finn's comment, but deep down, she knew he was somewhat right. The town was struggling—trade had slowed to a trickle, and many residents had moved away. The constant threat of Gaunt attacks made living there increasingly untenable. Even Ms. Tori had considered leaving to ensure Eric’s safety and to give him a chance to grow up in a more stable environment where he could interact with other children and experience the broader world.
However, she couldn’t bring herself to leave.
Her late husband was buried in this town, and even though years had passed since his death, she felt tied to the place where he rested. She had loved this town deeply, and in a way, staying felt like keeping a part of him alive.
Seeing the conflict in her eyes, Finn decided to change the subject. "Hey, why don't I come over for dinner?" he suggested with a soft smile. "I'm sure Eric would be happy to see me after so long,”
Ms. Tori was pulled out of her thoughts by his offer. She smiled, grateful for his willingness to spend his rare day off with them. "That would be lovely, Finn," she said with a quick nod.
They walked together to Ms. Tori's home, a modest three-bedroom house with a large attic. Inside, they found Eric sitting in front of the TV, watching cartoons. Hearing Finn’s voice, Eric turned, his face lighting up with excitement. He jumped out of his seat and ran to give Finn a hug.
Eric was about 11 years old, with brown hair like his deceased father but hazel eyes like his mother. He was wearing a dark black and blue striped shirt, dark gray pants, and black slip-on shoes.
Finn hugged him back, smiling. "I've got some stories to tell over dinner," he said, which made Eric's eyes sparkle with anticipation.
He loved hearing about the world beyond their town, even if it was mostly filled with woods and the ruins of an old world.
Finn then followed Ms. Tori into the kitchen to help prepare dinner. He found what he could and handed the items to her, glad to be of assistance. Ms. Tori thanked him and asked if he could help chop vegetables, which he was more than happy to do.
As they worked side by side, Ms. Tori glanced at Finn, her expression a mix of gratitude and concern. "You know, Finn, this town means a lot to me,” she told him “It’s where I built my life with my husband, and it’s where I want Eric to grow up, despite everything,"
Finn nodded, understanding the deep attachment she had. "I get it, Ms. Tori. This place has a lot of memories, and as long as I'm here, I'll do my best to keep it safe for you and Eric,"
Ms. Tori smiled warmly. "I know you will, Finn... Thank you,”
Dinner was a warm, lively affair. Eric listened intently to Finn’s stories, hanging on every word. The laughter and conversation filled the small home, creating a moment of normalcy amidst the chaos of their world. For a brief time, the threats outside seemed distant, and they enjoyed the simple pleasure of being together.
After a few bites, Eric looked at Finn eagerly. "Can you tell me one of your stories, Finn?" he asked, his eyes bright with anticipation.
Finn nodded, swallowing a mouthful of food. "Well, a couple of days ago, I was out with two or three other Hunters, we had just finished fighting off a few Gaunts, once they were dealt with, we decided to explore the area since it was the site of an old abandoned amusement park,” he began. “Some of the rides were still standing, though most were broken and destroyed, it was interesting to see the tech they used to have back then," Finn recounted.
Eric's eyes widened with excitement. "Wow! That's awesome!" he exclaimed.
Finn grinned. "It was pretty cool, but it’s nothing compared to some of the parks I saw in Salton Lake City! Those places are amazing,"
Eric's eyes gleamed at the mention of the nearby city. "Man, I want to go there someday!" he said enthusiastically. "Maybe when I start my training to be a Gaunt Hunter," he added with a big smile.
Finn chuckled. "So, you want to be a Gaunt Hunter, huh?" he asked. "You think you’ve got what it takes?"
Eric nodded vigorously. "Uh-huh! I know I can be a Gaunt Hunter! I bet I can even be better than you!" he declared, pointing at Finn.
Finn raised an eyebrow, amused. "Oh really?" he said. "Who's to say I'm not the best of the best, huh?"
Eric gave him a smug smirk. "Because if you were the best Hunter, you'd have already gotten rid of all the Gaunts!" he said confidently.
Finn chuckled. "Well, you got me there," he admitted. "But hey, if you think you can be the best and get rid of all the Gaunts, then I say go for it, dude."
Eric chuckled and resumed eating, his enthusiasm undimmed. Ms. Tori watched the two with a fond smile, marveling at the brotherly bond between them. It warmed her heart to see how close they had become. She knew that Finn cherished this connection just as much as Eric did, especially since Finn had grown up without a family of his own, raised in the local orphanage.
She recalled those early days when a young Finn would walk into the bakery, clutching a few coins. His eyes would light up with wonder at the sight of the treats and goodies lining the shelves. Something about him had touched her heart, and she began offering him free treats for him and the other orphans whenever he visited. Her late husband had also taken a liking to Finn, treating him like the son they never had. When Finn decided to become a Gaunt Hunter, it was her husband who had helped him prepare for the rigorous training, getting him into shape and offering constant encouragement.
After her husband's death, it was Finn who helped her grieve and find the strength to carry on. She had felt terrible about leaning on him during such a hard time, knowing he had his own sadness to deal with, yet he remained steadfast and strong. He had been there for her and for Eric, helping the young boy understand their loss and navigate the difficult times that followed.
She was truly grateful to have Finn in her life.
Suddenly, Finn's phone vibrated insistently in his pocket. He quickly reached for it and saw a text message from work. He opened it, dreading what it might say.
[~Finn, we need you tonight. Jon and Gary quit out of the blue, so we need someone to fill in.~]
Finn sighed, frustration bubbling up inside him. 'Great, now we're down to eight Hunters,' he thought. 'And Jon and Gary were both my age and in better shape than the veterans at the station.'
Ms. Tori noticed the change in his expression and knew immediately what it meant. "Does duty call, Finn?" she asked gently.
Finn nodded, his expression weary. "Yeah, looks like Jon and Gary quit. They need me to cover tonight."
Ms. Tori sighed, placing a comforting hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, Finn. I know how much you were looking forward to some time off."
"It's alright," Finn said, forcing a smile. "I knew it was a long shot anyway. The town needs all the help it can get."
Eric looked up, concern etched on his young face. "Do you have to go, Finn?"
Finn ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "Yeah, buddy. Duty calls. But I'll be back, and we’ll have more stories to share. I promise."
Ms. Tori gave him a supportive nod. "Just promise us you'll stay safe, Finn."
"I will," Finn assured her. He stood up, preparing to leave. "Thanks for dinner, Ms. Tori. It was great, as always."
As he left the warm, comforting atmosphere of Ms. Tori's home and headed out into the cold night, Finn felt a renewed sense of purpose. Despite the exhaustion and the ever-present danger, he knew he had to keep fighting. For the town, for Eric, and for the memory of the man who had helped him become who he was.
Once at the station, Finn entered and immediately spotted Dick Cortez, a veteran Gaunt Hunter who had been safeguarding the town for as long as Finn could remember. Dick, now in his 50s, had graying hair, deep-set wrinkles, and perpetually tired eyes. He was wearing the standard-issue armor that all Gaunt Hunters received, though each Hunter was allowed to customize their armor with different colors and modifications.
Dick's armor consisted of a high-collar black shirt beneath a modified, pure black chest plate that covered his upper abdomen, along with similarly-colored bracers. Both the chest plate and bracers were trimmed with white and featured matching shoulder pads. He also wore gloves with small metal plating on the fingers, dark navy jeans, black and white metal knee pads, and dark brown boots.
Dick noticed Finn and offered a small smile. "Heya, Finn," he greeted.
"Hey yourself, Dick," Finn replied with a nod.
"Sorry about having to bring you in on your day off," Dick said, his tone genuinely apologetic.
Finn walked over to his locker, where his armor and weapons were stored. He glanced at Dick and shrugged, giving a small smile. "It's alright, Dick. I understand why, and I'm not angry—well, not at you, but at those two," Finn said, referring to Jon and Gary.
Dick nodded in understanding. "Trust me, I'm disappointed in them too, but I can see why they left so suddenly," he said.
Finn nodded back, opening his locker to reveal his armor. His armor was similar to Dick's but differed in color and the clothing underneath. Finn wore his usual attire beneath the armor, which consisted of a dark brown chest plate trimmed with black, matching bracers, shoulder pads, knee pads, and gloves.
He took the armor out and quickly dressed, securing the pieces in place. He then grabbed his Glock and its holster, strapping it around his waist, and added his machete in its sheath. Once fully suited up, he turned to Dick with a raised brow. "Which side of town am I patrolling tonight?"
"Outer wall, west side," Dick stated, his voice firm.
Finn nodded, mentally preparing himself for the task ahead. The west side of the outer wall was notorious for Gaunt activity, a hotspot for their attacks. It was going to be a long night.
As he headed out, Dick called after him, "Stay sharp out there, Finn. We can't afford to lose any more good Hunters."
Finn turned back and gave a resolute nod. "I will, Dick. See you in the morning."
Once outside the city, Finn couldn't help but take in the grim sight of the outer wall. It was marred with deep scratches and chips from relentless Gaunt attacks, stained with the dark green goo that dripped from their slavering mouths, and speckled with bloodstains that would never fully wash away. The stark contrast between this battered exterior and the inner walls of the town was striking. Inside, the walls were adorned with chalk drawings from children and vibrant murals from the town's artists. These cheerful images served as a reminder of what he was protecting, and why he had chosen to become a Gaunt Hunter in the first place.
Reaching the west side of the wall, Finn began his patrol, moving back and forth to ensure no Gaunts were attempting to scale the barrier. For now, the night was quiet, and he hoped it would remain that way.
As he walked his beat, his thoughts drifted back to dinner with Eric and the boy's enthusiastic declaration about becoming a Gaunt Hunter. While part of him felt honored by Eric's admiration, another part was deeply troubled. The life of a Hunter was dangerous and filled with horrors that no one should have to witness, let alone a young boy like Eric.
Finn's mind flashed back to a particularly gruesome memory from a past patrol. He and another Hunter had been called to assist in repelling a large pack of Gaunts. They had rushed to the scene, only to find their comrades dead, slaughtered in horrific ways. One Hunter's skull had been cracked open, with Gaunts eating from it as if it were a bowl of grapes. Another Hunter, still alive, was being disemboweled and devoured. Finn could never forget the man's agonized expression as he watched his own entrails being torn apart and consumed. The sight had been so revolting that Finn had vomited on the spot, paralyzed by shock until his partner snapped him back to reality.
Then there were the stories he had heard from veterans like Dick. Dick once recounted an incident where a Hunter had been speared to death by multiple Gaunts. They hadn't even eaten him; they had just impaled him repeatedly, leaving his body to rot in the woods for days. Such tales highlighted the Gaunts' malevolence and complete lack of empathy.
Finn shuddered at the memories. He didn't want Eric to face such nightmares. The boy was full of life and potential, and Finn couldn't bear the thought of him enduring the same horrors he had.
Since that harrowing incident and the chilling story Dick had shared, Finn had sworn to himself that he wouldn't meet a similar fate. He vowed to go out fighting, to not end up like those other hunters. He couldn't bear the thought of becoming another victim, especially after what happened to his sister.
The sudden howl nearby jolted Finn out of his grim thoughts. The sound was close—too close. Instantly alert, he scanned his surroundings. Just then, something whizzed past his face, slicing his cheek. He turned to see a makeshift arrow embedded in the wall. Spinning back around, his heart sank as he saw ten Gaunts emerging from the tree line.
"Shit!" Finn cursed, his eyes widening in horror. This was a dire situation. He quickly drew his Glock and aimed at the advancing creatures. Before he could fire, a sharp pain seared through his left side. He glanced down to see a small dagger lodged in his torso.
'What the hell?' Finn thought, bewildered. 'Did one of the Gaunts throw this?'
"Sorry, but it's nothing personal," a strange voice echoed through the darkness.
Finn's gaze snapped forward, and he saw a figure emerging from the shadows. They wore a long black cloak that seemed to envelop them completely, giving the eerie impression that they were gliding across the ground rather than walking.
The figure approached him, their face obscured by the cloak's hood. "My, you are a handsome young man," they purred in a sultry tone. "Such a fucking shame that my babies must eat. We've been on the run, and they haven't had a chance to rest and eat until we saw you." They giggled, a chilling sound that sent shivers down Finn's spine.
Fear gripped Finn, but he managed to look up at the cloaked figure with a raised brow. "W-Who are you?" he stammered, his voice wavering.
The figure tilted their head slightly as if amused by his question. "Who am I?" they echoed. "I am their mother, their caretaker. I ensure they survive, even if it means feeding them humans like you." The figure leaned closer, and Finn could just make out a twisted smile beneath the hood.
Finn's mind raced. He needed to think of a way out, and fast. The Gaunts were closing in, and he was injured and at a severe disadvantage. Summoning his remaining strength, he clutched his Glock tighter and tried to steady his breath. He couldn't let this be the end.
The figure's giggle echoed eerily through the night, sending a shiver down Finn's spine. "Oh! Now I'm regretting stabbing you," they remarked with a twisted amusement. "It's not every day a handsome young man asks me my name, you know? Most prefer a no-name policy." Their tone was cryptic, and Finn couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in his gut. "While I would love to give you my name in far better circumstances, I'm afraid I don't have the time," they continued, their words dripping with urgency. "As I said, we're on the run from a rather unpleasant girl."
Finn's confusion only deepened. The figure's response didn't provide any clarity, leaving him even more perplexed. As the figure began to back away, Finn's eyes widened in shock as the Gaunts beside them moved in unison. ‘She can... control them!?’ he realized, disbelief washing over him.
"Go ahead, babies... EAT!" the figure commanded, her voice chillingly calm.
With a sickening lurch in his stomach, Finn watched as the Gaunts surged forward, their hunger palpable in the air. Determination surged within him, driving him to fight against the odds stacked against him. Ignoring the searing pain from his wound, he raised his gun and fired at the approaching Gaunts. Despite his efforts, only one was hit, and even then, it didn't slow down.
Finn gritted his teeth, preparing for the inevitable close-quarter battle with the monsters. "Come on!" he growled defiantly. "I'm right here!"
The Gaunts closed in, their predatory instincts driving them forward. Just as they leaped toward him, ready to strike, something unexpected occurred.
Thorny vines erupted from the ground, snaking around the Gaunts with incredible speed. Finn's eyes widened in astonishment as the vines ensnared the creatures, halting their advance. The vines twisted and contorted, slamming the Gaunts into the ground with brutal force, tearing at their flesh and rendering them helpless.
" Damn! How did that bitch already find us!?" the figure exclaimed, frustration evident in their voice.
Finn's gaze followed the figure's gaze as a new figure emerged from the shadows.
Her appearance was striking, to say the least. With a spiky red Mohawk and piercing red eyes devoid of any white, she exuded an aura of fierce determination. Smudged mascara framed her intense gaze, adding to her wild and untamed appearance. Her lips were painted black, a stark contrast to her fiery red hair and eyes. Clad in a black leather crop top vest that accentuated her slim, athletic frame, she exuded an air of defiance. Arm bands encircled her wrists and biceps, resembling the wraps worn by boxers, hinting at her combat prowess. Around her neck, she wore a large choker, adding to her rebellious demeanor. Her attire was completed by tight leather pants and high-heeled platform boots, giving her an imposing presence.
"Found you, ya freaking cunt!" she spat, her voice laced with venom.
The cloaked figure retreated, increasing the distance between them and the girl. "Ugh, don't you ever give up?" they retorted, their tone tinged with irritation.
The girl leveled a fierce glare at the figure. "After the shit you've done!? I ain't letting you go!" she declared, her voice dripping with disdain.
The figure let out a mocking giggle. "Is that so?" they taunted, gesturing toward Finn who lay wounded on the ground. "Not even to save his life?"
The girl's gaze shifted to Finn, her expression softening momentarily as she registered his injuries. Before she could react, a shrill howl pierced the air, drawing their attention back to the figure.
"What the hell did you do!?" the girl demanded, her voice trembling with rage.
"Oh, just called in a few friends over for dinner," the figure replied casually.
"You bitch!" the girl seethed.
With a swift motion, she thrust her hand forward, summoning a massive vine with thorns protruding from its surface. The vine lunged toward the figure, but they evaded the attack with agile grace, darting away through the forest.
"Have fun~!" they taunted, their laughter echoing through the trees as they disappeared into the darkness.
Driven by determination, the girl pursued the figure, her footsteps echoing through the forest. However, her path was suddenly obstructed as a horde of Gaunts emerged from the shadows, blocking her way with menacing snarls and bared teeth.
"Get out of my way!" the girl cried, her voice ringing with determination.
In an instant, a smaller thorned vine shot out of the ground with startling speed, piercing through the approaching Gaunts like a bullet. Lifted into the air by the force of the vine, the creatures were hurled aside, crashing into trees with bone-crushing force.
As more Gaunts emerged from the shadows behind her, four shots echoed through the air. Finn's aim was true, striking the advancing Gaunts and causing them to writhe in agony as they fell to the ground. The girl glanced back to see Finn's timely intervention, offering a silent nod of acknowledgment before focusing her attention back on the remaining threats. Summoning more vines, she ensnared the creatures, tearing them apart with ruthless efficiency.
Satisfied that the immediate danger had passed, the girl turned back towards Finn, who was now sitting against the wall, applying pressure to his wound.
Bending down beside him, the girl flashed a smile, revealing sharp triangular teeth reminiscent of a shark. "Nice shooting there, dude. Really saved my ass back there," she remarked.
Finn managed a weak chuckle. "I should be thanking you. If you hadn't shown up, I'd be Gaunt food," he admitted.
"Let's call it even, then, eh?" she suggested. "What's your name?" she inquired.
Finn met her gaze, taking a moment to catch his breath before responding. "Finn, Finn Tresscoat," he introduced himself. Curiosity burning in his eyes, he posed a question in return. "Who are you? No... What are you?" he asked, unable to shake off the mystery surrounding her.
The girl maintained her enigmatic smile, meeting his gaze with her striking red eyes. "The name's Rachel Rose," she revealed. "As for what I am, well... I can answer that once you're all patched up," she added cryptically.
Summoning another vine, Rachel gently lifted Finn to his feet, supporting him as they began to make their way back towards town. With each step, Finn's mind buzzed with questions, the mysteries surrounding Rachel and her abilities swirling in his thoughts. Who was the cloaked figure? How did they control the Gaunts? And most pressing of all, who—or what—was Rachel, and how was she able to command those vines with such ease?
As they walked back toward town, Finn couldn't help but feel the weight of exhaustion settle upon him, both physically and mentally. His thoughts swirled with questions about the events that had just transpired—about Rachel, the cloaked figure, and the unsettling abilities they both possessed. Yet, amidst the chaos of his mind, one pressing question emerged, demanding attention above all else.
'When the hell am I gonna get another day off? Because I can sure as hell use it right now...!' Finn thought to himself, his weariness palpable.
Rachel, walking beside him, seemed to sense his inner turmoil. Casting him a sidelong glance, she offered a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Finn. You'll have your chance to rest soon," she assured him, her voice carrying a note of empathy.
Finn managed a weary smile in return, grateful for the reassurance. Despite the gravity of their situation, her words offered a glimmer of hope amidst the uncertainty that loomed over them…

