The first character he came to really like was Tyrion. My Dad (and my Mom as well) both assumed - much like characters in the show themselves - that because Tyrion was a dwarf he was a bad guy. The joy he felt when he realized not only that Tyrion actually a good person but also one of the most clever and funny characters was palpable. A huge smile crept on his face with a laugh when he had realized this.
He dislikes Tywin for how he treats Tyrion, but he also understand and respects how powerful and commanding Tywin is.
He also really likes Dany. Her plight at the hands of her brother was very sympathetic to him, and he was very happy when Viserys died. He's rooting for Dany a lot. In episode 10 when Dany steps in the funeral pyre he was really upset because he thought she was going to die. When she walked away alive and with 3 little dragons he was extremely happy and excited. He wanted to see more dragons after HotD and they had been missing for him so far.
he knows that Jon becomes very significant later, and so far he likes Jon and all the characters at the Wall, especially Jeor Mormont.
He liked Bran, and was greatly disturbed when Jaime threw him off (he had assumed Bran was killed.) He knew from the start of the scene that something bad was going to happen to Bran but it still shook him. He was greatly relieved when Bran survived. He also wasn't that shocked by the incest of the Lannister twins.
He very quickly understood that Cercei is a horrible person, but Jaime is still a bit of a mystery to him. He doesnt fully "get" him yet you could say, but he does understand that jaime is extremely arrogant and a huge dick.
he hasn't formed any real opinions on Theon yet, but the first time he saw him he went "That's the kid from John Wick!"
Littlefinger really confused him. He took everything he said at face vale and assumed everything he said was true, and actually believed that Tyrion was the one who planned the assassination. He likes Tyrion, but he assumed Tyrion plotted the assassination to protect his family, perhaps after Jaime asked him to do it.
He liked the little spats Littlefinger and Varys had together twice in the throne room.
He really hates Joffrey. He's probably his most hated character, and he even said that he can't wait for Joffrey to die.
Most people, myself included, when the first time they watch GoT they think Ned made no mistakes because he was just and did all the "right" things. It was only later on, after having a better grasp of this world, was I able to look back at Ned's actions and see all the mistakes he made. My Dad, having come off of HotD, already had an understanding of how this universe operates and understood from first viewing all the mistakes Ned made. He wasn't surprise that Ned lost, but he was still surprised when Ned died. He even said aloud: "are they really gonna kill Ned? Wow."
Another character he really likes is Arya. She's a little spitfire and she reminds him of my little sister. he's rooting for her all the time.
As for Sansa, he's pretty neutral to her. He thinks all of the awful things she's currently seeing and experiencing are going to be good for her in the long run because its going to show her how the world really is, and that hopefully she'll be stronger for it later. He's a big fan of Robb and thinks Robb is going to be the main character after episode 10. In episode 10, when Joffrey tells Sansa that he plans to bring her Robb's head as well, Sansa replies that perhaps Robb will bring her his head instead, and he thinks this a strong foreshadow of future events. He can't wait for Robb to kill Joffrey.

Audio Visual Transcript 001 Date of Origin: Unknown
Audio Self-Translated by player for universal understanding by all sapient species with audio receptors
“Just a slight adjustment here, and it should be working.”
A Kolshian walked into view. His dark purple skin bordered on a rich red and his yellow eyes almost glowed in the backdrop of the bright light of the room.
“Hello, my name is Doctor… Well, my name doesn’t matter. What does matter is why I’m making this. We have made an astonishing discovery this day in the Commonwealth. While we have known for some time now that we are not alone in this universe, what with our contact with the now familiar herbivore species we call our friends, what we have here is something new.”
The man pulls up a datapad in view of the camera to display an avian creature with brightly colored feathers.
“The Krakotl, as they are called, have taken the scientific community by storm—at least those who are aware of their existence. As with standard protocol that was formed shortly after our first contact with another species, we are not immediately alerting the public to their existence. It’s mostly for political reasons, which are not important here.”
He flicked a tentacle finger at the end of the datapad and pulled up a video of a few sapient avians picking at both fruits and something else just slightly out of view. The Krakotl lifts its head just enough to show a chunk of flesh in its beak.
“They are the first species we have found that can ingest animal biomaterial for nourishment. The ramifications of this are… Exciting!”
The scientist makes a gleeful gesture as he sets the holopad down. “This entire situation is unique in so many ways. The situation is being handled delicately I’m sure. After all, we can’t assume this should be handled the same way it was in the past. The fact that they are not as advance as us pulls so many things into question.”
He took a moment to compose himself. “This is why I’m making this recording. It is important, I feel, more than any data we gather that this entire process be documented. There is so much to learn, to observe, to understand. I feel that even with all the technology that we have we still have more we can learn from them than they can from us. That’s why I’m expanding outside of my usual scope and making this a massive project the likes of which I would have never attempted before. Biology will be hard to understand, but I’m sure with a humanly gathered sample I can crack their genetic code just as we have done for our own species.”
He lifted the holopad again and flicked through countless different settings. The videos and images he quickly went through all showed Krakotl performing a variety of rituals, playing games, and instigating countless other different activities.
“It doesn’t stop with the DNA though. That can only tell you so much. I want to know more. Their culture, who they are, what their morals are, what they love, and what they hate. I want to learn. We just have to be cautious about how we go about this. Small scout missions sent down to the surface of the world can only do so much without breaking that thin barrier of anonymity that keeps things stable. There is no telling what would happen if they became aware of us too soon. The last thing I would want to see is that level of culture shock happening to a species before we can properly catalog how they are now.”
He once again lowered the datapad while his face turned stern. “Now, there is one thing I want to address. There are murmurs of people questioning if this species can truly be sapient if they consume animal biomass. That is a ridiculous question to even bring up.”
“Of course they are sapient. There is a rich culture here, one that we must tread around with caution. Perhaps there will be some hurdles to overcome, but I want to make one thing very clear here. What an organism consumes does not dictate its level of sapients. I believe much of the academic and political community would best be reminded that we are dealing with aliens here. The most basic principles of biology will still apply, but this world’s ecosystem is something entirely different from ours. Call me a quack if you will, but I think the best course of action in most cases is preservation.”
He stood up and moved to the other end of the camera. “I’ve said my peace on the matter here. Hopefully, oceans and skies willing, I can focus entirely on the scientific aspects of this discovery moving forwards. I simply feel it would be dishonest not to mention such large overarching ideals seeping around. The true nature of preservation and history is to make sure that even the ugliest parts are remembered.”
Audio Visual Transcript 005 Date of Origin: Unknown
Audio Self-Translated by player for universal understanding by all sapient species with audio receptors
The reddish Krakotl from the previous log is sat down. Despite several physical signs of exhaustion, he appears excited.
“I’ve, no, we’ve done it. It went smoother than I could have ever hoped for. We cracked their genetic code and have fully decoupled their DNA as we did for ours. We even managed to do it without making ourselves known to the local population. It is amazing what modern science can do. Getting the samples was honestly the hardest part, but I’ve been assured that everything obtained was done without disturbing the Krakotl.”
He swiped through a holopad in his grip with the screen facing away from the camera.
“There is so much we can do with this. I know it’s getting ahead of myself a bit, but with genetics, this cleanly displayed we might even be able to cure most of their genetic illnesses before we even make contact.”
He hugged the holopad close to himself. “We can even cure them of one of the greatest universal illnesses that plague all life it seems. Curing cancer for an alien species, can you imagine that?!”
He loosened his grip and gently sat the holopad down on a table next to him. He adjusted himself, exhaustion being kept back by pure elation.
“I must not get ahead of myself. Before we do anything of that sort we must integrate them into the larger world. Though I’ve been assured by everyone, from our political backers to the head scientists who work alongside our leaders, that curing this species will be one of our top priorities before final integration is complete. I’m sure it will be a long and slow process getting there, maybe it won’t even be finished in my lifetime, but even that has its blessings. I’ve collected so much on the Krakotl and their culture this past year. Not to mention I’ve logged their original DNA composition down to the finest detail. That way, if just for historical purposes, we will always have a pure original example of their genetic makeup.”
He rubbed the back of his head with a tentacle. “I’m told I’m being overeager doing such. That any changes made will only be for the better, but… It just feels wrong not at least doing that. Yes, no species would ever want to have genetic diseases again. The body eating away at itself is truly a horrible thing, but it still feels important to preserve. If just to show where we started.”
The doctor’s body went limp for a moment, only to snap back up straight seconds later. He gurgled a low groan and stood back up.
“That will have to be all for now. I must sleep. These last few weeks have been exciting, but bad for my personal health. There is just no end to the work that needs to be done.”
Audio Visual Transcript 007 Date of Origin: Unknown
Audio Self-Translated by player for universal understanding by all sapient species with audio receptors
The same reddish doctor as before sat himself down. He remained quiet, fiddling with his tentacles. His big yellow eyes were aimed at the floor as if the doctor didn’t dare look directly at the recording device. He opened his mouth a few times to speak but stopped short of a gasp.
“They… They started the uplift process. It’s… I…”
He sucked in a breath and finally stared at the camera. His face was one of pure exhaustion. No excitement held it back this time.
“It’s gone awful. It’s gone atrociously. It’s gone… All according to plan without a single hiccup I’m told.”
He lifted a datapad. “Their infrastructure is being ripped apart. Their culture is being erased and replaced with a more ‘clean’ variation. I’m not even privy to the full extent of everything. I don’t know if they're fighting back, I don’t know if they tried to fight back. I tried to push back against it all, and I was blacklisted from all projects related to the Krakotl. I’m being moved to different projects now. Something about a machine interfacing with a brain. It’s… A ridiculous dead-end project that I’m being sent to so I won’t have any impact on the academic world anymore.”
He swallowed. “They’re changing them. It’s not just their culture. The DNA we translated, that I helped translate, it’s being used in horrifying ways.”
He dropped the datapad and buried his face in his arms. His face being buried did little to muffle the long shout he emitted. His voice gurgled to the point it started cracking. When the loud scream ended he looked back up, his voice nearly too quiet to be picked up.
“They took everything they thought I had. Unfortunately for them, this project was never a part of my work. It means nothing compared to the amount of damage that is being done, but maybe I can keep something of their people safe.”
He reached down for the holopad and stood back up. “They don’t know what I still have. Cultural records are just the tip of the iceberg. There is still time to salvage more as well. Even the Commonwealth can’t reach every Krakotl that fast. For now, whoever may end up watching these records, if anyone, know that the Krakotl were a proud people. Know that whatever they will become, what they were won’t be forgotten forever. They will be preserved, at least here.”
Audio Visual Transcript 018 Date of Origin: Unknown
Audio Self-Translated by player for universal understanding by all sapient species with audio receptors
The red scientist sat on a chair with a panel crowded with buttons, switches, and wires behind him. The clean room with bright lighting from before was now a metal box with dim red lighting.
The Kolshian himself looked disheveled. Years had visibly aged off of him, and grease covered his arms.
“More people have been removed from this project. It seems that they’re slowly taking people who have ‘served their time’ away if they’ve been acting right. Keep your head down and nod your head, and get put back into real projects. I know I’m never leaving this place, though.”
He reached for the recorder and turned it to the side to reveal a strange machine. Two legs, two arms that ended in three vice-like grips evenly distributed in a circle to act as digits, a bulky center, and a small bump of a head with a single glowing eye-port.
“This is where science goes to die. I haven’t been able to gather much new information of the avians all the way out here, but it has been some time since I’ve documented anything. Might as well show this off since I’ve got the time to. Not like I need to work hard to keep these recordings hidden anymore. I can count on my digits the number of people still on this project.”
The doctor stood up and lifted the camera with him. A click came from the direction of the panel and the center of the machine popped open to reveal an internal compartment.
“It has just enough space for a single Kolshian. It’s big compared to us as you can plainly see. The idea behind it is to interface the brain through a few connectors at the top. It sounds as dangerous and asinine as it sounds. At this point, I’m the only one that even knows how it works on a basic level since I’ve been here so long. The trick is that it doesn’t work. Not at all.”
He slipped a tentacle into the head and clicked something. The head popped open to reveal a series of wires and a strange helmet lined with needles.
“This thing is as barbaric as it is advanced. The idea is to use these needles to puncture the skull in specific areas to not cause damage while also forming a direct connection. Basically trying to turn the machine into your new body as long as you’re inside it. I don’t think I need to explain to anyone why that’s a bad idea.”
He trails his tentacle down to the legs of the machine. The basic structure offers enough to support the rest of the body and could reasonably move forward at a walking speed.
“All the ideas in this thing that are reasonable are already in use. We have diving and space equipment best suited for our species, and mines operate at a level that something like this is too clunky to use. It can produce audio and translate it in real-time, but even that is something we already have. Even if it was perfectly functional it would be a bad idea. Don’t even get me started on mass production. Getting one to work would be a miracle. Getting more than one? I’ll believe it when primates fly.”
He huffs. “One good thing about this machine though that isn’t widely used has resulted in a lot of its bulk. Not only can it survive massive impacts, but it has backup systems to keep the user alive in case of critical failures. At least for the short term, the only part of you that needs to function to use it is the brain. Again though, if it would ever work.”
He turned the camera back to himself. “I’m sorry I don’t have more about the situations in the world. I’ve basically been cut off from that information. This place is technically a government secret so I can’t contact the outside world, and they sure as the depths aren’t trying to contact me. It’s like being sent to prison except I’m working on someone’s pipe dream. Seriously, my degree isn’t even in mechanics but I’ve been working at this place long enough to know more than some engineers.”
A loud beep echoed through the room.
“Someone’s opening the door. Signing off.”
Audio Visual Transcript 019 Date of Origin: Unknown
Audio Self-Translated by player for universal understanding by all sapient species with audio receptors
The feed cuts to the doctor in the same spot he was at during the last video. Before he can open his mouth there is a beep that echoes in the room. He quickly tossed something over the camera.
The rest of the transcript is audio only.
The sound of metal sliding across metal is heard, followed by the steps of someone else entering the room.
“Ah, sir, what are you doing here? You’re not scheduled for another check-in until next week.” The doctor spoke.
“Cut the pleasantries. You know why I’m here, defect. The fact that you get to work on a backwater nothing project like this is already too good for someone with your ideals.” another deeper voice boomed with anger from what sounded like a second Kolshian.
“Well, yes, maybe it is too good for me, but what does that have to do with anything official here?”
“Simple, this project doesn’t have enough scientists to continue. On top of that, it’s just been a waste of resources.”
“And what does that entail for the people still on the project?”
“For the rest of this facility, they will simply have to stay quiet and be put back into society.”
“The rest of this facility.”
“Right, well, how do I best put this? Your death certificate has already been signed. Got a lot of officials who think it would be best if you just weren’t around anymore. You’re considered too much of a liability with how you looked at those predators.”
Several more steps can be heard coming into the room.
“You're going to execute me?! What crime have I committed?!”
The second figure chuckled. “Crime? We don’t even need to justify a crime for this. See, a hot new buzzword has been going through the government that I think fits you to a T. You’ve got predator disease, and anyone with predator disease is a danger to themselves and others as long as they're alive. Oh, less extreme cases might be treatable especially if caught early, but your doc? Well, I’m sure the few people who know about this project will understand that a man getting on in years with a bad case of predator disease had to be dealt with. Fuck, we plan on taking most of this facility down, we can just blow it up and pin it on you! Not like a deadman can argue his case.”
“This absurd, you can’t just-”
A loud bang cut the doctor short. A second later there was a thump.
“Eh, don’t bother with the double tap. We’re going to blow this facility up. We already went and scrubbed this star system off all our maps. Red dwarf snugged between so many bright stars it's barely visible, and it’s in a section of space no one would bother to look in anyways. Remember, none of you saw anything here. We’re technically not even supposed to be here.”
“Sir!”
“Let’s get out here before he starts to stink up the place.”
“Sir!”
The sound of at least half a dozen people walking out of the room was followed by silence.
The audio picked up another sound. Something wet that sounded like it was dragged against metal. It went further and further away from the recorder until it was out of earshot.
A loud snap of metal opening was followed by multiple smaller snaps of pieces clicking back together. Several minutes went by in silence again after the last click.
Then there was a thunk. Then another, and another. The rhythmic sound of metal hitting metal came closer to the recording. There was a jostle of the camera was whatever kept it covered came off.
A bright red light flashed the camera which still made it impossible to discern anything.
The transcript ended abruptly.

Hi everyone, 2010 Ford Fusion 3.0L V6 - approx. 168,000 kms (105,000 miles-ish)
I did a drain and refill of the transmission fluid. Used Valvoline ATF with mercon LV certification. When I refilled it, I overfilled it by quite a bit. Approximately 1 - 1.5L. I drove the car for about a month this way. Everything was working just fine. Until one day, I started having issues with shifting. When the car was cold, it would shift from first to second normally. But when it would shift from second into third, it would slip quite badly and slam into gear if the RPMs were high. After it did this a few times it would just stay in second gear, wouldn't shift out of it. At this point the orange wrench would illuminate in the dash. After driving for approximately 5-10 mins though, it began to start working normally. I pulled the car over and shut it off for about 10 seconds and started again. It worked normal after this. I checked the fluid when I got back home and discovered it was overfilled. I proceeded to drain some fluid out. At this point, the fluid level seemed to be at a good level. Even after draining the excess fluid, I was still having the same issue.
I called my mechanic friend and he came over with his scanner. We found two codes relating to the transmission: P2701 and P0733. He said that the transmission probably needs to be rebuilt. Based on the codes that came up.
Fast forward two days: This morning, I got into the car to drive to my parents house, fully expecting the shifting issues to continue. But to my surprise, the car shifted normally - even when cold. I had no issues at all the entire drive. I left my parents' house approximately 6 hours later, and same thing: no shifting issues the entire drive.
Apologies for the long explanation. Does anyone know why all of a sudden my transmission would start shifting normally again?

