Welcome, esteemed members of AskGlaucoma! We extend our heartfelt gratitude to each and every one of you for gracing us with your presence. As a nascent community, we are brimming with excitement to witness the burgeoning participation from all of you.
You are all invited to create a post to share your unique story. Introduce yourself. Say hello. Pose the questions that stir your curiosity, or tell us what is on your mind. We eagerly await your contributions!
Within these virtual walls, you will discover not only a comforting embrace 🫂 and an outpouring of kindness but also an acknowledgment that living with glaucoma transcends the mere biology of optic nerve cells. It is an emotional odyssey, one that takes us through multiple stages of profound sentiment as we journey through our lives with glaucoma. Indeed, it shapes us in multifaceted ways.
The experience almost always starts off as stressful and emotionally difficult. However, it does not have to stay that way. A lot of us have positive stories to tell.
Sharing encouragement, stories of growth, life lessons we have learned and stories of personal transformation are all a big part of our community culture in AskGlaucoma. This collective ethos lies at the very heart of our community.
Allow me to point you to this post I created not long ago:
Love, Eye Pressure, And Dogs : AskGlaucoma
That post reaches back to a lesson I learned in 2007, soon after I had started self-tonometry. The connections between my emotions and my intraocular pressure amazed me then, and the (now predictable) interplay between them has continued to hold true for the last 16+ years.
Glaucoma (when empowered by self-tonometry) has been a conduit through which I have come to more fully apprehend my emotional landscape -- an unexpected blessing in my life's journey. That's one of several ways glaucoma has been a blessing in my life. Furthermore, understanding the connection between my IOP and my emotions helps me manage my IOP better!
From my experience moderating another glaucoma community since 2006, I know that I'm not alone in being able to:

• Discover glimmers of positivity amidst the challenges of living with glaucoma,
• Garner wisdom from this unique life experience,
• Harness its transformative power to emerge as a more enlightened individual.

Should you hold a tale of inspiration or enlightenment akin to these, we implore you to share it with us. If you were previously unaware of the potential for glaucoma to illuminate someone's life journey, we hope that these stories will serve as a wellspring of inspiration, empowering you in unimaginable ways.
Never hesitate to recount your own experiences, particularly the arduous ones.
The culture of AskGlaucoma is one that fosters resilience, compassion, and unwavering support. When glaucoma casts a pall over your spirit, seek solace within your newfound community that stands united in uplifting one another.
I learned not only that my emotions have a tremendous impact on my IOP, but I also learned a lot about emotions in general. I understand now that there are no "bad" emotions. (There are, however, bad reactions to emotions.) Through self-acceptance, including the embrace of our emotional states, we embark on a journey of personal growth and empowerment. Indeed, our inner strength flourishes when we learn that we can find comfort and inner peace amid the tempest of challenging emotions.
Difficult emotional experiences are part of living with glaucoma. Delving into these experiences and using them as a springboard for growth is a unique culture we can collectively cultivate in AskGlaucoma.
Your introductory posts, inquiries, comments, and all contributions are warmly anticipated.
Let us remember that AskGlaucoma adheres to strict moderation policies, wherein the paramount rule is simple yet profound: "Be kind."
Let us eschew the impulse to downvote and instead rally together, supporting one another, and ultimately nurturing a culture of elevation and empowerment.

Source: https://www.lepoint.fculture/megalopolis-de-coppola-a-quoi-faut-il-s-attendre-11-05-2024-2559890_3.php

President and founder of Le Pacte, Jean Labadie talks to Le Point Pop about his negotiations with Coppola, and what to expect from a film which, we hope, will mark a new consecration for César Coppola rather than the definitive fall of his empire. We can already hear some people sharpening their blades on social networks and mocking the images - however intriguing - of the very first extract recently unveiled by Le Pacte. O Tempora, O mores!

Le Point: When did you first see Megalopolis?
Jean Labadie: I discovered it in Los Angeles about two weeks ago, in the Imax screening room. In Cannes, the first screening of the film will take place for the daily press on the morning of May 16, in the Imax room at the Cineum Cannes-La Bocca. Before seeing the film, I had already made a proposal to American Zoetrope [Francis Ford Coppola's company, editor's note], which was approved in principle. I saw the film a second time recently at a screening organized for the Goodfellas team [Vincent Maraval's company, responsible for the international sales of Megalopolis] at the Pathé Quai-d'Ivry Imax theater.
Why do you think you were chosen? What did you bring to the table that made the difference with your competitors?
As you can imagine, we can't divulge the terms of the acquisition. It was a classic deal and a very simple contract of about twenty pages, including the traditional blah-blah. It was a fairly easy negotiation, but I was fortunately supported by two men who were my godfathers in the process: Thomas Langmann and Paul Rassam. From there on in, I'll leave you to dream about the sums!
As for the release date of Megalopolis in France, I can't confirm anything yet, since a “hold back” clause stipulates that we're committed to waiting for the film's American release before distributing it in French cinemas. This will probably be the same week, to avoid piracy. There are only 22 Imax theaters in France, and that's a long way from covering the whole country. So we'll be releasing the film in all the best cinemas possible, with exhibitors committed to meeting the technical screening conditions demanded by Coppola.
Without giving anything away, what can you expect from Megalopolis?
It's a film that's going to surprise you all the time, both in its narrative and in its form. It dares to be daring, and I defy viewers to predict what's going to happen from one sequence to the next. It's an approach that's unimaginable in cinema today, but it won't stop you from feeling extraordinary emotion and intellectual stimulation, because the film is so much about our society today and tomorrow. Megalopolis is about our lives, politics, science, time, family, creation, the trace we leave behind... All themes with which Coppola's cinema is familiar.
Above all, it's a spectacular film with an original visual universe. Its story is based on a tale that has spanned the centuries, since the point of departure is inspired by the historian Sallustus' account of the conjuration of Catilina [a political plot to seize power in Rome in 63 B.C. by the senator Lucius Sergius Catilina; Sallustus published his historical work in 43 B.C., editor's note]. Megalopolis is a film of incredible richness and ambition. You'll hear dialogue in English and Latin, but it's accessible to the general public - you just have to let yourself go.
If it's accessible to the general public, why have the major studios turned their backs on it?
First of all, the studios' operating structures are so cumbersome that they almost never buy a film they haven't initiated themselves. And anyway, they're not the same companies that Coppola, Scorsese or Spielberg were at the start of their careers. The majors are now run by people who follow the stock market above all else. Look at the current rumors surrounding Sony's takeover of Paramount. If a studio were to receive scripts for The Panic in Needle Park, Midnght Cowboy or The Conversation, it would refuse to distribute them.
I've got nothing against Barbie, I'm always happy when a film is a popular success, but clearly Megalopolis isn't Barbie. In any case, I have enormous confidence in the public. You have to trust them, they're much more intelligent than some industry professionals think, and Megalopolis has everything it takes to appeal to a wide theatrical audience. Yes, it's obviously aimed at film buffs, but it's spectacular in every sense of the word and should appeal to a wide audience.
Who are the film's other distributors outside Le Pacte and Goodfellas for international rights?
This Monday [May 13, editor's note] the list of the four other European distributors of Megalopolis outside Le Pacte will be revealed, for Germany, Italy, England and Spain, all chosen one after the other by Francis Ford Coppola, on the advice of his partner and lawyer Barry Hirsch and also Paul Rassam, who is still his true advisor. All of us distributors are convinced that this is a film for a wide audience.
How do you feel about the Cannes competition screening?
For me as a cinephile, it's an incredible thrill and an extraordinary opportunity to be the distributor of one of the most eagerly awaited films of the Cannes Festival. It's a film that will make a huge impression, I'm sure. It represents a great artistic and economic risk, and I think it's fantastic that Francis Ford Coppola continues to take unheard-of risks and to go so far against the major studios with their formatted products. With his own means, in total freedom, with an innovative film on a budget of $120 million. With the exception of Oppenheimer, there are few 100% studio-funded films that don't have to bow to artistic compromise.

Source: https://www.lepoint.fculture/megalopolis-de-coppola-a-quoi-faut-il-s-attendre-11-05-2024-2559890_3.php

President and founder of Le Pacte, Jean Labadie talks to Le Point Pop about his negotiations with Coppola, and what to expect from a film which, we hope, will mark a new consecration for César Coppola rather than the definitive fall of his empire. We can already hear some people sharpening their blades on social networks and mocking the images - however intriguing - of the very first extract recently unveiled by Le Pacte. O Tempora, O mores!

Le Point: When did you first see Megalopolis?
Jean Labadie: I discovered it in Los Angeles about two weeks ago, in the Imax screening room. In Cannes, the first screening of the film will take place for the daily press on the morning of May 16, in the Imax room at the Cineum Cannes-La Bocca. Before seeing the film, I had already made a proposal to American Zoetrope [Francis Ford Coppola's company, editor's note], which was approved in principle. I saw the film a second time recently at a screening organized for the Goodfellas team [Vincent Maraval's company, responsible for the international sales of Megalopolis] at the Pathé Quai-d'Ivry Imax theater.
Why do you think you were chosen? What did you bring to the table that made the difference with your competitors?
As you can imagine, we can't divulge the terms of the acquisition. It was a classic deal and a very simple contract of about twenty pages, including the traditional blah-blah. It was a fairly easy negotiation, but I was fortunately supported by two men who were my godfathers in the process: Thomas Langmann and Paul Rassam. From there on in, I'll leave you to dream about the sums!
As for the release date of Megalopolis in France, I can't confirm anything yet, since a “hold back” clause stipulates that we're committed to waiting for the film's American release before distributing it in French cinemas. This will probably be the same week, to avoid piracy. There are only 22 Imax theaters in France, and that's a long way from covering the whole country. So we'll be releasing the film in all the best cinemas possible, with exhibitors committed to meeting the technical screening conditions demanded by Coppola.
Without giving anything away, what can you expect from Megalopolis?
It's a film that's going to surprise you all the time, both in its narrative and in its form. It dares to be daring, and I defy viewers to predict what's going to happen from one sequence to the next. It's an approach that's unimaginable in cinema today, but it won't stop you from feeling extraordinary emotion and intellectual stimulation, because the film is so much about our society today and tomorrow. Megalopolis is about our lives, politics, science, time, family, creation, the trace we leave behind... All themes with which Coppola's cinema is familiar.
Above all, it's a spectacular film with an original visual universe. Its story is based on a tale that has spanned the centuries, since the point of departure is inspired by the historian Sallustus' account of the conjuration of Catilina [a political plot to seize power in Rome in 63 B.C. by the senator Lucius Sergius Catilina; Sallustus published his historical work in 43 B.C., editor's note]. Megalopolis is a film of incredible richness and ambition. You'll hear dialogue in English and Latin, but it's accessible to the general public - you just have to let yourself go.
If it's accessible to the general public, why have the major studios turned their backs on it?
First of all, the studios' operating structures are so cumbersome that they almost never buy a film they haven't initiated themselves. And anyway, they're not the same companies that Coppola, Scorsese or Spielberg were at the start of their careers. The majors are now run by people who follow the stock market above all else. Look at the current rumors surrounding Sony's takeover of Paramount. If a studio were to receive scripts for The Panic in Needle Park, Midnght Cowboy or The Conversation, it would refuse to distribute them.
I've got nothing against Barbie, I'm always happy when a film is a popular success, but clearly Megalopolis isn't Barbie. In any case, I have enormous confidence in the public. You have to trust them, they're much more intelligent than some industry professionals think, and Megalopolis has everything it takes to appeal to a wide theatrical audience. Yes, it's obviously aimed at film buffs, but it's spectacular in every sense of the word and should appeal to a wide audience.
Who are the film's other distributors outside Le Pacte and Goodfellas for international rights?
This Monday [May 13, editor's note] the list of the four other European distributors of Megalopolis outside Le Pacte will be revealed, for Germany, Italy, England and Spain, all chosen one after the other by Francis Ford Coppola, on the advice of his partner and lawyer Barry Hirsch and also Paul Rassam, who is still his true advisor. All of us distributors are convinced that this is a film for a wide audience.
How do you feel about the Cannes competition screening?
For me as a cinephile, it's an incredible thrill and an extraordinary opportunity to be the distributor of one of the most eagerly awaited films of the Cannes Festival. It's a film that will make a huge impression, I'm sure. It represents a great artistic and economic risk, and I think it's fantastic that Francis Ford Coppola continues to take unheard-of risks and to go so far against the major studios with their formatted products. With his own means, in total freedom, with an innovative film on a budget of $120 million. With the exception of Oppenheimer, there are few 100% studio-funded films that don't have to bow to artistic compromise.

Source: 🔗 Chat with Lifelike Virtual Personalities — talkiemate.com
Character AI interactions represent the forefront of artificial intelligence, enabling virtual characters to deliver personalized and human-like conversations that captivate users1. By incorporating AI, deep learning, and natural language processing, these character AI systems offer tailored, realistic dialogues that elevate user engagement across multiple domains1.
This advancement in AI not only enhances the digital experience but also plays a pivotal role in industries like gaming, education, and customer service by creating more immersive and interactive environments1. As we explore the capabilities and applications of character AI, we uncover the potential for significant impacts on how individuals learn, connect, and interact with technology1.
Creating Personalized Virtual Characters
Advanced Tools and Techniques

1. Utilizing AI Tools for Character Creation

To craft personalized virtual characters, advanced AI tools such as Midjourney and ChatGPT are employed for designing and animating characters. These tools enable the creation of detailed and realistic AI characters 3.

1. Voice and Animation Integration

Innovative voice tools like ElevenLabs and animation platforms such as Vyond are utilized to add life-like animations and voices to these characters, making them more engaging for the audience 3.
Personalized YouTube Characters

1. Development Process

The creation of a personalized YouTube character involves several steps starting from brainstorming ideas to animating the character, ensuring each character aligns with the creator’s brand identity 2.

1. Branding and Authenticity

These characters not only enhance the content’s appeal but also help in maintaining anonymity while providing a unique brand identity and authenticity to the creator’s content 2.
Applications and Benefits

1. Diverse Applications

AI avatars created can be utilized across various platforms like gaming streams, social media, and even professional settings like business cards and marketing materials 4.

1. Community Engagement

Such characters play a crucial role in building a solid online community and can creatively enhance marketing strategies 4.
Educational and Professional Use

1. Learning and Development

AI virtual characters are extensively used in sectors like education and customer service to provide personalized learning experiences and customer interactions 6.

