Have you ever been tail down the side of a mountain by a band of angry machete-wielding onion people with Jack o’lantern like faces and major territory issues?
Have you ever been followed through the woods by a mysterious hooded figure crunching through the brush and stalking your every move from just beyond the tree line?
Have you ever been stabbed through the center of your palm by a stumpy little demon shrub with needle like spikes hiding beneath the leaves and running down its trunk like exterior? Not to mention the erratic demonic tendencies some of the plants around here seem to sometimes possess.
Well, if you have experienced any and or all of what I had just mentioned, then you probably already have a good idea of the place and some of the things I am about to tell you.
If you haven’t, however, then are you in for one heck of a tail. Because the stories I am going to be sharing with you during my free time moving forward, might just be some of the craziest things you've ever heard. But before that, there are a couple things you should know about me first.
My name is Blake, and I live on a farmhouse.
It's nothing fancy (obviously) just a big old building right in the middle of nowhere surrounded by layers upon layers of thick bushes, trees, and mountains high as the eye can see. The kind of place where cellular towers are practically non-existent, and the nearest civilization is at least a gazillion miles away. That kind of farmhouse.
I also work here. Making around eighty bucks an hour. Which I guess is a little above average for most gardeners, but I did let the owners know I was just about ready to work for free. All I needed was a roof over my head and a place to sleep. But they insisted I take the money or go find some other place to sleep. And so I did.
Other than being a full-time gardener at the farmhouse, I am also a part time forest runner on most days. Although it's not my second job of choice, it's just something I do on the side whenever I want to. Plus it bumps up my salary a bit, and I appreciate the extra money I get from doing it. Despite how crazy and insanely dangerous it almost always gets.
What is a forest runner? Well, on the one hand, I want to say it is one of the easiest things in the world. Since it mostly involves walking into a single patch of forest, making a loud noise, and immediately turning back to run in the opposite direction. But what you run from is what makes it tricky. And whether or not you are fast enough to outpace whatever hears you, also makes the difference. I can't believe I am about to say this, but I also run away from monsters for a living.
Ferocious, blood thirsty creatures ready to tear you limb from limb The second they grab hold of your jacket and pull you towards them. Those kinds of monsters. But I don't just run away from monsters in the forest. I also run away from other things too. Wildlife. Creatures of different shapes and sizes. Spirits. Ghouls. Ghosts. Goblins. And my list favorite of them all: Mermaids.
Okay. Maybe mermaids aren't supposed to be on the list. I just had that one "experience" with a particular mermaid a few weeks ago, which almost scarred me for life. I kinda have most of the memories a bit blurry but let’s just say because of her, I was literally almost seafood. But before then, I've never actually seen one in person. But I've heard stories.
Stories of how they rarely swim up to the surface and whenever they do, you are not to approach any of them, under any circumstance, unless invited. I wasn't. And I approached one anyway. Safe to say, it really didn't bode well for me when I did that. Lesson learned that's for sure. But do you know what? Let that be the first story I tell you.
The first thing I remember from that experience was the image of a blonde girl sat crying by the riverbank. It was a Saturday evening, and I was out raking a bunch of leaves when her incessive sobbing was carried over to the farmhouse by the wind. At first I chose to ignore it. Hoping that, it was just that. Incessive sobbing carried over by the wind and nothing more. But then the sobbing grew louder, and I promise I had a very good reason to go check it out.
At this point, it was just me at the farmhouse and no one else. My boss "Frank" was out hunting with the farmhouse dog, and his wife "Linda" was out supplying a fresh batch of mixed herb to the nearby villages and markets. Which reminds me.
Remember how I said the nearest civilization was at least a gazillion miles away? Technically, that's not entirely accurate. The nearest civilization is not a gazillion miles away as I initially had you believe. Sorry about that. The nearest civilization for real this time, is actually just a couple walks downhill. Past the field of murdering bush lilies, and through the enchanted trees of killer mushrooms. Then, voila. Civilization. But the nearest 21st century civilization however, that's the One that is at least a gazillion miles away. The place where the rest of present-day humanity lives. Yeah. Super far from wherever this place is. Anyway, back to the story.
So there I was. Standing in the middle of a clearing in front of the farmhouse, a small pile of dried grass and leaves sitting in front of me and starting to Russell over from the wind. I placed the bud of my rake on top of the heap, preventing it from spreading any further and causing me to start over, while I lifted my head up to listen intently to the sounds in the wind. Again, it was just as I described. Sobs. Someone crying. Soft sniffles, coughs, and everything. You didn't need an otolaryngologist to help identify what your ears were picking up in that moment, it was just so clear that the person doing the crying might well have been right next to you.
I jumped at the thought of something sneaking up behind me while I was distracted and began searching my immediate environment for any potential anomalies that might have gotten past the wooden fence surrounding the farmhouse. Poltergeists. Trolls. Ogres. And a sumo sized demon gorilla with red eyes and muscles the size of bowling balls. Believe it or not, but these are just a few of the abominations that have somehow managed to cross on to the compound one too many times before, and if it weren't for the intervention of Frank and Linda, the power couple currently running the farmhouse, the aberrations would probably have done a lot more than break a few things while also nearly giving me a heart attack in the process.
But after a few quick nervous glances over my immediate environment, and finding not one thing out of place, I turned my attention over to where the sobs sounded the loudest. It was coming from a fairly large crack in the fence on the west side of the farmhouse. A demarcation that when gazed through, revealed a whole new world consisting of a deep gray sky, rocks, a bunch of trees that were hopefully weren't harboring zombie tree people, and its most alluring feature of it all. A great body of water that is almost as gray as the sky itself. That is where the sobs were coming from. And like any reasonable person in that situation, my initial thoughts were NOT to check out the strange noise emanating from beyond the fence.
I mean, just think about it. I was all alone, on a hill. In a farmhouse located right in the center of a very large, very enchanted mystical forests, capable of hoarding a huge amount of very dark, very demented creatures, which are seemingly on a never-ending hunt for lonely gardeners, and farmers, and small groups of villagers to torment, or possess, or straight up consume whenever they are feeling a bit frisky.
So yes. I most definitely wasn't about to leave the comforting embrace that the squarish wooden structure around the farmhouse provided, to go investigate a strange sound that just so happens to be coming from the same place I was warned on multiple occasions never to visit. And whenever I asked, I was straight up told mother nature herself was sleeping at the bottom of that very river and waking her up was asking for trouble.
I never could tell when Linda is joking, or when Frank is being serious. But when it comes to things concerning the forest and around the farmhouse, I always listen. So if mother nature herself is sleeping in that very river, then mother nature herself is sleeping in that very river. And instead of investigating the strange sobs, I ignored it. But then, it got worse.
There was a sudden ear-piercing screech as whatever was crying by the river, let out a scream that almost blew out my eardrums. The intense whale only lasted for about a moment, but every second was an excruciating eternity, causing me to let go of the rake I was holding and cover my ears in reflex. It was so loud it must have reverberated round a good chunk of the forest, sending a few hundred birds scattering into the air, and a dozen more rodents dashing for cover. When the screeching finally stopped, it was as if the world fell silent, and nothing moved.
It took a few seconds for me to be comfortable enough to uncover my ears, setting my hands by my side in the process. I blinked a couple times before scanning my environment once more, searching for anything out of the ordinary. For some reason, I was certain a display of such fierce vocal capacity, especially one of such intensity, was bound to disturb the mother of forest, rousing her up from her slumber. But instead of waiting around to find out, I gathered up my equipment, abandoned the rest of my work for that evening, and began marching towards the farmhouse where it was safe. Ish.
Besides. I run away from monsters for a living. I don't face them. If anything, I want to say that was consistent with my character. Also, when that monster is essentially a superpower of the forest resting in your backyard, it kind of puts a lot of stuff into consideration. Plus, I was all alone so. Yeah. Definitely wasn't waiting around to find out.
Approaching the farmhouse in a haste, I made a beeline for the equipment's shed positioned on the east side of the compound, almost directly opposite where the strange sobs were initially coming from. Now, the sobs were quiet. But that doesn't mean something was not still back there.
Reaching for my keys in my lower right pocket, I pulled them out in a flurry of clinks and jingles, while instinctively feeling for the specific key I needed with the tips of my fingers. As the farmhouse is situated in a very remote area of the forest, we don't often get that many unwanted visitors from the nearby villages and settlements who want to take things from us without asking. But it is still advised we lock up anything of value because, well, where do you think some of the creatures around here get their weapons of callus destruction from?
Nearing the doors of the shed, I finally picked out the key I needed from the bunch, then used that to flick open the rusty metal lock and entered the belly of the Makeshift storage unit. Inside were rows after rows of very sharp, very blunt instruments of numerous shapes and sizes, with each one Easley being the perfect leading murderous tool for any band of pissed off bulbus shaped vegetable people to ransack, steal, and utilize to illegally carve out any portion of the forest and claim it as their own.
They were knives. Blades. Scissors. Hoes. Clippers. Shovels. Diggers. Daggers. Slicers. Splicers. And of course. A big ass sword standing in a stone on the opposite side of the far wall. The rest of the stuff were just scattered haphazardly, with some of them still hanging on the metal rings connected to the woodwork lining up the ceiling, while others were resting on the tables, and some lying on the floor.
I dumped all of my equipment, then stepped out closing the doors behind me and remembering to lock it. I continued my march toward the farmhouse, but just as I rushed up the flight of small stairs and placed my hand on the doorknob, I heard it again.
The crying from before.
This time however, it was different.
This time, it sounded more human.
I don't know what came over me. It was as if a million little metal fists shot out of nowhere and punched me right in the gut. The creature's pain became my pain, and its worries became my worries. I did not like the feeling.
The crying took me back to a point in my life I really did not like to think about. It made me sick to my stomach and made my eyes want to water. Every cough. Every sniffle. Every audible inhale I now heard emanating from just beyond the fence, made me felt gross to my core. I wanted it to stop.
But instead of running upstairs and throwing on a pair of earplugs, I decided to do the opposite.
I went to go investigate the strange sobs coming from beyond the fence.
And before you role your eyes at me, I promise. I had a very good reason for doing so. I just can't tell you about it at the moment. Brings up too many unwanted memories. Just know I needed to confirm that whomever or whatever was crying by the river, wasn't going through a similar thing I ones did. And if he or she wasn't peaceful, or friendly, then I will simply not approach them.
That's it.
So after releasing the doorknob and taking in a few deep breaths, I backed away from the front door and took off down the flight of stairs, turning in the direction of the west side of the farmhouse. To where the sobs were coming from.
Although now it wasn't full on sobbing, it was more of a blend between sniffling and coughing. Which was starting to decrease in frequency and intensity as I got closer.
I was halfway across the yard, mere feet away from gazing through the crack in the fence when I suddenly remembered the vicious scream from earlier, which then prompted me to do a quick u turn to go grab a pair of earmuffs from the top of my desk within the farmhouse. Sometimes, strange noises emanate deep within the forest at night, and the earmuffs primarily helps to preserve my sanity whenever that happens. It also helps to block out sounds like annoying chattering crows, shadow whisperers, and sleepwalking inducing river sirens. Amongst other things. But the main reason why I went back for it that evening, was to help protect my ears from the screeching.
I used the opportunity after snagging the pair of blue earmuffs, to gaze out my window overlooking the river on the west side of the farmhouse. I didn't quite catch a glimpse of whatever was crying by the water, on the count of my window not being in exact focus to the sobs, so I threw on the muffs, went downstairs, and headed out the front door.
I once again turned in the direction of the sobs which, I could no longer here as much. But blocking out the crying like I said, wasn't really what I was going for. I wanted to make sure whoever was crying was okay. And just as I was approaching the fence, ready to peer through the crack in the wooden structure surrounding the farmhouse, someone got in my way.
There was a sudden pressure against my back as something had landed so gracefully behind me, that it completely escaped my sense of hearing, bringing me to a literal standstill. I didn't even need to turn around to find out who it was. The scent of fresh blood in the air. The waves of dark aura pushing against my back. The ability to move as fast and as silent, so as to completely evade the senses. There was only one forest aberration I knew could do that.
"And just what do you think you are doing?"
I heard the voice of Sebastian ask from inside the back of my head, sending ripples of dread down the length of my spine. I turned around slowly and came face to face with the thing that would forever be the number one reason why I find owls to be one of the scariest species of birds on the planet.
Sebastian was a part man, part owl hybrid thing, with a ghostly white face, deep black eyes, and a feathered, makeshift winged cloak that was just as deep, dark, and menacing as his eyes. He has no beak. But lips. And it doesn't really matter because when he speaks, they don't move. At all. No matter the circumstance.
"Have you suddenly lost your tongue boy? I asked you a question. What do you think you are doing?" he added, his cold voice bouncing around in my head and his gaze frozen solid.
I tried saying something, but I was so captivated by fear I forgot how to speak. My entire body was shaking like a leaf, and I was pretty sure I was about to piss my pants.
Among all the aberrations in the forest and Frank just so happen to pick the creepiest looking one of them all to serve as my babysitter. Thanks Frank. I really appreciate it.
"Don't make me repeat myself boy," Sebastian said, his tone dropping to sinister levels.
"SPEAK!" he ordered, and the ferocity of his pitch almost caused the inside of my skull to split in two.
I swallowed the fear stuck in my throat and finally spoke.
"There's... It's... Someone needs our help," I said. My words somehow managing to form a cohesive sentence. "I just wanted to..."
Sebastian jerked his head to the side to glance over my shoulder. More specifically, he glanced over my shoulder to stare through the crack in the wooded fence behind me.
We both heard the sniffling noises simultaneously.
After a second or two, Sebastian then snapped his head in my direction, returning his soulless gays back on me.
"Were you invited?" he asked, a hint of calm resignation in his tone.
"What?" I replied, genuinely confuse at his question.
"Were you invited?" he asked again, with his voice starting to shift into enraged annoyance.
In fear of not wanting to piss him off any more than I already did, I simply shook my head in response, hoping that was enough non sassy, non-disrespectful way of indicating I was still at a loss of what he was asking.
Letting out a sigh, he said, "Take a look." And I began to slowly step backwards while keeping my eyes trained on him. It was not until my back connected with a flat wooden surface behind me that I finally broke eye contact in order to turn around, crouch, and gaze out the crack in the fence standing on the west side of the farmhouse. And the view was just as I described.
There was the deep gray sky with all its glory. The smooth dark rocks. The towering trees looming overhead. And the large body of water that had her swampiness resting underneath. Everything was as I described with one exception. Now sitting on one of the rocks by the left side of the river, with her back turned and both of her legs stuffed into the water, was a girl. Or more specifically, a young woman.
Her hair was a mixture of white and yellow, with rows of beads running half circles along the back of her braid, decorating her already very colorful, very voluminous hair all the way down to her lower back. Her shoulders each held three sets of clothing strips, which appeared to act as the primary (hold me up support) for the rest of her slim green looking attire, and the tone of her skin was a pale shade with a hint of Olive undertone. She looked hunched over in her sitting position, with her hands, each one decorated with rows of transparent blue bangles, lifted up to her face, cupping her eyes and nose as she continued to sniffle and sob quietly into the morning breeze. I didn't even have to sight her tail to know what kind of creature she already was.
Some of the creatures in the forest, especially the mermaids, take great pride in the kinds of accessories they wear, and in the way they look. If you were to ask me why, I would say it probably has something to do with ethnic origins or simple personal aesthetic choices. Suddenly, the question Sebastian kept repeating to me made a lot of sense. If you don't ask a mermaid for permission before approaching, things for you can become really painful. And for a brief moment, I wondered if the screeching noise from earlier had anything to do with the kinds of things they are capable of.
So, in light of the sudden Discovery that I was in fact dealing with a potentially hostile mermaid, my drive for wanting to help her process whatever grief she was going through suddenly plummeted. Especially now that I knew she was capable of letting out a screech that could easily rip apart my skull if she wanted to. And because of that, I ceased staring through the gap in the fence to lean back and look up at the frozen stature of Sebastian looming just behind me. He kept silent as always, and continued to observe me with a steady gaze, waiting for me to speak of my findings. I gave myself a second to process the image I had just witnessed before speaking.
"It's a mermaid," I said, perplexed at my Discovery.
"Yes," Sebastian replied, his lips shut, and his voice reverberating around the inside of my skull.
"I can't believe it. I've never seen a mermaid before," I said.
"You should count yourself lucky then rabbit," Sebastian said, unmoving. "Those who sight a mermaid for the first time from such close distance don't usually walk away to tell about the tail," he added. "They always end up doing something stupid."
"Stupid?" I asked, flashing a nervous smile.
Sebastian picked up on my former intentions and shot me a disappointed angry stare.
"Stupid like trying to get nearer for an even closer gander," he said, his pitch-black eyes narrowing and warning. "What were you thinking?" he asked, and luckily for me I did not have to answer the question.
Suddenly, there was a loud crash as if a tree had toppled over in the distance. Sebastian spun his head around, twisting his neck so the back of his head was now facing me. I squirmed at the site of his forward backwards appearance, never having gotten acquainted with most of his characteristics and capabilities in the short time I've known him working at the farmhouse. After a second or two, Sebastian then twisted his neck back into place, returning his dark gaze back on me.
"What is it?" I asked, standing up from my crouched position by the fence and allowing the thought of the mermaid disappear from my mind for a moment.
"You should get inside. Now," Sebastian replied, taking a step back before opening his massive dark wings and spreading them to the sides.
He arced his knees a little bit, and with a single downward flap of his wings, he was airborne. Off the ground by a total of eight feet, before coming to a halt midflight to stare down at me.
"Get inside and lock the doors. Now!" he barked, eyes narrowed, and his wings flapping up and down by his sides keeping his suspended state.
"But you still haven't..."
I never got the opportunity to complete my sentence.
Just then, an almost invisible ball of spiraling blue energy, shot out from somewhere behind me and collided with the body of Sebastian, sending him flying across the front yard and expelling him from the premises entirely.
I immediately took out my earmuffs and was hit with an eerie silence. My heart was pounding. My brain was starting to enter a hyperactive panic mode. And my breathing became ragged and intense. What the hell just happened?
I didn't have to wait for my answer.
I spun around to the sound of rapid approaching footsteps, and almost had a heart attack from what I saw.
Running towards the farmhouse from the other side of the fence. Bare feet. With the lower half of her dress dripping with river water, and the top part of her attire and voluminous hair flowing in the evening breeze, was the mermaid. In full spectacle.
Her eyes were the color of midnight. Her gait, although a little hindered by her dress, seemed just like the way a normal girl would run. The rows of transparent blue bangles on her forearm and wrist, were now a bright luminescent glowing color. And they were streaks of dried-up black makeup tears running down the sides of her cheeks, prove she was indeed the one crying moments earlier.
She resembled something straight out of a marionette's horror movie running towards me and I was a deer caught in headlights. I couldn't believe it.
I started to back off slowly and she snapped her head in my direction, causing my heart to almost leap out of my chest.
"Hey! No! Wait! I'm not going to hurt you!" she yelled, rushing towards the fence, and lifting up her hands defensively. "I just want to help," she added, finally coming to a halt, and staring at me through the gap in the fence.
"Something terrible is coming this way and it's all my fault," she said. "Please. We need to leave"
She continued to stare at me through the crack in the fence, a look of genuine concerned plastered across her face. Her dark blue eyes held a tinge of guilt behind them, and her cheeks and lips were flushed with honest worry. She reached out an arm through the fence, as if physically showing she wasn't a threat. That's when I looked down and found that the rows of bangles on her hand, the same ones that were glowing a bright luminescent color only seconds before, were now dimming back into their original shade, almost as if they were in a state of powering down.
"Please," she whispered, and I lifted my head up to meet her gays once more.
For a second, I didn't move. I was frozen in fear and contemplating weather to Make a run for the farmhouse and lock myself in, or run away with this stranger offering to take me to a new location. The safety of the farmhouse had already been compromised thanks to her, and it was about to become a hotspot for major forest aberration activity.
I took a moment to consider my options. I really did. But the renewed sound of trees toppling over from somewhere behind me, accompanied with the ground shaking rumble of a dozen legs digging into the ground and barreling towards the farmhouse in a rush, suddenly made my decision that much obvious.
"Please. We need to go. Now!" she said, with her arm still stretched. And without a second thought, I carefully placed my hand on hers, and the instant my palm came in contact with the inside of her hand, the rows of transparent blue bangles on her arm lit up, and she immediately let go of my hand and grabbed my forearm instead.
I looked up at her face in horror, but before I could utter a word of protest, the insides of her eyes grew brighter, and she lifted her arm up, flinging me over the fence sooner than my mind was able to comprehend what was happening.
I was airborne. For like 2 and a half seconds. But it felt like a lifetime. And while I was busy somersaulting over the fence, the world around me seemed to slow down, giving me plenty of time to catch an upside-down glimpse of the humongous forest creature now climbing its way into the compound from the other side of the fence.
If none of what I've said so far has remotely sounded crazy in the slightest, this is the part where shit should really start to hit the fan. Because climbing into the compound from the other side of the fence, in a downwards arc of its massive body, was the biggest forest crab I have ever seen.
The thing was huge. Like, really huge. It possessed a dirty brown colored appearance, with some parts of its shell-like armored plating covered in green splotches. Its legs were long and pincer like, and its two main frontal claws were massive, reinforced gauntlets ending in scissor like appendages. It had tiny, jagged needles coating almost every inch of its crustacean, with the most vicious looking ones located on its arms, its legs, and the sides of its shell. And other than the overall monstrous sea creature vibes the think presented, there was another disturbing aspect to the thing.
On its back. The topmost part of its shell. Sitting on what resembled a saddle and wielding a slag of rope that somehow connected to the giant crab's antenna, was a rider. Donning some kind of yellow, red ceremonial armor.
The mermaid had planned to catch me as she already had a hand stretched upwards, ready to somehow break my fall the second I cleared the compound and was falling on the outside part of the fence. But she might have thrown me further than she can catch me because our fingers barely even brushed the top of one another before a look of horror flashed across her face, and I mentally braced myself for the inevitable rough landing.
What followed was almost instantaneous.
The world around me sped up and I watched as a ground littered with sharp rocks and stones rushed towards my face. And the last thing I remember as I fell onto the ground was smashing the side of my head against something hard before going blank.
This next part might have Played out as if in a dream sequence, but it was just the symptoms of my brain going into shock.
I was sprawled on the floor. Unmoving. But I could still perceive most of my surroundings. The side of my face in the ground was warm, and I could make out the sound of something growling and bashing against a wall, and the voice of someone crying out over the noise in the distance.
"Hey! Are you okay? I'm sorry I did not catch you. Please. get up. Hey! Can you hear me? Please. Get up. Please!"
"Easy stone breaker. Easy." A second voice spoke out over the noise, and the bashing stopped. So did the growling.
"Look princess. What you've done."
The second voice belonged to a man. And if I were to guess, I would say it belonged to the same person I saw riding the giant crab.
"Please. Get up," the girl said.
“Disappointing,” the man said. ”You see princess, this is what happens whenever you do this. Death. Destruction. And innocent people suffer for it.”
There was a pause.
“I mean, I try my best to minimize the second one, but you can't seem to stop yourself from causing the first one," the man continued. “If you would just come with me back home princess. Watermeena misses you. Your parents miss you. And I’m sure you must be tired of all this constant running?”
I couldn't quite see what was happening mainly because I had fallen facing a patch of bushes, but the rock my head was now resting on beside a nearby tree, provided enough elevation for my peripheral vision to catch some of the action.
First was that the mermaid was still standing outside the wooden fence surrounding the farmhouse. However she was now in some kind of forward leaning stance, with her arms pushed out in front, holding steady a giant transparent blue dome that had seemingly appeared from nowhere and enveloped the compound. Trapping the giant crab and its rider inside.
Second was that she seemed to be getting tired. She had her head lowered, staring at the ground. Her arms were shaking. Her legs were quivering. And the bangles on her arms were starting to blink on and off, indicating that they were probably stressed and overheating, or were simply losing power. Either way, she looked like she was about to pass out and I felt like I needed to do something.
I slowly lifted my head up and was immediately rewarded with a sharp ache shooting through my skull. I lowered my head and winced in pain, before waiting a few seconds and trying again.
This time, I was able to lift my head up and also shuffle my first step forward. And my second. And my third. Other than what I was certain was a broken knee, twisted ankle, and a bruised rib, which were all yelling at my brain for my body to stop moving, I had no other injuries. At least, so I thought.
“Huh,” the voice of the man said. “It seems as though your pedestrian casualty survived after all.”
Still laying on the ground, I lifted my head up and turned in the direction of the farmhouse. The mermaid had also lifted her head up to stare back at me.
There were fresh tears running down the sides of her cheeks. But she now had a smile plastered across her face. A smile of relief. With a little worry sprinkled in.
“Well, isn't that just wonderful,” the man said. ”Now princess,” he continued, “the ball is in your court. You either bring him along and we all go in search of a healer to help dress his injuries, in which case we leave him there and continue onward to Watermeena. Or you leave the poor fellow here to bleed out, and instead do what you've always done. Run. With whatever charge still left in those rings of yours. Just know I cannot guarantee his safety if you do choose to run. Stonebreaker gets a bit agitated when he hasn't had his dinner. And guess who hasn't eaten all day because of you.”
The mermaid looked up at the rider on the crab, then look down back at me. The smile had disappeared from her face and was now replaced with the familiar flush of worry. I turned my attention away and continued to press forward on my elbows and remaining good knee. And after a little while, I was able to make it to the trunk of a tree and lifted myself up to rest my back on it.
Wait. Did he just threatened to feed me to the crab? And did he just say I was bleeding out?
I looked down and was mortified when I saw a trail of blood smeared along the ground from where I sat, all the way to a collection of rocks sticking out of the ground which must have been my point of impact. I lifted my hand and felt a deep gash on the side of my forehead, and a sticky warm liquid was now between my fingers and running along the side of my face. I was suddenly like headed, and unable to focus on anything around me but the voices speaking in the distance.
“Hey! No! Open your eyes! Stay with me!”
Wait. When did I close my eyes?
“He is going into shock. It's now or never princess. Make your choice.”
“No. Please. Wake up,“ I heard the voice of the girl ask, reminding me of that particular memory I really did not like. I opened my eyes to a blurred mess of the things around me, then turned my attention over to where the blurred figure of the mermaid still stood holding together the blurred dome wall.
“Time is running out princess. A few more minutes and he is going to lose consciousness. You should make your choice now.”
“Promise me you won't hurt him,” the girl said, her voice restrained. “And promise me your beast wouldn't lay a single claw on him either.”
“As the commander of the royal army, you have my word princess.”
There was another pause. And just as I began lowering my head and shutting my eyes closed, I made one last attempt in hopes of saving my ass and also preserving the mermaid's independence since it really seemed like she didn't want to go with him.
“Screech,” I said, mustering some of the remaining ounce of energy I could to say that one word.
“What? The mermaid replied,” sniffling.
“That thing you did earlier. Do it again,” I said. “Scream.”
“But that was an accident,” she replied, “and it can hurt you.”
“Just do it,” I said. “Please.”
"Don't bother princess," the man said. "Your disorientating song might have led us to you, but it is not going to drive us away.”
“Good,” I replied, lifting my head up to stare in their direction and blinking a few times to clear my vision. "There is someone I would like you guys to meet."
I turned so I was now facing the mermaid.
“Do it,” I said. “Now.” And with a reluctant nod of her head, she let out three consecutive wails that were not as vicious as the first one, but still packed enough punch to force My hands to cover my ears in response. Even stonebreaker seemed to stumble on his legs a little, before shaking his head to the sides and brushing off the noise. When she was finally done, she lifted her head to stare up at me, with the look in her eyes begging the question. What now?
Her answer came in form of The River beside us starting to bubble over, with a large dark humanoid shape slowly rising up from the deep.
She was awake.
Suddenly, the bangles on the mermaid's hands sparked a bright flash, forcing her to flinch in pain before releasing her grip on the blue dome and dropping to her knees. The bangles began dimming back into their original shade and the blue dome surrounding the compound evaporated.
The man did not cease the opportunity to steal the mermaid in that moment. Instead he was transfixed on the entity now emerging from the water.
The figure in the river continued to rise, until it was out of the water to its waste and was facing the direction of the farmhouse.
It was big. Very big. Its body was made entirely of dark brown roots and tree bark, and its eyes were hollow circuits of glowing lights. There was a greenish bluish swamp like slime covering its entire body, and the hair on its head was long, dark, drenched, and coated with seaweed. Its overall visage was akin to the top half of a woman, and when she spoke, it was with a thousand voices that came before her.
“I am Kiai Ohana. Mother of nature. Guardian, and protector of all living things in the forest. Crab fender.” The thing lifted her hand to point at the man sitting on the giant crab, which was now 10 times smaller in comparison. “You are currently violating the sanctity of this land with your presence and putting the life of yet another of my own at risk. As you and your men have done on multiple counts before,” she said, lowering her arm. “No longer should I allow such acts from you go unpunished. Leave now and consider this to be your final warning.”
Without saying another word, the crab fender pulled at the rains of his beast, steering his massive crustacean away from the mermaid and exiting the compound by crawling over the same fence he crawled in.
“You too little one,” the spirit said. Turning her attention over to the mermaid. “I must continue to recuperate. You must be on your way. Now.”
The mermaid got to her feet and rushed over to where I had my back against a tree.
“But can you please help him,” she said. “He is like this because of me.”
She tore a piece of her dress and pressed it against my forehead.
I want to say it hurt like hell, but I was already slipping back into unconsciousness, and everything was becoming numb. The girl kneeling in front of me was but a blur again at this point.
“I know,” the spirit replied. “I will see to it that he is treated. But you must go. Now. Like the crab fender, you have also caused a lot of trouble and are now trespassing on private land. And I cannot have that.”
“Okay,” the mermaid replied. “And I'm sorry for all I've caused. I really am. But thank you for accepting to help him. She said. Thank you."
“It's my duty little one,” the spirit said. “Don't thank me. Besides. I know this one. He is a sapling in training. Hopefully he is able to blossom before the start of the dark days, or a simple head injury would be the list of his problems. Now go little one. And don't come back.”
“Okay,” the mermaid replied.
Before leaving, the mermaid ended up wiping the blood from my face with the piece of fabric, then tor another piece from her dress and wrapped it around my head like a Makeshift Band-Aid. After that, she took my hand in hers and leaned in closer.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
And with that, she got to her feet and began bolting down towards the river, and just as she jumped into the water, I blinked a few times to clear my vision, and caught sight of her transformation as she dove into the water. Headfirst, tail last. Then, she was gone.
But the spirit was still there.
“Don't worry little sapling,” the spirit said, as my vision began to tunnel. “Help is on its way,” she added. “Save your strength and get well soon. The dark days are almost upon us. And I am going to need every man and woman of the runners, prepared to trade their lives for the forest. Including you.”
I could only mutter a silent "what?" Before I completely blacked out. And when I woke up a few hours later, the first thing to cross my mind was an echo of what the spirit had said.
"The dark days are almost upon us. And I am going to need every man and woman of the runners, prepared to trade their lives for the forest. Including you."
What the hell are the dark days?