This is the first time the thought has crossed my mind, but my trust is so off right now and I need help with my trust issues..
My ex cheated on me, was basically someone completely different behind my back. But looking back, I see the warning signs, the red flags, etc. He always got defensive if I asked for boundaries with his friends who are girls, he always started arguments if I asked him a simple question about a girl or his ex…he had all these blaring warning signs that my current bf does not have.
My bf and I started our relationship on trust. From the instant we met and started going on dates, our policy has always been honesty and trust because we’ve both been through tough shit in our past relationships. That’s what made me fall for him. I knew without a doubt I could trust him more than any person on planet earth.
I guess social media has warped my mind lmfao. I see TikTok’s of girls whose boyfriends have them ALL the trust and love, and they still cheated. I see it on love is blind, SK was my FAVORITE and the very last person I could imagine cheating. It got me worrying about someone I trust so much. Hell I trusted my last bf and look how that turned out.
My bf has a lot of friends who are girls. It’s never bothered me because again, honesty and trust is what we’ve started with. It’s our mantra. And he’s had friends who are girls his entire life, he’s had multiple girlfriends in his life and has only cheated on one, when he was a young and dumb teen. So of course I trust that if he hasn’t cheated on his previous girlfriends, he won’t on me.
Idk how to get the idea out of my head tho. And it’s only been recent.
I think it’s all in my head, but it seems like there a VERY very slight shift in his interest in me. Idk if it’s because we’re always hanging out all the time, but I’m pretty sure this is just my imagination tbh.
Recently I went out with him and a few of his female coworkers he just met. His coworkers are naturally super flirty personalities. They didn’t cross any lines per se, but I was a little bit iffy. And one of MY personal good friends also noticed it. I brought it up to him and he got a little defensive but he understood where I came from. At one point we got into an argument about it but we were drunk af lol.
He’s always been one to really care about his appearance so I’m sure this is no big deal, but I know they say “if he starts to really care about how he looks, it could be a sign of cheating”. We’ve been dating for about a year now, and from what I can recall he’s pretty much always been keen on how he looks. Recently it’s just got a bit annoying how before work he keeps asking me if the colors on his outfit match, if something is too wrinkly, if he should shave, etc.
Again, he’s always cared about how he looks. And idk if it’s all in my head that it seems to be a little more excessive, but it certainly has been getting on my nerves a little more lol. But maybe it’s just me. Not to mention if we go somewhere together, he just throws on sweatpants and a hoodie and doesn’t really care. Which I get … he works at a pretty reputable place and he just started there about four months ago. He wants to make a good impression.
Sometimes he’ll make comments about some of the things the girls at his work say. Like how they’ll talk about their male coworkers being hot, because they’re tall with beards (my bf is also tall w a beard)…it kinda makes me feel a little something, but I immediately shake it off because the girls who say these things all have boyfriends or a guy they’re “talking to”. But they are all young and super pretty.
He’s also been working late…again, a “classic sign of cheating” but he LEGIT has no money and needs the OT hours lol so this one I’m not too worried about.
And lately, hasn’t been responding to my texts as much. He’s been a lot slower to respond than he ever has been. And just today I texted him “love you! What time will you be home?” And he didn’t return the “love you”, he just responded saying he’ll be home late.
We’re also moving apart end of April. Solely my choice because he works farther than where I’d like to live. I brought it up but he agreed because he wants to stay close to his work and I want to stay close to my work. We’re planning on it only being temporary ofc, until I’m able to find a different job since I’m looking.
Anywho, he is very excited to move and live on his own. As am I of course, it’ll be a fun little experiment and it’ll be better for both of our commutes…but he’s so excited, he’s trying to even move earlier than the end of our lease which is april 31. He’s trying to move early and pay double rent because he’s excited for his new place.
Idk. I know I sound crazy. I feel crazy, I am just so paranoid. Maybe because these are things I’ve never seen in my ex. And because my current bc said he’s always gotten bored of his ex’s when they were together.
How do I stop being paranoid? And HOW do I bring this up to him without sounding crazy…if I bring it up at all?? I feel crazy. Please tell me I’m psycho.
Thanks:)

^Source
What’s the purpose of this? If you are reading this, you are probably in a lot of pain. You feel confused, angry, hurt, and alone. You may be saying to yourself, “How did I get here?” and “This isn’t what I signed up for.” If your partner has a problem with his/her sexual behavior, reading this booklet may answer some of the many questions that you have about what sex addiction is. Our Intention is to provide guidance on how you and your partner can get help.
How could I not know what was going on? Your world has just turned upside down. We are taught that trust is essential to an intimate relationship. So when you began to suspect that something wasn’t right, you probably gave your partner the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you confronted him/her and were told not to worry, or worse—not to act crazy. Addiction thrives in secrecy, and addicts will go to great lengths to conceal their behaviors and shame. Part of your journey will include regaining your sense of trust in the world and in your own intuition.
I feel like I’m going out of mind. Is that normal? You probably feel traumatized, devastated, and confused by your partner’s cheating. Partners often report anger, confusion, feeling isolated, and feeling unloved. Some common ways in which partners or spouses may react or cope with the disclosure or discovery process are: • Shock: initial paralysis; inability to identify feelings • Traumatized: extreme distress and inability to regulate your emotions, sleep disturbances, or panic attacks • Anger: understandable emotion fueled by hurt, sadness and fear • Depression: sadness and immobility • Isolation: not seeking help or trying to cope alone • Stress: feeling overwhelmed or overloaded emotionally and physically • Denial: trying to avoid or minimize the problem • Preoccupation/obsession: ruminating thoughts and behaviors • Fear: mistrust of others, feeling unsafe • Repeatedly checking: hunting for information to “prove” you’re right • Physical Symptoms: loss of sexual desire, difficulty concentrating, dissociation, or physical pain • Acceptance: desiring and seeking a way to move forward
Where do I go from here? Deep betrayal can be immobilizing and you may question your ability to move forward. Many partners self-blame or feel shame about the sex addict’s behavior and may try to manage on their own instead of finding healthy ways of sharing and expressing their feelings with others. The importance of not isolating and seeking emotional support during this time period cannot be emphasized enough. Human beings need one another in order to flourish, function and heal. The first step in reclaiming yourself is to reach out for help; this can sometimes feel painful or even humiliating. However, once you do you will probably feel better, particularly if you reach out to others who know what you’re going through because they’ve gone through it themselves.
Should I get tested for STIs? Yes. It is important to tend to your health immediately and rule out any sexually transmitted infections (STI). You may also want to insist your partner get tested as a condition of recovery.
Do we tell the children? While you may be tempted to tell your children because you are hurt, remember it is not in their best interest to know. You should consult with a qualified mental health professional before disclosing potentially distressing information to children. In general, however, disclosure to children is not made if the child knows nothing about the parent’s sex addiction, is not at risk for discovering it, and is under 16 years old. Parents must recognize boundaries for children and respect their innocence. The majority of children do not want to know about their parents’ sexuality, let alone their sexual acting-out behavior.
Should I separate from my partner? For partners who are uncertain about whether to end the relationship or not, we generally recommend any major decision like divorce is best postponed until the feelings have been processed, some healing has taken place, and the addict has some sober time. Sometimes separation can be a useful short-term intervention, referred to as a therapeutic separation. If done in the right way, therapeutic separations with structure, agreements, and healthy boundaries can ultimately strengthen a marriage. Planning a therapeutic separation can happen at any time, but may be best after your disclosure session. If you have already asked your partner to leave the house, you should try to agree upon a time frame with them. If you are currently considering a separation, you can arrange to have your therapist present to support you.
Prior to the separation, decide what type and amount of contact you want during the separation and what your specific parenting and financial obligations will be. One of the purposes of separation is to spend time discussing your various issues in a therapeutic setting in order to get clear about your boundaries. At the end of separation, you and your partner can come together to renegotiate the terms of the relationship.

Treatment And Recovery From Betrayal:

Why am I feeling physical pain in addition to emotional pain? One of the primary purposes of a monogamous, committed relationship is safety and security. Human beings bond for many purposes but a secure relationship keeps all parties in the system, meaning both partners and children, safe. Betrayal by a significant other is a direct threat to safety and when discovered, there’s a physical attack on the attachment system by the fear system. This explains your physical pain; the pain of betrayal can feel searing or like you’ve literally been wounded.
Make no mistake, you’ve experienced a horrendous trauma, which may have you engaging in uncharacteristic behaviors in service of trying to restore safety to your world. This is natural survival behavior. Be careful about further traumatizing yourself when you start to go through email accounts, cell phone records, or consider calling his/her affair partner. It’s unlikely that these behaviors will give you the relief, peace, or explanations you’re seeking. Get help. Call a therapist and go to a 12-step meeting for family members. Consult with others who have gone through this so you don’t have to make decisions on your own. If you’re in crisis, you need a trusted other who can guide you to make sound decisions for yourself and for your family.
As the partner of a sex addict, do I need to be in recovery, too? Many partners of sex addicts feel that the problem is with the addict and it is the addict’s responsibility to “clean up their own mess.” This is a very common and understandable point-of-view among partners. While on the surface this may appear to be true, the reality is that there are no easy fixes to repair the damage that the addict has inflicted on the system of trust within the relationship and within the psychology of the partner. Without the participation of the partner in the process of understanding and healing his or her own betrayal trauma, the relationship certainly has less of a chance of surviving, and the possibility for healthy, trustworthy relationships in the future may have been contaminated for the partner. All this points the way towards engaging in your own journey of personal healing.
There are many ways in which you can get help for yourself and your relationship. Many partners find that individual therapy is an important part of their healing where they can create a safe space to process their thoughts and feelings and focus on their own needs. Couple therapy is an important intervention to work through the crisis and towards a plan for the future. As a spouse, participating in your partner’s therapeutic process can be beneficial for you both. It is normal to feel torn about promoting your relationship when your immediate pain and suffering have not been acknowledged or processed fully. You may wonder how you can possibly move forward after so many lies, so much betrayal. How can you begin to heal? Finally, treatment in the form of group therapy to help address issues unique to your own and your partner’s challenges would encourage you from not isolating and allow you to find support and connect with others who are facing similar challenges. Research has shown that couples have the greatest chance of recovering from sexual addiction when both partners are engaged in a program of recovery.
Does recovery mean celibacy? Recovery from sexual addiction, unlike recovery from substance addictions, does not necessarily require the addict to become completely celibate from all sexual behavior. Sex alone is not the problem; rather it is the harmful ways that sex is used that is problematic. Put another way, sex is a problem if it causes problems.
However, it is often recommended that the sex addict agree to a thirty to ninety-day celibacy period in early recovery. In recovery, the addict will create a sexual sobriety plan, which details the specific addictive behaviors to abstain from. It also includes dangerous behaviors, places, and states of mind that might lead to acting out. In couple’s therapy, you and your partner can establish what kind of intimate contact will be allowed during recovery. It will probably start off limited and expand as you and your partner recover. You must be very clear about your boundaries and state only what contact you are willing and comfortable to engage in.
How can a 12-step program help me? A 12-Step Program consists of a support group of people who are family members of addicts, people who are seeking to recover from a similar addiction, compulsion or behavioral problem, and is based on the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step model. There are no dues or fees and the only requirement for membership is a desire to stop the problem behavior. The programs are not allied with any religion, sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution; and they do not engage in controversy.
Many people shy away from the idea of sharing their secrets with a group of strangers. First, you don’t have to share; you are free to sit quietly and listen. Second, scary as it may seem, it is the very experience of joining with supportive others who have shared struggles similar to yours hat will bolster you in this rocky road to recovery. In recovery, support is essential.
Is finding spirituality necessary for me? You may ask yourself what spirituality has to do with recovery. If so, you wouldn’t be the first! 12-step groups are full of atheists and agnostics who will testify to the importance of finding a higher power. While you may or may not believe in God, it’s useful to find something to believe in that can help you – spirituality has to do with your spirit. Spirituality means finding all the ways you help your spirit feel alive and happy.
Which 12-step program would be appropriate for me? There are several 12-step programs that could be appropriate for partners of sex addicts; those where partners feel most “at home” would be any of the following: • POSA: Partners of Sex Addicts • COSA: the partners program for Sex Addicts Anonymous • S-Anon: the partners program for Sexaholics Anonymous • CODA: Codependents Anonymous • Al-Anon: family groups for alcoholics/addicts • RCA: Recovering Couples Anonymous

Rebuilding Trust:

How do I know he/she told me everything? Being told everything is referred to as disclosure. Addicts often disclose information about their sexual behavior to their partners either from being caught or from their own feelings of shame and guilt. Usually, this disclosure is done in an impromptu manner without any professional or recovery guidance.
Unfortunately, in most cases, addicts do not completely reveal their behavior. If an addict is not in recovery, then his/her thinking is most likely informed by the addiction. It is important to consider that you may not be able to trust a person who has been lying and now asks for your trust. In recovery, however, trust can gradually be rebuilt through a process of healing, which can include a formal disclosure.
Do I need to know everything he/she has done? No, you do not. You are, however, entitled to know the truth about your relationship and the person with whom you have chosen to share your life. A therapist can help you prepare a formal disclosure. This is an important step, even when your partner has “told you everything,” because information previously revealed can often be incomplete. The decision to participate in a formal disclosure is entirely yours. It is recommended that the disclosure process be facilitated with the help of a mental health professional.
A formal disclosure is a therapy session during which the addict reveals to his/her partner information about their addictive behavior. It includes such factual details as types of sexual behaviors, frequency, locations, money spent, people at risk, lies told, and secrets kept. There is a protocol to guide this process, and therapists work diligently with recovering addicts to ensure the most complete and accurate disclosure possible. If you decide to participate in a formal disclosure, you will be asked to attend several individual “prep” sessions both before and after the disclosure. The formal disclosure can be very powerful in rebuilding trust and healing in the relationship.
What if I still can’t believe what he/she says? When deception has been profound, you may have little faith in the truthfulness of the information provided in the formal disclosure. In these circumstances, a polygraph can be incorporated into this process. Polygraphs are sometimes integrated as part of the formal disclosure and can be helpful in rebuilding trust for partners of sexual addicts. How do I decide to stay in this relationship?
This can be an agonizing decision, and no one can make it for you. Only you know whether or not staying or leaving is the right choice. Difficult though it may seem, you should consider postponing major decisions about the status of your relationship, namely whether to stay or not, until after you and your partner have had a chance to engage in recovery. This would include going to individual therapy, attending a partners group, and attending recovery meetings. Working through the initial shock, grief, and anger can set you up to make an informed decision when the time is right.
If there is a slip or relapse, does that mean recovery isn’t working? Slips are a part of recovery and generally considered a “stumble on the path of recovery.” There is no such thing as a perfect sobriety or recovery. The important thing is that you and your partner communicate and are clear about what you do and do not want to hear. This includes agreeing on what your time frame is for hearing about slips, how much detail you want to hear and an action plan for addressing the slip.
Relapses are considered more severe than a slip and require that the addict put more effort into their recovery. If your partner relapses, meaning he/she does not tell you or anyone in their program about acting out and continues to do so over time, then you have to be clear about your boundaries and consequences. Boundaries and consequences are developed with your therapist and your program of recovery. Often a relapse requires a higher level of care like an intensive outpatient program (IOP) or inpatient treatment. Like a slip, it is important that you and your partner communicate and are clear about what the action plan is for addressing the relapse.
When is it time to have sex again? A better way to look at this question is, “When can I trust myself again?” When can you trust that you are being true to yourself and not wanting to have sex out of fear or a need to take care of your partner? Have you really done the work to forgive yourself first, for not having known your partner was acting out, for not thinking you were good enough or for not asking to get your needs met?
First, take loving care of yourself; then consider whether your desire to have sex with your partner is really a desire for him/her or for your need to try and put things back together again. Do take the time you need to make decisions to ensure that you are safe, loved, and wanted by your partner and that you really want your partner. Don’t compromise yourself or your integrity by jumping the gun and returning to sex before you are ready.
The main point is to slow things down. Imagine how you would feel if you jumped into sex with your partner, only later to decide it was the wrong thing to do. Give yourself the dignity of your own process and wait until your intuition tells you it’s the right time.
The period following a disclosure can be confusing and disorienting. Take this time for celibacy as a time-out for yourself, your partner, and your coupleship. Use this opportunity to begin to heal from the pain and destruction of the past in your own therapy and 12-step fellowship. When you are both ready, couple’s therapy will be essential for your healing, too.
How do I know if our sex is healthy and intimate? Healthy, intimate sex comes from restoring trust and is a main goal of your recovery. This means you must take time to define what healthy and pleasurable sex means to you. Most addicts associate sex with intensity—the higher the better. Healthy sex is intense and connected through honest and tender experiences with your partner, sex can be arousing and fun in a way you may never have known before. Guidelines to remember when you reengage in sex are: • Healthy sex is not secretive or shameful to yourself or the other person. • Healthy sex is not abusive in any way. • Healthy sex is not used to ignore or escape your feelings. • Healthy sex requires an emotional connection of some sort with the other person. • Healthy sex is about love, respect, mutual caring, giving and receiving pleasure, and a desire to know yourself and your partner in a deeper way. • Healthy sex should serve to connect you over time.
How can I forgive this behavior? For a couple to heal broken trust and fractured bonds, the forgiveness process needs room to breathe. It requires mutual support, attendance in therapy, and patience while you work through the steps of recovery. Recovery takes time, especially for a couple. So hold steadfast to your commitments to support each other’s processes as you work through your own program. Forgiveness is not something you “should” do, but something that comes to you when you’re ready. Forgiveness arrives in stages, shows up differently for different people, and may never be complete. For example, glimmers of forgiveness may emerge after your disclosure discussion when both of you have begun to move through the grieving process. Forgiveness can be seen as a personal choice and an opportunity for healing.

Recommended Reading:

What can I read to help me through this process?

• Deceived: Facing Sexual Betrayal, Lies, and Secrets.
• Intimate Treason: Healing the Trauma for Partners Confronting Sex Addiction.
• Out of the Shadows: Understanding Sexual Addiction
• Facing Heartbreak: Steps for Recovery for Partners of Sex Addicts.
• Mending a Shattered Heart: A Guide for Partners of Sex Addicts.
• A House Interrupted: A First Person Perspective.
• Disclosing Secrets: When, to Whom and How Much to Reveal.
• Addictive Relationships: Why Love Goes Wrong in Recovery.