Amidst the endless sea of websites vying for visibility and traffic, Uniwex.top stands out as both a mystery and an attraction. Many have been intrigued by this website—with its enigmatic name and evasive online presence—and have wondered what it really is and what secrets it conceals. This post will explore Uniwex in detail, trying to explain its features, user experience, and possible consequences so that you may join the conversation.

What Draws People to Ambiguity

This is clearly not your average website the second you get on Uniwex. The landing page creates an air of mystery and intrigue right from the bat thanks to its spare style and absence of obvious branding or purpose. A sense of intrigue surrounds Uniwex since it lacks the usual suspects—a navigation menu, descriptive text, and any indication of the site's intended purpose.
In their pursuit of answers, inquisitive site users encounter a maze of mysterious pages and material. Deliberately constructed to elude obvious interpretation, the sparse prose is often delivered in incomplete sentences or abstract expressions. The employment of nontraditional codes, symbols, and images heightens the feeling of mystery, leaving guests with more questions than answers.

The Mystery of the User's Path

Trying to find your way around Uniwex is like setting out on a confusing adventure into the unknown. On purpose, the user interface is not transparent, leaving it up to the visitor to figure out what the point of each click and interaction is.
Strange graphics, mysterious questions, and cryptic messages await you when you click on apparently random links. Users are left to their own devices to decipher the site's arcane information in the lack of clear directions or explanations, creating an even more disorienting experience.
It seems like Uniwex has a non-linear and unusual navigation structure, which is rather interesting. A more fluid and unexpected user experience is prioritized above traditional website hierarchies and logical page progressions. The feeling of mystery is intensified by this method, as visitors are led astray in a digital maze, uncertain of their ultimate goal or the relevance of their activities.
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The Group of Speculators

Despite Uniwex's obtuse design and lack of clear goal, it has attracted a devoted user base that loves to speculate and unravel the mystery. This group of people, who call themselves "Uniwex seekers," is quite active on the site; they discuss possible explanations, look for hints, and work together to solve the mystery of Uniwex.
Uniwex investigators assemble in online forums and message boards to speculate about the site's real nature, share what they've found, and bounce ideas off of one other. Users have developed a strong feeling of community and shared purpose as they work together to decipher the enigmatic text on Uniwex.
To further emphasize the feeling of exclusivity and belonging, the Uniwex group has even created its own language and inside jokes. In this one-of-a-kind subculture, members prioritize the excitement of conjecture and the quest for knowledge above more typical forms of online communication as they work together to unravel the secrets of the site.

Possible Context and Hypotheses

Theories and suspicions about the possible ramifications of Uniwex continue as long as the mystery surrounding it does. Some have speculated that the site is an elaborate artistic endeavor that probes questions of perception, ambiguity, and the dynamics of internet discourse. The unique user experience and opaque material might be seen as a critique of the internet's growing disjointed and esoteric character.
Some have speculated that Uniwex is really a means of secret communication or data exchange among a chosen few. Hidden from the uninitiated, the site's cryptic messages and codes may be a way of sending sensitive or secret information.
Multiple hypotheses have been advanced that tie Uniwex to a greater interactive fiction story or alternative reality game (ARG). The mysterious prompts and cryptic hints dispersed over the site may be pieces of an immersive narrative experience, just waiting to be solved by committed players.
Whatever its actual goal may have been, Uniwex has certainly captivated its audience, leading to conversations around the limits of online experiences and the significance of mystery in this day of information overload. The site's captivating nature begs the issue of how ambiguity will play a larger part in attracting audiences in the future, given that it does not provide any clear substance or purpose.

In summary

Uniwex stands out in the wide online environment as an unusual and confusing entity. Its mystique has persisted in captivating and perplexing people due to its opaque character, mysterious user experience, and devoted community of searchers.
We are reminded of the boundless potential and unexplored realms inside the digital domain as we try to understand Uniwex. The very presence of the site makes us reevaluate our assumptions about the nature and purpose of websites, prompting us to think critically about the limits of our online interactions and the place of mystery in a world where everything is becoming more and more visible.
Although Uniwex's actual goal and consequences are still unclear, one thing is clear: the website has managed to captivate interest and intrigue like no other. Who knows what surprises are in store for the ever-expanding Uniwex community as rumors and conjecture reach fever pitch.
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1. In John 3:16, who is God, and who is his one and only son?

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

1. Who created all things? John 1:1-3

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

1. Did Christ exist after he was born in this world, or he has always been, and it is through him that all humans exist? John 8:48-58

48 The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a
Samaritan and demon-possessed?”
49 “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my
Father and you dishonor me. 50 I am not seeking glory for myself;
but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge. 51 Very truly I
tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.”
52 At this they exclaimed, “Now we know that you are demon-possessed!
Abraham died and so did the prophets, yet you say that whoever obeys
your word will never taste death. 53 Are you greater than our father
Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?”
54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My
Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me. 55
Though you do not know him, I know him. If I said I did not, I would
be a liar like you, but I do know him and obey his word. 56 Your
father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day; he saw it
and was glad.”
57 “You are not yet fifty years old,” they said to him, “and you have
seen Abraham!”
58 “Very truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was
born, I am!”

1. Is Christ God?
   
2. Did Christ come into the world as a man, doing God's will, or as God? John 14:10
   

10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

1. Did Christ go through the various stages and challenges of life as a man or as God?
   
2. From his childhood, did Christ know that he was God? Mark 10:17-18
   

17 As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his
knees before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to
inherit eternal life?”
18 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except
God alone.

1. Did Christ learn about the Father, and start his fellowship with the Father the same way as every other human would have, by going to Sunday school, studying the scriptures, and doing the will of the Father, until he and the Father had become one?

Luke 2:46
After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
Luke 2:52
“And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”

1. Who confirmed Jesus Christ as a true child of God, when his will and the Father's will had become one, after doing God's will for a long time? Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John.
14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you,
and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this
to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that
moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending
like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said,
“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

1. Will you also receive a confirmation from the Father in your spirit when your will and the Father's will have become one after doing his will for some time?
   
2. In John 10:10, who is the thief, what does he want, and what does Christ want for every human?
   

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

1. Who gave you life?
   
2. If Satan can make you turn against your Father in Heaven has he stolen you from him?
   
3. In what ways does Satan try to destroy the children of God?
   
4. Will Satan try to kill you if all his attempts fail?
   
5. In what way did Christ expect people to know who he was? John 10:24-25
   

24 The Jews who were there gathered around him, saying, “How long
will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us
plainly.”
25 Jesus answered, “I did tell you, but you do not believe. The
works I do in my Father’s name testify about me,

1. Are you *something* because of what you do every day, or what you say that you are?
   
2. How is Christ the way to the Father? John 14:4-6
   

4 You know the way to the place where I am going.” 5 Thomas said to
him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the
way?”
6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me.

1. What examples did Christ *do* and *teach* humans as the way to become like Christ? (Read the Gospels)
   
2. Can you believe in Christ without practicing his teachings?
   
3. Which examples of Christ are you following now?
   
4. Was Christ willing to forgive the people who had tortured him and hanged him on the cross to die? Luke 23:34
   

34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.

1. Which character and mind will be formed in you when you believe in Christ by acting on his word?
   
2. How can Christ be formed in you?
   
3. When you blow air into a balloon and place it on a bucket of water will it float or will it sink?
   
4. When you press the balloon to the bottom of the bucket and you leave it what will happen to the balloon?
   
5. In John 11:20-26, how is Christ the resurrection and the life?
   

20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him,
but Mary stayed at home.
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother
would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you
whatever you ask.”
23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at
the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one
who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever
lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

1. When you do not have the character and mind of Christ can you be resurrected?
   
2. In what way is a person who has become like Christ, like a balloon?
   
3. Through Christ, should there be other Christs?
   
4. Does Christ's resurrection teach humans that when a man has formed Christ in them, they are *capable* of being resurrected, and that resurrection is *possible*?
   
5. Did Christ wish to go through the suffering on the cross, or he went through it because it was the Father's will?
   

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

1. Are you also willing to do the Father's will even when it does not make you happy?
   
2. Did the people of his day find it easy to accept the teachings of Christ, including the disciples?
   
3. Did the disciples believe that Christ would resurrect after his death on the cross? John 20:24-29
   

24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not
with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told
him, “We have seen the Lord!”
But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put
my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will
not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was
with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among
them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas,
“Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it
into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed;
blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

1. Did Christ know that for the people to truly believe him he had to give them a sign? Matthew 12:38-39

38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him,
“Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign!
But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.

1. What sign would he give them to make them believe?
   
2. If Christ had not died in public, would his resurrection have meant anything to the people of his day?
   
3. If Christ had not resurrected from the dead, would his message have taken deeper roots in the hearts of the people, making them believe that all that he said was true? John 11:25
   

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;

1. When the people believed him after his resurrection were they willing to spread the message to other towns and even die while doing so?
   
2. In what way did the Father use Christ's public humiliation and death on the cross to make Christ's message take deeper roots in the hearts of men after his resurrection, to the point where they were willing to die for it?
   
3. Did the Father use what the Devil had planned for evil, for good, by letting Christ go through public humiliation and death, or did the Father plan to have Christ crucified all along?
   
4. Can humans enter God's kingdom and be saved from darkness if only they will believe in Christ's teachings?
   
5. If the price to pay for Christ's message to be accepted by the people was death by the cross, and later resurrection, was Christ willing to do what it would take by paying the price?
   
6. Did the Father pay the price by giving his very best, his only begotten son?
   
7. Does the Father allowing Christ to go through so much suffering teach humans how far he is willing to go to rescue even the most stubborn human from darkness?
   
8. Does Christ humbling himself even unto death, teach humans how far we must be willing to go to do God's will?
   
9. Can the problem of humans living in darkness, and dying because of it, be solved?
   
10. Is there a price to pay to solve it?
    
11. Are you willing to pay the price?
    
12. Did Christ come to replace the laws of the prophets, or improve upon them and give them their full meaning?
    

Matthew 5:33-37
33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ 34 But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. 37 All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.
Matthew 5:38-39
38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.
Matthew 19:8-11
8 Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. 9 I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.”
Matthew 5:43-46
43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?
Matthew 5:27-28
27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Matthew 5:17
Don't suppose I came to do away with the Law and the Prophets. I did not come to do away with them, but to give them their full meaning.

