Hi all! Last week I had a very scary experience with a low blood sugar, and I'd like to share my experience and also maybe issue some warnings. To start, I am 26F and have had T1D since I was 4 years old. Overall, my bloodsugars are mostly controlled (A1C~6.5). I am on the Medtronic 770G pump/sensor. However, at the time of this event, I was not wearing the sensor as I had lost my transmitter during travelling a week or so prior and hadn't gotten around to ordering a new one. This is the first time I had an experience like this in my memory. This will be long but it's important to see how easily this can happen and how to avoid mistakes that can lead to it. When I google information, it seems like sometimes a diabetic seizure can just be mild symptoms like confusion, sweating, but mine progressed into a full-blown seizure. (Read https://www.visitcompletecare.com/blog/what-does-diabetic-seizure-look-like/ for some more information.. I feel like I’ve never been formally educated on this in all my years of being a diabetic)
So last Thursday night my blood sugar was high 200s and not going down after bolus, but then I realized I had to change my site anyway so maybe that's why. Changed site, gave a little more insulin, kept checking every 30 mins-1hr or so and it was now in the 300s and not going down. At this point I decided to change my site again and lo and behold, the tube was bent and not even in my skin. Put on a new site, gave the amount of insulin to treat >300 BG since I knew I hadn't gotten any insulin for hours at that point. It was late and I was tired, so I waited until I knew for sure my BG was going down before I went to sleep. It was going down so slowly, but once it hit 240 around 1am I was too tired and knew it would be fine as it's obviously going down. I put a juice by my bedside in the event I overcorrected since I ALWAYS wake up when my bloodsugar gets too low while sleeping.
Well, not this time. The next time I woke up was around 4 am to 4 paramedics in my room. My partner had to fill me in on the details and thanks to him this all turned out okay. So I guess around 3:30am, my partner woke up to me banging my arm on the nightstand (I was laying on my side). He said I was thrashing pretty violently, and while he has no prior experiences with seizures, he assumed that's what was happening. I wasn't coherent and my eyes were open but not looking at anything. So he got up to check on me and I was half hanging off the bed, so he moved me more on the bed and then realized how sweaty I was. That's always a big indication for me that my bloodsugar is very low. So at this point he did figure I was having a seizure, but then also realized my BG was low, but at this point he hadn't put everything together. He checked my BG.. he actually tried to do it in my upper thigh at first because my arms were moving too much. Didn't work though but he did get it from my finger. My meter just read "Call 911" instead of giving a number. So here he said that within 40 seconds he learned low blood sugars can cause seizures! What a great way to learn, through experience lol. He said I thrashed pretty violently for maybe like 5 mins, then eventually it changed to smaller tremors and during this whole time I was in/out of consciousness. So he called 911 as the meter instructed, and medics were there within 4 mins.
Here I should point out, that yes, this would've been a good time for a glucagon treatment. While I do have one, it was expired, and my partner didn't exactly know where it was. So instead of wasting time looking for it, while he was on phone with the operator he put some sugar in my mouth to let it soak into my gums (note- at this point I wasn't fully seizing anymore and I was still on my side, and since the sugar melts he figured it was safe enough to put in my mouth as it wasn't much. I'm still not sure if this is the best idea, but we plan to get a sugar gel in case it ever happens again).
So once the medics arrived, they gave me a glucagon shot (at least we assume, my partner wasn't sure and was overwhelmed) and some glucose gel. After this they checked my BG and it was 20! So it must have been even lower before that. I think the lowest my BG has ever been is like 35ish? I guess at this point I was cooperating but still mostly out of it, and I don't remember this. I started coming to a couple of minutes later and I thought I was dreaming that there were medics in my room. Then I realized I had a terrible, sweet taste in my mouth, and I scratched my nose and felt sugar around my mouth. At this point I realized it was not a dream, and I am being treated for a bad low. I started communicating with the medics and my partner at this point, but no one necessarily told me everything that happened. Then they gave me an IV of some clear glucose liquid. I remember it took awhile for them to find a good vein and I also remember not feeling it at all. Then they started asking me questions (Name, date, who's the president, etc) and I was able to answer. They said this IV is supposed to raise my BG really fast and then I need actual food to keep it up. To give you an idea, it went up to 350 while getting the IV, and within a couple minutes it was already back down to 240ish. I had a couple of granola bars (I was starving at this point, wanting to do a low binge). At this point they also explained I had a seizure due to the low blood sugar which definitely surprised me. Medics stayed a couple more mins to ensure I was stable and offered to take me to hospital, but at that point I was all there and my BG started equilibrating, so I declined. I talked to my partner for a little bit and he gave me the rest of the details about how he woke up, the actual seizure, how my dogs would be terrible medical alert dogs because they slept through the whole thing (lol), etc. Then I quickly fell asleep.
The next day I woke up with a BG of 460 so my day already started off feeling lovely hah. But once that was fixed, I was physically exhausted and had a headache all day.
Now that it’s been a few days, I’ve had time to reflect about all this. It was weird the first day or two because I didn’t remember or wasn’t conscious for the worst of it. So it almost didn’t feel real? Or didn’t feel that scary, even though I knew it was a scary situation in general. I’m very thankful my partner woke up and was able to help because of course we don’t wanna think about the worst that could’ve happened.. What really scares me is if I was alone that night for some reason. We’ve lived together for 2-3 years now, but before that I lived alone (no roommates) for 2 years. Over the years I’ve been with him, he has of course become familiar with diabetes and understands most of the signs of high/low bg (like the sweating from that night), and I’m also glad I had taught him how to check my bloodsugar. He also knew it was best to get any kind of sugar in me as possible, and we had previously discussed that you can use plain sugar because it melts and absorbs into the gums. However, we had never formally discussed an action plan if something like this happened, probably because I never thought about it happening like it did. Like he knew about the existence of the glucagon, but didnt know where I kept it or how to use it if he had found it.
Another thing that could’ve prevented this was me wearing my sensor. I must admit that I go through phases of wearing it for awhile, then not wearing it for a while, and it cycles like that. I want to reiterate that every other time I’ve gotten a low bloodsugar while sleeping, I wake up. Usually in a puddle of sweat, starving. And to be honest, it doesn’t seem like the issues the night before should’ve caused me to drop that low. I didn’t think I’d given myself too much, and it was previously dropping very slowly. I guess it just dropped so fast that I didn’t wake up in time? So I guess I put a little too much trust in my body. The day after this happened I ordered a new transmitter, which should arrive tomorrow. But each night I am so anxious about going to bed, afraid it could happen again. So I have a feeling that going forward I will be much better about wearing the sensor, no matter how annoying it is.
So after all this, I guess I have some advice for my fellow T1Ds:

1. Make sure your friends, family, partners, etc. know what to do in a situation of either low or high blood sugar. Make sure they know your tells, let them know where you keep snacks/juice, etc. I’ve always been really good about doing this, especially if I meet people in a new situation where no one knows me. In addition, having a formal plan for anyone you may live with, telling them how to use glucagon, etc (this is where I realized the obvious shortcomings of not having a formal plan).
2. Keep a glucagon on hand in an easy to find place, not expired, and make sure someone knows how to use it!
3. On that note, keeping a glucose gel is also good, as it may be easier for someone to administer. Also much easier to carry around with you in pocket/purse. You can also encourage people you’re around a lot to keep some on them. I’ve never actually used these but will definitely get some. If someone is unconscious/unresponsive due to a low BG, this is a very easy way to get sugar into them safely, instead of trying to get them to eat or drink something.
4. Wear the damn sensor if you have one. They’re annoying as hell but I suppose they can truly be life saving, especially if you live alone!
5. When in doubt, just call 911 (or your country-specific emergency line). Low blood sugars are common occurrences that are easy for them to treat. I didn't even have to get an ambulance or hospital bill and was fully treated at home. But also, of course go to the hospital if you need to!

If you stuck around this long, thank you for reading! I hope your nights are full of good bloodsugars!

“Just relax, Jun. We’ll be watching you every step of the way. You’re perfectly safe.” Jun felt his armorer’s assurances were for her own benefit more than his. But as the shellfish carapace chest plate was locked into place over his sternum, he appreciated her kind words.
The experimental armor, designed after the shogun armors used by a few of the fleet’s warriors, was the first attempt by the ship’s artificer to use the volerite from the ocean floor to their advantage in this war. While previous attempts to use the body parts of the sea monsters below had been mildly successful, if greatly disturbing, this was the first real superweapon the exiles would have to their name. At least, that was the plan.
Jun had volunteered to test the first prototype as soon as the opportunity arose. He’d been a below-average fighter until now, spending more of his time on ship repair and maintenance than combat. The Harrowing hadn’t been kind to him; his bones were fragile, and many of the nerves in his arms and legs sent him agonizing bouts of pain on a daily basis. Recently, he’d even started to have seizures at the most inopportune times. His condition was becoming more severe, and the ship’s medic had all but given up on a good prognosis. He had about 3 months before the Harrowing reached his brain, and after that… well, he didn’t want to become a zombie like the creature on the Vaulted Velvet. If he was going to die, it might as well bring some good to his comrades.
“It’s a bit tight,” Jun said, squirming inside his prison of calcified flesh. The bracers on his legs made him feel stiff, and he was worried about being able to walk in the suit, let alone fight.
“Don’t worry,” the armorer said as she adjusted the binding agent on the joints. “The energy core should make the suit feel much lighter. The gel running along the outside should react to the volerite to give you the strength necessary to move faster and strike harder than anyone else in the fleet.”
“If it works, you mean.”
“Hey, you knew the risks of this when you signed up. I don’t think you have room to get cold feet now.” The dwarven woman picked up a pair of gauntlets and slid them onto Jun’s hands. “How does that feel?”
Jun tried to wiggle his fingers but found the gloves gave him little room to move. “Brittle.”
The armorer chuckled. “Let’s fix that, then.” She whistled, and a small creature with the body of a gnome and the skin and head of a shark (a chimera borrowed from Professor Ioniz, no doubt) approached them, carrying a tray with a large volerite crystal and a helmet shaped like a giant krill. “Don’t stare too long into the abyss, alright, pal?” She said jokingly.
Jun scoffed. “Just put the helmet on me, and let’s get on with this.” The dwarf picked up the krill skull and carefully slipped it over Jun’s head, fully encasing him in the white exoskeleton of the suit. “It’s kinda dark in here,” he yelled, realizing how small the slits for his eyes were.
“The gem should fix that, but I’ll make a note for the next remodel. Lower visibility is not something we want underwater.” Jun saw her walk out of his field of view to where the volerite was. “I’m going to coat the helmet in gel now. It’ll be airtight, but there’s an oxygen tank connected to the back, and the suit will synthesize its own air when you’re underwater.”
“Perfect.” Jun sighed. He thought he’d been prepared for the waiting period before he could test out the suit, but spending over an hour without being able to move was wearing out his patience. If the suit took this long to prep, maybe it wasn’t as game-changing as the artificers thought.
As a layer of clear gel slid over the mask, a few drops falling through the eye slits, Jun could feel a subtle vibration flow through the armor. The conducting gel was supposedly made from volerite as well, so he imagined a small amount of energy was already powering up the armor. It wasn’t enough to let him move his arms yet, but he could feel some of the joints loosening up.
“I think it’s working. You have the core ready yet?” He heard a muffled voice from outside the suit, but he couldn’t make out what it was saying. It was definitely his armorer, but it sounded like she was talking underwater. “What? I can’t hear you. The gel is-” But before he could try to get her attention, he saw the red glow of the gem coming closer as the dwarf slowly inserted it into the chest plate.
In an instant, electricity surged through Jun’s body, sending his already frayed nerves into overdrive. The suit around him started to glow a bright red as the light from his chest spread to cover his body. The locked joints started to crack and burst, sending shell pieces into his skin like shards of glass. “Take it out! Stop!” Jun tried to yell as his burning pain shot through his brain. It was like a lightning bolt was tearing him apart from the inside, and he couldn’t stop it.”
Then, as quickly as it started, the pain ceased, leaving only pitch darkness. Jun’s eyes refused to stay open, and he found himself losing consciousness fast. If this was his death, he had to admit it had been a pretty shitty one. As his mind faded, he heard one last whisper that seemed to come from his own mouth, though it sounded nothing like him. It wasn’t a human voice at all; it was something different.
“So much blood. Where to begin?”
Jun died listening to the sound of his armorer’s screams.
<><><>
When it came time for a shift change in the armory, the ship’s other blacksmith found the door to the lab wide open with one of the hinges broken. Inside the lab, though, was nothing short of a massacre. The walls were covered in blood, and the torn-up remains of one of the crew members were scattered on the floor. They assumed it had been the armorer, but there was so little left that it was anyone’s guess as to who it belonged to. There wasn’t a trace of the volerite they’d been using for weapons development; a half-ton of the mineral gone without a trace. The research and design papers were beyond salvaging, and as for the armor prototype itself, the only clues were the bloody bootprints leading to a hole in the side of the hull. The fleet shelved the project, deeming it too dangerous without full knowledge of what happened, much to the dismay of Professor Ioniz and the other artificers in the crew.
Still, the war continued, but with a dark specter looming over everyone on both sides. Each battalion had its own word for the creature that came for them; an inky monster in red, with a single glowing red eye in its chest, killing indiscriminately and leaving bloody massacres in its wake wherever it went. Very few lived to tell any stories about it at all, and the stories were so vague and inconsistent that most of the exiles doubted it existed at all. But every time red appeared on the surface of the water or the scent of blood came in on the wind, a chill ran through the air, even to the doubters. Another curse had been levied against them, and this one might not be one they survived.

