[M]/Doing retro coz reddit has apparently locked my account before 2024 expired, and I just realised this hasn't been published /[M]

Canadian Federal Elections 101

Canada has inherited its political system from the United Kingdom, sticking to Westminster parliamentary system ever since. This means, that unlike in the United States, the outcome of Canadian elections are won by whichever party manages to elect the greatest number on Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of Canada, allowing the leader of this party to assume the office of Prime Minister.

The Senate of Canada provides for a stark contrast, since despite being originally designed to ensure provincial representation, the upper house remains unelected and is largely subjected to the politics in the House of Commons.

When no party is able to secure more than 50 per cent of seats in the House, a leader of a political party that is able to command more than 50 per cent of MPs, for example through singing supply and confidence or coalition agreements with other parties, becomes Prime Minister instead. Historically, however, the largest party in the House of Commons tends to form a monitory government, when it commands a plurality of MPs, rather than an outright majority. This allows the largest party to remain in power, but it has to rely on MPs from other political factions to pass crucial pieces of legislation, especially when it comes to votes that indicate parliamentary confidence, such as federal budgets. Losing those votes, would effectively mean that the current government has to either be completely re-staffed with new Cabinet Ministers, or call a snap election.
However, minority governments remained fairly uncommon in Canada, since the current voting system, called First-Past-the-Post (FPTP), allows for individual MPs to win their respective ridings - also known as constituencies - to be elected into the House of Commons with a simple plurality of votes. Thus, a political party can win most seats in the House of Commons through strategically placing their bets on ridings with very tight margins, where just one extra vote may allow their nominee to win a permanently seat, effectively making all votes for the opposition candidate in that riding meaningless.

General Backgrounder

For example, the Liberal Party of Canada has won the last two federal elections with a plurality of seats in the House of Commons, despite coming only 2nd to the Conservative Party of Canada during popular vote. The Liberals, despite becoming the largest party in the House still fell short of winning the majority of seats, being forced to rely on the New Democratic Party, that represented are more progressive social democratic part of the electorate, for crucial votes. Later, the Government has called a snap election aiming to get their desired majority, but failed, and had to sign a formal Supply and Confidence Agreement with the NDP, that included a massive package of social programmes, such as the recently implemented national dental care and prescription drug insurance.
However, while enjoying a steady lead in polls vis-a-vis, the federal Conservatives during the pandemic, the Liberals had experienced persistent slump as post-pandemic recovered coupled with sticky inflation and rapidly deteriorating housing crisis. As the Federal Conservatives have moved to the right following the election of a new leader, they have utilised concurrent economic challenges and liberal economic policy, blaming the current government's pandemic related emergency spending coupled with expansion of social programs as the root cause for inflation into collapsing housing affordability.
As Canada had to respond to America's Inflation Reduction Act with a new public investment into green transition, conservative criticism of the Trudeau government has become ever more vocal, with fiscal deficits presumably exacerbating, concurrent inflationary pressures.
Liberal policies, especially introducing the federal backstop mechanism for carbon pricing, has also spurred, vicious opposition, among Conservatives, especially those living in the Western Canada, that culminated in the razor-thin re-election of the United Conservatives in the oil-producing province of Alberta. The federal response to the freedom, convoy protest, as well as the general push, forever wider collective community during the pandemic, has created some fertile soil for the opposition, Conservatives to capitalise on, especially as the more moderate leader of the party had been ousted shortly after the convoy protest.
After more than eight years in government, the liberal party has also been embroiled in several corruption and ethics candles, including the SNC-Lavallin affair, the pandemic-era ArriveCan App scandal, and, most recently, the accusations of Chinese electoral interference, and Chinese police stations operating in Canada.
In fact, the situation for the current government has become so dire. It's a point, but more than 80% of forecasters projected a Conservative minority government has the most probable outcome for the next election. According to some polls, the Liberals would be unable to form a government, even with the support of the New Democratic Party. The liberal convention in late spring 2023, didn't provide much of a relief either, how's the party continued to lack a comprehensive platform to combat the issue of housing and affordability - something that steadily climbed the rate of priorities for many Canadians, to become the most pressing issue, when deciding who to vote for. If anything, the Conservative party has become the most popular political force, among younger Canadians, with their laser, sharp focus on the issue of inflation and housing affordability.
The issue of housing affordability has become central to the Conservative Convention, where the Party has committed to "restoring" home ownership across the country, through planning laws deregulation and "removing resections on the supply of housing". This would see the federal government to tie federal spending on housing to municipalities shortening approval times, waive HST/GST for housing, as well as allow landlords to re-invest their profits into new housing tax-free. The Conservative convention also proposed federal infrastructure funding to be linked to higher-density housing construction.
What did, however, play in favour of the current government, what is the time. Within Canadian Parliamentary system, the Prime Minister can call an election effectively anytime, so long their term doesn't exceed the four year threshold, that was approaching at Fall 2025, supported by the Supply and Confidence Agreement with New Democrats.
As inflation in North America has started slowly subsiding toreturn to the 2% target in early fall 2024, Trudeau has managed to re-gain some the economic credibility his government has seemingly lost. The Liberals have also continued their tilt to make some inroads into the NDP camp, with the Federal Budget 2024 going heavily on Net Zero and Green Transition.
However, the Liberals also had to deal with a political deadline, whether to call and election before or after the Budget 2025 would've been published. The former might allow the LPC to avoid the criticism of "buying up votes" that the party received after calling the snap election shortly after introducing their Federal Budget in 2021. However, Trudeau also had a stake at deferring the election for long as possible, hoping that waiving inflationary pressure might open up more space for the Liberals to re-gain the economic ground over the Conservatives.

Federal Election 2025

After long deliberation, the federal Cabinet has opened to hold an election in late March 2025, right at the time when a government would have normally tabled their budget. The election that both the Liberals and the Conservatives have approached after almost a year or neck-and-neck perforce in the polls, with Trudeau having a minuscule advantage in personal ratings.
The economy, especially housing affordability, have become two main issues during this election, closely followed by healthcare - namely access to family physicians and waiting times for selected procedures - and the issue of inflation still lingering at the back of the public debate.
Trudeau himself because a matter for the debate, with the Liberals banking on his personal likability, while Federal Conservatives continuously pressed with corruption and ethical scandals and corruption allegations, combined with the Liberal campaign continuously bringing up the "electability issue" of their opponents.

Housing

With the Tories enjoying slight lead on the matter of economic competence, the Liberals opted to treat the housing crisis as a matter of social policy, while banking heavily on personal popularity of Trudeau himself. From the policy-standpoint, LPC Election Platform has effectively copied the proposal originally voiced during the Conservative Convention. Namely, waiving GST/HST for housing construction, allowing landlords to re-invest their profits into constructing more units tax-free, as well as linking federal spending to new housing development and liberalising permitting process. The difference with the Conservatives was the focusing on new federal spending to combat housing affordability.
Liberal election promises involved the commitment for new federal housing construction to exceed population growth by the end of the first term, through the government directly contracting private developers to build more affordable housing, and task the Canada Infrastructure Development Corporation to provide funding to non-market housing in numbers meeting or exceeding population growth in larger metropolitan areas on Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and across Atlantic Canada.
Unlike the Tories, Trudeau also went further, promising the government would cover development charges for projects that included affordable housing. The Liberals have also committed to conducting of affordable rental housing, aimed at younger Canadians and those who are yet to start cloning the property ladder. Conservatives on the other hand emphasised Trudeau's poor track on housing affordability, combined focusing on making home ownership more affable through market-driven construction of new units for sale.
Both Team Blue and Team Red have committed to expediting the arrival of new skilled trades professionals, especially those working in the housing sector, including interest-free loans to have their qualifications recognised or to up-skill their existing credentials. Liberals however, took a step further, promising automatic Permanent Residency who has worked in residential construction after 1 year, as well issuing Open Work Permits - exempt from the Labour Market Impact Assessment - to anyone with construction work experience willing to come to Canada, so long they continue working in the construction sector for the majority of their time before obtaining permanent residency. The Tories on their part suggested granting PR automatically after they've worked in construction for at least 5 years.
On the matter of banning foreign buyers, both parties have committed to banning home purchases in Canada for those who do not hold Canadian citizenship or are not Permanent Residents of Canada, with Liberals maintaining existing exemptions, so long the person buying has invested an equivalent amount in affordable housing construction.
Rhetorically, the Liberals have echoed the National Housing Act 1938, suggesting their government would run fiscal deficits to finance nation-wide home construction, especially affordable rental units. CPC has openly accused Trudeau of "policy stealing" choosing to emphasis permitting deregulation, subsidies for new units, and investing more construction professionals.

Healthcare & Social Care

Federal Conservatives have focused their attack in increasing waiting times, as well as increasing shortage of medical professionals across the country. Liberals, however, aimed to conservative proposals to introduce more private providers into the system, while emphasising their expansion of public health insurance that now covers both dental care and prescription drugs. Both parties suggested increasing the immigration intake for doctors, nurses, medical researches, providing financial support to have their credentials recognised in Canada as well as to update their skills.
The Liberals have however suggested lowering tuition rates international students who come to study health, social care, and eduction, granted them access to domestic rates of tuition, as well as a designated pathway to Permanent Residency for health, eduction, and social care who have obtained at least 1560 hours of Canadian work experience, and received at least part of their eduction in Canada. This would come as a supplementary measure, with domestic students becoming eligible for federal student loan write off if they have accumulated at least 1 year of post-graduation work experience in health, social care, or education - so long their degree is in the same field.
The Liberals have also committed to covering a Royal Commission to introduce a national social care insurance programme for seniors and people with disabilities.

The Economy

The Conservatives suggest introducing "full expensing" allowing companies to deduct up 120 per cent of their expenses on machinery, equipment, and non-residential property, akin to UK's Super Deduction, to combat Canada's low investment levels. They also propose to introduce tax credits for Canadian companies to up-skill their workers, as well as increased federal funding to provinces to support job training and second career programmes and labour market integration.
The Liberals suggest increasing the minimum wage in federally-regulated institutions, linking as a proportion of executive pay. LPC also pledged to introduce at least 4 weeks of paid vacation after 1 year on employment, with additional increases in line with employee tenure, as outlined in their Convention 2023, while brining paid leave of up to 6 weeks a year, allowing recipients to tradition onto disability payments after that.
Both parties have committed to supporting Employee Ownership Trusts, as well as introduction of worker representation on corporate boards in federally-regulated industries. Team Red however to it a step further, suggesting they will employee ownership mandatory for large corporations , with the only exemption provided for profit-sharing schemes.
Both parties have also supported reforming Canada's Employment Insurance Program:
The Conservatives suggest introducing Individual EI Savings Accounts that any Canadian can access whenever they are let go of their job or decide to quit. The proposed accounts would be funded through mandatory employer and employee contributions and could also be used to pay for labour training and re-skilling, with means-tested federal assistance available for those who's exhausted their accounts. Tories also suggest expanding current marginal earnings projection to apply to both individual and household income. The party also suggests waiving EI Premiums and provide rebates for C/QPP Contribution rebates to those not paying federal income tax, to guarantee every Canadian can earn at least $1000 a month free of payroll deductions.
Trudeau on the other hand suggested making EI coverage universal, and providing up to 90 per cent wage replacement in the first month of claim, while also introducing EI Benefit Floor, where every Canadian would be entitled to a minimum benefit equal to federal minimum wage regardless of their original earnings, for as long as they have enough insurable hours. The Liberal plan also introduces expands "working while on claim" provision, allowing people collecting EI benefits to have their wages supplemented through the program so their total paycheque reaches at least 90 per cent of their average 5-year earnings at all times, regardless whether the claimant is eligible for EI Regular Benefits. EI Parental Benefits are set to be fixed at at least 60 per cent of the family's income, subject o the benefit floor. Liberals suggest paying for the programme through waiving maximum insurable earnings to levy EI Premiums on all income of an individual, while introducing cap on benefits linked to median regional wages. However, the basic exemption shall be aligned to the federal income tax minimum threshold. Surpluses generated should be used to pay for expanded WWoC provisions and putting EI Operating Account back into surplus.
Both parties also committed to brining in a Canada Savers' Creditthat mirrors both the amounts and eligibly criteria of the GST/HST tax credit, but is instead deposited in people's Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) and automatically invested into corporate equity. Tories and Liberals also support introducing automatic enrolment for Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs), Registered Eduction Savings Plans (RESPs), Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSP), First Homebuyer Savings Accounts (FHSAs) and TFSAs upon either birth of obtaining Canadian tax residency for eligible non-Canadians. While the Conservative proposal would new accounts automatically linked to existing financial institutions the individual already has an account in, the Liberals instant new accounts should be automatically assigned to a new independent crown corporation, so long the primary account holder haven't decided to the move their registered accounts to an eligible financial institution.
Both parties pitch the policy as a potential interim solution to address Canada's sky-high household debt, through increased asset ownership and participation in stock markets.
When it comes to fiscal policy, the Liberal Government suggests they'll keep their "structural deficit" - as defined by tax revenues versus programme expedites - bellow the rate of economic growth over the 10 year period. LPC however is open they'll not restrain their spending on new housing construction, Ottawa set to absorb almost all the costs of housing under the liberal plan. The Conservatives on the other hand suggest introducing the $1 for $1 rule for federal expenditure, where every dollar of new spending has to be offset by a dollar in spending cuts or increased taxes, suggesting to balance the budget in their first 5 years in the office.
Somewhat comically, the Liberals seem to be attacking Conservative proposals on the grounds it may bring back the pain on the nighties - referring to the Chretien austerity era - especially in Atlantic Canada and the Regions of Quebec where benefit dependency ratios have traditionally been elevated.
The Liberals have also committed to expand existing childcare agreements, to make childcare services and spare available to anyone, and drastically reduce wait times for subsidised spots.

Energy & Environment

The issue has surprisingly played a somewhat muted role during this election, as CPC has contained to opposed federal price on carbon, pressuring the idea of turning Canada into a "natural resource superpower". Liberals on the other hand boasted about their massive investment into Net Zero Transition, while also attacking the Tories one potential fiscal penalties that the government would assume after cancelling the carbon tax. Team Red had also opened to cling to previous commitments of the Conserve Leader to ban overseas oil, which Ontario, and Quebec, as well as Atlantic Canada remain fairly dependent on, due to lack of oil transportation infrastructure from western oil production facilities. Considering the fact Quebec has remained one of Liberal strongholds even at the lowest, as well as the party's perceived electability in the province, CPC would've had even harder to fight for the votes in Quebec.

Tipping the Scales

However, what truly decided this election, was something that may in the future divide the country even more, namely the issue of the French language. Something that has been present in Canadian politics for generations, but something that this time brought a party over the finish line, while completely tanking their opponents.
While both leaders fluent in French, having French Canadian roots, combined with an almost unchallenged dominance of the local Bloc Québécois, it seemed quite unlikely either party would be able to gain any meaningful advantage in Quebec, until both parties have revealed their election manifestos.
Here was the moment the Liberals played their cards best. Namely, the party has committed to supplying French language both within and outside Quebec, through drastically bolstering access to Francophone eduction across the country. The Liberals has committed to introducing a brand-new federal agency tasked with facilitating access to French eduction and integration services - Francisation Canada.
The agency was set to provide free-at-use eduction in French, while also providing up to $1000 a month in finical assistance to immigrants who were willing to learn French. On top of that, the Liberals have committed to make existing Explore and Odyssey Programmes more universal, integrating them into school curriculums across the country. The Party has also committed to negotiating bilateral agreements with all provinces to provide additional funding and guarantee access to services, including eduction in French across Canada, while making French a mandatory subject for Early Learning & Childcare, as well as in secondary education. LPC would also waive tuition fees for post-secondary eduction in French, and negotiate agreements with other francophone countries, to facilitate French-speaking immigration into Canada and Quebec.

Conclusion

Thus, on the night of the election, the sudden realisation waived through the country. The Liberal Party managed to protect their urban ridings, even in West, as their pledge to "spend whether it takes to make houses and rents affordable for everyone" managed to persuade swing urban voters across the country, combined with their massive investment in green transition. The Tories has also lost their lead in Atlantic Canada, where an idea of a massive EI expansion has resonated with voters much more than the concept of individual accounts. Massive subsidies in battery production have also helped the Liberals to protect their seats across Ontario, especially in former industrial towns. However, what actually brought Trudeau over the finish line, was Quebec. The Combination of absolutely massive investments into green tech, coupled with new social programs, and proposed childcare expansion, on top of the Liberal pledge to "protect and promote the French language from Coast to Coast to Coast" allowed the party to make some significant inroads across the province, despite loosing some suburban ridings, Central Canada gave Trudeau yet another chance to form yet another minority Liberal government.

Party Name	Popular Vote	Number of Seats
Liberal Party of Canada (LPC_	33.8%	158
Conservative Party of Canada (CPC)	35.8%	140
New Democratic Party (NDP)	19%	20

Bloc Québécois (BQ)6.2%21 People's Party of Canada1,5%0
​

Acknowledgements

• https://energynow.ca/2022/04/energy-east-will-not-live-again-heres-why-jean-francois-thibault/
• https://2023.liberal.ca/policy/
• https://macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/erin-otoole-socialist-crusade
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/grenier-election-results-1.5330105
• https://tnc.news/2022/03/25/pierre-poilievre-proposes-ban-on-foreign-oil-within-five-years/
• https://nationalpost.com/news/why-does-pierre-poilievre-appeal-to-young-canadians-its-all-about-economics-2
• https://www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-conservatives-more-trusted-than-liberals-to-manage-federal-finances/
• https://centre.irpp.org/research-studies/amending-the-official-languages-act-a-new-vision-of-bilingualism/
• https://energynow.ca/2022/04/energy-east-will-not-live-again-heres-why-jean-francois-thibault/
• https://tnc.news/2022/06/22/poilievre-pay-as-you-go/
• https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/where-the-six-conservative-leadership-candidates-stand-on-key-policy-issues-1.5888530
• https://newsinteractives.cbc.ca/elections/federal/2021/party-platforms/
• https://338canada.com/sim.htm

Actually chapter 6 dang it.
First Previous Next ​ ​

In a bustling mining town:

Jax had been enjoying himself. The war stories and barely believable tales of antics of the Humans he'd served with he told in the coffee parlors were popular among the intoxicated of both sexes, though the admiration and further libations from the men were far less captivating than the rapt attention a very pretty woman with a lithe figure and strong tail gave him. Comely indeed, and she would come to listen to him. Though it seemed to onlookers that he had captivated her, it was her dark pools of eyes that he had dove into, and found them deep and inescapable. She kept those eyes trained on him so long as he spoke, and so he spoke, seeing in those depths possibilities.
Indeed, Jax had begun to expect that if he were to ask Rae to accompany him to the upcoming autumn festival, she might not reject the notion. Even with troubling rumors about somebody attacking a neighboring nation, and the sudden vanishing of the Star Sailors from Star Council space were far from his mind, and the minds of the other coffee parlor patrons. It was in this ease and comfort that he and many other Numiindan residents found their lives shattered by horror.
It began with the burning streaks of the wrecked Space Defense Force, more law enforcement than military, fell from the sky. He was just in the middle of a story about the time his buddy Erin had gotten stuck in his own armor when he stopped and said, "Does anybody else smell smoke?"
There was a general testing of the air by the group of variably intoxicated patrons, followed by a fruitless checking of datapads for the news. "Network's down," somebody in the small crowd said.
"Well, we'll just go outside and take a look," Jax said, and Rae subtly clasped his hand. Outside, the pair squeezed each other's hands so hard they hurt. The sky was streaked with gashes of billowing black smoke of destroyed ships and fighters, and what destroyed them was descending while raining hot plasma down on anything that looked vaguely like it might be fortified.
"The Ancestors preserve us," Rae whispered.
"I'm not going to wait on them," Jax said, "we need to get under cover now, and not just the lounge!"
Someone in the crowd said, "The mines! There are some pretty big chambers down there, and it's like, miles of rock to burn through."
"Good plan," Vex said, "If they're doing areal lances like that they don't care about collateral damage, everyone, split up in groups of three or four, and get as many people as you can to get to the mines."
"What if they follow us down?" Rae asked.
"We'll flood the mines. Hopefully they can't swim."
An hour later, a press of over a hundred panicked elderly and children were running along behind Jax. The majority of the parents and other adults had elected to buy time. Jax had to focus on his mission, save the civvies, get them under cover, to keep from bolting off to join them. "As long as the pups are alive," he muttered.
The sounds of shouting and plasma lance discharges spurred him and Rae on, and though he was obliged to lead the way, she insisted on bringing up the rear. She insisted that none of the injured were left behind. Then, they saw it, salvation. The gates to the mines, and behind them, the shaft plunging down beneath the rock. There were miners with plasma cutters and force axes at the gates, and Jax knew better than to relax. Even as the miners swung the gates open and escorted their panicked charges to the shaft elevator.
"We're getting ready to flood the main shaft, and everything but the vents to the largest chamber," one of the miners said, "get everyone up against the back wall, and pray the Ancestors remember us."
Jax just nodded and gripped his crowbar as he scanned the road they had run down saying, "I'm going to need fighters. We have to hold out until the Republic gets here."
"The Republic? You think they'll come?"
"Of course," Jax said with steel in his voice, "of course."
The next day, Jax held a meeting with the others he was thinking of as the leaders, or maybe other fighters, to tell them what he thought and hear what they thought in return. They had swam to an air pocket in one of the flooded tunnels and held their conversation in the dim light of a portable glow lantern to keep the civvies from panicking at what might be said. There Jax and Rae floated with Kai, a miner and the one who had suggested sheltering in the tunnels, Mei, an engineer in from the big city to help design an upgraded refining facility, and Ash, a man reluctant to divulge his past.
"So, we have about eight hundred civvies, none of whom are in fighting shape, no weapons, no food, and a highly defensible position," Jax opened, "I believe our first priority should be arming ourselves so we can raid the surface for food."
"The first aid kits are barely adequate. They're made to deal with maybe a localized plasma burn from a cutter malfunction, or to put temporary splints on a broken limb. Not lance wounds and to stabilize breaks for healing," Rae murmured softly.
"I did a little scouting," Kai said, "Just popping up in the vent covers, they didn't see me. I saw my house. What's left of it. Anyway, I know how to get to where there are some weapons we could get if we're quick. If we're quiet."
"The flooding did significant damage to the mines," Mei muttered. "I haven't seen any signs that it's getting worse, but the quakes will probably keep on. We will have to reassure the civilians. If they bombard the town from orbit though…"
"There's not much we can do about that," Jax said firmly, "so let's focus on what we can manage. Weapons, food, medicine."
"Blankets," Ash said, "The people are cold, scared. Blankets will help with morale. Survivors. There might be survivors."
"Weapons, food, weapons, blankets, and survivors. Okay, that's a start. Who wants to tell them?"
"Will the Republic really come?" Ash asked.
"They will come," Rex said firmly.
"I can tell them," Rae said as she reached out to clasp hands with Rex. He let her squeeze his hand once, and they dove down into the water to swim back to the main chamber.
The people were understandably stressed at the news that their only protectors would soon leave them alone, but they were reassured when Rae explained that they planned on raiding the surface for supplies and planned to be gone for a few hours at most.
Later, Ash was skulking around a police station, or at least the charred remnants of one, while Jax tried to see him doing so from inside the vent cover. He had been a little aprehensive of the man's claims that he could scout the building unnoticed, but the proof of the meat was inside the shell, so he took a chance. It paid off.
"All clear," Ash whispered from outside Jax's field of view.
"You made your point," Jax said, "good work."
"It's… it's not good in there."
Jax opened up the vent cover, and dropped to all fours to creep his way to the shattered building, and his companions did so behind him.
They squeezed through a gap in the rubble and slowly shifted the rubble until they had tunneled their way to the basement stairs, which they descended immediately. They tried to ignore the singed and shattered corpses of the police officers as they crawled past or over them. They failed at this. They had marginally more success in ignoring Rae's vomit at the grizzly task.
In the basement they found chemprop weapons, magacs, plasma casters, and long distance tasers in rifle and pistol configurations, as well as some light flak armor and personal shields. "Don't bother with the casters or tasers," Jax ordered as he wrapped his hands around the familiar shape of a rifle stock, "Terrans use these for a reason." The others deferrred to his experience, and Rae went to check the other basement rooms for medical supplies.
When she cried out, Rex and the others rushed into the adjoining room, but found no danger there. Only the chief of police, a magac pistol lay at his feet, and the wall to his left was painted in a sanguine splatter. "Nim," she almost moaned in grief.
"You knew him?" Ash asked.
"My uncle."
The others murmured their apologies, none of them strangers to such loss in the past day, and Ash pulled a discarded coat over the man taken by despair. "We have to make sure the people don't decide that this is a good idea," he softly murmured.
"Okay, see what else we can find for supplies here. Kai, can we get to a clinic from the tunnels?"
"Three of them."
"We'll hit the nearest one first, then we swim out to the bay and see if we can get anything from the fishery."
Then, they once again committed to the grizzly task of crawling through the rubble.
The clinic was miraculously intact, only a little exterior fire damage from the fighting, but it was also guarded. The invaders hadn't expected anyone to actually attack with weapons, as thus far most resistance had been fierce but only armed with improvised weapons. The two guards were relieved of their duties by magnetically accelerated iron chunks that left golf ball sized exit wounds in their backs before they even knew they were under attack. Inside, there was not only a treasure trove of medical supplies, which Rae directed them to take only the most versatile or in most dire need, but there were also prisoners in one of the exam rooms. They had injuries that indicated that they were painful but not lethal. Jax was furious.
The fishery offered enough food for the next few days, and their triumphant return kindled hope in the sheltering civilians that they might just hold out.

