Ymca camp santa maria

Parts 1, 2, and 3 can be found in this same subreddit at the links attached. Hopefully this part will live up to the insanity that inspired me to write about it!
There are…so many things that happen between 1988 and 1994 in one discipline of figure skating it is near comical. With Soviet domination of ice dance near assured during this era, the focus shifts from who will win to instead question how fast the Soviet dynasty can fall apart. The answer? Well…I guess you’ll have to see.
With Bestemianova/Bukin and Wilson/McCall opting to go to the pro ranks after their Olympic medals in 1988, Klimova/Ponomarenko seemed the de facto leaders of ice dance. Natalia Dubova now not only coached Klimova/Ponomarenko but also a married couple making their international debut in Maya Usova/Alexander Zhulin. The new rink situation pit the 2 couples against each other as each aimed to become the top couple in the world.
No one could deny Klimova/Ponomarenko in 1989 though. Skating to “Mack the Knife,” Klimova/Ponomarenko skated to victory with a more humorous and friendly free dance to expand their horizons. According to the media of the time though, this new styling for them wasn’t as beloved as their previous work. However, no one could deny their technical ability as they took the ice.
Their countrymates Usova/Zhulin nabbed the silver medal with a free dance skated to dramatic classical music. Usova/Zhulin were a team that felt like they encapsulated everything Dubova had ever aimed to bring to the ice. They floated across the ice in ways that only Klimova/Ponomarenko could sometimes achieve. They also had brilliant matching lines that Dubova liked to emphasize through her choreography. They tended to skate in a hold that had Usova in front with Zhulin wrapped behind her, consistently close together. Their gentle, lyrical skating made them a quick favorite for fans of the sport.
The Duchesnays improved from 8th at the Olympics to grab the bronze in 1989 on home ice in Paris. The Duchesnays were…the best way to describe them is that they’re the proto-French ice dance team. Their free dance was set to an instrumental version of Eleanor Rigby, and told the story of dreams and reality, where Isabelle represented dreams constantly being brought down to Paul’s reality. The Christopher Dean choreographed program was…noticeably easier in difficulty compared with the Soviets, featuring less holds overall and more lifts that took Isabelle off the ice. However, their eccentric concepts made them another crowd favorite in these years.
In 1989, Dubova also put together another Soviet team to compete against her top 2 skaters. Evgeni Platov, a 3-time World Junior champion, had just placed fifth in the world with his former partner before their split. Oksana Grishuk, coming off a World Junior title herself, moved from Natalia Linichuk’s school to pair with Platov after she split from her partner. The 2 began skating together in the summer of 1989, making Dubova the sole coach of the top 3 Soviet teams. What could possibly go wrong?
The 1990 season saw all 3 Soviet teams compete for the podium alongside the Duchesnays and, surprisingly, an American team who slipped up to 4th: Susan Wynne/Joseph Druar. For Wynne/Druar, it was the highest place finish for an American team since Blumberg/Seibert were still skating. Their free dance to “Hit the Road Jack” was a tribute to tap dance. Their style was distinctly North American, similar in style to that of Wilson/McCall, in that the woman appeared stronger on ice rather than the dainty appearance of women like Marina Klimova and Maya Usova (think Madi Hubbell compared with Gabi Papadakis for a more recent example). This style, wherein the woman was an equal on ice to her partner, was not popular with the judges of the time, so acted more as a precursor to the North American style than as a legitimate podium threat.
Klimova/Ponomarenko earned a second World title in 1990 skating to “My Fair Lady,” now fully bought into the idea of the one concept free dance but still maintaining the classical switching of rhythms within that one concept, marrying the traditions of ice dance with the post-Torvill/Dean landscape. Best described by the commentary of the time, Klimova/Ponomarenko were technically unmatched by their peers, even as their free featured less holds than had been their norm. However, their prowess still took the cake as they walked away with a second title.
