Men dread hairstyles

I am such a degenerate disgusting girl, sometimes I feel like I’m a neckbeard in a girls body.
I’m unattractive (as much as I try to look good) like my eyes have absolutely 0 soul in them. There is nothing behind my eyes, nothing.
I’m lazy as shit and all I do is sit in my room thinking of disgusting things.
Im not sure if it’s because my dad used to abuse me or cause I was severely bullied or something or what but I spend about 99% of my time in my room thinking about this weird man I fancy and how I want to do disgusting things to him, like I want to hurt him and stuff. I’ve been like this for a long time. I’m not doing well mentally either and my breasts are literally covered in injected wounds inflicted by myself. I’m trying to stop the self harm but it’s all I have.
In my head I’m still eleven years old to the point I talk like I’m eleven and do stupid shit like bounce and fingerpaint and stammer my words like a kid when I’m out and talk in this high pitched voice and rock back and forth, spelling words wrong and I even start crying and wondering why everybody bullies me cause I can actually get into that weird childlike state where I’m still being kicked at school, it’s fucking odd.
I don’t feel human either, like am convinced I’m a alien or something . Indigo child idk.
I don’t go outside ever either, my diet is shit, I am vegan and try to reflect that with everything I do yet I haven’t touched a vegetable in so long. I’m scared of vacuum cleaners so my room is a shit tip too.
I was a ‘gifted’ child growing up but I’ve become dumb. I have no friends, no interests but wanking, crocheting, watching videos of nonces getting caught and Chris chan on YouTube and listening to dogshit music like throbbing gristle. I’m diagnosed with depression and autism and some shit called egomania but now I’m having mental assessments for fucking bipolar and psychosis and ocd and all this shit I don’t want but my nasty genes gave me anyways cos everyone in my family is ill.
I started self harming at 10, cutting chunks out of my hands and I still do it now cause there’s no other way to feel better anymore. But I’m also so up and down, I can go weeks without sleeping and bashing my head against the wall from pure fucking ecstasy because I’m gods gift to humanity or something. Then the next day I’m slicing my nipples open and sticking needles in myself and crying and planning my suicide for another few weeks soooooo.
I’m on antidepressants and they taste like shit too. I dread waking up to take them. I just feel numb on them.
All I want is young Genesis p-orridge from the 70s-80s. I’m like those men that have Waifus but for him, he’s my perfect scapegoat for all the nasty shit I want to do to men like I spend about 12 hours a day thinking about raping him, I’m also secretly into necrophilia and cannibalism but I would never tell anybody. It’s not even an edgy thing like I struggle with these thoughts, I can’t just like guys normally. Help I’m such a coomer

I am such a degenerate disgusting girl, sometimes I feel like I’m a neckbeard in a girls body.
I’m unattractive (as much as I try to look good) like my eyes have absolutely 0 soul in them. There is nothing behind my eyes, nothing.
I’m lazy as shit and all I do is sit in my room thinking of disgusting things.
Im not sure if it’s because my dad used to abuse me or cause I was severely bullied or something or what but I spend about 99% of my time in my room thinking about this weird man I fancy and how I want to do disgusting things to him, like I want to hurt him and stuff. I’ve been like this for a long time. I’m not doing well mentally either and my breasts are literally covered in injected wounds inflicted by myself. I’m trying to stop the self harm but it’s all I have.
In my head I’m still eleven years old to the point I talk like I’m eleven and do stupid shit like bounce and fingerpaint and stammer my words like a kid when I’m out and talk in this high pitched voice and rock back and forth, spelling words wrong and I even start crying and wondering why everybody bullies me cause I can actually get into that weird childlike state where I’m still being kicked at school, it’s fucking odd.
I don’t feel human either, like am convinced I’m a alien or something . Indigo child idk.
I don’t go outside ever either, my diet is shit, I am vegan and try to reflect that with everything I do yet I haven’t touched a vegetable in so long. I’m scared of vacuum cleaners so my room is a shit tip too.
I was a ‘gifted’ child growing up but I’ve become dumb. I have no friends, no interests but wanking, crocheting, watching videos of nonces getting caught and Chris chan on YouTube and listening to dogshit music like throbbing gristle. I’m diagnosed with depression and autism and some shit called egomania but now I’m having mental assessments for fucking bipolar and psychosis and ocd and all this shit I don’t want but my nasty genes gave me anyways cos everyone in my family is ill.
I started self harming at 10, cutting chunks out of my hands and I still do it now cause there’s no other way to feel better anymore. But I’m also so up and down, I can go weeks without sleeping and bashing my head against the wall from pure fucking ecstasy because I’m gods gift to humanity or something. Then the next day I’m slicing my nipples open and sticking needles in myself and crying and planning my suicide for another few weeks soooooo.
I’m on antidepressants and they taste like shit too. I dread waking up to take them. I just feel numb on them.
All I want is young Genesis p-orridge from the 70s-80s. I’m like those men that have Waifus but for him, he’s my perfect scapegoat for all the nasty shit I want to do to men like I spend about 12 hours a day thinking about raping him, I’m also secretly into necrophilia and cannibalism but I would never tell anybody. It’s not even an edgy thing like I struggle with these thoughts, I can’t just like guys normally. Help I’m such a coomer

I just had my honeymoon (originally scheduled for Jun 2020). My wife and I are in our early thirties. It’s my wife’s first time in japan while it’s my fourth. I’ve benefitted immensely from stalking Tokyo travel reddit and would like to return the favour. I’ll provide some of my tips and observations to the end (skip to the end if the itinerary doesn’t interest you), some of which I think haven’t been mentioned before.
Thank God pretty much everything went to plan, and my wife thoroughly enjoyed the trip. We spent 12 days in Japan, most of it in Tokyo and 2 nights in Kawaguchiko. Many people were surprised to know that we’d be spending most of our trip in Tokyo, but I thought it was just fine because Tokyo had a lot to offer. My wife and I aren’t big on visiting shrines or ticking tourist hotspots off a checklist. We don’t shop much, but we did a lot of it simply because it’s Japan and we bought lots of quality-of-life items (not fashion) for ourselves and others. Given how much my wife really enjoyed the trip, I think others with similar interests could find something helpful too.
Pre-trip planning

• It was out first leisure trip in years, and my wife's first trip to Japan. I wanted to show her my favourite parts of Japan, and took months trawling through reddit posts and trip reports, watching youtube videos, and just soaking in all the things before deciding on an itinerary that I thought my wife would enjoy. It was almost exclusively planned by me, and I would consult my wife along the way.
• Other than the hotel & flights, I booked the highway express bus to Kawaguchiko one week prior.
• Decided on the airport limousine bus to bring us from the airport to the city a few days prior.
• Studio Ghibli tickets booked one month in advance. There's a good guide available on reddit already. International tickets were quickly sold out, so we used a free VPN to get onto the Japanese site which had more tickets & timings available. Simply Google translate the entire page.
• Booked a cooking class on cookly months prior.
• Did Visit Japan QR two days prior. It takes some time, so do it earlier rather than later.
• Added all places of interests in a Google list, and all food places in another Google list. I tried the custom Google maps at first but didn’t feel the UI was easy to navigate.
• Planned itinerary based on location proximity, and also highlighted parts that were interchangeable in case we wanted to switch it up (which we did).

Planning during the trip

• The Google maps foods list was always just for consideration: if we had time or were craving something. We didn't hard-code food places into our daily plans. But when food was the primary activity (e.g. visiting Tsukiji market), we'd determine to visit particular food stalls. Otherwise, just needed to do a cursory Google review check on whether a random food place is worth eating it. As a principle, we didn't want to spend time queuing >20m for food.
• I'd plan the next day's itinerary the night before, considering fatigue, interest, and proximity. I would create a brand new Google maps list for the next day, including potential food places.

Day 0 (Wed) 17 May - Arrival at Haneda Airport to hotel in Shinjuku
Arrived in Haneda late, about 11pm. Clearance was quick but baggage took 30mins. As I wouldn't make my stipulated airport limousine timing, I had no choice but to cancel my airport limousine and take the metro to our hotel in Shinjuku. I tried Apple wallet’s Suica at first. It worked seamlessly but I felt that a physical metro card was just faster so I eventually switched over. We reached after midnight, so do let your hotel know in advance if you anticipate arriving at odd hours.
Day 1 (Thurs) - Shinjuku exploration
Originally planned to visit Tsukiji on day 1, but given that we arrived late the previous night, agreed with my wife to change the plan and spend the first day doing the Shinjuku itinerary.

• Walked to a popular Tsukumen place at 11. Queued for 20mins and it was an interesting experience as there were lines of people standing right behind watching you eat. Wife said it was her best Tsukumen ever!
• Sekaido for art & stationary supplies: My wife does art so it was a haven for her. We spent a few hours there!
• Tokyu Hands Shinjuku: Wanted to look at more stationary/home/fashion stuff but two floors were under renovation.
• Omoide Yokocho: A quick walkthrough of this famous street for salarymen which comes alive at night. Many tourists.

Day 2 (Fri) - Kappabashi St., Fabric Town, Akihabara

• Kappabashi Dougu Street: looked at kitchen supplies aimed to find a nice nakiri knife! (If you want to buy a knife, do research on what knife you need beforehand).
• Fabric Town: My wife just passed a seamstress exam so she eagerly anticipated visiting fabric town, we spent a few hours in Tomato.
• Akihabara (Animate, Bic Camera, Gyukatsu Don): It was drizzling the entire day so it was not the most comfortable lugging that many bags around a wet Akihabara in the evening. Wife wasn’t interested but I wanted to let her experience this unique culture. Had dinner at a popular gyukatsu don (beef cutlet that you’d have to cook yourself). It was our first time eating gyukatsu. It was so tender and juicy and mmm. But it was a long one hour wait. It was after this episode that we decided we were not going to queue this long for food again.

