#virtual leadership skills

[drjuliedonley]

Dr. Julie Donley Coaching for Healthcare Leaders

Website: https://www.drjuliedonley.com

Address: Greater Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Dr. Julie Donley offers a range of services focused on leadership coaching, primarily for healthcare professionals. Services include individual leadership coaching via phone or Zoom, emotional intelligence assessments, leadership development, group coaching, and keynote speaking. Her approach integrates compassionate leadership with business objectives, aiming to create a culture of appreciation, psychological safety, and high-performing teams in healthcare settings.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/virtualassistantlori/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_oUnKYA7Ky0GGeD5UkcdCA

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjuliedonley/

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[theblogs2024]

The Benefits of Digital REALITY Schooling

Virtual reality (VR) technological innovation is transforming just how we solution education in different industries.

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Check more info. here: virtual training platforms

#interactive training software #virtual reality training solutions #virtual training #virtual training platforms #leadership skill development #skill development program

[crookedrup]

At different times in our journeys as professionals, we all experience the feeling that we need to update our skills and make a career change. However, this can become difficult for older Australians as they feel they are 'in too deep'. Read about how you can make a career change here:

#At different times in our journeys as professionals we all experience the feeling that we need to update our skills and make a career change #Certificate IV TAE Virtual Class #cert 4 in assessment and training #vet in schools #leadership and management diploma perth #cert iv training and assessment mandurah #certificate 4 in training and assessment perth #TAE50216

[marley-manson]

Hawkeye and Frank are the two most diametrically opposed characters on Mash. They clash politically, ideologically, emotionally, intellectually, and even physically on more than one occasion. There is virtually nothing they agree on. But they do have one significant similarity: both Hawkeye and Frank are notably, pointedly effeminate.

Hawkeye is the central protagonist, so he's written to be likeable, even admirable, especially in the first five seasons of the show when satire dominated rather than character drama. He's the character who makes the correct political points and voices the show's ideology, and male audience members are encouraged to identify with him and aspire to be like him. He's witty, he's smart, he's charismatic, he dodges consequences a lot, he's highly skilled in his work, and he has a strong personality and natural leadership qualities.

Frank is the main antagonist up until the end of season five. He's written for audiences to hate him, mock him, and occasionally be horrified by him. He's dull-witted, incompetent, awkward, easily led and manipulated, and always gets his comeuppance. Few audience members are likely to aspire to be more like Frank Burns.

And yet, while most likeable protagonist/detestable antagonist duos in American popular media would also be differentiated in terms of gender performance as a matter of course - the effeminate villain being a standard stock character, always set against a ruggedly masculine hero - Mash takes a different approach.

From his core personality as a sniveling, weak-willed follower, to the way other characters, including Hawkeye, routinely make fun of him by comparing him to a woman or insinuating that he's gay, Frank Burns certainly fits the part of weak, emasculated villain. What's more interesting, and much less commonly seen in Hollywood media, is that Hawkeye is portrayed as just as unmanly, and just as, if not more prone to having it pointed out in the show.

Often Hawkeye's jokes at Frank's expense include the implication that Hawkeye is attracted to him himself, and not necessarily as "the man." He jokes, "Guess it's a marriage, Frank. I know I can do better, but at my age, can I wait?" in Hawkeye, Get Your Gun; he switches from calling Frank one of his vampire brides to taking the feminine part in post-coital pillow talk after siphoning his blood in Germ Warfare; he kisses or tells Frank to kiss him in Major Fred C. Dobbs, For the Good of the Outfit, and Bulletin Board, etc.

Other times, the jokes Hawkeye makes about himself are virtually identical to the jokes made at Frank's expense - their respective attractions to Margaret as a potentially dominant sexual partner, eg, with both Frank and Hawkeye portrayed as eagerly submissive. For instance, in 5 O'Clock Charlie Hawkeye jokes about tying Frank to Margaret's tent, then dismisses the thought with, "He'd probably love it. I know I would." And Hawkeye/Trapper and Frank/Margaret are sometimes paralleled as dual couples, Hawkeye and Frank usually being framed as the more feminine partner in each.

And of course, unconnected to Frank, there are many, many more examples of Hawkeye's effeminacy, both in jokes and in personality traits.

Hawkeye is a self-professed coward who is loud and proud about how terrified he is to be stuck in a war zone. He's emotionally open and highly empathetic, always willing to listen to others' problems and discuss (or scream about) his own. He abhors institutional violence and faces every enemy combatant with his hands firmly in the air. When authority is thrust upon him he strives to relinquish it, and uses it as little as possible.

More shallowly, he has little interest in sports and exercise, derides masculine hobby magazines like Field and Stream and Popular Mechanics, is incapable of performing mechanical tasks to the exasperation of others at least four times (Comrades in Arms which explicitly frames this emasculating, In Love and War, Patent 4077, and Hey, Look Me Over), mocks traditional masculinity in many ways, and enjoys musical theatre and Hollywood gossip. And he makes and takes literally hundreds of jokes about being unmanly and having sex with men himself, many more than he makes at Frank's expense.

But while the jokes are at Frank's expense and meant to belittle him, they're rarely made at Hawkeye's expense, especially in the first five seasons. Hawkeye doesn't make the jokes out of self-deprecation, he makes them out of pride and a desire to differentiate himself from the army men he's surrounded by. He's almost always in on the jokes others make about him, rather than offended - Potter telling him to file a paternity suit against his rival in Hepatitis makes him laugh delightedly, and Trapper's remarks on his effeminacy, such as Miz Hawkeye in Hot Lips and Empty Arms, are sometimes lightly teasing but always a regular aspect of their dynamic that Hawkeye enjoys playing up. Frank doesn't make any jokes directly mocking Hawkeye's masculinity that I can recall, beyond vague "pervert" and "degenerate" remarks, which, while often historically homophobic, in the show's context tend to be treated as a reference to his heterosexual endeavours.

Frank's effeminacy is a point of mockery and derision, but Hawkeye's is a point of pride, and not intended to make him any less likeable to an audience. Antagonists don't get to score points off of Hawkeye by mocking his feminine traits, but Hawkeye makes fun of Frank regularly by mocking his feminine traits.

This difference in framing can partially be explained by the nature of their respective gender performances.

While Hawkeye and Frank are both effeminate, they're effeminate in many opposite ways. Frank is weak-willed while Hawkeye is strong-willed. Frank is unappealing to most women, while Hawkeye is something of a lady's man. Frank cannot face his fears to rise to a challenge, but Hawkeye can. But on the flipside, Frank refuses to admit to fear while Hawkeye openly proclaims it. Frank strives to attain authority while Hawkeye refuses it or takes it on only begrudgingly. Frank is obsessed with guns to a freudian extent while one of Hawkeye's most famous monologues of the show is a speech about refusing to carry one. Frank worships the concept of traditional masculinity even while he can't perform it himself, while Hawkeye mocks the concept and would refuse to perform it even if he could.

The Sniper is an excellent case study of these contrasts. In this episode, Hawkeye is effeminate and at ease with it, while Frank is desperate to prove himself masculine. Frank and Margaret flirt with strong Freudian overtones while Frank shoots a gun while nearby Hawkeye flirts with with a nurse with a line about "tasting" her. Hawkeye connects with the nurse he's wooing by relating to how scared she is and huddling in fear with her, while Margaret demands that Frank prove his masculinity by going out and taking down the sniper himself. Frank carries a gun while trying to approach the sniper, while Hawkeye carries a white flag. Frank tries to make fun of Hawkeye for wanting to surrender, but he can't bring himself to approach the sniper while Hawkeye does.

This contrast of gender performance is a consistent aspect of Hawkeye and Frank's dynamic throughout the show, but The Sniper makes it a central theme so it's a useful example to show how their relationships to masculinity are a deliberate aspect of their dynamic.

And while Hawkeye makes fun of Frank's femininity, it's significant that he also regularly makes fun of Frank's masculinity - his love of guns (eg The Sniper), his sexual affairs (eg the exchange about Frank as a "fantastic performer" in Yankee Doodle Doctor), his numerous attempts to exert authority (eg Welcome to Korea), his desire for socially approved success (eg Hot Lips and Empty Arms), etc.

Both masculine and feminine sides of Frank are comprised of negative character traits, while Hawkeye embodies the best of both - emotional expression and healthy ways of coping by talking about his feelings; bravery but not machismo; intelligence and skill as a doctor rather than an officer; empathy and a willingness to listen; sexual prowess but largely through his love of foreplay rather than his dick game (which, in the context of the early 70s, is a somewhat feminine attribute that distinguishes him from a typical traditionally masculine man); etc.

Hawkeye demonstrates some of the most appealing and healthy qualities of both masculinity and femininity while Frank demonstrates, or strives to demonstrate, the more toxic qualities of both. Through including a few positive masculine traits in the mix, the narrative is able to depict Hawkeye as likeable, admirable, and desirable in his effeminacy while Frank is depicted as loathesome in his. Hawkeye gets one of many, many women in The Sniper by showing vulnerability, while Frank only appeals to Margaret, and Margaret is portrayed as borderline pathological in her sexual attraction to violent masculinity (the scene where Frank excites her with his gun, for example, also includes an electra complex joke, and there's a running rape kink gag in this episode as well).

Another aspect to consider when it comes to differentiating Hawkeye and Frank's respective femininities is hypocrisy. Similar to how Frank and Margaret's affair is mocked because they can't admit to it while Hawkeye and Trapper's affairs are glorified, part of what makes Frank's effeminacy so mock-worthy, while Hawkeye's feminine qualities are a source of pride and rebellion, is that Frank refuses to admit to them.

Frank desperately wants to be the ideal heroic army man and often play-acts the part, poorly. When Hawkeye mocks him by calling him a woman, for example, he's drawing attention to Frank's failure to live up to his own ideals. And when Hawkeye calls himself a woman, he's mocking those same ideals. The message is that Frank is pathetic not so much for failing to be traditionally masculine, but for wanting to be traditionally masculine at all.

Ultimately the ways Hawkeye and Frank perform masculinity and femininity are pointedly in opposition, from which masc and fem traits they embody, to how proudly they embody them. The show itself draws attention to these gendered similarities and differences between Frank and Hawkeye through a constant barrage of jokes, and even whole scenes and episodes. In this way the show portrays Frank as a hypocritical loser who wants to be masculine but fails to embody all but the worst traits, and Hawkeye as a cool, admirable guy who disdains the traditional pillars of masculinity and embraces his own effeminacy.

#mash #marley on mash #mash gen #mash gs #frank mash #hawkeye mash #since you guys liked that trapper gender meta a lot more than i thought you would here have another one #though this is written a little less formally lol #i have more examples of whole scenes that make these comparisons than just the sniper but i'm trying to keep this from being #even longer than it already is #but eg white gold is another good example wrt how they relate to flagg; yankee doodle doctor; army navy game; george; the gun; etc etc #(also it's interesting that when frank leaves hawkeye gets the pathetic loser portrayal more often... though i think that's a coincidence #the shift from early to late mash could be yet another essay on mash and gender lol) #long post

[leveloneandup]

📸: womenswayphilly

https://womensway.org/news-events/womens-way-46th-annual-celebration/

LUCRETIA MOTT HONOREES: TOBIN HEATH AND CHRISTEN PRESS

2X WORLD CUP WINNERS, PAY EQUITY TRAILBLAZERS, CO-FOUNDERS OF RE-INC

*While their soccer season commitments prevent in-person attendance, we are excited to hear from them in an exclusive virtual acceptance speech to learn more about their inspiring lives and work.

Tobin Heath is a 2x World Cup Champion for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team, an equal pay pioneer, and the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of RE—INC. She is a 4x Olympian, with two gold medals and a bronze medal. She is known as one of the most skillful and entertaining players in the game. Throughout her club career, Heath has played for PSG, the Portland Thorns, Manchester United, and Arsenal. Tobin brings her vision, leadership, and creativity as a Co-CEO of RE—INC, a values-led brand that exists to reimagine the way women are seen and experienced in sports. This summer, RE—INC launched a media division with a critically acclaimed show: The RE—CAP Show World Cup Edition, hosted by Tobin.

Christen Press is a 2x World Cup Champion for the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team, an equal pay pioneer, and the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of RE—INC. She is one of the top 10 goalscorers ever on the USWNT and holds the scoring record at Stanford. Christen currently plays for Angel City FC. Christen led the USWNT’s historic achievement of Equal Pay and served as the leader of the USWNT Player’s Associate for 2 years. For four years, Christen has been the CEO, and now Co-CEO of RE—INC, a values-led brand that exists to reimagine the way women are seen and experienced in sports. She is a 2-year Board Member of Grassroots Soccer, a non-profit organization that uses the power of soccer to provide mentors, information, and health services to at-risk youth in Africa.

#tobin heath #christen press #lucretia mott honorees

[sotwk]

Thranduilion: Sons of the Woodland King

SotWK commission by super-talented artist hffhifjou

(Please click image to enlarge and appreciate the beautiful details! XD)

I am pleased to present the first artwork I've commissioned for my OCs, the Princes of Mirkwood, Legolas's older brothers and elder sons of Thranduil Oropherion and his wife, Elvenqueen Maereth (also my OC).

I know many fans aren't on board with Legolas having brothers, but I invite you to enjoy the concept with me for a bit: an entire lineup of brother ellons, all as gorgeous and amazing as Thranduil and Legolas are?? Surely it's a fun imagine to indulge in, even as an AU.

