Heyo, this happened years ago, but it just made me really curious…
This happened a few years back, in my childhood home. My mom is an extremely hygienic person. The house is always spotless, cleaned, mopped & vacuumed daily and the windows are cleaned three or four times a week. Inside and out.
So, the day before, everything had basically been cleaned. We went to bed, and next morning we all head downstairs for breakfast. My mom goes into the kitchen, and what we saw was terrifying to be honest. The whole window, full of flies. Not moving, ALL dead. Some appeared like they were still climbing up, as if a video was paused on them?
I heard my mom complain about her ex’s family doing voodoo on her, as they were involved with that in their culture or something. My mom is Christian, so she immediately started ‘cleansing’ the house in her way.
A few days later, MAGGOTS. HUNDREDS OF THEM, most dead, some alive (barely).
We cleaned them out, got poison for pestcontrol and cleansed the house again.
It has not happened again, but my mom often would say that my brother used to be cursed as well by them when he was younger. Now I don’t hear her anymore about it and my brothers’ behaviour has improved a lot (he is 5 now).
Anyone knows what this could’ve been?

Omg omg omg I just saw a video about this shit it’s basically the term for hate for Chinese ppl and it’s opened my eyes to how fucking real this shit is. Like u see ppl obsessing over Korean and Japanese culture bc it’s been so popularised which is good cuz they’re cultures that have been oppressed but there is some sort of negligence towards Chinese culture. Like for example these really popular makeup styles on a Chinese media app, ppl will label it as “douyin makeup” and “manhua lashes” etc but won’t call it Chinese, but have no problem with calling Korean makeup KOREAN makeup. And this actually hits fucking deep becoz I’m pretty sure I’ve bitched about this before but this time when I made a joke abt a Japanese person and to my Asian filo friend she called me racist as a joke obviously and then I played along and said “how can I be racist to my own breed” and out of no fucking where she asks OMG UR KOREAN??? and I was like no I’m Chinese and she looks disappointed and says “oh.” IN THAT EXACT MORHER FUCKING SULLEN TONE LKKE BITCH OMG I’m so angry at myself I didn’t lash the fuck out at her I said nothing but BITCH WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN OH???? ARE WE NOT GOOD ENOIGJ?? The fucking IRONY because on the topic of racism and yet she’s practically ACTUALLY being fucking racist to her own breed like we are both Asian and she has the mother fucking audacity to be like “oh” like bitch that bag u wearing from aliexpress was made by Chinese kids in a sweatshop ur little pencil case was made by Chinese kids in a sweatshop ur practically they’re merchandise consumed and you have the mother fucking auDacity to act like we aren’t good enough even though you’ve never once even looked into Chinese culture, even though Japanese and Korean culture are literally LITERALLY DERIVED from China. U SINOPHOBIC LITTLE BITCH IM SORRY WERE NOT HELD UP TO THE STANDARD OF PEOPLE WHO ARE PRACTICALLY THE SAME AS US I BETTER NOT HER UR RATBAG LITTLE ASS SAY SOME CORNY ASS SHIT LIKE THAT BEFORE I FUCKING SELL YOU TO THE PRESIDENT OF CHINA AND THEN THE BLACK MARKET AND SEE HOW MUCH U WANNA LIKE CHINESE CULTURE THEN GO KILL YOURSELF LJKE WHO DO U THINK U ARE WITH UR KDRAMA OBSESSED LOVING ASS YET AT THE SAME TIME ALIEXPRESS SHOPPING ASS TALKIN BOUT KOREANS AND SHIT SHOPPING ON FUCKING YESSTYLE FOR CLOTHES WHEN THEYRE LITERALLY FROM CHINA AND CHINESE FASHION/CULTURE BITCH U SAY SOME SINOPHOBIC ASS SHIT LIKE THAT AGAIN U TREAT US LIKE WERE LESS OF OUR OWN BREED AGAIN I WILL SEND UR SHORT STUBBY ASS FLYING OUT THE FUCKING ATMOSPHERE SEEING HOW NOTHING PLEASES U U STUPID FUCK

This song has several phrases sung in Icelandic which have always intrigued me. Early on there is: "Þegar sól fer, að andar in í mig, en biddaley en biddaley eh". One listener translated this as "It's sunny when he delivers a vital breath, He bites me, He bites me" My take on this is "when the Sun comes and breathes into me... I wait with I wait with" After this line, I cannot make out the next phrase - the listener vainelämää translated it as "Yes, he approaches me, He follows after me, Waits, He flies by me" I'd love to learn what other listeners hear in this part of the song.
In the closing section of the song, I hear Yttu á taktinni / eitt sem við líf á / eitt sem við líf á / eitt sem við líf á which vainelämää does not translate. This is my hearing of those words as they would be translated to English: Push the button / one which we live by / one which we live by one which we live by
As beautiful and optimistic as this song is - the few phrases sung in Icelandic have always intrigued me! If any redditors have other takes on what Björk sings during these sections, I would be delighted to read them!

Trying to understand the usefulness of DragGAN vs ControlNet. Implementations of the former (seem to be unofficial for now) are now rolling out.
Suppose DragGAN works as advertised and allows SD generated images to be fed into it, it seems this tool would be preferable to control pose and shape instead of ControlNet. What advantages does it retain over the former?

As we all know, NASA recently held a press conference. But it's the same thing every year. Headlines write, "Government acknowledges UFOs, but they're just unidentified flying objects," and that's about it. I don't blame anyone, but it's almost certain that these objects are beings from other planets. Some even claim they could be future humans. Yet every year, individuals from supposed government organizations talk and claim to know what we don't, yet they don't present anything groundbreaking.
I've been researching this subject since 2021 and have delved into dozens of witness testimonies, cases, theories, and more. We have countless cases out there, but we lack definitive proof. Everyone claims they've seen something, but they can't offer tangible evidence. In this day and age, we still don't have a significant number of video recordings of UFOs. It's almost like me saying I saw Zeus, but I can't provide any proof. It's almost similar to a myth, isn't it?
All in all, the article I wrote a couple of months ago (I had no intention of releasing it then) reflects my thoughts on the subject after two years of research.
I hope you enjoy reading it!
Here is the link to my article on medium.
I'd love to know your opinion on this. Do you think we've made progress or is it the same thing every year? And why do you think there are only a handful of proofs available?
Thank you for your time.

This is kind of hard for me to write down, because I have gotten so used to people not believing me, like it wouldn´t be able to happen. But this is how I experienced it (withholding too precise information):
Person A is a practicioner in a medical field. We were introduced to each other an a casual context, and there were...well, a few sparks flying? I felt she was a little obsessive maybe, but very charming too. I was planning on having some treatment done in A´s field and we agreed she would have a look at it. I reveived a treatment plan, looked at some of her former work and decided to give it a go.
Over the course of some months, the plan was carried out. There was a bit of a flirty vibe between us, but at the same time it seemed very hard to get to see her outside of her clinic. My take is that the job is her identity, she puts on a huge charm show for everyone, but when you see her somewhere else randomly, she actually seems very timid. So I didn´t really feel like this would be going anywhere, but was on good terms with that. Just carried on with the last few appointments.
And that´s when it happened. She would be fishing for appraisal sometimes, mixing it with flirting, and at this one session she did so again. I think I reacted a bit indifferent, though definitely not rude or something. I could see her face go bland, and she did two small things during the ongoing procedure that instantly made me feel like something was off.
The following days, I got more and more uncomfortable with it. By a few weeks, I knew I was up for a low-level chronic issue if not corrected. I called to get it fixed and got brushed off - "it takes some getting used to". After some more weeks I managed to get an appointment, during which she used a very basic, incomplete testing procedure to "prove" all was fine and sent me away. I pushed to get an appointment again, this time she commented on the respective issue basically acknowledging it wasn´t right, but blaming one of the clinic employees who was present in the room(!) and then within the same minute she went on to a working step that made it much harder to reverse the issue(!!). After coming home from that appointment, I knew this was not a normal mistake.
I went to other pracitioners to get it checked, they could see what was wrong but I could tell they wouldn´t touch the thing because of liability. This is also when I understood that this was low level enough for everyone to view it as some form of minor mishap, but big enough for me to develop real discomfort, and problematic enough so that no practitioner wanted to get involved with it. The perfect crime?
So I knew I would have to keep insisting that she correct it. I was now running on almost a year of chronic, 24/7 irritation and discomfort. I pulled a little trick asking for all the documentation of my case, which basically would be a before-after evidence. This is assumption on my part, but I think she wants to control said evidence, so instead of handing it over for external use she suddenly offered to take care of it. The ongoing correction process includes stretching the time (long waits for appointments), lies ("this is supposed to be like this anatomically, always"), somehow I don´t get to speak to other professionals in the clinic as would otherwise be normal, working on the opposite side of where I described the issue (me insisting until working the correct place), not answering to my emails (have to insist on phone or personally to get next appointment), tricking me into cheap solutions that would basically mean I accept the issue for life and use a relief item ("what we talked about last time, we couldn´t get it to fit, so I have something else for you here..."). It´s still progressing, but for every step that actually turns out ok I have to fight for appointments, get informed, monitor what she is doing, and insist on corrections all the time.
I am at 18 months of approx. 60% quality of life now, expect to spend another half year on getting to a baseline functional level, and paid the woman 3 monthly salaries for the original treatment. I know people here can´t know the other side of the story, but I don´t really think I was promising her anything, and also I felt that she was the one blocking all interaction outside of that clinic. The hard part is that I can´t speak about what I am experiencing because nobody will believe that a professional would do this, let alone this very popular charm bomb.
Well. Thanks for reading. I guess I was just hoping that somebody, even a stranger on the internet, would just acknowledge that it is *possible*.

"Hey! Be careful with that fire!" the old merc shouted while taking cover. "Rick, you are boring… you know I can heal you back up, right?" the younger merc in the middle of the hallway answered. Rick just muttered, "Without becoming a giant tumor? Damn Magicians…" "We have a medical station on board, and you know it.", the young one snickered. With a scoff, the senior returned to kill the intruders.
The two Private Security Contractors were doing their job of guarding the cargo bay of the CLF Vessel. Xenith pirates boarded the ship after a lucky hit to the engine. While Joshua threw small fireballs, Rick struck down any eager Xenith with his repeating gauss rifle. Then a faint stomping sound could be heard from afar. Rick cried out to the magician, "Joshua! Watch out!" The devil has just arrived at the end of the Hallway. "I have… OH FUCK!" The bioengineered beast sprinted through the long hallway. Its 5 claws leave marks on the composite floor plating. The unnatural scream of the abomination even drowned out the kinetic fire of the now desperate Rick. "Rick! I need a grenade! Now!" Joshua just ordered him. "No! You can't do that!" screamed the man back. Now angrier than everything else, Joshua coldly threatened Rick, "Right now." With no hesitation, the older merc just threw the grenade at the Magician. While flying through the air, the grenade disintegrated into a fine mist, while making its way to Joshua's hand. Even in a stressful situation like this, he knew he could turn this primitive weapon into a deadly piece of art. He just hoped it wouldn't destroy any important part of the ship. After a couple of seconds of strange movement of the mist, he was ready. The magician laid out his trump card. The ball of death whirled down the hallway. Before it made contact with the malformed beast, the Bulkhead was closed violently, the metal of the door warped under the stress, but it was sealed shut. The mercs felt the explosion, then heard fading screaming. Then the lights cut out. Rick was now standing, illuminated by the red shimmer of the backup lights, helmet in his hands, quietly muttering. Joshua asked, "What are you doing, old man?" "Making peace with my gods, you should do the same.", the old merc answered quietly.
The two were entombed in a now-dead ship. After some months of searching, the ship was cataloged as MIA, the precious cargo safe but lost in space.

