My family has finally made our pilgrimage to my father's ancestral homeland of the Azores. We are staying in Angra do Heroismo for 10 more days. I am wondering if any locals or informed travelers are willing to share any hidden gem restaurants, hole in the wall bars, or other establishments anywhere on Terceira. Ideally the kind of stuff you DON'T find on travel brochures or simple Google searches. We plan to do all the standard tourist stuff too. We also had hoped to go scuba diving, but we're having trouble finding a company that will take non-certified divers. Any recommendations/help are welcome. Obrigado.

Now I've got over the sad part, I need to share my very frustrating fail here. So, I'm 2 minutes away from the test center, home stretch. I've done well so far, just got to get 2 minutes down the road.
Right ahead, there's a no entry road, the road I'm on bends to the left. Here's the problem. The examiner didn't say anything, so I was focused on going along the same road. The no entry signs are half hidden by the trees and the road markings are pretty much rubbed off entirely. Before I even know what was happening, the examiner slammed on the breaks. I wasn't even near the entry to the one way road, I barely had time to react. If he hadn't been there, I honestly have no idea if I would have taken the correct bend in the road, or I would have accidentally gone the wrong way.
If the road markings had been visible. I would have passed.
Could not be more frustrated with myself. I am now obessivley checking for a cancellation so I don't have to wait till November.

