FT: CASTILLA 1:2 ALGECIRAS

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1ª FEDERACIÓN

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Scorers/replays:
0:1 Eric Montes 12'
1:1 César Palacios 29'
1:2 Diego Esteban 37'
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match updates:
1' - kickoff, vamos!
⚽ 12' - goal for Algeciras - ball isn't cleared well after a corner, their attacker whips in another cross, and Montes is completely free in the box to head it past Cañizares for an early lead
23' - almost the equaliser, Palacios with the corner onto Théos head, but he puts it just wide
⚽ 29' - GOLLLLL DEL CASTILLA - free kick from the right wing, Peter puts in the cross towards the penalty spot, where Palacios is open and heads the ball into the far corner!
⚽ 37' - and again Algeciras take the lead - Esteban is through on the right wing, cuts inside - Obrador is easily fooled and then just completely stops playing, and Esteban can take the open shot, past Cañizares for the 2:1
HT - poor first half from Castilla, the multitude of absences in defense is clearly noticeable and the team is very shaky - more stability is needed in the second half to take a point or more from this match
46' - 2nd half underway
60' - how is that not the 2-2? First a nice attack where Gonzalo squares it to Palacios, but he shoots it straight at the keeper, then a shot from the edge of the box by Théo that is deflected into the side netting
64' - an Algeciras shot from distance brushes the crossbar
🔄 72' - Víctor on for Lorenzo Aguado
75' - an Algeciras fan is getting escorted out of the stadium by security, with his own people hurling insults at him and chanting "tonto, tonto".. I really wonder what he did lol (edit: apparently he threw a second ball onto the pitch and made offensive gestures towards our fans)
80' - another big chance, great cross by Peter and Gonzalo can't direct it goal wards from a very short distance at the far post
🔄 86' - David on for Manuel Ángel
90' - 8 minutes on top
90'+1 - the Algeciras keeper punches the air instead of the ball and it drops onto Álvaro's head, but the header goes wide...
FT - An incredibly unfair and unnecessary loss against a very weak Algeciras team - Castilla kept on trying and insisting in the second half, but the ball just wouldn't go in. Without so many absences in defense for various reasons, and with the brilliance of Nico, I'm convinced the team would've comfortably won this match
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Kickoff: 20:00 CET
Venue: Estadio Alfredo di Stéfano, Madrid
Referee: Juan Antonio Campos Salinas
Competition: Primera Federación, Grupo 2, Matchday 13
Viewing options: FEF TV (subscription - 9.99€/month)
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Castilla XI (4-2-3-1): Lucas Cañizares - Rafel Obrador, Edgar Pujol, Mario Martín, Lorenzo Aguado (72' Víctor Muñoz) - Théo Zidane, Manuel Ángel (86' David González) - Gonzalo García, César Palacios, Peter Federico - Álvaro Rodríguez
Bench: Mario de Luis (GK), David Jiménez, Quique Ribes, Manu Serrano, Borja Alonso, Esteban Aparicio.
Unavailable: Álvaro Carrillo (injury), Marvelous Antolín ‘Marvel’ (injury), Raúl Asencio (suspension), Vinícius Tobias (Brazil U23 call-up), Nico Paz (Argentina U23 call-up), Noel López (?).
Coach: Raúl
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Castilla last five matches: WDDWD
1ª RFEF stats: 10th 17pt 4-5-3 17:14

A not-at-all-brief trip report from our Mediterranean cruise on NCL
TL;DR - 9 fabulous nights on the Prima but wouldn’t book a Prima/Viva Owner’s Suite again
Apologies if formatting turns out weird, I copy/pasted from Google Docs
(Photo links at bottom)
Thursday, October 19
Left IND at 3:30p. Had a 3 hour layover at EWR. Spent it in the Polaris Lounge, which is gorgeous and huge. Had a shower, dinner, & a few drinks. Polaris was very nice. The Saks Fifth Avenue bedding is amazing. The food was between meh and bad. The IFE is great. I have severe insomnia so even with great bedding, a lie flat seat, an eye mask, melatonin, white noise, & a few drinks, I slept literally nothing. Husband slept about 3 hours.
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Friday, October 20 - Rome
Customs at FCO was super quick. Got our luggage, took the Leonardo Express to Roma Termini, then metro to Repubblica. Our hotel, Hotel Quirinale, was just a 1 minute walk from the metro station. We were able to check in early, around 1p. We dropped our luggage then metroed to the Spagna station. Did a self-guided walking tour of the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Largo di Torre Argentina, & Piazza Navona. I had pre-booked Pantheon tickets, so the wait to get in was maybe 3 minutes. We used Rick Steves Audio Guide app for the walking tour & inside Pantheon. We did it backwards but the app makes it super easy to jump between sections/locations. Found a cute little restaurant a couple blocks from the Piazza and had an early dinner. Lack of sleep was really starting to catch up to us so we taxied back to the hotel and passed out around 8p.
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Saturday, October 21 - Rome
Hotel Quirinale offered complimentary breakfast, which was good & bad. It gave us a good base to start with for the day (and coffee!) but the food was meh. We took the metro to Ottaviano and walked a few minutes to the Vatican Museum entrance. We spent 4 hours in the museum and still skipped about ⅓ of it. I highly recommend getting the audio guide. We booked directly through the Vatican Museum website and it was extremely easy to exchange your voucher for tickets and pick up the audio guide. I have done a guided tour of the Vatican Museum before and it’s way too rushed. I enjoyed being able to go at our own pace and look at things more in detail.
After the museum, we left the Vatican, walked a few blocks, & found a place for a late lunch. There was a gelato place a few doors down, so after lunch we grabbed gelato. Then, we walked back into the Vatican and considered getting in line for St Peter’s but it was ridiculously long. It was raining lightly and I thought that might help the line be a little shorter. It definitely did not. So we skipped it. Meandered around the Prati neighborhood & hopped on the metro at Lepanto. Got back to our hotel around 8 again & passed out.
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Sunday, October 22 - our anniversary - Rome
Started with hotel breakfast then took a taxi to the Baths of Caracalla. It was AMAZING. I had never been there before & couldn’t believe how well preserved it was! Again, get the audio guide! It rained off and on the whole time we were there, which made the humidity more bearable. It was also SO EMPTY! After, walked to Circus Maximus and just wandered around outside it. Found a place near it to have lunch. Delicious pizza! We then had a 3.5 hour tour of the Colosseum, Palatine Hill, & the Forum. We booked through Colosseum.tours and it was fantastic! Highly recommend. We had 18 people in our group and it was a good size. After our tour, we metroed back to our hotel, cleaned up a little, then found a place for dinner. Had a delicious, leisurely dinner and actually stayed up until midnight!
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Monday, October 23 - Civitavecchia
We used Uber to book a car to Termini to catch a train to Civitavecchia. Trenitalia’s app is phenomenal. It’s super easy to book tickets, change tickets (for free), validate/check in, etc. Don’t trust the app for the platform number though, still check the board. Train to Civitavecchia cost us 9,20€ for two and was just slightly over an hour. Once there, we banded together with some other cruisers headed to Prima to negotiate a good taxi rate. The busses are cheaper but this was *significantly* easier. We negotiated 15€ per couple & there were 6 of us, which was much cheaper than the 20€ per person they initially wanted. The taxis are vans so they fit plenty of people & luggage. Bus is 2-3€ per person but much more difficult and you have to deal with your own luggage. Moral of the story, take a taxi and haggle a good rate.
The drive to the pier is really beautiful. If we sailed out of Civitavecchia again, we’d go a day early, explore the town, & visit the beach. When we arrived at the ship, the luggage line was insane. Luckily, we were Haven so we found an NCL employee, passed off our luggage, and got in the security line, which still lasted around 20 minutes. If you have priority luggage tags, which I believe is also some levels of Latitudes, find an NCL employee, do not wait in that giant line. We had to ask 2 different crew members, the first told us ‘no, you have to wait.’ Having done this process before, I know we do not. After security, ship check in was super easy and they led us to the Haven snack/waiting area. Only there 4-5 minutes before another couple showed up and they led us on the ship. They gave us a quick Haven touexplanation then set us loose.
We started with lunch in the Haven restaurant & shared the seafood fritto misto. I had the chicken milanese and husband had the salmon. Both got a couple glasses of riesling and ended with pavlova & banoffee cream. It was delicious. Then we had a couple drinks at the Haven lounge & met the bartenders, Cristian & Maria. Both were fantastic at remembering our “standard” drinks and *really* creative when we wanted to experiment with something new. Husband’s favorite is an old fashioned, sometimes smoked. I love a Manhattan with rye, stirred. For sail away, we took a drink to the pool deck to enjoy the views. We had a 7:30p reservation at Le Bistro, so we showered, changed, & headed there.
We had never had Le Bistro before & it was delicious. We started with champagne, escargot, & an endive salad. Escargot was pretty standard with very good sauce. Endive salad was meh. We then switched to a Cabernet from Napa. Husband ordered the duck & I got the lamb. OMG they were both SO. GOOD. The lamb had roasted lamb chops and braised shank. The shank was AMAZING. The spices/flavor was so good. The duck was also delicious but I preferred mine. I finished with the ile flottante & husband had the wine poached pear. Mine was a good choice, it wasn’t super sweet or heavy after such a large meal. We had a nightcap at the Haven bar then turned in.
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Tuesday, October 24 - Naples
We ordered an early breakfast to our room before our Pompeii excursion. We shared a ham & cheese omelet, pastry basket, fresh fruit, & coffee. Everything was really good, except the coffee was meh. We booked the “Pompeii on your own” excursion. We had upgraded to Free At Sea Plus, so we each got $50 off shore excursions, & we basically got a free ride to Pompeii! I had pre-booked tickets online again, so getting in was quick. We had agreed if we wanted more time in Pompeii than the excursion allowed, we’d skip the NCL bus back and just taxi. It was actually a good amount of time though. We used Rick Steves’s audio guide again. It starts at a totally different entrance than we went in, so it took us a hot minute to orientate ourselves to where we were. It was really humid this day and we were both bothered by it. Luckily, there’s a little cafe in Pompeii so we got PowerAde and additional water. I managed to trip over a stone and hurt my right foot. So by the time we needed to meet the guide back to the bus, I was ready to go. We grabbed a bag of chips at one of the carts outside our entrance to tide us over on the bus.
We had planned on walking around a little, getting pizza in Naples but my foot hurt and we were a little cranky, so we just went straight back to the ship. Port of Naples routes you through a little shopping area before you’re allowed to re-embark your ship. It’s pretty annoying & stuff is really expensive so don’t even think of buying it. We had lunch at Indulge Food Hall. It was delicious! I love the concept. We didn’t find it crowded, but we were in port, so I assume most people were ashore. We had Manchego from Tapas, Totopos & Crab Tostada from The Latin Quarter, Pulled Pork Sandwich from Q, & Chicken Tikka from Tamara. I like that most things are tapa size. The pulled pork sandwich is more main size and it turned out to be slightly too much food. I got a carrot halwa at the end and husband got a lemon type cake thing. Carrot halwa was phenomenal, lemon thing was just okay.
After lunch, we wandered a still mostly empty ship. The Prima is absolutely gorgeous. The color scheme is beautiful, the atrium is gorgeous, even the main dining rooms are amazing. When we first passed The Commodore Room, I thought it was Cagney’s, it was so pretty. I also really like all the hygienic things they’ve added, because let’s be honest, even before COVID, ships were a breeding ground for viruses, especially norovirus. There’s handwashing stations near all the food venues, extra washy-washy everywhere, a lot of the public area bathrooms have an automatic open option, and paper towels to use to open the door on the way out. We stopped at the Whiskey Bar during our walk and grabbed a round. It was disappointing. My Manhattan was incredibly sweet and came with a maraschino cherry, pretty terrible for a whiskey bar. My husband’s old fashioned still had a Luxardo cherry, so I don’t know why I got a maraschino. Headed back to the room to relax, watch sail away, shower & change before dinner in the Haven restaurant. Davy, our butler, had delivered our first afternoon snacks by the time we got back to our cabin. We both commented they were significantly smaller than the last time we got snacks delivered in the Haven.
For dinner, I started with the beets and husband got the lobster deviled eggs. Turns out, I don’t like beets! Got the surf & turf, no potato, for my main and husband had the prime rib - both delicious. The au jus that came with the prime rib was more of a gravy though and slightly odd. Dessert - coconut mousse cake for me, was pretty bad & strawberry ice cream for my husband. After dinner, we spent several hours playing craps in the casino. Table was ice cold and we went to bed disappointed.
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Wednesday, October 25 - Livorno
We slept in with the intention of having breakfast in the Haven restaurant and then going ashore but arrived just after closing. Oops! So we went to Starbucks instead. The ship arrived in Livorno on schedule but it took awhile to clear customs. We used the Haven concierge for priority disembarkation but still encountered a line for the shuttle to the town center. It was 7€ round trip each, they did take credit cards. Once off the shuttle, we found a tabacchi and bought bus tickets to get to the train station to get to Florence. If you do this, buy 2 per person (save 1 for the return trip, so you don’t have to worry about buying it if you get back late). Then, to get to the train station, you take the Blue Line (Lam Blau) or LB from outside H&M, remember to validate your bus ticket once on the bus. It’s about a 15 minute ride. Since the ship was cleared late, we missed the 11:12a train we wanted to take and had to take the 12:12. We had a few minutes to wait around the station, so we shared some pizza.
The train to Florence is only 1:20 and cost 10,80€ each. The scenery was beautiful, even with occasional rain. When we arrived, we grabbed a taxi to La Galleria dell'Accademia, where David is. I had pre-booked tickets and we had missed our time by a few minutes so I wanted to get there quickly. They separate the line by ticket times, since our’s was already passed, we just got in the current one. We were in and through security in about 10 minutes. If you buy online, you have to show your confirmation email at the ticket counter in exchange for tickets. I had been to Florence before but the Galleria was closed the only day I was there, so I had never seen David before. I was absolutely speechless over how amazing it was. We used Rick Steves again for David, it’s a very nice, thorough explanation of it, the Prisoners, and a few pieces in the Galleria.
We took our time wandering the rest of the Galleria then walked to the Duomo. Once again, pre-booked tickets for the Cathedral, Baptistry, Bell Tower, etc. We booked a time to climb the Dome but once we got there, knew immediately we weren’t doing it. Between the amount of walking we had done in Rome for 3 days, Pompeii, and the ship, our feet were pretty tired, and still a little sore from Pompeii. After the Duomo, we walked to Piazza della Signoria, Palazzo Vecchio, & Ponte Vecchio. We found a place for an early dinner and had a giant chianina steak, grilled vegetables and a beautiful bottle of chianti. It was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had. Adding the olive oil to it, enhanced the flavor so much. And everything paired SO WELL. Tiramisu and cheesecake for dessert capped off the meal nicely.
While walking back to the train station in the rain, we found a wine shop with free shipping! So we spent WAY too much on wine and shipped home 12 bottles! Unfortunately, we spent too much time (& money) in the shop and didn’t make it back for the train I wanted. So we puttered around the train station for an extra half hour before taking a train with a change in Pisa. Well, our train ran late and we almost missed our Pisa change. When we got back to Livorno, we had just missed the bus back to the city center so we had to wait about 10 minutes for the next bus. Luckily, when we got on the port shuttle, it left immediately.
Once on board, we wanted a snack, so we headed to The Local. I got the smoked peach margarita on tap & it was delicious! I ordered a mezcal margarita next & it was terrible! Husband got a sidecar that was good, then an old fashioned that was terrible. Ordered nachos & pretzel bites for food. Nachos were really good, especially the chili. Pretzel bites were *terrible*. Probably the worst thing I ate the whole trip. After food, we had another round in the Haven Lounge then called it a night.
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Thursday, October 26 - Livorno overnight
We ordered breakfast to our room again. Ham & cheese omelet for husband, tomato & spinach omelet for me. I got OJ and we popped open the prosecco that came with our cabin for mimosas. After food, we relaxed on the balcony awhile, wandered to Starbucks for more coffee, then stopped at the outdoor Haven bar for a drink & a light lunch. I got the sesame crusted fish sandwich, husband got the hotdog. We only got 1 order of fries to split between us. Overall, food was pretty good. I was a little disappointed in the fish sandwich, I thought the slaw and the mayo could have had more flavor.
We met our excursion group/bus just off the ship at 1:15p. We booked “Countryside & Wine Tasting” - it was described as a picturesque ride through the Tuscan countryside, a tour of a winery, & wine tasting with a light snack of meats & cheeses. It was…not really that. We did have a ride through the Tuscan countryside but it was raining for most of it, still pretty though. Bus ride was about 45 minutes & our guide gave us some info & history about the region. When we arrived at Vialto, the winery/farm, we were seated for a full pasta lunch! We started with meats & cheeses with truffle honey, it was *delicious*. Then, we had pasta with 2 types of sauces, a tomato/veg & a ragu. They were very good. Biscotti and vin santo to end the meal. But also…all you could drink wine! It was less of a tasting & more of a “get drunk before we herd you into the gift shop”. After food & wine, we got to wander the grounds a little bit and, of course, shop in the gift shop. We wound up shipping more wine home and buying some olive oil, liqueurs, etc. Their shipping cost was very reasonable and we were able to carry the rest onto the ship. We had gone with the intention of buying more wine, the additional purchase of olive oil, truffle honey, a few liqueurs, etc were things we wanted and just hadn’t found a convenient place to buy them on our own. So this worked for us. I would recommend this excursion if you want to buy wine in bulk and ship it home. I would not recommend this excursion if you’re just looking for a wine tasting or trip to Tuscany. We paid $142.20 for 2 (after FAS+ & Latitudes discount) & I’m glad we did it once but wouldn’t book it again.
After returning to the ship, we hung out in the Haven Lounge for a bit. We had made friends with several couples in the Haven & we sat and talked to them until we headed to dinner at Indulge. We watched sail away (around 7:30p) from Indulge and still didn’t find it crowded. We found a table almost immediately. It would be useful though if they had more small tables. We had to sit at a table for 4 because that’s the smallest we found open. There are very few tables for 2. We got roasted tomato soup, chicken tikka masala, garlic naan, & brisket. The naan dipped in the tomato soup was fantastic. Even the brisket was good, and we didn’t really have high hopes for it! We tried several desserts, including tiramisu, but they weren’t very good. It seems NCL’s dessert of choice right now is layering mousse & cake and covering it in a gel-like exterior. I’m not a fan. We meant to try out some things from Coco’s during the week but we forgot.
After dinner, we headed to Syd Norman’s to watch Battle of the Sexes. Instead of being a trivia type game, which is what we were expecting, it was more physical challenges. It was really fun. I’d go again. The women won, woo. To finish the night, we headed to the casino where we had a hot craps table! Turned $200 into $1500!
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Friday, October 27 - La Spezia
We had a very light day today. Since the first half of our vacation was so “planned” and busy, we decided we wanted the second half of the cruise to be more relaxing and spontaneous. We slept in, skipped breakfast, and went to The Local for lunch. It was pretty good. We started with spinach artichoke dip, I got lechon asado, and husband had a cheeseburger. Other than everything needing a hearty dose of salt, it was good.
We then went ashore. The walking path along the water is absolutely gorgeous. We spent a few hours walking & exploring. Got gelato one last time - strawberry for me, stracciatella for my husband. Mine was better. After reboarding the ship, we lounged on our balcony a while, then got ready for the evening.
This evening was a cocktail party for Haven guests in the Observation Lounge, which was not easy to find. It was rather boring. They had 2 or 3 cocktails to choose from or prosecco and some simple hors d'oeuvres. It seems most people who went stayed 15 minutes then left. We went back to the Haven Lounge after, had a round, then headed to Los Lobos for dinner. I didn’t have high hopes for this either but we were so surprised. It was fantastic! The salsa was great, the chips had tajin on them, which I love. We got queso and guac (made table side) for our starters. The queso was delicious. Our server, Ivan, recommended the fajitas, plantains, and elotes. We got all those & enchiladas de mole. It was phenomenal. Only part that was meh was dessert. We split churros and the chocolate tart. The churros were really dry and I love dark chocolate but the tart was just too dark. It was WAY too much food, and we didn’t even order everything that was included! With FAS you get 1 app, 1 salad, 1 main, 2 sides, and 1 dessert PER PERSON. Neither of us got a salad and we only had 2/4 of the sides. We were stuffed.
Unfortunately, we had REALLY rough seas this evening. After dinner, we went back to the Haven Lounge to try to digest before we went to bed. The crew was putting plastic wrap everywhere so the glasses wouldn’t slide or fall. We ended the evening with a Manhattan and some Johnnie Walker Blue.
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Saturday, October 28 - Cannes
Neither of us slept well because of the rough seas. We had an excursion booked to go to Monaco so we ordered an early breakfast, which showed up extra early. We ate, got dressed, and headed to the elevator. As we’re standing, waiting for the elevator, my husband says “Do you really want to go or would you rather go back to bed?” “Bed,” was my reply and he says “oh thank god, me too.” So we just headed back to bed for several hours. We eventually got back up and headed to land. Seas were still really choppy and Cannes is a tender port, so I was a little queasy when we hit land. We walked along the water, found a spot for lunch, and had a leisurely meal. It was so incredibly windy, the tender back to the ship was incredibly rough. When we got back on the ship, the laundry bag we had sent out was back. $29 for the bag & it held a lot. I added up what it would have cost individually and it was $126.80!
Saturday night was The Price Is Right. My husband works from home and watches TPIR EVERY day, he wanted to be picked so badly. And he was. The thing is…had he listened to me, he would have won & gotten to play Plinko. His item up for bids was a 10 can retro themed Coca Cola vending machine. I immediately yelled $220, it really was just a guess, I didn’t know it was correct. And I was in the third row, he heard me, he says he heard me. He bid $300. So he lost. He got a nice TPIR tshirt as a consolation prize. The guy who won the bidding only won $50 on Plinko.
After the show, still high from his 30 seconds of fame, we headed to the Haven restaurant for dinner. He got the crab cakes & I got the chicken. The chicken was really good but surprisingly salty. I didn’t try his crab cakes because it was a mustard sauce & I loathe mustard. I legitimately don’t remember what we did after this. It’s most likely we had a few drinks in the Haven Lounge then went to bed but I really don’t remember. And don’t have any photos.
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Sunday, October 29 - Toulon
We didn’t even get off the ship today. We slept in, had Haven restaurant breakfast (waffle with berries & classic eggs), then went to the Lounge to day drink & play Switch. Espresso martinis, mimosas, got creative with the bartenders and tried some new stuff. It was fun & very relaxing.
For lunch, we tried the buffet. Jesus Christ, was it chaos! I had lamb kofta, a meatball sub thing, & some fries. Husband had a chorizo slider, some pasta, & a meatball sub. The lamb was terrible, the pasta was decent, the meatball subs were pretty good, and the slider was really good. We noticed they had lemonade in their juice dispensers. We hadn’t been able to find lemonade at any bar on the ship! So we took a couple full glasses back to the Haven bar and had vodka lemonade! It was definitely made with fresh lemon juice, it was so tart, but delicious.
We continued to relax the rest of the day until our 7p reservation at Palomar. Gotta say, I was disappointed in it. I started with the prawns & endive. It was meh, prawns were only lukewarm. Husband had oysters, he said they were good. For mains, I got the seabass and husband had the scallops. They were both good but not great. Our side of grilled asparagus was the best thing we had there. For dessert, I got the dark chocolate mousse cake (meh) and husband got the apple tart (pretty good). Overall, I’d skip it next time. After dinner, we just crashed.
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Monday, October 30 - Mallorca
We had another lazy day. Mallorca was an afternoon port, so we slept in then had Haven restaurant breakfast. I got eggs benedict (the hollandaise is so good!) and husband had eggs. Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas backed in next to us at the port, that was fun to watch. When we went ashore, they had a shuttle that would take you to the town center or you could taxi or walk. We decided to just walk. Turns out there’s a brand new mall with a casino about 20 minutes from the pier. We wound up there, of course. Also stopped by a CVS type store and picked up more dry shampoo. Turns out the travel size is great for 10 days & not a day longer. When we got back to the ship, we made it just in time for Deal or No Deal. It was really fun to watch. As avid gamblers, we’re always pro “NO DEAL!” It worked out for the first guy, not so much for the second guy.
We did Haven restaurant dinner again. I started with the mushroom risotto which was excellent. I would recommend asking for a dinner size portion and just having that! Husband had lobster deviled eggs again. I did surf & turf again, with the potato this time, which came with a whole tray of toppings! Husband got the steak (I think it was a NY strip). We ordered a malbec that paired really well with the steaks. Dessert was the OMG cheesecake & chocolate cake. Both meh, the crunchy thing on top of the chocolate cake was really good.
We then watched sail away (Odyssey’s & our’s) from our balcony before heading to the Haven Lounge to pass some time before the casino opened. I practiced my tip money origami. I learned to make a shirt & tie for Cristian to mimic the tie he put on a drink he called The Handsome Gentleman. I also learned boats! When the casino opened, we headed to craps. Table was pretty cold, so we didn’t stay long. Just headed to bed afterwards.
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Tuesday, October 31 - Halloween - Ibiza - last cruise night
Didn’t leave the ship again today! We slept in, got Starbucks, & headed to BINGO. On the third BINGO card, the $5,000 coverall jackpot, no one won the jackpot, but I was the first to be 1 away from a coverall! I got booed. A lot. All I needed was B2. And it was never called. B12 was called! B1 was called! No B2. In the middle of BINGO was the “free cruise” raffle. The second guy from Deal or No Deal won! After BINGO, we had Haven restaurant lunch - french dip sandwich (delicious, and proper au jus) & the brie burger.
After lunch, we enjoyed some time on our balcony before heading back to the Haven Lounge to organize our tips & thank you/hero cards and play some more Switch. For dinner, we got an early Los Lobos reservation with the intention of just having apps. We did 2 quesos and a side of plantains. We had planned on doing Haven restaurant for our final dinner but neither of us were hungry again, so we skipped having a full meal. After “dinner,” we had to pack and set out our luggage. Then we had a few drinks in the Lounge, handed out our thank you cards, & spent several pretty good hours in the casino. Craps was terrible but I did really well at $25 blackjack. The casino crew went ALL OUT for halloween. There were so many good costumes. Around 1, we headed back to the room for the final time.
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Wednesday, November 1 - Barcelona
Neither of us slept well again. Breakfast was delivered early and incomplete. Disembarkation was super easy, probably the easiest I’ve ever seen. We used the Haven escort but there was literally no line when we got down there. Found our luggage really quick, that was definitely a perk of the priority tag, the rest of the luggage area was super chaotic. Only waited about 5 minutes in the taxi line before we were on our way to our hotel, Eurostars Grand Marina, which was about a 10 minute drive. Even though we got there around 8:30a, they let us check in early! We immediately went to our room & slept for 4 hours!
I had booked a HOHO bus for us today but greatly underestimated just how exhausted we would be by the end of the vacation. I still wanted to do the bus but my husband wasn’t up for it. So instead we walked for a couple hours! *facepalm* I should have insisted on the bus. We found a great, TINY tapas place a couple blocks off La Rambla. We had pan con tomate, Iberian ham, sirloin cubes, garlic prawns, fried squid, & seafood paella. It was all SO GOOD. I thought the paella could have been crispier on the bottom but the flavor was amazing. La Rambla had a ton of construction going on so we mostly stuck to side streets. But it’s such a gorgeous city. I’d been before but my husband hadn’t.
There’s a new (?) skyline/cable car line near the water that I would have loved to have done but they had just started their winter hours Nov 1 and we missed it. We watched Prima sail away on her new itinerary from our hotel rooftop bapool deck. It was bittersweet. She’s gorgeous & we had such a fantastic time but were ready to go home.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. Hotel had breakfast included and it was quite the spread! Took a taxi to the airport at 8a the next morning, got coffee, went through passport control (about a 20 minute line), and our plane was at one of the gates that requires a bus. We flew Premium Select home. The food was…bad. Choices were chicken or vegetarian. I did the veg. It was basically chopped red and green peppers in a sauce with rice & bok choy. Sauce was good, peppers were not. Husband did the chicken, it was bad too. Snack before landing was a pizza twist and that was actually really good. Premium Select still had the super comfy Saks Fifth Avenue blanket but no memory foam pillow. Got to EWR with no issue, had a layover, played Switch, got some food, then our final leg took us back home to IND. Our house is about 20 minutes from the airport, so about an hour after landing we were home cuddling puppies.
First 3 days https://imgur.com/a/4VaXWBQ
Prima photos https://imgur.com/a/Bucjddj
Port photos https://imgur.com/a/VeOe94j