Day 3 (Sat) - Cooking class in Shinjuku, Shibuya

• Private cooking class in Shinjuku: Our host was great! We were invited into his cosy house and he taught us how to make Okonomiyaki, Yakisoba, and a Japanese salad. I paid careful attention to the menu beforehand as I wanted to learn dishes I could easily recreate back home (i.e. not choose dishes that depended on seasonal Japanese ingredients). My wife absolutely loved the experience of getting to know a local and understanding his life story, Japanese culture, and hearing some of his horror stories of foreign guests. We got more food recs from him to understand where the locals really ate at.
• Shibuya 109: Paid $5 for a drink to have a bird’s eye view of the Shibuya crossing. It was Saturday so the crossing was at its full force. Even if you think this is touristy, it’s amazing to see that many people like little ants crossing a street. There are several nice locations here to take some artsy shots.
• Ishibashi Music Shibuya: absolutely loved the vibe in this music store. Back home, I’d been thinking about getting a particular keyboard but never got a chance to try it. I was able to play this particular one undisturbed and feel like I could go on for hours without any pressure from staff. Bought a few Japan exclusive guitar picks as gifts.
• Shibuya Tokyu Hands: This was amazing. I thought Shinjuku Tokyu Hands was the flagship store. So I only stumbled into this because I urgently needed to pee and someone said Tokyu hands had toilets. We were confused as its name was rebranded to simply "Hands" with a new logo. If you only have time to visit one Tokyu Hands, visit the Shibuya one. Each floor had 2 sub-floors so that’s a ton of floors! Lots of quality-of-life improvements one could get from this store. My wife got a buckwheat pillow.
• Shibuya Loft: After Sekaido and Tokyu Hands, I didn't think there was much daily life products/art/stationary to look at. But Loft was very different. Similar to Tokyu hands but seems more modern and fashionable. Worth visiting together with Tokyu hands! It also had packaged food available! It was late and my wife and I concluded that we didn’t have to to explore all the floors and that we’d return to Shibuya again.

Day 4 (Sun) - Komazawa Church, Harajuku, Shibuya

• Church in Komazawa: not a tourist activity, but we linked up with some partners from our home church and attended service at a little church held in a nursery. It was an amazing and encouraging experience to hear the gospel preached in a foreign language.
• Harajuku: Way too crowded. I had anticipated this as it was a Sunday, but thought to just try. Takeshita street was so packed my wife feared there would be a stampede risk (it wasn’t that bad). We did queue 20mins for pretty tasty crepe. After checking out all the recommended streets (e.g. cat street, uru-harajuku), my wife simply felt that she couldn’t stand the Harajuku crowd and the vibes. So we decided to go back to Shibuya again!
• Shibuya JINS: I didn’t mention this but previously in Shinjuku and Shibuya, I had been checking out recommended optical shops in the vicinity for a particular style of glasses. Japanese-made glasses are highly-rated, but I couldn’t find something at the right price-point. At JINS, I found a design I liked. Though not made in Japan, it cost me less than 5000 yen. Took them 1 hour to make it. For some reason I loved the vibes at Shibuya, and I earmarked it to return again later.

Day 5 (Mon) - Tsukiji Market, Ginza Muji/Uniqlo, Tokyo station

• Tsukiji market: wanted to arrive before 8 but arrived at 8.30am. Thankfully the crowds weren't that bad yet. Everything we tried was lovely. Potato/corn fishcakes, strawberry mochi, tamago, wagyu beef, uni inarisushi (my first time trying uni - wife loved it but I didn't like it), unagi. But the star was Masa burger (thanks to Paolo from Tokyo), which we waited till 11am to try. By then, the tourist buses had come and the streets were packed. But Masa burger was in a corner and we were their first customers. We tried fried codfish burger + homemade ginger ale. Both were was so well done and the fried cod was so crispy yet fresh and tender. It was also nicely completed with very refreshing salads! It was soo good we had it twice.
• Ginza Uniqlo/Muji: we wanted to take a look at some of Uniqlo’s exclusive items. Apparently they do have exclusive t-shirts for each region (e.g. Harajuku, Shibuya, Ginza), which tend to be collaborations with well-known food places in the area. However, they were always white in colour (cheap to produce) and not made-in-Japan-quality. Muji @ Ginza was a disappointment, not a lot more than the usual.
• Tokyo Station Ghibli store & Tenugui hunting: Went to Tokyo station to check out the Ghibli store and to look for a particular traditional tenugui (Japanese towels) store as my wife were hunting these down to give as gifts.
• Shinjuku Ichiran & Mister Donut: We returned to Shinjuku for Ichiran ramen, specifically at 5+pm. No crowds at all. Yummy! We then saw a Mister Donut, and recalled news in our home country that when it had its first opening in my country, people queued 5 hours for it. We thought to try it to see what the fuss was all about. Cash only, but the donuts were wonderfully textured and not too sweet. My wife doesn’t like sweet stuff, but mister donut really hit the sweet spot (no pun intended).

Day 6 (Tue) - Tokyo National Museum, Fabric town revisit, Akihabara revisit, Ochanomizu

• Tokyo National Museum: We had a good time learning about Japan’s early history, and discovered that so much that we know of Japan resulted from Chinese/korean influence.
• Fabric town & Akihabara revisit, Ochonomizu: We decided that this was likely the right time to go back for items we missed out on or didn’t have time to see. My wife went to fabric town again while I went to Akihabara’s Yodaibashi camera, which I felt to be better and with more varied things than Bic Camera. I then went to nearby Ochanomizu to look at more music and sport shops. We met up again at Shinjuku for another Gyukatsu Don before heading to mister donuts again.

Day 7 (Wed) - Shinjuku Gyoen Garden, Mori Museum, Ginza Wakamatsu, Shinjuku

• Shinjuku Gyoen Garden: lovely large garden grounds. We spent almost an hour just lying under a tree and watching clouds float by. Wife was doing some rough sketches of the garden. We had mister donuts from last night for breakfast.
• Mori Museum: Saw the exhibition of Heatherwick studios, which was inspiring and educational. Paid for the rooftop access to have a quick view of Tokyo from 50-ish floors up.
• Ginza Wakamatsu: Because of one of the Uniqlo-ginza-exclusive t-shirts, my wife was curious about this traditional Japanese dessert. So we gave it a check and realised it’s been around for more than a century. There was a short line (mainly Japanese elderly). The shop interior transported us back decades. It felt surreal eating a dessert that the Japanese ate centuries ago. Unlike modern desserts, this Japanese dessert certainly doesn’t excite and overwhelm one’s taste buds immediately. But there’s an old charm to it.
• Shinjuku Okadaya fabric: Returned to Shinjuku as my wife wanted to check out another of their famous fabric stores. Prices were more expensive than fabric town, but had somewhat different items.

Day 8 (Thurs) - Kawaguchiko

• Bus to Kawaguchiko: Packed light to Kawaguchiko, and forwarded our remaining luggage to our final hotel in Tamachi. The Shinjuku hotel staff were very helpful. I was merely inquiring on how luggage forwarding was done, but the staff picked up the phone, called my Tamachi hotel to confirm the booking, and prepared the documents for me. All I had to do was roll my luggage the next night to them and make payment. Took our 7:45am bus to Kawaguchiko and managed to catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji when we were on our way there!
• Cycling In Kawaguchiko: We lugged our bags to our ryokan and headed out again. My wife was quite hesitant about cycling overseas and I was also worried it’d tire her out too much. I debated between cycling or simply taking the sight-seeing bus. Eventually felt that it was worth trying to cycle. We unexpectedly walked by an e-bike place and decided, why not? Neither of us had tried an e-bike before and that could reduce the effort required for my wife. So we did and boy was it fun! It took a while to get used to the e-bike but it really reduced a lot of effort up the hills! I barely perspired at all thanks to the e-assist. Kawaguchiko had pretty narrow roads so it wasn’t the easiest to cycle. But I had plenty of road-cycling experience back at home so I was not daunted. We borrowed helmets from the e-bike place but saw that we were the only tourists that wore them. Yes, I'd recommend wearing helmets when cycling.
• Kubota Itchiku Art Museum: Cycled here knowing that this museum would interest my wife. It had a garden free for entry and it was really quaint, quiet, and charming! The pond had a singular vibrant-coloured Koi swimming in it. Museum entry requires tickets. On this trip, I realised that visiting museums tired me easily. It could be because I spent time reading each description. I told my wife to go ahead as I waited outside. She eventually took 45m in the museum and was so enthralled by it. She even bought a heavy hard-cover book of Itchiku Kubota’s kimono art :/
• Momiji Corridor: was just 50 meters away from the museum. Still beautiful with only green leaves, but I’d imagine it would be majestic in Autumn/Spring.
• Oishi Park: Many colourful flowers! It’s a pity that it had been cloudy the entire day, and Mt Fuji was not visible. That would have made the cycle perfect. Had a peach/plum ice-cream. Park was crowded with tourists.

