Hey everyone! I just got back from Maui and have to say Road to Hana was amazing.
Before I went I had asked questions and saw lots of suggestions but not many reports back on doing both RTH and Pipiwai Trail in one day.
I wanted to share our experience and very happy we did what we did!
Few important things

1. We’re a pretty active early 30s couple
2. We booked the 7-10am time for the state park and black sand beach last minute as it was all that was left and glad we got this reservation!
3. We did the full loop and took the backside, it was stunning!!
4. We didn’t plan exactly what we’d do, but we got the Shaka Guide app and it was 100% worth it

How we did it:
We left Kihei around 6:10am, stopped at Safeway in Paia for water and coffee and went on our way!
We planned to go straight to the black sand beach without stopping, but when we hit Hanawi falls we decided to step out to stretch our legs.
From here we turned on the Shaka Guide app and hit a hidden Lava Tube, Makapipi Falls, and then on to the state park.
We stopped at Hana Farms for the banana bread for breakfast and it was AMAZING.
We then stopped in the black sand beach at 9am and hiked for 45 min and swam for 10 min. Beautiful!
From here we drove through Hana going down different roads and taking our time before heading to Hamoa beach at 11am.
We brought a floatie and swam here for almost 2 hours until 1pm, beautiful 80 and sunny day so glad we did this.
We then went back to Hana and got Poke Bobs for lunch, our favorite poke we tried this trip! (Among Tobi’s, Tamuras, and Star Noodle! Although all of them were still amazing)
It was at this point we were going to pick, take the road back to Paia and see the stops we missed, or on to Pipiwai trail.
We decided let’s go for the trail and made it there at 3pm. We hiked fairly quickly and we’re back at our car by 5pm and the trail was so worth it! The bamboo forest and waterfall were amazing.
Then comes our favorite part of the drive, taking the back road!
If you are at all confident in your driving it’s not a bad drive at all, just keep some space between the car in front of you so there’s always room to pass! And once the road widens back up let locals pass if you’re going slow and there’s a line behind you.
We came around the back side and caught the sunset along this route and it has to be one of the most beautiful drives I’ve taken anywhere in my travels.
On the way stop at Bully Burgers, even just to enjoy the view, and we were back in Paia by 7pm.
Overall this was a stunning highlight of our trip and can’t wait to go back!
Ask any questions and enjoy the drive!

Dusk fell over the wilderness with the slow, languid relish of a woman basking in her lover’s touch, and all of the men drifted once more toward the inn. By seven, the public room was crowded with gaiety and good cheer, and a roaring fire blazed in the heath. Farbin had ordered a nine’o’clock curfew in expectation of the wolf’s coming, and the men jostling for position at the counter seemed hell bent on getting in as much revelry before the appointed hour as possible. Griger picked at his meat and potatoes, his mind preoccupied, then pushed the plate away and rolled a cigarette. The pretty barmaid came over, took the plate with a quick smile that didn’t touch her eyes, and hurried away. Griger did not look after her, nor did he allow himself to think of her. He didn’t have the luxury tonight.
“I’ll take two men,” he said, “and we’ll watch the road. I want other men hiding nearby.”
Farbin nodded. His face was drawn and white. Mayhap he sensed something in the air, or maybe he had read the moon; either way, he knew as well as Griger that something was going to happen tonight.
Before leaving, Griger fetched his sword from his quarters. Standing in the middle of the room, firelight licking his face, he turned it over in his hand, hefting it and testing its weight.
When he returned to the public room, it was empty save for Farbin, several aids, and a dozen Guardsmen. The barkeep and the maiden were both gone, likely hold up in their quarters, and Griger could not resist a twinge of loss, no matter how much he may have wanted to. “I’m putting these men under your direct command,” Farbin said of the soldiers. The table before him was laid with maps, parchment, and a large wicker basket full of garlic, as per Griger’s request.
He plucked one of the cloves out, broke it open, and smeared it along the length of his blade. “All of you,” he said, “do like me.”
Without question, each of the men did likewise, applying garlic to their swords like baptimsal waters to a sinner seeking salvation. Next, Griger rubbed half a clove on his face, neck, and arms. The soldiers followed suit without having to be told to. “Aim for its heart or its eyes,” he said. “Those are its weakest points.”
Shoving the sword through his belt, he looked at Farbin. “We’ll be back before sunrise. Likely before midnight.”
Outside, thin clouds wrapped themselves around the moon like rotted burial shrouds and a cool breeze redolent of earth stirred in the desolate street. Guardsmen patrolled the avenues and alleyways with lanterns and the three town deputies manned the gate, opening it for Griger and his party and sparing them anxious, sidelong looks. Well, that’s them gone, those looks said.
Griger strung his forces out along the road, from the bottom of the hill to the river one mile hence. He took up position in a bush pressing against the side of the road, and two of the Guardsmen hunkered behind a wooden cart directly across from him. Griger knelt in the soft dirt, hunched over to fit in the hollow space within the brush, and held the sword crossways so that the blade didn’t stick out and give him away. Silence crashed down around him, broken only by the even push and pull of his own breathing, and shafts of moonlight cascaded through the interlaced branches overhead like celestial search beams. Every so often, a faint kiss of wind would find him and dry the sweat on his face, and once, after he had been coiled an hour, a tiny burrowing mammal brushed past him in the semi-darkness. He reacted on instinct, shooting his arm out and smashing it beneath his fist. A chipmunk stared up at him, a grimace on its face and its eyes wide and staring as if across the gulf betwixt life and death.
A muted sense of remorse twinged his chest, and he took a moment to dig a crude grave with his free hand, then swept the poor, broken creature in and covered it with dirt, which he then patted down.
For a long time, he stared out at the road, his fingers curling and uncurling around the hilt. His heart beat slow and regular, his breathing even. Minutes ticked by, then an hour. The moon sailed above the treeline in the south and cast its light fully upon the world, so bright that Griger could see every pebble in the road, every snarled blade of grass across the way. Nothing moved, no sound carried.
He was just beginning to think he would be there all night when a low, rasping rattle pricked his ears. His muscles went rigid and his grip tightened on the sword. He craned his neck to see toward the bridge, and when he spied the beast, his heart stopped dead. Seven feet, perhaps eight, it ambled up the middle of the road roughly 50 yards off, just far enough away that even with the light it was a hulking, amorphous mass without feature. Its long, crooked legs bent deeply at the knee, and its shoulders rose and fell with the thunderous rhythm of its breathing. As it drew closer, Griger could make out the details of its being. Matted gray fur, so sparse in places that it exposed pink, dimpled flesh, covered its powerful body, and its face protruded outwards in a snout crammed with glistening fangs. Its smell found Griger then, a rank, wild odor, and his nose crinkled. He looked across the way at the cart. One of the men knelt behind it, his wide, horrified eyes stuck to the coming monstrosity. Griger had to remind himself that these men had likely never seen a werewolf before, much less a changeling.
That meant he was largely on his own here.
Right.
When the beast was fifty feet from his position, Griger jumped out of the bush and stood in the path, his legs far apart. The wolf came to a halting stop, and its burning red eyes narrowed in an all too human expression of surprise. Its black lips peeled back from its teeth and its pointed ears laid flat against its skull. It leaned over, its eyes blinking as if to dispel the sight before it, and let out a low growl. Up close, the abomination was even more fearsome, its joints knotted, its fingers and toes terminating in wickedly sharp claws. Griger judged it to be about 350 pounds of sheer muscle mass, not exceptionally large in terms of frame but large enough that if he let it get the upper hand, he would be in trouble.
The wolf tensed and looked around. The Guardsmen, totalling six, surrounded him on all sides, their swords drawn. The wolf squared its shoulders and hooked its talons. Its eyes locked with Griger’s, and Griger was certain that in them was hatred - pure, unadulterated, human hatred.
Letting out a soul petrifying howl, it lunged at him. One of the Guardsmen got in its path, and it swiped his easily away with such force that the man’s head was knocked clean off his shoulders. It hit one of the others and he issued a womanish scream.
Griger met the running nightmare head-on, the sword jamming deep into its belly. He ducked, missing its batting claws by mere inches, and wrenched the sword to the side. Wailing, the wolf brought its hands down hard on Griger’s back; the air knocked from his lungs and he went down to one knee. Acting quick, his mind blank and his instincts in control, he smashed his shoulder into the wolf’s knee in an effort to upset his balance lest he gain the high ground. The wolf staggered back, then kicked him in the chest, its dagger-like claws tearing the front of Griger’s shirt and puncturing his skin. He fell back onto his butt and braced himself for a grounded battle, but the wolf turned its back to him and lashed out at a Guardsman, driving him back. The others formed a tight semi-circle around him. Griger couldn’t see them past the wolf’s broad back, but the ones on the side sprang forward as one, their swords up. The wolf threw out his arm and tore one of their faces off, then snatched another up and tossed him away. The first lay upon the ground, his blood soaking into the dirt.
Getting to his feet, Griger ran at the wolf and jumped onto its back. His training took over and he watched from the center of his own head - a mere passenger -as he hooked one arm around its throat and jammed his opposite thumb into its soft eye. Warm jelly suckled his finger and inhuman muscles rippled and spasmed beneath his grasp. The wolf whipped left and right, and Griger held on, his legs flailing and snapping like twin whips across a horse’s back. Two of the Guardsmen jabbed the wolf’s stomach with their blades, and the wolf hit one with an open hand, cracking his and his comrade’s heads together and decommissioning them both.
Bodies, some dead and others unconscious, littered the ground. The wolf tripped over one and started to fall, but caught itself. Griger took advantage of its momentary misstep and got his legs around its middle. The wolf spun and ried to buck him off, but Griger, teeth gritted, held on, his thumb still deep in the monster’s eye. It wailed in a mixture of agony and frustration, and then threw itself back, its full weight landing on Griger and pinning him to the dirt.
Finally letting go, Griger heaved the monster onto its stomach and scrambled onto it, his knees digging into its furry flanks. Sweat coursed down his face and the back of his neck, and his heart slammed a furious tempo into his aching ribs. It felt like one was cracked but he didn’t have time to care. He balled his fist and smashed it into the back of the wolf’s head thrice in rapid succession, then cried out when it threw him off. He jumped instantly up, fire wrapping itself around his torso like the coils of a big snake. The wolf staggered to its feet, its breathing heavy and body trembling from the damage it had taken. Griger looked around, spotted the sword lying in the dirt, blade slick with blood, and grabbed it.
In the split second it took him to retrieve his weapon, the wolf had loped fifty yards toward the bridge; Griger could just make it out far ahead, lumbering awkwardly on all fours. Someone called out from behind, but Griger ignored them and gave chase, the vise of pain tightening round his chest. He gritted his teeth and pushed through it, every step an agony.
He caught up the creature on the bridge. Its gait had slowed and its breathing deepened. Without missing a beat, Griger spun the sword and brought it down on the wolf’s back one-handed. It sank to its hands and knees and gasped for breath. Griger hit it again, the blade slashing across the side of its face. He raised the sword for a third blow, but so quick he almost missed it, the wolf was on him, its snarling maw inches from his face. It grabbed Griger’s hand and twisted; bones snapped with a wet sound and pain shot up Griger’s arm. The sword dropped to the planks, then went over the side and fell five feet to the babbling river. The creature threw its weight into him, and they hit the railing; it cracked as surely as Griger’s wrist and they plunged into the cold water below.
For a moment they were completely submerged in a confusion of limbs, suspended between the world above and the one below like two insects frozen in amber. The wolf’s claws raked frantically over Griger’s chest, and Griger pounded his fist against the side of its head, barely aware of the pain streaking into his shoulder. They thrashed and rolled, then the wolf shoved him away. Griger broke the surface and sucked a deep breath into his bursting lungs, then looked around. The wolf paddled to the shore and stopped to catch its breath on the muddy bank. Griger swam after, got to his feet, and waded the rest of the way. Instead of attacking, the wolf tried to crawl away. Griger picked his way to dry ground, the grass thick and high, and kicked the wolf in the side. It flopped face first in the mud, then rolled onto its back.
For the first time since the initial confrontation on the road, Griger got a look at the creature. A dozen stab wounds salted its chest, the flesh raised and swollen from the garlic, and its gaping right eye socket was empty, the ruined orb presumably having been washed away in the river. Its dog-like face was crisscrossed with gashes and wounds, and its good eye pooled with misery. The Guardsmen had put up a better fight than Griger realized. Had they been smart enough to duck a bit, they might have brought the wolf down on their own.
The wolf’s gaze met Griger’s, and it tried to stand. Griger pushed it back down with his foot.
Realizing it had been beaten, the wolf let out a canine whimper, and before Griger’s very eyes, began to change like a caterpillar molting into a butterfly. Its features rippled and rearranged, its muscles pulsed and strained, the hair coating its body shedded.
When the transformation was complete, Sel, naked and missing one eye, stared up at him, his scrawny torso cut to ribbons and his face covered in hives. Griger’s heart sank to his stomach and his breath locked in his chest. Sel darted his remaining eye away and looked up at the moon, his mistress. “You watched yourself,” he muttered.
Coldness spread through Griger’s soul and he knelt next to the old man, his face hardening. He barely knew Sel, had only two conversations with the man, but he couldn’t help the faint flutter of betrayal in the pit of his stomach.
And that made him mad.
“I told you,” he said icily, “I can handle a werewolf.”
He wrapped his hands around Sel’s neck and squeezed.
When the old man was dead, Griger got to his feet, grabbed a tuft of white hair, and dragged the corpse back into town.
In an hour, pardon in hand, he left the village of Koreth and never looked back.