I will gradually start posting more HCs about each Prince of Mirkwood, but here are some headcanons to accompany and explain this artwork:

Legolas is not only the youngest son, but he is actually the smallest of the group--if you could even call 6 feet, 8 inches "small"! But in comparison, Thranduil is 7 feet, 3 inches, while the tallest son, Turhir is a whopping 7 feet, 6 inches.

Turhir is the tank of the family--the tallest one and the best fighter (not counting Thranduil). He is virtually tireless and very difficult to take down or injure.

The eldest brother, Crown Prince Mirion, is physically the strongest, with raw muscle power even greater than Thranduil's. You can see that he is simply built broader and more muscular than the usual elven "slender" physique.

The five princes have varying degrees of fighting ability and different skill sets, but all of them are adept warriors. In this sketch, they are each carrying the weapons they specialize in.

The princes have trained alongside the Greenwood soldiers since they were very young, and they eventually earned places in leadership positions--except for Arvellas, who is more scholar than soldier.

The princes don't wear circlets most of the time; only during formal functions. Wildman Gelir in particular hates having to do this, and dislikes formal "stuffy" clothing in general. The Crown Prince is the only one who wears his crown as regularly as the Elvenking does, to signify his status as heir to the throne.

During warm summers in the Woodland Realm, soldiers do occasionally train shirtless, especially when they do drills around or in bodies of water. In some winters, they also undergo exercises with very little clothing on, to hone their bodies' tolerance for the harshest cold-weather conditions.

One of my HCs about Mirkwood/Silvan elves is that they are much more comfortable with showing skin than their Noldor and Sindar brethren in the west (or even the other races), which can occasionally scandalize and draw criticisms from outside visitors.

I specifically asked for the artist to draw these elves shirtless because a) you know we all enjoy that; b) we rarely get to see it; and c) I did want to highlight the differences in physique between the brothers, and promote my belief that Elves do not have all the same body type.

For anyone interested, I made a separate post about my fancast/face claim choices for these OCs HERE.

I am 100% willing to answer any Asks about any of my OC Thranduilions, including headcanons of Legolas. My OC-loving heart will thank you for your interest!

Tagging some friends who have been so kind in encouraging me to create more content for my OCs. Thank you so much, and I hope you don't mind this superfluous tag. (It won't be a regular thing, I promise!) @laneynoir @legoriel-fan @quickslvxr @achromaticerebus @tamryniel @friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog @blueberryrock @aduialel @glassgulls @ladyweaslette @tamurilofrivendell @delicatebreadtyphoon @laurfilijames @i-am-pinkie @lathalea @fizzyxcustard @sleepyamygdala @jezzibee @firelightinferno @coopsgirl @heilith

#legolas #thranduil #thranduil headcanon #legolas headcanon #the hobbit #thranduil oropherion #the elvenking #sotwk headcanon #sotwk fanfiction

[theoperativeif]

Ari (The Operative short story)

Here is the finish short story! I actually wrote the whole thing with the pronouns switched between Ari and 002, I needed to go back and correct it to make it fit the poll results. But I am so happy to have it finished! Feel free to let me know your thoughts on it.

Enjoy! <3 you all!

(Content warning, all warnings in The Operative demo apply to this as well!)

The specks of far-off stars dotted the viewport, an ethereal canvas of black and purple that seemed to stretch into infinity. No artist, however skilled, could have crafted such a perfect tableau.

"Admiral, the Emperor’s Herald is calling,” First Officer Gallo announced, his large frame eclipsing a swath of console lights. “Should I put it through?”

A hesitant glance swept across Admiral Anderson's crew—faces caught in a blend of darkness and eerie console glow. Custom dictated that a Herald's message be broadcast to the entire ship. But not this time.

“No, this is a private assembly,” Elia instructed, straightening her uniform as a screen unfurled before her, obscuring the cosmic tapestry.

The Imperial Anthem, a bombastic melody woven into the very fiber of her being, filled the ship. As it faded, metal walls isolated Elia from her crew. For a moment, she stood in encompassing darkness before finding herself surrounded by a grand chamber of marble stairs. Virtual figures of obscured Admirals and Generals stood beside her in this ritualistic gathering known as the Emperor's embrace—an event Elia usually avoided.

Slowly, she looked up to the throne above her, where a shadowy figure reclined. A second figure descended the stairs, coming into full view.

“Generals, Admirals, Leaders of the Empire," a voice boomed, blending martial roughness with Capitol sophistication. "The Emperor’s chosen voice, his Herald of guidance, will now address you.”

The Herald appeared—a lithe silhouette veiled in holographic stars and galaxies. As Elia locked eyes with two bright stars, a shiver crawled up her spine. Her own reflection in those stars was a haunting revelation, one that weighed heavily on her conscience.

"Elia," the Herald whispered with unsettling familiarity, "child, what do you wish to ask of the Emperor?”

“Only to thank him for his leadership and blessings,” Elia replied in a rehearsed tone, hearing echoed affirmations from her obscured colleagues.

“The Emperor is displeased with Vanern. They dishonor the very souls they owe him. Examples must be made,” the Herald intoned.

“We need to withdraw from the planet,” General Parcer interjected, his voice breaking the uneasy silence.

Elia winced. The General's defiance made her uncomfortable, yet also resonated with her own suppressed reservations. The general was an imposing figure, with a thinly trimmed mustache and long blue cloak behind him. 

“The Emperor commands you to hold the planet,” the Herald cautioned.

Several other Admirals voiced their concerns, echoing that of Parcer.

 

“What of you, Admiral Anderson?” The Herald's virtual fingers grazed Elia's cheek, adding an unsettling intimacy to the long look they gave her, “Is there not one soul brave enough to stay?”

General Parcer stepped back, a look of hurt pride on his face as he shook his head. Elia sensed the moment's significance—a junction of personal ambition and collective destiny. Her eyes met the Herald’s stars again, but now they shimmered with resolve.

"The Chemical Core and my Operatives can hold the line. If we win the skies, they can win on the ground. General, do you have the stomach for it?" she challenged.

Parcer hesitated, his eyes darting between the Herald and Elia, before exhaling a defeated sigh. "I pray you're right," he said, his voice tinged with resignation.

“The only power that matters is the Emperor’s,” the Herald declared, turning back to Elia with a nod. “Proceed with your plans.”

Five Months Later

The evening winds screamed over the southern plains just outside the city of Mulhat, like vengeful spirits mourning their losses. Once a site for thousands to enjoy the celestial lights, the plains were now a desolate tableau, inhabited only by the dead—or those resigned to join them soon. Six medium Imperial tanks rumbled down the roads, weaving through abandoned vehicles, shallow graves, and the occasional forsaken pet. Flanking and leading them were the remnants of the 7th, their rifles swinging from point to point as if desperate to find a target.

More than a third of them had unmarked armor, but it was caked with the mud of a long march. They were green. Ari frowned at the sight, his eyes narrowing beneath his helmet.

Perched atop the second tank, Ari wiped the dried blood off his helmet with swift, forceful strokes. Around him, no one spoke. What could they say? By some fluke, another day had passed without casualties. Yet an uneasy air hung thick, as if death had merely postponed its visit.

The lead tank juddered to a stop, and the rest of the column followed in an ordered sequence. Ari rolled off the side of his tank and landed softly on the mud-caked earth, eyes scanning as platoons fanned out in every direction.

From an armored carrier at the rear, Captain Carrington surveyed a map. Tall and bespectacled, his impeccable uniform seemed out of place next to his subordinates, whose attire bore the scars of ongoing conflict. Ari had felt uneasy when he took over the 7th two weeks ago; he was too young, his uniform too clean. The original officers had fallen during the first week of operations, leaving NCOs to improvise.

Carrington finally closed his map and approached Ari, a polished smile contrasting sharply with his mud-splattered armor. "Ahead is a town suspected of harboring a small Commonwealth presence," he said, never quite meeting his eyes. "Command wants it cleared and any arms seized from its citizens."

Ari's eyes flicked to the map Carrington was still clutching. 

He continued, "I want you to clear it for us. You leave immediately."

Ari stared at him, his gut tightening before he consciously willed himself to relax. This is what he was engineered for.

"Lieutenant Hammond of the Third Platoon interjected, stepping forward. "Sir, Ari's already cleared four towns this week. Maybe we can—"

Carrington cut him off with a glare, his plastic smile returning. "Nonsense. I have the utmost faith in Operative 005."

Ari winced. Hammond had no reason to draw the ire of their greenhorn commander. He gave him a nod of appreciation. His thoughts retreated to his past, to his "mother's" incessant instruction and the tales from 002 about honorable warriors. Tales that now seemed like childish fantasies. He was a soldier. He would obey.

The town that awaited Ari was a mere ten miles up the road—a modest industrial outpost framed by skeletal factories on either side. Once bustling centers of production, they were now hollowed-out relics, victims of the relentless artillery that rained from above.

Ari peered through his rifle scope, his eyes hardened behind the dark visor. The forest that once provided cover had been reduced to smoldering embers and blackened stumps, leaving an unforgiving mile of barren terrain between the town's outskirts and the nearest semblance of shelter.

He had challenged Captain Carrington on his tactics. "How do you expect me to approach the town without cover?" The Captain's response had been a disconcerting smile and a vague assurance: "I'm confident you'll manage."

Suppressing a sigh, Ari activated his suit's cloaking device. A shimmering ripple enveloped his armor, harmonizing with the charred landscape behind him. As he advanced, his suit's sensors fed him real-time data: the air was thick with smoke, but mercifully free of chemical or biological threats. "Good," he thought, recalling a nightmarish scenario where an entire town's air filtration had failed, asphyxiating its inhabitants. He could have easily been one of those children, had fate dealt him a different hand.

His thoughts wandered, as they often did, to questions of origin. Had he come from a lush, verdant world? Or maybe a frozen wasteland? He smiled beneath his visor, imagining a little 002 thriving in a harsh, unforgiving environment. He had always ensured he would too. He was a warrior Ari could only dream of matching.

But not now. Not when 002 was at the frontlines, and he was stuck under the command of an inexperienced captain, showcased like a trophy weapon. He had obeyed his orders dutifully, wading through skirmishes while he observed from a safe distance, his eyes twinkling in unsettling fascination.

He was an instrument of war, and the Captain was merely using him as intended. Yet, a nagging sensation of being wasted gnawed at him. He imagined his "Mother" laughing at him inner turmoil—a cruel, mirthless laugh that echoed in his mind.

Just as he reached the fringes of the town, his steps faltered. A shallow ditch caught his eye. Inside lay five bodies—two women and three men, faces down, their skulls shattered by bullets.

Death had been quick at least.

Grimacing, Ari skirted past the ditch and crept along the side of a nearby building. Its facade bore signs of conflict, scarred by bullets that may have been fired from makeshift firearms.

Taking cover behind some empty supply crates near the corner of the building Ari turned off the cloaking field, letting it recharge for a few minutes in silence. 

The wind blew, howling for a moment before settling into silence without any response. 

Then Ari heard it. A boot stepping on metal with a fairly heavy thump. Too heavy, Ari thought, slowly raising his rifle and pointing it against the wall of the building. Turning his cloak back on he let his armor scan the building. Noting the fuzziness of the screen he waited. 

Some fireteams would carry a scrambler with them to black out a building from an outside fireteams sensors. It was effective except for one issue. A blacked out building also revealed their location.

Ari guessed there must be  at least five inside, if there was more then a fire team others would most likely join in after the fight had started.

 

Ari waited until he heard the last bootstep, then pulled the trigger. With a loud bang his rifle fired easily through the wall, a loud metal ping sounded as he discharged the large casing as she rolled to the side. 

A hail of bullets fired through the walls of the shelter. He could imagine each path as time slowed before he let off two more well placed shots.

In a matter of four seconds it was silent. 

Breathing heavily Ari waited. Satisfied at the lack of noise Ari moved around, peeking out towards the road running in front of the building. If there were more soldiers here they were doing a good job of not revealing themselves. If they were there Ari didn’t intend to give them the satisfaction of spotting him. 

Placing two breach charges on the wall Ari circled around towards the back door. Keying the keypad he opened it, carefully monitoring his sensors. 

Room by room he swept, noting the three bodies, large holes blown threw their personal armor, blood coating the metal fragments. Commonwealth Soldiers, he noted from the insignia’s on their shoulders. Bending down he lightly pushed one, noting the armor had been fused together in a custom repair job.

Interesting. he thought, wondering if the Commonwealth was as low on supplies as their Imperial foes were. 

He heard the faintest scuff of a boot on flooring. 

Diving to the side he barely missed the sword that embedded itself in the floor, it was large with an ornate looking handle. A tall soldier with a curved armored helmet pulled it out of the floor. Standing nearly as tall as him it looked almost like an Operative. A Commonwealth knight. He thought cautiously. Not enhanced. He noted the more clumsy movements.

It raised the sword, pointing it at him in a challenge as several Commonwealth soldiers filed in behind it. 

Not waiting, Ari opened fire, letting off two rounds. 

The first slammed into the large soldier's helmet, skimming off of it in a wave of sparks. The second blew through the next soldier before continuing on to blow the leg off of his comrade behind him. 

There were shouts as Ari rushed behind a wall, bullets striking the space she had just been in.

Calmly aiming at the front door he fired a single round through it, a cry of pain sounding from outside. 

Calmly picking the Commonwealth soldiers off with precise shots he, looked around as the wall behind him exploded. Light pops of gunfire outside sounding. 