In this timeline, two main things happened which changed the world forever: USSR got the A-bomb before the USA, somewhere around 1943, and Joseph Stalin lived 20 more years instead of dying in 1953.
All this combined leads to more active and aggressive Soviet foreign policy: For example, Tito is assasinated by GRU and Yugoslavia is invaded, preventing the split, Greece becomes red, but, most importantly, Comintern is never disbanded, and the USSR keeps supporting left rebels and terrorists all over the globe. Since there are also no Sino-Soviet split, organisations like RAF or Japanese Red Army get a huge flow of resources, turning them into serious fighting force and a long hand of Soviet regimes to launch surprise attacks against NATO without risking to start WW3 (Soviets could always say "They were on their own), and, as a result, totally different Global war on terror (GWOT) occurs in 2000s.
Due to Warsaw Pact forces winning in Afghanistan and revolution happening in Saudi Arabia, Islamic terrorism was never a thing in this world, unlike the left terrorism supplied by KGB and thus much more dangerous — instead of numerous but poorly equipped zealots we have commando-level trained militants with the most modern weaponry, including silenced guns and even tactical missiles. Also, the main hotpoint is a South America, not Middle East: Che Guevara survives and leads the Bolivian uprising to victory (BTW, he is still alive in 2000s and for the America plays roughly the same role as Osama bin Laden in OTL), then Pinochet gets overthrown in less than a year after coming to power and a wave of communist revolutions engulfs almost all of the South America in 1970s. CIA fails to oppose, and U.S. military can't intervene directly — it was just withdrawn from Vietnam, and anti-war tensions in the society were still high. Later, discovery of large oil fields in Soviet Venezuela make the situation even hotter — so hot that it should finally explode one day
Soviets knew this as well and for 30 years filled the South America with economic and military aid, allowing the South American Union (SAU) to build an advanced high-tech army by 2000s, armed with the latest Soviet military hardware — actually, something close to the Federation from Call of duty: ghosts.
Things finally go out of control when a communist revolution sparks in French Guiana with SAU supporting this. This, along with Soviet Argentina siezing the Falklands, pushes the NATO to start Operation Jungle Storm and finally invade the South America at the end of the millennium. Unlike Operation Desert Storm, warfare against technologically advanced and fanatical South American Army doesn't go well as Tomahawks and B-2s get shot down with S-400s and carrier strike groups are repelled with submarines and ekranoplans carrying anti-ship missiles. To turn the tide in their favour, NATO sends Carrier strike group 11 with CVN-68 USS Nimitz as a flagship. Despite being the oldest Nimitz-class carrier built, it had undergone a serious modernization, now equipped with X-47B Pegasus strike drones and, more important, prototype AEGIS ULTIMA missile defence system, rendering it almost invincible to Soviet missiles (Due to Cold war not ending, military technologies are much better developed than in OTL), which allows to secure the sea for US Navy and make a successful landfall in Venezuela, Guiana and Suriname, but the Reds actually got an ace in their sleeve.
See that guy in the picture? It is Glenn Michael Souther, a devoted communist and a KGB agent. In OTL, he was a naval officer on a Nimitz aircraft carrier, while in this TL he avoided detection in 1985 and eventually made it up to the carrier's captain. Due to his actions, among the crew there also were some hidden communists, mostly guevarists and Black panthers movement members. So, KGB and Cuban DGI assembles a multi-national boarding team from far-left terrorists (Mostly FARC, RAF and JRA members), and due to Souther sabotaging a Friend-or-foe system, they successfully reach the carrier in stolen V-22 Ospreys, fighting side to side with communists among the crew and successfully capturing the whole vessel. No SOS signal was given, and before the americans realise what actually happened, SAU ekranoplans with long-range missiles, which could only be taken out only with carrier's aircraft due to range issues, make a short work of the carrier escort. So, USS Nimitz is hijacked, both X-47Bs and AEGIS ULTIMA tech fall into KGB hands and a beachhead in Venezuela is left without ainavvy support and gets overrun very soon.

A/N: going through art block again, sorry if I couldn't give you guys any Ori'elen artwork this chapter :(
Set up a Ko-Fi account for all my artistic efforts... I could use the groceries T.T
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Tara put a hand on Ori's shoulder after she noticed the spikes on the woman's stress levels. "Are you alright?"
Ori, for her part put a hand over hers in acknowledgement. "I'm fine. I shouldn't be surprised at this point considering what they already did to me." Her voice was heavy with bitterness.

Establishing private channel     Private channel established: PVT Levin: Guys, whatever's passing for Ori's cortisol is way off and the VI is telling she's about to redline on us any second now. CPT Ibrahe: Mark, got anything else to say that'll traumatize our guest? ENG'R Song: Nah, figured ripping the bandaid and let you guys handle the bleeding is the best option considering we have a deadline. Right, Cap? CPT Ibrahe: You're an asshole, Song. ENG'R Song: Yeah well, I get paid to keep this rust bucket from turning to space dust, not be nice. You gotta get her to that ship ASAP, you're meeting the Kaiser's brass and I know you want credit for the alien tech. CPT Ibrahe: More like I'm not sure if the Kaiser is gonna treat Ori as well as we did and I want to know all my cards before I play them. But yes, I'm not so selfless as to pass on the chance to go down in history as the guy who made first contact. PVT Levin: Technically, Bravo team made first contact, sir. CPT Ibrahe: Yes... well... there's that. Let's not leave Ori hanging, then.     