In low orbit over Numinda:

Acolyte-Lord Gukea-Sarvon surveyed his glorious conquest. Glad he was to have received orders to seek out resource rich planets, for instead of wasting his talents spilling unworthy blood to sate the thirst of Axzuur, he had instead found a race worthy of toiling for his glory. They could never be true warriors, Five days, and he had obtained control over the system and planet. Truly, the pathetic resisance offered by their so-called fleet had dismayed him, but the reports of the ferocity with which the males and some of the females on the orb below fight against his warriors armed only with what is to hand, and sometimes merely tooth and claw, excited him greatly.
It would be pleasing to elevate the lion's share of Axxaakk serfs to more worthy work, to more… worthy services. This new acquisition would even free up many serfs to become warriors, even, which would mean more sacrifices to Axzuur, which would mean greater favor. Although, there were still pockets of resistance across the planet. Even though his forces controlled the communication infrastructure for the planetary and superluminal networks, these pockets seemed to somehow act in concert to keep vital positions outside the Axxaakk's rightful reach.
It would seem that a mere scout group was insufficient, so he was being reinforced by, Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn, who had been reassigned to a subjugation group including a battleship, three frigates, and their escorts. This should provide sufficient warriors and equipment to properly subjigate the planet, freeing Acolyte-Lord Gukea-Sarvon up for the much more pleasant task of crushing the next planet's defenses. Just two days of further drudgery until Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn arrived to take on the unenviable task of crushing the indipendent spirits of the new serfs. At least he had a few specimens for his own research in the best methods to do so to occupy his time.
Two days later, Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn had sent his counterpart sprawling off of his own dais with a metalic backhand slap, "WHY ARE YOUR ESCORTS NOT INTERDICTING HYPERSPACE EXITS AROUND THIS POSITION?"
Acolyte-Lord Gukea-Sarvon staggered to his feet in a fury, "BECAUSE MY SCOUT FLOTILLA WIPED AWAY ALL RESISTANCE IN LESS THAN A DAY!"
"Observe," Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn said coldly as he slammed a data crystal into an input, and the display screen lit up with the scene of a Terran fleet engaging an extraction fleet, and far from being swept away, they were fighting the extraction fleet to a slow defeat.
"Is that a stone temple?" Acolyte-Lord Gukea-Sarvon blurted out.
"It is."
"Why?"
"To show they can," Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn said with disgust.
Acolyte-Lord Gukea-Sarvon's eyes went wide as he asked, "How did that curiser take hits from behind."
"The Terrans apparently use kinetic weaponry, they fired the munitions in a slingshot trajectory while another ship forced it to maneuver into the line of travel."
"The calculations involved…"
"It is my belief that this is not even the main fighting force of the Terran military, for observe further," Acolyte-Lord Narrex-Quinn twisted the crystal to display a split video of several systems on the screen. "These look like merchant vessels with guns strapped to them, and Priest-Lord Tiglach-Pilexer agrees that is likely the case. These fleets are likely auxiliaries sent out to probe our strength while the Terrans gather their true forces."
"Thank you for relaying this, I shall indeed run hyperspace interdiction at the next world."
"Your orders have changed. We are to extract what we can, and carry it off to the Dominion. The expeditionary fleet is insufficient."
Acolyte-Lord Gukea-Sarvon resisted the urge to spit upon the floor. "I too have information. These… these mammal-worms are worthy of at the very least toiling underneath the Axxaakk. Though their forces are defeated, the people fight on, just as the serfs did before they were broken and rebuilt to Axzuur's glory, may the stars tremble at his step."
"They are mammals, hold hostage their young, as we do for an unruly serf."
"This is a good plan, brother."
"We must not allow the Terrans to surprise us as they did Acolyte-Lord Xamxi-Avav."
First Previous Next ​ ​

Hi everyone! I've been on a recent Say Yes to the Dress binge and have time to spare, so I thought I'd rank the Bates wedding dresses in order of preference. This is just based off my fashion preferences- it is in no way intended as hate or as commentary on the actual person wearing the dress.

1. Erin- The dress itself was actually nice. It was the alterations that didn't work. It was really obvious they sewed in a t-shirt for modesty, and it's such a shame because the dress would have been so pretty without the modesty alterations.
   
2. Whitney (original)- The bolero did not work at all. I also wasn't a fan of the skirt's draping- it looked too heavy and bunched for me. But I at least prefer the bolero to sewing in a shirt.
   
3. Michael- The modesty alterations were less obvious than Erin's, but I still am not a fan of the short sleeves, pattern on the skirt, or the knot on the bodice. It doesn't really feel cohesive.
   
4. Alyssa- I really like this dress, but adding straps totally threw it off. They're too wide and look like they're going to slip off any second. The bodice also seemed to be slightly thick. Had it been thinner and the dress kept strapless, this dress would be ranked higher.
   
5. Tiffany:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(499x0:501x2)/Lawson-Bates-wedding75-68215707b65f4beb998beb2e4f3db3c3.jpg)- It looked very clean and appropriate for a coastal wedding, but the bow did not do it for me. I thought the neckline also hit at a weird spot. Having it be either a deeper V neck or a scoop neck and removing the bow would make a huge difference. Massive props for a sleeveless dress with a slit, though. It is certainly refreshing to see.
   
6. Josie- As with many of the other dresses, it's the alterations that I dislike. The dress itself is gorgeous, and I really like the material of the skirt. But the modesty panel is really obvious and distracting, and the extra lining makes it much harder to see the beautiful details on the bodice.
   
7. Esther- The style was flattering on her, and I liked that it had personality to it. I do think adding a belt and trading the crown for a simpler headpiece would have made it look more timeless, but it's still a very nice dress.
   
8. Lydia:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(859x228:861x230)/Bringing-Up-Bates-Wedding-100222-06-2000-2362fa7fad89407f9c13ac376e07ad04.jpg)- This was hard to judge because it was such a pain trying to find photos of her from the front (this was the best I could do), but I really like it! It's very classic and the lace and buttons feel interesting without being overdone. It will age very nicely.
   
9. Tori- The lace overlay of the dress was beautiful, and I really loved the train. It fit nicely and felt very classic. It was also modest without feeling very in-your-face about it. Bonus points for wearing her hair up to show off the back too.
   
10. Katie- I'm typically not a fan of overly simple wedding dresses, but this one really worked. It was very timeless and the big skirt made it interesting to look at. I do wish the neckline fit a little better, but I don't think it took away from the look.
    
11. Carlin- This dress was probably the most fitting personality-wise. It really screamed Carlin. The big skirt, flower on the waist, lace- it totally worked for her. I really liked how light the skirt looked and the floral accents.
    
12. Whitney (vow renewal)- The difference between this and her original wedding dress is so stark, considering they weren't even five years apart. The high neckline paired with the sleeveless, lacy style is incredibly flattering, and her hairstyle showed off the back and paired nicely with the formal but still laidback vibe. The style really stands out compared to other Bates dresses that can sometimes blend together. No critiques here. 10/10
    

The Chelsea FC Women May round-up - champions Chelsea complete the triple Double, in a perfect May

Welcome to the final Chelsea FC Women monthly round-up of the 2022/23 season. This post is a long read, so feel free to skip to the end for a brief overview!

Introduction

It was a mixed April for Chelsea, in which we won one semi-final, and lost the other.
A spirited, but in the end, painful two-legged defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League meant our European dream came to an end. We were still left fighting in two competitions, however, having beat Aston Villa to advance to the FA Cup Final for the third year in a row.
As well as facing Man United in that banner occasion in May, we were also locked in a tense title fight with the Red Devils in the WSL - both the league and cup were to be decided in the final month of the season, meaning Chelsea had seven games to determine whether we made it a third Double triumph in three seasons, or finished the season empty-handed.
Chelsea’s congested fixture list meant we started the month seven points behind leaders Man United in the WSL standings - but with three games in hand. That meant it was in our hands - win out, and we would win the league.
Seven games to define the season - one cup final, and six in the WSL. Chelsea would be playing two games a week - whilst our rivals benefitted from a lighter schedule. The Blues had been heavily hit by injury this season - it was confirmed ahead of the run-in that Fran Kirby and Millie Bright would be out for the end of the season, although we were boosted by the return of Pernille Harder and Kadeisha Buchanan.
This has been one of the most gruelling and challenging seasons in recent memory for Chelsea - both on and off the pitch. Emma Hayes’ team are used to making the ends of seasons glorious ones - and that experience and champion mentality could be key to making the difference.
It was not going to be easy - but when the calendar turns to May, Chelsea come out to play, saving our best for when we needed it the most. It was set to be a tense month, of hoping that history would be repeated.

Key headlines

Injury updates
The ongoing injury epidemic - especially serious knee injuries - has been one of the storylines of the women’s football season. This has been especially concerning for many players and teams, with the World Cup looming in July.
Another of Chelsea’s own joined the unfortunate ranks this month, with young defender Jorja Fox having torn her ACL whilst out on loan to Brighton. The 19 year old has returned to the club for her treatment.
It was also confirmed that Fran Kirby would miss the end of the season, and the World Cup, in another cruel blow for a player who has been so blighted by serious injury and illness. Our two-time Player of the Year will be back in pre-season, having undergone knee surgery.
Millie Bright, meanwhile, is expected to be fit for the World Cup - but would not feature again for Chelsea this season.
Harder and Eriksson depart
It had been long expected, but that did not make the news hurt any less. Club captain Magda Eriksson, and forward Pernille Harder - who joined Chelsea in 2020 for a then world record fee - confirmed that they would be leaving Chelsea upon the expiry of their contracts this summer.
The couple are likely off to Bayern Munich. It has been known for a while that the duo would be taking on a new challenge - announcing it before the end of the season gave the opportunity for fans to see goodbye at Kingsmeadow, and then again in the final game of the season - and to give two icons of Chelsea the send-off they deserved.
It was an emotional farewell for all involved - and their contribution, especially that of Magda, in her six years at the club, will always be a part of our history, and never forgotten.
Awards
With the season drawing to the close, it’s the time of the year that the end of season accolades are handed out.
Sam Kerr was voted the FWA Women’s Football of the Year, for a second year in a row. Despite her contribution to our success this season - it was something of a surprise, with many thinking that Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly should have won.
Nonetheless, it was deserved - we would not be where we are without Kerr.
First signing
Chelsea are getting their business done early, having already announced that Sjoeke Nusken will join the club this summer. The 22 year old German midfielder joins from Frankfurt, and can play in either a deep-lying or box-to-box role.
With rumours of some other big signings to come, it could be a big summer…
Fran Kirby extends her contract
It was not all bad news for Kirby this month - following her knee surgery, it was also announced that the club have activated an extension on Fran’s contract, meaning she will stay at the club until 2024.

Now - to the action!

Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (WSL)
First up in May was the rearranged WSL home game from January, against Liverpool. The match had been abandoned after just six minutes due to a frozen pitch. The truly farcical scenes drew much criticism of how the matter was handled - with fans inconvenienced and players put at risk.
Liverpool had gotten Chelea’s season off the a shocker of a start, when they upset us 2-1 on the opening WSL weekend - but we have gone on to beat them in the FA Cup since. Former Chelsea boss Matt Beard’s side sat seventh in the standings ahead of this one, meaning they had avoided relegation in their first season since returning to the top flight.
Despite the exertions against Barcelona, with nearly a week’s rest after that energy-sapping exit, Emma Hayes felt she only needed to make the one change. It was an attacking one, with Lauren James coming in from the start, and Maren Mjelde dropping out - meaning Eve Perisset dropped into a back three alongside Magda Eriksson and Jess Carter.
Any thoughts of a straightforward evening were rapidly dissipated, when Liverpool took a shock lead after just two minutes.
It was a goal of our own making. The aforementioned Perisset gave the ball away, and Liverpool pounced, with full back Emma Koivisto meeting a Natasha Dowie cross at the far post.
The Chelsea response was a good one - setting about the task of overhauling the Liverpool lead well, by dominating possession and laying siege to the opposition penalty area.
Unfortunately, Liverpool were equally up to their task, and defended with a determination and energy that had been entirely absent from their 4-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Leiecester in their previous outing. Based on our encounters this season, it seems like Liverpool have already developed a penchant for getting it up against Chelsea, on their return to the top flight. Maybe the presence of ex-Blues boss Matt Beard in their dugout has something to do with that…
Highlights of their defensive effort included a superb last-ditch block from former Chelsea player Gemma Bonner, to deny Sam Kerr what seemed a certain goal. Debutant keeper Faye Kirby also pulled off a series of superb stops - and when you have a goalie playing like that on her first senior appearance, it is easy to fear it may be “one of those days”.
Eventually, however, the Chelsea pressure told. Niamh Charles, who joined Chelsea from Liverpool in 2020, flicked home an equaliser from a Perisset corner - the latter’s assist making up for her earlier error.
With the score now 1-1 at the break, it felt like the Liverpool resistance could be at an end - with Chelsea having 45 minutes to find the winner.
The Reds’ heads, however, did not drop - and they set about their task of fierce rearguard action with the same focus as in the first half.
Emma Hayes moved to a back four, and used the full strength of her bench by bringing on Jelena Cankovic, Pernille Harder and Rytting Kaneryd. Harder in particular looked a threat - illustrating how much she had been missed in her long injury absence, since November.
Sam Kerr had gone close on a few occasions in the first half, but her threat had seemed to fade and frustrations grew as the game wore on.
It was however, the Aussie who in the end did what she does best.
Jessie Fleming was desperately unlucky to see her excellently-struck shot ricocheted off of the upright, in the 86th minute - but then immensely relieved (along with all Chelsea players and fans) to see the rebound find Kerr, who finally was able to beat Faye Kirby.
With that, Chelsea had found a way to secure a crucial three points - and ensure our title challenge marched on.
Chelsea 7-0 Everton (WSL)
Next came a home game against Everton, where Chelsea would be hoping for a more straightforward 90 minutes than in the previous game against the red half of Merseyside.
With the Sunday evening kick off slot, each of our title rivals had already played. Arsenal squeaked out a 1-0 win vs relegation-threatened Leicester, whilst Man United eased to a more comfortable 3-0 win against Spurs - maintaining their lead at the top. Man City, however, suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, meaning their title hopes are effectively over.
That meant Chelsea needed to do our bit - and keep on winning. Everton, sat comfortably midtable ahead of this game - well clear of any relegation trouble, and with no prospect of breaking into the top three to qualify for Europe. The last meeting between the two was the reverse WSL fixture, back in October, where a Niamh Charles wonder goal and a brace for Pernille Harder saw Chelsea win 3-1.
Emma Hayes rotated her XI, making five changes - with Chelsea still contending with a gruelling schedule of two games a week. The aforementioned Harder started from the bench - still to make her first start since returning from long-term injury.
Buchanan, Svitkova, Bright and Kirby remained unavailable - with the latter three now having been confirmed as out for the season.
Despite not having much left to play for this season, Everton started well, and had Chelsea on the back foot. The Toffees are a side who look good in possession, and had the Blues working hard off the ball early on.
What was to come, therefore, could not have been expected. The Toffees quickly melted in the early May sunshine, in the face of an absolute onslaught from Chelsea - who scored five sensational goals in the first half, from just five shots on target.
The Blues have made a habit of winning games whilst playing short of our top form this season - but this first half was Chelsea at our ruthless and scintillating best.
The first came from nowhere. With the Everton defence distracted by the movement of Sam Kerr, they allowed Guro Reiten far too much space in her wide left position - who unleashed a rocket to raise the roof at Kingsmeadow, and ignite the crowd. It was her tenth of the season - the first time our assist queen has reached a double digit goal tally for the Blues.
With Chelsea now with a spring in our step, a second came soon after. Sam Kerr had spent the day before representing Australia at King Charles III’s coronation - but this goal involved a different Charles, with Niamh delivering a superb cross for Kerr to nod home.
Unfortunately, that was to be Kerr’s last action of the afternoon - having rolled her ankle in the landing after her goal. She was able to walk off, giving hope her substitution was just a precaution.
Pernille Harder had replaced Kerr - and with her first touch of the game had put Chelsea 3-0 up. It was the Dane’s first goal since her brace in the reverse fixture against Everton - and another goal of the finest quality. Reiten cut the ball back for Harder to curl home, and put the win beyond doubt.
Chelsea were not done yet, however - Sophie Ingle next in on the action with a caressed finish, her first WSL goal of the season. There was still time for one more before the break - and this one was assisted by Harder, who laid it off for Jessie Fleming.
That made it 5-0 to Chelsea, in a truly five-star first half.
With a midweek game to come - and the FA Cup final the next weekend - Hayes made two half time substitutes. Lauren James replaced the superb Reiten, and Alsu Abdullina on for Eve Perisset for some rare WSL minutes.
It was a relaxed second 45 for Chelsea, who with big fixtures left to come and the three points already secured, did not need to take any risks. More could have been added to the tally, with James and Rytting Kaneryd going close - and a blatant penalty on James also turned down.
Erin Cuthbert and Jess Carter joined the party to complete the full complement of five substitutes, and just when it seemed the bunting was being put away for the day, Cuthbert and Harder produced a final flourish for a sixth Chelsea goal. The Scot surged from the halfway line into the Everton third entirely unopposed, and squared it for Harder to emphatically finish.
Cuthbert even had time to add a seventh - just minutes after Rytting Kaneryd had hit the post - to make it 7-0 to Chelsea, in arguably our best performance of the season.
A thoroughly brilliant win for Chelsea, which moved us into second place - four points behind Manchester United, with two games still in hand. The seven goals were a big boost to our goal difference too, although the Red Devils still had the advantage in this.
The only downside was the potential loss of Sam Kerr to injury - which also meant the two goals from Pernille Harder, signalling that the Dane is well and truly back, after her long injury absence, could not have come at a better time. If we were to go without Kerr, we would need Harder more than ever.
Chelsea 6-0 Leicester (WSL)
Chelsea were next in action midweek, fulfilling one of the two games we had in hand over Man United. That also meant our title rivals would benefit from three extra days' rest ahead of our FA Cup final clash at Wembley, on the upcoming weekend.
The opponents, Leicester, were fighting for their WSL lives - sitting 11th in the table ahead of this fixture at Kingsmeadow, two points above bottom side Reading.
Despite their lowly position, they had had some good recent results - including a 4-0 win against Liverpool, and had performed well in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal the weekend prior to this game.
Chelsea had earlier thrashed Leicester 8-0 in the reverse league fixture, but ahead of kick off Emma Hayes referred to them as “the most improved side in the WSL” - as they have made noticeable strides forward under manager Willie Kirk, since then.
Hayes also confirmed Sam Kerr was available for this fixture, with the issue that forced her into an early substitution against Everton only minor.
With the cup final looming, Kerr was not risked however - starting from the bench. Also starting from the bench were Katerina Svitkova and Kadeisha Buchanan on their return from injury - a welcome sign ahead of the run-in. Hayes made six changes to the line up that had started against Everton - including Pernille Harder starting for the first time since her own injury return.
Despite the changes, Chelsea very much started where they left off against Everton, pinning Leicester back from kick off - and had a deserved lead inside ten minutes.
The scoring was opened by the same player who had gotten the party started on the weekend - Guro Reiten storming in to finish a low Harder cross with aplomb.
The situation already looked ominous for Leicester, and the impending sense of doom deepened when another of Sunday’s goalscorers, Erin Cuthbert, made it 2-0 on 18 minutes. The Foxes were caught playing out from the back - a mistake engineered by the intensity of the Chelsea press, which had been relentless from the off.
Harder herself was then in on the goal scoring act with a brace, her second in two games The first was opportunistic - converting a rebound after Lauren James had had her shot saved. The second was some individual brilliance, capping off her own mazy run with a confident finish.
That made it 4-0 at the break, and meant that as against Everton, the game was already done at half time. Chelsea had made short work of Leicester, showing exactly the efficiency and ruthlessness that is needed at the crunch time of the season.
James added a fifth in the second half, to end a run of games without a goal. She did so with what is already becoming a classic of her repertoire - shimmying her way into a dangerous shooting position, then unleashing a rocket from range. Having got her goal, Hayes then brought James off in a series of changes made with Wembley in mind - Cuthbert, Reiten and Harder all also making way.
Jelena Cankovic made it a tennis score, and as a final positive note, Hayes was able to bring Buchanan on for Eriksen to get some minutes in the Canadian centre back’s legs for the first time since the injury she picked up in the April international break.
The six goals in this game, on top of the 7-0 win against Leicester, meant Chelsea had entirely erased Man United’s previously weighty goal difference advantage in the space of three days - now both locked on +42, and with Chelsea just one point off the leaders, still with a game in hand.
Chelsea’s form and confidence could not be better heading into the Wembley showcase - where we would take on our title rivals Man United in the FA Cup final. The return of Harder and Buchanan to fitness - and with Harder notching four goals in two games - brought even more cause for optimism, in a thoroughly excellent couple of fixtures for the Blues.
Then, onto Wembley.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United (FA Cup Final)
There is no bigger fixture in the women’s domestic game than the FA Cup final - and for the first time ever, Wembley was sold out ahead of kick off, meaning yet another attendance record would be broken in a season of milestones for women’s football.
It would be Chelsea’s sixth final since the showpiece fixture has moved to Wembley - and we had only lost one before. Victory against Man United would also make it a hat trick of FA Cup triumphs for Chelsea, having also won the 2021 and 2022 finals.
Standing in our way were a Man United team in brilliant form, who are also seeking to stop Chelsea winning the league title. It was Man United’s first ever final - and hence their chance to win their first ever trophy since forming a women’s team in 2018.
Man United had the sense of underdog and destiny on their side, whilst Chelsea had the experience and nous of knowing what it takes to win the biggest games. With the Chelsea players still amongst a relentless schedule, and missing key players like Millie Bright and Fran Kirby - there was a good argument for either side to take home the trophy.
The big selection news was Pernille Harder starting from the bench - a surprise given her back to back braces - with Hayes opting for Kerr, Reiten and James as her three primary attackers instead. This would mean Chelsea had a very dangerous game-changing player, lying in wait…
The game got off to a very notable false start - or two. First Chelsea tried to kick off before the pre-match music had finished - and then Man United had the ball inside the net within a minute, only for the Blues to be reprieved by the offside flag.
That would have given Chelsea the unwelcome record of having conceded the fastest goal at an FA Cup final for both the men’s and women’s competition, after Louis Saha outdid our own Roberto Di Matteo’s previous record, in 2009.
You might have thought this would have woken up Chelsea - but Man United looked in control, and Chelsea on the edge defensively.
Man United’s first-time-final nerves appeared to affect them in the key attacking moments third though - they were on top in the game, but looked scared to pull the trigger, and so despite a few shaky moments, did not hugely test Berger.
Emma Hayes decision not to use Harder from the start gave Sam Kerr a lot of work to do - she was tasked with keeping the Man United defence busy all on her own. Chelsea employed a similar strategy to that which had been successful in the game at Kingsmeadow earlier this year, in a 1-0 win where Man United had dominated but lacked a cutting edge, and were undone on the counter.
Lauren James looked lively whenever she was on the ball, and made ex-Chelsea full back Hannah Blundell work very hard in the sweltering heat. James also had a header tipped onto the post by Mary Earps - a reminder that even whilst Man United appeared to have the better of it, Chelsea would always be in the game.
With the score 0-0 at half time, there was a definite sense that was a much better score line for Chelsea - and that Man United might regret not finding a way to make the most of having the Blues on the back foot.
And so they did come to regret it. Hayes introduced Harder on the hour mark, as it was always expected she would - and the impact was immediate. Marc Skinner similarly tried to affect the game, but there were no players like Pernille for him to turn to - and his decision to take off Nikita Paris looked to be the wrong one, with United losing much of the impetus when she exited.
As well as taking an arm to the face that appeared to go completely unnoticed by the referee, Harder combined with Kerr to get in behind the Man United defence - and twice Chelsea failed to capitalise. With two such attacking threats to contend with through the middle, Man United all of a sudden looked rattled.
The third time was the charm.
Of course, it was Kerr who found the decisive finish. The Aussie treated the record crowd at Wembley to one of her trademark backflips, after having steered Harder’s low cross past Earps -
A double flip, even - hopefully a sign of things to come… .
The goal had a disheartening effect on the opposition. You got the sense that it had sunk United’s maiden voyage in search of their first ever trophy - and that Chelsea’s experience would now see them through.
However, including an agonising six minutes of injury time, there were still a few scares - in particular a late goalmouth scramble that left two Chelsea players collapsed on the deck, alongside the blue half of the Wembley crowd collapsed in the stands.
It was soon only the blue half that remained, however. The full time whistle blew, and the Man United exodus was matched by the Chelsea explosion. Jubilation greeted yet another trophy for Emma Hayes and her Chelsea side.
A third FA Cup win in a row. Another piece of history on another hallmark day for the women’s game - nearly 78,000 at Wembley in a record for the cup final, and any women’s domestic final.
There was still more to play for, of course. Chelsea had three games left to play in the league - where we remained locked in a gripping title race with the cup final’s defeated foes.
Whether this galvanised or deflated Man United remained to be seen. It was still in our hands - and after a reminder like this of the machine Chelsea are at the business end of the season, you would have been unwise to bet against Blue.
West Ham 0-4 Chelsea (WSL)
There was not much time to celebrate for Chelsea, with the team back in action just three days after the FA Cup final triumph at Wembley.
The Blues travelled away to West Ham, to make up our final game in hand on WSL leaders Man United - knowing three points at the Chigwell Construction Stadium would move Chelsea back on top of the WSL for the first time since March.
Paul Konchesky’s side have been in woeful form - having just the one win in the past 10 games, and you had to flip the calendar back to December last year to find their last WSL win.
Nonetheless, Chelsea could not be complacent, given the shocks, twists and turns this WSL season has already thrown up - and it was imperative to remain fully focused on the task at hand.
With this game following the cup final, and a huge game against Arsenal to come just four days later, rotation was a necessity - and Hayes made seven changes to the XI who started at Wembley.
These changes did little to disrupt Chelsea’s impressive recent form, who looked like they meant business from the off.
Niamh Charles deservedly opened the scoring for the Blues after 11 minutes - being quickest to a rebound to finish from close range. It was a goal that was extra special for the defender, as it came on her 100th appearance for the club. An impressive milestone, given she is still only 23.
It felt like similar score lines to Everton and Leicester might be on the cards, but West Ham - to their credit - dug in, and were able to push to dampen the Chelsea fire, and keep it to 1-0 at half time.
However, Pernille Harder soon had a second for the Blues shortly after play resumed - and Chelsea were comfortable from that point.
Sophie Ingle - who like Harder had been a substitute at Wembley, and in from the start in this game - slid the ball into the Dane in the box, who made no mistake with the goal at her mercy.
It was another excellent display from the bang-in-form Harder, who since returning from injury has now scored five goals, and three assists - including a game-changing contribution off the bench in the FA Cup final. Her return to fitness and form really could not have been better timed.
Ingle was then herself on the scoresheet, nodding home a rebound from close range, after the West Ham keeper could only tip it onto the bar.
Erin Cuthbert put a sensational cherry on top with a fourth goal in injury time - which was easily the pick of the bunch.
The Scot had come on as a substitute, and twice before gone close with long range efforts. At the third time of asking, she was able to find the net - an absolute pile driver of a strike, hit with all of the ferocity you would expect from our midfield dynamo.
In all, it was another impressive performance. Chelsea were comfortable, dominant, and ruthless in dispatching yet another foe in our quest for a fourth consecutive league title. .
The 4-0 win made it 17 goals in the past three WSL games for Chelsea - completely obliterating Man United’s prior healthy goal difference advantage.
The win also means for the first time in many weeks Chelsea and Man United have played the same number of league games - and the Blues on top of the WSL, holding a two point lead in the standings with just two games left to play.
The upcoming weekend would likely be absolutely crucial in deciding the destination of the title, with two huge games on the cards.
Chelsea would be hosting Arsenal at Kingsmeadow, whilst Man United would be at home to local rivals Man City in the Manchester derby. Neither City or Arsenal had any realistic chance of winning the title themselves at this point - but both would relish the prospect of having a major say in who does, especially if at the detriment of their respective rivals.
Following this result, Chelsea were back in charge - but that could all change in the next 90 minutes.
Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal (WSL)
It was a fixture that has been circled in the calendar all season long, and as expected, Chelsea's final home game of the season - against Arsenal - was set to be pivotal in determining who would be crowned champions.
However, it was not Arsenal that Chelsea were competing with to be crowned champions - as many expected - with Man United instead the team who sat just two points off Chelsea heading into the final round of games.
Whilst Chelsea would be taking on Arsenal at Kingsmeadow, Man United would host Man City in the evening kick off - 1st vs 3rd and 2nd vs 4th, WSL weekends do not come much bigger.
Win our game, and Chelsea would be all but there. Drop points - and it would be advantage Man United. This was huge.
The Blues had been in sensational form - stepping it up when needed to, as we so often do. Every game in May so far had been a must-win - and a Chelsea squad depleted by injuries and weary with fatigue had risen to the occasion. The Blues had won five in a row coming into this fixture, and in doing so had completely erased Man United's goal difference advantage with a series of thumping victories.
Our perennial rivals, Arsenal, still needed to confirm their spot in the top 3 for Champions League qualification next season - although their goal difference advantage means a win at Aston Villa on the final day would likely see them qualify regardless of the result in this game. There is no love lost between Chelsea and Arsenal - and although the Gunners and Jonas Eidevall would likely not be able to win the title this year, they will love nothing more than stopping the Blues and Emma Hayes from making it four in a row.
Arsenal have been plagued by injuries this season - Lia Walti was ruled out for the season in their mid-week win vs Everton, to add to the earlier losses of Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema, Leah Williamson and Kim Little. Chelsea continued to be without Millie Bright and Fran Kirby, key absences of our own.
Emma Hayes named an attacking line up - with all three of Guro Reiten, Pernille Harder and Lauren James starting in support of Sam Kerr. Magda Eriksson continued at centre back alongside Maren Mjelde, with Hayes not disrupting the partnership that has done so well whilst Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan have been out injured - despite Buchana now being fit again.
This meant both Harder and Eriksson would be starting what was a very special game for the pain. It had been confirmed in the days leading up to this fixture that the duo will leave the club in the summer, this therefore being their last game at Kingsmeadow.
Chelsea started like a team who knew what this meant.
Arsenal barely had a kick in the first 10 minutes, their back three pinned back by a flying Chelsea team, who pressed high and kept the ball with focus and intensity.
Guro Reiten - arguably our player of the season - deservedly put the Blues ahead midway through the first half. Eve Perisset found the Norwegian with a delicious cross, after Arsenal had failed to clear their lines following a set piece - and Reiten’s smart finish was enough to beat Zinsberger.
This first half was Chelsea at our best - we looked better in every aspect than the Gunners, who just could not match the performance.
Despite the dominance, Ann-Katrin Berger was called upon on a few occasions - but when the second goal came it was for Chelsea, and the 2-0 scoreline was no more than the Blues deserved.
The goal scorer was one who sent the Kingsmeadow crowd into raptures.
It came from another set piece - Sam Ker headed across goal, where captain Magda Eriksson was first to react to prod past Zinsberger, meaning she would mark her final game at Kingsmeadow with a goal that could be crucial in Chelsea’s march to the title.
Arsenal, despite their injuries, are still a good team - and had proved that with their response to seemingly endless adversity this season, where they have kept getting results that may well see them in Europe next year, and nearly put them into this season’s Champion League final.
Their response in the second half, therefore, was not unexpected. The introduction of Steph Catley gave them fresh impetus, and not long after the resumption of play they had struck the Chelsea bar.
A penalty for Arsenal - with Sophie Ingle penalised for handball - gave them a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit. Stand-in penalty taker - and captain - Katie McCabe put it wide though, in a let off for Chelsea. Ingle had dominated the middle of the pitch for Chelsea - and it would have been cruel to see this tar her exceptional performance.
Chelsea needed to wake up, and Emma Hayes did her bit by bringing on Jess Carter for Lauren James, in an attempt to settle proceedings.
Berger had made some important interventions in the first half, and became increasingly important in the second 45 as Chelsea rode out the Arsenal storm. The Gunners, for all their improvement, still lacked a cutting edge, and too often wasted good opportunities with a poor final ball. The game gradually settled, and the introduction of Buchanan and Fleming helped the Blues to see it out.
The latter also meant there was the opportunity for Kingsmeadow to rise as one to show their appreciation for the departing Harder, who left the pitch for the last time in a home game for Chelsea.
A game which showed two of the best sides of Chelsea - who Emma Hayes in the pre-match build-up dubbed as “hybrid monsters” for the squad’s versatility. In the first half we showed our quality when playing on the front foot, dominating Arenal to take a deserved 2-0 lead. In the second half we showed our resilience when defending a lead - and professionalism and nous in being able to keep what we had, even with the assist of the penalty miss.
Taking all three points meant Chelsea went five clear, having played one game more than Man United - and effectively put one hand on the trophy.
If Man United had failed to beat Man City in the later evening kick off, then it would have been confirmed before the final day. However, despite 10-player Man City equalising in the second half - and for 20 odd minutes it looking like Chelsea were already champions - United found a stoppage time winner to ensure it did go to the final weekend.
Chelsea would travel to Reading knowing that a win would see us crowned champions for the fourth season in a row. The Royals are all but relegated following their loss against Spurs in their penultimate game - and given the challenges Chelsea have overcome to put themselves in this position, you would back the Blues to see it through… but would there be one last twist in the title race?
Reading 3-0 Chelsea (WSL)
It all came down to this.
After what has been the best WSL title race in years, the champions were to be decided on the final day.
Chelsea were in pole position. Since the March defeat to Man City, the Blues have won every single league game. The Red Devils had topped the table for most of the season, but mainly by virtue of the fixture list - as they had always been ahead of Chelsea in terms of games played.
A busy May has seen the Blues make up those games in hand - and completely erase United’s goal difference advantage - meaning that we headed into the final day with a two point and five goal difference lead.
In the blue corner, Chelsea were looking to make it a fourth WSL in a row and three consecutive Doubles. In the red corner, our rivals were looking to win their first ever league title - or trophy of any sort - since reforming as a club in 2018.
A win for Chelsea would confirm it, regardless of what Man United could do at Liverpool. Given the goal difference advantage, a draw may also be enough - but memories of the painful loss of the title on goal difference, on the final day in 2014, meant Chelsea would not want to chance it.
Our opponent faced a battle of their own. Reading were rock bottom of the WSL - and needed a win to avoid relegation, meaning this game was as big for them as for Chelsea.
The Royals form had been as woeful as their lowly position would suggest. However, they are something of a bogey team for Chelsea, having beaten us in this same fixture last season, and fought back well to a credible 3-2 loss at Kingsmeadow back in December.
Chelsea, meanwhile, were flying into the game - having scored 22 goals for the loss of just one against, in our six months in May so far.
It would also be the final game in Blue for departing captain Magda Eriksson, and her partner Pernille Harder. Magda marked her final Kingsmeadow appearance last weekend with a goal - and both would want to end their career at Chelsea on the ultimate high, and a goodbye that two such iconic and beloved players deserved.
In a rarity for Chelsea this season - given the fixture congestion and injuries we have had to contend with - Emma Hayes was able to name an unchanged XI for the final game of the 2022/23 season.
There was only one way for Reading to realistically play - try to frustrate Chelsea, and sting on the counter. As such, they set up with a back five, and within a few minutes it was clear that this was going to be a matter of attack vs defence.
Chelsea would need to keep patient, and keep calm - and did determinedly set about their business of breaking down the Reading wall.
Sam Kerr blazed the first good chance over, after some excellent build up from the Blues. Erin Cuthbert then hit the bar - and there was a growing sense the opener was coming.
The link up which has been so prolific this season proved fruitful again. A Guro Reiten cross from the left, a Sam Kerr header - and a Chelsea goal. Reiten has in many people’s views been our Player of the Season - the ‘Assist Queen’ added another to her tally of 19 for the year in all competitions, and her contribution has been crucial in a season where we have missed Fran Kirby and Harder for most of it. Reiten and Kerr have at times carried our attack this season - and so it was fitting they combined for the breakthrough here.
That made it 1-0 to the Chels, inside 20 minutes , and if this result held, the title would be staying at Kingsmeadow. Reading could have equalised not soon after, but Justine Vanhaevermaet could not convert a free header from a free kick. This was enough to remind Chelsea that we could not rest on our laurels, after having taken an early lead.
Royals forward Deanne Rose went off injured shortly after - a major blow for Reading, as one of their danger-women, and meant their chances of coming back in the game had taken a major hit.
Reiten further illustrated her contribution this season by getting the second goal, shortly before half time. The Norwegian capitalised on a poor back pass from Easther Mayi Kith to find herself one on one with the Reading keeper, and coolly nutmegged the unfortunate Maloney.
With that, Chelsea now had one (and a half) hands on the trophy - and it meant the second half would likely be a procession.
And so it was. Chelsea were never truly troubled in this game - having had nearly 80% possession, and 23 shots in total. This was always in Chelsea’s hands - the game, and maybe even on reflection, despite the season-long drama to get there - the title was always in our hands too.
Kerr got her second of the game late on by finishing off her own rebound to give the scoreline the resounding feeling that the dominant performance in the Berkshire sunshine deserved. A fitting way to end a storming run through the business end of the season - Chelsea took it up to a new level, and nobody else could match it.
Elsewhere, Man United did their part in beating Liverpool 1-0 - but it mattered little.
Magda Eriksson had been substituted off to enable the travelling fans to give our departing captain an enormous ovation - nothing less than what a genuine legend of this club deserves.
The only thing more fitting was what came next. For the tenth time as Chelsea captain, Eriksson lifted a trophy. She did so in front of the jubilant fans who filled the Madejski Stadium - meaning there were more Chelsea fans than Reading there to see it.
A fourth WSL title in a row - a third consecutive Double. Chelsea were champions.

May results in brief

Fixture	Result	Competition	Goal scorers
Liverpool (H)	2-1 W	WSL	Charles, Kerr (Perisset assist)
Everton (H)	7-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Kerr, Harder x 2, Ingle, Fleming, Cuthbert (Rytting Kaneryd, Charles, Reiten, Fleming, Harder, Cuthbert assists)
Leicester (H)	6-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Cuthbert, Harder x 2, James, Cankovic (Harder, Carter, Perisset, Charles assists)
Man United (N)	1-0 W	FA Cup final	Kerr (Harder assist)
West Ham (A)	4-0 W	WSL	Charles, Harder, Ingle, Cuthbert (Ingle, Rytting Kaneryd assists)
Arsenal (H)	2-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Eriksson goals (Perisset, Kerr assists)
Reading (A)	3-0 W	WSL	Kerr x 2, Reiten (Reiten assist)

UTC!

The Chelsea FC Women May round-up - champions Chelsea complete the triple Double, in a perfect May

Welcome to the final Chelsea FC Women monthly round-up of the 2022/23 season. This post is a long read, so feel free to skip to the end for a brief overview!

Introduction

It was a mixed April for Chelsea, in which we won one semi-final, and lost the other.
A spirited, but in the end, painful two-legged defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League meant our European dream came to an end. We were still left fighting in two competitions, however, having beat Aston Villa to advance to the FA Cup Final for the third year in a row.
As well as facing Man United in that banner occasion in May, we were also locked in a tense title fight with the Red Devils in the WSL - both the league and cup were to be decided in the final month of the season, meaning Chelsea had seven games to determine whether we made it a third Double triumph in three seasons, or finished the season empty-handed.
Chelsea’s congested fixture list meant we started the month seven points behind leaders Man United in the WSL standings - but with three games in hand. That meant it was in our hands - win out, and we would win the league.
Seven games to define the season - one cup final, and six in the WSL. Chelsea would be playing two games a week - whilst our rivals benefitted from a lighter schedule. The Blues had been heavily hit by injury this season - it was confirmed ahead of the run-in that Fran Kirby and Millie Bright would be out for the end of the season, although we were boosted by the return of Pernille Harder and Kadeisha Buchanan.
This has been one of the most gruelling and challenging seasons in recent memory for Chelsea - both on and off the pitch. Emma Hayes’ team are used to making the ends of seasons glorious ones - and that experience and champion mentality could be key to making the difference.
It was not going to be easy - but when the calendar turns to May, Chelsea come out to play, saving our best for when we needed it the most. It was set to be a tense month, of hoping that history would be repeated.

Key headlines

Injury updates
The ongoing injury epidemic - especially serious knee injuries - has been one of the storylines of the women’s football season. This has been especially concerning for many players and teams, with the World Cup looming in July.
Another of Chelsea’s own joined the unfortunate ranks this month, with young defender Jorja Fox having torn her ACL whilst out on loan to Brighton. The 19 year old has returned to the club for her treatment.
It was also confirmed that Fran Kirby would miss the end of the season, and the World Cup, in another cruel blow for a player who has been so blighted by serious injury and illness. Our two-time Player of the Year will be back in pre-season, having undergone knee surgery.
Millie Bright, meanwhile, is expected to be fit for the World Cup - but would not feature again for Chelsea this season.
Harder and Eriksson depart
It had been long expected, but that did not make the news hurt any less. Club captain Magda Eriksson, and forward Pernille Harder - who joined Chelsea in 2020 for a then world record fee - confirmed that they would be leaving Chelsea upon the expiry of their contracts this summer.
The couple are likely off to Bayern Munich. It has been known for a while that the duo would be taking on a new challenge - announcing it before the end of the season gave the opportunity for fans to see goodbye at Kingsmeadow, and then again in the final game of the season - and to give two icons of Chelsea the send-off they deserved.
It was an emotional farewell for all involved - and their contribution, especially that of Magda, in her six years at the club, will always be a part of our history, and never forgotten.
Awards
With the season drawing to the close, it’s the time of the year that the end of season accolades are handed out.
Sam Kerr was voted the FWA Women’s Football of the Year, for a second year in a row. Despite her contribution to our success this season - it was something of a surprise, with many thinking that Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly should have won.
Nonetheless, it was deserved - we would not be where we are without Kerr.
First signing
Chelsea are getting their business done early, having already announced that Sjoeke Nusken will join the club this summer. The 22 year old German midfielder joins from Frankfurt, and can play in either a deep-lying or box-to-box role.
With rumours of some other big signings to come, it could be a big summer…
Fran Kirby extends her contract
It was not all bad news for Kirby this month - following her knee surgery, it was also announced that the club have activated an extension on Fran’s contract, meaning she will stay at the club until 2024.

Now - to the action!

Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (WSL)
First up in May was the rearranged WSL home game from January, against Liverpool. The match had been abandoned after just six minutes due to a frozen pitch. The truly farcical scenes drew much criticism of how the matter was handled - with fans inconvenienced and players put at risk.
Liverpool had gotten Chelea’s season off the a shocker of a start, when they upset us 2-1 on the opening WSL weekend - but we have gone on to beat them in the FA Cup since. Former Chelsea boss Matt Beard’s side sat seventh in the standings ahead of this one, meaning they had avoided relegation in their first season since returning to the top flight.
Despite the exertions against Barcelona, with nearly a week’s rest after that energy-sapping exit, Emma Hayes felt she only needed to make the one change. It was an attacking one, with Lauren James coming in from the start, and Maren Mjelde dropping out - meaning Eve Perisset dropped into a back three alongside Magda Eriksson and Jess Carter.
Any thoughts of a straightforward evening were rapidly dissipated, when Liverpool took a shock lead after just two minutes.
It was a goal of our own making. The aforementioned Perisset gave the ball away, and Liverpool pounced, with full back Emma Koivisto meeting a Natasha Dowie cross at the far post.
The Chelsea response was a good one - setting about the task of overhauling the Liverpool lead well, by dominating possession and laying siege to the opposition penalty area.
Unfortunately, Liverpool were equally up to their task, and defended with a determination and energy that had been entirely absent from their 4-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Leiecester in their previous outing. Based on our encounters this season, it seems like Liverpool have already developed a penchant for getting it up against Chelsea, on their return to the top flight. Maybe the presence of ex-Blues boss Matt Beard in their dugout has something to do with that…
Highlights of their defensive effort included a superb last-ditch block from former Chelsea player Gemma Bonner, to deny Sam Kerr what seemed a certain goal. Debutant keeper Faye Kirby also pulled off a series of superb stops - and when you have a goalie playing like that on her first senior appearance, it is easy to fear it may be “one of those days”.
Eventually, however, the Chelsea pressure told. Niamh Charles, who joined Chelsea from Liverpool in 2020, flicked home an equaliser from a Perisset corner - the latter’s assist making up for her earlier error.
With the score now 1-1 at the break, it felt like the Liverpool resistance could be at an end - with Chelsea having 45 minutes to find the winner.
The Reds’ heads, however, did not drop - and they set about their task of fierce rearguard action with the same focus as in the first half.
Emma Hayes moved to a back four, and used the full strength of her bench by bringing on Jelena Cankovic, Pernille Harder and Rytting Kaneryd. Harder in particular looked a threat - illustrating how much she had been missed in her long injury absence, since November.
Sam Kerr had gone close on a few occasions in the first half, but her threat had seemed to fade and frustrations grew as the game wore on.
It was however, the Aussie who in the end did what she does best.
Jessie Fleming was desperately unlucky to see her excellently-struck shot ricocheted off of the upright, in the 86th minute - but then immensely relieved (along with all Chelsea players and fans) to see the rebound find Kerr, who finally was able to beat Faye Kirby.
With that, Chelsea had found a way to secure a crucial three points - and ensure our title challenge marched on.
Chelsea 7-0 Everton (WSL)
Next came a home game against Everton, where Chelsea would be hoping for a more straightforward 90 minutes than in the previous game against the red half of Merseyside.
With the Sunday evening kick off slot, each of our title rivals had already played. Arsenal squeaked out a 1-0 win vs relegation-threatened Leicester, whilst Man United eased to a more comfortable 3-0 win against Spurs - maintaining their lead at the top. Man City, however, suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, meaning their title hopes are effectively over.
That meant Chelsea needed to do our bit - and keep on winning. Everton, sat comfortably midtable ahead of this game - well clear of any relegation trouble, and with no prospect of breaking into the top three to qualify for Europe. The last meeting between the two was the reverse WSL fixture, back in October, where a Niamh Charles wonder goal and a brace for Pernille Harder saw Chelsea win 3-1.
Emma Hayes rotated her XI, making five changes - with Chelsea still contending with a gruelling schedule of two games a week. The aforementioned Harder started from the bench - still to make her first start since returning from long-term injury.
Buchanan, Svitkova, Bright and Kirby remained unavailable - with the latter three now having been confirmed as out for the season.
Despite not having much left to play for this season, Everton started well, and had Chelsea on the back foot. The Toffees are a side who look good in possession, and had the Blues working hard off the ball early on.
What was to come, therefore, could not have been expected. The Toffees quickly melted in the early May sunshine, in the face of an absolute onslaught from Chelsea - who scored five sensational goals in the first half, from just five shots on target.
The Blues have made a habit of winning games whilst playing short of our top form this season - but this first half was Chelsea at our ruthless and scintillating best.
The first came from nowhere. With the Everton defence distracted by the movement of Sam Kerr, they allowed Guro Reiten far too much space in her wide left position - who unleashed a rocket to raise the roof at Kingsmeadow, and ignite the crowd. It was her tenth of the season - the first time our assist queen has reached a double digit goal tally for the Blues.
With Chelsea now with a spring in our step, a second came soon after. Sam Kerr had spent the day before representing Australia at King Charles III’s coronation - but this goal involved a different Charles, with Niamh delivering a superb cross for Kerr to nod home.
Unfortunately, that was to be Kerr’s last action of the afternoon - having rolled her ankle in the landing after her goal. She was able to walk off, giving hope her substitution was just a precaution.
Pernille Harder had replaced Kerr - and with her first touch of the game had put Chelsea 3-0 up. It was the Dane’s first goal since her brace in the reverse fixture against Everton - and another goal of the finest quality. Reiten cut the ball back for Harder to curl home, and put the win beyond doubt.
Chelsea were not done yet, however - Sophie Ingle next in on the action with a caressed finish, her first WSL goal of the season. There was still time for one more before the break - and this one was assisted by Harder, who laid it off for Jessie Fleming.
That made it 5-0 to Chelsea, in a truly five-star first half.
With a midweek game to come - and the FA Cup final the next weekend - Hayes made two half time substitutes. Lauren James replaced the superb Reiten, and Alsu Abdullina on for Eve Perisset for some rare WSL minutes.
It was a relaxed second 45 for Chelsea, who with big fixtures left to come and the three points already secured, did not need to take any risks. More could have been added to the tally, with James and Rytting Kaneryd going close - and a blatant penalty on James also turned down.
Erin Cuthbert and Jess Carter joined the party to complete the full complement of five substitutes, and just when it seemed the bunting was being put away for the day, Cuthbert and Harder produced a final flourish for a sixth Chelsea goal. The Scot surged from the halfway line into the Everton third entirely unopposed, and squared it for Harder to emphatically finish.
Cuthbert even had time to add a seventh - just minutes after Rytting Kaneryd had hit the post - to make it 7-0 to Chelsea, in arguably our best performance of the season.
A thoroughly brilliant win for Chelsea, which moved us into second place - four points behind Manchester United, with two games still in hand. The seven goals were a big boost to our goal difference too, although the Red Devils still had the advantage in this.
The only downside was the potential loss of Sam Kerr to injury - which also meant the two goals from Pernille Harder, signalling that the Dane is well and truly back, after her long injury absence, could not have come at a better time. If we were to go without Kerr, we would need Harder more than ever.
Chelsea 6-0 Leicester (WSL)
Chelsea were next in action midweek, fulfilling one of the two games we had in hand over Man United. That also meant our title rivals would benefit from three extra days' rest ahead of our FA Cup final clash at Wembley, on the upcoming weekend.
The opponents, Leicester, were fighting for their WSL lives - sitting 11th in the table ahead of this fixture at Kingsmeadow, two points above bottom side Reading.
Despite their lowly position, they had had some good recent results - including a 4-0 win against Liverpool, and had performed well in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal the weekend prior to this game.
Chelsea had earlier thrashed Leicester 8-0 in the reverse league fixture, but ahead of kick off Emma Hayes referred to them as “the most improved side in the WSL” - as they have made noticeable strides forward under manager Willie Kirk, since then.
Hayes also confirmed Sam Kerr was available for this fixture, with the issue that forced her into an early substitution against Everton only minor.
With the cup final looming, Kerr was not risked however - starting from the bench. Also starting from the bench were Katerina Svitkova and Kadeisha Buchanan on their return from injury - a welcome sign ahead of the run-in. Hayes made six changes to the line up that had started against Everton - including Pernille Harder starting for the first time since her own injury return.
Despite the changes, Chelsea very much started where they left off against Everton, pinning Leicester back from kick off - and had a deserved lead inside ten minutes.
The scoring was opened by the same player who had gotten the party started on the weekend - Guro Reiten storming in to finish a low Harder cross with aplomb.
The situation already looked ominous for Leicester, and the impending sense of doom deepened when another of Sunday’s goalscorers, Erin Cuthbert, made it 2-0 on 18 minutes. The Foxes were caught playing out from the back - a mistake engineered by the intensity of the Chelsea press, which had been relentless from the off.
Harder herself was then in on the goal scoring act with a brace, her second in two games The first was opportunistic - converting a rebound after Lauren James had had her shot saved. The second was some individual brilliance, capping off her own mazy run with a confident finish.
That made it 4-0 at the break, and meant that as against Everton, the game was already done at half time. Chelsea had made short work of Leicester, showing exactly the efficiency and ruthlessness that is needed at the crunch time of the season.
James added a fifth in the second half, to end a run of games without a goal. She did so with what is already becoming a classic of her repertoire - shimmying her way into a dangerous shooting position, then unleashing a rocket from range. Having got her goal, Hayes then brought James off in a series of changes made with Wembley in mind - Cuthbert, Reiten and Harder all also making way.
Jelena Cankovic made it a tennis score, and as a final positive note, Hayes was able to bring Buchanan on for Eriksen to get some minutes in the Canadian centre back’s legs for the first time since the injury she picked up in the April international break.
The six goals in this game, on top of the 7-0 win against Leicester, meant Chelsea had entirely erased Man United’s previously weighty goal difference advantage in the space of three days - now both locked on +42, and with Chelsea just one point off the leaders, still with a game in hand.
Chelsea’s form and confidence could not be better heading into the Wembley showcase - where we would take on our title rivals Man United in the FA Cup final. The return of Harder and Buchanan to fitness - and with Harder notching four goals in two games - brought even more cause for optimism, in a thoroughly excellent couple of fixtures for the Blues.
Then, onto Wembley.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United (FA Cup Final)
There is no bigger fixture in the women’s domestic game than the FA Cup final - and for the first time ever, Wembley was sold out ahead of kick off, meaning yet another attendance record would be broken in a season of milestones for women’s football.
It would be Chelsea’s sixth final since the showpiece fixture has moved to Wembley - and we had only lost one before. Victory against Man United would also make it a hat trick of FA Cup triumphs for Chelsea, having also won the 2021 and 2022 finals.
Standing in our way were a Man United team in brilliant form, who are also seeking to stop Chelsea winning the league title. It was Man United’s first ever final - and hence their chance to win their first ever trophy since forming a women’s team in 2018.
Man United had the sense of underdog and destiny on their side, whilst Chelsea had the experience and nous of knowing what it takes to win the biggest games. With the Chelsea players still amongst a relentless schedule, and missing key players like Millie Bright and Fran Kirby - there was a good argument for either side to take home the trophy.
The big selection news was Pernille Harder starting from the bench - a surprise given her back to back braces - with Hayes opting for Kerr, Reiten and James as her three primary attackers instead. This would mean Chelsea had a very dangerous game-changing player, lying in wait…
The game got off to a very notable false start - or two. First Chelsea tried to kick off before the pre-match music had finished - and then Man United had the ball inside the net within a minute, only for the Blues to be reprieved by the offside flag.
That would have given Chelsea the unwelcome record of having conceded the fastest goal at an FA Cup final for both the men’s and women’s competition, after Louis Saha outdid our own Roberto Di Matteo’s previous record, in 2009.
You might have thought this would have woken up Chelsea - but Man United looked in control, and Chelsea on the edge defensively.
Man United’s first-time-final nerves appeared to affect them in the key attacking moments third though - they were on top in the game, but looked scared to pull the trigger, and so despite a few shaky moments, did not hugely test Berger.
Emma Hayes decision not to use Harder from the start gave Sam Kerr a lot of work to do - she was tasked with keeping the Man United defence busy all on her own. Chelsea employed a similar strategy to that which had been successful in the game at Kingsmeadow earlier this year, in a 1-0 win where Man United had dominated but lacked a cutting edge, and were undone on the counter.
Lauren James looked lively whenever she was on the ball, and made ex-Chelsea full back Hannah Blundell work very hard in the sweltering heat. James also had a header tipped onto the post by Mary Earps - a reminder that even whilst Man United appeared to have the better of it, Chelsea would always be in the game.
With the score 0-0 at half time, there was a definite sense that was a much better score line for Chelsea - and that Man United might regret not finding a way to make the most of having the Blues on the back foot.
And so they did come to regret it. Hayes introduced Harder on the hour mark, as it was always expected she would - and the impact was immediate. Marc Skinner similarly tried to affect the game, but there were no players like Pernille for him to turn to - and his decision to take off Nikita Paris looked to be the wrong one, with United losing much of the impetus when she exited.
As well as taking an arm to the face that appeared to go completely unnoticed by the referee, Harder combined with Kerr to get in behind the Man United defence - and twice Chelsea failed to capitalise. With two such attacking threats to contend with through the middle, Man United all of a sudden looked rattled.
The third time was the charm.
Of course, it was Kerr who found the decisive finish. The Aussie treated the record crowd at Wembley to one of her trademark backflips, after having steered Harder’s low cross past Earps -
A double flip, even - hopefully a sign of things to come… .
The goal had a disheartening effect on the opposition. You got the sense that it had sunk United’s maiden voyage in search of their first ever trophy - and that Chelsea’s experience would now see them through.
However, including an agonising six minutes of injury time, there were still a few scares - in particular a late goalmouth scramble that left two Chelsea players collapsed on the deck, alongside the blue half of the Wembley crowd collapsed in the stands.
It was soon only the blue half that remained, however. The full time whistle blew, and the Man United exodus was matched by the Chelsea explosion. Jubilation greeted yet another trophy for Emma Hayes and her Chelsea side.
A third FA Cup win in a row. Another piece of history on another hallmark day for the women’s game - nearly 78,000 at Wembley in a record for the cup final, and any women’s domestic final.
There was still more to play for, of course. Chelsea had three games left to play in the league - where we remained locked in a gripping title race with the cup final’s defeated foes.
Whether this galvanised or deflated Man United remained to be seen. It was still in our hands - and after a reminder like this of the machine Chelsea are at the business end of the season, you would have been unwise to bet against Blue.
West Ham 0-4 Chelsea (WSL)
There was not much time to celebrate for Chelsea, with the team back in action just three days after the FA Cup final triumph at Wembley.
The Blues travelled away to West Ham, to make up our final game in hand on WSL leaders Man United - knowing three points at the Chigwell Construction Stadium would move Chelsea back on top of the WSL for the first time since March.
Paul Konchesky’s side have been in woeful form - having just the one win in the past 10 games, and you had to flip the calendar back to December last year to find their last WSL win.
Nonetheless, Chelsea could not be complacent, given the shocks, twists and turns this WSL season has already thrown up - and it was imperative to remain fully focused on the task at hand.
With this game following the cup final, and a huge game against Arsenal to come just four days later, rotation was a necessity - and Hayes made seven changes to the XI who started at Wembley.
These changes did little to disrupt Chelsea’s impressive recent form, who looked like they meant business from the off.
Niamh Charles deservedly opened the scoring for the Blues after 11 minutes - being quickest to a rebound to finish from close range. It was a goal that was extra special for the defender, as it came on her 100th appearance for the club. An impressive milestone, given she is still only 23.
It felt like similar score lines to Everton and Leicester might be on the cards, but West Ham - to their credit - dug in, and were able to push to dampen the Chelsea fire, and keep it to 1-0 at half time.
However, Pernille Harder soon had a second for the Blues shortly after play resumed - and Chelsea were comfortable from that point.
Sophie Ingle - who like Harder had been a substitute at Wembley, and in from the start in this game - slid the ball into the Dane in the box, who made no mistake with the goal at her mercy.
It was another excellent display from the bang-in-form Harder, who since returning from injury has now scored five goals, and three assists - including a game-changing contribution off the bench in the FA Cup final. Her return to fitness and form really could not have been better timed.
Ingle was then herself on the scoresheet, nodding home a rebound from close range, after the West Ham keeper could only tip it onto the bar.
Erin Cuthbert put a sensational cherry on top with a fourth goal in injury time - which was easily the pick of the bunch.
The Scot had come on as a substitute, and twice before gone close with long range efforts. At the third time of asking, she was able to find the net - an absolute pile driver of a strike, hit with all of the ferocity you would expect from our midfield dynamo.
In all, it was another impressive performance. Chelsea were comfortable, dominant, and ruthless in dispatching yet another foe in our quest for a fourth consecutive league title. .
The 4-0 win made it 17 goals in the past three WSL games for Chelsea - completely obliterating Man United’s prior healthy goal difference advantage.
The win also means for the first time in many weeks Chelsea and Man United have played the same number of league games - and the Blues on top of the WSL, holding a two point lead in the standings with just two games left to play.
The upcoming weekend would likely be absolutely crucial in deciding the destination of the title, with two huge games on the cards.
Chelsea would be hosting Arsenal at Kingsmeadow, whilst Man United would be at home to local rivals Man City in the Manchester derby. Neither City or Arsenal had any realistic chance of winning the title themselves at this point - but both would relish the prospect of having a major say in who does, especially if at the detriment of their respective rivals.
Following this result, Chelsea were back in charge - but that could all change in the next 90 minutes.
Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal (WSL)
It was a fixture that has been circled in the calendar all season long, and as expected, Chelsea's final home game of the season - against Arsenal - was set to be pivotal in determining who would be crowned champions.
However, it was not Arsenal that Chelsea were competing with to be crowned champions - as many expected - with Man United instead the team who sat just two points off Chelsea heading into the final round of games.
Whilst Chelsea would be taking on Arsenal at Kingsmeadow, Man United would host Man City in the evening kick off - 1st vs 3rd and 2nd vs 4th, WSL weekends do not come much bigger.
Win our game, and Chelsea would be all but there. Drop points - and it would be advantage Man United. This was huge.
The Blues had been in sensational form - stepping it up when needed to, as we so often do. Every game in May so far had been a must-win - and a Chelsea squad depleted by injuries and weary with fatigue had risen to the occasion. The Blues had won five in a row coming into this fixture, and in doing so had completely erased Man United's goal difference advantage with a series of thumping victories.
Our perennial rivals, Arsenal, still needed to confirm their spot in the top 3 for Champions League qualification next season - although their goal difference advantage means a win at Aston Villa on the final day would likely see them qualify regardless of the result in this game. There is no love lost between Chelsea and Arsenal - and although the Gunners and Jonas Eidevall would likely not be able to win the title this year, they will love nothing more than stopping the Blues and Emma Hayes from making it four in a row.
Arsenal have been plagued by injuries this season - Lia Walti was ruled out for the season in their mid-week win vs Everton, to add to the earlier losses of Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema, Leah Williamson and Kim Little. Chelsea continued to be without Millie Bright and Fran Kirby, key absences of our own.
Emma Hayes named an attacking line up - with all three of Guro Reiten, Pernille Harder and Lauren James starting in support of Sam Kerr. Magda Eriksson continued at centre back alongside Maren Mjelde, with Hayes not disrupting the partnership that has done so well whilst Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan have been out injured - despite Buchana now being fit again.
This meant both Harder and Eriksson would be starting what was a very special game for the pain. It had been confirmed in the days leading up to this fixture that the duo will leave the club in the summer, this therefore being their last game at Kingsmeadow.
Chelsea started like a team who knew what this meant.
Arsenal barely had a kick in the first 10 minutes, their back three pinned back by a flying Chelsea team, who pressed high and kept the ball with focus and intensity.
Guro Reiten - arguably our player of the season - deservedly put the Blues ahead midway through the first half. Eve Perisset found the Norwegian with a delicious cross, after Arsenal had failed to clear their lines following a set piece - and Reiten’s smart finish was enough to beat Zinsberger.
This first half was Chelsea at our best - we looked better in every aspect than the Gunners, who just could not match the performance.
Despite the dominance, Ann-Katrin Berger was called upon on a few occasions - but when the second goal came it was for Chelsea, and the 2-0 scoreline was no more than the Blues deserved.
The goal scorer was one who sent the Kingsmeadow crowd into raptures.
It came from another set piece - Sam Ker headed across goal, where captain Magda Eriksson was first to react to prod past Zinsberger, meaning she would mark her final game at Kingsmeadow with a goal that could be crucial in Chelsea’s march to the title.
Arsenal, despite their injuries, are still a good team - and had proved that with their response to seemingly endless adversity this season, where they have kept getting results that may well see them in Europe next year, and nearly put them into this season’s Champion League final.
Their response in the second half, therefore, was not unexpected. The introduction of Steph Catley gave them fresh impetus, and not long after the resumption of play they had struck the Chelsea bar.
A penalty for Arsenal - with Sophie Ingle penalised for handball - gave them a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit. Stand-in penalty taker - and captain - Katie McCabe put it wide though, in a let off for Chelsea. Ingle had dominated the middle of the pitch for Chelsea - and it would have been cruel to see this tar her exceptional performance.
Chelsea needed to wake up, and Emma Hayes did her bit by bringing on Jess Carter for Lauren James, in an attempt to settle proceedings.
Berger had made some important interventions in the first half, and became increasingly important in the second 45 as Chelsea rode out the Arsenal storm. The Gunners, for all their improvement, still lacked a cutting edge, and too often wasted good opportunities with a poor final ball. The game gradually settled, and the introduction of Buchanan and Fleming helped the Blues to see it out.
The latter also meant there was the opportunity for Kingsmeadow to rise as one to show their appreciation for the departing Harder, who left the pitch for the last time in a home game for Chelsea.
A game which showed two of the best sides of Chelsea - who Emma Hayes in the pre-match build-up dubbed as “hybrid monsters” for the squad’s versatility. In the first half we showed our quality when playing on the front foot, dominating Arenal to take a deserved 2-0 lead. In the second half we showed our resilience when defending a lead - and professionalism and nous in being able to keep what we had, even with the assist of the penalty miss.
Taking all three points meant Chelsea went five clear, having played one game more than Man United - and effectively put one hand on the trophy.
If Man United had failed to beat Man City in the later evening kick off, then it would have been confirmed before the final day. However, despite 10-player Man City equalising in the second half - and for 20 odd minutes it looking like Chelsea were already champions - United found a stoppage time winner to ensure it did go to the final weekend.
Chelsea would travel to Reading knowing that a win would see us crowned champions for the fourth season in a row. The Royals are all but relegated following their loss against Spurs in their penultimate game - and given the challenges Chelsea have overcome to put themselves in this position, you would back the Blues to see it through… but would there be one last twist in the title race?
Reading 3-0 Chelsea (WSL)
It all came down to this.
After what has been the best WSL title race in years, the champions were to be decided on the final day.
Chelsea were in pole position. Since the March defeat to Man City, the Blues have won every single league game. The Red Devils had topped the table for most of the season, but mainly by virtue of the fixture list - as they had always been ahead of Chelsea in terms of games played.
A busy May has seen the Blues make up those games in hand - and completely erase United’s goal difference advantage - meaning that we headed into the final day with a two point and five goal difference lead.
In the blue corner, Chelsea were looking to make it a fourth WSL in a row and three consecutive Doubles. In the red corner, our rivals were looking to win their first ever league title - or trophy of any sort - since reforming as a club in 2018.
A win for Chelsea would confirm it, regardless of what Man United could do at Liverpool. Given the goal difference advantage, a draw may also be enough - but memories of the painful loss of the title on goal difference, on the final day in 2014, meant Chelsea would not want to chance it.
Our opponent faced a battle of their own. Reading were rock bottom of the WSL - and needed a win to avoid relegation, meaning this game was as big for them as for Chelsea.
The Royals form had been as woeful as their lowly position would suggest. However, they are something of a bogey team for Chelsea, having beaten us in this same fixture last season, and fought back well to a credible 3-2 loss at Kingsmeadow back in December.
Chelsea, meanwhile, were flying into the game - having scored 22 goals for the loss of just one against, in our six months in May so far.
It would also be the final game in Blue for departing captain Magda Eriksson, and her partner Pernille Harder. Magda marked her final Kingsmeadow appearance last weekend with a goal - and both would want to end their career at Chelsea on the ultimate high, and a goodbye that two such iconic and beloved players deserved.
In a rarity for Chelsea this season - given the fixture congestion and injuries we have had to contend with - Emma Hayes was able to name an unchanged XI for the final game of the 2022/23 season.
There was only one way for Reading to realistically play - try to frustrate Chelsea, and sting on the counter. As such, they set up with a back five, and within a few minutes it was clear that this was going to be a matter of attack vs defence.
Chelsea would need to keep patient, and keep calm - and did determinedly set about their business of breaking down the Reading wall.
Sam Kerr blazed the first good chance over, after some excellent build up from the Blues. Erin Cuthbert then hit the bar - and there was a growing sense the opener was coming.
The link up which has been so prolific this season proved fruitful again. A Guro Reiten cross from the left, a Sam Kerr header - and a Chelsea goal. Reiten has in many people’s views been our Player of the Season - the ‘Assist Queen’ added another to her tally of 19 for the year in all competitions, and her contribution has been crucial in a season where we have missed Fran Kirby and Harder for most of it. Reiten and Kerr have at times carried our attack this season - and so it was fitting they combined for the breakthrough here.
That made it 1-0 to the Chels, inside 20 minutes , and if this result held, the title would be staying at Kingsmeadow. Reading could have equalised not soon after, but Justine Vanhaevermaet could not convert a free header from a free kick. This was enough to remind Chelsea that we could not rest on our laurels, after having taken an early lead.
Royals forward Deanne Rose went off injured shortly after - a major blow for Reading, as one of their danger-women, and meant their chances of coming back in the game had taken a major hit.
Reiten further illustrated her contribution this season by getting the second goal, shortly before half time. The Norwegian capitalised on a poor back pass from Easther Mayi Kith to find herself one on one with the Reading keeper, and coolly nutmegged the unfortunate Maloney.
With that, Chelsea now had one (and a half) hands on the trophy - and it meant the second half would likely be a procession.
And so it was. Chelsea were never truly troubled in this game - having had nearly 80% possession, and 23 shots in total. This was always in Chelsea’s hands - the game, and maybe even on reflection, despite the season-long drama to get there - the title was always in our hands too.
Kerr got her second of the game late on by finishing off her own rebound to give the scoreline the resounding feeling that the dominant performance in the Berkshire sunshine deserved. A fitting way to end a storming run through the business end of the season - Chelsea took it up to a new level, and nobody else could match it.
Elsewhere, Man United did their part in beating Liverpool 1-0 - but it mattered little.
Magda Eriksson had been substituted off to enable the travelling fans to give our departing captain an enormous ovation - nothing less than what a genuine legend of this club deserves.
The only thing more fitting was what came next. For the tenth time as Chelsea captain, Eriksson lifted a trophy. She did so in front of the jubilant fans who filled the Madejski Stadium - meaning there were more Chelsea fans than Reading there to see it.
A fourth WSL title in a row - a third consecutive Double. Chelsea were champions.

May results in brief

Fixture	Result	Competition	Goal scorers
Liverpool (H)	2-1 W	WSL	Charles, Kerr (Perisset assist)
Everton (H)	7-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Kerr, Harder x 2, Ingle, Fleming, Cuthbert (Rytting Kaneryd, Charles, Reiten, Fleming, Harder, Cuthbert assists)
Leicester (H)	6-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Cuthbert, Harder x 2, James, Cankovic (Harder, Carter, Perisset, Charles assists)
Man United (N)	1-0 W	FA Cup final	Kerr (Harder assist)
West Ham (A)	4-0 W	WSL	Charles, Harder, Ingle, Cuthbert (Ingle, Rytting Kaneryd assists)
Arsenal (H)	2-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Eriksson goals (Perisset, Kerr assists)
Reading (A)	3-0 W	WSL	Kerr x 2, Reiten (Reiten assist)

UTC!

