https://archive.ph/fjs8y
We all know how dim Harry is but his ignorance hit new levels when he revealed his drug use. Harry now facing calls for his US visa application to be released. GOOD!

Would like to say thank you to everyone for helping me with this query so far! I feel I've finally got the right feeling down for it.
Dear Agent,
I am seeking representation for THE CHANGELING’S CAUL, an 80k word standalone horror novel. Set in both the areas of London people would rather forget and the parallel faerie realm alongside that mirrors the city's worst qualities, it evokes the urban fantasy concepts of Namina Forna’s THE GUILDED ONES and will entice readers who enjoyed seeing the more grotesque side of fairy tales, such as Melissa Albert’s TALES FROM THE HINTERLANDS.
Luca’s skin is falling off. And his mother is nowhere to be found.
At first he thought he was going to die. Hiding away in an abandoned building, he disturbs a giant, emaciated faerie huddled under rotting wings. A faerie claiming to recognise him. Or rather, it recognises his face. It tells him he is a changeling, switched at birth for a human who now lives among the fae folk. Luca doesn’t believe it at first, but very soon realises that the lack of a tie to the human world is why his human form is dissolving. He is being forgotten, and drip by drip, his skin melts off him, revealing what really hides under there. A grotesque child of the fae, formed without love or care, created only to paint with glamour and pass as human. And the paint is flaking off.
The rotting faerie tells him his human counterpart is enslaved and forced to guild faeries in glamour, something Luca desperately needs, and offers Luca a bargain to help find him… in exchange for one of his eyes once they get there. In desperation and panic, and forgetting what a terrible idea it is to make deals with faeries, Luca accepts, and the faerie implants itself into the eye it has claimed for itself, allowing Luca to see the way to the realm of the faeries.
This new sight sends Luca into a terrifying alternate London, where feral faeries scavenge in the public bins with promises of fortune on their tongue. Changelings have neither place in the human world or the faerie’s realm, a mere bargaining chip, but Luca is prepared to gamble everything to quite literally save his skin.
I live in [LOCATION] where I enjoy blowing the cobwebs away on long rainy walks and trying to think of how to appear interesting on query letters.

The final scenes of earth history! The last days are NOT sometime in the future that we are waiting to experience, the "last days" are now. Don't wait for the Sunday law to dedicate your life back to God. It is wonderful that God gives us such intricate teachings and counsels to guide us through each day so that we won't be afraid of the signs and wonders that we have seen, that we see, and that we will see.
Prophecy is given by God to prepare us, not to scare us.
I pray these words will be encouraging to you in your walk with God today.
You can find the first four parts on my profile.
Thank you for your time and patience in reading these posts.
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THE LATTER RAIN
GC 445 “When the leading churches of the United States, uniting upon such points of doctrine as are held by them in common, shall influence the state to enforce their decrees and to sustain their institutions, then Protestant America will have formed an image of the Roman hierarchy, and the infliction of civil penalties upon dissenters will inevitably result.”
GC 449 “But Christians of past generations observed the Sunday, supposing that in doing so they were keeping the Bible Sabbath; and there are now true Christians in every church, not expecting the Roman Catholic communion, who honestly believe that Sunday is the Sabbath of divine appointment. God accepts their sincerity of purpose and their integrity before Him. But when Sunday observance shall be enforced by law, and the world shall be enlightened concerning the obligation of the true Sabbath, then whoever shall transgress the command of God, to obey a precept which has no higher authority than that of Rome, will thereby honor popery above God. He is paying homage to Rome, and to the power which enforces the institution ordained by Rome. He is worshipping the beast and his image. As men then reject the institution which God had declared to be the sign of His authority, and honor in its stead that which Rome has chosen as the token of her supremacy, they will thereby accept the sign of allegiance to Rome—‘ the mark of the beast.’ And it is not until the issue is thus plainly set before the people, and they are brought to choose between the commandments of God and the commandments of men, that those who continue in transgression will receive ‘the mark of the beast.’ “
5T 451 “When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and Republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.”
GC 449 “…the enforcement of Sunday-keeping in the United States would be an enforcement of the worship of the beast and his image.”
This will mark the fall of Babylon.
This is the real issue.
God’s only answer to the worship of the Beast and his image is the image of God restored in the soul and reflected in the life.
The time of the test is fast approaching. We must prepare now.
7T 141 “The substitution of the laws of men for the law of God, the exaltation, by merely human authority, of Sunday in place of the Bible Sabbath, is the last act in the drama.”
RH May 2, 1893 “The people of the United States have been a favored people; but when they restrict religious liberty, surrender Protestantism, and give countenance to popery, the measure of their guilt will be full, and national apostasy will be registered in the books of Heaven. The result of this apostasy will be national ruin.:
6T 18 “As America, the land of religious liberty, shall unite with the papacy in forcing the conscience and compelling men to honor the false sabbath, the people on every country of the globe will be led to follow her example.”
6T 395 “Foreign nations will follow the example of the United States. Though she leads out, yet the same crisis will come upon our people in all parts of the world.”
GC 591 “Communications from the spirits will declare that God has sent them to convince the rejecters of Sunday of their error, affirming that the laws of the land should be obeyed as the law of God. They will lament the great wickedness in the world and second testimony of religious teachers, that the degraded state of morals is caused by the desecration of Sunday. Great will by the indignation excited abasing all who refuse to accept their testimony.
GC 607 “The church appeals to the strong arm of civil power, and in this work, papists and Protestants unite. As the movement for the Sunday enforcement becomes more bold and decided, the law will be invoked against commandment keepers. They will be threatened with fines and imprisonment, and some will be offered positions of influence, and other rewards and advantages, as inducements to renounce their faith.”
The Great Test
2SM 268 “When the law of God is made void, the church will be sifted by fiery trials, and a larger portion than we now anticipate, will give heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.”
5T 717 “My brethren, do you realize that your own salvation, as well as the destiny of other souls, depends upon the preparation you now make for the trials before us.
(Review DA 107 last paragraph: DA 173 first paragraph; and Romans 8:14).
7BC 976 “The Lord has shown me clearly that the image of the beast will be formed before probation closes; for it is to be the great test for the people of God, by which their eternal destiny will be decided.”
GC 608 “As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition.”
This may be the time that Satan will personate Christ. Read GC 622-625.
2SM 51 “We are warned that in the last days he (Satan) will work with signs and lying wonder, And he will continue those wonders until the close of probation, that he may point to them as evidence that he is an angel of light and not of darkness.”
5T 81 “In this time, the gold will be separated from the dross in the church. True godliness will be clearly distinguished from the appearance and tinsel of it. Many a star that we have admired for its brilliancy will the go out in darkness.”
DA 630 “Those who apostatize in the time of trial will, to secure their own safety, bear false witness, and betray their brethren. Christ has warned us of this, that we may not be surprised art the unnatural, coral course of those who reject the light.”
The Latter Rain and the Loud Cry
GC 464 “Before the final visitation of God’s judgments upon the earth there will be among the people of the Lord such a revival of primitive godliness as has not been witnessed since apostolic times. The Spirit and power of God will be poured out upon His children.”
EW 85, 86 “At the commencement of the times of trouble, we were filled with the Holy Ghost as we went forth and proclaimed the Sabbath more fully ….
“ ‘The commencement of the time of trouble’ here mentioned, does not refer to the time when the plagues shall begin to be poured out, but to a short period just before they are poured out, while Christ is in the sanctuary. At that time while the work of salvation is closing, trouble will be coming on the earth, and the nations will be angry, yet held in check so as not to prevent the work of the third angel. At that time the ‘latter rain,’ or refreshing form the presence of the Lord will come, to give power to the loud voice pop the third angel, and prepare the saints to stand in the period when the seven last plagues shall be poured out.”
6T 401 “…when the storm of persecution really breaks upon us, the true sheep will hear the true Shepherd’s voice. Self-denying efforts will be put forth to save the lost, and many who have strayed from the fold will come back to follow the great Shepherd….
The love of Christ, the love of our brethren, will testify to the world that we have been with Jesus and learned of Him. Then will the message of the third angel swell to a loud cry, and the whole earth will be lightened with the glory of the Lord.”
EW 227-279 “I saw a great light resting upon them, and they united to fearlessly proclaim the third angel’s message….
“The glory rested upon the patient, waiting saints, and they fearlessly gave the last solemn warning, proclaiming the fall of Babylon and calling upon God’s people to come out of her that they might escape her fearful doom….
“Servants of God, endowed with power from on high, with their faces lighted up, and shining with holy consecration, went forth to proclaim the message from heaven. Souls that were scattered all through the religious bodies answered to the call, and the precious were hurried out of the doomed churches, as Lot was hurried outSodom before her destruction.”
Read Great Controversy page 612.
GC 606 “Thus the message of the third angel will be proclaimed. As the time comes for it to be given with the greatest power, the Lord will work through humble instruments, leading the minds of those who consecrate themselves to His service. The laborers will be qualified rather by the unction of His Spirit than by the training of literary institutions. Men of faith and prayer will be constrained to go forth with holy zeal, declaring the words which God gives them. The sins of Babylon will be laid open. The fearful results of enforcing the observances of the church by civil authority, the inroads of spiritualism, the stealthy but rapid progress of the papal power, —all will be unmasked. Thousands upon thousands will listen who have never heard words like these.”
8T 20 “So mightily can God work when men give themselves up to the control of His Spirit.”
This is the time when the work of the church will be finished in a blaze of glory that shall enlighten the whole world!
5T 754 “…the swiftness of lightning represents the speed with which this work will finally go forward to completion.”
9T 96 “There will be a series of events revealing that God is master of the situation.”
Romans 9:28 “For he will finish the work in righteousness: because s short work will the Lord make upon the earth.”
6T 19 “The message of Christ’s righteousness is to sound from one end of the earth to the other to prepare the way of the Lord. This is the glory of God, which closes the work of the third angel.”
MB 43 (70) “The words of Christ through the gospel prophet, which are reechoed in the Sermon on the Mount, are for us in this last generation: “Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.’ (Isaiah 60:1)….if you have beheld His beauty who is the ‘chiefest among ten thousand’ and the One ‘altogether lovely,’ if your soul has become radiant in the presence of His glory, to you is this word from the Master sent.”
COL 415 “Into the darkness of the world is to be shed the light of His glory, the light of His goodness, mercy, and truth.”
EW 279 “I was pointed down to the time when the third angel’s message was closing. The power of God had rested upon Hi people; they had accomplished their work and were prepared for the trying hour before them. They had received the latter rain, or refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and the living testimony had been revived. The last great warning had sounded everywhere, and it had stirred up and enraged the inhabitants of the earth who would not receive the message.
TM 445 “Those who overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil, will be the favored ones who shall receive the seal of the living God.”
7BC 968 “Just before we entered it (the time of trouble), we all received the seal of the living God. Then I saw the four angels cease to hold the four winds. And I saw famine, pestilence and sword, nation rose against nation, and the whole world was in confusion.”
GC 613 “/../.the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received the ‘seal of the living God.’ Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above.”
The Close of Probation
EW 279-281 “I saw angels hurrying to and fro in heaven. An angel with a writer’s inkhorn by his side returned from the earth and reported to Jesus that his work was done, and the saints were numbered and sealed. Then I saw Jesus, who had been ministering before the ark containing the ten commandments, throw down the censer. He raised His hands, and with a loud voice said, ‘It is done.’ And all the angelic host laid off their crowns as Jesus made the solemn declaration, ‘He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be h only still.’…
“As Jesus moved out of the most holy place,…a cloud of darkness covered the inhabitants of the earth. There was then no mediator between guilty man and an offended God….
“Then I saw Jesus lay off His priestly attire, and clothe Himself with His most kingly robes. Upon His head were many crowns, a crown within a crown. Surrounded by the angelic host, He left heaven. The plagues were falling upon the inhabitants of the earth. Some were denouncing God and cursing Him. Others rushed to the people of God and begged to be taught how they might escape His judgements. But the saints had nothing for them. The last tear for sinners had been shed, the last agonizing prayer offered, the last burden borne, the last warning given….With terrible distinctness they heard the words, ‘Too late! Too late!’ “
Shall we not do now what many thousands will wish they had done when the plagues begin to fall? Then it will be too late to surrender without reservation and earnestly pray for a daily baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Now is the time to put self aside and make speedy preparation for the Latter Rain.
8T 22 “Why do we not hunger and thirst for the gift of the Spirit, since this is the means by which we are to receive power? Why do we not talk of it, pray for it, preach concerning it?”
TM 64 “…why should we not prostrate ourselves at the throne of grace, as representatives of the church, and from a broken heart and contrite spirit make earnest supplication that the Holy Spirit shall be poured out upon us from on high?”
COR 165 “Oh that we as a people might humble our hearts before God, and plead with Him for the endowment of the Holy Spirit.”
TM 310, 223 “Realize every moment that you must have the presence of the Holy Spirit;…
“We need to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit every hour of the day, lest we be ensnared by the enemy, and our souls be imperiled.”
Our task is not just to continue in the Lord’s service making large gains year after year. The hour is long overdue when we should let God use us to quickly finish the work by the might power of His Spirit.
9T 44 “Intense earnestness should now take possession of us.”
This is the hour of greatest danger.
All that will survive the seven last plagues is a holy character.
The vital need—the greatest need of the Remnant church is not more members, more preachers, more money, or more facilities. The greatest need today is Spirit filled men and women.
We have great institutions
We have the greatest literature in the world.
We have the greatest organization in the world.
Who will respond without reservation to the mighty challenge of this climatic hour of earth’s history?
DANGER AHEAD
5T 644 “…if Satan cannot keep souls bound in the ice of indifference, he will try to push them into the fire of fanaticism.”
Faith I Live By 140 “No one who claims holiness is really holy. Those who are registered as holy in the books of heaven are not aware of the fact, and are the last ones to boast of their own goodness.”
SL 7 “Those who are really seeking to perfect Christian character will never indulge the thought that they are sinless. Their lives may be irreproachable, that may be living representatives of the truth which they have accepted; but the more they discipline their minds to dwell on the character of Christ, the neared the approach His divine image, the more clearly they will discern its spotless perfection, and the more deeply will they feel their own defects.”
SC 64 “The closer you come to Jesus, the more faulty you will appear in your own eye: for your vision will be clearer, and your imperfections will be seen in broad and distinct contrast to His perfect nature.”
A Snare of Satan
GW 316 “As the end draws near, the enemy will work with all his power to bring in fanaticism among us.”
8T 293 “False theories, clothed with garments of light, will be presented to God’s people. Thus Satan will try to deceive, if possible, the very elect.”
7BC 907 “As we near the end of time, falsehood will be so mingled with truth, that only those who have the guidance of the Holy Spirit will be able to distinguish truth from error.”
TM 55 “False teachers may appear to be very zealous for the work of God, and may expend means to bring their theories before the world and the church; but as they mingle error with truth, their message is one of deception, and will lead souls into false paths. They are to be met, and opposed, not because they are bad men, but because they are teachers of falsehood, and are endeavoring to put upon falsehood the stamp of truth.”
TM 61 “God has a church upon the earth, who are His chosen people, who keep His commandments. He is leading, not stray offshoots, not one here and one there, but a people.
Those who are tempted to aid Satan by criticizing leaders or laity in the Remnant church would do well to ponder the counsel of God’s messenger in the following quotations:
6T 42 “Nothing else in this world is so dear to God as His church, Nothing so offends God as an act that injures the influence of those who are doing His service. He will call to account all who aid Satan in his work of criticizing and discouraging.”
8T 36 “We must be terribly in earnest. We have not a moment to spend on criticism and accusation.”
TM 156 “Those who love Jesus will love the souls for whom He died. The truth planted in the heart will reveal the love of Jesus and its transforming power. Anything harsh, sour, critical, domineering, is not of Christ, but proceeds from Satan.”
The inclination to criticize should be a danger signal to us, for when the Holy Spirit purifies and transforms us, our hearts will be filled with love for God and for our brethren.
While it is true that the majority in the Remnant church are in the Laodicean state, many of whom will be shaken out, yet there is in the church a faithful group that will give heed to the counsel of Christ the True Witness. They will be prepared for the Latter Rain, share in giving the message with a loud Cry, and be ready for translation.
This is the Remnant church. God will not leas another movement. When the faithful ones give the message with great power during the Latter Rain, a great multitude will come out of failed churches, witness for their Master, and triumph with the redeemed on the sea of glass.
Now is the time to prepare for the Latter Rain. And we should remember daily that this work of preparation must take place under the Early Rain.
ADDITIONAL QUOTATIONS FOR MEDITATION
EW 66, 67 “My eyes were taken from the glory, and I was pointed to the remnant on the earth. The angel said to them, ‘Will ye shun the seven last plagues? Will ye go to glory and enjoy all that God has prepared for those that love Him and are willing to suffer for His sake? If so, ye must die that ye may live. Get ready, get ready, get ready. Ye must have a greater preparation than ye now have….Sacrifice all to God. Lay upon all upon His altar,—self property, and all, a living sacrifice. It will take all to enter glory….’
“Heaven will be cheap enough, if we obtain it through suffering. We must deny self all along the way, die to self daily, let Jesus alone appear, and keep His glory continually in view….
“Said the angel, ‘Deny self; ye must step fast.’ “
KH 291 “Our future eternal happiness depends upon having our humanity, with all its capabilities, and powers, brought into obedience to God and placed under control of Divinity….
“Jesus became a man that He might mediate between man and God,… that He might restore to man the original mind which he lost in Eden through Satan’s alluring temptation.
“…Through Jesus Christ every man may overcome…”
1SM 98 “The Lord desires every one of us to be decidedly in earnest.”
9T 44 “Intense earnestness should now take possession of us.”
5T 267 “Pray that the mighty energies of the Holy Spirit, with all their quickening, recuperate,. And transforming power, may fall like an electric shock on the palsy-stricken soul, causing every nerve to thrill with new life, restoring the whole man from his dead, earthly, sensual state to spiritual soundness. You will thus become partakes of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust; and in your souls will be reflected the image of Him by whose stripes you are healed.”
CH 138 “In order to be purified and to remain pure, Seventh-day Adventists must have the Holy Spirit in their hearts and in their homes. The Lord has given me light that when the Israel of today humble themselves before Him, and cleanse the soul-temple from all defilement, He will hear their prayers in behalf of the sick, and will bless in the use of His remedies for disease.”
PK 233 “To the heart that has become purified, all is changed. Transformation of character is the testimony to the world of an indwelling Christ. The Spirit of God produces a new life in the soul., bringing the thoughts and desires into obedience to the will of Christ; and the inward mind is renewed in the image of God.”
7T 33 “All that the apostles did, every church member today is to do.”
AA 49, 50 “Daily they prayed for fresh supplies of grace, that they might reach higher and still higher toward perfection. Under the Holy Spirit’s working, even the weakest, by exercising faith in God, learned to improve their entrusted powers, and to become sanctified, refined, and enabled. As in humility they submitted to the moulding influence of the Holy Spirit, they received of the fulness of the Godhead, and were fashioned in the likeness of the divine
“…If all were willing, all would be filled with the Spirit.”
CH 437 “As the human agent submits his will to the will of God, the Holy Spirit will make the impression upon the hearts of those whom he ministers.”
MH 512 “Nothing is more needed in our work than the practical results of communion with God. We should show by our daily lives that we have peace and rest in the Savior. His peace in the heart will shine forth in the countenance. It will give to the voice a persuasive power. Communion with God will ennoble the character and the life. Men will take knowledge of us, as go the first disciples, that we have been with Jesus. This will impart to the worker a power that nothing else can give. Of this power he must not allow himself to be deprived.”
Unlimited Possibilities
DA 250 “He who loves Christ the most will do the greatest amount of good. There is no limit to the usefulness of one who, by putting self aside, makes room for the working of the Holy Spirit upon his heart, and lives a life wholly consecrated to God.”
MH 160 “To everyone who offers himself to the Lord for service, withholding nothing, is given power for the attainment of measureless results.”
ADDENDA
Page 1, following line 22:
5T 67 “I am presenting to you that which the Lord has presented to me… They are what God has opened before me in vision—the precious rays of light shining from the throne.”
Page 12, following line 35:
5T 158 “We should pray as earnestly for the descent of the Holy Spirit as the disciples prayed on the day of Pentecost.”
Page 14, following line 8:
DA 389 “So fully was Jesus surrendered to the will of God that the Father alone appeared in His life.”
Page 17, following line 21:
8T 23 “My brethren and sister, plead for the Holy Spirit.”
Page 28, following line 29:
But to finish the work of God, we must receive daily a fresh baptism of the Holy Spirit.
BEHOLD I STAND AT THE DOOR AND KNOCK
2SM 57 “The great sin of those who profess to be Christians is that they do not open the heart to receive the Holy Spirit.”
COR 146 “If you open the door of the heart, Jesus will supply the vacuum by the gift of His Spirit, and then you can be a living preacher in your home, in the church, and in the world.”
7T 33 “All that the apostles did, every church-member today is to do. And we are to work with as much more fervor, to be accompanied by the Holy Spirit in as much greater measure, as the increase of wickedness demands a more decided call to repentance….
“At this time, when the end of all things is at hand, should not the zeal of the church exceed even that of the early church? …Should not the power of God be even more tightly revealed today than in the time of the apostles?”