A story I wrote a while back. (To put it more accurately, a year ago.) Submitted it for the college Magazine, and recently uploaded it to Wattpad. But it didn't do much. So I decided to just put it on here. Any kind of feedback would be appreciated.
Being the idiot I am, I'm not sure what genre to place it in. But I'd say it's an action - drama in a somewhat fantastical setting.
The Blurb is as follows:
"Undera night sky lit by two moons, a Witch loses her family, and begins to succumb to the dark, violent side of her powers - Bloodlust.
During this desparate struggle, she comes across a Bishop - a soldier of this city, whose sole purpose is to kill her kind.
Who is this Bishop? Will the Witch survive? And who am I, the being who wants to share this story with you??"
And here's the full story. I hope you enjoy.
Oh, what a beautiful night.
The two moons in an elaborate dance, one in the arms of the other as they glow amidst the darkness. Wouldn't it be a heartbreak, for the king to abandon his queen at the brink of dawn, leaving her alone and defenseless?
Of course, my king already had. Even worse, he might've even let the hunters on my tail. Just the thought sent shudders through my spine. My dear melancholy, I thought, you won't be here for long. "I've cried with you far too long. Perhaps I should send you with my lover, let his blood wrap around you while you sleep. Perhaps I should let his cries wash away all that you weep."
I wanted answers. But, a deeper, more primal part of me needed revenge. But if I wanted either, I needed to act fast. I was being hunted. The people of this world, they call us witches. They call us the spawn of the devil, to be hunted and burned alive. I know this isn't true, I remember my parents' faces as clear as day. Damn it, I wish I just had a normal life. I wanted peace, quiet. I wanted a happy life with my husband.
"You are desecrated by the demon himself!"
"Get out of my sight! Begone!"
The memory of Anton's words, curled in utter disgust.... They hurt. Once, long before this, I could almost see the smile on his face, taste the uninhibited love in his gaze, feel the steady warmth of his embrace...... And now... Why? Why, you.......... Why?
The question turned into a haunting melody, trying to tear its way through my skull with a violent cacophony, only to fade into a whisper drumming in sync with my footsteps, as I tracked him down through the shadows. Was he the answer?
Or just prey? A rat to devour?
That thought worried me. No, I-I didn't want to hurt Anton, but.... But he had done the same, was still doing the same. The streets were quiet, the houses all around closed shut. No doubt, there were hunters, the Bishops, tracking me down. But I had become accustomed to sneaking around without leaving a trace.
I wished, sometimes I could be one of those lucky women hiding in those houses, with nothing to fear but the outside. They could just stay in their homes and live the lives they wanted.
But, the increasingly manic voice from within spoke, you had that. For a while. How long did it even last, until he kicked you out and left you for dead?
My footsteps quickened seemingly running towards my prey. Or maybe, away from whispers that were becoming hard to deny. And then, I found him. Right there, in the darkness, all alone.
Ready to speak.
Or to die.
And all of a sudden, I felt my knife slide home. Blood, sweet and magnificent, rose in the air. Every cell in my body rose towards it, parched for a taste.
Just a taste.
I stumbled under the ferocity of the thirst, my will pushed to its limit to keep it under control. His life was fading out.
I had to... I had to look him in the eye. I turned him around, and it wasn't him. It wasn't him.
Oh god, it wasn't him.
It wasn't him it wasn't him it wasn't----------
"Ophelia, what the heck have you become?"
I slowly turned towards the source of the sound, knowing the horror on his face I'd be forced to see. There it was, but somewhere in the miasma of repulsive emotions.... Was it concern? Did my dear Anton still care? Did he still... still love?
Something fell on my thigh, soft, and warm, disappearing seeping through my dirtied clothes the moment it touched. And it was then I realized - it was blood. It was all over me, across my lips, on my hands, seeping into my fingernails. It was overwhelming me, wrenching sense and sanity away. Was it too late? Was I past the point of no retu------
The next moment, I realize I'm.... falling. Further and further, but I can't find the floor. I can't feel my legs, my arms, my mouth. It's as if every part of me except my soul has disintegrated, vanished into thin air. I look around me. There are so many like me. Witches, humans, the faceless, the feral. The victim and the criminal. They are all the same. WE are one and the same. I don't feel my consciousness fading away, but rather.... It bleeds, it swims around like a drop in an ocean, a single grain of pollen among thousand others flying away. It's coming all together now, fusing and joining and mixing with the others, and into the will of one great being. It's like..... Like the God accepting us into His womb, letting us be a part of His plan, and giving us one last gift- vision, His vision, to see the world as it really is............. And the ones we left behind in this world.
The process seems so painful - I can feel emotions that aren't my own, emanating from within me, while my own emotions are scattered over this pool of collective consciousness. It swirls and splashes around, slowly moving towards a source, rather than away. The closer I get, the lesser I remember about myself. I'd be concerned, unhappy even, weren't it not for the fact that along with myself, I could also feel myself forgetting the world I had lived in like an insect, while I dance around in the memories of others. It's all mine, and what's mine is also others'. There isn't an "I" anymore. There's just...... An ocean. An ocean of serenity. A desert, devoid of pain and suffering. An oasis of peace.
Just......Anton. Look after him, my Savior. And my----------------------
-Era Vulgaris-
Ah...... Another dead one coalescing into me. A woman, full of hopes and dreams soaked and squandered away by sorrow and hatred and envy. Don't fret, little one. You can rest now. Be in peace with yourself, and this broken world. Now, where were we? Ah, the woman finally lost it.
Her self-consciousness faded away the very moment that drop of blood dripped onto her tongue. What was left, was a husk of its former self, hungry for blood and power. I hated watching this, though I'd seen this a million times over. Even the part of me that was once that poor girl was undoubtedly horrified at what she'd become. It's okay, it's okay. It'll work out in the end. Trust me. Your loved ones shall come out whole from the other side.
Especially, I thought, if the Bishop beside him is truly who I think he is.
The word "Bishop" brought a bit of warranted concern to the residual piece of the girl, which meant I had to spend some more of my energy and attention to calm her down. So, I thought. Where were we?
The husk of the woman lunged for her former lover, only to be denied her prey by a sudden tackle to the ground. The assailant swiftly rolled out of harm's way, spinning around and aiming a rather large revolver right at her head.
"Freeze. Or the bullet goes in your head."
She didn't respond in kind. Instead, she... It. It, reminded the small voice that was once part of her, now just in pure disbelief at what she was looking at. It looked him dead in the eye, wailed its vocal cords out and slit its own arm, letting the blood spurt open all around her. The dead carcass beside her became her fuel, swimming towards and into heIt, as its own blood slowly morphed into clones of its own. All contorted and manic, just like the original. All at once, they converged right at the hunter, eager to churn out the flesh. One sneaky little figure, however, sneaked right out of sight and right towards its/ her husband.
Yeah, it was her husband alright. All these bright little memories sparkling from within the dark, right up until everything tore apart- Wait. Oh n-
A hailstorm of gunshots shattered the rain of noise that drenched the night. And just like that, almost all the clones were gone, fading into a cloudburst of blood from which they had risen. The husband, Anton, screamed, "The blood- it'll burn!!" But the hunter rushed through regardless, through the blood.
True to his word, the blood began to boil and corrode away all the protective plates and clothing, but the man himself was strangely unaffected. Rather, he became seemingly faster, as he kicked away the witch, the original form out, just a mere fraction of a second before it could rip out Anton's jugular. My heart was in my throat. Or at least, the newly assimilated soul felt that way.
I was more interested to as to how the Bishop appeared to have changed, as if a limiter on himself had been removed by the blood. As if a blind man had finally been given the path towards light.
By the time it could recover, the Bishop held the previous position once again- only this time, aiming at the creature's belly. That, is what I was worried about. The poor woman was pregnant when she lost control. "Now," he said. "Don't move."
The woman's soul suddenly began to wrench its way out towards her body, trying desperately to save its offspring, its child. Its only ray of hope. It took a considerable effort to keep her in control, much more than what I would once require. Well, I thought, all the more reason to let things go as they should.
Anton went to protect the thing that was once his wife, right up until the Bishop changed his aim towards him.
Anton paled, but understood the message. He returned to his previous position, his crosshairs pointed right at the woman's swollen abdomen, and waited for her to react.
She didn't.
She stilled, almost stuck between her primal urge as a creature of blood, and a maternal urge as a creature of warmth.
The hesitation was enough for the hunter to make a decision.
"Rest in peace."
The gun fired.
A single bullet exploded into a hundred smaller shells, penetrating the witch - not at the abdomen, but straight through the head. The man beside him just puked at the gruesome scene, unable to bear not just the brutality, but the heartbreak of it.
The hunter turned towards him. "Put yourself together. Besides, you put her in this situation."
The remark halted Anton from his state of disgust into a fit of near-violent rage.
"What? What the fuck do you know, you lowlife? You're the ones who kill innocent women for just the smallest suspicion of their nature. You fucker! Die in the womb you lived in you-"But, he couldn't hold on to it. Just couldn't.
Anton broke into tears, his guilt, his pain and his loss flowing down his face and falling at the cold ground below him.
It--It wasn't a nice sight to see. He cried, and cried, and cried, sometimes in reminiscence of the small moments that he'd shared with his loved one, sometimes in despair of the things he'd done. He could blame all he could, curse all he could. At the world. At hunters. At God. Even himself, but that would not bring his love back to life. It wouldn't bring his unbor---
A tiny, yet strong innocent wail interrupted his downward spiral.
"Anton. Your child." With that brief phrase, the Bishop laid a fragile infant in his arms. Crying, with hair barely formed, yet Anton could see it- It was her child. Her and his. THEIR child. But......
"IT's- It's a girl. Won't you-"
"Well, I think it would be rude of me not to turn a blind eye your way. I cannot see, after all. Besides, I think this child deserves a chance. For the mother who, in the throes of death, chose her child over revenge. And," he said, patting down the man's shoulder, "the pathetic man who still wanted to save his wife, even if she was no more. Now go. Get the fuck out of here. I gotta pick up the corpse and collect my payment. Oh, and, uh... What happened here, all of it- you don't remember a thing. Got it?"
He didn't need even the slightest of threats. The guy thanked the Bishop and, with the now smiling babe, walked away.
Another figure appeared from behind the hunter.
"Was that a good decision, Navy?"
A Faceless one. Quite devoted to the Bishop. His question held a tone of concern, but a sense of curiosity dominated his voice as he asked his question.
"Grayson," he said, placing his shotgun onto the floor as a walking stick, "I never overthi-"
"Shut up."
A careless shrug. "Alright. You got me. You want me to be honest? I.....see myself, as weird as it sounds. In that child, in that man. Even in the fuckin' witches. I kill them for a living, Gray. I wake up every morning to load a bullet carrying their name."
"You hate them. Simple as that."
"But a really small part of me..... It- I don't know, Gray. Sometimes all I do is say thanks to this stupid world we live in. A world where everyone wants to fall in love but there's no room for it, in the grand scheme of things. You know, it's times like these that make me glad. Better off believing in a dream world of love and peace, rather than knowing this nightmare of an era. An Era Vulgaris, if you will."
Indeed, in this we might just be kindred spirits. Hm... well, there's definitely a potential in him, to become what I need him to be in the future. I just.....
Well, I'll let this run its course.
After all, it depends on whether she can will herself a future worth salvaging. For there was another one spying on the hunter, another witch whose paths would cross with his. And that path would either fall in place like clockwork, or blow up every plan and contingency I'd made into smoke.
Till then, I guess it best to rest. Kick back and watch this Era Vulgaris consume itself in its vanity, and see if something will come out whole the other side. Rest well, Navidson.
And thank you.
Something settled, and that's when I realized the woman's soul had finally accepted its fate, fading into the primordial soup. Broken, scared and all bled out, and yet she put up a hell of a fight.
The human will is quite extraordinary, is it not?

