AppHarvest APPH has had one of its main facilities foreclosed on this week. Annual meeting is today. Is on verge of delisting and perhaps imminent bankruptcy. Please post your thoughts. Please invite others here as well. The company run Reddit site is run by tyrants that block and ban anyone with objective analysis. It's creepy. Anyway, thoughts on these or other business topics for APPH?

1. Did anyone listen to the annual meeting webcast today? What was said? Can we find it or the transcript online?
2. Do you think the "cross default" foreclosure on Morehead will happen next?
3. Do you think bankruptcy is immanent and if so, when, and will it be Chapter 11 or Chapter 7.

My PhD is coming to an end!! I am so excited to get out of here, even if it's just moving back in with my parents for a minute. But man is formatting the dissertation just an absolute nightmare.
I have 5 research chapters and 1 introductory chapter. Other than the introduction, all chapters were written in Word to fit the format of the journal they were/ are being sent to. But my university wants everything done through overleaf with a LaTex template. It took me a whole week to get the figures (>50) imported correctly. Not to mention changing the hundreds of references, formatting special characters, and basically making new tables (>25). Got back my first submission comments almost right away basically saying the formatting is all wrong but not a single mention of how to correct the problems!!

Hi all!,
I am currently working on a fanfiction set in the Arkham-Verse (where the last series of Batman video games took place) that features Poison Ivy as the main antagonist. It's literally a decade in the making at this point, but I'm determined to see it through to the end. It is set between the events of Arkham City and Arkham Knight, so there are spoilers for the entire series throughout. If you're interested, I'd appreciate it if you could read and, if possible, leave a review.
Batman Arkham City: Reconstruction Chapter 1: The Plant Queen, a batman: arkham asylum fanfic FanFiction
Thanks!!

Hi, this is in England.
Myself and my flatmates had signed a tenancy agreement with the landlord that states the start date as the 1st of July. As we are students, the landlord has discounted July and August as he assumed we would live at home with our parents. (We're paying this as one full month in August.)
Most of us are but myself and another are older and both have jobs in our student city. We asked the landlord about collecting the keys on the 1st when we move our stuff over to the new place but he seemed surprised that we would want them. He told me over the phone that the discounted months were a retainer period that he would use to perform maintainance and services to the house. Bills are also included in rent.
We don't really care about living around workmen doing bits or even paying our fair share for the bills but we are concerned about our other housemates having to pay extra when they aren't there.
The actual agreement (Assured shorthold Tenancy under Part 1 of the Housing Act 1988, amended in Part III, Chapter II of the Housing Act 1996) states:
Term: A term certain of 12 months from 1st July 2023.
Rent: £XXXX per calendar month (subject nevertheless as hereinafter provided). [price written out in letters, added in pen.] Rent includes charges for gas, electricity, water, internet and one Tv Licence fee. [Also in pen]
Payable: In advance by equal monthly payments on the 1st of every month.
First payment to be made on the 1st day of August next.
Half rent July & August full rent thereafter [in pen] - July and August months cue retainer period.
The Landlord or his Agent lets and the Tenant takes the Property for the Term at the Rent payable as above.
What are our rights here? Do we have a leg to stand on re. getting our keys in July? Our Landlord has been very accomodating so far and we don't want to sour the relationship at the start of the year but we'd really like to get into our place as soon as possible for as little extra as we can.
Cheers.

And as a bonus, I released both chapters 1 and 2 on ao3 if you prefer to read on there. Hope you enjoy reading it!
https://archiveofourown.org/works/47759248/chapters/120391870#workskin https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14241267/2/Changing-Fate

Hey there, fellow manhwa enthusiasts!
I stumbled upon an incredible manhwa website that I couldn't wait to share with you all. Allow me to introduce MangaSiamese (https://mangasiamese.com/), a treasure trove of captivating manhwa titles that will leave you craving for more.
MangaSiamese has quickly become my go-to destination for indulging in the mesmerizing world of manhwa. The website boasts an extensive collection of diverse genres, ranging from action-packed adventures to heartwarming romances and everything in between. With a user-friendly interface and seamless navigation, finding your next favorite series is an absolute breeze.
One aspect that sets MangaSiamese apart is their commitment to showcasing both renowned and up-and-coming artists. It's refreshing to discover hidden gems and support talented creators who pour their hearts into their work. The platform truly fosters a sense of community and appreciation for the artistry behind each manhwa.
Whether you're a seasoned manhwa reader or just dipping your toes into this captivating medium, MangaSiamese has something to offer everyone. The website is regularly updated with new releases, ensuring that you're always up to date with the latest chapters and series.
So, grab your preferred device, curl up with a warm beverage, and immerse yourself in the enthralling narratives and stunning artwork that MangaSiamese has to offer. Don't forget to bookmark the website and share it with your fellow manhwa enthusiasts, because great discoveries are meant to be shared!