As I have been saying, I am a 55m and I have been a PreCog all my life, this is my attempt to save people besides myself. My safety is never in question.
I revealed to my family and friends in June of 2022 that I was a time traveler via documents, FB messages, etc... After that I started posting in reddit timetravel but I didn't know about removing posts so that was some chaos I had to smooth out.
In my third post I announced:
There is a time traveler who I will call “J” and she is disrupting the normal state of time and space.
J has the ability to communicate to us all. I am not special in that regard. She communicates via dreams/visions and I can tell the difference.
I am sorry if this is disjointed, if it helps think of the movie Memento).
J does not see time like I do, so she may not present things in order from our perspective... we good, things make sense at the end.
J is constantly trying to make this easier to understand for everyone to understand and she is constantly fine tuning things to get enough to understand. Her plan is for our descendants get to the stars. She keeps jumping back to her train station, making changes to try to get you to understand.
As near as I can tell she needs the help of our descendants, but I do not know how true that is, as I do not trust her.
****
This was how I started it my very first try....
If you do not have a physics background that is fine. I will not get into a physics lesson. But, I do have one ask.
If you do know someone with a physics background, ask them if what I am describing is possible if the MWI theory was true. What it would mean if there actually was an infinite number of timelines and you had the ability to move between them.
****
How many are thinking LOL?
This was the issue with a previous timeline… we had trouble with this part.
Nobody got it in time, so things went dark.
That is ok my timeline fam, hopefully infinite universes get widely understood this go around as J uses the infinite part to try to make it easier to understand…
Now I don’t have to spend much time on MWI.
Adapt, learn and repeat.
****
I will use movies as examples as much as possible to make it as easy to understand for as many as possible.
Infinity of universes examples are in the the awesome movie Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. There is also the awesome movie Everything, Everywhere All at Once, and how they represented the infinite of universes.
The only thing I want you to focus on is universes and the infinity of the choices.
That part is so true(infinity). J claims that there are no sausage universes, we are never rocks, we are never paint, or any of the other things. It is an infinity of different versions of us all slightly different. She literally has infinite number of possibilities, but the light makes it easier. I have not looked at them all, it takes me forever to peer into one.
I have been calling the timelines but others want to call them universes, multiverse, etc...
We are talking about the same thing. The universe is affected by the flow of time, and I can be outside the boundaries of this universe projected into the Yeoh Dimension which lets me 'turn around' and look at the infinite of universes, they all move evenly, steadily following the march of time... so I call them timelines.
A timeline is a single universe from the HumanVerse.
The HumanVerse is a subset of the infinity of universes, to be part of the HumanVerse the timeline must contain human life.
I am a human and give 0F about timelines that do not have us.
If you see me use the word timelines, if you want to think universe, multiverse, whateverse... we good. It is the infinity part I need you to be thinking about, the infinity of options J has.
Now I want you to think what it would mean if there actually was an infinite number of timelines AND you had the ability to move between them.
I figured out how to jump between timelines, jumping from a flesh suit body on one timeline and jumping to my body on another timeline.
I have had the ability since I was 9 when I fell face first into a bonfire and quickly left that timeline/universe.
****
The last timeline it was at this point in time when I started to get into the cat theory, I found out he was a pedo (I do not know what I do not know).
So I jumped back and created my Mötley Cat Theory to avoid carrying that name into the future.
The Mötley Cat Theory
This theory is like a certain quantum cat theory put forth by a known pedophile, with some important differences. The cat is not in the box with a device that has a 50% chance of killing it. The cat is in a box with a device that can affect the cat in an infinite number of ways, setting an infinite number of states that the cat can be in.
Obeying quantum theory, the cat is every state until the box is opened and the state of the cat is known. The state of the cat when it is put in the box is not in question, it is set, constant and establishes the direction of the flow of time… from the known state of the cat to the unknown infinite states of the cat.
The box that the Mötley Cat is put in is what I was taught to call a “Black Box”. In science and engineering, the term black box refers to any complex device for which we know the inputs and outputs, but we do not know the how of the black box, as the inner workings of the black box is unknown.
The output of the black box are the timelines that come out, and I illuminate the ones we want. J bundles them and I am on the timeline heading towards the light.
I hope enough people can understand the Mötley Cat theory and hope my blatant theft of this theory from the pedo doesn't ruffle too many feathers. Mi scusi!
****
The first crossroads is the upcoming debt ceiling and the Quantum Outcomes that result from setting that cat's state. I am just looking at the lit timelines and seeing the easiest path.
I humbly propose we just raise the debt ceiling now to avoid any issues.
The second crossroads is the upcoming election fight between Biden and Trump in 2024.
I am trying to avoid chaos, and to try to keep everyone calm. I think my proposal will do that.
****
Welp, time to see what spawns from this as we all travel forward in time.
I would suggest before making big decisions you should sleep on it and see what J sends you.
****
I am hoping to use Reddit to communicate.
If you find me as you go down the rabbit hole and think I want to meet anyone, you are wrong.
I am asking to be left alone, just like I said months ago. I am a 55m with heart troubles.
It is a paradox, I want to be left alone, yet I had to talk.
Grrrr. Damn you irony! Please respect my wishes.

This scene stuck in my head. The Ehrenfest Ducal family discuss duchy ranking. Gregor is new character. He also Isekai, like Myne. But he is more connected to the previous world and wants to travel.
Fanfic Start: - Sylvester may I ask. How high in duchy ranking you expect us to go? - Gregor asked. - I hope that You, Wilfred and Rozemyne will lead our students to the 10 place. - Eeeeeeeee.... - Gregor close his mouth and try to regain noble pose. - Aub Ehrenfest. I think you lack important, crucial information. - You think we will not rise that high? - No. I think we will pass the 10 place with speed and grace that will stunt all. - Gregor looked around the table and saw many confused faces. - Apperantly Ehrenfest nobles will be the most stunt. Can I elaborate? - Yes. - Then please look ad this map. https://i.redd.it/6815050x1nw91.png And let's discuss Duchies above us. First we have to overcome Lortzing. With is nothing. They are winning duchy. But they were Frontline during civil war. They suffered quite some losses. And they are lesser duchy both in size and population. Both Noble and Commoners. To make matters even worse they are practically under Klassenber control. Like only Zausengas is more controlled by Klassenberg, but that is because Zausengas is occupy by Klassenberg. They do not produce enough food to feed themselves, they buy it from Jossbrenner. Just like Klassenberg. What Lortzing does produce is clothes, that they dye and sell to Klassenberg nobles. And I don't think they are left with much money afterwards. They do get steadfast protection from their northen neighbor. But they do not have anything note worthy. And anything of value that they would come up with, will be stolen, or sorry. Embraced by Klassenberg. After Lortzing we will be compare with Lehmbruck. From information that I gather quarter if not third of their land have climate similar Haldenzel. I will repeat that. At least quarter of their entire duchy have as bad climate as Haldenzel. What they do have going for them is being a trade route between Gilessenmeyer, duchy of Zent First wife, and Sovereignity. With they embrace completely. They made marble road with entwicklen and build accommodation for merchant alongside it. They milk theme for all they can. So they have money, but no plan or even idea how to spend theme. Just like Lortzing we will overtake theme with increased mana and better grades. Frankly Childrens bible, Karuta, Geographical puzzles and of course Rozemyne Mana Compression Method are boosting our grades so high, that on theme alone. We should reach 11 place BEFORE I, Wilfred and Rozemyne enters Royal Academy. And without unleashing our Trends and Recipes we would have equal fight with Immerdink for 10 place. That is, if Immerdink was not duchy of fools or at least very delusional people. - Are you saying that they archive 10 place by being delussional? - No Ferdinand. I am saying, they archive their place by being neutral during Civil War. And having size, plus proper Noble population of Middle Duchy. Population that was intact by Civil War. The delusional part is, that they can compete with Drewanchel, Arch Duchy of Schollars and their biggest trade partner, in being. Well Drewanchel. It is like Mednobel Schollar trying outdone ArchSchollar in being a Schollar. To make matters worse for Immerdink, they have roughly the same climate and products as Drewanchel. AND they ignore one strength their duchy have over Drewanchel. - Gregor what they ignore? - Come on Wilfred. Look ad the map. It is small, but noticeable. - Hmmm, access to sea? - Correct. Immerdink completely ignore their access to sea. And they could sail greater volume of their products ad cheaper price from their tiny seashore as far as Quandtreeb. And from their they could reach clients in Dunkelferger. For like one tenth of travel expenses that Drewanchel have to cover on shorter land route. So both Import and Exports of goods should be thriving. - Transporting by water is that more efficient? - Yes and more. You can transport several dozens wagons of cargo on the barge. That alone may water trade routes amazing. And Immerdink completely ignores their sea shore. I know that sea is shrinking but... - Gregor shrugged. - For us that means that Immerdink will be rather easy to overcome. However, to grow beyond 10 place we need attention from Sovereignity and Archduchies. We need Trends and Recipes and trading goods. - That we will unveil when our archduke candidate enter the Academy. - I agree with that Sylvester. But that also means we will be competing Kirschnereit for nine place. Competition that we will win easily in my humble opinion. - How? Kirschnereit are winning Middle Duchy. One that archieve great merit for Zent during the Civil War. I can see us overtaking Immerdink. We and theme were neutral. But Kirschnereit? - Aaa, but you see my dear Aub. Chaosfliehe hides in the details. For the youngest present. Kirschnereit once was a Greater Duchy. But two hundred years ago they and Eisenreich rebel against Zent, and losts. Eisenreich loss some territory to Klassenberg and was Divided in to Frenbeltag, Zausengas and our duchy of Ehrenfest. Kirschnereit loss some territory and Country Gate to Heuchletzte and was divided in to Ossvault, Quandtreeb, Linderthal, Bershmann and Kirschnereit. Just from the fact they still holds to the name they have as Greater Duchy. Should tell you how well they took that loss. That merit they get during civil war? It was mostly by subjugating lesser duchies that once were part of Arch Kirschnereit. Their arrogance is so great, their student loudly say. That if current Zent have Grutrissheit. The four lesser duchies would bin assimilated by theme. AND they say that they wish to regain Flutrane Country Gate that was stolen from theme by Heuchletzte. Room went silent. All present were trying to process the share amount of arrogance and stupidity they hear about. - Now. Wilfred small task for you. Check the map. And tell me who would oppose Kirschnereit reunification. - Hmmm, Dunkelferger, Drewanchel and Heuchletzte. Like, if Kirschnereit would reunite it would be bigger in size then Werkerstock. It is impossible that Zent and their neighbors would agree to that. - Correct. So, while setting up ranking is the privilege of Royal Family. I imagine all Nobles send to theme from Kirschnereit neighbors would not mind advising Royal Family, that lowering Kirschnereit below us will be great and needed lesson in Hummility. We just need to give theme good enough reason to do so. No wait. Not reason, excuse is also wrong. Justification. Yes. If we give Sovereignity good enough Justification, they will rather gladly put us above Kirschnereit. With means, that I think, around our second or third year in academy we will be challenging Jossbrenner the Eight and Gaussbutel the Seven. But ad that time, we will be in full force in Royal Academy. Between Wilfred, Charlotte, Rozemyne and Me. We should generate enough interest in Ehrenfest that we will have a chance of reaching eight maybe seven place. And leave Melchior a fighting chance of reaching six place and dreaming of fifth. - Six, fifth? You really think we can reach that high? - Well it is long term prediction. And they are uncertain by default. So let's talk slowly about eight and seventh place The Eight Jossbrenner. They are Bread Basket of Klassenberg. So they are to Klassenberg what Leisegang is for Ehrenfest. They play their role amazingly. But they also walk on tight rope. They can push Klassenberg to some degree. But not to much. Klassenberg both protect theme, but also steal anything of value from theme. To make matters worse for Jossbrenner. We plan on revealing that you can grow Potatoffel indoors and how ridiculously easy it is to grow and harvest theme on straw. If Klassenberg would take this bait, and they should take it. Klassenberg will be able to grow more its food. Lortzing also will gladly grow some of their food. Gilessenmeyer, Gaussbutel and Lehmbruck also are very suited to growing Potatoffel. If, or rather when Zausengas will be integral part of Klassenberg, they will turn it in to their second pantry. With all this we basically setting up fall of Jossbrenner already. Then we have Gaussbutel. They are in similar situation to Lehmbruck. Only they are trade route from Klassenberg to Sovereignity, so far more valuable goods are going through their land. And they were not neutral during Civil War. And they actually add value to items going through their territory. Their Smith work with all the ores Klassenberg is providing theme. So overtaking theme in the ranking will be our greatest challenge. That we will be only able to overcome with proper socializing with Great Duchies. With we should do with a plumb. - You are awfully certain of that. - Ferdinand please. We have Rozemyne the prize disciple of Lord of Evil. Wilfred and I were train by Lord Bonifatus. So by definition Dunkelferger will want to do Ditter with us. If we manage to score a interesting victory we will have their troublesome attention. Then, Rozemyne will play Harspiel and since she was trained by musical genius who was invited by royals to play for theme on regular basis. She should score a invitation by Music teacher and be able to grasp some attention from Klassenberg and Sovereignity itself. Not to mention, I was told that Wilfred whirling should earn him place on stage during graduation already. So he also will get us some cultural points. - Really? I am that good? - Yes. I told you. Moving around with the goal and purpose will pay off. Now just don't slack. And maybe you will be Dark God ad graduation. - Wilfred looked happy and, what is most important, determinate to make this a reality. - So we definitely get attention from Klassenberg the first and Dunkelferger the Second. Sovereignity will pay attention to us, by the simple fact how much we raise. And I plan to stir up some rivalry with Drewanchel. - What exactly do you planning? - Sylvester, you can relax I run everything through Ferdinand. I gonna send theme my Kuku clock and challenge theme to make something better. With so many devices and machines I have grasping and keeping their attention should be rather easy. - Sylvester looked to Ferdinand with a worry, but receive calming nod from his younger brother. With frankly did not calm him ad all. - Okey, stop. What you are telling me. Is that within four up to five years we will be fighting for eight if not seven place? - That exactly what I am saying. - Ferdinad, will be able to handle it? We will be upper rank duchy. Does Ehrenfest is ready, or rather can it be ready in such short amount of time? Like in the entire duchy only you have recent experience dealing with Royalty and Upper Duchies. Ferdinand start taping his temple. And thene on his face bloom very scary and very malicious smile. - Well Sylvester. You don't have to worry. I will gladly set up training regiment for you, Florencia and yours entire retinues and of course our Archduke candidates. I will put my all in to ensuring that you all will be able to stand tall. Fom some strange reason many people in the room went ghastly pale. - Now Gregor. I want you also tell us, about duchies in fifth and sixth place. You do have some interesting information about theme do you? - I imagine you want primarily information about Achrensbach the fifth. Okey. So Heuchletzte and Achrensbach have big problems and no solution in sight. They will battle for their respective position. But it is battle of „Who will slow down their downfall the most?” Then anything else. I have more information about Achrensbach and they seem to have more problems. But I will repeat, I just know more about theme then about Heuchletzte. - From where and how you collect all this information? - Well our students in academy are quite nice silver mines of information's. But my Gold mines are traveling merchants. I inform theme that I will sponsor citizenship for anybody who will bring me interesting tidbits and rumors. And boy they deliver. Now. I will start with Heuchletzte. Since there is less about theme. In short. Their sea is shrinking. And they heavily really on various seafood's for their economical and political prowess. Now, they are force to be basically a pirates on waters of Osvvault and Quandtreeb. They do not touch Losrenger, but everybody agree is more matter of time then anything else. And only solution for that problem is finding Grutrissheit. They also have the same problem that Achrensbach have. Sea is just extremely difficult to saturate with mana. - Big Brother Gregor. Why it is so difficult to fill sea with mana? - Hmm Charlotte imagine that you have bucket with paints and you splash it on the ground. With time that paint will be erased, but weeks if not months after splashing that paint, you will be able to see where it went. But now, if you splash the same paint on the lake. By the end of the day, you will not be able to see any paint whatsoever. This is because, paint will diffuse, eee spread itself ,across the water. With sea and mana is the same. You cannot saturate a concrete space on the sea. It will quickly spread across the entire of sea. So if you want to saturate it with mana, you have to do it for the entirety of the sea. Now check how big this things are, and remember that you also have to give mana to depths of the sea. Achrensbach sea is half the size of Ehrenfest. Now imagine how much mana is needed for half of our Duchy. Yeah, and that is one of the four giant mana sink holes that Achrensbach have. Second being their trade with Lanzenave. I have several merchant telling me that Lanzenave trades their spices and sugar primarily for feystones with mana. Maybe a quarter, if not less, is traded for coins or goods. And Achrensbach supply entirety of our country with spices and sugar. So just imagine how much mana they send beyond country gate. Then their is northern Werkerstock, the third sinkhole. And they put mana their to slow down degradation of the land. Not to make it flourish. This will continue until foundation of Werkerstock or Grutrissheit will be found. After all of that their Achrensbach as a duchy. Land and people that also needs mana. Like I really think Achrensbach will start to decline in the time we will be in Royal academy. With will give Melchior and his peers good chance on aiming for sixth place. But... really if Grutrissheit will not be found at that time... - Big Brother, Does Jossbrenner and Klassenberg also should suffer from their sea shrinking? - Yes, but actually no. For once. The Klassenberg sea is so often frozen solid that their is small amount of activity their in the first place. Jossbrenner have I think two, maybe three ports that do not freeze. But that all. So even if their sea would shrink it will not affect theme as much. But the thing is. Klassenberg sea either do not shrink or shrink very slowly. When I looked deeper in to the issue the working theory is this. Since Ewergliebe is constantly besiege Country Gate of Geduldh. The water is simply stuck as ice and don't move anywhere. Also, all that ice isolate water from white sand. So water also cannot leak outside of our country. And this prevent or at least greatly slowdown shrinkage of Klassenberg Sea.