1. Multilingual Support

Platforms like Synthesia allow the creation of AI characters that support over 120 languages, making them versatile tools in global marketing and communications 6.
Ethical Considerations

1. Privacy Concerns

While these technologies offer significant benefits, they also raise important privacy and security concerns due to the personal data they require to function 1.
This section explores the various facets of creating personalized virtual characters, highlighting the tools, benefits, and ethical considerations involved in their development and application.
The Technological Backbone
Character AI technology is revolutionizing user engagement through sophisticated algorithms and processing techniques. These virtual entities are not just scripted responders but are capable of understanding and reacting to human emotions and expressions using advanced AI, deep learning, and natural language processing 1.
Core Technologies in Character AI
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Essential for interpreting user inputs and providing responses that are contextually appropriate, NLP utilizes intelligent tagging and heuristics to enhance interaction realism 7.
Machine Learning and Deep Learning
These technologies form the foundation for learning from interactions, allowing character AI to improve over time, making them more personalized and responsive 1.
Speech Recognition and Generation
Incorporating speech-to-text (STT) and text-to-speech (TTS) technologies, character AI can engage in verbal interactions, further enhanced by natural language generation (NLG) for creating human-like responses 7.
Emotional and Visual Recognition
Through machine vision and emotional modeling, AI characters can perceive and react to user emotions and facial expressions, creating deeper levels of engagement 12.
Specialized AI Implementations
Domain-Specific Virtual Assistants
Tailored for particular industries, these assistants are optimized to handle industry-specific tasks, providing expert assistance and improving operational efficiency 7.
Interactive Voice Assistants
Using advanced voice recognition, these assistants respond to vocal queries, making technology accessible through natural conversational interfaces 7.
Advanced Development Platforms
NVIDIA’s AI Technologies
Platforms like NVIDIA ACE and NVIDIA NeMo support the development of highly realistic and responsive AI avatars, using technologies such as Audio2Face for facial animation and Riva for lifelike speech 13.
Generative AI Services
These services provide custom AI solutions across sectors, supporting everything from sales to healthcare, enhancing capabilities through AI-driven data analysis and decision-making processes 14.
Character AI is a testament to the strides being made in artificial intelligence, with each technological advancement opening new possibilities for interactive and personalized digital experiences. These technologies not only enhance the functionality of AI avatars but also ensure they are adaptable and efficient in real-world applications.
Applications Across Industries
Expanding Horizons: Character AI in Diverse Sectors
Education and Learning
Character AI has significantly transformed the educational landscape by making language learning more interactive and accessible for learners of all ages. This technology tailors educational content to individual learning speeds and styles, enhancing engagement and retention 1.
Gaming Industry Innovations
In gaming, character AI elevates user experience by creating dynamic, responsive environments which adapt to player interactions, making gameplay more immersive and realistic 1.
Real Estate Enhancements
AI-powered virtual agents in real estate are revolutionizing client interactions by providing detailed, personalized property tours, which help in making informed decisions without geographical constraints 12.
Entertainment Sector
Character AI’s impact on entertainment extends beyond gaming; it’s reshaping how audiences engage with content, offering customized experiences and interactions that were previously not possible 1.
Daily Problem Solving
In everyday scenarios, character AI aids in problem-solving by offering timely advice and fostering innovative thinking, which is invaluable in fast-paced decision-making environments 1.
Marketing and Sales
AI avatars are now fundamental in marketing and sales strategies across various platforms, enhancing customer interaction with brands and improving sales through personalized communication 9.
Widespread Industry Applications
Character AI and machine learning find applications in numerous sectors such as financial services, healthcare, and agriculture, driving innovations like predictive maintenance and process automation, which streamline operations and enhance service delivery 15.
Economic Impact of Generative AI
Generative AI is set to contribute up to $4.4 trillion annually to the global economy, influencing sectors from healthcare to energy, highlighting the vast potential and broad applicability of AI technologies 16.
Generative AI Use Cases
The versatility of generative AI spans several industries including retail, e-commerce, and education, where its capabilities support everything from content creation to e-learning solutions, demonstrating its transformative potential across sectors 16.
Challenges and Ethical Considerations
Privacy and Security Concerns
Character AI collects user data to personalize experiences, raising significant privacy and security concerns1. Ensuring robust safeguards against data breaches and unauthorized access to sensitive information is critical20. The challenge lies in implementing effective protections from extensive surveillance while maintaining the functionality of AI systems20.
Ethical and Societal Impacts
AI systems can perpetuate and amplify biases, potentially leading to discrimination in critical areas such as employment and justice20. The development of AI-powered autonomous weapons also raises ethical concerns, necessitating responsible deployment to prevent catastrophic consequences20. Addressing these issues requires collaboration among technologists, policymakers, and ethicists20.
Transparency and Accountability
AI operates in a “black box,” making it difficult to understand how decisions are made20. This lack of transparency complicates the assignment of responsibility for AI decisions, which is essential for accountability20. Algorithms transforming notions of privacy and the challenges in detecting harms and assigning blame further complicate ethical considerations21.
Bias and Fairness
AI systems reflect the biases of their designers and the data they are trained on, leading to potentially discriminatory outcomes21. These biases can affect individuals and groups, contributing to stigmatization and undermining autonomy in personalized content21. Ensuring fairness in AI interactions and decision-making processes is a paramount challenge21.
Impact on Employment
The integration of AI in various sectors can lead to job displacement, requiring proactive measures such as retraining programs to facilitate a just transition for affected workers20. Balancing technological advancement with its impacts on the workforce is crucial for sustainable development20.
Conclusion
Throughout this exploration of character AI interactions, we’ve navigated the confluence of technology and human-like engagement, highlighting the transformative power of AI in creating personalized, interactive experiences. From its applications in education, gaming, and customer service, to its role in enhancing digital content across platforms, the dynamic capabilities of character AI underscore a shift towards more immersive and tailored experiences. The integration of advanced tools like natural language processing, machine learning, and emotional recognition, alongside ethical considerations and user privacy, shapes the ongoing evolution of character AI, ensuring its relevance across various sectors.
As we reflect on the broad implications of this technological frontier, it’s clear that character AI holds significant promise in fostering connections, enhancing learning experiences, and revolutionizing industries. However, navigating the challenges related to privacy, bias, and ethical use remains paramount to harnessing the full potential of these systems responsibly. The journey of integrating character AI into our digital lives is just beginning, inviting further research, innovation, and thoughtful discussion to fully realize its benefits while mitigating potential risks, thereby shaping a future where technology and humanity intersect more seamlessly than ever before.
FAQs
Is Character.AI suitable for 13-year-olds?
Character AI is not recommended for children as it lacks parental control features, making it unsuitable for users under 13.
Does Character.AI have access to your conversations?
Character AI prioritizes user privacy, ensuring that chat creators cannot access personal conversations. Although the system records chats to enhance performance, users should remain cautious about sharing sensitive information. Additionally, users have the option to make their chatbot personalities public or private, enhancing security.
Are you interacting with real individuals on Character.AI?
Character AI does not facilitate conversations with real people. The platform was designed to mimic the experience of talking to a real person, achieving a realistic interaction through artificial intelligence.
How safe is Character.AI?
Character AI is considered a safe and reliable chatbot platform. It protects the privacy of your conversations from the creators, though it does store data to improve the service. Users should still be cautious about the information they share during chats.
References
[1] – https://myscale.com/blog/profound-influence-character-ai-daily-interactions/[2] – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE1jAAEujeU[3] – https://elevenlabs.io/blog/how-to-create-ai-characters/[4] – https://www.canva.com/create/avatars/[5] – https://www.toolify.ai/ai-news/create-your-own-personal-ai-assistant-with-character-ai-5918[6] – https://www.synthesia.io/tools/digital-human[7] – https://mobidev.biz/blog/ai-virtual-assistant-technology-guide[8] – https://sensoriumarc.com/articles/what-are-ai-avatars[9] – https://www.maginative.com/article/ai-characters-and-avatars-may-be-the-future-of-content-creation/[10] – https://www.eweek.com/artificial-intelligence/generative-ai-enterprise-use-cases/[11] – https://www.samsungnext.com/blog/the-future-of-ai-generated-characters[12] – https://xrvizion.medium.com/how-ai-agents-are-shaping-the-future-of-virtual-interactions-71e00744e260[13] – https://nvidianews.nvidia.com/news/nvidia-digital-human-technologies-bring-ai-characters-to-life-6900750[14] – https://www.leewayhertz.com/ai-use-cases-and-applications/[15] – https://www.cio.com/article/652775/12-most-popular-ai-use-cases-in-the-enterprise-today.html[16] – https://hatchworks.com/blog/software-development/generative-ai-use-cases/[17] – https://www.wired.com/story/artificial-intelligence-ai-non-player-characters-npcs-future/[18] – https://medium.com/@troy.dunshuni9357/unveiling-the-rise-of-character-ai-redefining-virtual-interactions-670ac02205d0[19] – https://litslink.com/blog/create-ai-assistant[20] – https://www.captechu.edu/blog/ethical-considerations-of-artificial-intelligence[21] – https://www.coe.int/en/web/bioethics/common-ethical-challenges-in-ai[22] – https://blog.cubed.run/the-future-of-creativity-revolutionizing-digital-interaction-with-character-ai-7b1fdbad7a95

Why don't we just move on, like I have seen multiple discussions still happening on whether sukuna could win against gojo without 10s or not, it's narratively stated that he is stronger by gojo and others, no point in arguing how he would win because gaygay will pull something we have never seen out of his ass and make him win.
Could we have predicted gojo expanding size of his domain's barrier just because he was inside prism realm or did we expected sukuna to get his domain after his black flash instead of rct, or did we factor in black flashes gojo landed in the fight while sukuna didn't land one, or binding vows which he can make during the fight and beat him, or he could've just learned the space cleave on his own because he is sukuna just like how gojo learned to heal his burned out rct after domains. Like space cleave is called a plot device while things gojo pulled are called "skills". I know it's agenda for some while others genuinely are still arguing, we are not writing the story and we can't predict.
There are many arguments on who would win but if the actual battle played out none of it is how it would actually go, and sukuna will win cause plot demands it and gojo will die, like everyone knew that before the fight even started.
Also I think sukuna using binding vows speaks of his skills instead like he doesn't have the most OP cursed technique like gojo, gojo himself said it that his limitless is far superior, yet he accepted that sukuna was above him which even surprised geto, sukuna works around his weakness though binding vows like his falme arrow is underwhelming even though he makes it destructive, gege could've have given sukuna the op cursed technique we all expected him to have but it's average, we saw the fire arrow in the Shibuya arc and now we got the explanation on how it behaved differently against jogo and against mahoraga. I think this all is supposed to be connected to his backstory as an unwanted child.
Also his binding vows did have equivalent drawbacks, like imagine if he didn't need to use three hands and chants to use the world cleave, he would be spaming it and wouldn't be in the situation he was in right now and the vow is such that only sukuna with 4 arms can use it, no one else which could do it, it's like cheating the system which he did with Yuji as well, also his vow to use the fire arrow was already foreshadowed earlier, keep in mind sukuna has to loose here so each thing that is restricting him is needed. That domain that he used will come back to bite him.

The Chinese zodiacs predict how the strawhats will meet Imu/ arrive at the final boss room in maryjois
In my previous post which I made a year and a bit ago I said Ox: ussop, Cat: vivi, Tiger: jinbei, Rabbit: carrot, Dragon: chopper, Snake: brook, Horse: franky, Goat/monkey/rooster :nami/sanji/robin Dog: Zoro, Pig: Luffy, Mouse: Koby
I have already stated who I think will join and why.
I will be stating who I think each animal would represent
First lets look at one of the story as there are many variation of the zodiac race
The Jade Emperor, ruler of heaven and earth, decided it would be easier for his people to measure time if he gave them a proper calendar, called a zodiac. He decided to name each year after one of twelve animals. But how could he decide which animals deserved to have years named after them? He decided to ask all the animals to take part in a race. He would name the years after the first twelve animals to arrive at his palace on the riverbank. In those days the cat and the rat were best friends. “What an honour it would be to be part of the Jade Emperor’s calendar,” squeaked the rat. “We’ll enter the race together.” But when they saw where the race was to take place they were horrified. They had to cross a great wide river, very deep and very fast-flowing – and neither of them could swim. However, they were both cunning and clever. “We could hitch a ride on the back of someone who can swim,” mewed the cat. They looked at the other animals lining up on the riverbank. “The ox looks pretty strong,” said the cat, “and we’re both so small and light perhaps he won’t mind carrying us.” They asked the ox politely if he would give them a lift, and, the ox being a decent sort of chap, agreed. They jumped lightly onto his broad back. The ox waded slowly into the water and started to swim. He was indeed extremely strong and wasn’t at all bothered by the river’s dangerous currents. As they got nearer to the far bank they could see the Jade Emperor waiting on the shore. The rat desperately wanted to win the race. “If I’m first in the race,” he thought to himself, “I’ll be first in the calendar.” He looked at the cat perched on the ox’s back beside him. “If the cat weren’t here,” he thought, “the ox would be able to swim even faster. And what if the cat reaches the Jade Emperor before I do?” He reached out his paws and pushed his friend the cat into the river. The cat was swept away by the whirling waters. That is why there is no cat in the Chinese calendar.
When the ox reached the far bank of the river he began to lumber towards the Jade Emperor. He was quite surprised when the rat jumped off his back and scuttled towards the emperor, just pipping him at the post. The rat had won. And that is why, although they used to be friends, cats hate rats and will try to kill them if they see them. The ox didn’t really mind being second, as it still showed how strong he was.
Third came the tiger, who had swum powerfully against the strong currents which kept pushing him downstream.
Next came the rabbit. She had tried to cross the river by jumping from stone to stone. When there were no more stones she thought she had lost the race and was afraid she might drown. Then a big log floated past so she jumped on to that and clung on for dear life. To her surprise the log floated quickly all the way to the river bank, and the rabbit arrived in fourth place.
The Jade Emperor was very surprised that the mighty dragon only arrived in fifth place. “I thought you would have been here first,” he said, “as you can fly.” “Well,” said the dragon, “I had to stop and send rain to some poor farmers whose crops were dying of drought. Then I saw a poor little rabbit clinging onto a log floating on the river, so I blew gently to send the log safely to the riverbank.” The Jade Emperor was impressed by the dragon’s kindness.
Then he saw the horse galloping towards them. Everyone thought the horse would be in sixth place; but just as he slowed to a trot the snake, who had been hiding coiled up in his hoof, uncoiled himself, wriggled out of the horse’s hoof, and slid towards the Jade Emperor. The horse was so surprised that he jumped backwards. So the snake took sixth place and the horse had to be content with seventh.
The next three animals arrived together. They were the rooster, the monkey and the goat. They had worked together to cross the river. The rooster had found a raft. The goat had eaten a path to the river through the weeds, and the monkey had managed to steer the raft across the river. The Jade Emperor was very pleased to hear of such excellent teamwork. He declared the goat eighth, the monkey ninth and the rooster tenth.
In eleventh place was the dog. “What kept you?” asked the Jade Emperor. “Everyone knows you’re a really good swimmer.” “The water was so cool and clear,” woofed the dog, “and it seems so long since I last had a proper bath, I couldn’t resist the temptation to have a splash in the shallows before I crossed the river.”
The Jade Emperor waited and waited to see whether any other animals would finish the race. He was just about to give up and go back into his palace when up trotted the pig. “I’m awfully sorry I’m late,” said the pig, “but I had to stop for a mid-morning snack. And then lunch. And then an afternoon snack. And then tea. And then I felt so sleepy that I had to stop for a little nap. What’s for supper?” So the pig was just in time to be the twelfth animal of the zodiac. And that is how the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were chosen.
So the order would be rat ox tiger rabbit dragon snake horse goat monkey rooster dog pig and cat didn’t finish the race pretty sure. I do not think the rat will betray the cat.
RAT - Chopper - I feel like the rat would be Chopper, as I chopper can’t swim like the rat meaning he would have to catch a ride with the ox. The ox in this scenario would be Zoro and Zoro and chopper have that kind of relationship where he can go with Zoro
OX - Zoro - I feel like Zoro would be the ox as somehow the one who is always late would be the first to arrive. Moreover the ox personality is similar to Zoro and if sanji is the tiger in this case Zoro would just want to beat sanji.
TIGER - Sanji - they are both fantastic swimmers, sanji losing to Zoro with directions/ getting to a place would be like how Zoro was first on saboady. Zoro and sanji would also be able to compete over this.
RABBIT - Brook - I feel the rabbit would be brook in this scenario cause just like rabbit brook can’t swim but he is light enough to float/run on water just like how the rabbit was jumping on stones and floating due to the log.
DRAGON - Robin - I believe this will be robin as her mentor was called dragon and she was a revolutionary for two years. Robin can also fly for a few seconds. Imu would probably think robin would want to be first like the dragon in this story cause the history of the world is connected to Imu.
SNAKE - Ussop - cause like the snake ussop would be hiding. In addition just like the bounty’s of the strawhats, ussop has been higher than franky which shouldn’t be right. So ussop managing to somehow appear before franky which in this scenario would be the horse would be like the bounty situation.
HORSE - FRANKY - as franky is linked with the number 7 a lot, the seventh to join the strawhats, he will fight the 7th Blackbeard commander Sanjuana wolf, as of chapter 1058 he has the 7th highest bounty in the strawhats. And there are probably other details. Franky even has a horse mode technically
GOAT - NAMI - because The goat had eaten a path to the river through the weeds similar to how a navigator navigates through the seas
MONKEY - Jinbei - the monkey wouldn’t be luffy but it would be Jinbei. The monkey would be jinbei because in the story the monkey had managed to steer the raft across the river similar to how the helmsman steers the boat on the crew.
ROOSTER - carrot - in this story the rooster was the one to find the boat to get them across the river. Carrot has excellent eyes and I believe she will be the lookout if she joins the crew. The monkey, goat and rooster having perfect teamwork would be similar to jinbei nami and carrot roles on the ship as they would be roles which are only needed on the ship
DOG - Koby - garp who was Koby mentor was conveniently called garp the dog. So Koby being the dog in this scenario would be fitting. Koby is also and excellent swimmer like how the dog was in this story.
PIG - LUFFY - this is because like many other shounen the main character typically arrives late and like the pig and luffy is the type of person who stop and go eat food just like how pig waited. Also just like how the jade emperor waited, I can see IMU doing the same to luffy considering how she looked at his wanted poster hinting at the idea she wanted to meet luffy the most.
CAT - VIVI - I feel like this would be VIVI as since the cat didn’t finish the race and meaning in this case couldn’t fight IMU up close and IMU was very interested in VIVI when we first met her. Or the cat could be LUFFY cause like I said before main character always comes last.
Let me make this clear this is just an idea and doesn’t need to be true, just a fun analysis on the similarities between the characters.
Monkey D dragon could easier be the dragon as he also fits the story well, Garp could also be the dog as his name is Garp the dog but i feel like he is too old but a monkey d family battle could be cool.
Sabo could also be one of them as well maybe even the cat
Ofc all the strawhats would be tired from fighting their opponents before hand apart from luffy allowing luffy to fight imu and provide most of the damage with the strawhats acting as backup.