​
https://preview.redd.it/wuzwnrsmfz4b1.jpg?width=660&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=16d7424087c5edca7df4dd1f198a37158f95974e
Today we will do things veeeryyy different than during the main character study of Gorou Amamiya or Aqua Hoshino but I assure you it won't be less interesting. It was by pure accident that I stumbled over an old book I haven't touched for a long time, a book that goes by the title "The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde. It's from the late 19th century.
The story revolves around the rich and handsome Dorian Gray and a portrait of him painted by Basil Hallward, a friend of Dorian's and an artist infatuated with Dorian's beauty. Through Basil, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton and is soon enthralled by the aristocrat's cynical hedonistic worldview: that beauty and ruthless self-centered sensual fulfillment are the only things worth pursuing in life while ethics and morals are the natural enemy to this philosophy. Newly understanding that his beauty will fade, Dorian expresses the desire to sell his soul to ensure that the picture, rather than he, will age and fade. The wish is granted by some supernatural force and Dorian pursues a libertine life of varied amoral experiences while staying young and beautiful; all the while, his portrait ages and visually records every one of Dorian's sins in grotesque expressions.
​
Now what I discovered during my excursion of a book that I actually didn't really enjoy at all to be quite frank, were similarities in both conception but also psychological realities for both Gorou/Aqua and his father Hikaru Kamiki. From time to time his monologues would sound like commentary to understand what is going on in Hikaru's mind, while the mystic circumstances of Dorian Gray's picture and his eternal youth have strong links between Aqua and Hikaru who indeed are lookalikes. Aqua by that is Hikaru's portrait which will age and visually record every of Hikaru's sins while Hikaru pursues a libertine life of varied amoral experiences while staying young and beautiful. It all culminates to Aqua's movie role of the culprit in which Aqua will be the living proof of Hikaru's sinful life and eventually lead to his downfall. This is also Dorian's fate with his potrait.
I know, this sounds so unbelievably far stretched but believe me I'm thrilled about the actual similarities and the integretiy of the psychological templates that found their way into Oshi No Ko. I firmly believe it's not accidental. And since I enjoy ONK but not so much Oscar Wilde's novel I'm glad those in itself truely interesting psychological types found their way into Aka's work.
​
​
​
AQUA HOSHINO AKA DORIAN GRAY
​
Trivia:

• In Greek the name Dorian means "child of the sea" or "gift of the sea". The name aquamarine comes from aqua (Latin for 'water'), and marine, deriving from marina (Latin for 'of the sea')
• Dorian is described to have gold hair, blue eyes (and rose-red lip)

​
1.
In Chapter III of the book we get to hear about Dorian Gray's tragic family background and this is already the first strong indication that 1. the similarities are real 2. what we discovered about Gorou's grandfather / family background could have been more right than wrong.
Now, the story behind the birth of Dorian is slightly so different then Gorou's but the general notion in a short poetic summary within the novel sounds pretty familiar:

"So that was the story of Dorian Gray’s parentage. Crudely as it had been told to him, it had yet stirred him by its suggestion of a strange, almost modern romance. A beautiful woman risking everything for a mad passion. A few wild weeks of happiness cut short by a hideous, treacherous crime [NOTE: HER FATHER, DORIAN'S GRANDFATHER KILLs HER LOVER, DORIAN'S FATHER]. Months of voiceless agony, and then a child born in pain. The mother snatched away by death, the boy left to solitude and the tyranny of an old and loveless man [NOTE: HIS GRANDFATHER]. Yes; it was an interesting background. It posed the lad, made him more perfect, as it were. Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic. Worlds had to be in travail, that the meanest flower might blow.... " (Chapter III)

Isn't this interesting? And there is another very cool symbol. Dorian - after he witnessed the first changed in his potrait - had to hide the picture in a diferent room of his mansion where nobody could find it and witness "his soul" which is captivated in that portrait that gets uglier and uglier with each day of his sinful life. About that room:

"He had not entered the place for more than four years—not, indeed, since he had used it first as a play-room when he was a child, and then as a study when he grew somewhat older. It was a large, well-proportioned room, which had been specially built by the last Lord Kelso for the use of the little grandson whom, for his strange likeness to his mother, and also for other reasons, he had always hated and desired to keep at a distance." (Chapter X)

So we have: A drama between mother and father, child born in pain, mother dies after giving birth, boy left to soltitude and tyranny of his grandfather who hates him for physical likeness to his mother (in PART II we wrote: Gorou would remind his grandfather every day of his own failure and guilt for losing his daughter), always hated his grandson. This is just literally everything we found out in PART II of our character study!
And the man with this background gets reincarnated in the body of a human being which looks exactly like his father Kamiki, thus is his "portrait" or "The Picture of Hikaru Kamiki"! But this portray inherited Gorou's trauma which is expressed by the symbol that the portray lives in the "trauma room" which had been specially built by his grandfather.
Also the metaphor's of "play-room when he was a child and then as a study when he grew somewhat older" goes hand in hand with what we figured out in the "THE RIGHT TO DREAM" essay about how Gorou's childhood-trauma and the guilt-complex provoked through his grandfather's abuse induced him to study medicine instead of striving for his own dreams as a result of him living in this "study trauma room".
Additionally "He had not entered the place for more than four years" - like Aqua who hasn't entered his trauma room for 4-5 years after reincarnation until Ai was murdered in front of his eyes! This reenactment placed him back into this room of guilt.
​
2.
Another interesting story revolves around Dorian's first love with the actress Sibyl Vane. While we can look at this "Arc" from the perspective of Dorian as represented by Hikaru and Sibyl represented by Ai - and we certainly will because actually looking at Dorian as the representation of Hikaru will be even more intereting then the things we have to say about Aqua right now - we can also look at it from the perspective of Aqua and Ai/Akane, which we'll do now.
Dorian loves theater and one night his curiosity leads him into a shappy filthy working-class theater, one with lousy actors and a lousy orchestra. It's essentially the last place a delicate creature would expect greatness. However there at a performance of Shakespears "Romeo and Juliett" he witnesses Sibyl playing and falls for "her" instantly.
​