Books sat all around the Choir, who were mental hospital patients magically shaped as ravens. I was the first to take human form, as my raven's eye spotted what I hoped was ours. It was one book among many, but it was also Circe's diary. As a man I could thumb the pages.
I frowned, realizing it was just a record of all of her lovers. An impressive body count of seventy-seven, I noted her notation on the last page. Then a chill ran through my blood. The sorcerer in me knew something about them.
"Cory, what sort of magic can be divided into parts, among lovers?" I asked.
"I have no idea, my Lord." Cory looked at the book. "A diary?"
"Yes. Circe's diary, but I suspect it is more than that. She had a second use for these creeps. I bet we could find something." I decided. The fortunate find was only a promise. I had no idea if there was useful magic or not. Whatever magic she had hidden would be worth hiding, obviously.
The others shambled past me and Cory in their open straight jackets and bathrobes and hospital gowns. They had all sorts of weapons: clubs, a broken bottle, a claw pincher and an uzi. I had my staff, carved from the unstable and formless magic between worlds into a proper weapon.
We needed our weapons, dried zombies stood in our way, shuffling among the books. Magical slaves, living corpses. They were still dangerous and had to be destroyed.
For a moment the dead stood in our path, their eyes shimmering blankly in the shadows. They regarded us, the intruders, then began to shuffle towards us. I felt a chill of revulsion at the sight of corpses walking and gagged on their stench. I'd seen far worse, but one never truly gets used to such things.
A loud rapid clapping noise and the merry tinkle of bullet casings erupted from the uzi. It was pretty ineffective. The rest of the Choir brandished their weapons and strode forward like the maniacs they were. Even Scarlet was in the mood to kill something and she tore apart more than one of the shambling dead.
She looked at me and I caught a gleam in her eye of psychotic delight. Some nervous feeling always rose up in me since the first time I had met her. Somehow the shift from a helpless hitchhiker to a hook handed murderer always caught me off guard.
When we'd finished killing the dead we sorted our way out from the books. We had come in through the open window of the room of the manor that held so many books. I'd noticed the old diary right away and begun to read it while the ravens shifted from void travelers to humans.
Time seemed distorted. How things played out always felt surreal as we partially entered entirely different worlds than our own. There was always a dreamlike perspective, as though I were merely an actor under observation rather than a participant. I often had to remind myself of the grim reality I was trapped in.
I had lost count of the rare artifacts we had stolen for Aureus and the worlds we had invaded and brought death and horror to. I loathed all of it, feared there was no salvation after my numerous misdeeds. What choice did I have?
I led the Choir through the manor, watching myself do so.
There were other servants, just as ghoulish as the dried zombies. We killed everything we met until we got to the master bedroom. The safe was too big to take with us.
"Cater?" I asked our safecracker. She was also totally nuts. Her wild eyes rolled around and beheld the safe as though pretending she hadn't noticed it. Her fake response of joy wasn't really fake, she was actually happy.
"Gots." She whispered and went to work on the safe. The Choir stood around breathing too loudly for her and drooling. Eventually she got it open and took out the green gem. It sparkled evilly. Circe's Emerald.
"Let's go." I said and we all returned to the books and found the ġedwimor was shimmering visibly where we could revert to ravens that could fly home. We leapt through it and into flight. Our rave cast the shadow of one great bird. The magics welcomed us, living and enchanted creatures that we were, and insane. Across worlds and time we flew back to our home.
At Dellfriar we arrived. Except I had finally found my way out. Aureus somehow knew before I did that I held the key to my escape. It was in Circe's Diary that the clue existed. There was more to her spell than turning the enlightened into ravens.
I dreamed of the unkindness of ravens watching me. Cory asked me in the dream:
"How many pigs are on her island?"
I began to count them and I took a step with each number. By the seventy-seventh step I was asleep again, within the dream. I looked at my sleeping form in the dreamscape, surrounded by pigs and watched by ravens. I was looking down from a great distance, it suddenly seemed, and then I was looking up from far below.
"Where are we?" I asked Cory. I stared at my crow and he seemed to be smiling. It was the dream that made it seem so.
"Seventy-seven steps to the bottom, my Lord." Cory advised me. "And each must be counted."
"Those were pigs." I pointed out.
"Pigs that were once men. Each of them descended further, marking a fraction of the way. Love is a journey, a dreamy journey, ever downwards." Cory chirped.
"What about the exact number?" I wondered. To a crow, numbers were more symbolic than literal.
"It's just a number of stairs leading into the dream lands. It means nothing." Cory sounded playful. Cory had learned that numbers were literal to humans. It amused him that I was confused.
"But the number of Circe's lovers?" I asked.
"Of course, they are permanently under her control. They made a bargain, surrendering their bodies. Each of them counts as the descent to the bottom. Their blood and hers is mixed. The blood of her lover's, her blood, they are helpless to her will." Cory explained. I was glad I had read so many books with my crow that we both knew the answers when we met in Dream.
"Where is she?" I sat up from the blue clouds and looked around. As I focused I found I was on an island. What I imagined Circe's prison to look like.
Someone spoke to me:
"You use my spell on yourself. A wereraven, part of a rave of lunatics just like yourself. You have stolen my emerald?" I heard the soft voice of a delicate female. I turned around and saw her there. She was staring at me, her eyes looked curious and a little hurt.
"I stole it for Aureus. They're making a weapon, and your emerald is a suitable component." I explained.
"Aureus?" Circe seemed somehow both amused and irritated at-once. "Neither a man nor a woman. Neither a human nor a creature of magic. Not a young soul nor an old one."
"The same." I sighed in sympathetic exasperation.
"You work for me now. You will steal my emerald from this weapon. You will seal Aureus in a moment stolen from the wheel upon which the ages turn. A moment among the aeons that never was and never will be." Circe smiled strangely for me. I sensed that to her victims she seemed irresistible. I found her charms to be crocodilian.
"You are right." I agreed with her. "We have searched for a long time for a way to defeat Aureus."
"Was the answer..." Circe started to ask a question and then paused for emphasis: "Right in front of you all along?"
"We thought that dying might be the answer. If we were dead we couldn't serve Aureus." Cory sounded cheerful and perky, like he was telling a very funny joke.
"Life." Circe swore. "Life is the answer. You are life from me. You wield my powers with ease, Greatson." Circe's smile looked maternal. It occurred to me that I was immune to her charms because I was her descendant only after I heard her say those words.
"You're my Lord's ancestor?" Cory cleverly surmised. "No wonder he is so valuable to Aureus. I thought it was strange that such a powerful sorcerer required help from my Lord!" Cory cawed with hilarity. The revelation held layers of humor for my crow, who felt like explaining further: "You know, because it is so funny. My Lord would be the last choice of most competent magic users. We've routinely made mistakes that could only be made during the hour that is reserved for amateurs!"
Circe tried to hide her amusement. "I'm sure my Greatson is learning. Even I managed to make a few embarrassing mistakes in my youth."
"Really?" I asked.
"No." Circe smiled. "I'm just trying to make you feel better."
"We shall know the plan?" I interrupted. Circe was standing before me, the short distance between us meant nothing in Dream. She looked serious as she drew upon my eyelids. I could watch her do so with my eyes closed.
Then I awoke in the dream I had descended from. I was again among the pigs and the ravens. From there I shook myself awake in the real world. For a moment I was tempted to shake myself again. Fear that I might wake up in a higher place from which I wouldn't be able find sleep made me hesitate.
"Do you recall the dream we have had, my Lord?" Cory asked.
"About Circe being my great grandma? With a few more 'greats'?" I answered rhetorically.
"Yes. She put a spell on you. Can you see anything that you couldn't?" Cory asked.
I blinked and looked around. For just an instant, out of the corner of my eye, I could see Aureus somewhere else in Dellfriar and busy with the artifact's assembly. Several components were still missing - though.
The theft of Circe's Emerald and the escape from Dellfriar had many outcomes. There is only one that I survived. Only one version that can be reassembled from the chaos of so many worlds collapsing inward, so many realities becoming undone. Circe was right, it was only life - the deepest magic I knew of.
Inspiration came with my new perception. I could see the path ahead of me. I could see that there was only one version in which I survived and escaped. If I had done anything differently, the butterflies of death would have touched me.
I saw the window of opportunity and I knew every step I had to take. I took my bag and my staff, collecting the implements of my magical heists into the bag. I clicked my tongue and my crow alighted upon my shoulder.
With a cunning plan in mind, I ventured into the heart of Aureus's lair alone. The dimly lit chamber was filled with intricate machinery and arcane devices. I could sense the pulsating energy of Circe's Emerald, beckoning to me from its secure pedestal.
Taking utmost care to avoid detection, I stealthily maneuvered through the labyrinthine corridors, relying on my years at Dellfriar as a master thief. The shadows embraced me, concealing my presence from any wandering guards or surveillance systems that may have kept sentinel.
As I reached the chamber, I surveyed the room for any potential traps or alarms. It seemed Aureus had grown complacent, perhaps underestimating the audacity of a lone infiltrator. With a wry smile, I knew this was my moment to strike.
Silently, I approached the pedestal housing the emerald. It radiated a mesmerizing glow, casting ethereal patterns on the walls. Carefully, I retrieved a set of specialized tools from my bag: a combination of lockpicks and arcane implements.
I began to work my way through the security measures protecting Circe's Emerald. Each lock and enchantment posed a challenge, but my skilled hands moved with precision and finesse. The emerald's aura seemed to dance in anticipation, as if recognizing the touch of someone who understood its power.
Minutes stretched into eternity as I delicately dismantled the final obstacle. With a soft click, the emerald was finally free from its confinements. Holding it delicately in my gloved hand, I could feel the vibrant energy coursing through my fingertips.
But my mission was not yet complete. I had to make my escape undetected, evading any Choir or enchantments that may lie in my path. The emerald, now securely concealed within a specially crafted case, remained a beacon of power.
Slinking through the shadows, I retraced my steps, navigating the treacherous corridors with the precision of a phantom. Every movement was calculated, every sound muffled, ensuring that my presence went unnoticed.
As I emerged from the depths of Aureus's lair, a surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins. I had accomplished what seemed impossible: an audacious heist of Circe's Emerald from under the nose of a powerful adversary.
With the emerald secured, I vanished into the night, leaving no trace of my daring feat behind. The power of Circe's Emerald now resided in my possession, a relic of immense potential. Its fate, and the choice of how to wield its formidable magic, rested solely in my hands.
Little did Aureus or The Choir suspect that their plans had been quietly usurped. The heist had been a success, an act of cunning and skill that would alter the course of their intricate dance. In the shadows, I contemplated my next move, knowing that the emerald would grant me the power to shape destiny itself.
As I reached the top of the castle, a gust of wind tousled my hair, carrying with it the whispered echoes of Aureus's approach. I could sense their presence, their energy tinged with frustration and anger. It was clear they had discovered the theft of Circe's Emerald and were now in hot pursuit.
Just as I was about to invoke the ancient spell, the very same one that had allowed Circe's spellbound to transform into ravens and traverse the realms, Aureus materialized before me. Their form exuded an aura of authority and power, yet beneath the surface, I could sense their desperation.
"You dare to steal from me?" Aureus's voice reverberated with a mix of fury and disbelief. "That emerald holds powers beyond your comprehension. Return it to me now, and perhaps I shall spare your wretched existence."
I stood on the edge of the castle, the vast expanse stretching out before me. Time and space awaited, ready to be conquered by the wings of the raven. With unwavering resolve, I met Aureus's gaze and spoke with conviction.
"The emerald has chosen a new path, away from your grasp," I declared, my voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through my veins. "Its power will not be wielded by your hands, for it belongs to a greater purpose."
Aureus's expression twisted into a mixture of rage and desperation. Their outstretched hand reached for me, a last-ditch effort to prevent my escape. But I was quicker, fueled by the magic I now possessed.
With a swift motion, I uttered the incantation, and my form transformed into that of a raven. Wings extended, I took flight, the wind carrying me away from the clutches of Aureus. The space between worlds beckoned, an ethereal gateway to new realms and infinite possibilities.
As I soared through the threshold, I glanced back, witnessing Aureus's desperate grasp falling short. Their fingers brushed against the empty air, and with a cry of frustration, they plummeted into the void, disappearing into the abyss between worlds.
In that fleeting moment, I felt a mixture of triumph and sadness. Aureus, once a formidable adversary, now lost in the vast unknown. But my purpose lay beyond their reach, and I knew that I carried the weight of Circe's legacy upon my wings.
Across worlds and time, I journeyed, guided by the whispers of ancient knowledge and the power of the emerald. As I soared through realms, I vowed to protect its magic, to wield it for the greater good, and to ensure that Aureus would never threaten the balance again.
The adventure had only just begun, and I embraced the uncertainty that lay ahead. With the wind beneath my wings, I charted a course through the tapestry of existence, carrying Circe's legacy forward, and leaving Aureus to face the consequences of their insatiable hunger for power in the ever-shifting space between worlds.
"We have but one flight, there will be no way back to Dellfriar when we land." Cory interrupted my musings. "Where are we going?"
I smiled at the question, for it was obvious. Cory was always there, upon my shoulder. For me there was somewhere I wanted to be:
"We are going home."