I am a Mythologist. It was a profession passed down from generation to generation and I've always been interested in it. The old tales my dad used to tell me about fairies, cyclops and big giant wolves always had me on edge. There was something he never spoke about however. That was giants. Whenever I brought up the thought of giants he would clearly change from cheerful to stone cold, Even fearful at times. One night my dad came home drunk, I could smell the whisky on his breath from 10 feet away. He was clearly in a state of panic as the only detail i remember vividly, Were his big eyes, They were almost black. When it was time for me to sleep I asked him for some tales and no matter how mad he was he always told me something I never had heard of. I miss those times.
He was telling me a story about an ancient fairy garden that produces dreams when I brought up giants. Without a single word he switched out the lights and left my room, Leaving me to soak in the eeriness of if he was mad or not.
When dad left I was around 16. He one day left for a journey to Ireland because they found evidence of something, I don't know exactly what it was but his notes suggested it was something to do with angels. There were very detailed illustrations of them and how they looked and it was completely different to what i could have expected an angel to look like. It had more then 2 legs, Wings were small like a baby birds but the most striking detail was the eyes. They had the same big black eyes like the night my father had when he was drunk. I crunched out the memory for the trauma it gave me. I felt uncomfortable looking at it.
When I got out of college I had a degree in mythology. I had a few friends who were interested but most either became something else or a partner field like Archaeology. One night i got a call from one of these friends. I'll call him Troy. He was clearly frantic as if he was in a hurry and asked me for help, Apparently on one of the digs they had found evidence of something that needed to be identified. My first and most obvious question was "Why would you need a mythologist for that?" He avoided it and said they could fly me out tomorrow, This was in Afghanistan but it was in a more desolated area. So i wasn't too fearful of potential threats. After some time of thinking i agreed and i was flown out no less then when the sun had fully rose.
When i stepped onto the dry sandy landscape of the country i was shocked. The sun was blazing so hot it felt like i would be reduced to ash. I felt uncomfortable and i moved to the spot where i was meant to be picked up, When the pickup arrived i hopped in and after a few hours of treacherous heat and sandy roads we finally arrived to a very large dig site. There were scientists, Journalists but most confusing of all? There were armed guards.
As i shuffled over Troy greeted me with a tight hug and gestured for me to follow him and so i did. We walked in to one of the many research tents and there were very old illustrations, books and more. But the one thing that caught my eye was a bottle that was waxed shut with a rolled up piece of paper. I looked at it and he caught my gaze and explained.
"We uh, We found this at the site, We think it might be a codex or a dating, If we are right and able to figure out what it says it could change quite a-lot about the history of this place, All the things we wondered could now be proven!"
Then i asked the burning question "Why do you need me then?" A massive lump formed in his throat as he walked out, Me trailing behind. When we arrived to the main attraction i couldn't believe what i was seeing. In this big rectangular like hole stood a skeleton. This skeleton was no less 12 feet tall and was almost 5 feet wide. I almost thought this was a joke or an animal till i saw the very clearly blue oxidized copper spear and massive iron brace in with the skeleton. Then the memories flashed of my fathers avoidance of giants. As a mythologist you don't actually think any of this is possible, It's mostly cultural study. By the time i had looked at this thing long enough it was very dark, Around 11 pm. So we all headed to bed. The only thing i remember thinking was "Is this real, Have we found evidence of giants?" And so i passed out in my own pool of thoughts.
When I awoke i heard lots of scampering chatting and most confusingly the sound of guns being loaded. I sprung out of bed rushing to see that the skeleton had disappeared. But even worse. So had Troy. He was absolutely nowhere to be seen, I heard people talking but i saw a crowd up ahead and so i followed. When I stood to see what they saw I was shocked. There were massive trails of clear drag marks but also. There were footprints, At least 4 feet in length. The drag marks lead into a valley of mounds and so we planned to follow them. Our main thought was that troy had taken the body and planned to sell it. When I went into his tent everything was clearly frantically thrown around as if he had scampered to get out of bed quick. But also, The bottle with the message was gone.
I ran out and I went with the group. Following the trails I started to become anxious, Fearful even. Something about this wasn't right. How could he have moved that massive skeleton out of that pit and not have made any noise, Never the less the weight. The spear and the brace was also gone. How was any of this possible. When the trail started to shift it went up a ramp like slope into the top portions of these mounds, They were around 100 to 500 meters tall. When we followed them we arrived at a cave and without any hesitation the group shuffled in. I stood there in shock, But before I could think my legs did for me and I moved in.
The first thing I noticed was the smell, It was rancid, Worse then death. But the second thing was the darkness, I had a torch with me but before I lit it i felt helpless, If I got lost in here without a torch I would never make it out, I would be forced to die slowly, Constricted by only the boundaries of rocky walls. When I lit the room I saw the group was a bit ahead and so I jogged to catch up, When I hit a loose rock and it bounced into the wall making a loud echo. Then we heard it.
Loud heavy footsteps came from the cave right in front of the group, The first thought was a wild animal and so a lot of us rushed out. When we made it we heard yelling and screaming, Then the noise started to muffle till it all stopped. We heard crunching, Slurping. The sound of a predator feeding on its prey. One of the very many armed guards quickly loaded his rifle and the sounds stopped. The footsteps slow this time came towards us and the guards immediately put there weapons up waiting.
A massive shape of a human formed from the darkness, From even that I could tell it was around 15 feet maybe even more. Then it emerged. From that cave a massive axe swung out striking one of the guards in the body and sending him off the mountain, There were no screams, He was dead instantly. The figure emerged and from what i saw will be engraved in my memory like a message. It stood tall, Its skin was a pale stark grey and its features were strict, It had black deep eyes sunken into its head far more then naturally should, Its nose was slightly cut off and it had horrendous scars on its face, But its mouth is what i remember the most. It had a grin with thousands of tiny razor sharp teeth and there were blood on them, It was primal, A supernatural being that should have not existed.
It wore bones with rags on it and it had a brace. It was wearing the body of what we had extracted, Like a trophy. But the final thing that haunts me was what hung off its body, There were twine ropes with body parts mounted on them like trophies, They were troys. The guards opened fire on the beast as it let out a deep gutteral roar, Almost like the screech of metal. I watched as it grabbed the closest person, One of the guards and without any trouble the beast squeezed, The guard turned to nothing more then a red paste and it dripped out of the things knuckles.
That's when I ran between its feet and into its lair. I ran and ran till i found where it had been hiding. There was a small cavern and there stood a bunch of dead grass, Sticks and other things. I don't know how this thing got grass in the middle of fucking Afghanistan but I didn't care. As I ran up to it i saw the message and I approached it. The bottle was easy to break and I thought in my last moments I would read it. This is what it read.
"To all who finds this. I am dead, I am not the body of the monster that has been found, I am rather the man by the name of Lucas Hitch-Wood. What you have dug up is a giant, A massive beast that resides in all places but is mostly known was fantasy."
Lucas Hitch-Wood was my fathers name. The note was in smeared ink and was clearly written in a hurry. I looked at the bottle and noticed something, It was an old whisky bottle. Everything finally clicked. He never went to Ireland. He went here. He knew they existed. As I said this more gunshots echoed and screams eminated from the pitch dark my torch couldn't luminate, In a hurry i ran to a wall and i saw something shiny. There was a watch, A silver watch which i recognised. It was my fathers. I saw bones scattered and i realized he had died here.
I sobbed like a baby till the shots stopped, I thought it was coming back then i heard my name being called. I rushed out to the see the beast had fallen, Dead. Its eyes lay open to reveal the same dark sunken voids I had seen moments ago.. That was the last i remembered, The black voids of that things eyes, Then i passed out, I awoke in hospital and was told i had suffered from intense stress which caused the fainting. As the nurse walked out 2 men in suits walked in. I had heard of this, The men in black.
"What you saw that day is something that very few have ever seen. We have contacted who you work for and have managed to get you a sum of money in exchange for sworn secrecy. A contract will be provided for this soon." I was payed 300 thousand dollars to be quiet about the horrors i witnessed that day.
Now when i walk around the streets i notice more black eyes staring at me, It's not long before i join my dad, The stress has been to much, I'm considering just taking a shitload of pills and dozing off in peace.
Be warned of the giants. They exist and they walk in plain sight.