The Duchesnays improved on their 1989 placement by earning silver in 1990. Skating to their first iteration of “Missing,” Isabelle and Paul truly embraced the avant garde. Dean gave his now girlfriend and her brother choreography that was simpler and easier to perform but striking in its repeated poses and lifts to make an unbreakable impression on the audience and judges, earning them first in the free dance. On a more…aesthetic note, this is the first time in my write up that I’ve seen a dress that looks like the skirt was shredded, which is just a fine precursor to the horrors of costuming to come.
Usova/Zhulin grabbed the bronze with a sophisticated tango to Piazzolla selections (naturally). Usova/Zhulin improved on their lyrical style to incorporate more speed and sharpness to their movements, which drew more attention to their matching body lines. However, the tango was far easier than their free dance the previous year, featuring more side by side skating rather than close holds. And in their senior debut as a pair, Grishuk/Platov earned 5th place with a free dance using music from “Zorba the Greek” (I truly wish I was joking). But regardless of the odd music choice, Grishuk/Platov were known for their skating skills, arguably the strongest of the next 8 years. While this free dance certainly didn’t show that off, the promise of the senior pair was apparent from the moment they stepped on the ice.
All good training rinks must carry with it insane amounts of drama though, for this is ice dance. And stuffing the top Soviet teams under one coach was bound to implode at some point. It was during this time that Dubova started to favor Usova/Zhulin for the Olympic gold in Albertville 1992. And with it, better program ideas. This came to a head when Klimova/Ponomarenko slipped to a silver medal in 1991, behind the Duchesnays. And that’s truly where the bubble burst.
The Duchesnays had an interesting season, debuting their Reflections FD which was actually a program originally meant for Torvill/Dean’s professional career before being scrapped and given to the Duchesnays…which should tell you all a lot about both Dean and the insanity that was this FD, where Isabelle and Paul were made to look like mirror images of each other. The free dance received a lukewarm reception, causing them to scrap the FD for the amateur ranks and instead opt for a second iteration of their “Missing” FD, aptly titled Missing II. Outrage from fans on behalf of Klimova/Ponomarenko was apparent, as the Duchesnays’ repeated lifts and tricks were inherently easier than the skating that Klimova/Ponomarenko were doing. But the lack of Dubova faith and the judges’ love of Christopher Dean worked in the Duchesnays’ favor.
Klimova/Ponomarenko skated to “Lawrence of Arabia,” entering the free dance in a surprising 3rd place after the original dance (OD), which had by now supplanted the OSP. After being behind Usova/Zhulin in the compulsories and behind both the Duchesnays and Usova/Zhulin in the OD, Klimova/Ponomarenko needed near perfect scores to retain their title. They would not get it. The pair attempted to expand their horizons even further with a more dramatic piece of music; Klimova/Ponomarenko put more emphasis on their lifts, which were vastly improved. But some media felt that they had lost their inherent qualities that identified them in favor of trying to prove their range. This would become a major sticking point in the Olympic year.
Usova/Zhulin meanwhile earned bronze at these Worlds, elegantly skating to “Variations” from Andrew Lloyd Webber. The couple’s lyrical and emotional interpretation entranced the audience in watching the leaders after the OD. Of course, Usova/Zhulin couldn’t hang onto their lead in the end, which really should’ve acted as effective foreshadowing of not only their competitive careers but also what was happening behind the scenes with their rinkmates Grishuk/Platov, who had placed 4th in the same event.
The summer of 1991 was absolute ice dance chaos. In a span of a few short months, all of this happened at once:
· Klimova finds out Dubova is giving preferential treatment to Usova/Zhulin. She cries in front of a Russian sports journalist.
· Andrei Bukin goes to Tarasova, begging her to take on Klimova/Ponomarenko so that they aren’t shut out of a gold. Tarasova agrees, and Klimova/Ponomarenko flee Dubova.
· Christopher Dean gets married to Isabelle Duchesnay and vows to choreograph them to Olympic glory (they later divorce in ’93)
· Alexander Zhulin, 28, begins his infamous affair with Oksana Grishuk, 19, putting a strain on the Usova/Zhulin partnership on and off ice. The affair becomes Grishuk’s fault in the media.