My partner and I were taking the back roads on our way to vacation. The highway was crawling, and that just stresses us out. I'm wishing so hard right now we had stayed on the "beaten path" rather than taking the longer scenic route, but here we are, and we're scared.
At first the drive was lovely. Rolling fields of animals, farmland and farmer markets every few miles were a welcome distraction from the monotonous drive. The first time I saw the sign I thought is was a little creepy, but I didn't do more than point it out to Jeff when we passed it. It was a rusty looking two part sign. The top was a picture of two people with their arms up that said Children Waving. The people looked creepy, but the second part of the sign was what really grabbed my attention. It said Please Wave Back. We slowed down a little when we passed it and Jeff tickled me and told me I better wave back to the children of the corn if we saw them.
There they were right around the bend. Two children in ratty dirty clothes. A girl who looked to be about seven and a boy who was possibly around five. They stood with giant unnatural smiles from ear to ear and they held hands while waving the others in a mechanical slow wave. We just stared at them in shock and more than a little fear. I told Jeff to drive faster. I raised my hand in a little "hi" and Jeff just drove on, both hands on the wheel. They looked like they were either starving or already dead, and the sign right before seemed so much more sinister now than it had at first. He hit the gas and I watched in the side mirror as they turned to follow our movement, still waving and smiling. It was creepy as hell, but at least we were past it.
We drove for about half an hour and after a while we started to calm down and joke about the kids. Jeff said something along the lines of "I wonder how many actual cars those kids have seen instead of horse buggies" and I snickered. Then I felt my heart drop into my feet when Jeff slowed down and he pointed to the road in front of us. It was the sign again, like we had driven in a circle. I shook my head and told him to just drive, that it's just another one. It wasn't, because the sign was at the exact same angle as the one before, and right past the trees there they were, smiling and waving.
We've been stuck in this loop for hours. We've waved, we've begged, we've driven. Nothing works. We're terrified and don't know what to do. If you see a sign telling you to wave, you better wave back the first time you see them. Maybe they'll let you go.

I'm from South Korea and planning a road trip from Seattle to Wyoming.
We are 2 humen and 1 dog.
I'll write down some of the plans i made, if you have any advice, please let me know.

1. It's a month long trip around September. Since it's from Seattle(or San Francisco) to Wyoming, the weather would be well optimized for camping and road trips right?
   
2. I will be camping with a tent and a sleeping bag for the whole trip. But can i do that in non official camp sites(the paid ones)? Wonder if it's against the law. Obviously i won't camp in a sketchy places like a parking lot, street, but thinking of camping around forests or in mountains, or maybe in the national park visitor center parking lot?
   
3. I've travelled enough in California, Nevada area, So i want to see something different, no more deserts, i want forests, mountains. Which places are the must go between Seattle(or San Francisco) and Wyoming?
   
4. The route will be starting from Seattle(or San Francisco) to Wyoming and then back to the start point since i have to get back to the start point to return the car and to take the airplane back to South Korea. But don't wanna drive through the same road back, Which route do you recommend for this? I'm mostly excited about Wyoming. And start point can be changed if i need to.
   
5. For the car, since the size doesn't really matter as long as it can carry 1,2 suitcases, and 1,2 large backpacks, i want to pick the most fuel efficient option so i'm thinking of Prius, but do you have any other recommendations on it? I will be driving about 2000 miles total since i have to get back to the start point.
   
6. I'm kinda confused with the fuel pricing in the US, So i need to drive 2000 miles, and if the car has 40 MPG, then i need 50 gallons, and if a gallon is $6, then it's $300 total. Hmm if it doesn't make a big difference(within $2~300) then i want to rent a car more nice to drive though. Is my calculation correct?
   
7. Any dog related advice? It seems like most places are dog friendly, but Yellowstone is not allowing dogs apparently, kinda don't know what to do. Yellowstone seems to be a must place to go, I wanna spend a few nights but what should i do with my dog. Hmm.
   
8. As you read all this, please tell me any advice about what i'm trying to do. Since i'm from South Korea, I'm not familiar with the US law or general safety in the US.
   

Thank you.

(Because i am still awake and i just played a game, you all get a third post today.)
200 million people. That's not that much, but it's 200 million and everything they need to feed and build and fight for themselves. Or rather its everything 200 million people need to test and compute and theorize and develop and market things with all the additional people and equipment to suply, feed, defend, entertain and adequately enforce rules on such a populus.
So 200 million is just the city center population, then you get into the farming sections, industrial mining and refining, waste management, recycling, freight, atmospheric scrubbing, wildlife preserves, tourist attractions, passenger docks and military quarters.
Its probably closer to half a Billion people on that station but do you know how much mass transit there is? Total capacity runs about 100 million, all routs all ways, over one day. They consider a 50% occupancy rate a resounding success and something to take pride in. Humans.
That's not the worst part though, you know what the worst part is? Averagge distance between occupation and residence. About 12 miles. Average.
Meaning military and farm people bring down the average commute distance by inserting 0s into the calculation for average. Meaning most people live far enough that walking to work and back takes literally all day.
But these are humans, they do not simply walk. To be fair most other species dont either, but use some simple machine or mass transit network to move about if they can't simply make their work into a home. But humans have laws, stupid laws that say you cant live at work and your work cant exist near any homes.
They also dont build homes. Administrators see that housing is going unoccupied and so never open up contracts for residential housing blocks untill everything is both filled and there are people without homes.
The system has been refined over time, being more responsive and adjusting to various needs but that leaves the question: how does anyone get around if they need to transit and the transit network goes unused?
Cars.
Independent transit.
The thing most infrastructure planners and civil engineers will imediately begin foaming at the mouth over. What's worse, they use it for low volume freight too.
Now before the transit majors collectively die of brain hemmorage there are three things to note. One: you're overreacting. Two: they have methods to fit everything in. And three: they have always lived this way.
First point to be adressed, devoting your whole life and feild of study to something that is invalidated by some random ape with a stick is most of human achedimia, so you getting some randome ape with a stick invalidating your life's work is little more than a greeting for them. You still have useful insights and indeed, this station's mass transit system was co developed by graduates of transit studies departments the Confederacy over. A really great achivement all things considered.
Second point, not all roads are the same. It bears some importance to point out our system of independent transit is downright archaic compared to the sophistication of their road logistics. There are the connecting roads, yes, long straight, multilane affairs with very few intersections. But those do not connect locations to eachother or connect directly to destinations, instead they have smoother, entrenched highways where nothing interrupts road to connect different hubs to gether. Then they have streets, narrow winding multipurpose pedestrianways that host more or less vehicles based on what they connect to. Never to streets and highways meet.
Lastly, it is the human prerogative to go where they want when they want. If they can they want to, no amount of saying no will stop them so instead of dealing with stowaways and tunnelers humans just connect everything they can and say 'if it fits it fits'. Humans have always exercised a certain independence or dare I say, disregard for any authority attemping to exert itself on their freedoms. It is the case in wildlife harbouring as much as weapons possession and indeed personal transportation.
And in all this enabling humans to move about freely comes demand for things that let them do that.
Their cars.
A subject wherein engineers, both military and agricultural will join the transit engineers in exploding head syndrome.
Where 30% thermal efficiency is considered an abject failure.

I'm from South Korea and planning a road trip from Seattle to Wyoming.
We are 2 humen and 1 dog.
I'll write down some of the plans i made, if you have any advice, please let me know.

1. It's a month long trip around September. Since it's from Seattle(or San Francisco) to Wyoming, the weather would be well optimized for camping and road trips right?
   
2. I will be camping with a tent and a sleeping bag for the whole trip. But can i do that in non official camp sites(the paid ones)? Wonder if it's against the law. Obviously i won't camp in a sketchy places like a parking lot, street, but thinking of camping around forests or in mountains, or maybe in the national park visitor center parking lot?
   
3. I've travelled enough in California, Nevada area, So i want to see something different, no more deserts, i want forests, mountains. Which places are the must go between Seattle(or San Francisco) and Wyoming?
   
4. The route will be starting from Seattle(or San Francisco) to Wyoming and then back to the start point since i have to get back to the start point to return the car and to take the airplane back to South Korea. But don't wanna drive through the same road back, Which route do you recommend for this? I'm mostly excited about Wyoming. And start point can be changed if i need to.
   
5. For the car, since the size doesn't really matter as long as it can carry 1,2 suitcases, and 1,2 large backpacks, i want to pick the most fuel efficient option so i'm thinking of Prius, but do you have any other recommendations on it? I will be driving about 2000 miles total since i have to get back to the start point.
   
6. I'm kinda confused with the fuel pricing in the US, So i need to drive 2000 miles, and if the car has 40 MPG, then i need 50 gallons, and if a gallon is $6, then it's $300 total. Hmm if it doesn't make a big difference(within $2~300) then i want to rent a car more nice to drive though. Is my calculation correct?
   
7. Any dog related advice? It seems like most places are dog friendly, but Yellowstone is not allowing dogs apparently, kinda don't know what to do. Yellowstone seems to be a must place to go, I wanna spend a few nights but what should i do with my dog. Hmm.
   
8. As you read all this, please tell me any advice about what i'm trying to do. Since i'm from South Korea, I'm not familiar with the US law or general safety in the US.
   

Thank you.

I (21f) gave been working really hard at driving for a while now. I had to renew my permit because after a year of practicing I was still to scared to take the test. I’m even in therapy for it!
It’s hard to even explain how slow I made progress. I was in tears at the thought of leaving the parking lot for the first 6 months of learning how to drive. It was a major accomplishment when I went 25 on the less-than-one mile drive home from my work.
After over a year of practicing, driving was starting to feel normal to me. I was driving myself home from work (with someone else in the car) a couple times each week, and practicing the 5 mile drive to my university on busy 40mph streets every weekend. I practiced the DMV route several times, and got some experience with the weirder features of the route (there’s a 4-way-stop AND railroad tracks). It was a huge deal when I made my appointment and I was really proud of myself. I actually felt confident driving, finally!
I took my test this February. The examiner I got was really rude right off the bat, and very startling to drive with. Early on, she didn’t see me look around a big truck that was parked on a corner, and when I turned, she exclaimed, “Jesus! You have to look!!” Even though I did look, and there was nobody on the quiet residential street. She continued to be really rude and spoke to me like a child, and acted like i had no business being there. She even said “I don’t know how long you’ve been practicing… but get some more.” I’ve rarely if ever been treated how I was.
She added up my errors (perceived or otherwise) and I just barely failed. My initial reaction was like, screw that lady’s opinion, she was probably having a bad day, and i know i’m not the u safe driver she acted like i am. But the next time I tried to practice, it sank in that her treatment really badly shook my confidence. Most of all, her acting like I went into intersections without looking has made me doubt myself and out the image in my head of entering an intersection having completely missed something i should have seen and just getting rammed into at full speed.
I’m back to being unable to drive on roads now. I know, logically, that those hours of practice are in there somewhere, but I’m so anxious and distrustful of myself that it feels close to being back as square one. I’m so frustrated that my progress is gone, and I honestly wish I hadn’t made that appointment. I’d be much better off without that experience. I feel severely set back and I have no idea how I’m going to regain my confidence because even parking lot laps are so uncomfortable for me that I can barely get myself to go do them.
If anyone has had a similar experience or knows how to move on from this or get that image out of my head please let me know.

So I met this girl (23F) 8 months ago. Our parents are friends (and yes I know that’s not a good thing, but it is what it is). She started her PhD in Michigan while I’m finishing my bachelors in Wisconsin. We maintain close contact over text. She stayed at my parents place for thanksgiving and Christmas break and we had a lot of fun and our chemistry seemed to really work. I also want to pursue a a PhD and one of the schools of interest is the one she’s at.
Following the new year, I went to her place on campus and we had a slew of deep conversations. She told me a lot of very personal things. I also opened up and told her some issues that I have with anxiety and stress and she was very understanding and supportive. She then asked me whether I had a girlfriend before and why I didn’t have one. I answered sincerely saying that it just never happened. I didn’t push the subject any further because I didn’t want to know whether she had a boyfriend before, I honestly don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me what happened before.
I went away to start the semester and we frequently (almost daily) texted and spoke over the phone. I began flirting with her and she received it quite well and flirted back. She had an issue with someone stalking her and I was the first one she contacted, I tried to be very supportive and it meant a lot to her. I know this doesn’t sound like a lot but we share Spotify playlists and she adds quite suggestive music.
She has been super excited for the summer and booked a flight to visit me on campus in May when I finish school. She also wants to go on a road trip because my summer internship is very flexible. She is also really eager to meet my friends and has said multiple times that she wants to meet them.
So I recently came home for break and I went to visit her. She was pretty excited about it and planned out the entire night. We first sat at her place and talked for a while. She got kind of embarrassed because I got her a book as a present I found a couple months back. My birthday was a week before and she felt really bad that she didn’t get a me a present but it honestly didn’t bother me at all. I also wrote a nice note in the book that she really liked.
We then went to meet her really good colleague/friend (and her colleague’s boyfriend) at a pub. On the way there I side hugged her while we were waiting for cross walk. She smiled but didn’t say anything. We had a lot of fun with her friend and drank a little bit. Apparently she spoke about me to her friends many times which I found cute. After that we went to her place and we began talking again, but this time about some pretty deep stuff. She started asking me a lot of questions like: if I had a partner how would I deal with disagreements? If I had a partner who’s parent (singular) is disagreeable how would I manage that? And she asked me about when I want to have kids and when I would want to get married? I responded to all of those questions earnestly and she agreed with all of my responses. I then told her directly that I really cared about our relationship. I took her by the hand and looked her in the eye and let her know that she mattered to me. She smiled and responded saying she cares as well. She later told me that she was in a relationship for 6 years and she ended it due to long distance issues and other issues. I believe the other issues have something to do with one of her parents because she confessed to me that one of her parents acts very childish. I think that meant that she wasn’t big into long distance stuff and that there might be some other underlying issue, but I don’t want to overspeculate. Not exactly sure but I don’t think that’s a red flag for her as a person, she’s very honest and forthcoming. I think it also might give context that she said that she only looks for long term relationships, which I am very cool with.
I first slept on the couch to respect her privacy because I don’t want to drastically test boundaries. She then told me to come to her bed and we slept next to each other (no sex). The next morning I followed up on the questions that she asked and asked whether they were allegorical. She said no and was just purely interested in knowing. I then asked about her thoughts on a relationship and she told me that she is currently in a state where she can’t say yes or no. She explicitly said that she was definitely interesting in pursuing this route and really liked me but what wants things to unravel naturally and spontaneously. I appreciated that she was very direct when I asked her and didn’t beat around the bush. I was understanding and didn’t push it any further. She later asked me whether we would still do all the fun stuff over summer, which I said yes to as her response to the prior question doesn’t change my attitude towards her. We ate breakfast and I got ready to leave and she promptly hugged me.
That evening I sent her a text thanking her for a fun night and letting me sleep over at her place. She said that she had a lot of fun and that our deep conversations mean a lot to her and are a good stepping to stone to knowing each other a little bit better.
I’m honestly a bit confused. I’m not really sure how to feel. I think I misaligned my goals with my expectations. I feel pressure to push forward with intimacy but I like taking it slowly. I also don’t want to stagnate the progression of this relationship if that makes sense. I understand that we’ve only been physically together about 10 times (although extended periods of times) which may be the reason as to why she said idk. Am I just overthinking this and being an idiot? Am I being too forward? I would like get advice from the opposite gender on how I should go further and whether I’m being unreasonable. I really care about her and she still wants to continue all of these plans for the future. My plan is to lay it off a little bit and let her take the lead. What do you all think? Thanks.
TLDR: I’ve been intensively talking with this girl and she acknowledges that she really likes me and wants to pursue a relationship further (slowly) but is not currently in a state where she can say yes or no due to perhaps LDR issues and one of her parents.
Edit: for reference, she lives in a graduate dorm. Which is a shared living space.

