Tijuana flats near me

Trigger warning: sexual abuse
I have always wanted to talk about this topic. Although the post is stretching the definition of Expatshame, I feel that there is not enough discussion regarding the military abuses. The main point of this post is to spread awareness and create solutions (and for the subreddit to be united) , rather than expat shame per se.
Okinawa is one of the prefectures in Japan, in which it was annexed by the Japanese Empire. It currently hosts US Military bases, which resulted in numerous issues to arise. The criminal offences (e.g. rape, arson etc.) of some US military personnel have gotten unnoticed. At the same time, ecological damage is worsening due to the construction of new military bases. Kyodo News (2019) reported that seventy-percent (70%) of Okinawans had opposed the US military bases. There have in fact been multiple protests and rallies by the Okinawans. Nonetheless, the construction of new military bases will go through.
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Unpunished criminal offences
There have already been hundreds of complaints against US military personnel. If you ask me, they are expats who are just employed under the US military. The OHCHR (2022) wrote that the total number of cases and complaints against the US military personnel had already reached above five thousand (5,000).

... according to the statistics of the Okinawa Prefectural Police, the total number of criminal offenses committed by U.S. servicemen, servicewomen and their families until September 2020 counted 6,052, of which 581 were heinous crimes such as murder, robbery, rape and arson, and 129 were rape cases.
This is only the number of arrests made, and the actual number of incidents is believed to be much higher.

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The following are specific cases of the abuse by the aforementioned personnel (Johnson, 2008) :

1.) On June 29, 2001, a 24-year-old air force staff sergeant, Timothy Woodland, was arrested for publicly raping a 20-year-old Okinawan woman on the hood of a car.
2.) On November 2, 2002, Okinawan authorities took into custody Marine Major Michael J Brown, 41 years old, for sexually assaulting a Filipina barmaid outside the Camp Courtney officer's club

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Let us not forget the infamous 1995 gang-rape case:

...the notorious 1995 kidnapping, beating and gang rape of a 12-year-old girl by two marines and a sailor in Kin village, Okinawa. The convicted assailants in that outrage were Marine Private First Class Roderico Harp, Marine Private First Class Kendrick Ledet and Seaman Marcus Gill

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Johnson had also reported that there are often other issues happening in Okinawa:

Other incidents of bodily harm, intimidation and death continue in Okinawa on an almost daily basis, including hit and-run collisions between American troops and Okinawans on foot or on auto bikes, robberies and assaults, bar brawls and drunken and disorderly conduct.

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Ecological Damage
Not only are the native Okinawans affected by the US military bases, but their eco-systems are in-danger as well. Dias (2018) further details on how extinction and contamination affects Okinawa:

The Oura Bay alone is home to 262 endangered species. The [US] military facility plans to dump 21 million metric tons of sand and soil mixed with the alien invasive Argentine ant and Red-back spider into its waters.
In this distinctive natural environment, 26 newly discovered endemic species have been found since 2006.
These islands are home to the Sekisei Lagoonresides, Japan’s largest - and dying - coral reef. Corals currently on Japan's 'red list' - Okinawensis veron and Sargassum carpophyllum - could be crushed by the construction works.

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Since 1998, there have been over 415 incidents of toxic spills and dumping from the [US] military facilities. Polluted matter has flowed into rivers and embedded itself into the ecosystem. It's horrific to imagine this occurring yet again, especially amidst seeming efforts to house nuclear weapons in the the Oura Bay.

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Added to this, it was uncovered in 1996 that US aircrafts were test-firing over 1,500 depleted urranium shells near an important fishing ground in Torishima.
In 2015, the Pentagon's release of US Marine Corps’ documents from the 1970s revealed “large fish kills” in the waters near Camp Kinser. Inspections demonstrated a high concentration hazardous compounds in the sea.

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Here are the solutions that I have come up with:

1. Research more about the effects of the US military bases on Okinawa
2. Coordinate with the Okinawan activists
3. For Asians: Focus on Asian empowerment projects with the Okinawans
4. For people living in Western Countries: spread more awareness of the issue (via newspapers, blogs, Youtube videos etc.) , pressure politicians to oppose military expansion ( even if it falls into deaf ears most of the time)

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References:
Dias, T. (2018, October 1). US military bases in Okinawa threaten people and Ecosystems. The Ecologist. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://theecologist.org/2018/oct/01/us-military-bases-okinawa-threaten-people-and-ecosystems
Johnson, C. (2008, March 3). The 'rape' of Okinawa - apjjf.org. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://apjjf.org/-Chalmers-Johnson/2686/article.pdf
KYODO NEWS+. (2019, February 25). Over 70% of voters reject U.S. base transfer in Okinawa referendum. Kyodo News+. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/02/92e0b7fff7b5-voting-under-way-in-okinawa-for-referendum-on-us-base-relocation.html
OHCHR. (2022, January 30). Report on violence against indigenous Ryukyu/okinawa women and girls. OHCHR.org. Retrieved April 2, 2023, from https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2022-03/AOCHR.pdf

My brother shot himself 2 years ago. He was my best friend and who I could always talk to. After he did what he did my already heavy drinking descended into full blown alcoholism which led to a hospitalization for dangerously low electrolytes last year (I quit drinking immediately) and ever since my health has been fucked.
Awful heart rate fluctuating out of control at rest, with walking, and after eating. debilitating Orthostatic hypotension that causes me to nearly faint after walking more than 30 minutes or standing still for 7 minutes. No libido/loss of sex drive, completely unable to get an erection. Constant liver area pain. Things aren’t getting better and despite negative workup so far I am almost certain that it’s cirrhosis.
My life is falling apart, i can’t study or function at med school anymore. I may have to drop out of medical school or at least repeat a year. Last week everything started to overwhelm me and I snapped. I went out to where my brother shot himself and screamed and demanded that he show himself in some voice or apparition and explain what he did. I don’t even believe in ghosts, it was like an out of body experience. My mom eventually found me and went into hysterics with my dad and almost called 911 on me
We could’ve had such a good life together big brother, there’s nobody I enjoyed being around more than you. You were the smartest and most kind-hearted person I knew. We could’ve traveled together, addressed our drinking problems together, been successful together, had families. But look at us now. You’re a pile of ashes and I’m losing my health and my future because I couldn’t stop drinking to stop the nightly obsessive thoughts of you putting the gun to your head. My girlfriend left me. Our parents are going to lose two sons. One to suicide at 34 and one to self-inflicted liver disease. No grandkids to carry on their legacy.
What a perfect ending to this family’s story.

Howdy everyone. In regards to above, I have seen a few Landcruisers near me for around 30-40k. Mileage varies of course, but a few at 150 for $30k plus. Are they reliable enough at that price for an investment? Where a 2017 GX 460 lower miles is around the same price. Different vehicles I know. I’d love to own a white LC with brown leather seats and daily drive and overland it. But I don’t wanna pay a new car price at it crap out on me.

It's funny that I love skating so much now when I was never as interested before. The wind you feel when skating is satisfying, you exercise without getting super sweaty or exhausted (for beginner stuff at least), and if you get too hot then it's no problem because you're in a giant freezer.
I tied my skates tighter than usual and went on to the still wet ice from the zamboni, so I nearly fell and my feet were swinging around like they were trying to fight a ghost LOL. A part of me died inside.
In the previous lesson, the coach saw me mess up at skating on outside edges and was surprised I attempted them, but I'm glad this time she saw/thought I was ready after seeing me do decently well with inside edges. I swear coaches sometimes only see you when you mess up :')
We praticed half bubbles in a circle, and thankfully it didn't feel as strange to do this time after some practice lol. When I practiced some more after lessons were over, a kind, bubbly lady even gave me tips on bettering my form! Apparently she's been skating for 15 years... That's wild.
Just a monthish ago I was in awe and wished to be those skaters who skated around the rink gracefully and freely without being wobbly in every step or skating slow, and now I am that skater! :D I did it!!
The next set of skating lessons starts soon, but I'm contemplating whether or not to take them. I would love to, but $40 is pricey for my budget, plus the eventual $7.50 for blade sharpening. Both my aunts offered to pay for lessons if I wanna take them again, but I feel bad since I can't get them nice things too besides cooking or baking something for them.

I’ve read some of the threads on this forum and this is the first time I’ve found people I can relate to.
I’m black and white. My white family never accepted me, and I located my father to find out he’s nearing the end of his life. I’ve never been able to relate to anyone, and I’m hoping there’s some type of community available for people that share the general mindset here.
Thanks for reading.

Started therapy a year ago for depression that went untreated for at least a decade. I started to feel better with antidepressants, slowly worked towards keeping a stable routine and work towards my goals. I've always dreamed of becoming an artist for video games. Theres so many games that are near and dear to my heart, I want to be part of the creation of new games that will mean that much to someone else.
With that motivation I signed up for an online art academy that I was super excited about. I started practicing regularly, and it felt like all I had to do was keep away my fears of failing. Trust that with enough time and dedication it was within the realm of possibility to become as good as my idols. Fast forward to January of this year, and on new years my father got sick and passed away. My mother whom I love and is the sun of my life has never felt more depressed and I just feel like I'm a burden for her. I tucked everything in to go get a job asap as our financial situation which wasn't particularly good beforehand went to shit. I had to drop out of the art school and now owe them way more money than I can afford now. And with all the ai art developments, none of it even feels worth it. I was amateur at best, and I suppose that at least I don't owe bachelor degree levels of debt, but it's still a lot of money and time for a skill that feels practically useless.
I had made myself hopeful and excited that if I worked towards that goal I was doing something meaningful and it'd be worth it in the end to keep fighting every day, as cheesy as that is. I feel like absolute garbage having lost that excitement after working so hard to nurture it and work with my therapist. It just feels like nothing is worth it. I realize it's naive to think things would go my way and for making plans and expecting them to work, but at the same time how do you stave off depression without that?
In order to be stable and hopefully be able to support my mother I'm going into nursing. I love the sciences and this happens to be another interest of mine. Even though I like it I can't manage to make myself as excited for it. It feels as though I'm a coward for abandoning what I "truly love" even though it's completely logical. I'm starting work as a nurse assistant on the 10th. Starting associates degree in nursing in the fall. Pay is very good where I live for rn's so I know it would be enough to leave my mother with everything she needs to be comfortable. I know I'll survive, but I cannot find a reason why to even suffer through that in the first place. Especially when everything feels like a chore and difficult, happy times don't seem to be enough.
Today I didn't even have that bad a day. In fact, my mother and I went out for coffee and had a great time laughing and chatting while taking a walk in the sunshine. But at the end of the day even that joy, which felt like the most I'm capable of, isn't enough to sustain me living. All I can think about is ending it but I can't put my mother through that right after my father's passing.
I don't know what to do and I'd love to hear what keeps you guys going besides obligation. Otherwise, frankly I don't think I can take it anymore

Me and a friend of mine have been playing and have gotten all the way to Oil, before that however every single item is working at practically maximum efficiency in a single main base.
I was wondering, if it would be more efficient to build another factory near the oil where the resources haven't been taken up? Or is that a waste of time? I ask because all the ore deposits near the main base have been sucked dry, and was wondering if there's anything in late game that would practically require a lot of excess material to be pumped in with everything oil?