The Chinese zodiacs predict how the strawhats will meet Imu/ arrive at the final boss room in maryjois
In my previous post which I made a year and a bit ago I said Ox: ussop, Cat: vivi, Tiger: jinbei, Rabbit: carrot, Dragon: chopper, Snake: brook, Horse: franky, Goat/monkey/rooster :nami/sanji/robin Dog: Zoro, Pig: Luffy, Mouse: Koby
I have already stated who I think will join and why.
I will be stating who I think each animal would represent
First lets look at one of the story as there are many variation of the zodiac race
The Jade Emperor, ruler of heaven and earth, decided it would be easier for his people to measure time if he gave them a proper calendar, called a zodiac. He decided to name each year after one of twelve animals. But how could he decide which animals deserved to have years named after them? He decided to ask all the animals to take part in a race. He would name the years after the first twelve animals to arrive at his palace on the riverbank. In those days the cat and the rat were best friends. “What an honour it would be to be part of the Jade Emperor’s calendar,” squeaked the rat. “We’ll enter the race together.” But when they saw where the race was to take place they were horrified. They had to cross a great wide river, very deep and very fast-flowing – and neither of them could swim. However, they were both cunning and clever. “We could hitch a ride on the back of someone who can swim,” mewed the cat. They looked at the other animals lining up on the riverbank. “The ox looks pretty strong,” said the cat, “and we’re both so small and light perhaps he won’t mind carrying us.” They asked the ox politely if he would give them a lift, and, the ox being a decent sort of chap, agreed. They jumped lightly onto his broad back. The ox waded slowly into the water and started to swim. He was indeed extremely strong and wasn’t at all bothered by the river’s dangerous currents. As they got nearer to the far bank they could see the Jade Emperor waiting on the shore. The rat desperately wanted to win the race. “If I’m first in the race,” he thought to himself, “I’ll be first in the calendar.” He looked at the cat perched on the ox’s back beside him. “If the cat weren’t here,” he thought, “the ox would be able to swim even faster. And what if the cat reaches the Jade Emperor before I do?” He reached out his paws and pushed his friend the cat into the river. The cat was swept away by the whirling waters. That is why there is no cat in the Chinese calendar.
When the ox reached the far bank of the river he began to lumber towards the Jade Emperor. He was quite surprised when the rat jumped off his back and scuttled towards the emperor, just pipping him at the post. The rat had won. And that is why, although they used to be friends, cats hate rats and will try to kill them if they see them. The ox didn’t really mind being second, as it still showed how strong he was.
Third came the tiger, who had swum powerfully against the strong currents which kept pushing him downstream.
Next came the rabbit. She had tried to cross the river by jumping from stone to stone. When there were no more stones she thought she had lost the race and was afraid she might drown. Then a big log floated past so she jumped on to that and clung on for dear life. To her surprise the log floated quickly all the way to the river bank, and the rabbit arrived in fourth place.
The Jade Emperor was very surprised that the mighty dragon only arrived in fifth place. “I thought you would have been here first,” he said, “as you can fly.” “Well,” said the dragon, “I had to stop and send rain to some poor farmers whose crops were dying of drought. Then I saw a poor little rabbit clinging onto a log floating on the river, so I blew gently to send the log safely to the riverbank.” The Jade Emperor was impressed by the dragon’s kindness.
Then he saw the horse galloping towards them. Everyone thought the horse would be in sixth place; but just as he slowed to a trot the snake, who had been hiding coiled up in his hoof, uncoiled himself, wriggled out of the horse’s hoof, and slid towards the Jade Emperor. The horse was so surprised that he jumped backwards. So the snake took sixth place and the horse had to be content with seventh.
The next three animals arrived together. They were the rooster, the monkey and the goat. They had worked together to cross the river. The rooster had found a raft. The goat had eaten a path to the river through the weeds, and the monkey had managed to steer the raft across the river. The Jade Emperor was very pleased to hear of such excellent teamwork. He declared the goat eighth, the monkey ninth and the rooster tenth.
In eleventh place was the dog. “What kept you?” asked the Jade Emperor. “Everyone knows you’re a really good swimmer.” “The water was so cool and clear,” woofed the dog, “and it seems so long since I last had a proper bath, I couldn’t resist the temptation to have a splash in the shallows before I crossed the river.”
The Jade Emperor waited and waited to see whether any other animals would finish the race. He was just about to give up and go back into his palace when up trotted the pig. “I’m awfully sorry I’m late,” said the pig, “but I had to stop for a mid-morning snack. And then lunch. And then an afternoon snack. And then tea. And then I felt so sleepy that I had to stop for a little nap. What’s for supper?” So the pig was just in time to be the twelfth animal of the zodiac. And that is how the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were chosen.
So the order would be rat ox tiger rabbit dragon snake horse goat monkey rooster dog pig and cat didn’t finish the race pretty sure. I do not think the rat will betray the cat.
RAT - Chopper - I feel like the rat would be Chopper, as I chopper can’t swim like the rat meaning he would have to catch a ride with the ox. The ox in this scenario would be Zoro and Zoro and chopper have that kind of relationship where he can go with Zoro
OX - Zoro - I feel like Zoro would be the ox as somehow the one who is always late would be the first to arrive. Moreover the ox personality is similar to Zoro and if sanji is the tiger in this case Zoro would just want to beat sanji.
TIGER - Sanji - they are both fantastic swimmers, sanji losing to Zoro with directions/ getting to a place would be like how Zoro was first on saboady. Zoro and sanji would also be able to compete over this.
RABBIT - Brook - I feel the rabbit would be brook in this scenario cause just like rabbit brook can’t swim but he is light enough to float/run on water just like how the rabbit was jumping on stones and floating due to the log.
DRAGON - Robin - I believe this will be robin as her mentor was called dragon and she was a revolutionary for two years. Robin can also fly for a few seconds. Imu would probably think robin would want to be first like the dragon in this story cause the history of the world is connected to Imu.
SNAKE - Ussop - cause like the snake ussop would be hiding. In addition just like the bounty’s of the strawhats, ussop has been higher than franky which shouldn’t be right. So ussop managing to somehow appear before franky which in this scenario would be the horse would be like the bounty situation.
HORSE - FRANKY - as franky is linked with the number 7 a lot, the seventh to join the strawhats, he will fight the 7th Blackbeard commander Sanjuana wolf, as of chapter 1058 he has the 7th highest bounty in the strawhats. And there are probably other details. Franky even has a horse mode technically
GOAT - NAMI - because The goat had eaten a path to the river through the weeds similar to how a navigator navigates through the seas
MONKEY - Jinbei - the monkey wouldn’t be luffy but it would be Jinbei. The monkey would be jinbei because in the story the monkey had managed to steer the raft across the river similar to how the helmsman steers the boat on the crew.
ROOSTER - carrot - in this story the rooster was the one to find the boat to get them across the river. Carrot has excellent eyes and I believe she will be the lookout if she joins the crew. The monkey, goat and rooster having perfect teamwork would be similar to jinbei nami and carrot roles on the ship as they would be roles which are only needed on the ship
DOG - Koby - garp who was Koby mentor was conveniently called garp the dog. So Koby being the dog in this scenario would be fitting. Koby is also and excellent swimmer like how the dog was in this story.
PIG - LUFFY - this is because like many other shounen the main character typically arrives late and like the pig and luffy is the type of person who stop and go eat food just like how pig waited. Also just like how the jade emperor waited, I can see IMU doing the same to luffy considering how she looked at his wanted poster hinting at the idea she wanted to meet luffy the most.
CAT - VIVI - I feel like this would be VIVI as since the cat didn’t finish the race and meaning in this case couldn’t fight IMU up close and IMU was very interested in VIVI when we first met her. Or the cat could be LUFFY cause like I said before main character always comes last.
Let me make this clear this is just an idea and doesn’t need to be true, just a fun analysis on the similarities between the characters.
Monkey D dragon could easier be the dragon as he also fits the story well, Garp could also be the dog as his name is Garp the dog but i feel like he is too old but a monkey d family battle could be cool.
Sabo could also be one of them as well maybe even the cat
Ofc all the strawhats would be tired from fighting their opponents before hand apart from luffy allowing luffy to fight imu and provide most of the damage with the strawhats acting as backup.