I sat in the parking lot of McDonald's feeding french fries to my talking crow. We were in the back of Detective Winters's car. He was having the large coffee that cost only a dollar. He had told me he liked it better than Starbuck's, as he took it black.
"Sergeant Ventura was a good cop." Detective Winters was talking about the policeman that had gotten killed at the crimescene.
"Did he have family?" I asked.
"He was divorced." Detective Winters sounded like he could cry for the dead man. "We were his family."
I ate my cheeseburger in silence. Cory hopped onto the fries and scattered them to the floor. He looked up at me without an apology for his behavior before he went to go eat some of them.
We were taken to a hotel where we became roommates with Detective Winters. The maid knocked on the door as I was taking off my boots. He answered it with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth that he had lit with hotel matches.
"What is it?" He asked her. I listened, genuinely curious.
"No animals." She pushed past him slightly and spotted Cory. Presumably, she would go get the hotel manager.
"It's okay, he is with me. I am a detective. I am solving murders." He told her, and showed her his badge with a well-rehearsed gesture. She gave him a very admonishing look and left without saying more. I wondered if our sleep would be interrupted. I was very tired and went right to bed.
In the morning the same maid was back, prompting me to wonder if she had worked all night. She glared at us as we left and she went in to clean.
Detective Winters took me to the station and made me sit around with him all day while he did paperwork. He had interviews with people and more paperwork. His job suddenly seemed very boring to me. I already longed to go outside and discover the world out there. I was his hostage because he knew I knew that I was his suspect in a murder.
"I want you investigating this. Looks like it might be the hitchhiker killer. If you can get some cooperation from you-know-who, maybe we can call the FBI on this one." The boss of Detective Winters walked over to his desk and gave him a thin file on a crime scene secured earlier.
"Let's go." Detective Winters got up and I followed.
"Who was he talking about?" I asked.
"A possible serial killer. I know a guy who knows a lot more than he is telling us. First we need to go see the crime scene. Forensics is already there so you will have to wait outside." Detective Winters was talking fast. He was excited about this for some reason.
"You know this serial killer?"
"Yes. If it is the same one then we've had several killings already. I will need to go see our friend. Then we call the FBI." Detective Winters explained.
"Is that how it's done?" I asked.
"It is how we are gonna do this. You wouldn't understand." He started his car and we left.
"You like it when people say 'you wouldn't understand' to you?" I asked after awhile.
"Not really. Sorry. I just don't like feeling like I am explaining myself to someone." Detective Winters gave me some kind of crude apology for the way he had spoken to me.
"Well, I don't really like listening to you anyway." I offered. After that we just drove in silence. After we arrived at the crime scene, Cory went to the floor of the back seat to feed on the drying fries left there. Detective Winters asked someone he was passing for their cigarette, took it, and smoked it, as he walked away. We were left there alone in his car.
I was tempted to just get out and walk away. I felt that it would be dishonorable. Therefore I stayed, out of a sense that I was doing the right thing.
"What a mess." Detective Winters came back after awhile. He fished a half smoked butt out of his ashtray and lit it with the car's lighter. Then he rolled down the window to exhale smoke as we drove away.
We arrived at a small trailer where a column of smoke arose from out back. Detective Winters said: "Come with me."
The man was just throwing the last papers and files out of an empty banker's box and tossed it aside where several others sat empty.
"Daniel Barrow." Detective Winters spoke so he would turn around. The man gestured at the destructive act he had committed and shrugged and smiled.
"What can I say?" Daniel Barrow asked. "I don't work for you. I am a private eye. You know, an investigator-for-hire."
"I could arrest you for destruction of evidence." Detective Winters told the private eye.
"Then do so. I am merely destroying my own pictures and notes. Personal property." Daniel insisted.
Then we left him there, smoke trailing away with bits of white ash in his hair.
"What a dick..." Detective Winters used a bad pun.
I chuckled and replied: "He seemed crazy."
Something dawned and Detective Winters held his hand up at me for a second while he thought. Then he lowered it and brightly added:
"Dellfriar Asylum." Detective Winters decided.
"Where crazy people are?" I tried to follow his jump to a conclusion. I had no idea what he was talking about.
"Where Doctor Evans was killed. That is how I met our friend for the first time. He was caught snooping around that crime scene too." Detective Winters recalled.
I said nothing as we drove to Dellfriar and gained access to the ancient and fearsome looking seaside castle. It was still medieval compared to other mental hospitals. I had only seen it in pictures, but now the place creeped me out.
"What are we doing here?" I asked. "If Doctor Evans was killed by the same person Daniel Barrow would have told you about: then you already know who it is."
"You are right." He stared up at the terrifying structure. "Jesse Darling. She was a patient here. We have a copy of her file. You are right. There is something more I wanted to see again."
"I'd rather wait here." I told him. He nodded and left us in the parking lot.
When he came back he looked disappointed. We drove back to the hotel in silence. The next day he met with the FBI and told them what he knew, about a serial killer named Jesse Darling.
Then he found me and told me: "Her name is Scarlet. She was friends with Daniel Barrow. He visited her often."
"Now that you have completed that path, why not try another?" I asked him.
"Scarlet is who we should be looking for." Detective Winters agreed. "We will never find Jesse Darling."
"Then let's start at the beginning." I advised him. And so we drove back to the crime scene we were at before.
His decision was to drive along the highway from there, heading away from Dellfriar. Detective Winters said:
"I think she has killed six men and she tried to kill Daniel Barrow. He survived."
As it grew dark a light rain began to fall. The sound of the windshield wipers kept going. My hand began to ache. Up ahead stood someone in a red hoody, hitchhiking with their left thumb. We pulled over.
"Must go now." Cory cawed.
"Sounds anxious." Detective Winters noted.
"He is saying we must leave." I translated. "He gets jittery."
"He got a name?"
"Cory." I took my crow to my lap and gently held him while the back passenger door opened. I looked over at the dark shape in the red hoody. Lightning flashed behind her before she got in to sit with me in the back.
I could feel the damp cold air coming off of her hoody as she seated herself. She was young, although her face was kinda mean looking. As she spoke, she gestured with her left hand, her right never appearing. She said:
"I was walking and this rain started. I just need a lift into town." And she tried a fake little laugh and smile.
"We can give you a lift." Detective Winters offered. We started back onto the highway and she reached up with her left hand and got her seatbelt on.
"The hand is silver and it can cut like a knife. Maker of dead men, from living ones. She actually likes doing it, you could learn from her." Cory told me about our guest.
"Your bird talks." She smiled. This smile looked real, but still predatory.
"If you call that talking." Detective Winters chuckled with a masculine disregard.
"I don't know." I stammered. I was frozen in fear. This was surely our hook-hand hitchhiker. She was definitely Scarlet. I could imagine her weapon striking away half my neck in one instant swipe, out of nowhere. She'd kill the detective next. Only she was wearing a seatbelt: so our corpses would get ejected into the darkness. She'd stay belted to her seat.
"I can understand him." She smiled coyly.
"You can?" I was choking. Sweat beaded my forehead and terror gripped my heart.
"He says I am pretty and sweet and that you already like me." She sighed.
"He said that." I breathed mechanically.
We pulled into a gas station. Scarlet stayed seated, smiling endlessly at me, her eyes shiny like glass. I had to pee yet couldn't move. I was afraid that if I tried to get out: she would slaughter me.
Detective Winters took his time filling gas, making a long phone call, buying cigarettes and smoking about half the pack. I was in agony: it was either pee myself and probably trigger her killing me, or get out and die trying.
"I really have to pee. Is it okay if I go and go pee?" I squeaked.
"Sure. Come right back." She was still smiling like a golden devil at me. I crept away from her and shut the door. Cory was on my shoulder as we obtained the key, attached to a real goat's leg, hoof and all. I went into the bathroom and peed.
As we came out with the goat leg in one hand, zipping up with the other, the parking lot lit up. Police cars swarmed from all around, surrounding Detective Winters's car. I watched while armored SWAT had to drag Scarlet from the vehicle.
Scarlet managed to slash them anyway, drawing blood from three of them. Her hidden prosthetic arm was indeed like a sharp pair of hooks. She whipped out a knife and got one of them in the groin. Blood spurted from his wound and he staggered and fell over.
Finally, they had her restrained and arrested. I went into the gas station to return the goat's leg bathroom key. Detective Winters came into the gas station behind me and selected a lighter to buy. It was with a bunch of lighters with tattoo art on them. His had a little red riding hood, looking scared, and standing in front of a wolf's eyes.
"You're still alive." He told me and flicked his lighter's flame in front of me before he went back out to the car.
"Death will always happen." Cory agreed with him.
I just sighed and tossed the goat's leg onto the counter.