The Foundations of Humanity 8 (Cultivation) - an NoP fanfic
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Thank you u/SpacePaladin15 for establishing the Nature of Predators Universe, and for allowing Fanfics to flourish!
Warning. This is disgustingly cute and very intimate with lots of touching. You have been warned.
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Memory transcription subject: Valek, Venlil-Human Partnership Program Participant
Date [standardized human time]: August 25th, 2136. Early morning
I knew the heat beside me before I finished dreaming, and I knew the arms around me before my eyes opened. Maeve was huddled against me, nuzzled into my collar wool as she dozed. I dared not move, as I knew she had another hour or more before a full rest.
While planning my extraction, I felt her pull harder and take a deep breath, before opening her eyes.
"Good morning, handsome,"
"Good waking, little leafy green." Maeve pushed her face further into my mane at that. "I know you have a longer sleep than we do, please don't wake up on my account."
"It's ok, I'm doing this as much for me as for you," she whispered, as she pressed her lips to my shoulder.
Maeve pulled herself from me and stretched the length of the bed with a loud groan, before settling back against me on her side, and looked at me with a smile, "I'll be honest you are very comfortable, I could see this becoming a habit."
It was only then I noticed, to my horror, my tail had found its way between us. I hoped she didn't catch on to the implications of my tail curled around her foreleg, but my shaking reply left no questions. "I think I could be convinced."
We giggled to each other, while she reached over and started to idly scratch through the tuft on my chest, to my immense satisfaction. I could only see half of her face around the pillow, but the look from that gleaming green eye was the closest thing to 'predatory' I've ever seen from Maeve.
"Well!" Maeve said with a start, lifting her hand from me, "as lovely as this is, it's time to get up, and I wouldn't mind a snack. Do you still want to try the rec room for art supplies?"
"Oh that would be wonderful! My parents couldn't afford art classes, so I only had public events to really try it."
"You didn't have art in school?"
"Well no, we couldn't afford it, that's what I said."
"Sorry, that's not what I mean," Maeve clarified, muffled through her changing of clothes, "Ok, first off, do the Venlil have a concept of public schooling? Education of subjects deemed necessary, paid for by the state, and free to the parents?."
"Of course we do! You can't have modern civilization without everyone knowing the basics of things like math and science."
"Well for humans, several of those subjects are art."
My ears snapped forward, utterly surprised, "Really?? Why??" I asked as we left the room.
"I'll admit, it is relatively recent; for most of human history, several hundred thousand years at least, artistic expression was something that humans just did, without any assistance or education. There were earlier instances of art being treated like a trade, apprentice learning from journeymen, but I think the earliest examples of formal artistic education were in pre-Christian Rome, so that would be… 3, maybe 4 thousand years ago? At that time and for a long time after, artistic education was only taught to the elite. Not because of pay or profit, but because the wealthy and powerful were cultural leaders and needed to be taught as much about culture as possible, including art."
"The concept of public education has come and gone several times in human history, but our current era started I think in the 1500's, almost 700 years ago, and even then artistic expression only became part of it around 300 years ago, or less. There were a lot of reasons why they included it: social reasons, political reasons, scientific… but it wasn't until after the Satellite Wars that such practices became ubiquitous. So now, almost every living human will have had at least one or two years of formal training in the arts by adulthood, to familiarize them with the concept of expression and creation."
"That's incredible!" I exclaimed as we entered the Mess Hall, to the shock of several Venlil and a few humans nearby, "I mean, Maeve! Your people's warlike history is well documented; why, by the sun and stars, would artistic education be compulsory for a species at war?"
"Like I said, there's a lot of reasons" gathering our food, we found empty seats by the window, "In fact, one of those reasons is precisely to prevent war." My mouth hung agape as I nearly dropped my tray; settling in, Maeve now had my full attention.
"You remember what I said about humans feeling too much?" I did, and the reminder of last waking's events did not help my nerves, but I nodded and Maeve continued all the same between sips of what I now know was coffee, "Humans appear to have incredible impulse, or as the Venlil call it 'instinct', control because we have had to learn and develop effective ways to control it. One of the most effective of which is Expression; to put that emotion out of your body and into the world in some way."
Having finished our meal, we started toward the rec room, "True, this can manifest in… unkind ways such as posturing, fighting, or just yelling, but it can also be expressed in others such as running, talking with someone who listens, and, of course, artistic works."
"So we started to teach our children how to express their imagination and emotions in non-violent ways such as the Arts. Not everyone continues practicing, and very few find professional success, but every human knows enough to understand and participate." The door to the Rec Room slid open in front of us, "Here we are, Valek. You said you checked this out on the first day, so how about you give me the tour?"
It was a large room, about the same as the bathing room including the drying corridor. The walls were lined with full bookshelves, colored boxes, and several large viewing screens with comfortable seating. Several tables made up the interior, some with what appeared to be a Pad-mount attached to a keyboard; some designed for humans, some for Venlil. I saw several pairs already engaged in activities; a mixed group of six were seated and watching what appeared to be a world of cubes, and several pairs appeared to be using their pads together, though I couldn't tell what they were doing.
“I didn't have anyone to show me around last time, so I’m not sure what some of this is. Social media is pretty big on Venlil Prime, so I think these are to communicate with the herd," I said, motioning to the Pad-mounts. “It looks like Humans are as fond of reading as we are, judging by the bookshelves. But I’m not sure what that is,” motioning to the large displays, “I think they're watching a movie? I’ve never seen one like that, though.”
“Oh! They’re playing Minecraft. Interactive media, such as video games, are really big with humans. The one they’re playing is a little more than a hundred years old now, but it never lost its appeal.”
“You said it's interactive? How?”
“Oh you just use the controller to… wait… um…” She seemed to be trying to find out how to begin, “So you told me the Venlil have, like, shows and stuff right? Well, just like those shows take place in a False World where the actions of the actors influence change upon it, video games also take place in a false world. The difference is; your actions in the Real World are interpreted as actions in the False World; it’s like you, the player, are the actor in these shows.”
“That’s so cool! I’ll have to try that sometime.”
Maeve and I explored the room further, I was especially interested in their library; what kinds of stories would I see here? About to pull a large anthology book with what appeared to be a large human holding a lightning bolt, I heard Maeve call from the other corner.
“I think I found the art supplies! So when you did your community art, were you a paint guy or a chalk guy?”
“Oh, chalk please! Most of our public works are temporary, so using something that washes with the rain is very useful.” Their artistic education is complex enough to teach different mediums? Such classes are prohibitively expensive to have, and every human learns this??
“Well I don’t see chalk, but that tells me you prefer a dry medium, so let's try pencil and markers.” Maeve said as she pulled out sheets of paper and two buckets of what I assumed were the art supplies.
We spent the next entire claw working together, drawing what fit our fancy. Maeve told me about the forests of earth, and how her family used to go camping. She explained it was like leaving home, to make a new home, in a place where a home has no right to be. I was still wrapping my head around that when she told me about the clear skies, and how her family would stay up late to see the stars, and share ancient stories about their shapes.
We were silent for a moment while we worked, when I heard Maeve speak from beside me, “Are those your woods from back home?” she asked about my drawing, “It's so colorful! Are these broad colors typical of Venlil styles?”
To the human eye, my work appeared as large swathes of color, with vague shapes representing direction and shape, rather than form. Emotion mixed with reality to create something that gave an impression of overall calm and nostalgia over the representational work.
“I do often see something similar in the parks when others are being creative. I have seen some Venlil try a style that is more detailed, but I like to show what I feel rather than what I see.” I explained, while making another long streak of golden sunbeam.
Maeve asked about my home, and I told her how we lived in a traditional burrow-style house; not an actual burrow, it was above-ground, but it made use of smooth lines and soft corners to lend structural support, spreading more out than up. We still had a 2nd floor, which was where most of our living and sleeping space was, but it looked like barely a mound against the modern stem-style houses, which was what used to be my university apartment. I was just talking about the kitchen on the ground floor when I looked over at what Maeve was working on. To my surprise, she was making an incredibly life-like imagining of our kitchen. It wasn't perfect, our dishes never stacked that high, but this could absolutely be someone else’s kitchen.
“How did you draw that?” I asked, unbelieving.
Maeve giggled as I stared, and answered lightly, “I did a lot of things back home, either as work or hobby, and one of them was room concepts and architectural design. I followed your descriptions as best as I could, with some artistic flavor. Some older human cultures also had burrow homes, so I took ideas from that. What do you think?”
“It’s incredible! This could absolutely be someone's kitchen, though it isn't ours. You even have the berry field in the window!” I was so enthralled by the detail I was seeing, I didn’t notice Maeve’s hand reaching for the work. She pointed to two figures in frame: a Venlil with what was clearly my salt-and-pepper pattern and…
“I’ve given it some thought,” Maeve whispered beside me, “and I think, yes. I would like to keep doing this.”
My heart leapt with joy and and my tail thrashed behind me; if any attempt at subtlety was made I clearly ruined the secret. Maeve smiled broadly, hiding her teeth in a vain attempt to hide her quickly reddening cheeks. We quickly packed up our projects, and I saw Maeve making to throw them away! “What are you doing?”
“Oh, I was…” She paused, not truly having an answer. I walked over and gently, wordlessly, took the sketches from her hand, and filled the space with my own paw. The message received, we exited to the corridor. "You mentioned something about camping, what is that?"
Maeve paused in thought without breaking stride, then asked, "You mentioned your favorite place was taking the road between The Grove and University. If you had the chance to live there, for a few days or a week, would you?"
I thought about this. It's a beautiful place, and I would find great joy in staying there for a time. But I remembered the look of that predator, "No. I know, in my head, that the predators in that forest would leave us alone; I'm certain it would be fine. But no, I don't think I'm brave enough for it."
"It's ok, and I won't ask you to. But Humans would, though that doesn't say much for our judgment." she added with a chuckle, "Most humans live in cities. Massive places of steel and concrete with more people than plants. Just like cities on Venlil Prime, they are comfortable, safe, and good places to live; but humans are drawn instinctively to the natural world. Despite our industry, we have to see the Earth and its bounty, or we get out of sorts."
We had reached the room and, picking up on human mannerisms, I invited Maeve to enter first. "Thank you, my good sir." She said through a giggle, "anyway, because of this many humans will leave the city to live in nature for a while. We have a lot of ways to make it more or less comfortable, and the varied ecosphere on earth combined with our diurnal cycle means we have to be very prepared. Personally I prefer a tent, rain cover, and camp stove; but some people take as much as a rolling house, or as little as a sleeping bag."
Maeve sat down on a chair, and I on the bed as we continued talking, "do you hunt when you do this?" I asked.
Carefully, Maeve spoke in measured words, "Not always, and myself never; the vast majority of people bring food with them to eat as-is or cook on site. But yes, some humans do still hunt, kill, consume, and use the dead of wild creatures. But I'd like to point out it has been regulated in most countries for a few centuries now, and even more so in the last few decades. These days, only a couple thousand animals are killed annually due to hunting practices, worldwide. And, as we continue to become more prosperous, cede more of earth to nature, and find alternatives to killing, that number will continue dropping to almost nothing." she said, matter-of-factly.
"But why do you still hunt at all? If you can eat plants, have domesticated livestock, and can now print synthetic meat, why is that number not zero?"
"it is a part of our history, and our culture; such things are very difficult to unlearn. Also, we humans have assumed the responsibility to maintain the ecologies of our world. This is done in large part as penance for the damage we did during our colonial and industrial ages, but that sense of guardianship still carries on. Answering that question is pretty complicated, and I won't dance around the fact that controlled murder is a big part of it, do you want me to keep going?"
I will never be totally ready for frank discussions of murder, but I felt this was nothing compared to what we've already done. With a deep breath, I steeled myself and flicked an affirmation.
"Ok, this is a phenomenon we have seen nearly everywhere on Earth, but we are going to talk about Yellowstone National Park, specifically. Yellowstone is a large evergreen forest that is host to a huge variety of wildlife, but early in America's history, the colonists eradicated the local Wolf population. True we had domesticated wolves earlier, but not here, and these wolves were more harmful than helpful to the colonists, so they killed them. What followed was a process called a Trophic Cascade."
"Wolves were a natural predator of Deer, so without wolves to control their numbers, the deer population exploded. The deer over-grazed on many things, most especially tree saplings. Without saplings reaching maturity, the forest couldn't create new growth, and this reduced usable living space for many small herbivores; so things like squirrels and beavers left the area. Without these small herbivores, small carnivores like the fox left as well, which made very small omnivores, like mice, also explode in population. These mice over-hunted grubs, beetles, and other detritus-eaters, so the forest floor stopped getting new nutrients, which made all plants, including trees, even sicker. With trees dying faster and still not able to make new growth, because the deer were still a problem remember, their root systems became weaker, which could no longer hold the soil. This exacerbated the effects of erosion, causing landslides to be more frequent, and even changing the course of rivers, leading to droughts in places that have never seen it"
"All of this because: we killed the Wolf. There were many examples, this is just the one I know best, but humans are well familiar with the effect of adding or removing a species from local ecology."
I sat for a long moment, letting this sink in. "You changed the shape of mountains, and the path of rivers… by killing wolves?
"Yeah!" She confirmed, with just as much surprise as I had. "We tried a few things to help heal the damage: manually planting more trees, shoring up at risk earth, even controlled culls of wildlife; this is where most of our modern hunting practices came from. But no matter what humans did, we just couldn't keep up with the forces of nature. So, Occam's Razor, we decided to try the obvious option: put the wolves back into the forest, using the natives' local cousins from further north. And you know what?" I flicked my tail expectantly, both ears swiveled on Maeve, "It worked! The wolves hunted the deer to manageable numbers, the trees had a chance to grow, the small herbivores came back… a complete reversal of all the damage I mentioned. So now, the only species that have an overall open-season are invasive species, like the European Rabbit in Australia. Among humans, it is both illegal, and socially taboo, to kill wild animals without specific cause."
This was… a lot. All of this made sense on its own, it logically followed, but I couldn't wrap my head around how everything could be so connected. Predators kill! That's all they do! How could killing be a good thing? Finding my voice, I spoke up, "I won't pretend to know what this means. I cannot get it through that everything is so dependent on murder. But I know you've told me the truth as best as you know it, so I'll leave it alone. Can we talk about something else? You mentioned something about stories in the stars?"
"Oh absolutely!" Maeve seemed to glow with this topic, I loved seeing her so excited, "so humans have a day/night cycle, but some of us would have to keep watch during the night while others slept; so we learned to entertain ourselves by telling stories. At night, and before industrialization, our skies were brimming with stars! So we would see shapes in their patterns, and tell great stories about who they represented. There have been stories since before writing, so sadly most have been lost to history, but one story, Orion, is about-"
A ping from my pad, and then hers, interrupted the lesson.
Please report to the Partnership Program lead office promptly. Suite 4006 on deck 4.
We shared a worried look, sharing an understanding of what prompted the summons. We would face it, together. We left the room and made our way to the elevator, mostly in silence. Sensing my worry, Maeve touched my shoulder, "It's ok, this will work out." I'm not sure I believed her. We stood apart in the elevator, and the distance felt cold. Walking down the hall of offices I felt more fear and anxiety than the past week, but I had to keep moving forward.
We reached the door, and as I reached for the handle, Maeve stopped me, and gently pulled me by the shoulder against her in a desperate embrace, as one would say goodbye. She whispered into my ear,
"Whatever happens in there, I want you to know I love you, Valek."
"I love you too, Maeve."
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I'm traveling from Northern NJ to Roanoke, VA in May. I keep seeing suggestions that Skyline Drive is a must to drive on when going down that way. It looks very pretty and I would love to stop at some of the overlooks, take in the scenery, take some photographs and just have some mini breaks. However, going the whole way from the Fort Royal to Rockfish Gap will add about 2.5 hours to my trip (too much).
I researched from the website that there are four entrances onto Skyline Drive

• Front Royal Entrance Station (mile 0) by Rt. 66 and 340 in Front Royal, Virginia.
• Thornton Gap Entrance Station (mile 31.5) by Rt. 211 near Luray, Virginia.
• Swift Run Gap Entrance Station (mile 65.5) by Rt. 33 near Elkton, Virginia.
• Rockfish Gap Entrance Station (mile 104.6) by Rt. 64 and Rt. 250

If I only do part of Skyline Drive, can anyone suggest which part would be best to drive along and expose me to the best overlooks before I get off to return to Route 81 to get Roanoke? Basically, which section of Skyline Drive would give me the best experience?
ETA: I have some chronic issues and pain so will strictly be sticking to stopping at overlooks and not doing any hiking to be safe.

After going down a rabbit hole last night and reading through the whole IPCC summary analysis, I decided to put together some of my favorite positive Climate Stories. Note: this is not intended to try to deflect attention from Climate Change
Drop a like if this helps and I'll work on some more next week!

