My Dragon Flame made short work of most of the demons close to me, but they were clearly accumulating in that village. Perhaps this was meant to be the vanguard of their attack, or the fall-back base. And as more and more demons poured out, I quickly learned that when all four types are present, they gain some serious synergy. Ghouls would use ranged weapons instead of running dick first into final death, Decoms would attempt to trap me with their magic rather than kill me outright, Seducers would constantly surround me, because they could heal from damage and were far more resilient. Faced with a small army, I suddenly understood what Curt Connors felt. It's like my mind briefly split into two, probably from stress... of blue balls most likely. One part was focused on the fight, enraged and primal, and the other... the other kept noticing random stuff. For example, the primal part of my mind kept a demon between me and Oni, and after he cut down a ghoul and a decom the other part noticed that Oni seemed to avoid getting into a scuffle with Seducers specifically. Like the synergy relied on them. But as I dodged another attack, said seducer vaped her pink mist into my face, and I started coughing. Now that I no longer had gold to calm me down, the mist worked... just not as intended. Instead of turning me into a drooling idiot, my sense of smell seemed to be kicked into overdrive, while my instincts and reaction have dulled instead. The mist did nothing to excite me, but it did give me a strangely familiar taste in my mouth. Like a taste of gelatin capsules filled with yohimbine. That observant part of my mind noted that perhaps her pink energy wasn't potent enough to affect me, who had endured the Heat for so long. However, my reaction made other demons feel as if I was incapacitated, and they swarmed me again.
There was a distinct stench of chlorine from the plaza, or is it ammonia? Not really a surprise there, considering how many demons spilled themselves there. I failed to dodge an attack from the same Seducer's daggers, and now I had a huge gash across my back, which hurt a lot more than usual. But at least it was still healing.
There was the pleasant smell of medicinal herbs from somewhere behind me in the forest, and I assumed that it was either Radius or mage escort trying to recover from the pink mist. Considering what that mist was doing to people, perhaps they had some sort of Horny Bonk medicine? Decom's fireball nearly burned my face off, I barely avoided it, and only because I was busy dodging another attack. It ended with a few killed ghouls.
A combination of brimstone, curled milk and a revoltingly rancid odor of toxic plastic, the kind that bad knock-off toys with a bloody red torch in the chest are made of. That smell signaled the approach of Oni as he counterattacked, but I was too slow to react, and his fist landed squarely on my face. The hit was so strong it felt like my consciousness was knocked out of my body! Well, at least a part of my consciousness, the part that was distracted. As a result, I was watching myself in third person, feeling pain, and taste of my own blood, but unable to act. And the heat, in my blood, was rising again. But that hit, it did some good too. Because now, Dragon's instincts took over fully, shaking off whatever the mist was.
I watched my hand let go of the sword, as the fingers turned to claws, and lashed out at the demons in front of me. Oni dodged, leaving Seducer in the way of an attack - It tore out her throat, and she gurgled briefly before collapsing. Her regeneration was unable to keep up? That did nothing to dissuade others. But I noticed a strange expression on Oni's face. I watched as my other hand parried an attack and responded with a thrust of my clawed hand, breaking through the chest of another demon, piercing her heart by the feeling of it. Decom flung another fireball at me, but when it hit my face, I felt no pain, only irritation. My blood was boiling by this point. I saw smoke leaking out of my mouth, then I took a deep breath, but instead of fire I let out a mighty dragon roar from frustration. There was so much power behind it, the wall closest to me had collapsed, my whole body shook so hard that my consciousness rubber-banded back into my body, which was rather painful. However, it did clear my head, knocking all nonsense out.
Seducers got blown away (but they survived this again), few remaining decoms dropped dead, last ghoul was blown to bits, but Oni... Oni just staggered and only briefly. Good thing he did, though, because I needed a moment to recover too, and we both returned to the fight at the same time. I balled up my clawed fist and hit his face just as he hit mine, my head snapping back. I am sure it looked much less awesome and cinematic compared to similar scenes in anime. Pain in my face was nothing compared to pain in my hand, as claws actually dug into my own flesh. However, this time, probably because he was still reeling from the roar, the hit connected property. And while I couldn't see much damage, his reaction looked similar to mine the first time his hit landed. I recovered quickly and brought up my weapons, this time, properly parrying his counterattack. Seducers launched at me, their durability was getting to me. Worse still, because I now had only one sword. The other was laying there, out of my reach, and while I could fight in these odds, figuring out my claws NOW, was out of the question. I didn't think I was flexible enough. That's when Tia stepped in. Stealthy Rogue skewered one of the demons and threw ice potions at the same time. It gave me a breather I needed, helped by the fact that both Radius and the mage escort (I swear I'll ask his name when we get through this) finally rejoined me. They took on the bitches while I faced the medium bad.
I was briefly distracted, but it was long enough for Oni to knock the other sword out of my hand, and run me through with the bone blade. "Shit!" I coughed as he pinned me to the tree. "Said, as I. For me, no match," Oni was getting smug. "You first. After them." He pulled out a bone from his body, turned it into a sword and raised it to strike me down. But now that both my hands were free, my other hand also sprouted claws and I yanked the bone sword out... at least I thought I did. Claws actually shattered the bone! As his sword slashed at me, without thinking, I raised both my hands in defensive stance... and watched as the sword snapped against them. Only then did I realized that my hands weren't just clawed but also now covered in scales, and heavier than before. I had little time to contemplate the new discovery. I heard a scream of warning from Radius as Seducers surrounded me and one managed to bite me! "You dare hit a lady?!" one of them exclaimed. "Hammer of justice is unisex!" I think I muttered, before punching the biter. To my shock, her teeth remained lodged in my arm, while the rest of her body pulverized. "The hell?!" This finally got them to pause, but now I was on the offensive. My fists punched through the remaining Seducers until only one was left. Oni actually got in the way, as I tried to finish that bitch off. Even my heavy punch did nothing to really hurt the bastard, but my scales had no problem stopping his bone sword. I feigned the attack, while throwing an icicle at the demon... And I heard a sound of something snapping. Oni let out a pained snarl and swung his fist, I did the same. His fist socked me in the jaw, but my head didn't get foggy this time. My punch, on the other hand, actually caved his face in! There was a clear indent in the shape of my fist, and as he took a step back, bluish blood burst out. I expected him to heal from that, to snap his face back into place and attack again. But Oni collapsed, grabbed onto his face and started howling. My three companions approached the demon, weapons drawn. Tia's hand was bleeding, but he looked okay. Radius was covered in some suspicious goo, and the mage looked worse for the wear, too. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, shivers were running down my back. Something was wrong. His howl was getting higher and higher pitched, and his body started to glow...
I don't know what happened next. One moment - I was staring at the glowing demon, some sort of thought forming in the back of my head, the next - I was clutching Tia with one hand, Radius with the other and the Escort mage was holding onto my back for dear life, deep in the forest, kneeling amidst the burned out circle the size of the village plaza. The remnant of some defensive spell fell apart around me, but I've never actually learned one, so maybe it's the escort mage? All three of my companions looked shaken and confused. There was heat coming from the direction of the village, and a subtle smell of fire. There were broken and burned trees in that direction too. And a horrible realization struck me, my brain threw up the scene from the end of Predator. I ran back towards the village, skipping over toppled trees. And stared at an enormous crater, where a village used to be, the sides were rapidly cooling, cracking the stone. "Holy shit..." The only thing left of the village, were occupied pillories, and a weird twisted structure beneath them. With a bit of aerial movement, I landed by the pillories, but as soon as I did, the structure they were perched on began collapsing. I managed to leap back just in time, but the pillories puffed into smoke and disintegrated.

Any & all are open to comment. I’m open to comments/constructive criticism. I consider if I was the one in the wrong. But here’s my story.

 So tonight after pulling a double shift at work, mind you I’m a hostess at a Restaurant chain in Arden. I have my boyfriend drop me off at the door, I make my way to the cosmetics department where a woman named LINDA watched me as I casually browsed the area. (I just came in for some lashes) Well I start looking at face wash and she makes it clear to me (the first time) that I am to address her before I leave the department so she can check me out, I nodded my head in affirmation thinking to myself “that’s odd, there’s self checkout directly across from this department?” well as aspected other women who are not of melanin royalty came into the cosmetics department grabbed a few items and walked out without having to address LINDA.. before I check out I remember that I needed cotton balls, that are on the other side of the department and LINDA decided that she needed to grab me by my arm and tell me that I am to checkout with her before I left the department.. I thank god that he gave me wisdom because if he gives me strength I’m gonna need bail money. I express to LINDA that I didn’t have a problem with doing that & that I am not done shopping yet and that she doesn’t need to hold me I’m not going to run & whenever I’m finished shopping I will do that. Mind you the women behind me made it to self check unscathed.. ✨Mind you, I am a hostess✨ which means I’m wearing all black. I proceeded to checkout without an argument, got her name & tried going to management about it which at the time of the shift the managers name was JAMIE, while asking other associates about the woman in the cosmetics department there were 2-3 employees who said & I can attest “oh my gosh, it’s LINDA again” i.e “she’s gotten so many complaints from a lot of people” moving forward I told the shift manager on duty of Walmart 01317 on Bleachery Blvd who’s name is JAMIE what happened & he tells me “She’s had multiple complaints but I can’t have her fired” I tell him “sir I do not want her fired, I work hard for my money just like everyone else does the last thing I want is her fired” so he asks me what can I do to make this right? (Seems pretty plausible right?) I say “I would like an apology.” Just apologize for physically assaulting me & straight up just racially profiling me as I was when i stepped foot in that door. Simple. As. That. He tells me he can’t “make” her do that. So I calmly stood there thinking about a peaceful resolution of the matter and JAMIE bangs his fist on the counter at customer service and screaming at the top of his lungs like an adolescent “GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY STORE!!” I calmly walk away. I tell my boyfriend of 4 years (not that it matters who is white) he goes in there and LINDA has “left” (in actuality the Wal-Mart Associates were hiding her basically) and everyone that I spoke to prior to my boyfriend walking in there didn’t know what happened had no clue what he was talking about he even went up to JAMIE & JAMIE tried to cover his name tag but my boyfriend saw his name & asked him if it was JAMIE & he confirmed his name, my boyfriend asked him what happened & JAMIE acted like he had no idea who or what he was talking about they didn’t know he was my boyfriend and I was not in there at the time he went in. (I was on the phone with corporate.) Not that any of you care nor do I expect you to but that was embarrassing for a 25 year old BLACK female my name is SE’MYIA VANNOY and I will never let one person no matter who they are define me whether it be my ethnicity, gender, &/or religion. What happened tonight Walmart will not get away with. I have filed a statement I have witnesses & I am suing Walmart on Bleachery blvd Asheville NC store number 01317 because JAMIE handed the situation unprofessionally, used profanity to a shopper & LINDA racially profiled me and it was obviously not just me because of all her recent complaints I heard everyone comment about whenever I went searching for a manager. Also because LINDA is a piece of shit. I hope this makes a difference & my story is heard. That is all. 

Xoxo, Scarlett M.
(Sorry for any misspelling &/or punctuation.)

I just picked up my GR86 as a daily driver. Call me a heathen but its an automatic because I live in a very uphill/downhill city and want to shut my brain off while driving.
I spent months of research figuring out what car to buy, and this is my very first new car ever.
A Trueno Blue 2023 GR86 Premium. It's name is Clue like Blues Clues.
So my question is what do I need to know?

• Premium Gas only.
• Oil Changes consistently at 50k rather than 75k.
• OEM+ Audio System and deadening to the body to keep the road noise and audiophile satisfied.
• Subispeed for add ons.

I want to turn this in a project car, but I'm not crazy tuner or mechanic. Just a dude with a mind for engineering and taking things apart. So what are some fun modifications suggestions?
What are some Need to Know's about the car that you found out from owning it. And whats just some general advice from the community?
I'd love to work on it and change up the lights, body, sound system, interior, etc etc. But I also want to know about doing oil changes myself and general maintenance. I've heard doing the fluids on an automatic is harder than launching a nuke.
Super excited to get my hands dirty.
This car is already special to me because I had multiple car's slip by me, and even had to walk out of a dealership before signing on a beautiful Halo GR86. (My dad had a stroke and I don't regret losing that one at all. They make cars everyday, you get one dad) But my dad felt so bad, he helped me find this one and it means a lot to me because I've been pretty down recently and he just wanted to make me smile. Life's been throwing curve balls at me and him, and the stress from that is what may have caused his stroke. So this car already has a really special place in my heart and I want to not only upgrade it but keep it going for as long as possible.
So long story. What do I need to know, and how should I go about learning as well. I'm excited to share progress on it. :)

So tonight after pulling a double shift at work, mind you I’m a hostess at a Restaurant chain in Arden. (25F) I have my boyfriend (28M) drop me off at the door, I make my way to the cosmetics department where a woman named LINDA (40-something F) watched me as I casually browsed the area. (I just came in for some lashes) Well I start looking at face wash and she makes it clear to me (the first time) that I am to address her before I leave the department so she can check me out, I nodded my head in affirmation thinking to myself “that’s odd, there’s self checkout directly across from this department?” well as aspected other women who are not of melanin royalty came into the cosmetics department grabbed a few items and walked out without having to address LINDA.. before I check out I remember that I needed cotton balls, that are on the other side of the department and LINDA decided that she needed to grab me by my arm and tell me that I am to checkout with her before I left the department.. I thank god that he gave me wisdom because if he gives me strength I’m gonna need bail money. I express to LINDA that I didn’t have a problem with doing that & that I am not done shopping yet and that she doesn’t need to hold me I’m not going to run & whenever I’m finished shopping I will do that. Mind you the women behind me made it to self check unscathed.. ✨Mind you, I am a hostess✨ which means I’m wearing all black. I proceeded to checkout without an argument, got her name & tried going to management about it which at the time of the shift the managers name was JAMIE, (40-something M) while asking other associates about the woman in the cosmetics department there were 2-3 employees who said & I can attest “oh my gosh, it’s LINDA again” i.e “she’s gotten so many complaints from a lot of people” moving forward I told the shift manager on duty of Walmart 01317 on Bleachery Blvd who’s name is JAMIE what happened & he tells me “She’s had multiple complaints but I can’t have her fired” I tell him “sir I do not want her fired, I work hard for my money just like everyone else does the last thing I want is her fired” so he asks me what can I do to make this right? (Seems pretty plausible right?) I say “I would like an apology.” Just apologize for physically assaulting me & straight up just racially profiling me as I was when i stepped foot in that door. Simple. As. That. He tells me he can’t “make” her do that. So I calmly stood there thinking about a peaceful resolution of the matter and JAMIE bangs his fist on the counter at customer service and screaming at the top of his lungs like an adolescent “GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY STORE!!” I calmly walk away. I tell my boyfriend of 4 years (not that it matters who is white) he goes in there and LINDA has “left” (in actuality the Wal-Mart Associates were hiding her basically) and everyone that I spoke to prior to my boyfriend walking in there didn’t know what happened had no clue what he was talking about he even went up to JAMIE & JAMIE tried to cover his name tag but my boyfriend saw his name & asked him if it was JAMIE & he confirmed his name, my boyfriend asked him what happened & JAMIE acted like he had no idea who or what he was talking about they didn’t know he was my boyfriend and I was not in there at the time he went in. (I was on the phone with corporate.) Not that any of you care nor do I expect you to but that was embarrassing for a 25 year old BLACK female my name is SE’MYIA VANNOY and I will never let one person no matter who they are define me whether it be my ethnicity, gender, &/or religion. What happened tonight Walmart will not get away with. I have filed a statement I have witnesses & I am suing Walmart on Bleachery blvd Asheville NC store number 01317 because JAMIE handed the situation unprofessionally, used profanity to a shopper & LINDA racially profiled me and it was obviously not just me because of all her recent complaints I heard everyone comment about whenever I went searching for a manager. Also because LINDA is a piece of shit. I hope this makes a difference & my story is heard. That is all

