Blockchain Technology and Identity Theft
Identity theft is a major problem in the world today. In 2021, there were over 16 million victims of identity theft in the United States alone. This type of crime can have a devastating impact on victims, including financial loss, ruined credit, and even jail time.
Blockchain technology is a new and innovative technology that has the potential to help to stop identity theft. Blockchain is a distributed ledger system that is secure, transparent, and tamper-proof. This makes it ideal for storing sensitive data, such as personal identification information.
There are a number of ways that blockchain can be used to help to stop identity theft. For example, blockchain can be used to create digital identities that are secure and cannot be counterfeited. This would make it much more difficult for criminals to steal someone's identity.
Blockchain can also be used to track transactions and verify identities. This would make it easier to detect and prevent identity theft.
Blockchain is still a new technology, but it has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about identity theft. By using blockchain, we can create a more secure and fraud-resistant world.
Here are some of the specific ways that blockchain can help to stop identity theft:

• Decentralized storage: Blockchain data is stored on a network of computers, rather than on a single server. This makes it much more difficult for hackers to steal or corrupt data.
• Encryption: Blockchain data is encrypted, making it unreadable to anyone who does not have the key.
• Transparency: All blockchain transactions are public, which makes it easier to track down criminals.
• Immutability: Once data is added to the blockchain, it cannot be changed or deleted. This makes it very difficult for criminals to commit fraud.

While blockchain technology is not a silver bullet for stopping identity theft, it is a valuable tool that can help to make our data more secure. As technology continues to develop, it is likely that we will see even more innovative ways to use blockchain to protect our identities.

Hi, this post might be a little bit unusual, I hope it don't violated rules of the subreddit, if it's the case sorry.
I'm a game developer both video game and tabletop game. I have (i think) a cool idea for a wrestling game. A kind of choose-your-adventure cross with a simulation game, all with pen and paper. Mainly solo game but can probably be expanded in the future to multiplayer if working.
The whole idea is based on a baseball game ( Deadball Board Game BoardGameGeek ). You basically manage your wrestling franchise and try to make it as popular as possible. For that you used a simulation system to simulate the events, but also you follow a book where each chapter represent a week/moth in a year. During your reading you will have to take decision (recruit a new wrestler, one wrestler ask for a raise, you can do a heel turn, one wrestle get injured, personal problem, etc...)
It might be a niche game, but i'm pretty sure it could interest wrestling fans around the world who are looking for a calm and analog activity (away from screens).
This project is for the long term, a side project that can be develop with love for wrestling and patience. The goal would be to go on kickstarter and propose a simple affordable product.
Right now, I'm looking for a writer wrestling enthusiast to join the project with me, you'll be in charge of the writing, i'll be in charge of the game design, we'll both work on the whole game together and the marketing. Again, this won't be a main job, the probably of making real money here is not that high, but if we can advance this project at slow and steady pace, i'm pretty sure we can build a community and do something great.
Hope I'll get some answer here and don't hesitate to DM me, I know there are a lot of things to discuss, but I want to keep that post as short as possible!
For more inspiration of what kind of story i have in mind you can take a loot at : SLAMMED! (choiceofgames.com)

This is concluding thoughts for both WoR and WoK so its going to be a long one.
Epilogue
That is so true, but when something gets popular, how does one balance expectations?
There she is. Jasnah is alive.
Initially I thought that Wit was in Warbreaker as the god kings wit. Then i couldnt find him. Then I thought i must just misremembering Way Of Kings with Warbreaker. Now I’ve found Ch 32, I get why.
Skim-Thoughts.
10 comes up a lot. Pg 475 (Part II) “10 kingdoms, 10 orders, ten people” and i thought Mistborn had 10 powers as well. And isnt there planned to be 10 books? Is that 5 split into 2, or 10 split into 2?
Rereading the prologues and interludes, I still dont understand a word. I’ve completely forgotten them but catching up before Edgedancer
“The ten of them had decided upon it before the battle.” Kalak: “You’re broken too” Syl referred to the Stormfather as broken as well. Hmm Yeah Ten Hearlds. Opening of WoK. One missing. Forgot this entirely.
Moments that stuck out to me (Both Way Of Kings And Words Of Radiance) Kaladin changing tactics only to get everyone killed. When he finally miraculously saves everyone. The way the storm hanging was described. Just epic how he survived it. Hard to pull off wirhout just feeling convinient. I’m probably just listing the the ends of each Act, but I notice that although theres a lot of good character interactions in between, Brando Sando’s biggest strength is his anticipation. His books can be as long as they are because he spends a lot of time baiting, teasing, developing, and ENSURING that the payoffs really really payoff. So when those moments hit, I’ve spent chapters upon chapters that I’ll forget individually looking forward to them and then getting this memorable merge of “oh finally” and “OH thats what he meant!” Surprising yet inevitable, but memorable for how much my brain has built it up in my head and then been thrown off so positively that I really have to pay attention
Shallan honestly didnt grab me at first. Her arc was still fine, but I think her main conflict being ‘eventually steal a thing’ made it a slow burn and although they made it clear she was doing it because her family was poor, I don’t remember any chapters delving into just how bad it was. (Though apparently a lot of them blatantly did.) Book 2 was when they suddenly started revealing in droves a) how abusive it was, b) how Shallan finally resolved it, and c) that her father never actually did the initial thing he was accused of and so she blames herself for that abuse. As interesting as that was to unfold over time, for me that created a distance where until then I didnt fully invest in why she was doing it; she was trying to do something slightly dodgy for a slightly difficult externally Third Party sitauation and once she was out of the passive shadow (she was active in interacting with Jasnah, but being almost poisoned and having to steal the fabrial felt externally forced upon her) in book 2, it was like the story really started going “oh theres more to it, heres what shes Actually wrestling with” as well as “here’s what Shallan can be when she lets loose.” In a way, book 2 implies Veil is the real Shallan and I like the conflict between Shallan and Veil much more than I liked Shallan on the surface. Its not bad, more like, good to great. And yeah she was good when she was dealing with Jasnah, but she was great once she was more directly interacting with the main plot around her.
The moment where Sadeas betrays everyone, and Dalinar charges in or goes back or something that made Kaladin go “oh. I think he’s one of the good ones... alright, time to save a lighteyes I guess.” And Dalinar pays that back by rescuong everyone from Sadeas.
Its possibly also just that I didnt know what was going on and Way Of Kings hits you with a lot where as Words Of Radiance can hit the ground running with people I’m already familiar with, which is telling when I skim over Way Of Kings and cant remember a whole bunch of smaller details, or entire character chunks like the opening prologue, but its also probably that it was info overloard book 1 and book 2 i started taking notes. Either way, Words Of Radiance is my favourite by far, with Way Of Kings being just as good just more setup and confusion whereas by Words Of Radiance I was able to trust the stuff I liked in Way Of Kings to advance what I liked and update me on things I’d forgotten. (I.e. I’d forgotten that Sadeas Shardblade was the one Dalinar gave him, but the book recalls freeing the slaves and Adolin telling Dalinar to give the blade back and I went “oh yeah” so Way Of Kings I get a some great moments of surprise, but in Words Of Radiance, I get surprise development on those surprises, familiarity as I already know what theyre referring to, and I get to relive the initial book all at once, theres just more triple whammy in a sequel that is just as good. In a way I’m worried I’ve got a 1-2 punch where the third will be disappointing just because of the weird threequelitis problem. 1 is good, 2 is great, 3 is unreasonable expectations that can't be met (which the book ends in warning me against, ironically).
Over time they’ll naturally blend together and I’ll forget which was which, but some arcs:
Kaladin: Book 1, he thinks he is purposeless, but accepts that he has the power to save people and even some lighteyes are worth saving. Book 2, he thinks becoming a radiant is repulsive but eventually accepts that protecting everyone, even the people he hates, is the right thing to do and only becoming a radiant can achieve that. (Weirdly I cant see where Kaladins arc goes next, I assume something to do with someone dying and the radient powers not being enough, or Moash coming back and making things difficult, but Kalladin seems to have accepted his core potential and overcome his core wound so ... I dunno, unless Tien comes back to life or something I dunno what his next stage is.)
Shallan: Book 1, Shallan accepts... see I forget, I was a bit confused by it, she ended up in 2D world and it was very abstract and I didnt entirely understand it. I feel like I was just overwhelmed and it wasn't the books fault, I didnt know what to look for and I accidentally skim when I get close to the end. Book 2, she believes she is still the weak girl who lived in an abusive home, but starts to accept what she has done to escape it and what she is capable of when changing her image of herself (though she is yet to fully accept that image or integrate it so I figure thats where its going, she needs to either become Veil entirely, realize she was Veil all along, or realize Veil is a double edged sword and integrate the good while shedding the bad.)
Adolin ... He’s an interesting one. I really really REALLY thought Sadeas would be a big part of book 3, given its named after his blade, but Adolin very abruptly saw book 2's pages running out and put an end to it. So ... I mean, I figure this is exactly what Sando said in his lecture “In RomComs, They’re going to get together, you KNOW they’re going to get together, but they’re going in the wrong direction and oops the other person they’re with has now done something that makes it harder to root for.”
I’m massively paraphrasing but I watched it earlier today and he described the rom com thing verbatim how I see Shallan/Adolin and Kaladin playing out, where Shallan and Adolin work well enough but everything I know about Adolin and everything Sando’s telling us increasingly blatantly about how Kaladin and Shallan see each other, that at some point “Adolin = good enough” is going to break and “person I didnt consider before” is the inevitable direction secretly promised underneath. Adolin hated Sadeas to begin with, so the tradjectory of Dalinar saying he cant convince Adolin he needs to trust Sadeas, Sadeas betraying Dalinar and confirming Adolins worst impulses, Adolin being a womanizer but trying to reign it in for Shallan though Adolin himself insisting "it never lasts", its all there as little red flags and killing Sadeas (although justified in terms of character plot, I don’t blame him one bit, someone had to do it) is the final camel straw. SO illegal and unjustifiable that Adolin knew he had to hide it. So dark that he’ll likely start derailing and pushing Shallan away as a result. Works, meet spanner.
But interestingly it wont necessarily be the thing that breaks them, Secrecy shouldnt necessarily bother Shallan, she functions on lies. And the murder itself; Shallan killed both her parents, and Tyn, she’s actually the most likely to understand his situation. But the deception it will require, the damage it might do to Adolin internally in pulling that off, getting away with it or potentially being caught, and the complications when Kaladin finds out who did it, its more of a question of what will it take for Adolin to confess or go blaze of glory to never get caught, under what state and circumstance, and will Kaladin be towards Adolin how he was towards Moash when the king was threatened?
Theres a lot of factors to keep it unpredictable but Kaladin in Book 1 would have leapt to help Adolin kill Sadeas or Amaram, but how he defended the king, against his own friend, on pure 'golden rule morality' might indicate a refusal to let Adolin do anything of the sort – which will then drive a wedge between both of them and Shallan. Would Adolin try to kill Kaladin if he found out? Would Shallan side with Kaladin if Kaladin had to take Adolin down? What would Dalinar do? Adolins one rash choice is entirely in line with everything I assumed would go wrong with him, but the TIMING of it and the sudden impulse has really, I think, fundamentally sabotaged him in the process. It'll be a really hard thing to come back from.
Comparing him to Moash of all people, Moash at least had it planned out, honestly discussed it with Kaladin before hand, and even seemed regretful when he punched Kaladin “too hard.” Yeah it was out of revenge and he was ultimately willing to kill and betray Kaladin with his own blade – so in a way, Moash was as bad as Amaram, but Adolin was so mad at Sadeas betraying Dalinar, so mad at Sadeas for outsmarting him then dodging their duel, that he had no plan, no discussion, no consideration, just killed him in cold blood and instantly hid the evidence. Like I get Adolin wanting Sadeas dead, but he couldn’t even own it. He’s Moash without the regret (at least within that moment) and it was AFTER it was clear Kaladin was fundamentally against taking life of any kind, not before when Moash still thought it was 50/50.
Its not to say Adolin is corrupt as a person, but that in that moment he showed less restraint, more brutality, and more cowardice than Amaram, Sadeas or Moash, and that decision may begin a spiral that makes him Kaladins... no EVERYONE'S no.1 target, and arc wise to me it seems a narratively natural way to start distancing him from Shallan and Kaladin in a way that pushes them together.
Now, they narratively dont HAVE to get together although I personally feel the story started pushing that pretty blatantly while always having an air of denial about it down to Shall saying “Adolin didnt HAVE to be brilliant...or whatever Kaladin was. So there.” Like shes trying to prove something to us and defend a position Sando knew we would take, ironically protesting in a very wink wink nudge nudge way. But for me the question isnt “Will Shallan and Kaladin get together?” so much as IF thats the plan, then will they survive the journey and how will they develop from triangle to couple? Adolin killing Sadeas really seems to trigger exactly that journey, but for me its now a big question of What Becomes Of Adolin when its all said and done?
Especially if Adolin kept losing to Sadeas then to Szeth and then he watches two radiants go on without him together, he’s really at risk of being left behind and I dont know where he would draw the line Because Of His Choice To Kill Sadeas if he gets desperate enough to prevent that or catch up. Oh hell, even RENARIN is a radiant now, the weakest link, who sat doing nothing during their duel, now has more honour and power than him. Like Adolin is in the WORST narrative place anyone could be, I feel so bad for him. In DBZ terms, he’s kind of Yamcha. Loses the girl, once was a strong fighter but now gets constantly owned. Renarin is I guess Krillin in that sense (odd theres literally already a Tien in the story) but when you’re giving more power and screen time and skill to Krillin over Yamcha... yeesh.
Dalinar is an interesting one. All signs pointed to the king dying; Moash was going to assassinate him, Kaladin was officially out of options for the first time ever, everyone else was gone, and that comment from Sando about a war hero having to be king made me think Dalinar was garunteed kinglyhood just to end up going “oh no wait, im just a soldier, i dont know how to king” in the next book (maybe I misremember the context and he was referencing Game Of Thrones or something) so the king surviving, Sadeas NOT surviving, and Dalinar going “hey god, so... all the main characters got to be radiant. Even Renarin for storms sakes. I’m the leader here, I think I deserve to be one!” “Okay! But im not really god so good luck with that!" was not at all the ending I was expecting. Pretty much all the Kaladin / Moash / Shallan / Adolin feels right on course character wise, but the implications are very hard towards Has To Get Darker Before It Gets Lighter and Adolins one decision is like a house of cards for the rest of them. That blatant flip where they all actually won and then Sadeas just abruptly doesnt get to make any sort of comeback completely threw me. If not for how Oh God Adolin No! It felt, techincally everyone succeeded and nothing went wrong in that final battle. It was a complete victory if not for the slippery slope feeling about it. I was not at all predicting a complete victory, I figured the god would continue to be a threat and Sadeas would come back in a big way to sabotage them and the king would be the cost expense of surviving the rest of it. Like it would be bitter sweet if anything. And its far better for it; this way its like “theyre all radiants now... but at what cost?” For Adolin, he’s left out and now in hiding. For Dalinar, I figure him not being allowed a blade and the god not being a useful god thing is gonna... even the start of Way Of Kings mentions how its strange the parshendi are all acting the way they do. We dont fully understand the real threat, Dalinar still doesnt understand the vision and so I feel like the next dread is ... what did he really sign up to? Whats the cost of having such a storm deity who “wont come when callled” as a spren, especially when Dalinar humiliated Amaram, but he didnt suffer much consequence, and now Dalinar wont be able to defend himself.
Amaram ... dunno what he’s up to, but he was keen to find Urithiru and Dalinar stopped him so ... all I know is where I thought Sadeas was a key threat, I now think Amaram is.
Elhokar... He went from Kaladin wanting him dead to Kaladin defending him in front of Moash. While Drunk. Its weird cause I know they're fictional but also narratively... Elhokar better clean up his act and start being a good king or I may start feeling like Moash was in the right and Moash/Kaladin broke up for nothing. I know morally its more that Moash purely wanted revenge and Kaladin is saving life for life’s sake, so they're fundamentally at conflict no matter what Elhokar is doing, but if Elhokar turns around and imprisons kaladin again or starts being petty and making things difficult, it’ll be hard to respect him as a character: it'll rob his apology, his self-aware weakness, of any sincerity and render him useless and annoying, and useless annoying characters who actively ignore their own useless and annoying traits often create unfun contrived conflict “oh no, Elhokar was an idiot again, whatever shall we do?” "How about not write him that way". So yeah I hope something is paid off with Elhokar at least wanting to TRY being a more useful king.
Lopen developing radiant powers. Looking forward to that.
Rock, just keep being you buddy.
It's another example of how with Way Of Kings I was still taking everything in, so I didnt really keep track of the bridge crew beyond Moash cause I knew the name. But with Words Of Radiance, I was more familiar and so learned who the bridgecrew were a bit more this time around.
Rlain knows far more than he’s letting on. He knew what the song meant, he knows about the rhythms, he noticed a difference in whatshername. I feel like the Parshendi was being foreshadowed as completely innocent and something is controlling them and Rlain has gone from “i wont betray my people” to “well theyre already doomed then, please stop them even if it means murdering them” but really needs to share what he knows so that the Radiants dont just wipe them out assuming they’re all evil – which seems to be what Shallan currently thinks they should do.
God I cant stop thinking about Adolin stabbing Sadeas in the eye, that has really stuck with me. What a horrible thing that I was rooting for plot wise but horrified by as if it actually happened and I wish I hadnt seen it. The way Sanderson described it put a vivid image in my mind and I can't unsee that.
Can't wait to get to Oathbringer, but I'm on to Arcanum, slipped on reading (helps my sleep routine but sleep routine is also priority if i dont get time) and so I think the plan is to read but take a break posting in case theres not much to say, read up to the mistborn section, read Era 2 between arcanum, finish arcanum, and then read Oathbringer.
Also, how did Sanderson go from whatever he was on before, to 50% finished with stormlight 5. I need to write more. And what happened to his hair.