Positive Climate News:

• How playgrounds are becoming a secret weapon in the fight against climate change: These redesigned playgrounds will help New York City be more resilient in the face of climate change. Giving up asphalt in favor of porous turf and more green space helps manage stormwater runoff, reduce heat island effects, and engage kids in environmental stewardship. This grade school in Manhattan’s Chinatown is a success that city planners hope to replicate. See why.
• Positive tipping points could ‘unlock a climate crisis stalemate’: We’ve heard of negative tipping points for the climate: melting ice caps and rainforest destruction, for instance. But are there positive tipping points too? A study from Tim Lenton, a professor of climate change and Earth science, says yes, and that giving more airtime to climate solutions could break the climate crisis stalemate and inspire more action.
• A California town’s wastewater is helping it battle drought: Healdsburg, California is utilizing a water recycling system to combat drought and conserve water resources. The strategy has increased the city’s water supply reliability, eased pressure on reservoirs and wells, and reduced wastewater discharge into the Russian River. This is just one of California’s many wastewater reclamation projects and serves as a model for other localities interested in developing their own water-reuse plans.
• ‘Tipping point’: Renewable energy to become the world’s top source of electricity by 2025: Renewable energy is expected to surpass coal as the world's top source of energy by 2025. Demand for electricity is growing, but so is energy production from wind, solar, and nuclear power. Read more about why this advancement is cause for optimism, even as we have further to go in reducing the overall emissions that come from the power sector.
• US will see more new battery capacity than natural gas generation in 2023: The US is expected to add more new battery capacity than natural gas generation this year, a significant shift in the energy landscape. The increased investment in battery storage and other alternatives to fossil fuel-produced energy is driven by technological advancements, falling costs, and supportive policies that promote clean energy.
• Installing solar panels on these family homes led to spare cash and more free time: What happens when you give everyday people solar panels? Researcher Dr. Nicolette Fox in the UK found that installing solar for the social housing tenants in her study inspired people to conserve energy, share power with their neighbors, and become ambassadors for solar energy in their community. For households that never thought of solar as a viable financial option before, they saved money and became more knowledgeable of how their energy consumption related to their greater grid.
• Australia blocks coal mine to protect Great Barrier Reef: In a landmark victory for the environment, Australia has blocked the development of a new coal mine just 10 km from the Great Barrier Reef. This decision marks a turning point in the nation's approach to protecting its precious natural wonders and combating climate change, as it is the first time in history that the Australian government has blocked the creation of a coal mine citing environmental law.
• High seas treaty: historic deal to protect international waters finally reached at UN: A landmark UN treaty has been reached to protect the high seas, covering international waters that comprise nearly two-thirds of our oceans. Discover how this agreement aims to protect marine life and regulate human activities while fostering cooperation among nations. Explore the challenges and potential impacts of this vital pact (20 years in the making!) on the future of our oceans.
• ‘Dead’ Electric Car Batteries Find a Second Life Powering Cities: As Electric vehicle (EV) batteries reach the end of their lifespan, innovative solutions are required to manage the resulting waste. EV batteries are getting a second life as these companies repurpose them for power stations, reducing waste and supporting renewable energy integration.
• Seaweed farming inspires high hopes in Alaska for economic and environmental benefits: Seaweed farming in Alaska is garnering attention for its potential to boost local economies, reduce food insecurity, and buffer against ocean acidification and pollutants. Seaweed has a variety of uses, including agricultural, industrial, and food. With increasing global demand for sustainable products, Alaska's seaweed farming industry holds promise.
• Puerto Rico town celebrates ‘first-of-its-kind’ solar microgrid: The town of Adjuntas in Puerto Rico is celebrating the inauguration of a first-of-its-kind solar microgrid. The project, run by local nonprofit Casa Pueblo, aims to increase the town's energy resilience in the face of increasingly damaging storms, and serve as a model for similar initiatives across the island, which has faced ongoing power grid challenges since Hurricane Maria.

I’m looking for some feedback on my itinerary for 12 nights total between Tokyo and Kyoto during sakura season this year. We’ve been to Tokyo a handful of times and the last time we were in Tokyo was in 2017. This will be our first time to the Kansai region.
I’d like to know if we’re missing any must-sees while we’re in Japan this time. I feel like some of our dates could be filled out so we’re open to suggestions about what to do.
We’re not super into temples so visiting 1-2 is satisfactory for us. On this trip, we would like to see cherry blossoms, try unique foods, cycle somewhere scenic and quiet (thinking in Kyoto), and do a little bit of shopping as well.
We have a 18month-old in tow and will have a compact foldable stroller with us.
TIA!
Day 1 - Mon (rain)

• land at NRT mid-afternoon
• transit to hotel (Minato-ku)
• rest / eat dinner

Day 2 - Tue (cloudy)

• sakura viewing at Ueno Park
• Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
• shop at Kappanbashi
• lunch somewhere
• not really sure what to do after…shop around Ginza ?? (Uniqlo, MUJI, Itoya, Tokyo Hands)
• teamLab Borderless Planets

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Day 3 - Wed (sunny)

• boat rowing & sakura viewing at Chidorifugachi
• sakura viewing at Shinjuku gyoen

​
Day 4 - Thu (sunny)

• Shibuya - Miyashita Park
• sakura viewing at Yoyogi Park

​
Day 5 - Fri (cloudy)

• Disney Sea

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Day 6 - Sat (rain)
[OPEN DAY] We have an open day/night here. We need to be in Kyoto the following day so we’re okay to transit this day or on Day 7. We’re open to any suggestions for an overnight trip somewhere between or close to Tokyo/Kyoto.
​
Day 7 - Sun (rain)

• transit to Kyoto (if not already done on Day 6)
• check into Kyoto hotel [near Kyoto Station]
• Kyoto Railway Museum
• Nijo Castle

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Day 8 - Mon

• day trip Osaka (Please help suggest an order that makes sense)
  • Cup Noodle Museum Osaka Ikeda
  • Dotonbori
  • eat takoyaki (Wanaka Sennichimae) & okonomiyaki (Tengu / Mizuno ?)
  • view sakura at Kema Sakuranomiya park
  • teamLab Botanical at Nagai Botanical Garden

​
Day 9 - Tue

• day trip Nara / Mount Yoshino
  • mochi at Nakatanidou

​
Day 10 - Wed

• Philosopher’s Path
• Nishiki Market
• Kyoto Botanical Garden
• cycling ?

​
Day 11 - Thu

• change hotel in Kyoto [near Gion]
• explore Gion - Shimbashi dori
• Kiyomizu-dera
• sakura viewing at Mayuyama Park

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Day 12 - Fri

• Arashiyama (bamboo forest)
• Sagano Romatic Train (is the rich train worth it?)
• river boat ride back

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Day 13 - Sat

• go home :( (Open to suggestions for early breakfast)

​

Race Information

• Name: 2023 NYC Half
• Date: March 19, 2023
• Distance: 13.1
• Location: New York, NY
• Time: 2:24:14

Goals

Goal	Description	Completed?
A	Sub 2:30	Yes
B	Sub 2:15	No

Splits

Mile	Time
1	12:02
2	10:26
3	10:49
4	10:03
5	10:49
6	10:57
7	10:34
8	10:41
9	11:16
10	10:14
11	10:41
12	8:56
13	10:07

Training

I had my heart set on this race being my first half after watching the full marathon year after year. Miraculously, I applied for the lottery and got in! Around Christmas I started using Hal Higdon's Novice 2 program, which looked pretty manageable. But as the weeks went on and the race got closer, I started incorporating some of Nike's Half Marathon training too. I liked that the higher mileage long runs were about a month out from the race vs. Hal's which capped at 10 miles the week before the race. I got a Peloton tread in the fall too, and found a bunch of great race prep classes on there (specifically loved Robin's NYC Marathon Simulation run!)
We had an unseasonably warm winter here in Virginia, so training wasn't as brutal as I thought originally. It felt like it took weeks to finally get up to double digits, but I finally peaked at 10.6 miles 2 weeks before the race and then slowly started to taper with shorter 3-5 mile runs the weeks leading up to it.
Overall, I was just excited and pumped to get the race done as I had been mentally working up to it for months!

Pre-race

We got to NYC on Thursday with the race on Sunday, and it was awesome to see so many other runners throughout the city over the days leading up to the race. I knew the weather was going to be cold, so I stocked up on hot hands and bought a pair of gloves at the Nike store too.
While I had avoided any nerves up until this point, the night before it started to set in. I laid all my stuff out on Saturday evening and enjoyed a FABULOUS chicken parmesan dinner the night before. Definitely tossed and turned before finally falling asleep after midnight, but woke up on Sunday AM ready to go.
As I mentioned, I'm in Virginia where winters can be snowy and cold or — like this year — unseasonably warm. But when I stepped out of the hotel room on Sunday AM, I knew it was going to be brutal. The "feels like" temp was in the teens, and once I stepped off the subway in Brooklyn the wind was roaring. Even with extra throw-away layers, hot hands, gloves, etc., the wind was cutting right through anything.
However, dealing with the cold somehow distracted me from any nerves about the actual race and the sheer amount of people running this race. I was in Wave 4 and it took about 30 minutes just to get through security. I was glad I gave myself plenty of time to get to the starting line. Luckily, portapotty lines were short and the availability of them in and out of the corral was nice too.
Before I knew it, we were crowded in the corral. Someone next to me said, "The actual race can't be as bad as standing here in this cold." And she was right. This was the worst part of the whole day.

Race

The gun went off and we started through the park. The first mile my feet felt like absolute bricks, and the first mile was much narrower than the rest of the race, leaving everyone crowded in until the turn around mile 2. After all the weeks of training, I felt a bit disassociated — I was in NYC! Running my first half marathon! SHIT it's cold!
I stopped at mile 2 for my one quick bathroom break of the race, and then once I hit mile 3 in Brooklyn, I started to see the crowds. Even in teen temperatures, people were out cheering and yelling. It was incredible. I felt myself tear up at this point (and several others throughout the race) as we all ran together. It was amazing.
Around mile 4 I had my first gel and saw the Manhattan Bridge up ahead. Going over the bridge was such a surreal experience. In my opinion, people over-exaggerated the incline on the bridge, but maybe I'm just more used to running hills in my neck of the woods. At one point, I paused the music as we went over the Manhattan Bridge and it was just the silence of footsteps as people took in the view. It was the coolest part of the course, IMO.
Off the bridge and into Manhattan and the crowds were epic. I knew FDR was coming up and thought, "oh okay this is a nice flat area where I can just focus on running." However, this was for sure the worst part of the race. You're pretty much running on the highway, with cars coming the other direction. It's an incredibly long stretch. The sun is in your face. It was just the worst part of the whole thing.
Finally, mile 9, we were back on the streets. I was so happy to get off that highway. I knew my family was stationed in Times Square at mile 11, and had some extra gas in the tank to get to them. My hamstrings were definitely feeling tight around here, but just kept going. Running through a closed-off Times Square is a bucket-list experience for any runner. Really surreal and awesome.
The end was near and we entered Central Park! I swear the last 800M felt like another 2 miles. But crossed the finish line and looked at my official time: 30 seconds shorter than the 2:25 pace band I had been following. YESSSS.
(My Strava splits are a bit wonky with the GPS/city buildings but I clocked negative splits throughout the race according to the official NYRR dashboard!)

Post-race

Met up with my family and got some brunch around the corner. Took a warm shower and two days later, feeling slightly sore but ultimately so happy. I know for many runners, the cold got them — and rightfully so! It was brutal, especially if you're not used to cold weather running like that. But ultimately, I thought the race was incredibly well-organized, the course was epic and I'm already starting to think about the next one.
This group was really helpful and insightful for me as a new runner and first-time half marathoner, so just wanted to repay with my own insight from the race!
Made with a new race report generator created by herumph.

15th of May
A couple days ago we marched out of our legion’s fort without being told where we were going. Many of us believed we were to be deployed to the east, where rumors said that the Parthians were stirring up trouble again. Others thought that we were bound for Illyricum, where they say a rebellion was brewing. Then there were the few who, in hushed tones, said that the governor was calling upon vexillationes from the frontier legions in order to form an army that would usurp power from the Emperor.
However, all of our guesses proved to be wrong, as we were all shocked to learn that our destination was not far from our previous posting. Instead of being deployed to a far off province, we were instead sent to central Gaul. We had no clue what our purpose there could be, but as we entered a thickly forested area, we soon encountered a large fortress of stone.
It was odd to have such a large and formidable fortification in a place so far from the frontier and nowhere near any strategically important city or town. It seemed so random and out of place, yet it was there. However, that was not the only thing that caught our attention. Spreading out from both flanks of the fort were tall stone walls, although its ramparts were facing inwards instead of outwards. This made me realize that the fort was only a part of a bigger system of fortifications. However, the inner facing ramparts made me question why it was designed like that.
Halting outside the entrance, we were ordered to set up camp there and await further instructions. We later learned that the detachment we were supposed to replace was not scheduled to leave till the next morning and so the barracks assigned to us were still occupied. The men grumbled at the thought of having to sleep another night in tents with nothing but a wool blanket on the ground. It was clear that they missed the beds back at the old fort and were longing to sleep comfortably again in a barracks.
I scoffed at their complaints. They should consider themselves lucky that they no longer had to dig defensive earthworks around the camp, seeing that we were so close to a strong fortification already. Many of the legionnaires were still weak and inexperienced, new recruits who had never been in the campaign. I had hoped that the upcoming campaign season against the barbarians would give them the experience they badly needed. However, the gods seemed to be frowning upon me, as our cohort was sent to this lone fortress far from the frontier.
Being so far from the nearest settlement and being so heavily guarded, I couldn’t help but wonder what was being guarded there. Was the province’s treasury in there? Was it grain for the legions? Perhaps large stores of armor and weaponry? These possibilities crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed them all. It couldn’t be any of those, because none of them would require a fort so large that contained a detachment which, from my initial estimates, would have numbered at least three thousand men. Not only that, if they were protecting something inside, then why were the ramparts facing inwards instead of outwards? I had too many questions at that time and little to no answers.
However, my curiosities would be answered later that night.
At nightfall, once the men were asleep and the watch posted, the senior centurion leading our vexillatio gathered all of us centurions and told us that we were to head to the fort and meet with the senior tribune in charge. The senior tribune greeted us at the principia and wasted no time in explaining about the fortress under his charge.
The fortress, he explained, was actually a wall of circumvallation. This immediately piqued our interest, as we knew that the only reason such a wall would be made was in order to contain something inside. However, the more he explained, the more confused we became.
He told us that under the orders of the Emperor, the walls, and forts supporting it, were built to contain a phenomenon that only the gods could explain. Seeing the confusion in our faces, he gave us a nod and said that it would be easier to understand once we saw for ourselves. Then, without another word, he gestured us to follow him and led us away from the principia and up on the stone ramparts.
Once atop the ramparts, I saw something that made me feel true fear. I had thought that I knew what fear felt before. I had stood in the front ranks against hordes of barbarians, fought in battles where the odds were clearly against us and the chance of death were high. But none of that could compare to the sensation that ran through me the moment I saw what the walls were for. It seemed like my previous experiences were nothing but a mere punch on the face, while this thing in front of me gave me a stab directly to the heart.
In the middle of a barren lifeless field was something that I can only describe as a black eye. An eye that seemed to be staring directly at me, even if pointed directly up at the night sky. Protruding from the ground, this unnatural thing unnerved me and my fellow centurions. Briefly glancing at the senior tribune, his face held a neutral expression, although I could tell that he too felt uneasy while standing there.
After taking in what we saw, the senior tribune explained to us that the thing in the field is what they call the ‘Eye of Dis Pater’. They didn’t know its origins, but they did know that three years ago creatures that came out from the eye began wandering the land and annihilating a settlement near the forest. A few survivors, however, managed to escape and inform the governor, who dispatched vexillationes from the frontier legions to stop the creatures, before building a wood and earth rampart around the eye.
Ever since then the ramparts were improved and turned into stone and had towers that had ballistae mounted atop for additional support. A rotation of vexillationes from the frontier legions was also kept in order to garrison this fort and prevent any more creatures from roaming out and threatening Imperial land and citizens.
He firmly told us that it was now our new duty to spend a year holding the line against the Eye of Dis Pater. He informed us that the eye spewed out creatures once in a while in an attempt to invade our realm. These invasions were sometimes small, sometimes big, but whatever the size we were supposed to stop them at all costs.
Before dismissing us, he reminded us that our presence here and the existence of the eye was to be kept secret. The Emperor, he explained, did not want to cause panic among the masses. Because of that, all letters written by us and our men are to be reviewed by his staff to ensure that no mention of what was going on here would leak.
I’m not really sure if these orders of his include such documentation I’m making, but just to be sure I’ll keep these papers tucked away and hidden.
***
16th of May
Our detachment was finally let into the fort. We were greeted by the sight of the cohort we were replacing, as they stood by the entrance, ready to march out and back to their legion. Looking at the faces of these men, I noticed that many of them were just staring forward. Seemingly drained of life, the centurions, optiones, and legionnaires had the aura of emptiness. It was as if they were a group of walking dead men.
A few of them did make a few glances towards us, but the expressions on their faces were far from positive. Instead, they stared at us with eyes that seemed to be trying to warn us.
Making our way through the fortifications, members of the senior tribune’s staff guided us towards our posting. During this point, we had to go up the ramparts and so the men got their first glance of the eye. Just like us centurions the night before, their reaction was one of fear, as some halted to stare at the eye. However, a quick slap of my vine staff got them going again. Although I felt uneasy being exposed to the eye, I tried my best to hide it. We centurions are supposed to know no emotions aside from anger after all.
Many of the men, however, did have questions in regards to the eye. All we told them was that was what we were supposed to protect the Empire from.
Reaching our posting, our cohort was assigned to a castellum on the northern portion of the wall. The rest of the day was then spent cleaning the barracks the previous cohort had left and setting it up to become our new homes for the year.
My century had been assigned by the senior centurion to mount a guard atop the ramparts. Choosing ten men, I was frustrated to see them resist and tell me that they would not stand there and be exposed to the eye. However, after threatening to flog them, and after a few hits from my vine staff, they were eventually convinced to go up under the watch of my optio.
Later that day, us centurions were called up once more by the senior tribune and once more found ourselves at his principia. Like the night before, he wasted no time and immediately led us outside to another structure that resembles a stable. However, the sounds that came out from it did not sound like horses.
Entering the building, we were greeted by the sight of a cage with a strange creature locked inside of it. Standing tall as a man, but having skin that resembled scorched flesh, the creature had no nose, eyes or ears, but seemed to be aware of our presence in front of it. In the area where the mouth should be, a wide slit was located. Every once in a while, it would open the slit to reveal long dagger-like teeth.
However, out of all its features, the one that stood out the most were the six arms protruding from its sides. Located where a man’s arms normally should be, the creature had three long bony looking arms on each of its sides. These arms were nearly triple the length of a normal man’s arm and, instead of ending with a hand, it had a sharp dagger like tip. It was due to these arms that the creature got its name, aranea.
The senior tribune explained to us that the araneas would be the most common creature that we would encounter coming out of the eye. He said that they ran fast and came out in hordes larger than any barbarian horde that we could have possibly seen before. Because of their numbers, they would often pile up before the walls and eventually form a ramp for other araneas and creatures to get up on the wall. Because of this we were warned never to underestimate them.
He then advised us that a strong firm thrust from our gladii would be enough to penetrate its skin and make it bleed. To be most effective at killing it, he told us to aim for its chest.
The senior tribune then allowed us to approach the cage in order to get a better look of the creature. We moved closer, but stayed back far enough that we would be out of the range of its arms. As we observed the creature stare and make a low howling at us, the senior tribune told us that this specific aranea was captured in order to familiarize new detachments on one of the creatures the eye releases. He then said that it would be moved to our castellum tomorrowing morning so that our men would see what they would be up against when the time comes.
After leaving the building, the senior tribune then said that his staff would provide us centurions with sketches of the two other creatures that came out of the eye. We were told to familiarize ourselves with these sketches, learn the weaknesses listed with the notes that came with them, and then teach our men the things we learned.
***
17th of May
The saxa are large four legged creatures, with skin that resembles stone. Their size can range from that of a horse to as large as a two-story building. Due to their size and build, they can be a threat to the walls. The only counter for them is a good shot from the ballista. Compared to the araneas they are much fewer in numbers and the eye only spews out a couple dozen of them at a time.
Meanwhile, the spica is another threat that could prove deadly if they are able to get up the walls. Round with spikes all over its fleshy body, these creatures are often seen rolling around with araneas. Waiting till the araneas piled enough to form a ramp up the wall, the spica would then wreck havoc among the defenders at the rampart, as it would roll and slam against the vulnerable and unarmored feet of the legionnaires. The best tactic against them is to have auxiliary archers and pilum armed legionnaires attack them from range before they could get up on the walls.
***
20th of June
After a month since our arrival, we finally experienced our first attack last night.
It occurred late into the night, the watch had just switched and I had just replaced the previous centurion on duty. Gazing out towards the eye, I could barely see its silhouette through the darkness of the night. From my position it looked like a hill, a large mound that rose from the ground. But unlike any hill, it gave out a sensation that made you feel it was staring back at you.
Making my way along the ramparts, I carefully checked each man on watch, making sure that they were awake and alert. After a month on duty here, many of the men were less hesitant to mount watch atop the walls. The men were still scared of the eye, because I know I still am, but after a month of duty here with nothing occuring, the calm monotony has allowed them to do their jobs knowing that the chances of danger were low.
However, just as we were getting comfortable with our current posting, the moment we feared the most happened. The eye began to unleash its terror.
Finishing my rounds and leaning against the rampart, I stared at the eye as I felt it stare back at me. I don’t know what secrets it holds, but I feared what was inside of it. If creatures like the are areanea came out of that thing, then who knows what powers are held within it.
Lost in thought about the eye and mysteries, I was suddenly and violently taken away from such musings when brightnest covered the whole surface of the eye. Gazing ahead and watching, I was shocked to see that the formerly pure black eye lit up and shone light all along the field. As it did so, it emitted a low humming sound that echoed in my ears.
This was it. We were told how it would look like when it was ready to spew out a new wave of monstrosities and this was how they said it would happen. Deep inside I felt scared and I was nearly taken over by so much fear that I felt unable to move.
But I was a centurion and I had a job to do. Taking a deep breath, I drew my gladius and alerted the rest of the cohort of the situation.
The next few moments were filed with centurions and optiones shouting and legionnaires rushing up to man the ramparts. Gathering my own century, I shouted out order, my voice trying to stand out from the humming noise that seemed to grow louder and louder.
Soon enough my century was fully deployed and ready on the rampart. With us were three of our cohort’s six centuries. The other two were back at the castellum, as they formed a reserve that was ready to plug up any breach that may form. Joining us on the ramparts were auxiliary archers, ready to provide ranged attacks. Together, our force was to protect the northern wall and make sure that none of the eye’s creatures get through.
Moments after our forces deployed, the first of the eye’s creatures began to come out. I don’t understand how they managed to go through a solid object, but I didn’t think too much about it at the time. I was more concerned about the numbers that were coming out, as it seemed that an endless wave of creatures tumbled out of the eye’s surface and began rushing through the field.
Initially, the eye was releasing hordes of araneas from its eastern facing section. From there the araneas stumbled and ran towards the eastern wall, whose archers began firing at them. However, as time went on, the eye began releasing araneas from all faces, and I soon ordered my men to prepare themselves.
A clump of around three hundred to four hundred araneas were the first to charge towards us. Behind them were even larger clumps, with the one numbering an estimated five hundred, and the next numbering around a thousand. However, even more came out of the eye and I quickly learned there was no point counting them.
As the araneas ran towards us, they let out a low howling sound, similar to the one made by the caged one we saw. However, instead of having one creature howl, this was in the many thousand. Their collective howls, combined with eye’s humming, made a noise that was both intimidating and frustrating. It made it hard for me to think and plane, while also making it difficult to give out orders.
Once the horde got closer, the auxiliary archers wasted no time letting loose their arrows against the approaching araneas. However, such ranged shots did not seem enough to stop them. Due to the distance and the power of the bows, the arrows merely poked their skin, lodging the tips on them, but not penetrating deep enough to make them bleed. Despite this, the archers kept on firing, littering the approaching hordes with arrows. Once in a while, a lucky shot would take out a creature, earning a cheer from the archer who brought it down.
Seeing them approach and noting that the arrows had little effect on them, some of the legionnaires under my command began to shake and glance towards the rear. Years of experience has told me what such acts meant and so I was careful to approach the legionnaire who turned their heads and gave them a light tap on their backs. They may be scared of the creatures in front of them, but I wanted to remind them that they should fear me more and what I would do to them if I catch them running away.
Soon the creatures were upon the defensive ditch and were stumbling into it. As they tripped and fell, some of the araneas impaled themselves on the sharpened wooden spikes lodged in the ditch. This obstacle slowed them down and I also knew that them being there meant that they were within range of our pila.
Giving the order, I soon had my men let loose their pila, as the other centuries of our cohort did the same. At this range the bows of our auxiliary archers were also becoming much more effective, as closer ranges meant more power for them. Because of this, our combined pila and arrow onslaught managed to bring down a good number of araneas, making the ditch a killing zone for them.
However, as their first ranks fell, those behind them continued, stepping on the bodies of the deceased creatures. Letting loose our second round of pila, we brought down another good number. Yet more of them, rushing forward and stumbling into the ditch. Eventually, there were so many araneas in the ditch that they managed to fill it up with their bodies. This meant that the hordes behind them were able to easily get over the obstacle and rush towards our walls.
It didn’t take long for the first of the araneas reach the base of our wall. Pressing themselves against it, they uselessly swung their many hands on the stone wall, trying to break it to no avail. Being pressed on by the creatures behind them, the leading araneas ended up being stuck where they were.
With my men having depleted their pila, those in the first ranks resorted to using their slings. Lobbing cast lead bullets with their slings, they and the archers continuously bombarded the araneas with ranged fire, knocking down and killing a good number of them.
Making my way to the first line of my century, I looked down with satisfaction as I watched the creatures fall. However, glancing forward to see the endless wave of creatures pouring out of the eye, I couldn’t help but feel my heart beat fast in fear. I realized at that point that it would only be a matter of time before we ran out of projectiles and these creatures pile up enough bodies to scale our wall.
Moments passed and the pile of anareas below us began to grow. More and more of them got on top of one another, forming the living ramp that we had been warned about. When I saw this rise higher to the point that the long arms of the creatures were able to scrape the edge of our rampart, I knew that things were about to get bloody.
Ordering my men to raise shields, those in the first ranks quickly withdrew their slings and lifted their scutum. Standing among the first rank, I watched anxiously as more and more sharp dagger-like tips of the araneas’ arms poked up from the edge of the rampart.
Soon enough the first creature to fully raise itself above the edge came into view and as it stabbed its hands towards me, I used my shield to block the blow, before using all my strength to shove my galdius forward. Aiming right for its chest, I was able to penetrate its thick skin and drive the tip of my blade deep into it. This was enough to defeat the creature, which quickly fell back, my gladius sliding out of it as it fell.
However, as it fell, another one rose, and I had to repeat the same process. All around me my century did the same, using their shields to protect themselves against the creature’s blows, while counter-attacking with the gladii.
Once in a while, I would hear the pained scream of one of my men and I would let out a curse of frustration, knowing that they were either killed or injured enough to be taken out from the line. But the fight continued, as the man behind him was trained to step forward and take his place.
As more and more araneas surged forward and tried to take out rampart, I noticed that the men in the first line were starting to slacken. Tired from the constant battle, I knew that they needed to rest. Because of this I called for the first line to retire and had the second line advance to take their place. With that done, the fresher members of the second line continued the fight, as I kept my place and fought with them.
However, I got too distracted with the fight in front of me that I nearly forgot to check the overall situation around us. It was only when a horn signal cracked in the air that I was alerted to what was happening in other parts of the battle.
This signal was one of many that was taught to us early on after our arrival here. It was a warning that the spica were on the field and raising forward. Immediately I became alert and warned my men to watch out for any spica jumping over the ramparts. The horn would have also alerted the archers to target the spica above all others, but I knew that this was not a guarantee that none would get through.
As I continued fighting the battle in front of me, worrying if a spica would emerge at any point, another horn signal blared. This time it made a cold chill run through my back. It was the alert that saxa were on the field.
Stabbing the aranea in front of me and using my shield to cover myself, I managed to glance towards the distance and see the large figures of huge saxa rushing out from the eye and heading towards our direction. From this quick observation, I estimate that they were as tall as a two-story building. These were the big ones.
Having little time to worry too much about this, I continued my fight against the araneas, as I prayed to Mars that the ballistae would be able to take them down.
While I was changing the front ranks for a fresher line, I heard a loud cheer coming from a ballista crew on top of a tower to our right. This gave me and my men a morale boost, as it meant that the crew had taken down a saxum.
However, that lift in morale did not last long, as I soon heard panicked cries to my left. The words would forever be ingrained in my mind.’
“Spica among the ranks! Spica among the ranks!”
The voice came from the centurion that held a portion of the ramparts to the left of my century. His shout was then followed by panicked and pained cries of legionnaires, as I can only imagine groups of spica ravaging their ranks, as they stabbed the exposed feet of the men there.
It was terrifying to hear their screams, but there was nothing I could do to help them. The only thing I could do was alert the men on the left flank of my century and tell them to keep an eye for any spica that might come our way.
As the battle raged on, with the hordes of creatures seemingly pouring out without cease, I began to notice that the humming from the eye began to lower. Lessening over time, it sounded as if the eye was getting tired and running out of energy. Eventually, the humming ceased, leaving us with the howls of the araneas, the stomping of the saxa, and the shouts of our men.
For a moment I was able to glance at the eye long enough to see that it no longer shone bright. Instead it had returned to its earlier state, with its skin black as the night once more. I also noticed that no more creatures were coming out of it.
However, any relief this might have brought me was quickly shattered when I heard the sound of flesh being crushed. I then looked forward to see the bodies of a dozen aranea get flung upward to the sky. This was then followed by an intense slamming sound and shake of the floor beneath me. We on the ramparts were barely able to keep our balance, as the wall we stood on was shaken by powerful slams.
Channeling all the bravery left in me, I dared to look over the edge of the rampart to find myself facing directly at a saxum. Standing there at the base of the wall, this giant, in its reckless pursuit against our wall, had trampled and flattened all the araneas that had been piled in front of us. Now its large eyes briefly stared at me, peering into my very soul, before its whole stone body lugged forward and slammed on the wall. Its impact forced me back and made me bump against the legionnaire behind me.
Regaining my balance, I ordered my men to use their slings and throw bullets at the giant’s eye. However, despite many shots hitting, they seemed to do little to stop the creature. Once more, it slammed against the wall and I could hear the sound of stone crumbling before us.
Fearing what might happen next, I was about to order my century to get down from the rampart, when the sound of something large dropping filled my ears. Waiting for a moment, and feeling no more impact against our rampart, I once more dared to look over the edge and saw that the saxum had collapsed. Studying it for a moment, I noticed a large crack on the creature's head, just between its eyes. Then, in the distance, I could hear cheering from one of the far away towers. Sighing in relief, I told myself that I owe the crew of that balista a round of drinks.
The battle was ending at that point, with sections of the wall finishing off the last clumps of araneas.
Exhausted from the fight, many of the men slumped along the ramparts, drained of both their energy and emotions. However, despite this, many of us stayed fully away that night, fearing that another attack may come or a few creatures that somehow remained alive may sneak up on us if we weren’t alert enough.
The fight ended up with light casualties for my century, but the century on my left fared far worse, with around half their numbers taken out by the spica. The rest of the defenders also suffered badly, with portions of the southern line nearly overrun. We were later told that it was one of the biggest attacks by the eye so far and the fight had been a close call.
***
25th of June
Word has spread that an insane legionnaire has entered the eye. I did not witness it myself, but according to a fellow centurion who was on watch that day, a legionnaire had snuck out of the walls and began walking towards the Eye of Dis Pater. It didn’t take long for the watch posted on the walls to spot him, but no one dared to go down and stop him. Instead, they called out to him to stop and turn back. But he didn’t.
Instead, he walked up to the eye until he was a few steps away from its surface. Moving closer, he placed his hand on it and to the shock of many, it went through. Then, without hesitation, the legionnaire shoved his way forward and disappeared.
From what I gathered, the legionnaire was a veteran from one of the cohorts at the southern wall. Ever since the battle, it is said that he had been reclusive and had been talking to himself at night. Now, it is believed that he had gone fully insane and done something none of us would have dared to do.
It is said that the senior tribune was very shocked at the news, but was interested when informed that it was possible to go through to the eye during this seemingly dormant state it was in. A rider is rumored to have been quickly sent out after the senior tribune has been informed of the events.
***
8th of August
Something strange happened this morning while I was on watch. It started off like a normal day on watch, with me checking the men and making sure that they were at their post and concentrated on their duty. However, as I finished my rounds and gazed towards the eye, I felt a strange sensation. Although I and many others have felt the sensation of the eye staring back at us, this one was different. It didn’t feel like it was just staring at me. No. It felt like it was talking to me.
It was in the wind. Its voice was talking in the wind. At first I couldn’t understand it, the voice was strange and the language foreign. However, as I listened, it started to become more and more clear.
Concentrating on it, I soon understood its words until it began telling me something.
“You are a fool to stay here, centurion. Run while you can. They will kill to keep the secret. They will end up killing you and your men.”
Then it ended. The winds once more became wind and I was left to wonder what I heard.
Was it really the eye that spoke? Or was it my exhausted mind making up things?
***
15th of August
I had a dream of slaughter. Men dead, massacred. Blood was everywhere, the bodies piled into a massed grave, They were legionnaires and they were familiar to me. Staring at their faces, I saw the men of the cohort we had replaced. Every single one of them was now there, a look of shock plastered on their face.
I can’t get this dream out of my mind. No matter how many times I try to distract myself with duties, it keeps reappearing.
***
20th of August
The fort is filled with excitement. A legate has recently arrived with a contingent of five cohorts. Rumors quickly spread among the men, as everyone wondered what this could possibly mean. Was the current garrison to be replaced? Was the fortification going to be extended?
None of us knew what the legate’s arrival meant, but later that night all centurions from all cohorts were gathered at the principia, where the legate was to hold a meeting.
At the meeting the legate told us that he was sent by the Emperor himself. He explained that the Emperor is thankful for our valiant defense of the fort against the evil creatures of Dis Pater. He then said that after the close battle that occurred last June, the Emperor wanted to find a permanent solution to stop the attacks. After learning that it was possible to enter the eye during its dormant state, the Emperor asked that an expedition should be sent to see what was on the other side and figure out if there was a permanent way to end the terror.
The legate said that this was his purpose here and he said that he will accomplish the Emperor’s order.
***
25th of August
The legate ordered a scouting force to enter the Eye of Dis Pater, see what was on the other side, and report back to him. We thought this would not succeed, especially since the legionnaire that first entered it never came back. We Romans, however, were glad to learn that it would be a turma from the auxiliary cavalry that would be sent in.
We watched them enter and, once they were gone, gave no more thought about them. We were all convinced that they would be consumed by the eye and were as good as dead.
However, later in the day, we were surprised to see them ride out of the eye. I was on watch when that occurred and, although there were ten less riders, the fact was they had returned. They immediately reported to the legate, who is said to be pleased by the reports he was given.
***
27th of August
Another scouting force was sent into the eye today. This time it would be three turmae of auxiliary cavalry. The force ended up being gone for most of the day, but emerged out of the eye as night began to fall. They suffered heavy casualties and many of them were badly injured.
***
29th of August
We had just come back from a meeting with the legate. He plans for us to enter the Eye of Dis Pater tomorrow. According to him, the previous scouting mission has found the river of life for the eye and cutting it off would kill the eye and finally end its reign of terror.
I don’t really understand what that means or how we are going to cut off this river of life, but I am afraid of tomorrow. No campaign before this has frightened me the way this one is. After seeing what creatures came out of the eye and after seeing how many casualties all the scouting missions entering it had suffered, I knew that such an expedition into the eye would be bloody.
Rumors from the auxiliary cavalry also say that there are more creatures on the other side.
The legate plans to send seven cohorts of infantry, one ala of auxiliary cavalry, and one cohort of auxiliary archers on the expedition, all to be under his command. Two cohorts of infantry and one cohort of auxiliary archers are to be left behind to defend the fort, under the command of the senior tribune.
Sadly, for us, one of the infantry cohorts tasked to join the expedition is ours.
May Mars give us the strength to accomplish our task and may Jupiter light our way home.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The archeological site in central France is a curious one, as it seems to be a large fortification built in central France during the Principate-era of the Roman Empire. Archeologists and researchers alike are baffled why a fort of such size would be built in an area that was known to be peaceful at the time of its construction.
The fort itself has a strange layout, something uncommon for Roman forts at the time. Four walls surrounded an open empty field that had a lake at the large pond at the center. On the southern wall, a large castra stood, while smaller castellum on the north, eastern, and western portions of the wall. Such a format reminded us in the team of a wall of circumvallation, although none of us could find out what the Romans were trying to surround here. Survey of the central field reveals no signs of a settlement, but pieces of cast lead sling bullets, stones believed to have been fired from ballistae, arrow and pilum tips have been found.
Further surveys of the surrounding forest area were conducted in hopes of finding more archaeological evidence to help answer the question. This proved fruitful, as it resulted in a new discovery. However, instead of answers, it only opened up more questions.
This new discovery turned out to be a mass grave for fallen Roman legionnaires. From the skeletal remains recovered, it was noted that they were killed after being attacked with gladii and pila, leaving some speculate that they were killed by fellow Romans. Other objects recovered were various pieces of armor, weaponry, and dozens of vexilla. These vexilla have markings indicating that they belong to legionary detachments that had served at the fort. A leading theory at the moment is that these legionnaires were ordered to death by the superiors in charge of the fort in order to keep the secrets there contained. This theory, however, still lacks sufficient proof and needs further evidence and study.
These documents I translated were found inside in a leather satchel hidden under the floorboards of a room which archeologists believe were officer’s quarters at the northern castellum. Sadly, the other documents with it seem to have deteriorated to the point that they are unreadable. However, it seems like the document dated 29th of August is the last one this centurion wrote, with it being the last one in the group of papers.
The validity of the centurions account is currently being questioned by me and my research team, as his words describe the impossible. All of us knew that it was impossible to use his words as proof that unworldly creatures exist.
However, I have to admit that this place does have an aura of something strange towards it. Sometimes, when I wander near the pond, I can't help but stare and become fixated at it. As I do, I can’t help but feel the wind try to talk to me, as if trying to find the right words to say.
Yesterday, I felt like it did, because I swear I heard the wind whisper:
“I will be back.”

