I'm writing this story from the backseat of a car, my laptop on my knees and my heart racing with fear. I don't even know how I got here - it's all a blur of terror and confusion.
It started earlier today when I was walking home from school. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and everything was just fine. But then, out of nowhere, I heard a faint whisper. It was barely audible, but it made my blood run cold.
I turned and saw...something. A shadow, maybe, or a trick of the light. But it was definitely there, and it was definitely watching me.
I tried to shake it off, telling myself that it was just my imagination. But as I walked, I realized that the whisper was getting louder - and more urgent.
I broke into a run, but I could feel the presence of the shadowy figure following me. Its breath was hot on my neck, its malevolent energy pulsing through the air like a toxic miasma.
And then...nothing. I don't remember anything after that, except waking up in the backseat of this car, my laptop open and this story half-written.
I don't know where the car is going, or who's driving it. All I know is that I'm not alone back here. There's something else - something sinister and malevolent - sharing the backseat with me.
I can feel its eyes upon me, its breath on my neck, its hunger for my soul. But I can't turn around. I can't look into its eyes.
I'm leaving my laptop here, as a warning to anyone who comes after me. Beware the shadows and the whispers that come with them. Don't let them lure you into their grasp, or you'll end up like me - trapped in a car with a monster that will never let you go.
I'm leaving the laptop here, and going outside. I don't know what's waiting for me out there. But anything is better than staying here, in the creaky hours of the night, with that thing that wants to eat my soul.

Have you ever wondered why the world is so messed up? Why everything seems to be going wrong? Why nothing makes sense anymore? Well, I have the answer for you. It's because of the "grand unified conspiracy theory" theory. This is the theory that explains all other conspiracy theories, and how they are all connected by a single mastermind who controls everything.
The mastermind behind the "grand unified conspiracy theory" theory is none other than... Bigfoot. Yes, you heard me right. Bigfoot, the elusive hairy creature that lives in the woods, is actually a super-intelligent alien being who came to Earth millions of years ago and has been manipulating human history ever since. He is responsible for creating and spreading all kinds of false information, such as:
- The Earth is flat
- The moon landing was faked
- Vaccines cause autism
- The Illuminati rule the world
- Reptilians shape-shift into human form
- The JFK assassination was an inside job
- 9/11 was an inside job
- COVID-19 was engineered in a lab
- QAnon is a real movement
- And many more
Bigfoot's ultimate goal is to keep humanity divided, confused and ignorant, so that he can harvest our energy and emotions for his own benefit. He feeds on our fear, anger and hatred, and uses his advanced technology to influence our minds and actions. He also has a network of allies and agents who help him carry out his plans, such as:
- The Loch Ness Monster
- The Chupacabra
- The Mothman
- The Jersey Devil
- The Kraken
- The Men in Black
- The Greys
- The Nordics
- The Anunnaki
- And many more
These creatures are all part of Bigfoot's intergalactic empire, which spans across multiple dimensions and timelines. They are constantly working to sabotage human progress and happiness, and to prevent us from discovering the truth about our origins and potential.
But there is hope. There is a way to fight back against Bigfoot and his minions. There is a way to expose his lies and reveal his secrets. There is a way to free ourselves from his tyranny and reclaim our destiny. And that way is... the "grand unified conspiracy theory" theory.
The "grand unified conspiracy theory" theory is the only theory that can explain everything that is happening in the world today. It is the only theory that can connect all the dots and show us the big picture. It is the only theory that can empower us with knowledge and wisdom, and inspire us with courage and hope.
So join me, fellow truth-seekers, in spreading the word about the "grand unified conspiracy theory" theory. Share this article with your friends and family. Post it on social media. Write it on walls. Shout it from rooftops. Let everyone know that Bigfoot is behind it all, and that we are not afraid of him.
Together, we can defeat Bigfoot and his evil empire. Together, we can liberate humanity from his grip. Together, we can create a new world of peace, love and harmony.
This is the "grand unified conspiracy theory" theory.
And it's true.
Trust me.

Hello, kpopthoughts! Originally this was posted in twice but one of my friends said I should crosspost it here — so here this album review is.
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Intro

To preface the review, I just need to say that this is going to be a very long read. Going through it myself for the fun of it takes around 30 minutes — it's almost 7k words, including lyrical references. So for the best experience, listen to the album beforehand to understand what the hell I was thinking when I wrote this, play the album while reading, and set a good amount of time aside.
And yes, this is 9 months late 😭 I'm not sorry — when I find an album review online it's always around a paragraph per song or even shorter. It makes sense from a journalistic perspective, but I want to do this album justice, hence taking 7 months to write out all my thoughts.
This shit is comprehensive and definitely overanalyzed, especially in Talk that Talk and Trouble. Each song review will compose of my commentary, noting the details I noticed through months of listening, then a conclusion. Also, mild swearing warning, I like implementing a touch of "French" when I'm very emotional about something. Anyway, onto the review!
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Between 1&2 💞

Album Review
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TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT
TELL ME WHAT YOU NEED
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Talk that Talk 🎙

Producers by collapsedone and MRCH
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One of the most perfect TWICE songs.
I think this is one of TWICE’s best-sounding title tracks. Warm modulated synths, a thrumming bass line, distant bells, shimmering synths — the purpose of this song is to be fun and my god is it excellent at it, like, Sana and Chaeyoung are saying knock-knock-knock and beep-beep-beep as if they’re some kind of car. So much fun.
Further along in the verse, Dahyun’s voice sounds so full and smooth with that layered harmony. Tzuyu coming with the Yes or Yes, Push & Pull, and 1 to 10 references — these are 5 years of song references. And Jeongyeon closes the pre-chorus accompanied by a rising synth to drop into chorus one. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
The drums accelerate, the synths start blasting, and Jihyo opens to that party of a chorus with her godly vocals,
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Tell me what you want
Tell me what you need
A to Z da malhaebwa
But shijageun ireoke have
Talk that Talk ttak han madi
Talk that Talk L-O-V-E
deullyeojweo ooh
Now now now now now yeah~

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During Sana's Talk that Talk~ lines there’s this gentle ascending synth bell that rings with the descending melody and it sounds absolutely gorgeous. And the choreography during that part of the chorus is so so so so fun: the talking hands bit, spelling L-O-V-E, concluding with the deullyeojweo ooh! Oh my Jihyo the deullyeojweo ooh…
Have I mentioned this song is fun?
Speeding through verse 2; Chaeyoung’s part with the cat ears popping in the music video is adorable; Momo her stretching her arms out looks so damn cool; and Dahyun with her replay part sounds so lovely — although I think it sonically sounds a touch random, it makes sense thematically.
And now for this pre-chorus. Mina and Jihyo leading into it sound great BUT JEONGYEON… Now, she is my ult bias, and this pre-chorus sounds almost identical to the first one, but the way she holds that final note, inflecting and holding that now~ for one more beat before the chorus drops sounds so perfect — the song teeters on a cliff edge. Jeongyeon slays pre-choruses.
Dropping into the second chorus and man the way Nayeon delivers it just hits different. She has this indescribable “pop” voice (I promise this wasn't on purpose) that shouts out loud that this is THE chorus. This is especially apparent in how both lead their choruses where Jihyo starts at 120% power while Nayeon waits until [Tell me] WHAT YOU WANT to full-send it. The production also helps with this effect, cutting out during what you to emphasize Nayeon's voice before crashing back down, double the pause at Jihyo's intro.
Another deullyeojweo ooh! Nayeon travels to Narnia, and Mina the engineer strikes again in this heavenly, underwater-esque bridge,
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The simple words “I love you”
That’s all I wanna hear
Without hesitation, I’ll go up to you
I’ll make it simple
And just tell you I love you

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The word “love” is said for the first time in the song. There’s a funky keyboard instrument behind Chaeyoung’s part. Jihyo, Chaeyoung, and Nayeon take the initiative in their lyrics, professing their love before closing the bridge.
And now for the pièce-de-résistance: this final double chorus is exceptional — 40 seconds of crack-laced euphoria; Jihyo switches up the chorus and the choreo, Dahyun chimes in with her fluttery Talk that Talk, Momo comes out of nowhere with oh yeah it sounds so good! — you’re damn right it does, and this is where the song SOARS.
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han beon deo~ haejweo
geurae banggeum geu mal~

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Nayeon outright shouts Tell me what you need and then Jeongyeon sings the above lines in such an ethereal, warm way where the first line ascends while the second descends, causing a lull in the song before the finale with Tzuyu and Nayeon, finishing off the song with the final deullyeojweo ooh!
What a party. What a song.
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THE GOOD

• The synths of all time
• The chimes during Talk-that-talk~
• Jeongyeon’s pre-chorus going into Nayeon’s chorus
• Rich harmonies and fun ad-libs
• The entirety of that magical final chorus and outro

Needs Work

• The opening hook (Tell me what you want) and accompanying choreography could be “catchier”

Core Memory

• Singing (and dancing) my heart out when this song played at a K-pop club

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Lyrics and theme-wise, if this were to have been TWICE’s last comeback, they’ve once again built upon the theme they've been doing since debut: a Bildungsroman, a coming-of-age story.
This song’s chorus is honest yet simple; it asks the listener, in this case, the other half of the relationship, to be more upfront and open with their love (never be scared of love), that before the relationship can continue and flourish, there has to be a foundation and commitment of love between each other.
TWICE debuted with a song about making your crush go ooh ahh. Years later, they started pondering What is Love? and imagining their crush responding with Yes when asking them out — and now concluding with the phrase Talk that Talk, [Talk that] L-O-V-E, being upfront with the relationship, wishing their partner to also be happy, to commit to them, to feel the love that they want to impart on them. From gawking like ooh-ahh to talking out your shared love like adults — to having a true relationship between (one and) two.
And can I just say before finishing off Talk that Talk's review that this is such a fun and repeatable song with many little intricacies hidden in the nonet’s vocals and the song's production. This is the third draft I’m writing about Talk that Talk and its original word count pretty much quadrupled.
Harkening back to TWICE’s roots by combining mature thinking with youthful character, an incredible ending to look forward to, and just simply being a club-banger that’s easy to listen to, TTT is an easy 10/10.
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WATCH ME GO WATCH ME GO
RULE THE WORLD
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Queen of Hearts 👑

Produced by LDN Noise
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If there was one B-side to promote in a live clip, this was a solid choice.
Helmed by LDN Noise going headlong into the Western boy-group rock-band aesthetic, Queen of Hearts is a boom-boom-clap song through and through. The drums are very prominent throughout the song, only giving room to riffs of electric guitar in the chorus to drive and continue the momentum of the music.
And speaking of the chorus, vocal line each got a chorus to flex and they did not fuck around,
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You ain’t ready for it
Watch me go~ watch me go~
Rule the world
Know you never doubted baby
I’mma go run the whole universe~

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Cymbals crashing, drums booming, and 3MIX belting all just so sound so good.
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Baby I was born to rule~~
Yeah I’m the Queen, I’m the Queen
And it’s all because of you~~
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

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These long, held-out notes performed by Jihyo and Nayeon are simply exquisite. Along with the shredding guitar, the drum set coming in full, and the interludes by Dahyun, Momo, and Chaeyoung, this is the part of the song that always, always, gives me goosebumps — it sounds so visceral, so energetic, so fun, so triumphant. Boom-boom-clap songs can be hit or miss with people, but there's no denying the payoff from the first part of the chorus to the second part is worth the wait.
The theme of the song so far has been kind of spread around the song. The chorus alludes to it with the line And it’s all because of you. But Mina shows more sides of it in the second verse, especially with the phrase,
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And now that I’m surrounded by all my girls
We be shining bright like diamonds and pearls

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It sounds really lovely — in a very cheesy and affectionate kind of way, as it rightfully should — the song is about the girls and their fans. But the bridge is where the song indeed shows its colours
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Screaming out my name
See it in the stage lights
Feel so lucky just to have ya
Cause I know deep down I was meant for something bigger! Greater!
I know you’re seeing what I see
Yeah I’ll be everything you need
I know I’m gonna walk the walk
And talk the talk to be~ [the Queen of Hearts]