In Part Four, the comeback tour of rockstar Hiroshi Tanahashi was cut brutally short at the hands of the Leader of the New School, Zack Sabre Jr., who embarked on a quest to prove himself New Japan's most valuable gaijin. After beating back Will Ospreay for Royal Quest, he ran into another familiar face in Minoru Suzuki, almost clobbering him into retirement until Naomichi Marufuji made the save. Ending his saga with Just6Guys with a win over Maru, he placed a bow on the long-standing Blackpool Combat Club rivalry by besting Jon Moxley, cementing Sabre-Gun as New Japan's undisputed leaders... That is, without taking Los Ingobernables de Japon into account.
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Since becoming one again, LIJ’s been on a tear through NJPW’s ranks this year in spite of Shingo Takagi dropping the belt and PAC losing the New Japan Cup Finals to the current World Champion. IWGP United States, IWGP Tag Team (Death Triangle have become LIJ affiliates through PAC), and NJPW World Television Championships in their grasps, they seek to round out the group by all holding titles simultaneously. But that begs the question – who’ll be going after the World Title? Though Shingo’s battle ready, he insists Tetsuya Naito take it this time, the Stardust Genius having worked his back off to rebound from Wrestle Kingdom. Failing every attempt in the past 3 years though, the question remains whether he can truly pull it off this time, or if it’s just not meant to be.
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Kizuna Road - Night Four (July 1, 2024)
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Sabre-Gun (Zack Sabre Jr. & El Phantasmo) vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & PAC)
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With Naito confirmed as Sabre’s #1 Contender for Wrestle Dynasty, SG and LIJ have themselves a scaled-down rematch from New Year’s Dash, Zack picking his trusty right-hand man ELP, and Tetsuya bringing the US Champion, knowing PAC has unresolved issues with ZSJ from the NJC. Though it drives the Bastard to work doubly-hard, especially considering how it’ll look if he pins the World Champion, it also makes their teamwork suffer, PAC becoming self-absorbed in getting the pin. Backfiring, a Sudden Death from Phantasmo knocks his lights out, SG getting their win back from NYD and putting the challenger on the backfoot heading into Madison Square Garden!
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Sabre-Gun def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (16:12)
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PAC appears distraught after the match, but Naito simply tells him ‘tranquilo’, not taking it personally. Though he’d hoped to use this match to get into ZSJ’s head, it appears he’ll just have to do that himself, like he’s always done.
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Wrestle Dynasty (July 14, 2024)
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Also on the show:
Shota Umino (c) vs El Desperado - NEVER Openweight Championship
Just6Guys (SANADA, Taichi, Ryohei Oiwa) (c) vs Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Titan) - NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs Kyle Fletcher - NJPW World Television Championship
PAC (c) vs El Phantasmo - IWGP United States Championship
The Lucha Brothers (c) vs Meiyu Tag - IWGP Tag Team Championship
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Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs Tetsuya Naito XI - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
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In what’s been a very successful night for LIJ thus far, clean-sweeping their way through the competition, it all rests on Naito’s shoulders now to bring it home. Perhaps the most unreliable man to slot in this spot, and yet, the most beloved, MSG fully invested in Tetsuya’s chase, either the grandest of celebrations or coldest of heartbreaks will end the night! Naito keeps his cool, emanating his usual larger-than-life aura as he walks out in a pristine crimson suit, paying homage to Shingo, whilst Sabre’s cockier than ever with his recent streak of huge wins, knowing he has Tetsuya doubting himself after their tag. As he hands his title over, the two come face-to-face, SABRE SPITTING GUM INTO NAITO’S FACE, but Tetsuya doesn’t let ZSJ’s tactics faze him, having come too far for too long to let mind games be his downfall.
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Circling each other, Zack lunges for a lock-up but Naito walks past, smirking and stretching in the opposite corner. Sabre rolls his eyes as Tetsuya turns around and tells him ‘tranquilo’, before going for it again… Zack snatching the headlock this time as Naito tries to repeat, but Tetsuya instantly whips him to the corner, teasing the COMBINACION CABRON as ZSJ braces himself… Naito stops in front of him and does the ‘Abre los Ojos’ taunt!
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Furious, Sabre piefaces him, NAITO RETURNING A FOREARM, AND WE’RE OFF! Trading strikes, Zack rocks Tetsuya with European Uppercuts, Naito returning forearms, before a Japanese Arm Drag stops Zack in his tracks! Naito goes for another, but Zack hooks onto Tetsuya’s legs, tripping him up and contorting the foot! Tetsuya boots him off with the other, a Neckbreaker and a Somersault Senton connecting, though Sabre absorbs the latter, trapping Naito’s arm onto the mat to STOMP THE HAND!
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Picking him back up, he cracks Naito with chops, before whipping him at the ropes, Naito hitting off them one after the other to build momentum, teasing the Flying Forearm Zack’s expecting… only to roll into the Tranquilo pose! ZACK MEETS HIM WITH A NECK TWIST!!! Tetsuya scrambling to the corner, Sabre steps on his throat against the ropes, BEFORE SLAPPING HIM! NAITO SPITS IN ZACK’S FACE!!! A harsh uppercut knocks Tetsuya back, a Running European following and a PENALTY KICK! Naito dodges and nails the FLYING FOREARM SMASH!
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Teasing the Tornado DDT, it’s cancelled by an Enzuigiri, Zack leaping for the KIMURA- NAITO COUNTERS INTO VALENTIA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT!!! Sending Sabre into the corner, the COMBINACION CABRON CONNECTS! AND A MISSILE DROPKICK! Naito teases the DRAGON SUPLEX, but Sabre flips through and STOMPS HIS ELBOW! SNAP GERMAN ON THE NECK FROM SABRE!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NO DICE! Naito woozy, his head’s only further knocked around by a ROLLING ELBOW! A CORNER HIGH KNEE connects, before a Hammerlock Suplex floats into a TESCO MEAL DEAL!!!
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Naito’s hand flails about the mat as Sabre keeps him grounded, no Valentia escape this time, forcing Tetsuya to work the old-fashioned way to the ropes! MSG backing the Stardust Genius, after much deliberation he gets a foot on the ropes! But Zack’s right back on him, going for a NORTHERN LIGHTS SUPLEX- NAITO STANDS HIM UP WITH A SNAP DDT! An EVOLUCION’S shut down though, Sabre hitting the brakes to nail the ARM PELE! Fishing the arm, Zack tries to float into a FLYING ARTICLE 50- NAITO STUFFS HIM WITH A GLORIA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE SURVIVES!!!
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Rallying momentum, Tetsuya nails the TORNADO DDT! Sabre nursing the head, a DRAGON SUPLEX FOLLOWS!!! In the drop zone, Naito tests the waters for a RUNNING DESTINO- SABRE SHUTS IT DOWN WITH A EUROPEAN CLUTCH!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NAITO’S DREAMS STAY ALIVE!!! Getting dangerously close with the flash pin, Tetsuya throws defiant forearms, Zack catching and contorting one, but a ROLLING WHEEL KICK knocks him off! ESPERANZA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE KICKS OUT!!!
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Hooking the head, Naito hoists Sabre up… ZACK WITH A GUILLOTINE CHOKE MID-AIR!!! Tetsuya’s eyes bulge out his skull, looking for the nearest turnbuckle to ram Sabre into it, but ZSJ’s quicker, yanking him to the mat and transitioning into a JIM BREAKS ARMBAR!!! Brutally bending the arm at an awkward angle, there’s a manic look in Zack’s eyes as NYC desperately cheers on Naito, who does his best to hang on! Sabre keeps tugging further and further, eager to ruin Tetsuya, but it backfires, helping him stretch his leg to the ropes!
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The crowd erupts as the referee forces Sabre off, though Naito’s clearly hurting all the same, a European helping no less! Zack rallies with further Uppercuts, one knocking Tetsuya down, before firing a PENALTY KICK!!! NAITO ABSORBS IT AND ROLLS THROUGH, SABRE GOING FOR SECONDS BUT HE EATS A RUNNING DESTINOOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOO!!! Shaking himself off, Naito attempts another, though Sabre stops it with elbows, before hopping into a REAR NAKED CHOKE!
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Tetsuya tries to run forwards to free himself, though ZSJ swivels on his back into a GEDO CLUTCH!!! ANOTHER FLASH PIN! BUT NAITO ROLLS THROUGH THIS TIME INTO HIS OWN – POLVO DE ESTRELLA!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE STAYS IN!!! AND AN EVOLUCION!!! ONE! TWO! THR-ANOTHER KICK OUT!!! NAITO’S GOING FOR THE SWING DESTINO!!! BUT A ZACK DRIVER COUNTERS!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOO!!!
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Slapping up Naito’s neck, Sabre dumps him on it with a TIGER SUPLEX!!! Naito woozy, Zack nails the PENALTY KICK!!! NAITO’S REFUSING TO STAY DOWN! Hearing MSG’s cries, he wills himself back up as Sabre watches in fascination… ONLY FOR ANOTHER PK TO CUT HIM OFF!!! And just like the 2022 NJC Finals, he’s going to end it here with a SECOND ZACK DRIVER- NAITO NAILS A DESTINO MID-AIR!!! HE’S STILL MOVING SOMEHOW!!! Stumbling to his feet, Tetsuya measures his man… DESTINOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THR-SABRE’S FOOT’S ON THE ROPE!!!
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Saving Naito more than once, it’s come to Zack’s aid now too! Hammering Sabre with forearms, Naito tees up another DESTINO- PELE KICK!!! Tetsuya falls forward, Zack catching him in a STRETCH MUFFLER!!! IF HE CAN JUST GRAB THE OTHER LEG, IT’S ALL OVER, COMPLETING THE ORIENTEERING WITH NAPALM DEATH!!! Zack bends Naito further and further as he tries to grab hold… TETSUYA SWINGS BACK! AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN! SABRE LETS GO!!! AND A ZACK DRIVER FROM NAITO!!!
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Sabre on his back, Naito thinks about waiting for the Destino… but then he sees the top rope. The crowd cry at him not to, screwing him over time and time again, but Tetsuya can’t help it! Heading up top, the world holds their breath, NAITO SOARING THROUGH THE AIR… STARDUST PRESS CONNECTS!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!! IT’S A MIRACLE IN MADISON SQUARE GARDEN!!! NAITO’S WORLD CHAMPION AGAIN!!!
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Tetsuya Naito def. Zack Sabre Jr. (c) to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (31:18)
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New York LOSES their minds as Naito’s handed the title, Tetsuya himself struggling to process what just happened! But then LIJ rush out – PAC with the US Title, Hiromu with the TV Title, Shingo, Yota, and Titan with the NEVER 6-Man Titles, and even the Lucha Brothers with the Tag Titles! THEY’RE DRAPED IN GOLD, BABY! Sharing embraces all around as a dismal Sabre trudges to the back, there’s not a single dry eye in the arena as the outcasts raise their fists to the sky with one hand and their titles with the other, golden tickertape hailing down! Naito’s on top of the world after 3 long years, and it feels damn good! Doing the customary championship edition roll-call, the show fades on LIJ holding all their gold… and PAC looking over at Naito’s.
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G1 Climax 34
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Entering his second of fifteen G1s as the reigning champion, Naito heads B Block opposite stiff competition. Though dispatching of Hiromu in friendly competition on Night One, the two are subsequently assaulted by KONGOH post-match, allowing NOAH’s KENOH to upset him the following night! Behind the 8-ball already, Tetsuya’s motivated to make a comeback, mowing through Narita, Tanahashi, Yota, Sabre, and KENTA to take back the lead! Suffering another surprise defeat at Jeff Cobb’s hands after multiple failed attempts from the Hawaiian Hulk to best him, it opens the door for a returning JAY WHITE to spoil his final night, wrecking Naito’s legs with a ladder, allowing Zack to advance on 14 points! As for B Block, a draw between Will Ospreay and Kazuchika Okada on the final night puts the Commonwealth Kingpin through, the rivals meeting one more time! Other key underlying stories see Shibata finally beating Okada, Ospreay avenging his Takagi loss, PAC beating his fellow LIJ members but losing to SANADA, and KONGOH causing ruckus throughout the competition.
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G1 Climax 34 Finals (August 19, 2024)
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Also on the show:
Jay White vs BUSHI
Will Ospreay vs Zack Sabre Jr. - G1 Climax Briefcase
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Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, PAC, Hiromu Takahashi, Titan) vs KONGOH (KENOH, Manabu Soya, Masakatsu Funaki, Hi69, Shuji Kondo)
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Perhaps the focal reason for Naito not making the Finals, KONGOH’s tournament chicanery, as led by KENOH, was a masterfully crafted plan. After losing to Tetsuya in last year’s LIJ vs KONGOH series at Wrestle Kingdom 17, the thought of ruining the Stardust Genius for vengeance never left the Rogue Fist’s mind, and with his win over Tetsuya in the G1, their score is now 1-1. Reigniting the intense rivalry between the two stables, they have an upgraded rematch to their Wrestle Kingdom 16 5-on-5, both sides having greatly changed since then.
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Once again, PAC’s especially adamant to claim the spotlight, the loss to SANADA making him temperamental despite having the 2nd best LIJ record in this year’s tournament. An argument breaking out between PAC and Shingo as to who should get the pin is put on ice by Naito, though it doesn’t keep Titan from eating a nasty PFS from KENOH, handing the invaders the win!
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KONGOH def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (19:57)
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Redeeming WK16, KENOH offers the angriest of satisfied smiles, the group cackling as they gesture belts around their waists, warning that their business isn’t yet over. LIJ left behind, there’s a sour mood in the air from the loss, though when Shingo offers a fist in apology, PAC, taking a look at a nodding Naito, ultimately returns one, showing that despite popular belief, LIJ’s still fine.
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Splitting off for Shingo and co. to gear up for KONGOH’s second wave whilst Naito and PAC are scheduled for AEW’s ALL IN supershow, this time taking place in Tetsuya’s home of the Tokyo Dome, both men are set for defences on the show. In PAC’s case, it’s a rematch against J6G’s SANADA, the Bastard adamant to gain Naito’s favour by beating the traitor. As for Naito, he has Jay on his tail!
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Until the recent G1, White refused to show his face on any sort of NJPW programming (including Forbidden Door) since being embarrassed at Okada’s hands and having his faction torn to shreds. Leaving Japan to join AEW, no longer having connections to hide behind nor help him, he was forced to be the lone wolf for once, becoming even more merciless, knowing he’s all he has. After spreading chaos abroad, most recently coming up short in the AEW World Championship picture, trauma from his Okada loss clinging onto him anytime the stakes are raised too high again, he decided it was time to return to his roots to clear his head and eliminate any shred of weakness left in his body so that he can claim the top prize again, and there’s no better place to do so than the building his title was taken from him – the Tokyo Dome.
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The last time he faced Naito in the Tokyo Dome, he had Gedo by his side, yet still lost. Now though, he declares if he’s to have this match, he wants a compensatory factor. A means of looking out for himself, like Naito has LIJ. He’s already beaten Tetsuya thrice in singles competition, knowing he’s the better wrestler, so this time… HE WANTS A LADDER MATCH!!! Japan’s become more and more geared to the Western market, the culture shifting from traditions, so unless he’s a snob like Okada, he'll embrace the new vision and accept the challenge. Jay using the perfect words to get under Tetsuya’s skin, he accepts, looking to tear down the foundations of the Rainmaker’s regime with his reign, starting with this!
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RevProxNJPW 12th Anniversary Show (August 24, 2024)
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Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito & PAC) vs The Knight Dynasty (Ricky Knight Jr. & Zak Knight)
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The night before ALL IN features a special RevPro crossover event with their partners, NJPW, the 12th Anniversary being celebrated in Japan. Naturally, Naito tags with the most RevPro familiar member of LIJ, PAC, the two champions battling the celebrated Knight Dynasty, who are considered the present and future of the promotion! What begins as a fun exhibition sees more of the differences between PAC and Naito come to light, the hot-headedness of the Bastard and the collectedness of El Ingobernable wanting different things out of the match, yet still managing to remain reasonably on the same page. A close call on a 619 from Ricky sees Naito shove PAC out the way in the nick of time, absorbing the blow himself, though without acknowledging it, PAC springs to action, a Black Arrow on Zak scoring the victory!
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Los Ingobernables de Japon def. The Knight Dynasty (13:10)
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As the referee approaches LIJ with their titles, PAC’s quick to receive both, Naito only recovering just in time to find the Bastard lingering for a moment as he looks between the pieces of gold, before finally handing Tetsuya’s over him and walking off, leaving the leader confused yet unconcerned.
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ALL IN Tokyo (August 25, 2024)
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Also on the show:
PAC (c) vs SANADA - IWGP United States Championship
The Lucha Brothers (c) vs Golden Lovers - IWGP Tag Team Championship
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Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Jay White V - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship - Ladder
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Stepping into the mastermind of the Switchblade, White baits Naito to play his game, the long-time rivals settling their score over a belt they both have history with. With no Gedo around, Jay’s focus is to demolish Naito’s already tattered knees with the ladder like he did to cost Tetsuya the G1, slowing down each climbing attempt bit by bit. Given the two’s creativity, it’s a sick warfare of increasingly dangerous spots, Naito taking Jay with him to neck bump city, White cruelly massacring Tetsuya’s body with reckless abandon.
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White’s notably more in his element here, letting the Tokyo Dome atmosphere heal him whilst hurting Naito. A HANGING BLADE RUNNER cuts a Stardust Press attempt short, the magic only lasting once, but a ladder bridge CANADIAN DESTROYER buys Naito some momentum back! Ultimately, a war atop the ladder sees Naito boot Jay off, allowing him to unhook the gold to retain!
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Tetsuya Naito (c) def. Jay White V to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (25:30)
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Though Naito walks out with his belt, PAC doesn’t, making the Bastard’s issues all the more prominent, taking more frequent looks over at Tetsuya’s gold, which begs the question – was there more to PAC joining LIJ than originally thought? Still, he wishes Naito good luck for Wrestle Grand Slam, telling him he wants to see the belt on him when they go England. But for now, the end of his trilogy against KENOH awaits!
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Wrestle Grand Slam (September 8, 2024)
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Also on the show:
Hiromu Takahashi (c) vs KUSHIDA - NJPW World Television Championship
El Desperado (c) vs Katsuyori Shibata - NEVER Openweight Championship
Los Ingobernables de Japon (Shingo Takagi, Yota Tsuji, Titan) (c) vs KONGOH (Manabu Soya, Masakatsu Funaki, Shuji Kondo) - NEVER Openweight 6-Man Tag Team Championship
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Tetsuya Naito (c) vs KENOH III - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
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For over two years, the rivalry between LIJ and KONGOH has slowly simmered to this boiling point, coming down to the leaders now to settle their 1-1 score over NJPW’s top title! With the 6-Man Titles changing hands earlier in the night, Naito must put his 200% into assuring the same doesn’t occur here, or it’ll be disaster on New Japan’s waterfront.
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As two men that could not be more opposite collide, it’s an intense war over the company’s possession, everyone from fans to wrestlers on the edge of their seats as the last of the NOAH invaders try to leave their mark. KENOH shows nothing but hatred towards Naito for ruining his past chances, whilst Tetsuya savours his every moment in the Sun, having slaved away to hold this belt. A PFS almost does Naito in, whilst the DESTINO does the same for KENOH! Ragdolling the older star with Dragon Suplexes, KENOH sets up for the ENRIN… BUT IN HIS STARDUST PRESS MOMENT, HE MISSES!!! DESTINOOOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!! New Japan remains safe in the hands of Naito!
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Tetsuya Naito (c) def. KENOH to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (28:33)
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Offering a handshake to KENOH out of respect for their series… the Rogue Fist declines it, though from the look in his fiery eyes, an inkling of acknowledgement is there for Tetsuya. Telling Naito to keep the belt warm for him, he declares he’ll be back sometime again, and when that happens, he’s going to usurp Naito once and for all!
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And as they leave with their 50/50 successes, it’s back to LIJ to end the show on their usual note… except, PAC interrupts the tradition. He’s confused, no, he’s incredulous. What are they celebrating here? Failure? Or are they calling it ‘survival’? Is no one going to point out the elephant in the room? Just two months ago they were on top of the world, all draped in gold, but now they’re left with just Naito and the Lucha Bros’s gold. And yet, they’re celebrating? He’s been out here losing sleep over his missing US Title!
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If they wish to continue to be taken seriously, they need to act the part. Luckily… he has a solution. They say iron sharpens iron, so rather than fighting these large-scale wars outside their stable… why not have a ‘friendly’ within? Naito has the title and an incredible row of suitors before him, so he should pick one to defend against! Tetsuya seems perturbed by the idea knowing what almost happened the last time LIJ fought within, but as PAC insists, even pointing out how he’s the only one with a clean record over Naito… Tetsuya turns to him and raises the title! If such claims are going to be made, they need to be backed up too! Challenging PAC with his title on the line, a grinning Bastard accepts, bumping his fist!
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Burning Spirit - Night Seven (September 25, 2024)
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Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Hiromu Takahashi) vs Death Triangle (PAC & The Lucha Brothers)
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Slyly manoeuvring his way into the title rematch he’s desired ever since getting a taste of the gold against Shingo last year, this is more so PAC’s chance to prove himself over the statement he’s seeming to be making. Nonetheless, with various combinations of LIJ facing Death Triangle over the Burning Spirit tour, they supposedly rely on each other to improve their own skill, these 6 especially drawing the very best out of each other. Working more seamlessly with DT than he had LIJ as of late, the freakish chemistry between the AEW lads has a Fear FactoDouble Stomp/Black Arrow combo end Hiromu, PAC grinning as he stares down Naito, the challenge growing closer by day…
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Death Triangle def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (18:24)
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Giving a brief interview heading into the match at Royal Quest, Naito states that he can’t be certain on what PAC’s intentions are, but all he knows is that no matter what, LIJ sticks together. If this match is what PAC needs for his peace of mind, then it’s all his. All he can hope is the Bastard has the same idea of family in mind.
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Royal Quest IV - Night Two (October 6, 2024)
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Also on the show:
The Lucha Brothers (c) vs United Empire (Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan) - IWGP Tag Team Championship
Will Ospreay (c) vs Kazuchika Okada - G1 Climax Briefcase
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Tetsuya Naito (c) vs PAC II - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
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The relationship between LIJ and PAC has developed into one of the more intriguing dynamics this year, raising a multitude of questions, but now, the true light of it all will be revealed. Whether it’s friendly fire or another coup, Naito’s ready for whatever PAC may happen to have up his sleeve, whilst the Bastard lets his actions do the talking. For once, it’s an utterly no-nonsense showdown between Los members, Tetsuya taking the threat of PAC very seriously, the Jordie clearly driven to make the grand prize his. And as the match rolls on, Naito starts to see parts of himself in PAC with each cheer or cry from his home crowd.
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Just like Naito, he’s the incredibly-talented misfit who was overlooked, but unlike a young Naito, PAC doesn’t realise he has the world on his side already despite his quirks. Whilst Naito had to suffer through his changes, PAC’s a made man, and with each near-fall, the crowd see it too, becoming more and more invested in him! On the cusp of his crowning moment, PAC shows no hesitation unlike the Stardust Press, NAILING THE BLACK ARROW!!! ONE! TWO! THR-BUT NAITO KICKS OUT!!! PAC may have ‘it’, but Naito’s operating on an entirely different level as World Champion, and no matter what PAC may have thrown at him, it’s not his moment just yet. DESTINOOOOOOOO!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!!
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Tetsuya Naito (c) def. PAC to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (30:11)
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Maybe a different day. Both men propped in opposite corners of the ring, they suck deep for breaths, PAC only taking his eyes off Naito when he spots the title bring brought over to him. That should’ve been his. He should’ve been champion right now, but… he starts tuning in the crowd again. A standing ovation for the hometown boy. Though he may not hold the title right now, he’s still a champion in their eyes… Solace. Always overlooked, all he needed was approval. And now more than ever, he feels he has it. Noticing PAC’s realisation, Naito grins and nods to him, the two bumping fists together, no sour ending on this one.
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At least, not between LIJ… OKADA’S HERE!!! After shockingly beating Ospreay for his G1 briefcase earlier in the night, the Rainmaker has his sights on the Tokyo Dome main event, and if things are to be believed, it may be Naito defending against Kazuchika on the grand stage! The long-time WK rivals locking eyes, there’s a different atmosphere between the Ace and the Dark Ace now. No longer does Okada look upon Naito condescendingly, but with disgust. Though he failed to beat Shingo earlier in the night, Kazuchika’s been vocal all year about the damage he feels LIJ have caused the company.
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Where he did everything to purify the promotion with his reign, beating away outsiders, Naito did the exact opposite, bringing them further into their ranks and breaking tradition with a ladder match. With this briefcase in his hand though, he has the power to change that… but so does he. OSPREAY JOINS IN!!! The man who lost his case earlier in front of his own family, he can’t even look the smug Okada in the eyes. Rather, turning to Naito, he declares his desire to return to WK’s main event to not be over just yet! Against better judgement, he gave Shingo a shot at this title last year and it cost him everything. All he asks is Naito returns the favour! Smirking, Tetsuya tells him ‘earn it’, WK’s main event scene growing all the more interesting!
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Battle Autumn - Night Five (October 15, 2024)
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Elimination: Los Ingobernables de Japon (Tetsuya Naito, Shingo Takagi, Death Triangle) vs United Empire (Will Ospreay, Jeff Cobb, Great-O-Khan, Aussie Open)
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Desperation drives a man to his darkest pits, and Ospreay is very much there. Banding his troops together one year on since the last LIJ/UE tag of this magnitude, the ante’s upped even higher now, needing to survive an elimination match to receive the match of his desires. Both stables going to war here, all their integrated rivalries of the past years come to a head, the one between Ospreay and Naito lying at the centre of it all. UE get a tough break to start with when Great-O-Khan hits the deck early, Mark Davis following, though a comeback removes the Lucha Bros from the equation!
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Cobb goes next, before Ospreay takes out PAC, a double countout subsequently removing the leaders from the equation! Boiling down to Shingo and Kyle, the Aussie Arrow pulls out the underdog performance of his life, channelling all of Ospreay’s moves before a GRIMSTONE ELIMINATES SHINGO! OSPREAY’S HEADED TO KOPW!!! Raising Fletcher onto their shoulders, it’s a grand celebration from UE, Will receiving one last lease on life! As for Naito, he can only stand and wait, a final challenge paved in his path to the Dome.
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United Empire def. Los Ingobernables de Japon (25:33)
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King of Pro-Wrestling (October 27, 2024)
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Also on the show:
KUSHIDA (c) vs Taiji Ishimori - NJPW World Television Championship
Sabre-Gun (Blake Christian & Clark Connors) (c) vs Catch 22 - IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs Katsuyori Shibata - G1 Climax Briefcase
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Tetsuya Naito (c) vs Will Ospreay IV - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
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One year ago, Ospreay’s overzealousness cost him the chance to main event Wrestle Kingdom with the World Title, but now, as it all comes full circle, it’s official, the winner of this match defending against Okada! With that in mind, both men are equally ravenous to make the grand opportunity theirs! Their fourth match together, it’s rife with callbacks, Naito especially making sure to remind Will of the way he beat him in last year’s A Block Finals to get in his head.
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To Tetsuya’s surprise though, this matured Ospreay is impervious to his strategies! No matter what the champion throws, the challenger always has an answer, their see-saw saga featuring plenty of nail-biting near-falls that could send either man through, but it’s a TRIAD OF HIDDEN BLADES that ultimately calls it, Ospreay finally reclaiming his throne, a date with destiny set in stone!
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Will Ospreay def. Tetsuya Naito (c) to win the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (35:38)
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Before WK though, Power Struggle is on the calendar! Featuring the likes of Death Triangle dethroning KONGOH for the NEVER belts for PAC to fully find his place in LIJ, Ren Narita dethroning Katsuyori Shibata for the NEVER Openweight Title, and Shingo Takagi taking the US Title from SANADA, it also sees Ospreay team with Catch 22 against Okada and the two men who ended Francesco Akira and TJP’s legendary reign, SHO & Taiji Ishimori, with UE scoring the vengeful win! And on the final Road To Tokyo Dome special, Ospreay finds a surprising ally in Shibata against Okada and Tanahashi in a HUGE blockbuster tag, CHAOS getting their win back here as Shibata keeps chasing down a rematch with Tana!
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Wrestle Kingdom 19 (January 4, 2025)
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Also on the show:
Sabre-Gun (Blake Christian & Clark Connors) (c) vs Li-YOH - IWGP Junior Tag Team Championship
United Empire (Jeff Cobb & Great-O-Khan) (c) vs CHAOS (Shota Umino & Yuya Uemura) - IWGP Tag Team Championship
SHO (c) vs Francesco Akira - IWGP Junior Heavyweight Championship
Ren Narita (c) vs Tomohiro Ishii - NEVER Openweight Championship
Shingo Takagi (c) vs Katsuhiko Nakajima - IWGP United States Championship
Minoru Suzuki vs Taichi - Retirement
Hiroshi Tanahashi vs Katsuyori Shibata
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Will Ospreay (c) vs Kazuchika Okada XII - IWGP World Heavyweight Championship
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Finally, this is what it’s all led to. A story set in motion from the very first moment Ospreay set foot in NJPW under Okada’s guidance in CHAOS 9 years ago. Fighting through loss after loss after loss, he finally achieved his clean win over Okada last year to reclaim his World Championship, but now, he must accomplish an even greater task – beat the Final Boss in the Tokyo Dome itself! Failing on both occasions against Okada on NJPW’s biggest stage akin to Okada’s own chase of Tanahashi, it’s his Wrestle Kingdom 10 moment now as he walks into the Dome as the reigning champion, with the Ace as the challenger! Win and he’s immortalised in history. Lose and Okada resets the company’s entire trajectory. High stakes weighing on Will’s shoulders, it’s time to elevate under pressure!
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Entering with WK level entrances to boot, Okada dripping sheer gold, and Ospreay with an entire kingdom of suited individuals accompanying him, they get underway as the bell sounds! And for the first time, it’s Ospreay controlling the opening sequence with the Tanahashi-style headlock! Big brothering Okada, he doesn’t let the Rainmaker out the gates in his own ballpark for a few minutes straight… BEFORE WILL EXPLODES FOR A HANDSPRING ENZUIGIRI!
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Okada dodges, going for a GERMAN, but Will flips through, nailing the HOOK KICK, an OSCUTTER coming up empty, Kazu swinging for a ducked RAINMAKER, and it’s a stalemate! Trading forearms, a Lariat dumps Okada out, Ospreay running Kazu’s routine of the guardrail whip and Big Boot, a RUNNING CROSSBODY EATING A DROPKICK! Nailing a TOMBSTONE on the floor, Okada sets up a table at ringside before rolling Ospreay in, the MISSILE DROPKICK and AIR-RAID CRASH NECKBREAKER harping on the neck! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT!
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Wrenching the MONEY CLIP, it doesn’t get him far, a BRAINBUSTER catching Okada by surprise! SHOOTING STAR PRESS! ONE! TWO! THR-NO DICE! A PIP PIP CHEERIO eats a BEAUTIFUL DROPKICK, before Okada whips Ospreay at the corner, only for Will to pop him up onto the turnbuckles, slamming Kawada Kicks into his face! CHEEKY NANDOS! Ospreay tries for a LIGER BOMB through the outside table, but Okada drops to the apron! Will charges for a Yakuza Kick, but a LANDSLIDE BLOCKS!!! ONE! TWO! THR-OSPREAY STAYS IN!!!
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Hammering the neck, Okada lunges for a RAINMAKER, though a SNAP CUTTER blocks! ROBINSON SPECIAL! Will winds up the CHELSEA GRIN, but it receives a slap and a JOHN WOO DROPKICK! A pair of Short-Arm Rainmakers ricochet off Ospreay, but a Rainmaker is feigned for a DDT! DIVING ELBOW DROP!!! ONE! TWO! THR-WILL KICKS OUT AGAIN!!! A TOMBSTONE is countered by knees, Ospreay whipping Okada at the ropes, Kazu countering a BACK BODY DROP OVER THE ROPES!!!
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Will narrowly missing the table, Okada follows with a TOPE CON HILO… BUT OSPREAY MOVES OUT THE WAY, THE RAINMAKER EXPLODING THROUGH THE WOOD!!! Shoving Okada’s lifeless body inside, Ospreay sets up a HIDDEN BLADE!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOO!!! A STORM BREAKER is blocked, Okada nailing a sick CORNER GERMAN! Dropkick rocks Will, before the TOMBSTONE connects! RAINMAKER’s dodged, Ospreay rebounding into an OSCUTTER- DROPKICK!!! AND A RAINMAKERRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
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Okada keeps the wrist, going for seconds… OSPREAY NAILS A RAINMAKER OF HIS OWN!!! Wrist still held, Will nails close-range elbows to the neck, before winding up another HIDDEN BLADE- HEAVY RAIN!!! OKADA NAILS HIS OWN HIDDEN BLADE!!! Teasing the STORM BREAKER, Ospreay spins out, dumping Kazu with a LANDSLIDE!!! AND A HIDDEN BLADE… Okada collapses! As Will tries picking him up, a DROPKICK awaits! ANOTHER DROPKICK! AZTEC SUPLEX – A LA ULTIMO DRAGON!!! ONE! TWO! THR-KICK OUT!!!
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Okada decks Ospreay with a RAINMAKER, but Will doesn’t go down fully, Kazu nailing a SECOND! Going for the Ripcord this time… RAINHAM MAKER!!! ONE! TWO! THR-OKADA KICKS OUT!!! ESSEX DESTROYER!!! ONE! TWO! THR-ANOTHER KICK OUT!!! Cracking a HIDDEN BLADE off Okada’s nose, an OSCUTTER follows, before he floats into a STORM BREAKER- FALLING RAINMAKERRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THR-NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
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Okada smelling blood, he tries for another, AND A HIDDEN BLADE CONNECTS AT THE SAME TIME!!! Keeping hold, the two knock each other loopy with one free arm… OSCUTTER’S CAUGHT WITH A TOMBSTONE!!! Okada picks him back up, going for a SPINNING TOMBSTONE- OSPREAY REVERSES INTO A SPIKE PILEDRIVER!!! Ripcord… HIDDEN BLADE!!! AND A STORM BREAKER!!! Hoisting him up for one more… A SECOND STORM BREAKERRRRRRRRRRR!!! ONE! TWO! THREE!!!
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Will Ospreay (c) def. Kazuchika Okada to retain the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship (40:51)
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HE’S DONE IT! OSPREAY’S FINALLY SURPASSED THE ACE ON HIS OWN STAGE! No longer is Okada himself anymore, but rather the Tanahashi to Ospreay’s Okada, the cycle continuing. And like his counterpart 9 years ago, Kazu leaves as empty-handed as he walked in for the first time in a decade, the times officially changing! And as sunlight washes over the Land of the Rising Sun, a new dawn is revealed. The dawn of the Ospreay Era.
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Epilogue
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Heading into 2025, NJPW is rife with changes, seeing more of the once Young Lion names step up as the likes of Tanahashi and Naito begin to slow down. CHAOS features a massive shakeup the following night as Shinsuke Nakamura returns, kickstarting his road to retirement, having been vocal in his interest of facing Tanahashi, proceeding to feud with Okada over his failures. As for Ospreay, his reign runs until Sakura Genesis, where one NJC Winner Katsuyori Shibata finally dethrones him 8 years on from his loss to Okada, though Will’s time with the title is far from over yet, remaining an integral part of the picture alongside ZSJ, Shingo, and more.

Respect Amon

It will be just like the good old days.

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Bio: Amon rose to prominence as the leader of a rebellious terrorist organization known as the Equalists. Touting his ability to remove bending from others as a gift from the Spirit World empowering their cause to rid the planet of inequality, Amon hid the truth of his origins from even his closest companions.
Unbeknownst to the world at large, Amon was born a waterbender called Noatak. His father Yakone was a gangster in Republic City with the unique ability to bloodbend even in the absence of a full moon, but after Avatar Aang removed Yakone's bending the gangster went into seclusion where he begat two sons who inherited his ability. The more prodigious of the two brothers, the man who would become Amon was disgusted by his father's cruelty and fled to hone his abilities and philosophies to wield as a weapon against the world. His rebellion threatened the safety of Republic City before Avatar Korra defeated him and exposed his secrets to the world.
Abilities:

• Adept in hand-to-hand combat and chi-blocking, which renders paralysis on his targets with little effort
• Proficient in waterbending, although rarely utilizing it
• Singular in bloodbending, a subset of waterbending that allows Amon to manipulate the water within the blood of living creatures to great affect. Unlike with most bending, Amon requires very little movement to bloodbend.