Day 9 (Fri) - Fuji Q Highland, Shimoyoshida Honcho St, Batting Cage
Planning for Fuji Q & Morning Jog: I didn’t plan to go to Fuji-Q highland before the trip. Always felt it a bit of a waste to visit amusement parks overseas. That’s until I realised that Fuji Q had some of the most exciting (I mean world-record-holding) rollercoasters in the world. Maybe they don't hold the records anymore, but that intrigued me enough, because most amusement parks only had 1-2 coasters. Problem was that wife is terrified, and she said cycling on the streets of Kawaguchiko was already like a coaster ride for her. Still, I'm really thankful she encouraged me to go and said she was happy waiting and taking pictures for me. So I decided I would reach at opening time, and buy time by paying for the fast passes and try their top three coasters. The night before, we felt that we had to make decisions on our itinerary as it was our last day at Kawaguchiko. If Mt Fuji still wasn’t visible the next day, we'd go to Oshino Hakkai, if it was, we could try going to Shimoyoshida to get a nice picture.

• I went for a morning jog and as the path brought me along the river's perimeter, my jaw dropped when I saw Mount Fuji towering into view. I raced back to tell my wife (about 6am) and we both trekked up to a viewing spot to enjoy the view. This made it more urgent to not spend too much time at Fuji Q as we didn’t know how long Mt. Fuji would be visible for.
• Fuji-Q Highland: Was absolutely amazing. Yes, I blew a lot of cash here buying fast passes for the three available coasters. But they were some of the craziest coasters. Took Eejanaika, Fujiyama and Takabisha. Total time it took probably a little more than 1 hour with the express passes. It was so good, but so fast that I have little memory of it, except that there was a 90 degree climb to the top for Takabisha and I had a beautiful view of Mt. Fuji while climbing to the supposed world record of 79m for Fujiyama (this was 2 days before the news reported that Fujiyama got stuck in the middle of a ride and the people in the carts had to climb down :o). Had more time to take a few other rides, and enjoyed all the Naruto statues around for fun photo-taking. What I really enjoyed about the park was that it was mostly filled with Japanese tourists; in fact, there was a Japanese school having an outing there. It was nice to see excited students running about. If I could spend the day here, I'd take the three coasters multiple times to imprint the sensations in my head. But I'm still thankful I got to try some of the world's most thrilling coasters!
• Shomoyoshida Honcho St: This destination was simply to take the famous street view of Mount Fuji with Japanese shops lined in the foreground. It’s not easy to get to, and there was quite a walk. We noticed there weren’t much people around, and most shops were closed. But when we reached the destination, there were many tourists right at the particular traffic light. So much so there was a grumpy Japanese traffic police person managing the crowd. We saw the worst of tourists that day. People were disobeying traffic laws and just running in the middle of the road just to get a shot. We then chanced upon a hidden udon shop and it felt like we were transported back to the 50’s! It was super old school, people sat on raised platforms, and several elderly customers were watching the tele while eating. There was only one udon option available, with free cabbage top-ups. We learnt that the shop had been around for 73 years. We actually headed back to Fuji-Q Highlands to take a 4D 'plane ride' with Joe Hisashi music in the background. Since my wife actually wanted to ride something, I was happy to agree to her request. Ride was very ordinary but wife actually felt terrified at times lol. Rushed back to the hotel for a private onsen booking.
• Batting Cage: I had never played baseball/softball and my home country doesn’t have a baseball culture. Yet I had seen batting cages in Japanese drama and always wanted to try. Loved it! My technique was probably pretty bad! I did well at first but as I tried faster balls, I tired out and failed to hit any haha. We ended the day eating ramen outdoors with a view of Mount Fuji.

Day 10 (Sat) - Kichijoji, Ghibli Museum, Kichijoji Jazz bar
Woke up before sunrise for a run and to attempt to catch a sunrise picture of Mount Fuji. Streets were completely empty. Even ran to the famous Kawaguchiko Lawson for a picture. Headed back for an onsen bathe (note: we never used the room's shower, and always went for an onsen bath throughout our stay in Kawaguchiko as it was just too convenient). Took a 7am bus to return to Shinjuku.

• Kichijoji: Arrived at Kichijoji at about 10am. Wife really loved the vibes there. We tried the Tsukuba suisan fish cakes which were really tasty, and my wife was intrigued that a line had formed at the adjacent store named Ozasa. Apparently they sell traditional Japanese desserts and locals would go there as early as 5am to get a ticket. So we queued 15m and managed to get three boxes worth of the snacks! Tried the Amane Taiyaki fish-shaped bean paste snacks, another traditional dessert. It was a small lovely old shop.
• Ghibli Museum: Requires a long walk through Inokashira park. Ghibli was fantastic. Many people have been saying recently that it’s over-rated, and that it doesn’t cater to foreign crowds and most things are in Japanese. We similarly struggled with that at first. But we found out that if you asked the staff, they actually had English language exhibition booklets ready for every exhibition! That was a revelation. And we managed to understand almost all the exhibitions by asking the uniformed staff (except the short film, which had minimal dialogue anyway). I mentioned this to one foreign group and they were really grateful for that. But I saw that many other foreigners that probably came earlier were just bored or simply going crazy at the Ghibli shop. My wife bought the museum book (which also has English explanations of each exhibit), and we understood Miyazaki’s vision for the museum - to make it suitable for kids and adults, with no pre-determined route, allowing for play, exploration, to help people be inspired by the artists’ process. Through that, we saw that every thing in the museum was intentionally designed, all of the exhibitions, cafe, shop, and garden. Reading that helped me appreciate and enjoy the museum much more.
• Roaming Kichijoji and Some Time Jazz bar: My wife and I split up to roam kichijoji. I checked out some sports shops and saw that their prices were lower than Ochanomizu. We reconvened for dinner at Sometime Jazz bar. I’m picking up Jazz piano but had never been to a jazz bar. Booked it one day before, but was sad that our table position only allowed us to see some of the drummer and the pianist’s expression. Still, it was a very hip place for jazz cats and we had a wonderful time. We only sat through the first half of the performance that night. Note that there are seating charges, so that + dinner added up to quite a lot. But we rationalised that this was akin to paying for a performance. Checked into our hotel in Tamachi.

Day 11 (Sun) - Tokyo Sky Tree, Shinjuku, Back to Kichijoji, Shibuya
It was a crazy day where we simply hit the places we wanted to revisit regardless of proximity. Headed to Tokyo Skytree in the morning to check out another Ghibli store in hopes of getting another Ghibli shirt; reason was because I ended up buying one at the museum I really loved (made in Japan, beautiful colour, perfect fit. I hesitated at first because I couldn't try it). If you’re not going to the Ghibli museum, this is probably the best store available for Ghibli goods. Alas, the museum's items were really quite exclusive. Headed to Shinjuku to try curry udon, then to Kichijoji to try satou beef balls and dangos and to make some purchasing decisions on some sports equipment. Then we ended up at Shibuya (my favourite place!) to the mega Don Quijote and Tokyu Hands to shop for gifts for others. It was a lovely end to our trip!
Day 12 (Mon) - Back home
Best trip ever, says my wife.
Tips for travellers

• Spread out your itinerary: I originally planned to front-load all the must-see tourist stuff and leave the remaining days for shopping. But in May, Ghibli Museum was closed for two weeks so we had no choice but to schedule it at the end of the trip. That was a better arrangement. It felt that each day was distinctly different, and we could remember the highlight of each day. Also, be specific about where you want to go. Don’t simply put locations, e.g., Visit Harajuku, or visit Shibuya crossing.
• Plan your itinerary in consideration of weekend crowds: Places like Tsujiki market, Ghibli Museum, Fuji-Q Highlands and other stuff are likely going to be very crowded on weekends. If you want to shop in Harajuku or Shibuya, try to avoid weekends. I opted to put the cooking class and ‘less-exciting’ Museums on weekends.
• Unless you'll always be in a group, use your telco’s roaming or get an e-sim: My wife and I split up on several occasions, so we already knew the pocket wifi was out of the question.
• Carry more cash than you think you need: In my experience, the cash-to-card ratio was about 40:60. Considering that all metro card top-ups require cash, you'll need quite a bit of cash! Sometimes even bigger restaurants are cash only.
• Bring foldable tote bags, and use lockers where necessary: If you’re buying stuff, packing them in tote bags makes it easier to lug around. Bigger shops will charge you for bags. If you just arrived from one area with bags and are going to explore another, use the lockers. Most metro stations likely have lockers and they are really affordable and convenient.
• Travel light by planning to do laundry: I only brought four sets of clothing, and we did laundry every 3-4 days or so. It’s really convenient, about 200 yen per 30m wash, and another 200 yen for a 1h dry. It’s worthwhile to check if your hotel has coin laundry available.
• Buy discriminately: Many people say the kind of things available at places like Don Quijote or Uniqlo are mind-blowing. Fact is, most of them are made in China or elsewhere. About 95% of the items we saw in Daiso were made in China. In fact, many items in Kappabashi street were made in China. You’re more likely to get value for money by buying a made in Japan item. Sometimes the shop will highlight if a product is Japan made. But other times, you have to scrutinise the fine print. Learn to look out for these three words in Kanji: 日本製. This is where the camera function of Google translate is immensely helpful. This was not available or widely publicised when I last visited Japan years back in 2016, so use this tech to your advantage and scrutinise the fine print!
• Plan your toilet trips if possible: If you know you’re headed to low-rise areas like Tsujiki, Fabric town where it’s just shop after shop, it’s going to be hard to find a toilet. Make sure you relieve yourself beforehand at the train station. But if you still need to go, try to find a multi-storey building and chances are, there’ll be toilets available there.
• Avoid queuing for food by timing right: In general, I found that most popular food places that required queuing had queues mainly consisting of foreigners. I wonder if this is because of the reddit/youtube/google maps review effect (not a lot of Japanese review on Google I think). So if you have to queue, there's a good chance you're competing with other foreigners. Simply put, almost all food places open at 11am, so be there at 11, or have early dinner at 5pm and perhaps you may avoid the queuing.
• Scrutinise Google maps to figure out the different train types: for daily travel, there could be local, rapid, and express trains. Local trains stop at every station. Rapid skips a few, and express trains likely only stops at key location. They make a big difference to travel time, and to your comfort. When Google maps recommends a route, scrutinise the detail to ensure what kind of train they are recommending. It gets confusing at the station as the platforms on your left and right may end up at the same location, but one could be a local train and the other an express train.
• Learn just 2 essential phrases: It always felt weird for me to speak Japanese because I felt like a try-hard. But this time I did - just learn to say thank you in Japanese (arigato gozaimasu). The other essential word is - summimasen - excuse me/sorry. Useful for if you need to exit a crowded train, or if you need to get someone’s attention. We survived with just these two phrases. As our cooking teacher told us - it’s better to say something in Japanese than say nothing at all. For the rest, you can use Google translate app’s picture function.
• Other misc tips: as mentioned, bring trash bags. Some shops explicitly tell you not to walk around and eat their food. So the solution is to finish the snack in front of the shop, and say, “summimasen, can you help me to throw this trash?” That helped us avoid carrying trash around a lot. As a traveller, you’re gonna get a lot of carbs (my curry udon meal included a bowl of udon + a bowl of rice...) and fried food. To get more fiber, try the basements of shopping centres and get yourself some fruits. Also, if you exercise regularly like me, you'd be concerned about getting some exercise. I did pre-trip research on pools/gyms/parks to visit. But visited none of them. With what little hotel room space I had, I settled with a daily morning routine of 100 squats and 100 pushups. That and walking an average of 18k steps daily helped. I actually lost some weight somehow.