Previously: Reasons
(and waaay more previously: ToTB:22)
***
Late in the evening, we were startled by the thomping of boots and laughter of soldiers.
Despite his state, Vasily stood up surprisingly fast and agile.
Two soldiers arrived, both could've been drunk based on their slurred speech, and the infinite time of meddling with the keyhole to finally open the room we were confined in.
They stumbled into the room, to their surprise Vasily kneeling the one in front in the groins, making him collapse, then stomped on his neck, killing him instantly. I jumped on the other, twisted his arm upward, then kicked in his knee bend, sending him face down. Vasily finished him with an excessive amount of hard kicks to the head.
"Don't kill them, for fuck's sake!"
He just looked at me, then shrugged.
"Boy, it will be a rough ride if you keep up this recklessness!"
"That one electrocuted my balls..." he muttered silently, pointing to the one with his skull bashed in.
"Fair enough..."
Grabbed their guns, Vasily got into one of the vests, then we peeked out of the building.
The guards at the barrier were busy drinking around the campfire, they couldn't see us slipping out in the dark. But the soldier in the watchtower was looking around carefully. Come on, this shouldn't be the time to act professional, soldier boy, thought to myself.
Couldn't risk running, and revealing our movement, we had to inch forward on our stomachs toward the sewer opening. Which they welded shut. I guess previous wandering of uglies into the open was less welcome.
Change of plans, we hid behind a metal dumpster, out of sight for the guard in the tower.
"Get to the fence, I'll boost you up, then you crawl to cover on the other side. Up the hill, there's another entrance to the underground, but hopefully we won't need it, and we can move away on the surface." I whispered to him.
"And how do you get out?"
"I'll manage."
Waited for the guard to look toward the East, then he climbed up, and fell down the other side. The thud alerted the guard, who turned on his searchlight and scanned the area. His attention turned away from the ladder, I could climb behind him unnoticed, and tackled him from the tower. He cracked some bones, but didn't lose consciousness, and cried out in pain. Heard the other guards gathering themselves all around and it was high time I made my move.
Grabbing the outside of the railing with one hand, the looted rifle in my other, I took a long deep breath before attempting something crazy - I leaped toward the concrete fence, arriving on its top, then immediately bouncing forward into a bush.
The dense foliage softened my landing, I collected my bearings, and followed Vasily, who was gesturing from the top of the incline, then aimed for the tower with short bursts, to suppress the arrived sniper.
The base was now on high alert, a bullet ricocheted off the rumbles above our heads, forcing us to duck, the shots arrived from the roof of the institute; having no viable option to escape, I pointed downwards, and Vasily nodded.
He was the first to climb down the rusty ladder, I followed suit, the thundering gunfire faded out, and the howling wind from the tunnels carrying the stench of decaying remnants from past excursions overwhelmed us.
Do you remember that I said numerous times how wrong I was? Jokes on you, this time I wasn't! The underground was indeed empty. Few human corpses beyond recognition, tushkano carcasses, but nothing of significance. Still, the place was a maze. After the entry point it seemed like linear, but passing a long corridor, and arriving to a pool of acid, we decided to turn back, and look for alternate routes. Another corridor, this time full with electros, Vasily almost walked into one.
But on its other end, some speech was audible, but couldn't make out any of it.
Unfortunately, we had no means to scout them, the layout of the place was unknown, I've never been here before, and any blueprints that might have existed once were carefully destroyed, and as far as I know anyone wanting to survey the place was obstructed or removed from their position. Secrecy, I guess, easier to cover up your shady operations when there are no evidences.
After another thirty minute of wandering, we found a spiral stair leading up, and the sound of speech increasing.
We only had the mags in the weapons, at least those were full.
"Clear and precise takedowns, or we'll die." I said to my companion.
"Semi-auto, aim for the head…I know, thank you…"
"You said you weren't a fighter."
"I never said I can't use a gun."
"Okay, follow my lead…"
Got up to the top of the stairs, opposite of it what seemed to be an elevator shaft with the cabin at level. Gestured him to stay behind, and I leaped over to the lift, then waited in hiding for a few seconds. Nobody heard me. Crouched around the shaft to see three guys sitting around a campfire, a vodka bottle being passed around. I eavesdropped on their conversation:
"I fucking hate this place…why are we even here?"
"Because we were told to be here. They let us be if we occasionally do their dirty work. So wait for the fugitives, then kill them."
"I hate working for the military."
"So do I, but Borov made a pact with them to let us alone, and we handle the more delicate matters. Answer enough?"
"Why is this more delicate?"
"One of them is an ecologist…"
"…and the military can't have the luxury to kill state officials here. I see. What I don't see is why they want him dead."
"Who cares, seriously? It's not the first time an individual would disappear on the orders of the soldiers."
At least I knew what they planned for us, but it got me thinking why the military thinks I'm still an ecologist...
Crawled back to Vasily, and motioned him around the shaft on the opposite side.
The darkness concealed us, the campfire lit our targets perfectly, I took first blood, Vasily joined and kill the other two, when we heard shouts from in front of us. More of them were present, yet not visible, but they didn't make a move, must've been hiding and waiting for us to attack. After all, we had no choice but to go forward.
I saw movement in my periphery, Vasily moved out of hiding, approached the brightly lit chamber, then motioned me to follow him.
"Cover me" he whispered, before peeked in sending a short burst, then rushed behind a pillar among the flying bullets ricocheting from the ceiling and the walls. In parallel, I leaned in, and targeted the remaining gunmen. Without aiming, Vasily just sprayed short bursts toward the bandits' position, placing them in crossfire and suppressing them from moving out of my line of sight, so I could pick them off one-by-one.
With the clicking of his emptied gun echoing in the chamber, he looked at me with a faint smile, then collapsed to the ground.
"Were you shot?!" I rushed to him.
"No, I don't think so, my body just gave up, I'm exhausted."
Sure, it must've been a strain for him to escape the barracks, wander around the underground, then get into a firefight with a great number of assailants.
I rummaged through the bandits stuff, borrowed a backpack which had the less bulletholes and blood on it, and shoved in everything useful I've found - ammo for the AKs, a sidearm with a full mag, medkits, bandages, some cans of food, and flasks of water, a pocket knife. At least we could replenish our supplies after the military stripped me clean.
"We must go on, they are hunting us."
"Just give me a minute to catch my breath, okay? At least less scum polluting the Zone" he smirked looking over the scene.
We found a ladder, and felt the fresh dawn breeze on our faces after emerging from the putrid sewers.
Approached the factory, I was hoping that loners occupy the place just now.
"Wait…" I've heard him faintly calling out to me from behind.
He was laying on his side, streams of blood soaking his pants.
"I guess I was shot, after all."
"You guess?!" I reached for a bandage, and removed his suit, then tore his blood-soaked shirt. A tiny hole on his waist, but the red liquid oozing like a creek.
Tried to stop the bleeding, but it was impossible. His face turned pale, he smiled at me.
"Now, I am free, I'm dying as a free man" he whispered as life left his body with a faint breath, and his eyes stuck in their sockets.
"Your fight has ended, brother. Rest in peace" tears dropping from my chin, creating rose patches on the bloodred shirt upon impact.
Must've been a ricochet lodged in his abdomen, he couldn't feel it because the adrenaline rush, then climbing the ladder moved the fragment out of its place, letting the blood flow. Fucking hell, I should've checked him while underground, he might still be alive, I cursed myself, but regrets couldn't resurrect him.
I dragged his body under a bush, and looked for any tool in the factory, hoping nobody and nothing finds him.
Returned with a shovel a few minutes later, and buried him next to the fence, not caring if any assailant catches up to me, I wanted to pay my respects.
Placed a memorial for him, tore a thick branch from a nearby tree, and shoved it in the loose soil, then got out the pocket knife to carve his name on it, realizing I didn't even know his full name.
"Vasily Liberty" I finished the engraving "you are finally free, brother."
Never was religious, didn't know any prayers, no eulogy came to mind, instead I started humming the tunes of He was a good stalker.
***
Initially, these were two separate entries, hence the length, but I've decided to merge them, because these are not necessarily parts of this series, more like a closure of the Tale of Two Brothers, and the events only serve as more reasons for Andrey Smartass to stay in the Zone.