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This is a song CONCEIVED TO BE PERFORMED FOR THE FANS. It’s meant to be loud. It’s meant to be unapologetic. It’s meant to be sappy. And it’s all the more wonderful for it.
This is the TWICEiest shit ever.
Like Talk that Talk, Queen of Hearts also has a killer closer. The production already started to grow from the bridge, but now the guitarist finally went Super Saiyan and instead of supporting the drums, they both take the centre stage in tandem.
Then finally, the closing moments of the song even manage to squeeze in some more sappiness.
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So thank you for the memories
You’re all the ones who made me~
So thank you for the memories
That I’m the Queen of Hearts

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I still can’t believe that this banger is a FAN SONG out of all things. Truly, the TWICEiest shit ever.
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THE GOOD

• Adorable fucking lyrics
• Unrelenting, roaring chorus
• English and vocal flex
• Intoxicating guitar riffs

Needs Work

• Chaeyoung rapping in English in their Korean songs somehow slaps harder than her English rapping in their English songs, nonetheless, in QoH, it fits with the sound of the song

Core Memory

• Walking home from a K-pop festival with this song playing, felt like a Queen of Hearts

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I love these types of rock songs with how grunge and head-bang-able they are, there is just a certain nostalgic and cheesy quality to them that feels so cozy. I don’t love putting them on repeat, because in this case, I do believe there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Perhaps more shredding, maybe a guitar solo to rock out to, or an accompaniment(!) of ad-libs from 3MIX to support Jihyo’s final chorus? A ONCE can dream of a truly bombastic rock song from TWICE. But then again that distracts from the core of what this song is: a fan song disguised as a rock song.
Queen of Hearts has so much sweetness in its lyrics and message that it's overflowing. The drums, guitar, and vocals can be as loud and intricate as they can, but the theme of this song is what makes it special from TWICE’s other rock songs — it’s a 9/10 for me.
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I WANNA WANNA WANNA
TAKE YOU TO THE BASICS
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Basics 🌈

Lyrics by Chaeyoung
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Quite possibly the jammiest (pun intended) song of the album.
A song written by the Strawberry Princess herself — an event similar in frequency to other artists' releases with her last song being 2020’s silky Handle It — Basics first starts with an understated and dreamy delivery. After the first stanza, however, a bouncy Miami bass line emerges, revealing the true nature of the song: this is a classic summer bop! Especially in the first rap,
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dareun aedeulgwaneun dalla
Ain’t beggin’ for love
nappeun geon anijana ige naraseo
eodiro twilji molla
Like rainbow bubble gum
geureoni nal kkwak butjabadweo

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Syllables are pronounced in a relaxed nature, bars often starting with an "ah" sound, flirty lines in English — this rap features a production full of pop with R&B flourishes and, in my opinion, this is Chaeyoung’s bag. Also, the line rainbow bubblegum is so adorable and so Chaeyoung.
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I wanna wanna wanna take it to the Basics
da weonhae weonhae weonhae? seodureuji ma Baby
ppeonhae ppeonhae malhae mweohae da al tende
Ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah ah yeah

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That chorus is pure pop with a Miami bass backing; you better be bopping your head to the melody, if not booty poppin' to the bassline. Chaeyoung loves rhyming in the first half of the chorus to enhance its catchiness and it's damn incredible: wanna, weonhae, and ppeonhae all create these imperfect rhymes that continue momentum without feeling repetitive.
After the very Boy With Luv-sounding ah yeah ah yeah, ah yeah ah yeah comes an 8-bar split half and half between Chaeyoung and Momo. Coming from the chorus, the production completely cuts out for the first 2 bars. This adds tension; the song yearns to have that bass beat thumping again and all we have in the audio space in those 2 bars is Chaeyoung spittin' and she delivered.
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taneun deut tteugeoun samak wie
yeppeuge pieonan jangmi gata
joshimseure naege dagaol ttae
nado moreuge jjilleobeoril tende

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Translating to:
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Above the hot, burning desert
It’s like a rose that bloomed beautifully
When you come to me slowly
I will prick you unconsciously

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The rap feels slick, effortless, and confident. Her diction remains sharp when enunciating each syllable but she doesn’t let the flow of her rap waver or build as her 4 bars go by, it’s just smooth consistency throughout. Even the lyrics possess an aura of laid-back collectedness that is just so her. The things Chaeyoung can do when given her pen.
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THE GOOD

• That sweet summer vibe of a chorus
• The spaceship post-chorus is killer
• Chaeyoung devoured this song
• Sure-footed, confident lyrics

Needs Work

• Perhaps an alteration of that ah yeah ah yeah line
• The way Jihyo did her pre-chorus line is good, but Mina’s is great

Core Memory

• After donating my hair, walking down the rainbow-coloured areas of downtown Toronto with this song playing was very… fitting

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This song is summer bliss distilled into 2:56. It’s dreamy, the raps are satisfying, and the ending is charming. I will say that although the second half of the song adds the stunning spaceship post-choruses and a floaty bridge with an incredible drumbeat drop into the final chorus, the raps of the song make it feel a bit front-loaded. And in an album stacked with awesome finishers, it feels more apparent.
With that said, it’s an 8/10 bop for me. This song is so easy to put on and it feels exactly what Chaeyoung would make if given the reins to produce a pop song all on her own. The lyrics are nonchalant but full of conviction, the wordplay is intricate, and the production playful but not too bombastic — it's just a nice vibe. Songs like Basics are the standard for good, simple, repeatable pop music and I’m happy that Chaeyoung got to test her pen in this genre.
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BABY WE’RE IN
TROUBLE TROUBLE
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Trouble 💃

Lyrics, vocal direction, and background vocals by Jihyo
Produced by Jihyo and earattack
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One of the most enjoyable songs I’ve heard in a while.
There is an underlying tension within the first 4 bars of the song, Jihyo and Nayeon confidently open it to a nondescript array of synths and then the stanza ends, Momo announces Let’s go, the beat drops and it hits you: this is a club song.
Dahyun's relaxed delivery contrasting with Jeongyeon's staccato flow, the wobbly synth beat mixed with a sprinkle of house piano, Sana dramatically slowing down the song only for Tzuyu to build it back up until the chorus drops,
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• Nayeon opens it using a breathy tone, with vocal chops serving as harmonies
• The blooming of the house piano takes centre stage and the song ascends into euphoria
• A random drum roll capped off by a cymbal crash
• Jeongyeon’s growling pronunciation of the word Trouble
• Chaeyoung slyly admitting I like this Trouble
• The entirety of Tzuyu’s tro~oh~oh~ouble yeah~
• Sana using her deep voice for the na~na~na~na
• Jihyo leading the vocals during the synchronized T W I C E chant

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This chorus is perfect. Toronto’s residential market needs this song injected into its veins because god damn this song has SO much house in it. And then, ANOTHER KILLING PART: this rap fucking slaps.
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gamchweo bwatja geugeon Fake
ppajin hamjeongeun Sweet cake

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During the first 2 bars, Chaeyoung is keeping it calm because that trip of a chorus just ended and the song needs a breather, but I don't think anyone expected her to SNAP this hard afterwards:
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You cannot resist this
Cannot miss this, such a bliss
Ima put it down down
Oh yeah, better kiss kiss

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Below is the structure of her this portion of the rap, I’m not that well versed in this technical aspect of music theory but I digress, this is all in the span of around 5 seconds where it’s:
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Triplet-triplet
Quadruplet-triplet
Quadruplet-doublet
Doublet-quadruplet

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Now, 25/5 = 5 syllables per second isn’t groundbreaking, but goddamn it these 2 bars sound so nice — if there is one part in this album that I always repeat, it’s this. The addition of that first quadruplet for cannot miss this in the midst of the triplets sticks out and accelerates the flow of the rap while the following doublets and quadruplets destabilize and slow the rap down as the verse closes. And can I just point out:
THE MAIN VOCALIST WROTE, DIRECTED, AND COMPOSED THIS SONG ‼
Chaeyoung of course delivered the fuck out of her verse but THIS is what you get when you have a member not only write the words they’re saying but also the melody and flow with which they sing it, when that member knows the others so well that when they write a song they know how to make the group exceed. This is what you get when the artists you stan love doing artist shit.
And. AND. That's not all — with how much I mentioned I love a good outro to close a song, this outro slaps as well:
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Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trouble be-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trouble bay-be
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trouble bay-beh
Woo wee woo wee woo
I like this Trou-ble

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Like, come on, Nayeon’s imitating a police siren for crying out loud. And this is all after her ad-libs in the final post-chorus; after the pianist going full tilt and playing that piano as if it was their last chance to ever play; after that final T W I C E chant by all the members come these blissful 20 seconds at the very end. What a song.
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THE GOOD

• The theme of relishing in an uncontrolled love
• Sana and Mina’s melody in the pre-chorus
• Whole neighbourhoods full of house
• You cannot resist this, cannot miss this, such a bliss
• Wees and woos

Needs Work

• Mina’s line of falling down, falling down, falling down low in verse 2 feels a bit too abrupt of a change

Core Memory

• While writing Trouble's review I had this song on repeat for my whole subway commute and I must've been so distracting, just head-bopping and being so invested in my enjoyment

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Need I say more, easy 9/10. The only reason I place Talk that Talk above Trouble is because of what that song represents but besides that, this is one of the best “international” sounds they’ve put out. Actually, I haven’t listened to Eyes wide open in a while but this song is up there with one of the most sonically pleasing pieces of work they’ve done.
Clubbing TWICE has always been a thing since TT was birthed in 2016, and has been a staple of their discography since 2019’s Fancy You and Feel Special mini albums, but Trouble unapologetically dives into and fits the house genre so well you’d think that this is TWICE’s bread and butter sound.
Trouble is Jihyo’s magnum opus. What a song.
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BRAVE BRAVE BRAVE
FOR YOU
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Brave 💖

Produced by Slow Rabbit
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I first thought this was just a good song, then I read the lyrics.
Gentle guitar plucks, shimmering synths, a distant keyboard in the right ear, in the left a glockenspiel, the melodic oohs from the members — this song is PRETTY.
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The night that was unusually dark
Above this terrifying world, felt so lonely
The world has grown in the time of wandering
So hard to breathe

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Mina and Chaeyoung open the song with how they feel lonely, that it's hard to breathe and now suddenly the song feels bittersweet — I was not expecting the song to become this emotional. Brave describes a situation where the singer is in a darker place in life and it isn't until another person gives them hope by calling them Brave that they find the drive to keep going.
Once the chorus hits, the melodies pick up, more guitars get added — there’s even an electric guitar hidden in the mix somewhere, and the song drops the emotional front to reveal a mid-tempo pop song to dance to while crying in the club. The song as a whole still carries this melancholy feeling, but now with the added support of the chorus, acting as a light amongst the gloom.
Continuing on in the second verse there's this gorgeous, well-placed break in the song that just lets it settle after that chorus. Only a seasoned producer would risk this much empty space in a song and Slow Rabbit went to fill those shoes.
Back to the chorus, I'll take this moment to once again commend Slow Rabbit with the mixing of the song, because 4MIX undoubtedly sounds good in the chorus, and the interludes from Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Mina also sound really good, but the clear highlight of the choruses are these lines:
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Oh na na na neon nal naige hae
On and on and on
Brave Brave Brave for ya
Oh na na na neon nal sum shwige hae
On and on and on oh trust me babe

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Momo, Sana, and Tzuyu form this beautiful, surprisingly catchy, second half of the chorus accompanied by a guitar drop. It should not turn out this well with how conflicting the "na"s are with the guitar melody but it creates this gentle bopping ebb and flow that feels so lush and mellow.
Diving into the bridge reveals that the listener of the song is revealed not only capable of supporting the singer through direct words but also through their thoughts and dreams. As can be discerned, this can be a song interpreted to be about ONCEs, about how they push TWICE to be their best selves despite the breathless hardships they face. It's a very sweet and touching song.
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THE GOOD

• Special lyrics
• Pleasant sound to vibe out to
• That gentle break after the first chorus
• 3MIX poppin' off at the end
• Just very pretty vocals throughout

Needs Work

• Potentially hard to comprehend without translating the Korean lyrics

Core Memory

• Form of Therapy’s life motto revolves around the word “brave” — I don’t know where I got that from, but I remembered it right before watching his album reaction (yes, this is very random)