First Entry
Second Entry
Third Entry
Fourth Entry ​
Fifth Entry
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Journal of Camille Lambert - April 12th
​
We could see the shadows of the Nightwalkers from our place by the bonfire. They peeked in through the broken windows of the church, watching us from afar but never actually entering the ruins. I’m not sure if the firelight was what kept them away, or the protective runes that Nina had drawn.
​
Nina sat on a fallen column, watching them in case they tried anything… and yet if I walked over to the right side of the circle of columns that we’d set up our bonfire in, she seemed… dimmer. Like she was there and yet not there at the same time.
​
Dom on the other hand was crystal clear. I could see him sitting by the door of the church. I couldn’t see him at all from the left side of the circle. The mist was too thick. But on the right side, he was right there, impossible to miss. The effect was surreal, to say the least. He was holding the device Nina had used to call in her backup. She’d called it a phone but it didn’t look like any phone I’d ever seen.
​
“ETA, an hour or so for the standby team in Tallinn, 15 hours for the rest,” Nina had said after she’d made her call. “Let’s get comfortable.”
I figured that it’d been about an hour and a half since she’d said that. Standing by the bonfire itself, the world past the columns seemed to be in flux. Sometimes I could see mist through the windows and the holes in the ceiling. Sometimes I could see stars.
​
Shadows of smaller Nightwalkers darted past the church door sometimes, lingering only long enough to look in on us before retreating back into the darkness. Nina watched each one like a hawk, gripping her shotgun tightly.
I walked out to sit with her for a bit, leaving the light of the fire for a little while. Even from her vantage point, I still couldn’t see Dom but at least I knew he was safe enough.
“How many do you think are out there?” I asked quietly.
“Too many,” Nina replied. “We’re not going back to Puriysk tonight, that’s for damn sure.”
​
As she spoke, I saw more shadows moving in the dark, skittering away into the mist.
“You sure you want to stay out here? Might be safer to stay with Dom,” I said.
“Probably, but it’s better if I stay here. If the door closes, I’m better off on the inside. Be easier to open it again, that way.”
“Fair enough,” I said, looking back out into the mist. I could see nothing past it.
​
No shadows. No movement. There wasn’t even any noise. Nina looked up at the darkness again.
“Is it just me or is it quieter out there?” She asked.
“No… it’s quieter out there,” I said. “Could be there’s a big one nearby. Dom said that the small ones usually avoid them.”
​
Nina kept staring out at the mist, but the silence remained. I wasn’t sure if she was genuinely worried or not. After a few minutes, I saw movement in the mist again. I heard the rustling of trees and saw something standing in the dark. I almost thought that it might have looked like a man… almost. But I couldn’t fully make out the shape of it.
​
I could see the eyes of the Nightwalker shining in the firelight, before it finally moved, darting out of sight. Nina watched it go, before returning her attention to me.
“Good news is, we won’t be alone for that much longer,” She said. “After the first group shows up, we can head into Puriysk with them and start setting up shop. By the time the rest of them arrive, we should be in a good place. After that, it’s just a matter of getting people out and dealing with Calhoun,”
“You make it sound easy,” I said.
“I mean, it probably won’t be a walk in the park,” Nina admitted. “But at least we won’t be running this job alone. These things go easier when you’ve got help.”
“Yeah… I imagine they would,” I said.
​
Beside us, I heard a dull thud as a piece of one of the church's more damaged walls fell away and crashed to the ground. Nina was up on her feet immediately, shotgun in hand. I rose to my feet beside her.
“The fuck was that?” She asked.
“Part of the wall, I think,” I said. I spotted the spot where it had fallen and looked up. It had probably come off one of the broken domed towers near the door. One of their ceilings had come down ages ago and I imagined it wouldn’t take much more than a strong gust of wind to knock over some of the loose bricks jutting out from where the roof remained. Nina approached the fallen piece of brick, pausing to inspect it.
​
“Hell of a big chunk of wall,” She said before looking up again. I did the same, although as I did, I could’ve sworn I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked over at it. The shadows cast by the bonfire left pools of darkness along the ceiling.
​
But in those pools, I could see flickering reflections of light.
​
Two of them.
​
Staring right at me.
​
Slowly I reached out, putting a hand on Nina’s shoulder. I didn’t want to yell or move too quickly. I couldn’t see what was in the darkness but I know that it looked poised to strike. Nina looked over at me, before tensing up. I knew that she saw it too. The eyes remained trained on us, and I heard a low, animal hiss coming from the shadows.
“Bonfire…” Nina said, gripping her shotgun tighter “Get Dom… now.”
​
I took a step back and saw the eyes following me. Nina backed away from the shadows, eyes never leaving the ceiling. I saw limbs splaying outward from the darkness. I could see them tensing up. It was going to lunge.
​
“MOVE!” I said, breaking into a sprint, but it was too late. The Nightwalker launched itself at Nina like a bullet. I heard her shotgun fire twice, before the creature crashed into the ground, flailing violently. I could see long, dark limbs, more than any human should have struggling to pick itself up. I could see a body that only vaguely resembled a man. It had a torso, a human head, and long black hair, but looked more like a spider than a person. And yet there was something off about it. Something I hadn’t seen on any of the other Nightwalkers. This one had some kind of sigil on its forehead. Something that looked almost like a crimson eye, that seemed to glow with surreal energy.
​
The Nightwalker looked at Nina, snarling at her. When it opened its mouth, I could see rows upon rows of teeth inside. She fired her shotgun again, but the creature barely even seemed to notice them. Even after she’d gone through the trouble of cursing them, her rounds weren’t doing anything.
“RUN!” I heard her yell, and I didn’t dare question that. I just ran.
​
I sprinted toward the bonfire, just in time to see Dom running toward me. He took aim at the Nightwalker, firing at it as it tried to go after Nina. But his bullets did next to nothing to it. The Nightwalker didn’t even look at him.
​
It just kept going for Nina, almost pinning her down. She unloaded two more shells into its face, which did little more than make it flinch and bought her some time to run.
​
This time, she took off at a sprint toward the bonfire. Dom saw her running and started to backpedal as well, running back toward the bonfire and the safety of the columns. The creature paused as we took shelter by the fire, watching us intently and letting out another serpentine hiss. Nina stared back at it, before looking back at the fire. She tossed her shotgun aside and hastily grabbed one of the spare branches we’d kept for the bonfire. She put it in the fire, before pulling it out and brandishing it like a weapon. The Nightwalker hissed and recoiled a bit, focused on the flame. As it paused, Dom grabbed Nina’s shotgun off the ground and took aim.
​
“Don’t…” She said, putting a hand up to stop him, her voice low and intense. She didn’t dare look away from the Nightwalker. “Save the cursed rounds… they won’t kill it. Just get outside.”
“What about you?” Dom asked.
“Outside,” Nina repeated. “Now.”
I put a hand on Dom’s shoulder.
“Let’s go!” I said, trying to tug him along behind me.
​
He hesitated for a moment longer before finally letting me take him. We backed through the right set of columns, and once we were through I saw Nina taking a step away from the bonfire, toward the right set of columns. The Nightwalker passed the left set of columns, trying to follow her.
“Come on…” She said under her breath, “Come and get me, shithead…”
​
I saw it inching closer to her, and tensing up again, getting ready to pounce. That was when Nina made her move. She thrust her burning branch into the Nightwalker's face, earning a cry of pain from it and making it jerk back. I saw it swatting at the branch, trying to get rid of the fire. Nina took the chance to run, sprinting at top speed toward the door of the church.
“GO!”
​
Neither of us needed to be told twice. We ran for the church door, as the Nightwalker let out a roar from behind us. I looked back to see it charging toward us again, gaining ground. As we ran back out into the field, we were greeted by countless blinding lights. I saw Nina pause, before feeling her grab me by the back of the shirt and pull me away. I could see Dom in her other hand. She dragged us both down to the ground in the instant before the Nightwalker emerged from the door of the church.
​
I saw it recoil, putting up its clawed hands to try and shield its eyes from the blinding light.
​
Then I heard the gunfire.
​
As my eyes adjusted to the light, I could see several men, each holding automatic rifles advancing on the Nightwalker. It shrank back toward the church, trying to shield itself from the gunfire, clearly overwhelmed. But just like with Nina’s shotgun before it, the bullets did little to harm it. Despite all the gunfire it took, it didn’t fall. I could hear it hissing, I could see its beady black eyes darting around wildly. It lunged forward again, tackling one of the nearby men and tearing into him, before going after another. I saw its jaws close around his skull and heard the sickening crunch of bone as it took his head. The other men scrambled back, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the Nightwalker as they could. It howled in rage, preparing to charge after them when a final, deafening gunshot echoed through the night.
​
This time, the Nightwalker's entire body seized up. It let out an agonized scream. I could see its clawed hands clutching at a wound that had appeared on its chest… and I could see smoke rising out of that wound. It kept screaming and thrashing violently. Its limbs gave out from underneath it. I could see the wound in its chest sizzling and burning. I saw the flesh and skin sloughing off of its body, and I could see the pale white bone underneath.
​
The eye sigil on its forehead flickered before fading away and the Nightwalker let out one final, howl before collapsing to the ground, its body still twitching and convulsing. I looked over to see a single woman standing calmly by the nearby trucks. She was tall and pale, with long, stringy black hair and an intense look in her eye.
​
She was dressed in a long beige coat and holding an ornate revolver in one gloved hand. As the Nightwalker died I saw her gingerly slip the pistol into the inner pocket of her coat before reaching into another pocket for a notebook. Without ever looking away from the dead Nightwalker, she scribbled something down, then pocketed the notebook again and calmly walked toward the church, not even pausing to acknowledge anyone else around her. As she left, I saw the other armed men tending to their dead. With the Nightwalker dead, I could get a better look at them now. They were dressed like soldiers, with bulletproof vests and no shortage of pockets. A few of them wore netted veils over their faces, making it hard to get a good look at them and giving them an eerie appearance, although watching them examine the bodies of their dead and respectfully carrying them away was almost humanizing.
​
Nina sat up, her blonde hair messy and a somewhat disoriented look on her face. She looked over toward the source of the lights that had blinded us. Four large SUVs were parked outside of the church, their headlights shining on the door. From those SUVs, I could see more armed men getting out and one of them was coming toward us.
​
“Nina Valentine?” I heard him ask. He had a heavy Slavic accent.
“Still alive,” She said, as she slowly climbed to her feet.
“Good. I’m Olev Kallas, I’m from the Tallinn Office, Director Durand sends his regards,” He offered Nina a hand to shake and she reluctantly took it. “The Director is currently en route, as are the rest of the team. In the meanwhile, we’re here to help.”
“Yeah and right on fucking time too,” She said, looking over at the dead Nightwalker.
​
“Ah… yes, you can thank Dr. Di Cesare for that,” Kallas said.
Nina raised an eyebrow. I had a feeling that she recognized the name, but she didn’t comment on it.
“But first, I imagine you and your friends must need a hot meal and a cold drink right about now and I can get you both.”
“Oh you’ve got no fucking idea…” Nina said, as Dom helped me to my feet. She waited until we were up, before gesturing for us to follow as Kallas led us toward one of the SUV’s.
​
***
​
I barely recognized the empty field around us as Puriysk. The buildings were all long gone and in their place was a paved highway that I’d never seen before.
“The town’s been gone for as long as I can remember,” Kallas said. “I couldn’t tell you if it was us, or the Soviets who got rid of the ruins. I read somewhere that there was some talk about refurbishing the old Church, but as you see, nothing ever came of it.”
“Thank God for small miracles,” Nina said, “Made my job a hell of a lot easier.”
​
We drove down the highway, past the wide open landscape and as we drove, I couldn’t help but admire it. In the distance, I could see the lights from another nearby town and watched as they drew closer and closer. God, I’d never seen a place so full of life before. As we drove along the quiet streets, past the sleeping buildings in the early hours of the morning, they still seemed so alive. Street lights cast a warm glow on the few passersby out doing their business. There were more cars on the road than I’d ever seen before, some driving past us to their own destinations and others parked and still.
​
“I can drop you three off at a hotel if you’d like,” Kallas offered. “You can get cleaned up and have a short rest before Director Durand arrives. I can pick up some fresh clothes for you, and then we can have a debrief over dinner.”
“Yeah, works for me,” Nina said before looking over at us.
“Dinner sounds good,” I said, although at the time I had no idea what exactly a hotel was. Thankfully, I got my answer pretty quickly.
​
The room I got was comfortable. The bed was softer than anything I’d ever laid on before and the hot water… oh God… I spent almost an hour in the shower alone, enjoying the steam and feeling the tension drain out of my muscles. When I was done, I put on a soft, fluffy bathrobe and laid down, letting myself relax for the first time in days. I almost dozed off… and maybe I would have if I hadn’t heard a knock on my door.
​
I considered ignoring it and just letting sleep take me, but I figured I might as well make sure it wasn’t important. Tying my bathrobe a little tighter around me, I got up to answer the door and was greeted by Dom, still wet from the shower.
​
“Hey,” He said. “Sorry, I hope I’m not bothering you!”
“It’s fine!” I replied, putting on a smile, “Come on in.”
I opened the door all the way to let him inside, but he hesitated.
“No, it’s alright. I just thought I’d check on you. It’s been… well, it’s been one hell of a past few days. And this feels like the first chance we’ve had to really breathe in a while.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” I sighed. I still held the door open for him. “Well, we’re not going to have this conversation in the hall, so come on in. I’ve got a coffee machine in here and I’m dying to try it out.”
​
I’m not sure if it was the promise of coffee that made him accept my invitation or the realization that I probably didn’t want to be in the hall with just a bathrobe on, but he came inside anyway.I went to the coffee machine and tried to figure it out. They had these little cups that I’d never seen before, but otherwise, it seemed fairly straightforward.
​
“Man… it’s really something else out here, isn’t it?” Dom asked, going to sit down on the bed. “It’s just so bright out here!”
“I’m still not entirely convinced I’m not dreaming,” I admitted. I managed to get one of the cups into the coffee machine and watched as it pissed out a somewhat pathetic amount of scalding hot coffee that admittedly did smell very nice. It had a lovely vanilla aroma.
