Names that mean green

(Hi! This is the first time I've posted a long text about the society of keys. I hope you like it. It about Edward and Erin. I know long texts don't usually work here. But I made this from the heart and I wanted to share it with you. Without further ado, let's get started!)
Out of Continuity: Lair of the Society of Keys
The basement/clinic was completely silent, only disturbed by the occasional beeping of one of the Medical Teams. Suddenly the 5 members of the society entered, all carrying Erin, who was in a very weak state of health, black marks came out of her mouth, and spread across her skin.
Elizabeth: Leave her on the bed, carefully…
They gently placed her on her bed, while they hooked her up to monitors to view her vital signs. Which were at worryingly low levels. The 5 members left all their keys on top of Edward's desk. Next to a small black device similar to a wristwatch.
Eechiro: Damn, what did they inject herwith?
Eric: No idea, that guy came out of nowhere, although he left this syringe behind.
Elizabeth: We have more important issues right now. Her signs are stable but they are declining at a worrying speed, we have to find a way to cure her...
Edward moves away a little to lean against one of the laboratory counters. His mind was still racing, Erin's voice began to hit his psyche. Repeating her name over and over again. Until his mind decided to take him to THAT night. He could feel like Erin was hugging him...
"Please…"
His pupils shrank, turning into small black dots. His arms had the reflex of trying to hug the air in front of him. The only thing that could bring him back to reality was Eechiro's clicking noises. Which was in front of him, trying to get his attention, while he repeated his name.
“Edward! Edward! Richter!” Eechiro gave up and returned to the rest of the society, who were surrounding Erin “Nothing! "He's like in Shock, I can't get him out of there!"
Edelgard: “Leave it, we have to do something soon! If we don't find a way to cure her, she's going to die."
Those last words gave Edward the boost he needed, without saying a single word. He approached his desk and took 5 keys next to the strange clock. After this, he began to leave the basement. While he put the watch on his wrist.
“We have to make a plan to get into his base, Edward, do you have any ideas…?” Eric noticed that Edward was leaving the basement, and after a quick glance he also saw that he had taken the keys. “Get him, it’s trying to leave the house!”
The four members of the society followed Edward who walked determinedly towards the door to leave the society base. Just a few meters away, Elizabeth and Eechiro began to pull his arms. While Edelgard held him by the back of the neck.
Eechiro: “You're not leaving!”
Edward quickly crouched and performed a roundhouse kick to knock down the three who were trying to pin him down. Eric placed himself between Edward and the door to prevent him from leaving.
Eric: “Edward, No! We need a plan!" He said as he held on to the door frame to prevent Edward from pushing him.
“ERIC, I KNOW YOU HAVE GOOD INTENTION. BUT I ASK YOU TO GET OUT OF THE WAY” Edward said as he looked at the floor. Eric remained immovable in place.
“I can't do that Edward, I know you're angry. But going like this is…” Eric didn't finish his sentence, because Edward put his hand on his shoulder, after which he made eye contact with him. Eric looked closely into the eyes of forensic. It wasn't the look of someone angry, but of someone scared and determined. For the first time, he could see a look on Edward that wasn't one of indifference. But of absolute concern. After which, the young diver take his decision, getting out of the way. Edward just nodded his head and walked out the door. When Elizabeth, Edelgard and Eechiro stood up they went directly to face Eric.
Eechiro: “What did you do Eric? You went crazy. He ran away and take the keys!”
Elizabeth: “He didn't take everything… he lefts Erin's key. Although Eechiro is right, what were you thinking? Did you let him go alone to face an army? What were you thinking?”
Eric: “You didn't see it… that look was relentless. I'm afraid of what will happen..."
Edelgard: “If you were afraid, why did you let him go?”
Eric: “I'm not afraid for Edward... I'm afraid for whoever decides to stand in his way. Although that is secondary now, We have to make sure we keep her alive.... Come on, let's get moving!”
Universe 18-24-53: Lair of the Steelwater.
Edward arrived at the outskirts of a bar, from outside he could see multiple men sitting at the tables. Most of them had baseball bats or brass knuckles. At the centre table there were four men playing poker. After a few seconds of thinking, he decided to go inside.
“Look and cry gentlemen, I have Full House,” said a man as he slammed the table hard. Another responded to him, as he revealed his cards, “Very interesting, but…”
"What!? An R-Royal straight!? “That's impossible, you bastard,” said the first, while he looked at his partner's letters in astonishment. The lucky gangster was about to say something, until suddenly, Edward grabbed his sleeve, causing multiple hidden cards to fall out.
The gangster was surprised by the presence of Edward standing next to them. "Where the hell did it come from?" Wait… you cheated!?” The gangster replied, now addressing his partner.
“O-Of course not… and also who the hell is this blue-haired?” Said the other man who was still sitting. A dead silence was maintained until multiple windows were heard breaking. When Edward turned around he saw a man at another table, with the bat in his hand. He had dropped his beer on the floor in shock. “Idiots! That blue-haired is one of those multiverse travellers! The Forensic Killer! You let the enemy in!
"What!?" The Full House man lunged at Edward, who simply dodged him. Placing his leg to cause the gangster to fall to the ground, the man's forehead collided with one of the wooden chairs. The other men launched themselves at Edward, who limited himself to Dodge, and responded to them with the furniture of the place. He attacked them with chairs, plates. Even with the same poker cards. “Why don't you die!?” It was probably the phrase that was repeated the most in that fight.
When there were only two men left, they both decided to distance themselves from Edward, and tried to go to the back of the bar. Quickly, Edward took out a pair of sharp metal scissors from his pocket and threw them hard, aiming for the head of one of the men. Which remained nailed to the wall next to the door, while his companion managed to escape. Edward followed at a fast pace, but without running, maintaining unwavering composure. Which only generated more fear in the man who ran.
Edward followed the man to some underground warehouses. The contrast with the bar was clear, while the first looked like a stereotypical 80s movie, this was more like an apocalypse bunker. The man continued running down the long hallway, until he reached a huge room at the end. Due to the distance he had managed to get from the coroner. He had time to activate the Security system. Edward saw three huge metal doors close between him and the man. At this, Edward said nothing. He just approached and tapped the metal plate in front of him, after which he took out of his pocket one of the keys that he had taken from the base. It had a drawing of a dragon. And small burn marks. Edward took the key and inserted it into a small slot in the device on his wrist, suddenly a flash of orange light invaded the tunnel…
On the other side of the door the Gangster is celebrating — “Let's see how you get through that, Four Eyes!” Until he felt 2 presence behind him “What the hell are you doing?” The man turned around to see his boss, a man in a beige suit, with his hair combed back with gel. Next to him was a woman with red hair and green eyes. She dressed in a trench coat, shirt and black pants.
"Boss! Miss Octavia! “He is the coroner, he is here, and he has eliminated everyone in the bar!” The man said as his legs trembled. The boss hardly flinched. While the woman only managed to murmur a phrase, “I was already wondering when we would see each other again, Edward.”
The man guided his boss and the redhead to a screen, which showed the security camera in the hallway. “You don't need to worry anyway, there are three metal doors between him and us. Look… there is no way he can pass- WHAT?”
The three of them were stunned. The metal on the doors was melting. Edward, dressed in a black and orange kimono, shooting a burst of fire. Making a circle to melt the door. The boss rushed towards his minion, holding him by the shoulders. “You told me he was the coroner, not the arsonist!”
“He's the coroner, I don't have the slightest idea how he's throwing fire.” The boss released his minion and approached the redhead. “Listen to me, Octavia. You told me that if he eliminated one of those crazy people, The Guardians would fulfil a wish of mine. But you didn't tell me that they would come to try to destroy me.” The woman broke her silence and said, “Calm down, Tragliatore. Our pact still stands. The guardians will fulfil your greatest wish. You have my word as a Detective” The redhead said as she put her hand on his shoulder.
"Boss! He already went through 2 of the doors! Look” The henchman shouted at his boss, while he pointed at the door that was turning increasingly reddish. The boss removed Octavia's hand from his shoulder. “Quickly, you lazy bunch, everyone pointing at the door.” all the soldiers pointed directly towards the door. “I want anyone who walks through that door with more holes than a damn sieve.”
Multiple men stood at a safe distance from the melting door. Everyone was waiting for what was about to happen. The sound of the flame on the other side of the door invaded the environment, until suddenly... Brain. Causing chills to almost all the people present there. A yellow glow could be seen from under the door that was melting…
The silence was interrupted by the sudden ejection of the door, which was thrown directly towards the soldiers in front. A large amount of smoke came out of the hole that was left. And a couple of yellow dots lit up. Edward ran out of the smoke, wearing a black trench coat, the inside of which shone bright yellow. In his face there was a pair of Goggles, also yellow, which emitted an intense light.
"There is! “Shoot him!” He shouted loudly, as Octavia dragged him towards a door to get him away from the shooting. The henchmen fired volleys of bullets at Edward, who was blocking the shots with Edelgard's trench coat.
Edward tackled one of the men and took cover behind some wooden boxes. He took the gun from the anklet, knocked out the guard next to him and took his gun from him. To start responding to shots. Taking advantage of the lens aiming system. After several minutes, Edward realized that he needed to increase speed... He removed the key that was inserted into the device. Which had the symbol of a Sniper sight, I inserted another one that had the symbol of skates.
After this, he threw his pistol into the air, while a green light enveloped him. The gangsters were perplexed, watching as the gun transformed into a UZI with neon green markings. They were even more perplexed, when Edward jumped out from behind the box... Dressed in a black one-piece suit, with silver lines. In large white letters it was written "Ritcher" and a number 3 in large.
Edward caught the UZI out of the air, and it clicked on his heels. The white soles began to glow, and he levitated a few centimetres from the floor. The next thing the gangsters saw was this blue-haired boy attacking them while he fired with the UZI.
“Quickly, Tragliatore. Over here!” She told Octavia to the mafia leader, As she dragged him through one of the doors, and she kept crouched down so as not to be seen.
Edward continued to dodge bullets while he in turn returned fire. He quickly positioned himself in the centre of the room, and began to spin on its axis at high speed, while he continued shooting with the UZI and one of the gangsters' weapons. Generating a storm of bullets, which filled the room. When he stopped, Edward realized that he had made holes in all the walls, covers and enemies in the place. He began to walk towards the hallway that Tragliatore left down. With all the calm in the world, he removed the key from the device, and placed a different one with the symbol of an Oxygen mask and a Sickle.
“Come in! Come in! Quick!" Octavia shouted at Tragliatore, while holding the door of a small laboratory, which had a small window with a curtain, inside was another of the henchmen, dressed in a white coat. After entering, Octavia's attention was quickly caught by a shelf with some books. Tragliatore watched as his protector began to search the bookshelf. “What's happening, boss? I heard a lot of gunshots and-” Quickly, the scientist's words were interrupted by the screams of their leader. “That doesn't matter now! We are under attack, scan the bunker. I want to see how many of my men are still alive!” The henchman typed something on a nearby computer. While Tragliatore was still confused by what Octavia was doing. He was about to ask her, when his employee's surprised moan distracted him. “Bo-boss, there are only four living beings left in the Building…” Tragliatore raised his hands to his face, passing them all over his face, while he let out a long sigh through his mouth.
“Okay, okay, it's manageable, it's manageable… Octavia, we need a plan, can you think of it… Octavia!?” The gangster was surprised when he saw the red-haired girl, with a book from which a white glow came out. And a white circle surrounded her. “I'm sorry, boy, but our deal is going to have to end here…” When Tragliatore tried to stop her, he realized that he couldn't get through the circle. “This was not what was agreed upon, you said that The Guardians were going to fulfil my wish…” Octavia tore the pages from the book, and held them up. “I told you that they were going to grant your wish…” He released her leaves, which began to orbit around her. “If you survived…” Tragliatore was about to reply, until his minion shouted at him, with a tone of perennial terror in his voice. "MISTER! “She's coming down the hallway, she's coming this way.” Tragliatore's shock was evident in his eyes. And when he turned around to look to Octavia for a solution, he saw that she had disappeared, and the circle on the floor was on fire.
The scientist quickly approached Tragliatore, holding him by the shoulders, his body aligned with the door. On the other side of which footsteps could be heard in the distance. “What do we do now, boss? There are only the two of us left, I don't want to die! My notes are still on the table, if he finds out that I designed that poison, I don't know what he'll do to me!” Tragliatore quickly slapped the soldier away from him. “We're not going to give up, listen this is what we're going to-”
Before Tragliatore could finish the sentence, a metal sickle came flying through the door window. The sickle hit the scientist directly and stuck into the wall. Blood began to drip from the inert body. Tragliatore recoiled in shock, blood had splattered on his face.
The bottom of the Sickle opened and a small stream of water came out, which floated forming a hand. Which I grab the sickle and take it out of the wall. Causing the man to fall to the floor, Tragliatore watched in shock as his hand stopped in front of the door and slammed hard against the handle. Causing the door to open.
Edward entered through the door, dressed in a black jacket with grey sleeves, accompanied by black neoprene pants. The footsteps of his boots broke the silence of the room like thunder in the night. His face was covered by a hood, accompanied by a black oxygen mask. Tragliatore tried to pull the gun from him, but was quickly restrained by Edward. Which he held against the wall.
“What the fuck do you want? If you're going to kill me, do it now! Tragliatore tried to say with the most threatening tone he could. Edward remained silent, taking one of his scissors out of his pocket, beginning to run it across the neck of his mafia leader. "Wait! Wait! You want money? “I can give you money.” At the offer, Edward stuck the scissors into Tragliatore's leg. Causing blood to flow out, along with a gasp of pain “Uh… Okay, Okay, no money. What do you want?"
Edward took out the syringe with a black liquid from his pocket. And he shook it in front of him. "The poison? Do you want to know how the poison is made? Why do you think I would tell you?” Tragliatore said, finishing his sentence by spitting at Edward. Which was Stoic, took another scissors from his pocket, and stuck it in Tragliatore's hand. Leaving it nailed to the wall. The scream of pain was even louder. “Ugh! In the table! In the notebook on the table!” Edward alone tragliatore, letting the scissors support him. While he went towards what he had come for. He took the leather-bound notebook, and opened it to the page that was marked with a red ribbon. On the same page, the process with which the poison had been made was detailed.
After seeing this, Edward began to walk towards the exit door. A white glow enveloped him and his clothes returned to his usual trench coat. Tragliatore couldn't contain his frustration and shouted at Edward, “Really? You entered my base, you killed all my staff, that's why? All this for that Bea-” Before he could finish the sentence, Edward turned on his heel. Throwing a pair of scissors directly at Tragliatore's forehead. The scissors remained stuck in the wall. Leaving a hole in Tragliatore's face. “DON'T INSULT HER AGAIN, NEVER!" After this, Edward adjusts his bangs, and begins to walk out of the underground base. Willing to achieve it.
Out of Continuity: Lair of the Key Society / One week later…
Erin woke up on the morgue gurney, her eyes slowly opening as her senses began to return. She looked around her, recognizing the medical equipment and monitors that were still beeping softly. She sat up on the bed with some effort, and her gaze fell on Edward, who was sitting next to her.
Edward was completely disheveled, with deep circles under his eyes that marked his tired face. He tapped his foot on the floor at high speed, clearly nervous. Next to him, the table was littered with empty coffee cups and a stopwatch
"Edward?" Erin asked in a weak voice. Edward looked up quickly, his eyes filled with a mix of surprise and relief. Realizing that he hadn't imagined the sound of Erin's voice, he jumped up and hugged her with all of her strength.
"Are you OK!" he exclaimed, her words filled with her emotion. Edward moved away from her a little, holding Erin's face with her hands under her cheeks.
"Yeah...I'm fine," Erin responded, still a little disoriented. She noticed the black marks under Edward's eyes and frowned in concern. "My God...Edward, are your eyes okay?"
Edward couldn't help but let out a small laugh. "You wake up from a coma, and the first thing you ask me is if I'm okay?" After that, Edward hugged her again, resting her jaw on top of her head. Erin just enjoyed the hug, feeling the warmth and security that she gave her.
Suddenly, she felt drops falling on her head. Erin looked up and saw the tears falling from Edward's eyes. "Edward? What's wrong?" she asked in a soft voice.
Edward grabbed her chin again and brought her face closer to his, causing Erin to blush. "What's going on?" Edward moved forward, planting a kiss on Erin's lips. The shock to Erin's mind was brutal, but she soon began to enjoy it. After several minutes, Edward broke the kiss and looked at Erin with a look he'd never had before. "That's what happens," Edward said softly, hugging her again.

