Isle of capri lake charles closed
[TotK] TotK Timeline Placement Theory. Answering the Rito Problem, Imprisoning War & First Monarchs of Hyrule
2023.05.29 14:51 Edggie_Reggie [TotK] TotK Timeline Placement Theory. Answering the Rito Problem, Imprisoning War & First Monarchs of Hyrule
(Reposting for different title) This is a very long post, so bear with me.
The Legend of Zelda timeline doesn’t make sense. Thanks to voice lines from every single sage, we know that the flashbacks take place during the Imprisoning War, which takes place in the Fallen Timeline of the franchise. The earlier flashbacks closely echo some of the events of Ocarina of Time, with the introduction of Ganondorf and Zelda taking the place of link in warning the king and queen of Ganondorf’s ill intentions. It sort of makes sense, since there doesn’t appear to be a Link/someone possessing the Spirit of the Hero in this era. However, this cannot possibly be the Imprisoning War, since Rauru said that he and Sonia were the first king and queen of Hyrule. That would mean that the flashbacks take place long before the events of The Minish Cap, possibly thousands of years before OoT. Furthermore, the Rito are fully fledged beings, and yet they don’t appear to exist until the events of Wind Waker, which is an alternate timeline – the Adult Timeline. From several games in the Fallen timeline, the Zora are shown to be nothing more than mindless monsters, such as in A Link Between Worlds, and yet in OoT, they are fully sentient beings.
I think I know a way to explain almost everything I mentioned above. Breath of the Wild seems to bridge all three alternate timelines: there are sentient Zora, fully fledged Rito, the Imprisoning War, etc. and several millennia have passed between BotW and the earlier games. But there’s more. I believe that the change from sentient Zora to mindless monsters happened due to the carnage of the Imprisoning War. I think it’s possible that the War resulted in the loss of Zora leadership, leading to the apparent “savagery” (for lack of better words) in the Zora in the Fallen Timeline. In the book, The Lord of the Flies, a large group of schoolboys find themselves alone on an island with no adults. Over the course of the book, they become less ‘civilised’, more barbaric and ‘savage’. I believe this could be an explanation for what happened to the Zora. It’s not a perfect explanation, but, at least to me, it works. What isn’t quite explainable, however, is how the Imprisoning War could occur during the reign of the first Hyrulian Royal family, or how the Rito could exist that far back in the timeline. How could these three ‘things’ exist simultaneously?
Well, dear Redditiors, Zelda fans and theorists, I would like to propose to you that they can exist simultaneously. In the Twilight Princess, you can find a carving which appears to depict the Rito. But how could that be? Surely the Rito didn’t exist in this timeline? In this section in the timeline, yes, but what about earlier? Much, much earlier. What if, now hear me out, what if the Rito, as we know, love, and hate them, already existed? How did they did they disappear so soon after founding of the Kingdom of Hyrule and before The Minish Cap? Well, if in just a few centuries, the Kokiri can evolve/change/mutate into the Koroks and the Zora into the Rito, why couldn’t the Rito themselves evolve/change/mutate following the Imprisoning War? If you’re wondering how that could possibly be the case, when the Rito have never featured in the Fallen Timeline, I’m here to tell you that I’m not talking about that Imprisoning War. I’m taking about a different one.
I believe that the Imprisoning War that featured in TotK and the one in the Fallen Timeline are, in fact, two separate events. I believe that the Imprisoning War in TotK was the First Imprisoning War. If you’re wondering how that’s possible when the villain is so clearly Ganondorf, who was first introduced in OoT, well, why couldn’t it be a different Gerudo male called Ganondorf? In BotW, Urbosa said that a Gerudo male once took the form of Ganon. It makes sense that she would be referring to OoT Ganondorf. If it happened more than once, surely, she would have said so? Not really, no. Remember, more than 10,000 years have passed between games. History can become lost to time. Let’s take another look at the glyph depicting two dragons, each consuming the other’s tail. It looks identical to the symbol of an Ouroboros Cycle – a continuous cycle of events. But here’s the thing, there are two dragons, not one. It’s possible this refers to more than one continuous cycle. There’s the cycle born from the Demon King’s Curse, but there’s more. Shortly after the founding of Hyrule, Ganondorf is sealed away in the Imprisoning War, 10,000 years later is the First Great Calamity. 10,000 years after that is the Second Great Calamity. 20,000 years before TotK, the Rito existed, then they disappeared. Several thousand years later, they reappeared. Ganondorf rose to power and was defeated in a war, thousands of years later, in OoT a Ganondorf rose again, and was defeated, again. Here’s what I believe happened. In the early years of the kingdom of Hyrule’s founding, the Rito, as we know them in BotW, existed, the Zora were sentient, everything was as it was in the flashbacks in Tears of the Kingdom. When the first Ganondorf rose to power and began his war on Hyrule, I believe it’s possible that, knowing the Rito have an advantage with their flight and are skilled archers, a portion of Ganondorf’s resources were spent to nullify the Rito’s advantage as much as possible. As a result, the remaining Rito fled to the rockspires in the middle of Lake Totori – a very defensive position. Also, take a moment to examine Rito Village’s location. It’s in Hebra. Playing as Link, you need cold resistance clothing or food, so you don’t take freeze. For the Gerudo, who lived in the desert, I expect the cold temperatures would’ve been unbearable. Despite this, the Rito sage did not falter and offered his allegiance to Rauru.
Hyrule succeeded in stopping Ganondorf, but it came at a heavy price: both Hyrulian monarchs were dead, and Ganondorf would return. Now, here comes the heavy speculation (mostly hearsay). If the First Imprisoning War echoes the events of the Second, there must have been a Spirit of the Hero. I think the Spirit of the Hero was Rauru. My evidence for which is that Sonia is likely a descendant of Skyward Sword’s Zelda, and there is always some connection between a Zelda – the incarnation/descendent of the goddess Hylia – and her chosen hero (that’s literally about it). But Rauru, possessing the Spirit of the Hero, and Sonia, the blood of the goddess, were killed. (Side note: Rauru and Soina mentioned that Zelda was their direct descendent, but we never see nor hear of them having any children. Nothing important for this theory, just interesting.) As for the Rito, their population was decimated. There were so few of them left, they decided to look outside of Hebra to keep their numbers. As seen from the carvings in Twilight Princess, they may have had some success, with the best results coming from coupling with Hylians (and possibly Zora? (don’t try to think about this too much)), but in the end, it was a fruitless endeavour. Long before the events of The Minish Cap transpired, the last resemblance of the Rito vanished. But for the rest of Hyrule, life moved on. And the Demon Curse continued to harass the Spirit of the Hero and the Princess of Hyrule. (How could the curse persist when Ganondorf was still alive? Even though he was technically still alive, I think he was dead enough that the timeline could move on.)
Fast forward thousands of years into the future to the events of the Ocarina of Time, another Ganondorf was born to the Gerudo, the first Gerudo male born in 100 years. He began another war against Hyrule, ruling the kingdom for seven years before he was defeated by Link and sealed away. In the Adult Timeline, the Hero of Time was returned to the past, so when Ganondorf returned, Hyrule was left without a Hero. The sages sealed Ganondorf away again, in a different Imprisoning War to the one in the Fallen Timeline. The Gods flooded Hyrule, creating the Great Sea, and… the Zora became the Rito? Among the many things that don’t make sense, why water-adept beings evolved to have flight is a mystery, unless, of course, the Zora lived in fresh water and couldn’t tolerate salt water. It always confused me as to why the Rito in WW looked more like Hylians than Zora, even if a few centuries had passed. Furthermore, the Rito only “got their wings” from a dragon scale. I have little evidence for this, other than speculation, but I think it’s likely that the Rito evolved from the Hylians and Zora who had even the faintest of traces of Rito DNA, back from the aftermath of the First Imprisoning War. Remember what King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule said in WW, that the Gods told some people to go to the highest peaks. But why not all of them? That I do not know. Maybe a YouTuber has already covered it.
Nevertheless, over the centuries, the Rito evolved to the ones we know in BotW, the Great Sea drained and Hyrule returned to the surface. People returned to Hyrule and started their civilisation anew. Thousands of years after this, the First Great Calamity occurred. 10,000 years later, the Second Great Calamity. In the months following the Second Great Calamity, Ganondorf was reawakened, as were the sages. The ancestors of the BotW sages appeared to each of their descendants and told them the story of the Imprisoning War. The First Imprisoning War.
The greatest issue in writing this theory was the existence of the Rito in the Imprisoning War. With only the carvings hinting to their existence in the Timeline before the split in OoT in Twilight Princess, the Rito only featured in the Adult Timeline. Is this theory perfect? No, definitely not. But does it work? Somehow, kind of. The Rito must have existed at the founding of the Kingdom of Hyrule, yet they never feature in a game until Wind Waker. We learn that the Rito evolved from the Zora after the gods drowned Hyrule. However, they must have existed at some point prior to Ocarina of Time due to the carvings seen in Twilight Princess, but they weren’t the Rito in WW, BotW or even the flashbacks in TotK. I’m sure I’ve missed many things that support and contradict this theory.
Much of it is just hearsay, but it’s the best I’ve got. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
submitted by Edggie_Reggie to truezelda [link] [comments]
The Legend of Zelda timeline doesn’t make sense. Thanks to voice lines from every single sage, we know that the flashbacks take place during the Imprisoning War, which takes place in the Fallen Timeline of the franchise. The earlier flashbacks closely echo some of the events of Ocarina of Time, with the introduction of Ganondorf and Zelda taking the place of link in warning the king and queen of Ganondorf’s ill intentions. It sort of makes sense, since there doesn’t appear to be a Link/someone possessing the Spirit of the Hero in this era. However, this cannot possibly be the Imprisoning War, since Rauru said that he and Sonia were the first king and queen of Hyrule. That would mean that the flashbacks take place long before the events of The Minish Cap, possibly thousands of years before OoT. Furthermore, the Rito are fully fledged beings, and yet they don’t appear to exist until the events of Wind Waker, which is an alternate timeline – the Adult Timeline. From several games in the Fallen timeline, the Zora are shown to be nothing more than mindless monsters, such as in A Link Between Worlds, and yet in OoT, they are fully sentient beings.
I think I know a way to explain almost everything I mentioned above. Breath of the Wild seems to bridge all three alternate timelines: there are sentient Zora, fully fledged Rito, the Imprisoning War, etc. and several millennia have passed between BotW and the earlier games. But there’s more. I believe that the change from sentient Zora to mindless monsters happened due to the carnage of the Imprisoning War. I think it’s possible that the War resulted in the loss of Zora leadership, leading to the apparent “savagery” (for lack of better words) in the Zora in the Fallen Timeline. In the book, The Lord of the Flies, a large group of schoolboys find themselves alone on an island with no adults. Over the course of the book, they become less ‘civilised’, more barbaric and ‘savage’. I believe this could be an explanation for what happened to the Zora. It’s not a perfect explanation, but, at least to me, it works. What isn’t quite explainable, however, is how the Imprisoning War could occur during the reign of the first Hyrulian Royal family, or how the Rito could exist that far back in the timeline. How could these three ‘things’ exist simultaneously?
Well, dear Redditiors, Zelda fans and theorists, I would like to propose to you that they can exist simultaneously. In the Twilight Princess, you can find a carving which appears to depict the Rito. But how could that be? Surely the Rito didn’t exist in this timeline? In this section in the timeline, yes, but what about earlier? Much, much earlier. What if, now hear me out, what if the Rito, as we know, love, and hate them, already existed? How did they did they disappear so soon after founding of the Kingdom of Hyrule and before The Minish Cap? Well, if in just a few centuries, the Kokiri can evolve/change/mutate into the Koroks and the Zora into the Rito, why couldn’t the Rito themselves evolve/change/mutate following the Imprisoning War? If you’re wondering how that could possibly be the case, when the Rito have never featured in the Fallen Timeline, I’m here to tell you that I’m not talking about that Imprisoning War. I’m taking about a different one.
I believe that the Imprisoning War that featured in TotK and the one in the Fallen Timeline are, in fact, two separate events. I believe that the Imprisoning War in TotK was the First Imprisoning War. If you’re wondering how that’s possible when the villain is so clearly Ganondorf, who was first introduced in OoT, well, why couldn’t it be a different Gerudo male called Ganondorf? In BotW, Urbosa said that a Gerudo male once took the form of Ganon. It makes sense that she would be referring to OoT Ganondorf. If it happened more than once, surely, she would have said so? Not really, no. Remember, more than 10,000 years have passed between games. History can become lost to time. Let’s take another look at the glyph depicting two dragons, each consuming the other’s tail. It looks identical to the symbol of an Ouroboros Cycle – a continuous cycle of events. But here’s the thing, there are two dragons, not one. It’s possible this refers to more than one continuous cycle. There’s the cycle born from the Demon King’s Curse, but there’s more. Shortly after the founding of Hyrule, Ganondorf is sealed away in the Imprisoning War, 10,000 years later is the First Great Calamity. 10,000 years after that is the Second Great Calamity. 20,000 years before TotK, the Rito existed, then they disappeared. Several thousand years later, they reappeared. Ganondorf rose to power and was defeated in a war, thousands of years later, in OoT a Ganondorf rose again, and was defeated, again. Here’s what I believe happened. In the early years of the kingdom of Hyrule’s founding, the Rito, as we know them in BotW, existed, the Zora were sentient, everything was as it was in the flashbacks in Tears of the Kingdom. When the first Ganondorf rose to power and began his war on Hyrule, I believe it’s possible that, knowing the Rito have an advantage with their flight and are skilled archers, a portion of Ganondorf’s resources were spent to nullify the Rito’s advantage as much as possible. As a result, the remaining Rito fled to the rockspires in the middle of Lake Totori – a very defensive position. Also, take a moment to examine Rito Village’s location. It’s in Hebra. Playing as Link, you need cold resistance clothing or food, so you don’t take freeze. For the Gerudo, who lived in the desert, I expect the cold temperatures would’ve been unbearable. Despite this, the Rito sage did not falter and offered his allegiance to Rauru.
Hyrule succeeded in stopping Ganondorf, but it came at a heavy price: both Hyrulian monarchs were dead, and Ganondorf would return. Now, here comes the heavy speculation (mostly hearsay). If the First Imprisoning War echoes the events of the Second, there must have been a Spirit of the Hero. I think the Spirit of the Hero was Rauru. My evidence for which is that Sonia is likely a descendant of Skyward Sword’s Zelda, and there is always some connection between a Zelda – the incarnation/descendent of the goddess Hylia – and her chosen hero (that’s literally about it). But Rauru, possessing the Spirit of the Hero, and Sonia, the blood of the goddess, were killed. (Side note: Rauru and Soina mentioned that Zelda was their direct descendent, but we never see nor hear of them having any children. Nothing important for this theory, just interesting.) As for the Rito, their population was decimated. There were so few of them left, they decided to look outside of Hebra to keep their numbers. As seen from the carvings in Twilight Princess, they may have had some success, with the best results coming from coupling with Hylians (and possibly Zora? (don’t try to think about this too much)), but in the end, it was a fruitless endeavour. Long before the events of The Minish Cap transpired, the last resemblance of the Rito vanished. But for the rest of Hyrule, life moved on. And the Demon Curse continued to harass the Spirit of the Hero and the Princess of Hyrule. (How could the curse persist when Ganondorf was still alive? Even though he was technically still alive, I think he was dead enough that the timeline could move on.)
Fast forward thousands of years into the future to the events of the Ocarina of Time, another Ganondorf was born to the Gerudo, the first Gerudo male born in 100 years. He began another war against Hyrule, ruling the kingdom for seven years before he was defeated by Link and sealed away. In the Adult Timeline, the Hero of Time was returned to the past, so when Ganondorf returned, Hyrule was left without a Hero. The sages sealed Ganondorf away again, in a different Imprisoning War to the one in the Fallen Timeline. The Gods flooded Hyrule, creating the Great Sea, and… the Zora became the Rito? Among the many things that don’t make sense, why water-adept beings evolved to have flight is a mystery, unless, of course, the Zora lived in fresh water and couldn’t tolerate salt water. It always confused me as to why the Rito in WW looked more like Hylians than Zora, even if a few centuries had passed. Furthermore, the Rito only “got their wings” from a dragon scale. I have little evidence for this, other than speculation, but I think it’s likely that the Rito evolved from the Hylians and Zora who had even the faintest of traces of Rito DNA, back from the aftermath of the First Imprisoning War. Remember what King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule said in WW, that the Gods told some people to go to the highest peaks. But why not all of them? That I do not know. Maybe a YouTuber has already covered it.
Nevertheless, over the centuries, the Rito evolved to the ones we know in BotW, the Great Sea drained and Hyrule returned to the surface. People returned to Hyrule and started their civilisation anew. Thousands of years after this, the First Great Calamity occurred. 10,000 years later, the Second Great Calamity. In the months following the Second Great Calamity, Ganondorf was reawakened, as were the sages. The ancestors of the BotW sages appeared to each of their descendants and told them the story of the Imprisoning War. The First Imprisoning War.
The greatest issue in writing this theory was the existence of the Rito in the Imprisoning War. With only the carvings hinting to their existence in the Timeline before the split in OoT in Twilight Princess, the Rito only featured in the Adult Timeline. Is this theory perfect? No, definitely not. But does it work? Somehow, kind of. The Rito must have existed at the founding of the Kingdom of Hyrule, yet they never feature in a game until Wind Waker. We learn that the Rito evolved from the Zora after the gods drowned Hyrule. However, they must have existed at some point prior to Ocarina of Time due to the carvings seen in Twilight Princess, but they weren’t the Rito in WW, BotW or even the flashbacks in TotK. I’m sure I’ve missed many things that support and contradict this theory.
Much of it is just hearsay, but it’s the best I’ve got. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.
2023.05.29 14:33 Defiance42 Japan Trip Report: Keeping Strictly Kosher in Japan & More!
Tokyo-Lake Kawaguchiko-Kyoto-Osaka
The trip was my wife and I (upper 20s/lower 30s) for 10 days (not including 2 flight days) in May just after the end of Golden Week. It was our first trip to Japan and we had an amazing time! We did a lot of the standard tourist activities, but our perspective as kosher-observant travelers is a bit more unique so I figured I'd start the post with it. Feel free to skip past that section if it doesn't interest you.Keeping Kosher and Sabbath Observance in Japan
- While there are a decent number of vegetarian/vegan (which some kosher-observant people would be comfortable eating at, though we were not) and a small number of Halal restaurants in Japan, kosher-certified establishments are basically non-existent. The Tokyo Chabad in Minato does run a kosher-certified restaurant called Chana's Place (they deliver as well) and some of the other local Jewish communities also have prepared meals you can pick up or have delivered to you. We didn't really take advantage of any of these so I can't personally vouch for them though.
- Every hotel and ryokan we stayed in had mini fridges as well as electric water kettles, which we relied on heavily to prepare food. We usually mixed some couscous or other easily cooked grain we brought with us along with some locally bought produce in a food thermos for hot meals (the daikon are so big, just half of one lasted us for days). Seasoned kosher travelers will likely have their own strategies, though if you can, staying somewhere with a kitchen will definitely expand your meal options. We had a pretty action-packed schedule, so we didn't opt for this this time, but if we ever go back to Japan, we'll likely make sure we're staying places with kitchens if possible.
- Though we couldn't eat almost any of it, the food in Japan all looks and smells amazing (with the possible exception of some of the more exotic seafood). The smells wafting from the bakeries were absolutely heavenly. If you're kosher observant and traveling in Japan: be prepared for some major food FOMO. Salmon sashimi was one of the only local foods that fit our kosher diets, and the sashimi I got from one of the stands in Nishiki market was absolutely delicious.
- We were only in Japan for one Saturday and spent Shabbat (Sabbath) near the Tokyo Chabad in Minato. Prayers and meals at the Chabad were a really wonderful experience, with a lively and jovial atmosphere and lots of different Jewish people who were visiting (or living in) Tokyo for a variety of reasons. We stayed in a very nice Airbnb close to the Chabad. If you are visiting Japan and want a place close to the Chabad to stay, feel free to DM me (I'd rather not post more info about a family-run Aribnb to a public forum).
- The discount bus between Narita airport and Tokyo station is really great. We took the NEX from the airport but lost our paper return tickets during the trip so ended up taking the bus back. It was about as comfortable, much cheaper, and only a little bit slower.
- Though most of the COVID restrictions have been lifted, masking is still very common in Japan, especially in busy Urban areas. I'd estimate about 80% of the locals were wearing masks on public transit in Tokyo. In less crowded areas, fewer people are wearing masks, though a notable minority definitely still are.
- Public transit in in Japan is a real wonder to behold. It is extremely efficient, was almost never late, with a very different etiquette from in the West. Very orderly lines form at the marked spots where the train doors will be when the train stops. On the train itself, people are very quiet, with the only exception being some soft conversation between friends and the occasional group of rowdy foreigners.
- Google Maps worked great for us in terms of navigating public transit, though moreso in Tokyo than in Osaka, which seems to have a slightly more confusing train system.
- Navigating Kyoto is a bit harder since the train system isn't quite as extensive there. IC cards will work on the buses, though we were a bit thrown off by the fact that everyone enters through the back door of the bus and exits through the front door. You pay the bus fare as you leave the bus and not as you get on. Friends of ours recommended renting bikes in Kyoto if the weather is nice, and while we didn't end up doing it, it's probably not a bad suggestion.
- Were were told that the Arashiyama bamboo forest would be packed if we got there too late, but this wasn't the case for us. We got there around 10:00-10:30 and while there were plenty of people, it didn't feel overly crowded. Could be a different story during busier times, but this was our experience.
- We took the Tokaido Shinkansen and it's a very cool and comfortable way to travel. We ordered our tickets online and were able to link them to our IC cards. There seemed to still be enough of seats available when we booked, though if you're looking for a specific seat (such as the ones with the extra baggage area) you should probably book as much in advance as in practical since a lot of the seats were taken even a few days in advance.
- A lot of people on this forum emphasize how few Japanese people speak fluent English and it's definitely true! I expected as least the staff at hotels to speak some English, but very many did not. I was also surprised that when interfacing with a member of the hotel staff who didn't speak English, they never called over a colleague to translate or take over. I know a handful of Japanese words and phrases, and combining those with gestures and Google Translate generally worked well enough. On the rare occasion I tried to say anything a little more complex, people seemed really pleased and encouraging, even though I’m pretty sure I was butchering the language.
- Although most people in Japan don't speak English, signage and automated announcements on public transit and the like generally do have English translations.
- The public bathrooms in Japan are very common and almost always super clean (even the less clean ones are still cleaner than the average public bathroom in the U.S.). Not sure if this is due to COVID or not, but paper towels are virtually nonexistent and hand dryers are rare. Luckily, small hand towels are sold all over and the themed ones make great souvenirs.
- Pretty much every Western-style toilet is equipped with a bidet. The Japanese-style toilets didn't seem to exist much in Tokyo. We saw a few in Kyoto in Osaka, but neither of us were brave enough to actually try using one...
- The fruits and vegetables sold in Japanese grocery stores are all beautiful, pristine and usually taste pretty good too. Some of the more “exotic” fruit can be pretty expensive though (I saw a single mango being sold for nearly 3,000 yen!). The individual wrapping of everything definitely didn’t seem too environmentally friendly, but it did keep all the produce super clean.
- I loved seeing the Gachopon machines everywhere and got quite a few souvenirs from them. There are some stores dedicated to the machines, but you can also find them in train stations and just about everywhere else.
- Hotel Monterey Akasaka: Friendly staff, clean and nice rooms. Location is just fine, but in return it's cheaper than similar quality hotels in more popular neighborhoods while still being fairly central and accessible.
- Kasuitei Ooya (Kawaguchiko): Out first ryokan of the trip and really nice. Great views and excellent onsen.
- Hilton Tokyo Bay: Cheaper than all of the "official" Disney hotels, but just as close to the parks as many of them. The rooms are nice and spacious. Can definitely recommend.
- Yuno Yado Shoei (Kyoto): Our second ryokan and not quite as nice as the first, but still really enjoyable. The onsen were great here too.
- Liber Hotel at USJ: Far fancier than we thought it would be based on the price tag and the fact that it's a theme park hotel. The rooms are smaller than the Tokyo Bay Hilton's were, but the facilities were quite nice. Enjoyed my last onsen of the trip in this hotel.
- Harajuku: We went to Harajuku more for my wife who is into fashion, but I really enjoyed it too! Lots of really cute stores and it's also fun seeing people dressed up in some really bold and unique outfits.
- Lake Kawaguchiko and the Shibazakura Festival: We were fortunate to have amazing weather while we were in Lake Kawaguchiko and the views of both the lake and Fuji-san were spectacular. The Shibazakura festival specifically provided some really breathtaking views. This was probably our favorite part of the whole trip.
- Tokyo Disney (Disneysea): As a huge Disney fan, I loved seeing the Japanese take on Disney parks. Lots of familiar rides, but lots of unique ones as well. The evening show on the water at DisneySea ("Believe: Sea of Dreams") was particularly fantastic.
- Higashiyama and Gion: The most amazing area in Kyoto. I regret that the we didn't budget more time to spend here. You could definitely spend at least a full day wandering around soaking in the atmosphere and unique architecture.
- Universal Studios Japan: As a theme park fan, USJ was a real treat. Super Nintendo World was definitely the highlight, but the entire park was fantastic. I might make a post just dedicated to giving some tips for the theme parks at some point.
We enjoyed everything we did in Japan, but I'll just point out two things that didn't quite live up to expectations.
- Akihabara: I'm an anime and video game nerd, so I thought Akihabara would be my heaven, but it was just okay. The arcades were really amazing to walk through and it was fun browsing the video game and figurine stores too, but something about it didn't quite live up to what I had imagined. Maybe just blame it on high expectations?
- Teamlab Planets: This was definitely a cool and unique experience, but it didn't quite live up to the hype. It felt like the most touristy thing we did in Japan (even moreso than the Tokyo Disney somehow). The exhibits themselves are very cool, but the all the amateur Instagram models posing everywhere kind of ruined the vibe. Really enjoyable, but can definitely be skipped if you're on the fence.