Learning to listen to and respond to the promptings of the spirit, I think, is a lifelong journey for even the most adept and faithful. For me, sometimes the promptings are subtle, sometimes they are obvious. Sometimes they reaffirm things I know and nudge me gently down recognizable paths, sometimes, however, the spirit directs towards things I cannot fathom.
Just a bit more than a week ago, in the midst of a very difficult and turbulent period in my life, I received one of those promptings that was so powerful, so distinct, and so... bizarre, that I knew that it could not come from me.
So, I booked my tickets to go spend three weeks in Kathmandu, Nepal.
Why? That's a phenomenal question, and one I've asked myself (and The Lord) repeatedly, but I still don't fully understand.
After nearly 48 hours of travel, I found myself in the midst of a city I knew next to nothing about with no agenda, no plans, no clue what to do or why I was here. My father, who has had some experience in Nepal, recommended I check out some of the many Hindu and Buddhist temples here. So this morning, I loaded up google maps and headed on foot for the Buddha Stupa temple, a good 5.2Km walk.
I arrived at the temple and words can't really describe it. You can see pictures, but you really have to experience it. It was so different to anything I've ever personally been familiar with, I didn't know how to process.
But I had some downloaded talks from the Saturday session of this conference, and I sat down, closed my eyes, the sounds of Buddhist chanting and spinning prayer wheels in the background, and listened to one of the talks chosen at random. And I felt the spirit speak comfort and peace into my heart, the content of the talk being precisely what I needed to hear. And more, I looked at the hundreds of people around me, many just doing the tourist thing, many there expressing their sincere faith, and I felt such a strong kinship with them all.
In a country of 30 million people with maybe 200 members, of whom maybe 50 are active in the single branch in Kathmandu, I could feel the spirit testify strongly that these were all my brothers and sisters in Christ. And more, not only did he know them, in ways I don't fully understand, they knew him too.
It's one of the most profoundly beautiful and sublime experiences I've had, and one I will never forget - one I felt compelled to share here as well.
If anyone is interested, once it finishes uploading on my incredibly slow internet connection, I'll edit my post with a link to a video I recorded of the temple and the people there.

Hey there -
I have a friend with a 99’ built home. The original incandescent lights are going out.
I got up on a ladder and pulled them from the molding. Nearly had a heart attack as they weren’t fixed in place at all (tape was paper by now) but I have the lengths.
The only rope lights I could find at Lowe’s/Home Depot were some utilitech led models. I attached them and at the lowest setting on the dimmer switch - there’s still a faint light/standby current. I believe this means the luitron switch model has to be pulled at the tab at the bottom to kill standby - which isn’t going to work for this person. They just want the switch/remote to work. They want to stick with the warm light as this is in the living room and bedroom.
I’m looking for some advice:
Rope vs strip. Ropes are heavy and they were just laid in the grooves of this molding - I’m sure that didn’t help with the degradation. What would you recommend for this application?
And to piggyback off this - is there a way I can get led lights that won’t pick up that standby current in the formerly “off” position on this switch? I’m hoping to get a cuttable spool/strips and just attach it down the line - which leads me to:
How would y’all attach this? Lay it in the trim again (led route no heat) or staple strips horizontally inside?
Thanks for any advice - I’m thinking I’ll need something around 170 ft or so.
Also - bonus question - there was a former install attempt for a gfi on this stucco and the wire for the window alarm was cut. I can see it from the outside through that hole and the inside window trim bottom. Any tips on the best route to rerun that? It’s a tiny little cable and I could open it a bit more as a outlet/box/cover are going on top of here anyways
Thanks!

Intro So, I've planned out a few board games, card games, miniatures wargames, and related over the years -- in part or (almost) in full -- and I seem to have similar thought processes and routines each time, all the way through to the rough play-testing phase (meaning, with a mock-up of the game). I assume this post is helpful to others, not just myself, and might be useful this time around, too, with my space zombies wargame, likely at the skirmish level.
Ideas The very first thing you should do is write down ideas (long-hand or digitally). And, if it's not the first thing, it's in conjunction with a few other early processes, but for the sake of a simple step-by-step guide, I'll run with this (and it's certainly in line with how I often work).
This initial process, because it's likely that you'll think of more ideas later or re-work something at a later stage (if nothing else, simply because an idea shifts or becomes meaningless later on), could take anywhere from 2 hours to 2 years. It depends on how quick you are at thinking and writing, and just how many ideas you have. Realistically, this process is likely to take a few hours, or a few days.
However, there is something important to mention, and this is a nice place for it. You might want to leave a few days between steps or mico-steps (such as between Ideas and Early Planning) when designing a game. The reason is that I find just having a few days to let the project sit in my head as I go about my daily life actually helps to draw connections or think of new ideas, or just to literally sit and think on it to see how I feel -- literally taking a step back and seeing the bigger picture. A few days will do the trick, though it's not a requirement.
(For what it's worth, the same sort of advice is given for writers, as well, such as with lore and worldbuilding. Just writing flat-out, non-stop often backfires, actually. I even recall some mention of studies showing that the creative brain works at its best when you're not really thinking, which is why it's common for genius ideas to strike when you're doing something repetitive and mindless, such as Darwin walking around his garden, Einstein stamping patents, J.K. Rowling sitting on a train, or Tolkien grading student papers. Notice that they got some of their best ideas when just doing some kind of simple daily task/job. I assume this is what's happening when you take a few days away from whatever you're working on, and then you come back with even more ideas in your head, even though you weren't actively thinking about it. Of course, I'm not putting us in the same camp as those writers and scientists, I'm just saying that the same logic applies to all levels of creativity, low and high. So, if you want to work at your best, you should repeat some boring tasks now and again, or just take a walk to really re-energise your brain for more game design.)
As a result, you might spend 1-2 hours on the first day, and 1-2 hours on the third day, with a break on the second day just to collect your thoughts. You might even have many ideas to get on the paper if it's a big/complex game, so you might require many sessions/days. (Naturally, not everybody has 2 hours to write/think, so you can simply adjust this system accordingly. Either way, it should take no more than 7 days of real time for this first step or mico-step of just getting the core ideas on paper.)
My 'space zombies' wargame idea is actually a good example. I've had a 'zombies' idea in my head for a few years now. And, that's another thing: if you have an idea in your head, and it won't go away, it's best to just listen to it. So, I'm finally listening to it and taking it very seriously. However, the 'space' part of the 'zombies game' came later, just yesterday. It came largely out of necessity, because generic, zombies-on-the-ground has already been done before, and I couldn't find a way to make that hyper interesting. Then, it hit me to make a galactic-level zombie infection and use sci-fi models (aka space monsters and space military) instead of generic 17th-century type models (aka farmers, etc.), or else, generic 21st-century guys. That naturally popped the gag of 'space zombies' into my head, which actually sounded cool, though a bit on the nose. I mean, there is already the joke about 'space Communists' (Tau from Warhammer 40k), 'space elves' (Eldar from Warhammer 40k), and 'space orcs' (Orks from Warahmmer 40k... yes, I'm also beginning to see a pattern here). Warahmmer 40k even has 'Egyptian Terminators in space' (Necrons).
I also have a strange fading half-memory of vampires in space, but not sure if that's just a dream I had or from a TV show or something (although, Blood Angels from Warahmmer 40k are kind of like military-grade vampires in space). I guess, the rule is... if Tolkien invented it, then it can be thrown into space and be made ten times cooler. Well, Tolkien didn't invent zombies, but the same logic applies to all folklore/mythos, etc. (And, I guess Groot is like the Ents in space. I love Groot even more now.) It actually makes perfect psycholoigcal sense, and is not unheard of to have various monsters and real Earth creations in space, ranging from tanks to dinosaurs. (Actually, the idea of humans being infected in space is not even close to a new idea, though they are typically just generic zombie infections, not actual zombie monsters. Anyway, the point is: you need to get hold of a cool idea, and then run with it.)
Now, I should clarify this stage: when I say, 'ideas', I mean everything from core mechanics to subtext (as in storytelling theme/symbolism) to an outline of the central lore (background/fluff/worldbuilding/character). There are at least 20 major items for the ideas list. For example, at the top of the page (that is, my Word document), I like to type out the central inspiration for the project for overall design, feel, and functionality, be it another board game, a video game, and/or a movie. This all adds to the singular vision, which is key. I find writing it down to crystallise it helps just to get it out of the way/out of your head -- and if you ever start going off-track, you can look back at your ideas list/notes and remember what you're aiming at.
I typically rush out a list of items, because I'm working through it all in my mind and just want to get as many tags/descriptions, etc. down as possible. Then, I slowly add it to it and detail it out a bit more. I'll pretty much list all key details, such as the kind of game, the core components, the core mechanics, the setting, the scale/scope, the primary player interactions (such as things like currency), the tonality (serious or comedic, etc.), the number of players, A.I. systems, gameplay purpose/winning conditions, and much more.
Note: If you're making a game to sell, then your primary considerations are likely to be design elements for marketing, such as age range, overarching game type, and duration. Those should be at the top of your ideas list, and should all nicely connect with one another (at least roughly). Everything else will be designed around exactly where the game will sit on the shelf, so to speak. (If you're selling your game and don't have such considerations in mind, then this is largely moot, though such is likely to matter at some point down the line.)
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Early Planning Not surprisingly, the early planning stage feeds directly off from the ideas stage. Here we actually detail out all of our ideas, and start putting them into action.
This process takes days, if not weeks, depending on the project size and complexity, and how much time you put in each day, and where you want to focus, and just how much work you want done before moving onto step two (my feeling is you should do as little as possible, as it's always best to get the ball rolling, and everything interacts with everything else, anyway, so it's not useful to spend weeks on just a single element this early on, as it might go or need radically changing, anyway).
Your focus here should be two-fold: first, you should detail out all key info, including the entire lore/story and related for your world and characters and setting, and stack that with the core game mechanics and how it actually plays, and the purpose of the game. Second, you should map out just how the game plays, how the game might look, and how the player interacts with it.
Sometimes, these two stages might heavily overlap, and you might get it all done within a few hours. On the other hand, they could be very distinct stages. Either way, I believe they form step one for most board games and related games.
Either way, what matters here is getting to a point where you can actually visualise most of the game and have a clear understanding of how it works and why, so that you could easily explain it to somebody. Of course, it won't be playable in real space yet, nor even functional from a mechanical standpoint, even on paper. It's just the foundations, but everything should be falling into place now.
Having said that, this is also around the time when things can start to fall apart, which is common if you lack a singular vision for the project, or have fundamentally done something wrong in terms of the core mechanics/design, or maybe you just don't like the general direction. That's why this step is so important. Any problems in your mind need to be fixed here and now if possible, including starting over, re-working ideas, breaking each piece down and building it back up again, and changing the tonality or scope of the project, or even game type.
By the end of the first step, you'll also get a rough idea of the components you want to use and will have started to map out their functions (such as decks and dice). This is good, because you're going to need to buy and/or make such components soon in order to play-test (though there are other ways to play-test, as well), and then either play it or sell it.
I should mention that it's possible that you really love the project and how it's shaping up, but something isn't right, but you don't know what's wrong. In this case, you should just carry on, as it might fix itself by some later stage, or at least reveal itself. Otherwise, if all goes according to plan, you should have a clear vision for your game, and you should roughly know what is required and how you want it to play, and have all the required backstory for the characters and such.
Of course, you won't actually know how it plays yet -- that comes over the following steps. You also won't have novel-length backstories written out for your hero and such just yet (again, that comes next, assuming you want/need that much detail. Personally, I don't suggest too much detail). You also won't have much info on the maths/probability and such -- that comes later, when you start to actually map out the dice/related mechanics and functions, etc. However, I think messing around with dice and other core mechanics early on is a good idea to try and force some ideas out of you about just how the game will play (unless you already have a concrete dice system in your head from another game, then that's fine, but it's quite uncommon. Typically, lots of testing is required to find your game's voice, as it were). Although I've mostly spoken in terms of board games and wargames, such applies to all (or at least most) types of games.