Overview

We’ve seen a lot of feedback posts. D4 is clearly a beautiful game, with awesome moment-to-moment gameplay. And while that’s very important in bringing players into the game, it’s not going to be a driver for the longevity of the game. This post is focused on comparing D4 vs D3 and PoE on the endgame core game loop. Why do players praise PoE’s endgame but find D3’s shallow? How does D4 measure up? You're welcome to apply the same framework to D2 as well, and see why some players prefer D2 and praise it's endgame despite it having many many issues.

The core loop of the game is pretty simple:
Kill monsters → get loot/xp → make character stronger → kill stronger monsters

While many players will talk about PoE’s complex passive tree, or the deep crafting / item system, I actually think some of those design choices are not what makes the game shine (in fact, they are clearly off putting to many players). What PoE does well is actually making each step in the core game loop more interesting. There’s more agency for players, and decisions matter.

Path of Exile

Get Loot/XP

• Strategy: What content should you do to acquire loot / xp? Depending on what you’re playing, there’s different types of optimization you can do to maximize your payoff. There’s also a level of personalization for enjoyment - do I want to kill bosses, or do I want to run maps? Appeals to different intrinsic motivations of players.
• Unique Rewards: Different strategies/content giving different rewards is another vector that allows players to opt into the right experience for them. Different content’s optimized to reward different rewards.
• Crafting: Called out separately here because it does fall outside of the core gameplay a little bit, but has a strong appeal and is a big component for a game with so much randomness in loot acquisition as it provides varying levels of agency for the player to target what they want.
• Risk/Reward: There’s often a cost associated with getting rewards. Do I want to run this expensive/rare map, but risk dying? Stakes matter and that experience is thrilling.
• Scarcity: Loot is rare. There are many substitutes, but getting the exact thing you want is very hard to come by. The substitutes are also quite a bit different than just slightly weaker in numbers (see section below). Makes getting loot/crafting exciting because you have so much variance (this item could be completely useless or it could be the best thing in the world).

Make Character Stronger

• Multiple levers of power progression: At its core, the concept is quite simple. How much damage do I do, and how much damage can I take. There are some other minor vectors like how quickly can I kill content (speed), and how efficiently can I progress (magic find). But while simple, the way to improve on each vector has many paths. For damage, there’s base damage, skill multiplier, attack/cast speed, damage type, crit, more multipliers (# of hits/projectiles), penetration, etc. There are many ways for a player to become stronger.
• That tie in with each other: The real depth lies in having these levers tie in with each other. On paper, adding one additional hit isn’t that much different from 100% increased damage. But when things interact with each other they have wildly different effectiveness. What if you also had an ability that said “each hit applies a debuff that reduces enemy defense by x%?”. Now you value additional hit more than increased damage. For defense, what if you had an ability that said “convert x% of max life to energy shield?”, makes modifiers to life/ES a lot more interesting. This allows the players to feel smart in their optimization.
• Trade Offs: Things have trade offs with each other. Substitutes exist, and most players are not using the perfect gear for them. However, they are substituting it with something else. Maybe I couldn’t get enough resistances on my gloves so I opted for a different ring to get resistance instead of damage.
• Breakpoints: Builds/playstyles that come online at certain breakpoints, enabled by getting enough of a certain combination of affixes, or getting a certain combination of unique items. This creates interesting mid/end-game builds that players can strive for, and grows players’ power in a much more interesting different way than numbers going up.
• Finite Character Progression: There’s an end point to your character progression. You are limited by your max level and the number of items you can equip. The constraint is what pushes players to optimize and makes optimization interesting.

Kill Stronger Monsters

• Non-scaled Endgame Content: There is content in the game that is extremely difficult, and does not become easieharder depending on player power. What this means is that this content becomes a goal for players to reach/achieve.
• Individual Progression Path: Oftentimes, these bosses/content are hardeeasier depending on what build you’re doing. They also have their own progression path to unlock, as well as mechanics to learn. This combination means that even upon defeating the apex endgame content in the game, there are still things for players to do that’s challenging. Infinite depth: Some content have infinite depth (Delve). For those that want to compete on that vector, this exists.
• Challenges: Extrinsic motivators are used to encourage players to add a layer of difficulty / grind to the game. “Beat a boss while certain conditions are true to unlock this new cosmetic”.

New Leagues adds elements to this loop. Some leagues expand on how you get loot, some leagues expand on how you make your character stronger. The most successful expansions tend to be ones that do all 3.

Diablo 3

Get Loot/XP

• Strategy: D3 has some variations too, although a bit more straightforward and simple. Crafting mats you run bounties and rifts with a speed build. XP you run GRs with a slightly different speed build. Because rifts are randomized, and all have a boss, you don’t have as much agency in how you want to play.
• Unique Rewards: There are pretty much two choices. Bounties vs Everything else.
• Crafting: Very basic system. Braindead almost. Kadala is pure random. Enchanting is so basic, it doesn’t really have any decision points.
• Risk/Reward: No risk/reward. There’s no consequence to me trying out harder content. There’s no sense of stake.
• Scarcity: Nothing is really scarce. All items are fairly straightforward to get. You can get your build up and running within a day, easily. The scarcity comes from getting ancients/primal ancients which does exist, but aren’t actually that compelling of upgrades (see section below).

Make Character Stronger

• Multiple levers of power progression: There are much fewer levers for both damage and defense. Not necessarily a bad thing, but…
• That tie in with each other: These levers do not really tie in with each other, they each function on their own. As a result, there aren’t really that many combinations and build opportunities.
• Trade Offs: I’m rarely making choices between affixes/gears. I know what’s best, and I can get the best pretty easily.
• Breakpoints: More is better. While some builds can only exist if you put together a set and get the right legendaries equipped, it doesn’t go beyond that (and as we said, it’s easy to get to that point). There’s no chase of getting to a certain % of CDR allows you to be able to infinitely chain something (there used to be, but those builds got nerfed).
• Finite Character Progression: The paragon system basically nullifies all constraints. Optimizing gear? Why does it matter when I can trivialize it with 5000 additional dex? This goes beyond paragons when you start grinding GRs to add base stats to your gear.

Kill Stronger Monsters

• Non-scaled Endgame Content: There is no endgame in D3. You get to endgame within the first hour of play, and from there it’s just seeing numbers go up. Your actual experience as far as challenge goes is the same at hour 1 as hour 500.
• Individual Progression Path: There’s an element of this in getting the hellfire keys. But that’s not really end game content.
• Infinite depth: Exists as GRs. In many ways, I think the GR progression in D3 is better than delve from PoE.
• Challenges: This exists in the weekly challenge rift, but they’re fairly easy to complete so don’t serve as an endgame long term goal.

New Seasons sometimes adds elements to this loop, and sometimes doesn’t. Double Goblin season? I’m still doing the same thing as I was doing before, except I get a little more loot occasionally. No changes to how I would play the game. Latest season with altar rites? Much more interesting way to progress characters, and it shows, people liked the latest season.

Diablo 4 (Based on what we've seen)

Get Loot/XP

• Strategy: We’ve only seen one type of method of getting loot, that is killing monsters. Dungeons is the primary way we’ve seen it done. This doesn’t seem significantly different from rifts, but the added sigils could make this slightly more interesting than D3. However, we need more ways to play to get loot outside of dungeons, especially since all the dungeons are very samey (kill a bunch of small monsters with a boss at the end).
• Unique Rewards: Unsure yet. Most of the crafting materials I’ve seen can be found in the overworld. I’d be interested in seeing some boss exclusive drops, some crafting materials dropping only off of certain monsters (that you can target, so not loot goblins).
• Crafting: Seems pretty similar to D3 tbh, although the ability to transfer legendary affixes does add an interesting layer.
• Risk/Reward: No risk/reward. Unsure yet what the endgame holds. Sounds like sigils need to be crafted, so if they are not cheap to craft, and failing a NM dungeon means you lose those sigils, that could add some level of risk. We need more of these types of experiences (to be clear, not all experiences need stakes, but there should have varying levels).
• Scarcity: Unsure yet, but legendary gear scarcity wasn’t really real. You acquired them pretty frequently, and the aspects could be gotten. Your build can come online relatively quickly. I’d want to see more scarcity to encourage “make-do” playstyles. You already have “basic” versions in terms of aspects to enable builds, let’s make finding legendaries harder.

Make Character Stronger

• Multiple levers of power progression: There seems to be some more than D3 on the damage side, so it’s a step in the right direction. I think the amount they have may be sufficient for now (given the game hasn’t launched yet). The defensive side could use some work. We need more interesting ways to scale our defense.
• That tie in with each other: They do not tie in with each other at all.
• Trade Offs: Some of the legendary affixes and unique affixes I saw were interesting. They’re kiss-curse so I’m incentivized to build around these effects. I’d like to see more of them, to further encourage players to actively make trade offs in their gearing decision making. Unsure yet whether there are a set of affixes on gear that’s just BiS, which would be a bummer. One question I have is, why would I ever want to use a legendary if I have the sacred legendary? This is the same problem as D3, where you slowly upgrade your gear to ancient/primal ancient. It’s very boring, and I’m not making any trade off decisions. Maybe certain legendary affixes are only available on legendary compared to sacred, etc. I do think there may be trade off decisions you need to make between Uniques vs Legendaries, and if that’s where the game is leaning towards for decisions & trade offs, I’m on board. Just need to make sure it’s executed properly (i.e. Unique effects are extremely powerful but the rest of the effects are likely weaker than legendary/sacreds).
• Breakpoints: I haven’t seen much of this yet, but end game will reveal more. Some of the druid uniques are cool → a black/white effect that you must have if you want to enable a certain build. I want to feel like I have now unlocked a completely new build after acquiring a certain combination of items (this isn’t about viability in terms of damage, this is about a build that I otherwise could not run at all before).
• Finite Character Progression: I think they took out the paragon system and replaced it with a finite-paragon board. This should solve the previous unlimited scaling issue. As long as there’s a cap for your character, this should be fine.

Kill Stronger Monsters

• Non-scaled Endgame Content: Unsure. Is it just nightmare dungeons? Have I already seen all of the end-game during the beta, but with lower numbers? If so, that’s really disappointing. There needs to be pinnacle encounters in the game that’s really hard to beat, that is not accessible to a majority of players. These encounters should not scale with your character, and should be used as a measuring stick for players to stack up against. Ideally these encounters also have specific build-enabling drops. These items don’t necessarily need to be powerful, but need to be different.
• Individual Progression Path: Unsure. Without non-scaled endgame content, this doesn’t matter.
• Infinite depth: I don’t know if this exists anywhere, and that might be okay. For the ultra competitive gamer, there may be no true endgame for them. But for the majority of ARPG players, I think they can find their own challenge and compete on other axis.
• Challenges: Unsure. But this can probably be easily added.

New Seasons - we don’t know anything about seasons. So I won’t comment on it here. But ideally it would look to expand on multiple parts of the core game loop.

Conclusion

While there are many things I think D4 could improve on, the two that stand out the most are:

• Non-scaled Endgame Content: Give players a (good) reason to get stronger.
• Trade offs & Breakpoints in Gear: Add more interesting choices to itemization & builds.

I actually think Diablo 4 has the foundation to be a fantastic game that could challenge PoE. Things that are difficult to change and improve upon (visual style, gameplay clarity & feels) the game does an incredible job on. In my opinion, it is much easier for Diablo 4 to incorporate some of what makes PoE special, while the reverse is much harder. I also don’t believe that adding these changes will lose the appeal of the game to casual players. Most casual players will never encountesee some of this, and what we have currently will be more than sufficient for that group of players.

Ultimately this depends on where Blizzard wants to take the game: Do you want the game to have a rich endgame that can keep core gamers interested for 1-2 months, and a reason to return every season? It’s entirely possible that is not a goal at all, and the investment to get D4 there is just not worth it.

If money was no concern what would you be doing?
Being weird and eccentric. I would buy the biggest piece of property that I could in the middle of like uptown. Like maybe where that Kmart is on Lake street. And I would start raising eccentric foreign animals. Like llamas or snails or polar bears. I would open during the week for people to come in and pet the animals. Or kids could host their birthday parties.
Or does this prompt mean job wise? Oh, hm. Zoo owner.
I could probably beat you at
Stardew Valley. I've done speed runs, man. Hands down this is probably one of my favorite games in the world.
Picking the best cart at Target. No wobbly wheels here. Nothing squeaking either.
Karaoke. At a bar, at a club, in my car, in our shower. I am the reigning champion. Please leave your gifts of adoration on the table.
Sharing any piping hot tea. I feel like guys don't really pay attention enough to get the tea. I once asked a male friend of mine when his friends baby was due. And he said he didn't even know he was married. They had been playing dnd every single Friday for almost a year.
Random pop culture trivia. I'm chronically online. I like to have my toes in a bunch of different pools. From dnd to Star Wars to LEGO to board games to books and then a back around the LEGO. I like a lot of stuff.
I'm a jack of all trades, and the master of none.
My favorite conspiracy theory is
Jared Leto's Joker is actually Jason Todd. If you look at the Robin costume that Batman has locked away. There's two bullet holes in each shoulder. And if you look at Jared Leto's Joker, he is two bullet hole scars on his shoulders. Absolutely not a coincidence..
The reason why Captain America couldn't lift Thor's hammer in Age of Ultron is because the weight of knowing that Bucky killed Tony's parents was too much. But Steve told Tony in civil war, which is why Steve could lift it during Endgame. Also think Peter probably could have as well.
The reason why the Dursleys were so mean to Harry is because he was a horcrux. Look how mean Harry, Hermione, and Ron got just being around the locket for a short period of time. The Dursleys were living with him for 11 years. No wonder they were all assholes.
I think Andy's mom was Jesse's original owner. Because the hat that Andy wears is closer to Jesse's than Woody's. And he got it from his single mom.
On a typical Friday night Im
Playing dnd with my friends.
We are currently doing a homebrewy thing off of Spell Jammer. So, in space. We just started this campaign. It very much feels like a monster of the week with an overarch for the season. Think Doctor Who or X-Files.
And I think the way our DM has it set up is pure genius. We are taking missions from like a quest board. Some of them are to help the cops, some of them are to help them mafia, some of them are to help nonaffiliated people.
Our first mission was to stop some Mercenaries from hijacking merchants.
My character is a gnome bubblegum Barbarian Berserker who is bear bonded. She is the typical uwu e girl streamer. And her bear companion is a cybernetic space bear. Together, we are Cheese and Crackers.
She streams, in game only, essentially on Twitch, with the bear. It's set up like a POV style. But I also have the chat built into my headset. Think google glasses...? So anytime I have a decision to make while fighting, I'll just reach out and ask the chat. During the first mission, the chat wanted me to steal the Merchants gas for our spaceship. So I did.
​
​
Let's start as friends and go from there. If you're interested in starting a conversation with me, please, message me.

If money was no concern what would you be doing?
Being weird and eccentric. I would buy the biggest piece of property that I could in the middle of like uptown. Like maybe where that Kmart is on Lake street. And I would start raising eccentric foreign animals. Like llamas or snails or polar bears. I would open during the week for people to come in and pet the animals. Or kids could host their birthday parties.
Or does this prompt mean job wise? Oh, hm. Zoo owner.
I could probably beat you at
Stardew Valley. I've done speed runs, man. Hands down this is probably one of my favorite games in the world.
Picking the best cart at Target. No wobbly wheels here. Nothing squeaking either.
Karaoke. At a bar, at a club, in my car, in our shower. I am the reigning champion. Please leave your gifts of adoration on the table.
Sharing any piping hot tea. I feel like guys don't really pay attention enough to get the tea. I once asked a male friend of mine when his friends baby was due. And he said he didn't even know he was married. They had been playing dnd every single Friday for almost a year.
Random pop culture trivia. I'm chronically online. I like to have my toes in a bunch of different pools. From dnd to Star Wars to LEGO to board games to books and then a back around the LEGO. I like a lot of stuff.
I'm a jack of all trades, and the master of none.
My favorite conspiracy theory is
Jared Leto's Joker is actually Jason Todd. If you look at the Robin costume that Batman has locked away. There's two bullet holes in each shoulder. And if you look at Jared Leto's Joker, he is two bullet hole scars on his shoulders. Absolutely not a coincidence..
The reason why Captain America couldn't lift Thor's hammer in Age of Ultron is because the weight of knowing that Bucky killed Tony's parents was too much. But Steve told Tony in civil war, which is why Steve could lift it during Endgame. Also think Peter probably could have as well.
The reason why the Dursleys were so mean to Harry is because he was a horcrux. Look how mean Harry, Hermione, and Ron got just being around the locket for a short period of time. The Dursleys were living with him for 11 years. No wonder they were all assholes.
I think Andy's mom was Jesse's original owner. Because the hat that Andy wears is closer to Jesse's than Woody's. And he got it from his single mom.
On a typical Friday night Im
Playing dnd with my friends.
We are currently doing a homebrewy thing off of Spell Jammer. So, in space. We just started this campaign. It very much feels like a monster of the week with an overarch for the season. Think Doctor Who or X-Files.
And I think the way our DM has it set up is pure genius. We are taking missions from like a quest board. Some of them are to help the cops, some of them are to help them mafia, some of them are to help nonaffiliated people.
Our first mission was to stop some Mercenaries from hijacking merchants.
My character is a gnome bubblegum Barbarian Berserker who is bear bonded. She is the typical uwu e girl streamer. And her bear companion is a cybernetic space bear. Together, we are Cheese and Crackers.
She streams, in game only, essentially on Twitch, with the bear. It's set up like a POV style. But I also have the chat built into my headset. Think google glasses...? So anytime I have a decision to make while fighting, I'll just reach out and ask the chat. During the first mission, the chat wanted me to steal the Merchants gas for our spaceship. So I did.
Let's start as friends and go from there. If you're interested in starting a conversation with me, please, message me.