The whole conversation felt like a whole two minutes but it was really only a few seconds real time. Despite that, Tara noted the hints of confusion in Ori's vitals, though, they must have taken a little too long or her CPUs are getting taxed again.
Still, Tara can't help but feel guilty that she hasn't even begun to tell Ori about the link. Unfortunately, the data coming from her staying pure hinges on her not knowing until the probation is lifted.
Lucas, for Ori's benefit, asked Mark out loud, "Alright, we know that this is a lot to take in all at once, but can we at least confirm that Ori's mana radiation is safe to humans and the ship in general?"
Mark, picked up the patchwork sensor rig with his subarms and folded the whole set neatly while giving his analysis. "Yeah, you can be around the stuff 24-7 and it won't register on your cells... at least from my initial analysis."
One of the engineer's sub arms mimicked a shrugging motion as he turned away to move back to his real job in the Engineering bay. "It's just warp rads. Exotic warp rads, but the effects on perceivable space is pretty much nil. Every spacer is exposed through magnitudes more almost every day on corvettes."
He kept on with his monologue while spider crawling up the mass of pipe and machinery that is the the ship's core. "My professional opinion is that she's safe to be around with but keep a record of the rads coming out for future reference. Come back in a month."
Seemingly gazing into the mass of machinery Mark disappeared into, the Captain declared the meeting adjourned and they all went back to the medbay to allow Ori a night of rest from all the revelations she was bombarded with.
Of which Tara was also appreciative of, judging from how Ori'elen's vitals are going up and down from the stress. She put a hand on the woman's shoulders, "Look, Ori, I can tell from here you're not the least bit alright. So, how about we just follow the cap's lead and let's get you some normal sleep, for once?"
Tara put up a confident looking pose with her hand on a hip, "I'm pretty sure you'll feel better once you sleep most of the impact off."
For her part, Ori just nodded silently with a blank look on what's left of her face. Fortunately, Tara can read her like an open book because of their neural link.
---
Later that night of the ship's day cycle, Tara was standing in attention outside of Ori's room at the medbay with the Captain talking to the woman herself inside. Judging from the soft sine waves her vitals are making, Ori was doing a better job controller her emotions now than back at Engineering.
That spike a few seconds ago must be the part when Lucas requested from Ori to visit the alien ship with a Marine escort to see if there is going to be any reaction.
The captain explained to Tara on the way back that Gunnery has noticed the inside of the ship getting hot with activity at the same time they plugged Ori into her new body. Considering the time limit they had between clearing the ship and visiting the Kaiser with their action report, the Captain decided that it was best to do some "experimental rushing".
It was a simple plan, really, step one was to use Ori to draw out whatever was keeping the alien ship clear of danger. Step two was observe how Ori's mana reacted to the ship itself and to gather other related data. Step three, shoot anything hostile until there's nothing of that left.
That is to say, Ori isn't going there blind, Tara is heading over there with the rest of Bravo and Alpha to give the place a thorough sweep before Ori comes in the next day. Hopefully, they would find whatever is still active in that ship and neutralize it.
"Also," the Captain also added when they were discussing the mission, "Archives sent me a cross reference between Mark's readings and a recorded EM event from the Second Burst."
"From five hundred years ago, sir?" Tara can remember the surprise. Although, in hindsight, she questions if she really should be, all things considered.
"Yep," Lucas agreed, "we get real Burst data for the Archives to chew on and new warp tech to fiddle with all in one away mission!"
"Still on the warp tech, sir?"
The captain just shrugged at her question, "It's what started all this, might as well try not to get too distracted by the fancy magic interdimensional alien in our medbay."
Fast forward a couple of hours to right now and Tara is stuck monitoring Ori's vitals and guessing her conversation with the Captain based on which part of the y-axis the line is.
The door slid open with the captain having a somewhat haunted look on his face. "How'd it go, sir?" she asked
Lucas rubbed the back of his neck in the same motion he did to wipe some sweat off his brow. "Holy shit, I thought she was going to kill me back there!"
"That bad, sir?" Tara, despite herself, didn't mask the shock on her voice, there was barely indication that Ori was that upset. "It looked like it went smoothly on my end."
"Well," the Captain replied with a deep sigh, "whatever it is that she does to control her magic, it's probably got something to do with how she controls her anger because, God help me, the moment I asked her to come to the ship with you guys, my Hazard Metadetection Suite started tingling... hard."
"So, how'd it go, in the end?" Tara decided to not push the issue further. She'd rather hear the details from Ori herself.
Lucas was still sporting that distant look, "I managed to convince her. Used the 'we need more information about mana and the situation' angle and I'm glad she's rational enough to see the logic behind it." The man actually sank down to squat on the floor, exhaling one long breath as he went down. "Still, it's amazing what a magic alien can do with only half her skull and a gimped up suit can do. She talked me down harder than my mother ever did, I'll tell you that."
She mimicked a snorting laugh at that last sentence, "It was that bad, huh?"
"Like facing a dreadnaught with my pants down." He stood up and straightened his jacket, "But still, this means you're off on a mission with Bravo for a preliminary sweep of the alien ship. I need you geared up and ready to go in thirty minutes."
"Sir!" Tara saluted as soon as she was given the orders, the mission parameters scrolling by on her HUD.
As the Captain walked away towards the Bridge, she terminated her neural link with Ori to free up space for her drones. With one last look towards the alien woman's room, Tara went the opposite direction towards the Armory.
​
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Ori floated in the darkness as she slept. She knew it was a dream, of course, as she looked down on the flesh on her hands.
It's one of the rare times she was aware of dreaming. Was it because she no longer had a body to call her own that she was having this moment of lucidity in a dream so soon in this strange land? She doesn't know, but her thoughts came slow here and they formed sluggishly as they fought against the things she witnessed in the dream she was beginning to have.
Strange, usually her thoughts create the dream, not be subverted by it. Was it this world's doing, as well? So many questions. So many implications she can't even begin to form in this dark void between waking and sleep.
She saw it then, a vision not of her own making. Only because she knew she has never witnessed something like this before.
Before her spread out an eternal darkness. A darkness so oppressive she felt herself getting stretched by it's mere presence. She was overwhelmed by the feeling of falling yet being crushed by her own weight at the same time. Heat so intense, it threatened to sear off her flesh off her bones, if it hasn't already. Terror clawed at the edges of her consciousness if not for the comforting warmth from her ring reminding her that it was all just in her head.
She stifled a scream that resulted from the sheer magnitude of it all despite not even knowing how far the darkness extends
Suddenly, a great booming Voice shot out from everywhere. Drowning her in so much mana, she was overwhelmed by the sheer size of it. Not even the mana she felt in the ship's engine room could even begin to feel like a mere droplet from the amount she was sensing now.
The mana parted the darkness around her. She couldn't see how, but she can feel the pressure and overwhelming heat around her subsiding, the stretching letting up until she felt whole again. It was as if this veritable ocean of mana insulated her from the monstrous dark beneath her.
She didn't realize it, but she was falling again, but instead of the terrible, inescapable doom from before, it was the normal feeling of falling from a great height. She can somehow feel the wind her hair again as the air hummed on her ears. True, she was only aware of her lost body for only a day, but she can't believe she already missed the feeling of wind on her skin as she soared through the clouds back home.
There wasn't time to revel in the feeling, though, as suddenly, her vision cleared and she was suddenly afloat above a barren land. Everything from plains, to the tallest mountains piercing the sky above, to depths so deep, there was nothing to see beyond the depths, all this sped past Ori as she glided on with speed unimagined.
So fast was her flight that she was suddenly going up again, despite not feeling any updraft. She was going so high up, that the horizon itself began to curve, a sight she has never witnessed in all her years. Mountains, valleys, peaks, and lowlands slowly began to merge together into one impossibly smooth ball as she saw the land drift away from her as she was once again in the dark void.
She didn't know where they were from, but from beyond the darkness around her, a great multitude of the same sphere of rock flew by her in speeds she can barely comprehend. Some of those sphere were so large, she can scarcely fathom her size relative to them. To say she was as one grain of sand those rocks was a massive understatement.
These great rocks smashed against each other with such violence, or perhaps their sheer size just allowed for it, that the force of their individual momentums obliterated them before they even touched each other. The shockwaves from their impacts shook through Ori despite her being being so far away. What cataclysm is she witnessing? Why is she seeing this?
The chaos continued until so few of the rocky spheres are left whole. Chunks of rock hung in dark, empty space in front of her while she floated there dumbfounded at the violence she beheld.
Suddenly, a pillar of Light streaked out from the depths beneath Ori. It shot by so fast, she could barely perceive the moment between being surrounded by the dark and the blinding brightness that radiated from the pillar. A pillar that suddenly split in two in front of her. Then the two new branches, themselves, split in two each, and from those split some more.
On and on the they split apart forming countless branches upon countless branches of light that shot up from the nothing below towards the shattered spheres. Each branch of light grabbed on to a rock, threads of pure mana leaking out from their contact. The threads sought out one another and connected the branches using a layer of rock, forming new land in the process.
Then, a surge of energy from the roots of this... tree of pure light and mana shot out and hit the remaining rocks in void, imbuing them with light of its own while sending them flying so far away that they were mere twinkling dots in the sky. While the remaining smaller spheres stayed lower than the debris, becoming what she recognized as the fifteen moons.
Ori'elen marveled at the sight for she knew she was looking at the creation of the night sky. She remembered the stories from the Scattered Grains of Endethu to the Grasping Hands of Odana and how they all shared this imagery.
This vision... she was being shown her world being born.
She would kneel if there was a ground to kneel upon. Tears fell from her face as she stared in awe and wonder. Even when she was given her blessed ring was she not favored this kind of glimpse into the Divine.
The branches that held the rocks solidified into something more tangible, of what material, she couldn't tell. And yet, from these branches gushed out water, filling out the valleys and greater pits of the land, spilling down from the edges for the great Tree back into the void below. Yet somehow, Ori can tell that the branches will forever create more water to replace that which has been lost.
Then, another pulse of energy blew the ocean up high. So high that it became the sky. And as the blue firmament set itself up, from the North to the Southeast, flew a sphere burning from the mana it caught itself upon, it cast daylight upon the land it went above.
And then another sphere, made of ice rose from the East, barely glancing the branches as it did so, and set on the South, becoming the source of the forever storm that rains down on Eastern lands and providing its meager light to everywhere else.
On and on these two suns gave warmth bringing the source of life to wake upon all. Except on the northermost lands where none of their light fell, either because they were too far from their paths, or because the branches they were on were too low. These cold, low lands became known as the Shadowed Rifts.
As this cycle of day and night continued, the ashes from the burning sun that fell on the ground became the beasts of the field, and the ice from the frozen sun that fell on the seas became fish of the seas. The air that was made from the two suns passing mingled with the dust of the land to become the birds.
From the light of the trunk of the tree itself came the forms of Edaria and the first gods. Gods of Being, Magic, Words, and Wisdom. From their birth, Edaria's, Goddess of Voices, first spoke and named this world "A'Kasiya", which means "The Great Tree" in the words of the Divine.
And from the blood that oozed from the ground because of their godly birth, came the first true races, born from the gods and whose souls are bound for the Shadowed Rifts to be collected by the Twin Gods of Life and Death.
And from the hands of the first gods were created the gods of the Land, for these are the ones that guide and protect all of the peoples regardless of where they come from.
From the minds and hearts of the children of the blood of gods, came the lesser gods of the soul and the petty gods of the mouth who guide them each in their ways.
Then, from these many races grew discontent. For the devotion they gave their gods created rivalry between them. And from this discontent came war and violence. And from violence came the desire for vengeance. And from this desire came the Undead, those who tore out of the Shadowed Rifts in a blind rage, demanding in their violence, justice from those long since who passed.
On this cycle of hate and rage was borne the First Lich. One who grew beyond the Rifts and whose hands are stained by the blood of gods and the Name and Memory of their children.
For an Age, the shadow of the Lich's bloody hands tore through these lands. The tormented cries of the dead gods' children ripping through the hearts of those who grew under the Light.
As the gods grew weary of the Lich's terror upon their peoples, they crafted from the shattered spheres above the first dragons. For by the sacred Fire that they create comes the light that can push back the Darkness the Lich brings. And so the dragons came down from the sky to rain down their Fire upon the Lich and its chained Undead.
And from the molten essence that came from the dragons' mouths, the Lich and its servants were buried under mountains of glass and rock. Mountains so tall and so steep that no being other than the souls of the dead can pass through. Mountains that protected the lands of Light from the incursion of the bitter Undead of the Rifts.
And so, for a time, the world knew peace from the Darkness. A time the Peoples have come to call a Golden Age free from the Dark and Dead.
Then, at the end of this time, a new lich spewed forth from the body of the first. With its army of Undead that grew beyond the borders, they carved through the mountains with magic, with hammer, and claw, and teeth.
From their efforts, a great valley was made and in front of it, all the gods' children and their children gathered to face the forces of the Rift at the Cold North.
Ori'elen remembers this battle. It was the final push against the growing tide of Undead. Should they spill past that valley, gods know how much damage they would do to A'Kasiya in their rampage. Looking at the vision, she can still smell the camps, hear the worried murmurs of those gathered to fight, taste the salt-laced air.
Still, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed by how the vision portrayed her as a being of light wielding a blade of pure Fire dashing through the army lines straight towards the massive silhouette of the Lich in the distance.
That blade was wrought iron. About half as heavy as she was if not for the blessings she received from Savonel of the Travelling Winds and her own Founder God, Fahal to speed her on her way. There was nothing glorious about that slab of metal. Hammer marks pitted the flat of the blade, the edge barely sharp enough to cut her own flesh as they didn't have time to grind it to shape, a hilt hastily wrapped in hide they found at the smith's scrap bucket. She remembered the burning sensation on her palms when she yanked it straight from the quencher as she rushed straight towards the towering figure of her target.
The fighting was desperate, and the way she got to the Lich's heart even more so.. if not even more foolish. She remembered the look on the soldiers' faces when she demanded she be loaded on the trebuchet and be aimed towards the thing threatening them all.
In hindsight, yes, that was foolish indeed. She smiled, despite herself.
But as soon as the sight of her plunging the blade on the Lich's dead heart took form, the vision ended with an abrupt barrage of what she can only describe as visual noise.
A different vision replaced everything as a massive needle of a mountain pierced A'Kasiya's surface from below. And from this mountain came out a swarm of the things that abducted her and so many others. A cloak of a different darkness, one that feels more like a blindfold instead of one of Death and decay from the Lich, covered the plains from where the mountain appeared, obscuring the vision of even gods.
These creatures, these locusts, for lack of a better image, spread out and wherever they went, the People went missing, dragged away into the shadows of the mysterious mountain. And from where one of the People was taken, a blister was formed on the land. A blister so small, Ori can barely tell it even exists.
This injury to A'Kasiya itself and the abduction of its citizens created such a rash upon the land that it was barely recognizable. However, despite how terrible it looked, everyone not affected by it, from the beasts, to the People, to the very Land itself, went on without a care.
She can see the multitude being carried away, she can hear the cries and screaming, and for a split moment, she can even hear her own as she was dragged away and violated by these creatures.
No... she remembered what the Humans mentioned about "warp" and Mana. These creatures weren't from A'kasiya at all. These aliens and monsters have come unto her world and visited upon it some hidden injury that even her gods did not react.
But as soon as she noticed that tiny speck of light that was her being dragged into the dark, a shrieking wail echoed throughout the Heavens, as Edaria herself, having actually watching her Champion, reached out to rescue.
But it was all for nothing because as soon as Edaria's hand touched the shadow, its visage shattered, sending her back in pain. But of the pieces of her hand, one trickled through the veil, invested with Her will and clung upon the mountain.
She can see through this fragment's ... "eyes" what the gods did not. Her people - millions upon millions of them - being sifted and sorted like grain. The aliens selecting those that Ori has come to realize were people with the light of the gods in them. No matter how small a spark, the monsters found it and took the people away even deeper into the mountain.
Those that did not have that Light were thrown giant chambers that when sealed shut, blocked out all noise. Ori realized with a cold shiver that that was the last she will ever hear from those people ever again. Because the chambers themselves, despite all of her reasoning to the contrary, looked like the belly of a flour mill. And despite all her efforts, she knows, with a sickening lurch in her stomach, what the pipes at the bottom of the chambers that went into the depths carried.
And from the fragment's "mind" came the realization. Should this transgression continue, A'kasiya is doomed.
Another vision formed in front of her as the Great Tree started to shrivel as more and more of the People are taken and the light of the gods with them. The world itself, from the stars, to the tree, to even the great void below itself began to lose whatever life and color as it all turned into a shriveled shadow of the grand cosmos that was presented to her at the beginning of her dream.
Then, because of the perspective granted by the divine fragment, Ori has come to realize that what has injured her world was not a mountain.
It was a finger.
A finger that held onto the desiccated corpse that was once her world as it pushed it closer into the gaping maw of something from beyond her ken.
And as the great maw closed in on her vision -
- her eyes opened to the dimmed lights of the medical bay. Her heavy breathes coinciding with the rapid beeping from the machines around her.
She was wiping the sweat from her forehead with her blanket when she realized the beeping stopped. Instead, a voice called out to her from the couch beside her bed, one that rendered everything else - even the sound of her own breathing - silent.
"So, I guess you know what to do?" On the couch was a figure so breathtakingly beautiful despite having no clear features, that Ori thought she forgot to breathe. It looked like the personification of all things that defined "beauty" in Ori's eyes.
"Veyal'Edaria'nim" she managed to half-whisper, half-whimper in awe.
"That's my name," The figure of the goddess stood and put her hand on her face in a motherly gesture, "don't wear it out."
Suddenly, her mind was flooded with a conversation half remembered in a forgotten dream. "We talked before." Ori said, reminding herself that she doesn't have a mouth to close because she felt like gaping like a fool.
For the barest hint of a moment, Ori noticed the figure flicker out of existence. "Ah," the goddess spoke, "looks like I don't have much time."
Ori tried to scramble out of her bed to help the goddess in whatever is needed, but that hand on her face planted itself gently, but firmly, on her chest, holding her down.
"I'm but a waning fragment of Edaria, child, no need to worry. The goddess herself knows what is happening to you through me." The figure's face contorted in sorrow so deep, it almost looked... monstrous, "I regret that I couldn't do the same for others of The People."
The figure went through another blinking flicker and it was once again seated on the couch, back straight, hands on her lap, as if sitting on some narrow throne.
"These people... these humans, are your allies, yes." Edaria said, not as a question, but a declaration. "They will truly help you in the quest to come." The goddess looked towards the door, but seemingly beyond it. "Not that they will have a choice, anyway." She said, ruefully.
"I cannot say beyond what is needed because this world's Language of Time is.... vexing in its complexity." The goddess once again stood up and gracefully walked towards the foot of Ori's bed. "But know this. The travesty done upon you and upon A'kasiya is about to be done upon this world and then countless others as well."
"But," A glowing window with a vision materialized on Edaria's upturned hand. It was snippets of the vision in Ori's dream but it held itself on the end, where the otherworldly finger poked through A'kasiya and the figure that was about to consume it, "I believe we have found our good fortune."
"How so, my Lady?" Ori asked, trying to sit a little straighter on the bed.
"I think this world's pantheon's way of raising their Children has created a race that," there is a whisper of a smile on the goddess' face as she spoke, "takes offense at the concept of fate."
"I... don't understand, my Lady, how does that help against..." Ori waved at the image of the enemy they faced, "that?"
The image of the vision collapsed on the goddess's palm and she sat next to Ori's feet. "What is fate but the order of gods?" Edaria said with a shrug, "What is fate but the Will declared and proclaimed by powers beyond our own capability?"
The goddess gave Ori a pointed look, there was a twinge of annoyance in those eyes, but thankfully, not at her. "The gods here are... annoyingly silent. But I think that's by design." Edaria's figure began to flicker again, "Nevertheless, this is all I can tell you at this point in time. I cannot affect more than this else I call in the Enemy's consciousness upon us."
"At the moment, you..." the goddess pointed at Ori's form, "...are far from ready for that fight. I will come to you as soon as you find something where the Humans found you."
"Until then..." Edaria's figure flickered again, longer and more violently this time, "... know I am happy that at least one of you is alive."
With that, the goddess disappeared and the sound of everything else returned.
>HUDsys: ALERT: Heart rate spike detected
Just in time for what Ori assumed to be the nurse to come through the door.
He asked if she was alright and despite wanting to tell him about her interaction, Ori decided that it was for Tara and the captain to know. So she just told him that it was only a bad dream.
This garnered a sympathetic look from the man and he asks if she needed anything.
>HUDsys: ALERT: Vitals stabilizing
"I could use more of that drink." She pointed at the box that contained the delicious water.
"Sure!" The nurse said while the box seemingly knowing what is requested, popped out a new bottle. Before the nurse turned around towards it, Ori floated the bottle towards her.
The nurse turned to her with a shocked and amazed look on his face. "You could've just asked me to get it for you, you know."
Ori paused from working the tube into her "mouth", confused, "Is it not rude to demand labor from the host?"
The nurse's eyebrows shot up with realization, "Ahh, no, our hospitality works differently here. Maybe some other colony out there has something like that, but not on this ship." He said with a smile while helping Ori with the straw.
Not knowing what else to say, Ori asked, "Where's Tara?" somewhat pleasantly surprised that she can both talk and eat or drink at the same time.
A glowing speck seeming passed through the nurse's eyes before he replied, "She's on-mission right now clearing the ship for when you go there tomorrow."
"Ah," Ori replied contemplatively while sipping on the bottle of water, "I see. Thank you."
The nurse gave her a reassuring squeeze her natural shoulder before leaving the room.
An hour of consideration later, Ori's last thought before disengaging from her bed's charging port was that she needed to talk to the Captain.

Por ejemplo, en Argentina es predominante el término pija, y en España el término polla; tanto es así que al escucharlos o leerlos podemos identificar de qué país es la persona que los usa. ¿En Panamá tenemos algún término equivalente?