2023.05.29 14:20 CordouroyStilts PC US Deer Isle THE REVIVAL PD, Medic, and Human Trader factions Lore Custom Areas Keycards MORE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7GA1-NPzvs
Please check out the trailer posted above. It's worth a watch even if you don't plan on playing our server.
The Revival is a server that provides an organic DayZ experience. Our rules are designed to discourage KOS and toxicity. Our mission is to provide an immersive experience that stays true to what makes DayZ a great game.
• Federation of Medical Experts - Active Medical Team
• Revival Trade Collective - Active Trading Group
• RemCorp - Active Arms & Contraband Dealers and Auto Loan Financers.
• Or start your own
• Custom POIs
• Custom Dark Zone with Leaderboard & real $$$ Rewards
• Server Lore Dating Back to 2018 & Experienced Core of Roleplayers
• Base Building
• Keys / Keycards / Punch Card
• Mods: Dogtags, Passports, Bees, Drugs, Boats, ATM Robberies, Many More!
• People actually use radios. (Long range, no battery drain)
• KOS Discouraged, Interaction Encouraged
• Healthy PvP & Base Raiding
• Loot is Close to Vanilla, Added Modded Clothing, Guns, Cars, Boats & RP Items
• Customs Mods and Experienced Modders
• All Mods Thoroughly Tested & Configured for Balancing
• 4.5GHz Baseline CPU, High FPS
• Active & Mature Admins and Moderators
• Whitelist and Application Process
• Active Player Bans & Cheater Monitoring
• Clear Rules & Organized Discord
https://discord.gg/therevival
submitted by CordouroyStilts to DayZServers [link] [comments]
Please check out the trailer posted above. It's worth a watch even if you don't plan on playing our server.
FACTIONS RECRUITING
• Deer Isle Police Department - Active Police Force• Federation of Medical Experts - Active Medical Team
• Revival Trade Collective - Active Trading Group
• RemCorp - Active Arms & Contraband Dealers and Auto Loan Financers.
• Or start your own
FEATURES
• Custom Safe Zone• Custom POIs
• Custom Dark Zone with Leaderboard & real $$$ Rewards
• Server Lore Dating Back to 2018 & Experienced Core of Roleplayers
• Base Building
• Keys / Keycards / Punch Card
• Mods: Dogtags, Passports, Bees, Drugs, Boats, ATM Robberies, Many More!
• People actually use radios. (Long range, no battery drain)
• KOS Discouraged, Interaction Encouraged
• Healthy PvP & Base Raiding
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2023.05.29 14:08 Bridget-gacha Hikaru’s backstory:
My boy needs more attention tbh
Small TW for: child neglect and bullying and mentions of death (by car crash)
He was a young mershark whose parents moved in land after he was born. He had a lot of siblings and was close to his younger sister named Comet and had a mom and a dad, who were quite neglectful and were very absent in his life and left Hikaru most of the time to take care and pretty much raise his sibilings. Hikaru studied in a school where people were judgmental, and tended to bully him a lot and Hikaru had to overcompensate with being very violent and acting though in return which caused strict teachers and others to dislike him more. He grew to have a temper and not showing his more sensitive side.
When Hikaru was 11 his parents died in a car crash, Hikaru even if he resented how his parents didn’t care that much for him he still grieved and had so many mixed feelings. Hikaru and his siblings were sent to an orphanage and were there for 4 years since they were in bad conditions there, Comet wanted to escape with Hikaru even insisting they leave the rest of their siblings. but when they were being chased Comet pushed Hikaru into a lake and from the impact he passed out and when he woke up and swam back to the surface, Comet was gone. He stayed in water in his mer form for the remaining time before he went to NRC and after one encounter with other mers his tail was scarred and pieces of it were ripped off permanently which cause him to be slower than average on water. Then he was accepted into NRC, and the rest is history.
(I didn’t add a in NRC section since this is his first year which is mostly the events that happen in cannon. Unlike Zora who was a second year and needed that one year to be talked about. Also his backstory was planned to be more brutal with him seeing Comet die in front of him but I didn’t want to hurt Hikaru even more emotionally lol)
Selkie is next and then I’ll figure who should I overblot first
submitted by Bridget-gacha to NRCOOCGC [link] [comments]
Small TW for: child neglect and bullying and mentions of death (by car crash)
He was a young mershark whose parents moved in land after he was born. He had a lot of siblings and was close to his younger sister named Comet and had a mom and a dad, who were quite neglectful and were very absent in his life and left Hikaru most of the time to take care and pretty much raise his sibilings. Hikaru studied in a school where people were judgmental, and tended to bully him a lot and Hikaru had to overcompensate with being very violent and acting though in return which caused strict teachers and others to dislike him more. He grew to have a temper and not showing his more sensitive side.
When Hikaru was 11 his parents died in a car crash, Hikaru even if he resented how his parents didn’t care that much for him he still grieved and had so many mixed feelings. Hikaru and his siblings were sent to an orphanage and were there for 4 years since they were in bad conditions there, Comet wanted to escape with Hikaru even insisting they leave the rest of their siblings. but when they were being chased Comet pushed Hikaru into a lake and from the impact he passed out and when he woke up and swam back to the surface, Comet was gone. He stayed in water in his mer form for the remaining time before he went to NRC and after one encounter with other mers his tail was scarred and pieces of it were ripped off permanently which cause him to be slower than average on water. Then he was accepted into NRC, and the rest is history.
(I didn’t add a in NRC section since this is his first year which is mostly the events that happen in cannon. Unlike Zora who was a second year and needed that one year to be talked about. Also his backstory was planned to be more brutal with him seeing Comet die in front of him but I didn’t want to hurt Hikaru even more emotionally lol)
Selkie is next and then I’ll figure who should I overblot first
2023.05.29 14:07 xXKikitoXx Not talking to him about it would have been better. [BK3 - 8.1]
PREVIOUIS
“May I leave?” I asked quietly. With Claire pregnant and sitting in a bathtub of salty water my head was spinning. Everything in me knew then that my life was forfeit. I no longer served any purpose and the moment Markos understood that, I would be destroyed.
Nathaniel excused me and I went to my chambers to arrange my belongings. It would be troublesome to leave them for others to clean up and packing my room was simple. I don’t have all that many belongings, in all technicalities I don’t own anything anymore than a dog owns their toys. If my owner should choose to take them away from me that would be beyond my control.
For the most part my room is simple. The closet is large, and filled with many outfits for servants to dress me in. Of course they are all dresses, I have never worn pants the way Claire does. I wonder if that has anything to do with why I could never fall pregnant for Markos. Perhaps pants were the key.
Regardless, I arranged each dress neatly so they could be removed easily and sorted out the torn ones. They would no longer need to be mended, so I placed them in the trash. I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the weapons, so returning a majority of them to the armory was all I could think to do.
I cleared my personal bathroom of the belongings I kept there, soaps and various perfumes mostly. The fae are very sensitive to human scent, so it was always important that I should smell fresh, even after training. Then I went to wait for Eric.
He was out on a hunt with Charles, but I hoped he might return soon and so I waited unmoving at the gates. Hours passed and evening set in. I missed dinner entirely, but my patience was rewarded as headlights marked the approach of a vehicle.
Guards opened the gates for them and eventually Eric and Charles stepped out of the car. Both were covered in dirt and blood, I supposed their hunt had been successful yet neither said a word. Charles in particular looked somewhat shaken while Eric was unusually tense. I wondered what could have happened to make them both look so spooked.
When Eric noticed me he hesitated, “Calla, what are you doing out here?”
“I need to speak with you…” I mumbled, perhaps now was not the time.
He took a moment to evaluate then turned to Charles, “Are you alright? I need to speak with Calla.”
“Yeah, yes, I'm fine.” He wasn't convincing, even to me.
“I’ll come speak with you after. Try to get some rest.”
“Sure.”
Charles left us without another word and I felt Eric’s eyes on me, “What did you need to talk about?” he asked, as calm as he ever was.
“Not here…” I murmured, there were too many eyes and ears within the castle. I didn’t need Markos to find out any sooner than he already would.
“Come then.” Eric agreed easily. He had always understood the need we had for secrecy.
We walked together in silence out into the forest. I could hardly see the ground, but he guided me where necessary. This was reminiscent of how we would behave as children, sneaking out into the forest at any opportunity we could. It’s hard to find things in the forest, and so even if we were followed, it was easy to avoid detection.
We had spent countless hours in these woods, training and playing. For as long as I can remember knowing him Eric has always been the person I turned to. Of course I knew there was nothing he could do for me now, but I wanted to tell him, I didn't want it to be a surprise for him.
When at last we stopped we were deep among the trees. There was hardly any moonlight and Eric’s eyes glowed faintly in the darkness. Around us fireflies blinked intermittently among the leaves, illuminating the surroundings dimly. “What is it that you wanted to talk about?” Eric asked gently as he sat on a fallen log and gestured for me to join him.
“Are you okay being back at Dunkel?” I began. Of course this was not all I wished to speak with him about, but I was interested to know, and I didn’t want to talk about only my problems.
“In general I guess so. Nathaniel showed me the below chambers, there’s nothing left down there now. No ‘livestock’, and as far as I can tell everything he’s told me he changed is the truth.”
“Yes, he changed a great many things.”
“He’s changed too…”
“Is that what you wanted?”
“I don’t know.” he admitted, “I didn’t really want anything from him. I didn’t expect to see him again.”
“Are you unhappy that you did?”
“...No.”
“Then why do you challenge him so much?”
“I don’t challenge him.”
“You’re lying to yourself if you believe that.”
“Okay, fine.” he mused, “Maybe I do…”
“So why?” I prompted again.
“I like watching him try. The look of thinly veiled frustration he gets when he knows I’m right is priceless.”
“You shouldn’t torment him the way you do, he cares for you very much.”
Eric sighed, looking up at the sky. “I wish he would just say that then.”
“It’s not in their nature to share such things with words.”
“Whose side are you on exactly?”
“No one’s.” I assured, then asked tentatively. “Have you and he..?”
He smiled bitterly as he understood what I was asking, “I’m sure you didn’t ask me out into the forest to talk about Nathaniel and I. But, no… and not for my lack of trying. If he doesn’t fuck me soon-”
I couldn’t help but smile. It had been some time since Eric and I had spoken quite like this, and I’ll admit it made me feel better to hear his complaints. This is how we had always been, honest and ourselves with each other. He was the only person I could show any emotion with, and I was the only one he would ever speak to in this way.
Moreover, I’d never known Eric not to get what he wanted and I was sure it bothered him greatly. “Perhaps you’re not his type?” I teased lightly.
“He doesn’t kiss me like I'm not his type.” He retorted.
“Then maybe you’re losing your charm.” Perhaps it was just my imagination, but he almost looked like he wasn’t sure if I was joking or not.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?” he asked instead of answering.
I hesitated, truthfully I didn’t know how to tell him… How do you tell your best friend that you’re going to die? I took a deep breath in. It didn’t matter anymore whether or not I upheld the fae standard, I would be disposed of regardless. However, concealing my emotion wasn’t the problem, it was showing it that I found difficult in this case.
In his presence I had felt genuine happiness and shared sadness. But now that I wanted to speak to him with importance I worried that I wouldn’t be able to show the correct emotion and that he would never understand how much he meant to me.
“I love you, Eric.” I began quietly. It was stressful simply to say it; what if I wasn’t giving the words enough and he didn’t believe me? or didn't understand how important he was? I must have paused for too long thinking because he spoke uncertainly.
“...Something’s really wrong isn’t it?”
“No… I.. I just need you to understand. That I care for you and I’m glad we met. I’m sorry I can’t say it well enough. But you’re the only reason I survived at all, and I’m grateful for you.”
“Calla. Whatever is wrong, I’ll fix it.”
“You can’t fix it…”
“I can.”
The subtle undertone of worry in his voice made it difficult to breathe and my eyes stung, “You can’t fix it because the problem is me. I’m useless.” I whispered carefully trying to control myself.
“That’s not-”
“It is. …I had one purpose, one use: to serve my master and bear him an heir. But I’ve failed.”
“Calla-” he tried but I cut him off again.
“I lost at Leùchtend when Mathéo defeated me in combat, and I was unable to protect Markos. That is a failure of service and unforgivable in its own right. But it is not the only way I’ve failed him. I’ve never given him an heir. It doesn't matter what I do, or how hard I try, I can't make him want me. I disgust him, he never wants to try with me.”
I took a breath and Eric waited for me to continue, I think he understood there was nothing he could say, everything I was telling him was undeniably the truth. “It’s supposed to be easy, all of our training said we would fall pregnant right away, likely on the first try. But I didn’t. And I still didn’t on any of the other times we tried. I did everything I was supposed to; I tracked my cycles, I ate balanced and I took the correct vitamins every day. I dressed exactly how he preferred so he would want me but I still-”
It was so difficult to say, the words caught in my throat, “I still failed to give him an heir, which means there must be something wrong with me…”
“There’s nothing wrong with you, they test for infertility, you know that.”
“Then they must have tested me wrong because it’s not just Markos.”
He paused then, “...What do you mean..?”
“I thought if the problem was Markos, then someone else could get me pregnant and I could pretend it was his… I don't know how many I've been with…”
“If Markos knew that…”
I laughed humorlessly, “He found out a while back Eric, and he didn’t even care. Not only does he not want me, he doesn’t care if anyone else has me. The only thing he said was that he wasn’t surprised, that I was just like my mother was - a whore.”
“That doesn’t make you a whore…”
“No?”
“...You’re more like a concubine,” he joked gently and to my surprise I laughed. I’m not sure where it came from, it must have been the stress for as I laughed I cried.
“Thanks.” I mumbled weakly as I wiped the tears off my cheeks with the sleeve of my dress. He vaguely gestured for me to come to him and so I did, curling up close to his chest in his arms as he continued.
“Besides… There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re beautiful and deadly, there’s nothing fae like more than that. Falling pregnant is not your only value and it never could be. You’re not an incubator, I know that’s what we were taught but it’s not true. You’re smart, and diligent. There’s nothing you’ve failed at. Mathéo only even stood a chance at all because you had just defeated a dragon, and you did protect Markos. I wish I could show you the human world, then you would understand how wonderful you are. You don’t need to be useful to the fae, they don’t deserve you, Markos especially doesn’t.”
“The human world doesn’t matter to me. This is my home. I could only ever belong here, and if I’m not useful then I have no place. I’m not like you, you never had any use but they kept you regardless, while they only kept me because I had use.. there’s something wrong with me now so I no longer belong here.”
“Why do you keep saying that? It’s not true, Calla… please listen to me-”
“I keep saying it because it’s true! You’re just not listening. I know it’s me because Claire is pregnant to Markos. If the problem was him, how could that be?”
“How did you find out…?”
I frowned slightly, “...You already knew?” I realized when he looked somewhat guilty.
“...Does Markos know?”
“I don’t know…” Why hadn’t he told me what he knew?
“Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll take care of it. She won’t have that child.”
“There’s nothing you can do, Nathaniel knows, he will tell Markos.”
“I’ll talk to Nathaniel first, he won’t say anything.”
“Even if he listened to you, that still doesn’t stop her being pregnant.”
“...Accidents can happen to pregnant women and sometimes they lose the child…” he murmured quietly.
I looked up at him surprised while he looked away into the forest, his expression was chillingly calm.
“Charles would never forgive you…”
“If you ask me to… I'll do it. No one but you and I would ever know… ”
It felt as though all the air had left me and I couldn’t breathe. What kind of person was I to consider this? What kind of monster would I be if I asked this of him? And what would it do to him to go through with it…? The blood rushing in my ears was almost deafening and it seemed to only grow louder with every heartbeat.
“I- I don’t want you to do anything…” I whispered meekly. Part of me already regretted saying that. Whatever Eric might have thought I couldn’t tell as I continued. “I’m defective, I hold no value and serve no purpose. I want to be put down… There’s no reason to hurt Claire or her child… I’ve accepted my fate.”
He clenched his jaw tensely and I wondered if I had upset him. Perhaps that wasn’t the choice he wanted me to make. “Calla. Don’t throw yourself away for nothing. Having his child is Not your only purpose, and there is nothing wrong with you. Just let me do this for you. You don’t even have to ask, just say nothing and I’ll understand.”
I understood then, it hurt him to do nothing. He didn’t want to lose me anymore than I wanted to lose him. What he didn’t understand was that it would bring me peace to die. “No… It’s okay, I want to go… I never told you this because I thought it was stupid, and maybe you’ll still think it is… But I wanted to be a mother. Even if not with Markos, they must have tested me wrong for it to have never happened in all these years.”
“They didn’t test you wrong, you can have a child if you want… Just not to a fae…”
“...What?” He was making no sense.
The silence between us hung thick in the atmosphere before he at last took a deep breath in, “No fae can get you pregnant…” he reiterated without emotion.
I frowned, confused, “Why would you say that..?”
“Because it’s true.”
“That doesn’t make any sense, and could you know?” I didn’t think he would lie to me, but I was sure I must have been misunderstanding him.
“I know because I made it so… The day you graduated I wrote a protection spell so that you would never bear any fae a child…”
I slowly pushed away from him and he made no move to stop me. “You-.. You hexed me?”
He nodded ever so slightly and I sat back away from him, slipping off the log to sit on the ground beside it instead. It made no sense. To begin, although we can write spells, and Eric was particularly good at it, he still lacked the magic to activate them just as I did. So even if he had written such a curse, he could not place it. Could he?
“The fae never taught us spells like that.” I murmured at last as I realized he must be lying.
“I didn’t learn it from the fae..”
“So how did you know how to do it?”
“I just did…”
“Fine. Then who helped you?”
“No one…”
“Someone must have helped you. Nathaniel must have helped you activate it.” That was the only thing that made sense.
“He would never have helped me back then…”
“Then, you’re lying. You’re only saying this to make me reconsider.”
“I’m not… I swear it’s the truth.”
I didn’t want to believe him, but part of me was beginning to understand. It didn’t matter how he had done it, perhaps someone helped him, or maybe the magic in his arm allowed it, either way, he had found a way to do it. Which meant that he was the reason any of this had happened. It was his design that I would never carry Markos’s heir, I would never fulfill my purpose - I would never have any use to the fae because of him. There weren’t any words for it. I felt nauseous even thinking about it, how long has he been lying to me?
“Calla.. please say something..”
“…You- you ruined my life..”
“It was to protect you..”
“Protect me? Protect me!? Claire is pregnant and I am not! I will be put to death while she lives among the fae!”
“I won’t let anything happen to you. Let me help you…” He moved to sit with me again but I recoiled.
“You want to help me? Reverse it! Undo the spell.”
“I can’t…”
“Why not!?”
“Because I left no margin of error! It’s perfect, complete… Irreversible…”
“You always did like to make every spell flawless.” I muttered bitterly.
Anger burned away the tears, I had no words left for him. How could he do this to me? We had been friends for so long I trusted him so completely.
“It wasn’t to hurt you…”
“No? Then what was it for, Eric.”
“I told you… To protect you… If you’d have fallen pregnant then you would have been-”
“I would have been what I was supposed to be!”
“You would have aged and your children would have been monsters!”
“The only monster here now is you. You’re worse than the fae-” I stopped. A familiar slight tugging sensation at the edge of my mind alerted me to Markos’s request. He was recalling me to him from wherever I was in a somewhat urgent manner. Perhaps he had found out about Claire. “-I have to go.”
Eric seemed to understand immediately, “Don’t go. If he knows he’ll kill you. Let me talk to Nathaniel before you see Markos.”
“I don’t care.”
“Calla please-”
“No. Even if he doesn’t know yet, I never want to see or speak to you again.”
“This is ridiculous you can’t just-”
“Goodbye Eric.” I cut him off bluntly as I turned to leave. I didn’t bother to look back to see if he followed or not. It was no longer my concern and I wouldn’t think about him. That was the promise I made myself.
***
Markos had summoned me from the gardens, and that is exactly where I found him. I wondered what he could be doing to be out so late.
“You called for me?” I announced myself and knelt.
“Yes. It took you some time to get here, were you far?”
“I was in the forest.”
“At this hour?”
“...Yes.”
I thought he might question me further, however he did not and I supposed he didn’t care. He was sitting with one arm resting on his leg and the other propping him up. The embellishments of his clothes glinted faintly and he ran a hand back through his hair. He seemed tired.
“That’s fine. It’s fortunate you’re still awake. We need to talk.”
[NEXT]()
Chapters List
submitted by xXKikitoXx to EricLinnaeus [link] [comments]
“May I leave?” I asked quietly. With Claire pregnant and sitting in a bathtub of salty water my head was spinning. Everything in me knew then that my life was forfeit. I no longer served any purpose and the moment Markos understood that, I would be destroyed.
Nathaniel excused me and I went to my chambers to arrange my belongings. It would be troublesome to leave them for others to clean up and packing my room was simple. I don’t have all that many belongings, in all technicalities I don’t own anything anymore than a dog owns their toys. If my owner should choose to take them away from me that would be beyond my control.
For the most part my room is simple. The closet is large, and filled with many outfits for servants to dress me in. Of course they are all dresses, I have never worn pants the way Claire does. I wonder if that has anything to do with why I could never fall pregnant for Markos. Perhaps pants were the key.
Regardless, I arranged each dress neatly so they could be removed easily and sorted out the torn ones. They would no longer need to be mended, so I placed them in the trash. I wasn’t entirely sure what to do with the weapons, so returning a majority of them to the armory was all I could think to do.
I cleared my personal bathroom of the belongings I kept there, soaps and various perfumes mostly. The fae are very sensitive to human scent, so it was always important that I should smell fresh, even after training. Then I went to wait for Eric.
He was out on a hunt with Charles, but I hoped he might return soon and so I waited unmoving at the gates. Hours passed and evening set in. I missed dinner entirely, but my patience was rewarded as headlights marked the approach of a vehicle.
Guards opened the gates for them and eventually Eric and Charles stepped out of the car. Both were covered in dirt and blood, I supposed their hunt had been successful yet neither said a word. Charles in particular looked somewhat shaken while Eric was unusually tense. I wondered what could have happened to make them both look so spooked.
When Eric noticed me he hesitated, “Calla, what are you doing out here?”
“I need to speak with you…” I mumbled, perhaps now was not the time.
He took a moment to evaluate then turned to Charles, “Are you alright? I need to speak with Calla.”
“Yeah, yes, I'm fine.” He wasn't convincing, even to me.
“I’ll come speak with you after. Try to get some rest.”
“Sure.”
Charles left us without another word and I felt Eric’s eyes on me, “What did you need to talk about?” he asked, as calm as he ever was.
“Not here…” I murmured, there were too many eyes and ears within the castle. I didn’t need Markos to find out any sooner than he already would.
“Come then.” Eric agreed easily. He had always understood the need we had for secrecy.
We walked together in silence out into the forest. I could hardly see the ground, but he guided me where necessary. This was reminiscent of how we would behave as children, sneaking out into the forest at any opportunity we could. It’s hard to find things in the forest, and so even if we were followed, it was easy to avoid detection.
We had spent countless hours in these woods, training and playing. For as long as I can remember knowing him Eric has always been the person I turned to. Of course I knew there was nothing he could do for me now, but I wanted to tell him, I didn't want it to be a surprise for him.
When at last we stopped we were deep among the trees. There was hardly any moonlight and Eric’s eyes glowed faintly in the darkness. Around us fireflies blinked intermittently among the leaves, illuminating the surroundings dimly. “What is it that you wanted to talk about?” Eric asked gently as he sat on a fallen log and gestured for me to join him.
“Are you okay being back at Dunkel?” I began. Of course this was not all I wished to speak with him about, but I was interested to know, and I didn’t want to talk about only my problems.
“In general I guess so. Nathaniel showed me the below chambers, there’s nothing left down there now. No ‘livestock’, and as far as I can tell everything he’s told me he changed is the truth.”
“Yes, he changed a great many things.”
“He’s changed too…”
“Is that what you wanted?”
“I don’t know.” he admitted, “I didn’t really want anything from him. I didn’t expect to see him again.”
“Are you unhappy that you did?”
“...No.”
“Then why do you challenge him so much?”
“I don’t challenge him.”
“You’re lying to yourself if you believe that.”
“Okay, fine.” he mused, “Maybe I do…”
“So why?” I prompted again.
“I like watching him try. The look of thinly veiled frustration he gets when he knows I’m right is priceless.”
“You shouldn’t torment him the way you do, he cares for you very much.”
Eric sighed, looking up at the sky. “I wish he would just say that then.”
“It’s not in their nature to share such things with words.”
“Whose side are you on exactly?”
“No one’s.” I assured, then asked tentatively. “Have you and he..?”
He smiled bitterly as he understood what I was asking, “I’m sure you didn’t ask me out into the forest to talk about Nathaniel and I. But, no… and not for my lack of trying. If he doesn’t fuck me soon-”
I couldn’t help but smile. It had been some time since Eric and I had spoken quite like this, and I’ll admit it made me feel better to hear his complaints. This is how we had always been, honest and ourselves with each other. He was the only person I could show any emotion with, and I was the only one he would ever speak to in this way.
Moreover, I’d never known Eric not to get what he wanted and I was sure it bothered him greatly. “Perhaps you’re not his type?” I teased lightly.
“He doesn’t kiss me like I'm not his type.” He retorted.
“Then maybe you’re losing your charm.” Perhaps it was just my imagination, but he almost looked like he wasn’t sure if I was joking or not.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s really going on?” he asked instead of answering.
I hesitated, truthfully I didn’t know how to tell him… How do you tell your best friend that you’re going to die? I took a deep breath in. It didn’t matter anymore whether or not I upheld the fae standard, I would be disposed of regardless. However, concealing my emotion wasn’t the problem, it was showing it that I found difficult in this case.
In his presence I had felt genuine happiness and shared sadness. But now that I wanted to speak to him with importance I worried that I wouldn’t be able to show the correct emotion and that he would never understand how much he meant to me.
“I love you, Eric.” I began quietly. It was stressful simply to say it; what if I wasn’t giving the words enough and he didn’t believe me? or didn't understand how important he was? I must have paused for too long thinking because he spoke uncertainly.