Just got unfriended and blocked by my best friend of almost 40 years. We were having discussions about all the issues back and forth. When I made a point he did not like or couldn't refute, i was super left liberal who is blind to the issue. He would always go back to 2 main issues...Trans "agenda" being pushed on kids/gender affirming care and it is not ok to be a straight white male. He is a good man and raised very Christian. i was not growing up and he always tried to get me to go to church. He is recently divorced and his POS ex took him for everything and I fear that is what sent him down the rabbit hole. He is now cant trust the government. Gun control is not needed. He is the typical protect the kids from trans and liberal agenda. I was never giving him my opinion and only giving him peer reviewed studies on numbers about these issues and he kept coming back to well everyone has their own opinion. He came off like he thinks being a part of LGBTQIA+ is a choice so shoving it down his throat will turn his kid. I am a journalist by nature and 2 degrees so I was going with just the facts.He has not spent any significant time with anyone from that community and I have and talked to them about their experience and their journey. He thinks people should only get gender affirming care when they turn 18 and can pay for it themselves. He is against teachers staying silent when a kid comes out to them. He supports Kevin McCarthy's Parents Rights BS. I told him coming out for anyone is a delicate subject and if you are the person that has a kid come out to you...you should feel honored that they trust you. He does not understand that some parents will toss their kids on the street if they come out or abuse them and there is a reason the kids come out to the teacher and it is because they trust the teacher will keep them safe. He only uses far right propaganda sites and videos and commonly retweets or re tiks MTG and those idiots. But, he says he is a democrat that the dems have not provided a seat for anymore since he is a straight white male. One thing...SO AM I a SWM. They found a seat for me because I learned to be empathetic and learn about other cultures and people instead of be like him and stay in or near our home town. We are from a very republican part of American and very conservative part of our state. I joke to my wife that I was born in the wrong state.
He also considers abortion the number one cause of death among kids. He wont even consider guns but I asked why can't we try to fix both. Let me clear the air...I mean provide birth control and I am 100% pro choice. I know it will never end.
The other thing he has said....he said he has talked to other people who have grown up with us say that I have changed and gotten more liberal and they were worried and confused on how I could be this way. Spoiler...I was always 100% pro choice on everything. I am a you live your life and I will live mine so as long as you dont try to hurt me or anyone, We are cool. This is the same man that said at my wedding that I was the bravest man he had ever met since I joind the Navy. Now since I disagree with him on topics...what happened and you have went liberal. News Flash Look at the numbers of veterans who vote for dems or who dont vote for republicans. Him saying that stung the most because caring for everyone is not a bad thing.
Him and I grew up in the same community and same values. We were each other's best man at our respective weddings. I should be hurt but I am more worried about his mental health. Right before his divorce his idol and mentor (Dad) died so he doesnt have that to guide him anymore. I am so worried about him. I am going to let him cool down and come back on his own terms. I am not going to try to go crawling back because I do not need that toxic attitude in my life. I still love him like a brother but he needs to figure things out before we can be social again. (Saddest part is he has not met my daughter yet and that hurts but she is not going to be exposed to that kind of hate.)

https://imgur.com/a/4fDpeXF
1-($150) MBK Slayback: 1st owner, ZDP189 SAN MAI factory sharp blade, flipper liner lock version, carried a few times and cut some paper VERY SHARP. Extra hardware included misplaced the pouch. (B+) for carrying and missing pouch.
2-($125) Benchmade CF Elite Bugout: 1st owner, S30V factory edge blade, CF scaled, new in box.not much else to say but #1 EDC carry/user knife, comes with box, bag pouch and paperwork. (A)
3-($105) Benchmade bugout blue: 2nd owner, S30V blade steel Sharpened by previous owner but good job, another great EDC carry/user. Box, bag pouch and paperwork included. (C) due to sharpening.
TRADE *ALL 3 FOR: Urban EDC LC FULL Ti
Sale all 3 for $325 BRO PRICES!!!! If interested please DM or YOLO for trade listed.

This is clearly a throwaway account but I need to dump this information out without admitting it to my husband.
My husband and I have been together since 2013. And married since 2017. We have a son 3 M, that we are both crazy about. We have a house and 2 dogs. Life should be good? Right?
Back story: About 6 months my husband and I went with my family on vaca. It was like the second night in and I heard his phone ding in the middle of the night. Now I don't remember if it was a midnight pee break or the ding that woke me. But I found that he was messaging on a texting site. The messages and pictures to all these randos were extremely inappropriate and sexual. That's when it started. Now this was just the first time but not the last time he something of that nature. Its probably been at more than 5 times less than a dozen in our decade long relationship. I really don't remember. And I hated keeping track. I just know it hurt like hell each time.
Now here is where I am a shit person.... I did it back every time he did it to me. But he never found out. Why did I do that? As revenge? Keeping score to feel better without him knowing? I would flirt and sext for a small period of time then move on. It made me feel a little better.
As of a couple years ago I started struggling hard with depression and suicidal idealations. So I'm definitely going through some shit. (Not ever an excuse. I know. I know.) Just start therapy and still trying to find meds that help me. But I feel like I need to leave my husband to make me feel right again. The last time he he did anything hurtful was about 2 years ago. He begged and pleaded. And after 2 weeks I took him back. He treated amazingly for a couple months then we kinda slid back into the norm.
The norm being as a full grown man with stunted emotions, ADHD, and "the baby" of the family, he was very much in need of guidance. We have fight often about slitting chores and how he still has to maintain our vehicles (Which I am thank for). But he always makes it out that this is a daily thing to work on the cars or fix something broken in the house to get out of scrubbing the floor every week or so. So he would fly off the handle and we would get into it. As of lately we have been better at communicating but it's still hard to get over years of that.
My biggest mistakes... I went on a trip for work and ended up sleeping with my boss; Suave, witty, with a cheeky mischievous smile. I dont know a whole lot about him but from what i do know he is clearly going through some shit right now. I went to help out with work where he is helping twice. The second day I was there my boss made a joke about getting me a beer. (Which isn't the first time he has said this to me and others) so at the end of the day he told me he was locking up and I said "oh are you kicking me out?" And he thought... well you know. So he did. We drove to his hotel and I left my car there. And he took me to the bar he frequents. We are talking and laughing. I made a joke how I shouldn't have anymore because "three [beers] under the host" and he started laughing and said about shots. And Im thinking well shit. I've always thought he was cute. But I know I'm gonna chicken out and it won't happen. Well tipsy me climbed into his bed and took off my pants under the blanket and asked for sweats. He "bent down" to get the sweats out of his suit case and look at me. Aaaand I kissed him. And went, as he called it, "ham" when I started undressing him.
The sex. THE SEX. He is definitely into some kinky rough sex kinda shit. At times he kinda scared me a little. He was into handcuffs, choking, choke holds, making me choke on his dick, shoving his fingers down my throat until I vomited damn near fisting (at least that's how it felt 💁‍♀️) and slapping. It was intense. He left bruise all over me that I had for a week. And bruises on my neck from when he choked me until I blacked out. I would be a MESS eveytime after. That I would get dressed and leave while he was in the bathroom.
Over the 2 weeks I went there, we had slept together 4 times. I knew it was wrong. The last time we did.... it. The deed. He stayed with me at my hotel. We slept together. Him in nothing. And me in his shirt. He seemed mad every time I left him like he wanted to stay together. But I told him "it was bad enough I was having an affair" But that was the wrong word.. I dont have feelings for him. I would never want to be with him or leave my husband for him. But he was totally into the fact that I am married and his "little slut"
It ended when he said the assignment "couldn't be justified". And it been a month since that day. We haven't seen each other. Spoke a little about me going out there again. But thats it.
So now the cheating had stopped. I can't stop thinking about want to sleep with him again. Even though it was a mildly traumatic experience. I also feel extremely guilty about it. And a little confused because he was so aggressive but I kept going back to it. Like I kinda liked it.
I've been fickle about my relationship since he last had his moments of infidelity. But I'm not much better. And now I'm.... well much worse. And for that I kind of want to leave him. Partly because of guilt and that he deserves better but also I can't tell him why. I don't want to loose my job or have him deck my boss.
So this is my story. Answer any the questions. Am I the ASS-tronaut for this? How fucked up am I? How do I tell him without telling him who? Did I just break my best friends' heart and wreck my child's life?

I am relisting my Koenig Arius Gen 4 with a price reduction in hopes of selling quicker. It has a burnished finished on the scales and the blade steel is cpm 20cv. The DOB on this one is April 18th, 2022. This knife has never been used or carried. It is like new with the exception that I have swapped out the original bearings for skiff bearings. I have included the originals in the box if you want to swap them back. There is a faint snail trail on the lock side near the pivot. I am not sure how it occured or when. It comes with the original box, cloth, sticker, and COA.
Sale Pending $695 via PayPal FF. Shipping included for Conus only. I can accept other payment methods upon request.
Updated Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/Mp0VxNI
Album: https://imgur.com/a/E41NjZK
Please comment on this post before messaging me. I am not looking for trades in this one. Thank you for looking!

(Author here, didn't realize I put an apostrophe in the first title. RIP, it's there forever now)
First Next
Date: May 3rd, 2235
"My what?" Tom asked, completely confounded.
Surrender? Is this alien actually asking for my surrender? The poor thing is shaking like a leaf, He pondered.
"Y-Your surrender. I'm here to accept it... Accept it from your leader or leaders specifically," Teresh stuttered, the device around their neck blinking blue with a robotic voice delivering it in sterile English.
"Okay, well... can we talk about that after you get medical attention? You look to be wounded," Tom explained, seeing a bit of dark red on its neck.
It looks more superficial than anything, not a deep cut. That knife though, did he try to stab himself? Tom analyzed, falling back on some of his training.
From what Tom could make out, the creature before him was bipedal like himself. Looks to be around four and a half feet tall, tops. Almost no muscle to speak of, clearly not a very physically strong species; or individual at the very least. The alien resembled a large avian in many ways, though it had two arms in addition to two sets of wings. What really stood out to him was the aliens face. It was shockingly human in many ways; in that it was able to express itself with the movement of its eyes and shorter beak. Tom was clearly able to see fear in its eyes, the slight shake of its feathers. Even more interestingly, it had a crown of feathers around the back of its head that dipped up and down, with its green feathers even shifting colors on occasion. He had thought it was the lighting at first, but it seemed this alien possessed some kind of camouflage ability or similar. Good lord, the biologists were going to have the discovery of the millennia when they got to him.
However, for now, he needed to assess the situation. Starting at the beginning:
The alien hailed all available frequencies and made no attempt to hide itself. It wasn't aware of the local electromagnetic fields so it's message was garbled and self-contained. The craft it arrived in didn't look to possess any weapons, and it freely complied to relinquish its ship. It is terrified of me to an extent, that much is obvious. At some point recently it had cut itself, either accidentally or an attempt to take its own life. Lastly, it is here to accept my surrender, or the surrender of humanity.
With all this in mind, Tom came to the most probable conclusion: Wherever this alien is from, it was sent here to perform this task but without any aid or support from armed forces. Meaning that it is considered expendable in some way or belonging to a pacifist organization. If I can discern what entity or government sent it here, we can begin to form a strategy for the defense of earth if need be.
While he was thinking, the alien was still shivering and terrified. Mustering a weak, "I will accept aid if you offer it. As a diplomat, I simply ask that you do not maim, brainwash, or torture me. It will not reflect well on your species."
He seems to think that we're a cruel, violent race for some reason. He's not entirely wrong, but I doubt he knows our history, Tom surmised.
"Again, not going to hurt you. If you'd allow, I'd like to take you to our medical ward. I can take care of that wound for you, if you'd allow," Tom relayed, keeping his tone calm and steady.
"W-What of the others, how do I know you will not attack me once I'm surrounded?" Teresh chirped.
"I'll get them to wait in the bridge. All I ask is that you put the weapon away. I won't be armed either," he replied.
He could see the gears in the alien's head turning. Building a repour with Teresh would help make the process easier. He'd could get Ally and Maxim to head back to the bridge, but man the comms so they could record and monitor everything. Cleaning and helping them with their wounds should build a level of trust, one that he can use to discover more about the alien.
"That is... equitable," they paused for a moment, "I accept. Just please make the others leave first."
"That's, that's great. Thank you Teresh, I'm happy to help you. Just set that off to the side, and I'll make sure it's just us," Tom replied, letting his posture ease.
Still facing Teresh, Tom slowly backed up and then out of the ship. Despite the other two wearing their helmets, he could tell exactly what they were thinking.
"The hell's going on? You've been in there for ages. Pilot dead or something?" Maxim asked. His voice reverberating inside their helmets.
"This ship too, computer had nothing on it. New model, old model?" Ally asked. She had a data pad in her hands and was tapping at the screen.
"Guys, I need you to trust me on this. You need to get to the bridge and shut off all comms. Nothing in or out. Keep this ship impounded and get on the cams and record everything that happens in med bay," Tom spoke rapidly but concisely. There was a pregnant pause in the air.
"Tom, what's going on?" Maxim asked, sounding worried.
"Haven't heard you talk like that in ages, what-?" Ally began.
"This is a matter of national security. I need you both to trust me. Man your posts, radio silence. Understood?" Tom interrupted, putting on a stern voice.
Seeing the man come back into his own, the two straightened their posture and saluted out of pure muscle memory. Delivering back a: "Sir yes sir!"
"At ease, now get the hell out of here," he commanded. Watching the two jump up and head for the door.
How long's it been, four, five years? He asked himself, shaking his head.
Tom climbed back up into the ship, just in time to watch his crewmates exit through the far door. He glanced over and saw Teresh's knife on the ships controls. The alien now standing and holding their neck with one of their clawed arms. It still looked terrified of him but was mustering up courage as far as he could tell.
"Are you ready?" He asked, holding out a hand.
"Y-Yes, thank you," Teresh replied. Slowly stepping forward, the click of his talons echoing through the ship.
Click, click, click, click.
With a great deal of hesitation, the alien eventually held out his other hand and allowed Tom to take it. Now slowly leading them both out of the ship and into the greater cargo space.
"You're doing great. The medical bay is on the right-hand side of the ship. I'll escort you up to the door, then take you down a few hallways to get there. Does that sound agreeable to you?" Tom asked again, making sure to keep his tone steady.
"It does. I will cooperate as long as my safety is assured," Teresh answered.
"And it is. I give you my word," he replied.
"Your... word?" They replied.
Right. Different species, different metaphors.
"It means my honor, my trust. My… respect. If that makes sense," he explained.
Their eyes widened, something seemed to garner recognition, "Honor, yes. I understand. I will take your... word."
"Good, thank you Teresh," Tom replied. Letting out a breath inside his helmet.
He had no idea what kind of eggshells he was walking around. This was completely out of his depth. He was just going to do his best to remain as civil and neutral as possible. No more metaphors or complicated concepts just in case it might cause offense. They are a diplomat after all. Best not to muddy earth's politics so early in its new development.
The two began to travel towards the side of the ship. Tom turned the valve on the rough metallic door, and it let out a hiss, the door slowly opening. Not the best first impression of humanity. His ship wasn't the prettiest out there but damn was she dependable. Never a problem he couldn't fix or a mission she couldn't complete. Tarva never disappointed. She could, however, use a new coat of paint.
Much of the interior was varying degrees of brown or gray. They passed through several closed doors, vacant crew rooms or extra storage. The lights tracking their progress as they went, some flickering ever so gently to show its age. This went on for another fifty to sixty feet, before Tom opened the door at the end of the hall. Entering into a small white room, fit with two cots, a cabinet full of OTC meds, and a few IV's. He had no clue what effect the drugs would have on the alien, so best to avoid those for now. Instead, he gestured towards the cot on the side.
"Please, sit. I'm going to grab some gauze and medical tape. It should be enough to stop the bleeding," he explained, watching Teresh clamber up onto the cot.
He actually couldn't help himself from smiling under his helmet. It was adorable, but he knew that was an inappropriate attitude to have for the present situation, so he suppressed it for now. Teresh sat with their skinny avian legs hanging of the side and waving like a child's, which was even more adorable than before. He turned towards them with the gauze in hand.
"If you're uncomfortable, you could apply it yourself. It just might be difficult considering..." Tom explained, only to see Teresh put up a claw.
"I will be fine. You may administer aid without worry," they offered, though he could still see them shaking from here.
It was then that Tom had an idea, though it might be a bad one. The alien seemed frightened by his helmet, he could remove it and hope it made the interaction easier. However, if there were any microbes present it may be disastrous for the human race. Maybe he'd be even more terrified of his human appearance. Admittedly he wasn't the most handsome guy, but he was more concerned that he may perceive him as some kind of "predator species" or something similar.
Biting his tongue, Tom decided to play it safe and slowly stepped towards Teresh. Once he was in front of them, he began to dab the wound with gauze before covering and taping it. He wasn't sure what kind of effect alcohol would have on their biology, so he kept it away for now. Once outfitted, he could see Teresh's breathing begin to slow, and become calmer. The avian gave him a look, the feathers around their head turning a deep blue.
"Thank you, Tom. I will not forget this," Teresh said, giving him a feeling of pure pride.
"I'm happy to help anytime. I hope this is the start of something great," he replied, exhaling.
"Yes, I think so too," Teresh affirmed.
Thank God I can still do something right in my life. Now, I need to make sure Ally and Maxim haven't lost their minds and contact an old friend. Things are about to move really quickly at home. He pondered.
"I'm going to step outside a moment to contact someone who can get us where you need to go. Do you mind staying there for me?" Tom asked.
"Of course, do what you need to. I'll do whatever it takes to get my mission done," Teresh replied, his translator concluding his speech.
------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile...
Mikael had just finished making breakfast. A small bowl of corn flakes, a side of toast, and half a glass of orange juice. It was what he considered the most luxurious breakfast. He sat down at his table and looked out into a beautiful vista. Neo Washington may have had the most pretentious name he had ever heard, but the colony itself was a wonder to behold. Set on the moon, is was the first permanent settlement outside of earth's atmosphere. Even though the job could be an absolute bore at times, the view was well worth it. He could pick out almost all the continents from where he was. Sometimes catching a passing satellite, green and red blinking lights in the distance. He took his spoon and hand and went to take the first bite of breakfast.
Zzzzz! Zzzzz!
"Ugh," he groaned, his face curling into a scowl. "It's my day off. What could it possibly be."
With a click, his holo-projector whirred to life. Seeing a familiar face appear, a light blue sheen over his features. Mikael cleared his throat, "Tom, why are you calling me on my day off? I was just about to enjoy my cereal, and you know how much my breakfast means to me."
"Sir, this is an emergency. I need you to authorize an impromptu docking as soon as possible," Tom replied.
"What? On the base? You should still have clearance to land," Mikael asked, confused.
The hologram fizzed for a moment, reforming into Tom's exasperated look, "Sir, I need to dock at the private hanger."
"Why in God's name would you need to do that? I hope you know my clearance isn't something to be tossed around willy nilly," Mikael continued, growing increasingly frustrated.
With a huff, Tom looked him right in the eyes and replied, "Sir, I need that clearance as soon as possible. This is a St. Louis situation sir."
Now that, that caused him to pause. It was a code word that he and only few others knew. There were only a few scenarios that afforded such severity. He knew Tom wouldn't exaggerate something of that nature, he was serious.
"My ship is out for maintenance, dock in hanger 10. I'll meet you there," Mikael concluded. With a nod, the projection shut off and he sighed.
Never a dull day in my life... he reflected.