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Synopsis:
Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess. Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read … and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.
Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle, and taking matters into her own hands, escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Copious Ohohohohos.
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Chapter 152: The Colour Of Evil
Dismay did not come easily to my heart.
Well, no. It did. Battling Coppelia for the last éclair only to find more air than whipped cream? Galling. A despair which shook so hard I could hear my ancestors crying in grief with me.
But as a princess, I was the star of my people. The only joy in their lightless lives of poverty. And that meant misery was a feeling they monopolised.
Usually.
Because once again, it fell to me to be doing what no other princess had to do. And the anguish I experienced was second only to my utter exasperation that there existed more than a single ladder aimed below the ground.
“Why am I climbing down a hole … again?!”
I was a princess, for goodness sake!
This … This had to stop! And not only because descending holes was highly inappropriate and would thus be stricken from all official records!
I was using a smuggler’s ladder. And for some reason, that simply had to mean complete shoddiness!
“The travesty!” I said, my hands pausing as the ladder creaked ominously. “Just because this ladder is used for illicit purposes doesn’t preclude it from being designed to specification! Criminal activity only exists because it’s profitable! Why, then, is a single misbegotten crown not used for ensuring it doesn’t … wobble?!”
Above me, Coppelia came to a standstill.
She balanced on a single foot, her hands behind her back as she tempted fate by teetering on the spot.
I wished she didn’t.
If she fell, then so would I. And despite her catching me multiple times by now, it still wasn’t an experience I’d quite refer to as comfortable.
“Probably so that C-rank adventurers can find them when their owners go missing,” she said, her wide smile unnecessarily lit up by Starlight Grace. “How would you know this is the correct illicit ladder if it wasn’t rusty and definitely missing at least half its nails?”
My lips parted to refute her point.
The idea that criminals were somehow so hapless that they also had the foresight to signpost a way to their own rescue when their schemes went awry seemed exceptionally ridiculous.
And that’s why … only a groan came out.
“Ugh … yet again, the criminal mind is a thing of terror I can never hope to unravel.”
“Well, I stand by my instincts. This ladder was put here for us. My impeccable flair for drama says so.”
“There won’t be any drama … hopefully.”
“Too late. I can already tell it’s going to snap halfway down, and then I’ll have to grab your hand at the last moment as you let your shiny sword fall into the abyss.”
“Impossible. The ladder may snap, but my grip will not. I refuse to allow my sword to fall. It’s been entrusted to me by my grandmother. Not losing Starlight Grace to a hole in the ground is the most basic of expectations.”
“... What if you do drop your sword, though?”
“If my sword falls, then you shall need to catch me … as I leap down to catch it.”
“I mean, I haven’t met your grandmother, but I feel like she’d prioritise a sword going dink, dink, dink instead of, you know, her granddaughter going splat.”
“True. You haven’t met my grandmother if that’s how you believe she’d prioritise things.”
“That’s one sweet grandmother.”
I nodded in agreement, then pointed Starlight Grace beneath me.
Sadly for Coppelia, her dreams of grasping me by the fingertips would have to wait for another dramatic moment.
At long last, something reflective met my sword.
Either a lost fruit slime or the ground. Both would suit my boots.
Relieved that this descent was nearing its end, I dared to hurry down, skipping a few rungs with a familiarity I wished I didn’t have.
Almost immediately, I felt the hardness of a roughly hewn tunnel beneath my feet, joined by a darkness as unwelcoming as the staleness in the air.
Fortunately, I didn’t intend on overstaying.
“Come, Coppelia!” I said as my loyal handmaiden landed behind me. “We have an unspecified evil to remove … and us along with it! I refuse to loiter in these mines longer than it takes to issue my complaints.”
“Okie~ do you know where to go, though?”
I nodded confidently.
“I absolutely do not.”
“Eh?”
“Why should I? I’m hardly the type of princess to traverse caves and mines.”
“Oh, okay. I guess that’s it, then.”
“Not yet. You’ve no need to worry. Our total lack of directions won’t prove an issue.”
“Those are the most ominous words I’ve ever heard you say.”
“Then you shall need to hear what I’ll say to the source of Stermondt’s darkness. And since our goal is to remove it, we already possess the finest guide available.”
I proudly held Starlight Grace further aloft, its light reflecting the veins of iron streaking across the tunnel walls.
“Indeed, I may not know the way … but my fabled, all-purpose sword does!”
“By any chance, is there anything your sword can’t do?”
“Yes. Fail me.”
Smiling with well-placed confidence, I strolled forwards, following where the light pierced the darkness the most.
Either side of me, unlit torches winding through the darkness served as our escort.
Slowly, we familiarised our steps with the uneven tunnels. Any semblance of uniformity was foreign, the tunnels hugging our shoulders or expansive enough to house the vast colonies of tunnel bats who made their homes here, their crimson eyes unblinking against unseen ceilings.
Eventually, a sharp din broke the quiet, joining our footsteps as we entered a tunnel streaked by more than flecks of iron. Rarer stones of vibrant colours could be found, the mines still clearly unexcavated.
And this meant rarer monsters as well.
Plink. Plink. Plink.
I stopped, my sword illuminating a sharp corner.
Around it, a bizarre cacophony of noise originated.
“Do you hear that? What is it?”
“Maybe someone else actually dropped their magic sword?”
“A magic sword would make a far prouder noise. This is the sound of magpies pecking at the pile outside my bedroom window.”
“The pile? What? You have a rubbish pile outside your window?”
“I do. The maids sweep it aside each morning, but the brooches and tiaras usually form a pile again by mid-afternoon.”
Coppelia paused.
“Why is there constantly a pile of jewellery outside your window, and out of curiosity, whereabouts in your Royal Villa do you live again?”
“I’ll be happy to show you when I make my grand return. But I live in the third tallest tower. Florella and Clarise are older, so they naturally have the tallest ones.”
“Just princess things. Got it. And the jewellery is … ?”
“Worthless. Which is why they’re there. Visiting dignitaries often gift items adorned with ill-fitting gemstones. A crime of ignorance as much as miserliness. Topaz and citrine are the worst culprits. Do bear that in mind should you purchase me any pendants or ornaments.”
“I give a Coppelia promise that I will never buy you extremely expensive but still not quite expensive enough pieces of jewellery for you to toss outside your window. Also, I’m pretty sure this isn’t the sound of magpies pecking away at gemstones. It’s pickaxes.”
I lowered my sword slightly, then frowned as darkness rushed in like the tide.
“The missing miners? It can’t be. Even the most dutiful cannot work without light.”
Coppelia shrugged.
“Maybe they don’t need light to work anymore?”
“Are you suggesting they’ve succumbed to some evil?”
“Eh, wouldn’t be the first time. In some parts of the world, zombie miners are positively in-vogue.”
I listened to the unnaturally rhythmic metronome of pickaxes striking against rock.
The banshee, it seemed, was unlikely to be the only undead I witnessed tonight.
“Not in my kingdom,” I declared, proceeding forth. “To fall prey to undeath is to serve a darker power. And my subjects are already sworn to me.”
“Eternal servitude is surprisingly flexible, you know?”
“Not while I’m princess … Come. It’s time we see what fate has befallen the miners of my kingdom.”
I rounded the corner, my sword stretching forward as light filled the awaiting chasm.
Or so I thought.
As I stepped forwards, the tiniest breeze imaginable met me. A curious sensation to find in the depths of the world.
I craned my neck up, up, and more up.
There, like a single star in the night sky, was a morsel of moonlight peeking from an unseen entrance at the peak of the chasm.
And then I realised where we were.
It was the fabled hole into the abyss.
Except that what was at the bottom wasn’t the entrance to the underworld.
It was mineral deposits glittering like dew in the morning. Precious gemstones winking amidst streaks of silver, copper and iron. A veritable find of riches. And one which demanded the presence of over a dozen miners to diligently carve away at the rocks they were embedded in.
Plink. Plink. Plink.
So diligently, in fact, that some continued to chip away even when nothing of their tools remained.
Pickaxes worn down to their shafts swung relentlessly against the rock, some already splintered like firewood. Then, as I sent my blade’s illuminating light across the faces of those present, I realised that the worst had come to pass.
“This … This is …”
My words remained unspoken.
Yet the grim sight said the rest.
Shambling, unnatural movements. Attire torn and frayed. Sunken cheeks. Peeling grey skin. Hollow eyes devoid of life.
The odour of rot and decay.
The miners were all present, and though their arms worked tirelessly, their souls had long departed their broken bodies.
I looked on in horror, my free hand covering my mouth … and then my nose.
Here was a visage so ghastly that even as I stood in shock, I knew this would forever be a memory I’d never extinguish. The most bleak image to ever be etched into my young, innocent eyes.
Yes … my people had been turned into the hideous, ravenous unde–
“Oh, they’re still alive.”
“They are?!?!”
I gawked at Coppelia in defiance of all etiquette, then turned my wide eyes towards the nearest miners.
The grey skin!
The bony cheeks!
The white eyes!
The rotting odour!
Were these not the hallmarks of wrights, ghouls and gheists?!
“Yep, definitely alive!” said Coppelia, cheerily skipping amongst the miners as they diligently ignored her. “Definitely not quite here in the head, but still here in soul!”
I pointed at the nearest miner. I could scarcely make out his face, such was the amount of grey sheen upon his face.
“This constitutes alive?!”
“Hmmmmmmmmmmm … he just looks like a normal miner to me.”
“How?!”
“This is what happens when you work underground. No sunlight, plus you’re permanently covered in dust. Look~”
Coppelia blew a puff of air at the closest miner.
A huge bloom of dust was immediately swept away. I was appalled. Not only because it made no visible dent in the amount of grime present, but also because I hadn’t retreated sufficiently enough.
“Are you saying miners always look so … dead?”
“Yup~”
I gasped.
All this time, my people had been toiling away under such unremitting conditions, devoid of both gratitude and fair remuneration … and they didn’t even pretend to have regular baths afterwards?!
The lack of standards was abysmal!
At least farmers would be doused in the rain or fall into a river in a drunken haze!
Truly, my efforts to populate Soap Island could not come to fruition soon enough! Only vast amounts of high quality bathing products stamped with my kingdom’s export seal could erase the grime which caked these peasants!
“Very well! These miners clearly require rescuing. And not merely from their hygiene deficiencies. What’s wrong with them, exactly? This cannot be natural.”
Indeed, their lack of reaction was clearly unordinary!
Why, even with their sights hampered, my royal aura was one where they should immediately abandon their tools just to begin prostrating themselves.
Coppelia waved her hand in front of one.
“Hmm … it’s not any [Charm] effect. That only makes them do the mermaid thing. You know what I mean.”
“I ... I have no idea what you’re referring to … but if I did, I make no apologies!”
“Well, this one’s something different. They’re mining, so they’re following commands. But it’s not any mind control, or the person that’s controlling would be reacting to us. It’s actually pretty rare to have something in between. Too much of a halfway house. That means some kind of enthrallment.”
Light went spiralling in every direction as I stamped a boot.
Enthrallment!
How dare anyone seek to make thralls of my subjects! They were already prisoners to their duty! Nobody had the right to release them, add to it, and certainly not to commandeer it!
“Unacceptable,” I declared. “To benefit from the appalling toil of my peasants is a grave slight against the very sovereignty of my kingdom. We must break this enthrallment at once.”
“Ooh, ooh, I can do that! Leave it to me~”
Coppelia leaned forwards.
And then–
“[Coppelia Slap]!”
Crack.
The miner’s head twisted at a highly concerning angle.
My mouth widened in horror. Coppelia blinked at him.
Then, she slowly reached forwards and twisted his head back into place.
“He’s fine,” she said.
The miner didn’t even flinch before resuming his duties.
I was horrified.
Impressed, yes … but horrified!
“Curious. Not even your highly discerning touch could break the enthrallment.”
“Yep, I definitely didn’t just [Coppelia Slap] for fun.”
I waited, allowing Coppelia to amend her statement.
“Okay, fine. It was fun … but it was also to wake your peasants up! I’m shocked it didn’t work. My slap usually does. This must be a really strong enthrallment. Maybe it’s not even magic. That’d explain why it’s like this.”
“Are there many forms of enthrallment that’s not magic?”
“No. But some creatures possess the intrinsic ability to enthral. Or at least something similar to it. This is definitely the type of thing the Mage’s Guild would send a specialist team and several weeks figuring out before deciding who’s responsible and how to safely undo it.”
“... And so you immediately slapped one?”
“Yep!” Coppelia beamed unashamedly. “You wanna give your poke of life a try?”
I couldn’t recoil at the idea far enough.
Literally. Back to the wall I went.
“W-Wha … I most certainly do not!”
“Eh? Aren’t these your peasants?”
“Yes, but my poke is the massage of a thousand goddesses! It is not something to be used as some common bandage to be wrapped around every minor niggle!”
“... Did I mention this is a really strong enthrallment? Emphasis on the really. My slap is no joke. I woke up the big guy with my slap once, and he sleeps like a troll on a bridge.”
“Excuse me? The big who?”
“The big guy. The library’s custodian. The one with the big voice. Speaks like this.”
Coppelia’s voice echoed for a moment. A few pieces of stones were disturbed.
I was impressed. Each day, my loyal handmaiden was showing me more skills that I would eventually take full advantage of to earn back her salary.
Whatever her salary was, that is.
“Oh, him. Well, I’ve no doubt my poke of life would work. But even so, there’s a far simpler method to break the shackles on these miners. One which doesn’t involve my royal finger coming into contact with … whatever is on these peasants’ cheeks.”
“Ooookay~ I think I understand now.”
“Good. Then you know they don’t require a princess’s touch. Only the removal of Stermondt’s problems. We’re at the bottom of the hole. The source can’t be far.”
“The source of all the evil tingling in the air, you mean?”
“Yes. It’s like an invisible miasma. Highly discomforting.”
“Well, I can’t tell you what it is, but I know it likes the colour yellow.”
“Excuse me?”
Smiling enthusiastically, Coppelia pointed to a corner of the chasm.
I sent Starlight Grace’s illuminating light over it. A small slope was present, revealing what appeared to be a tiny valley dug out from the ground.
My sword aloft, I proceeded over and peeked further into the gap.
And then I looked at Coppelia in utter bewilderment.
“... Why is there a tent here?!”
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Escort Gurmesinden Escort Rehberi

Tonlarca escort (rus alman türk kürt özbek çeçen azerbaycanlı ermenili kenyalı afrikalı danimarkalısı polonları daha niceleri) siktim tadım testini de yaptım. Benim sikime en layığı Zenciler (kenyalı afrikalılar vs.) oldu nedense kişiden kişiye göre değişiklik gösterilir amaaa benim için sebebi şu cimcif olanağı + prezervatif zorunluluğu olmaması (Riskli) + posta sayısı olanağı/istisnası (3-4 kere boşalma hakkı normalde 1 iken)
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1 - Escortlarla konuşurken duyacağınız kelimeler:

Cim (Cum In Mouth) yani ağıza boşalmak demek beyaz escortların (Beyaz Çikolata) hemen hemen hepsi yapmıyor (yapanlar elbet var fakat çok aşırı pahalı +fiyatlar konumdan ilçeye ile göre değişiklik gösterebilir salak salak yazmayın fiyat şu şu diye) fakat siyahi escortlar (Çikolata) hemen hemen hepsi yapıyor %90ı yapıyor ek ücrette istemiyorlar fakat beyazlar istiyor.
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Cif (Cum In Face) yani yüze boşalmak demek yukardaki dediğimin aynısı burda geçerli beyazların hemen hemen hepsi yapmıyor fskst siyahiler yapıyor iyi bir şekilde hemde bu tamamen fantezinize kalmış bişey tabii
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Momile (Anne) bu kelime dilini pek bilmiyorum ama çeviriye yazdığımda ve sorduğumda kürtçe anlamı olan Anne yani "Kadın Satıcısı" deniliyor. Şimdi dersiniz ee kardeşim hani escort sikiyordun ne alaka anne falan arkadaşlar her Anne direkt Anne olarak gelmedi bu piyasaya hemen hemen tüm Anne olan kadınlar Escortluj yapmıştır zamanında ancak öyle yükselirler bu işte (nasıl yükselecekleri hakkında detaylı anlatım yapıcam devamında) mesela momile var dediklerinde o Kadın Satıcısı yani anne var demek istiyorlar.
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French Kiss (Pahalı olanlarında var anca) : Dilli öpüşme sert olmadan yanak ısırma falan zevkli değil amk bence.
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NOT: Dahası var fakat gereksiz detaylara değinmedim isteyen olursa yorumlarda falan tüm detayları eklerim gerekli gereksiz veya sorsun güncelleyip eklerim buraya (tabii de cevaplayıp)
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2 - Escortlar hakkında dikkat edilmesi gereken şeyler:

1. Cim Cif muhabbetini direkt sormayın terslenip laf yiyip engellenirsiniz kişi tarafından.
2. Escortu oyalamayın gerekli şeyleri sorun yeterli o arkadaşınız veya dert ortağınız değil.
3. Çağırdığınız escortla da saticisiyla da sekreteriyle de iyi geçinin nazik tavırlı saygılı konuşun ve tabii birazda gevşek konuşun süt çocuğu sanmasınlar bizi amk hayırdır (onlarda insan amq + olarak indirim ve belki aranız cok iyi olursa takılmalık veya içki vs. karsiliginda bile cagirdiginiz escortla sikisebilirsiniz).
4. Çıplak foto vs istemeyin zaten çıplak göreceksiniz foto istemeyipte engel + laf yemenin manası yok.
5. Sikinizin fotosunu atıp boyu yeterli olur diye demeyin amk iğrençleşmeyin.
6. Escort sizden foto isterse atmayın şunu diyin benim kendi taktik %100 işe yarıyor "Geldiğinde zaten görüceksin canım 😅" diyin zaten siz dediğim gibi nazik olursanız saygılı seviyeli olursanız zaten ısrar etmez direkt tamam der.
7. Escortla veya Satıcısıyla veya Sekreteriyle fiyat konusunda pazarlık etmeyin amk bakkaldan elma almıyorsunuz başka insanlardan escort satın alıyorsunuz amq ha baktınız samimi oldunuz paşam abicim falan diyor o zaman "Abi yaa bişeyler yapabilirmisin veya şu taxi ücretine bişey yapsak bari olurmu 😅" falan diyin indirim yaparlar.
8. Escorta mesaj atarken "Merhaba" "Merhaba foto ve bilgi alabilirmiyim" gibi mesajlar atın derse size, siz kimsiniz de bana böyle şeyler yazıyorsunuz sizi dava ediceğim utanmaz falan derse bisiklet ilanındaki telefon numarası değilmi bu kardeşim? Gibi şeyler diyin sonra engelleyin kurtulursunuz rahatlıkla zaten bu mesajı atanlar dolandiricilari oluyo %99.99 ihtimalle. Gidipte sitelerin verdiği otomatik mesajları wp ye atmayın sıçarsınız aman diyim.
9. Fiyat Foto istedikten sonra baktınız hemen attı kızları (bayan demeniz lazım kız dediğinizde bozuluyorlar genelde)
10. Escort çağıran adam kurnaz çevik olur aklınızla düşünün götünüzle değil
11. İbandan vs isterse kesinlikle ama kesinlikle atmayın engelleyin geçin
12. Mümkün olduğunca escorta parayı sadece odada ELDEN vermeye özen gösterin İBANDAN kesinlikle para atmayın hiç birine dolandırıcıdır.
13. Mutlaka escortla konuşurken sorun aynı bayan gelmezse geri gönderebilirmiyiz falan ki emin olun garanti altına alın bir şey oldummu gösterirsiniz konuşmayı siktiri çekersiniz karıya
14. Genelde escortun kendisiyle değil Satıcısıyla sürücüsüyle veya sekreterlerle konuşursunuz ondan dikkatli olun. Escort sikisten sonra sizi beğenirse zaten kendisi telefon numarasini verir direkt veya siz istersiniz verir ileride indirim hatta belki bedava sikisebilirsiniz

3 - Escortla nasıl iyi/etkili şekilde konuşulur

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• Dediğim gibi nazik olmalısınız ama süt çocuğu gibi gözükmeyin dışardan mq taşşak geçmesinler sonra sizle

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• Kadın rusça konuşuyorsa rusça, ingilizce konuşuyorsa ingilizce konuşun eğer onun dilinden yazışır konuşursanız kendisini daha rahat hissedip istediğinizi yapma oranı baya bi artar

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4 - Sahte ile gerçeği nasıl ayırt edebilirim?

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• Çok basit aslında ilanlara bakacaksınız tamamen zaten dolandırıcı olan kişinin tüm ilanları mesaj gönderdiğinizde otomatik olarak size atılır ve hepsi aynı olur salak olmayan biri rahatlıkla anlar yani.

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• Fotolar çok profesyonelce çekilmişse fake olma ihtimali %99 profesyonelce değilde kalitesiz böyle biraz sikim sonik tarzda çekilmişse o %99 ihtimalle gerçek :) rahat olun. Zaten gene ilandan anlarsınız size direkt fiyatı + fotoları atar. Anlamayan olursa foto atarım Sahte ile Gerçek ilan arasındaki farkları.

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• Konuşma tarzları, eğer direkt uzun uzun yazılar atıyorsa %90 ihtimalle zaten fakedir sizden Rezevasyon ücreti altında 100 tl falan ibandan atmanızı ister engelleyin direkt

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• Sahte olanlar ödemenin yarısını ibandan falan istiyor veya taxi ücretini ibandan önden istiyor salak değilseniz göndermezsiniz çünkü sahte mq dolandırıcılar / Gerçek olanlar taxi ve bayanın kendi saatlik ücretini tamamen elden alır sizede söyler söylemezse sorarsınız zaten size direkt elden diye bilgi verir

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• Gece saatlerinde çalışanlar %100 gerçektir denendi onaylandı zaten hepsini gece çağırıp siktim. (Genelde gece 02:00-03:00 arası mesaileri saat sabah 05:00 veya istisna olursa 06:00 da biter.

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• İşletme olanlar genelde ajanslar (pezevenkli çalışan) oluyor %95 ihtimalle gerçek olabiliyorlar tamamen ilana ve fotolara bağlı

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5 - Escortu nereye çağırmalıyım?

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• Asla evine gitme böbreğini kaybedersin emin ol bu dönemde eve gidilme falan olmaz eskiden ama oluru vardı

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• Kesinlikle ama kesinlikle geceleri otele çağır ucuz yollu bir apart otel tut arkadaşın varsa (benim gibi mesela resepsiyonda çalıştığımdan oda ücreti derdim yok otel benim çünkü amq) ondan istisna yapmasini isteyebilirsin kirli odayı verir hem temizleme derdinde olmaz

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• Escortu kendi evine çağırma itibarını diğer insanlar tarafından zedelersin escortçu piç diye adın çıkar.

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• Sabahları kesinlikle çağırma çok riskli polis vs. Geceleri ortam daha sakin olduğundan riskte çok ama çok az.

6 - Escort fiyatları nelerdir?

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• Tamamen yaptığı muameleye bağlı mesela bazıları var cim cif yapar (cum in mouth + cum in face) 2000 tl der bazıları sakso yapar 1500 der o hesap düşünün.

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• Tanındık ünlü sayfalara giderseniz 5000 tl falan oluyor fiyatlar ama onda her bok var 69 pozisyonu deep throat (Siki kadının ağzına boğaz kısmına derine sokmak sakso gibi ama daha iyisi) prezervatifsiz yapma imkanı daha bir çok gereksiz şey.

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• Eğer fazla tanınmadık sayfalara giderseniz elbet fiyatlar baya bi düşecektir. 1500-2000 tl civarı olur saksosuda olur prezervatifsiz sikme olanağıda olur bir ton şey kadina soracaksiniz kendiniz uygun bir dille.

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Not: Piyasası şuan (bizim burda) 1500-5000 arası fakat şöyle söyliyeyim 1500lükle 5000in farkı yok aq o derece genede karar sizin.

7- Escortu Otele Nasıl Çağırmalısın?

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• Escortu buldun mesaj attın fiyatı anlaştın falan fotoyu gördün beğendin sıra geldi çağırmaya otelin direkt konumunu at sana taxi ücretini söyler zaten (Korsanmı yani pezevenkiylemi gelicek yoksa tekmi gelicek nasıl anlarsın anlatıcam) 2 ihtimal var

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• Direkt sabit söyler 200 tl falan diye

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• Konuma göre fiyat söyler gerçekten insaflıysa

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8- Kamera Mevzusu (Kamera Yerleştirilme Riski Hakkında)

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• Beyler otele çağırıcaksınız kendi odanıza unutmayın. Fanteziniz varsa üst taraflara falan yerleştirin bişeyler çekin amk siz onun yerine oteline gitmediğiniz sürece kendi yerinize (OTEL) çağırdığınız sürece kamera yerleştirilme görüntüye alınma riski %0

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9 - Escort Otele Satıcısının Arabalasıyla mı Gelicek Kendisi mi Gelicek Nasıl Anlıyacağım?

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• Escort sana direkt sabit taxi ücreti derse ve escort ilanında da birden çok kız atıldıysa %95 ihtimalle özel araba yani pezevenkiyle gelicek (hemen hemen alanyada hepsi öyle yapıyor) eğer baktın biraz durdu sonra değişik bir fiyat söyledi (sabit 200 olur genelde sana 100 veya 250 falan bişey dedi %75 ihtimalle pezevenkiyle değilde tek gelicek)

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10 - Genel olarak bize lazım olacak şeyler

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• Prezervatif (Okey Zero efsane hissettiriyor et ete değiyor resmen mq)

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• Otel odası (kirli olur farketmez yatak odası makul bir şekilde temiz olsun yeter)

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• Odada klima kumandası (Ne olur ne olmaz bazıları klima istiyor sıcak veya soğuk diyor sonra laf yemeyin)

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• Ekstradan prezervatifler çekmecede falan olurda yirtilirsa diye (eğer risk almak isterseniz prezervatif yırtılınca ne yapacağınızı anlatıcağım)

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• Tabi ki de kadının parası.

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11 - Prezervatif yırtılırsa ne yapıcağım?

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• Çok basit eğer risk almak istemiyorsanız direkt kadının içinden çıkıp yeni prezervatif takın veya taktırın ha baktınız kadını aktif bir şekilde sikiyorsunuz yırtılırsa bozuntuya verme sikmeye devam et farketmiyecektir farkederse mecbur değiştirir prezervatifini veya öyle izin verir sikmene (boşalmaya yakınsan) bişey demez farketmez bile boşalma noktasına gelince ama hemen çık ki içine boşalma hamile kalma riski bile olmasın.

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12 - Escortu nasıl bulacağız?

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• Googleye girdiğin zaman İl veya İlçe yaz sonrasında Escort yaz mesela Alanya Escort gibisinden anladın sen onu. Bu dönemde twitterdan (X) ten bulunmaz tehlikelidir kalitesizdir emin ol.

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13 - (Alanya İçin) Fake Siteler (Her Fake Site Bulduğumda Güncellenicek)

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1. masajescort
2. sanalalanya
3. alanyaucakbilet

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14 - Escortun travesti çıkma olanağı varmı varsa % kaç?

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• Asla yok hele bu dönemde zaten ilanında yazar Travesti Asu falan diye kimse veya escort sizin haberiniz olmadan istemeden travesti falan gelmez veya göndermez rahat olsun içiniz

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15 - Escortla odada nasıl ilişkiye başlıyacağım?

