The Lumino Fin is a remarkable and mythical creature that dwells in the deepest depths of the ocean. Its appearance is nothing short of extraordinary. With a body length of approximately three feet, it possesses a streamlined shape akin to a sleek predator. The Lumino Fin's most striking feature is its mesmerizing bioluminescence, which transforms its entire body into a living light show.
The fish's scales are iridescent, shimmering with a rainbow of colors that change and shift as it moves through the water. A vibrant spectrum of blues, purples, and greens dances across its body, creating an otherworldly spectacle. The Lumino Fin's scales emit a soft, radiant glow, illuminating the surrounding water in an ethereal aura.
Its fins, delicate and translucent, are elongated and adorned with intricate patterns reminiscent of celestial constellations. These fins undulate gracefully, propelling the Lumino Fin through the dark depths with an effortless elegance.
The Lumino Fin possesses large, expressive eyes that glimmer like precious gemstones. These eyes are perfectly adapted to the darkness of its habitat, allowing the fish to navigate and search for prey with keen precision. Its mouth, adorned with small, needle-like teeth, is designed for capturing and consuming elusive bioluminescent organisms that populate the deep-sea ecosystem.
Legend has it that encountering a Lumino Fin brings good fortune and grants a temporary glimpse into the mysteries of the ocean's depths. The luminescent display of this fictional fish is said to mesmerize and inspire awe in all who have the privilege of witnessing its enchanting presence.
Although the Lumino Fin remains a figment of imagination, it symbolizes the wonders that await exploration in the vast and mysterious oceans of our world. Its beauty reminds us of the countless secrets that lie beneath the surface, encouraging us to continue exploring and protecting the fragile ecosystems that harbor a plethora of real and equally fascinating marine life.

I (31F) have been with my husband (32M) for about seven years. Let’s call him Chandler.
There have been three instances throughout the years that seem like red flags, but I’ve never pursued them beyond a two-day fight and resolution. With each of these instances, I’ve noticed something off, gone through his phone/accounts (and yes, I understand that’s a breach of his trust) and found semi-incriminating messages with other women, but nothing solid. I’ll list below:

1. I found an earring in his room after we’d been dating exclusively for over six months. I’d been cheated on by others and checked his phone while he slept, hoping I was overreacting. I saw text exchanges with an old female coworker who he’d admitted to having a crush on years prior; sexual jokes/solicitation and eggplant emojis. It seemed like she left him on read so he changed the topic. I confronted him about the earring, he claimed he had no idea, and after a few weeks I decided to let it go since we were so new to the relationship. I checked his phone later and the message history was gone.
   
2. Two years after that, I noticed he was missing a jacket from work. In addition, I noticed him liking photos of one of his coworkers on Instagram and that she liked every single post of his that didn’t include me. He returned home from work about 35 minutes late one night and claimed he had to give her a ride home. Once again, I checked his phone while he slept and saw photos from her, wearing nothing but his jacket. His response was neutral and there was nothing to suggest he was encouraging this behavior, but he didn’t discourage it, either. We fought for a few days because I confronted him and he felt my invasion of privacy was worse than him having a coworker who had a crush and didn’t know boundaries. This fight wound up with him agreeing to unfollow and stop talking to her except when they were on the clock. It took me several weeks to feel secure again. She moved to a different state a few weeks after that.
   
3. This one is happening right now. He has a UTI, and complained that the doctors insisted on giving him a test for some STIs. In addition, we haven’t been intimate for over a month—he was put on new anti-depressant medication that caused a loss of libido and is currently weaning himself off. I felt totally secure and joked to “stop hanging out with your other women” and he brought up a name, we’ll call her Janice, out of the blue. I couldn’t help it; I looked at his Facebook message history with her. Janice has been friends with him for over 10 years, and their messenger history only goes back one month. Here’s the gist:
   

-can’t sleep either huh (Chandler) -nah, just up late (Janice) -you know what I would wish for? (C) -what’s that (J) -I’d wish that you were free more often, for one (C) -lol true (J) -that way I could help you if you had any needs (C) -no answetopic change/possibly deleted answer
I brought up that I was feeling insecure and he said he loves me, he was so afraid this test would do this, and was generally so open and kind that I started to feel better.
Tonight, I snuck one last peek at his message history, and his conversation with her is gone. However, all of his other conversations are still up. I feel like this is a nail in a coffin but want outside advice because divorce is a huge undertaking and it could be possible he’s being overly cautious about my feelings since he knows I’ve gone through his phone before. I don’t think I can trust my friends and family to be unbiased or to play devil’s advocate. What are your opinions? Any advice on how to proceed?
TLDR; my husband has a history of sending flirty messages and deleting them. I’m pretty sure he’s cheating but need outside perspective because I’m worried my past trauma has me jumping to conclusions.