The Chinese zodiacs predict how the strawhats will meet Imu/ arrive at the final boss room in maryjois
In my previous post which I made a year and a bit ago I said Ox: ussop, Cat: vivi, Tiger: jinbei, Rabbit: carrot, Dragon: chopper, Snake: brook, Horse: franky, Goat/monkey/rooster :nami/sanji/robin Dog: Zoro, Pig: Luffy, Mouse: Koby
I have already stated who I think will join and why.
I will be stating who I think each animal would represent
First lets look at one of the story as there are many variation of the zodiac race
The Jade Emperor, ruler of heaven and earth, decided it would be easier for his people to measure time if he gave them a proper calendar, called a zodiac. He decided to name each year after one of twelve animals. But how could he decide which animals deserved to have years named after them? He decided to ask all the animals to take part in a race. He would name the years after the first twelve animals to arrive at his palace on the riverbank. In those days the cat and the rat were best friends. “What an honour it would be to be part of the Jade Emperor’s calendar,” squeaked the rat. “We’ll enter the race together.” But when they saw where the race was to take place they were horrified. They had to cross a great wide river, very deep and very fast-flowing – and neither of them could swim. However, they were both cunning and clever. “We could hitch a ride on the back of someone who can swim,” mewed the cat. They looked at the other animals lining up on the riverbank. “The ox looks pretty strong,” said the cat, “and we’re both so small and light perhaps he won’t mind carrying us.” They asked the ox politely if he would give them a lift, and, the ox being a decent sort of chap, agreed. They jumped lightly onto his broad back. The ox waded slowly into the water and started to swim. He was indeed extremely strong and wasn’t at all bothered by the river’s dangerous currents. As they got nearer to the far bank they could see the Jade Emperor waiting on the shore. The rat desperately wanted to win the race. “If I’m first in the race,” he thought to himself, “I’ll be first in the calendar.” He looked at the cat perched on the ox’s back beside him. “If the cat weren’t here,” he thought, “the ox would be able to swim even faster. And what if the cat reaches the Jade Emperor before I do?” He reached out his paws and pushed his friend the cat into the river. The cat was swept away by the whirling waters. That is why there is no cat in the Chinese calendar.
When the ox reached the far bank of the river he began to lumber towards the Jade Emperor. He was quite surprised when the rat jumped off his back and scuttled towards the emperor, just pipping him at the post. The rat had won. And that is why, although they used to be friends, cats hate rats and will try to kill them if they see them. The ox didn’t really mind being second, as it still showed how strong he was.
Third came the tiger, who had swum powerfully against the strong currents which kept pushing him downstream.
Next came the rabbit. She had tried to cross the river by jumping from stone to stone. When there were no more stones she thought she had lost the race and was afraid she might drown. Then a big log floated past so she jumped on to that and clung on for dear life. To her surprise the log floated quickly all the way to the river bank, and the rabbit arrived in fourth place.
The Jade Emperor was very surprised that the mighty dragon only arrived in fifth place. “I thought you would have been here first,” he said, “as you can fly.” “Well,” said the dragon, “I had to stop and send rain to some poor farmers whose crops were dying of drought. Then I saw a poor little rabbit clinging onto a log floating on the river, so I blew gently to send the log safely to the riverbank.” The Jade Emperor was impressed by the dragon’s kindness.
Then he saw the horse galloping towards them. Everyone thought the horse would be in sixth place; but just as he slowed to a trot the snake, who had been hiding coiled up in his hoof, uncoiled himself, wriggled out of the horse’s hoof, and slid towards the Jade Emperor. The horse was so surprised that he jumped backwards. So the snake took sixth place and the horse had to be content with seventh.
The next three animals arrived together. They were the rooster, the monkey and the goat. They had worked together to cross the river. The rooster had found a raft. The goat had eaten a path to the river through the weeds, and the monkey had managed to steer the raft across the river. The Jade Emperor was very pleased to hear of such excellent teamwork. He declared the goat eighth, the monkey ninth and the rooster tenth.
In eleventh place was the dog. “What kept you?” asked the Jade Emperor. “Everyone knows you’re a really good swimmer.” “The water was so cool and clear,” woofed the dog, “and it seems so long since I last had a proper bath, I couldn’t resist the temptation to have a splash in the shallows before I crossed the river.”
The Jade Emperor waited and waited to see whether any other animals would finish the race. He was just about to give up and go back into his palace when up trotted the pig. “I’m awfully sorry I’m late,” said the pig, “but I had to stop for a mid-morning snack. And then lunch. And then an afternoon snack. And then tea. And then I felt so sleepy that I had to stop for a little nap. What’s for supper?” So the pig was just in time to be the twelfth animal of the zodiac. And that is how the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac were chosen.
So the order would be rat ox tiger rabbit dragon snake horse goat monkey rooster dog pig and cat didn’t finish the race pretty sure. I do not think the rat will betray the cat.
RAT - Chopper - I feel like the rat would be Chopper, as I chopper can’t swim like the rat meaning he would have to catch a ride with the ox. The ox in this scenario would be Zoro and Zoro and chopper have that kind of relationship where he can go with Zoro
OX - Zoro - I feel like Zoro would be the ox as somehow the one who is always late would be the first to arrive. Moreover the ox personality is similar to Zoro and if sanji is the tiger in this case Zoro would just want to beat sanji.
TIGER - Sanji - they are both fantastic swimmers, sanji losing to Zoro with directions/ getting to a place would be like how Zoro was first on saboady. Zoro and sanji would also be able to compete over this.
RABBIT - Brook - I feel the rabbit would be brook in this scenario cause just like rabbit brook can’t swim but he is light enough to float/run on water just like how the rabbit was jumping on stones and floating due to the log.
DRAGON - Robin - I believe this will be robin as her mentor was called dragon and she was a revolutionary for two years. Robin can also fly for a few seconds. Imu would probably think robin would want to be first like the dragon in this story cause the history of the world is connected to Imu.
SNAKE - Ussop - cause like the snake ussop would be hiding. In addition just like the bounty’s of the strawhats, ussop has been higher than franky which shouldn’t be right. So ussop managing to somehow appear before franky which in this scenario would be the horse would be like the bounty situation.
HORSE - FRANKY - as franky is linked with the number 7 a lot, the seventh to join the strawhats, he will fight the 7th Blackbeard commander Sanjuana wolf, as of chapter 1058 he has the 7th highest bounty in the strawhats. And there are probably other details. Franky even has a horse mode technically
GOAT - NAMI - because The goat had eaten a path to the river through the weeds similar to how a navigator navigates through the seas
MONKEY - Jinbei - the monkey wouldn’t be luffy but it would be Jinbei. The monkey would be jinbei because in the story the monkey had managed to steer the raft across the river similar to how the helmsman steers the boat on the crew.
ROOSTER - carrot - in this story the rooster was the one to find the boat to get them across the river. Carrot has excellent eyes and I believe she will be the lookout if she joins the crew. The monkey, goat and rooster having perfect teamwork would be similar to jinbei nami and carrot roles on the ship as they would be roles which are only needed on the ship
DOG - Koby - garp who was Koby mentor was conveniently called garp the dog. So Koby being the dog in this scenario would be fitting. Koby is also and excellent swimmer like how the dog was in this story.
PIG - LUFFY - this is because like many other shounen the main character typically arrives late and like the pig and luffy is the type of person who stop and go eat food just like how pig waited. Also just like how the jade emperor waited, I can see IMU doing the same to luffy considering how she looked at his wanted poster hinting at the idea she wanted to meet luffy the most.
CAT - VIVI - I feel like this would be VIVI as since the cat didn’t finish the race and meaning in this case couldn’t fight IMU up close and IMU was very interested in VIVI when we first met her. Or the cat could be LUFFY cause like I said before main character always comes last.
Let me make this clear this is just an idea and doesn’t need to be true, just a fun analysis on the similarities between the characters.
Monkey D dragon could easier be the dragon as he also fits the story well, Garp could also be the dog as his name is Garp the dog but i feel like he is too old but a monkey d family battle could be cool.
Sabo could also be one of them as well maybe even the cat
Ofc all the strawhats would be tired from fighting their opponents before hand apart from luffy allowing luffy to fight imu and provide most of the damage with the strawhats acting as backup.