Pt 1 If you haven't read it yet.
​
Pt 2 If you haven't read it yet.
​
Pt 3 If you haven't read it yet.
​
Pt 4 If you haven't read it yet.
​
Pt 5 If you haven't read it yet.
​
The sun had begun to set, so I made my way over to the metro station we agreed upon as the rendezvous point. The walk took me about 20 minutes so by the time I got back the streetlights were beginning to switch on as the last red rays of starlight dipped below the horizon. It was there I anxiously awaited for Tromō, expecting him to take longer. I stayed for about a half hour, but at that point my stomach had slowly begun to sink with dread. My mind raced. In an attempt to dismiss these fears I reached for my communicator to check his location (I know, I know, risky in a public location but I had made my way over to a much quieter location.) I found him en route to the warehouse district, about 20 kilometers north-northeast of my location. Something had gone terribly wrong. Sensing the worst I quickly commandeered a nearby truck, hot-wired it, and hauled ass back to the hotel. I was never particularly any good at combat so
a different strategy would be required. I also had many moral qualms at the thought of murder, but since Tromō would likely have his identity compromised, protocol states clearly that anyone who comes in contact with that knowledge must be promptly terminated, and the blind rage made quick work eliminating that psychological barrier.
On the drive back to the hotel I began to plot his rescue. My mind, overcome with anger, jumped to a most unorthodox manner of dealing death. The plan I had settled on was to deploy a gas, engineered to only affect Ix. The gas would serve as the medium for the transmission of a specially designed virus to act as a genetic trojan horse to gain access to their cells, and disable their DNA from being read. None of their immune systems could cope with such a virus, allowing it to wreak havoc on their bodies unimpeded. Now, I did design the virus to prevent itself from spreading to new hosts and would only last a few milliseconds while outside the gas.
Getting back to the hotel room I sequenced the Ix's genome so I could tailor the virus. How it would work is a CRISPR protein would be released once access had been gained to the cell, this would identify active strings of genetic code, and replace them with deactivated strands, which the body wouldn't read for. Repeat this 100 or so trillion more times and you have a rather unpleasant appointment with the grim reaper in just 48 hours. The gas, however, would paralyze them, preventing any movement while the virus made its way through the body.
I worked for the next 4 hours, as quickly as I could, making sure to inform Bridge about what had happened to Tomō, but only mentioned that I was "Handling it." when it came to finding a solution. Captain didn't follow up as there was a general understanding that you don't talk about what you had to do on a rescue mission. At regular intervals I checked his location and vitals making sure that not only was he not moving, but also still remained alive.
Leaving the hotel I got back in the truck and went as fast as I could to the warehouse they were keeping him in. Rage and fear boiling over. What were they doing to Tomō? Is he hurt? I'm gonna kill those fuckers. They fucked with the wrong person and now they're gonna be in a world of hurt unlike anything they could possibly imagine.
Slamming on the brakes when I got there, I took in my surroundings. The building was small, no larger than a barn, with a slanted roof with two skylights. Surrounding the building was a tall fence, nothing I couldn't climb and the entrance was padlocked shut, both the gate and the door. After scaling the fence I climbed up a dumpster and up onto the roof, making sure to crawl whenever I could. Peeking through the skylight, which was cracked open slightly, allowing me to not only see but hear what was going on inside.
It was a most distressing scene, Tomō, tied to an iron column, all bruised and bloodied, with four other people, 2 men and 2 women, standing nearby. I was lucky to have calibrated the dose for 5 people.
"It's been 5 hours, your little friend isn't coming to save you." One of the men said approaching Tomō
Fearing that he could hurt him once more I readied the bow with the special arrow that would release the gas on impact.
Release.
The arrow landed right in-between the man and the three others. They all turned to look at me, but I had quickly hidden myself from view.
"Looks like your friend is here after all. Shame he missed!" He shouted.
"I didn't need to!" I shouted back, clicked the button that would release the gas along with the virus.
I crawled back over to the skylight to see my creation take action. They began to cough. One of them fell down.
"You don't know, do you?" He said, laughing and still coughing.
"We knew where you were. That tracker is on you too. Oh, and that little bioweapon you designed, it doesn't work on us."
He pulled off a sort of latex disguise. He was not Ix, none of them were. They were all Trexel, the sworn enemy of The Federation who they had been fighting with, largely in the form of border skirmishes and territorial disputes for the last 200 years.
"Get him." The man said, pointing at me as the three others began running out of the building.
FUCK SHIT FUCK FUCK FUCK
I quickly climbed down the roof and only had time to get onto the top of the dumpster, I was unarmed, or so I thought, remembering the pair of scissors I kept in one of my pockets. I did ditch my bow and at this point it was dead weight to me.
"You're gonna fucking pay for what you did to Tomō." I growled.
"With a pair of scissors! HA!" one of the women said.
"You fucked around..."
Splitting the scissors in two, I grabbed one of the halves and threw it.
"ACK" Was her last word as the blade pierced right through her neck.
THUMP was the noise her body made collapsing onto the floor as she bled out and choked. Her peers readied their swords. (Kinetic weapons would make too much noise and Energy weapons could have some... unintended consequences.) I grabbed a short, half-meter pipe and taped the remaining half of the scissors to one end.
"with a human.. and now... you find out."
I jumped down from my position, while that did mean sacrificing my high ground, I needed to make the quickest work of the two in order to get to Tomō as quickly as possible.
They both charged me at the same time, trying to flank, but I just circled around, making sure to keep line of sight.
Eventually one charged me, I let her attack me, always making sure to move out of the way, this kept the both of them in motion, never quite getting close enough to strike.
Leading them in circles I eventually picked the man who didn't seem as skilled due to his lack of participation compared to his other colleague.
Lunging towards him I made quick steps towards, when I got inside striking range he I had to sidestep his sword, but in the end that didn't matter, a swift stab to the chin and I just pushed him aside with the other end of the pipe to bled out.
Now all that was left was the woman standing there, alone, and moderately terrified.
Adrenaline coursing through my veins in ever increasing quantities, and desperation coursing through hers, we charged at each other, and I stabbed her in the torso, striking one of her vital organs.
But I was but a 10th of a second too late, and the steel of her blade sliced about 2 and a half centimeters into my right shoulder. Adrenaline quieted the pain, but it still hurt like hell as the blood trickled out and I began to lose feeling in my right arm.
Pulling my communicator I hit the SOS button.
Pushing her body to the side I ran as fast I could to the door and charged the last man toppling him to the ground. But he was prepared, holding a knife in his hand, stabbing and slashing until his last breath. When all was done I ran over to Tomō but collapsed just centimeters from freeing him as the amount of blood I lost grew, and the pain returned.
I waited for 2 minutes, but it felt like eternity, barely being able to open my eyes, and the pain shooting throughout my body, all while I could hear Tomō struggling to break free to try and treat my wounds.
But at the end of those two minutes I was lifted up into a medevac shuttle.
"Tomō?" I groaned, forcing the word out with every fiber of my being.
"Yes we have Tomō he'll be okay but our priority is you right now."
I recognized the voice, it was Jiply, the ship's doctor, but I could barely parse it out through the noise of other doctors and whirring, beeping machines as the crew of doctors attended to my injuries.
By the next time I had opened my eyes I was lying down in a cold room by myself, dressed in my underwear and a knee-length hospital gown, hooked up to a heart rate monitor and a pack of blood to replenish what I had lost. Nearby though was a call button, which I sat up slowly to reach, upon sitting up I inspected myself, noticing that my torso had 5 scars from the fight, and I estimated another 2 on my back judging by the tenderness of the skin. I pressed the button repeatedly until someone came.
"Well I see you're awake!" Smiled Jiply.
"Would you like me to tell the crew you're awake?"
"Just Tomō for now, I'll tell the crew myself" I said, groggily.
"Oh and could you get me something to wear please?"
"Sure thing I can get you something!"
She left the room and shortly afterwards brought me a pair of pants, the same color as my gown and made of flannel. Since I couldn't get out of bed quite yet she put them on for me.
"Thank you." I whispered.
Jiply left once more to get Tromō, I didn't have to wait long until I heard him bursting through the door.
"You're okay!" He exclaimed while crying.
"Oh thank the stars you're okay!"
He bolted towards me, tightly wrapping his arms around me.
"Too much squeeze, too much squeeze!"
Not only was he hugging me too tightly, but it also irritated my tender scars. He quickly loosened his hug, allowing me to feel his soft, wrinkly skin, and hear the pitter-patter of his hearts.
"So good to see you're okay too."
We were both crying tears of joy, and while I knew whatever just happened would only be the start, I would always have someone I could rely on. Tomō would always have my back, and I would always have his. I fell asleep mid-embrace.
When I woke up once more, it was already the next day, and while the bag of blood had been removed, its place was a clear IV bag to, you know, prevent me from starving.
I just laid down, facing the ceiling, taking in the calm. Savoring it. For about... 5 minutes, after that I got bored, so I pressed the call button. To no-one's surprise by this point, Jiply walks in shortly afterwards. I strongly suspect that she was personally overseeing me as it likely got priority over Klob'lar freaking out over stubbing their toe again.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" She asked
"Could you get me a cane, I would like to tell the crew that I'm okay."
She handed me a cane, carefully lifting myself back onto my shaking legs.
"So what's the damage doc?"
"Well, your liver got punctured but we were able to repair that, and we had concerns about the long term viability of your L-3 vertebrae and your right shoulder so we replaced the both of them."
"Not too bad." I chuckled.
I slowly made my way over to the door one hand clasped around the cane, and the other around the IV bag stand. It took me about half an hour to head down the hallway over to the bridge. The door opened and I belted out as hard as I could
"IMM BAACK!" *Cough* *Cough*
Everyone stood up to face me and began to clap, which I signaled for them to stop since I didn't care for the noise. I was smiling though
"We figured you were okay, Tomō seemed happier than ever before so we assumed it meant good news for you!" The captain said walking over to me.
"Awww man he spoiled the surprise!" I laughed.
"Oh please, seeing you walking is plenty surprise enough."
"So how did you manage to rescue me so quickly without being discovered?"
"Oh we didn't, we unfortunately had to prematurely inform them of other life in the galaxy."
"You're fucking with me aren't you."
"After how you fought, we all respect you too much to fuck with you like that."
"Well shit." I said, the smile I had was wiped from my face.
​
So that's it for Pt 6, hope you liked the fight scene! Pt 7 should be coming out in another 2 days. As always, thanks for reading!