Expedition report from Rift Group 4
Report carried out by Lieutenant Marvin Bailey
Report states: Peaceful contact with the local town of Una has ended in failure. Upon nearing the gates, the elves demanded RG-4 to identify themselves and after identification, they opened fire on with bows, crossbows, and scorpions. RG4 retaliated by opening fire with its 50mm chain gun, destroying parts of the wall, killing an unknown number of defenders, and destroying their heavy defenses. The initial shock from the chain gun froze the defenders, allowing RG-4 to vacate the area with minimum damage and no losses taken. This was the first unsuccessful interaction with the local populace since the beginning of the expedition and the Rift Group program and it shows that not all natives will be pleased with REC's arrival.
Other news: The enemy force on the other side of the North Alston river has not shown any signs of movement. Moreover, drone footage shows a number of the local populace leaving the Meilume capital and Una across the river, further suggesting that the Imperial army wishes to fortify and wall off the area between the two Alston rivers with the intention of boxing the REC before attacking. CIA sources can confirm this is the case. As far as the Rosian vassal kingdoms are concerned, RG-1, upon making successful contact with the border town of Afa, has sent a platoon, led by lieutenant James Wilson, to the Alston capital of Olinor where they made contact with the king of Alston, Thavok Zorgen. After a number of debates, king Thavok has agreed to accompany the platoon to the duchies of Zirith, Dothen, and Elarith, as well as the kingdom of Opherin to convince the dukes and kind Ostontul to attend a meeting with ambassador Eugene Anderson. Additional transportation will be provided should it be necessary.
30th day of late yellow season
Elyana, Empire of Light
"So.", said the chained human, "Is it my turn to pick the nail or yours?". The torturer responded by punching him in the face. The prisoner spat out a piece of his tooth before answering, "C'mon, you're supposed to be consistent. It's nail, nail, cut, punch. The teeth come later when all the nails are gone. Everyone knows that.". The torturer punched him again. "There you go again, messing up the consistency. I think I know why you work in this shit hole now."
The torturer wanted to hit him again, but a voice stopped him, "Enough!". A moment later, two elves walked into the room.
"Great General Laeroth.", the torturer said as he bowed.
"How is the questioning, Maul?", Laeroth asked.
"Not well, my lord. This human is proving to be a greater challenge than I had anticipated. All I got was a name. Jack Mitchell."
Laeroth sighed as he approached the chained-up human. His body was cut in several places and half of his fingernails have been removed. In addition, he was missing two teeth and bleeding from his mouth and nose. Yet he still denies Maul. As much as it pained Laeroth to admit it, he was impressed. Any Rosian or even elf would have broken by now. What made this human different?
"Jack Mitchell.", Laeroth said, making Jack lift his head and smile.
"What's up?", Jack asked.
"The ceiling.", Laeroth answered, making Jack laugh. "What is humorous?"
"Maul over there said the same thing.", Jack replied as he wheezed, "You sure you're not related? You got the same shade."
This made Maul mad as he grabbed his hammer, "You insolent savage!"
"Calm yourself.", Laeroth said, "I still need this human alive. High mage Gunru, you have my permission.".
"Yes, general.", said Gunru. He was one of the seven high mages of the empire in North Altia, second only to the grand mage Ishton. Each high mage is able to use more than one type of magical ability. Usually, a mage is only able to use one ability from a single spirit. The mages of Vita can be healers or they can use their power to give life to made objects. This way they can create their own army, however, the mage has to remain alive in order for the creature to remain alive, and if the creature is destroyed the life will return back to its source. The mages of Elendi can use one of the various elements, such as wind, fire, water, and so on. One other ability the high mages possess is 'Mind read'. By focusing their spiritual energy on the mind of the target, they can visualize their knowledge.
"What the hell are you doing?", Jack asked as Gunru grabbed his head with both hands, "I mean I'm flattered but I'm into women, just so you know."
Gunru closed his eyes and white energy started appearing from his hands. That energy went into Jack's head, which remained perfectly still as this occurred. Gunru entered his mind and began to project Jack's memories, thoughts, and knowledge around him. Laeroth just watched. He himself couldn't see unless Gunru gave the knowledge to him. But he did see something that disturbed him. Gunru began to twitch. A twitching that turned to shake as his eyes opened and quickly pulled back while panting and holding his head as though he had a headache.
"Gunru.", Laeroth called, "Tell me, what have you seen?"
Gunru shook and could barely grasp the words to speak, "T-T-Terrible things. A mistake. All of this was a mistake."
"Show me."
"No!", Gunru yelled immediately, "You must not. I could not get all the details myself. You will go insane."
"I must know our enemy. Even if it is a little, I must know. Gunru, you must show me."
Gunru greatly hesitated and opposed this. But at the same time, he knew if anyone was able to take the strain, it was Laeroth, the most loyal servant of the empire. "Very well. I shall show you as much as I can. Forgive me."
As Gunru placed his hands on Laeroth's head, the same energy went into it. Laeroth opened his eyes and found himself on a field of battle. Two sides were fighting, humans. One side had blue clothing and the other was red, both fighting with cannons and boomsticks, but nothing else. The blue-clothed soldiers appeared to be winning and they charged the red ones, all while carrying a flag. Red and white stripes with stars. It was brutal. What could it mean?
Night turned to day over and over again, until another battle occurred. Same thing, broomsticks, and cannons, but they fought each other. Once again, there was a flag with stars and stripes but now there were two. A civil war? Hundreds of thousands of men died all for what?
Fast forward, Laeroth appeared in another field, but considerably more terrifying. It was a field of black mud, ash, and blood as far as the eye could see. Thousands upon thousands of bodies piled up around giant cannons that fired and destroyed castles. He could see waves of soldiers running forward at their dug-in enemies. They fell by the dozen until a few lucky ones reached the line and engaged in a brutal brawl. The fighting kept escalating until a massive white cloud filled the battlefield and everyone caught in started choking and dying.
Once the smoke cleared, Laeroth could see hundreds of thousands, no, millions of soldiers and armored beasts marching across a field. They fought another gigantic army, one Laeroth thought could never exist. Millions of troops met on the battlefield and slaughtered one another as the metal monsters spat fire and thousands of iron wyverns fought in the air. Massive ships of steel fired enormous cannons of steel at one another as hundreds of iron rods fell from the sky and flattened the cities below.
Closing and opening his eyes one more time he saw a city. A large city with towers of stone and glass that pierced the clouds. But then he saw it get destroyed as it was engulfed in a literal sea of flames. All of those people were dead in an instant, and in place of the city was a gigantic cloud in the shape of a mushroom.
The day turned to night again as Laeroth was lifted into the air and observed the world change. The nations fought one another while also existing in peace. Cities became massive and their armies even more powerful. But then, the fires came. The great cities turned to a smoldering pile of ash as they turned on one another in the name of 'salvation'. War, disease, poverty, entire civilizations were whipped out and empires started to fall. But in this chaos, something was born. The petty rivalry of the great powers vanished and united they led their armies and pulled the corruption by its roots. It took them decades but they did it. And now united, they rebuilt their homes. The world was not at peace but they made the most of it. At least until they showed up. The rift opened, the invasion failed and now an angered giant prepares to take its vengeance and punish them for their crimes.
Gunru stopped sending energy into Laeroth's mind and let go of his head. Laeroth bent over and panted. His heart was racing and his nose bleeding. He could not believe what he saw. Was there really no hope? Was this war lost before it even began? How was he to win? He wasn't, but he knew he couldn't just give up. His pride as a warrior and a soldier wouldn't let him. But more than that, it was Canus. His maniacal nature coupled with fear will only make things worse if he were to find out. Furthermore, the Inquisition will most likely pull strings and keep the war going for their sick and twisted games. Laeroth knew he had to come up with something, otherwise, the empire will crumble.
"General, are you alright.", Maul asked.
"I am fine Maul.", Laeroth answered, "Take the human back to the cell and treat his wounds. I will let you know what I want with him next later."
"Yes, my lord.", Maul said as he gestured to the guards to help him.
"Gunru."
"Yes, general?", Gunru answered.
"You must not speak of this to anyone. Not even the emperor. This stays between us. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, general."
"Good. Now excuse me, I must clean myself and prepare for the future.". Laeroth left the torture chamber and climbed up the steps to the halls. On his way to his personal chamber, he could feel a strange sensation run down his spine. The effects of the mind read? No, this was something else. He made a random turn and walked down a narrow hallway. After taking a few steps, he prepared a knife and waited. Soon, a cloaked individual suddenly appeared from behind the corner and started running away. Laeroth immediately gave chase, signaling the guards in front to stop him. Two guards formed up with shields, which made him stop for a moment. After a moment Laeroth threw his knife at his back. He yelled in pain as he fell over and the guards moved in.
"Leave him!", Laeroth shouted as he grabbed the man and pulled the cloak down. It turned out to be a woman. "Who sent you!? Talk!". His words fell on deaf ears as the woman's head twitched and a thick purple foam-like substance oozed from her mouth. Laeroth groaned and let her go, "Burn the body. Speak nothing of this.". The guards nodded and carried the body outside.
'Gilshor.', Laeroth thought, 'I will not let you turn this war into your own personal puppet show. The darkness will not rule the light.'
---
(Meanwhile)
Upper level of the Imperial palace
Lilyth Camilla Agorix was always a strange girl. While the other girls took care of their hair, she took care of the armor forged specifically for her. While the other girls practiced knitting and read poetry, she expressed an interest in politics and philosophy. This behavior wasn't particularly accepted by her father. Her mother, on the other hand, empress Alruna Flavia Agorix, greatly supported her. It was thanks to her effort that women were allowed to join the army, and at the moment, a tenth of the army is female. Alruna wasn't named the Lioness for anything, and Lilyth tries to live up to her expectations.
But some members of the family aren't as hard-working as her. Her brother Armas is the biggest and most disgusting slob. She could hear him and his hooligans laugh in his chamber. Trying her best to ignore them, she walked past, but as Armas exited the room he called her over, "Hey sister! Come on in. We have room."
Lilyth groaned, "I have more important matters to attend to than entertain a room full of children."
Armas laughed, "Oh come on, loosen up. The slaves taught me that."
"Armas, if mother finds out-"
"What? What will she do? These slaves were given to me and I can do whatever I want with them."
"Is that so?", spoke a mature womanly voice, "Tell me, Armas, what exactly have you been doing?"
"M-Mother?", Armas uttered. Next to her was the second youngest daughter, Khelsa, along with the captive human girl, Amy. The two became friends after Amy arrived and while Alruna didn't support it at first, she learned that a child is a child, and her being from a supposedly savage land is irrelevant. "Nothing. Just questioning these captives with my soldiers."
"You mean raping women with your hooligans.", Alruna said as she walked into his room. The stench and sight made her sick. "Guards! Take these women to my chambers and bring along some maids. Clean them, feed them, and dress them properly." Guards did just that, pushing away the thugs who grunted in response.
"Khelsa?", Amy asked, "Is that your brother?"
Khelsa sighed in response, "Yes. I'm sorry you had to see this."
As the guards took the women out, Armas protested, "Mother, this is unfair. These women are my slaves. Furthermore, they are savages from a barbaric land. They should consider themselves lucky to even be in my presence. Father says-"
Alruna slapped him, stopping his sentence, "Your father may be the emperor, but I know him better than anyone else. He is narrow-minded and frightened, only seeing what is right in front of him, and never bothering to properly assess anything. We may be the chosen bringers of light, but if we act as barbaric as our adversaries then we are no better than them. Now, get this room cleaned and then yourself. You are royalty, act like it." With that Alruna and Lilyth left, leaving Armas to bicker and throw tantrums.
"Thank you, mother.", Lilyth said, "I must go now."
"Go, my daughter.", said Alruna. Lilyth bowed and entered her chamber.
"Fenris.", she spoke, "Is everything ready?"
"Yes, princess.", Fenris said, "The savage stands before you in chains and the scribe has prepared the parchment."
"Excellent. Scribe, you are to document any and all findings. Listen carefully. Do you understand?"
"Yes, princess.", answered the scribe.
"Let us begin.", Lilyth said as she walked to the captive, "What is your name?"
"You know that.", he answered and received a back-handed slap. After moving his head back, he answered, "Brian O'Neil."
"Where are you from?"
"My mom.", to which he received a punch in the stomach. It didn't hurt a lot, considering he was a large man. "The United States of America."
"Tell me more about it."
"It's a unity of fifty-two states with three hundred and fifty million people."
This shocked Lilyth but she didn't show it, "Are there more countries?"
"Many more. My country isn't even the biggest one."
"So there are more empires in your world."
"No, there aren't any."
Lilyth paused for a moment, "Then what?"
"We are a republic. We elect our leader and that leader represents us. He doesn't have all the power and all of his decisions are put to a vote. Empires and kings are a thing of the past."