We promised never to keep secrets from one another, a promise I broke every day since we started dating.
It wasn't malice, no, it was for my own protection, because I had been hurt before, being open and honest, sharing openly and freely. Left with nothing, as I learned they only cared for what I could give, rather than what I had.
Tristan was open and honest with me, and I was for the most part. I spoke of how I had been used and betrayed in the past, how I had grown bitter and resentful as a result.
How it had taken me time to heal and rebuild.
Tristan hated being kept in the dark about something. Asking him if you could ask him a question was just as likely to get a sharp reprimand as insulting his divine cooking, and people hiding things out of a sense of mercy only served to further incense him.
I cooked eggs, bacon, and had put a fruit muffin in the toaster oven for long enough to toast, as he preferred. I had sworn to myself that if my secret was such I would be rejected, that I would at least leave having given him one last good memory.
"Wow, breakfast in bed?" He asked.
"I wanted your morning to be as pleasant as possible." I replied, placing the tray in front of him. He eagerly dug in.
He liked his eggs pre-mixed so that the whites and the yolks were even, the bacon to be crispy, not chewy, and of course, I had his favorite tea ready for drinking, steeped and cooled down to his preference.
I watched him eat with love and trepidation, so when he had eaten enough to not be ravenous, I spoke.
"Was it to your liking?"
"Yeah. Thank you, Erin. it means a lot to me."
It was now or never, else I'd never work up the resolve.
"There is something I wish to share with you." I said. "Rather, a confession."
He looked at me. He knew I knew he hated waiting to explain something, so he knew it was something serious.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"When we started dating, we both swore to keep no secrets between us. I have broken that promise since day one, I have kept one fact about myself hidden, because I was afraid."
"Just tell me." He said.
"It would be better if I showed you." I spoke as I extended my hand over toward him. He took it, and I pulled him onto my back, and carried him through the house to the yard, past our property line, and onto mine.
"Wait, you're taking me to that old bunker, the one nobody can get inside?" He gasped. "Wait, did you find a way in!?"
"You are perceptive. I do know how to enter."
We approached the bunker, I took out a well-worn key and unlocked it.
"Wait, you had the key this whole time. That's the big secret?"
"It is one facet of the truth." I said. "I own this bunker."
I led him inside, the interior was still clean, organized. I took a short cut, and we stepped into a large room, with a giant pile of glittering metal coins and personal valuables.
I let go of his hand, walked over to the pile, and assumed my true form.
"My real name is Verengar, I am a Dragon."
I settled onto my hoard, and beckoned for him to approach. He stared at me with wide, disbelieving eyes as he stepped forward.
"You're a Dragon." He said.
"From another world, no less." I replied. "I came to this world to avoid being killed by greedy Humans." I lowered my head, which was as large as he was tall, I fixed him with a single eye. "I chose now to break my silence."
"Why?" He asked.
I dipped my foreleg into my treasure, and pulled out a plain gold ring. "Tristan Cubbins, will you prove my trust in you is correct by becoming my husband?" I asked.
"Of course." He said. "I was waiting for you to say it, but... I never expected this."
I took Human form again and placed the ring upon his finger. "Then by Draconic tradition, we are wed. I will ensure we have a Human wedding soon. for now, my love, my shining treasure, I wish to spend as much time with you as I can."
He smiled, and I kissed him.
It was a process and a half, living with a Human.
Perfectly reasonable instincts and urges are considered possessive and rude to them, and accommodating them simply because you wish to have companionship can be a struggle.
Especially once you tell them what you are.
Tristan had accepted my marriage proposal, and by Dragon Law that made him my husband, and a part of my hoard. This meant that I did know where he was at all times, mostly because of the ring I had given him, I could only get a vague sense as to his location or state of being without it.
I explained this was because I was actively holding back on outright claiming him, I wanted to gauge his reaction, get a sense for if he was okay with it. He was understandably perturbed by the notion, and I reminded him, if he wanted privacy, he was more than welcome to take the ring off.
We were married, the ring is largely only a symbol.
I let him choose the wedding band he wanted me to wear from the myriad I had collected over the centuries, he chose much the same as I had for him, a plain band, nothing ostentatious.
I explained that, the reason we never had many financial issues was that the 'commissions' I earned were actually me just selling small bits of my hoard, something I stressed was a sign of great love among my kind, and that I would continue to do so, to ensure our comfort.
As he acclimated, I opened myself up to him more, showing him magic, forming a pact with him so he could use it as well, being open and transparent about the gulf in our ages, and how we could prevent this from being a mere blip in the eye as far as I was concerned.
There is no proper translation for it, the closest I'd come across being from a game my husband and I enjoyed. The concept was easy to tell in that regard, and while he was a little squeamish at the idea, he eventually told me he was willing to take that next step.
I still remember the look in his eyes as I pricked my finger and filled the goblet with but a single drop, the way his hands shook as he held my bubbling lifeblood in his hands, the expression of disgust as he choked it down, and the way he writhed as Dragonfire filled his body.
I laid at his side, easing the pain with my magic, soothing him as I spoke of how proud I was of him for making this step, that the path of a Dragon was difficult, that it would likely take him thousands of years to reach the same magnificence as me.
As he now had the heart of a Dragon beating in his chest, mighty and powerful, I made a bond with him, one that he could refuse for now, or accept. It was a taste of what could be, him knowing me, where I was, how I was, as much as I would him. It is a deep and powerful connection, one not to be taken lightly.
It filled me with joy to have him accept.
Every year, I gave him the choice to proceed with his slow and gradual transformation, and each year, he drank, more of his body changing, something that he could hide just as easily as I could hide myself.
I awoke, thirty-five years into our marriage, reflecting that so little time had passed, yet so many memories filled my mind. My husband sleeping beside me, unhidden, the patches of scales, the small horns, the slightly sharper teeth that peeked out of his open and snoring mouth.
I gently kissed him, waking him up, and he looked at me with love and said, "Good morning, my treasure."
I was touched, of course. It was his first time, calling me that. It meant he would begin hoarding soon, and it was my duty as his husband to show him how to do it healthily, starting small with the gifts I had given him, showing him how to acquire more without endangering himself.
He loved books, so I made for him a library, dug with care and waterproofed. It utterly dwarfed him in size, empty, save for the few books he had.
"Is all of this space necessary?" He asked.
"This space is not even enough." I answered wisely. "But it is a start."
He went about building his hoard intelligently, spending only the money that was reasonable to have. He wasn't yet ready for outright taking what he wanted, that would come in time, and I would ensure he chose his targets ethically. Maybe the Vatican, if we visit Rome, they have enough old books, certainly they can spare us a few.
It was on our ninetieth year, him just as young and handsome as he had been on that day, that we had to fake our deaths and inherit our own estate, which I handled without issue, the inheritance tax was just a means to an end and there was nothing too grandiose about our home to warrant more than a glance from the IRS.
"The IRS is managed by Dragons." He said.
"The Federal Reserve as well." I remarked.
"And billionaires?"
"Vermin who waste their lives in vain trying to match our glory." I replied. "Which reminds me, I should put into action that plan to have someone marry into such wealth, it won't even be a second to us, and the 'poor financial management' should make it easier to disseminate the money elsewhere."
"Elsewhere?"
"To where it would be best suited." I replied. "It's only fair that we utterly destroy them in the only means that matters. Keeping the money would just make us as bad as them."
He laughed, he was still getting used to the way our kind thought. We hoarded gold for its beauty, and because it helped dissipate our body heat. They hoarded wealth out of a false sense of superiority.
Nonetheless, that was a plan that would come into its own when one of us had the time. Surely, ridding the world of billionaires would make the Humans more amenable to our existence.

Currently watching out of sheer curiosity for the genes that produced ChaAAAaaaAaaD and I have to say Grandpa Paine is endearing and seems intelligent and aware of the world around him (he’s a doctor who spent most of his life working as a medical missionary) and Erin comes across as a fumbling idiot who can’t seem to get the most basic facts of HER FAMILY right and for the love of god will not stop butting in or giggling like a school girl when he is actually trying to give insightful answers about his life. Not even half way through so if there are any shockers I can update.
Edit: if she says “Wooooooooow” one more time 😑
Edit 2: It doesn’t matter which part of the world or his life he’s talking about, all Erin seems focused on is “how many children they had at that time”. I am second hand embarrassed for her because of how dumb she’s coming across when this could be a seriously interesting life story. Eg. One of their children died shortly after birth and is buried in the foothills of the Himalayas, and Erin did a smile “awww” like he had said he stubbed his toe. JFC.

https://komonews.com/news/local/woodland-park-zoo-geriatric-gray-wolf-kaya-standard-procedure-shila-severe-swelling-pain-doctor-animal-health-global-extinct-postmortem-exam-tumor
"A Woodland Park Zoo gray wolf by the name of Kaya has passed away at the age of 13 years old while under anesthesia for a diagnostic procedure."
​
"Kaya over the years developed an inability to properly use her left hind limb, according to Dr. Tim Storms, director of animal health at Woodland Park Zoo."
​
"We’re going to miss Kaya deeply,” said Erin Sullivan, an animal curator at Woodland Park Zoo."
​
Disappointing to hear; at the same time, sounds like Kaya lived a good life. Has anyone been to this particular zoo and seen their wolves?

https://www.cinemablend.com/movies/2023-new-movie-release-dates-full-schedule-of-upcoming-movies
Excerpts:
"For fans of costumed crimefighters, intergalactic odysseys, old school action serials, and creepy classics, 2023 is going to be a very important year at the cinema, with so many exciting upcoming movies on the way."
📽️
•Fast X: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez. May 19, 2023
•Monica: Trace Lysette, Patricia Clarkson. May 19, 2023
•About My Father: Sebastian Maniscalco, Robert De Niro. May 26, 2023
•Kandahar: Gerard Butler, Bahador Foladi. May 26, 2023
•The Little Mermaid: Halle Bailey, Melissa McCarthy. May 26, 2023
•The Machine: Bert Kreischer, Mark Hamill. May 26, 2023
•You Hurt My Feelings: Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Tobias Menzies. May 26, 2023
•The Boogeyman: Chris Messina, Sophaie Thatcher. June 2, 2023
•Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse: Shameik Moore, Hailee Steinfeld. June 2, 2023
[•APES TOGETHER STRONG: (Amazon Prime). Documentary by The Mulligan Brothers. June 5, 2023. https://m.imdb.com/title/tt17048778/ ]
•Transformers: Rise of the Beasts: Anthony Ramos, Dominique Fishback. June 9, 2023
•The Blackening: Antoinette Robertson, Dewayne Perkins. June 16, 2023
•Elemental: Mamoudou Athie, Leah Lewis. June 16, 2023
•Extraction 2 (Netflix Release): Chris Hemsworth, Tinatin Dalakishvili. June 16, 2023
•The Flash: Ezra Miller, Michael Keaton. June 16, 2023
•Asteroid City: Tom Hanks, Margot Robbie. June 23, 2023
•Harold and the Purple Crayon: Zachary Levi, Zooey Deschanel. June 30, 2023
•Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny: Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge. June 30, 2023
•Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken: Lana Candor, Toni Collette. June 30, 2023.
•Insidious: The Red Door: Patrick Wilson, Rose Byrne. July 7, 2023
•Joy Ride: Stephanie Hsu, David Denman. July 7, 2023
•Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning - Part One: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson. July 12, 2023
•Barbie: Margot Robbie, Ryan Gosling. July 21, 2023
•Oppenheimer: Cillian Murphy, Jack Quaid. July 21, 2023
•They Cloned Tyrone (Netflix Release): Jamie Foxx, Teyonah Parris. July 21, 2023
•Haunted Mansion: Rosario Dawson, Owen Wilson. July 28, 2023
•Sympathy for the Devil: Nicolas Cage, Joel Kinnaman. July 28, 2023
•Talk To Me: Sophie Wilde, Joe Bird. July 28, 2023
•The Meg 2: The Trench: Jason Statham, Sienna Guillory. August 4, 2023
•Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem: Seth Rogen, Shamon Brown Jr. August 4, 2023
•Challengers: Zendaya, Josh O'Connor. August 11, 2023
•Gran Turismo: David Harbour, Orlando Bloom. August 11, 2023
•Heart of Stone (Netflix Release): Gal Gadot, Jamie Dornan. August 11, 2023
•Last Voyage of the Demeter: David Dastmalchian, Nikolai Nikolaeff. August 11, 2023
•Back on the Strip: Kevin Hart, Colleen Camp. August 18, 2023
•Blue Beetle: Xolo Maridueña, Susan Sarandon. August 18, 2023
•The Hill: Joelle Carter, Dennis Quaid. August 18, 2023
•Strays: Will Ferrell, Jamie Foxx. August 18, 2023
•Lift: (Netflix Release): Kevin Hart, Gugu Mbatha-Raw. August 25, 2023
•They Listen: Jon Cho, Katherine Waterston. August 25, 2023
•White Bird: (Wide Theatrical Release) Bryce Gheisar, Orlando Schwerdt. August 25, 2023
•The Equalizer 3: Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning. September 1, 2023
•My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3: Nia Vardalos, John Corbett. September 8, 2023
•The Nun 2: Bonnie Aarons, Taissa Farmiga. September 8, 2023
•Satanic Hispanics: Efren Ramirez, Jonah Ray. September 14, 2023
•A Haunting in Venice: Kenneth Branagh, Kelly Reilly. September 15, 2023
•The Book of Clarence: Lakeith Stanfield, Benedict Cumberbatch. September 22, 2023
•Drive-Away Dolls: Pedro Pascal, Matt Damon. September 22, 2023
•The Expendables 4: Sylvester Stallone, Jason Statham September 22, 2023
•PAW Patrol: The Mighty Movie: Dax Shepard, Taraji P. Henson. September 23, 2023
•Abandonment: Annie Malee, Richard Dreyfuss. September 29, 2023
•Killers of the Flower Moon (Limited Theatrical Release): Jesse Plemons, Leonardo DiCaprio. October 6, 2023
•Kraven the Hunter: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Russell Crowe. October 6, 2023
•True Love: Gemma Chan, Allison Janney. October 6, 2023
•Damsel (Netflix Release): Millie Bobby Brown, Angela Bassett. October 13, 2023
•The Exorcist: Believer: Ellen Burstyn, Leslie Odom Jr. October 13, 2023
•Ordinary Angels: Hilary Swank, Alan Ritchson. October 13, 2023
•Dumb Money: Seth Rogen, Clancy Brown. October 20, 2023
•Killers of the Flower Moon (Wide Theatrical Release): Jesse Plemons, Leonardo DiCaprio. October 20, 2023
•Five Nights at Freddy’s: Josh Hutcherson, Elizabeth Lail. October 27, 2023
•Pain Hustlers (Netflix Release): Emily Blunt, Chris Evans. October 27, 2023
•Saw X: Tobin Bell, Michael Beach. October 27, 2023
•Sight: Terry Chen, Greg Kinnear. October 27, 2023
•Dune: Part Two: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya. November 3, 2023
•The Holdovers: Paul Giamatti, Tate Donovan. November 10, 2023
•The Killer: Michael Fassbender, Tilda Swinton. November 10, 2023.
•The Marvels: Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris. November 10, 2023
•Journey to Bethlehem: November 10, 2023.
•A Family Affair (Netflix Release): Joey King, Nicole Kidman. November 17, 2023
•The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes: Rachel Zegler, Tom Blyth. November 17, 2023
•Next Goal Win: Michael Fassbender, David Kightley. November 17, 2023
•Thanksgiving: Jalen Thomas Brooks, Nell Verlaque. November 17, 2023
•Trolls Band Together: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake. November 17, 2023
•Untitled Please Don't Destroy Project: Martin Herlihy, John Higgins. November 17, 2023
•Leo (Netflix Release): Adam Sandler. November 22, 2023
•Napoleon (Limited Theatrical Release): Joaquin Phoenix, Vanessa Kirby. November 22, 2023
•Wish: Ariana DeBose, Alan Tudyk. November 22, 2023
•The Holdovers: Paul Giamatti, Tate Donovan. November 22, 2023
•Leave the World Behind (Netflix Release): Ethan Hawke, Julia Roberts. December 8, 2023
•Magazine Dreams: Jonathan Majors, Harrison Page. December 8, 2023
•Wonka: Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Colman. December 15, 2023
•Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom: Jason Momoa, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II. December 20, 2023
•Untitled Ghostbusters Sequel: Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon. December 20, 2023
•Migration: December 22, 2023
•Rebel Moon (Netflix Release): Charlie Hunnam Sofia Boutella. December 22, 2023
•The Color Purple: Taraji P. Henson, Halle Bailey. December 25, 2023
🎬
"...There are many other upcoming movies that are expected to come out in 2023...but on what day, exactly, still remains a mystery":
•American Metal:John Travolta, Ashley Benson; •Argylle (Theatrical and Apple TV+ Release): Henry Cavill, Bryce Dallas Howard; •Beverly Hill Cop: Axel Foley (Netflix Release): Eddie Murphy, Judge Reinhold; •Black Canary: Jurnee Smollett; •Carry On (Netflix Release):Taron Egerton, Jason Bateman; •Distant: Anthony Ramos, Naomi Scott; •Havoc (Netflix Release): Tom Hardy, Timothy Olyphant; •Here: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright; •The Last Train to New York; •Legally Blonde 3: Reese Witherspoon, Alanna Ubach; •Monkey Man(Netflix Release): Dev Patel, Sharlto Copley; •The Mothership (Netflix Release):Molly Parker, Halle Berry; •The Out-Laws: Pierce Brosnan, Nina Dobrev; •Red One (Amazon Prime Release): Dwayne Johnson, Chris Evans; •Reptile (Netflix Release):Benicio Del Toro, Alicia Silverstone; •Salem's Lot:Lewis Pullman, Alfre Woodard; •Spaceman (Netflix Release):Adam Sandler, Carey Mulligan; Spellbound (Apple TV+ Release): Rachel Zegler; Star Wars: Rogue Squadron; True Haunting:Jamie Campbell Bower, Erin Moriarty; Unfrosted (Netflix Release):James Marsden, Melissa McCarthy; The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (Netflix Release): Benedict Cumberbatch, Ralph Fiennes.
Note: Netflix, Apple+ titles may have limited releases/appear in movie theatres. TBD.

I know COVID happened after season 7. But for a few seasons before that the unit was missing a few members.
Initial Unit/Patrol members.
Antonio Dawson. Jay Halstead. Hank Voight. Alvin Olinsky. Trudy Platt. Kim Burgess. Kevin Atwater. Jin. Erin Lindsay. Adam Ruzek.
Added between S1-S5. Hailey Upton. Mouse. Nadia. Sumner. Rixton. Vannesa Rojas. Sean Roman.
That's 17 main characters in 5 seasons. Peak Chicago PD.
Add in Dante Torres, that's 18 members.
Current Cast - Hank Voight. Hailey Upton. Kevin Atwater. Kim Burgess. Adam Ruzek. Dante Torres. Trudy Platt (part time role now).
That's 6.5 cast members. 12 characters who have left and not been replaced properly. We need a desk clerk for the unit like Nadia who can be the nippy civilian who throws in random bits of knowledge to help out. Aspiring to be a cop. We needed a replacement for Mouse, a friend/hacker type character. We need a character for Hank to bounce off. Hailey & Torres both lost their main character they interact with. We get re-runs of the Adam/Kim stuff constantly. Kevin's made progress but a tiny amount. Enjoying the stuff with his dad. And Trudy Platt was the glue between patrol and Intelligence.
This show has lost so much and are now so stale. I pray season 11 they bring back an old writer and restore some order to this show.
Bring back - Jay Halstead. Antonio Dawson. Mouse. Patrol. The Cage. No nonsense Hank. (Yeah I get the show goes with the time, but its a show, if Voight wants to smack around a criminal I'm a cage, just do it, it's not reality) . << main peeve I have with the show. More crossovers.
Annoyed at - Jay left without a final Halstead brothers scene. This writer who has demolished the Halstead legacy. Why do the women face the most pain. Why is Hank alone.