· The Soviet Union falls, leaving the Soviet skaters without a country to represent for a year
And those are just the heavy hitters boys and girls! Truly, an offseason to remember.
Tarasova took on Klimova/Ponomarenko and attempted to steer them toward gold amid heavy competition from Dean’s Duchesnays and Dubova’s Usova/Zhulin. A strong polka OD had Klimova/Ponomarenko in a comfortable lead going into the free dance, where they performed a lyrical and transcendent program to “Air” by Bach. The pair looked statuesque as they floated over the ice. Granted, the program had about as much substance as your average show program. But man if the couple didn’t make it look good. It was a return to form in a lot of ways for the pair, returning to their more classical roots but now with the experience of having done more dramatic works and being able to incorporate that emotion back into a lyrical program. Tarasova had her second Olympic gold medal winning team in the span of 2 Olympics, adding to her already storied career in ice dance (having led a pair to an Olympic medal in 4 of the 5 competed events at this point).
The Duchesnays settled for silver in a home Olympics in Albertville. Their free dance was set to the music of “West Side Story,” with the pair portraying the sibling duo of Tony and Maria (thank God). In a lot of ways, it was a call back to Dean’s past World title winning free dances based around Broadway musicals. And the choreography was meant to call to mind the intricate choreography of the musical, including some of the first instances of the reverse lifts naturally. However, the easier skating choreography caught up to the Duchesnays and their free program placement suffered for it. Hard to consider it a skating program if most of the dance was spent in the air or side by side.
Usova/Zhulin entered the ’92 Olympics incredibly strained. This was only exacerbated when Zhulin gave Grishuk his wedding ring for her to wear during the compulsories, to which Usova understandably lost her cool. With that in the back of their minds, it’s truly a wonder that they pulled through for a bronze medal. Their “Four Seasons” free dance was meant to tell the stories of two statues coming to life. Which seems apt for a couple whose chemistry had about as much warmth as two statues. Grishuk/Platov earned 4th place with a more modern free dance. It’s…very 80s, I don’t know how to describe it. But it was obvious that their partnership was finally flourishing in a way that their promise had predicted. Which is naturally the perfect time for more insanity to come between them.
After a Soviet podium sweep at Worlds, the summer of ’92 saw Zhulin and Grishuk’s affair escalate during the show season. Everything really hit the fan when Usova caught Zhulin and Grishuk at a restaurant together and “saw Grishuk sipping a margherita at a bar, came up behind her, grabbed her hair and smashed her head against the counter.” And although Usova later apologized, Dubova had had enough and expelled Grishuk from her camp for getting involved with Zhulin. While Grishuk headed back to Moscow, Dubova attempted to pair Platov with a young Tatiana Navka, who would’ve been around 17 and representing Belarus following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Ultimately though, Grishuk returned to former coach Natalia Linichuk and Platov followed, restoring their partnership before the 92-93 season.
The Soviets, now officially representing the newly reformed country of Russia, maintained their absolute stranglehold on the discipline. With Klimova/Ponomarenko retiring to focus on the pro circuit and starting a family as well as the Duchesnays’ retirement, all medalists slid up the rankings, with Usova/Zhulin finally earning their gold medal on the backs of a sultry blues free dance that kept the audience spellbound and where they pretended that they were into each other for 4 minutes.
As if to contrast the gold medalists, Grishuk/Platov skated to a more violent blues, which is admittedly one of my guilty pleasure skates. The free dance told the story of toxic lovers, even incorporating choreography where it looked like Platov was choking Grishuk. Their skating earned them their first medal at Worlds, a silver. And they also started to find that their strength was in the dramatic, even if they don’t go back to it for several years. It is at this time that the media picks up on the former Grishuk/Zhulin affair, but only mentions it during Grishuk/Platov’s programs.