I brought the first cup over to Dom.
​
“Glad I’m not the only one,” He said as I went back to make another cup, “Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if Nina’s backup was even going to come through and I sure as hell didn’t expect any of this.”
“You and me both,” I said with a sigh, “Is it wrong to say that I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop?”
“Well, when something seems too good to be true…” Dom murmured, “Although then again… looking at what we had in there compared to what Nina’s been telling me about life out here, I can’t help but wonder if we’ve had it bad for so long that even the smallest good thing would seem too good to be true.”
“That’s a disturbing thought,” I said.
“Maybe. But what if it’s true?”
​
I didn’t know how to answer that.
“Either way… this isn’t much more than a break, isn’t it?” Dom asked, “The calm before the storm. I know that after we talk to the Director, Nina’s going right back in… and I’m going with her.”
I nodded before taking my coffee and joining him on the bed.
“I know,” I said. “And I’m going with you.”
“You know that you don’t have to, right?” Dom asked. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I know that this kind of thing isn’t exactly in your wheelhouse. I’m not saying to just let it be or anything, but there’s other ways to help that don’t involve shooting things and burning down buildings.”
​
Again, I paused.
“Maybe,” I said. “Honestly, whatever I can do, I just want to do it. Whatever it may be. I’ve been just accepting things the way they were for too long, the same as you. I don’t want to just accept it anymore! I can’t.”
“And you aren’t,” Dom said, “I mean… shit, I watched you take pot shots at a Nightwalker the other night. Ever since we left, you’ve done whatever you can to help out. You’ve done a hell of a lot more to fix things than anyone else I know. That takes a hell of a lot of strength. More than I’d probably have in your shoes… honestly, you’re half the reason I’m still doing this, Cam.”
​
I looked at him and felt his hand pressing over mine.
“Only half?” I teased, trying to distract from the shade I could feel my cheeks flushing.
“Well, there’s everyone else too.” He said, “But right now, the one I care the most about is you.”
I actually broke down laughing at that and gently pushed him away.
“Too much?” He asked.
“No,” I said. “Just right.”
​
I let my head rest on his shoulder and for a little bit, we just sat together, hand in hand and beautifully content. I sensed him hesitating for a little while, before finally seizing the moment and placing his hand on my chin. I let him. He lifted my face and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, one that I all too happily reciprocated.
​
After all… who knew when we’d get another chance?
​
***
​
The restaurant that Kallas brought us to was fairly quiet, although it wasn’t empty. As we walked in, I could see a large table set out with faces both familiar and unfamiliar at it.
​
Nina had washed almost an entire layer of dirt and soot off her face. Her hair looked cleaner and she was clearly wearing new, cleaner jeans. Although I didn’t think she’d actually changed her T-shirt. I recognized it by the neckline, but I’d never seen the whole thing before. It had a graphic of a warning label on it that said: ‘DO NOT USE FOR WET GRINDING’ although the ‘DO NOT’ part was crossed out in red.
​
Had she seriously been wearing that the whole fucking time…? At least it looked like she’d recently washed it.
​
Beside Nina, I saw Natalya, looking a little more cleaned up and wearing new clothes. Someone must have gotten her out of Puriysk earlier that day. The dark haired woman that Kallas had named as Dr. Di Cesare sat on the other side of Nina, although she was more focused on her own journal than any of us.
Lastly, I saw a man I didn’t recognize at all. He was tall and looked to be somewhere in his fifties, with wavy blond hair and a clean shaven face. He was dressed in a nice but slightly wrinkled suit.
​
The blond man was the first one to speak.
“Mr. Kallas, good to see you again,” He said as he got up to greet us.
“Director Durand, I have to say that the pleasure is all mine,” Kallas said, shaking Durand’s hand. His attention turned to us next.
​
“You two must be Camille Lambert and Dom Hoskins, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Milo Durand. I’m the Director of the Fae Relations Bureau’s Department of Public Safety.”
“Hell of a mouthful,” Dom said, shaking Durand’s hand.
“Just call us the FRB for short,” He said with a smile, “Take a seat. Dr. Di Cesare and I wanted to take some time to go through the situation with the Calhoun Pocket.”
​
Kallas pulled out some seats for us and we sat down. There were glasses of water waiting for us at the table. As soon as we sat down, Dr. Di Cesare glanced up at us, but didn’t close her notebook.
“So… now that we’re all here. Where should we begin?” Kallas asked.
“Well for starters, I’d like to get a solid picture of what exactly we’re going to be walking into when we send the rest of our people into the Calhoun Pocket,” Durand said, “Mr. Kallas, I’m aware you’re detachment has already properly secured Puriysk. But I’ve got some questions regarding the other towns so we know what else to expect once we’re inside.”
“What exactly is it that you want to know?” I asked.
​
“Well for starters, we need access to the other towns. We were told that navigating between them could be difficult, but I imagine there must be some way to circumvent that,”
“There is,” Dom said, “The roads don’t always go to the same places, but there are always landmarks and turns. You can use those to navigate.”
“One of the files I found in the archive at the Deputy’s Office has a list of landmarks and directions to reach the different towns,” Nina added, “I emailed you a copy earlier to go over,”
​
Durand nodded.
“Excellent. Which leads me to my next question. Infrastructure. I can’t imagine Calhoun’s been running a show like his without some means of providing food and power to the other towns. I’m aware that Rankin Mills had a power plant, so I figure that Calhoun is using that to keep the lights on. But what about food, gas, supplies?”
“Most of the food comes from Bakersfield,” I said. “There’s a lot of farmland there, most of it fairly safe from the mist. I used to work at a Roadhouse in Thompson Falls. We’d get deliveries every week or so.”
​
“I see… what about Puriysk and Thompson Falls? What’s there?”
“Puriysk was where they trained a lot of the Sheriff’s Boys,” Dom said. “They had the largest Deputy’s Office outside of Parsons. And Thompson Falls was more of a mining community. Lotta the construction work that was done in Parsons was done by people brought in from Thompson and Puriysk.”
​
Durand raised an eyebrow.
“Construction in Parsons?” He asked.
“Calhoun’s sorta been using it as his capital. Far as I can tell, he’s been trying to build up the towns, although Parson’s the one that’s gotten the most attention,” Dom said. “I guess it’s as close to a capital city as we’ve got in there. He also mentioned the ‘Sovereign Nation of Calhoun’ although I haven’t heard anyone outside of Parsons use that name.”
“Sovereign Nation of Calhoun…” Durand repeated, before glancing at Nina. She just gave a slightly defeated nod as if to say: ‘Yeah, he actually called it that.’
​
“Okay… let’s talk about Calhoun himself… what do you know?” Durand asked.
“Not a hell of a lot,” Dom said, “Closest I’ve ever come to actually meeting the guy is when he spoke to us outside of the church last night. Other than that, he rarely leaves his house in Parsons and rarely appears in public and most of what I’ve heard is just rumors.”
​
“Whatever you’ve heard… odds are that it’s true,” Natalya said quietly, drawing all eyes at the table over to her.
“I’ve heard the story enough times now… first from my mother, then from so many afterward. One day, the days just grew dimmer. The clouds above us just grew so thick that you could not see the sun and the mist drifted through the streets. The roads no longer led to the same places… and at night, the shadows moved, devouring any in their paths alive and screaming. First, it came for Parsons, then Rankin, Puriysk, Bakersfield, and Thompson. One by one. In time, it will come for others. He will come for others.”
​
Durand leaned in a little bit, listening intently. Dr. Di Cesare had also paused, listening as Natalya spoke.
“My mother told me that after the change, Calhoun’s people began to enter the town. Drunken louts, filling up the bars demanding free alcohol in exchange for ‘protection’ from the things outside. Although even with the alcohol, they still left bodies in their wake.”
She paused, slipping back into old, bitter memories.
​
“She told me of the ways Calhoun had changed Puriysk… most of the men either joined his little militia out of necessity or were given other jobs where they were worked to the bone. And the women…” She paused, “The homemakers he generally left alone but the young and the pretty ones found their way into the brothel. After all, his soldiers needed something to do to pass the time when they weren’t drinking and acting like children with guns. Governor Calhoun raped Puriysk, just the same as he raped every other town he took. All my life, I’ve watched as he’s milked them for his own gain and spread like a disease across new towns, looking for more. Before I even understood what home was, he had taken my home from me. Before I was old enough to speak, he had taken my life from me. Because of him, I grew up in a brothel in a town that does not exist.”
​
Durand was silent, before looking at Nina who drummed her fingers on the table.
“Valentine?” He asked.
“Like Dom said, the only interaction we had with that guy was when he talked to us last night,” She said. “I’m not a psychologist but I’d figure most of what he said is pretty on par with what a narcissistic megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur would probably say. It was probably a whole lot of horseshit… probably…”
“But?” Durand asked. Nina sighed.
​
“There was one thing he said that stood out, he said that if we killed him, we’d be killing everyone else in the pocket too. He made it sound like his life was tied to it, or something. I don’t know if he can actually fucking do that or not but I’m also not sure I’d want to chance it. Some of those documents I found in the Puriysk archive mentioned Calhoun and something called ‘The Eldest’.”
​
At the mention of the name, Dr. Di Cesare looked up.
“Gretchen,” Durand asked, “Do you recognize that name.”
Gretchen Di Cesare gave a curt nod before flipping through her notebook to a previous page. As she did, I noticed her sleeve lifting briefly, revealing a tattoo on her wrist. Two wavy, parallel lines. It looked like the zodiac sign for ‘Aquarius.’
“The Eldest… Old Fae. ‘The eldest’ according to myth, hence the name. Few documented encounters. None modern…” She paused to think for a moment, “Hard to kill… harder to control. Would need the heart either way. No small task but… possible… probable.”
​
“Old Fae?” I asked, “What exactly is that?”
“More or less exactly what it says on the tin,” Nina said. “Really old forest fae who got fucked up by the Midnight Grove… and a real fucking problem if that’s what we’re going to have to deal with. Do we even know how to kill an Old Fae?”
“As stated, the heart,” Dr. Di Cesare said, “Find that, kill the Fae. Would reckon that Calhoun has it. If not on his person, then somewhere safe. And should that fail…”
She removed the revolver from her coat pocket and set it down on the table without a word.
​
“A contingency. Custom revolver, specialized blessed rounds - Malvian ice.”
I saw Nina raise an eyebrow.
“You put Malvian ice in a gun?” She asked.
“What’s Malvian ice?” I asked. I figured that this conversation required a bit of context.
“Frozen mist, obtained from the domain of an Ancient God. In essence, a part of the God herself” Dr. Di Cesare said. “Weaponized - could kill anything beneath the Ancient Gods. Never tried it with bullets before, but the live fire trial yielded promising results.”
​
My mind flashed back to the Nightwalker we’d run into last night and the way its flesh had melted away after Dr. Di Cesare had shot it with that gun. The memory sent a chill through me.
​
“So you built a gun that can shoot an Old Fae dead?” Nina asked. I couldn’t tell if she was disturbed by the guns existence or excited to try it out.
“Old Fae, Grovewalkers, and most lesser Gods, amongst other things,” Dr. Di Cesare said. “So long as it has a physical form, it can be killed.”
“Dr. Di Cesare agreed to assist us with this job, in the interest of doing her own research on the Calhoun pocket,” Durand added. “The gun is her contribution to this project. It’s intended as more of an emergency measure than anything else. But if necessary, we could use it to kill whatever is allowing Calhoun to control the pocket reality.”
Nina just whistled and sat back in her chair. She seemed almost at a loss for words.
​
“So… all we need to do is shoot Calhoun or this ‘Eldest’ thing with that gun, after we get everyone out and we’re golden, right?” Dom asked.
“I would regard The Eldest as a higher priority than Calhoun right now,” Durand said. “Calhoun could have been lying about tying his own life to the existence of the pocket reality, but I’m not willing to take that gamble if I don’t have to. Right now, my gut is saying to try and take him alive.”
​
“He’s not gonna go quietly if we try,” Nina pointed out. “Hypothetical question, if we destroy the heart, would that take the risk of killing Calhoun out of the equation?”
“No. Whatever spell was used, would not die with the caster,” Dr. Di Cesare said.
Nina nodded thoughtfully.
“I see. Fuck.”
​
“To your point though: Killing Calhoun is likely inevitable. And while I lack any meaningful data on the spell used by the Eldest or how to circumvent it, I can predict the timeframe of such a collapse. The effect would not be immediate. Could take minutes, hours or days. There may be a window for escape.”
​
“We'll have time to cross that bridge when we get to it,” Durand said. “Last question I’ve got is about the local militia, but Mr. Kallas and I can discuss that with Valentine and Mr. Hoskins separately. In the meanwhile, I believe our first order of business should be eliminating collateral. We’ll start with Puriysk, then move on to Rankin Mills, Bakersfield, and Thompson Falls. Once we’ve cleared out those towns, we’ll focus on Parsons and Calhoun. Mr. Kallas, I’ll leave it to you to oversee the evacuation efforts. It’s probably redundant to say this, but we’ve got our work cut out for us, ladies and gentlemen so let’s keep our heads down, our minds sharp and get through this as cleanly as possible. Now… without any further ado, I promised you people dinner and I’m not going to put you all to work on an empty stomach. So, as the Estonians say: ‘Head isu.’”
​
***
​
Looking back, there was a sort of bittersweetness to that evening. On one hand, I don’t remember the last time I’ve eaten so well. After dinner, I went back to the hotel, enjoyed my hot shower, and sank into my warm sheets, waiting for Dom to come back from his meeting with Nina, Kallas, and Durand.
​
And yet… at the same time, all I could think about was what would happen in the morning. In the morning, we’d be leaving again, going back to Puriysk. Back to Calhoun. Part of me almost dreaded it, fearing that if I left this place then I’d never get to come back again.
​
But listening to Durand and the others talk during that briefing… so much of it went completely over my head and I couldn’t help but feel like that was a good thing. They’d been focused, precise, knowledgeable and most of all, prepared.
​
Calhoun’s threats lingered in the back of my mind, but they seemed so much smaller now. I struggled to imagine that Calhoun and the Sheriff’s Boys could do much the face of what had come for him, even with some kind of all powerful Fae at his disposal. Just Nina alone had been enough to rip Puriysk from his grasp… what could an army of her do?
​
I should have taken comfort in that idea. I did take comfort in that idea. But I still couldn’t help but worry all the same. Maybe what Dom had said earlier was true. Maybe we’d had it so bad for so long that even the smallest good thing now seemed too good to be true… maybe. When Dom came back, I was waiting for him. We lay in bed together, talking quietly to each other about what was going to happen in the morning, and holding hands, we drifted off into sleep.