"But Juliet! Harry, imagine a girl, hardly seventeen years of age, with a little, flowerlike face, a small Greek head with plaited coils of dark-brown hair, eyes that were violet wells of passion, lips that were like the petals of a rose. She was the loveliest thing I had ever seen in my life. You said to me once that pathos left you unmoved, but that beauty, mere beauty, could fill your eyes with tears. I tell you, Harry, I could hardly see this girl for the mist of tears that came across me. And her voice—I never heard such a voice. It was very low at first, with deep mellow notes that seemed to fall singly upon one’s ear. Then it became a little louder, and sounded like a flute or a distant hautboy. In the garden-scene it had all the tremulous ecstasy that one hears just before dawn when nightingales are singing. There were moments, later on, when it had the wild passion of violins. You know how a voice can stir one. [...] Harry, I do love her. She is everything to me in life. Night after night I go to see her play. One evening she is Rosalind, and the next evening she is Imogen. I have seen her die in the gloom of an Italian tomb, sucking the poison from her lover’s lips. [...] I have seen her in every age and in every costume."

​
Aqua's similar rememberance of Ai in a sigfnificantly less pathos drivin manner.
Sibyl Vane is Dorian's ultimate ido. She can perform any of Dorian's romantic ideal heroines from the most captivating drama's written, in utter artistic perfection. He is "her" ultimate fan:
​

"Lips that Shakespeare taught to speak have whispered their secret in my ear. I have had the arms of Rosalind around me, and kissed Juliet on the mouth.”
“Well, I can’t help going to see Sibyl play,” he cried, “even if it is only for a single act. I get hungry for her presence; and when I think of the wonderful soul that is hidden away in that little ivory body, I am filled with awe.”
“You can dine with me tonight, Dorian, can’t you?”
He shook his head. “Tonight she is Imogen,” he answered, “and tomorrow night she will be Juliet.”
“When is she Sibyl Vane?”
“Never.”
“I congratulate you.”
[...]
"My God, Harry, how I worship her!”
[...]
“Harry! Sibyl Vane is sacred!”

​
To put it into Kindaichi's words in ONK C97:

"You'll find people with those eyes ... once in a while. Deceptive eyes that have the power to make lies look like truths. It's the best quality for an actor"

The concept of great acting is basically reduced in the symbol of eyes for the sake of keeping the lore a little bit simpler in ONK, but essentially he just means that sometimes there are special actors who can just perform like if they are literally what they perform.
​
Dorian approaches and courts Sibyl, and soon proposes marriage. They love each other. Dorian invites Basil and Lord Henry to see Sibyl perform in Romeo and Juliet. Sibyl, too enamoured with Dorian to act, performs poorly - also to the anger of the theater audience which left early because of that-, which makes both Basil and Lord Henry think Dorian has fallen in love with Sibyl because of her beauty instead of her acting talent. Embarrassed, Dorian rejects Sibyl, telling her that acting was her beauty; without that, she no longer interests him. The heartbroken Sibyl eventually commits suicide on this very night.
Now, we find every element of that story in the history between Aqua and Akane but in a reversed construction. Akane joins LoveNow but because of her personality she fails her role in this reality tv setting. She gets rejected by the audience and the audience is even angry with her. Under that pressure she attempts suicide. However after she studied Aqua's ideal role she becomes of great interest for both him and the audience. This is essentially like Vane performing Juliett or Imogen or what not but with the difference that Aqua just loves one Idol: Ai. Structurally it is similar though and Aqua falls for her role. During LoveNow we have the same realization inside Aqua and Dorian, so the plot reverses back but without tragedy: Aqua rejects Akane as serious love interest between her real self and him, telling her that hei's only interesting in her as an actor, just like Dorian rejects Sibyl by telling her that acting was her only beauty.
Dorian to Harry:

"Ordinary women never appeal to one’s imagination. They are limited to their century. No glamour ever transfigures them. One knows their minds as easily as one knows their bonnets. One can always find them. There is no mystery in any of them. They ride in the park in the morning and chatter at tea-parties in the afternoon. They have their stereotyped smile and their fashionable manner. They are quite obvious. But an actress! How different an actress is! Harry! why didn’t you tell me that the only thing worth loving is an actress?"

Well, in a screwed way this is also applicable to Ryosuke's issue, who loved Ai for her role but hated her for her real self and eventually kills her for it, as her real self not only is different but essentially is in total opposition to her role as an idol. Dorian describes a similar screwed misogynistic view on women: The actress is mystery and the only thing worth to love, the ordinary woman is the absolute opposite of it, disappointing and unworthy to be loved.
​
3.
By the way the director of that working-class theater is described as a stereotypical jew and while I of course do not endorse antisemitism or racism it still is kinda funny that Kindaichi, the director of Lalalie Theater Company and Akane's boss is always depicted with a pretty unusual big and oddly shaped nose while the name Toshirou that means "quick, clever, sharp" and Toshirou's surname Kindaichi that means "gold/metal, money/cash, currency". Pretty stereotypical if you link it to Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray"...But the theater itself also has some working-class vibes to it, since it's implied that back then they opened workshop classes for orphans and probably generally troubled kids without real guardians. Addiotionally he gave Akane the smallest bouquet at the Japan Actor's Award with the explanation that theaters are financially not doing great. Well if it's a reflection of theaters in general, his theater in particular or his personal greed I can't tell. His name implies the latter and the cost of a bouquet surely doesn't ruin a theater. But probably it's still a general observation because theaters are indeed a dying genre.
Some quotes about the "Jew" in the novel:

"A hideous Jew, in the most amazing waistcoat I ever beheld in my life, was standing at the entrance, smoking a vile cigar. He had greasy ringlets, and an enormous diamond blazed in the centre of a soiled shirt. ‘Have a box, my Lord?’ he said, when he saw me, and he took off his hat with an air of gorgeous servility. There was something about him, Harry, that amused me. He was such a monster."