Observations

• Drinking culture in Japan: we saw quite a few drunk people in the streets. Some of them at the parks. I had never really seen drunkards much in my home country (it could be because I don’t stay out late). When we walked by a bar area with our cooking instructor at 10am, he told us some of the people in them had been there overnight. At Inokashira park, we saw a lady dressed in office wear face planted on the ground. Her friends tried to help carry here elsewhere but her entire body was limp and almost lifeless.
• The Japanese sleep late: when we arrived, we were still on the train to our hotel at 11:50pm. But the train was still packed with salarymen in suits and many others. In fact, it seemed the later it was, the more crowded the trains.
• Foreigner influx and how we stick out: there were way more foreigners this time than the last I visited Japan. I commented to my wife that I felt more immersed in Japan on the metro or at places like Tokyu hands as I could hear Japanese being spoken around me. But at tourist spots and some museums, I felt like I could have been in any other country. I tended to feel very uncomfortable when large groups of foreigners were around. I had to tell myself not to be hypocritical as I was a foreigner myself. But I suppose one reason is that there were many inconsiderate foreigners. Speaking loudly, making brash comments, and just not behaving like visitors. We saw a foreign couple locked in a head-to-toe embrace on a picnic mat in a park full of families. And they chose a spot right next to the footpath. Many foreigners also leave unkind Google reviews for places just because it’s not up to their expectations. I get it, we worked for our holiday and are paying customers, and there is often an innate tendency to feel entitled or complain when something isn’t up to our expectations. But I think it helps to remember that we are like visitors in someone’s home. Be self-aware, don’t speak loudly, note the traffic customs, where to stand on the escalators, how to behave etc.
• Japanese men have great hair: the Japanese men’s hairstyle feels frozen in time. I didn’t see the typical Korean-inspired center-parted hairstyles in Asian guys nowadays. And balding men were a small minority somehow. As someone whose hairline is slowly receding, I was envious to see many Japanese men have wavy long hair deep into their 60-70s! My wife commented that the women's hairstyles were more or less the same - dyed, curled etc. But the men were rocking so many styles!
• In-person shopping still matters: as the days went by and as my wife and I began to covet the "made-in-Japan" label, we realised that we hadn't done such shopping in years since online shopping became prevalent. I also recall people commenting that you could get these goods online anyway, so why bother shopping in Japan. Well, physical shopping makes comparison easy, it allows you to ask for recommendations, and enables you to know the items's size, feel, and look on you (if buying fashion items). It also makes discovery of new items possible. I'm not a huge shopper or a foodie, but in Japan, it's worth it to be one simply because the Japanese are thoughtful about their craft and tend to produce quality that's quite unmatched. I suppose it's a blessing in disguise that our honeymoon got delayed 3 years, as we are now well-aware of our post-wedding lifestyles and the items we'd need in the kitchen/around the house.
• Reading culture is strong: in a week when I read reports that leisure reading had declined in my home country, I was pleasantly surprised to see many people reading hard-copy books on the train, many of them even had personalised leather book covers. Kinokuniya was also teeming with life. As a bookworm, this is a great encouragement. And I wish English language books came in such compact sizes too, although I think that's due to the limitations of the language. As Japanese characters can be read vertically, that allows for more play on possible book sizes.
• No one culture is worth idealising: Japan remains my favourite country to visit as a tourist, but I've come to see that Japanese culture - like any other culture - has its flaws. That's simply because people are flawed. Yes, their service culture is impeccable, especially when you're served by middle-aged super helpful and super kind ladies. But on every Japanese trip so far, I've always had at least one unkind or impatient service encounter. On a day-to-day basis, people don't really apologise if they bump into you, and may not give up their seats for the elderly too. My cooking teacher says the Japanese are extremely polite in person but would rant and give very bad reviews anonymously at home. I've come to just enjoy their products, service, and their views of certain ways-of-life as a tourist, but stop short of idealising their culture. There are kind and unkind people in every culture. That said, I would still say on average, the Japanese may be more civic-minded than most. That doesn't mean they are innately kinder or warmer people, but simply that they are more self-aware of how their actions are perceived by others.

I've decided not to mention the specific food places as far as possible because I think there's more than enough recommendations available elsewhere. I also think sometimes that we get a bit fomo if we build up too many must-go spots. Enjoy the process of discovering new places! But feel free to ask me more if you like.