For anyone who missed how this started
https://www.reddit.com/HFY/s/PxAkXKR0aH
I didn’t expect so many people out there would care about what’s happening to me. I’d say it’s humbling, but, well, my situation has been humbling me since I left the states. You guys cheering me on, and trying to help, it’s kept me going though.
So, I figure the least I can do is keep you all updated until something prevents me from doing so. Likely in a permanent fashion.
I'll say, the ride home was awkward, to say the least. For all of the grim predictions running through my head going to the spectacle , on the way back they were ten times worse.
I wasn’t caged, shackled and tortured when I returned. If I said I was greeted with concern by the handful of distant relatives and lost souls I’d be over exaggerating. But there was a bit of respect and kindness .
I was patched up, as far as being stabbed goes, apparently I got lucky.
There was food, question free beer, and a healthy number of people asking how things went.
All I wanted to do was sleep, but something kept me going. Kept me answering questions I’d rather not have, kept my fear fried brain making conversation and trading verbal jabs.
A tap on my shoulder startles me, the sun is rising and if I don’t get to sleep soon, I’m going to fall over.
“Your half. “ Sylvia says, it’s just shy of a thousand pounds.
“All this was for, what is this? $600 American? “ I say.
“ Walk with me. “ Sylvia begins, I follow.
“Money isn’t much good if I’m dead. “ I say, my tone sullen and exasperated.
“Then don’t die. “ She replies, walking across the debris strewn scrub grass toward the farm house.
“Do you have any shame? You kidnapped me in the middle of the night to feed me to a couple of demons. I’m your nephew for Christ’s sake! “ I’m not yelling, I don’t think my body is capable of that much exertion at this point, but my words are clear.
“I’m not your aunt, Nikolas.
Great-Great-Great grandmother, give or take a generation. It’s been a long time.
And if I was doing, as you suggest, yes, I would feel a deep shame.” Sylvia lets the answers and questions ferment in my mind as we walk.
“So why not tell me what’s going on? Maybe teach me some of that magic you were tossing around at the airport. “ we stop outside a sliding door. Sylvia has a genuine look of amusement on her face.
“Magic? Nikolas, magic is what stupid people call being fooled.
Magic is the Priest’s sermon, the fortune teller’s reading, the huckster’s pitch.
It’s a way to create vast amounts of power from nothing.
The world is full of things that defy the laws of nature. What I do, what those of the family with me do, is understand them. We learn, we improvise, and we adapt.
We do not make power from nothing, we find it, and use it. “ Sylvia watches me, judging my response to her statement.
“So that’s what you meant before. About the trappings of the gypsy. This whole vibe, it’s a smokescreen.
Assholes expect the Gritts to be some Romani stereotype, and give you a wide berth. When strange shit happens, they chalk it up to some kind of con, or something they’ve seen in a movie. Either way, they aren’t looking for monster fights, and supernatural research. “ I know I’m in the ballpark when she pats me on the shoulder hard enough to hurt.
“And the value of your half, is somewhere around 30 thousand. We wager in esoteric items, favors, and creatures. When you leave, I’ll make you a fair offer for what is yours.
You’ll understand more in the morning after you have a chance to look around. “ Sylvia says before showing me a sparse, but clean, and comfortable room.
I wake up in the early afternoon, something, beyond the obvious nagging at me.
After a cup of nearly caustic tea, I finally realized what it was.
Sylvia, she told me a lot last night. But many of my questions were avoided. I know about her, and this place, but my fate, beyond another round of tug of war between two nightmares, is unknown.
That being said, my second conclusion, is that I need to start rolling with the punches. I’ve tried calling the police (they asked how Sylvia was doing before I said my name.), my parents, anyone, and like it or not, for one unsaid reason or another, I’m stuck here.
I’m going to skip a lot of introductions. Reading me introducing myself, 50 times and trying not to be awkward around folks that seem way too okay with me dying, probably wouldn’t be the best use of your time.
As I explore the grounds, I enter one of a handful of old barns. The inside has peg board walls hung with tools spanning the spectrum from mundane to esoteric enough I have no idea what they are.
Inside, among benches strewn with a random assortment of objects, and equipment, stand two men.
The first is Colin, he’s pale as a ghost, eyes bloodshot and sleep deprived, he wears an Aerosmith shirt, and toolbelt that is making his pants lose a battle with gravity. The 40 something is holding an electrode connected to a thick, black wire directly patched into the main breaker.
The second, Dafyd is a short, olive skinned man in his mid fifties. His outfit consists of a tweed jacket, blue jeans and plain white shirt.
Between them on a grounded workbench sits a small snow globe, within stands a faded ballerina, one arm lost, floating randomly through the liquid.
My teeth ache as the breaker begins to make a dangerous humming noise. For a couple of seconds, a short blue spark arcs from the electrode to the snow globe.
The air smells of ozone to the point where I’m convinced I’ve burned out my nose hairs. The two men argue a bit between themselves in a language I’ve heard but never learned to speak. Then turn as they notice me.
“Nik, come settle an argument between your uncle and I. “ Dafyd says.
“Don’t know how much help I’m going to be, but I’ll do my best. “ I say, walking up.
“The kid has no idea what’s going on Dafyd. “ Colin says.
“I know, but we’re not looking for an expert opinion.
Nik, what year is it? “ Dafyd asks.
“1993.” I say without hesitation, “ What the hell? “ I add. My brain is a bit fried, but not enough to screw up the date by 30 something years.
“God damn it. “ Colin says.
“I knew it! “ exclaims Dafyd.
“This piece of shit is getting binned.
You look confused kid.
It’s called a gimmick. It’s the stuff side of what we deal in. Some of it, it’s two steps off of a horror novel. Most of it though, it’s just strange.
Figuring them out is 95% engineering and 5% esoterica.
They teaching you anything across the pond? “ Colin asks.
The question leads to a conversation, the conversation leads to a week of me shadowing the two finicky, strange guys.
I’d go into more detail, but as the days go by, things seem more and more like spending time with some out there branches in the family tree. As terrifying as everything has been, as terrifying as it is, it’s, interesting.
But I wouldn’t be writing if things were sunshine and roses though, would I?
One day, after working with objects that scared, confused and frustrated me in equal measure, I realized there was something I was avoiding.
So I found myself standing in front of Augustus, the creature held upright and immobile in it’s coffin-like cage. The Plexiglas window is cracked.
It's worse than I thought it would be. Every time I look at the thing’s face I see the blood it made me spill. I see the power it wields, and the murderous intent in it’s twisted pit of a mind.
But sometime soon, I’m going to be next to it again. I have to be able to keep myself together. I have to understand this thing as much as I can.
“Hey killer, how the fuck ya Doin? “ Augustus taunts. Shame reddens my fear paled face.
“Can we talk? “ I say, I want it to be a demand, it comes out as a whimper.
“What do we have to talk about, bud? What about this are you not picking up on yet? “ Augustus is smug, confident even while confined.
“How you seem to have this limitless ego, when you're being held by literally the oldest woman possible. “ I’m too scared to say this above a whisper.
“That dusty old wizard’s sleeve out there? She’ll fucking get hers.
Lucky bitch on a lucky day is all that was.
But luck runs out, and when it does, I’m gonna uproot your entire sad little family tree. “ Augustus threatens.
I actually take a step backward, and almost turn. The fear this thing causes, it’s more than the knowledge of what it can do, it’s a force in and of itself.
“Augustus, why not hear me out? “ I plead.
“Because kid, that’s not how this story goes.
I’ve got nothing but time, I’ll be around till the heat death of the fucking universe.
I don’t need to hear things like you out, I don’t need to bargain. No matter how airtight your inbred little clan thinks these bonds are, eventually, someone always makes a mistake. Something small, like a wrong angle on a rune.
Or…, “ as the thing talks, the door to the coffin like cage holding it starts to slowly swing outward, “ Something big, like forgetting to set the fucking padlock. “
I’m already running as he talks, but he’s standing in front of the exit before I can take a step.
He looms in front of the door, coat spreading, seemingly of it’s own accord, making the patchwork killer seem like some kind of twisted manta ray.
He locks eyes with me, I’m frozen, gripped in terror so intense I have no idea if it’s mundane or the aura of fear Augustus projects.
Those mismatched orbs burrow into me, I feel like this thing can see into my soul.
He inhales for an impossibly long time, a slick, menacing grin spreading across his leathery face.
“Yeah, today’s the day kid.” He says, a kick sending me across the floor like a smooth rock across the surface of a pond.
I’ve never felt pain like this, I try to stand, but my knee refuses to bend. I hit the ground and my ribs scream, I’m sure at least one was broken in the tumble.
I hear Augustus’ footsteps, my struggles to get to my feet are useless. Seconds in, i’m in literal crippling pain.
He grabs me by the throat, taking his time as he raises me above his head.
The look of joy on his face as I choke and struggle to breathe twists his features, for a moment he appears nearly snakelike.
He holds the tips of his claw-like nails against my stomach. Then draws his arm back.
“Don’t worry bud, I’m not just going to tear out your heart, everyone does that shit.
This isn’t going to be a sprint, it’s a fucking marathon. I just want to aerate the track a little bit before we start. “ His hand blurs and I close my eyes hoping I don’t last very long.
“Stop” I hear a deep, smooth, male voice say.
I hit the ground, and try to see who just stopped the beginning of my execution, but the pain, the cracked ribs, pulled muscles and long ragged scrapes have me seeing spots.
When my vision clears, I see a tall, blond man with impossibly angular features, dressed in an immaculate black and mauve suit.
His eyes try to look kind, but there is something wrong behind them. Something waiting to be let out.
“Who are you? “ I say, one lip, split and torn.
“You can call me Art. Arthur Deus if you feel like being formal.
But what you want to know, is why I’m here.
Well Nikolas, to simplify things, think of me as the older brother of the leering terror your ‘aunt’ has trapped here. “ As Arthur talks, I notice something, the motes of dust in the air are hanging still.
“I have no problems with you taking him. I haven’t seen you, I don’t know your name. Couldn’t stop you if I wanted to. “ I ramble.
Arthur holds up a finger, I go silent.
“If only it were that easy.
See Nikolas, your aunt and I, have quite the history. And as much as it pains me to admit it, she’s a crafty one, and has the means to make things very difficult for me.
Sylvia cannot know I’m involved, this is why I have an offer for you. “ As art says this, he waves a hand, almost dismissively.
Like a switch being flipped my pain stops, I watch as my wounds begin to seal and fade, amazed.
“What is it? “ I say. The words feel like they have weight.
“Sylvia is looking for someone to take over for her. As old as she is, she’s not immortal.
You’re her third attempt.
I’m not going to lie to you and say I care about what’s happening to the humans involved in this grim little spectacle. But I care about my family, and to a lesser extent, those like myself.
This bloodsport that your aunt is a part of, it’s vile. It’s world spanning, and it’s for nothing more than greed and bragging rights.
I want to change this. And I would like you to help me. “ Art’s tone is slick and confident.
“If I do, then you get him to back off? “ I say, pointing to Augustus.
Art looks dismayed for a moment.
“That’s not something I can really promise Nikolas. If anything could force him to listen to reason, he wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place. “ My heart sinks as Art says this.
“Fuck off Art. “ Augustus says.
Arthur rolls his eyes. They seem to go just a little too far back.
“But what I can do, is have a conversation with him, impress upon him how important it is he works with you. “ Art pats me on the shoulder before turning toward his sibling. His hand is impossibly hot.
“This kid dies, that is not my fault. You’ve seen this shit, he’s not built for it, just bust me out of here. “ Augustus isn’t far off of pleading in his tone.
“You know that’s not possible. I cannot let Sylvia know I’m here. But given time, I will have you out. “ Art assures.
“Fact remains, this kid gets on the wrong side of a blade or a fuckin, werewolf or something, that’s not on me.
Even if he manages to keep his lungs in his chest, look at him. His mind is cracking, he’s either insane or God-damned, catatonic in two months. “ Now Augustus sounds like a cocky piece of shit again.
“Of course, if he dies, or succumbs mentally, that’s not on you.
But I want you, to make a promise to me. I want you to understand that this child cannot be harmed by your hand. “ It sounds like Art is talking to a five year old.
Augustus shrugs before replying.
“The fuck you want me to say? You know me, you know I can’t say I’m not hurting this kid. And I sure as hell am not making a promise about it so you can get you-know-who involved when nature takes it’s course.
Fuck this kid, get me out of here.”
Arthur sighs and turns from Augustus , walking to me.
“Nikolas, I have something to tell you. “ He says, there’s a gravity to his tone that clearly makes Augustus uncomfortable.
“Art, what are you doing? “ The Trenchcoat wearing creature asks.
Art kneels bringing himself eye to eye with me.
“Don’t do this. “ Augustus says.
“Then promise. “ Art replies, a few seconds of silence go by, “ As you can see, I cannot guarantee your safety Nikolas.
But, for his own good, I want to tell you a word, one that will make my myopic brother look at things a little differently, if the need arises.
I’d use it sparingly, it’s not meant for those like yourself. It will have a physical, mental and spiritual toll. But it might spare you the worst of his excesses. “
That word was the last thing Arthur said to me. With a staggering, disorienting lurch, time began to move forward.
It kept moving forward for the next month.
I learned a lot over that time, but, not what you might expect.
As it turns out, there is a hell of a lot more engineering, physics, and chemistry involved in working with the supernatural than, summoning circles and newt eyes.
But eventually, the day I was dreading came.
The venue was a strip club of all places, a massive building, on the outskirts of Norwich, gaudy neon lights illuminate a place that, unlike the theme restaurant, seems to be in active use.
There was a different ambiance this time. The folks milling around the rune etched Lucite box seemed more sedate, and a hell of a lot richer.
The lighting was professional, driving music sets a professional sports tone.
This time I walk in the cage of my own accord. It’s not pride, or bravery, but simply knowing, I have no choice.
The roar of the crowd stokes my fear as Augustus slowly opens the door of his coffin-like vessel.
He loves the attention, his grin both horrifying and genuine.
“Guess we’re in the big leagues now, eh, killer? “ Augustus prods.
I’m sweating. I’ve cut a little weight over the past month, unintentionally, but as I wonder what horror is going to come walking in the other side of this cage. I don’t think being in marginally better shape and having a working knowledge of basic engineering is going to do me a lot of good.
Suddenly the crowd is silent, lights illuminate a spot at the far end of the massive Lucite box.
She’s small, slight, and has grey, lifeless skin. Her eyes are massive, her body beautiful, but exaggerated to the point of looking cartoonish. She’s not wearing much, a small t-shirt and what I’ll generously call a bikini bottom.
Beside her is a massive, brick slab of a man, late twenties or early thirties. His eyes are wild, he’s covered in layers of scars, and burns. He wears an old, worn prison uniform that’s never seen a washing machine.
He matches her strange, boneless stride, with a loping wolf-like gait.
“Entering the ring, you know her, you love her. She’s the Vixen of the void, The Nymph of nothing, Norwich’s own, ‘Sweet’ Francis Anne!
And at her side, brought in at great expense from the land of Twinkies, cheeseburgers and weak beer, The Corps Killer, the Military Mangler, with 24 out of ring kills and 36 in, ‘Big’ Billy Speck! “ an announcer screams.
The crowd bursts into life, noise shakes the walls of the cage.
“And, on the other side, I don’t know, some wanker in a Trenchcoat, and a kid that isn’t even old enough to be here. Let’s watch them die. “ He finishes.
Augustus looks enraged, his teeth chatter, he flexes his clawed hands. I walk in his shadow as he advances to face the creature and her second.
“I know you! “ The grey skinned thing says, her voice high pitched. As she speaks I notice what appears to be a thick scar bisecting her from forehead to stomach.
“Never heard of you. Neither will anyone else after this. “ Augustus says with a grin.
“You’re the runt of the litter right? Royal blood but peasant flesh, that’s what they say, no? “ Francis says, she grins a toothless smile. The inside of her mouth, a black void.
“Fuck my family. What I am is as good as meat gets. I give myself power, all you have is a cosmic std. “ Augustus stares Francis down as he talks.
Francis reacts with nothing more than a coy look. Bill stares down at me, the handle of some large blade sticking out of his right pocket, and a short length of chain wrapped around his left forearm.
A buzzer cuts through the roar of the crowd, the world seems to consist of nothing more than myself and the horrors around me as the timer begins to count down.
Like a flash Augustus leaps at Francis, but her body stretches and contorts as she moves, he never gets close.
I tear myself away from the clash of unnatural creatures as I look to the mutilated killer in front of me.
I didn’t come in unarmed, but I also was expecting another kid. And wanted to avoid what happened last time if at all possible. My heart races as I pull the small black can from the pocket of my worn, grey hoodie.
For a second I feel like a badass. I’ve got the can of mace aimed and spraying before Bill can react.
Four seconds tick by before the can is empty, Bill is soaked in thick yellow liquid, it runs down his face like tears.
The psycho doesn’t even blink.
“You good? “ he asks before slapping my outstretched arm aside and shattering my nose with a backhanded blow that seemed almost an afterthought.
Augustus screams in frustration, moving faster than I can track, but not able to put a scratch on the amorphous, rubbery woman.
Bill uncoils the chain, and I feel a sudden deep, crushing pain in my chest. I stumble backward, coughing. He laughs and whips the chain out again, I manage to see the next blow, but have no way of stopping it.
He manages to hit the same spot, the pain is overwhelming, my lungs feel bruised, I can’t breathe.
Francis seems to have grown bored avoiding Augustus, he pants, sucking wind as she stands in front of him.
That scar splits, not fully, but from forehead to the bridge of her nose. What’s behind it, is nothing.
I mean that in terms so literal, I can’t describe how it looked. It was more of a feeling that a sight. Looking into it, made me understand just how empty something can actually be.
Pieces of Augustus’ skin and flesh begin to, simply not exist. His look of confusion lasts for about a second before he’s sent sailing through the air by a long, whip-like arm.
The trenchcoat clad creature extracts himself from a tangled mess of tables, chairs and debris. Francis and Bill laugh, mocking us.
“Let’s trade dance partners” Augustus says, his two handed shove launching my broken body into Francis.
She catches me, her body absorbing the impact.
Fear is making me hyperventilate, physical trauma is turning that into a wheezing pant that feels like being waterboarded.
Francis looks down at me, violence and seduction in her eyes.
“Make things easy for me and I’ll let you go out with a bang. “ She says, the look of carnal violence on her face makes me gag.
Augustus struggles with Bill, the creatures wounds many and severe.
A minute remains, but I don’t know if I can last another ten seconds.
Francis stretches one arm into a thin tendril, it begins to circle me, caging me into a progressively smaller area.
“I’m sixteen, you paranormal nonce. “ I blurt out, the pain from my broken nose almost making me pass out, “ That’s the word they use around here, right? For the kind of creep that gets supernatural powers to hit on a kid? “
I can’t run, I can’t fight, all I can do is try to distract this thing for another 42 seconds.
Her face begins to turn, shifting and warping into something resembling a cattle skull more than a person.
The wet snapping noise distracts both Francis and myself.
Augustus has his hand buried in the chest of the convict, he holds the man aloft for a moment.
Augustus says something in a language I can’t even guess at, and with one fluid motion tears the black, decayed heart from his own chest and replaces it with that of the killer.
He begins to scream, then laugh, wounds spraying ichor, he seems to swell, his face a mask of pleasure and Ill intent.
“Death machine just needed a new engine. “ Augustus says with a cackle.
Francis forgets about me and lashes out, quite literally, at Augustus. Limbs becoming a frenzied blur of snaking flesh, , destroying anything they so much as graze.
He wades into the storm, flirting around the edges of the cage, making her chase him with the lethal limbs.
The conflict is a blur, but at the 23 second mark I see it. As much as I hate the prick, I’m almost impressed.
She’s tangled, somewhere among the bent stripper poles, and doorways to private booths, She’s caught herself.
Augustus takes his time now, her body is stretched thin, looped around door handles and under stages.
Ten seconds left, Augustus is feet from her writhing, blob-like form. Her features pulled taught enough to be nearly non-existent.
“Takes a lot to open yourself up doesn’t it? “ Augustus says, kneeling, he holds the killer’s knife in one hand, “ Why don’t I do it for you? “
The blade is barely touching her flesh as the timer ends.
“Fuck’s sake! “ Augustus says, standing, and letting the knife fall to the floor.
Something about the way he walks to one end of the Lucite cage worries me.
“Nobody likes a draw, but as far as they go, that was one hell of a kiss to your sister, wasn’t it folks?
No one is defeating our lovely lady of legend, but let’s hear it for the man who tried… Trenchcoat! “ The announcer screams over the loudspeaker.
The crowd is on their feet, bets are being paid out, and two groups of people are trying to open doors conveniently barred by flesh no person is going to get through.
I jog up to him, my body screaming at me every step of the way. He taps along one clear wall.
“Cheap runes. “ Augustus says, before driving his fist like a spear through the Lucite.
The hole he makes is about the size of a watermelon, his hand easily going through all six inches of the wall.
But it’s not big enough to accommodate the body of the poor twenty something he drags through.
In an instant the man is flensed, his small bones broken, eyes, ears and jaw, nothing more than a smear.
But he’s still alive, wailing a haunting death bellow as he struggles to understand what just happened.
“Stop! “ I scream, horrified. Blood sprays from my ruined nose, “You think I won’t say it? “
Augustus slowly cocks his head, punching his fist through the wall again, and tossing another victim beside the first.
“In front of your family, and that aunt of yours? You think this is bad? The shit she’ll do to you if she knows you even looked at my Dangerous Brothers looking prick of a brother will make this look like a massage.” Trenchcoat pauses, letting the reality sink in, letting my absolute lack of power envelop me like a blanket, “ You want me to stop? I’ll give you something no one else has, a choice.
Either finish one of these pieces of meat off, or, have a taste. “
He brings his hand back for another strike, and I make my choice.
No, I’m not telling you which one. I can share a lot of things with you guys. But, I’m sorry, how I picked to save the rest of the people in that place is a shame I’m going to carry on my own.
Don’t know if any of you will want to hear from me again, after knowing what I’ve had to do, who I’ve had to deal with, but I’m going to keep posting. This is getting nothing but worse, and maybe, I can save someone else the same fate.