I'd like to start by letting everyone know that the genre is Fantasy Epic, and that this is a long prologue at 6,414 words. This prologue serves a purpose as it takes care of a lot of my setting and plot setup. It also gives the reader a fair bit of worldbuilding without making it too much of an info dump (talking to you Robert Jordan ;P).
I've had several people beta read this for me and gotten a lot of positive feedback. The prolbem for me is that these were all people I know very well on a personal level. Several have made comparisons to Chronicles of Narnia or Lord of the Rings as far as how well the full book is written. The problem is, friends and family can often have a bias and make things seem better than they really are. So, now I want to do a test run in the real world and see what people who don't know me think. Is it as engaging and compelling as they have made me hope that it is?
I'm basically wanting to take a page from a couple authors I admire and follow the ABC rule for critiquing. Please let me know of any point where you thought it was Awesome, Boring or Confusing. I know prologues aren't everyone's favorite thing, but this has basically been written like a novella for the main story as it foreshadows a lot of things leading all the way into book four.
————————————————————————————
PROLOGUE
ARCHIVE INFINITUM
October 14, 844 (Alt-Future)
"Welcome back to the Archive, Master Jonathan."
"Thank you, Charles. It's good to be back. Have you noticed anything interesting in the Physical Realm?"
"I have not, sir. Do you require any assistance today?"
"Thank you, but no. I'm only here to revisit a passage within the history of the Order. Shortly after, I'll depart for the reunion at the Tower."
"Excellent, sir. I'll leave you to it."
Jonathan emerged from the ether and walked through the Archive doors. Inhaling deeply, he breathed in the familiar scents of dusty cleanliness that can only truly be found in a place of learning. The lights reflected off the floor's white marble surface, casting a glow that evenly lit every corner of the large chamber. Even so, the room still felt cavernous to him, as if he were a galleon amidst the vastness of the ocean.
Jonathan appeared to be in his early to mid forties. Though, with the way he carried himself and the spring in his step, he seemed closer to his late twenties. His hair was shoulder length and dark gray. He wore bifocals though he hadn't needed them since his ascension, and dressed with a refined sense of style.
His gray eyes were by far his most interesting feature, though. They were the only hint of how old he truly was and the many adventures and travesties he'd witnessed. Regardless, how old he was didn't matter as age had long since lost its meaning for him. After all, being an immortal tended to give a man new priorities in life.
As he strolled across the room, a lift descended from the tower's heights. The square platform had waist high rails around its perimeter. It floated through the air showing no sign of a suspension system to raise or lower it. This was accomplished by a magical enchantment that allowed it to levitate and dart about the room at mind numbing speeds. As he stepped up onto the platform's dais, it landed on the floor in front of him. He took a position at its center, then, after folding his arms behind his back, mentally willed it to take him to floor eight hundred forty four.
It rose off the ground, gradually gaining speed until it was a hundred or so feet in the air. At that point, the platform took off like a rocket. The thought of what these speeds would do to him if this were outside the Realm of Intellect crossed his mind, making him chuckle nervously. He knew he had to be moving close to six hundred miles per hour.
Now, let me tell you a bit about Jonathan's pet project, The Archive Infinitum. The Archive is a magical structure he'd designed shortly after the cataclysm that nearly wiped out the human race. An event most of you now refer to as the Night of Burning Skies. That same event is also what gave us the powers we now refer to as magic.
Shortly after obtaining his ascension, he learned that science's multiverse theories were close to how reality really worked. There are an infinite number of parallel universes, or branching timelines, that coexist simultaneously. What was different is that each universe shared a common six realm structure. The Physical Realm, the Realm of Intellect, the Dominion of Shadows, the Plane of Enlightenment, the Land of the Forgotten, and the Ether.
He built the Archive within the Realm of Intellect so it wouldn't be bound by the laws of physics or time as we know them. Once the structure was anchored in place, he could set most of those parameters himself. What he didn't realize was that making it here would have an unintended, though not unwelcome, side effect. The structure's size, shape, and architectural style could change by anyone who entered it.
When someone enters the Archive, it ascertains their strength of mind and will. Suppose the individual's mental fortitude is deemed stronger than that of the other occupants. In that case, the appearance will adjust to one that best serves and appeals to that individual. This could become unsettling for the occupants already inside the first few times it happened. That being said, it has no effect on the contents atop the shelves or where you're located within the structure. For Jonathan, it shared an uncanny resemblance to the George Peabody Library, though on a much grander scale.
The lift stopped after a brief ride, and Jonathan stepped off. He resumed his stride, passing row after row of the cherry wood bookcases. There were hundreds of rows and thousands of tomes and scrolls in each. As a scholar, he'd spent most of his existence here. But, even so, he knew there would always be something more to be gleaned from their pages.
Today was a day of remembrance. Of celebration. Of mourning. It was the anniversary of the end of a war that had lasted ten thousand years. With the death of one individual, a light of hope was given to many. For others, it was a bittersweet victory that left a void in their hearts. He'd come here today to revisit a passage that would return him to that fateful day. Reliving the event which granted them this peace, and once again, paying his respects to a dear friend.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes. Here we go."
The plaque on the side of the bookcase read, Row DD, Column 15. Now that he'd found the right one, he began scanning the shelves. It wasn't long before his hand landed on the tome he sought.
"Here it is." He pulled it down from the shelf. "My word. Has it truly been fifteen hundred years since I glanced through these pages?"
Looking at the cover, he chuckled. The combined magic of the Archive and the Realm had created a thin layer of dust. Giving it the feeling of something ancient and lost to time. Raising it to his lips, he blew the dust away, causing the magic to dissipate as it fell to the floor. He pulled open the cover and rifled through the pages. The section he stopped at contained the account of Rexinon the Prophet's final words.
Summoning his divine magics, he channeled a spell into the tome. The words that once filled the passages began to fade away, leaving only the blank pages, which now bled a blueish gray smoke. The soft glow of the lights against the floor diminished as the smoke spread. As the darkness grew more substantial, luminescent spheres and arcs of brilliant blues and crimson could be seen dancing about its surface like lightning.
The ground trembled beneath his feet, and the smokey haze took on a more stormlike appearance. All around him, the air started to feel heavy, and the taste of dust and sea salt filled his mouth. A gentle rain began to fall, and the room's remaining lights winked out. If not for the increasing flashes of lightning, he would've been left in total darkness. But even this was not a comfort, as those flashes cast shadows against the storm's ever swirling walls. Many of which appeared to be dark things that should never be seen in the light.
The storm's intensity grew, bringing disorienting cracks of thunder and wind whipping around him. It assaulted his senses and seemed to have an almost vengeful purpose. That meant he had to constantly focus on the spell, bracing himself against the onslaught. If he failed, it would kill him without question.
Some of the shadows began to take on a physical form with details beyond what the walls could offer them. He watched as an hourglass tumbled end over end, circling him before it returned to the storm. A moment later, a blazing fireplace and mantle emerged but produced neither light nor heat. Finally, a door engraved with the crest of the Order appeared. These images were ones he'd expected to see for this particular passage, and so came as no surprise. However, when a fourth image appeared, he was caught off guard.
Although it was normal for three images to accompany this spell, an occasional fourth spoke of prophecy. He focused intently on this final image. It showed twelve people standing in a circle; one of them was coated in blood. Two others were bound by chains. One a man, the other a woman.
He looked closer at the man and realized it was Godric. His eyes opened wide as he tried to decipher the meaning behind the image. Only a few moments passed while he speculated, but it was a few moments too many. Disaster struck, and too late, he realized his mistake. He'd lost focus, and now the storm would surely take him.
Hurricane force winds and debris tore at his clothes, quickly turning them into rags. One powerful gust slammed into his side as if he'd been struck by a car, knocking him off his feet. The storm swelled with even greater ferocity. It threatened to consume him this time, and he wondered if it would finally cost him.
Rain and hail pelted his face and body, while dust and sand stung his eyes. As he wiped away the grit, a bolt of lightning struck before him, temporarily blinding him. He got to his hands and knees, gasping for breath as the storm continued to beat him relentlessly.
Steeling himself against the pain, he rose to his feet. As fast as he could manage, he began casting mental defenses and barriers to protect his mind from the horrific assault. He bellowed in defiance of the storm, "I will not let it end this way! I refuse!" One defense after another was laid upon his person, until finally, he succeeded. The winds died to a breeze as the rain became little more than a summer misting.
He heard the sound of a quill scratching against paper over the storm's remnants, and the air behind his back grew hot as a crackling fire joined the room's ambiance. The sickly sweet smell of incense filled his nostrils, reminding him of days spent in his master's study. Another fond memory.
The storm wall vanished as the tremors subsided, making the room visible through a misty haze. The light of the fireplace cast his shadow across the now rough cut gray stone floor. Half a dozen tapestries hung around the room, and a liquor cabinet stood at the room's far corner. The main entry door remained closed to his left, and the doorway to the study's balcony lay to his right. At the room's center sat Rexinon at his desk, writing furiously on a piece of parchment.
Wiping the sweat from his brow, he breathed a sigh of relief. Although he'd done this countless times, the journey into the pages of history was always filled with peril. But, blessedly, the most intense part of the spell was complete. And while he could now relax in that fact, that fourth image still concerned him.
He stood in the familiar square room, clothing restored to its original state. The evening's air flowed through the open windows, making the ambient temperature quite cozy. Crossing the room, he paused at the desk and listened as Rexinon started muttering. "What I wouldn't give for a typewriter, much less a computer. Would make this so much faster."
Jonathan couldn't help but crack a smile. "Oh, but how many times have I thought the same thing, old friend?" He remarked, though he knew Rexinon couldn't hear him.
He stepped up to the desk and leaned over it. Looking down at the paper Rexinon was writing on, he frowned. Like so many times before, it appeared as little more than black scribbles on a page. Those words had to be important, but there was no way to know.
This was one of the spell's critical weaknesses. The details within the vision were only as precise as what was written in the tome. Most of the books in the Archive were magically transcribed. The benefits of this were completed histories free of victor and writer biases. Although, it wasn't flawless.
Throughout history, there have been individuals or events that the spell couldn't see. The most well known examples of these blips in time were the United States presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt from 1933 to 1945 and the United Kingdom's Prime Minister, Michael Durham, from 2063 to 2065. All that is known about them was their lives before office and the accounts written by those around them. These gaps in history were generally the result of one of two things. In these two cases, a place or individual with a strong connection to the Dominion of Shadows.
Sighing, he pushed off the desk and crossed the room to the liquor cabinet. He opened the glass doors, pulling several bottles and a glass from the shelves. He made a drink consisting of three parts Red Adders Bite and one part Dry Amorian Blood Wine, then added a lime wedge to the rim of the glass. The others wouldn't arrive for another half hour, leaving him time to kill.
He walked around the room with his drink in hand and studied the various tapestries, several of which he'd been a part of. Each one depicted an accomplishment or tragedy facilitated by the Order. All save one, which showed a scene from the event that started it all.
The one to the left of the cabinet showed the Order's founding. In the background stood a grand tower of black and white marble. Its four sides were engraved with the Mark of Hellyrr, which glowed with a magical light. In front of it stood a man facing a gathered crowd, his arms swept wide in triumph. They looked up at him and the structure with reverence and awe.
He continued to move in a counterclockwise manner around the room. Above the main entry door hung another tapestry. One he was even depicted in. It showed the aftermath of a massacre. Six figures stood amidst the bodies of hundreds. The earth around them was scorched by flame, and the blood of the fallen had stained it red. The cloud covered sky glowed a deep crimson with gold outlines from the fires below. It had come to be known as the Cleansing of Elysian, in which the entirety of the planet's second continent had been annihilated to preserve the world.
"I wish it had never come to this. Why can't we all just get along? Instead of thriving in the prosperity of our two lands, they plotted and began planning to bring war to our own people. To rape, pillage, and enslave them. Even with all my vast knowledge and wisdom, I can't understand why they felt the need to dominate and control the world." He looked back up at the tapestry. "Even now, most of the land is still uninhabitable."
He turned around and looked at the tapestry above the balcony door. This one would appear out of place with the others to all but a few handfuls of people. Even for those who learned the truth behind it, it looked like little more than an artist's vision of what a beautiful landscape at sunset should look like. The sky is dotted with hundreds of stars as shades of red, orange, and yellow dance across the land's horizon. The artist's point of view appears to be looking down from a hillside. Down the hill's slope, you can see a pond teaming with wildlife along its edge. The remaining landscape is filled with miles of forest stretching toward the horizon.
For the few who survived this event and still remained, they knew it depicted the final moments of their world before all of humanity was nearly lost.
Jonathan fixated on this tapestry more than he had on the others. The longer he stared, the more distant his expression grew. Over time, his breathing quickened, and his grip on the glass slipped. It shattered as it hit the floor, causing the rug to stain from the liquid. The sound jerked him out of the trance like state, making him feel ill.
He could still recall the memory of that long ago day like it were yesterday. The thought of how close humanity had come to extinction made his legs weak, and he stumbled back against the wall behind him. He slid down the stones' cool surface and noticed his hands were now trembling. Through shuddering breaths, he uttered the words of a broken man. "So much death. So many lives were lost that day. So many. Oh, Sonia. Even after all this time, I still miss you."
The main entry door slammed open, crashing against the wall with a loud bang. Jonathan jerked as one of them collided mere inches from where he sat. The startling sound had been enough to pull him from his stupor, but it still took a moment for him to gather himself. A man in the doorway lowered his foot from where he'd obviously kicked the unlocked door in.
"Knock, knock, Rex. Seems you've done it now."
"Seth. I'll never understand the animosity you held for Rexinon," Jonathan said wearily as he got to his feet.
Seth stood just shy of five foot eight inches and had slick black hair that he kept combed back. He wore black jeans and a beige dress shirt with mother of pearl buttons, which had seen far too much polish in recent days. A malevolent grin displayed his perfect teeth and careless eyes. He strode into the room, dragging a chair behind him, and placed it on the rug by the fireplace.
"Was kicking the door in really necessary, Seth?"
A second man stepped into the room, obviously annoyed by the unnecessary use of force. He wore a navy blue business suit and towered over everyone else in the room, and that was saying something considering Jonathan was six foot. As he still held to the standards of a marine, he kept his hair high and tight and his face clean shaven. He stood at the rug's edge out of respect for the Order so as not to mar the embroidered Mark of Hellyrr. A respect Seth clearly lacked.
"Godric Gibbs. This day changed you. Hell, it changed all of us, but few as much as you," Jonathan said. He looked back at the door as the third and final man entered. "Assassin."
