So after my great grandmother died and I had to live with my aunt and uncle I was both emotionally and mentally abused. After I moved away from them I decided to go no contact with them.
I told them in a text message a year ago my reasoning for going no contact and to not contact me again until I contact them, and wouldn’t you know it a year later they call the police on me to do a “wellness check.” The police were nice about it, I however did inform them to ask them once again not to contact me anymore. It looks like my decision to go no contact is going to have to be permanently if they can’t follow instructions and respect boundaries.

TL;dr at bottom and AMA because I could go on about it forever but I dont wanna make a huge post and its already huge
Im prescribed Prozac, guanfacine, and seroquel and also take various supplements like valerian root, ashwagandha, magnesium citrate, vitamin c, and a multivitamin
Ive experienced chest tightness off and since last March, after walking in on a suicide attempt by my cousin, along with anxiety symptoms like rumination, impending doom, thoughts abt my mom dying, imagining worst case scenarios, low self-esteem, cynicism, avoidance& isolation
then that cousin succeeded at suicide in November and i experienced a lot of symptoms
I used to smoke weed daily but quit 41 days ago because I thought the chest pain was worsened by the weed,
and then quit my job because the withdrawal syndrome on top of the stressful fast food and dropped out of school halfway thru Junior year due to depression then I reenrolled with an IEP and graduated this May 🥳 and turned 17 the day after, oh and had a panic attack at the dr office from being overstimulated and then got banned from being able to visit for telling the receptionist to give me verbal confirmation for asking her to change the contact number and she exaggerated and said I was threatening and the patients were gonna call the police (there was 1 patient)
Im not using weed anymore but I use kratom now and it doesnt give me side effects like weed did sometimes
the anxiety is basically 24/7 though and either gets worse, is mild, or I don’t notice it, kinda like having a stuffy nose it was just annoying and made me avoid a lot of situations. the only thing that makes it stop is .5mg-1mg of xanax from my mom (very occasionally, like for graduation and anxiety attacks at home)
Everything triggers my anxiety and I have to self medicate in some way (kratom or pregabalin for now) before going anywhere
I hate this because I feel guilty that I don’t want to do anything or even socialize with my friends anymore
I’ve been on a lot of meds, mainly antipsychotics and antidepressants, but I used weed so they either weren’t effective or I quit from side effects
I am honestly willing to try them all again or just find one that works and stick with it because its gotten so bad that I am paranoid of having heart damage or respiratory damage because I have vaped almost 3 yrs now. Also scared of becoming agoraphobic and I feel like I do everything wrong in public spaces or feel like everyone is judging me even though they aren’t, its just my head I do breathing exercises, I stretch, exercise, go outside, try to maintain proper hygiene, eat healthily and take some supplements
I could describe it a lot more but I’ll just list my recreational drug use history, medications, and dx’s(i have a lot because they threw everything in for insurance coverage)
drug use: meth(horrible experience everytime but did it once every few months after smoking it with someone from school) I believe I’ve overamped a few times now and after my most recent experience I don’t even want to touch it anymore. psychedelics did a bit for awhile until a bad trip on 4-ho-met dxm, several times, but no crazy dosages or addiction and very spaced out xanax (have only used this medicinally 2mgs a week max) i use kratom now, have done mid cocaine twice, and pressed meth bombs
medications: Synthroid(levothyroxine), Trileptal(oxcarbazepine), Seroquel(quetiapine), Azithromycin, Intuniv(guanfacine), Prozax, (fluoxetine)
dx’s: ADHD(primary dx), Panic disorder, GAD, social anxiety, cptsd, bipolar unspecified, MDD, Hypothyroidism
The meds Im on do nothing for my symptoms and I still fit the DSM for all the anxiety disorders, ADHD, and depression
Prescriber won’t do an ADHD med because she thinks Im bipolar and because of my suicide history, then she refused to see me after my last inpatient stay, so Im getting my meds from a NP at a family clinic
I know benzos work, but that won’t be an option either. Does anyone have good experience with a med combo for ADHD, MDD, GAD, and possible bipolar that doesn’t include stimulants or benzos?
I will try anything. This anxiety and inability to function is debilitating.
Tdlr: anxiety worsening constsntly, debilitating, looking for personal experience if snyone has similar symptoms to me (chest pain, shortness of breath, tension, rumination, brain fog, racing thoughts, heart palps, depression, low self esteem, cynicism. I will try anything but I cant get benzos or stimulants.

In protest of Reddit's API changes, I have just finished deleting as much of my post and comment history as possible. I have heard that this list has been useful for many readers over the years, so I am reposting the list as a new post here, instead of a comment.
I expect I will be using Reddit very little, if at all, going forward. I will not be updating this list any longer.
Thank you all! It's been fabulous being part of this community.
Each subsection has my favourites near the top, then aren't really in order.

Complete LitRPGs:

Threadbare series (including Small Medium and Dragon Hack) by Seiple (suggested order: trilogies TB1, SM, DH, TB2) Limitless Lands by Henegar Master Hunter K by From Hell World Tree Online by Hooper New Game Minus by Lin (and Street Cultivation, but it's not a LitRPG) Light Online by Larcombe Eternal Online by Reynolds Retired S-Rank Adventurer by Wolfe & Falcon Life Reset by Kuznits Blessed Time and Viceroy's Pride by Plamann Towers of Heaven by Milan CivCEO by Karevik Forever Fantasy Online by Aaron and Bach (great series, but very limited progression; max level from the beginning) This Trilogy is Broken (a.k.a. This Quest is Bullshit! from Royal Road) by Valentine (a.k.a. Nixia) War Aeternus by Dean PrimeVerse by Billiau Everybody Loves Large Chests by Iliev (NSFW gore, nudity, demons raping each other but asexual protagonist doesn't understand sexuality and is mostly uninvolved) Somnia Online by Hanna The Dungeon Alaria by Kern Rise to Omniscience by Oster The Idle System by Pegaz Last Born of Ki'darth by McGowen Accidental Traveler (two complete trilogies) by Davis Savage Dominion by Chmilenko & Penman The Last Warrior of Unigaea and The Feedback Loop by Cooper Factory of the Gods (a.k.a. Keldora) by Raizman (complete arc; once *Dinosaur Dungeon** concludes, this series will continue.)* Nova Online by Knight Axe Druid by Johns Tower Climber and Arcane Kingdom Online by Tanner Emerilia by Chatfield Euphoria Online by Tucker Aether Gate Online by Hultberg Chronicles of Ethan (and standalone sequel Overpowered Howard) by Monk System Apocalypse™, Adventures on Brad, and Hidden Wishes by Wong Combat Codes by Darwin is great, but it's /ProgressionFantasy Below here I haven't read yet: Death's Mantle by Cooper Space Seasons by Chapman Heroic Villain, and Bathrobe Knight by Dean Metagamer Chronicles by Hunter Fall of the Black Seraph by O'Kelley (a.k.a. The Genesis Game by Locke) Afterlife Online by Finn The Iron Teeth by Straughan Dungeons of Perdition by Basu Pangea Online by Rowland The Weaponized by Deckard Never Die Twice and Kairos by Durand (a.k.a. Void Herald on RR) Headshot Online by Siege Trinity of the Kairos by Sinclair Chronicles of Wycon by Moore Abduction Cycles by Cressman They Called Me MAD and The Houndsman by Pal The Bright Lord by Knowles Nora Hazard by Corvin Beast Realms by Jones Arena Manager by Opo Frostworld by Peel Magnus by Prime Metamorphosis Online by Grey Alterlife by Moss Underverse by Cajiao The Orzare Chronicles by O Toole Alpha Physics by Kozlowski Legends of Ascension by Hultberg Badges of Dorkdom by Hodges Star Divers by Landry Legendary Farmer by Elizabeth Oswald Class Shift by Sean Oswald Ten Realms by Chatfield The Weight of it All by Thorn Phase Shift by Johnson Voidbringer Campaign by Hall Sky Realms by Osgood Cultivator vs. System by Valerios Uniworld Online and Glendara Awakens by Brooks Freedom Online by Lingard Enora Online by Adams Harbinger by Keene Bad Luck Charlie (a.k.a. Dragon Mage) by Baron Apocosmos by Gkirgkiris Real-Time Starcommander by Gregory Dungeon Realms by Yang Death's Favorite Warlock by Dean The Game of Gods by Kern Tower Apocalypse by Cassius & Tang Real-Time Starcommander by Gregory Hack, Slash & Burn by Herzman Cowboy Necromancer (some novellas to follow) & Tokens & Towers by Cooper Apocalypse Gates (and I think other series) by Schinhofen (I've heard there are lots of sex scenes and he's known for "secret harems")

Standalone LitRPGs:

How to Defeat a Demon King in Ten Easy Steps by Rowe Tales from the Upgrade by Henegar The Card Job by Falbo (I used to also include The Crafting of Chess, but it now has a sequel. Regardless, it's already a complete story in 1 volume.) Leveled Up Love by Wong and Marshall Battle Spire by Miller Kaiju: Battlefield Surgeon by Dinniman (trigger warning: gore, abuse of various types) Below here I haven't read yet: Zombie Slayer by Milan Axilon99 by Cox The Ridden by Kern Aether Frontier by McCoskey Royal Bodyguard and Just A Bronze by Richter Hazelhearth Hires Heroes by Willison Nigmus Online by Barnett An Old Man's Journey by Allanther Toothless by Thomas

Sci-Fi LitRPGs:

(this is my attempt to include science fiction stories with LitRPG elements, but that focus on the science-fiction implications of VAI/games, not on progression)
Continue Online by Morse Virtual Realities by Schott Puatera Online by Chapman (the first three books have very little /ProgressionFantasy elements; later books are a bit more typical of the genre)

Series that can be read as complete with a midway stopping point, but have been continued:

The Gam3 by Yap (a sequel series started in August on RR, but book 3 ends a complete story) Nova Terra by Ring (to be continued in Forgemaster )

Series that are on permanent (?) hiatus but at a stopping point that could be an ending:

Desire by Milan (not harem... Really poorly-named series! Milan calls it complete, but it's an open ending.) Monster Hunter NYC by Cooper (harem) Below here I haven't read yet: Greystone Chronicles, Shadow Sun, The Darkelf Chronicles and Mars System Reboot by Willmarth

Dungeon core series:

Elemental Dungeon (a.k.a. Bone Dungeon) by Smidt Dungeon Crafting, Dungeon Fairy, Dungeon World, Station Core, Dungeon of Chance and Holiday Dungeon Core by Brooks Derelict by Henegar (complete trilogy; more books to come) Divine Seed (a.k.a. Tree Dungeon) by Karevik Bio Dungeon by Logue and Brooks Divine Dungeon by Krout (imho stronger as a complete trilogy, but it's also a complete series at five books.) Guild Core by Reynolds Futuristic Dungeon Core by Grant Below here I haven't read yet: A Lonely Dungeon (RR) by cathfach Cat Core and War Core by Henegar Blue Core by InadvisablyCompelled (adult content chapters marked; I assume so they can be skipped)

Complete web serials:

Worth the Candle by Wales The Infinite Labyrinth by Vincent Archer The Humble Life of a Skill Trainer by altonsleet Mother of Learning by nobody103 is amazing, but it's /progressionfantasy not LitRPG. Below here I haven't read yet: Vainquer the Dragon by Void Herald Azarinth Healer by Rhaegar (book 1 on KU, epilogue to follow still) Everybody Loves Large Chests by Exterminatus (trigger warning: rapey demon sex, gratuitous gorey violence) (also Small Chests Are Fine Too) more NSFW than KU version? Epilogue by Etzoli Damage=MA: A Rolling Stone LitRPG by zechamp Death Singer by geminirand Or maybe just peruse COMPLETE-tagged stories on Royal Road.

Russian-translated complete LitRPG series:

Level Up by Sugralinov Dark Herbalist by Atamanov The Way of the Shaman by Mahanenko (ending on book 6) AlterWorld by Rus Below here I haven't read yet: Galactogon by Mahanenko Animus and Chronicles of KieraFreya by Anderle Mirror World by Osadchuk Realm of Arkon by Akella An NPC's Path by Kornev The Neuro by Livadny Clan Dominance by Mikhailov The Final Countdown by Ulengov

Asian translated LitRPGs:

Master Hunter K (on KU) by From Hell Solo Leveling/I Alone Level Up by Sung-Lak Infinite Competitive Dungeon Society and Everyone Else is a Returnee by Toika The Legendary Mechanic by Peija Seoul Station Necromancer by Jin Rebirth of the Thief Who Roamed the World by Mad Snail Reincarnation of the Strongest Sword God by Lucky Old Cat Emperor of Solo Play by D-Dart borderline LitRPG: Throne of Magical Arcana by Cuttlefish That Loves Diving A Returner's Magic Should be Special by So-Nan Below here I haven't read yet: Demon King by Toika Advent of the Archmage by Mo Xiang Night Ranger by Dark Blue Coconut Milk Warlock of the Magus World by The Plagiarist Desolate Era by I Eat Tomatoes The Second Coming of Gluttony by Ro Yu-jin And there are a lot of complete translated cultivation web serials; search over at /ProgressionFantasy or /NovelTranslations for recs. I also expect this list is missing many complete series. Please recommend any you think are worth reading!

Harem series

World Seed by Miller Reborn by Jackson Reborn as a Baron Lord by Yang Wolf King's Lair by Drake

Hi all. Somehow my little one is almost one ahhhh
I’m not in for the big parties or like Instagram balloon walls BUT I’m keen to think about our own birthday traditions we could adopt or have fun with
I’m 100% doing a smash cake cause he’ll absolutely bloody love it and our dog will clean it up haha and we will have our first height mark on the kitchen door frame
Anything else fun you did to mark their first birthday?!

Blue says he had no idea if he dealt any damage and he was reaching the suit limits, and all of a sudden the monster started moaning in pain and dying.
We later saw that they had chips in them, making me realize that blue is not as strong as we think, he cant even damage let alone defeat a dragon, and needed help with whoever controlling the monsters.
Its just goes to show that there is someone who can make the monsters die and control them (and not just enhance) under their command.
making the latest chapter reasonable, that the robots are getting destroyed only when facing the neo.

I'm sure we've all encountered the phenomenon of people just not getting what we are talking about when trying to describe our experience of narcissistic abuse. I was trying to describe my situation to an old "friend" and how i got to the conclusion that regardless of his potential status on the spectrum, his actions still counted as abuse and she told me i enabled him.
Now i get that I was unable to make him stop his abusive choices where i was concerned, but i never actually attempted to justify them to others, and I never stood by while he mistreated others. Hell, I stayed far longer than i should have to ensure that his dying father didn't end up on the receiving end of this treatment.
Now over the course of decades I eventually did stop having the same arguments repeatedly over things he would refuse to stop doing, in favor of grey rocking, but I don't think this is the same as enabling. So since we've all been there here, what do you guys think? Is enduring the abuse the same as enabling it?

His name was Huganiel-Fantastic Sebastien James (name). He was a black, domestic short hair who was rusty in the sun. He was peculiar and so full of life until the last day. He loved Garrus Vakarian from Mass Effect and would sit as close to the screen when he came on and sleep all the time on the Garrus body pillow I had. I named him after Hugo Baskervilles, Sebastien Moran and James Moriarty from Sherlock because his actual name - Buddy - sucked ass.
He was so small. He was neutered at 4 months and they fucked it up and lobbed the whole thing off on accident. When we got him, I was only like.. 13. Maybe 12 and I didnt have a cat in years. I was depressed, planning to end it all and my mom got asked to watch a cat for a month while they moved. They called to get him after two years and thousands in vet bills. I could keep Hugo or get what I always wanted - a maine coon. I chose Hugo. He was my kitty, my guy.
He hated me at first. He had been adopted, left alone for months in apartments, returned to shelters... I went on a trip in December, just weeks after we met, and when I came back he meowed so loud it was like singing. He was my buddy, my best friend, I did everything for him. I would bring home food from the cafeteria to share with him because we couldn't always get food. I was so scared of insects I was agoraphobic and he ate spiders and cockroaches for me.
He would sit in my lap, he would purr for me, he would let me pick him up, I would bring him to bed and when I wouldn't let myself sleep, he would walk me to bed. I brought him everywhere, I have over a thousand photos over four phones. When I didnt have a phone, I drew him. I could squeeze his primordial oouch, I could trim his nails, I could pet his legs.
I moved out in December 31st and I took him with me. He was 14 then and will always be 14. He died June first, while I was in Dollywood. He just passed of natural causes and was peaceful and found in good time by our pet sitter. I didn't always treat him well, I struggled with his litter and I couldn't always feed him.
I dont dream anymore and I miss him. I want to dream and be with him, hear his purr, feel his body settle onto the bed between me and my wife. I got mad at him in the last week I was with him because he kept trying to sit on me while I was rolling around. I didn't mean it, baby boy. I really didn't. I didn't see I love you when I left because I thought he'd be there. I never took anything for granted except him. I really thought he would live forever.
I really thought he was my son and I am beyond grief now. I feel it so intensely I feel like I'm going to be this forever. I miss you kitty boy. I love you and I miss you. I hope we see each other again and we'll be buried together baby boy.

Hey folks:
I purchased a new m17 r4 when they were released, about two years ago. This model has the i7 10870H / 32GB / 3080. RAM is soldered, of course. It has been working great with no issues. I even set the max charge to 80% in the BIOS and my battery health was still 100% the last time I checked. Recently, I had done all the Windows / BIOS updates and put it in the closet with about 50% charge because I wasn't going to be using it for a few weeks. I took it out today and it will not power on. Nothing. No lights. I plug the AC adapter in (330W), get the green light on the adapter and plug in the laptop. I figured the battery died. The Alienware Head has no lights, no fan response, nothing.
I've tried:

• Charged for about 90 minutes and it still would not power on.
• Performed the Dell "power flea" reset by disconnecting the battery and pressing the power button for 30 seconds. Still nothing.
• Tried plugging in a known good 65W USB-C PD power supply into the thunderbolt port. Still nothing.
• Checked the output of the power supply and it is showing 19.98 volts.