"You expect me to believe that? A nation cannot function without a centralized figure controlling it."
Brad chuckled, "We use to think that, too. But we found out that the opposite is true. One person can control a city, or maybe a small nation. But the bigger a nation gets and the more powerful it gets, the more strain appears on a single person. This is why our nations are governed by dozens of people and we have careful systems for governance. A single person is not enough. He would only bring ruin."
This shocked Lilyth more. A system like this was always theorized by politicians and philosophers, but nothing was ever tested because the emperors abolished it, saying that it goes against the path of light. "You say that. But our empire has grown powerful and spread across the world. We have become its rulers and spreaders of wisdom, knowledge, and civilization."
"There used to be an empire in my world that thought just like you. They wanted to conquer the entire world and make it so that only their ways exist. Do you want to know what happened?"
"What?"
"They became too big. There was too much ground. Their forces were spread thin and could be picked off by united barbarians who didn't like their ways. War stopped and since their economy depended on it, it crumbled. Their politicians became corrupt and power-hungry. They stole from and even killed each other. Eventually, they fell beneath the force of the united kingdoms they called savages and were wiped out. This is why no one can truly conquer the world. No matter how hard you fight, the world always wins."
Lilyth clenched her fists and stared at Brad with an angered look, "You say that we will end up the same?"
"If you refuse to change, then yes.".
After staring at him for a few moments, she spoke, "Fenris! Take him back to his cell. We will continue this tomorrow."
"At once, princess.", Fenris said and grabbed Brad by the arm.
As they were walking out the door, Brad turned his head to Fenris, "You know she likes you, right?".
Fenris looked at him for a bit before pushing him forward. Lilyth was left to ponder Brad's words. There is still much for her to learn.
---
(That night)
Somewhere between Meilume capital and Una
Being a prisoner is never good. Your rights are taken away and the ones who captured you can do anything they want to you. They could kill you, sell you or worse. This was the predicament the Belus family found itself in. Out of the two hundred soldiers that accompanied them, only one soldier remained, the others were killed and fed to the welfen and leanoids. The Belus family was in a cage with the last soldier, Klaus, and a servant, Lia. The five of them were all sitting with their hands tied behind their backs, wondering what will happen next. Taria was still grieving over the death of Aego, not even lifting her head.
"Bellon.", Nimriel whispered, "What will happen to us?"
"Do not worry.", Bellon said, "We will alright."
"Stop lying, father.", Taria said, still with head lowered, "These people will first rape us, torture us and then demand ransom from the empire."
"Hush, my lady.", Lia said, "Don't say such things."
"What? The truth?"
"You should listen to the little girl.", said a rogue elf as he crouched in front of the cage. Behind him was the fire in the center of the camp with four more rogues, two leanoids, and one welfen. Most of the bandits were asleep, only over a dozen stayed awake. "The money we'll get from you will make us set for life. Sure, we might have lost more than half our men, but that just means more for the living."
Taria spat, "Open this cage and I'll show you a little girl."
The rogue chuckled, "Quite a fighter. I saw you kill that leanoid. You're good. Why don't you come with us?"
"Why would I join a bunch of good-for-nothing traitors? You know nothing of honor, duty or the light."
The rogue laughed, "They still teach that shit? The light is nothing but a made-up excuse the first emperor made so we can take these lands. People like us? We see the truth. And all of you are being manipulated."
"You dare mock the path of light?", asked Bellon.
"Shouldn't a bad joke be mocked?"
Taria and Bellon gritted their teeth. This is why rogues are killed on sight. They know nothing but greed. As Taria stared at the rogue, something appeared in the corner of her vision. A man in green armor held a black boomstick and aimed it at the bandits by the fire. She looked around and saw six more. Are they insane? If they fire it, it will alert everyone. But when they fired them, only a slight sound was heard. Enough for the rogue in front of her to turn around. He saw his mates dead, but couldn't call for help as his neck was ripped out by a welfen. The Belus family was in shock as the welfen opened the cage.
"Don't be afraid.", he spoke, "I'm with the Americans."
This confused the family. "Who?", Taria asked.
Soon after, a soldier in green got to them, "My name is Lieutenant Caden Roberts of RG-3. We're here to rescue you.". He cut their ropes and waved his hand to signal the rest of his men. As they moved, Taria saw the dead bodies of the bandits and when they got out of the camp she could see that only fifteen soldiers, including two tribals, came to rescue them.
"Who are you people?", Taria asked.
"We're the Rift Expeditionary Force from the United States of America.", said the lieutenant as he pressed a small metallic box which caused the entire bandit camp to get engulfed in flames. The bandits burned and screamed, some ran out of the camp but got shot by the green soldiers. Their camouflaged armor, repeating broomsticks, and fire magic puzzled Taria greatly. She couldn't even see their faces from their masks and eyewear. Who are they? Her questions had to wait a little longer, as iron carriages moved from behind them and opened.
"Lieutenant, is it go time?", spoke the man from one of the carriages.
"Yeah.", said the lieutenant, "Let's go, I'll get them to the MRAP. Come on.". He led the five of them to the middle carriages through its back door. It looked like it was completely made of metal and that it could take a cannon shot. This just further confused them. As the carriages started moving, they noticed that it was going at high speeds, even faster than horses.
"Who are you?", Bellon asked, "What do you want from us?"
The soldiers in front of them looked at each other before taking their masks and helmets off, revealing their pale faces. It wasn't anything sinister and they didn't look like they intended to harm them.
"I am sergeant Jeff Parker.", spoke one of them.
"I am staff sergeant Liam Cook.", spoke the other one, "Over here is Lioba, our feelian, and Olaf, our friendly welfen."
"It's welfen that attacked us.", Klaus spoke.
"Do not speak as if they are of my kind.", said Olaf in an angered tone, "Those beasts lost their meaning in life."
"What do you mean?", Jeff asked.
"Each wolf lives for the pack. For the tribe. He fights for it, provides for it, and dies for it. These wolves, they've abandoned their blood and chosen the life of a wild animal. They're no better than the ferals."
"I see. We have those too. We call them deserters. They flee the army and abandon their brothers. And so we hunt them down and punish them."
"As you should."
After some silence, Klaus spoke, "Forgive me. I meant no disrespect.". Olaf nodded.
"Are you taking us home?", Nimriel asked.
"No.", Liam said, "We're taking you to Galdush. Our lieutenant-general wishes to speak with you. Well, lord Bellon more specifically." The five went silent. This was the enemy from the rift, and now they're taking them to their leader.
"Are we to become your slaves then?", Taria asked.
Jeff and Liam chuckled a bit. "No no, of course not. That kind of thing is in the past for us. Our lieutenant-general only wants to speak with you. After a nice conversation, we will personally bring you back to the Meilume capital."
"How do you know its name?", Bellon asked.
"We have our ways. Now sit back and enjoy the ride.", Liam said as he pulled some blocks out of his pocket. When he opened it, it was gray and seemed to be food. After offering it to Lia, he spoke, "Hungry?". After some hesitation, Lia took it and tasted it. It was quite delicious. As she ate the whole thing, Liam chuckled as he opened a bag, "Don't strain yourself, I have enough for everyone."
---
(Several hours later)
Fort Galdush
"My lady.", said Lia as she shook Taria, "My lady, wake up, we've arrived."
Taria woke up, "What? How long have I been asleep?"
"A few hours, my lady."
This was surprising, to say the least, "We're already here?". She looked out the window and saw their fort as well as their machines. The M2 battle tanks rolled over the hills and fired at the targets, blasting through them. She saw soldiers shooting their guns and groups running in a circle. At the gate, the lieutenant introduced himself and the convoy continued. Inside, they could see soldiers clad in thick, metal armor carrying large boxes and as they got out of the MRAP they saw the Invictus ACs flying in the air. All of this overwhelmed them. To them, these were otherworldly monsters. To the rangers, it was a normal everyday occurrence.
Lieutenant Roberts stood in front of his men, "Alright. I will take lord Bellon Belus to lieutenant-general Coleman. Parker, Cook, you take the rest to their temporary residents."
"Yes sir.", both of them said as they saluted, "Okay, let's go. I promise it's nothing bad."
Taria, Lia, Nimriel, and Klaus went with Jeff and Liam to their residence while Caden took Bellon to the lieutenant-general. The two of them went into the central command building.
"Lieutenant Caden Roberts of Rift Group 3 here to see colonel Andrew Marshal and lieutenant-general Patrick Coleman.", he said to a woman who worked as a secretary.
After some delay, the woman nodded, "Go down the hall to meeting room two."
"Thank you. Come on.". Bellon followed Caden through the hall. He admired how it was crystal clear and pearl white like they were made of pure marble. As they walked they reached the meeting room and entered. Inside were two men who stood up immediately.
"Good morning.", said the first man, "I am lieutenant-general Patrick Coleman of the Rift Expeditionary Corp. And this is our logistics officer, colonel Andrew Marshal."
"Nice to meet you.", Andrew said, "You are the lord of Meilume, Bellon Belus, correct?"
Bellon stuttered, "Y-Yes I am. Great general, you have my eternal gratitude for saving my life, and my family.", he said as he bowed.
"Please.", Patrick spoke, "No need to bow. And please call me Patrick. Sit down."
"Thank you, Patrick.", Bellon said as he sat down, Caden next to him.
"While I accept your gratitude, I'm going to need to ask something else of you?"
'Of course. What was I expecting?', Bellon thought, "And what would that be? If it is gold I assure you the emperor will pay a decent sum for my family and me."
"Oh no, god no. I'm not asking for money. I need something from you that only someone of your status within the empire can provide."
'Someone of my status'. "What exactly?"
"As you know, your empire opened a rift in our country and attacked without warning and unprovoked. We beat the invasion force and the force than came after it. You lost two armies in less than a month, or, a moon cycle as you call them."
"Yes, I am aware of this. What does that have to do with me? I didn't send those armies."
"We know. But you have a connection with the person who did. And we want you to send a message to him for us."
'A message?' "And what kind of message?"
"We would like an audience with a representative to negotiate peace."
This stunned Bellon. 'Peace?'
---
(Meanwhile)
Jeff and Liam brought the four to an empty army barracks, reserved for these situations. "Okay.", Liam spoke, "You'll be staying here until the lieutenant-general orders otherwise. Don't worry, you'll be comfortable." They entered the barracks and it was clean, with several beds, a fridge, desks, and lights, which Jeff turned on, surprising the 'guests'.
"Make yourselves at home.", Jeff said, "I'll bring you some breakfast soon.". He left and closed the door, leaving the four to talk.
"What do you think will happen, Klaus?", Nimriel asked.
"I don't know, my lady.", he answered, "But we shouldn't do anything to anger them. I think we should wait and see what is to come."
Taria looked out the window and saw the tanks and LAVs driving past as well as soldiers marching in unison. "Incredible. All this power. They could have destroyed Meilume before we even had the chance to escape. And yet here we are. In their fortress, waiting for them to bring us food. They want something."
"Well.", Lia said, "That man who offered me the sweet food was nice. I think they're not that bad."
"They are the enemy, Lia. Enemies should never be trusted. It might seem like they are good, but they are using us. They want us here so we can witness their power and use us to spread fear through the rest of the empire. Clever."
"I think you are thinking too much about it, my lady. Perhaps you need to sit down, and rest."
Taria sighed. She walked to a nearby desk and observed the notebooks, pens, and pencils. She sat down and opened a notebook, immediately noticing how the paper is milk-white with lines to help her writing. Picking up one of the pens, she observed how smooth it was and made of spotless, thin metal, but also how it didn't have a tip. Then she noticed the round top and remembered how the lieutenant pressed his metal box. Pressing down the top, the pen clicked and the tip appeared. Amazed, she clicked it several more times before starting to write.
"Taria?", Nimriel asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm writing down what I saw."
At that moment, Jeff opened the door and brought several white cardboard boxes, "I brought breakfast. I hope it's to your liking."
Each of them took one and Jeff put the last one on Taria's desk. She looked at him and asked, "Can you show me more of your fortress?"
Jeff hesitated a bit, "Why?"
"I'm curious. I wish to learn."
"So you can write it down and give the information to the army?". Taria sat silently. This wasn't untrue. "Look, we're not your enemy. Our commanding officer is talking to your father about peace. Truth is, we don't want war.". Taria paused to think about that. "But if I get permission, I'll show you around."
"I would appreciate it. Thank you."
​
End of chapter 10
​
---
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OK I know probably sounds weird but with Bupropion nearly eliminating my anxiety (and depression but there were no redeeming aspects of that) and it's left me feeling weirdly empty. Like I've spent my whole life with immense anxiety and without it, I almost don't know how to function anymore. I feel like that's what drove me, what guided me. Does it absolutely suck and feel horrible? Yes. Am I elated to be rid of it overall? Yes. And yet I can't help feeling if it might be better if it were working a little less well. In a weird bizarre way my anxiety feels almost comforting. Am I crazy? lol, perhaps I just need to adjust to an anxiety free life which is so foreign to me.

