my (20f) boyfriend(22m) is her “bpd fav person”
TLD my boyfriend is my friends bpd favourite person and i don’t know how to move forward as it makes me uncomfortable.
Hi! I don’t really know where to start but long story short, my(f20) long time friend’s(f20) BPD favourite person is my boyfriend(m22). While she did introduce us, and has known him longer than me, just the idea makes me uncomfortable.
We see each other majority of the time and have been dating for a couple of months. He doesn’t text other people a lot when we hang out (he’ll still text but it doesn’t hog up is attention), and she’s told me it drives her crazy and that hearing me talk about him makes her have self-harming thoughts. This is a huge issue for me and makes me insanely uncomfortable to a point where i feel like i can’t even talk about my bf in the groupchat we are in. Combined with the fact she’s distanced herself a lot from not just me but everyone in our circle, so it feels really weird for me to find out more about her life from my partner than from her.
I know i will never fully understand what it’s like to have borderline personality disorder, but every now and then i think about it all and just get a weird feeling. She’s also now dating his best friend who she absolutely adores, but i just wish that her new bf would become her fav person instead of my bf.
I’ve spoken a little bit about it with my boyfriend and he’s said if it gets to a certain point he’ll have a word with her, but in the meantime i’m trying to figure out how to go forward and figure stuff out. Throwing away our friendship isn’t something i’m interested in but it’s rlly hurtful for me to see her just kinda ghost our friendship like that.
edit/ by her knowing him longer than me, i meant her friendship with him n not me, i’ve known her longer than my bf. sorry if there was any confusion!
How do I communicate and move forward in this situation?

I haven't played this game in quite some time now, but back when I used to play this game I would always try to activate the king tower at any opportunity given to me.
As I grew in the game though, I've come to a conclusion that there are certain situations where you would be able to activate the king tower, yet it is not ideal to do so. Specifically moments where you also receive a hit or two on your tower, where that slight damage could be the difference between a victory or a 1 crown loss.
One example of this is back when I was very new to king tower activations; I would take a hog hit on my tower before activating tornado because I was inexperienced at the time. That one hit costed me the game, and the king tower help wasn't worth taking a hit on my side tower since it caused me to lose.
Most situations where you can activate king tower are to get troops away from your side tower which is ideal, however when you have a large amount of troops on your side tower and have the ability to kill them all with a spell like tornado and instead choose to only kill a few of them for a king tower activation, that extra damage on that tower may not be worth it in the end depending on the situation.

Hi :) I am not entirely sure if I am doing this correctly because I have never used reddit before. I have written a little under half of an adult fantasy novel, and I am looking for feedback. I will take any and all feedback, but I am mostly looking for unbiased parties to tell me if I have an potential at all with this story/as a writer. Honestly I am mainly looking for peers/friends. I am happy to read your work in return (though I am mostly only familiar with fiction/fantasy work)! If you are interested, comment below or chat me (IDK how that works but I shall figure it out hehe).
Content warnings: So far the story is not spicy but I do intend to take it there. I am 22 and the characters are around 20 so I am looking for older readers, not minors. I wouldn't be comfortable discussing that sort of things with younger readers though you are still ofc welcome to read it! There is very minor violence but nothing too grim. There is also some LGBTQ+ rep so bigots stay away!
Disclaimer the first chapter is only one of the main characters, but I do have to say, once they meet there is some wonderful witty banter so I swear it gets more intriguing.
First chapter:
Chapter 1: Bearnas The innate driving force of human nature is vengeance. This was a certitude I had come to realize from a young age, and it was a concept I relied on as I got older. Vengeance was the primary motivator for my people. It was our currency. The way we managed to survive. I didn’t stop to consider the morality of this outlook. I didn’t like to contemplate the state of my existence. Found that to be a waste of time. I focused on the here-and-now. The mutable present. It was simply the way the world was, so I had to deal with it like a man should. This was an ideal my father had instilled in me since the time of my birth. I was the son of a victorious warrior. Osgar Nieva was a well-respected war lieutenant during the Great Slaughtering. He never let me forget that I had a legacy to uphold. I knew my father hated me. I figured his disappointment began from the moment I received my name. In Dolag, tradition dictates that the father names their son. Names were believed to be prophetic. Osgar had a strong name-befitting of a warrior. His name meant “divine spear.” My grandfather claimed he could sense that Osgar would be a brave warrior from the moment he was born. So he was prophesied to be graced by the luck of God in battles. Typically, women were only allowed to name the baby if it was a girl. I was the exception. The process of my birth brought my Mother to her deathbed. The doctor was certain that she wouldn’t recover. As she lovingly admired the newborn baby boy in her arms, her attention was drawn by a bird pecking gently on the window. Tears streamed out of her eyes as it took off soundlessly into the winter dawn. “Wren.” She’d muttered softly, still gazing peacefully out the window. The room of family members and midwives stood in puzzled silence. The world seemed to pause in wait for her next words. She turned her head back to meet Osgar’s eyes. “He shall be named Wren. He will be gentle. Beautiful. Free.” She reached down to caress her baby’s face. “And he will be loved.” Despite my Father’s protests, the council voted to accept the name. The wishes of the dying outweighed naming traditions. Only my Mother never died. Doctors considered her survival a miracle. She returned back to full health only a few months later. She and I have paid for her decision every day since. Osgar refused to call me Wren. Anyone who referred to me as such, other than my Mother, was punished accordingly. To the rest of the world, I became known as Bearnas Nieva. Bearnas was the name Osgar would have chosen for his son if he had been given the opportunity. Bearnas. Meaning bringer of victory. My father did everything in his power to ensure that I would fulfill this destiny, whether it was the result of prophetic nomenclature or resolute determination. The story of my name was all I could think about as I prepared for my sendoff. I was tightening my last bootstring when a small hand clapped me on the back with a force intended to knock me off balance. “The famed Bear Nieva preparing for his grand expedition. What luck I must possess to witness you in all your glory.” I was grateful for El’s arrival, despite the copious amount of sarcasm she brought with her. My sister's presence was probably the only thing that could pull me out of my thoughts right now. “Using mockery as a mechanism to cover up your total despair about my departure, I assume.” I tried to keep my tone light, but in truth it was myself I was worried about. El held the chief role in keeping me sane throughout the later part of my life. She was my only tether to my true self. I worried about how I would stay grounded on my Hunt without her there to tease my worries away. El flopped on my bed with feigned anguish. “Yes, whatever will I do without my idiot older brother around to hog all the scrambled eggs at breakfast. Oh, how I will miss the putrid scent you plague the house with after training all day. Your constant nagging about my lack of tidiness will be missed most ardently.” I swatted her gently with my leather gloves. “Speaking of, get your disgusting outdoor shoes out of my clean bed immediately.” I shooed her out of my room, and chased her towards the door, nearly colliding with my father as a result. “This isn’t befitting behavior for a man about to begin his First Hunt” Osgar admonished. “Elowen, go to the kitchen and help your Mother tidy up before we head to town.” El skirted around our father into the hallway. Safely out of his eyeline, she directed one last mocking tongue in my direction before slinking away. “Are you ready to go?” He raked his disapproving gaze over my gear, searching for any flaw he could call attention to. “Yes, sir.” I responded. I did feel ready. This was the moment I had been preparing for my whole life. My body was honed by years of workouts and my skills were unquestioned. I had graduated top of my class in my training group. I was certainly ready to leave the house, as I wanted nothing more than independence. Besides my Mother and sister, I had nothing keeping me here. Not anymore. So I grabbed my bag and walked out the door. When my family was all ready, we began the walk to the edge of town where the sendoff was taking place. There we would eat, drink, dance and say our goodbyes. I spent my time standing on the outskirts of the group, hoping my stern face would signal everyone to leave me alone. I didn’t have any desire to get my ego fluffed by a bunch of people who just wanted to get in the good graces of my Father. I just wanted to leave. The one person I actually wished had come to bid me farewell had decided not to show up, not that I could blame him. Eleven other men would be sent off at the same time as me. We were all being sent in different directions, but we were all given the same instruction: go kill a witch. That is exactly what I intended to do. Success rates had been much lower over the past few years. After the Great Slaughter fifty years prior, there were only so many witches left to kill. In fact a witch hadn’t been successfully hunted in around 4 years. Most hunters came back many months after their departure unable to track any down. The people of Dolag figured the warriors of the Great Slaughter had ushered the witches into near extinction. The only evidence we had that they weren’t entirely eradicated were the cases of the men who never returned. Every once in a while, there was a man who was assumed to have met his demise at the hands of one of the remaining witches. So the Hunts continued on. After a few hours of festivities, it was time for us to set off. I was ready to say my goodbyes. I knelt down so El could wrap her arms around my neck. Her hot tears dampened the fabric covering my shoulders. “Promise me you will come back,” she said. I squeezed her a little tighter. “Don’t worry, you’ll get a few months of the stench free, scrambled-egg-filled, only-child experience and then I will be right back to boss you around.” El released me from her grip in order to look me in the eyes. “I’m not kidding around Bear.” Her piercing gaze mirrored the intensity of her voice. “Promise me.” Even though I knew it wasn’t something I could realistically guarantee, I hugged her once more and said “I promise, Elly.” After a moment, I stood up and ruffled my little sister’s hair. Then I turned to my Mother, who watched with watery eyes. The hair that had escaped from her tight bun was wisping around her face in the gentle breeze. The sun shining behind her produced an effect reminiscent of a halo. She embraced me with a level of care only a Mother could deliver. “I love you, Wren. You will always be my darling songbird,” she whispered into my ear. I released myself from the hug, and smiled one last time at my adoring Mother. I nodded once before forcing myself to turn to my Father. “Don’t disappoint me, son.” He stuck out his calloused hand and I shook it begrudgingly. It felt like cold leather in my grip. That was it. That was my final farewell from my Father. ‘Don’t disappoint’. No good luck, no I love you, nothing of the sort. Only a damn handshake. I knew I shouldn’t have expected anything different, but it still put me in a sour mood. What a great start to my expedition. I looked one last time at my sister and Mother in an effort to preserve some positive thoughts about my home. When I cemented this image in my mind, I omitted the withering glare of my Father beside them. I spun around and started down the path towards Deirtalamh. I marched towards witch country without so much as a glance over my shoulder. I was days into my trek when I came across the cabin. Being the son of Osgar Nieva gave me claim to the most promising Hunt. My journey was actually mapped to this location, whereas the rest of my group had to resort to aimless meandering. I heard the gentle melody of a person humming drifting out from within the house. How odd. My superiors swore it was a witch that lived here. A hunter from a few years prior reported catching a glimpse of a cabin before he was suddenly lost in the woods. Who could be humming so pleasantly within this peaceful home so deep into witch territory? I maneuvered my head to look through the open window and saw the source of the cheerful noise. She appeared like the sun incarnate. Her dark skin contrasted beautifully against the pale yellow of her clothes. Her hair curled unbound around her face. She stirred a pot of stew as she swayed softly to her own music, the fabric of her dress swishing mesmerizingly around her thighs. Beautiful suddenly seemed like an insufficient word to describe someone of her standing. I knew she was not the witch I had come to hunt. Of course I was no fool, I was aware that witches could glamor themselves to be beautiful. But their false beauty was always like that of a succubus, unnatural and deadly. No witch would have been able to conjure up the effortless and soft beauty of the woman in front of me. I was sure of it. Never mind the fact that if she were a witch, I would most certainly be dead. She would have sensed me coming from the moment I stepped foot onto her land, and she would have been ready to strike. If I had let myself get distracted for this long in the presence of a witch, I would have paid for my mistake in blood. I wondered how she had come to live in Deirtalamh. I’d heard tales of villagers who’d tried their luck here out of desperation, choosing to brave the dangers of witch territory rather than living in the impoverished slums of Dolag. I’d also heard of extreme cases where dangerous criminals were exiled here. This woman looked neither criminal in nature nor desperate to survive. She looked content. Regardless, I must get her to safety. I walked briskly over to the door and entered the cabin.

(Just a bit of history here: In the wake of this explosive response to a new "whistleblower", I made a carefully worded thread over on the main UFO sub-forum, cautioning people to look more closely at the details of the situation. The post, however, was "removed by Reddit's spam filters", although I couldn't determine what the spam component was. On my next attempt to make a similar thread, I found that, while the post was not removed, it had gotten zero views/responses/votes. So -- trying again, and hoping the audience here might differ in terms of the gullibility on display elsewhere.)
So: here is Grusch, coming out of the woodwork and kicking things into gear with the additional claim of "alien bodies." Let's look at this situation calmly and rationally.
Agencies have spent decades gaslighting the public and researchers about UFOs and associated material -- yet now, suddenly, their "former" agents are all trustworthy because they self-identify as "whistleblowers"? News outlets also have spent decades mocking the entire topic as the domain of nut-jobs, and now suddenly we're ready to praise the NYT, the Guardian, CNN, 60 Minutes, etc., on the basis of legacy media's "prestige"? The whole point of being an effective intelligence agent is making it ambiguous where your true allegiances lie; and the whole point of legacy media is to represent establishment interests, which are typically obscured. The NYT, for instance, will likely not publish a story on Grusch unless it has run it by intelligence officials and gotten the go-ahead; so, if we do see such a story on the NYT in the coming days, we must ask why it has been approved, especially if the Pentagon/DoD is "officially" denying the factuality of Grusch's claims.
Apparently, all that it takes to get people -- including a lot of extant UFO researchers -- to believe a person now are these factors:
-- they "once" worked for the CIA, FBI, or some other intelligence and/or armed forces division
-- they have ties to the set of actors who largely emerged after the 2017 NYT piece to infect UFO communities with the 21st century narrative of Disclosure and UFOs as a "national security threat"
-- the articles in which they are featured identify them as a "whistleblower"
-- the sites and publications which feature them are populawell-established outlets
Taken together, these do not form a sound foundation. What we see here, instead, is an appeal to authority -- and authorities have, as noted, been precisely one of the main obstacles to a coherent public comprehension of UFOs and associated phenomena. A guy posing with his badges of merit does nothing to substantiate claims, but it's an excellent advertising image.
As long as all of these people are emerging from the woodwork with no ramifications for their ostensible unveilings of information; as long as everything they're unveiling is really just another carrot on a stick (with the carrot more of a rotten morsel); as long as they have any ties to these obfuscating and/or militaristic agencies, I'm going to remain skeptical and err on the side of viewing them as continuing to act in the capacity of (counter) intelligence personnel.
The point I'm making here is not that there is never any partial factuality to such ostensible divulgences. I actually do think the evidence leaves no reasonable doubt that the United States and Russia, at the very least, possess highly advanced craft of indeterminate origin. Disinformation is most effective not when it is entirely untrue but when it warps reality to its own ends. The point is that this whole edge-of-the-seat obsession with Disclosure as some certain future reality which will be 100% truthful and transparent is rendering the perception and study of UFOs as completely beholden to whatever top-down narrative is being spun. This is not "conspiratorial" thinking; it's good sense. Let's never rule out the potential truth of Wernher von Braun's end-of-life warning to Carol Rosin.
The ease with which Grusch's "admission", which should be frankly regarded as banal by anyone with even a slight grasp of the history of UFOs, has generated an uncritical hype storm shows the degree to which a demographic can be manipulated, once certain ideas have been injected into its midst and its desires aroused. UFO historians -- if such a term can be used -- are really the only buffer between a largely uneducated public, who mostly only has some dim awareness of terms like "Roswell" and "Area 51", and the political machinations which have done an excellent job of remaking UFOs into a 21st century phenomenon. When we do better for ourselves, we can do better for others!
P.S. The title for this post is a quote from an excellent recent video explicating this issue.

Hello, I would like to seek fellow redditors opinions, input and recommendation on how I could better finetune my itinerary better. There's only so much I can think of, and plan as an individual, but with everyone's input and comments I can further refine and enhance the travel experience before I set foot into Japan. Do forgive me in advance for the theorycrafting wall of text.
I know it may be difficult to review the itinerary, so to make the review easier I have broken the itinerary down into specific sub-groups e.g. Shikoku, Kinki etc. Specific questions that I have are bolded.
Thank you in advance for taking your time to provide your opinions!
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Baseline information

• 32M, average fitness, solo traveller
• Public transport only (challenge); I have a driver's license but I have not drove a car for god knows how long so I would prefer not to test it against the green hills of Shikoku
• Interest: anime (select few), experience autumn/nature, visiting secluded spots, and just trying random stuff
• JP language skill: rudimentary at best (N4), but I will not shy away from speaking in simple, broken japanese or use a translator to communicate. Reading/interpreting kanji is not a problem (in general).
• Visit history: Visited twice (once to Hokkaido for ~8 days, and once toKyoto and Osaka for 8 days
• Will probably travel around with a (slightly) oversized luggage at ~166cm (A+B+C), that’s the only one I have with me. This will be a problem on the Shinkansen (but hopefully not so much on sightseeing trains/limited expresses).
• Will be visiting during (almost) peak autumn at 11 November, and will depart on the 16th of December
• Jet lag is unlikely to be a problem (1h time difference), but nevertheless I will maintain a low tempo on the first day to acclimatize to the environment
• Only thing firmed as of now is the air ticket, everything else is up in the air.
• I like planning/min-maxing to some degree, though I recognize that I may not fulfill all objectives during the trip and I am totally ok with that [its just a guideline or framework to give the holiday some structure, that’s all.] FWIW, I personally like traveling at a high tempo pace like some japanese travel show do (e.g. ローカル路線バス乗り継ぎの旅)

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Specific goals/objective:

1. Experience Shikoku in autumn (specifically the views at Iya Valley) and in other prefectures (thus making nature sightseeing more of a priority this time round)
2. Experience Kanazawa for anime stuff
3. Experience the Shimanami Kaido in full (including any sightseeing spots in between the 6 island chains)
4. Bonus - try as many sightseeing trains as possible.
5. Bonus - if weather, time and schedule permits, try skiing as an option in Nagano.
6. Bonus - stay in as many onsen ryokans as possible, without breaking the bank.