I'm perplexed. I'm thinking perhaps one of the hardware updates went bad, but I did all the restarts during the updates and it worked fine. Even played a game afterwards.
Any ideas?

Hello
I have been on HRT for 3 years. I am after SRS surgery and after tracheal surgery and after vocal cord surgery.
​
I think there are people here who could help me. In other groups, the pause is cloudy... I am 30 years old.
​
So how do you get started.
My hormonal journey began on 20/05/2020, 27 years old. It was a great euphoria.
Please read even and not just the beginning...
​
My medication for the first month - Cypro 25mg a day and an Estradiol tablet 2mg a day.
After a month, the dose was increased to - Cypro 50mg and 2x2mg Estradiol. For a full 5 months.
My body was already very feminine before HRT, also my face 70 feminine/30 masculine. Before HRT my testosterone was only 7nmol/l. And my estradiol none - 0.0055684252 pmol/l.
My weight was 80kg. My body was improving, breast growth, fat redistribution, lots of things. I was really happy but I had big mood swings, the only problem. Everything worked great.
​
My values
Estradiol - 130 pmol/l
Testosterone - 0.59 nmol/l
SHBG - 67.7 nmol/l
TSH - 1.725 mIU/l
Free testosterone - 1%
FSH - 0.7 IU/l
LH - 0.0 IU/l
Greater Prolactin - 669.8 mIU/l
​
My Estradiol low. I was given Oestrogel. 2 months after.
Estradiol - 240 pmol/l
Testosterone - 0.78 nmol/l
​
My levels are higher yet still low but my moods have improved.
But at that time it was not enough for me, you probably all know that :)
Sometimes a little is better than a lot...
​
OK :) I received an injection - Estradiol valerate
My setup - Cypro 50mg and Valerate 5mg once every 8 days.
The beginning was a strange, strange transition. But my feminization continued. My moods disappeared. It was better but not for long. This journey lasted 12 months.
After 8 months my breasts shrunk from size B to size A. It wasn't very important to me. My jaw widened but not much and my cheekbones got bigger.
Another part has arrived - SRS. My surgery went well apart from a minor infection.
​
Then all hell broke loose. Mainly physical problems and then also psychological ones.
I didn't take any hormones for a week before the surgery and I didn't take any after the surgery either. No anti-androgens and hormones until a month after the operation because I couldn't sit and dose the injection. My spine wasn't working.
But even though I was taking Valerate, my condition only worsened over time.
​
After 7 months I found another doctor who took away my injections.
There was a lot of masculinization, but there was still time.
​
My values - Estradiol 530 pmol/l and Testosterone 1.37 nmol/l
My medications - Spironolactone 25mg daily, Estradiol tablets 2x2mg and Progesterone 100mg daily
​
My condition was improving. The face did not but the breasts grew. This condition lasted for 2 months. Then came the great aggravation.
​
Put back in - Cypro 25mg and Estradiol Valerate. I don't have any values from these exams. He was a doctor and half DIY.
Yes everything went well again but only for one month. The end again.
Next was - Cypro 25mg, tablets 2x2mg and Oestrogel
​
4 months - values
High creatinine - 77 umol/l
Large prolactin - 809 mIU/l
Little AST - 0.13 ucat/l
Little ALP - 0.41 ucat/l
Borderline small TSH - 1.077 mIU/l
Estradiol - 583 pmol/l
Progesterone 2 nmol/l
DHEAS - 8.67 umol/l
Testosterone - 0.52 nmol/l
SHBG - 68.7 nmol/l
Free testosterone - 0.76%
Cortisol - 324 nmol/l
FSH - 0.3 IU/l
LH - 0.1 IU/l
ACTH - 4.63 pmol/l
DHT 0.20 nmol/l
​
All other values are normal. All measured in two days.
I will describe my current situation.
My face - used to have a narrow jaw, now has a wide jaw like a square... Cheekbones massive, chin unchanged, enlarged huge nose (big holes), used to have big lips, now small lips, used to have no forehead, now has large eye ridges.
My hands are big and my fingers are thick, my feet are wide (size 43, now 46). My hips are half gone, butt gone, cellulite, my ankles and calves sore and big wide, my ribcage maybe bigger?.
I will remind you that my weight is still the same 80-90kg, no radical weight loss or fattening.
Half of my hair has fallen out, very thin and damaged, growing very slowly. Previously shoulder-length hair, now ear-length for 7 months?
My nails break a lot. Big pubic hair. Acne. Thick skin.
​
It's not all like a princess in a fairy tale realm.
Breast? None, flat chested like an airport.
Now my biggest problem. Profuse sweating, night and day, over and over again. At home in peace, outside. And stink like a man in fitness.
​
I do not know where the problem is. Perhaps acquired resistance to Estradiol? How can I find out? I tried to write it the best and my perfect hormone levels.
Now I am only on Oestrogel and Cypro. No Valerate, no pills, no progesterone. It's still the same and still worse.
The doctor doesn't help. can you help me Or am I doomed to die?
​
Thank you

Chapter 7: The Americas and the Pacific - A Tale of Fragmentation and Unity
In the annals of history, the early 2020s will be remembered as a time of unprecedented geopolitical transformation. The Americas and the Pacific region, in particular, were at the epicenter of some of the most dramatic shifts. The United States, long considered a bastion of stability, began to unravel, while Central and South America charted a course toward unity. Meanwhile, the Pacific was rocked by a territorial dispute that escalated into a full-scale conflict.
The fragmentation of the United States was a development that unfolded like a slow-motion disaster. It began in October 2022, with a political maelstrom triggered by charges against former President Donald Trump. The nation was thrown into turmoil, and the seeds of discord were sown. By February 2023, the first cracks in the union became visible when a group of states, known as the Freedom Pact, declared their secession. The fissures deepened over the following months, with states in the West and Midwest also breaking away. The once-unified superpower was now a patchwork of independent entities, each charting its own course. This transformation, a stark departure from the United States' long-standing image as a bastion of stability, sent shockwaves across the international stage.
While the United States was grappling with its internal divisions, Central and South America were moving towards greater unity. The seeds of this transformation were sown in November 2022 when several nations began discussions on integration. These talks bore fruit by April 2023 with the formation of the Central American Union, a new political entity that signaled a shift towards regional cooperation.
Meanwhile, in the Pacific, a territorial dispute over the Timor Sea between Indonesia and Australia escalated into a full-scale conflict. Indonesia's claim to the entire sea in November 2022 sparked tensions that simmered over the following months. By May 2023, these tensions had boiled over into a war, adding another layer of complexity to the geopolitical dynamics of the region. This conflict, set against the backdrop of broader global shifts, underscored the volatility of the period.
Chapter 8: Rising Tensions and New Alliances - Mexico's Invasion, Unity in the Americas, and Canada's Expansion
As the United States grappled with its internal divisions, its southern neighbor, Mexico, seized the opportunity to advance its own interests. In May 2023, Mexico launched an invasion of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. This audacious move, taking advantage of the chaos unfolding in the United States, marked a significant escalation in tensions between the two nations. While the initial campaign saw great success, the Mexican Army was beaten back at the Battle of Lindsey that not only saw the decisive defeat of the Mexican’s Army ability to continue to push North, but the first detonation of a tactical nuclear weapon utilized in a war on the North American Continent. Already, parallels were being drawn between this and Russia’s own use of tactical nuclear weapons to stop the advance of the Ukranian Army with results and the horror being starkly similar.
While Mexico was advancing north, Central and South America were moving towards greater unity. The Central American Union, formed in April 2023, represented a significant step towards regional cooperation. This new political entity, comprising several nations, signaled a shift towards a more unified Central America. In South America, a historic merger led to the creation of the United States of Brazil in May 2023. This new nation, born out of the desire for unity and strength in numbers, marked a significant shift in the geopolitical landscape of the region. Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, Surinam, and Guyana came together to form this new entity, signaling a new era of cooperation and unity in South America.
Meanwhile, to the north, Canada was also expanding its territory. The Midwestern States of the former United States negotiated a deal with Canada for protection. This move, which effectively brought these states under Canadian control, marked a significant expansion of Canada's territory and influence. During this tumultuous time, in an effort to secure the Caribbean, the American S.E. Launched an otherwise devastating invasion of the Nation of Cuba. As devastating as it was unexpected, Cuba's fall was inevitable under a bulwark of American Airpower, Naval Actions, and direct invasion. This further secured the Free States of America's domination of the Caribbean.
These developments, from Mexico's audacious invasion to the birth of new political entities in Central and South America, and Canada's territorial expansion, were indicative of the profound shifts taking place across the globe. As nations navigated these turbulent waters, the world watched with bated breath, cognizant of the fact that the outcomes of these transformations would indelibly shape the geopolitical landscape for generations to come.
​
Chapter 9: The Emergence of Gran Colombia and the Argentine-Chilean Union
In South America, the winds of change blew with a force that reshaped the political landscape of the continent. The formation of Gran Colombia and the merging of Argentina and Chile were significant developments that marked a new chapter in the region's history.
In the north, the governments of Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, and Ecuador began discussions on integration in November 2022. These talks were fruitful, leading to the restoration of Gran Colombia by April 2023. This new political entity, a revival of the early 19th-century republic that once united these nations, signaled a shift towards a more unified South America. The restoration of Gran Colombia was seen as a significant step towards regional cooperation and integration, a move that could potentially strengthen the region's position on the global stage.
Meanwhile, in the southern part of the continent, Argentina and Chile embarked on a path of unification. This move, which led to the merging of the two nations, was a historic development that reshaped the geopolitical dynamics of the region. The Argentine-Chilean Union, as the new entity came to be known, represented a significant consolidation of power and resources in the southern cone of South America.
These developments, from the rebirth of Gran Colombia to the creation of the Argentine-Chilean Union, were emblematic of the profound transformations sweeping across South America. As these nations charted their new courses, the world watched with keen interest, recognizing that the outcomes of these shifts would significantly impact the geopolitical dynamics of the region and beyond. Reflecting on these times of tumult, it is evident that we were standing at a critical juncture in history, a juncture that would redefine the world as we knew it. The early 2020s will be etched in memory as a period of extraordinary geopolitical metamorphosis, a time when the established order was upended, and the outlines of a new world began to emerge.
Chapter 10: Rising Tides in South East Asia - Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar
As the United States grappled with its internal turmoil and China's influence continued to expand, the nations of Southeast Asia found themselves at a crossroads. Recognizing the need to reassess their strategic stance in the face of these global shifts, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar initiated high-level discussions in January. These talks were fueled by a shared cultural heritage, historical bonds, and a collective aspiration for economic resilience and defense solidarity in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
By March, these discussions had culminated in a significant announcement. The nations declared the formation of a new political and economic union, pledging to foster deeper cooperation and coordination in regional affairs and thus formed the Southeast Asian Union. This union represented a significant step towards unity, driven by a shared vision of strength and stability in an increasingly unpredictable world. However, this peace would be quickly rocked as the fledgling nation found itself at the forefront of a Chinese Invasion of the territories of Myanmar. Exploiting the newfound nations' inexperienced unified command structure, Myanmar quickly fell to the Chinese Forces expanding China’s presence firmly into S.E. Asia.
The Southeast Asian Union, while recently bloodied, finds itself in something of a firm start with a large portion of their Military High Command baptized in fire and their economy already rocking in full swing to support the previous war effort. Their hit-and-run tactics against the Chinese Invasion proved exceptionally effective at prolonging what would otherwise have been an easy strategic victory for China into a somewhat costly campaign.
Chapter 11: A New Dawn in the Pacific - The Birth of a Unified Entity
As the world continued to grapple with unprecedented geopolitical shifts, the nations of Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Malaya found themselves at a critical juncture. Inspired by the success of the Southeast Asian Union and cognizant of the continuous global instability, these nations embarked on a path of unification. In April, the merger process was initiated. Expedited by shared cultural and historical ties, these nations began the journey towards becoming a single entity known as The Singapore Accord. Boasting a large population and a wealth of resources, The Singapore Accord presented a formidable front in the region.
The integration process was comprehensive, focusing on the merger of economies, defense forces, and governance structures. Yet, it was also mindful of the rich cultural diversity within the new entity. Efforts were made to recognize and preserve the unique cultures within this unified nation, ensuring that unity did not come at the cost of diversity.
It stood as a bulwark against the rising power of the Southeast Asian Union, and the territorial ambitions of China signaling a new balance of power in the Pacific.