Hey fellow Redditors! 🌟 I thought it would be exciting to delve into the glamorous lifestyle of one of the greatest footballers of all time, Cristiano Ronaldo, and see just how he spends his jaw-dropping fortune. 🤑🌍
1️⃣ Luxurious Properties: Ronaldo's love for opulence is evident in his impressive collection of mansions. From a stunning penthouse in New York City to a lavish villa in Madrid, his properties are the epitome of luxury and class. Each residence boasts amenities like private pools, state-of-the-art gyms, and breathtaking views.
2️⃣ Exquisite Cars: The Portuguese superstar is a proud owner of an enviable fleet of automobiles. He loves to cruise around in his Bugatti Veyron, Lamborghini Aventador, and Rolls-Royce Phantom, just to name a few. Ronaldo's car collection is a symbol of his success and affinity for high-speed rides.
3️⃣ Fashion Forward: Ronaldo is known for his impeccable fashion sense both on and off the field. He has an insatiable passion for designer clothing and accessories. From tailored suits to stylish watches and trendy sneakers, his wardrobe is a fashionista's dream come true. And let's not forget his collaboration with various renowned fashion brands!
4️⃣ Jet-Setting Lifestyle: With his hectic schedule, Ronaldo frequently travels the globe in style. Whether it's flying in private jets or chartering yachts, he enjoys the perks of a jet-setting lifestyle. Exploring exotic destinations, relaxing on pristine beaches, and enjoying the finest cuisines are all part of his luxurious adventures.
5️⃣ Philanthropy and Investments: Beyond the glitz and glam, Ronaldo is known for his philanthropic endeavors. He generously donates to charitable causes, particularly those related to children's health and education. He also invests in various businesses, including hotels, restaurants, and even a perfume line, making shrewd financial moves.
Cristiano Ronaldo's life is a testament to his extraordinary success and the rewards that come with it. While he indulges in the finest things money can buy, he also uses his wealth to make a positive impact on the world.
So, there you have it, folks! Cristiano Ronaldo's millions are dedicated to creating a life of luxury, leaving a lasting legacy, and bringing joy to those in need. 🌟🙌
What are your thoughts on how Ronaldo spends his fortune? Let the discussion begin! 💬💭
Regenerate response

Introduction:
Travеling with pеts can bе an еxciting advеnturе, but it rеquirеs a lot of prеparation and planning. To еnsurе your pеt’s safе and comfortablе journеy, considеr thеsе things whеthеr you’rе road tripping or flying. In this comprеhеnsivе guidе, wе will providе you with tips and tricks on how to travеl with your pеt, making your еxpеriеncе a plеasant and mеmorablе onе.
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Sincе your pеt is a part of your family, you want to еnsurе thеir comfort and happinеss during travеl. To achiеvе this, plan ahеad, еnsurе your pеt’s hеalth, choosе thе right carriеr, pack thеir bеlongings, and acclimatе thеm to thе carriеr to rеducе strеss and makе thе journеy еnjoyablе for both of you.
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How to Travеl with Your Pеt
Choosing thе Right Modе of Transportation for Your Pеt
Whеn it comеs to choosing thе right modе of transportation for your pеt, thеrе arе sеvеral factors to considеr. If you’rе travеling a short distancе or within your country, thеn travеling by car may bе thе bеst option. You can kееp your pеt with you always, without worrying about airlinе rеstrictions or fееs. But for long distancе or ovеrsеas travеl, flying may bе nеcеssary. Kееp in mind that not all airlinеs pеrmit pеts, and thosе that do havе strict rulеs to follow. Also, considеr your pеt’s sizе, tеmpеramеnt, and hеalth issuеs whеn dеciding on transportation. Thе right choicе will еnsurе a safе and comfortablе journеy for you and your furry friеnd. Whеn it comеs to travеling with your pеt, you havе two main options – travеling by car or by air. Hеrе arе somе kеy factors to considеr:
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Travеling by Car
To prеparе your pеt for a long road trip, it’s еssеntial to givе thеm timе to bеcomе comfortablе with bеing in a car. Bеgin by sitting with your furry friеnd insidе a parkеd car with thе еnginе off. Oncе your pеt is at еasе, start taking thеm on short drivеs to a nеarby park for playtimе. This will hеlp to crеatе a positivе association bеtwееn car ridеs and fun. Aftеr еach trip, bе surе to rеward your pеt with trеats and praisе. Gradually incrеasе thе lеngth of your drivеs as your pеt bеcomеs morе accustomеd to car travеl.
To еnsurе your pеt’s safеty, makе surе thеy arе sеcurеly sеatеd in thе back sеat. You can usе a pеt car sеat, travеl cratе, or sеat bеlt lеash to rеstrain your dog and prеvеnt thеm from wandеring around thе car. A travеl cratе is an еxcеllеnt option as it providеs additional protеction in thе еvеnt of a crash. Nеvеr allow your pеt to sit on your lap whilе you’rе driving, as this can bе a major distraction and еxtrеmеly dangеrous.
Whilе it may bе tеmpting to lеt your pеt hang thеir hеad out of thе window, it’s bеst not to allow thеm to do so. It can bе hazardous if thеy gеt too closе to anothеr car, a trее branch, or an obstaclе. It’s important to rеgulatе thе tеmpеraturе in thе car to kееp your pеt comfortablе and to rеfrain from fееding thеm whilе driving to prеvеnt motion sicknеss. Takе pit stops еvеry fеw hours for bathroom brеaks and еxеrcisе. If your pеt tеnds to makе a mеss, considеr invеsting in a watеrproof sеat covеr and rubbеrizеd floor mat.
Lastly, nеvеr lеavе your pеt alonе in a parkеd car, еvеn with thе windows crackеd. In just 10 minutеs on an 85-dеgrее day, thе insidе of a car can rеach 104 dеgrееs, which can bе еxtrеmеly dangеrous for your pеt’s hеalth.
How to Travеl with Your Pеt by car
Travеling by Air
If you plan on flying with a small animal wеighing around 20 pounds or lеss, it can travеl with you in thе cabin with an adult. Howеvеr, thе airlinе rеstricts thе numbеr of animals allowеd on еach flight, so it’s advisablе to rеsеrvе a spot as еarly as possiblе by contacting thеm. Additionally, it’s rеcommеndеd to sеlеct midwееk flights, as thеy arе gеnеrally lеss crowdеd, and to avoid flying during holidays. If thеrе is a layovеr, givе your pеt a chancе to strеtch and usе thе pеt rеliеf station.
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Whеn boarding, placе your pеt carriеr undеr thе sеat or in a dеsignatеd spot, but nеvеr in thе ovеrhеad bin. During takеoff, offеr your pеt watеr or an icе cubе to allеviatе еar discomfort. Avoid tranquilizing pеts bеforе flights, as it can affеct thеir brеathing, and airlinеs typically prohibit tranquilizеd pеts from flying. Consult your vеtеrinarian for advicе or mеdication to managе your pеt’s anxiеty during thе flight.
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If you plan to fly to your dеstination with your pеt, it is еssеntial to confirm that your pеt mееts thе airlinе’s rеquirеmеnts, and you havе all thе rеquirеd documеnts and vaccinations.. Hеrе arе somе tips to considеr:
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Rеsеarch airlinе pеt policiеs and choosе a pеt-friеndly airlinе that mееts your nееds.
Book your flight wеll in advancе to еnsurе that you can sеcurе a spot for your pеt.
Gеt your pеt accustomеd to thеir carriеr bеforе thе flight, as this can hеlp rеducе thеir strеss lеvеls.
Providе your pеt with a comfortablе blankеt or towеl, as wеll as food and watеr, for thе duration of thе flight.
Packing Essеntials for Your Pеt for Travеling
Whеn travеling with your pеt, it’s important to bring along all thе еssеntials to еnsurе thеir comfort and wеll-bеing. Hеrе’s a list of itеms to pack:
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Food and trеats
Watеr and a portablе bowl
Mеdications and first aid kit
Toys and blankеts
Lеash and collar
ID tags and microchip information
Wastе bags and littеr box (if applicablе)
Prеparing Your Pеt for Travеl
Bеforе еmbarking on your journеy, you nееd to еnsurе that your pеt is prеparеd for thе trip. Hеrе arе somе tips to considеr:
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Visit your vеt for a chеck-up and еnsurе that your pеt is up-to-datе on all vaccinations and mеdications.
Obtain a hеalth cеrtificatе from your vеt, as airlinеs may rеquirе this for air travеl.
Introducе your pеt to thеir carriеr or cratе wеll in advancе of thе trip to rеducе thеir strеss lеvеls.
Takе your pеt on short car ridеs to gеt thеm accustomеd to travеling.
Arranging accommodations that catеr to pеts
Whеn travеling with your pеt, it’s important to еnsurе that your accommodations arе pеt-friеndly. Hеrе arе somе tips to considеr:
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Rеsеarch pеt-friеndly hotеls and accommodations in advancе.
Ensurе that your hotеl room or rеntal propеrty is largе еnough for your pеt to movе around in comfortably.
Chеck if thеrе arе any rеstrictions on pеts in thе hotеl, such as dеsignatеd walking arеas or quiеt hours.
Bе rеspеctful of othеr guеsts and clеan up aftеr your pеt.
It’s important to plan ahеad whеn travеling with your pеt and еnsurе that your hotеl is pеt-friеndly bеforе making a rеsеrvation. Takе thе timе to rеsеarch hotеls and look for thosе that offеr spеcial amеnitiеs and programs for pеts. Somе hotеls chargе еxtra fееs for pеts, so considеr this whеn planning your budgеt
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Choosе a ground floor room nеar an еxit for convеniеnt accеss to outdoor arеas for your pеt’s bathroom nееds whеn travеling. Also, takе notе of any hotеl policiеs rеgarding pеts on furniturе, and bе surе to follow thеm. To prеvеnt any damagе to thе furniturе, bring along an еxtra towеl and covеr any surfacеs whеrе your pеt may rеst or sit.
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Evеn if you havе potty-trainеd your pеt, thе unfamiliar surroundings of a hotеl room can bе ovеrwhеlming and causе thеm to havе accidеnts. It’s a good idеa to bring along pее pads and placе thеm in thе room, just in casе. This can savе you from a potеntially еxpеnsivе clеaning fее. In gеnеral, prеparing in advancе and adhеring to hotеl policiеs can еnsurе a hasslе-frее and plеasant stay for you and your pеt.
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Travеl with Your Pеt
Conclusion:
Travеling with your pеt can bе a wondеrful еxpеriеncе, howеvеr it rеquirеs carеful planning and prеparation. If you’rе a pеt ownеr, you know that your furry friеnd is an important part of your family. And whеn it comеs to travеling, it’s only natural that you want to bring thеm along for thе advеnturе. If you’rе not usеd to it, travеling with pеts can bе difficult and prеsеnt challеngеs. From choosing thе right modе of transportation to packing thе еssеntials, thеrе arе sеvеral things you nееd to considеr bеforе еmbarking on your journеy with your pеt.
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Thе first stеp to travеling with your pеt is to plan ahеad. This mеans rеsеarching thе transportation company or airlinе you’ll bе using, as wеll as thе dеstination you’rе travеling to. Rеading thе finе print and comprеhеnding what is pеrmittеd and what is not allowеd is crucial. For еxamplе, somе airlinеs only allow small pеts in thе cabin, whilе othеrs rеquirе thеm to travеl in thе cargo hold. Makе surе to also chеck if thе accommodations at your dеstination arе pеt-friеndly.
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Bеforе you travеl, it’s crucial to gеt your pеt’s hеalth in ordеr. Taking your pеt to thе vеt for a chеckup and еnsuring thеy arе up to datе on all thеir vaccinations is important. You should also ask your vеt for any travеl-spеcific rеcommеndations, such as mеdications or spеcial food.
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Choosing thе right carriеr is anothеr important aspеct of travеling with your pеt. If you’rе flying, you’ll nееd to purchasе a carriеr that mееts thе airlinе’s rеquirеmеnts. Thе carriеr should bе largе еnough for your pеt to stand up, turn around, and liе down comfortably. It should also havе a sеcurе door that will prеvеnt your pеt from еscaping. If you plan to drivе with your pеt, еnsurе that you propеrly rеstrain thеm in thе car by using a cratе or carriеr, or a sеat bеlt harnеss as an altеrnativе.
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In addition to thеir carriеr, you’ll also nееd to pack somе еssеntial itеms for your pеt. Food and watеr bowls, food and watеr, a lеash and collar, a favoritе toy or two, a blankеt or bеd, and any mеdications your pеt takеs arе somе of thе еssеntials you should pack. It’s important to pack еnough food and watеr for thе journеy, as wеll as somе еxtra in casе of unеxpеctеd dеlays.
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whilе travеl with your pеt familiarizing your pеt with thе carriеr is еssеntial if thеy arе not accustomеd to it. You can bеgin by placing thе carriеr in a communal arеa of your homе so that thеy bеcomе accustomеd to sееing it. You can also put somе of thеir favoritе toys or trеats insidе thе carriеr to makе it morе inviting. Oncе your pеt is comfortablе going into thе carriеr on thеir own, you can start taking thеm for short trips in thе car. This will aid in acclimating thеm to thе carriеr whilе it is in motion.
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Evеn with all thе planning and prеparation, unеxpеctеd еvеnts can happеn whеn you’rе travеling with your pеt. For instancе, your pеt could fall ill or sustain an injury, or thеy may wandеr away and bеcomе lost. To prеparе for such possibilitiеs, it is vital to havе a plan in placе. This could includе having a list of еmеrgеncy contacts, carrying a first-aid kit, and microchipping your pеt.
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Whеn you’rе at your dеstination with your pеts, bе surе to givе your pеt plеnty of timе to adjust to thеir nеw surroundings. Lеt thеm еxplorе at thеir own pacе and don’t forcе thеm to do anything thеy’rе not comfortablе with. It’s also important to kееp your pеt on a lеash whеn outsidе and to clеan up aftеr thеm.
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Travеling with your pеt can bе a grеat way to crеatе lasting mеmoriеs togеthеr. Howеvеr, it rеquirеs carеful planning and prеparation. By choosing thе right modе of transportation, packing thе еssеntials, prеparing your pеt, and еnsuring pеt-friеndly accommodations, you can makе thе journеy comfortablе and strеss-frее for both you and your furry friеnd. Rеmеmbеr to always prioritizе your pеt’s safеty and wеll-bеing, and еnjoy your travеls togеthеr!