Hello all,
Coming to Bridgeport (Airbnb) to watch the Jays play the Sox.
Will be in town from July 3rd-6th.
Are most restaurants/bars open or closed on July 4th?
Any hidden gems that could be recommended?
Basically any and all advice is welcome, am looking forward to my time there.
Thanks!

[H] Exalted Tb With Creator's Light Prismatic Gem [W] 130$
[H] Exalted Tb With Bright Purple Prismatic Gem [W] SOLD
[H] Exalted Tb With Vermillion Renewal Prismatic Gem [W] 60$
[H] Exalted Tb With Bright Green Prismatic Gem [W] Sold out
[H] Tb arcana With Rubiline Prismatic Gem [W] 60$
[H] Desert Burn (snap fire bundle) [W] 60$
[H] Golden Full-Bore Bonanza [W] 31 $
[H] Insatiable Bonesaw [W] SOLD
[H] Hidden Vector ( void spirit set ) [W] 29$
[H] Claws of the Blood Moon [W] 19$
[H] pa / rubick / lina / lc / tb arcanas [W] swap to other arcanas + porfit
TRADE OFFER ME
https://steamcommunity.com/tradeoffenew/?partner=912763401&token=ggbGjlHs

Share some hidden gems. Little shops, nature, scenic, beaches, food places, thrift shops, coffee shops and book stores. Not your typical/popular places everyone knows about.

I couldn’t help but feel a tingle of relief and excitement when seeing this screen. Clothes, armor, a guide. I wasn’t going to be walking around clueless for long.
I stroked my chin at these selections. While armor looked tempting, I couldn’t afford it. Same with the 24 hour guide. A thorough immersive guide right now would leave me broke and naked.
Well, this choice was already set in stone for me, wasn’t it?
“One temporary guide, please,” I said a bit nervously. Though nothing happened. I pivoted my head to and fro, but nothing. Where the heck was my guide?
“Whoah! Full moon! Hello!” I heard a strong Italian Brooklyn accent over my head, realizing that I wasn’t alone. He was a metal orb with hummingbird wings, covered in etched lines and cybernetic crevices all over his metal plates.
I should have picked the clothes first!
I crouched over to cover my unmentionables and cried, “Simple gear, simple gear!” Immediately, I was given a wardrobe. Even had the entire Sailor Moon glowing light as I was dressed up head to toe: A dark cloak with a hood lined with fur, pants, gauntlets, a padded leather top, high leather boots, and a bag over my belt.
“Heh, kid, you don’t have to call out your selections. Not that I mind. That high pitched squeal was unpredictably hilarious.”
I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. “Heh, sorry about that. This is all very new to me.”
He zip-lined right in front of me, the sound of his wings buzzing making my eyes grow wider. He zoomed in on my face as if he was analyzing me features, then suddenly, a red dot appeared on him, and I fell on my ass.
The first thought that crossed my mind was a laser sight, and that was exactly what it looked like before a red scanning beam traced me left to right.
He chuckled. “Heh, you’re pretty skittish for a guy with those level 1 stats. Well, allow me to introduce myself, hero. My name is Devicho. That’s D-E-V-I-C-H-O. And I am your temporary guide, here to answer all of your questions!”
I got up off my ass and nodded. “My name is Silas.”
“Yeah, I got that from your stats.”
“Oh, right. Well, crap, where do I start?”
“I got ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes!?”
“Yeah, I know. But them’s the rules. It’s all the boss is allowing me.”
“The boss?”
“The dungeon core. Alzera-Kar. We call this hidden gem mother, as she is the creator of all things in the country of Thalian.”
“Wait, a dungeon core created all of this?”
“Oh boy, you ain’t seen nothing yet! Thalian is made up of five nations: Marviel, land of the fae, Dradersi, land of the dragons, Guedmar, land of the orcs, Dokumbe, land of the goblins, and finally, Senterra, the fallen land of the humans.”
“Fallen?”
His voice dipped. “Hey, listen kid, I’m not gonna sugar coat anything for you here. Senterra is gone. A barren wasteland from what I could tell. If there are any humans left, they are most likely in hiding, so the other races can’t find them. A little history lesson for ya since we are tight on time: long long ago, these five nations lived in harmony as one. That harmony was doomed to fall, as the dungeon core, our great mother, created more and more resources. Now you see, the dragons were selfish bastards. They thrived off of money, greed, and pride. They started the racial divide, and these five species segregated themselves. Walls separate some regions, while big bodies of water separated others. Now, with the way things were rolling, the dragons were on the top of the food chain, and the humans were on the very bottom of it. As expected, all the races started to take advantage of the weaker race, bullying them to no end. Wars broke and Senterra crumbled. I’m talkin’ mass genocide, kid. The savagery, the bloodshed. Oh, it was horrible. Alzera-Kar saw this and was very upset. To help these deprived and enslaved humans, she created cyber sense.”
“You mean that purple evil Kirby that I killed? That was one of them?”
“No, well, yeah, but that was a defective cyber sense. And I’ll explain how. Originally, cyber sense was a mechanism solely for humans. They are particles in the air, nano feeds that respond to humans around its perimeter. They are everywhere, essentially dominating all of Thalian. Now what they do is shape themselves into cyber gear to improve the biological functions of human beings. This gave humans the edge that they needed, but after the humans broke the shackles of the other Thalian nations, they became the bullies. More war, more bloodshed. At this point mother Alzera-Kar was stressed. Her creations were dying. Her creations were killing themselves off. She didn’t know how to contain this ceaseless war and divide. Under this intense strain and tension, her crystal structure shattered, breaking off in three pieces. Without this protection, her core is vulnerable, and open for influence. These three pieces were scattered all over Thalian, but as of late, three nations have those pieces, and kid, they are protecting them with their lives! Dradersi has one, Guedmar has the other, and Marviel has one, too. These three nations are in constant strife! When one nation has all three parts, they can locate Alzera-Kar, and make her do anything they want.”
I was speechless…
“In this vulnerability, the cyber sense that was enhancing humans through cyber gear started to create evil fleshy beings. I’m talkin’ monsters. Of all sizes! They are only detectable by humans, which is why most nations made sense out of keeping humans as detectors. Remember what I said about them practically squattin’ everywhere? Well, that didn’t change. These hideous freaks lurk around, and materialize at any given moment. They became sentient. The upside though is when you kill the stronger ones, you get a full blown cyber gear. Some lesser creatures drop some precious loot too, parts to build a full-fledged cyber gear. It is good to note that cyber gear only operates for humans.”
“I think I’m getting some of the pieces to this puzzle together, here. Was I sent here to restore Senterra?”
“You bet!”
“And find the three shards to help Alzera-Ker?”
“Boy, you caught on quick, didn’cha?”
“But I don’t understand. Why not snatch the shards herself? She is all powerful, right? She’s pretty much the god in this country.”
“Not when she’s unprotected. If mother could become defective when vulnerable, imagine how much harder it’d be for her to get those shards?”
“I guess you’re right…”
“Not only that, but those kingdoms who have her shards are keeping it on lock down. Warded I imagine. It won’t be easy.”
“Why me?” I asked honestly. “I understand her humans here are suffering, and she went out somewhere else to find a hero. I don’t know why she wouldn’t pick someone locally. So I have to ask, why a foreigner? And why me?”
“I guess she saw something special in you that she couldn’t find in her natives. But don’t feel too overwhelmed. You’re not the only hero she went out of her way to find.”
“You mean there are others?”
“Of course! This is an entire nation we are talking about, after all.”
“How can you be so sure? A girl and her titan hound hunted me down back in my home town.”
He paused and then asked me sternly. “What did this girl look like?”
“White hair, real model type bod. A few inches shorter than me. And her titan, a big brawny dude in armor, had a skull for a face.”
“That ain’t sound good.”
“You know her? Her name is Lucyna.”
He sighed. “She’s from, Dradersi, daughter of King Orelus. Usually, dragon-kins have horns on their heads, sometimes along their jaws too. And some scales on their skin. They can materialize wings for flight at will, and are physically strong by nature. Lucyna probably used a spell to disguise herself as a human to remove those features on Earth. What’s more bothersome than that though was she found a way to open a gate to your world, and managed to track you down…”
“Not only track me down, she killed me.”
“I don’t understand. How the heck are you here if she killed you?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. I’d died and came back to life, isekai’d to this crazy fantasy RPG world.”
“You think this is wacky? You should hear what she thinks about people from Earth! Every race here was inspired by a planet from different galaxies. The plan was to make a cornucopia of races, but things started to get messy quick.”
“This mother seems to appreciate variety.”
“It has its goods and bads, as I’ve already mentioned. Which brings me back to Lucyna. This whole death business, it’s unsettling. And if she has access to Earth the same way mother does, you may very well be the only hero. Mother hadn’t started the recruiting process yet. She is still on the selection stage.”
“Then how did someone like Lucyna even know what she was planning?”
“Could be a precautionary step? Not sure. Lucyna is very smart. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was a few steps ahead of her maker.”
“She’s on my hit list,” I said seriously. “Her and her dog.”
“Hey kid, slow down. You’re nowhere near her league! That dragon-kin is an elite, a royal one at that.”
“Then I’ll level up! Whatever it takes!”
“Kid…”
I wouldn’t expect anyone to understand. It’s not just a vendetta. All of my life I was invisible. I love my mom, but things changed when she started focusing on her career. She was hardly ever there. Dad was never around, either. He taught me to never take shit from anyone, use my fists when I have to, and never give up. That’s it. I was alone, in my own mind, in my own world. I became detached from everything, losing myself in my hobbies, finding fulfillment in playing games. That’s where I belonged. That’s where I felt like I was achieving something, where I was somebody. Still, it would have been nice to feel that out in the real world.
I wanted my life to mean something. Then she came around and snuffed my chances out. But then the dungeon core brought me back and gave me my chance.
"This is an opportunity to start over, to start fresh. I will do right by Alzera-Kar, but not because she gave me this gift. I want to help these tormented humans of Thalian because it’s the right thing to do. A voice for the voiceless, and power for the powerless. She brought me here to become a hero, and I’ll do just that. As for my own personal agenda, that’s secondary. I want that psycho to know what having everything taken away from you feels like! My life wasn’t the best life, but it was my life!”
“You sound motivated! Thadda’ boy!”
“I’m going to raise Senterra up from the grave, and I need you to tell me everything there is to know about getting stronger to do it.”
Read up to 50k words on Royal Road for free! (Daily Chapter Drops): https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/68588/the-lone-hero-cyber-initiative-an-isekai-fantasy