See link below for Part 1- Reddit - Dive into anything
I hope everyone enjoys this story. I worked on condensing what I wrote the past few weeks and changed some things about the characters - I personally like this story arcs better.
TL;DR of where they go to college at the end.
Chapter 5: RD Results and Final Decisions Matthew It was a typical afternoon at the Green Hills High School library, and Matthew was sitting at one of the tables with his laptop, anxiously refreshing his email. Today was the day he would receive his regular admissions college results. He knew his life was about to change drastically, and he couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and dread as he awaited the news.
One by one, the emails started to come in. Matthew held his breath as he clicked on each of them, revealing the decisions that would shape his future. As he opened each email, he was met with a series of acceptances: Columbia, Princeton, Duke, UPenn, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Johns Hopkins, Carnegie Mellon, SUNY Binghamton, and SUNY Stony Brook. He was waitlisted at Harvard and Caltech but rejected at MIT, Stanford, and Yale.
Matthew's heart raced as he read through the acceptance letters, hardly believing the incredible opportunities that were now within his reach. He couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that all his hard work and dedication had paid off.
The email from Columbia caught his eye, and he opened it with particular interest. As he read through the letter, he discovered that not only had he been accepted, but he had also received an excellent financial aid package and had been accepted into Columbia's Undergraduate Scholars Program (CUSP). Matthew's eyes widened in disbelief, realizing that attending his dream school was now a genuine possibility.
As the news began to sink in, Matthew called his parents to share the exciting results. They were ecstatic, congratulating him on his incredible achievements and assuring him that they would support him in whichever decision he made.
Over the next few days, Matthew carefully considered his options, discussing them with his family, teachers, and friends. As he weighed the pros and cons, he found himself drawn to Columbia again and again. Its vibrant urban location, prestigious academic reputation, and the incredible financial aid package made it the perfect fit for him.
With a deep breath, Matthew finally made his decision. He clicked the "accept" button on Columbia's online portal, sealing his commitment to attend the university in the fall. A sense of relief and excitement washed over him, knowing that he was about to embark on a new journey that would shape the rest of his life.
In the following days, Matthew shared the news with his friends at Green Hills High School, who were thrilled for him and eager to hear about his decision. As they celebrated together, Matthew couldn't help but feel grateful for the support and encouragement he had received from his friends and family throughout the entire college application process. And as he looked forward to the future, he knew that he was ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that awaited him at Columbia University.
Priya It was the day that Priya had been anxiously waiting for since she was deferred from Brown Early Decision. As she sat in her bedroom, her hands trembling slightly, she mustered the courage to check her email for the regular admissions decisions. Her heart raced as the notifications started to pour in, each one carrying the potential to change her life forever.
Taking a deep breath, Priya opened the first email, revealing an acceptance from Brown. Her eyes widened in disbelief, a surge of joy and relief washing over her. She continued to read through the other acceptance letters, receiving offers from Cornell, Vanderbilt, Georgetown, Emory, UC-Berkeley, UVA, SUNY Binghamton, and SUNY Stony Brook.
However, the waitlist notifications soon followed. Priya was waitlisted at Harvard, Duke, UChicago, Northwestern, UCLA, NYU, Wash U, and Northeastern. Despite her impressive list of acceptances, the weight of the waitlist decisions stung. She closed the final batch of emails, revealing rejections from Stanford, Yale, Princeton, and U Penn.
Overwhelmed with emotion, Priya took a moment to process the whirlwind of news. She called her parents into her room and shared the results with them. They hugged her tightly, expressing their pride and assuring her that they would support any decision she made.
As the days passed, Priya carefully weighed her options, discussing them with her family, teachers, and friends. She revisited her Brown acceptance letter repeatedly, her heart fluttering with excitement each time she read it. Brown had always been her dream school, and now it was within reach.
After much thought and deliberation, Priya knew where she belonged. With newfound confidence and excitement, she logged into Brown's online portal and clicked the "accept" button. It was official; she was going to be part of the Brown University community.
Sharing the news with her friends at Green Hills High School, Priya found comfort and encouragement in their enthusiasm and support. They celebrated her decision to attend Brown, knowing that she had found the perfect place to continue her education and pursue her passion for social justice.
As Priya looked forward to her future at Brown, she felt a deep sense of gratitude for the love and support she had received throughout the entire college application process. Her friends and family had been her rock, and she couldn't wait to embark on this new journey with their encouragement behind her.
Minho Minho had already received his acceptance to MIT Early Action, but that didn't stop him from feeling anxious as he waited for the rest of his regular admissions decisions. Sitting in his room, he watched his email notifications with bated breath, eager to learn the outcomes of his other applications.
As the emails rolled in, Minho began to open them one by one. He was thrilled to see acceptance letters from Caltech, Carnegie Mellon, UC-Berkeley, Georgia Tech, Purdue, UCSD, and SUNY Stony Brook. His excitement grew as he realized the breadth of his accomplishments and the opportunities that lay before him.
However, the waitlist notifications soon followed, and Minho discovered that he had been placed on the waitlists for Columbia, Cornell, and Northeastern. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment, but his spirits remained high, buoyed by his impressive list of acceptances.
The final email revealed a rejection from Stanford. Though it stung to see the "we regret to inform you" message, Minho took the news in stride, knowing that he had already been accepted to his dream school, MIT.
Over the next few days, Minho carefully considered his options. Though he had several fantastic schools to choose from, MIT had always been his top choice. Its strong computer science program, rigorous academics, and prestigious reputation aligned perfectly with his aspirations as a future software engineer.
Minho shared his decision with his friends and family, who congratulated him on his incredible achievements. They knew that MIT was the perfect place for Minho to thrive, and they couldn't be more proud of him.
With excitement and anticipation, Minho officially accepted his offer to attend MIT. As he looked forward to the incredible opportunities that awaited him, Minho felt a deep sense of gratitude for the support and encouragement he had received throughout his journey. He couldn't wait to embark on this new chapter of his life and continue to reach for the stars at MIT.
Alex Alex had already been deferred from Stanford Early Action, and he couldn't help but feel anxious as he awaited the results of his regular admissions decisions. Sitting alone in his room, he stared at his computer screen, watching his email notifications pop up one by one.
Taking a deep breath, Alex began to open each email. He was delighted to find acceptance letters from Northwestern, Johns Hopkins, Georgetown, Notre Dame, UCLA, UVA, UMich, Georgia Tech, NYU, SUNY Binghamton, and SUNY Stony Brook. Alex couldn't help but smile at the thought of his accomplishments and the range of opportunities that lay ahead of him.
However, Alex's excitement was tempered by the waitlist notifications that followed. He had been placed on the waitlists for Stanford, Yale, Duke, UPenn, UC-Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon. Despite his initial disappointment, he reminded himself of the many fantastic schools that had already accepted him.
The final emails revealed rejections from Harvard, MIT, Princeton, Caltech, Columbia, UChicago, Brown, Dartmouth, and Cornell. Although it stung to see the "we regret to inform you" messages, Alex remained optimistic, focusing on the positive outcomes he had received.
Over the next few days, Alex carefully considered his options. He researched each school in depth, attending virtual tours and reading about their academic programs and campus life. Eventually, Alex found himself drawn to Northwestern, with its strong engineering program and beautiful campus near Chicago.
After discussing his decision with his family and friends, Alex decided to commit to Northwestern. He knew that the university would provide him with excellent opportunities to grow academically and personally while pursuing his passion for math and science.
With a mixture of excitement and relief, Alex accepted his offer to attend Northwestern. As he looked forward to the challenges and adventures that awaited him, he felt a deep sense of gratitude for the support and encouragement he had received from those around him. He couldn't wait to embark on the next chapter of his life at Northwestern, where he was eager to make his mark and seize every opportunity that came his way.
Raj Raj had already faced rejection from Yale Early Action, but he knew that he still had plenty of opportunities ahead. He sat at his desk, clutching his phone with anticipation as he waited for the regular admissions decisions to appear in his inbox.
With a mix of excitement and apprehension, Raj began to open each email. His face lit up as he read the acceptance letters from UPenn's prestigious Wharton School, UChicago, Northwestern, Carnegie Mellon, UC-Berkeley, UCLA, USC, NYU, and SUNY Binghamton. Raj was proud of his achievements and felt grateful for the wide array of options he now had to consider.
Next, Raj opened his waitlist notifications. He had been placed on the waitlists for Princeton, Columbia, Brown, Cornell, Vanderbilt, Johns Hopkins, UMich, and Northeastern. While he couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment, he knew that he had already received some impressive acceptances.
Lastly, Raj confronted the rejection letters from Harvard, Stanford, and Duke. He reminded himself that rejection was a natural part of the college admissions process and that he had still accomplished a great deal.
Over the next few days, Raj spent hours comparing the schools he had been accepted to, looking into their academic programs, extracurricular activities, and overall campus culture. As he researched and reflected, Raj found himself increasingly drawn to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. With its world-renowned business program and bustling urban location, UPenn seemed like the perfect place for him to thrive.
After discussing his options with his family, friends, and teachers, Raj made the decision to attend UPenn's Wharton School. He knew that the outstanding education and resources available to him there would set him on a path to success in the business world.
With excitement and determination, Raj accepted his offer to attend Wharton. As he looked forward to the next chapter in his life, he felt a deep sense of gratitude for the support he had received throughout his journey. Raj was ready to take on the challenges and opportunities that awaited him at the University of Pennsylvania, eager to make a lasting impact on both his future and the world around him.
Rachel Rachel sat in her room, her heart pounding as she stared at her laptop screen. She had already been rejected from Columbia Early Decision, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread as she prepared to open her regular admissions decisions. She knew that her tiger mom had high expectations, and the thought of disappointing her made Rachel's stomach churn.
As the emails began to arrive, Rachel hesitantly opened each one. Her face lit up with a smile as she read her acceptance letters from NYU, SUNY Binghamton, and SUNY Stony Brook. But the waitlist notifications soon followed, revealing that she had been placed on the waitlists for Cornell and Johns Hopkins.
Then came the rejections. Rachel's heart sank as she read the list of schools that had denied her admission: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Duke, Brown, UPenn, Dartmouth, Northwestern, UChicago, Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Vanderbilt, and Barnard. With each rejection, she felt the weight of her mother's expectations pressing down on her.
Fighting back tears, Rachel shared the news with her father first, hoping to gain some courage before facing her mother. Her father hugged her tightly, reassuring her that he was proud of her accomplishments and would support her decision no matter what.
The moment of truth came when Rachel sat down with her mother to discuss her college admissions results. Bracing herself for disappointment or anger, she shared her acceptances, waitlists, and rejections. To her surprise, her mother's reaction was not as harsh as she had feared. Though there was a hint of disappointment in her eyes, her mother told her that she was proud of her hard work and that she would always be there for her.
As the days went by, Rachel considered her options carefully. She had always loved the city, and the thought of attending NYU, with its vibrant atmosphere and diverse student body, appealed to her. After discussing her options with her parents and friends, she made the decision to attend NYU.
Rachel accepted her offer of admission to NYU with a mix of relief and excitement. She knew that her journey at NYU would be filled with new challenges, opportunities, and the chance to grow as a writer.
Although she hadn't gotten into some of the prestigious schools her mother had hoped for, Rachel felt a sense of pride in her accomplishments. She had faced her fears and come out stronger, ready to take on the next chapter of her life at NYU with determination and passion.
Alicia Alicia had already received her Early Action acceptance to Georgetown, but she still eagerly awaited the results of her other college applications. Sitting at the kitchen table with her family, she refreshed her email inbox, hoping for good news.
As the emails arrived, Alicia read the contents out loud to her family. She was elated to announce acceptances from Duke, Dartmouth, Emory, and NYU. Her family clapped and cheered, sharing in her joy and pride at her accomplishments.
Next came the waitlist notifications. Alicia informed her family that she had been placed on the waitlists for Princeton, Cornell, and Northeastern. Although she felt a hint of disappointment, she couldn't help but be grateful for her already impressive list of acceptances.
Finally, she read her rejection letters from Harvard, Yale, and Columbia. Despite the sting of rejection, Alicia remained optimistic, knowing she had already been accepted into several fantastic schools.
Over the following days, Alicia weighed her options. She found herself torn between Duke, where her older brother Marcus attended, and Georgetown's prestigious School of Foreign Service. She discussed her choices with her family, friends, and school counselors, seeking advice and insight to help her make the best decision.
Ultimately, Alicia chose to attend Georgetown. While the prospect of attending Duke and being closer to her brother was appealing, she couldn't deny her passion for international relations and the incredible opportunities that Georgetown's School of Foreign Service offered.
Alicia shared her decision with her brother, who expressed his support and pride in her choice. He knew that Georgetown was the perfect fit for her ambitions and dreams, and he looked forward to hearing about her experiences and successes there.
With excitement and determination, Alicia accepted her offer to attend Georgetown. As she looked forward to her future, she felt a deep sense of gratitude for the love and support she had received throughout her journey. She knew that Georgetown was the perfect place for her to grow, learn, and chase her dreams of making a difference in the world.
David David had already been accepted at Stanford to play football through the Restricted Early Action process, but that didn't stop his anticipation for the regular admissions decisions. As a talented athlete with a strong academic record, he knew that other prestigious schools might also be interested in recruiting him for their football programs.
One afternoon, David received emails from the football coaches at the University of Michigan and the University of Notre Dame, each expressing their enthusiasm to have him join their respective teams. David felt a sense of pride and accomplishment as he read the messages, knowing that his hard work both on and off the field had paid off.
Over the following days, David weighed his options carefully. He took the time to research each school's football program, academic offerings, and campus culture. He also reached out to his friends, family, and coaches to discuss his choices and gather their input.
As David considered each opportunity, he found himself consistently drawn back to Stanford. The university's strong academics, beautiful campus, and exceptional football program all seemed like the perfect fit for him. Moreover, he knew that attending Stanford would provide him with not only an excellent athletic experience but also the foundation for a successful career in business.
With a renewed sense of certainty, David confirmed his decision to attend Stanford. He sent emails to the coaches at Michigan and Notre Dame, thanking them for their offers and expressing his gratitude for their interest in him as an athlete and student.
As the day approached for David to sign his letter of intent with Stanford, he couldn't help but feel a mixture of excitement and relief. He knew that he had made the right choice and was eager to embark on the next chapter of his life as a student-athlete at one of the nation's most respected universities.
With his family and friends gathered around him, David signed the letter, officially committing to Stanford. He was filled with gratitude for the support he had received throughout his journey and looked forward to making his mark on the football field while pursuing his dreams in the classroom.
Taylor After having been deferred from Swarthmore during the Early Decision process, Taylor anxiously awaited their regular college admissions decisions. Sitting in their room, they took a deep breath as they opened their laptop to check their email.
As they started reading through the messages, Taylor felt a surge of happiness when they saw their acceptance letters from Wesleyan, Swarthmore, Barnard, Vassar, Reed, SUNY Binghamton, and SUNY Stony Brook. Each letter confirmed that these schools appreciated Taylor's unique talents and creativity, and were excited to have them on campus.
Next, Taylor opened the emails notifying them of their waitlist status at Williams, Northwestern, Emory, Georgetown, and Carnegie Mellon. Though a part of them felt disheartened, Taylor knew that they already had several amazing options to choose from.
Finally, Taylor faced the rejection letters from Yale, Duke, Columbia, Amherst, Brown, and Cornell. While it was tough to see those rejections, Taylor reminded themselves that the college admissions process was highly competitive and subjective, and that they had still achieved a great deal.
Over the next few days, Taylor spent hours researching the colleges they had been accepted to, focusing on each school's academic offerings, campus environment, and commitment to fostering an inclusive and supportive atmosphere. As they delved deeper, Taylor found themselves increasingly drawn to Wesleyan University, which was renowned for its vibrant arts scene and progressive community.
After discussing their options with family and friends, Taylor ultimately decided to attend Wesleyan. They knew that the university would not only provide them with a top-notch education but also a welcoming and nurturing environment where they could truly thrive as a nonbinary student.
Filled with excitement and anticipation, Taylor sent in their enrollment deposit to Wesleyan, eagerly looking forward to the incredible journey ahead. They couldn't wait to join the Wesleyan community, where they would have the opportunity to learn, grow, and make a lasting impact on the world.
Chapter 6: The Aftermath
Priya and Rachel Rachel and Priya sat on the steps outside Green Hills High School, their college decisions in hand. The sun was shining, but Rachel couldn't shake the cloud that hung over her head. She glanced at her list of acceptances and rejections, then looked over at Priya's results.
"Congrats on getting into Brown, Priya. I'm really happy for you," Rachel said, trying to force a smile.
"Thanks, Rachel. I'm excited, but I'm more worried about you. Are you okay?" Priya asked, concerned for her friend.
Rachel sighed, "I can't help but feel disappointed, you know? I got rejected by so many top colleges. All I have are NYU, SUNY Binghamton, and SUNY Stony Brook, and waitlists at Cornell and Johns Hopkins."
Priya placed a comforting hand on Rachel's shoulder. "Rachel, you're an amazing writer and a talented student. NYU is a fantastic school, and it's in the heart of New York City – the perfect place for a budding writer like you. Besides, you never know what might happen with the waitlists."
Rachel looked down at her results, then back at Priya. "I guess you're right. It's just that you got into so many prestigious schools, and I can't help but feel a little envious. I saw you were waitlisted at NYU, but I bet they only did that because they're afraid you'd choose another school over them."
Priya smiled reassuringly. "That's kind of you to say, but you shouldn't compare yourself to me or anyone else. We all have our own paths, and NYU seems like a perfect fit for you. Plus, I'm genuinely thrilled about your acceptance there."
Rachel nodded, taking a deep breath. "You know, my parents were actually happy about NYU. I was really surprised. I guess I should focus on the positives and make the most of the opportunity. Thank you, Priya. You're a good friend."
Priya hugged Rachel. "That's what friends are for, Rachel. I know you'll do great things at NYU, and we'll still keep in touch no matter where we are. We're in this together."
With a newfound sense of determination, Rachel decided to embrace her future at NYU, ready to make her mark on the world as an incredible writer.
Decision Day On College Decision Day, the excitement was palpable at Green Hills High School. Seniors wore shirts representing their chosen colleges, with a buzz of chatter filling the hallways as they eagerly discussed their futures. A banner hung in the common area, reading "Congratulations, Class of 2023!"
Ethan and Julie Green walked into the school together, both beaming with pride. Ethan wore a University of Chicago shirt, while Julie sported her Duke University gear. The twins exchanged a proud glance, thrilled to be attending their dream schools.
Priya Rabinowitz, her heart set on Brown University, chatted animatedly with her best friend Rachel Lee. Rachel wore an NYU shirt, a symbol of her acceptance and determination to thrive as a writer in the heart of New York City.
Matthew Hernandez stood tall, proudly wearing his Columbia University shirt. He was excited about the financial aid package and the Undergraduate Scholars Program that made his Ivy League dreams a reality.
David Anderson, sporting a Stanford shirt, high-fived his teammates as they congratulated him on his football recruitment. He was ready to take on the challenges of both academics and athletics at an elite university.
Minho Park, clad in an MIT shirt, discussed the future of technology with his computer science classmates. His passion for math and science would be nurtured at one of the world's top institutions.
Alicia Davis, wearing her Georgetown shirt, smiled as she thought about attending the prestigious university and following in her brother's footsteps of pursuing a law degree.
Alex Madrigal, dressed in Northwestern purple, was excited to embark on his academic journey at a top-tier school. He shared his enthusiasm with classmates who were also preparing to move to the Midwest.
Taylor, wearing a Wesleyan University shirt, found comfort in knowing that they would be attending a college that celebrated their nonbinary identity and allowed them to explore their creativity.
Raj Singh, proudly displaying his UPenn Wharton shirt, engaged in a lively debate about business and economics, eager to learn from the best in the world.
Mary Sinclair, wearing her Brown University shirt, felt a mix of relief and excitement as she thought about her future at the Ivy League institution, hoping to prove herself beyond her family legacy.
As the day went on, the students of Green Hills High School celebrated their accomplishments and the new chapters ahead. They shared memories, laughter, and even some tears as they prepared to embark on their college journeys. Though they would soon part ways, the bonds forged at Green Hills would remain a cherished part of their lives.
*END*
I hope everyone enjoyed this updated story! I know this post was long but overall this story is a LOT shorter than the one I originally posted. I made a bunch of changes to the original one - so this isn't a summary of the long one. I personally like this set of characters better than the first one to be honest.
TL;DR Ethan Green: UChicago Julie Green: Duke Priya Rabinowitz: Brown Rachel Lee: NYU Matthew Hernandez: Columbia Minho Park: MIT Alicia Davis: Georgetown Mary Sinclair: Brown Alex Madrigal: Northwestern Raj Singh: UPenn (Wharton) David Anderson: Stanford (football) Taylor Chen: Wesleyan

Hi all, I ended up condensing this story a lot and I changed the trajectory of some of the students. I added a new student (Rachel) and took out another (Sarah). Hopefully you all liked this story! I took out some of the "fluff" scenes and decided just to focus on college stuff for the most part.
This is it *phew*. I had to split in two parts because Reddit has a 40k character limit.
Link for Part 2 below Reddit - Dive into anything
IntroductionEthan Green:

• GPA: 3.6
• SAT score: 1590
• Top 5 extracurriculars: Math Club, School Band (Guitar), Chess Club, Tutoring, Art Club

Julie Green:

• GPA: 4.0
• SAT score: 1500
• Top 5 extracurriculars: School Newspaper (Editor-in-Chief), School Band (Guitar), Model United Nations, Yearbook Club, Environmental Club

Priya Rabinowitz:

• GPA: 4.0
• SAT score: 1570
• Top 5 extracurriculars: Student Council (President), Debate Team, Key Club, National Honor Society, Volunteer at local non-profit organization

Matthew Hernandez:

• GPA: 4.0
• SAT score: 1580
• Top 5 extracurriculars: Science Olympiad, Math Club, Robotics Club, Peer Tutoring, Community Service Club

Rachel Lee:

• GPA: 3.8
• SAT score: 1460
• Top 5 extracurriculars: Creative Writing Club, School Newspaper, Drama Club, Art Club, National Honor Society

David Anderson:

• GPA: 3.7
• SAT score: 1410
• Top 5 extracurriculars: Varsity Football (Quarterback), Student-Athlete Leadership Council, Business Club, School Spirit Committee, Volunteer at local youth sports organization

Minho Park:

• GPA: 4.0
• SAT score: 1590
• Top 5 extracurriculars: Computer Science Club, Math Club, Science Olympiad, Robotics Club, USACO (USA Computing Olympiad) participant

Alicia Davis:

• GPA: 3.9
• SAT score: 1520
• Top 5 extracurriculars: Debate Team, Mock Trial, Model United Nations, Volunteer at local community center, National Honor Society

Alex Madrigal:

• GPA: 4.0
• SAT score: 1550
• Top 5 extracurriculars: Math Club, Science Olympiad, Soccer Team, School Newspaper, Spanish Club

Taylor Chen:

• GPA: 3.8
• SAT score: 1480
• Top 5 extracurriculars: Art Club, LGBT+ Alliance, Drama Club, Environmental Club, School Newspaper (Arts Section)

Raj Singh:

• GPA: 4.0
• SAT score: 1560
• Top 5 extracurriculars: Debate Team, Model United Nations, Science Olympiad, National Honor Society, School Newspaper (Opinions Editor)

Mary Sinclair:

• GPA: 3.9
• SAT score: 1510
• Top 5 extracurriculars: Art Club, Student Council (Vice President), School Newspaper (Features Editor), Yearbook Club, Community Service Club