1. Does following Christ's teachings mean that you no longer have to obey the law? Matthew 5:19

Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

1. Can you become perfect by following laws alone?
   
2. What is the reason for your answer?
   
3. Do the laws of God cover every aspect of human living and behavior?
   
4. Can you become perfect by following the laws of God and Christ who by taking on human nature also understands you and knows how to deal with the things that stop you from becoming perfect? Matthew 5:20
   

For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

1. Did Christ come to start a new religion named after him, or to establish the kingdom of God on earth?
   
2. Where is the kingdom of God on earth? Luke 17:20-21
   

20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God
should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not
with observation:
21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the
kingdom of God is within you.

1. How do you enter God's kingdom?
   
2. Can you enter God's kingdom without submitting yourself to God, daily? Luke 22:42
   

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.”

1. Did the Jews accept or reject Christ's teachings? John 10:20-21

20 Many of them said, “He is demon-possessed and raving mad. Why
listen to him?”
21 But others said, “These are not the sayings of a man possessed by a
demon. Can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”

1. What would happen to Jerusalem shortly after Christ had been taken up into Heaven? Luke 19:41-44

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

1. When Christ was about to be crucified, and the women wept for him, why did he say to them "Weep for yourselves"? Luke 23:27-28

27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children.

1. What happened to Jerusalem shortly after Christ had been taken up into Heaven?
   
2. If the Jews had accepted Christ's message would the Romans have destroyed their cities and temples and killed so many of them?
   
3. If all men accept God as their Father, will they treat each other as brothers and sisters, or as foreigners and enemies? John 4:7-9
   

7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will
you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy
food.)
9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan
woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate
with Samaritans.)

1. If all men accept each other as brothers and sisters, will they continue to fight each other or allow the peace of God to reign on earth?
   
2. What is a parable?
   
3. What is the parable of the tenants? Luke 20:9-19
   

9 He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a
vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.
10 At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give
him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and
sent him away empty-handed. 11 He sent another servant, but that one
also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. 12
He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.
13 “Then the owner of the vineyard said, ‘What shall I do? I will send
my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.’
14 “But when the tenants saw him, they talked the matter over. ‘This
is the heir,’ they said. ‘Let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be
ours.’ 15 So they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.
“What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come
and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
When the people heard this, they said, “God forbid!”
17 Jesus looked directly at them and asked, “Then what is the meaning
of that which is written:
“‘The stone the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone’?
18 Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; anyone
on whom it falls will be crushed.”
19 The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to
arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable
against them. But they were afraid of the people.

1. What does the vineyard represent in the parable?
   
2. Who is the owner of the vineyard?
   
3. Who are the tenants? Matthew 23:29-35
   

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You
build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the
righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our
ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the
blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you
are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead,
then, and complete what your ancestors started!
33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being
condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages
and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will
flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon
you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth,
from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of
Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

1. In what ways did the tenants beat and treat the servants shamefully?
   
2. What is the fruit of the vineyard?
   
3. Who were the servants sent to the vineyard to collect the fruits of the vineyard?
   
4. Who was the son sent to collect the vineyard's fruits?
   
5. Did Christ come into the world to be humiliated and killed or to draw men into the Father's kingdom by his teachings and lifestyle?
   
6. Was Christ sacrificed or betrayed and murdered? Acts 7:52-53
   

52 Was there any prophet that your ancestors did not persecute? They killed God's messengers, who long ago announced the coming of his righteous Servant. And now you have betrayed and murdered him. 53 You are the ones who received God's law, that was handed down by angels—yet you have not obeyed it!”

1. What is the harvest, and who are the laborers? Matthew 9:35-38

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

1. Was Christ able to forgive sins before he was crucified? Matthew 9:2-7

2 Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus
saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins
are forgiven.”
3 At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, “This
fellow is blaspheming!”
4 Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, “Why do you entertain evil
thoughts in your hearts? 5 Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are
forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 6 But I want you to know
that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he
said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” 7
Then the man got up and went home.

1. Did humans have to spill the blood of Christ to be forgiven of their sins?
   
2. In what way does Christ take away the sin of the world? John 1:29
   

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

1. In what way did Christ fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah in Isaiah 53:4? Matthew 8:14-17

14 When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law
lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left
her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to
him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
“He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

1. What is the story of the woman caught in adultery? John 8:1-11

8 1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people
gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of
the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They
made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this
woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded
us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this
question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his
finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and
said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to
throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the
ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older
ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing
there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they?
Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave
your life of sin.”

1. Was it possible for humans to stop sinning before Christ was crucified? John 8:11
   
2. How do you stop sinning?
   
3. Was Christ able to teach all that he wanted to before he was taken up into Heaven? John 16:12
   

“I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear.

1. How did Christ know that the people could not bear all that he had to say to them? John 3:1-12

3 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of
the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said,
“Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no
one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom
of God unless they are born
again.”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked.
“Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be
born!”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the
kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6 Flesh
gives birth to flesh, but the
Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7 You should not be
surprised at my saying,
‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows wherever it
pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from
or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the
Spirit.”
9 “How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.
10 “You are Israel’s teacher,” said Jesus, “and do you not
understand these things? 11 Very truly I tell you, we speak of what
we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do
not accept our testimony. 12 I have spoken to you of earthly things
and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of
heavenly things?

1. Who will continue his work after he has been taken up into Heaven? John 16:13

But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

1. While on earth why did Christ call himself the Son of Man? Matthew 8:20

“And Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’”

1. Is human experience already in God from the beginning, or is human experience obtained by living like a human?
   
2. Did Christ rule over our universe after creating it, or did he wait until he had first put on human nature, thereby becoming both Son of God and Son of Man? Matthew 28:16-18
   

16 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

1. Who gave Christ all authority?
   
2. What did Christ have after his resurrection, that he did not have before his crucifixion? Matthew 28:18
   

18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.

1. What could go wrong if Christ ruled our universe after creating it, without first putting on human nature?
   
2. What can go wrong when you try advancing a child when you have never been a child before?
   
3. In Matthew 23:11 why does the Father (through Christ) say
   

The greatest among you must be a servant.

1. Would Christ use his authority over Man, fairly, if he had not first obtained a human experience, and known what it was like to be human?

Luke 23:34
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
Luke 5:21-22
21 The Pharisees and the teachers of the law began thinking to themselves, “Who is this fellow who speaks blasphemy? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”

22 Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked, “Why are you thinking these things in your hearts?

1. If God himself goes through the proper way to assume authority, should humans also learn to do things the proper way?
   
2. Did Christ live his life on earth by seeking the will of the Father and doing it? John 6:38
   

For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

1. Should humans also spend their lives seeking the will of God and doing it?
   
2. Was Christ able to fulfill the law? Matthew 5:17
   

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.

1. Is Christ able to help you fulfill the law as well?

Alright, I need to vent a bit. Bought the game yesterday to play with a friend and everything was peachy before that one mission. Onsite refining was awful in many ways.
Before that, game taught us to hoard and that's what we were trying to do, but this time Nancy (or whatever the bot name is) wasn't around. Exploring and mining was obviously frustrating since that's not the goal.
Visual language is confusing. Those geysers look dangerous, something you want to stay away from, like another type of environmental hazard. To put a drill in it you need to go against your instinct and look inside the hole that bursts aggressive pillar of particles. Didn't you watch Alien? Running around and sniffing everything is not the way to go. Either prompt for drilling should show from higher distance or particles need to be "calmer". What's wrong with slow steam or smoke? It would serve same purpose of drawing player's attention and be seen from a distance. Make it slightly glowing and voila, now it looks like something you want to explore.
Now we need to drag a pipe all the way from the spawn spot. 3 of them actually. For first mission of this type 1 would be enough. It feels like you are doing same thing over and over anyways since there is only one path for pipes (unless you want to spend 3 hours digging a shortcut) and you are stacking them on top of each other, just a bit longer each time. Routes should spread from spawn in different directions. Or, if this string-of-sausages level design is what you insist on, I should be able to start another pipe from the nodes of existing one. At the moment it's boring on purpose.
Once you laid the pipes you can ride them and that's cool. Would be better if I could use crouch to stop though, instead of jumping off into abyss every time. Crouching would also make it easier to navigate burrows. But there is none in this game. Literally unplayable.
We spent too much time figuring out what and how to do while fighting off constant enemy spam. Naturally we ran out of ammo and with no mule around it's much more frustrating to get... nanite? nitrite? the red thingies for ammo dispenser. Which is kind of scarce anyways. It should drop from all enemies, even small but guaranteed amount would make this experience more enjoyable. And definitely higher drop rate when enemies are killed with a pickaxe. Or small deposits buried inside walls/floor. Btw, level generation would benefit from small caverns with minerals. Would feel more like a natural cave system instead of current rooms_inside_infinite_rock approach. Enemy waves could be improved too. If players are always full - spawn more, if they running around for 20 minutes with zero ammo for all weapon - spawn less.
If whole game was like that it would be an easy refund decision. But it's not. Starts pretty good and balanced. It's that harsh contrast between previous missions and refinery that makes it unbearable.

Vacations were going to start, and as usually happened, we were assigned a project, to be with a person of a different species during the time we were out of class (Approximately 1 Short Cycle)
The volunteers from the different species showed up and they began to draw who would stay. I was thinking about what I could do with my assigned partner and how great it would be, until they said my name.

• p'tibas, this will be your new partner, his name is Tomas

To my surprise and surprise, in front of me was a human, the most boring species there could be, even the arachnid species from quadrant 7, whose entertainment was to weave intricate silk traps and then undo them and make them again, it seemed more entertaining than a human
had not arrived long ago on the galactic stage, less than a long Cycle, and, although they showed great adaptability and together, created various things at an incredible speed, individually they were very boring, they would never build a starship alone, or ferrify a planet alone, not even build a territory alone, it seemed that when they were alone all their creativity went away or something like that, and even when they did a project in groups that they thought would be very long, it seemed that they abandoned it when they started to get bored, because in The list of members always changed personnel, they almost never made it even for an entire Short Cycle before retiring.
-Hello - I said without much enthusiasm, observing my assigned colleague, this was going to be a very boring vacation.
After classes, we met to organize what we would do from now until the end of the holidays.
-Well, human, what were you planning to do?
-Call me Tomas, and, I was planning to go on a trip or something, I have a ship that my parents gave me and I thought we could start with that, in fact, I have many plans, I mean, we still have a lot of time
-That sounds like an excellent plan- I felt like my hopes were renewed when I heard that, maybe I had enough and I had crossed paths with the funniest brother of his species, or at least one not so boring.
We spent the first 20% of the Short Cycle exploring human territory, it was more entertaining than I thought, and it taught me many things about its culture; like they were one of the few super predatory species in the stellar union, which surprised me quite a bit, because with their lazy hands and fragile bodies they didn't seem very threatening; He taught me how to camp, I thought it was strange that they wanted to sleep outdoors, and near dangerous animals, but I really liked the marshmallows, he told me that when we met he was 20 human years old, but I can't understand his time system, and I couldn't pass my age to human age, now that I look back on it, I'm surprised that he signed up to be my partner at such a young age and I understand what it entailed, but we had a great time, he taught me about his arts and sports, history and culinary, when we left human territory he seemed like a different person, although I assumed that he had become accustomed to my presence, and I assumed that his change in appearance was due to the observation that humans have with what they call "fashion", and the fact that for some reason, the little hair they had on their bodies seemed to not want to stop growing
Then, we went to many places that I already knew from the rest of the galaxies, which lasted another 20% of the Cycle, it was strange to see how he was fascinated by everything, the plants, the animals, even something as simple as the clouds of dust in space made him look like it was the most fascinating thing in the universe, he also once begged me almost crying not to go to quadrant 7, apparently he had "arachnophobia", it made me laugh when he showed me a hologram of a tarantula from the earth, and when I showed him a hologram of the "arachnids" (he called them) he fainted, I was very scared because of that, my species does not suffer fainting and I didn't know what to do, but when he regained consciousness he just made fun of me concern and ultimately said he was not going to go to the "planet klendathu" on his own initiative
For the next 30% of the short cycle we went to where neither of us had ever been, although in his case it was a simpler task, because from the little he knew about the space it seemed that he never really planned to travel the rest of the space outside of the human section, or at least that's what I thought, Tomas demanded that we document every discovery we made, at first I didn't understand why, but then, for some strange reason our research began to be renowned in the scientific community, especially human biologists, who They had the same enthusiasm as my human
For the last 30% of the Short Cycle that we had left, I was very tired from traveling, and Tomas too, he seemed very tired, and different, I don't even know when he changed so much and without me realizing, his hair that was previously black as space, now it was white as snow, it seemed that he no longer had the energy that he had when we started the trip, I had asked him if he was sick, but he said that he was fine, that he was just a little tired, so I decided to do some simple ones, build a terrarium
something not very big, about 5km2, we chose each plant, each insect, animal, each milliliter of water, everything to make the perfect ecosystem, we built a small cabin near Tomas' favorite tree, because yes, for some reason he became fond of One tree in particular, I would laugh at it, but it looked so cute; We sealed the land in a "glass" dome, in reality it is not glass but Tomas calls it that, it had a small entrance so we could enter and exit, but nothing more, then we stayed to see how the time passed.
But after a while I couldn't take it anymore and I insisted on asking him if he was okay, he was almost without energy and very weak, he forgot things and was almost to the bone.
-I guess it was inevitable that you knew
-Know that? You're hiding something from me? You're sick, right? I knew it, I knew that...
-No, I'm not sick, it's just that humans live less than you, before we had an average lifespan of 80 human years, until we achieved speed faster than light, and you appeared, joined us to the galactic community and Thanks to their technology, they increased the average lifespan to 200 human years, which is a lot, but it is still tiny compared to the galactic average, it is something less than a short and a half cycle.
I was shocked after what he had said, did that mean that Tomas was going to die? The human who was still learning, regardless of what miniscule amount of time they shared, was the person I had ever loved the most, he limited himself. to hug your human and sob
-Are you sure I can't do anything?
-Yes I am
"I wish I could spend the rest of my life with you," I said almost in a whisper.
-Haha, what, now you are going to ask me to marry you? -He said to make me laugh
but I remembered it, human marriage, right?, the union between two people for eternity, very few species had something like that, I dried my tears and knelt down as Tomas had shown me years ago.
-Tomas, would you agree to marry me?
Tomas looked at me with some surprise, but then he told me, "Yes, I accept."
We got married a few human weeks later, more people had come than we thought, many of them friends we met throughout our travels, many of my and Tomas's relatives.
After that we spent the best (for me) years of our lives, we didn't do anything, but we were very happy together, 10 human years later he died, I was next to his favorite tree, I still go every day to see him - he sighs while playing with the wedding ring that I still had - I stayed taking care of the terrarium for the rest of the Short Cycle, when I returned to school it felt as if a whole life had passed, and in a way, it did, all my classmates made fun of the fact that I only We would do some expeditions and a terrarium, and the human got "bored and left", as humans do, they did not know that "the human" was dead, they would not understand it, they would not understand how important that terrarium was, they would never know how much that there was so little, that's why, students, you are now in this class, Understanding xenosocieties, so that you can see the universe that surrounds you and the life that inhabits it from a different point of view
I'm sorry if something is translated wrong, English is not my first language and I am translating this with Google Translate