Physicals

• Strength
  • Lifts a full grown man on his shoulders ^S1E9
  • Withstands the periphery force of a fireblast that knocked several other men over ^S1E6
• Durability
  • Thrown off a stage by an airblast without any signs of injury afterwards ^S1E12
  • Sustains a lightning blast from Mako that tosses him back into a wall, then debris collapsing on him, but comes back shortly after without physical impediment ^S1E12
  • Tossed around by airblasts and shot out a window to land in water a distance away, but reawakens shortly after ^S1E12
• Speed
  • Dodges fireblasts and a lightning bolt from Lightning Bolt Zolt while charging him ^S1E3
  • Dodges blasts of water and fire from a pro bending team while charging toward them ^S1E6
  • As a child dodges the fearsome attacks of his younger brother ^S1E11
  • Times a leap through flames perfectly for when they part ^S1E12
  • Evades a sudden fireblast from behind him ^S1E12
  • Dodges several fire and airblasts before Tenzin sweeps an attack at him too large to evade ^S1E12

Bending Removal & Paralysis

• Knocks Korra unconscious with one strike long enough for he and his men to clear away ^S1E4
• Removes Lightning Bolt Zolt's bending ^S1E3
• Removes Tarrlok's bending, rendering him unconscious ^S1E9
• Removes three benders' bending, rendering them unconscious ^S1E6
• Removes Lin Beifong's bending, rendering her unconscious ^S1E10
• Removes Korra's bending, rendering her physically weak, although the airbending she had not yet exhibited remained unrestricted ^S1E12

Bending

• Bloodbending
  • Resists Tarrlok's bloodbending that puts down all the people around him ^S1E9
  • Shows a natural aptitude for bloodbending, manipulating the body of a bovine on his first attempt ^S1E11
  • Manipulates a pack of wolves more adeptly than his brother, pulling them all back, lifting them in the air, and bowing them in sequence ^S1E11
  • Forces his brother to crumple to his knees ^S1E11
  • Restrains his father and tosses him back through the snow ^S1E11
  • Pulls Korra out from under a hiding spot, then lifts her and Mako into the air simultaneously ^S1E12
  • Catches the Lieutenant charging at him, lifting him into the air, and tossing him into scaffolding that collapses ^S1E12
  • Catches Mako as he is running away and slams him against walls ^S1E12
  • Limitation: Mako overcomes the restraint of Amon's bloodbending enough to release a lightning bolt
  • Limitation: Korra overcomes the restraint of Amon's bloodbending enough to kick out a gust of air
• Waterbending
  • Possibly forces Korra's attack to fall short of hitting him ^S1E10
  • Shows a greater aptitude for bending than his brother at an early age, maintaining the cohesion of the water her manipulates even while distracted ^S1E11
  • Creates a huge water spout to lift him up into the air, then sinks under the surface and propels himself away ^S1E12

In the last episode, we saw Dr. Logan Wright meet quite the colorful cast of individuals. From WWE superstar Logan Paul to the beautiful bird known as Logan Flight, the Symposium of the Logang was certainly a fascinating place to be. And now, with IWF superstar “Lumberjack” Logan Lawrence motivating him to stop being so passive, FBE’s Resident Doctor looks to be on the Wright path towards becoming the most focused man he can… without the distractions of his demons…
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Blitz XX: Paddy Murphy vs. Dr. Logan Wright
We’ve reached the ten minute mark of this match, and after Paddy drills the Doctor with a To Cork and Back, he starts rising to his feet. However, from the outside, we hear Sensei trying to drill something into his student:
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“Paddy-san… Rememberuhhh… Target the headuhhhh…”
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With that last piece of advice resonating in his own head, Paddy starts getting ready for perhaps the final sequence of the match, a Give It Some Welly ready to be hit. However, Logan also happened to hear the wisdom from Sensei, dodging the big boot to the face. He gets behind Murphy, quickly dropping him with a Relax and Eat Some (German) Soup-lex. Instead of going for another move however, Wright’s gaze shifts to the outside. He exits the ring, staring a dagger through Sensei:
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“Why exactly did you tell him to target my head?”
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Sensei backs up a bit, but as he does so, a crumpled up piece of paper he was holding falls to the floor. He tries to pick it back up, but Wright beats him to it, revealing it to be…the stolen medical form from his office… the information regarding his head pains. Wright looks at the paper, a calm expression on his face initially, but slowly, he loses his cool. His hands ball up into fists, his face turns a bit red…and he mouths to Sensei:
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“You shouldn’t have taken that.”
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Wright gets back into the ring, and though Paddy has risen to his feet by this point, Logan drops him with the Whiplash sling blade. FBE’s Resident Doctor stares at his currently downed opponent, and realizes it’s time for a medical procedure…how about a Facial Reconstruction! Wright begins stomping on Paddy’s face, knocking him unconscious, before finally putting an end to the assault with the PDF Kamigoye.
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Dr. Logan Wright def. Paddy Murphy via pinfall
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As the ref raises Dr. Logan Wright’s hand, the crowd begins…booing? Wright looks around, confused at the negative reaction. I didn’t cheat, I just found a way to win the match. I didn’t do anything wrong… did I? As he heads into the backstage area, he’s quickly approached by a young-looking intern, a microphone in his hand:
Reporter: “Hello, my name is Ryan St. Brown, and I’m with the-”
Logan Wright: “Hang on, your last name is St. Brown? Are you related to Amon-Ra by chance?
Reporter: “No relation.”
Logan Wright: “That’s disappointing. But go ahead, ask your question.”
Reporter: “We just saw you pick up a strong victory over one of FBE’s fan favorites in Paddy Murphy. However, at the end of the match, you clearly looked more agitated than usual, and some would say you used more force than was needed to win-”
Logan Wright: “Are you one of the people saying that?”
Reporter: “Well, I…uh…”
Logan Wright: “Look, I like Paddy and Sensei. But at the same time, they took privileged medical information from me. Sure, maybe I shouldn’t have used that PDF at the end…but should I regret using one of my standard maneuvers to win a match? No, and I don’t. Next question.”
Reporter: “Ok, fair enough. You’re doing well in the Shining Light League right now, and I have to ask: if you were to win the whole thing, who would you challenge?
Logan Wright: “I don’t like dealing with hypotheticals. I much prefer diagnosing current problems with all the information at my disposal. So I’m not answering that.”
Reporter (muttering): “Man, you’re a lot more boring in person than I thought you would be. Your answers suck.”
This comment draws the ire of Wright, who moves closer towards the reporter.
Reporter: “What? Prove me wrong. Give me a message that’s actually worthwhile, and I’ll be more than happy to rescind that comment.”
Logan Wright: “I know you’re just looking for a soundbite to try and further your career, but you’ve got my attention. Ask away.”
Reporter: “Are you the best pure rules competitor in FBE?”
Logan Wright: “You’re damn right I am. They call Inferno Baba Blitz? They ought to call me Da-Da Blitz, because all these wrestlers gunning for my title… THEY’RE CHILDREN COMPARED TO ME!”
The reporter gives a sly smirk as he walks away, having gotten what he needed. Meanwhile, Wright finds a nearby chair to sit on, putting his head down. However, his moment of silence is soon interrupted by a familiar voice:
Jared Gallagher: “Weird night for you, eh?”
Wright looks up to see his once-cameraman and friend moving towards him. However, with the doctor’s tumultuous year, their relationship became more strained, not having spoken for a while…until now.
Logan Wright: “That’s one way of putting it.”
There’s a bit of an awkward silence for a few moments, as neither man initially wants to speak. Eventually though, Gallagher gains his composure:
Jared Gallagher: “Look, I know you probably don’t wanna speak to me-”
Logan Wright: “Then maybe you should stop talking.”
Jared Gallagher: “Ok fine, but let me ask you something first: what were you doing with that last remark to the reporter? It wasn’t as cool as it likely sounded in your head.”
Logan Wright: “I was doing a play on words, what’s confusing about it?”
Jared Gallagher: “Yeah, but you do realize “Baba” translates to “father” too? So instead of being clever, you were essentially just rehashing Inferno’s nickname.”
Logan Wright: “Fuck.”
Jared Gallagher: “Forget about that though, I wanted to talk to you about something else. I heard from a little birdie that you were taking advice from Logan Lawrence.”
Logan Wright: “Logan Flight ratted on me? I knew he couldn’t be trusted.”
Jared Gallagher: “That’s not the birdie I meant…you know what, forget it. I just want you to understand that being overly aggressive isn’t the key to success. You’ve already been good up to this point, don’t lose your true self by being more of a jackass.”
Logan Wright: “Yeah, being good is fine…but I don’t wanna just be “good” anymore. I wanna be great. I want to prove myself as the pillar of something, and pure rules is the best chance I have at that. But relax, I don’t wanna just be an asshole for the sake of being one either.”
Jared Gallagher: “Ok, that’s fine. But if you want to improve… What's your next move? Gonna do some training with the rest of the Ark? Maybe ask your medical colleagues for some more dieting tips?
Logan briefly thinks about the suggestions, before he remembers something that Sensei told him…
Logan Wright: “No, I have a better idea… I’m going to Nepal.”
And with that, Dr. Wright starts heading towards the exit, a smile on his face, while Jared Gallagher is just left confused. He never even said why he was going there, what in the world is he doing…
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One Week Before Unbreakable V: Kathmandu, Nepal
After a long trip, Logan Wright has finally made it into the heart of the Himalayan Mountains. He gets out of the car, paying and thanking the driver who escorted him from the airport to get to this point. He reaches into his pocket, grabbing the “business” card that led him to this location. He stares at it for a few moments, glancing up and down to make sure he’s in the right place. Yep, this is the one…
In front of Dr. Wright stands a worn-down house. It's small, with what looks to be only one story, and the white color is wearing away like the wooden beams supporting it. There’s a window near the front door, but a set of blinds are covering it up. As Logan approaches the entry-way, he smells a distinct odor of soup. Taking a breath, he knocks on the door. As he does so, a crash of glass can be heard on the other side, and there’s some momentary yelling before a tired-looking individual opens the door.
???: “May I help you?”
Logan Wright: “Hello, my name is Logan Wright. I’ve been informed that an incredibly wise teacher of medicine and healing resides here…”
???: “You’re correct, but he’s not seeing anyone today. Come back another time…”
Logan Wright: “Wait, I really need this. And I think I know one of his friends, they pointed this place out to me.”
???: “What’s the name of this friend?”
Logan Wright: “He’s known as Sensei-”
“LETT HYMN INN!”
This yelling from inside the house startles Wright, and the man at the doorway sighs, motioning for Logan to come in. As the doctor does so, he glances around the house, immediately noticing the kitchen area. Sitting at a table there is an older gentleman, with a pair of glasses on and a cane at his side, Logan quickly realizing he’s blind. The man from the doorway points for Logan to sit down with him, and Wright obliges, positioning himself in the chair next to the old individual.
Logan Wright: “Hello sir, it’s a pleasure to meet-”
???: “HALLO! IHT IST VAIRY GNEISS TWO MEAT YU! MI NEIGHME IST BLOGAN BITE!”
Wright briefly cringes at the yelling of the individual, looking back with a confused look on his face to the figure near the door. He notices a nametag on the figure he hadn’t seen before, reading “Bibek”.
Bibek: “Yeah, don’t worry about that. He’s blind and almost deaf, he needs to speak loudly to make himself sure he’s actually talking. Oh, and he said, “Hello, it is very nice to meet you. My name is Blogan Bite.”
Logan Wright: “Wait, why are you translating for him? He’s speaking directly to me, I know what he’s saying.”
Bibek: “Oh, just so the readers of this episode actually have a clue as to what’s going on.”
Logan Wright: “Wait what readers… oh, we’re doing another fourth wall break, gotcha.”
Blogan Bite: “Y HOV U CUHMM HEAR?”
Bibek: (“Why have you come here?”)
Logan Wright: “I’m looking for some advice. For a while now, I’ve felt an inner conflict in my emotional state and my moral compass. I want to be more aggressive, to try and be the best…but I don’t want to abandon the roots of my existence that helped shape me into who I am. Do you have any advice?”
Blogan Bite: “HYMMMMMM…. A TUFF PRAHBLIM INN DEED!”
Bibek: (“Hmmm… A tough problem indeed.”)
Suddenly, Blogan reaches towards his side, reaching into a bag. He shakes it around for a bit, before pulling out something from inside. He triumphantly slams it onto the table, before pushing it towards Dr. Wright. Logan looks at it for a few moments, an incredulous look on his face.
Logan Wright: “Why exactly are you… what is… what do you expect me to do with a copy of Fire and Ice by Robert Frost?
Blogan Bite: “HEE IST UHHH GRATE POE EHT! TAKEUHHH INN SPUR AYE SHUN FROMM HYMM!”
Bibek: (“He is a great poet. Take inspiration from him.”)
Logan Wright: “So… let me get this straight: your solution to my problem is…writing fucking poetry?”
Blogan Bite: “WASH YUR LANGWAGEE JUNG MANN! POEHHH TREE IST UHHH BEUTUHFULL THYNG!”
Bibek: (“Watch your language young man. Poetry is a beautiful thing.”)
Logan Wright: “Yeah but…surely there’s something that’s more suitable for my situation?”
Blogan Bite: “EYE ARM UHHH FRAYED KNOT! TEH BAHG HAHS SPOKANE!”
Bibek: (“I am afraid not. The bag has spoken.”)
Logan Wright: “Wait, do you just reach in the bag and randomly pull out an object for everyone that comes in?”
Blogan Bite: “OFF COORS! WATT ELSUHHH WOOD EYE DOO?”
Bibek: (“Of course. What else would I do?”)
Logan Wright: “Ok, I think we’re done here. Thank you for this… attempt at a recommendation. You’re truly one of the people I’ve ever met.”
As Logan gets up, Blogan extends a hand. Reluctantly, Wright shakes it, before heading to the doorway, acknowledging Bibek, and leaving the worn-down house. As he heads towards the street, he’s just left to ponder what transpired. That was dumb… traveling thousands of miles instead of just doing training was rather pointless. But as he gets in the car, ready to go back to the airport, another set of thoughts come over him. You know what…maybe I can make the best out of this situation…maybe writing poetry actually can do me some good…
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Day Before Unbreakable V: Dr. Wright’s Office
With just 24 hours until Unbreakable, Jared Gallagher and Charles Crandall figure Wright is busy with training, or if nothing else, his medical work. However, they’re surprised to receive an invite to his office, and though Gallagher tries to ask him what it’s about, he gets no answer. It frustrates him, but he figures it must be important, so after grabbing a quick bite with Charles, they head over to the office. By this point in time, Crandall is fairly quiet, his eyes becoming increasingly purple for longer periods of time and Wrogan slowly and quietly influencing his personality, but the time to reveal that isn’t here…yet.
When they reach the hall outside the office, they’re surprised to see Logan standing in the doorway, a smile on his face. He invites them in, even having an assortment of pastries and desserts on the table for his friends to snack on. While Jared is quick to grab a danish, he’s also quick to raise eyebrows at this behavior.
Jared Gallagher: “Logan, what is all this for? This feels…too nice…
Logan Wright: “What, a man can’t just happen to invite his friends over for some delicious treats?”
Jared Gallagher: “You’re not fooling anyone man, just tell us why we’re here.”
Logan Wright: “Ok fine, you got me. The reason you’re here today… I wanted you to be the first screenings of my first-ever poem!”
Though Crandall is wearing sunglasses, he and Gallagher are quick to shoot each other a glance of confusion.
Jared Gallagher: “What?”
Logan Wright: “That’s right, when I went to Nepal, the man I met recommended I write poetry to ease my tensions and help me become a better person. I thought he was insane, but as I started to write, I realized…he may be right!”
Jared Gallagher: “That’s…but…I’m so confused. You didn’t even get any real training or medicinal techniques? You just got…told to write? What even is your topic?”
Logan Wright: “I’m glad you asked, old chum! I’ve entitled this poem…
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An Ode To Jay…
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In the garden lived a bird
Who truly loved to sing
It was a beautiful mockingjay
And through the air, its voice did ring
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The bird was beloved
And believed to be a Hero
But little did the world know
Of its painful little ego
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This bird fought and fought
It did everything to grow
But when abandoned by friends
It was a true low blow
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Once upon a time, the group was
United, and forever in-sync
But when the Jay hit the bottle
Oh, did their PROSPECTS ever so sink
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And the bird has recovered
It has regained its feathers
But little does the jay know
Of the impending, harsh weathers
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For the jay may spread its wings
And fly in the dark
But it doesn’t know
Of its impending, dangerous arc
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This bird will fly, and
It truly wants to win
But the true challenge is here
For the Doctor is in!
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As Wright finishes his last line, his theatrical reading of the lines now finished, he finally turns towards his faithful audience. He’s met with a blank look from Charles Crandall, the sunglasses still firmly covering his eyes. And Jared… his mouth is agape, trying to process what he just heard.
Logan Wright: “So… what did you think?”
Jared Gallagher: “I… what… how… why… I don’t know what to say.”
Logan Wright: “You can show your appreciation by clapping, I worked really hard on that.”
Jared Gallagher: “I could… but let me get this straight… This is how you’re handling your upcoming rematch with Jay? Making a poem that only we’ve listened to, and not trying to find a way to, I don’t know, not finish the match in a time-limit draw?”
Logan Wright: “Forget about that, tell me if I should improve the language I used and how the poem flowed together. I could probably stand to write a poem for the tag team title match as well.”
Jared Gallagher: “Logan, Logan, Logan… Ok, if you want to live in this strange world of yours, go ahead. The poem was fine, but you weren’t exactly subtle with it, especially at the end. Like I get you want to beat Jay, and I know you were mad with what he said about you in the past…but really, finishing the entire thing about the Doctor being in? That doesn’t even make sense with the vibe you established.”
Logan Wright: “Fair critique, I’ll keep that in mind when I continue writing these.”
Jared Gallagher: “Come on man, it’s cool that you have a hobby, but I know just how much you cared about wrestling. Please, just step away from the paper and train while you still have a little bit of time left before tomorrow. I know we’re not as close as we once were…but if nothing else, do it for the rest of the Ark. Do it out of spite against Wrogan. Do it to prove that you’re not completely crazy, and that you deserve to be where you are in life.”
It’s with this line that something seems to click in Logan’s head. He looks towards Jared, nodding his head, and he moves towards his desk. He stares at all the notes and rough drafts he had been working on for his writings, a frown coming over his face.
Logan Wright: “I wish I was normal… I wish I didn’t go through these personality changes every other day. You’re right Jared…You’ve always been right. Wrestling needs to come first, and I have everything I need to stay energized. I don’t want to be passive, I don’t want to be aggressive…I just want to live. And tomorrow…things are going to get fun.”
Gallagher smiles at Wright being reinvigorated, and the pair share a quick hug. Upon Jared and Charles leaving, Dr. Wright takes a quick look in his mirror, and smiles at the expression of confidence now piercing through his eyes. He grabs his coat, turns off the light, and so begins a long and tedious night at the gym…
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Night of Death Before Impurity:
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Pre-Match Process
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The Finals are here… and Logan Wright is in them. After weeks leading-into months of this Shining Light League Tournament running center-stage on Blitz, the Doctor has gotten to where he wanted to be…where he needed to be. As he sits in the locker room, getting himself mentally prepared for the tall task that comes with facing DTJ’s Hunter Maguire, he sees in his peripheral vision someone entering the room. He glances up, smiling to see Jared coming to visit.
Jared Gallagher: “Hey champ, how we feeling about tonight?”
Logan Wright: “Whatever happens tonight…well, what I know will happen tonight… is PURE-ly destiny.”
Jared Gallagher: “Not your best joke, but glad to see you’ve been in positive spirits recently.”
Logan Wright: “Yep, tonight has to be the moment where everything pays off…it just has to…”
Jared Gallagher: “It will… I believe in you. And if you don’t mind me asking…who would you want to face at P.U.R.E. if things go your way?”
Logan Wright: “You know I can’t answer that right now, I have to get the job done first.”
Jared Gallagher: “Fair enough, fair enough. I should be heading off…go get em’, champ.”
With that, Gallagher leaves the room, and Wright rises to his feet. He looks at his arms, then his legs, then finds the mirror. He stares into his soul…Come on out Doctor…It’s operation time…
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Post-Match Press Conference
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Dr. Logan Wright did it.
As he’s now backstage, being greeted with a bottle of champagne that was ordered for him, Logan is still trying to ponder what just took place out there. From the match itself… to the seconds after the match realizing he won… to the return of the legend Petite Jupiter, handing him the trophy…
It’s all absolutely surreal, and Logan is at a loss for words. However, as he gets word that reporters are waiting to get a word from him, he quickly gathers his composure. He takes a big swig from the champagne bottle, before heading into the room, waving to the assortment of familiar and different faces. He moves towards the stage, taking a seat and getting the mic setup, ready to hear questions.
Reporter #1: “That was a hell of a match you had, Dr. Wright. What’s going through your head right now?”
Logan Wright: “Honestly, half of it is just my brain screaming and the other half is random gibberish. I can’t fully process either, but when I feel this way… I’m fucking pumped. But I do wanna quickly say… I respect you Hunter, I really do. You’ve been a tough opponent twice now… but that’s all the positives I can really say right now. Fuck DTJ.”
Reporter #2: “We just witnessed the return of Petite Jupiter, and the fans certainly loved it. But what did you think about it? Did you feel as though he was stealing your thunder by returning immediately after your big moment?”
Logan Wright: “Look, I know you’re looking for a soundbite, and I caved in several weeks ago to that one reporter. I’m not gonna do that here though. I faced Petite Jupiter in 2021, and I know just how good he is. He deserved to get that electric crowd reaction, and I couldn’t have asked for a better person to hand me the beautiful Shining Light League trophy.”
Reporter #3: “But now Dr. Wright, I think we all have a question on our minds. In addition to that trophy, you have the chance to pick your challenger for P.U.R.E, and that’s a lot of power. So if you can tell us…who are you gonna be facing?
Logan smiles at the question, fully expecting it to have been asked. He glances around the room, noticing Kaze Tanaka, Code Blue, Cactus Mike, and Jared Gallagher all standing at the back. He nods at them, before getting the mic, ready to make the announcement:
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Logan Wright:
“In my time in FBE, there have been times where I’ve felt…insecure. Insecure about my talent, insecure about if people actually liked me or not, and insecure about my failures especially. But 2023… let’s just say it’s been a great Spring of Stethoscopes so far. You all know I’ve held the Pure Championship for about four months now, and I’ve faced my fair share of great individuals. But this second title run… it’s missing something. My past, in particular my 2021, was riddled with failures against veterans of this company. Losses to Inferno, to Nate Matthews, to Petite Jupiter… wins were hard to come by. I turned things around in 2022, but even then, my 1st Pure Title reign came to an end at the hands of FBE’s Resident Bastard. It feels like it’s just inevitable, and a running gag…
…But nowadays, I look at myself differently. Other people look at me differently. I’ve grown into what I wanted to be, what I hoped I would be… hell, I’ve even been dubbed as being somewhat of a “Final Boss.” I don’t want to get too egotistical, but not having lost since January… man, the ship I’m on, that being the Ark of course, is on a perfect path. But sometimes, it’s better to go for a different path, a path that stands out…to maybe make history…
So with that, this decision has drifted in my mind, and I’ve weighed all my options carefully. I’ve considered juniors and heavyweights. I’ve considered people from my past or completely fresh opponents. I’ve considered people who would die to win the Pure Championship, or even those who have disrespected it, to show them what it’s all about. But after a while, something finally clicked in my head. I’ve tried to forget that previously mentioned “can never beat a veteran legend” stigma, but until I get a decisive win, it’ll always float right alongside the ocean that contains my thoughts and dreams. So I will be challenging a long-time competitor of FBE, a man who has wrestled here for many years…
But the question of who was certainly a fascinating one…for about a minute. For once this name came to me, it never escaped. This man has held his share of championship gold, This man knows a thing or two about being dubbed a “Final Boss.” And this man has quite the past experience against the Ark… except with me. And to this man, I officially extend the challenge…if he's willing to accept it...
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The stage is set…the main event of P.U.R.E…for the FBE Pure Championship…The match you reporters and all the worldwide fans of FBE will get to witness is…
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Doctor Logan Wright vs. Apeirogone