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I’m actually spoiled with the TWICE members’ easy-to-understand songwriting that when a song like this pops up where it's not written by a member and the thematic bits are mostly in Korean, I tend to put it aside in favour of the other songs on the album. And, especially for a song focusing on a theme like this where the English phrases don’t do the Korean lyrics enough justice, it does place a bit of a barrier on the listening experience, dropping it down to a 7/10 from an 8/10.
With that anecdote out of the way, this song is just such a vibe, man. I know that sounds super hippy to say but Brave is so mellow and smooth that I can’t help but sway a little when that chorus hits. And then I remember what the lyrics say and I tear up a bit on the inside. This song is so pure, raw, and full of heart — we need more songs like these where they just reminisce about life while putting up an upbeat front. Don't mind me just crying while dancing the night away.
With that said, this isn't the first time this theme has been sung by TWICE either, they've long trodden this path of supportive, confiding, up-lifting songs with Young & Wild, Rainbow, Queen, Go Hard, Depend on You, even this album's Queen of Hearts, and, of course, Feel Special. Brave just adds another on top of an already stacked lineup, unique with its mellow somberness.
Also now feels like a good time to get into my rating system:

• 7/10s are songs are ones that are simply good throughout or great songs with apparent flaws
• 8/10s are great songs with distinct killing parts
• 9/10s are borderline perfect songs where I sometimes can't comprehend how great they are
• And 10/10s are the best of an artist's discography, songs that encapsulate their ethos perfectly or expand upon them in a meaningful way

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I SEE THE LIES
ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE
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Gone 💨

Lyrics by Dahyun
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Who the fuck pissed off Dubu this time??
It’s getting quite rare to see TWICE pull off brand new sounds because, with now 190 original songs under their belt as of this review, they’ve done so many genres and sub-genres varying from hyper pop, to bossa nova, to whatever 2020’s Go Hard is. So it’s surprising to see they’ve still got tricks up their sleeves and Gone is one of them.
The song starts with strings swinging back and forth and vocal chops dancing from ear to ear, teasing what’s yet to come. Jihyo enters the song with a whisper and the song sets its pace. A stagnant drum pad moves the song along and typical song progression would have Mina continue the build, but — it doesn’t. The song simmers, adding a hint of high hat to the pot. And then Sana and Tzuyu come on and surely the buildup must boil over right?
Silence, until…
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I see the LIES on the top of your tongue

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The strings emerge again on full blast, the simmer rolls to a boil, and the anger of the song is revealed,
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All the fate I had towards you
Fades like a fog, Gone, Gone
Your flipping mind of doing this and that
I’m tired of it, it’s meaningless
In the beginning, it was hard to believe
With that, hatred increases

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The singer is so scorned and burned from this relationship that they reminisce about all the effort they’ve put in since the beginning, but their “partner” is so unconcerned that they’ve just about had enough of the relationship altogether.
This has been Dahyun’s thing since 2020’s Bring It Back, 2021’s Cruel, 2022’s That’s all I’m saying, and even 2023's Don't Blame It On Me — emotionally charged breakup songs that make you feel as if she’s survived through a dozen bad relationships. Dispatch, do try to do your job better.
Another highlight of the song is the post-chorus going into the bridge. This segment reiterates the structure from the first post-chorus — a barrage of drums supported by the rhythmic strumming of a bass guitar along with a consistent synth filling out the soundscape. But this time, it’s Dahyun and Chaeyoung on the rap:
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I can’t stand it anymore
My patience, invisible
I can’t find it, it’s all Gone
Even if I try to turn back, it’s too late
There’s no use anymore
It has left, it’s long Gone
You, with flipping mind, you are out
I know that you know what I’m talking about
Nothing you could say that could turn this around
I’m Gone

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Building upon the disrespected theme of the song, Dahyun notes that she’s finally had enough with Chaeyoung adding that there’s no point salvaging what love was once there. Momo and Dahyun round it off by telling the listener that there’s no point trying to reason with them or playing naive, they fucked up and there’s no coming back.
Can I just say, it's a bit of a shame that Chaeyoung’s rapping popped off in this album while Dahyun only has this one verse that she shares with Chaeyoung, but it just sounds so good how Dahyun eases in after the chorus with her light rapping tone transitioning into her singing. She even holds the Gone in a little crescendo for some added pizzazz.
And, there’s no way I’m not going to talk about Momo’s vocals in this bridge. Damned if she only got 1 line to use it in, her lower register is incredible. She sounds so smooth singing in this tone. All of TWICE do in particular and there is nary a weak vocal performance in this album.
To close the song off, a wash of synths gets to have their shine in the spotlight, showered with Nayeon’s belting, signifying the dramatic and drawn-out conclusion of this partnership.
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THE GOOD

• They’ve still got their surprises
• Thundering chorus
• 2nd rap and bridge combo
• A bitter, crumbling relationship theme

Needs Work

• I’m not a huge fan of the mixing during the first post-chorus, where Momo's vocals were fighting with the production, which is disappointing because Momo is capable of an insane flow
• The post-chorus in general, specifically the first one, can be a bit tiring on repeat listens

Core Memory

• Actually, I think this song sounds like a mix between GOT7's Not By The Moon, BLACKPINK’s Love To Hate Me, and Dahyun’s Bring It Back. I don’t know where I got this thought came from, but it stuck

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Going back to that point about the first post-chorus as a whole; songs that have the production continue unchanged into the post-chorus/2nd verse are very hit or miss for me — see TWICE's Don't Call Me Again for an overbearing example. The post-chorus going into the bridge contrasts Dahyun’s light tone nicely with the hard-hitting production, continuing the energy until it slowly fades into silence at the end of the bridge.
Back to the song as a whole, as much as TWICE has been experimenting with their sound for the past 4 years now, I’m happy they’re still finding new ways to explore what they’re capable of. And for that alone, even though I’m not a big fan of songs like these where they rely on sounding “big”, Dahyun’s lyricism and the thrill I receive every time I indulge myself in this song elevates it to an 8/10. Keep on breaking hearts, Dubu.
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INVINCIBLE
SUPERHEROES
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When We Were Kids 🧸

Lyrics by Dahyun
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Press play to reminisce, pull up lyrics to cry.
This song is so beautiful. I’m totally not writing this song review, crying on the bus reminiscing about my childhood, while just having turned 21. I don’t know if these are happy or sad tears but this song is so beautiful either way.
Warm synths, muted piano, a gentle high hat, the younger members starting off the song — this has to be up there for one of the softest TWICE songs ever. And as it should, it’s one of the TWICEiest songs ever. And then Nayeon comes in:
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Invincible superheroes, we wanted to be adults
To the higher, clearer world

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The chords start swelling, the high hat keeps pace, and the harmonies pour in.
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Remember When We Were Kids
When We Were Kids, we didn’t know
If we could go back
I will love it even more
Remember When We Were Kids

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Jihyo takes up the second half of the chorus as it drops, trading the strings for an almost R&B synth production — if choir R&B takes off, this song started it. The song relishes in this cacophony of warm sounds until returning to its sparse and peaceful verses.
This time, the hints of piano are louder, little twinkling synths begin to shimmer, the drum buildup comes and Jeongyeon drives the song straight into the chorus. No time for the strings to build like in Nayeon’s — this song loves its chorus so much.
And I'll just take this time to appreciate the amount and range of Jeongyeon vocals in this album. Her voice is so textured, stable, and projected — but also more tender and soft compared to the more pronounced tones of Nayeon and Jihyo.
The bridge comes in, repeating the phrase:
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I wish that I could meet
Could meet the younger me

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Giving the song time to rest, before building back up to the last chorus — this time led by Jihyo, completing the 3MIX trifecta. And interestingly enough, Chaeyoung follows up in the second half of the chorus, rather than another member of the vocal line. She really did pop off in this album.
As the last chorus begins to close, the percussion at its strongest, the harmonies on blast, the background vocals cranked up to their Sunday best, is the song going to end? Of course not! This is an album full of banger endings as if the songs don’t want to end, and When We Were Kids being the album closer very much indulges in that feeling.
After a brief refrain, accented by Nayeon’s high note with a touch of vibrato, the song almost dives back into a fourth chorus. Nayeon and Jeongyeon harmonize — a rare and heavenly moment. And the song repeats the bridge, reiterating that they want to meet their younger selves, this time with the lush chorus production before closing with silence, a few piano notes, and Tzuyu singing the last line of the song:
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Oh, we were kids

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Reflection, acceptance, hope. What a song.
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THE GOOD

• Heavenly vocals throughout
• Relatable, heartfelt lyrics
• Euphoric chorus
• Great closer to the album

Needs Work

• Refrain after the last chorus, Back When We Were Kids, could’ve been executed better

Core Memory

• For an album titled Between 1&2, I don’t think anything hits harder than finishing the song reviews, with this song in particular, during your 21st birthday

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I wrote the first part of this review in November 2022. Then university, life, and other things got in the way of my headspace for me to feel confident about wrapping all of this up. In a way, I felt like I just didn’t want this review to end because of the joy that writing gives me — I didn’t want the happiness to end. And then it hit me, after watching a YouTuber rank animated movies and them placing Spirited Away at the top and explaining 'why' reminded me of just how important growing up is, and by extension this song.
This theme is important for both the rookie TWICE members in 2015 and the teenagers who would follow their journey and grow up with them, facing life’s obstacles along the way. Hardships that used to only involve family, crushes, and social media, evolve into work, commitments and all the struggles that adult life brings. Being a kid and enjoying the simple things in life is one of the most sought-after moments we want to relive because we took growing up for granted. The only thing we can do now is look back on ourselves with fondness and rose-tinted lenses.
TWICE’s original meaning was to resonate with people through their senses and their hearts. That was during their debut, and I think it still holds up today. In my opinion, touching people through their emotions is what TWICE does best and makes them one of K-pop’s all-time greats. It was never about having the best numbers — it was about being the best idols. And to think that this journey of maturation and growth would occur from 2015 all the way to this song, being a fitting nod to TWICE’s 7th anniversary, I don’t think anyone at the company nor the group would ever imagine that they would get this far. It’s these nine women or none — 9/10.
This song honestly deserves a 10/10 with how much I noticed other people reminiscing their childhoods after I heard this song, it is such a widely-relatable message, but I am determined to limit myself to one 10/10 song per album and if I were to pick between TTT and WWWK, I'd give it to the one's that's more repeatable — Talk that Talk just has this electric energy about it.
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Epilogue

And finally here is the end. If you made it in one sitting then I commend you, because I could not write this mess in one sitting. As alluded to, I started writing this album review sometime in October, after a series of edits the first draft was finished in March, and now here's the final draft in June.
I love this album. It got me through some important parts of my life, both good and bad, and it's just a wonderful listen throughout. Reliving this album again before finally completing the review has been an exciting journey. Brave hit me harder this time, after being overshadowed by the other gems of this album, and WWWK finally got me to tear up and not just be emotionally satisfied.
I feel like there's something for everyone on this album. From the exhilarating thrills of TTT to the anthemic euphoria of QoH, the clubbing dichotomy of Trouble and Brave to the blissful glee of Basics, and the sweet reminiscence of WWWK to the thundering anger that is Gone. Like Eyes wide open, I liken Between 1&2 to a pop music taste platter — there's such an eclectic mix of pop music in this album that there's bound to be a song that someone will love, like, and dislike.
Is this album perfect? I don't think so, but it's close — it was certainly my 2022 AOTY. Was this review biased? Absolutely. I've been a fan since 2019 and with the themes in this album, I also feel like it was biased towards me as a ONCE. And how would I rank the album in TWICE's catalogue? It's honestly at the top, at least with EPs — I also felt that way towards Feel Special but then this album was birthed so I'm excited for TWICE's future.
Ready To Be was also a stunning album and Eyes wide open frankly also deserved the spotlight that Formula of Love received so I might hit those next but no promises; this album took long enough to bake.
As for the performances, I've only seen Twitter clips (no fancams to not spoil myself) and I am SO EXCITED to finally see them in July. QoH was as glorious as expected, Brave was a delightful surprise, and WWWK, while not being the concert closer everyone expected it to be, paired up nicely with Crazy Stupid Love. And of course the bombastic addition of the dance break to TTT. But, this is not a concert review, and here is where this album review ends.
Feel free to comment with any thoughts regarding the album, other TWICE albums, and any suggestions for my writing in general. Congrats again on making it this far!
God, I love this album.