He ducked under the sword of the imposing knight. The next swing he blocked with his rifle, the blade digging into it. The Knights free gloved hand shot out, gripping Ari’s throat in an iron embrace.

Drawing his knife he plunged it in the small gap in the suit by his abdomen, ripping upwards in an arc, warm blood coating his hand.

His armor growled, reinforcing his strength as he tossed Ari across the room. His Rifle clattered to the floor as he gasped for air. 

The Knight stumbled, holding the wound. 

Flipping the knife over in his hand Ari circled him, making a feint he got him to raise his sword with one hand. Dodging under it he stabbed two more times, once into his armpit and another into the gap on his other side. 

He cried out, his armor unable to make up for his failing limbs as he dropped to his knees. The sword clattering to the ground.

Ari walked over, picking his rifle up and quickly checking it over. 

Satisfied he stuck the barrel underneath his helmet and fired a single shot. 

Blood splattered his face as the helmet was thrown off the knights head. 

He sighed, turning and eventually finding the jamming device in the house. 

He would clear four more holdouts in the town. Around fifty soldiers in total when he was finished. He sat near the front of the town, cleaning his wounds as the tanks finally crested one of the hills, the marines slowly making their way over to him. 

Fireteams passed him silently, sweeping through the buildings long since cleared. 

Captain Carrington sat calmly on the last tank as it rolled into town, stepping off of it his boots sank awkwardly into the muddy ground. Ari gently grabbed his arm, keeping him upright, a thought crossing his mind to let the kid fall. 

He looked at Ari with a strange mix of embarrassment and anger before shaking his grip off. 

“I see you dealt with things adequately enough,” he said, looking back at the tank commander whose head was silently peering out front the top hatch, “get your tanks under some cover, camouflage the ones you can’t get under the overhangs, the Commonwealth might still be sweeping this area with some ground attack aircraft.”

 

The tank commander nodded, the tank's engine roaring as it was slowly guided by a marine between two buildings and a large camo net was thrown over it. 

“Confiscate any communications devices the locals might be in possession of, can’t have them specifying coordinates.”

Ari looked at some of the townspeople with a critical eye. They wore simple clothes, worn and obviously in need of replacement. He walked over to a graying man who had claimed the role as the town's representative. 

“There is a grave towards the front of town, who were they?” Ari asked, more out of curiosity than anything else. The man held his gaze, his eyes worn and haunted before shaking his head. 

“A family, they objected when a soldier took their daughter for an,” he hesitated, “interrogation.” 

They stood in silent understanding. Such things were common.

 

“We are here to help,” Ari said finally, looking at the man, “I’m Ari.” 

“Antonio,” the man said with a practiced smile, “you will forgive me if I don’t take your word for it. Those soldiers said the same thing when they came.”

“You are Imperial citizens,” Ari objected, “we would never hope to-”

A shot rang out from somewhere towards the edge of town, Ari looked out as birds scattered from where they had been peering atop buildings. When he turned back to Antonio he saw the man's expression had gone dark with a hint of disappointment before passing him and rushing off towards the gunshot. 

Captain Carrington meanwhile paid the gunshot no mind, instead choosing some lodging for the night from a selection of still intact shelters. Ari started to head towards the commotion but stopped as he was waived by the Captain to follow. 

Staring down the street as a young man was dragged by two soldiers out into the street Ari hesitated before slowly following after the young Captain. Two gunshots followed. Military caliber. Ari noted silently as a woman's screams of grief replaced the silence. 

The Captain arranged with an old woman to ‘rent’ one of her guest rooms, with arrangements for breakfast and coffee in the morning. The woman smiled a merchant's smile, practiced and precise, but Ari noticed the daggers glinting in the dim light as she watched the Captain’s men unload his personal effects into the room. 

Ari eventually was allowed to leave without so much as a word said between them. He would be told by a sergeant that a young man whose father was in the Commonwealth army had stowed away a small firearm and had shot one of the officers in the neck. The officer had lived, sporting a bandaged neck by the time Ari finally saw him. The boy on the other hand had been dealt with quickly, his mother given a small sum of money to compensate her. 

Ari found himself wondering if he should step in, this boy was obviously unfit to command this unit in pitched combat. Let alone his inability to keep control of the green recruits who looked like they had been plucked straight from the street corners of the red light district. 

Ari was shown to his own quarters, a tent hastily erected and guarded by two soldiers, each holding a rifle. It was as if he were both a valued asset and a potential threat.

After changing into a simple shirt and pants, Ari reached for his worn sketchbook and pencil. He took a moment to center himself. Closing his eyes, he thought back to a single, beautiful tree they had passed twenty miles back—a stark contrast to the desolation around his. With gentle strokes, he began sketching the tree's every leaf and branch. As he breathed in deeply, he could almost smell the earth and hear the rustle of leaves, a brief refuge from the harsh reality he faced.

He paused and flipped through the sketchbook's filled pages, each a snapshot of a lost moment or a lingering hope. His eyes stopped at one of his earliest drawings. It was a young woman, her face peaceful yet filled with determination. He felt a lump form in his throat and pressed the drawing against his chest as if trying to absorb its essence.

002, the second Operative created by Mother, had always been his sanctuary in the labyrinth of darkness they called home. He remembered their stolen moments, sitting side by side, staring up at the artificial stars above the lab. While 002 was a girl of few words, her smiles spoke volumes. They were like tiny rebellions, showing a sense of wonder and inner freedom. Ari dared to hope—still hoped—that he occupied some corner of her dreams as well.

She had always been in mine, he thought, his finger tracing the contours of the drawing. Last he heard, she had been deployed somewhere on this war-ravaged planet. A bittersweet hope clung to him; perhaps fate would cross their paths once more.

Just then, one of the guards interrupted his reverie. "Visitor for you, Lieutenant Hammond."

Snapping back to reality, Ari quickly hid the sketchbook under his pillow. "Come in," he called.

Lieutenant Hammond entered, his burly frame barely fitting through the tent flap. His face was etched with a mixture of concern and internal conflict. "What he's doing isn't fair to you," he blurted out, almost as if he couldn't hold it in any longer.

Ari's eyes shifted nervously to the tent flap. "Is this the time or place for this conversation?"

"They agree with me," Hammond reassured, his voice tinged with urgency. "Those of us who've seen enough know this is wrong. You're more than just a weapon—you're one of the Emperor's Chosen Children."

Ari's lips quivered for a moment before he steeled himself. "I am just a weapon," he replied, echoing the cold words that Mother had etched into his very soul. "I exist to die for the Empire, in any way my superiors see fit."

"That's no way to live," Hammond argued, his eyes softening, revealing a paternal concern.

"Operatives don't live; we merely exist between missions," Ari retorted, bitterness lacing his words.

"Don't say that," Hammond insisted, his eyes imploring. "You deserve more, so much more."

Tears welled up in Ari's eyes, but he blinked them back. I am the Emperor's weapon; that's all I will ever be, he reminded himself, fighting back his emotions.

"I'll report the Captain to high command," Hammond declared, getting up from his chair with a newfound resolve.

"No," Ari said softly but firmly, stopping him in his tracks.

Hammond turned, an incredulous look on his face. "No?"

"Do it if you must, but not for me," Ari clarified, his voice tinged with resignation. "If you believe he's a danger to you and your men, report him. But he's just using the resources given to him. I am that resource." As he spoke, he wished he could make himself believe his own words; perhaps then the weight he carried would be a little lighter.

Hammond stared at him, bewildered and heartbroken. He let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head, and exited the tent, leaving Ari alone with his thoughts.

Retreating to his cot, Ari took a deep, shuddering breath. He lay there in the suffocating silence until sleep finally claimed him, bringing with it the haunting dreams that were his constant companions.

Ari opened his eyes to find himself atop a haunting hill, overlooking a forest that seemed almost alive in its dark expanse. The twisted carcasses of tanks and spaceships lay strewn about the hillside like the skeletal remains of fallen giants. Piles of bodies marked the midpoint of the hill, their positions suggesting they'd collapsed against an invisible force field. Ancient ruins clawed their way up from the base of the hill, their tendrils of stone and metal as if reaching for something lost.

Further up the hill, a sparse selection of bodies lay in disarray. He didn't recognize any of them; they were all strangers, perhaps souls who'd been pulled into this morbid tableau against their will.

"Just us, it seems, hmm?" A voice whispered from behind him, chilling him to the bone.

He pivoted, his breath catching in his throat. An enormous, ethereal beam of light shot upwards, splattering the sky in a surreal blend of purple and green. Between him and this spectacle stood a lone figure.

001—the original Operative. It was a monstrous vision, devoid of any shred of humanity, encased in an unholy fusion of bone and silver-colored armor. Its helmet wrapped around his head, with two jagged armor plates that met in a mesh, pulsating like some insectoid maw. Two malevolent, glowing green eyes bored into his very soul.

"Disappointed?" 001 sneered, as if savoring his reaction. "You wouldn't think something like that of 002."

"She is nothing like you," Ari managed, his voice quivering as he took a step back.

"She is exactly like me," 001 cackled, a malevolent sound that made the hill beneath them tremble. "I paved the way for all that is to come. Don't delude yourself. She's walking the same path, right behind me. And so are you."

Ari's breath hitched. No, they were wrong; 002 was nothing like this abomination. She was kind, she was heroic, and above all, she cared about him.

"I cared about someone, too, once," 001 said, its voice suddenly hollow, almost wistful. In a blinding flash, it closed the gap between them, gripping him by the neck and hoisting him into the air like a ragdoll. "Want to know what became of that love? What he will one day do to you?"

Ari's eyes snapped open. He was back in his cot, drenched in cold sweat. His hands shot to his throat; it was untouched, yet the sensation of that iron grip remained. He sank back into his cot, his eyes clenched shut, his heart pounding in his chest. It had felt unbearably, terrifyingly real.

Then again, it always did.

Ari wiped away tears that he hadn't realized he'd shed, and reached for his sketchbook lying next to him. Could his longing for decency be just a child's fantasy? No, it couldn't be.

There was a commotion outside, shouts of anger and one of terror. Ari jumped from his cot, snatching his rifle easily off its rack and rushing outside. His two guards had their rifles at the ready and quickly fell into step with his. Captain Carrington exited his own quarters, a look of bewilderment on his face as he wrapped a brown cloak around his sleep attire. 

Several marines were aiming their weapons at a group of townspeople who held a marine with a knife to his throat. On the ground was a woman, her face bruised, crying and shaking, beside her was a marine, a gunshot wound through his chest.

“Lower your weapons god damn it!” Carrington ordered, his voice not carrying the order properly over the chaos.

“Lower your weapons now!” Ari ordered, his voice carrying easily as the marines obeyed, shouldering their firearms. 

Carrington cast an unreadable look towards him before focusing back on the marines and townspeople. 

“What's the meaning of this?” He asked, looking expectantly at his marines. 

“Your man drunkenly attacked one of our women,” Antonio said, a dark look on his face as he glared at the young Captain, “when his comrade intervened he shot him!”

Ari’s fingers tapped his combat knife, hoping he wouldn’t have to use it. 

“Is this true?” Carrington looked at the sergeant who looked down before nodding his head.

“Seems to be Captain, luckily people intervened,” the Sergeant looked down shamefully, two other veterans nodded their heads, though several objections were raised by several of the younger marines. 

Captain Carrington seemed lost for a moment, looking between the townspeople, their faces filled with a mixture of anger and expectation and his marines who seemed disappointed he would even consider taking the townsfolk side. 

“Take him in front of my quarters,” Carrington said quietly, waving for the marines to take him, “whats, whats his name?”

“Private Summers Sir,” the Sergeant replied simply.

The man holding the marine at knife point lowered the blade, allowing the two closest marines to grab both of his arms.

The two groups followed the Captain back to his quarters. Ari followed him inside quietly. He watched as he suddenly started shaking as he searched through his makeshift work desk, scattering papers and data pads across it. He seemed to be searching for something specific. 

He eventually found it, reading over something on his datapad. He read some parts out loud, but only in pieces.

“If a soldier in his service should…”

“Discretion of commanding officer…”

“Carried out by company…”

Afterwards he pulled up the accused man's military record, he tapped on several other incidents reported.

He shakily put the pad down, hanging his head with a loud sigh before straightening himself and walking back outside. 

He walked over to the Sergeant, speaking quietly so the townspeople could not hear him.

“Sergeant, tie him to that post over there,” Captain Carrington said, drawing his pistol and examining it carefully, he was pale now. His hand barely able to properly secure the weapon, he looked at his marines doing his best to make his voice strong, “we are the Emperor’s marines, we conduct ourselves according to the Imperial Codex of War, and any breaking of that should result in a tribunal of the accused. However when one commits such an act in a warzone and may endanger the lives of others the commanding officer may carry out an execution.”

The townspeople had gone silent, meanwhile whispers and grumbling broke out among the marines. Lieutenant Hammond and the Sergeant quickly quelled the murmurs, their own opinions hidden behind  serious faces. 

Private Summers struggled against the two marines dragging him, “fuck you Captain, you spineless piece of shit!” 

The Captain had gone silent, pistol gripped in his hand. Once the man was tied to the post the Captain raised his pistol, and nothing. The Captain’s hand was shaking as he gripped the pistol. Silence had fallen over the area. 

The private, perhaps sensing the Captain’s weakness, began to silently sneer in contempt.