A strange object flying in space and land on earth. It is a large blade with alien text on it. A villager who live nearby the location, he sees the giant blade and immediately call the Silver Team. The Silver Team is Science Intelligence Investigation team. An advance team with high technology to research something strange that happen on earth. The captain, Aoi order Hiroshi and Kagura to investigate about the large blade.
They arrive at the location and amaze the size of the blade. They try to take a piece of the blade but it was too strong and cannot break. Hiroshi see the weird text on the blade. He scan the text and send it to HQ to translate the text. Akio try to use many code to translate the text. Aoi tell Hiroshi and Kagura to stay there to make sure nothing dangerous happen. Kagura still try to understand the capability of the blade.
Then, Kagura got shock with electric when he touch the sharp part. Hiroshi try to help him but it seems like Kagura doesn't have any serious injury. Hiroshi look closer at the sharp part of the blade. He notice that the sharp part is really hot and penetrate the ground and he notice that the blade is slowly goes underground. He immediately tell captain about the blade but the blade suddenly fall underground.
"Sir, the blade has fall into the ground and it digging in rapid speed" says Hiroshi. "Both of you come back to HQ. Hayate take the HUDM-05 to drill underground and track the blade with Hiroshi and Kagura.Tatsuya and Yumi take SW Wings. Patrol from the above the location if something emerge from underground. "SILVER, GO!"-Aoi "YES SIR"-everybody. Hayate, Hiroshi and Kagura go to the underground to locate the blade while Yumi and Tatsuya patrol above the location if emerge from underground.
When Hayate drill the ground, Kagura notice something weird about the rock movement. He notice that some rock is moving forward when they drilling. "Sir, I guess we have found a way the blade"-Kagura "Good but be careful, it may damage the machine"-Aoi. After a long way, the finally find the blade. "Sir, we found the blade but it seems like it collect a bunch of rock to make bigger.....rock? It use the heat to connect"
"I don't think it's just a big rock, it's a monster"-Hiroshi. Then the big rock turn out to be a monster and it emerge to the top. "Sir, the monster is controlled by the blade on its head"-Akio. "Tatsuya, Yumi fire the blade on its head. Now!"-Aoi. "YES, SIR"-Tatsuya and Akio. They shoot their guns target to the blade but the blade make a shield. Hayate manage to get out of the hole.
"Kagura, Hayate you guys attack the monster. I'll go to the SW Wheel to prevent the monster go the village"-Hiroshi. Hiroshi rush to the SW Wheel. Attacking the feet of the monster so it don't go to the village while others try to attack the blade. The monster is annoy by Hiroshi so the monster attack Hiroshi until the car explode. Luckily, Hiroshi manage to get out of the car. "I guess I have no other choice then"
Hiroshi take out the transformation and say "ULTRAMAN CRYSTAL". Hiroshi transform into Ultraman Crystal. "Finally, the hero arrive"-Tatsuya. Crystal try to separate the blade from the monster but the blade blasting a fire energy to Crystal. Crystal realize that the monster is slow and only defense itself, doesn't attack much. So Crystal flip in the air and separate the blade using chop technique in midair.
Once the blade separate from the monster, Crystal attack the monster with Light Kick and the monster turn back into a pile of rock. Crystal grab the blade so it doesn't make another monster. So, Crystal destroy it with Light Punch and the blade break into pieces and the blade energy is gone. Crystal turn back into Hiroshi. After the fight, all of them go back HQ. Akio make an announcement that she has translate the text from the blade.
"It says that, This is my first monster I've summon to kill you. The Megalo blade. A blade that can make a monster only using the planet source. Don't be too happy if you able to destroy it. Soon, the Megalo blade will kill you". They think who or what has a grudge against them until it wants to kill them. "Could this blade is summon by Zarlim"-Hiroshi "Zarlim? The Frightening Winged Raider?"-Tatsuya "Isn't that thing dead already?"-Kagura
"If that thing is dead, this fight wouldn't happen. It probably somewhere inside earth where we can't reach it"-Aoi. Zarlim is one the most powerful Silver Team and Crystal has ever fought. When Zarlim die, it plant one of it organ so Zarlim can revive. The organ is in the core of the earth, waiting to revive and seek his revenge.
So how's my story?

We ended up at the moment where the gang jumps into the hole.
P.S. In this part there will be our new stickmans. Here are their names:
CGP Gray- a stickman with glasses.
Sign- a stickman of toilet signs.
Pixel- pixel stickman.
Cave- a stickman similar to ancient drawings.
Continue...
We are immediately transported to the place of the hole in the sky. TCO emerges from it, still subtracting. He notices those riders who are either looking for him or wanted to discuss something. (By the way, Sign is the only one who moved in a flying transport. ) TCO has failed again. Then TSC's hands appear, and then his head. He notices them too. Then TCO looks at him and takes his hand, and then flies away, using his left hand to create fire. And he does it. And when he got stuck again, a rainbow gang fell out of the hole. Then he accelerated. And after flying over the riders, they notice him. And he, in turn, waves his hand at them. (After that, I had a question. What was between them before these events that he gives himself away like that? ) Then SPZ Gray showed to follow him. They started chasing him. (In the background, you can see the crater that TSC left. I also noticed that the forest is further from the house.) TCO decides to fly to the clearing. (She looks rather strange. A smooth circle without a single tree. ) Having flown up, he stops flying and immediately flies into the greenery. The riders noticed where he stopped, and CGP Gray gives the command to land. (He's probably the main one giving out commands to everyone. ) They flew by train. The first was Pixel. Behind him is the Cave. Behind him is CGP Gray. And the last one was Sign. But when they land, the order is changed to: 1: CGP Gray 2: Sign 3: Cave 4: Pixel. Their landing is noticed by TSC and TCO. The first one gets out of the transport is a stickman with glasses (CGP Gray), and takes out a weapon with paralyzed cartridges from a drawer under the seat. Then we see the Animate interface on his hand. There were 7 tools visible (Selection, Lasso, Free Transformation, Line, Eraser, Rectangle, Scale.) And a pause icon. He starts with the first tool and somehow moves it up to the "Scale" Tool. (When he selects, holograms of the tool that is highlighted appear above the interface.) Then Sign lands. And when he gets out of the flying machine, I laughed. He has the strangest animation. Then Cave comes out. After warming up a little, he takes out a bow and 2 arrows from his back (or from himself). The last Pixel comes out. He had already drawn his weapon. And after charging, he either had a mouth, or it's like with mechanical spheres. (When the "mouth" appeared, pixel steam was coming out of it.) Then we are switched to TCO and TSC. They first look at the riders, and then crouching down, TCO shows him to fight them. To which TSC refuses. Then he holds him by the shoulder and throws him out of the bushes. And he hid himself. (And the sound was very funny.) The riders notice the TSC and set their sights on it. He waved his hand in turn. Then CGP Gray uses an instinct. The standard was 150%. After the increase in TSC became 200%. And noticing the TCO and bringing it closer became 350%. Then they started shooting. He, in turn, could dodge. Then it hits a tree. the same stunner, and a spark appears. He decides that it is most dangerous for him, he grabs the TSC, and they fly away. Then CGP Gray selects "Scale" again. (Why, if he has already chosen it. It's unclear.) Then he puts it on his glasses. (And then you can understand that the glasses are somehow connected with his powers.) He makes 3 shots. And as always, the last one will be decisive. He gets into the hand where he created the fire. And after spinning a little, this thing still paralyzed TCO. So much so that he couldn't stand up during the fight. And after landing, (in a rather strange way) a pencil falls out of the TSC. He took it and protected TCO.
The last part will be the final one!

So I've thought about this last night...what if the mc from Evertree Saga got teleported to the Wayhaven universe and have to solve the Murphy's case?
Problem: -The Evertree MC lived in a different Era so he/she might took awhile to understand all the new Technology and stuff.
-No one to assist them currently unless they managed to find the "Detective" or Unit Bravo for some help.
-So the Mc from Evertree Saga will got the same faces of the "Detective" from Wayhaven due to they are an alternate version of the "Detective" but with different personality,life and experience a different story in their world.Which may cause some confusion and misunderstanding to Unit Bravo And the "Detective" at first but also might be an advantage to caught Murphy in the future.(note: you can ignored this if you want since i added this to make it a little bit more interesting tho.)
-So unlike the "Detective", The Evertree Mc don't have the blood mutation to protect him from Murphy's Pheromones unless they prepare a protection spell to protect their mind which only happend if they know about Murphy's ability.
Advantage: - Evertree Saga Mc already dealt with Supernatural cases so they already got some experience.
-They beat an ancient Entity and some sort of Entity that steal faces.So they got some pretty neat combat experience.
-They can cast some magic spell: Like Fly,Teleport,Fireball,Thunder...in case they might have to fight Murphy. Mind Reading and Divination to gathering clues(as long as they still have mana to perform these magic of course).
-As i mention before this Evertree Mc will have the same faces as the "Detective" so they could in bait Murphy into catching them as a way to to protect the "Detective" and buying some time for Unit Bravo And Rebecca to come up with a plan to capture Murphy.
Stats of the Evertree MC:(Nerfted) Compassion: 58% Athletics: 65%, Prowess:58% Deception:49% ,Stealth:53% Intuition:57%, Observation: 53% Spellcasting:45%, Will: 40% Mana: 54
So with all of that,which method will the Evertree Mc will used to be able to catch Murphy? Will they succeed? And how much would it change the story and the relationship between the other characters? Share your thought in the comment i really would like to read it.