My daughter is nearly 3 and a half, she has been dry during the day for about 2 weeks now and she’s doing really well. For about a week now she’s been consistently waking up with a completely dry pull up and going to the toilet for a wee once she’s awake. I’m just wondering at what point I should try her without a pull up at night?
She is my second born but my oldest (nearly 7) still isn’t ready to be dry at night and still wakes up with quite a wet pull up so this is pretty new to me and I wasn’t expecting her to be dry at night so soon. So any advice would be much appreciated, thank you

Intro So, I've planned out a few board games, card games, miniatures wargames, and related over the years -- in part or (almost) in full -- and I seem to have similar thought processes and routines each time, all the way through to the rough play-testing phase (meaning, with a mock-up of the game). I assume this post is helpful to others, not just myself, and might be useful this time around, too, with my space zombies wargame, likely at the skirmish level.
Ideas The very first thing you should do is write down ideas (long-hand or digitally). And, if it's not the first thing, it's in conjunction with a few other early processes, but for the sake of a simple step-by-step guide, I'll run with this (and it's certainly in line with how I often work).
This initial process, because it's likely that you'll think of more ideas later or re-work something at a later stage (if nothing else, simply because an idea shifts or becomes meaningless later on), could take anywhere from 2 hours to 2 years. It depends on how quick you are at thinking and writing, and just how many ideas you have. Realistically, this process is likely to take a few hours, or a few days.
However, there is something important to mention, and this is a nice place for it. You might want to leave a few days between steps or mico-steps (such as between Ideas and Early Planning) when designing a game. The reason is that I find just having a few days to let the project sit in my head as I go about my daily life actually helps to draw connections or think of new ideas, or just to literally sit and think on it to see how I feel -- literally taking a step back and seeing the bigger picture. A few days will do the trick, though it's not a requirement.
(For what it's worth, the same sort of advice is given for writers, as well, such as with lore and worldbuilding. Just writing flat-out, non-stop often backfires, actually. I even recall some mention of studies showing that the creative brain works at its best when you're not really thinking, which is why it's common for genius ideas to strike when you're doing something repetitive and mindless, such as Darwin walking around his garden, Einstein stamping patents, J.K. Rowling sitting on a train, or Tolkien grading student papers. Notice that they got some of their best ideas when just doing some kind of simple daily task/job. I assume this is what's happening when you take a few days away from whatever you're working on, and then you come back with even more ideas in your head, even though you weren't actively thinking about it. Of course, I'm not putting us in the same camp as those writers and scientists, I'm just saying that the same logic applies to all levels of creativity, low and high. So, if you want to work at your best, you should repeat some boring tasks now and again, or just take a walk to really re-energise your brain for more game design.)
As a result, you might spend 1-2 hours on the first day, and 1-2 hours on the third day, with a break on the second day just to collect your thoughts. You might even have many ideas to get on the paper if it's a big/complex game, so you might require many sessions/days. (Naturally, not everybody has 2 hours to write/think, so you can simply adjust this system accordingly. Either way, it should take no more than 7 days of real time for this first step or mico-step of just getting the core ideas on paper.)
My 'space zombies' wargame idea is actually a good example. I've had a 'zombies' idea in my head for a few years now. And, that's another thing: if you have an idea in your head, and it won't go away, it's best to just listen to it. So, I'm finally listening to it and taking it very seriously. However, the 'space' part of the 'zombies game' came later, just yesterday. It came largely out of necessity, because generic, zombies-on-the-ground has already been done before, and I couldn't find a way to make that hyper interesting. Then, it hit me to make a galactic-level zombie infection and use sci-fi models (aka space monsters and space military) instead of generic 17th-century type models (aka farmers, etc.), or else, generic 21st-century guys. That naturally popped the gag of 'space zombies' into my head, which actually sounded cool, though a bit on the nose. I mean, there is already the joke about 'space Communists' (Tau from Warhammer 40k), 'space elves' (Eldar from Warhammer 40k), and 'space orcs' (Orks from Warahmmer 40k... yes, I'm also beginning to see a pattern here). Warahmmer 40k even has 'Egyptian Terminators in space' (Necrons).
I also have a strange fading half-memory of vampires in space, but not sure if that's just a dream I had or from a TV show or something (although, Blood Angels from Warahmmer 40k are kind of like military-grade vampires in space). I guess, the rule is... if Tolkien invented it, then it can be thrown into space and be made ten times cooler. Well, Tolkien didn't invent zombies, but the same logic applies to all folklore/mythos, etc. (And, I guess Groot is like the Ents in space. I love Groot even more now.) It actually makes perfect psycholoigcal sense, and is not unheard of to have various monsters and real Earth creations in space, ranging from tanks to dinosaurs. (Actually, the idea of humans being infected in space is not even close to a new idea, though they are typically just generic zombie infections, not actual zombie monsters. Anyway, the point is: you need to get hold of a cool idea, and then run with it.)
Now, I should clarify this stage: when I say, 'ideas', I mean everything from core mechanics to subtext (as in storytelling theme/symbolism) to an outline of the central lore (background/fluff/worldbuilding/character). There are at least 20 major items for the ideas list. For example, at the top of the page (that is, my Word document), I like to type out the central inspiration for the project for overall design, feel, and functionality, be it another board game, a video game, and/or a movie. This all adds to the singular vision, which is key. I find writing it down to crystallise it helps just to get it out of the way/out of your head -- and if you ever start going off-track, you can look back at your ideas list/notes and remember what you're aiming at.
I typically rush out a list of items, because I'm working through it all in my mind and just want to get as many tags/descriptions, etc. down as possible. Then, I slowly add it to it and detail it out a bit more. I'll pretty much list all key details, such as the kind of game, the core components, the core mechanics, the setting, the scale/scope, the primary player interactions (such as things like currency), the tonality (serious or comedic, etc.), the number of players, A.I. systems, gameplay purpose/winning conditions, and much more.
Note: If you're making a game to sell, then your primary considerations are likely to be design elements for marketing, such as age range, overarching game type, and duration. Those should be at the top of your ideas list, and should all nicely connect with one another (at least roughly). Everything else will be designed around exactly where the game will sit on the shelf, so to speak. (If you're selling your game and don't have such considerations in mind, then this is largely moot, though such is likely to matter at some point down the line.)
​
Early Planning Not surprisingly, the early planning stage feeds directly off from the ideas stage. Here we actually detail out all of our ideas, and start putting them into action.
This process takes days, if not weeks, depending on the project size and complexity, and how much time you put in each day, and where you want to focus, and just how much work you want done before moving onto step two (my feeling is you should do as little as possible, as it's always best to get the ball rolling, and everything interacts with everything else, anyway, so it's not useful to spend weeks on just a single element this early on, as it might go or need radically changing, anyway).
Your focus here should be two-fold: first, you should detail out all key info, including the entire lore/story and related for your world and characters and setting, and stack that with the core game mechanics and how it actually plays, and the purpose of the game. Second, you should map out just how the game plays, how the game might look, and how the player interacts with it.
Sometimes, these two stages might heavily overlap, and you might get it all done within a few hours. On the other hand, they could be very distinct stages. Either way, I believe they form step one for most board games and related games.
Either way, what matters here is getting to a point where you can actually visualise most of the game and have a clear understanding of how it works and why, so that you could easily explain it to somebody. Of course, it won't be playable in real space yet, nor even functional from a mechanical standpoint, even on paper. It's just the foundations, but everything should be falling into place now.
Having said that, this is also around the time when things can start to fall apart, which is common if you lack a singular vision for the project, or have fundamentally done something wrong in terms of the core mechanics/design, or maybe you just don't like the general direction. That's why this step is so important. Any problems in your mind need to be fixed here and now if possible, including starting over, re-working ideas, breaking each piece down and building it back up again, and changing the tonality or scope of the project, or even game type.
By the end of the first step, you'll also get a rough idea of the components you want to use and will have started to map out their functions (such as decks and dice). This is good, because you're going to need to buy and/or make such components soon in order to play-test (though there are other ways to play-test, as well), and then either play it or sell it.
I should mention that it's possible that you really love the project and how it's shaping up, but something isn't right, but you don't know what's wrong. In this case, you should just carry on, as it might fix itself by some later stage, or at least reveal itself. Otherwise, if all goes according to plan, you should have a clear vision for your game, and you should roughly know what is required and how you want it to play, and have all the required backstory for the characters and such.
Of course, you won't actually know how it plays yet -- that comes over the following steps. You also won't have novel-length backstories written out for your hero and such just yet (again, that comes next, assuming you want/need that much detail. Personally, I don't suggest too much detail). You also won't have much info on the maths/probability and such -- that comes later, when you start to actually map out the dice/related mechanics and functions, etc. However, I think messing around with dice and other core mechanics early on is a good idea to try and force some ideas out of you about just how the game will play (unless you already have a concrete dice system in your head from another game, then that's fine, but it's quite uncommon. Typically, lots of testing is required to find your game's voice, as it were). Although I've mostly spoken in terms of board games and wargames, such applies to all (or at least most) types of games.