I sell used E46 auto parts on eBay, and I am trying to make sense of the colors for the door horizontal plastic interior trim strip. These strips come with a wood finish, or not. It's the "or not" aspect that inspired this post in the hope that it helps someone similarly puzzled.
As far as I can tell, the parts for pre-2002 cars came with high-gloss finish in beige, black or gray for which German is "beige," "schwarz" or "grau." The German word "hochglanz" translates to "high gloss."
The parts for post-2001 cars did not come with the aforementioned finishes. One example is "graphit matt" (which I figure to be a dark gray) in a matte (as in, not shiny) finish. Another example is "sieblack grau." Obviously, some kind of black, and then gray, right? Actually -- no.
I was raised German but I live in the US, and I think in English. But in pondering "sieblack grau" I had to thinking in German temporarily. "Sieb" is "sieve" ... "lack" is "paint" ... "grau" is "gray." So it is a sort of patterned finish as if painted through a sieve. There is no "black" in the name, in the German meaning.
This reminds me of a fellow American who translated "Hellrot" to "hell red." In German, "hell" is "bright" and "rot" is "red" so ... actually, it's "bright red."
My point: German words are often non-intuitive or even counter-intuitive, compared to English. Generally, when you read French, you can pretty well guess what the English equivalent would be. With German, less so.
So if you're looking at a German word, and you're puzzled, and something seems odd, you're probably right to not take it at face value. If you formally translate the word (such as using Google's "German to English") then you might be surprised at how different the German meaning is, from what a reasonable guess might be for a native English speaker.