Photos upon request
 

amiibo	Condition
Zelda Loftwing	New In Box
Sanrio amiibo cards	Sealed Pack
Inkling Boy - Neon Green	Loose/Mint
Mario Cereal Box	Cereal Removed/Flattened
Pit	New In Box
Isabelle Summer Outfit	Open Box
Cyrus/K.K./Reese	New In Box/Damaged box
Timmy & Tommy	New In Box
Tom Nook	New In Box
Mabel	New In Box
Celeste	New In Box

 

Switch	Condition
Azure Striker Gunvolt Striker Pack	Sealed
Bendy and the Ink Machine	Complete in Box
Cruel King and the Great Hero Storybook Edition	Complete in Box
Disgaea 1 Rosen Edition	Complete in Box
Ghostbusters The Video Game Remastered	Sealed
Metroid Dread Collector's Edition	Sealed, a few dings associated with shipping
Monster Hunter Stories 2 Collector's Edition	Sealed
River City Girls	Sealed, Best Buy Variant
Shantae Collector's Edition	Sealed
Shantae Risky's Revenge Collector's Edition	Sealed
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cowabunga Collection	Sealed
Unravel 2	Sealed
Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution	Loose
Zelda Breath of the Wild	Loose, EU copy. Works with US DLC

 

Wii	Condition
Batallion Wars 2	Game and Case
Castle of Shikigami III	Complete in Box
Okami	Game and Case
Super Mario Galaxy	Complete in Box

 

WiiU Games	Condition
Batman Arkham City Armored Edition	Sealed
Disney Infinity 2.0	Sealed
Mario Kart 8	Complete in Box
Nintendoland	Complete in Box
Star Fox Guard	Complete in Box

 

DS	Condition
Super Scribblenauts	Loose

 

3DS	Condition
Kid Icarus Uprising (Japanese)	Game, Manual, and Case (No Big Box)

 

GBA	Condition
Game & Watch Gallery 4	Loose, Torn Label
Lady Sia	Loose, EU import
Lady Sia	Loose. Label imperfections
Super Puzzle Fighter 2	Complete in Box
Super Mario Advance	No label

 

GB	Condition
Alleyway	Loose
Kid Dracula	Loose
Pocket Monsters Red (Import)	Loose, still saves

 

NES	Condition
Kid Icarus	Game, Box, and Manual; Box shows wear; Protective case for box and manual included

 

SNES	Condition
Mortal Kombat II	Loose
Super Mario World	Loose
Super Scope 6	Loose
Wild Guns	Loose, Bad Label Damage

 

N64	Condition
Bomber Man 64 The Second Attack!	Loose
Pokemon Snap	Loose

 

Gamecube	Condition
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles	Disc and case. Artwork is a little dinged up. No Manual
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	Complete in Box, blockbuster stickers on case.
Pokemon Box (Import)	Game, Case, Manual, Demo Disc, and Slip Cover; Japanese Region
Super Mario Sunshine	Game and Manual. Case included, but the artwork may be a reprint.

 

Sega Genesis	Condition
Jurrassic Park	Loose cartridge, Sharpie on Label
Spider-Man	Loose cartridge, Label Damage
Genesis 6-Pak	Loose cartridge

 

Sega Saturn	Condition
Vampire Savior (Import, Dark Stalkers 2)	Game and artwork, no spine slip. Some creases in the artwork.

 

Sega Dreamcast	Condition
Power Stone	CIB
Power Stone 2	CIB

 

PSP	Condition
Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories	Game and Case, Greatest Hits
Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories	Loose, Greatest Hits, Cracked Casing
Little Big Planet	Loose
Loco Roco	Complete in Box
Patapon	Loose
Silent Hill Origins	Complete In Box
Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron	Complete in Box

 

PS1	Condition
Castlevania Chronicles	Loose
Chocobo's Dungeon 2	Complete in Box
Crash Bash	Complete in Box
Dark Stalkers	Loose
Dark Stalkers 3	Loose
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver	Loose
Silent Hill	Loose disc
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo	Complete in Box
Valkyrie Profile	Discs and Case, no manual
World of Dragon Warrior Torneko The Last Hope	Loose disc

 

PS2	Condition
Burnout	Loose Disc
Burnout 2	Loose Disc
Burnout 3 Takedown	Complete, Water Damage on back cover art
Burnout Dominator	Case and Disc, Disc has superficial scratches but still boots
Burnout Revenge	Complete, Greatest Hits
Castlevania Curse of Darkness	Loose, Disc has light scratching
Crash Bandicoot The Wrath of Cortex	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Dragon Ball Z Budokai	Complete in Box
Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi	Complete in Box; Greatest Hits
Final Fantasy X	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Final Fantasy X-2	Complete; Greatest Hits
God of War II	Complete; Greatest Hits
Grand Theft Auto Vice City	Disc, Case, Poster, No Manual
.Hack Quaratine	Game, Anime Disc, and Case. Missing Manual
Jak and Daxter	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Marvel vs Capcom 2	Cracked Disc, won't boot for me. Comes with case, no manual
Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2	Disc and Case
Need for Speed Underground	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Need for Speed Underground 2	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Resident Evil Dead Aim	Game and Case, No manual
Scarface	Complete; Greatest Hits
Star Wars Battlefront II	Disc and Case
Tekken Tag Tournament	Disc and Case; Greatest Hits

 

PS3	Condition
Castlevania Lord of Shadow Collection	Loose

 

PS4	Condition
APEX Construct	Sealed

 

PS5	Condition
Battlefield 2042	Complete in Box

 

XBOX One	Condition
Watchdogs	Sealed

 

Consoles	Condition
Monster Hunter Rise Edition Switch	New in Box (No game code)
White OLED Nintendo Switch	New in Box
OLED Switch Tablet	New/Unused Tablet Only
Legend of Zelda Game & Watch (35th Anniversary)	New in Box

 

Controllers	Condition
Fortnite Joy-Con Set	Comes from the Fortnite Edition Console, never used
Joy-Con Grip	Bagged/Unused - Came with console
Oculus Quest 1/Rift S Left Controller	Used but very good condition. Comes with silicon case
Oculus Quest 1/Rift S Right Controller	Used but very good condition. Comes with silicon case
Joy-Con (Left/Neon Blue)	Good, no drift
Joy-Con (Left/Gray)	Good, no drift
Joy-Con (Right/Neon Blue)	Good, no drift
Joy-Con (Right/Neon Red)	Good, no drift, Factory refurbished
SPIN Z WiiU Pro Controller	Black, Near Mint
SPIN Z WiiU Pro Controller	Black, Near Mint
Gray Wavebird w/Receiver	All OEM, the receiver and controller have a discremepncy on channels, but everything works as intended.
WiiU Pro Controller	Black, OEM, Good condition

 

Misc.	Condition
Switch Dock (Black)	Good
Black MagicGate 8MB PS2 Memory Card	Has Free McBoot loaded onto the card
Blue MagicGate 8MB PS2 Memory Card	Has Free McBoot loaded onto the card
Yellow Nyko MagicGate 8MB PS2 Memory Card	Has Free McBoot loaded onto the card
Super Smash Bros Ultimate Nintendo Switch ConsoleBox Only	Empty Box, good condition
Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch Console Box Only	Empty Box, good condition
Pokemon Dialga & Palkia Switch Lite Box Only	Empty Box, good condition
Fortnite Nintendo Switch Console Box Only	Empty Box, good condition
The Art of Splatoon 2	Sealed, Heavy book with media mail options
Kid Icarus Uprising Players Guide (Imported, no AR cards)	Shows a little wear
Nintendo Switch AC Adapter	Unused in original bag, Authentic Nintendo Adapter
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Pre-Order Coin	Sealed
Breath of the Wild Sheikah Coin	From BotW Special Edition, Good condition
Pokken Art Cel Pre-Order Bonus	Sealed
Blastoise New 3DS Plates	Plates are mint and unused
Nintendo 3DS Stand	OEM, Came with Kid Icarus Uprising
Kid Icarus AR Card Set (205/404)	Contains 205 different US cards, no duplicates. This is roughly half the entire set. An itemized list can be provided upon request.
Shantae Risky's Revenge 2 LP Soundtrack Vinyl	Sealed

 

Cases	Condition
Dot Hack (.HACK) Infection	Case & Manual
Dot Hack (.HACK) Mutation	Case only
Dot Hack (.HACK) Outbreak	Case & Manual
God of War Chains of Olympus	Case and Manual Only

 

Freebies	Condition
Gold Game & Watch Stand	Gold Game & Watch stand meant for the 35th Anniversary Edition Zelda G&W, but likely works with others.
Playstation 2 IDE Connector	Upgraded my HD Adapter to SATA, these are the old/leftover connectors.
Leapster Games

 

Wants	Console
Kid Icarus Uprising AR Cards: AKDE-025 AKDE-039 (Will consider others)	None
Asheron's Call Memorabilia	PC
Game & Watch Devices (Excluding 35th Mario & Zelda editions)	None
Sola to robo	DS
Izuna Legend of the Unemployed Ninja (Case Only)	DS
Little Red Ridinghood Zombie BBQ	DS
Metal Gear Acid	PSP
Classic NES Series: Ice Climbers	GBA
Classic NES Series: Excitebike	GBA
Classic NES Series: Dr. Mario	GBA
Classic NES Series: Donkey Kong	GBA
Classic NES Series: Pac-Man	GBA
Classic NES Series: The Legend of Zelda	GBA
Classic NES Series: Xevious	GBA
Castlevania Legends	GBC
Night Warriors Darkstalkers Revenge (Case & Manual Only)	Saturn
N64 Expansion Pack	N64
R.O.B. Accessories	NES
Wii Sports Club	Wii U
Turbo	Wii U
Blaster Master 2	Genesis

Prices are subjective, negotiable, and do not include shipping.   Photos upon request
 

amiibo	Price	Condition
Zelda Loftwing	30	New In Box
Sanrio amiibo cards	12	Sealed Pack
Inkling Boy - Neon Green	39	Loose/Mint
Mario Cereal Box	15	Cereal Removed/Flattened
Pit	30	New In Box
Isabelle Summer Outfit	40	Open Box
Cyrus/K.K./Reese	18	New In Box/Damaged box
Timmy & Tommy	40	New In Box
Tom Nook	12	New In Box
Mabel	9	New In Box
Celeste	9	New In Box

 

Switch	Price	Condition
Azure Striker Gunvolt Striker Pack	40	Sealed
Bendy and the Ink Machine	30	Complete in Box
Cruel King and the Great Hero Storybook Edition	60	Complete in Box
Disgaea 1 Rosen Edition	100	Complete in Box
Ghostbusters The Video Game Remastered	30	Sealed
Metroid Dread Collector's Edition	110	Sealed, a few dings associated with shipping
Monster Hunter Stories 2 Collector's Edition	160	Sealed
River City Girls	200	Sealed, Best Buy Variant
Shantae Collector's Edition	150	Sealed
Shantae Risky's Revenge Collector's Edition	150	Sealed
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Cowabunga Collection	30	Sealed
Unravel 2	30	Sealed
Yu-Gi-Oh Legacy of the Duelist: Link Evolution	18	Loose
Zelda Breath of the Wild	35	Loose, EU copy. Works with US DLC

 

Wii	Price	Condition
Batallion Wars 2	11	Game and Case
Castle of Shikigami III	75	Complete in Box
Okami	10	Game and Case
Super Mario Galaxy	13	Complete in Box

 

WiiU Games	Price	Condition
Batman Arkham City Armored Edition	40	Sealed
Disney Infinity 2.0	15	Sealed
Mario Kart 8	15	Complete in Box
Nintendoland	10	Complete in Box
Star Fox Guard	10	Complete in Box

 

DS	Price	Condition
Super Scribblenauts	5	Loose

 

3DS	Price	Condition
Kid Icarus Uprising (Japanese)	40	Game, Manual, and Case (No Big Box)

 

GBA	Price	Condition
Game & Watch Gallery 4	16	Loose, Torn Label
Lady Sia	30	Loose, EU import
Lady Sia	50	Loose. Label imperfections
Super Puzzle Fighter 2	60	Complete in Box
Super Mario Advance	13	No label

 

GB	Price	Condition
Alleyway	5	Loose
Kid Dracula	240	Loose
Pocket Monsters Red (Import)	10	Loose, still saves

 

NES	Price	Condition
Kid Icarus	180	Game, Box, and Manual; Box shows wear; Protective case for box and manual included

 

SNES	Price	Condition
Mortal Kombat II	15	Loose
Super Mario World	16	Loose
Super Scope 6	10	Loose
Wild Guns	270	Loose, Bad Label Damage

 

N64	Price	Condition
Bomber Man 64 The Second Attack!	250	Loose
Pokemon Snap	15	Loose

 

Gamecube	Price	Condition
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles	14	Disc and case. Artwork is a little dinged up. No Manual
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets	16	Complete in Box, blockbuster stickers on case.
Pokemon Box (Import)	38	Game, Case, Manual, Demo Disc, and Slip Cover; Japanese Region
Super Mario Sunshine	40	Game and Manual. Case included, but the artwork may be a reprint.