My name is Axel, as most of you know. The shop is closed permanently, which is good because all of my recent efforts have been focused on finding Selene. There have been signs and I am certain she still exists in this reality, but I am starting to wonder if I even want to find her. Because of everything that happened, she is really all that is left for me. She is the only one with answers.
But if none of that makes sense, go here. You have some catching up to do.
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We left off with us prior baristas agreeing to follow Em and her father to the city they called home. A city called Fraeria. Usually the supernatural activity surrounding the Drowsy Spectre only occurred at night, so I was a bit confused when Em asked us to arrive in the parking lot during the day. At around 4pm we gathered outside the shop. I had expected Amber to be there for some reason, ready to impart some sort of cryptic wisdom in return for buying a candle. She wasn't there, though, and her car was absent too. Whatever Selene did with those marks seemed to have scared everyone and everything away.
Silence demanded to come along. The black snake had to see Em's father, she had closure to achieve and I think a bit of revenge perhaps. There wasn't much a small reptile like her could do, especially since she'd been turned into a non-venomous species. That wasn't for me to question. Silence had been a snake so long that she couldn't even remember who she was before; who was I to refuse her the possibility of some answers?
Anyway, we were in the parking lot. Em's father refused to give us his actual name, so we came to know him as Guide. It seems creatures of his kind prefer titles that describe their purpose, not the names given at their creation or birth. We didn't speak much before Guide led us into the forest surrounding the cafe, but it was a very long walk ahead and eventually Barrow approached me.
"Did you bring the doll?"
I didn't see a reason to be dishonest. "It is gone."
"What?"
"That wish you had me make? It caused this." I showed him my wrist. "My wish to end it burned the doll to a crisp."
"Interesting." He then fell behind a bit, lost in thought.
We stopped to eat at some point when it got dark. Seeing as one of the main rules of the cafe was to not be outside at night, I was a bit nervous. Nomic ended up tagging along, enticed by the healing of his mind. Guide did not promise anything, but he certainly did suggest that it was possible in the magical city he was leading us to. Our party included Em, Barrow, Nomic, myself, and Guide.
"We cannot stop for long." Guide stated after summoning a fire with the clap of his hands. "Even my power will not protect you from everything this strange forest harbors."
"So it is even strange to you?" Barrow asked.
Guide laughed. "I may wander it, but that does not mean I have a clue what it is. My people are not of this world, but can be brought here through this forest. Where I am from, we are called Elwae. It is your people that have given us strange titles from your children's tales."
"Wait, so Em is not a pixie?" I asked.
"You decide what is in a name. She is to you whatever you call her. A flower, or a stone." He eyed the darkening forest. "I am curious; what has become of your giant?"
"We have not seen him since the teeth got him." Em answered.
I recalled Tall Ben asking for help. Maybe if I would have accepted, he would be here to assist us in this time of trouble. "Maybe they ate him up. The tooth plague killed Heartmin. Might've taken longer, but I don't see why it couldn't chew him up too."
"I thought he was more resilient. The giant would have been a proper ally in darker hours yet to come."
Ominous. "What do you mean by that?"
He chose not to answer. Instead, he produced some fish from his bag. He passed it to Em, who then placed it over the fire. "There is food if you are hungry."
"No strings?"
Em looked at Barrow. "Why do you think he gave it to me first?"
He accepted this before taking one of her wooden plates.
I was not satisfied with the lack of answer. "Guide, what did you mean by that?"
"There are birthing pains here. Something draws near and this issue of ours is merely a symptom." He grinned. "It would have been much easier for you if you would have let me turn you into some rodent, yeah? I little bird, perhaps." That's what Selene called me. How did he know that? "Do you still have that one little trouble maker? The snake, that is. Oh, and that lizard too. I do hope they've adjusted well."
"They are free now."
"Are they? I've watched closely. So far I've not seen them leave your apartment. I could change them back, you know, for a price."
He wanted a deal. "I'm not playing this game!"
A hand rested on my knee. "You okay man?" It was Nomic; he looked concerned. "Your face is all red."
It was then I realized that no one else had commented on our conversation, or even taken notice. Had it been in my head? Guide gave me a knowing smirk and invaded my thoughts once again. "Just between us. Think on it."
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired." I lied to Nomic. Em's father would be trouble, it seemed. That wasn't much of a surprise.
A little voice tickled my ear. "Kill him." I couldn't answer discretely enough to not be noticed. Silence spoke once more with a long hiss. "Hurt him."
I gently place a hand on my shoulder, comforting the snake underneath my coat. It was still cold around my neck of the woods and Silence always got... irritated at such temperatures. This area shouldn't have been that cold, though, but I could only blame that on the unnatural forest we found ourselves in. As night grew later, it only got worse. The fire was going strong, despite its unnatural creation. There was no time to sleep, it seemed, as after only roughly two hours of sitting Guide demanded we all prepare to move again. To my comfort, the forest was not silent. Crickets chirped despite the cold weather and even bats could be heard squeaking overhead. Other than the company, everything seemed completely normal about the forest that surrounded the cafe. I assumed this was because we entered it during the day and not when the sun set but, if that was the case, then how could it possibly lead us to this supernatural civilization that Guide and Em were from?
Those questions were answered when we saw the first teeth. They were stuck in a tree that bled sap. At our approach, the teeth wiggled but could not make the tree move towards us. I feared that because they were there, that may mean that the rest of our troublesome neighbors might also make an appearance.
"Is she a friend?" A little voice whispered to me along the way. Silence slithered closer to my ear. "The spider-woman?"
I glanced behind us and saw a face in the trees. It was a familiar one and, for anyone other than me, might deceive a lonely man into becoming a meal. I had already fallen to her whims once, but this was not the same. Her eyes gazed with fear at our guide, Em's father, and she beckoned me closer. I fell discretely to the back of the line, just near enough for her to climb overhead. Ramata was her name, as some of you might remember.
I saw her full glory. The head and torso of a woman, but with many legs sprouting from under her shoulders. There were far more than eight, as a normal spider would have, instead boasting more than a dozen. They each ended with black hands full of sharp nails. She moved with complete silence, not even disturbing Guide. If I did not trust her intentions due to our prior history, I would have fled into the dark full of the most potent terror.
She came lower, just barely in the aura of our flashlights. I was happy to see that the teeth had not infected her. Yet, at least. A few steps behind Nomic, I fell behind as far as I felt comfortable.
"I assume you will hold true to your word?"
"I will. We are friends, my love." She whispered. Her voice was the wind, so slight and discrete; just for me. "You saved my children."
None of the others had noticed, but I kept my voice as low as I could regardless. "Then why are you stalking us?"
"That man's people come from a different world, one who shall bring forth a being that shall determine the fate of all things. My web stretches to many places, dear one. I have heard many things from those that wander into my traps." She waited, expecting me to have something to say. I didn't. "But there is tell that a human shall write about such things and influence the destiny of that world with mere words."
"You came here only to tell me that?"
I didn't intend to offend her, but she was far too cryptic for any use. "Destiny doesn't mean peace, young love. It is destined that all things will one day die. It may be in your power to halt this being from gaining the might to direct fate. Do not speak to the voice in the light, do not speak with the devil that is called Elidian."
"I am pretty tired of speaking with devils. It seems I've made deals with far too many."
"But this one will not come to strike a deal. Your heart; he will play it like a stringed instrument, and you will be inspired as any writer is. Do not listen." Her all too human eyes flickered towards Em's father. "And do not be mistaken; your guide has no intention of letting you return home."
"I know."
Suddenly she went silent, her face vanishing into the darkness. Ramata came bringing only questions, ones that I could not bring to anyone in our company. I did not trust Barrow anymore and could hardly trust Em with her father around. Nomic wouldn't have anything valuable to say considering he didn't even know who he was. That left Silence, who had decided to live up to her name and not answer anything I sent her way.
The insects had gone quiet. That was when I registered that Ramata wasn't being cryptic in her departure;
She had fled.
Em's father must have caught on as well, because he halted the journey. "Don't make a sound."
He did not turn off the flashlight, so I assumed it was safe to scan the trees. There sounded like a strong breeze to my left, approaching from the distance. But... the trees were swaying. I could hear leaves being picked up and thrashed about by the gust.
Then we all saw it. White dots crawling along the floor, carried on the backs of a living horde. Insects, rodents; an amalgamation of predators and prey driven on by their parasites. I grabbed Em, who was nearest, in a desperate bid to survive. These things hunted by sound and touch; we had once chance. I took my coat, wrapped it around her, and covered her completely. There was a nearby tree just wide enough for us to hide behind and I had only seconds to reach it.
That sound still echoes in my mind. Not one of the animals cried out, not one. But they got closer and I could hear tiny footsteps on the ground, I could feel the ground tremble with the sheer number of legs that the stampede boasted.
I thanked whatever god was listening that I wore gloves that day, because my hand was still out when the plague struck. It was a sparrow that smacked into it, slamming into the ground. The creature was surely crushed underneath the combined might of the horde. I could feel thousands of tiny legs crawl all over me and could only pray that they did not approach my exposed face.
Em was covered, I was not.
Something landed on me, something rather large but with many legs. It was not swept away immediately.
It crawled and clicked as it searched out flesh it surely sensed. Was it my breathing, was it my own trembling teeth?
You know how you can anticipate touch? Feel it before it happens? I knew it was going to reach me. I was going to die. I felt the tickle, the tiny sensation of an insect gripping onto a tiny pore. When it did, I felt something try to bite down on the bit of my exposed neck.
With only one option, I took a risk and grabbed the insect before the teeth on it could multiply using my own flesh. I saw a massive centipede covered in wiggled teeth from all manner of creatures. When I dropped it, it vanished into the sea of infected forest life. It seemed the hive mind was loose because none of them came for me.
And then it was over. We stayed in place to let those that fell behind catch up. Once the horde of teeth and meat was gone, I quickly checked my own neck. Em, sensing safety, assisted me and I nearly cheered when she swore I had no teeth on my neck. A tiny little red mark, a gentle cut, was the only evidence I had been bitten. Was that enough? Was I infected? Even now, I do not know.
Nomic and Em's father had the wisdom to cover up and hide. I was relieved to see that, regardless of how impossible it seemed, we had all escaped the tooth plague without infection. A minute or two after, the sounds of the natural forest returned.
"We need to move." Em's father was the first to break the silence. "No more speaking until I say."
Eventually we stopped to rest. This time, Guide told us that sleeping for a few hours would be possible. "We have crossed the threshold into the realm of the Elwae. Sleep easy tonight."
But I was the last to fall asleep. That was thanks to his constant gaze that never wavered from my face. Eventually I heard his voice once more, his mouth moved, but no one stirred. "You brought one of them with you, I see. The quiet snake. If I am honest, I do not even remember her name." He laughed at the fate he delivered to her. "Keep her. I am very curious to see what she plans to accomplish."
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Our journey from then on was uneventful. We got maybe four or five hours of sleep, which was surprisingly not interrupted. I don't know if Barrow sleeps, though. I was the first one to wake up and even found that Em's father had fallen asleep. Barrow, however, arrived before the others woke up. He had been in the woods relieving himself. He had been gone for quite a while though.
During the early morning hours the woods were quite peaceful and pleasant to traverse. I did notice the occasional rodent with white marks on its body, sick with the plague that I somehow unleashed. There were some on the plants as well and, despite Guide's confidence that they were completely safe, he gave the plagued portions of the woods a wide pass.
But then we came to a treeline. It was the end of the haunted woods that separated the cafe from the many strange worlds beyond. A rolling field separated us from a city that was surprisingly modern. Skyscrapers of foreign design rose high into the sky. There were streets below with regular traffic, but everything was designed with a certain lack of color. Every structure was metallic or concrete. The City Fraeria was not the nature-haven I expected. I thought of elves from Lord of the Rings, or Fae Forests with entire kingdoms being carved from the wood of ancient trees. Instead Em's people lived in a place not entirely different from us, but with far more of a sleek taste. The buildings were very... sharp. Human skyscrapers are usually built with an antenna of some kind on top. Instead these seemed like knives meant to not just scrape the sky, but cut them open with surgical precision.
"That is not what I expected." Nomic confessed. "Why is there an entire metropolis in the middle of the woods?"
"It was all a forest once." Guide replied. "All of your cities. We only had the heart not to destroy the rest." He certainly wasn't wrong. "Come. We seek an audience with the Eilin Hae. Only with his permission can we go to the fountain of life. This is his city, we are his people, and it is that light that powers this place. He will need convincing."