9.32 SCKM
Scars were a common enough occurrence in Liscor, but often kept as a mark of pride or a stroke of misfortune from healing gone wrong.
Some wear their scars with pride, like the Hobgoblin [War Leader], saving his brothers in a raid gone wrong several years back. For others, like the [Necromancer], the scars are a compounded mark of shame and a promise to himself and others that things will get better.
For a certain [Strategos] Drake, his scars lie beneath the surface, but are no less deep and push him to greater heights in war, in love, and loss.
For one particular white Gnoll, this was an outrage of the highest calibre.
Mrsha the Well-Educated had been enjoying her recess at school with Visma and Ekirra animatedly discussing Calescent’s new dish for Bird. She raised her paws to show the size of the bird, and waved her paws in front of her face to show how spicy it was.
“Wow, Mrsha! Did Bird manage to eat it?”
Mrsha the Solemn-Faced closed her eyes and shook her head slowly at Ekirra. Bird had tried to eat it whole, and the spice had put Bird out with a fever for the day.
As Mrsha and her friends continued talking about the foods at the Inn, Ikisr came by with her new ball to get Ekirra to play soccer with them.
“Come on, Ekirra! My mom got me this new ball and I heard you learned some new tricks!”
Mrsha the Soccer Played perked up when she heard about the game of soccer. She hopped up and pointed to Visma and herself with a thumbs up.
“Oh…sorry, Mrsha. We’re looking for good players. I was only here to grab Ekirra.”
She waved her hands and passed a notecard to Ikisr before crossing her arms.
“Forsooth, this slight has been recorded and a reckoning is nigh.”
Ikisr frowns at the card and looks back over at Ekirra.
“So Ekirra, are you coming?”
Ekirra nervously glances back and forth at Mrsha and the ball. He bites his lip and looks apologetically at Mrsha.
“Sorry guys. I promised Ikisr I’d play with her today and I forgot about it. Are you sure they can’t play?”
Ikisr frowns at Ekirra and nods.
“Sorry – we’re trying to play a good game of soccer.”
Mrsha the Soccer Player huffed at Ikisr and tries to pull the ball out of Ikisr’s hand.
“Hey – what are you doing, Mrsha?”
Ikisr pulls back on the ball and a tug of war for the soccer ball ensues.
Give. Me. The. Ball!
Mrsha grunts and digs in to try and get the soccer ball away, and Ikisr loses grip of the ball to Mrsha.
Aha! The ball is mine!
Mrsha claims the ball as her quarry and looks at the loser on the floor.
“Mrsha, give me my ball!”
Ikisr is frustrated and her face knots with frustration.
“Mrsha, I’m not kidding! Give me my ball!”
Mrsha points and laughs at her in response.
This is what you get for messing with Mrsha the Smug.
“You asked for it!”
Ikisr pushes Mrsha down and takes her ball back before sticking her tongue out and running away. Mrsha the Vengeful glowered at her new foe, who left with Ekirra the Betrayer. Visma covers her mouth, looking warily at Mrsha as she plots her revenge.
Seborn Sailwinds found himself back at the Wandering Inn a lot faster than he expected. With Erin’s [Door of Portals], the Halfseekers were able to split their time travelling on the carriage and relaxing back in Liscor. After a drab day on the road, the Halfseekers came back to relax. Jelaqua, unsurprisingly, was nowhere to be found, having gone directly to Palllass upon returning to the floodplains to see Maughin. Ulinde was on carriage duty tonight after losing a bet, and Lyonette had requisitioned Moore to pick up Mrsha from school. From the sounds of it, Mrsha was in trouble. Inside the Inn, the usual suspects were present: Erin was off chatting with Nanette, the Horns of Hammerad were causing a ruckus with the Stargazer’s Promise, and Numbtongue was taking a platter of food up to Bird’s tower. At the bar, Halrac was seated alone, nursing a blazing pink drink. On the table, a plate of half eaten chips were on display. Seborn quietly took a seat at the bar.
“Fancy seeing you here, Halrac."
“It’s been a while, Seborn. Weren’t the Halfseekers heading to the New Lands?”
“A mug of ale please, Ishkr. We’re doing Erin a favor and taking a door to the New Lands so that people can come back and forth.”
The rugged archer exhales and takes another sip of his drink and closes his eyes, basking in the drink. The quiet [Head Waiter] nodded and filled a mug of Wailant’s brew. It wasn’t as fresh as he was used to, but he could definitely taste Viceria’s work.
“Is that a Minotaur’s Punch? You didn’t seem like the type.”
“It reminds me of the old days in the Nameless Lands. Things were different then.”
“When you were with some of the older members, like Ul– ah.”
Seborn stopped himself. After all this time, it doesn’t get any easier. Halrac took another nibble at the chips on the table. “You should try one. I think you’d like it.”
Seborn looked at the drink with apprehension. Looking at the drink, it reminded Seborn of a humble memory of The Passing Shadow, magnificent as it was during his time on his father’s crew. As much as he wanted to remember those glory days, the back of his mind brought back memories of his father, Therrium Sailwinds.
The former [Pirate] looked conflicted as his eyes stared at the glorious brew.
“I… I’m not sure that I should.”
“Suit yourself. It’s helped a lot.”
Halrac pushed the plate slightly towards Seborn, offering him some of the chips left at the table. There was a pregnant pause between the two as they continued drinking and nibbling on the fare. As they drank in silence, Seborn saw Halrac at peace. Before long, the pair sees Revi stroll into the Inn, locking eyes with Halrac.
“Hey Seborn! Just looking for our fearless leader. Halrac, Briganda’s asking if you can look after Cade for an hour or two.”
Halrac sighs and nods at Revi. He gets up, downs the rest of his drink, and offers Seborn the rest of his half-eaten plate of chips. The members of Griffon Hunt depart through the portal to Riverfarm, and Seborn is left alone at the bar.
“Ishkr, I’d like one of those too, if you wouldn’t mind.”
A glass of alcohol, brilliant to behold, was placed in front of him. As he picked up it and took a deep sip, he blinked back tears the sight of the deck of The Passing Shadow.
“The Naval Tidings sails under my command now.”
His father had just commandeered another ship, and Seborn was filled with pride, remembering his own part in this fight. He had swung over and taken down the enemy captain single-clawed, and been given his reward – a diamond encrusted dagger originally owned by the Five Families.
Therrium had clapped him on the back and clasped his pincer with his eel-hand, as was tradition in Drowned Folk culture.
“I saw you out there, Seborn. That was the mark of a true Sailwind.”
Seborn smiled back at his father, knowing that they had succeeded in defeating one of the strongest Depth Captains of the Undersea Crews. Today would slingshot The Passing Shadow to sixth largest overall.
“We take and take and we live by our code. Nothing less than a dozen of the Illuminary can stop us from getting what we want.”
Cheers came all around as Seborn looked admirably at his father.
“Boy, a captain doesn’t forget his debts. You’ll have your time and your reckoning soon enough.”
Seborn took a deeper sip from the Wailant’s ale. That would be the last he spoke with his father for many, many years. Soon afterwards, his father had landlocked him after a bad stint on the Terandrian coast, and they went their separate ways.
As he switched back to the Minotaur’s Punch, the chips crunched in his mouth. It certainly wasn’t what he was expecting to remember when he thought of glory. He took another drink of the incandescent drought and let the memories wash over him again.
Seborn woke up with a start. He was in a simple room, cramped with four lumps snoring inside of their bedding. He looked around, and this definitely wasn’t the Wandering Inn. Peering out the window, he saw that they were in Celum, but much smaller than its current state. As he looked around the room, he froze.
Sleeping beside him was Thornst, the lovable idiot. The Half-Elf couldn’t sleep like a normal person, so he was upside down with his foot kicking Keilam in the head. Keilam looked more well-behaved, but he was a snorer that could wake up the entire city given enough time. The [Rogue] smirked, remembering his old party member’s nuances. The final person, who they gave the bed closest to the door, was Ukrina. Some parties might object to having a female in the same room as three males, but had joined the Halfseekers for many reasons, and we weren’t attractive to her anyways.
This was right after they had gotten their loot out of the dungeon and drank themselves into a stupor. Thornst was never any good at holding his liquor and we lost him early on. Moore was kind enough to bring him upstairs, and as the night of festivities continued, they made their way to their rooms.
Seborn stared up at the night sky and shook Thornst awake.
“Huh… oh, Seborn. What’s up?”
“We did it. We really did it.”
The Drowned Man spoke with euphoric disbelief. The Half-Elf looked up at him and his eyes were bleary, but cheerful.
“Yeah. I can’t believe we found that treasure in Siroc. They said that place has been dry for months.”
After years and years of doing minor quests, this was their first big haul. The most important pieces of that were an enchanted poison dagger for Seborn, a Scarlet Firegem for Halassia, and a Thunderstick for Keilam.
“Tonight was great, Seborn. I hope we, all of us, are going to be together for a long time.”
Seborn gave a slight smile back to Thornst. He had many more years of life before the Halfseekers than the rest of us, but his spry youth was still intact. In the other room, there should be the rest of their team. Jelaqua found herself a new body when they got back into town and was living it up downstairs. Selphid fortitude, or whatever she was calling it these days. Moore wasn’t too heavy a drinker, but he would likely be spending time with Halassia. They were always close. And… oh. Garen.
Seborn snapped out of the haze. This was before they took Garen’s tip, but the moment was still bittersweet. After years of travelling with Garen, their family was broken mere months from now for nothing. One stroke of glory, lost to the currents of time after a single moment of violence. Seborn heaves a big breath as he is kicked out of the vision, reeling from the thought.
He reaches his hand to his face, and water is pouring down his cheeks. He leans deeper into the table, absorbed into his drink. Ishkr quietly stepped away from the bar to give him some space, wiping down the tables at courier speed. Seborn hadn’t felt young, but he had never felt so old. Some things didn’t heal with time, not completely.
Calruz found himself dimly looking at the pink drink in the Drowned Folk’s hand, burning with terrible light. In his eyes, it was a drink for which he was undeserving. He shunted away from the sight of the drink, instead trying to finish his chili. The auburn innkeeper stepped over to speak with the adventurer as he sat their looking more tired than he had ever seen him.
Antherr Twotwentyonethree Herodotus looked up at Calruz and observed his sorrow. The Antinium’s antennae drooped and he clicked his mandibles helplessly. The Minotaur saw his compatriot’s downcast face, and put on a stern face.
“Never forget your lessons. The Beriad do not leave their fellows behind, and follow one code: Death Before Dishonor.”
The Antinium nodded fiercely at Calruz and took his every word as law. The Minotaur had led the Beriad of the Antinium in the war against Hectval on the front lines, and protected dozens of his battalion as he jumped into swaths of enemy soldiers headfirst to as penance for his crimes.
As Calruz shields his eyes from the Minotaur’s Punch, he quickly finishes his meal and saunters to the portal with the rest of the Beriad. Liska looked uninterested sitting by the portal, picking at her teeth while waiting to switch the portal to The Adventurer’s Haven.
“Heading back to Hectval for the war effort on [Strategos] Olesm’s orders.”
Liska sighed as she threw away the toothpick, knowing that Ishkr would make a fuss about it later.
“Okay everyone! Emergency switch to the war camp! Give me three minutes!”
Groans and complaints came out of the door as Invisril residents tried to elbow themselves through the door. A Half-Giant stepped through the main entrance with a white Gnoll in tow.
“Hey! No cutting ahead! It’ll be just a minute. [Form a Line].”
The disgruntled guests got into a line and Liska closed the door shut before switching out the portal.
“Hurry up before I have to deal with old man Asill. He’s a real tick in the tail, if you know what I mean.”
Antherr Twotwentyonethree Herodotus inclined his head forward and spread his arms out before trying to look around at his backside. There was no functional tail component installed onto the worker Antinium’s body, so the Free Queen must have determined it unnecessary. He looked back to the [Doorgnoll] and gestured to her tail with a snip-snip motion.
“What? No, I’m not cutting off my tail!”
Liska peered at the [Crusader] with confusion and held her tail in her hands.
The Antinium pointed towards his carapace and gestured at his lack of a tail, giving a thumbs up.
“No, that was just a… never mind. Okay, Hectval War Camp, coming right up.”
Liska sighed with resignation and switched the portal.
The Minotaur and the Antinium walked back in and took a deep breath, hearing steel singing in the air. The war efforts were going well, and Hectval was on the back foot. The two of them returned to the grounds and heard that the rest of their battalion training in the Training Grounds. After making a quick stop to their quarter to grab their weapons, Calruz and Antherr returned with a greataxe and a sword respectively.
Calruz took a few strokes with the axe to get a feel for the heft of the weapon, and then carried it by the end of its handle like a walking stick. Antherr grabbed his sword, which he meticulously polished before leaving to go to the inn and set it inside of its clasp on his belt. The two of them reconvened and set out to meet with this brothers-in-arms.
As the two of them walked in, the Beriad of the Antinium quickly put everything away and got into formation, saluting the appearance of their captain. Calruz stood still as he watched these children scramble into position.
“While you are all children, you have abided by the core tenets of the Beriad. Those will lead you to live well and protect your honor in times ahead.”
The Antinium uniformly kneeled in front of him. He grunted with dissatisfaction.
“Do not kneel to me, Beriad. I am a prisoner for my sins and my failures. Live freely and live vicariously, for you are a people unto yourselves.”
Calruz clenched his axe and looked at the Antinium in front of him. He took his axe and he slammed it into the ground. The Antinium flinched at the harsh action.
“Whenever you feel weak.”
Stamp.
“Whenever you feel small.”
Stamp.
“Remember your brothers.”
Stamp.
“Remember your honor.”
Stamp.
“And never let it die.”
[He Left Pride in His Wake]
A shockwave emanated from the axe and the floor trembled. The Antinium fell to the ground, trembling at the Skill. A colorful mist of gold wafted through the air, and the Antinium were silent. They beheld their one-armed teacher and saw glory, honor, all of it.
“If ever you doubt, remember this moment. From now until the end of days, [Death Before Dishonor] and pride with every step. If you are weak, look to your kin and become stronger. They will not last without you.”
From the House of Minos to here, the Beriad lives and breathes. Calruz exhaled and he saw what he had wrought, building a home for these children. In the back of his mind, he thought about his own family, and hoped that they were well. Rhata and Haldagaz were small but mighty – he made sure of it.
To Mrsha, this was a moment of reckoning.
Mrsha the [Erudite] penned a missive to her fellow ruler.
To my most excellent penpal and fellow scholar Fetohep of Khelt, Guardian of the Kingdom, Ruler of the Sands, I am looking for a tactile form of vengeance to punish the crime of violence upon mine visage. The good folk of the land do not see a just reason to punish this individual, but as a fellow ruler, you must understand my plight. This is not a time for complacency, not when allowing for these crimes may perchance destabilize the entire kingdom. I wish to receive your wisdom to rectify the situation.
The white Gnoll sent her missive to Fetohep in hopes of next steps. Today, Mrsha the Adventurous was going to see Aunt Selys and go shopping. After shopping, they would go to her apartment and see her pets and she could visit her friends. From there, she could call forth the Guardians of the Wooden Fortress to gainsay her adversaries. Mrsha rubbed her paws together and plotted her revenge.
Klbkch is pacing in his office after reading another report from the Antinium regarding the Hectval-Liscor war. His thoughts are scattered, as he barely registers the information inside of the report.
“Yes? Send a dozen Workers to Sector 4-B. Recall Workers 8 and 11 from Sector 9-C and send them with Workers 11-14 from Sector 9-D to reinforce the caves leading to the Dungeon.”
As he absent-mindedly ran the Hive, his foremost thoughts were on what Xrn had said to him.
“The Klbkchhezeim of old would never say that. You have grown weak in spirit as well as body.”
“I have not! While my body is quite limited in scope compared to my original form, my mind is sound and has faced no defects since my inception. Xeniavxxel is merely projecting with her notable damage after fighting the being in the dungeon. She understands that I am still just as great as I always was.”
Klbkch feels at his arms as he traipses back and forth in his office, feeling aches and pains from times past. His body remembers when his arms were torn off and his carapace was ripped open.
“I lost my body in the wars, but all in service of the Great Queen. Everything is in pursuit of the Antinium’s cause.”
He stepped away from his office and begins to patrol the Hive, ensuring that everything is as expected. After passing by the cafeteria, one of the Individuals jogged to catch up with him. One of the [Strategists]. Recalling the name from one of the Workers, he spoke to him.
“Anand. Yes. How can I help you?”
“Yes, Revelantor! I am here to give an update on the status of the boats. Everything is going as planned and we should have more prototypes to test within three days.”
“Good. Are any of the prototypes promising?”
“Yes. Three of the prototypes appear to be working efficiently, with a 96.9% success rate. The remaining 3.1% has been accommodated for in future iterations.”
Klbkch clicked his mandibles together satisfactorily. This would be a step forward for them to return to Rhir.
“I also heard you in your office earlier. Something about the Small Queen?”
The Centennium roughly coughed to cover up what Anand was saying. Anand tipped his head in confusion. Antinium did not cough.
“Ahem. Xrniavxxel is under the impression that I have been incapacitated and weakened after the Rite of Anastases and losing my previous body. She is correct in that upon losing my previous body, I am weaker than I once was, but she also insinuates that the Rite of Anastases has also affected my cognitive capabilities and has made me soft.”
The [Strategist] shrinks back and his antennae droop in response to Klbkch’s explanation.
“Revelantor Klbkch, you have been nothing but a leader and a figure of note in the Free Hive. I have always admired your leadership and strength on behalf of the Antinium.”
Klbkch stands a little straighter at the prospect.
“Why thank you Anand. We are all in service of the Hive and the Grand Queen.”
Anand perks up at the sight of Klbkch brightening up.
“I would say that in some ways, you are more effective than your previous incarnations. Your knowledge in diplomacy has become a boon for the Free Hive.”
“Yes, quite. Without my diplomacy, we would not have been able to gain a foothold in Liscor and had me installed as a Senior Guardsman in the Liscor Watch. We would not have the ability to integrate with the citizens of Liscor, and introduce Antinium as a friendly species to the public.
“Yes!”
Anand exclaims brightly at the sight of Klbkch’s new emboldened attitude.
“And if it were not for me, then the Soldiers would not be allowed to roam the streets of Liscor, and the Workers that became Individual would never have been let into the Wandering Inn!”
The Worker wasn’t entirely sure that this was Klbkch’s doing, but he didn’t want to steal his thunder.
“Why, I think based on this knowledge, it is factually true that I am a greater Antinium than I was before. It is fascinating that Xrn would even insinuate that I was lesser than before.”
Anand trembled.
“Did Prognugator Xrn say that?”
“Don’t worry about that. Based purely on facts and logic, it is strictly correct that I am better than I was in the past. I am… Klbkch 2.0.”
Anand tried to gulp, but the Antinium were designed to have no need for that function.
“Yes, Revelantor Klbkch 2.0.”
The two Antinium awkwardly paused in the tunnel as the conversation settled down.
“Um. Revelantor Klbkch 2.0?”
“Yes, Anand? As the magnanimous leader Klbkch 2.0, how may I assist you?”
“May I call you father?”
“No.”
Scars. For each person, a scar has multiple meanings, but they all come with their own set of circumstances and baggage. To some, scars are a memory of glory past, lost to the sands of time. To others, scars are a debt to be repaid. To Mrsha, this was a disastrous night of cruel and unusual punishments.
“Mrsha, I can’t believe you talked all of Selys’ pets to come with you to school to scare Isikr!”
Mrsha the Unjustly Chastised crossed her arms and passed a notecard to Erin.
Forsooth, the bearer of my ire deserved it. She denied my right to partake in soccer.
“You summoned a dozen Fortress Beavers, Apista, and two rats for what? To get even? You’re better than this, Mrsha!”
Lyonette shook her head and sighed with resignation.
“No desserts for you for two weeks, and you’re going to apologize tomorrow at school.”
Mrsha waved her arms up in the air.
This is an outrage! She did exactly what Fetohep said to do!
*To Mrsha du Marquin, [Doombearer] of the Stones Spears Tribe, Princess of the Throne of Calanfer:
I fail to understand why I have become some sort of a messaging partner to you. These missives are meant for the eyes of the mightiest of the land, and you find yourself using this for amusement.
With respect to your problem, a true ruler of a grand Kingdom such as myself would never have such issues. Since the age of Khelta twenty-one thousand years ago to present times under my reign, Khelt has never known discontent, fear, famine, or rebellion. The fact that anybody would show signs of insurrection is troubling, should I be in your shoes. The only respectable answer is to muster the full forces of your military might, and cow your contemporaries into submission. Any slight is a matter of disrepute. Why, I remember in the era of King Razzimir, he…*
The Witch’s eyes glazed over at the rest of the page.
“Fetohep told you to do it? That’s your excuse?”
Mrsha the Wrongfully Accused nodded energetically.
“You do realize that he’s the ruler of a massive Undead Kingdom with hundreds and thousands of people?”
Mrsha the Morally Upstanding nodded solemnly.
“And you having a fight with one of your classmates is not the same thing?”
Mrsha the Free to Have Desserts Gnoll nodded in step.
Wait.
The [Last Survivor] dove under the table and tried to make her getaway.
“Oh no you don’t! Straight to jail!”
Erin catches up to Mrsha and hug tackles her into the ground.
“I’ve always wanted to use that one! Go to school? Straight to jail! Eat a cookie? Straight to jail!”
Erin pointed at Mrsha after every exclamation while she tried to wriggle out of the innkeeper’s grasp.
“I’ll explain it to you later, Mrsha. I promise that it’s funny.”
Mrsha the Woefully Captured sighed in resignation.
No desserts for a week.

First / Previous /
Wow, three weeks, a lot has happened on my end to make this level of tardiness possible. I won't bore you with the details but I will mention this. The revisions are currently beginning, and after the next chapter, I'll be putting the story on hold to go back and fix some issues. Maybe I'll be able to make this story better. Also, I realize this chapter might be rather face paced, this is due to my lack of free time in the recent weeks. I intend to expand upon a lot when I go back over it all. Either way, I appreciate how well accepted my writing has been, I hope you enjoy and as always, thank you for reading.
Paul couldn’t wait, he had to start right away. He tried to sit up, winced in pain, then continued. This was far more important than some temporary pain. He called out to Erin, who upon entering the room was rather shocked to see the human trying to get to his feet from the bed.
Erin started forward, “Sir! I don’t think that’s very wise! Please!”
“I need ink, a pen, and the biggest paper you have! Now!” Paul exclaimed, still trying to stand.
“Sir, how about I bring the table to you! At the very least stay sitting!”
Paul relented, and the servant brought a wooden table to the bed.
Erin returned quickly with the requested items. Paul eagerly took up the pen and flattened out the paper. He put the pen to it and paused. He needed to make straight lines. Maybe he could wing it while he planned, but the construction would require precision. Later, it would have to be after he explained it. Right now, he needed to put together the idea.
Gibkin, Elric, and Henry returned and found Paul scribbling away feverishly.
“No, no, no. Oh god, if I want to make this thing mobile at all, it’s gonna have to be made of wood…”
He looked up from the table, suddenly aware of his company.
“Good, you’re here! Alright, three things. First, I know what we can do to break the siege. Second, I need something in return. It’s a big something too Elric, so I hope you’re good for your word. And third, I’ll be the one driving.”
Gibkin gaffed, “Driving? Like… a cart? What are you on about Paul?”
“Just come over here, I’ll explain it.”
The elves came closer and could see the paper now. It was covered, in what appeared to their eyes as, unintelligible glyphs. In all reality, it was just math, measurements, and weights. Along with the math, there was a drawing.
“What is it?” Said Henry
“Looks like a cart to me, not sure how that breaks a siege son.” Said Gibkin.
Paul shook his head, “Oh ye of little faith, this is no cart. In my world, it dominated the battlefield during World War Two .”
“World War?” Asked Elric, with a note of anxiety.
“Yes, there were two world wars back home. A lot of people died, but it was an unfortunate necessity. Whole continents were building these things in the thousands. Well, not ones like this. This design wouldn’t hack it, we don’t have access to the materials needed to make an actual tank move. But, we do have enough to make this.”
Paul drew their attention to a page in his journal.
“What is it?”
“This is a steam engine. We definitely don't have all the tools to make one just yet, but I plan on fixing that soon enough.”
The elves looked at the diagram with interest. They had never seen anything like it before. Paul continued to explain the basic mechanics of the steam engine and how it would power the cart. He pointed out various parts of the diagram and explained how each one worked together to create propulsion. The elves were fascinated by the idea, but still skeptical.
“And how does this break the siege?” Asked Gibkin.
“By being unstoppable. If we mounted cannons on it, I’m afraid it’ll be too heavy, however, this thing will weigh enough to crush just about anything in its way. That alone should make the enemy flee.”
“I think you underestimate how suicidal the Hushites are, Paul.” Replied Elric.
“I think you underestimate how terrifying these things are.”
There was a brief pause where Elric stared at the designs and scrawlings.
“What is it you want in return?” Elric asked.
“Oh, that’s simple. I want to land, it doesn't have to be any land that is owned by this kingdom, I’ll take whatever is taken from the enemy when we push back.”
“I doubt the Detêmri will be pleased with that… but given that the alternative is a slow death by starvation, or by a spear to the chest… Right, it will be so. A portion of the land we take from the Hushites will be yours. However, you should be sure that none of the Detêmri learn of this. They are a treacherous lot, and I doubt they would be willing to give up such spoils willingly.”
“That’s settled then. Now onto the fun part, Gibkin I'll need you for what comes next. We need to make some tools.”
​
* * *
​
The Hushites were hard at work, tunneling as quickly as they could. Ere they face the wrath of Sayyid, who was becoming more and more impatient. They had made good progress if the reports were to be believed. Sayyid was pouring over what little info they had of the city in the peace of his tent when one of the Mezonian engineers entered. The elf bowed low, then rose and began to speak.
“I have excellent news, my master. We have nearly completed the tunnels. I would say it will be around another month and some days before we are ready.”
A broad smile crossed Sayyid's face and he exclaimed, “What wonderful news! The wait has been unbearable!”
After a deep bow of farewell, the engineer left Sayyid to his thoughts.
Sayyid sat back in his chair, his mind racing with the possibilities of what he could do once the tunnels were complete. He imagined the walls of Barrus collapsing in on themselves, the city's defenders scrambling to escape the rubble. He pictured himself leading his army into the city, triumphant and victorious.
But as he sat there, his mind began to wander. He found himself thinking about the people of Barrus and how they must be feeling. Fearful, no doubt. Angry, possibly. But also resilient. He admired their spirit, even as he planned to destroy them.
He shook his head, trying to push those thoughts aside. He couldn't let sentimentality get in the way of his mission. Barrus had to fall, and he would do whatever it took to make it happen.
With a sigh, he rose from his chair and made his way outside. A bit of fresh air would do him some good, and his mood made him restless.
​
* * *
​
It took almost a month to sculpt each of the engine's pieces. Gibkin was rather happy to have new tools for the royal forges, and with each day that passed, he became more enthusiastic about the project at hand. Making the boiler was simple, they essentially made a huge and thin barrel out of iron, the pipes that would be directing the steam were a bit more difficult, and this led to a few mistakes being made. The real challenge would be the piston itself. They decided the piston head should be bronze, and so too would the cylinder that would house it. Paul commissioned the woodworkers to make them out of wood first so that a mold could be made. Once the requirements were satisfied, the potters were quick to make molds. The first iteration was subpar, the piston head was ever so slightly too large. The second was much better. While Gibkin made the heart of the machine, the other smiths had been tasked with producing the axle, flywheel, and the required gears. A team of woodworkers made the body, since it needn't be as precise as the engine, they were able to finish far before the smiths and Gibkin. Once the body was constructed, they took thin hammered sheets of iron and layered them upon the outside. All in all, the endeavor was expensive and drained the city of most of its remaining resources. This put many of the Detêmri on edge.
“This kadrêni is eating up all of our fuel for the forges, and the iron will run low soon enough. We don’t even know if this, whatever it is, will even work! Why do you put so much faith in this outsider Elric? How do we know he isn’t with the enemy? By Erowin, he hasn’t even left that damn bed! I’m beginning to think that-”
“I can assure you, if he were aligned with the enemy, this city would be taken already. Also, try having a few holes poked in you and see how much you can move around afterward. The fact he survived is a damn miracle.” replied an irate Elric.
Elric's task during all of this had been keeping the people of Barrus from giving up and making sure the Detêmri were kept far away from Paul. It was a difficult task, but one he was well suited for. It was true, Paul had indeed not left his bed this entire time. Not by choice, and it was most definitely not a pleasant experience. Once all the fun parts were nearly completed he was able to move around more. The wounds he had were healing nicely, and soon, it didn’t even hurt when he tried to stand. Which he promptly began trying as often as Erin the servant would be looking the other way.
Soon, the heart of the machine was finished, and it was time to see whether or not the smiths and Gibkin were capable enough to make such a monstrous thing possible. This was also the first time that Paul had left his room. It was nice, and he rather enjoyed being able to see more than just the oppressively boring walls he had become so accustomed to.
Gibkin was fidgety, “I hope this works Paul, I doubt we have enough to make another.”
“If you followed my instructions it should.” Replied Paul.
The boiler was set up above a pile of wood debris. Once it was lit, both Gibkin and Paul felt horridly anxious. Minutes passed by and soon the flywheel was turned, this was the moment of truth. There was a loud hiss, and the wheel spun. Then it kept spinning, slowly at first, then soon picking up speed. Gibkin shouted with excitement and went to give Paul a hug. He quickly relented after Paul yipped in pain at the sudden pressure. While he was able to stand, he wasn't fully healed just yet.
They did it, they had made a working engine. But they had not yet put it into the tank, and they didn’t know if it would power the machine. Before they could find that out, they needed to know how powerful this thing was. Which would be easy, if they had the same methodology of measurements Paul was used to. According to the measurement devices that Paul had designed for this project, the cylinder was four feet long, and around twenty-eight Paul inches in diameter. A Paul inch, to anyone who is curious, is the length of the second knuckle on Paul's index finger. Twelve Paul inches to a foot, and so on.
The next step was counting the rotations per minute of the flywheel, and since they had no clocks, this would be rather difficult. Making a clock wouldn't be too much of a hassle, but Paul was irked that he hadn’t thought of that beforehand. It would have been something he was able to work on while he was stuck in that accursed room. They could just count, one Mississippi, two Mississippi, and so on. However, that would most likely be inaccurate. It would seem a pendulum clock would be the way to go.
The idea of a swinging pendulum telling time was a bit of an odd concept to the elves. They just went off where the sun was, for example, midday was when the sun was directly above you, and morning was when it hung low in the east. The idea of there being little parcels of time that you could count up and know exactly when you were in the day was rather foreign. This did not deter Paul from trying to explain how it works.
The whole thing took another day to get figured out, the flywheel moved fairly slow honestly, around eighty rotations per minute. Paul was distressed at this news.
Paul was muttering to himself. “No… that can’t be right… No, I thought...”
“What’s the matter Paul? You seem upset…” Asked Gibkin.
“This can’t be right, maybe I remember the equation wrong… it’s Power is equal to… seven? Yeah, seven times the area, times the speed…”
“What?” said Gibkin.
“It’s not strong enough, this thing weighs more than the output… It won’t move anything…”
Henry looked from his friend to the large spinning wheel. “What do you mean, it’s moving right now!”
“No, it’s… never mind…”
“I think we should try to put it in-”
Paul threw his journal in a rage as he turned to Henry, “Damn it Henry, be quiet! It won’t work! It can’t put out enough force to move itself, much less that entire cart with the armor and a crew, it’s useless! Damn it!”
Henry had shrunk as Paul pelted him with his words. Though the human was much younger, the fact that he was as tall as he was made him that much more intimidating.
“I… I’m sorry Henry, I shouldn’t have yelled at you… I’m just. I’m just angry with myself right now. I’m angry at this situation, I’m angry at everything…”
“Do you think you’re the only one? I’m sure many of the soldiers here would rather be home, not stuck behind some walls waiting to die. We’re all angry Paul.”
There was silence. Then Paul excused himself, leaving Gibkin and Henry to observe the engine.
“I haven't known any single person to take a siege well Henry, I wouldn't let it get to you.”
Henry merely grunted in response, and they both turned to face the spinning wheel.
Gibkin stroked his chin as they watched the wheel go round, “You know, while it might not be able to move the cart… this thing would be able to work that power hammer rather well… I could think of a few uses for something like this…”
Hey! If you enjoy the story it would mean the world to me if you considered supporting me on Patreon. I hope you continue to read this story, and I would love to hear what you have to say about it, thanks!