Two men with a stretcher pick up Tojo as Diver walks limply to the exit. After a few hours of reconstruction on the stage, Apple introduces the next fighter. They snap their finger and point to the East entrance.
​
Apple: "In a modern world, there's a hidden martial art. What if someone brought them back to the modern-day world? Well, look no further. The dreaded Fūma Clan kept the Clan's secrets locked away until one man took them away. His reason? Because "they weren't using them." Standing at 6'0" and weighing 194lbs, welcome, u/Dolphinsarenotreal!"
​
A gust of wind comes from the East entrance, as a whirlwind comes from there. A spinning figure of air stops in the ring, revealing a man wearing a grey ninja-yoroi with no head cover, showing a well-kept face and greyish hair. His hands are in his pockets, and a red scarf is around this man's neck. He pulls out his hands and shows them off, showing a pair of metal gauntlets with sharp ends on the fingertips.
​
Apple points at the West entrance as he starts the following introduction.
​
Apple: "The blade has been around since the dawn of man. But only one martial art is mainly used for the public's eye. And that style is none other than Kendo! This next fighter has the Olympic title of "Kendo Master!" Winning one gold medal after another! Here he comes, standing at 6'2" and weighing 238lbs! Welcome, u/Ruisus!"
​
The spotlight shines on the entrance, but no one exits the gate. Apple tilts their head in confusion, but soon someone places their hand on Apple's shoulder, scaring them. Apple turns to see Ruisus.
​
Ruisus is wearing a casual Hawaiian shirt and tan cargo pants, and glasses rest on his face. But behind the man, a shinai case is holding his sword, resting on his back. Ruisus turns to Dolph and looks him up and down. With one motion, he pulls out his bamboo sword.
​
Ruisus: "I'll give you this one chance, surrender."
​
Dolph closes his eyes, putting two fingers in front of his face.
​
Dolph: "Sorry, but surrendering is not the way of the ninja."
​
Ruisus rolls his eyes as he points the shinai's tip at Dolph. Apple raises their hand and shouts. "BEGIN!" As Apple finishes that word, Dolph opens his eyes and rushes at Ruisus. After a few steps, he throws a kunai at the swordsman. The knife flies at Ruisus, but Ruisus dodges it without looking away. But when Ruisus moves in, he goes for a downward swing, aiming at the head.
​
Ruisus: "AHHHHH!"
​
The swing almost hits the top of Dolph's head, but while it looks like it hits, Dolph dodges it. The sword phases through him and taps the ground. From behind Ruisus, a voice says.
​
Dolph: "Fūma style: Vanishing Leaf."
​
Ruisus turns around, but when he does, an egg gets thrown at him. The egg hits him in the face, shattering. But he feels a stinging feeling in his eyes, for this was no ordinary egg, but a metsubushi! Dolph moves in at a fast pace. When he gets close, he jumps in the air and does a flip, sticking one of his legs out further than the other.
​
Dolph: "Fūma style: Cyclone Kick!"
​
Dolph's heel hits the top of Ruisus's head and sends him to the ground. Dolph lands on both feet and backs away. Before Apple can run over and count to ten, Ruisus gets back up. He picks up his sword and aims it at Dolph. When he opens his eyes, they're bloodshot and pink. Tears form in them.
​
Ruisus: "Ok, my turn."
​
He sprints at Dolph and goes for another downward swing to the head, screaming his lungs out. But when it gets in range, Dolph uses Vanishing Leaf again. But, Ruisus slams his foot to the ground and swings sideways. He turns his whole body with the swing. Soon, he hits Dolph in the side. The blow pushes Dolph to the ropes. Dolph looks surprised.
​
Dolph: "How... How did you hit me?"
​
Ruisus: "It's simple. Your technique requires you to pivot around the opponent before they can hit you. I felt you go left, so I swung left, hitting you before you could stop."
​
Dolph places his hand on his side, the blow hurting, for it has broken a rib.
​
Ruisus: "Welcome to the real world, kid. Your style died out for a reason!"
​
Dolph frowns, reaching for three kunai. He pulls them out and throws them at Ruisus. But in a swift swing, he hits them all down from the air. Dolph is holding a rope, gasping for air. Ruisus steps closer.
​
Ruisus: "Like I said, my turn."
​
Ruisus moves in closer to Dolph, raising his sword and swinging downward.
​
Ruisus: "Renewal Kendo Style: Triple Ippon!"
​
Before Dolph can react, he gets hit in the side again, then the head, then a jab to the throat. Dolph falls to the ground, gasping for air. But soon, he gets back to his feet.
​
Dolph: "I can't lose. I'll show you how hard I've worked to get here!"
​
Dolph sticks out a thumbs up and slams the thumb into his chest.
​
Dolph: "Fūma forbidden style: Awaken!"
​
A gust of wind comes from Dolph, but soon he vanishes. But suddenly, he appears behind Ruisus, kicking him in the back. The blow is so powerful it sends him sliding toward the ropes. Ruisus turns around to see Dolph approaching at a fast pace. He lowers his sword for a counterattack and rushes him. When he thinks Dolph is in range, he swings for a sideways strike, but it touches nothing. Suddenly, a sharp pain fills his side, for Dolph has used his gauntlets to slice into his side. He looks down to see blood dripping from his shirt.
​
Dolph goes in for another attack, but Ruisus is too slow to turn. He gets cut again as Dolph's fingers slice through his body. Ruinus closes his eyes and summons a black cloud of smoke.
​
Ruisus: "I didn't think I would have to resort to this tactic, but you left me with no other choice."
​
The cloud of smoke takes the form of Niccolo Machiavelli.
​
Ruisus: "I am the prince of this ring now. Fear me!"
​
Dolph goes in for another strike, but Ruisus predicts the attack and swings.
​
Ruisus: "Renewal Kenpo Style: Wrist breaker!"
​
In two consistent swings, he breaks Dolph's right wrist. Dolph stops running as the effects of Awaken wear off. He looks at the opponent swordsman, knowing he's running out of tricks. A cloud of smoke comes out of Dolph as he prepares his Gear.
​
Soon, the cloud takes the form of Johnny Appleseed. Appleseed sticks his hand up, spawning trees all over the arena. The six-by-six-meter ring is soon engulfed by trees, making it look like a small forest.
​
Inside the forest, Ruisus looks around, not having much space to move, as the trees block his way. He frowns.
​
Ruisus: "I can't use Machiavelli's speed here. Not enough room."
​
A few words come from the forest in the form of a whisper.
​
Dolph: "But there's enough room for me."
​
Suddenly, a red scarf shoots around a tree and wraps around Ruisus's neck, pinning him to the tree. Dolph stands on the tree, using all his weight to strangle Ruisus.
​
Dolph: "Welcome to the Forest of Death, Mr. Swordsman."
​
Ruisus struggles for a moment before letting out a scream. But after a few minutes, the trees start returning to the ground. Apple finds themselves back in the ring. But they notice that a limping Dolph is carrying an unconscious Ruisus. Two men with a stretcher carry Ruisus away as Apple declares Dolph the winner.
​
Dolph picks up Ruisus's sword and carries it to the knocked-out Ruisus. When he gets to the man, he says.
​
Dolph: "Go, be a ninja."
​
Back on the stage, Apple points to the jumbo screen.
​
Apple: "Next up is u/NothingWaste7654 versus u/PrimartTheGod!"
​
​
Round 1, match 2, winner, u/Dolphinsarenotreal

Beneath the Bodhi tree, in the mid-morning chill, Sat a fellow named Sid, practicing his still. He looked in and out, and to his surprise, He saw things quite differently, in the broad daylight.
"Suffering," he mused, "is a part of this game, A part of existence, in the sunshine or rain. But the secret," he grinned, "is not to dread, Rather understand its nature, unravel its thread."
"Take my tea," he spoke, "it's no longer hot, Impermanence is a dance, in every moment's plot. My tea, my body, even this tree, oh dear, Just like hairstyles, are subject to change every year."
"No-self," he chuckled, "now that's a tricky concept, Like trying to explain why my cousin Egbert kept a pet. You think you're solid, you think you're whole, But you're more like a soup, without a bowl."
"We cling to 'I', 'me', and 'mine', Like a drunk monkey clinging to wine. But look closer, see the truth unfold, No self stands alone, nothing to hold."
Then the Buddha looked up, with a twinkle in his eye, "Life is like a joke," he said, "let me tell you why. The punchline comes and goes, leaves you in a daze, But the joy is in the telling, not just the end phase."
"Embrace the tears, the laughter, the whole absurdity, For, in truth, we're just actors in the cosmic comedy. Shed your worries, your fears, let them fall away, Like an elephant letting go of yesterday's hay."
So, the Buddha laughed, and we laughed along, Our hearts filling with the rhythm of his joyous song. In his words, we found, life's sweetest delight, Humor in suffering, impermanence, and the no-self's flight.
A cosmic joke, a dance, a morning tea's brew, Who knew enlightenment could be a comedy too. Remember Buddha's wisdom, let it shine through, Life's a lot funnier when the joke's on you.

The Oni Broodlord.
It began on a relatively small and insignificant planet. Nivion was from most of the warring and conquering in the milkyway and had few troops stationed there. So when a report from a nobody says they saw, what they described as 'flying fish' land in the middle of nowhere, in the dead of night, most soldiers hardly took it seriously. Yet, insistent higher ups made sure a small squad headed out to confirm that it was in fact nothing. It didn't take long for the transmission to come in. Through the coms cried a voice screaming for backup, begging for help. Quickly troops mobilized. As more and more requests for help came back, and more men were sent out, it only confirmed this xenos threat to be of Tyranid origin.
Nobody remembers when it happened, but it was decided that the few Spacemarines should be sent to quash this futile attempt at an invasion. When they arrived they saw not swarms of Termagaunts, nor Warriors. Instead, in the shadow of the night, coming through the six foot corn field were Genestealers. Not many, and so once the Spacemarines arrived the tide quickly turned in the imperium's favor. It became clear to the commanding Lieutenant that this was no large invasion. This small unit of troops was not meant for out right battle. No, he realized these foul creatures were an escort, and that meant the true target was so far unseen. "Burn it!" He commanded, and in a moment his troops had lit the entire field a blaze. The few hidden vermin came out screeching as they made a last ditch effort to kill the onslaught of soldiers. These too were swiftly killed. Although there were casualties, most had begun to celebrate their victory. This did not last long, the Lieutenant remarked that they had only killed genestealers, and had not yet found their source. So their hunt began.
The Spacemarine's search lead them to the accompanying barn. When approaching it, even the mighty Spacemarines could feel a presence. It was as if their skin was the wrong size, or their bones wouldn't support them anymore. But their iron will allowed them to burst open the door, and inside it stood, it's enormous form nearly filling the barn, making even giant Spacemarines seem small. It's red eyes seemingly piercing them, although did not move they could feel it's attack. Their skulls grinding against itself, every one of their muscle fibers wanting to collapse in on itself. Their very hearts on the brink of imploding. One of the wounded Marines collapsed, blood launching itself from his mouth, will crumbling under the creature's silent threats.
Screeches of death broke the deadly silence as more wretches pounced on the Marines. The monster still had more minion's to unleash, but they would not last long, as flashes from boltguns lit up the barn. The Lieutenant's men stood their ground as he charged forward at the beast, chainsword in hand he slashed at it's evil form. The horror let out a scream of agony as the Lieutenant's blade dug into it's arm. He prayed on The Emperor he could rid this planet of this xenos. At the same moment he brought his Plasma Pistol to where the creature's heart should be. Although he wasn't too sure if such a thing could have a heart.
But then he felt it again, the deep soul crushing sense. This organism was watching inside his mind. He grit his teeth, now was not the time to fail. All he needed was this single shot. But the sensation wasn't simply of this organism, nor of some other, unseen, xenos psycher. No. This poison in his mind was far beyond one single creature, or a single thought. For but a moment he could feel and see battles lightyears away, creatures and planets he'd never heard of. This one singular moment could last for all eternity, he saw what it all was. Then he felt the cool rush of blood on his tongue, and so he was jolted away from the omnipresent hive mind, and back to Nivion, back to the battle. There he was, realizing what had just transpired. He quickly realized he was no longer in the barn, nor could he see his battle brothers. He saw the sky, the beautiful sunrise, all was bathed in crimson, and as the red colour overtook his vision he had a realization. He couldn't feel his legs. In fact, he could feel less and less of his body. He hopes his Marines dealt with those Genestealers alright.
The sound of gunfire came from the barn as soldiers came to back up the Marines, but as they arrived they were greeted by the visage of a cruel monster. It stood a the hill, it's unfeeling eyes sunken into it's hideous horned skull, casting it's malicious spell upon the Imperial guard bellow. The only sign of the Spacemarine's was the torso of one, still impaled on it's blade. At it's feet lay the one victory they'd claimed. One butchered arm, shards of a chainsword mutilated the limb. The wretch's blood mixed with that of the glorious Marines.
With one hand it removed the corpse from it's weapon, while it's arm raised, extending a talon towards the men in it's path. All those who didn't flee felt a surge of energy run through their spine, as their nerves felt as if they were going to be ripped from their skin. For many, this was their doom, but for those lucky enough to survive this torture came a swift end. The monster descended upon them, it's blade ripping through their bodies with ease. They fell, very few even had time to fire their guns before the onslaught.
That night on Nivion, the Imperium declared that a Genestealer cult's establishment had been prevented. Although in none of the reports the word victory was never mentioned, the few survivors were proclaimed to be heros of Nivion, and so the planet was put at ease. If only it had been that simple.
Marcos and his wife were sleeping in bed. It had been a long days work for Marcos, and after finally being able to put his infant daughter to sleep, there was nothing more comforting or godly than being able to go to sleep next Vivian. Of course half an hour later Elise began crying. The pair turned to each other. "Tonight it's your night." Vivian spoke softly, her eyes barely open. "Honey she's been like this every night.. She stopped after five minutes yesterday." Marcos responded, trying his best to think of any excuse not to leave the bed. "Okay... " Vivian yawned. "But if she doesn't, then you know the deal." She said, making sure he agreed. He begrudgingly nodded, and collapsed into his pillow again. As the crying continued, he mustered up the strength to get out of bed. "Maybe it's because you insist on leaving that window open, she might be cold." Vivian commented as he left the room. Not long after the crying halted abruptly. Vivian was surprised by her husband's efficiency. Maybe they could actually get some sleep tonight. She rolled over towards the door. Ready to compliment when he returned. The clock ticked by, a minute passed. Then another. She called out for him, thinking maybe he'd gone to the bathroom. She waited longer, and longer. Finally she arose. She called out once more, her concerned voice echoing throughout the apartment. She moved through the corridors towards her daughter's room. A strange tingling in her spine intensifying as she approached it. "Marcos, this isn't funny." She said as her hand clutched the handle, a pulse through her muscles giving her pause, just for a moment before opening the door.
The window howled from the window as she entered the room, then the heat left her body. Two red eye's glared at her. A demon sat in her window. It's enormous form filling all of the frame. It's horrid deformed face had a sick resemblance to a person, but every feature was wrong. It's glowing eyes too sunken for any human skull. Instead of lips it had a tooth maw, and it's bald head was adorned with five horns. But it was not simply it's appearance that repulsed her, the creature seemed to silently whisper curses and spells at her. It took her much too long to notice, it had one arm too many, and each hand was tipped with sword like talons. Then her heart sank. One of it's hands had claw's longer than her arms, and in it's evil grip was Elise. She dropped to the ground, screaming, and that's when it vanished. Leaping from the window into the night. Vivian lay on the floor screaming for her child. It was a while before she even noticed that the floorboards were caked in blood. Her already blood shot eyes turned to it source. There, up against the wall was seemed to be a man, but he was mangled. All his organs had seemingly been forcefully ripped out through his skeleton. She could barely recognize it as Marcos. It took the neighbors two hours to finally be awoken by her screaming an sobbing. It was another four before the Adeptus Arbites arrived at the scene. By then she had gone catatonic and wouldn't move from her husbands remains.
It was only later that they could put together a full report, along with a description of the beast. Vivian wasn't the last for this to happen to. Over the course of the next six months twelve other reports came in with near identical stories. All described a huge, three armed demonic creature coming to steal their child. Each survivor also described an intense feeling of dread, as if it was coming from inside their very being. As more of victims appeared the situation was escalated from Adeptus Arbites to Astra Militarum. Many soldier's hunting in the streets to capture this menace. But they were always a step behind, never being able to predict where it'd show up next. Eventually the reports slowed down, and all leads ran dry. After two years the whole case was considered a dead end and a waste of resources. That's when reports of this demon came from other planets, and other tyranid invasions. Seemingly appearing and vanishing as it wishes. The few soldiers who survive encounter's with it have dubbed it the Oni. After an old Terra legend of a large flesh eating demon. Now as the oni has seemingly moved on to other planets, and to terrorize other civilians many people on Nivion would rather forget about it. But the recent of a red eyed creature abducting a child seems to want to give Nivion a grim reminder of the past.
I don't do a lot of writing so any criticism is welcome. I'm also pretty new to Warhammer so there may be some lore inaccuracies.