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Locked-in prefectures [i.e. I will definitely go to those prefectures no matter what]:

1. Shikoku (as per above objective)
2. Hiroshima (because its on the opposite end of the Shimanami Kaido)
3. Kanazawa (for anime related reason)
4. Tokyo (that is my starting and end point so it has to be included by default)

All other prefectures are basically float i.e. I am open to consider dropping said itinerary for something else based on your suggestion that aligns with my preferences/interest. Most of the other locations I added are prefectures that are often next to each other, or well-connected (apart from the initial Tokyo Kagawa jump via Sunrise Seto/Shinkansen).
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Wait-list prefectures (prefectures that I want to go, but I don’t think I can realistically fit in without dropping other locations):

1. Snow skiing at Nagano (depending on how cooperative the weather is in early-ish December (would 2 days be sufficient?))
2. Ehime, Kochi expansion [spend 1-3 more days]
3. Izu Peninsula (~2 days, via Saphir Odoriko)
4. Nagoya + lower Nagano (Kiso Valley) (~3 days)
5. Ishikawa expansion [1 extra day at Kaga]

I am open to dropping a few days in Tokyo/Osaka etc to make that trade off [currently kept 3 days free for further development]. Alternatively, if the planning can be better optimized based on your inputs I might be able to do one of those without compromising on the base set. I would like to hear your opinion on what locations you would drop in the itinerary to make time for one of the above.
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General planning philosophy:

1. My itineary adopts a breadth approach (cover as much area as I can humanely possible without rushing/touch-and-go) as opposed to depth (i.e. spending much more time within Shikoku than what I allocated); though I would be open to considering more days at selected locations if you have strong recommendations. My thought is to experience how different autumn is at various parts of the country (if possible), and maybe winter too (to a certain degree).
2. Due to the nature of my travel, I note that luggage logistics is a critical consideration when moving between prefectures; my thought is to park that luggage at the next hotel as quickly as possible so that I can free myself for sightseeing within the vicinity, or leave the luggage at the hotel after I check out until I am ready to travel to the next location. I will need to send (quite a fair bit of) emails to the hotels to confirm on this prior to booking.
3. I will attempt to minimize transit time between prefectures to no more than 2~3 hours a day to avoid having excessively long transport days (except the initial Tokyo Kagawa jump).
4. Because of the long trip, I will also need to factor a bit of downtime at night for administrative stuff (e.g. catching up a little bit on work, laundry etc).

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Shikoku (~7 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. I will need to exploit Limited Express trains as much as possible to minimize downtime between the 4 prefectures. Fortunately, for the most part these train frequencies are almost hourly, thus missing one train isnt too deadly consequence-wise.
2. The transfer between Kochi and Ehime [Matsuyama] is oddly quicker via express bus as opposed to trains (!)
3. For Kochi, my opinion is that it is best explored on car instead of public transport [it’s a really wide prefecture]; I feel that 1 day may not do it justice, but it is probably adequate for exploring the city centre as a whole.
4. There's a fair bit of uncertainties while planning this leg so I would deeply appreciate any advice you may have.
5. This current iteration is unable to weave in the Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari sightseeing train [四国まんなか千年ものがたり] ; if you people think its something not to be missed do let me know and I will reshuffle my timetable as such.

Day 0: Tokyo Kagawa (Sunrise Seto) [Saturday, 11 Nov]

• Touch down at Narita at 1720hours
• Transfer to Tokyo Station via NEX or Skyliner
• Settle administrative matters at the Midori-no-Maruguchi (e.g. get all the booked tickets etc from JR Pass, for Shinkansen and all other sightseeing trains) at Tokyo Station.
• IF Sunrise Seto ticket is obtained via the JR West portal booking, chill till 2200 and take Sunrise Seto to reach Kagawa (Takamatsu) at 0700 the next day. Try to snag the ticket online (likely via the japanese portal since there's no option to buy Solo Deluxe through the english/international website. Otherwise, compromise and go for Single)
• IF Sunrise Seto ticket is NOT obtained, proceed to take the furthest possible Shinkansen westwards (probably Okayama) and rest for the night.

Day 1: Kagawa (Takamatsu) [Sunday, 12 Nov]

• Chill around Takamatsu. Drop luggage at coin locker OR the hotel (near JR Takamatsu ideally)
• Look at whats left of Takamatsu Castle en route to the port.
• Day trip to Naoshima or Teshima to visit the art museums (Chichu Art Museum, Lee Ufan Museum etc).
• Ritsuin Garden in the evening (closes 1830)
• Find an eatery with Sanuki Udon for dinner if possible.

Day 2: Kagawa (Kotohira) Tokushima (Iya Valley) [Monday, 13 Nov]

• Morning trip from Takamatsu to Kotohira (either via JR or Kotoden). Visit Kotohiragu [includes inner shrine] and Kanamaruza Theater
• Return to Kotohira to pick up luggage, transit to Oboke via Limited Express Shimanto [Takamatsu Tadotsu Oboke]
• Retire at a local hotel around Oboke. If time permits, take the chance to explore around Oboke Gorge itself.

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Day 3: Tokushima (Iya Valley) [Tuesday, 14 Nov]
[Post-research note: I realized that there is NO public transport to Mount Tsurugi on a weekday. I will have to rent a taxi direct to Mount Tsurugi, make the 'climb', then thereafter take the taxi down to the other attractions. I am inclined to just go full hog on the private taxi and rent it (almost the whole day, probably 7~8 hours for 4300yen/hour) to save the trouble.
Otherwise, I will need to hike downhill which can be rather rough since its just a single lane road (looking at nearly 10++ km) so I think it wise not to penny pinch in the interest of both time and safety.]
Spend the day at Iya Valley.

• Take a taxi after breakfast to zip to Mount Tsurugi and speedrun it to the mountain peak (aka using the chairlift to speedrun a good chunk of the mountain) about 2.5 hours ~ 3 hours as per the Iya Valley guide
• Taxi from Mount Tsurugi chairlift down to Oku-Iya Niju Kazuraashi and cross it (~1 hour estimate)
• Taxi down to visit the mannequins/scarecrows at Nagoro Village (~3km downhill from Oku-Iya). (~1 hour estimate)
• Check out the Peeing Boy Statue (~0.5 hour estimate [its just looking at the statue that is overlooking the entire gorge is it not?])
• Cross the outer vine bridge Iya-no-Kazurabashi (~1 hour estimate)
• Taxi back to Oboke, and retire for the day (~0.5 hour estimate, thus looking at about ~8 hours taxi rental total, with some leeway for lunch break)

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Day 4: Tokushima (Iya Valley) Kochi (Kochi) [Wednesday, 15 Nov]

• Transit from Iya Valley [Oboke] to Kochi via Limited Express Shimanto (again) after breakfast. (~1 hour transit)
• Park luggage at hotel [ideally near JR Kochi Station], then proceed to mill around Kochi, visiting places such as Kochi Castle [高知城] and Harimaya Bridge[はりまや橋]
• Transit to Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum [高知県立坂本龍馬記念館] via local bus which is also near Katsumatsura Beach incidentally. Chill at Katsumatsura Beach in the evening
• Return to JR Kochi, dinnesupper at Hirome Market (ideally to try out Kochi's speciality seared bonito). [is visiting the market more preferable during lunch OR dinner?]

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Day 5: Kochi (Kochi) Ehime (Imabari) [Thursday, 16 Nov]

• Complete any remaining items in Kochi in the morning, then transit to Imabari via train (Kochi Tadotsu Imabari), via Limited Express Shimanto (yet again!) and Ishidzuchi**[TBC: this might be better done via highway bus instead which is faster at ~2-3 hours]**
• Drop luggage at Imabari for the next 2 days, either at Sunrise Itoyama OR Cycle no Ie. [both are well positioned for the Shimanami Kaido, and are also one of the selected hotels eligible for the Sagawa luggage transfer.] Ideally done just around lunch time, so that there's still the better half of the day to explore Imabari.
• Spend the remainder of the day visiting Imabari Castle (closes 1700) and Towel Museum (slightly out of the way) (closes 1800) [TBC: I note this place is quite out of the way from Imabari itself, even the JP website suggests taking a taxi (!) there from the nearby train station. Might have to drop this).
• Attempt to try some Ehime-related food specialties e.g. Taimeshi (Sea Bream), Ehime oranges, Champon for the next 2 days

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Day 6: Ehime (Matsuyama / Imabari) [Friday, 17 Nov]

• Take the Limited express train Ishidzuchi to Matsuyama day tripping. (~1h one-way).
• Explore Matsuyama Castle, and the nearby Matsuyama Ropeway Shopping Street
• Visit Shiki Memorial Museum
• Visit Dogo Onsen [and attempt to soak in the waters if possible].
• Also consider looking at Ishiteji (石手寺) beside Dogo Onsen.
• Bonus: Subject to train schedule, if possible, attempt to secure tickets for the Iyonada Sightseeing Train (伊予灘物語), Futami leg [双海ふたみ 編] , and also visit JR Shimonada Station (JR下灘駅) at the same time.
• Bonus: visit Yawatahama Port where the movie Suzume took reference from,
• Return to Imabari via the same Limited express Ishidzuchi and retire for the night.

Day 7: Ehime (Imabari) Hiroshima (Shinamani Kaido) [Saturday, 18 Nov]
I am of the opinion that 1 day in Shimanami Kaido is adequate if I attempt just the main route which is about 80km [as a test run, I did 70km and finished it within 6-7 hours with lunch breaks included]. For now I will plan for two full days, however should I truncate it down to one day later, I will add an extra day to either explore Matsuyama or Okayama.
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• Start off at Sunrise Itoyama [watch the sunrise, have breakfast here, cafeteria opens at 0700, rental opens at 0800] OR Cycle no Ie. Do paperwork to send luggage over to the next accomodation via Sagawa.
• I will (probably) follow the recommended 'extended' route on Cycle no Ie's website and do the following:
  • Take the west coast for Oshima (~13km) and cross to Hakatajima, with possible stop on:
    • Mount Kiro Observatory Point [I am aware that there's a steep incline so this would be contingent on my physical/mental status by then].
    • Nagahama Beach
• Take the coastal route for Hakatajima (~17km) and cross to Omishima and enjoy the coastal scenery
• Take the coastal route (again) for Omishima (~41km) (or lesser depending on how I'm feeling at that point) , with possible stop on:
  • -TBC: Okunoshima (there is apparently a ferry route to the well-known rabbit island via Omishima port. Not sure if anyone else have tried this particular route and if this is a better approach than going through Tadano-umi (though I would acknowledge that there's historical stuff to visit in nearby Takehara), and I would not be able to buy rabbit food in advance).[Based on Google Earth estimate, its about 3km for the entire island loop - seems doable within 2 hours to tour the poison gas museum with a bike and pet some rabbits).
  • Oyamazumi Shrine Treasure Museum
• End the day at WAKKA (Omishima) OR Guesthouse NEST / Soil Setoda (Ikuchijima) just beside Kousanji / The Hill of Hope (closes 1700). If possible, visit before closing, otherwise defer to next day.
• Try the ice cream at Dolce at Ikuchijima if possible.
• Bonus: if for some reason I am still ahead of time at this juncture (<1500), proceed to finish Innoshima and Mukaishima, then take a ferry to backtrack to Wakka/Soil Setoda or cycle back (last boat is ~1700) and rest; however, the next day I will zip straight to Onomichi via ferry after breakfast.

--------
Hiroshima + Yamaguchi (~4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Onomichi is a pretty good base to jump to Okayama to explore Okayama, Kurashiki or Tomonoura with the Shinkansen accessibility, but it is impossible to cover them all within a single day. If I finish the Shimanami Kaido within a single day or finish it early on the second day, I will have that extra time to visit those.
2. There's another sightseeing train etSETOra from Onomichi to Hiroshima but it only operates on Monday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday. For now the schedule could fit the train timetable pretty nicely.
3. Would anyone suggest visiting Miyajima in the morning or in the evening? This would help me determine the order for the Kintaikyo Bridge/Miyajima day trip. Watching the sunset at either destination is pretty good in my books.

​
Day 8: Hiroshima (Shinamani Kaido Onomichi) [Sunday, 19 Nov]

• Continue from Ikuchijima towards Innoshima and Mukaishima (~18km) via the western coast route after breakfast, with possible stops on the following areas:
  • Innoshima: Innoshima Flower Centre, Shimanami Beach [open to more suggestions]
  • Mukaishima : there seems to be a lot of brunch places like Willows Nursery etc, soak the view at Mukaishima Rest Park [TBC: open to more suggestions]

Ideally reach Onomichi just around lunch or earlier. Chill for the rest of the day, and if I'm still up for it, explore Onomichi, including but not limited to:

• Exploring the cat alley
• Visit the exhibits at Onomichi City Museum of Art
• Consider walking to Senkoji and Onomichi Hondori Shopping Street
• Look into trying Onomichi-style ramen.

Retire at a guesthouse/hotel near JR Onomichi that I have forwarded the luggage to.
​
Day 9: Hiroshima (Onomichi, Takehara+Kure OR Tomonoura OR Okayama) Downtown Hiroshima) [Monday, 20 Nov]

• Mill around Onomichi in the morning (if not done yesterday), with a side trip to EITHER Takehara/Kure OR Okayama/Kurashiki OR Tomonoura (choose one):
  • Takehara: stroll along the historical townscape [and look if they have any Tamayura-related merch], Okunoshima (if not done during the Shimanami Kaido leg / Kure: look into trying Kure curry/Niku-jaga and visit the Yamato Museum
  • Okayama: Okayama Castle (zip via Shinkansen) / Kurashiki : Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter
  • Tomonoura: stroll along the townscape during the day (zip via Shinkansen, transfer to local bus)
• Return to Onomichi (no later than 1400), board the etSETOra sightseeing train at 1437, and zip to Hiroshima. Enjoy the sunset along the coastline.
• Retire for the night at Hiroshima proper, probably near JR Hiroshima OR the bus terminal. If time permits, take a gander along the streets and see what takes me from there.

​
Day 10: Hiroshima (Downtown Hiroshima) [Tuesday, 21 Nov]
Spend the day surveying Hiroshima proper.

• Peace Memorial Park (平和記念公園) and Atomic Bomb Dome
• Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims (国立広島原爆死没者追悼平和祈念館)
• Hiroshima Castle
• Orizuru Tower (おりづるタワー)
• Shukkeien (縮景園)
• Optional: Mazda Museum / Kure (if not done the previous day)
• Try to source for Hiroshima-specific food: Okonomiyaki, Dandan Noodles

​
Day 11: Hiroshima (with a day trip to Yamaguchi) [Wednesday, 22 Nov]

• Daytrip to Yamaguchi [Shin-Iwakuni] to visit Kintaikyo Bridge via Shinkansen. Also stop by the nearby Iwakuni Castle.
• Try Tonosama Sushi at Iwakuni if possible.
• Take the local train back to Miyajimaguchi and take the boat to Itsukushima.Take the time to stroll around the island and perhaps watch the sunset at the torii gate.
• Exit back to Hiroshima via boat to Hiroshima Port direct, and transit back to hotel.

--------
Shimane + Tottori (4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Matsue becomes the main jump point for Shimane just because of the subsidized highway bus from Hiroshima, and ease of access towards Tottori later. There's no direct train between Hiroshima and Izumo/Matsue (!).
2. Tottori is really wide size-wise, to the point that it feels more efficient to have two separate hotels in two nights (Kurayoshi/Misasa Onsen + downtown Tottori) rather than one hotel for two nights (i.e. downtown Tottori). Could be just me making excuses to get into an onsen ryokan however.
3. Is there anything interesting at Yonago (Tottori) that I should take note of? Based on my initial survey nothing in particular pops up (other than the Tottori Prefectural Flower Park).
4. Skipping Tottori Castle since it doesn’t seem to be interesting at first glance. Any other interesting things to at Tottori downtown (or nearby)?

​
Day 12: Hiroshima Shimane (Matsue) [Thursday, 23 Nov]

• Make good use of the 500yen highway bus from Hiroshima to Matsue. (3.5 hours transit). Fortunately the frequency is not too bad (7-8 buses per day, looking at 0800 departure or later); if there are still outstanding places to visit in Hiroshima I will visit them in the morning.
• Check in at a hotel near JR Matsue, and proceed to trawl around Matsue with whatever daylight is left. (TBC: am considering taking a few stops down to Tamatsukuri Onsen 玉造温泉 or Matsue-shinjoko Onsen instead of the typical hotel. Does anyone have any positive experiences there?)
• Attempt to spend the afternoon at the Adachi Museum of Art. Local train to Yasugi, transfer to free shuttle.
• Chill off in downtown Matsue for the night. Prowl for Shimane-specific food such as Naniwa Zushi (浪花寿司), Shijimi clams (しじみ), Izumo soba, Izumo Zenzai (出雲ぜんざい).
• Bonus: visit the Tottori Prefectural Flower Park for the winter Hanakairo Flower Illumination at Yonago at night [which is just beside Matsue. Free shuttle bus at Yonago bus terminal].

​
Day 13: Shimane (Izumo / Matsue) [Friday, 24 Nov]

• Day trip from Matsue to Izumo. (JR Matsue JR Izumo, swap to Ichibata local rail to Izumotaisha-mae)
• Take a stop at Izumo Taisha, as well as the nearby Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo (島根県立古代出雲歴史博物館)
• After lunch, return to JR Matsue and proceed to Yushien Garden (由志園) via bus. Enjoy the sunset over the garden.
• Stop by Matsue Castle on the way back.

​
Day 14: Shimane (Matsue) Tottori (Kurayoshi) [Saturday, 25 Nov]

• Transfer from Matsue to Kurayoshi in the morning via Super Matsukaze Limited Express (~1h).
• Settle down luggage at Misasa Onsen, then proceed to hike up Mitokusan Sanbutsuji Temple (三仏寺). Cater extra time just in case I have to wait for another fellow to pop up to climb in pairs. Estimated climb time excluding wait is about 2-3 hours both ways?
• Excess time to be spent sauntering Misasa Onsen and its nearby area such as the Nijisseiki Pear Museum [二十世紀梨記念館（なしっこ館)] and Kurayoshi Historical Quarter.
• Retire at Misasa Onsen for the night. Bonus: watch the constellations at night at Misasa Onsen on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 2100JST. Current plan does not fall within those 3 weekdays
• Bonus: take a short detour to Conan Town (postnote: not a big fan of the show).