“...Something’s really wrong isn’t it?”
“No… I.. I just need you to understand. That I care for you and I’m glad we met. I’m sorry I can’t say it well enough. But you’re the only reason I survived at all, and I’m grateful for you.”
“Calla. Whatever is wrong, I’ll fix it.”
“You can’t fix it…”
“I can.”
The subtle undertone of worry in his voice made it difficult to breathe and my eyes stung, “You can’t fix it because the problem is me. I’m useless.” I whispered carefully trying to control myself.
“That’s not-”
“It is. …I had one purpose, one use: to serve my master and bear him an heir. But I’ve failed.”
“Calla-” he tried but I cut him off again.
“I lost at Leùchtend when Mathéo defeated me in combat, and I was unable to protect Markos. That is a failure of service and unforgivable in its own right. But it is not the only way I’ve failed him. I’ve never given him an heir. It doesn't matter what I do, or how hard I try, I can't make him want me. I disgust him, he never wants to try with me.”
I took a breath and Eric waited for me to continue, I think he understood there was nothing he could say, everything I was telling him was undeniably the truth. “It’s supposed to be easy, all of our training said we would fall pregnant right away, likely on the first try. But I didn’t. And I still didn’t on any of the other times we tried. I did everything I was supposed to; I tracked my cycles, I ate balanced and I took the correct vitamins every day. I dressed exactly how he preferred so he would want me but I still-”
It was so difficult to say, the words caught in my throat, “I still failed to give him an heir, which means there must be something wrong with me…”
“There’s nothing wrong with you, they test for infertility, you know that.”
“Then they must have tested me wrong because it’s not just Markos.”
He paused then, “...What do you mean..?”
“I thought if the problem was Markos, then someone else could get me pregnant and I could pretend it was his… I don't know how many I've been with…”
“If Markos knew that…”
I laughed humorlessly, “He found out a while back Eric, and he didn’t even care. Not only does he not want me, he doesn’t care if anyone else has me. The only thing he said was that he wasn’t surprised, that I was just like my mother was - a whore.”
“That doesn’t make you a whore…”
“No?”
“...You’re more like a concubine,” he joked gently and to my surprise I laughed. I’m not sure where it came from, it must have been the stress for as I laughed I cried.
“Thanks.” I mumbled weakly as I wiped the tears off my cheeks with the sleeve of my dress. He vaguely gestured for me to come to him and so I did, curling up close to his chest in his arms as he continued.
“Besides… There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re beautiful and deadly, there’s nothing fae like more than that. Falling pregnant is not your only value and it never could be. You’re not an incubator, I know that’s what we were taught but it’s not true. You’re smart, and diligent. There’s nothing you’ve failed at. Mathéo only even stood a chance at all because you had just defeated a dragon, and you did protect Markos. I wish I could show you the human world, then you would understand how wonderful you are. You don’t need to be useful to the fae, they don’t deserve you, Markos especially doesn’t.”
“The human world doesn’t matter to me. This is my home. I could only ever belong here, and if I’m not useful then I have no place. I’m not like you, you never had any use but they kept you regardless, while they only kept me because I had use.. there’s something wrong with me now so I no longer belong here.”
“Why do you keep saying that? It’s not true, Calla… please listen to me-”
“I keep saying it because it’s true! You’re just not listening. I know it’s me because Claire is pregnant to Markos. If the problem was him, how could that be?”
“How did you find out…?”
I frowned slightly, “...You already knew?” I realized when he looked somewhat guilty.
“...Does Markos know?”
“I don’t know…” Why hadn’t he told me what he knew?
“Whatever, it doesn’t matter. I won’t let anything happen to you. I’ll take care of it. She won’t have that child.”
“There’s nothing you can do, Nathaniel knows, he will tell Markos.”
“I’ll talk to Nathaniel first, he won’t say anything.”
“Even if he listened to you, that still doesn’t stop her being pregnant.”
“...Accidents can happen to pregnant women and sometimes they lose the child…” he murmured quietly.
I looked up at him surprised while he looked away into the forest, his expression was chillingly calm.
“Charles would never forgive you…”
“If you ask me to… I'll do it. No one but you and I would ever know… ”
It felt as though all the air had left me and I couldn’t breathe. What kind of person was I to consider this? What kind of monster would I be if I asked this of him? And what would it do to him to go through with it…? The blood rushing in my ears was almost deafening and it seemed to only grow louder with every heartbeat.
“I- I don’t want you to do anything…” I whispered meekly. Part of me already regretted saying that. Whatever Eric might have thought I couldn’t tell as I continued. “I’m defective, I hold no value and serve no purpose. I want to be put down… There’s no reason to hurt Claire or her child… I’ve accepted my fate.”
He clenched his jaw tensely and I wondered if I had upset him. Perhaps that wasn’t the choice he wanted me to make. “Calla. Don’t throw yourself away for nothing. Having his child is Not your only purpose, and there is nothing wrong with you. Just let me do this for you. You don’t even have to ask, just say nothing and I’ll understand.”
I understood then, it hurt him to do nothing. He didn’t want to lose me anymore than I wanted to lose him. What he didn’t understand was that it would bring me peace to die. “No… It’s okay, I want to go… I never told you this because I thought it was stupid, and maybe you’ll still think it is… But I wanted to be a mother. Even if not with Markos, they must have tested me wrong for it to have never happened in all these years.”
“They didn’t test you wrong, you can have a child if you want… Just not to a fae…”
“...What?” He was making no sense.
The silence between us hung thick in the atmosphere before he at last took a deep breath in, “No fae can get you pregnant…” he reiterated without emotion.
I frowned, confused, “Why would you say that..?”
“Because it’s true.”
“That doesn’t make any sense, and could you know?” I didn’t think he would lie to me, but I was sure I must have been misunderstanding him.
“I know because I made it so… The day you graduated I wrote a protection spell so that you would never bear any fae a child…”
I slowly pushed away from him and he made no move to stop me. “You-.. You hexed me?”
He nodded ever so slightly and I sat back away from him, slipping off the log to sit on the ground beside it instead. It made no sense. To begin, although we can write spells, and Eric was particularly good at it, he still lacked the magic to activate them just as I did. So even if he had written such a curse, he could not place it. Could he?
“The fae never taught us spells like that.” I murmured at last as I realized he must be lying.
“I didn’t learn it from the fae..”
“So how did you know how to do it?”
“I just did…”
“Fine. Then who helped you?”
“No one…”
“Someone must have helped you. Nathaniel must have helped you activate it.” That was the only thing that made sense.
“He would never have helped me back then…”
“Then, you’re lying. You’re only saying this to make me reconsider.”
“I’m not… I swear it’s the truth.”
I didn’t want to believe him, but part of me was beginning to understand. It didn’t matter how he had done it, perhaps someone helped him, or maybe the magic in his arm allowed it, either way, he had found a way to do it. Which meant that he was the reason any of this had happened. It was his design that I would never carry Markos’s heir, I would never fulfill my purpose - I would never have any use to the fae because of him. There weren’t any words for it. I felt nauseous even thinking about it, how long has he been lying to me?
“Calla.. please say something..”
“…You- you ruined my life..”
“It was to protect you..”
“Protect me? Protect me!? Claire is pregnant and I am not! I will be put to death while she lives among the fae!”
“I won’t let anything happen to you. Let me help you…” He moved to sit with me again but I recoiled.
“You want to help me? Reverse it! Undo the spell.”
“I can’t…”
“Why not!?”
“Because I left no margin of error! It’s perfect, complete… Irreversible…”
“You always did like to make every spell flawless.” I muttered bitterly.
Anger burned away the tears, I had no words left for him. How could he do this to me? We had been friends for so long I trusted him so completely.
“It wasn’t to hurt you…”
“No? Then what was it for, Eric.”
“I told you… To protect you… If you’d have fallen pregnant then you would have been-”
“I would have been what I was supposed to be!”
“You would have aged and your children would have been monsters!”
“The only monster here now is you. You’re worse than the fae-” I stopped. A familiar slight tugging sensation at the edge of my mind alerted me to Markos’s request. He was recalling me to him from wherever I was in a somewhat urgent manner. Perhaps he had found out about Claire. “-I have to go.”
Eric seemed to understand immediately, “Don’t go. If he knows he’ll kill you. Let me talk to Nathaniel before you see Markos.”
“I don’t care.”
“Calla please-”
“No. Even if he doesn’t know yet, I never want to see or speak to you again.”
“This is ridiculous you can’t just-”
“Goodbye Eric.” I cut him off bluntly as I turned to leave. I didn’t bother to look back to see if he followed or not. It was no longer my concern and I wouldn’t think about him. That was the promise I made myself.
***
Markos had summoned me from the gardens, and that is exactly where I found him. I wondered what he could be doing to be out so late.
“You called for me?” I announced myself and knelt.
“Yes. It took you some time to get here, were you far?”
“I was in the forest.”
“At this hour?”
“...Yes.”
I thought he might question me further, however he did not and I supposed he didn’t care. He was sitting with one arm resting on his leg and the other propping him up. The embellishments of his clothes glinted faintly and he ran a hand back through his hair. He seemed tired.
“That’s fine. It’s fortunate you’re still awake. We need to talk.”
[NEXT]()
Chapters List
2023.05.29 13:07 mduda59625 Moving to Ohio: Your Ultimate Guide to a Smooth Transition
Are you planning on moving to Ohio soon? Whether you’re relocating for work, family, or just a change of scenery, moving can be both exciting and stressful. Luckily, with some planning and preparation, you can make the transition as smooth as possible. In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about moving to Ohio.
Ohio also has a rich history and culture that is reflected in its many museums and landmarks. As the birthplace of many famous Americans, such as Thomas Edison, Neil Armstrong, and LeBron James, Ohio has a deep sense of pride in its contributions to American history and culture. Whether it’s visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland or the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, there’s no shortage of cultural and historical experiences to be had in Ohio.
For those who enjoy the outdoors, Ohio is an excellent destination for nature lovers. The state has several state parks, lakes, and forests, providing ample opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, and boating. Some popular destinations include Hocking Hills State Park, which offers scenic hikes, waterfalls, and rock formations, and Lake Erie Islands, just off the coast of Ohio, which are a popular destination for boating, fishing, and relaxing.
Ohio is also home to several great cities, each with its own unique character and attractions. Columbus, the state capital, has a vibrant arts and culture scene, including the Columbus Museum of Art and the Ohio Theater. Cincinnati, located on the Ohio River, is known for its beautiful architecture and world-renowned zoo. Cleveland, on the shore of Lake Erie, has a thriving music and food scene, as well as the aforementioned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Whether you’re looking for a low cost of living, job opportunities, cultural experiences, outdoor adventures, or all of the above, Ohio has something to offer.
For history buffs, Ohio offers numerous museums and landmarks that highlight the state’s role in American history. The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton is the largest and oldest military aviation museum in the world, showcasing the history of American aviation from the Wright Brothers to modern times. The Ohio History Center is another must-visit attraction, with exhibits on everything from Ohio’s prehistoric past to its contributions to the Civil War and beyond.
For those who love the arts, Ohio has a thriving cultural scene. The Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world, with a collection that spans over 6,000 years of art history. The Cincinnati Art Museum is another notable attraction, with a collection that includes works by Rembrandt, Picasso, and other renowned artists.
Ohio is also home to some of the country’s most exciting amusement parks. Cedar Point, located on the shores of Lake Erie, is known as the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World” and features over 70 rides, including 18 roller coasters. Kings Island, located just outside of Cincinnati, is another popular amusement park, featuring a variety of thrill rides, water attractions, and live shows.
For outdoor enthusiasts, Ohio has plenty to offer as well. Hocking Hills State Park is a beautiful natural area located in southeastern Ohio, featuring rugged cliffs, waterfalls, and miles of hiking trails. Lake Erie Islands, just off the coast of Ohio, are a popular destination for boating, fishing, and relaxing.
Finally, Ohio has several unique and quirky attractions that are worth checking out. The “A Christmas Story” House in Cleveland is a museum dedicated to the classic holiday film, while the “American Sign Museum” in Cincinnati is a one-of-a-kind museum showcasing vintage signs and advertisements.
Remember to take advantage of online resources and work with professionals like real estate agents and moving services when necessary. Keep a positive attitude and stay organized throughout the process, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice when you need it.
Overall, moving to Ohio can be a rewarding and exciting experience. With careful planning, preparation, and a positive attitude, you can make your move a success and start enjoying all that Ohio has to offer.
submitted by mduda59625 to Ohio [link] [comments]
Reasons to Move to Ohio
Ohio is an attractive destination for individuals and families looking to relocate for a variety of reasons. This state boasts a low cost of living compared to many other states, making it an ideal option for those looking to save money. Additionally, Ohio is home to many top employers in industries such as healthcare, finance, and technology, providing job opportunities for those looking to start a new career or advance their current one.Ohio also has a rich history and culture that is reflected in its many museums and landmarks. As the birthplace of many famous Americans, such as Thomas Edison, Neil Armstrong, and LeBron James, Ohio has a deep sense of pride in its contributions to American history and culture. Whether it’s visiting the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland or the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, there’s no shortage of cultural and historical experiences to be had in Ohio.
For those who enjoy the outdoors, Ohio is an excellent destination for nature lovers. The state has several state parks, lakes, and forests, providing ample opportunities for hiking, camping, fishing, and boating. Some popular destinations include Hocking Hills State Park, which offers scenic hikes, waterfalls, and rock formations, and Lake Erie Islands, just off the coast of Ohio, which are a popular destination for boating, fishing, and relaxing.
Ohio is also home to several great cities, each with its own unique character and attractions. Columbus, the state capital, has a vibrant arts and culture scene, including the Columbus Museum of Art and the Ohio Theater. Cincinnati, located on the Ohio River, is known for its beautiful architecture and world-renowned zoo. Cleveland, on the shore of Lake Erie, has a thriving music and food scene, as well as the aforementioned Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Whether you’re looking for a low cost of living, job opportunities, cultural experiences, outdoor adventures, or all of the above, Ohio has something to offer.
Local Attractions in Ohio
Ohio is a state that is rich in history and culture, with a plethora of attractions to explore. From museums to amusement parks, there’s something for everyone in Ohio.For history buffs, Ohio offers numerous museums and landmarks that highlight the state’s role in American history. The National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton is the largest and oldest military aviation museum in the world, showcasing the history of American aviation from the Wright Brothers to modern times. The Ohio History Center is another must-visit attraction, with exhibits on everything from Ohio’s prehistoric past to its contributions to the Civil War and beyond.
For those who love the arts, Ohio has a thriving cultural scene. The Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world, with a collection that spans over 6,000 years of art history. The Cincinnati Art Museum is another notable attraction, with a collection that includes works by Rembrandt, Picasso, and other renowned artists.
Ohio is also home to some of the country’s most exciting amusement parks. Cedar Point, located on the shores of Lake Erie, is known as the “Roller Coaster Capital of the World” and features over 70 rides, including 18 roller coasters. Kings Island, located just outside of Cincinnati, is another popular amusement park, featuring a variety of thrill rides, water attractions, and live shows.
For outdoor enthusiasts, Ohio has plenty to offer as well. Hocking Hills State Park is a beautiful natural area located in southeastern Ohio, featuring rugged cliffs, waterfalls, and miles of hiking trails. Lake Erie Islands, just off the coast of Ohio, are a popular destination for boating, fishing, and relaxing.
Finally, Ohio has several unique and quirky attractions that are worth checking out. The “A Christmas Story” House in Cleveland is a museum dedicated to the classic holiday film, while the “American Sign Museum” in Cincinnati is a one-of-a-kind museum showcasing vintage signs and advertisements.
Advice for Planning Your Move
Planning a move can be a daunting task, but with some careful planning and organization, it can be a stress-free experience. Here are some tips to help you plan your move to Ohio:- Start early: Moving takes time, so it’s important to start planning as early as possible. Give yourself at least 6-8 weeks to plan and prepare for your move.
- Make a checklist: Create a checklist of everything you need to do before, during, and after your move. This will help you stay organized and ensure that nothing is forgotten.
- Declutter: Moving is the perfect opportunity to declutter and get rid of anything you no longer need or want. Go through your belongings and decide what to keep, donate, or sell.
- Hire a moving service: Consider hiring a moving service like Moving Truck Driver, which specializes in driving U-Haul and Penske rental trucks for people looking to move. They can handle the logistics of moving, freeing up your time and reducing stress.
- Research housing options: If you’re not familiar with Ohio, do some research on the different neighborhoods and housing options available. Look for areas that are close to your work or have good schools if you have children.
- Set a budget: Moving can be expensive, so it’s important to set a budget and stick to it. Consider the cost of packing supplies, moving services, and any deposits or fees for your new home.
- Notify important parties: Be sure to notify important parties, such as your bank, utility companies, and the post office, of your change of address. This will ensure that you receive your mail and bills at your new address.
- Pack efficiently: Pack your belongings efficiently to save space and reduce the risk of damage. Use sturdy boxes and packing materials, and label each box with its contents and destination room.
Advice for Finding Housing
Finding the right housing in Ohio can be a challenging task, especially if you’re not familiar with the area. Here are some tips to help you find the perfect place to call home:- Determine your budget: Before you start your search, determine how much you can afford to spend on housing. Take into account your monthly income, expenses, and other financial obligations.
- Decide on your must-haves: Make a list of your must-haves in a home, such as the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, and amenities like a garage or outdoor space.
- Research neighborhoods: Research the different neighborhoods in Ohio to find an area that fits your lifestyle and preferences. Consider factors like proximity to work or schools, safety, and access to public transportation.
- Utilize online resources: There are many online resources available to help you find housing in Ohio, including real estate websites, apartment listing sites, and rental search engines. These tools can help you narrow down your search and find housing that meets your criteria.
- Work with a real estate agent: Consider working with a local real estate agent who can help you navigate the housing market in Ohio. An experienced agent can show you properties that fit your budget and preferences, negotiate with landlords or sellers, and provide valuable advice and guidance throughout the process.
- Check out the property in person: Before signing a lease or purchasing a property, be sure to visit it in person to get a sense of the neighborhood, the condition of the property, and whether it meets your needs and expectations.
- Read the lease or purchase agreement carefully: Before signing any legal documents, read them carefully to ensure that you understand the terms and conditions of the agreement. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or negotiate terms if necessary.
Working through Logistics of Moving
Here are some tips to help you navigate the logistics of moving:- Create a timeline: Creating a timeline will help you stay organized and ensure that you don’t forget any important tasks. Start by creating a timeline that includes key dates like the move-out date from your current home, the move-in date at your new home, and any deadlines for completing tasks like canceling utilities.
- Arrange for transportation: If you’re moving to Ohio from out of state, you’ll need to arrange for transportation. Consider renting a moving truck, hiring a moving service, or shipping your belongings.
- Pack efficiently: Packing efficiently is key to making the move smoother. Use sturdy boxes, packing materials like bubble wrap or packing peanuts, and label each box with its contents and destination room. Don’t forget to keep important documents and valuables with you during the move.
- Cancel utilities: Cancel your utilities at your old home and arrange for them to be turned on at your new home. This includes electricity, gas, water, and any other services you use.
- Change your address: Change your address with the post office and notify other important parties, such as your bank, credit card companies, and employer, of your new address.
- Transfer or close accounts: Transfer or close any accounts that can’t be moved to Ohio, such as gym memberships or subscriptions. Be sure to settle any outstanding bills or fees before you move.
- Check Ohio’s rules and regulations: Check Ohio’s rules and regulations for moving, including any permits or licenses you may need. Also, research local regulations for parking, recycling, and waste disposal.
Conclusion
Moving to a new place can be an exciting and challenging adventure, and Ohio offers a unique blend of urban and rural environments, a rich cultural history, and an abundance of natural beauty. Whether you’re moving to Ohio for work, school, or a change of scenery, taking the time to research the area, plan your move, and find the right housing can help make the transition smoother and more enjoyable.Remember to take advantage of online resources and work with professionals like real estate agents and moving services when necessary. Keep a positive attitude and stay organized throughout the process, and don’t be afraid to ask for help or advice when you need it.
Overall, moving to Ohio can be a rewarding and exciting experience. With careful planning, preparation, and a positive attitude, you can make your move a success and start enjoying all that Ohio has to offer.
2023.05.29 12:54 mysticmage10 NDE & Religious Similarities
The ffg verses resonate well with these phenomena found in nde reports. I dont endorse the blind following of nde reports as fact or blind following of any scripture as fact.
Death analogy as slipping off tight shoes or clothes found in some nde accounts
As a person sheds worn-out garments and wears new ones, likewise, at the time of death, the soul casts off its worn-out body and enters a new one Bhagwad Gita 2:22
Self judged Life review
And it will be said,˺ “Read your record. You ˹alone˺ are sufficient this Day to take account of yourself Quran 17:14
So, whoever does an atom's weight of good shall see it and whoever does an atom's weight of evil shall see it Quran 99:8-9
I experienced a very vivid life recall. … It was both painful and exquisitely beautiful. It was like viewing a film, filled with precise detail. Every single thought, word, deed, decision, and action was brought forth and re-experienced and re-examined. It was self-evaluation, with total transparency and honesty. Throughout, I was never judged by any of these divine beings. They simply held me in [l]ove, with complete compassion and acceptance. … In this review, I realized that I was every single person I’d ever encountered or thought of. As I merged with and became them, I felt exactly what they experienced as a result of my loving or unloving thoughts and actions. I saw it all from their point of view, not only how my actions affected them, but then through them [how that] affected others they encountered, as the effects kept on going. … I saw that the love we express ripples out, creating an everlasting beauty that is often unbeknownst to us at the time. … It felt as if we are living inside a grand game, which is perfectly designed to always give us another opportunity to get it right this time. … I saw that everything we do makes a difference. The impact we have on one another is profound. … In this process of ruthlessly honest self-reflection, nothing went unnoticed. Nothing was able to be hidden. Nothing. Not one single thing. This life review was like going through everything with a fine-tooth comb, looking under every rock, leaving no stone unturned, seeing into each crevice with a [d]ivine [l]ight that revealed every hidden place. And through the entire process, it was all looked at and discerned through the lens of [l]ove NDE 1
I had a life review where I saw ever single event from my life. I saw every act of goodness and kindness. I saw every act of spite or ill-will. I also got to see it from the other person's point of view. Although time did not exist, this life review took forever but in reality it was only a blink of a second NDE 2
Divine love or bright light
who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever 1 Timothy 6:16
God has promised the believers, both men and women, Gardens through which rivers flow, therein to abide, and blessed dwellings in Gardens of perpetual bliss; and greater than that is Gods pleasure with them. That indeed is the supreme triumph quran 9:72
God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, The lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star, Lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, Neither of the east nor of the west, Whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light.God guides to His light whom He wills Quran 24:35
Those who believe and do righteous deeds, the Most Merciful will bestow on them love Quran 19:96
He is the source of light in all luminaries, and is entirely beyond the darkness of ignorance. He is knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the goal of knowledge. He dwells within the hearts of all living beings Bhagwad Gita 13:18
Anybody who’s ever gone into the light comes back to talk about this … unconditional love and bliss that they experienced in the light. … Most people when they describe it, they say it’s the most incredible … loving experience, they feel full of love and what I experienced, it was kind of like, it was almost as if I had turned into champagne, and I was bubbling. You know like my molecules were bubbling and love was going through my molecules and then coming back out from them. And when people describe that, they say it’s the most incredible thing in the world. Well it is, but, it gets better. … Merging into the source was the most intense experience I had ever had. And that is one of the attributes of unconditional love, its intensity. The emotions that we have when we’re out of these bodies are far more intense than everything we ever experience in the body. The bodies really filter out a lot of emotions that we’re capable of. … Have you ever been moved to tears by something? Like maybe by love, or beauty, or gratitude? Or just had that feeling where you were just so moved that you literally cried? You know how strong and vibrant that is, and how cleansing and all-consuming it can be? The unconditional love that we feel in the afterlife is like a hundred or a thousand times more intense than that. Take that feeling and take away the tears and substitute joy, and so make it a joyous love … that you’re feeling[.] … And that will give you a tiny little taste of what unconditional love feels like NDE 3
And a lot of experiencers talk about love, about this being a place of love, and I’ve tried to think of adjectives to describe this, the intensity of this love, you know. Unconditional, pure, powerful. The only one that I can think of that works is infinite. It was infinite. … It was infinite love. If you can imagine your baby that you love, imagine like the most intense feeling of love you’ve ever had, your mother, or your dog, whatever, whatever it is, imagine that … infinite! No end. So powerful and so absorbing. Wave after wave after wave of cleansing white love washing over me, and I became, I was the light. It was so beautiful, it was so beautiful NDE 4
So I went into the light, and as I was moving up into the light, I just started to feel so good. You know like I can’t, words can’t explain it. Like the higher that I went into the light, and the more that I moved up and further away from Earth, the better I felt. And the feeling of pleasure does not really apply to this Earth, like nothing can compare. Like if you took everything that you were in favor of, like maybe getting a massage, in a hot tub, your favorite music, your favorite food, your favorite drink, everything that you love, happening to you all at once, no matter what it is, all at once, it would not even closely compare to the pleasure that was just within that light. And as you moved further into, like further away from this Earth, the pleasure felt even better. So you just moved up it felt better and better, it was insane NDE 5
I saw the white light, which was, you know, the best experience I’ve ever had. Like, basically, all the love that ever was, and all the love that ever will be, forever, for all of eternity, literally being poured onto me like a waterfall. … I’m literally saying that’s what it was NDE 6
World as a dream/illusion/virtual reality
And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter - that is the true life, if only they knew Quran 29:64
Then Godwill ask them: "For how many years did you stay on earth?" (23:113) They will say: "We stayed for a day or part of a day. Ask of those who keep count of this." (23:114) He will say: "You stayed only for a while, if you only knew that. Quran 23:115
You understand on the other side that this part, life, is actually the dream, and you just wake up after. It’s no different than one dream you had last night, out of a lifetime of dreams. This life that you’re having right now is just one, it’s just a blip NDE 6
It’s like living in a two-dimensional black and white world here, … compared to multicolor, multi-sensory VR immersion there. … And so once you’ve been in that place, coming here, as beautiful as it is, and I live in an extraordinarily beautiful place on purpose, so that I can get as close to beauty as I possibly can, but even that it’s just, like, ‘Oh well, you know, that’s really pretty.’ But not the same as ultimate divine beauty. … [Even sunrises] were ugly for a while, … the first year was very difficult NDE 7
The minute that I kind of woke up on that hillside in heaven I knew that that was more real than any time I’ve ever spent here on Earth. … And I knew instantly that my time here was really but a dream. … It’s real to us when we’re in it, but once I was there … in heaven I realized that’s more real, that felt more real, and it made much more sense to me than anything here. This is kind of nonsensical at times. … In heaven, it’s so clear, so real, so rational, so logical, but yet emotional and loving at the same time. Immediately I knew that was real and this was not. Immediately NDE8
I mean, looking back at human life from that vantage point I could not believe that I had ever thought this was real. And so the same sense of unreality that we get about dreams while we’re here in human form, I had while I was there about human life. So there is no doubt in my mind that it was real, and that’s true reality. This is a virtual reality game, a role, a play, a dream, an illusion, a character that I’m playing NDE 9
The physical [world] resembled a black and white movie in comparison with the world in front of me[.] … That’s what it felt like, waking up from a dream, waking up to who I truly am and this life was nothing but a dream NDE 10
Altered States of Super Consciousness
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him 1 Corinthians 2:9
No soul can imagine what delights are kept in store for them as a reward for what they used to do Quran 32:17
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it Matthew 13:45
Now, what heaven looks like? ‘O m g’ doesn’t even describe how beautiful this place is. Heaven is, there are no words. I mean, I could sit here … and just not say anything and just cry, and that would be what heaven looks like. … There are mountains of beauty, there are things in this realm, you can’t even describe how beautiful this place is. There are colors you can’t even imagine, there are sounds you can’t even create. There are beauties upon this world that you think are beautiful here. Amplify it over there times a billion. There are, it’s incredibly beautiful, there’s no words to describe how beautiful this place is, it’s incredibly gorgeous NDE 11
Humans choosing to incarnate on earth Surprisingly I expected to find something like this in Hinduism and buddhism but haven't found anything except this from the quran.