​

"On the first night I was at the theatre, the horrid old Jew came round to the box after the performance was over and offered to take me behind the scenes and introduce me to her. I was furious with him, and told him that Juliet had been dead for hundreds of years and that her body was lying in a marble tomb in Verona. I think, from his blank look of amazement, that he was under the impression that I had taken too much champagne, or something.”
“I am not surprised” replied Harry.

This is just a little odd observation, in the epilog we'll find a more cheerful representation of Kindaichi (well, cheerfulness is of course a limited ressource when it comes down to that man :))
​
4.
While most of the time the monologues and thought processes of Dorian mainly concern Dorian as the representative of Hikaru, we have here and there sober reflections on what his soul - which is trapped in the potray - would probably experience, thus what he would experience if he'd have his soul inside his own body. Thus we can read this at the same time as a comment on what is going on in Gorou's / Aqua's soul, which is quite interesting. In the following quote for example it's about the nightmare of having a phantom of your guilt following you everywhere you go, essentially a description of Aqua's delusional vision of Gorou who blames him for Ai's death:
​
https://preview.redd.it/vns5efrx505b1.jpg?width=1083&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a6ae6628023bb215a4e9ceb6ff08ce21013374eb
https://preview.redd.it/owuow261605b1.jpg?width=1083&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a54f4a6aa13610e04384407526573efc43fd8398

"And yet if it had been merely an illusion, how terrible it was to think that conscience could raise such fearful phantoms, and give them visible form, and make them move before one! What sort of life would his be if, day and night, shadows of his crime were to peer at him from silent corners, to mock him from secret places, to whisper in his ear as he sat at the feast, to wake him with icy fingers as he lay asleep! As the thought crept through his brain, he grew pale with terror, and the air seemed to him to have become suddenly colder. Oh! in what a wild hour of madness he had killed his friend! How ghastly the mere memory of the scene! He saw it all again. Each hideous detail came back to him with added horror. Out of the black cave of time, terrible and swathed in scarlet, rose the image of his sin. "

18 years after Sibyl's suicide her brother James Vane found out Dorian's identity and swore to kill him. He saw Vane lurking for him and panicked, feared for his life. But later he'd reflect that this must've been just a phantom. That's the story behind that quote in that novel. However he would calm after some days and think that he's out of danger.
​

It was not till the third day that he ventured to go out. There was something in the clear, pine-scented air of that winter morning that seemed to bring him back his joyousness and his ardour for life. But it was not merely the physical conditions of environment that had caused the change. His own nature had revolted against the excess of anguish that had sought to maim and mar the perfection of its calm. With subtle and finely wrought temperaments it is always so. Their strong passions must either bruise or bend. They either slay the man, or themselves die. Shallow sorrows and shallow loves live on. The loves and sorrows that are great are destroyed by their own plenitude. Besides, he had convinced himself that he had been the victim of a terror-stricken imagination, and looked back now on his fears with something of pity and not a little of contempt.

​
We ultimately experience a similar transformation in Aqua's temper after he learns about the apparent death of his father from Taiki. He was away all night (the "night" is a symbol here) but finally came back "in the clear, pine-scented air of that winter morning that seemed to bring him back his joyousness and his ardour for life" He steps to the window and gives Ruby an reliefed smile for the first time since Ai's death:
​
https://preview.redd.it/e0ezsvfp705b1.jpg?width=1083&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=97f0236ae0606e6e37654d96b6ed11b55068cfcc
https://preview.redd.it/kd421eyo705b1.jpg?width=1083&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=60ffd4450b497632b36904ce7ba7b35d6727bf3b
​
It's not directly "winter" although Ruby's wearing a pyjama which indicate that it's also not summer, but the symbol contracts with the Takachiho arc which we can't spare for Aqua's transformation. What for Dorian was a mere material process of healing his tension and therefore would go away after 3 days of bedriddenness is for Aqua a inmaterial soul-process and he has to put a meaningful end to the phantom of Gorou in his head. And their stay in Takachiho surely appears to be in a winterly setting. This novel must've been of great inspiration for Aka and so he honors it by reimagination of the mental images Oscar Wilde created.
​

"Our father died long ago. There's no way left to avenge Ai. So what should I do? My... revenge..." (C 68)