​
Day 15: Tottori (Kurayoshi Tottori) [Sunday, 26 Nov]

• Transfer from Kurayoshi to Tottori (~35minutes transfer) in the morning, and proceed to tour around Tottori.
• Drop luggage, take a local bus to Tottori Sand Dunes, and visit the nearby Sand Museum.
• Transfer northwards to Uradome Coast via local bus and spend the remainder of the day there. Watch the sunset over the coast.
• Return to downtown Tottori, stroll around and call it a night.

​
-----------
Hyogo, Kyoto, Osaka , Nara, Mie (10 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Kinosaki Onsen is intentionally designed to be a slow-paced leg to recover [and also to make time to enjoy the onsens].
2. The limited express train between Kinosaki Onsen and Osaka stops by Himeji thus I thought of resting a night there instead of doing day trips via Osaka.
3. Osaka itinerary does look sparse but that is in large part because I have already visited most of them in the past. Nevertheless, I would like to experience how different it is in autumn compared to summer [based on those few destinations that I loved going previously].
4. I have kept one float day to decompress, OR shift to any of the other prefectures (TBC).
5. There are (multiple) special limited express train by Kintetsu; they're not covered by JR pass but nevertheless I would love to ride on those as an experience. The Kintetsu pass covers the basic fare only but based on my preliminary cost estimate, it is still worth getting it.
6. Is it feasible to compress Himeji and Kobe to a single day?
7. The itineraries for Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Mie are flexible since they're literally beside one another - makes it particularly easy to shift around base on ground situation.

​
Day 16: Tottori (Tottori) Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen) [Monday, 27 Nov]

• Settle any outstanding sightseeing spots in the morning if required in Tottori, then transfer to Kinosaki Onsen via the Sanin Line.
• Make a pitstop at Amarube ('Sky Station') and marvel at the engineering work.
• Deposit luggage at the ryokan (or put in the coin locker), and stroll around and enjoy Kinosaki Onsen [after all its an onsen town].
• Try to hit as many of the 7 external onsens that are usable. Retire for the night here.
• Optional: go up the ropeway and oversee Kinosaki Onsen in the evening (last ride up ~1630)
• Optional: take a short hike up to Onsenji Temple.

​
Day 17: Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen + Northern Kyoto (Amanohashidate) day trip) [Tuesday, 28 Nov]

• Optional: take a (very) early start to the day to Takeda Castle Ruins and witness the 'floating castle' effect in the morning (<0800).
• Day trip to Amanohashidate via ToyookaKyotango Railway. Do the funny bend-down pose on the bench at Amanohashidate View Land, and see how it feels like looking at the world inverted.
• Cross the sandbar and look from the other side (Nariaiji Temple / Kasamatsu Park)
• Select one of three additional side-trips:
  • EITHER take a local bus up to Ine to look at the Funaya + sightseeing boat,
  • OR local rail down to Maizuru to look at the Maizuru World Brick Museum + eat at the Michi-no-eki;
  • OR reverse to Toyooka spend time in the city itself e.g. Izushi Castle Town
• Return to Kinosaki Onsen, and continue experiencing the remainder of the onsens. Retire for the night here. Optional: ride the Aomatsu sightseeing train back to Toyooka.
• Optional: Take a trip to Ankokuji Temple (安国寺) in the evening. Likely to visit post-peak autumn which means less than ideal viewing conditions.

Day 18: Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen Himeji) [Wednesday, 29 Nov]

• Transit from Kinosaki Onsen to Himeji via Limited Express Hamakaze (~2 hours).
• Deposit luggage at the hotel or the coin lockers at the station, then proceed for sightseeing.
• Walk along the Miyuki Street Shopping District which is en-route to Himeji Castle.
• Himeji Castle sector : Himeji Castle (姫路城), Kokoen (好古園)
• Take a local bus at Himeji Castle to go to Mount Shosha and hike up Engyōji Temple (圓教寺)
• Optional : Stroll along Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History and/or Himeji City Museum of Art which is beside the castle, OR Shosha Handicraft Museum which is just at the foot of Mount Shosha
• Optional: Make a detour to the Japan Toy Museum near Koro station (~30 minutes from JR Himeji). Closes 1700.
• Look for Hyogo-specific food: Kobe beef, steamed pork buns, sobameshi, himeji oden, etc

Retire at Himeji for the night.
Day 19: Hyogo (Himeji Kobe) Osaka (Dotonburi) [Thursday, 30 Nov]
Day trip to Kobe, before continuing further down to Osaka.

• Check out from Himeji, transit further down to Kobe for another stop before Osaka. Place luggage at the holding facility within the Shinkansen station.
• Take a visit to the Earthquake Memorial Museum (人と防災未来センター) to look at the devastation wrought by the 1995 earthquake.
• Stroll along Kobe Harborland (神戸ハーバーランド) and Meriken Park (メリケンパーク) , look at the Kobe Tower since its closed till 2024 for renovation, and look at the damage caused by the earthquake
• Optional: Head westwards to Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.
• Optional: Hit up the ASICS Sports Museum (アシックススポーツミュージアム)
• Look at the engineering feat that is the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge and the nearby Akashi Kaikyo Bridge Exhibition Center at Maiko. (Suzume no Tojimari)
• Return to Shin-kobe, pick up luggage, and transit to Shin-Osaka via Shinkansen, and then to Dotonburi/Shinsaibashi. End the (long) day in Osaka.

Day 20: Osaka [Friday, 1 Dec]
Osaka Nostalgia (acid) trip, speedrun edition: revisiting places that I want to go again

• Day trip to Mino Park and revisit the waterfall (I loved visiting it previously) via the Hankyu line in the morning.
• Zoom down to the Osaka Aquarium after lunch and walk around it (Minoo Umeda Honmachi Osakako Station).
• From there, race towards Abeno Harukas and watch the sunset/nightview at Abeno Harukas.
• Bonus: revisit Sumiyoshi Taisha if time permits.
• Spend whatever time remains at night at Nipponbashi Denden Town (shops close at ~2000) and Dotonburi (some stores are still open near midnight) and/or Shinsekai (新世界).

Day 21: Osaka (Nara day trip) [Saturday, 2 Dec]
Spend a day in Nara.

• Zoom from Namba to Nara via Kintetsu (note: non-JR)
• Explore Todaiji Temple, Kokufuji Temple, Isuien Garden and Kasuga Taisha.
• Optional: pass by Naramachi (奈良町) on the way back.
• Take the Kintetsu line down to Mount Yoshino. [TBC: subject to whether I am too early or late for the koyo.Based on last year's prediction I am about 1-2 weeks too late. Might swap this out to a Uji day trip instead in Kyoto.). Spend time walking around the Shimo Senbon and Naka Senbon and experience the autumn.
• Transfer back to Osaka. Bonus: take the Blue Symphony back to Osaka instead of the typical train. (non-JR)

Day 22: Osaka (Mie day trip) [Sunday, 3 Dec]
Day trip to Mie.

• Take the Iseshima Liner from Tsuruhashi Station (near Namba/Dotonburi) to Ise. Bonus: take the Hinotori from Osaka to Tsu, then transfer to Mie. (non-JR)
• Hit up Ise Jingu (伊勢神宮) [both inner and outer] and Okage Yokocho (おかげ横丁)
• Try to eat Matsuaka Beef or Ise Udon for lunch.
• Head westwards to Futamiokitama Shrine (二見興玉神社) / Meotoiwa Rocks; and if further time permits, go to Toba for the Ama Viewing Platform.
• Take the returning Shimakaze Limited Express train back to Osaka (note: only one train at 1630; if this train is missed, change to normal express trains). (non-JR)
• Retreat back to Osaka for the night. Consider doing any other night activities in Osaka if time, and body permits.

Day 23: Osaka ('north' Kyoto day trip) [Monday, 4 Dec]
(north) Kyoto day trip.

• Take a stop at the Kyoto Railway Museum. Optional: also consider heading to To-ji Gojunoto first if I reach Kyoto way early before 10am.
• Walk back to Kyoto station, and take a bus northwards to Kyoto Manga Museum.
• Hop on the bus direct from the Manga Museum to Kinkakuji. [bus 15]
• Select one of two side-trips:
  • EITHER head westwards to Arashiyama (note: already visited once in the summer but I still think it nice to visit in autumn/winter this time round). Bonus: experience sunset along the Togetsukyo Bridge.
  • OR head eastwards to Higashiyama (closes 1700), Philosopher's path etc (did not visit these in my past trip here so there's the 'new' factor, but it is going to be a physically taxing day. Also, most likely will reach here nearing evening i.e. closing time thus there's a limit to how much I can visit realistically).

Whichever choice, return back to Osaka for the night. Look out for Kyoto-specific food such as Yudofu, Saba Sushi, Warabi Mochi, Nishin Soba (にしんそば) etc.
Day 24: Osaka ('south' Kyoto day trip) [Tuesday, 5 Dec]
(south) Kyoto day trip edition (mainly Uji and Fushimi).

• Zip from Osaka to Kyoto via Keihan to Uji Station.
• Spend the better half of the morning in Uji.
• Visit the Byōdō-in and the nearby Tonoshima and Tachibana Island.
• Hike up to the Daikichiyama Observation Deck to oversee Uji as a whole. On the way down, explore Ujigami Shrine.
• Take the chance to buy some Uji tea as gifts to relatives. Have lunch along the Omotesando Road.
• Head further northwards to Fushimi, and do another hike up Fushimi Inari. (Note: visited once in the past but I liked the experience thus I would like to do it again.) Bonus: if its done in the evening.

Head back to Osaka and retire for the night. Consider doing any other night activities in Osaka if time, and body permits.
Day 25: Osaka (wildcard) [Wednesday, 6 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning
-------------
Kanazawa, Gifu+ (4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Is it likely for the skiing season to open around 9~10 December at Shiga Kogen or Nozawa Onsen? Would very much like to try skiing for fun, but am uncertain if the snow condition would be satisfactory by then. Some of the skiing website indicates that these two destinations are usually the first to open. I would like to seek advise on this if possible [never skiied before].
2. As an additional question to point 1, is 2 days adequate just to get a flavor on skiing?
3. Kanazawa is a pretty solid jump point to Shirakawago/Takayama via express buses (~1 to 2 hour one way).
4. My initial planning considered going to Kurobe Gorge (Toyama) but apparently the railways are closed from December onwards. Please correct me if I am mistaken.
5. Another sightseeing train in Kanazawa that I can fit in nicely in my current plans (花嫁のれん), runs on Mon/Fri/Sat/Sun.

Day 26: Osaka Ishikawa (Kanazawa (Kanazawa cityside)) [Thursday, 7 Dec]

• Zip from Osaka to Kanazawa via Limited Express Thunderbird in the early morning (~3hours; ideally the 0740 or 0810 service). Drop luggage at the hotel near JR Kanazawa and explore the cityside.
• Have lunch at the Omicho Market (近江町市場), OR at Higashi Chaya District.
• Stroll around Kanazawa Castle (金沢城, Kanazawajō) and the nearby Kenrokuen (兼六園) / Seisonkaku Villa (成巽閣, Seisonkaku) .
• Consider visiting one or more of the nearby museums if possible:
  • D.T. Suzuki Museum OR
  • National Crafts Museum OR
  • 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
• Optional: Head southwards to Myoryuji Temple + Nishi Chaya District.
• Optional: Head northwards to Higashi Chaya District (if not done for lunch).

Any outstanding spots not completed today, to be rolled over to the next 2 days (if possible).

• Retire in Kanazawa for the night. Be on the lookout for Kanazawa-specific food: Gold-leaf ice cream, oden, hanton rice
• Optional: have a stay at Yuwaku Onsen for at least one night for anime-related reasons. (Hanasaku Iroha)

​
Day 27: Ishikawa (Kanazawa cityside) / Gifu (Shirakawago, Takayama) [Friday, 8 Dec]

• Day trip to Shiwakawago and Takayama via Nohi bus (non-JR, ~1h). Grab the morning bus express bus to Shirakawago and explore the place in the morning. Experience early snowfall (?) there. Optional: visit Ainokura on the way towards Shirakawago.
• Take another express bus down to Takayama for lunch (~1h travel time).
• Explore what Takayama has to offer. Stroll along the old town near the bus terminal and visit the Takayama Jinya. If time permits, stroll along the Higashiyama Walking Course.
• Optional: pay a visit to Hida Folk Village.
• Return to Kanazawa via Hida Limited Express to Toyama Shinkansen to Kanazawa, OR take the same Nohi express bus directly back (non-JR).
• Retire at Kanazawa for the night. Last express bus from Takayama to Kanazawa is 1630, arrive at 1845. Alternatively, head northwards to Toyama via JR and transfer to Kanazawa.

​
Day 28: Ishikawa (Kanazawa cityside / outskirts) [Saturday, 9 Dec]
Side trip to Wakura Onsen / Nanao for anime-related sightseeing. (Insomanics after Class, Hanasaku Iroha)

• Zoom from Kanazawa up to Wakura Onsen/Nanao via Limited Express Noto Kagaribi. Do some sightseeing related to Insomanics after Class and Hanasaku Iroha.
• Do some train spotting with two anime along the Noto Railways. Stop at Nishigishi station for some sightseeing. (non-JR)
• Return to Kanazawa in the evening from Wakura Onsen via the sightseeing train Hanayomenoren [花嫁のれん, last train 1630).
• End the night at Kanazawa.

Day 29: Ishikawa (wildcard) [Sunday, 10 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning
--------------
Tokyo (~6 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Specific interest to target: anime/vtuber stuff, music (piano in particular), bookstores etc.
2. This is the point in time I should go ham on souvenier purchase if I have not done so. I'll probably get an extra cardboard box or duffel bag to lug with me to the airport to store extra stuff.
3. Would like to seek recommendation on where I should set my base for the 5~6 days here. For now I am planning to pit at Ginza, subject to availability and cost. My thought is that as long as its along the Yamanote line everything rolls I suppose.
4. Hard pass on Golden Gai on the Shunjuku leg (I do not drink).
5. There's way too many to list in terms of what I would like to do in Tokyo, but I have listed items that are of particular interest to me first within the available time frame. If you have strong opinions on specific locations do let me know.

Day 30: Ishikawa (Kanazawa) Tokyo (Ginza) [Monday, 11 Dec]

• Zip from Kanazawa to Tokyo via the Hoririku Shinkansen in the morning (just north of two hours). (TBC : If I can optimize my schedule better, I can try squeezing two days here for a stop at Nozawa Onsen / Shiga Kogen (Nagano) for a short ski experience).
• Deposit luggage at one of the Ginza hotels (TBC: subject to cost; might swap for another location later on)
• Explore ('south') Tokyo with the remainder of the day.
• Marvel at the architecture that is the Tokyo Station and its surrounding.
• Visit the Imperial Palace.
• Head south towards the Mori Art Museum (closes 2200)
• End the night with a stop at Tokyo Tower (closes 2230).

Day 31: Tokyo (Shibuya, Shinjuku and Nakano) [Tuesday, 12 Dec]
Explore ('west') Tokyo, namely Shibuya, Shinjuku and Nakano.

• Start off with an early day visit to Meji Shrine / Yoyogi Park.
• Head up to Shinjuku. Spend the remainder of the morning and lunch exploring Kabukicho, Hanazono Shrine and Omoide Yokochō (ideally have lunch here). Also make a pit stop at Kinokuniya's flagship store at Shinjuku.
• Head northwards to Nakano Broadway and trawl for anime goods for several hours (closes ~1900)
• Head south down back to Shibuya and experience the crossing in peak night condition. Walk around and soak in the atmosphere. Optional: stop by the Ishibashi music store at Shibuya (closes 2000).
• Cap off the night and look at the night view at Shibuya Sky (closes 2230). Zip back to the hotel at Ginza.

Day 32: Tokyo (Akibahara, Asakusa and Sky Tree) [Wednesday, 13 Dec]

• Kick off the day with a morning visit to Asakusa (i.e. Sensoji).
• Transit over to Tokyo Skytree to watch the Tokyo cityscape in the day.
• Trawl around Akibahara for the afternoon. (Animate, Sega claw machines, etc).
• Also stop by Ochanomizu for sightseeing (Suzume no Tojimari)
• Zip back to the hotel for the night. If time permits, stop by the two flagship music stores along Ginza: Yamaha Ginza and Yamano Ginza. Also, visit Itoya Ginza (stationary store).

Day 33: Tokyo (Kamakura day trip OR Ikebukuro) [Thursday, 14 Dec]
EITHER take a day trip Kamakura, OR explore northern Tokyo (Ikebukuro)
Kamakura leg:

• Make a detour to Used Tyre Market Sagamihara Store to experience the retro vending machines. Then head southwards to Enoshima.
• Look at the giant Buddha statue and stroll along Hasedera.
• Take the Enoden to Enoshiima and explore the island.
• Take the JR back to Ginza and retire for the night.

Tokyo (Ikebukuro leg):

• Visit Otome Road for otaku related stuffs.
• Trawl the usual suspects such as Bic Camera etc.
• Make a stop at the Mejiro Gardens.
• Visit the Waseda International House of Literature (The Haruki Murakami Library) at Waseda University.

Day 34: Tokyo (wildcard) [Friday, 15 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning
​
Day 35: Tokyo Home [Saturday, 16 Dec]

• Contemplate life at the hotel, doing whatever I feel like for the morning and early afternoon. Bonus: have an early breakfast at Tsukiji Market in the morning if staying at Ginza.
• Clear any last minute administrative matter (if any), or do (very) last minute sightseeing/buying. Most likely limited to Ginza and Akibahara.
• Get a nice lunch omakase to cap it off if possible. (taking recommendations if anyone has one, ideally meat/beef centric instead of just sushi).
• Head off to Narita from Tokyo Station via NEX just after lunch at 1430 1530 to Narita, flight at 1830.