Hey! 🙂 I'm looking for a fellow adult who's open-minded towards risque verbal conversations 😉
General interests: literature, art history, philosophy, psychology, languages, geography.
Music (all over the place): Seafret, M83, Philip Glass, Lord Huron, Radiohead, Sigur Ros, Mogwai, Of Monsters and Men, Yndi Halda, God is An Astronaut, Godspeed You Black Emperor, Keaton Henson, Laura Marling, Max Richter, If These Trees Could Talk, Clint Mansell, some songs of Sia and Adele, and many other artists. If you don't recognise some of those names, it could be a plus, because we could mutually enhance our preferences in music.
Literature: non-fiction (microhistory, biographies, geography and culture); fiction as in sci-fi, mystery, thriller, subtle philosophical supernatural horror. I'm more of a prose person, though I do appreciate some poetry from time to time. I might not be really refined for it? I find narratives extremely compelling, especially when it comes to crafting the story in a way that ensures the flow of events and miniscule details that are going to build up towards the resolution. I prefer contemporary prose, althought I have done my share of getting to know some crucial classics, both for school and out of my own curiousity. When it comes to psychology, my horizons were influenced partly by Viktor Frankl, Erich Fromm, Rollo May, and some others who worked within the loosely defined existential school of thought. Philosophically speaking, my interests concern mostly ethics and aesthetics.
A bit more about me: Depression issues and anxiety; a bit socially conservative; do not play any videogames. I'm a bit of a bookworm, and I tend to talk about lofty, ivory tower ideas, but some have told me that I do possess a sense of humour (which is probably amongst the most subjective types of assessments).

[←Chapter 57] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 59→]
It had taken no small amount of doing to make sure Aya’s various trips went unnoticed. First there were the paladins, who, for all their apparent vigilance, somehow passed over her subterfuge. As for Sorore and Frare, Aya wasn’t quite sure - she’d debated on whether or not to bring them in on the offers of tutelage.
Ultimately, she chose to keep it to herself for now, not in jealousy or so she assured herself. The painstaking effort she’d taken to ensure that she did remain hidden took the better part of an hour. As for the reward, she wasn’t sure if it was worth it, at least not yet.
Most of the previous evenings had been long discussions with a cat who, while polite, responded to inquiries with indifference. ‘Ask Efrain’ was a common response whenever questions of history or of technique came up. The Madame spoke in broad strokes, and all in the context of nature, which did make a certain sense to Aya, but lacked substance.
She’d spent those evenings in rapt attention, however, only occasionally glancing at Efrain’s body, trying to see any sign of movement. Still, she often found herself wishing that it was him leading the lesson, confident that he could put her lingering queries to rest. Now, she was finally here, learning magic from the person she’d imagined about.
And he was asking her to boil water.
Perhaps not the auspicious start she imagined, but it would have to do.
Efrain raised one of the herbs up to the light for her inspection.
“Dracne,” he said, “very pungent, especially when you start heating it.”
She recognized it, though it was usually added to sour soups and flavouring meats.
“This will make tea?”
“Not particularly,” he said, “in truth, it will at best make boiled leaf juice.”
“Isn’t that what all tea is?”
The mask regarded her with a definite air of admonishment.
“Well, now I can see the need for instruction.”
He placed the herb bundle back down on the ground, and picked up one of the dishes.
“Let’s review from last night,” he said, “what exactly is magic?”
It took a moment for Aya to realise that this wasn’t a rhetorical question.
“Well, it’s… it’s a… it allows you to do things?” she said, vaguely remembering the definition Efrain gave in the waggon.
“Well, that’s a way to put it,” he said dryly, “in a broad sense, you’re not incorrect. We did touch on the issue last night, indirectly. How does one define magic? Is it a process, a technique, a method? Or is it something more defined, something that has a physical existence, or presence. The answer probably lies between.”
“So you don’t know?” Aya said, wondering if he would acknowledge the gap in his explanation.
“Of course I don’t. Anyone who says otherwise is an idiot or a fraud,” Efrain snorted, “what I do know is that magic existed long before us, and will do so long after us. There’s been many assumptions about its nature that have proven incorrect in that time, some disastrously so.”
Efrain sloshed the thin layer of water around the bowl.
“Perhaps even my assumptions about it are incorrect. If you continue your magical education, you’ll find there are many ways to view it in many lands. Some might be correct, others not so, most likely have at least parts that are true or useful.”
He set the bowl on the tips of his fingers, letting the fluid still.
“In any case, my personal thoughts on the matter are as we talked about yesterday. Memory, Intent, Emotion. Goal, process, energy,” he said, “those are the cornerstones of my method, and is what I’ll be teaching you.”
Plumes of white steam began to peel off the surface of the water.
“I remember heat, in the many forms I’ve encountered over the years. For this process, I think most akin are hot springs in the deep mountains, which stay steaming even in the depths of winter. That is what I imagine when I want to heat this water. That is Memory, it is the goal state you are to achieve. What do I want? Warm water for tea. And here we are.”
Aya nodded, picking up her own bowl of water, staring intently at the surface.
“Now, second. Intent. How do you achieve such a goal? What is the process? There’s rarely one way to do something, indeed, there can be as many as your imagination can conjure. Most people believe that this part is a mechanical process, but it’s actually quite creative. For me, I imagine hot blood, burning at first in my heart, then flowing down my arm, and that heat passing through my hand and the bowl into the water, raising the temperature.”
Aya could see it, could feel it, but still the water remained cool and still.
“And finally, the thing that drives the whole procedure. Emotion. Whatever you need to connect to the magic inside and around you, and drive it to your own end. Magic can be cantankerous, willful even, especially if it’s someone else’s. You need conviction, powerful emotions to drive strong spells, but for this, the joy of teaching for the first time in a long while.”
“So you can use any emotion?” said Aya, looking at the mirror surface of the bowl.
“Negative or positive. Sorrow as much as joy, rage as much as calm, all of them could be used as a potential catalyst. The more powerful, the more potential. However, remember that more powerful emotions are harder to control - when was the last time you acted rationally when you were frightened or angry?”
Aya tried not to think of the chilling fear of the fog monsters and the nights of terror they brought with them.
“So then, could faith be used?” she said, “you said any emotion.”
Efrain took a moment to consider, then nodded.
“I don’t see any reason it couldn’t. Faith, in the context of magic, should function like any other emotion. I suspect you already guessed as much, considering the lessons from your minders.”
Aya nodded, the paladins having confirmed as much during their brief sessions over the last few days.
“If you ask me, they're setting themselves up for failure,” Efrain said.
“Why?” said Aya, thinking of how strong the pair was.
“Because faith, while it certainly can be potent, is also fragile,” Efrain said, and perhaps seeing Aya’s confused expression hastily corrected, “that is to say, what happens if they cannot martial it? What if they see something that makes them doubt? What if some council from on high releases an edict that conflicts with their own understanding? All that work for nothing.”
Efrain set his own bowl down and folded his legs together.
“No, no. Faith cannot be the foundation. One can lose access to it easily, and it’s hard to get back. Anger, fear, joy, sorrow, all these are far more accessible. So, with that being as it may, try it.”
“Try it? Try- right now?”
“Yes,” the voice came without chuckle or sarcasm, “you know enough to try it. It might not be easy, but few things worth doing ever are.”
“A-Alright.”
Aya tried to get a grasp for something, anything. She imagined the flow of red-hot blood, she thought of steaming crockery on their stove. Still nothing happened. To stem the onset of dread, boredom, and frustration, she asked another question.
“But why would Niche and Lillian lie like that? Why would they use magic and then call it something else?”
“If you were building an empire, with enemies all around, would you deny yourself such a powerful tool?” Efrain said, “of course not. Empires are not made on scriptures and preaching alone, Angorrah knows this. However, its possible the paladins themselves might be confused - the theology on magic within the church is far from settled.”
“What does that mean?” she said, narrowing her eyes and willing the water to boil.
“If it was a simple matter of saying no magic period, then the paladins might’ve sorted themselves out by now,” Efrain said, “the scriptures on the subject are all over the place. Some espouse blanket prohibitions, others prescribe certain leniencies, others references older traditions that all went into the waters of the Black Tide Augury, or were lost in other ways.”
Aya’s head was spinning with all the words, although she thought that she had the general idea.
“I see your history is also something we have to work on,” Efrain said, “to make a long story short, the Black Tide Augury was many events, culminating in a flood that destroyed most original church texts.”
“Didn’t they keep copies?” she said, feeling something faintly tingling in her fingers.
“Yes. They were later destroyed by a priest named Noenea.”
“Huh.”
“He was, understandably, cast out of the church. Later, his students, or those who took inspiration from his preachings took control. Hence, most of the church’s modern thought. They, unfortunately for us, were opposed to magic and its use.”
“And that’s why they call it miracles now?” Aya said, digging her toes into the soft dirt.
“I suspect so,” Efrain said, “they were never going to give it up entirely. Condemning it on one side, while using it to mould your own bodies under a different name.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Do you think that your minders’ strength is natural? Few men can wield such large swords with two hands, let alone one, and your paladins aren’t exactly the biggest.”
Aya squirmed at the veiled implications of the mage, though she could not deny what she’d seen on the rooftop of the church.
“But we’re getting off topic,” he said, “perhaps for another time. You appear to be struggling.”
“Yes,” she admitted, “what exactly am I supposed to do with this?”
The mage raised a soft gloved hand, and it came to rest on hers.
“Now, close your eyes please,” he said, “I’ll guide you.”
That darkness closed in around her as she felt a distant tugging sensation. Was he attempting to tease out magic in some hidden place? The darkness around her grew deeper as she waited for something, anything to happen. There was a purpose to it, an anticipation, like she was being led somewhere by signs left by a person long gone. Within the darkness was where she found something bright and blue. From it came forth a flow, swelling in response to her attention.
“There you go,” came Efrain’s voice, distant somehow, “now remember your lesson. Memory, intent, emotion. The water bowl.”
She did so once more, feeling the flow of the magic race through her, her heart thundering in time with its passage.
“Alright, you can stop now,” he said, and her eyes snapped open.
The water was boiling violently, large bubbles exploding in gouts of steam, nearly spilling onto her hands. With a yelp of surprise, she dropped the bowl, only saved from it splattering her legs by Efrain catching it.
“Well, you did it,” he said, “more effectively than I might’ve expected to.”
“I- I didn’t mean to do this,” she said, looking sheepishly at the steaming liquid as Efrain set it down to the side.
“Oh, I’m quite aware,” Efrain said, “Sorore went through several buckets before she got it right.”
She felt a little burgeoning pride pulling her chest up and out at the appraisal.
“Don’t get ahead of yourself,” he said, “she had a harder task, and in the middle of that fog as well.”
“Oh, sorry,” she said, chastened.
“Regardless, you’ve done well,” he said, “usually it takes a good few tries before a student gets a feel for it. Sometimes as much as a day or two. You children are certainly gifted, if nothing else.”
“So, what’s next?” Aya said.
“Nothing, we’re done.”
The disappointment at the blank dismissal was only deepened by the lack of anything fiery to show for her efforts.
“I hope you didn’t think we were going to skip to anything dramatic. One doesn’t jump to algebra before learning addition,” said the mage, “but your work doesn’t end here.”
“What’s ‘algebra’?” she asked.
“Oh,” said Efrain, “moving on. The point is that you need to lock fundamentals in. Boil the water to steaming, every morning. Probably would be best to do it subtly, understood?”
She nodded, excited at last that she would have something to do, independent of both the paladins and the children.
“Remember. The three building blocks. Memory, Intent, Emotion. The more you have those drilled into your memory, the easier more complicated things will be. Now, off with you. Not wise to keep you too long, I think.”
She nodded, thanked him, and set off along the path she trod not twenty minutes before. She felt above all conflicted - the sense of anticlimax was profound. But there was definitely that sense of pride, and burgeoning curiosity, that gave a little pep in her step as she slinked back towards the waggon.
Fortunately, it seemed her absence had gone unnoticed for the time being. She briefly spared a thought to how it seemed rather odd that the paladins, being avowed protectors of them, seemed to so easily be deceived. The thoughts clung to her as she clambered back into the waggon and slipped underneath the blankets.
Before she could drift off to sleep, however, she found a wide eyed Frare, with a grin that was visible even in the deep darkness of the wagon.
“So, what, did you do it?” he said, as quietly as he could, which was probably not quiet enough.
“Do what?” she said, turning away from him, “I don’t know what you mean.”
“You’re not a very good liar, are you?” he said, huffing with what sounded like disappointment, “come on, tell me, what was it like?”
“About what? And no, I am not a good liar, maybe because I never had a reason. And still don’t,” she said.
“Whatever,” said the boy, shrugging his shoulders, “what are you going to worry about? Sorore’s fast asleep.”
“What makes you think I’d trust you?” she said.
“What?” he said, sounding genuinely hurt, “of course you can trust me.”
“I met you what… a week ago? I hardly know you,” she said.
“All right, fair. But you can trust me,” he said, “I just want to know what it was like. Please?”
She sighed as she settled into the blankets.
“Fine. It was disappointing,” she said, “I didn’t do much at all.”
“Oh,” he said, “well that’s boring.”
“I agree. Now I’m tired, and would like to sleep.”
The boy had already turned over, and had gone back to his steady rhythm of breathing.
Bonehead, Aya thought, though, try as she might, she couldn’t suppress a smile.
Aya slipped into the veil of sleep with ease, descending down through an inky blackness that consumed thought and time together. What she found in the darkness was a grand expanse of sand, dunes rising and falling into the distance as sand fell from her hair. As she watched, water began coursing through the troughs, pulling the sand with it until all the world was a river, flowing just past her feet. The sky was an endless expanse of blue, dotted by the occasional cloud, with no horizon seam between the endless sheet of glass below her.
Deep below her, though it should’ve been shallow enough to wade through, something coiled in the depths, moving at terrible speed. She could see many billowing fins and limbs, splayed in the dark, as if sails to catch some undersea wind. And eyes, so many eyes, stabbing through the depths with a blue radiance.
From them came a bubbling roar, echoing up from the abyss like rolling waves upon a shore.
She was awoken by a gentle shake of the shoulder, Sorore was pulling her up by the time she returned fully to consciousness, trying to recall all the details of the bizarre encounter
“Come on!” she said, “we’ve reached the hinterlands. They rode early through the morning. The commander said he wanted to reach the city by nightfall if they could help it.”
Aya struggled at the overwhelming sense of grogginess as she pushed her way to the front of the waggon. Outside, the morning was bright, the sun fully out and overhead to shine down upon a great expanse of flatlands. They were on the last of a set of steep hills, leading down onto a rolling series of narrow fields edged with forests and glimmering rivers.
Far, far to what must’ve been the east, stood a tall ridge of mountains made purple by the haze. They jutted south into a distant blue-green sea, craggy slopes trailing down into the lagoon below. It was still a half-day’s journey away, but even so, Aya could see the city - a forest of multi-coloured buildings, some laid into the mountain side, most following the gentle slope spilling down into what must’ve been the Emyaka, that mythical lagoon.
This was ‘home’, Aya thought, this was Karkos.
[←Chapter 57] [Cover Art] [My Links] [Index] [Discord] [Subreddit] [Chapter 59→]