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• Resepsiyonda kadını bekledin geldiğinde asansöre git onunla (resepsiyon tanıdıksa sorun çıkarmıyacaktır tanıdık değilse misafir ücreti veya oda ücreti ödeyip yukarı çıkıcaksınız)

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• Odaya girdiğinde escortla bi konuşun falan direkt hiç bozuntuya vermeden soyunmaya başla ilk önce altını çıkart sonra üstünü çıkart ondan sonra donu

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• Hızlı kalksın diye çıkarırken bi onu elle kalçasını memesini falan bide kendi çavuşunu elle reaksiyon gerçekleşsin diye

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16 - İlk postayı attık (Hayırlı Olsun) sonrasında ne yapıcağız?

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• Hiç heycana girme önceden sorduysan mutlaka 2 posta olur 1. yi postayı attın ya yatakta otur kıza falan sarıl veya kahve su falan iç rahat ol gerginliğini at üzerinden süreden gitmez rahat ol molada süreden gidilmez asla.

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17 - Yaş Sorusu

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• Hiçbir escort (çok küçük gözükmediğiniz takdirde yaşınızı falan sormaz sorarsada 18-19 diyin geçin bişe demiyolar kimlik soracak değiller amk escortlar polis değiller. Sorarsada paniğe girme rahat ol

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18 - Hangi dille anlaşıcağız escortla?

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• Hemen hemen hepsi türkçe konuşur sorun yok bazıları ama ingilizce konuşuyor ondan ingilizce bilgin biraz olsun ne olur ne olmaz ama geneli türkçe rahat ol yani

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19 - İlk sikişim olucak ne yapmalıyım

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• Benimde ilk sikişim escortla oldu (Kalitesiziyle hemde kötü deneyimdi amk) söyleme escorta boşver o anlamaz zaten çok ultra hızlı derecede boşalmazsan ama baktın samimi buldun samimi davranıyor sana söyle çekinme sana istisna falan gösterir yani yardımcı olur

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20 - Kaç dakika sürse kısa olmaz

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• 10-20-30 dakika falan sürerse sikişin kısa olmaz merak etme öyle 1 saat siktim falan dediklere de kanma yalan amk

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21 - Escortlar sikişirken ahlıyor zevk alıyor mu la bunlar?

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• Bazıları evet gerçekten zevk alır ama bazıları sırf ortamı daha da zevkli hale getirmek için yapar veya seni çabuk boşalttırmak için daha çabuk erekte olabilesin veya erekte olmuş sikin inmesin diye geneli bu işi çoktandır yaptığı için kuyu gibi genişlemiştir ondan zevk almazlar hemen hemen hepsi

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22 - Ne tür sitelerden Escort bakmalıyız?

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• Gençler bakın şimdi gidipte escortnewsten falan alırsanız tabi pahalı olur bilindik ünlü bir site çünkü. Bence benim tavsiyem ucuz ve hemen hemen kaliteli bir şey istiyorsanız fanteziniz yoksa daha alt sitelere bakın fiyatları genelde 1500 tl den falan başlıyacaktır yada daha düşüğe başlar belki İl veya İlçeye göre değişiklik gösterir

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23 - Escortu siktikten sonra numarasını silmeli miyim?

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• Sakın aman ha Whatsapp arşivine ekle kalsın ve (İl veya İlçe) Güvenilir Esc yaz ki ileride de gidebilesin numaraları stokla kardeşim yani gerçek ilanları olduğunu anladığın numaraları stokla ki ileride farklı farklı kişileri deneyimleyebilesin

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24 - Escort çok sıkıntı çıkarıyor ne yapmalıyım?

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• Benim bahsettiğim bu pezevenkle çalışan escortlar sıkıntı çıkarmaz genelde ha çıkarırsada laf etmeyin sikin geçin kadını yolladıktan sonra pezevenkine yazın wp den şikayetçi olun amk hakkınız çünkü kadına bir şey yaparsanız yani vurursanız falan gelirler döverler cidden o sıkıntı baya risk almaya gerek yok ki arkadaşlarım yaşadı bu durumu malesef

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25 - Bu pezevenkle mi çalışan escortlar mı? Pezevenksiz çalışan escort mu?

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Bence şahsi düşüncem pezevenksiz çalışan sebebi şu
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• Pezevenksiz çalışan escortlar %95 kaliteli oluyor çünkü onlarda biliyor sıkıntı çıkarırsa kurtaracak kimsesi yok ondan sadece işlerini yaparlar kaliteli bir şekilde

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• Ayrıca 1 saate 2 veya 3 kere boşalma hakkı tanırlar ama o dediğim pezevenklerde 1 malesef (benim ilçemde böyle başka yerlerde bilemem) 1500 tl veriyoz aq çünkü sudan ucuz bence he ama en fazla 2 olur oda çok zor

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26 - Ne tür ırk seçmeliyim?

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• Bulabiliyorsan Polonya - Arap - Fas - Afrikalı - Kenyalı sebebi şu çok fena sikişiyorlar acayip bişey en üst deneyimi onlarda yaşarsın valla

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27 - Escorta ne zaman gideyim her zaman gitmeli miyim?

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• Sıkılıyorum diyorsan bok gibi param var diyorsan git çağır sen bilirsin ha dersen ekonomik olsun istiyorum 10 günde 1 15 günde 1 çağır kafana göre takıl bunun hakkında bişey diyemem ben 10 günde bir çağırıyorum

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28 - Pezevenkle çalışan escorttan numara isteme (OP TAKTİK)

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• Sikiştikten sonra pezevenkle çalışıyorsa şahsi numarasını isteyin verirse numarasını ileride size hem indirim falan yapar hem daha güvenilir bu bir taktiktir unutmayın kimse söylemez bunu deneyin görürsünüz mutlaka

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29 - Escortları ne kadar sürelik almalıyız? Saatlik? Gecelik?

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• Tamamen azgınlığınıza veya sıkılma seviyenize + paranıza bağlı derseniz benim bok gibi param var harcamak istiyorum ve yanımda tüm gece sikişeceğim biri olsun al gecelik ammına ha dersen para az ama zevk alayım biraz uzun sürsün 1 saatlik veya 2 saatlik al

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30 - Escort sektöründe Saat kavramı nedir?

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• Şöyle söyliyeyim insanoğlu bazı kelimeleri duymak veya görmek istemez rahatsız olurlar buda aynı mevzu 1 Seans (yani 1 boşalmak hakkı demek) dediklerinde bune aq çok azmış derler giderler müşteri kaybederler ama 1 saat derlerse vay mk 1 saat derler escortu tutma ihtimalleri daha çok yükselir. Dolu gözüksün diye içi kısacası

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31- Escortun hastalıklı olup olmadığını nasıl anlarım?

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• Vajinasına bak mutlaka etrafında tomurcuk gibi böyle baloncuk baloncuk kırmızı şeyler varsa hemen git sikme bile hastalık kapma riskin çok yüksek olur o karı hastalıklıdır ondan hiç hayır gelmez yani aman dikkat.

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32 - Escortta Süreler (Siyahiler - Beyazlar)

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Siyahilerde

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• 1 saat 1 - 2 Seans (çok nadir 3 olabiliyor)

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• 2 saat 3 - 4 Seans

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• 3 saat 5 - 6 Seans

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• 4 saat 6 - 8 Seans

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• Gecelik (12 Saat bildiğim) Seans sınırı yok sik sikebildiğin kadar o süre boyunca

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Beyazlarda

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• 1 saat 1 Seans

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• 2 saat 2 Seans

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• 3 saat 3 Seans

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• 4 saat 4 Seans

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• Gecelik (12 saat sanırsam veya 6 saat oluyor) Seans sınırı yok sik sikebildiğin kadar o süre boyunca

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Yılların Escort Gurmesinden Tavsiyeler

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• Escortu 1 veya en fazla 2 saatlik al (Beyaz alıcaksan 2 saat Siyahi alıcaksan 1 saat al ama görüntüsünede göre değişir çok güzelse arttır saati kafana göre)

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• Mutlaka ilk sikişini siyahiyle yap kaliteli ve ucuz deneyim yaşamak istiyorsan fiyat performans yani

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• Yanına en az 3 veya 4 prezervatif al

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• Fazladan paran olsun her zaman yanında ne olur ne olmaz

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• Otele çağırıcaksan resepsiyon sıkıntı çıkarmayacaksa odanda bekle o kendisi gelsin veya sıkıntı çıkaracağını düşünüyorsan resepsiyonun direkt kendin karşıla kadını

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• Numaraları mutlaka kaydet daha gitmemiş olsan bile fake olmadığına eminsen anladıysan zaten kaydet sitelerden silinebiliyor numaraları ne kadar çok seçenek o kadar iyi mutlaka kayder Denenicek Esc 1 2 3 4 5 gibisinden wp veya telefon değiştirirsen senle kalsınlar

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• Mutlaka Escort numaralarını arşive at orda kalsın aman normal sohbet kısmında olmasın çok riskli ve itibar zedeler biri görürse

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Okuduysanız teşekkür ederim herhangi bir sorunuz olursa DM (7/24 açık cevaplarım anında) sorun çekinmeyin
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Gerçek / Sahte ayırt etmemi istiyorsanız yazabilirsiniz DM den
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Rehberime laf eden vardı buradan ona selam olsun
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Eklemeyi unuttuğum soru yazı bilgi varsa güncelleyip eklerim sizin için ayrıca dm ve yorumlardan da cevaplayacağım
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shadececo sunar
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Herkes rehber yazabilir fakat herkes İcraat yapamaz saygılar.

I just tried to look at Avenida Santisima Trinidad and Congress de Colombia...and nothing. No streetview in Asunción...or Paraguay in general?
I found this perplexing. You can see the street names and clear outlines of buildings and infrastructure, but no Google. Compare this to streetview existing of African countries and most of Italy, so you can't mumble "crime blah blah", because in Italy and some African countries (and Mexico etc), there are cop cars escorting the streetview car(s).
What do you think is going on? Conspiracy theories?
Asunción in Paraguay doesn't look any worse than Buenos Aires in Argentina...and there is streetview of Buenos Aires. (There's also even some Google streetview of Karachi...in Pakistan.)
Thoughts?

I got married on Saturday. My husband and me, we planned the wedding together over a span of 1 and a half years.
We wanted something special and had a lot of friends from overseas (England, Scotland, SA, Colombia, Argentina etc etc). We invited 83 people. Of those 32 were family and the rest friends.
My cousin brought his girl of 3 years. I do not know this woman very well. So I have neither anything against her nor do I like her. I am (was) indifferent.
The ceremony went by as planned. We cried. My parents cried. His parents cried. We had a little "champagne" reception before driving to the wedding venue.
Anyway. Times goes by. We eat, do the toast. Photographer comes go me to inform me, he saw cousins practicing a proposal. Me, not wanting to escalate shit, send my maid of honor to tell him that he shouldn't propose at my wedding.
She goes, tells him, and he seems to get it. Until it was time to toss the bouquet. She didn't even catch the damn thing. My Grammy did. But when I turned around, my cousin was walking towards his gf with another bouquet, tells her she is next, and goes on one knee to propose.
My family was cheering, and everyone else looked deeply uncomfortable. His gf cries and jumps, and my cousin turns around to (and I kid you not) tell the DJ to play "their song"
Before anything else could happen, I snatched the microphone and began giving a speech. I don't remember it fully. As I felt rage taking over. So here is the gist of it.
But I said something like "Congratulations, Mike and random girl I have never seen. May your marriage be as selfish as what you have just done. I see you guys don't care about the happiness of anyone but yourself . Even after asking you not to do this, you decided what you wanted was more important. Random girl, I hope you didn't have any sort of boundaries that misaligned Mike's. Because he is gonna bulldoze yours like he did with me. Mike is gonna do what Mike is gonna do. Fuck you Mike. Leave"
I was crying by that point I was sobbing. I informed venue security to escorte Mike and random girl out.
When I came back, my aunt and other cousin were gone. I managed to enjoy the rest and after that we went on a little spa weekend.
When we came back today I saw that our friends absolutely blasted Mike. But I also got a lot of messages saying, that I went to far humiliating him in front of strangers(by my family). I feel like I am swallowing crazy pills.
Aita ?

Don't make things too complicated. The first date with someone you don't know much about is full of uncertainty. Try not to make things more muddled by attempting to organise the ideal heartfelt supper, or arranging an entire outing male escort. Instead, keep things brief and straightforward. If your date is someone you'd like to spend more time with, you can quickly tell by having a cup of coffee in a central location. Additionally, the espresso would possibly change into a lunch or dinner if the whole thing is going consistent with plan, including a few spontaneity to the mix.
Try not to push superfluously
A touch of tension is normal on a first date - truth be told, it's a portion of the good times. However, you'll need to dispose of the sort of pressure that will make you bothered and your date awkward. Keep in mind that your date will male escort jobs feel more at ease around you the more relaxed you are. Sitting at a proper perspective in your date in preference to at once going through them is one smooth trick. You can do a little people-watching instead of trying to fill every pause in the conversation because this alleviates the pressure.
Reduce the amount of texting and meet in person. The conversation may have begun on an app or website, but it shouldn't last too long there. Although texting can certainly give you a sense of another person, you need more than just messages on a screen to really get to know each other: looks, non-verbal communication and male escort service manner of speaking are comparably significant. Therefore, instead of wasting your time on a virtual relationship, meet the real person behind the words.
Prepare some topics for a first date You might be wondering how to prepare for a first date.
You couldn't go for a new employee screening without getting ready ahead of time, so for what reason should a first date be any unique? Consider some interesting responses to the questions you might be asked on a first date and some good questions to ask. However, if you treat the first date like an actual interview, it will raise red flags male escort jobs in mumbai.
Keep in mind that responses are just as important as good questions on a first date. In point of fact, you should concentrate on listening attentively and making the other person feel at ease. With that in mind, stay away from delicate themes connected with sex or cash. On a first date, you shouldn't ask the other person how much they make or why their last relationship ended.
Individuals appreciate being around confident individuals. Furthermore, your non-verbal communication passes a ton about you male escort porn on to your date through strong signs. One technique for aiding your sureness is to do a hint of 'force introducing' somewhat early. To fool the cerebrum into feeling more sure, this implies representing a couple of moments with your hands on your hips, similar to a hero. However, you won't look bad on the off chance that you do it on the actual date.
Further develop your listening abilities We as a whole appreciate discussing ourselves, yet don't expect that your date thinks that you are similarly intriguing. Zeroing in exclusively on you gives a false impression, truth be told. Notwithstanding, you can't simply close down and let your date chat on their own; that is likewise a dependable method for coming up short. Try to tune in with knowledge and answer fittingly, similar to male escort job when we sum up a point and circle back to an inquiry like, "All in all, you burned through 90 days in Argentina, how was that?"
Establish a decent first connection. The initial feeling matters. An individual's view of you is shaped in light of your appearance and disposition in no time. Grinning is an extraordinary method for establishing a decent first connection. Grinning is a propensity for affable individuals, an indication of satisfaction, and an expertise that can be mastered. You won't just start to feel significantly improved because of grinning how to become a male escort more, however you will likewise extend a portion of that inspiration onto everyone around you. Everything without question revolves around certain energy!
Additionally, set some focus on looking great, however save your standard style and dress for the event. You wouldn't make an appearance at a bistro wearing a tux, and you shouldn't make an appearance at a mixed drink party wearing male escort delhi shorts and a shirt, all things considered.
Be steady with yourself
Dating in the 21st century can feel like a competition, and perhaps it has perpetually been that way. Anyway, many times we measure our worth against those we see to be 'winning', with the result that we endeavor to imitate and upgrade how to become male escort what others are doing instead of finding out as our own would like.
Be that as it may, there ought not be champs and failures in dating. Finding somebody you care about and can connect with is the key. somebody you can make glad for you and somebody you can make glad for them. This must be achieved in the event that you stay consistent with what your identity is and permit your legitimacy to radiate through find more at gigolomania.com.

CONCACAF

1. There is only one giant: Mexico proved through two very tepid performances that it’s not at the height of the USA, who easily dispatched both its friendly games. One opponent of both teams, Uzbekistan, received a goleada from the USA, and tied Mexico 3-3. This is not even mentioning Costa Rica’s latest performance. It’s quite easy to see that in CONCACAF there is still one king and many serfs, and it’s not the one Mexican media wants you to think.
   
2. The most corrupt confederation in the world: The format CONCACAF cooked up for the Nation’s League (which is also serving as qualifications for next year’s Copa América) is a travesty. First, the US, Mexico, Canada and Costa Rica were given a free pass in to the second round. Second, the first round is designed to hamper its strongest squads. Guatemala-Panama and Jamaica-Haiti the strongest squads of each group, face each other twice in a group of 6 where the won’t face 2 of their group opponents. This was designed to specifically eliminate one, ensure a weaker team qualifies, so that the US, and this weak-ass Mexico have an easier time in the following round and a surprise elimination of one of them does not occur. This seem to be happening, since El Salvador’s terrible performance and loss to Trinidad amd Tobago gave this country a very easy path to eliminate either Guatemala or Panama, even if they get destroyed by Guatemala (they don’t even have to play Panama).
   
3. Echoes of the Centenario?: US, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Haiti. These were the CONCACAF squads that played the Copa America in 2016. While having an exact repeat of this lineup is very unlikely due to CONCACAF’s scheduling shenanigans, each of these squads is looking like the strongest in the region once again, and a return of these familiar face to the world’s oldest regional football competition seems to be more likely than not. Unironically, Costa Rica is looking like the most unlikely team to qualify out of these.
   

CONMEBOL

1. The top isn’t lonely as long as I have you: It seems that no South American team truly has what it takes to challenge Brazil and Argentina’s dominion over CONMEBOL. Colombia and Uruguay seemed to be true contenders until terrible second performances brought them back down to Earth. The way things are going, it would be very surprising if either Arg or Bra lose a single time this qualifying campaign.
   
2. Gran Colombia together for 2026?: Both Ecuador and Venezuela showed great potential even in their losses against Argentina and Colombia respectively. The potential was met as both of these countries won at home against historically tough opponents. Will their good performance give them enough impetus to overcome the sanction (for Ecuador) or the fact that they’re Venezuela (for Venezuela)? Only time will tell, but the road seems easy given the rest of South America’s performances.
   