Chapter 1: Beginning of Senior Year The crisp autumn air swirled around Green Hills High School, a prestigious public high school nestled in the suburbs of New York City. A sense of urgency and anticipation permeated the school, as the college admissions season had arrived. The pressures of academic achievement and looming deadlines weighed heavily on the shoulders of the senior class, who each bore their own unique dreams and aspirations. Among them were twelve students, each with distinct backgrounds and stories, all vying for a chance to secure a place at their dream colleges.
Ethan Green, an academically gifted slacker, found his once-promising future in jeopardy due to personal struggles and substance abuse. However, a stunning 1590 on the SATs breathed new life into his aspirations, rekindling his desire to attend the University of Chicago. With the unwavering support of his twin sister Julie, a straight-A student with a passion for music, Ethan began the arduous journey of repairing his tarnished transcript. Julie, on the other hand, had her heart set on Duke University, where she hoped to pursue a career in journalism.
Priya Rabinowitz, a brilliant, mixed-race overachiever, was the epitome of a perfect student. Her dream was to attend Brown University, driven by her passion for social justice. Despite her many accomplishments, she harbored a secret fear of not being "good enough." Her best friend, Rachel Lee, shared a similar sentiment, feeling inadequate in comparison to her academically perfect older brother Brian, and her high-achieving friend, Priya.
Matthew Hernandez, a top student with perfect grades and a near-perfect SAT score, dreamed of attending Harvard University, but his impoverished background made paying for college seem like an insurmountable challenge. At the same time, David Anderson, the school's star quarterback, yearned to attend Stanford and study business, but feared that his intelligence would be overshadowed by his athletic prowess.
Minho Park, a computer science prodigy who moved from South Korea at a young age, aimed to attend a prestigious school like MIT, Caltech, or Stanford. Alicia Davis, one of the few black students at Green Hills High School, aspired to attend Georgetown University and become a lawyer, her warm personality making her a natural confidante to her peers.
Alex Madrigal, another top student with a passion for math, science, and soccer, focused on getting into Stanford University. Meanwhile, Taylor Chen, a recently out nonbinary student, sought a college that would provide a safe and supportive environment for them to thrive.
Raj Singh, a senior at Green Hills High School who excelled in debate, hoped to attend Yale University. Lastly, Mary Sinclair, a talented artist who faced the pressures of being a double legacy at Brown University, worried that she may not truly be qualified for the prestigious institution.
As the college admissions season unfolded, these twelve seniors navigated the treacherous waters of self-discovery, friendship, and ambition, their journeys intertwining and shaping one another in ways they could never have imagined. The story of Green Hills High School's senior class was one of hope, heartache, and the relentless pursuit of dreams, all set against the backdrop of an unforgiving, competitive world.
Chapter 2: Applying Early The sun had barely risen on November 1st, the day when early college applications were due. A flurry of last-minute edits and double-checking consumed the lives of Green Hills High School's seniors as they prepared to submit their applications. The twelve friends, united by their dreams, sat together in the school library, each nervously finalizing their college applications.
Ethan, his heart pounding, reviewed his application one last time before hitting the submit button for Early Decision at the University of Chicago. He felt a mixture of excitement and trepidation as he considered the possibility of attending his dream school.
Julie, sitting beside her twin, took a deep breath and clicked submit on her Early Decision application to Duke University. She allowed herself a brief moment of relief, knowing she had poured her heart into her application and showcased her love for journalism.
Priya's hands trembled as she applied Early Decision to Brown University, her anxiety about being "good enough" momentarily set aside in the hope that her passion for social justice would shine through.
Rachel, her heart racing, sent off her Early Decision application to Columbia University, trying to shake off the pressure from her family and praying that her talents as a writer would be enough to secure her a spot at the prestigious institution.
Matthew, his jaw clenched, submitted his Restricted Early Action application to Harvard University, knowing that his future depended on receiving sufficient financial aid. He hoped that his stellar academic achievements would make it impossible for Harvard to turn him away.
David's eyes were filled with determination as he sent off his Restricted Early Action application to Stanford University, after completing his football tryouts. He hoped that the admissions officers would see his potential both on the field and in the classroom.
Minho, his fingers tapping anxiously, submitted his Early Action application to MIT. He had poured his heart into his computer science projects and was eager to showcase his passion and talent in his application.
Alicia, with a supportive smile from her friends, applied Early Action to Georgetown University. Her dream of becoming a lawyer seemed closer than ever as she hit the submit button, the pride she felt in herself evident in her eyes.
Alex, filled with anticipation, sent off his Restricted Early Action application to Stanford University. He knew that his academic achievements and passion for soccer had the potential to make him stand out in the competitive applicant pool.
Taylor, their hands shaking with nerves, applied Early Decision to Swarthmore College. They hoped that the accepting environment of the school would allow them to embrace their nonbinary identity and pursue their artistic passions.
Raj, his heart pounding, submitted his Restricted Early Action application to Yale University. He knew that his father would have been proud of his accomplishments, and he hoped that his debate skills and determination would be enough to secure a place at his dream school.
Mary, her face a mixture of hope and worry, applied Early Decision to Brown University. Despite her double legacy status, she longed to be admitted based on her own merits and her passion for art, rather than her family connections.
As the twelve friends hit the submit buttons on their applications, a collective sigh of relief filled the library. They had taken the first, crucial step in the college admissions process, their dreams laid bare for the admissions officers to see. The waiting game had begun, and their futures hung in the balance, but for now, they took solace in their shared journey, knowing that whatever the outcome, they had each other's support.
Chapter 3: Early Admissions Results
It was a chilly December evening when the early decision and early action results were released. The twelve friends gathered at Ethan and Julie's house, huddled around their laptops and phones, each waiting with bated breath for the email that would determine their future.
Ethan opened his email first, his eyes widening as he read the words, "Congratulations!" He had been accepted to the University of Chicago! The room erupted in cheers and applause as Julie hugged her twin, her pride in his accomplishment shining in her eyes.
Next, Julie nervously opened her own email, letting out a squeal of joy as she discovered that she had been accepted to Duke University. Her dream of studying journalism at the prestigious institution was now a reality, and her friends celebrated with her, sharing in her happiness.
Priya's hands shook as she opened her email from Brown University, only to find that she had been deferred. Her heart sank, and she tried to mask her disappointment with a smile. Rachel, whose application to Columbia University had been rejected, wrapped an arm around her friend, offering silent support.
Matthew's face fell as he read that his application to Harvard had also been deferred. He fought back the fear that his family's financial situation might prevent him from attending his dream school, even if he were ultimately accepted.
David beamed with pride as he announced that he had been accepted to Stanford University to play football. His friends cheered for him, although Alex couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy, knowing he was more academically qualified. Alex's own email from Stanford revealed that he had been deferred, causing the disappointment to settle heavier in his heart.
Minho's face lit up with joy as he discovered that he had been accepted to MIT. His friends congratulated him, knowing that his hard work and dedication to computer science had paid off. Alicia, too, had reason to celebrate, as she was accepted to Georgetown University, one step closer to her dream of becoming a lawyer.
Taylor's heart raced as they opened their email from Swarthmore College, only to find that they had been deferred. They tried to remain hopeful, knowing that the college search was far from over.
Raj's face paled as he read that he had been rejected from Yale University. The disappointment stung, but his friends rallied around him, reminding him of his incredible accomplishments and assuring him that he would find the right college in the end.
Finally, Mary opened her email from Brown University and was met with the news of her acceptance. The room filled with cheers and congratulations, but Priya couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy. While Mary was a strong student, Priya's test scores and grades had been higher, and she knew that Mary's double legacy status had played a role in her acceptance.
As the evening came to an end, the twelve friends had experienced a roller coaster of emotions. Some had reason to celebrate, while others were met with disappointment, jealousy, or uncertainty. Despite the various outcomes, they knew that their friendship would remain steadfast. Together, they would continue to navigate the ups and downs of the college admissions process, their bonds only growing stronger as they faced an uncertain but hopeful future.
Chapter 4: A Few Random Scenes Before RD Decisions Income Brackets The twelve friends gathered at a local park on a sunny Saturday afternoon, enjoying each other's company as they picnicked and played games. As the sun began to dip in the sky, they sat on the grass in a circle, sharing their thoughts and experiences.
Alicia, ever the good listener, brought up a topic that they had all noticed but rarely discussed: their different income brackets. It was a sensitive subject, but Alicia felt that it was important for them to acknowledge and understand the unique challenges each of them faced.
Matthew, who came from a low-income family, hesitated before speaking up. "You know, sometimes it's really hard being one of the poorest students in our school. I've had to work a part-time job to help support my family, and that's meant less time for studying or extracurriculars." His friends nodded in sympathy, recognizing the additional pressure that Matthew faced in trying to balance his responsibilities.
Ethan, Julie, Minho, Alicia, and Taylor, who all came from middle-class families, shared their own struggles. "It's not always easy for us either," said Julie. "We may not have to worry as much about making ends meet, but we still feel the pressure to work hard and achieve our dreams without having a financial safety net to fall back on."
Priya, Rachel, David, Alex, and Raj, who were considered upper middle class, acknowledged the advantages they had but also shared their perspectives. "Sure, we have more resources," admitted Priya, "but it sometimes feels like there's an expectation for us to succeed no matter what. That pressure can be really overwhelming."
Mary, who came from an upper-class family, listened to her friends' experiences and nodded in understanding. "I know I'm fortunate," she said softly, "but it's not always easy being seen as the 'rich kid.' Sometimes people assume I don't have to work hard, or that I don't have my own problems. Money can't buy happiness, and it can't guarantee success either."
As the conversation continued, the friends found themselves opening up about their fears, insecurities, and the unique challenges they faced because of their different financial situations. They began to understand each other's perspectives more fully, realizing that no one had a perfect life, regardless of their income bracket.
The sun had almost set by the time the twelve friends decided to pack up and head home. As they walked together, they felt a renewed sense of unity and support. They knew that their friendship was more important than any financial differences, and they were grateful to have one another as they faced whatever challenges life had in store for them.
Ethan
The twelve friends were seated in the school library, working on a group project for their history class. Their task was to research and create a presentation on the American Revolution, and each student was responsible for a specific aspect of the project.
As they discussed their findings, Julie mentioned a piece of information that she couldn't quite recall. "I remember reading something about the Battle of Saratoga, but I can't remember the exact details," she admitted, frustrated.
Ethan, who had been quietly browsing through a book, glanced up and said, "Do you mean the fact that it was a turning point in the Revolutionary War because it convinced the French to support the American cause?"
Julie looked at him, surprised. "Yes, that's exactly it! How did you know?"
Ethan grinned sheepishly. "I saw it in one of the books we were using for research last week. I just happened to glance at the page, but it stuck in my head."
His friends exchanged glances, impressed by Ethan's uncanny ability to remember things he had only seen briefly. It was a talent they had all noticed before, but never really discussed.
Curious, Minho asked, "Ethan, do you have a photographic memory?"
Ethan shrugged. "I guess you could say that. I've always been able to remember things I've seen or read, even if it's just for a short moment. It's just something my brain does."
The group marveled at Ethan's unique skill, and they began to ask him questions about various historical events and figures. To their amazement, he was able to recall an incredible amount of information, often down to the exact page number where he had seen it.
As the group continued their project, they couldn't help but feel grateful for Ethan's extraordinary memory. His ability to retain and recall information made their research more efficient, and it quickly became clear that his talent would be a major asset in their project.
The friends were not only impressed by Ethan's photographic memory but also inspired by the way he used his gift to help the group. It was a reminder that each of them had their unique strengths, and when they worked together, there was no challenge they couldn't overcome.
Rachel The twelve friends had gathered at Priya's house for a relaxed weekend hangout. As they lounged in the living room, a pile of their old middle school yearbooks lay on the coffee table, stirring up nostalgic memories and laughter.
Raj picked up one of the yearbooks and flipped through the pages, pausing when he came across the "Creative Writing Club" section. He looked up at Rachel and said, "Hey, I remember you won a couple of writing contests back then. Are you still writing?"
Rachel blushed and nodded. "Yeah, I've been working on a few short stories recently."
Her friends exchanged glances, intrigued. "Would you mind sharing one with us?" Alicia asked gently, her eyes full of genuine interest.
With some hesitation, Rachel agreed and disappeared into her bag, retrieving a small notebook. Her friends gathered around her in anticipation as she flipped through the pages, searching for the story she wanted to share.
"Okay," Rachel said, taking a deep breath. "This one is called 'The Timekeeper's Daughter.'"
As she began to read, her friends listened intently. Rachel's words painted a vivid picture of a young girl named Lila, who lived in a world where time was a tangible currency. Lila's father was the town's Timekeeper, responsible for managing and distributing time to the citizens.
The story was filled with imaginative details and intricate descriptions that transported the friends into Lila's world. Rachel's writing was both elegant and engaging, seamlessly weaving together the threads of the plot as the story unfolded.
As Rachel's voice carried them through the emotional highs and lows of Lila's journey, her friends found themselves hanging onto every word. They felt the young girl's joy and sorrow, her determination and fear, and the ultimate resolution of her story.
When Rachel finally closed the notebook, the room was silent for a moment before it erupted into applause. Her friends marveled at the beauty of her storytelling, praising her extraordinary writing abilities.
"Rachel, that was incredible!" Julie exclaimed. "I felt like I was right there with Lila in that world. Your descriptions were so vivid, and the story was so unique and compelling."
"Yeah, you have a real gift," David added, his admiration evident in his voice. "You should consider writing a book someday."
Rachel blushed again, overwhelmed by their compliments. As her friends continued to praise her creative writing talents, she felt a newfound sense of confidence and determination to continue honing her craft.
For the twelve friends, the experience of listening to Rachel's story brought them closer together, as they were reminded once again of the diverse talents that each of them possessed. Together, they celebrated Rachel's extraordinary writing abilities and the unique gifts that each of them brought to their circle of friendship.
See link below for Part 2!