Hello again, this is an update post from a post a while ago stating how I’d like to train for a full marathon.
For context, I’m a freshmen track/XC runner with no prior serious training and have been training more seriously for about a little over a month now.
Today I hit 150 miles on day 35. My previous half marathon, which was a jump from 5 miles and no prep, was timed at 2:09. Last week I ran a half marathon in 1:49. I plan to continue until I start to notice more soreness or pain than usual.
Any advice, questions? Any help is appreciated for me to do better.

Hi everyone!
When you think about the French Riviera, it's easy to conjure up images of celebrity-filled parties in Saint-Tropez or the star-studded Cannes Film Festival. But what if I told you there's more to the French Riviera than the glitz and glamour?
Today, I want to take you off the beaten track, into the hilltop havens that offer a different, but equally appealing, side of the Côte d'Azur. These places seamlessly blend luxury living with the charm and tradition of Provence, offering a unique perspective of the famed Riviera lifestyle.
Curious? Here are the top 5 hilltop hotspots that you should consider for your next real estate investment:

1. Vence: A haven of peace with a thriving arts scene.
2. Mougins: A paradise for food lovers and art aficionados.
3. Saint-Paul-de-Vence: A perfect blend of old-world charm and luxury.
4. Grasse: The perfume capital of the world with a rich cultural heritage.
5. Èze: Offering stunning panoramas of the French Riviera.

If you're keen to explore these unique locations and the properties available, feel free to reach out to me at [[email protected]](mailto:[email protected]).
For the full write-up and more details about each location, check out my blog post
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Cheers and happy investing!

The episode on Gargwiki.
The episode on Ask Greg.
How long has it been: the episode follows directly from the previous one.
Not much to say about the assaults against the Cyberbiotics Tower and the underground base (hey, first appearance of the Labyrinth!) - they're ok; I do like Hudson's strategy to breach into the latter:

1. Notice the camera.
2. Go to the door and pretend you're trying to open it, thus letting yourself be seen.
3. Let them capture you.
4. Use the Gargoyle Beast you had previously told to stay hidden to take them by surprise.
5. Profit.