This man was of a height with Jonathan and wore all black from head to toe. His outfit looked like something out of a TV show. Almost like a cross between Gi Joe's Snake Eyes, and CW Arrow's League of Assassins. After ten thousand years, all they knew about him was his previous occupation as a contract killer. It wasn't long before they'd taken to calling him Assassin, as they had no other name to go by. Any time he was asked a question regarding his past, he either remained silent or dodged it outright. He took a position to Godric's left and, like Godric, took care of where he stood on the rug.
The three men stood in silence and watched as Rexinon continued to write. Godric and Assassin seemed content to wait until he addressed them. On the other hand, Seth seemed to grow more agitated as the minutes passed. Jonathan chuckled in spite of himself.
About twenty minutes later, Rexinon spoke, "Reverend Seth Jones, Colonel Godric Gibbs, and Assassin. To what do I owe the pleasure?" His tone plainly indicated that he already knew.
Seth spoke first. "Oh, cut the crap, Rex. You already know why we're here. This cult thing of yours has gone on long enough."
"Well, there's the pot calling the kettle black," Jonathan muttered sarcastically.
Godric rolled his eyes. Everyone in the room knew about Seth's past as a cult leader. They also knew his anger was more at being forced to wait in silence than anything to do with Rexinon or the Order.
"Calm yourself, Seth. There's no need for such hostilities." Godric looked at Rexinon apologetically. "I'm sorry to have to do this, old friend, but my hands are tied. Rexinon the Prophet, Headmaster of the Hellyrrian Order, you've been charged with conspiracy to overthrow the governments of Aurelia and seize control for the Order.
"As we speak, the leaders of the Hellyrrian Order are being gathered for execution. Furthermore, your towers and all their artifacts will be destroyed, and any remnants of the Order's existence is to be wiped from the face of history. As of 0813 this morning, you have been sentenced to death. How do you plead?"
Rexinon continued to write at an incredible rate. He knew why they'd come. He'd known this was coming for months. After all, his gift was the gift of prophecy. The evidence for the charges against him was both substantial and ethereal, depending on what light was shown on it.
Two centuries ago, the Order had tracked the activities of an unknown number of individuals who'd been subtly manipulating several of the Aurelian governing bodies. They'd spread like a poison, corrupting them and turning once prosperous kingdoms which knew few hardships, into lands where the people had to fight just to survive. The problem was that whoever that force had been, always seemed to be just one step ahead of them. Now, not only was it check, but checkmate. The Order had lost.
"I believe the Righteous Twelve to be ill advised. I believe you've been manipulated by the same corrupted governing body which we've spent so long trying to purify—." Seth grunted. "—But," he said at length, "I accept all charges against me, save one. Neither myself nor anyone else of the Order has ever sought to rule Aurelia, as the charges would imply. The Cleansing of Elysian should've been proof enough to show that to be true."
Rexinon penned the final words of his letter and placed the pen back in its stand. Pulling the top off a jar, he dusted the page with a thin layer of sand to soak up any excess ink. After dumping the sand back into another jar to be cleaned, he pushed away from his desk and stood to look at his guests for the first time. After nudging his stool back under, he addressed Godric directly.
"Will you join me on the balcony one last time?"
Godric nodded his head and gestured towards the balcony doorway. As they stepped outside, Jonathan followed.
Rexinon leaned against the railing and looked out over the city, his gaze fixed on the setting sun. Godric joined him and looked down to the tower's base, some five hundred feet below. Although he was not afraid of heights, it gave him respect for the sturdily mounted railing at the balcony's edge.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Rexinon said. Godric looked at him, confused. "The way the world has turned out since that day? Ten thousand years of watching as civilization was rebuilt and destroyed time and time again by a senseless war. Watching them evolve into something more as they learned how to use these gifts we were given. In some ways, we're greater than we ever were. In other ways, we're inferior. If I have any regrets, it's that I couldn't do more to leave the people better prepared for this new age."
"Well spoken. If it's any consolation, I believe this is wrong. I even spoke out against the council for a different outcome. For my efforts, though, I was threatened with execution if I didn't cease my objections."
Rexinon's tone grew heated after hearing of the council's reaction. "You should know better than anyone why I fought so hard against them, then. I'm not against governance. I'm against corrupt governance. We had far too many corrupt politicians and warlords in our own time for me to ever want to allow it again."
Godric nodded his head. "Yes. The problem is you played too heavy a hand too quickly. Instead of accepting that they'd been beaten, they cheated by playing with an ace they had hidden up their collective sleeves."
Rexinon sighed, knowing his words were true. "Indeed. I've accepted my fate. I won't run. Won't even make it difficult for y'all. I have no need to. I would like to make one final request to ease your conscience, though."
Rexinon leaned toward Godric conspiratorially. As he did this, the world around them began to shimmer and distort. Almost like the motion blurring you'd see on a TV. Likewise, their conversation was masked by the sound of white noise and the sound of hushed incoherent whispers.
This was the second hurdle the scrying spells had to deal with. Individuals with divine magic could conceal their conversations or even the events they were a part of. Rexinon had concealed this conversation, and to this day, Godric has never spoken of what was said.
Jonathan returned to the study with a resigned sigh. There was nothing more he could learn from their conversation. Assassin stood in the same spot he'd been when he first entered the room and looked as if he hadn't so much as twitched. Seth, however, was rummaging through the desk's drawers. He'd tried to figure out what he was looking for in the past, but nothing seemed obvious.
The shards of glass from when he'd dropped his cup earlier had vanished, along with the stain on the rug from the liquor. As expected, the glass had returned to the cabinet, and the bottles had refilled to where they were before he'd arrived. This was yet another reminder that this was a magically induced vision of an event that had long since passed. It could be too easy to forget that this wasn't real and that if he spent too much time here, it would have consequences in the real world for him.
He knew they'd be out there a while. In previous visits, he'd occasionally spent this time combing through the room, similar to what Seth was doing. Having cataloged everything centuries ago, there was nothing left to do but wait. So, he walked around the desk and sat squarely within the Mark of Hellyrr embroidered on the rug. There, for the next hour or so, he would remain, arms folded, legs crossed, and eyes shut. Freeing his mind of all unnecessary thoughts and emotions. At least, that was the plan.
About forty minutes in, Seth started to grumble and complain, forcing Jonathan to give up on his meditation. "… I know he's one of the humblest among our kind, but lord, does he have to be so dull? I can't find anything interesting anywhere. Even his liquor cabinet is dull." Seth walked from behind the desk to the liquor cabinet, pulled a few bottles out at random, and read the labels aloud. "Red Adders Bite, Amorian Blood Wine. Christ, he's even got Athester's Sweet Malt. This crap might as well be water." He pulled another bottle down and said, "At least he's got the taste to have at least one bottle of Nordic Berserker."
"Some of us prefer the simpler things in life. You might find life more enjoyable when you aren't always looking for the rare and exotic," Assassin said with a disinterested, almost dismissive tone.
Seth clicked his tongue. "Hell, even this letter he was so focused on when we arrived makes no sense." Seth thrust the letter towards Assassin, who took it nonchalantly. "Look at this."
Jonathan studied Assassin intently, hoping for any sign that would reveal the letter's contents. It was no use, though; for all the emotion he showed, Jonathan would've thought it no more important than a grocery list. But, if that were the case, why obscure it from the eyes of the scrying spell? The frustration caused by such a simple sheet of paper was baffling.
Jonathan got to his feet as Rexinon and Godric returned. As Rexinon walked to stand at the center of the rug, Jonathan moved behind the desk. Godric walked toward Assassin and conversed with him for a few minutes. Once again, the sound of white noise shrouded what was said. This time, it was Godric who masked his words from the spell. When Assassin nodded, Godric moved beside him and faced Rexinon.
Rexinon looked at each tapestry and seemed to relive each as he did so. They all knew those accomplishments and tragedies would stand the test of time. Any efforts to change that would fall flat. The Order had played too significant a role in shaping this new world. Finally, he turned to Godric, kneeling as he met his regret filled eyes.
Assassin pulled an infamous rod from his side, dubbed the Executioner's Handle. Forged in the Dominion of Shadow by Assassin some three thousand years ago. It was one and a half feet long of shadow infused steel and bound with his own divine essence. Ominous black tendrils crawled along Assassin's hand like something alive and flowed into the handle. The shaft elongated, and an axe head formed at its end.
Though he had accepted his fate, seeing that axe form made Rexinon's heart stop momentarily. He looked at Godric questioningly. Godric knew what that look meant and nodded his head in assent. Agreeing to this had allowed them both to right several wrongs this night by asking one simple question. "Do you have any final words or requests?"
"I have two, if you'll grant them. The first, allow me to disband the Order formally as my final act as headmaster."
Seth started to protest, but Assassin lowered the axehead in his direction as a silent threat. Seth glared at Assassin with seething hatred. Godric nodded to Rexinon. "Proceed."
As the headmaster of the Hellyrrian Order, he had a mental connection with every member. Without hesitation, Rexinon's eyes began to glow with a brilliant purple hue. This would be Rexinon's final order, and Godric knew it would save thousands.
"My brothers and sisters, hear me now and heed my words. Abandon the Order and save yourselves. Flee to the hills and never look back to what we once were. With my dying breath, the Hellyrrian Order is no more. The governments of Aurelia have played a hand we can't stand against. Anyone who disregards this command will be hunted down and executed without mercy. To the leaders and guild masters of the Order, I charge you with dismantling everything relating to the Order and turning over every artifact and document you can to Godric the Just, Jonathan the Wise, or Assassin the Watcher. I also ask that you help calm those who feel outraged and betrayed by this night. Do not blame the Twelve, as they were little more than pawns in this corrupt game of politics. Farewell, my friends. My family. May the peace we have fought for be found in the coming days."
The glow faded, and he slumped forward onto his hands, his breathing labored. A few moments passed, and he managed to catch his breath but still looked towards the ground.
"The second request I have is that anyone who would heed that warning be spared. The ruling factions wanted me. As long as no one else causes trouble, we know they won't cause too much fuss over it."
His voice took on a much sharper edge as he looked back up. "You call us a cult, though you know we are nothing of the sort. On the contrary, our Order has stood for nearly five thousand years for the betterment of the entire world. How they treated you should tell you that what I said and what we were doing was justified."
"Shut your mouth, Rex!" Seth spat venomously.
Godric glared at Seth. His own anger with this situation was at the point of breaking free. "Be silent! I don't know what kind of grudge you have, but I, for one, don't give a damn what the council said. Rexinon doesn't deserve death for the crimes he's being accused of. Unfortunately, the ruling factions in almost every nation are corrupted and working towards being as corrupt as they were back in our day." Godric sighed. "Regrettably, my hands are tied, though. The law is the law, and I have been overruled on this matter. Regardless of what my conscience thinks, I will abide by the rules of the land."
Rexinon nodded, understanding Godric's situation perfectly. Godric had become the divine embodiment of law and justice at his ascension. While those two things work hand in hand, they are far from the same, and one must often walk a fine line to serve them both. In this case, the choices were clear. In the end, it didn't matter what he chose; he would inevitably betray one virtue or the other. Unfortunately, there was no good way for him to handle this, and Rexinon could see how this was affecting him.
"The majority of the Order will heed my warning. As for the leaders, if any are still alive, they will follow that command to the letter. They'll even aid you in handling any hotheads who resist," Rexinon said.
"The good news is that no one has yet been executed this evening. I'll personally see to it that those who abide by that order are given a chance to live long, productive lives within society. If all goes well, you will be the only casualty of this idiocy."
Rexinon gave the faintest sign of a smile with a halfhearted chuckle as he said, "Godric, one thing I'll not allow is any of the Order's work ending up in the hands of one of those tyrants. Therefore, I demand that Jonathan be given every document, scroll, and tome held within our strongholds for safekeeping." Rexinon felt exhausted. The spell to warn his Order took more out of him than anticipated.
"You're in no position to be making demands of us," Seth said. Godric finally snapped and struck him so hard that he slammed back into the wall beside the fireplace, cracking it. He got back to his feet a moment later, fixed his shirt, and looked down at the blood he'd wiped from his lip. Godric looked back at Rexinon.
"As you were saying."
"Assassin, I'd ask that you secure all our relics and artifacts, regardless of their magical significance. I don't need to tell you what all we have housed around Aurelia."
"No, you don't. The nukes of our time were nothing compared to some of those items," Assassin replied.
"We'll see to it that it's done. There are things within these walls that were never meant for untrained mortal hands," Godric added.
"Thank you."
"As for the texts, Jonathan will have a field day going through everything. There is far too much the council doesn't understand within these walls that we can't afford to lose."
"Godric was right, Rex. I still have everything. Much of which has been quite useful over the centuries,"
Godric turned his head away, no longer able to look Rexinon in the eye. "I no longer deserve the right to call you a friend, but is there anything else you would ask of me?"
Rexinon looked at Godric for a long time and couldn't help but smile. Not at his pain or suffering in following the orders given to him, but knowing that if anyone here had ever been a friend to him, Godric certainly was. With his final words, he left Godric with a warning.
"No, but I'll leave you with this. Be wary of those among you, for one will betray you all. My friend."
Godric nodded, accepting these as Rexinon's final words as a tear ran down his cheek. Rexinon lowered his head, and Assassin enveloped his axe's blade in a purple aura.
"Woah, Assassin, what's with the new color? Never seen that before," Seth asked.
Ignoring the question, Assassin swung the axe, severing Rexinon's head cleanly.
That night, the cries of the Order were heard in every city across Aurelia. All mourning the death of the Order's first, and last, headmaster.
Jonathan fought back tears of his own as he watched the axe's head vanish. Assassin secured the handle on his belt as he walked towards the desk. Godric looked as though he was going to be sick.
"Did you do as I asked?" Godric asked shakily.
"Of course. I may be a trained killer, but even I know this was bullshit, mate."
Seth walked over and picked up Rexinon's severed head by the hair. He held it up before him, a mischievous grin on his face. Then he whispered something into Rexinon's ear.
Assassin's eyes locked on Seth. As he let go of the head, he used one of his abilities, known as shadow step, to cross the distance to where Seth stood. Before Rexinon's head hit the ground, Assassin snatched it out of the air and punched Seth so hard that it sent him flying into the same section of the wall he'd hit earlier. He bounced off it, but the force of the impact sent several of the stones flying into the next room. Seth crumpled to the floor, where he lay unmoving for several seconds. After a while, his head snapped upright, and he began to laugh. He stood up as if nothing had happened and headed out the door. Godric, now seething with anger, watched as Assassin started to go after him. "Leave him. He's not worth your time."
Jonathan paced around the room, waiting for the spell to wear off. His heart ached, and his own anger toward Seth at that moment made him wish he could destroy the man. But that was Seth's way, and they'd all learned to let it go in time. The world began to blur and vanish, reverting to the Archive once again.
He closed the cover, placing the tome back on the shelf with a heavy sigh. His fingers lingered on the binding as he read the inscription, A Complete History of the Hellyrrian Order, Volume 666. Finally, Jonathan let his hand fall to the side as he walked away with his shoulders slumped.
As if speaking to an old friend, he lamented, "Damn you, Rex. Why couldn't you have just left well enough alone?"
As Jonathan walked away, he shed a tear at the loss of one of his closest friends.