I'm sure someone has already mentioned this or even posted it already, but I was surprised to see all of the parallels between Christianity and this show in its imagery and culture portrayed in the Mandalorian "children of the watch". It can't be a coincidence that in order to be brought back into his religion, the Mandalorian needs to be rebaptized in the "living waters" of the mines of Mandalore. Either by pouring or immersion, baptism is how they enter as full members of "the Way", which can also be found as a parallel to Christianity. In the book of Acts, the members of the early Christian church were called "followers of the way", as "Christian" was a name given to them a little while later. "and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch." Acts 11:26. However, in quotes of Paul in Acts he repeatedly refers to them as those of "the way".
Also, Jesus refers to Himself as the way, "Jesus *said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." John 14:6 and Isaiah 30:21 spells out the phrase in most English translations "Your ears will hear a word behind you, “This is the way, walk in it,” whenever you turn to the right or to the left."
The children of the watch cult/sect obviously drew inspiration to religions/cults in our own galaxy, but I find it fascinating to see the imagery of a public baptism at the beginning and the end of Season 3 is such a direct comparison to Christianity that you wouldn't see in most modern fiction today. Not even The Lord of The Rings movies had such direct drawings from it (The closest I can think of is The Chronicles of Narnia). Though I suppose since the events of The Mandalorian all took place in a galaxy long ago, they came before Jesus' ministry! Below are some more Bible verses related to "The Way" and "Living waters"

• "but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.” John 4:14
• Then he showed me a river of the water of life, clear as crystal, coming from the throne of God and of the Lamb, in the middle of its street." Revelation 22:1-2
• "Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem." Acts 9:1-2

Tenth Moon, 25AC

Pentos
Twenty-three, Twenty-four, Twenty-five.
“You are certain?” Probed Dynohr, but Orys waved him off.
Twenty-six, Twenty-seven, twenty-eight.
“The lord Protector does not need to remind you of your commitments, master Dynohr,” Aeran mercifully answered before he needed to. He had come down to the docks with a splitting headache, and from the moment he saw them, he had to count. He was promised two-hundred and twenty, he would count them, he would be certain.
Thirty-four, thirty-five, thirty-six.
“Even so, surely you have more time, we need not depart so swiftly. The storms… they will be quite terrible this time of year, the sea is not merciful to the hasty,” said the sellsword legate. He was an excellent commander by all accounts, but Orys was earning a second pain in the back of his ear listening to him. He refused to lose his count too. For all he cared, all that mattered, the aged warrior did not need this right now.
Fifty-two, fifty-three, fifty-four.
“And as agreed, we had to depart in the coming days. The timeline does not allow for dalliance, nor does it allow for you to dither,” Raymont snapped, though Orys could hear the stress in his voice. Of all his family, of his sons, of his wife, Raymont was the one to caution him against coming here. He was the one to say that leaving at such a time would be a detriment, that departing just before the feast, the hunt, before the prince’s name day would only lead to a greater divide between who should wear the crown. He was a good lad for it, a smart one. Someone worth being his heir, someone who cared.
Eighty-five, eight-six, eighty-seven.
Their path led them on an incline up the docks, following towards the enormous walls that surrounded the grand old city. He needed a better view, sails were easier to count from so high. And he had already counted those that numbered among the closest to the wharfs.
“I understand your haste, and your needs, young lord, but the tides care little for what we wish to do. Righteousness means nothing to the waves,” protested another, but the Lord protector ignored him. He was a slight fellow, much less present than the rest of the entourage following him. In fact, a glance back barely revealed him from the overpowering shadow of Vyronno. The behemoth of a man gave only a grunt at being glanced at, though the grunt seemed more to be about the leg of chicken he was currently feasting upon.
Ninety-three.
“The haste is well-founded,” Aeran cut in again, his sharp Myrish accent cutting through the conversation like a knife. If there was anger or annoyance in it however, Orys did not register. His only focus were the ships. What a strange figure he must have cast with a band of Essosi at his back, from the free cities, from further East, he was trailed by a dozen figures, all bickering over the course and all the head of the group cared for, were boats.
“And yet if we act too fast, what happens then? If the waves claim half of the ships? What of the cargo then? Of the contents? We’ll be ruined because you simply wished to return while the Queens remained in king’s Landing!” The slight man said, and finally his name came to Orys. Horo Hartion, one of the ship captains from Braavos.
One hundred and thirty-three.
The man was an expert on the waves certainly, but Orys was not able to heed him. Not now. Perhaps a year ago he might have, but not now. Not when ideas came late and solutions later. He had gathered what he needed, he had visited the triarchs, the magisters, the princes and Sealords, and only now had he his ships, his supposed two-hundred and twenty.
“How long before we should leave then? Hm?” Pried his son, blessed Raymot with his well-directed displeasure.
“At least until the winter, the cool air will help keep the sea calm. And perhaps it would make it easier on your home,” said the captain, but Aeran hissed a condescending laugh.
“Winter? If we do that, then we will be arriving in winter, and then having to rebuild in winter and solve the kingdom’s woes in winter. You think it is bad normally? Try it when there’s no food growing,” the man snapped, and the captain audibly shrunk away, his voice growing smaller.
“But…”
One hundred and seventy-five.
He was coming so close to the remaining few sails. He had segmented them by their respective groups, moored together and kept locked side by side to fit the harbour better. It made it far easier to count them, that much was certain. Though he couldn’t help but wonder if there were other dangers to it.
So close, so much wood.
One hundred and ninety-six.
“If not later, perhaps at least a faster route?” Asked the captain, earning a scoff from Aeran and Raymont in unison. And within seconds they were back to bickering. Orys shook his head, the imposing lord rubbing at his temple as he walked to the edge of the wall, trying to rid himself of the headache, and failing terribly at it.
Their bickering picked up, moving from quick-spoken words to shouts and he closed his eyes.
Two hundred and five.
More of the band of followers were joining in, blessedly except for Vyronno. The man’s bellows were simply too heavy for his ears to handle amid the headache.
Orys shook his head, but the voices grew louder, and soon enough he was conscious of the markets below, the sounds of the tides. With a breath, hie attempted to focus on the counting, opening his eyes to the harbour, but finding the world below a blur.
Two hundred… two-hundred and what?
He sucked on his gums… he was close. So fucking close to the end of it. What was that number? He clenched his fists, digging his fingers into the hard stone of the wall, but the elusive numerals refused him. And as his headache grew and the shouting overpowered him. He grit his teeth and slammed a fist against the stone.
“Enough!” He bellowed, and the entourage fell silent immediately.
Anger flooded through him, annoyance in turn and finally, dismay. He was so fucking close to finishing his count, spoiled by his interminable headache and further agitated by the sounds surrounding.
“We sail on schedule, on the course plotted, with all…” he glanced to the captain and then to Dynohr, both men lightly bowing their heads, both averting their gazes slightly. The Lord Protector rubbed a thick hand across hie forehead and leaned into the wall. Gods what he would have given for all the strength of his youth, for the power of the man who bested Argillac. For the strength of the man who helped dragons conquer kingdoms.
“Fuck,” he said quietly, drawing the eyes of his son.
“I do this for it is better to do something than to let it be left a mystery. Better to try to do something right than to hope the alternatives simply work out,” he said and looked over the assembly. At Vyronno, his trusted friend whose enormous, folded arms might have warded off some, but not him. He looked to Raymont, his son as tall as him, a mirror of Aegon’s hand in his younger years. To Aeran, the golden haired Myrish warrior, to the captain Hartion with his wildly styled moustache and elegant hat and to Dynohr, the flamboyantly dressed sellsword.
“Bad weather will waylay us, if it comes, but that is all. We will not be subjects to the fear of the rain or the waves. Not now.”
With a hard look at each of the squabbling men, he finally sighed.
“Go. Leave me,” he finished and the men looked between themselves before silently dissipating. Only Raymont and Vyronno remaining. The behemoth never abandoning his side unless told to by name. And Raymont, for the young Baratheon’s brows remained furrowed. Down there, in the city was the boy’s wife, the Dayne. Orys pondered for a moment, what did she think of this endeavour? Certainly she was of the mind of his son at first, foolhardy and confused. Perhaps directly opposed. But she had yet to raise a word of it.
Subterfuge had gotten them this far, care and caution had kept their plans in place and free of the eyes of others. Syrella’s spies did not reach so far, and the Westerosi were not concerned with what lay beyond their own coasts. Essos was a wild and untamed land to them, just as Westeros was to the inhabitants of the Free cities and beyond. Perhaps it would work against them, perhaps he would be seen as something terrible and unknown. But he had kept the Kingdom running for years, he had conceded to the queens instead of battling them at each turn. He had killed his ego so that the land would heal from the conquest, so that it would recover from massacres in the woods, so that burnt bridges in the Reach and Dragons in the North would not be enough to break Aegon’s dream apart.
But now…
“You haven’t taken the medication they gave you, have you?” Asked Raymont.
“No,” his heavy voice rang plain, and his weary eyes lifted to meet his sons. So full of worry, so full of youth, wasted here, wasted contending with his father’s woes.
“And the headaches have gotten worse, have they not?” He asked.
Orys shook his head, “only here, only where it’s loud,” he sighed, his lean growing heavier against the wall. What he would have given now for his comfortable chair in his office in the tower of the hand. Where he was too high for the city to bother him, where none came to find him lest there was an emergency.
Here… here it was just too loud.
“Here,” Raymont said with a sigh, handing over a small tincture, and holding up his flask. Orys eyed the tincture suspiciously, but he knew its contents. He would not win this battle, however. Orys Baratheon knew when he was beaten, the Lord Protector took the vial from his son, uncorked it and downed the contents. He clicked his tongue and he washed down the awful taste with he offered flask, blessedly it was just water. He had grown sick of the amount of wine in this place.
“Vyronno, how fare the captains?” he asked, the headache already numbing, giving him blessed few moments of clarity.
The large man shifted, and even that motion seemed to be a great effort for the giant.
“They are tired, they are wary. They are afraid. I fear many do not wish to cast off come the day,” the thick-bellied and deep-voiced man grumbled. He had no love for the ship captains, many of which were sellswords themselves, a group in which the behemoth held little regard for.
“How many?” Orys probed.
“Perhaps a quarter,” mused the man, and Orys grimaced. Enough to hamper them.
“Then…” he looked to the harbour now, eyes narrowing on the locked together ships.
“Uncouple all but twenty of the ships,” he said quickly, and Raymont frowned.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because I will motivate them if they will not do it themselves.”
Raymont’s frown held, and Orys sighed, “take Aeren and his men, do it at night.”
His son finally nodded, and then he too finally left as Orys’ headache finally faded.
“I fear he should not come with us,” Vyronno said.
The Lord Protector huffed, but he eventually nodded. Raymont was not destined to be a victim of his father’s sins. At least he would not see it happen.
“Tell Shovi and Salaela what to do,” Orys said, leaving the comment unanswered. Vyronno gave a nod and reluctantly left Orys atop the battlements, watching the harbour, and finally, he was allowed to be alone and count again.
One, two, three…
From the blessed view of the extensive balcony of Orys' manse, he was given a grand perspective of the sea, and from there, he watched the brilliant roar of flames billowing upwards. Though as he watched, he tapped, counting the seconds by as the flames billowed. If they could not control it within the next five minutes, his plan would be a deathblow to his goals, but he had faith. Faith sometimes was enough o quell the burning in his chest, to overtake the distress at a failed idea.
But… he had faith.
And faith was rewarded at times. As his ears itched from the ringing of bells, finally, someone burst into the room. Orys did not look back, but found the voice of Isembard Stassanar addressing him.
“My lord… the fleet… sabotage,” he huffed breathily, but Orys held a hand to him.
“Calm, I know,” he said and he motioned to the window and his view of the docks, where he was given a perfectly adequate view of the slowly dimming flames. They were pretty against the night, but he could not deny how it reminded him of the conquest… though those flames would not have been doused by such attempts. Buckets would not carry enough water to fight dragonflame.
“Thank you for telling me, Isembard… you may go,” he mused and with what was probably the sound of a salute, the man slinked from the room, doors rocking closed quietly after him.
One, two, three.
The halls of his manse were filled today. Three or four hundred men, all as colourful as they were varied. From every free city, from as far as the great grass sea. They were plentiful, and they all looked to him as he entered, raised up on a balcony overlooking the assembled crowd. His headache was back and the tincture did little to help it. But he persevered.
“The fleet’s damage was minimal,” he said plainly, earning some grumbles from one portion of the crowd and sighs of relief from another.
“Our plans however have been put in place, there are those who clearly know of my intentions, which means we may not act with such sloth. Time has come for us to make our final preparations. It is time we set sail,” he spoke plainly, voice bellowing and the crowd’s silence was a surprise. But eventually, from within it came the voice of Aeran.
“Well out you fuckers go!” he shouted and with grumbling voices, the men began to filter out.
“So the die Is cast,” Orys sighed, earning a chuckle from Vyronno.
“So it is…” sighed the behemoth.
“So it is.”
"Oh, and one thing," Vyronno added, earning a raised brow from Orys.
"There was an error on the part of the clerk, there were more than two hundred and twenty," he reported and the raised brow lowered as Orys grinned.
"Thank the gods for small mercies it seems."
May we pray for more