Good to know the Old Soldier still got it. The fall of Fortress-1 is cool too, although Elisa arriving there just in time to see Goliath and Demona glide away is a bit too fortuitous. I'll let Greg Weisman explain why Goliath and Demona's conversation at the Castle is good: "Anyway, that whole conversation is just full of delicious irony -- all working against Demona. Goliath says, "I cannot make war on an entire world," completely unaware that that's exactly what Demona wants to do. He says, "Doesn't Xanatos prove that some humans can be trusted?" But of course, Demona knows that Xanatos absolutely cannot be trusted. Every statement Goliath makes pushes Demona toward further extremism. And he isn't even trying. Finally, after Demona reminds him of the Wyvern betrayal and Massacre, he says that the ones responsible for that "have been dead for 1000 years." Now putting aside that the Captain and Hakon aren't quite as dead-dead as Goliath thinks, this has got to push Demona over the edge. Deep down she knows her own responsibility. Again Goliath is wrong, because the traitor is standing right in front of him. My hats off to Michael Reaves. What a great scene! "So be it." she says. Goliath won't know it until VOWS. But they are DONE. Right there." Yup.
Goliath says that Demona has become "hard, unforgiving. You are not as I remember you."; I sure hope Dark Ages won't make that line sound weird in a couple of months. He then goes to meet Elisa, and we learn that Xanatos is the villain; well I never.
Speaking of which, Xanatos declares that the Gargs "have outlived their usefulness", which sounds a bit weird from a guy who'll later be defined as the "I never toss away anything" man; Demona being 100% on board with killing them is a bit weird too: ok, Goliath has made it clear that he'll never agree with her schemes of genocide, but you'd think she could at least make an attempt to gauge the other four's opinions before deciding they all need termination too.
Still, the Steel Clan's first appearance is cool (love the name, by the way); Xanatos makes a nice speech about them: "They're steel instead of stone, they don't sleep during the day, they can fly instead of glide, and best of all, they're 100% obedient." All very good, although it's undercut a bit by the fact that Goliath destroys one of them less than twenty seconds later. The following fight is good too (aside from Hudson cutting one of the robots in half while screaming like a maniac, that's F**KING AWESOME!), and we get the first of many, MANY, "have two enemies impact with each other" maneuvers; I sure hope you like those.
We get our fairly iconic "Demona with the bazooka" image, and Xanatos gets another nice line: "Hold it. Let's just let them play out their little drama, shall we?". Then Demona starts ranting about Goliath being a fool and about the fact that the "plan" only failed because of him - and kudos to Marina Sirtis, you really get the feeling that she waited a long, LONG time to tell him this; I really like this exchange:
DEMONA: "The plan was perfect..."
GOLIATH: "...plan?"
DEMONA: "It would've suceeded!"
GOLIATH: "What plan?"
We learn that Demona helped the Captain organize the sacking of Wyvern, which is easily the five-parter's best twist: it makes perfect sense once you say it, but before that you're not really thinking about the possibility because you already have a culprit for the Massacre and there doesn't seem to be the need to look for others; still, kinda like Goliath's suicide in Part Two, the moment is undercut a bit by the fact that this revelation won't be brought up as much as it should have been in the following episodes: you'd think Demona's role in the Massacre would be on the forefront of most of the Clan's interactions with her, but instead it tends to fade into the background most of the time.
Then, in another moment that I'm fairly sure Demona apologists tend to ignore, Goliath immediately surmises her problem:
GOLIATH: "Don't you see? None of this would have happened if it weren't for you!"
DEMONA: "DON'T SAY THAT!"
Demona then declares humanity to be "a poison that must be purged from this planet"; I'd kinda like to know Xanatos' thoughts on that: is this the first time he heard about Demona's final objective? Or did he know already? And regardless of the answer, isn't it a bit weird that he apparently didn't expect her betrayal AT ALL in City of Stone, considering what he hears here?
DEMONA: "You trusted me once. You loved me once. We have found each other again after a thousand years of solitude: does that mean nothing to you?"
I love Goliath's reaction to that: small tears forming in his eyes and him being unable to answer, or even just look at her in the eyes; great stuff. Then Demona says "If you are not my ally, then you are my enemy" over a decade before Anakin Skywalker did the same in Revenge of the Sith; sadly, Goliath doesn't answer with: "Only a Rogue Gargoyle deals in absolutes. I will do what I must."
The revelation of Demona's name is... eh; I'll let Weisman explain the problem: "One thing that never quite worked for me, was the reveal of Demona's name. She makes such a big deal of it. But the name (at this point in the series) just doesn't have enough resonance for me yet. Later, sure. "Demona". We all sit up and take notice. But there. "Demona". Yeah, so?"
Elisa saves Goliath; he immediately follows by saving her, while Demona falls to her... let's say "death" and try not to laugh too much about it, ok? Anyway: really good scene. Goliath is ready to kill Xanatos ("She wanted me to destroy humanity... I think I'll start with YOU!") but Elisa and Hudson manage to calm him down; Weisman has a strange comment about that: "Hudson pipes in and says, "She's right, lad. Is that what you want?" I intentionally instructed our voice director Jamie Thomason to direct Ed Asner to read that line with ambiguity. Hudson DOESN'T care whether Goliath tosses David or not. He simply wants Goliath to make an informed choice." Strange because:

1. Why wouldn't Hudson care about Goliath becoming "the same as Demona", as Elisa says? Especially after learning what Demona caused with her actions?
2. In the immediately following scene, Hudson clearly says that Goliath "did the right thing".

Xanatos gets arrested - I'll talk about that in the next post; we get some final shenanigans with the Trio (Brooklyn's sunglasses going to pieces and Broadway saying that he got hungry again just an hour after eating Chinese); we close with this dialogue:
ELISA: "Maybe we'll catch a Giants' game."
GOLIATH: "Giants?"
ELISA: "I wonder if this city is ready for you guys..."
It's ok; final verdict: not the best episode in the five-parter, but still a good conclusion.
RANKINGS:

1. Awakening Part Four
2. Awakening Part One
3. Awakening Part Two
4. Awakening Part Five
5. Awakening Part Three

I am NOT OP. Original post by u/sirtwixalert in workingmoms. OOP gave me permission to repost.
trigger warnings: Brief mention of child death, suicide, and abuse, but not the subject of the post

mood spoilers: Wholesome

 
Today I find out if the past eleven years were worth it - March 13, 2023
I started medical school in 2012, with the MD class of 2016; I’ll graduate this May, eleven years later, with the MD/PhD class of 2023. Four of those years were expected - two preclinical and two clinical years for the MD. Five more were added for the PhD, completed between the preclinical and clinical years of medical school. Another was interspersed throughout the two clinical years of medical school when my husband moved to another state for a three-year fellowship and I stayed behind to solo parent our daughters during most of my clerkships, and the last was tacked on as a leave of absence when COVID shutdowns and interstate travel restrictions would have kept our family separated indefinitely.
I’ve been married for 9 of those years and a parent for 7. I had our first daughter just a few weeks after I passed my PhD qualifying exam and my husband started his intern year of residency; I had our second two years later, after I had switched labs and my husband had started his final year of residency; and I had our third three years later, after I had finished most of my third year clinical clerkships and my husband had finished his first year of fellowship and the whole world had set itself on fire.
I was the primary parent, and I was parenting alone most of the time. During my graduate years, I got the kids ready and handed them off for the day, worked in the lab 9-5, and then picked them up, played with them, fed them, bathed them, put them to bed, cleaned and prepped for the next day before writing or analyzing data or reading until I couldn’t stay awake anymore. I brought my first tiny academic wingman to my first conference and gave my first presentation with her snuggled on my chest. I wrote my 243-page dissertation and prepped slides for my defense late at night with a sick child on my shoulder. During the clinical years, I coordinated early morning care for the days I needed to leave the house at 4am and late evening care for the days I couldn’t leave the hospital in time for daycare pickup at 6pm. I saved my 2 annual personal days for Halloween and the annual daycare-wide performance of the Nutcracker. I studied for shelf exams and board exams on my phone in the dark, sandwiched between two children who didn’t sleep through the night until this year and another who still wakes up at least twice a night. Most days looked like this, and many still do.
During my rotations, I stood with another mom as her two year old died and listened to a thirteen year old share the experience of her suicide attempt for the first time and played peekaboo with a four year old while my attending looked for signs of abuse more subtle than her obvious bruises and fractures and realized that I wanted to work with children and their families. I made plans to apply to three specialties that would allow me to do so – psychiatry, pediatrics, and triple board, which combines pediatrics with adult and child/adolescent psychiatry – at the hospital where my husband works, the only location that would allow us to stay where we are now. It is unusual to apply to more than one specialty, and especially unusual to apply to only one location; for each of those specialties, students usually apply to an average of around 45 programs with the goal of interviewing with around 10 programs. But my daughters have been through enough, and I will not put them through another move. So I applied to three programs, interviewed at all three, and ranked all three. At 10am today I’ll find out whether I matched, and at noon on Friday I’ll find out which specialty I matched to.
I’m too tired to even know what I want. Whether I want to match or not. Which program I want to match to. If I match, I know that the next 3-5 years of my life are largely out of my control and I will lose time with my daughters; I’m particularly sad at the thought of losing that time during the last few years that my oldest is still excited to hang out with me. If I don’t match, I’m sitting on a quarter of a million in debt without a clear path to repayment and back to square one in the finding-a-fulfilling-career game, and the time already lost in my daughters’ early years will sting even more than it already does.
I was planning to process all of this alone today, but of course it’s a professional development day for our school system so my girls will be right here with me. They know that I’m nervous, they know that I’ll probably cry no matter what the email says, they know that I’ll be both happy and sad at the same time and they know that we’ll be ok. This morning I saw my oldest looking through our giant pile of Costco greeting cards and I heard her tell my middle that she chose the one that says GOOD JOB! because “no matter what happens, mama did a good job” and my middle solemnly declared that she would stop my youngest from spilling all the cups today because “that would probably be extra hard for mama today” while my youngest calmly poured her water on the cat in the other room. These kids. My heart.
 