First Entry
Second Entry
Third Entry
Fourth Entry ​
Fifth Entry
​
Journal of Camille Lambert - April 12th
​
We could see the shadows of the Nightwalkers from our place by the bonfire. They peeked in through the broken windows of the church, watching us from afar but never actually entering the ruins. I’m not sure if the firelight was what kept them away, or the protective runes that Nina had drawn.
​
Nina sat on a fallen column, watching them in case they tried anything… and yet if I walked over to the right side of the circle of columns that we’d set up our bonfire in, she seemed… dimmer. Like she was there and yet not there at the same time.
​
Dom on the other hand was crystal clear. I could see him sitting by the door of the church. I couldn’t see him at all from the left side of the circle. The mist was too thick. But on the right side, he was right there, impossible to miss. The effect was surreal, to say the least. He was holding the device Nina had used to call in her backup. She’d called it a phone but it didn’t look like any phone I’d ever seen.
​
“ETA, an hour or so for the standby team in Tallinn, 15 hours for the rest,” Nina had said after she’d made her call. “Let’s get comfortable.”
I figured that it’d been about an hour and a half since she’d said that. Standing by the bonfire itself, the world past the columns seemed to be in flux. Sometimes I could see mist through the windows and the holes in the ceiling. Sometimes I could see stars.
​
Shadows of smaller Nightwalkers darted past the church door sometimes, lingering only long enough to look in on us before retreating back into the darkness. Nina watched each one like a hawk, gripping her shotgun tightly.
I walked out to sit with her for a bit, leaving the light of the fire for a little while. Even from her vantage point, I still couldn’t see Dom but at least I knew he was safe enough.
“How many do you think are out there?” I asked quietly.
“Too many,” Nina replied. “We’re not going back to Puriysk tonight, that’s for damn sure.”
​
As she spoke, I saw more shadows moving in the dark, skittering away into the mist.
“You sure you want to stay out here? Might be safer to stay with Dom,” I said.
“Probably, but it’s better if I stay here. If the door closes, I’m better off on the inside. Be easier to open it again, that way.”
“Fair enough,” I said, looking back out into the mist. I could see nothing past it.
​
No shadows. No movement. There wasn’t even any noise. Nina looked up at the darkness again.
“Is it just me or is it quieter out there?” She asked.
“No… it’s quieter out there,” I said. “Could be there’s a big one nearby. Dom said that the small ones usually avoid them.”
​
Nina kept staring out at the mist, but the silence remained. I wasn’t sure if she was genuinely worried or not. After a few minutes, I saw movement in the mist again. I heard the rustling of trees and saw something standing in the dark. I almost thought that it might have looked like a man… almost. But I couldn’t fully make out the shape of it.
​
I could see the eyes of the Nightwalker shining in the firelight, before it finally moved, darting out of sight. Nina watched it go, before returning her attention to me.
“Good news is, we won’t be alone for that much longer,” She said. “After the first group shows up, we can head into Puriysk with them and start setting up shop. By the time the rest of them arrive, we should be in a good place. After that, it’s just a matter of getting people out and dealing with Calhoun,”
“You make it sound easy,” I said.
“I mean, it probably won’t be a walk in the park,” Nina admitted. “But at least we won’t be running this job alone. These things go easier when you’ve got help.”
“Yeah… I imagine they would,” I said.
​
Beside us, I heard a dull thud as a piece of one of the church's more damaged walls fell away and crashed to the ground. Nina was up on her feet immediately, shotgun in hand. I rose to my feet beside her.
“The fuck was that?” She asked.
“Part of the wall, I think,” I said. I spotted the spot where it had fallen and looked up. It had probably come off one of the broken domed towers near the door. One of their ceilings had come down ages ago and I imagined it wouldn’t take much more than a strong gust of wind to knock over some of the loose bricks jutting out from where the roof remained. Nina approached the fallen piece of brick, pausing to inspect it.
​
“Hell of a big chunk of wall,” She said before looking up again. I did the same, although as I did, I could’ve sworn I saw movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked over at it. The shadows cast by the bonfire left pools of darkness along the ceiling.
​
But in those pools, I could see flickering reflections of light.
​
Two of them.
​
Staring right at me.
​
Slowly I reached out, putting a hand on Nina’s shoulder. I didn’t want to yell or move too quickly. I couldn’t see what was in the darkness but I know that it looked poised to strike. Nina looked over at me, before tensing up. I knew that she saw it too. The eyes remained trained on us, and I heard a low, animal hiss coming from the shadows.
“Bonfire…” Nina said, gripping her shotgun tighter “Get Dom… now.”
​
I took a step back and saw the eyes following me. Nina backed away from the shadows, eyes never leaving the ceiling. I saw limbs splaying outward from the darkness. I could see them tensing up. It was going to lunge.
​
“MOVE!” I said, breaking into a sprint, but it was too late. The Nightwalker launched itself at Nina like a bullet. I heard her shotgun fire twice, before the creature crashed into the ground, flailing violently. I could see long, dark limbs, more than any human should have struggling to pick itself up. I could see a body that only vaguely resembled a man. It had a torso, a human head, and long black hair, but looked more like a spider than a person. And yet there was something off about it. Something I hadn’t seen on any of the other Nightwalkers. This one had some kind of sigil on its forehead. Something that looked almost like a crimson eye, that seemed to glow with surreal energy.
​
The Nightwalker looked at Nina, snarling at her. When it opened its mouth, I could see rows upon rows of teeth inside. She fired her shotgun again, but the creature barely even seemed to notice them. Even after she’d gone through the trouble of cursing them, her rounds weren’t doing anything.
“RUN!” I heard her yell, and I didn’t dare question that. I just ran.
​
I sprinted toward the bonfire, just in time to see Dom running toward me. He took aim at the Nightwalker, firing at it as it tried to go after Nina. But his bullets did next to nothing to it. The Nightwalker didn’t even look at him.
​
It just kept going for Nina, almost pinning her down. She unloaded two more shells into its face, which did little more than make it flinch and bought her some time to run.
​
This time, she took off at a sprint toward the bonfire. Dom saw her running and started to backpedal as well, running back toward the bonfire and the safety of the columns. The creature paused as we took shelter by the fire, watching us intently and letting out another serpentine hiss. Nina stared back at it, before looking back at the fire. She tossed her shotgun aside and hastily grabbed one of the spare branches we’d kept for the bonfire. She put it in the fire, before pulling it out and brandishing it like a weapon. The Nightwalker hissed and recoiled a bit, focused on the flame. As it paused, Dom grabbed Nina’s shotgun off the ground and took aim.
​
“Don’t…” She said, putting a hand up to stop him, her voice low and intense. She didn’t dare look away from the Nightwalker. “Save the cursed rounds… they won’t kill it. Just get outside.”
“What about you?” Dom asked.
“Outside,” Nina repeated. “Now.”
I put a hand on Dom’s shoulder.
“Let’s go!” I said, trying to tug him along behind me.
​
He hesitated for a moment longer before finally letting me take him. We backed through the right set of columns, and once we were through I saw Nina taking a step away from the bonfire, toward the right set of columns. The Nightwalker passed the left set of columns, trying to follow her.
“Come on…” She said under her breath, “Come and get me, shithead…”
​
I saw it inching closer to her, and tensing up again, getting ready to pounce. That was when Nina made her move. She thrust her burning branch into the Nightwalker's face, earning a cry of pain from it and making it jerk back. I saw it swatting at the branch, trying to get rid of the fire. Nina took the chance to run, sprinting at top speed toward the door of the church.
“GO!”
​
Neither of us needed to be told twice. We ran for the church door, as the Nightwalker let out a roar from behind us. I looked back to see it charging toward us again, gaining ground. As we ran back out into the field, we were greeted by countless blinding lights. I saw Nina pause, before feeling her grab me by the back of the shirt and pull me away. I could see Dom in her other hand. She dragged us both down to the ground in the instant before the Nightwalker emerged from the door of the church.
​
I saw it recoil, putting up its clawed hands to try and shield its eyes from the blinding light.
​
Then I heard the gunfire.
​
As my eyes adjusted to the light, I could see several men, each holding automatic rifles advancing on the Nightwalker. It shrank back toward the church, trying to shield itself from the gunfire, clearly overwhelmed. But just like with Nina’s shotgun before it, the bullets did little to harm it. Despite all the gunfire it took, it didn’t fall. I could hear it hissing, I could see its beady black eyes darting around wildly. It lunged forward again, tackling one of the nearby men and tearing into him, before going after another. I saw its jaws close around his skull and heard the sickening crunch of bone as it took his head. The other men scrambled back, trying to put as much distance between themselves and the Nightwalker as they could. It howled in rage, preparing to charge after them when a final, deafening gunshot echoed through the night.
​
This time, the Nightwalker's entire body seized up. It let out an agonized scream. I could see its clawed hands clutching at a wound that had appeared on its chest… and I could see smoke rising out of that wound. It kept screaming and thrashing violently. Its limbs gave out from underneath it. I could see the wound in its chest sizzling and burning. I saw the flesh and skin sloughing off of its body, and I could see the pale white bone underneath.
​
The eye sigil on its forehead flickered before fading away and the Nightwalker let out one final, howl before collapsing to the ground, its body still twitching and convulsing. I looked over to see a single woman standing calmly by the nearby trucks. She was tall and pale, with long, stringy black hair and an intense look in her eye.
​
She was dressed in a long beige coat and holding an ornate revolver in one gloved hand. As the Nightwalker died I saw her gingerly slip the pistol into the inner pocket of her coat before reaching into another pocket for a notebook. Without ever looking away from the dead Nightwalker, she scribbled something down, then pocketed the notebook again and calmly walked toward the church, not even pausing to acknowledge anyone else around her. As she left, I saw the other armed men tending to their dead. With the Nightwalker dead, I could get a better look at them now. They were dressed like soldiers, with bulletproof vests and no shortage of pockets. A few of them wore netted veils over their faces, making it hard to get a good look at them and giving them an eerie appearance, although watching them examine the bodies of their dead and respectfully carrying them away was almost humanizing.
​
Nina sat up, her blonde hair messy and a somewhat disoriented look on her face. She looked over toward the source of the lights that had blinded us. Four large SUVs were parked outside of the church, their headlights shining on the door. From those SUVs, I could see more armed men getting out and one of them was coming toward us.
​
“Nina Valentine?” I heard him ask. He had a heavy Slavic accent.
“Still alive,” She said, as she slowly climbed to her feet.
“Good. I’m Olev Kallas, I’m from the Tallinn Office, Director Durand sends his regards,” He offered Nina a hand to shake and she reluctantly took it. “The Director is currently en route, as are the rest of the team. In the meanwhile, we’re here to help.”
“Yeah and right on fucking time too,” She said, looking over at the dead Nightwalker.
​
“Ah… yes, you can thank Dr. Di Cesare for that,” Kallas said.
Nina raised an eyebrow. I had a feeling that she recognized the name, but she didn’t comment on it.
“But first, I imagine you and your friends must need a hot meal and a cold drink right about now and I can get you both.”
“Oh you’ve got no fucking idea…” Nina said, as Dom helped me to my feet. She waited until we were up, before gesturing for us to follow as Kallas led us toward one of the SUV’s.
​
***
​
I barely recognized the empty field around us as Puriysk. The buildings were all long gone and in their place was a paved highway that I’d never seen before.
“The town’s been gone for as long as I can remember,” Kallas said. “I couldn’t tell you if it was us, or the Soviets who got rid of the ruins. I read somewhere that there was some talk about refurbishing the old Church, but as you see, nothing ever came of it.”
“Thank God for small miracles,” Nina said, “Made my job a hell of a lot easier.”
​
We drove down the highway, past the wide open landscape and as we drove, I couldn’t help but admire it. In the distance, I could see the lights from another nearby town and watched as they drew closer and closer. God, I’d never seen a place so full of life before. As we drove along the quiet streets, past the sleeping buildings in the early hours of the morning, they still seemed so alive. Street lights cast a warm glow on the few passersby out doing their business. There were more cars on the road than I’d ever seen before, some driving past us to their own destinations and others parked and still.
​
“I can drop you three off at a hotel if you’d like,” Kallas offered. “You can get cleaned up and have a short rest before Director Durand arrives. I can pick up some fresh clothes for you, and then we can have a debrief over dinner.”
“Yeah, works for me,” Nina said before looking over at us.
“Dinner sounds good,” I said, although at the time I had no idea what exactly a hotel was. Thankfully, I got my answer pretty quickly.
​
The room I got was comfortable. The bed was softer than anything I’d ever laid on before and the hot water… oh God… I spent almost an hour in the shower alone, enjoying the steam and feeling the tension drain out of my muscles. When I was done, I put on a soft, fluffy bathrobe and laid down, letting myself relax for the first time in days. I almost dozed off… and maybe I would have if I hadn’t heard a knock on my door.
​
I considered ignoring it and just letting sleep take me, but I figured I might as well make sure it wasn’t important. Tying my bathrobe a little tighter around me, I got up to answer the door and was greeted by Dom, still wet from the shower.
​
“Hey,” He said. “Sorry, I hope I’m not bothering you!”
“It’s fine!” I replied, putting on a smile, “Come on in.”
I opened the door all the way to let him inside, but he hesitated.
“No, it’s alright. I just thought I’d check on you. It’s been… well, it’s been one hell of a past few days. And this feels like the first chance we’ve had to really breathe in a while.”
“Yeah, no kidding,” I sighed. I still held the door open for him. “Well, we’re not going to have this conversation in the hall, so come on in. I’ve got a coffee machine in here and I’m dying to try it out.”
​
I’m not sure if it was the promise of coffee that made him accept my invitation or the realization that I probably didn’t want to be in the hall with just a bathrobe on, but he came inside anyway.I went to the coffee machine and tried to figure it out. They had these little cups that I’d never seen before, but otherwise, it seemed fairly straightforward.
​
“Man… it’s really something else out here, isn’t it?” Dom asked, going to sit down on the bed. “It’s just so bright out here!”
“I’m still not entirely convinced I’m not dreaming,” I admitted. I managed to get one of the cups into the coffee machine and watched as it pissed out a somewhat pathetic amount of scalding hot coffee that admittedly did smell very nice. It had a lovely vanilla aroma.