Note: As I said I want to take my time with this story and write it in better quality ("book alike") with bigger chapters and more characters development and world building. Enjoy this chapter!
Prologue Chapter 1 Prev Next
*****
Karina stepped through the portal for the second time that day, emerging in a bustling square in the heart of Aharedun, the capital city of the Kingdom of Aranthia. Unlike the portal to Thalassar, this one was noticeably smaller and less blurry, allowing Karina to clearly see the guards standing on the other side of the shimmering energy field. They wore their imposing grayish armor, their eyes trained on the group of travelers that had just arrived.
Leading the way was Prince Kaelen, who beckoned Karina and their new Viluna companions to follow him into the city. As they made their way through the square, Karina couldn't help but marvel at the sights and sounds around her. The buildings were unlike anything she had ever seen on Earth, with towering spires and ornate decorations adorning every surface. The air was thick with the scent of exotic spices and the sound of alien music that made her toes tap in rhythm.
The crowd that had gathered to greet them was diverse, made up of Thalassarians they already met and several others, she wasn’t sure if they were other species or races.
Her attention was drawn to a particular figure in the crowd, a small creature with dark-green skin and carapaces on its body. It wore a bright yellow toga and had a face that was humanoid but with distinct differences. Its nose was small and almost imperceptible, and it had no hair on its head. Karina couldn't help but stare, fascinated by this strange being.
Before she could take in more of her surroundings, Prince Kaelen stepped forward and made a gesture opening both of his hands and waving his head from one side to other, prompting the crowd to follow suit. Karina wasn't sure if it was a greeting or a bow, but she joined in, copying the movement.
"Welcome, citizens of Aharedun and visitors from afar!" Prince Kaelen announced to the crowd. "We are honored to have these new guests among us, the Humans! We will be taking them to the Royal Palace to show them more of our city tonight and in the coming days. In the meantime, please enjoy the festivities and explore our wonderful city!"
The crowd erupted into applause, and Karina felt a sense of warmth and hospitality from the Thalassarians, she wasn’t sure what she expected once they came here, but this was a welcome sight. As they followed Prince Kaelen down the bustling street, she took in more of the sights and sounds around her, feeling a sense of adventure and excitement building within her. She couldn't wait to see what other wonders this world had in store for her.
They walked stone-cobbled streets towards the big Palace prompted on one of the hills that surrounded the city. The whole time Karina and the humans were escorted by the legion of guards and the hooded figures appeared every once in a while on the corners or on top of the buildings.
“How many people live here?” Karina asked her Viluna which was hovering near her shoulder.
“Around five hundred thousand,” Viluna answered with a squeaky voice.
“Is that a lot in Thalassar or?” Karina asked curiously.
“It’s on a bigger spectrum, but that are larger cities, Aranthia has three bigger cities, but this their capital due to its geopolitical position.” A little speck of flittering light answered. “Which city are you from back on Earth?” The little creature asked her.
“I was born in Moscow,” Karina answered.
“Ahh, we have heard of it in our brief time on Earth,” Viluna answered.
“What?” Karina was shocked. “You have been on Earth? When?” She asked.
“We have visited once the portal was open,” Viluna answered. “We are curious creatures, drawn to new things.”
“How come no one saw you?” Karina asked looking at the Viluna as it flown around her head.
“We can’t take physical or any form on that matter on Earth.” The creature said. “See on our moon we have a physical form, down here on Thalassar we are like this, but once we went through the portal we became nothing but a flicker in the air, barely visible if you knew what you were looking for.” The creature said changing its colors.
“So, why are you here and with us if you can just go to Earth and learn all about us from the shadows?” Karina asked.
“Well, it’s not that simple. Since we can not find any form on Earth, we can’t stay long there, no more than an hour at a time and once we get back it takes us long time to recover.” Viluna explained.
Karina furrowed her brows, trying to understand. “Why is that?”
“We start to lose ourselves if we stay longer. Our minds can’t work right without a form. If we were to stay longer, we would probably cease to exist, as our minds would get lost completely,” Viluna said, changing colors.
“Hmm,” Karina said thinking. “You are weird little creatures. We will talk more tonight, I want to take in all the sights now.” With that said the little creature buzzed above her head.
They had almost reached the big palace during their conversation, only a big flight of rounding stone stairs was between them and an enormous gate at the top of the hill.
“Up we go humans,” Prince Kaelen said and started climbing.
They made their way up the grand staircase, their footsteps echoing against the stone steps. Karina looked around in awe at the view of the city that was unfolding before her. She could see the different districts and neighborhoods of Aharedun, each with its own unique architecture and vibe. She noticed a few towering buildings that stood out from the rest, in her mind those belonged to the nobility or wealthy merchants.
As they reached the top of the stairs, they were met with the sight of the enormous gate, decorated with intricate carvings and symbols that Karina couldn't decipher. The gate was guarded by two large statues of armored soldiers riding unfamiliar beasts, their swords raised and ready to strike. The guards opened the gates, and they stepped into a wide courtyard, filled with lush greenery and fountains.
The palace itself was an impressive structure, with several wings and towers reaching up toward the sky. The walls were made of a white stone that shimmered in the sunlight, and the windows were adorned with colorful stained glass. Karina could see balconies and terraces on the upper floors buzzing with people looking down at their new guests.
Prince Kaelen stood and faced the crown. “Welcome to Royal Palace,” He said opening his arms to show the majestic structure spreading on three sides around them. “It’s been built by my family some four hundred years ago and had been our home ever since.”
As Kaelen talked Karina took her time to take in the marvelous Palace. She was struck by the sheer grandeur of the architecture. Towering pillars rose up from the ground, supporting massive arches and intricate carvings that adorned every inch of the Palace's façade. The gardens were a sight to behold as well, with an array of exotic flowers and plants that seemed to glow in the sunlight. Karina could hear the soft babbling of a nearby fountain, which was surrounded by a group of playful Thalassarian children who were splashing around in the water.
Karina took few steps away from the group and noticed the bustling activity of the Thalassarians as they tended to the upkeep of the Palace and its grounds. Some were meticulously cleaning the pavement, making sure that every stone was spotless. Others were hard at work, trimming and pruning the greenery so that it maintained its shape and beauty. Karina couldn't help but admire the dedication and attention to detail that the Thalassarians put into their work.
Despite their busy schedules, the Thalassarians still found time to take in the sights and sounds of the Palace. Karina observed that they often stopped to exchange greetings and friendly banter with one another, even as they went about their tasks. And yet, whenever opportunity arose, the Thalassarians couldn't help but steal glances in the direction of humans. It was clear that they were curious about the visitors.
“This will be your home for the next year, or until you wish to get reassigned to another part of the program.” Kaelen said finishing speech. “There will be a maid so to say or someone to be of your assistance for each of assigned on top of your Vilunas to make your lives in palace easier. Go ahead enter the east wing of the palace and you will find your rooms at the second and third floor.”
Karina's heart skipped a beat as she stepped into the Palace, her eyes wide open as she tried to take in the grandeur of the interior. The entryway was dominated by a massive chandelier, but she noticed that instead of light bulbs, it was adorned with floating spheres of light that illuminated the entire room in a soft, warm white glow. The walls were painted in a rich shade of yellow, resembling the color of the ocean, while the marble floors were decorated with intricate patterns that seemed the follow the motives from their uniforms.
As she followed the grand hallway, she passed by rooms that were equally lush and rich. She couldn't help but marvel at the fine artwork that adorned the walls, the intricate tapestries that hung from the ceiling, and the luxurious furniture that filled each room. It was like nothing she had ever seen before.
Climbing at the third floor she arrived at her room. It was just as grand as the rest of the Palace, with a large four-poster bed draped in luxurious silks, a writing desk made of rare woods, and a balcony that offered a stunning view of the gardens below.
As Karina was lost in thought, the sound of the door opening startled her. She turned to see a young Thalassarian woman with strikingly unique eyes. They were a deep purple with a faint glow, an unmistakable characteristic of the Thalassarians. Karina guessed her to be in her early twenties, but it was hard to tell with them yet.
The woman's beauty was undeniable, but there was also an awkwardness about her that made her all the more endearing. She stood there nervously, clasping her hands together, as she spoke in a soft voice, "Mistress, my name is Nereia. I have been assigned to assist you during your stay here."
Karina couldn't help but smile at the young woman's formal address, "Please, call me Karina. And it's a pleasure to meet you, Nereia."
Nereia let out a small sigh of relief, "Thank you, Karina. If you'll allow me, I'll show you around and help you with anything you need during your stay here. How do you like your room?" Nereia asked.
“I love it, it’s beautiful,” Karina answered truthfully. “It’s all very overwhelming, but it’s grandiose, to say the least,” Karina said with a friendly smile.
Nereia returned the smile, her faintly glowing eyes sparkling in the light. "I'm glad you like it. Well, the Royal Family is known for its luxurious style.” She said. “Is there anything else you need before I leave you to settle in?"
Karina shook her head, "No, I think I'm good for now. Thank you again, Nereia."
“I will be back later with a gown for the welcome feast tonight, you make yourself comfortable and call me if you need anything,” Nereia left and closed the door behind her.
Moments later Karina stepped out onto the terrace, taking in the sweet scent of blooming flowers and the sound of trickling water from the nearby fountain. She noticed Viluna, her sparkling companion, floating nearby.
"Hey,” Karina said, smiling at her companion. “I was wondering if you could tell me about how magic works. That’s one of the things we humans are the most curious about."
Viluna beamed back at Karina. "It won’t be that simple I am afraid, Karina. Magic is a complex and powerful force that is present in all living things. It's the energy that flows through us and connects us to the world around us."
“Why it won’t be that simple?” Karina asked curiously.
“Well, that’s amongst few things we are not allowed to share with you humans yet,” It said.
“What? Why?” Karina asked. “Aren’t you here to share the knowledge with us?”
“Yes, we are. But it was in the deal we made with the Prince,” Viluna said floating near her head. “The King himself requested we don’t share that knowledge yet, at least not to the full extent. I will answer some of the basic questions and I am sure you will find a lot on your own talking to other Thalassarians, but for now, we are not allowed to explain in detail.”
“Why did he request that?” Karina continued her barrage of questions.
“Because he is afraid that if we give out all of our knowledge you will be able to use it against them if you ever decide to invade again,” Viluna said the explanation made sense to Karina. “But don’t worry if the program goes well I am sure all the knowledge between the two worlds will be shared eventually as the trust grows.”
“Hmm,” Karina frowned. “Makes sense I guess. What can you share now then?” She was persistent.
“Well, All I can tell you is that most of the Thalassarians can cast some of the magic, or at least have to ability to learn it. But to those that can only access simple spells like creating a light sphere, it means nothing. I don’t know if I can find a perfect comparison, but it’s like all of you know how to read and write, but it doesn’t make you special in your own world.”
“Hmm, I don’t know if it’s a great analogy, but I think I get it,” Karina said sitting back in the comfortable chair on the corner of the terrace. “ What else can you share? Where does the magic come from?”
“Hmm, not sure,” Viluna said in a soft voice. “The source of the magic comes to from the moons of Thalassar. There are thirteen of them orbiting the planet and each one of them provides a person with a specific power. Every being born on Thalassar has a connection with at least one and that’s how they are able to make basic spells like light spheres, a small burst of fire, heal minor wounds, and so on.” Viluna spoke and danced around Karina’s head as she listened carefully.
“More skilled mages, healers, enchanters, and so on, have a connection to several moons and use their powers to create and cast unique spells. Even to this day people are able to think of new ways to cast and create new spells. It’s way more complex than that, but it’s all I am able to share for now, that information you can gather by asking almost anyone on the street and it can’t hurt the kingdom.”
“Woah, that’s interesting,” Karina said her eyes full of wonder. “Can someone have a connection to all of the moons?” Karina asked curiously.
“No, that’s unheard of,” Viluna answered landing on her knee. “Powerful magic users most have around five to six connections, the highest anyone ever had was ten, but it is more a myth than a confirmed fact, we don’t have any evidence that Xandros the Second had that ability.”
“Hmm,” Karina said taking in everything her little companion shared with her. “I am sorry, I just realized I never asked you for your name.”
“We Viluna’s don’t have names, but you are free to name me and call me whatever you like,”
“Ok, how about Lumina,” Karina asked right away. “Don’t know why but that name suits you.”
“I like it,” Lumina said her form shifting slightly.
Karina continued to ask a question to Lumina as she overlooked the busy gardens of the Royal Palace. An hour had passed in a blink and a knock from a door cut their conversation.
“Excuse me, Mistress Karina,” a soft voice said with a polite tone. “It’s Nereia, I brought your gown.”
Karina opened the door and welcomed the girl with a warm smile. “Come on in,” She said opening the door wide.
“I am afraid I can’t, they need us down to get everything ready for the feast tonight.” She said. “Here is your gown, get ready and I will come to get you in less than an hour and lead you towards the banquet hall.” Nereia handed her the gown and left.
Karina looked at the gown in awe as she held it in her hands, without hesitation she put the gown on. It was a beautiful, flowing creation made of the finest silk, with intricate embroidery and beading in shades of turquoise and silver. The sleeves were sheer, with delicate lace trimming, and the bodice hugged her curves before cascading down into a billowing skirt that trailed behind her as she walked.
It wasn’t her style at all, she was more of street clothes kinda a girl, but looking at herself in the mirror, she was blown away. She made a few turns looking at the dress from all angles. This kind of dress would cost her fortune back on earth. She found a few silver clips on the desk and styled her hair as best she could to go along with the dress.
A few moments later, Nereia arrived at the door, dressed in a lovely gown of her own, visibly less luxurious than the one Karina got. "You look stunning, Mistress Karina," she said with a smile. "Are you ready to go?"
Karina nodded, feeling a bit nervous but excited as well. She followed Nereia down the hallway, her long gown trailing behind her as they made their way toward the banquet hall. As they walked, Karina couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of the palace once again. Every inch of it was adorned with intricate carvings, sparkling jewels, and delicate tapestries.
Finally, they arrived at the banquet hall. The hall was massive, with soaring ceilings, glittering chandeliers, and walls adorned with shimmering gold decorations. The tables were covered in rich, embroidered cloths, and gleaming silverware sparkled in the light of the glowing spheres floating above the table.
The guests were already arriving, each one more elegantly dressed than the last. They were all talking and laughing, their voices echoing off the grand walls of the hall. Karina felt a bit intimidated, but Nereia squeezed her arm reassuringly.
"Don't worry, Mistress Karina," she whispered. "I know feasts like these can look intimidating, but you humans are the stars of the show."
With that, she led Karina toward their assigned table where most of the humans would sit this evening. Nereia took a seat next to her and on the other side, she recognized a girl from their program wearing a similar gown.
“Hey,” Karina said softly. “How are taking all of this?”
“Hey Karina, it’s overwhelming, but everything is beautiful so far, can’t complain,” Clarissa answered. “How about you?”
“Same,” Karina answered and they continued with small talk before the soft music that was playing stopped and people started standing up. Nereia slowly tugged at her arm pointing for the stand as well. Seconds later prince Kaelen walked into the hall with a beautiful woman under his arm. She was stunningly beautiful, with long golden hair that cascaded down her back in loose waves. Her dress was a shimmering ivory color, with delicate beading that sparkled in the candlelight.
Karina couldn't help but notice the intricate braids woven into the woman's hair, forming an elegant and intricate pattern that must have taken hours to create. Her makeup was subtle, but enhanced her natural beauty, with a soft pink lip and just a touch of blush on her cheeks.
“That’s Zaya, Kaelen’s bride-to-be,” Nereia said.
“She is beautiful,” Karina answered truthfully.
“Yes, she is amongst the most beautiful women in the kingdom. Kaelen chose her instead of marrying someone from his family provided in order to establish better relations with other kingdoms. It was a big deal at the time, but that’s prince Kaelen, he always does what he wants.” Nereia explained and Karina just nodded looking at the stunning couple.
“What’s the prince like?” Karina asked.
“He always stood out from the Royal Family. He is a bit eccentric, he likes to party, and travel, and isn’t really that much interested in Family matters.” Nereia said as the couple took a seat at the main table. “Bringing you guys here with this Citizens Exchange program is his way of proving his worth to the kingdom and his family.”
“How so?” Karina asked curiously.
“He doesn’t believe in his family policy of war and old-style politics. He believes both planets could benefit from each other if we set our differences aside and work together. The King was not for this program at all, but the prince managed to convince him otherwise with the help of his Mother.” Karina nodded in understanding and minutes later waiters started serving dinner.
Karina was serving a weird purple-looking fruit or vegetable, she wasn’t sure. “What’s this?” She asked Nereia.
“That’s Nemoryn fruit, it’s one of the best delicates in the Thalassar and only grown on one small island,” Nereia said. “It’s usually served only on big banquets and before the main course as this fruit is known to open the appetite and help dissolve the rest of the food easier.”
“And how do you eat it?” Karina asked poking at the fruit with her knife.
Neremia chuckled softly. “You cut off top and the bottom and then peel the leathery exterior.”
Karina did as told and the inside revealed a pink, jelly-like inside that was filled with small, edible seeds.
“You can eat it all, it’s ok to eat it with the spoon,” Nereia said.
Karina nodded and took her spoon taking a bite out of the fruit. It was soft and crunchy at the same time with a mild, sweet, and subtly bitter flavor. It began to melt into a liquid inside her mouth and the taste reminded of lime and coconut mixed together.
“Woah, this is delicious,” Karina said and took another bite. “Your food is truly amazing.”
Nereia smiled. “Yes it is, but you also are getting the best of the best, keep that in mind.” She said with a smile and Karina nodded her mouth full of delicious fruit.
The rest of the banquet went as expected, they ate amazing food, Karina made small talk with the rest of the humans, and spent most of the night chatting with Nereia, who proved to be rather curious about humans once she loosened up. Prince Kaelen provided them with a whole night of entertainment, dancers, actors, and entertainers took turns at the podium as the night went away.
Deep into the night when the feast was nearing its end, a loud explosion was heard from the outside and bright light emanated deep from the city which could be seen through the open terrace on one side of the banquet hall. Karina ran towards the terrace but the guards were already at the door prohibiting anyone to exit. Karina managed to peer through the cracks in their massive armor and saw a big flame at the part of the city where they walked earlier in the day.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I am sure it’s nothing.” Prince Kaelen said with a stern voice. “Please leave for your rooms we have our people already investigating the source of the explosion. You will be informed of what happened as soon as we know.” He said and left the banquet hall in the hurry.
Nereia escorted Karina to her room and helped her unzip the dress before she left. Karina sank into a soft bed and her mind started racing with everything that happened today, but before the thought could consume her, tiredness took over and she sank into a deep sleep.
She was awakened by the commotion outside her terrace early in the morning. She ran and looked outside and saw Prince Kaelen talking with a man in a uniform she hasn’t seen so far, he had dozens of soldiers at his side. She quickly got dressed into the clothes she came in and went downstairs to look for Nereia.
“What’s going on?” Karina asked as she found the young girl sitting at the bench in the garden.
“Mistress Karina, you are awake,” Nereia said with a smile.
Karina could sense something was off, so she asked again. “What’s going on?”
“I am afraid nothing good,” Nereia said with a worried look on her face. “One of the ships transporting humans was attacked and destroyed last night at the open see.” She said bowing her head down.
“Which one?” Karina asked her heart racing.
“The one transporting your people to military camps,” Nereia said.
Karina’s heart sank in her chest with the realization that it was Liam’s ship. She almost fainted but Nereia took her by arm and helped her sit on the bench. First the explosion last night, then the ship, something was off and it made Karina have almost a full-blown panic attack, but her worry was focused on Liam now, she needed to find out what happened to him and if he was ok.
*****
Liking the story so far? Consider supporting me on PATREON. There will be bonus chapters on there soon.

I am aware people don't like the stone golem but hear me out. I feel like the mob has potential, and can become an interesting addition to the game. I have two ideas for this mob: an actual golem, or a boulder-like mob. For the first idea, the mob would be a similar shape and size to the iron golem and have vines on it, but only spawns on a cliff. When it spawns, the golem would leave a mark in the rock face it summons into, occasionally revealing a room with some kind of loot, usually emeralds. The other kind of golem would be a large stone boulder, found within clearings in a roofed forest biome. The golem would be covered in vines and lichen, and have emeralds visible to the player, but if the emeralds are mined, the rock would sprout from the ground and become a hostile mob. The boulder has to be defeated by mining away most of the stone on its body and will collapse, allowing the player to take the emeralds.

So, last night we had a session.
Some background: My party reached Vallaki with Irina. They met Rictavio, who, upon entering the Inn was greeted by an audible "UGH!" from the crowd of patrons. That kinda let my party know who they were dealing with. Still, they wanted to chat. Soon, they grew very tired and annoyed by his ramblings about how he has single handedly bred a purple dragon by having a blue and gold dragon mate. They stopped rolling insight checks after like two sentences as they realized there was no way he was telling ANYTHING that's not complete BS.
Once alone, however, Rictavio revealed that he is in fact... A SPY! By the time that he said that my party was so completely over it that they wanted to just leave this swindler. He did give them some info on their prophecies, and they were satisfied with that.
Since that first meeting they have met Rictavio several times. Each time they chatted and talked about the goings on. At one time, right after the dinner with Strahd, they were ambushed by vampire spawns. This encounter completely humbled them after they had wiped the floor with Volenta. The vampire spawns really let them have it. Death saving throws left and right. One of my players began rolling for a new character mid-battle. Once they were all down, except for the bard who had 1HP left and was pretending to be dead, they thought it was all over...
BUT! They were not dead. They awoke to the sounds of a carriage. They were being dragged by Rictavio, who had apparently brought them back to life (even though they were not dead). He kept on telling them how he would have been there sooner but his shoe lace was untied and that kept him from getting to them on time. All the while he is wearing leather boots with no laces.
My party HATED the fact that the bafoon was the one to save them...
Fast forward a few sessions. The festival occurs. The town riots. My party are trying to save Piddlewick when they see Rictavio's wagon just escaping the gates in the distance. So, they decided to follow the tracks, seeing as he knows his way around the valley without being attacked.
They reached the tower. The wagon not being there. Faced with a puzzle which they struggled with, thanks to my personal complications and additional steps. They were zapped twice. Scaffolding fell to the ground after some bad rolls of trying to climb. Eventually though, they made it in. They met Buster, the marble bust. He is now their new favorite and they are really thinking of ways of taking him with them.
On the last floor however, they met the grumpy Van-Richten. He was rude. He was annoyed. He told them that he is a rumor. He is not to be spoken about outside the tower. He does not exist. My personal favorite line I got to say: - "Don't let your mouth write a check your ass can't cash in"
They really were in awe of this gruf hunter. If I do say so myself, I spread plenty of hints, building him up as a legend.
He then asked them to help him get rid of werewolves nearby. But, before they went outside, he told them once more: -"Van-Richten is a ghost. Out here..." He paused. Took a step. His form changed. -"...Only Riiiiiiiictavio is here!"
My players were shook. What a fun moment! Of course they were all "I KNEW IT!". But... Come on.
Thank you guys for reading this far. Thank you for the idea of the reverse reveal!

Developer Angry Mob Games has revealed that its action roguelite platformer, Trinity Fusion, will launch into Early Access next month. More specifically, Trinity Fusion hits Early Access on April 13. You can access this Early Access launch via both Steam and the Epic Games Store. In Trinity Fusion, you play as Maya, a cross-dimensional warrior who is able to tap into three versions of herself across parallel dimensions. Check out the action all three versions of Maya must face in the multiverse in the new Trinity Fusion trailer below: "We have a ton of content in the works for Trinity Fusion," Angry Mob Games' Bogdan Iliesiu writes in a press release Link to article

Aside from Nina. Who they gave sunglasses. Are they afraid of the face reveal?