Hello everyone, i need if possible a quick answer because i'm supossed to play in a shiringito ( a bar near the beach) this afternoon and they asked me how many i want ?? i've never been paid so i don't know.
I'm solo ( but with lot of instrument , i play on loop ) for a 45 minutes set , 5 song (song last 10 minutes) i saw on internet it would be 500 euro but it seems very lot for me. thanks

Expedition report from Rift Group 4
Report carried out by Lieutenant Marvin Bailey
Report states: Peaceful contact with the local town of Una has ended in failure. Upon nearing the gates, the elves demanded RG-4 to identify themselves and after identification, they opened fire on with bows, crossbows, and scorpions. RG4 retaliated by opening fire with its 50mm chain gun, destroying parts of the wall, killing an unknown number of defenders, and destroying their heavy defenses. The initial shock from the chain gun froze the defenders, allowing RG-4 to vacate the area with minimum damage and no losses taken. This was the first unsuccessful interaction with the local populace since the beginning of the expedition and the Rift Group program and it shows that not all natives will be pleased with REC's arrival.
Other news: The enemy force on the other side of the North Alston river has not shown any signs of movement. Moreover, drone footage shows a number of the local populace leaving the Meilume capital and Una across the river, further suggesting that the Imperial army wishes to fortify and wall off the area between the two Alston rivers with the intention of boxing the REC before attacking. CIA sources can confirm this is the case. As far as the Rosian vassal kingdoms are concerned, RG-1, upon making successful contact with the border town of Afa, has sent a platoon, led by lieutenant James Wilson, to the Alston capital of Olinor where they made contact with the king of Alston, Thavok Zorgen. After a number of debates, king Thavok has agreed to accompany the platoon to the duchies of Zirith, Dothen, and Elarith, as well as the kingdom of Opherin to convince the dukes and kind Ostontul to attend a meeting with ambassador Eugene Anderson. Additional transportation will be provided should it be necessary.
30th day of late yellow season
Elyana, Empire of Light
"So.", said the chained human, "Is it my turn to pick the nail or yours?". The torturer responded by punching him in the face. The prisoner spat out a piece of his tooth before answering, "C'mon, you're supposed to be consistent. It's nail, nail, cut, punch. The teeth come later when all the nails are gone. Everyone knows that.". The torturer punched him again. "There you go again, messing up the consistency. I think I know why you work in this shit hole now."
The torturer wanted to hit him again, but a voice stopped him, "Enough!". A moment later, two elves walked into the room.
"Great General Laeroth.", the torturer said as he bowed.
"How is the questioning, Maul?", Laeroth asked.
"Not well, my lord. This human is proving to be a greater challenge than I had anticipated. All I got was a name. Jack Mitchell."
Laeroth sighed as he approached the chained-up human. His body was cut in several places and half of his fingernails have been removed. In addition, he was missing two teeth and bleeding from his mouth and nose. Yet he still denies Maul. As much as it pained Laeroth to admit it, he was impressed. Any Rosian or even elf would have broken by now. What made this human different?
"Jack Mitchell.", Laeroth said, making Jack lift his head and smile.
"What's up?", Jack asked.
"The ceiling.", Laeroth answered, making Jack laugh. "What is humorous?"
"Maul over there said the same thing.", Jack replied as he wheezed, "You sure you're not related? You got the same shade."
This made Maul mad as he grabbed his hammer, "You insolent savage!"
"Calm yourself.", Laeroth said, "I still need this human alive. High mage Gunru, you have my permission.".
"Yes, general.", said Gunru. He was one of the seven high mages of the empire in North Altia, second only to the grand mage Ishton. Each high mage is able to use more than one type of magical ability. Usually, a mage is only able to use one ability from a single spirit. The mages of Vita can be healers or they can use their power to give life to made objects. This way they can create their own army, however, the mage has to remain alive in order for the creature to remain alive, and if the creature is destroyed the life will return back to its source. The mages of Elendi can use one of the various elements, such as wind, fire, water, and so on. One other ability the high mages possess is 'Mind read'. By focusing their spiritual energy on the mind of the target, they can visualize their knowledge.
"What the hell are you doing?", Jack asked as Gunru grabbed his head with both hands, "I mean I'm flattered but I'm into women, just so you know."
Gunru closed his eyes and white energy started appearing from his hands. That energy went into Jack's head, which remained perfectly still as this occurred. Gunru entered his mind and began to project Jack's memories, thoughts, and knowledge around him. Laeroth just watched. He himself couldn't see unless Gunru gave the knowledge to him. But he did see something that disturbed him. Gunru began to twitch. A twitching that turned to shake as his eyes opened and quickly pulled back while panting and holding his head as though he had a headache.
"Gunru.", Laeroth called, "Tell me, what have you seen?"
Gunru shook and could barely grasp the words to speak, "T-T-Terrible things. A mistake. All of this was a mistake."
"Show me."
"No!", Gunru yelled immediately, "You must not. I could not get all the details myself. You will go insane."
"I must know our enemy. Even if it is a little, I must know. Gunru, you must show me."
Gunru greatly hesitated and opposed this. But at the same time, he knew if anyone was able to take the strain, it was Laeroth, the most loyal servant of the empire. "Very well. I shall show you as much as I can. Forgive me."
As Gunru placed his hands on Laeroth's head, the same energy went into it. Laeroth opened his eyes and found himself on a field of battle. Two sides were fighting, humans. One side had blue clothing and the other was red, both fighting with cannons and boomsticks, but nothing else. The blue-clothed soldiers appeared to be winning and they charged the red ones, all while carrying a flag. Red and white stripes with stars. It was brutal. What could it mean?
Night turned to day over and over again, until another battle occurred. Same thing, broomsticks, and cannons, but they fought each other. Once again, there was a flag with stars and stripes but now there were two. A civil war? Hundreds of thousands of men died all for what?
Fast forward, Laeroth appeared in another field, but considerably more terrifying. It was a field of black mud, ash, and blood as far as the eye could see. Thousands upon thousands of bodies piled up around giant cannons that fired and destroyed castles. He could see waves of soldiers running forward at their dug-in enemies. They fell by the dozen until a few lucky ones reached the line and engaged in a brutal brawl. The fighting kept escalating until a massive white cloud filled the battlefield and everyone caught in started choking and dying.
Once the smoke cleared, Laeroth could see hundreds of thousands, no, millions of soldiers and armored beasts marching across a field. They fought another gigantic army, one Laeroth thought could never exist. Millions of troops met on the battlefield and slaughtered one another as the metal monsters spat fire and thousands of iron wyverns fought in the air. Massive ships of steel fired enormous cannons of steel at one another as hundreds of iron rods fell from the sky and flattened the cities below.
Closing and opening his eyes one more time he saw a city. A large city with towers of stone and glass that pierced the clouds. But then he saw it get destroyed as it was engulfed in a literal sea of flames. All of those people were dead in an instant, and in place of the city was a gigantic cloud in the shape of a mushroom.
The day turned to night again as Laeroth was lifted into the air and observed the world change. The nations fought one another while also existing in peace. Cities became massive and their armies even more powerful. But then, the fires came. The great cities turned to a smoldering pile of ash as they turned on one another in the name of 'salvation'. War, disease, poverty, entire civilizations were whipped out and empires started to fall. But in this chaos, something was born. The petty rivalry of the great powers vanished and united they led their armies and pulled the corruption by its roots. It took them decades but they did it. And now united, they rebuilt their homes. The world was not at peace but they made the most of it. At least until they showed up. The rift opened, the invasion failed and now an angered giant prepares to take its vengeance and punish them for their crimes.
Gunru stopped sending energy into Laeroth's mind and let go of his head. Laeroth bent over and panted. His heart was racing and his nose bleeding. He could not believe what he saw. Was there really no hope? Was this war lost before it even began? How was he to win? He wasn't, but he knew he couldn't just give up. His pride as a warrior and a soldier wouldn't let him. But more than that, it was Canus. His maniacal nature coupled with fear will only make things worse if he were to find out. Furthermore, the Inquisition will most likely pull strings and keep the war going for their sick and twisted games. Laeroth knew he had to come up with something, otherwise, the empire will crumble.
"General, are you alright.", Maul asked.
"I am fine Maul.", Laeroth answered, "Take the human back to the cell and treat his wounds. I will let you know what I want with him next later."
"Yes, my lord.", Maul said as he gestured to the guards to help him.
"Gunru."
"Yes, general?", Gunru answered.
"You must not speak of this to anyone. Not even the emperor. This stays between us. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, general."
"Good. Now excuse me, I must clean myself and prepare for the future.". Laeroth left the torture chamber and climbed up the steps to the halls. On his way to his personal chamber, he could feel a strange sensation run down his spine. The effects of the mind read? No, this was something else. He made a random turn and walked down a narrow hallway. After taking a few steps, he prepared a knife and waited. Soon, a cloaked individual suddenly appeared from behind the corner and started running away. Laeroth immediately gave chase, signaling the guards in front to stop him. Two guards formed up with shields, which made him stop for a moment. After a moment Laeroth threw his knife at his back. He yelled in pain as he fell over and the guards moved in.
"Leave him!", Laeroth shouted as he grabbed the man and pulled the cloak down. It turned out to be a woman. "Who sent you!? Talk!". His words fell on deaf ears as the woman's head twitched and a thick purple foam-like substance oozed from her mouth. Laeroth groaned and let her go, "Burn the body. Speak nothing of this.". The guards nodded and carried the body outside.
'Gilshor.', Laeroth thought, 'I will not let you turn this war into your own personal puppet show. The darkness will not rule the light.'
---
(Meanwhile)
Upper level of the Imperial palace
Lilyth Camilla Agorix was always a strange girl. While the other girls took care of their hair, she took care of the armor forged specifically for her. While the other girls practiced knitting and read poetry, she expressed an interest in politics and philosophy. This behavior wasn't particularly accepted by her father. Her mother, on the other hand, empress Alruna Flavia Agorix, greatly supported her. It was thanks to her effort that women were allowed to join the army, and at the moment, a tenth of the army is female. Alruna wasn't named the Lioness for anything, and Lilyth tries to live up to her expectations.
But some members of the family aren't as hard-working as her. Her brother Armas is the biggest and most disgusting slob. She could hear him and his hooligans laugh in his chamber. Trying her best to ignore them, she walked past, but as Armas exited the room he called her over, "Hey sister! Come on in. We have room."
Lilyth groaned, "I have more important matters to attend to than entertain a room full of children."
Armas laughed, "Oh come on, loosen up. The slaves taught me that."
"Armas, if mother finds out-"
"What? What will she do? These slaves were given to me and I can do whatever I want with them."
"Is that so?", spoke a mature womanly voice, "Tell me, Armas, what exactly have you been doing?"
"M-Mother?", Armas uttered. Next to her was the second youngest daughter, Khelsa, along with the captive human girl, Amy. The two became friends after Amy arrived and while Alruna didn't support it at first, she learned that a child is a child, and her being from a supposedly savage land is irrelevant. "Nothing. Just questioning these captives with my soldiers."
"You mean raping women with your hooligans.", Alruna said as she walked into his room. The stench and sight made her sick. "Guards! Take these women to my chambers and bring along some maids. Clean them, feed them, and dress them properly." Guards did just that, pushing away the thugs who grunted in response.
"Khelsa?", Amy asked, "Is that your brother?"
Khelsa sighed in response, "Yes. I'm sorry you had to see this."
As the guards took the women out, Armas protested, "Mother, this is unfair. These women are my slaves. Furthermore, they are savages from a barbaric land. They should consider themselves lucky to even be in my presence. Father says-"
Alruna slapped him, stopping his sentence, "Your father may be the emperor, but I know him better than anyone else. He is narrow-minded and frightened, only seeing what is right in front of him, and never bothering to properly assess anything. We may be the chosen bringers of light, but if we act as barbaric as our adversaries then we are no better than them. Now, get this room cleaned and then yourself. You are royalty, act like it." With that Alruna and Lilyth left, leaving Armas to bicker and throw tantrums.
"Thank you, mother.", Lilyth said, "I must go now."
"Go, my daughter.", said Alruna. Lilyth bowed and entered her chamber.
"Fenris.", she spoke, "Is everything ready?"
"Yes, princess.", Fenris said, "The savage stands before you in chains and the scribe has prepared the parchment."
"Excellent. Scribe, you are to document any and all findings. Listen carefully. Do you understand?"
"Yes, princess.", answered the scribe.
"Let us begin.", Lilyth said as she walked to the captive, "What is your name?"
"You know that.", he answered and received a back-handed slap. After moving his head back, he answered, "Brian O'Neil."
"Where are you from?"
"My mom.", to which he received a punch in the stomach. It didn't hurt a lot, considering he was a large man. "The United States of America."
"Tell me more about it."
"It's a unity of fifty-two states with three hundred and fifty million people."
This shocked Lilyth but she didn't show it, "Are there more countries?"
"Many more. My country isn't even the biggest one."
"So there are more empires in your world."