Guide looked at me. "I don't have anything for him. He's your leader, that is up to you."
"I think you will be surprised, Mr. White. Eilin Hae finds worth deep in the soul. Come; every second wasted is a risk I am not willing to take."
We crossed the fields of fine grass, passing into a realm that wasn't quite the same as the one we had come from. It was like a mirror but with small mistakes in the design. The broken stripes on the road were yellow instead of white, the green traffic lights were purple instead for no particular reason. There were shops along the sidewalks and people that looked as human as myself went about their business. Everyone was generally taller, however, which made me quite confused as to why Em was so small. She took giant potions, after all, to make herself capable of blending in with humans.
That was a sensitive question to ask, however, and I wasn't going to be the one to voice it despite my curiosities. We were ticking bombs, capable of dying if the ritual that we were marked for was attempted again.
"We are missing someone." Em's father announced, halting the journey.
It was only then that any of us noticed Barrow's absence. I had been walking in the back and hadn't even noticed his departure. "Could he have been... snatched?"
"No. That is not how things are done here." Our guide scanned the nearby alleys. "Where has he gone? Tell me now." Seeing as, so far as I know, none of us had any idea, his demand was met with silence. "This is not a place for a human to wander. No matter, he will turn up if he wishes to ever make it home. Only the Elwae can find this place, and only an Elwae can navigate our side of the forest."
Our journey continued, but I approached Em. "Where did he go?"
She was his closest friend, but even she was unaware. "This place really isn't safe. It is hardly the place for him to wander off on his own."
"Will he be fine?"
"He better be. We don't have time to go looking for him, but..." She glanced at her father. "Maybe we should? We must see the Eilin Hae in his tower. I told Barrow about that and while he might not know his way around the city, the tower can't be missed."
Em sounded like she was trying to convince herself. I didn't like it, especially considering the fact that my burned wrist was thanks to Barrow's wish. He was up to something and my ability to trust him was waning. But, if I am honest, at the moment my mind was greatly preoccupied with the strange city and had no room to worry about Barrow's antics.
There was a massive building near the center of the city. It rose as high into the sky as the others, even taller than those around it, but the length and width were impressive too. This dwarfed even the greatest of our structures and it seemed to be our destination. Guide led us up the steps towards the front door and was stopped by professionally dressed security personnel. Again, this place was not very different from our own world.
After a short, hushed discussion, we were granted entry. We were each given a green wristband, very similar to the pink ones given to guests at hospitals, and ferried inside. The sideways glances we received within were far sharper than I had seen outside. We were not welcome in the city, but much less in the heart of their home, whatever "they" were. I counted myself lucky to discover that they had elevators. Of course, that seems obvious to assume, but we had walked all the way to the building instead of driving. That took a while and made me nervous seeing as Em's father didn't seem to have a limit to his endurance. Guide pressed the top button of the elevator and so began our long ascent to the highest floor.
The design was the same even inside the building, right down to the interior of the elevator. Dark metal, trimmed occasionally with wood. It wasn't iron, obviously, otherwise Em's father would be in incredible pain. There wasn't a single scratch on any of the polished metal; it was like a dark mirror wherever I looked.
The lights shined with a hint of emerald green, as if to mimic the natural sheen trees made when the sun poured from their canopy. Finally the elevator doors opened into a short hallway. That hall had double doors that a well-dressed man opened at our approach. We had to show our wristbands, let the barcode be scanned, and only when each of us passed were we able to enter.
What we found inside was not meant for human eyes.
Have you ever driven up to a crossroads and stopped, but when you stare ahead it seems like everything is sort of... zooming out? Or sometimes in, I guess. Within the room was what amounted to a portal of sorts. I could circle the center of the room as much as I wanted, but if I got closer it just... kept going. I barely made a dent in the distance that separates me from the brilliant green eye that watched us. It was celestial in size, my mind knew that, dwarfing even our own planet. But how could that fit in a room?
This being was nearly identical to the terrible Eye of Gold and Crimson that I had spoken with all those months ago. It was garbed in a storm that could not be measured, arcs of emerald lightning flashed but seemed as tiny things from such a distance. But it did not speak with the mouths of discarded flesh like the Eye of Gold. Instead, there was a woman sitting between us and the nigh-infinite walk to the eye. She got up from the floor and turned to greet us.
"I am The Eilin Hae." She said.
Or he, I guess? They had all referred to The Eilin Hae as a man. Being in the presence of what amounted to a god did not have the effect one may have expected. She was... a person. In appearance, that is. I anticipated a powerful voice, one that would inspire me to bend a knee and hide my face. But, as far as intimidation, I felt as if I was meeting the CEO of some business.
"My lady." Our guide bowed. We followed suit, but the pronoun he used further confused me. "A forbidden ritual has latched itself onto my daughter and these common people with me. We ask to visit the Infinite Sight."
When she stepped forward, she was no longer drowned by the green eye's countenance. It was only then that I saw her eyes burned with a similar light. When she spoke, that same glow was escaping from the depths of her throat, as if some great emerald fire burned at her core. That fixed my mind's mistake in relating her to a person. Those eyes... I felt like staring into them would burn mine out, blind me like the sun itself. But blind more than just my vision, blind my spirit and will entirely.
"Even if I accepted, your daughter is not human. Who is to say if the Infinite Sight has seen her? It belongs to wyr only."
"Even we were once wyr, my lady, were we not?"
She considered this. "An interesting thought. What reason would I allow this? What will you offer me in return?" The Eilin Hae's gaze abandoned Guide and fell to Nomic. "What can a lost man offer when he doesn't know his own name?" Then Em. "Or a girl who has no people?"
Then finally, she looked upon me. "But this is interesting." Then she came closer. She wore long robes of dark gray. Stitches of deep green made patterns all over her garb, an outfit of a deeply religious zealot. Every step seemed sacred, with the potential to bring any of us to our end. I did not know the meaning of the title "god" until I faced that gaze. But it was not hers, it belonged instead to the endless power that spoke through her.
"One that doesn't know his name, one that doesn't know her people, and one that I do not know. What sort of company have you brought me, Eruli?" I didn't remember falling to my knees, but there I was. She knelt to meet my gaze. "You know things, things you shouldn't know. There are machines that rely on the tiniest piece to run at all. If that tiny piece is removed, it falls apart."
Her hands were warm, she took mine and held them. "You have seen the abomination? The Eye of Two Colors?" I nodded, my tongue tied up in my mouth. "There is one that shall bear that golden gaze but, unlike my emerald eyes, that power will be at their command. I am simply the devout of the Eye of the Wilds."
"What do you want?" I finally asked.
She smiled. "That you keep your word. Write."
For reasons I still don't know, I found myself crying. Write? Write?! I keep being told to do that, and I am writing, but I know they weren't talking about this series of updates. There was something more and no one wanted to give me answers. "You... you aren't the first to ask. Write what?"
"You will know very soon. The Infinite Sight will allow you to see." She stood. "He is permitted to go. The others have nothing worth offering, so they may leave."
That wasn't enough of an answer for me. Waiting was done; I came here to fix my arm and find answers, to start my search for Selene. Cryptic instructions would not do. But Em's Father, who the Eilin Hae had called Eruli, clenched his fist. He barely held himself back, struggling to remain on his knees. "But... but my daughter will-"
"We all go, or I won't." I bargained my own importance. I could choose not to write whatever it was they found so important. "I won't go to the light."
Eilin Hae stared at me for a time before she finally spoke. "What is most curious about you, Axel White, is that you deem yourself a Fatewriter of more than just the story alloted to you. How is it your right to judge the fate of these with you?"
"How is it yours?"
"A wise answer. This is your bargain, I will accept."
Ramata had warned me not to listen to the devil that would come for me. She hadn't begged anything of me, however, so I accepted the deal. "Then I will go, but they will come with me."
She nodded and her eyes began to burn with further brilliance. The green wristbands we wore glowed in response. "And there is evidence of my permission. You may-"
Suddenly we were all knocked to the ground, the entire building shook as if it caught in a whirlwind. Even the Eilin Hae fell, striking the hardwood floor with a thud. She quickly recovered. "You brought it here!"
Before we could ask her what, the top of the building was peeled away. There were cloudy, gray skies on the horizon but above us was a black abyss. Deep in that darkness was a golden gaze, wreathed in a terrible storm, burning with a crimson glow. The Eye of Gold and Crimson had arrived.
"Leave!" Eilin Hae roared.
Flesh fell in squishing lumps. It looked like... chicken, blended with bloody ground beef. In mere seconds those clumps shaped themselves into poor imitations of living creatures. Those limbs were meant to be legs, but they barely supported the misshapen figure that tried to balance on them. More formed. Some had giant mouths, much like I had seen before, and others eyes or ears. There were no speeches this time, though. Instead the mouths simply babbled nonsense as they charged. We had only seconds to process this before the first abomination got its limbs around a nearby security personnel. The wad of flesh ripped off pieces of the Elwae with ease and, by merely touching the detached flesh, turned it into a mush that it threw to the side.
It took only moments to reduce him to a lump of flesh, only a gurgled cry later and he was gone.
Em's father grabbed my arm firmly, revealing that I was the only one stuck in place. So mesmerizing was the impossible sight that I had forgotten about my own life, which was clearly in peril. Even without the minions of the Eye of Gold, I would die. The building was coming down!
Against all my instincts, I followed Em's father and the others into a deathbox that was the elevator. It was the only way down, aside from jumping. Every time it shook, I was certain we were dead. Every shutter brought a prayer to my lips, but I didn't know what I was even praying to. Something listened, however, as the doors finally opened to a chaotic ground floor.
The front doors were shattered and there was no longer any security at the door. The city was full of screams. Cars were wrecked all along the full streets and fires burned everywhere.
Over the chaos, Em's father took charge. "Leave! We leave the city!" He put his hands in front of him and grasped at air, then pulled the empty space in front of him apart. As if tearing the fabric of reality, he ripped open a hole in the air. A boom, like thunder exploding just overhead, nearly burst my eardrums. Nomic and I were knocked to the ground, but Em seemed more ready.
I couldn't hear anymore, but I could see that Em was fighting her father. All my ears could do was ring. He grabbed her by the collar, ignored her scratching and fighting, and threw her into the hole. She went flying and I lost sight of her. Em's father then dragged me to my feet and I was shoved inside, followed by Nomic.
Just as my hearing was coming back, the hole slammed in on itself and shattered my senses once more. But when I came to, I realized that Em's father had not come along. We were back in the woods, who knows how far away from the city, and we no longer had our guide. Em screamed at the air.
My hearing was coming back again. "What... what happened?"
"He's still there." Em began to cry. "He is still in the city. You can't use your own portal... there isn't a way for him to follow."
"We don't have Barrow either." Nomic rubbed his ears hard. "We have to go back."
"How? I can't open portals."
"Portals? I didn't even know portals existed until today! You know more than the rest of us. If you can't do that... then we walk. That is how we got there, after all." I answered.
She shook her head. "Only pixies know the way."
This mission was about more than saving myself. I needed to find Selene and that meant I needed to be alive. "Your father himself said y'all aren't pixies. He called himself an Elwae. You aren't a pixie and you aren't a human, you are an Elwae like the rest of them. You can do this. Take us back."
"How?"
"I don't care how!" I snapped. I know, bad timing, but is there a good time to break? "Do something, quit asking for guidance! We. Don't. Know! Barrow is still there and we are still marked! I only have more questions, no answers!" We still had our wristbands. "This is our key. We go back and you'll lead us to the light under the city."
"I don't know if I can." Lifted her hands, her fear driving her defensive stance. "I've never gone to the city on my own."
"Did you take any potions with you?"
Em's eyes widened slightly. That was answer enough. "No more pretending. You can't hang inbetween, you'll take your true form. Like your father said, you are not a pixie."
"Then why am I small?!" She screamed, hands in her hair. "Why aren't I like anyone else?!"
"I DON'T KNOW! You are part Elwae, so start walking!" I looked to Nomic, who was still rubbing his ears. It was only then that I realized my own aggression. Taking a deep breath usually helps; it did not fail me. "Look, we don't have a choice. If you can't take us there, you can't take us home either. Just... just start walking. That is a good place to begin."
She didn't seem to like it, but there wasn't anything else to try. Em led us into the forest in a random direction. We had only two hopes; that her blood would lead her, or that luck would be on our side.
---------------------------------------
There is far more to tell, obviously, but that seems like a good stopping point. Kinda shitty, I know, but you'll get the rest in time. I've got a plane to catch; there was a 4chan post about a strange blue mark on some guy's wrist. Could be nothing, but I managed to set up a meeting. Writing time is up and I'll be back in a few days. This could be the one, guys.
Sorry to keep everyone waiting this long. When I am finished writing, you'll understand. Until then, be safe. There is a terrible eye on us all.