First: https://redd.it/11e34ce
Previous: https://redd.it/142fe2y
Chapter 32
As Mae had previewed, the weeks that passed since the incident in the Logistics Bay were fraught with speculation and feeding the rumor mill. Quin felt he couldn’t walk ten paces on Nemo before meeting some askance gaze of a crewmember or hearing the murmurings of a conversation that abruptly stopped when he would round a corner. Mae was right though that, after a while, the incident became old news and the ruckus died down a bit. Certainly, there was always an inappropriate joke to be had during dinner or dark looks from certain members of the crew, but as the time passed, people turned once again to daily happenings onboard, when the next stopover would take place, and the perennial favorite: who happened to be sleeping with whom.
This last item tended to occupy people to no end, and Quin felt a bit unfortunate that this news also pertained him. Mae and Liza’s breakup and the apparent spat that he and Pepper had ran through the corridors just as fast as the news about Nova. Quin was honestly unsure which conversation he dreaded being brought up more. It seemed that individuals he had never or barely even met knew more about his world than he himself was aware. It was during one of these conversations with two people from the Engineering section that Quin accidently lost it and stormed off, an act he regretted immediately for furthering the gossip chain.
“So is it true that you had to hold Mae back so she wouldn’t punch Liza?” the guy had asked.
”What? NO. What the hell?” Quin responded, flabbergasted.
“Well, I heard from someone in the officer’s corridor that there was yelling and someone got hit. Do you know who got punched?” The other person was practically on their toes with anticipation.
“NO ONE GOT PUNCHED!” Quin shouted, ready to leave the conversation as soon as possible.
“Jeez, why are you yelling?” as the first person, blind to Quin’s growing frustration.
“Don’t you know, Liza’s friend broke up with him the next day because of the fight?” The second person remarked to the first, now completely cutting Quin out of the conversation.
“WE WEREN’T EVEN DATING! WHAT THE HELL?!” Quin screamed, turned on his heels and stormed off to nowhere in particular.
Thankfully, this was probably the worst interaction he had had as a result of those unfortunate few days, aside from the actual conversations themselves that he experienced with Pepper and Nova themselves. He would have appreciated any interaction with either of them at all, if he was honest. The silent treatment from the both of them was practically unbearable. Mae’s words of encouragement, “Time, give it time,” only helped so much when he would pass by Pepper in the corridors or when he had to work directly with Nova during his long shifts in the lab. Nova had limited their conversations to something like a comment box, dropping in parcels of a conversation to the syslog, to be taken up at her leisure and delivered at inconvenient times in the middle of the night. But at the very least, Nova was responding, albeit specifically for work and solely related to their responsibilities together. Pepper, on the other hand, was completely mute. Painfully so, Quin noted as she passed by him going into the cafeteria and didn’t even afford him a glance.
The level of complete non-interaction with Pepper and the invasion into his life by everyone else was beginning to wear on him, and he felt more cut off from the rest of the crew than ever before. He had stopped visiting Bostwick’s chamber for fear of the look of pity that the Commander often wore when passing by him. At least Mae had somewhat of a ‘tough love’ approach to cheering him up. Bostwick’s uncompromising warmth and sympathetic looks made Quin feel guilty rather than comforted, and shameful rather than encouraged. In fact, in the two and a half weeks that passed since Nemo had left the Rhea stopover and Quin passed the night under the watch of the Commander, Quin had only exchanged glances with Bostwick.
Then there was the insomnia. At first, Quin felt nothing but lethargy as he felt the different components of his life crumble around him. The inability to communicate with Tess, the intolerable pity of Mae and Bostwick, the unbearable silence from Pepper and Nova, the frustration expressed by the command staff, and the whispers and side-eyes from the rest of the crew all contributed to the complete physical and mental shutdown he experienced after leaving Rhea. He would steal away to his chamber during break periods to nap, and he would skip meals in order to stay in his room, profiting from the odd bits of food Mae snuck out of the cafeteria. However, after several days of feeling an inability to motivate himself to be out of bed, he started to find that he would lie awake, staring at the ceiling, or glancing at the clock and fretting that it was already 4:00 in the morning.
It was on one of these early mornings that Quin saw the numbers 3:22 at the top of his tablet, and he felt as if it would be impossible for him to find any sleep that night. He had laid down in bed at 22:05 with every intention of forcing a good night’s sleep, but with five hours passing by and no respite coming, he sat up on the edge of his bed and rubbed his eyes a bit. He figured that the coffee station in the kitchen would probably have some hot water with which to make tea, and that could possibly help him. He threw his jumpsuit and boots on and strolled out of the room.
The ship was deserted and peaceful, the type of quiet that Quin relished. It was almost trance-inducing, the soft hum of the ship that Quin felt coming through the very walls themselves. He felt the sound reverberate through him and it was soothing. He set off toward the kitchen. The sleet grey walls of Nemo’s interior usually made for a serious backdrop, but at this hour, it had the effect of dimming the corridors and adding to the sleepy atmosphere of the ship. He stuffed his hands deep in his pockets and followed the sleek lines of the hallways with his eyes as he passed. He came upon the cafeteria doors and walked by them to skirt the main room. He was heading for the back area, the sparkling room with gleaming metal and white tile and a peaceful getaway. Upon swiping his arm against the pad, though, he found that the space was already occupied. A voice greeted him before he had an opportunity to look up.
“Hey Quin, can’t sleep? Is it another bad dream?” Bostwick was sitting on a stool with a steaming cup of coffee in his hand and his illuminated tablet resting on one of the food prep work tables. The man had a weary look around his eyes but Quin could still discern the warmth that emanated from the wrinkles near his temples and the large smile he wore. Quin froze, unsure whether to step into the room and submit himself to another round of pity or try to find some excuse for leaving and head back to his room. In his uncertainty, he ended up standing in the doorway, causing the automatic doors to try to swish shut but freezing and retracting, over and over again.
“Well? Are you just going to stand there, mouth agape, or are you going to come get something to drink like you had planned?” Bostwick said with an eyebrow raised, his mouth now reflecting a knowing smirk. Slowly, Quin trudged into the room, his hands clenched in his pockets as he tried to suppress the nerves that were boiling in his stomach. He gingerly walked over to the coffee station and put a tea bag in a cup and pressed the release valve to allow boiling water to fall over it. Then he set the cup down to steep. He kept his eyes fixed on the surface of the brewing tea, though he felt the hair on the nape of his neck stand as he guarded himself for Bostwick’s eventual conversation starter. But after a minute, it didn’t come. Quin stood there watching the deep brown tea diffuse throughout the water but did not hear a word come from Bostwick. Hesitantly, Quin looked around and saw Bostwick tapping on his tablet, seemingly composing a message.
Quin shuffled his feet a bit before clearing his throat lightly. Without even looking up, Bostwick said, “I’m able to read signs, Quin. If you don’t want to talk to me, I’m more than happy to oblige your intention to be left alone.”
Quin’s eyes shot up to look at Bostwick, who kept on typing as if he hadn’t spoken. Quin was left a bit taken aback. Oh hell, he thought, is it that obvious or can he read my mind? He shuffled again and then picked up his tea cup. Quick, say something, you idiot, his mind was screaming at him as he struggled to put together his words.
“Look, uh, Commander, I—“ Quin started, but was immediately cut off.
“Louis, but please continue,” Bostwick said, looking up at him and smiling.
Whatever momentum Quin had built up in trying to speak, he lost it with Bostwick’s interruption. He started to second-guess even his need to speak if Bostwick was going to be able to anticipate the conversation. His mentor apparently picked up on his nervousness, because he relieved Quin’s tension by taking up what was going through Quin’s head.
“Quin, listen, I understand that you feel like you want to be left alone,” Bostwick said, his tone soft and unassailing. “And I’m sensing that you feel a bit embarrassed about being vulnerable in front of me. That’s a totally normal human feeling. I hope you aren’t feeling, though, that I overstepped any boundaries by not waking you up immediately when you fell asleep in my room?”
“No, uh, Louis, it’s not that,” Quin said abashedly.
“Good, I’m glad. So if you are feeling ashamed about the way I show that I care about you, please just tell me, and we can talk about how I can change that.”
Again, Quin was at a loss for words. It’s not that I don’t want him to care about me, he thought, it’s that I want him to be mad. Why wasn’t he angry at all? That I could deal with. But he’s so kind that I feel like I want to scream. Quin lifted his eyes and finally met Bostwick’s own piercing gaze. Bostwick seemed to interpret the silence and took up the conversation again.
“Unless…perhaps you are feeling ashamed about your own reaction?” Bostwick posited. “Quin, it’s almost the twenty-third century, well actually, for everyone not aboard this ship, it already is. We are long past the cultural stereotype of men not being able to cry. I’d say that your expression of deep emotion is quite masculine, and I for one would—“
Quin interrupted him, “No, Louis, it’s not that either.”
Bostwick fell silent for a moment, then continued gently, “Okay, again, if you wouldn’t like to discuss it right now, you can simply have your tea and we can sip our respective beverages in silence. Though I will note that a 3am excursion raises all sorts of eyebrows that a lesser XO would rush to conclusions. Thankfully for you, I’m not a lesser XO.” He ended with a smirk, returning to his tablet with a very self-satisfied look on his face.
Quin let the silence fill the room again as he turned his cup in his hands, the warmth slowly radiating through his cold fingertips and seemingly giving him a bit of courage. After a moment, he slowly walked over to the work table and set his cup down. Again, without looking up, Bostwick pulled a stool out from underneath the table and pushed it toward Quin. Quin couldn’t help but smile a bit at Bostwick’s level of tact in assuming. He took the proffered stool and plopped himself down, elbows on the work table and eyes fixed on the tea cup. Hesitantly, he glanced at Bostwick, who was humming a tune and slowly shaking his head back and forth in rhythm as he completed his message and hit the send button.
Quin cleared his throat and made his attempt, “Commander, uh sorry, Louis, it’s not that I don’t appreciate everything. I really do. I just…I was just wishing you would be less…I don’t know…understanding? A little more mad?”
“I have no intention of being mad at you Quin. That would be counterproductive and a waste of energy. Wouldn’t you say?”
“Well, I um, what do you mean?” Quin shook his head as his eyes fell.
“I’d imagine that your self-imposed reclusion and the restrictions imposed by Captain Fuentes would be a sufficient punishment, and you are probably looking for a friendly face, especially after things with Ensign Jefferson, erm, Pepper, have recently soured. That would leave you with Mae to seek some company and I daresay that Lieutenant Rohlwing has her own mission responsibilities and personal tumult to deal with, no?”
Quin was staring with his mouth open at Bostwick, who yet again was wearing a rather pleased smirk on his face. How in the hell did he know all of that? Quin thought, unable to keep an astounded look off his face.
Bostwick chuckled, then seemingly replied to Quin’s thought, “You people think the command staff are a bunch of old farts out of touch with the inner workings of the social network among you youths, but I too hear things. I have my spies on board.”
Quin laughed, causing Bostwick to perk up a bit, “Oh alright,” he rejoiced, arms up in the air. “Ten points to Bostwick for making the moody one laugh.”
Quin laughed more heartily and took a sip of his tea. When he looked back up he saw Bostwick was staring at him with an encouraging look on his face, as if to say May I keep asking questions? Quin sipped his tea again and nodded softly, almost to himself as he continued to chuckle.
“So, I take it you and Ms. Jefferson have not spoken much since we set off from Rhea?” Bostwick asked, eyebrow raised.
“No, that would require her wanting to speak to me,” Quin said dryly.
“How do you know she doesn’t want to speak to you?” Bostwick asked.
“Well, she seems to avoid or ignore me, so I’m trying to take the hint,” Quin said, trying to be nonchalant in his tone.
“Do you still like her?” Bostwick continued.
“Yeah, a lot. I thought we were doing well, really well on Rhea, but I said some stupid things in defending Mae to her, and I know I need to apologize, but she basically called me a coward, she said I needed to ‘grow a spine.’” Quin quickly gave Bostwick the back and forth of what constituted Pepper and his last conversation.
“I don’t think you are a coward. You do have a tendency to take your relationships with everyone very seriously, which is for the most part endearing, but I can see how she would find that stubbornness a bit frustrating when she is trying to argue with it.”
“So now you are on her side?” Quin said sharply.
“I wouldn’t dare try to take her side, but you don’t need to bite my head off for trying to give you some advice. I can see it’s not welcome though,” Bostwick said flatly, falling silent.
“No…wait, I’m sorry,” Quin said, changing his tone immediately. “Please, Louis, help me. What should I do?”
“An honest apology to start, you would be surprised how far being honest and sincere gets you. People seem to forget that. Then I would try to start seeing Ms. Jefferson outside of your interactions with Mae and Liza. Give yourselves something to talk about other than your common friends. That way you don’t revert into difficult territory immediately.”
“Like what?” Quin asked. “Watch a movie with her or something?”
“That being your strong, go-to approach, sure you could start there,” Bostwick said. “As an extra hint, I hear that the kitchen has some late-night snacks stashed away back here, and if you know someone, you can get good movie food. You could even, you know, call it a date or something. Don’t be afraid to ask her to do something at the next stopover too. Again, call it a date. If she sees you taking her seriously like you do everything else, she’ll probably appreciate you being intentional about it. That’s my guess. Anyway, Cronus is supposed to be a little bit more of an open schedule, so you can be more creative.”
Bostwick was making all sorts of sense. His was the type of advice that Quin had been looking for all along. Quin found himself shaking his head, as he processed everything. Bostwick seemed to misinterpret it.
“What? You’re thinking a different approach?” he said, a bit surprised.
“NO! No, sorry, it’s just…I’ve been such an idiot. That’s really good advice, I’ve just been stupid not talking to you. I don’t know why,” Quin finished, again shaking his head.
“Because you are young, and you guys don’t like getting romantic advice from someone your parents’ age,” Bostwick said, smiling.
“You aren’t that old,” Quin said, “I know we joke about it, but you can’t be more than…”
Bostwick laughed. “Be careful how you finish that sentence, Mr. Hammond.”
“Well, anyway, you aren’t that old. You just…I don’t know, you have this way about you, it made me want to avoid you. I felt ashamed that you were being all sympathetic, and it made me blind to the fact that I really needed to talk to you. What I mean is, you are a good listener, and I forgot that when I was unable to think straight. I felt all of these things happening around me, and you were there when that stuff happened with Nova. I know you were just trying to be nice. I’m sorry I was such an ass.”
“Well, if you were looking for honest and sincere apologies, Quin, you just found yourself one,” Bostwick said, putting his hand on Quin’s shoulder. “Change it up a little to be specific for her, and I’m sure you will have a good result. Don’t forgot to take care of yourself when you are trying to fix everything else, you know? It’s not possible to be perfect, so don’t make yourself sick in trying to be.”
“Yeah, right,” Quin said softly. “I wish I could fix everything, just like that.” He snapped his fingers.
“That would be nice, but unfortunately, we aren’t computers, and life isn’t all math problems. Sometimes life just needs time and a bit of decent humanity.” The two of them were silent for a little while as Quin stewed in his thoughts. Despite the hour, he was wide awake and appreciative of his little night excursion. After the pause had continued much longer than Quin expected, he looked up and saw Bostwick studying him. The man opened his mouth and then hesitated, before beginning tenderly, “Speaking of, how are things going with Nova?”
Quin sighed a bit, collecting his thoughts. Then he decided it was for the best and recounted to Bostwick the last conversation that Nova and he had face to face. The two of them had really not spoken since that evening some weeks ago. As Quin was narrating the story to Bostwick, the Commander was slightly chuckling and shaking his head. Astounded, Quin finished his story and confronted Bostwick.
“What’s so funny?” he demanded. “You’ve been laughing the entire time.”
“She’s quite brilliant, you know,” Bostwick said, scratching his forehead, eyes wide. “She presents these neat little ethical quandaries as if they were nothing and yet, scientists and philosophers have been asking the same types of questions about artificial intelligence for maybe two hundred years. It’s only now that we have got a being that is the walking and talking example of that.”
“Yeah, well, she’s another one that’s not talking to me,” Quin said.
“Well, Quin, I’m afraid I must give you the same advice. You should apologize. In her view, and I think objectively, you were somewhat of, if I may borrow your words, ‘an ass.’”
“This time I think you are definitely taking her side,” Quin said, sourly.
“Indeed. You created her. She takes her direction from you. You are kind of like her father, her brother, her friend, and her crewmate all rolled into one. The obligations of any one of those roles would be enough to say you needed to be there for her, and unfortunately you found yourself too busy being in your own head. Perhaps this is the root of your problem with both Ms. Jefferson and Nova. You are so busy letting everything weigh on you, being worried all the time, that you are unable to focus externally and be present for other people.” Quin’s eyes were downcast, his shoulders slumped. Well, if this is his form of a closing pick-me-up, I don’t think it’s working, Quin thought, sighing deeply.
“Fortunately,” Bostwick continued suddenly, “I think the solution is relatively simple and similar. You need to apologize to Nova, sincerely this time, and you need to spend some time with her, outside of work, so that you can normalize being around her. If your point was that you sometimes forget that she is only part human, then you need to do more human things with her in order to sensitize yourself to how she acts. She shouldn’t have to change for you, it should be the other way around. She can’t just be a mantelpiece in your career, Quin. She thinks.”
Quin sighed aloud, saying, “Yet again, another piece of sound advice from the ever-so-sage Commander Bostwick. And yet again, the solution is that I was wrong.”
Bostwick laughed. “Well, welcome to being an adult, my friend. Everything is complicated and you are usually wrong.” He patted Quin on the back. “Sarcasm aside, it’s okay to be wrong, just own up to it.”
Quin nodded slightly, acknowledging Bostwick’s counsel. The room was silent for a bit longer. The Commander downed his cup of coffee and looked into it, as if inspecting the bottom.
“You know what,” he said, looking up. “I think I’m going to have some tea too, but I’ve been keen to try some of the apple honey they brought me, you want some?” Quin nodded slowly, lost in his thought. Honey, he said to himself, honey, something about…honey.
“Can you believe they make all of this on Rhea?” Bostwick said over his shoulder. “I honestly can’t understand how their entire ecosystem, let alone their economy, operates off apples. It’s nuts.” Bostwick chuckled to himself. “Sorry for the pun.” Apples and honey, Quin’s brain was churning, but at this hour it was too fuzzy. …and honey.
He set two new cups down in front of them, still steaming and with the tea infusers bobbing around on the surface. He pulled a jar down from one of the kitchen cabinets and ladled a small bit of honey into each cup. After stirring a bit, Bostwick took a sip and smacked his lips, grinning satisfactorily at Quin.
“Oh my, that’s so good,” Bostwick said, relishing the taste as he took another draw. “You should drink it while it’s hot.”
Quin brought the cup to his lips mechanically, though he could have sworn that he was missing something. He felt himself distracted by Louis enjoying his cup of tea, the early hour, and the lack of a good night’s sleep for several days. I could have sworn that I just remembered something, he thought, growing frustrated at the lack of ability of his brain to recall what it was that was escaping him. Resigning himself, he took a long swig, his eyes closing automatically when the taste of the sweet and sour apple-tinged honey hit his lips. Instantly, he was transported back onto Rhea, where he savored several fleeting moments of being away and being happy. Unfortunately, his happiness was suddenly ripped away from the call from Nemo. What I wouldn’t give to be back there to have some more time with Pepper and Mae, he thought while recollecting the honey tasting in the orchard. He remembered the smile on Pepper’s face, how infectious it was, and Mae’s giggling at him.
“Hmm,” Bostwick said into the silence, “it’s just about time that the command deck wakes up. Some of the buzzing should start soon.”
“Buzzing?” Quin asked distantly, almost half-consciously.
“Sorry, yeah, buzzing. Message traffic. Unfortunately, a lot of the lingo revolves around bees.”
“Bees?” Quin asked, his brain slowly coming to.
“Yeah, bees,” Bostwick said, studying Quin curiously. “You know, Captain Fuentes being the Queen, the Deck being the hive, that sort of thing.”
“Bees!” Quin exclaimed.
“What?” Bostwick demanded, flabbergasted.
“Louis! BEES!” Quin shouted, shooting off his stool and slamming his cup down.
“Quin, I don’t-“ Bostwick began, but Quin wasn’t listening. The young man half-sprinted out of the room.
“BEES!” Quin shouted again, his face mixed with a smile and intense concentration.
“Okay, Mr. Cage,” Bostwick said, chuckling and shaking his head, his eyes and mouth reflecting a knowing smile as he watched Quin run out of the room.