​
Aqua is finally free and live normaly but when the news about Takachiho appeared he knew he has to somehow find his corpse so that he can "burry his phantom'" so to speak. The corpse of Gorou would be his symbolic proof that it's over, that he has nothing to fear anymore. Eventually Akane and Ruby find it.
​
\"Keep out\" meaning keep this rotten and grotesque thing out of his mind. It's over.
​
Correspondingly Dorian would soon after his "winter-morning" go on a hare shooting in some rural countryside (=Takachiho) where they would by accident shoot James Vane who still was following Dorian. James was finally dead and Dorian could finally close that chapter.
This is everything I could for now link to Aqua without talking about Hikaru's links to Dorian. So for now we have to stop the analysis and call it a day.
​
Epilog
So I hope I could convince you to look at ONK from this perspective. This is just the beginning though, the actually interesting part we will only tackle in the next essay Because I believe we can learn a lot of Hikaru's ideology through the character of Dorian, his hobbies, his views, his extreme hedonistic sensualism, perhaps even his relation to his portrait.... It actually concerns me: My very first essay on ONK like a month ago was a half serious schizo theory about Hikaru's involvement in the plot so far where I made the assumption that he probably constantly observes Aqua from far away for years but now - if we apply "The Picture of Dorian Gray" to his personality then this in fact is real.
Dorian would in fact over the years go into his secret room and look at his portrait with a weird for us the next time to explore interest and strange reflections. Maybe there is really more to it...
​
Lets end for now with a somewhat luckier characterization of Toshirou Kindaichi. Because he actually looks a lot like the author Oscar Wilde himself:
​
https://preview.redd.it/9xoj9ihah05b1.jpg?width=800&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=781921c3c82f4fce235a14f8433fe906c904e064
And to quote Wilde - which could also be just Kindaichi's own words :

“All charming people are spoiled. It is the secret of their attraction.”