Indeed, We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they ˹all˺ declined to bear it, being fearful of it. But humanity assumed it, ˹for˺ they are truly wrongful ˹to themselves˺ and ignorant ˹of the consequences quran 33:72
And in that moment I remembered that my soul chose to come to Earth, I remembered where I was before I was born, I remembered that all of our souls choose to come here, that this is a wonderful university, that we’re not here by random accident, we’re not here as victims, that we come here to choose to study, to learn, and to grow. And that on some level this is like a wonderful theater, it’s like a big university, we all play our part, and when our time to go comes, we leave NDE 12
These three pure Beings spoke to me in a different language. They used my thoughts but it was different than thoughts. They reminded me that I had chosen to be incarnate on Earth and that I had to go back. I already knew that by being by their side, everything was coming back to me. They gave me so much love. I was at home and I badly wanted to stay. I didn’t want to leave, but I had to go back. That’s how it had to be. I remember laughing a lot with them. They understood me. They knew the difficulty of an incarnation, as well as I knew it before I incarnated on Earth NDE 13
Cosmos & Vegetation being alive/sentient
The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done. Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. They don't speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world Psalm 19:1-4
The heavens praise your wonders, LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones Psalm 89:5
And there is not a single thing but glorifies Him with His praise, but you do not understand their glorification Quran 17:44
Then He turned to the heaven while it was all smoke. He said to the heaven and the earth: “Come into being willingly or unwillingly.” They said: we come into being willingly Quran 41:11
I look down and I see myself standing in a very gentle river, and all around me is a very beautiful, very peaceful forest. And this is where it gets hard to describe because it was a rush of all, it was everything wrapped into one. … And feeling immense awe and bliss and love and relief. … And there was no other being in my NDE, it was just me, but I didn’t feel at all alone. It was the least alone I’ve ever been in my life. It was like the place itself was alive, and it was telling me things and it was loving me NDE 14
I was taken by the hand and led into another realm. It resembled [E]arth because there were trees, sparkling sand, and aquamarine water. There were fruit-laden trees, lush foliage, and vibrantly colored birds. Everything was alive – each flower and every glistening grain of sand. Floral fragrances filled the air NDE 15
I was shown non-intelligent species. I was shown splendors of every kind, like waterfalls and being taken into the heart of a burning flame. I skimmed the surface of a sun, playing in the shifting energy and heard its jubilant joy at giving life to so many wonderful things. It was the most joyful, beautiful, wonderful, amazing experience anyone could possibly have. The size, the scope of it cannot be expressed. I met with incredible, spiritual beings like my attendant, friend, and my guide. They all were filled with contentment and joy NDE 16
The breeze blew against the tall golden wheat stalks, and as it did I could feel the spirit of all things living around me: animals, plants, the elements. I was one with them. I looked up and saw a huge ball of light that cast the purest, warm light all around me and felt God touch my skin NDE 17
Pluralism/Multiple Pathways to Divine
Whatever purpose is served by a small well of water is naturally served in all respects by a large lake. Similarly, one who realizes the Absolute Truth also fulfills the purpose of all the Vedas Bhagwad Gita 2:46
We have revealed to you this Book with the truth, as a confirmation of previous Scriptures and a supreme authority on them. So judge between them by what God has revealed, and do not follow their desires over the truth that has come to you. To each of you We have ordained a code of law and a way of life. If God had willed, He would have made you one community, but His Will is to test you with what He has given ˹each of˺ you. So compete with one another in doing good. To God you will all return, then He will inform you ˹of the truth˺ regarding your differences Quran 5:48
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven Matthew 7:21
I asked about religion and the vastness of it all. The only answer I could recall afterwards was the word "dogma." This word stood for the concept that the truth was muddled by man's feelings. Although coming from our good intentions, it was inhibiting others from spiritually growing NDE 18
Interconnectedness with Higher Power & Creation
The embodied souls in this material world are My eternal fragmental parts. But bound by material nature, they are struggling with the six senses including the mind Bhagwad Gita 15:7
When I have completed shaping him and have breathed into him of My Spirit Quran 15:29
He exists outside and inside all living beings, those that are moving and not moving. He is subtle, and hence, He is incomprehensible. He is very far, but He is also very near Bhagwad Gita 13:16
The UNIVERSE in expression, and the Universe was within me, I was shown this, I KNEW this intimately. I was shown through energy that I was ONE with ALL THAT IS, ALL THAT EVER WAS and ALL THAT WILL EVER BE. ALL THAT EXISTED was within me. I was shown this and experienced this within every fiber of my Being. EVERYTHING WAS CONNECTED. I WAS EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE; omnipresent, omniscense! I KNEW in this place of ONENESS that I was connected to everyone and everything. There absolutely was no seperation NDE Anna
submitted by mysticmage10 to progressive_islam [link] [comments]
Death analogy as slipping off tight shoes or clothes found in some nde accounts
As a person sheds worn-out garments and wears new ones, likewise, at the time of death, the soul casts off its worn-out body and enters a new one Bhagwad Gita 2:22
Self judged Life review
And it will be said,˺ “Read your record. You ˹alone˺ are sufficient this Day to take account of yourself Quran 17:14
So, whoever does an atom's weight of good shall see it and whoever does an atom's weight of evil shall see it Quran 99:8-9
I experienced a very vivid life recall. … It was both painful and exquisitely beautiful. It was like viewing a film, filled with precise detail. Every single thought, word, deed, decision, and action was brought forth and re-experienced and re-examined. It was self-evaluation, with total transparency and honesty. Throughout, I was never judged by any of these divine beings. They simply held me in [l]ove, with complete compassion and acceptance. … In this review, I realized that I was every single person I’d ever encountered or thought of. As I merged with and became them, I felt exactly what they experienced as a result of my loving or unloving thoughts and actions. I saw it all from their point of view, not only how my actions affected them, but then through them [how that] affected others they encountered, as the effects kept on going. … I saw that the love we express ripples out, creating an everlasting beauty that is often unbeknownst to us at the time. … It felt as if we are living inside a grand game, which is perfectly designed to always give us another opportunity to get it right this time. … I saw that everything we do makes a difference. The impact we have on one another is profound. … In this process of ruthlessly honest self-reflection, nothing went unnoticed. Nothing was able to be hidden. Nothing. Not one single thing. This life review was like going through everything with a fine-tooth comb, looking under every rock, leaving no stone unturned, seeing into each crevice with a [d]ivine [l]ight that revealed every hidden place. And through the entire process, it was all looked at and discerned through the lens of [l]ove NDE 1
I had a life review where I saw ever single event from my life. I saw every act of goodness and kindness. I saw every act of spite or ill-will. I also got to see it from the other person's point of view. Although time did not exist, this life review took forever but in reality it was only a blink of a second NDE 2
Divine love or bright light
who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever 1 Timothy 6:16
God has promised the believers, both men and women, Gardens through which rivers flow, therein to abide, and blessed dwellings in Gardens of perpetual bliss; and greater than that is Gods pleasure with them. That indeed is the supreme triumph quran 9:72
God is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, The lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star, Lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, Neither of the east nor of the west, Whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light.God guides to His light whom He wills Quran 24:35
Those who believe and do righteous deeds, the Most Merciful will bestow on them love Quran 19:96
He is the source of light in all luminaries, and is entirely beyond the darkness of ignorance. He is knowledge, the object of knowledge, and the goal of knowledge. He dwells within the hearts of all living beings Bhagwad Gita 13:18
Anybody who’s ever gone into the light comes back to talk about this … unconditional love and bliss that they experienced in the light. … Most people when they describe it, they say it’s the most incredible … loving experience, they feel full of love and what I experienced, it was kind of like, it was almost as if I had turned into champagne, and I was bubbling. You know like my molecules were bubbling and love was going through my molecules and then coming back out from them. And when people describe that, they say it’s the most incredible thing in the world. Well it is, but, it gets better. … Merging into the source was the most intense experience I had ever had. And that is one of the attributes of unconditional love, its intensity. The emotions that we have when we’re out of these bodies are far more intense than everything we ever experience in the body. The bodies really filter out a lot of emotions that we’re capable of. … Have you ever been moved to tears by something? Like maybe by love, or beauty, or gratitude? Or just had that feeling where you were just so moved that you literally cried? You know how strong and vibrant that is, and how cleansing and all-consuming it can be? The unconditional love that we feel in the afterlife is like a hundred or a thousand times more intense than that. Take that feeling and take away the tears and substitute joy, and so make it a joyous love … that you’re feeling[.] … And that will give you a tiny little taste of what unconditional love feels like NDE 3
And a lot of experiencers talk about love, about this being a place of love, and I’ve tried to think of adjectives to describe this, the intensity of this love, you know. Unconditional, pure, powerful. The only one that I can think of that works is infinite. It was infinite. … It was infinite love. If you can imagine your baby that you love, imagine like the most intense feeling of love you’ve ever had, your mother, or your dog, whatever, whatever it is, imagine that … infinite! No end. So powerful and so absorbing. Wave after wave after wave of cleansing white love washing over me, and I became, I was the light. It was so beautiful, it was so beautiful NDE 4
So I went into the light, and as I was moving up into the light, I just started to feel so good. You know like I can’t, words can’t explain it. Like the higher that I went into the light, and the more that I moved up and further away from Earth, the better I felt. And the feeling of pleasure does not really apply to this Earth, like nothing can compare. Like if you took everything that you were in favor of, like maybe getting a massage, in a hot tub, your favorite music, your favorite food, your favorite drink, everything that you love, happening to you all at once, no matter what it is, all at once, it would not even closely compare to the pleasure that was just within that light. And as you moved further into, like further away from this Earth, the pleasure felt even better. So you just moved up it felt better and better, it was insane NDE 5
I saw the white light, which was, you know, the best experience I’ve ever had. Like, basically, all the love that ever was, and all the love that ever will be, forever, for all of eternity, literally being poured onto me like a waterfall. … I’m literally saying that’s what it was NDE 6
World as a dream/illusion/virtual reality
And this worldly life is not but diversion and amusement. And indeed, the home of the Hereafter - that is the true life, if only they knew Quran 29:64
Then Godwill ask them: "For how many years did you stay on earth?" (23:113) They will say: "We stayed for a day or part of a day. Ask of those who keep count of this." (23:114) He will say: "You stayed only for a while, if you only knew that. Quran 23:115
You understand on the other side that this part, life, is actually the dream, and you just wake up after. It’s no different than one dream you had last night, out of a lifetime of dreams. This life that you’re having right now is just one, it’s just a blip NDE 6
It’s like living in a two-dimensional black and white world here, … compared to multicolor, multi-sensory VR immersion there. … And so once you’ve been in that place, coming here, as beautiful as it is, and I live in an extraordinarily beautiful place on purpose, so that I can get as close to beauty as I possibly can, but even that it’s just, like, ‘Oh well, you know, that’s really pretty.’ But not the same as ultimate divine beauty. … [Even sunrises] were ugly for a while, … the first year was very difficult NDE 7
The minute that I kind of woke up on that hillside in heaven I knew that that was more real than any time I’ve ever spent here on Earth. … And I knew instantly that my time here was really but a dream. … It’s real to us when we’re in it, but once I was there … in heaven I realized that’s more real, that felt more real, and it made much more sense to me than anything here. This is kind of nonsensical at times. … In heaven, it’s so clear, so real, so rational, so logical, but yet emotional and loving at the same time. Immediately I knew that was real and this was not. Immediately NDE8
I mean, looking back at human life from that vantage point I could not believe that I had ever thought this was real. And so the same sense of unreality that we get about dreams while we’re here in human form, I had while I was there about human life. So there is no doubt in my mind that it was real, and that’s true reality. This is a virtual reality game, a role, a play, a dream, an illusion, a character that I’m playing NDE 9
The physical [world] resembled a black and white movie in comparison with the world in front of me[.] … That’s what it felt like, waking up from a dream, waking up to who I truly am and this life was nothing but a dream NDE 10
Altered States of Super Consciousness
Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him 1 Corinthians 2:9
No soul can imagine what delights are kept in store for them as a reward for what they used to do Quran 32:17
Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it Matthew 13:45
Now, what heaven looks like? ‘O m g’ doesn’t even describe how beautiful this place is. Heaven is, there are no words. I mean, I could sit here … and just not say anything and just cry, and that would be what heaven looks like. … There are mountains of beauty, there are things in this realm, you can’t even describe how beautiful this place is. There are colors you can’t even imagine, there are sounds you can’t even create. There are beauties upon this world that you think are beautiful here. Amplify it over there times a billion. There are, it’s incredibly beautiful, there’s no words to describe how beautiful this place is, it’s incredibly gorgeous NDE 11
Humans choosing to incarnate on earth Surprisingly I expected to find something like this in Hinduism and buddhism but haven't found anything except this from the quran.
Indeed, We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they ˹all˺ declined to bear it, being fearful of it. But humanity assumed it, ˹for˺ they are truly wrongful ˹to themselves˺ and ignorant ˹of the consequences quran 33:72
And in that moment I remembered that my soul chose to come to Earth, I remembered where I was before I was born, I remembered that all of our souls choose to come here, that this is a wonderful university, that we’re not here by random accident, we’re not here as victims, that we come here to choose to study, to learn, and to grow. And that on some level this is like a wonderful theater, it’s like a big university, we all play our part, and when our time to go comes, we leave NDE 12
These three pure Beings spoke to me in a different language. They used my thoughts but it was different than thoughts. They reminded me that I had chosen to be incarnate on Earth and that I had to go back. I already knew that by being by their side, everything was coming back to me. They gave me so much love. I was at home and I badly wanted to stay. I didn’t want to leave, but I had to go back. That’s how it had to be. I remember laughing a lot with them. They understood me. They knew the difficulty of an incarnation, as well as I knew it before I incarnated on Earth NDE 13
Cosmos & Vegetation being alive/sentient
The heavens keep telling the wonders of God, and the skies declare what he has done. Each day informs the following day; each night announces to the next. They don't speak a word, and there is never the sound of a voice. Yet their message reaches all the earth, and it travels around the world Psalm 19:1-4
The heavens praise your wonders, LORD, your faithfulness too, in the assembly of the holy ones Psalm 89:5
And there is not a single thing but glorifies Him with His praise, but you do not understand their glorification Quran 17:44
Then He turned to the heaven while it was all smoke. He said to the heaven and the earth: “Come into being willingly or unwillingly.” They said: we come into being willingly Quran 41:11
I look down and I see myself standing in a very gentle river, and all around me is a very beautiful, very peaceful forest. And this is where it gets hard to describe because it was a rush of all, it was everything wrapped into one. … And feeling immense awe and bliss and love and relief. … And there was no other being in my NDE, it was just me, but I didn’t feel at all alone. It was the least alone I’ve ever been in my life. It was like the place itself was alive, and it was telling me things and it was loving me NDE 14
I was taken by the hand and led into another realm. It resembled [E]arth because there were trees, sparkling sand, and aquamarine water. There were fruit-laden trees, lush foliage, and vibrantly colored birds. Everything was alive – each flower and every glistening grain of sand. Floral fragrances filled the air NDE 15
I was shown non-intelligent species. I was shown splendors of every kind, like waterfalls and being taken into the heart of a burning flame. I skimmed the surface of a sun, playing in the shifting energy and heard its jubilant joy at giving life to so many wonderful things. It was the most joyful, beautiful, wonderful, amazing experience anyone could possibly have. The size, the scope of it cannot be expressed. I met with incredible, spiritual beings like my attendant, friend, and my guide. They all were filled with contentment and joy NDE 16
The breeze blew against the tall golden wheat stalks, and as it did I could feel the spirit of all things living around me: animals, plants, the elements. I was one with them. I looked up and saw a huge ball of light that cast the purest, warm light all around me and felt God touch my skin NDE 17
Pluralism/Multiple Pathways to Divine
Whatever purpose is served by a small well of water is naturally served in all respects by a large lake. Similarly, one who realizes the Absolute Truth also fulfills the purpose of all the Vedas Bhagwad Gita 2:46
We have revealed to you this Book with the truth, as a confirmation of previous Scriptures and a supreme authority on them. So judge between them by what God has revealed, and do not follow their desires over the truth that has come to you. To each of you We have ordained a code of law and a way of life. If God had willed, He would have made you one community, but His Will is to test you with what He has given ˹each of˺ you. So compete with one another in doing good. To God you will all return, then He will inform you ˹of the truth˺ regarding your differences Quran 5:48
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven Matthew 7:21
I asked about religion and the vastness of it all. The only answer I could recall afterwards was the word "dogma." This word stood for the concept that the truth was muddled by man's feelings. Although coming from our good intentions, it was inhibiting others from spiritually growing NDE 18
Interconnectedness with Higher Power & Creation
The embodied souls in this material world are My eternal fragmental parts. But bound by material nature, they are struggling with the six senses including the mind Bhagwad Gita 15:7
When I have completed shaping him and have breathed into him of My Spirit Quran 15:29
He exists outside and inside all living beings, those that are moving and not moving. He is subtle, and hence, He is incomprehensible. He is very far, but He is also very near Bhagwad Gita 13:16
The UNIVERSE in expression, and the Universe was within me, I was shown this, I KNEW this intimately. I was shown through energy that I was ONE with ALL THAT IS, ALL THAT EVER WAS and ALL THAT WILL EVER BE. ALL THAT EXISTED was within me. I was shown this and experienced this within every fiber of my Being. EVERYTHING WAS CONNECTED. I WAS EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE; omnipresent, omniscense! I KNEW in this place of ONENESS that I was connected to everyone and everything. There absolutely was no seperation NDE Anna
2023.05.29 12:21 PhyneeMale2549 This a Good Base Spot?
 | Got most of the gear necessary to build a base, plan is to drive close as possible on the road and hike to and from with gear, taking most important and useful first and so on. submitted by PhyneeMale2549 to projectzomboid [link] [comments] Eventually want to clear a path wide enough for a vehicle through the trews, but ik that's a long way off. Idea is that the water will block zombies from getting through and red line will be an attempt at a wall. Is the proposed area too large for a protected base (will zombies spawn in even when it's blocked off), or more-over is this just a bad spot? Lake South of Riverside |
2023.05.29 12:17 Latter_Bother687 1980 Mount Saint Helens eruption victims
 | submitted by Latter_Bother687 to u/Latter_Bother687 [link] [comments] |
2023.05.29 11:51 phollda Might the contemporary Rwandan government be an example of a competent government?
Last time, we discussed governing competence as the ability of a central government to understand + perform the one job they were created to do.
What might that look like in an existing contemporary example in sub-Saharan Africa? Does any such example even exist given the state of the entire subcontinent?
The contemporary Rwandan government as a competent government
It is very well known the troubles Rwanda had in the 1990s, when all of the sorts of people who now question the competence and mandate of its government stood by and did absolutely nothing as tons and tons of people were hacked to death by their own very neighbors and friends.
What pointers might we have to a Rwandan government competency?
(i) Poverty reduction and economic progress
Tons of people, sub-Saharan Africans included (maybe even especially sub-Saharan Africans of other countries,) love, absolutely love to mock Rwanda.
If a person randomly tried to find a list of sub-Saharan African countries with the best potential for economic growth in the near-term future one might invest in, by any random metric, or collection of metrics, Rwanda is likely to show up somewhere on that list.
The mockers take glances at the country's legible metrics like the GDP/GDP per capita in comparison to other countries in the region and make obscene conclusions. Why does it make sense to compare a country with the tragedy that Rwanda has gone through directly with his neighbors? Why not compare the country to its previous version from say... 20 and 10 years ago? It's in the same way it doesn't make much sense to compare oneself to other people, but to previous versions of oneself.
(ii) Internal and external security
Considering the history of security in the great lakes region in these past decades, Rwanda shouldn't be internally peaceful, or safe from external threats. Nonetheless, judging by the US Security reports on sub-Saharan African countries, with the most important cities (population and activity) as proxies, (keep in mind that cities in general are very rowdy and chaotic, so that the level of chaos in a country's most bustling big city is a decent proxy [the absolute worst it is] for chaos in the entire country).
Kigali is by far the safest city in all of sub-Saharan Africa. Safer than even Gaborone in very placid Botswana. You may choose to compare both of those cities to Lagos, Nigeria for example, just for good measure.
Some people often question the means by which the peace is being achieved and why. Some other people believe it is a lot more important to keep the peace at any cost, to the benefit of the country's citizens, as long as the means by which they are being kept are long-term sustainable.
(iii) Diplomacy on a chaotic sub-Saharan African subcontinent How and why is a tiny (landmass), landlocked country at the forefront of war in Mozambique in southern Africa, or Benin Republic in western Africa? Clever use of military diplomacy is what is behind that.
If the Rwandan government is so competent, why aren't they at the level of Singapore yet?
It does take time. And Rwanda right now, isn't a perfectly competent government. They are yet to perform a leader transition for example. Let's remember the last time a sub-Saharan African country got a re-founding leader who laid a decent foundation onto which consequent development would come to happen. Did they become immediately successful, or were the foundations only laid during the leadership of the re-founder?
Why aren't other sub-Saharan African governments attempting to be any 'competent'?
What seems to be the most popular theory of economic development these days are the ideas expressed in the book "Gambling on Development". I have not read the book, but as I gathered from this review and other ones by different people on Amazon and Goodreads, the central point of the book is that development in states only happens when entrenched elites decide to gamble on economic growth.
The theory: the elites who already are at the top of financial and social hierarchy supposedly normally have no need to pursue economic development. Attempting to pursue development is in fact likely to be damaging to their personal interests, since the status quo which keeps them at the top would have to undergo considerable change. Because of that, they usually don't. On the other hand, some elites do decide that pursuing development could put them in even better position: even more wealth, power and influence. Sure, things could go very wrong. But they could also go very very very right. Because of this, they decide to take their chances and 'gamble' on development.
I don't buy this theory. Everyone seems to take it seriously and I'm not sure why.
The first problem I have with its fundamental point is the idea that elites are insecure by default and thence are unlikely to want to gamble on development since that might put their power in danger. That contravenes everything everyone knows about people who have things in abundance and their relationship with it. We do know that genuinely wealthy people do not worry about money, nor do genuinely smart people worry about intelligence. Why then would elites (with abundant power) worry about power?
I don't think they would. Genuine elites feel and know that they are the elites. They aren't in an existential panic about how they might lose their power. Sure they would be careful in managing their power (much like a wealthy person would be careful in managing their wealth), but it is unlikely that they would allow this be a huge bad overpowering fear which dictates what they should or shouldn't do.
So, what might be a better theory for why some elites never do gamble on development, or why the ones who do ever do?
It is all downstream of competence.
First of all, macro-competence(competence at major important things) is a monolith. An individual who is reasonably smart is also going to be reasonably healthy, and be in a reasonable financial position, averaged out over time (if they are poor at a time, it might be that they grew up poor but need some time for their good decisions to compound over a long-enough time to land them in a better position. This doesn't mean that they will ever become wealthy. What it does mean is that they will be in a reasonably decent financial position given where they started from). It's all downstream from their competence: it allows them to make good decisions in all aspects of their personal life.
The same thing is true of people with power (an elite) running a country. It is why countries that are well-run, are well-run on multiple fronts.The ones which are mediocre are mediocre, and the ones which are poorly run, seem to be incapable of getting anything done right.
Because of this, an elite coalition who are incompetent at running a country are likely going to be incompetent at being an elite too (keeping hold to power). Maybe this is what causes them all the nervousness and worry about losing their power if they did attempt to pursue development?
A genuine elite (competent at holding onto power) does as people with power do: whatever the fuck they want.
Why do the elite who do, ever work on development?
The same reason people who work on big, audacious goals ever do. For the same reason Elon Musk took his exit from Paypal and plowed them into an electric car company and a space company.
So the true reason that the elite ever work on long-term development of their country is that: a taste for challenge, self-belief, and pining for self-satisfaction. Sheer... being absolutely the one who knocks.