It’s a great time to be a nuggets fan. The furthest we’ve ever been, with the best player in the world with the best partner we could ask for. Surrounded by a truly championship level team. We built this the right way. No skipping steps. Sticking together. Believing in our guys. Feels so good to be in this position.
But this post is about us out of towners. I’m just curious to know how ya’ll chose the nuggets. Never glamorous, never top dog, but we became fans anyways. How did that come to be for you?
As for me… I grew up in Hawaii, I’m 34 now. I was a bronco fan first thru family but once I came to love watching the NBA, my family wasn’t exactly the basketball watching type and I didn’t know who to choose. We’re surrounded by Lakers (by far)/Bulls(MJ)/and now Warriors fans here in the islands because of course right? But I always just had a deep disdain for the Lakers. Where it came from im not sure. Was it because I wanted to go against the crowd? Yea that’s part of it. But growing up I just didn’t connect with the sensationalism of the superstar basketball of those times.. I always had a like for nuggets since my bronco fandom just lured me towards them, but I didn’t truly have a team. But I did have a hatred, a true hatred for that laker team when they signed Karl Malone and Gary Payton and everyone and their mamas were just so confident the lakers (remember, Hawaii is a HEAVILY weighted lakers spot) we’re gonna easily take the trophy home that year.
And then came those finals, the no superstar Deeeetroit pistons with just nasty D and team wide play absolutely obliterated that first super team in my eyes and I absolutely reveled in it. I was in awe of the way this TEAM destroyed what was thought to be one of the best star studded teams of all time.
I was still young and still hadn’t adopted a team as “mine” quite yet. But that experience made me love the “team” over “stars” phenomenon. Then billups from that team came over that peaked my interest in the nuggets even more so.
It didn’t become a true love though until the season where the nuggets truly had no superstar but a team. A team that just ran roughshod through everyone at home. That 39-3(???) home record team in my high school years really scooped me in. That TEAM play just felt right. Run and gun, depth, no true superstar but still amazing team. Just tickled my pickle and I was hooked.
And this team now, epitomizes that EXACT feeling I had falling in love with those nuggets. A true TEAM led by the ultimate TEAM player. Built the right way thru all the super team bull shit era. I am so proud I chose this team. Sure everything runs thru Jokic Murray two man game, but this is a TEAM. Built not bought. Patience, belief, vision of seeing it come together. It’s all paying off. Whether we complete the full journey, is secondary (sort of nugs in 5). The growth of this team and being where we are is so worth all of the doubt, all the “get back in your place nuggets” type talk, all the bullshit. I can’t imagine how ya’ll lifetime nuggets fans feel, it must be amazing considering the nuggets history..because I already feel vindicated. We knew, we truly knew this core was capable of becoming this. And whether we finish it off or not, it’s so funny to see everyone finally respect us and see we were correct about this team.
Now I’m just rambling because I’m drunk ya’ll. I’m sorry. I had to put this shit down because this team is something special and I had to. Put it down somewhere.
For English, for Thompson, for lever, for Karl, for Danilo, for Faried, for Lawson.
For Gary, for Monte, for Thrill, for Millsap and all those in between.
Bring it in, go nuggets.