So here are some datamined unique items (build 0.8.0.39517). *Please note: These may not be final and there could be additional unique items added. I have seen screenshots of many other uniques that aren't listed here, so who knows if this is the final list or if we can expect more come launch.
You'll notice a few fan-favorite uniques returning in the list from previous games along with uniques that are completely new. If this is the final list, I'm a bit surprised there aren't more, but I guess we also have to remember that there are many legendary powers and legendary paragon boards/glyphs as well to hunt for.
In beta we got to see only a tiny part of charactebuild customization. Once we combine legendary powers, affixes and stats on gear, paragon boards, glyphs (socket these into paragon boards), uniques, skill trees, and the class-specific systems (enchantments, book of the dead, spirit boons, etc) we should be in a great place which should be enough to satisfy even the most veteran arpg fans out of the gate.

Unique Items

Barbarian specific uniques:

Item Name	Type	Power	Flavor Text
Ramaladni's Magnum Opus	1h Sword	Skills using this weapon deal x% increased damage per point of Fury you have, but you lose x Fury every second.	"Without him the wine is less sweet, the hearth less warm, and our blades less keen. Our blood brother is gone, but Bul-Kathos willing, we will meet again one day." - Sorrowsong for Ramaladni *this is a tribute to Travis Day, a Blizzard developer who passed away.
Ancients' Oath	2h Axe	Steel Grasp launches 2 additional chains. Enemies hit by Steel Grasp are Slowed by x% for x seconds.	"Weapons wielded by the fiercest warriors often catch the eye of the Ancient spirits. If the wielder is worthy, the spirits may bless the steel with their strength." - Gerti, Oxen Tribe Forgemaster
Hellhammer	2h Mace	Upheaval ignites the ground Burning enemies for an additional x damage over x seconds.	The demon prince Ikonoth slew hundreds of the Heavenly Host with this infernal hammer before falling to none other than the Archangel Imperius himself.
Overkill	2h mace	Death Blow creates a shockwave, dealing x% of its Base damage to enemies. Enemies who die to this effect also reset Death Blow's Cooldown.	The malformed snake creatures that live in the swamps are not content with simply killing their prey. They seem to take a malicious pleasure from inflicting as much suffering as possible before death.
Fields of Crimson	2h Sword	While using this weapon, damaging at least one enemy with Rupture creates a blood pool that inflicts x Bleeding damage over x seconds. Enemies standing in the pool take x% increased Bleeding damage.	"We've been fighting these flesh-eaters for so long, been soaked in so much blood, that after a while it's difficult to tell what side you're truly on." - Daelyr, Crane Tribe warrior
Battle Trance	Amulet	Increase Frenzy's maximum stacks by x. While you have maximum Frenzy, your other Skills gain x% increased Attack Speed.	"The change that overtook my brother in battle was terrifying. His eyes turned hard like diamonds, and the way he moved... it was like he was dancing to music only he could hear." - Captain Dervin
100,000 Steps	Boots	After gaining the final damage bonus from the Walking Arsenal Key Passive, you automatically cast Ground Stomp and gain x Fury. This cannot happen more than once every x seconds.	"While many Barbarians remained in the Dreadlands, small groups from the Oxen, Crane and Bear tribes instead chose to search the land for a new home." - A History of the Children of Bul-Kathos
Rage of Harrogath	Chest	Lucky Hit: Up to a x% chance to reduce the Cooldowns of your Non-Ultimate Skills by 1 seconds when you inflict Bleeding on Elites.	Harrogath, the final bastion of resistance against Baal's assault on Mt. Arreat was destroyed along with the Worldstone. The survivors never forgave the betrayal that led to the loss of their home.
Gohr's Devastating Grips	Gloves	Whirlwind explodes after it ends, dealing x% of the total Base damage dealt to surrounding enemies as Fire damage.	"The brutish construction of these gloves belies the strength they bestow. Gohr was clearly no craftsman, but it would be foolish to ignore the triumph of his work." - Barrett's Book of Implements
of Hammering *(this is listed as unique test, but the name reads more like a legendary.)	2h Mace	(PH) Consecutive Hammer of the Ancients increase the next cast's damage by x% its radius by x%.	-

Druid specific uniques:

Item Name	Type	Power	Flavor Text
Waxing Gibbous	1h Axe	Gain Stealth for x seconds when killing enemies with Shred. Breaking Stealth with an attack grants Ambush which guarantees Critical Strikes for x seconds.	The nights preceding the full moon are sometimes far more dangerous than the event itself. The frenzy has begun to rise, yet the night is just dark enough to obscure a hunter from their prey's sight.
Greatstaff of the Crone	2h Staff	Claw is now a Storm Skill and also casts Storm Strike at x% normal damage.	"She has existed in Scosglen since before Fiacla-Géar walked the land. Her purpose is a mystery to us all. However, approach her with deference; she may grant you her counsel." - Airidah, to Donan
Mad Wolf's Glee	Chest	Werewolf form is now your true form, and you gain +2 Ranks to all Werewolf Skills.	"He was not a victim of the curse - he sought it out. As his skin split and his bones cracked, his laughter never ceased." – Tale of the Mad Nobleman
Insatiable Fury	Chest	Werebear form is now your true form, and you gain +2 Ranks to all Werebear Skills.	When the Days of Ash began, the great druid Nafain reminded his disciples that nothing, not even the loss of their humanity, was too great a sacrifice to protect Túr Dúlra from Astaroth's flames.
Tempest Roar	Helm	Lucky Hit: Storm Skills have up to a x% chance to grant x Spirit. Your base Storm Skills are now also Werewolf Skills	"Listen, child, to the music of the storm. It has its own rhythm. Its own melody. Hear how beautifully it sings, and perhaps one day you will be able to join in its harmony." – Airidah
Vasily's Prayer	Helm	Your Earth Skills are now also Werebear Skills and Fortify you for x.	"Roots from the Great Oak growing at the seaward statue of Vasily will, on rare occasions, be found twisted back upon themselves, suffused with ferocious magic." - Barrett's Book of Implements
Storm's Companion	Pants	Your Wolf Companions are infused with the power of the storm, dealing Lightning damage and gaining the Storm Howl ability.	"The storm's rage is my own, brother. I call, and the skies roar in reply." - Vasily, to Bul-Kathos
Hunter's Zenith	Ring	Gain a bonus when you kill with a Shapeshifting Skill: Werewolf: Your next Non-Ultimate Werebear Skill costs no Resource and has no Cooldown. Werebear: Your next Werewolf Skill will Heal you for x when damage is first dealt.	"By fang, claw, spear, or sword - send the bastards back to the flames from which they crawled! Soak the peat with their blood! For Fiacla-Géar! For Scosglen!" - Nafain, during the Days of Ash

Necromancer specific uniques:

Item Name	Type	Power	Flavor Text
Black River	1h Scythe	Corpse Explosion consumes up to x additional Corpses around the initial Corpse, dealing x% increased damage and with a x% larger radius per additional Corpse.	"The scrolls describe a river of tar that separated the living from the land of the dead. Any unfortunate soul who tried to cross would be dragged down into oblivion." - Notes of Scholar Kamien
Bloodless Scream	2h Scythe	Your Darkness Skills Chill enemies for up to x%. Lucky Hit: Your Darkness Skills have up to a x% chance to generate x additional Essence against Frozen targets.	"My companion swung her odd weapon in a wide arc, and our pursuer stopped short. The look of horror on his face as his body fell to pieces will haunt me forever." - The Ebon Pages, Canto II, Verse XI
Deathspeaker's Pendant	Amulet	Blood Surge casts a mini nova on your Minions, dealing x damage. Damage is increased by x% per target drained by the initial cast, up to x%.	Once a sanctum for Rathma's studies, the Temple of the Deathspeaker became a proving grounds for potential leaders of his priesthood. Its halls are filled with the corpses of those who failed.
Greaves of the Empty Tomb	Boots	Create desecrated ground beneath your Sever spectres as they travel, damaging enemies for x Shadow damage over x seconds.	"The massive door to my family's crypt, which had taken a dozen men to close, was thrown open. Had I known the horrors to come I never would have set foot inside!" -The Ebon Pages, Canto I, Verse VII
Blood Artisan's Cuirass	Chest	When you pick up Blood Orbs, a free Bone Spirit is spawned, dealing bonus damage based on your current Life percent.	"The infamous Necromancer Gaza-Thul's mastery over blood magic was indisputable. Many suspect that upon his death, his skin was used to fashion this eldritch armor." - Barrett's Book of Implements
Howl from Below	Gloves	Instead of detonating immediately, Corpse Explosion summons a Volatile Skeleton that charges at a random enemy and explodes. Corpse Explosion's damage is increased by x%.	"Can you not hear it? That endless scream from the cold earth beneath your feet!? They are down there, trapped, blind with rage! Waiting to drag us down into the sod!" - Ravings of Madman Gustav
Deathless Visage	Helm	Bone Spear leaves behind echoes as it travels that explode, dealing x damage.	"Rathma is endless. He was the first Ancient, and will remain at the end. He is the master of the Great Cycle of Being. When Death comes for him, why should he fear it?" - Vauntus, Acolyte of Rathma
Ring of Mendeln	Ring	While you have x or more Minions you gain: Lucky Hit: Up to a x% chance to empower all of your Minions, causing the next attack from each to explode for x Physical damage.	The signet of Mendeln ul-Diomed, the founder of the Priests of Rathma and the first Necromancer, was lost for over 3,000 years. The immense power over death held within, however, has not diminished.