I wish he was still here
2 years ago I met a lovely man on a dating app. My usual experience with dating apps was that men talk for a bit and stop replying, but he was so so keen
He had just moved to the uk from abroad and was obviously keen to meet ‘a cute English girl’ in his words. He texted me non stop and for the first time ever, I actually enjoyed conversation with a man on a dating app. We would talk about so many interesting topics and he would constantly send me pics of his day. He was very sweet and kind
After a month of texting, we were ready to meet and we had our first date at my favourite farm shop. It was about an hour from my house and he happened to live a few houses down! And we had a great spark! He texted me after the first date to tell me how much he fancied me
And that’s how it started. We started dating, I planned all the dates, picnics, walks etc but I didn’t mind as he had just moved here. Our chemistry and connection was great and I felt happy. We would do so many spontaneous things and he would introduce so many new foods and music into my life. We talked all night about shared experiences and had so much in common. We did little camping trips and trips to little towns and I felt safe and happy. It wasn’t fireworks but it felt wonderful.
All my friends commented on how well suited we were and how happy I seemed
And then when my tenancy ended, he said why don’t I move to his town so I did. I got an apartment with some female roommates and it was great
He never planned a date though and as he was broke, he never actually did anything for me. I was kind and supportive and did a lot for him.
3 months in, he completely changed. He was cold and moody with me. He was impossible to communicate with. He did nothing for my birthday when it came round.when I addressed a need, he played victim and called me manipulative
I thought he was depressed and I did my best to support him.
But one weekend, I felt terrible around him. He was really cold with me. Shaking his head at me and criticising me. He dumped me over the phone and told me he dated me because he was lonely and never fell in love. I didn’t understand as he was the one that pursued me.
Tonight for the first time in 2 years I’m heading for dinner at the farm shop alone. I’m incredibly sad. Especially as the farm shop sent me a voucher for a meal to mark our anniversary and we’re not together (we were known by the shop for having our first date there and everyone commented on how we were a great match)
I feel empty and I can’t find the same thing with anyone else. Like no man will ever connect with me in the same way and I’m scared I’ll be alone forever. I’m 28 and very lonely, I’ve worked on myself and like myself but I wish he was there to join me
I’ve tried dating apps, but honestly no one makes me feel anything. All my friends are getting married and he even was on a wedding invite I got last week as a plus one.
Tonight I really want to message him, I need closure and a cuddle. We were. A great match I know it, he hasn’t even messaged me again to ask how I’m doing