I feel like at this point waiting for a decent man to approach me is like waiting for Elon musk to send me a million dollars: it's never gonna happen.
Like I'm 20, have a 2 bedroom apartment, a car, a job, I'm in school for business and environmental. None of this was handed to me I got it myself (my cptsd is from child abuse so I don't have family) and it's like... there are people 30 years old and older in my city who literally have 5 roomates due to the housing shortage who are in relationships... but I have all my own shit and still nothing?
And idk like I feel at this point people have been lying to me about my attractiveness. Like I feel like I'm slightly above average not even saying that in a cocky way and I know beauty is subjective, but just by societal standards I would be considered conventionally attractive other than my dreadlocks which is often considered a dirty hairstyle.... but anyway like have people been lying to me? Men literally never compliment how I look, when i tried dating apps I would just get old ugly dudes, like reddit neckbreard type of dudes, the tyoe who go after younger women who typically wouldnt know any better.. And personally I have no issue with age gaps but the way I view them is.. if you've had 10 more years on earth than I have, you should be situational ahead of me, not below me. Hopefully that makes sense. Edit: to clarify I don't apply this to everyone, just people who I would potentially date because I want someone who at minimum has goals and is mature. Someone who is already stable or someone who I see the potential to grow with towards stability.
I really don't get itttttt. Like I see so many people who are genuinely bad people like these neo nazi trump supporters who are married, or people who are just average or below average in their looks who are in relationships. And everywhere I go I'm just like 🧍🏽‍♀️. ALONE with my dogs😭 like it sucks knowing that a conventionally unattractive white girl is valued 10x more than an attractive black girl
And I'm not even saying this stuff based on my own beliefs because obviously looks aren't rverything. But it's an undeniable truth that women are valued based on how they look and are treated better for the same reason, but I haven't experienced any of that. Not to mention people always say "there's someone for everyone" well if that was the case then black women wouldn't have the lowest percent of marriage at 56% and the highest divorce rate at 39%. The math ain't mathing.

Beneath the Bodhi tree, in the mid-morning chill, Sat a fellow named Sid, practicing his still. He looked in and out, and to his surprise, He saw things quite differently, in the broad daylight.
"Suffering," he mused, "is a part of this game, A part of existence, in the sunshine or rain. But the secret," he grinned, "is not to dread, Rather understand its nature, unravel its thread."
"Take my tea," he spoke, "it's no longer hot, Impermanence is a dance, in every moment's plot. My tea, my body, even this tree, oh dear, Just like hairstyles, are subject to change every year."
"No-self," he chuckled, "now that's a tricky concept, Like trying to explain why my cousin Egbert kept a pet. You think you're solid, you think you're whole, But you're more like a soup, without a bowl."
"We cling to 'I', 'me', and 'mine', Like a drunk monkey clinging to wine. But look closer, see the truth unfold, No self stands alone, nothing to hold."
Then the Buddha looked up, with a twinkle in his eye, "Life is like a joke," he said, "let me tell you why. The punchline comes and goes, leaves you in a daze, But the joy is in the telling, not just the end phase."
"Embrace the tears, the laughter, the whole absurdity, For, in truth, we're just actors in the cosmic comedy. Shed your worries, your fears, let them fall away, Like an elephant letting go of yesterday's hay."
So, the Buddha laughed, and we laughed along, Our hearts filling with the rhythm of his joyous song. In his words, we found, life's sweetest delight, Humor in suffering, impermanence, and the no-self's flight.
A cosmic joke, a dance, a morning tea's brew, Who knew enlightenment could be a comedy too. Remember Buddha's wisdom, let it shine through, Life's a lot funnier when the joke's on you.

My husband and I were enjoying the day with an open front door (glass door still closed but window of the door open). We were both in the kitchen then my husband noticed two men at the front door. We had no choice but to ask what they needed, even with the no soliciting sign. Here’s the just of the conversation
Man: “hi we are doing surveys for solar panels and will have drones up around here soon. We are working with a Mr.___ one street behind you” Husband: “okay cool” m: “we just wanted to let you know because some people might shoot them down because of what’s going on with Russia and Ukraine” h: “okay got it.” M: “so what’s the deal with the subaru in your driveway? Who’s it is?” H: “umm does that matter?” M: what year is it? H: I don’t see how this is relevant M: well, how long have you lived here?
At this point the man started getting more pushy and aggressive with this line of inappropriate questioning. I whispered to my husband to just close the door while holding our toddler.
H: we’re not interested man, thanks
The man kept trying to ask personal questions and refused to accept that my husband was trying to close the door. My husband finally does and the man says ‘have a blessed day’.
All while the other man was just quietly standing next to him, looking down at his phone the whole time.
Description of the men: The one asking questions: black man, early to mid 20s, short dreads, wearing a ‘pure energy’ shirt and slides. I think a baseball cap as well. Other man: white man; early to mid 20s, grey shirt, blue jeans? Brown hair.
Unfortunately my doorbell camera wasn’t working either. Feeling very uncomfortable about the whole situation.
We happened to leave shortly after and passed by “Mr._” house, who happened to be outside. We stopped by and asked if he knew who they were, he said yes they came to his house too but his name is not Mr. and he’s definitely not working with them, he said they told him they were “working” with his neighbor. He said they are very nosy.
My husband called the Pure Energy company, who happens to be closed today, yet there are salesmen? Out going door to door.
This happened in Cheyenne meadows (80906) Around 3:30 pm today.