"No, there aren't any."
Lilyth paused for a moment, "Then what?"
"We are a republic. We elect our leader and that leader represents us. He doesn't have all the power and all of his decisions are put to a vote. Empires and kings are a thing of the past."
"You expect me to believe that? A nation cannot function without a centralized figure controlling it."
Brad chuckled, "We use to think that, too. But we found out that the opposite is true. One person can control a city, or maybe a small nation. But the bigger a nation gets and the more powerful it gets, the more strain appears on a single person. This is why our nations are governed by dozens of people and we have careful systems for governance. A single person is not enough. He would only bring ruin."
This shocked Lilyth more. A system like this was always theorized by politicians and philosophers, but nothing was ever tested because the emperors abolished it, saying that it goes against the path of light. "You say that. But our empire has grown powerful and spread across the world. We have become its rulers and spreaders of wisdom, knowledge, and civilization."
"There used to be an empire in my world that thought just like you. They wanted to conquer the entire world and make it so that only their ways exist. Do you want to know what happened?"
"What?"
"They became too big. There was too much ground. Their forces were spread thin and could be picked off by united barbarians who didn't like their ways. War stopped and since their economy depended on it, it crumbled. Their politicians became corrupt and power-hungry. They stole from and even killed each other. Eventually, they fell beneath the force of the united kingdoms they called savages and were wiped out. This is why no one can truly conquer the world. No matter how hard you fight, the world always wins."
Lilyth clenched her fists and stared at Brad with an angered look, "You say that we will end up the same?"
"If you refuse to change, then yes.".
After staring at him for a few moments, she spoke, "Fenris! Take him back to his cell. We will continue this tomorrow."
"At once, princess.", Fenris said and grabbed Brad by the arm.
As they were walking out the door, Brad turned his head to Fenris, "You know she likes you, right?".
Fenris looked at him for a bit before pushing him forward. Lilyth was left to ponder Brad's words. There is still much for her to learn.
---
(That night)
Somewhere between Meilume capital and Una
Being a prisoner is never good. Your rights are taken away and the ones who captured you can do anything they want to you. They could kill you, sell you or worse. This was the predicament the Belus family found itself in. Out of the two hundred soldiers that accompanied them, only one soldier remained, the others were killed and fed to the welfen and leanoids. The Belus family was in a cage with the last soldier, Klaus, and a servant, Lia. The five of them were all sitting with their hands tied behind their backs, wondering what will happen next. Taria was still grieving over the death of Aego, not even lifting her head.
"Bellon.", Nimriel whispered, "What will happen to us?"
"Do not worry.", Bellon said, "We will alright."
"Stop lying, father.", Taria said, still with head lowered, "These people will first rape us, torture us and then demand ransom from the empire."
"Hush, my lady.", Lia said, "Don't say such things."
"What? The truth?"
"You should listen to the little girl.", said a rogue elf as he crouched in front of the cage. Behind him was the fire in the center of the camp with four more rogues, two leanoids, and one welfen. Most of the bandits were asleep, only over a dozen stayed awake. "The money we'll get from you will make us set for life. Sure, we might have lost more than half our men, but that just means more for the living."
Taria spat, "Open this cage and I'll show you a little girl."
The rogue chuckled, "Quite a fighter. I saw you kill that leanoid. You're good. Why don't you come with us?"
"Why would I join a bunch of good-for-nothing traitors? You know nothing of honor, duty or the light."
The rogue laughed, "They still teach that shit? The light is nothing but a made-up excuse the first emperor made so we can take these lands. People like us? We see the truth. And all of you are being manipulated."
"You dare mock the path of light?", asked Bellon.
"Shouldn't a bad joke be mocked?"
Taria and Bellon gritted their teeth. This is why rogues are killed on sight. They know nothing but greed. As Taria stared at the rogue, something appeared in the corner of her vision. A man in green armor held a black boomstick and aimed it at the bandits by the fire. She looked around and saw six more. Are they insane? If they fire it, it will alert everyone. But when they fired them, only a slight sound was heard. Enough for the rogue in front of her to turn around. He saw his mates dead, but couldn't call for help as his neck was ripped out by a welfen. The Belus family was in shock as the welfen opened the cage.
"Don't be afraid.", he spoke, "I'm with the Americans."
This confused the family. "Who?", Taria asked.
Soon after, a soldier in green got to them, "My name is Lieutenant Caden Roberts of RG-3. We're here to rescue you.". He cut their ropes and waved his hand to signal the rest of his men. As they moved, Taria saw the dead bodies of the bandits and when they got out of the camp she could see that only fifteen soldiers, including two tribals, came to rescue them.
"Who are you people?", Taria asked.
"We're the Rift Expeditionary Force from the United States of America.", said the lieutenant as he pressed a small metallic box which caused the entire bandit camp to get engulfed in flames. The bandits burned and screamed, some ran out of the camp but got shot by the green soldiers. Their camouflaged armor, repeating broomsticks, and fire magic puzzled Taria greatly. She couldn't even see their faces from their masks and eyewear. Who are they? Her questions had to wait a little longer, as iron carriages moved from behind them and opened.
"Lieutenant, is it go time?", spoke the man from one of the carriages.
"Yeah.", said the lieutenant, "Let's go, I'll get them to the MRAP. Come on.". He led the five of them to the middle carriages through its back door. It looked like it was completely made of metal and that it could take a cannon shot. This just further confused them. As the carriages started moving, they noticed that it was going at high speeds, even faster than horses.
"Who are you?", Bellon asked, "What do you want from us?"
The soldiers in front of them looked at each other before taking their masks and helmets off, revealing their pale faces. It wasn't anything sinister and they didn't look like they intended to harm them.
"I am sergeant Jeff Parker.", spoke one of them.
"I am staff sergeant Liam Cook.", spoke the other one, "Over here is Lioba, our feelian, and Olaf, our friendly welfen."
"It's welfen that attacked us.", Klaus spoke.
"Do not speak as if they are of my kind.", said Olaf in an angered tone, "Those beasts lost their meaning in life."
"What do you mean?", Jeff asked.
"Each wolf lives for the pack. For the tribe. He fights for it, provides for it, and dies for it. These wolves, they've abandoned their blood and chosen the life of a wild animal. They're no better than the ferals."
"I see. We have those too. We call them deserters. They flee the army and abandon their brothers. And so we hunt them down and punish them."
"As you should."
After some silence, Klaus spoke, "Forgive me. I meant no disrespect.". Olaf nodded.
"Are you taking us home?", Nimriel asked.
"No.", Liam said, "We're taking you to Galdush. Our lieutenant-general wishes to speak with you. Well, lord Bellon more specifically." The five went silent. This was the enemy from the rift, and now they're taking them to their leader.
"Are we to become your slaves then?", Taria asked.
Jeff and Liam chuckled a bit. "No no, of course not. That kind of thing is in the past for us. Our lieutenant-general only wants to speak with you. After a nice conversation, we will personally bring you back to the Meilume capital."
"How do you know its name?", Bellon asked.
"We have our ways. Now sit back and enjoy the ride.", Liam said as he pulled some blocks out of his pocket. When he opened it, it was gray and seemed to be food. After offering it to Lia, he spoke, "Hungry?". After some hesitation, Lia took it and tasted it. It was quite delicious. As she ate the whole thing, Liam chuckled as he opened a bag, "Don't strain yourself, I have enough for everyone."
---
(Several hours later)
Fort Galdush
"My lady.", said Lia as she shook Taria, "My lady, wake up, we've arrived."
Taria woke up, "What? How long have I been asleep?"
"A few hours, my lady."
This was surprising, to say the least, "We're already here?". She looked out the window and saw their fort as well as their machines. The M2 battle tanks rolled over the hills and fired at the targets, blasting through them. She saw soldiers shooting their guns and groups running in a circle. At the gate, the lieutenant introduced himself and the convoy continued. Inside, they could see soldiers clad in thick, metal armor carrying large boxes and as they got out of the MRAP they saw the Invictus ACs flying in the air. All of this overwhelmed them. To them, these were otherworldly monsters. To the rangers, it was a normal everyday occurrence.
Lieutenant Roberts stood in front of his men, "Alright. I will take lord Bellon Belus to lieutenant-general Coleman. Parker, Cook, you take the rest to their temporary residents."
"Yes sir.", both of them said as they saluted, "Okay, let's go. I promise it's nothing bad."
Taria, Lia, Nimriel, and Klaus went with Jeff and Liam to their residence while Caden took Bellon to the lieutenant-general. The two of them went into the central command building.
"Lieutenant Caden Roberts of Rift Group 3 here to see colonel Andrew Marshal and lieutenant-general Patrick Coleman.", he said to a woman who worked as a secretary.
After some delay, the woman nodded, "Go down the hall to meeting room two."
"Thank you. Come on.". Bellon followed Caden through the hall. He admired how it was crystal clear and pearl white like they were made of pure marble. As they walked they reached the meeting room and entered. Inside were two men who stood up immediately.
"Good morning.", said the first man, "I am lieutenant-general Patrick Coleman of the Rift Expeditionary Corp. And this is our logistics officer, colonel Andrew Marshal."
"Nice to meet you.", Andrew said, "You are the lord of Meilume, Bellon Belus, correct?"
Bellon stuttered, "Y-Yes I am. Great general, you have my eternal gratitude for saving my life, and my family.", he said as he bowed.
"Please.", Patrick spoke, "No need to bow. And please call me Patrick. Sit down."
"Thank you, Patrick.", Bellon said as he sat down, Caden next to him.
"While I accept your gratitude, I'm going to need to ask something else of you?"
'Of course. What was I expecting?', Bellon thought, "And what would that be? If it is gold I assure you the emperor will pay a decent sum for my family and me."
"Oh no, god no. I'm not asking for money. I need something from you that only someone of your status within the empire can provide."
'Someone of my status'. "What exactly?"
"As you know, your empire opened a rift in our country and attacked without warning and unprovoked. We beat the invasion force and the force than came after it. You lost two armies in less than a month, or, a moon cycle as you call them."
"Yes, I am aware of this. What does that have to do with me? I didn't send those armies."
"We know. But you have a connection with the person who did. And we want you to send a message to him for us."
'A message?' "And what kind of message?"
"We would like an audience with a representative to negotiate peace."
This stunned Bellon. 'Peace?'
---
(Meanwhile)
Jeff and Liam brought the four to an empty army barracks, reserved for these situations. "Okay.", Liam spoke, "You'll be staying here until the lieutenant-general orders otherwise. Don't worry, you'll be comfortable." They entered the barracks and it was clean, with several beds, a fridge, desks, and lights, which Jeff turned on, surprising the 'guests'.
"Make yourselves at home.", Jeff said, "I'll bring you some breakfast soon.". He left and closed the door, leaving the four to talk.
"What do you think will happen, Klaus?", Nimriel asked.
"I don't know, my lady.", he answered, "But we shouldn't do anything to anger them. I think we should wait and see what is to come."
Taria looked out the window and saw the tanks and LAVs driving past as well as soldiers marching in unison. "Incredible. All this power. They could have destroyed Meilume before we even had the chance to escape. And yet here we are. In their fortress, waiting for them to bring us food. They want something."
"Well.", Lia said, "That man who offered me the sweet food was nice. I think they're not that bad."
"They are the enemy, Lia. Enemies should never be trusted. It might seem like they are good, but they are using us. They want us here so we can witness their power and use us to spread fear through the rest of the empire. Clever."
"I think you are thinking too much about it, my lady. Perhaps you need to sit down, and rest."
Taria sighed. She walked to a nearby desk and observed the notebooks, pens, and pencils. She sat down and opened a notebook, immediately noticing how the paper is milk-white with lines to help her writing. Picking up one of the pens, she observed how smooth it was and made of spotless, thin metal, but also how it didn't have a tip. Then she noticed the round top and remembered how the lieutenant pressed his metal box. Pressing down the top, the pen clicked and the tip appeared. Amazed, she clicked it several more times before starting to write.
"Taria?", Nimriel asked, "What are you doing?"
"I'm writing down what I saw."
At that moment, Jeff opened the door and brought several white cardboard boxes, "I brought breakfast. I hope it's to your liking."
Each of them took one and Jeff put the last one on Taria's desk. She looked at him and asked, "Can you show me more of your fortress?"
Jeff hesitated a bit, "Why?"
"I'm curious. I wish to learn."
"So you can write it down and give the information to the army?". Taria sat silently. This wasn't untrue. "Look, we're not your enemy. Our commanding officer is talking to your father about peace. Truth is, we don't want war.". Taria paused to think about that. "But if I get permission, I'll show you around."
"I would appreciate it. Thank you."
End of chapter 10
​
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OK I know probably sounds weird but with Bupropion nearly eliminating my anxiety (and depression but there were no redeeming aspects of that) and it's left me feeling weirdly empty. Like I've spent my whole life with immense anxiety and without it, I almost don't know how to function anymore. I feel like that's what drove me, what guided me. Does it absolutely suck and feel horrible? Yes. Am I elated to be rid of it overall? Yes. And yet I can't help feeling if it might be better if it were working a little less well. In a weird bizarre way my anxiety feels almost comforting. Am I crazy? lol, perhaps I just need to adjust to an anxiety free life which is so foreign to me.