For anyone who missed how this started.
https://www.reddit.com/nosleep/s/8Gy9JbmUVC
I didn’t expect so many people out there would care about what’s happening to me. I’d say it’s humbling, but, well, my situation has been humbling me since I left the states. You guys cheering me on, and trying to help, it’s kept me going though.
So, I figure the least I can do is keep you all updated until something prevents me from doing so. Likely in a permanent fashion.
I'll say, the ride home was awkward, to say the least. For all of the grim predictions running through my head going to the spectacle , on the way back they were ten times worse.
I wasn’t caged, shackled and tortured when I returned. If I said I was greeted with concern by the handful of distant relatives and lost souls I’d be over exaggerating. But there was a bit of respect and kindness .
I was patched up, as far as being stabbed goes, apparently I got lucky.
There was food, question free beer, and a healthy number of people asking how things went.
All I wanted to do was sleep, but something kept me going. Kept me answering questions I’d rather not have, kept my fear fried brain making conversation and trading verbal jabs.
A tap on my shoulder startles me, the sun is rising and if I don’t get to sleep soon, I’m going to fall over.
“Your half. “ Sylvia says, it’s just shy of a thousand pounds.
“All this was for, what is this? $600 American? “ I say.
“ Walk with me. “ Sylvia begins, I follow.
“Money isn’t much good if I’m dead. “ I say, my tone sullen and exasperated.
“Then don’t die. “ She replies, walking across the debris strewn scrub grass toward the farm house.
“Do you have any shame? You kidnapped me in the middle of the night to feed me to a couple of demons. I’m your nephew for Christ’s sake! “ I’m not yelling, I don’t think my body is capable of that much exertion at this point, but my words are clear.
“I’m not your aunt, Nikolas.
Great-Great-Great grandmother, give or take a generation. It’s been a long time.
And if I was doing, as you suggest, yes, I would feel a deep shame.” Sylvia lets the answers and questions ferment in my mind as we walk.
“So why not tell me what’s going on? Maybe teach me some of that magic you were tossing around at the airport. “ we stop outside a sliding door. Sylvia has a genuine look of amusement on her face.
“Magic? Nikolas, magic is what stupid people call being fooled.
Magic is the Priest’s sermon, the fortune teller’s reading, the huckster’s pitch.
It’s a way to create vast amounts of power from nothing.
The world is full of things that defy the laws of nature. What I do, what those of the family with me do, is understand them. We learn, we improvise, and we adapt.
We do not make power from nothing, we find it, and use it. “ Sylvia watches me, judging my response to her statement.
“So that’s what you meant before. About the trappings of the gypsy. This whole vibe, it’s a smokescreen.
Assholes expect the Gritts to be some Romani stereotype, and give you a wide berth. When strange shit happens, they chalk it up to some kind of con, or something they’ve seen in a movie. Either way, they aren’t looking for monster fights, and supernatural research. “ I know I’m in the ballpark when she pats me on the shoulder hard enough to hurt.
“And the value of your half, is somewhere around 30 thousand. We wager in esoteric items, favors, and creatures. When you leave, I’ll make you a fair offer for what is yours.
You’ll understand more in the morning after you have a chance to look around. “ Sylvia says before showing me a sparse, but clean, and comfortable room.
I wake up in the early afternoon, something, beyond the obvious nagging at me.
After a cup of nearly caustic tea, I finally realized what it was.
Sylvia, she told me a lot last night. But many of my questions were avoided. I know about her, and this place, but my fate, beyond another round of tug of war between two nightmares, is unknown.
That being said, my second conclusion, is that I need to start rolling with the punches. I’ve tried calling the police (they asked how Sylvia was doing before I said my name.), my parents, anyone, and like it or not, for one unsaid reason or another, I’m stuck here.
I’m going to skip a lot of introductions. Reading me introducing myself, 50 times and trying not to be awkward around folks that seem way too okay with me dying, probably wouldn’t be the best use of your time.
As I explore the grounds, I enter one of a handful of old barns. The inside has peg board walls hung with tools spanning the spectrum from mundane to esoteric enough I have no idea what they are.
Inside, among benches strewn with a random assortment of objects, and equipment, stand two men.
The first is Colin, he’s pale as a ghost, eyes bloodshot and sleep deprived, he wears an Aerosmith shirt, and toolbelt that is making his pants lose a battle with gravity. The 40 something is holding an electrode connected to a thick, black wire directly patched into the main breaker.
The second, Dafyd is a short, olive skinned man in his mid fifties. His outfit consists of a tweed jacket, blue jeans and plain white shirt.
Between them on a grounded workbench sits a small snow globe, within stands a faded ballerina, one arm lost, floating randomly through the liquid.
My teeth ache as the breaker begins to make a dangerous humming noise. For a couple of seconds, a short blue spark arcs from the electrode to the snow globe.
The air smells of ozone to the point where I’m convinced I’ve burned out my nose hairs. The two men argue a bit between themselves in a language I’ve heard but never learned to speak. Then turn as they notice me.
“Nik, come settle an argument between your uncle and I. “ Dafyd says.
“Don’t know how much help I’m going to be, but I’ll do my best. “ I say, walking up.
“The kid has no idea what’s going on Dafyd. “ Colin says.
“I know, but we’re not looking for an expert opinion.
Nik, what year is it? “ Dafyd asks.
“1993.” I say without hesitation, “ What the hell? “ I add. My brain is a bit fried, but not enough to screw up the date by 30 something years.
“God damn it. “ Colin says.
“I knew it! “ exclaims Dafyd.
“This piece of shit is getting binned.
You look confused kid.
It’s called a gimmick. It’s the stuff side of what we deal in. Some of it, it’s two steps off of a horror novel. Most of it though, it’s just strange.
Figuring them out is 95% engineering and 5% esoterica.
They teaching you anything across the pond? “ Colin asks.
The question leads to a conversation, the conversation leads to a week of me shadowing the two finicky, strange guys.
I’d go into more detail, but as the days go by, things seem more and more like spending time with some out there branches in the family tree. As terrifying as everything has been, as terrifying as it is, it’s, interesting.
But I wouldn’t be writing if things were sunshine and roses though, would I?
One day, after working with objects that scared, confused and frustrated me in equal measure, I realized there was something I was avoiding.
So I found myself standing in front of Augustus, the creature held upright and immobile in it’s coffin-like cage. The Plexiglas window is cracked.
It's worse than I thought it would be. Every time I look at the thing’s face I see the blood it made me spill. I see the power it wields, and the murderous intent in it’s twisted pit of a mind.
But sometime soon, I’m going to be next to it again. I have to be able to keep myself together. I have to understand this thing as much as I can.
“Hey killer, how the fuck ya Doin? “ Augustus taunts. Shame reddens my fear paled face.
“Can we talk? “ I say, I want it to be a demand, it comes out as a whimper.
“What do we have to talk about, bud? What about this are you not picking up on yet? “ Augustus is smug, confident even while confined.
“How you seem to have this limitless ego, when you're being held by literally the oldest woman possible. “ I’m too scared to say this above a whisper.
“That dusty old wizard’s sleeve out there? She’ll fucking get hers.
Lucky bitch on a lucky day is all that was.
But luck runs out, and when it does, I’m gonna uproot your entire sad little family tree. “ Augustus threatens.
I actually take a step backward, and almost turn. The fear this thing causes, it’s more than the knowledge of what it can do, it’s a force in and of itself.
“Augustus, why not hear me out? “ I plead.
“Because kid, that’s not how this story goes.
I’ve got nothing but time, I’ll be around till the heat death of the fucking universe.
I don’t need to hear things like you out, I don’t need to bargain. No matter how airtight your inbred little clan thinks these bonds are, eventually, someone always makes a mistake. Something small, like a wrong angle on a rune.
Or…, “ as the thing talks, the door to the coffin like cage holding it starts to slowly swing outward, “ Something big, like forgetting to set the fucking padlock. “
I’m already running as he talks, but he’s standing in front of the exit before I can take a step.
He looms in front of the door, coat spreading, seemingly of it’s own accord, making the patchwork killer seem like some kind of twisted manta ray.
He locks eyes with me, I’m frozen, gripped in terror so intense I have no idea if it’s mundane or the aura of fear Augustus projects.
Those mismatched orbs burrow into me, I feel like this thing can see into my soul.
He inhales for an impossibly long time, a slick, menacing grin spreading across his leathery face.
“Yeah, today’s the day kid.” He says, a kick sending me across the floor like a smooth rock across the surface of a pond.
I’ve never felt pain like this, I try to stand, but my knee refuses to bend. I hit the ground and my ribs scream, I’m sure at least one was broken in the tumble.
I hear Augustus’ footsteps, my struggles to get to my feet are useless. Seconds in, i’m in literal crippling pain.
He grabs me by the throat, taking his time as he raises me above his head.
The look of joy on his face as I choke and struggle to breathe twists his features, for a moment he appears nearly snakelike.
He holds the tips of his claw-like nails against my stomach. Then draws his arm back.
“Don’t worry bud, I’m not just going to tear out your heart, everyone does that shit.
This isn’t going to be a sprint, it’s a fucking marathon. I just want to aerate the track a little bit before we start. “ His hand blurs and I close my eyes hoping I don’t last very long.
“Stop” I hear a deep, smooth, male voice say.
I hit the ground, and try to see who just stopped the beginning of my execution, but the pain, the cracked ribs, pulled muscles and long ragged scrapes have me seeing spots.
When my vision clears, I see a tall, blond man with impossibly angular features, dressed in an immaculate black and mauve suit.
His eyes try to look kind, but there is something wrong behind them. Something waiting to be let out.
“Who are you? “ I say, one lip, split and torn.
“You can call me Art. Arthur Deus if you feel like being formal.
But what you want to know, is why I’m here.
Well Nikolas, to simplify things, think of me as the older brother of the leering terror your ‘aunt’ has trapped here. “ As Arthur talks, I notice something, the motes of dust in the air are hanging still.
“I have no problems with you taking him. I haven’t seen you, I don’t know your name. Couldn’t stop you if I wanted to. “ I ramble.
Arthur holds up a finger, I go silent.
“If only it were that easy.
See Nikolas, your aunt and I, have quite the history. And as much as it pains me to admit it, she’s a crafty one, and has the means to make things very difficult for me.
Sylvia cannot know I’m involved, this is why I have an offer for you. “ As art says this, he waves a hand, almost dismissively.
Like a switch being flipped my pain stops, I watch as my wounds begin to seal and fade, amazed.
“What is it? “ I say. The words feel like they have weight.
“Sylvia is looking for someone to take over for her. As old as she is, she’s not immortal.
You’re her third attempt.
I’m not going to lie to you and say I care about what’s happening to the humans involved in this grim little spectacle. But I care about my family, and to a lesser extent, those like myself.
This bloodsport that your aunt is a part of, it’s vile. It’s world spanning, and it’s for nothing more than greed and bragging rights.
I want to change this. And I would like you to help me. “ Art’s tone is slick and confident.
“If I do, then you get him to back off? “ I say, pointing to Augustus.
Art looks dismayed for a moment.
“That’s not something I can really promise Nikolas. If anything could force him to listen to reason, he wouldn’t be in this situation in the first place. “ My heart sinks as Art says this.
“Fuck off Art. “ Augustus says.
Arthur rolls his eyes. They seem to go just a little too far back.
“But what I can do, is have a conversation with him, impress upon him how important it is he works with you. “ Art pats me on the shoulder before turning toward his sibling. His hand is impossibly hot.
“This kid dies, that is not my fault. You’ve seen this shit, he’s not built for it, just bust me out of here. “ Augustus isn’t far off of pleading in his tone.
“You know that’s not possible. I cannot let Sylvia know I’m here. But given time, I will have you out. “ Art assures.
“Fact remains, this kid gets on the wrong side of a blade or a fuckin, werewolf or something, that’s not on me.
Even if he manages to keep his lungs in his chest, look at him. His mind is cracking, he’s either insane or God-damned, catatonic in two months. “ Now Augustus sounds like a cocky piece of shit again.
“Of course, if he dies, or succumbs mentally, that’s not on you.
But I want you, to make a promise to me. I want you to understand that this child cannot be harmed by your hand. “ It sounds like Art is talking to a five year old.
Augustus shrugs before replying.
“The fuck you want me to say? You know me, you know I can’t say I’m not hurting this kid. And I sure as hell am not making a promise about it so you can get you-know-who involved when nature takes it’s course.
Fuck this kid, get me out of here.”
Arthur sighs and turns from Augustus , walking to me.
“Nikolas, I have something to tell you. “ He says, there’s a gravity to his tone that clearly makes Augustus uncomfortable.
“Art, what are you doing? “ The Trenchcoat wearing creature asks.
Art kneels bringing himself eye to eye with me.
“Don’t do this. “ Augustus says.
“Then promise. “ Art replies, a few seconds of silence go by, “ As you can see, I cannot guarantee your safety Nikolas.
But, for his own good, I want to tell you a word, one that will make my myopic brother look at things a little differently, if the need arises.
I’d use it sparingly, it’s not meant for those like yourself. It will have a physical, mental and spiritual toll. But it might spare you the worst of his excesses. “
That word was the last thing Arthur said to me. With a staggering, disorienting lurch, time began to move forward.
It kept moving forward for the next month.
I learned a lot over that time, but, not what you might expect.
As it turns out, there is a hell of a lot more engineering, physics, and chemistry involved in working with the supernatural than, summoning circles and newt eyes.
But eventually, the day I was dreading came.
The venue was a strip club of all places, a massive building, on the outskirts of Norwich, gaudy neon lights illuminate a place that, unlike the theme restaurant, seems to be in active use.
There was a different ambiance this time. The folks milling around the rune etched Lucite box seemed more sedate, and a hell of a lot richer.
The lighting was professional, driving music sets a professional sports tone.
This time I walk in the cage of my own accord. It’s not pride, or bravery, but simply knowing, I have no choice.
The roar of the crowd stokes my fear as Augustus slowly opens the door of his coffin-like vessel.
He loves the attention, his grin both horrifying and genuine.
“Guess we’re in the big leagues now, eh, killer? “ Augustus prods.
I’m sweating. I’ve cut a little weight over the past month, unintentionally, but as I wonder what horror is going to come walking in the other side of this cage. I don’t think being in marginally better shape and having a working knowledge of basic engineering is going to do me a lot of good.
Suddenly the crowd is silent, lights illuminate a spot at the far end of the massive Lucite box.
She’s small, slight, and has grey, lifeless skin. Her eyes are massive, her body beautiful, but exaggerated to the point of looking cartoonish. She’s not wearing much, a small t-shirt and what I’ll generously call a bikini bottom.
Beside her is a massive, brick slab of a man, late twenties or early thirties. His eyes are wild, he’s covered in layers of scars, and burns. He wears an old, worn prison uniform that’s never seen a washing machine.
He matches her strange, boneless stride, with a loping wolf-like gait.
“Entering the ring, you know her, you love her. She’s the Vixen of the void, The Nymph of nothing, Norwich’s own, ‘Sweet’ Francis Anne!
And at her side, brought in at great expense from the land of Twinkies, cheeseburgers and weak beer, The Corps Killer, the Military Mangler, with 24 out of ring kills and 36 in, ‘Big’ Billy Speck! “ an announcer screams.
The crowd bursts into life, noise shakes the walls of the cage.
“And, on the other side, I don’t know, some wanker in a Trenchcoat, and a kid that isn’t even old enough to be here. Let’s watch them die. “ He finishes.
Augustus looks enraged, his teeth chatter, he flexes his clawed hands. I walk in his shadow as he advances to face the creature and her second.
“I know you! “ The grey skinned thing says, her voice high pitched. As she speaks I notice what appears to be a thick scar bisecting her from forehead to stomach.
“Never heard of you. Neither will anyone else after this. “ Augustus says with a grin.
“You’re the runt of the litter right? Royal blood but peasant flesh, that’s what they say, no? “ Francis says, she grins a toothless smile. The inside of her mouth, a black void.
“Fuck my family. What I am is as good as meat gets. I give myself power, all you have is a cosmic std. “ Augustus stares Francis down as he talks.
Francis reacts with nothing more than a coy look. Bill stares down at me, the handle of some large blade sticking out of his right pocket, and a short length of chain wrapped around his left forearm.
A buzzer cuts through the roar of the crowd, the world seems to consist of nothing more than myself and the horrors around me as the timer begins to count down.
Like a flash Augustus leaps at Francis, but her body stretches and contorts as she moves, he never gets close.
I tear myself away from the clash of unnatural creatures as I look to the mutilated killer in front of me.
I didn’t come in unarmed, but I also was expecting another kid. And wanted to avoid what happened last time if at all possible. My heart races as I pull the small black can from the pocket of my worn, grey hoodie.
For a second I feel like a badass. I’ve got the can of mace aimed and spraying before Bill can react.
Four seconds tick by before the can is empty, Bill is soaked in thick yellow liquid, it runs down his face like tears.
The psycho doesn’t even blink.
“You good? “ he asks before slapping my outstretched arm aside and shattering my nose with a backhanded blow that seemed almost an afterthought.
Augustus screams in frustration, moving faster than I can track, but not able to put a scratch on the amorphous, rubbery woman.
Bill uncoils the chain, and I feel a sudden deep, crushing pain in my chest. I stumble backward, coughing. He laughs and whips the chain out again, I manage to see the next blow, but have no way of stopping it.
He manages to hit the same spot, the pain is overwhelming, my lungs feel bruised, I can’t breathe.
Francis seems to have grown bored avoiding Augustus, he pants, sucking wind as she stands in front of him.
That scar splits, not fully, but from forehead to the bridge of her nose. What’s behind it, is nothing.
I mean that in terms so literal, I can’t describe how it looked. It was more of a feeling that a sight. Looking into it, made me understand just how empty something can actually be.
Pieces of Augustus’ skin and flesh begin to, simply not exist. His look of confusion lasts for about a second before he’s sent sailing through the air by a long, whip-like arm.
The trenchcoat clad creature extracts himself from a tangled mess of tables, chairs and debris. Francis and Bill laugh, mocking us.
“Let’s trade dance partners” Augustus says, his two handed shove launching my broken body into Francis.
She catches me, her body absorbing the impact.
Fear is making me hyperventilate, physical trauma is turning that into a wheezing pant that feels like being waterboarded.
Francis looks down at me, violence and seduction in her eyes.
“Make things easy for me and I’ll let you go out with a bang. “ She says, the look of carnal violence on her face makes me gag.
Augustus struggles with Bill, the creatures wounds many and severe.
A minute remains, but I don’t know if I can last another ten seconds.
Francis stretches one arm into a thin tendril, it begins to circle me, caging me into a progressively smaller area.
“I’m sixteen, you paranormal nonce. “ I blurt out, the pain from my broken nose almost making me pass out, “ That’s the word they use around here, right? For the kind of creep that gets supernatural powers to hit on a kid? “
I can’t run, I can’t fight, all I can do is try to distract this thing for another 42 seconds.
Her face begins to turn, shifting and warping into something resembling a cattle skull more than a person.
The wet snapping noise distracts both Francis and myself.
Augustus has his hand buried in the chest of the convict, he holds the man aloft for a moment.
Augustus says something in a language I can’t even guess at, and with one fluid motion tears the black, decayed heart from his own chest and replaces it with that of the killer.
He begins to scream, then laugh, wounds spraying ichor, he seems to swell, his face a mask of pleasure and Ill intent.
“Death machine just needed a new engine. “ Augustus says with a cackle.
Francis forgets about me and lashes out, quite literally, at Augustus. Limbs becoming a frenzied blur of snaking flesh, , destroying anything they so much as graze.
He wades into the storm, flirting around the edges of the cage, making her chase him with the lethal limbs.
The conflict is a blur, but at the 23 second mark I see it. As much as I hate the prick, I’m almost impressed.
She’s tangled, somewhere among the bent stripper poles, and doorways to private booths, She’s caught herself.
Augustus takes his time now, her body is stretched thin, looped around door handles and under stages.
Ten seconds left, Augustus is feet from her writhing, blob-like form. Her features pulled taught enough to be nearly non-existent.
“Takes a lot to open yourself up doesn’t it? “ Augustus says, kneeling, he holds the killer’s knife in one hand, “ Why don’t I do it for you? “
The blade is barely touching her flesh as the timer ends.
“Fuck’s sake! “ Augustus says, standing, and letting the knife fall to the floor.
Something about the way he walks to one end of the Lucite cage worries me.
“Nobody likes a draw, but as far as they go, that was one hell of a kiss to your sister, wasn’t it folks?
No one is defeating our lovely lady of legend, but let’s hear it for the man who tried… Trenchcoat! “ The announcer screams over the loudspeaker.
The crowd is on their feet, bets are being paid out, and two groups of people are trying to open doors conveniently barred by flesh no person is going to get through.
I jog up to him, my body screaming at me every step of the way. He taps along one clear wall.
“Cheap runes. “ Augustus says, before driving his fist like a spear through the Lucite.
The hole he makes is about the size of a watermelon, his hand easily going through all six inches of the wall.
But it’s not big enough to accommodate the body of the poor twenty something he drags through.
In an instant the man is flensed, his small bones broken, eyes, ears and jaw, nothing more than a smear.
But he’s still alive, wailing a haunting death bellow as he struggles to understand what just happened.
“Stop! “ I scream, horrified. Blood sprays from my ruined nose, “You think I won’t say it? “
Augustus slowly cocks his head, punching his fist through the wall again, and tossing another victim beside the first.
“In front of your family, and that aunt of yours? You think this is bad? The shit she’ll do to you if she knows you even looked at my Dangerous Brothers looking prick of a brother will make this look like a massage.” Trenchcoat pauses, letting the reality sink in, letting my absolute lack of power envelop me like a blanket, “ You want me to stop? I’ll give you something no one else has, a choice.
Either finish one of these pieces of meat off, or, have a taste. “
He brings his hand back for another strike, and I make my choice.
No, I’m not telling you which one. I can share a lot of things with you guys. But, I’m sorry, how I picked to save the rest of the people in that place is a shame I’m going to carry on my own.
Don’t know if any of you will want to hear from me again, after knowing what I’ve had to do, who I’ve had to deal with, but I’m going to keep posting. This is getting nothing but worse, and maybe, I can save someone else the same fate.