UPDATE: Today I find out if the last eleven years were worth it - March 17, 2023
I matched to my top choice - psychiatry! It's bittersweet, as my 7-year old told me it would be, to close the door on pediatrics, and I think a part of me was hoping to fall down my rank list to triple board (which would have allowed me to do both), but this was the best outcome for my family and ultimately for me as well. In just a half-decade or so I'll be ready to practice independently, and I'm so excited to help kids and their families and learn all of the things I should have done differently with mine!
 
OOP also added additional updates to her original post:
Edit 1: I matched!!! My oldest read the email, all three ran around screaming, and then they went and pulled out the Costco card, the extra special other cards they made, and the bag of program (but not specialty) specific swag my husband had hidden for me. I assume he had a no-match bag hidden too, so now I’m on the hunt because that one probably has more candy.
Edit 2: thank you all for your thoughts and well-wishes! One of the hardest things about adding the PhD (and then two extra other years) is that I know very few people in my graduating class, and it has been lovely to share this day with a larger community!
 
Reminder - I am not the original poster. OOP is u/sirtwixalert, who deserves all the credit.

My friend and I are going on our semi-regular visit to the Village this Friday. Are there any hidden gems in that general area that you would recommend checking out? Not interested in New Hope at all. Just not a fan. We've been to Doylestown already. We'll be coming through the Ottsville area on our way. Looking for fun shops and things. We like gift shops, candy stores, love Kimberton Foods, just fun and interesting places to poke around.

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We had high hopes during those first few tentative hours, as we started downloading the initial batch of data gathered by the probes we’d sent to scout the planet before our hours-long conversation with the interloper on the moon.
It was clear however, that we had overestimated just how much relevant data that first round of reconnaissance missions would’ve been able to procure.
We should’ve expected as much though, as the first round of recon operations were conducted in order to gain an overview of the planet, rather than anything specific.
It was only after our interrogation of the interloper that we actually had something solid to work with, and a target that we had to work towards.
But whilst the first batch of data wasn’t entirely relevant to our newfound mission, it was still vital in ascertaining where exactly we would focus our limited resources on next. As the overall state of the planet had been more or less mapped to within a detailed enough degree for Vir to begin parsing and analyzing for the next phase of our mission.