And I do mean the comics you bought on old Comixology app or website or on Amazon as opposed to Marvel Comic website/app or via redeeming codes. I don't see any of them, so I don't know whether there's something wrong and I can't fix it, or it's supposed to be like that and the whole thing is pointless and another nail in the digital comics coffin.

Hello everyone. I'm not a professional game designedeveloper, I just make games for fun. With that said, I still try to make my games as if I was going to sell or distribute them. Currently, I'm making a TCG about mythologies from around the world. I've been thinking about what I could include to help make it stand out and feel original compared to popular games like MTG, Yugioh, pokemon, hearthstone, etc...
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SHORT VERSION:
I have 4 types of cards in my game. In my current iteration, I need to put a total of 13 pieces of information on that card. I'm worried about a few things: will this cause information overload? How am I going to design the cards when I have to put that much info on a 2.5x3.5 piece of paper? Will this make the game impossible to balance?
LONG VERSION:
So here are all the details about what I have so far:
Lore Concept:
In "Pantheon: Age of Myth," players find themselves immersed in a world where the pantheons of ancient gods and goddesses have converged. These powerful deities from various mythologies across cultures and eras have been drawn into a cosmic battle for supremacy.
As the mortal realm hangs in the balance, the pantheons clash, each vying to exert their influence and shape the fate of the world. Players take on the roles of the deities themselves to command their divine powers and lead their pantheon to victory.
The game takes place during the titular Age of Myth, an epoch in which the boundaries between mortal and divine realms blur. As the pantheons collide, mortal realms are transformed into battlegrounds where the gods and their champions engage in epic conflicts.
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Card Types:
Deity Cards:
Each player starts the game with a Deity card representing their chosen pantheon or deity. Deity cards have information containing:
VIGOR (the deity's health, which all deity cards start with 5),
LEVEL (deities start at level 1 and can spend faith - the game's resource system - to level up to 3),
AMOUNT OF FAITH A DEITY CAN HOLD (at the start of your turn you gain 1 faith, if you don't spend it, you can keep it in your pool. The amount of faith you can hold can be changed via other types of card's effect.),
CONSTELLATION REQUIREMENTS AND EFFECTS (when cards are sent to the graveyard by certain conditions ie: a unit card is destroyed by exact lethal, they can be placed into the constellation pile, and when the constellation pile meets the requirements as stated on the deity card, the constellation effect happens),
DIVINE FAVOR POINTS AND ABILITY(each deity starts with a set amount of divine favor and it can be spent to activate that deity's special effect. More powerful effects have less divine favor, so it can't be used too often. Vice-versa for less powerful effects).
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Unit Cards (which might get changed to champion cards):
Creature cards represent a wide range of mythical beasts, heroes, and other entities from various mythologies. They have the following information:
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ATTACK - as in most TCGs this is how much damage a unit will do. However, I'm taking a bit of inspiration from Battle Spirits Saga by having the damage listed on the card only apply to damage dealt to other units. When a unit successfully attacks a deity, they do 1 damage regardless. This is why deities only start with 5 vigor
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HEALTH - This represents the health of a unit, health does not regenerate each turn as it does in MTG for example. Instead, health must be tracked across turns. I understand that a concern about this approach is the amount of dice and such that would inherently be required so, I'd like feedback about this.
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DEFENSE - This is like the ''armor'' for a unit. If Unit A has 4 attack and deals damage to Unit B that has 3 health and 2 defense, that 2 defense prevents 2 of the damage Unit A does, leaving Unit B with 1 health.
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These 2 stats I know aren't traditional TCG stats but as I said, I wanted to see if I could make this game stand out while still being "good" or "fun" so feedback on this would be great!
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Spell/Magic Resistance: Same idea except instead of unit damage, this prevents damage from spells (called glyphs in this game) that a player casts.
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DAMAGE TYPE - There are 3 damage types: Physical, Ranged, Spellcaster. The damage type actually doesn't matter for combat purposes rather, some cards might have an effect that does (ie: give a ranged Unit +1 defense)
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RACE/SPECIES - Again, not important for combat but like with damage type, it can interact with other effects (ie: Your beasts have +1 attack)
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CONSTELLATION CONDITION - The condition that must be met for the card to be placed into the constellation pile (ie: if this unit took exact lethal damage, you may place it into your constellation pile) this is separate from the card's effect.
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RELIC CARDS - These cards are similar to artifact cards in MTG. They give various effects. Not too much to say as they honestly don't function much differently.
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GLYPH CARDS - These act as the spell/magic cards of the game, and do various things. Most of them can only be played on your turn but, some of them can be played on an opponent's turn if a certain condition is met (similar to secrets in Hearthstone).
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CARD COLORS/ARCHETYPES:
Like in MTG, cards are broken into 5 different colors representing different primary playstyles. You can only use colors in your deck that align with the colors on your deity card. So, if your deity card is Blue/Purple, you cannot have white cards in your deck. The colors are as follows:

• Red (Destruction): Represents brute force, chaos, and aggression. It excels at dealing damage, disrupting opponents, and unleashing destructive power.
• Green (Wisdom): Symbolizes knowledge, growth, and resilience. It focuses on resource management, strategic planning, and adapting to different situations.
• Blue (Creation): Signifies order, protection, and control. It excels at healing, defensive tactics, and creating advantageous positions.
• White (Balance): Represents equilibrium, justice, and stability. It emphasizes maintaining balance, enforcing rules, and limiting opponents' actions.
• Purple (Trickery): Symbolizes deception, transformation, and unpredictability. It excels at manipulating game mechanics, altering rules, and tricking opponents.

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COMBAT:
Combat works very similarly to how it does in MTG. On their turn, players attack the opponent's Deity with their units, and the defending player can choose to block with theirs. Numbers are compared (as mentioned above) and damage is dealt with accordingly. If a unit does land a blow on the deity, that deity loses 1 vigor. When a unit attacks it becomes engaged(tapped) and at the start of a player's turn it becomes disengaged(untapped). The same goes for blocking, when a unit blocks it becomes engaged and then disengages at the start of the next turn. Units cannot attack the turn they're played.
KEYWORDS - Here are the main keywords I've come up with so far for the game. I don't want too many, just one's for effects I know are going to happen often:
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Evoke: Does something when is played from hand
Haunt: Does something when this unit dies
Swift: Can attack the turn played
Intervention: a keyword for spellcards that when conditions are met can be played on an opponent’s turn
Onslaught: Unit can attack twice before becoming engaged
Dexterous: Attacking doesn’t cause this unit to become engaged.
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Deck-Building Rules: 50-60 cards allowed, 4 copies each, and only 1 copy of legendary rarity cards allowed.
General Rule Outline:

1. Each turn consists of 4 phases: Start phase (gain 1 Faith and draw a card), Disengage phase (untap engaged cards), Play phase (perform actions), and End phase.
2. Cards cost Faith to play, indicated on the card. Once per turn, a player may play a card that costs 2 or less Faith for free.
3. Some cards have activatable abilities that can be used once per turn, unless otherwise stated. Artifact cards can be equipped to units.
4. During combat, the attacker and defender compare their attack, health, and defense stats. Damage is calculated as (attack - defense). Units with 0 health go to the graveyard, unless conditions allow them to go to the Constellation pile.
5. Cards can have conditions to enter the Constellation pile. When the requirements are met, the player gains their deity's persistent Constellation bonus until the Constellation is broken.
6. Players can progress through deity levels by paying the indicated cost on the deity card.
7. Players start with divine favor and 1 Faith. The deity card limits the amount of Faith a player can have unless otherwise specified.
8. In case of a contradiction between a card and a game rule, the card takes precedence.