(You can also find this work here, along with the previous parts here.)
​
Fritz was in a room, his eyes closed. His sunburn skin had healed, and he had a new Ironblood officer’s uniform on him.
However, he was comatose.
A combination of sodium poisoning, sun exposure, dehydration, and starvation all worked together to place him in a coma. A pink-sliver-haired woman was hard at work looking over him.
“Vestal! You’re needed at the meeting!”
Vestal stopped tending to Fritz. She looked at him and sighed as she wrote on a piece of paper.
“Subject is stable. However, it is unknown if the subject will ever regain consciousness.”
Vestal nodded and made her way to the meeting. She saw Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth, and Warspite. Prince of Wales smiled.
“I suppose we shall start this meeting.”
The other shipgirls nodded. Queen Elizabeth and Prince of Wales looked at the papers they had in front of them. Warspite smiled.
“First, how are our guests?”
Prince of Wales sighed.
“The pilot has so far been a bust. We are thinking of sending him to a regular Prisoner of War camp. The submariner has so far been in a coma. We believe he has a substantial amount of information about the internal workings of the Ironblood.”
Queen Elizabeth nodded.
“You said King George V found two folders on the two men when she found them on the raft?”
Prince of Wales nodded.
“Indeed. My sister found two folders. One on each man. We now have confirmation of the Ironblood and the Sakura Empire conducting joint operations in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans.”
“Are they a threat to us?”
Prince of Wales shook her head.
“No. The Monsun Gruppe, as they are called, have been suffering heavy casualties from the sirens.”
Queen Elizabeth smiled.
"How are you holding up, Wales?"
Prince of Wales smiled as she rubbed her belly. Her pregnancy was showing under her shirt.
"I've been doing well. Vestal told me I am currently five months pregnant, and Caleb and I's child will be a boy."
Queen Elizabeth closed her eyes as she smiled and giggled.
"That is good to hear. I made sure to place you here as soon as you found out you were expecting.
Prince of Wales sighed.
"It's certainly safer than combat duty, but it does get boring around here.
Queen Elizabeth nodded.
"Understood. I'll be sure to find this place more entertainment."
Queen Elizabeth looked at Vestal with a serious look on her face.
“How about the submariner, Vestal? Any updates on him?”
Vestal sighed. “Your majesty, you can call him by his name. He is not a cursed idol.”
Queen Elizabeth rolled her eyes.
“Alright. How is Fritz doing?”
Vestal closed her eyes.
“He is stable, but he is still not yet out of the coma. I do not know when he will wake.”
“You all remember the cover story, correct?”
Warspite nodded.
“Yes. This place is the manor of a wealthy industrialist. Fritz ended up here as the Ironblood pulled some strings and placed him here rather than in a Prisoner of War Camp.”
Prince of Wales nodded.
“That is an excellent cover, but I doubt he will believe it for long.”
Queen Elizabeth closed her eyes and nodded.
“What should we do if the cover story fails?”
Prince of Wales chuckled.
“Then we reveal the ace in the hole and tell him the truth, along with our plans for him.”
Queen Elizabeth nodded. She turned her head to the man in the room.
“Petty Officer Stevenson, your thoughts?”
The Petty Officer looked at the table and sighed.
"Your majesty. You can just call me Petty Officer."
Queen Elizabeth nodded.
"Very well. What are your thoughts on this, Petty Officer?"
The Petty Officer sighed as he closed his eyes. “This feels wrong.”
King George V and Ark Royal joined the meeting. Ark Royal waved at Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth and smiled at them.
“Sorry if we're late.”
Queen Elizabeth nodded. “You are not. I’ll catch you guys up to speed.”
After updating King George V and Ark Royal, they continued the meeting.
“I know what we are asking of Fritz is a long shot, but it is the only shot we have.”
The Petty Officer nodded. “Well, that just about finishes this meeting. I’ll be in the garden with Belfast.”
Queen Elizabeth nodded, and the group left. Vestal walked to the room Fritz was staying in. He was out cold. She smiled slightly.
“Come on, Let’s get you some sun. It will be good for you.”
She lifted him and placed him in a wheelchair. She pushed him to the garden.
The warm sun hit Fritz’s skin. He was still in his Ironblood U-boat captain's uniform. The trimmed brown hair under his white U-boat captain’s hat shined slightly. She pushed him around, with hedges providing a bit of shade. Belfast was there with the Petty Officer.
Vestal pushed Fritz up to the table. Belfast smiled at her.
“Good afternoon Vestal. I see you brought Fritz with you.”
She served the Petty Officer some tea. The hot brown liquid filled the white teacup.
Vestal sat down in a chair next to Fritz. Belfast smiled at her.
“Would you like some tea, Dr. Vestal?”
Vestal smiled. “Sure.”
Belfast nodded as she served Vestal some tea. She poured it into a teacup for her.
“Thank you, Belfast.”
Belfast nodded as Vestal drank her tea. When she saw what she saw next, she nearly spat out her tea.
It was Fritz. His eyes were wide open. Vestal gulped her tea and sprang into action.
“Mr. Decke, can you hear me? Blink one for yes, twice for no.”
Fritz blinked once. Vestal smiled.
“Good. At least you still have your sense of hearing. I take it you are awake?”
Fritz tried to speak, but all he could do was open his mouth. Vestal sighed.
“Take it easy. You are safe. Your vocal cords still need time to recover from your coma.”
Fritz sighed. He couldn’t move his arms. He was having trouble even moving his head.
“You want to go back inside?”
Fritz blinked once and tried to nod.
Vestal nodded and pushed Fritz back into his room. She smiled as she placed him on his bed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right back.”
Fritz watched as she ran down the hall. Vestal made her way to Prince of Wales’s office. She was busy going through paperwork. Vestal greeted her with a smile.
“Wales, it’s Fritz. He’s awake.”
Prince of Wales smiled. “Good. Is he responding to questions?”
Vestal nodded. “Yes. So far, his vocal cords are not active. However, he is responding to both questions and stimuli. He can respond to yes or no questions by blinking.”
Prince of Wales nodded. “Excellent! Once he regains the ability to speak, we can start our plan for him.”
A week later, Fritz was in his hospital bed. Vestal was looking over him, moving his arms and legs. Fritz grimaced as Vestal sighed.
“I know it hurts, but the more I do this, the sooner you’ll be able to walk.”
Vestal stopped moving his arms and legs and grabbed a pen. She wrote on a piece of paper.
“Fritz has already regained the power to move his arms and upper body, but his legs and lower body are still inactive.”
Vestal was about to leave when she heard a weak voice talk to her.
“Hey. Can you help me shave?”
Vestal turned around.
“Fritz, was that you?”
Fritz nodded. Vestal smiled.
“Of course!”
Vestal left the room, and Fritz sat up in his bed. He lifted his legs, one after the other, and propped himself up using the bed.
“Only one way to get moving.” He thought to himself.
He fell to the floor with a thud. He sighed.
“Of course. I still can’t walk.” he thought to himself.
Fritz rolled over on his back with some effort and looked around. He saw a wheelchair and dragged himself toward it. He dragged himself into the wheelchair.
Vestal came back with a bowl of hot water, a razor, and some shaving cream. She gasped.
“How are you in the wheelchair already?”
Fritz smirked. “I dragged myself to it.”
Vestal smiled at Fritz. “You ready to get started?”
Fritz nodded.
Vestal shaved Fritz’s beard. He smiled.
“Thank you. I was getting sick and tired of the beard around my face.”
Vestal nodded. “Mr. Decke, you want to go outside?”
Fritz nodded. “I can move the wheelchair by myself.”
The two made it to the garden. Belfast was there, along with Prince of Wales and the Petty Officer.
Fritz looked at the uniforms, and his eyes went wide. Prince of Wales’s eyes went wide as Fritz stared at her.
“Belfast, Vestal, Petty Officer, May you all please leave? Mr. Decke and I have something to discuss.”
The three nodded and left, leaving only Fritz and Prince of Wales.
“I suppose you have caught on to the fact that you are a prisoner of war of the Royal Navy?”
Fritz nodded.
“I had a feeling I was. I can tell by the accents and the uniforms.”
Fritz cleared his throat.
“Where is Werner? He was the man I was with.”
Prince of Wales smiled.
“Don’t worry. He is alright. He is currently in a Prisoner of War camp in Royal Navy territory.”
Fritz breathed a sigh of relief.
“How did you guys find me?”
“We found both you and Werner floating on a wooden pallet. Both of you were near death when my sister and Javelin found you.”
Prince of Wales’s smile faded as she sat in a chair.
“I have a proposition for you, Mr. Decke. I want you to help the Royal Navy.”
Fritz scoffed. “Forget it. I am not betraying the Ironblood.”
Prince of Wales got up and got behind Fritz. She pushed the wheelchair inside the manor.
“I figured you would say that. That’s why we got some leverage.”
Fritz raised an eyebrow.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To the medical wing. You’ll see why soon.”
Prince of Wales opened a door and pushed Fritz through. What he saw shook him to his core.
It was Tirpitz. She was asleep in a hospital bed. Her middle was larger and rounder.
“Why is Tirpitz doing here? What are you doing to her?”
Prince of Wales smirked. “Relax Fritz. You don’t want to wake up your wife now, do you?”
Fritz sighed. Prince of Wales closed her eyes.
“Now, do you want to hear an explanation for everything?”
Fritz sighed. “Alright. Lay it on me.”
Prince of Wales nodded.
“We found Tirpitz in the North Sea. From what our spies gathered, she violated direct orders from Bismarck to not engage in combat duties to fight the sirens. We found her unconscious, and we brought her here.”
“Is she alright? Is the baby alright?”
Prince of Wales placed her hand on Fritz’s shoulder.
“Yes. Tirpitz and the baby are alright. She is due for an appointment with Vestal today, which is why I bought you here. She is currently six months pregnant.”
Fritz’s eyes went wide.
“I have been out for two months?”
Prince of Wales nodded. “Yes. It is August. You were out for two months. We found Tirpitz two months ago, and we have been moving her from place to place to make it hard for the Ironblood to take her back.”
Fritz and Prince of Wales froze as Tirpitz moaned as she rubbed her belly. Prince of Wales looked at Fritz.
“Mr. Decke, I want you to go back to the Ironblood with Tirpitz and try to convince Bismarck to sign a peace treaty with Azur Lane, to join us in the war against the sirens.”
Fritz sighed. “That sounds like a risky proposition.”
Prince of Wales left the room, and Vestal came in with an ultrasound machine. Tirpitz opened her eyes to see her husband. Her eyes went wide.
“Fritz?”
Fritz smiled and held her hand.
“Yes. It's me.”
Tirpitz felt tears go down her face as she embraced her husband. Fritz smiled.
“Relax. Vestal is here to check on the baby.”
Tirpitz nodded as Vestal turned on the ultrasound.
“I’m warning you now, Mrs. Decke, the gel is cold.”
Tirpitz chuckled.
“Don’t worry. I’m used to the cold.”
Vestal applied the gel. Tirpitz shivered as Vestal applied the gel.
Vestal moved the wand of the ultrasound on Tirpitz’s belly.
“Alright Mrs. Decke, we are going to find out if you are having a boy or a girl. I just have to get a good view of the baby.”
Vestal moved the wand as she sighed. “So far nothing.”
The screen of the ultrasound machine suddenly had a good view of the baby’s bottom.
Vestal and Tirpitz’s eyes went wide as they blushed. Fritz laughed. They could see a small thing dangling under the baby’s bottom. Vestal’s eyes went wide as she giggled.
“Well, it appears you are having a son, Mr. and Mrs. Decke.”
Fritz chuckled.
“That’s my boy. Mein kleiner Moritz.”
Fritz continued to laugh. Tirpitz smiled.
“I can’t wait to meet you, Moritz.”
Vestal continued the ultrasound. She smiled after she was done.
“Well, Mr. and Mrs. Decke, Congratulations. You have a healthy baby boy that is due in early January.”
Fritz and Tirpitz smiled as they looked at each other. Vestal pressed a button and printed out some photos for Fritz and Tirpitz to have.
Vestal cleaned up Tirpitz’s belly and left the small room. Prince of Wales reentered the room.
“I heard the good news from Vestal. Congratulations Tirpitz.”
Tirpitz smiled. “Where would I be staying?”
Prince of Wales smiled. “You will stay in Fritz’s room. It’s only natural for a husband and wife to sleep together.”
Tirpitz nodded as she got out of bed. She and her husband made their way to their room.
Tirpitz helped Fritz to bed as he lay down next to her. Fritz placed a hand on Tirpitz’s belly, feeling Moritz kick against his palm.
“It’s hard to believe that in a few months, we are going to be parents.”
Tirpitz smiled.
“Fritz. I have to tell you something important.”
Fritz nodded. “Go ahead.”
“When I received news that you were killed in action, I could not believe it. I was a wreck. Despite my sister’s warnings, I went on a combat mission. came across a couple of sirens, and they were having a meeting.”
Tirpitz froze as she sighed.
“I saw Friedrich Der Große with them. Before I could investigate further, they spotted me and knocked me out. Duke of York and Hood found me. They brought me here a week ago.”
Fritz’s eyes went wide.
“Friedrich Der Große? What would she be doing with the sirens?”
Tirpitz sighed. “I don’t know. The only thing I care about now is making sure you and Moritz are safe.”
Fritz took his hand off Tirpitz’s belly.
“The Royal Navy wants me to go back to the Ironblood with you to talk to Bismarck. The Royal Navy wants to see if she will sign a peace treaty to join Azur Lane.”
Tirpitz nodded. “I figured. I’m guessing you refused, as you did not want to betray the Ironblood?”
Fritz nodded.
“Fritz. I want you to help the Royal Navy.”
Fritz’s eyes went wide.
“Why?! Isn’t that treason against the Ironblood?!”
Tirpitz sighed.
“I want the Ironblood to join Azur Lane. I want my sister to be safe. Most of all, I want a world safe for Moritz to grow up in.”
Fritz sighed as he sat on the bed. “You’re right. I don’t want Moritz to be born in a world where he has to live in fear of the sirens.”
Tirpitz nodded as she sighed. She sat next to him and rubbed her belly.
“My sister Bismarck has not been herself in a few months. From the letters she's been sending me, she’s been acting strange. She’s been vomiting after eating very little, she’s been suffering mood swings, and it has been worrying me.”
Fritz placed a hand on Tirpitz’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry. I’m sure your sister is fine. We should get some sleep.”
Tirpitz yawned and nodded. Soon, the couple was asleep.
Elsewhere in the manor, two women were wearing headphones and smiling.
“Did you get that Yorkie?”
“Loud and clear Sheffie.”
Sheffield smiled. “You were right about one thing.”
Duke of York raised an eyebrow. “What?”
Sheffield smirked. “Bugging the rooms was a great idea.”
Duke of York smirked. “I don’t think they suspect their rooms being bugged.”
Sheffield nodded as she smirked back. “Let’s make sure we keep it this way.”
Duke of York took off her headphones and opened the door.
“I’ll be telling Prince of Wales and Queen Elizabeth the information we received. Please let me know if you hear anything else.”
Sheffield nodded and continued to work.