FRIDAY

• Friday Night on White, White St., Wake Forest
• Two Durhams Beer Festival, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Subtronics, Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh
• Summerfest: Never Break the Chain: The Music of Fleetwood Mac, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• The Monti: Freak, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Cary's History of Hooch Tours, Downtown, Cary
• Shane Gillis, DPAC, Durham
• So Far Sounds, Secret Location, Cary
• Advance Auto Parts 160, Wake County Speedway, Raleigh
• Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater, Page Auditorium, Durham
• Elodie Farm Dinner, Elodie Farms, Durham
• Andrew Schulz, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• ONE OCEAN FILM TOUR, The Cary Theater, Cary
• Green Jelly, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Bluegrass and Brews, Nickelpoint Brewing Co., Raleigh
• Friday Family Flicks - Strange World, Garner Recreation Center, Garner
• Tour: Unsettled Things: Art from an African American South, Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill
• Angela Bingham w/Jim Ketch Quintet, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Retro Film Series - The African Queen & Key Largo, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• Pen Collectors of America: Triangle Pen Show 2023, DoubleTree by Hilton (RDU), Durham
• Carolina Tiger Twilight Tour, Carolina Tiger Rescue, Pittsboro

​
SATURDAY

• Town of Cary's Pimento Cheese Festival, Downtown Park, Cary
• Summerfest: All Beethoven, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Nuv Yug India Fest, Jim Graham Building at North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh
• Geek and Grub Market (Pride Edition), Mordecai Historic Park, Raleigh
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• THE BLOCK PARTY “Downtown Raleigh”, The Bridge & The Architect, Raleigh
• 2023 Annual Apex Pride Festival, Town Hall Campus, Apex
• Al Strong: Jazz Is My Religion, North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh
• NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Andrew Schulz, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Brookside Bodega Summer Festival, Brookside Bodega, Raleigh
• Durham Art Parade, The Scrap Exchange, Durham
• 6th Annual Triangle Community Band Festival, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Orchard Park Jazz Picnic, Orchard Park, Durham
• Rock the Park Concert — Rockie Lynn (Americana/Country), Forest Hills Park, Durham
• Bull Durham Screening Series, Durty Bull, Durham
• Best of the Triangle, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• Caifanes, The Ritz, Raleigh
• Metal Show: An Offering to Bragi, Moon Dog Meadery, Durham
• Summer Fun Day (Wake Forest), Fortnight Brewing, Wake Forest
• BODYTRAFFIC, Reynolds Industries Theater, Durham
• Single Barrel Experience, Mystic Farm and Distillery, Durham
• Frankie Alexander Quartet, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Children’s Matinee: Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater, Page Auditorium, Durham
• Alley Twenty Six’s Islands in the Alley, Alley Twenty Six, Durham
• DIY & Drag Fundraiser, Nailed It DIY Studio, Durham
• Burlesque: The Rainbow Connection – Boom Boom’s Big Gay B-day Review, The Pinhook, Durham
• Pride, Hi-Wire Brewing, Durham
• Drag Trivia, The Avenue, Raleigh
• Shallow Cuts: Mad Mix Beyond Thunderpop!, Rubies on Five Points, Durham
• Taste of Music Festival, Friendship Chapel Rd., Wake Forest
• Lower Eno River Discovery Paddle, Eno River, Durham
• Friends of Geer Cemetery: Restoration Awareness Ceremony, Geer Cemetery, Durham
• American Tobacco Trail - Great Trail Day, American Tobacco Trail, Durham
• Learn to Ride a Bike, Lake Lynn Park and Community Center, Raleigh
• WILD (Movie Showing), The Cary Theater, Cary

​
SUNDAY

• Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Duke University's Ciompi Quartet, NCMA, Raleigh
• Ricardo Arjona, PNC Arena, Raleigh
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch, Alley Twenty Six, Durham
• Kym Register + Meltdown Rodeo / Tami Hart / Dunums, The Pinhook, Durham
• Show Me Snakes Reptile & Exotics Show, Durham Armory, Durham

​
Join the Thingstodo919 email list here for a weekly events newsletter. Doing anything interesting this weekend? Let us know your plans in the comments!

Reading my old posts here makes me cry. My life was so different when I last posted here. I had been symptom free for only 9 months. I had no idea if it would stay gone forever, if it would come back worse… The memory of CU was so fresh, painful and terrifying.
(keep reading this post before clicking these links, over the past three years, I have learned more than what I posted here, but I post these links to give you insight into the journey and what was happening in real time)
One Month Symptom Free Post in May 2020
Six month symptom free update in November 2020
It’s been over three years since I have had a full cu outbreak. I had a couple of less severe outbreaks in 2021, during a stressful period in my life. These outbreaks looked like redness on my chest, face, and arms, but without the pain, itchiness, and pins and needles feeling of CU.
My life has been so different since I last posted here. CU does not control my life anymore, it is not the first thing I think of when I wake up. I’m not in a constant state of anxiety. My life is feeling really “normal” most days in the best way.
I am not a doctor. This is not medical advice. I am just a person with a story that I hope can help someone.
I had severe cu outbreaks everyday, multiple times a day, from October 2019 to March 2020. In early 2020, I took a leap of faith and saw a naturopath who did a series of muscle reflexology and iridology tests. Her tests determined that I was having problems with my liver and kidneys. I had blood work done around December to try to solve the breakouts, and it came back with high bilirubin; but my doctor shrugged it off and told me my cu was a “probably a food allergy”. (You can see more details in my previous post)
So the naturopath put me on a liver cleanse via supplements for 90 days. On day 93, I noticed I hadn’t broken out in a couple of days… and I haven’t had a full blown cu outbreak since.
I still no longer drink alcohol, I still do not take ibuprofen, I generally just try to be cautious of things that are not good for the liver. I do not eat gluten. I try to sleep well, and move my body every day. I can exercise normally. I’m conscious of what kind of ingredients my soaps and lotions have.
Every now and then I still get itchy skin whenever I start to get warm, but I believe it’s psychological, because I never see the rash.
I have stated in previous posts exactly what I was taking, but I hesitate to do that because I highly highly suggest seeing a naturopath in person who can do the testing. They will get you on what is right for you, which may not be the same as what was right for me. My naturopath did tests to decide what I would be taking, for how long, how many times of day, and at what times of day. It was highly customized to my specific situation.
From my time here in this sub, my own research, and my own experience, cu seems to have underlying causes that are not the same for each person.
I hope this inspires you to maybe try a path you haven’t tried yet, and I send all the good vibe and well wishes your way that this solution could work for you too.
Please feel free to ask me any questions. You are not alone.
EDIT: I tried to post photos with this, but they didn't post for some reason. I had photos of my condition in at it's height in 2020, one of the rash from 2021, and a picture of my skin postworkout now. Let me know if that's something you would want to see and I'll make a separate post.