So, after playing Pathologic (I'm sure a lot of people started there) and watching Codex Entry's videos which draw parallels between various absurdist writers and the plot of the game, I wanted to give writing in that style a crack. I'm not a scholar or anything, this kind of marks the first step down the rabbit hole from my perspective. Still, it would be interesting to get thoughts from people who've consumed more of that kind of work than I have (primarily to help guide further exploration of the ideas).
A man sits on top of a hill overlooking a large city from its outskirts. There is a single tree to shade him, and he sits beside a cooler filled with alcoholic drinks. Suddenly, another man approaches with his seat…
Jeremy: Fredrick.
Fredrick: Jeremy.
The guest sets himself up on the other side of the cooler before taking his seat.
Jeremy: How is she?
Fredrick: Passed. She had her time for fighting and now, is her time for resting.
Jeremy: And how are you?
Fredrick: I’m still numb to it.
Jeremy: Indifference is an ugly concept. Do well to defeat whatever shred of it exists within you.
Fredrick: Indifference?
Jeremy: A less romantic term, but yes. Indifference.
Fredrick: There’s nothing romantic about losing your wife to begin with… Lets not do this.
Jeremy: My point is that you’re doing nothing, but we’ll all be gone soon enough. Go on then, change the topic.
The two men sit in silence for some minutes
Fredrick: So what would you have me do then?
Jeremy: What sort of question is that?
Fredrick: It is easy for you to sit on your chair, to drink your beer-
Jeremy: Would you like one?
Fredrick: No, I don’t drink.
Jeremy: Not like you used to anyway.
Fredrick: It is easy for you to sit on your chair, to drink your beer-
Jeremy: Would you like one?
Fredrick Please stop interupting me, especially to ask the same question again.
Jeremy: You don’t get it yet, but I’m asking a different question every time.
Fredrick: Sure… To drink your beer, and to criticise me of inaction, but what could I do? I’m no doctor, and even further from a miracle worker.
Jeremy: But you are you.
Fredrick: Of course I am me.
Jeremy: Are you?
Fredrick: Of course I am me.
Jeremy: Well if you’re so sure…
Fredrick: Who else could I be?
Jeremy: Decide for yourself. My attention is taken up by this beer I sip with so much ‘ease’.
Jeremy laughs, Fredrick rolls his eyes.
Jeremy: Alright alright, I’m not exactly being straight with you.
Fredrick: When have you ever?
Jeremy: If you didn’t enjoy our conversations you wouldn’t have decided to meet me here.
Fredrick: No one else enjoys your conversation; if I wasn’t hear you’d drive yourself mad.
Jeremy: No, I’d simply talk with the tree.
Fredrick: I fail to see how you talking with trees goes against you being mad, but I digress. What is your point here?
Jeremy: Your wife just passed.
Fredrick: I’m aware.
Jeremy: And yet you won’t drink with me.
Fredrick: I’m aware.
Jeremy: I think that’s silly.
Fredrick: What does my wife dying have to do with abstinence-
Jeremy: Cowardice.
Fredrick: Cowardice?
Jeremy: A less romantic term, but yes, cowardice.
Fredrick: What so you think I’m afraid of a can of beer?
Jeremy: Are you?
Fredrick: I am not.
Jeremy: Then what is it you’re afraid of?
Fredrick: You’re the one acusing me of cowardice, you substantiate it.
Jeremy: Hmmm…
The two men sit in silence for some minutes
Jeremy: You’re afraid of the end.
Fredrick: It’s natural to fear death.
Jeremy: Interesting how you conflate the two.
Fredrick: What else could ‘the end’ refer to? The end of this chat?
Jeremy: The end of this chat spells doom for us both chum, but I didn’t mean anything so specific.
Fredrick: So, I’m afraid of ‘endings’?
Jeremy: It’s easy for the cynical to believe that their lives are a cycle of mysery. But there is no cycle. What begins, ends. Even if something else were to begin, what came before has already ended. Cylicality is a comforting illusion.
Fredrick: Hardly seems that way when the cycle is of pain.
Jeremy: But isn’t pain a comfort? Is it not better to expect pain and receive it than to expect nothing at all?
Fredrick: The cynical would expect nothing.
Jeremy: This is a failure of your understanding of both the cyclical and the cynical.
The two men sit in silence for some minutes. In the distance, sirens can be heard.
Fredrick: Our time is running out.
Jeremy: What makes you think it hasn’t already?
Fredrick: We’re both still alive aren’t we?
Jeremy: Ahh I see.
Fredrick: What?
Jeremy: I see trees of green, red roses too~
Jeremy giggles to himself, Fredrick scoffs.
Fredrick: How can you be so unserious at a time like this?
Jeremy: I’m treating the current situation with the exact appropriate amount of seriousness, no more no less.
Fredrick: So I’m too serious?
Jeremy: Friend, I have never had the words to describe you better than the two you used to just describe yourself.
Fredrick: From my perspective you’re not serious enough, and those are the only words I need to describe you.
Jeremy: Well met. Fancy a-
Fredrick: I swear to GOD Jeremy.
Fredrick is death staring Jeremy, anger clearly visible on his face. Jeremy is taken aback. He sips on his can, before setting it down.
Jeremy: You can’t live like this mate.
Fredrick: We’re not gonna be living at all soon.
Jeremy: Fine, you can’t die like this either.
Fredrick: Like what? What is it you’re trying to tell me?
Jeremy: Look buddy, you’ve been so tightly wound for as long as I’ve known you. You live like everything is sheep in your cattle, and you’re the farmer trying to keep it all together.
Fredrick: Everyone’s left me. Family is all gone, friends are off dying somewhere, and the only solace I had left just passed. If I am the farmer, I’ve already failed.
Jeremy: But that’s what I’m saying.
Fredrick: What?
Jeremy: Have a drink with me.
Fredrick: I already TOLD you, I DO. NOT. DRINK.
Jeremy: According to who?
Fredrick: According to who? According to me. I am the only authority on my life.
Jeremy: Authority… Authority… How curious of you to simulaneously believe that while also claiming you’ve failed.
Fredrick: The key is that I failed, me, the farmer, the one in control. I failed in my task, and am wholely responsible for that.
Jeremy: What a silly thing to say outloud.
Fredrick: Silly?
Jeremy: Yes.
Fredrick: It’s silly for me to take responsibility for myrself?
Jeremy: You don’t understand responsibility. Not here, not about this.
Fredrick: I just took care of my dying wife, tell me, what do I not understand about responsibility.
Jeremy breaks into laughter again. Fredrick furrows his brows with impatience.
Jeremy: See, this is exactly what I mean. You say responsibility as if we’re talking about the same thing, but you couldn’t be any more wrong.
Fredrick: Then tell me, where is the source of my error.
Jeremy: Have a drink with me.
Fredrick: Should I start keeping tally of all the times you’ve asked me if I want a drink?
Jeremy: That sounds like a pretty good idea to me.
Fredrick scoffs again.
Jeremy: So I take it as a no?
Fredrick: No.
Jeremy: So a yes?
Fredrick grows more frustrated
Fredrick: No, I meant, yes
Jeremy: So… a yes?
Fredrick stands up aggressively and slowly walks away, looking exasperated.
Jeremy: No it is…
Fredrick returns to his seat and sits down like he was forced to.
Jeremy: Christ man… You said you’re the one in control but are you?
Fredrick: Who else would be in control of my life? Who else would be the driver in the seat of my car? Who else would be the pilot of my plane?
Jeremy: The herder of your sheep?
Fredrick: Precisely.
Jeremy: Who ever you choose.
Fredrick: Choose?
Jeremy: Does that answer really confuse you?
Fredrick: Obviously. It’s my life, how could I choose who runs it?
Jeremy: In saying that, are you not choosing to run it yourself?
Fredrick: No, my life was a responsibility thrust onto me from the moment I was born. Same with all of us. Whether we eat, sleep, fuck, it’s all up to us.
Jeremy: Strange… for one who has such conviction of their answers, you don’t behave like someone who makes all their choices themselves.
Fredrick: Use an example.
Jeremy: You believe that you’re ‘choosing’ to not drink with me, but this is a role you are playing. An ordinary person may decide to play whatever role they shall, and yet here you are, refusing to abandon a character who exists to suffer.
Fredrick: This is who I am. Any changes to this idea of ‘me’ are made by me, for me, and are only edits to ‘me’. I remain myself, regardless of how I change.
Jeremy: I know you believe that. I know in your heart of hearts you believe that to be true, but you’re mistaken my friend. What is ‘you’ is inelastic.
Fredrick: So people can’t change?
Jeremy: People cannot change and remain the same. This is oxymoronic.
Fredrick: What?
Jeremy: Come on, this is simple to validate; is a application the same software after each update?
Fredrick: Are you asking if photoshop 1.0 and photoshop 2.0 are the same?
Jeremy: Precisely.
Fredrick: 1.0 lacked some of the features of 2.0. It would be a rejection of reality to claim otherwise, but, you call it photoshop regardless of the update. No matter how you change it, it is still photoshop. No matter how I change myself, I am still Fredrick.
Jeremy scoffs.
Jeremy: You may share a name with your previous versions, but you are hardly the Fredrick I shared room and board with during our studies. No, it would be more accurate to call you Faraday, or Finnegan.
Fredrick: I fail to grasp where your oposition is.
Jeremy: Of course you do. You see your character as a painting without completion; a masterpiece with no end. You are doomed to keep painting until you can no longer hold a brush, never satisfied, never finished, yet so certain that victory is within your grasp. The carrot will remain dangling ever out of your reach if you maintain this perspective.
Fredrick: Oh please, do enlighten me on how I may remedy this issue.
Jeremy: Put down the brush and throw the entire bucket of paint on the canvas. Or maybe, use a roller instead of a brush. Or maybe, paint in reverse, tracing backwards from the finished product until you arrive at the start.
Fredrick: I think we’re getting a bit lost in metaphor.
Jeremy: Stop playing by the rules of the tormentus carrot. Chase after an apple instead. Or maybe, decide you’ll only chase the carrot between the hours of 3:46pm and 11:12am, and when you’re not chasing a carrot you are practising your juggling skills.
Fredrick places his palm on his forehead
Fredrick: I grow tired of this fable.
Jeremy: Fredrick grows tired of this fable, and yet you choose to remain here.
Fredrick: I AM Fredrick.
Jeremy: You are you. The skin you wear normally is that of Fredrick’s.
Fredrick: I didn’t realise I flayed myself before I came here.
Jeremy: You didn’t flay yourself. But your wife’s passing is a crack in the shell. Your armour is collapsing. The suit of iron that was your philosophy has failed to protect you when it mattered most, and it is exposing the truth.
Fredrick: And what truth is that?
Jeremy: That you want to have a drink with me.
Fredrick: Jeremy, please, I do not want that. I haven’t wanted that in over 20 years, I’ve abandoned that part of my life.
Jeremy: Don’t talk like that, they might get confused and think that you were an alcoholic.
Fredrick: They?
Jeremy: Don’t worry about that.
Fredrick shakes his head and takes a deep sigh.
Fredrick: I didn’t stop drinking because of alcoholism, I stopped drinking because she wanted me to.
Jeremy: And now she’s gone.
Fredrick: So I should descecrate her grave by drinking myself into a stupor the moment she isn’t around to chastise me for it?
Jeremy: She’s gone mate.
Fredrick: You didn’t answer my question.
Jeremy: She doesn’t care. She can’t. She’s beyond that capacity, or better yet, she’s detached herself from petty ideals such as abstinence.
Fredrick furrows his brow and points a finger at Jeremy
Fredrick: Careful.
Jeremy smiles in response
Jeremy: There we go…
Fredrick: So that’s all this is? You’re just trying to get a rise out me?
Jeremy: I respect you more than that. Please, understand that this comes from a place of concern for you.
Fredrick: A concerned friend wouldn’t disrespect my dead wife to my face.
Jeremy: Then that friend isn’t concerned enough for you.
Fredrick slams his fist onto the cooler
Fredrick: You were always so good at this. Using whatever backwards logic you want to justify your refusal to hold back for anyone’s sake. You are a twat, and always have been.
Jeremy: True that.
Fredrick grits his teeth and his fist clenches harder. Jeremy sips from his drink. Another siren is heard in the distance, Fredrick lifts his fist from the cooler and crosses his arms.
Jeremy: Why maintain the principle?
Fredrick: What?
Jeremy: That’s what it is right, a principle? The absistence I mean.
Fredrick: She would want me to.
Jeremy: Hmmm…. Does this tree want me not to cut it?
Fredrick: Of course it does! What kind of question is that, it’s a living organism and by cutting it down, you end its life.
Jeremy: But does it WANT to live. That is the key here.
Fredrick: All living beings exist to continue living, it is a basic physiological drive. They fail when they die.
Jeremy: Yet here you are, still breathing, recounting to me the story of a man who has ‘failed’.
Fredrick: My failure in life is separate from my failure to continue living.
Jeremy looks at his Fredrick with an ernest look in his eyes.
Jeremy: Is it?
Fredrick: You just said so yourself.
Jeremy: I guess I did… and in doing so, mislead you as to what I meant when I said living.
Fredrick: Go on.
Jeremy: To be alive and to live are different things. Countless times I have walked the streets of this concrete jungle, passing by animated corpse after animated corpse. They were already dead, and had no idea of it. The body had yet to catch up to the spirit.
Fredrick: What does this have to do with the tree?
Jeremy: Sure, the tree is alive. It’s cells perform metabolic functions. But can something like a tree truly live?
Fredrick: What is your answer?
Jeremy: Truth be told, I don’t know. Maybe the tree knows ultimate contentendess, never wanting for anything more than sunlight, water and nutrients. Perhaps every day the tree curses its existence, wishing to know more than this hill and the view of the city, wishing to contribute to this very conversation and yet lacking the means to.
A small gust of wind blows through the tree, rustling the leaves. Jeremy looks up to the branches before continuing.
Jeremy: Or maybe it curses me for not being able to interpret the rustling of its leaves.
Fredrick: If that were the case, apologese are in order.
Jeremy: I’m not one to apologise for ineptitude.
Fredrick: You’re barely one to apologise for anything.
Jeremy chuckles.
Jeremy: Touche.
Fredrick: So what of my wife?
Jeremy: She is the tree. Maybe as a corpse, she knows a higher and truer peace than any of us that are alive can. Maybe she calls to you from beyond.
Fredrick: I’m not a very spiritual person, and you know that.
Jeremy: All the more why it is shocking to me that you’re continuing not to drink.
Fredrick: What?
Jeremy: What ties you to her still?
Fredrick: I made her that promise while she was alive and I intend to keep it.
Jeremy: For whom?
Fredrick: For myself.
Jeremy: Oh?
Fredrick: I stick to my promises. It’s not about whether or not they know if I’ve broken it or not, it’s about the principles I choose to hold onto.
Jeremy shakes his head
Fredrick: What?
Jeremy: Choose… you choose to hold onto this principle…
Fredrick: Most would consider that honourable.
Jeremy: Most are idiots.
Jeremy laughs to himself, Fredrick shrugs his shoulders.
Jeremy: You’re holding onto a blade, sharpened on both sides, afraid to let go because to drop from this blade would mean to end that which you are.
Fredrick: Again, I’m not afraid of the can. I don’t think I would suddenly die-
Jeremy starts laughing again
Fredrick: What? What is it this time?
Jeremy: We just went over this old boy, to live and to be alive are different.
Fredrick groans
Fredrick: I don’t think that having one drink would suddenly destroy my entire persona.
Jeremy: Which is at odds with how unwilling you are to have this drink with me.
Fredrick: What would be the point?
Jeremy: That is, and always shall be, the real question.
Fredrick: So what is the point of me breaking my abstinence?
Jeremy: Your wife just died, and we’re going to be joining her soon enough. I deflect your question back towards you; what is the point of you maintaining your abstitence?
Fredrick: Because of a promise, that I am choosing to stick to. It was important to her.
Jeremy: My god mate, your logic is FUELED by convenience!
Fredrick looks taken aback
Fredrick: Convenience?
Jeremy: A less roman-
Fredrick: Less romantic than what?!
Jeremy: Less romantic than filling your head with silly ideas about ‘conviction’ and ‘honour’ and ‘principle’. Where has any of that gotten you?
Fredrick: It got me far enough to have a successful career and a wife who loved me.
Jeremy: And now both those things are gone! Yet you, ever vigilant want to idealistically hold onto them, despite knowing that they are gone yourself.
Fredrick grows more and more angry. Another siren is heard in the distance
Fredrick: How is any of this idealistic!?
Jeremy: How can you simultaneously believe that and yet hold on regardless?
Fredrick: I’ll tell you how you self-righteous prick! Because nothing needs to be perfect! People will die, decisions beyond me will have earth shattering consequences for my life and my ability to live it, and yet I – YES ME – choose to hold onto my principles!
Jeremy: She’s dead Fredrick.
Fredrick: I KNOW THAT! I KNOW IT BETTER THAN YOU!
Jeremy: Then have a drink with me.
Fredrick jumps out of his chair, throwing it out of the way. He is furious.
Fredrick: DO YOU WANT ME TO HIT YOU?! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?!
Jeremy jumps out his chair, throwing it out of the way. He is calm.
Jeremy: All I want, is to have a drink with my friend for the final time.
Fredrick is breathing with intensity. His entire body is tense. He looks into Jeremy’s eyes, tears welling in his own.
Jeremy: Indifference is an ugly concept.
Fredrick: What?
Jeremy: And yet here you are, finally allowing yourself to touch beauty.
Fredrick: What are you saying!? What are you trying to tell me!?
Jeremy reaches down into the cooler, and opens another can, and holds it out to his friend, saying nothing. Fredrick slaps it out of his hand. Jeremy reaches down again, opening another can, holding it forward. Again, he says nothing. Fredrick growls as he slaps it out of his hand again, this time harder. Jeremy sighs, reaching down into the cooler and repeating himself once more. Fredrick shakes with anger, before screaming. Tears flow down his cheeks as he turns away and covers his face with his hands. Jeremy stands there, silent.
Fredrick: I didn’t want her to die. I didn’t want everything to come crashing down around me, and I don’t want to drink with you!
Jeremy continues to stand there silent. Fredrick turns back around after wiping his eyes, before scoffing again.
Fredrick: Why are you doing this?!
Jeremy: You’re in pain mate.
Fredrick: And what, you want me to drown it in alcohol?!
Jeremy: I’ve been consistent this entire time; I just want you to have a drink with me.
Fredrick takes a deep breath in.
Fredrick: WHAT IS A DRINK SUPPOSED TO DO FOR ME?!
Jeremy: You need to get there yourself, otherwise there would be no point. You need to stop chasing the carrot, stop painting the masterpiece, stop grasping the blade.
Fredrick is about to respond when he stops himself. Suddenly, he hears his wife’s final words to him. “Live on, without me.” His hands fall to his side.
Fredrick: She’s gone…
Jeremy: I know.
Fredrick: It’s all gone…
Jeremy: I know.
Fredrick: All that I’ve built… is gone…
Jeremy: I know.
Fredrick: It hurts… It hurts so much… But it was my everything. How can you ask me to let go of it?
Jeremy: You can let go. You’re the single authority on your life, right?
Fredrick: But it was my everything… Who will I be if I let go of it all?
Jeremy: That is up for you to decide. As it always has been.
Fredrick closes his eyes for a moment, before he approaches Jeremy.
Fredrick: What could I want for…
Jeremy: That is up for you to decide. As it always has been.
Fredrick: And if I can’t?
Jeremy: Then you’re no more alive than this tree.
Fredrick: Then… I’m no more alive… than my wife…
Jeremy smiles softly.
Jeremy: Would you like a drink?
Fredrick: And if I say no?
Jeremy: Then now I will accept that it is YOU who is telling me no.
Fredrick mulls it over for a second, before gently taking the drink from his friend.
Jeremy: Cheers.
Fredrick: Cheers.
The two men cheers their drinks, before they both take a hearty swig.
Fredrick: Ugh… I should’ve said no.
Jeremy breaks out into laughter, before the two men reset their seats and take them. They continue to drink in silence for some minutes. A siren is heard in the distance.
Jeremy: Life has been beautiful hasn’t it?
Fredrick: It was work, and play.
Jeremy: It was full and well spent.
Fredrick: It was… a life.
Jeremy: Believe it or not, I have my regrets too.
Fredrick: So all that talk about not holding on?
Jeremy: My only regret is that I clasped that which brought me anguish. I guess in the end, it’s impossible to hold onto nothing.
Fredrick: But you knew that all along didn’t you?
Jeremy: Of course!
Fredrick: So what do you hold onto?
Jeremy sips his drink, a sly smile crossing his face.
Jeremy: Whatever I choose to.
Jeremy breaks out into a laughing fit. Fredrick smiles, building to a chuckle, before he eventually joined in with Jeremy. The two men laughed, before breaking out into a fit of tears and wails. In the city, a flash of bright light appears out of nowhere nearly blinding them, before erupting into a powerful blast that nearly deafened them. Not able to hear one another, they both mutter at the same time.
Fredrick: It’s over…
Jeremy: It’s begun…
As the eruption grew and grew, devastating the city beneath them, the shockwave travelled and carried an incinerating heat. The two men were caught in it, dying immediately. Jeremy lived laughing, and Fredrick lived crying. Jeremy died laughing and Fredrick died crying.
-Fin-