1985 — World oil production will fall below world needs
1990 — North America will no longer be a reliable source for food export
1995 — The nations of the world will meet (unwillingly) in a Global Congress to tackle seriously the problems of population, food, and energy.
2000 — Under global sponsorship, the construction of solar power stations in orbit about the earth will have begun.
2005 — A mining station will be in operation on the moon.
2010 — World population will have peaked at something like 7 billion.
2015 — The dismantling of the military machines of the world will have made international war impractical.
2020– The flow of energy from solar-power space stations will have begun. Nuclear fusion stations will be under construction.
2025 — The Global Congress will be recognized as a permanent institution. The improvement in communications will have developed a world “lingua franca,” which will be taught in schools.
2030 — The use of microcomputers and electronic computers will have revolutionized education, produced a global village, and prepared humanity for the thorough exploration of the solar system and the plans for eventual moves toward the stars.
Two of those are really good! They are from The Book of Predictions, by David Wallechinsky, Amy Wallace, and Irving Wallace.
The post Isaac Asimov predictions from 1981 appeared first on Marginal REVOLUTION.

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I started having symptoms of PCOS as far back as 14 years old. I haven’t had what I would call a predictable period ever.. or maybe I was never interested in tracking it, as a teenager. Either way, I have not had a period since 16. Light pink spotting, at the absolute most, but it was only maybe 3 times a year. I’ve had nexplanon twice (no horror stories in my case, outside of insurance issues with removal..) but. Between the years I had it the first time, and the second time, my period did not return in its absence. I’ve, been used to not having periods. I’ve also been scared of seeing a gynecologist to see what could be potentially wrong.. I have my first Pap smear soon and I’m nervous due to previous trauma/self confidence. I’ve never let anyone see me down there, amongst all of my relationships. I’m a big girl, I just. Really, really, don’t want to do it.. but I know I have to. I could use some advice on what could make that situation easier for my self esteem, and general mental state.. I know it’s going to really effect me during/afterwards.
Although, the reason I’m making this post, is that I started metformin two weeks ago, (I’ve been taking a pro/prebiotic and have had no side effects), and I feel cramping tonight? Very very localized, and not near my abdomen. It’s, weird, and foreign, but I could almost cry. I’ve felt very disconnected from something that basically any person with ovaries deals with. So many people have said that I’m lucky, and in a way, it was nice to not deal with it for almost a decade now. But I also felt, very alone, and unaware of what my body was going through. Unaware of any emotional changes I could’ve been dealing with throughout my “cycle”.
I mostly wanted to vent. I would love to hear from anyone who has any shared experiences or advice. 🥺 I’m 25 now by the way.

Here's how powerful Sparkle as a character is deduced from purely logical reasoning regarding her feats:

• She consistently points characters in the right direction for plot advancement. This implies that she has Fu Xuan or elio levels of divinition, and is able to forsee the true story path of the universe. Considering how much effort Nous puts into doing this, compared to Sparkle, I'd say Sparkle ranks above Them.
  
• During the segment we play as Sparkle - Robin form, you're able to use her technique. Combined with the fact that Sparkle was prepared to play Robin's role in the Charmony festival shows that she's able to take the powers of whoever she transforms into. This puts her above every Aeon.
  
• Imagine you are Aha. Would you really be content as the Aeon of laughing at people to just watch the main characters progress through the story? Purely for fun, you'd probably instead disguise yourself as some random ass side character and mess with the plot in funny ways. So Sparkle is Aha actually. She even reveals this to us in her trailer.
  

I can already hear your questions, so let me pre-emptively answer them:

• How can Aha predict the future? - They were in the writer's room.
  
• How can an Aeon like Aha emulate the powers of the other Aeons? - Aha totally would just go follow around other Aeons for stupidly long times copying exactly everything they do. - Currently imagining Aha 2 ft to the right of Qlipoth smacking their wall with a squeaky hammer.
  
• How is Sparkle able to be memory wiped by Black Swan then? - She just fogor
  
• What would fighting Sparkle even be like. - Idk she'd probably just like give you stage 4 lymphoma with a poke then mock you in the hospital.
  
• Do you really think Hoyo would release the Aeon of elation as a mentally ill 5ft twin tailed brat made to appeal to foot fetishsts? - That's exactly who Aha would be.
  

I'm just waiting for the eventual reveal and 6 star Sparkle, the Elation dps / support / harmony to drop.

Vault Number: 279

Location: Kansas City, Kansas

Purpose of Vault: To see how residents adapt to a constantly changing environment, but denied that the environment has changed.

Experiment parameters:

Vault 279 is probably the most mechanically complex Vault made, and larger than most other vaults too. The entire vault is constructed of modular areas, designed to be easily moved around and rearranged at a moments notice, even able to completely redesign the vault with Vault Tecs patented Modular Rearrangement System (MRS). When residents are allowed in to the vault, a couple of weeks will pass, with the entire vault designed to shake at random intervals. Residents will be told that the surface has become unstable, and the tectonic plates are shifting randomly due to the bombs, but reassured that the vault will be able to withstand said earthquakes. Not only that, but soon the earthquakes will become predictable, and people will be informed when large quakes are going to happen, to duck and cover during those times, as well as told doors will be temporarily sealed to prevent injury.
However, after an entire year, at predetermined but random times, parts of the vault will be randomly rearranged, thanks to the vaults MRS. Thanks to the cover story of earthquakes (and the occasional shake) Vault residents will chalk up any feelings of movement as just another earthquake. As residents notice that parts of the Vault has seemingly changed, Vault Tec personnel are to inform residents that they are merely making it up, and the Vault has always been in the arrangement they see it now. Vault Tec personnel will be informed of the changes beforehand, so while the residents may get lost and head the wrong way, security and the overseer never will.
Essentially, the Vault residents will need to be gaslit on their Vault shifting around. The Vault doesn’t change, you are just crazy. It will be encouraged to publicly shame people who speak up about the Vault being different at random times, claiming it’s extreme schizophrenia, psychosis and “un-American” attitudes, and at extreme cases, temporary imprisonment in holding cells until residents calm down from their schizophrenic episode.
Notable personnel - Overseer Baldwin: Overseer Jeremy Baldwin will be in charge of all Vault changes.

• Chief of Security Haldor: Tanisha Haldor will be in charge of security. Haldor has shown great initiative to quell protests and riots before they happen, she’ll be ideal to handle “schizophrenic” and “claustrophobic” residents. She will be encouraged to call out the mental conditions of dwellers who may become wise to what is going on, in order to publicly shame them, and her security officers will join in, pressuring other residents to do the same.
  
• Doctor Wrent: Doctor Ralph Wrent will not only be in charge of residents health, but will also diagnose potentially troublesome residents with schizophrenia and psychosis. For his own cover, he will publicly denounce Haldors methods of public shaming his patients, claiming it’s a “breach of doctor patient confidentiality.” However, he will personally report said potential problem residents to her directly.
  
• Chief engineer BX-447 and team: The MRS will be maintained by chief engineer BX-447 and his team of robotic engineers. BX-447, despite being a mere Protectron, has shown amazing mechanical and electrical aptitude, as well as being able to direct other robots to important repairs at a moments notice. That’s Robco programming for you. He and his team will not interact with any vault residents, as they will be entirely outside the living vault, to maintain the MRS, to ensure it continues to work for literal centuries.
  

Terminal Entry Regarding MRS

Important rules for Vault Modular Rearrangement System!

• Vault changes are not to occur more than once a week
  
• Vault changes must always happen during “night” time, when almost all residents will be asleep. Curfews will be set up for “earthquake safety”. However, if a “problem” resident is around an area that can be conveniently changed without them noticing the change happening until after it happened, exceptions can be made.
  
• All changes must be quietly announced to Haldor and her team at least two days in advance, so they can prepare for the changes. Wrent has volunteered to exclude himself from change announcements in order to continue seeming like one of the residents, and occasionally getting lost. He says he’ll find it fun and amusing, so we are allowing it.
  
• No more than 4% of the vault may be changed at a time. This is to prevent extreme change happening overnight, which would tip off that the vault is changing to the residents.
  
• While the MRS is capable of making earthquakes above 6.5 on the Richter scale, it is not recommended to go above a 3.0. This is for two reasons, first is to prevent vault resident injury and the second is going above 4.0 may cause strain on the MRS system, and last thing we want is the system to break. That could potentially lead to catastrophic crushing to areas of the vault.
  
• Vault changes can only occur on the Overseers main terminal, or the engineering staff primary terminal. Overseer Baldwin is not to share his terminal password with anyone, except BX-447 for emergency repairs. BX-447 has been programmed to never do any Vault changes outside of emergency repair work.
  

Full SubStack article below....
Read the article with images and subscribe here https://shiftedparadigms.substack.com/p/the-results-are-changing-quickly

"The Results Are Changing Quickly"...