END
---------------------
If you're still reading up to this point, here's my own personal ramblings/thoughts on JR pass usage:
I have thought of two ways of doing this for the first 21 days:
a. easy-mode : just get 21 days JR global pass before the price hike at 60450 yen, OR b. hard-mode: get a 7 day JR global pass (to cover the NEX fees, the basic fee on the Sunrise Seto to Shikoku, as well as limited express trains within Shikoku) (29650) + 5 days for JR Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass (15000) + 4 days for JR Sanin Okayama Area Pass + 5 days for JR Kansai Wide Area Pass (10000) for a total of 59230.
The initial conclusion was to go with option A since that reduces the administrative burden, but I realized the individual passes do have its own perk which truimphs over the global JR pass. For instance, the Sanin Okayama Area Pass provides a (minor) discount for the Adachi Museum of Art; the Kansai Wide Pass covers the Kyotango route between Kinosaki Onsen and Amanohashidate which the global JR pass does not cover, JR Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass covers JR buses within Hiroshima for free, therefore I am inclined to go with the hell option (option B) as it stands.
For the remaining 14 days, I could also get the global 14 day JR pass at 47250 yen but it is not worth it at all, because I will be relying largely on Kintetsu for the Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Mie leg which the JR pass most certainly does not cover.

• For the Osaka/Nara/Mie/Kyoto leg, I intend to make good use of a mix of both local metro and the Kintetsu rail pass for 5 days (4900). If I do exploit Kintetsu's limited express train to its fullest, I should be able to save money by buying the pass. The Osaka Amazing Pass at 2600yen a day does not make financial sense for me this time round, given how little I am exploring within Osaka.
• For the Osaka Kanazawa, Shirakawago and Takayama leg, the preferred pass of choice is the Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass over the global JR pass, in large part because this pass fully absorbs the Nohi highway bus fees (which can rack up quite a lot at ~8000yen for a return trip between Kanazawa and Shirakawago/Takayama). Also this absorbs the Thunderbird fee. One major issue with my current plan is that it does not cover Wakura Onsen nor the sightseeing train.
• For the final Kanazawa Tokyo leg, the preferred choice is the Horuriku Arch Pass that covers the direct Shinkansen back to Tokyo, and the NEX fees to Narita when I depart from Tokyo. Will only break even with the pass at best unless I make a stop at Nagano.

So all in all, there's quite little incentive to get the global JR pass after I worked out my schedule, apart from the initial 7 days for the Sunrise Seto jump which the All Shikoku Pass will not cover.
Through the hodge-podge of multiple area passes, it works out to around 102890 yen for the whole trip of 35 days, contrast with 107700 yen for a 21 + 14 global JR pass. While there's a minor cost saving doing the hard way which sweetens the deal, the additional minor perks associated with the area passes sells it for me, as I would had to pay more out of pocket to cover non-JR pass buses/rails and such which would add up to much greater cost than I would had anticipated. Also, if I did this trip post-price hike in October, the calculus becomes a no-brainer: avoid the global JR pass like the plague.
-----
Thank you very much for your opinions, suggestions and advice in advance!

I have already made one post about what made me skeptical but that was actually answered somewhat by a redditor who pointed me to the Fact Checking Q&A of The Debrief article. It was about how I didn't understand how the 2 most important members of the House Intel Committee didn't know about Grusch's testimony when the article said he testified to their staffers. But it was cleared up in the separate Fact Checking article that only the Legal Counsel of the Intel Committees would hear his testimony, and the actual congressional members of the committee would be unaware while the investigation is ongoing.
Anyways, keep in mind these are just things that have me skeptical. That doesn't mean I think it automatically invalidates all of his claims and I fully admit maybe I am overlooking something. But I want to see others' opinions:
- The Vanity Fair article said WaPo and NYT biggest concerns for not running it was they don't actually know what Grusch said to congress. Theoretically he could have said anything.
- Mellon saying for every person who said there was a crash retrieval program, there were 4 or 5 high level officials saying it wasn't true (paraphrasing). There was some video of him on twitter saying it.
- Sounds like Grusch hasn't even seen pictures of what others told him regarding crafts/bodies according to the interview (if I remember correctly). All secondhand information. Leaves open the possibility he's being duped or maybe misinterpreting things.
- Grusch going to some random French publication claiming he wants to be a "thought leader" with a non profit foundation, days after his revelations. Suggests possible self interest in his claims and career aspirations as a motivation for whistleblowing. Maybe that means he'd overlook the veracity of his claims for the sake of advancing himself. Again, not saying we can know either way, and it could be nothing.
- Pentagon clearing all this to be said, you would think some of it is classified in some way? I know he hasn't said specifics and people say an illegal program wouldn't be classified. It's possibly nothing, it's just hard to believe that even the general way he's speaking isn't revealing something he can't talk about.
- Supposedly being close with and strategizing with Lue Elizondo according to Bryan Bender, a politico reporter who covered UFOs at one point (source https://twitter.com/BryanDBendestatus/1665706317728690185)
- Grusch having met with Corbell and Knapp a year ago."UFOJoe" meeting him at a Star Treck convention and reciting a scene from a Star Treck movie with Grusch, Corbell, and Knap in a hotel room a year ago. (source https://twitter.com/TheUfoJoe/status/1665794435412819968 ) I thought I heard either in maybe The Debrief fact checking articles or maybe in a Ross Coulthart interview, someone said that Grusch was not into ufos prior to his involvement in the UAP task force. This appears somewhat contradictory. But more importantly I just don't like how it's always the same names involved from ufology when they are all fanatically invested in this subject and have run shaky stories before. And Grusch meeting them a year ago is a while ago too, hanging out and such...
- Similar but less so with Coulthart, and Kean and Blumenthal, the people from the 2017 article. Just all the usual names. These 3 people are obviously more serious and credible tho than the aforementioned above. Not saying it invalidates the article, but it would be nice if the usual names weren't involved in my eyes. I do understand it's more likely that reporters that look into ufos would be more likely to get a story like this. But if it's true, any reporter would want this story.
- Grusch saying close to the same thing as Garry Nolan said about Isotopic ratios being evidence of NHI crafts in the NewsNation interview (and Nolan was also included in The Debrief article btw). If the evidence Grusch has just amounts to Garry Nolan's analysis, it will be very disappointing. I still have yet to see actual proof of Nolan's speculation and it sounds like more of his personal speculation that the supposed UFO materials he's looked at are possibly otherworldly. If someone can show me the supposed peer reviewed paper Nolan wrote I'd love to see it. Nolan is another of the usual names in ufology, even if he has impressive credentials. And just saying what Nolan has said about isotopic ratios is certainly not proof of NHI or their crafts.
Remember we are all outsiders. These are just things that I have considered that don't necessarily look good nor promising to me personally. Feel free to disagree. Ultimately, though it is irrelevant cuz hopefully the truth comes out from more reporting/congress.
Edit: Also not trying to take credit for finding a lot of this stuff. TheBlackVault, Mick West, and other redditors amongst others off the top of my head definitely pointed out a lot of this stuff.

I know its a cheap-end GPU, and it sort of worked when I installed VDJ for the first time. It does indeed work from time to time but only certain songs and kinda just spits out a stems engine error the remaining 80% of songs. I don't mind the slow computation of CPU stems computation but I hate that VDJ hogs all the CPU power into STEMs to the point the computer's virtually unusable, so I really can only do it when I'm out of the house or when I'm going to bed (which honestly I should do more often since we just had our first major winter cold spell here in the southern hemisphere, creating stems is a great way to waste power in the form of heat)
And yes I do have latest drivers, but I don't use nvidia's front end UI shit that requires you to login and all that unnecessary bullcrap (I primarily uninstalled it because I hated the promotional crap and some functions such as how it would black out the entire screen whenever you wanted to do anything with it and I decided it wasn't worth all the annoyances that come with it)
Also on the unrelated note, I noticed STEMs aren't perfect. Some songs (most notably chiptunes) have very noticible artifacts with occasional loudness and missing points from all STEMs even when they're all set to neutral with zero effects applied (which to my surprise, doesn't just play the original song as is). In those regards, I guess there are some advantages to older generation stems as they don't have this artifact. And with chiptunes, as I already have the source material to a lot of them, surely there's a way for me to declare my own STEMs without relying on VDJ's STEMs seperation?

I left the door unlocked today, Too much of my dismay. Not a single stranger stepped through. When the jitters simmer down, Reflection, you took depiction of a clown. But not a single act turned out like the symbols you drew. Ebb and flow until the pertinent matters glow, Red hot on ebony would penetrate the chemicals though. Not a familiar face either. Not much mediums through the ether.
I remembered a friend told me to journal about the residue. Sat me down and forced me to focus on when the rents due.
Sometimes the temperature rises higher than the reefer allowed. Cargo expires in the fires a trip can force to transpire when you go all out. Years of useless writing material for the stage play. Tears waisted on a belt of repressed agony until the last day. Another base notched for a tree already fallen. Sitting on the wall stumped on groundhog day holding my pollen. Saw a reflection of the son and got up to lock my door.
https://www.reddit.com/OCPoetry/comments/13ipwrk/its_for_the_best/jkba0mg?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
https://www.reddit.com/OCPoetry/comments/13hb90z/trauma_is_bad/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android_app&utm_name=androidcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
There are layers to the metaphors, so explaining included.
I left the door unlocked today, Too much of my dismay. Not a single stranger stepped through. (Wrong 'too' deliberately used to push the duality doors are meant to be locked to keep out strangers but isolation becomes lonely so when you put yourself out there and still aren't met.) When the jitters simmer down, Reflection, you took depiction of a clown. (When you realize how goofy you were to be afraid to even try letting people in, but also when how you acted trying to keep people out.) But not a single act turned out like the symbols you drew. (Acting certain ways to keep company and it really coming off much different than intended this feeling like a clown.) Ebb and flow until the pertinent matters glow, Red hot on ebony would penetrate the chemicals though. (Ebb and flow of pushing away and pulling people in learning what things are really mattered in the first place and a self awareness growing.) (Pushing and pulling causes friction, friction causes heat to glowing red, frustration when stuck in the flux, outsourcing to chemical therapy.) (In addition the stark contrasts of red hot metal on ebony wood(would) causes chemical reaction;change occurs) Not a familiar face either. Not much mediums through the ether. (Not even old faces come around when you don't put anything out there to be be an invitation and have yet to put in that effort to keep them around)
I remembered a friend told me to journal about the residue. Sat me down and forced me to focus on when the rents due. (An actual conversation I had that lead to this poem, in a head full prioritizing the issues in.order doesn't always come natural.)
Sometimes the temperature rises higher than the reefer allowed. Cargo expires in the fires a trip can force to transpire when you go all out. (The journey of a new relationship and the baggage we carry spoiling the trip. Reefer trailer double meaning with a reference marijuana, I can't smoke because the stress I keep on my mind it only overwhelms and panics me. Temperature used from the last stanza which is used to talk about the friction of events) (When you go all out and give it your everything in your best way and it still doesn't work) Years of useless writing material for the stage play. (Times spent with those failures to connect and maintain in said forementioned act resulting in looking foolish) Tears waisted on a belt of repressed agony until the last day. Another base notched for a tree already fallen. (Wrong wasted used for the double meaning of repressed tears being carried as water weight belt used to also talk about the frustration in the pain and not crying out and keeping quiet) (All wrapped up with relating love to the simplicity of carving your initials in a tree like it lasts forever but it was already done.) Sitting on the wall stumped on groundhog day holding my pollen.(sitting there like the stump initials still carved as a wall flower holding it's pollen, wallflower implication because it's only ever in observation) (in the movie groundhogs day he relives the same day over and over) Saw a reflection of the son and got up to lock my door. (Realization that you werent even ready for what you're wanting to come into the room (pollen being the wallflowers family life that'd be missed out on) and that forcing the start will only put a similar struggle on that offspring when they come from and know that struggle. So you lock the door and find content in the isolation, to avoid a codependency that will stop you from the self focus needed first, so like a groundhog on ground hogs day the shadow cast causes retreat)
Hope that is over explanatory. The layers are what made this so enjoyable to right but I don't know if the layers are lost in interpretation.