If the Rwandan government truly is competent, why are some people sceptical of them?
For the same reasons people seem to believe the Gambling on Development theory. Failing to examine the case closely enough on veritable facts, being distracted by poor theories about why things happen/happened, and struggling to develop better theories.
This has multiple downstream effects, including a poor conception of what the future might hold. People who misunderstand the Rwandan government and what it seeks to achieve consequently have only future predictions about it that reconcile with their current understanding of its existence.
If you think it is an autocracy which seeks to maintain an elite which is unwilling to 'gamble on development', or believe it to be no different than other governments running other countries in its environs, you may then predict that the transfer of power, eventually when it does happen, will be to a direct progeny of the current re-founder and leader.
Related:
— What is governing competence and why is it only how African countries can develop?
— How might one reform a flailing sub-Saharan African country?
submitted by phollda to OrbitSSA [link] [comments]
What might that look like in an existing contemporary example in sub-Saharan Africa? Does any such example even exist given the state of the entire subcontinent?
The contemporary Rwandan government as a competent government
It is very well known the troubles Rwanda had in the 1990s, when all of the sorts of people who now question the competence and mandate of its government stood by and did absolutely nothing as tons and tons of people were hacked to death by their own very neighbors and friends.
What pointers might we have to a Rwandan government competency?
(i) Poverty reduction and economic progress
Tons of people, sub-Saharan Africans included (maybe even especially sub-Saharan Africans of other countries,) love, absolutely love to mock Rwanda.
If a person randomly tried to find a list of sub-Saharan African countries with the best potential for economic growth in the near-term future one might invest in, by any random metric, or collection of metrics, Rwanda is likely to show up somewhere on that list.
The mockers take glances at the country's legible metrics like the GDP/GDP per capita in comparison to other countries in the region and make obscene conclusions. Why does it make sense to compare a country with the tragedy that Rwanda has gone through directly with his neighbors? Why not compare the country to its previous version from say... 20 and 10 years ago? It's in the same way it doesn't make much sense to compare oneself to other people, but to previous versions of oneself.
(ii) Internal and external security
Considering the history of security in the great lakes region in these past decades, Rwanda shouldn't be internally peaceful, or safe from external threats. Nonetheless, judging by the US Security reports on sub-Saharan African countries, with the most important cities (population and activity) as proxies, (keep in mind that cities in general are very rowdy and chaotic, so that the level of chaos in a country's most bustling big city is a decent proxy [the absolute worst it is] for chaos in the entire country).
Kigali is by far the safest city in all of sub-Saharan Africa. Safer than even Gaborone in very placid Botswana. You may choose to compare both of those cities to Lagos, Nigeria for example, just for good measure.
Some people often question the means by which the peace is being achieved and why. Some other people believe it is a lot more important to keep the peace at any cost, to the benefit of the country's citizens, as long as the means by which they are being kept are long-term sustainable.
(iii) Diplomacy on a chaotic sub-Saharan African subcontinent How and why is a tiny (landmass), landlocked country at the forefront of war in Mozambique in southern Africa, or Benin Republic in western Africa? Clever use of military diplomacy is what is behind that.
If the Rwandan government is so competent, why aren't they at the level of Singapore yet?
It does take time. And Rwanda right now, isn't a perfectly competent government. They are yet to perform a leader transition for example. Let's remember the last time a sub-Saharan African country got a re-founding leader who laid a decent foundation onto which consequent development would come to happen. Did they become immediately successful, or were the foundations only laid during the leadership of the re-founder?
Why aren't other sub-Saharan African governments attempting to be any 'competent'?
What seems to be the most popular theory of economic development these days are the ideas expressed in the book "Gambling on Development". I have not read the book, but as I gathered from this review and other ones by different people on Amazon and Goodreads, the central point of the book is that development in states only happens when entrenched elites decide to gamble on economic growth.
The theory: the elites who already are at the top of financial and social hierarchy supposedly normally have no need to pursue economic development. Attempting to pursue development is in fact likely to be damaging to their personal interests, since the status quo which keeps them at the top would have to undergo considerable change. Because of that, they usually don't. On the other hand, some elites do decide that pursuing development could put them in even better position: even more wealth, power and influence. Sure, things could go very wrong. But they could also go very very very right. Because of this, they decide to take their chances and 'gamble' on development.
I don't buy this theory. Everyone seems to take it seriously and I'm not sure why.
The first problem I have with its fundamental point is the idea that elites are insecure by default and thence are unlikely to want to gamble on development since that might put their power in danger. That contravenes everything everyone knows about people who have things in abundance and their relationship with it. We do know that genuinely wealthy people do not worry about money, nor do genuinely smart people worry about intelligence. Why then would elites (with abundant power) worry about power?
I don't think they would. Genuine elites feel and know that they are the elites. They aren't in an existential panic about how they might lose their power. Sure they would be careful in managing their power (much like a wealthy person would be careful in managing their wealth), but it is unlikely that they would allow this be a huge bad overpowering fear which dictates what they should or shouldn't do.
So, what might be a better theory for why some elites never do gamble on development, or why the ones who do ever do?
It is all downstream of competence.
First of all, macro-competence(competence at major important things) is a monolith. An individual who is reasonably smart is also going to be reasonably healthy, and be in a reasonable financial position, averaged out over time (if they are poor at a time, it might be that they grew up poor but need some time for their good decisions to compound over a long-enough time to land them in a better position. This doesn't mean that they will ever become wealthy. What it does mean is that they will be in a reasonably decent financial position given where they started from). It's all downstream from their competence: it allows them to make good decisions in all aspects of their personal life.
The same thing is true of people with power (an elite) running a country. It is why countries that are well-run, are well-run on multiple fronts.The ones which are mediocre are mediocre, and the ones which are poorly run, seem to be incapable of getting anything done right.
Because of this, an elite coalition who are incompetent at running a country are likely going to be incompetent at being an elite too (keeping hold to power). Maybe this is what causes them all the nervousness and worry about losing their power if they did attempt to pursue development?
A genuine elite (competent at holding onto power) does as people with power do: whatever the fuck they want.
Why do the elite who do, ever work on development?
The same reason people who work on big, audacious goals ever do. For the same reason Elon Musk took his exit from Paypal and plowed them into an electric car company and a space company.
So the true reason that the elite ever work on long-term development of their country is that: a taste for challenge, self-belief, and pining for self-satisfaction. Sheer... being absolutely the one who knocks.
If the Rwandan government truly is competent, why are some people sceptical of them?
For the same reasons people seem to believe the Gambling on Development theory. Failing to examine the case closely enough on veritable facts, being distracted by poor theories about why things happen/happened, and struggling to develop better theories.
This has multiple downstream effects, including a poor conception of what the future might hold. People who misunderstand the Rwandan government and what it seeks to achieve consequently have only future predictions about it that reconcile with their current understanding of its existence.
If you think it is an autocracy which seeks to maintain an elite which is unwilling to 'gamble on development', or believe it to be no different than other governments running other countries in its environs, you may then predict that the transfer of power, eventually when it does happen, will be to a direct progeny of the current re-founder and leader.
Related:
— What is governing competence and why is it only how African countries can develop?
— How might one reform a flailing sub-Saharan African country?
2023.05.29 11:46 vcbfghdf Celtics-Heat Game 7: Jimmy Butler is still guaranteeing victory
In the study of behavioral finance, there's a phenomenon known as extrapolation bias, more commonly referred to as recency bias, which causes people, by nature, to overweight recent events when making forward decisions. It was one of the main culprits in the 2008 housing market crash.
In essence, people are hardwired to believe that whatever is currently happening will continue to happen into the future. Home values going up every day? That bubble won't burst. The Celtics have won the previous three games of the Eastern Conference finals? Surely they're going to win again on Monday.
Jimmy Butler begs to differ.
"When we huddle up after the game, after a tough loss like this one, everybody is smiling because we know we're very capable of it, I'm telling you, and we are not going to let up," Butler told reporters after the Game 6 loss on Saturday. "I'm not going to let anybody quit. I'm not going to let our guys quit. I don't give a damn what happens. We're going to go [into Boston] and we're going to win."
Butler said the same thing before Game 6, but again, don't be fooled by your recency bias. Don't forget Butler's postseason because a couple of bad games are fresh in your mind. In last year's Eastern Conference finals, Butler went for six points on 3-of-14 shooting in Game 4, followed that up with 13 points on 4-of-18 shooting in Game 5 as the Heat fell down 3-2. It would've been easy to think he and the Heat were out of gas then, too.
Instead, with the season on the line, Butler went for 47 in Game 6 in Boston to force a Game 7 back home in Miami, where Boston rebounded with a road win to advance to the NBA Finals. Why can't the Heat do the same thing on Monday?
And don't say it's because of what you've seen the last three games. We've been over this. It's a trick that your mind plays on you. Game 7 is going to be its own kind of basketball war. It won't be about schematics or the adjustments we all love to talk about, and it certainly won't be about what happened in Game 6.
This has all the makings of a close game with five minutes to play. If you don't think Butler is going to be an animal in that situation, you must've just started watching. You must've already forgotten the 15 points he scored in the fourth quarter on Saturday, including three ice-cold free throws that would've sent the Heat to the Finals if not for a Derrick White miracle.
I agree; it's tempting to say the momentum is too far on the side of Boston at this point and that the Heat can't rally on the road after dropping three straight. Again, what's fresh in our minds is the last three games. But I would encourage you to remember that Miami also won three straight games in this series; they just happened to be the first three, and that trend didn't continue.
The fact of the matter is it is very, very difficult to win four straight playoff games in the NBA. It's why you don't often see sweeps. It's why no team in history has managed to climb all the way out of a 3-0 hole to win a playoff series. One hundred and fifty teams, not including these Celtics, have tried, and 150 teams have failed.
It's true; the Celtics have already bucked some major odds. Of those 150 previous teams to go down 3-0, only three -- the 2003 Portland Trail Blazers, the 1994 Denver Nuggets, and the 1951 New York Knicks -- have managed to even get it to a Game 7. But none of them finished the job. That fourth straight win has always been too much.
Does that mean I think the Heat are going to win? I'm not saying that. What I am saying is it would be a mistake to assume that Miami's clock has already struck midnight, and I know many of you out there think just that. Vegas thinks it, too. That's why the Celtics are 7.5-point favorites on Monday.
The public has been dismissing the Heat in this series from the jump; even when they were up 2-0 they were plus-money to make the Finals. We were looking for any reason to go back to doubting the Heat. Three straight losses are more than enough to completely forget this Miami team is no typical eight-seed. This is not a Cinderella team. If you still think it is, I don't know what to tell you.
Will Caleb Martin keep playing like an All-Star? I don't know. But I'm pretty sure Butler is going to have the pedal on the floor from the opening tip on Monday. Charles Barkley said Butler was too patient in Game 6, and I agree. It's a fine line for a superstar in the NBA. You wait too long, patience becomes passivity, and you never actually get going. Butler got it going too late in Game 6, and Miami still took the lead with three seconds to play.
There is still little proof that Boston can stop Butler when he decides to dominate, particularly as a scorer. And when Butler dominates as a scorer, Miami's shooters have a way of getting going. If that happens, it will come down to whether Boston can make its own 3-pointers at a high clip. Same story as the rest of this series, really.
So we'll see. If I said I had any idea who would win this game, I'd be lying. But that's the point here. Nobody knows. You might think you do, as the Celtics have stormed back and feel every bit like the better team heading into Monday night, but that's your recency bias talking. Turn that voice off. That thing will get you in a lot of trouble.
submitted by vcbfghdf to nbaNews [link] [comments]
In essence, people are hardwired to believe that whatever is currently happening will continue to happen into the future. Home values going up every day? That bubble won't burst. The Celtics have won the previous three games of the Eastern Conference finals? Surely they're going to win again on Monday.
Jimmy Butler begs to differ.
"When we huddle up after the game, after a tough loss like this one, everybody is smiling because we know we're very capable of it, I'm telling you, and we are not going to let up," Butler told reporters after the Game 6 loss on Saturday. "I'm not going to let anybody quit. I'm not going to let our guys quit. I don't give a damn what happens. We're going to go [into Boston] and we're going to win."
Butler said the same thing before Game 6, but again, don't be fooled by your recency bias. Don't forget Butler's postseason because a couple of bad games are fresh in your mind. In last year's Eastern Conference finals, Butler went for six points on 3-of-14 shooting in Game 4, followed that up with 13 points on 4-of-18 shooting in Game 5 as the Heat fell down 3-2. It would've been easy to think he and the Heat were out of gas then, too.
Instead, with the season on the line, Butler went for 47 in Game 6 in Boston to force a Game 7 back home in Miami, where Boston rebounded with a road win to advance to the NBA Finals. Why can't the Heat do the same thing on Monday?
And don't say it's because of what you've seen the last three games. We've been over this. It's a trick that your mind plays on you. Game 7 is going to be its own kind of basketball war. It won't be about schematics or the adjustments we all love to talk about, and it certainly won't be about what happened in Game 6.
This has all the makings of a close game with five minutes to play. If you don't think Butler is going to be an animal in that situation, you must've just started watching. You must've already forgotten the 15 points he scored in the fourth quarter on Saturday, including three ice-cold free throws that would've sent the Heat to the Finals if not for a Derrick White miracle.
I agree; it's tempting to say the momentum is too far on the side of Boston at this point and that the Heat can't rally on the road after dropping three straight. Again, what's fresh in our minds is the last three games. But I would encourage you to remember that Miami also won three straight games in this series; they just happened to be the first three, and that trend didn't continue.
The fact of the matter is it is very, very difficult to win four straight playoff games in the NBA. It's why you don't often see sweeps. It's why no team in history has managed to climb all the way out of a 3-0 hole to win a playoff series. One hundred and fifty teams, not including these Celtics, have tried, and 150 teams have failed.
It's true; the Celtics have already bucked some major odds. Of those 150 previous teams to go down 3-0, only three -- the 2003 Portland Trail Blazers, the 1994 Denver Nuggets, and the 1951 New York Knicks -- have managed to even get it to a Game 7. But none of them finished the job. That fourth straight win has always been too much.
Does that mean I think the Heat are going to win? I'm not saying that. What I am saying is it would be a mistake to assume that Miami's clock has already struck midnight, and I know many of you out there think just that. Vegas thinks it, too. That's why the Celtics are 7.5-point favorites on Monday.
The public has been dismissing the Heat in this series from the jump; even when they were up 2-0 they were plus-money to make the Finals. We were looking for any reason to go back to doubting the Heat. Three straight losses are more than enough to completely forget this Miami team is no typical eight-seed. This is not a Cinderella team. If you still think it is, I don't know what to tell you.
Will Caleb Martin keep playing like an All-Star? I don't know. But I'm pretty sure Butler is going to have the pedal on the floor from the opening tip on Monday. Charles Barkley said Butler was too patient in Game 6, and I agree. It's a fine line for a superstar in the NBA. You wait too long, patience becomes passivity, and you never actually get going. Butler got it going too late in Game 6, and Miami still took the lead with three seconds to play.
There is still little proof that Boston can stop Butler when he decides to dominate, particularly as a scorer. And when Butler dominates as a scorer, Miami's shooters have a way of getting going. If that happens, it will come down to whether Boston can make its own 3-pointers at a high clip. Same story as the rest of this series, really.
So we'll see. If I said I had any idea who would win this game, I'd be lying. But that's the point here. Nobody knows. You might think you do, as the Celtics have stormed back and feel every bit like the better team heading into Monday night, but that's your recency bias talking. Turn that voice off. That thing will get you in a lot of trouble.
2023.05.29 11:42 Comfortable_Work_258 EaW Cold War: Dragon Missile Crisis (1046 - 1047)
 | "What in the name of Celestia are we seeing over there?!" - RIS Director Trixie Lulamoon, 1046. submitted by Comfortable_Work_258 to equestriaatwar [link] [comments] United Dragon Isles has always been an ally of Equestria and the UPA, and for hundreds of years, the dragons have been in co-existence with the ponies of Equestria, and it might look like it's going to stay that way, until the 11th century where the world has been experiencing a revolution in industrial and technological advantages, and with it comes the birth of ideologies. While Equestria and the rest of the world were expanding their knowledges in technology and undergoes industrialisation, the dragons in UDI pretty much stayed the way they are, though they did industrialise a bit. That's until a group of dragons decided that it is time for the Torch Dynasty, which is headed by Dragon Lord Ember to step down, and not only that, they wanted a new government that's stable and open to the outside world. Taking inspiration from Stalliongrad's communist ideology and also the concept of an anarchic society, they decided to create a party named "Draconic Communist Party", headed by Lord Ruby who is the most mindful of them all. At first, Dragon Lord Ember and the rest of Torch Dynasty didn't really pay attention to this new organisation, but as numbers by numbers of the party's members increased, they realised that this is a big deal. So in the year 1014, Dragon Lord Ember announces a large-scale purge on the DCP and effectively banned it. Lord Ruby were killed during the purge, although some high-rank members of the DCP had managed to escape. The remnants of the DCP found themselves in the country of Hippogriffia, now known as "Revolutionary North Zebrica", led by Posada. The Marksist hippogriff were sympathetic to the members of the DCP and allowed them to stay in Mount Aris. One of the remnants of the DCP were named Lotus Dice, where she saw that the concept of Marksism seems more tolerable than the main communist ideology in Stalliongrad. As the Cold War begun in 1033 between UNRZ and Equestria, the concept of Harmony and Marksism collided. Posada realised that she needed a strategic location for her military bases, and also nuclear stockpiles. When she looked at the map and then specifically the United Dragon Isles, she got an idea. So, Posada met with Lotus Dice and the latter agreed for her help to get them back to the Dragon Isles and overthrow the Torch Dynasty. So, in the year 1041, as proxy wars and coups happens across the continents of Griffonia and southern Zebrican regions, the DCP which is now Marksist have returned to the Isles with the help of North Zebrican Air Force. They landed in the Mountain where Dragon Lord Ember and his family lives and eventually made their way to overthrow the kingdom. On October 21st, Lotus Dice and her DCP managed to overthrow the Torch Dynasty which has ruled over the Dragon Isles for centuries, and executed Dragon Lord Ember and the rest of his family at the very same day. The reactions from the dragons were mixed, some welcomed and celebrate the DCP's takeover while the others were skeptical of their motives. The UPA High Command were shocked at this development, mostly Equestria. The Royal Sisters, specifically Celestia doesn't recognize the new government in the Dragon Isles, and due to the fact that the location is very close to Equestrian mainland, many ponies were worried that this new development could threaten their homeland. In May 1044, the Royal Intelligence Service (RIS), the main intelligence agency of Equestria, headed by Trixie Lulamoon decided to initiate "Operation Mayday", where they recruit several dragons living near the shores of southeast Equestrian coastlines and also refugees from United Dragon Isles for one important mission: overthrowing Lotus Dice and the DCP. After months of preparation and training, the RIS are ready to send the dragons to UDI, and on September 11th, they launch the invasion of the Dragon Isles in order to overthrow Lotus Dice. However, Lotus Dice managed to caught wind of the situation and has asked for military assistance from UNZR. After a week, what expected to be a swift invasion of the Isles turned into a bloody s**tshow, and Princess Celestia ordered the RMC (Royal Marine Corps) along with the Dragon dissidents to retreat from the Isles, on what becoming known as the Dragon Isles Invasion. The increasing paranoia among ponies in Equestria had got even worse on August 1046, when a RIS spy plane spotted strange structures on the ground and after further analyzation, they've come to realise that those structures is actually military bases belonging to UNZR. But what's more concerning, is that there are NUKES in the Isles. And so, the Princesses caught wind of this situation, and Celestia doesn't take it lightly. Despite Luna's advices, Celestia quickly ordered the Department of Defense director who is a former Wonderbolt high-rank, Spitfire to change the Defense Readiness Condition (DEFREC) from level 3 to 2, meaning that the ponies are now on high alert for a potential nuclear war. Celestia decided to send her trusted student who is also the Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle to Mount Aris, now known as Posadis City in order to discuss with Posada regarding the nukes. However, Posada doesn't listen to Twilight's demands for removing the nuclear stockpiles in the Dragon Isles, and so tensions increased between the ponies and the hippogriffs. An analysis by the RIS estimates that North Zebrica's nuclear missiles range could reach almost as far as the city of Las Pegasus and also Crystal City in the north, meaning that more than half of Equestria is under the risk of being nuked. Despite efforts from the CoN (Coalition of Nations), including Secretary-General Starlight Glimmer, the tensions between the ponies and the hippogriffs still haven't decreased. And so, after so many negotiations between Equestrian and UNZR diplomats, a highly important summit were held in Crystal City on January 4th of 1047, with Princesses Celestia and Luna attending the summit along with Posada and Prince Shining Armor being the mediator. An agreement has been signed between the Princesses and Posada, and it entails that Equestria must promise to not invade the Dragon Isles anymore and remove it's nuclear stockpiles in New Mareland, and the UNRZ will remove it's nukes from the Dragon Isles. And thus, the ponies, hippogriffs, griffons and other creatures around the world sighed a breath of relief as a potential nuclear war has been avoided, at least for now. |
2023.05.29 11:04 Familiar-Math-4631 Hats and a horse's hooves
Two big stones on
a beach by a lake
close to the water
reminds me of
hats and a horse's hooves
Nature has created
these stones
I don't know how I think
when I see them.
© Haldor Paulsson
submitted by Familiar-Math-4631 to HapaPoetryandNewmusic [link] [comments]
a beach by a lake
close to the water
reminds me of
hats and a horse's hooves
Nature has created
these stones
I don't know how I think
when I see them.
© Haldor Paulsson
2023.05.29 10:55 FunTemporary9143 Help me figure out if I have a crush on him
So I've been quite confused about my feelings for this one guy. It started about a year ago, I used to be all nervous around him but looking back at it now I think it was mostly because I found his appearance attractive. Also he wasn't the nicest to me, he and his friend quite literally talked trash about me for no reason and I only find out about that through my friend who's relatives with my supposed crush's friend. After that I thought it was only attraction to his appearance and I thought I got "over him" because he has a shitty personality. But during the summer after that school year I made an eye contact with him while I was walking through the supermarket isles and my heart literally skipped a beat. But this year I don't feel like I have a crush on him because I don't have any giddy feelings when I'm near him. I just want to note that I always have the urge to appear prettier or do something better when in his presence. So yeah, I didn't think I had a crush on him until the last night when I had a dream about him. I used to have dreams about him before but they were mostly including a kiss when he would be a person in a school's kissing booth. But the dream last night was different. I'll just paste it here from my notepad "So basically i rose my drawing and art teacher got mad at me for showing the previous drawing even though it was beginning of the current one. So I was sad and for some reason sitting next to A(that's how I'll name him) and like he saw I was upset and was like "that's a good drawing" and I was about to say the base of the drawing was like a template(?) but before I said that he was like "oh that's a template" and showed it on his phone(?) and then we laughed and then he said "but the beginning other than the template is actually pretty good". So I'm really confused about if I have feelings for him because in my opinion I don't, I just find him attractive(though I think I sometimes try to deny it). But my friends kind of made me write this because they keep saying stuff like "and you said you moved on" which got me confused. I really want to know your thoughts about this situation.
Edit: I'm really confused since I don't imagine dating him or doing any romantic stuff with him. I also am starting to believe that I am more obsessed with the idea of him(I think in my dreams I imagine him as a whole different version of him) and not him as a whole. There's also a thing that he used to have a girlfriend and I don't think I was ever jealous(?) which crushes should do. He also started interacting with another girl really closely lately (my friends and I are suspecting that they are dating) and I once again don't feel any kind of jealousy.
submitted by FunTemporary9143 to Crushes [link] [comments]
Edit: I'm really confused since I don't imagine dating him or doing any romantic stuff with him. I also am starting to believe that I am more obsessed with the idea of him(I think in my dreams I imagine him as a whole different version of him) and not him as a whole. There's also a thing that he used to have a girlfriend and I don't think I was ever jealous(?) which crushes should do. He also started interacting with another girl really closely lately (my friends and I are suspecting that they are dating) and I once again don't feel any kind of jealousy.
2023.05.29 09:23 zalof299 Is it just me or anybody else has it too?
I am afraid of world borders in video games. And not just afraid, frightened by them. Every time I see that there is no land any further on my mini map, I just stop moving in that direction, even if there is some content on the very edge of the border. I just don't want to see whatever is behind the invisible wall over there.
I have a few open-world games that come to mind, for example Minecraft. Y'know, these far lands. That's probably where my phobia takes place. Something completely out of place appearing before you is always scary. (I am kind of scared of the void too btw)
This fear also affects my experience in Genshin Impact. Like who the hell in the dev team said "Oh, I think that will be really nice if we make the mini map flick with red and darken the screen when player reaches the border!". It gives me chills every time when there's a quest nearby the border. Like this quest "The Chi of Yore" where you need to activate the statues in correct order and then find a vault with treasures. Unfortunately, the vault is located so closely to the border, that opening one of the chest makes people like me suffer, because the chest is located in the "border panic" zone.
However, I don't have the same feelings when I'm reaching for example and edge of the floating isle. There's nothing there, just empty space, so my brain thinks that there's nothing to worry about. I'm also alright with big tall walls being the border, as it covers everything I don't need to see.
I've had this fear for ages and I'm wondering if anybody else feels the same about borders.
submitted by zalof299 to u/zalof299 [link] [comments]
I have a few open-world games that come to mind, for example Minecraft. Y'know, these far lands. That's probably where my phobia takes place. Something completely out of place appearing before you is always scary. (I am kind of scared of the void too btw)
This fear also affects my experience in Genshin Impact. Like who the hell in the dev team said "Oh, I think that will be really nice if we make the mini map flick with red and darken the screen when player reaches the border!". It gives me chills every time when there's a quest nearby the border. Like this quest "The Chi of Yore" where you need to activate the statues in correct order and then find a vault with treasures. Unfortunately, the vault is located so closely to the border, that opening one of the chest makes people like me suffer, because the chest is located in the "border panic" zone.