3. Perú and Chile might be the same team:…so boring…so lacking in offensive capabilities… Given the fact that an insane 7/10 Conmebol nations qualify for this World Cup, at least one of them is likely to qualify… but which one? Next fecha FIFA’s Clásico del Pacifico might just give us everything we need to know
   

Ok listen guys, I know its chapter 69. I know you all have expectations for this number, especially in a sub like this. But the only one going to get fucked in my story is the Empire, sorry not sorry. Hahaha.
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Convocation of worlds: Part One
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Liberation Day Plus Seventeen
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:Völundr, Grand Runemaster and right hand of the High King, Camelot:
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The main hall bustled with activity as the attendees mingled and wandered the halls taking in the blend of Firstling and Fantasy architecture and decor. Only the best of both worlds had been considered.
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Oh how they marvelled. The archways, columns, trims, all perfect. The carpets, tapestries, curtains, and long flowing rugs, beyond luxurious.
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Entrancing water fixtures, flourishing gardens, proud and lifelike statuary drew every eye. Hopefully there would not be a need to activate the disguised golems. .
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The reception rooms for reflection, quiet gatherings, more private conversations, and refreshments were furnished with only the finest quality furniture and artwork. The rooms also allowed for the activation of runes that would ensure the occupants absolute privacy.
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Unlike Fantasy where most if not all beings actively avoided the deep seas, Earth’s significant lack of deep dwelling monstrosities allowed for exquisite balconies opening out towards the great ocean. All with comfortable heating options as well.
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The glass of the windows and chandeliers were clear enough that they had to make special efforts to prevent both guests and local animals from trying to pass through ‘openings’. He chuckled at the memory of the fairy princess who had been the first to appreciate their efforts firsthand, after peeling herself off the glass of course.
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The serving staff, and guards were as finely dressed as they were lethal. It would certainly not do for such proceedings to be disturbed by those uncouth enough not to understand time and place.
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And last but by no means least, the mosaic! If Forewoman Adela had not already received it, the old taskmaster would no doubt have been granted royal recognition for her work.
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Whether the attendees were one of the Immortals, the new Firstlings or a denizen of Fantasy, all stopped to gaze upon it.
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The scenes started with the arrival of the First to Fantasy. Their great acts of kindness, friendship and righteous might. Followed by the celebration of their world at last knowing peace and harmony.
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Next came their saviour's departure, and the eternal vigil of all who awaited their return. He almost burst into tears as it showed the last moment the First had stood upon their world.
More panels depicted the arrival of word from beyond the Door, the summons, and the Great Conclave. Adela had somehow managed to capture the raw intensity of emotions at the discovery of the fate of the First and his people.
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The armies of Fantasy eagerly waited for the Door to open, and deliver their Friends from death and despair. It emanated a sense of great anticipation that was released in a storm in the next scene.
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He could still hear the sounding of Dáinn's horn and feel the charge in his very bones. Though it was not wholly accurate, as it did not reveal the chaotic moments that had transpired just moments prior.
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The following sections were dedicated to each of the races and the Firstling’s part in the battle.
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The confrontation between Shailyn and the Black Ones, Balor’s terrifying rampage, the endless charge of the centaur, his king rallying the flagging defenders, mighty Terra preventing the enemy's terrible weapon, and the surrendering of Imperial forces afterwards.
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He noticed the panel before the last was split horizontally in two, and looked closer.
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On top, the ents, elves, and fianna healed the wounded, and pulled those who stood on the precipice of death back into the land of the living. It evoked feelings of relief and goodness, that even in the dark times of war, we could all be better.
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On the bottom portion lay the dead of all shapes and sizes, side by side regardless of race or allegiance. The memorial stones were shown alongside the tally of how many had fallen. So much death and pain for such little gain, only a fool or monster could want for such a thing.
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Moving in front of the mosaic’s final scene filled him with renewed hope for the days to come, as all from Fantasy, Earth, and even those from the Starry Sea stood together in friendship. If they all worked together, if they all held one another up, they could achieve anything.
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Though those were his hopes, he was no fool. There would be bickering, posturing, selfishness, and short sightedness to look forward to.
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Looking over the list of attendees he thumbed his beard, the Immortals would make up the bulk of the delegates. King Arthur Pendragon and his allies were naturally attending, as they were the hosts.
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Some nations and peoples sent their elected leaders or other representatives rather than an immortal which was understandable. Whether this was because there was friction between the legendary figures and their modern kin or if circumstances in their homelands required their direct oversight was not known.
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Those who had already arrived were Salah al-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub, commonly known as Saladin, a great leader and warrior. the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa. Julius Caesar, Consul of Rome. The philosopher, Confusious. Joan D’Arc, the Patron Saint of Soldiers. Mahatma Gandhi, an advocate for rights and freedoms for all beings. Orhan Ghazi, Second Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, and son of Osman. Regent and Lady Protector of Egypt, Hatshepsut. The fabled Persian revolutionary and hero, Bābak Khorramdin. The Mansa of the New Malian Kingdom of East Africa, Mansa Musa. a disturbingly eerie man named Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, a mystic and holy man. And the Voivode Vlad Dragulya, a stern and unforgiving looking man.
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The nation of Zealand had sent a female Prime Minister, which was certainly an oddity. Aside from the woman and the Japanese Prime Minister Abe, only a scant few modern political leaders would be in attendance.
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According to his little moles, there had been some discontentment from Japan regarding the man who would be representing them, but that would require some further delving into.
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Religious leaders such as Pope Francis, Grand Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei and the Dalai Lama would also be in attendance. Perhaps in private, they could uncover some topsoil on why none of the people of Earth knew of the First and how to best go about propagating their teachings.
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Hephaestus and Terra would also be present representing the Church of the Mended Goddess. It was a shame that such a young woman would have to endure the guano pile that was the world of politics.
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He furrowed his brow as he continued down the list. There were a few odd additions that warranted further scrutiny.
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One of the alien governess’ had sought and won her election in a landslide victory, and now represented a tropical island chain across the ocean. President Mat’asay had stood tall and fended off many a withering gaze or disparaging word with nothing but a relaxed smile.
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The United States of America was in severe upheaval, and as such, the Statesians had elected to have Commander Todd Walters represent their interests. Having played a significant role in the success of the battle for Earth, he was an ideal candidate, even though the man had done everything in his power to decline.
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The military man only reluctantly consented after speaking with the founder of his homeland. A man who did not covet power and was in a position to wield it effectively would always be the greatest treasure of any hold.
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Lord Walters was not the only commander taking part either. Nurdi Melkov, representing the organisation known as the Global Occult Coalition, had been granted a seat at the table. Theirs was a group dedicated to containing and combating the mystical and otherworldly entities that threatened his people.
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That said, it was truly ironic that the commander’s niece headed the largest and most powerful sect of magi, wizards, witches, warlocks, sorcerers, enchanters, conjurors and assorted magic wielders on this side of the Door.
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Though out of all the menagerie of heroes, legends, villains, aliens, and diplomats one stood out as the strangest. The list had hurriedly been altered at the last minute to include a person named Michael.
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No family name, no position or title. It was beyond an oddity, it felt like a prank by a junior assistant.
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“We’re here!” A pale young man with wild wavy brown hair and an ill fitting suit shouted as he came to a stop in front of him breathing heavily.
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“I’m Michael King, Prime Minister of Canada, along with my Deputy Prime Minister Pierre Leblanc!” This was simply too timely, it had to be some kind of trick.
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“Now normally, I wouldn’t pry; however, you seem quite young to be a democratically elected representative. Now if you were from a nation that had nobility or a ruling clan that would be more believab-” ‘
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Pierre angrily stomped forward and shouted over him.
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“Now lizen ‘ere shordy, you ‘ad better show ze pro pare respect to ze Pri Minister. Ee zinglehandedly apprehended za cowardly aubergine governess and forczed ze zoorender of ze alienz. ‘Is speech about unifying Canada and ze importance of our zhared ‘istory, ‘as over one ‘undred million viewz. It waz beautiful!” The older man’s accent was so thick it made him want to tear out his own beard and jam the hair into his ears. .
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He was about to motion for the guards to escort the pair of fools to be questioned how they had managed to circumvent their defences, but it was nearly time to begin.
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With the snap of his fingers, one of the serving staff, a tall elven man, stepped quietly to his right.
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“Please help get Prime Minister King and his Deputy presentable. We have little time, so I would appreciate it if you could hurry.” With a curt nod, the elf led the two away to be properly attired.
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If they were spies or meant to do harm, they would be dealt with. If they really were who they said they were. He would apologise without reservation.
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The time had finally arrived! The doors opened and the delegates proceeded inside while their entourages, and retinues were escorted to their own seating.
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Lord Arthur had been unmoving in that the conclave would be seated around a massive round table. It was sturdy, and finely crafted, and even if it was meant to symbolise equal standing, it was so very plain.
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At least the chairs were allowed to be quite lavish, as the talks were going to be quite lengthy and it wouldn't do to be to thinking of how sore ones rear end was when matters of import were being discussed.
Nearly two thirds of the room had auditorium seating facing towards a massive balcony overlooking the table and ocean where a couple hundred could sit and observe, though much of it remained unoccupied.
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Those that were present, were related in some manner to the aforementioned delegates
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His attention was drawn to the large communication crystal and other ‘video cameras’ all around the room, and sighed. At the behest of the host, all people of Earth bore witness to the first meeting between Fantasy and their world. A bold move, but a potentially risky one as well.
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The furor surrounding the great conclave had swept across both worlds as the Firstlings had even offered to supply those who had remained in their world the ability to witness the event.
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Overhearing a handful of staff chatting had revealed something called the ‘internet’ was out of control and going wild. The men and women did not appear to be disconcerted, and as such perhaps it was some idiom or joke he was not privy to.
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There were downsides though, politicians, diplomats, and rulers were as much actors as they were dignitaries, and the larger the audience? The more likely they would play into their ‘roles’. With two worlds watching, and the very real possibility of it becoming seen by the civilizations beyond the starry sea, the urge to project, and compete was nearly a certainty.
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“People of Earth, it is my privilege to open the Great Conclave between our world and Fantasy. Before the designated speaker takes over and we officially begin, I would like to personally address the people of Great Britain.” Arthur had informed everyone of his plans to address his people, which was well within his right as host.
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Some hosts would take up hours or even most of the day dithering about some obscure topic, or on self aggrandisement. Thankfully, Lord Arthur had provided a copy of his brief address to assuage such concerns.
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“Firstly I would say, as unlikely as it is, to those who may not know of me, I am the immortal Arthur Pendragon. I smote the Saxons, the Jutes, the Angles and the wild tribes of the Northmen, just as is recorded in the Historia Brittonum. I freed the Isle of Anglesey from the Cath Palug and ended the rampage of the Twrch Trwyth. Giants, Witches and even dragons have fallen before my blade. I count both noble and commoner among my greatest friends and allies. At this very Round Table sat blacksmiths, brigands, and farmers alongside storied families and warriors. Though I speak these words, I know my past is not what concerns you, it is the future, and your place in it.” Uncertainty could at times be far worse for the mind and heart than any known danger.
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“Let it be known, with the blessings of Prime Minister Johnson, both houses of parliament, and Queen Elizabeth the Second, I now head our nation as rightful King and Lord Protector of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. As you can imagine, recent times have been… trying, to say the least; however, as of this moment, rest assured you may wholly depend upon me to lead the people of Britain to a brighter, more prosperous future. I will hold nothing back, to ensure this comes to pass, on this you have my word.” A strong delivery, eye contact with the transmission device that would no doubt make it seem he spoke directly to whoever was viewing. It was a very well done performance.
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“Little will change in your daily lives, as I have little interest or desire to interfere with how you yourselves have decided to live. A further press release will be available at a later date detailing in greater depth my position, powers, limitations and responsibilities to our homeland.” To be open, and forthcoming with one's people were respected qualities in any monarch.
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Lord Arthur ended his speech, and offered the Speaker's Staff to him.
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“Thank you Lord Pendragon, I am certain these lands will flourish under your guiding hand.” Pleasantries now aside, it was time to show all who witnessed these proceedings why he had been the right hand of not one, but two High Kings.
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“Firstlings, it is my greatest honour and I am humbled, elated and excited all at once to have been chosen out of the innumerable qualified individuals who could have been selected to fulfil this role. I am Volundr, Grand Runemaster, advisor and mentor to High King Dáinn of the Dwarven Holds, creator and pioneer of three dimensional runecrafting, architect of the Archstones that now shield our worlds, and descendent of Dvergr, first of the dwarves! And I greet you all, children of the First.” Facing the large communications crystal he bowed deeply.
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“I know that all involved would prefer we delve right in, but I would be remiss not to mention something many who are not accustomed to such gatherings may not be prepared for as well as issue a warning.”
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“I shall begin with the warning, though I do not believe it truly needs stating. It is directed at all in attendance, those who would use their magics, abilities or technology to visit harm or influence in any way those involved shall be dealt with swiftly and harshly.” Forcing magic through his runic tattoos lit his arms and face up in a bold declaration of raw intent that he would make good on his promise.
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“Now on to the preamble!” He brightly chuckled, as the light faded from his body.
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“The conclave is likely to be a drawn out affair with much bickering over both grand topics and seemingly unimportant minutiae, and as such will almost certainly go on for many days and nights. I have been informed by one of your young folk that I can post a rough schedule and issue notifications on your ‘inturnmet’ and ‘social media’. Such wonderful creations, if I do say so myself!” Botching the word on purpose and allowing his genuine excitement to eek out would be a sure way to endear himself to the audience.
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"Let me try and get it to wo- oh my, there we… go!" The flash from the artefact captured his astonished expression in perfect detail and like he had practised 'uploaded' the image to all of the major 'sites.'
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Gravitas and authority mixed with a bit of humour, and humility was an ideal way to begin. To capture the attention of not just those present but all who were watching. He would do the Dwarves and his king proud.
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“Now that is settled, before we delve into deeper matters, are there any issues that we may address?” A magical candle illuminated next to the Lord Dragulya to notify the table of his desire to speak, and one of the three Speaking Staves was delivered to the man who waited patiently.
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Though it had appeared childish at first glance, the magics imbued in the simple looking piece of wood contained a powerful enchantment. One mighty enough to silence all but the holder within a predetermined area.
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One could quietly converse with those close at hand, but to address the whole conclave required possessing the magical artefact.
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Three such relics had been procured to help keep dialogue from becoming too excitable. A rather ingenious way to prevent more chaotic outbursts.
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“I was informed that the aliens would not be present today, and yet I see them scattered among a number of delegations and even seated here.” The Voivode stated flatly.
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Lord Arthur’s candle lit up in response.
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“It was made clear to all that these talks would not include representatives of alien factions, not individuals who happen to be non-terrestrial, Lord Tepes. We are not in conflict with every person not born upon Earth or Fantasy.”
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“I did not say that we were, that would truly be foolish. I asked why they were here, and now I ask what their being here will offer. What purpose does their presence serve?”
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President Mat’asay’s candle lit next.
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“I serve at the leisure of the people of my domain. I will continue to do so until that changes.” The Shil’vati stated in no uncertain terms and held his gaze. The President could not have been ignorant of what the man she was addressing had done to those of her race.
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A slight smile curled upwards on the man’s face.
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“And the others?”
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“Analyst Nev’rea. I am Intimately familiar with the technology and tactics of all three major powers in our galaxy.” The woman rose, and spoke from her seat in the audience.
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“Acetria Vor’lex. Oathsworn to Lord Tharnok, head of clan Clan Awyr yn Deilwng, and first of my people’s Dragon Blooded. The last statement drew many eyes from the races, including Tiamat. “And I bring the knowledge and experience of how the highest strata of Shil society act, think and behave.”
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“Maeve Howell, your Voivodness! I am Head of Clan Howell, wielder of great An Dagda’s hammer, and oathbound to restore the might of Sir Kay’s clan and honour. And I speak for the Terran First!” It was the first time seeing one of the purple aliens with anything but black or silver hair. The vibrant orange matched many of the Firstlings from Arthur’s tribe.
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There were others of varying peoples who rose, and stated their expertise, knowledge and loyalties. The most exciting was a giant of a red furred lion man named Virk. The mercenary and security leader bared his fangs in challenge, laughed and said if he were going into battle with us, he needed to see our fangs first.
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Vlad ‘The Dragon’ Tepes did indeed have a vicious set of canines, which he proudly displayed in response. Seemingly placated, the immortal nodded and his candle went dark again.
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The next candle to light came from the Wolf delegation. The she wolf did not have the proper appendage to hold the artefact, but it seemed placing her paw upon it worked well enough.
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“I do not yet have sufficient knowledge to properly levy criticism nor to judge. If Our Friends would help to enlighten me, I would be most appreciative.” The first of the pack leader’s mates Nashoba spoke primly.
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A great many of the non immortal Firstlings were disconcerted that such a stern motherly voice could have come from the massive fanged mouth.
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“I would be more than happy to assist with whatever questions you may have madam.” Todd Walters had clearly been hoping to quietly retire in the aftermath, but with such a dearth of qualified military leaders representing the modern values and aspirations of his people, he had been selected.
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“Tell me, those small animals, the ones that smell and resemble my own kin… what are they?”
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“We call them dogs, Madam. They are a canine subspecies directly descended from this world's wolves.” The large brows of Nashoba knitted together in thought.
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“We evolved and survived side by side for close to ten thousand years. They are known as man’s best friend.”
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“Were they always this way?”
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“Over centuries of domestication and breeding for certain roles their forms have indeed changed in some circumstances quite drastically.”
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“Why would those who you call Friend, those of your race, owe so much to be made weak, and deformed? Is this how the Firstlings treat all of their ‘Friends?’” Fenrir’s other mate Asena loudly barked out.
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The atmosphere grew much more tense as the leaders of the other races watched intently.
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The two females had a tendency to play good wolf, bad wolf during negotiations with their race. Fenrir rarely spoke at such meetings, as his responsibility was only to lead the warpacks.
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“That was not our intention.”
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“Intention or not, it is a reality.” Master Walters was not an ambassador or even a diplomat, and was more akin to the male Wolf who was discreetly offering him a pitying gaze. Arthur’s candle lit up, clearly trying to assist the man.
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“Though I do not appreciate the underlying accusations levied against humanity, I agree that what has been done to our oldest friends and allies is a travesty, and will be rectified in the lands under my stewardship. I imagine others will follow suit, this act is not one we find pleasant either.”
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“They were our brothers and sisters in battle, guardians of our livelihoods, and protectors of our loved ones. What has been done to them, is unacceptable, and is as much a reflection of ourselves as it is of them.”
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“How so?” Noshaba asked.
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“We no longer need fear the dark or the creatures that preyed upon us as we once did. No longer do we need to worry about the safeties of ourselves and those closest to us. Humanity has achieved much in recent years, but has lost part of itself as well. It has become soft, undisciplined, frail… shadows of those we once were in ages past.”
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“And the invasion of your world has changed this?” Nashoba once again inquired, but instead of allowing Arthur to answer, Asena jumped in.
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“Is it because you see how the otherworlders would have remade you, suppressed and subverted who you are as a race? Wouldn’t it have been ironic, the Firstlings defanged and declawed, kept as quaint pets to be trotted out to amuse others like their own ‘dogs’.” This comment was not directed at Arthur or the delegates, but instead to the people of Earth.
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“The people of Earth have been awakened and will not return to slumber.” Both of the wolves looked at Lord Arthur for some time.
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“We will see.” The two wolves answered in unison.
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To the uninitiated it may have appeared that the wolves were concerned about a similar race out of some unspoken bond. To those who understood, they knew both females had almost certainly known the answers already.
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They just wanted the Firstlings to know it.
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The treants expressed concerns over monocropping, fertilisers, pollution, something called the Great Barrier in the Reef, and the burning of coal, oil, and gas. There had been little pushback and even enthusiastic support for these positions among the immortals; however, those who represented the new Firstlings were much more resistant.
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Most of the world’s infrastructure, ability to feed, cloth and produce for themselves was reliant on those sources of fuel.
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A compromise was made, and the creation of great places of power called Nuclear reactors would phase out the majority of them. They would be stabilised and improved by devices and knowledge gleaned from the invaders, the aligned races from the Starry Sea as well as techniques from Fantasy.
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Some rough calculations in his head had the sites being capable of being operable for several centuries. The specifics would have to be hammered out, but it certainly looked promising, especially if this ‘fusion’ could be achieved. With dwarven engineering, runes and minds behind them, they would surely succeed.
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It was at this moment that Tharnok whispered to Tiamat, and the great protector of Fantasy spoke for the first time. She stated in no uncertain terms that such energy could not be used as a weapon.
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Dwarves and some of the centaur clans used explosives for mining, and clearing land, or creating pathways through the mountains. What could be the harm, It would just be a bigger boom.
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The new Firstlings paled at mere mention of such a weapon. Perhaps this was something to be taken more seriously. Despite the fear of using such a device, they pressed to only use the theoretical weapon if either world faced unavoidable cataclysm.
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The Wyrm Queen assented with the stipulation that only she and one other of their choosing would be able to wield it. Tharnok looked… relieved, this would require further inquiry.
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As the talks drew on, it became increasingly clear of the schism emerging between the both groups of Firstlings. The old were much like their counterparts of Fantasy, they valued honour, sacrifice, duty, martial discipline, and the tribe. The new placed great importance on the individual, on personal freedoms, equality, and justice.
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Neither side was aware of how deep such divisions were until the topic of how to prepare for the coming battles.
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“Whether you are Muslim, Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Zoorastrian, white, black or brown, yellow… we have only a single world. Our adversaries have hundreds, with numbers beyond counting!” A lightly brown skinned Firstling proclaimed.
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“What are you suggesting Mr. Khorramdin?” A pale woman with long brown hair asked suspiciously, and without reverence.
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“Prime Minister Ardern, every man, boy of at least fourteen seasons, and elder whose strength of arm has not failed him must answer the call to war.”
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“You cannot be serious, worldwide conscription?!” Heads nodded in acceptance around the great hall, while others wore expressions of shock. .
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“I pray they shall offer themselves of their own volition; however, if not then they shall serve under duress.”
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“And what role shall femme et filles play in the war efforts?” Another woman clad in a modest tunic inquired.
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“Supplies must still be produced, the affairs of civil society must be maintained, but most importantly…” The words that followed were barely audible and muffled.
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It was rather obvious what the most important thing in any war was. What good were arms, armour, bolts, and axes, if there was none to wield them?
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“Lord Babak is not so crass as to speak aloud the duties of a woman. Nor does he seek to insult your intelligence with the obvious.” A tall elder with narrow eyes and a long beard appeared beside the flustered immortal and gently took possession of the artefact.
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“It needs to be said aloud, for all to hear, without ambiguity.” Piercing grey eyes bored into the wizened speaker.
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“Children, Dame Joan. It is a duty which can only be performed by a woman. If there is to be a future for all humans, we must all sacrifice.” If not for the magical relics there would have been a thunderous explosion of anger.
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“Surely such extreme measures will not be necessary? We defeated the Imperium rather handily.” Commander Melikov asked hesitantly.
"The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved." Confucius stated with certainty.
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“My esteemed and noble colleague speaks true wisdom, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. A handful of engagements and battles does not win a war! Both of our worlds have spit in the face of an empire that spans the very stars. How do you imagine that will sit with the ones who rule it? Do you truly believe that they will not attempt a second time if not only for their battered pride?” Caesar scolded.
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“Even if we make terms with this Imperium, who is to say that they will be honoured. Is our own history not full of such false promises and oathbreakers?” Another elder with weathered brown skin wearing a feathered headdress spoke.
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It was his words that quieted the opposition.
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“When we arrived, your lines were on the verge of collapse, Commander. If not for our timely intervention you would have been overrun, and the rest of your forces would have been crushed.” Dáinn stated roughly.
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“As for the topic at hand, we Dwarves know just how controversial such an invasive decision can be.” He stood and walked around the room. Even as billions of sentient beings watched, his friend did not falter.
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They would have to acquire this technology, it would make public announcements much easier on the king in the future.
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“To those unfamiliar with my race, I will say this. Once a dwarf discovers their passion, they will seek out little else even at the cost of their own well being. Dwarvish women are no exception and no less dedicated to their pursuits than any of our menfolk. Under my grandfather’s reign, policies had to be enacted to ensure our continued survival.” Praise be to the First, that one of the proverbs that had been passed down was able to convince the majority of their people.
It was not important who Jack was, but that the man engaged in far too much work, and not enough time for merriment or family.
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One did not invoke, nor disregard the teachings of the First lightly.
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“It was only thanks to them th-”
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“Humanity numbers in the billions, there is no reason to even suggest such a barbaric course of action. We are nowhere close to going extinct! Dáinn was interrupted by an irate Prime Minister Ardern.
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His king looked pityingly at the politician and sighed. “If not for mighty Terra your race and world would have been a memory, forgotten in a generation. I have seen the numbers of the forces arrayed against us, and to those who reside in the Starry Sea, we ALL may as well be.”
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Prime Minister Ardern’s voice caught in her throat while Dáinn continued.
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“To the denizens of Earth, I say this.” Once again he directed his words to the people watching.
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“The enemy’s numbers are unending, they now know of our magics, our runes, they have seen the might of your immortal champions and our own as well. We will not be so fortunate in the battles ahead, for they will come prepared!” The room hung onto every word. It was like hearing the old king speak again.
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“ And to my friends of Fantasy, I say this, now that they know of us, of our world, one day they will find us. We do not have the luxury to pontificate on every decision, we must hope for peace, and prepare for war!”
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First / Next
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Thank you to u/BlueFishcake for the setting and my editor u/0rreborre and to all those who have contributed to the SCP universe for years.