​
​
​
As always: Thanks for reading!
​
​
****
​
​

Memory Transcription Subject: Bosjin, Zeyzell Planetary Defense Corps
I lined up the xeno in my scope as I laid on a nearby snowdrift, waiting for it to move away from the group of civilians it and its allies had captured. The things had arrived in this town an hour ago were injecting them with what I assumed was their so-called “Cure.” I growled when a crying kit was ripped away from their parent and stuck with a syringe. The parent yowled in fury and leaped at the xeno, trying to clamber up its larger frame and clawing at its eyes. The Kolshian slammed the parent into a wall before raising its weapon.
May Maa scorch whatever twisted essence substitutes for your soul.
I squeezed the trigger, sending a single bullet into its brain. The other xenos whirled their guns around, looking for the sniper. I adjusted my aim and iced what looked like the leader. Xeno blood began to stain the snowy ground. Bullets rained down on my general position, forcing me to back away and crawl to a new vantage point. The filthy things had murdered my entire squad and dispersed their cure over entire cities. I’d been able to scrounge up an old gas mask from a now-destroyed armory, meaning that the things would either have to take the time to capture and inject a single soldier or, more likely, just kill me.
I circled around the group of xenos, using my pure white fur to camouflage myself. I was a phantom, striking quickly before retreating back into the snow. The snow and ice were our turf. We’d evolved to use it to our advantage. The xenos would have to pay dearly for every scrap they took from us. Reaching another secure position, I iced another two xenos before instantly darting away before they could react. That wide vision of theirs did absolutely nothing against a ghost of the snow.
“Predator!” I heard one of them call. “Stand down!”
I ignored it, scrambling a nearby frost-tree, taking care not to rustle the sparkling and brittle leaves. I raised the scope to my eye once more before I paused. One of the xenos was holding a rifle to the back of the kit’s head. Other xenos were doing the same to other civilians.
“Predator!” it called again. “Surrender or we will begin executing your people!”
The wind began to pick up, kicking up snow, making it harder for them to see. It would also distort the direction of my voice.
“You’re going to do it anyway, xeno!” I retorted, clambering down the tree and circling the group once more. Just because it was harder for them to pinpoint me, didn’t mean I was safe.
“You would take that chance, predator-”
The wind began howling, drowning out anything else it was saying. Flurries of snow began to batter the area. I chuckled. Snowstorms this strong were dangerous even to us. These furless xenos wouldn’t last ten minutes. I slung my rifle behind me and unsheathed my knife, edging closer to their position. Some infrared goggles would be handy right now, but I still had the advantage. My eyes, evolved to handle the icy debris, could see better than the unprepared things. I had heard that the Federation used climate-altering technology to suit their exact needs on every planet. The Unity also did such things on occasion, but only on planets without life. Pydoria Rusarth’s climate was more or less the same as it had ever been, ignoring the effects of (mostly) eco-friendly colonization.
The relative unpredictability of this planet’s weather patterns had thrown the things off guard. I paused when the first xeno silhouette came into view. It was raking its gun all around it in a paranoid manner. I snuck up behind it, taking care to stay in its blind spot and freezing whenever its gaze fell on my location. It was a bit undignifying to be crawling along my stomach like this, but the giddiness of being able to ice my home’s invaders made up for it.
I was right next to it. I raised my blade and slashed it across the back of the creature’s knees. It fell with a yelp that was quickly silenced with a cut throat. Leaving it to bleed out, I moved on until I caught sight of a few prisoners with a pair of xeno guards. The wind was screaming now, as if the planet itself was howling its pain and fury at those who dared attack it. I raised my rifle and fired, the gunshot muffled by the wind. One xeno went down and the other was too busy shielding itself against the unforgiving cold to notice.
The prisoners took notice of the fallen xeno and some of them took the opportunity to bolt away. The others turned to the still-living xeno and unsheathed their claws. A single Zeyzell against one of them wasn’t a fair fight. Half-a-dozen on the other hand? I relished the screams of the thing as seven furious citizens piled onto it, raking their claws across its eyes and extremities. This was the fate that all xenos deser-
Something’s behind me.
I whirled around when a patch of snow crunched only to take the butt of a giant gun to the snout. A cruel-looking Kolshian sneered down at me as it shivered from the cold.
“Not so dangerous now, are you, predator?” it mocked.
Its tentacle tightened on the trigger. I closed my eyes, resigning myself to my fate. I flinched when a gunshot rang and…
I opened my eyes. The xeno was looking at a hole in its chest in surprise. It tried to stumble away only for a second shot to rip through its skull. It fell down and I looked behind where it was to see the shape of a Zeyzell. It was taller and it wore some kind of battle armor that I’d only ever seen on… Deathwatch Guards. We were saved! Loud gunshots rang through the area as more of my saviors entered the fray.
I scrambled to my feet and stared at the Guard, my face reflected in its orange visor. They nodded at me before rushing back into the fight and I immediately tailed them. My mood fell a bit when I thought about why they were here. Usually, they stuck around people of high importance, such as politicians. If they were here, then their charges must’ve been killed. I shook my head. That didn’t matter. What mattered was winning this fight. And the next and the next until reinforcements arrived or we fell in battle.
I stared in awe as the Guard expertly dispatched three xenos before they knew what was happening. More Guards appeared, gunning down those who were trying to flee. Normal soldiers rushed to free the prisoners while the Guards worked. A bullet struck one Guard in the shoulder, sending them sprawling before it leapt back up and riddled its attacker with holes, their armor having saved it from anything worse than a bad bruise. Compared to us, these troops were practically demigods.
-------------
Memory Transcription Subject: High Captain Bolhur, Zeyzell Fleet Command
I mused on Edo’s panicked orders to me as we hurtled towards Pydoria Rusarth. The Overseer had redirected the defense fleet to relieve Vajo’s dwindling forces and the xenos had pounced on the chance to attack. The redirected fleet was also on the way, hauling a Shield-class in tow which, combined with the identical ship I was currently standing on, and the thousand ships in both fleets would obliterate the invaders. I allowed myself a small chuckle.
Before the Kolshians stepped in, entire fleets scattered at the sight of these gargantuan warships. They each needed a trio of gigantic reactors in order to power its hundred railguns, nigh-unbreakable shields, and atmosphere scorching engines. The Kolshians might be brave enough to take one of them on, but a pair? Even the Arxur would fall before such power. I did wonder why we didn’t deploy all fifteen of them on the front lines however. With one or two at every major battle, the war would be going better for us.
“We’re nearly there, sir,” my navigator informed me.
“Charge railguns and bring us as close as possible,” I ordered.
I expected to see Pydoria Rusarth in the middle of burning, with every settlement wiped off of the map. Instead, I got the opposite. I gasped at the sheer size of the xeno fleet, much larger than the two thousand we were promised. And under the giant fleet was Pydoria Rusarth, completely untouched, at least from my perspective. Scans showed that not one antimatter bomb had been detonated on the surface. The xenos were occupying it!
I shook off my surprise. The second attack fleet would be here any moment and we needed to help clear a way for them.
“Open fire!” I shouted.
The xenos were caught off guard by our sudden arrival and couldn’t react in time to save themselves from thousands of simultaneous railgun strikes from my wall of ships. My flagship, the Vanguard, immediately followed up with a wave of plasma and kinetics, striking down hundreds more. The xenos adapted quickly however and regrouped closer to the planet, taking out a few of my own fleet. Most of their retaliatory strikes were directed at my own ship. Thankfully the Vanguard’s shields held up and we pressed the attack long enough for High Captain Treuts and the Annihilator to join the fight.
I could practically sense the xenos’ faltering morale as the two fleet-killing dreadnaughts bore down on them. They heavily outnumbered us, but we were the ones with the firepower. I contacted the fleet.
“Treuts, help me punch a hole in this location,” I said, marking the densest concentration of enemy warships in order to cause maximum damage to their fleet. “I want the rest of the fleet to surround the colony and squeeze the xeno formations. The moment we get through, deploy dropships to retake the planet.”
The fleet obeyed, spreading out across the planet, forcing the xenos to thin their own formation to counter, leaving the Vanguard and the Annihilator to fire upon a weaker defensive position. Two hundred railguns fired in tandem, obliterating a slew of xenos and we immediately followed up with a storm of plasma, missiles, and kinetics. Once again, I wondered why we didn’t use these mountains of steel more often. This was among the largest fleet of xenos we’d faced since the Battle of Earth, and only two being utilized to their fullest capacity was slowly but surely pushing the xenos back. I was sure we could spare a few from some of the Core Worlds.
The xenos launched a slew of missiles, most of which were shot down before they could reach us. Those that survived detonated a little way away from our ships. Readings showed a massive spike in electromagnetic radiation. They tried to EMP us.
“Any damage?” I asked.
“Shields took a small hit, sir, but are otherwise fine,” my sensors officer responded. “The hardenings worked. EMPs are mostly ineffective.”
“Sir!” my comms officer called. “The xenos are hailing us!”
“Amusing,” I chuckled. “They wish to beg? Too bad. Ignore it. They should have thought about dying before they came here.”
The xenos’ cries for mercy went unheeded as we pushed deeper into their formation.
-------------
Memory Transcription Subject: Captain Vajartav, Kolshian Commonwealth Fleet Command
Our ultimatum went unheeded as the predators pushed deeper into our formation. As a member of the higher caste, I was given the privilege of not being as easy to spook as the lesser members of the Federation. And yet the sight of the twin giant warships bearing down on us without mercy filled me with terror. They had a seemingly infinite supply of weapons and breaking their shields might as well be the same as trying to batter down a brick wall with our bare tentacles.
“Fine,” I said, hiding my fear. “If they don’t want to listen, then we will just show them. Begin bombardment, two low-population cities.”
“But sir, our forces are still down there!”
“A necessary sacrifice. Do as I say.”
Two bombers broke away and burned towards their targets. Hopefully, this would buy us time for reinforcements to arrive. They should be here any second, but time was a precious commodity at the moment. The predators took notice of the bombers and fired some of their railguns. By some miracle, the bombers were able to swerve out of the way. Well, one of them. The other took a glancing blow and began to flounder in the planet’s gravitational field.
That was fine. A single destroyed city would give the same message.
“BRACE FOR IMPACT!”
I looked up from the feed of the ships and gasped at the sight of another storm of missiles hurtling towards the center of our formation. Towards me. Then the projectiles detonated. An instant later, the ship went dark and the engines stopped rumbling. We were dead in space. About to be literally. The vicious predators started systematically destroying every defenseless ship in their path. They would lose a city, but now we couldn’t send anymore bombers.
Where are those damn reinforcements?!
“Sir! Look!”
The navigator pointed out the viewport and I felt immense relief flow through me. It was a staggering sight, 20,000 warships here to sweep away the disgusting creatures that called themselves sapient. The gargantuan attackers instantly turned and opened fire with all of their railguns, hitting every target. It didn’t even make a dent. The predators realized they were outmatched and burned away from the colony, recalling their fleet as well. Our trap worked. Barely.
Our reinforcements began to envelop the predator fleet. As powerful as those fleet-killers were, they stood no chance against a fleet this size. Today was truly the beginning of the end of the Unity.
-------------
Memory Transcription Subject: High Captain Bolhur, Zeyzell Fleet Command
“Shields are down to 50%!”
“The Annihilator’s shields are almost gone!”
“They’re blocking us from entering subspace!”
Panic and chaos bombarded my eyes and ears as the xeno reinforcements swallowed our fleet. Me and the Annihilator were barely holding them off and that wasn’t going to last for long.
“I want sublight engines and shields at full power! Carriers, create a protective barrier around yourselves and the flagships!”
At most, that bought us a few more minutes of survival before we were claimed by the vacuum of space.
Pydoria Rusarth was lost.
-------------
Memory Transcription Subject: Admiral Ferlinn, Zeyzell Insurgency Command
“Exiting subspace now, Admiral!”
Zeyzell-10 blinked into view in all of its icy glory. The frozen planet orbited its tiny star in an irregular orbit, heating the planet enough for most of the equator’s ice to melt for a short time before swinging back into the frozen zone. That, combined with the high levels of volcanic activity under the frozen seas, was theorized to be how life took hold on a planet otherwise rather hostile to life as we know it. Some scientists even believed that life took hold multiple times before being wiped out by the unforgiving cold before it could evolve any further.
Life always seemed to find a way. Only now, Zeyzell-10 was about to see a tremendous loss of it. The fleet I’d taken to distract the Unity had no chance at taking the planet, but it was large enough to be considered a significant threat. With the Unity’s eyes on me and the fiasco at Pydoria Rusarth that Overseer Noctif was going to deal with, our primary fleet could snatch a few fringe worlds from Edo’s grasp. We would establish a foothold in the now mostly undefended Sectors Nine, Eight, and Seven on the opposite side of the border with the Federation and work inwards from there.
My orders were to make this battle as authentic as possible, up to landing troops if I could. It was unlikely I would even come close to doing so, given that I was now facing down untold thousands of warships and Weapons Platforms, three Shield-classes among them with only a couple thousand of my own ships. Not to mention those giant, hexagonal satellites hanging in low orbit. The giant contraptions were specifically placed to cause as little havoc to the ecosystem as possible while providing the maximum defense to Zeyzell-10. In the end, new weapons were impressive and all but the pinnacle of our quest to build up our defenses was this.
A global shield.
As with any impressive technology, it had its weaknesses and drawbacks. It could sustain heavy bombardment for a long while, but those satellites were vulnerable. If one went down, the entire area around it would go down as well, leaving a hole for invaders to pour through. I had my reservations about destroying even one of them in the unlikely event that I got the opportunity due to the cultural significance they possessed, but Edo’s reign would end in the destruction of our culture entirely if we didn’t put a stop to this.
“The fleet is hailing us, Admiral!”
“Accept it.”
The image of an angry officer appeared in front of me. I recognized her as High Admiral Jannob, the supreme commander of the entire Zeyzell Navy. Traditionally, High Admirals were always stationed in defense of Zeyzell-10, which is why Vajo, and before him Krobag, were put in charge of the war against the Federation. Although they called the shots, Jannob had the last say.
“What is the meaning of this?!” she snarled. “We were not expecting a fleet here! Identify yourselves or you will be fired upon!”
I answered calmly. A new idea came to mind. Perhaps I wouldn’t have to take on the entire fleet on my own.
“Hello, High Admiral.”
Surprise crossed her face.
“High Captain Ferlinn?”
“Admiral Ferlinn, as per the orders of Overseer Noctif.”
“Overseer Noctif is dead, traitor! All because of the xenos! Xenos that you should be fighting instead of your own people!”
“On the contrary, Overseer Noctif is most certainly alive, if a little worse for wear. No thanks to Edo.”
“Excuse me?”
I glanced down as a message from Noctif reached me. She was engaging the Kolshians over Pydoria Rusarth. I ordered my comms officer to send videos of Noctif that had been taken after the assassination attempt. Jannob watched the files with growing joy.
“She’s alive! That’s wonder…ful…” she trailed off as she realized the implications of this.
“Edo was the one who destroyed the Council Chamber. He blamed it on the Federation and used the attack he orchestrated to seize power. Edo is the traitor, not me.”
Jannob fell silent as she pondered the new information.
“Who will you stand with, Jannob?” I asked. “The man who is dooming the Unity, or the woman who only wanted what was best?”
Her eyes flicked back up to me, the now-familiar spark of rebellion shining within them.
“I stand with Overseer Noctif.”
-------------
Memory Transcription Subject: Overseer Noctif, Zeyzell Insurgency Leader
The battered Shield-class was quickly being torn apart by the xenos. Every other ship in its fleet had been destroyed, including another Shield whose wreckage dominated the scanners. I observed the battle from the safety of the middle of my fleet. I was no military officer, but being here in person was important. High Captain Grencop was in charge of this battle, a battle that even I could see we had no hope of winning.
I contacted the dreadnought from my ship.
“Attention Unity dreadnought. This is Overseer Noctif. Hang in there, we are here to help.”
Grencop ordered the majority of his fleet to engage the Kolshians, drawing them away from the dying mountain of metal. The Shield gladly took the opportunity to punch its way through the Kolshians and reach our fleet.
“They’re hailing you, Overseer.”
“Let them talk.”
The High Captain of the Shield-class appeared, pink blood oozing through the fur on his head.
“Overseer Noctif?” he asked in wonder.
“Indeed, High Captain. It looked like you needed help.”
“H-How is this possible?”
“Not important right now, High Captain. Let’s get the hell out of here first.”
He rubbed his wound before flicking his tail in acknowledgment.
“Of course, Overseer Noctif. It’s good to have you back.”
First
Prev