Stalemate on the information front as the "Censorship Industrial Complex" fights the truth once more...
“Chris Cuomo Ivermectin” is all it takes at this present moment (8:24 p.m. Friday 10 May, 2024) to get Google to deny you the search results and instead present you with this page:
We’ve seen this before.
We need to Trust Big Brother.
The Ministry of Truth will soon publish reliable information.
Love Big Brother.
Whilst we normally only report issues using the Australian lens, we also keep abreast of the happenings on the global war on COVID-19, the Delta Variant, Omicron, Monkeypox, XBB 1.5, Bird Flu, Influenza, COVID-19 (again), and so, seeing the article (below) published in the pro-vax legacy media only six days ago, was surprising to say the least.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/03/health/covid-vaccines-side-effects.html
Following this article, Chris Cuomo, former CNN news-anchor, brother of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, disclosed that he was one of those who believed he too had experienced harm from COVID-19 “vaccines”:
Predictable outrage ensued and even though Cuomo beyond implied that he had suffered a COVID-19 “vaccine” injury in the above interview, he quickly backtracked, denying ever acknowledging he had admitted suffering a long-vax injury.
Yet, seemingly freed from the shackles of his legacy media employer, in a follow-up interview, Chris Cuomo poured additional kerosene onto the conspiracy fire by disclosing the protocol for treating his “unknown” malaise was, of all things, ivermectin!
Even more amazingly, he asserted that physicians in the USA have been using it to treat COVID-19 for years and have been too afraid to speak out about the truth of the matter.
Does this sound all too familiar?
Given the Australian experience over the course of the “pandemic” from the gaslighting of Australian COVID-19 “vaccine” victims, to the censorship and forced “re-education” of Australian medical professionals, to the banning of a World Health Organisation “essential medicine” by Australia’s drug regulator for “safety concerns”, Cuomo’s account is absolutely believable.
Does ivermectin work?
Of course, and its safety and efficacy are well-established.
So, when we first saw the Cuomo interview on social media, we wanted to view it for ourselves and searched “Chris Cuomo Ivermectin” to receive a page with words to the effect of: “try again when we have our house in order - censorship takes time!”
Are we surprised?
Of course not.
Google is a monopolist media power, a pioneering member of the censorship oligopoly The Trusted News Initiative. Google derives a near totality of its revenue from selling advertisements. Therefore, you could not find a more conflicted arbiter of truth or reliability. Media companies funded by advertising align their output with their vested interests, rather than delivering objective news, explaining why Google is willing to censor this information.
As consumers of this pro-vax nonsense, though, why do we accept this?
In truth, as we see with all monopolies, we have little choice. The monopolist controls the supply and access to “reliable” information, resulting in fewer alternatives for consumers. As the primary gateway to the internet for many users, Google has the power to shape perceptions and visibility through its search algorithms. They will demote or shadow-ban “unreliable” content so it’s never seen (just like ours!).
So, as of last night, we couldn’t get results for “Chris Cuomo Vax Injured”:
We couldn’t get results for “Chris Cuomo Ivermectin”:
And we’ve seen this type of behaviour from Google before.
In 2022, we couldn’t get results about “mass formation psychosis” after Robert Malone proposed the idea on Joe Rogan’s podcast:
In 2023, we weren’t trusted to discern the veracity of Jordon Trishston Walker’s inebriated and gossipy confession that Pfizer had been conducting the directed evolution of new COVID-19 variants:
Even with the typo in our above search, we still managed to activate the censorship page!
So, what’s Google really doing behind the scenes when these pages are returned?
In an irony not lost on us, we Googled this question to learn more:

Let’s follow this explanation through to its logical conclusions:

1. Immediate information is most often unreliable.
2. Breaking news and/or emerging topics are particularly unreliable if reported immediately.

So, the searches for “Chris Cuomo” and “Vax Injured” or “Ivermectin” were particularly unreliable because they were being reported immediately, even though they came from the once trusted and reliable mouth of the former pro-vax CNN news anchor.
Google is quite clear about what you are allowed to say and what you are not allowed to say in its “Medical Misinformation Policy”:
So, Cuomo is a misinformationist for recounting his experience of “vaccine” injury and the medicine he is using to treat it.
Google has clearly played its hand.
It’s not about reliability.
It’s about censorship.
And it’s only the truth that ever gets censored."

Just a short story where a Skalgan has a bath.
________________
That shadestalker was a tricky one; the lone ones often were.
They were clever beasts, often in a herd. As their shadows danced in the night, you couldn’t help but feel your fur rise. But they rarely attacked, for it was merely a show of force as you intruded on their territory.
Though they could easily dispatch a lone Venlil or two, they knew better. An unwarranted attack would spell their end by Venlil spear. Maybe not this paw, but the next their fate was sealed. For this was a harsh land, and the Venlil harsher still in their judgement of transgressions against their own, for the herd protects the herd.
But woe to those who have none, like this poor beast.
Underfed and on shaky limb it took its chance. You didn’t see it until it was upon you, blocking its jaw with your spear as it pushed you down, tangling its claws in your pelt. And then it stopped, its neck pierced by your commander. A predictable end, and maybe preferable. Much faster than starvation.
As you try and catch your breath, your commander pulls it off of you, hoisting it over his shoulder. Its ribs protrude and its tongue hangs limp as it’s taken by the still. ‘May its departure nourish growth’ you pray, before being pulled to your paws, dusting off your matted fur and beginning the trek home.
Entering the village, the structures stop the wind, lessening the chill. Though you know it will soon have bite as you head towards the baths.
You are of lower rank so you sit first on a short wooden stool, a bar of soap placed in your paw. This one had a pungent odour, betraying the source of its fats from that of an animal. A similar fate would befall your attacker if they had any fats left. You steel yourself against it, and what's to come next.
A whoosh resounds as cold water is dumped over your head, flattening your ears and cutting through your warm fur. Though you wish to freeze in shock, now is not the time. You attack the fur of your front, begging the suds to do their work. Meanwhile, your commander works your back, his strokes more violent than your own. Knot falls to claw which occasionally stray too deep, a burning sensation wherever they find your skin. However this is short-lived as the cold begins to numb all.
Your tail is left to you, but that is the only dignity. A leg is washed with equal violence, followed quickly by the other. And then without ceremony another wave of water assaults you before you step off the stool.
Your tail curls around you, heavy with moisture. The sight of the warm refuge of the bath teases you, but your task has just begun.
Your commander takes his place on the stool and begins the same routine. It is your turn to wield the water, though the cold saps your strength. He flinches as you pour it over him, proving that you never get used to the chill. But like you, he begins to wash his front, and you shall wash his back.
Your moves grow ever sluggish, muscles freezing into rock. You only manage down to his tail before he flicks that he is done. Another rinse with water and then you seek relief; near stumbling on failing limb towards the hot pools.
There are many in the bath this claw, though they make room for your ingress. Shoulders tussle shoulders, your tail sits safely in your lap.
Whistles and brays fill the air as their lives are freely shared. You contribute pleasantries as the warmth seeps in, and with it fatigue. The time in the bath is short, never long enough. But you need to offer up your place to the venlil that shivers at the side.
Your commander exits with you, though he has the authority to not. He endeavours to protect the herd he says, even from the cold. You huddle by the water heater, trying to maintain your warmth as you comb through each other's fur to dry it as best you can.
Next is some oils, he shares his own and their quality is in their scent. As you sit he brushes them through, until your fur shines just like the night. With practised claw he adds some plaits, working around your mane. And then he sits and with the comb you work to do the same.
Afterwards, you take your leave. You sign goodbye with your tail, and head towards your home.

1. As she opened the mysterious letter, her eyes widened, and a secret from her past threatened to unravel her present.
   
2. "Why do you always wear that locket?" he asked, unknowingly opening a door to a hidden chapter in her life.
   
3. The old bookstore had an unusual policy – customers could exchange a personal story for a book instead of money.
   
4. In the bustling city, a street musician's melody sparked an unexpected connection between two strangers.
   
5. "The abandoned amusement park at midnight is the only place where wishes come true," the old man whispered to the curious teenager.
   
6. As the protagonist walked through the enchanted forest, the trees began to whisper secrets about their ancient guardians.
   
7. The protagonist discovered an old journal with entries eerily mirroring their own experiences, raising questions about time and reality.
   
8. "I've never seen anyone laugh like that," he observed, unknowingly planting the seed for an unlikely friendship.
   
9. In a world where emotions materialize as colorful auras, she struggled to hide her true feelings from the prying eyes around her.
   
10. As the clock struck midnight, the abandoned carnival rides came to life, offering a magical escape for the sleepless teenager.
    
11. The protagonist stumbled upon a forgotten library where books recorded the untold stories of every person's dreams.
    
12. "If you had one wish, what would you change about the world?" she asked, unknowingly unlocking a hidden power within him.
    
13. The protagonist received a letter from their future self, detailing the choices that would shape their destiny.
    
14. The eccentric old man in the park claimed to have a map leading to a parallel universe hidden within the city.
    
15. "In this town, every mirror has a memory," the mysterious stranger warned, leaving the protagonist intrigued and wary.
    
16. The protagonist's reflection started showing glimpses of a parallel life, raising questions about reality and existence.
    
17. A peculiar antique shop offered items that seemed to possess memories of their previous owners.
    
18. The protagonist discovered a hidden room in their house, filled with letters detailing the lives of the home's previous occupants.
    
19. "Why do you always sit on that bench?" she asked, unraveling a tale of lost love and second chances.
    
20. The protagonist stumbled upon a forgotten camera that captured moments from the future, creating a dilemma of choices.
    
21. The abandoned carnival ticket held a secret code that led to a mysterious door in the heart of the city.
    
22. "If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be?" she asked, opening a portal to unexpected encounters.
    
23. The protagonist's reflection started offering advice, blurring the lines between self-awareness and external guidance.
    
24. A peculiar shop sold dreams bottled in colorful jars, each containing a unique adventure waiting to be experienced.
    
25. The protagonist found an old letter in the attic, detailing a forgotten family curse and the key to breaking it.
    
26. As the protagonist explored the ancient ruins, they discovered an artifact that unlocked the language of the forgotten civilization.
    
27. The protagonist stumbled upon a time capsule that seemed to predict future events, causing a ripple in the fabric of reality.
    
28. "Write down your biggest fear and burn it," the mysterious stranger instructed, offering unexpected liberation.
    
29. The abandoned lighthouse held a journal chronicling the stories of ships lost in a storm that never seemed to end.
    
30. The protagonist's shadow started behaving independently, harboring secrets of its own.
    
31. In a world where memories were currency, the protagonist faced the dilemma of spending or saving their most precious recollections.
    
32. A peculiar clock in the antique shop counted down to significant moments in the protagonist's life.
    
33. The protagonist received a letter from their future self, urging them to make a seemingly insignificant choice that would change everything.
    
34. A mysterious melody played on an old piano summoned long-forgotten memories in the protagonist's mind.
    
35. The protagonist discovered a hidden portal in their backyard, leading to a parallel world where everything was inverted.
    
36. "Write a letter to your future self," she advised, sparking introspection and self-discovery.
    
37. A peculiar mirror reflected the protagonist's desires, creating a dilemma between fantasy and reality.
    
38. As the protagonist wandered through a mystical garden, flowers whispered the secrets of their past lives.
    
39. The protagonist's dreams started bleeding into reality, blurring the lines between waking and sleeping hours.
    
40. In a town where everyone wore masks, the protagonist uncovered the truth hidden behind the façades.
    
41. The abandoned train station held echoes of untold stories, waiting to be unraveled by an inquisitive mind.
    
42. The protagonist found an old map that led to a forgotten library containing books written by those who never existed.
    
43. A peculiar compass pointed not to directions but to moments in time yet to unfold.
    
44. As the protagonist explored an ancient attic, they discovered a box containing letters from a future version of themselves.
    
45. The protagonist received a key in the mail with no indication of what it unlocked, triggering a quest for hidden doors.
    
46. In a world where colors represented emotions, the protagonist discovered the existence of a forbidden hue.
    
47. The protagonist found an old typewriter that typed messages from the past, present, and future.
    
48. A mysterious phone booth allowed the protagonist to communicate with their past and future selves.
    
49. As the protagonist sifted through old photographs, they discovered a camera that captured moments from parallel universes.
    
50. The protagonist stumbled upon a room where forgotten dreams were kept, waiting to be rediscovered.
    
51. A peculiar mirror revealed reflections not of the present, but of potential futures.
    
52. The protagonist found an old radio that transmitted messages from a dimension beyond time.
    
53. In a world where whispers materialized as tangible objects, the protagonist discovered a room filled with unspoken secrets.
    
54. The protagonist received a letter from their past self, offering guidance on navigating upcoming challenges.
    
55. As the protagonist explored an ancient library, books whispered the stories of those who had read them before.
    
56. A peculiar clock displayed not the current time but moments from the protagonist's future.
    
57. The protagonist found an old notebook that seemed to predict their thoughts before they were written.
    
58. In a town where everyone wore masks, the protagonist discovered a mirror reflecting their true self.
    
59. The protagonist received a mysterious key that opened doors not to physical spaces but to memories.
    
60. As the protagonist explored an abandoned mansion, they discovered a room filled with forgotten aspirations.
    
61. A peculiar painting in the attic changed its scenes, offering glimpses into the protagonist's possible futures.
    
62. The protagonist found an old journal that seemed to chronicle events that hadn't happened yet.
    
63. In a world where shadows told stories, the protagonist discovered a room where secrets were kept in silhouette.
    
64. The protagonist received a letter containing detailed instructions on navigating a day that hadn't occurred.
    
65. As the protagonist explored an ancient forest, they discovered trees that whispered forgotten tales.
    
66. A peculiar compass guided the protagonist not to locations but to significant moments in their life.
    
67. The protagonist found an old tape recorder that played messages from a parallel reality.
    
68. In a world where doors led not to rooms but to memories, the
    

hello everyone, kusari here.
first of all i thought i'd say thanks to everyone on this sub for even helping my daniel larson docuseries get as far as it did in the first place. it all started here with my first posts on this sub teasing part 1, and the support on the vids since has been amazing. you guys and this series changed my life forreal. given what's been going onto daniel there have been a few ppl asking me questions about what the future of the series might look like from here on out. it's looking likely that daniel larson is going to be locked up for some time, so this is my best plan for the series going forward.
with daniel's recent arrest on 7 counts of federal charges, he's facing a potential maximum sentence of 65 years in prison if found guilty on all charges. even if he doesn't get the max, it's likely he'll be going away for a long time.
so here's my plan for the docuseries: i'm gonna make part 4 which will cover everything from mid-december 2023 up until daniel's recent arrest and upcoming trial. it'll probably be another 2-2.5 hour video like the others. after that, i think part 4 will have to be the last main installment in the series, or at least the end of "season 1", given daniel's current legal situation.
but i don't want to just end it there. what i'm thinking is, after part 4, i'll do a remastered mega-video that combines all 4 parts into one BIG documentary. i'll re-record all the narration from previous episodes, re-edit things to flow better as one cohesive video, and revise/edit new footage or interviews if i can get them, and also of course cut out parts of the old videos that don't deserve to be there (cough cough the trolltaker call). it'll be the definitive version my documentation of the daniel larson story for you guys to all go back to and have fun with while danny boy is sitting in prison.
as for daniel's actual legal case, it's a bit hard to predict exactly how it'll play out, but here are some realistic possibilities: - best case scenario for daniel is he gets a plea deal and only serves a few years. but even then, he's likely looking at at least 5-10 years minimum. - if he goes to trial and is found guilty on all or most charges, he could be facing decades in prison. maybe not the full 65 years, but 20-30 years wouldn't be surprising. - there's also been a lot of speculation about the possibility his managers get charged as accomplices, in which case they could be facing prison time too. this is VERY LIKELY TO NOT HAPPEN. - but no matter what, this is going to be a long, drawn-out legal process. daniel's arraignment was set for today where he entered his plea, and it was not guilty. not looking too good for the boy.
so yeah, that's where things are at. it's a crazy situation and not the ending to daniel's story that anyone really expected to happen THIS soon. but i'll do my best to document these final chapters with part 4 and then give his whole story the BEST retelling it deserves with the remastered mega-doc. thanks again to everyone who's supported the series so far. i hope yall stick around w the channel but if not it's been a wild ride. truly thank you larsonians 🙏