 

Sega Genesis	Price	Condition
Jurrassic Park	10	Loose cartridge, Sharpie on Label
Spider-Man	12	Loose cartridge, Label Damage
Genesis 6-Pak	18	Loose cartridge

 

Sega Saturn	Price	Condition
Vampire Savior (Import, Dark Stalkers 2)	40	Game and artwork, no spine slip. Some creases in the artwork.

 

Sega Dreamcast	Price	Condition
Power Stone	120	CIB
Power Stone 2	160	CIB

 

PSP	Price	Condition
Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories	19	Game and Case, Greatest Hits
Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories	14	Loose, Greatest Hits, Cracked Casing
Little Big Planet	9	Loose
Loco Roco	7	Complete in Box
Patapon	7	Loose
Silent Hill Origins	50	Complete In Box
Star Wars Battlefront Renegade Squadron	13	Complete in Box

 

PS1	Price	Condition
Castlevania Chronicles	120	Loose
Chocobo's Dungeon 2	100	Complete in Box
Crash Bash	15	Complete in Box
Dark Stalkers	47	Loose
Dark Stalkers 3	47	Loose
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver	18	Loose
Silent Hill	105	Loose disc
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo	40	Complete in Box
Valkyrie Profile	325	Discs and Case, no manual
World of Dragon Warrior Torneko The Last Hope	80	Loose disc

 

PS2	Price	Condition
Burnout	8	Loose Disc
Burnout 2	8	Loose Disc
Burnout 3 Takedown	11	Complete, Water Damage on back cover art
Burnout Dominator	9	Case and Disc, Disc has superficial scratches but still boots
Burnout Revenge	10	Complete, Greatest Hits
Castlevania Curse of Darkness	60	Loose, Disc has light scratching
Crash Bandicoot The Wrath of Cortex	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Dragon Ball Z Budokai	11	Complete in Box
Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi	15	Complete in Box; Greatest Hits
Final Fantasy X	6	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Final Fantasy X-2	6	Complete; Greatest Hits
God of War II	13	Complete; Greatest Hits
Grand Theft Auto Vice City	10	Disc, Case, Poster, No Manual
.Hack Quaratine	300	Game, Anime Disc, and Case. Missing Manual
Jak and Daxter	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Marvel vs Capcom 2	60	Cracked Disc, won't boot for me. Comes with case, no manual
Metal Gear Solid 2 Sons of Liberty	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Naruto Ultimate Ninja 2	10	Disc and Case
Need for Speed Underground	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Need for Speed Underground 2	17	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Need for Speed Hot Pursuit 2	10	Greatest Hits, Used, Disc and Case
Resident Evil Dead Aim	50	Game and Case, No manual
Scarface	40	Complete; Greatest Hits
Star Wars Battlefront II	10	Disc and Case
Tekken Tag Tournament	10	Disc and Case; Greatest Hits

 

PS3	Price	Condition
Castlevania Lord of Shadow Collection	30	Loose

 

PS4	Price	Condition
APEX Construct	15	Sealed

 

PS5	Price	Condition
Battlefield 2042	20	Complete in Box

 

XBOX One	Price	Condition
Watchdogs	15	Sealed

 

Consoles	Price	Condition
Monster Hunter Rise Edition Switch	420	New in Box (No game code)
White OLED Nintendo Switch	400	New in Box
OLED Switch Tablet	250	New/Unused Tablet Only
Legend of Zelda Game & Watch (35th Anniversary)	50	New in Box

 

Controllers	Price	Condition
Fortnite Joy-Con Set	120	Comes from the Fortnite Edition Console, never used
Joy-Con Grip	8	Bagged/Unused - Came with console
Oculus Quest 1/Rift S Left Controller	115	Used but very good condition. Comes with silicon case
Oculus Quest 1/Rift S Right Controller	115	Used but very good condition. Comes with silicon case
Joy-Con (Left/Neon Blue)	35	Good, no drift
Joy-Con (Left/Gray)	35	Good, no drift
Joy-Con (Right/Neon Blue)	35	Good, no drift
Joy-Con (Right/Neon Red)	35	Good, no drift, Factory refurbished
SPIN Z WiiU Pro Controller	25	Black, Near Mint
SPIN Z WiiU Pro Controller	25	Black, Near Mint
Gray Wavebird w/Receiver	90	All OEM, the receiver and controller have a discremepncy on channels, but everything works as intended.
WiiU Pro Controller	35	Black, OEM, Good condition

 

Misc.	Price	Condition
Switch Dock (Black)	40	Good
Black MagicGate 8MB PS2 Memory Card	20	Has Free McBoot loaded onto the card
Blue MagicGate 8MB PS2 Memory Card	20	Has Free McBoot loaded onto the card
Yellow Nyko MagicGate 8MB PS2 Memory Card	20	Has Free McBoot loaded onto the card
Super Smash Bros Ultimate Nintendo Switch ConsoleBox Only	90	Empty Box, good condition
Animal Crossing Nintendo Switch Console Box Only	20	Empty Box, good condition
Pokemon Dialga & Palkia Switch Lite Box Only	30	Empty Box, good condition
Fortnite Nintendo Switch Console Box Only	20	Empty Box, good condition
The Art of Splatoon 2	80	Sealed, Heavy book with media mail options
Kid Icarus Uprising Players Guide (Imported, no AR cards)	30	Shows a little wear
Nintendo Switch AC Adapter	20	Unused in original bag, Authentic Nintendo Adapter
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Pre-Order Coin	15	Sealed
Breath of the Wild Sheikah Coin	25	From BotW Special Edition, Good condition
Pokken Art Cel Pre-Order Bonus	7	Sealed
Blastoise New 3DS Plates	150	Plates are mint and unused
Nintendo 3DS Stand	30	OEM, Came with Kid Icarus Uprising
Kid Icarus AR Card Set (205/404)	600	Contains 205 different US cards, no duplicates. This is roughly half the entire set. An itemized list can be provided upon request.
Shantae Risky's Revenge 2 LP Soundtrack Vinyl	55	Sealed

 

Cases	Price	Condition
Dot Hack (.HACK) Infection	20	Case & Manual
Dot Hack (.HACK) Mutation	20	Case only
Dot Hack (.HACK) Outbreak	30	Case & Manual
God of War Chains of Olympus	15	Case and Manual Only

 

Freebies	Price	Condition
Gold Game & Watch Stand	Free with purchase	Gold Game & Watch stand meant for the 35th Anniversary Edition Zelda G&W, but likely works with others.
Playstation 2 IDE Connector	Free with purchase	Upgraded my HD Adapter to SATA, these are the old/leftover connectors.
Leapster Games	Free with purchase

 

I've been watching a couple local subs for a few weeks now piecing together a short trip and was hoping to get some feedback and/or suggestions on filling in the gaps.
​
Some background:
We are typically up early and will stay out late if there is something we want to do. We like pretty much all cuisines and do drink, enjoy live music, visit a lot of museums/art galleries, big sports fans, etc. I thought we would try to catch a show but she didn't want to do that this trip.
​
April 19

• Arrive via train into Penn St, check into the Warwick (W 54th St)
• Late afternoon/early evening free, probably just walk around the area.
  • Suggestions on things to see or places to go? We may do a little shopping but may not have time to go back to hotel before dinner so not sure.
• Dinner at Le Bernardin (booked)

April 20

• Weather permitting was thinking about taking a walk down to Bryant Park
  • Suggestions on breakfast/lunch near hotel and park? I had read about Xi'an Famous Foods a while back in a thread about chains people wished would open in their city but think the most convenient one to where we will be closed. Read about L’Adresse which sounds good. Dinner could be heavy so something on the lighter side that doesn't take us far from the D line may be ideal.
• Angels @ Yankees - Looks like D line is right by Bryant Park so should be convenient correct? Should be able to take same line to 7th Ave then walk back to the hotel as well.
• Dinner likely inside the park, but could grab something outside if there is something worth prioritizing over convenience.
  • Suggestions on food? We are sitting in section 420 but will probably walk around a little bit. Read about Lobel's steak sandwiches. Also read about the bucket of chicken but unless it is great feel like we would want to try something else. The Halal Guys might work as well. Anything we are missing? Anything outside that we should prioritize over the convenience of the park? Saw Sam's Soul Food but seems a bit far so leaning towards just sticking with something in the stadium unless there is something very close.

April 21

• I was planning to check out the Orchid/Cherry Blossoms at Brooklyn, but little worried the warm temps may make this a bust by the time we are there. Now I'm thinking weather permitting walk to High Line Park in the morning then Chelsea Market in the afternoon.
  • Suggestions on food and shops? I read about Friedmans which seems safe bet but if it isn't too hard to find a spot at one of the smaller spots probably prefer that. Saw several places serving noodles, tacos, pizza...street food type stuff that sounds interesting. Anything we should prioritize?
• Late afternoon/early evening free, probably just walk around the area.
  • Suggestions on things to see or places to go? We may do a little shopping but again may not have time to go back to hotel before dinner so not sure.
• She was hoping to book dinner at Tatiana's but I've been watching how quickly it books and I'm worried it is a little too new to count on.
  • Suggestions on other options for dinner? Prefer to stay relatively close to the hotel but can grab a Lyft/Uber easily enough. Saw several people saying Per Se was better than Le Bernardin and I suppose we could do both but seems a bit expensive. :D There look to be a couple good sushi places close by which may be nice.

​
Depending on weather our morning and afternoon plans could completely change and we end up looking for things to do inside. We enjoy museums and art galleries, but if there is anything else we should prioritize in the event the weather is poor would appreciate those suggestions as well. We will be heading out of town to the next stop via train from Penn Station April 22nd, but I think it is shaping up to be a nice quick trip. Any feedback and suggestions you have to make it better would be much appreciated. Thanks!

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Chapter 14 - Time and Change Will Surely Show
Last Time: Laran and Aiden were joined by the dwarven Augur Leor and together they executed a plan to beat back the bandits who were trying to steal from her carriage. In an improvised attack that involved all three fighters, Aiden managed to break one of their attacker's ankles - Laran had held his feet in the earth, Leor had made him more unlucky, and Aiden had been the one to tackle him. With their only remaining attacker being the halfling who had been christened Shooty, they tried to formulate a strategy to get the cabby to safety and get out of the fight. Leor cleared things up quickly, however, when she shot a bolt of lightning at the halfling in the tree. With the fight over, the group returned to town and got the cabby some medical attention. Deciding that they could use a drink, Leor and Aiden made for the Speckled Goose. As they entered, however, Aiden was greeted with the last thing he expected - someone was singing a very, very familiar song.
“Dad?!?” I said with a mixture of shock and confusion. Standing on the stage was a dwarf. He was stocky, maybe around five feet tall, and had a large, red beard and a shaved head. However, despite these details, I could still recognize my dad’s voice and his face. As soon as I had called out, he had hit an abrupt and unintentional chord on his guitar and made a sound like he was trying to suck his tongue into his throat.
“Aiden!” I heard from off to my right. I looked, and there was my mother. Unlike Dad, she had stayed the same height. However, she was sporting a pair of cat ears and a tail that bristled up like a bottle brush as she saw me. I just stared at her and blinked a few times, dumbstruck. She vaulted a table with surprising athleticism and came charging towards me before wrapping me up in a fierce hug.
“Aiden! It’s you! And you look like you!” She held me back at arm’s length and planted a kiss on each of my cheeks. Her eyes were sparkling and it didn’t seem like she noticed anything else in the world. Meanwhile, Dad had ditched his guitar on the stage and had jumped off of the slight elevation with a solid thump. He began winding his way towards Mom and I, making apologies and excuses to every patron he passed.
I noticed that every single eye in the bar was on us, including Leor’s. She had both eyebrows raised and looked very, very confused. Many of the other patrons had a similar look on their face as the beastkin and dwarf loudly welcomed their son the human. Maybe they all thought I was adopted? I tried to ignore my self-consciousness and embraced my mother.
“Hi Mom, when did you get here?”
My emotions were so loud at that moment. I had come to this world alone, and I had made my peace with that to some degree. I had figured I should move on and try to understand what had happened to me with the hope that it would bring me peace. Somehow, seeing my parents brought the hurt I had experienced on the first day back as much as it cured it. As my arms wrapped around Mom, tears came to my eyes and I leaned against her shoulder. I felt tears drip off of her face as well, and she squeezed me particularly tight.
I was shocked to find that it hurt, and the discomfort snapped me out of my reverie. I gasped a little, more from surprise than pain, and Mom released me. “Dang Mom, when did you get that strong?” I said. She looked bashful, and it was my father who answered for her as he finally broke clear of the gawking crowd and joined us.
“About the same time she got the tail and ears! What do you think, Aiden? You may as well start calling me Gimli, and your mom is like one of those cat girls from the animes-”
“NO!” I said loudly, mortified. Yes Mom had ears and a tail, yes the tail flicked around as we hugged, yes her ears reacted with surprise when I shouted, but that didn’t mean…
Temporarily my mind was utterly consumed with the thought. Oh god, my mom was a catgirl. And Dad seemed to be into it.
No no no no no it’s fine catgirls are beastkin here and are just normal people it’s fine you’re the one being weird about this Aiden goddamn internet ruining an idea as innocent as catgirls.
My mental struggle must have shown on my face. Dad was laughing uproariously and Leor had joined him despite the fact she had no idea what was going on. Mom looked a little embarrassed and bashful. I felt bad then and worried I might have hurt her feelings.
“I mean, yeah it does seem like Mom is a cat beastkin ,” I leaned into the word hard, shooting a glance at Dad, “but I can guarantee you she’s nothing like an anime catgirl.”
Mom grinned, her moment of self-consciousness forgotten. Dad and Leor finally let their laughter subside, and the people at the bar stopped staring at us quite so hard. I could still hear a buzz of conversation - we hadn’t directly said we were from another world, but our conversation was definitely weird enough to get people thinking in that direction. Mom kissed me again and Dad also gave me a long hug. I assured them I was fine and doing well, and then I convinced everyone to go and find a table so we could keep talking.
We chose a table off to the side of the bar, hopefully big enough that the Aganas could join us when they arrived. Dad went to the stage and told everyone he was done for the night - his son, who he hadn’t seen in a while, had unexpectedly returned. Everyone seemed to take his words at face value and went back to eating their meals. Eloise was working so I flagged her down - I really hoped she had been able to catch a break between this morning and now, but had no idea how her schedule worked. She trotted over with a smile on her face.
“Welcome back Aiden! Tonight’s been an exciting night, hasn’t it? First I heard you fought some bandits, and now you’re reconnecting with some long lost family! Might I be so bold as to suggest this sort of occasion calls for some wine?”
My parents’ eyes bugged out a little with the part about me fighting bandits. Eloise must have her ear to the ground - maybe Laran stopped through the Speckled Goose on his way home to tell her something? I quickly reassured my parents that I’d explain the whole thing, then thanked Eloise and said that yes, wine sounded great. Nodding and grinning, she left the table to go fetch the bottle. I figured there was no reason to delay my explanation, so I just launched into it.
“So, first of all, let’s do introductions. Mom and Dad, this is Leor Whisper - we just met a few hours ago, and yes we did fight some bandits. She’s a M- an Augur. Leor, these are my parents Tom and Matilda. I can explain how that happened if you give me a little time.”
Leor and my parents exchanged greetings, but I could tell that they were just being polite and were mor interested in my explanation. I started from the beginning, of being in a strange room and building my current body. Apparently my parents had seen much the same, though in their case they had been together. I asked them if they knew what roles they had chosen, and their answer caught me completely off guard.
“Oh, the weird statue things? I mean, we’d spent so long building our bodies at that point that we just kind of picked one and went with it. I think one of the people on my statue was holding a book?” Dad looked to Mom, who simply shrugged. “Your mother touched the sword one, I’m pretty sure about that.”
I tried to hide my shock at the nonchalance of their decision and pressed on with my own story. I talked about how nice the Aganas were and mentioned that we were expecting them to come here shortly. Mom and Dad cut in and mentioned they had just been wandering until they found Eightside and basically lucked their way into endearing themselves to the owners of the Speckled Goose, so that’s where they had been staying. Similar to me, they had also awoken in strange clothes and with money in their pocket. Leor stayed quiet through the entire exchange, seemingly content to just soak up the weirdness. I was just getting to the part about Laran agreeing to teach me to use a spear after the bear attack when the doors opened and the Aganas walked in. I immediately waved them over.
Laran approached, though he looked confused. “Um, hello there. I was coming here to meet up with Aiden - I assume that he must have gotten bored and tried to strike up a conversation. My name’s Laran, and these are my parents Barts and Lorna. Pleasure to meet you.” He was polite in greeting my parents, which probably meant Dad liked him already.
Laran stuck out his hand with a smile on his face - he really did adapt to strange circumstances quite well. I was about to introduce my parents when my dad cut me off.
“What do you mean, do you not recognize us?”
The polite grin on Laran’s face instantly turned to panic, which was matched almost muscle-for-muscle in Barts’ expression as well. I put my head in my hands - Dad’s humor could occasionally get a bit away from him, and he often leapt before he so much as thought about what may be at the bottom. Mom covered for both of us though.
“Ignore my husband, he’s been a little too chipper after trading barbs with patrons at the bar. We’ve never met before, though it seems you’ve met our son Aiden. My name is Matilda Smith, and this is Thomas or Tom. It’s a pleasure to meet you, and I can’t thank you enough for looking after Aiden!”
For his part, Dad did look a little embarrassed and apologized. The Aganas assured him that no damage had been done nor insult taken and sat down at the table. Eloise hurried over with three bottles of wine - even though there were now seven of us at the table, three bottles still seemed like a little much. I wasn’t going to tell her to take one back though, and her good mood was apparent as she set down the bottles.
“Now just get comfortable and start talking, I’ll be back with cups before you know it!”
She scampered away as my parents, Laran’s parents, and Leor said their hellos. I could tell there was a little uncertainty about what to do from both sides - I don’t think anyone at the table had ever even vaguely thought about how to handle a social situation as weird as the one we found ourselves in. I felt bad that Leor had been left out of things so far, and prompted her with some questions. If other people weren't talking anyway, her story may make for more neutral ground to cover.
“So Leor, now that we’ve all introduced ourselves a time or two, I’m a little curious about you. In the woods earlier you told me you are an Augur like your mother - can you tell me what that’s like?”
I saw a flash of annoyance go through Leor’s face, though it was quickly replaced by a realization and a thankful nod. I figured that while her upbringing may not be her favorite topic - if her rant in the woods was anything to go by, it was likely a particular sore spot for her - it would give her a way to have the floor for a bit and not be drowned out by the other conversations that didn’t involve her.
“Hmm, well there’s not a whole lot to tell. I’m part of Clan Whisper - I assure you, the name makes us sound much cooler than we are - and our clan line is known for producing a great many Seers and Augurs of repute. In fact I was just on -” I saw her pause and seem to debate something internally before continuing speaking, “-my way back home after some training. I went and saw some clan members, and now that they’ve trained me, I’m expected to make something of myself in whatever way I see fit." Her words rang hollow to me, but I figured now was not the time to press them. I was already beginning to see the outline of Leor’s life - a controlling mother, familial expectations, and desires that didn’t fit into the mold of what she was supposed to do. I wondered if she would want to join my impromptu adventuring party - while there were definitely some rough edges to be sanded down between the two of us, our powers had complemented each other well when it came to breaking Stabby’s ankle, and Laran and I could really use someone with ranged offense. I didn’t have that same burning hope she stayed with me like I did for Laran, but the way we had run into her and immediately helped her out basically screamed “here’s your chance to recruit someone” to me. My thoughts suddenly reminded me I hadn’t checked a mirror since the bandit combat.
“Hey Lorna, do you have a makeup mirror or something?”
She nodded and rifled through her bag while Leor kept giving little details about her life. Lorna's bag was full of things she had brought, presumably in case she was needed for a medical emergency. Since we hadn’t heard from the healer, she stayed in the Speckled Goose with the rest of us - given how raptly she listened to everything, I was sure she preferred it that way. With a small, triumphant cry she brought out a little clam shell mirror whose exterior looked like it might have actually been made of a clam shell. Mom complimented it, which launched a polite digression in the conversation at the table,, while I looked at the reflective surface.
Encounter successful! Party Members: Aiden, Laran, and Leor Loot: None Progression: * Aiden has grown to Level Three * Laran has grown to Level Four * Aiden, Laran and Leor have gained one Talent Point
The writing was much the same as last time, though I was surprised I leveled up so quickly. Maybe it was simply because I was a lower level than everyone else in the fight? If I had gained Talent Points when I leveled up like I had last time, I would have a decent handful to spend now. Before I could get too sucked into musing about how to spend my points, I closed the mirror and returned it to Lorna. I answered the round of questions my parents and Leor asked about what I was doing, then segued from that into telling the rest of my story up until the present. I got very few interruptions, which was a blessing.
“That’s about it, at least so far. It seems like Mom and Dad got transported to Tal as well, and now we’ve met Leor too. All in all, it feels like it has been a busy few days.”
Everyone laughed and agreed with me. I had not been speaking the loudest, but it still entertained me to see someone seated at a table near us slowly have their vision glaze over as they tried to figure out what the heck was going on. With the story done, there was a moment of silence before anyone spoke up as everyone digested the strange circumstances they’d been presented with. We had gone through all three bottles of wine,, and signs of tiredness were starting to show on everyone's faces. It was Barts who broke the silence.
“Welp, can’t say I e’er heard such a tale afore, but the boy an’ yer stories match. Somehow it’s t’easiest way t’explain the whole thing save adoption, and Aiden’s still got a few oddities besides. I can’t help but think we ain’t gonna get much further this night, maybe we pick it up again on the ‘morrow?”
Everyone agreed to that. Leor had enough money to rent herself a room at the Speckled Goose for a while, so she decided to just stay there. Mom and Dad apparently had already booked a room for a decent bit as they tried to get their lives figured out. They invited me to stay with them that night and I accepted - if I was going to be leaving and adventuring here soon, it was the least I could do. The Aganas, of course, were going to go back to their own home. They invited us all over to their house for breakfast the next day so we could continue talking everything over.
As everyone said their goodbyes, I followed the Aganas out so I could talk to Laran. His parents gave us some space by walking further down the road before stopping to admire some glasswork or another that was hanging in a craftsmen’s shop window.
Laran and I looked at each other in the twilight. For a moment we didn’t say anything, and then suddenly we were both laughing. Laran started it, his lips cracking apart just the littlest bit to show his pointy teeth before I broke. Soon both of us were deeply belly laughing at the absurdity of the day. It took Laran several tries to speak as he kept taking breaks to laugh and wipe tears from his eyes. When he finally got it under control, he sounded very sincere.
“Well Aiden, thanks for one of the single most interesting and notable days of my life. I must say, I’ve never had a date turn into a rescue turn into a reunion before. You’re making life around here seem much more… exciting. Yeah, excitin’ is the word.” I grinned back at him, again surprised by the strength of the emotional reaction that roiled in my chest.
“Of course, just don’t expect anything quite so grand for the next date.”
He grinned back at me, and put a hand on my shoulder. The temptation to kiss him flared up again, predictably, but it still didn’t feel right so I didn’t. His next words caught me completely off guard.
“Yer planning to leave, aren’t you?”
I had no idea what to say. My answer must have been plain in my eyes, because he looked at them searchingly. I answered that yes, I was thinking of leaving to try and figure out what was going on with me. His smile was still present, but it was tempered now.
“I see. We’ve had some conversation and such that’s been close to the topic, I just wanted to hear it for certain."
I nodded, my throat suddenly dry. I tried to think of something to say but I couldn’t. Laran simply watched me, deep in thought. Some words came to me, so I said them even though I felt like they weren't what I really wanted to say.
"Um, do you have any other questions?"
Laran cooked his head to the side slightly and thought about it before shaking his head.
"None, that's all I wanted to know. Good night Aiden, and thanks for the day."
He reached down, took my hand, and squeezed it. I squeezed back and told him goodnight as well before he set off into the woods and I turned back to the tavern. He had only gotten a few steps away when he suddenly turned back.
"Oh! Aiden. Uhm, when I was talking with Mom and Dad while we were heading to Eightside, I kinda figured out something," his face was deeply flushed, the very picture of embarrassment. "Mom knew today was a date."
I was shocked - Lorna's interactions with me in the morning suddenly took on a new light. My own face heated up to cherry red and I replied by making a slightly strangled noise to convey my surprise. Neither of us knew what more to say about that knowledge, so Laran waved and I shrugged and he turned back to join his parents.
When I went inside the Speckled Goose, it had calmed down significantly. We had settled our bill when most of the patrons had left for the evening. Eloise was mopping an area near the stage - someone had tipped an entire tankard over - but she paused to wave at me as I went up to the room my parents had rented. I waved back and wished her a good night, which she returned.
When I entered the room, my parents were both waiting for me. I immediately got the same vaguely uncomfortable feeling I'd gotten when they'd sat me down to explain puberty - whatever they wanted to talk about, it was possibly going to be awkward and almost definitely going to involve some emotional vulnerability on my part. It was Dad who started. "Hey Bud, I know you told us what had happened down in the bar, but why don't you tell us how you've felt?"
It all came tumbling out of me then - how I'd freaked out at the beginning, how the world hadn't made sense when I realized it wasn't a dream. I had sat down next to Dad, who had draped an arm over me. Mom shifted so she could rub a spot on my back under my shoulder blade. As I spoke, the raw emotions came back to me and I was fighting through tears.
I even went so far as to talk about my feelings from that day. I talked about how confused I was about what to do with Laran, how afraid fighting actual people had made me feel, and in general all of the doubts that had been building in my mind that I had kept pushing aside. My parents mostly listened and only rarely offered advice, but that is what I needed then. I fell asleep sitting up between them, and woke up the next day tucked into bed.
Elsewhere: The orc was thin. He almost looked like a scarecrow with his tall, lanky frame. He sat in a stone room, not quite a jail cell but also a far cry from freedom. He was nursing a nasty cut under his left eye as he heard a knock on the door. He straightened up and walked stiffly to the entryway to his room - he had given a report, but sometimes Daisy liked to come around and personally ensure that he remembered who was calling the shots. As he opened the door, he saw his friend. Her skin was mottled between pale and blue in a shifting pattern and she looked very, very worried. Wordlessly, the orc returned back to his bunk and sat down. He let his head hang as she entered the room and gently stroked the hair out of his eyes. She gathered a washcloth and a pitcher and gently set to cleaning the cut. The orc didn't make a sound despite the fact that her minstrations stung.
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RELEASE NOTES 1.31.22.0

If you are playing on PC, outdated packages in your community folder may have an unexpected impact on the title’s performance and behavior.
If you suffer from stability issues or long loading times, move your community package(s) to another folder before relaunching the title.
[All Versions] How to Install a New Update Safely

NEW CONTENT/FEATURES

• Optimized the “Checking for updates” phase to reduce the booting time of the simulator; improved the download speed in the installation manager; improved loading time before booting to the main menu
• Added a new assistance option to customize the intensity of turbulence experienced during flight (based on current altitude, environment, and weather conditions).
• Turkish and Korean languages have been added into the sim
• Added an input key to toggle Flight Assistant Panel
• Spotlight Event Pack: a pack of activities is now available in the Marketplace, which contains a curated selection of 13 Spotlight Events from the past. Please note: completing these activities will not count towards Spotlight Event related achievements.