Ari flexed his hands, looking at the Captain before slowly looking over the crowd. If he didn’t carry out his declared sentence now not only would the town scorn them but the marines under his command would be even more likely to commit acts against the populace. 

His mothers voice popped into his head. One of the instructions given to an Operative was to be the weapon at their betters disposal. Perhaps the Captain was overlooking him as an option.

He took several steps forward to be beside the Captain before leaning over, “I would be honored to carry out the sentence.” 

The Captain spun on him, eyes flashing anger before he noticed the doubting faces of the crowd around them. Something else flashed in his eyes as he looked between Ari and the private. Ari blinked in surprise, was that hatred he saw?

“Yes, I think that would be better,” the Captain said, raising his head in a failed attempt at maintaining dignity as he handed the pistol to Ari, “once in the head please.” 

Ari turned, squeezing the trigger and firing a single round straight through the mans skull. He slumped instantly, with Ari nodding in satisfaction at the shot. He handed the pistol back to the Captain who merely stared at him. 

“Everyone disperse!” Lieutenant Hammond bellowed as he turned to the crowd.

After that fateful evening, an eerie silence settled over the town for the next few days. However, on the fourth day, the tranquility was shattered when a sealed communique arrived for the Captain. Ari and Hammond received orders to report to the Captain's quarters immediately. As they approached the worn wooden door, Ari thanked the elderly homeowner who greeted them with a resigned smile before opening the door.

Stepping inside, they found themselves in a room heavy with the scent of tobacco and aged leather. The Captain sat at his worn desk, the dim glow from a desk lamp illuminating his pale face as he fixated on a datapad.

Ari felt a knot tighten in his stomach, and he exchanged a puzzled look with Hammond before the Captain looked up and acknowledged their presence.

"The 14th and 9th have been annihilated in a counteroffensive. We're being rotated to the front lines to support the 22nd," he disclosed, his voice tinged with an anguish that he couldn't hide. "New officers are coming in to take the 7th from me."

A mix of dread and anticipation filled the room. Hammond, trying to cut through the tension, chimed in. "Well, at least our boys will finally see some heavy combat. I'll get the officers assembled."

With a curt nod, Hammond exited, leaving Ari alone in the stifling atmosphere of the room. The Captain leaned back in his chair, exhaling a long, shaky breath before breaking into an unsettling laugh.

"You planned this somehow," he slurred, pulling out a bottle of clear liquid from under the table and taking a defiant swig. "Your kind always finds a way to win, don't they?"

"Sir, I don't understand," Ari said cautiously, flinching as the bottle flew past his face, shattering against the dark wooden wall and leaving a wet stain.

"Don't feign innocence. From day one, you've played the role of the shining warrior, haven't you?" His eyes narrowed, and he staggered to his feet, gripping the edge of the table for support. "All along, you've been subtly undermining me. Turning my men and this town against me. Your entire kind is just twisted, isn't it?"

Ari felt his pulse quicken, his mouth going dry. In a moment of candid emotion, he retorted, "You've done that yourself."

As the words escaped his lips, Ari froze. Why had he said that? What would happen now?

The Captain stared at him, and for a fleeting moment, Ari thought he saw a glimmer of realization cross his eyes—but then it was gone, replaced by an even deeper darkness.

“You,” he snarled uselessly as he sat back in his chair, “get out of my sight monster.” 

Several hours later they had set off, leaving the town behind them.

Ari reclined in his seat as the armored transport rumbled inexorably toward the frontline. Streams of civilians—the collateral damage of war—fled in the opposite direction. Their faces were etched with haunted expressions that Ari knew he'd remember for a lifetime. A few children, perhaps too young to grasp the gravity of their situation, waved at the passing soldiers. Ari mustered a smile and waved back, but his eyes couldn't help but shift to the metamorphosing landscape outside.

Once verdant fields and dense, peaceful forests were now marred by the scars of war. What had once resembled a pastoral painting was now more akin to a nightmarish hellscape. The earth was gouged open, as if it too had suffered wounds, with mud oozing out like brown, coagulated blood. Deep trenches dissected the land, and the carcasses of tanks and even entire aircraft lay sunken in the mire, forgotten monuments to failed human endeavor.

The landscape brought an unbidden thought to the forefront of his mind: What hell had 002 been enduring out here? A wave of guilt washed over him, complicating his earlier feelings of dissatisfaction with his assignment. He had been pouting about his orders, resenting his inexperienced Captain, and feeling underutilized. But was he not, at that very moment, headed toward the place he felt he should be? A place where he could be of real use? And yet, even that idea felt tinged with a selfish desire—to find 002, to ensure he was alright, to fight by his side just like they had in what felt like another lifetime.

Ari closed his eyes briefly, wrestling with the confusing medley of emotions that churned within him. He felt a strange amalgam of guilt for wanting more action, worry for the woman who had always stood by him, and a newfound, unsettling empathy for the people whose lives had been upturned by this war.

His eyes widened further as they drove past the artillery units. Mammoth cannons, engineering marvels that belied their grim purpose, launched rocket-assisted shells that could traverse several hundreds of miles. The ground itself seemed to tremble with the concussive force of each shot, sending a primal shiver down Ari's spine.

Adjacent to the artillery were the repair units, swarming with engineers and technicians. They buzzed around damaged fighter craft, each a casualty of the dangerous aerial ballet occurring far above them. Sparks flew, welding torches flared, and the scent of hot metal filled the air as these units labored to return their birds to the sky, and into the maw of the ongoing conflict.

Inside the transport, the atmosphere had become thick with tension. Ari looked around and noticed the stark transformation in his comrades. The new recruits, previously flushed with the naïve excitement of youth, had turned ashen. Their eyes darted nervously, and their faces held a greenish tint, as if the reality of war had settled in their stomachs and was threatening to come back up.

As if on cue, their own artillery began its relentless cacophony. The initial hiss of rockets and shells slicing through the air resonated in the confined space, cutting through the tension like a knife. Several marines flinched visibly, their eyes widening and jaws tightening.

For a split second, the sounds vanished, swallowed by the void before them, leaving an eerie silence. Then, the far-off booms reached their ears, each explosion a ghostly echo that seemed to reverberate in the very marrow of their bones.

Ari remained silent as the transport finally crossed the final miles to arrive at the front. 

Hopping out, Ari turned, pausing to look above. Hundreds of ships, small shapes far above were visible, dashes of light flashing as the two fleets far above battled. Hundreds of streaks of light were across the sky, rockets striking all parts of the battlefield around him. 

And what a horrible sight it was, miles of mud, pockets of water and black dirt kicked up at random without the faintest hint of green to be seen. In between the dark mud, smaller pockets of light lit up as gunfire and laserfire intermixed, smoke constantly rolling over the entire area as far as Ari’s eyes could see. 

Ari and the 7th crossed even more miles only just beginning to approach the front. A constant stream of dead or dying soldiers were carried past them on stretchers, the cries and explosions intermixing into a chorus rising up all around them. The sound felt suffocating, as if it was closing around Ari’s throat. Overhead fighters flew past, firing into positions they couldn’t see. Some were hit by flak, rolling over and hitting the ground in a faint explosion. 

Somewhere far off something exploded, shaking the very ground so much so that soldiers lost their footing, collapsing to the floor. 

Miles off to their right Ari could see the glowing green wave of chemical smoke crashed over a Commonwealth position. Ari fiddled with his mask, making sure its filtration was functioning correctly.  

  

Marines marched back past them with cracked armor, missing limbs and some missing most of their armor entirely. The looks on their faces were haunted, young men and women with lines now aging their faces beyond recognition. 

The Imperial defensive positions were layered in four overlapping lines. Two lines carefully positioned in the center had a shock group backed by two battalions of marines positioned seventy yards behind them. Behind that reserve was an enormous trench nearly fifty yards wide and several miles long. Smaller transports could reposition behind the lines without exposing themselves to fire. 

To the right and left were the other two lines of troops, these dug in defensive positions with multiple overlapping fields of fire nearly across the entire line. Some positions even had tanks sunk up to their turrets to provide a sort of pillbox support. Further past the lines were hundreds of scattered foxholes serving as forward posts to delay enemy advances.

In front of all of them was the target the generals coveted. The city of Proko. Its ruins were barely visible in the distance through the haze. 

Imperial bombardment had long since brought the once towering skyscrapers down. 

Ari ducked as a violent explosion shattered the air, hurling a forty-foot-wide wave of mud skyward before it came crashing down like a filthy rain. Amid the chaos, Ari could hear the grotesque sound of mud mixed with human remains slapping back onto the earth—punctuated by the grinding of armored vehicles repositioning. Shouts of agony and confusion erupted all around him.

Nearby, an officer stumbled through the mire, his eyes glazed over with shock, his arm missing from the elbow down. He frantically dug through the mud, sifting through an indistinguishable blend of earth and human remains.

"I lost my ring," he mumbled, his eyes unfocused as though seeing through time itself. "Can't lose that. Can't lose that."

The words struck Ari like a bullet.

With a wave of his hand, Ari signaled a corpsman. "Stay with me," he said softly, placing a gentle hand on the disoriented soldier's shoulder. "We'll take care of you first, then we'll find your ring."

A glimmer of relief passed through the soldier's eyes as the corpsman arrived, directing them toward the medical tent. Ari's armor made light work of the injured man's weight. As he carried him, his eyes remained peeled on the churned earth they traversed.

After laying him carefully on a cot in the medical tent, Ari turned away, his chest heavy with a sense of inadequacy. He was trained to be an Operative—to fight, to survive, but moments like these reminded him of the limitations of his role.

Unable to let go of the soldier's distress, Ari decided to make one more sweep of the battlefield, assisting medics in carrying another wounded soldier back to the tent. Each face he encountered was a blur, but his mission was clear. Amidst the rubble and remains, his eyes caught a glint of metal. Bending down, he unearthed a mud-caked ring.

Ari returned to the medical tent, hope welling up in him as he approached the soldier, who was now being attended to by medics. He placed the ring into his remaining hand, closing his fingers around it.

His eyes met Ari’s, filled with a complex mix of relief, sorrow, and something indescribable. For the first time that day, Ari felt a tiny fracture in the wall of helplessness that had encased him.

"Thank you," he whispered, clutching the ring as if it were his very soul.

Ari nodded, swallowing hard against the emotional lump in his throat. "Hang on to it.”

Eventually, Ari caught up with the 7th, a battalion now rotated up to occupy the first line of defense—or offense, depending on the ever-shifting tides of battle. The 7th was the vanguard, the first to either storm enemy lines or hold their ground against an incoming assault. Even in the cloak of night, squads from the 7th began to disperse, their forms almost spectral as they waded through the mud-cloaked nightmare, reinforcing the foxholes that served as crucial early-warning posts.

But the night was deceptive, never truly dark. It was a canvas incessantly invaded by artificial light, robbing soldiers of the cover darkness might have provided. Flares arced into the sky at irregular intervals, their fizzling ascents followed by an eruption of glaring light that rendered the landscape in sharp, ominous relief. Star shells burst overhead, showering the earth in iridescent hues of blue and white, turning mud puddles into tiny, reflective lakes and casting eerie, elongated shadows on the faces of the troops. Explosions from artillery and grenades added their own erratic lighting, a pyrotechnic display that would have been mesmerizing if not for its blinding effects. These detonations painted the scene in flashes of orange, imbuing everything and everyone with a surreal, otherworldly glow. The intermittent lighting made the mud seem like a flowing river of lava one moment and a desolate lunar landscape the next.

During one of those blinding bursts of light from overhead flares, a piercing alarm cut through the cacophony. Soldiers jolted from their positions, their faces twisted with a blend of readiness and terror. Ari snatched up his rifle, his senses sharpening as he took his position behind an armored shield that topped the trench.

Through the slotted visor, he saw it—something monstrous darting between the foxholes. It was immense, nearly as long as two tanks laid end-to-end, its long tail shimmering in silver and blue light. An advanced Commonwealth warbot, its body like that of a dragon. His gut clenched as bullets pinged off its metallic hide. In retaliation, the warbot whirled, letting loose a barrage of mini-rockets that silenced the foxholes in a spectacle of fire and gore. The screams that followed were guttural, filled with a primal fear that rattled even the most hardened soldiers around him.

But what sent shivers down Ari's spine was the figure mounted atop the warbot. Clad in shining armor of silver and blue that matched its monstrous steed, the knight-like figure sported a single twisted metal horn on his helmet. He brandished a spear, its shaft alive with undulating lights of green, blue, and red. It looked as though it were forged from nightmares and technology, giving it an ethereal yet sinister aura.

The 7th and 22nd opened fire alongside others, tracer rounds arcing through the night, illuminated by the perpetual light show. But they might as well have been firing pebbles. Ari watched as the bullets merely bounced off, as harmless as raindrops. He took aim at the rider, his sights focused on a vulnerable spot between the arm and breastplate. He pulled the trigger.

A brilliant flash erupted, and the rider was hurled from the warbot, tumbling through the air before landing in the mud with a sickening thud.

For a moment, Ari allowed himself a brief grin. But it was short-lived. With a mechanical roar that seemed to shake the very earth, the warbot surged forward, its limbs churning the mud as if it were water. Soldiers screamed, scrambling in a panic, some trapped in the slick mire as the monstrous machine lunged into the trench.

Ari threw himself back just in time, the beast landing where he had stood just moments before. Its mechanical eyes glowed a menacing red, scanning for its next target. Around him, soldiers from the 7th  froze, the horror of what they faced rendering them momentarily paralyzed.