Rogue specific uniques:

Item Name	Type	Power	Flavor Text
Condemnation	Dagger	Your Core Skills deal x% increased damage when spending 3 Combo Points. Your Basic Skills using this weapon have a x% chance to generate 3 Combo Points.	"I've never seen such ruthless butchery. He deserves to be be shipped off to die in the swamps with the rest of the godless murderers." - Witness to the murder of Sergeant Walcot
Asheara's Khanjar	Dagger	Hits with this weapon increase your Attack Speed by x% for x seconds, up to x%.	When Caldeum's gates closed, Asheara led her Iron Wolves out of the city knowing full well they would never return. Instead they roamed Kehjistan pledging their blades to any who were in need.
Skyhunter	Bow	The first direct damage you deal to an enemy is a guaranteed Critical Strike. If you had maximum stacks of the Precision Key Passive when you cast the Skill, gain Energy, this can only happen once per cast.	"Genai took up her bow and aimed at the sun itself. The light burned her eyes, but her arrow flew true. Wounded, the sun hid, and brought forth the first night. - Fable of the Great Sky-Hunt
Windforce	Bow	Lucky Hit: Hits with this weapon have up to a x% chance to deal double damage and Knock Back the target.	"There have been numerous world-shaping conflicts throughout history. This bow has been found on the battlefield of every one, and always in the hands of the victors." - Barrett's Book of Implements
Word of Hakan	Amulet	Your Rain of Arrows is always Imbued with all Imbuements at once.	"Let the great gates of Caldeum be sealed. Let its proud walls stand fiercely defended. The rest of Kehjistan may suffer this plague, but my city, and my people, will not." - Proclamation of Hakan II
Grasp of Shadow	Gloves	Lucky Hit: Damaging a Vulnerable enemy with a Marksman or Cutthroat Skill has up to a x% chance to summon a Shadow Clone that mimics your attack.	Dark wisps creep hungrily across these gloves, like an assassin's blade seeking a life to steal on a moonless night.
Cowl of the Nameless	Helm	You gain x% increased Lucky Hit Chance against Crowd Controlled enemies.	"He is banished from the Guild, his name stricken from the Book. His punishment is to never have been." - Excerpt from a burned parchment
Eyes in the Dark	Pants	Unless it hits a Boss or Player, Death Trap will continue to re-arm itself until it kills an enemy. However, Death Trap's Cooldown is increased by x%.	"And so, when the sun dipped behind the hills each night, he knew that Ashen Jack would soon be near. Watching, and waiting." - Greenslade's Tales, Chapter 2: "Each Long Night" name*:* Eyes in the Dark

Sorcerer specific uniques:

Item Name	Type	Power	Flavor Text
Flamescar	Wand	While Channeling Incinerate, you periodically shoot embers that are attracted to enemies, each dealing x Fire damage.	The burn may heal, but the pain is eternal.
Staff of Endless Rage	Staff	Every 3rd cast of Fireball launches 2 additional projectiles.	"Leaving even blackened bones for your kin to mourn is too good an end for you." - Josiah
Staff of Lam Esen	Staff	Charged Bolts pierce, but deal x% less damage.	"Also known as the Greatstaff of the Old Religion, this powerful relic is one of only a small handful of Skatsimi artifacts that have survived to this day." - Barrett's Book of Implements
Esadora's Overflowing Cameo	Amulet	Upon collecting Crackling Energy, there's a x% chance to release a lightning nova, dealing x Lightning Damage.	The only thing more potent than Esadora's magic was her endless hatred of humanity. As she lay dying, the pale amulet around her neck drank in both.
Esu's Heirloom	Boots	Your Critical Strike Chance is increased by x% of your Movement Speed bonus.	"While scholars have proven these boots were not created by Esu herself, it is noteworthy that they have been passed down since the formation of the Mage Clans." - Barrett's Book of Implements
Raiment of the Infinite	Chest	After using Teleport, Close enemies are Pulled to you and Stunned for x seconds, but Teleport's Cooldown is increased by x%.	The power you have is never enough.
Gloves of the Illuminator	Gloves	Fireball now bounces as it travels, exploding each time it hits the ground, but its explosion deals x% less damage.	After Inarius returned to Sanctuary, he sought a way back to the High Heavens. His first step was to reignite the religion he had abandoned millennia before: the Cathedral of Light.
Iceheart Brais	Pants	Enemies that die while Frozen have a x% chance to unleash a Frost Nova.	The mad artisan saw his fingers turn black from frostbite as he worked the cloth, but refused to stay the needle and thread for even a moment.

General (used by all) uniques:

Item Name	Type	Power	Flavor Text
The Butcher's Cleaver	1h Axe	Lucky Hit: When you Critically Strike an enemy you have up to a x% chance to Fear and Slow them by x% for x seconds.	A nightmarish amalgam of blood, bone and steel, this axe is as horrific, and as deadly, as its creator.
Doombringer	1h Sword	Lucky Hit: Up to a x% chance to deal x Shadow damage to surrounding enemies and reduce their damage done by x% for x seconds.	Whenever this ancient sword has reappeared throughout history, it portends a time of great strife, as well as a devastating loss of life.
The Grandfather	2h Sword	Increases your Critical Strike Damage by x%. The other properties on this weapon can roll higher than normal.	An unbroken lineage of unwavering strength.
-	2h Sword	-	-
-	2h Sword	-	-
-	2h Sword	-	-
Melted Heart of Selig	Amulet	Gain x% Maximum Resource. In addition, when you take damage, drain x Resource for every x% of Life you would have lost instead.	"Do not allow your passions to become obsessions. Fuel the fire that burns within you, but it is madness to allow yourself to become ash to please an uncaring universe." - Last words of Master Selig
Penitent Greaves	Boots	You leave behind a trail of frost that Chills enemies. You deal x% more damage to Chilled enemies.	Remorseful devotees of the Cathedral of Light must undertake a grueling pilgrimage, journeying across the frigid glacier known as the Serac Rapture. Only then may their gravest sins be forgiven.
Razorplate	Chest	Gain x Thorns	Crafted by the cannibal Armoda, each piece of this interlocking armor has been sharpened into a knife's edge. Even a century after death, the plate remained on her corpse, unable to be removed safely.
Fists of Fate	Gloves	Your attacks randomly deal x% to y% of their normal damage.	"Will you let fear cheat you, or will you risk everything to find understanding? After all, death is simply the coin with which we purchase life." - Zurke
Frostburn	Gloves	Lucky Hit: Up to a x% chance to Freeze enemies for x seconds.	A touch so frigid it stops the heart and chills the very soul.
Andariel's Visage	Helm	Lucky Hit: Up to a x% chance to trigger a poison nova that applies x Poisoning damage over x seconds to enemies in the area.	The horrific whispers of the Maiden of Anguish flicker through your mind, pushing you ever closer to madness...
Harlequin Crest	Helm	Gain x% Damage Reduction. In addition, gain +x Ranks to all Skills.	"This headdress was once worn by an assassin disguised as a court mage. Her treachery was unveiled, but not before she used its magic to curse the king's entire lineage." - The Fall of House Aston
Temerity	Pants	Effects that Heal you beyond x% Life grant you a Barrier up to x% of your Maximum Life that lasts for x seconds.	"The revelation that master tailor Callas was in fact a witch only served to further fuel the desire for her uniquely enchanted legwraps." - Barrett's Book of Implements
Mother's Embrace	Ring	If a Core Skill hits x or more enemies, x% of the Resource cost is refunded.	"Every tome, every scroll, every book in this temple produces the same answer. The only being willing to stand against the Eternal Conflict, against the Prime Evils, was Lilith." - Elias
Ring of Starless Skies	Ring	Each consecutive Core Skill cast reduces the Resource cost of your next Core Skill by x%, up to a maximum of x%.	"Yours is the power to pluck the stars from the heavens with the ease of a child gathering fruit from the bough." - Unknown

​

District 4
26 year old Sandy Sellick and 32 year old Limerick Manx stood in front of the crowd of youths. Sandy approached the female bowl, reaching her hand inside and removing the name of fourteen year old Pikara Chigwell. A scream was heard as a small girl with long, blonde hair and blue eyes was taken to the stage. Pikara was a descendant of Vinny Chigwell (victor of the 2nd Games). Pikara shook Sandy’s hand.
Limerick placed his hand into one of the middle holes of the tall bowl, removing a slip of paper. His eyes filled with tears as he read the name of thirteen year old Tide Thomas. Victor of the previous Games Lamar Thomas let out a loud cry of horror. His fiancée Kaia Craig held his hand as a shorter boy with ebony skin and a dark afro of hair walked to the stage. Tide shook Limerick’s hand, before he and Pikara were taken into the town hall for visits with family.
Pikara was visited by her mother, and two younger brothers. She cried, but her mother advised her to ally with Tide, before she was taken away.
Tide was visited by his brother Lamar, his other siblings, his father, and his soon to be sister in law Kaia. Lamar advised Tide to find an ally, with Kaia requesting he work with Pikara, before he was taken away.
Tide and Pikara chatted as they were escorted to the train, with both agreeing to ally in the arena. Limerick and Sandy were impressed with Tide’s trident skills, as well as Pikara’s skills with an ice pick. Limerick told them that if they stuck together, they had a higher chance of winning.
When they arrived at the train station, many were impressed with Tide, as he was the brother of a previous victor, and others found Pikara to be absolutely sweet. They were then taken by limo to the apartments.
District 3
20 year old Electress Hybrand and 28 year old Gif Schneider stood in front of the two bowls. Electress had her fingers crossed when she reached into the female bowl. She removed the name of fifteen year old Electrika Goldstein. A girl with dirty blonde hair and brown eyes walked to the stage, and shook hands with Electress. Electrika was a descendant of a sibling of Earth Goldstein (victor of the 56th Hunger Games.) Electrika shook Electress’s hand.
Gif reached into the male bowl, removing the name of eighteen year old Lector Stoker from within. A tall young man with dark brown hair and blue eyes walked to the stage, and shook Gif’s hand. Both tributes were then taken into the town hall for visits with family.
Electrika was visited by her parents and four siblings. She promised to come back unscathed, before being taken to the train.
Lector was visited by his parents and younger brother and sister. He promised to find a strong ally and return, before being taken to the train.
When Lector and Electrika entered the train, Gif greeted them. Lector and Electrika expressed interest in allying, and Lector also seemed interested in adding Herman (5) to their alliance. Gif advised them to work with Herman during training.
Both tributes stepped off the train when they arrived at the station, and many Capitol women enjoyed taking photos with Lector, while Electrika expressed interest in taking photos as well. Both were then taken by limo to the apartments.

Going up against Necrons next playing Death abd Zeal mission in AOO and put this list together. Hoping to chew through warriors with my melee marines and plague Drone. Any list advice or general tips against necrons would be appreciated!
 
++ Arks of Omen Detachment (Chaos - Death Guard) [125 PL, 1CP, 2,000pts] ++
 
+ Configuration +
 
Arks of Omen Compulsory Type: Elites
 
Battle Size [6CP]: 3. Strike Force (101-200 Total PL / 1001-2000 Points)
 
Detachment Command Cost
 
Game Type: 5. Chapter Approved: Arks of Omen
 
Plague Company: Mortarion's Anvil
 
+ HQ +
 
Lord of Contagion [7 PL, -2CP, 135pts]: Explosive Outbreak, Gloaming Bloat, Manreaper and orb of desiccation, Plague Skull of Glothila, Stratagem: Plaguechosen, Stratagem: Relic
 
Malignant Plaguecaster [5 PL, -1CP, 90pts]: 1. Miasma of Pestilence, 2. Gift of Contagion, 3. Plague Wind, 4. Putrescent Vitality, 5. Curse of the Leper, 6. Gift of Plagues, Putrid Periapt, Stratagem: Gifts of Decay
 
+ Troops +
 
Plague Marines [12 PL, 190pts]
. Plague Champion: Daemonic plague blade, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 2x Plague Marine w/ blight launcher: 2x Blight grenades, 2x Blight launcher, 2x Krak grenades, 2x Plague knife
. 2x Plague Marine w/ cleaver: 2x Blight grenades, 2x Great plague cleaver, 2x Krak grenades, 2x Plague knife
. 2x Plague Marine w/ flail: 2x Blight grenades, 2x Flail of corruption, 2x Krak grenades, 2x Plague knife
. Plague Marine w/ plague spewer
. Plague Marine w/ special weapon: Meltagun
. Plague Marine w/ special weapon: Meltagun
 
Plague Marines [12 PL, 190pts]
. Plague Champion: Daemonic plague blade, Plasma gun, Power fist
. 2x Plague Marine w/ blight launcher: 2x Blight grenades, 2x Blight launcher, 2x Krak grenades, 2x Plague knife
. 2x Plague Marine w/ cleaver: 2x Blight grenades, 2x Great plague cleaver, 2x Krak grenades, 2x Plague knife
. 2x Plague Marine w/ flail: 2x Blight grenades, 2x Flail of corruption, 2x Krak grenades, 2x Plague knife
. Plague Marine w/ plague spewer
. Plague Marine w/ special weapon: Meltagun
. Plague Marine w/ special weapon: Meltagun
 
Poxwalkers [6 PL, 60pts]
. 12x Poxwalker: 12x Improvised weapon
 
Poxwalkers [3 PL, 50pts]
. 10x Poxwalker: 10x Improvised weapon
 
+ Elites +
 
Blightlord Terminators [11 PL, 215pts]
. Blightlord Champion: Balesword, Combi-flamer, Virulent Fever
. Blightlord Terminator: Balesword, Combi-melta
. Blightlord Terminator: Flail of corruption
. Blightlord Terminator: Balesword, Plague spewer
. Blightlord Terminator: Balesword, Blight launcher
 
Deathshroud Terminators [19 PL, 210pts]
. Deathshroud Champion: Chimes of contagion, 2x Plaguespurt gauntlet, Unstable Sickness
. 3x Deathshroud Terminator: 3x Manreaper, 3x Plaguespurt gauntlet
 
Foul Blightspawn [6 PL, -1CP, 85pts]: Revolting Stench-vats, Stratagem: Gifts of Decay, Viscous Death
 
Tallyman [4 PL, 65pts]
 
+ Fast Attack +
 
Foetid Bloat-drone [7 PL, 115pts]: Fleshmower
 
+ Heavy Support +
 
Plagueburst Crawler [8 PL, 145pts]: 2x Entropy cannon, Heavy slugger
 
+ Lord of War +
 
Mortarion [25 PL, -1CP, 450pts]: 1. Miasma of Pestilence, 1. Revoltingly Resilient, 2. Gift of Contagion, 2. Living Plague, 3. Plague Wind, 4. Arch-Contaminator, 4. Putrescent Vitality, 5. Curse of the Leper, 6. Gift of Plagues, All Traits Reference, Stratagem: Warlord Trait, Warlord
 
++ Total: [125 PL, 1CP, 2,000pts] ++
 
Created with BattleScribe

In Fortnite STW, Affliction is a conditional effect that applies damage over time to a target. In general gaming terms, a conditional effect is when something causes an effect to a target - ie you use a ray which freezes a critter. Other examples of conditional effects in STW include dancing, slowed, snared, stunned, staggered, frozen, or knocked down targets. While there are different things that can apply Affliction in STW, the focus of this write up will be the Causes Afflction 6th Perk on Weapon schematics.
What does the 6th Perk Causes Afflction do? A husk or animal hit by a weapon with the Causes Afflction perk suffers a calculated amount of damage over a duration of 6 seconds. This is often referred to as damage over time (aka DOT), and the individal increments called "ticks" (also spelled "tics") damage.
How is the amount of Affliction damage per tick calculated? It's a mathematical formula based on a base damage value, Hero Ability Damage, Offense and Tech, Weapon Perks and Hero Perks that buff weapon damage.
Math Formula:

Affliction Damage Per Tick = Base (6 for ranged; 12 for melee) * Hero Ability Damage percentage / 100 * 1 + [(Offense + Tech)/100] + Survivor set bonuses * 1 + (Sum of Weapon and Hero Perk Bonuses) 

The affliction damage ticks can crit, the amount of damage is equal to the affliction damage * 1 + the sum of Critical Damage perks displayed as a decimal (so if you have 135% CD perk it is 2.35)
Long mathematical equations can be confusing and intimidating, so let's break this down into a more basic formula with four parts.
Basic Formula:

Base * HAD stuff * OT Stuff * Weapon and Hero Perks 

Components of the Basic Formula
A. Base = 12 (melee) ; 6 (ranged)
B. HAD Stuff = Hero Ability Damage percentage / 100
C. OT Stuff = 1 + [(Offense + Tech)/100] ; add any melee, ranged, or ability survivor set bonuses here expressed as a decimal. So if you have the 4 sets of melee ranged survivor sets that's 4 * .05 = .2
D. Perk Bonuses = 1 + (Sum of Weapon Perks + Hero Perks)
Weapon Perks
These would include the elemental damage perk, damage perk and conditional damage perk expressed as a decimal.
If you have upgraded the elemental damage perk, damage perk and damage to afflicted that would be (.2 + .3 + .45) = .95
Hero Perks
These would include any hero perks that would buff weapon damage, expressed as a decimal.
If you have a loadout with six shooter and quickshot in support then you'd add .20 + .17 = .37
See the hero perks section for additional information.
I'm going to use use a table to show some example calculations
A * B * C * D

	A	B	C	D
	Base	HAD Stuff	OT Stuff	Perk Bonus	Math	Actual	Math Critical	Actual Crtical
Melee	12	27.13	66.02	1.95	41912.26	41916	98493.67	98503
Shadowstance Active	12	27.13	66.02	2.2	47285.63664	47290	111121.16	111132
Ranged	6	27.13	66.02	1.65	17732.11	17733	41670.4585	41674
Melee Full Party	12	27.13	99.2	1.95	62976.3264 (47232 vs Elemental Husk)	47237
Melee
Ranged

Clicking any of the links will take you to video footage
Melee example 1
Ranged example
Melee example (full party)
I reviewed some of the previous affliction posts (see History section) in which the formula was provided, however when the math was not calculating correctly, I decided to do some testing. I followed the same type of testing format as I had previously used in testing other 6th perks. Once I had reviewed test data results, I was able to the calculate base damage. With knowledge of the base damage values, I just had to validate what other factors can contribute to the affliction damage ticks.
Validation Tests (test footage)
Are the Afflction damage ticks the same for melee/ranged ? No
Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Hero Ability Damage Score? Yes
Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Offense and Tech scores? Yes
Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Survivor Squad bonuses? Yes, melee, ranged (untested but logically should be added), and ability.
Are the Afflction damage ticks the same regardless of weapon type? Yes, when perked similarly (same upgrade rarity for elemental perk, damage perk, conditional damage perk)
Are the Afflction damage ticks the same regardless of material (ore or crystal)? Yes, when perked similarly (same upgrade rarity for elemental perk, damage perk, conditional damage perk)
Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Weapon PL in the same zone? No (tested in Twine)
Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Element Damage Perk Upgrades? Yes
Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Weapon Damage Perk Upgrades? Yes
Are the Affliction damage ticks affected by Conditional Damage Perk Upgrades? Yes
If any Critical Damage Perks are applied on the weapon, does that affect the affliction damage tick value? Yes
Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by Hero Perks that buff weapon damage? Yes
Can a player stack Affliction damage ticks stack from different weapons? Yes
Are the Afflction damage ticks affected by the Zone a mission is in? Yes.Twine PL140 O/T 3251, 3251 HAD 2713Twine PL76 O/T 3251, 3251 HAD 2713Canny PL70 O/T 3200, 3200 HAD 1901Canny PL46 O/T 2105, 2105 HAD 1901
Hero Perks (Additional Info) These should be easy to add into the formula: Six Shooter (20/60 first six shots) Quick Scope (17)Assault Damage (17 /50) Shell Shock (17 / 50) Faster Explosions (17/50) Swab The Deck (17/50) Actuated Attacks (17/50) Legendary Blade (25/75 in shadow stance) Hipshot (17/50)
Not Tested: Buckle, Swash, Blaze of Glory, Locked or Reloaded From the Depths Ow my eye Scythe to Meet you (25/62 vs slowed or snared) Poking Holes (25/50 vs Afflicted Targets)
Fire of the Dragon (Hybrid) should extend the affliction duration to 10 seconds (when used as Commander) or 8 seconds (when used in support).
Assassination was also tricky to calculate.
Corrosive Strikes also proved tricky to calculate as Fortnite's in game calculator would sometimes display the sum of the affiction damage ticks from the weapon and hero.
Command Presence and War Cry test
Hero Perks that buff a weapon's Critical Damage add their respective perk value to the Affliction's Crit Damage potentialCritical BlastSure ShotAssault Crit DamageMake it Count
Loadouts Used - I wanted to keep the HAD value consistent during testing so a very odd loadout was used.
HAD 1938 Commander: Anatomy Lessons (Whiteout Fiona) HAD 1938
HAD 2713 Test loadout A: Commander: Anatomy Lessons (Whiteout Fiona), Team Perk: Endless Shadow; Fleet, Medicinal Fumes, Sea Fog, Gadgeteer, Survivalist
Test loadout B: Commander: Anatomy Lessons (Whiteout Fiona), Team Perk: Endless Shadow; Fleet, Medicinal Fumes, Swordmaster Ken, Gadgeteer, Survivalist
Test loadout C: Commander: Anatomy Lessons (Whiteout Fiona), Team Perk: Endless Shadow; Fleet, Medicinal Fumes, Sea Fog , Assassination, Survivalist
Test loadout D: Commander: Anatomy Lessons (Whiteout Fiona), Team Perk: Endless Shadow; Fleet, Medicinal Fumes,Corrosive Strikes , Gadgeteer, Survivalist
History Old formulas published by Whitesushi and Details-Examples DannySpring's formula found in this post.
Kudos to Aone_getdismoney and NuttsnBolts

Me wishing the people around me (my immediate family) will help fix me and lift me out from this hole I'm in but it's usually non-relatives who I connect deeper to/with that ease the pain.djdbrkfd Random thoughts...

TS: https://i.imgur.com/OGblsCJ.jpg
Vid: https://imgur.com/a/bgKE2rG

1. ESEE 4HM — SV90 SOLD No box and paper. But knife basically as new. As never been carried and cut. Some tiny wear on clip. That’s all.
   
2. Ferrum Forge Mssdrop Falcon — SV85 One of my favorite flipper and I bought several. This one is a user as, 1) some email trail on scales and clip. 2) blade has no wear or scratches. Centering dead on. 3) still factory edge as not use the knife cut anything. 4) no box or paper. 5) come with a brand new lanyard as shown in the photo. 6) flip action is very good.
   

PayPal FF. Buy both get 15$ off. Thanks.

[WTS] custom shipwrecked Vero Neuron - started out life as a regular micarta Vero Neuron and was sent to TDC Daily Carry on instagram to have the blade etched to have a Mad Max apocalypse style finish on the blade, I also purchased copper scales which were sent to him as well to have a Japanese Wave pattern etched on the scales along with a forced patina. All of the Hardware has been anodized bronze to go along with the theme. Knife looks like a relic found at the bottom of the ocean. I am the 2nd owner, knife was sharpened after blade was etched. Knife is in excellent condition, lightly used and lightly carried. Will come with original micarta scales as well, no box. I absolutely love the knife just am looking to buy another CRK so need funds. Any other questions please feel free to ask. Action feels great and blade is very sharp and the Action is snappy. Slight fading on pivot screw and a small snail on clip but in great shape otherwise. I have about $550 into it. SV - 375 OBO - PP G&S. Can ship out tomorrow.
Timestamp photos - https://imgur.com/a/SEUxfX4
Video Action - https://imgur.com/a/ipOAD68
Overview - https://imgur.com/a/mS79vim

Hello, Swappers.
Yolos take precedence, but feel free to shoot me any questions you have. If you yolo, please send me a chat to pay promptly. PayPal F&F – no notes. Thanks!
Timestamp
Name: Chris Reeve Small Inkosi
SV: 385
Description: Excellent condition overall with no visible snails or scratches on the scales or blade. S35VN Insingo. Dual silver lugs. Black canvas micarta inlays. DOB 8/13/20. Knife still has the factory edge and is sharp. Action is silky smooth with rock-solid lockup.
· Link to specs
· Includes box, docs, tools, cloth and pre-tied lanyard
· Video (sound available)
​
Name: Hinderer XM-18 “3.0 – G10 Red Scale
SV: 30
Description: Excellent condition. Purchased directly from Hinderer. Comes with original plastic shipping pouch shown in pic. Has been briefly mounted and carried but is in great shape.
· Pic
​
Name: Hinderer XM-18 “3.0 – Textured Black Micarta Scale
SV: 50
Description: This was a factory Hinderer burgundy micarta scale that I dyed black with professional grade leather dye. The dye job went well as the color is solid and consistent. Has been briefly mounted and carried but is in great shape.
· Pic