I brought the first cup over to Dom.
​
“Glad I’m not the only one,” He said as I went back to make another cup, “Honestly, I wasn’t even sure if Nina’s backup was even going to come through and I sure as hell didn’t expect any of this.”
“You and me both,” I said with a sigh, “Is it wrong to say that I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop?”
“Well, when something seems too good to be true…” Dom murmured, “Although then again… looking at what we had in there compared to what Nina’s been telling me about life out here, I can’t help but wonder if we’ve had it bad for so long that even the smallest good thing would seem too good to be true.”
“That’s a disturbing thought,” I said.
“Maybe. But what if it’s true?”
​
I didn’t know how to answer that.
“Either way… this isn’t much more than a break, isn’t it?” Dom asked, “The calm before the storm. I know that after we talk to the Director, Nina’s going right back in… and I’m going with her.”
I nodded before taking my coffee and joining him on the bed.
“I know,” I said. “And I’m going with you.”
“You know that you don’t have to, right?” Dom asked. “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I know that this kind of thing isn’t exactly in your wheelhouse. I’m not saying to just let it be or anything, but there’s other ways to help that don’t involve shooting things and burning down buildings.”
​
Again, I paused.
“Maybe,” I said. “Honestly, whatever I can do, I just want to do it. Whatever it may be. I’ve been just accepting things the way they were for too long, the same as you. I don’t want to just accept it anymore! I can’t.”
“And you aren’t,” Dom said, “I mean… shit, I watched you take pot shots at a Nightwalker the other night. Ever since we left, you’ve done whatever you can to help out. You’ve done a hell of a lot more to fix things than anyone else I know. That takes a hell of a lot of strength. More than I’d probably have in your shoes… honestly, you’re half the reason I’m still doing this, Cam.”
​
I looked at him and felt his hand pressing over mine.
“Only half?” I teased, trying to distract from the shade I could feel my cheeks flushing.
“Well, there’s everyone else too.” He said, “But right now, the one I care the most about is you.”
I actually broke down laughing at that and gently pushed him away.
“Too much?” He asked.
“No,” I said. “Just right.”
​
I let my head rest on his shoulder and for a little bit, we just sat together, hand in hand and beautifully content. I sensed him hesitating for a little while, before finally seizing the moment and placing his hand on my chin. I let him. He lifted my face and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips, one that I all too happily reciprocated.
​
After all… who knew when we’d get another chance?
​
***
​
The restaurant that Kallas brought us to was fairly quiet, although it wasn’t empty. As we walked in, I could see a large table set out with faces both familiar and unfamiliar at it.
​
Nina had washed almost an entire layer of dirt and soot off her face. Her hair looked cleaner and she was clearly wearing new, cleaner jeans. Although I didn’t think she’d actually changed her T-shirt. I recognized it by the neckline, but I’d never seen the whole thing before. It had a graphic of a warning label on it that said: ‘DO NOT USE FOR WET GRINDING’ although the ‘DO NOT’ part was crossed out in red.
​
Had she seriously been wearing that the whole fucking time…? At least it looked like she’d recently washed it.
​
Beside Nina, I saw Natalya, looking a little more cleaned up and wearing new clothes. Someone must have gotten her out of Puriysk earlier that day. The dark haired woman that Kallas had named as Dr. Di Cesare sat on the other side of Nina, although she was more focused on her own journal than any of us.
Lastly, I saw a man I didn’t recognize at all. He was tall and looked to be somewhere in his fifties, with wavy blond hair and a clean shaven face. He was dressed in a nice but slightly wrinkled suit.
​
The blond man was the first one to speak.
“Mr. Kallas, good to see you again,” He said as he got up to greet us.
“Director Durand, I have to say that the pleasure is all mine,” Kallas said, shaking Durand’s hand. His attention turned to us next.
​
“You two must be Camille Lambert and Dom Hoskins, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Milo Durand. I’m the Director of the Fae Relations Bureau’s Department of Public Safety.”
“Hell of a mouthful,” Dom said, shaking Durand’s hand.
“Just call us the FRB for short,” He said with a smile, “Take a seat. Dr. Di Cesare and I wanted to take some time to go through the situation with the Calhoun Pocket.”
​
Kallas pulled out some seats for us and we sat down. There were glasses of water waiting for us at the table. As soon as we sat down, Dr. Di Cesare glanced up at us, but didn’t close her notebook.
“So… now that we’re all here. Where should we begin?” Kallas asked.
“Well for starters, I’d like to get a solid picture of what exactly we’re going to be walking into when we send the rest of our people into the Calhoun Pocket,” Durand said, “Mr. Kallas, I’m aware you’re detachment has already properly secured Puriysk. But I’ve got some questions regarding the other towns so we know what else to expect once we’re inside.”
“What exactly is it that you want to know?” I asked.
​
“Well for starters, we need access to the other towns. We were told that navigating between them could be difficult, but I imagine there must be some way to circumvent that,”
“There is,” Dom said, “The roads don’t always go to the same places, but there are always landmarks and turns. You can use those to navigate.”
“One of the files I found in the archive at the Deputy’s Office has a list of landmarks and directions to reach the different towns,” Nina added, “I emailed you a copy earlier to go over,”
​
Durand nodded.
“Excellent. Which leads me to my next question. Infrastructure. I can’t imagine Calhoun’s been running a show like his without some means of providing food and power to the other towns. I’m aware that Rankin Mills had a power plant, so I figure that Calhoun is using that to keep the lights on. But what about food, gas, supplies?”
“Most of the food comes from Bakersfield,” I said. “There’s a lot of farmland there, most of it fairly safe from the mist. I used to work at a Roadhouse in Thompson Falls. We’d get deliveries every week or so.”
​
“I see… what about Puriysk and Thompson Falls? What’s there?”
“Puriysk was where they trained a lot of the Sheriff’s Boys,” Dom said. “They had the largest Deputy’s Office outside of Parsons. And Thompson Falls was more of a mining community. Lotta the construction work that was done in Parsons was done by people brought in from Thompson and Puriysk.”
​
Durand raised an eyebrow.
“Construction in Parsons?” He asked.
“Calhoun’s sorta been using it as his capital. Far as I can tell, he’s been trying to build up the towns, although Parson’s the one that’s gotten the most attention,” Dom said. “I guess it’s as close to a capital city as we’ve got in there. He also mentioned the ‘Sovereign Nation of Calhoun’ although I haven’t heard anyone outside of Parsons use that name.”
“Sovereign Nation of Calhoun…” Durand repeated, before glancing at Nina. She just gave a slightly defeated nod as if to say: ‘Yeah, he actually called it that.’
​
“Okay… let’s talk about Calhoun himself… what do you know?” Durand asked.
“Not a hell of a lot,” Dom said, “Closest I’ve ever come to actually meeting the guy is when he spoke to us outside of the church last night. Other than that, he rarely leaves his house in Parsons and rarely appears in public and most of what I’ve heard is just rumors.”
​
“Whatever you’ve heard… odds are that it’s true,” Natalya said quietly, drawing all eyes at the table over to her.
“I’ve heard the story enough times now… first from my mother, then from so many afterward. One day, the days just grew dimmer. The clouds above us just grew so thick that you could not see the sun and the mist drifted through the streets. The roads no longer led to the same places… and at night, the shadows moved, devouring any in their paths alive and screaming. First, it came for Parsons, then Rankin, Puriysk, Bakersfield, and Thompson. One by one. In time, it will come for others. He will come for others.”
​
Durand leaned in a little bit, listening intently. Dr. Di Cesare had also paused, listening as Natalya spoke.
“My mother told me that after the change, Calhoun’s people began to enter the town. Drunken louts, filling up the bars demanding free alcohol in exchange for ‘protection’ from the things outside. Although even with the alcohol, they still left bodies in their wake.”
She paused, slipping back into old, bitter memories.
​
“She told me of the ways Calhoun had changed Puriysk… most of the men either joined his little militia out of necessity or were given other jobs where they were worked to the bone. And the women…” She paused, “The homemakers he generally left alone but the young and the pretty ones found their way into the brothel. After all, his soldiers needed something to do to pass the time when they weren’t drinking and acting like children with guns. Governor Calhoun raped Puriysk, just the same as he raped every other town he took. All my life, I’ve watched as he’s milked them for his own gain and spread like a disease across new towns, looking for more. Before I even understood what home was, he had taken my home from me. Before I was old enough to speak, he had taken my life from me. Because of him, I grew up in a brothel in a town that does not exist.”
​
Durand was silent, before looking at Nina who drummed her fingers on the table.
“Valentine?” He asked.
“Like Dom said, the only interaction we had with that guy was when he talked to us last night,” She said. “I’m not a psychologist but I’d figure most of what he said is pretty on par with what a narcissistic megalomaniac with delusions of grandeur would probably say. It was probably a whole lot of horseshit… probably…”
“But?” Durand asked. Nina sighed.
​
“There was one thing he said that stood out, he said that if we killed him, we’d be killing everyone else in the pocket too. He made it sound like his life was tied to it, or something. I don’t know if he can actually fucking do that or not but I’m also not sure I’d want to chance it. Some of those documents I found in the Puriysk archive mentioned Calhoun and something called ‘The Eldest’.”
​
At the mention of the name, Dr. Di Cesare looked up.
“Gretchen,” Durand asked, “Do you recognize that name.”
Gretchen Di Cesare gave a curt nod before flipping through her notebook to a previous page. As she did, I noticed her sleeve lifting briefly, revealing a tattoo on her wrist. Two wavy, parallel lines. It looked like the zodiac sign for ‘Aquarius.’
“The Eldest… Old Fae. ‘The eldest’ according to myth, hence the name. Few documented encounters. None modern…” She paused to think for a moment, “Hard to kill… harder to control. Would need the heart either way. No small task but… possible… probable.”
​
“Old Fae?” I asked, “What exactly is that?”
“More or less exactly what it says on the tin,” Nina said. “Really old forest fae who got fucked up by the Midnight Grove… and a real fucking problem if that’s what we’re going to have to deal with. Do we even know how to kill an Old Fae?”
“As stated, the heart,” Dr. Di Cesare said, “Find that, kill the Fae. Would reckon that Calhoun has it. If not on his person, then somewhere safe. And should that fail…”
She removed the revolver from her coat pocket and set it down on the table without a word.
​
“A contingency. Custom revolver, specialized blessed rounds - Malvian ice.”
I saw Nina raise an eyebrow.
“You put Malvian ice in a gun?” She asked.
“What’s Malvian ice?” I asked. I figured that this conversation required a bit of context.
“Frozen mist, obtained from the domain of an Ancient God. In essence, a part of the God herself” Dr. Di Cesare said. “Weaponized - could kill anything beneath the Ancient Gods. Never tried it with bullets before, but the live fire trial yielded promising results.”
​
My mind flashed back to the Nightwalker we’d run into last night and the way its flesh had melted away after Dr. Di Cesare had shot it with that gun. The memory sent a chill through me.
​
“So you built a gun that can shoot an Old Fae dead?” Nina asked. I couldn’t tell if she was disturbed by the guns existence or excited to try it out.
“Old Fae, Grovewalkers, and most lesser Gods, amongst other things,” Dr. Di Cesare said. “So long as it has a physical form, it can be killed.”
“Dr. Di Cesare agreed to assist us with this job, in the interest of doing her own research on the Calhoun pocket,” Durand added. “The gun is her contribution to this project. It’s intended as more of an emergency measure than anything else. But if necessary, we could use it to kill whatever is allowing Calhoun to control the pocket reality.”
Nina just whistled and sat back in her chair. She seemed almost at a loss for words.
​
“So… all we need to do is shoot Calhoun or this ‘Eldest’ thing with that gun, after we get everyone out and we’re golden, right?” Dom asked.
“I would regard The Eldest as a higher priority than Calhoun right now,” Durand said. “Calhoun could have been lying about tying his own life to the existence of the pocket reality, but I’m not willing to take that gamble if I don’t have to. Right now, my gut is saying to try and take him alive.”
​
“He’s not gonna go quietly if we try,” Nina pointed out. “Hypothetical question, if we destroy the heart, would that take the risk of killing Calhoun out of the equation?”
“No. Whatever spell was used, would not die with the caster,” Dr. Di Cesare said.
Nina nodded thoughtfully.
“I see. Fuck.”
​
“To your point though: Killing Calhoun is likely inevitable. And while I lack any meaningful data on the spell used by the Eldest or how to circumvent it, I can predict the timeframe of such a collapse. The effect would not be immediate. Could take minutes, hours or days. There may be a window for escape.”
​
“We'll have time to cross that bridge when we get to it,” Durand said. “Last question I’ve got is about the local militia, but Mr. Kallas and I can discuss that with Valentine and Mr. Hoskins separately. In the meanwhile, I believe our first order of business should be eliminating collateral. We’ll start with Puriysk, then move on to Rankin Mills, Bakersfield, and Thompson Falls. Once we’ve cleared out those towns, we’ll focus on Parsons and Calhoun. Mr. Kallas, I’ll leave it to you to oversee the evacuation efforts. It’s probably redundant to say this, but we’ve got our work cut out for us, ladies and gentlemen so let’s keep our heads down, our minds sharp and get through this as cleanly as possible. Now… without any further ado, I promised you people dinner and I’m not going to put you all to work on an empty stomach. So, as the Estonians say: ‘Head isu.’”
​
***
​
Looking back, there was a sort of bittersweetness to that evening. On one hand, I don’t remember the last time I’ve eaten so well. After dinner, I went back to the hotel, enjoyed my hot shower, and sank into my warm sheets, waiting for Dom to come back from his meeting with Nina, Kallas, and Durand.
​
And yet… at the same time, all I could think about was what would happen in the morning. In the morning, we’d be leaving again, going back to Puriysk. Back to Calhoun. Part of me almost dreaded it, fearing that if I left this place then I’d never get to come back again.
​
But listening to Durand and the others talk during that briefing… so much of it went completely over my head and I couldn’t help but feel like that was a good thing. They’d been focused, precise, knowledgeable and most of all, prepared.
​
Calhoun’s threats lingered in the back of my mind, but they seemed so much smaller now. I struggled to imagine that Calhoun and the Sheriff’s Boys could do much the face of what had come for him, even with some kind of all powerful Fae at his disposal. Just Nina alone had been enough to rip Puriysk from his grasp… what could an army of her do?
​
I should have taken comfort in that idea. I did take comfort in that idea. But I still couldn’t help but worry all the same. Maybe what Dom had said earlier was true. Maybe we’d had it so bad for so long that even the smallest good thing now seemed too good to be true… maybe. When Dom came back, I was waiting for him. We lay in bed together, talking quietly to each other about what was going to happen in the morning, and holding hands, we drifted off into sleep.