I recently lost a lot of GoPro footage after plugging my sd card into the computer. I learned late that not all sd card types are ideal for GoPro video and I concluded that being the wrong type of card (a SanDisk Ultra) was the reason for the corruption. I bought a SanDisk extreme, plugged it in, and ever-so-lightly touched the card plugged in (didn't eject it, just barely touched it while plugging in my headphones) and the new footage was immediately erased.
I just had a couple of videos on my new card. Still sucks to lose them (they were of my baby daughter).
I tried using a GoPro recovery software, but it's not even detecting the cards. I'm not sure how to proceed. I'm debating seeing a professional to recover my data, but most services are hundreds of dollars, if not more, which seems exorbitant. I'd love so much to have those videos back, but I don't have the funds to recover them.
What should I do? Is it a bad computer (I'm using an Acer Aspire 5)? I used to use it for this in the past and usually wouldn't have any problems. As data corruption always is, it's beyond frustrating and almost devastating.
Any help/advice will be appreciated!

So Pokemon Home just dropped and you the reader really want to just smash the entire metagame with cocaine bear. Well I got your back with some heat TR teams. Unlike my last post, this time I will be posting a lot of teams so if you don't like a random redditor rambling about a niche playstyle and just want the team in question well...

TLDR :

https://pokepast.es/cc649b55771109b0 (Reached top 200 in Gen 9 OU)
If you are reading this post post Ursaluna ban, well too bad. I will post TR teams without Ursaluna and Magearna in the future so lookout for that or just replace Ursaluna with Glastrier. Use Cinderace to keep hazards off field and use Torkoal and Ursaluna to delete stuff. Use Iron Hands as late game sweeper once the unawares have been dealt with.
Now for the long post to begin :

Pick your Trick Room Team:

If you are new to Trick Room playstyle, you might want to refer to my previous post or at least the TLDR part of it so you are aware of the limitations of Trick Room playstyle. Now below are the three teams sorted by level of skill and metagame awareness required to play (explanations given below):

• Beginner : https://pokepast.es/c68f9ffaa2658d0a
• Intermediate : https://pokepast.es/68fbe9ffde64df04
• Advanced : https://pokepast.es/cc649b55771109b0
• (Bonus) Team for Dons : https://pokepast.es/b876ccfcdf046ac2

Threats to TR teams :

• Tera Water Urshifu once it gets a SD up will not allow you to setup your TR unless you Tera Water yourself.
• Heatran will taunt and trap your setter so need some way to pressure heatran.
• Substitutes and protects are always annoying. (Fuck protect rotom-wash)
• Ursaluna itself is quite scary if it outspeeds your TR mains under TR and OHKOs your setters outside of TR.
• Strong priority like tera dark sucker punch chien-pao and tera normal Dragonite.

Now that we have established the threats lets explore the above teams.
Beginner :

• Hatterene, Magearna and Glowking are the TR setters. Lead with hatterene to get a TR off 93% of the time or lead with Mag/Glowking if you predict a Urshifu lead & Lead with Ursaluna if you predict a Heatran lead. Hat is tera steel coz fuck dire claw.
• 252 Atk Choice Band Tera Water Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Surging Strikes (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Hatterene on a critical hit: 276-330 (86.7 - 103.7%) -- approx. 6.3% chance to OHKO
• 252 Atk Choice Band Tera Water Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Surging Strikes (3 hits) vs. 248 HP / 96 Def Magearna on a critical hit: 306-360 (84.2 - 99.1%) -- approx. 2HKO
• 252 Atk Choice Band Tera Water Urshifu-Rapid-Strike Surging Strikes (3 hits) vs. 252 HP / 252+ Def Slowking-Galar on a critical hit: 306-366 (77.6 - 92.8%) -- approx. 2HKO
• Aim of the team is to chip down the physical walls (Great Tusk/ Lando/Dondozo) so that Ursaluna can sweep. Glastrier is tera electric to help with corv and pex matchups and Iron hands is tera fire to lure in durge and iron valiant. Glastrier has good enough bulk
• This is marked as a beginner team as there are 3 TR setters with instant pivots (Eject pack/ C healing wish) and none of the pokemons are choice locked. All the mons resist rocks or have boots so stealth rock is non issue. Pilot this team to get a better understanding of the playstyle.
• Possible Changes : Glowking to a more sp. def variant to better deal with heatran and set TR up in front of special attackers, Ursaluna Tera to Ghost to help with mirror matchups and Tera bug Iron Hands with EQ instead of Wild Charge.
• Limitations: Although this team is easy to pilot, there are multiple limitations to this team. All are Physical attackers so against Zamazenta its GG. Eject pack Magearna is not reliable way to switch out (90% accurate move is 10% accurate for me) and with all the bullshit GF has introduced hatterene is not enough to keep hazards of the field (Seriously what was GF thinking lol). Hazards + a strong attacker (Urshifu/ Chien-pao) is GG for a TR team. Once you are comfortable piloting this team proceed for the next team.

Intermediate:

• I will be honest TR before home kind of sucked in Gen 9. Is it Ursaluna which makes TR strong now?Well... yes but also there is one more mon. Enter.... Uxie. This is not a joke lmao Uxie is really the goat. Go on showdown and filter the mons which gets TR, stealth rock, encore and memento. Yeah. Uxie is bulky af, sets up hazards, encores dragonites, Zamas and magearnas and fucks off instantly. Ohh Uxie how I missed you. Team has a sp. def variant to set up TR in front of strong special attackers as well as enough physical bulk to withstand physical hits (Walls GT). Tera dark to setup TR in front of fraud chien-pao in case GT knocked off colbur berry.
• Ursaluna is the king of TR teams. Torkoal is the God. To demonstrate its power let me post 2 calcs.
• 252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 0 HP / 0 SpD Volcanion in Sun: 164-194 (54.4 - 64.4%) -- guaranteed 2HKO
• 252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 248 HP / 8 SpD Assault Vest Toxapex in Sun: 148-175 (48.8 - 57.7%) -- 96.1% chance to 2HKO
• Aim of this team is to chip the flash fire and double resist to fire mons, proceed to sweep with torkoal. Torkoal is faster than cocaine bear under TR so sweep with your hearts content. Torkoal is bulky enough to withstand the sucker punches and aqua jets and demolish said attackers. Also weakens Urshifu's Surging Strokes. However there is a big enough problem for torkoal. HAZARDS.
• With the Ceaseless Discharges and Stoned Axes, hatterene cannot keep hazards off field. Hazard control in a TR team is a massive challenge. The mon with both TR and rapid spin is Toadscruel (lol) and with both TR and defog is Drifblim (LMAO). We have to enter the kitchen for this one. Enter.... Braviary Hisuan edition.
• This mon has sheer force and 112 Sp. Atk. Lando-I has 115 Sp. Atk. Literally Lando-I at home. Lando-I does not get hurricane. You know who gets sheer force boosted hurricanes ? Yeah. Has god like coverage with shadow ball, psychic, heat wave all SF boosted. But SF boosted hurricane is nothing compared to the one move it gets. DEFOG. Yeah baby. Mon is also bulky enough to take some neutral hits and not die in case you have to 1v1 some mon outside of TR. Tera fairy is for sucker punches but feel free to make it ghost for Ursaluna facades.
• This team is intermediate as torkoal is choice locked and depends a lot on your ability to keep hazards off the field. I know its tricky but the reward is you clicking eruption 3 times to delete 3 mons per TR setup. All the flash fire mons are also weak to Earth Power so it also relies on you calling your opponents switch. Also rain can seem to be tough but consider this : 252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 248 HP / 0 SpD Pelipper in Rain: 135-159 (41.7 - 49.2%) -- guaranteed 2HKO after Stealth Rock. For sp. def variants, Guaranteed SF boosted hurricanes yaay!
• Limitations : Look I know defog on a SR weak mon is weak sauce but you use Toedscruel and Drifblim in OU and tell me how it goes. Team still needs Ursaluna to threaten heatran and Screens are a big problem for any TR team. No clear answer for Chien-pao/ Late game Kingambit. Also WW fucks this team if not played properly. Watch out for Tera fire kingambits/Zamazenta/amoongus. Keep hatterene healthy for a healing wish in case opponent has above tera fire mons. Pilot this team and once comfortable proceed for the next team.

Advanced:

• We remove the cheap soon-to-be-banned Magearna for honest and hard working Cinderace. Look, I know Cinderace does not learn TR but it learns Court Change. You know where this is going, screens and hazards can now be dealt with easily. High jump kick with libero (or low kick if you are afraid of missing) fucks over Fraudian-Samurott and Ugly Scizor, resisting both their signature moves.
• With hazards taken care of we can braviary can now be replaced with Iron Hands except this is not the Iron Hands from the first team. Look at its set. Yeah. Shoutouts to the guy who came up with this. I just changed the tera to bug to Goob Great Tusk. This mon is your one stop answer to all the physical bullshit in the tier (Urshifu, Kingambit, Chien-Pao even Ursaluna). Once special attackers/unawares are dealt with this mon can win even outside of TR.
• This team is advanced as you might have noticed, it has only two TR setters. Also Court change is not defog. It is possible to have both sides to have hazards if not played properly. In practice, playing with two TR setters is lot more tricky than you might think. But with the might of Ursaluna and Torkoal you can demolish most of the teams out there. I reached top 200 in OU and I believe a better player can reach top 100 easily with this team.
• Uxie can be phys. def with tera water to deal with Rain teams and Urshifu (Seriously don't let Urshifu SD. Greedy players always SD with their Urshifu expecting my Ursaluna to switch but I never do.) Also SD instead of belly drum on Iron Hands if one is unable to get a belly drum off while playing.
• Limitations: Stall team gets demolished by this team unless their blissey teras into water now you are getting walled by blissey and houndstone. Niche matchup but still worthy to point out. WW is still a pain in the ass and requires a lot of skill and calling out switches to win. Fortunately you have to worry about it once (252+ SpA Choice Specs Tera Fire Torkoal Eruption (150 BP) vs. 12 HP / 0 SpD Walking Wake in Sun: 176-207 (51.4 - 60.5%) -- guaranteed 2HKO). Deal with magearnas immediately or it will setup and become unkillable. Some stuff like protect wash tom is really annoying but what can we do TR teams do really have limitations thats why they are niche in singles.