Well, I've been sitting on this for a bit now, so thank you to u/cmdr_shadowstalker, u/BruhMomentGEE, and u/Kazevenikov for their editing help. I know these past few chapters have been heavy, but they are crucial to the long road ahead. Life truly is the journey for we all know our eventual destination. Without any further ado, the newest chapter.
​
​
​
FIRST ---- PREVIOUS ---- [NEXT]
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Sera sighed as she looked up at the ceiling. It had been almost a week since Cain had left and she could feel his absence taking its toll. She had sometimes woken up, eager to make him breakfast, only to be greeted by silence as she tore the blankets off. Allison had come by a couple days ago for a movie night, but she had left early as her posting was being moved around and she was being called back to help train new Marines, on Earth this time.
​
So…here she was, staring up at the ceiling thinking about Cain. Sera had thought that the time would fly and she would get a message from him on a courier ship but…nothing.
​
The beeping of her omnipad shook her out of her funk a bit, the digital bell grating a bit to her more sensitive ears.
​
“Hello?” Sera asked, her voice tired.
​
“Hey girl! How’s it going?” the enthusiastic voice of Meli said from the other end of the line. Sera sighed as her more upbeat tone gave her something to focus on.
​
Sera sighed as she deflated a bit on the bed. “Fine. Just…great.”
​
She could hear Meli frowning from the other end of the line.
“Sera…you don’t sound fine. You can tell me girl, it’s okay. You and Cain only recently made up and…well, it got bad between you two if I remember what Allison told me. I could come over if you want,” Meli offered, her tone becoming gentler and more caring.
Sera shook her head and curled up on her side, boring imaginary holes into the drywall opposite her. Wanting nothing more than to just not talk about those awful two weeks. “N-no. It’s fine. I just…it’s a bit of a funk, okay? I’m fine Meli, truly I am,” she warbled, the memories of all the restless nights and painful memories beginning to well again.
“I’m not convinced Sera. You sound hurt. I’ll be over as soon as I can, and I may have a surprise for the three of us. See you in a bit!” Meli chirped before ending the call.
“I-wait! Meli? Meli? Damnit!” Sera cursed, her brief outburst leading her deflate more and more. She sighed as she thought about the brief things that had flashed in her mind. How Meli should have left her alone, how she still needed Cain-
The thought hit like a freight train, waves of sorrow crashing over her like a grotesque wave as she thought back to the things she had called Cain. How she had lashed out at him, driving him away when they needed each other the most. Sera felt herself grow weak at how she nearly tore herself apart in front of him, content to destroy the life they had built together.
She didn’t even care that she was still naked, the sheet offering little to nothing in terms or protection against the cold air of the AC. Sera shivered as the malaise took over, her bed now offering only cold comfort instead of the warmth of her fiancé by her side. She sniffled as another synthetic ping echoed from her omnipad, reluctantly rolling over to look at the message.
>Allison: Sent: 2:12 PM
Sera wanted to sink into the bed at Allison’s message, wanting to just be alone. A part of her scolded her for closing herself off, inwardly saying that she needed Allison and Meli now more than ever. But deep down another, more primal part of her kept her closed off and isolated. She had failed as a woman, to protect her man, from her own choices to boot. She deserved this.
Sera could feel the tears well up again as someone knocked on the door. Sniffling, she stumbled out of bed and navigated through the tight hallway. She coughed from a bit of spit going the wrong way and finally landed at the door, steeling herself before twisting the knob and opening up.
“Hey, did you get my mess-?” Allison began, stopping and fumbling a bit as Sera propped herself up in the doorway, her body in the nude.
“I…what is it?” Sera asked, her tone sad, almost defeated.
Allison swallowed. “Uh, well, you’re naked.”
“Huh? Oh, I didn’t notice,” Sera sighed about to close the door again. Allison reacted quickly and stopped Sera from shutting herself off again, the amazonian hybrid slipping inside.
“Hey, c’mon Sera, this isn’t you. Why don’t we go out for lunch? You look like you could use something to eat,” Allison tried, pointing to where Sera had slacked, her once fit yet plump body now looking more like the fresh recruits Allison saw at the newly established garrisons around the state.
“So? Does it matter?” Sera groaned, shuffling her way back to the bedroom, Allison following close behind.
“Yes, it absolutely does! Sera, Cain wouldn’t want this for you. Just, please, reach out. I’m here for you,” Allison sighed, Sera ignoring her.
“Y’know what, I don’t care. You and I are going to lunch whether you like it or not.”
Sera slowly turned to face Allison, her face a mask of sadness. “I…I just want to be alone.”
“No. This…you are not going to become one of those sob stories they write about on the datanet. Here, let me pick something out for you,” Allison asserted, striding over to the rather small walk-in closet and pulling aside some of the garments from the bar.
“Hmm, what about this?” Allison said, emerging after a few minutes of digging, a yellow sundress in her hands.
“That was Cain’s favorite. He always said I looked so nice in it,” Sera deadpanned, flopping onto the bed, spread-eagle and mumbling into the mattress.
“Sera, you know he will be back. It’s required that he at least-”
“And if he doesn’t? What if he never comes back, Ali? What if he just used this as an excuse to dump me?” Sera mumbled, her words unclouded after rolling over to stare at the ceiling again.
“Would he have given you so much grief about you tearing into yourself if he was just going to leave you? Would he have been so adamant about taking his engagement band with him if he was just going to dump you? Sera…Cain loves you. He is strong in his own way. Now, it’s your turn,” Allison huffed, hanging the sundress on an open spot on the rack that hung over the bedroom door.
“But…but..” Sera sputtered, the cold beginning to nip at her thoughts again, her body shivering from a lack of clothes.
“No buts Sera. Now, what do you think of this little number?” Allson smiled, showing off a rather nice looking mauve blouse, the shirt looking much more form fitting than the dress.
Sera slowly propped herself on her elbows to look at the piece and sighed. “Cain…I…can we try something else? I…I don’t want to wear Cain’s color.”
Allison raised an eyebrow at the statement but put her thoughts about on the side for now. After a little more digging she found a sea foam green blouse, complete with a sea turtle on the front.
"I think this one looks cute. Where did you get it?"
Sera sighed as another cold blast of air hit her exposed body, not wanting to do anything but sink into the mattress. "Cain…got it for me at the aquarium. He…looked so nice that day…"
"C'mon Sera, please? Can…can you just try it on?" Allison weakly smiled, offering the shirt to Sera. The Nighkru sighed as she sat up, taking the shirt and putting it on grumpily.
"There, happy now?" Sera bit back, her tone rather icy and pointed. Allison didn't let it worry her.
"Hmm, yeah. Though…you should wear a bra…and, well…finish getting dressed. I'll go start the truck," Allison chirped, Sera looking down at the brown shag carpet of the bedroom.
"Bu-but he's…"
"Sera, I swear, if you don't get dressed, I will tickle you until you pass out again," Allison threatened, eyeing Sera as the Nighkru's eyes went wide with fear.
"You wouldn't dare-"
Allison giggled. "Course I would. Now, get dressed. At least do it for me, okay?"
Sera finally relented and slid off the bed, slowly resigning herself to the idea of leaving the house. She dug through her drawers, the pieces of furniture dangerously close to being empty, the small mountain of discarded clothes a testament to Sera’s attitude for the past week or so. It loomed in the corner of the room like a specter, the smell sharp and acute of tears and sweat. Sera tried to ignore the increasing scent but she wrinkled her nose out of reflex and got a full whiff of her laundry. Sera sighed at her neglected laundry pile, the stench becoming more acute.
She reached for the bottle of air freshener and squeezed the trigger, the aerosol mist releasing a pleasant smell of fresh sheets and sunshine. Sera couldn’t help but smile a bit at the memories the smell invoked, reminding her of when she washed clothes with Cain at his uncle’s, the wash drying for hours in the hot South Texas sun, the smell of wildflowers on the breeze as her and Cain shared a few cans of beer on the back porch. While the pool was still absolutely infested with algae, Sera did smirk a bit as she remembered chasing him around with a hose, squealing like a little kid when she managed to spray him down in the icy mist of the hose.
Sera smiled for a moment more than felt herself hollow out again. The memories were pleasant, but without Cain…it felt like she was missing a piece of her. However, she couldn’t dwell on the past forever and Cain would be back. An awful thought always scraped at the back of her head though. What if…what if he brought someone else home? What if she wasn’t the first anymore?
Cain…he wouldn’t…he never would. He…he didn’t even pursue Allison. Why do I think he would do that to me?
She mulled the thought over as she slid one of the last few pairs of underwear on, a rather skimpy black number she had bought for one of her date nights. She rolled her eyes at the irony of the garment now, but only just. Her only remaining bra followed, one of the tighter fitting ones as she struggled to squeeze into it, the straps loosening just enough to support her assets. She shook her head as she looked at herself in the mirror, her once toned yet supple arms now more spindly and Sera swore she could see a few veins showing through her skin. Speaking of, her skin was no longer uniform in color, with several dark bruises in her arms and core from when she ran into things around the house, whether it be the countertop or the massive oaken desk with their newly installed computer.
Her muscles were less defined than before, and Sera wanted to sob as she saw the now emerging gut where lean and trim abs used to be, the weight of her letting herself go on full display. She shook the thought off though, hardening her resolve as she slipped the aquarium shirt on, the garment loose in all the right places. Sera then opened the closet once more and dug around for her favorite pair of jeans…only to find her back up pairs and the pair she bought tight out of basic at a ridiculous markup since some trader had “exclusive access” to Earth. They weren’t even real blue jeans, probably some mystery fabric spit out by a fabricator, one way too rough to be denim and almost midnight black. Sera rolled her eyes at the ridiculous bottoms, pinning the idea to just give them away as a pair of women’s dress pants or the like. But that was for later.
It took a bit tucking and wiggling into but Sera managed to slide on a pair of her backup jeans, her butt looking absolutely enormous as the fabric clung to her behind. Sera shook her head as she walked out of the closet, the jeans still a bit too tight in the thighs for her liking. She did however love the deep pockets on the pants, having ample room for her credit chit, wallet, keys and QualQuartz dataslate that Meli had gotten her for Christmas.
Sera took a look back at the disheveled room, her things strewn all over the place. Some of the pillows on the bed had a mix of dried tears and alcohol, the sheets stained and dirty after her outpourings of grief. She sighed at the sorry state of the room, the mental fog thick at times, overwhelming at others. She took a deep breath as she felt for the light switch from her, letting as much of the pain flow out of her. She counted to ten after every breath, slowly calming down, and when she was ready, she turned out the light to the bedroom, the mess shrouded under a thick mist of darkness.
Sera patted down her pockets one last time while she made her way through the hallway, confident she had all her things. As she rounded the corner into the living room, Sera briefly considered grabbing her purse, but, after a bit of internal deliberation, decided against it. She had enough with her wallet and chits as it was, so bringing the bag would be unnecessary.
She took a long, sweeping look at the small living space, the place nearly untouched ever since Cain left. She was about to shed a tear when Allison honked from outside, the blare of the horn startling her out of her thoughts. Annoyed for a split second by the reminder, Sera huffed and made her way outside, closing and locking the door. The hallway was spotless, and she could hear the sounds of construction echoing from other parts of the complex as the new Shil’vati owner renovated the property. The minor Noble who now owned the land needed an outlet for a recent glut of wealth, and with popular opinion falling with some of her other…choice assets, the family had chosen to go on a renovation spree. Soon Sera would have to start packing things to move into an empty unit in order for the construction crew to bring the block up to code and make it more open and furnished. It also helped that the old mall attached to the front side of the complex got bought out as well, the same family hiring multiple firms to liven up the old, nearly abandoned place.
But none of that was Sera's business. For now, all she had to do was take things one step at a time. She stepped out of the hallway, Allison already drumming her fingers on the steering wheel of her truck, the vehicle oversized for Sera but perfectly sized for Allison. She thanked the goddess that the runner was low enough for her to climb in, Sera feeling like a teenager again as she flopped down into the seat.
"So, any place in mind?" Allison asked, smiling down at her.
"Uh…hmm…how does Chili's sound?" Sera offered, a shy smile spreading across her face..
Allison rubbed her shoulder, firing up the engine. She tuned the radio to an old country station, checking the backup camera as she hummed along to the nearly ancient songs.
Sera couldn't help but smile, her prospective girlfriend giving off some of the same energy Cain would have if he had arranged a date for just Sera and him.
​
—
​
"So…any idea of what you want for lunch?" Allison asked as the two of them slid into a booth, the Human server quickly bustling off to get their drinks. Sera was going to be going light, maybe a single margarita and some water. She didn’t want to overdo it today. Allison had settled on a craft beer of some kind that Sera didn’t recognize, Allison saying that it was rather good. Sera chose not to comment, her past few weeks had been filled with too much beer already, so just the one drink felt better.
Besides, I need to start weaning off the booze anyways. I have to go back to work at some point. And classes. Sera thought to herself, sighing as Allison looked over the menu. Her electric blue eyes peeked over the top edge of the laminated paper, much more alert than before.
“Sera? He-llo, Earth to Sera?” Allison asked, lowering the menu a bit, her expression more concerned than before.
Sera blinked a few times and let a small, nervous laugh escape. “Y-yeah, just…just thinking about some things.”
“Mmm. So…you wanna talk about it?” Allison asked, her concerned expression dissipating as her normal happier demeanor reappeared.
Sera tried to not giggle a bit, Allison being very easy on the eyes, almost like she had some of the more brutish features of a Shil’vati toned down a bit. “Ah, not really. It’s mostly about work or not drinking too much,” She admitted, blushing a bit as Allison nodded her head in acknowledgement.
“I get that. I have a pretty good counselor at my disposal if you want to talk to someone other than myself,” Allison smiled contentedly. The light of the midday winter sun gave ample light and Sera swore she caught the light hitting at certain angles; Allison’s eyes sparkled, the electric blue of her eyes making it clear she had implants of some kind.
Allison looked up and past Sera, a massive smile growing across her face. “Meli, so good to see you again!”
Sera nearly choked on a stray glob of spit, the Rakiri looking down at her old friend. “Allison invited me, Sera. Sorry to crash your date.”
Meli slid in beside Allison, the Shil’vati handing her the menu so she could look over it. “I…date? Allison…is this what this is? Why didn’t you just tell me?” Sera sputtered, Allison flushing blue at the observation.
“I uh…well…” the Shil’vati sputtered while Sera set down her menu and clasped Allison’s somewhat larger hands. She choked up a bit as Sera rubbed them gently, a deeply hidden smile crossing her features.
“Thank you Allison,” Sera sighed happily, breaking off the connection and pulling back; setting her menu aside, already decided on what she wanted.
“Welcome to Chili’s, my name is Bella and I’ll be helping you today. Can I get you started with any appetizers?” a cheery feminine voice asked from beside her. Sera looked towards the source of the voice, only to be confused at the dusky yellow alien that stood with an apron and notepad next to their table. She looked near Human, the only noticeable differences being of course the color of her complexion and what seemed to be very, *very* fine interlocking scales, her skin looking more beaded than scaly, but very smooth and polished. Almost like a dragon’s scales from old Human myths. Her hair was also stark black, and she had long, almost talon-like fingernails, painted a lovely shade of white.
“Uh…yeah. Can we get a Tripler Dipper and a Skillet Queso?” Allison asked, the waitress jotting it down almost like she was being timed.
“Alright, one Triple Dipper and a Skillet Queso. Is there anything I can get for you three while you wait? Refills, another beer perhaps?” the waitress asked, waiting expectantly. Sera was thrown off a bit by her sudden rush to get things out to them, the establishment nearly dead this time of day.
“Can I get a Dr. Pepper please?” Meli asked, the server nodding and noting it down in a flash.
“Of course!” Turning her attention to Sera, Bella asked, “Anything I can do for you ma’am?”
She gulped as Bella lowered her gaze to her, her eyes glinting and seemingly predatory. “I, uh…can I get some water?”
“One water. Got it. Do you three need some more time on what you would like to order?” Bella asked, addressing the three women.
“Yes please. Oh, and can we get chips and salsa too?” Meli replied, shooting a smile over to Sera.
“Sure thing! Those appetizers will be out in a few. Let me just run these to the kitchen and we’ll get you helped,” Bella confirmed, nodding before striding off to the kitchen, pad in hand.
“She seems nice,” Meli idly noted, seemingly glued to the page with the ribs being advertised on.
“Meli…tell me, why are you here?” Sera asked, trying to not sound offensive to her long time friend. Meli simply looked over the edge of the menu while Allison began to idly check the matching QualQuartz dataslate she had.
“Well, aside from seeing you? Brel wanted to surprise Junior with a surprise hunting trip up at Choke Canyon. Nothing too fancy, but his birthday is coming up soon. Brel really wants to take him up to the Maritimes, meet a few old friends and fish. Course, he wanted me to go, but after Cain left he ordered me to stay. Believe you me I tried to argue back, but he wouldn’t have it. But, my sister is planning to meet them there once they cross the border. Now, enough about me. How have you been?” Meli said, eyeing Sera. Allison coughed a bit, trying to look anywhere else besides the awkward conversation.
Sera sighed. She had to face this sooner or later, though a part of her desperately wanted to delay the inevitable. It wouldn’t help in the long term but…Sera steeled herself and took a deep breath.
“It’s been bad. I’ve lost sleep, I was drinking heavily, and I didn’t want to eat. Allison was the only one keeping me together, and even then only just as I felt at times that I wanted to waste away. Part of me wanted to deny Cain to anyone. If they took him away, then so did I. Looking at it now, it’s stupid and foolish. I was hurting no one but myself and Cain, and the feelings still come back from time to time. Sometimes it’s hard getting up in the morning, knowing he’s not there. That the man of the nest has been taken from you,” Sera sighed, a frown dominating her face.
“Well, we are here for you. You don’t have to hide away from us Sera. We care about Cain as much as you do. We’ll make it through together, okay?” Meli admitted, the wolf woman offering a look of shared understanding, Allison still engrossed by her dataslate.
“Thank you Meli. Allison?”
Allison looked up quickly, shutting the screen of her dataslate off, quickly stashing the device in her pocket. “M-yeah?” she stammered out, her face flushing blue as she tried to not look embarrassed.
“Thank you for inviting Meli. I…I needed this. Now, what are you feeling like, *girlfriend*~” Sera smoldered, giggling a bit at the cheesy pick up line. Allison rolled her eyes.
“Come on, you have to admit, we do make a cute couple Allison. Plus…I’ve seen how Cain looks at you sometimes. Once he gets back…I think we can seal the deal. If you want to, that is,” Sera offered, taking a sip of her margarita.
“I…I’d like that.”
​
—
​
Missive from Alliance Special Intelligence Agent Bella Brus follows:
Ma’am the current operation in the Coastal Plains region of the state has borne much fruit. We have several junior agents working key Humans and Imperial officials, and my own operation still remains undetected. As of now, thirty Hyperion assets have been identified. All look Shil’vati on the surface but have tell-tale markers of blended genetics. Smaller tusks, more refined features, non-natural eye colors. You and the Council were correct, Hyperion is making strides never before seen. I will continue to work my current target; she seems especially pliable after an unrelated event. My plans and contingencies will be updated and sent to Command.
As a side note, my…partner has uncovered a dirty Interior agent. He has pried a decent amount of information from her through a combination of conventional and unexpected means. I am requesting permission to factor this angle into my current outlook.
-Agent Brus
​
​
—
MISSIVE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF PROJECT HYPERION FOLLOWS
HANDLER N’KET, YOUR PRESENCE IS BEING REQUESTED AT OUR FORWARD OPERATING BASE. GENERAL LANKET HAS FULL AUTHORIZATION TO CONDUCT OUR FINAL STRIKE ON GOVERNESS BOUDRA. HAVE YOUR GEAR PREPARED BY THIS FRIDAY.
MAY THE GODDESS BLESS US.
—

This is the second draft of a story originally written for and posted on writingprompts here. I wouldn't mind having some feedback in regards to the pacing and characterization.