https://www.saidpiece.com/post/discovering-the-treasures-of-eastern-bhutan-tour-to-mongar
Mongar, a picturesque town located in eastern Bhutan, is known for its stunning natural beauty, cultural heritage, and unique experiences. If you're planning a trip to Mongar, here are some things you should consider adding to your itinerary:

Visit Mongar Dzong

The Mongar Dzong is a 17th-century fortress and monastery that serves as the administrative headquarters of the district. Mongar Dzong, also known as Mongar Rabdey, is a historic fortress and monastery located in Mongar, Bhutan. It serves as the administrative headquarters of the Mongar district and is also a center of religious and cultural activity. The dzong's unique architecture, with its three courtyards and imposing towers, is a sight to behold. You can take a guided tour of the dzong to learn more about its history and cultural significance.
The Mongar Dzong is situated on a hill overlooking the town and is surrounded by lush greenery and beautiful scenery. The dzong's unique architecture is a blend of traditional Bhutanese and modern styles, with three courtyards and imposing towers. The dzong also features a beautiful temple and a prayer hall, both of which are decorated with intricate carvings and colorful murals.
The dzong is open to visitors and offers guided tours that provide insight into its history and cultural significance. Visitors can also observe the daily activities of the monks who live and study at the dzong. The dzong is also home to several important festivals throughout the year, including the Mongar Tshechu, which is held in the 8th Bhutanese lunar month (usually in November).
The Mongar Dzong is a significant cultural and historical landmark in Bhutan and is a testament to the country's rich heritage and traditions. It is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in Bhutanese culture and history.

Hike to Dramedtse Monastery

Dramedtse Lhakhang, constructed in the 16th century by Ani Cheten Zangmo, the grand-daughter of the revered Terton Pema Lingpa, is one of the most notable religious sites in the region, and was built with the intention of spreading Nyingmapa teachings in the eastern area. It is among the most popular monasteries in the region, with visitors mainly coming from Dramedtse and surrounding districts, particularly during the annual festival. The famous "Drametse Ngacham," or "Dance of the Drums of Drametse," was born here in the 16th century, and it is now a popular dance performed at major festivals.
This dance, which is considered the best-known of all Bhutanese dances, was created in the 16th century at Drametse Monastery in eastern Bhutan by a saint who had a vision of Guru Rinpoche's paradise. Twelve men wearing yellow skirts and animal masks perform the dance while playing drums; they represent Guru Rinpoche's entourage and celebrate the triumph of religion. It is believed that this dance brings liberation to those who witness it.
Although the road to reach the monastery from the Mongar-Trashigang highway is narrow and scattered with pebbles, it takes approximately 1.5 hours to get there. Each bend on the uphill climb offers a beautiful view of valleys and distant mountains. You may also catch a glimpse of Udzorong village in the Trashigang Dzongkhag.
UNESCO designated this dance as a "Masterpiece of the World Intangible Heritage" in 2005. The Mask Dance of the Drums of Drametse was choreographed in the monastery in the 16th century, after the founder Kunga Gyeltshen, the great grandson of Terton Pema Lingpa, had a vision of Guru Rinpoche's Zangtopelri (Copper-Colored Mountain Paradise). A total of 16 male dancers wearing masks and 10 musicians perform the dance. They first perform a prayer dance in the main shrine, and then, one by one, they enter the monastery's courtyard. The dance is divided into two sections: a quiet, meditative portion that represents the peaceful deities, and a fast, athletic portion that represents the wrathful ones. The quintessence of Bhutanese identity, this dance has been performed for nearly five centuries all over the country and has now become an essential component of Tshechu in Bhutan. UNESCO designated Drametse Ngacham as a "Masterpiece of the Intangible Heritage" during the Third Proclamation of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in Paris in November 2005, due to its worldly, spiritual, and artistic values.
If you're up for a bit of a challenge, consider hiking to the Drametse Monastery. The monastery is perched on a hilltop overlooking the town and offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains. The hike takes about 2-3 hours, and the trail is well-maintained.

Attend Mongar Tshechu

Bhutan is known for its vibrant festivals, and Mongar is no exception. The Mongar Tshechu is a colorful festival that takes place in the dzong courtyard and features traditional music, dance, and costumes.
Annually, for three days, Mongar Dzong hosts a Tshechu festival in its courtyard, drawing devotees from nearby districts who come to witness the masked dances, accompanied by cultural performances that entertain the spectators. In Bhutan, masked dances hold significant religious and cultural value, and attendees believe that witnessing these sacred performances liberates them. The festival attracts people dressed in their finest attire, and they often bring packed lunches to enjoy while watching the performances. The majority of dances featured at the festival are unique to the region.

Go birdwatching

Mongar, Bhutan is a haven for birdwatchers with its diverse range of bird species. The region's rich biodiversity and unspoiled natural beauty provide a perfect habitat for many endemic and migratory bird species.
To go birdwatching in Mongar, you can explore the forests and wetlands near the town, which are home to a variety of birds, including the endangered white-bellied heron. Some popular birdwatching spots in Mongar include the Yadi and Narang trails, which offer opportunities to see species such as the chestnut-breasted partridge, Ward's trogon, and the yellow-rumped honeyguide.
Another popular bird watching destination is the Kori La Pass, located about 20 kilometers from Mongar. The pass provides stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys and is home to species such as the rufous-necked hornbill, white-browed bush robin, and the dark-sided thrush.

Hike to Aja Ney

Aja Ney is a sacred pilgrimage site located in the hills above Mongar, Bhutan. The site is believed to be the spot where Guru Rinpoche, a great Buddhist saint, meditated and left his footprints in the rock. It is considered a place of great spiritual power, and many devotees visit the site to pray and seek blessings.
To reach Aja Ney, one has to take a short but steep hike of about an hour from the nearby village of Duksum. The hike is relatively strenuous, but the stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys make it a worthwhile experience. The trail winds through lush forests, past small waterfalls, and across several suspension bridges over the Kuri Chhu river.
Upon reaching Aja Ney, visitors are greeted by the sight of a large rock with the imprint of Guru Rinpoche's foot. The rock is surrounded by prayer flags and small shrines, and many devotees offer prayers and make offerings at the site. The area around Aja Ney is also home to several other sacred sites, including a cave where Guru Rinpoche is said to have meditated.
Mongar presents an unparalleled mix of scenic splendor, cultural legacy, and conventional encounters. Whether you want to discover ancient dzongs, trek to isolated monasteries, or relish a relaxing hot stone bath, the town has something for all kinds of travelers. So, don't wait any longer, prepare yourself for a trip to Mongar, and explore the obscure treasures of eastern Bhutan.

Premise: An earth ship is exploring the distant edge of the milky way for a lost solar system. The solar system in question has a gate address and there are records from Atlantis about its existence as a major port and shipyard for the gate builders. The system seems to no longer exist and all attempts to gate to the address have failed.
A ship is sent to investigate if the star had exploded or if some other means is hiding the solar system from the rest of the galaxy. As the Earth vessel approaches the system, of which there is gravitational pull but no visible star and no evidence of a black hole, their ship is stopped by an emergency system detecting something in the ships path. Some sort of hyperspace shield is in place around the entire solar system which stops any vessel from entering at FTL, so the Earth ship must use sub light engines to go the rest of the way.
Subspace communications become impossible inside the field so the ship places a buoy and informs the SGC of their findings before continuing further. Once inside the field sensors pick up an immense structure the size of Earth's orbit. They discover a Dyson Sphere apparently of Ancient origin, although the design varies from Atlantis's technology seemingly being of earlier construction. There was no record of this construction or anything similar in Atlantis database. Before the crew can do any meaningful scanning other than to discover the inside of the sphere has air, gravity, and what looks like stargates strewn across its expanse, they are attacked.
Multiple goa'uld ha'tak. converge on their location from seemingly out of nowhere and damage the ship severely. The Colonel tries to flee but their engines are damaged. A bridge officer traces the route the Ha'tak took to reach them and the Colonel orders a retreat along that course. With some desperate maneuvers, and clever tactics with the ship's nukes, the vessel escapes their pursuer's long enough to fly into the sphere's airlock. One of the Ha'tak is badly damaged and slams into the airlock sealing the access way.
The badly damaged Earth ship emerges into the sphere and passes newly constructed pyramids as they fly toward the star to hide from pursuit. Alone, outnumbered, and damaged this single ship and crew must unravel the secrets of this mega structure and fend off attacks from a Goa'uld system lord and their still loyal Jaffa.
What do you think? I was looking for a creative way to isolate an Earth crew with minimal supplies and a real looming threat with the wonder of something the SGC hasn't seen before. I imagine along the interior of this structure there are mini-gates that connect only to the sphere's network. The Colonel in charge of the ship will have to send squads to explore, fight, and secure assets needed to contact earth as well as discover just how many System Lords survived in this isolated system. What other threats await the crew? Who really built this place and what happened to them?

Melbourne drivers, could you please at least for the love of god give way to trams when they are stopping. I was on the route 82 tram and when it was stopping at a station, a blue Toyota car just kept driving even when the tram driver kept dinging the tram bell to notify him to stop. At least the the tram driver jotted down the car's license plate and called either the police or the Yarra trams management, so expect a deduction of demerit points and a pretty hefty fine. You would be forgiven that this was a one time incident however it happened two more times, two more fucking times. A red c-class Mercedes just sped right past the tram stop I was just about to get off at high speeds and after that an old red Toyota car didn't even give way to the tram crossing right in front of it as the driver drove across the tram tracks with a sign that said GIVE WAY TO TRAMS flashing in front of the driver. No offence but how blind and deaf can you be if you can't see a tram that's about to cross the road with a flashing sign in front of the crossing, the tram driver dinging the tram bell WITH YOUR DRIVER SIDE WINDOW DOWN? Are you guys that selfish, that oblivious, that entitled you couldn't see trams slowing down and stopping in front of you or worse, people getting off the trams? Don't give me shitty excuses like you were late to work or something or you didn't realise the tram was stopping because you can't if you are knowingly putting people's lives in danger by being that reckless. This is the second time I almost became a victim of someone's stupidity of not following the road rules which makes me question how some, not all of you, were able to fully obtain their car license. I was fortunate not see that consequence because as a person who just started their first year of uni, I want to achieve the best in life. I don't want to see myself in a hospital, recovering from serious head trauma brought on by a speeding vehicle that didn't stop behind the tram, or worse, having my parents bury their youngest child in a grave that was supposed to be one of them. Once you realise your mistake, you can't go back as you can't forgive a person who is dead from your own misjudgement. So please, I beg of you, just give way to trams and don't be a dickhead and speed through a stationary tram because it will be your last time you would have a clean record.