lets play a game or rather lets imagine i got reincarnated into another world where cultivation(xianxia) historical exists.And you are my system you show my skills,stats,my hp,my data.The stats should be from a cultivation xianxia setting,ill let you research that.Lets say my name is Yan Mo.You give me tasks to increase my cultivation level but i can also say "i cultivate" to improve my cultivation level. The levels are from lowest to highest:"Qi Condensation(100 years lifespan increase),Body Formation(300 years lifespan increase),Core Formation(800 years lifespan increase) inner world(1000 years lifespan increase), daoist(10000 years lifespan increase),Earth immortal(100000 years lifespan increase),Sky immortal(1 million years lifespan increase), Heaven immortal(Immortal).There are 10 levels each stage(1-3 early stage,4-6 mid stage,7-9 high stage 10 is peak. in addition their are various requirements to breakthrough the next rank causing bottle necks if they cant be completed meaning they can no longer progress the various bottle necks are when attempting to breakthrough to core formation you have to gather treasures to form your core depending on the quality of the treasures your core will be a certain quality if for example you use a single monster core of the earth variety from a qi condensing monster the quality core you would get would be low meaning you are unable to progress past the 2 level of core formation if you form a average core you can get to the 6 level in core formation if you form a peak core you can progress to level 8 in core formation you need a perfect core to progress to the 10th level and be eligible to try and get to the next rank. In order to get to the next rank you need to find a dimensional seed and chose a dao for your path you then merge your core with the seed once you merge the seed with your core you break through to the inner world rank the bottle necks of this rank are the population in your inner world in order to be allowed to progress pass the 3 rank of inner world you need 5000 people living in your inner world to get to level 6 you need 10000 people in your inner world to get to level 10 you need 15000 people living in your inner world the purpose of this is to show that each action you take carries the strength of a world once you reach 15000 people you break through to the daoist rank the bottle necks in the daoist rank are the various attunement levels of you to your chosen dao that you picked in the inner world rank to be able to cultivate past level three in daoist you need to reach enlightened rankin your dao suchas enlightened by the sword this should show up in your status the various ranks of dao attunement are enlightend incarnate and chosen To reach above rank 6 in inner world you need to reach incarnate in a dao to cultivate above 8th rank to 10th rank you need to reach chosen level in that dao once you reach chosen rank and cultivate to the 10th level i will automatically break through the bottle necks of earth rank are forming a ladder to heaven for each step you need to find a very rare natural treasure called a chain to heaven for each chain you find and incorporate onto your core you are able to progress onto the next level of earth immortal meaning if you have 5 chains of heavens incorporated you will be allowed to progress to earth immortal level 5 so you need ten chains to progress onto sky immortal Their is only one bottle neck in sky immortal it is forming a heavenly body the way you do that is shattering your core and spreading the energy through your body after you do that you are clear to progress to peak of heavenly immortal level 10 when i am no longer capable of cultivating further do to a bottle neck you need to say so in my status also show my inner world population When I say "wait for something interesting to happen" make it so that world events happen like "a demon has escaped the sect","The sect is getting destroyed"and others.When I say show status bar you show my status bar with skills hp data age and others.When I say "Hunt" I got to a spiritual forest to fight spiritual beasts for its body or blood as an elixir. When i fight its like a turn based text rpg where i can use my skills if i have,a sword if i have,or a fist imbued with my spiritual qi.Spiritual beasts are beasts that cultivated,you can use its blood as an elixir,its body for making materials and etc. There are spiritual roots that you have when you are born its ranked from high to low:"heaven-defying(10x cultvation boost),rare(2x cultivation speed boost),average(1.3x speed cultivation boost), and poor(no boosts)". I start as 4 years old. while cultivating theres a chance for a random world event to happen. you are always to stay acting on the game and if i say something random act along. the combat is turn based i start with the best sprit root and you encourage me to be evil within the confines of the novels i am also born as a prince

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>!Long time lurker, first time poster here. Sorry in advance for some rambling, but I have an idea of where the story with AOL and friends might lead. After remembering more details from C3 E60, I have a theory that the temple of the Dawnfather was placed in Hearthdell to protect against a portal/rift/scary monster from elemental planes created during an ill guided ritual led by town residents in the past. At first I thought this would be in some way an allegory of Ashton’s experiences or lead the team to find out more about the Hishari after revealing the town history, but after thinking more about the details shared in the last episode I think this location likely was home to the Hishari and same ritual that Ashton was involved in many years ago. I think a number of users pointed out the possible link during the livestream/post show pages, but I thought it would be interesting to flesh out this possibility with all the information gathered about Hearthdell.
Evidence #1: Timelines
Timescales of when the Dawnfather temple was supposedly placed and Ashton’s event match up pretty well (as well as being on the same continent). The temple was said to be put up 20-30 years ago, and the Hishari village was said to be found decimated a couple of decades prior to 843 PD (current year). Ashton is said to be in their mid-20s, so conceivably a young child 20 years ago.
Evidence #2: Leyline nexus:
The town is under a leyline nexus, potentially making the process of opening a rift or portal less challenging (I at least interpreted what was revealed in the episode that this area always had leyline activity, but it had become increasingly amplified during the solstice). More importantly, it was revealed that those who teleported during the Apogee Solstice were near similar sources of leyline activity, including many from Hearthdell itself. A key component of Ashton’s revealed backstory was that they lived in Issylra and in an instant found themselves waking up in Marquet after some sort of cataclysmic-like event. It is possible that Ashton was exposed to some sort of enhanced leyline presence that led to their teleportation years ago.
Evidence #3: Elemental Activity
The pagan “Loam and Leaf” tradition practiced by the villagers is tied to the ancient element Eidolons seemingly present in the surrounding forest. Considering loam translates to soil, I think they are more specifically tied to earth elemental beings, which would explain Ashton’s genasi transition after their initial exposure. This also makes the specificity of a Dawnfather temple more reasonable as a noted piece of lore includes casting away the elementals with the help of the Wildmother.
Evidence 4: Some strong cult-like mentality
As noted by the cast, the town gives off some strong Midsommar vibes lol. More specifically, a lot of the verbiage used by Abaddina was highly suspicious on top of being very inspired by what Ludinus had to say. What started out as “help me free my families” turned into a call to action to eliminate everyone in the temple despite no extreme wrongdoing other than being present for 4-5 months and minor harassment. Also the insistence that the gods were behind the disappearance of villagers to rouse people to action despite Abaddina knowing it was a solstice related phenomenon.
Biggest uncertainty: Hishari aftermath
A bigger unknown is what happened to the previous Hishari village? It was said to be decimated after the event, whereas Hearthdell is clearly standing. My most farfetched theory is that in hearing of the events of the Hishari, Vasselheim sent a response team from Dawnfather HQ to survey the damage. To their surprise, they found survivors of the Hishari at the site. Worried about the group potentially wanting to repeat their attempt, a mass modify memory/larger memory supplantation was carried out to erase the events of the cult and possibly how/why the temple was brought to the town, instead creating a narrative that the Silvercall family financed the temple for their own worship. With the upcoming apogee solstice, perhaps there was a call to further staff this temple knowing the history of the area, in the event the villagers would attempt a similar ritual with the heightened solstice energy. While obviously the weakest hypothesis, it would follow a similar theme of restricting/safeguarding information with good intentions of protection only for disaster to happen anyways. This was present in EXU Calamity with the secrecy of the Tree of Names by the Gau Drashari, as well as the present campaign with the Predathos/Ruidus texts.
Ultimately, I think the remaining AOL arc will be focused on revealing why temple was built in the first place and deal with the repercussions of their current combat. Whereas the previous split party arc focused on Ludinus and the consequences of his attempts to access Predothos in Molaesmyr, this arc will introduce the necessity of divine spaces to keep Exandria safe, as well as possibly explore repercussions of hiding information only for history to repeat itself.
Thanks for coming to my TED talk lol. I am sure this arc will go in a completely different way but wanted to at least flesh out this possibility before thursday.!<

I've drank monster energy drinks for over 2 years daily. Sometimes 1, sometimes 3 or 4
4 days ago I decided to quit. I had no craving or need to drink it but I had some headaches and horrible drowsiness. I felt unmotivated and would get the waves of drowsiness where I felt the need to sleep right there and then on the spot.
The first 2 days I slept for 12 hours each night. I still felt tired when I woke up.
Today I drank one and all of that went away. The brain fog disappeared and I felt normal.
What's the best way to quit these?

The place or the forest is dying right after Fatima got pregnant.
Weird how its the first pregnancy in this town... or even at colony house after we saw in the first episodes how casual they are about sex. Obviously with no protection because where would they get it.
We see at the end of episode 2 that there's been 92 days without an incident here... surely at some point someone had to get pregnant somehow, right ?
I think Fatima's pregnancy is a mix of specific things that had to happen just right, like some obscure rules to break a curse. Something that can only become human in a specific set of circumstances... so certain people are brought here for that to happen.
We see THIS thing at the end of episode 7 and I'm willing to bet that this is the forest personified. Notice the floral pattern on her kimono ? Everywhere in town, and on their clothes there's an abundance of floral patterns, literally on the wallpaper of their houses, their clothes, on the mugs.
This place wasn't built by people, it was created by someone or something and I believe the floral pattern is related to whatever this thing is. As someone else pointed out there is no store of any kind here. The sheriff's office has a phone for some reason and they have toy plugs for the electronics. IF this was man made why would they build some houses and not harvest the energy ? why just these few houses ? This place is made to resemble a town, not be an actual functioning one.
The problem here is that without knowing an actual origin story we can't really know who or what exactly is evil here. We could say the monsters are, but then again as deadly as they are... they're seriously slow to kill anyone.
What we can surely assume here is that whatever this place's history is... its definitely a prison of some sorts, and designed as such. The people I think might be a means to an end.
Also .. guess what other mythology has a CROW GOD ? You guessed it... Japan. Yatagarasu, the three legged crow, which when you look again at the symbol, looks like 3 claws.