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Example of a Deity Card Outline:
Zeus, Aspect of the Storm
Colors: Red/Blue
Vigor: 5
Faith Capacity: 6
Divine Favor: 1
Divine Favor Ability: Search your library for a glyph or unit card that costs 3 faith or less. Add it to your hand and deal damage to an enemy unit equal to the card's cost. Shuffle your deck.
Constellation requirement: 7 cards in constellation pile
Constellation Effect: your blue glyphs cost 1 faith less. Your red units cost 1 faith less.
Level 1 effect: After you cast your 2nd glyph in a turn, you may deal 1 damage to target unit
Cost to level to 2: 4 faith
Level 2 effect: After you cast your 1st glyph in a turn, you may deal 2 damage to target unit.
Cost to level to 3: 4 Faith
Level 3 Effect: After you cast a glyph, you may deal 3 damage split among any targets.
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As you can see this is a lot of information, and while I haven't designed the card template yet, I'm concerned about how I'm going to fit all of it on there and if it'll be information overload. I was thinking, since the Deity cards aren't a part of the deck itself, I could possibly have the artwork on one side and the info on the other side. I'm just concerned if it's too much for a player to keep track of.
I have a solid idea for the design of the unit cards but even still, it's a lot of information and like with the deity cards, I'm just worried it's too much. Also a bit concerned if this will make it difficult to balance as all I've really done past this point is design 14 deity cards so far. So, any feedback would be great!
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The relic and glyph cards are pretty straightforward as they don't have as much going on. I realize that I'm essentially sharing the entire idea that I've crafted but, again I'm no professional and I'm not planning to monetize this. Though you never know ;)

TL;DR - my partner lied about her whereabouts and I don’t believe her new version of the events.
Me and my partner have been together for 12 years and live in the UK. We have 2 wonderful children together. Recently, we have had a few bad months which I would attribute to a slight freak out over hitting 30, and having a somewhat lack of direction (living situation, goals, etc). I wasn’t aware of how this was affecting our relationship, but now I do, and I feel terrible.
All the red flags are there. She keeps her phone incredibly close to her person at all times, our sex life has bear enough disappeared (mostly led by her, not me), and there is a general lack of affection.
We use the Find my Friends app as we have a bit of a logistical nightmare when it comes to dropping kids off at childcare, and we use it during the week as we commute from work to know where each other are. A few weeks ago, I noticed she had turned hers off. I asked her, and I was told that I was a stalker and the app must be broken. I took her at her word. She since had put it back on.
Fast forward to this Sunday, and she has arranged to go out for bottomless brunch with some friends. She initially said she wouldn’t go, I guess because of Mum guilt. I of course insisted that she go to let her hair down.
It’s very unlike her to not look at her phone, and when she didn’t return at 9 like she said she would (her choice not mine), I became slightly concerned that she had not looked at the goodnight video from the kids all night (which she had requested). So, I looked on find my friends. I notice she is a strange part of town, about a half mile away from the pub where I knew she was going. This place is a car park (parking lot). I then proceed to watch her drive towards our home and pull up to a separate car park outside an apartment block. She is there for 2 hours, with her phone in the car, and then returns home.
When she returns, I ask her how her night was. She lies to me and tells me she was in the pub until close. I raised the fact that she wasn’t where she is saying she was, and she explodes and tells me the app is wrong.
Over the past 2 days, I have learnt that she is not happy in our relationship as it currently is. I have been gaslit more than I ever have in my life. “The app isn’t working”, “Female friend A dropped me home”, “how can you not trust me”. I seriously began to doubt myself. Eventually, she caved and explained that she saw an ex male colleague whilst out with friends and that he offered to take her home because she wasn’t feeling well. On the way home she felt particularly sick, and he pulled over where they had a 2 hour catchup.
I am struggling to believe this, as she swore on our children’s lives that she was in the pub all night. She refuses to tell me this persons name, and I do not recall any male colleagues from the time she is saying she worked with him. I feel like I’m being given half of the truth to stop me from digging further.
Me and my partner have always been deeply in love, and as I said above, we have fallen on hard times. I want desperately to heal and work on our issues, but I have this event from Sunday sitting over every one of my thoughts. I can’t eat, I can’t sleep. How can I get to the bottom of this without causing more damage. I would hate to think she’s telling the truth, and my relentlessness to find a version of events that doesn’t even exist be the final nail in the coffin. Thankyou

(Long rant)
I'm in senior in high school struggling to graduate and overwhelmed, and this course that I was specifically withdrawn from doesn't affect my graduation, but I have spent countless hours and effort into it.
Background of this course was it was an AP class, which was a full year course. To be fair, I had the mindset of, "this is one of the classes where attendance didn't really matter", since you could do most of the work at home. Thinking I'd just get away staying at home doing my school work was my downfall, and I know it, and I have 0 excuses.
Being real here, I did skip class (and school in general) more often than I should've. But it was because of my mental health, personal issues, as well as work (I know that this is a shitty excuse). However, when I skip, I do my work, or catch up and would attend if necessary. I did explain this to the teacher but unfortunately that wasn't enough apparently to keep me in the course for the last three weeks.
The best part is that during the last two months of school, my mental health was (and is) at it's lowest point, and I genuinely couldn't bring myself to go to school, but anywhere else and work. I know that I should've put my education first and this is a screw up on my part, but in all honesty I'm still trying to learn how to balance things.
Thing is, there was many chances I could've been kicked out in the MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, and I'd be honest; I'd take it. Because both of our time and sanity wouldn't be wasted. I would pay for my consequences for not attending classes, end of the story.
The worst part is that I know that this teacher would talk about me "anonymously", and had most likely gossiped about me behind my back. It sucks knowing that. But what can I do, when I barely could keep up with my attendance. Hell it might be the only reason why I wouldn't graduate.
It just honestly felt like a fck you, because the way they told me as well was them showing me not being on the attendance list, as well as ignoring me until I've confronted them. To hit the nail in the coffin, they said that I was withdrawn form the class IN FRONT OF A CROWDED ROOM.
It's so embarrassing and honestly made me lose all the confidence I had graduating.
Because not only have I wasted 8 MONTHS of hard work, sacrificing my wellbeing, I've also lost a lot of my time focusing on subjects that are more important than this course. I've also lost time on recharging for my mental health, all because I kept getting threatened about being withdrawn.
And the worst part is, I could've graduated early if I hadn't taken this course, since the rest of the subjects I had to take only requires you to go for 1 semester.
And before someone says "talk to the guidance", they were the one who told me that I have a chance of not graduating. No thank you. I know that it's most likely just a warning to keep me going, but I've also opened up my struggles to them. All they did was brush it off and kept reminding me disregarding everything I've talked about.
This experience in general made me believe that some teachers (and the school system that's placed) does not care about a student's hard-work, but would only care about themselves and the best students they've built.
I know internet is a cruel place, but damn I do not wish this to happen on another student.
If you're a teacher that happens to be reading this, do not waste a student's time if you want them gone in your course. Just say the cold hard truth and the reasons why they'd have to be gone. And please, do it RESPECTFULLY and be SPECIFIC.

UPGRATED VERSION – Dual steamer and Iron. Produces a powerful and consistent steam. 2 in 1 for Flat hot and Hanging hot. Safer structure design to minimize leaking water. More sufficiently, and bursts strong hot steam swiftly, without water sputtering.
https://zafyn.com/collections/new-products/products/useful-portable-handheld-steam-iron
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https://reddit.com/link/13wcqhvideo/nu3x7wivnl261/player
QUICK & POWERFUL – Ceramic soleplate, heating up just 50s, prevents clothes from damaged. Powerful and stable steam to remove heavy wrinkle, odors and degerming.The steam is continuous and powerful, which can penetrate the clothes deeply and quickly.
SUITABLE FOR MOST FABRICS – One handheld fabric steamer to make shirts, suits, down clothes, night dress, wedding dress, pants crease free.
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MULTIFUNCTION – Strong steam can be used in many ways-Cleaning dust. Pillow high temperature clean, sofa clean etc.
BEST EXPERIENCE – We also provide 100 ML Measuring Cup. Perfect for travel and home use.

HOW TO USE IT?

Directly hanging your clothes on the hanger, putting them flat on ironing board or even on the table. (you need to add the water in the tank(100ML) not more than the max line or it will leak or spoil when you ironing).
Secondly, adjust the temperature dial to the max, then the working light turned red. After the working light turned off, you can adjust the temperature to what you want, there has three settings, so them you can press the steamer button, and begin working.
Finally, just add water and turn on, waiting for 50 sec, you can start ironing your clothes.
​

SPECIFICATIONS:

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• Weight: 1100g.
• Power: 1000W.
• Color: Purple / Blue.
• Size: 35 x 8 x 10 cm /(13.78*3.15*3.93 inches).