So, I've watched the AITA videos on YouTube all the time, so I thought I would bring a couple of my stories here. (This is a long one, so bear with me.) I tried to post this on another aita page but there were too many rules. I'm sure everyone else has a more interesting story than me.
I (19, female) recently moved out of my apartment so I could save for a better one. So I recently went back to my mom's for a bit (40, female) with her husband (35, male). Before I even thought about coming back home, my mom always told me, "Come back home. You can have the room back. Nobody helps me with the dog or clean. We missed you so much; I've been depressed since you've been gone."
Now, before I get to the story, let me give you some background on my (16, female) sister. I'll give her a fake name. Let's call her Nya. My mom would complain about how my sister (27 female), who has custody of my sister, uses my sister's taxes for herself and my niece, and Nya never gets anything. Now, I understand her frustration, but she's a hypocrite. She asked my dad's wife if she could claim me last year. Mind you, I was 18, and if Shes complaining that my sister should've gotten her taxes, then mine should've gone to me, all $5,000 of it, but I didn't trip about it at first. Well, she got me furniture with the taxes after I told her I did not want or need any furniture in my room, so I had stuff I didn't even want when I already had stuff. She told me, "When you move, you can take it." Well, I moved to my boyfriend's mom's house for a couple of months and then got my own apartment. I went to ask if I could get my furniture, and she's going to say, "Oh. Nya sleeps in here when she visits on weekends, and it's set up to be her room." she could've kept my old furniture in storage if she was going to play in my face like that. Nya only visits 8 times out of the whole month unless it's a holiday, no school, or half a day. She could've given me my furniture. I was laying on an old mattress that came from my boyfriend's moms place and it hurt our backs. I was paying so much for rent and just to live that I couldn't afford to get a new one. I really hated Nya because she knew what she was doing. On my birthday, she got gifted more things than I did because she had an attitude. But when it was hers, I didn't get NOTHING. Imagine someone else getting more gifts than you on your own birthday. They had me pierce my own nose at 15, but Nya professionally got hers done. My nose closed up, and we've done this about 6 times, but they got her pierced twice on both sides her nose. When she'd come over, if they'd go out, she'd always ask for something, and if she didn't get her way, she wouldn't speak with my mother or her husband. Almost every time I see her, she has something new that my mom got her. She comes over and uses my mom; she doesn't even hang out with my mom when she's here unless they go out. She hides in the room. And ironically, every time I leave stuff around her, it goes missing. She would steal stuff from my mom too, and the whole time, it would be something of mine that my mom was holding onto for me. Over $300 worth of stuff she's stolen or got CAUGHT stealing. She's able to call my mom a (b word), but I was told, "You can cuss; just don't ever call me a (b word)." Like my sister basically owns her at this point. You might've already seen where this was going.
My mom called me the day I was packing, which was literally Tuesday. It's been no more than 4-5 days, and it's already been so much drama. She had an attitude like she was surprised I was coming back, but me and her spoke several times the month before about it. She swore up, down, left, and right that it was okay. Silly me for thinking my mother, of all people, could be relied on. Well, she picks me up and complains how I had too many bags (it was 5 black bags and like 5 tiny grocery bags. My boyfriend had most of the other stuff, including big furniture that he was taking with his mom because she has a house. my mom has an apartment). I'm not surprised she was complaining; it's all she does. She said she didn't know what to do with the room yet because she "didn't want to pick favorites." The craziest part was Nya herself said I can stay in here and remember that its important.
She waited till about 9 o'clock PM to tell me that I could sleep in there. Now I had several bags, and they would've cried if they were all in the living room, so I took them in the room, but by now, you can probably tell nothing pleases them. A1 complainers. Well, everything was fine at first until my older sister texted me Friday night and said, 'Mom and Nya don't know how to tell you ONCE AGAIN that they don't want you in that room. I'm not trying to start drama; I just want you to know they said you moved Nya's stuff and threw it on the floor.' This did, however, create drama. Also, what does she mean by 'AGAIN'? And I didn't throw a THING on that floor. My sister literally didn't sleep the whole time because she was so ever so sick that I was in here relaxing with my man who came to visit. So, I did text my mom how I felt, and I told her about how she gets everything, but she wants to say 'bull they say you were the princess' when I was like freaking 5, yeah. What have you really done but make me feel less than the other? So comes morning, and her husband came banging on the door telling me to unlock it (the door was already unlocked. Get a load of this guy.), and I'm GROWN; this man really came at me sideways talking about 'get the f in the living room.' Mind you, I have a past with anxiety; I will faint, and they know this. I don't like arguing. I said, 'No, I'm leaving.' Now I didn't know where I was going to go yet because my boyfriend's mom has all 6 of her kids in the house right now with no space. So I had to call my Poppop the WHOLE time my stepfather would not shut up. (Ohh, brother, this guy stinks.) My mom wouldn't stop screaming, and I got stressed and screamed to just stop, and I started crying because of course, I have anxiety and I'm overwhelmed because its 3 people yelling over something they said i could do. My chest was tight, and I was shaking. Then my mom really had the audacity to tell Nya, 'She don't want u in here because she said u stole.' I told my mom to keep that private. My sister was stealing my underwear, and I told her (funny because I literally JUST bought her some clothes and underwear). I asked her to keep it between us. Oh boy, I won't tell her NOTHING again. I forgot she got a fat mouth. Anyways, I called my grandpa, and I'm his baby, so how could he ever say no? He's the only one that ever cares for me anymore. I felt bad because my mom started crying, so I said, 'I'll be back tomorrow it's ok.' Stupid, I know. Because she didn't care when I was crying and using the inhaler trying to get air.
And might I add, my sister said 'no what did I steal. She can come say it to my face.' I wanted to knock her socks off. She literally left to go to a friend's because I was in the room after she said I could be in there. That should tell you she didn't come to hang out with mom. Everything about her makes me mad. She does stuff that I do, and she thinks I don't notice. She took my style, even my personality, and my interests. Like I'm a hello kitty girl. I wear hello kitty pants, Kuromi bookbags, and just hello kitty anything including my decor. And I paint so I have hello kitty paintings (I'm good at it too), and she happened to all of a sudden like it too. My hairstyles are unique; I do my own thing. She tries to do her hair like mine. All the TV shows and YouTubers I watch, she started all of a sudden liking. At first, it was cute; I thought she looked up to me. Until I realized she's just trying to BE ME, and she doesn't even like me. Anyways, I went to my Poppop and my Nanas, and my mom tried to guilt trip me on Facebook, and I told them everything that happened, and they agree with me that my mom is being unfair, considering I will be there for about 30 days and my sister only 8 times out of the month. I told my mother that now my sister won't be comfortable coming here because she doesn't know how to just shut up and just be a mother. My nana said it was so immature to really tell Facebook that we 'hate' her. Also, can I add that I've only been here 4 days because I went to my Poppop's last night. Then my mom had the audacity to tell me to keep the room clean when it was a mess. Then when I went to clean it, she told me to leave the stuff there. My sister didn't have it clean; it was a mess. I moved out this little fireplace and 2 blankets, and that's literally what they were mad about. Excuse me for cleaning your brown smoked out and molded walls and provided more space. Excuse me for cleaning the bedding that had cat fur all over it because I couldn't breathe. Cry a river.
so aita?

I’ve noticed for at least a week now that if someone or multiple people have cameras on when I’m in a mobile app call, whether it’s a server VC or a private call, if I leave the call screen, but am still IN the call, and I browse other areas of my discord app, or if I leave the app and browse other apps while also still in call, when I come back to the calls screen, everyone’s cameras dissapear. And it doesn’t look like their cameras are off. I mean that their entire camera and such is now missing as if there’s nothing there but a name.
I have updated to the latest app update and this is still an issue. And nobody has responded to this bug on the bugmegathread when I posted it.

I am not strange, I am just sad and that makes me behave this way. I am nothing. I feel no love, only from myself. I feel very sad because I know who I am and what I could have done for many, and I feel wasted, unused, and that makes me ashamed. And I am so angry. I cannot be angry, I just let it be and so I will remain. Death pressed you onto the brand new smooth planks, my eyes spoke of simple lines, you knew me... time spent with 'Friday' is now an eternity, often unnecessarily frivolous for others, torn away from the other, such a time hand in hand before they died, as I write here, but the paper is twisted and unfortunately no longer of value to me, layers of black and gray... I wonder if someone will fall alone... so it's time to leave it all behind to truly discover the depths of love, life is still full of doubt, my devotion to the black light continues through the colors of the sky... you know you rejected the other half. Once you know you have betrayed a smile wrongly, more... multiple colors are the rainbow flower hues. It doesn't feel like the whole day has passed until you are there. Four different shades, but only one is blue. We remember so many days, but I forget how many... maybe my answer is because it was the end of my life, and therefore I believe it. I often heard that I should postpone this to what they call tomorrow, and I always assumed that tomorrow is what they tell me today, and sometimes it is. I certainly don't think it's good to always shame you... roaring blue snowflakes, no snow now... you know what? At least pain is real love. I heard from a friend that it is no longer the case. I don't know.... why? .... the lie could not survive, it would make me lonelier, quieter, and that was not what I wanted in the first place, as I explain in my book and how I protect the future, "look me in the eyes and cry, ...." …. but now I think very differently. I have to be honest with my own respect, admit and show that I have offered my soul to suffer pain and always be, but resting on the idea that you are happy. "Rose flower" from me to you, from me. Not just red here. Pink red. Rose flower not one, once there are two. Were pink-red red roses, roses blush pink her red roses. Another, two, three times four desires became. Her cheeks only once, twice his. Pain knew me more, no one for my sorrow. No one knows, hasn't chosen to be like me either. "rose" .... was mine. She doesn't go away. I am Heartwarming - Starlight. Beginning is the heart at the end of the light, the Starlight. Everywhere with us. We now only have a conscience for him. Thanks to you, and yes, we are all lovers. I am the most loving single player, and nothing else is free. She is us as he I was and silence, and the only reason I go. Ended with a small kiss to each other... It hurts me, she looks so happy at this moment. On a hill random lady, who is she? A lady is in my life, told her that before she died, the memories are member- Recognition of the ability, the skill or capabilities of a player. That's how we loved life. Does this change anything about our relationship, and what is it? The world has since been a place of death. Can I leave? As you say it was the last, a list that shows players... and not much more than that. Honestly the possibility of a team song. They don't play their own game, works perfectly together. Meanwhile as opposite days. Sorry as I am entertained to be us, I don't think so either, a woman. She is really beautiful. Trust her with us, and 'Yesterday wasn't so far from saying goodbye to Friday-as' she doesn't know, is that because that was. I am the way she knows men, because she is forever to me. We are still together and the best partners eternal friends, always. Is it too early in the morning... to say it's not easy to sleep, let her feel, then I notice her smile and her family, all her calls repeating heartbeats. She has slept, while I still leave my bed with a blanket underneath. I just refuse to believe, we are still here, not the only one, which means: friends. She knows how much I care about her, love is in my name, with the same respect for the heart-wrenching story. The evening ends light while I mourn. I believe leaving my own fate will make me happier, all the sadness is worth it... and telling myself at the end: I loved her soul, I love her voice in my heartbeat -line of a song. I am her, maybe the only thing I heartwarmingly want. A little child my (Star) more than anything in these 7 Stars. Light•starts to shine•Star. •.Light•. I have to be honest with myself and my friends, I have no idea how I would do this without them knowing... As I said to my family before, silence to forget. And I keep it with me, I can leave, and you know I'm not even here... sorry is embarrassing but you are not alone here. You were here before me, and now I tell myself, I am leaving. I want her back, but she doesn't let me within death. But she doesn't come back? The only way to find her, as she is now in my arms... Oh... and if you knew how much she was in my heart for me, worship me against all odds, I will be eternal. And now that question: Who are we to believe I will never get it? If red answer light inside, aside I am all alone... dead.