After they left, I locked the front door and carried on cleaning. Normally I wouldn't worry about locking the door until I left, but even if those strangers were two of the most attractive men I had the pleasure of looking upon, I didn't know them, and therefore, I didn't trust them.
Small town charm, indeed.
As I grabbed the last few bottles from by the pool table, the jukebox cut out. I rolled my eyes and made a mental note to call Jerry tomorrow about it. It was too late now, after I started bartending for him, Jerry took full advantage of not having to be here 24/7. He was likely already asleep.
The lights flickered as I pulled the trash bag out and threw it over my shoulder, but I shrugged it off, even as chills spread across my arms. The place was old, and probably haunted, and it wasn't the first time weird shit had happened here. I threw open the back door, crinkling my nose at the smell, and tossed the bag in the dumpster before locking up and heading to my car.
My car was technically Jim's old truck, but after he passed, Doris said I should have it. I tried to insist that it go to Polly when she was old enough to drive, but Doris just said I had helped him work on it enough that it should go to me. Polly wasn't one for trucks anyway, she had claimed. It was only when Polly put the keys in my hand herself that I actually accepted it. Seven years later, and the old, ugly thing still ran great.
God, I've been overly sentimental today. Let's move on.
The thing about hindsight, they say it's 20/20. After this day, I'd say it's a bitch. All it does is make you think about every single thing you did wrong, over and over again, until it drives you crazy. And crazy people don't tend to see all that clearly.
The house was dark when I pulled up, the only light coming from the moon. Which you'd think would be normal, it being ten something at night, but the porch light was always left on for me, and Polly doesn't normally go to bed this early. Doris doesn't either, but she may have gone to sleep earlier than usual if I had woken her up last night. She probably just forgot the porch light.
I walked up the steps and found the front door slightly open. Now THAT was not normal. I paused at the threshold long enough to pull out my Glock. I checked the sled and loaded the magazine before slowly pushing the door open with my foot. I longed to call out to Doris and Polly, to make sure they were okay, if they were even here (holding out hope that they aren't), but instinct and years of hunting kept my mouth shut.
I tried to keep my footsteps silent, avoiding the spots in the floor I know creak and groan. An overwhelming smell, like rotting eggs, filled the air. It triggered something in the corner of my brain, but I couldn't focus on it right now. The kitchen and living room were clear, and so was the downstairs bathroom.
I walked towards the stairs and the smell intensified. You know when people say they felt like lead was in the pit of their stomach? Turns out, they weren't overexaggerating.
There was no noise, save for my own breathing, as I crept up. Room by room, I cleared the house. No one was here. No sign of Doris, or Polly. I wanted to feel relieved, I really did, but life has taught me that relief is often a feeling followed by dread.
Sentimental has flown out the window.
I checked the windows upstairs, making sure they were all closed and locked, before going downstairs to do the same. I stopped short at the sight of Lenny and Barry. In my living room. Normally, this would constitute as a dream come true, but the guns in their hands definitely gave me pause on the horny fantasy.
They hadn't noticed me yet, so I slowly raised my gun and watched as they made their way into the kitchen. I followed them silently, keeping my gun level, until they reached the table.
"I'm gonna need you to drop the weapons and explain what, exactly, you're doing in my house."
They whirled around, both going to aim at me, but I was quicker. I shot a warning round into the floor by their feet. (Doris was seriously going to kill me for that.) They both jumped back, hands raised in the air.
"I didn't say wave them around, I said drop them."
"Look, Winnie-"
"Drop the goddamn guns!" I said, as I cocked my own back.
"Fine, fine," Barry said, slowly bending at the knees to place his gun on the floor. "Just calm down, alright?"
Lenny looked irritated but followed suit, putting his weapon on the ground gently.
"Kick them aside."
Sighs of absolute exasperation floated through the air. (Seriously? Breaking into my house and then getting annoyed at me? Get a load of these guys.)
"Where are Doris and Polly?"
"Who?" Lenny asked, irritation coloring the word.
"Don't play stupid, I'm really not in the mood."
"Lady, I don't know who those people are." He snapped.
"Doris and Polly," I repeated slowly. "The two women who live in this house with me. The house you just broke into, with loaded weapons. After I come home to find them missing."
"Look, we can explain," Barry started.
"I would hope so, considering the alternative." I gestured with my head at the gun in my hand.
"Just lower your gun, and we'll tell you everything."
"Listen, Bare, may I call you Bare?" I continued without waiting for permission, "You seem to not understand how this works. Your weapons are out of reach, mine is in hand, you're in MY house, and my family is missing. I'll lower the gun if I decide your explanation is good enough. Which seems unlikely."
My voice, somehow, was holding completely steady, but inwardly, panic was filling every empty part of my body. My brain was screaming at me to stop wasting time, but I forced that voice aside. At this point, the only people who could tell me anything were standing in front of me, one looking pissed off and the other looking very concerned. About me or the imminent death he faced, I couldn't be sure.
"Winsley, your family, they've been taken by-"
"Sammy!"
"Dean, she deserves to know. She's in this, whether we like it or not."
I blinked at the sudden identity change, although I have to say, I was kind of grateful that two dudes who looked this good didn't have names like Lenny and Barry. Even if they were possible kidnappers.
Dean, previously Lenny, clenched his jaw, but didn't say anything when Sammy, previously Barry, started again. "They've been taken by what we think is a demon. We're not sure why yet, but that's why we're here. It's what we do. We, we save people from things like this."
"Things like demons." I deadpanned. "So you're story is, a demon has, for some unknown reason, kidnapped my family, and you two just happen to be here at the same time as this thing, because life is all just one big coininky dink?"
"We tracked it here," Lenny/Dean spoke up. "It's been traveling through Wyoming, ripping through small towns. It's killed before, but it's never kidnapped anyone. Until now. So whatever this thing wants, your family has it. And you're not exactly helping us save 'em."
"And your plan was to shoot this demon full of lead? Do demons bleed? Can they even die?"
"They're full of rock salt," Barry/Sammy said. "Salt doesn't kill them, but it hurts them. Slows 'em down. We slow them down enough, we can get them wrapped in rope soaked in holy water and get the answers we all want."
Hysterical laughter bubbled up in my throat. I've been a bartender for 7 years, in a small ass town in the middle of nowhere, and before that, well, that's a backstory for another chapter, but let's just conclude that I know crazy. I've delt with crazy, but this was above and beyond.
"This is either some elaborate scheme to distract me, or you're both having a psychotic break at the same time."
"Okay, enough," Dean snapped. Faster than I could track, he whipped out yet another gun from behind him and aimed it at me.
"Am I now a demon in this illusion of yours? Rock salt isn't gonna do shit to me."
"Well, actually, it hurts like a bitch." He said, shrugging. "Curiosity got the best of me. But this ain't no rock salt, sweetheart. So why don't you put the gun down, because I guarantee you I can pull this trigger faster than you."
I paused, considering, before twisting and aiming my gun at Sammy's head. "You wanna test that theory?"
They both went deathly still. Apparently, they decided to finally take my threat seriously.
"Fine, you know what? You want your family to die, that's on you, lady. We can leave you to it," Dean put his gun down and went to grab the other one from the floor. "But don't say we didn't warn you."
He went to walk out the back door, Sammy hesitantly grabbing his own gun before following Dean out.
"Wait. Fine. But I want some of those rock salt thingies."
Dean glanced back. "No."
Sammy ignored him and handed me his pistol. "Aim for the heart."
I slowly holstered my gun, replacing it with his.
"Dammit, Sammy."
"I think she can handle herself, Dean."
Dean pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed so hard I was surprised it didn't propel him backwards.
"Are there any other buildings around here that might be abandoned or empty? Somewhere used for storage?"
"Yeah, we have a barn. Jim used to keep some of his old junk in there."
"Show us."
"Okay, full offense, for someone supposedly trying to help, you are extremely rude."
"Yes, and I look good doing it."
I narrowed my eyes at him but lead them out the backdoor. Before you start yelling at me, I'm not believing this bullshit. They're clearly insane, and they probably have my family locked in the barn, and I figure once they go inside to "scope the place out", I'll call Sherrif Bereta and get these beautiful loonies locked up.
That plan went dark, literally, as a sharp pain cracked through my skull and I crumbled to the ground.
*******************************
I'm sure we've all heard the term "spitting mad". Well, whatever that means, I was even angrier when I came to, back in the kitchen, surrounded by a ring of salt and tied up with, sure enough, a soggy rope. It itched.
Okay, yes. I got, well, got. I spent the past ten years of my life hunting animals, not fighting crime, okay? Give me a break. I thought my plan had been pretty solid.
I glanced around, trying to get my bearings through the bulldozer that had made its home in my head. Two major headaches in one day. If the tequila didn't kill my braincells, that hit certainly did.
"Bastards," I muttered to myself. I wiggled against the ropes, but all that managed to do was chafe. I attempted to stand, but they had tied my ankles together and to my bound wrists, so not only did I fail, I looked ridiculous doing it.
The panic I was ignoring earlier came back with renewed strength, and I had to stop all movement and focus on my breathing. I haven't had a panic attack in years, and I really didn't think this was a smart time to start again.
The silence broke with a screech that sounded, as much as I loathe to admit it, demonic. I'm not a religious person, if you couldn't tell, working a Sunday morning instead of attending church, so I didn't break out in prayer. I did, however, look around for any kind of weapon that I could try to get my hands on. My gun was sitting on the table, just out of reach.
"Bastards!" I announced again.
"That's no way to talk about the people who saved your ass."
Dean was standing in the doorway, a light coat of sweat shining across his forehead. His breathing was quick, but all in all, he seemed steady.
"You pistol whipped me, hog tied me, and seasoned me, dude. I wouldn't constitute that as 'saving'."
"Yeah, well. Difference of opinion," he said, a small smile playing across his lips.
"Where's your future cellmate?"
"He's finishing up with the demon. Should be here any minute."
"Ah, yes. The demon. Did you get any answers? Did you find Polly and Doris? Did you develop the sudden need to enroll yourself into a mental institution?"
Before Dean could answer, Sam came into view behind him, and on his arm was Polly. My breath caught in my throat as I looked her over, bruised, bleeding from a cut on her forehead, but alive. On her feet.
"Polly thank god, I was so worried-" I went to stand up, forgetting about the ropes, and promptly fell over. "Can you get these goddamn things off of me?"
Dean glanced over at his brother, and Sammy nodded. He lead Polly to a chair and positioned himself in front of her.
"Do you think I'm going to attack my own family? I'm not the one suffering from some kind of breakdown." I said, watching Dean pull out a knife and ever so slowly cut through the ropes. As soon as they fell off, I stood, rubbing my raw wrists, and went to make my way to Polly.
"Where's Doris?" I asked, kneeling in front of her. "Is she okay? Did she get caught up at bible study or did these two lunatics tie her up, too?"
Polly lifted her tear soaked eyes, grief overflowing in them.
There's something you should know about Big Traumatic Events, and it's that time moves differently in them. You know when you were a kid, swimming in a pool, and you sunk down to the bottom? The world was quiet, and your limbs were heavy and light at the same time, moving through the water as if time had slowed.
That's what it's like.
I rocked back on my heels.
I stood and whipped towards Sam.
I lunged for the gun.
Sammy caught my arms, pushing me back as I fought against him.
There was a sound trying to pierce through the overwhelming emptiness in my head. A sound that sounded a lot like a wounded animal. It's a sound I know well.
When Polly swam into view, putting my face between her hands, I realized that I was that sound. Something between a scream and a sob was falling out of me, and I couldn't stop it.
"Winnie. It's okay. It's gonna be okay," she sobbed with me.
I wrenched myself away from her. I couldn't, wouldn't, allow myself to be calmed down.
"What did you do to her?!" I screamed.
"She was possessed, Winnie."
"Don't call me that."
"By the time we got to her, it was too late. The demon had destroyed her body, and it was the only thing holding her together."
"STOP USING YOUR INSANE THEORIES AS AN EXCUSE FOR WHY YOU KILLED MY MOTHER!"
My chest heaved, and the two murdering bastards just stood there. They had the gall to even look sad. What did they have to be sad about? They're the ones going around killing people, claiming it's in the name of- of what? God? I didn't care.
"It's true, Winnie."
My breath came up short as I turned to look at Polly. Tears still streamed down her face, mingling with the blood. I noticed her lip was split, too, and added another tally to the scoreboard. I'd kill them.
"She was, she was different. She wasn't mom. She hit me. She tied me up. She tried to torture me, asking me questions that I didn't understand."
"No, Polly. These lunatics probably drugged you or something. THEY tortured you. They're feeding you their delusions."
"No, they aren't!" She shouted. "I saw it, okay? I saw her become that thing. I saw her eyes turn black. And I felt every moment she laid her hands on me. She was MY mom, Winnie. I knew her better than anyone, and I know that wasn't her."
Those words broke something deep inside of me, deeper than even Doris's death. Polly was right. Doris was her mother. Not mine. I looked at Dean, at Sammy, at the gun, my gun, that he was now holding in his hands, probably to keep me from putting a few rounds in the two of them.
I took a deep breath and simply said, "Fine."
And I left.
Authors note:
Yeah I made myself sad. I also feel like I used the word "Gun" so much. But really what else do I call it? Anyway. Supernatural ripped my heart out like twenty thousand times, so it's only fair I add some heartbreak to this story. Hope you like it!

So according to Grusch, he named names of both individuals and programs to Congress and the IG.
I hope this blows the whole thing open... but on the other hand I'm pretty certain that an 80-year old conspiracy isn't going to go away without a fight. Here's what I imagine is happening behind the scenes:
Grusch provided names, and Congressional and IG investigators are following up. But the Conspiracy has been through this before. As we read in The Debrief article, they're concealing bits and pieces of the program all over different unrelated SAP's. By the time Congress cracks open one, they get (at best) only a fragment of the full program, or the Conspiracy has moved everything into a different bureaucratic bucket (classic insurgent cell structure, btw).
So the Conspiracy is going to stonewall Congress and the media for as long as they can while they do what they've been doing for 50+ years, that is keeping their shell-game going by shuffling the documents and materials around to a different location.
Then, when they've shredded all the remaining documents and power-washed the walls, then they invite Congress in and say "See? Nothing here!" Congress goes "OK dokey! Guess we couldn't find anything." They in turn tell that to the mainstream media (NYT / WaPo), NYT and WaPo tell the world, and then we're done.
Sorry Mario, but your secret reverse engineering program is in another SAP!

https://heathercoxrichardson.substack.com/p/june-7-2023
Three more candidates have entered the race for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination this week. Former vice president Mike Pence, former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, and current North Dakota governor Doug Burgum join former South Carolina governor and Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, South Carolina senator Tim Scott, Florida governor Ron DeSantis, former Arkansas governor Asa Hutchinson, as well as a few others and former president Donald Trump in their hope of winning the nomination.
Taken together, the different candidates offer a window into the current Republican Party. Haley and DeSantis are embracing the cultural issues to which the Trump base is wedded. At a CNN town hall on Sunday, Haley singled out transgender girls as one of her key issues, linking (without any evidence) their presence on girls’ sports teams to an April study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that showed a rise in the number of teenaged girls contemplating self-harm between 2019 and 2021, years that covered the height of the pandemic. (In fact, LGBTQ teenagers have a higher rate of thoughts of self-harm than their straight, gender-conforming peers.)
DeSantis has reached for the Trump base by focusing on immigration. That focus has backfired as unlawful border crossings have dropped more than 70% since President Biden’s ending of the pandemic-related Title 42, and as a new Florida law designed to “scare people from coming to Florida” has resulted in immigrants, whose labor is vital to the state, leaving it.
Apparently trying to reclaim the narrative, in the last week, DeSantis has sent two charter flights taking migrants who have legally applied for asylum in the U.S. from the Texas border to Sacramento, California. While the DeSantis administration claims the migrants went “voluntarily,” they say they were tricked into thinking they would get work in California. One set of the migrants were dropped off outside the Catholic Archdiocese of Sacramento, which had not been alerted they were coming and was closed.
Pence, Hutchinson, and Christie are directly attacking Trump, Pence by saying the events of January 6, 2021, make Trump unfit to be president, Hutchinson by saying Trump should withdraw because of the criminal charges he’s facing, and Christie by attacking Trump and his family as grifters. At Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire yesterday, Christie reminded the audience: “Jared Kushner and Ivanka Kushner walk out of the White House and months later get $2 billion from the Saudis…. You think it’s because he’s some kind of investing genius? Or do you think it’s because he was sitting next to the President of the United States for four years doing favors for the Saudis?... That’s your money he stole and gave it to his family. You know what that makes us? A banana republic.”
Scott and Burgum seem to be trying to offer exhausted Republican voters a rest. Scott is trying to offer an optimistic vision of the United States amidst the apocalyptic narratives of his rivals, denying that systematic racism is a societal problem, for example, while Burgum’s chief attribute seems to be an embrace of pre-2016 Republicanism and a low-key presentation.
That scrum of Republican hopefuls—none of whom is polling well—is the backdrop to this evening’s story from Andrew Feinberg of the Independent that prosecutors from the Department of Justice are ready to ask a grand jury in Washington, D.C., to indict former president Trump on charges that he has violated the Espionage Act and obstructed justice.
Aside from anything else, the Espionage Act includes language that anyone who “willfully retains…any document, writing, code book, signal book, sketch, photograph, photographic negative, blueprint, plan, map, model, instrument, appliance, or note relating to the national defense, or information relating to the national defense which information the possessor has reason to believe could be used to the injury of the United States or to the advantage of any foreign nation… and fails to deliver it on demand to the officer or employee of the United States entitled to receive it” can be punished by as many as ten years in prison.
The story says the jury could vote as early as tomorrow, but it could also be delayed until next week, or beyond. It is worth remembering that this Department of Justice has not been known to leak, and that the sooner Trump is indicted—which certainly looks likely, at least in the case of the missing documents—the sooner his supporters can jump to another candidate, which might suggest a rival camp pushing the story that an indictment will come soon. That same calculation might have been part of what was behind Trump’s insistence to New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman that he has “NOT been told he’s getting indicted.” And, he added on Truth Social, “I shouldn’t be because I’ve done NOTHING wrong.”
Troubles in the Republican Party are not limited to the 2024 hopefuls. House Republicans continue to fight against House speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), angry over the budget deal under which he pushed through a measure to suspend the debt ceiling. McCarthy tried to head off their protests with a promise to establish a commission to cut Social Security and Medicare, but it was not enough. Yesterday, members of the House Freedom Caucus said they would not permit votes on anything until he put in writing what they believed was the deal he made to get their votes for the speakership; that revolt continued today.
Tonight, Jake Sherman of Punchbowl News reported that McCarthy appears to have agreed to let appropriators write bills that come in below the agreed-upon spending levels. Sherman’s colleague John Bresnahan noted: “The Fiscal Responsibility Act isn’t even a week old & Republicans in the House and Senate are already trying to redo it.”
In other news, CNN has parted ways with Chris Licht, its chief executive officer and chair, who had sought to move the network to what he considered the center of American politics. He had done so by highlighting “both sides” of today’s political arguments, firing leading journalists he thought too far on the left and centering Trump in a town hall that became the former president’s triumphant reentry to the political stage as he lied and bullied the interviewer. Some pundits have taken Licht’s fall as a sign that there is no longer a powerful center in American politics, but my own guess is the opposite: that most of us want news based in reality rather than media giving platforms to people who are openly lying.
Yale scholar of authoritarianism Timothy Snyder today applied this idea to coverage of the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine, which has rained down humanitarian, ecological, and economic disaster on Ukrainians as they appear to be launching a counteroffensive to the Russian invasion of their country.
Snyder warned journalists not to “bothsides” the story by offering equal time to both sides. “What Russian spokespersons have said has almost always been untrue, whereas what Ukrainian spokespersons have said has largely been reliable. The juxtaposition suggests a false equality,” he wrote. “The story doesn't start at the moment the dam explodes. For the last fifteen months Russia has been killing Ukrainian civilians and destroying Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, whereas Ukraine has been trying to protect its people and the structures that keep them alive.” “Objectivity does not mean treating an event as a coin flip between two public statements,” he said. “It demands thinking about the objects and the settings that readers require for understanding amidst uncertainty.”
—
Notes:
https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/05/politics/nikki-haley-transgender-girls-teen-suicide/index.html
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/us-teen-girls-considered-attempting-suicide-2021-cdc/story?id=98901688
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/07/us/politics/pence-trump-2024-announcement.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/05/us/migrants-plane-sacramento-california.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/us/politics/desantis-florida-migrant-flights.html
https://www.businessinsider.com/florida-gop-lawmaker-urges-immigrants-stay-voted-anti-immigration-bill-2023-6
https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/6/6/23751345/tim-scott-view-race-systemic-racism-2024
https://www.vox.com/politics/2023/2/23/23611828/2024-republican-presidential-candidates-trump-christie-burgum
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/793
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-indictment-espionage-prosecution-charges-b2353397.html
https://www.inforum.com/news/north-dakota/doug-burgum-is-mulling-a-run-for-president-could-he-be-a-contender-in-a-party-that-loves-trump
https://www.cnn.com/2023/06/07/media/chris-licht-cnn/index.html
https://newrepublic.com/post/173247/florida-republicans-admit-made-big-mistake-anti-immigrant-law
https://apnews.com/article/migrants-dropped-off-california-texas-florida-2ea4ea9cc6e976e97358c64bcae164f4
https://www.newsweek.com/ron-desantis-approval-rating-2024-polls-1805073
Twitter links:
sahilkapustatus/1666257940922212352
TimothyDSnydestatus/1666480705637851136
maggieNYT/status/1666515440300859392
therecount/status/1663935439873404929
JakeSherman/status/1666570060100427778
nicholaswu12/status/1666557296648900608
BeschlossDC/status/1666542112509231105

All I care about in ray tracing tech is the lighting and shadows it produces. The reflections are cool but certainly hog the most in terms of performance, as is made obvious when going underwater and the water "ceiling" gets reflective, dropping frames like a son-ofa-bitch. Are there any packs that offer just the GI and shadow elements while excluding the reflections?

The title is a quote from one of Dunkey's videos on Overwatch 2, and I think it's the fundamental issue with the balancing style lately. Let me explain.
So, video games like Overwatch are a power fantasy. You play as a superhero or supervillain with a fun (often over-the-top) personality doing crazy shit. A key part of that is that each character should feel powerful. That's something that is accomplished in different ways for different characters. Some examples from Overwatch 1:

• Roadhog could hook players from a respectable distance, and if you got hooked you were utterly fucked. This brought across the attitude of gleeful destruction Hog was supposed to embody.
• A skilled-enough Widow could one-shot characters from the other side of the map. She was truly a cold, emotionless sniper with near-infinite skill.
• Mei could freeze her enemies, leaving them basically helpless. This gave her the ability to control the area around her, knowing that anyone caught in her freeze spray would immediately think "Oh, shit."
• Doomfist could combo his abilities to fly around the map and deal massive damage if he had good enough positioning. He was the embodiment of a powerful martial arts master, evoking the flavor of fighting games amidst the brawling fights of Overwatch.