Now this is an unpopular opinion, as a lot of people seem to be enjoying this new chapter to Make Your Mark. If you like the new chapter, then all power to you! Like what you want to like, even if I have differing opinions. Now here’s what I have a problem with: The main problem I have with this chapter is, well, most of the stuff that plagued the other 3 chapters. Every episode bast Bridlewoodstock had the same problems as before, such as a lack of focus in the episodes, and bland characterization. While some episodes were a massive improvement over previous chapters (specifically episodes 1, 4 and 5), others such as episodes 2, 3 and 6 were dull, had bland characterization, barely had any good morals (if any at all) and served no real purpose othe rthan to be filler in between major plot moments in the show Now I can forgive some bad episodes, but the finale to the chapter was, well, extremely underwhelming and honestly painful to watch. WHile it was okay at first, and I did enjoy it, it did feel like the only reason the protagonists found Opaline was because of Misty’s betrayal, which shows that the protagonists don’t really have much agency in the plot (other than Zipp occasionally doing research and finding some vague information). Not only that, but the ending to the episode made me facepalm so hard. They trap Opaline in a bubble for 30 SECONDS, take back Sparky, while leaving MISTY WITH OPALINE (which is extremely dumb. Didn’t they like her now? That just seems rude.), who still has the super powerful Dragon Stone. Sure, they need Opaline for future chapters, but it barely feels like a victory for the characters, other than rescuing Sparky and redeeming Misty. Overall, while this season did improve quite a bit in some regards, it still has the same problems that the last 3 chapters had, and I feel as though they will be part of this series for quite a while… What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with my opinion?