It appears to be a simple point and click soft-horror game, but there is definitely more to this story waiting to be seen. Its a neat lil japanese game by yotalien games where you are tasked with saving girls from their deaths.
There is the least amount of lore in the first game, and you can find that one here. You can find the rest of the series on the google play store and get them on your phone, just look up yabatanien and check out the dev of the game to see the rest. there are four games but you do have to pay for two of them so ive only played the first one and the other free one, trap girl x. There is definetly more lore in the other two but I havent played those.
walkthrough for yabatanien
video/walkthrough help for trap girl x
I want to know what the heck is up in this universe, because there is story to this. Spoilers for the 2 games ive played in the game series ahead!
Most of the lore of the first game is from the true ending, it gives you this cutscene. You can see this blue haired lady that apparently lives in the mansion. She is given a drink by Jaqueline Blair, and the lady is passed out in the next scene, the fallen drink suggests Blair drugged her. The girls are then shown taking over her mansion, Blair seems a mastermind of it all. It is also implied that she gets her turned into the flesh eating zombie. There is a doll that the blue haired lady cares for, and it is implied that the doll is Omiyo, the mysterious girl who doesnt flinch when you pry out her eye, and is shown murdering the other girls in 2 other endings. It would make sense that she would be the doll since she didnt express pain, and would have wanted to hurt the other girls for zombifying the blue haired lady. You also unlock this ending by giving her a dress the lady is shown making.
You find out a lot more lore in the other game, the game has item/person descriptions. im just gonna talk about some people and what i think of them. the owner is revealed to be Grace Montgomery, and her description in game tells us she is the owner, a widow, and mentions she was hospitable to many men, but only a few were able to leave safely. Why? Did she do something to them? You can find her dead body in this game, and take her hair in order to see a recording of her knitting(? idk if its knitting but i think it is). She is also (un)dead in the first game, not sure why her mansion keeps becoming full of murderous situations.
I find Agatsuma Noriko very interesting, because her description is not that alarming at first, the only thing that really hints at more is her description of working to revive her parents. This points to the possibility that she made the machine that zombifies. Riese Son also has a not so alarming description, saying she is Cyan's older sister and she suddenly sprang up in the pharmacy. Where this really gets weird it getting to find and save her sister. You find her by going to a strange room, filled with weird creatures wearing her clothes. You click on a strange fleshy object on the only person not wearing an outfit like Cyan's and you are asked if you want to save her. The atmosphere is creepy because everything stops and stares at you after you save her. The item description of "embryo" you get after this is strange. It tells us that it is one of Agatsuma's many achievements. it says it is imperfect, but also that it is the fourth body following K16 and the Son sisters. Agatsuma is creating life, something probably motivated to help her get her parents back. It is probably notable that Riese Son has a bomb inside of her, and Cyan's soul seems to be absent at first.
The Blair family home seems to be displayed when you use the teleporter, and it is a place where you can zipline the characters off of the roof. Jaqueline is described as having a weak body and as having been abused by Sarah. It is still unknown why she would murder Grace. In one ending she goes off to an "unidentified organism" and the organism has previously been blamed for the disappearance of her family members. There is something fishy about this family, the wedding dress is an heirloom that says Sarah was to wear it so something didn't go according to plan. She is noted as mistreated by her mother. The family is described as traditional craftsman, and Sarah is the head of it. Sarah has a younger brother and sister, the sister is described as Jack and is presumably Jacqueline. The brother is noted in "Sensei's" description as the hirer for her, Sensei the tutor hired for shy Jack.
Yet Sensei doesnt seem to really care for her. I mentioned that the Blair home has a way to zipline the characters off, and oddly, she refuses to leave with the others if you havent rescued Kako Azumi. She goes so far as to later, in another ending, lay out food for Azumi. She also duels Omiyo in yet another ending, which may be inspired by Omiyo killing Azumi.
Azumi is starving in this game, she will eat a human if allowed to. Her description is odd, saying that some ancestral curse makes her an assimilation of millions of appetites and they are hungry and bad behaving. She will eat a freshly dead strangers corpse, and will eat Agatsuma as well. If you try to zipline escape with her when she has been placated by eating the stranger, Omiyo comes out of her mouth, killing her. Omiyo, if Azumi is escaping with others, guns them down. This also can lead to the dueling Sensei ending, if you have rescued Omiyo and Azumi along with the Sensei who refused to leave without Azumi.
Whats up with Omiyo and the strangers corpse? It is implied that she is perhaps the corpse since she only comes out of Azumi if she ate the corpse. I would guess that the corpse could be who the mansions gravestone is for, but the description of it says the stranger was crushed by the gate and is freshly dead. Omiyo has some connection to the corpse though, you use the corpse to save her. If you put it in a chair by the video of Grace, she appears in the blue dress in the video and is shown as having been saved. Her description tells us that she was born when Grace's strong feelings were lodged in the medium. (appropriate time to mention I am reading all of these in English and the translated meanings may be slightly off and someone who can read its original language might understand more) So, Omiyo is not really human. her description talks about Erin, who I do not know, saying that there is no activation of the medium without the pupil. So who is the pupil who is activating Omiyo? Is it the corpse? Grace?
These games are odd, but they mean something. I want to know the story of this, what's your theory?

Hello, I've been working on this post for a half year or so. This will explain to you all why the fandom is unable to grasp Bramblestar's whole story—

• Childhood trauma

His kithood was normal until Tigerstar tried to murder Bluestar while the camp was being attacked by rouges, and he was exiled. This can give Bramblekit PTSD to see his once great father being exiled and threaten Fireheart with murder. After this, a big fire happen causing two cats alongside Yellowfang to died, one of his first big thing in his life wasn't being able to eat his first mouse but almost BURNING LIFE, the worst death anything can get. This can cause survivors guilt, not helping one bit to his trauma already.
His leaving can cause him to be depressed and anxious. It can also cause Bramblekit to have abandonment issues and cause him to fear relationships and be left behind. Now let's go to his older childhood, when he could leave the nursery. This happens at the same time around Featherkit and Stormkit, his adopted siblings leaving for Riverclan causing more trauma to him.
His clanmates abused him in three ways.

1. His clanmates neglect his psychological needs like allowing him to play with them. Ex of Fireheart not caring about him, being fearful of him. Judgement because what his father did and not what he did.
   
2. Everyone in the clan handled the whole wrong by blaming the children of the cat like Tigerstar isn't going help anyone, the children of him are just going grown up hating their whole clan.
   
3. A clan is a family, this family abused him in mental by treating him, and tawnykit differently. Gatekeeping them from playing with other kits or just being a kit at all.
   

Because Fireheart tries and fails to be kind to a fucking child, he forgets that he was a kittypet once and that people hated him, but ever since being reminded by Cinderpelt that Bramblekit hasn't done anything wrong but look up at him, he still treats him like shit. Just like you Squirrellight fans said that Bramblestar's trauma doesn't influence his actions, Fireheart's trauma should be excused for his trauma of Tigerstar. This can cause a child to experience stress, depression, and anxiety from this moment on. Firestar and his clanmates can be the reason why he is so aggressive when he feels hated by someone in his life.
This time, two big deaths happen around the same time. The first one was one of the kits he could play with, Snowkit. Snowkit and Bramblekit are caught playing with Tawnypaw again and again. Having a pretty good relationship, for while he was still getting abused daily from his clanmates and other so-called ''family," Snowkit died by hawk getting into camp and getting him after some moons or so. Two dogs were found in the territory: Swiftpaw and Brightpaw. go out and find them. Just for Swiftpaw to die and Brightpaw to become traumatized.
Now it's time to move on, when he was old enough to be a apprentice.

• Apprenticehood.

His apprenticeship was normal until Fireheart revealed who his father was, causing Bramblepaw to freak out, call out Fireheart for his gross behavior, and leave with Tawnypaw beside. Finally knowing why Fireheart chose him as an apprentice, Bramblepaw doesn't talk to him after because he is rightly pissed off. One of the biggest things that happened to him after the hate they got Tawnypaw left him in the dirt to save her own skin, which caused Bramblepaw to become more lonely, more needy for a relationship, and also split loyalties. Let's not forget about the most messed-up deaths among warriors. Tigerstar's death. When he died right in front of Bramblepaw after saying he hated his father, it caused a lot of issues down the line, like denial, anger, bargaining, and yet again depression. To me, I think it's pretty clear that Brambleclaw isn't going to deal with death easily.
Now it's time for his series, the tnp.

• Warrior hood.

This is where his trauma affected him. Brambleclaw is more cut off. This happens to a lot of people with PTDS who don't want to get into a relationship just to get nothing but a crack in their heart. The journey starts off normal after being blackmailed by everyone's favorite cat, Squirrelpaw. Then another death happened: his adopted sister, Feathertail. The journey can traumatize him, seeing that his own adopted sister died after his other sister got hurt.
Than the whole ashfur, brambleclaw, and squirrelflight thing happens. While he finally gets out of his shell, he gets yelled out for wanting to be with his brother. After not having any relationships beside his sister and mother, seeing her hang out with his best friend wouldn't help the hurt in anyway.
Another huge thing happened: the training in the dark forest. Losing Cinderpelt and being named deputy probably made him think everything will be fine until he faces his evildoings and murders his brother to keep Firestar alive. Yet again causing him more pain than ever.
Than parenthood happen with lionkit, hollykit, jaykit. His life was pretty good till he found out, everyone found out that. It was just a LIE by starclan, his mate and leafpool. Everything he did build on lie. After this he break up with Squirrelflight, just doesn't trying talking with her.
After Hollyleaf's fake death than real death the two became friends again. Now it's time for leadership.

• Leadership

After the death of many loved ones, he was a leader of his clan, Just for any hope and dreams to be killed because of a storm. Killing a apprentice and dustpelt, one bramblestar's closet friend. He finanly meets someone, he thinks he will love forever. Jessy, but yet again his heart was broken when she wanted him and Squirreflight to be back together because she can see their bond still.
After this, it was normal for the two. Having kits, being good relationship. Till Ashfur came back and you know ruin everything. God know what Ashfur did to him in the dark forest. This finally cause

• The breaking point

In the newest books, Bramblestar is showed his trauam and just wanting to leave it all. Not caring about anything, not ever himself. Showing more care to the cats who saved him from the dark forest.
What does this mean for Bramblestar? I hope the erins will make him better and let him rest

Beyond Celiac poster presented at DDW details patients’ path and the dynamics of seeking support
--
Frustration and distress about symptoms lead most people with celiac disease to seek a diagnosis, according to a poster presented by Beyond Celiac today at Digestive Disease Week (DDW).
Results from the qualitative study of responses from adults who participated in surveys in the Go Beyond Celiac registry also found that fear and embarrassment prompted some participants to seek support from friends and family on their path to diagnosis. However, those same factors had the opposite effect on others, preventing them from seeking social support.
“I was in a lot of pain and often fatigued,” one study participant wrote. “I relied on [family and friends] to keep me going and help me think through why I was experiencing these symptoms.”
“I do not enjoy talking about bowel movements to anyone…There is nothing sexy about this disease,” wrote another.

Presenting our Research at DDW

The study presented at DDW, the largest international gathering of physicians, researchers and academics in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology, endoscopy and gastrointestinal surgery, was based on an analysis of a sample of open and closed responses to a survey in Go Beyond Celiac. Participants were 18 and older with a self-reported diagnosis of celiac disease or another gluten-related disorder. Both those who were diagnosed with celiac disease with a biopsy and those who reported having celiac disease without having a biopsy were included.
The poster was presented by Beyond Celiac associate science project manager Erin Miller, MPH, who is one of several study authors from Beyond Celiac.
A second celiac disease poster with ties to Beyond Celiac, based on Medicare data collected in a partnership with the National Minority Health Quality Forum, was presented by Haley M. Zylberberg, MD, a gastroenterology fellow at Columbia University department of medicine and the lead study author. The study analyzed the correlations between relative prevalence of celiac disease and sociodemographic variables in the United States.

Seeking support on the way to diagnosis

Of more than 2500 people who answered the Go Beyond Celiac survey question of what facilitated their diagnosis, about half said access to health services played a role. “I was tired of not feeling well and needed someone [who] would help me fix it,” explained one participant.
Nearly 500 said they were motivated by frustration regarding their symptoms. Other factors included a push toward advocating for themselves in the healthcare system, support from others and luck.
“I found out I had celiac disease not so much because a [doctor] figured it out but more because I put my foot down and was adamant that I wanted every test [rerun] starting at the [beginning] until I found an answer,” a participant wrote.
More than 800 participants said they sought support from family and friends, with most prompted by symptom frustration. Other reasons included mental health concerns, a desire for a community of sympathetic people and convenience. Of the nearly 500 who said they did not seek support, about half noted emotional reasons including embarrassment about their symptoms, the feeling that celiac disease was not understood or taken seriously, and feeling celiac disease made them a burden. Others said they did not need or want support.
“The only person that can help me is me,” one participant wrote. “I am responsible for what goes in my mouth.
Donate to research: https://beyondceliac.funraise.org/

Compared to the other episodes, this one is light in plot because it's a calm before storm moment, just like the second card game.
They are gonna fight against the Delta and nobody knows what is going to happen because they decided to attack their main base. So Ruby decided to throw a party so everyone could relax!.
Right off the bat, we see everyone trying to help. Louis is adjusting the gramophone since he knows how to use it and Tenn brings the candles, but the most important thing, in my opinion, is seeing Louis/Violet relationship with AJ:

AJ: You're gonna play the piano all night?
Louis: God, no. I want to actually attend this thing.
AJ: Then how?
Louis: You've never seen a record player? Come here, buddy, I'll show you.

Sweet and to the point, AJ is a curious child by nature and he likes to learn, so when Louis revealed he wasn't gonna play the piano all night, he wondered how everyone was going to enjoy the music without him making it.
What I found sweet is Louis once again answering AJ. He always takes his questions into consideration and isn't afraid to answer them. But what I especially like about this scene is AJ asking Louis if he was thinking of playing the piano, because whatever Louis believes about his abilities, AJ thinks he is a good player and wants to hear his music.
So obviously, Clementine must choose the music and we can learn a bit more about Louis here:
Jazz:

Clementine: Wouldn't happen to have any good jazz records, would you?
Ruby: Oh, yeah, the old music teacher was a big fan. Pretty cool guy up until he ditched us all.
AJ: What's jazz sound like?
Louis: It'll make sense when you hear it.

First, it's good to see AJ isn't thinking: "Loud is bad" and is allowing himself to experience something. That shows he is starting to act more like a kid and less like a survivor thanks to Clementine and Louis influence.
Also, you can tell he is starting to get interested in music thanks to Louis and this isn't the only thing he is taking from him btw, but other than that... damn.
We also learn how dick the director was when the ZA occurred and he decided to ditch everyone. I know he was probably worried for his family or something, but still, that was a pretty shitty thing to do considering they are kids. I hope he ended up being Walker's food.
If there is something TWD isn't afraid to show, it's how the humans can be pretty selfish, and that tells you a lot when it's not the walkers but the humans who killed each other in this setting. Seriously, just look how many were killed by walkers vs others.
Classical:

Clementine: You guys have any classical?
Ruby: You bet.
Louis: Ah, a woman after my own heart.

No surprises here. Louis loves classic music and is happy his girlfriend shares the same interest, but the most important thing is how willing he is to share some things about him compared to back then.
He is starting to open himself to Clementine and that is amazing.
Silence is a valid option:

Louis: This indecision is killing me. I'll take care of it.

We still learn about Louis love for classical music, but what I found funny is how decisive he acts if Clementine stays silent.
He is voicing his opinion and taking things into his own hands.
So Louis keeps explaining to AJ how to use the gramophone because AJ is really curious:

Louis: Look, check this out. When you turn that crank there, it plays music. Any kind you want.
AJ: But how?
Louis: Well, that... I don't really know. But showing's better than telling. Come on, get a closer look.

I think the best part about the party if you rescue Louis is how he feels in his element, so he is willing to explain things about music, which isn't so surprising since music is weaved so much into his character.
But what I found especially good is seeing how much he changed. He is happy someone is paying attention to him and isn't afraid to share details because he knows they are listening to what he is saying rather than ditching him once he shares some jokes or plays the piano. He is allowing himself to be himself, and things will get even better.
The next thing is to choose the party color.
Green:

Ruby: Wouldn't be a party without some kind of mood lighting. I've been going back and forth between colors for ages. Green's calming, but purple might be nice... Room gets natural moonlight, so something to complement that, maybe?
Clementine: Let's deck this place out in green.
Louis: It'll look like we're trying to summon leprechauns. (to AJ) And before you ask, leprechauns are too hard to explain and don't really exist.

God, you are a weirdo, Louis. I want to know why leprechauns were the first thing that came to your mind when Clementine chose green.
To be honest, considering green is his color, I was expecting him to agree with this, but nope, he is similar to Violet in that aspect. You choose their colors and they act like they don't like them.
Honorable mention to him for going right ahead and saying they don't exist because he knows AJ was going to ask him about them once he blurted that since he knows about his curiosity.
I wonder if leprechauns were related to his childhood because seriously...
Were you trying to summon them, only to be disappointed when they didn't appear?
Purple:

Clementine: Hm. Well, purple was my dad's favorite color.
Ruby: I read somewhere purple was the color of royalty.
Louis: That describes us exactly not at all.

You know, King Louis was an actual person and Clementine thinks you are a prince, so...
You are halfway here, Lou.
So they choose the banner and we get some nice character development with Willy, who is making the bomb now that Mitch is dead.

Willy: And, uh, Clem. I'm sorry for before. About how I treated Tenn. I didn't mean to get so angry. I know it's not his fault.
Clementine: That's nice, Willy, but don't tell me, tell Tenn.

If there is something I like about this season, it's that they aren't afraid to show someone mourning when they lost their loved ones, like Louis, Violet, and Willy did.
They are trying to cope with something so heavy like that and coming to terms with it while becoming a better person in the process, is why I like this season so much.
They recognize their mistakes and work towards a solution before it's too late because they aren't prideful and are aware when they did make a mistake.
So let's get ready to boogie!
We start with AJ showing his sick moves to Louis, and look how happy he is with AJ's little dance!
He is so happy that he is enjoying himself like the kid he is and is watching him like a proud parent when their kid shows them what they learned.
Then Clem appears and the effect is immediate. He is probably thinking:

She is here, God... I love her so much.

To lighten the mood, Ruby decided to make a game with the Ericson kid files:

Ruby: So I'll read some of what the adults thought about us...and you have to guess which one of us fits the bill. I'll make sure it's someone you've actually met. This'll be the first one. "While otherwise a remarkable student, 'Blank' continues to be plagued by fits of anger, uncontrollable cursing, and repeated physical altercations with the senior faculty..."

Clementine must guess which kid she is mentioning and while the answer is obvious, let's go for the others first:
Marlon:

Clementine: Not to speak ill of the dead, but that sounds exactly like Marlon.
Louis: Yeah, I...guess it does. But, no. Wasn't him.

I mean, that makes sense if you remember the way he acted, but this could be a good confirmation that his anger issues came with the twins situation and not the main reason he was sent to Ericson.
We may never know of course, but is worth a thought.
I wonder if Louis knows why he was sent to Ericson; they were close after all.
Also, look at Louis face! It's clear he is still hurt and probably thinking about that fateful day, something like:

Marlon, what happened to you... I should have been a better friend. I am sorry.