A special thanks to u/bluefishcake for the wonderful original story and sandbox to play in.
A special thanks to my editors LordHenry7898, RandomTinkerer, Swimming_Good_8507, CatsInTrenchcoats, and KLiCKonthat.
And a big thanks to the authors and their stories that inspired me to tell my own in this universe. RandomTinkerer (City Slickers and Hayseeds), Punnynfunny (Denied Operations), CompassWithHat (Top Lasgun), CarCU131 (The Cook), and Rhion-618 (Just One Drop)
Hy’shq’e Ay Si’am (Thank you noble friends)
Chapter 30: A Promise Kept
Kalai stepped off the shuttle to the Vaida’s headquarters and into a running tackle-hug from Sitry. “Oh Kalai, I could kill you right now! You got to see the Great Barrier Reef in person, you bitch!” Sitry’s cheerful voice was muffled from where she was still buried in her chest. Kalai staggered backwards a pace or two, happy to be back from her whirlwind adventure around Earth with her father.
Naranjo and Papa Rhaxiid were there on the platform to welcome her back too, but their welcomes were more sedate.
“Not to mention you got out of work for half our damn trip. Ugh, it’s so not fair!” Naranjo huffed as Kalai gave him a sisterly hug.
Papa Rhaxiid reached up and chucked her chin before turning to lead the way back inside from the forested platform. “Welcome back, sweet-sprout, we’ve missed you. Come on, we’ll get you settled again and off to work. There’s quite a bit you need to catch up on if you want your credits.”
The chuckles from the twins behind her were full of sibling malice, but she knew how to shut the pair of them up. “Papa Rhaxiid? I’ve got the paper on Biodiversity in the Reef you asked for, along with the dissection report and stomach content analysis of the tuna we caught. I want to put the finishing touches on it and do a final proofread first before I send them to you.” The man turned and gave her a warm smile as they entered the building.
“Good, why don’t you go take your things back up and say hello to Andy? I’ll give you an hour and a half to get freshened up, then I want you to report to Aquarium 12 with Dr. Sor’ansa. You can put your snorkeling practice to work there.” Papa Rhaxiid walked the three of them to the residential elevator. “I’m heading back to my office. Andy’s been requested by Maetro Pae’ella to work the kitchens for something called ‘Bison burgers'. Apparently it’s a type of indigenous bovine that the eastern Bands raise. That and something from Europe called ‘French Fries’.”
Kalai couldn’t help but get excited as she and her siblings piled into the elevator back to their little shared apartment. Sure the food she’d had all over the place was good, but so far nothing had been able to compare to Andy and his Salishian cooking.
“Nerd, I can’t believe you cheated and did work on your vacation." Naranjo broke the silence of the elevator after a little bit and stuck his tongue out at her.
“Spit to windward, you vain little weed. Don’t hate me because I’m awesome.” Kalai’s riposte caused Naranjo to fold his arms and huff. Sitry simply ambushed her with an ear flick.
The elevator door opened to their floor before Kalai couldn’t bear the silence from Sitry any longer. “So, did you bag him yet, you lucky bitch?”
“No she hasn’t!” Naranjo’s singsong mockery of his sister interrupted Sitry’s response. “Papa hasn’t let Sitry even NEAR Andy without one of them around!”
“Rub it in, you snitch, besides, he did kiss me first,” Sitry preened happily as she playfully shoved Kalai’s shoulder.
Kalai pretended to stumble and almost caught Sitry’s foot, but she was just a hair too slow. “Yeah, and then you gave him a black eye, you clod.”
“Will you let it go? It was an accident!”
“It’s not even the only one he got either." Naranjo’s interjection stopped her right in front of their door.
“Wait, what? Who hurt him this time?” Kalai let her bag thunk to the floor as she turned to look accusingly between Sitry and Narny.
Sitry folded her arms and her ears twitched back as she shot a dark look at their door. “He ‘fell down’ yesterday while out at one of the Hatcheries we gave to the Hwatcoms. Mrs. Toloui nearly had a fit! She said she could smell another human on him and that he was covered in blood!”
Narny nodded primly as Kalai tried to process what they were telling her. “WHAT? Did she call out the militia? Track down whoever hurt him?”
“No, and he refused treatment and insisted that no one did it to him! When papa tried to talk to him, Andy said some stupid human macho shit about pain healing and birds liking scars. I don’t know, sometimes humans… they’re frickin’ insane!”
The door shot open and there stood Andy. His left eye was an angry puffy yellow and blue mess, and there were three points on his lips where a dark cinnabar line marked a crack. Kalai and her siblings stood in wide eyed shock at his sudden appearance and the only sound was the music emanating from the common room behind him.
Andy looked up and down at the three without saying a word. He cocked an eyebrow and snagged Kalai’s bag before any of them could react and cleared the doorway for them.
Kalai sputtered at the impropriety but Naranjo and Sitry just shrugged and walked in after Andy. “Femboys, am I right?” Narny whispered to Kalai as he passed. Kalai followed behind and was greeted by the white fluff-ball, Puck, who hopped up and down, whining for attention. She bent down and started scratching his ears and back. While Puck rubbed up against her hands, Andy settled back down at the table where his omnipad was hooked up to a keypad. Her heart started to sink a bit and Kalai shot Sitry a jealous look before the music came to a sudden halt and Andy interrupted the beginnings of her pity party.
“Ok, Kem’ira, I got the pics now and I’m telling you to declare yourself to the farmers first! I guarantee if you tell them you’re with the new DNR and you’re there to kill all the Scotch Broom in their pasture lands, they’ll stop trying to shoot you for trespassing!”
Kalai’s mood jumped up a bit. It’s not that he doesn’t care to see me, he’s in a meeting!
“No, no I’m not coming out to talk this over with them, I’ve got my own work to do! Either you start talking to folks like I showed you how, or ask the militia to give you one of their armored catsuits to wear under your uniform… Uh-huh, good luck." Andy hung up on the call and leaned back as Puck scampered over and hopped up in his lap.
Andy rubbed his temples before shaking his head. He seemed to relax a bit and Puck slid off to follow Sitry to the kitchen. Andy looked over and gave Kalai a happy smile that made her flush. “Welcome back! So how was the land down under? That tuna was fan-frickin’-tastic, if you aren’t sick of seafood I’ll do something fancy with it tomorrow to celebrate your coming back. Can’t tonight though, I got volun-told to be head chef tonight and I… Oh damnit! I’m late! Come to dinner, burgers and fries Indian style tonight. Gotta run!” With that, Andy went dashing out the door with Puck barking and scrambling along after him.
Kalai felt her heart sink back down again, as he left. “Andy I-” She started but he was gone.
“Yeah, it’s been like that for the whole week. The only time we get to hang out is dinner.” Sitry commiserated as she took Kalai’s bag into their room. “On the other hand, we might get to catch up during the family meal tonight.”
The dinner was delicious, though a bit weird. It tasted alright, but there was a certain aftertaste on the sandwich that just didn’t sit right with Kalai. She just couldn’t put her finger on it. The french fries more than made up for it though, and Mama Sakalbi had to hold a science trivia contest to see who got the last little handful.
Kalai and Narny were already silently plotting with each other for their revenge against their sister who had won and refused to share the last few matchsticks when Andy finally joined their table. He was sweaty and he smelled of woodsmoke and french fries. Kalai jumped up and offered him a seat next to her with a nervous smile. He took it gratefully and seemed to sag a bit as he gulped down a glass of water.
“Andy, I think you may be finding your calling as a culinary ambassador,” Mama Aftasia beamed. “A toast to the chef!”
Andy gave a shy smile and looked down as Kalai and the rest of the family gave a hearty ‘Here, here!”
“It’s a simple enough recipe; it’s just using bison instead of cow, that’s all, and I don’t know anyone who’d turn down hand cut fresh fries. It’s kind of hard to screw up.”
“Young man, you are speaking to a woman who found a way to take cold water and dried wumpa flakes and wind up with a Class-4 fire. Cooking has always seemed like ‘blight mysticism’ to me, and these foods? These flavors? Nothing short of a Greenwood miracle in my opinion." Mama Aftasia continued her praise of Andy, which only caused him to shrink even lower in his seat.
“To be honest, I like your salmon better,” Kalai said, and the whole table went silent. Kalai held her ground though, and was rewarded with a tired but genuine laugh from Andy that brought him back out of his shell.
“You know, I do too. My Clan were fisherpeople, not buffalo chasers.” Andy gave Kalai a cheeky grin, which she returned happily, her heart glowing. Mama Aftasia and Mama Sakalbi both blinked in bemusement at Andy’s statement while Sitry just giggled.
“Speaking of which, Andy, I received a call from Elder Alex Hwatcom.” Papa Rhaxiid’s change of subject instantly perked Andy up, and he stared silently, waiting. “He extended an invitation to our family to attend his family gathering this Friday-”
“Alex said that? He used those words?” Andy shook his head in shock as he interrupted Papa Rhaxiid. The table went quiet and everyone held their breath as they looked between the two men.
Papa Rhaxiid adopted as good an impression of the human Elder as he could. “I’d like to extend an invitation for you and your family to be guests at our family gathering this saturday up at the White… something… lodge-”
“The White Ram Lodge?” Andy sat forward, interjecting again as the color drained from his face.
“Yes, that’s the one! I asked if we could bring anything since the last time they hosted us they put on that wonderful spread. He said if we could bring a few salmon for the family, that would be wonderful.”
Andy leaned back and took another sip of ice water before holding the glass to his blackened eye. “Alex Hwatcom… just invited you… to a gathering… and he told you to ‘bring a few salmon’? Do you realize what a huge honor this is?”
Rhaxiid looked from his wives to his children with mild concern. “Um, I thought it was only dinner, but your reaction tells me there’s more significance to this than I originally thought. I was thinking about our stocks of adult Sockeye, but then I remembered in his story how important King Salmon are. Of course, I’d like to defer to you for the choice since you know these animals and the cultural expectations with this invitation better than we do.”
Andy was silent for a moment before he put the glass down. “I’d recommend a ‘hard no’ to all your clone stock!” Now it was the Vaidas’ turn to be shocked, as each of Kalai’s Erbian family’s jaws dropped in synch. Before anyone could say anything, Andy continued, “You need to bring wild-caught. Farm-raised salmon wouldn’t… well we can tell, and you can taste the difference between them. We need to go fishing!” Kalai leaned towards Andy slightly as he lowered his head and started mumbling to himself. She was just able to make out what he was saying to himself as Mama Sakalbi and Mama Aftasia began whispering to each other. “...need to get the Gillnetter out of storage, check what’s running and select the mesh. I’m gonna need a deckhand too.”
Kalai reached a hand out but stopped short of touching him. “Andy?”
He popped up and spoke for the whole table to hear. “I need a shuttle to the mainland and a waiver against the fishing ban. I’ve got to get my boat and the drum ready for sea ” Rhaxiid and Aftasia sputtered in confusion, but Mama Sakalbi had a shadow fall over her, and her ears pulled back.
“Do you mean to say you want to go out on the water? Risk the ecological balance for… dinner?”
Andy looked Sakalbi dead in the eye and gave her a firm nod. “Why don’t you come out and see how we did this before you got here. Think of it as a chance to see the way we’ve fished for the last hundred or so years, and then I can explain the way we used to fish before that.”
The offer snapped Rhaxiid out of his confusion and he brightened. “A learning experience? Wonderful, we’ll make a day of it!” His hands shot out to grab both his wives’ and Kalai could feel the vibrations in the floor from where he was excitedly tapping his feet.
“If you don’t mind hard, smelly work. Uncle Willy always called it ‘the worst desk in the prettiest office.' It’ll be a bit cramped, but I’ve got room on the boat for a few guests and observers; four I think would be ok. She’s a working boat, not a pleasure cruiser,” Andy explained. That sent the whole lot of them excitedly talking among themselves.
Kalai was about to lean in to talk to Mama Aftasia, but Andy caught her attention first. “I don’t suppose you’d want to go back out on the water, given you just got back from pleasure-boating-”
Kalai’s heart nearly jumped out of her chest. “I wouldn’t miss it for my own colony planet!”
--------------------
Kalai stood on the pier, bundled in her thermal sailor’s coat. It was still dark and the wind blew from the north in a cold little morning breeze. Kalai took a deep breath and reveled in the smell of the fresh sea air. The soft chattering of Mama Sakalbi’s teeth broke the silence. “It’s a bit chillier than it said it was going to be.”
“The water always does that. It’s never as warm as the lubbers say it’ll be,” Papa spoke as he handed her back her thermos of hot chocolate.
Papa stood next to Kalai and nudged her with his elbow. Even in the dark, Kalai could see him smile up at her and jerk his head at the shivering Erbian. He was also wearing a thermal sailor’s coat, and his hands were stuffed in his pockets to keep them warm, just like Kalai’s. “Landswoman,” he whispered to her and the two of them shared a knowing smile. It was strange, but welcome when she'd told Papa about her upcoming day fishing with Andy, and he’d politely requested to join them. Papa Rhaxiid had graciously given his spot up to accommodate her birth father. Narny was all for it until Andy had explained what they were going to do, but then surrendered his challenge to the fourth guest space, not wanting to go anywhere NEAR anything that could see him come face to face with a Lion’s Mane Jelly. Sitry had done a happy little dance when she found out, but only yesterday had come down with Thistle Fever, and was bundled off to bed by her parents. It left Kalai, Mama Sakalbi, and Papa to accompany Andy on his fishing trip.
The water brushed against the shore behind them quietly. In the gloom, Kalai could just barely make out the outline of the nearest island mountain, but only because the stars had disappeared behind it. It was almost four in the morning, but Kalai had managed a catnap on the shuttle to the empty little lot that had been the boat launch. Aside from the water, the world was silent. Even the breeze made almost no noise and a sense of peace surrounded them. Everything was so calm, Kalai felt like she didn’t have a care in the world.
In the distance, a low rumbling sound of a motor rose from being almost imperceptible to a rolling drum of thunder. From around the point, two green floating lights sped through the darkness, and a spotlight turned on. The beam of light moved jerkily until it came to rest on the pier where they were standing and Kalai started waving her arms. Sakalbi’s omnipad rang, and Andy’s voice shouted over the speaker and the background noise for them to shine a light on the edge of the pier to help him park the boat.
Kalai and Papa moved closer and turned their omnipad flashlights on and waved them as the boat swung gracefully around and glided in alongside them. Kalai caught the rope that flew over the railing of the boat and she heard more than saw Andy moving around on the deck as she tied off on one of the mooring cleats. Several lights clicked on and the deck was bathed in light enough for Kalai to get a clear view of the boat they’d be spending the day on.
Andy hadn’t lied. Kalai saw that this little vessel was a working boat with no frills at all. When he’d told her they’d be going fishing, she’d envisioned something like the charter boat papa had taken her on out of Nantucket. Sporty, fast with a nod to comfort and function. This was not that at all. A giant wheel as wide as Kalai’s outstretched arms that looked like a sideways spool of thread was secured to the deck amidships and dominated the deckspace. Wrapped around it was a fluorescent green tangle with a line of oblong white and yellow corks and rope. There was a covered hatchway sitting behind the drum in front of the raised step to the enclosed cabin. Two large windows let the light out to two children’s bunks, a little table with a booth seat and a raised captain’s chair in front of the helm and engine controls. Andy shut down the engine and that peaceful stillness returned.
“Oway there!” Kalai called, “ship oway! Request permission to come aboard.” Kalai gave the traditional greeting of a Shil’vati sailor.
“Permission granted! Anyone need a stepstool?” Andy finally stepped into the light and Kalai got a look at him. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and the same bright orange coveralls she’d seen the fishmongers wearing on their date.
“I wouldn’t mind a hand, Mr. Shelokset.” Papa He’osforos braced a foot on the railing of the boat and Andy pulled him up.
“Just call me Andy, Doc, and welcome aboard. Jackie should be along any minute now with the day’s groceries, and the cabin’s out of the cold. You can get yourself set wherever you find comfortable.” Papa nodded and disappeared around the other side of the wheel moving towards the bow.
Kalai helped Mama Sakalbi into the boat next, and she quickly ducked into the cabin that took up the entire stern section save for a little ledge that ran along the outside. Andy gripped Kalai’s hand and she smiled as he pulled her deftly aboard. The boat rocked a little on its mooring, and Kalai almost fell into Andy, who wordlessly put his arms around her waist to catch her as she lost her balance. She flailed for a moment before she steadied herself against him.
“Gotcha,” Andy smiled, and Kalai could see him flush almost as much as she could feel herself doing as their noses almost touched. Those big dark brown eyes surrounded by white orbs drew her in and she felt she could lose herself in them. Kalai started as Andy danced her around him and moved her towards the cabin door.
“It might be a little cramped for you in there, but the Mary Jean wasn’t built for pleasure boating, she’s a working girl. Sit tight, I gotta check a few things in the back.” Andy patted the railing affectionately before he hopped up and scooted along the outside of the cabin towards the stern. Kalai couldn’t help the little longing groan that came out as he left her there on the little tiny quarterdeck. Her heart was hammering in her chest as half formed fantasies danced at the edges of her mind.
“I saw that, little minnow.” Papa’s voice was soft, but his tone and the sudden broken silence nearly gave her a heart attack.
Kalai could only stammer as her father stared at her with a cocked eyebrow. A thump from the cabin window behind saw an amused Mama Sakalbi daintily sipping at her thermos with her ears twitched forward in interest, staring out at her. “Papa I… he-”
Papa moved carefully around the covered hatchway to stand next to her, leaning back against the cabin window and heaved a sigh. “I must say I’m surprised. This lovely man’s got good clean lines and is very well cared for. It speaks well of his Skipper.”
It took a full minute for Kalai’s brain to process that he was talking about the boat and not Andy. “And the way Andy brought him in smooth in near complete darkness? It gives me confidence in his abilities.”
Kalai breathed a silent sigh of relief and exasperation. Although she was happy to be spending more time with her father, bringing him on what she’d hoped would be a sailing date wasn’t exactly what she’d had in mind for ‘family time’. He wants me to find a nice young man and spend time with him on a boat, but the first chance I get Papa decides to clam-jam me.
From up on shore, the sound and lights of a large human vehicle screeching to a halt heralded the last of their party to arrive. Kalai heard the clomping footsteps coming down the pier and moved to the railing to lend a hand.
“Ahoy Mary Jean! Raggedy Andy, you there?” Kalai stared with wide eyed surprise to see a human female, loaded down with plastic bags and sporting two human weapons on her shoulder. The two of them locked eyes, and while Kalai didn’t understand everything the girl shouted in surprise, she had caught and understood the phrase, “What the fuck?”
“Easy now, they’re my guests, and the one inside is the boss!” Andy appeared on the pier instantly before either Kalai or the woman could react further.
“Ya didn’t tell me we were having pur-” The woman glared at Kalai and her father. She had switched to Vatikre thankfully, but her tone was hostile as she dropped everything but her weapons. “I mean, hwun’eetums, aboard. A gal could get the wrong idea pretty quick in the dark when there’s no warning.”
“Knock it off Jackie. Let’s get the grub aboard and shove off.” Andy picked up some of the bags and took the guns as Kalai offered a helping hand over the railing. “Oh, Kalai, this is Jackie. Jackie? Kalai. That’s her dad over there, Doc He’osforos. He saw and treated Kay Tee a few years back.” Andy jerked his head towards the direction of Kalai’s father as she held out a hand to the human girl. On a quick inspection, she appeared to be about the same age as her and Andy. She had a round face and was about as dark complected as Andy was. She was shorter, only a few inches taller than Papa, but when Jackie grabbed Kalai’s hand to hop up onto the rail, she could feel the strength and the compact muscle hidden by the baggy sweatshirt and pants.
“Wait a minute, did you say Mini-Me over there saw Kay Tee? You’re fuckin’ with me!” Jackie stumbled a bit as she hopped down onto the deck with a loud thunk and advanced on Papa who shrank away at her advance. “You saw li’l Kay Tee? Where the fuck is he? Is he alright? Is he still fighting the good fight?”
“Last I saw, yes, he was ‘fighting the good fight.’” Papa looked over at Andy with a slightly worried expression. Andy smacked the girl in the back of the head, causing her to flinch and she opened the door to the cabin for Andy to go inside.
Jackie rubbed the back of her head and laughed. “Well that’s a little bit of alright, innit? Maybe today’s gonna be a good day after all!”
“Jackie, get suited up and get on the bow. I need a good pair of eyes on the roller horns,” Kalai heard Andy shout from the cabin, followed by a whole lot of thumping and banging from cabinets being opened and closed.
“You got it, ol’ man. We going to your place or mine?” Jackie sidestepped in and opened a tiny little closet and pulled out a set of rain gear that was identical to what Andy was wearing. Kalai collected herself and stood in the doorway next to her father as they both leaned in.
“Mine; Chuck said the Yaw’much are running from the South. We’ll do a set nor’west of Lummi in the Rosario and see if we can get some Fraser Kings,” Andy replied as he turned the engine back on and the vessel roared to life.
“Chuck? Isn’t that one of your cousins? I didn’t know he could keep track of the movements of Salmon, may I ask how he does it?” Mama Sakalbi perked up as she pulled a set of earplugs out of a pocket and inserted them.
Andy prevaricated a bit, looking from Jackie back to Sakalbi then to Kalai and Papa. “I’d rather not answer that-”
“Breakin’ the law, breakin’ the law! Breakin’ the law, breakin’ the law!”
Jackie began singing a human song, and Andy threw her the dirtiest of looks as she finished getting into the orange coveralls. Mama Sakalbi sputtered as Andy shrugged apologetically.
“Make a hole!” Jackie called, and she and Andy came back out as Kalai and Papa made room for them. Andy hopped back onto the dock to cast off while Papa ducked into the cabin.
“Can I help?” Kalai offered as Andy shoved the vessel off and leapt the gap over the black water below.
“You want to be useful? Come forward! I could use an extra set of eyes!” Jackie called back, and Kalai felt a slap on her shoulder from the boisterous human woman.
------------------
Andy stood at the helm, watching Jackie and Kalai as he leaned to get a better view of them past the Net drum. The bow was lifting up again, and the gentle little swells became like speed bumps, jostling them up and down in a predictable bouncing rhythm.
“Are you sure you couldn’t slow down, Andy? It’s a bit rough, don’t you think?” Sakalbi was hanging on to the table and her thermos with a worried expression on her face.
“I could, but we’ll miss the morning set. We want to bomb out the buoy right when the tide changes. If we’re lucky, then we’ll get around seventy or eighty by slack tide this afternoon and call it a day.”
“How do you know where to fish?” Dr. He’osforos was making a good show of standing and maintaining his balance with his hand on the booth.
“Well, there’s two ways you know. The first is you fish the spots your family’s fished since time began. Every family has about two or three different secret spots that we know there’s fish in, and we’re pretty defensive about their locations. The second is by smell. Right now it’s the tail end of the King season, and you can smell them in the water.” Andy turned and saw the incredulity etched on the faces of the two aliens.
“No, I’m serious! King Salmon slime is really pungent, and you can smell them when they’re close to the surface. We get to the fishing spot and take a deep whiff. If we smell them, we’ll set the nets.” Andy laughed at the disbelief on their faces as the GPS on his omnipad beeped and he turned to sail around the last buoy and head for the fishing ground.
“I’ve never noticed that in any of the Kings we’ve raised-”
Andy suppressed a laugh as they caught a larger swell as they left the lee of Lummi Island. Andy reveled in the feeling of weightlessness as the deck rose up and fell out from underneath their feet, leaving everyone suspended for a moment in midair before falling back down. A massive spray of water rose and washed over the deck, drenching Kalai and Jackie, who were still forward. “Cloned and farmed Kings don’t have that same smell. Wild ones smell and taste different, I’m telling you!” Andy pulled back slightly on the throttle as they climbed the next swell. “Brace!” he called as they climbed and fell once again.
There was a look of fear on Sakalbi’s face as she gripped the table for dear life, but to Andy’s surprise, the Doctor looked completely unfazed, and was handling the rise and fall of the deck like an old salt. “You look like you’ve done this before, Doc.”
“I’ve done a stint or two at sea before,” he spoke, in the same tone Andy would have used when trying not to sound too confident, and Andy smiled.
“Kalai keeps talking about loving the sea and sailing. Did you teach her to sail?”
“Yes, me and her mothers. When they were home, we would take the family yacht out in the Vaascon Straits and sail around the Occidiens. Kalai practically spent all her early childhood on a sailboat.”
“And almost every waking moment on one in Junior Academy. I swear you couldn’t dig her out with a trowel when she wanted to go sailing,” Sakalbi managed to add in a word as the boat slowed, and the dramatic rise and fall of the deck slowed with it.
“What about you, Mr. Shelokset, did your father teach you to sail too?”
“I was too young before he passed. My Great Uncle Willy taught me after I came home, and Grandma took me out to the family fishing sites when she wasn’t busy with the Council. For the first two or three years after they let us come home, fishing was the only way to feed our families, but the Militia and the Cambrians would try and sink our boats or arrest us whenever we tried to go out.”
“And that’s why you’re so good at maneuvering your vessel in the dark with no instruments?” Mrs. Vaida had folded her arms, and her voice twinged with that imperious tone she’d had when they’d first met.
Andy huffed a dry laugh. “I did what I had to for me and my people and to survive, Ma’am. I don’t like breaking the law or dodging lasers and gunfire, but there’s a lot of poor families that need to eat.”
The GPS beeped, and Andy gave Mrs. Vaida a slightly defiant look to counter her furrowed brow. “We’re here,” he said as he threw the engine in neutral and opened the cabin door.
Andy walked out and took a deep breath, but all he could smell was the net and the exhaust from the engine. “HEY JACKIE! WE SMELL MONEY?” Andy yelled out as he took stock of the sky. The first signs of sunrise were chasing all but the morning stars away and a light fog was rolling in from the north.
“FUCK YEAH I CAN SMELL ‘EM, ANDY! LET’S BOMB OUT AND GET BREAKFAST GOING!” Jackie looked slightly manic as she smiled brightly. Kalai, on the other hand, looked wet and miserable as she shivered, arms wrapped around herself. Andy gave his cousin a disgusted look as he pieced together what had happened. Every deckhand learned when to duck behind the raised bow and the roller horns that guided the nets so as not to get a faceful of spray when cutting through a swell. It was also a classic hazing trick for Senior Deckhands to let Junior Deckhands learn this the hard way.
Andy moved forward to stand in front of the two of them. Kalai was trying to squeeze her coat dry, but Andy knew it wouldn’t do much good until the sun came out. Jackie at least had the sense to look a little remorseful. “Kalai, why don’t you go sit in the cabin and get out of that wet coat. It’s cold enough out here even for us-”
“No way, Andy. Junior deckhand Kally here wants to impress you and get her dainty soft hands dirty! She’s been bragging about being a sailorwoman and wants to learn to fish ‘your way!” Jackie gave Kalai’s shoulder a wet slap as the poor alien woman went blue. Out of cold or embarrassment, Andy couldn’t tell.
All Andy could do was shake his head and huff. “Ok then! Secure the buoy and sling on my mark. I’ll get us in position!” Andy couldn’t help but chuckle as he heard Jackie start ordering Kalai about. Andy went back into the cabin and looked in the closet/bathroom to see if there was anything hanging up that he could give Kalai. There was only the one rain slicker and a few of Andy’s old sweaters from when he was a lot smaller. Well, looks like I’ll just be cold today. He quickly stripped out of his sweatshirt and grabbed the slicker before throwing a switch on the main control. Dr. He’osforos and Mrs. Vaida threw him quizzical looks as he went back outside wearing less than when he came in. He was down to a sleeveless shirt and his coveralls, and the morning breeze cut right through him and he braced his jaw to keep it from chattering.
“We’re ready to go- Andy, why are you practically naked from the waist up?” Kalai was staring wide eyed at him as he approached her and Jackie was on the bow. Jackie had everything ready; the buoy line was strung through the horns and ready to toss out. A giant orange and blue beach ball sized float hung at the end of the line to mark the end and make it easier to pick up later.
“Trade me your coat for these. If Jackie’s putting you to work, you’ll need these to keep warm.”
“I’m alright, I can-”
“I’m the Skipper of this boat, and I’m ordering you to take off that wet coat and put these on; and Jackie?” Andy gave his cousin a long and piercing look. “Give her the elbow gloves, not the halfsies.”
The scoff and the muttered Salishian profanities meant he’d read the next prank she’d had in mind right. She was planning on giving her the cloth gloves with only the palms and fingers coated in rubber. While perfectly fine for fishing, Andy knew they tended to get soaked through very quickly and did nothing to keep jellyfish stingers and fish slime off your hands. Kalai sputtered for a moment before she complied gratefully and she accepted the dry clothes and rain slicker.
Andy saw Jackie give him a strange look before looking back at Kalai, but he paid it no mind. He walked back to the controls on the drum and switched off the hydraulics, placing the mechanism in neutral. “SLING IT!” Andy called as he took the small jerry rigged steering wheel and threw the boat in reverse. Kalai jumped as the line started unspooling the net into the water at a rapid pace.
Andy set an ‘S’ bend in the quarter mile long net, zigzagging backwards until they came to the end of the line. Andy stopped the boat as Jackie tied off the other large buoy and tossed it over the side, unstringing the cork-line from the roller horns in the process. He pulled hard over and put a bit of distance from the net before shutting the engine down. The line of white and yellow corks marking the net bobbed lazily with the swells as silence settled over the water again. The waves rocked the boat gently as Andy found his sea legs again.
“Alright, I’ll get breakfast going. Jackie, Kalai? Post the watch for seals,” Andy called as he walked back into the cabin to fire up the tiny little gas stove.
Sakalbi, having found the confidence to stand at last, poked her head out of the cabin and stood on by the hatch to the fish hold. “Seals? Why would you need to watch for seals?”
Andy grit his teeth and looked over from where he was cracking open and scrambling eggs. “They’re the spawn of Satan and we hate their guts!” Andy bit out. Jackie came back and pulled the two shotguns and a pair of binoculars from the closet. Andy reached over to a side cabinet and pulled out a box of shells for them. Both his boss and the Doctor’s eyes got wide.
“Seals are the enemy of our blood. Were it not for the invasion, our unending war against these vermin would continue to this day!” Jackie growled as she loaded one for herself and rested the other on Andy’s seat at the helm.
The look of growing horror on Sakalbi’s face towards their facetious declarations caused Andy to chuckle a bit, before launching into an explanation. “We’re not fans of the species because they’ll wait until a fish gets caught in the net and then they’ll steal it, costing us a fish AND ripping a big hole in our nets that we then have to take time to repair. We use the shotguns and buckshot to give them a nice welt and convince them not to hang around, because they’ll wait up on the surface and watch the buoys, just like us. A single seal can and will take between five and ten fish. The worst is when they start getting full, they’ll just bite out the bellies of a salmon in the net. We can’t really do anything with that fish once it’s ‘seal-bit’. So yes, as fishermen, we hate them.”
“Learned opportunism in apex predators as a response to human activity… I think I’ll go see this behavior for myself!” Sakalbi practically rushed out the door towards the bow where Jackie was sitting on the roller horns explaining to Kalai how to spot the bastards, leaving Andy alone in the cabin with the Doctor while he cooked breakfast for them all.
Dr. He’osforos sat down heavily in the booth and pulled out his omnipad. “I’ve had a word with my friend in the Interior. She’s pulled the warrant for your brother, and I’ve withdrawn the charges I filed.”
Andy froze and turned around slowly. The only sound was the sizzle and pop of the eggs and chorizo that he’d added to them in the skillet. “You mean… it’s done? He can come home?” A wave of light headed euphoria swept over Andy and he swayed with the gentle rocking of the boat. “I will pay you back, Doc-”
The doctor held up his hand and stopped Andy. “We’ll call it even, but there’s something… I was able to get my hands on this,” Andy watched as the doctor swiped something towards his omnipad and it dinged. “What is it if I may-”
“Are you really asking an Indian to tell you a story? Because it’s going to be a long one if you are.” “I’m Sevastutavan, young man; we invented long stories.”
Andy froze and stared at the screen of his omnipad. The Vatikre was heavily accented, and Andy had a bit of trouble with the unfamiliar accent, but centered in the frame in a hospital room, sitting in a wheelchair, was a Salishian boy. Andy blinked in surprise as he stared at the screen. “Is that-”
“I am Ikw’is’hi’ehlah, and this bearer is… of the Orca Clan Sheloksets. I drove our Haida enemies onto the rocks and took many heads when they attacked our winter village on Orcas Island. I signed the Treaty with the Great White Father and I fought against the slavers of the south-”
Andy wanted to grab the omnipad but the smell of overcooking eggs brought his attention back to breakfast and Andy stirred and scrapped the food quickly, trying to save it.
“I asked her for any materials she could give me on your brother. Pictures, recordings, anything. This is what she gave me. It's the last known recording of your brother during an interrogation conducted by a Navy Commissar prior to his escape. It seems he made friends with a Pod of Deaths Head Commandos. Quite a bit of the recording has been redacted, but… there are portions of it where he talks about his family and his history. I thought you might like to have it.”
Andy hurriedly pulled out paper plates and a slice of bread for everyone and scooped a heaping portion of the chorizo eggs onto them. He handed the doctor his before leaning out the cabin door. “Slop’s on, come and get it!”
Andy sat down after moving the shotgun out of the way and started the video over again as the three women came back to grab their plates and lost himself watching his brother start telling his story.
“What’s that?” Andy heard Kalai ask over his shoulder, and he paused the video.
“That’s my brother! That’s Kay Tee!”
“Holy shit, what?” Jackie nearly shoved Kalai into Andy as she jammed her bread slice down her gullet and crowded in to see the screen.
Andy started the video over a second time and they watched in silence. “God, that brings back memories. Back when mom was still alive and before we broke up the warband. I can’t believe that slippery little punk ghosted a pod of Commandos for two fucking years! Holy shit, that’s badass!”
Before Andy could say anything, Sakalbi started coughing and brought the binoculars up. “Uh, Andy? Jackie? What do we do about sharks?”
Jackie looked at Andy in confusion. “Sharks? There’s nothing but Dogs around here.”
“Well those are shark fins and they’re charging the net!” Sakalbi pointed and Andy looked up to see dorsal fins charging the center of the net.
Andy looked at Jackie and spoke the same words in tandem, “Oh shit!”
​
First:
https://www.reddit.com/Sexyspacebabes/comments/yz0u3h/the_cryptid_chronicle_chapter_1/
Previous:
https://www.reddit.com/Sexyspacebabes/comments/13nh0oe/cryptid_chronicle_chapter_29/
Next:
To be posted 6/4/23