• Images: https://imgur.com/a/IllMh9V • Server: EUW • Level: 41 • Rank: Master (1 lp, 64% Win Rate, Grandmaster MMR) • Blue Essence: 19500 • Orange Essence: 1270 • Champions: 25 • Skins: 4 (SACRED SWORD JANNA, PENTAKILL III: LOST CHAPTER SONA, HIGH NOON HECARIM, ELEMENTALIST LUX) • Skin Shards: 3 (BROKEN COVENANT VLADIMIR, GUARDIAN OF THE SANDS RENGAR, WARRING KINGDOMS XIN ZHAO) • Refunds: 3 • Flash on F
Account is email-unverified and comes with a full access.

• Images: https://imgur.com/a/IllMh9V • Server: EUW • Level: 41 • Rank: Master (1 lp, 64% Win Rate, Grandmaster MMR) • Blue Essence: 19500 • Orange Essence: 1270 • Champions: 25 • Skins: 4 (SACRED SWORD JANNA, PENTAKILL III: LOST CHAPTER SONA, HIGH NOON HECARIM, ELEMENTALIST LUX) • Skin Shards: 3 (BROKEN COVENANT VLADIMIR, GUARDIAN OF THE SANDS RENGAR, WARRING KINGDOMS XIN ZHAO) • Refunds: 3 • Flash on F
Account is email-unverified and comes with a full access.
Price: 60€

• Images: https://imgur.com/a/IllMh9V
• Server: EUW
• Level: 41
• Rank: Master (1 lp, 64% Win Rate, Grandmaster MMR)
• Blue Essence: 19500
• Orange Essence: 1270
• Champions: 25
• Skins: 4 (SACRED SWORD JANNA, PENTAKILL III: LOST CHAPTER SONA, HIGH NOON HECARIM, ELEMENTALIST LUX)
• Skin Shards: 3 (BROKEN COVENANT VLADIMIR, GUARDIAN OF THE SANDS RENGAR, WARRING KINGDOMS XIN ZHAO)
• Refunds: 3
• Flash on F
Account is email-unverified and comes with a full access.
Price: 60€