The "glorious son" Ninurta – the offspring of Enlil (the father of the gods); was said in Sumerian mythology to have defeated the so-called "Asag" demon ("Asakku" in Akkadian) who was himself a manifestation of Enmesharra (the sinister god of the underworld; a Sumerian equivalent of "Satan") and to have uttered these words upon its defeat:
"From today forward, do not say Asag: its name shall be Stone. Its name shall be zalag stone, its name shall be Stone. This, its entrails (meaning its 'foundations'), shall be the underworld (the lower parts). Its valour shall belong to the lord (Ninurta)." – lines 310-330.
The text then continues: "The lord applied his great wisdom to it. (Ninurta), the son of Enlil, set about it in a grand way. He made a pile of stones in the mountains. Like a floating cloud he stretched out his arms over it. With a great wall he barred the front of the Land. He installed a sluice on the horizon. The hero acted cleverly, he dammed in the cities together. He blocked the powerful waters by means of stones. Now the waters will never again go down from the mountains into the earth. That which was dispersed he gathered together. Where in the mountains scattered lakes had formed, he joined them all together and led them down to the Tigris. He poured carp-floods of water over the fields." – lines 347-359.
On top of it he erected his Hursag (a Sumerian term meaning "mound, mountain" and it was intended as a "holy place – place of worship" of the gods).
Ninurta then compared all of the soldiers from the entourage of the Asag-demon who had followed the Asag-demon into battle – to precious stones (which is why he addressed the stones one by one in the text and the soldiers are literally called "stones" and given a purpose that’s comparable to those of precious stones utilized in handiwork – to which Ninurta will give a purpose because he’s the god of craftsmanship among other things). He called them each with the name of a stone because he considered them each a valuable piece on top of whom to construct his puzzle by amassing them all together – piling them up basically like bricks, one after the other; giving each of them a new purpose and redeeming them in the eyes of Ninurta (because the soldiers or "stones" had accompanied the "evil" Asag-demon but now Ninurta took them in as part of his own entourage instead – and he thus redeemed them in his eyes giving them a new purpose).
They all became precious allies of the god Ninurta – and all of them had their roles assigned like stones in a construction or like the materials in the building of artifacts; essentially each of them playing a role in his creation, the new creation that the god Ninurta had established in the mountains according to the text (when he reclaimed the basin of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers and rearranged "the mountains" i.e. "the underworld" in order to block the destructive waters that come from the underworld which is called "the mountains" – "Kur" in Sumerian).
And the lord Jesus looked at Peter and said: "And I tell you that you are a Stone, and on top of this Stone I will build my church (my holy place, my place of worship)" – Matthew 16:18.
"And the hero Ninurta acted cleverly, he dammed in the cities together. He blocked the powerful waters by means of stones. Now the waters will never again go down from the mountains into the earth. That which was dispersed he gathered together." The Hursag which Ninurta had built would not be overcome by the waters of Kur (the underworld) now that he’s fixed everything together.
"And all the powers of hell will not conquer it" (Matthew 16:18) – the Church which Jesus had built on top of the Stone; the one which he had built will not be overcome by the gates of Hades (the "gates of Hades" or "powers of Hell" being intended as the "destructive waters of the underworld" by Sumerian mythology).
Furthermore in the Greek equivalent of this myth we have that: the Oracle which the lord Apollo erected on top of the demon Python will not be overcome by the powers of the underworld. Python lies safely beneath it, playing his assigned role in giving oracles, but completely dormant and thus the powers of the "underworld" have been stopped from causing harm.
"He's using us all – irrespective of how we got here – in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day – a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home." – Ephesians 2:20-22.
"You yourselves are like living stones." – 1 Peter 2:5.
And the god Ninurta was claimed to have called each of them with the name of a stone. He reordered the stones in his creation; because each and every one of them was equal in the eyes of Ninurta, and he respected them all – forgiving the enemy (the stones who had served in the entourage of the Asag-demon) and making them all one of his own – building on top of them by giving them each a role. (He addressed them each and used each and every one of them like a stone telling them what to do: "U stone (emery) […] since cornelian is polished by you, you shall be called by its name. And now, according to the destiny fixed by Ninurta, henceforth when U stone touches it, there will be pierced cornelian." – "Cu stones […] Since you cannot escape from his great strength, the goldsmith shall puff and blow on you with his breath. You shall be shaped by him to form a matrix for his creations. People shall place the first fruits of the gods on you at the time of the new moon." – "Sajkal stone […] they shall say to you "Be off with you, hurry!", it shall be your name. And now, by the destiny fixed by Ninurta, henceforth you shall be called a bad lot in the Land. So be it. – "Esi (diorite) […] when a king who is establishing his renown for perpetuity has had its statues sculpted for all time, you shall be placed in the place of libations and it shall suit you well in my temple E-ninnu, the house full of grace." – lines 419-478). The enumeration of the stones continues and Ninurta gives them each a role.
The "place of worship" erected by this pagan god was not so much a "church" – but rather a point from which everyone would get access to water, food and healthcare (being a god of medicine and healing) whenever they needed it.
The same way Ninurta enumerates all the precious stones that are used in craftsmanship and he lists every single role that they have (being the god of handiwork himself) – he will then rearrange the soldiers of the army of the Asag-demon giving them each a new purpose and a new role; so this is what the metaphor of the text is trying to convey. He used the people like the stones he utilized in building artifacts and in constructing his Hursag.

The barbarian tribes colloquially referred to as the “Bloodtoil Pack” are not recognized by the Elder Council as a legitimate nation-state or political body. Their ways are bloody and primitive; intentionally so, as they believe civilization a corrupting influence. You will find no embassy or consulate from the Potentate there. The only trade they do is with the Mother Navigators, who still command respect from the Khajiit of that region, and the Minotaur colonists who have brought their Colovian values with them. Nevertheless, since the Treaty of Xylo in 4E 344, they have been recognized by their northern neighbors in the Imperium of Sunnamora and thus remain both politically and economically relevant. Therefore this section of the Guide has been compiled from the letters of diplomats, missionaries, merchants, mercenaries, and anthropologists who have risked life and limb among these peoples.
The capital “city” of Bloodtoil Valley is where representatives of the tribes gather to confer with the High Prophet of the Green about matters both political and spiritual. Lest this hint of civilization fool you, dear reader, may we clarify that this tribal council rarely passes anything resembling “legislation,” and instead exists merely to maintain peace between the ever-violent tribes and discuss dealings with foreigners. The Temple of Bloodtoil itself is an eclectic structure converted from an old Wood Orc stronghold, and the High Prophet of the Green spends much of their time inside “meditating upon the Now.” Once a season (the locals count time in rainy seasons and dry seasons, not years), the High Prophet makes a pilgrimage to Deepwoods to confer with the Green Lady, who is supposedly the “true” spiritual leader of Bloodtoil, though no one except the High Prophet and their inner council has seen her in over a century.
The other spiritual center of Bloodtoil is Elden Root to the south. The Bosmer have regrown the ancient Graht-Oak city since the great calamities of the Second Great War, but how it has already reached the size of the old Elden Root is anyone’s guess. The Bosmer here are bizarre and inbred; some covered in fur with jutting boar tusks, others wearing beards of moss, others still with insectoid eyes and antenna, and more variation than can be described. The natives claim their appearance is a “gift” from the Green. The more logical explanation is that their isolation from the rest of the world and their mating with Beastfolk have brought about such deformities.
Moonmont on the eastern border with Pelletine is the primary Khajiiti settlement. Built up by the comings-and-goings of the Mother Navigators, a visitor could almost forget they are in Bloodtoil and not one of the former Elsweyr states. The Green Prophecy does have some purchase there, namely in the “part of the Green that chooses to be Khenarthi.” The clan mother of the settlement sends a representative to Bloodtoil Valley, but her true power lies in the moon sugar. Many Greenists believe the sugar can be used to make contact with the Spirit of the Now, and her economic power is dominant.
Verrant Morass is the closest thing the Imga have to a settlement. Made up of tree houses and stone huts, they are led directly by a Green Prophet. Indeed, the Imga are the most enthusiastic supporters of the Green Prophecy, and make up the plurality of Green Prophets. Some may see connections to the Prophet Marukh, but that particular Saint is largely despised by his own people. To the Imga of Bloodtoil he represents the obsession with civilization which had kept the Imga subservient to the Aldmeri for so long. Now they despise all things civilized, fixed religious codes most of all. They insist the Green cannot be understood with words or thoughts, only by some mystical “contact with the Now.”
Other peoples also populate Bloodtoil. Barkbite remains a Wood Orc stronghold, and Harpies nest among the trees across the region. The river banks and shorelines are populated with Lamiae, while centaurs and faun roam the Tarlain Heights.
The most recent addition to the Pack are the most controversial. Tired of the constant Bjoulsean raids in Colovia, a few Minotaur clans immigrated to Bloodtoil and rebuilt the city of Marbruk. They brought the Cyrodiilic values of free trade and enterprise with them, practice an elective monarchy in the Cyro-Nordic style, and most horrifyingly of all - especially the Bosmer and Imga - was their choice to chop down trees and irrigate farms. This resulted in a month of tribal skirmishes in the central jungle until the High Prophet intervened. Part of the truce involved the Minotaurs recognizing the Heavanly Bull, the Storm, and Shezarr as aspects of the Green. Alessia worship, associated as it is with hated Marukh, is heavily discouraged. More economically relevant, the Minotaurs were heavily limited in their lumber and agricultural practices. At the moment, the East Empire Company’s friends in the Tamrielic Bank of Z’en are offering generous loans to help the Minotaurs develop their colony.
In times of war, their armies are generally a motley affair, albeit a terrifying one. Imga “Green Knights” welding bone-lances charge atop their Senche friend-mounts, backed by centaurs and satyrs. Harpies and Goblins riding hippogriffs act as the “army of the air.” Bosmer Stags of Z’en act as spies and assassins. Lamiae drag foes beneath the watery depths, as spriggan mothers turn the trees and soil against invaders. Needless to say, reader, travel in this wildland at your own peril.
_____
I was only in Bloodtoil for a short time. Met some Wood Orcs and Lamias at Haven. They were suspicious of outsiders, and made it clear our ship would be moving along soon. I don't think they were the violent brutes the Company would have you believe, but it is true that they prefer to be left alone. And hopefully it goes without saying those "loans" are anything but generous.

New Query Letter
Dear Agent,
My debut 55,000 word novel, Joypunks, is a speculative fiction story that is the perfect blend of Black Mirror and Euphoria. In a life where you are dying in your 20s, being 18 constitutes a mid-life crisis.
Danny is just an ordinary teenager who lives in a world where everyone has the chance to find out the day they die when they turn 18. On his 18th birthday, Danny finds out that he is going to die when he is only 27. This sets him down a path of bohemian decision making that culminates in him overdosing several years later. Danny wonders if he’ll ever be able to turn his life around before it’s too late.
Later Danny is released after the psych ward to rejoin his two roommates and best friends, a lesbian hippie named Naomi and a drug dealer named Brian, who are both considered “shorters” by the religious majority. The main religion of the country sees people with low death dates as being punished by God for their sins. So not only is Danny struggling with drug addiction, but an oppressive society that believes Danny deserves all the trouble coming his way
To make matters more complicated Danny falls in love with a college student named Tierra who, despite dying in her nineties, is a client of Brian. She carries him further into the world of chemical delights as he is trying to find a way out. To add to the chaos Danny finds out criminal enterprises are offering “shorters” large sums of money in advance to commit a murder the day before they die. Danny is horrified and worries that someday he or one of his friends will have to make that decision.
A book filled with booze, sex, drugs, strippers, robberies, and the gritty lifestyle of those struggling with their mortality, the story is a revealing look into those who are battling their worst urges. Will Danny be able to reign his in or will he wind up dying in a ditch somewhere?
After finishing my studies of Film and Creative Writing at the University of Arizona I moved to New York City to become a stand-up comedian. After the Coronavirus reached Manhattan, I moved home and began work on my novel. Three years later it was finished and I couldn’t be prouder.
Thank you for considering my novel. I’ve sent you the appropriate materials.
Old Query Letter
My debut 55,000 word novel, Joypunks, is a sci-fi drama that is the perfect blend of Black Mirror and Euphoria. In a life where you are dying in your 20s, being 18 constitutes a mid-life crisis.
Danny lives in a world where everyone has the chance to find out the day they die when they’re 18. On his 18th birthday, Danny finds out that he is going to die when he is only 27. This sets Danny off on a bohemian lifestyle as he searches for meaning in his short, compact life. While all twenty year olds struggle with their identity, few do it while staring down the barrel of a loaded gun.
Set in the mountains of Flagstaff, Arizona, Danny lives with a lesbian hippie named Naomi and a drug dealer named Brian. The three of them are all doomed to never reach 30. On top of all this Danny struggles with his relationship with a college girl named Tierra and a religious society that rejects those who are dying early as sinners.
A book filled with booze, sex, drugs, strippers, robberies, and the gritty lifestyle of those struggling with their mortality. The book opens on the protagonist having an overdose and doesn’t let off the brakes for a single second. It’s destined to be a cult classic among the twenty year olds of countless generations.
After finishing my studies of Film and Creative Writing at the University of Arizona I moved to New York City to become a stand-up comedian. After the Coronavirus reached Manhattan, I moved home and began work on my novel. Three years later it was finished and I couldn’t be prouder.