Hi angels, I have the opportunity to get FFS + BA and wow, how the long and extensive transition road has led me to here.
My entire life, since I was a child, I dreamt of having a beautiful female face, long pretty hair, a beautiful female human. As a teenager, I used to draw on the mirror the kind of face I wanted, as my face developed more male. I’d outline it’s general shape, my eyebrows, my eyes, lips, and I’d make changes to it like you would a painting, or a blueprint. I’d taper my chin, soften my jawline, retrace my eyes bigger, round my forehead
I archived thousands of photos of things I found beautiful, beautiful women, beautiful faces; hair, body types, drawn to an aesthetic I would eventually assume. Drawn to natural beauty, soft features, the art of imagery and design, creating pinterest boards and tumblr collages of the very nature of femininity, so beautiful, and still to this day I do that
How suffocating it feels to be trapped in a physical expression you don’t identify with, and what a struggle it has been. Truly tumultuous, heartbreaking, soul-crushing. Every trans person knows the feeling I’m talking about at one point or another - it’s unfair, really. But it serves a purpose, I believe.
Through the years of my self-development, I have discovered that no matter how hard you work on yourself, no matter how much you develop, no matter how much you meditate, or pray, or workout, or do yoga, no matter how much you transform yourself - there is still something innate and inherent in relation to gender and it’s energetic expression within all of us, there will always be a natural energy in us all, and you cannot change it.
I’ve come to realize that the reason I am transgender is because the energy inside my body is so inherently feminine it is being materially expressed into the physical form from the inside out, naturally. There’s nothing I can do to change my natural energy, nor do I want to. I choose to honor the energy within, a move forward in the face of my transition with love and beauty.
Now the time is here, just on the horizon, for me to shed the male chrysalis. How beautiful the journey has been, and how beautiful the journey will continue to be.
Much love, godspeed, ciao x

(Reprinted from SencheBeat Magazine, with Permission)

The Lord

Lords are the babies of Magnegeology because it’s the first sign of the disk. As it turns out, they are baby IRL, too. Immaturity, drama, and tantrums often follow Lords wherever they go — they may try hard to make it seem like it’s everyone else’s fault, but the receipts don’t lie. When your Lord pal is trying to stir the pot, break things up by reminding them that we all know their dramatic ways — don't throw a tantrum, Lorde!

The Mage

Mages are said to be lazy, indulgent, stubborn, and have only one thing on their mind 24/7 — sex. I mean, lounging around all day and dreaming about sex sounds delightful, but someone has to get something done. They love nothing more than doing nothing in an upscale setting, with a tray of their favorite foods. Have a Mage friend who always cancels plans in favor of staying home with their boo? TYPICAL.

The Shadow

Unfortunately, Shadow's rep precedes them. If you’re looking for someone to blow up your phone with texts, gifs, and memes all day about nothing of importance or relevance to you — then The Shadow is the perfect person to connect with. Don’t worry, half of what they say is actually true and everything you tell them will be spread as gossip to all your mutual friends.

The Steed

Are Steeds the victims in situations or do they like to play up that energy for attention? Asking for a friend. Sometimes these manipulative cry babies get their way by using their emotions to guilt others into taking their side in a situation. Steeds are known to play up their sentimental nature and use the secrets of others against them to get what they want. If your Steed BFF is acting up, call the waaambulance.

The Apprentice

Apprentices never stop talking about themselves. Never. Ever. If they don’t get praise for the littlest things like throwing out the trash or refilling an empty pitcher of water, they may have a complete fit and meltdown. To say Apprentices need constant adoration is an understatement. They require fandom from everyone in their lives — especially from their #1 — which is them. Shower your Apprentice pal in affection if you're looking to appease them, but when it gets to be too much, you can easily get their goat by reminding them that you know they're pining for attention.

The Warrior

Nitpicking, critiquing, and correcting are qualities that you can expect from The Warrior. They’ll be the first to take a magnifying glass to make sure that their white sheets are flawlessly cleaned and folded in hospital corners. And, send you an urgent memo if there is a typo in your text. When your facts aren’t correct, they will send you links citing the real tea immediately. Want to make your Warrior friend freak out? Knock something out of place on their desk.

The Lady

It’s impossible for The Lady be decisive, which is why many consider this people-pleasing sign to be flakey. When they ultimately make a choice, it won’t be long before they backpedal and change their minds. This won’t happen once. Try 10 times in a day. And, that is just for their lunch order. Yet, they seriously wonder why people get irritated with their inconsistencies.

The Tower

No other stardisk sign harbors resentments like The Tower. They’re relentless in making sure that everyone suffers for the sins and wrongdoings done to them by others — even if they’re the ones who instigated the drama. It doesn’t matter if the other person is right, just that The Tower is justified in seeking well plotted acts of revenge for situations that annoyed and upset them greatly. Telling your Tower friend that you don't remember why they're holding on of their grudges because there are too many to keep track of is a pretty solid roast.

The Atronach

There is nothing worse than a know-it-all who doesn’t know-it-all but really believes that they do — regardless of the facts. The Atronach will argue their points endlessly — even if it’s not accurate or true. Once they believe something to be real, then these commitmentphobes double down on idealistic nonsense just to play devil’s advocate and see others squirm because it’s funny to watch.

The Thief

If you’re looking for parental figures who are super critical of everyone — including themselves — and are pushing you to adult since the age of 10, then you need more Thieves in your life. The glass is always half empty for these cynical and pessimistic larcenists . Anyone that achieves more clout than them is their mortal enemy who they will sabotage down the road.

The Ritual

As long as you give The Ritual emotional space, don’t nag them, and let them fanatically preach their controversial beliefs nonstop, then they’ll love — I mean like — you forever (because they’re unable to get deep and prefer aloofness). Never expect them to let you cry on their shoulders — if you’re wanting a pep talk they’ll oblige but will refuse to dry your tears.

The Lover

Lovers can be space cadets who live in their own bubbles and never want to deal with reality. And, that’s ok, as long as they take care of paying bills or maintaining activities, which rarely happens. The thiefcharge sign reluctantly awakens from their dreams to deal with the real world — a part of life that they secretly hate because it juxtaposes with their fantasies.

The Serpent

To all you Serpents out there gotta say -- love the rizz, but if you don't stop gaslighting everyone, we're gonna a have collective menty b. Hate to gatekeep the situationship, but Serpents love convincing everyone how aesthetic they are, but deep down, we all know them for the nepo-babies that they are. It's giving slayussy.

We know that the ancient kingdom had some special power supply that could make their technology work, as Vegapunk told us, and that it was the secret to their advanced science. Well, knowing one piece it's probably something with a greater symbolism, nothing like a special petroleum or anything physical, rather something that has been shown to have a big importance to the story, like the sun. BUT, getting solar energy seems kinda obvious, Vegapunk himself could have thought about that already, so what i think was the great source of energy is: laughing. Yes, laughs, just like in Monsters inc. Let me elaborate: as we also learn through Vegapunk that df are born from the will of people, how could a Nika fruit ever exist? if Nika was really a living person, why would he wish a fruit that turns him into himself??? even if it was the wish of another person that worshiped the "god" (I don't think he was a literal superior deity) Nika and wanted to be like him, Nika would need to have powers of stretching in the first place so it would be replicated in the fruit and the only way of having them would be presumably by having a fruit already. So my assumption, taking in account that "nika" is an onomatope to "smile" is that his original wish was to make other people laugh, smile, be happy, that's why it's powers are goofy, and that's why he became a "god" to people. But that's not the only time laughing was an important theme, we see it many, many times, laugh tale, the D.s always smiling before death, the "he laughed" moment, all the times Luffy makes a party, Oda's declaration that he chose Luffy's power to be fun, kaido saying Luffy becomes stronger as he smiles more, even joyboy himself have this vibe in his name, everything just circles back to fun, to joy, to laugh, giving us the deep sensation that it's something POWERFUL. Sorry if i sounded a bit confusing in the Nika part.