​
https://preview.redd.it/h13zzgyqq15b1.png?width=1140&format=png&auto=webp&s=ed0ce85d8c537a930861103c472bb2a10e2e86fe
Let me explain my logic a little bit first. There's a separation of marked vs unmarked, I'll call the unmarked "base". When I consider a base character I consider the transparent world and selfless state to still be applicable, since we saw Tanjuro fight the bear and he didn't have a mark. For the UMs I also do believe that no one can solo one without the mark, transparent world, or the selfless state. Alright, let me explain my logic for some of the more controversial rankings here.
Base Sanemi: Undeniably the most controversial ranking I have. Below base Gyomei, marked Muichiro, base Tanjiro, Gyokko, Gyutaro, Kaigaku, and Obanai. I know, you're seething. I know you're gonna bring up the fight with Kokushibo so let me explain my logic when considering that fight. I don't think base Sanemi is more powerful than marked Muichiro, Muichiro got demolished so fast for 2 reasons imo, 1, Kokushibo just wanted to immobilize him so he could immediately tell him to become a demon and 2, Kokushibo's Blood Demon Art absolutely caught him off guard and after that bro was fighting with one hand. So that's why I don't think Sanemi is stronger than marked Muichiro. He's lower than base Gyomei and base Tanjiro because Gyomei has the transparent world and Tanjiro has that and the selfless state, it's hard to compete with. Lower than Gyokko, Gyutaro, and Kaigaku because like I said, I don't think anyone can solo an Upper Moon.
Base Gyomei: Like I said, Gyomei has the transparent world. That's huge, imo it pushes him over the edge of being able to beat Gyokko, Gyutaro, and Kaigaku, but not as easily as marked Muichiro.
Marked Muichiro: EOS he'd be marked with the transparent world. You can argue about Gyomei's fight with Kokushibo, but I already explained why I don't agree, so it really comes down to if you think base Gyomei is physically stronger than marked Muichiro. Considering that the mark enhances your physical abilities like crazy, I personally don't think so, but he is 14 years old so who knows.
Base Tanjiro: I know what I said right at the start, but by my logic base Tanjiro has access to the transparent world and the selfless state, those are huge boosts, plus after the Hashira training arc he's even more powerful than when he fought Daki, Gyutaro, or Hantengu's emotions. He's also got a boost since then from when he used Sumiyoshi's memories to correct all the mistakes in the Hinokami Kagura, so now he's using pure Sun Breathing.
Kaigaku: I know he got bodied by Zenitsu in literally 1 move, but to be fair I think he really just got caught even more off guard than Muichiro did. Not only did Kaigaku not think of what Zenitsu would do, he actively thought Zenitsu couldn't perform any other forms, the thought of him creating an entirely new form wasn't even a possibility in his mind. So to be fair to him, he counts as a legitimate Upper Moon and thus, no one can solo him without a boost, Zenitsu is just the only exception to that rule.
Base Muichiro: Before he died he saw the transparent world, that makes him pretty powerful. Marked, he bodied Gyokko, without it but with the transparent world instead, I think he'd still win but probably not as easily, hence why he'd also win against Gyutaro and Kaigaku.
Zohakuten: He's probably the one I struggled with the most, because I don't have the ability to make my own custom tier list right now and there's no separation of Hantengu and Zohakuten, even though there's a separation for Hantengu's other emotions and Zohakuten. So pretty much, consider him a stand in for Hantengu as a whole. I don't think Hantengu is very strong, but the nature of his ability and his tiny main body, along with the fact that the main body then hides inside the heart of the next demon, makes him kinda OP imo. No one could beat him without the transparent world.
Base Obanai: He also saw the transparent world, so he's beating Gyutaro, Kaigaku, and Gyokko.
Kanao, Zenitsu, and Inosuke: They're definitely Hashira level by the end. Kanao has her Equinoctial Vermillion Eyes, Zenitsu has the Flaming Thunder God, and Inosuke... well he doesn't really have any special technique that elevates him to Hashira level but just the fact that he went toe to toe with Doma clearly shows how powerful he is.
Kanae: She fought an unpoisoned Doma until the sun came up, that puts her at least at Rengoku's level, but since Doma's Blood Demon Art is so crazy, I think it puts her above a few others.
Genya: Oof, sorry Genya. I love Genya, but he can't use a breathing style! Daki and Rui would slice him apart and while he'd still be alive, he can't pull himself back together and he can't regenerate fast enough. Enmu is a bitch though, so he bodies Enmu. Bro probably would just eat the train once he figured out Enmu is the train.
Alright, that's all I can think of that'll seriously piss people off. Feel free to criticize my logic, I think I've done a pretty solid job though.