If money was no concern what would you be doing?
Being weird and eccentric. I would buy the biggest piece of property that I could in the middle of like uptown. Like maybe where that Kmart is on Lake street. And I would start raising eccentric foreign animals. Like llamas or snails or polar bears. I would open during the week for people to come in and pet the animals. Or kids could host their birthday parties.
Or does this prompt mean job wise? Oh, hm. Zoo owner.
I could probably beat you at
Stardew Valley. I've done speed runs, man. Hands down this is probably one of my favorite games in the world.
Picking the best cart at Target. No wobbly wheels here. Nothing squeaking either.
Karaoke. At a bar, at a club, in my car, in our shower. I am the reigning champion. Please leave your gifts of adoration on the table.
Sharing any piping hot tea. I feel like guys don't really pay attention enough to get the tea. I once asked a male friend of mine when his friends baby was due. And he said he didn't even know he was married. They had been playing dnd every single Friday for almost a year.
Random pop culture trivia. I'm chronically online. I like to have my toes in a bunch of different pools. From dnd to Star Wars to LEGO to board games to books and then a back around the LEGO. I like a lot of stuff.
I'm a jack of all trades, and the master of none.
My favorite conspiracy theory is
Jared Leto's Joker is actually Jason Todd. If you look at the Robin costume that Batman has locked away. There's two bullet holes in each shoulder. And if you look at Jared Leto's Joker, he is two bullet hole scars on his shoulders. Absolutely not a coincidence..
The reason why Captain America couldn't lift Thor's hammer in Age of Ultron is because the weight of knowing that Bucky killed Tony's parents was too much. But Steve told Tony in civil war, which is why Steve could lift it during Endgame. Also think Peter probably could have as well.
The reason why the Dursleys were so mean to Harry is because he was a horcrux. Look how mean Harry, Hermione, and Ron got just being around the locket for a short period of time. The Dursleys were living with him for 11 years. No wonder they were all assholes.
I think Andy's mom was Jesse's original owner. Because the hat that Andy wears is closer to Jesse's than Woody's. And he got it from his single mom.
On a typical Friday night Im
Playing dnd with my friends.
We are currently doing a homebrewy thing off of Spell Jammer. So, in space. We just started this campaign. It very much feels like a monster of the week with an overarch for the season. Think Doctor Who or X-Files.
And I think the way our DM has it set up is pure genius. We are taking missions from like a quest board. Some of them are to help the cops, some of them are to help them mafia, some of them are to help nonaffiliated people.
Our first mission was to stop some Mercenaries from hijacking merchants.
My character is a gnome bubblegum Barbarian Berserker who is bear bonded. She is the typical uwu e girl streamer. And her bear companion is a cybernetic space bear. Together, we are Cheese and Crackers.
She streams, in game only, essentially on Twitch, with the bear. It's set up like a POV style. But I also have the chat built into my headset. Think google glasses...? So anytime I have a decision to make while fighting, I'll just reach out and ask the chat. During the first mission, the chat wanted me to steal the Merchants gas for our spaceship. So I did.
​
Let's start as friends and go from there. If you're interested in starting a conversation with me, please, message me.

First Entry
Second Entry
Third Entry
Fourth Entry ​
Fifth Entry
Sixth Entry
Seventh Entry
​
Journal of Camille Lambert - April 13th (Part 2)
​
The mist rolled in from the edge of town, swallowing buildings, tents, and trucks as the klaxon alarm sounded. I looked up and saw the sky beginning to fade into absolute darkness, even though it should have been hours before dusk.
“Fascinating…” I heard Dr. Di Cesare say beside me, although she was the only one who seemed to think so.
​
Milo stared into the mist with a look of dread as flashes of gunfire began to go off deep inside, briefly illuminating the moving shadows as the screams of dying men and impossible monsters filled our ears.
“Kallas, Valentine, the refugees! Get them out!” He ordered. Neither of them needed to be told twice. The words were barely out of his mouth when they took off at a sprint toward the tents, guns already drawn.
​
“Gretchen, how do we drive them off?”
“They circumvented my runes… how…” She said under her breath, sounding more annoyed than anything else.
“Gretchen!” Milo snapped, and she seemed to be pulled out of her train of thought.
“Uncertain. I need to get back to my lab. Everything I could use would be there!”
She took off like a shot, and as she ran, the mist overtook us, turning her into little more than a shadow ahead of us.
​
“Stay close!” Milo ordered, going for his pistol, although we could barely see him through the mist either. I felt Dom reaching for my hand and looked over to see his shadow, pistol drawn and trying to keep up with Milo and Gretchen. Her white RV hadn’t been parked that far away, but it might as well have been miles.
​
The chorus of gunfire and screams roared in my ears. I could hear inhuman screeches as men were torn limb from bloody limb. As Dom led me behind Milo, I couldn’t help but look over and pray that our people were managing, somehow. Through the mist, I could see a shadow racing toward us. At a glance, I almost thought that it might be a man on a horse but… no. The sigil of an eye burned onto its forehead made that very clear.
​
“LOOK OUT!” I called in the moment before the horseman raced toward us. I could see Milo diving out of the way while Dom pulled me back. He fired two shots at it, and though I did not get a good look at the creature before us, I saw enough to know that it wasn’t a horse and a rider… it was one creature. A pale, blood soaked thing with claws like scythes and eyes crowned around its head like a wreathe. It slashed at Dom who dove out of the way, before rearing up on its hind legs and unleashing a scream that sounded like a man in pain.
​
I could see Milo firing at it as well, but the bullets might as well have done nothing to it. Just like the last Sigiled Nightwalker, it barely even seemed to notice.
“You made your choice to stay here…” A raspy voice echoed from the creature, and I knew that it was Calhoun speaking to us. “Now look what you’ve made me do.”
​
The Nightwalker came for me next, and I dove to the ground, scrambling away as its claws raked against the asphalt road. The red eye sigil focused on me, and on the creature's face I could see a gaping maw underneath that eye, dripping with wet saliva and filled with long, jagged teeth.
​
It reared up again, and I could do nothing but wait to be crushed beneath its hooves when the deafening echo of a gunshot rang out. The Nightwalker screamed. Chunks of its head were ripped away from it and a new, pinkish steam rose from the mess that was left. It collapsed onto its side, still twitching in death.
I looked over to see the shadow of Dr. Di Cesare, holding that revolver of hers.
“Most interesting… assuming direct control over certain Nightwalkers.” She said. “Come There are certainly more.”
Dom helped me to my feet and we took off toward the RV again.
​
​
Through the mist, I could see the RV up ahead. Dr. Di Cesare threw the door open and quickly ushered us inside. As soon as it was closed again, I watched her take a knife from her coat and roll up her sleeve. Without so much as a wince of pain, she drew the blade across her hand, then using one finger, began to hastily draw a sigil on the door.
“Should keep them out… should…” She murmured, and once she was done she tore past us, deeper into the RV.
​
There seemed like she’d been using it as some sort of makeshift lab. I could see counters littered with old books, jars full of strange ingredients, and a small altar with scattered journal pages laying around it. I could see photos and diagrams of strange flowers that seemed to be every color at once and none of them at the same time, and crude anatomical sketches of flower-headed creatures.
​
On a small work desk pressed into one corner, I heard a walkie talkie crackle to life.
“Can you hold them back? We’re still loading the trucks!”
I recognized the voice on the other end as Kallas.
“Well move your fucking ass! We’re losing ground here!” Came the reply and it sounded like it was coming from Nina.
​
Milo ran toward the desk, grabbing the radio off of it.
“Valentine, Kallas, what’s going on out there?” He demanded.
“Everything’s gone to shit!” Valentine replied, “We’re falling back to the Church!”
“Already?” Milo asked, breathless. “Gretchen, how long before you can-”
​
“And who’s this I’m hearing now?” A new voice asked. It sounded like an older man, although I knew it wasn’t Calhoun.
I looked over at Dom, wondering if maybe he recognized it. Judging by his expression, he did.
“Who the hell is this?” Milo demanded.
“I’m the man watching you folks get your asses beat. It’s kinda funny, actually. You people come in here, throwing your weight around all high and mighty only to crumble the moment we give you anything more than a little love tap. Name’s McClellan. I suppose you could say that I’m the Sheriff around these parts.”
​
“Oh for fucks sake, are they on our goddamn channel?” Nina asked.
“Thought I’d tune in, see how things were going. Governor Calhoun was kind enough to spare me and my boys the hassle of dealing with you personally. Least we can do is enjoy the show.”
“Oh God… he’s monologuing!” Nina whined.
​
“You folks have kicked the beehive. Now you’re gonna get stung.” McClellan crooned. Everything he said ended in an upward inflection and it had already gotten annoying.
“The Governor wasn’t too happy to have to clean out the other towns, but you forced his hand. And what he’s gonna do next… you should be held accountable for that too.”
​
“Next?” Milo asked warily although before he could get his answer, something hit the RV, rocking it violently from side to side. Dr. Di Cesare almost fell over, before bracing herself against the counter and going through her books. She glanced at one of the flower diagrams before violently shaking her head and tossing it aside. Over the radio, I could hear McClellan laughing.
“Gretchen?” Milo asked, “Please tell me you’ve got something!”
“Patience…” She urged, “Extant research only addresses killing these things one at a time, not as an army.”
​
The RV rocked again and I ran to the window to look out. I could see something move past, something a hell of a lot bigger than the one the Doctor had just killed. Through the mist and the darkness, I could see the glow of a fire flare to life somewhere in the distance. Somehow, I got the feeling that Nina was behind it.
“Just tell me what we need to do to kill these goddamn things!” Milo snapped as the RV was hit again. I saw something in the opposite window, vacant black eyes and flat, chitinous mandibles that clicked together, only barely hiding the incomprehensible mouth behind them.
​
“I can’t just cast a spell and kill them all!” Gretchen replied, “I need more time! Maybe if I can open a door to another pocket we can at least get out of here, but I need time to find a safe one!” I could hear something scraping against the metal roof of the RV and saw it begin to buckle near the corner. Jagged spikes broke through it as whatever was outside began to pry open the RV like a can of soup.
“We don’t have time!” Milo warned.
​
Dom watched as the Nightwalker began to pry at the roof before looking over through the window and noticing its shiny black eye. Without a moment of hesitation, he fired at it, shattering the window and cracking it like an egg. A thick, black goo dribbled out of it and the Nightwalker shrank back, letting out a screech of pain. It briefly retreated, holding its spikey, crablike claws in front of it defensively. I could hear it making an irate clicking noise and it waited for a moment as Dom fired a few more rounds at it although this time, they just bounced uselessly off its armor.
​
“Five trucks out. Confirmed that two are at the Church!” I heard Kallas say over the radio, “Six, seven and eight almost loaded. Those are the last ones!”
“You might get these ones out… but there’ll always be more.” McClellan said, “I’ll admit that this has all been a bit of a setback, but there’s a lot of little towns just ripe for the picking out there. And once he gets the rest of the 5000 souls he needs… well, if you think this is bad, wait until you see what he’ll be able to do then.”
“Truck six is away! Three is at the church!” Kallas said, trying his damnedest to ignore McClellan.
“Double time it!” Milo snapped, “Valentine, what’s going on out there?”
​
“Fire’s keeping them at bay but they’re getting brave!” She warned, “We’re heading back toward the refugees. Milo, where are you now?”
“I’m in Di Cesare’s lab, with Dominic and Camille.”
“We’re gonna need to fall back to the church. Can you meet us there?” Nina asked.
Milo looked over at me.
“Get to the driver's seat, keys are in the ignition. Get us out of here.” He said. I just nodded and did what he asked, listening as he went back to Nina.
“We’re en route!”
​
Just like Milo had promised, I found the keys in the ignition and turned them. The engine roared to life. Through the mist, I could see the shadows of other Nightwalkers and my blood turned to ice in my veins as I saw the sigils on their foreheads. Crimson eyes, more than I could count at a glance, and each of them watching me.
​
The RV shook again and from the corner of my eye, I saw a massive claw coming for me. I threw myself to the ground as it shattered the driver's side window. The claw ripped through the cabin of the RV, before prying the roof off completely and tossing it aside.
​
I watched the Crab Thing as it approached the ruined cabin. One spiky leg came down on the hood of the RV. The Crab’s one remaining eye seemed to fixate on me as it reached for me with a claw, and I scrambled backward, only barely avoiding it. I looked back just in time to see Milo with a look of utter horror on his face. He grabbed me by the arm, pulling me deeper into the RV as the Crab Thing began trying to pry the roof off again.
​
Behind it, I could see other Nightwalkers drawing near.
There was no running from this.
​
“Gretchen, either shoot this goddamn thing or do something!” Milo cried, looking over at Gretchen. She glanced away from her research with wide eyes. I saw her reach for her revolver, only to hesistate when she noticed the other Nightwalkers watching us from behind the Crab Thing. I could see her doing the math in her head. Four shots left… not enough to kill the Crab and the Nightwalkers. The gun couldn’t save us. Her eyes settled on the flower diagram she’d cast aside earlier. I saw her grimace before running toward the back window.
​
“Shaal forgive me…” She said under her breath as she pressed a finger into the cut in her hand and began to hastily paint another sigil on the glass.
“Everybody get under something. It will go for the Crab first. As soon as it does, run. Do not stop.”
“What are you gonna do?” Dom asked.
“I’m opening another door… you’re not going to like what’s about to come through,” She replied and grabbed something off of the counter, hesitated for a moment, and dusted it carelessly on the blood she’d marked the window with. Then, as if she’d just thrown a live grenade she dove under her desk.
​
Milo scrambled behind a chair, while I pulled Dom behind one of the counters. The Crab Thing peeled the roof up, leaving us completely exposed and for a moment, I wondered if Dr. Di Cesare’s plan had failed.
​
Then I heard the sound of shattering glass. I looked to see that something had just launched itself through the window. It landed gracelessly on the ground, before stumbling around on coltish legs. It almost resembled a person, or maybe even one of the smaller Nightwalkers. But there was something very different about it. Its skin was an unusual shade of pinkish green, strange luminous flowers like the ones in the photographs Dr. Di Cesare kept in her lab, and moss seemed to bloom from its skin, and I swore that I could see pale yellow eyes in the center of those flowers. Its body seemed to ripple and change. Its hands twisted into gripping claws as it let out a raspy hiss.
​
Every single eye on it focused on the crab, which paused for a moment before reaching for the new creature. The claw closed around it, and the creature writhed and screamed, its flesh twisting and morphing into sharp tendrils that it slid between the gaps in the Crabs chitin, earning a fresh cry of pain from it. The new creature's head seemed to be split open, sort of like a flower blossoming, unleashing a shimmering payload of what looked like spores into the Crab’s face.
​
From his position behind the chair, I saw Milo’s eyes wide with terror as he watched this unfold. It was the kind of terror I’d never seen before. Something so deep in his soul that it must have took everything he had not to scream.
​
Dr. Di Cesare scrambled out from under her desk. She snatched the radio from Milo and without so much as a moment of hesitation ran for the door of the RV.
“Move!” She said, with an urgency that I knew better than to ignore. The three of us abandoned the RV and took off into the mist.
​
“Mr. Kallas, as soon as the trucks are through, kill the bonfire at the church! Cut off all access to the Calhoun Pocket!”
“What, why?” Kallas demanded.
“The situation has worsened, we need to enact full quarantine measures!” Dr. Di Cesare said, “Do it now!”
“What the hell did you just do?” Nina demanded, “Gretchen, where’s Milo?”
“We’re heading for the refugee area, on foot! Do not wait for us! I repeat, do not wait for us!”
​
I had no idea what the hell the Doctor had just done, but I didn’t think I’d ever hear fear like that in her voice. It was the first time she hadn’t sounded completely composed. The fire was growing closer, and seemed to have spread to most of the town. Buildings burned around us, as did tents. I could see the shadows of other Nightwalkers silhouetted against the inferno, bringing back memories of the last time Puriysk had burned. Up ahead, there was gunfire and I saw one of the refugee trucks skidding onto the road, and away toward the church.
​
Looking back, I could see shapes pursuing us in the mist. I couldn’t make out what they were, but the sigils on their foreheads told me enough. They were gaining on us, and I could only pray to whatever God was listening that they wouldn’t catch up.
​
Beside me, I saw the fire grow taller and almost fell over, trying to get away from it. The fire seemed to rise up into the sky before coming down on some of the Nightwalkers that pursued us. I looked over to see Dr. Di Cesare, a hand outstretched and a frantic look on her face. She moved her hands again, pulling more of the inferno onto the road to cover our tracks.
“Don’t stop!” She said, “Keep running!”
And I did exactly what she told me to do.
​
I could see another car up ahead, an SUV this time tearing onto the road, although, unlike the truck before it, it turned toward us and skidded to a stop just up ahead. Milo reached the SUV first, throwing open the passenger door and getting in. Dom and I were second, with Dr. Di Cesare being the last.
​
From the driver's seat, I could see Nina looking back at us, making sure that everyone was there before making a sharp U-turn and speeding toward the church, leaving Puriysk and the Nightwalkers behind.
​
“Are you genuinely insane?” Milo demanded, looking back at Dr. Di Cesare. “Do you have any idea how stupid that was!”
“It was the only spell I could think of that would yield immediate results,” She said. “Every time you open that door, something always comes through.”
“Yes, and there’s a very good reason you don’t open that door, Gretchen! You’re lucky we’re not all dead right now! For Gods sake, you may have just killed us all anyway!”
​
“What the fuck did she just do?” Nina asked, confused.
Her question went largely ignored.
“We were out of options!” Dr. Di Cesare replied, “We are up against an opponent who will resort to any means to dispose of us! Any means. It is therefore necessary that we do the same!”
“And that gives you carte blanche to unleash that? For Gods sake, we weren’t even equipped to deal with that! That wasn’t even part of the goddamn discussion until you pulled it in!”
“Can somebody just explain to me what the hell just happened?” Dom snapped.
​
Milo looked over at him, then back to Gretchen.
“There are countless other pocket realities in the vast expanse of the void,” She said. “Many serve as havens for various Gods and their followers… I simply opened a door to let one of them in.”
“I wouldn’t call that thing a God, I’d call it a plague!” Milo said.
“Hive mind,” Dr. Di Cesare corrected, “The Prince of Rosen Spring operates as a singular consciousness, it has more in common with fungi than a virus or pathogen.”
​
“I’m sorry, did you just summon The Fucking Rosen Prince?” Nina asked, and again she was ignored.
“Whatever it is, we have a standing order to burn any trace of that thing we come across,” Milo said. “Why the hell do you even know how to summon it?”
“I don’t work for you!” Dr. Di Cesare replied harshly, “I’m allowed to research whatever topic captures my interest!”
“Well do me a favor and warn me the next time you’re about to unleash a Class 5 Apocalyptic entity!”
“You wanted something that would get them off of us, I delivered! We were exposed and outnumbered, there were no other viable options!”
​
“Can we go back to the part where you called that thing an ‘Apocalyptic Entity?’” Dom asked. “What the hell did you just bring in?”
“It’s a sort of hive mind,” Dr. Di Cesare explained. “It infects other entities, absorbs them into its shared consciousness, and uses the bodies either as drones, or organic material to construct new bodies for itself.”
“Oh my fucking God…” Nina said under her breath, “And you just pulled that out of your ass? You didn’t try shooting your fucking magic gun?”
​
“We do not have the munitions to just mindlessly shoot everything that poses a threat! At minimum… the Rosen Prince should distract Calhoun and his Nightwalkers long enough for us to complete the evacuation!”
“Yeah, by absorbing this entire place!” Milo spat. “At this point, Calhoun’s already dead… let the Rosen Prince take care of him!”
​
“That’s not a gamble we should be willing to take,” Dr. Di Cesare said. “We are not dealing with a man who is trapped here. If this situation becomes untenable, I have zero doubt that he will simply abandon this place and begin again elsewhere, at which point it may become impossible to find him again. Even if we did, factoring in the recent sacrifices, it’s highly probable that he would be exceedingly harder to kill. If you want this man dead, then our window of opportunity is now and it is closing very rapidly!”
“Hey… this may be a stupid question but what happens if the Rosen Prince assimilates Calhoun or the Eldest?” Nina asked.
​
Both the Doctor and Milo fell silent. Milo’s head slowly turned to look at her.
“Yes, Gretchen. What happens then?” He asked.
Dr. Di Cesare was silent for a moment.
“All the more reason to kill Calhoun first,” She finally said.
​
Up ahead, I could see the ruins of the church, although the moment I saw them, it was already clear to me that something was wrong. The church was dark. There was no light from the bonfire inside and as we drove past the metal poles that marked the doorway, I noticed no change in the forest around us.
“Oh no…” Nina said under her breath, “Fuck, fuck, fuck fuck…”
She tried to steer the car through the other doorway, but nothing changed.
​
The doors were closed.
​
“Good, Mr. Kallas has ensured that nothing can escape."
“Yeah and that includes us, dumbass!” Nina snapped.
“That’s of no concern. I can open another, smaller door. We should shore up inside that church. We’ll get out the same way you did before,” Dr. Di Cesare said.
Nina swore under her breath before driving toward the ruins of the church.
​
She skidded to a stop, and Dr. Di Cesare was the first one out.
“We need to move quickly, get anything you can burn and get it now. Time is short,” She said.
Nina went around the back of the SUV and pulled the trunk open, taking out a can of spare gasoline before following Dr. Di Cesare inside the church.
“There’s one more in there,” She said to me and Dom. “Grab it!”
​
I figured that since I had the idlest hands, it might as well be me. I grabbed the gas can from the back of the SUV and took a parting look at Puriysk, which burned brightly behind us. The fire seemed to have consumed everything, and though the sky was dark, the glow from the inferno made it look like twilight. It was both the most beautiful and horrible thing I’d ever seen.
​
Even from where I stood, I could still hear the screams coming from Puriysk, only now they weren’t the screams of men being slaughtered by monsters… they were the screams of monsters slaughtering each other. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in that town… and realized that it might be better if I didn’t know.
​
I didn’t linger, I took the gas can into the church, following Nina. She was already beginning to dump the contents of the can on the charred ashes of the bonfire. Milo was right beside her, tossing some of the extra firewood that the others had collected to keep the fire alive onto it, to try and give it some new life.
​
“There’s headlights down the road, somebody’s coming!” Dom called from the doorway of the church.
“More refugees?” Milo asked.
“I don’t think so.”
​
Milo swore under his breath.
“Gretchen, can you finish up?”
“I need a minute,” She said. “We undid the old runes and ritual circle when we expanded it outside the church. I need to repair them.”
​
Milo growled in frustration before storming over toward the Church door. Nina tossed her empty gas can aside and went to follow, blowing past Dom and Milo and heading back out to the SUV. I watched her pull open the drivers side door and take something out. It took me a moment to recognize exactly what it was.
​
It was a rifle. She hastily checked the magazine before looking out at the oncoming headlights. I could make out three cars, most of them older and more worn than the ones Milo’s people drove although the one at the front was a clean, polished muscle car.
​
I’d seen that car before, and I knew that Dom had too.
It seemed that Sheriff McClellan was here to deal with us personally.
​
The cars slowed to a stop before us, and the four of us stood at the ready. I reached for the .22 I’d kept holstered, and felt a little guilty for the small sense of relief I felt that my gun might actually be useful for a change.
​
The doors of McClellan’s car opened, and I saw him stepping out of the driver's seat. I could see other men getting out of the cars behind him.
“Hell of a mess you’ve caused us…” McClellan said. His black boots sank into the mud beneath him. His wispy white hair seemed to flutter in the wind. I could see a chrome revolver sitting on his hip. “And yet you just refuse to die.”
​
“You must be the Sheriff,” Milo said coldly.
“And you must be the dumb motherfucker who thought he’d mess around with Governor Calhoun… how’s that working out for you.”
“Well despite everything, I’d say we’ve probably taken fewer losses than you have,” Milo replied. McClellan actually cracked a half smile at that.
​
“You’re a cocky little shit, I’ll give you that.” He said. “Not sure what the hell you assholes did back there… but I’ve never seen Nightwalkers claw each other to pieces like that before… either way, the fight’s over. And from where I’m standing it looks like you’re running outta here with your tail between your legs.”
​
“And from where I’m standing, you look like a dead man walking,” Milo replied. “If you’re smart, you’ve come here to leave with us. I don’t know if you realize what’s just been unleashed here, but mark my words in a few days time this place will be nothing but a graveyard.”
“Oh, I can promise that whatever you think you did, isn’t gonna change a damn thing,” McClellan said. “You can run if you’d like. I’ll even let you do it. Either way, once he’s got the rest of the souls he needs the Governor will hunt you down like the rats you are and-”
​
A volley of gunshots came from beside us as Nina started shooting. I saw a couple of the Sheriff’s Boys behind McClellan go down, while others dove for cover. McClellan himself moved behind his car with surprising speed, only narrowly avoiding Nina’s trigger happy rampage.
​
“These people talk too fucking much…” She said under her breath as we hid behind the stone walls of the church.
“Open fire boys, let’s clean this up!” I heard McClellan bark from behind his car.
​
I saw a couple of the Sheriff’s Boys try to peek out from behind one of their cars, and took aim at them, firing blindly. One window of the car shattered, and one of the Boys had time to pull his head back. The other wasn’t so lucky. His head jerked back and he hit the ground dead.
​
I felt my heart skip a beat, as I realized that I’d been the one who killed him… although there was hardly time to process what I’d just done. The gunfire around me saw to that.
“Reserve units, move in on the Church! We need some backup!” McClellan said, presumably speaking into a radio and not talking to himself. I saw the door of his car open as he tried to crawl back inside. Milo seemed to see it too and fired at the driver's side of the windshield. He only got off a couple of shots before McClellan’s retort blew a fresh hole through the glass.
​
I heard Milo cry out in pain and hit the ground, clutching at his shoulder. Nina’s eyes widened as she watched him fall, and I ran to his side to check on him. He pressed a hand against the wound, gritting his teeth and trying not to scream.
“I-I’m alright…” He lied, but I knew that he was out of the fight.
​
“Motherfucker…” Nina spat, before directing her fire at McClellan’s car, putting bullet after bullet through his windshield. I could hear a pained scream from inside and heard the engine turn over. McClellan’s car was launched backward, going in full reverse and slamming into one of the other Sheriff’s Boys cars. It knocked the car back against the boys hiding behind it, forcing them out of cover. A move that Dom was quick to punish. His gun spoke three times, and I saw two men fall, one dead and the other wounded.
​
McClellan hit the gas again, still in reverse and desperately trying to flee. He only succeeded in pushing the car he’d just hit over the wounded man.
​
I could see more headlights in the distance, driving through the flaming ruins of Puriysk toward us, although against the fires I could see the shadow of what used to be the Crab Thing coming to intercept them. I watched as it impaled one car on one of its sharp legs and caught another in its pincers, dutifully tearing at it to get to the meat inside. Tendrils like vines seemed to hang off of its body now, and I watched them slither inside the broken car. I consider myself lucky that I didn’t have to witness what they did to the people inside.
​
With most of McClellan’s group dead, Nina stepped out into the open, firing again at his car. I saw the driver's side door open and watched as McClellan tumbled out, his body bloody and broken.
“Motherfucker…” Nina spat, advancing on him with a bitter, determined purpose. I saw one of the last of the Sheriff’s Boys coming out of cover. Nina raised her rifle at him, but Dom shot first.
​
It was just Nina and the Sheriff now. She regarded the corpse of the last of the Sheriff’s Boys out of the corner of her eye, before making a beeline for McClellan. I watched as he tried to stand, only for his legs to give out from under him.
“Wait…” McClellan rasped, “Wait…”
​
Before he could say another word she’d taken aim at him and pulled the trigger, putting four more bullets into his chest.
“Shut up,” She said coldly, before turning away and going back to the church. McClellan lay on the ground, not quite dead but past the point of surviving. He twitched and wheezed out his final breaths before finally going still.
​
The moment Nina was through that door, she was at Milo’s side again.
“How bad is it?” She asked.
“I’ll live…” He rasped, “It’s… just a flesh wound. Help me up.”
Nina helped him stand, before looking over toward the center of the church.
“Gretchen, how’s that door looking?” She asked.
“Runes are in place… ritual circle is set, I’m almost ready!” She called back.
“Let’s go,” Nina said, dragging Milo over to the columns.
​
Gretchen set the bonfire alight and as we passed through the columns, I could see that the doors were open again. Faded figures of soldiers and refugees stood by anxiously. I could even see Kallas among them, pacing about with a worried look on his face. The moment he saw that the fire had started again, he looked up, seeming both relieved and even more anxious at the same time.
“I was never much good out in the field…” Milo grunted, “Should’ve stayed on the other side.”
“Don’t talk,” Nina said. “You’re still alive, right? That counts for something.”
​
He chuckled.
“Suppose it does,” He said.
Dom and I watched as Nina guided him toward the bonfire, then out through the right set of columns, into the version of the church where we could actually see the night sky overhead. As Nina brought Milo through, Kallas was right there to meet her.
“Take him,” She said. “He’s hurt but he’ll live so long as you patch him up right away.”
“Understood,” Kallas said, “Come on, let’s get you through and put that fire out.”
​
Nina just shook her head.
“No, we’ve still got work to do in here. I’ll hang back with Gretchen until we’ve confirmed that Calhoun’s dead.”
“No can do, Dr. Di Cesare ordered full quarantine measures. We need everyone out!"
“Not until we confirm the kill,” Dr. Di Cesare said. “I require someone with more experience in these things than I have. Take Mr. Durand and get him taken care of. We’ll connect with you later.”
Kallas grimaced and looked over at Milo.
​
“Do what she says,” He rasped, and I saw a quiet resignation cross over Kallas’ face.
“What about you two?” He asked, looking at me and Dom, “If we close this door, you’re not getting out until Valentine and the Doctor do.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “We still have unfinished business.”
Kallas just shook his head and turned to leave, letting Milo lean on him for support as he did. Milo looked back at us, or more specifically he looked back at Nina.
“Valentine…” He said, “Make me proud.”
She gave him a single nod, before letting him go.
​
Once she was past the columns, Dr. Di Cesare gave a single wave of her hand and the bonfire flickered and died.
​
The Church went dark. And we were alone again.
​
“Doctor, how much can you do to keep those things in Puriysk out of here?” Nina asked.
“Given ten or twenty minutes to modify some of the extant runes, quite a bit,” She replied. “It won’t be foolproof, but-”
“Just do it. Let’s dig in here, wait for the fires to die down, and see if we can’t scavenge anything from the ruins in the morning. The more we can get, the better cuz as soon as we’re set, we’re going to Parsons.”