Hello, I hope you're having a good time! I'm looking for someone whom I can have conversations with in the long term but if you want to have a short conversation, that's okay as well. Who knows if we get along well and end up being in touch for years? I prefer talking to people within the age range of 18–25 as I have talked to older people all my life but it's fine if you're a bit older than the specified range.
Please read the post entirely before you decide to send a chat request or message. It will take about five minutes or more depending on your reading speed. You may skip this post if you can't bother reading it. This is only for people who love reading and typing lengthy messages, because that's the only way we can communicate with each other when we don't get enough time to have real-time conversations. I am mentioning this only to save your time; I don't mean to come off as rude. The messages I send can be way longer than this post if we happen to click, and people who can't read the post entirely won't bother reading my messages properly either, and that would be a waste of time and energy for both individuals. You might have seen my posts very often in case you visit this subreddit on a regular basis, but I assure you that I only post so frequently because I don't receive any responses—and when I do, they're from people who either can't hold a conversation for long or message me without reading the post at all.
A bit about me:
I'm interested in all types of visual and aural arts. Writing, drawing, listening and composing music, watching movies and photography (I'm an amateur though) are my interests and hobbies. I'm broke so I'm not a gamer. I do have a fairly powerful PC but with a low-end graphics card I play older games on. Nothing online though.
Speaking of music, I'm mostly interested in Jazz, Funk, Hip-Hop, R&B/Soul (both classic and modern). I like listening to The Weeknd, Prince, Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars, Sade, Aaliyah, The Isley Brothers and various artists from the 70s to late 2000s generally. I'm a movie buff so I can recommend you movies too if you're looking for something to watch. And yeah, I LOVE MEMES! Keep sending them all day and I won't complain!
I'm an ambivert (more of an introvert though). My MBTI is INFP-T if that matters. I'm looking for people who are willing to share the events which occur in everyday life, joy and sorrow, secrets, deepest fears, and build a genuine connection over the course of time. I'll be there for you throughout the good and bad times; I expect the same from you too. I am active on most social media platforms. We can move on to other platforms once you feel comfortable with me.
Now here's the important stuff:
I would appreciate it if you don't just send me a "Hi/Hello/Hey." Introduce yourself; the longer the introduction is, the better. Makes room for questions. Instead of simply stating that you like movies/music, mention what genres you prefer. Makes the conversation more interesting. Please put effort into maintaining the conversation. Ask plenty of questions with the data I have provided in this post so I know that you're actually interested in getting to know me as well rather than simply talking about yourself. I feel like an interviewer if the conversation is one-sided. Don't bother messaging me if you're not naturally inquisitive and just want to talk about yourself all the time. I won't respond to any short messages (4-8 lines). If you want to leave, don't ghost me without stating a reason if we've been talking for longer than two weeks. Just tell me that we can't get along if you think the conversation isn't going anywhere. I won't get offended.
Your gender, race, sexuality don't matter at all, but tell me your age and gender just so that I know who I am talking to and follow social etiquette. I absolutely love lengthy messages; I don't feel overwhelmed by them. So bonus points if you're capable of typing lengthy messages. I'm a person who would spend an hour(s) typing a well-thought lengthy message rather than having small talk in real time. I type as if I'm writing a letter. I can chat in real time as well, it's just that I don't get much time throughout the day and I'm active at odd hours. And time zones exist, unfortunately. Short messages or long messages, the amount of time and energy you have to spend will be the same anyway.
Please don't message me if you're just looking for people to kill your boredom and later abandon them. No, I'm not being rude. I have had enough. Those one word or one sentence responses lead nowhere. Also, if you're someone who wishes to stay anonymous forever even after talking for a considerable amount of time, I'm not the person you're looking for. This is an important thing to keep in mind. I am open to revealing my identity if we get along well so I would appreciate it if you're open minded as well. But that doesn't mean I want you to reveal your identity in the very beginning itself. However, I won't wait more than three months just for you to reveal your identity if we communicate regularly. In fact, it's a great feat to converse for longer than a month on the internet. I personally think that anonymity acts as a barrier in any kind of relationship. I would love to meet you in real life at some point in the future if we get along and stay in touch for a considerable amount of time.
In the past 12 years, I have talked to several people around the globe on different platforms who wished to stay anonymous. I had conversations with them for months and years, but they always considered me as a stranger and eventually left. I'm tired of being a disposable person. What's the point of having a friend without a name and a face? I have no reason to trust someone who doesn't trust me. You can call me picky; I indeed am. I don't want to have conversations where both parties only ask each other about hobbies and interests and leave once they feel there's nothing in common. That's the reason why I asked you to cover those topics when introducing yourself. And just because I have already talked about my interests and hobbies doesn't mean there's nothing more to know about me. Human connection is a lot more than mere interests and hobbies.
I would love to interact with someone who doesn't treat me like an AI chatbot and acknowledges the fact that I'm an actual human being with feelings and emotions beyond the digital screen who spends his valuable time and energy to communicate with people—precious time and energy that I'll never be able to get back. I understand that these connections over the internet are very fragile and I can't control things the way I want so if you're interested feel free to send me a message anyway. I enjoy having conversations with people even if only for a while. Sometimes people you expect to be in touch for years leave you while the ones you don't expect to be in touch for long end up staying for a long time. Nothing is set in stone. All I ask you is to not leave without notifying me. Yes, I know whatever I have expressed so far sounds contradictory, but that's how life works, right? Reminds me of this quote by Japanese author Haruki Murakami:
"Is it possible, in the final analysis, for one human being to achieve perfect understanding of another? We can invest enormous time and energy in serious efforts to know another person, but in the end, how close can we come to that person's essence? We convince ourselves that we know the other person well, but do we really know anything important about anyone?"
While I agree with the fact that it's not possible to get to know a person entirely, I think connecting with another human being is a beautiful experience in itself. In the end, we are just lost souls yearning for human connection; searching for people who will provide attention and affection and accept us as we are. If you're still reading this, it means you are a good listener and reader. Message me if we have similar interests or ideals and if you think we can be potential friends. It doesn't really matter whether we have similar interests or not though, I would love to have you as a friend.
There's a lot more to learn about me but I would rather tell you all that when we begin interacting with each rather than typing it all here. Feel free to ask me any questions. I'm open to having a conversation with people around the globe any time. I'm also very patient so I don't mind waiting for weeks or a month if the messages are lengthy. I understand that you might find all of this intimidating, but there's nothing about me to be afraid of. My messages can be lengthy, but only if you reciprocate my efforts and keep on adding stuff to the text. I know that this post sounds like a contract. I know I sound very serious but that's not entirely true. In fact, I can crack jokes sooo bad that will make you laugh. Thank you for spending your precious time reading this post. What are you waiting for? Text me right now! Feel free to message me even if you're seeing this several hours or days later.
Have a nice day/night and I hope you find someone to develop a strong bond with in case I'm not the person you're looking for. Take care of yourself and always stay hydrated!

Basically, the way that I will be ranking them will take into account how evil they were, both as a demon and as a human, while also taking into account any redeeming qualities, or lack of them.

1. Akaza - Coming as no surprise, we have Akaza. Not only is his backstory extremely tragic, with him losing his beloved family to suicide and murder, but he also didn’t even become a demon willingly like most of the others. In addition to that, he is one of the few demons who retains moral standards, with him refusing to harm women.
   
2. Gyutaro - Like Akaza, Gyutaro had a tragic past, just as bad and even worse in some areas as the Upper 3. He was born into poverty and abused by everyone around him. And just as things were looking up, his sister was lynched, and they were both left on the verge of death. Additionally, he obviously loves and is protective of his sister. I put him higher than Akaza though, as he has a much more misanthropic personality, taking sadistic pleasure in tormenting those who he perceives as luckier than him, which is almost everyone.
   
3. Daki - Just like the previous two, Daki was dealt a very poor hand in life. She was assaulted by a samurai, and when she defended both herself and her brother’s honor, she was lynched by fire. She wasn’t even conscience when she was turned, and was only 13, which only adds to the tragedy. However, she is notably vile as a demon, abusing everyone around her, even her child attendants, and even driving some of her rivals to suicide. Still, after death, her love for her brother leads her to follow him into hell.
   
4. Nakime - Honestly, I was rather torn between her and the next one, but ultimately I think she should be this low due to how little her personality is explored. Nakime was a destitute biwa player who was exploited by her gambling husband and, in a fit of rage, killed him, and found it helped her play better. So, she became a serial killer before becoming a demon. The reason I put her so low is because we don’t have much knowledge on her thought processes on her killings, and the way it’s described could indicate that she just snapped at her husbands’s abuse and went insane. Overall, she just isn’t really given a lot of characterization.
   
5. Kokushibo - This one I was conflicted on. On the one hand, yes, he did love his brother and family deep down. However, he would still go on to betray them and his organization in pursuit of his own ambitions, and even desired to kill his loving brother at one point, and succeeding at killing his descendant. It’s been pointed out that, while tragic, his fall was his own fault, letting his jealousy get the better of him and ruining countless lives as one of the oldest demons in the setting. He does however, feel immense regret in the end, but there is nothing he can do to right the wrongs done, just like almost every demon.
   