However, I don't have the same feelings when I'm reaching for example and edge of the floating isle. There's nothing there, just empty space, so my brain thinks that there's nothing to worry about. I'm also alright with big tall walls being the border, as it covers everything I don't need to see.
I've had this fear for ages and I'm wondering if anybody else feels the same about borders.
2023.05.29 09:11 austnf What’re your favorite rural towns?
https://imgur.com/a/ojXPSED
Long story short, lifelong Washingtonian here, grew up in Lake Tapps and have lived in Wilkeson, Buckley, Auburn, and Seattle.
My wife and I have decided to stay here and be close to her family. We had set out a plan to move over to Montana in the next year or so, but wages are unfortunately too stagnant over there.
Outside of the coast and King/Pierce county, I’m half ashamed to say I’m not super familiar with the rest of my state. There are some areas that have piqued my interest:
Newport
Cougar
Orondo
Evans
Trout Lake
Goldendale
I feel like the trick is balancing wide open spaces with access to jobs, shopping, etc. if anyone has experience with what small towns they’re fond of, I’d love to hear!
Darrington pic for street cred.
submitted by austnf to Washington [link] [comments]
Long story short, lifelong Washingtonian here, grew up in Lake Tapps and have lived in Wilkeson, Buckley, Auburn, and Seattle.
My wife and I have decided to stay here and be close to her family. We had set out a plan to move over to Montana in the next year or so, but wages are unfortunately too stagnant over there.
Outside of the coast and King/Pierce county, I’m half ashamed to say I’m not super familiar with the rest of my state. There are some areas that have piqued my interest:
Newport
Cougar
Orondo
Evans
Trout Lake
Goldendale
I feel like the trick is balancing wide open spaces with access to jobs, shopping, etc. if anyone has experience with what small towns they’re fond of, I’d love to hear!
Darrington pic for street cred.
2023.05.29 09:01 The_Transcendant On the wild rose: Alberta's last fifty years and its next few hours
 | Tomorrow. Canada will see one of its wildest elections in recent memory, tomorrow. Even for an American dominated sub I’m surprised it’s fallen this far under the radar. In short, it’s very important, very divisive and very, very close. submitted by The_Transcendant to AngryObservation [link] [comments] Alberta is a really unique case because politically speaking, it’s so far removed from the rest of the country. Alberta separatism, while still fringe, is finding more and more popular support over there. Conservative votes are so concentrated in Alberta and in the rest of the rural prairies that the CPC actually won the federal popular vote in both 2019 and 2021 despite losing badly to the Liberals in terms of seats, which are what actually matter. Nearly every one of their regional stereotypes hinges on how right wing they are. Alberta is built different. To show why this is I’m going to go over the political history of the province and what has lead up to now. ALBERTA LORE It is the people who govern, or at least we say. And it goes without saying who has governed Alberta for the past 80 years. Like the western United States and the other prairie provinces, Alberta started out as a stronghold of progressive populism, but in 1935 the right wing populist Social Credit party took power from the left-wing agrarians, and held it uninterrupted until 1971 when they lost to the Progressive Conservatives, who would govern for even longer. Alberta has only changed governments 5 times in its history. This kind of de facto one party system can only exist for a reason, and the reason was oil. The oil boom began at the tail end of the Socred days. The urbanization that oil caused is what brought the PC’s into power, and the insane amount of wealth that oil conjured is what kept them there eternally. And I do mean insane. During oil booms, literally anyone could find an oil rig job paying six figures; hamlets became small cities and small cities became metropolises of over a million people. Take Calgary, the biggest city in the province. It is more sprawling than a well planned city, yet it’s ranked the third most livable in the world, chiefly because of how much rainbow fucking monopoly money it sees. So Alberta had no qualms with becoming a petrostate - why would they? They became one of the richest places on earth. The PC’s were far from radical; they threw their billions at public works, and they weren’t particularly conservative socially. They never really made anyone mad. Sparing 1993 (when they still kept their 50% + 1), the PC’s never faced any real opposition from the left, right, or centre, top, or bottom. Remember, we are talking about decades. This is 1975, but this isn't anything special. They all looked like this in the early PC era. This did change, though. Think back to whatever the Tea Party was in the US; what it stood for, what ignited it, what kept it burning. As the PC leadership grew stale and moldy, straying from “true conservatism” by deficiting hard and lobbing vast sums of money back at the oil industry, the hard right went “fuck it” and left. In 2008, The Alberta Alliance, which had exactly one representative, merged with the Wildrose party (named for Alberta's designated flower), which had exactly zero, to create a real conservative alternative. They ultimately failed to build any real sort of momentum in the 2008 provincial election. Their leader and sole MLA, Paul Hinman, lost re-election and stepped down. In their 2009 leadership election, lobbyist Danielle Smith took his place. Now Alberta was deep into the Great Recession, and the party was genuinely optimistic now, because PC premier Ed Stelmach’s popularity was tanking among the right. In a Calgary by-election that year, Paul Hinman ran and won in a seat that had been held by the PC’s since 1969. This was a W that gave the Wildrose party the momentum and legitimacy that they desperately needed. Every 30 or 40 years, we get tired of the government that’s in power and we sweep them out and we look to a new alternative. I think we have an opportunity to catch one of those historic waves. - Danielle Smith, upon being named Wildrose Alliance leader. I straight up ripped this shit from wiki but it encapsulates it all better than anything else I could write. In 2011, the ever more unpopular Ed Stelmach resigned and was replaced by scandal-plagued Alison Redford. There was another election to come in 2012, and Wildrose was leading. Looking at every poll taken right up until election day, the Progressive Conservative hegemony seemed to be coming to an end. Then came the casting of the ballots, and the results were a fat fucking almost-nothingburger for Danielle Smith (who definitely wasn’t free of controversy herself). Her party was largely confined to the province’s southern rural areas - god-fearing, gun-toting and ram-ranching even by Alberta standards. The PC’s were down from 72 to 61 seats in the assembly while Wildrose, still the official opposition, was 10 points behind them in the PV and only won 17. Many of those seats came from the re-election of former PC MLAs who crossed the floor during Stelbach’s term. 2012. If polls were right, most of this would have been green and Danielle Smith would be in charge a decade earlier. In 2014, the PC dynasty became the longest lasting in Albertan history. Also in 2014, Alison Redford resigned from the premiership with an 18% approval rating, being succeeded by cabinet minister Jim Prentice. The walls were falling in for the party, but as fate would have it, they were for the Wildrose party, too. Ten of their 17 MLAs, including Danielle Smith, defected to the PC Party citing concerns with Danielle Smith and her leadership. In 2015, when Prentice’s poll numbers actually looked okay for the first time in a while, he called an election. In short, a momentous fuck up. Both the Progressive Conservatives and the Wildrose party (now led by Brian Jean) were stuck in an endless cycle of chimpanzeenian shit flinging, and they divided the dominant right wing vote almost perfectly in half. Neither of them would win. Neither would the Alberta Liberal Party, the only non-conservative party with any legitimacy. Nay, after the 2015 election the majority in the legislative assembly was held by Rachel Notley’s social-democratic Alberta New Democratic Party. The NDP They, by virtue of being left of centre in Alberta, had been a meme party until the day they weren’t. They swept the capital city of Edmonton and (with an insane amount of protest voting and vote splitting, as they only got 40%) picked up dozens of seats in Calgary and the rurals. Needless to say, a big deal this was. 2015. Without near-perfect Wildrose/PC vote splitting, most of those Calgary and northern seats would not be orange. The PC party, Alberta's forever governors, had been relegated to the humiliating time out corner of third place. The Wildrose party became the official oppositing to the ANDP's governing majority. Notley and her party got adjusted to the position as well as they could have; oil prices were collapsing and the time, so her government put an intense focus on public works and on desperately needed diversification of what was basically resembled a Gulf State economy. She governed as a competent centrist, shying away from anything that could be seen as anti-capitalist or environmentalist. Alberta's NDP government openly clashed with neighbouring British Columbia's NDP government over the Trans-mountain pipeline, which shipped oil from the sands and wells in Alberta across the Rockies to ports in greater Vancouver. In American terms, she was a Blue Dog. She understood what she needed to do to win in her province. Regardless of what she did, though, she was not in any position to win. In 2017, the Progressive Conservatives elected Calgary MLA Jason Kenney as they leader, who ran with the intent of uniting the two right wing parties. This had happened on the federal level in 2003, and it led to Calgary's Stephen Harper being Prime Minister for over a decade after a long period of Liberal rule. Kenney did exactly that, and won the leadership contest of the new United Conservative Party with a wide majority. This was all happening while Justin Trudeau's federal Liberal government, which had just recently buried Harper in a landslide, was suffering enormous backlash in western Canada, mostly due to policies like his carbon tax, but also due to being Fr*nch and secretly Fidel's son. The 2019 federal election was fought largely on the environment and Greta Thunberg, and the federal Conservatives won unprecedented margins in the prairies, nearing 90% of the vote in some rural Alberta and Saskatchewan seats. The 2019 Albertan general election happened months before "how dare you", but it was much the same. Notley put up as much of a fight as she could, but the UCP still swept and won the PV by over 20 points. 2019, a 20 point UCP landslide. If the federal NDP did this well Jagmeet would be PM. It seemed as though 2015-2019 was just an aberration, and the newly formed UCP would govern for another half century until the next Wildrose saga. Kenney was governing exactly how a leader of a PC-Wildrose merger party would be expected to govern, and he wasn't facing much opposition from the centre right or the far right. Then COVID hit. Compared to most other premiers in the country and most other countries on earth, Kenney imposed moderate restrictions: a public health emergency and a vaccine passport. He tried to promote staying home, wearing masks, and getting vaccinated. He did this, however, while travelling out of province for the holidays. Decidedly not a good look. The former Wildrose wing of the party was pissed, to say the least. Over the span of 2021, he faced a barrage of attacks from hard right rural MPs in his own party, and bled continuously more support to QAnon-adjacent Alberta independence splinter parties. By now, the NDP had a considerable lead in provincial polls. In September of that year, his own party agreed to hold a no-confidence vote against him in the following spring due to him refusal to resign or abolish all COVID restrictions. He won that no-confidence motion with 51% percent of the vote, but resigned anyway in disgrace. It was Over. WHERE WE ARE NOW Running to replace him were hard right Brian Jean, hard right Todd Loewen, hard right Travis Toews, and of course, hard right Danielle Smith, who pretty narrowly beat Toews. A display of where the UPC was already heading, any moderates were more or less irrelevant in the race. Danielle Smith, once the undisputed leader of Alberta's Wildrose far right, was now its premier. And for the most part, she spends her days comparing vaccinated people to nazis (she half assed an apology to be fair) and whining about the WEF. I can fairly confidently say that she's insane, at least by Canadian standards if not by those of America. (I can give more examples of goofy shit she's uttered but I want to sleep right now). Have I mentioned that Alberta has a slight conservative tilt? You could definitely tell if you looked at opinion polls, where the UCP now has a very slight edge over the NDP despite Rachel Notley clearly distancing herself from the left, feuding with the federal New Democratic Party. I honestly believe that there's a large percentage of people in Alberta, maybe even close to 50%, who will start violently convulsing if they're forced to check a ballot for a left-leaning party. People who genuinely, truly believe that Notley is a tyrant and a communist. This brings us to now. A dead heat election between the UCP and NDP, uncannily similar to the 2020 presidential. The polarization and Americanization of our politics is rearing its ugly head. It's tearing so many families apart. These kinds of elections, be it Notley vs. Smith, Trump vs. Biden, Hobbs vs. Lake, all have this kind of desperate vibe. I'm sure you can feel it. You notice the desperation in the air if you went to Alberta anytime in the past couple months. I know a few people in Alberta, and I can almost sense it emanating from them. I've heard quite a few anecdotes about lifelong conservatives with, like, Margaret Thatcher figurines in jars, who are voting for their local NDP candidates this time around because they look at the present UCP and see only an imported brand of lunacy. There's another side, I'm sure, but I won't pretend to see it. I have no idea how this will pan out, and I don't know if I want to know. I'm typing this around midnight because this shit is just wild. It should not be like this. But this is how it is, and only time will tell what happens next. |
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submitted by swarnagriha to u/swarnagriha [link] [comments]
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2023.05.29 07:40 Justwonderinif Post Conviction I
<< The Trials
Friday, February 25, 2000 / Trial 2 / Day 21
Saturday, April 1, 2000
Wednesday, September 25, 2001
May 6, 2002
Friday, May 21, 2004
Monday, December 6, 2004
December 24, 2004
February 28, 2009
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Friday, February 25, 2000 / Trial 2 / Day 21
- Page 47: Closing Arguments
- Verdict Sheet
- 1:35PM: Jury deliberations begin
- 4:25PM Verdict Read; Syed convicted of:
- First Degree Murder (Life)
- Kidnapping (30 years, consecutive to life)
- False imprisonment and robbery (10 years, concurrent with kidnapping)
- Rabia remembers going down to see Adnan that same evening, and says that's when Adnan gave her Asia's letters, (according to Serial podcast.) Adnan remembers calling Rabia on the phone, telling her about the letters, and mailing them to her.
- Baltimore Sun:
- Memo from Gutierrez Associate Rita P. to Gutierrez
- Adnan has called and he is requesting Patuxent. Rita reminds that Patuxent isn't taking lifers.
- Adnan has told Rita that he wants Gutierrez to handle his appeal.
- Adnan would like to meet with Gutierrez before sentencing.
- Rabia has called and wants to set up a meeting ASAP.
- [No mention of Asia.]
- Rabia, Shamim and Tanveer meet with Gutierrez who has reluctantly agreed to meet them. If they discussed Asia, Rabia did not include this information in her memo to the mosque re; new witnesses.
- Adnan writes a letter to Yusuf
- Approximate: Rabia mails Adnan sentencing guidelines and information about prosecutorial misconduct.
- Adnan has been in jail/prison for one year.
- According to Rabia, NBC's Dateline airs an episode about a wrongfully convicted man.
- Rabia Memo updates the Masjid Committee re; the meeting with Gutierrez.
- Rabia suggests pressuring witnesses, but doesn't mention Asia.
- Rabia tells the Masjid Committee: "At appeal it is generally suggested a different attorney is used rather than the trial attorney. This was even suggested by Ms. Gutierrez herself." Fourteen years later Rabia told Sarah Koenig that she thought Gutierrez bungled the trial on purpose, so she could make money off the appeal.
- Upon conviction, Adnan parents and mosque had paid $95,800 to Gutierrez's firm and there was an outstanding balance of $57,292.
- Gutierrez visits Adnan re: his appeal.
- Her last prison visit was on September 17, 1999, before the trial.
- March 3, 2000 is Gutierrez's eighth and final face to face (prison) meeting with Adnan.
- Did they discuss Asia?
- According to Adnan (Rabia's book), this weekend is the first time he told Rabia about Asia's letters (despite what Rabia told Sarah.) In Serial, Rabia says she received Asia's letters from Adnan on Friday, February 27.)
- Letter from Adnan to Rabia
- Doesn't mention Asia or her letters.
- Adnan has received the sentencing guidelines and information about prosecutorial misconduct, that Rabia mailed him.
- Cristina Gutierrez files Motion for new trial. Issues raised:
- Adnan's due process rights were violated when Judge Heard refused to let the jury know that Jay did not plead guilty to accessory after the fact.
- Judge Heard refused to allow Adnan to prove that Jay's plea agreement included unwritten benefits.
- State didn't disclose Jay's plea agreement prior to the trial.
- Verdicts were "against the weight of the evidence."
- There was insufficient evidence to sustain the convictions.
- Heard improperly restricted the defense's presentation of its case.
- Approximate: According to Adnan, this is when he mails copies of Asia's letters to Rabia
- Jay's driver's license is suspended by the DMV for failure to appear on three traffic citations.
- Approximate: According to Rabia's book, she received Asia's letters -- via the mail from Adnan -- "a couple of weeks" after March 4. (In 2014, Rabia said that Adnan gave her the letters the same afternoon he was convicted.)
- Approximate: Rabia's To Do List includes getting Asia to sign an affidavit
- Rabia and Saad track down Asia. Rabia and Saad drive Asia to a check cashing place to sign an "affidavit".
- This affidavit narrowed the alibi to 2:40PM based on Murphy's closing arguments.
- Adnan's parents write letter to Gutierrez, imploring her to use Asia's affidavit. No mention of Asia's letters.
- Adnan's letter to Gutierrez asking her to use Asia in a motion for a new trial. No mention of Asia's letters.
Saturday, April 1, 2000
- Gutierrez receives Adnan's letter.
- Adnan's parents write a letter to Judge Heard asking to postpone sentencing (and motion for a new trial) because Gutierrez had just been fired. (Letter received Tuesday, April 4?) No mention of Asia's letters.
- According to Adnan, the motion for a new trial was to have been argued on April 5.
- According to Judge Welch:
The sentencing proceeding was scheduled for April 5, 2000. On that date, Judge Heard granted Petitioner's request to dismiss M. Cristina Gutierrez as Petitioner's counsel, and agreed to postpone the sentencing so that Petitioner's new attorney had time to adequately prepare.
During the [April 5] proceedings, Judge Heard indicated that while she would not normally have the authority to remove Ms. Gutierrez as petitioner's attorney, the administrative judge, Judge Mitchell, granted Heard limited authority to hear Petitioner's request.
- Adnan's 19th Birthday (Second birthday celebrated in prison.)
- Jet magazine issue with this photo is published and makes its way to the holding area for inmates in the "bullpen."
- Adnan is sitting in the "bullpen," waiting to be sentenced. He writes to Krista:
You know what’s really weird? I was looking through this Jet magazine, in case you didn’t know it features African-American issues. -- Adnan tells Krista that Hae had been appearing in his dreams, and that dreams like this have a certain significance in Islam. Adnan writes that he was looking through this Jet magazine and he does a double take because the girl looks so much like Hae. Even her watch looks like Hae’s watch. Adnan writes: Take a look at it and tell me what you think. I hope I’m not going crazy.
- Sentencing hearing with Judge Heard: Transcripts (courtesy of redditor stop_saying_right, after Rabia refused to share.)
- Adnan represented by Charles Dorsey.
- Adnan maintains his innocence, despite Dorsey asking for leniency for a "crime of passion."
- Adnan sentenced to:
- Life in prison for 1st Degree Murder
- 30 years for kidnapping (consecutive to murder)
- 10 years for robbery (concurrent with kidnapping)
- Motion for new trial denied: This motion was filed March 6 by Gutierrez. Dorsey didn't argue in support of this motion. He may not have been aware of it. Even Heard was surprised by the lack of response from Dorsey as to the motion for new trial.
- Application for Leave of Appeal his sentence filed in Court of Special Appeals (CoSA) MD.
- Maryland law allows only 10 years from the date of sentencing to file the PCR motion.
- Baltimore Sun:
- Approximate: Thiru Vignarajah receives a a master's degree from King's College in medical ethics and law.
- Adnan writes to Rabia about the sentencing hearing. Adnan refers to his attorney as "This genius, Dorsey..."
- Adnan writes to Krista, referring to Dorsey as a "jerk."
Sarah Koenig: Eight days later, post sentencing, [Adnan] writes Krista another letter and he’s so changed. By this time, he’d fired Gutierrez over the Asia letters and he’s being represented by a public defender he doesn’t really know. Adnan tells the guy [Dorsey] he wants to tell the court he did not kill Hae and that he is going to continue to fight this until the end. That’s what he says in his letter to Krista, and [Dorsey] says "No, no, no, terrible idea. Don’t say you’re innocent, it will anger the judge.” Adnan argues with [Dorsey], and according to Adnan, [Dorsey] says, “Well you can do it if you want but you’re just going to fuck yourself over.”
- Jay's Sentencing Hearing. Jay receives a suspended sentence, not the two years prison per the plea agreement.
- Case Information Sheet
- Criminal Information Sheet
- Stephanie and Jay have been broken up for over a year. But she is present in courtroom.
- Adnan's appeal argues that if the trial jury had known Jay would get probation only, they would have thought this motivated Jay to lie. The defense implies that Jay knew he wasn't going to prison. But Jay didn't know. Jay thought he would get five years -- two, at the minimum.
- Public Defender Charles Dorsey files motion for modification of Adnan's sentence. The 2011 supplement to the petition for post conviction relief claims that Dorsey wasted Adnan's one chance for sentence modification, and should have waited.
- Judge Heard denies motion for sentence modification
- Jay owns a motorcycle, and the registration expires during this month
- 5PM: Jay is pulled over because the tags on his motorcycle have expired.
- Hae Min Lee 20th Birthday
- Adnan writes to Rabia about Stephanie.
Adnan has been thinking a lot about Stephanie and thinks that Stephanie knows something, or could shed a light on things. Adnan isn't comfortable reaching out to Stephanie. So, he has asked Krista to help. But, Krista doesn't really like Stephanie. Adnan doesn't feel comfortable writing questions for Krista to ask Stephanie. So, he's going to have Krista come visit, and tell Krista - in person - what to ask Stephanie. Then Krista will reach out to Stephanie via email, and act as a go-between Stephanie and Adnan. Adnan wants to make sure Rabia knows this is why there is a girl on his visitors list. Apparently, girls have wanted to visit Adnan before, but he didn't want his mother to cross paths with any female visitors.
- Adnan has been in jail/prison for two years
- Adnan's 20th Birthday
- Approximate: According to Rabia, Adnan begins working hustles like making photocopies, trading, getting medicine, books and other contraband for other inmates. Over eight years, he is able to save up $10,000.00
- Approximate: According to Sarah Koenig: at Jessup, Adnan had a good job. He was a clerk in the Chaplain's Office which gave him access to a computer, and to a printer and copier. Being an entrepreneurial sort he ran a couple of side businesses, printing stuff and making copies for people.
- Gutierrez was disbarred on May 24, 2001, at the age of 50.
The state Court of Appeals ordered her "disbarred by consent" May 24, after Gutierrez agreed to resign rather than fight complaints filed against her with the state Attorney Grievance Commission...
- Baltimore Sun: Lawyer Gutierrez agrees to disbarment - byline Sarah Koenig
"As she got progressively sicker, she found it increasingly hard to make communications with the clients," Pettit said. "I never got any indication that there was any kind of error or incompetence. It was all about her being sick."
- Baltimore Sun: Attorney is drawing numerous complaints - byline Sarah Koenig
Over 20 people filed claims against Gutierrez with the Clients' Security Trust Fund
- Tanveer says Adnan's family didn't see this article, or they might have filed, too.
- Rabia says that Adnan knew all about this fund and applied to get reimbursed, but was denied.
- Unrelated: Two hijacked aircraft crash into the World Trade Center in New York City, while a third smashes into The Pentagon in Arlington County, Virginia, and a fourth into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in a series of coordinated suicide attacks by 19 members of al-Qaeda. In total 2,996 people are killed.
Wednesday, September 25, 2001
- Despite the fact that Adnan has been regularly writing to Krista, Adnan writes to Saad that wants to start writing to non-Muslims.
- Hae Min Lee 21st Birthday
- Adnan writes Rabia about (1) prayer, (2) a time before his dad started "losing it," (3) how Saad's car was stolen with a bunch of TVs inside, (4) how he hasn't been molested in prison. Adnan wants to know why Rabia and Saad don't visit him any more.
- Adnan's Appeal Brief filed by Attorney Warren A. Brown Issues raised:
- Prosecutorial misconduct & Brady rule
- Did court prevent Adnan from presenting evidence
- Hearsay based on prejudicial nature of Hae's letter
- Admission of Hae's diary
- No mention of Asia's letters.
- Adnan has been in jail/prison for three years.
May 6, 2002
- Adnan write Rabia about the pending appeal decision.
He tells Rabia that oral arguments are scheduled for June 3, and even though Adnan's Dad will be there, Adnan asks Rabia if she will please go. Adnan writes that he really needs Rabia and that Warren A. Brown is an asshole. Adnan says that he understands Rabia is studying for the bar, has an ongoing custody dispute, and is job-hunting. It's okay if she's too busy because he knows she would come if she could.
- WHS Class of 2002 prints a Memorial to Hae in their yearbook.
- Oral arguments heard with respects to Adnan's appeal.
- Adnan's 21st Birthday
- Approximate: According to Rabia, Adnan is still working hustles like making photocopies, trading, getting medicine, books and other contraband for other inmates. Over eight years, he is able to save up $10,000.00
- Approximate: According to Sarah Koenig: Adnan was a clerk in the Chaplain's Office which gave him access to a computer, and to a printer and copier... He ran a couple of side businesses, printing stuff and making copies for people.
- Undated 2002 photo of Adnan visited by Rabia and Saad
- Approximate: Thiru Vignarajah begins attending Harvard Law School
- Hae Min Lee 22nd Birthday
- Adnan has been in jail/prison for four years.
- Adnan's Appeal Denied by Justice John J. Bishop, Jr..
- Justice John J. Bishop, Jr. Bio
- Adnan's petition for post conviction relief should have been filed within one year of this date.
- Inexplicably, Adnan waited seven years between this date and filing for post conviction relief. Maryland law allows no more than 10 years from sentencing to file for PCR. Asia's affidavit was obtained in 2000.
- Rabia wrote in her book that Adnan felt burned by the system, exhausted of funds, and didn't want to use up his last available option. He wanted to hold onto hope.
- In 2014, after the first two episodes of Serial were released, Rabia lied to the readers of her blog. She told them that Adnan was forced to wait 10 years to apply for post conviction relief. But Rabid knew that Adnan could file in 2003, and she knew why he waited. In 2014, Rabia didn't want anyone to know that spending seven years in prison doing nothing was Adnan's choice, and strategy.
- Adnan files a Pro Se petition for Writ of Certiorari. In 2004, Adnan wrote Rabia that he filed this himself, and it was denied.
- Adnan's 22nd Birthday
- Approximate: According to Rabia, Adnan is still working hustles like making photocopies, trading, getting medicine, books and other contraband for other inmates. Over eight years, he is able to save up $10,000.00
- Approximate: According to Sarah Koenig: Adnan was a clerk in the Chaplain's Office which gave him access to a computer, and to a printer and copier... He ran a couple of side businesses, printing stuff and making copies for people.