Intro

Well…it’s official. After a ton of hours of watching and analyzing, 48 posts, linking many moments from YouTube, 2764 individual rankings determined, various calculations, and (most importantly) countless walls of text expressing my opinions…I AM FINALLY DONE WITH THIS SERIES!🥳 And it only took a bit more than a year and 7 months since my very first post regarding this🤪. Though with that being said, I would like to wrap this all up with one nice long final wall of text. It’s worth noting, this is especially long and probably extremely wordy. So I put headers on this post so y’all can skip around. But just to start, I’d like to give a runthrough of my whole experience doing this
Note: Yes, I took various inspiration from u/twofacedflyer and his finale post during the super dope series he did…more than two years ago now (Jesus Christ time flies)

Tangent on this series

Now if you know me pretty well, you’ll likely know almost ever since I got into TD, I really developed this obsession with trying to rank stuff, especially TD characters. I even remember the first days of me trying to make my own tier list ranking every character and had Noah and Cody as my hindsight top 2 (and no, I didn’t ship Noco at the time). However, my opinions have changed a lot throughout, and while I still love both characters, they don’t appeal to me quite as much as before. At this point, I’ve pretty much updated my character tier lists almost countless times. In fact, it even got to a point where I milked the fuck out of tier list posts before. There was even a period of time where I would post an update to the sub every week or two, and chances are I might’ve posted even more frequently if it wasn’t for the tier list trend rule, LOL. And for whatever reason, even to this day, I tend to start getting obsessive and nitpicky about trying to order each character and pinpoint my feelings on them as accurately as possible. There’s a reason why even before I started this series, I had a very nuanced continuous number system to further showcase exactly where each character falls on each category of my ranking system. Though nonetheless, this leads me to the one day where something just sparked within me. Essentially, I was like “Huh, I wonder what my opinions on each TD character would be if I average my opinion on them out episode by episode?”. I figured it would definitely be easier if I laid all of this out on Google Sheets. I originally just planned to try to calculate each average for each character based on a not as specific number scale based on my rankings with them. But after a bit of time, I figured the one way to really make this accurate is by actually making the number scale far more continuous than discrete. And then overtime, I also ran into other factors
There’s no doubt a lot of this series was done very spontaneously. Afterall, it didn’t even start with TDI originally. I wanted to try this whole ranking chart for TDA, and I don’t think I even planned on writing a review about the season either. But as time went by, I just figured “Hey, if I’m rewatching these seasons and trying to make something where I have to look into each episode enough to pinpoint my thoughts on each character there, why not express a bunch of thoughts I have while rewatching?”. And alas, as well as my initial review and rankings for TDA, my rewatch commentary episode by episode was born. After rewatching TDA, I then went back to TDI since at the time, I thought TDA and TDI were the seasons I wanted to rewatch the most. And that’s where I started just writing out various thoughts I had and things I picked up on or saw with more clarity as I rewatched the episodes. Though even then, I didn’t go through each episode that thoroughly at the time. In fact, my TDI commentary was literally only three parts. I did actually plan to make it just two, but then I divided the second part into two parts after some people told me it was too long. Then once TDA came, I divided my commentary into a bit more parts than before and started going through the episodes a bit more thoroughly. It wasn’t till WT and ROTI where I really started making extensive comments on a handful of moments throughout each episode. However, it got to a point where I felt like I was bringing up way too many minor moments that ‘stuck out’ to me in my commentary, and there was a certain point where I realized not much people will care about looking through every minor moment I found funny. So after my AS commentary rolled around (where I really hyped it up as a dark period of time filled with anger and ranting💀), I incorporated this feature where I separately linked moments from YouTube I deemed as more minor that I found amusing, just labeling the link as the name of the character(s) involved in said moment. However, even doing that proved to be too much for me eventually as RR rolled around, and I realized it was taking forever to be done with each episode. I feel like sometimes, I really fell under the trap of being excessively ‘detail-oriented’ and bringing up almost every moment I found even slightly amusing. Thankfully during the 5th part of my RR post, I decided to get rid of the feature of linking minor moments all together after I realized probably no one even bothers going through them anyways. And I just mainly kept commentary down to more major points regarding each episode, although I still took notes on various minor stuff, just for me to reference. I’m glad to say it worked very well, and I was able to power through each episode quite faster and pump out vast majority of the series before my recent winter break was over
Then there’s also the fact I took a huge break from this series for several months on end. As some of you might remember, around this time about a year and a month ago, after finishing up All-Stars, I loosely admitted I had to get my shit together in real life, namely with school. Though even aside from that, I think I was just heavily burned out from doing the series. In fact, it took WAY longer than I anticipated to find the motivation to start it up again. Hell, I even tried to start it back up during the summer, but ironically, I didn’t do so until sometime in fall. Ironically, when I took this extensive break from the series, I was finished with AS and only had two more seasons to go. But given just how burned out I was, it still took me more than a year to completely wrap things up. Though the most important part is, I FINALLY GOT IT DONE! And despite this, I would like to think I didn’t necessarily sacrifice quality a whole lot (despite the lack of planning behind this), even if it’s partially because this series has dragged out even longer than Derrie at this point LOL. If I have to be honest though, this certainly took a surprising amount of work. Like I kinda knew it would be a lot, but I didn’t expect it to be as tedious as it was at times. Even pumping out the very first post (my initial TDA review) was quite a drag and ended up taking longer than I wanted it too, and I remember being relieved when it was done. And that feeling just amplified after every season I tackled. And I can say after releasing this post, there is no other time I feel this as strongly as now. Oh yeah and on a side note, I’m happy to say I’m actually doing marginally better in real life now than before (and now that this series is done, I think I can especially be at a peace of mind and focus even more on other stuff)
With all of this in mind, do I regret doing this series? All things considered, not really. As I said, it got extremely tedious at times, and I definitely got very burned out. And I even admitted during my PI review that I had various doubts or anxious thoughts regarding this series (though despite this still decided to pull through). But I think as of getting this series done, this has solidified my opinions far more, and hopefully I won’t make a bunch of tier list updates in the future💀. On top of this, I did have quite a bit of fun typing out my thoughts at times, especially the rants. That and it was certainly satisfying seeing people appreciate my commentary a lot, especially with my huge SMS tirade I dedicated one single part for XD. With that being said, do I ever plan on doing this again? Absolutely not. Although it’s not necessarily a bad idea to take some notes when you are doing a rewatch if you want to remember more stuff, or actually have a stronger opinion on various things (especially good for when you want to geek out about TD with others, or debate with someone about something). However, I don’t think making a ranking chart is super necessary. Ultimately, I’d say only do this if you have a ton of free time and are super obsessed with ranking stuff, otherwise you will probably end up like me and be burned out from doing this series from time to time. In fact, I think easily the biggest weakness of this series (I reckon a lot of you probably agree with this as well) is how inconsistent I was 'momentum-wise' as far as getting it done. I feel like this would’ve been super great to pump out earlier on while the pandemic was still going. But as it stands, I happened to start this series towards the end of the summer of 2021 back when I was going into my freshman year of college, and unfortunately did not have as much time to pump these posts out super fast. I also have to admit, I do sometimes think maybe if I made it a review series, I wouldn’t have to worry as much about trying to ‘adjust’ and could comment on a lot of specific moments. But I feel like doing episode reviews would be kind of more redundant at this point, and doing it the way I did made things somewhat more efficient. With that being said, I could do an episode review series for once the new seasons come out👀. Aside from this, I realize I probably could’ve also tried to make things more interesting by adding some gimmicks to my commentary, similar to Ultranatic Productions or u/twofacedflyer and u/WOTWUZTHAT back in their respective series’ they did (or ongoing series in Ultranatic’s case). But bigger picture-wise, I’m pretty satisfied with how this series turned out
Overall this was a fun but incredibly long ride. In case I haven’t made it clear enough, I’m honestly extremely relieved to be done with this. But on top of this, I’m also incredibly grateful to everyone who has followed this series. Like I said, I didn’t even expect this to become a full-blown series, but I truly appreciate everyone who actually cared enough to read through my ramblings and comment on them. But with that in mind, there are certain people who has supported me through this series I would especially like to give a shout-out to

Shoutouts

Before I bring up the people who involved themselves in this series, I’d like to give a shout-out to two YouTubers in particular who I took some inspiration from time to time with my commentary, namely Ultranatic Productions and penguinz0 (or as a lot of you might know him as MoistCr1TiKaL), both of who are absolute legends. For starters, there’s Ultranatic Productions (AKA u/Ultranatic on Reddit) who is doing his own series of reviewing every TD episodes, except this time far more thoroughly and intricately compared to me. I mean, I thought doing this series was a lot, relatively speaking. But I can only imagine the work Ultranatic has to do what he does, from not only writing out a script where he articulates all his thoughts and points, but then also records himself saying everything he has to say and then even has to do a bunch of editing afterwards, along with various gimmicks he incorporates in his videos. I’d imagine it’s a ton of work, and Ultranatic’s dedication to this is honestly pretty admirable. On top of this, he brings a ton of really cool points, has a lot of unique and nuanced takes, and incorporates a lot of great gags. Next up is penguinz0, who doesn’t talk about TD, but is a commentary YouTuber I’ve grown to absolutely love. I really love his dry wit, along with his ability to absolutely roast terrible people on the internet. I think quite a bit of my commentary style was inspired by him, and I even took a few pages out of Ultranatic here and there
As for people who participated in this series I’d like to thank

• u/someTDfan1: A fellow MacArthur hater, he’s not all that active on the sub and hasn’t been for a while now, but we are very tight, and he also commented on my first couple posts in this series (and I believe some very occasional other ones), and left some very kind words per usual. He’s also generally a super cool dude who is fun to talk and banter with and he’s even good for boosting my ego, er I meant confidence, at times🤪
• u/chuck_is_dead_vay_aq: A stan of Lightning and Jacques and fellow Chris-hater, while he didn’t comment very religiously, he always had quite a bit of great things to say when he did, is also responsible for coining the awesome nickname “All-Derailments” for All-Stars, and appreciated my nicknames for All-Stars as well as my posts in general (especially my SMS rant💀). Even outside of this, he’s an especially amazing dude, and one of my closest online friends. There are also plenty of times I’ve been convinced I actually share a brain with him lol (seriously, it’s actually scary how similar we are in some ways). And on a side note, I also want to once again really thank him for policing this sub and doing our mods’ work for us half of the time💀
• u/reidstampede2021: A Duncan stan who we also share a handful of common ground as far as opinions go (especially on Duncan’s send-off🤪), despite not being a religious commenter, he gave a lot of appreciation for my massive tirade on Duncan’s send-off, even making multiple comments copying-and-pasting it. He also appreciated some other jokes I made, also incorporating them in some comments of his. And not only do I find that incredibly flattering, but on top of that, he had the courtesy to credit me whenever he did so. And also if you know me somewhat well, boosting my ego flattery is one great way to make me like you😉 (though ofc that is far from the only reason he’s a cool dude)
• u/Ok_Shirt_1574: A stan of Zoey, Cody and Scott, as well as a shipper of Scott x Zoey, he has commented a lot of great points throughout my series, and took various points I made to heart. On top of this, he also appreciated my commentary from time to time, especially my CHFIL rant😉. And aside from this, the dude also makes some pretty dope episode reviews himself where he also incorporates various funny commentary
• u/Glamouriffic: Resident Derrie and Trent stan, she appreciated my posts from time to time, or even even commented on more specific reactions I had that stuck out to her. And she especially appreciated my rants, even being one of the two people to give me an award for my penguinz0-styled rant on Paris Sierra during the third part of my WT commentary
• u/A_Snowy_Vulpix: She barely commented on my series, but is the second person who gave me an award for my Paris Sierra tirade, so thank you
• u/HungryDiscipline882: A Lindsay lover who also has a lot of similar ways of thinking as me, he occasionally comments on my posts. Though on top of this, he also took quite a bit of inspiration from my commentary when stating various points of his, and admitted he liked a lot of the points I brought up, which is ofc flattering😎. And on another note, he also has a lot of great ideas as far as improving canon goes
• u/YourFaveWasDerailed: Everyone’s favorite satire account subreddit user, they sometimes commented some great insight on my posts regarding just how bad the show really is, truly inspiring me to just hate on the show. They also really read me like a book when he asked me “Why do you keep torturing yourself” after I posted my PI reviewlast part being a half-joke as this series really did get tiring at times. And on a more serious note, they even gave my series some appreciation at one point and broke character during his AMA to openly admit they find me cool, even if they did comment on my poll series poking fun whenever I went on especially…passionate rants about things I don’t like🤪. And even aside from this, dude is just simply a legend
• u/Less-Ad-9927: A cinema nerd and major, as well as a stan of Emma, Izzy and Dwayne, she didn’t start commenting till my RR posts. But when she did, she was especially supportive of my series and often commented on my posts bringing up various points she had, all the while acknowledging various points I made. Overall an amazing contributor to the final stretch of my series even despite the very faltering momentum
• u/Uglyfense: A stan of Courtney, Chris and Ezekiel, and widely known for trolling people’s opinions with his “What-if” questions, he has made a handful of great and thorough comments on my posts throughout, even conjuring up a bunch of interesting points as well as unique ways to look at things that push the boundaries beyond things that fans have already said at least 100 times. Fuck, the dude even made some good rebuttals against my review (big euphemism btw💀) on not only my most hated episode, but one of the most universally disliked episodes in the series. And on a random note, he’s also just proof that you don’t need to have a bunch of really strong negative opinions to stick out (dude likes pretty much every character yet still manages to be a very interesting TD discusser)

Now, every one of you involved are great. But I think these two following people have contributed the most

• u/Particular_Being_269: The sub’s resident music nerd, and more or less simp stan of Zoey and Gwen, the dude made a lot of especially nice comments appreciating my posts and commentary. On top of this, he’s yet another one of the people who actually took time to look at my rankings more in detail. Though despite all his positive feedback, along with Fense, he also wasn’t afraid to challenge and question my opinions quite a bit, even making some points that I haven’t considered before. And in retrospect, as a more passive and non-confrontational person who doesn’t usually like debating people a lot (mainly on the spot), this is definitely a trait I admire
• u/Ace_TD: Practically the face of this sub at this point, and the man who truly lives up to his name, the dude not only commented on my series quite often, even at times leaving very in-depth comments regarding my points and even adding onto various points I made in various ways. Though he has also talked about and inadvertently advertised my series to the TD Discord. Plus outside of this, he’s just simply a all-around amazing dude. He preaches a ton of facts on the TD Discord server, and he's just generally very fun to talk to

Aside from them, I’d also like to give a couple honorable mentions to u/twofacedflyer and u/WOTWUZTHAT, both of which have done similar series before mine that consisted of talking about characters. And while I didn’t totally plan for this to become a full-on series, I think they partially inspired me for when it did become a full series if that makes sense. And as I said, the format of this post is pretty inspired by u/twofacedflyer in various ways. And I’ll admit even in general, there were times I referred back to posts of his series whenever I got lost on how exactly to structure various posts of mine (including this one). As of now, they aren’t active on this sub anymore for varying reasons, but I had a real blast with both of them during their time here
And lastly, I’d like to thank this whole subreddit in general. It’s generally filled with a lot of open-minded and accepting people who are genuinely caring and willing to acknowledge other people as they express their thoughts. Now granted, I’m aware Reddit is far from perfect and is a lot of times not usually held in high regard (although it isn’t as problematic as say, Twitter or TikTok). But I think this subreddit is really proof that there is good to Reddit. And the support I got throughout this series is proof of that
And that officially wraps up the very gushy part of this post🤪