As is common for crossword makers, I occassionally use foreign words when I cannot fill a gap in a crossword I am designing.
These range from very simple words, e.g. "AMI" and "CIAO", to somewhat lesser known words in languages such as Dutch, which is my native language.
However, elsewhere I've once seen a clue "Together in Icelandic", and that is just too ridiculous.
So I'm wondering what is generally thought of this, e.g. is it only fair if the clue has overlap on all tiles? Should they only be used in harder crosswords? At what point does it become unfair?

Oh, exalted Luke Davies-Uniacke,
We gather once again in reverence, our hearts overflowing with adulation for your unwavering brilliance. As we approach the celestial realm of footy, we beseech the powers that be to bestow upon you their divine grace and blessings.
In this sacred moment, we also lift our voices to extol the virtues of Griffin Logue, a paragon of strength and fortitude. Oh, Logue, whose resolute presence commands the defense with unwavering might, we honor your steadfastness and the impenetrable shield you offer. May your tenacity inspire our team to conquer all challenges that lie ahead.
And now, we offer our deepest appreciation for the prodigious Jy Simpkin, whose fluid grace renders his body liquid like a cat. Oh, Simpkin, may your agility bewilder our foes and grant us the upper hand in every contest. Your cat-like reflexes bring us awe and wonder, reminding us of the artistry that lies within the realm of footy.
Let us also sing praises to the virtuosity of Nick Larkey, whose precision and accuracy rival the gods themselves. Oh, Larkey, your mighty boot strikes true, guiding the ball through the uprights with unerring accuracy. We bow before your skill and celebrate the goals that rain down like blessings upon our team.
In this sacred union, we implore the divine forces to empower you, oh Luke Davies-Uniacke, with unwavering strength and indomitable spirit. May you soar above the fray, leaving a trail of brilliance in your wake. Embrace the challenges that await, for within you lies the power to conquer all.
May our interchanges be less than 75, and our hearts resolute, we offer this prayer,
Amen.

First time watcher, NO SPOILERS BEYOND EPISODE 50 PLEASE. I have NOT seen anything past the episodes listed in this post. And if I ask a question that gets answered later in the series, or make crazy statements that may sound stupid with hindsight of later events, kindly don't take the responsibility of answering those for me, as that would still be a spoiler to me, and I want to experience the answers in the show itself. Thanks for understanding and respecting.
​
41. Gathering × Of × Heroes - 4/5 (It's crazy how rich Gon and Killua are. Just casually spending 20 million "Jenny" (why is the fictional currency just called by a female name?) like it's nothing. And that's not to mention the 800 million they made at Heavens Arena. Also, apparently Nen is able to visualize a whole 3 dimensional space around you through... A computer? How does THAT happen? I know you can infuse items with Nen and make them do specific things, but has the Hunter Association gone around and infused every public computer with Nen?? I DOUBT that. So what's actually happening here? Does the website somehow involuntality active the users Nen to visualize the bar? And if so... HOW does it do that?? It's a website, which is not a tangible thing. It can't have any Nen contained within it, and I don't see how it can forcibly activate someone elses Nen. Maybe the website's servers has the Nen infused and they transmit the Nen towards you when you load it... I don't know. Gosh. I was probably not meant to think this hard about it.
It's the Phantom Troupe, wowee. That's... A LOT of characters. I am certainly not going to remember them easily. The blonde guy (Shalnark) sticks out very oddly compared to the other male characters due to his huge, vertical oval eyes. This show has a strange contrast in general with character designs, since some will look really sharp and rough with "normal" sized eyes, while others will have the typical "cutesy" big eyed, button nosed, round anime design. Hell, the "big eyes" in this show far exceeds what is typical! I much prefer the former, but the latter works for female characters (Although Neon is REALLY pushing my limits) and kids. But Shalnark is an adult, yet he has the face of a child. He looks so weird! He doesn't appear at all like someone who would be a dangerous thief, unlike every other male characters in the Troupe. Neither do 2/3 of the female characters to be fair, but as I said, it works for them. I'm glad at least one of them, Pakunoda, was allowed look unique. She's got that long aquiline nose instead of a button. LOL.
Side note: The "ghost" that comes out of Neon's pen when she writes fortunes looks freaky)
​
42. Defend × And × Attack - 4/5 (I really liked the background score for the opening in the Yorknew Marketplace. Also, HI LEORIO! Been a long time since I saw him. I figured that he wouldn't really have learned Nen. He has no reason to, he's not a fighter. Although it would be amusing to see what type he is and what abilities he'd manage to concoct. But he did learn Ren, so... Who taught that to him? Anyway, I love that the first thing he does when he meets up with Gon and Killua again is scam people. Stay classy. Still the funniest character. Also, the Phantom Troupe lady who attempted the arm wrestling challenge, Shizuku, looks so goofy. She has the massive eyes I talked about last episode, but her glasses only cover the lower half of them, and she's constantly cross-eyed. I think it's a funny look.
I really enjoyed that scene where Hisoka looks around at the other Phantom Troupe members, and stares down the boss. I don't know why, nothing really happened in it, I just enjoyed the creepy atmosphere and the score accompanying it. But more than that, I really enjoyed the conversation between Kurapika and Melody quite a lot. Specifically her backstory. But the effects of the cursed Sonata of Darkness melody is so strange. Basically, it's so cursed that your body will somehow just burn up from the inside, get all scaly and crusty (or whatever it is that happens, we never properly see the result) just from hearing it. But if you only hear some of it, it instead gives you "ugly" features? Since the way it "deformed" Melody was... Making her a midget, balding the top of her head, and giving her buck teeth. Those are some very oddly specific "deformities")
​
43. A × Shocking × Tragedy - 4/5 (Well, THAT sure was a massacre. There was a giant pool of blood for crying out loud. Quite disturbing, to be honest. Those guys were all supposedly part of the mafia, so I guess I'm not supposed to feel too bad, but surely they were not all bad guys... And Baise passed away in the chaos as well, right by the hand of Shizuku. That was a brutal moment. I didn't get super attached to her as a character or something, but that was still cruel. Shizuku's Nen ability is pretty zany, though. She can conjure up a vacuum cleaner and suck endless amounts of mass and then just despawn it? Where does all the content go?
I don't have much else of substance to say. The mafia families keep attacking Uvo, and I'm given some information about the 10 Dons around the world and their "Shadow Beasts", but they only show up at the end. So, next episode better be amazing. "Worm" looks freaky as hell, though. Is that actually a human?!)
​
44. Buildup × To A × Fierce Battle - 4/5 (Remember just a few episodes ago when this show refused to show blood on Hisoka's arm? Well, now they're letting us see characters get half their head bitten off and a bullet between the eyes. I'm not even sure why the title says "buildup". That wasn't buildup, that WAS the fierce battle. Uvo completely wrecked the Shadow Beasts. It was pretty disturbing. It's kind of annoying that they probably would have had a chance of winning if they were just a little more clever. First of all, Leech shouldn't have been so close to Uvo's face. Second, Rabid Dog should have attempted to dodge the "bullet" rather than block it with his hand. I mean, easier said than done, I guess. You can't exactly think rationally in extreme moments like that. I'm just saying that it would have been feasible to survive. Especially since the scene was slowed down to show what Rabid Dog was thinking fast, yet didn't consider moving! I was glad to see that Worm at least survived in the end, but then he died anyway.
Kurapika being able to restrain and yank Uvo with his chains was pretty awesome and satisfying, considering how highly he thinks of himself. He got humbled. Also, I don't think this was meant to be comical, but I found it pretty funny when Kurapika was monologuing about his chain restriction in his head while you can hear Melody in the background screaming at him to focus on the road. Made it feel like it was meant to be a parody of excessive monologues. LOL. Speaking of Melody, her relaxing flute music was great. It was genuinely calming even for me, the viewer!)
​
45. Restraint × And × Vow - 3/5 (The Owl's entrance was pretty cool, and his round, goofy eyes were amusing (lotta thoughts about eyes lately). Too bad he barely put up much of a fight. That was disappointing. Especially since he was seemingly the smartest of the Shadow Beasts. He told the others not to underestimate the Phantom Troupe! Idiots. These Shadow Beasts were really not as powerful as cracked up to be. I guess it's to show how truly dangerous the Phantom Troupe is, though. Kurapika was able to punch Uvo hard enough to give him a nosebleed, so he must be pretty damn powerful himself. That was satisfying to see. Again, Uvo's being humbled. His uncontrollable rage upon rescue was hilarious. His pride was hurt, wah wah. Excited to see him hunt down and have an actual fight with Kurapika.
I love that Hisoka is simply so horny for fighting people that he joined the Phantom Troupe just to battle the boss. And he's willing to team up with Kurapika to double cross them just so he can do so. I'm VERY intrigued to see where this will lead. Hisoka and Kurapika teamup? He's got to be the "traitor" that tipped the 10 Dons off about the planned attack. As a final note, uh... Gee, how do I phrase this... Why the fuck are Gon and Killua black in the Hunterpedia segment??!!?!)
​
46. Chasing × And × Waiting - 3/5 (No Hisoka/Kurapika teamup yet, but he's gonna return tomorrow, so... That's still interesting. And the ending when Uvo tracked Kurapika was very suspenseful. But everything else in the episode, while good, I have very little to comment on. I liked Kurapika being voted the temporary leader, I guess. And Uvo kissing Shalnark sure was a thing that happened. Gon, Killua and Leorio are now also gonna hunt the Phantom Troupe, so... More interesting stuff. Gon and Killua are still black in the Hunterpedia segment. After looking it up, turns out it's meant to be a tan due to the previous few segments being set outside. The color choice looks far more like plain black skin though, not a tan, or even a sunburn)
​
47. Condition × And × Condition - 5/5 (The fact that Uvo and Kurapika both took the time to go to the outskirts of the city before fighting is pretty funny, because it means they obviously went together. Must have been an awkward trip. And it's also funny that we see Uvo taking a piss before the fight. He doesn't take it very seriously at all, which makes it all the more satisfying when Kurapika absolutely wrecks him. Deservingly so. And I enjoy the fact that Kurapika is a "heroic" protagonist who doesn't share the typical "If I kill them, I'm no better than them" ideology. It's a pretty tiring trait, since most of the time it's literally about evil people who cannot be changed or contained, like Uvo here. But that doesn't mean Kurapika enjoyed the act of doing it, he was clearly torn. Which makes this all the more interesting. And a badass fight.
Kurapika's "condition" doesn't really make any sense to me at all. Like, how does setting up a failsafe for yourself so that you'll be punished if you break a condition you make up on your own somehow enhance your abilities? This is why I don't think Nen is as awesome and unique as people make it out to be. There's a lot of rules and restrictions, but no explanations for "why" of them. WHY does such a condition enhance your powers? What's the in-universe reason for it? It just seems to be "because it does". Not very compelling to me, to be honest. Not that it made the episode less enjoyable, considering that it was awesome. Also, Gon and Killua are white again. Yay)
​
48. Very × Sharp × Eye - 3/5 (Gon actually pawned his Hunter License?! That was surprising, and kinda sad, considering he can now NEVER get another one. What if he need it for more Ging clues? Wah wah wah wowowowow. Anyway, this episode is just "Gon and Killua go antiquing", but I enjoyed the laid back vibe of it, and Zepile was a nice character to meet. So overall, decent)
​
49. Pursuit × And × Analysis - 4/5 (Holy crap, this is some suspenseful stuff. I loved Gon and Killua tailing the two Phantom Troupe members, but even moreso when they were caught. The zoom-in on Gon and Killua's eyes and their lightning fast bolt was a great visual. As was Killua bopping around the room, and his fight with Phinks, even though it was brief. I wish the series would have sequences like that which go on for longer, because that was epic. The only other fight of this calibre we've seen was the start of Gon and Hisoka's battle at Heavens Area. Not that the dialogue heavy battles are "bad", but sometimes an all-out brawl is a visual treat, and it's a bummer when it's so great, yet so short. But the Phantom Troupe capturing Gon and Killua is still super exciting, so this remains awesome. It was made even more suspenseful when I thought Gon was going to escape, but then Machi stopped him like she's The Flash or something! Honestly, 5/5 for the entire latter half of this episode.
Killua's father and grandpa are both now on their way to take care of the Phantom Troupe as well, so there's even more exciting things to get hyped for! The only less interesting part of this episode is the scene with Neon. Her role in the show felt to me like it was mostly just a way to forward Kurapika's journey towards the Phantom Troupe. Hell, the whole Nostrade family aspect felt more like a segway into that, so I don't understand why there's so much focus put on Neon and her father. It's not a LOT of focus, but it's some. She has a scene every few episodes. She did have that fortune-telling ghostwriting ability, so, there's gotta be SOMETHING important with her coming up, otherwise these parts would all be a waste)
​
50. Ally × And × Sword - 4/5 (Wow, new intro- Dammit, IT'S JUST THE FIRST THEME SONG AGAIN! I'm being sarcastic, since I actually love the opening, but I've definitely developed a preference for the second version more. And this one only changes visuals once the chorus hits, but then the last part is the same one of Hisoka taunting Gon. Definitely feels like they could switch it up a little more, but I enjoy the individual Phantom Troupe spotlight regardless, so, whatever.
Heh, Killua averting Gon's "wow" from Hisoka to Shizuku was a nice save. How lucky that they met her a few episodes earlier. Seems she has memory loss, so I guess THAT'S an aspect of her character... Anyway, this is one of those episodes that is great, but I somehow don't have a lot to say about. It's only 2 scenes, so there's not a lot of different things happening for me to have many takes on. Best I can do is list the parts I enjoyed. And they include: Nobunaga showing genuine emotion for Uvo, Gon getting so angry he manages to win one armwrestling mach against him, Killua freaking out over feeling powerless, him and Gon's clever escape, and Gon's grin in the end when he claims Killua is the one who should keep HIM in check, not the other way around. But I basically just recapped the episode here, so, yeah. NEXT)

A full day has passed. We haven't been fed yet and the chains continue to dig into my skin.
"I'm hungry."
"Not this again."
"But I am."
"Crying about it like a baby won't magically bring food to your mouth."
"But it should."
The guard sitting in a chair opposite of our cells speaks up. "WILL YOU TWO SHUT UP! I'm trying to sleep here." He's a Faun, half man half goat.
"Bring us food and we'll shut up."
"I'm not your personal fucking butler and this isn't an Inn, you'll be fed when you're fed."
"And when's that?"
He picks up his spear and gets up, walking towards me. "I said. Shut. Up."
"But-"
He points the spear at me. "Last warning."
I give him a wide smile. "Quit your bluffing, I know you're under orders to not harm us." He presses the spear to my face. "Want to bet on that?"
"I do."
He hatefully stares at me until finally relenting and backs away. "The best I can do is ask the maidens for scraps. If I do that will you let me rest?"
"Myes."
"I'll scrounge up some food and you better be grateful pray that I don't spit on it." He leaves the room.
"Jeff I love you, but dear gods you can be sutch an annoying little prick."
"It's thanks to my annoyance that we're getting fed and besides, you like that about me."
"Shush. Anyway why do you think their keeping us alive?"
"Let's ask." I get up and kick the bars, pretending I'm trying to break open the cage. In response to this several shadow soldiers emerge from the ground. "Yo why are we still alive?" They all look at me for three seconds before going back to their positions. "Good talk."
"You think so? I found it rather bland."
"What do you know of the intricacies of speech?"
"Spare me your scholar nonsense."
"Nonsense!? I'll let you know I graduated from high school without setting the place on fire."
"I... I honestly can't tell if you're joking or not?"
"Trust me, where I come from that's a fucking achievement."
"I see that you mean it."
15 minutes later
The door swings open to reveal the faun carrying a sack on his free hand. "It was a bitch and a half to gather this much so I don't want to hear a peep from you about the quantity of the food." He gets close to us, opening the sack he throws to my feet a piece of bread, what looks like a turkey leg half chewed and a third of an apple. Then moves on to Laira.
"Lovely... How am I supposed to eat?"
"You asked me to bring you food, I did. The rest you sort it out yourself." He goes to a corner of the room and sits on a chair.
...
"So can I use my hands?"
"I uphold my end now you uphold yours, so BE QUIET!"
Bummer. I may have overlooked this tinny little detail of my upper limbs being bound in chains. But in my defense when you're without food for long enough you kinda stop worrying about the small stuff. Does the fact that I can't move my arms counts as small stuff?
Maybe.
But hey. What can you do?
...
I can break out.
Ok, I need strength and explosive power, it also needs to be fast. Fast enough that the chains can't reinforce themselves in time to counter my push. So how do I do this?
...
Maybe if...
No that doesn't work when I'm sober.
...
Then what if...
Nah, Laira would find it rather distasteful.
What then?
...
Got it.

My muscles bulge with power but I don't move. The chains start to glow slightly so I stop. Looking over to the guard he's sleeping soundly against the wall. Good. Let's try again, but more restricted, not so much bursting with power but more restrained.

Again I feel full of strength but I try to focus it, my musculature hardens but doesn't increase, I balance the increase in energy and adrenaline and tame it with paced deep breaths. The chains don't glow but I'm not breaking them with just this amount of explosive energy. I need more.
So I go sit cross-legged in the center of the cell and for the next hour or so I continuously enhance myself without moving an inch. Each time is like a bomb had gone off inside my body and I'm controlling the fallout. Breathing in and out, letting the waves of adrenaline wash over me, feeling my muscles tense each time I empower them. Each time it subsided, leaving me with the damn near uncontrollable urge to move and spend my energy, I cast it again and repeat the process.
A puddle of sweat has surrounded me and steam rises from my body like I've left a sauna.
It's time.
Tensing my muscles further, damn near reaching breaking point and focusing on my power, feeling building it up.
And...

...
A millisecond.
That's how long it took for me to move.
That's how long the chain could resist me.
In a millisecond the chain shone brightly before exploding out of my body, the shrapnel embedding itself on the cell's walls and ceiling. There even was a shockwave. The enchanted metal bars had hold and forced the the wave back inside not even allowing a single splinter of the chain to get out.
But this incredible show of strength and power came at a cost.
The food...
It's gone.
"BY THE DIVINES WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?!" The guard after being knocked on his ass from the sound of the explosion quickly made his way to my cell.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING PRISONER?!"
"MY FOOD! MY FOOOOOD!"
I reach out to the remains of what was once glorious and delicious food.
Dust
It's all it is now.
Fuck... I promised myself not to cry in front of anyone but...
"STEP BACK FROM THE BARS NOW!"
Suddenly several shadow guards (what I've taken to call then) emerge from the ground and walls. They're in the walls, they're in the goddamn walls! Sorry force of habit.
"Wha-"
That's how far he got before his head was cut clean off his shoulders and rolled towards me. His eyes seeming to show a sliver of life before losing focus and going glassy.
"Was that really necessary?" They phase through the bars and are now inside my cell. "What?" Several metal spikes come flying towards me and I barely manage to dodge them. "CHILL THE FUCK OUT! I'M NOT TRYING TO ESCAPE I JUST WANTED TO STRETCH MY ARMS!"
They keep attacking, throwing metal spikes and shurikens alik-shurikens? They have shurikens? The amount they throw is too much for me to dodge so I sidestep what I can and try to slap the others out of the air. It didn't take long before before my hand was pierced and my body becoming a pincushion. Strangely I'm not bleeding as much as I should, the pain however is a lot stronger than what I expected from these small cuts.
"Your pain resistance is impressive." King shit as returned. "Usually one cut of these weapons is enough to put your regular elf on it's knees." Is it because their enchanted? For fucks sake.
He steps forward, passing the other shadow guards and stands face to face with me. "Then again, if you broke out of the light chains you're anything but regular." He reaches out and takes out one of the blades. "Maybe that's why master shows interest in you."
He extends his hand in a way that only the point of his fingers are touching my chest. Why does this seem familiar? OH SHI-
I'm thrown back against the wall, hard.
This fucker knows how to do the one inch punch. Bloody marvelous.
"You don't break easily."
I peal myself off the wall only to stumble forward. It's getting harder for me to move, my heart rate is slowing down even though there's no reason for it. The weapons, of course there's something wrong with the weapons.
"Is it kicking in? Finally! It's supposed to be instant." Prick.
"When will we receive our food?"
"You're still going on about that?" He again approaches me. "There is no food." And kicks me in the side of the head launching me towards the ground. "So be quiet and be still while we are being merciful to you." He snaps his fingers and the other shadow guards pick me up. King shit reaches for something inside his robes.
This mother fucker.
Another slave collar?
"Since you refused to stay in chains we will have to take other measurements to make sure you don't escape."
"I just wanted to use my hands to eat."
"Then you should've crawled like the dog you are and eaten as such."
No yet. Can't kill this fucker yet. Not if I want my plan to work. Besides I don't want to kill him. Nooooooo sir I don't. I just want to hug him. In fact I'll give him the best hug he'll ever receive. The kind that breaks bones.
"I don't like the way you're looking at me." He puts the collar around my neck and closes it. "So maybe some punishment is in order." He gut-puches me and takes a few steps back.
FUCK! I WANT TO KILL HIM SO BADLY!
"Stand up."
My limbs move on their own and bring me to my feet. "Now, chew off your pinky finger." Electricity courses through my body as I refuse and resist the order. "Trying to fight in that state? You really are persistent. But my comand stands. Chew off. Your. Pinky finger." The amount of electricity increases three fold bringing me to my knees.
My arms try to reach for my mouth but I force them in place. The pain his really starting to get to me. And suddenly it stops. What?
"You're in luck, master has ordered for you to be left unharmed as of now." He makes a hand motion to the other shadows and they phase through the bars and floor again taking the corpse of the guard with them. "Don't breathe a sigh of relief yet, these orders must mean that master wants to personally educate you. So in that regard you are actually shit out of luck." He phases through the floor and disappears.
"You alright Jeff?"
"Yeah."
"You don't sound alright."
"Trust me I'm peachy."
"I'm sorry for not doing anything."
"You couldn't do anything, I heard them phasing into your cell as well. Did you eat?"
"I did."
...
"Did you..."
" 'Crawl like the dog I am?' Don't worry, I didn't."
"How did you eat then?"
"I'm quite flexible with my legs and feet. As you know.
That puts a smile on my face. Thinking back to the days we spent together eases the stress in my head. It feels like it was weeks ago.
"Jeff seriously are you alright?"
"Bursting through the chains took a lot out of me, and I can't even replenish my strength."
"I heard you have another collar around your neck."
"Yep."
"Can you break out like you the other one?"
"They gave me another dose of some kind of poison that restricts my movement and slows down my heartbeat. That may be the reason why I don't feel any adrenaline running through my sistem. So that makes all my energy reserves spent, meaning that no I can't bust open this one. "
"I assume that this means your plan is no longer in effect."
"It is. It's just going to be harder to pull-off and for it to be successful one of us has to be in relatively good shape or with some strength left. That is now you since I blew my load too early (He)."
A few seconds of silence passes.
"I'll trust you."
"Thanks."
On the bright side, I feel like I've gotten stronger.
{You have. What you did is called training meditation and I've got no clue on how you just stumbled upon it.}

{Because it's a very unstable way to quickly do what you can achieve with time. If you lost control of one of those energy enhancements it could have resulted in your death.}

{One minor mistake on your part and that build up energy would rampage through your body completely destroying it. That's why I didn't inform you about it and why I remained silent when you where doing it, didn't want to risk you losing concentration.}

{Another thing, due to your current state your body's in it will take longer than usual for you to recover your strength.}
Marvelous.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And there we go, another one done. You know, after some self-reflection I've made a decision. I can't promise a chapter every week even though that is my goal, but I can guarantee a chapter every month. That doesn't mean that you'll only get one chapter per month (hopefully), it means that each month you will have a new chapter as a minimum.
Besides that.
Errors, tipos, ideas, what's your personal record for most cheese eaten in a single day, tell me everything.
Cheers to y'all.

import random print("WELCOME TO GAME OF RANDOM STATS \n")
for minute in range(10): print(f"minute {minute+1}")
p1_throw = random.randint(1,10) p1_catch = random.randint(1,10) p1_dodge = random.randint(1,10)
p2_throw = random.randint(1,10) p2_catch = random.randint(1,10) p2_dodge = random.randint(1,10) if p1_catch > p2_catch: print("P1 caught the ball and ready to throw!! \n") 1 if p1_throw > p2_dodge: print (f" P1 hit P2 in minute {minute+1} \n") if p1_throw < p2_dodge: print (f" P1 missed P2 in miute {minute+1} \n") if p2_catch > p1_throw: print(f"P2 caught the ball and threw it to P1!! \n") if p2_throw > p1_dodge: print(f"P2 hit P1 in minute {minute+1} \n") if p2_throw < p1_dodge: print(f"P2 missed P1 in minute {minute+1} \n") if p1_catch > p2_throw: 2 print(f"P1 caught the ball and threw it to P2!! \n") else: print(f"P2 couldn't catch the ball so no points in minute {minute+1} \n")
( i specified line 1 with bold "1" text and bold "2" text)
so in this code, i want to return to line 1 if the game comes to lane 2. so it can loop if it needs to. pls help.