- The Court of Appeals denies Syed's Pro Se petition for Writ of Certiorari.
- Approximate: C. Justin Brown -- who graduated Cornell University in 1992, enrolls in the University of Maryland, School of Law. [Does anyone know the exact date?]
- Hae Min Lee 23rdBirthday
- Cristina Gutierrez date of death (heart attack)
- Asia is working for JMP and moonlighting as a stripper. She is eventually fired from JMP for poor performance. Court filing here here.
- According to Justin Brown: Adnan's family took possession of Gutierrez's defense files at some point in 2004, after Gutierrez passed away. Brown says that he took possession of copies of Gutierrez's files in 2009. For at least five years, Adnan's family had sole custody of the defense file. Hence the term: "the remnants of the defense file."
- According to Adnan's July 2009 letter to Rabia, at some point in 2004, Chris Flohr recommended the firm Nathans & Biddle for his application for post conviction relief.
- Adnan has been in jail/prison for five years.
Friday, May 21, 2004
- Adnan's 23rd Birthday
- Approximate: In the Spring of 2004, Adnan gets a cell phone. Over the next five years, Adnan has several cell phones. At least one of the phones was smuggled in by a guard, in the hollowed out handle of a drill.
- Approximate: According to Rabia, Adnan is working hustles like making photocopies, trading, getting medicine, books and other contraband for other inmates. Over eight years, he is able to save up $10,000.00
- Approximate: According to Sarah Koenig: Adnan was a clerk in the Chaplain's Office which gave him access to a computer, and to a printer and copier... He ran a couple of side businesses, printing stuff and making copies for people.
- By July of 2004, if not earlier, Asia has hired an attorney to represent her as she seeks to sue her former employer for discrimination.
- Baltimore Sun re; Jada Lambert's killer: DNA match results in conviction in 1998 rape, murder
- Adnan receives Fundraiser Participation Award
- Adnan receives Volunteer Activity Coordinator's Award
- Hae Min Lee 24th birthday
- Adnan writes Rabia:
- He is going to wait as long as possible to file for Post Conviction Relief. He wants to take nine years to research his case, and then hire a post conviction lawyer.
- [Ten years later, in 2014, Rabia lied to readers of her blog, writing that Adnan had to wait ten years before he could file for PCR.]
- He is not going to pursue the brain mapping idea presented by Chris Flohr.
- [Rabia writes in her book that they didn't pursue this brain mapping idea because Justin Brown wouldn't want anything distracting from the PCR. Trouble is, Justin Brown didn't graduate from law school until 2005, and wasn't Adnan's attorney until years after the decision was made not to pursue brain mapping.]
Monday, December 6, 2004
December 24, 2004
- Having retained an attorney in the summer of 2004, Asia McClain files a lawsuit against her former employer, James M Pleasants Company, alleging that she had been discriminated against her on the basis of race, and retaliated against for complaining about racial discrimination in the workplace. Court filing here.
- Asia stops communicating with the attorney she has engaged to represent her in her lawsuit against JMP.
- Approximate: Thiru is a clerk for United States Circuit Court Judge Guido Calabresi
- Adnan has been in jail/prison for six years.
- Hae's fingernails, hair, and swabs out for testing.
- Hae's fingernails, hair, and swabs returned to evidence. Not out long enough to test. Taken out by mistake?
- Asia and James M. Pleasants company submit a joint rule report. On an unknown date, Asia acknowledged that she was moonlighting as an exotic dancer from 9pm-3:30am on days when she worked for JMP.
- This issue is not that Asia worked as a stripper.
- A "rule order" is entered by the Court in the matter of Asia's lawsuit against JMP.
- Adnan's 24th Birthday
- Approximate: Adnan has had a cell phone for a year, and gets a new t-mobile cell phone. This is his second cell phone. He uses the first cell phone to call T-mobile customer support when he can't get the t-mobile cell phone to work. At least one of the phones was smuggled in by a guard, in the hollowed out handle of a drill.
- Approximate: According to Rabia, Adnan is still working hustles like making photocopies, trading, getting medicine, books and other contraband for other inmates. Over eight years, he is able to save up $10,000.00
- Approximate: According to Sarah Koenig: Adnan was a clerk in the Chaplain's Office which gave him access to a computer, and to a printer and copier... He ran a couple of side businesses, printing stuff and making copies for people.
- Asia's attorney withdraws based on the fact that he hasn't heard from Asia since January 1, 2005.
- Approximate: Thiru Vignarajah graduates Harvard Law.
- Approximate: C. Justin Brown graduates from University of Maryland School of Law. [Does anyone know the exact date?]
- Approximate: After graduating law school, C. Justin Brown clerks for Andre M. Davis, U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. [Does anyone know the exact date?]
- Hae Min Lee 25th birthday
- Adnan receives Certificate of Appreciation
- Adnan receives Distinguished Gentleman Award
- Thiru clerks for United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer
- Asia's lawsuit is dismissed as neither her attorney, the court, nor the defendant has heard from her since January of 2005.
- [Asia] has failed to respond to JMP's Motion to Dismiss in any way, after she was warned by the Court that failure to respond or participate would result in dismissal of this action. Given [Asia's] complete failure to respond or participate meaningfully in this case and her violation of the Court’s orders, the Court concludes that dismissal pursuant to Rules 37 and 41 is appropriate, and that no less drastic sanction would be effective.
- Adnan has been in jail/prison for seven years.
- Approximate: At some point in 2006, Justin Brown passes the Maryland State Bar Exam. Exact month unknown. Bar exams are given in February and July. [Does anyone know the exact date?]
- Adnan's 25th Birthday
- Approximate: Adnan has had a cell phone for two years. At least one of the phones he has had was smuggled in by a guard, in the hollowed out handle of a drill.
- Approximate: According to Rabia, Adnan is still working hustles like making photocopies, trading, getting medicine, books and other contraband for other inmates. Over eight years, he is able to save up $10,000.00
- Approximate: According to Sarah Koenig: Adnan was a clerk in the Chaplain's Office which gave him access to a computer, and to a printer and copier... He ran a couple of side businesses, printing stuff and making copies for people.
- Approximate: C. Justin Brown begins working at Nathans & Biddle as an Associate. [Does anyone know the exact date?]
- Adnan receives Fundraiser Participation Award at Jessup.
- Since prison officials still don't know about the cell phone, Adnan receives Certificate of Achievement for going three years without an infraction.
- Adnan receives Volunteer Activity Coordinator Award at Jessup.
- Hae Min Lee 26th birthday
- Thiru clerks for United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer
- Adnan has been in jail/prison for eight years.
- Adnan's 26th Birthday
- Approximate: Adnan has had a cell phone for three years. At least one of the phones he has had was smuggled in by a guard, in the hollowed out handle of a drill.
- Approximate: According to Rabia, Adnan is still working hustles like making photocopies, trading, getting medicine, books and other contraband for other inmates. Over eight years, he is able to save up $10,000.00
- Approximate: According to Sarah Koenig: Adnan was a clerk in the Chaplain's Office which gave him access to a computer, and to a printer and copier... He ran a couple of side businesses, printing stuff and making copies for people.
- Hae Min Lee 27th birthday
- Since prison officials still don't know about the cell phone, Adnan receives Certificate of Achievement for three years of being infraction free.
- Approximate: Thiru finishes two years of as clerk for United States Supreme Court Justice Stephen G. Breyer
- At Jessup, Adnan Receives Devoted Program Supporters Award Certificate
- Since prison officials still don't know about the cell phone and hustles, Adnan receives Certificate of Appreciation for being "infraction free" for three years.
- Kandra / Adnan's Wife:
- Approximate: Adnan sends Kandra $10,000.00 - Rabia doesn't hear about this until it has already happened.
- Approximate: Kandra visits Adnan and they are married by another inmate. Rabia doesn't hear about this until it has already happened.
- Kandra begins helping Adnan with his case by doing computer searches and making copies.
- Adnan has been in jail/prison for nine years.
- Adnan's 27th Birthday
- Approximate: Adnan has had a cell phone for four years. At least one of the phones he has had was smuggled in by a guard, in the hollowed out handle of a drill.
- Approximate: According to Rabia, Adnan is still working hustles like making photocopies, trading, getting medicine, books and other contraband for other inmates.
- Approximate: According to Sarah Koenig: Adnan was a clerk in the Chaplain's Office which gave him access to a computer, and to a printer and copier... He ran a couple of side businesses, printing stuff and making copies for people.
- Baltimore Police Officer Lee emails Nathans & Biddle's C. Justin Brown: An item in evidence may have been destroyed. (Is this DNA?)
- Hae Min Lee 28th birthday
February 28, 2009
- Adnan has been in jail/prison for ten years.
- Photo of Adnan after ten years in prison
- According to this letter, Justin Brown left Nathans & Biddle in the Spring of 2009, to start his own firm.
- Adnan's 28th Birthday
- Approximate: Adnan has had a cell phone for five years. At least one of the phones was smuggled in by a guard, in the hollowed out handle of a drill.
- Approximate: According to Rabia, Adnan is still working hustles like making photocopies, trading, getting medicine, books and other contraband for other inmates.
- Approximate: According to Sarah Koenig: Adnan was a clerk in the Chaplain's Office which gave him access to a computer, and to a printer and copier... He ran a couple of side businesses, printing stuff and making copies for people.
- Adnan's attorney - Justin Brown - and Asia's future attorney - Gary Proctor - work together, on an unrelated case. This filing does not mention Nathans & Biddle. Does this indicate that by July of 2009, Justin Brown was no longer employed by Nathans & Biddle? [Does anyone know the exact date Justin Brown left Nathans & Biddle and started his own firm?]
- Adnan writes to Rabia that he has been moved to Supermax, in Cumberland, and no longer has the use of a cell phone.
- Adnan's 10/24/2016 request for bail indicates Adnan was cited for having a cellular phone in 2009. In SERIAL, Sarah Koenig said Adnan had a cell phone for five years.
- Kandra has only been able to visit Adnan four times during the year they were "married." After Adnan is moved to Supermax/Cumberland, Kandra never sees Adnan again.
- Adnan writes to Rabia that Larry Nathans will charge $30,000.00 just to look at transcripts. Adnan reminds Rabia that Larry Nathans was referred by Chris Flohr in 2004.
- Adnan writes that Justin Brown took the lead, then left Nathans & Biddle and started his own firm (about two months ago), and can charge Adnan less because of overhead.
- Hae Min Lee 29th birthday
- Approximate: Justin Brown has said that he began working on Adnan's case in late 2009, while still at Nathans & Biddle.
- This conflicts with the letter that Adnan wrote Rabia in July of 2009. In that letter Adnan says that Justin Brown took the lead on Adnan's case while at Nathans & Biddle, and started his own firm "about two months before" July of 2009.
- Approximate: Justin Brown says that he took possession of copies of the defense files in 2009. [He did not say the month or date.]
- Justin Brown is at least the 10th defense attorney to work on Adnan's case.
- Unsubstantiated: Justin Brown filed a petition based on Asia's March 2005 affidavit, arguing that Adnan's trial might have gone another way if Gutierrez had checked out Asias' story. [No record of this affidavit exists.]
- Adnan has been in jail/prison for eleven years.
- Approximate: Justin Brown was still working for Nathans & Biddle in late 2009. This conflicts with the letter Adnan wrote to Rabia in July of 2009: That Justin Brown already started his own firm.
- Events described by various parties as follows:
- Urick first PCR: Before Asia called him, he didn't know about the PCR motion. She was concerned if she had to come out here. I explained to her, I was not her attorney. But I told her that she would have to be served. And if she was served, and if they made the proper arrangements, she would have to show up.
- Serial, Episode 1: Asia's fiancé comes to the door, opens it part way, tells the investigator that she cannot speak to Asia, but that from what he knows of Adnan's case, Adnan is guilty and deserved the punishment he got.
- Rabia: Adnan’s PI returns with terrible news. Asia won’t testify. The PI never spoke to her, but her fiance made it very clear, in a very nasty way that suggested an anti-Muslim prejudice, that Asia would not be involved and to leave them alone . . . Faced with a tough decision, [Justin Brown] decides to submit [Asia's] letters but not subpeona her for the appeal hearing.
- Asia Affidavit: In the late spring of 2010, I learned that the Syed defense team was attempting to contact me. I was initially caught off guard by this and did not talk to them.
- 2016 PCR: Asia testified that her husband met the PI outside, then came inside and told her he thought it was about that girl that got killed. That she asked her husband to take the man's card, but she didn't talk to him. That she looked up the case on the internet, and called Kevin Urick. Asia says these are the notes she took during her April 11, 2010 conversation with Urick. Asia testified that Urick convinced her Adnan was guilty and that Brown was trying to play the system.
- According to Rabia, Justin Brown asks Adnan to take a polygraph test to determine the likelihood that he is lying about having asked Gutierrez for a plea deal. According to Rabia, Adnan passes.
- Adnan's 29th Birthday.
2023.05.29 06:39 Reasonable_Warning My friend fell through the ice on a fishing trip, I’m not sure what I pulled out of the water
It all started Friday, when we (myself and my roommate James) went fishing at one of the local lakes. Or, at least we tried to go fishing. It's Spring but the lake we drove to was still frozen. Ice fishing wasn’t something we’d ever done, but we figured it couldn't be too difficult. When we arrived I tentatively tested the ice and it seemed solid, so we ventured further out. The ice cracked underfoot in a few places, but neither of us were very concerned. Once we got to a nice spot in the middle I sat down on one of the buckets we’d brought and started fitting our poles with hooks. While I was doing that, James set about trying to make a hole in the ice. He started by stomping on it with his foot to no effect. Then, he grabbed his bucket and began hammering away at it.
“Need some help over there?” I said in a somewhat teasing tone.
“No I’ve got it, I just need a better spot, this one’s much too hard.” he said, jumping on the spot as proof.
“Whoa don’t do that! If the ice breaks you’ll fall in and I’d have to save you, then as payment you’d have to treat me to a beer at Shelby’s.”
“Man you know I don’t like that place, it's so dingy. But as I said, the ice won’t break. I’m going to look for another spot.”
“Alright, well I’m done with the poles. Let me know if you need any help then.”
“Awesome, you can see the fish swimming under the ice over here. This is the spot, I know it!”
“Great! I’ll move our gear over.”
Suddenly, I heard a loud crack and a small splash. I looked over and saw James had his foot stuck in the ice.
“Hey you alright? Don’t move, let me come pull you out.” I said, dropping our poles and walking over.
“No I don’t need any help, I just need to pull my leg out. This water is cold as hell!”
“Yeah I bet. I’m coming over anyway just in case.”
“Nah I got it, see?” he said, before aggressively trying to pull his foot out of the hole. Almost immediately he lost his balance, and fell forward slamming into the dark patch of ice. I heard the surface give way and saw him fall into the water. I ran over to the hole and tried to see him, but the water was too muddy. Frantically, I plunged my arms into the water and grabbed randomly hoping to find a purchase on James. My arms started burning, and after a few minutes I had to pull them out. I started panicking and didn’t know if I should jump in after him. I decided I would call 911 first, even though I knew there’s nothing they could do, and then would jump in after him. But just as I dialed the number I saw a hand come out of the water. I dropped my phone and grabbed it, heaving a muddy body onto the ice and pulling it towards more solid ground. It was James, he was covered in mud and some grass, but other than that seemed perfectly fine. He wasn’t even shivering, nor did he seem particularly stressed. Once I’d helped him to his feet he stood and turned towards the hole in the ice, looking at it pensively.
“Are you alright James?” I asked. He didn’t respond, so I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the hole towards the shore. I’d suddenly remembered that not shivering was a symptom of severe hypothermia, something that would only get worse in those wet clothes of his. I almost had to drag him away, but he offered no resistance, just kept looking behind him at the hole. When we reached the car I turned the heater to maximum, and undressed James. I gave him my jacket and wrapped him in a blanket I had in the back.
“James? Can you hear me? I’m taking you to a clinic now, there’s one only 15 minutes away.” I started the GPS and pulled out of the small recreation area, but before I could get onto the road James grabbed me and started screaming.
“TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK”
I jumped and hit my head on the roof of the car.
“Dammit James you scared the crap out of me, are you all right?”
He let go of me, and whispered “Take me back.”
“No, we’re going to a clinic. You're clearly hypothermic, you're not even shivering but you’re ice cold. End of discussion.” I said, and then continued onto the road towards the clinic. I focused on the road, but I could feel his eyes on me.
“We’ll come back another day.” I said. I quickly glanced to my left, and was startled to see he was looking directly into my eyes.
“Alright,” he whispered, before slowly looking away and out the window.
We spent the rest of the drive in silence, until we reached the hospital. The doctor said he didn’t have hypothermia, but gave him some dry clothes and recommended standing by the heater until he warmed up. James nodded, but headed straight for the car. I quickly said thanks to the doctor, and followed James. It would take an hour to get to our apartment, so I flipped through my CD collection.
“Let’s see… I’ve got the Cars, and we’re in a car so it seems like a worthy choice.” I smiled at him, it was a joke I’d told many times before that usually got an eye roll, and occasionally a laugh. But this time James didn’t give me either, and instead continued looking out the window. “Alright” I said. “Let’s try something you like.” I pulled an Elton John CD out of its sleeve and popped it in the stereo. Elton John is his favorite, and he can’t help but sing along to Rocketman. This was the first time he hadn’t. He even sang to it when I picked him up after his girlfriend dumped him in college.
When we finally arrived at our apartment I pulled into the parking space at the back of our building. James didn’t say a word and silently followed me to our door. Once inside, he went over to the couch, lied down, and closed his eyes. I thought he was probably shaken by his experience and needed some time alone, so I let him be and went to my room. I was a bit worried about him so I spent the day at home Saturday, but he still wouldn’t make conversation with me. Then in the evening, he came out of his room and sat down next to me.
“Take me back, " he whispered.
“Take you back where exactly?”
“To the lake, you said you’d take me back.”
“Oh yeah I guess I said that. Honestly, I don’t really trust the ice after what happened, we should wait a month or so until it fully melts and then just fish like we normally do.”
“But you promised. You said we’d go back another day.”
“Yes, when the ice melts. Maybe it’ll just take a few more weeks.” I said, perplexed at his insistence.
“I need to go back.” he said, eyes suddenly locking with mine.
“You don’t need to go back, you want to go back alright? We are not going back so soon, I’d be stressed out the whole time. You could’ve died, you know.”
“So you won’t take me back?”
“That is correct, the lake is much too dangerous and you’ve been super quiet ever since we got back. I’m going out with Dale tonight, but when I get back we should talk about what happened and try and work through it alright? I’ll be back late, but text me if you need anything. Also, don’t forget it's your turn to make dinner.”
Then I left, and went to meet up with my friend Dale. We had more than a few drinks, and talked about a recent hunting trip he’d been on with his son. Dale has a way of continuing conversations way longer than you’d think possible, but because I don’t see him as much as I used to I let him talk all he wants. Needless to say, I got in pretty late and was very hungry. I didn’t see anything on the counter, so I figured James had wrapped dinner up in the fridge. Standard procedure when I’m out with Dale, who never fails to keep me out all night. But, when I looked in the fridge there was nothing there.
James loved to cook and never missed an opportunity to try out a new recipe on me. I saw his door was open, so I popped my head into his room to see if he was still up. I was surprised to see that he wasn't there, so I decided to see where he was using Find My Friends. When I saw that he was in the middle of a random forest I was confused, until I realized he was heading to the lake on foot. I was very concerned and immediately raced to my car. Admittedly, I had had a few drinks, but I’m a big guy and it was an emergency so I drove out anyway. There wasn’t anyone on the road this late regardless, and all I could think about was James falling through the ice again.
It was very dark when I arrived at the lake. It was still frozen, just as before, but I could make out a figure in the center illuminated by the moonlight. I quickly hurried to the edge and cautiously stepped closer to the figure, ice sometimes cracking underfoot. As I walked I could see a few holes in the ice, presumably caused by animals falling under. I heard splashing water to my left and saw a muddy deer somehow manage to stumble out of the water. It was dragging a dark mass alongside it, and quickly moved into the darkness of the forest out of sight. I heard a yelp as something fell through the water to my right just as I approached James.
He stood with his back toward me, staring into a large hole in the ice.
“James, I saw a lot of holes in the ice on my way over to you. I really don't think this is safe. Let’s go home. I’m worried you might not be thinking clearly, you’re putting us both in danger right now. We really shouldn't be on the ice.”
“Look,” he said, without turning.
I walked up beside him, and looked into the hole. The water was crystal clear, and I could see a naked body tangled in the weeds. Suddenly, James stepped forward and jumped into the hole. Stunned, I watched him move towards the body before the mud obscured my vision. After a few seconds his hand came out of the water reaching towards me. I grabbed it, and with some effort pulled him and the body out onto the ice, hearing a subtle crack as their collective weight bore down on the lake's surface.
“James? What is happening right now?” I said.
He didn’t answer, just stood up and looked at the body with a curious look on his face. He started to wipe the mud off the body with his sleeve, and I realized the corpse had James’ face. They were identical, except for the fact that the body was naked and James was clothed.
“What the fuck? Who is this? Why did you know there was a body here? Why does he look like you?” I said nervously.
In lieu of an answer, James turned to look at me with a confused expression. I backed away slowly and clutched my phone in my pocket ready to call 911, when, suddenly, a muddy deer emerged from the forest and began to approach James. As it got closer I saw it had a bloodied deer leg in its mouth. It moved quickly, and was next to James within seconds. The deer dropped the leg, walked over to the body, and began to lightly chew the dead doppelganger's arm. It looked at James, then back at the body and walked back to where it had dropped the deer leg. Then, it put it back in its mouth and began to chew, before looking back at James again.
“Oh, thanks.” James said.
The deer bowed its head slightly, then returned to the forest.
Suddenly, James dropped to his knees and lifted up an arm of the body. He immediately began tearing into the flesh, savagely ripping off pieces with his muddy hands and teeth. I felt vomit come up my throat, and I blacked out.
Next thing I knew I was in bed. I felt cold, dirty, and tired. When I left my room James was making breakfast as if nothing had happened.
“Good morning,” I said warily.
“Good morning! How’d you sleep?”
I didn’t respond, I could still see the body being torn apart on the ice, but the memories were hazy. I wasn’t drunk at the time but I had been drinking prior, and somehow I was back in the apartment like I’d never left. It all seemed a bit surreal, but I have never had a dream so disturbing before. I looked out the window and saw that my car was still in its spot, but I was also still wearing my clothes from the bar, which initially seemed a tad odd.
“Are you alright?” James said, with a concerned look on his face. “You know you took quite a nasty fall last night. You really shouldn’t drink so much.”
“I fell? When?” I said, touching my head and confirming that it was a bit sore.
“You came home last night after you went drinking with Dale and I guess you slipped on the doormat or something, I heard a thud and found you passed out cold on the floor.”
“Huh, you’re right I guess I did drink a bit too much” I lied. “But you know Dale, he’s just got a way of keeping you on that stool.”
“Clearly! Just know you can call me to pick you up anytime, you don’t have to stumble home all by yourself.”
“Thanks, anyway I’ve got to get going. See you later?”
“Not hungry? I’ve got some eggs here, they’re crunchy, just the way you like them!”
By ‘crunchy’ James meant he had put the entirety of the egg into the bowl and whisked it all together; this was his signature. He lived with his grandfather for a bit as a kid, and apparently the madman refused to separate the shells, claiming they were a great source of calcium. James was always trying to get me to try them, but I always declined.
“No thanks,” I said, unable to suppress a small smile. “I’ve got some errands to run, I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Alright your loss, see you later! Don’t forget it's your turn to make dinner.”
“Of course.” I said, walking out the door and grabbing my keys from the bowl.
When I got to my car I started heading towards the supermarket, but stopped beside the road once I was out of sight of the building. My seat felt slightly damp and the interior had a bit of an earthy smell, so I opened the window. I hoped that I had dreamt the whole thing, but every time I thought about what I’d seen I felt nauseous again. I had to be sure, so I decided to go back to the lake. I was paranoid that James might use Find My Friends on me, so I actually did end up going to the supermarket and hid my phone nearby, and just hoped if he did check it he would only look once. Then I booted up my GPS and headed back to the lake.
As usual, when I arrived the small parking lot was empty. I quickly headed to the lake and very carefully walked towards the center. As I walked my memories of the night prior kept flashing before me, the muddy deer dragging something across the ice, the crunch of the ice beneath my feet. Eventually I reached the spot where James had fallen. The ice was clean, no body in sight. I didn’t even see any blood. I very nervously looked down into the water, but again didn't see anything suspicious. Perhaps this should’ve convinced me it was a dream, but I’m much too stubborn for that, so I decided I would need to find a way to test James. I started heading back to the supermarket in my car to retrieve my phone, and thought up a plan.
When I arrived at the store I grabbed my phone and bought some groceries. Then I went about actually completing my errands as if it were a regular Sunday, albeit much more slowly than I would normally. I managed to stretch out my chores until 4:00 PM, then headed home to start dinner. When I arrived James was on the couch watching television.
“Wow you were gone a long time.” he said.
“Well, I had quite a bit to do. But don’t worry, I’m ready to make you some dinner.” I said cheerfully.
I made spaghetti while he watched Netflix, and when it was done set the table. James’ favorite drink is apple juice, he drinks it paired with almost any meal. So, as anticipated when I asked him what he wanted to drink he asked for it. I got us both opaque glasses, and poured him a cup filled with apple cider vinegar, myself with lemonade, then I called him over to the table.
“Bon Appétit!” I said dramatically, with a flourish of my hand.
“I’m starving, thanks for making one of my favorites.” he said.
“Well, we both had a bit of a difficult weekend, so I’m counting on you to make Shepherd's pie sometime next week.”
“Definitely! You know, you're actually a really good Italian cook! If I didn’t know better I’d think there might be a little rat pulling the strings up there.”
“Well I was classically trained by the best YouTube chefs.” I said, as I watched him down half the glass of vinegar without batting an eye.