A deafening burst of gunfire erupted from the 22nd Marines, snapping the immobilized soldiers out of their trance. The warbot spun on its axis, extending long blades from its chassis. In an instant, the trench transformed into a grisly blender, whirling metal through air and flesh.

Ari executed a rapid roll, squeezing the trigger to fire rounds into the beast's exposed joints. A nearby flak gun swiveled, its operator focusing on the warbot. With thunderous thunks, the gun spat flak rounds into the behemoth's side.

For a split second, the warbot wavered under the relentless barrage. But then the flak gun fell silent. Whirling around, Ari cursed—he saw the knight, now on foot, finishing off the last member of the flak crew. He vaulted into the trench beside him.

Darting backward, Ari dodged his whirling spear. Then he switched tactics, drawing a pistol and snapping off two shots. His armor absorbed the bullets, but he felt the impact like a sledgehammer to his chest.

Behind him, the warbot's roars resounded, mingling with the screams of dying soldiers. Firing his rifle, Ari targeted the knight's leg, bringing him to one knee. With a quick lunge, he overpowered him, forcing the spear against his throat. Metal shrieked against metal; his suit whined, struggling to compensate for his superior strength.

Suddenly, a searing pain erupted in his shoulder. Metallic jaws clamped down, wrenching him away. Ari unleashed a furious scream, his hands clawing at the warbot's maw.

The knight rose, his spear poised for the kill. But then he froze. Ari, too, heard it—the ground-shaking rumble, like a tank but deeper, angrier. The warbot released him, turning to face the new threat.

Ari scrambled aside just as a brilliant flash rocketed past him. It struck the knight, hurling him through the air before he crashed into the muck. His heart leapt—standing there was 002, encased in hulking battle armor, the gauntlets of her suit still smoking.

Cheers erupted from the soldiers. Their elation, however, was cut short. The warbot lunged at 002, its gaping maw aiming to devour her. But it was halted mid-air, its jaws pried open by 002's immense strength.

Marines of the 22nd wheeled the flak gun back into position, aiming directly into the warbot's vulnerable spots as 002 held it in place and firing at point-blank range. The knight had regained his footing and hurled his spear, skewering two marines. Unfazed by their losses, the crew kept firing. Seizing the moment, Ari lunged at the knight, tackling him into the slippery mud.

With a feral snarl, Ari unleashed a punch that shattered the knight's visor. Staggering, he tried to regain his stance. But before he could move, his own spear flew through the air, sticking him to the ground like a gruesome butterfly pinned to a board.

Silence fell over the trench, periodically interrupted by cries from the wounded. Soldiers from the reserve trench behind them quickly poured into the area, preparing for a possible follow up attack. 

Ari stood silently over the Knight body. He had been stronger than any knight he had fought before. He heard 002 approaching behind him and shivered, 001’s words echoing in his mind. 

She is exactly like me. They had said. 

No, Ari thought, feeling his heart tighten in both anticipation and fear as 002 stopped right behind him. 

For a few seconds, neither spoke.

"You did well," she finally said, her voice tinged with a metallic resonance from her helmet.

Ari almost laughed as he turned around. "Well? Two minutes later, and the whole trench would've been a graveyard."

002 removed her helmet, revealing a face that was as stoic as her armor. Her eyes met his. "But it isn't. That's what matters."

She reached out, her gauntleted hand heavy on his shoulder where the warbot had clamped its jaws. The touch was surprisingly gentle for such a massive suit of armor. "You're hurt."

Ari shrugged, trying to downplay the soreness that was now settling in. "We’ve been through worse."

For a brief moment, he thought he saw a flicker of something in her eyes—relief, maybe, or concern. But it was gone almost as soon as it appeared. Instead she gestured with her head for him to follow. 

The medic wrapped up Ari's wound and declared him fit to continue, 002 watched him, her face unreadable. The fluorescent lights in the medical tent seemed to bathe everything in a cold, sterile glow, but the atmosphere changed perceptibly when she led him outside.

The officers' quarters were a far cry from luxury, dug directly into the muddy earth and consisting of little more than a cot and a small desk. The walls were reinforced with corrugated metal, lending a harsh industrial feel to the space. Yet, when Ari turned around, he was surprised to find 002 still standing at the entrance.

She seemed to hesitate for a moment, an unusual display for someone who usually radiated certainty. Then she placed her helmet on a makeshift shelf by the door. For the first time that evening, her eyes met his and softened.

"Good to see you," she began, her voice catching just a little, "I was worried that..." She trailed off, shaking her head as if unable to find the words.

Ari felt a warmth bloom in his chest at his unspoken sentiment. "Yeah," he replied, his own voice softer than he'd intended, "me too."

For a long moment, they simply looked at each other. Then, as if guided by some mutual understanding, 002 stepped forward and pulled him gently into her arms. Even through the fabric of his uniform and his armor, he could feel the heat of her body.

Their foreheads touched, the simple point of contact sending a shiver down his spine. 

Ari closed his eyes, letting himself sink into the embrace. And for a moment, surrounded by mud, metal, and the remnants of war, he found a pocket of peace. 

And it was enough.

#if: the operative #the operative #the operative short story #lore

[genshinarchives]

𝐆𝐎𝐃 𝐎𝐅 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐇. 𝟏

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟏 : 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐊𝐘 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐑

𝐒𝐔𝐌𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐘 : Shortly after being transported to another reality, you clash with a god who goes by the name Enkidu. You later learn that you have been thrown into a warring era in which the gods of Teyvat are fighting each other to claim a divine seat in Celestia.

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐒 : Al-Haitham, Kaveh; hints of Cyno x reader

𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐑𝐄 : Romance, adventure, isekai

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 : N/A

𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐄 : N/A

𝐍𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐆𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄

Year 2052.

The gaming industry has flourished in the past years, and VRMMO-RPG took over the market. VRMMO-RPG is abbreviated from Virtual Reality Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game, an online game that allows the player to enter a virtual world and experience it as though it were real life. On the pinnacle of VRMMO-RPG is Camelot Chronicles, a game that is popular for its unusually high player freedom which enables the player to customise their character however they want, and they could also create their very own unique NPCs. The latter requires a hefty sum of in-game currency and materials, so you were only able to create one NPC for yourself.

His name is Enki, a doppelganger capable of copying the appearances and abilities of the people he interacts with. Although your character is of the same heteromorphic race, most of your points were spent on levelling your magic skills so you're only able to retain your humanoid form. In your party, Enki functions as the vanguard and so was given high physical and magic resistance, but this is adjustable when he takes on the form of someone else. His primary purpose is to aggro the enemies while you attack at a distance as a mage; outside of the battlefield, he's your loyal attendant who caters to your every whim.

As you stretched your arms over your head, you expelled a deep sigh before closing your notebook. You've just finished taking notes of the reading material your teacher had assigned you this week, and decided to play Camelot Chronicles for the rest of the night since it'll be the weekend tomorrow. Humming a random tune, you put on the specialised VR headset that's needed to play VRMMO-RPG and logged into the game.

You were immediately greeted by the sight of Enki standing next to you in Arondight Forest, the surrounding pine trees and uneven topography conjuring up the feeling one might get when venturing through a coniferous forest. You've been farming Jagged Fangs for the new craftable weapon that's coming in the next update, as Enki needed a new spear; you wanted to make him stronger so you could explore Galahad Ruins, a new area that was recently released. Extending a hand in his direction, you gently waved it from top to bottom.

"Follow," you said. The in-game command was immediately processed by him, prompting him to trail closely behind as you led the way. You traversed Arondight Forest in search for the bird-like mobs you'd usually farm for Jagged Fangs, only to notice their unusual absence. The lack of mobs in the area was already concerning enough, making you wonder if there was some sort of lag that's causing a delay in their spawn time.

Just as you're about to teleport to the nearest save point, your console froze.

"What's going on...?" you mumbled, tapping the air where your console had frozen in place. You then tried to close it by force which didn't work, and when you shifted your attention to your surroundings, you saw distortions in the environment. As incessant buzzing filled your ears, glitch patterns appeared around you before vanishing abruptly, and this repeated until the scenery shattered like glass.

You stared in awe. Things that you've never seen before were reflected in the shattered pieces. Upon closer inspection, you noticed that those things - those people - were moving, which drew you in. One scene showed an armed group of humans uniting under the leadership of a young boy holding a lyre; another showed a multi-headed sea serpent being rained on by gargantuan spears of stone; another showed a brutal war between a gigantic white snake and a woman with long violet hair wielding a spear.

"Master!"

A hand clasped your elbow suddenly, startling you. You were then spun around to meet the crimson eyes of Enki, your creation. Your jaw went slack when you realised that he had somehow become sentient amidst this strange glitch.

"E-Enki?!" you squeaked.

"Master, it seems like we've gotten ourselves in a dangerous situation," he said, "Stay close to me so that I can protect you. We don't know what's going to happen next."

Quickly recovering from your surprise, you told him, "I believe the server had crashed. My console froze and I don't think I can contact the admins at all." To prove your point, you tried using the call function only for unpleasant crackling sounds to echo in your ear.

Suddenly, the ground beneath your feet cracked. With panic overtaking your mind, you clung to Enki for dear life whilst he held onto you firmly.

"The ground is about to break!" he exclaimed. As if on cue, the cracks swiftly webbed out and an ear-splitting crash resounded through the area.

The next thing you knew, you were falling.

❀

"... aster... ake... up..."

You let out a groan and knitted your eyebrows together.

"Mas... Please..."

Is someone calling for you?

"Master, please wake up!"

Eyelids flying open, you quickly sat up with an audible gasp. Your eyes immediately burned from the sudden brightness overhead, forcing you to close them again as you raised an arm to shield them. Seeing your discomfort, Enki moved himself in front of you, casting a protective shadow over your form.

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"I'm alright," you replied, "Just a little disorientated." Lowering your arm back to your side, you slowly lifted your eyelids and scanned your new surroundings curiously. "Where exactly are we?"

Standing up, Enki then looked around briefly. "It appears that we've been transported to a desert by mysterious means. I'm afraid I don't know any more than that."

You pushed yourself to your feet whilst brushing the sand off your clothes. This doesn't look like any of the deserts in Camelot Chronicles, and as you rummaged through your brain for any coherent explanation to the situation you've found yourselves in, you suddenly remembered the moving images you had seen during the glitch. The young boy with the lyre reminded you of Venti, who's a popular character in an old fantasy ARPG; the woman fighting against the serpent-like monster also resembled the Raiden Shogun, another iconic figure from the same game.

What was the name of the game?

You knew that Camelot Chronicles took inspiration from it after you watched an online interview with the game developers. You had done a little research on the game it took inspiration from out of curiosity and was impressed by the unique gameplay and rich lore.

"Jen... Jenshin...?" you mumbled.

That didn't sound right.

Your attention then shifted to Enki, who appeared to be waiting for your orders patiently. You noted that up close, he's quite good-looking; his sharp red eyes complimented his long ivory hair that's tied in a half-ponytail. Without a second thought, you held his wrist and was surprised to feel a pulse. You cupped his face and gently caressed his cheeks, your jaw going slack in disbelief; not only did he become sentient, he looks and feels real! He has a pulse like most living creatures do, and he smells pretty nice as well... While you were busy admiring Enki, you failed to notice his flustered look.

"Wh-what is it, master?" he asked with a slight stutter.

Before you could answer him, a loud explosion sounded at a distance. Startled, you both turned in the direction you had heard it come from, and your eyes widened when you caught sight of a sandstorm heading straight towards you. As it neared you and Enki, you noticed a shadow barely concealed behind the sandy veil.

"A hostile object is beelining towards us from 12 o'clock!" Enki exclaimed, summoning his spear. You instinctively slammed your hands on the ground, spawning a glowing glyph beneath you and Enki. "Making contact in 3... 2... 1!" On cue, silver chains shot up from the glyph and overlapped each other to form a makeshift shield in front of you. Something crashed into the chains at high speed, the impact causing the sand near its point to spew towards you like a tidal wave. Gusts of wind whipped around the two of you, and once the chaos has settled, the chains dissipated at your command to reveal another human standing before you.

Your gaze immediately settled on the bull horns protruding from the sides of his head. The mysterious man smiled, but you could sense the underlying malice in that supposedly friendly gesture.

"How brave of you to step outside of your god's domain," he said, "Which god do you follow? Gugalanna? Rukkhadevata?" He arched an eyebrow when he perceived your puzzled expression. "Is it neither of those two? Then perhaps you're one of those desertfolk whose god I've slain." He then threw his head back with a loud laugh, as if the words he had uttered carried no weight at all. "He was truly a weak god. For someone who's revered as the God of Heroes to fall so easily... How pathetic!"

"Who are you?" you asked with a frown. Although you didn't know who this God of Heroes is, his arrogant attitude still got on your nerves.

He ceased his laughter to answer your question, "Enkidu. You picked a wrong time to go adventuring, humans."

Enki couldn't accept the rude way in which Enkidu had spoken to you and immediately became aggressive. "Where are your manners? Do not speak to my master in that tone, and kneel when you greet her!"

Enkidu was unfazed.

"Oh... So that woman is a god as well?" he mused, grinning, "I suppose that makes us enemies!"

"Watch out!" Enki said, swiftly moving in front of you to deflect the light projectiles Enkidu had fired from his palms. Before you could fully process what was happening, your attendant had engaged in a ferocious combat with Enkidu. Sparks flew like steel birds of prey as their weapons clashed, their feet manoeuvring around each other's like elaborate pieces of footwork.