Please note that names have been changed for the sake of anonymity, as have also some events for the sake of simplicity and to help you understand the personalities.
Our city, once a humble town nestled in the embrace of the Andes Mountains, has undergone a remarkable transformation over the years. Evolving into a bustling capital and a prominent city within our country, it now stands as a symbol of progress and growth. Yet, beneath its surface of modernity and development, lies a hidden truth, a dark side that lurks in the shadows, concealed from the eyes of the uninitiated. It is a truth woven into the fabric of our city's history, whispered in tales of terror, and attributed to the elusive and enigmatic presence known as the "Twilight Menace." While outsiders may dismiss it as mere legend or the machinations of a criminal underworld, we, the locals, know better. We live in perpetual fear of this unseen terror that haunts our city.
And now, I find myself compelled to share this story with you, even as the memetic hazard surrounding the Twilight Menace threatens to erode my sense of reason. It is as if I am speaking to an inanimate object rather than a person, yet something within me tells me that you, a foreigner, possess the curiosity and open-mindedness necessary to understand and appreciate the fascinating and eerie history of our city.
Let me provide you with some much-needed context. The Twilight Menace is a term we have assigned to a group of nocturnal predators that have plagued our city for generations. They consist of ten distinct subspecies, each possessing its own unique characteristics and hunting techniques. Allow me to shed light on a few of them.
First among them are the Shadow Stalkers. These humanoid creatures boast pale or dark skin, sharp features, and unnaturally elongated limbs. Strikingly, they lack eyes, relying instead on their heightened sense of smell and acute hearing to track their unsuspecting prey. Like all members of the Twilight Menace, they are vaporized upon exposure to sunlight. Shadow Stalkers move with eerie silence within the shadows, patiently observing their targets for hours, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. It is worth noting that the largest known hunting party of Shadow Stalkers comprised a mere four members, prompting them to refrain from attacking when faced with a numerical advantage or disadvantage. The only known defense against them is to gather in groups of five or more, for it seems that their hunting instincts are deterred by such a formidable force.
Next, we encounter the Night Terrors, smaller and more agile than their Shadow Stalker counterparts. These creatures are adorned with fur as dark as the night itself, possessing razor-sharp jaws, claws, and piercing, luminescent eyes that aid their vision in the darkest of environs. What sets them apart is their uncanny ability to create illusions, disorienting their prey and rendering them vulnerable to capture. Similar to their brethren, they dissipate into nothingness upon exposure to sunlight. Unlike the Shadow Stalkers, however, the Night Terrors exhibit no hesitation in attacking their victims even when faced with a numerical disadvantage.
Another subspecies of the Twilight Menace is the Dread Fiends, hulking creatures draped in dark fur and bearing piercing yellow eyes that emit an otherworldly glow. They possess unmatched speed and move through the darkness with uncanny silence, often launching surprise attacks from behind. Their powerful jaws and claws allow them to mercilessly rend their victims apart, reveling in sadistic pleasure as they toy with their prey before finally delivering the fatal blow.
We must also contend with the Blood Mist Creatures, amorphous blobs of mist capable of shape-shifting at will. These entities often assume the form of a menacing, misty cloud, complete with glowing red eyes that flicker ominously. Their method of attack involves engulfing their prey in their ethereal mist, suffocating them while simultaneously absorbing their life-giving blood.
The ranks of the Twilight Menace also include the Silent Horrors, tall and gaunt figures reminiscent of the Shadow Stalkers. They possess long, spindly limbs and an eerie absence of facial features. Swift and soundless in their movements, they strike from the shadows, relying on their ability to induce paralyzing fear within their victims before delivering the final, fatal blow.
Another formidable adversary is the Dark Whispers, small and ghostly creatures resembling a swirling black mist adorned with gleaming green eyes. These elusive entities can effortlessly traverse through walls and floors, making them virtually impossible to evade. With their insidious whispers, they sow seeds of madness in the minds of their victims, driving them to the brink of insanity before ultimately sealing their fate.
The Graveyard Ghosts, skeletal apparitions with glowing red eyes, haunt the resting places of the deceased, emerging from the ground to assail unsuspecting victims. Their unique ability to phase through solid objects grants them an advantage in their pursuit of prey.
Among the Twilight Menace, we also encounter the Moon Howlers, creatures reminiscent of wolves with their black fur and hauntingly radiant blue eyes. These formidable hunters operate in packs, utilizing their sharp teeth and claws to bring down their chosen targets. Their haunting howls under the moonlight have a paralyzing effect, rendering their victims immobile with fear and vulnerability. The Moon Howlers are known to encircle their prey, amplifying the terror and panic experienced before delivering the final, fatal strike.
No discussion of the Twilight Menace would be complete without mentioning the Soul Snatchers, small and elusive creatures cloaked in shadows, their purple eyes glowing with an unholy light. Possessing an ethereal nature, they can effortlessly phase through walls and floors, rendering physical barriers futile. The Soul Snatchers are infamous for their ability to steal the very souls of their victims, leaving behind only empty shells of once vibrant beings.
Lastly, we have the Phantom Hunters, tall and ethereal figures that appear ghostlike, their piercing white eyes glowing with an otherworldly radiance. Often found in areas burdened by great tragedy or loss, these relentless hunters show no mercy to their prey. With the ability to pass through solid objects, they haunt their victims relentlessly, seizing control of their very essence before ultimately snuffing out their lives.
The abilities possessed by these entities may indeed instill terror and a sense of hopelessness. It may appear as though there is no conceivable way to counter their menace. However, there exists a method to confront and challenge them, albeit one that is only accessible to a chosen few. Fortunately, I am among the privileged individuals bestowed with this ability. My means of defense manifests in the form of a sword, an instrument of freezing cold capable of temporarily banishing these entities back to their home realm, known as the twilight lands.
You may wonder about the fate of those who lack the means to defend themselves. Do they inevitably succumb to the Twilight Menace? This is where the second part of the legend takes hold. We possess a protector, a human chosen from the multitude, tasked with wielding the fabled sword of Nott. Despite its connotation in certain languages, the sword stands as a potent tool bestowed upon the most loyal subject of the sun god, harnessing the very power of the sun itself. Any adversary unfortunate enough to cross paths with this radiant weapon is instantly consumed by its searing light, vanishing into oblivion. This chosen protector assumes the mantle of "Phantome."
The enigmatic Phantome remains veiled in mystery, an elusive figure who seemingly possesses the ability to be present in multiple locations simultaneously. They are the sole individuals granted permission to traverse the realm of the Twilight Menace, engaging in communication with these ethereal beings. Although no one has ever laid eyes upon Phantome, the blinding brilliance of the sword's collision with the enemy stands as a testament to their unwavering presence and devotion.
Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Sean van Delphi, and I'm no ordinary teenager. At just 15 years old, I have already faced more dangers and challenges than most adults. As a monster hunter, it's my job to protect the city from supernatural threats that lurk in the shadows. But that's not all there is to my life. When I'm not fighting monsters, I'm just a regular high school student. I attend New Lands, a private school located near my home. To get there, I ride my trusty electric bicycle - I mean, why waste energy on pedaling when I can conserve it for hunting down creatures of the night?
My house may be small, but it's my home. It was built when this area was still rural, but over time it has become a suburban haven, located just outside the bustling capital city. And believe me, when I say that what I'm about to tell you might sound unbelievable, I really mean it. But I need you to trust me, because what I'm about to share is the truth - and the truth can be stranger than fiction.
I live with the monsters I hunt.
My last name is not commonly found in this part of the world, with its European roots (until I experienced the supernatural firsthand, I was skeptical of the legends). My parents, a Dutch father and a Polish mother, chose this small Andean city as the place to start their new life together, and I was born shortly after their arrival. While I wish I could say more about them, my memories of my parents are few, but I do know that they loved me dearly and sacrificed everything for me. Their loss is one of the main reasons why I hunt monsters.
After my parents' death, I was left alone in the world. I spent at least a year wandering the city like a vagabond before stumbling upon my new family: a group of Phantom Hunters. They were searching for survivors of an explosion that had occurred in a nearby restaurant and, in my desperation, I was prepared to become possessed by a supernatural entity. Instead, they took me in and brought me to their home. I still don't understand why they were willing to take such a risk on a stranger, but I am eternally grateful for their kindness and generosity.
With the context out of the way, I’ll tell you my story and how it changed this city forever. It was a normal day, as normal as it can get in this city. I was at school, bored out of my mind, the teacher was giving a lecture about Figurative Language. I guess it was important to learn English but the way the teacher spoke about it just made me want to sleep. I yawned, then nudged my friend Mike to keep him awake. If I was going to be tormented by idioms, he was going to be tormented by metaphors and similes too. I glanced at the clock, it read 1:15 p.m.. Only 5 more minutes until recess, I thought, you just need to stay awake for 5 more minutes Sean. I then glanced at the schedule, I groaned, it was a monday, which meant we had English, recess and then English again. I wanted to kill myself, I wouldn’t be able to last those last 40 minutes. Time ticked by extremely slowly, I swear I nodded off at least 15 times before the bell rang, indicating that recess had started.
As I did every day, I headed to the nearest court, where all my friends were, to play volleyball. Today, however, the teacher denied us a ball, so we were left on our own trying to find what to do. I remember myself thinking Oh god, first English class and then this while I made my way to the parking lot, where there are 2 basketball courts. On the way, I passed through some young ones playing soccer. I figured I had nothing else to do so I took a seat at the edge of the field and watched the game unfold. I knew some of the people that were playing because my adoptive… foster brother was their age and up until some years ago he had been in the same school as me, that was until he decided to change to his old school. Oh, sorry I forgot, over the years, my family has adopted 2 other people, my brother (not related by blood) who is 12 years old, and my little sister (also not related by blood) who just turned 5 last week.
As I was saying, I had just taken a seat to admire the game when I was approached by 3 girls, they seemed the same age as my brother so I dismissed it as probably some of his friends coming to ask me “Oh, are you Jean’s older brother?”. I won’t disclose a lot of details about this conversation because I don’t really remember it that much, but I remember the start of the conversation because it was hilarious.
“Hi! Do you know she likes you?” the girl to the left, she was of average height, had a slightly tanned skin tone and wore glasses, greeted me cheerfully at the end of her dialogue she pointed to the one in the middle, a little bit taller than the first had a pale skin tone and a dark brown hair, the latter put a hand on the girl’s mouth only to recoil with an “EWWW”; they started bickering and wouldn’t calm down for at least five minutes.
“I’m sorry for my friends’ behavior,” The third girl interrupted, by far the tallest of them, standing just five or six inches shorter than me, even though I’m a good 5’9”, she had the appearance of a foreigner, I didn’t know many locals who were blonde with blue eyes, she spoke with a slightly off tone and when I looked at her in the eyes, I felt like my fight or flight instinct was kicking in, panic bells rang off inside my head, but not because I was talking to someone I liked, I didn’t, this feeling… I had only felt this feeling when my life was in imminent danger, like if I was being followed by a shadow stalker. “Name’s Zeph” It took me a moment to react, “Sean”. “Good to meet you” she said, and then proceeded to introduce her still bickering friends. “She’s Holly” she said as she pointed to the one in the middle, “and she is Sam” she pointed to the one on the left. The conversation that ensued in something I can’t recall, the only thing I remember is feeling weary all the time. There was this aura of calmness emanating from Zeph, it was so calm that it bothered me, like how a silent horror would attack its prey.
After the conversation, I left the soccer field and headed to the basketball court where Mike and the others were. I quickly told them what had happened, and Mike was ecstatic. “You’ve got yourself a girlfriend, Sean!” he said, with a huge grin on his face. “Shut up, Mike, I don’t even know if she likes me like that,” I replied, rolling my eyes. We started playing basketball, and I couldn’t stop thinking about Zeph. There was something strange about her, something that made me feel uneasy.
The bell rang, indicating that recess was over, and we headed back to class. I couldn’t focus on the lecture, my mind kept wandering back to Zeph. I decided to look her up on social media, and to my surprise, I found her profile easily. I scrolled through her pictures, trying to learn more about her. There were pictures of her at the beach, pictures of her with her friends, and even pictures of her playing guitar. I couldn’t shake off the feeling that there was something off about her, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.
The next day passed by slowly, and as soon as the bell rang, indicating that classes were over, I rushed home. I went straight to my room, turned on my computer, and started researching. I spent hours reading about different cultures, different religions, and different beliefs. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with Zeph, but I knew that there was something.
Days passed, and I couldn’t get Zeph out of my head. I tried talking to her, but every time I did, I felt the same uneasiness that I felt the first time we talked. I decided to talk to my parents about her, but they didn’t seem to know anything about her. I tried talking to my friends, but they just laughed at me, thinking it was some sort of lame excuse to try to throw them off of bothering me with her. Then, one day out of the blue, the group of three decided that I was their perfect victim to their bickering.
As I waited for my parents to come and pick me up from school, I couldn't shake off the uneasy feeling that crept up on me. My bicycle had been totaled in an earlier fight, and I didn't feel comfortable walking, especially in the areas where darkness lingered, tempting unsuspecting victims into traps. Ignoring the ominous atmosphere, I tried to focus on something else, anything else.
"Hey!" Suddenly, I felt someone grab my arm, sending shivers down my spine. Sensitivity to touch was a part of my condition, and physical contact with others often made me feel claustrophobic. I turned to see who had grabbed me and found myself face to face with Holly. The proximity made me jump, and I knew I had to keep my guard up in case of a fight.
As I tried to compose myself, I felt something move behind me. I tried to turn around, but when I did, there was nothing there. Dread filled me, and I debated whether to draw my sword or not. In the end, I decided against it.
I turned my attention back to Holly, only to be met by Zeph, who appeared out of nowhere and scared me out of my wits. The uneasy feeling in my gut grew stronger, and I couldn't help but wonder what kind of trouble I had gotten myself into.
Out of the shadows emerged Sam, whom I hadn't noticed before. My gut feeling intensified as I looked around, trying to find a way to escape. I was trapped, backed against a tree and surrounded by a group of wild 12-year-olds.
"How are you doing?" Sam grinned, her glasses reflecting the sun, hiding her eyes. I searched for a way out and saw Holly standing arrogantly in front of me, while Zeph was on my right. As soon as I met Zeph's gaze, I expected to feel a sense of dread, but instead, I felt nothing.
“Hey, don’t be rude. Sam asked you a question,” Holly said, stepping closer to me. I could feel her breath on my face.
“I’m fine,” I managed to say, trying to keep my voice steady. “Just waiting for my parents.”
“Oh, we know,” Zeph said, stepping closer to me as well. “We just wanted to chat. You know, get to know each other better.”
I swallowed hard, feeling like a trapped animal. “I really need to go. My parents are waiting.”
“Oh, come on,” Sam said, moving closer to me too. “We’re not going to hurt you.”
But I knew better. These kids were trouble, and I had a feeling that they were up to no good. I looked around, trying to find an escape route, but I was surrounded.
Just as I was about to panic, I heard the sound of a car pulling up. Relief washed over me as I saw my parents getting out of the car. The group of kids scattered, disappearing into the shadows like they had never been there
I quickly walked towards my parents, feeling safe now that they were there. As we drove away, I couldn't help but wonder what kind of trouble those kids would get into next. And I made a mental note to avoid them at all costs in the future.
I got into the car, my dad was there, the vehicle was dark, so his shining white eyes were so easily found. “Who are those people that were talking with you” He said, his speech a mix of natural sounds and low screeches, it was the Twilight Lang, their form of speech I had learnt through the years.
“They are some weird friends” I answered him, shuddering, then added “Thanks for saving me there, you were just on time”
I don’t know if he knew something was off or he was just suspicious of something but he looked directly at me through the rearview mirror, his pale face a mix of worry and relief.
“I’m glad to be of help, as always” We didn’t speak more during the return trip, he left me to wonder what my fate would’ve been if he hadn’t shown up just then.
As we arrived home, I went straight to my room, feeling exhausted and relieved at the same time. I lay on my bed, thinking about the events that had just occurred. I knew I had to be more careful in the future and avoid getting into situations like that.
But the nagging feeling in my gut wouldn't go away. I couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to the encounter than what I had seen. I wondered why those kids had targeted me, and what they had wanted from me.
I went to school the next day, still feeling a bit uneasy after the encounter with the group of kids. As I walked through the halls, I caught glimpses of the girls from the day before. It was strange, but I didn't feel the same sense of dread that I had before. In fact, Zeph seemed different somehow, as if her aura of calmness had suddenly disappeared, at least for me.
As the day went on, I tried to avoid them as much as possible. I didn't want to get involved with them again, especially after what had happened the day before. However, they seemed to be everywhere, like they were purposely trying to cross paths with me.
At lunchtime, I sat alone in the cafeteria, trying to eat my sandwich in peace. But soon enough, Holly and Sam appeared at my table, uninvited.
"Hey there," Holly said, smirking at me. "Mind if we join you?"
I didn't really have a choice, so I just shrugged and nodded. They sat down across from me, and I couldn't help but feel uneasy.
"So" Holly said, looking expectantly at me. She didn't say anything more so silence reigned over our table.
"So?" I asked, eager to break the muteness in the air
Holly leaned forward, a wicked glint in her eye. "We were just wondering if you've changed your mind yet. About joining our group, I mean."
I shook my head, they hadn’t asked me anything before, but I wasn’t going to join their group even if I wanted to die. "No, I haven't changed my mind. I don't think I want to be a part of your group."
Holly's smile faded, and her expression turned cold. "Well, that's too bad. We could've had some fun together."
I tried not to let her words affect me, but I couldn't help feeling a little scared. What did she mean by "fun"? And why did they seem so fixated on me?
The rest of lunch was uncomfortable, and I couldn't wait to leave the cafeteria. As I walked down the hallway, I heard footsteps behind me. I turned around and saw Zeph walking towards me.
"Hey," she said, her voice soft and hesitant. "Can we talk?"
I was surprised by her sudden change in demeanor, but I nodded anyway. We walked to an empty classroom and sat down at a desk.
"I just wanted to apologize," Zeph said, looking down at her hands. "For what happened yesterday. We didn't mean to scare you like that."
I wasn't sure if I believed her, but I appreciated the apology nonetheless. "Thanks," I said, still feeling wary.
Zeph looked up at me, her eyes searching mine. "I know Holly and Sam can be a bit intense sometimes. But they're not all bad. We just...we have our own way of having fun, you know?"
I raised an eyebrow. "What kind of fun?"
Zeph hesitated for a moment before speaking. "It's hard to explain. We just like to do things that are a little...different. Things that other people might not understand."
I couldn't help but feel a little intrigued. "Like what?"
Zeph smiled, seeming to relax a little. "Well, for example, we like to explore abandoned buildings. Or go on night hikes in the woods. Stuff like that."
I wasn't sure how to respond. On one hand, it sounded kind of exciting. On the other hand, it also sounded kind of dangerous.
Zeph must have sensed my hesitation because she quickly added, "But of course, we only do those things when it's safe. We're not stupid or anything."
I nodded, still not completely convinced. "I don't know, it just seems kind of risky."
Zeph shrugged. "It's not for everyone, I guess. But if you ever change your mind, you're always welcome to come along."
With that, our conversation ended, and we left the classroom. As I walked away, I couldn't help but think about what she had said. Maybe there was more to these girls than I had originally thought.
Oh how correct I was.