6. Kaigaku - This is where I would say that they get really irredeemable. Kaigaku was always a coward who sold out everyone to save himself, and literally killed an orphanage full of children through his selfishness. He then became a demon, drove his master to suicide, and laughed about it. I put him here only because he didn’t have much time as a demon.
   
7. Gyokko - Gyokko stands out from his demonic brethren in that he especially delights in torturing his prey before killing them. He twists them into horrific masses of flesh and waits for them to die of their wounds. Even as a human, he murdered a child for making fun of him. I put him lower though because he is relatively one note, if that makes sense, with his evil being more simple than the next few.
   
8. Doma - Doma is widely considered one of the most evil demons in the series, and for good reason. As a human, he cared nothing for his followers suffering, and even the murder-suicide of his own parents had no effect on him. When he became a demon, he used his cult to draw in hundreds of people, taking advantage of their struggles in life to have a massive supply of food, particularly women for their nutritional value. He also murders several named characters in cruel ways, all while considering himself a savior. However, he actually seems genuine in his status as such, though he sees no problem in drawing out fights or eating people alive. Additionally, you could argue his parents caused his apathy through their scam cult with him at the center.
   
9. Hantengu - Few would suspect a crying old man to be a terrible evil, but that is just what Hantengu is. Hantengu, even as a human, had a capacity for horrific crimes and an unwillingness to face the reality that he was a monster. He was always doing wrong, even as a child, and would always try to weasel his way out of it. As an adult, he would live a long life of crime, stealing and murdering from people. He would marry several times, and have multiple children, only to kill them and his wives in a rage over domestic disputes. Eventually caught as an old man for murder, he would become a demon and kill the man who sentenced him. He would the go on to eat hundreds like all the upper ranks, all while claiming innocence for convenience, as well as to make himself feel better about his crimes. What makes Hantengu so despicable is that he can justify any horrific deed by just denying it happened, or that they deserved it. All he himself deserved was the wrath of the Demon Slayer Corps.
   
10. Muzan - Enough said. He is responsible for all demonic evils in the story, all just so he can completely conquer death. He has no regard for anyone but himself, and has orchestrated thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of deaths. And like Hantengu, he justifies himself as a natural disaster who is above consequences. Truly a demon.
    

Anyway, that’s my moral ranking of the Upper Ranks and Muzan. Bit of a long post, but I just wanted to share my thoughts and potentially hear yours.

My 1st time writting like this. No where near as good as the others here. But thought it would be fun to try! And now, the stor of a simp...
"It's not fair, mom. Why is Dad pushing that I have to do my own chores when Davey wants to help!!"
Ashley Smith stood in their suburban family's living room with her hand on her hip and the most adorable pout. She is a senior in high school this year and the most beautiful woman in the world, well, to me anyway. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm David Pousey. Same grade as Ashley, and hopelessly in love with her since 8th grade!
What started as a crush has really blossomed into true love. I'm just uh, waiting until that's reciprocated. But I can't rush something like this. Ashley is GORGEOUS. 5'10", long brunette hair, perfectly tan skin, and thin but with the most perfect breasts that draw stares and envy wherever she goes. I used to be tongue tied and have butterflies in my tummy from being in the same room with her. Well, I guess I still do. But I’m getting better!
There were times where I would be so nervous I couldn't speak.That was until I won her affection that fateful afternoon she "forgot" we had homework due:
I took my assigned seat in class 5 minutes before the bell rang. By some miracle I was assigned the seat directly behind Ashley. It was maddening to be so close, I could smell her perfume/scent. That alone would often have me close enough to the edge where I would run off and take a “bathroom break” after class. I somehow was able to get good grades by excess studying, despite spending most classes daydreaming about wedding bells in chapels. Mr. and Mrs. Ashley Smith has such a nice ring to it!
"Shit. I completely forgot the assignment was due today. I went over to Jason's last night and totally spaced". Ashley was talking to her best friend, Jessica, before class started.
"Yea, I bet you 'spaced', spaced those legs out real wide" Jessica said with a wink and a laugh.
Ashley giggled back. "Seriously! Miss Stevens is gonna totally flunk me. My dad is gonna kill me"
I mustered all the courage. This was my big shot. I had sat behind these 2 all year and never managed to make a peep. This was it. The moment that changed everything.
I stuttered out, "You, you, uh, um, oh excuse me, uh, you can have my h-homework..."
They both looked back at me, as if just noticing I was sitting there for the 1st time.
"Hi, h-hi, A-Ashley. You can um, you can take my essay. I actually have a good average in th-this class, so 1 assignment is no b-bother. Really".
Jessica's signature grin crept across her face. "Your just gonna give her your homework? Her name isn't even printed at the top, idiot".
Ashley just sat there taking me in. She looked at me after Jessica's question , waiting how I would answer. She had the most adorable furrowed brow.
"I, Oh, I, um, have it saved on my flashdrive h-here. I can run to the school library and update the names q-quick, um, you know, if you want me to?"
Jessica put her palm to her forehead and could no longer contain her contempt with a slight laugh and a groan, “Oh god… where do you find these guys, ash?"
Ashley's questioned look morphed into 1 of pure relief. "Aw stop it Jess! He's being sweet. That would be great, uh, Daniel, right?"
"It-It's um, uh, D-David."
"Oh right! That's it, Davey!
I cringed inwardly. I didn't like that variant of my name so much. Coming from her mouth it didn't sound so bad though.
Ahley looked at me with an expectant look. "Well, you know class is starting soon..."
Jessica leaned in. "Yea better scurry off, simp. The library is across the building."
There was no defending me from Jessica this time. Ashley just looked at me and gently nodded along.
And with that, I of course flung out of my seat and went to run to the library. Of course, in my flustered state, I tripped over Ashley's bookbag as I was leaving and tumbled to the floor. The whole class laughed, maybe Jessica the hardest, but not my Ashley. I looked up at her from my position on the floor, and she just smiled and shooed me off with her hand. But she did it with a smile and a nod. It may have been mixed with pity, but it made me feel like no matter what happens, no matter the humiliation, or sacrificing my own grade to help hers, it was all going to be okay. As long as Ashley was happy, it was all worth it!
And that day started our friendship. I was always at her beck and call. Somewhere along the way I even managed to suck up to her and blur the lines of our friendship, no, we weren't in a "relationship" exactly. Actually, pretty far from it unfortunately, from a classic boyfriend/girlfriend. But something else entirely. But if I play my cards right, she might start seeing me as boyfriend material, then maybe, even husband material...
"It's BULLSHIT!" Ashley blurted out.
I was ripped back to the present. Ashley argued with her mother in front of me.
"Language, young lady!"
Ashley's mom, Mrs. Smith, was another knockout. At 45, though her hair was lighter, she pretty much just looked like an older version of Ashley. She had gained a slight “fuller" look in her older years, but to me it was as if it pretty much only padded only the most desirable areas. It was very clear that I guess a large bust runs in the family. The whole family included them, their charming and confident father, Mr. Smith, and Ashley's sister, Liz, who was a freshman in our school. While Ashley and I were 18.
"You know how your father is, dear. He's just old fashioned. He grew up doing his chores, and now he wants you to build character by doing them yourself."
"Building character, Mom? Seriously?" Ashley and her mom would sometimes get into small arguments like this, but it was never serious. They had a playful, sisterly energy. But I never knew what to do when I was over during one. When I felt weird or awkward, I found the safest bet was to just stand off to the side with my eyes down until I was called.
"Plus, you KNOW Davey loves this shit. You should see him when me and Jess eat lunch at the cafeteria! He jumps as soon as Jess snaps her fingers and Davey throws everything out. The practically sweeps up our crumbs! We don't even have to lift a finger! It’s awesome. Plus he loves it!"
My therapist says I'm a people pleaser. I'm working on it.
“He does not ‘love’ it, young lady! The poor thing is scared half to death of your little partner in crime. He’d probably eat your trash if Jessica gave him a stern look!”
“No, it’s true Mom. You love cleaning and shit, right, Davey?” Ashley looked over at me expectantly.
I started to mumble out a response of “Er, well, I love being helpful to-“
"And he's so good at it too!" Ashley cut in, now addressing her mother. I guess my time for contribution was over. "You saw how he got that stain out of your blouse!"
Mrs. Smith addressed me for the 1st time, "Oh, I have to thank you for that Davey! Honestly wine on a white blouse like that! I thought it was destined for the trash! But all it needed was 40 minutes of being locked in the laundry room with you, and you showed that stain who's boss!"
"See! What's the point of me doing some stupid chores if Davey can do it anyway, and I'm no good with that maid stuff anyway!"
I could tell Ashley was winning this arguement. But I wasn't thrilled about trying to be helpful for her referred to as "maid stuff".
"Oh alright", Mrs. Smith relented. "But don't tell your father! Have Davey HELP you with picking up your room. And I do mean HELP. I don't want to have the poor thing on his hands and knees in there while you kick your feet up!"
"Yayyyy, yes Mom! I promise!" She ran over and gave her a quick hug. It was a sweet moment. I usually keep my eyes down, but looked up just in time to see them embrace. As they hugged I saw the slight shifting in their breasts as they smooshed together in their hug. I shifted in place as my small erection pushed up against my bikini brief underwear.
"Thanks Mom!" Ashley walked toward the stairs as she called over her shoulder "Come, Davey!"
Almost as if a trance I went to follow her upstairs at her command when Mrs. Smith called me back. She was now sitting on her expansive sofa with her feet up and sipping a glass of wine.
"Davey, make sure my little brat of a daughter actually helps you this time! I'm not trying to raise some slob!" she said with a smile.
"Oh- oh,, um, yes, Ma'am. I-I'll be sure to um, well, yes Ma'am, Miss Smith, Ma'am.
Mrs. Smith chuckled, mostly to herself.
"Such a sweet boy... you know between you and me there's a few more items that need tending to in the laundry room. Don't tell Mr. Smith, but it would be great if I had someone to really put some effort and elbow grease into cleaning those more annoying stains. Nothing major; just some of Liz's soccer shorts, grass stains, Mr. smith has some stains on his underwear I’d rather not touch, oh!, and there was some smudge on one of my tops, not sure what. And seeing as you are here and really you have quite a talent for these domestic things. Honestly, you're going to make some nice man a very nice housewife someday!" Mrs. Smith said with a hearty laugh.
I played along and gave a slight laugh at my expense. "Yes, of course, Mrs. Smith I'll um, I of course can um, help, in any way".
I was hoping to get back home at a normal hour tonight. My parents both work long and late hours, so they are never home, or are sleeping in their bedroom, so they won't notice my absence. But since doing the majority of Ashley's homework, mine has been getting a little neglected. And the thought of getting a decent night's sleep sounded soooo nice. I never realized how much being at someone's constant beck and call would drain me. Oh well, I guess I'll be scrubbing away in the Smith family laundry room instead!
"Such a sweet, sweet boy" Mrs. Smith said as she sat and looked at me shaking her head. It was almost a mix of pity, disbelief and amusement. "Okay, off you go now! I don't need Ash getting mad at me that I kept her little loverboy all to myself", and with that she smiled and looked away, looking to see what was on tv. She was done with me for now.
I scurried upstairs nervous I had spent too long downstairs and Ashley would be upset with me.

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Autumn: A Second Spring When Every Leaf Is a Flower

As we transition from summer’s warmth to the crisp chill of autumn, we can be reminded of Albert Camus’ words: “Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.” Just as spring brings forth new life and vibrant flowers, autumn, in all its riotous color, serves as a second chance for growth, reflection, and renewal.

The Beauty of Transformation

Autumn is a season of change. The leaves transform from lush green to brilliant shades of orange, red, and gold, each one unique and beautiful in its own right. This transformation mirrors the changes that God orchestrates in our lives. Just as the leaves must let go of the tree, we too are often required to release the old to make way for the new.
Romans 12:2 reminds us, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
How can you embrace change in your life this autumn? Take a moment to reflect on the areas where God is calling you to transform and grow.

Finding Joy in Every Season

Albert Camus’s assertion that every leaf in autumn is a flower encourages us to find beauty and joy in every season of life. Even when it seems like things are falling apart or coming to an end, there remains an inherent beauty and purpose orchestrated by God.
Consider Ecclesiastes 3:1: “To everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Just as each leaf in autumn adds to the spectacular mosaic of colors, every moment in our lives contributes to the beautiful tapestry that God is weaving.
How can you find joy in your current season of life? List three ways God has blessed you during this time.

Lessons from Nature

Nature itself becomes a teacher during autumn. As trees shed their leaves, they embark on a period of rest and renewal. We, too, need seasons of rest to refocus and rejuvenate our souls. This is a time to draw nearer to God and reflect on His plans for us.
Psalm 23:2-3 provides reassurance: “He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.”
What can you do this autumn to find rest and renewal? Perhaps it’s time to set aside a day for quiet reflection or establish a new routine that focuses on spiritual growth.

Making the Most of Renewal

Autumn is the perfect time to reassess and renew our spiritual commitments. Just as the leaves change, we can also strive for a transformation in our personal and spiritual lives. This season is an invitation to let go of past burdens and step confidently into the future.
Reflect upon Isaiah 43:19: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”
What new beginning is God calling you to embrace this season? Consider setting a new spiritual goal or embarking on a project that reignites your faith and passion.

Reflection and Interaction

Take a moment to reflect on the following questions:

1. In what areas of your life do you see God working to bring about transformation?
2. How can you find joy and beauty in the current season you are experiencing?
3. What steps can you take to ensure rest and renewal during this time of year?
4. What new beginnings is God calling you to embrace?

Feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in the comments. Your journey could be an encouragement to someone else experiencing similar seasons.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Just as autumn is a second spring, offering hope and renewal, so too can this season be a time for spiritual growth and transformation in our lives. Embrace change, find joy, seek rest, and embark on new beginnings with a heart full of faith.
We invite you to share your reflections and experiences in the comments below. How has God used this autumn season to bring about renewal in your life? Your story could provide inspiration and encouragement to others.
Remember, every leaf is a flower, and every season is an opportunity for growth. Embrace it wholeheartedly.
If you like this content, please connect with us at: https://BGodInspired.com
Or dig for more answers yourself with our BGodInspired Bible Tools! Be careful – each interaction is like a new treasure hunt… you can get lost for hours 🙂
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So I write this cause I genuinely feel broken up over this.
You know those people that you just can't help but love? I had one of those. And now she is gone. It's hurting me more than a breakup.
Please be patient with me cause I think to fully get it you need a bit of context.
This story is not about a gut anyways. But about a lost best friend, and I think that hurts more.
Ever since I was little I always dream about those "my person" friendships. In the first year of university I swore I found one. My friend Vanessa was someone I could talk about anything, share every thought and feel seen and understood. She was a little bit hard to understand sometimes, everyone always thought she was judging you (which she probably was haha) but I thought I saw her for the real her and she for the real me.
First time we had a falling out I was really in the wrong. You see we share a passion for diaries, journals, we always showed each other what the other one was doing in hers. SO one time she saw something I draw and asked me to draw it onoher journal as well. I did it happily. Not reading the others person journal is like a sacred thing, but I broke it once I saw my name multiple times while scanning it. I couldnt help it, I wanted to know if she felt the same as me but like I remember thinking this wasnt good. So we had a friend group in colllege, in her diary I read she talked to almost all of my friend group asking about me, and wondering if I was shady. Some of them agreed there was something off about me, not necessarily bad but off. Also, her mom agreed and told her to keep her distance. She argued that I had been nothing but a good friend to her but could still feel something was up. I began crying non stop. Firstable because its always been my biggest insecurity that people see me as bad. As damage. I told her about that. And it broke my heart cause K really felt like I had made some progress in that regarding (I really do think I have some bad and selfish tendencies, because of how I was brought up, but I mean good and I really care about people). Anyhow, how could she have seen them? Could anyone? My head was spinning. So after that I tried to act normal towards her so she didn't find out I read her diary, but then she was involved with a guy that was also my friend and they were on bad terms so she kept asking me things like "can you return this to him?" So once I told her I didn't wanna be put in the middle that she could do it herself. She got so angry at me she stopped talking to me. It broke me. Later on I felt like an outside in that friend group because I knew for a fact they had been talking about me. So I mostly stayed alone for almost a year in every class together. I think I can make friends easily, and most people are surprise when I tell them my insecurities because I really don't know how to keep them, how to stablish real relationship and that had made Vanessa so special to me.
Anyway, we became friends again because one day I had a mental breakdown in the middle of the semester. Like heavy. I couldt move or stopy yelling and crying, it didn't have to do with her exactly but been so alone I think pushed me into a really dark place. After that we begun talking again, me and all of the other guys as well, that btw never really cut me off just mantain the distance I put between us.
After that I knew she knew I had read her diary. Vanessa is one of the most intelligent persons out there and she is really intuitive. Almost like a witch or something, she knows what's up always. But we never talked about it, I always felt like I had to apologize but never got the courage to do so. After that I believe in some way I repaid her by being the best friend I could possibly be. And damn it I was. Vanessa is a really unstable person I was there for her like no other. I picked her up, listen to her, take care of her, went above and beyond caring for her. I have that way of being as well for the people I care about I go beyond my means to take care, she always said it was because I was a big sister. And I always thought she wasnt as reciprocate cause she was an only child.
Anyways, we were in many ways truly best friends. But something always didnt end up being. Like, I never felt like she show off our friendship like she did others, and I always told myself it didn't matter cause what we had was more real. She call me her only true friend multiple times and when she was in need, that for a long time was very often, I was the one who called. (I used to love that as well, cause made me feel like she truly trusted me) There were also things like I didn't felt she was as good as a friend to me as I was to hers, and yes she did listen and when I was sad she always checked up on me, and we still had this great connection while talking about things, we used to joke around that because of our anxious attachment styles we were pretty much the same person. We bonded a lot about things like that. But I never felt taken care for her.
Last year I was finishing my thesis, and I had never been more stressed and lonely than those times. She had just broken up with her boyfriend so she was going through thins and needed me to answer her constantly but I couldnt do it. Mostly because I was getting tired of telling her the same things, like how she was obsessing over guys to not deal with her emotions, or stuff like that (we were always really honest with each other, its something I always really liked about our friendship). But I was head over heels with stress and really sad thoughts and couldnt be with her. And I did let her know but she always came back to her problems somehow. Until one day it stopped. I notice inmediatly but didnt want to let her know causd it was nice to have a bit of space. Next time I saw her about a week or so after no messages, she was so cold towards me. She made a mean comment about me sitting somewhere else because I chose to sit by her side and then chose to ignore me the redt of the night. I got that she felt maybe ignore or that she was being too much for me (that was a bit true but I didnt mean to make her feel bad) so she got mad at me as a defense mechanism.
I decided we needed to talk everything out. Even what happen years before because we never did. And I thought it was the something that always felt off.
A week later she had the defense of her thesis and my friend group and always supported each other in those things, after all we did the university together. Normally I would have move sky and sea to be there because I had a thing that day, but I didn't. I started getting anxious that she wouldnt want me there. So I texted her that I was in doubt if she did, but I also wished her the best. Her replied was a dried thanks. That made me cry on the spot. I didnt get it, what had I done wrong? I found out she blocked me from seeing her stories and pretty much changed her behavior towards me completely. So I started obsessing that I must have done something wrong for her to be mad. I felt bad, for months but didn't dare to face her, so I just cared for my thesis and decided that when it was over then I would talk to her. But neither I or her ever reached out. For me it was fear, of blunt rejection. Besides I started thinking and realize that if we ever had a fight or something I always looked for her, and she just didnt with me. So it started to mean so much that she was the one that reaches out, I think I deserved to know what happen. She was the one that was mad, if she could only let me know why.
Months flew by, and the next time I heard from her was to ask to return a diary that we shared. She had one of mines and I had one of hers. In that diary we said we would leave each other things we liked about the other one, and it was, at least for me a very special thing. So I agreed and from where I stand she reached out for two very different reasons, one, as a chance to fix things and use the diary as an excuse, or two, to end things with no unsolved manners. That day I was so nervous, I couldn't outer a single world properly, she treated me nice, like "hi girl, here's your diary..." but then she said she was so busy and had to run. I saw her like two minutes, she didnt even seem mad, shs just left. Yes, I cried for that too. But worst, is that I had put a lot of effort in her diary, and not only she had not done the same, she had done like 3 pages of mine but she didn't even message me or anything after seeing it. And that really really hurt.
Now its been months since that last interaction. I wish I could just let it go, but I can. Ireally miss her, and it comes and goes but it has broken my heart. How could she leave without any explanation? And didn't our friendship mean as much to her as it did to me? I have talked it over with a few friends from my circle, and most of them kinda told me to let it be. That Vanessa nows what she is doing. She knows she is the wrong and probably doesnt have the strength to face me. And in their eyes I haven't done anything wrong. But .aybe they are biased, idk. I also mostly believe that I dont deserve this but can't help but wonder if I didn't do anything wrong, why did she leave? Like it was nothing. She has silence me and block me from her stories so I dont really know what she is up to, but this is killing me and I just wonder if I should reach out. I think I havent beacuse I think if I am the one that reaches out it would be to put an end to this wondering but also our friendship, instead if she did maybe we could make it work cause it would mean she still cared for me. Please, if you were kind enough to read me, I really could use some advice.

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So, big news hitting the waves, folks – our President, Donald Trump, has been found guilty. Now, before we jump onto any bandwagon, let's unpack this a bit, shall we? The narrative being spun might not be giving us the full picture. It's crucial we sift through the noise.
Let's start off with the basics here. They’re throwing around the word "guilty" but hold on a minute—what are these charges exactly? Details, my friends, details are mysteriously scant. Isn’t that a bit odd? From what it looks like, this has been a well-oiled machine, chugging along with one goal in sight: to take down Trump. Let’s not forget, this man led the country through thick and thin, pulling off economic boosts no one saw coming, all while dancing around the punches from folks who just couldn’t stand seeing him in the Oval Office.
Now, the charges. They haven’t laid them out clear as day, have they? That’s because, from what it seems, this isn’t just about any alleged wrongdoing. No, sir. This is about painting a certain picture, framing the narrative against a man who’s dared to shake the establishment. They’ve been after him since day one, cooking up whatever they can to see him out.
With Trump, what we got was a straight shooter, someone who didn’t mince words, who brought jobs back to Americans, who stood fiercely for what he believed was right for the country. And this didn’t sit well with a lot of powerful people, especially those parked on the other side of the aisle. The media, oh the media—they've had a field day, spinning stories left, right, and center to make sure the public sees Trump through a lens smeared with bias.
And let's chat about the process—how has this trial been handled? We've seen closed doors, whispers in dark alleys, testimonies that magically align a little too perfectly against Trump. It’s like watching a prime-time drama, except the stakes are real, and they couldn’t be higher. They say justice is blind, but in this saga, it feels like justice has been peeking under the blindfold.
What’s crucial to understand here is the immense pressure and targeted campaigns that have been relentless against Trump. Think about it. This man took on the status quo, called out international blunders, and put America first in a way that ruffled more than a few feathers globally. And for folks with vested interests in global chess games, Trump’s America-first agenda was a wrench in their plans.
seems like every time there's a strong Republican leader who steps up, history has a weird way of repeating itself. Just look back at Ronald Reagan and the Iran-Contra affair. Now, there's an episode from the past that got the whole country buzzing. You had Reagan, a champion of conservatism, someone who really pushed for American strength and values on the global stage. And what happened? They tried to tarnish his record with the whole Iran-Contra mishap.
Ronald Reagan, during his presidency, made some tough calls. The Iran-Contra affair was this convoluted mess involving secret arms sales to Iran, which was under an arms embargo at that time, and then using those proceeds to fund the Contras in Nicaragua, a group opposing the socialist government. Now, mind you, Reagan’s intention here was to free hostages and help defeat communism in the Western Hemisphere. Noble goals, really, considering the global context of the Cold War era. But alas, the way things unfolded didn’t sit right with a lot of folks in the media and the political left.
They dragged Reagan’s name through the mud, painted him as a schemer and a law-breaker. But let’s remember the bigger picture, and the outcomes of his actions. Under Reagan’s leadership, America saw significant economic revival, the end of the Cold War was insight, and his policies eventually led to a safer, freer world. Despite the controversy, Reagan left office with high approval ratings and is remembered as a pivotal figure in American history.
Moving on, let’s draw a line to another more recent piece of history – the appointment of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Here was a man, a highly respected legal mind, nominated to one of the most significant judiciary positions in the country. And just like that, his nomination process turned into one of the most controversial and heated battles we've seen in modern American history.
The accusations thrown at Kavanaugh were severe and career-threatening. They were also uncorruptedly timed, surfacing just as he was poised to take a seat at the Supreme Court, likely shifting the Court's balance more conservatively. The hearings were brutal. Kavanaugh faced allegations of sexual assault from years ago, brought forward in what many, including myself, see as a calculated attack to derail his appointment because he represented a threat to liberal agendas and policies. Kavanaugh defended himself fervently, denying all allegations, and emphasized his commitment to law and justice.
What's clear here, is the pattern. When conservative figures who are positioned to make significant impacts arrive on the scene, there’s this playbook that seems to get pulled out every time. Allegations. Scandals. Attempted character assassinations. Why? Because these figures, like Reagan, like Kavanaugh, they pose a threat to a certain status quo. They have the potential to reshape policies and perspectives in ways that don’t align with liberal ideologies.
Now, why circle back to these historical comparisons when talking about current events and Donald Trump? Because, my friends, it’s the same old song and dance. Trump, with his straightforward talk and his “drain the swamp” approach, terrifies many entrenched in the political establishment. The efforts to bring him down are not new tactics; they are desperate attempts by those who fear losing their grip on power. Trump’s presidency saw significant tax reforms, strict immigration policies to protect American workers, and a no-nonsense approach to international relations, particularly with China and North Korea.
So, when we see these continuous efforts to discredit Trump, remember the broader context. This isn’t just about one man; it’s about what he stands for. It’s about challenging the status quo, about pushing forward policies that actually get things done, even if they shake up the comfortable, muddy waters of Washington D.C. The fear is not of Trump himself, per se. The fear is of change, of losing control over long-held levers of power, of a truly revitalized America that operates quite differently from the vision some have for this country.
reflecting on the idea that former President Donald Trump has been declared guilty, it's crucial to peel back the layers of what's really going on. Here's the scoop folks—the people aren't blind. They see through these thinly veiled attempts to undermine a president who has spent his tenure fighting tooth and nail for the American ethos. Misguided accusations won’t deter the masses who stand staunchly by Trump, recognizing his unwavering commitment to their interests.
You bet there’s going to be a groundswell of support surging through our nation. Picture this: cities and towns, from coast to coast, alight with the fervor of supporters who see this trial for what it really is—a baseless charade. People are not just going to sit back and watch. Oh no, they’re gearing up, ready to voice their discontent loud and clear. There will be a massive outcry, and you're going to see rallies popping up like wildfire. The energy at these rallies? Electric. Supporters coming together, united by a cause, fortified by a belief in a man who dared to put America first.
Now, this is not merely a setback; think of it as a catalyst. This scenario isn’t spelling the end of an era but igniting a powerful movement. The kind of movement that gets folks out of their seats, into the streets, and into the voting booths. It’s about catalyzing action, stirring up the patriotic spirit that sits at the core of this great country.
And what happens when the people begin to rally, when their voices start ringing out in unison? That’s when the magic happens. Support doesn’t just grow; it explodes. People from all walks of life, all ages, all backgrounds, coming together with a common goal—to stand up for what's right and support a leader who has always stood up for them. The narrative that’s been spun by the opposition starts to crumble, as the truth—Trump’s truth—starts shining through stronger than ever.
This isn’t just speculation; it’s written in the very fabric of America’s history of resilience and determination. When push comes to shove, Americans know how to stand their ground, rally behind their leaders, and make their voices heard. The support for Trump will not just endure; it will thrive, bolstering him through this tempest and beyond.
And let’s not kid ourselves, the truth has a way of coming out. It might take time, but it emerges, often stronger after having been suppressed. And when it does, those who cast stones will find themselves looking foolish. The American people are smart; they're perceptive. They can tell when a game is being played, and they have a deep appreciation for leaders who play it straight, who fight for them without a hidden agenda.
As we witness this movement unfold, as support for Trump not only endures but intensifies, we’ll see an undeniable affirmation of his policies, his leadership, and his vision for America. It reinforces the belief that despite the obstacles, the political maneuvers, and the overt challenges, the spirit of the American people in support of Trump is unbreakable.
This chapter, far from closing, is just the beginning of a renewed, vigorous fight. It’s about taking that fiery spirit seen at rallies, that collective voice raised in support, and channeling it into a force for formidable change and enduring legacy. This isn’t the twilight of Trump’s impact—it’s potentially the dawn of even greater influence.
So, let’s buckle up and watch this narrative unfold—an American narrative of resilience, truth, and justice, where the real story is the power of the people, rallying behind a leader who has dared to put America first, against all odds.
(Facts extracted from MSM. Political bias cleaned and rewritten by Listen2.ai.)