Beneath the Bodhi tree, in the mid-morning chill, Sat a fellow named Sid, practicing his still. He looked in and out, and to his surprise, He saw things quite differently, in the broad daylight.
"Suffering," he mused, "is a part of this game, A part of existence, in the sunshine or rain. But the secret," he grinned, "is not to dread, Rather understand its nature, unravel its thread."
"Take my tea," he spoke, "it's no longer hot, Impermanence is a dance, in every moment's plot. My tea, my body, even this tree, oh dear, Just like hairstyles, are subject to change every year."
"No-self," he chuckled, "now that's a tricky concept, Like trying to explain why my cousin Egbert kept a pet. You think you're solid, you think you're whole, But you're more like a soup, without a bowl."
"We cling to 'I', 'me', and 'mine', Like a drunk monkey clinging to wine. But look closer, see the truth unfold, No self stands alone, nothing to hold."
Then the Buddha looked up, with a twinkle in his eye, "Life is like a joke," he said, "let me tell you why. The punchline comes and goes, leaves you in a daze, But the joy is in the telling, not just the end phase."
"Embrace the tears, the laughter, the whole absurdity, For, in truth, we're just actors in the cosmic comedy. Shed your worries, your fears, let them fall away, Like an elephant letting go of yesterday's hay."
So, the Buddha laughed, and we laughed along, Our hearts filling with the rhythm of his joyous song. In his words, we found, life's sweetest delight, Humor in suffering, impermanence, and the no-self's flight.
A cosmic joke, a dance, a morning tea's brew, Who knew enlightenment could be a comedy too. Remember Buddha's wisdom, let it shine through, Life's a lot funnier when the joke's on you.

Hello all,
I am a lesbian who knew pretty early on in life. I am wondering for those of you who have been married or had long term relationships with men - how did you deal with the intimacy? Was it something you dreaded? Something you were neutral about? Neither? What did you tell yourself to get through it or acknowledge that you probably weren’t actually a lesbian? Were there any tell tale signs early on during intimacy that should have been your wake up call sooner for your lesbianism?
Thank you :)

Is it common that after starting to question, I suddenly try to make myself more feminine (AMAB), and remind myself how 'I am a girl'.
Also I have suddenly focused more on certain stuff that's related to being trans - like for example when my parents spoke of me as a 'dude', I noted it, when I've never really even cared about such stuff. Also, I am suddenly thinking whatever or not I should shave my (tiny) beard all the time when it starts to grow.
The thing is, I've wanted a beard earlier. I've wanted it to look more manly and to hide my crooked jaw. But now I've started to think if I should even let it grow at all. I don't know how to proceed with this, because I feel like trying to grow a beard would be nice to match with longer hair, but also feel like 'women cannot have a beard so I gotta shave it'. But I also feel like it's not super big deal if I shave it.
I've also never had any disgust in body hair, but after shaving I've done it basically daily (since began questioning 6 weeks ago). Now idk if I should let it grow, or just keep on shaving.
Maybe I should let it all grow again to see if I feel better about having more masculine body?
Is it normal to want something associated with your AGAB but then start to question said thing when beginning to question your gender?
Also, I am growing out hair and have had these thoughts abt 'not looking manly at all', that 'I should just cut it short'. But I also like to grow it and tey out longer hairstyle in the future. Idk if I try to just become a woman because of my not gender-related self-hate, and because of my hair makes me look more feminine now.
Hell, I even began talking online 'like a woman' after I began to question my gender. Earlier I've always avoided using hearts and any 'cute' emojis because it seems 'unmanly' - the same goes with any kinds of positive comments and more positive approach to people, like a more empathetic approach.
Idk if I've just veen supressing my will to talk in a certain way because of thinking it'd not fit with 'my gender'. Or perhaps I am just a nutcase and think I am a woman when in reality I am not.
It's like a switch was flipped when I started questioning, like my behaviour just suddenly changed a lot. Am I just making it up to 'become a woman' or because I actually feel like it???
Because I have very mixed feelings about this - part of me thinks it's ok, part of me tells it is 'unmasculine and awkward and just some bullshit I am feeding myself with'.
But I remember using hearts with relatives already earlier, nowadays with stranger that is.
I also usually have this will to hug my family member somewhere and tell them I love them (even though I am selfish and bad at showing that), but then I don't do it because I feel like it'd be super awkward to do (as a male, idk???). It's like supressing my will to show that I care but not letting myself do it. I feel like it'd be actually better to tell your relatives you love them and hug them because the day will eventually come when they die and you can't hug them or tell them anything anymore, wishing you still could. And therefore I just feel like I should do it more often, but also overdoing makes it lose it's meaning at least somewhat.
I have some girly or 'feminine' manners, and have had also earlier. Perhaps it's real me, because I show this side of me when not masking when in presence of other people (I have ADHD). Perhaps my unmasked behaviour could say something about my gender.
Also, now I suddenly have this thing that I kinda force myself to play as female characters in video games whenever I can choose because "I am now obviously a woman so I gotta play a woman if I can".
I've usually just played as male characters before. I've played as females too, sometimes. And after starting to question this, too, has turned upside down.
Also, it's kinda interesting how already years back, I've felt uncomfortable when my family member has seen me play a female character in video game. I remember how I have tried to hide my screen by chacking tabs or turning my monitor off or to tell my parents to just go away or something to avoid not being seen playing a female character. My mon just saw me design a female for a game and I was so annoyed and ashamed, I just wanted her to leave me alone. She told me she was interested in seeing what kind of character I was designing.
Also, I now suddenly have this odd thing that I basically see most of the people online or irl as men who 'look like men or are just pretending to be women' (meaning women). Like, I suddenly just see male faces almost everywhere. It's so odd and I've never had this before.
Thanks a lot if you read through all of this. Opinions help me to understand my situation better.