Four years ago, I was facing bullying at school. I had a dream one night. I remember flying above my neighborhood, like I was getting ready to pass on into the afterlife. I woke up the next morning, I just felt different. I can't quite explain it. More bitter, entitled, angry? In fairness, I've always been an angry person, but I've spent my entire life catering to people. Now, I care little for others, and my feelings always come first.
Why I might have been bought back to life:

• I was floating above the ground
• I remember all of my old memories of childhood
• If I did indeed die, I'm under the belief that the longer your soul stays dead, the more of your soul is lost if you get revived
  • I became very classist and elitist, longing for revenge against those who wronged me

Why I might be from another universe:

• Ever since that time, I keep remembering a name. I believe it's my name from another universe
• I have a scar that I didn't have before the incident
• A part of me longs for the 1700s (whereas I only wanted the future with flying cars before)
• I'm not a nerd like before, now beauty and romance are the top priorities in my life

I awoke in the darkest hour of the night, sweating and cold. I felt as though something had just left us there, or perhaps still remained. A cold fear crept along my clammy skin. I looked over to where my talking crow was asleep, nested on the pillows.
Detective Winters was snoring in his own bed. The open window was watching me until I looked up. Then the feeling was gone.
I laid back down. When I slept again I dreamed of the woman I had left behind in my home. It seemed so long ago. I wondered if she was still there. Somehow I knew she was. I suddenly couldn't stop thinking about her. I really didn't like her, yet my instincts told me to worry about her. So I did.
As dawn crept light across the twisted landscape outside the hotel window I thought of her. Then I got up and ate my sandwich out of the fridge and drank some water out of the sink. I left piece of it for Cory and went to brush my teeth.
Detective Winters woke up as his phone was ringing. He listened and said very little. I could tell he was talking to his boss.
"Ready to go?" He asked me as he laid back down.
"I am; are you?" I nodded at his prostration.
"Let's stay and eat." Cory suggested as he fed.
We all shuffled out of the hotel room to the car, Cory flitting from place to place and finally gliding to the car, boldly.
Three crows took the opportunity to scold him from the wire above. He avoided them and looked at me. He said:
"You should know your old home. Or sadness will prevail." Cory told me.
"I know." I took him with me into the car, hugging him gently to me.
"What is it?" Detective Winters asked me with consideration, looking in his rearview mirror at me.
"There is a woman I left behind in my home. I have started worrying about her." I told him the truth.
"I thought you were homeless." He handed me his phone.
"Are you?" I asked him. Sometimes I adopted Cory's mannerisms when dealing with people, not intentionally.
"Touche' Mr. Lord, touche'." Detective Winters went ahead and lit a jacked-up looking rolly: all bent and with bits of tobacco sticking out of it. He opened the car door a crack while we sat there. I dialed the number.
"Isidore?" I said her name when she picked up.
"Christ, Lord! I thought you were gone forever!" She exclaimed. She started saying a bunch of stuff about the house and bills before I said:
"I don't care about the house. I called for you." I said.
"I need you to come back. I can't do this on my own. I know you won't leave me, why are you gone?" Isidore started crying into the phone.
"Isidore, how can you say that? We barely know each other. I invited you in, I didn't think you would stay. That's why I left, because you wouldn't." I explained honestly. I had only just spent a few nights with her and we barely had more than a conversation before that. Then she had just decided she was in love with me and moved in. Not that she had anything to move, she had arrived with her toothbrush and pajamas. I'd thought it cute, until she stayed.
"I know you." Isidore sounded strange.
"Yeah, I know you too. It's not like that. What do you want from me?" I must have sounded different to her than I meant to, for she simply said:
"Just your love."
"I can't just love you." I claimed. I was lying. I fell in love with people all the time. I did actually care for her, I was just being very cowardly about it at the time.
"Then accept my love for you." She negotiated.
"Fine. Is that all? Are you okay?" I asked.
"I am not okay. I literally need you." Her voice was very quiet when she said this. I believed her, even though I did not want to.
"I have to go. I have work to do. I will call you..." I paused as Detective Winters made a gesture of walking fingers and a knock on a door. I hate charades. "I will come see you later."
Then I hung up as she said 'goodbye' and told me she loved me.
"Let's go. She's fine." I shrugged and restored his phone to his hand.
"Her name's Isidore?" Detective Winters chuckled. "That's like calling a girl Charlie. It's kinda cute, I guess."
"She doesn't need a cute name." I promised him.
He ignited the engine and drove us to the scene of murder. Beholding the darkness within the earth filled me with fear and dread. Detective Winters told me over and over that I was going with him into the darkness. I refused to go down there, panic sweeping me in strokes instead. I was suffocating on my own doubt of survival, anticipating such an adventure.
Cory was left behind as he dragged me by handcuff to his wrist into the dizzy and pale threshold. Then by mere candlelight we went amid the cackling specters of the dim. I closed my eyes to see, knowing it is the way in such a place.
I remembered the mirrored veins of the paths above this place. All of them followed the water and it rode the top of the stones. Therefore I knew my way, as surely as I knew the paths that had formed directly above, in the young forests amid the ruined heath. Without the sky, without my bird, without my sight, I was paralyzed by fear of the dark dwellers. There was only one way out and that was forward. In my paralysis I had no control over myself except to know I was fleeing in panic, unable to stop.
I looked down to find the handcuff was free and the light shone from the floor, spinning. With his thumb broken to free his hand, Detective Winters was laying there examining the injury.
"We have to leave." I hissed in terror. I hunched down.
"You ruined my thumb." He snarled back. His eyes rolled and he actually fainted where he lay. I took up the flashlight and used it to bath his body in light. There I left him and continued to escape the place he had brought me.
Upon the kill I stumbled, alone. There the chalk outline remained. Two children. Looked like they were dragged and discarded in a heap. The extension cords all went to one junction and split into the three lanterns that shone in that one room as day. I was in the heart of the labyrinth, I had escaped nothing. The handcuff hung freely and I looked at its shiny surface.
Reflected there in the polish of the cuffs I could see the shape of one of the dark dwellers. It was on the wall and ceiling behind me, watching me from the darkness. I turned and it skittered into a crack in the wall with lightning quickness, its many centipede legs making it look like the animation of a flipbook, its length rippling in the darkness.
I staggered back in mortal mystery. My eyes were wide and I choked on the breath I had exhaled, trying to scream in sheer terror. Then I closed my mouth on my tongue, knowing with reptile swiftness not to make a sound.
For they were all around me.
The ceilings and the corners of the floors and the corridors filled with their monstrous shape. They were more like spiders, or something I cannot even describe. Their movements in the darkness were so quick it was as though they were one shape and then the other as they flailed and flung themselves at blinking speeds through the shadows.
Without the light I would be torn apart as the two victims that were taken before we arrived. I could not breath, knowing I would die in the darkness. One of them put its dark spindly scythe of black chitin into the light for a split second and I saw the urticating hairs bristling, ready to impale me with a thousand needles just by touching me.
I lifted what I thought was a rock, to defend myself. I pulled it free from the edge of the corridor, from under some rags. As I held it up I found a better grip, shifting my fingers into its grooves. The creatures scattered. I was breathing heavily, still gripped by terror.
I had to escape back out of there and I somehow took a step out of the light back the way I had come. Or so I thought. I turned and turned again, feeling my way along with my left hand on the wall. My right hand held the object which now felt light for a stone. My panic had subsided and I had moved without thinking. I was lost in the darkness.
I felt my way along. I kept thinking I could hear the creatures. Then up ahead I saw the light. In the middle of the light stood a policeman, gesturing for me. I stopped and watched. It came closer, the eyes horrible and empty of life. Then as it escaped the light I saw it was merely an illusion. Somehow it could hide what it looked like, refusing to be seen in its entirety. The creature came for me and then I screamed.
It was a flash of scythe-like spider legs by the thousands and its many horrible eyes and its beak-like mandibles. It was coming for me out of the darkness, a silhouette against the lanterns beyond. I was screaming and curling away from it, about to be torn to pieces by it.
Resounding gunblasts flashed brightly and lit up its awfulness. The bullets tore into it, black ichor splashing where its flesh was. Then it fell over, twitching and curling and steaming. It quickly dissolved into a puddle of nightmares.
"What in Hell was that?" Detective Winters was shaking violently and still aiming his gun, even though he had emptied it.
"How should I know, Detective? This is your crime scene." I complained. I was shivering and sweating and knew there were more. "There are more of those things."
"My Lord, are you alive?" Cory called into the hole.
"It's your crow." Detective Winters sighed in awe.
"I know that. How did he get out of your car?" I wondered, distractedly.
"I left my window down, I think." Detective Winters realized; his own mind easily choosing to think of something else.
"You think, or you know?" I demanded, severely stressed. I accepted the flashlight and trembling, he removed my handcuff without reason, while I was holding the light. I tried to hand it back and he gestured for me to wait a second by holding up one finger. He looked at my freed hand without realizing what I was holding.
"Jesus, I just 'think', okay? Sorry." Detective Winters reloaded his weapon and grimaced. It looked very difficult with his ruined thumb.
"My Lord, are you alive?" Cory asked a second time.
That is when we all heard them. I heard them and Detective Winters heard them and Cory heard them. Their voices froze my blood. The damned things were speaking! The penultimate horror I felt was a sweeping and cold knowledge of them. That they could speak and had their own language was fearsome in its perversion. Nothing like that should exist and to give it intelligence was the work of a mad creator. Their language challenged Man's place in Creation, putting something so blasphemous in place of the Will of Man. Such a horror could break my mind with every syllable that they uttered with inhuman mouths. They did not only speak their chittering abomination, for some of them whispered plain English from the darkness as well:
"This is the home. This is the darkness. It belongs rightly. All the food. The flesh is food. This belongs, too, the flesh, the food." They spoke in a unified and horrifying whisper.
"My Lord, you should come out of there. The Folk of the Shaded Places will kill you for trespassing. Then they will eat you." Cory called to me from above.
"I got that!" I shouted back and the sound of my voice stirred the one nearest to us.
"Time to go!" Detective Winters made me go first with the light.
We made our move and instantly it was as though the walls and ceiling had come alive. They were all around us, shifting rapidly, each taking the place of another to avoid the light and the gun. I shone it on them and they fled the beam. Likewise, Detective Winters let them have a taste of his firearm as he shot a bullet into each one that got too close.
Breathing rapidly and wide eyed we emerged to find the rest of the policemen had already departed. Only Detective Winters's car and Cory remained. I had expected some sort of rescue, as though getting out would mean safety. I looked at the object I held: it was a skull.
I turned back and stared into the darkness down there. Cory flitted to my shoulder and said into my ear:
"They will come right on out that hole and snatch you back in if you get too close."
"Thanks." I nodded, my mouth hanging open as I stood in waves of terror. Part of my mind had not escaped. I needed to go back down there and get it real quick. It would only take one second.
"Hang on." Detective Winters curled over and threw up a bunch of thick chunky bile onto a hapless banana slug. He reached down and used a leaf to flick it out of the vomit onto some nearby moss. "Sorry about that."
"Must go now." Cory advised in urgent repetition.
I went and got in the car and watched the horror hole with dreadful apprehension. I set the skull up front on the passenger seat. Then I tried to learn how to breath normally again. I noticed that Detective Winters's driver side window was actually down.
Eventually Detective Winters had managed to light the smoke he had kept behind his ear that entire time. It was sagging with sweat and he took a few unhappy puffs before he flicked it down into the hole. I prayed none of the Folk would come flailing out and entangle him, kicking and screaming, into the dark.
"We are lucky to be alive. If that really happened." Detective Winters decided we both had merely freaked out in the dark down there as we drove away. He held up his dislocated thumb and added: "We couldn't die."
"Death will always happen." Cory objected.
Detective Winters handed me his phone and I put in the address. Then the GPS guided him to my old house as the sun went down. When we pulled up she was waiting, her bags packed. She got into the car.
"I'm coming with you." Isidore told me and Detective Winters. "I won't stay here alone. Oh Lord, I've just got to say it. I just have to tell you."
"Well, not right now, maybe later." I looked out the window, away from her. In my mind I could still see the outline of those creatures. The horrible flash of their bodies. My heart pounded in anxiety, just thinking of them. I had always known of them, knew they existed. I had never, not even in my most dreaded nightmares, dreamed of meeting them.
"Your husband works with me. I am Detective Winters." Detective Winters introduced himself, again holding up his dislocated thumb. Isidore said nothing to him. She had her own ways.
"I am Cory." My crow spoke to her. She did not understand. She said:
"He is so cute!" Isidore told me. Then she wouldn't tolerate me looking away from her. She took my hand and placed it over her belly. I was very surprised to find that so much time had passed already, since I had left. I looked and she was glowing as we drove under dappled streetlights.
"Nine months." I realized.
"I have wanted to tell you for so long!" Isidore smiled.