First Entry
Second Entry
Third Entry
Fourth Entry ​
Fifth Entry
Sixth Entry
Seventh Entry
​
Journal of Camille Lambert - April 13th (Part 2)
​
The mist rolled in from the edge of town, swallowing buildings, tents, and trucks as the klaxon alarm sounded. I looked up and saw the sky beginning to fade into absolute darkness, even though it should have been hours before dusk.
“Fascinating…” I heard Dr. Di Cesare say beside me, although she was the only one who seemed to think so.
​
Milo stared into the mist with a look of dread as flashes of gunfire began to go off deep inside, briefly illuminating the moving shadows as the screams of dying men and impossible monsters filled our ears.
“Kallas, Valentine, the refugees! Get them out!” He ordered. Neither of them needed to be told twice. The words were barely out of his mouth when they took off at a sprint toward the tents, guns already drawn.
​
“Gretchen, how do we drive them off?”
“They circumvented my runes… how…” She said under her breath, sounding more annoyed than anything else.
“Gretchen!” Milo snapped, and she seemed to be pulled out of her train of thought.
“Uncertain. I need to get back to my lab. Everything I could use would be there!”
She took off like a shot, and as she ran, the mist overtook us, turning her into little more than a shadow ahead of us.
​
“Stay close!” Milo ordered, going for his pistol, although we could barely see him through the mist either. I felt Dom reaching for my hand and looked over to see his shadow, pistol drawn and trying to keep up with Milo and Gretchen. Her white RV hadn’t been parked that far away, but it might as well have been miles.
​
The chorus of gunfire and screams roared in my ears. I could hear inhuman screeches as men were torn limb from bloody limb. As Dom led me behind Milo, I couldn’t help but look over and pray that our people were managing, somehow. Through the mist, I could see a shadow racing toward us. At a glance, I almost thought that it might be a man on a horse but… no. The sigil of an eye burned onto its forehead made that very clear.
​
“LOOK OUT!” I called in the moment before the horseman raced toward us. I could see Milo diving out of the way while Dom pulled me back. He fired two shots at it, and though I did not get a good look at the creature before us, I saw enough to know that it wasn’t a horse and a rider… it was one creature. A pale, blood soaked thing with claws like scythes and eyes crowned around its head like a wreathe. It slashed at Dom who dove out of the way, before rearing up on its hind legs and unleashing a scream that sounded like a man in pain.
​
I could see Milo firing at it as well, but the bullets might as well have done nothing to it. Just like the last Sigiled Nightwalker, it barely even seemed to notice.
“You made your choice to stay here…” A raspy voice echoed from the creature, and I knew that it was Calhoun speaking to us. “Now look what you’ve made me do.”
​
The Nightwalker came for me next, and I dove to the ground, scrambling away as its claws raked against the asphalt road. The red eye sigil focused on me, and on the creature's face I could see a gaping maw underneath that eye, dripping with wet saliva and filled with long, jagged teeth.
​
It reared up again, and I could do nothing but wait to be crushed beneath its hooves when the deafening echo of a gunshot rang out. The Nightwalker screamed. Chunks of its head were ripped away from it and a new, pinkish steam rose from the mess that was left. It collapsed onto its side, still twitching in death.
I looked over to see the shadow of Dr. Di Cesare, holding that revolver of hers.
“Most interesting… assuming direct control over certain Nightwalkers.” She said. “Come There are certainly more.”
Dom helped me to my feet and we took off toward the RV again.
​
​
Through the mist, I could see the RV up ahead. Dr. Di Cesare threw the door open and quickly ushered us inside. As soon as it was closed again, I watched her take a knife from her coat and roll up her sleeve. Without so much as a wince of pain, she drew the blade across her hand, then using one finger, began to hastily draw a sigil on the door.
“Should keep them out… should…” She murmured, and once she was done she tore past us, deeper into the RV.
​
There seemed like she’d been using it as some sort of makeshift lab. I could see counters littered with old books, jars full of strange ingredients, and a small altar with scattered journal pages laying around it. I could see photos and diagrams of strange flowers that seemed to be every color at once and none of them at the same time, and crude anatomical sketches of flower-headed creatures.
​
On a small work desk pressed into one corner, I heard a walkie talkie crackle to life.
“Can you hold them back? We’re still loading the trucks!”
I recognized the voice on the other end as Kallas.
“Well move your fucking ass! We’re losing ground here!” Came the reply and it sounded like it was coming from Nina.
​
Milo ran toward the desk, grabbing the radio off of it.
“Valentine, Kallas, what’s going on out there?” He demanded.
“Everything’s gone to shit!” Valentine replied, “We’re falling back to the Church!”
“Already?” Milo asked, breathless. “Gretchen, how long before you can-”
​
“And who’s this I’m hearing now?” A new voice asked. It sounded like an older man, although I knew it wasn’t Calhoun.
I looked over at Dom, wondering if maybe he recognized it. Judging by his expression, he did.
“Who the hell is this?” Milo demanded.
“I’m the man watching you folks get your asses beat. It’s kinda funny, actually. You people come in here, throwing your weight around all high and mighty only to crumble the moment we give you anything more than a little love tap. Name’s McClellan. I suppose you could say that I’m the Sheriff around these parts.”
​
“Oh for fucks sake, are they on our goddamn channel?” Nina asked.
“Thought I’d tune in, see how things were going. Governor Calhoun was kind enough to spare me and my boys the hassle of dealing with you personally. Least we can do is enjoy the show.”
“Oh God… he’s monologuing!” Nina whined.
​
“You folks have kicked the beehive. Now you’re gonna get stung.” McClellan crooned. Everything he said ended in an upward inflection and it had already gotten annoying.
“The Governor wasn’t too happy to have to clean out the other towns, but you forced his hand. And what he’s gonna do next… you should be held accountable for that too.”
​
“Next?” Milo asked warily although before he could get his answer, something hit the RV, rocking it violently from side to side. Dr. Di Cesare almost fell over, before bracing herself against the counter and going through her books. She glanced at one of the flower diagrams before violently shaking her head and tossing it aside. Over the radio, I could hear McClellan laughing.
“Gretchen?” Milo asked, “Please tell me you’ve got something!”
“Patience…” She urged, “Extant research only addresses killing these things one at a time, not as an army.”
​
The RV rocked again and I ran to the window to look out. I could see something move past, something a hell of a lot bigger than the one the Doctor had just killed. Through the mist and the darkness, I could see the glow of a fire flare to life somewhere in the distance. Somehow, I got the feeling that Nina was behind it.
“Just tell me what we need to do to kill these goddamn things!” Milo snapped as the RV was hit again. I saw something in the opposite window, vacant black eyes and flat, chitinous mandibles that clicked together, only barely hiding the incomprehensible mouth behind them.
​
“I can’t just cast a spell and kill them all!” Gretchen replied, “I need more time! Maybe if I can open a door to another pocket we can at least get out of here, but I need time to find a safe one!” I could hear something scraping against the metal roof of the RV and saw it begin to buckle near the corner. Jagged spikes broke through it as whatever was outside began to pry open the RV like a can of soup.
“We don’t have time!” Milo warned.
​
Dom watched as the Nightwalker began to pry at the roof before looking over through the window and noticing its shiny black eye. Without a moment of hesitation, he fired at it, shattering the window and cracking it like an egg. A thick, black goo dribbled out of it and the Nightwalker shrank back, letting out a screech of pain. It briefly retreated, holding its spikey, crablike claws in front of it defensively. I could hear it making an irate clicking noise and it waited for a moment as Dom fired a few more rounds at it although this time, they just bounced uselessly off its armor.
​
“Five trucks out. Confirmed that two are at the Church!” I heard Kallas say over the radio, “Six, seven and eight almost loaded. Those are the last ones!”
“You might get these ones out… but there’ll always be more.” McClellan said, “I’ll admit that this has all been a bit of a setback, but there’s a lot of little towns just ripe for the picking out there. And once he gets the rest of the 5000 souls he needs… well, if you think this is bad, wait until you see what he’ll be able to do then.”
“Truck six is away! Three is at the church!” Kallas said, trying his damnedest to ignore McClellan.
“Double time it!” Milo snapped, “Valentine, what’s going on out there?”
​
“Fire’s keeping them at bay but they’re getting brave!” She warned, “We’re heading back toward the refugees. Milo, where are you now?”
“I’m in Di Cesare’s lab, with Dominic and Camille.”
“We’re gonna need to fall back to the church. Can you meet us there?” Nina asked.
Milo looked over at me.
“Get to the driver's seat, keys are in the ignition. Get us out of here.” He said. I just nodded and did what he asked, listening as he went back to Nina.
“We’re en route!”
​
Just like Milo had promised, I found the keys in the ignition and turned them. The engine roared to life. Through the mist, I could see the shadows of other Nightwalkers and my blood turned to ice in my veins as I saw the sigils on their foreheads. Crimson eyes, more than I could count at a glance, and each of them watching me.
​
The RV shook again and from the corner of my eye, I saw a massive claw coming for me. I threw myself to the ground as it shattered the driver's side window. The claw ripped through the cabin of the RV, before prying the roof off completely and tossing it aside.
​
I watched the Crab Thing as it approached the ruined cabin. One spiky leg came down on the hood of the RV. The Crab’s one remaining eye seemed to fixate on me as it reached for me with a claw, and I scrambled backward, only barely avoiding it. I looked back just in time to see Milo with a look of utter horror on his face. He grabbed me by the arm, pulling me deeper into the RV as the Crab Thing began trying to pry the roof off again.
​
Behind it, I could see other Nightwalkers drawing near.
There was no running from this.
​
“Gretchen, either shoot this goddamn thing or do something!” Milo cried, looking over at Gretchen. She glanced away from her research with wide eyes. I saw her reach for her revolver, only to hesistate when she noticed the other Nightwalkers watching us from behind the Crab Thing. I could see her doing the math in her head. Four shots left… not enough to kill the Crab and the Nightwalkers. The gun couldn’t save us. Her eyes settled on the flower diagram she’d cast aside earlier. I saw her grimace before running toward the back window.
​
“Shaal forgive me…” She said under her breath as she pressed a finger into the cut in her hand and began to hastily paint another sigil on the glass.
“Everybody get under something. It will go for the Crab first. As soon as it does, run. Do not stop.”
“What are you gonna do?” Dom asked.
“I’m opening another door… you’re not going to like what’s about to come through,” She replied and grabbed something off of the counter, hesitated for a moment, and dusted it carelessly on the blood she’d marked the window with. Then, as if she’d just thrown a live grenade she dove under her desk.
​
Milo scrambled behind a chair, while I pulled Dom behind one of the counters. The Crab Thing peeled the roof up, leaving us completely exposed and for a moment, I wondered if Dr. Di Cesare’s plan had failed.
​
Then I heard the sound of shattering glass. I looked to see that something had just launched itself through the window. It landed gracelessly on the ground, before stumbling around on coltish legs. It almost resembled a person, or maybe even one of the smaller Nightwalkers. But there was something very different about it. Its skin was an unusual shade of pinkish green, strange luminous flowers like the ones in the photographs Dr. Di Cesare kept in her lab, and moss seemed to bloom from its skin, and I swore that I could see pale yellow eyes in the center of those flowers. Its body seemed to ripple and change. Its hands twisted into gripping claws as it let out a raspy hiss.
​
Every single eye on it focused on the crab, which paused for a moment before reaching for the new creature. The claw closed around it, and the creature writhed and screamed, its flesh twisting and morphing into sharp tendrils that it slid between the gaps in the Crabs chitin, earning a fresh cry of pain from it. The new creature's head seemed to be split open, sort of like a flower blossoming, unleashing a shimmering payload of what looked like spores into the Crab’s face.
​
From his position behind the chair, I saw Milo’s eyes wide with terror as he watched this unfold. It was the kind of terror I’d never seen before. Something so deep in his soul that it must have took everything he had not to scream.
​
Dr. Di Cesare scrambled out from under her desk. She snatched the radio from Milo and without so much as a moment of hesitation ran for the door of the RV.
“Move!” She said, with an urgency that I knew better than to ignore. The three of us abandoned the RV and took off into the mist.
​
“Mr. Kallas, as soon as the trucks are through, kill the bonfire at the church! Cut off all access to the Calhoun Pocket!”
“What, why?” Kallas demanded.
“The situation has worsened, we need to enact full quarantine measures!” Dr. Di Cesare said, “Do it now!”
“What the hell did you just do?” Nina demanded, “Gretchen, where’s Milo?”
“We’re heading for the refugee area, on foot! Do not wait for us! I repeat, do not wait for us!”
​
I had no idea what the hell the Doctor had just done, but I didn’t think I’d ever hear fear like that in her voice. It was the first time she hadn’t sounded completely composed. The fire was growing closer, and seemed to have spread to most of the town. Buildings burned around us, as did tents. I could see the shadows of other Nightwalkers silhouetted against the inferno, bringing back memories of the last time Puriysk had burned. Up ahead, there was gunfire and I saw one of the refugee trucks skidding onto the road, and away toward the church.
​
Looking back, I could see shapes pursuing us in the mist. I couldn’t make out what they were, but the sigils on their foreheads told me enough. They were gaining on us, and I could only pray to whatever God was listening that they wouldn’t catch up.
​
Beside me, I saw the fire grow taller and almost fell over, trying to get away from it. The fire seemed to rise up into the sky before coming down on some of the Nightwalkers that pursued us. I looked over to see Dr. Di Cesare, a hand outstretched and a frantic look on her face. She moved her hands again, pulling more of the inferno onto the road to cover our tracks.
“Don’t stop!” She said, “Keep running!”
And I did exactly what she told me to do.
​
I could see another car up ahead, an SUV this time tearing onto the road, although, unlike the truck before it, it turned toward us and skidded to a stop just up ahead. Milo reached the SUV first, throwing open the passenger door and getting in. Dom and I were second, with Dr. Di Cesare being the last.
​
From the driver's seat, I could see Nina looking back at us, making sure that everyone was there before making a sharp U-turn and speeding toward the church, leaving Puriysk and the Nightwalkers behind.
​
“Are you genuinely insane?” Milo demanded, looking back at Dr. Di Cesare. “Do you have any idea how stupid that was!”
“It was the only spell I could think of that would yield immediate results,” She said. “Every time you open that door, something always comes through.”
“Yes, and there’s a very good reason you don’t open that door, Gretchen! You’re lucky we’re not all dead right now! For Gods sake, you may have just killed us all anyway!”
​
“What the fuck did she just do?” Nina asked, confused.
Her question went largely ignored.
“We were out of options!” Dr. Di Cesare replied, “We are up against an opponent who will resort to any means to dispose of us! Any means. It is therefore necessary that we do the same!”
“And that gives you carte blanche to unleash that? For Gods sake, we weren’t even equipped to deal with that! That wasn’t even part of the goddamn discussion until you pulled it in!”
“Can somebody just explain to me what the hell just happened?” Dom snapped.
​
Milo looked over at him, then back to Gretchen.
“There are countless other pocket realities in the vast expanse of the void,” She said. “Many serve as havens for various Gods and their followers… I simply opened a door to let one of them in.”
“I wouldn’t call that thing a God, I’d call it a plague!” Milo said.
“Hive mind,” Dr. Di Cesare corrected, “The Prince of Rosen Spring operates as a singular consciousness, it has more in common with fungi than a virus or pathogen.”
​
“I’m sorry, did you just summon The Fucking Rosen Prince?” Nina asked, and again she was ignored.
“Whatever it is, we have a standing order to burn any trace of that thing we come across,” Milo said. “Why the hell do you even know how to summon it?”
“I don’t work for you!” Dr. Di Cesare replied harshly, “I’m allowed to research whatever topic captures my interest!”
“Well do me a favor and warn me the next time you’re about to unleash a Class 5 Apocalyptic entity!”
“You wanted something that would get them off of us, I delivered! We were exposed and outnumbered, there were no other viable options!”
​
“Can we go back to the part where you called that thing an ‘Apocalyptic Entity?’” Dom asked. “What the hell did you just bring in?”
“It’s a sort of hive mind,” Dr. Di Cesare explained. “It infects other entities, absorbs them into its shared consciousness, and uses the bodies either as drones, or organic material to construct new bodies for itself.”
“Oh my fucking God…” Nina said under her breath, “And you just pulled that out of your ass? You didn’t try shooting your fucking magic gun?”
​
“We do not have the munitions to just mindlessly shoot everything that poses a threat! At minimum… the Rosen Prince should distract Calhoun and his Nightwalkers long enough for us to complete the evacuation!”
“Yeah, by absorbing this entire place!” Milo spat. “At this point, Calhoun’s already dead… let the Rosen Prince take care of him!”
​
“That’s not a gamble we should be willing to take,” Dr. Di Cesare said. “We are not dealing with a man who is trapped here. If this situation becomes untenable, I have zero doubt that he will simply abandon this place and begin again elsewhere, at which point it may become impossible to find him again. Even if we did, factoring in the recent sacrifices, it’s highly probable that he would be exceedingly harder to kill. If you want this man dead, then our window of opportunity is now and it is closing very rapidly!”
“Hey… this may be a stupid question but what happens if the Rosen Prince assimilates Calhoun or the Eldest?” Nina asked.
​
Both the Doctor and Milo fell silent. Milo’s head slowly turned to look at her.
“Yes, Gretchen. What happens then?” He asked.
Dr. Di Cesare was silent for a moment.
“All the more reason to kill Calhoun first,” She finally said.
​
Up ahead, I could see the ruins of the church, although the moment I saw them, it was already clear to me that something was wrong. The church was dark. There was no light from the bonfire inside and as we drove past the metal poles that marked the doorway, I noticed no change in the forest around us.
“Oh no…” Nina said under her breath, “Fuck, fuck, fuck fuck…”
She tried to steer the car through the other doorway, but nothing changed.
​
The doors were closed.
​
“Good, Mr. Kallas has ensured that nothing can escape."
“Yeah and that includes us, dumbass!” Nina snapped.
“That’s of no concern. I can open another, smaller door. We should shore up inside that church. We’ll get out the same way you did before,” Dr. Di Cesare said.
Nina swore under her breath before driving toward the ruins of the church.
​
She skidded to a stop, and Dr. Di Cesare was the first one out.
“We need to move quickly, get anything you can burn and get it now. Time is short,” She said.
Nina went around the back of the SUV and pulled the trunk open, taking out a can of spare gasoline before following Dr. Di Cesare inside the church.
“There’s one more in there,” She said to me and Dom. “Grab it!”
​
I figured that since I had the idlest hands, it might as well be me. I grabbed the gas can from the back of the SUV and took a parting look at Puriysk, which burned brightly behind us. The fire seemed to have consumed everything, and though the sky was dark, the glow from the inferno made it look like twilight. It was both the most beautiful and horrible thing I’d ever seen.
​
Even from where I stood, I could still hear the screams coming from Puriysk, only now they weren’t the screams of men being slaughtered by monsters… they were the screams of monsters slaughtering each other. I couldn’t help but wonder what was going on in that town… and realized that it might be better if I didn’t know.
​
I didn’t linger, I took the gas can into the church, following Nina. She was already beginning to dump the contents of the can on the charred ashes of the bonfire. Milo was right beside her, tossing some of the extra firewood that the others had collected to keep the fire alive onto it, to try and give it some new life.
​
“There’s headlights down the road, somebody’s coming!” Dom called from the doorway of the church.
“More refugees?” Milo asked.
“I don’t think so.”
​
Milo swore under his breath.
“Gretchen, can you finish up?”
“I need a minute,” She said. “We undid the old runes and ritual circle when we expanded it outside the church. I need to repair them.”
​
Milo growled in frustration before storming over toward the Church door. Nina tossed her empty gas can aside and went to follow, blowing past Dom and Milo and heading back out to the SUV. I watched her pull open the drivers side door and take something out. It took me a moment to recognize exactly what it was.
​
It was a rifle. She hastily checked the magazine before looking out at the oncoming headlights. I could make out three cars, most of them older and more worn than the ones Milo’s people drove although the one at the front was a clean, polished muscle car.
​
I’d seen that car before, and I knew that Dom had too.
It seemed that Sheriff McClellan was here to deal with us personally.
​
The cars slowed to a stop before us, and the four of us stood at the ready. I reached for the .22 I’d kept holstered, and felt a little guilty for the small sense of relief I felt that my gun might actually be useful for a change.
​
The doors of McClellan’s car opened, and I saw him stepping out of the driver's seat. I could see other men getting out of the cars behind him.
“Hell of a mess you’ve caused us…” McClellan said. His black boots sank into the mud beneath him. His wispy white hair seemed to flutter in the wind. I could see a chrome revolver sitting on his hip. “And yet you just refuse to die.”
​
“You must be the Sheriff,” Milo said coldly.
“And you must be the dumb motherfucker who thought he’d mess around with Governor Calhoun… how’s that working out for you.”
“Well despite everything, I’d say we’ve probably taken fewer losses than you have,” Milo replied. McClellan actually cracked a half smile at that.
​
“You’re a cocky little shit, I’ll give you that.” He said. “Not sure what the hell you assholes did back there… but I’ve never seen Nightwalkers claw each other to pieces like that before… either way, the fight’s over. And from where I’m standing it looks like you’re running outta here with your tail between your legs.”
​
“And from where I’m standing, you look like a dead man walking,” Milo replied. “If you’re smart, you’ve come here to leave with us. I don’t know if you realize what’s just been unleashed here, but mark my words in a few days time this place will be nothing but a graveyard.”
“Oh, I can promise that whatever you think you did, isn’t gonna change a damn thing,” McClellan said. “You can run if you’d like. I’ll even let you do it. Either way, once he’s got the rest of the souls he needs the Governor will hunt you down like the rats you are and-”
​
A volley of gunshots came from beside us as Nina started shooting. I saw a couple of the Sheriff’s Boys behind McClellan go down, while others dove for cover. McClellan himself moved behind his car with surprising speed, only narrowly avoiding Nina’s trigger happy rampage.
​
“These people talk too fucking much…” She said under her breath as we hid behind the stone walls of the church.
“Open fire boys, let’s clean this up!” I heard McClellan bark from behind his car.
​
I saw a couple of the Sheriff’s Boys try to peek out from behind one of their cars, and took aim at them, firing blindly. One window of the car shattered, and one of the Boys had time to pull his head back. The other wasn’t so lucky. His head jerked back and he hit the ground dead.
​
I felt my heart skip a beat, as I realized that I’d been the one who killed him… although there was hardly time to process what I’d just done. The gunfire around me saw to that.
“Reserve units, move in on the Church! We need some backup!” McClellan said, presumably speaking into a radio and not talking to himself. I saw the door of his car open as he tried to crawl back inside. Milo seemed to see it too and fired at the driver's side of the windshield. He only got off a couple of shots before McClellan’s retort blew a fresh hole through the glass.
​
I heard Milo cry out in pain and hit the ground, clutching at his shoulder. Nina’s eyes widened as she watched him fall, and I ran to his side to check on him. He pressed a hand against the wound, gritting his teeth and trying not to scream.
“I-I’m alright…” He lied, but I knew that he was out of the fight.
​
“Motherfucker…” Nina spat, before directing her fire at McClellan’s car, putting bullet after bullet through his windshield. I could hear a pained scream from inside and heard the engine turn over. McClellan’s car was launched backward, going in full reverse and slamming into one of the other Sheriff’s Boys cars. It knocked the car back against the boys hiding behind it, forcing them out of cover. A move that Dom was quick to punish. His gun spoke three times, and I saw two men fall, one dead and the other wounded.
​
McClellan hit the gas again, still in reverse and desperately trying to flee. He only succeeded in pushing the car he’d just hit over the wounded man.
​
I could see more headlights in the distance, driving through the flaming ruins of Puriysk toward us, although against the fires I could see the shadow of what used to be the Crab Thing coming to intercept them. I watched as it impaled one car on one of its sharp legs and caught another in its pincers, dutifully tearing at it to get to the meat inside. Tendrils like vines seemed to hang off of its body now, and I watched them slither inside the broken car. I consider myself lucky that I didn’t have to witness what they did to the people inside.
​
With most of McClellan’s group dead, Nina stepped out into the open, firing again at his car. I saw the driver's side door open and watched as McClellan tumbled out, his body bloody and broken.
“Motherfucker…” Nina spat, advancing on him with a bitter, determined purpose. I saw one of the last of the Sheriff’s Boys coming out of cover. Nina raised her rifle at him, but Dom shot first.
​
It was just Nina and the Sheriff now. She regarded the corpse of the last of the Sheriff’s Boys out of the corner of her eye, before making a beeline for McClellan. I watched as he tried to stand, only for his legs to give out from under him.
“Wait…” McClellan rasped, “Wait…”
​
Before he could say another word she’d taken aim at him and pulled the trigger, putting four more bullets into his chest.
“Shut up,” She said coldly, before turning away and going back to the church. McClellan lay on the ground, not quite dead but past the point of surviving. He twitched and wheezed out his final breaths before finally going still.
​
The moment Nina was through that door, she was at Milo’s side again.
“How bad is it?” She asked.
“I’ll live…” He rasped, “It’s… just a flesh wound. Help me up.”
Nina helped him stand, before looking over toward the center of the church.
“Gretchen, how’s that door looking?” She asked.
“Runes are in place… ritual circle is set, I’m almost ready!” She called back.
“Let’s go,” Nina said, dragging Milo over to the columns.
​
Gretchen set the bonfire alight and as we passed through the columns, I could see that the doors were open again. Faded figures of soldiers and refugees stood by anxiously. I could even see Kallas among them, pacing about with a worried look on his face. The moment he saw that the fire had started again, he looked up, seeming both relieved and even more anxious at the same time.
“I was never much good out in the field…” Milo grunted, “Should’ve stayed on the other side.”
“Don’t talk,” Nina said. “You’re still alive, right? That counts for something.”
​
He chuckled.
“Suppose it does,” He said.
Dom and I watched as Nina guided him toward the bonfire, then out through the right set of columns, into the version of the church where we could actually see the night sky overhead. As Nina brought Milo through, Kallas was right there to meet her.
“Take him,” She said. “He’s hurt but he’ll live so long as you patch him up right away.”
“Understood,” Kallas said, “Come on, let’s get you through and put that fire out.”
​
Nina just shook her head.
“No, we’ve still got work to do in here. I’ll hang back with Gretchen until we’ve confirmed that Calhoun’s dead.”
“No can do, Dr. Di Cesare ordered full quarantine measures. We need everyone out!"
“Not until we confirm the kill,” Dr. Di Cesare said. “I require someone with more experience in these things than I have. Take Mr. Durand and get him taken care of. We’ll connect with you later.”
Kallas grimaced and looked over at Milo.
​
“Do what she says,” He rasped, and I saw a quiet resignation cross over Kallas’ face.
“What about you two?” He asked, looking at me and Dom, “If we close this door, you’re not getting out until Valentine and the Doctor do.”
“That’s fine,” I said. “We still have unfinished business.”
Kallas just shook his head and turned to leave, letting Milo lean on him for support as he did. Milo looked back at us, or more specifically he looked back at Nina.
“Valentine…” He said, “Make me proud.”
She gave him a single nod, before letting him go.
​
Once she was past the columns, Dr. Di Cesare gave a single wave of her hand and the bonfire flickered and died.
​
The Church went dark. And we were alone again.
​
“Doctor, how much can you do to keep those things in Puriysk out of here?” Nina asked.
“Given ten or twenty minutes to modify some of the extant runes, quite a bit,” She replied. “It won’t be foolproof, but-”
“Just do it. Let’s dig in here, wait for the fires to die down, and see if we can’t scavenge anything from the ruins in the morning. The more we can get, the better cuz as soon as we’re set, we’re going to Parsons.”