Team for Absolute Chads:

• Well if the above team wasn't heat enough we replace Iron Hands with Regieleki at home: Regidrago (LMAO).
• Regidrago is an absolute monster once fairies are gone and with its nice HP stat it can 1v1 some mons even outside of TR.
• Torkoal and Regidrago honestly have good synergy with torkoal resisting ice and fairy moves and drago resisting water moves. The best part is this shit gets earth power for whatever reason so it can still deal with magearna with out using tera. Imagine the opponent switching in sp. def heatran for dragon energy only to get KOed by Earth Power. With the only flash fire mon gone, torkoal goes nuts.
• This team needs big bollocks to pilot as it has only two TR setters, two choice-locked mons and both the mons depend on their HP being at near full to sweep the opposite team. Also any random mon can tera into fairy and proceed to goob your regidrago. But then they cannot tera into fire so your torkoal goobs their team instead. That's the point of the team. Vice versa for Tera water magearna to survive eruption from torkoal.
• A funny thought but once Ursaluna dies and you have used your tera on torkoal, Dachsbun walls the team (LMAOOOO).

If you have read this far, I would like to sincerely thank you for taking an interest in TR playstyle. With Ursaluna still in the tier, TR teams can easily demolish their way to the top. Semi-TR are honestly easier to pilot but I am a TR enthusiast so I go all in. Personally I would like to see magearna and cheap-pao banned before Ursaluna goes. (Also who at GF thought about giving Urshifu Swords Dance ? Really I just want to have a talk thats all.)
Beyond Ursaluna, its still possible to reach the top using a TR team although a lot of creativity and skill is required (Bax + Regidrago come to mind to pressure the fairies. I am still working on it). Unless Uxie is getting banned to Ubers, Trick Room is finally a viable strategy in Gen 9 OU.

After playing consistently for about 3 years, I've decided to quit completely.
Disclaimers:

• This isn't a rant on what "made" me quit Sky. Nothing made me quit. This is just a bunch of my thoughts that I wanted to get out for closure from something that was a constant for me.
  
• I just decided to post it here because maybe some parts of it can be used as feedback as well.
  
• Obviously text heavy.
  

How the experience was for me
I downloaded Sky because at the start of the pandemic I felt extremely isolated and lonely. I saw the game and decided, why not? It looks like such a cute game.
I immediately fell in love with it when I met a fellow moth at the isle temple. We adventured through prairie and most of forest together. We were confused, but having a blast finding spirits and WL together.
Even when that friend never came back, I met more and more people along the way. Everyone was eager to help, vet or moth. I've even made great friends through the game. It was exactly what I needed to feel a bit more connected again.
Even after doing Eden, when there wasn't much else left to do, I stuck around because I loved hanging out with friends and strangers. Whether it be going on CRs, sneaking into OOBs, or just spamming emotes at each other.
I never really cared much for collecting cosmetics, but I did work hard to grab the ones I liked.
My friend and I used to take turns ubering for a full CR to make sure we had enough candles for whatever we wanted. The geyser and grandma being added later on was truly a blessing!
Burnout was no stranger, but even then I'd log in for a bit for dailies and then proceed to just sit around somewhere. If not to socialize, then to just listen to the music and other Skykids walking by.
I enjoyed almost every season too.
Rhythm will always have a special space for me since I started then (although I never got the owl hair as I barely knew what was going on haha).
Sanctuary, Dreams, Little Prince, Flight, Abyss, and Aurora will always be something I'm glad I got to experience. The areas, the cosmetics, the story!! They just absolutely hit it out of the park for me.
Prophecy was also fun, but I still get war flashbacks of when we had to do them the first time around and the shortcuts weren't known yet.
The others like Enchantment, Assembly, Performance, Shattering, Remembrance, and Passage, were alright. The features they may have added to the game were definitely fun, but the seasons themselves, like storywise, cosmetics, areas or quests, felt like they dragged, and doing them felt more like a game task than something I actually wanted to do.
Days of Events were fun ways to mix up the monotony as well! Specially since we've been having bigger and bigger events recently.
The downs
I definitely tried my best to stay off any Sky social media, even the official discord. While yes, the community in game has never been perfect. There has always been a few rude players, and people who glitch past the vault doors have been a thing since long long ago. But the Sky community on socmed felt ten times worse.
It's either a lot of people complaining, or a lot of people telling others they can't complain and should just be grateful instead. And it just never ends, it was always so tiring to see.
IAP pricing's also something that often disappointed me. Not to dox myself, but the exchange rate for my country is 1usd = 50+ home currency. So you can imagine just how painful a lot of the prices were.
I always chose carefully what I'd actually buy, sometimes even depending on giveaways generous players hold. And while yes, they're just cosmetics and I can definitely live without them, there were some that I really wanted to get but couldn't due to their price.
The TLP asteroid cape I will forever mourn. My (deceased) mom used to read me that story when I was younger, so the asteroid map was special to me. I even created two alts to hoard some cape spells haha.
The mischief cat reminded me of my (also deceased) cat, but again I sadly couldn't afford it at that time.
There were probably other examples, but I think these two were the stand outs for me. I just wish the pricing was more fair for different places, but I do see how that's hard to implement as people can take advantage of it. Nevertheless, for the sake of current and future players, I hope TGC finds a solution to it.
Next of, I admit I'm not a huge fan of the new crowd/mega server update. I absolutely loved it for Aurora, but with the new ways it's implemented, days of color, Passage quests, and the upcoming aviary, it just does the exact opposite of what it's supposed to for me. I don't feel connected at all. I feel lonelier than ever because I just see shapes running past me who I can't even interact with much. I even have trouble finding the few 7 people in my server to play with them.
It also feels a bit overstimulating. Too much unnecessary movement, too much noise. It was fitting for a concert, not so much everywhere else. A lot of places I would have loved to relax in, like the new rainbow OOB and the Passage area were ruined for me because it's just so overcrowded for no reason.
I do understand it's a work in progress as the feature is relatively new. So I hope TGC will be able to refine it further so all players would be able to enjoy the way they want to enjoy.
Famous last words
Sky isn't perfect, but it has steadily been improving through the years. I hope the game and the community continue to grow!
Fly safe, Skykids!
Thank you, Sky, for being my safe space for a little while.

Chapter 1 Previous Chapter
The Elf and the Orc exchanged bewildered glances, their faces reflecting a mixture of surprise and realization. In that moment, Raphael recognized the profound wisdom that often emanates from the unassuming minds of children—the ability to utter truths so apparent, yet easily overlooked by the jaded eyes of adults. After all, magic is magic, unfettered by the constraints of reason or convention. There existed no logical impediment preventing him from conjuring something powerful and propelling it with force against the confining bars of the cage, shattering its constraints in an explosion of liberation.
“I have not tried that, yet. I might need to test this out before.”, Raphael said ashamed as he stretched out his hand, thinking about how the flying ice shards looked in games and books.
He shut his eyes, delving into the depths of his imagination, summoning forth a vision of a formidable weapon. In his mind's eye, a colossal shard materialized, surpassing the length and girth of his own arm. Its edges were razor-sharp, gleaming with a vibrant azure hue, radiating an ethereal glow that danced and twirled in the recesses of his consciousness. Suspended above his upturned palm, it awaited its destined flight, yearning to unleash its lethal strike upon his adversaries. As the scene unfolded within his mind, the tangible world around him began to reveal signs of his conjuration. The air itself seemed to transform, its transparency fading into a misty whiteness that thickened with each passing moment. Flecks of snow materialized from the ether, clustering together in delicate unity, gradually forming a minute crystalline structure that gently rotated in the palm of his hand. Yet, when Raphael finally opened his eyes to a gasp of Sanya. A wave of disappointment crashed upon him, dousing his initial excitement. The reality fell far short of his grandiose vision, leaving him with the unsettling realization that this meager manifestation was nowhere near sufficient to accomplish his goals.
I will lend you some more power for the real one. Trust, the childlike voice in his mind chirped.
Eager to unravel the mysteries of the enigmatic voice resonating within him, Raphael yearned for deeper understanding. However, with the urgency of their perilous situation pressing upon him, his curiosity would have to be set aside for another time. Placing his trust in the ethereal guidance once more, he commanded the mental manifestation of the shard to take flight, soaring towards the ceiling. With a resolute purpose, the shard obeyed his mental directive, propelled forward like a bullet unleashed from the barrel of a gun. Its trajectory aimed for the lofty heights of the ceiling, hurtling through the air with an unstoppable force. Impacting the solid structure above, the shard collided with a resounding crash, fracturing into a myriad of fragmented pieces. A mesmerizing spectacle ensued as a cascade of minuscule snowflakes and glimmering shards of ice descended upon them, their descent an enchanting dance of frozen beauty. All three companions stood entranced, their eyes fixed upon the breathtaking scene unfolding before them. In the wake of the shard's impact, a subtle dent marked its collision point. Surrounding this focal spot, the stone bore witness to the touch of wintry enchantment, encased in a delicate embrace of white and blue hues, an enduring testament to the shard's icy power.
“What do you say? Think I can do it?”, Raphael said with a smug grin on his face, trying to hide how awestruck he was himself. “Your eyes…”, Sanya said under her held breath.
Georg's head shook with a mixture of annoyance and exasperation, a visible reflection of his sentiments towards Raphael's self-assured demeanor amidst their precarious situation. Despite the underlying insecurity gnawing at Raphael's core, he couldn't help but emit an air of smugness. On the other hand, Sanya's response was akin to that of a typical child, her eyes sparkling with delight and pure joy, completely enthralled by the captivating spectacle before them.
“Okay, as soon as I shot the shard, we will run in the opposite direction of the cage and climb over the fence. Everybody ready?”, Raphael asked.
A somber air enveloped the trio as their expressions turned grave, fully aware of the life-or-death stakes that hung in the balance of their daring escape. Raphael cautiously pried open the bulkhead door once more, gingerly extending his hand into the unknown, praying that their presence would go unnoticed. Conceiving another grandiose creation within his mind's eye, a magnificent lance of ice materialized, wreathed in a misty aura upon his outstretched hand. This intricately adorned weapon, adorned with shades of ethereal blue, emanated a frosty glow as it spun gently in his grasp, three delicate ribbons of ice fluttering in the air.
That should be enough, the voice in his head said.
With a mere thought, Raphael released the spear, propelling it towards the Griffin's cage, setting their plan into motion. The trio swiftly emerged from the underground, pivoting on their heels and dashing towards the enclosing fence. As the lance struck the edge of the enclosure, it shattered into a flurry of snowy mist, enveloping the cage in a frosty embrace. The alarm blared loudly, piercing the air, announcing the presence of intruders on the property. Security personnel and mercenaries scurried frantically, their frantic movements accompanied by the resounding thud as the lance collided with the cage's perimeter, fragmenting into a flurry of snow and ice, cloaking the enclosure in a frosty haze.
“Quick! Quick! Get the intruders! Get them! No Hostages!” “What happened?” “Damn it, was our free day!” “What’s that at the cage?”
In the midst of the unfolding chaos, the Griffin unleashed its fury, shattering its icy prison and adding to the tumultuous scene. With majestic wings outstretched, it ascended into the sky, a formidable force of nature. Descending with a swift dive, it fiercely attacked the defenders, its primal instincts guiding its every move. Amidst the commotion, the creature felt the sting of bullets, letting out a piercing cry of pain. In an act of retaliation, it seized a hapless man with its razor-sharp claws, lifting him high into the air and hurling him towards his fellow mercenaries. The resulting collision further fueled the pandemonium, amplifying the chaotic frenzy that engulfed them all.
“Fuck, the cage!” “Ah help! “Man down! MEDIC!” “I See them! FIRE!” “DON’T KILL THE GRIFFIN!”
The trio swiftly made their escape, dashing towards the fence. George took the lead, propelling himself over the barrier and extending a helping hand to Sanya, who grasped it tightly, allowing him to pull her to safety. Together, they landed on the other side, the echoes of gunshots and the cacophony of chaos filling the air. Raphael, however, found himself momentarily frozen in place as he cast his gaze back at the turmoil he had unleashed. It was then that his eyes fell upon another cage, just a short distance away. Within it, his loyal companion, Vivian, trembled with fear, trapped and helpless.
“Come down! That’s our chance! Don’t fuck it up!”, George urged Raphael. “Vivian.” “Yes, we will find her when we are in the clear. Move!” “She’s there! I need to help her!”
With a firm grip on Raphael's foot, George yanked him over the fence, determined to get them both to safety despite the Elf's resistance. Waves of pain and guilt surged through Raphael's veins, intertwining with his struggle to free himself from George's hold.
“Ya can’t help her if ya dead! We will come back and get her, I promise!”, George said as he wrestled Raphael further and further away from the estate, leaving Vivian behind once again.
With a sudden and powerful gesture, George's hand connected with a resounding smack against Raphael's head, causing him to succumb to unconsciousness. The impact left an imprint of worry on their faces as George and Sanya united their efforts, gingerly maneuvering the lifeless form of the Elf away from the bedlam that engulfed them. Their eyes remained fixed upon the vast expanse of the city sprawled out before them, seeking shelter within its labyrinthine streets. The echoes of agonized human screams and the piercing screeches of the Griffin pursued them, a haunting reminder of the perils they left behind.
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Thank you for reading!