"You're sure just the three of us will be fine? I really don't want a repetition of last night." Michael said.
"Yeah it'll be fine. I get that you haven't exactly had the best experiences so far, but this is still a place people live and everything. You've just had some bad luck, today we'll take it easy to balance it out." Kellista said. She and Culleo would be the ones escorting Michael as he went downtown today, hopefully without getting into trouble for the first time. Mike was hoping for a little more backup, but the pair of three foot lizards were the only ones available today. Apparently the three day weekend wasn't just to slack off on.
It was just before noon and they had spent the morning finally going through the stuff Mike pulled off Kel, which was mostly Nick nacks and scrap that had a little value, so their first stop was going to be a pawn shop in what Culleo described as a sketchier part of town. Again he thought that wasn't the best option, but was outvoted by the locals who thought everything would be fine. Surely it would be this time, there had to be a reason they acted like that after all, and this was now on their home turf! Yeah, no way this would go as poorly as every other time he foresaw things ending poorly.
When they got to the phone-shaped thingamajig that Mike could pull various polyhedrons out of, Culleo confirmed that it was indeed money, and the dnd-dice-shaped-multicolour-shale looking things were indeed coins. It was the most inefficient form of currency Mike could think of, or at least would be if they didn't disappear on contact with the wallet part. Turri tried to tell him that they were actually some kind of magical battery, and therefore useless to Mike, so he should just give them to him, but he was onto the birbs tricks by now.
They took advantage of the situation to give Mike a lesson on numbers since even with the translation spell he still couldn't read and would need to learn on his own anyway. The lesson went by quickly, using the same number system meant he wouldn't have to convert to different bases or anything so it was a simple matter of memorizing what symbol went with that number. When all was said and done, Mike was able to see he had a balance of 16,523 'chits,' which he hoped made him rich. Culleo said it was a lot, but Lithia disagreed, saying it was "good for a start, but wouldn't last long at all." Luckily Mike had a couple more sources of liquidity coming his way.
They were making their way downtown, walking fast, faces passed when Culleo asked where Mike wanted to go first. "The pawn shop makes sense to me as the first place to go, I don't want to go to the shady part of the city carrying more than we can get away with and it would be smart to unload and get as much money as we can before we do any shopping. And I think I'd appreciate getting past the danger rather than stressing about it all day. What do you think?" He said
"I don't really have an opinion either way, we're going for your stuff after all, so sure, let's do that." Kellista answered, and Culleo nodded his agreement.
And so they went to what was clearly once an apartment center, surrounded by crumbling high rises that still went a dozen stories up. All but the most decrepit were used in some way, probably as store fronts judging by all the signage and wares being sold. Looking up, Mike saw a lot of boards, bolts and ropes holding the buildings together, and elected not to be here when a magnitude 4 earthquake reduced the district-sized OSHA violation to rubble. After a few minutes, or hours of you asked someone as stressed as Michael, and they were standing in front of their destination. Back on Earth Mike would have assumed it to be a hobby shop, as the 'coins' that decorated the sign looked like tabletop dice next to a name written in such obtuse cursive he would have struggled to read it even in English.
"Welcome to Guzmer's! You buying, selling, or just lookin' around?" Called a voice that was somehow both high and low at the same time, coming from a… 'What were they called? Rodintias?' on the other side of the counter. The 3 foot hamster sported a nice coat of white and caramel fur that was clearly well groomed, and he stood with a straight back and a pleasant smile. It took quite a bit of effort for Mike to not break down and pet the little guy, though that was made easier when he saw the crocodile bodyguard, lurking in the shadows just behind.
With his attention broken away from the big eyes and twitchy nose of the cashier, Mike was able to take in the surroundings and noted how well the place was put together. In place of the cracked and bolted walls on the outside of the building, this place was reinforced with dark wood beams that were worked well into the aesthetic of the place. The open area was candlelit with darker colours, giving the place a warm feel that encouraged one to look around at the well organized wares.
"We have a few things to sell for now." Kellista answered the question. At the fluffy teller's notion, Mike hefted his bag onto the counter and started unloading the various things he pulled off Kel from way back. Wait, it had only been a few days, hadn't it? With everything that happened, that night felt like it happened a month ago. Either way, Mike emptied the last of his loot and removed his bag from the counter. The rodintia however, didn't spare the items a glance, his focus was squarely on Mike.
"Excuse me," he said, and hopped down off a stool before coming 'round the counter to get a closer look at Mike. "Are you perchance that rogue fellow who put down Kel the other night?" He asked, peering at Mike with those big black eyes.
Mike immediately felt uncomfortable at the question, not about the insinuation that he killed someone, he had well come to terms with that, but the bodyguard clearly took interest, and stepped out from the shadow he had been lurking in. Even if people hated Kel, how much would this guy appreciate Mike slicing open a member of his species? He tried to read the Croc- no, gatin's face, but beyond a definite interest, the man's expression was a stone wall.
Mike decided to be honest and roll with the punches. Culleo and Kellista insisted the three of them would be fine, so if there was trouble he would absolutely expect them to back him up. "Yes, that was me." He answered quickly. Best not give out any more information before knowing where everyone stood.
"Oh hey, that's great! You're not here to do the same to me, are ya? Ha!" The rodintia gave Mike a playful shove just below the knee. "But seriously though, thank ya for that! Business has been booming since he disappeared, he used to sell his findings here, scared away everyone else!" Mike breathed a silent sigh of relief as the gatin bodyguard gave a small smirk and a nod of approval. "Now I'd like to be able to say I properly met the guy who took that jerk down, so hi! The name's Guzmer, but you knew that already," -Mike wasn't sure actually, but ok- "What may I call your fine selves?" Guzmer asked.
"My name's Michael, friends call me Mike." Said Mike, and the kobolds completed the round of introductions when it became clear the bodyguard didn't consider himself part of the conversation.
"Well Mikey," Guzmer said, picking the conversation back up. "Ya did me a real solid, and I believe one good deed deserves another, I'll give ya a good deal for your haul, and a discount if anything catches your eye."
After a quick yet thorough inspection, Guzmer tallied up the value of everything which came out to ¢9370, but Guzmer rounded it out to an even 10k. If the expressions Kellista and Culleo had were any indication, that was a pretty good deal, so he thanked the fluffy guy and went to browse.
Some searching revealed a whole lot of cool stuff, but little in the way of things he actually needed and could use. Sure that tunic was looking pretty fresh, but he estimated himself about 8 sizes too big. What he did find was a rather sick looking bracelet, taking the shape of a silver quetzalcoatl with ruby eyes. What made it stand out was how its body was a fine mesh of chain and scale mail, which wrapped around the wrist. The flexibility allowed it to wrap around his unusually sized wrists. For the (hopefully) low price of ¢8000, it was his.
The trio bid Guzmer farewell and continued on their trek when Culleo voiced what was on his mind. "So Michael, if you can't use any magic, why did you invest in that bracelet?" He asked.
"...Did I just buy an enchanted item?" Mike sighed in response.
"Not exactly, gemstones are capable of holding and in some cases regenerating certain kinds of energies and ethereal matters for a wide range of uses. In your case the ruby is currently inert, but could be charged. There was no way you could have afforded it with even the smallest of charges, even with Guzmer chopping the price in half. That was still a lot of money, by the way." Culleo explained.
"Wait, what if I could use this? If the ruby can hold mana, would anything stop me from using it for magic?" Mike asked, getting very excited.
"I-ah, well, I think? You being from a non-magical world is still a very new concept and I have no idea how that would work with anything. Most people from this world can use gems like that, even non-casters though, so maybe? Why don't we just test with your sword?" Said Culleo.
"I have an enchanted sword!?" Mike almost shouted.
"How could you not noti- oh yeah. Again, it's not an enchantment, but the sapphire in the handle is full of ectoplasm, and can both retract any that isn't used up and slowly regenerates over time. That thing is probably worth millions…" Culleo said.
Part of Mike immediately wondered why the two dwillest who attacked him last night went for the bag and not the sword if that was the case. That part of him was drowned out a moment later by the rest of his mind throwing a party at the mental image of him swinging a flaming sword in brilliant arcs. He barely contained his excitement long enough to get to a less populated area before pulling it out. "Right, how does it work?" He asked the kobolds.
Apparently Mike got the knack of it right away, activating the ability on his first try and expending much more ectoplasm than either of the kobolds expected. Or so Culleo said, with him being the only one who could detect the mana leeching clouds with any hint of accuracy. Seeing Mike standing so unaware of such a big cloud of mana-draining ectoplasm erased any doubts Culleo might have had about the non-magical nature of Michael. Mike in turn was clearly disappointed in how unglamorous it was.
"Are you sure that's all there is to it? No particle effect? No cosmetic version? Nothing? Aww, come on!" Mike said, melodramatic as possible as he kicked at the dirt.
"Look, if you want to spend whatever you have left on 'particle effects' you can, but I won't be buying your clothes when you're broke." Culleo said, completely missing Mike's sarcasm.
So, the ghost sword was indeed magic, completely functional and heck, he could use magic items! That is, at least if Culleo wasn't screwing with him. It was pretty hard to believe he was standing in an invisible cloud of 'ectoplasm' that only one of them could see, which was a super dangerous substance to everyone but him, but hey! That would be pretty cool.
Their next stop was a fabric store/tailor, Mike would need to have clothes custom made, or try and make do with giant baby clothes. Looking at some of those options, Mike realized it would only be a matter of time before he found himself looking a three year old in the eye, and decided to put his attention elsewhere because he was not mentally prepared for that. Instead they spoke with the tailor, an excited aquilith whose eyes shone with inspiration from the moment they laid eyes on Mike, and tried to offer a million and one fashion ideas as she floated around Mike, looking him up and down.
"Your headfur! We could dye that a nice orange and make it stick up in tufts, pair that with a beautiful teal overcoat. Or- wait, can you change your skin colour? No wait! Keep it the same, it's perfect for this!" She pulled out a deep green dress and held it in front of him. "Hmm, maybe. What if we did this instead…" before he could even ask what was happening, Mike found himself buried under copious amounts of dark fabric. To his utter dismay, Kellista had gotten in on it too, and was actively helping the tailor pin who-knows-what on him.
With one last tug, everything fell into place and he was pulled in front of a mirror. "Alright dearie, what d'ya think?" Mike starred in utter horror at his reflection. It… he… he had no words. What looked back at him could only be described as a modern art piece for those eccentric billionaires who clearly never made their own friends. The tailor looked at Mike, beaming with pride, Kellista looked at him with curiosity, still not sure whether or not she liked it, only Culleo recognized the travesty for what it was, and could only look at Mike apologetically.
He wanted to burn it. He wanted to rip this thing off, stamp it into the ground and reduce it to ash! But the tailor was so proud of her work and eagerly awaiting Mike's response, he couldn't do that. "...It looks… really fun and all, but I'm looking for something more… practical, for a cheap price, I don't think I could justify this." He said, and prayed he let her down gently.
"Oh, don't worry about the price, this one I'll do for free! Art like this needs to be shared with the world! I would be honoured to see you leave my shop in my masterpiece! It would be all I ask!"
"NO!" Mike shouted just a bit too loudly. That could not be allowed to happen! This thing needed to be killed and buried! "I live a dangerous life ma'am, a violent and often filthy one! I simply cannot risk your art being destroyed, such a thing must be preserved! It is my deepest regret, but I cannot accept this, even if I wore this as I left your shop, anyone seeing me later would notice how rarely I wear it! They would think it unworthy, and it would tarnish the reputation of your craft!" Mike was laying it on incredibly thick, after that little outburst he knew his only option was to go all in and make it seem like he believed what he was saying. He was sure everyone would see right through it, but the aquilith nodded fervently along.
"You're absolutely right! My apologies sir, I admit that when I looked at your stature, I considered the needs of baby clothes, and did not consider how they might relate to your profession! Kelly dear, help get this off him, we must start again!" She shouted.
Round two came and Mike was determined to get his say in, but this time he found his mouth stuffed with fabric along with a hasty "hold this!" From the tailor when his hands were already full. With no other options, Mike shot a begging look to Culleo. The kobold tried his best, bless his little heart, but he was swept away by the force of the tailor's will. One again, Mike succumbed to the torrent of cloth and string, pushed, pulled and twisted by an artist with a dream.
Then, just as fast as it started, the storm calmed with Mike again in front of a mirror. "I used some stronger stuff for this one dearie, the cloth is durable and mud will wash right off, and it's the perfect fit for someone who needs to move! How do you like it?" The tailor asked again.
This was, a lot better. While this one had many instances of layered cloth, the Nightmare from before had been spilling off him in all sorts of gravity defying ways! 'honestly, she wanted to put that on a child?' This was compact in comparison. He sported a cloak over a tight yet flexible tunic/vest hybrid that had a number of belts and straps, and an oversized collar that came up to his chin. It was a curious mix between rugged and formal, and all in sexy black with a couple streaks of white. The tailor held an oversized hat over his head, and the whole outfit came together. Mike could only note that he would look right at home in Bloodborne, which immediately set off alarm bells. 'I already have this 'assassin' crap I need to shake, dressing like this would not help!' But before he could voice his distress, that pesky voice in his head spoke up once again.
'Dude, you already saw what this lady does, if you reject this you're rolling the dice again, and it's not gonna look this good. And do you really wanna risk pulling on her waterworks again? Look at those eyes, you want them tear stained!?' Oh that was dirty! His shoulder anglel tried to retort, but the devil wasn't finished. 'and besides! How often does a chance like this come up!? Look me in the eye and tell me you don't want to dress like a blood Hunter.' With a smug look, the devil rested his case. Mike looked to the Angel, but they could only sputter. Damn he was good at this!
"I like it!" Mike finally said, dealing his fate as an edge Lord. "I'll also need a few sets of day to day clothes, but it would be good to have a nice piece when I can only look my best." He continued, still laying it on thick. Thankfully this was enough to satisfy the fish lady long enough to work out regular details, and she continued her work now only showing her ideas on paper as they worked. With a few simple designs down Mike's order was placed and they were told to come back in a few days when everything would be ready. The special design however, could not wait.
With a few more measurements on his hands and feet, the tailor took all the pins out of his costume and placed everything on the table before pulling out a small book, which she studied intently. "Now let's see if I can get this done before you go." A chant came from her throat along with a dim glow dancing at the tips of her fins. "scalpere, viverra ac emendare." It took a moment, but everything on the table began to respond, by lazily gliding over the surface in what looked to Mike's eyes as disarray. A moment later it started to take shape as threads wove themselves together and cloth just split apart, and his fancy new outfit started to take shape. There were a number of small differences, such as the cloak being outfitted with sleeves. Clearly the tailor was constantly changing her mind. The gloves, boots and hat were new too.
"There!" She gasped out. "All done! Oh dear! I think I'll need to sit down after that!" And retreated to a plush sofa.
"Thanks!" Mike said, impressed. He had no idea if that was high or low level magic, but anyone on earth would agree making any decent outfit took time. A few minutes later he strutted his stuff out of the change room, and noted how even the boots were a perfect fit. Stepping in front of the full-length mirror, he attached his sword and noted just how well the black and silver went with everything. His pocket knife filled one of many slots and he resolved to get a few more for aesthetic reasons, if nothing else. "What do you all think?"
"I think you're lying about not being an assassin again, you're wayyyy to be comfortable in that." came the first reply from Culleo.
"An assassin!? I knew I had a special customer today! It fits you so well!" The tailor said. 'You're sure that's not from me being a human?' Mike thought in response.
"I'm glad you like it!" Was Kellista's simple response. With only one outfit the fashion show quickly ended, the only other contestant being Culleo with Mike's new hat.
"I can't believe you." Kellista said as soon as they were a few steps out of the shop. "You look ridiculous! Back me up here, Culleo, the first one was better!"
Culleo respectfully disagreed. Mike's response was something more along the lines of "You are batshit insane if you think I would be caught dead with that cylinder coming out of my shoulder. How'd you even get the fabric rigid enough to do that!?" The conversation lasted until they were in front of their next stop; the collection office, where bounties are handed in.
"So here's the deal, all the blood has been washed off me and my stuff and I didn't exactly cut off an ear. How do we claim the bounty? Like how do we prove I did it?" Mike asked.
"Did you forget you were on television when you did him in?" Culleo asked, and Mike winced at that. "Or how about the bracelet that would have chopped your hand off had you lied?" He continued, and Mike winced again. "They have a similar device, you just put it on, state who you killed and collect the bounty. If there's no proof the target is dead, they might scan your memories to be sure, but the body was already recovered, so we know he's dead. On that note, if you try collecting bounties in the future, make sure they're dead, check for a pulse or something so whoever reads your mind can be sure." Mike didn't like the idea of anyone listening in on his internal monologue, but still took Culleo's words under advisement.
"Welcome to the collection agency! Are you here to turn in a bounty?" Asked a faein from across a rather nice desk. This place looked completely untouched by the apocalypse, the building was uncracked, the lawns were well maintained, and the interior lighting was electric! It looked like it was pulled right off of earth, except for maybe a couple minor aesthetic changes.
"We are. I'm here to collect for Kel Minnik." Mike said.
The faein's eyes narrowed. "Ahh, we've been waiting for you, started to wonder if you would ever show up in fact." And with that, entered into a back room, leaving the trio in a very nice waiting area. They were back in a minute with two more in tow, the one in the middle carrying a small wooden box, which they placed on the desk. Out of the box came a kobold-sized necklace, the faein looked at it, then at Mike, then back to the pendant before exchanging it for a dovkin-sized one and looking at Mike again.
"Let's go with the big one." Mike suggested. They beckoned him to a large chair that had a ladder and a platform on the back. Mike sat down, and the third faein, who was clearly the youngest, climbed up to put the necklace on him.
"Alright sir, we are ready. Please say again, what bounties do you claim?" The first one said.
"Kel Minnik's, I'm the one who offed him several days ago and would like to claim his bounty. Just the one." He answered.
"Screening has found no tampering of memory, claim confirmed." The necklace was removed and he was escorted to a vault. Two went in while the youngest waited with him. The vault must have been soundproofed, because they stood in complete, awkward, silence.
"So I don't usually do this, but could I get your autograph? I'm a huge fan of your work." The faein asked.
"Um, sure I guess. Kel must have been a real big deal if just that one job is already getting me fans." Mike replied.
"Oh yes! I assume you're not familiar with local issues. Kel Minnik was the record holder for fastest bounty acceleration in this branch of the collection agency! Only around for a couple months and already had one of the highest prizes on our public wall!"
Mike's full attention went into considering that as he absentmindedly posed for and signed a picture of the two of them. He knew Kel was allegedly dangerous, everyone made that clear, but this guy was starting to sound downright superhuma- er, supergatin to his ears. Unless this was a small, middle of nowhere branch -which he seriously doubted-, Mike took out one of the most dangerous individuals he could ever hope to cross paths with, and it wasn't even hard!
Yet Nekaia, the faein mage from the sparring match held him at bay, if only for a minute or two. Oppal, the aquilith in the same battle went toe to toe with him, Culleo and Kellista. Hell, he almost got mauled to death by a big cat! They were all dangerous, but Kel? He went down like a sack of potatoes. Did the guy underestimate him or something?
"What specifically can you tell me about Kel? I know he's an ass, but has anyone seen him at work?" Mike asked.
"Not often, no. Most reports were people picking up the bodies in his wake, and noting just how excessive the damage was. What few witnesses actually saw him fight and live to tell the tale all reported a particularly large gatin. Despite his large frame he killed with small blades and some magic, but all were terrified by his speed. See, the larger races usually have an advantage in strength and reach, smaller ones like myself are faster, and tend to have greater endurance. Kel was somehow able to outpace any and all opponents despite his size. I imagine most of his victims were shocked to see such a behemoth move like he did." She explained. Mike was about to ask more questions, but that's when the vault door opened, and the other two came out with another one of those wallet things.
Mike started to pull out the coins one handful at a time when he felt a hand on his leg. "You do know you get to keep the whole bank, right?" Kellista asked.
Mike switched his view back to the faein, who nodded, then to the wallet -or he guessed they were called banks-, which was valued at ¢11,395,450. First off, 'Holy shit, I'm a millionaire!' Secondly, "No I did not. Thank you, Kellista." He said. "Guess it makes sense though, it'd be a bitch to transfer large amounts, and you wouldn't want to carry your life savings everywhere you went."
"Not exactly. May I?" She asked as she held out a hand. Mike handed over his bank and she grabbed the other, stacked them together and tilted them. To Mike's surprise, the numbers started flowing rapidly, depending on the angle Kellista tilted them in. "There you go!"
"We are glad to have been able to conclude this business with you. If there is nothing else, how would you feel about signing on with the agency? Benefits include access to private bounties, possible contact with high paying clients and personalized missions!" The first faein asked.
"I've already got a few things on my plate, so to speak, and am not in a good place to accept more responsibilities at the moment. Do you have pamphlets or something I could take though?" Said Mike.
"Unfortunately we do not, but those details can all be found on our website, or on our public displays just over here!" They said, and in doing so led Mike over to a touchscreen monitor that was reminiscent of a notice board, covered in little windows full of text. There was too much information to sift through, so Mike resolved to just read up on the website later.
They said their goodbyes and made their way to the last stop of the day, a weapon smith. Ok look, the sword is cool and all, but it's just too big for Mike, it's not made for someone of his stature and it shows. He's sorry, but he needs something that actually works in his hands, at least as a backup. And no, the knife doesn't count.
One last time, Mike's expectations were subverted. Had imagined a large stone interior, dimly lit with racks of weapons and armour, and a muscular man over an anvil hard at work in the center of it all.
Then he remembered this place had future tech and changed it to a steel interior, well lit, with racks of guns and grenades, and some army vet standing behind bulletproof glass asking if they wanted their ammo by the box or the bucket.
'I was half right, twice, so it counts!' Mike thought, and I'm sure it does buddy. Anyhow, the place was definitely a well maintained modern building finished with recent additions like a candle chandelier, and heck, Mike might even suspect it of being a gun range at some point, though the racks were now loaded with crossbows, halberds and the like. From a closed door in the back Mike could hear the clang of metal on metal, 'probably someone on an anvil,' and in the front stood a guy at a counter. This time the man was busy with some other customers, so they missed the fourth customer service greeting of the day.
At first glance the armaments were pretty standard, swords, spears and the like. As the trio navigated their way to other rooms they found a lot more interesting stuff, still no guns, but there were a few interesting gizmos to be found. Mike's attention was immediately taken by a whip-sword that utilized a bike chain to keep the blade straight, and separated into rounded blades to reduce the number of corners for things to catch on. Next he saw a mace, which could detach its head to make a flail, and used a spring mechanism to reattach it at the press of a button. This spear could use air pressure to launch its head at high speeds, leaving a smaller, backup head in its place! The only annoying part was now NOTHING was his size, defeating the purpose of coming here!
"Maybe we should look at the smaller sections? Maybe a two handed spear for me could be one handed for you." Culleo suggested. It was a good enough idea, but these items jus felt small. He just had no reach or power with most of these, and he worried he might just break them. They made their ways through the aisles, there were a few maybes here and there, but nothing really spoke to Mike.
Until they reached the clearance rack. Marked half off was a small lucerne clearly sized for kobolds. What grabbed Mike's attention was how thick it was, the weapon was built a lot more sturdily than other things of its size. He picked it up and gave it a couple test swings. The balance was good and if he held it at the base like a sword the reach was pretty decent for a one handed weapon.
"Ahh, you've already found my recommendation. What do you think?" All three of them almost jumped at the voice that appeared out of nowhere. They turned to see a silver-furred kaibax looking Mike up and down with a curious twinkle in his eye.
"Oh hello! I'm sorry sir, we didn't see you there!" Said Kellista.
"Good to know I haven't lost my edge then. Welcome to the Third Blade, please accept my apology as I was unable to greet you when you came in. Now sir, you've chosen a rather unique piece that is well suited to you, I think. Are you enjoying it?" The merchant asked
"Yes actually, I don't feel like I need to worry about breaking this, it feels like it was made for someone my size." Answered Mike.
"I am glad to hear it, seeing a satisfied customer brings satisfaction to me in turn. In reply to your last point, it is true it was made to be wielded by someone taller than your friends or myself, and is a high quality piece that can be relied upon without worry of breaking." They answered.
Mike looked at the clearance tag. "So what's the catch?" He asked.
The merchant's smile widened ever so slightly. "This piece is one of a short line of works of a particular Smith who tried an idea that did not bear much success. If you want to see for yourself, simply look in here." They said and pointed at a small metal flap in the middle of the handle. Mike pushed it away to reveal a button, and pressed it without hesitation. With a metallic kachink! The body of the spear extended, doubling its length. The lucerne now stood taller than Mike, and he was no slouch.
"This blacksmith thought an army or their sponsors might save a fortune with uniform equipment, not needing to trade out weapons to outfit two sizes of soldiers. His solution was what you now hold in your hands, something that anyone could use effectively at the press of a button. Unfortunately for him, those he tried to sell the idea to agreed this would only make the weapons more likely to be turned against their wielders should they be disarmed for whatever reason, and chose other methods. Furthermore if you compare this piece to its siblings you will see even extended it is still smaller than what most would appreciate. That is why there have been no buyers before today, but I believe their loss is your gain." The merchant said, and Mike could see he wasn't wrong.
​
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________Authors Notes.
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I'm not dead yet! Still got a lot more to go. For now though, enjoy.
​
The First shall be Previous and the Next shall be in a week or so.