Gods. This world has gods, and the gods are fighting each other for some reason. You wondered if you got thrust into another reality during an era that's being devastated by countless power struggles - because if that's the case, you're the unluckiest person on the planet right now.

"Whatever," you mumbled, raising a hand with your open palm facing the sky. You'll worry about the war ravaging this world later; helping Enki take down Enkidu is your top priority, and fortunately, you possess the very weapon that's meant to combat god-like beings. "My soul has united with the stars. I command the celestials of the sky! Where the heavens shine, there am I! Thou wait at the gates of hell! Come forth, divine restraint! Shirshirdingira!"

A large golden portal expanded above Enkidu. Its sudden appearance made him falter as he looked up, and Enki took this chance to swiftly run him through with his spear. Enkidu bellowed as his chest exploded with pain, and the sight of a gigantic spearhead attached to a silver chain emerging from the portal prompted Enki to drive him into the ground before leaping out of your attack's range. As Enkidu lied on his sandy grave, you dropped the chain on him, quickly cutting his life short.

"That's... it...?" you said, blinking. That seemed far too easy; his bravado earlier gave you the impression that it would take more to kill him. When the chain dissolved into golden particles that were swept away by the passing wind, crimson webs were seen on the sand.

Enkidu is dead.

You killed someone.

But why do you not feel anything?

You stared at your hands.

Could it be because your character's race has merged with you when you came to this new world, it made you indifferent towards the things that humans would normally react strongly to?

"Y-you must be..."

You were pulled out of your thoughts when a new voice filled the silence, and you looked to your right to see a man crawling out from behind a rock. His expression was a mixture of fear and wonder as he regarded you with wide eyes, and the next thing you knew, he had prostrated himself before you, his forehead touching the sand.

"What are you-" you began, but were cut off by him.

"You must be the new god Celestia sent down! You're the one who will become the new God of Heroes!"

When Enki stepped forward to punish him for interrupting you, you barred his path by raising your arm in front of him.

"I don't think I follow. What is this world exactly?" you asked.

"You have descended to the world of Teyvat, O Exalted One," the man answered.

"And your name?"

"I am Ushar, a humble desertfolk from the sands of Sumeru. I work as a soldier for the city the God of Heroes had built."

"Raise your head," you ordered, and Ushar complied. He had clear crystal blue eyes, dark brown hair and a tanned complexion... You can't help but notice how much he resembles Dehya, a Pyro character from Sumeru.

Your pupils dilated when realisation dawned on you.

Celestia. Sumeru.

You finally remembered the name of the game.

Those are places in the world of Genshin Impact.

But how can that be? How can Genshin Impact be your new reality when it's been 30 years since the game was released?

"Then right now... It must be in the middle of the Archon War," you murmured.

"That's correct. Every day, the gods of Sumeru are at war with each other," Ushar said, having overheard you, "The God of Heroes whom we follow... was slain by Enkidu, the one you had defeated. Which means that you must be the god he spoke of before he passed! The god who will avenge him, and take his place to guide us! Please hear your servant's plea, and be our new God of Heroes!"

You were hesitant to accept his request. You didn't know if the deceased God of Heroes was fighting to protect his people or to claim one of the seven divine seats in Celestia. You had enough knowledge of Genshin Impact's lore to survive with just Enki by your side, and you were well-aware that if you participated in the Archon War, battling the future Dendro Archon - Greater Lord Rukkhadevata - will be inevitable. At the same time however, you needed more information, more than what the game has already revealed about Teyvat's history.

"... I want something in exchange," you finally said, "If you can give it to me, I will protect you and your people as your new god."

Ushar bowed deeply in gratitude. "Whatever it is that you wish for, will be yours."

You knelt down to his level. "I want information about this world."

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐

The picrew below is Enki.

𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓 : @flowwerpot​ / @myevergarden​ / @hey-comrade-hold-stil​ / @genshin-idiot /

#✍️ : alice writes #genshin #genshin impact #genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #nahida #cyno #alhaitham #alhaitham x reader #kaveh #kaveh x reader #fem reader #god of heroes

[aidenpriceless]

Which Shrek character would excel the most in PFL, in your opinion?

Greetings. Apologies for forgetting this reply in the drafts, hopefully you are not inconvenienced by the delay. Am I correct in assuming that you would like me to draw some comparisons between the cast of the Shrek animated movie franchise and the roles of our agents? In that case, this question would require an in-depth analysis of their abilities for me to formulate a satisfying response.

There are plenty of characters within the source material, but let us stick with our main entries: Shrek, Donkey, Princess Fiona, and Puss in Boots.

Shrek

Superhuman Strength (diminishes when transformed into a human)

Durability (survived being burned alive)

Can travel on foot for miles without tiring

Hand-To-Hand Combat (Krav Maga, Irish Street Fighting)

Survival skills from living in the swamp

Improvising plans

Knowledge of fairytales and ogre lore

Powerful roar he can use to blow people backwards

Bonus abilities from the original book: swallowing lightning, heat vision, fire breathing

If we were to compare Shrek to any of our agent, we might see resemblances with Agent Washington and Agent Maine. His durability and being a jack of all trades would certainly make him an asset to our organization. He is likely to meeting our standards, in terms of performance. His temper, however, can cause many issues and further observation would be required to establish the proper measures we need to take. 8-/10

Princess Fiona

Master Martial Artist

Superhuman Strength (As an Ogre)

Durability

Expert Weapon Combatant (in the alternative world of Shrek Forever After), can hit targets while blindfolded

Team Leadership (in the alternative world of Shrek Forever After)

Princess Fiona is most similar to Agent Carolina, as we have seen the speed with which both are capable of landing hits. Her already enhanced strength is a great addition. She would benefit from using our camouflage armour enhancement and become virtually unstoppable. 9.5/10

Puss in Boots

Combat Proficiency (mostly as a swordsman) despite his small size

Sharp claws

Expert thief and hunter (thanks to speed and fluidity of movement which he also uses in dance challenges)

Distraction, using his cute nature

Guitar playing

Implied to be at least bilingual

Even more so than Princess Fiona, Puss In Boots is fast. Due to his ability to deceive, he would benefit from a holographic projection enhancement such as the one assigned to Agent Connecticut, who shares the usage of blades as her main weapon. In short, there is potential, but the determining factor is the presence and focus on the mission. Those values may not align with this character. I would not send him on a mission alone and not expect him to wander on his own. 7/10

Donkey

Empathy

Ability to keep secrets

Diplomacy, with which he has successfully changed others' stance regarding people or issues

As you may have noticed from exploring the franchise yourself, Donkey's special...Skillsets do not unfortunately include combat, which is the main requirement in hiring our agents. (3/10) If we are not strictly talking codenamed agents, there is plenty of members from freelancer personnel who could instruct him to a suitable profession. Namely, our field medic for simulation troopers, mr Frank DuFresne.

#shrek #rvb #agent connecticut #agent carolina #agent washington #agent maine #frank dufresne #project freelancer #pfl

[fairmerthefarmer]

More character designs except this time they’re fantasy dwarves and whenever I draw fantasy dwarves they legally all need to have facial hair regardless of gender cause I think that’s cool.

Also these guys are all secretly Narnian and are also on the crew of the Dawn Treader cause I’m forever building out the crew in my mind, and it’s practicing doing my own designs. Here is some more of the crew.

The slightest amount of lore for them is down here if you care, along with general Narnia headcanons and waffling.

——————————————————————————

The dwarf on the far left is a river dwarf I’ve decided. I don’t know fully that is other than I think it’d be cool if there was a tribe of dwarves that were close to the water nymphs, and generally have great knowledge and skills that are an asset on a sailing crew.

The river dwarves are one of the reasons telmarines were scared of the water (along with the niads, however the bridge of beruna imprisoned the river god, who otherwise was also responsible for many folk tales told to young telmarine children. Their fear of water is ironic to me cause I believe there’s evidence of them coming from the Caribbean as pirates? I imagine the humans on caspians crew are like, either rediscovering their roots or the few who held on to that seafaring background. Mostly younger telmarines in the same generation as caspian, they questioned the leadership and were very happy when old narnia overthrew Miraz.)

the river dwarves are generally peaceful and most lived in hiding during telmars reign. They’re temperament is very stable and they do well under pressure. River dwarves are incredibly stealthy and only attack in necessity as self defense. In terms of stealth think like lotr hobbits, and this is a great contrast to most other dwarves in Narnia (strong strength and combat, low stealth) A lot of them abstained from fighting against telmar alltogether due to their peaceful values. They are disconnected from some other dwarf cultures which can cause some tension.

The two in the middle come from a tribe of dwarves that are blacksmiths, and also they’re siblings. The brother in particular is a toy maker by trade specifically, and loves kids. His wife (far right) has a background in carpentry. Him and his wife don’t have any but virtually adopt any child they see. The sister is always having a good time, and seafaring comes more naturally to her than smithywork ever did.

The carpentry/forest dwarves generally have a history of closeness with dryads similarly to how the river dwarves are with the water spirits. Some of that connection has been severed due to how deeply the dryads retreated and were removed when Caspian the Conqueror (not our caspian) and his descendants over-deforested. It takes time to restore that connection.

The two on the left may or may not have a situationship and the two on the right have been married for years.

Regardless of trade they’re all on the ship because they’re loyal as fuck to Caspian, the married couple kind of see themselves in a parental role to him but it’s debatable on how that actually plays out.

Also no one has a name cause I’m so bad at coming up with names.

————————

My thinking in general is that Narnian dwarves make up a lot of the trades, other races do contribute as well, (I’d imagine some marshwiggles work in stuff related to ships/seafaring but perhaps not travelling themselves) most fauns are more into the arts/spirituality, but some do take up trades (a couple of my designs from this post are tradespeople, one of them is a bard.)

I haven’t done many centaur designs, but my vague thoughts is that there are those who are more spiritual and practice prophecy, stargazing, advising, and those who are more into combat, and are protectors, or messengers.

—————

Gender and the ideas around sexuality I’d also imagine would be a lot more fluid and most Narnians are a lot more open than some of the more human civilizations. (Like it’s a country made of sentient trees, talking animals and mythical beings, and the human countries kind of canonically are like “what the heck is going on over there???” Or they’re afraid of them and try to colonize them, like the telmarines)

These are all half baked ideas but I’ve been fixated on Narnia since I was five and it’s lowkey the reason I spent so much time and passion into drawing and now have a career in graphic design and illustration, so. This is mostly all for me, so don’t mind how long this post has gotten. 🤠

#fairmerthefarmer art #Narnia #voyage of the dawn treader #crew of the dawn treader #narnia headcanons #narnian headcanons #character design #fantasy dwarf #fantasy character #oc art #oc #artists on tumblr #digital art #procreate #CoN #VDT #caspian x #Prince caspian #digital illustration #character art #dnd dwarf #c.s. lewis #long post #but only if you actually bother to read it all #my brain rot will always be part narnian #my art <3 #narnia oc #chronicles of narnia #narnia fanart #narnia art

[wetwaluigi]

WORLD OF LOST WORLD PART 2 D6 YAY

you guys like stat sheets, right...?

Zavok is the leader of the Deadly Six, having been put into a position of leadership by Master Zik after noticing Zavok's potential. He has a massive build, and is covered in spikes across his upper torso, making physical contact with him a danger in itself. He has an intense power craving, constantly trying to think of ways to gain more of it. This motivates most of his actions, as he is usually trying to gain control of something while dragging the rest of the team along with him. He does, however, at least care for the others and keeps their best interests in mind. As for powers, Zavok shares the ability to control magnetic fields with the rest of the Zeti, as well as heightened speed and strength. He can also breathe fire from his mouth, create solid energy with his fists, and increase his size in certain situations.

Zazz serves as the equivalent "guinea pig" of the team, usually being sent out  into battle to gather information instead of being expected to win. He is the tallest of the Six, but his extremely hunched posture makes this hard to notice. His main pleasure is carnage, and he constantly surrounds himself in violence and destruction to entertain himself. He is highly energetic and always ready for action, but he will eventually crack if he goes too long without supervision from Zavok or another one of the Six. Zazz uses magnetokinesis to control and attack with his Moon Mech, but he also can easily fight bare handed using his claws and sharp teeth. His feral instincts also grant him a strong sense of smell and awareness of his surroundings, making him difficult to sneak past.

Zomom could be considered the brawn of the team, as his doesn't exactly assist in the intellectual side of things. He is extremely heavy and tall, and a very nice pillow. He is constantly trying to satiate his appetite, and will eat practically anything to do so. It is fairly easy to bribe him with food, especially donuts. When not fighting, he likes to lounge around, being seen as lazy by Zavok. He is often made fun of for his appearance and low intelligence(rude). Zomom, despite his size, can move around surprisingly fast- able to create tornados and burrow underground by spinning around his body. He also packs an incredible amount of power in his arms, and virtually unlimited stomach capacity. Occasionally, he will use his magnokinetic abilities to control Ganmen, his square mech thing.

Zeena gathers and provides information for the team about their enemy, making her a manager of sorts. She is shaped more like a traditional anthro animal than the rest of the Six, having excellent hygiene due to her obsessive fashion sense. She is incredibly vain, always looking for compliments to boost her ego. However, this does not hurt her team skills, as she is by far the best member at following instructions. Her personality kind of resembles that of a stereotypical teenage girl. Zeena mainly fights using her ability to produce plasma cords from her arms, and her skills as a demolitionist. When combined, these two abilities can create a devastating amount of carnage.