(I LIVE!! I have no idea what's hit me as hard as it did that Friday. But I needed Saturday to recover as well. Clearly wasn't the CPAP as that's working fine now. But good god is this unpleasant. Thankfully I'm clearly on the mend. I think I may have gotten food poisoning from KFC. Pity.)
~First~
Love and Longing
Little Fina’Noir and Dri’Noir still don’t like getting along all that much. So of course they need daddy between them to behave. They lay across his stomach, each out of reach of the other. For all that they ‘don’t’ get along, separating them is worse. They’re clearly best rivals already. They reach for each other and there are tiny puffs of sparks and little tongues of flame. But considering the soft and thin bed of moss on their daddy’s torso, it does nothing but make their little bits of bedding all the more comfortable.
Cia’Noir was visiting again, to be fair she visited so often she had almost moved in, and she was also currently mixing up a meaty broth in the kitchen while humming a nursery rhyme that most of the girls adored. Especially Uma’Noir and Jiti’Noir as they tried to keep tempo with it as grandma semi-swayed, semi-danced to the tune to their delight.
Ari’Noir, Mala’Noir, Gia’Noir and Lia’Noir were all having an extra nap. They had managed to get each other excited and rushing around as best they could earlier and wore themselves out. Leaving Miro’Noir the proud mother to luxuriate next to their shared napping blanket and pillows, casually reading a book.
“Oh? A call?” Vernon asks as his communicator starts buzzing. This grabs the attention of Fina and Dri as he pulls it out. “Observer Wu? Oh, the new ship.”
He activates it and then has the phone levitate away to give a broader look. “Sir, you’ll forgive me for not standing at attention I hope.”
“Yes.” The Asian man says after a moment. “We can excuse the lack of decorum considering that you seem to be thoroughly pinned.”
“What can I say? My little girls are fighters. I’ve heard some rumour about you through The Dark Forest. How may I help?”
“I am doing a preliminary call and evaluation of the situation with humanity off of Earth. We’ve found enough confusion information coming back to us that it necessitated the appointment and dispatching of an unquestionably trusted individual, myself, in order to ascertain exactly what is going on.” Observer Wu stated. “Unfortunately due to the sheer amount of nonsense that’s being sent towards The Inevitable and by extension, myself, I have been forced to place several administrators on duty to sort out the sheer number of calls I’m getting. The galaxy knows this is a second Dauntless Class Vessel, which means more humans.”
“Which means more men, and many women that decided to take a wait and see approach have likely decided that they’ve waited long enough.” Miro’Noir states.
“Indeed that is true madam. I take you are Lady Miro’Noir?”
“Princess, Lady is a more ennobled title. I am a War Princess, a military rank, directly empowered by and under the command of the Imperial Family of Serbow, in particular, The Empress.” Miro’Noir says and Observer Wu nods.
“And the third adult looking into this conversation?” Observer Wu asks.
“I am Cia’Noir, mother, mother-in-law and grandmother depending who in this room you are asking.” She says. “My little girl has worked a miracle in that she’s locked down a husband all to herself. So she needs a bit of a hand to caring for her first clutch, no sister wives to assist you see.”
“I believe I do. Still, I have been informed that Officer Shay and Princess Miro’Noir are largely responsible for the excellent relationships the Apuk have with humanity. If you would be so kind, could you tell me how that came about?”
“Oh... it was silly, sweet and wonderful all at the same time...” Miro’Noir gushes. “We met at a bar and I tried to get some attention, a few credits for a conversation. At first I thought he was a Tret.”
“The near human species, yes.”
“Well, I was proven wrong, not only human, but an INTERESTING human as well. A trinity of criminal fools attacked, and as I rose to show off, he did as well. And displayed a terrifying Axiom power.”
“Terrifying power?”
“Transmutation sir. A very complicated Axiom Technique I had stumbled on and managed to create my own version of. Basically I had bumbled into a way to rapidly learn a monumentally difficult trick and make it extremely lethal in human hands.” Vernon explains.
“I see. Are the notes of your research available on The Dauntless?’
“Yes sir they are, I hope you’ll forgive that... hey!” Vernon is cut off when Fina’Noir starts smacking his stomach. “Be nice little lady!”
“Bah! Bah! Bah bah!” Fina’Noir counters as she smacks him in the stomach again and again.
“Fina’Noir you must be nice with family!”
“Adabababa!” Dri’Noir adds in with a smack of her own to her daddy’s stomach.
“Dri’Noir! Don’t follow your sister’s bad example! Be nice!” Vernon chides her and a smiling Miro’Noir rises up after marking her place in her book and sweeps the more active little girls into her arms.
“There, have your talk with your officer now dear.” Miro’Noir says giving him a peck that he gestures for her to come back to and he gives her a longer kiss in return.
“I’ll be back shortly.” He promises before rising up. The communicator floats into his hand and he offers a salute to Cia’Noir who sends one right back. “I’ll be just in the back yard.”
A few moments and the door is closed behind him. The communicator floats out of his hands and he slips into parade ground ‘at ease’ stance. “Sir.”
“This is a preliminary communication. Not that formal. How well regarded are humans by the Apuk?”
“We have been invited to build a community on their homeworld sir. That kind of privilege is usually extended only to species that are sworn to each other in some way.” Vernon answers.
“That’s very interesting.”
“It was a very strategic move sir. The Empress... she’s one of those kinds of politicians where any action you take short of directly opposing them or attacking them is something they benefit from, and they also know how to handle someone directly opposing or attacking them. She’s friendly and benevolent, but when you realize just how many of her strings you’re dancing on... it’s disquieting.”
“I see, so how did setting up a human community on Serbow help?”
“She requested a specific type to explore the human ease at learning Apuk Sorcery. She did this to not only develop a large number of sorcerers that are more mentally stable than most, but to get ahead of the next few sorcerers, put her in well with humanity, distract the more troublesome nobility and likely more. That was one action. One.”
“Ah... one of those types. Is she scrambling to get things done or does it all seem effortless?”
“Effortless.”
“... Frightening.”
“She’s been directly ruling an entire species for multiple centuries. Even if she was originally installed as a puppet of some kind, which she was not, then she would have had enough time to gain all the skills she needs to be an unstoppable force in the political side of things.”
“I see, anything else?”
“You’ll need some context for this. You are aware that Apuk are naturally inclined to breathe fire using Axiom right?”
“I am.”
“Those trained to use it properly manifest Warfire, it’s... hard to describe. A fire where the heat lingers and pervades much more than normal. It’s like the fire contains their aggression.”
“I see, what of it?”
“There are four grades of Warfire easily distinguished by colour. Red is standard, Blue is considered an expert level, Green is the sheer strength of Battle Princesses only, but the final level is White Warfire, and only The Empress can manifest it at will.”
“I see.” Observer Wu states and Vernon shakes his head.
“Sir, Red Warfire can burn a hole into a starship over the course of a few minutes. It takes a single minute or less for Blue Warfire to do the same. A mere moment for Green Warfire and is so instantaneous for White Warfire it would cause an explosion as the solid metal is converted into a gas instantly.” Vernon explains.
“Really? They’re that dangerous?”
“Sir, it’s legally a form of suicide to attempt to fight a War Princess with odds any less than five to one.” Vernon says and Observer Wu looks impressed.
“I see, and your involvement with their cultural traditions and such?”
“Well, first was the Broken Shell Tournament. A large martial contest with six person free for all fights. The aim is to break the armour or ‘shell’ of all your opponents, not kill them or force them out of the ring. I made it to the final round before I grew upset at one of my opponents, locked her down entirely, and then broke my own armour and walked out. More or less ruining the woman’s reputation and social standing while imprinting myself into the cultural zeitgeist.”
“What happened to the woman in question?”
“She joined a monastery and after achieving journeyman status I offered her a recommendation into The Undaunted as compensation. She’s taken it from my understanding, but as you can imagine, she and I are not on good terms. Or really speaking terms.”
“I see, and the community that has been built?”
“It... kinda ties into our initial journey through Cruel Space.” Vernon says somewhat ruefully. “A lot of us played all kinds of pranks and jokes and things like that to try and stave off the boredom and cabin fever. One of which was banding around a soldier who has ninjas in his ancestry and... pretending to be his legion of ninjas.”
“... The people that took part in that are mostly in the community aren’t they?”
“Yes sir, we’ve built a hidden ninja village in The Dark Forest of Serbow. A massive communal entity that is simultaneously a single mind and the mind of every single thing in the forest.”
“A communal entity? Wait, you said everything in the forest. Does that include the men currently inside it?”
“And me right now. Think of my like a brain-cell to a larger body if you must. While I cannot ignore the needs of the rest of the body, I can also guide it, learn from it, and it’s strength is mine as my knowledge and skills belong to it.”
“And it’s not a security breach?”
“I’m able to keep secrets from it, but what I share with it stays with it. It has however flash taught me the local language of Cinder Tongue, as well as Classical and even Ancient Cinder Tongue. I know the Apuk language and much of their history better than some dedicated historians. Couple that with the extreme area control and tactical advantages of being bonded to the forest and it’s been regarded as a more than fair trade.”
“Area control?”
“The Dark Forest as an entity can absorb heat and grow stronger. I can cause a temporary extension of this ally to appear wherever I am. And considering lasers and plasma are the most commonly used forms of weaponry and Apuk Warfire, it’s a nearly perfect defence. Couple that with just how much it understands about Axiom use towards animals, plants and the earth itself and I can shatter the ground under me with a blink and refuse any solid ground to stand on to my enemies as well. Add on Woodwalking and I am untouchable to my enemies.”
“Woodwalking?”
“The Forest is alive and on my side. I carry a whisper of it within me wherever I go. The Forest can call me back to any extension of itself at any time. Meaning I can in effect always retreat to a safe location no matter the distance, access the supplies I have stored there no matter where I am, and have backup by my side at any moment. Facing a Dark Forest Sorcerer is such a tactical nightmare that we’re considered direct counters to Apuk Battle Princesses, which may I remind you, are legally suicide to fight one to one.” Vernon says. “To say nothing of the other Sorcerers. The Dreadmoss, The Blood Bark The Burning Stone, The Bonechewer, The City Shaker, The Leviathan Lord. Or my own title, The Bloody Prophet.”
“You’re The Bloody Prophet?”
“I recreated the Plagues of Egypt to stop feuding families from slaughtering each other. I am the only Sorcerer who’s title wasn’t earned with a body count. Even if only by a technicality.”
“A technicality?”
“Dare’Char Crushclaw is the Lydris born son of Brin’Char The Bonechewer. He assisted in one of his father’s rampages against his hated enemy by providing transport. While Dare’Char didn’t kill anyone directly, he still enabled his father in that regard.”
“So those nicknames are for supernatural serial killers?”
“It’s more complicated than that.”
“Please explain then.”
“It’s rather hard to, until I became the first human sorcerer, all sorcerers were the result of an Apuk boy or man being pushed to the breaking point. They then flee in the night and find solace in the shadow of The Dark Forest, it bonds with them, protects them and teaches them. But it also reminds them of what drove them to the forest to begin with. Which means that in a few short years, the former victim returns from The Dark Forest, immensly powerful and filled with unthinking rage. Until humans were on the scene, all sorcerers went on at least one rampage and earned their nicknames from them. Since we showed up... there were only two... technically three. One was Brin’Char finding his ancient enemy still alive, so he was set off. Another was when Cals’Tarn joined us, his home was under attack and we counterattacked for him. Saving his home and family. Then there was mine, but no casualties, does it really count as a rampage?”
“I would say bringing the literal wrath of god onto someone would count as a rampage, yes.” Observer Wu states. “I think we will be speaking face to face in short order. It’s quite clear that you are responsible for some fairly major changes.”
“I look forward to it, is there anything else?”
“Not at this time.”
“Good, because I’d like to get back to my wife.”
“You’ve only been apart for...” Observer Wu checks his watch. “Four minutes.”
“Five minutes too many. If you’ll excuse me.”
“You are excused.” Observer Wu says and he turns off the communicator.
~First~ Last