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​
Synopsis:
Juliette Contzen is a lazy, good-for-nothing princess. Overshadowed by her siblings, she's left with little to do but nap, read … and occasionally cut the falling raindrops with her sword. Spotted one day by an astonished adventurer, he insists on grading Juliette's swordsmanship, then promptly has a mental breakdown at the result.
Soon after, Juliette is given the news that her kingdom is on the brink of bankruptcy. At threat of being married off, the lazy princess vows to do whatever it takes to maintain her current lifestyle, and taking matters into her own hands, escapes in the middle of the night in order to restore her kingdom's finances.
Tags: Comedy, Adventure, Action, Fantasy, Copious Ohohohohos.
​
Chapter 88: Noughts And Crosses
Everything told me that I'd misheard. Badly.
Sword saint or not, she was clearly a commoner, and so spoke a language barely two steps evolved from cave paintings.
After all, there was simply no perceivable scenario in which she would admit, with a smile no less, to having committed tax evasion and burglary against the Royal Treasury! That was patently absurd. To commit even the lowest offence against the royal family was a high crime—and burglary could never be described as low.
Yes, of course.
This had been an exceptionally tiring few days. Clearly, the amount of words my delicate ears had been subjected to by criminals, nobility and criminal nobility had damaged my hearing faculties. And then there was the smell. It was awful. Cows and peasants everywhere.
I needed to rest. Desperately. The very first high-quality lodgings I came across, I would stay in. No more being fussy because I didn't like the colour of the roof tiles. As long as the room was fully furnished, came with ample amenities, a large bathtub and 24 hour room service, I was willing to stay even in Aquina.
For the sake of my health, I needed to be flexible with my standards—at least for one night. Tomorrow would adhere to a different standard, but for now, I could force myself to contend with the smell of this farmyard duchy.
Indeed, I was already used to it.
Even the worst of livestock barely surpassed the stench of what I'd suffered in the royal capital. That'd been appalling. Spilled food, vomit and the perfume of nobility. Though no blade struck me, I hadn't come out of that debacle unscathed. I was likely suffering from a host of ailments.
The biggest, of course, being the brain rot that was causing me to interpret entire sentences incorrectly.
And so, I offered a beautiful smile—all the while I gripped Starlight Grace in my hand.
“My apologies,” I said to the Snow Dancer. “You will have to repeat that. Slowly. I believe I grossly misheard you when you claimed to fail in your payment of taxes to the Royal Treasury, and that you also burgle from it.”
The elven woman took a few minute steps away, the sword twirling imposingly in her hand … just before she turned, kneeled and began drawing noughts and crosses into the snow with the tip.
I watched as she played a match against herself.
She lost. Somehow.
“Nope, that's what I said,” she replied with a carefree shrug.
And thus—my smile creaked.
“Could you perhaps reword it, at least, but with slightly less treason?”
“I'm not sure I can, since it wasn't treason. It was grand larceny. I checked.”
“The definition is highly flexible. And by that, I mean determined solely by me. What did you steal?”
Ophelia blinked at me in puzzlement.
I rolled my eyes.
“From the Royal Treasury.”
“Oh. That. I can't remember. It wasn't important. Probably a painting or something.”
“A painting? You stole a painting?”
I was appalled.
The Royal Treasury only held items of immense value. Treasures which preceded generations of our family. Any portrait held there would be worth more than all the gold crowns lying beneath it.
Ophelia thought for a moment.
“Old guy. Fluffy white beard. Wore a tea towel on his head.”
Suddenly, I felt my breath catch in my throat.
“Describe the tea towel,” I said at once.
Ophelia hummed at her next game of noughts and crosses.
“Blue and white. Checkered. With a squiggly flower in the middle.”
My hand covered my mouth as I immediately recalled the oil painting in my mind.
The Man With The Tea Towel. A highly distinct work of modern impressionism, interpreting my great-great-grandfather, King Reginald the Bald at his prime.
It came all too easily to me.
After all … I was the one who painted it!
“That's what you stole?!”
“I think so. But hey, in my treasonous defence, it was the only thing I took. Honestly, I just wanted to peek around. I wasn't planning on grabbing anything. Maybe.”
My hand shook against my mouth.
I … I couldn't believe it … The Snow Dancer had stolen the first ever painting I'd deemed worthy enough to show my mother and father?! A cherished and storied part of my own personal history?!
I was absolutely horrified.
Why, I'd ordered it destroyed!
Who interceded?! That painting wasn't even worthy enough to be used as a carpet! That it was sent to the Royal Treasury is a humiliation! Who betrayed me?! Was it the servants?! The guards?! Heads would roll for this!
“Of all the riches laden in the Royal Treasury, you stole that?!”
“Yeah. Why? Was it expensive?”
“It … well, in a manner of speaking, yes! But why not a storied tiara?! An ancient tome of forbidden spells?! Why did you have to steal a work of sheer inadequacy which demonstrated only a naive ignorance of colours?!”
Ophelia shrugged.
“I liked the tea towel. It was cute.”
I almost vomited on the spot.
Painting that tea towel ensured I'd entered the world of fine art at its lowest rung! And now I knew that somewhere in the world, my crimes against modern impressionism were visible to all!
“What … What happened to it … ?” I asked, my voice dry as sand. “Did you … Did you sell it … is it now halfway across the continent … in a gallery to be mocked and scorned at … ?”
“That's very unlikely. After all, chopping wood for kindling is sort of a pain and I like the scent of oil canvases. You know, when they're on fire.”
I gasped.
“You burned the painting?!”
“Yeah.” She paused. “My bad.”
My entire body relaxed.
Despite the unrelenting chill in this frozen chamber, I felt nothing but searing relief burning inside me. Had I decided to drop down and roll against the snow, I was certain that billowing steam would engulf us all.
“You … You have committed a terrible and permanent … it was permanent, yes … ?”
“Really permanent. The charred ash isn't even there anymore.”
“Then, you've committed a permanent and irreversible crime against this kingdom! Why, without that ghastly painting, filled with anatomy errors and depth mistakes, the kingdom will be a happier, but culturally worse off place!”
For a moment, overwhelming gratitude filled my heart.
… And then I remembered she'd broken into the Royal Treasury, evaded taxes and assisted in the planned secession of Aquina!
“Snow Dancer,” I said, wiping off the lines of relief from my face. “I believe it's time you paid the Royal Treasury another visit.”
“Oh? But I've already looked inside. Has it changed much in the past few years?”
“Considerably. But you can assist in returning it to its former state.”
Indeed … it was time to calculate the vast financial repayment plan that the Snow Dancer would momentarily be signing in order to enter a life of crippling destitution and inescapable poverty.
“You will repay every crown that is owed,” I said, kneeling down beside her to join the new noughts and crosses game she'd marked in the snow. “You're in arrears. An unfortunate, but easily repairable set of circumstances.”
“Now that does sound serious. Also, are you noughts or crosses?”
“Crosses,” I said, as I promptly took the first turn. I poked a cross directly in the centre with my sword. “And fortunately for you, I have experience in dictating unreasonable financial repayment plans. I care not whether you are a sword saint evading taxes or a servant spilling wine. Your debt will be repaid. In full. And on time. The matter of you aiding the Duke will be handled separately.”
The Snow Dancer frowned as she battled out her next series of defensive noughts against my aggressive crosses. A draw.
She ruffled the snow and instantly drew a new game for us.
“Ouch. That's a lot to look forward to.”
“It is. But you may begin with your atonement to the Royal Treasury. I require a concise list of all your properties and assets.”
“I have a cottage, a pond and two ducks.”
I tapped my foot, waiting for her to continue.
“Yes? And?”
“That's it.”
“How could that be it? You're a sword saint, yet you live like a peasant in squalor?”
Ophelia looked genuinely offended. But not offended enough for me not to notice her cheating by scrubbing one of my crosses away. I clearly and deliberately remarked it with my sword.
“That cottage, pond and two ducks is all I need. It's homely and comfortable. Despite what everyone else says, I'm extremely content with what I have. So what if it's not big enough to raise a family in? It's big enough for friends. And I have lots of friends. In fact, I have too many. I have to keep my door locked all day, otherwise friends will just keep wandering inside.”
The elven woman suddenly began poking her noughts harder into the snow.
I peeled away ever so slightly.
“Y-Yes … well, be that as it may, you have more than your meagre … cottage to offer the Royal Treasury. You've failed to include the sizable asset in your hand.”
Ophelia lifted the tip of her sword away from the latest nought she drew.
“Oh, this thing?”
“Yes, that thing. I imagine an elven sword with a sapphire pommel will prove a suitable start to your long journey of reparations.”
“You think so? Well, in that case, sure! It's all yours.”
The Snow Dancer smiled—without moving, offering or presenting the sword in her hand for my collection.
“By that,” she continued, eyes brimming with enthusiasm, “I mean that you're going to have to take it from me, although I don't think that's very likely. I saw you dodge all those traps. You're fast. Really, really fast. And fast equals potential. And I love potential. But there's no way you could come close to beating someone like me in an actual fight. And the thought of murdering you is such a waste. I've waited literal years for someone interesting to pop up. So here's the deal! We make it exciting. You open that vault and I'll stop you like I'm … probably supposed to? Then, once you horribly and painfully lose, I'll recommend some teachers so you can have an epic training arc in the mountains! I'll throw in a few ominous appearances and string you along with a few high level goons. Once you're strong enough to beat me, we can have an actual showdown with my sword and A-rank title on the line. It'll be amazing!”
A long moment of silence passed.
Eventually, I offered a smile as pure as the snow around us—which given that it was now the tomb for dozens of frozen guards, wasn't pure in the slightest.
And that's fine.
Because someone who was now openly mocking me for the way I handled Aquina's slow, rusty traps deserved no less.
“Ohohoh … a truly colourful suggestion. However, I'd like to propose an alternative.”
“Oh? What's that?”
Casually pointing Starlight Grace across my lap, I aimed it directly at Ophelia's undefended side.
“[Spring Breeze].”
For a single moment, I saw a pair of blue eyes looking down at the gathering wind at the tip of my sword.
Pwooooomph.
That sight was replaced by an explosion of snow.
I coughed, my entire vision filled by a blanket of white as the very chamber groaned around me. A thick plume of snowfall instantly covered me, and yet even in that white haze, I could see the giant hole in the snowy ground where an elven sword saint now lay buried.
Towards the empty space where my opponent had just been kneeling, I raised my hand to my lips and cackled.
“Ohohohohohohohohhohoho! You fool! Did you believe me as prone to flights of fancy as you? While idly playing lockpicker and games in the snow, I was waiting for an opportunity to take you unawares!”
Naive!
Naturally, I was under no allusions as to the grave threat this, frankly, bizarre elven woman posed to the kingdom!
She was most certainly no wandering wisp here to assist me in breaking open Aquina's vault for fun! She had her own ploys and schemes, and acted under the orders of the very Duke whose castle I was now taxing!
Indeed, I was merely waiting, prowling, my intentions meticulously hidden like a panther in the shadows—and when I spied my chance, I seized it without hesitation!
Because what I failed to mention to the Snow Dancer was that she would have to commit to her financial repayment plan while in prison!
Ohohohohohohohoho!
“Ooooh ...”
To the side, I heard applause as Coppelia congratulated me from behind what was now a rather impressive snow castle.
“Such an underhanded attack!” she said, smiling broadly from above a parapet. “You waited until her eyes were sparkling! She never saw it coming!”
I smiled, accepting the compliment in full.
Why, it could be nothing else! I had just achieved a stunning victory over an A-rank sword saint in a single strike!
Was it chivalrous? No. Did I care? More no.
Because history was written by the victors, and as far as anyone outside this chamber was concerned, I'd defeated the Snow Dancer in honourable combat!
“Ohohohoho! Behold! Being A-rank clearly doesn't extend to superior intellect! Because even if she's greater at swordplay, I'm greater at machinations!”
Coppelia smiled lazily at me, her arms leaning atop the walls of her castle.
“The pen is mightier than the sword, huh?~”
“No, Coppelia. The sword is mightier than the sword which isn't facing the right direction … ohohohohoho!”
My obstacle removed, I pointed at the vault.
“The way now is clear! I've no doubt that the Snow Dancer was present for the sole purpose of hindering our passage, whatever her playfulness might suggest.”
“Probably,” replied my future handmaiden, who for some reason still wasn't moving from her castle. “I mean, if she did want to stop us, that'd be a problem. A-rank sword saints are something special.”
I quietly laughed, trying my best not to inhale the snow.
“Why, A-rank is merely a title. And as princess, I outrank them all. Should any foe present themselves to me, I'll dispatch them as readily as I would a jester at court!”
Coppelia nodded.
All the while, she started piling on another layer on her snow wall.
“The thing is, A-rank sword saints aren't just really tough. They're silly tough. I bet they could even take a [Ball Of Doom] to the face and still survive.”
“To the face?”
I was horrified.
I could punt fruit slimes over 100 metres! Why, even if someone survived being struck in the face, then no healer could repair the damage to their hair. It'd be permanently frizzled!
Nobody would want to live after that!
“Mmh. They're nuts that way.” Coppelia peeked over her wall. “Did you hit her in the face, by any chance?”
“No.”
“Well, then.”
I pursed my lips.
After which, I turned around to view the hole being covered by the falling snow.
Nothing could be seen.
I waited a few moments more, then happily began chalking defeating a sword saint on my grand list of achievements—all the way until an echoing voice dampened my sense of satisfaction.
“See the truth amidst the falling snow, burning steps beneath the stars.”
I swept Starlight Grace towards where the Snow Dancer had been blown away.
And then—
“Snow Helix Form, 5th Stance … [Butterfly Horizon].”
I heard the voice from behind me instead.
Glancing past my shoulder, I witnessed the beautiful smile of an elven sword saint as she blinked into existence, her expression filled with simple, childish, murderous joy. And then I saw the elven sword gleaming as it absorbed the falling snow.
The sword which was now sweeping towards my neck.
​
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Lincoln: Listen up! Going through all your controversies is filling up a crowded haul, dodging Vietnam drafts like ping pong balls, just for you to reach a decent marriage well it’s about time! Leaping over your vetoed bill piles, a horrible personality to smell for Miles, I have got to survive! My roasts went too Hard on this anti-Semitic someone called medic! It’s clear you didn’t have luck of the sea, Because you're a worse president that Harding G, but you are off your dome and now with all your evil it’s time to spit out the Tea! And your oh so Loyal supporters the corruption they will see because your presidency was worse than the panic of 1873!
Trump: listen up bub your loss here is going to be huge because your writers have no balls they're just going Bing bong, in their boxers, and I say after they gave you a movie they were just plain bonkers! That Ronnie Anne is behind my wall and kick out her single Gold tooth but let’s just praise my opponent’s youth and inexperience! Listen here Lincoln it’s a shame that your creator being charged for sexual harssment is the only reason anyone knows his name! Also, song ordinary me are metaphor on how your nothing but soulless lifeless character you see!
​

Who Won?

I've always been intimidated by uber versions of fights. A few leagues ago I had a RF Inq which would easily kill all pinnacle bosses no problem, but couldnt last through with my DPS to even feel close against ubers. My work on RF jugg this league has put me higher on dps and survivability than before. Its not an instant phase process like explody totems, but I can survive just well enough to chip away at their health. First my PoB with some notables on the build, then my journey to kill the ubers.
https://pobb.in/7MywElo0mWgE
Notables:

• Divine Flesh with 85% chaos res, 83-85% ele res
• 8% armor applied vs elements (jugg) and 10% applied to chaos (armour and energy shield mastery)
• 22% phys taken as lightning/fire/chaos (6/6/10)
• Full flask (non molten shell) gives me 100k armor standing still
• 100% shock avoidance from shield crucible + storm shroud let me drop purity of elements
• 100% reduced crit (actually overcapped)
• 5.4k life,1.7k net life regen after RF
• SC Trade league. Bought whatever fractured pieces (and helmet enchant) I'm wearing, then manually crafted most of the gear I'm wearing (minus jewels and flasks).

Offense

• 30 FT/29 RF
• Double curse setup with lvl 25 ele weakness and lvl 28 flammability
• Lv 25 malevoelnce, determ, and skitterbot aura on sceptre with crucible node
• 8.9 mil RF/FT dps vs Guardian/Pinnacle Boss, 2.6 million vs uber pinnacles

Uber shaper (1 attempt) - Even regular shaper destroyed my RF Inq, mostly due to the cold pen. Converting half the damage to chaos then mitigating both halves with armor let me survive a few of any type of hit. I wasnt invincible, but there was a lot of room for error. I got low, but didnt die this fight.
Uber Sirus (1 attempt) - Tried it once ony my RF inq a while ago, just couldnt survive. Frist try on RF Jugg and I phased him relatively quickly. Things hurt, but mostly died a few times to the maze/meteor. Last phase was actually the most stable without meteors, and you get good downtime to DPS him for some of his attacks.
Uber Exarch (1 attempt, forgot I could roll mods so white invitation) - Mostly played eater with my RF inq leagues ago, so I never tried uber exarch. RF Jugg gave me a lot of fire resist out of the box, so most of his attacks were tankable. I could survive a few balls here or there, but mistakes were made and I died a few times.
Uber Eater (1 attempt, magic invitation with mods that didnt affect me) - Could tank many attacks, so there was a lot of room for error, died mostly to stupid mistakes, but the damage was enough to kill before I ran out of portals
Uber Cortex (1 attempt, forgot to turn off maven witness) - It's a chaotic fight with 2 bosses up at a time. I honestly dont know what did a lot of damage and what didnt, so I dodged what I could and just tried to keep the damage up. I think I died twice. Got lucky that there werent bad mods on cortex map.
Uber Maven (4 attempts) - This is the worst for a build that heavily relies on regen. Swapped out quicksilver flask for life that removes burning. Took me like 2 tries before I realized the "stand still" attack stops regen like the beams in the last phase. First 3 tries were messy with the degen put on the ground. Fourth try was very clean and I think I only died once.
Uber Shaper (1 attempt, also forgot to turn off maven witness) - I was more worried about this than maven because of the chaos in the fight. Surprisingly I actually phased them pretty quickly so as I phased I could spend most of the time dodging and putting degen on the edge. Died when I got caught by maven + shaper + duplicate shaper balls while frostblink was on CD.
Notable loot from the 7 fights: Its not about the loot, but the friends we made along the way.
RF is not a boss killer build, but it was nice knowing I pushed the build to clear ubers with my mediocre skill level. Its not as terrifying as I used to think. I'd rank uber difficulty as this:
Maven >>>> Uber Elder > Eater of worlds = Exarch > Cortex > Shaper > Sirus
All in all it was a good league for me. Now I'm going to gamba all I have on mageblood, maybe store some good bow crucible trees if I ever want to try explody totems in standard, then call it quits.

I wrote this short story a while ago and I wasn't sure if it would interest the people of Rimworld. If you can give me feedback on how to improve, I'm all ears.
---
The colony is lost. The night had only began and the mechanoids launched a full assault, deploying mech clusters after mech clusters. Their goal was known: total destruction. There would be no mercy, only blood and dust.
The first wave had been repelled, but not without casualties. The colony didn't have enough time to lick its wounds that the second wave was launched, and the third one was already on its way.
Despite the Empire's reinforcements, nothing seemed to stop the mechanoids.
Fearless troopers were set aflame, their agonizing screams haunting the night. Valiant janissaries were seen limping away from the battlefield, only to get evaporated. Proud cataphracts were reduced to smoking corpses filled with holes.
In a last effort to keep the colony alive, those who could take care of the orphans were to take the escape pods and seek refuge elsewhere. Bosbo was panting as she ran, carrying her baby to safety, trying to ignore the human screams and robotic screeches. The colony had welcomed her when had nowhere else to go, they helped her raise her child and never asked for the father's whereabouts. And now she was forced to abandon her new home.
The other children were confused at the sight of their parents lying lifelessly on the ground, the adults were all screaming and yelling.
Those able to fight were to secure the launching zone against the horde of metallic demons. They fought tooth and nail to ensure the future of the colony.
Sammy had been distracted by the cries of the children and only had a second to react as a scyther lunged at her, aiming for her head. In a flash, she saw herself in her lab, spending countless nights in her papers in her own world. The outside world was colder than the tiles of her research room. Despite her flashback, she came back to her sense, barely dodging the monster's claws and shooting it down from point blank range.
Ammunition was running low and what remained was unable to pierce the armored shell of the centipedes. Despite being armed with charge weapons, those seemed ineffective against the centipedes that shrugged off the bullets, only to retaliate with uncaring violence. They cut down any who stood in their path.
Once the children were safely strapped inside the pods, the adults fell back in an orderly fashion.
Timur was the last to get in, and it was with bittersweet relief that the pods were launched. Going in the air was such a contrast to his days spent under the mountain roof, mining for the colony's sake.
Only remained Sarai, the colony leader and arch-countess of the Empire. She decided to go down with her ship while guarding the hospital where to rest of the survivors were gathered. She wasn't born a noble, she came from a group of crashlanded survivors, she always worked hard for the sake of the colony. She didn't hesitate to get involved with the Empire's politics, avoiding assassination attempts and the like.
As she saw the escape pods soar through the night sky, she only hoped that the injured could have escaped as well. She lost too many good people, all because of the ancients' hubris.
At least she could feel pride in having saved as many people as she could.
Her story ended in a ball of flame as a centipede launched its missile. All the pain was quickly replaced with peace as she joined her friends who were waiting for her on the other side.
Maybe in another timeline, the colony could have been saved. But this wasn't such timeline.
The nightmare over, the survivors will be waiting for the sun.

Respect The White Lotus

"All old people know each other. Don't you know that?"

The White Lotus is an ancient and secretive society of scholars and philosophers which transcends the boundaries of the four nations. Drawing inspiration from the White Lotus tile in the game Pai Sho, and using the game to covertly communicate their membership to one another, the White Lotus stayed hidden for many years before revealing themselves during Sozin's Comet and assisting Team Avatar in liberating the world.

Source Key Avatar: The Last Airbender Season & Episode = S#E# The Legend of Korra Season 2 Episode 10 = LoK The Lost Adventures = LA The Promise = TP Smoke & Shadow = S&S Archived Nickelodeon Website = ANW 

Notes:

• All firebending occuring during S3E20 & 21 was enhanced "a hundredfold" by Sozin's Comet
• Relevant scaling: 1.Aang 2.Katara 3.Sokka 4.Toph 5.Zuko 6.Zhao 7.Azula

Iroh, The Dragon Of The West

"Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame."

Iroh was born the eldest son of Fire Lord Azulon and the rightful heir to the throne of the Fire Nation. However, after a long and historic career as a General, Iroh lost his son, retired from the military, and ceded the throne to his younger brother Ozai. He became a dedicated mentor to his nephew Zuko and a Grand Lotus of the Order of the White Lotus.