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I have this ungodly feeling this urge, it only flares up massively when certain things are mentioned.
So recently my girlfriend referred herself in her own group of friends as the poor girl ( were not poor) and we both have decent jobs making a combone total of 100k a year and growing, but for some reason when I heard this, something in me just broke and I feel this ungodly urge to be better then them, to the point where they can't even be in the same tax bracket not just in that but in fitness I dropped 15lb and upped my weights I put more effort in my job to earn more ( I work with commission based ) which I have successfully did boosting my income to near double but for some reason all I can think is I want more I want them to personally understand that we are better then them and in reality I want them to understand that I am better that nothing they do will ever surpass me that I will be the top dog the absolute best. And it's only started after this comment was made a while ago and it's only toward them personally my brother ( not my real brother but my best friend) he is the only guy that I try to be as good as him and have genuine respect and I look up to him. What is happening to me.

I am currently in the process of buying a flat as a FTB, and part of the deposit will be a gift from my mother. At what point does she need to transfer the money across to me?
I thought I would need it for the mortgage application (nationwide is the lender) in addition to a gifted deposit letter, but it looks like maybe that’s not the case?
I was originally intending to use inheritance to cover this portion but I haven’t yet received the funds and so given my mum can gift me an amount which covers this, I thought this was the easier path.
However if I do get the inheritance before we exchange/complete (relatively likely), and mum doesn’t need to transfer me the money until later on, could I just use this instead and let mum keep her money if it happens to be received in time, or would this cause issues down the line, given that the mortgage app says I’m using a gifted deposit, and solicitors will have done checks on that basis?

Hi! I'm a 30yr old woman with a 31yr old male partner. We have two children (12 and 7). I currently work as a Marketing Officer and my partner works as a Retail Manager. We have a very much loved dog who we would ideally bring if we could in a way that would not traumatise him. I'm in pipedream territory right now - I'm aware I haven't "done the research" yet, I just want a seed to get started with.
Getting increasingly depressed in the UK. We've already left our hometown after being priced out being too near London. Currently renting in the Midlands with no hope to buy. We both have a decent tolerance for the heat. I dread October knowing that I likely won't get an enjoyable day of weather again until April - I basically write off 6 months of the year, aside from walking our dog.
We basically live in the tiniest new build 3 bed you can imagine so aren't greedy for space. The one bonus of the UK is that we have some of the best Universities, so that's what has motivated me to stay. But my kids just increasingly seem to want to stay in and sit infront of their screens - which their peers all also do. I desperately want to move somewhere that motivates us to explore nature everyday. We are definitely more active in the Spring/Summer and will tend to stay around the coast as much as we can.
I was thinking a less populous part of coastal Australia due to us being UK citizens, but I think we might be too old now. Also not sure how we would get dog over safely. I have Italian nationality too - I moved to the UK when I was a toddler. Only have a basic grasp of the language though. Family in Milano but not hugely close with them.
Thank you for your ideas!