This entire thing was based off of the many “I must escape the plot!” OIs, and the many “both the villainess and the heroine are reincarnated/transmitted” OIs. Despite not reading any Yuri OIs, I always get so pissed when the OGFL or any female character has more chemistry with the FL than the ML does.
So I wrote this!
——
It started with condemnation event at the graduation party of the seniors of the magic academy in the palace.
Cornelia Argentina, only daughter of Duke Argentina, was getting her engagement broken by her fiancé, Zachary Falcon, for bullying his lover and one true love Marianna Bluestone, only daughter of Baron Bluestone.
…But… where was Marianna?
He listed her crimes as followed: - Ripping Lady Bluestone’s books - Pouring hot tea on her head during lunch time or passing periods - Burning Lady Bluestone’s plants with her magic - Stealing Lady Bluestone’s jewelry - Pouring wine on her dresses
With all that stated, their engagement was annulled. Cornelia played the villainess character, shouting and throwing a tantrum, ruining her reputation.
In the end, Lady Argentina was escorted (forced) out of the palace by guards.
While throwing another tantrum, the guards went back inside, not without giving her glares.
When she knew they were all gone, Cornelia instantly calmed down. “Finally!” She wiped away her fake tears and snot. “I thought they’d never leave.”
Gathering her skirts, Cornelia walked towards the back of the palace, where the thick forest is. She walked until she saw a clearing. It was very peaceful. There was an abundance of grass and flowers, and the sun dribbled through the bright green leaves.
In the middle of the scene, stood a short and thin woman in common getup— a brown cotton dress with a white apron. Most of her figure was covered with the dark cape she was wearing.
The small woman was next to a regular brown horse, petting it gently. The horse neighed, it’s ears pricking up, looking in Cornelia’s direction.
The woman looked at her, and her demeanor changed dramatically from calm to fearful.
“ST-STAY AWAY, YOU VILLAINESS!” She stuttered.
“Relax, my love,” Cornelia says, walking towards the woman across the clearing. “It’s me. No one else followed me; I was forced out by the guards by that idiot excuse of a prince.”
The woman’s demeanor dropped immediately. “That was fast,” She commented. “I was sure that he would have taken his sweet time condemning you.” The woman pulled her hood down.
Champagne colored waves fell gracefully on her shoulders and framed her soft round head, big blue doe eyes, and pale skin with a rosy tint.
This was Marianna Bluestone, the Heroine of the story.
And Cornelia’s secret lover.
“It’s probably because “His Lovely Marianna” wasn’t there!” Cornelia retorted, changing out of her dress behind the nearest tree. “He proba—thanks.—“ Marianna handed Cornelia a pair of commoner woman’s clothing and a matching dark hood. “He probably wanted to show you that he was your “Prince Charming”. Your protector—Slayer of dragons, and dressed up noblewomen.”
Cornelia’s curls of dark brown hair was tied in a simple bun—that will be a pain to comb out later—, her tan skin concealed underneath her cloak.
After inspecting herself, her steely gray almond shaped eyes met Marianna’s.
“We should leave now,” Cornelia said. “Zachary is probably going around the palace looking for you.” She walked up to the horse, climbing on its back. Once sure that she was supported, Cornelia held a hand out for Marianna to take. “ and I want to reach the docking port before the ship to Taria leave.”
Marianna took her lover’s hand.
This was it. This was what all of the months of planning led to. What all the “crimes” Cornelia committed were for.
Marianna was going to go to Taria, across the globe, were she could marry Cornelia. She would be throwing away the love of Crown Prince and the chance to rule over an entire kingdom! And for what? A gray eyed, villainous woman with a ruined reputation?
Yes.
Marianna Bluestone clasped her hand with Cornelia’s.
Once on, Cornelia urged the horse forward by the flick of the reins.
Marianna turned her head and watched the palace get swallowed by thick greens and browns.
This was the start of their new life.
——
This was originally supposed to be a explanation of the title, but I got to into it lol!

Hi, my name is Samantha, I think I did something really bad, help me figure out what to do.
First, I´ll give some context on how I was able to do what I did.
My first experience with the supernatural was shortly after my grandmother's death. Like every 9-year-old, I was still finding out about death, with adults confusing me more than helping. “You go to heaven or hell.” "You will revert to nonexistence, just as you did not exist 100 years ago.” "You will become a cosmic energy that only feels pleasure, wandering around until the end of the universe.” Each relative and acquaintance gave a different answer when I asked. That morbid night, I discovered that there was definitely more to it after we died.
Our family stayed at my late grandmother's house, now empty with my grandfather having been dead for nearly a decade. The adults stayed in the wake area overnight, and I had my grandmother's bedroom to myself that night. I couldn't sleep, sad for having lost my friend, present in all my short life.
Already lying down, but still with my eyes open staring at the ceiling in the dark, I heard footsteps outside the room. I got out of bed and went out into the hallway, but I didn't see anyone. Upon returning to the bedroom, I turned on the light and froze for a second. Sitting on my bed was my grandmother. Her face flashed with several different physiognomies, alternating age like a faulty slideshow, where one look didn't last long, but was undeniably the same person. She motioned for me to sit next to her. After the initial shock, I calmed down and obeyed the command. The air, despite being stuffy and a little cold, gave me a feeling of peace and serenity. I sat next to the ethereal figure, who ran a hand through my hair, hugged me and said:
"Sleep well, my love, I love you, I will miss you." Before disappearing into thin air.
The next morning, I told my parents what had happened, who dismissed my experience as "a child's overactive imagination". But I was sure of what I had heard, seen and felt. The dead can talk to us, and I wanted to find out how I could repeat this experience.
An obsession was born.
When I was old enough to be a little independent, I started with my research. With the internet still in its infancy, I did most of the work myself. Among the many charlatans and bad actors, I discovered several cultures that managed to contact the beyond. After a few years jumping between such beliefs (becoming frowned upon in some communities for using them as a learning experience), I put into practice everything I learned, without the hindrances that religions imposed on me.
After several failed attempts, I discovered the importance of place and period. You see, spirits don't always stay behind, in fact it's a rare occurrence. They also don't always respond, they can hear the calls and simply ignore us. Persistence was the key.
The first resounding success occurred when I was 16, after some more “timid” contacts of my invocations, with loose phrases, moving objects or changing the temperature of the environment.
It was a full moon night, I sneaked away from home while my parents had gone to the movies. I met my friends in the square, and after a few minutes of boredom, the suggestion came: To try to have a séance in an abandoned house. Everyone already knew about my obsession with spirits, and all my research and attempts.
We went to the house, which was abandoned because the parents had just been arrested, accused of killing their own daughter. According to the reports, in one of the couple's fights, the mother took out her anger on the poor child, choking her to death. In an attempt to not get caught, they buried the little girl in their own backyard. I don't know the reasoning of the 2 geniuses, but obviously, in just over a week, the school contacted the guardianship council, which ended up finding out everything.
Without much effort, we managed to get in through a window. We made a circle with candles and sat down, the 6 friends holding hands around them. In the middle, a vessel with a drop of blood from each present. I did the usual mantra, which I had memorized after several failed attempts. This time, however, almost immediately, every hair on my body stood on end after I uttered the words. The air in the room suddenly cooled down, I felt like I couldn't move. The noise of cars passing by on the street hushed, as if we'd been placed in a timeless bubble. A sobbing sound broke the silence. When I looked to the side, I saw Eloisa, a friend of mine since childhood, uttering the melancholic sound, despite the fact that no tears came out of her eyes. The mouth expressed a deep sadness, while the eyes, which did not blink, looked confused and surprised. A thin voice, very different from what Eloisa usually has, then came out:
“I'll behave myself, mommy, please get me out of here.”
The other 5 present in the circle stared at Eloisa, who had her head down. After a few more seconds of silence, she continued, in the same childlike voice:
“It's dark, I'm scared, mom, talk to me.”
With an indescribable willpower, I managed to interrupt my initial shock, and talk to the voice that came out of my friend.
“Your mother isn't here. We are your friends. What's your name?”
Eloisa was still staring at the floor, looking embarrassed. After a few seconds, she slowly lifted her head and faced me. The expression on her face was no longer disconnected, an innocence and shame exuded from my friend, who couldn't bear to look at me for a long time and turned her face to the ground. When I didn't receive an answer, I tried to talk to her, calling her by the name mentioned in the article.
“Isabella?”
There was no reaction.
“Isa? Bella? Bel?” On the third try, she moved her face. I continued. "Bel? Your mother won't come back, my love. Now you are a little angel, God will receive you in his arms.”
When I finished my sentence, the air returned to normal, the sound of cars was heard again, and Eloisa collapsed to the ground, passed out. I ended the séance and went to my friend, who got up a little dizzy, not remembering how she had interacted with us with the childish voice.
After this day, my excitement and obsession increased a lot. I felt like I had acquired a super power. Repeat attempts to contact spirits in subsequent years were successful a little over a third of the time, and I ended up becoming famous at school and in the region as a medium.
After many free consultations with friends and acquaintances, my first offer came up. A rich couple had financed their daughter, Sara, to go to a forest in Argentina, and she never returned, not a single member of the expedition showed signs of life. The forest was extremely inhospitable, and two rescue groups the family had contacted said they would not go there. Before trying to hire another rescue team, the family heard about me. They wanted me to do the séance to see if I could find her in the afterlife. I initially denied it, after all, if the girl had died in another country, the chance of contact was probably zero, the spirit would not be trapped in their house. The large cash offer after my refusal, and the possibility that *maybe* the spirit would return home after death, changed my mind. If I wanted to dream of pursuing a career as a medium, I couldn't refuse clients this way.
I should have declined.
The séance started normally, the room lit only by candles and the 6 people holding hands, a vessel with blood in the center. Me, two of my “associates”, Sara's father, mother and brother. The air cooled, becoming heavy and stuffy. Usually the spirit's message comes from one of my two associates, who have an incredible reception, Eloisa and Algelaine. Then my job is to talk to the invoked spirit. This time, however, who spoke first was Sara's brother. The thin, feminine voice coming out of that boy sent shivers down the spines of those present.
“Mother? Mommy?”
The mother immediately watered her eyes, and replied with a trembling voice:
“Yes, honey. Where are you?”
“I'm here, Mom. Come, hug me.”
The mother made a move to undo the circle, I held her hand tightly and shouted:
“NO! You cannot undo the circle.”
She made an expression of understanding.
“You're not here, my love. You went into that forest and you haven't spoken to us in months.”
“Oh, right, Mom, I remember now.”
"Remember what?"
“Where I am.”
The boy stared at his mother, robotic smile and unnatural expression.
“And where are you?” The mother swallowed dry, trying not to cry.
“I'm in the woods, Mama. You have to see how beautiful I look , natural, with the worms and insects eating my hot little body.”
The mother couldn't hold back anymore and started to cry. I froze with the spirit's phrase; I had never seen a dead person speak like that. With the mother still in shock, the spirit continued:
"Do you know why I came on this excursion, Mom? I wanted to make out with Nicole, that hottie, but you wouldn't let me, would you? You'd kick me out of the house if I showed up holding hands with her, so I had to get away from you. And now I 'm here, lying on the ground. It's your fault, Mom, it's your fault.”
Her mother's voice cracked, alternating between murmured and projected syllables:
“That's a lie, it's a lie... I loved you; I would accept you the way you were. The... the way you are.”
The boy with the girl´s voice was laughing, seeming amused and angry at the same time:
“Don't lie to me, Mom, I hear you. I've been looking at you all day, I know what you're like, now more than ever. I know about your friend's visits, but how can I blame you, right? You're so lonely, you can't take Daddy disappearing and reappearing after two days, time after time.”
The father let go of my hand violently and jumped on his son, I couldn't contain him. The air returned to normal, and the son, even before his father's first blow, was passed out on the floor, not moving. This calmed the father down a bit, who stopped his aggression and just stood there, tears streaming, as did the mother, who was also crying inconsolably. A servant of the house escorted us out, and we left without saying anything.
This disaster of this séance made me learn how dangerous it can be to try to contact the other side. It's not just the dead who respond, there are other beings and entities trapped there, waiting for an opportunity to interact with humans.
I passed in front of that house a month later, there was a “for sale” sign. I don't know exactly what happened after we ended the séance like that, but it must have been bad enough that the family didn't want to stay in that house anymore. At night, even with the house being supposed to be empty, I see faces in the windows, lights flickering and hear banging noises, even from the street, I can´t even imagine how bad it is inside the house.
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I feel guilty, I think I should try to fix what I did, maybe talk to the family, even after being kicked out on that day, trespass the “for sale” house to try to clean it from whatever I summoned there. What do you guys think? Am I the asshole here? Should I try to redeem myself?

The Department of the Navy has activated Task Force 20 (DesRon 10, DesRon 18, CarDiv 2, CruDesFlot 2, CruDesFlot 12), US 2nd Fleet, and issued orders to sortie and begin sailing for Argentinian waters with all due haste. Additionally, the USS Saipan (CVL-48) will be taken off training duty and attached to CarDiv 2 and depart from Norfolk with a full complement of aircraft and crews. 6th Fleet is to detach USS Midway (CV-41), who will sail from the Mediterranean under escort to further augment CarDiv 2 in advance of their arrival in the operational area off the coast of Buenos Aires.
TF-20, centered around the carriers USS Midway, USS Leyte, USS Cabot, and USS Saipan, will initiate a constant combat air patrol upon entering the extreme estimated range of land-based Argentinian aircraft. Aircraft will be under orders to engage any Argentinian military aircraft on a heading towards the carriers if they cannot or will not be dissuaded from their course.
The primary objective of Operation Gaucho is to make an overwhelming demonstration of American force and compel a cessation of hostilities in South America. The rules of engagement for TF-20 are to remain vigilant but not initiate conflict. Overflights of Argentinian territory are provocative and therefore prohibited.
TF-22, US 2nd Fleet, the amphibious operations arm of the Fleet, will be taken out of mothballs and rapidly prepared for combat operations. Fleet Marine Force, Atlantic, notably 2nd Marine Division, based presently at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, will be brought to high alert and prepared to transport to Norfolk, join with TF-22, and prepare for the contingency of amphibious operations in Argentina. 2nd Marine Logistics Group will likewise be brought to alert and prepared to support such operations.