PACKAGE INCLUDE:

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• 1 x Base.
• 1 x Metrology Cup.
• 1 x Plush Brush Combination.
• 1 x Portable Handheld Steam Iron.

https://zafyn.com/collections/new-products/products/useful-portable-handheld-steam-iron

The singular white light abruptly turns to a cycling light of pink, blue and purple. A Holo of a band playing jizz performs rythmically with the strobing light. Somewhere in the background of the holo of the band, there is a holo of Hinch Beltane dancing in the club. The voice of journalist Ame Angoo plays in the background – softly. “ We've certainly seen him in the last few days handle himself in a fight, but...Let's just say... we weren't too sure about his moves out here tonight….”
The Holo recorder turns to a Twi’lek female in a business attire. She is standing in the cycling light, which gradually calming down to be a singular white light once more.
“Hello everyone. I am Hoipa Vonill, Technology Lead at Balmorran Arms and I have just now spoken to the our very own Senator Beltane at Alpheridies, where he relayed despairingly that he was not sure if it was evening or day. But it doesn’t matter, because day or night, no matter where you go in our Republic, one of the many constants are that folk like to have a good time, and that a good time is often accompanied by a good tune.
We live in a fortunate place and time where at any moments notice there are a selection of bands who work tirelessly to give us all great times. But many of these artists have over the years had to suffer at the whims of organised crime, inebriated revellers and even opposing bands. Well, no more.
Balmorran Arms is pleased to announce its partnership with the Melody Fellowship in the production of a new line of 5th Degree, Labor and Security Droids, the RO-D Series. Each RO-D is equipped with short range sensors, lethal and non-lethal hardpoints, and a dedicated life-protection programming. The RO-D has also been designed to help set up and maintain equipment. Most importantly, the RO-Ds can be customised in 70 different color schemes which will allow them to match any stage setup.
We are pleased with this new development and hopefully we will soon see more Joint Venture projects cater to the needs and welfare of more groups in our Galactic Republic.”

Once upon a time in the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario and Sonic found themselves in need of a relaxing getaway. Tired from their endless adventures, they decided to embark on a joint project—to build a cozy log cabin deep within the heart of the forest.
With their renowned skills and boundless energy, Mario and Sonic set out on their new endeavor. Mario donned his trusty red cap, while Sonic laced up his sneakers. They gathered their tools and materials and began scouting for the perfect location to construct their rustic retreat.
As they explored the dense woods, Mario and Sonic stumbled upon a clearing beside a babbling brook. The serene ambiance and the filtered sunlight dancing through the leaves confirmed that this was the ideal spot for their cabin. They rolled up their sleeves and got to work.
Mario, with his robust strength, skillfully chopped down trees, while Sonic's lightning-fast speed allowed him to gather logs with astounding efficiency. Together, they created a harmonious rhythm, felling the trees and hauling the logs to the construction site.
The duo worked tirelessly, sweating and laughing as they shared stories and reminisced about their past adventures. Mario demonstrated his carpentry expertise, skillfully notching and stacking the logs, while Sonic used his supersonic speed to fetch nails and tools whenever needed.
Days turned into weeks, and the cabin gradually took shape. Mario and Sonic's collaboration yielded remarkable results. They crafted sturdy walls, built a welcoming fireplace, and fashioned a cozy loft area for relaxation. The sight of their joint efforts brought a sense of accomplishment and pride.
As the cabin's construction neared completion, Mario and Sonic added the finishing touches. They carved intricate designs on the wooden walls, paying homage to their iconic worlds. Mario painted a mural featuring colorful mushrooms, while Sonic added a depiction of rolling hills and blazing speeds.
Finally, the log cabin stood tall, blending seamlessly with its natural surroundings. Mario and Sonic stepped back, admiring their handiwork. They had created a tranquil haven where they could escape the chaos of their daily lives and enjoy some well-deserved downtime.
From that day forward, the log cabin became a cherished retreat for Mario and Sonic. They would often return, sharing stories, playing games, and enjoying the tranquility of nature. It stood as a testament to their friendship and their ability to overcome any challenge, even the ones outside the realm of saving princesses and stopping evil.
And so, in the heart of the Mushroom Kingdom, Mario and Sonic's log cabin remained a symbol of their enduring friendship, reminding them that even heroes need a peaceful sanctuary amidst their thrilling quests.