Read Chapter 25 Here: https://www.reddit.com/saw/comments/13kih9q/legacy_from_the_book_of_saw_chapter_25_the_final/
____________________________________________________
*** CHAPTER 26 **\*
Traveling to the warehouse, Logan felt relieved knowing Melissa was in good hands, but his momentary comfort was quickly replaced with apprehension when he arrived at Hoffman’s lair. Checking his surroundings, Logan was unfamiliar with this place, despite living here for over a decade. Stopping the car, he tilted the visor down and looked at the photo of his wife.
Through the security camera positioned outside, Hoffman watched Logan enter the parking lot and smiled. He grabbed the bottle of chloroform that sat next to the aqua green box and a cloth from the table, then switched on the furnace. Walking towards the entrance, he turned off all the lights except the one shining on Elanor, who sat unconscious beneath the aluminum dispenser.
Walking towards the entrance, Logan removed a tactical knife from his pocket and held it surreptitiously. Finding the door unlocked, he breached the doorway and stepped into the building, his chest full of anxiety. Logan shuffled through the inoperable machines, boxes, and various tools until he found Elanor under the strobe light. On the floor, he noticed the chrome pool of aluminum that had dried and discovered the dispenser above her. Quickly pulling the chair out of reach, he removed the gag from her mouth just as the liquid started to pour.
Slipping out of the darkness, Hoffman watched as Logan attempted to cut through the ropes that bound Elanor, and while he was distracted, Hoffman slammed the grip of his gun into the back of Logan’s head with traumatic force. Falling to the floor, rattled and disoriented, Hoffman used this moment to render him unconscious with a considerable dose of chloroform.
***
Seth’s body is brought to the triage center, where the on-call doctors get to work. They extract the bullet from his neck and clean the wound. Then, fill several vials with his coagulating blood and immediately begin several tests. It doesn’t take long for them to find something unusual in his blood. The pathologist examines the results and calls the precinct.
Waiting to hear from Agent Kullen, Lincoln left a message for Autumn and contacted the patrol unit, which was watching over her. They spoke briefly and assured him she would be brought to the station as soon as possible.
With her safety guaranteed, he reached out to the crew sent to Gavin Beck’s residence. They informed him that an officer was found in the garage with his arms, legs, and mouth wrapped in duct tape, but he was still alive, suffering from a major contusion on his head. He was currently being transported to the hospital for evaluation.
Fixing his posture, Lincoln loosened the cilice, providing a moment of comfort, and sank into his chair. Through the window, he caught another glimpse of the remaining survivors. Obstructing his view and thoughts, Marlow entered his office.
“Linc,” he says, “I’ve been in touch with Agent Webb. She’s in recovery and would like updates on the case. Additionally, I’ve been in contact with Dr. Steward’s wife and son. They’re both okay. Presumably an empty threat. The same for Renee’s family.”
Lincoln squints his eyes, contemplating, and suggests, “They didn’t fit the code.”
Marlow shrugs and is about to speak when a call comes through, “Detective,” the pathologist says, “Please come to the triage center at once. There’s something you should see.”
Taking his jacket from the chair, they leave the room hastily and head next door, cutting a path through the other corpses, beelining for Seth’s cadaver. The site of the body hits Lincoln in the gut. They shared a long history, and this wasn’t how he imagined their friendship would end. Saddened by the loss, Lincoln backed away and placed his hands in his pockets.
Inside, he found the last canister of Nitrous Oxide, which he had forgotten about. Already inserted into the cracker, it was taunting him. With the pain of losing another friend, Lincoln’s urge to use was returning, and he felt he would never escape its grasp. Checking for an exit, Lincoln was about to give in to his compulsion when he caught sight of the pathologist using a centrifuge.
Detailing her findings into a computer, she greets Lincoln, “Thank you for coming.”
“What did you find?”
Moving around the device, she grabs a portfolio and takes a blood-filled vial from the rack. She hands the vial to Lincoln and says, “When we ran the first test, I found Seth’s blood was contaminated with some sort of bacteria.”
Holding up the vial and looking closely, “Agent Kullen said he was sick….” Lincoln explains.
Her expression is one of doubt, “I checked that too, but these cells reacted differently than a common cold. It’s microbial.”
Turning a page in the portfolio, she removes another vial from the rack that is filled with green fluid.
“Do you recognize this?” She asks.
Swapping vials, Lincoln shakes the cylinder and watches the fluid splash against the walls.
The pathologist elaborates, “It was confiscated from Dr. Gordon’s apartment.”
“So?”
“Well, Detective, my theory is that poison not dissimilar to this was injected into Seth’s body. I’m certain we will find an entry point with a little more time.”
Handing the vial back to the pathologist, Lincoln displays concern.
He says, “Have Logan assist you with the autopsy. Find the entry point and get back to me.”
Confusion drapes the pathologist, “Logan isn’t here, Detective. I thought you knew that.”
“Fine, get Elanor on it immediately.”
“I’m sorry, Lincoln, but she’s not here either.”
Marlow looks worried, and Lincoln says, “What are you talking about?”
“The on-call Doctors are here because Logan and Elanor never came in. I assumed they requested a break….”
Lincoln pushes past the physician, and Marlow tries to keep up. “Get a unit to Logan and Elanor’s addresses.” He says, “If you can’t get in touch with anyone, I want an APB out within the hour.”
“Chief Savino?”
“My orders, just do it.”
They enter the precinct, and Lincoln breaks off from Marlow, heading to his office while Marlow requests the attention of the other officers. Perched in the seats, eyes fixed, they await instructions. He explains, “Two of our colleagues are missing, Logan Nelson and Elanor Bonneville. Logan was last seen leaving the precinct between 7 pm and 8 pm last night. We must track them down as soon as possible.”
Listening to Marlow in the distance, Lincoln paces his office, trying to call Autumn. He leaves another message and fidgets with the Nitrous Oxide in his pocket. Needing a distraction, he contacts Agent Kullen.
**\*
Outside the Convention Center, Agent Kullen acquired an identical parking slip to the one they procured from Seth. He stood beside his vehicle, surveying the surroundings, taking mental notes of the area, including the security cameras and the construction site for the museum across the street then headed inside.
At the front desk, he finds two staff members and security personnel. Flashing his badge, he requests to see the surveillance footage taken from the last forty-eight hours. They informed him that a power outage corrupted the data, and the footage was essentially erased. Incensed by the revelation, Kullen shows them a picture of Seth Steward and asks if they’ve seen him on the property. The security guard holds the photo close to his face and recognizes the man. He saw him the night before, smoking in the parking lot, but he never entered the building.
Kullen’s stomach churned, and his hand twitched as he exited the convention center. Retrieving his medication from the car, Kullen consumed two pills and evaluated his surroundings once more. Walking towards the street, he looked up and down the road diligently.
Near the shoulder, across the street, he saw something glistening off the sun. About to head over, a call rang through his cell, “Kullen,” he said, still curious about the object.
“It’s me.”
Hearing the Detective's unsettled tone, Agent Kullen asks, “Lincoln, what’s going on?”
“Elanor and Logan are missing. Marlow is pursuing leads. Where are you?”
Crossing the street, Kullen discovers the reflective object to be a broken padlock. He carries the item towards the gate and says, “I’m near the Convention Center.”
He stops at the entrance and discovers that a new padlock has replaced the broken one. Suspicious, he looks to the Convention Center and then back to the gate.
Overwhelmed by his sudden emotions, Lincoln pushes through a fog of anxiety and asks, “Have you found anything?”
Kullen tilts the new lock in his direction and discovers a keyhole. “Send a team to the museum, now.”
Quickly returning to his vehicle, Kullen starts the ignition and drives towards the parking lot's exit. He waits anxiously for the road to clear before pulling out onto the street. When he reaches the gate, he makes a sharp turn and slams his foot into the accelerator. Crashing through the barrier, he speeds toward the construction site.
Pedestrians outside the Community Center observe the unexpected breach and appear excited and perplexed, with at least one individual phoning 9-1-1.
*** CHAPTER 27 **\*
Sitting at his workstation, watching the news, Hoffman can hear Elanor’s muffled cries for help. In front of her, she could see the limp body of Logan, handcuffed to a metal fixture that Hoffman bolted to the floor below the aluminum faucet. Pleading for him to wake up, she quivered in fear.
Unaffected, Hoffman increased the volume of the television. Showing footage of the National History Museum from a helicopter, it was reported that a new game had been discovered. In the video, Hoffman saw several cop cars and news vans positioned outside the building. They revealed that triggers and tripwires had been placed throughout the museum, preventing safe entry.
Photos of the victims flash on the screen, and Hoffman sees Renee Walsh, a test subject of John Kramer, who he had captured over a decade ago. For her game, John requested an eye for an eye, forcing her to remove the organ with a sharpened spoon. Unbeknownst to Jigsaw, Dr. Gordon provided a numbing agent for Renee that would aid her in the endeavor.
Hoffman’s eyes glazed over, and the memories of previous games rushed to his mind. Staring through the television, he heard a voice.
Hovering over his shoulder was the rotting corpse of Amanda Young, who said, “Hello, Mark….”
“You’re dead,” he replied calmly.
Watching the news, Amanda folded her pale arms and said, “I know it’s hard to concentrate.”
Having been haunted by these hallucinations since he escaped the bathroom, Hoffman felt exhausted and tortured, “Why?” He said, his voice drained of emotion. “Why are you still here?”
Amanda stared out the window while Hoffman watched the blood ooze from her neck, and she said, “By creating a legacy, by living a life worth remembering, you become immortal.”
“When this is over, you’ll be gone….”
Smiling, Amanda responds defiantly, “Somehow, I doubt that.”
Photos of John Kramer are displayed on the television, followed by images of Dr. Gordon.
Seeing the pictures, Hoffman remembered sending letters to various news stations, hospitals, and local law enforcement, implicating Lawrence Gordon as an accomplice. For many years, he had planned his revenge on the Doctor, which started by exposing his true identity. However, with Gordon’s upstanding reputation, the implications were deemed a slanderous rumor, and nothing ever came of it.
Now with Gordon gone, only one obstacle remained; there was only one accomplice left; Logan Nelson.
*** CHAPTER 28 **\*
The sun is chased out of the sky by a flurry of dark clouds, creating a reddish-black horizon. An aft beautiful sight, if not for the crowd that has formed outside the precinct. Families of the deceased Jigsaw victims have led a throng of supporters to the parking lot, where they demand an end to Jigsaw’s legacy and the police department that has allowed this to go on for so long.
Among the swarm of bodies are the ex-husband and children of Sarah Harper.
Inside, Chief Savino preps a SWAT team on the situation at the museum, reminding them to be wary of traps, and displays a picture of Hoffman on the television for each of them to memorize. He insists that no one enter the museum until all the traps have been disarmed.
After the speech, Lincoln is informed that Autumn has arrived at her house and is collecting her belongings. The officer estimates that they will reach the precinct within the hour. With one problem solved, Lincoln allows himself a moment of comfort. When he is about to leave, Marlow approaches with more good news.
“We just spoke to Cameron, Logan’s Mother-in-Law,” He says, “She has Melissa, they’re fine, and Logan left around 7 am this morning.”
“Did she say where he was going?”
“He said he was going to work but to contact you if there’s trouble. Chances are he’s inside the museum with the others.”
Lincoln considers the possibilities and says, “Let’s retrace his steps. He took his vehicle, right? I don’t care how long it takes, pull CCTV, check gas stations in the vicinity, schools, everything. If we can triangulate his phone, do it. Find him."
“I will, sir,” Marlow says, without moving, "What about him?"
Lincoln glances at Daniel inside the Infirmary, “He doesn't leave my sight," he says.
“Sir?"
“What other options do we have? I'm not losing anyone else."
Forgoing his apprehension, Marlow said, “It’s your call, Lincoln.”
Within twenty minutes, Lincoln arrives at the museum with a SWAT team. Staring at the building, he feels a sudden surge of anxiety, dread, and a strange sense of relief, knowing this will all be over soon.
“Are you okay?” a voice asks.
His eyes move to the rearview mirror, and Lincoln can see Daniel Matthews in the back seat. Still awaiting a response from Autumn, Lincoln checks his cellphone and re-reads his message to Lynn.
“I'm ready for this to be over,” he said, tightening the cilice around his waist.
Looking through the window at the commotion outside the museum, Daniel responds, “This isn't your fault, Detective.”
Reminded of his conversation with Seth Steward, Lincoln ignores the words, "Let's go."
Both men exit the vehicle, and Marlow joins them.
"Kullen is sending in a bomb squad," Marlow said, "We've set up an observation terminal towards the south entrance. I'll move the witness there."
As the men separate, Daniel, notices the news crews positioned themselves just outside the parking lot. He stares at them approvingly.
Lincoln waded through his grief and reached Agent Marlow, who was relaying a message via radio.
“Get it done,” Kullen said.
Standing with the Agent, Lincoln asks for a breakdown of the situation.
“Come with me.”
Lincoln follows Kullen towards a police car, and the Agent removes the museum floor plans from his pocket. He lays the map on the car's hood and specifies the trap locations.
“The entrances are blocked off,” he said, “There’s no way through. Now, I’ve got a team working to deactivate the traps, but it’s going to take some time.”
“Have you had any communication with the survivors?”
Drawing a line on the map with his finger, Kullen says, “Not yet, but I’ve spoken with the construction crew, and they’re building an expansion right over here.”
***
TO BE CONTINUED