Inter-country politics began early when Alla Shekhovtsova advocated to the judges for Anjelika Krylova and her former partner Vladmir Fedorov, coached by Linichuk, to be sent to Worlds in 93, threatening their judging careers if they put their competitors Elena Kustarova/Oleg Ovsiannikov in front. Naturally. Krylova/Fedorov were sent by one judge’s vote and earned a bronze at Worlds. Krylova was known for her amazing leg line, but this free dance doesn’t really do them justice on that end. After Krylova/Fedorov earned a medal in their debut, American and Canadian media started to become frustrated with lack of results from their ice dancers, insinuating that their lack of results was strictly because of the flag next to their names. In the ‘94 offseason, Krylova/Fedorov would break up and Ovsiannikov would be lured by Linichuk to pair with Krylova.
A little further down the standings, Susanna Rahkamo/Petri Kokko dazzled with a free dance to Valse Triste. The fourth place finishers were crowd favorites known primarily for their slow, methodical, lyrical dances. An innovative couple, their choreography featured harder lifts as well as well placed switching in height. However, their programs were often not as technically difficult as the Russians even as the passion on ice touched the audience.
In the 1993 offseason, a change was made to the rules for professional skaters, stating that those who took money from doing shows could still compete at the amateur ranks. The news was huge, allowing many of the skaters who had been held to professional competitions to compete again for an Olympic title. The biggest name to return to the ice, of course, were Torvill/Dean. Just about 10 years after their win in Sarajevo, Torvill/Dean were determined to earn another Olympic gold. But in the 10-year interval, a lot had changed about ice dance.
After Dubova refused to allow RusFed to see Usova/Zhulin’s programs ahead of the Olympic season, Russia silently started to get behind Grishuk/Platov. On top of that, Usova found out about Zhulin’s affair with a 19-year-old Navka around the Olympics. Navka’s then-partner found out and beat Navka for the affair, before Usova and Zhulin’s mothers started beating each other. So, Maya Usova was distracted to say the very least.
The competition also disallowed classical music for the free dance that year, instead opting to go more modern to appeal more to the audience. Torvill/Dean publicly worried about whether their routines would be suited to more modern music.
With all that happening, the Grishuk/Platov, Usova/Zhulin, Torvill/Dean showdown started in full swing at the European championships, when Usova/Zhulin won the compulsories, Torvill/Dean won the OD, and Grishuk/Platov won the free dance. It was the closest ice dance competition in history at that point and left many wondering who would ultimately take home the Olympic gold, even as Torvill/Dean came home with the European title.
The event lived up to the hype. The first compulsory, the Starlight Waltz, was won by Usova/Zhulin before Grishuk/Platov won the blues compulsory (which is absolutely gorgeous by the way, please watch it) and began to build their reputation as the best compulsory skaters of their generation. Torvill/Dean, unfortunately, looked a bit like their age in the compulsories that Olympics, coming up third in both. However, their rhumba OD was sensational and encapsulated the best of them, including their obvious chemistry on the ice. The original dance placed first in the segment, with Usova/Zhulin in second and Grishuk/Platov in third. The final placements would come down to the free dance.
Torvill/Dean would perform a free dance to “Let’s Face the Music,” which read a bit like a greatest hits free dance, incorporating choreography from some of their more famous programs. While the program did feature closed holds when skating, there was also a ton of lifts and tricks incorporated into the choreography, which seemed controversial among the judges. Usova/Zhulin competed with a free dance based on circus acts. A more humorous routine than their past entries, the free incorporated technical difficulty effectively but was a tad bland, which is truly a feat given what the program was supposed to be emulating. Ultimately, it came up short in their final Olympic competition.
Grishuk/Platov carried away the gold with a controversial free dance to “Rock Around the Clock” (also, side note, the spelling of Grishuk’s name as Grichtchuk in the video I’m looking at is just so obscene it needs to be mentioned). What was the controversial part of this free dance you ask? According to the rules of the time, all dance couples needed to be in hold for a certain amount of time during the free dance. Many media outlets and Torvill/Dean themselves felt that Grishuk/Platov did not meet the required amount of time in hold, to the point where Torvill is attributed to saying that “if the judges wanted a show program, we could’ve given them a show program.” The judges, however, loved the free dance, even giving the team four 5.9s in technical merit and a 6.0 in artistic impression. And so the team that nearly split just two years prior were walking home from Lillehammer with gold medals in their hands. And Linichuk finally earned a second gold medal, this time as a coach.