All of these things have been changed. Hog's one-shot has been removed, Widow's range has been nerfed, Mei's freeze has been removed, and Doom lost both his high damage and one of his movement abilities when he transitioned to tank. All of these were considered necessary balance changes, because the characters were too strong or didn't fit with the design philosophy of Overwatch 2. The problem, though, is that this makes the characters feel weak (and more generic). Winrates, damage numbers, pick percentages...none of these things matter when it isn't fun to play. People like to reminisce about the early days of Overwatch, but there were definitely some characters that were objectively more powerful than others at that time—probably more than today, even. The difference is that everyone was new to the game, so it didn't matter as much whether the heroes were powerful; as long as they felt powerful, people would play them and have a good time.
It's easy to justify these kinds of changes when players complain about oppressive matchups (like Widow being too powerful without a second tank to harass her), because it seems self-evidently better to make a single character worse than to let them make the whole game worse. The problem is, though, there will always be characters that end up being too powerful, players will always complain, and this kind of response will lead to all of the characters gradually being nerfed until they aren't fun to play anymore—and that's what counts. Overwatch was always about the variety of heroes with distinct identities represented by their gameplay, and removing that takes the fun out of playing them. Widow's long-range sniping may be too powerful in the new meta, but without it she's nothing. Roadhog's hook/one-shot combo was problematic with tanks' increased survivability and the lack of a second tank to push him back, but removing it left him simply unfun to play. I think this comic sums it up pretty well.
I do think that it is possible to fix balance issues without making characters feel weak or generic. It takes more than changes to individual characters to do this, though. A lot of the issues being addressed right now are due to the change from 6v6 to 5v5, and the fact that many characters don't work well with this change. Rebalancing the game properly requires a comprehensive rebalance of characters (which really should have happened with the Overwatch 2 update, but oh well). You can curb the issues with overpowered characters by buffing their counters, or by making a whole suite of changes that alter the gameplay style to better accommodate them. (That's basically the opposite of what happened with the 5v5 change, after all.) That takes a lot of work, though, and we all know how Activision-Blizzard feels about paying their developers well enough to actually work on the game. Still, I've spent some time thinking about this lately, and I wanted to post this in response to all the discourse about one-shots and the like. I guess the TL;DR for that is that you're both right. The people who are happy about the nerfs are right, because having certain elements in the game makes it unfun for everyone else. And the people who are upset about the nerfs are right, because what's the fun of playing a character who doesn't feel cool and powerful?
As the game continues to get rebalanced, I would really like to see the "make every character feel powerful" philosophy implemented. A lot of the discussion, both in the community and within developer updates, focuses on which characters are "better" or "worse". I think that if they instead focused on making every character feel fun to play and fun to play against, even though some will inevitably be better or worse, that would really make Overwatch a more enjoyable and exciting game.

(All my stuff is here)
Princess Royal looked at the timetable that the commander had passed on to the ex-rebel Kansen from the office of the Royal Prime Minister. As far as these things went, it wouldn’t be too many more months before the new base in the Western Mediterranean would be brought on line, and they would be leaving Azur Lane’s Pacific HQ for a new assignment involving keeping watch on the Suez Canal and the Dardanelles. She would be glad to shed the maid outfit she had been forced to wear for these months, and, well, there was someone who was also excited.
“Haha, looks like she’s done it- A real base all to ourselves.” Florida smiled as she walked along the edge of a fountain in the main square. “No more hiding in some river junction, lots of actual support this time, and, most importantly of all?” She looked right at Princess Royal with a smile. “All the gorgeous Atlantic Kansen you can look at. They should be calling it a vacation, not a redeployment!”
Princess Royal huffed. “I shouldn’t have to remind you that we’re being sent there to look after two of the world’s most important waterways. There will be little time for the festival of ogling that you will want to enmesh yourself in as soon as you arrive. Even if we’re not covering an ocean, there’s still going to be plenty of work for us to do when we get there and afterwards.”
Florida giggled. “Hey now, don’t rain on my parade. I’d tell you to take that stick out of your ass, but you’re probably too afraid of liking it to put one in there.”
The battlecruiser’s eyebrow twitched. “Would you mind spouting such things in another time and place?”
The battleship put on a sly grin. “Oh, right… You prefer Tiger to do that kind of thing, I guess.”
Princess Royal blushed and gave Florida a furtive, covert nudge, just enough of one to make it look like the dreadnought battleship just naturally lost her balance. Florida toppled back into the water with a splash, and as Princess Royal left, she heard the battleship shout “Joke’s on you, I’m into this!”
Princess Royal sighed a little. Some of these other ships were utterly incorrigible. Were they not taught manners? Did their country even have any to begin with? Did they used to have them and give them up as too much of a bother?
Those would be questions for later as she went to clean up Yuubari’s lab, an assignment that perpetually annoyed her due to the wide variety of… substances… That could end up being spilled there. She was never quite sure what they were even working on in there, and she never really felt compelled to ask, either from within or without.
Once she was inside, she saw that Delaware and Dr. Anzeel were talking with each other.
“I don’t think any of us questioned human genius.” Delaware began. “…However, we did have something to say about how it was applied, especially since humans seemed to think that we inherently owed them something for forcing us into existence.”
Dr. Anzeel nodded. “Well, some might say that what you just said is a fancy way of saying “I didn’t ask to be born!” Or something like that, but you didn’t exactly give us much time to make amends.”
“I think that we believed at the start that giving humans a chance to make amends would mean giving them another chance to betray us.” Delaware looked Dr. Anzeel right in the eyes. “And given what happened to you, I would hope you could understand.”
“Perhaps.” Dr. Anzeel replied, and then smiled. “But here I am, aren’t I? But the fact of the matter is, even if I despised humanity, I still have work to do for my girls. If the Sirens gain full control, humans aren’t the only ones who are going to suffer. After talking to the others, the world the Sirens want is one dominated by a war without end. It’s… The kind of world where Enterprise would suffer most, to say nothing of those other girls who want to enjoy this world that they’ve been born into.”
Princess Royal listened as she continued cleaning up, and Delaware still had more to say. “So you still believe that there is a world worth expending your efforts for?”
“What was done to me and was done to you long ago was done by some people who allowed themselves to be corrupted by power.” She said. “But for most people, and I think most Kansen, the most they want to do is live their lives. Humans want to be able to go to the beach again without worrying about black ships turning up on the horizon, I would say. And I think that you and the others would like to be left alone without thinking that anyone was coming to get you.”
“Perhaps.” She shrugged. “Still, we do have to do our penance, it seems, and thankfully it’s being administered by someone we trust. Besides, our new assignment will leave me with plenty of opportunities to show my own worth. The defenses of the Dardanelles and Suez Canal are atrocious, and since I’ll have a proper lab and proper resources, I’ll make sure that even Poseidon wouldn’t be able to force the straits.”
Dr. Anzeel started putting some of her equipment away. “You sound confident.”
Delaware replied. “It’s the paradox of military matters. You can’t have success without confidence, and you can’t necessarily have confidence without success. Anyway, I’ve got my own work to do, so I will be leaving.”
After Delaware left, Dr. Anzeel took a look at Princess Royal. “Ah, hello there. Sorry I didn’t see you before, I was talking with your colleague.”
Princess Royal hmphed. “I feel like I should be taking umbrage at the implication that I was beneath your notice before I came in to clean. I can only hope there’s nothing too exotic to mop up.”
“Nothing out of the ordinary this time.” She said. “Purifier wasn’t messing with her booster fuel this time, so you don’t have to worry about your water catching on fire.”
“I will believe that this is a distinct possibility.” She said, and got to work. “Doctor, we kansen who followed Erin meant to live free, but became paranoid about losing our liberty to the point where we launched ourselves into battle all the same. But now you say you wish for us to be able to contemplate things other than the battles we were made for?”
“If you would like.” The doctor said. “Has there been something on your mind?”
“Of course, my mind is not empty of musings.” She said. “Rather, it’s about…”
“Princess Royal is always troubled by something.” Said Tiger as she came down into the lab. “Matters great and small, but I think she would be better off if she was willing to accept the kind of relief that others, like me, can give.”
Princess Royal huffed. “Now, what is it that has brought you down here, Tiger? Surely you have some other purpose here than teasing me.”
“Hardly.” She said, giving Princess Royal a hug from behind, causing the other battlecruiser to squirm indignantly. “I just haven’t seen you all day. Or really much of yesterday either, and I was wondering if something had befallen you. Especially since you know that you can just leave it to me to make everything feel good again.”
The Royal battlecruiser pouted as she was released by her larger companion, and sighed. “Do not think I am unaware of your potential methods, but for now I am busy. I have no doubt we will run into each other when the day is done- you seem to have a knack for popping into my life.”
“Of course~” She also took a look at Dr. Anzeel. “And there’s our lovely doctor, too. But I suppose I’ll just leave the two of you to talk for now- I was just making sure our princess hadn’t managed to over-grump herself and pull something.”
And then Tiger left without a care in the world.
Dr. Anzeel talked immediately. “I haven’t known her for long, but would you say that she’s always like this?”
Princess Royal sighed. “Well, if it’s something you must know, she is, indeed, like this most of the time. She can’t help teasing others with her words and body, and she is utterly relentless about it. It’s almost mystifying that there can be one so openly lascivious in our Royal Navy. Duke of York excepted, naturally.”
Dr. Anzeel held her tongue. Though she hadn’t met Implacable personally, she had heard some stories. “It is surprising, I must admit. The most you usually get from a royal is some kind of playful teasing, as I’ve seen it. I can see why it exasperates you.”
Princess Royal hmphed. “I’m only deigning to speak to you on this matter because, among all of the humans here, you are the one who most knows what it’s like to be very suddenly betrayed, so we have some small measure of common ground. Frankly, I am confused as to why you even shoes to work for this commander in the first place.”
“Considering that I was taken away from Enterprise and the others by the military, yes, I don’t have any love for soldiers. I still don’t, in fact. The commander has made some promises, of course, but it won’t be until the end of the war that they’re fulfilled or not.” She finished putting away some lab instruments. “However, the commander lets me be with my girls without any restrictions or conditions, plus he gave me the choice in the first place. Even if I don’t completely trust him yet, I don’t fully believe he’ll disappoint me either.” She smiled. “I guess you could say I’m helping him win because I’m interested in seeing his true colors.”
Princess Royal threw up her hands. “I guess that’s how it’s going to be, then. I shall not witness it, however, as it seems that in a few months at most I and the rest of our band are being shipped off to the Mediterranean to overlook the Dardanelles and Suez and provide some sort of extra comfort to the people of the Hellenic Republic by our presence. I haven’t the slightest idea what we might actually do other than sunbathe and listen to the seabirds, but Iron Duke seems to see it as important.”
“It’s better than being a prisoner, though, isn’t it?”
“Infinitely.” Princess Royal said. “…But now I shall have to continue to work with that enthusiastic strumpet at all times and at all places. While normally I would relish showing humans what it truly means to master the waves, I have also been given time to contemplate things, and I have certain feelings that I find difficult to admit, but I feel as though I will burst if I do not.”
Dr. Anzeel started some coffee. “It has something to do with Tiger, doesn’t it?”
Princess Royal put on a blush. “What it’s about has nothing to do with you, all that matters is that there is a matter in the first place.”
“I see.” She said. “…You know, your highness, I never had the chance to say goodbye to Enterprise or the others before they took me away, so if there’s something you want to clear up, the best time is always now. And if you can’t do it now, you should do it as quickly as you can.”
“I do have some more cleaning to do.” She went on. “First here, and then in that commander’s house. It seems odd, but I guess I shall have to set some time in order to clear the air, won’t I?”
“You know, you could just tell me that this is about Tiger.” She said.
“Urgh.” Went Princess Royal. “Fine, it has to do with Tiger. I’ve been playing too nice with her, and I believe it’s long past time for me to tell her exactly what I think of her and her various and persistent provocations. It’s not something I mean to put off any longer- By this evening at the latest she shall know exactly what is on my mind and she’s going to have to deal with it.”
Dr. Anzeel nodded. “Sounds like she’s in for a surprise.” Dr. Anzeel began pouring a cup for herself. “Want some coffee?”
Princess Royal paused. “Though I won’t go so far as to curse it as “bitter bean broth” like Settsu does, I am, and shall always remain, entirely a tea person.”
Dr. Anzeel smiled. “Can’t say I didn’t ask.”
-----------
Princess Royal decided that the best way to tell Tiger what she had in mind was to be somewhere that no one could hear them, at a time when most people decided to mind their own business. She ask one particular lavender-haired Royal destroyer what the best place to tell someone something personal and private was, and she got the response of “Under a legendary tree, or on a rooftop.”
And since she didn’t know of any legendary trees on the premises, she opted for the rooftop of the guest housing. She stood there, finishing up at least two cups of tea as she waited for Tiger to show herself.
It was right after Tiger arrived that she spoke first. “Ooooh, I guess you have something special to tell me this time.”
Princess Royal stopped dead in her tracks. “How would you figure such a thing?”
“Easy enough, I would say.” She said. “You don’t often go out of your way to pay me a social call- most of the time we just seem to end up together by some circumstance or another, each and every time. Not that I mind, of course. I’ve never minded having you around to play with~”
“And that is precisely the thing that the two of us need to talk about this very instant. After all, news has come to me that we’re going to be having a proper base of our own not long from now in military terms, so I thought it would be the right and proper time to clear the air before we have to start working together in real earnest.” She stood up straight. “Miss Tiger, I am going to be complete with you this instant so that there is not even the slightest bit of confusion later on.”
Tiger put on a wide smile, her orange eyes seeming to brighten. “Oh? Well, let’s just hear it. After all, I’m the only one here, so your little secrets are safe with me~”
Princess Royal huffed. “Miss Tiger, you, and I mean this completely, are an uncouth harlot who can hardly open your mouth without letting loose a tide of unrestrained innuendo. Half of your speech and mannerisms seem to be guided by the thirsts of your impossibly needy loins at all times on all days, and it is only by some great providence or miracle that you have not yet driven me insensible.” Princess Royal turned her head to the side. “…However, at the same time, I also wish to kiss you.”
This was the first time that Tiger seemed even slightly taken aback by something she said, but Tiger regained her smile quickly enough. The battlecruiser had a small chuckle. “Oh ho? Now, this is quite a development. Go on, though you probably meant to.”
Princess Royal pouted. “…As maddening as you are, I have also contemplated what it might be like if you were gone, for one reason or another, and as much there are times when you make me wish to shout or make some other indication of my displeasure. I do not believe that I would be well if you were to be out of my life. Everything would feel wrong and bland if you were to be forever absent, and since it seems I cannot do without you…” She looked Tiger right in the eyes. “…The least I can do is be with you for as long as this all lasts.”
There was a moment of silence, and then Tiger said something. “Those are a bunch of pretty words, well suited to coming from a pretty mouth. But… I wonder what you plan to actually do, hm?”
Princess Royal blushed a little. “Now, what do you mean?”
“Poetry is just vanity on its own, darling~” She began. “You can talk and talk all you like, but…” The battlecruiser walked towards Princess Royal with a sway of her hips. “But you’ve known me for some time when we’ve both been like this, and I want to know if you’re willing to say with your hands what you’ll say with your words. Both of us are deathly tired of speeches…” She put her hand under Princess Royal’s chin and tilted her head up slightly. “…I love that you never do things by half-measures, but if you want to have me, then you can’t merely tell me, you’ll have to take me. So, Princess Royal, will you do this, or suddenly become shy and retire at the last and crucial moment? Show me~”
Princess Royal shuddered as she was forced to look right into Tiger’s enchanting orange eyes. The tall, buxom beauty was a physical marvel- Princess Royal had to admit that to herself. But she was being given a chance to finally have one over on the woman, so she took it. She seized Tiger by her coat and tugged her forward, planting her own lips on the battlecruiser’s, and not just for something quick- she was in it for the duration to kiss Tiger as long as she could stand.
As it turned out, Tiger could stand quite a bit, and it was a long time until the pair separated.
After they separated, Tiger touched her forehead to Princess Royal’s, and put her arms around the shorter girl’s shoulders. “Heh… Of all the cute girls I could find, I found the one who just finds it so hard to say “I love you”. Well, we’ll just have to fix that, won’t we?”
Princess Royal blushed and pouted. “Hmph. All I can really hope is that some good behavior might rub off on you over time.”
Tiger chuckled. “Darling… That’s going to take a whole lot of rubbing. And what if I don’t change the way you want me to, hm? What will you do then, if this Tiger doesn’t change her stripes.”
Princess Royal’s pout disappeared, but her blush stayed. “…I wouldn’t recognize you if you were too different, and I believe the Tiger I feel this way about is the one right in front of me. If it is so beyond you to change, then don’t. This is how I will have you, whether you make yourself a little more presentable or not.”
The voluptuous battlecruiser giggled. “…Well, why don’t we stay overnight to see how we get along in private. My bed always has room for two~”
Princess Royal’s pout returned. “Only if you find it in yourself to not hog the covers.”
“Hehe, All right~”
-------------
Dido was anxious. The commander had sent her to find out why Princess Royal and Tiger were late to their cleaning duties, and so she had to navigate the supervised guest housing where the formerly rebel kansen were being kept until it was time to send them on their way.
Dido hurried along the corridors, stepping lightly to make sure that she didn’t wake up anyone who was still asleep- Agincourt could get pretty testy about that sort of thing. She knocked on what should have been Princess Royal’s room. She then nervously dared to knock again.
So much for that.
She then worked up the nerve to walk over to Tiger’s room. While she wasn’t as liable to complain about being woken up as Princess Royal, Tiger made her quiver for different reasons. Her heart briefly felt like it jumped into her throat before she knocked on the door.
“Oh… who has come calling on this good morning?” There was Tiger’s unmistakable voice.
“Um, it’s me, Dido, and the master was wondering why you’re late today…. May I come in?”
Tiger spoke up. “Why, you certainly can, darling~”
“She most certainly can not!” There was Princess Royal’s voice. “I’m indecent!”
Tiger giggled. “No, I’m indecent, you are merely unclothed.”
Dido tapped the door again. “So…”
Tiger spoke up. “All right, just wait five minutes for her highness to make herself presentable.”
Dido did what she was told.
After a few minutes, there was the sound of a click, accompanied by Tiger’s sultry voice. “Come on in~”
Dido blushed as she stepped in.
Tiger was cooking a full breakfast, only she was dressed in a translucent, flame-orange nightgown that allowed Dido to see the racy black underwear that was tasked with handling the battlecruiser’s abundant figure. Dido peeked over to the bedroom to see Princess Royal sitting in bed, with her usual level of grumpiness and wearing a set of elaborate red pajamas.
Dido blushed “O-Oh… You two had… A special moment…”
Tiger smiled. “You see, it’s not a problem. When outside of battle, this girl is a harmless kitten.” As if to emphasize that, Tiger began stroking the top of Dido’s head.
The maid blushed immediately. “Uwaaa…”
Princess Royal sighed. “Be that as it may, I hope you may find some diplomatic way to inform the commander of our tardiness. You are not to say you found us together in the altogether, or some other such scandalous thing.”
Dido gave a dutiful nod. “Ah… Yes…” She looked at Tiger and everything going on in the kitchen. “Is there anything I can help you with while I’m here? It’ll help you get ready faster, I think.”
Tiger shook her head. “I’m fine here, but I think our princess could stand being spoiled by a cute maid. Why don’t you go wait on her hand and foot until breakfast is ready.” She chuckled. “And besides, the faster you help us get ready, the sooner you’ll get to be in charge of us~”
Princess Royal crossed her arms. “I don’t know how much of an incentive that is. You know how domineering she isn’t.”
Tiger went back to breakfast. “Oh, she’s quite good at taking charge, under the right circumstances.”
Dido squeaked and went over to Princess Royal. “Do you need anything?”
Princess Royal looked up for a moment. “…I think I would like you to at least do my braid. I don’t need to explain how it works or looks, nor should I have to. I am sure that you’re observant.”
Dido sat down on the bed, and took Princess Royal’s hair into her nimble hands, and immediately got to work. The battlecruiser closed her eyes as she was taken care of, and Dido could tell that Princess Royal was in a state where she was feeling that something was right with the world. Responding to this, she took the time to get it just right. “I know it may be beyond me to ask, but I guess you will stop fighting as much?”
Tiger chuckled. “Oh, dear… It was never anything for you to worry about, and probably even less so now. You can just say that we decided to be honest with each other and came to an understanding.”
Princess Royal blushed a little at that. “Please don’t try to have that sort of way with words. The maid is already as red as she can manage.”
Dido did indeed blush, and did want to bury her face in Princess Royal’s hair. “W-Well, I’m sure the commander would be happy to know that but… Ah… I guess you’re not telling him the details.”
Tiger came in with breakfast, walking into the bedroom with a sway to her hips. “Of course- That’ll be our little secret between the two of us. Of course, if you’d like to join in and learn about that yourself…”
Princess Royal flushed completely red. “T-Tiger! Not in front of the help!” She huffed. “It’s obvious that last night wasn’t enough, and that you need some further action.”
Tiger chuckled, and set out breakfast. She had always teased Princess Royal, and she had always responded- But now Princess Royal was truly hers to tease, and Princess Royal was able to properly express herself- even if it was behind closed doors.