Hi, Myself and 3 other friends are going to japan during August and was planning on going to the Pokémon world championships.
However I have only just noticed that the lottery system to get spectator badges has already ended. Will there be any other way me and my friends could get spectator badges for the championships as our japan trip was centred around going to this event?
Any information would be appreciated thanks

I’m running an oceanic swashbuckling theme in a 1500s-esque high fantasy world; and as such there are a lot of usually darker themes associated that type of setting. (Slavery, R*pe, prostitution, violence against children, substance usage, discrimination, etc.)
I made a poll to ask my players what subjects they would be comfortable with and to what extent, but because I’m running with an odd number of players some of the results were perfectly split.
They agreed that they would go with the majority vote.
I’m obviously not a psychopath who’s gonna force the players watch a pirate force themselves on someone, but it’d be more like finding the victims of a raid which would probably really inspire the party to take up arms.
I was just wondering if some of you fellow dms could weigh in, and even vote on the subjects yourselves
The poll in question

Welcome to Free Talk thread! Talk about...anything!
These threads will go up at 10am ET every Friday and be stickied throughout the week unless other posts take priority (AMAs, megathreads, announcements, etc.)
We'll list some other leagues that are in play right now (or in the near future) and the relevant communities you can check out
If you want to trade, swap, or share your NWSL trading cards, use this thread.

Other women's soccer leagues broadcast in US

Mexico - Liga MX Femenil - /LigaMX or /womenssoccer

• Select matches broadcast on TUDN and Fox Sports in the US, channel varies by team. Check here for up to date broadcast schedule

England - FA Women's Super League, Championship, and more! - /FAWSL

• Select matches broadcast on Paramount+ or CBS Sports in the US (some of these also on Atafootball), rest for free on the FA Player

France - Div. 1 Femenine - 1 Match a week broadcast on ESPN+ - /Ligue1
Australia - A-League Women - Matches broadcast on YouTube - /Wleague & /Aleague
Here's a list of various women's leagues from around the world you may be able to watch
Other women's sports leagues to discuss

• /wnba - Broadcast on various channels/sites: ABC/ESPN channels, CBS Channels, and NBA TV.
  
• /phf & /womenshockey (various leagues)
  

Sharing directly from the wiki page.

In July 2000, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, collaborating with the UN to eradicate heroin production in Afghanistan, declared that growing poppies was un-Islamic, resulting in one of the world's most successful anti-drug campaigns. The Taliban enforced a ban on poppy farming via threats, forced eradication, and public punishment of transgressors. The result was a 99% reduction in the area of opium poppy farming in Taliban-controlled areas, roughly three quarters of the world's supply of heroin at the time
By November 2001, and with the start of the Afghan War, the collapse of the economy and the scarcity of other sources of revenue forced many of the country's farmers to resort to growing opium for export.. Two of the following three growing seasons saw record levels of opium poppy cultivation
After the Fall of Kabul in 2021..
The Taliban outlawed production again on 3 April 2022.. In a 2023 report, poppy cultivation in southern Afghanistan was reduced by over 80% as a result of Taliban campaigns to stop its use toward Opium.

wiki

Oil prices have been the same as they were in October 2018 for a few months now. Around $70/barrel.
National average in Oct 2018 was 2.90/gallon. National average today is 3.54/gallon.
Exxon, for instance, reported anywhere from 75% to 168% in year over year quarterly growth from June 2021 - September 2022. To be fair, this is after seeing negative YoY growth from March 2019 - December 2020. But, funny thing about the negative YoY growth that "big oil" experienced during COVID.. it wasnt caused solely by COVID. Exxon saw negative growth near 20% nearly a year before COVID brought down the world. In fact, the negative growth during COVID was very similar to the downturn from September 2014 - September 2016.
What I really want to emphasize here is the next part: I just laid out 2 separate downturns in Exxons history. Both were similar in length, and both were similar in size, albeit COVID being a little higher(5-10% higher during some quarters).
After the COVID downturn, Exxon reported quarterly YoY growth ranging from 75% to 168% over the course of about 6 quarters from 2021-2022. 4 out of those 6 quarters were 120% or higher.
After the 2014-2016 downturn, Exxon reported quarterly YoY growth ranging from 24% to 44% over 8 or 9 quarters from 2016-2018.
There is no precedent for the amount of greed we saw from corporations last year. Fuel prices were a driving force as well - and its very clear to me that greed was the driving force behind increased fuel prices after taking this small dive, confirming what we all should know already. So what we have here is compounded greed that ultimately made many things unaffordable over the past year - greed from the transportation side, greed from the producer greed from the supplier, and then of course regular YoY cost increases/inflation that should be expected. When you compound all of these increases into one final price that we all pay, you get record profits for everyone except the consumer, who gets fucked.
Id be willing to bet that YoY growth trends are similar for most corporations over the past 1-2 years, and do not match prior downturn years, just like with oil corporations.
And all they had to do was say "sorry, gas prices are high and COVID caused so many supply chain issues!!!" Yeah, you're not increasing production back to pre pandemic levels because you can just jack your prices up 200% and make record profits while not having to hire more employees.
America is fucked unless we do something about corporate greed. Greed is to be expected from the individual, but we cannot have monopolies run around completely unchecked.
If I left out something here, please point it out, thanks!
https://www.macrotrends.net/stocks/charts/XOM/exxon/gross-profit

Once upon a time, in a small town nestled amidst rolling green hills, there stood a charming little school named Oakwood Elementary. It was a place where knowledge bloomed and dreams took flight. The school was not just a building, but a vibrant hub where children's laughter echoed through the hallways and curiosity danced in the air.
Oakwood Elementary was known for its dedicated teachers who believed that education was a journey of exploration and growth. Miss Thompson, a kind-hearted and wise teacher, was adored by all her students. She possessed a magical ability to unlock the hidden potential within each child, igniting their passion for learning.
One sunny morning, as the school bell chimed, students scurried through the doors, eager to embark on another day of discovery. In one corner of the classroom, a group of young scientists huddled around their experiment, carefully mixing colorful liquids to create an erupting volcano. Their excitement was contagious as they watched in awe as the miniature mountain came alive, spewing frothy lava.
Meanwhile, down the hallway, the sound of music filled the air. Mr. Rodriguez, the music teacher, was conducting the school choir, inspiring the young voices to harmonize in perfect unison. The students swayed to the rhythm, their hearts overflowing with joy and a sense of belonging.
In the library, a group of aspiring writers huddled around a table, pens poised above crisp white paper. Their imaginations soared as they crafted tales of knights, dragons, and faraway lands. Miss Thompson, always encouraging their creativity, listened attentively, providing guidance and sparking their literary prowess.
During lunch break, the school playground transformed into a bustling realm of friendship and camaraderie. Children skipped rope, raced across the monkey bars, and played tag, all while laughter filled the air. It was a place where friendships blossomed, differences were celebrated, and games were played with unbridled enthusiasm.
As the day drew to a close, students gathered in the school's auditorium for a special assembly. They sat in anticipation, eyes wide with excitement. The lights dimmed, and the curtains slowly rose, revealing a stage adorned with vibrant colors and twinkling lights. The school's drama club took center stage, showcasing their talents in a mesmerizing play that transported the audience to enchanting realms of fantasy and wonder.
The story of Oakwood Elementary was not just about academic achievements; it was a tale of inspiration, community, and the unyielding spirit of learning. Each day, the school nurtured young minds, sowed seeds of knowledge, and fostered a love for exploration and growth. The children left Oakwood Elementary with not only academic prowess but also a profound understanding of themselves and the world around them.
And so, the legacy of Oakwood Elementary lived on, reminding generations to come that education was not confined to textbooks and classrooms alone, but a remarkable journey that unfolded in the hearts and minds of those who embraced it with open arms.

My(32f) ex bf(33M) bf of 10 years came back, I am happy but anxious and not comfortable. Please help me?
I am (32F) from Asia and now live in Canada. I am a software engineer from a prestigious institution of UK and working in worlds biggest IT farms since 21. I met my boyfriend Sam(33M) 14 years back when I was studying in UK. He was a painter and I encouraged him to learn animation (funded the course fees) as his family was not present with both his mom and dad chose their own families after the divorce. He was vulnerable, used to work in a cafee near our university and lived in that cafee and used to draw cartoons on the road on his free time to sale to the tourists. Being a foreign student and very introvert, I had almost no friends from my class. I was always like this, busy with studies and not interested in anything else. Anyhow since I met Sam in the cafee he used to work, he became my only friend and best friend. Eventually I finished my Engineering and got job in a big company but the location was Germany. I was very sad to go to Germany leaving Sam behing but in my surprise he said he loved me and doesn't want to stay in UK alone. He accompanied me and we both started living in Germany in our 20s..due to language problem he didn't any job there(not even in cafee). I enrolled him to learn animation as he was very good in making cartoons. I fell in love with him eventually and we spent 4 years in Germany. But due to language issue Sam didn't get any job there I decided to take a job in Canada and we moved here together. It's high paying job so I bought a house and car. Sam got a job too in animation, it doesn't pay well but something that he likes. He had minimum contribution like sometimes groceries etc..almost all expenses were taken care by me. I used to travel all over the world till 2019 for my work(IT onsite work) and accompanied Sam everywhere with me. I told my family about Sam and they liked him. Only my mom was skeptical about not changing my religion, after marriage as Sam is Christian. Though we had no plan to get married when I told what my mom said jokingly and he took it in offense. Saying he is not thinking about marriage etc..I was offended like by 2020 we were already together more than 10 years so obviously we would get married sooner or later so what's the problem. It didn't set well with me so I pushed him about his reaction. He eventually told me that he is gay, he discovered this when he met a guy in an art exhibition and they clicked. They even secretly started meeting and he is from the same race as him(both are White). I asked if they are sleeping, he admitted yes and that's how he knew he is gay.
The whole world shattered for me. The guy whom I sheltered, taken care and till now taking care of told me that he is just with me because he didn't know he is gay! And everything became untrue. The affection for me became habit and he didn't want to tell me because how much I have done for him. I cried, shouted and was so angry to waste 10+ years of my life and I lost my golden years! I calmed down and let him go, it was difficult for me to do so. Because I have psoriasis, started around my 28 years and I am not comfortable with anyone else than Sam.
After our breakup in 2020 covid hit hard. My travels stop. I couldn't go home and lived in that big house in this cold country alone. Worked from home and barely took care of myself. I saw the posts of Sam and his handsome boyfriend and lost it again. Sam begged me to keep contact as I am his only friend in this world. But he soon forgot about me and never contacted. I felt used and betrayed. I worked almost 20 hours a day and that helped my career a lot. I got a huge promotion and started traveling again since end of 2021. I was just back from my latest work trip from Spain and found Sam sitting on front of my house in May 2nd week. I was shocked and happy to see him. He hugged me and said I became slimmer. I never loved anyone but him so I became emotional and asked him what happened why is he here? He said that he realized that no one can love him more than I loved him. He realized that he is not gay but bi sexual and broke off with his bf (as he is very rude and bossy) and came backe to me. He tried to contact me but I was travelling so he came directly. I thought something was off but I still took him in. I asked him repeatedly if he really broke with his bf and what if he again goes for other guy.
He brushed me off saying that I am the guy in our relationship as I provided for him and he doesn't need any other guy. I asked about him mentioning the same race thing. As I am from Asia will that be a problem again? He said that's the excuse his ex bf asked him to tell me so that I take offense and let him go. That night he wanted to kiss me but I told him not to rush and wait for some time. What if you patch up with your bf. He said he broke off totally and he is sure not to go back to him. but he understands my concerns and will wait till I am ready to take him back.
This time he wanted to contribute in household a lot more and also apologized me profusely for taking me granted. Also asked why I am single since last 2 years is that because of my psoriasis or I still love him. I told him both are the reasons. My psoriasis is not that bad, only on feet and palms and can be covered and not visible to others. But while undressed it's obvious to be noticed. So I am very afraid of dating anyone except Sam who knows me well and accepts me as I am. I am happy and wants to kiss him and hug him but I am anxious all the time what if he leaves me again for another guy! I am not comfortable staring any relationship again with him thinking what if he again does not like me and keeps comparing with him ex. I tried to openly discuss but he is not getting it. Should I just tell him that it's not possible anymore because of his sexuality I no longer feel comfortable?