Thoughts on Total Drama

If you’ve followed my series or even generally read through enough things I’ve pumped out throughout my time on Reddit, you’ll likely know I’ve typed many rants on various facets of this show. Though despite this…it’s still quite good overall, and maybe even great. Granted, it has a lot of flaws and even some writing decisions that will forever baffle me (one of the most noteworthy examples being the winners losing their money at the end in ironically the widely regarded two best seasons). And I remember binge-watching 6teen a long while back thinking it was overall a lot more clean written than TD, which I think kind of gives the idea that there are probably many better handled shows overall. But at the same time, TD has way too many awesome highs for me to not like it. And outside of the two infamous seasons (AS and PI), I can safely say the positives will always outweigh the negatives. And if anything, even the various flaws the show has just makes it more fun to talk about sometimes. IDK what it is, but I low-key find ranting on things a guilty pleasure. I’ve said this before, but there’s a reason whenever I talk elaborately about something negatively, my walls of text will usually be longer than when I actually write about something positive. And there’s just a certain type of satisfaction I get from trying to find various ways to express and intricately word my distaste for stuff I don’t like, especially when it’s stuff that makes me passionately angry. So IG in a way…I have to give a thank you to aspects of the show like YRBKM, SMS, the Gwent breakup aftermath, CHFIL Sierra, Feral Zeke, MacArthur, Amy, the joke of the winner losing their money or especially PI Chris💀
Now for a runthrough on what I think of every season, Island was a solid start to the show and overall a great season. It isn’t without its problems such as various inconsistent or weird moments, the main antagonist being rather lackluster (mainly in the gameplay department), or especially Gwen’s treatment as a finalist and the fact it’s one of the two seasons with easily one of the absolute worst “jokes” in the entire series. But despite this, it still has many great things about it, and a generally chill atmosphere
Next came Action which was also good overall, but has quite more noteworthy flaws, especially the aftermath of the Gwent fallout, along with Beth’s character-assassinating romance plot. However, it is the best season as far as challenges go, and I happen to prefer the antagonist over the one in TDI…well, at least once Courtney comes into the picture (we don’t talk about Justin). The finalist pairs are also one of the weaker ones overall, but even then, their interactions and the finale itself actually worked surprisingly well, despite the very ending also leaving a fair amount to be desired
Then came World Tour, which at best was a very epic and adventurous change of pace from the first two seasons. And it even implemented musicals as a unique feature of this season (which included a lot of bangers albeit a few flops), and on a side note, introduced this truly amazing piece of background music I really wish there was an extended version of that I could download and listen to for hours on end😭. The antagonist is easily the best in the entire series, both gameplay and character-wise. And the finalist choices were practically perfect narratively, despite both having some more glaring flaws gameplay-wise here and there. And the finale was shaping up to be absolutely amazing…but unfortunately ended on a really sour note. Aside from this, there are a few other controversial plots and writing decisions I don’t like. However, one thing I especially respect about WT is how high the stakes were. This season really feels like you had to actually play the game in order to get far, rather that just being nice. In fact, this might just be one of the best and most intriguing seasons for those who especially care more about the strategic aspect of TD. Overall, I feel like WT is one of those seasons that just went especially ballsy with its writing and actually did really well with the execution at times. Though at the same time, there are multiple areas really lacking in execution and some especially terrible lows. Despite this, it is overall a better season than TDA, but there had yet to be a season that topped the quality of Island
That is until Revenge of the Island came along. After spending 3 seasons getting to know the first generation cast, we then got introduced to a set of new characters, and a really great one at that. Personally, I think this is easily the peak of the series. Generally speaking, pretty much almost every character is utilized really well (barring Staci). And it also has a lot of especially epic moments along with an adventurous feel. The pacing is also really good, and there are many great jokes. Scott as an antagonist is also amazing, even though he also isn't without flaws and doesn't quite top Alejandro. On top of this, I think this season does a great job of balancing both drama and friendships, and handling both really well. There are various conflicts that are surprisingly complex, engaging, or also entertaining. But mixed with that are still a lot of wholesome and interactions. And even generally speaking, it just seemed to be able to handle and balance most aspects of the show really well. That and it also has easily my two favorite episodes in the entire series. Really, ROTI is a masterpiece all-around, and I could gush about it all day if I wanted
Though unfortunately, the very season after ROTI did NOT hold up to its quality, as the worst season coincidentally happened right after the best season😭. I know I’m not being brave when I call this the worst season. There’s just so many bad writing decisions, and it also has easily two of my least favorite episodes in the franchise, which funny enough both happen to be responsible for screwing over two very prominent characters who had a lot of development potential. And on that topic, it does that a lot. It feels like at least half of the cast loses a ton of brain-cells during their elimination episode…or in various other episodes outside of that too. And part of it ties to what has to be easily my least favorite antagonist yet, who also happens to be tied with probably ‘objectively’ (I used this word loosely tho) one of the worst protagonists in the series as well (Mike vs. Mal). And yeah, on that topic, the main plot is also just atrocious and ends on one of the worst notes possible. But even despite this, it still has its good moments and enough positives for me to not hate it. There are a handful of characters I actually like, and I’d say Zoey was still good this season despite her flaws, and not a bad finalist. Though generally speaking, it’s just such a huge disappointment in many ways and easily the lowest point of the franchise
After this disappointing trainwreck came Pahkitew Island, where the writers decided to go completely balls to the wall with the cartoonish aspects of the show. I will say, it is better than AS overall, but…only because it has better highs (including my absolute favorite character in the series). On the contrary, I think it actually has worse lows. Funny enough, it just so happens that this season has some of the highest highs of all time, but also some of the absolute lowest lows, including my two absolute least favorite season-by-season character appearances in the entire series. It especially doesn’t help that while LCAOBP isn’t my least favorite episode overall, it ends ‘regular’ Total Drama in one of the worst ways possible
Thankfully though, the one spin-off that came after this happened to actually be quite good, and definitely a big step up from the previous two seasons. Not only did it start new with the game format, but it also started fresh in terms of writing-quality. Granted, even then it is far from perfect. There are quite a few glaring flaws for me as far as characters go, especially including the existence of my least favorite protagonist in the entire series (even worse than AS Mike). But even then, the season had the advantage of screen-time being distributed especially more evenly, to where even if some characters sucked, it wasn’t always enough to drag the episode down. In fact, aside from ROTI, it’s the one season that has no full-on bad episodes for me. And the fact I find the host vastly superior and that it’s responsible for the existence of my TD waifu, both especially give it an edge. Overall, I think this season was quite refreshing and satisfying after the previous two seasons, and I’m proud to call it yet another higher point of TD and quite a good end to the franchise
And then lastly there’s Total Dramarama, although I haven’t watched it in a fat minute and don’t plan on covering it as of this series. Though from what I remember from watching it a long while back, I actually liked it for the most part. There were some occasional moments I really didn’t like, and the Chef torture could sometimes go too far for my liking. But for the most part, it’s pretty entertaining and has some plots I really like. All I’ll say is my favorite episode is definitely “Having the Timeout of our Lives”, with my least favorite being “Total Eclipse of the Fart” like many others
So overall, Total Drama is a pretty great and iconic series despite its flaws, and I am proud to call myself a fan of the show. I mean, there’s no other reason I would be this dedicated to talking about it. It would be awkward and a waste of time if I looked into and discussed this show for so long, only for the end result to be that I don’t like it (and I know YFWD would absolutely decimate me LMFAO). Fresh TV, you are awesome, and I really look forward to the upcoming new seasons

Final Show Rankings

Now it’s time for my general ratings regarding Total Drama, and this time on a scale of 100. I should also say, I’ve always had a hard time fully deciding my season rankings, so I figured I’d make a more intricate attempt to gauge my exact opinions on each season. And through this, I made a ranking table, where I rate multiple different facets of the show from 0 to 100. Now it’s worth noting I made more specific calculations for the episodes and character portion, and some rougher calculations for the romance and finalists categories. I also based the finale category mainly on my ranking of each episode of said finale. And the rest are more rough estimates. And on a last note, I stuck with the 147 season-by-season character incarnations when determining the scores for the characters category (so no background characters, cameos, or Mike’s personalities other than Mal). So these are likely not 100% accurate, but considering I’m mainly just using this to try to order my seasons, I don’t think it’s too big of a deal. Not to mention the scores are rounded by 0.5 increments
Season ranking chart
NGL, the Reddit table feature is kind of pain to use, so instead, I opted to just put the table in another Google Doc for me to link here, along with an explanation of how it works
Just a couple additional factors I included for seasons (adds or subtracts 35 on the 700 scale)

• Winner loses money: -5.0 points
• Contains a top 5 season-by-season character incarnation: +5.0 points

Overall ratings
Seasons

• TDI: 77.0 - 5.0 + 5.0 => 77.0/100
• TDA: 59.5 + 5.0 => 64.5/100
• WT: 71.0 - 5.0 => 66.0/100
• ROTI: 91.0 + 5.0 => 96.0/100
• AS: 37.5 => 37.5/100
• PI: 45.0 + 5.0 => 50.0/100
• RR: 69.5 + 5.0 => 74.5/100

Each facet of the show in general

• Drama: 60.0
• Friendships: 76.0
• Finalists: 71.0
• Finales: 46.0
• Characters: 70.5
• Episodes: 65.0
• Romance: 61.5

Final Season Rankings
#7: TDAS
#6: TDPI
#5: TDA
#4: TDWT
#3: TDPTRR
#2: TDI
#1: TDROTI
My personal rating of the show
Actual average: 3256/4900 => 66.5/100
Tho wait, ROTI exists (and ofc the show is super fun to talk about and look into in general😉)
Final rating: 75/100 => 7.5/10

Other stats and a bunch of Top 5’s

Now that I showcased my general thoughts on this series, we are one step further before I reveal all my final rankings. But beforehand, I want to showcase a list of a bunch of mini rankings (yes once again, this is inspired by u/twofacedflyer). It’s also worth nothing the HM’s/DHM’s are not necessarily in order
Funniest Characters
#5: Noah (WT)
#4: Izzy (TDA)
#3: Lightning (AS)
#2: Dwayne (RR)
#1: Spud (RR)
HM: Max (PI), Owen (WT), Owen (RR), Harold (TDA)
Best character arcs
#5: Gwen (TDI)
#4: Cameron (ROTI)
#3: Zoey (ROTI)
#2: Emma (RR)
#1: Shawn (PI)
HM: Dwayne & Junior (RR), Heather (WT), Brick (ROTI), Lindsay (TDA), Spud (RR)
Best lines
#5: "I work best under pressure. Hah! Get it? Water pressure" -Harold (Masters of Disasters)
#4: (Chris: "The camper...) "...who does not receive a marshmallow must immediately return to the dock of shame catch the boat of losers and leave, can't we just get this over with?" -Gwen (Paintball Deer Hunter)
#3: “Of course you can, you’re an EXPERT at turning people off!” -Alejandro (Planes, Trains, and Hot Air Mobiles)
#2: “No one can touch my tomatoes!” -Lindsay (Million Dollar Babies)
#1: “I love Chef because he is very very very very very very very…” -Duncan (Basic Straining)
HM: “There’s no nice way to say this…I’D RATHER GET EATED BY A ZOMBIE!” -Shawn (This is the Pits), “Last time I thought zombies were here, I was too scared to try and save Jasmine. I’M NOT MAKING THAT MISTAKE AGAIN. NOT AGAIN!” -Shawn (Hurl and Go Seek), "🎵THIIIIIS SUUUUUUUUUUUCKS!🎵" -Duncan (Walk Like an Egyptian Part 1), “You’re like Albert Einstein, with better hair, and ✨girly bits✨” -Harold (The Sand Witch Project)
Best couples
#5: Ozzy (TDA)
#4: Nemma (RR)
#3: Duncney (TDI)
#2: Aleheather (WT)
#1: Shawsmine (PI)
HM: Samkota (ROTI), Aleheather (AS), Gidgette (TDI), Zoke (ROTI), Ryphanie (RR) and Ozzy (TDI)
Best rivalries
#5: Duncan vs. Courtney (WT)
#4: Brick vs. Jo (ROTI)
#3: Duncan vs. Alejandro (WT)
#2: Gwen/Leshawna vs. Heather
#1: Zoey vs. Scott (ROTI)
HM: Duncan vs. Alejandro (WT), Geoff vs. Blaineley (WT), Lightning vs. Jo (ROTI), Cameron vs. Lightning (ROTI) and Duncan vs. Harold (TDI/TDA)
Best friendships
#5: The Rockers (RR)
#4: Gwen & Leshawna (TDI)
#3: Harold & Heather (TDA)
#2: The Surfers (RR)
#1: Zoey & Cameron (ROTI)
HM: Gwen & Geoff (TDI), Noah & Owen (WT/RR), Owen & Kitty (RR), Owen & Gwen (TDI), Harold & Heather (TDA), the friendship trio (ROTI), Gwen & Cameron (AS), Ryan & Carrie (RR), Lindsay & DJ (WT), Duncan & Zoey (AS), and Jasmine & Sammy (PI)
Best moments
#5: Zoey riding the mutant goats (S4E10)
#4: Kitty’s payback to the Cadets and Ice-Dancers (S7E24)
#3: Harold saves everyone’s lives (S2E10)
#2: Kitty making it back up to the surface with her mad breath-holding skillz (S7E25)
#1: Shawn goes full giga-chad on the Chris bots (S6E10)
HM: Lindsay cursing Heather out (S1E18), Surfers in the Dude Buggies challenge (S7E19), Heather’s (implied) clam-chowder soup prank on Alejandro (S3E10), Duncan’s essay to Chef (S1E12), Iron Cam (S4E13), any moment Chris gets his ass kicked, and many more I’m too lazy to list
Worst moments
#5: Feral Zeke vs. Heather (S3E26)
#4: Gwen having her money taken against own will after her ending (S1E27)
#3: Courtney’s sendoff (S5E11)
#2: Duncan’s sendoff (S5E8)
#1: The ending of the finale in general, though with a big emphasis on Chris’ departure… (S6E13)
DHM: The Cody and Sierra subplot resolution (S3E9), MacArthur taking advantage of Brody (S7E26), the Reset Button (S5E13), CamCourtney (S5E9/S5E10), and the intern “gag” in general
Worst derailments
#5: Courtney (S5E11)
#4: Gwen (S3E16)
#3: Jasmine (S6E8)
#2: Duncan (S5E8)
#1: Cameron (S5E9)
DHM: Beth (S2E10 & E23), Trent (S2E26-E27), Scott (S5E9-E10), Leshawna (S3E7), and at least half of the AS cast in their elimination episodes
And now, here are my top and bottom 30 episode by episode appearances for each character throughout the series and no im not dedicated enough to make a ranking of EVERY episode by episode appearance. It’s worth noting, some of the scores are the exact same. Usually to determine which goes higher, I decided by which appearance had more relevance that episode. Though there are even some cases where multiple appearances have both the exact same score and relevance. In that case, I just went with my gut feeling on which I prefer ever-so-slightly
Top 30
#30: Gwen (S2E27) - 17.55
#29: Gwen (S1E5) - 17.55
#28: Heather (S3E25) - 17.55
#27: Emma (S7E25) - 17.55
#26: Shawn (S6E9) - 17.60
#25: Gwen (S1E21) - 17.60
#24: Spud (S7E14) - 17.60
#23: Cameron (S4E11) - 17.60
#22: Alejandro (S3E25) - 17.60
#21: Noah (S7E11) - 17.60
#20: Owen (S7E11) - 17.61
#19: Geoff (S7E17) - 17.65
#18: Duncan (S1E12) - 17.65
#17: Heather (S3E26) - 17.65
#16: Cameron (S413) - 17.65
#15: Alejandro (S3E11) - 17.70
#14: Kitty (S7E19) - 17.70
#13: Harold (S2E27) - 17.75
#12: Brody (S7E19) - 17.75
#11: Heather (S3E10) - 17.75
#10: Zoey (S4E12) - 17.75
#9: Gwen (S1E19) - 17.75
#8: Heather (S3E20) - 17.80
#7: Geoff (S7E19) - 17.80
#6: Lindsay (S1E18) - 17.80
#5: Zoey (S4E10) - 17.85
#4: Kitty (S7E24) - 17.90
#3: Harold (S2E10) - 17.93
#2: Kitty (S7E25) - 17.95
#1: Shawn (S6E10) - 17.97
Total amount of top tier episode by episode incarnations: 92 (34 of them being 17.5 or higher)
Below 17.50: 7 (TDI) + 8 (TDA) + 15 (WT) + 9 (ROTI) + 3 (AS) + 3 (PI) + 13 (RR) = 58 (emit)
Bottom 30
#30: Katie (S2E12) - 0.80
#29: Chris (S5E11) - 0.80
#28: Chef (S6E11) - 0.75
#27: Chris (S6E6) - 0.70
#26: Izzy (S3E11) - 0.70
#25: Amy (S6E5) - 0.70
#24: Beth (S2E10) - 0.65
#23: Chef (S3E26) - 0.60
#22: Sugar (S6E6) - 0.60
#21: Heather (S1E9) - 0.55
#20: Chris (S6E7) - 0.53
#19: Chris (S6E5) - 0.53
#18: MacArthur (S7E19) - 0.50
#17: Amy (S6E2) - 0.40
#16: Chef (S3E2) - 0.35
#15: Chris (S3E26) - 0.35
#14: Chris (S1E26) - 0.30
#13: Chris (S3E2) - 0.30
#12: Mal (S5E13) - 0.30
#11: Chris (S6E8) - 0.27
#10: Sierra (S3E9) - 0.25
#9: Chris (S6E10) - 0.21
#8: Chris (S3E14) - 0.20
#7: Chris (S6E11) - 0.19
#6: MacArthur (S7E26) - 0.18
#5: Ezekiel (S3E26) - 0.15
#4: Chris (S3E13) - 0.15
#3: Amy (S6E1) - 0.10
#2: Chris: (S1E27) - 0.03
#1: Chris: (S6E13) - 0.00
Total amount of bottom tier episode by episode incarnations: 37
And that wraps up the long wall of text along with all my mini rankings. I figured this post would be too long if I included all of this just in one post, so I decided to make this 2 parts. Next part is the real deal, where I show off a few different ranking lists, and then finally my character rankings (you can find it via this link)

I’ll do a face reveal at 20 followers

I’ve been skinny my entire life, and I remember being body shamed ever since I could walk. Extended family made jokes and pointed out how weird my body looked like I was a circus freak. My mom made fun of me for not having a big enough chest when I was shopping for graduation dresses.
Almost everyone I’ve met in my personal life has to make some tasteless comment about my body too. Last month, I visited my childhood best friend who I haven’t seen in years, and her mom just had to express (unprompted) that after all these years I was still really skinny, and my friend agreed. I awkwardly laughed, but it hurt me inside. I gained 8 pounds since I last saw them and was proud of it, but it didn’t change my appearance the way I thought it did.
The experiences and comments that negatively affected me the most came from romantic partners. Ever since I started dating, I’ve been made aware that a lot of men prefer thicker and curvier bodies. I always assumed men who got with me found my body attractive, (I mean, who wouldn’t assume that) so it was a big slap to the face when they’d reveal they actually hated my thin frame.
I’ve had ex boyfriends tell me I have “no ass” and should start running or go to the gym “to get one.” I’m Asian and I had an ex tell me that he preferred Latinas and black women for their bodies. My last ex stopped having sex with me for 6 months of our relationship, and I was worried it was because he wasn’t attracted to my body, but he insisted I was wrong. I investigated if he was cheating, but discovered he stopped the sex because he was too busy getting his rocks off to “gym thick” and “big butts in yoga pants” porn. That stung.
I’ve started to feel disgusted when I look at my own selfies. I parrot comments that I’ve heard or read about myself like, “ew I have no shape.” “Ew look at how bony my thighs look.” A part of me does feel sad I think this way, but the other part agrees that I do look too skinny and need to “fix” it. I try to eat a lot more because I go to the gym, but I’m concerned I might start binge eating if I’m not careful.
My current boyfriend is worried that I have body dysmorphia because I’ve been insistent upon going to the gym to get bigger thighs and glutes. I think I am suffering from body dysmorphia. I remember people from my past saying how flat my butt is every time I look in the mirror, and it pushes me to keep going to the gym in the hopes that one day, I will have the body I want and will no longer be bothered by comments like that.
My boyfriend knows I’m upset about not making the progress I want because my chronic knee issues make it difficult to do heavier leg exercises. I do feel like crap for causing him concern about my body image issues, but this insecurity is just too strong. I’ve heard some women tell me they wished they had my body, but it never makes me feel better. It doesn’t make me feel better about all the body shaming I endured.
What do I do?