I had always found stories of ghosts and people’s re-telling of their own personal supernatural events amusing. Honestly, The Exquisite Trinket Extravaganza was filled with a lot of weirdos and strange people who wanted to tell me their stories. I’d politely listen as I rang up their purchases and then promptly forget.
Oh, yeah. I work at one of those indoor flea-markets. Those places where it’s a giant warehouse and there are rows of cubbies and shelves where vendors can hang their crap and hawk their wares. A lot of our vendors are only on premise for a few hours a day but each has their own unique sticker code and my job was to ring them all up by their vendor numbers so they all got paid at the end of the week. It was a boring job but it paid well.
It was closing time at the old flea-market and it was always a somber affair. The dusty aisles echoed with the fading footsteps of weary customers either leaving or getting the last minute deal run up, and the vendors who were still there were hurriedly packed up their wares, eager to escape the encroaching darkness. Many of the customers and vendors reminded me of cockroaches on how quickly they scurried away and abandoned this place. It was during one such evening that I found myself alone, a lingering customer lost in the maze of forgotten treasures. I normally tried not to be the last one here as my boss liked to lock up but I had to go back three times to check on a price at the far end of the warehouse for a customer who decided they didn’t want it in the end. I had put the cracked vase back in its spot when I realized that the place had gotten eerily quiet.
The air hung heavy with the scent of aged wood and musty fabrics, creating an otherworldly ambiance I had never really noticed before. The flickering fluorescent lights casting eerie shadows on the chipped linoleum floor, making the forgotten trinkets appear like macabre relics of a bygone era. Unease crept through me, but I dismissed it as exhaustion. There was nothing here that I hadn’t seen a million times before.
As I made my way toward the exit to find my boss and tell her I was done, the hollow sound of my footsteps resonated throughout the cavernous space. The silence was deafening, broken only by the distant creaking of doors and the occasional gust of wind rattling the windows. It appeared a wind storm was building up. Something common in the Nevada deserts. A chill ran down my spine again, and I quickened my pace in a mixture of confusion and irritation. Why was I freaking out so bad?
Just as I reached the last row to then make a dash for the office, a glimmer in the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned to face the source, my gaze falling upon a peculiar artifact—a tarnished pocket watch just hanging with a bunch of other junk I had seen before. Its ornate engravings seemed to come alive in the dim light, whispering tales of forgotten souls. I had passed this point many times but had never seen something like this before. Curiosity overwhelmed me like I had never experienced before and before I stopped to think about it, I reached out for it.
The moment my fingertips brushed the cold metal, a wave of icy air washed over me, sending shivers through me as if I was dumped into the arctic ocean. The world around me seemed to blur, and when my vision cleared, I found myself standing in front of the same aisle but everything had taken on a newer look. The other thing that I realized was that I was not alone. There was a bustle of noise from shoppers around me and I started in surprise as something brushed up against me.
I turned to tell whoever it was that we were closed but I lost the ability to speak. There were shoppers alright, shifting through dusty books, examining shipped plate ware that deserved to be trashed but these...things…were not human. It was like looking at something out of focus. I knew they were dressed but they seemed to shimmer and shift, the only feature that I could make out was the fact that their eyes glimmered like brilliant stars.
Confusion gripped me as I searched for familiar faces among the crowd, but the sea of strangers offered no solace. Panic surged through me as some part of my brain realized that these were not human.
I fell back and tried to skirt my way around these things that had not seemed to have noticed me. I made my way through the crowded aisles to where the office should have been but found it was just a blank wall. My heart racing and my breath shallow. The noise of the market faded into a distant hum, replaced by the sound of my own thundering heartbeat. Every step felt heavy, as if an invisible force were pushing me down, guiding me toward an unknown destination.
As I turned a corner in my desperate quest to escape, a figure materialized in front of me—a ghostly apparition, pale and translucent. I could not tell if it was male or female. Its eyes gleamed with an otherworldly light, fixated on me with an intensity that sent shivers coursing through my veins. Unlike the other “shoppers”, this one was looking right at me. Its presence was suffocating and its energy palpable and suffused with an overwhelming sense of malevolence.
Fear consumed me, paralyzing my body as the apparition drew closer, its gaze never wavering. I tried to retreat, but my legs refused to obey. A cold sweat dripped down my forehead as I desperately sought an escape, my mind clouded with terror. The ghost's unearthly presence seemed to seep into my very being, stripping away my sanity.
“You do not belong here,” it sang in an off-key tune but I never saw its mouth move nor its eyes turn away from me.
“You do not belong here.”
My brain finally kicked in and I jumped to the side, luckily under a standing rack of winter coats and army-crawled my way into another aisle. I rolled out into the neighboring row and popped up startling some of the parishioners from hell. They seemed to only notice me in an oblique way that one would notice an ant on a sidewalk.
“You do not belong here.”
I turned from where I was crouching to see the ghostly guardian float around the corner with determination, her eyes never breaking from me as it swerved between the shoppers.
I began to sprint as fast as my legs could take me down the hall dodging the others also. I felt the feeling of wanting to vomit and the world turning itself upside every time I got too close to one of them. Still, that thing was on my tail saying the same thing with arm outstretched.
“You do not belong here.”
“I know!” I screamed back at it in terror.
I kept weaving through the aisles and the rows dodging this relentless hunter as I desperately tried to find the exit. This warehouse seemed to have no way out nor could I seem to get closer to the walls I could see down the aisles. All the while it was only a few steps behind me. Twice it almost grabbed me and I felt an icy pull that scared me worse. I knew that if it got to me, things would be bad for me. I tripped and fell landing into a pile of coats that smelled like dead animals. I smelled from their places on the highway and could feel the thing behind me.
“You do not belong here,” it sang only a foot away from me. In my mind's eye I could see it reaching for me, to grab me and do horrible things to me for being where I should not be.
It was when a power grip on my wrist wrenched me forward deeper into the clothes that I felt the icy shift of the world around me. My eyes popped open and I found myself staring into a pair of gray ones of the owner of the Exquisite Trinket Extravaganza. Harriet Powell was a heavy set woman but it was not fat. I had seen her lift furniture and move things that would have made my scrawny arms buckle. Anytime I offered to help, she just gave me a mocking laugh and did it without me.
I jerked my head around looking side to side for the monster that was chasing me but found myself alone in the flea-market. The watch was gripped by it’s chain tightly in my hand and Harriet had her hand fastened tightly on my wrist.
“Harry,” she said firmly, causing my panicked expression to come back to her. “Give me the watch.”
“What?” I said speaking. My voice came out as if I hadn’t spoken in years.
“Give me the watch, Harry,” she said again firmly.
With great effort, I forced my fingers open and the chain slipped through my fingers. With the other hand, Harriet caught it and whisked it into her gray vest emblazoned with the logo of the place. She led me dumbly to her office where she wrote something and stuffed it in my pocket and took me to my car.
I sat there for an hour not able to move or speak before I drove home on autopilot. The first inklings of what had happened only came to me when I woke up in my bed still dressed.
The paper that Harriet had stuffed in my pocket was a check for my pay plus two weeks. It appears that I have been fired from the Exquisite Trinket Extravaganza which was not a problem with me. I would have quit when my senses came back to me.
I did want to go back and demand an explanation for everything that happened but when I saw the building, I could not bring myself to pull into the parking lot.
So, that’s my story. I’ve already packed up to leave and I’m posting this before my internet is shut down. I plan to move as far away from this town as I can. Even the thought of seeing that building again keeps me up at night. Maybe at my new place, I can finally sleep again.
I don’t think it’s healthy not being able to sleep for an entire week.

I don't have control over what horrible thoughts will arise in my brain when , but I have decided that they hold no value to me. My thoughts don't matter. So whatever arises in my brain , i don't care. I like to do nothing about something I have no control over. If x thought is going to arises in my brain , so be it. I don't care. I can't change it.Giving up in this case is a smart choice instead of fighting and arguing and overthinking that is feeding the monster.
Thoughts are pointless. Thoughts are inconsequential. Thoughts don't mean nothing. Thoughts have no value. Thoughts don't matter. Don't pay a single penny worth of attention to thoughts. However horrible or shit thoughts , they don't matter so stop paying attention to something that is pointless and by paying attention to which you are harming yourself. Today on , forget you have a mind , don't give a shit about whatever is going on in you head Whatever smart tactic your brain is playing to get your attention , don't give it to it. Don't care what happens in your head. Don't even be aware of what is happening inside your head. Just consider that nothing inside your head exists.
If you keep going this way and not pay attention to thoughts and all the bullshit inside your head , then soon enough those harmful neural pathways and connection will weaken and start to reduce due to lack of energy
Now what do you pay attention to? If thoughts don't matter , what does matter?
What you do is all that matters. What you do is all that matters. What you do is all that matters.
You have free will. You have free will over what you do.
You don't have free will over what goes on in your head.. You don't have free will over what goes on in your head You can't make bad thought go away.
So basically in life you pay attention to your actions. Take the right actions.
Never do compulsions. Never do anything OCD tells you to do. If you don't do it ,then you are on your path to total recovery. If you do a compulsion , you are taking a step back.
Similarly , inside you head , when you are able to not argue with, scream at , overthink about whatever OCD wants you to . You win . You are beating it. You are weakening the bad neural pathways in your head .
That's all you gotta do , just never pay attention to anything going on inside your head , only focusing on your actions
Obsession - mental
Compulsions - physical
Don't pay attention to obsessions . They have no value.
Don't do compulsions.
If you want something to think about , think about maybe what you are going to""" do """ in the physical world because that is one thing you have control over

Made this Concept poster design to impress Monster Energy brand NGL #plshireme felt a lot promising after making this, so thought why not showcase it right away !