There have been so many for me. But one of them that sticks out is this one time I was travelling in an auto, and I always carry extra chocolates or packets of chips to hand out to kids if I spot any on the street. And there was this group of kids, and of course, I handed them a few chocolates, asked them their names and had a short conversation when the light was red. As soon as the light turned green, they were running beside my auto waving, smiling, screaming “Didi aap bohot sundar ho! Didi aap bohot achi ho!”. It still brings a smile to my face! (“:

Reason why I'm changing the title a bit is the fact that there already exists another Pokemon AU (in which the characters are trainers), so I'm changing mine's title for the sake of differentiation.
Okay, so keep in mind, this is all just for fun and may or may not be altered later if I find out it needs reworks for the sake of continuity. (This is why I won't add pictures in the same post bcuz reddit only lets me edit text of the posts without pictures, if you want, I can add pictures such as sketches or little doodles of the AU in the future posts.)
I plan to publish this in short parts, if you would rather have the entire thing published when it's done instead, let me know in the comments!
So, here it is; Pokefied AU story:
PART 1
...
Leena is a pokemon trainer and at firsth she had three pokemon in her team. They were a Nerdbird nicknamed Elijah, a Meolya nicknamed Elisa, and a Zvezdragon nicknamed Anthony and Diplomator (one name for each head).
It all started when she got Elijah. He was like her starter pokemon. He used to belong to a student friend of hers that, once they graduated, realized that they can no longer take care of Elijah the Nerdbird and entrusted him to her.
Shortly after, Leena decided to get Elijah some company so she bought an egg from the Shop and hatched it, which is how she got a Meolya that she nicknamed Elisa. That's why Elijah and Elisa had a sibling-like relationship with Elijah acting as a more experienced and older brother. He vas wery protective of Elisa and always went firsth into every battle.
Leena was very caring of those two, which is why later, when she decided to try and earn some gym badges, she had a hard time introducing other pokemon into the team because they rarley got along with Elijah and Elisa and were sometimes even mean to them. This would become a problem because the other pokemon she caught were often stronger. She wasn't shure why this kept happening. One theory she had is that it's because of the fact that Elijah and Elisa didn't seem to be able to evolve. Leena never really knew what Nerdbird and Meolya are supposted to evolve into, she just knew that they can. However, she didn't want to force them to evolve if they weren't ready, so she decided to not bother them with that and let them take things at their own pace. Weirdest thing about all that is that it seemed that Elijah knew he will have to evolve one day, but it was like he himself also didn't know into what.
After some time and a certain amount of gym badges, Leena managed to catch quite a powerful dragon type pokemon Zvezdragon. She was afraid that she will need to put him into the PC box after some time as well, but was suprised to see how well he got along with the firsth two (especially Elijah). It turns out that Zvezdragon is a kind pokemon that is eager to protect others from opponents that are unjustifiably stronger. He was the team's strongest pokemon and gave them a powerboost they needed.
So he was added to the team as well, which was celebrated by Leena nicknaming each of his heads with a name fitting to their personality: Diplomator and Anthony.
All of them worked so great together, Leena never really needed to add more pokemon to the team.
Untill the accident, of course.
...

Okay, this will be hard just because I don't really have any photographs of this as many of them were lost in floods and bad situations. Over the past few years a family member trashed my mothers house, losing a bunch of things. Among them is an old stuffed animal I loved and was something my late father gave me, Crocky the Crocodile stuffed animal (given name and could be an alligator technically). I know my dad gave him to me in the early 2000s as his work had extra stock (worked for UPS).
About the stuffed animal:

• This guy was sat upright and fully one color of green.
• As I remember him he was a darker green, but my stuffed animal was well loved and matted.
• His hands looked like mittens, with a larger palm and smaller thumb.
• He had a long snout with teeth on the side. Though there was black fabric under the showing teeth. Classic white triangles just on a black background
• he had two nostrils on his snout, just some black thread knotted and sewed in
• he had the early 2000s marble eyes on the top of his head, but facing out towards the sides
• he had spikes along his back, I think it was two rows, but mine was so matted they kind of disappeared
• in the middle of the back there was a Velcro opening that had a white pocket with a zipper inside to access the plushy fluff
• long tail with the spikes continued down it

I cannot find a picture of this stuffed animal. I have a really bad photo of my parents like "extra" crocodile, but its not that similar and a really bad photo. I loved this thing so much and it absolutely breaks me that I can't find the original, any help at all would be so much appreciated. Let me know any questions I can try to answer them.

Originally posted on Tumblr on 15 May 2023 (link) Slightly modified.
\Call it sympathetic magic: I'm posting this as much because I hope that it'll mean that a new webcomic chapter drops as it's still really relevant**
Remember that declaration from Garou? Looking at the city being destroyed block by block, I’ve realized it’s incredibly fitting for Genos.
Just look at the slaughter.
Burning civilization like it's trash.
Even chickens get more consideration as we underpay undocumented migrants to slash their throats. These people aren’t even livestock. Heck, they’re not even being treated as vermin: they’re not even being given the decency of being hated. They’re trash. Trash to be processed, to be burned automatically.
Lives, livelihoods, ways of life, all just wiped out. Mindlessly. At least there was a human in the machine when the rampaging cyborg came to burn Genos’s hometown to ashes. Now, it’s an automated process, a well-solved extermination optimization problem.
Not too differently from real life, genocide is just as political a crime here as it is IRL. Genos has been dismissed, called mad, ignored. Even Saitama hasn't taken his quest seriously. It's not out of edginess that he's changed his name to that of a heinous crime. It's not been convenient for the world to acknowledge the truth of what happened to not just his town, but several others.
This is why Genos has been so serious and in such a hurry to learn what he can from Saitama: he knew that a day like this would come, and was desperate to forestall it. It's too late now. Today, society can't ignore the problem, and tens of thousands of lives are already lost, with hundreds more being added every second.
No, you have no business being comfortable with this guy.
Yes, his name is Genocide. His name is a crime. His name is *the* crime that his society is happy to pretend isn’t happening. Understand the rage with which he chose his name, and don’t you dare sugarcoat it.
I really understand Genos’s rage anew when it stems from being treated as literal trash: it’s obscene. I understand why he wants to bring justice directly to the perpetrators, for them to feel, just for a second, the terror of annihilation they think nothing of inflicting on others.
Be strong, bloody, and resolute! Cleave your way through a forest of enemies. There may be a place for forgiveness, but not today. Not for people who treat humans as objects.
Is justice always done? No, of course not. But until it all goes dark, don’t stop trying to land that punch.

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Hey all, far and near
I’m a queer 22F who resides unemployed in Ohio, until the past few years, my life has been relatively decent for what I do and do not have. I used to work really hard and try to get what I want to the best of my abilities, although it’s difficult as hell, I try.
I was on top of not only school, but work as well, I was so certain I’d be a great individual and grow up to do amazing things, to be rightfully in the shadow of my hardworking parents. To get the chance to get out of this shit hole of a state, make a name for myself, become successful, meet a wonderful woman, start a family, the typical American dream.
Everything was as peachy as it could be for someone like me, then I graduated from high school in 2020, everything went downhill so fucking fast. I lost my job, had to finish the rest of my courses online, really rough end to my senior year because of Covid 19.
Then later that same year, I started going to college, I was doing good until I met my ex.
I was taking so many classes, I was going full time, so why would I take any less classes? It’s not like I was working.
To sum it up, she sucked up so much of my god damn time that I started to be academically dishonest, I went to community college to study computer science.
Fast forward to spring 2023, I don’t know what the fuck I learned, my ex is still being a pain in my ass, my dad fucking dies, and I haven’t held a job since 2022 (worked retail as a cashier briefly).
Fast forward to today, I’ve been unemployed for well over 2 years now, I can’t get a job in my field, and as if it wasn’t enough, I meet a chick who is from the west coast who I love more than anything on the planet.
I want to restart, I want to be successful with dignity, make enough money to support her and myself, but she’s in an even worse situation than I am, we’re both fucked. Bonus points since she’s way older than I am.
I am fucked
I want to do cybersecurity to try to salvage the little bit that I do know and the knowledge I’ve acquired while getting my associate’s, but it all feels fucking impossible. And even if I do, it seems like IT is eating shit as an industry right now. Now everyone is saying to stay AWAY from IT the moment I graduate (fun!)
I do not feel hopeful, by the time I do anything I’ll be close to my fucking 30s making shit pay and being behind everyone else, and I’m sure my current interest will move on too since I will not be independent fast enough.
At this point, a bullet through my skull is better than whatever this is.
Sorry for this post being long and probably confusing, I can’t think straight and I just want my life to mean something, but right now it truly means nothing.

So the machine did work fine, but did not keep settings/high score. So I got new Zram's from mouser, but now things are worse.
When I go to special functions to test the Zram it gives BAD on both chips immediately (BAD in red, chip names in blue, don't know if that means something). Accelerator and Clutch used to work fine, but not any more. In the test menu they do move, but I guess the base line never gets stored. Putting the old Zram ic's back does not help. All power rails looks fine.
It seems to keep time and date, as well as steering and brake values. I would think it's some other logic that is the issue, not the zram itself? Boards look pristine and I have checked the solder joints under microscope, and can't see anything obvious.
I am at a loss now, and hope someone here has struggled with this boards in the past?