Zor is the spy of the team, using his umbrakinesis to stay undetected. His posture and messy bangs briefly explain his personality, as well as the rose he likes to carry around with him. He always seems to be drained in a way, making negative comments about himself and the things around him, barely caring about anything that happens. He'll follow Zavok's instructions well enough, but does not put much passion into the roles he is given. The one thing Zor is interested in is poetry, usually reading and writing it in his alone time. Zor's ability to control shadows is his main strength, able to use it to create clones as well as sneak around. None of the other Zeti are willing to use the powers Zor does, which are stated to be 'forbidden'. He can also control bats, and transform them into clones as well. His 'magic' proficiency more than makes up for his lack of strength or dedication.

Master Zik is the founder of the Deadly Six, overseeing Zavok's leadership and training the rest of the Zeti. He is very short, and his entire body is covered in a black robe. He also carries around a walking stick, but he doesn't seem to need it quite yet. Zik is mainly focused on taking care of the Six, enjoying gardening and relaxing in his retirement. Although he's passed on the mantle to Zavok, he still participates in the team's conquests, and is one of the most capable due to his experience. He's definitely the most 'normal' of the Deadly Six, or at least as close as a Zeti can get. During his peak, Zik was considered to be the strongest Zeti, having both incredible control over his magnetokinesis and excellent acrobatic skills. He also has the ability to use psychokinetic powers, allowing him to fly around on his staff and.. move… fruit

(alright i think thats about it i want to do another one of these about the lost hex but most of it would have to be headcanon)

#sonic the hedgehog #deadly six #the deadly six #zavok #zazz #zomom #zeena #zor #master zik #sonic oc #sonic lost world #character stats #sonic fanart #medium tone wood cabinets

[nanowrimo]

The Young Writers Initiative: Finding Your Writing Community

The Young Writers Initiative, a.k.a. TYWI, is a non-profit (founded by former NaNoWriMo intern Riya!) that provides resources for high school and college-aged writers through both their website and their on-the-ground chapters program. Today, some of the TYWI members share a little about how their programs help foster creative community:

Writing can often seem like an activity that involves sitting in your room alone, frantically typing on your computer. And yes, sometimes it is, but writing is a passion shared by millions of people around the globe. That means wherever you may be, you can find a community of writers to support you and your journey. This can include a few friends in your locality, an online server of people brought together by a love for writing, or anything in between. Being an active member of such a community means having people to keep you accountable, to bounce ideas off, and to empathize with your struggles as a writer.

Bounded by community, The Young Writers Initiative (TYWI) is dedicated to offering writing resources to help young writers develop their craft. From pre-reading and editing to mentorship opportunities with established authors, TYWI offers a multitude of free services. Volunteering at TYWI is also a great way to get more involved with the writing community! Additionally, TYWI’s Chapters Program helps students start creative writing clubs, forming tight-knit communities of young writers in their localities. 

Running a TYWI Chapter at Hollins University 

By Sophia Kunkel

It has been an honor to watch as the development of the first university chapter of TYWI unfolded on the Hollins campus. This opportunity to grow our branch has strengthened my leadership skills and helped me connect with other writers. The very act of writing is solitary, and it is amazing that The Young Writers Initiative brings together so many people all over the world, challenging the notion that we have to pursue our creative dreams on our own. 

After the founding of Hollins’ chapter, I discovered that the encouragement of a solid and reliable community is essential, regardless of majors, genres, or writing experience. We might do most of our work in our dorm rooms and the library, hunched over our laptops with headphones and sitting in quiet focus, but there is certainly so much benefit from getting together with like-minded, driven peers. Additionally, our virtual discussions with several authors—Cassie Gustafson and Kris Spisak—provided much welcomed insight and wisdom into the world of writing, editing, and publishing. The idea of networking and creating relationships between successful writers and aspiring writers continues to impact our club members as we seek to learn from our panelists and speakers. 

Running a TYWI Chapter at Wenatchee High School 

By Miranda Nayak

I drafted my first novel during the pandemic, spending my free time inside of a story. As months passed, writing’s role in my life evolved. While I had once perceived it as a trusted friend, writing began to feel more like the ghost of a companion—present but not tangible enough to hold on to. I was suddenly desperate for a connection to a writing community.

It was only through discovering The Young Writers Initiative's Summer Write-a-Thon that I realized how many other people my age were passionate about creative writing. While isolated in my home, I felt more connected to others than I had since beginning my writing journey.

The most gratifying part of starting a TYWI chapter has been feeling those connections within my high school. Spending an entire lunch period discussing craft, completing writing sprints, or talking about writing struggles together has shown me that writing does not have to be a lonely hobby. The members of my chapter inspire and motivate me to keep writing; they are invaluable partners. I can already see the beginnings of creative innovation and collaboration that will blossom in tandem with the meaningful connections that our TYWI chapter fosters.

All in all, building a writing community makes the craft even more enjoyable than it already is. If you are interested in starting a TYWI chapter at your school or library, we encourage you to apply at tywi.org/chapters. 

Yessica Jain is a high school junior from New Jersey. An avid reader, she has always been in love with the magic of words. When she started creative writing in sixth grade, she quickly discovered she could wield the same magic with passion, hard work, and time. Since then, she has written short stories in various genres and a fantasy novel titled The Prison of Magic. Learn more about Yessica and read her weekly writing blog at yessicajain.com.

Lydia Wang is someone who loves stories so much, she decided to create her own. She writes magic—plant mages singing to bluebells, silver rings laced with protective spells, paper cranes that come to life as you fold them. She has been recognized by Iowa Young Writers’ Studio (‘21 & ‘22) and published in Ice Lolly, Metaphysical Review, and more. When not starting her thirty-first story, Lydia can be found tracing shapes into the clouds.

Sophia Kunkel is a literature-lovin’ college sophomore at Hollins University in Roanoke, Virginia. She loves nature walks, has endless enthusiasm for the Beatles, and adores her troublesome mini Goldendoodle, Bielka {the space dog}. Sophia writes primarily speculative fiction and fantasy. Her debut self-published novel, Starless Skies and Broken Dreams, can be found on Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Readers can find her at sophiakunkel.com or writinglife.blog. 

Miranda Nayak is a high school senior from central Washington State. In addition to being involved in robotics, she loves running her school’s Equity Club and playing the cello. She is an avid reader and adores writing fantasy and science fiction stories. You can find her on Instagram @barrybookish or on her website https://mirandanayakwritin.wixsite.com/website.

#nanowrimo #writing #community #young writers #ywp #by nano guest #the young writers initiative #tywi #miranda navak #sophia kunkel #lydia wang #yessica jain

[growth-accelerators]

Elevate Your Career with Corporate Leadership Development Programs 

In today's fast-paced and competitive corporate landscape, corporate leadership development programs have become indispensable for professionals aiming to excel in their careers. These programs not only cultivate essential leadership qualities but also foster communication skills development and overall skill development for employment growth. Let's delve into how participating in these programs can propel your career to new heights.

Corporate Leadership Development Programs: Building Strong Foundations 

Effective leadership is not innate; it's a skill that can be honed and developed over time. Corporate leadership development programs serve as a catalyst for this growth by providing participants with invaluable insights, tools, and experiences to navigate the complexities of modern business environments.

These programs typically encompass a range of modules designed to enhance various aspects of leadership, including strategic thinking, decision-making, conflict resolution, and team management. Through interactive workshops, case studies, simulations, and mentorship opportunities, participants gain practical knowledge and real-world perspectives that are directly applicable to their roles.

Moreover, corporate leadership development programs often incorporate experiential learning components, such as leadership retreats, outdoor challenges, and community service projects. These activities not only foster team bonding but also encourage participants to step out of their comfort zones, develop resilience, and adapt to diverse situations – all crucial qualities for effective leadership.

Communication Skills Development Program: Unlocking the Power of Effective Communication 

Effective communication lies at the heart of successful leadership. Whether it's articulating a vision, motivating teams, or resolving conflicts, strong communication skills are paramount for building trust, fostering collaboration, and driving results.

A communication skills development program equips participants with the tools and techniques to communicate confidently, persuasively, and empathetically across various mediums and audiences. From public speaking and presentation skills to active listening and negotiation techniques, these programs cover a spectrum of communication competencies essential for leadership success.

Moreover, in today's digital age, proficiency in virtual communication platforms and remote collaboration tools has become increasingly vital. A comprehensive communication skills development program addresses these emerging needs, preparing participants to effectively navigate virtual meetings, lead remote teams, and leverage technology to enhance communication efficiency.

Skill Development for Employment Growth: Investing in Your Future 

In a rapidly evolving job market, continuous skill development for employment growth is essential for staying relevant and competitive. Whether you're aiming for career advancement within your current organization or exploring new opportunities elsewhere, investing in your skill set is key to unlocking new possibilities and maximizing your potential.

Corporate leadership development programs offer a unique avenue for skill enhancement, as they not only focus on leadership competencies but also encompass a broader spectrum of professional skills critical for career growth. From strategic thinking and problem-solving to emotional intelligence and resilience, these programs provide a holistic approach to skill development that transcends traditional training methodologies.

Furthermore, participating in a corporate leadership development program demonstrates to employers your commitment to personal and professional growth, making you a more attractive candidate for advancement opportunities and leadership roles. By continually investing in your development, you position yourself as a proactive and forward-thinking professional poised for success in today's dynamic business landscape.

 Conclusion: Empower Your Journey with Growth Accelerators 

In conclusion, corporate leadership development programs not only cultivate essential leadership qualities but also play a pivotal role in fostering communication skills development and overall skill development for employment growth . By investing in these programs, professionals can elevate their careers, expand their capabilities, and unlock new opportunities for success.

At Growth Accelerators, we understand the transformative power of leadership development and skill enhancement. Our comprehensive programs are designed to empower tomorrow's leaders with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to thrive in today's competitive business environment. Join us on a journey of growth and discovery, and unlock your true potential with Growth Accelerators.

#corporate leadership development program #Communication Skills Development Program #skill development for employment growth #growthaccelerators

[dangan-kagura]

Things I Wanted to Include for My V3 Rewrite - Part 1

So if you’ve been to my AO3 and read my fanfic Alternative Danganronpa VE, I’ve gotten as far as Chapter 4 Daily Life where everyone arrives at the Virtual World. Since I haven’t had any motivation in wanting to continue writing it, I decided to make a series of posts that’ll narrate the things I wanted to include that’ll probably never happen. I'll try to highlight some of the most important things.

To briefly recap, my OC has been placed as the leader of the group so that everyone can work together in order to find another hint about the outside world.

Now here’s the new stuff, as soon as they start heading east to where the chapel is, they suddenly get warped into a battle with Monokuma-like enemies.

The scene then plays out like a turn-based RPG and after winning the battle, they start to think that the Virtual World feels like an RPG.

My OC complains about the idea as he ends up saying that he doesn’t like the RPG genre and abandons the group and returns to the mansion.

When he arrives at the phone, he thinks back to the dream he had where he remembers Miu saying that saying your name on the phone will return you to the real world. But it doesn’t work. Kirumi then walks in asking if he is ok and if he wants to talk. My OC gets embarrassed out of concern that Kirumi wouldn’t understand him, but gently explains that he doesn’t like the RPG genre because he’s bad at the genre and is bothered by the amount of peer pressure surrounding the genre’s popularity. Kirumi assures him that things will work out however, and the two of them walk back to the group.

When they return, my OC suggests that Kirumi should take the lead. Because he got Kirumi’s motive video, he wants to see if Kirumi has any leadership skills, but Kirumi doesn't remember anything about being the leader of a country. So Kirumi ends up being the party leader.

When the group arrives at the chapel, at one point, I think I had an idea that someone in the group pushes that big thing at the end of the hall (sorry, I don’t know what it’s called) and in doing so reveals a secret underground passage.

The group then proceeds in a play style similar to Despair Dungeon: Monokuma’s Test.

It’s that bonus mode in V3 that plays similar to Final Fantasy. Anyways, after a series of turn-based battles from random enemies...

The group eventually faces the dungeon boss.

I had an idea for a scene where my OC tries to chicken out of the fight thinking that everyone is destined to lose. Kaede and Kirumi however stop him from running away and tell him to man-up or something and fight the boss anyway.

After defeating the boss, well, I haven’t had any ideas as to what they get for a reward, but it goes like this. The group keeps hearing a voice say the same thing over and over again. Something like a female computer voice saying, “There is an error! There is an error! There is an error! There is an error!” and then the screen just goes black like how a TV turns off. The group then wakes up back in the computer room alive.

No murders have taken place yet.

That was an idea I had in mind, they go to the Virtual World for the first time, but afterwards there are no murders, and everyone is confused as to why what they just saw as they left the Virtual World has to do with the outside world.

I’ve written that the group would also get a Flashback Light as a reward. In the original game, the group doesn’t get another Flashback Light until Chapter 5 after Kokichi showed everyone the outside world. Although I’m thinking that it probably would’ve been better if they got another Flashback Light in Chapter 5 after discovering the new locations in the school.

I think I had an idea for a scene where my OC looks in his pocket to find something like a flashdrive. He realizes that this is actually the reward they got for defeating the dungeon boss and that the flashdrive contains more info about the outside world. My OC suggests that Keebo should be the one to hold on to it. Keebo agrees and takes the flashdrive.