I forwarded this message to my residents but I figured it’d be pretty helpful to share to others! Let me know if you have any questions about move out and I’ll try to get back faster than housing.
1) MOST IMPORTANT: YOU MUST BE GONE BY SATURDAY, JUNE 17TH @ 12PM (unless you are doing the STAR scholars program, or have a summer housing assignment)

• This does not mean you are turning in your keys and checking out at 11:59. This does not mean you are still packing your boxes and loading them into your car at 11:59. This means everything should be done - your presence is not traceable in the dorm when the clock hits 12:00 noon.
  
• My advice: leave as soon as your finals are done to avoid the last-minute rush on Saturday. For my procrastinators, pretend the deadline to be moved out (as in packed up, left the building) is 10:30 instead of 12. If you want to avoid Saturday traffic, pack everything up Friday night and leave before 8am on Saturday morning.
  
• For my international students: unless you have had prior accomodations made, this includes you too. Drexel does not make special exceptions if your flight leaves late on Saturday or Sunday, especially this late in the game. Our recommendation is to get a hotel room or stay with a friend if you need to stay somewhere after 12PM Saturday.
  

2) BEGIN PACKING NOW! You can dedicate 10-20 minutes every day starting now beginning to break your room down and pack. I would start taking any wall decogeneral decor down THIS WEEKEND and packing your non-essential items. - I’ve seen way too many people stay overtime and get fined because they underestimated how much shit they have. Do not be that guy.
3) UTILIZE TOO GOOD TO GO! Too Good to Go is a program taking place in every residence hall. You can leave any approved items (clothes, bedding, household goods, appliances) behind, and take what you want! Anything left behind will get donated. It's a great way to free yourself of any items you can't take back home with you.
Some FAQ:
Q: What happens if I am here past 12PM on Saturday?
A: You will be fined. I am not certain what the cost is, but I heard some students who stayed late saturday/into sunday that got fined in the range of $400-600
Q: Why are you so strict about move out?
A: Drexel hosts conferences and programs in the residence halls over the summer. Once students move out, work begins to move new students in for summer term. You staying behind in the dorms holds this process back (think of a dorm as a giant, long-stay hotel)
Q: I'm in STAR Scholars/have a summer housing assignment. What do I do?
A: You should have recieved separate communication about your housing assignment. Your move out will likely be extended to Sunday if you are a STAR Scholar. Still pack diligently.
Q: Is there anything I should communicate to my parents?
A: Those "No Stopping" parking spots around the dorm are meant for parents to help with move out, so they can park there to assist with move out. Just no long-term parking, so don't park there and grab dinner. Also, don't be an asshole to desk staff :) Parents - come early, especially if you plan to move out Saturday or Friday Afternoon.
Q: I need to store stuff over the Summer. Where do I go?
A: Just google "Drexel Summer Storage" and a ton of options pop up. Maybe this site? https://storagesquad.com/schools/drexel-university-storage/
Q: I encountered an emergency and I need to stay in the dorm longer than my assigned time. Who do I contact?
A: Tell your RA and/or email [email protected] - there isn't likely much they can do, but it's worth a shot.
Some Move Out Etiquette - don’t hog the move out carts - get any shit from the communal kitchen/communal area and take it - don’t leave trash in the halls, either put anything good in the too good to go area or put it in the trash. - check out with the front desk when you leave
Hope this helped anyone stressing about move out, lmk if you have any questions :)

Chapter One
Chapter Seventeen
Martinez slouched his way into the kitchen. He wasn’t really paying attention to his surroundings; in his defense it was early in the morning and he’d failed at getting some appropriate shut-eye before he went and, you know, bared his entire soul to Chao. At least that was his plan. But as usual, the universe laughs at plans.
He placed a sealed plastic package into the coffee machine, then put a styrofoam cup in the appropriate location. He yawned as the machine began its burbling.
“Hey.”
Martinez snapped his head over at McCoy, who’d suddenly appeared out of nowhere. She leaned against the counter, with a big and very evil grin on her face.
“Um…” began Martinez, before he was interrupted by a voice from his other side.
“Hey.” Matt leaned there, and if McCoy looked evil then Matt looked positively diabolical. Martinez glanced behind him and saw more soldiers, all with looks of ill intent on their faces.
The corporal didn’t waste time in asking what the hell they were up to, he just started throwing hands and feet. Future scholars would count the resulting battle as one for the ages; Martinez even managed to tag Toke with a couple of pretty good punches and one really sweet roundhouse kick.
But in the end, it was still a case of one against many.
__________
“Mmmm mm mmm m mmm!” protested Martinez.
Chao sighed as she beheld his bruised and very taped-up state. “What did those idiots do to you?”
“Mm MMM mmm mm!” The corporal’s mouth was now duct-taped shut, so verbal acuity was not amongst his strong suits at the present.
She put her hands on her hips. “For crying out loud. Matt goes and gets me all worried that you’re somehow in trouble, he leads me over to some random closet and shoves me in here and I find you like this. What’s the game?”
“Gmmmm?”
Chao squatted, examining his bonds. “Well, they sure got you trussed up like a roast for the feast. Hey, if you want me to pull the tape off of your mouth just nod.”
After a moment, Martinez nodded. She reached for the tape covering his mouth, then hesitated. “Um. I don’t have much experience with this so I’ll leave it up to you. Is it better to go fast or slow? Blink once for fast, two for slow.”
With deliberation, Martinez blinked once. Chao nodded and yanked the tape off. They’d even left a convenient tab for her to grab ahold of.
“FUCKING OW!” yelled the corporal. “Um, sorry.”
Chao seated herself before his figure, which was tied up in a fetal position. “You know, the last few weeks have given me a bit of a crash-course on the types of grab-ass shenanigans you soldier types get up to. This is a new one, though. Care to educate me?”
Martinez stared at her in horrified disbelief. “Toke didn’t tell you?”
“Tell me what? He just said you were in trouble and that I needed to help out.”
“That…that evil, evil son of a bitch. He said he’d explain everything!”
“Explain what? Luca, I am just about ready to walk out and leave you in here to eventually soil yourself.”
Now that he was literally hog-tied and unable to escape, Martinez realized he had to ‘fess up. “I like you,” he said in an almost-gasp. “I mean, I like you like you. In that way. I mean, I know it’s sudden. We’ve only known each other for maybe four weeks but you’re so smart and pretty and…and, you know about Asimov and Heinlein and Clarke and about orbital mechanics and star spectra.”
She sat in stunned silence while he continued. “I don’t bring much to the table, I get that. But I want to learn. After we come back from the Rithro’s repair mission, I want to go to college…I’ve started looking into that. I’m not much of a catch right now, but maybe one day you’d consider liking me that way as well…”
He was interrupted as she leaned down, grabbed his head, and planted a firm kiss upon his lips. After a moment of pure bliss for both of them, she pulled away. “You utter and complete idiot,” she said, but she said it with a smile. “Did you never think that perhaps you have some attractive qualities of your own?”
Martinez tried to shrug as best he could, being all tied up. “I mean, Toke did mention that I have some pretty nice abs?”
Chao’s eyes glinted in good humor. “Pretty nice? You’ve got an eight-pack. I could shred cheese on those bad boys.”
He looked up at her. “Wait. When did you see my abs?”
“Back when we were sequestered within Cheyenne Mountain, and we were strictly on sponge baths.” She patted his taut stomach, feeling up those aforementioned abs. “Anyways, do you want me to get you out of these bonds?”
“Um…”
Her good humor turned into a diabolical grin. “Or, would you like to remain in these bonds? Toke said something about a safe-word and safe-gesture, he said you’d explain it.”
“Of course he did. That fucker. Um. Chao, this has gone better than I could ever have imagined but I don’t think you need to know…”
“Know about what?” Her caressing of his unprotected stomach did not cease. “Does my corporal have a bit of a fetish?”
His brain seized up again at her emphasis on ‘my’. “I…”
“Let me put it this way. Would you like me to be all mean and nasty, or more cuddly and dommy mommy?”
After a long, long moment of silence he finally murmured, “Dommy mommy.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard. Well, admitting it wasn’t hard.” Her hand continued its explorations. “Now this here is indeed quite hard. Hmm. Good thing you are just too cute for words.”
“Cute?” He looked in disbelief at her, and then flinched at her continued caressing.
“One can be a badass and also cute, my dear corporal. You tick both boxes. Not to mention you’re into a fetish which I’ve wanted to indulge in for a while. Never found anyone who was into it, until now.”
Outside the closet, McCoy stood guard. She smiled in triumph as she heard Martinez yell out in pleasure, and turned to give Toke a thumbs-up.
“It’s about fuckin’ time,” she said.
Matt smiled back at her. He now sported an epic shiner under one eye. “Eh, some kids just need a bit of a nudge, you know?”
__________
It was…it was a wall. A wall he was looking at.
A wall covered in white stucco. Nothing too fancy, but it was indeed a wall and Joachim realized he was looking at it. That might seem like a substandard feat, but for a man who’d been in Joachim’s proverbial shoes it was a grand accomplishment.
His mouth worked as he swished his tongue around in his mouth. He looked around. He sat in a lawn chair in the middle of a beige room, lined on every wall with the stucco he’d just realized he was looking at. “H…hello?”
His voice felt old and clotted. Joachim looked down at his hand, and he saw wrinkled skin and age spots that he didn’t remember seeing there before.
This room only had one exit door, and now it opened. A lean man with dark skin entered. “Joachim Neimyer? I’m Zawahir Ibn Harith. How are you feeling, sir?”
Joachim fixed the newcomer with a steady eye. “I’ll be feeling better once I know where I am. And where is Corina?”
“Corina is on her way, she should be here within minutes. We had great hopes that your treatment was progressing well. Do you know what day it is, sir?”
“Of course I know what day it is! It’s…” Joachim trailed off as he realized that he didn’t know. The last few…years? Decades? He had glimpses of moments in time, as if viewed via a strobe-light. He now realized it was much, much later in time than he thought. “I…what happened?”
“Alzheimer’s, Mr. Neimeyer.” Zawahir’s eyes were kind. “You’ve been suffering from it for the last seven years. But we discovered…or, I should say, we adopted a methodology for treating it. It not only stops the damage, it has a way of reversing at least some of its effects. I fear you will never regain the memories from the time during which you suffered the most, but from now on your mind should function properly once more.”
Joachim rubbed his now-bald pate. “Is Corina all right?”
Zawahir pulled over a chair next to him and seated himself. “She is, blessedly, un-marked by the same affliction. We are, of course, putting her on a similar treatment as yourself just to make sure she remains so. With her consent, of course.”
The old man fixed Zawahir with a direct stare. “This whole thing smells experimental. Why choose me?”
“Mmm, you are as sharp as ever, sir. This is indeed an experiment, and we chose you because you are one of the preeminent rocket experts who ever lived. We need such skills now.”
“What?”
Zawahir leaned forward. “I will do my best to catch you up…”
__________
She walked through the door, supported by a cane. The one person, the beacon in Joachim’s life. Corina lit up upon seeing his gaze. A gaze with intent, with purpose. “They said you were feeling better!”
Before he or the surrounding interns could react, Joachim now found himself with a hundred-ish pounds of enthusiastic elderly woman in his lap.
“Tell me something only you know,” she whispered.
Joachim smiled. “Do you remember what I told you when we saw the green flash? That one time, in Hawaii? During our honeymoon?”
“I do. You said that the flash was the souls of those who’ve gone before.”
“And I promised you that, if I passed before you, that you would just need to look for the flash to see me.”
She clasped his wrinkled face in her own equally-lined hands. “You did better than that. You came back to me.”
“I guess I did.” He kissed her, reveling in the fact that this time he’d remember it.
Zawahir motioned to everyone else in the room. They all quickly got the hint and left the pair to their mutual happiness.
__________
The door of the simulator cracked open and Kifa came scuttling out. She peered up at the normally stony face of Master Sergeant Wilkes; right now the latter looked like he’d just been kicked in the chest by a donkey and was still trying to process it. “How did I do?” asked the xyrax. “It seems like I did quite well.”
“Um…Kifa. Well. Um. Did the controls seem to operate right?”
“Oh, yes! Very much, quite intuitive! It’s been ages since I simulated combat within an atmosphere! That was fun!”
“Fun. You do realize that you were going up against aces. I mean real, human aces?”
“Oh. I thought that was the case.” Kifa peered back into the simulator. “Was I not supposed to know that?”
Wilkes finally laughed, something that was fortunately captured by several cameras and used as blackmail material for many years after. “You did fine. You also just utterly smoked several of the finest pilots on Earth, and that includes non-Americans.” He regarded her with a steady gaze. “I wish I could recruit you to TOPGUN, I’d love to see you show those strutting peacocks a thing or two.”
“What is TOPGUN?”
He sighed. “Right now, it’s in the same exact department as buggy-whip manufacturing. You just showed these punks that, even in atmosphere, you’re death from above.”
Kifa seemed to shrink into themselves. “I didn’t mean to…”
“Now, now, Kifa, this is a good thing. Gotta keep those aforementioned strutting peacocks on their toes. But soon we’ll be dealing with fighting using orbital mechanics, something with which our air-combat people have about as much actual experience as they do with chatting up the fairer sex.”
“Which fairer sex? I mean, my kind is hermaphroditic so I know the mechanics but…” Kifa trailed off as it blinked its four big, oil-drop eyes.
“You are too damned cute for your own good. Pick a sex, any one, I for one do not give a fuck anymore. Point being, we humans need a crash-course in how to fight in space. No atmo, so trying to maneuver using flaps and wings and things is right out. We need to understand how orbits work. Not just intellectually, but in our bones.” Wilkes patted the simulator. “We need you to teach us. We need you to teach an army. Well, navy. Technically. I guess it would count as a navy. Either way. You know how to do this shit, and you just proved that even in atmosphere you can run rings around our best and brightest. So. Are you willing to show us your voodoo?”
“My voodoo…” The blue-furred spider suddenly rose on all of its legs. “Of course! This will be used against the Breakers, yes?”
“Of course.”
“Then it will be my greatest pleasure to show you all of my voodoo!” Kifa paused. “Although, if I received a headpat or two it would also help me properly consider how best to teach you.”
Sergeant Wilkes sighed and reached down. Kifa purred in delight as the usually-taciturn sergeant unleashed the full might and power of Human Headpats upon the alien pilot.
__________
Sadaf watched as the two dark-haired women and one blonde-haired woman had a black-and-white cap fitted over their heads. Both had received a haircut for this day; Parvati for one seemed to be less than thrilled about losing some of her tresses.
“This is the snoopy-cap,” said the aide who stood between the two women. The surroundings were sterile and very, very white. “This cap contains your communications, and it will keep your hair in place during launch.” This was the actual process getting shown to the world. Behind them, Ravindar and Martinez were also in the process of getting suited up, but this was done with much less fanfare. The aide’s words carried to them all, of course.
“Arms up!” Everyone going into space today raised their arms, and a large tubby-looking upper suit then slid down over five figures. Many human hands made sure that their heads made it through the upper ring. “This is the upper part of your pressure suit,” said the aide. “The gloves and helmet will complete that part, but that will come later. Now I will need you all to step into your pants…”
Everyone did so; Chao was the one who didn’t quite make it look elegant. She grinned at Martinez as she fumbled for a bit getting her pressure-suit trousers on; his resulting blush was caught for the cameras but it wasn’t until a week later that someone realized what it meant.
“Latch!” The aide’s voice was hard as metal.
Many hands reached out, twisting multiple metal rings to lock the upper and lower halves of the four pressure suits into one cohesive piece.
“I still say we could make them some proper hardsuits,” said Sadaf to Takh. The two stood off to the side, not exactly part of the dance but not apart from it either.
“No, I think this is better,” said Takh. “We need to make this look more like a…human effort.” Her XO stood at parade-rest, with both sets of arms clasped behind his back.
Sadaf nodded. “I will default to your judgement. By the way…how are you and Corporal McCoy getting along?” She nodded towards the last-minute addition to the crew.
“Um…Ma’am, I…” His faltering was not helped by watching the humans in the clean-room getting clear helmets fixed over their heads. Each latching was followed-up by a tap on the shoulder and a thumbs-up.
The big human, Ravindar, waved his arms over his shoulders as he got the feel for the suit. He’d managed to get the helmet on without an issue, in spite of his substantial beard. “Need more air?” asked a much smaller woman at his side. He shook his head, while he continued to flex and get comfortable with how the suit restricted his motions.
Getting the Sikh to this moment had been a master-class in diplomacy. Not least of which was because he still carried a weapon upon his person. Sadaf had no experience with ‘Sikhism’, but she could appreciate any culture or creed which dictated the need to carry a protective weapon at all times. It appealed to her nature.
“Do you think Parvati knows that he’s, well, into her?” asked Takh.
His captain’s voice became damn near sultry. “Now Takh, and here I thought you were all clueless. I’ve heard of the effort these humans went through to get Chao and Luca together. Would you like me to ask them to perform a similar effort for you and Corporal McCoy? Hmmm? It would make for quite the photo-op, as the humans would say.”
Takh felt a bit of panic, somehow. “No!” His panicked reply was low, hopefully not picked up by the surrounding cameras. “I mean, she’s so small. I could hurt her…assuming she wants to be romantic, of course.”
“Romantic? Takh, I admit I am still learning about human body language but trust me…if you want that, she wants that.” She pondered the humans in the room still going through some last-minute checks of their pressure suits. “Let’s put it this way. If you don’t make a move, then I just might ask Dhuz if it’s okay to add a human to our harem when we get back.”
“What?”
“I have learned quite the delightful human phrase. It is, as they say, Time To Nut Up Or Shut Up. I do find McCoy really cute, after all. As do you.”
Her XO grumbled semi-silently for a bit. “Fair enough, Captain. I’ll ask her. While we’re out there.”
“Good.” The humans in the clean room were now about finished with their checks, and Sadaf felt a bit of a thrill. She was, after all, witness to a species taking their first steps into a larger universe.
Five hoses were now shoved into five chest-mounted receptacles, each hose leading to its own hand-held air-conditioning unit. Another complicated round of checks, slaps, and thumbs-ups then followed.
“They do know that we’re just going to walk beside them right into the landing boat, right?” asked Takh. “This whole process isn’t really necessary.”
“Let them have this moment,” said Sadaf with a gentle smile. “They’re having fun.”
__________
The five white-suited individuals emerged from the hallway to pretty much universal uproar, both in person and online. The suit color was all NASA, but the logos were not. All four wore the emblem of the United Nations at their shoulder, a pair of olive branches surrounding a polar view of the world. The four humans all did their bit and waved for the cameras. Those in charge of the cameras did as instructed, and ignored the two black-and-sliver figures behind the quartet. The latter weren’t wearing any sort of pressure suit.
In the middle of the courtyard hovered the real talking piece, a landing boat from the Rithro. Its entry door was already lowered, and with another wave to the cameras from each of the five humans, they walked up the ramp and into the craft.
The five of them then looked at each other as the door began to close behind them. They’d trained together for a bit, enough to get a feel for each other. But now there was a real sense among them of holy shit what now?
Their mutual what-nows were interrupted as Tofa appeared. The arachnoid alien held a tray in one pedipalp, and upon that tray sat a little dish of what looked like Brazil nuts.
“Greetings!” chirped Tofa. “Welcome to Rithro Air, I assure you we have an excellent safety reputation. Well, almost excellent, if you don’t count the affair around Barnard’s Star. You may now take off your pressure suits. May I interest you in a nut?”
The four humans (and a few of the aliens) flinched as Ravindar let loose with a hearty belly-laugh. He reached up to undo his helmet while he beamed a brilliant white smile at their greeter. “You? I like you. We’re going to be fast friends.” He reached down to pluck a nut from the tray. “Madame? Do you want to take the first nut? Or should I taste it first?”
“Um…” For once, Parvati looked uncertain within her glass-and-cloth cocoon. “If you wish to taste, then please go ahead.”
“As you wish.” Ravindar held her eyes as he bit into the proffered nut. “It seems to be all right,” he pronounced.
After the great ceremony with which they’d been ensconced into their pressure suits, the humans then with reluctance emerged from their cocoons.
“We set up some chairs for everyone!” exclaimed Tofa, who gestured to the sides of the landing craft.
“Um, where do we put all of this?” asked Martinez as he held up a pressure-suit gauntlet.
The alien spider blinked. “Oh, right! Kexal, would you mind helping our guests stow their material?”
__________
The conference room at ULA now looked out over an even-greater bustle of activity. They were determined to at least match SpaceX in terms of tonnage-to-orbit; maybe they’d do so more efficiently? The mere notion had set a fire under everyone.
Joachim sat in a wheelchair while he studied those in front of him. “Ladies and gentlemen. I have, through some strange technological miracle, been re-granted the use of my mind. Not only that; they tell me that I and my wife might, if certain tests go well…we could become that which we once were. I intend to make sure that this gift does not go to waste. Not for me, nor for my wife, nor for the rest of humanity. Anyways. We have some aliens who need our help, we have some psychotic robot idiots who are fucking things up for everyone, and we need to get some serious tonnage into orbit as a result. Is that about the shape of things?”
“That’s pretty much the shape of it, sir,” said Dwight.
Joachim pointed a wrinkled finger at the speaker. “You. I’ve been caught up enough that I know you were the one to advocate for the use of Sea Dragon.”
“Just as a Hail Mary,” Dwight protested.
Clara cleared her throat. “I mean, I understand the enthusiasm but nobody has ever fired a pressure-fed engine that big. A single engine, mind you.”
Joachim rubbed his chin. “I understand your concern. But also keep in mind, this is a pintle injector, not a shower-head like they had on the F-1s on the Saturn-Five’s first stage. Pintle injectors were classified at the time. That’s a pity, because pintle injectors are safe as houses.”
Clara looked over at him. “Really?”
“Oh yeah, they’re pretty much bomb-proof.”
The team regarded the design now up on the screen. Clara was the first to speak their mutual thought. “Could…could we make this work?”
Joachim’s exclamation brought them all up short. “Of COURSE we can!” He thumped his cane into the floor for added emphasis. “Gentlemen…and ladies, please forgive me Clara…not one month ago I was a drooling wreck of a human. Today I come before you with my mind re-borne and in full function. I intend to make full use of that function. As does my wife, God bless her. We are going to set an example.”
Joachim stood, levering himself upright via his cane. “Here I stand,” he said. “Like Martin Luther before me, I can do no other.”
After a moment, everybody else in the conference room stood as well.
“Welp, we’re all standing,” said Dwight. “Okay, so what do we do now?”
Joachim pointed his cane at the screen. “Now, my dear Dwight, we Build. That. Fucking. Thing. We’re gonna show these Coalition assholes how we humans put some serious fucking tonnage into orbit.”
“Fuck yeah,” said Clara, as an unholy light came into her eyes.
“Fuck yes indeed,” replied Joachim. “The question now is, what do we put into it?”
The other people in the room looked at each other, just before bursting out into exclamations as to what they wanted put into that first launch. It was the sound of people on an expense account to beat the band.