So I've said before that I think The Princess if Vanessa. Even when The Sprite for The Princess was named Cassidy, I still believed The Princess to be Vanessa. But why, why do I think Vanessa was The Princess in The Princess Quest Games?
Well first there are the obivous reasons for me to believe this.
First there's the fact that The Princess has blonde hair similar to Vanessa, and Cassidy doesn't. Cassidy's hair is shown to be either black, or brown.
Secondly The Princess is fighting Glitchtrap in The Princess Quest Games. Yeah that black and purple mass thing often refered to as Malehare is defeantily Glitchtrap, and Vanessa would most defenilty want to try and free herself from Glitchtrap's influince.
Finally there's the whole fact that playing all The Princess Quest Games is what free's Vanessa from Glitchtrap's control, the question is Why though, why does playing Princess Quest free Vanessa? Could it be that it's because The Princess herself is Vanessa.
I know what some of you will say "But Gregory is the one playing The First 3 Princess Quest Games, and The Help Wanted 2 Protaganist is who plays the 4th one, so doesn't that mean The Princess is just an NPC.
Well I think I have an explamption for each.
For Gregory, it's possible that while Vanessa's mind was trapped in The Princess Quest Games, it maybe likely that she can't do anything unless someone plays the game, and controlls her. It's kind of like The souls of The Missing Children when they were trapped inside the Animatronics. Sure they could move around, somewhat, but it has been implied that they didn't have full control over their actions, and also they couldn't be free from the Animatronics until an outside force acted, and helped them. What if it's the same for Vanessa, she can't do anything while trapped in The Princess Quest Games until an outside force comes and plays the games.
As for Help Wanted 2, It's really unclear wheather or not That Princess Quest ending is even canon. I mean The Maskbot Ending does directly lead into Ruin, so it makes more sense for that one to be The Canon ending.
Plus it seems that in both endings we play as Cassie's dad, but if there's any evidence to suggest that we're actually playing as someone else in Princess Quest 4, then I can't be sure if it's canon or not.
So that's why I think Vanessa is The Princess.