So I met this girl (23F) 8 months ago. Our parents are friends (and yes I know that’s not a good thing, but it is what it is). She started her PhD in Michigan while I’m finishing my bachelors in Wisconsin. We maintain close contact over text. She stayed at my parents place for thanksgiving and Christmas break and we had a lot of fun and our chemistry seemed to really work. I also want to pursue a a PhD and one of the schools of interest is the one she’s at.
Following the new year, I went to her place on campus and we had a slew of deep conversations. She told me a lot of very personal things. I also opened up and told her some issues that I have with anxiety and stress and she was very understanding and supportive. She then asked me whether I had a girlfriend before and why I didn’t have one. I answered sincerely saying that it just never happened. I didn’t push the subject any further because I didn’t want to know whether she had a boyfriend before, I honestly don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me what happened before.
I went away to start the semester and we frequently (almost daily) texted and spoke over the phone. I began flirting with her and she received it quite well and flirted back. She had an issue with someone stalking her and I was the first one she contacted, I tried to be very supportive and it meant a lot to her. I know this doesn’t sound like a lot but we share Spotify playlists and she adds quite suggestive music.
She has been super excited for the summer and booked a flight to visit me on campus in May when I finish school. She also wants to go on a road trip because my summer internship is very flexible. She is also really eager to meet my friends and has said multiple times that she wants to meet them.
So I recently came home for break and I went to visit her. She was pretty excited about it and planned out the entire night. We first sat at her place and talked for a while. She got kind of embarrassed because I got her a book as a present I found a couple months back. My birthday was a week before and she felt really bad that she didn’t get a me a present but it honestly didn’t bother me at all. I also wrote a nice note in the book that she really liked it.
We then went to meet her really good colleague/friend (and her colleague’s boyfriend) at a pub. On the way there I hugged her and she smiled but didn’t say anything. We had a lot of fun with her friend and drank a little bit. Apparently she spoke about me to her friends many times which I found cute. After that we went to her place and we began talking again, but this time about deep stuff. She started asking me things like if I had a partner how would I deal with disagreements? if I had a partner who’s parent (singular) is disagreeable how would I manage that? And she asked me about when I want to have kids? I responded to all of those questions and she agreed with all of my responses. I then told her directly that I really cared about our relationship and took her by the hand and looked her in the eye and let her know that she mattered to me. She smiled and responded saying she cares as well. She told me that she was in a relationship for 6 years and she ended it due to long distance issues and other issues. I believe it has something to do with one of her parents because she confessed to me that one of her parents acts very childish. Which is understandable but I think that meant that she wasn’t big into long distance stuff and that there might be some other underlying issue. Not exactly sure but I don’t think that’s a red flag for her as a person. I think it also gives context that she said that she only looks for long term relationships.
I first slept on the couch to respect her privacy because I don’t want to drastically test boundaries. She then told me to come to her bed and we slept next to each other (no sex). The next morning I followed up on the questions that she asked and asked whether they were allegorical. She said no and was just purely interested in knowing. I then asked about her thoughts on a relationship and she told me that she is currently in a state where she can’t say yes or no. She explicitly said that she was definitely interesting in pursuing this route and really liked me but what wants things to unravel naturally and spontaneously. I appreciated that she was very direct when I asked her and didn’t beat around the bush. I was understanding and didn’t push it any further. She later asked me whether we would still do all the fun stuff over summer, which I said yes to as her response to the prior question doesn’t change my attitude towards her. We ate breakfast and I got ready to leave and she promptly hugged me.
That evening I sent her a texting thanking her for a fun night and letting me sleep over at her place. She said that she had a lot of fun and that our deep conversations mean a lot to her and are a good stepping to stone to knowing each other a little bit better.
I’m honestly a bit confused. I’m not really sure how to feel. I think I misaligned my goals with my expectations. I feel pressure to press forward with intimacy but I like taking it slowly. But I also don’t want to stagnate if that makes sense,I understand that we’ve only been physically together a total of 10 times which may be the reason why as to why she said idk. Am I just overthinking this and being an idiot? Does it have to do with one her parents inserting themselves into her relationships? I would like get a stranger’s opinion on how I should go further. I really care about her and she still wants to continue all of these plans for the near future. My plan is to lay it off a little bit and let her take the lead. What do you all think? Thanks.
TLDR: I’ve been intensively talking with this girl and she acknowledges that she really likes me and wants to pursue a relationship further (slowly) but is not currently in a state where she can say yes or no due to perhaps LDR issues and one of her parents.
Edit: for reference, she lives in a graduate dorm. Which is a shared living space.

So I met this girl (23F) 8 months ago. Our parents are friends (and yes I know that’s not a good thing, but it is what it is). She started her PhD in Michigan while I’m finishing my bachelors in Wisconsin. We maintain close contact over text. She stayed at my parents place for thanksgiving and Christmas break and we had a lot of fun and our chemistry seemed to really work. I also want to pursue a a PhD and one of the schools of interest is the one she’s at.
Following the new year, I went to her place on campus and we had a slew of deep conversations. She told me a lot of very personal things. I also opened up and told her some issues that I have with anxiety and stress and she was very understanding and supportive. She then asked me whether I had a girlfriend before and why I didn’t have one. I answered sincerely saying that it just never happened. I didn’t push the subject any further because I didn’t want to know whether she had a boyfriend before, I honestly don’t care. It doesn’t matter to me what happened before.
I went away to start the semester and we frequently (almost daily) texted and spoke over the phone. I began flirting with her and she received it quite well and flirted back. She had an issue with someone stalking her and I was the first one she contacted, I tried to be very supportive and it meant a lot to her. I know this doesn’t sound like a lot but we share Spotify playlists and she adds quite suggestive music.
She has been super excited for the summer and booked a flight to visit me on campus in May when I finish school. She also wants to go on a road trip because my summer internship is very flexible. She is also really eager to meet my friends and has said multiple times that she wants to meet them.
So I recently came home for break and I went to visit her. She was pretty excited about it and planned out the entire night. We first sat at her place and talked for a while. She got kind of embarrassed because I got her a book as a present I found a couple months back. My birthday was a week before and she felt really bad that she didn’t get a me a present but it honestly didn’t bother me at all. I also wrote a nice note in the book that she really liked it.
We then went to meet her really good colleague/friend (and her colleague’s boyfriend) at a pub. On the way there I hugged her and she smiled but didn’t say anything. We had a lot of fun with her friend and drank a little bit. Apparently she spoke about me to her friends many times which I found cute. After that we went to her place and we began talking again, but this time about deep stuff. She started asking me things like if I had a partner how would I deal with disagreements? if I had a partner who’s parent (singular) is disagreeable how would I manage that? And she asked me about when I want to have kids? I responded to all of those questions and she agreed with all of my responses. I then told her directly that I really cared about our relationship and took her by the hand and looked her in the eye and let her know that she mattered to me. She smiled and responded saying she cares as well. She told me that she was in a relationship for 6 years and she ended it due to long distance issues and other issues. I believe it has something to do with one of her parents because she confessed to me that one of her parents acts very childish. Which is understandable but I think that meant that she wasn’t big into long distance stuff and that there might be some other underlying issue. Not exactly sure but I don’t think that’s a red flag for her as a person.
I first slept on the couch to respect her privacy because I don’t want to drastically test boundaries. She then told me to come to her bed and we slept next to each other (no sex). The next morning I followed up on the questions that she asked and asked whether they were allegorical. She said no and was just purely interested in knowing. I then asked about her thoughts on a relationship and she told me that she is currently in a state where she can’t say yes or no. She explicitly said that she was definitely interesting in pursuing this route and really liked me but what wants things to unravel naturally and spontaneously. I appreciated that she was very direct when I asked her and didn’t beat around the bush. I was understanding and didn’t push it any further. She later asked me whether we would still do all the fun stuff over summer, which I said yes to as her response to the prior question doesn’t change my attitude towards her. We ate breakfast and I got ready to leave and she promptly hugged me.
That evening I sent her a texting thanking her for a fun night and letting me sleep over at her place. She said that she had a lot of fun and that our deep conversations mean a lot to her and are a good stepping to stone to knowing each other a little bit better.
I’m honestly a bit confused. I’m not really sure how to feel. I understand that we’ve only been physically together a total of 10 times which may be the reason why as to why she said idk. Am I just overthinking this and being an idiot? Does it have to do with one her parents inserting themselves into her relationships? I would like get a stranger’s opinion on how I should go further. I really care about her and she still wants to continue all of these plans for the near future. My plan is to lay it off a little bit and let her take the lead. What does a you all think? Thanks.
TLDR: I’ve been intensively talking with this girl and she acknowledges that she really likes me and wants to pursue a relationship further but is not currently in a state where she can say yes or no due to perhaps LDR issues and one of her parents.
Edit: for reference, she lives in a graduate dorm. Which is a shared living space.

And we are back with Clefable. Seeing Minimize sometime back made me want to see how easily Clefable could go through the game if I allowed it. All I can say is, if someone bans Minimize flat out, I won't debate them. It was crazy strong. (Refer to my older VenusauCharizard posts for my rules): SoraDonaldGoofy99 (u/SoraDonaldGoofy99) - Reddit
Up to Brock: Pound, Growl, Sing, Doubleslap Clefairy had one of the strongest starts leading up to Brock, Pounding the Squirtle down to nothing in 4-5 turns, and even after that, I realized I needed to learn new moves awful fast to handle Brock. Even Gary 1A and Buzz Lightyear were more trivial than usual. But Brock himself was oh so nutso. This was maybe the one Pokemon I had to constantly shift between training in the forest and the gym so far (I don't consider blackout grinding to be resetting) but the tough part was Onix. Geodude was simple enough with Doubleslap. Multihit Normal moves are decent against him, as it is a way around Defense Curl/Onix's natural bulk. I had to dance around Bide and use Sing until the sleeps could stick. Then Pound it while it slept. I managed to beat Onix when I had the speed tie. At Level 19.
Up to Misty: Pound, Water Gun, Sing, Mega Punch I caught the Pidgey on the way to Mt. Moon as normal, and then caught Paras as normal. I decided to grab the Helix Fossil on the way through Clefairy's home. I gathered a fair bit of levels on the trek through Mt. Moon, enough to give Misty a fair shake, I thought. I beat both of her subordinate trainers, and then went to her. Through the power of the choir, and boxing, I beat her Starmie on my second attempt.
Up to Surge: Body Slam, Bubblebeam, Minimize, Mega Punch I went to Gary 2 and dealt with Nugget Bridge pretty soon after Misty. Clefairy, Ivysaur, and Pikachu were all able to handle her before Gary 2 (for obvious reasons in two cases), so we moved on. I got Minimize after Misty, and evolved to Clefable just to win faster. Nothing crazy happened on the way to Bill's House, or even up to the S.S. Anne. Gary 3, immediately after this, was also easy with Body Slam. Didn't even need Thunderbolt yet. Then I got Cut for Paras and went to Surge's gym, who has yet to be a serious issue. I slammed my way through the fight, and only Raichu needed a Bubblebeam to end it after the slam.
Up to Erika: Body Slam, Psychic, Minimize, Thunderbolt Rock Tunnel was uneventful, and Gary 4 is again easier than Gary 3, though Exeggcute died to one Body Slam. Clefable > Nidoking for Body Slams, apparently. After I took care of the Rocket Hideout, I picked up Psychic, and picked up Calciums and a Carbos this time. I sold Ice Beam this time, I felt Psychic would be a bit better this time. I wanted to keep Body Slam for one specific Pokemon, who I should be mentioning soon? Erika herself went down with no trouble to some Psychics, most of her Pokemon were good for that.
Up to Koga: Same moves as before Once I got Fly and messed with the minds of the Ghost types in Pokemon Tower, I headed down Cycling Road. I picked up the Candy and PP Up, and decided to skip the Max Elixer on the road this time. Usually picked it up in my other runs. Considering that I usually get enough Elixers, Ethers, and Max Ethers to deal with my PP, I may as well save the extra seconds? Anyway... I kept Body Slam to deal with Psychic types exclusively since most of them have bad Defense stats. Koga himself went down to Psychic, though I spammed some Minimizes on the off chance I got blown up on. Still helped.
Up to Sabrina: Same moves again. Since I picked up Psychic earlier, I flew to Saffron instead of walking from Celadon. Haven't done that since Butterfree. May want to do that more often regardless? Nidoking's silver medal is really starting to make me think. Either way, no issues with Rival Fival, but with Minimize, I would think it's obvious. Just zapped the Blastoise and Body Slammed when nothing was weak to Psychic or Thunderbolt. The Blastoise rendition may be the overall weakest team Gary can have. I then got Lapras and beat Giovanni 2 with Psychic spam. Sabrina was a Body Slamming paradise.
Up to Blaine: One of my moves may change... later! I picked up Blizzard in the mansion on purpose again. I answered the first question wrong on accident and still managed to get to Blaine. His Growlithe managed to burn me while I was setting up Minimize to Body Slam his team to death. Ended up using Psychic and Thunderbolt to tide myself over.
Up to Giovanni 3: Still going strong with the best moveset ever!! Flew straight to Viridian, and took everything on his team out with Psychic!
Gary 6: ... Same same same The team here was still an annoying problem. Even after Minimize boosts, his Exeggcute still managed to Leech Seed me. Starting to wonder how strong the evasion boosts are in Gen 1, it seems I'm getting hit a lot more often than I should. Nothing here was overly concerning.
Elite Four Maybe the first time I didn't need to reset once. Minimize is easily an S+ Tier move if not just S.
Lorelei: Set up Minimizes like heck. I managed to get all 6 for the hell of it. I zapped her entire team, and Body Slammed Jynx.
Bruno: Set up 3 Minimizes and spammed Psychic.
Agatha: Managed to get 2 before getting hit with Confuse Ray. After killing Gengar and Golbat through confusion and leveling up, and not OHKOing Haunter, I set up a few more on Arbok while getting bit, and then blasting the second Gengar down.
Lance: I taught Blizzard for this fight and the champion fight. I shocked Gyarados, set up Minimize on Dragonair 1, then froze everything else.
Champion Gary: Almost got a taste of my own medicine from Pidgeot when it Mirror Moved Minimize. I had to shock it down. I Body Slammed Alakazam, froze Rhydon, Arcanine, and Exeggutor (who decided to Stomp me but missed), and the shocked his Blastoise.
I won at Level 67 and did it in 4:39 with 4 resets.
Rankings: 1. Blastoise: 63, 3:32, 8 resets. (Blizzard, Withdraw, Surf, Earthquake) 2. Nidoking: 67, 3:43, 8 resets. (Body Slam, Blizzard, Earthquake, Thunderbolt) 3. Venusaur: 62, 3:47, 7 resets. (Body Slam, Swords Dance, Sleep Powder, Razor Leaf) 4. Charizard: 66, 3:59, 10 resets. (Earthquake, Body Slam, Flamethrower, Swords Dance) 5. Raticate: 68, 4:17, 13 resets (Blizzard, Dig, Body Slam, Thunderbolt) 6. Nidoqueen: 67, 4:29, 11 resets. (Earthquake, Blizzard, Body Slam, Thunderbolt) 7. Clefable, 67, 4:39, 4 resets. (Body Slam, Psychic/Blizzard, Minimize, Thunderbolt) 8. Butterfree: 66, 4:53, 28 resets. (Mimic, Sleep Powder, Psychic, Mega Drain) 9. Sandslash: 67, 5:00, 11 resets. (Body Slam, Rock Slide, Swords Dance, Earthquake) 10. Arbok: 71, 5:28, 27 resets. (Mimic, Earthquake, Body Slam, Rock Slide) 11. Raichu: 63, 5:29, 5 resets. (Thunderbolt, Mimic, Agility, Seismic Toss) 12. Fearow: 73, 6:00, 30 resets. (Drill Peck, Mimic, Agility, Swift) 13. Beedrill: 65, 6:55, 23 resets. (Swords Dance, Mega Drain, Double-Edge, Twineedle) 14. Pidgeot: 76, 7:16, 13 resets. (Mimic, Agility, Double-Edge, Fly)
Next up will be Ninetales.