Maybe she would still be alive.
The vet I went to had followed my eldest dog when she had a stroke. He had a pragmatic approach were he weighted pros and cons, for example maybe doing an exam that will cost 600€ won't make the therapeutic part that more efective, so why make the person spend that much money for little to no increased advantages. She lived until 15 years and a half so I thought his approach was good enough. He can't perform miracles, she had heart issues and a spreading cancer.
He also performed ultrasounds in the routine appointments which were 30€, meaning sometimes he'd spend 1h or more and only charge that.
However he only did that if I went there complaining of a symptom. In the routine appointments for the vaccination he didn't routinely took blood samples. Maybe if he had done that to my youngest, something would come up that would predict what happened to her.
Now I went with my only dog to the vet center that treated my youngest in the emergency where she eventually died. They're an hospital so take emergencies and do appointments. They are more torough, for example in the checkup they took blood and during auscultation the vet detected a murmur which he says is common in senior dogs but instead of empirically prescribing a medication he advised an ECG and then based on the results of the blood work, an abdominal ultrassound.
It's more expensive, specially the ECG is 120€. But I wish I had given that same care to my youngest. Maybe she would still be alive. When I first had them I was a broke student, but now I am better finantially so if I had had that option I would probably have prefered to spend 200€ and have my dog alive than 500€ to have her back home in ashes. Maybe I did not pick the correct vet, I should have insisted more. To some people its impossible to support those values so I understand the other vet approach of providing the best care according to the available resources. But I wish I was given the choice.

But first some background. I didn’t really recognize of having a problem with alcohol until a few years ago. Early 30s. Most recently I gave up booze for a couple months. And last year I gave it up for a whole year. I think I looked at it from the perspective of rewarding myself for having made it that long.
At the time I created some guidelines for myself that helped me believe it was worth okay to drink again. Great idea, right?! Wrong.
Those rules included strict guidelines from which I would limit my drinking. -no drinking during the week -no drinking more than 2. -no drinking around my brother (I wanted to be as ·od example to him) - no drinking after a bad day. Although I never really drank because I had any one particular bad day. Or so I thought.
I eventually broke all of ' those rules. I have struggled with identifying triggers. I have always looked at them as a poor excuse for weakness. I'm going to talk to my therapist and see if I can change my view on this.
I bring up triggers because I think I have finally admitted that seeing my extended family is a trigger. Allow me to elaborate.
5 years ago I lost my Mom to cancer. Two years ago I lost my father and grandmother. One year ago I lost my grandfather and other grand mother.
I am the oldest of four children. We have all been through a lot of pain in the last five years. During all of it there has been alot of avoiding self care.
I will spare you the many trials and tribulations (there were many from parents divorcing, unexpected parent sicknesses and a toxic work environment), however, I think I have figured out why I cannot heal, especially when I have so much to be greatful for - including a beautiful wife and one-year old son.
Today, in 2023, family gatherings make me miss my parents greatly. seeing my brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles and even my wife's family makes me feel spiteful, jealous, angry and distant. Most recently I could hardly enjoy my son’s first birthday. It just didn’t feel right which sounds selfish but it’s how I felt.
Two weeks ago we threw a surprise birthdy party for my younger sister. I was happy for her but oddly sad and felt distant from everyone. I intentionally started a Kickball game with all the younger children and made the best of the day, trying to be present. (I'm the oldest of 26 grand children)
During an encounter in my brother's kitchen, where the party was being hosted, my uncle confided in me about how he felt having just lost his parents, which were my grandparents. I appreciated him being vulnerable with me. He then asked me "what it was like for me you know having lost your parents. My uncle in his 60s and me in my 30s.
I honestly really didnt want to talk to him about it. My only answer was that my life was easier because I did not have to Caretake any more. That was only part of the truth.
The whole truth is I miss my parents dearly. I wish they were here to see me happy with my wife. I wish they could meet my son. I wish they were here, for all of us. I dont fault them for dying. At least I don't think so.
I never thought the ones I should love the most could be a trigger for me. I think it's less about them and more about me not want to feel sorry for myself because we lost our parents at such a young age. I am certain seeing my family isn't the trigger. I think its How I see my family that’s my trigger and I somehow need to figure how to process the pain of losing them. That afternoon I saw my brother drinking after he had put his family through so much from his own grief and pain and drinking. That night I too drank which led me to drinking way more than I should have the last few weeks.
Is this a long winded way of justifying my binge drinking? I hope not. I hope taking the time to actually write down my thoughts is a step in the right direction to uncovering my triggers and me hopefully accepting there for what they are and not as a sign of weakness, which I dispise. maybe there's more there, there, but I'll cross that bride tomorrow.
For today IWNDWYT!
Also, please try and forgive the formatting of a lot of this text. I wrote all of my thoughts down using an Apple Pencil because science says actually writing things out is better for you! Apparently, recognizing my handwriting is a difficult task even in times of chat GPT :-)

Not only was she rude from the beginning but she's a selfish horrible goblin of a human being that gets praised, patted on the back and even rewarded for her awful behaviour.
Spoilers ahead, sorry
Not only did she resign Fripp to actual death when she committed the crime of theft for her own selfish reason of demanding to forcefully grow concorde, she was instantly forgiven for it. I was legitimately angry with her, felt her actions had no justification, but then once you're done being chased by the Vala, all the goodie goodie soul riders are like, "we understand and what you did is totally justifiable because you're Anne" and our only character response options was "yes, I agree." "yes we forgive you because you're Anne and we love Anne" and "yep Ur right homie" basically LOL. I've never wanted to punch a character in the face so bad?
I can understand she's angry and whatnot but to me personally it just doesn't justify her continually horrible decisions and awful personality that everyone else who is apparently in some kind of clown circus psychosis just hugs it out with her, excuses without consequences or punishment and writes off as "fine".
Come on man she robbed Concorde 😭 She nearly let Fripp die She's rude and selfish What is this teaching the kids? Commit crimes if it's for your own selfish reasons that you and your friends think are righteous?
Sorry for the rant but does anyone else absolutely abhorr her and her writing as much as I do? 😂