Physicals

Strength

• Smashes thrown boulders with a lenth of chain, then wraps the chain around one boulder to shatter it on his attackers ^S1E7
• Does situps to begin a workout regime in prison ^S3E4
• Does clapping pushups, and quickly shifts positions when a guard hears him to make it seem as though he were simply senile ^S3E4
• Does handstand pushups ^S3E4
• Eats his meal with one hand while doing pull ups with the other ^S3E4
• During an eclipse that rendered firebenders powerless Iroh busted himself out of prison, his prison bars were broken apart, and he is described as a "one man army" ^S3E11

Durability

• Rolls down a rocky hill barechested and buried under an earthbender's landslide, but suffers no lasting injury ^S1E7
• Knocked down and hurt slightly by an unexpected attack from Toph ^S2E8
• Body checks Azula, who soon after catches him off guard and downs him with a blast of fire that renders him unconscious ^S2E8
  • He recovers not long after, but sustains discomfort from his injury ^S2E9
• Leaps down a higher story to the ground below and lands safely ^S2E20
• Takes several thrown rocks from the Dai Li unhampered ^S2E20

Speed

• Intercepts Zhao attacking Zuko and flings him away ^S1E3
• Throws several attacks at Zhao, and quickly dispatches his four soldiers ^S1E20
• Catches Azula's lightning before she fires it and redirects it into a cliffside it blows a chunk off of, then kicks Azula overboard ^S2E1
• Kicks away a flail thrown at him ^S2E11

Firebending

• Together with Zuko, releases a fireblast that brings down a large chunk of glacier that buries half their ship ^S1E2
• Intercepts Zhao attacking Zuko, blocking Zhao's fire ^S1E3
• Heats a bath for himself with steam from his nose, making the water steam up the surrounding area ^S1E7
• Issues steam from his nose that makes his shackles red hot, then kicks out a fireblast while shackled that startles his guards' mounts ^S1E7
• Throws several attacks at Zhao, and quickly dispatches his four soldiers ^S1E20
• Takes down several of Azula's men with a combination of firebending and hand-to-hand ^S2E1
• Breathes fire in a circle around himself, using it to fend of Dai Li agents he escapes ^S2E20
• Holds a flame in his hand for light, and extinguishes it when he no longer needs it ^S2E20
• Releases large blasts of flame that hold Azula, Zuko, and the Dai Li at bay until Katara and Aang escape ^S2E20
• Uses comet enhancement to release a charged blast of fire that destroys a section of Ba Sing Se's outer wall ^S3E20
• Burns the Fire Nation flag off a Ba Sing Se Wall ^S3E21
• Lights a spear aflame before the spearman can throw it ^S&S

Lightning

• Generation
  • Speaks to the philosophy and technique behind lightningbending, saying it requires peace of mind ^S2E9
  • Creates a bolt of lightning as a demonstration ^S2E9
  • Blasts a hole in a wall with lightning while fleeing the Dai Li ^S2E20
• Redirection
  • Redirects natural lightning ^S1E12
  • Catches Azula's lightning before she fires it and redirects it into a cliffside it blows a chunk off of, then kicks Azula off the ship they are on ^S2E1
  • Developed the art of redirecting lightning by studying other bending styles and says he came up with it by himself ^S2E9
  • Explains the technique behind redirecting lightning, saying it is crucial to redirect it correctly or else risk death ^S2E9

Skill

Tactics

• The only person in history to pierce Ba Sing Se's outer wall ^ANW
  • The damage done to the wall during his siege is visible here ^S2E7
• Uses the story of his 600 day siege on Ba Sing Se to segue into a ruse that leaves behind a clue of his capture ^S1E7
• Tricks guards into touching his shackles Iroh uses to burn them, briefly escaping capture and leaving further evidence of his trail ^S1E7
• Bound by Dai Li pinning his limbs with crystals, but somehow escaped soon after ^S2E20
• Exercises in secret while convincing the guards he is senile so that he can break out later during an eclipse when they are powerless ^S3E4&11

Combat

• Wraps his chains around an earthbenders' ankles to pull them over mid-attack, burying them under their own stones ^S1E7
• Separates Zuko and a pirate in the midst of their fighting to talk sense into them ^S1E9
• Throws several attacks at Zhao, and quickly dispatches his four soldiers ^S1E20
• Takes out several of Azula's guardsmen in hand-to-hand before taking down several more with a combination of firebending and hand-to-hand ^S2E1
• Kicks away a flails so its chain wraps around a precise spot ^S2E11
• Disarms a mugger and steals his knife, then corrects his stance ^S2E15
• Says that he is not sure he could defeat his brother Ozai ^S3E19

Spirituality

• Sees a spirit that nobody else can ^S1E7
• Can sense some of the Moon Spirit's life in Yue ^S1E20
• Chose to leave his body to live out his afterlife in the Spirit World ^LoK

Invention

• Developed the art of redirecting lightning by studying other bending styles and says he came up with it by himself ^S2E9
• Invented bubble tea ^TP

King Bumi, The Mad Genius

"I didn't know what or when, but I knew I'd know it when I knew it!"

Bumi was the King of Omashu and an old friend of Avatar Aang's. 112 years old by the time Team Avatar meets him, Bumi remained physically fit and referred to himself as the greatest earthbender in the world. A master of "neutral jing," Bumi's specialty was in patient opportunism, waiting for the right moment to attack and then unleashing immensely powerful earthbending at his opponent. Aang also considered him a "mad genius" for his idiosyncratic behavior and unique perspective.
Physicals

• Is 112 years old ^ANW
• Shrugs off Aang throwing him back with an air blast ^S1E5
• Quickly defends himself with earthbending from his own attacks, reducing one boulder to sand around him and splitting another in half ^S1E5

Mobility

• Leaps across a significant distance himself ^S1E5
• Burrows down through the ground and up to a higher level in moments ^S1E5
• Rides along a wave of earth and uses it to enhance his jump ^S3E19
• Carries he and his allies on a charging mesa before leaping off it ^S3E20

Throwing

• Hits Aang with an earth attack that flings him a distance away ^S1E5
• Throws several rocks at Aang, using one to collapse the ceiling above Aang after he avoided Bumi's direct projectiles ^S1E5
• Pulls a large boulder from behind Aang and rips out a chunk of the surrounding room to throw it, then levitates a boulder above him for another attack ^S1E5
• Raises a section of earth as large as a building, using it to push a building aside before launching several buildings into the air ^S3E19
• Pulls out columns of earth that fling away attackers approaching form behind, then fires the columns a vast distance away to make a smiley face before toppling over a giant metal statue ^S3E19
• Blocks comet-enhanced fireblasts with a wall of stone, plugs the canons with fired boulders, and stacks tanks atop eachother by launching them into the air with columns of earth ^S3E21

Utility

• Kicks up several jutting rocks to impede Aang's progress toward him, then raises a shield to block Aang's attack before launching several more attacks of his own ^S1E5
• Turns the ground beneath Aang to quicksand and tries to smash Aang between two large rocks ^S1E5
• Pulls apart rock candy and catches a shard ^S1E5
  • It's clarified that this is crystalline and "pure rock candy" ^ANW

Skill

• Called a mad genius as a child, demonstrating an ability to look at familiar surroundings in unconventional ways ^S1E5
• Using only his chin he raises a column of rock that blocks Azula's charged attack, then raises another that to stand his coffin upright ^S2E3
• Uses only his chin he pushes his own coffin up a slide with a moving mound of rock ^S2E3
• Using only his chin he pulls rocks toward him with enough force to crush his metal coffin apart and free himself ^S3E19
• After freeing himself Bumi liberates Omashu from the Fire Nation during the few minutes their firebenders were powerless ^S3E19
• Fought Toph to a draw, with their clash tearing out chunks of mountainside, although neither combatant fought with intent to injure their opponent ^LA

Master Pakku

"You want to learn to fight so bad? Study closely!"

Pakku was the leader of the Northern Water Tribe's waterbenders and preeminent among them, teaching their benders and commanding their military forces. Initially a conservative man with a strict policy against teaching women, Pakku came to make an exception for his ex-fiance's granddaughter Katara and overturned the tradition.
Pakku was a central figure in the attempted siege of the Northern Water Tribe and was at one time the greatest waterbender on the planet, but retired to the Southern Water Tribe where he rekindled his romance with his fiance and settled down teaching waterbending students there.
Physicals

• Takes a water whip to the back of the head from Katara ^S1E18
• Evades Katara's attack, surfing and sliding around the battlefield with agility ^S1E18
• Evades Katara's jabs before washing her a distance away with water ^S1E18
• Deflects and evades Katara's icy projectiles ^S1E18
• Takes out several groups of soldiers surrounding him while evading their fireblasts ^S1E20

Waterbending

• Puts on a performance with his students, swirling large masses of water through the air in tandem ^S1E18
• Washes away Aang with a wave of water ^S1E18
• Stirs his soup with waterbending while teaching Aang ^S1E18
• Pulls in two pools of water that wash Katara away from him to start their duel ^S1E18
• Encircles Katara and himself in water during their duel, limiting their combat zone ^S1E18
• Evades Katara's jabs before washing her a distance away with water ^S1E18
• Overpowers Katara with a wave of water ^S1E18
• Slices apart 3 tanks in quick succession ^S1E20
• Rides atop a water spout he creates that helps him evade attacks, expanding it out for a radial attack ^S1E20

Icebending

• Steals away water Katara is bending and turns it to icicles that embed in the ice around him ^S1E18
• Practices manipulating a blob of water, then raises a chair from the ice beneath him ^S1E18
• Creates a large shield of ice he then converts into a watery attack ^S1E18
• Evades Katara's attack, surfing and sliding around the battlefield with agility ^S1E18
• Turns falling columns of ice into a harmless snowy powder ^S1E18
• Rains down spears of ice that pin Katara's limbs together, trapping her in place ^S1E18
• Melts away Katara's icy bonds with barely any motion ^S1E18
• Sinks 8 men into ice before dodging a fireblast from behind him ^S1E20
• Encases several spearmen attacking him from behind in ice simultaneously ^S1E20
• Turns a large encasing of ice to water to free a student ^S1E19
• Together with others he commands Pakku raises a large spike of ice to catch firebending artillery ^S1E19

Skill

• Is the best waterbender in the world ^ANW
• Single handedly incapacitates groups of Fire Nation soldiers in quick succession ^S1E20
• Bends a wave of water over Ba Sing Se's wall for he and his allies to slide along, then reforms it into a shield to defend them ^S3E20
• Combines an attack with Jeong Jeong's flame to create a wall of steam ^LA

Jeong Jeong, The Deserter

"Fire is a horrible burden to bear. Its nature is to consume. And without control, it destroys everything around it. Learn restraint or risk destroying yourself and everything you love."

Jeong Jeong was once an esteemed Admiral of the Fire Nation Navy, but he became disillusioned by the cruelty and destruction of his nation over time. Training students like Zhao who relished in the power of such destruction only further disgusted Jeong Jeong, and he became the first person to ever abandon the Fire Nation military and live to tell the tale, earning his nickname as he moved from village to village followed by a loyal tribe of companions.
Jeong Jeong was one of the greatest firebenders of his time. He repeatedly emphasized the virtue of control and exemplified that quality in his bending. His style largely depended on defensive moves and emphasized extremely powerful yet finely controlled walls of flame.
Skill

• Considered a firebending prodigy as a child, and a master by his teenage years ^ANW
• Referred to as a living legend, a firebending genius, and the first person to desert the Fire Nation military an live ^S1E16
• Catches a falling leaf without looking at it, and burns a hole in its center ^S1E16
• Combines an attack with Pakku's water to create a wall of steam ^LA

Firebending

• Blocks a blast of fire ^S1E16
• Raises a massive fire wall that closes halts the passage of ships down a river, then lowers it shortly after Zhao passes through ^S1E16
• Creates a fire shield that guards against several firebending attacks, and seemingly vanishes from enemies surrounding him ^S1E16
• Ambushes Toph, Zuko, Katara, and Sokka and surrounds them in a ring of flame ^S3E19
• While comet-enhanced, blocks large fireblasts with a massive column of flame he sends down sections of Ba Sing Se that pushes tanks into piles, all while hovering midair ^S3E20

Master Piandao

"The way of the sword doesn't belong to any one nation. Knowledge of the arts belongs to us all."

Piandao was abandoned at an early age for being born a nonbender, and dedicated his life not only to becoming the world's foremost swordsman but a student of philosophy and art from every nation. Piandao retired from the Fire Nation military to live a quiet life as a noble member of the citizenry, turning away most of the students who came to him for teaching. Eventually he accepted Sokka as a student, and later assisted in the liberation of Ba Sing Se.
Strength

• Pushes Sokka a considerable distance back during their duel ^S3E4
• His sword gouges into stone and when Sokka steps on its blade he launches Sokka off of it ^S3E4

Speed

• Draws on Sokka, who narrowly evades, and clashes with him ^S3E4
• Swiftly cuts through bamboo sprung at him and runs and outpaces Sokka during their duel ^S3E4
• Sheathes Sokka's sword impossibly fast and this is not a continuity error ^S3E4
• Deflects a piece of rock from Toph and Bumi's duel ^LA

Skill

• The greatest sword master and sword maker in Fire Nation history, and once defeated 100 Fire Nation soldiers in combat ^ANW
• Explains the philosophy behind swordsmanship ^S3E4
• Trained Zuko in swordsmanship ^LA
• Guides Sokka through picking the proper steel for his sword ^S3E4
• Spars with Sokka, pushing his student to rely on wits and agility to survive before ultimately prevailing despite being blinded by dirt ^S3E4
• Catches his sheath on his sword blade perfectly despite being blind ^S3E4
• Slides down a wave of ice Pakku creates and chops aparts the spears of Fire Nation soldiers ^S3E20

Respect Azula

"Maybe you should worry less about the tides, who already made up their mind about killing you, and worry more about me, who's still mulling it over."

History: Born into the royal family of the Fire Nation, Azula was a firebending prodigy who learned quickly the advantages of gathering power and manipulating others. When her exiled brother Zuko proved unable to successfully capture the Avatar, Azula stepped in to command the search while also taking an active role in winning the Hundred Years War once and for all.
Azula quickly proved a capable leader and exemplary strategist, nearly capturing her fugitive brother before convincing him to join her and even successfully killing Avatar Aang. Perhaps her greatest triumph was in seizing control of Ba Sing Se, a greatly fortified city which withstood attempted invasions for the past 100 years. In spite of those victories, Aang's resuscitation and Zuko's defection to the Avatar's side began Azula's downfall.
Azula recruited her childhood friends Mai and Ty Lee into her mission, but their betrayal against her began to crack Azula's sanity. She grew increasingly manic toward the end of the series, and even her father crowning her as the new Fire Lord did not comfort her. When she was beaten, dethroned, and imprisoned by Team Avatar Azula saw confinement in a mental health facility before eventually escaping custody.
Accepting that she would never be Fire Lord again seemed to bring Azula some peace, although her sociopathy remained fully intact. Most recently, she honed her abilities even past her former prime as she posed as the Kemurikage spirit in a plot to make Zuko a more ruthless Fire Lord.
​

Source Key: Avatar: The Last Airbender [Season & Episode] = S#N# The Search [Part]= TS# Smoke & Shadow [Part] = S&S# Avatar: The Last Airbender The Art of the Animated Series = AAS 

Notes:

1. Feats occurring between S3E16 and TS3 take place while Azula's mental state is deteriorated ^AAS Despite Zuko previously saying he would need help to beat Azula, he feels more confident after taking notice of her manic state ^S3E19 At the start of S&S Zuko says she's "gotten strong again," and by the end of S&S it's said she's better and stronger.
2. Feats occurring in S3E120 & S3E21 take place during Sozin's comet, which massively amplified any firebender's power.

Scaling: 1. Zuko 2. Aang 3.Katara 4. Sokka 5. Toph 6. Ty Lee 7. Iroh

Physicals

• Strength
  • Shatters a seashell with her fingers ^S2E1
  • Knocks Zuko over badly enough to make his vision blurry on recovery ^S2E1
  • Kicks away several rocks Aang launches at her ^S2E13
  • Kicks a volleyball hard enough to send up a plume of sand and knock surrounding people back with the shockwave ^S3E05
  • Performs a planche and pulls her legs through the gap in her arms ^S3E15
  • Flips herself over a railing and pulls herself back ^S3E16
• Durability
  • Survives a close range explosion when matching fireblasts with Zuko and quickly recovers ^S3E16
  • Shrugs off Sokka's boomerang hitting her in the head ^TS3
  • Gets back up from taking her own lightning redirected at her and smashing her through furniture ^TS3
  • Shrugs off a blast of Zuko's fire ^S&S
• Agility
  • Makes a tall leap, kicks out a plume of fire, and lands on the end of a pole ^S2E3
  • Knocked down from a story up and lands gracefully ^S2E8
  • Recovers from an explosion of slush than sent her falling down a surface with little leverage, but digs her boots into place and stops herself ^S2E13
  • Leaps a considerable distance through a large cloud of steam ^S2E20
  • Makes a high leap off Zuko ^S3E05
  • Performs several flips and jumps off walls while evading Aang and Toph ^S3E11
  • Flips over a considerable distance to land atop Zuko while exchanging fireblasts with him ^TS2

Speed

• Zuko
  • Easily evades Zuko without needing to firebend ^S2E1
  • Duels more evenly with Zuko ^S3E16
  • Dodges a comet-enhanced blast of fire from Zuko ^S3E20
  • Flees Zuko while bound, and times a flip so his fireblast frees her from her bindings ^TS1
  • Shows difficulty landing a hit on Zuko ^TS3
  • Overcomes Zuko in a melee ^S&S
• Aang
  • Blocks Aang's air blast ^S2E3
  • Takes cover and recovers quickly while sledding quickly down a path ^S2E3
  • Leaps out of the way of a fast approaching barrer ^S2E3
  • Evades several attacks from Aang and falling rocks before overwhelming him ^S2E13
• Katara
  • Narrowly evades an attack from Katara, though Katara overwhelms Azula with tentacles of water, entrapping her limbs before Zuko intervenes ^S2E20
  • Casually dodges icicles thrown by Katara ^TS1
• Sokka
  • Evades Sokka's strikes, despite him surprising her ^S2E8
  • Deflects Sokka's boomerang ^TS2
• Kyoshi Warriors
  • Disarms and downs Suki before dodging and attacking another Kyoshi Warrior ^S2E16
  • Dodges Suki and Ty Lee while landing hits on both of them ^S&S
• Multiple Opponents
  • Fends off and evades Zuko and Aang's simultaneous attacks ^S2E8
  • Fights Aang, Katara, and Sokka simultaneously before Toph surprises her ^S2E8
  • Blasts Iroh with fire and downs him before any of Team Avatar can react ^S2E8
  • Evades Toph and Aang's attacks without her bending ^S3E11
  • Fights Zuko and Sokka simultaneously ^S3E15

Firebending

Note: Azula's blue flames signify her superiority in firebending ^AAS

• Power
  • Against materials
    • Slices off a corner of a building ^S2E8
    • Overwhelms Aang's defenses, blasting through a wall of stone hard enough to briefly KO Aang ^S2E13
    • Brings down a tree with a blast of fire ^S2E16
    • Blasts through Aang's stone wall, pushing he and Katara back ^S2E20
    • Evaporates a wave of water from Katara and leaps a considerable distance through the steam ^S2E20
    • Converts her rocket boost into an attack that blasts through Aang's crystal armor and craters him into a wall ^S2E20
    • Breaks apart stone bindings around her hands ^S3E11
    • Creates a large explosion that further weakens the integrity of a collapsing temple ^S3E16
  • Against Zuko
    • Blasts through Zuko's fireshield forcefully enough to send him crashing through a wooden structure ^S2E8
    • Matches a fireblast with Zuko, both of them exploding away Rockets herself to a cliffside while falling to save herself ^S3E16
    • Matches comet-enhanced blasts of fire with Zuko ^S3E20
    • Trades comet-enhanced blasts of fire with Zuko ^S3E20
    • Matches fireblasts with Zuko ^S&S
    • Wields flame daggers that match Zuko's ^S&S3
    • [Shields against simultaneous attacks from Team Avatar, including Zuko, and disappears in the aftermath]() ^S2E8
• Control
  • Releases a wave of flame Aang leaps over ^S2E3
  • Releases several quick jabs of fire ^S2E3
  • Creates a pinwheel of flame that travels along a path
  • Creates a downward whip of flame that keeps Aang from fleeing her ^S2E8
  • Surrounds a room in fire ^S2E8
  • [Blasts Iroh with fire and downs him before any of Team Avatar can react Shields against simultaneous attacks from Team Avatar and disappears in the aftermath]() ^S2E8
  • Breathes fire ^S3E21
  • Burns a small hole in Aang's glider ^TS1
  • Burns Zuko slightly when the two are kids ^TS2
• Rocket boost
  • Rockets herself to a cliffside while falling to save herself ^S3E16
  • Propels herself across the ground toward Aang before suddenly stopping and converting the rockets into an attack ^S2E20
  • Rockets herself upwards and across a gondola wire ^S3E15
  • Rockets across the ground toward Zuko ^S3E20
  • Propels herself through the air chasing after Katara ^S3E21
  • Boosts herself up to the roof of a building ^S&S

​

Lightning bending

Note: Early on Azula seemingly required charge up time before releasing lightning but it significantly diminished over time

• Power
  • Fires lightning that, when redirected, destroys a chunk of a cliffside and brings boulders crashing down ^S2E1
  • Blasts through a massive stone wall created by Toph, creating a large hole ^S2E8
  • Kills Aang, requiring Katara to revive him ^S2E20
  • Nearly kills Zuko when he improperly redirects her lightning, then blasts the ground a moment later ^S3E20
  • Sends up an explosion of water ^TS1
  • Crashes through a ceiling ^TS3
• Control
  • Practices her lightning bending until she gets it perfect ^S2E1
  • Quickly alternates between fire and lightning ^S3E21
  • Releases a small zap to disarm Sokka ^TS1
  • Forms a ball of lightning to lead away a swarm of spirit insects ^TS1
  • Redirects her own redirected lightning, knocking Zuko back ^S&S
  • Quickly releases lightning without charge up, then does it again to incapacitate someone ^S&S
• Blinding
  • Blinds Zuko ^TS1
  • Blinds Aang to cause him to crash ^TS1
  • Releases bolts in a wide AoE ^S&S

Equipment

• Boots send up sparks on a metal surface and allow her to gain leverage ^S2E13
• Keeps a blade up her sleeve ^S3E11
• Digs her hairpin into the side of a cliff to give herself an anchor point ^S3E16

Intelligence

• As a child held an encyclopedic knowledge of military history, and was considered a prodigy at firebending ^S2E7
• As a child, shot fire at an apple on Mai's head knowing Zuko would tackle her into water to put it out ^S2E7
• Infiltrates the Earth Kingdom by posing as an ally, and learns valuable military intel from the Earth King himself ^S2E19
  • Deliberately leaks information to the Dai Li so that their leader Long Feng will believe he has leverage on her ^S2E19
  • Tricks Long Feng into granting her temporary control of the Dai Li while making him believe he has an advantaged position ^S2E19
  • Uses the Dai Li to enact a coup she plans, seizing control of the city of Ba Sing Se ^S2E20
  • Successfully seizes control of the Dai Li from Long Feng ^S2E20
• Fools Toph's ability to detect lies ^S3E11
• Successfully plans a trap for Team Avatar, using herself as a decoy to keep her father safe during an invasion ^S3E11
  • Leads Team Avatar on a meaningless chase in order to waste their time during the invasion ^S3E11
  • After Sokka warns Toph not to take Azula's bait in order to waste more of their time, Azula instead baits Sokka himself into confronting her ^S3E11
• Can tell a man under interrogation is telling the truth within seconds ^S3E15
• Even while losing her mind, Azula gets Zuko to accept a 1v1 battle with her so that she does not need to fight a 2v1 ^S3E20

Respect Sokka

“Boomerang! You do always come back!”

Sokka was too young to fight when the Fire Nation attacked his village. Growing up preparing for the day he could take the battle to them, Sokka finally got his chance to make a difference when he and his sister Katara discovered the Avatar. Setting out on a journey to save the world, Sokka proved a critical piece in ending the year that had consumed the planet for over 100 years.
Despite not being a bender, Sokka proved a capable fighter, inventor, and tactician. Armed with an array of weapons and undergoing training from a variety of sources, Sokka conceived of and lead the invasion on the Day of the Black Sun and ultimately stopped the Fire Nation air fleet that would have devastated the Earth Kingdom.