Discord Usernames Update FAQ

How do I get the update:

When you get the update depends on a couple of factors. The first is account age, and the second is a Nitro/Nitro Classic subscription (I'll get into the Nitro details later).

Why do I see people whose accounts are much younger than mine getting the update?

There are certain people who have been given early access, these include:
• Discord staff members
• Owners of verified servers
• Owners of partnered servers
• Owners of highly monetized servers (via. subscriptions)
• A few mod academy alumni (they received it by mistake)

This person got the update early, but they don't have a badge!

• Staff Badge - Discord staff members have the option to disable the badge.
• "Previously known as" Badge - Users have the option to disable the badge.
• Verified server owners do not have a badge.
• Owners of highly monetized servers do not have a badge.
Additionally, when viewing somebody's profile through a friend request, you cannot see their badges.

Who has public access to the update already?

As of June 9, 18:00 EDT, 8 waves access to the new username update.
These waves consists of:
• ALL NITRO USERS
• Non-Nitro users up to February 2017 (only some)

A user is considered a nitro user if:

They have been actively subscribed to Nitro or Nitro Classic plan since before March 1, 2023. Or, they were on a Nitro or Nitro Classic (not including Nitro Basic) plan on March 1, 2023, and remained active on either of those plans throughout the months leading to the new username rollout.
Note: You are eligible if you had Nitro/Nitro Classic on March 1, 2023. But then either cancelled or switched to Basic. As long as before your wave rolls out, you are back on Nitro/Nitro Classic.
Note: You need to be current Nitro subscriber paying for the ability to customize your discriminator that were registered on or before March 1, 2023. Trials do not count.

What does being considered a Nitro user actually do?

Being considered a Nitro user boosts you in the queue for the update, right now it seems that for each wave 8 months are added for Nitro users, while only 2 are added for Non-Nitro users.

How will I know when I get the update?

You will be notified in-client with a large pop-up. You won't miss it.

Why would Discord make this change?

Discord staff decided to implement this change because they "wanted to make it easier for you to identify and add your friends while preserving your ability to use your preferred name across Discord."

Isn't it "pay to win" that Nitro users get the ability to choose their names earlier?

I don't believe so. Users were not able to receive a boost in the queue, because they bought Nitro for that purpose, after reading the announcement. To receive a boost you had to have had Nitro since before March 1, 2023 (before the update was announced.) Discord likely gives the Nitro users a boost in the queue, because of their support for the app through Nitro payments, and because they paid to customize their discriminators, which will no longer exist after the update.

How can I check if I have access?

To check if you have access, first ensure that the app is up to date. Then restart the app. To restart:
On Mobile: Force quit the app, are reopen it.
On Web/Desktop: Ctrl+R (Windows) or Cmd+R (Mac)

What are the username restrictions?

• Latin characters (a-z) - Characters Allowed
• Numbers (0-9) - Characters Allowed
• Certain special characters: Underscore (_) and Period (.) - Characters Allowed
• At least 2 characters and at most 32 characters long - Restriction
• Case insensitive and forced lowercase - Restriction
• Cannot use 2 consecutive period characters - Restriction
• Must be unique - Restriction
• Must adhere to community guidelines - Restriction
• Cannot be used to impersonate Discord, Discord staff, or Discord system messages - Restriction
• Cannot be used to impersonate an individual, group, or organization - Restriction
• Cannot attack other people or promote hate - Restriction
• Cannot contain sexually explicit language - Restriction

I can't choose my name, but when I send a friend request to it, it doesn't exist!

It seems that Discord has implemented a username reservation system, I'm not so sure about how this works, but the diagram in update #2 might help (again, I can't verify the legitimacy of this diagram). It also seems that if a user picks a name, and then changes from that name, their old name is still reserved for them for about 24 hours.

Can I change my name after choosing it already?

Yes, you can change your name up to twice an hour.

Want a desirable name?

Although short and cool names may look nice, they've got their consequences. People WILL try to take them. I'd highly recommend enabling 2FA! Thank you to u/juno-art for recommending that I include this. Also, I'd recommend just disabling friend requests, you'll be getting a lot.

When do new waves gain access to the update?

I've received info from a credible source that new waves will gain access to the update at 13:30 and 6:00 EDT daily.

Updates:

Update: Here's a diagram by u/Ephenia about the rollout, I can't confirm the legitimacy of the details. https://support.discord.com/hc/user_images/Lni1dqqqpbt6_0JZ0bNytA.png
Diagram Note: It should be clear that reservation is based on account creation date and not the hashtag denominator. Thanks to u/DearestMina for pointing this out to me.
That's all I could think of right now. If you have any questions feel free to reply to this post, and I'll do my best to answer them ASAP. For more info check out: https://support.discord.com/hc/en-us/articles/12620128861463
Good luck everyone!
Note: I'm not a Discord staff member, or affiliated with Discord. I do not represent Discord in any way.

Discord Server

DISCORD SERVER LINK (.gg/moistyclyde) subreddit mods, please don't take this down, you can visit the server, it's just a bunch of people helping each other out, and me trying to make things easier for everyone
Join for pings when your month gets access!
You can also chat about the update in the server, or ask any questions you have.
Status (as of June 9, 19:00 EDT): Offline.
For some reason, Reddit made me have to delete half of the post, before it would let me edit it. I won't be able to post individual updates, but I'll still be able to edit some stuff. My account is still suspended, I can't PM anybody, chat anybody, or reply to any comments. I'd recommend joining the Discord to get notified quickly when your month gains access to the update.

I finished up reading this book recently, having picked it up at my local bookstore where it was prominently displayed. There’s been a large amount of hype online about this book, and figured it must be an NYT #1 best seller for a reason. I enjoy video games, so I was unopposed to the premise and figured i’d give it a read.
The Good: The absolute best part of this book in my opinion are specific “zinger” sentences that Zevin pulls out from time to time throughout the book. Generally they are just really stunning, eloquently written thoughts about life, friendship, and the relationships between people. You’ll know them when you see them.
Additionally, there is a titular chapter written in the first person later on in the book, (trying to keep things spoiler free), that was absolutely beautiful, and truly, very sad. Hats off to Zevin for that as well.
The Bad: In an interview, Zevin states she wanted to write a book about how “the most important person in your life doesn’t need to be your husband/wife, or child, or family; that it can be a coworker, a friend, someone who inspires you creatively.” Zevin states she wanted to write about a complex but beautiful friendship that spans decades. While the relationship between the two main characters is certainly complex and in some ways realistic, this book is really about two emotionally stunted individuals who at every opportunity fail to meet the other halfway, or step outside of themselves for even a moment. Sadie is deeply suspicious, jealous, and hateful towards Sam for most of the book, and Sam spends his entire life too tied down and held back by his unresolved traumas and resulting complexes to behave like a normal, caring human being.
Does this make for an interesting dynamic/read? For me, not really. And frankly with each passing day since i’ve finished this book I like it less and less. I have other issues, largely around the climactic event of the book, but it’s hard to detail them without huge spoilers. Would love to hear other peoples takes on this book.
TLDR: This book is about a friendship that is anything but beautiful, and it suffers for it. Whatever messages the book may have to relay about human nature are overshadowed by a relentlessly disappointing interpersonal narrative.

Hello,
Quickly like to say day 3 of the event was great and it was wonderful to meet several amazing people. Unfortunately lost the challenge but was fun regardless and the dioramas picked were great. One thing that was off was the ticket we would get a voucher and pick paints from the shop to keep along with free brushes. We got those, but it was the used brushes and pot from the challenge. Which kinda sucks.
Now, this could all change come the next open as they seem to still be figuring out some details. However I hope some of these will help for future people wanting to take the plunge.

1. Bring supplies This seems obvious but after hearing how gw doesn’t usually want people to bring certain supplies, I figured it was no supplies. Now non gw paints are probably a no no, but I saw people bring putty, knifes, brushes, glue, etc and been completely a-okay. A part of me feels like it defeats the purpose of using what is there and working from that, but I digress.

Three things I think you SHOULD definitely bring are brushes, hobby knife, and files. With a possible additive of gw paint, plastic and super glue. They don’t have knives for you to use, only a mold line remover. Also the brushes are used by everyone, so they will get furled or battered.

1. Bring snacks This applies to people also playing, but having good snacks on hand for breaks is a life saver. Granted there is a venue along with being connected to a large market place, but it gets pricey. Just try not having a messy snack, unless you ran out of red and decided marinara is a good alternative.
   
2. Pace yourself 3 days with 8 hours is a lot of time. You will burn out if you rush through the stuff day one or make your diorama a mess. Stop, take it a step at a time since a lot of it can easily be done within 2 days. If you are really worried about getting things done due to outside stuff, just take it to wherever your staying and work on it there.
   
3. Get creative
   An obvious one maybe, but honestly go wild with the bits you have. Someone made a guard lying on a beach with the vampire lady (can never remember her name) holding apples over a cave. Another guy had a chaplain marrying a space marine to this vampire with a skeleton crowd. Since I found loads of tzeentch bits and horrors, I decided to try that since ive never done daemon stuff and made a tzeentch sorceress conversion with an army of horrors. Unless you just have loads of bits n bobs around you aren’t going to do these wacky ideas often so just go for it.
   
4. Set a goal Having a goal helps you stay focused and not worry about other possible out comes. Do you want it to be the best painted? Do you wanna make a fully converted diorama? Do you want a cool or funny story? Will say the best primary goal to have is to have fun. You have access to loads of bits and paint for 55 dollars and can go hog wild.
   
5. Talk to people
   Another obvious one but it goes without saying that everyone is there to have fun. If you need help finding bits, they will more than likely help you. They may even lend you some supplies you forgot or give useful tips and advice.
   

Tl;dr 1. Bring stuff to make modeling easier 2. Bring food, it’s cheaper and less walking 3. Dont rush it 4. Get the creative cap on and go nuts 5. Create a goal and focus on it 6. Be social
Last thing I’ll mention is that there were 4 categories with a prize of a mcfarlane action figure. Best painted, conversion, story, and fan fav.
Let me know if there’s anything else you have questions on. Hope to see more next year!