Marlon may have been killed, but his influence can still be felt if you choose to save Louis and this isn't the last time we are going to see him mentioned.
Poor Louis, even when he decides to move past that, is clear that he is still hurt by his best friend's betrayal and eventual death. This is something he will carry for the rest of his life because he feels partially responsible for it.
Other than that, nothing interesting happens with the other options. Louis will either make a joke about being the most mild-mannered troubled youth ever or about how he won't engage in physical altercations if you choose him.
Also, that was Ruby of course, makes sense considering the way she acted when Clementine found her the first time.
I won't talk about... ehrrmm, Willy's backstory because I don't want to be banned, but Louis summed up my thoughts very well.

Louis: Willy, I speak for all of us when I say nobody has ever, EVER wanted to know that.

What I found funny about that moment was when Louis said: "Dude, no." It's clear he knows his story and was trying to stop him, but alas, that was too late Louis too late.
Unfortunately, things go sour when Ruby starts to check the other files and notices how many kids were killed before:

Ruby: I didn't realize how many of us we'd lost...
Willy: Remember that Justin guy?
Tenn: And Therissa. And Jasper. That one girl with the colored braces. And Joey... Maddie. Lamar.
Louis: Erin. She had the braces.
Willy: Alex. Dewey. Trey. Stephanie. Holy crap, how many of us died?
Ruby: 34.

Holy crap, too many kids died! But what I found interesting is Louis/Violet talking about Erin because it's clear they both know her and maybe I am extrapolating things... But I wonder if she was the person Louis saw losing their guts.
Here is a refresher if you don't know what I am talking about:

Louis: I saw someone have their intestines pulled all the way out. Like, ALL the way. It goes on for a while. We got a lot of guts.

So just when things couldn't get worse...

Clementine: Whose is it?
Ruby: Violet's.
Willy: Should we read it?

The found Violet file which reminds everyone that she was kidnapped along with Aasim and Omar.
It was just in that moment that Louis decided to speak because he thought he should be honest about why he was sent to Ericson.

Louis: I, uh, I could tell you guys my story instead. What got me sent here, I mean. Only if you want. It's...not great.

Clementine can say she wants to know, she doesn't care because the present matters now, or...
Silence is a valid option:

AJ: I wanna hear it.

Like I said before, it doesn't matter how you treat Louis; he is a very important person to AJ too, and he will reach out to him every time he can.
Also, Louis will share his backstory if AJ says that because Louis loves AJ too; he is important to him and even if he is a kid, he takes every single thing he says seriously.
So who is ready to know what happened? I know I wasn't ready when Louis revealed his backstory:

Louis: So, my family was stupid rich. Parents gave me everything I wanted, when I wanted it. Except for one thing: singing lessons.
Louis: God, I BEGGED my dad. Told him I wanted to be a real musician. But all he said was, "You get to be happy, or you get to be rich, can't be both." I know now that he was just trying to teach me a dumb "dad" lesson...but I hated him for that.
Louis: So, I decided I'd teach HIM a lesson. I thought, I'll break up my parents' marriage. That'd hurt real bad, right? So I broke into my dad's credit card accounts and made all these purchases in his name. Did this for over a year. This is how rich we were: he never noticed he was spending a fortune on a mistress that I'd made up for him.
Louis: But I made sure my mom did. Sent her all the receipts for the hotel rooms, the jewelry...all of it. They had a fight all night long. He denied it. She wouldn't have it. I sat in the corner and cried to help it feel more real. When their divorce was final...I told them the truth. I said, "You get to be happy or you get to be rich. You don't get to be both."
Louis: You know...those two would've been happily married forever. But then I had to go be a vindictive fuckhead. I came here the week after.

Louis reveals why he was sent to Ericson.
Holy shit! Where should I start? Who the fuck was expecting this the first time they played ? I remember everyone thinking he was so selfless because he came from a broken home, but nope, it was actually the opposite! Both parents love him, and since he was rich, he was set for life!
I think his father was so against him being a musician because he thought Louis wasn't gonna get money to sustain himself, so he should pick something more profitable, though if you ask me, that is still even worse.
Well, It's time to talk about this.
When he revealed his backstory, things started to make so much sense. He thought he was a bad person because he broke his parent's marriage while acting like a spoiled kid.
During all these years, he carried that thinking he don't deserve to be happy, so might as well make others happy in order to atone. I am shit, but I can make others feel better since things can be worse, you know?
He never met their parents again and I am pretty sure they are dead. I doubt they would have ditched his only kid despite the troubles he caused; they sent him to Ericson for a reason, you know? They want him to be fixed.
Putting all that together, and is no wonder Louis is the guy he is.
He knows what happens when you let negative emotions take a hold of you and that is why he kicks himself every time he feels it.
Him saying he was a vindictive fuckhead with such bitterness and disgust towards himself shows this is something he always thinks of himself when he is alone with his thoughts and even when he is doing so many good things, he thinks that isn't enough.
He thinks he is still a bad person.
He thinks he doesn't deserve to be happy.
He thinks he shouldn't express what he feels because that can hurt another person.
So the options, man, the options...
Yeah, that was pretty fucked Louis:

Clementine: Yeah. Okay. So that's pretty fucked up.
Louis: I'm in complete and total agreement.

Louis doesn't blame Clementine for thinking like that.
He completely agrees, because where is the lie?
He wasn't expecting something different and still decided to share it because he wanted to be honest with her.
I will talk more about this later because I have a lot to say about the other options.
Silence is a valid option:

Louis: I don't even know the person I'm talking about. It's like all we have in common is the same name.

Even when he knows kid Louis is different from the guy he is, Louis still feels so guilty because he never got closure.
It's just like when Marlon was killed and I am pretty sure that was why he was lashing out so much back then. Just when he was processing the things he did (their parents divorce in his case and the fucked things Marlon did in the other), something prevented him from either atoning for that or apologize for the things he did.
He learned too late, so that is another thing to add to the pile.
Why do you think he decided to apologize once the time skip was over? I bet he was thinking about that when it was revealed the raiders were coming and not wanting something like that to happen ever again, he decided to take the first step.
Clementine shares her two cents.:

Clementine: I can see by your face you regret it.

I have talked before about Louis having a big heart, but I think Clem's heart is even bigger (unless you are doing a scumbag playthrough, in that case... forget I said that). How many times has she been hurt or burned and she is still willing to empathize with the other person and forgive them? too many to count, and it's quite clear Louis was surprised Clem still accepted him and thought he is still worth it.
Louis left so much of himself behind... well, under lock and key, but he thinks Clementine deserves to know the truth before this relationship can go deeper.
Before she poured more love and trust into him.
He knows the faith she puts in him and wants to show the kind of guy he is, even if that means being dumped or worse, because I bet he was thinking that Clem never expected him to do something like that.
But when she still accepted him, he couldn't believe it and was on the verge of crying.
Clementine's love for him is still intact and if anything, that grew more because nobody would have taken the risk he did.
He is risking his only chance to be happy because he wants her to know what she is taking with, his good and bad side.
It's quite obvious that just like Louis is Clem's pillar, she wants to do the same with him. This moment is when Louis wall crumbled and disappeared completely, and now we are seeing Louis.
Not the funny guy.
Not the piano guy.
But Louis, a guy who lost everything and thought he didn't deserve to be happy, yet found love and something better with Clementine and AJ.
It's never too late to get a second chance; that is what I am saying.

Louis: They said we were bad people, Clem. They weren't wrong. Still, none of us deserved to be ditched out here in the middle of the forest by the people that were supposed to make us better.
Ruby: Sorry. This was supposed to be fun. I guess I'm not really a "game" person...
Louis: Don't beat yourself up. You said it yourself, Clem needs to know who she's leading into battle.

Ruby apologizes for the party taking a sour turn.
Just in case you thought I was seeing too much or something, you can see clearly that Louis decided to take that risk because of this.
He wants to tell her the truth because she has been honest with him since the beginning and he thinks he should do the same, otherwise, the relationship would have been imbalanced.
I hope someday Clementine can do the same with him (I mean, sharing details about her past), but I guess that is what fanfics are for.
So Tenn tried to lighten the mood and we got the best scene in the game.

Tenn: Hey, I...um, I've got an idea. Do you guys remember when Minnie would sing us "Don't Be Afraid" when all of us used to get scared?
Louis: Of course I remember. I helped compose it with her.
Tenn: Could you maybe...play it for us? If Violet was here, she could sing the words, but...
Louis: Yeah... Yeah, I'd love to, Tenn.
Louis: This is for you, Minnie.

When things were getting bad because the ZA was starting, Louis and Minnie wrote a song together,and honestly, this explains why he still considers her a friend even when she is with The Delta.
Louis always sees the best in everyone and still considers her a friend, which is why he dedicates that song to her.
Also, I can't forget Tenn mentioning Violet used to sing it because if you didn't choose her route, you would never know this song is missing something; you are getting the half of a whole song
But when you put them together...
That makes you feel what you're missing, though if you want my biased opinion, Louis version is a lot better because it´s pretty hard to ruin an instrumental song.
Anyway, there is a lot to talk about this moment.
First, you can see the potato heart carved in Louis Piano, which is nice if you ask me. Who could forget a moment like this?
Second, the way he looks at Clementine and the way she smiles at him, she wants to assure him she is here supporting him; he isn't alone, not anymore.
Then the song finally starts, and we get this moment where everyone is hearing his music, you know? Without jokes or nothing, everyone is living the moment. This means something and he is putting his feelings giving everything he got.
So he saw AJ drawing and remembering the friends he lost.., He tried to hold back the tears while still playing and it was just...
That moved me to tears, okay? Everyone was moved by this song and you can tell that. So many tried to hold back their tears and that shows Louis influence on everyone with his music.
And when is it over?
Louis looks at Clementine again for support. He feels so weak, but Clem is here to assure him she is here for him.
They can face the road ahead together, holding hands.
Because they love each other and nobody's going to separate them.
So let's wrap up this section.
If there is something nobody was expecting, that was the return of Lee. He is pretty important for Clementine and a good reminder that despite how mature Clem acts, she is a teenager who needs guidance too. and she misses Lee so much, as everyone can tell, considering this isn't the first dream she has about him.
She is worried for the friend she lost and needs Lee's words so she can face the path ahead.

Lee: I know you're a survivor. The Clementine I know is gonna fix it. I really believe that.
Clementine: You're right. I just needed to hear you say it. I'm going to get my friends out of this. Every one of them. Alive.
Lee: That's right.
Lee: Imagine how Violet will feel when she finds out you came to rescue her. You'll have given her hope again.

Ouch, Despite what happened, Violet is still in Clementine's mind.
That makes sense, but this... god ...
You will see it soon, but those words are really painful.
Clementine still isn't sure. She is afraid to lose the people she cares for, and we get another callback:

Lee: I know. It's harder when you have something to lose. But having people you care about, that's a good thing.
Lee: Friends. A boy who thinks the world of you.
Lee: They're fighting beside you. Because of you. Come see me again when you've gotten them out, okay? Out and safe. Sound good? And hopefully we can talk about happier things. If you know of any.

Yep, Lee is echoing Molly's words back to Clementine.
She is not alone; she has AJ, her friends, and a boy who will do everything in his power to help her because he loves her.
Clementine is the whole world to Louis; he loves her, he cherishes her, and that love is what has made him the guy he has been turning to since episode 2.
Of course, Clementine, while comforted by Lee's words, knows he is a figment of her imagination:

Clementine: Sure. Except none of this is real.
Lee: *So what? It's okay to be a little nuts, you know.
Clementine: What the hell, Lee?
Lee: How else can someone hold onto the idea that the world will get back to a...a beer with your friends, or bills to pay?
Clementine: Or romantic candlelit dinners.
Lee: Right. The world needs crazy people to believe in the one that came before, for it to have a chance of coming back.
Clementine: Thank you, Lee. Talking to you always makes me feel a little bit better.

Yep, hope springs eternal. Sure, things won't get back to the way they were back then, but we can make the best out of a bad situation, you know?
I should add that it was cute when Clementine mentioned her short and sweet date. Louis got her quite good; he sure knows how to charm her and I bet she wants to give it another go, you know?
Louis makes her enjoy the good things of life and you can tell Clementine appreciates that.
So things end with Lee talking about AJ and how he wishes Clementine could give her a good childhood because he knows how hard things are thanks to the ZA, but no matter what, he is proud of how far his Sweetpea has come.
And with that, this chapter is over and god I am a mess. This chapter, along with the piano, always punches me in the heart.
So many tears were shed during the making of this chapter and I am not ashamed to admit it.
Only this game is capable of making me feel like this.
Join me next time with: The Clouis Bible. Part XI: Tactical Espionage Action: Sneaking on the Delta Boat 🚢.

Moving onward with my full series rewatch I just finished up Thailand so it's time to spill my thoughts on this... different season to a bunch of strangers online! Would love to hear your thoughts/opinions/hate as well, always down to chat about Survivor!
Onto the character rankings, which are based only on entertainment (even though good gameplay often goes hand-in-hand with entertainment for me) and don't consider any returnee seasons. Let's get into it.
--
16. Ted Rogers (5th)
Beyond the obvious point that he sexually harassed a woman on the show and then publicly shamed her, all of which was played for laughs, I don’t even know why Ted was cast in the first place. Every time he’s giving a confessional I want to fall asleep. Ted is the major reason this season has a dark cloud over it, and he provides almost negative entertainment value beyond that.
15. John Raymond (16th)
14. Erin Collins (9th)
I feel like I know literally nothing about this person despite the fact that she featured in 8 episodes of TV that I watched. She seems really nice, though!
13. Stephanie Dill (12th)
Stephanie doesn’t really do anything on the show besides be a stubborn grump to everyone. She’s like The General, if The General had a skinny dipping scene but still somehow managed to be even more boring.
12. Jed Hildenbrand (14th)
He’s equally stubborn, standoffish and boring as Stephanie, but he places higher because he has like three hilariously buffoonish confessionals that I love. It’s a low bar in Thailand people.
11. Tanya Vance (15th)
She brings a real positive energy to the scenes she’s in, but Tanya’s illness sees her out before making any impact on a season that could have really used that positivity.
10. Penny Ramsey (7th)
I think if we actually saw the Penny that all of the players talk about, she would’ve been a great character. Apparently she's a manipulative super villain hiding in the body of a sweet young girl, but you could’ve fooled me, because Penny the actual person doesn’t really contribute anything to the season besides being Shii Ann’s enemy for reasons we never quite see.
9. Clay Jordan (2nd)
There are two very extreme lines of thinking about Clay, and I think I fall somewhere in the middle. His grindgate takes are horrible but I don’t think he’s an irredeemable monster. I also don’t think he’s comedy gold that lights up every scene he’s in. For me, Clay has a few funny moments, and he’s an interesting, very self interested player, so I think his game is fun to watch. But he doesn’t have enough soft edges to make him relatable or likable. RIP.
8. Ken Stafford (8th)
On a rewatch, Ken is better than I remember. He’s has plenty of good lines, he’s a very competent player and his relationships with Shii Ann, Jake and especially Robb add a good few great scenes. He’s no all-time great or anything, but Ken adds a lot to this season as a solid all around presence.
7. Jan Gentry (3rd)
Jan is a great side character with a lot of fun moments that I think lasted a little too long in the wrong season. I think a cast that could play more into some of Jan’s wacky antics would have benefitted her, and she really should be a premerge boot because having to watch her navigate game situations is painful and frustrating. Still, Jan made me laugh several times through this rewatch, and there’s not much more you can ask for.
6. Jake Billingsley (6th)
It’s hard to find a lot of bad stuff to say about Jake. He appears to be a great guy and I think he’s also a really good player, especially for the time. He doesn’t always make for electric entertainment, but in a season that desperately needs more good guys, Jake is a breath of fresh air.
5. Ghandia Johnson (13th)
Among the multitude of reasons that Grindgate sucks is that it takes Ghandia off of our television screens. In the four episodes she’s in, Ghandia demands screen time with her electric personality and several hilarious confessionals. I don’t know if Ghandia would have been good at the game if she lasted any longer, but either way she would’ve made infinitely better TV than Ted.
4. Brian Heidik (1st)
Brian’s a weird one because for about 10 episodes he’s mostly boring with random moments of being a total piece of shit. And then, for the last two episodes, he turns into one of the greatest Survivor villains ever. Dropping some of the all time best confessionals while running absolute circles around the rest of the people in the game in the most heartless way possible (I do think his game is a bit overrated but that’s a different story). I find it tough to balance these two characters in my mind, so he comfortably lands here.
3. Shii Ann Huang (10th)
As an extremely engaging, cutting and witty person with a unique story and a knack for getting on people’s nerves, Shii Ann is always going to make good television one way or another. The fake merge sucks anyway, but it sucks even more because it robbed us of a bunch more Shii Ann content.
2. Robb Zbacnik (11th)
If there’s one thing the show got right in Thailand, it’s casting Robb Zbacnik—and the editors knew exactly what to do with him. Robb’s absolute insanity makes him one of the most entertaining and memorable characters in the show’s early days. For a pre-merge character, he even gets a full-fledged, complete story arc which is pretty cool even if it is a little corny. Maybe most impressively, Robb manages to make Thailand’s premerge fun, and that really is a monumental task.
1. Helen Glover (4th)
Part super intense New Englander, part giddy little girl and part deadpan comedy machine, Helen is a totally unique character that I just can’t get enough of. The thing that kept me invested in Thailand on my first watch was rooting for Helen, and it still hurts to watch her go. Even after she’s gone, she still drops all-time great final words and an all-time great FTC speech to close out her stay. I love Shii Ann, but how on earth this woman wasn’t Thailand’s representative on All Stars is beyond me.
--
Overall Thoughts
What is there even to say about Thailand? I mean seriously, that's a genuine question.
It's mostly remembered for grindgate, which is just as horrible as I remember, but other than that it's just kind of here. I lot of people have come back around on Thailand being hilarious, and there are some really funny moments, but they're not as frequent as I remember. And even episodes with great moments are intercut with long boring scenes about the piss cave or something. I will say, I think it's strongest episodes are the last couple, so it does leave you with some good content on the way out.
As far as the cast goes, it's uninspiring. There are about seven duds by my count, a few really good premergers, a bunch of weird players I have mixed or neutral feelings about and Helen, who rules.
I don't see Thailand finishing as my least favorite season, but that's where it's sitting now, and it may not move all that much as continue this rewatch.
--
Dates watched: 4/26/23-5/7/23
Best Episode: 5.14 — "Slip Through Your Fingers" // Worst Episode: 5.2 — "Family Values" (not even the attack zone can save it)
Current season rank: 5/5
Previous post: Marquesas rankings

Painfully shy Tim is awkward around everyone at the science camp except Erin--they hit it off immediately. But he struggles navigating the world of adolescent gossip and bullying until tragedy strikes and the only way to save his friends is to take a risk.
I am looking for feedback related to any aspect of the story but am especially interested in areas readers find confusing and overall plotting issues.
I am available for a swap.
Please message me if you are interested in helping me out as a beta reader.
Below, is an excerpt of the first few pages of the story:

One Ride

Two Minutes After
I rushed through the cabin door after Erin. The heat from the flames consuming three of the girls’ cabins walloped me. I staggered back into my cabin.
“Erin, wait! I don’t understand!”
But she was gone.
I looked toward the main building. Mr. McGregor stood at the top of the stairs that led down to the beach and waved fleeing children down.
We should go there. Why didn’t she want to?
“Tim, come on!” Erin pulled at the door to the stable, but it didn’t budge. Her blue eyes were almost iridescent under the flickering light from the flames.
I ran to her. “We should go to the beach with the others.”
Erin tugged at the door. It didn’t move. “We need a horse or we won’t get there in time.”
I reached for her shoulder, but she slipped through my grip. “You sure they’re in the forest? Everyone’s going to the beach.”
“I can’t explain it.” She tugged at the door again. “I just know.”
“I can’t even ride a horse. It would be faster for me to run.”
Erin placed her hand in mine, and I shivered. “Do you trust me?”
Her blonde hair was tied in a ponytail and her shiny blue eyes were sad but serious. I took a deep breath. Layered over the smell of damp hay, her breath smelled almost like hot chocolate.
“I trust you.”
She flung her arms out to hug me, and I shut my eyes. Her warmth washed over me and my arms broke out in goosebumps. Then it was cold, and she was gone.
Sixteen hours before
I grabbed the car door handle but didn’t pull it. Two boys I didn’t know walked past our car laughing. I put my head down and waited for the sound of their footsteps to fade. I didn’t want to have to awkwardly introduce myself.
“Maybe I should go to my regular school—like normal.”
Mom sighed. “You wanted to come to his camp, Timmy. I said you might not like it, but you insisted.”
“I know but…” I didn’t want to spend a day and a night at this camp trying to make new friends.
“I don’t have time to drop you at school before work now anyway.” Mom leaned over and pointed toward the forest. “And there’s Harry. You’re still friends with him, right?”
“Yes.” But it wasn’t easy being his friend. He tapped away on his phone, looking up every time a new camper passed. For a second, I hoped to feel my phone buzz with a new message from him. Of course, it didn’t.
Mom pressed the button to lower the window, then waved at Harry.
“Stop that!” I hopped out of the car. Why did she always have to embarrass me? “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Don’t forget your overnight bag.” She leaned over and extended my small overnight bag to me.
I grabbed it and walked away.
“Not so fast. Aren’t you forgetting something else?”
I tapped my front pants pocket. My phone was there. My pen was inside my jacket pocket. I looked back at the car, brows furrowed.
“I love you, Timmy.”
My cheeks burned while I rolled my eyes and walked away. She was so embarrassing. I forced myself to nod at a couple boys hugging their parents goodbye while I headed toward Harry. They ignored me or didn’t see. A girl looked up from her phone and made eye contact with me but I glanced away. My cheeks were still hot. I waved at Harry as I neared, but he kept tapping.
“Hey,” I said.
Harry grunted. That was a friendly response from Harry. He stared hard at the boy walking past then resumed tapping.
“Why are you staring everyone down like that?”
“You’ve never been to one of these gifted camps, Tim.” Harry stared down two girls walking past. “It’s cutthroat out here. These catholic kids are competitive.”
I took a step away from Harry. I didn’t want the girls to think I was staring them down, too.
“This is a science camp, though.”
“This is no different from the basketball camps we go to. You gotta have the scouting report on the competition.” He turned his phone’s screen to me. Names of campers with strengths and weaknesses were listed. The name ‘Amanda’ was at the top with two asterisks beside it. Was he stalking her?
“How will any of that be useful?”
“Wait until there’s a partner activity. You’ll wish you knew who to avoid.”
I shrugged. “We could partner up.”
Harry shook his head. “We’ll see.”
To my right, a group of girls gathered at the fence and waved at the horse exiting the stable.
Harry hit my shoulder. “Who is that? Do you know that person?”
A boy I’d never seen before wearing a purple baseball cap walked up to us and smirked. “Girls and horses. Am I right?”
He was past us before I could respond.
“I don’t know that person,” I said to Harry. “I don’t know anyone here.”
“Damn,” Harry said. “I don’t know her either.”
Her? Coming up behind the purple-capped boy was a girl I knew. I think. The way her golden hair bounced behind her in a ponytail was so familiar. Her glasses were different, but it had been years since I’d seen her. That smile, though. It, I remembered. It was warmer than hot chocolate on a cold winter’s night.
“Timmy!” Her blue eyes lit up. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
“Uh, well.” My heart threatened to break free of my rib cage. “Yeah, I'm here.”
“There was no way I was missing this camp.” She turned to the horse. “We’ll catch up later. I’ve got to say hello to this beautiful boy.”
Erin ran to the fence and joined the girls there.
“Liar.” Harry smacked me on the shoulder. “You know her.”
“Yeah. Sort of.”
“Well, is she smart? What subjects is she good at? Does she know science?”
“She’s… she’s…”
“At least tell me her name.”
My voice caught in my throat but I squeaked out the two syllables. “Erin.”