General Bug Fixes

• Several crashes have been fixed across the title
• Fixed a bug in the purchase flow of MSFS Marketplace
• Keyboard shortcut to toggle Screen Narrator on/off has been added
• Control Options menu stops reset to top when assigning a button.
• “Set Departure”, “Set arrival” & “Zoom to Details” are now appearing when Airport Icon is clicked
• Fixed aircraft visibility issues with their interior and exterior model
• Corrected an issue that caused some multiplayer planes to display a purple texture on their Glass cockpits.
• Fixed Engine Governor being incorrectly labeled
• Fixed game freeze during boot
• Added parameter to cfg that allows to fix the legacy flight model integration of the accelerations that was causing wrong accelerations and g-force calculations in the legacy flight model. Integrated collision constraint response into the force calculation for g force estimation when on ground. This allows to have 1.0 when still on ground even with some suspension systems that don’t have enough force to counter gravity.
• Fixed issues in the building generation that could caused crashes
• Various localization improvements

Menu

• Fixed airport considered as water if runways have undefined surface type
• Added Weight & Balance visualization for rotorcraft.

Navigation/Traffic

• [Partially Fixed] Glass cockpit externalization has been reworked. There’s no intermediate window anymore; each glass cockpit opens a distinct window with the glass cockpit name. Window position and size is saved when ending a flight.
• With multi-layout screens cockpits, mouse collision for glass cockpit externalization is now received only by the current active glass cockpit.
• Navlog timer no longer resets when user closes and reopens it
• Fixed SimConnect injected traffic planes not following the assigned flight plan
• Fixed live traffic planes incorrectly following departure procedures
• Fixed live traffic planes staying stuck at hold short in some airports
• Fixed live traffic planes staying at low altitude after takeoff
• Fixed SimConnect injected traffic being often unable to depart from the departure gate
• Fixed traffic planes causing performance issue in the world map
• Fixed live traffic planes sometimes not showing nameplate
• Fixed live traffic planes sometimes spawning at an incorrect location and unable to move
• Fixed live traffic planes staying at low altitude during go around
• Fixed a crash where ATC uses an invalid runway number
• Glass cockpit: Waypoint with no associated city now show an empty city field instead of random characters.
• Glass cockpit: NavigationData expiration year is now properly displayed when date range extends over two years.

Weather

• [Partially Fixed] Heat only thermals are limited in height up to the cloud base (except under clouds)
• Limited and tuned negative thermals around clouds and hot ground.
• Reduced thermals close to ground.
• [Partially Fixed] Improved thermal slanting and cloud alignment.
• Reduced “blue” hot ground thermals in rain, with altitude and with high winds
• Reduced mountain turbulence with altitude
• Maximum vertical wind speed in storm clouds / TCU has been increased
• Fixed a cloud popping issue when updating Live Weather data
• Fixed a problem where in water presets, water would be iced for the physics but displayed as water in the rendering.
• General Live Weather improvements
  • Live Weather now uses server time instead of local time to avoid inconsistent or no live weather
  • Date of METAR files is now checked before ingesting the data to avoid replacing current METARs with out-of-date METARs in case of CDN issues; this also reduces bandwidth usage
  • Fixed an issue that would potentially stop the game from retrieving clouds
  • Fixed an issue where incorrect weather was injected while retrieving new data, potentially causing abrupt wind and pressure changes as well as cloud popping
• Fixed a Rendering issue where clouds were ghosting into the sky at horizon

Activity

• Fixed various issues on leg start in bushtrips
• Training activities are now recorded in logbook
• Fixed an issue that caused the P-51 to run out of fuel too early in Reno races
• Fixed an issue that could cause the engines to shut down when first starting a mission.
• In Bushtrips, the Description Box displays incorrect values for the Flight Length, Flight Duration, and Number of Legs

Glass Cockpits

Garmin G3000 / G5000

• Fixed incorrectly rendered lists when the number of items in the list was very large.
• Fixed various instances where FMS would not automatically tune the primary approach frequency when loading or activating ILS/LOC/LDA/SDF/VOR approaches.
• The GTC Airport Information page will now display the primary approach frequencies for all ILS/LOC/LDA/SDF approaches at the airport in the Freq tab.
• The PFD traffic inset map’s range labels are now always displayed in the bottom left to avoid conflicts with other map elements.
• Fixed long approach names from overflowing the approach button on the GTC Select Approach page.
• Miscellaneous map memory optimizations.
• Fixed a bug where on-route direct-tos incorrectly inherited the turn direction of their target legs.
• Fixed a bug where the initial course of an on-route direct-to was set in true degrees instead of the expected magnetic degrees.
• Fixed a bug where the flight plan would become corrupted when syncing a world map flight plan with an approach and at least one enroute waypoint but no departure or arrival.
• Advanced VNAV no longer tries to capture descent altitude constraints during climb phase.
• Added aural alerts for TIS/TAS/TCAS traffic and resolution advisories.
• Added support for choosing aural alert voice type (male/female).
• Enabled the Direct-To buttons in the GTC Waypoint Information and NRST pages.
• Most aural alerts that trigger at the same time will now be played back in a queue instead of overlapping each other. Note that some alerts are still allowed to overlap others.
• New CAS warning and caution messages are now accompanied by an aural chime.
• The active NAV source is now reset to FMS when the system is power cycled.
• Fixed a bug where the VSR navigation data bar field always displayed dashes (‘––––’).
• Selecting a waypoint in the GTC Direct-To page (either via the keyboard or the Nearest tab) that matches the current Direct-To target will now load the appropriate existing Direct-To information.
• Selecting a waypoint in the GTC Direct-To page (either via the keyboard or the Nearest tab) that is in the primary flight plan will now cause an on-route direct-to to be created when the Activate button is pressed.

G1000 Nxi

• Fixed an issue that caused the G1000Nxi to pan very slowly in Legacy interaction mode

Garmin GNS430W / GNS530W

• Fixed some page navigation issues where the right knob push would not close dialogs

VFR Map

• Fixed an issue where the plane’s CDI source would change when opening the VFR Map
• Optimizations for reducing memory usage
• Added support for VR in-game panel zoom axis

Aircraft

General

• FLO mode transition now takes into account density altitude
• Fixed Load % to display the correct individual engine power.
• Fixed a bug on WASM & TS glass cockpits using the zero pitch line of the PFD. The line now represents the 0° of the aircraft
• Fixed contrail effects on some planes
• Corrected an issue that caused the P-51 Bunny to display a white screen instead of the radio.
• [Partially Fixed] an issue that caused some lights on the B747 and A320 to incorrectly react to interaction with their controls.
• Corrected an issue that caused LEFT/RIGHT_AXIS_BRAKE_SET to incorrectly affect both brakes.
• [P-51 Mrs Virginia] Landing gear doors animations are now working correctly
• External HUD : Variometer is no longer displayed on external HUD when not relevant to the aircraft.
• [Checklists] Fixed inconsistent XML parsing behavior between PC and consoles
• [Known Issue] LS8 can be pushed towards the ground when using winch launch method

Helicopters

• Engine power jump was reduced during the governor activation.
• Added an engine trimmer. If the helicopter has this feature, it is now possible to slightly change the nominal engine/rotor RPM that a governor is trying to maintain. Please, refer to the new input commands in the Control Options menu: “ENGINE TRIM RPM INCREASE” and “ENGINE TRIM RPM DECREASE”
• The throttle control logic for multi-engine helicopters has become more consistent.
• Fixed Tail rotor increment for better controllability with gamepad Helicopter profile (without tail rotor assistance)

Airbus 310-300

• Significant sound improvements in all areas of the aircraft (numerous reports are covered in this).
• External lights adjusted for a more realistic experience.
• Pressure system bug resolved.
• Improvements to T/D logic.
• Flight deck door resolution improved on Base version.
• FMS symbol tweaked to be more realistic.
• VOR* to VOR transition in capture bug resolved.
• Landing weight calculations on FMC for imperial fixed.
• Sliders added in EFB.
• VOR1 RMI disappears when overlapping VOR 2 needle bug fixed.
• SPD LIM mode premature bug fixed.
• Galley latches repositioned to closed position.
• Console unit flood light moveable.
• Trim wheel integral light now added.
• Glass added on outstanding cockpit gauges.
• Added magnetic variation to navaids.
• Autobrake commands added for hardware.
• INIT B & LW bugs fixed.
• RSK a waypoint to VERT REV bug fixed.
• Loading co-route character removal bug fixed.
• Custom PBD can now be added on new waypoint page and entering directly into F-PLN.
• When selecting INHG in options, perf calc bug fixed.
• Negative temperatures in EFB, now inserting correctly.
• vPilot COM 2 bug fixed.
• Sticker on door bug fixed.
• Cargo doors now use brake accumulator.
• Chrono bug fixed.
• SEC FPLN crashes fixed.
• CG prompt in FUEL PRED adjusted to ZFWCG.
• Some light leaking fixed.
• ATC/AI audio bug fixed.
• Triggering secondary approach more than once crash fixed.
• VHF2 and 3 now audible in cockpit.
• Volume knob pull to mute working in A310.
• Players voice now heard when talking to ATC.
• Fuel page line amber when it should be green.
• EFB checklist upon scrolling bug fixed.
• Brake accumulator logic improved.
• LBS when over 100,000 clipping fixed.
• Extra fuel/time now gets calculated when an ALTN is selected.
• EMER LTs state in Cold and Dark bug fixed.
• ATHR to GA keybind bug fixed.
• INIT B selecting values bug fixed.
• Stab trim movement during different HYD pressure bug fixed.
• Overall hardware compatibility improved with HoneyComb Bravo, Saitek panels.
• APU fire test conditions logic improved.
• Ailerons position bug fixed in 15/0 state.
• VONavaid Identifier Sound not working fixed.
• Unable to query sim waypoint database from REF page fixed.
• Fixed HSI changes on selector in flight deck.
• Wiper no longer moves with no power.
• Fixed loudspeaker not making sound.
• Fixed issue where aircraft systems freeze mid-flight.
• Entered temps not appearing on weather page of f-plan fixed.
• Expose current altimeter reference value fixed.
• Fire Loop lights on switched to AC ESS instead of AC EMER bus.
• ADF needles now point to true bearing not magnetic.
• Fixed abnormal behavior when choosing NONE STAR approach and transition.
• WASM API nav data waypoint structure adjusted.
• Updated translation files.

Bell 407

• Engine performance increased to match more closely the real-world behavior.
• Now it is easier to overstress the rotor RPM and torque under heavy load.
• The helicopter is easier to stabilize now in cruise flight with trim and assistances turned off.
• Low rotor warning sound now sounds when the battery is switched on.
• Annunciators illumination is stronger now in DIM mode.
• Altimeter barometric scale values now match up with the simulator values.
• Gauge illumination is toned down preventing it to being overblown on maximum brightness settings.
• Auto-trim switch has been removed.
• Force trim switch has been removed.
• Pedal stop functionality added (limits left pedal movement during flight) above 50 kts.
• Rotor rotation animation in multiplayer is now functioning.
• Rotor brake is functional again.
• Used fuel type in the weight and balance settings is JET fuel.
• Added Turkish language translation.
• Added Korean language translation.
• Pedal animation on the connecting rod is fixed.
• Interior collider adjustments. The camera doesn’t clip into the main panel anymore.
• VR support adjustments. Full VR support.
• Reference cruise speed now shows the correct value on the aircraft selection screen.

Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental

• Fixed an issue that could prevent part of the speed brakes from properly triggering on the 747.

Guimbal Cabri G2

• START mode behavior improved on EPM
• Better synchronization between engine RPM and rotor RPM
• In Direct To Page, magnetic bearing is displayed instead of true bearing
• Throttle handle animation is now working correctly
• Fixed miro drift on ground contact with helicopters. Fixed Cabri skid suspension settings; Cabri now stable on ground.

Cessna 172 Skyhawk G1000

• Fixed ground steering during takeoff to compensate for crosswind

Cessna Citation CJ4

• MFD: Fixed battery electrical indications always showing 0
• AP: Fixed altitude capture not engaging in TO vertical mode
• Disabled unused COM3 radio receiver
• Adjusted brightness of Standby Indicator
• Fixed the AoA indexer not indicating the correct AoA
• Fixed sim checklist stuck in After Starting Engines checklist
• Fixed wrong state indication on APPR button tooltip
• FMC: Fixed ARRIVALS page not working when airport features approaches not tied to a specific runway
• FMC: Fixed discontinuities piling up when editing procedures
• YD/AP DISC Bar now disables the Yaw Damper
• Fixed Overspeed Warning audio not always working
• Fixed an issue with the Direct To initial Course being incorrect
• Fixed an issue where the FMA would always show LOC1/VOR1 even when nav source is NAV2
• TOGA button on the Thrust Lever is now active
• Added automatic VOR tuning functionality
• Added the FLT LOG page to the FMC and flight tracking
• The FLT LOG page will show on the FMC after landing based on the setting in DEFAULTS
• Added ability to ident the transponder on the FMC ATC CONTROL page
• Fixed an issue where fuel used tracking on FUEL MGMT page 2 was not correct
• Reduced pitch instability and adjusted elevator authority, tweaked roll rates at various speeds to keep light control feel but reduce excess performance
• Adjusted flaps to achieve a better compromise between approach angle and flaps pitch/lift moments, reduced flaps drag at both flaps levels
• Slightly increased top end engine thrust to address a few reports of insufficient climb power
• Increased gear down drag
• Increased gyro stability to reduce excessive turbulence impact
• Adjusted load stations to be more in line with real loadout
• Added additional groundwheel friction to avoid skidding during moderate crosswind landings
• ILS data is now loaded from the approach FAF origin facility to allow for nav-to-nav and auto-tune even when scenery runway data does not have the appropriate ILS reference information
• Fixed bugs related to visual approach loading and visual approach vnav guidance
• Fixed missing basic aural alerts
• COM input now allows to enter 136.xxx frequencies
• Limit types of airports displayed on the map to show only suitable ones

Cessna Citation Longitude

• Fixed incorrect pitot heat logic.
• Fixed the AILERON(S)_LEFT/RIGHT key events commanding ailerons in the opposite direction as intended.
• The engine auto-start and auto-shutdown procedures (Ctrl-E and Ctrl-Shift-E) now function correctly.
• The standby instrument now automatically adjusts its backlight levels.
• Autothrottle no longer requires gear and flaps to be retracted to change from TO mode to SPD/CLIMB/DESC modes.
• Taxi auto-tests now require engines running to begin evaluating.
• Fixed broken external animations for non-default liveries.
• Fixed incorrect load station count in cfg, and adjusted passenger load positions to match standard 8-seat configuration.
• Increased ND elevator trim limit to prevent AP from running out of trim authority at low altitudes and high speeds.
• Fixed AFCS control panel APR button tooltip.
• Added BRAKE FAIL and GENS OFF aural alerts.
• The G5000’s active NAV source now defaults to FMS when starting a flight.
• The AFCS control panel UP/DN wheel now changes pitch reference when the AP is in PIT mode.
• Fixed broken rotate animations on the CRS knobs.
• The 500-foot touchdown callout will now sound as appropriate. Also added other touchdown callouts from 450 to 50 feet.

Curtiss JN-4 “Jenny”

• Fixed in VR elevator not moving.
• Fixed engine audio from nearby Jenny aircraft can be heard within cockpit.
• Added Phone EFB with Compass, Indicated Air Speed, Radio and XPDR functionality tied to core sim.
• Added electrical system for the EFB.
• Added EFB section to the Flight Manual.
• Added right bracket in cockpit to Show/Hide EFB.

Daher TBM 930

• Increased maximum nose wheel steering angle to 28 degrees, and increased speed at which nose wheel steering starts becoming less effective to 10 knots.
• [Partially Fixed Increased brightness of taxi and landing lights.
• Pulse lights no longer draw additional power when landing lights are on.
• Fixed broken door animations for non-default liveries
• Fixed handling of electrical battery key events.
• Improved compatibility with hardware that send electrical battery and external power key events every frame.
• Fixed AFCS control panel APR button tooltip.
• The overspeed, stall, and landing gear aural alerts will now sound as appropriate.
• The G3000’s active NAV source now defaults to FMS when starting a flight.
• Fixed broken rotate animations on the CRS knobs.

Darkstar

• Fixed several issues related to entering a frequency on the transponder of the Darkstar
• External Camera display now rotates without stretching the view.

DG-1001E

• Improved adverse yaw, balance, handling qualities and spoiler drag
• Improved stall to match stalling characteristics as described in the flight manual (wing drop)
• Winch launch now requires the technique as described in the DG-1001E flight manual: "During ground roll and initial take-off push the control stick to a forward position to prevent excessive nose-up pitching rotation during initial take-off. After reaching safety altitude gradually pull back on the stick, so that the glider will not pick up excessive speed. Don’t pull too hard. After reaching release altitude pull the tow release knob. Recommended winch launch airspeed 110-130 km/h (60-70 kts.).

Douglas DC-3

• Upside down illegible writing on rear door stairs in Blue stripe Livery.
• Landing light switches are no longer reversed.
• Underside beacon light illuminates correctly.
• Multiple items can now be manually completed with evaluation mode.
• Landing gear text decal is no longer obstructed by open passenger door switch.
• DC-3 Aux tanks correctly feed the engine.
• HUD correctly indicates state of flaps.
• DC-3 cockpit model - Nose rivets remade.
• With the propellers feathered moving the prop control affects all the propellers.
• DC-3 cockpit model - Screws no longer clip through window frame.
• Beacon Light switch is targetable.
• Instrument texture no longer disappears when zooming out in external/showcase view.
• The user can’t hear the wind on takeoff even if all audio is turned off.
• Red yellow cargo image in liveries selection is consistent with livery in free flight.
• Blue stripe image in liveries selection is consistent with livery in free flight.
• Image for ole dusty livery in selection screen does match the livery in free flight.
• Mesh switch turns off and now the state of the switch correctly indicates it is off.
• Carb Air temperature correctly matches sim.
• Beacon light underneath fuselage can now be turned on.
• There is now a switch in cockpit to toggle on/off beacon light.
• Quickview 3 in cockpit camera is positioned correctly.
• Tooltip indicates correct state of Master Ignition switch.
• Off position on the right fuel selector now fixed.
• Cold dark switch use failing to show fuel pressure is fixed.
• Checklist for starting engine now says to wait 2 seconds.
• Scroll wheel issue with Desired Heading knob has been recoded.
• Spawning at night on runway, Cockpit lights now are on.
• Typo present in Hangar Description has been rectified.
• DC-3 Thumbnails now match the model.
• AUX Fuel gauge needles are fixed.
• Incorrect string on AUX fuel weight and balance fixed.
• Hole in cargo doors from inside cargo bay hold fixed.
• Various light leaks fixed.
• Texture improvements throughout the model(s).

Grumman G-21 Goose

• Fixed duplicate key name errors.
• Fixed cockpit camera clipping through floor.
• Fixed typo in cockpit placard.
• Fixed typo in loading screen trivia.
• Fixed engine audio from nearby Goose aircraft can be heard within cockpit.
• Added Phone EFB with Radio and XPDR functionality tied to core sim.
• Added Switches to Show/Hide EFB and Turn ON/OFF Avionics (including switch audio and decals).
• Added EFB section to the Flight Manual.
• Updated translation files.

H-4 Hercules “Spruce Goose”

• Yoke interaction with VR controllers simulate a yoke instead of a flight stick.
• Weight and Balance screen no longer contains debug text.
• Flying very far past Vne now triggers a crash.
• Modern avionics added.
• Clipboard updated with new features.
• Auto-pilot added.
• Green navigation light orientation.
• ATC/ICAO params.
• Prop animation issue on one side.
• Clipboard items missing check once clicked.
• CHT, Oil, Radiator temperatures have been adjusted.
• The blurred propellers no longer cast shadows.

LS8

• Improved adverse yaw, stall and spoiler drag

Ryan NYP “Spirit of St. Louis”

• VR controller interaction influence fixed.
• Multiplayer Art issue fixed (the front was hidden on other Ryan).

Wright Flyer

• VR users can launch the aircraft properly now, the throttle is automatically set to 100% once the catapult is triggered.
• Cockpit collision added.

World

• Fixed Statue of Liberty standing in water

Airport

• Fix terraforming issue on taxiway at HECA
• [Partially Fixed] Fix taxiway bridge issue at RJTT causing aircraft crashes
• Fixed Queenstown airport not updated with World Update 12
• Fix taxiway bridge issue at SBGL causing aircraft crashes
• [Partially Fixed] Fix taxiway bridge issue at LFPG causing aircraft crashes
• Fixed wrong airport names in Australia (Coober Pedy)
• Fixed terraforming issues include the crack on runway 26 at ESSA
• Fixed the possibility to set a seaplane base as departure without a seaplane

World Update 1 – Japan

* POIs:

• Fixed Rainbow Bridge night texture.
• Nagasaki Airport RJFU:
  • Fixed Control Tower LOD transition.
  • Added collisions for few missing objects.
• Hachijojima Airport RJTH:
  • Fixed windsock direction behavior.
  • Fixed multiple objects LOD transition.
  • Added collisions for few missing objects.