I

Aulus tugged at the string leading from his hand to the neck of a stubborn goat. The animal bleated at him in protest and tried to continue chewing whatever weed had drawn it's attention. The young man tugged again and his charge relented to follow him up the narrow stone steps leading to the temple.
Man and beast were both clad in white wool. Aulus in a tunic and robe trimmed in gold. His cloven companion in the well trimmed fur of an albino.
It was that pale trait that made the animal sacred. It had never suffered an empty belly. It had never known a chilling night. It had been put out to stud to produce more of its kind. And now, as the horizon blazed with the coming sun, the holy creature was led to a holy place to fulfill its ultimate purpose.
The young man led his bovid prize past the looming temple of pillars and incense and towards a mostly forgotten altar. The table of carved stone sat near the edge of a cliff. Below it was a city of whitewashed stone and colorful roofs. In the dim of morning light the fields beyond the cities walls were a black sea leading up to the mountain.
That looming giant of stone and slumbering fire sat directly to the east. The city would not know the light of day until the sun had climbed the giants rocky slopes to sit upon its peak.
"I'm sorry little one, but today's the day."
Aulus knelt by the animal and set to binding its feet together. Front to front. Back to back. He needed access to the goats' underside.
"Each of us has a duty. A holy purpose given to us by the gods. It's time for you to fulfill yours."
He heaved the animal up and laid it upon the stone surface of the altar. It hardly fought him. The two had mimicked the act repeatedly since the animals birth. They had trained for that moment. Still, it needed to be bound. Their practices had always ended before the ritual began.
The horizon glowed in daylight. Only the mountain blocked the sun's life giving rays.
"Look down upon me as I look across the veil. Guide me to the knowledge I seek. For this favor I offer this beast unto you."
Red poured over him. Smoke from the mountains peak tainted mornings light. It stained man and goat as though they were already covered in blood. The young man threw off his robe to bare himself to the morning chill. His was a thin body. Lithe. Clad in pale skin and capped in a mop of black curls.
Aulus took up a virgin dagger. The ornate blade had never before seen use. Its sole purpose, its only duty, was to be used for two cuts. One edge was for the goats neck. The other, its underside.
With a prayer the young man did the deed.
He plunged his hands into the hot belly of the still squirming animal. There he took hold of and withdrew its intestines. Long organs were held up to the sky for inspection. Aulus carefully ran the still living tissue through his blood soaked hands. It was as perfect as the beast to which it was attached. Only when the animal before him lay still did he close his eyes and open his mind.
The sacrifice was a key. A push. A careful way into hidden spaces. The intestines served as both map and path. They were a leash for two.
In a world adjacent to his own Aulus found himself walking again by the albino goat. It crumbled at the throat and belly and its guts turned to mush in his fingers. Only by drawing more intestine from the beast could he stay close enough to follow it.
The pair came down the cliffside in a single step to find themselves in the city.
"Not here." Aulus had said without moving his lips. "We must go beyond the wall."
Another step and his guide had brought him to the fields. There he saw men in armor hanging in the air like tapestries. They shimmered as he passed them. Each transformed from a young man to a fierce warrior to a corpse upon the ground. He walked among the future dead and inspected each of their unreal tapestries.
Aulus dared not look up lest he be blinded. And he dared not look down lest he lock eyes with something else. Something below.
"One survivor. One man left standing above the rest. A son of our city. Favored in the house Carina."
The figure in the tapestry remained impossibly dark, as was expected. Prophetic sight was blurry at its center and sharp near the edges. Secondary details could be predicted with precision. But the focus of one's gaze could rarely be seen clearly.
A silent bleat echoed in the young mans mind.
"Times about up, then. Thank you for your service, little one. I've seen all I needed."
Aulus let the intestine slip from his fingers and opened his eyes. He again stood before the altar.

II

Aulus and Gaius shared wine and bread in the private chambers of a little villa.
"So you're saying I'm invincible?"
"That's not how prophecy works, Gaius. I'm saying a favored son of house Carina will stand above the dead."
"Which means that, as the only member of house Carina taking part in today's battle, I'll be the last man standing."
"Which also implies literally everyone else is going to die. You might still die! You'd just be last!"
The larger and more muscular of the two men paused to consider the words of his friend. He then smiled and continued donning his armor.
"Gaius, I've done more than read the entrails of a goat. I've watched the movement of birds. I've thrown bones. I've read the stars themselves. If battle is met today it will lead to disaster. Calamity. A chain of events ending in legendary devastation."
"To which I will be the last man standing."
Aulus snatched up his friends horse haired helm.
"Thousands dead, Gaius! Thousands! There are only a few hundred soldiers in the coming battle. Who else might die for your petty conflict?"
Gaius remained quiet as he finished his preparations. When he had finally dressed in blue cloth and painted steel he approached his oldest companion.
"Give me my helmet, Aulus."
"Take a bowl of wine and some figs instead. Leave your helmet. Leave your spear and sword and shield. Make peace. Talk to them."
"You might be wrong."
"When have I been wrong before?"
Gaius gave a wide, handsome smile.
"Remember the mountain? You had the whole city up in a panic at the waking of the giant and what happened? Nothing more than a little burp of fire."
"That was more complicated than you know, Gaius. I did something to the mountain to stop it from erupting. I changed the future."
"If you're strong enough to wrestle a mountain to submission then why don't you join us in the field today? Change prophesy again? We certainly couldn't lose with you at our side."
Aulus threw the helmet into his friend's chest. The experienced soldier caught it with ease.
"That did more damage than you know, Gaius."
"You couldn't do something like that again, then?"
The slight young man lowered his eyes.
"I can't claim to know much about your strange powers. I have no idea what you see and do. But I have a sworn duty to uphold."
"Not the duty talk again…"
"What's your duty, Aulus? What is your purpose?"
It was a concept difficult to describe. His experiences were beyond those of his fellow man. Few among the mortal races – oracles and mystics and shaman – had seen the things he had seen. There were no words to properly describe it.
"My duty is to keep the other things away. Everything else is secondary to that."
"Then do your duty."
Aulus turned to leave. He only toom a single step before a strong hand caught his arm.
"Aulus. You are closer to me than my brothers and will forever be welcome in my home. I will always value your council. That you are so concerned with my safety marks you as my truest friend."
Gaius spin his friend around and took him by the shoulders.
"And the people of this city are lucky to have you watching over it, even if they don't always seem to deserve it. But there's no helping this. Neither of us rules this place and, even if we did convince those above us to try for peace, there's no guarantee those men beyond the wall will listen. They are just as set on fighting today as we are."
He took up his helmet and covered his handsome face in metal.
"The best each of us can do is their duty."

III

A frustrated mystic watched from a shaded corner atop the city wall as a force of his peoples best soldiers marched out to meet the enemy.
Enemy. The word hardly fit the men waiting in the field.
Those gathered beyond the walls were soldiers from another city within the empire. Fellow citizens. The coming bloodshed wasn't part of a war but a ritualistic battle to settle some minor political dispute. It was an attempt to avoid interference by a distant bureaucracy and satisfy the bloodlust that grew in times of peace. It was a chance for soldiers to grasp at what little glory they could find.
It was a foolish waste of life.
Aulus considered what his friend had said about joining them on the battlefield. He knew words of power and the true names of things above. He could twist his mind in unusual directions. Speak in impossible tones. Were he to take to the field the rest of the cities soldiers could stay at home. But such awesome, terrifying power came at a price. Few men in history knew as much as he did about the things beyond. Each of them would rather die than risk using such knowledge.
Portents of the future. Careful observations made while making as few disruptions as possible. That was the best he could give dearest Gaius.
The soldiers formed ranks and waited before the enemy while representatives from each side met. Aulus noticed his friend leading the left flank, an honored position. Gaius wasn't hard to spot. He stood a head taller than his cohorts and his horse haired helm was more ornate than the caps and buckets around him.
The representatives parted and took up their arms. Horns echoed over the field as the two small armies marched toward one another.
Aulus closed his eyes and pushed his mind from his body. He could hear feet pressing into earth. The heavy breathing. The shouting. The blows against shields and the screeching of blades against armor. The screaming. The dying. He pushed himself further. He could smell the sweat and blood. Further. He could see the flash of steel in the sun.
With eyes closed Aulus could watch the battle from among its combatants. Ranks had broken. He could see Gaius strike down soldier after soldier in a brutal melee. His friend hurled his spear, drew his sword and hacked at the so-called enemy. Aulus could see the opening on his friends right side. His shouted warnings came not from the mind in the field, but from the body on the wall.
The mystic could clearly hear the blade slicing through the flesh of his friends calf. The startled yelp of a great warrior as he fell to his knees rang in the ears of a far away man. And the gurgle, that blood choked squawk his dearest friend gave as another citizen of the empire drove a blade into his neck, that sound drowned out the entire battle.
The secret observer launched forward to catch his friend. The stone of the city wall met his hands. He grit his teeth. He wailed. He forced his hands through the wall and open sky to meet his eyes, ears and nose.
He knelt and pulled his friend up from the blood soaked dirt.
Aulus pushed himself further. More than just his mind. More than just his senses. More and more of the young man was forced to exist on the battlefield. He cared not for what ripples his actions might make on the surface of reality. Consequences be damned. When more of him existed in the field than on the wall he relaxed his mind and let the lesser part of him snap to meet the greater.
Gaius looked up at him. There was still life in his eyes though only the faintest glimmer. It was there for but a moment, one fleeting instant. Life passed from the soldier. Reason passed from the mystic.
"Fools…"
The whisper passed over the mystics lips and crept into the ears of those still fighting in the melee. That word carried with it a potent venom. Skin split. Tissues most sensitive liquified. No amount of clawing could dig it out. No amount of screaming could drown it out. Those closest to mystic fell convulsing to the ground.
"FOOLS!"
The booming shout peeled back metal and evaporated flesh. Freshly exposed bone was then blasted to dust. The battle came to a stop as all eyes turned to the young man, his bloodied friend in his arms, a dozen men dead around him.
In only a minute Gaius, handsome and mighty, had been reduced to a bloodied corpse. In only a minute Aulus had thrice violated the natural order.
The world shuddered around him. Ripples cast by his actions ebbed out to draw the attention of the things beyond. The things outside.
"You're willing to throw your lives away for nothing? Fine. If you're all so willing to die, then die!"
Ripples weren't enough to draw in a predator. He needed a splash.
Eyes flashed and a group of men screamed as their bones lengthened and twisted into grasping, choking vines. Those who remained in the left flank turned to run, only to be stopped by those behind. The men from the center and right who could not clearly see the horrors being unleashed upon the battlefield. With a gesture of his hand Aulus exchanged the runners skin with glass. Their attempts to escape only shattered the thin layer protecting their flesh from the world.
That display was enough to send the rest of the foolish soldiers running. It was also just enough to break the surface. To tear the fabric of reality. It was enough to cause a splash.
The world turned to a blur as Aulus wept into the body of his dearest friend.

IV

The duty of a mystic is to protect their fellow man from the things beyond reality. They calm disturbances in the surface of reality. They mend holes in the fabric of the universe. They do everything in their power to keep the things outside from looking in.
Aulus twisted his mind to force it into the other place. Once there he looked down and searched the murky depths. Lesser beings had already answered his call. They pressed upon the thin barrier between the real and the not. They squirmed their way through whatever pin prick holes they could find.
On the battlefield those beings of flesh and shadow crawled out of tight spaces. They emerged from beneath rocks and fallen bodies. From the spaces between a man's chest and his armor. From under the tongues of those few who held in their screams.
They scraped. They gnashed. They chewed. Everything they touched turned to paste, layer by layer. Aulus knew them to be bottom feeders. Barely thinking creatures that were almost omnipresent in the other place. He needed something more.
"Come on then!" The young mans throat produced tones both real and not. "Come and see this place! This world of dutiful fools. Come and show them what it means to die for nothing!"
Aulus locked eyes with something below. His words were as alien and unknowable to it as its own were to him. It pressed itself against the wound the mystics thrashings had left in the world and, with some perceivable effort, it forced its way through.
It came from behind motes of dust hanging in the air. The thing was the night sky animate. A dark, starlit mass that both crawled and flew over the battlefield. In its presence light dimmed, sound dulled, and everything, man metal and stone, withered. Whatever it fed on, whatever nutrient was vital to the unreal creatures survival, was also needed by real things to keep their shape. Everything it touched unevenly shrank away to be left as a smear of thin tissue upon the ground. Most unfortunate for those who suffered the creatures passing; the process was somehow not immediately lethal.
Aulus wept as the screams around him rose and fell. He pulled the horse haired helmet from the still body in his arms to again gaze upon his handsome face. The mystic held his lifelong friend tightly.
"Gaius, I'm sorry…" Words came between heaving sobs. "I should have tried harder to stop you. I should have tried harder to stop this foolishness. I– I should have joined you in battle. I'd have rather abandoned my duty to save you than to avenge you."
The world broke further as other things found their way through from beyond. Screams more distant rose to replace those of the now suffering soldiers. The things had reached the city.
"Aulus..." The familiar voice came from around and within the grieving young man. "Aulus, my friend. You mustn't do this."
"I–" Words twisted into a knot in his throat. "L-let them die."
"Aulus, please. You might think it a pointless death, and it might have been, but I died doing my duty. I stayed true to who and what I am..."
The implications of the dead Gaius' words crept up in the back of the young mans mind.
"It's too late. I've crossed too many lines. Done too much damage. I just… I just want to stay here with you."
"It's never too late, Aulus. Walk the path I have walked and you will find me beyond."
Duty. Aulus had a duty. He had taken oaths that now lay as twisted and broken as the men around him. Merciful tears obfuscated what he had done to the world. He could not clearly see what had become of the battlefield or what was happening in the city, but he could imagine what each blurry shape may have been. His gut twisted as imagination suggested what each shape might be.
Aulus closed his eyes, never to open them again.
"Gaius, my friend. I will walk your path. The path of duty. I will fix this..."
The young mystic laid his friend to the earth, stood tall among the twisted dead and forced his mind, eyes and arms into the other place. There he could see the damage he'd caused. He could run the idea of his fingers over the ragged edges of the tear. Physical laws had frayed like thread. Universal constants lay ripped and scattered. The wound he'd left in the world was grisly.
It was something he could mend, but the cost would be steep.
Aulus knew he would spend so much mental energy fixing the damage of his tantrum there'd be little left of him when he was done. Even then there were still horrors in the world, false things that had come through to explore the true.
He considered his options.
Imagined fingers took hold of realities tattered edges and pulled them further apart. The world ripped. It was a long tear that arced through the sky like an arrow. The sky quaked. The earth shuddered. The air itself howled and screamed as more and more of the real world was separated in what Aulus perceived as a clean rip.
His target was the mountain.
Aulus had long known the slumbering giant to be a waiting calamity. He regularly climbed to its peak to better see just how dormant it was. There was fire there. And ash. And pressure. So much pressure. But it was stable, he'd seen to that before with a prior violation of the natural order. One that had taken years to carefully mend. So long as nothing disturbed the mountain it would remain quiet.
The tip of the growing tear buried itself into dirt and stone. Somewhere deep below the surface of the Earth there came a rumble. A delicate balance had been disrupted. That was it. That was all it took. With one metaphysical poke the mystic had started something no man, monster or even god could stop. The mountain would wake with rage.
"Let those wretched things that stay here face the fury of the Earth."
Aulus slammed his hands in unusual directions to bring the clean edges of the tear together. Under his guidance the line separating the possible from the impossible mended as cleanly as it had torn. That repair wouldn't cost him much. Not when compared to what he would spend closing the ragged hole he'd created in his grief.
He pushed himself without regard for his own well being. Bits of the unreal were stuffed back outside. The edges of the tear were fused together. The things from outside gathered as their path home began to shrink.
"Back, back you fiends!"
A voice cut through the screams and howls and otherworldly sounds swirling around him. There was a grunt and the clanging of steel. A warcry most familiar.
"Aulus, I will hold them back! Do your duty, wipe these things from the Earth!"
The young man pushed temptation aside. He wanted nothing more than to open his eyes and look around for his friend. To see him moving, fighting, shouting, living. His minds eye could see him again embracing his dearest friend. His hands, both real and not, reached out in the hopes of again holding his friend.
"Aulus!"
Gaius was dead at his feet.
He'd died a pointless death. A foolish death. But it was a death he'd chosen for himself in the pursuit of his duty. Aulus would walk that same path.
More and more of himself was spent repairing the damage with each passing second. The wound closed. His mind fractured. The things around him wailed at the sound of spear and sword.
There came a vibration through the ground and an earthly sound mighty enough to challenge all the terrors from the beyond. The mountain had spoken. Though Aulus held his eyes shut he knew what he had done. He knew what was coming. It was not the peak of the great stone giant that had burst. Rather, the entire mountainside facing the battlefield and city had exploded.
Ash and rock and fire raced over lush fields and quaint farm houses. Those few horrors that had explored towards the mountain found themselves crushed and burned by the unavoidable reality that was the mountain. Unreal biologies and imagined matter meant little before such a demonstration of natural law.
Aulus meant little, too.
The wall of destruction obliterated his body in an instant. But still he worked. Flesh and bone were gone, but his mind and senses remained where he had stood to continue the task. Death would not stop him. No horrors or furious mountains would keep him from his duty.
A wave of scorching earth washed over the city. Merciful death for those who still somehow clung to life. Just destruction for those things that had no place in the universe. All the nightmares that had been made there were buried in stone and ash.
The damage had been undone.
First he had used his fears and insecurities. Then his unpleasant memories. Then his childhood. His family. Himself. Even Gaius. Aulus burned more and more of his own mind to fuel his work. When the task was complete he knew not what he had done or why. Only his duty as a mystic remained. Even that had started to unravel.
"Aulus..."
What was left of the young man was gathered in the embrace of a friend.