TL;D/Hitting potholes may have caused something to break. Noises and vibrations when shifting and driving at low speeds.
A couple days ago I was driving in an area that had shitty roads with potholes everywhere which made it very difficult to avoid them. Upon a sharp right turn from a stoplight, I accelerated and heard a loud clunk coming from under the vehicle, almost like I ran something over but I know I didn't hit anything besides the potholes. While I accelerated a little more to get to a parking lot to pull over, I felt a slight vibration almost like shuddering with a deep base like noise that matched the vibration until I hit 20mph then it went away.
I pulled into a parking lot checked suspension, nothing seemed out of place, broken, wet, nothing. Checked drive shafts, no play up and down. Transmission/transfer no movement, but it is dirty with what looks to be maybe engine/trans oil that has built up overtime, but the fluids are full. Engine mounts seem intact, can't really get to them to further inspect unless I take a bunch of stuff apart. Tires are good as well.
Eventually gained the courage to drive it around and noticed when I shift into a drive (Reverse or drive) gear from park or neutral i hear a slight clunk noise and what feels like a tap or something coming from the center console area. And when letting off the brake to accelerate/applying the brake to decelerate I heafeel the same noise in the same area.
I drove it around a bit to try and pinpoint it but I can't since I don't really have a second person to try and help. With no money for a tow and no immediate other way to get it or myself home, I drove it a long 40 miles, even hitting the highway. I know stupid but I'm kind of in a rough situation right now and don't have any other option, so spare me please.
It drove there with no issues at any speed, up to 70mph. The only issue it the noise when shifting gears and accelerating/decelerating. I feel like I can cross internal transmission issues off since it goes through all gears with no problem, even after a 45 minute drive home.
I've driven it since but only short distances since it's my only driveable vehicle atm. No new issues have arised and I still can't figure out what this might be. Any and all ideas are welcome.