World Update 2 – USA

* POIs:

• Fixed Alcatraz Water Tower LOD transition.
• Fixed the satellite imagery cab be seen on the terrain below New River Gorge Bridge.
• Added marker to Lowry Avenue Bridge.
• Fixed Rainbow Bridge Niagara Falls texture.
• Fixed Haystack Rock position over terrain.
• Fixed US Grant Bridge textures and blend with the aerial imagery.
• Fixed Yosemite El Capitan terraforming clipping.
• Fixed terrain and imagery blending of the Lewis and Clark Bridge.
• Fixed Navajo Bridge terrain blending.
• Fixed collisions size of the Monument Valley.
• Fixed Rainbow Bridge Niagara Falls LODs transition.
• Added collisions to the US Air Force planes on the Airport Graveyard.
• Fixed United States National Arboretum is missing textures near the top of the pillars.
• Fixed Glen Canyon Dam ground textures clipping through the Dam.
• Added missing building to the National Radio Astronomy Observatory.
• Added collision to Bixby Creek Bridge.
• Fixed United States Capitol LOD transition.
• the Las Vegas Strip is now searchable by name.
• The Rainbow Bridge, Niagara Falls.
• Fixed Fort Knox LOD popping.
• Added collisions to Sunshine Skyway Bridge buildings.
• Fixed missing texture on Lowry Avenue Bridge.
• Atlanta Airport KTAL:
  • Fixed the Ground services clipping at parking RAMP 312 CARGO, parking spot N ramp 312 and airliners gate H-4.
  • Fixed flipped textures of Delta hangar and Atlanta Fire Rescue buildings.
  • Added collisions to all buildings.
  • Fixed Bridge on a taxiway.
  • Fixed night lighting disappears at short distances.
• Friday Harbor Airport KFHR:
  • Fixed few terraforming issues.

World Update 3 – UK & Ireland

* POIs:

• Fixed Goodison Park LOD popping.
• Added and improved collisions for the following POIs: 100 Bishopsgate, Wembley Stadium, Blackpool Tower, Durham Cathedral, Floors Castle, The Blair Castle, Blenheim Palace, The Royal Botanical Gardens, Goodison Park, The Eden Project.
• Fixed St James Park missing texture.
• Fixed Emirates Stadium model and textures (include misspelling billboards).
• Fixed Eilean Donan Castle Vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Canterbury Cathedral LOD pops.
• Fixed Stamford Bridge LOD 1 and LOD 2 switched.
• Fixed Blackpool Tower texture clipping.
• Fixed Kew Garden floating bespoke building.
• Removed TIN spikes around St. James Park stadium.
• Fixed Windsor Castle LOD popping.
• Fixed Pontcysyllte Aqueduct LOD popping.
• Fixed Glass Pod on British Airways I360 position popping at different distances.
• Fixed Goodison Park missing textures under Sunroofs.
• Fixed Floors Castle texture and Added missing texture.
• Fixed Scotland flag display on Edinburgh Castle.
• Fixed Archbishop’s Palace Maidstone texture and LOD popping.
• Fixed Villa Park Stadium LOD popping.
• Fixed Kew Garden alignment with the satellite imagery footprint.
• Fixed Anfield Stadium LOD popping.
• Fixed Glamis Castle Grass vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Caernarfon Castle displaying.
• Fixed Wales Millennium Centre LOD transition.
• Fixed Forth Rail Bridge’s Northside pillar missing textures.
• Fixed Forth Rail Bridge displays Cars climbing.
• Fixed Twickenham Stadium and York Minster LOD popping.
• Liverpool John Lennon Airport EGGP:
  • Removed Light pole in middle of a taxiway.
  • Added missing collisions to multiple buildings.
• Barra Airport EGPR:
  • Fixed few taxi path issues.

World Update 4 – France &Benelux

* POIs

• Fixed the Mont Aiguille collision. It is now possible to land at its top.
• Fixed Stade Jean-Bouin collision.
• Fixed Stade Vélodrome LOD transition.
• Nice Cote Airport LFMN
  • Fixed runways center lines missing in both runways.
  • Fixed waypoints and nav procedures issues occurred.
  • Added collision to multiple buildings.

World Update 5 – Nordics

* POIs:

• Fixed Viking Stadion / SR-Bank LOD popping.
• Fixed Road traffic driving underneath Storseisundet Bridge and Svinesund Bridge.
• Fixed Petäjävesi Old Church and Uddevalla Bridge displays double markings.
• Fixed Cars driving through Copenhagen Opera House.
• Fixed Copenhagen Opera House LOD popping.
• Added collisions to the Tjörn Bridge.
• Fixed Kullen Lighthouse vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Øresund Bridge terraforming issue.
• Fixed Brøndby Stadium spawning.
• Fixed the Bolt Arena missing collision.
• Fixed Roskilde Cathedral Cars driving up the building.
• Fixed Helsinki Ice Hall LOD popping.
• Fixed Blue Water Arena missing collision.
• Fixed Arctic Cathedral LOD popping.
• Fixed Aalborg Stadium missing collision.
• Fixed Tromsø Bridge Road traffic under and beside the Bridge.
• Fixed floating TIN artifacts/crane near Helsinki Olympic stadium.
• Fixed Hallgrímskirkja Church missing collision.
• Fixed Eleda Stadion LOD popping.
• Fixed Ullevaal Stadion LOD transition.
• Added collisions to the Ylisto Bridge beams.
• Fixed Sparebanken Sør Arena LOD popping.
• Fixed Sölvesborg Bridge vegetation clipping.
• Stockholm Arlanda Airport ESSA:
  • improved LOD transition of several buildings.
  • Added collisions to all buildings.
  • Fixed terraforming issues include the crack on runway 26.
  • Fixed big crack in runway 26.
• Svalbard Airport ENSB:
  • Added missing collision to Airport hangar.

World Update 7 – Australia

* POIs:

• Fixed occasional displacement of dynamic flags on Sydney Harbour Bridge.
• Fixed vegetation clipping and placement issues at Anzac Bridge, Sydney.
• Fixed vegetation clipping at Mooney Mooney Bridge.
• Fixed flashing geometry on Tasman Bridge, Hobart.
• Adjusted photogrammetry exclusions at 568 Collins Street, Melbourne.
• Minor enhancements at several other locations, e.g., clipping vegetation or water exclusions.
• YSHL Shellharbour Airport:
  • Minimized visible LOD changes of hangars and other buildings.

World Update 8 – Iberia

* POIs:

• Fixed location of Fort of Sao Joao Baptista and Covão dos Conchos.
• Fixed or adding collisions:
  • Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre.
  • Royal Palace of Madrid.
  • the Museu Nacional d Art de Catalunya.
  • the Estádio Algarve.
  • Bom Jesus do Monte.
  • Alqueva Dam.
  • Aldeadavila Dam.
  • the Museum of Art Architecture and Technology.
  • Estadio Jose Alvalade.
• Fixed LOD popping:
  • Montjuic Castle.
  • Estadio Da Luz.
  • Episcopal Palace of Astorga.
  • Covão dos Conchos.
  • San Pablo Bridge.
  • Torre Mapfre.
  • Basilica de La Sagrada Familia.
  • Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Centre.
  • Puente Nuevo.
  • Fort of Sao Joao Baptista.
  • Estádio Municipal de Aveiro.
  • Estádio do Dragão.
  • Hotel Arts.
  • Observatorio Roque de los Muchachos.
  • El Monumento Natural de los Mallos de Riglos.
  • Palacio de Deportes de Santander.
  • Catedral de Leon.
  • the Alamillo Bridge.
• Fixed Montjuic Castle vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Z-fighting in front of the Museum of Art Architecture and Technology.
• Fixed Estádio Cidade de Coimbra double markers.
• Fixed Puente Nuevo Cars path.
• Fixed Guadiana International Bridge 2D footprints over the satellite imagery.
• Fixed Freixo Bridge- car traffic driving up below the Bridge.
• Fixed Third Millennium Bridge Cars traffic issue.
• Fixed Maria Pia Bridge- Cars climbing up to top of Bridge.
• Fixed Luís I Bridge displays Cars traffic path.
• Fixed Santiago Bernabeu Stadium seats texture.
• Fixed Castillo de Santa Barbara texture gaps.
• Fixed the animation of the Gondola on the Vizcaya Bridge.
• Fixed Bom Jesus do Monte trees clipping into the building.
• Fixed Alqueva Dam texture.
• Fixed Alcázar de Segovia terrain clipping.
• Fixed Pena Palace trees clipping into the POI.
• Fixed El Flysch Zumaya and El Capricho Villa POIs name spelling.
• Fixed Rande Bridge Cars path and trees clipping into the POI.
• Fixed Aldeadvila Dam vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Alcázar de Segovia trees clipping into the POI.
• Fixed El Monasterio de El Escorial Z-fighting.
• Fixed Monumento a Alfonso XII Z-fighting.
• Fixed 516 Arouca bridge vegetation clipping.
• Pico Airport LPPI:
  • Fixed double windsocks.

World Update 9 – Italy & Malta

* POIs

• Fixed Duomo Di Orvieto LOD popping.
• Added missing collisions to Basilica San Francesco.
• Fixed Torri Di San Marino LOD popping.
• Fixed Diga Di Santa Giustina terrain LOD popping.
• Added missing collision to Torri Di San Marino.
• Fixed Faro Di Capo Caccia cliffs collision.
• Fixed Castle of Corigliano Calabro vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Fort Manoel collision.
• Fixed Castello Di Graines collision.
• Fixed Caserta Royal Palace collision.
• Fixed Place Moulin Dam vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Fénis Castle textures issues.
• Fixed Potola Palace bridges terrain blending.
• Fixed Fort St Angelo vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Castelsardo invisible terrain issues.
• Fixed Palazzo Pitti Z-fighting and LOD popping.
• Fixed Fort St Angelo vegetation clipping.
• Fixed National Stadium Ta’Qali collisions.
• Fixed Fénis Castle vegetation clipping and Added collisions.
• Fixed Parish Church of Mellieha missing textures.
• Fixed Mi.Co. Gate 2 vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Basilica San Francesco vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Maxxi the National Museum collisions.
• Fixed Lighthouse Of Genoa powerlines, DEM and generic buildings clipping.
• Fixed Allianz Stadium vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Viadotto Sfalassa vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Basilica Di San Pietro vegetation and TIN clipping.
• Fixed Basilica Di San Petronio TIN clipping.
• Added missing collisions to Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi.
• Fixed Castelsardo Z-fighting and vegetation clipping.
• Fixed Grotta Di Nettuno vegetation clipping.
• Marina Di Campo Airport LIRJ:
  • Fixed double windsocks.

World Update 10 – USA

* POIs:

• Fixed Mount Washington Hotel terraforming.
• Fixed National Park of American Samoa’s Marker position.
• Fixed textures stretched in Royal Gorge Bridge & Park’s Rock.
• Fixed Z-fighting on the roof of the Getty Museum.
• Fixed the Smithsonian National Museum of American History display name.
• Fixed the Cabo Rojo Lighthouse marker position and windows textures issues.
• Fixed the vegetation clipping into the Independence Temple.
• Fixed the New Orleans bridges collisions.
• Fixed the US flag in Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site.
• Fixed the Longaberger Company headquarters and Fort Massachusetts collision.
• Fixed LODs transitions for the following POIs:
  • Split Rock Lighthouse.
  • Kentucky State Capitol.
  • Indian River Inlet Bridge.
  • World War II Memorial.
  • Cabo Rojo Lighthouse.
  • Yerkes Observatory.
  • Montana State.
  • Mount Washington.
  • Theodore Roosevelt Dam.
  • the Independence Temple.
  • Fort Massachusetts.
  • National Gallery of Art.
• Lake Tahoe Airport KTVL:
  • Added collisions for few missing buildings.
• Block Island Airport KBID:
  • Added collisions for few missing buildings.
• Dallas Forth Worth Airport KDFW:
  • Fixed few terraforming issues in the airport.
  • Runways types are now defined.
• Others:
  • Fixed the Water cracks present at Seven Seas Lagoon near.

World Update 11 – Canada

* POIs:

• Fixed TIN buildings exclusion near Hatley Park National Historic Site.
• Fixed blend of Samuel de Champlain Bridge surrounding terrain.
• Fixed the double markers of the One on the World map.
• Fixed Cars floating above Pierre-Laporte Bridge.
• Fixed Cars flow over Jacques Cartier Bridge and Angus L. Macdonald Bridge.
• Fixed big Nickel POI name.
• Fixed the vegetation clipping through Burrard Street Bridge.
• Fixed Z fighting on the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
• Fixed LOD popping of Cape Bonavista Lighthouse cliffs and Cape Spear Lighthouse National Historic cliffs.
• Fixed the vegetation clipping into the zipline at the Cape Enrage Lighthouse.
• Fixes Pierre-Laporte Bridge terrain alignment.
• Fixed the vegetation clipping into the A. Murray MacKay Bridge and Thousand Islands Bridge.
• Fixed Lions Gate Bridge alignment with tterrain and road.
• Fixed terrain spikes going through Jacques Cartier Bridge.
• Fixed Holes in terrain all around Citadel Hill (Fort George).
• Fixed terrain LOD popping around Parliament of Canada.
• Fixed terraforming at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights.
• Fixed TIN data displays next to Fisgard Lighthouse.
• Added missing building on the Canadian High Arctic Research Station.
• Added missing building for the Cambridge Bay Radar Station.
• Fixed collisions of Jacques Cartier Bridge, The Lions Gate Bridge and The Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

40th Anniversary Edition / Sim Update 11

• Meigs Field KCGX:
  • Fixed Z-fighting in runway and tarmac.
  • Fixed taxi to parking after landing.
  • Starting in KCGX helipad while helicopter is selected is now available.
  • ATIS is now available.
• Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport VHHX:
  • Added collisions to multiple buildings.
  • Fixed the too low glideslope.
  • Fixed the ILS range for runway 13.
  • ATIS is now available.
• Princess Juliana Airport TNCM:
  • Added collisions to few missing buildings.
  • Fixed the LOD transitions.
• First Flight Airport KFFA:
  • Fixed Z fighting on pathway.
• Helipads/Heliports:
  • Lingotto Building LIBH:
    • Fixed the too High collision preventing smooth landing.
    • Fixed Z- fighting on the roof of the building.
  • NYC Heliport KJRB – Added collisions for few missing items.
  • Tokyo Heliport – Added collisions for few buildings.
  • US Bank Tower Helipad:
    • marker is now centered over the helipad.
    • Fixed LOD transition.
  • Heliponto Mirante Dona Marta SMDH:
    • Heliport collisions has been fixed.
    • Fixed LOD transition.
  • Menara Telekom Tower Helipad:
    • marker is now centered over the helipad.
    • Fixed Z-fighting on Water near the tower.
  • Bitexco Financial Tower – Fixed LOD transition.
  • London Heliport EGLW – Removed building appeared inside the Airport perimeter while photogrammetry is off.
  • Needles Lighthouse – Lighthouse Light is now spinning.
  • Issy-Les-Moulineaux Heliport:
    • marker is now centered over the helipad.
• Glider Airports:
  • Itakura Gliderport RJT1 – Fixed ground and runway textures.

Game of the Year Edition

• Voloport:
  • All Voloports are now possible to use as helipads.
  • Issy-Les-Moulineaux Heliport- Voloport is now available as helipad.
  • La Defense Voloport is is now available as helipad.
  • Fixed LOD transition for all Voloports.
  • Fixed Le Bourget Voloport name spelling.
• Lugano Airport LSZA:
  • Collision has been Added to multiple objects.
  • Fixed floating lights around the airport.
  • Fixed Z-fighting on airports’ tennis courts.

Top Gun Maverick

• Fixed the clipping through the rocks at Seneca Rocks Peak.
• Fixed Haines Knob collision is size.
• Fixed collisions in Germany Valley Quarry.
• Fixed French Gulf Marina has LOD transition.
• Fixed LOD popping in Riffle Lake Dam.

First Previous Next
Chapter 14 - Time and Change Will Surely Show
Last Time: Laran and Aiden were joined by the dwarven Augur Leor and together they executed a plan to beat back the bandits who were trying to steal from her carriage. In an improvised attack that involved all three fighters, Aiden managed to break one of their attacker's ankles - Laran had held his feet in the earth, Leor had made him more unlucky, and Aiden had been the one to tackle him. With their only remaining attacker being the halfling who had been christened Shooty, they tried to formulate a strategy to get the cabby to safety and get out of the fight. Leor cleared things up quickly, however, when she shot a bolt of lightning at the halfling in the tree. With the fight over, the group returned to town and got the cabby some medical attention. Deciding that they could use a drink, Leor and Aiden made for the Speckled Goose. As they entered, however, Aiden was greeted with the last thing he expected - someone was singing a very, very familiar song.
“Dad?!?” I said with a mixture of shock and confusion. Standing on the stage was a dwarf. He was stocky, maybe around five feet tall, and had a large, red beard and a shaved head. However, despite these details, I could still recognize my dad’s voice and his face. As soon as I had called out, he had hit an abrupt and unintentional chord on his guitar and made a sound like he was trying to suck his tongue into his throat.
“Aiden!” I heard from off to my right. I looked, and there was my mother. Unlike Dad, she had stayed the same height. However, she was sporting a pair of cat ears and a tail that bristled up like a bottle brush as she saw me. I just stared at her and blinked a few times, dumbstruck. She vaulted a table with surprising athleticism and came charging towards me before wrapping me up in a fierce hug.
“Aiden! It’s you! And you look like you!” She held me back at arm’s length and planted a kiss on each of my cheeks. Her eyes were sparkling and it didn’t seem like she noticed anything else in the world. Meanwhile, Dad had ditched his guitar on the stage and had jumped off of the slight elevation with a solid thump. He began winding his way towards Mom and I, making apologies and excuses to every patron he passed.
I noticed that every single eye in the bar was on us, including Leor’s. She had both eyebrows raised and looked very, very confused. Many of the other patrons had a similar look on their face as the beastkin and dwarf loudly welcomed their son the human. Maybe they all thought I was adopted? I tried to ignore my self-consciousness and embraced my mother.
“Hi Mom, when did you get here?”
My emotions were so loud at that moment. I had come to this world alone, and I had made my peace with that to some degree. I had figured I should move on and try to understand what had happened to me with the hope that it would bring me peace. Somehow, seeing my parents brought the hurt I had experienced on the first day back as much as it cured it. As my arms wrapped around Mom, tears came to my eyes and I leaned against her shoulder. I felt tears drip off of her face as well, and she squeezed me particularly tight.
I was shocked to find that it hurt, and the discomfort snapped me out of my reverie. I gasped a little, more from surprise than pain, and Mom released me.
“Dang Mom, when did you get that strong?” I said. She looked bashful, and it was my father who answered for her as he finally broke clear of the gawking crowd and joined us.
“About the same time she got the tail and ears! What do you think, Aiden? You may as well start calling me Gimli, and your mom is like one of those cat girls from the animes-”
“NO!” I said loudly, mortified. Yes Mom had ears and a tail, yes the tail flicked around as we hugged, yes her ears reacted with surprise when I shouted, but that didn’t mean…
Temporarily my mind was utterly consumed with the thought. Oh god, my mom was a catgirl. And Dad seemed to be into it.
No no no no no it’s fine catgirls are beastkin here and are just normal people it’s fine you’re the one being weird about this Aiden goddamn internet ruining an idea as innocent as catgirls.
My mental struggle must have shown on my face. Dad was laughing uproariously and Leor had joined him despite the fact she had no idea what was going on. Mom looked a little embarrassed and bashful. I felt bad then and worried I might have hurt her feelings.
“I mean, yeah it does seem like Mom is a cat beastkin,” I leaned into the word hard, shooting a glance at Dad, “but I can guarantee you she’s nothing like an anime catgirl.”
Mom grinned, her moment of self-consciousness forgotten. Dad and Leor finally let their laughter subside, and the people at the bar stopped staring at us quite so hard. I could still hear a buzz of conversation - we hadn’t directly said we were from another world, but our conversation was definitely weird enough to get people thinking in that direction. Mom kissed me again and Dad also gave me a long hug. I assured them I was fine and doing well, and then I convinced everyone to go and find a table so we could keep talking.
We chose a table off to the side of the bar, hopefully big enough that the Aganas could join us when they arrived. Dad went to the stage and told everyone he was done for the night - his son, who he hadn’t seen in a while, had unexpectedly returned. Everyone seemed to take his words at face value and went back to eating their meals. Eloise was working so I flagged her down - I really hoped she had been able to catch a break between this morning and now, but had no idea how her schedule worked. She trotted over with a smile on her face.
“Welcome back Aiden! Tonight’s been an exciting night, hasn’t it? First I heard you fought some bandits, and now you’re reconnecting with some long lost family! Might I be so bold as to suggest this sort of occasion calls for some wine?”
My parents’ eyes bugged out a little with the part about me fighting bandits. Eloise must have her ear to the ground - maybe Laran stopped through the Speckled Goose on his way home to tell her something? I quickly reassured my parents that I’d explain the whole thing, then thanked Eloise and said that yes, wine sounded great. Nodding and grinning, she left the table to go fetch the bottle. I figured there was no reason to delay my explanation, so I just launched into it.
“So, first of all, let’s do introductions. Mom and Dad, this is Leor Whisper - we just met a few hours ago, and yes we did fight some bandits. She’s a M- an Augur. Leor, these are my parents Tom and Matilda. I can explain how that happened if you give me a little time.”
Leor and my parents exchanged greetings, but I could tell that they were just being polite and were mor interested in my explanation. I started from the beginning, of being in a strange room and building my current body. Apparently my parents had seen much the same, though in their case they had been together. I asked them if they knew what roles they had chosen, and their answer caught me completely off guard.
“Oh, the weird statue things? I mean, we’d spent so long building our bodies at that point that we just kind of picked one and went with it. I think one of the people on my statue was holding a book?” Dad looked to Mom, who simply shrugged. “Your mother touched the sword one, I’m pretty sure about that.”
I tried to hide my shock at the nonchalance of their decision and pressed on with my own story. I talked about how nice the Aganas were and mentioned that we were expecting them to come here shortly. Mom and Dad cut in and mentioned they had just been wandering until they found Eightside and basically lucked their way into endearing themselves to the owners of the Speckled Goose, so that’s where they had been staying. Similar to me, they had also awoken in strange clothes and with money in their pocket. Leor stayed quiet through the entire exchange, seemingly content to just soak up the weirdness. I was just getting to the part about Laran agreeing to teach me to use a spear after the bear attack when the doors opened and the Aganas walked in. I immediately waved them over.
Laran approached, though he looked confused.
“Um, hello there. I was coming here to meet up with Aiden - I assume that he must have gotten bored and tried to strike up a conversation. My name’s Laran, and these are my parents Barts and Lorna. Pleasure to meet you.” He was polite in greeting my parents, which probably meant Dad liked him already.
Laran stuck out his hand with a smile on his face - he really did adapt to strange circumstances quite well. I was about to introduce my parents when my dad cut me off.
“What do you mean, do you not recognize us?”
The polite grin on Laran’s face instantly turned to panic, which was matched almost muscle-for-muscle in Barts’ expression as well. I put my head in my hands - Dad’s humor could occasionally get a bit away from him, and he often leapt before he so much as thought about what may be at the bottom. Mom covered for both of us though.
“Ignore my husband, he’s been a little too chipper after trading barbs with patrons at the bar. We’ve never met before, though it seems you’ve met our son Aiden. My name is Matilda Smith, and this is Thomas or Tom. It’s a pleasure to meet you, and I can’t thank you enough for looking after Aiden!”
For his part, Dad did look a little embarrassed and apologized. The Aganas assured him that no damage had been done nor insult taken and sat down at the table. Eloise hurried over with three bottles of wine - even though there were now seven of us at the table, three bottles still seemed like a little much. I wasn’t going to tell her to take one back though, and her good mood was apparent as she set down the bottles.
“Now just get comfortable and start talking, I’ll be back with cups before you know it!”
She scampered away as my parents, Laran’s parents, and Leor said their hellos. I could tell there was a little uncertainty about what to do from both sides - I don’t think anyone at the table had ever even vaguely thought about how to handle a social situation as weird as the one we found ourselves in. I felt bad that Leor had been left out of things so far, and prompted her with some questions. If other people weren't talking anyway, her story may make for more neutral ground to cover.
“So Leor, now that we’ve all introduced ourselves a time or two, I’m a little curious about you. In the woods earlier you told me you are an Augur like your mother - can you tell me what that’s like?”
I saw a flash of annoyance go through Leor’s face, though it was quickly replaced by a realization and a thankful nod. I figured that while her upbringing may not be her favorite topic - if her rant in the woods was anything to go by, it was likely a particular sore spot for her - it would give her a way to have the floor for a bit and not be drowned out by the other conversations that didn’t involve her.
“Hmm, well there’s not a whole lot to tell. I’m part of Clan Whisper - I assure you, the name makes us sound much cooler than we are - and our clan line is known for producing a great many Seers and Augurs of repute. In fact I was just on -” I saw her pause and seem to debate something internally before continuing speaking, “-my way back home after some training. I went and saw some clan members, and now that they’ve trained me, I’m expected to make something of myself in whatever way I see fit.”
Her words rang hollow to me, but I figured now was not the time to press them. I was already beginning to see the outline of Leor’s life - a controlling mother, familial expectations, and desires that didn’t fit into the mold of what she was supposed to do. I wondered if she would want to join my impromptu adventuring party - while there were definitely some rough edges to be sanded down between the two of us, our powers had complemented each other well when it came to breaking Stabby’s ankle, and Laran and I could really use someone with ranged offense. I didn’t have that same burning hope she stayed with me like I did for Laran, but the way we had run into her and immediately helped her out basically screamed “here’s your chance to recruit someone” to me. My thoughts suddenly reminded me I hadn’t checked a mirror since the bandit combat.
“Hey Lorna, do you have a makeup mirror or something?”
She nodded and rifled through her bag while Leor kept giving little details about her life. Lorna's bag was full of things she had brought, presumably in case she was needed for a medical emergency. Since we hadn’t heard from the healer, she stayed in the Speckled Goose with the rest of us - given how raptly she listened to everything, I was sure she preferred it that way. With a small, triumphant cry she brought out a little clam shell mirror whose exterior looked like it might have actually been made of a clam shell. Mom complimented it, which launched a polite digression in the conversation at the table,, while I looked at the reflective surface.
Encounter successful!
Party Members: Aiden, Laran, and Leor
Loot: None
Progression:

• Aiden has grown to Level Three
• Laran has grown to Level Four
• Aiden, Laran and Leor have gained one Talent Point

The writing was much the same as last time, though I was surprised I leveled up so quickly. Maybe it was simply because I was a lower level than everyone else in the fight? If I had gained Talent Points when I leveled up like I had last time, I would have a decent handful to spend now. Before I could get too sucked into musing about how to spend my points, I closed the mirror and returned it to Lorna. I answered the round of questions my parents and Leor asked about what I was doing, then segued from that into telling the rest of my story up until the present. I got very few interruptions, which was a blessing.
“That’s about it, at least so far. It seems like Mom and Dad got transported to Tal as well, and now we’ve met Leor too. All in all, it feels like it has been a busy few days.”
Everyone laughed and agreed with me. I had not been speaking the loudest, but it still entertained me to see someone seated at a table near us slowly have their vision glaze over as they tried to figure out what the heck was going on. With the story done, there was a moment of silence before anyone spoke up as everyone digested the strange circumstances they’d been presented with. We had gone through all three bottles of wine,, and signs of tiredness were starting to show on everyone's faces. It was Barts who broke the silence.
“Welp, can’t say I e’er heard such a tale afore, but the boy an’ yer stories match. Somehow it’s t’easiest way t’explain the whole thing save adoption, and Aiden’s still got a few oddities besides. I can’t help but think we ain’t gonna get much further this night, maybe we pick it up again on the ‘morrow?”
Everyone agreed to that. Leor had enough money to rent herself a room at the Speckled Goose for a while, so she decided to just stay there. Mom and Dad apparently had already booked a room for a decent bit as they tried to get their lives figured out. They invited me to stay with them that night and I accepted - if I was going to be leaving and adventuring here soon, it was the least I could do. The Aganas, of course, were going to go back to their own home. They invited us all over to their house for breakfast the next day so we could continue talking everything over.
As everyone said their goodbyes, I followed the Aganas out so I could talk to Laran. His parents gave us some space by walking further down the road before stopping to admire some glasswork or another that was hanging in a craftsmen’s shop window.
Laran and I looked at each other in the twilight. For a moment we didn’t say anything, and then suddenly we were both laughing. Laran started it, his lips cracking apart just the littlest bit to show his pointy teeth before I broke. Soon both of us were deeply belly laughing at the absurdity of the day. It took Laran several tries to speak as he kept taking breaks to laugh and wipe tears from his eyes. When he finally got it under control, he sounded very sincere.
“Well Aiden, thanks for one of the single most interesting and notable days of my life. I must say, I’ve never had a date turn into a rescue turn into a reunion before. You’re making life around here seem much more… exciting. Yeah, excitin’ is the word.”
I grinned back at him, again surprised by the strength of the emotional reaction that roiled in my chest.
“Of course, just don’t expect anything quite so grand for the next date.”
He grinned back at me, and put a hand on my shoulder. The temptation to kiss him flared up again, predictably, but it still didn’t feel right so I didn’t. His next words caught me completely off guard.
“Yer planning to leave, aren’t you?”
I had no idea what to say. My answer must have been plain in my eyes, because he looked at them searchingly. I answered that yes, I was thinking of leaving to try and figure out what was going on with me. His smile was still present, but it was tempered now.
“I see. We’ve had some conversation and such that’s been close to the topic, I just wanted to hear it for certain."
I nodded, my throat suddenly dry. I tried to think of something to say but I couldn’t. Laran simply watched me, deep in thought. Some words came to me, so I said them even though I felt like they weren't what I really wanted to say.
"Um, do you have any other questions?"
Laran cooked his head to the side slightly and thought about it before shaking his head.
"None, that's all I wanted to know. Good night Aiden, and thanks for the day."
He reached down, took my hand, and squeezed it. I squeezed back and told him goodnight as well before he set off into the woods and I turned back to the tavern. He had only gotten a few steps away when he suddenly turned back.
"Oh! Aiden. Uhm, when I was talking with Mom and Dad while we were heading to Eightside, I kinda figured out something," his face was deeply flushed, the very picture of embarrassment. "Mom knew today was a date."
I was shocked - Lorna's interactions with me in the morning suddenly took on a new light. My own face heated up to cherry red and I replied by making a slightly strangled noise to convey my surprise. Neither of us knew what more to say about that knowledge, so Laran waved and I shrugged and he turned back to join his parents.
When I went inside the Speckled Goose, it had calmed down significantly. We had settled our bill when most of the patrons had left for the evening. Eloise was mopping an area near the stage - someone had tipped an entire tankard over - but she paused to wave at me as I went up to the room my parents had rented. I waved back and wished her a good night, which she returned.
When I entered the room, my parents were both waiting for me. I immediately got the same vaguely uncomfortable feeling I'd gotten when they'd sat me down to explain puberty - whatever they wanted to talk about, it was possibly going to be awkward and almost definitely going to involve some emotional vulnerability on my part. It was Dad who started.
"Hey Bud, I know you told us what had happened down in the bar, but why don't you tell us how you've felt?"
It all came tumbling out of me then - how I'd freaked out at the beginning, how the world hadn't made sense when I realized it wasn't a dream. I had sat down next to Dad, who had draped an arm over me. Mom shifted so she could rub a spot on my back under my shoulder blade. As I spoke, the raw emotions came back to me and I was fighting through tears.
I even went so far as to talk about my feelings from that day. I talked about how confused I was about what to do with Laran, how afraid fighting actual people had made me feel, and in general all of the doubts that had been building in my mind that I had kept pushing aside. My parents mostly listened and only rarely offered advice, but that is what I needed then. I fell asleep sitting up between them, and woke up the next day tucked into bed.
Elsewhere: The orc was thin. He almost looked like a scarecrow with his tall, lanky frame. He sat in a stone room, not quite a jail cell but also a far cry from freedom. He was nursing a nasty cut under his left eye as he heard a knock on the door. He straightened up and walked stiffly to the entryway to his room - he had given a report, but sometimes Daisy liked to come around and personally ensure that he remembered who was calling the shots. As he opened the door, he saw his friend. Her skin was mottled between pale and blue in a shifting pattern and she looked very, very worried. Wordlessly, the orc returned back to his bunk and sat down. He let his head hang as she entered the room and gently stroked the hair out of his eyes. She gathered a washcloth and a pitcher and gently set to cleaning the cut. The orc didn't make a sound despite the fact that her minstrations stung.
First Previous Next

To sadly preface, my partner is less egalitarian than we discussed prior to marriage and always has been. Anything outside of physical handling of funds falls on me aside from actual bill pay. Even prior to change sin the last year. Including visits, time spent together, coordinating visits, our pets that were supposed to be shared but reside with me, facilitating family time with family nearby (even when they would mention wanting to see said folks). Partner has no issues spending on their entertainment though and attempts to push their ideas of free time on me even when I don't have room for it and barely have room for self care.
To jump into more recent and pertinent information:
We moved my partner to purchased home near duty station in May '22, married following week, moved me to partner's duty station the following week with our two cats. I left work and the area where we grew up, they just finished school.
Second big thing is (being brought up first for background) it had been decided by my partner (this is something I bring my picking up work regularly because of multiple events/life changes, they bring up to ask about daily progress) I should not get just a job unless it happens to be adding to my career plan or is a starter to my end goal career.
Eventually, that changed and it was decided I should look into anything. Which I had (I initially thought thankfully) been persistent in my searches and contact with prospective work, despite his encouragement to avoid just a job. I enjoy working and the balance I had prior to marriage and move. Not a huge thing, started reapplying everywhere for part-time. Even applied to many jobs I would not consider myself well geared towards or qualified for. It's now 10 months later. No luck. I have been stressed by the constant checking in and pushing of the subject in recent months. I've inquired why the change in attitude without much more than being ignored or reminded that I mentioned I enjoy working. As I didn't need the extra check ins, especially when nothing has been changing.
And home life is still unbalanced. This is the first and more important big thing, issues that have been present and are only now super glaring. Even on our "Honeymoon" every responsibility that wasn't literal money was mine. It was decided, until I got a job we would split responsibilities in our lives as such: Partner works (salaried and with ever changing work responsibilities) and pays bills (mortgage, insurances, home additions and groceries. I would care for the family (myself, them, our 2 cats, then a puppy, and then a kitten which both need training still) and home (including yard, and pool), then in Dec. 2022 their 16y/o sibling was added to our household. Sibling works about 16 hours a week, with school. I'm still getting a feel for how to engage them in household and their own responsibilities. But I am somehow middle man for sibling care and sibling to sibling communication. I'm a middle child in an adult household with shared space and pets.
My partner feels helping with dishes and a meal twice a month is more than they should be doing already and ANY "offers" (them asking what they can do, rather than seeing the endless daily tasks or regular chores or ANY responsibilities, EVEN MAIL SORTING AND TRASH WOULD BE HELPFUL TBH) are much more than should be "asked" of them. !!As their job is mission essential and all else falls well behind until they feel like offering theirself. !! That leaves all responsibilities including younger sibling, pet care, mental load on me. The only recent chore that has been taken on by both other parties had been litterbox because I am 15 weeks pregnant. I was the sole cleaner prior. They also scatter litter which I sweep and vacuum but the even the vacuum is designed where I shouldn't be nearby when it's emptied because it has to be tapped or washed to be cleared.
!!My therapist has mentioned I need to better advocate for myself and the household. But this has been an ongoing issue even prior to marriage and move (I worked full-time, was in school and unhealthy family system, then deceased parent probate, and was by myself completely).
I am still battling all the issues with probate 5 days a week for multiple hours a day. While handling added loads that somehow makeup time and efforts that would be occupied by previous employmentand educational opportunity. I also recently had to take on load of no longer handling (over a year worth of issues at work) but starting to settle wage theft at a previous job. Plus all the hiccups Probate has caused for me personally (no longer having a vehicle because I'm in another state and can't renew registration online as I am not deceased titleholder and all business in probate must be in person or through a release of interest) and ever growing list of duties of being appointed the Representative. My life has yet to let up in any facet.
My big question(s) as I continue to grapple a more egalitarian running of the home life revolve around WHY my partner feels their job over shadows everything else? They won't discuss other than it's mission essential and beyond that I ask: how is everything else NOT mission essential in your life that WE SHARE and I get not response?
My partner has discussed issues with being able to accurately express themselves or becoming overwhelmed so I keep that in mind and try to bring up small adjustments or ideas around the big issues only to have what I thought was digestible be regurgitated or causing unspoken but physically obvious issues.
I understand this is an us problem and I'm working on connecting with my partner for compromise because this is not what we've agreed to but they feel it is plenty egalitarian. My life load is too much. Also, neither of us expect ANYTHING in life to be egalitarian but we were both on the same page (originally) about being as close to egalitarian on as many fronts as possible.
TL;DR: Partner's work is mission essential, all other responsibilities in our life fall on me despite outside and inside pushes for more balance. While I process and continue to revisit issue and underlying issues, what are some things to consider to help me grapple or try to understand my Partner's perspective?

Just thinking that a good deal of value from having a home or flat within walking distance of a station (Quincy center, Porter, etc) is that you can walk to a rapid transit station. Places a similar distance (as the crow flies) from downtown Boston but not near an MBTA station go for much less.
So now that it’s the same amount of time or faster to walk downtown than it is to wait for a train and use said train - could that have a long term impact? Like if you can’t hop on a train in quincy and be downtown in 30 mins why even bother living in Quincy?

A person is waiting for a train and drops their umbrella on the tracks closes to them, they go to retrieve the umbrella with 2 mins before the train comes. As they get on the track and retrieve the umbrella they get caught some how on the tracks ( I know very unoriginal) , time is being eaten away second by second as they continue to try to get free. The people and officials in the station are shouting at them to get off the tracks as a train is coming but now the train lights are in view and death is near. Just as the train gets seconds away to where they are they free themselves with a force so strong they get thrown back on to the other tracks saving them selves from the oncoming train but ….
As they are on the other train tracks another oncoming train from the opposite direction smashes into them causing blood and body parts to fly everywhere and over the people and officials that were shouting. No one noticed the other train coming in the opposite direction seconds after the other one passing because the trains sound the same and both these trains were not expected to stop at that station.

FIRST PREV NEXT
Winola Naval Yard, Earth β. Local Date: July 21st, 2136
Alex Baker
Surrounded by men and material, I took in the view of what had been cordially referred to as “The Fuzzball.”
Having been disabled by a particularly lucky Pistol battery, the sleek, edgeless craft had been towed by means of a jery-rigged shuttle down to the confines of Earth - and into the prying hands of a litany of scientific, military, and intelligence agencies.
Despite the best efforts of two dimensions, though, the craft had yielded very little in the way of hard data; weight and measurement had been taken, of course, as well as anything inside the ship that hadn’t been bolted down.
This, of course, also included the corpse that was found on board, from which a considerable amount of information had been accrued.
While preventing the dissection of the corpse - identified through various means as a Venlil named “Takri” - the autopsy and subsequent scans had revealed a great deal of that species’ biology. While shorter than an average human, their muscle mass was considerably denser, implying that they originated from a high-gravity world. Side-facing eyes and large, flat teeth suggested that they were obligate herbivores; the food stores on board corroborated this theory, as they were completely made of plant matter.
While their biology would certainly prove helpful, especially in the fields of first aid and other medical care, it did not contribute to uncovering the secrets of their technology.
Which led me to ask a question that had been answered a dozen times previously to the man standing next to me.
“Any new developments, Mr. Miller?”
The director of the IAS shot me a look that somehow managed to convey more exhaustion than it had only minutes before.
“Nothing from our assignments, Alex. But I did hear that we found their water tank!” He managed to give a coy smile, in spite of his growing fatigue.
“Nothing from our assignments,” in this case, wasn’t a very large surprise. While the entire purpose of the Institute for Anomalous Studies was, in fact, to study anomalies, the team the agency had assembled was still struggling to make heads or tails of what has been surmised to be the Federation’s FTL propulsion.
“I’m still baffled by how they could’ve found an alternative method,” I admitted. “How could they have found something different? To my knowledge, there’s nothing else besides a Warp Drive that has been proven as practical.”
“This is an entirely different civilization, you know - one that we’ve had precious little time to study. Maybe they went down an entirely different field of study. It would explain why we’re having so much trouble,” the Director tried to reassure me. “Well, that and we’ve only had access to the ship for two days.”
“You have to admit that it is concerning, though,” I started back up. “You saw the combat footage yourself. The ship that escaped - there was no identifiable warp bubble. Surely that poses some sort of risk, right?”
I felt that my concern was well-justified. If we were going into this war unable to detect the movements of our enemy, it would prove to be a large - possibly fatal - detriment.
“I didn’t say it wasn’t a hazard, Alex,” came the response from Director Miller. “The lack of a bubble can mean so many different things. Heck, it could even imply…” His face suddenly went pale.
“What could it imply?”
He cut me off before I could get another word in. “I need to have a word with the drive team. Why don’t you check on the other groups in the meantime?” He quickly scurried off, leaving me confused as to what could’ve worked him up so quickly.
Deciding to take on his advice, though, I started making rounds on the other research groups present. Groups that included a mix of Alpha and Beta personnel - a move that I had helped to push for as Military Liason.
Starting at the front and moving towards the back, I met with the researchers dissecting the sole weapon system on the ship.
“Any new developments, gentlemen?”
“No, sir,” came a quick response from a man in Beta American fatigues. “All we have left to do now is repeat previous tests for authenticity; these guns are weaker than their UN counterparts.”
That much hadn’t been a question. The USS Constitution, being a corvette not designed to take high-yield hits, combined with the admittedly inferior local materials, had still taken several direct hits from the Federation flotilla before its hull was breached. There were some figures in the Brass who had been concerned with the threat that weapon scalability posed, but their fears were offset by the information that a hypothetical upsized version of these “Plasma cannons” would still be underpowered when compared to UN weapons of similar make and model.
Giving the officer a brief nod, I continued on towards an open hatch on the other face of the ship. Where pilots once would’ve presumably entered for missions, a large, tangled mess of wires now flowed through, connected to whatever equipment had been found within the ship itself. The garbled mass of black, red, and blue all fed into a hastily-procured console, currently being manned by an Electronics Warfare team on loan from the LREF. Getting closer, I was briefly startled as a cheer rang out from the station.
“...got in! Finally!” I caught the tail-end of a jubilant proclamation as I finally reached the team.
“What did you find?” I asked, the team’s infectious enthusiasm worming its way into my voice.
“See for yourself, sir! It’s a star chart! A star chart of every Federation system!” This claim, half-shouted to me, was enough prompting to cause almost every intelligence officer within earshot to immediately make a beeline to the console.
Sneaking a glance at the console’s holo-screen, I was expecting to see a completely unknown system, out of the knowledge of UN databases. Yet, looking at the three-dimensional display in front of me, I was bugged by the familiarity of what I saw.
“Can you superimpose a map of our own on there? I’m getting the feeling that some of the systems on here may be ours.”
“Ours, sir? How could that be possible?” The soldier manning the console looked confused, but duly pulled up a UN star chart. Mere seconds of manipulating the display later, my suspicions were confirmed. In front of a small crowd of officers and researchers, the UN and Federation star charts were proven to be a near-perfect match, only off on account of a millennia’s worth of drift. Hitched gasps and grumbles could be heard from the entire group.
“A third of those systems are in UN space,” a voice piped up.
“Wait, there’s more.” The LREF soldier quickly shushed the crowd. “The translation software just kicked in; we’ve got system names now, too.”
The eyes of myself and everyone else immediately scoured the display once more.
Let’s see… Nishtal? Aafa? And that one looks like-
“Soldier, get a focus on the system labeled ‘Venlil Prime.’ Keep Sol in the frame, as well.” The cogs in my brain were turning rapidly now, as I asked for the display.
I managed to hear a very hushed “I have a name, you know” as he swiftly executed my request.
“Hey, I recognize that system!” An intelligence officer made his voice known. “That’s Tempest Resolve!”
I took a brief moment to compose myself. “How did they evolve on a planet like that?” I said to nobody in particular.
While an important extrasolar mining world, Tempest Resolve hosted its entire 200 million-person population in vast space stations; the surface itself had only been visited by humans a handful of times. While violent weather owing to its tidally-locked nature was one factor, the main limiter was the simple fact that the planet had a gravitational pull twice as strong as Earth’s; with the UN’s stringent colonization policies, human habitation on the surface under those conditions had been long-forbidden.
Suffice it to say, the entire crowd was about as stumped as I was.
“How did the fucking Sheep achieve flight on a 2-G world, let alone get to space?” One Beta officer uttered in disbelief.
“Maybe that’s not their homeworld?” A researcher tentatively offered.
“Oh, can it, woman! Who the heck uses ‘Prime’ for a colony?”
As the assortment of personnel either ran off to make hurried reports or devolved into bickering, I walked off in a slight stupor. Thankfully, the last spot to hit was the drive team itself - manned by my colleagues in the IAS.
Coming into sight of the aft section of the craft, there was a litany of scientists hooking up devices of unknown function to the rear of the craft. In the distance, I could already see Director Miller gesturing wildly at another person in front of him. Continuing to approach, I heard the throes of a heated argument.
“It has to be wormholes, Mark! There’s no other feasible way!” Miller gesticulated.
“The translator software is calling this thing a subspace drive, sir. I believe that we’re looking at an entirely new method of travel.”
I gave a pointed cough, and the two broke off their debate to look at me.
“Ah, Alex. Welcome back,” said Miller, slightly harried. “What news did you get from the other stations?”
“Nothing new from the weapons section, but navigation managed to get a full star chart of the Federation.”
“Oh?” Miller’s brow raised with interest. “Tell me more.”
“There seems to be a large amount of overlap between Federation territories in this reality and UN territory in our reality, Director. For instance, the Venlil homeworld has been confirmed to be our own Tempest Resolve.”
“Tempest Resolve?” Miller parroted. “I’ll have to ask Slanek how he managed to walk upright with that amount of gravity.”
“Slanek, sir?” I gave a raised eyebrow.
“The Venlil we captured. Did I not tell you his name?”
“No, sir, you did not,” I said flatly.
“My apologies, then,” Miller said earnestly. “Still, that is definitely a question that I am going to have the interrogation officers put on the roster.”
“I was actually meaning you ask you about that, Mr. Miller.” I started my own line of questioning. “Why did we have to put him on our side of the portal? It seems inefficient to have to go all the way back for any in-person appointments.”
Miller pursed his lips. “You really don’t see the problem with keeping him here? In this facility?”
“I can’t say that I do, sir.”
“Alex, keeping him here would represent a palpable threat to his life.”
My entire train of thought collapsed, as I looked at the Director with no small amount of confusion. “A direct threat to his life? Sir, this is already one of the most heavily guarded areas on the planet! Even by UN standards, the security is airtight. What threat could there possibly be?”
Miller paused for a moment before answering. “While I have no shortage of respect for our allies here, Alex, you need to remember that it was the Venlil and Federation at large that nearly drove the humanity of this timeline extinct. That’s the first point. The second point is that this timeline hasn’t progressed societally beyond the twentieth century.”
“...So?” I failed to see where Mr. Miller was taking this line of reasoning.
“...Alex.” Miller was starting to look exacerbated. “You want to put an alien POW, one whose ancestors glassed this planet, into a facility guarded by people with a mindset over a millennium behind our own. Do you see the problem, now?”
“...Oh.” The realization hit me like a brick wall. “Oh.”
Living in a society that had long since grown free of the shackles of the past, it had never occurred to me until now that any living person - even in another timeline - would have the temperament or capacity for xenophobia. The United Nations had ensured equal treatment of all persons since its foundation as a world government, and people in modern times simply took it as a given that those standards would be upheld. I internally berated myself for my complacency as Miller continued his tirade.
Miller honed in, now in a hushed tone. “If we dropped Slanek in here, Alex, he would be murdered within a day. There’d be nothing we could do to prevent it.”
Silence reigned over the both of us as I took in this extreme revelation. If I was remembering my history correctly, then Beta’s America would’ve never even gone through the Civil Rights era as we understood it, as the Federation bombings stunted societal development. There may have still been a time of reflection and dialogue about race, gender, and sexual preferences, but given the circumstances, I found that hard to believe. If discussions had happened to dampen the racism, sexism, and homophobia of the past, they would have been rather muted. There was a large chance, then, that the toxic mindset still lingered within a decent chunk of this timeline’s Americans.
They wouldn’t actually do that, would they? They’ve been around us for months, now. Surely they realize that such a mindset is unproductive.
Deciding that I had had enough time to mull the information over, Miller brought me back into the present to move forward with our job. “I think it’s time that I let you in on what you’ve missed over here, so far. What do you say?”
“That would be welcome, sir.”
Moving back towards the drive, the Director re-connected with the colleague with whom he had been speaking before my arrival. “Mark, can you give Alex a run-down on what we were just talking about?”
“Certainly,” the bespeckled researcher replied. “So, I believe you already know that this drive generates no discernable warp bubble, yes?”
“I am aware of that.”
“Of course,” he nodded. “This leads me to believe that this craft uses an entirely different - an entirely novel method of propulsion.”
“And I still can’t believe you think it’s hyperspace travel,” hissed the Director. “You should know better than to pull directly from Science Fiction, Mark. It’s clearly a wormhole generator; there’s no other feasible way!”
“The nomenclature suggests otherwise, Director. Subspace is not a name anyone I know would give to a wormhole generator.”
“You’d turn your back over a millennium of scientific research over a name? We don’t even know if the software translated it right!”
“I helped code the software, you…!”
I allowed myself a small sigh, as the two devolved back into their argument.
Today is gonna be one of those days, isn’t it?