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Timestamps:https://imgur.com/a/fvQQW5w
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Hinderer tool- 60
https://imgur.com/a/w4Ay5B4
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Hinderer XM18 3.0, light user. Has snails/marks on the ti side, Comes with box and triway stuff, things of note are that it has some lockstick doesn’t break your thumb or anything but it’s there, maybe needs to break in more idk. Edge has some rolls in it, has a rounded edge, and touched it up with a spyderco sharpmaker briefly. No choil dlt exclusive, -375 shipped
https://imgur.com/a/zceDZA5
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XM18 3.5 harpoon spanto Orange wf Skinny, currently running on teflons, super nice action. Comes with box and triwaystuff. Very lightly pocketed/carried, few snails here and there, one on the blade a couple light ones on handle. Factory edge, very nice shape, - 475
https://imgur.com/a/Aodu3CJ
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XM18 3.5 Harpoon spanto Black wf skinny, this one has been carried a good bit. Edge was touched up, and has snails through the blade finish and ti handle side, clip has carry marks etc… besides the cosmetic stuff it’s dialed in real nice, Action has broken in really nice, currently on skiff bearings. Also the ftab has a ding on it, but just turned it around so it looks good haha but wanted to disclose that so no surprises there haha. OKay uh Comes with the triways stuff but not og bearings, will come with teflon and pb washers. Has box. Oh and has really nice T8 Ti connector hinderer screws. - 430
https://imgur.com/a/UMUtEBN
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Hinderer eklipse spanto harpoon Blue sw- in excellent condition, very nice action etc… comes with box and triwaystuff. -475
https://imgur.com/a/Mu3grsG
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Medford 187 Tanto S90V, no box but has COA and tag etc… 325
https://imgur.com/a/52uMK0t
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Rike 1504A BS, knife in excellent condition, comes with Rike pouch.
275 shipped
https://imgur.com/a/5BWPOQ0
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Survive GSO 3.5, no box, nice snappy kydex sheath. 3V, great knife. Carried and barely used edge is still factory and very sharpe, has some wear on the blade and patina of sorts from being handled and going in and out of the kydex sheath and some light use, oh and some logo fade. Green handles, awesome blade.
205 shipped
https://imgur.com/a/3Z1QRUy
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DPX original fixed blade with nice sheath no box- 125 shipped
https://imgur.com/a/aDadQYV
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Bark River Bravo EDC 154 steel, Black micarta red liners with matching firestarter, lightly used but still looks great but does have some rolls in the edge, I suck at sharpening or stropping so not messing with it haha, black micarta red liners with matching fire stick, ergos on this are awesome, 225 shipped for the setup,
https://imgur.com/a/ZyAQbl5

This is a story for those who are huge fans of the Jurassic Park/Jurassic World saga and have seen ALL of the films(including Dominion).
Cast: Me=Me, OG=Owen Grady, CD=Claire Dearing, ML=Maisie Lockwood, EM=Entitled Mother, CLD=Cool Dad, ND=Nice Daughter
This takes place about 2 weeks after the events of Jurassic World: Dominion.
With Dinosaurs now back in the world once more, we have started attempting to coexist. Owen Grady has decided to turn his ranch into a safe haven for some of the dinosaurs. Mostly herbivores like Parasaurolophus, Triceratops, Stegosaurus and a couple small Carnivores, including Velociraptors Blue and Beta, who are now tamed.
One very early crystal clear morning, when the sky was just starting to turn that lovely shade of orange, after we got up and had breakfast, we heard a noise coming from outside. We got outside and saw Blue growling loudly near the paddock fence.(despite being tamed, Blue can still be aggressive, but only when the situation is justified)
We looked in the direction the raptor was facing and saw 3 people get out of a car. A woman(the entitled mother, complete with Karen haircut, posture and face), a man(the cool Dad, who actually looked quite shocked at seeing real dinosaurs) and a 19 year old girl.(the nice Daughter, who despite having a similar hairstyle to her mom, wasn’t entitled or snotty)
Owen ordered for Blue to stand down and, like a good girl, she did.
Owen: *shouts* “Hey!”
CLD: “Hey! You’re Owen Grady, right?”
Owen: “Yes I am. How’d you know?”
ND: “My dad is a big fan of you. He saw videos of you training actual Velociraptors! It’s sucks that they’re gone though.”
CD: “Theyre not ALL gone. Blue is still alive.”
ND: “Really?!” *her eyes widen*
Me: ”Yes! And she has a baby.”
CLD: “Like, can we see the raptor?”
CD: “Absolutely!”
Owen does his thing with the clicker and calls out Blue’s name and she immediately comes running, followed by Beta.
ND: “Awwww she’s adorable! Can I pet her?”
OG: “You have to be careful though. She can still be very dangerous.”
Thats when the EM started.
EM: “Well if she’s soooo dangerous then why do you even have her? Besides, you’re not fooling me.”
CLD: “EM, what’re you talking about?”
EM: “This isn’t real. These things are all fake. In my church, I was taught that there are no such things as “dinosaurs.” The earth was only born 6000 years ago, not 4.6 billion. These are all, what, stupid people in costumes or some type of animatronic stuff. This is all Stupid Blasphemy.”
Owen, Claire and Maisie all shared a WTF expression. Blue even tilted her head in confusion.
ML: “Um, this IS real. You are looking at a real dinosaur in the flesh!“
ND: “Mom, please don’t start. How could you even THINK these are fake?”
CD: “You seriously can’t be that delusional.”
EM: “First of all, these so called “bones” and “fossils” were not from real animals. Satanists put these on earth to scam true religious people. And I also heard about this THING *she gestures to Maisie* being a “Clone” of a young human who “presumably” died in a car accident. Gimme a break! *mutters the R word under her breath* kid.”
Maisie gasps at this response and she is nearly in tears.
Me: “How could you say something like that?! This little girl lost her grandfather at a young age and she was kidnapped by poachers, along with the baby raptor!”
EM: *now being all smug like she knows everything* ”Well, she probably had it coming for being a disgusting FREAK of nature! Claiming to be a stupid clone and all.”
Claire gasped at this and Maisie was crying.
The baby Velociraptor came up to the ND and started nuzzling her hand, but EM decided to fricking KICK the baby dinosaur like a dog!!!
Beta shrieked and fell into the snow, but she got up. To say that Blue was pissed was an UNDERSTATEMENT! She ran up to the EM and full on TACKLED her to the ground, but due to being tamed, she knew not to actually bite. She was just growling and snarling loudly.
CD: “Call the police!”
OG: “Already on it.”
He whistled for Blue to get off of the EM and she did, but was still growling.
EM: *screaming* “YOU FREAKS WILL NOT GET AWAY WITH THIS! YOU AND YOUR STUPID FAKE LIZARD AND YOUR DUMB KID! I’M CALLING ANIMAL CONTROL AND HAVING THAT STUPID THING FUCKING SHOT!”
About 5 minutes later, the Police arrived and PO1 and PO2 walked up to us.
PO1: “What seems to be the problem here, folks?”
Before any of us could even get a word in, the EM started twisting the story and putting on fake tears.
EM: “I was just coming to tell them how beautiful their animals were, and then that A**HOLE *points at Owen* told his stupid pet Velociraptor to attack me for no reason! I want that THING KILLED RIGHT NOW!
OG: “I did no such thing, you lunatic!”
CD: “This coming from the moron who KICKED a baby dinosaur like a dog because it was playing with your daughter! And called MY Daughter a Freak of nature and a r****d!”
EM: “THAT ABOMINATION WAS GOING TO MAUL MY DAUGHTER TO DEATH YOU FAT COW!”(Claire Dearing is pretty curvy, but is in NO way shape or form, obese.)
PO2: Ma’am, I’m gonna need you to put your hands behind your back right now.”
EM: “WHAT?!”
PO1: “You’re under arrest for lying to a police officer, threatening to kill an animal and promoting kidnapping towards people with special needs *referring to Maisie*. You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defense if you do not mention when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you say may be given in evidence.”
EM: “HELP! RAPE! RAPE! RAAAAPE!!”
OG: “Oh, cut the crap! You brought this on yourself. Take her away.”
Me: “Hold up there, officers! I’d like to just do one more thing!” *I do a two finger whistle like in cartoons or movies and we hear thudding footsteps.*
EM: ”Oh that was just a stupid earthquake or a tree falling down.”
Trees were indeed falling down, but the thumps were rhythmic, and getting louder.
Me, ND, and CLD all said in unison “Don’t move!”
There was something beyond the leaves.
The EM looked up, higher.
Behind the foliage, beyond the cabin, she saw what looked like a thick body with a pebbled, grainy surface like the bark of a tree. But it wasn't a tree. She continued to look higher, slowly tilting her head upward.
She saw the huge head of Rexy, the elderly Tyrannosaurus just standing there, looking through the trees at us! EM turned her flashlight on, and the big animal rolled its head and BELLOWED in the glaring light! Then darkness, and silence again, and the chittering of night critters.
There was another pause. EM watched the scarred Tyrannosaur. The head was huge! The animal looked around slowly, scanning its surroundings and searching for prey. She seemed to stare right at EM!
In the flashlight, the eyes glowed bright red.
EM: "Jesus Christ!”
The greatest predator the world has ever known. The most fearsome attack in human history. Somewhere in the back of her Karen brain, EM was in disbelief, but she could feel her knees begin to shake uncontrollably, her trousers flapping like flags.
Man, she was frightened. She didn't want to be here. Alone among all the people on the scene, EM was crazy religious. She didn’t believe in dinosaurs. She thought that all the fossils and skeletons were a scam by satanists to thwart religion, or in her words, “Blasphemy.”
She tried to reassure herself that she was hallucinating, but her eyes were not deceiving her at all! She was looking at a giant dinosaur! But it wasn’t just any dinosaur, this was a rex! Much, much bigger! The greatest meat-eater that ever walked the earth!
Jesus!
When the Tyrannosaur roared it was TERRIFYING, a SCREAM from some other world! EM felt the spreading warmth in her trousers. She’d peed in her pants! She was simultaneously embarrassed and terrified. But she knew she had to do something. She couldn't just stay here. She had to do something. Something! Her hands were shaking, trembling in her pant pockets.
EM: “Jesus Christ!”
ML: (While wagging her finger at her) “Bad language!”
EM started whimpering and we swung our heads away from the Tyrannosaur. Our flashlights streaked laterally-in time to see EM tripping over her high heels and struggling to get back up.
The police officers cuffed her and dragged her into their vehicle while she was screaming gibberish about knowing the mayor, having a cop brother, threatening to sue.
​
Needless to say, we never saw her again.
​
TL;DR Stupid entitled Karen who doesn’t believe in dinosaurs, comes face to face with one.

One brief note I want people to remember as more story comes out: Phyrexia is still winning (not that they'll win in the end but that on the battles we've seen thus far: the defenders are still losing). Tamiyo is dead at the end of Episode III: but Boseiju is still largely destroyed, Towashi in ruins, and the Phyrexians are pouring out into Kamigawa. In Episode IV we know:
On Kaldheim: the World Tree is being strangled, Cosmos beasts are being compleated (including at least part of Koma), and the realms are united in a desperate defense of their plane. On Kaladesh: Ghirapur is falling, the main cruiser leading their defenses is destroyed, Saheeli's "Operation: Golden Scales" mech dinosaurs are being compleated, and Phyrexia is closing in on the Aetherflux Reservoir. On Capenna: We don't see much except Atraxa's inexorable advance into the city.
In the first side story on Strixhaven the five students do invoke a powerful spell, but it doesn't stop the invasion Liliana sees:

Then she stared up at the portals like open wounds, with the maggots of the Invasion Tree's branches already breaking through the invocation's incomplete banishment.

Ironically it's Ikoria I'd have the most hope for since the monsters seem to have evolved to destroy glistening oil. But even here, the war is not over:

Haldan looked at the hideous remains of Lukka's creation, still smoldering with blue flames. "What's coming?"
Just then, a ripple of thunder rolled across the sky. Behind the mountains: another hole in the sky. It was just like the ones that had opened over Drannith. From it—prodding almost, like a skeletal finger—came a white, metal tendril of impossible size. A branch, Vivien had called them, though Jirina couldn't imagine the tree they belonged to.
"This is far from over," said Vivien. "There's a hard day ahead yet."

Phyrexia will not be stopped by an individual plane alone, and frankly it's good storytelling. If each plane could repel Phyrexia individually they wouldn't be a threat.