Monokuma would then tell the group that they have to go back to the Virtual World tomorrow to find more clues. My OC however complains that he doesn’t want to go back because he didn’t like how the Virtual World plays similar to an RPG.

I think towards the end of this scene, I wanted to include a scene where...

Kaito starts to vomit blood before the fourth trial.

Like you know the scene after the fourth trial where Kaito pukes blood? I wanted him to do so before the start of the fourth trial. Just like in the original, Maki is the most worried one in the group and everyone starts questioning why Kaito is suddenly vomiting blood. Kirumi is also worried and asks if she could help, but Kaito refuses to get help from Kirumi and goes back to his room to rest.

I’ll explain what happens next in Part 2.

#danganronpa #ndrv3 #fanfic #fan fiction #danganronpa fanfic #rewrite #danganronpa rewrite #blog #kaito momota

[oeldeservesthenorris]

NHLPA launches mental health training for its players: ‘We still need to break down barriers’

"Over the past two months, Harrison has put 20 active NHL players from five different teams through mental health education as part of a new initiative from the NHLPA. Officially unveiled on Wednesday, the First Line program is designed to directly address mental health issues faced by active NHL players and their families. Touted as the first program of its kind in professional sports, First Line endeavors to teach players about topics such as depression, anxiety, substance use and self-harm. And a portion of the course is aimed at erasing the stigma of mental health that still exists inside NHL locker rooms."

Jay Harrison opens his sessions with two simple questions for NHL players attending his new workshop.

“I ask everybody, ‘Why are you here today? And why did you come?’ Harrison explains. “And every single player has a different story as to why they’ve prioritized time out of their busy schedule to learn about mental health.”

Over the past two months, Harrison has put 20 active NHL players from five different teams through mental health education as part of a new initiative from the NHLPA. Officially unveiled on Wednesday, the First Line program is designed to directly address mental health issues faced by active NHL players and their families. Touted as the first program of its kind in professional sports, First Line endeavors to teach players about topics such as depression, anxiety, substance use and self-harm. And a portion of the course is aimed at erasing the stigma of mental health that still exists inside NHL locker rooms.

“I call this a mental health 101 course,” says Maria Dennis, the NHLPA’s senior director of player health. “This provides the tools, skills and knowledge so there is no reason to shy away from this topic or this conversation any more.”

This is not a compulsory course the NHLPA is mandating its members take, but Harrison has been pleased with the initial uptake. He’s planning on offering the training to interested players for the duration of the 2023-24 regular season and has been slowly contacting players around the league.

“It’s not something they’re being told to do. It’s voluntary, but they’re grabbling onto it and seeing its importance,” says Harrison. “This is an opportunity to reassess and prioritize their health and well-being.”

Calgary captain Mikael Backlund is one of the players who recently completed the First Line training session conducted by Harrison. And his new leadership role with the club seemed to be the catalyst that pushed him toward the training.

“It’s just really important to help my teammates any way I can and now being the captain I felt like it was my responsibility to take this course,” says Backlund. “My First Line experience was really good. I thought we had a really good meeting. I talked to my teammates afterward and they were all very positive about the meeting, felt like we learned a lot. There were some simple little things that can help us big time, be really good leaders on the team or just a good teammate.”

Players like Backlund have participated in a three-hour training session that was prepared in conjunction with the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) and Opening Minds, which is a division of MHCC and provides evidence-based mental health training programs. The sessions are conducted in a small group format — either in person or virtually — with Harrison leading a conversation around these delicate subjects.

“It’s not a lecture. It’s not a course,” explains Harrison. “It encourages dialogue.”

Harrison is uniquely equipped to lead this project. He appeared in almost 400 NHL games with the Maple Leafs, Hurricanes and Jets over the course of a nine-year career. While he was an active player, Harrison completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology, followed by a master’s in clinical psychology. Following his retirement from professional hockey in 2016, he secured his PhD in performance psychology.

“Having Jay as part of this program is integral. He’s a former player, so he knows what’s it like to be an NHL player. He also knows what it’s like to transition to another career, having earned his degrees,” says Dennis. “So his background is something that uniquely qualifies him to fill this role.”

“I was one of those players who worked through and ‘sucked it up’ in order to live our dream. Sometimes our perspective of what is truly important can be skewed by how much we’ve invested in being athletes,” adds Harrison. “And nobody should have to sacrifice their mental health or well being in order to be an athlete.”

The framework for the program was originally designed as part of a collaboration between the Canadian Armed Forces and American Navy SEALS and Marines.

“They were using it for troops going into combat so they would be more resilient,” explains Micheal Pietrus, director of Opening Minds. “But we’ve added an anti-stigma component, because we still need to break down barriers.”

These sessions led by Harrison have been modified to specifically meet the needs of NHL players. They watch videos, which include testimonials from former and active players who have dealt with mental health challenges during the course of their careers. And they have unfiltered conversations about the specific challenges faced by NHL players.

“What it might be like to be going up and down to the minors. Riding the buses. Or having children at home in a contract year,” says Harrison. “These are all real, stressful situations. It’s a sacred space with our players.”

As part of the training, players are told to think of their mental health as if it’s a colored traffic light, using a continuum model.

Green is healthy and where they want to be.

Yellow indicates some degree of stress.

Red is the danger zone that indicates the potential for serious problems.

Players are instructed to watch for signs and symptoms that could put someone into the red zone.

“You’re less patient. You’re not sleeping well. Maybe you’re starting to abuse substances. A physical change. These are all little indicators,” says Pietrus. “And we want to address them so they can get back into the green zone.”

Players are also given educational tools when it comes to the topic of addiction. And beyond the use of alcohol and drugs, there are also honest conversations around things such as gambling and excessive use of social media and gaming.

Players who complete the training session receive a certificate of completion from the Mental Health Commission of Canada and Opening Minds. And the end goal is to try and create a peer-to-peer system, where those players who have been trained are able to facilitate conversations around mental health with their teammates inside the locker room.

“We know our players are talking to each other and relying on each other. So what can we do to enhance those conversations in a way that empowers our players,” says Harrison. “This is about creating that network of players throughout our league that other players could look toward as common resources. And knowing that self-judgment or labeling wouldn’t be a factor because they know that (the) individual has done the First Line training. They are responsive and care about mental health.”

“Personally, I want to keep working on this and improve my skills as a leader on the team as the captain, and learn how I can be mentally stronger and healthier and also how I can see signs of maybe my teammates are struggling or not feeling as well, and how I can help them,” adds Backlund.

This project is being handled under the umbrella of the NHLPA’s Health and Wellness team, which launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While they oversaw the logistics of getting players safely to and from the bubble sites in Edmonton and Toronto in the summer of 2020, that department was also tasked with monitoring the mental health of the athletes during that time. But even after the pandemic ended, players expressed an interest in seeing some of those programs continue.

“We recognized the need to enhance and offer support to our players, especially through the pandemic. The pandemic was a catalyst,” says Harrison. “Players communicated to us there is a greater opportunity here. Players wanted to be part of that.”

#nhl #nhl hockey #nhl players #this is a win #theleaguefinallydidsomethingright #mikael backlund #calgary flames #nhl2023 2024

[rajdhami01-blog]

Emerging Trends in Pharmaceutical Education 

Pharmaceutical education is experiencing a transformative shift in response to rapid advancements in the field of healthcare and the evolving needs of the global population. As we step into a future characterised by personalised medicine, precision therapies, and breakthrough technologies, the training and education of future pharmacists and pharmaceutical professionals are adapting to keep pace. In this blog, we will bring forth the latest developments and emerging trends in pharmaceutical education. 

According to Statista Pharmaceutical Market Forecast, the pharmaceutical industry has witnessed a rapid metamorphosis, with revenue expected to show an annual growth rate (CAGR 2023-2028) of 5.80%, resulting in a market volume of US$1,478.00bn by 2028, reflecting the sector's exponential growth. This growth is propelled by various factors, including an aging population, the rise of chronic diseases, and the increasing demand for personalised treatments. In response, pharmaceutical education is adapting to equip aspiring pharmacists and professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to navigate this dynamic and ever-evolving industry. 

1. Integration of Technology and Digital Learning 

In recent years, the integration of technology into pharmaceutical education has become ubiquitous. Digital platforms, virtual labs, simulation software, and online courses are revolutionizing the way students learn and engage with the subject matter. Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are being utilized to create immersive learning experiences, allowing students to visualize complex pharmaceutical concepts in a more interactive and dynamic manner. These technologies enhance understanding and retention, ultimately preparing students for the technologically advanced landscape of modern healthcare. 

2. Focus on Interdisciplinary Learning 

Pharmaceutical education is embracing an interdisciplinary approach, fostering collaboration between pharmacy students and professionals from other healthcare domains. Interdisciplinary learning encourages a holistic understanding of healthcare systems and enables students to work seamlessly in a team-based environment. Collaborations with medical practitioners, bioinformatics experts, data scientists, and engineers expose students to diverse perspectives and problem-solving strategies, preparing them to be well-rounded professionals in an interdisciplinary healthcare landscape. 

3. Personalised and Individualised Learning 

Recognizing the unique learning styles and paces of individual students, personalized learning is gaining traction in pharmaceutical education. Tailoring educational experiences to meet the specific needs and preferences of students allows for a more effective learning process. Adaptive learning technologies use data analytics to track student progress and adapt the content and pace of learning accordingly. This approach optimizes comprehension and retention, ensuring that each student achieves their educational goals. 

4. Integration of Pharmacogenomics and Genetics 

Advancements in pharmacogenomics and genetics are transforming pharmaceutical education by necessitating a deeper understanding of how genetic variations influence drug responses. Modern curricula are incorporating in-depth studies of genomics, pharmacogenomics, and genetic testing to equip future pharmacists with the knowledge and skills to provide personalized medication recommendations based on an individual's genetic makeup. This personalized approach improves patient outcomes and reduces adverse reactions. 

5. Emphasis on Soft Skills and Professionalism 

Pharmaceutical education is evolving to place greater emphasis on soft skills and professionalism. Effective communication, leadership, critical thinking, and empathy are essential qualities for pharmaceutical professionals. Educational programs now integrate courses and workshops that enhance these skills, preparing students not only to excel in their technical roles but also to effectively interact with patients, colleagues, and healthcare stakeholders. 

6. Experiential Learning and Practical Exposure 

Traditional classroom-based learning is being complemented with experiential learning and practical exposure in real-world healthcare settings. Internships, externships, and rotations in community pharmacies, hospitals, research laboratories, and pharmaceutical industries provide students with valuable hands-on experience. These opportunities bridge the gap between theory and practice, enabling students to apply their knowledge in real-life scenarios and develop the necessary skills and confidence for their future careers. 

7. Environmental and Global Health Perspectives 

As sustainability and global health become paramount concerns, pharmaceutical education is incorporating curricula that address the environmental impact of pharmaceuticals and global health challenges. Students are exposed to the concepts of eco-friendly pharmaceutical practices, responsible drug manufacturing, and the role of pharmacists in addressing global health issues. This broadens their understanding of the industry's impact on the planet and society, encouraging responsible and ethical practices. 

Pioneering Pharmaceutical Education in India 

Shoolini University stands at the forefront of innovative pharmaceutical education in India. Renowned for its commitment to academic excellence, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and emphasis on holistic development, Shoolini University has emerged as a top choice for students aspiring to excel in the pharmaceutical field. Let's delve into the details of the pharmaceutical education offerings and the esteemed Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences at Shoolini University. 

Here are some highlights of Shoolini University's exceptional pharmaceutical education: 

Faculty from prestigious institutions worldwide, including University of Innsbruck (Austria), University of Constance (Germany), Chang Won National University (South Korea), and NIPER. 

Pharma NIRF Rank 41 (All India), reflecting the university's academic prowess and standing in the pharmaceutical education landscape. 

The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences boasts 104+ cutting-edge laboratories across the university, providing students with extensive practical exposure and fostering research and innovation. 

Students receive scholarships and fellowships at both undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) levels, encouraging academic excellence and reducing the financial burden on students. 

An application-oriented curriculum that prepares students for real-world challenges, ensuring they are industry-ready upon graduation. 

Programs Offered by Shoolini University

Program 1

B Pharmacy 

Duration : 4 years 

Eligibility : 10+2 (PCB/PCM) with minimum 60% marks 

Program 2

B Pharmacy LEET 

Duration : 3 years 

Eligibility : Diploma in Pharmacy with 60% marks from a Pharmacy Council of India approved institution 

Program 3

M Pharma Pharmacology 

Duration : 2 years 

Eligibility : B Pharmacy from an institution approved by the Pharmacy Council of India with minimum 55% marks 

Program 4

M Pharmacy Pharmaceutical Chemistry 

Duration : 2 years 

Eligibility : B Pharmacy from an institution approved by the Pharmacy Council of India with minimum 55% marks 

Program 5

M Pharmacy Pharmaceutics 

Duration : 2 years 

Eligibility : B Pharmacy from an institution approved by the Pharmacy Council of India with minimum 55% marks 

Program 6

PhD Pharma 

Duration : 3 years 

Eligibility : Four-year graduation degree by research or master's degree in related discipline with minimum 55% marks 

In conclusion, Shoolini University is leading the way in pharmaceutical education in India, aligning its programs with the evolving trends and demands of the healthcare industry. Through a focus on innovation, interdisciplinary learning, practical exposure, and a dedicated faculty, Shoolini University equips its students to contribute significantly to the advancement of pharmaceutical sciences and improve healthcare outcomes for individuals and communities.