Source Key: Avatar: The Last Airbender = S#E# The Lost Lore of Avatar = LLA Lost Adventures = LA The Search = TS The Rift = TR North and South =N&S 

Relevant Scaling: 1. Aang 2. Zuko 3. Azula 4. Master Piandao

Physicals

• Strength
  • Throwing
    • Throws boomerang hard enough to knock back a large animal ^S1E11
    • Throws boomerang hard enough to make a large animal release its prey ^S1E11
    • Knocks a man out with his boomerang ^S2E1
    • Hits two men with one boomerang throw hard enough to stun them ^N&S
  • Striking
    • Knocks out a man with one blow of his club ^S2E1
    • Knocks out Wan Shi Tong with a book, a giant spirit who was earlier busting through walls ^S2E10
  • Holding/Pushing
    • Holds the weight of another man while holding onto a rope ^S1E17
    • Rolls a large boulder ^S3E4
    • Holds Toph with one arm while attacking firebenders ^S3E20
• Durability
  • Hit by a ball, suffers a fall, and not hurt at all ^S1E3
  • Thrown a distance away by air that destroys part of a structure and gets back up ^S1E3
  • Falls a huge distance, landing in a swamp, and gets right back up ^S2E4
  • Grabbed by a swamp monster and smashed around, sustaining no permanent damage ^S2E4
  • Ty Lee paralyzes his limbs, but hurts her fingers on his skull ^S2E8
  • Thrown across a room and through doors and gets up with little discomfort ^S2E15
• Speed
  • Scaling
    • Dodges a fireblast from Zuko after recovering from a fall ^S1E1
    • Briefly outruns Aang and swings at him while running ^S1E3
    • Intercepts a fireblast from Zuko ^S1E4
    • Dodges fireblasts from Azula ^S2E8
    • Dodges a surprise fireblast from Azula ^S2E13
    • Evades Ty Lee's close range attacks ^S2E20
    • Dodges an unexpected swing from Piandao ^S3E4
    • Again dodges an unexpected fireblast from Azula ^S3E11
  • Reaction
    • Dodges a flail ^S1E7
    • Dodges thrown darts ^S2E8
    • Intercepts darts, knocking them out of the air ^S2E8
    • Throws attacks at two firebenders before they can fire on him ^S3E20
    • Dodges a blade and several arrows ^TR
    • Slaps an arrow fired at him from the air and dodges another ^TR

​

Skill

• Unarmed Combat
  • Embarassed by Suki, but trains with her and briefly bests her, although she recovers and returns the favor ^S1E4
  • Evades Ty Lee's close range attacks ^S2E20
  • Outfights a trained fighter ^TR
• Swordsmanship
  • In a matter of days goes from losing to a sparring partner to being able to disarm and beat them ^S3E4
  • Spars with Piandao, keeping up with the more experienced master by using his environment and improvisation before finally losing ^S3E4
  • Disarms a spearman and unseats him from his mount ^S3E10
• Accuracy
  • Throwing
    • Severs two ropes in one arc of his boomerang ^S1E10
    • Grapples Aang's feet as he flies by ^S1E17
    • Throws his boomerang from atop a flying bison, disarms Mai, and catches the boomerang on its return ^S2E3
    • Reflects a beam directly into an archer's eye, and throws a pipe around the archer's flaming arrow ^S2E5
    • Idly throws and catches his boomerang as he walks ^S2E15
    • Triangulates a throw from around a corner, throwing his boomerang in an arc into Combustion Man's tattoo and causing him to combust himself ^S3E12
    • Headshots a man with his boomerang, then throws his sword to slice off a platform, both while lying down holding Toph with one arm ^S3E20
    • Hits two men with one boomerang throw ^N&S
  • Returning Boomerang
    • Zuko dodges his boomerang, but it hits him on its return ^S1E1
    • Once again Zuko dodges his boomerang before getting hit with it on its return ^LA
    • Throws his boomerang amidst commotion and nails Azula in the head with it on its return ^TS
    • Cuts down a chandelier with a classic fool somebody into thinking you're missing cliche ^N&S
• Misc
  • Learns to sail a ship well enough to navigate disastrous terrain ^S1E15
  • Learns to forge his sword alongside Piandao ^S3E4

Equipment

• Club
  • Knocks out a man with the handle ^S2E1
  • Aang swings the club through a stone column ^S2E9
  • Blocks flowers frozen and propelled like shuriken ^TS
• Machete
  • Cuts through vines ^S2E4
  • Cuts through wood ^S2E4
  • Cuts through the vines of a swamp monster ^S2E4
  • Slices off a metal tap ^S2E13
• Knife
  • Stabs into a tree and conducts sound ^S1E10
• Boomerang
  • Cuts ropes ^S1E10
  • Cuts through spears ^S1E6
• Sword
  • Said to be able to slice through the toughest materials, including metal ^LLA
  • Cuts into stone and throws out dirt ^S3E4
  • Slices through metal turrets ^S3E10
  • Slices through stone soldiers ^S3E18
  • Slices through the hull of an airship, as well cutting through a platform when thrown ^S3E20

Intelligence

• Tactics
  • Intuits the design of a ship and concocts a plan to close up its ventilation system and release coal for earthbenders to use ^S1E6
  • Manipulations a solarium to figure out when the next eclipse would be after learning than an eclipse would depower firebenders ^S2E10
    • This proved a key piece in the invasion of The Day of the Black Sun, which Sokka lead ^TP
  • Creates a malfunction to lure in an engineer in order to steal the engineers schematics, then uses the schematics to figure out how to destroy a giant mechanized drill ^S2E13
  • Concocts a plan to disguise their ship as the enemy's to evade detection^LA
  • Develops a plan that takes out a fleet of airships, crashing the one they are in into all the others ^S3E18
• Inventions
  • Creates small bombs to try to mimic firebending ^S1E8
  • Figures out a system to pilot hot air balloons ^S1E17
  • Creates large glue bombs that incapacitate soldiers and machinery ^S1E17
  • Creates armor for Appa the sky bison ^S3E10
  • Creates chi-blocking resistant chainmail armor ^N&S
• Improvisation
  • Uses his knife to amplify his hearing ^S1E10
  • Thinks to use Katara and Aang's water bending to save their ship from a wreck ^S1E15
  • Turns the fuel for a hot air balloon into a bomb that stops an invasion ^S1E17
  • Uses the marks an animal leaves on skin to convince a guard he has an infectious disease, then trains others to do the same to scare several guards in the city ^S2E3
  • Uses his environment, such as the bamboo he runs through and dirt from the ground to even the odds against Piandao ^S3E4

​
Water Tribe!

Respect Avatar Aang

Come on, Appa. Yip-yip!

History: Aang was just a fun-loving 12 year old when he discovered he was the Avatar, destined to master the four elements and bring balance to the world. At first fleeing his responsibilities, Aang became frozen for 100 years while war consumed the world. Awaking to discover he was the last airbender, Aang gathered friends who helped him master the four elements and restore balance to the world.
Powers: Aang controls the four elements, can enhance his power with the Avatar State, and has a mix of other spiritual and learned abilities.

Source Key & Notes

Strength

• Picks up Katara and makes several tall leaps with her in tow ^S1E1
• Breaks off a stalagmite to throw it ^S1E5
• Carries a large boulder on his back as Toph disrupts his footing ^S2E9
• Smashes a club through stone pillars ^S2E9
• Pushes against Toph's armored form tackling into him, driving her back ^S2E9
• Trains with a kettle bell, maintaining his balance on pillars even as Toph shakes them ^S2E9
• Boosts Katara and then Sokka up into a machine ^S2E13
• While severely sleep deprived, trains for hours punching a tree hard enough to shake it ^S3E9
• Flings furniture across a room ^S3E18

Durability

Concussive

• Crashes headfirst into a pillar of snow while flying and recovers ^S1E1
• Bumi craters him into the ground with falling debris, and Aang quickly recovers ^S1E5
• Takes a hit from Hei Bei that breaks through a chunk of building, appearing fine right after ^S1E7
  • Hei Bei previously destroyed large structures with his hits
• Matches blasts with Zuko, cratering them both into shingled roofs before they continue ^S1E15
• A chunk of earth tears him through a balcony and he recovers during his fall ^S2E1
• Azula blasts through his shield, dazing him briefly before he counters her ^S2E13
• Azula blasts through his armor and craters him into a wall, and he bounces back ^S2E20
• Dazed by Ozai's fireblast that tears through his stone defense, but comes to midair ^S3E20
• Often takes hits he recovers from with little damage ^COMP

Esoteric

• Suffered a burn he seemingly did not notice until Katara pointed it out ^S1E16
• Dies to a surprise bolt of Azula's lightning while in the Avatar State, though revived by Katara healing him with spirit water ^S2E20
• Bloodbent by Yakone, tossed aside and rendered unconscious, but recovers with the Avatar State ^{LoK S1E9}

Speed

Movement

• Sprints quickly, kicking up a trail of snow ^S1E1
• Outruns Sokka, dodging a club swing to run along a wall while outpacing him ^S1E3
• Runs along the surface of water, and crashes onto land where the impact digs up a trench ^S1E4
• Races forward, sending out gusts of wind when he stops ^S1E5
• Races through hallways, outspeeding Katara and Sokka ^S1E8
• Leaps away and begins running quickly to find medicine for his friends ^S1E13
• Said to be able to run as fast as the wind, and blows apart a guard tower in his wake ^S1E13
• Races up a flight of stairs and across a courtyard ^S1E13
• Chases after Katara, and catches her despite her head start ^S3E3

Reactions - Bending Projectiles

• Evades several fireblasts from Zuko while in a confined space ^S1E2
• Evades several of Zhao's fireblasts, ultimately tricking Zhao into burning his own ships ^S1E16
• Evades Zuko and Azula's simultaneous attacks ^S2E8
• Intercepts Combustion Man's blast mid-explosion with his airbending ^S3E5
• Evades Ozai's lightning, whirling himself away from it in a tornado and later redirecting it ^S3E20
• Often dodges basic bending attacks, including some from Bumi, Zuko, Toph, and Azula ^COMP

Reactions - Weapons

• Reacts to projectiles and spears obscured by smoke ^S1E9
• Sees arrows flying toward him, and deflects them with a bubble of air ^S1E13
• Evades several arrows while fleeing the Yuyan Archers ^S1E13
• Breaks through several branches while continuing to evade the Yuyan Archers ^S1E13
• Continues evading arrows, and blocks some with a wall of ice before being pinned ^S1E13
• Dodges thrown hammers linked to chains ^S1E19
• Dodges darts from Mai ^S2E3
• Catches someone fleeing him while evading thrown axes ^TP
• Often evades weapons in close quarters ^COMP

Reactions - Misc.

• Leaps out of the way of several canyon crawlers at the last moment ^S1E11
• Flies straight at Nyla and evades her tongue ^S1E15
• Evades Nyla's tongue and Zuko's fireblasts in quick succession ^S1E15
• Katara congratulates him on having the reflexes of a waterbending master ^S2E8
• Evades several of Azula's attacks and falling boulders ^S2E13
• Dodges several falling boulders ^S2E13
• Evades a bully trying to fight him without using his bending ^S3E2
• Catches himself from falling on spikes by blowing air that flips him over a trap ^S3E13

Agility & Mobility

Against others

• Races around a hallway, then cuts his bindings on an attacker's helmet ^S1E2
• Escapes Zuko's grasp and flips around Fire Sages to get into a room behind them ^S1E8
• Evades Zuko's blasts in close quarters and grabs a necklace from him while doing so ^S1E15
• While spinning around and bound, evades a fireblast precisely enough for it to free him ^LA
• Wedges a grapple out of a mountainside, and doges several projectiles from tundra tanks ^S1E17
• Performs an impromptu dance with Katara ^S3E2

Navigating Environment

• Leaps to the top of a totem he is tied to, cutting his bindings ^S1E4
• Navigates several stalagmites with deft leaps ^S1E5
• Navigates treetops while fleeing Jet and evading his slashes ^S1E10
• Implements improvised stilts as an escape, carrying Zuko on his back as he makes a leap ^S1E13
• Leaps across rooftops ^S2E3
• Bends while balancing on a carafe ^S2E14
• Leaps across rooftops and gusts away animals harassing people ^S2E15
• Quickly ascends a cliffside ^S3E5
• Often makes leaps over large distances ^COMP

Glider

• Explains how he can control the air currents around his glider to fly ^S1E1
• Flies around on his glider to show off, though he crashes ^S1E1
• Flies after Hei Bei through a forest, catching up to him briefly ^S1E7
• Flies around on his glider to show off ^S1E17
• Helicopters his staff overhead to fly a short distance ^S1E4
• Uses his staff to helicopter up in the air ^S1E5
• Helicopters atop a wall, and carries Zuko along with him using his legs ^S1E13
• Flies a considerable distance while exhausted ^S2E8
• Flies after a buzzard wasp that has a head start, but catches up to it ^S2E11
• Navigates around fireballs and tears through war balloons ^S3E11
• Often carries others while flying ^COMP

Air Scooter

• Uses his Air Scooter to race around the walls and ceiling of a chamber ^S1E2
• Loosens snow to create a small avalanche that sweeps soldiers off a mountainside ^S1E17
• Air Scooters up a wall and runs the rest of the way ^S2E1
• Outpaces a stampede of animals ^S2E15
• Air Scooter keeps pace with a train ^LA
• Makes air scooters for half a dozen others ^TP
• Creates an Air Scooter beneath Zuko to whisk him away ^S&S
• Bursts through doors on a large Air Scooter he rides across buildings, tearing into them ^{LoK S1E9}
• Often uses his Air Scooter in mundane circumstances ^COMP

Misc. movement

• Pulls himself out of quicksand before two boulders could smash him between them ^S1E5
• Catches himself before he falls over an edge with a quick correction of air ^S1E10
• Uses air to balance on one finger and to split a stream of fire ^S1E16
• Floats between landings, making it difficult for Toph to pinpoint him with her seismic sense ^S2E6
• Creates an aircurrent he runs across over a crowd ^TR
• Rises on a column of air to scout ahead ^TR
• Ascends on a column of air that then keeps him aloft when he exits the Avatar State ^TR
• Flies on a column of air while carrying others ^N&S
• Often aids his mundane movements, even outside combat ^COMP

Air

Airblasts
Destroys Material - w/o Weapon

• Blasts apart a flaming catapult projectile, shattering it to pieces ^S1E8
• Throws one man through a wooden railing and another a distance away ^S1E9
• Matches blasts with Zuko, cratering them both into shingled roofs ^S1E15
• Blasts Zuko against a wall, sending out shingles in his wake ^S1E15
• Blasts through Mongke's fire to send him through a wooden board ^S2E5
• Blasts through a dock to send the firebender away ^S3E3
• Extinguishes a swathe of flame, and blasts Zuko through a wall and out a building ^S3E18
• Shatters a chunk of road and a carriage's reins, sending the carriage toppling over ^{LoK S1E9}

Destroys Material - w/Weapon

• Blasts Zuko through a wooden structure with a pair of fans ^S1E4
• Destroys a trebuchet ^S1E19
• Collapses several railings to try to impede Azula ^S2E3
• Collapses scaffolding ^S2E3
• Breaks apart a sand-sailer ^S2E11
• Shatters another sand-sailer ^S2E11
• Blasts two large palace doors off their hinges ^S2E18
• Blasts 2 large metal doors off their hinges ^S3E11
• Tears through a throne ^S3E11
• Flings people through a door that shatters on impact ^TP

Moves Material

• Gusts a cabbage cart down a street where it crashes into a few men ^S1E9
• Blasts a wrecking ball structure off the side of a mountain ^S1E17
• Whips away boulders rolling down a slide and breaks them apart ^S2E3
• Blasts a boulder away and Toph out of the arena ^S2E6
• Sweeps away falling debris and tackles Smellerbee out of the way of more ^TP
• Blasts back attackers and barrels, and flips giant drill ^N&S

Moves Individuals

• Blasts back 2 groups of people in opposing directions ^S1E11
• Repeatedly blasts away several men at a time ^S1E13
• Blasts away an attacker ^S1E13
• Gusts himself back after failing to earthbend ^S2E9
• Knocks away a charging giant owl spirit ^S2E10
• Gusts himself back while repelling Combustion Man's explosion ^S3E5
• Often gusts away other people, groups, himself, and animals ^COMP
• Often gusts away himself and others by blowing or sneezing ^COMP
• Often uses airblasts for a variety of purposes ^COMP

Lifting/Throwing

• Whips a mattress into Zuko, slamming him around a room ^S1E2
• Floats a ball around before ricocheting it off posts and launching Sokka back ^S1E3
• Accelerates a thrown stalagmite to hit a precise target ^S1E5
• Creates a wind tunnel that spits out projectiles of coal hard enough to knock men overl ^S1E6
• Flips several tundra tanks in quick succession ^S1E17
• Blasts back attackers and barrels, and flips giant drill ^N&S
• Often lifts weights ranging from very small to very large ^COMP

Misc. maneuvers

• Whirls soldiers around him in a wide circle ^S1E10
• Pulls a man away from the charging Wan Shi Tong ^S2E10
• Creates spinning circles that carries away Toph's students to land safely away ^TR
• Often creates tornados of varying size he manipulates to a variety of purposes ^COMP
• Often creates or clears away particulate that hinders visibility ^COMP

Defense
Repelling Fire

• Deflects a fireblast that brings down a chunk of a glacier large enough to partially bury a ship ^S1E2
• Blocks four simultaneous fireblasts that scorch the area around him ^S1E13
• Spins his staff to block quick jabs of fire from Azula ^S2E3
• Swats away a trebuchet projectile strong enough to destroy a ship and shatter stone ^S2E12
• Extinguishes firebenders' flames while hidden ^S3E3
• Rebels point-blank fire breath from Ozai ^S3E21
• Often blocks firebenders' flames, including Zuko, Azula, and Ozai ^COMP

Air Bubbles

• Creates an air bubble around himself that protects from falling debris ^S1E7
• Creates a small shield that blocks Jet's hits and returns a gust in response ^S1E10
• Sees arrows flying toward him, and deflects them with a bubble of air ^S1E13
• Twirls a ball of air in front of him to direct away sewage ^S2E3
• Surrounds Appa and everyone inside in an air bubble that resists a tornado ^S2E4
• Expands an air bubble out that loosens restraints on him well enough to escape ^S2E4
• Clears away scorpion bees coating him ^LA
• Creates a breathable air bubble underwater and reestablishes it when it dissipates ^TS

Utility
Slicing

• Slices a melon into portions ^S1E11
• Beheads a buzzard wasp from a vast distance ^S2E11
• Slices vines apart with air ^TS

Heat

• Cools a large amount of lava into stone ^S1E14
• Cools off Toph's soup from across the table ^S2E6
• Amplifies Kuzon's flames with his air ^LA
• Cools a geyser of lava with a blast of air so it solidifies ^S3E11

Cushions

• Cushions his fall so an egg he holds does not break ^LA
• Cushions he and an ally's fall ^S1E13
• Cushions his fall after taking a hit ^S2E1
• Cushions he and Bumi's fall while Bumi is locked in a metal coffin ^S2E3
• Cushions several people's fall ^TR
• Cushion's Zuko's impact against a wall ^S&S

Drying

• Dries himself off after a cloud drenches him ^S1E7
• Gusts Sokka dry after Katara washes him clean ^S2E3
• Quickly dries himself off ^S2E10
• Gusts a woman to dry her off, stiffening her clothes and hair cartoonishly ^S2E14
• Cleans polluted water off himself, then off his friends ^S3E3

Misc.

• Pulls his staff from Sokka's hand to his own ^S1E1
• Rapidly rotates the wheel to a door to open it ^S1E2
• Produces sustained gusts of wind that open a special mechanism on an Air Temple door ^S1E3
• Manipulates the air around a toboggan so he and his friends fall back into it ^S1E5
• Raises a tent ^S2E8
• Gusts Katara's hat off her head ^S3E3
• Often rotates marbles between his hands as a neat trick ^COMP

Water

Training

• Picks up waterbending easily, waxing and waning water before moving it around him ^S1E9
• Proved natural at waterbending, and continued training with Katara and Pakku ^COMP

Offense/Defense

• Pulls a wave onboard strong enough to wash a man overboard ^S1E9
• Blasts water out of a well that overpowers Zuko's fireblast and sends Zuko flying into the air ^S1E15
• Surrounds himself in tentacles that catch projectiles ^S2E2
• Whips Azula's hands as she attempts fireblasts, and then forms a shield from another blast ^S2E13
• Redirects a whip of water back at Katara ^S3E7
• Knocks Combustion Man off a train with a wave ^LA
• Throws a waterfall at Ozai that blocks his flame ^S3E20
• Forms a shield that blocks Zuko's fireblasts ^TP

Slicing

• Creates 3 geysers that slice a ship mast in half as it falls over ^S1E12
• Slices a reed in half
• Slices repeatedly at the hull of a Drill, making a deep X ^S2E13

Utility

• Creates a stream of water to wash off Appa ^S2E8
• Collects water from a cloud ^S2E11
• Bends several drinks out of their cups and whirls them around ^S2E14
• Creates a cloud around Appa to obscure him ^S3E6
• Pull water into a circle around him ^N&S

Icebending
Offense/Defense

• Raises a wall of ice that blocks oncoming arrows ^S1E13
• Freezes the water in a moat to lock guards in place ^S2E18
• Freezes several giant crab claws while underwater ^TS
• Trips fleeing people with the snow beneath them ^N&S
• Pulls ice up from beneath a chi-blocker to bind his limbs ^N&S

Utility

• Collects the snow around him to turn himself into a snow man ^S1E19
• Freezes a chain, embrittling it so he can shatter it ^S2E3
• Freezes a chain with his breath, embrittling it so he can shatter it ^S2E3
• Freezes himself in a block of ice ^S2E12
• Catches a mass of water from Katara and expands it out into an explosion of snow that extinguishes a conflagration ^S3E4

Mobility

• Dives underwater and swims quickly past a barricade ^S3E1
• After speaking with the Moon Spirit, amplifies a tidal wave that carries him to the safety of an island ^S3E1
• Freezes the water beneath his feet as he runs across water ^S3E3
• Swims quickly around a giant lion turtle the size of an island ^S3E19
• Catches himself on a column of water to land safely in the water ^S3E20
• Propels himself across water away from Ozai ^S3E20

Earth

Projectiles

• Earthbends for the first time, launching a boulder away where it releases a dust cloud on impact ^S2E9
• Breaks off a huge portion of stone from an outcropping ^S2E9
• Catches and throws a large boulder ^S2E13
• Throws a large pillar of stone at Combustion Man ^S3E5
• Launches and curves boulders a vast distance away and destroys chunks of an airship ^S3E20
• Tears off the top of a stone column and hurls it ^S3E20
• Kicks away a massive stone column ^S3E20

Columns

• Earthbends up a column in his sleep, and sends out a tremor that dislodges an avalanche ^LA
• Bursts through a stone barrier and knocks away a Dai Li with a column ^S3E11
• Knocks a Dai Li away with a column of stone ^S2E17
• Raises a column ^S&S
• Blocks attackers with a column so they knock themselves out and moves a stone barrier ^S&S

Barriers

• Raises a barrier to hide from viper bats ^LA
• Creates a stone defense to Azula's fireblasts and launches rocks from it, but she overpowers it ^S2E13
• Creates massive walls, columns, and enclosures to form a whole zoo ^S2E15
• Raises and pushes a stone wall to knock away attackers ^S2E18
• Raises a wall against Azula's sudden attack, which blasts through it ^S2E20
• Raises a crystal defense that stifles Zuko's large fireblast ^S2E20
• Closes off a cave passage ^S3E2
• Raises a stone wall that Ozai's blast destroys ^S3E20
• Raises a barrier that blocks shuriken ^TS
• Shields from earth projectiles ^IM

Armor

• Creates a rock glove that intercepts Azula's strike, then pushes her away ^S2E13
• Armors himself in crystals and charges toward Azula, who blasts through it ^S2E20
• Surrounds himself in crystal to allow him to meditate into the Avatar State ^S2E20
• Hides in a pillar and emerges with armor that protects from Combustion Man's blast ^S3E5
• Armors himself in earth that resists Ozai's fire ^S3E20
• Wraps himself in a boulder against Ozai's attacks made repeatedly before it is destroyed ^S3E20&21
• Forms earth around him so he can meditate ^TP

Busting

• Destroys a stone barrier raised to impede him ^S2E17
• Shatters a boulder and slices another in half ^S2E18
• Bends away stone bindings around his wrists and returns them ^S2E18
• Shatters stones thrown at him while defending his team ^S2E18
• Shakes apart a column to bring Azula down from it ^S2E20
• Busts through a stone pillar, then hides himself within one ^S3E5
• Bursts stone projectiles thrown at him ^S3E11
• Shatters a stone barrier with a wave of his hand ^S3E11
• Busts through a stone barrier raised by a Dai Li ^S3E11
• Shatters a battering ram with his head ^TP
• Smashes flung rocks, and raises juts of earth that hold falling debris ^TR
• Shrugs off a projectile from Toph to smash the next stone she throws ^TR

Binding

• Binds Ozai's limbs with earth ^S3E21
• Sinks a soldier into the ground ^TP
• Traps Azula's feet with the ground ^TS
• Binds a man's hands together ^TR
• Dodges a surprise knife swing and sinks his attacker into the ground ^TR
• Binds a man with the earth beneath him ^IM

Ground Slams

• Slams into the ground, sending out a wave of earth that throws away guards ^S2E18
• Tears off a chunk of cave and craters it into the ground where it sends out a wave that knocks over Zuko, then crawls from the crater ^S2E20
• Raises a platform and slams it down to damage a factory ^S3E3

Mobility

• Repeatedly extends a tunnel he and Iroh navigate until they reach an underground cavern ^S2E20
• Launches himself out of the ground and rides a swell of earth when he lands ^S2E20
• Slides across the ground while evading attacks ^S3E7
• Throws a rock at Toph, then burrows beneath it when she returns it ^S3E7

Utility

• Moves a boulder over and carves it into the shape of a spike ^S2E13
• Stifles flames with earth ^TS
• Launches several others over a fence ^TR
• Turns a rock into a meditation bead with an etching on it ^TR
• Begins digging others out of a collapsed mine, then aids metalbenders who arrive to help ^TR

Fire

Fireblasts

• Produces a plume of flame ^S3E13
• Produces flames while practicing with Zuko ^S3E13
• Practices firebending alongside Zuko ^S3E17
• Blasts through his stone enclosure, ripping it apart ^LA
• Trains with Zuko, creating plumes of flame ^LA
• Practices firebending and produces 3 simultaneous plumes from his hands and mouth ^S3E18
• Matches Ozai's fireblast with his own, creating an explosion visible from a significant distance away ^S3E20
• Releases a massive fireblast that brings down an airship ^S3E20
• Attempts opening a firebending mechanism alongside Zuko ^S&S
• Throws a fireblast at the Kemurikage ^S&S

Control

• Keeps fire from reaching the edge of a leaf, then stokes the flame ^S1E16
• Stokes a flame into a fireball ^S1E16
• Throws a stream of flame and juggles around a fireball ^S1E16
• Sends out a radial blast of fire that burns Katara's hands ^S1E16
• Tries to firebend, producing a sputter of smoke ^S3E13
• Carries fire up a mountain, feeling its "heartbeat," then feeds its flame to make it stronger ^S3E13
• Blocks Ozai's flames ^S3E20
• Redirects Ozai's lightning and dispels it into the air ^S3E20
• Burns a piece of his meditation beads to cinders ^TP
• Holds a flame in his hand to light his way ^S&S

Avatar State

Pre-Mastery

• Froze himself and Appa in an iceberg that preserves them for a century ^S1E12
  • Emerges from the iceberg exhausted and collapses, though up and mobile moments later ^S1E1
  • During this time, Aang was preserved in a ball of energy ^AoAS
• Ascends on a column of water he sends out radially to knock soldiers away, though collapses right after, yet remains well enough to defend himself moments later ^S1E2
• Often creates cyclones of air and damages surroundings when entering the Avatar State ^COMP
• Possessed by Roku, redirects several firebenders' flames to melt chains binding friends, blows attackers back, and opens a trench of magma that brings down a building ^S1E08
• Evades high waves on Appa before getting overwhelmed, entering the Avatar State and enclosing everyone in a sphere that flies them to safety ^S1E12
• Merges with the Ocean Spirit while in the Avatar State to create a kaiju out of water ^COMP
• Possessed by Kyoshi to testify in court, summoning a tornado and darkening the sky ^S2E5

Post-mastery

• Duels Ozai, surrounding himself in an elemental sphere and destroying much of the landscape as Ozai flees him frantically ^COMP
• Pulses the Avatar State to bring in the tide to extinguish a forest of flames, then returns it ^S3E21
• Forms an elemental sphere, encircles a city with a massive trench, and catches the falling Zuko ^TP
• Forms an elemental sphere and flies off, preparing to destroy a factory with large fireballs ^TR
• Creates a giant of earth that duels with General Old Iron, then defeats him with a blast of all the elements to a weak spot ^TR
• Crushes an earthbender's boulder, binds her in ice, and nearly removes her bending ^IM
• Recovers from bloodbending, then resists Yakone's bloodbending and restrains him ^{LoK S1E9}

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