The point of this post is to adress the numerous "souls vets" that pop up everywhere and wonder why they aren't succeeding with nioh.
Firstly:
being a souls veteran doesn't matter when it comes to nioh. Nioh is not souls. Nioh is nioh. If you come ro this series expecting dark souls, your gonna find yourself dying A LOT. Take all of your souls habits, stamp on them and bury them.
Now that is out of the way, some actual advice:
Ki pulsing is something you should learn to do ASAP. Ki is the very core of nioh's combat. If it runs out and you get hit, expect nothing but death unless you get lucky. By using the ki pulse, you can recover most of the ki spent on other actions allowing you to keep the aggression up. Do not worry however, enemys are just as susceptible to the downsides of ki as you are. Deplete theirs completely and you can grapple them for massive damage. You can also use this knowledge to stunlock yokai if you play perfectly.
Next is stances. At the beginning, I recommend experimenting with stances for your weapon and seeing what works best for you. As you progress further however, you are going to want to learn how to flux by ki pulsing on a stamce switch. Fluxing increases the ki recovered by a ki pulse amd combined with the ability to assign different skills to different stances can allow for incredibly versatile builds.
Which stances do what then?
Well high stance is slow but hard hitting, low stance is fast but deals less damage and mid stance is a balance between the two. Each stance also has skills that can only be used while in that respective stance that creates a unique playstyle for each. For example mid stance has plenty of abillitys centered around countering incoming attacks whereas high stance has many abillitys focused on big numbers. Low stance is where all the anime attacks are at. Fo your first ng cycle, you can get away with just using 1 stance but the higher you go, the more likely you will want to invest in some other stances. There is also the sheathed stance which has a select few skills designed around buffing or rapid and deadly attacks.
Guardian spirits: guardian spirits are incredibly important to nioh. They provide many passive bonuses(some completely unique) that prove useful as you progress. They also come with a unique ability to that spirit that can be used in living weapon/yokai shift or with a guardian talisman. A personal favourite of mine is blue dragon who can counter an attack and then dive bomb the enemy for massive dps burst.
Guardian spirits work differently in each game though. In nioh 1, you can use them to enter "living weapon" which adds a range extension and an elemental buff to your weapon. Your hp and ki is replaced with a guage that depletes when you perform actions or take damage. After its empty, living weapon is over. In this state, you become god. You take no damage, gain hyperarmour on everything, gain hyperspeed and your damage numbers go through the roof. One could attempt to make this seem balanced but it just isn't. Its incredibly broken and you should make use of it whenever you can. Absorbing amrita(souls) charges the spirits guage and when full, you can trigger living weapon.
In nioh 2, you get yokai shift. Instead of becoming god, you become a yokai. You have 3 states; feral, brute and phantom each with a different moveset. They each can equip soul cores obtained by defeating yokai and then use them as new abillitys by spending anima(the purple bar under your hp) that fills when you land hits on enemies or have a scampuss following you. Early recommendations include ippon datara and gozuki, they'll make the early game much more manageable. Each soul core also has a type to match the 3 yokai forms and perform better with spirits of that form. Uppon triggering yokai shift, you morph into your yokai state with a completely new moveset. Phantom focuses on long range attacks, feral focuses on rapid speed and meelee attacks whereas brute unleashes your inner bonk to bring the slam down on enemies.
Each yokai form also has a burst counter that can be used to counter attacks that glow red. Doing so stops the enemies entire combo and restores a hefty amount of anima alongside ither things. Note you need 1 anima to use a counter. You should learn to do this asap as well. Each state has a different type of counter though and not all counters work on every attack. Phantom has no windup(great for animation cancelling) and functions as a stationary block. It requires the most precise timing but functions as a complete block should you whiff the counter. Feral is a dodge that leaves behind an afterimage. If the enemy hits the afterimage, they are countered. If you miss the counter, it still functions as a dodge. The brute is the slowest of the 3 and swings a massive hammer to knock the opponent out of their attack. This is usefull as it can prevent the attack from going off before the tell is even finished unlike the other 2 and can counter bursts that don't initially start as an attack. The downside is that some bursts are just too fast for the brute. If you miss the counter, it transitions into an attack that bitch slaps the enemy.
Next, get into the habit of blocking. Unlike souls, nioh's primary defense option plays more like sekiro. Im not sure what William, wolfs and hide's swords are made out of but they can block damn near anything. You don't need to time a block perfectly(although some effects do reward it) and it will block any and all physical damage. Elemental damage is reduced to mere chip damage in most cases as well.
Why am i getting one shot?
This is a common occurrence in nioh. Get used to it. It happens a lot. Nioh rewards perfect and precise play and discourages carelessness. Observe your surroundings and play at your best. Nioh gives you the tools to completely destroy anything before it gets the chance to fight back. It also gives the enemies those same tools. Use every mechanic at your disposal. Block if you need downtime.
Onmyo and ninjutsu, the magic system of this game is split in two parts. You can unlock them through their respective skill trees. After that, ready them at a shrine and assign them to your quick slots. Do note the two clases play very different from eachother. Onmyo specialises in elemental attacks and passive buffs whereas ninjutsu prioritises cunning traps, mass debuffing and throwing a multitude of kunai/shuriken. These 2 will factor into your playstyle heavily eventually but are hard to get a grasp on at the beginning. Don't rush into them and take your time.
Loot system. This is not souls. You don't find the battered wings of a butterfly and a helmet the size of midir and decide that is how you will look the rest of the game. You dont stick with the same twig you've been swinging around either. This game has a diablo style loot system where you will be flooded with gear that have many effects you don't have a clue about. Thankfully, the game does have ingame menus to help you with this and they can prove useful. Keep swapping out your weapon for a better one. Temper your gear for the best effects to suit your needs. Ensure your gear levels aren't lagging behind. Taht is something you will have to get used to. That said, it also makes the build variety absurd in these games.
Weight. Do not go above 70%. 30 - 70% is fine. 29.9% or below is sanic mode. Keep in mind though that this will directly affect your defenses. The lighter gear you use, the less toughness you have and as such your defense are weaker. Your agility raises gowever and your evasive abillitys get faster. Go above 70% however and your ki recovery starts getting taxed. You don't want that.
Next is debuffs.
For a start, any elemental attack builds up its respective debuff, in addition, there are effects that can be applied to both yours and your enemies geamoveset to add further debuffs. Familiarise yourself with them. Believe me, when you know what half of these do, you will find yourself having certain attacks on the "avoid at all costs" list. The final boss from nioh 2's secobd dlc is an exampme of this. If you need to urgently adress a debuff, use a daion jin sake.
Wind inflicts blustered. This reduces your damage deatlt by 50%(i believe, not too sure on the exact figure)
Earth inflicts muddied. This doubles ki damage taken.
Lightning inflicts electrified. There is a talisman called sloth that is widely considered broken on earlier ng cycles as it slows the speed of anything hit to that of a sloth. Thats for all actions by the way, not just moving. Getting electrified is like getting hit with sloth. Also, it stacks with sloth.
Fire inflicts scorched. This is just a burn effect. You can dash frantically or douse yourself in water to dissipate tye fire.
Water inflicts saturated. This increase damage taken by 20%.
Confused. A very important debuff for any build aiming for high numbers. It is triggered when a target is inflicted with 2 debuffs simultaneously. Confused yokai stagger when you hit them without fail and humans lose most of their speed and ki recovery. All confused enemies take massively increased damage. Keep in mind you can also be confused so don't ever let that happen.
Poison poisons you. What else to say. Lasts longer and deals more damage than fire.
Stench. Consuming anything stuns the inflicted for 3 second. Healing effects are reduced. Can be washed away in water.
Paralysis stuns the target for a sizeable ammount of time. Hitting the target breaks paralysis. You can also grapple paralysed enemies.
Purified(nioh 2 only): can no longer apply buffs, take 50% more ki damage and lose corruption.
Corrupted(nioh 2 only): lose puritu. Take 35% increased ki damage. Yokia inflicted lose maximum ki. Attacker restores ki on hit.
Berserk: deal 50% more damage but doubles ki usage.
Blinded: all projectiles fo in random directions. Enemies blinded no longer track you.
Sloth: give up hope. Just accept your fate.
I hope you have decided what to avoid like the plague.
Next is yokai/dark realm.
Yokai occasionally emit puddles called the yokai realm. This dramatically slows your ki recovery inside. Performing a ki pulse will purify the realm destroying it in the process. A dark realm(nioh 2 only) is a massive yokai realm that can not be purified normally. Instead, you need to kill the yokai creating it to get rid of the realm for good. In bossfights, they frequently call in a dark realm which usually signifies a new phase. They'll exit this once you break their ki or just wait it out.
Anyway, that all i can think of off the top of my headm hope this helps and if you need any nore advice, please ask.

If conservative Christians think gender transition and crossdressing are sins, what is the most extent of gender non-conforming behavior and fashion presentation allowed without sinning? Are makeup, nail polish or purses allowed for men?
Are men allowed to have long hair and women have buzz cuts?
Are people allowed to borrow clothes from the opposite gender?
What about the fact that fashion changes across history and in different places? High heels used to be for men, but are now exclusively for women. Many cultures have skirts for men (kilt, Greek foustanélla.) Fashion trends are basically arbitrary, so that means that as long as a piece of clothing is labeled by society 'for men' and 'for women'--e.g. a dress designed for men, for male bodies, a suit for women, for female bodies--then it's okay?
But then if you admit that fashion is fluid, that means the doctrine is guided by cultural changes instead of the other way around; would it therefore be more consistent if Christians adopted universal dress codes for all Christian men and women regardless of time period and place?

That's one thing you never had, accountability. It was always my fault.
I'll never know why I repeatedly went back to you and the abuse you put me through.
What kind of partner asks "did you like it" and "was his dick bigger than mine" after being sexually assaulted. Who the fuck does that? Oh. You do.
And shame on me for falling for your basic ass manipulation tactics. I wish I wasn't so self righteous. But I see the fault in my ways now. I see that you lure me back every time by saying some inflammatory bullshit and I feel the need to stick up for myself. But from now on, go ahead. Say whatever you want. I really don't give a fuck anymore.
The nail in the coffin was your disdain towards me when my health was poor. After all those times I visited you in the hospital.
Fuck you.
You keep asking me why why why. And while you'll never get a direct reply I'll tell you what I told you before. We never should have been. You preyed on me when I was in probably one of the most vulnerable states I've been in my adult life.
And yes. We're both violent. We're both reckless. But you're the type to kill out of jealousy. I'm the type to kill so that the person never gets the opportunity to even fantasize about ruining the next persons life. You're schadenfreude in human form. You're think you're intimidating but you're really just pathetic. But you already know this. Why else do you think I laughed and spit in your face when you tried to strangle me that one time?
You're weak. You feed off of others pain and sadness. It makes you feel better about yourself.
Disgusting.