Context:
I’m rewriting my WIP for the fifth (and hopefully last) time to make the story more character driven and make my characters motivations stronger. I’ve changed the first three chapters so many times I have no idea what’s good anymore. It’s a portal fantasy Reverse Harem with fated mates. You only meet two love interests in the intro (and one of them only shows up towards the very end of the set up), but I am just looking to see if my FMC's motivations make sense, or if I have made the Set Up too convoluted and given her too many goals.
**Please note the scenes I am posting have been written as an outline, and is not intended to read line by line like a finished manuscript. I will be writing it in First person POV when I finish plotting.**
Backstory (TLDR; Character A needs to gain access to the Other World so she can make a bargain to trade her Father's life for hers, we open on the 6th anniversary of him being taken, her 24th birthday. I ramble on for quite a bit so if you would like to get right into it please skip to Intro/Set Up)
Motivation:
Character A’s Father was stolen by otherworldly creatures 6 years ago and taken to their lands. Character A harbours guilt and blames herself because she disobeyed her Fathers rules and snuck into the woods with her friends on her 18th birthday to go swimming. Her Father came looking for her and that is when she witnessed him being taken.
In the area they live in, disappearances around the full moon were common, with many losing their loved ones over the last 50 years with no explanation. There were a lot of theories of aliens, bigfoot, cougars, werewolves, and only her Father claimed that magic wielding creatures were responsible.
Character A grew up being told stories about these lands, how the creatures enslaved humans to play in their games until they died for entertainment. Her Father told her magic was real but it was to be feared and to run from any sign of the unusual, forbade her from leaving her house after sunset or from ever going into the woods, and he always tried to keep her close to him.
He had a hard time holding down a job due to the grief he felt from losing Character A’s mother during childbirth and when he would drink he would make it known that he resented Character A for derailing his life, because now he was burdened with protecting her instead of living as a family. Her mother was buried there and her father refused to move away from her body. Character A internalized this, feeling guilty for being the reason he struggled so much, and spent her life caring for her father the way she would a child. Cooking, cleaning, paying bills, etc. She would even get revenge on his bosses for firing him. Her Father always claimed it was never his fault, that they were abusing their power and couldn’t handle somebody smarter than them, and losing his job would send him into an alcoholic depression.
Character A heard her Fathers words, and combined with the way out-of town business men had turned her small mountain town into their own personal resort, developed a deep hatred for anyone that held power. She would find little ways to get revenge on her Fathers bosses, and when she was older, spent her spare time getting revenge on the trust fund kids who didn’t care if their actions had consequences for the people living there.
She had a big dream of leaving her small town and exploring the world, but she felt responsible for her Father. She took care of him, and she was afraid of what would happen to him if she left, but she knew she was suffocating under him. Although her guilt and love for her father prevented her from seeing the full truth of what he was, narcissistic and abusive, deep down she knew and she became restless under his restriction.
When she was young she believed his stories but as she got older and never saw any evidence to back up his claims, the more she chaffed against his rules and started sneaking out. She wasn’t dumb, she always carried a knife and bear spray. She read up on what to do if you encountered a predator in the forest, and she begun stealing what little freedom she could for herself. She didn’t believe in magic, wolves and mountain lions were the only things that made sense to her.
Wound:
After her Father is taken Character A is broken. Everything her Father said was true, all he was trying to do was keep her safe, but she disobeyed him and now he was taken to a magical land to be tortured by never ending games. She is distraught and depressed. She begins sleeping in the woods, hoping to be taken too so her pain can end.
A few months later, at the end of summer, her best friend and boyfriend, the only people her father approved of her spending time with, tell her that they still plan to leave for the year long trip they were all going on. They want to start their lives, they think Character A has become delusional in the wake of her Fathers disappearance, they can’t be stuck there taking care of her, they can’t handle her emotions, they need a fresh start. She realizes they have been having an affair, she internalizes them telling her she is too much to handle and that she is unlovable. She was a burden on her father and then a burden on them. She doesn’t see them again for six years.
Present Day:
Character A has spent the last six years trying to get to the other world during the full moon. The weeks in between she spends physically training, researching anything she can, working just enough to cover her bills for the month, and distracting herself with casual flings or sleeping with the trust fund kids in order to gain access to something she wants to steal from them as payback for something they have done. She never lets herself get too close to anyone, knowing that she plans to disappear, but she partied with whoever is willing to distract herself until the next full moon.
Every passing year on her birthday she grows more and more desperate. She begins researching magic spells and rituals that might show her the entrance to the otherworld. She finds a newly discovered mushroom being sold that claims to help you see what is hidden from human eyes.
Character B:
A month ago Character B was sent from the other wolrld to retrieve Character A. She is the descendant of a lost royal line and they have received a vision from the goddess that she is her Heir, the key to defeating the darkness and restoring balance to the land. Character B does not live a good life in the other world, he is nothing but a glorified prisoner in his own life, and all he’s ever wanted was a family of his own, but because of the queen and his father, he cannot have that. He avoids confrontation, always choosing to run from his problems instead of fight. He first lays eyes on Character A as she is driving a motorcycle into a lake.
He is unsure if the vehicle is supposed to drive under water, so he waits a moment before trying to do a rescue. He doesn’t know it’s her until she swims up into the shore, and begins gathering weeds from the lakebed. he thinks she’s the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen and can’t imagine dragging her back to his world where she could be in danger. He wants to watch the curious human for a bit longer to see what she does
He silently follows her and watches her climb into a window and place the weeds around a man sleeping in a bed, then creep down the hallway to an office where she unlocks a safe and pulls out a stack of papers. She then meets up with somebody, hands over the papers with a hug, then walks into the forest.
She walks and walks and he realizes she heading towards the portal and gets nervous, until she reaches a tree with five different coloured ribbons tied around one branch. She takes a new yellow ribbon , adds it to the branch and continues walking until she reaches another tree with ribbons where she adds another ribbon, then walks to the very centre of both trees and sits down. She softly hums a tune to herself.
She seems relaxed, strong and confident, he thinks this must be some new human ritual he hadn’t heard of yet and her humming is soothing to him, but he notices a shiver. He feels a strong need. To wrap her up in a blanket and make her warm. He decides right then that he cannot take her back and ruin her peace, that he himself would not go back, that he would befriend her and they would hide together her in her world and they would be safe and happy. It was pointless trying to fight anyway, they were never going to win and it would be better for them both to be safe and far away from the evil queen.
The next morning he follows her to her favourite coffee shop, glamoured to look more human and remove his pointy ears, and introduces himself as a man trying to get away from his overbearing parents and family he doesn’t get along with.
Intro/Set Up
Chapter 1
-Character A is thinking about how she has to get laid tonight, because it will be her last chance before she disappears and probably dies. Character A is stealing some documents and a bunch of cash from a safe in The Guys home office, she pulls a bag out of her pocket and with it, a card for the bookstore she works at flutters under his desk. She puts the documents and money in the bag and bends down to pick it up when she notices the family photo on the desk and she stops.
It is a picture of The Guy, His Son that she stole and crashed his bike into a lake last month, and The Other Son that she may have killed nine months ago when she burned his cabin down. She is filled with rage when she looks at the photo and thinks she doesn’t regret what she’s done. Character B calling her phone snaps her out of it and when she hears someone come home, she leaves, but she forgets the card.
-She stops at the bookstore to give Coworker 1 the documents and money. Coworker 1 says she will never be able to thank her, that this was the last thing she needed she could get out of town. Character A tells her good luck and to give them hell. Coworker 1 is leaving town tomorrow, she connected with a journalist who can help her expose The Guy and once she does she won’t be able to come back. Coworker 1 is very grateful to her, and Character A makes sure to tell herself that they aren't friends, because friendship requires a level of vulnerability that Olivia could not give her, but she knew Coworker 1 was a good person and deserved so much more than what she got when The Other Son sexually assaulted her at work while His Son filmed it. How when she received a payout in exchange for her silence they knew it wasn’t the first time. They were determined to find further evidence, and they did. Signed NDA’s from all of the employees they had paid off in the past.
Character B joins them at the store. Character A is petting her beloved bookstore cat and goes to pull some treats out of her bag. Her hand brushes against a vial of red and white mushrooms and Character A hopes that they are the key she has been searching for. For six years she has felt like she has been brushing up against the edge of something, but has never been able to get herself to the other side. She was deep in a witchcraft discussion forum when somebody posted about a new discovery of mushrooms, one that allowed the ingestor to see through the Veil, to show them all the magic they cannot see. The poster was pretty insistent that it wasn’t just a trip, that they were able to see threads of magic. After years of failed meditating, drinking teas, burning herbs,and chanting spells around the ley line conversion and not finding anything, what did she have to lose with some magic mushrooms?
Character B calls her name, startling her from her thoughts and she knocks over a box of alien and bigfoot merch. Coworker 1 cracks a joke about being careful with the product or else the alien truthers will riot, Character A rolls her eyes at the people who flocked there in search of the wrong thing. Character B apologizes for startling her and says he was just admiring one of her new Boxwood Topiaries, three trees of varying height that ended with hearts on top, and she says she finished it yesterday.
She loves plants but, like a cat, she can’t commit to having them because she doesn’t plan to be around long, so she does topiary art as a compromise, and the extra money she earns goes towards buying her herbs and mushrooms. Her Father never managed to save much money and she wasn’t left with much after he was taken. She had to use her savings replacing the furnace in her home shortly after her Father was taken, and now she only worked enough to keep her living until the next paycheck. She spent the rest of her time training and researching. Preparing to go to Wonderland in search of her Father.
Character B is making friends with the cat, having charmed it onto its belly, and Coworker 1 gives Character A a knowing look. Character A shakes her head, says they are just hanging out, nothing serious. Coworker 1 says he could be good for her. She knew they had been hanging out, that Character A had let him stay at her house for the last two weeks. She wasn’t judging though, Character A seemed lighter around him, and he was so nice. She had seen him helping Mrs. Smith with her groceries the other day.
Character A thinks that was what initially warmed her up to him. Coworker 1 was right, she never brought guys home, but the first week that he was here he had never failed to notice when people needed help and always offered to lend a hand. Plus he was fun, and fun to look at, and he was always looking for a new adventure. He took her mind off of what a failure she was for not saving her Father yet, and he seemed relatively harmless. So when he said he had never seen her favorite comedy movie she just HAD to take him home to watch it. And he hadn’t left, she hadn’t asked him to. It was becoming a problem. Because she was going to disappear tonight, and a small part of her was beginning to feel sad she would never see him again. It was why she hadn’t slept with him yet, she knew she enjoyed his company just a little too much and wouldn’t risk any further attachment. Character A agreed that he was a good person but emphasized that it was just casual. Coworker 1 says alright, she will back off, and she will let them get to the party. She needs to finish packing and wants to leave as soon as possible. Character A says she understand, they hug and say goodbye.
Chapter 2
-Character A and Character B are walking to the Board Game party. They are dressed as Clue characters, she is Miss. Scarlet and Character B is Mr. Green. They had played every board game she owned, which was a lot of them, in order to decide what to dress up as for the Your Favorite Board Game Party. He turned out to be a good competitor and got way more into the games than she expected him to.
He hands her a cinnamon bun, her favorite, and tells her he had made a whole batch for her, claiming that he knew she hadn’t gotten one since they were hiking that morning, and all she had eaten that day was trail mix and beef jerky and he refuses to let her party on an empty stomach. She happily takes a huge bite, grateful for this one thing she loved before she left this world forever.
He says he’s been thinking and asks her to go traveling with him. She almost chokes on her food. His words rush out and he assures her he has money and can pay for everything and they can go anywhere she wants. Her heart sinks into her stomach. Before her Father went missing, an offer like that from a hot guy would have been her dream, but she couldn’t now, or ever. She looks at the half eaten cinnamon bun, thinks how he had made them because he had gotten coffee with her every morning for the last three weeks, and he saw how every Saturday and Sunday morning she would get a cinnamon bun the size of her face and eat it. She looks at the Green jacket he wore and remembers laughing in the thrift shop as he tried on a full leather catsuit while they searched for the perfect outfit for the party. He was too good. She begins to think that in another life, they could go. They could adopt an adventure cat and take it with them on their world travels, but that wasn’t possible for her. She wasn’t staying in this world, and even if she was, she was too messed up. Too broken. Too much of a burden. And she could never give all of herself to one person ever again, she did it twice, and was broken by both of them because she was too much.
She decides he’s gotten too close and she needs to push him away, so in the hopes that it will scare him, she explains that she can’t leave because her Father was stolen by a magical creature and taken to the Other World. She tells him the entire story her father told her, of creatures luring people to the Other World and keeping them for the Queen's entertainment, forced to be pawns in her games. They are ruthless and obsessed with games and everything reeks of roses. She tells him its her fault that he got taken and she can’t live with herself until she either gets him back or gets revenge for his death.
Character B begins pleading with her, telling her she shouldn't go. She is surprised he doesn’t balk or think she is crazy. He isn’t looking at her the way Ex-Bestfriend and Ex-Boyfriend did, like they feared she would infect them with her crazy, no, he looks at her with genuine terror in his eyes. She stops walking, they are just outside the party house. What do you know? She says. He inhales and steps forward, desperation etched into hs features, and says that he knows that everything she said was true, and that it is much worse than she even thinks. That if she goes, she will not make it back here. It’s too dangerous, and he just wants to keep her safe. She is flabbergasted, and checks over his features for signs. No pointed ears, no animalistic features such as scales or a tail, no strange eyes. How do you know all this? He doesn’t answer, his mouth works like he’s trying to come up with something and betrayal starts to roil in her gut.
Before he has the chance to lie, two men throw their arms around their shoulders. It is the couple that Character A hooks up with on occasion. They start walking them into the house and the one with Character A asks if she wants to come over later for a joint and to hook up. She tries to muster up a yes, it is what she wanted after all, but she can’t think straight after her conversation with Character B. She turns back to see he’s been steered into a conversation with a few other people and thinks she needs a drink to calm herself and give her some courage.
-She walks into the kitchen for a glass and bumps into her Ex-Boyfriend. She is thrown for a loop again. He says Happy Birthday and remarks that he didn’t think he would find her at a party today, since he knows how much she hates her birthday. Character A is surprised to see him and momentarily forgets about Character B, and asks what they’re doing back in town. He says its because Ex-Bestfriends mom is still missing. Character A says, oh, right. And feels stupid for thinking she wouldn’t run into them. She was devastated to hear Ex-BFFs Mom had been taken, she was like a second mother to her, but after Ex-BFF left she couldn’t stand to look at her Mom anymore and remember what she had lost.
He mentions something about the baby coming soon and Ex-BFF wanting to be as close to her mom as she can. Character A questions the baby and he tells her they are pregnant. Character A flashes back to both of them telling her they were leaving and couldn’t stay in contact with her anymore, that she had become too much for them to handle on the horizon of their new lives. She noted the way they looked at each other and how their knees pressed together, and that was when she knew they had been having an affair. She comes back to the present when he leans in close and says he actually wants to ask her some questions about her dad. She sees a familiar head with a mop of blonde hair moving through the crowd towards them. Seeing Ex-Boyfriend was bad enough, she cannot see Ex-Bestfriend. See her pregnant. And now he wants to hear what she has to say about the disappearances? You can go fuck yourself, she spits and walks away before he can say anything else, and thankfully, before Ex-Bestfriend reaches her. She thinks his betrayal hurt her, but her betrayal broke her.
-She is fleeing the kitchen, heading for the back door, desperate to get away from them, when she bumps into an attractive man in a red velvet sport coat with a red velvet top hat. They are both imprinted with roses. He apologizes for bumping into her and her heart skips a beat, thinking of the Queen's obsession with roses. She asks him who he's supposed to be and he smiles but pauses before saying his name is Character C, he’s friends with Character B, and her heart stops all together. A chill runs through her and Character B interrupts and asks him what he’s doing here. Character C hugs him and says its good to see him and says he thought he was dead. Character C turns to Character A and says that he took off for a month without saying anything, could she even believe it? And they had an important event that the three of them needed to attend tonight. Character B starts to argue with Character C when Character A hears her name called. The Guy she stole from is there, he holds up the card to the bookstore that fell under his desk and said he wants the contents of his safe back, and maybe the sheriff will go easy on her if she returns it, or maybe he won't since he will also be investigating his cabin burning down and one of his sons going missing. Character A plays dumb but he grabs her around the neck and says he knows it was her, she’s a pathetic bum just like her father. Character B punches him, forcing him to release her and they begin fighting. The other partygoers jump to Character A’s defense and start fighting the other guys that came with him. Character C picks up Character A after she was knocked over to keep her from being trampled, and Character B breaks away when The Guy starts fighting with someone else. So they turn and head for the door, but The Guy's Son, the same one from last month who she stole the bike from, blocked the back door.
-Character A turns and together they run into the basement, locking the door behind them. They run down the stairs and into a bedroom where she locks the door again. She whips out her knives and points one at Character C. “Why do you want me to go to the Other World?” He holds up his hands and smiles, “I need your help finding a weapon that will help me defeat the Queen .” “Why me?” “The Goddess showed me in a dream that it is you. I will pay you in gold and return you back here, unharmed, once you find it.” Character A hears them break through the basement door and descend the stairs. “Fine, I’ll help you do it.” Character B protests and steps forward but she gestures the knife at him and he stops. “But first, you will help me find my Father and send him back here. Alive. And healthy.” All she knows about the Other World is what she could glean from her Fathers stories and what she was able to research about lore, but she had no idea what was accurate and what was not. She would be a fool to think she should turn away help if she could bargain for it. “I will help you find you Father, but it won’t be until after tonight, we must attend the Queens party so you can search for the weapon, this is the best opportunity we will have for another year.” The Guy begins banging on the door. She took it back, she was being a fool, she had very little hope that she would be able to fulfill her end of the bargain, but she was out of time, and she may never have a chance to get to the Other World again. “Deal.” She says as she steps forward to shake his hand. Character C grasps it and an electrical charge runs up her arm. He pulls a small vial out of his pocket. He dumps some black sparkly powder on his tongue and a hole appears in the floor. Grabbing Character B’s hand as well they jump through it just as the door breaks open.
If you have read this far, seriously thank you so much and I love you and if you want feedback on anything please direct me to where I can provide it!
I wanted to note that the mention about her potentially killing The Other Son is relevant to the plot because he did not die in the fire, he was lured to the Other World and will be there as an antagonist when Character A shows up. Also, the mushrooms become relevant to her finding the weapon in book 2. She gets sidetracked this book by finding her father and bargaining to take his place in the game (the party they are attending is to watch this game take place) and having to fight her way out of them. The entire first book takes place over the course of one single night.

I keep reading over and over that results are so much quicker and better when you make your own, and I really want to try it. I have everything I need and am ready to give it a go. I honestly don't like the sound of my own voice, but will tolerate it if you think using your own voice is better than using AI. I mean, it seems like using AI would just be like listening to someone else's sub? Has anyone tried both AI and their own voice?
Also, should I use "you" or "I" when saying affirmations? And should I say my own name?
I really appreciate anyone who takes the time to answer.