After dinner I went to my room and left James with the dishes. Then, I sat down on my computer and began organizing my thoughts. Now I’m just waiting till he goes to sleep before I make my move. I’m going to creep into his room tonight and kill him using an axe I snuck in when I brought up the groceries. I don’t know what he is, but I do know James, my James, is dead. The only thing I can do now is kill the monster I saw eating him. I just hope the element of surprise will be enough, and I pray I'll be able to go through with it when the time comes. I just have to wait for him to turn out the lights, it'll be any moment now.
submitted by Reasonable_Warning to nosleep [link] [comments]
“Need some help over there?” I said in a somewhat teasing tone.
“No I’ve got it, I just need a better spot, this one’s much too hard.” he said, jumping on the spot as proof.
“Whoa don’t do that! If the ice breaks you’ll fall in and I’d have to save you, then as payment you’d have to treat me to a beer at Shelby’s.”
“Man you know I don’t like that place, it's so dingy. But as I said, the ice won’t break. I’m going to look for another spot.”
“Alright, well I’m done with the poles. Let me know if you need any help then.”
“Awesome, you can see the fish swimming under the ice over here. This is the spot, I know it!”
“Great! I’ll move our gear over.”
Suddenly, I heard a loud crack and a small splash. I looked over and saw James had his foot stuck in the ice.
“Hey you alright? Don’t move, let me come pull you out.” I said, dropping our poles and walking over.
“No I don’t need any help, I just need to pull my leg out. This water is cold as hell!”
“Yeah I bet. I’m coming over anyway just in case.”
“Nah I got it, see?” he said, before aggressively trying to pull his foot out of the hole. Almost immediately he lost his balance, and fell forward slamming into the dark patch of ice. I heard the surface give way and saw him fall into the water. I ran over to the hole and tried to see him, but the water was too muddy. Frantically, I plunged my arms into the water and grabbed randomly hoping to find a purchase on James. My arms started burning, and after a few minutes I had to pull them out. I started panicking and didn’t know if I should jump in after him. I decided I would call 911 first, even though I knew there’s nothing they could do, and then would jump in after him. But just as I dialed the number I saw a hand come out of the water. I dropped my phone and grabbed it, heaving a muddy body onto the ice and pulling it towards more solid ground. It was James, he was covered in mud and some grass, but other than that seemed perfectly fine. He wasn’t even shivering, nor did he seem particularly stressed. Once I’d helped him to his feet he stood and turned towards the hole in the ice, looking at it pensively.
“Are you alright James?” I asked. He didn’t respond, so I grabbed his arm and pulled him away from the hole towards the shore. I’d suddenly remembered that not shivering was a symptom of severe hypothermia, something that would only get worse in those wet clothes of his. I almost had to drag him away, but he offered no resistance, just kept looking behind him at the hole. When we reached the car I turned the heater to maximum, and undressed James. I gave him my jacket and wrapped him in a blanket I had in the back.
“James? Can you hear me? I’m taking you to a clinic now, there’s one only 15 minutes away.” I started the GPS and pulled out of the small recreation area, but before I could get onto the road James grabbed me and started screaming.
“TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK TAKE ME BACK”
I jumped and hit my head on the roof of the car.
“Dammit James you scared the crap out of me, are you all right?”
He let go of me, and whispered “Take me back.”
“No, we’re going to a clinic. You're clearly hypothermic, you're not even shivering but you’re ice cold. End of discussion.” I said, and then continued onto the road towards the clinic. I focused on the road, but I could feel his eyes on me.
“We’ll come back another day.” I said. I quickly glanced to my left, and was startled to see he was looking directly into my eyes.
“Alright,” he whispered, before slowly looking away and out the window.
We spent the rest of the drive in silence, until we reached the hospital. The doctor said he didn’t have hypothermia, but gave him some dry clothes and recommended standing by the heater until he warmed up. James nodded, but headed straight for the car. I quickly said thanks to the doctor, and followed James. It would take an hour to get to our apartment, so I flipped through my CD collection.
“Let’s see… I’ve got the Cars, and we’re in a car so it seems like a worthy choice.” I smiled at him, it was a joke I’d told many times before that usually got an eye roll, and occasionally a laugh. But this time James didn’t give me either, and instead continued looking out the window. “Alright” I said. “Let’s try something you like.” I pulled an Elton John CD out of its sleeve and popped it in the stereo. Elton John is his favorite, and he can’t help but sing along to Rocketman. This was the first time he hadn’t. He even sang to it when I picked him up after his girlfriend dumped him in college.
When we finally arrived at our apartment I pulled into the parking space at the back of our building. James didn’t say a word and silently followed me to our door. Once inside, he went over to the couch, lied down, and closed his eyes. I thought he was probably shaken by his experience and needed some time alone, so I let him be and went to my room. I was a bit worried about him so I spent the day at home Saturday, but he still wouldn’t make conversation with me. Then in the evening, he came out of his room and sat down next to me.
“Take me back, " he whispered.
“Take you back where exactly?”
“To the lake, you said you’d take me back.”
“Oh yeah I guess I said that. Honestly, I don’t really trust the ice after what happened, we should wait a month or so until it fully melts and then just fish like we normally do.”
“But you promised. You said we’d go back another day.”
“Yes, when the ice melts. Maybe it’ll just take a few more weeks.” I said, perplexed at his insistence.
“I need to go back.” he said, eyes suddenly locking with mine.
“You don’t need to go back, you want to go back alright? We are not going back so soon, I’d be stressed out the whole time. You could’ve died, you know.”
“So you won’t take me back?”
“That is correct, the lake is much too dangerous and you’ve been super quiet ever since we got back. I’m going out with Dale tonight, but when I get back we should talk about what happened and try and work through it alright? I’ll be back late, but text me if you need anything. Also, don’t forget it's your turn to make dinner.”
Then I left, and went to meet up with my friend Dale. We had more than a few drinks, and talked about a recent hunting trip he’d been on with his son. Dale has a way of continuing conversations way longer than you’d think possible, but because I don’t see him as much as I used to I let him talk all he wants. Needless to say, I got in pretty late and was very hungry. I didn’t see anything on the counter, so I figured James had wrapped dinner up in the fridge. Standard procedure when I’m out with Dale, who never fails to keep me out all night. But, when I looked in the fridge there was nothing there.
James loved to cook and never missed an opportunity to try out a new recipe on me. I saw his door was open, so I popped my head into his room to see if he was still up. I was surprised to see that he wasn't there, so I decided to see where he was using Find My Friends. When I saw that he was in the middle of a random forest I was confused, until I realized he was heading to the lake on foot. I was very concerned and immediately raced to my car. Admittedly, I had had a few drinks, but I’m a big guy and it was an emergency so I drove out anyway. There wasn’t anyone on the road this late regardless, and all I could think about was James falling through the ice again.
It was very dark when I arrived at the lake. It was still frozen, just as before, but I could make out a figure in the center illuminated by the moonlight. I quickly hurried to the edge and cautiously stepped closer to the figure, ice sometimes cracking underfoot. As I walked I could see a few holes in the ice, presumably caused by animals falling under. I heard splashing water to my left and saw a muddy deer somehow manage to stumble out of the water. It was dragging a dark mass alongside it, and quickly moved into the darkness of the forest out of sight. I heard a yelp as something fell through the water to my right just as I approached James.
He stood with his back toward me, staring into a large hole in the ice.
“James, I saw a lot of holes in the ice on my way over to you. I really don't think this is safe. Let’s go home. I’m worried you might not be thinking clearly, you’re putting us both in danger right now. We really shouldn't be on the ice.”
“Look,” he said, without turning.
I walked up beside him, and looked into the hole. The water was crystal clear, and I could see a naked body tangled in the weeds. Suddenly, James stepped forward and jumped into the hole. Stunned, I watched him move towards the body before the mud obscured my vision. After a few seconds his hand came out of the water reaching towards me. I grabbed it, and with some effort pulled him and the body out onto the ice, hearing a subtle crack as their collective weight bore down on the lake's surface.
“James? What is happening right now?” I said.
He didn’t answer, just stood up and looked at the body with a curious look on his face. He started to wipe the mud off the body with his sleeve, and I realized the corpse had James’ face. They were identical, except for the fact that the body was naked and James was clothed.
“What the fuck? Who is this? Why did you know there was a body here? Why does he look like you?” I said nervously.
In lieu of an answer, James turned to look at me with a confused expression. I backed away slowly and clutched my phone in my pocket ready to call 911, when, suddenly, a muddy deer emerged from the forest and began to approach James. As it got closer I saw it had a bloodied deer leg in its mouth. It moved quickly, and was next to James within seconds. The deer dropped the leg, walked over to the body, and began to lightly chew the dead doppelganger's arm. It looked at James, then back at the body and walked back to where it had dropped the deer leg. Then, it put it back in its mouth and began to chew, before looking back at James again.
“Oh, thanks.” James said.
The deer bowed its head slightly, then returned to the forest.
Suddenly, James dropped to his knees and lifted up an arm of the body. He immediately began tearing into the flesh, savagely ripping off pieces with his muddy hands and teeth. I felt vomit come up my throat, and I blacked out.
Next thing I knew I was in bed. I felt cold, dirty, and tired. When I left my room James was making breakfast as if nothing had happened.
“Good morning,” I said warily.
“Good morning! How’d you sleep?”
I didn’t respond, I could still see the body being torn apart on the ice, but the memories were hazy. I wasn’t drunk at the time but I had been drinking prior, and somehow I was back in the apartment like I’d never left. It all seemed a bit surreal, but I have never had a dream so disturbing before. I looked out the window and saw that my car was still in its spot, but I was also still wearing my clothes from the bar, which initially seemed a tad odd.
“Are you alright?” James said, with a concerned look on his face. “You know you took quite a nasty fall last night. You really shouldn’t drink so much.”
“I fell? When?” I said, touching my head and confirming that it was a bit sore.
“You came home last night after you went drinking with Dale and I guess you slipped on the doormat or something, I heard a thud and found you passed out cold on the floor.”
“Huh, you’re right I guess I did drink a bit too much” I lied. “But you know Dale, he’s just got a way of keeping you on that stool.”
“Clearly! Just know you can call me to pick you up anytime, you don’t have to stumble home all by yourself.”
“Thanks, anyway I’ve got to get going. See you later?”
“Not hungry? I’ve got some eggs here, they’re crunchy, just the way you like them!”
By ‘crunchy’ James meant he had put the entirety of the egg into the bowl and whisked it all together; this was his signature. He lived with his grandfather for a bit as a kid, and apparently the madman refused to separate the shells, claiming they were a great source of calcium. James was always trying to get me to try them, but I always declined.
“No thanks,” I said, unable to suppress a small smile. “I’ve got some errands to run, I’ll see you in a bit.”
“Alright your loss, see you later! Don’t forget it's your turn to make dinner.”
“Of course.” I said, walking out the door and grabbing my keys from the bowl.
When I got to my car I started heading towards the supermarket, but stopped beside the road once I was out of sight of the building. My seat felt slightly damp and the interior had a bit of an earthy smell, so I opened the window. I hoped that I had dreamt the whole thing, but every time I thought about what I’d seen I felt nauseous again. I had to be sure, so I decided to go back to the lake. I was paranoid that James might use Find My Friends on me, so I actually did end up going to the supermarket and hid my phone nearby, and just hoped if he did check it he would only look once. Then I booted up my GPS and headed back to the lake.
As usual, when I arrived the small parking lot was empty. I quickly headed to the lake and very carefully walked towards the center. As I walked my memories of the night prior kept flashing before me, the muddy deer dragging something across the ice, the crunch of the ice beneath my feet. Eventually I reached the spot where James had fallen. The ice was clean, no body in sight. I didn’t even see any blood. I very nervously looked down into the water, but again didn't see anything suspicious. Perhaps this should’ve convinced me it was a dream, but I’m much too stubborn for that, so I decided I would need to find a way to test James. I started heading back to the supermarket in my car to retrieve my phone, and thought up a plan.
When I arrived at the store I grabbed my phone and bought some groceries. Then I went about actually completing my errands as if it were a regular Sunday, albeit much more slowly than I would normally. I managed to stretch out my chores until 4:00 PM, then headed home to start dinner. When I arrived James was on the couch watching television.
“Wow you were gone a long time.” he said.
“Well, I had quite a bit to do. But don’t worry, I’m ready to make you some dinner.” I said cheerfully.
I made spaghetti while he watched Netflix, and when it was done set the table. James’ favorite drink is apple juice, he drinks it paired with almost any meal. So, as anticipated when I asked him what he wanted to drink he asked for it. I got us both opaque glasses, and poured him a cup filled with apple cider vinegar, myself with lemonade, then I called him over to the table.
“Bon Appétit!” I said dramatically, with a flourish of my hand.
“I’m starving, thanks for making one of my favorites.” he said.
“Well, we both had a bit of a difficult weekend, so I’m counting on you to make Shepherd's pie sometime next week.”
“Definitely! You know, you're actually a really good Italian cook! If I didn’t know better I’d think there might be a little rat pulling the strings up there.”
“Well I was classically trained by the best YouTube chefs.” I said, as I watched him down half the glass of vinegar without batting an eye.
After dinner I went to my room and left James with the dishes. Then, I sat down on my computer and began organizing my thoughts. Now I’m just waiting till he goes to sleep before I make my move. I’m going to creep into his room tonight and kill him using an axe I snuck in when I brought up the groceries. I don’t know what he is, but I do know James, my James, is dead. The only thing I can do now is kill the monster I saw eating him. I just hope the element of surprise will be enough, and I pray I'll be able to go through with it when the time comes. I just have to wait for him to turn out the lights, it'll be any moment now.
2023.05.29 06:33 eyedoctodd Advice and opinions on first gear purchases
Hi all!
TL/DR: Should this FPV beginner be choosing differently?
Thanks for having me. I am hoping you can share some of your experience and wisdom to help me get off the ground in FPV. I’ve been flying camera drones for some time, and I have found that I keep gravitating to FPV-style video shooting. As I began to research FPV flying, I realize that my main goal is cinematic flying, with some lesser degree of freestyle and exploration flying, like with abandoned places. (At this time I don’t really have interest in racing.) That said, I would like to avoid gear purchases which would be limiting or restrictive where possible in that they would require repurchasing gear later on.
I realize that everything comes with tradeoffs - weight, maneuverability, battery life, latency, cost etc., but my priorities are: -Video quality: resolution, frame rate options, dynamic range, and goggle view being as lifelike as possible -ability to fly sub-250g to skip registration - mainly to avoid RID Karens, I’m not one of those people who draws negative attention to the hobby. I do have my part 107 cert., and I know that part 107 flights still require RID regardless of weight starting in September, but most of my flying is recreational and so I would prefer to not deal with RID as much as possible. -durability (as a new flyer, I need some crash resistance. I’m planning to fly exclusively in sims to start with, but we know crashes WILL happen). -Range and battery life: for landscapes and scenery shooting this seems evident.
While I am not in a position where money is no object, startup cost is not as important as gear that I can grow with.
So after doing a lot of reading, a lot of YouTube watching (Josh Bardwell, Nick Burns, Ivan Efimov, etc.), I am leaning toward the following component technologies and gear:
-I definitely want to go digital over analog as it seems like the way of the future, I value image quality over cost, and I don’t have a bunch of existing gear already to switch over.
-ELRS Tx/Rx for controlling the quad. Leaning toward the Radiomaster TX16S MkII with built-in ELRS. -DJI O3 air unit for video transmission, Goggles 2 for viewing (again, video is a huge priority). -For the quads, I definitely understand that one quad can’t be all things, so I am looking at flying a couple of different styles. I am thinking of going with a whoop-style quad with its ducted props to help flying “through stuff” (like between tree trunks, through windows and gaps and near action sports participants that are in on the shooting), as well as a micro long-range quad for flying “over stuff” like lakes, trees, mountain ridges, along creeks etc.). Later on I may look at 5” Freestyle quad depending on where my skills take me?
Hopefully this doesn’t all sound too presumptive but I have been obsessed with learning about FPV and starting to fly FPV once I got an idea of how deep the rabbit hole goes.
I really want to get started with quads that will meet my divergent needs — and am definitely interested in eventually building my own quads — but to get started and gain some stick time and figure out my likes and dislikes, I am thinking it would be best to start with BNF quads.
The sub-250g quads I am focusing on to start are:
-iFlight Defender 25 https://shop.iflight-rc.com/Defender-25-O3-4S-HD-Pro1923
-Flywoo Explorer LR 4 - this has the upgraded M10 GPS chip. https://flywoo.net/products/explorer-lr-4-hd-dji-o3-sub250-4k-1080p-micro-long-range?sku=18057623761712128292972494
I would truly appreciate your input on these choices, both the quads and the other gear listed above. I know I am not even close to scratching the surface, and that is so exciting to know there is so much more to learn here.
I want to thank you all so much for your input!
-Todd
*ETA I specifically want to fly digital and the first 2 responses (thank you!) asked that straight away.
submitted by eyedoctodd to fpv [link] [comments]
TL/DR: Should this FPV beginner be choosing differently?
Thanks for having me. I am hoping you can share some of your experience and wisdom to help me get off the ground in FPV. I’ve been flying camera drones for some time, and I have found that I keep gravitating to FPV-style video shooting. As I began to research FPV flying, I realize that my main goal is cinematic flying, with some lesser degree of freestyle and exploration flying, like with abandoned places. (At this time I don’t really have interest in racing.) That said, I would like to avoid gear purchases which would be limiting or restrictive where possible in that they would require repurchasing gear later on.
I realize that everything comes with tradeoffs - weight, maneuverability, battery life, latency, cost etc., but my priorities are: -Video quality: resolution, frame rate options, dynamic range, and goggle view being as lifelike as possible -ability to fly sub-250g to skip registration - mainly to avoid RID Karens, I’m not one of those people who draws negative attention to the hobby. I do have my part 107 cert., and I know that part 107 flights still require RID regardless of weight starting in September, but most of my flying is recreational and so I would prefer to not deal with RID as much as possible. -durability (as a new flyer, I need some crash resistance. I’m planning to fly exclusively in sims to start with, but we know crashes WILL happen). -Range and battery life: for landscapes and scenery shooting this seems evident.
While I am not in a position where money is no object, startup cost is not as important as gear that I can grow with.
So after doing a lot of reading, a lot of YouTube watching (Josh Bardwell, Nick Burns, Ivan Efimov, etc.), I am leaning toward the following component technologies and gear:
-I definitely want to go digital over analog as it seems like the way of the future, I value image quality over cost, and I don’t have a bunch of existing gear already to switch over.
-ELRS Tx/Rx for controlling the quad. Leaning toward the Radiomaster TX16S MkII with built-in ELRS. -DJI O3 air unit for video transmission, Goggles 2 for viewing (again, video is a huge priority). -For the quads, I definitely understand that one quad can’t be all things, so I am looking at flying a couple of different styles. I am thinking of going with a whoop-style quad with its ducted props to help flying “through stuff” (like between tree trunks, through windows and gaps and near action sports participants that are in on the shooting), as well as a micro long-range quad for flying “over stuff” like lakes, trees, mountain ridges, along creeks etc.). Later on I may look at 5” Freestyle quad depending on where my skills take me?
Hopefully this doesn’t all sound too presumptive but I have been obsessed with learning about FPV and starting to fly FPV once I got an idea of how deep the rabbit hole goes.
I really want to get started with quads that will meet my divergent needs — and am definitely interested in eventually building my own quads — but to get started and gain some stick time and figure out my likes and dislikes, I am thinking it would be best to start with BNF quads.
The sub-250g quads I am focusing on to start are:
-iFlight Defender 25 https://shop.iflight-rc.com/Defender-25-O3-4S-HD-Pro1923
-Flywoo Explorer LR 4 - this has the upgraded M10 GPS chip. https://flywoo.net/products/explorer-lr-4-hd-dji-o3-sub250-4k-1080p-micro-long-range?sku=18057623761712128292972494
I would truly appreciate your input on these choices, both the quads and the other gear listed above. I know I am not even close to scratching the surface, and that is so exciting to know there is so much more to learn here.
I want to thank you all so much for your input!
-Todd
*ETA I specifically want to fly digital and the first 2 responses (thank you!) asked that straight away.
2023.05.29 06:31 LivingOk8623 6 Important Tips for Choosing a Floating Dock for Your Jetski
Fly skis are superior execution vehicles that can cost a little fortune. They are worked to endure extraordinary measures of harm and can remain in the water for extensive stretches of time. Anyway assuming that you are imprudent with your stream ski, you can in any case harm key pieces of the machine.
To ensure your stream ski stays safe in any event, when you're not utilizing it is to introduce a drifting plane ski dock. This kind of dock is uncommonly made for stream skis and it is an incredible stage to direct fly ski upkeep on. Before you construct a drifting dock however, you ought to initially understand what you are searching for. The following are 6 Methods for picking a drifting dock for your fly ski.
Be that as it may, on the off chance that there is no fixed dock, you ought to search for a steady method for getting your drifting harbor. You can tie it onto a major stone, or join it to an extremely weighty substantial anchor. The coastline should likewise not be too shallow on the grounds that the drifting dock will not have the option to remain above water, and might get harmed.
A few streams and lakes have explicit estimations for drifting docks, and to cross paths with the nearby officer or coast monitor, your dock ought to be up to the code. Overall, it generally pays to beware of the drifting dock rules and guidelines before you begin building one.
These kinds of drifting docks are uniquely intended to be built with negligible fight. Organizations, for example, Incodock sell quality plastic drifting harbors that can be developed to accommodate your particular plan and needs. Plastic drifting docks are additionally exceptionally light and harm safe. They are not difficult to dismantle and can be moved to one more waterway with negligible exertion. On the off chance that you are keen on buying a Do-It-Yourself stream ski dock, get in touch with us today.
submitted by LivingOk8623 to u/LivingOk8623 [link] [comments]
To ensure your stream ski stays safe in any event, when you're not utilizing it is to introduce a drifting plane ski dock. This kind of dock is uncommonly made for stream skis and it is an incredible stage to direct fly ski upkeep on. Before you construct a drifting dock however, you ought to initially understand what you are searching for. The following are 6 Methods for picking a drifting dock for your fly ski.
Actually look at the Coastline
Before you begin assembling your drifting dock, you ought to initially review the coastline that you'll introduce your drifting dock onto. Check assuming there are any rough outcrops or garbage that your dock can catch. In the event that there is as of now a fixed dock on the coastline, this is uplifting news for you since you will have a design that you can get your drifting dock onto.Be that as it may, on the off chance that there is no fixed dock, you ought to search for a steady method for getting your drifting harbor. You can tie it onto a major stone, or join it to an extremely weighty substantial anchor. The coastline should likewise not be too shallow on the grounds that the drifting dock will not have the option to remain above water, and might get harmed.
Calculate the Waterway You'll Dock On
Beside checking the coastline, you genuinely should consider the waterway you'll dock on. A few waterways, for example, streams can be very hazardous on the grounds that they have solid ebbs and flows and can drag your drifting dock away from the shore. Though more peaceful water bodies, for example, lakes and streams are more quiet and safe.Beware of the Docking Rules and Guidelines
Contingent upon the waterway, lake, or coastline you'll dock your drifting dock onto, you should ensure that it really depends on code.A few streams and lakes have explicit estimations for drifting docks, and to cross paths with the nearby officer or coast monitor, your dock ought to be up to the code. Overall, it generally pays to beware of the drifting dock rules and guidelines before you begin building one.
Pick the Right Drifting Dock Plan
In the event that you will make your very own drifting dock, you ought to pick a plan that you are happy with. Recall that there are many kinds of dock plans, and they are made to fit a specific need or stylish. Here are a few instances of drifting dock plans to assist you with choosing.Straight-Line Drifting Dock
Albeit the straight-line drifting dock is shortsighted in nature contrasted with other dock plans, it is still very famous. This sort of plan is typically utilized for private and business purposes and is very steady. It's long and spare plan likewise provides it with a great deal of section focuses for vessels to lock onto.Adjustable Drifting Dock
These sorts of dock plans are overwhelmingly upheld by plastic floats and are truly adaptable. They are additionally extremely solid and are utilized for private and business purposes. As a stream ski dock, this plan is exceptionally flexible, and you can add a horde of extraordinary assistants to make your fly ski safer.2-in-1 Drifting Dock
The 2-in-1 dock is both ideal for docking vessels and for sporting swimming. It is one of the most outstanding dock types on the off chance that you are living next to the shore since it furnishes you with simple admittance to the water and your vessel.Staggered Drifting Dock
As the name infers, this kind of dock is significantly higher from the water, consequently options, for example, lower inclines are added for the client's accommodation. This sort of drifting dock will permit you to get onto your vessel with negligible exertion or quarrel.Conclude the Frill You'll Introduce
One of the most outstanding elements of a drifting dock is its unimaginable flexibility. Drifting docks are not difficult to modify, and you can add a ton of accomplices to build its viability. Here are an embellishments that you can add to your drifting dock.V Float and Incline
The V-Float and Slope is very unique contrasted with the other plastic floats since it has an Angular shape. This particular shape makes an incline and makes it simpler for you to slide your fly ski up onto your Stream Ski Dock.Handrails
There will be times where your stream ski dock is temperamental. It very well may be during a tempest or a solid current, and you will require a handhold to consistently walk. By introducing a handrail onto your stream ski dock, you'll have the option to walk consistently regardless of the climate or state of the water.Side Balusters
Beside handrails, you could likewise introduce balusters to your stream ski dock. With this embellishment, you won't just have a decent handhold for your stream ski dock yet in addition a durable division between your dock and the water's edge.Think about Do-It-Yourself Fly Ski Docks
While picking a drifting dock for your fly ski, it is consistently really smart to fabricate it yourself. Albeit the more conventional drifting docks are made of wood, they are not even close as flexible as plastic drifting docks.These kinds of drifting docks are uniquely intended to be built with negligible fight. Organizations, for example, Incodock sell quality plastic drifting harbors that can be developed to accommodate your particular plan and needs. Plastic drifting docks are additionally exceptionally light and harm safe. They are not difficult to dismantle and can be moved to one more waterway with negligible exertion. On the off chance that you are keen on buying a Do-It-Yourself stream ski dock, get in touch with us today.