Hello all and welcome to a (I assure you) totally wholesome episode of The Outcasts! Another week, another step forward for the lives of Evra, Jessie, Ref, and Kikri as they try to settle into a steady rhythm after all the excitement recently. So stay tuned and I hope you enjoy!
As always thanks to u/Bluefishcake for the universe, and thanks to u/roboticstatic, u/shneekeyTheLost, u/catsintrenchcoats, and everyone on the Discord server for helping with editing! Without further ado, Chapter Ten!
------
Kikri watched as Jessie fell into slumber beside them and her sisters, a somewhat troubled expression on Jessie’s face as they dreamt. Then, taking a hand and lightly caressing Jessie’s face, Kikri let out a small mewl of sadness that their mate was still suffering from night terrors, albeit less severe now. She had been watching Jessie closely these past several days because she enjoyed watching them and keeping an eye on their mental state, having been terrified when Jessie regressed after the first night they spent in bed with the polycule. Kikri could tell Jessie was trying to deal with their repressions, but she could also know that it wasn’t going well despite how it looked. Better, most definitely, but not the best.
Jessie’s scent had been changing as well since the incident. The tinge of constant fear was still there in Jessie’s pheromones, but a new addition, smelling almost sickly, had appeared and been growing since. The smell reminded Kikri of her first kill on Dirt, but she could not place why. Certainly, Jessie was physically healthy, so the scent wasn’t a precursor to some disease, and yet, when the smell flared up in Jessie’s scent, it made her uneasy, just like during the incident on their date. When that happened, her instincts would always tell her one thing.
Death.
Despite this, Kikri held Jessie close and dear to her, as did Ref and Evra. And Jessie held them just as dearly, Kikri assumed from their pheromones. Which is why the Rakiri was worried. She was well aware of her species’ penchant for ‘losing themselves’ to their urges during courtship and feared that with Jessie’s issues and things moving too quickly to be safe, in her mind, her being with Jessie first would undoubtedly cause problems. So, after making sure Jessie was indeed asleep, she called her sisters over to the table to have a small girlfriend meeting. Prying themselves free of Jessie was no small task, with how heavily Jessie began clinging to them in their sleep. After a few moments, however, Ref, Evra, and Kikri gathered. With a deeply held breath, Kikri looked to her sisters and said the words that instantly made them stiffen their postures.
“We need to talk about Jessie.”
The previously sleepy Ref and Evra instinctively bolted upright with concern. Neither of them doubted Kikri’s nose for things like this, her having been proven right so many times before boring any distrust of her senses out the window. So instead, the Helkam and Nighkru waited for their Rakiri sister to continue, the former’s ears twitching while the latter fidgeted with her hands.
“Is everything okay with her?” Evra asked, glancing back at Jessie for a moment. It had been less than a week since Jessie had broken down on that couch, and the incident was still fresh in her mind. ‘Jessie is the nest now. We have to protect Jessie.’ Her thoughts were easily readable on her face when she returned to looking at her sisters.
“Nothing worse. I wouldn’t say that Jessie is fine, but perhaps on the way there now,” Kikri explained, causing both Ref and Evra to look at her in confusion. But, of course, if everything were fine, Kikri wouldn’t call for a little meeting like this for no reason.
“If things are improving, what should we be concerned about?” Ref said, wiping her eyes clean. She had been just about to follow Jessie to the world of dreams when Kikri called for them, and it showed, despite her upright posture.
“That’s precisely why we should be. Jessie is pushing herself far faster than is normal. I’m not sure why, but we need to be prepared for if things get more..intimate,” Kikri slowly explained, choosing her words carefully enough that neither girl would mistake what she meant.
Two bright blushes appeared on the girls’ faces as their minds presumably imagined such a scenario. Neither looked concerned, and Kikri had to snap her Nighkru sister out of it, sensing she was losing herself in another fantasy.
Since Jessie moved in, getting alone time has been difficult. Jessie’s scent having more masculine pheromones and feminine ones had made things difficult for Kikri and Evra, who were more susceptible to such traits. As such, Ref frequently had to cover for them so they could get away and recover themselves at times without Jessie knowing. Evra, however, always came back just a bit more frustrated than relieved.
“S-should we really be discussing this?!” Evra whisper-yelled, but Ref instead put a hand to her cheek, thinking.
“Kikri’s right, we do,” Ref spoke evenly after a long pause. "If Jessie makes a move to progress our relationship, we need to be careful with the order. Kikri’s conscious that her species tends to go overboard. Meaning you or I should ideally be first."
“Wha…t-then you’ll be his first time, Ref?!” Evra said, causing Kikri and Ref to look at her quizzically.
“Jessie would need someone affectionate and positive for their first time due to what they’ve been through. I am neither, so no.” the ever-clinical sister explained, while Kikri simply sat neutral, letting them hash it out.
“W-wait, that means….” Evra started, utterly shocked at this turn of events.
“You were the one who calmed their episode and knew to call Dr. Amelia. And Jessie often says you are very ‘bubbly.’ So you are the ideal choice, Evra.” Ref continued.
‘Oh no, no, no, no.’ Evra’s mind repeated the sentence over and over. So she would have to be Jessie’s first?!
But she had no experience!
​
-Two Days Later-
​
‘Don’t be nervous. Don’t be nervous. Don’t be nervous.’
Jessie’s inner voice said as they rode in the transport. Jessie, Ref, Kikri, and Evra were on the way to Shau’tari Marine Base as their leave was up. Kikri and Ref would take the first rotation to work on base, while Evra and Jessie would drop them off and return home. At least, that’s what Jessie took the conversation yesterday to mean. Right now, Jessie was too busy gripping Kikri’s and Ref’s hands in each of hers, having developed a bit of anxiety about leaving the apartment now since the past couple of times ended up in attacks. Cold sweat dripped on the nape of Jessie’s neck, her leg bounced incessantly, and even her eyes moved around quickly as if on high alert.
‘Almost there. Then drop Ref and Kikri off, then head home. No biggie. I can do this, I can…Shit, there’s the gate.’
As they pulled up to the building gate, a small box beside a metal gate complete with built-in sensors, Kikri signaled Evra to stop there and drop them off. Jessie inhaled deeply as they pulled over to the side, where the drop-off area was. A relatively well-maintained tarmac parking lot, with several vehicles or transports parked there, most likely the vehicles from those fortunate enough to live off-base.
“ It’s alright, Jessie. We’ll be fine. We aren’t going on deployment but staying on base. Ref is helping out in medical, and I’ll be in the armory.” Kikri said kindly, her arm reaching out to gently cup Jessie’s face.
“You okay?” Evra asked, glancing over at Jessie with a slightly concerned look, her own hand gingerly moving to rub the outside of Jessie’s thigh, more out of support emotionally than anything else.
“I’ll be fine. Just nerves, is all.” Jessie’s hands moved to cup each of their girlfriends’ hands in turn, putting on a brave smile for them. But, truth be told, the idea of Kikri and Ref not being home terrified Jessie.
“You know you don’t have to hide your anxiety with me, Jessie. I get it too.” Evra said comfortingly. Jessie knew she did, but that thought did little to comfort the nauseating feeling in their stomach at the moment. Kikri and Ref gave a longing look at Jessie, but time waited for no sapient, so they, unfortunately, had to leave. As the two stepped out, however, they each gave a knowing look to Evra, entrusting Jessie’s safety and care to their Nighkru sibling.
“I know. Let’s just..head home? Being out here gives me a bad feeling.” Jessie managed to eke out without showing too much of the discomfort they were feeling. The disquieting pause afterward and the slight change in Evra’s face were as far from imperceptible as one could get.
“Alright. But Kikri and Ref will be gone until Shel. So why don’t we try working on your anxiety a bit?” Evra asked as she turned the transport, heading back home. Jessie didn’t really give her an answer as they stared out the window to their right. Ordinarily, the passing sights of New Orleans would be a comfort, but right now, it just felt…bleak, as if someone took a grainy, overexposed photo and set the color and brightness to zero. Even the weather seemed to agree as it again began to rain.
A little while later, they were back home, with Jessie visibly relaxing inside the safety of the apartment. It was still morning, and as this was one of the few days Jessie had a training break, they settled on the couch. Flipping through the channels on the omni-tv but not finding much worth watching, Jessie instead glanced to see Evra go to take a shower with a particular curiosity. Nighkru bathing was a slight issue regarding their algae, as certain cleaners were quite harmful to them even though they were subdermal. Still, Evra always seemed to take longer than anyone else in the bathroom, and Jessie’s curiosity sometimes made them want to ask why it took so long, among other things, ashamedly. Of course, they never would, but they wanted to.
‘Monster.’
‘Shut up, Derrick.’
Derrick’s voice still occasionally popped up, but it was quieter and easier to tell off. Jessie wondered if it was the medication or the girls who were a more significant impact. They had already saved Jessie multiple times and asked Jessie out on a date after knowing Jessie’s past. Not to mention the essentially numerous confessions several days ago…or had it been a week already. Jessie wasn’t sure as time had become a bit of a fog around the girls now.
‘Freak.’
‘Shut up, Derrick.’
Still, the only times Derrick was truly silent was during training and the “snuggle fests” afterward. And depending on how stressful Jessie’s day had been, it could get harder to tell that voice off. Right now, it was particularly tiring due to emotional stress, so Jessie decided to busy herself with something nice to do for Evra. So, naturally, it was making a meal.
Standing up from the beanbag-like couch, Jessie walked a few feet over to the kitchen and began looking through the pantry/fridge. Most of their biology study on Nighkru basic had been finished, so Jessie had a rough understanding of what most Nighkru liked to eat flavor-wise. Picking out a few ingredients, Jessie grabbed an apron to put on and began preparing a meal.
‘Small knife for trimming, large for butchering meat, and that one for the veggies,’ Jessie thought to herself as they began preparing the meal. Nothing too complex, as they weren’t exactly a professional chef, but something like a grilled meatball salad with scallion and shaved cheese was doable. Though as they thought about it, a steak and tomato salad would probably be better. They began cooking by grabbing some Angus thick cuts, fresh cherry and heirloom tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, an avocado, and some wine vinaigrette.
One of the few things Jessie did grab from their apartment or instead had Kikri seize the other day was a set of cast-iron pans their mother used. No Louisianian worth their salt would cook without a well-seasoned cast iron, and Jessie was no different. Trimming up the steak, Jessie made a blend of garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and various other seasonings to make a good rub for the meat and set it aside, Letting the flaked salt draw out the moisture to mix with the seasoning and be reabsorbed for better flavor. At the same time, they worked on the other ingredients.
Taking an onion, they chipped it up into long, fine strands and threw it into the skillet with butter and bacon fat. It turns out Kikri really liked bacon, almost as much as any human. Jessie had plenty of flavorful fat to use as a medium for sauteing onions. While that was going, they began cold-soaking the lettuce and chopping up tomatoes.
By the time Evra came out of her shower, Jessie had begun cooking the steaks, filling the apartment with a beautiful aroma. Evra looked at Jessie cooking in the kitchen with a practically voracious expression, even having to wipe away a bit of drool, which Jessie found adorable. The lithe space elf with horns and freaky eyes had certainly grown on Jessie, especially after saving them from their own mind during an episode. Since then, however, Jessie had been having conflicting feelings about her and the other girls in general. Jessie definitely felt closer to them, but the closer they became, the more worried Jessie became and the more confusing their feelings became. Jessie felt like they wanted to be even closer to them, but the only way she could think to do so involved…that, and Jessie wasn’t sure if they could, if Derrick had ruined them from ever being able to be…intimate.
‘Weak little abomination’
‘Shut. It. Derrick.’
‘Not like a monster deserves happiness. End it before you hurt them, too.’
‘I said, SHUT IT!’
“Wow, Jessie. I didn’t know you could cook like this. It smells amazing! What’re those yellow plants?” The adorable Nighkru asked, looking at the finished salad with a particular hunger. Jessie froze, her face showing her puzzlement as she stopped what she was doing. It took Jessie a moment to figure out what she was talking about since the color was off, but then she remembered Nighkru couldn’t see red. Taking the steaks over to a cutting board, Jessie began cutting them into thin strips to add to the salad.
“Those are tomatoes. Ordinarily, they’d be tart with a slight bitterness, but they should be a bit sweeter and a little zesty in this salad. Those light shavings are avocado, the leafy stuff is lettuce, and the cooked brownish stringy stuff is grilled onions. Once the steak is done, I’ll toss it all with a light champagne vinaigrette, and then it’ll be ready.” Jessie explained, particularly proud of figuring out food they liked that most of their girlfriends could eat too. Kikri would have a bit of an issue from so much roughage, but Ref and Evra should be okay with this. Evra seemed rather shocked at not only the fact that Jessie could cook but that Jessie had already taken into account the increased appetite she and her sisters had based on the portions she was making.
“Why're you acting so surprised? I lived alone for years. I had to learn to cook for myself, you know.” Jessie asked curiously as they returned to cutting the steak. Stealing a glance at Evra, Jessie had to admit. She was rather striking today. It certainly didn’t help that the black undergarments she was wearing, and only that, were as tight as spandex leaving little to the imagination. A bit of water still glistened on her skin, giving her an almost ephemeral appearance. Jessie quickly had to turn their gaze back to the steak out of fear of getting distracted and cutting themselves.
“Jessie, you may not know it, but for those of us in the rest of the galaxy, seeing a guy in an apron cooking in a kitchen is like..like… Goddess, it’s so hot.” Evra started to explain but couldn’t find the right word. Jessie wasn’t sure why they were talking about the temperature, though; it was relatively cool despite the cooking. It was a pregnant pause before Jessie, with a bright blush they attempted and failed to hide, realized what she meant.
“Well, half a guy, I guess,” Jessie mumbled, moving the steak into the salad bowl with the other ingredients and adding the vinaigrette to toss the salad. Evra moved around the corner she was leaning against and walked over to Jessie, softly placing a hand on their forearm and breaking Jessie’s thoughts. She leaned over, breaking their vision that had been concentrating on the food with her face, alight with a warm smile.
“You’re not half anything, Jessie. You’re you. I’m unsure if you have seen our males, but human males are very different. They’re built more like women than our males are. So you being lithe like you are and androgynous enough to appear like both? It doesn’t detract anything in the slightest. To most in the Imperium, you’d be quite the catch!” Evra said, not really making much sense to Jessie, but they knew she was trying to cheer them up. Rather than respond directly, Jessie, for some reason, blurted out a somewhat out-of-character line.
“Quite a catch, huh? And what do you think, Evvie?” Jessie teased before realizing exactly what they’d said. A bright blush appeared across both Evra's and Jessies faces as Jessie immediately started stumbling over themselves to apologize, the salad tossing wholly forgotten.
“I-I’m sorry, Evra. I don’t know why I said that. It was stupid and childish of me to say, and I shouldn’thavebutIdidand-”
“Jessie,” Evra said, interrupting them and giggling from seeing Jessie so flustered. “It’s fine, really. It was kind of cute, actually, almost as adorable as you. Very boyfriend-ish. Oops, I mean girlfriend…Um...actually, which do you prefer?”
“Oh, um..uh..ahem,” Jessie started, giving thought to her question before mumbling a response, though it was too quiet for Evra to hear.
“What did you say? I couldn’t understand you, Jessie.”
“I said, erm...” Jessie trailed off with another mumble, awkwardly trying to play it cool as they covered their blush with one hand.
“Um, Jessie, I can’t hear you if you hide your mouth with your hand and mumble like that.”
“I...I said Mate, okay? Kikri said it, and um...I um…So yeah, that one.”
Evra giggled, leaning closer to Jessie, close enough that Jessie could feel her warm breath on the side of their face. Then, whispering in their ear, Evra said in an out-of-character and rather sultry voice.
“Thank you for the meal, my wonderful mate.”
Jessie froze, blood rushing to her face and other places as Evra giggled and grabbed the salad bowl for herself. She gave Jessie a quick kiss on the cheek, leaving them further stunned and causing Evra immense joy as she watched Jessie’s brain try to restart several times.
Jessie wasn’t ready for that step yet, though, much as they, and their body, wanted to be, so they instead gave Evra a quick kiss on the cheek and sat down to eat. Evra was kind enough not to point out the ‘perkiness’ Jessie’s body was showing, and Jessie was kind enough not to point out the faint gray blush forming on Evra’s cheeks. Neither really knew how to continue the conversation after that, and so chose to spend the meal in quiet silence, letting the flames die down a bit, so to speak. Afterward, the two romantics ended up cuddling on the couch, watching some Shil movie about a warrior prince.
“I’m sorry, I’m not ready for that yet, Evvie,” Jessie finally broke the silence as they held her close, Evra’s head resting against Jessie’s shoulder and both holding hands in a gentle, loving manner.
‘Coward.’
‘Shut it, Derrick. It’s your fault.’
Always hiding behind someone else, Jessie.’
“It’s okay, Jessie. Take your time. Don’t try to rush it for our sake, okay? Evra replied, squeezing Jessie’s hand just a bit tighter as if to emphasize her point. Jessie said nothing in response, but the look of conflict on their face was worrisome to Evra. Deciding not to speak of it anymore, Evra returned her attention to the movie, enjoying her one-on-one cuddle session with her ‘mate.’ Petting Jessie’s head gently, a very different kind of turmoil was brewing within the young Nighkru…
------
“This is turox-shit,” Kikri said with a growl. So rather than having them go out with other pods for patrol, somehow Kikri got assigned to helping out logistics with inventory while Ref was pulled for hospital duty. Kikri didn’t like this at all. Seeing the explosives in the long warehouse, having to get into a bucket-of-bolts exo-suit, having to handle the explosives…It reminded her of the bombs she failed to deactivate back in Washington, reminded her of the kids on the bus, and reminded her of the carnage afterward.
The warehouse itself wasn’t much to write home about. Around 400 meters long by 300 wide, the thermocast-reinforced concrete building offered little in the way of beauty. It was essentially a large rectangle, with a requisitions office at one end, completely closed off by a gate made of steel and, once again, that purple alloy. The inventory racks went up to the ceiling as if they barely even fit. They were all loaded with various supplies such as extra power cells, medication, uniforms, essential needs, and weapons, too much for the relatively diminutive armory.
Setting down the explosive her suit was holding and placing it into its rack slot, Kikri breathed relief. Truth be told, she had avoided demolition duties. Just seeing an explosive was enough to trigger a flashback, and each time it hurt. Still, she was a warrior, a Rakiri, a marine. So she grit her teeth and bore it, moving one explosive after another and saying nothing. Speaking out would not do any good here.
“Oh look, it’s that Rakiri!” A shill pointed out. Kikri already didn’t like her. She smelled of pompousness and decadent lifestyle, scents Kikri usually flagged as ‘people to avoid because they are so annoying.’ Still, this one was rather large, even by Shil’vati standards, at over eight feet tall and all muscle. Kikri had to wonder if it was natural or some illegal gene mod. She could already tell the girl had gotten at least one to get that strange blue hair.
“So, Rakiri, how does it feel to have to be protected by a male? A primitive one at that!” The girl snickered, but Kikri ignored it. As much as she wanted to bare tooth and claw to the girl, the repercussions of such an action made it less than ideal as far as Ideas go.
“Jessie has the spirit of a fighter and is wise beyond his years. Your attempt to shame me through him will not work, only make me prouder in my choice of mate, Shil,” Kikri said in response, moving the old, orange-colored exo down the line to continue her next explosive.
“I don’t know. He seemed pretty weak. I bet I could beat him.” The Shil spoke, still trying to get a rise out of Kikri, smiling and snickering at her own words.
“You are welcome to try if you find him,” Kikri said, focusing on her job. This next crate of explosives was particularly finicky and dangerous, so she wanted to take her time with it.
“Maybe I will then. Then, maybe afterward, I’ll steal your mate, Rakiri. He looks like the kind who likes to get…’ physical’ during sex. Think I should give him a punch or two while we do the deed?”
Kikri tried to ignore the comment, but blood was boiling in her veins. A mere pup who had yet to wet her claws was threatening her mate, and every instinct in her told her to use her own to extol the price in blood and flesh.
‘How dare an impudent bitch insult Jessie like that! And how dare she insinuate she would beat him.’
Releasing the exo, Kikri dropped to the ground, her limber five-foot eleven-inch frame now on full display. She did not posture herself, acting every bit like this was a standard process.
“And you’re a runt too! Haha, No wonder that male had to-guh”
Kikri calmly walked over to the woman, not letting on her intentions. Like the attack of a serpent, however, her arm lunged out and grabbed the girl by the throat before she could respond. She smiled in the satisfaction that her claws, now extended, drew a bit of Shil blood from pricking the bitch’s neck. Then, pinning her against one of the racks, Kikri used her free hand to grab her thermocast knife and put it to the woman’s face.
“Say whatever you wish about me, clawless whelp, but speak ill of Jessie again, and I’ll start with the face before removing your fingers and shoving them up your clam! Are we clear!” Kikri growled, fanged mouth showing as the girl struggled for a breath. Her fur stood on end, making her look larger than usual, not that it was needed. The Shil girl evidently hadn’t expected Kikri to get so aggressive, and honestly, Kikri couldn’t believe she was so quick to do it, either. Then she thought of this Shil actually trying to do what she insinuated to Jessie, causing doubt in her actions to disappear.
“T-threaten all you want; we both k-know you wouldn’t risk your sisters for it,” The girl managed to spout out before Kikri dropped her hold and put her blade to the woman’s throat. For half a moment, she imagined running the bitch through and spilling more of her ugly blue blood on the floor for threatening Jessie. But, barely holding herself back, she instead used her words.
“I’ve killed many more than you have counted, shellsucker. And if you EVER threaten MY MATE or my kho-sisters again, I will make you wish you had met the deep so quickly you’ll be gone before you hit the floor. It will be long, slow, and painful. I will take your mind to deny your deepminder. Your family won’t even have anything left to bury, and your goddess won’t have anything left to free. You will slowly waste away, knowing you weren’t even worth enough for me to take a trophy from. And if by some miracle I am caught, I will make sure to tell the truth that you were a man-beater and a coward. You begged for death in your last moments, powerless and helpless. Your service will be stricken, and your records will be struck from the annals of history. You will become a ghost no one remembers, never having achieved anything. Now leave.” Kikri’s voice was low, growling almost like an animal. A heavy grinding sound from gritting her teeth from wanting to bite this bitch’s skull in half only added to the intensity. This wasn’t a threat, and it wasn’t even a statement. It was a fact. Should she continue pushing this, Kikri would make good on her word; no Rakiri would make such a promise idly. And the Shil bitch knew it.
The Shil nodded, fear strongly present in her scent as Kikri let her go. The Shil marine began scrambling her way up and running out of the warehouse as quickly as possible. After all, Kikri had a reputation on this base, and most of the women here knew it. She sighed, watching the Shil ran off, even stumbling a time or two, evidently from the liquid residue of her fear... This was going to lead to more paperwork for her. Again.
She grabbed the mop to go clean up the mess.
------
​
“Have the preparations been made for the operation?” Lieutenant Commander Derval asked, sitting in her office while looking at an omnipad. There were various shuttle paths, flight plans, and inventories for inbound and outbound system traffic. Derval’s face was more tired than last time, having been pulling multiple all-nighters for the past few weeks in order to bring everything together for this plan of hers.
“Yes, Lt.Commander Derval. The bribes have all been accepted as of 0643 today. The teams are prepping for the exercise and have all been sworn to secrecy. In addition, we’ve implanted the stolen Consortium designs as well. So there is no risk of leakage.” A voice, gruff and low, said over the pad. Sergeant Xixian was a competent leader and an excellent soldier, Derval’s right-hand woman. She had personally volunteered for this mission even after knowing the stakes.
“Good. Make sure there are no survivors. And make sure nothing points back to us. Once the mission is over, activate the implants.” Derval said resolutely, leaving no room for argument.“I…Yes, Ma’am, I understand.”
It would be a loss having to give up valuable pawns from the DHC candidate course, even if they had been dropouts. Still, Derval was flying under the radar for both sides, and it was best to leave no loose ends. The fact she would lose Xixian from this mission also weighed painfully on her chest, especially since Xixian didn’t know she had an implant. Still, this was the job of a commander in war, and with a grim face, Derval accepted it.
‘Soon, you will cease being a problem, Jessie Reider.’
PREV FIRST NEXT