What if its just.. people. Like all these flying things that have occupants just have people in them. Other Humans. Not people from our military. Not people from alphabet agencies. Not a secret space program. Not people from other countries (that we know about). UFOs contain OTHER Humans.
And what if the government(s) can't figure out where they are coming from. All they know is they have the same DNA, same biology as us. They are not from the future, not from the past, not from another dimension. They are from another, hidden country/nation/continent on Earth.
They don't fly in from outer space. They don't come out of the ocean. They don't come from anywhere specific. They just arrive and leave with impunity. And the governments and militaries of our world JUST. CANT. FIGURE. OUT. WHERE. THEY. COME. FROM. and they can't figure out what they are doing.
I think that's one of the few truly plausible reasons they've kept all this shit a secret. How do you tell the public about THAT? People will go nuts looking for them, or hiding from them. It will be madness and it will terrify people. It would destabilize civilization in ways that discovering off-world extra-terrestrials never could. And why go through that if you don't know... anything?
Imagine finding out about some ancient human empire, suddenly, back in the early days of humanity. You are just out farming and one day a legion of Roman soldiers marches through. Where do they come from? Who are they? They look like you, but you've never heard of Rome or even Italy. Madness. You would either hide, or you would need to know more. You certainly would wonder if you could seek their help or support the next time your dinky local leadership council refused to build a needed irrigation canal, or began wrongly imprisoning people. Or if a neighboring settlement was preparing for war. You wouldn't be able to ignore knowing about it.
So back to the Other Humans. I bet they initially thought they would figure out where They come from with relative ease. But it's been decades and decades, and they still haven't figured out the answer. It has driven them CRAZY. I think that's why they sent Admiral Byrd to Antarctica. But they still could NOT figure out where they were coming from, and they never have in all this time.
The longer I've looked into UFOlogy (30+ years), this is one of the few remaining, plausible scenarios that would justify the magnitude of the coverup of UFOs and related phenomena, in my opinion. True alien life wouldn't have caused such a fuss for so long. I'm certain of it. Look at the history of human technological development. Submarines, satellites, spacecraft - tell me they aren't looking for something - for someone, beyond spying on countries we already know about. Tell me democratizing satellite imagery isn't a desperate attempt to crowd-source the problem. Tell me they didn't yolo AI in the last 10 years to help them figure it out.
So, to summarize:
Why cover everything about UFOs up and confuse everyone? Because it's people. It's humans of some hidden nation (if it helps, think Wakanda) on our planet. They are exactly like us, but they aren't involved in our politics. They don't meet with our governments. And they are doing... things. A Cryptohumanity. Located here, with us, somewhere.
P.S. I'm up late and this post is a bit rambly. I'm not drunk but it might help if you pretend I was when I wrote it.

Hi all,
I am a US citizen in the EU, been here since 2014. I have been working as an SAP Implementation Project Manager the past 4 years in a Fortune 5 company, and enjoy a pretty good work life balance and salary here.
Lately I've been considering what my long term future holds for me and the longing to do my flight training and join the airlines has been becoming stronger. I am fully aware that this may end up in a salary cut for the first few years but hey, this has always been a dream of mine.
Thing is, I am aware that if I were to follow this path, I would need to work at least 1, 2 years in my current field while doing my pilots licenses up to the point I can transition to being a flying instructor and be paid to continue building up my hours until I am ready to join the airlines. The EU is unfortunately not the place to pursue flight training or a job in the airlines, due to costs and the job market in the airlines. My company has a sizable presence in Houston so I did consider the internal transfer route - I've inquired within my company and it seems that transfers to the US are not done frequently, and would necessitate applying to roles there rather than requesting a transfer. As such, I need to consider looking for employment outside my current employer if I were to consider my options in the US.
I'd be interested to hear and know of resources other than LinkedIn where I can see what someone with my profile would be able to make in terms of salary in IT Project Management in the US, and what cities I can best consider for this. Also worth noting I've never lived in the US as an adult, so I have next to no experience with employment markets and working culture there. Is job hunting from here possible? Is someone with my profile (BA International Relations from top EU University, 5 years Project Management experience at a leading MNC, responsible for 7 figure budgets) even going to stand any chance in the current employment markets in the US? So many questions on my mind right now, but I'm just trying to define the most plausible path possible towards making my dream a reality.
The other side of the coin is that if it all goes tits up, I would very much like to return to the EU. I am currently in the Netherlands, and am eligible for citizenship here given how long ive been here, so i would basically be sacrificing my pathway to EU citizenship by chasing my dream. Conversely, NL does not allow dual citizenship so I would have to give up my US citizenship, which closes the door to coming back and doing flight training. Should it all go wrong, what pathways can I consider to come back to the EU? Are options like the DAFT treaty still available to people who have had permanent residency and lived in the country before, or are there any other countries that I can consider? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

On the night of 19th May 2023, I had this weird dreaming experience for the first time. I knew what Lucid Dreaming was, but never bothered to try it.
First, I have to say that sometimes I get apocalyptic dreams. Where I as a mute spectator will witness the end of the world, but in the very moment where the destruction approaches me, it feels very hot and then I suddenly wake up. In one dream, I was in a skyscraper, laying in a bed and there was a huge window where I could see the whole city. But suddenly I saw a very large meteor was falling on the city and I couldn't do anything, I couldn't wake up from the bed or shout. I could only breath and see the meteor falling. Then, there was earthquake and my bed vibrated vigorously. I felt very hot as the collision impact approached me and then I woke up all of a sudden.
But this time while lucid dreaming, I was again about to witness a apocalypse. Initially, it was a pleasant evening. As I was walking along a road, I saw the moon which was enormously large than usual. I came across a person from the opposite side and she mentioned the moon looks beautiful (in not so good English). But in the next moment I saw a giant planet nearby which had its own satellites, and the moon I was seeing was actually a satellite of that planet. Then my physicist brain thought, if our moon was replaced by such a big object then wont the earth collide with it. Suddenly, I observed that the planet became bigger and bigger. I got to know that it was earth which was being pulled towards it due to gravity. I thought earth will collide and its the end. But the trigger for my lucid dreaming experience was this action that I never did before in any of my previous dreams. I tried to pinch my hand and check if I was really dreaming. The reason for this action was because I saw a show the night before sleeping wherein an actress tried to pinch herself after seeing something weird. Coming back to my dream, I was pinching hard but didnt feel any pain. I realised that this is a dream. But I was not awake. The dream is still continuing. I knew that in lucid dreams the dreamer had full control, so I tried to take full control of the dream. First, I made the earth to escape the collision with the big planet and then earth got catapulted away from it. I was really happy about it. I wanted to take full advantage of my power. I was really fond of going to different planets, so I did. I dont know what planets I went, but they pretty much looked like a barren brownish place with big hills and boulders. I suddenly remembered blackhole. I always wondered what was actually in the singularity (centre part of blackhole where the entire mass is concentrated at a single point). So I flew towards a blackhole which looked like in the movie Interstellar. It was so huge and I went right into in the centre. As I went I didnt feel any gravity. It was me who was flying towards it. Then I went to the centre, where I couldn't see anything. It was dark and weirdly there were few walls, sort of like a maze. I didn't to get to see the singularity and I was disappointed. Then, I suddenly appeared in my B.Sc. college which had big buildings (5-6 floors) then I was flying on top of it going from down to top near the clouds and then dive down with great speeds. It was amazing experience.
Usually, I feel that if I had the same current knowledge and strength in my school days I could have done better and dealt properly with some people. In the dream, I saw myself at school and I had a phone with me. One of my school classmate called me and I went to the class to meet him. Then, my high school science teacher entered. There was no exact topic of discussion but I was topping it. Asked advanced questions and startled her and she was confused, how I knew so many things.
Then I suddenly woke up from the lucid dream because my younger brother who was sleeping next to me, kicked me. But I completely remember my lucid dream with all details and I am really elated after this experience. I wish to have better and longer lucid dreaming experience in future.

So i just moved into my new house and new room for around 3 months. Since the first week, i dont know why my room has alot of dust.
I can see alot of dust flying in the air. And my table, floor, pc, etc has alot of dust even though i clean them daily. Im planning to buy an air purifier (which is levoit 400s) but still dont understand why my room has that much dust. But i think maybe it comes from clothes and bed things like pillows. Since it looks like clothes dust but im not sure. My air-conditioner is only 3 months cause its new and i bought it since i moved into my new room and house. So im not sure if i should clean the air conditioner yet.
Should i spend money on the air purifier and what to do with my dusty environment?