10 Hours After the First Round of Interloper Interrogations. Bridge of the UNAFS Perseverance.
Lysara
“Right, what do we have to work with here, Vir?” I spoke with a renewed state of invigoration, having just arrived back on the bridge with a belly full of food and a brain buzzing with stimulants. The latter was only made possible courtesy of Vir’s glorious abilities in reconstituting what he called coffee beans into the desiccated berries all Vanarans were used to eating.
“Well, preliminary data more or less proves my initial hypothesis of the planet being a recently-collapsed technologically advanced civilization to be true. If we’re going by human categorization systems, at least as far as what I was aware of, we’d be looking at a J-4-actual class, by the close-in orbital-studies metric. Translated into layman's terms, we’re looking at a civilization that has well exceeded industrialization, has probably entered a period of planet-wide mass telecommunication, with early pre-intrasolar orbital capabilities exclusively reliant on surface-based homeworld-derived heavy industries.” Vir began jumping over to the planet’s orbital analyses, displaying what looked to be bits and pieces of metal that littered the planet’s orbit. “Not highlighting Kessler Syndrome here, but, just showing you that despite it being possibly centuries since their collapse, there’s still evidence of space junk in orbit. A clear indicator of orbital capabilities.” He then switched over to the moon, and the image of the moon base we’d just explored. “The reason why I classified this civilization as a J-4 actual, is because we preemptively discovered evidence of permanent settlements and extensive infrastructure projects beyond the species’ homeworld of origin. Thus, we have fulfilled the Erricson’s criterion before we even started on planet-based observations. Anyways, moving on…”
The image on the screen soon shifted towards what were clearly large swaths of built-up areas. Most of them were clearly the remains of urban settlements, cities, all of which were clearly in some degree of disrepair as what should be clearly demarcated edges of concrete and steel were instead haphazardly overgrown with greenery. “I’d hazard a guess of about half a millennium having elapsed following a singular instance of rapid-onset decline.” I spoke suddenly and without warning.
Vir looked at me with a look of surprise. “That’s actually really close to my own calculations. Give or take a century using the Peterson-Wang equation. How’d you come up with your number?”
“Well, back in Vanaran archeology, we studied certain patterns and features associated with the decay of ruins, and artifacts left over by a fallen civilization. This includes the features associated with the decay of urban environments, and using that the estimate the pattern, type, and time since collapse. There are always certain particularities to look for. Such as here.” I paused, using my finger to highlight certain aspects of the orbital picture of the ruined city on the screen. “We see poorly demarcated urban margins, and patterns indicative of artificial zoning, having lost their signature geometric features.” I shifted my attention to what was clearly an industrial area at one point, shaped into grids, that have since been taken over by the same overgrowth. “In addition, we also see a consistent pattern of overgrowth with no disruption, thus indicating that there was no attempt at reclaiming large urban areas or heavily built-up infrastructure. If this were a Class 1, 2, 3, or even a class 4 collapse, we’d see some governmental body, or post-collapse organization attempt to reclaim what is in effect an area that would be vital in jumpstarting civilization. If that were the case, we’d see interruptions to this overgrowth and decay. Some sort of sign that there was an attempt to reverse the overgrowth or some haphazard modification on the original zoning. Or something that would indicate tampering after the first collapse. However, none exist, and all we see here is indicative of an uncontrolled descent into decay without any intervention. When I combine all of these factors, the Civvings Principle would indicate that this civilization suffered a major rapid-onset catastrophic collapse, followed sharply by a rapid-onset decline. Five hundred years was a guestimate based on my experience with surveying these sorts of worlds”
Vir continued to stare at me with that same look of surprise, however, this time there was a certain element of fascination in his face that I couldn’t quite pin down. “You really do know your stuff, Lysara.” He spoke with a clear tone of admiration. “Human xenoarcheology has also postulated ideas similar to yours. We didn’t have much of a sample size to work with though, but this more or less matches up with what humanity was thinking when they started mapping out their approach to xenoarcheology.”
I could feel a small sense of pride welling within me now. A rare, almost alien sensation that I hadn’t experienced in what felt like years.
It was more powerful than what my time prior to this exodus into the deep-end as well, and it was something I was once more attributing to the removal of that Vuark.
“Thanks Vir.” I spoke with a sheepish smile as the AI more or less took the opportunity to get back on track.
“Almost every city looks to be in a similar state, at least, with the cities that weren’t bombed or targeted by high-yield weapons, because if you see here…” Vir switched the image on the screen to what was effectively a desolate wasteland. A series of large craters, filled in with water, to the extent that some could tentatively be called lakes in their own right. There was no life here, no trees, no plants, nothing. All that there was, were swaths of barren lifeless dirt, concrete, and irradiated water. A quick radiation scan superimposed across the image more or less confirmed my suspicions. “... this is the state of most of what were urban centers on the planet’s surface.” Vir soon switched to other images, and sure enough, it was more of the same. With the only difference being the local geography surrounding these bombed out cities, or the state at which nature was managing to restake its claim, as some actually looked reasonably overgrown compared to the first batch of images. “Out of the 743 urban areas I’ve been able to log, about 595 are in similar states of destruction. The rest are on a sliding scale of partial destruction and somewhat intact. However, one thing remains constant throughout all of them.”
Vir paused for effect, superimposing another image above the planet, this time showing the whole globe as a 3D hologram on the tactical table in front of us.
“This is a rough scan of all of the active signals coming from the planet.” Vir spoke, as the scan revealed… nothing, except for one lone signal deep within a forest twenty or so kilometers away from a ruined city. “None exist, save for this one signal originating deep from within this dense forest.” Vir paused once more, taking the time to superimpose the signal that had brought us here in the first place, and the signal originating from deep within this forest. “This is the same signal that we detected from afar. Which means-”
“We found the source of our mystery signal.” I interrupted, completing Vir’s sentence for him.
“Bingo.” Vir responded with an excitable nod.
“The signal’s location more or less matches the Interloper’s riddle as well. A. It’s a signal, probably belonging to a signal station, i.e. a place which symbolizes a desire to reach out. B. The signal’s been going on for centuries now, so this place must be fortified, fitting its fortress criteria. C. It’s hidden deep within a forest, fitting with the interloper’s mention of a verdant garden.” I paused, turning to Vir with a look of confident determination set across my face. “So how about it? Do you think this might just be the place where our mystery person of interest is currently sequestered?”
“There is a potential that the interloper’s riddle was more symbolic than it is literal. However… I cannot deny that there exists a possibility that your current hypothesis might be correct. Regardless, it’s in our best interests to delve into the source behind this signal anyways. Might as well kill two birds with one stone, am I right?” Vir spoke with cautious optimism.
“Yes, and besides, it’s only through experimentation and evidence-gathering that we can confirm or reject our hypotheses. So it's about time we head down to determine what all of this is about.” I responded promptly, as Vir began shuffling between continually scanning the data we had on hand, and prepping the available drones for its first planetary insertion. “I just have one more question before we commit to this.” I quickly added.
“Go on?”
“We’re talking as if we’re confirming that this is indeed a collapsed civilization. Now, I’m one for abiding by self-evident truths, as superficial observation more or less confirms this to be the case. However, I’m also a scientist, so evidence-based decision making is vital to me. Especially when considering the possibility that there may exist some organized alien presence on the planet. And considering their history with an outwardly manipulative and hostile alien force, i.e. the interloper, there is a risk that they may just intercept our drones the moment we breach their atmosphere.” I paused, letting out a small sigh. “I just want to confirm that we are indeed dealing with a fallen civilization.”
Vir quickly pulled up several more planetary scans the moment I’d finished my piece, as he overlapped every possible scan from the first batch of surveys. From the local frequency broadcasts, to light pollution, to evidence of atmospheric pollutants and a vast number of other datasets, not a single dataset pointed to the presence of an advanced civilization. At least not on a scale detectable by current scans. “I’m not saying that there may not be survivors other than our person of interest. But as I currently see it, I don’t see a chance of any other survivors interfering with our operations, if that’s what you’re worried about Lysara.”
I nodded tentatively in response. “That’s part of it, but I digress. This whole operation is just moving incredibly quickly compared to how things usually went back in my line of work. So I just wanted to be sure before we committed.”
With a single affirmative nod from Vir, and a batch of at least a hundred different survey drones highlighted on screen, with their corresponding cameras filling in several more around us, the mission was set.
“I’ve divided the survey teams into two groups. One to survey the area around the signal, and another to survey several points of interest which include the ruins of cities and other settlements. It’s about a fifty fifty split, but I wanted a large sample size for us to work with here.”
“That’s a good idea, make sure to have them set priority to locating any form of long-term information storage. Books, digital media, analog media, anything that might help us translate the local language. That would be vital in unlocking whatever was written on the moonbase.” I quickly added, as the issue of the mysterious carvings and writings on the base still lurked in the back of my mind.
“That’s a good idea, I’ve made that one of their priority targets.” Vir acknowledged as he placed a single hand above the enter key above his side of the tactical table’s console.
“Shall we begin?” He spoke with a grin.
“Let’s.”

2 Kilometers from Truval City, The Former Farming Co-Operative of the Truval Municipality, Greenhouse 2a.
Evina
The greenhouse’s electrical equipment was starting to waver.
I say waver because the word fail just didn’t sit right with me, especially since I was sure I’d already raided every single spot in town for every scrap of electrical equipment I could possibly modify for the maintenance of this greenhouse.
The rest of the gear I’d managed to scrounge up was put to storage within the bunker, for equipment way more vital than the sprinklers, lighting, heating, and security of this small little place that wasn’t explicitly important to our survival, but really, just nice to have.
Whilst I didn’t exactly mind losing it, it was Eslan who I was more worried about. As ever since I introduced him to wild berries and oranges not native to this part of the planet, he’d been hooked. He’d prepared over a hundred pre-collapse recipes now, most of which were jams and other non-perishables that were actually pretty good, and were close enough to pre-collapse flavors that it even triggered some deep-seeded nostalgia from my first instance.
Ever since then, the greenhouse had become a bit of a personal passion project that I’d forced myself to commit to.
I never was good at botany or plant stuff, but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t put my all into finding small little ways of improving both of our lives here.
So here I was, picking out the last few fruits before winter hit, and I’d have to shudder the place until the thaw of spring.
Running the greenhouse over winter just wasn’t viable, not with the load it put on our limited equipment.
But as I continued the calming motions of plucking oranges and berries from their stems, I noticed Lera, my felinor watchcat, stare off blankly into the distance in a way I hadn’t seen her do in a long time.
She was staring into the sky, at literally nothing.
I didn’t think too much of it though.
If there were threats, she would meow and bark in short order.
So for now, I continued on my afternoon chores.
I’d check up on the broadcast equipment sometime later.
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(Author’s Note: I've been waiting for this moment for a long time, we're finally expanding the perspectives and character roster for the first time in a long while! I hope you guys enjoy! :D The next chapter is already out on Patreon as well if you want to check it out!)
[If you guys want to help support me and these stories, here's my ko-fi ! And my Patreon for early chapter releases (Chapter 50 of this story is already out on there!)]

I havent seen it on any stream, and i have gotten all my class specific uniques + some dublicates, but i have yet to see this gem.
Has anyone seen it? Is it just super rare or does it have some sort of hidden drop location?

I keep reading that people want to see actual real estate transactions, with realtors who dress normally and actually sell properties! It's on Hulu, a Canadian series called Hot Market. I am LOVING it!!