I’ve always known I like women, but recently I’ve been questioning my attraction to men. My sister says I might be Demi sexual and that’s why I don’t like to have sex with men because men have a tendency to be emotionally immature and can’t connect to women on a deeper level. But something about that doesn’t seem right because yes I need a connection to sleep with someone but I find people attractive without a deeper connection. So let me explain: I’ve have sex with one man but no women. I find men boring and sex with them isn’t sexually stimulating. Emotional I don’t connect with them and honestly they give me an all around ick. But when I see I hot guy I’m like damn their hot and I would want to try and form a relationship but once I start I find them boring and predictable. Because I haven’t had sex with a women I have nothing to compare it to besides porn paired with masturbation. So… does this sound like I’m a lesbian. I’m ready to finally put a label on my sexuality after years of just saying I’m queer.

TLDR: Game is fun but repetitive. Unfortunate that it follows very cookie-cutter design for characters, combat, gear, and dialogue when the IP is so unique.

The Good:

Character creator adequate, good but nothing special
Plenty of clothing options in a variety of period-appropriate styles
Broom customization
Home base customization and assets
Good plot
Some twists I didn’t see coming
Faithful to Wizarding World lore
Beautiful and appropriately expanded map
Plenty of fast travel
Side missions and collectibles are appropriately spaced out
Various mounts for different styles of travel
Aiming is easy and fluid during combat
Spells are unique enough and can be upgraded to have greater effect
Challenging combat and puzzles, but not unfair or too baffling

The Bad:

Voice pitch shifter sounds awful
Gear stats/upgrades/traits are meaningless and unnecessary
House choice has no impact on game beyond cosmetics, spawn points, and few NPC dialogues
Not enough wand look options, all your options are rugged while others’ looks refined and stylized
Wand traits don’t impact gameplay (despite all the Wizarding World lore about wand wood)
Automatic facial animation during most interactions
Dialogue choices have very minimal impact on gameplay
No way to interact with friends outside missions
Very lackluster and sudden ending to main story
No classes outside of missions
Random no-fly zones that pad exploration of far-south region
Not enough meaningful things to spend money on
Most missions take place in underground caves/dungeons rather than out in the beautiful world
Potions and plants are unnecessary unless you want to breeze through encounters
Stealth is originally almost useless, can be upgraded to be OP
No new game plus

I really like the liberties it takes compared to other iterations. This version of Optimus is really interesting, with being alot more younger and an experience than his counterparts. I also like some of the more subtle world building like with the Autobots Turing great when they die, and different systems of work in Cybertron.
I must say tho, while I’m not sure what general consensus is, but I’m not in love with first two season that much. They have some really good episodes that do great job of exploring each of the characters, but a majority of them felt pretty basic and not all that engaging when compared to a series like TF: Prime. Another thing would also be the Animation, which isn’t bad per se, but a lot of it can be choppy and not all that fluid (i’m guessing they were on a tight budget). I also don’t care for this version of Bumblebee or the little girl Sari. Bee can be pretty obnoxious a lot of times and while they does have some moments, they just never really sold me completely on him. Same can be said with Sari, except she does improve with S3.
Speaking of which, S3 is the best season in my eyes. The episodes here get really experimental with the different situation the Autobots find themselves and how we explore/they grow from them. The one where they become humans is especially my favorite.
I know I said a lot of negative stuff, but this is still a good show. While I do prefer TF: Prime & Beast Wars, animated definitely deserves another shot with a 4th season. And it most definitely deserves to have that Teen Titans level of animation if it returns.

Just got an Instant Pot duo crisp + air fryer. It's our first time using the air fryer. Does anyone know if the base goes on the air fryer basket before it goes into the inner pot? Or is that what we put the basket on when it comes out hot? TIA! 😁

What’s up MMAI family! Just want to let everyone know that today I’m departing South Korea on my way home to see the family! 30 days exactly!
Good News: the PureWallet roadmap is set. Dr. Kim, Dr. Lee and the entire team spent a lot of time working on the outline and the roadmap that will make this wallet effective and efficient in this space. We have a lot of things coming for this wallet. By end of Q2 2023 our purewallet will be able to do everything a traditional hot wallet can do (in wallet swap, uniswap/pancakeswap/browser function, multiple wallets). In addition we will have a larger list of tokens that will be added to the cold storage. One major thing I’m excited for is being able to swap ETH for Bnb and vice versa. I think that’s huge!
NFT Reveal: I know this is what a lot of people are wondering about. The marketplace for this to take place is almost complete. We should have an update in a few days as to when we will launch this reveal party. Again, anyone looking to mint the free NFT will have to pay gas prices.
iOS PureWallet Beta: one thing we learned is that iOS doesn’t allow applications to be beta tested to the public. When you submit the application to TestFlight their expectation is that application submitted is a final product and ready for production. So when we launch version one of the wallet for full production we will then be able to use it in TestFlight for approval. iOS does not do beta’s like android does.
Updates: in June we have a few potential conventions we’re going to attend and try to get a booths at in Seoul South Korea. One convention is called Metacon and the other is The Asia Conference on Blockchain Technologies. Registration submissions are in April. I’ll keep everyone up to date on this. This is perfect time for our purewallet and blockchain release.
Starting Friday March 24th I’ll be back to my normal streaming hours of 10AM PST. and we’ll also be getting back into the swing of things for Twitter spaces.
Honestly, I thought it was going to be easy to work at the lab and stream. But let me tell ya, super hard and boy was I wrong! So I’m sorry for being a little MIA with content and in Twitter spaces. I appreciate you all a ton for your continued support of not only me, but also the MMAI project as a whole. Ya’ll are amazing!! Thank you 🙏🏻

Stored my anbernic device for a 2-3 weeks, when I tried using it, it does not turn on anymore. I tried charging it but it does not charge and would just be hot like too hot. Do I need to have this repaired or are there other options?
Thank you!