At Worlds that year, Rahkamo/Kokko earned a long-awaited bronze after 8 senior seasons at Worlds. A French couple, Sophia Moniotte/Pascal Lavanchy earned the silver. And so ended an overwhelming era of ice dance. But as skaters like Shae-Lynn Bourne/Victor Kraatz, Tatiana Navka, Margarita Drobiazko/Povilas Vanagas, and Elizabeth Punsalan/Jerod Swallow waited in the wings while Canadian and American media lamented the lack of variety at the top, only 1 thing could be stated for certain: the chaos that is ice dance was sure to continue far past 1994.

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Alright, dropping the charade.
As the title states I'm looking for a best friend first and maybe the connection evolves into something more. The friend-connection matters more to me than anything else. I want to look forward to coming home and hearing about your day just as much as you want to hear about mine while we eat homemade tacos in front of the tv. To me, the best long term connections are those born from friendships.
It seems kind of crazy these days to think like that but what can I say? I'm a bit of a romantic. I like to take my time to get to know someone.
About Me
I'm 6'4" living in the north of Canada. I can practically see Santa's Workshop from my window. I'm an outgoing introvert - very outgoing around friends and family, sort of introverted around new people until I get to know them for an hour and then I warm up. I've been on a new health plan and working on getting fit to lose the covid pounds I've racked on. I've got an adventurous sense of humor that likes to dabble in all the different types. I've got black hair and blue eyes. French is my primary language but I mostly speak English these days. I'm a big hockey fan but I unfortunately go for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Might as well dump any hopes for a championship in my lifetime down the toilet. A few of my interests are collecting "old" books, camping at the family cottage home in the middle of nowhere (on a nice lake), and spending some quality dad time with my 12 year old daughter. "Old" is in marks because we don't get actual old books at the old book store but rather "gently used" ones. I've got a book shelf and a half worth of various ones. Like everyone else, I like music and movies and tv shows and what not but so does everyone. Plus, my crap is better than your crap. That's just the way it is. :P I've got a Bachelor's degree from a university and certified in some IT fields. A Random Fact and a Hot Take: I've never travelled outside of Canada before and winter is better than summer.
About You
You live somewhere on Earth. That's a good starting point. Sorry aliens. You're also outgoing but have some introverted streaks. You like both going out and staying in. You are social and friendly, you like to laugh. Bonus point if you laugh at my bad jokes even if they aren't funny even if I know you're laughing at my unfunny jokes that aren't funny. Your someone who shares some common interest or traits with me but not all because that's boring. Two halves make a whole. I don't care about appearances or nationality or body type or whether you were actually born on mars. That stuff doesn't matter to me. I am attracted to a person's personality much more so than anything about their physical or immutable characteristics.
This is long enough I think. Congrats if you've read this far. You, behind the screen right now reading this, are probably the first to do so. Most just skim the first sentence or two or see how long this is and skip. But I feel like to make sure people are compatible, you need to know about them. I'd personally much rather respond to something of this size than "I like music movies, hiking, camping. Anything else just ask" I want to be able to have conversations longer than 3 word sentences back and forth.
Shoot me a message if you got this far and are interested in some friendship. In your message, tell me anything you know about canada. The weirder the better but anything at all is fine. That way I know you've read this far.
Take care of yourself and live a happy life.

Prompt Engineering. This prompt book will help you learn essential building blocks and
all the techniques to master Stable Diffusion.
The secret for generating good images
A well-written prompt consisting of modifiers and a good
sentence structure. We will also show you all types of modifiers and some magic words.
Well-adjusted Stable Diffusion weights. You can
always use the default, but sometimes fine-tuned weights can generate better results.
This will strengthen your ability to
bring your creative dream images to life.
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Prompt keyword weighting is supported. You can increase the attention of a keyword but not higher than 1.5.
Use the format (example:weight). By default, words have a coefficient of 1 (example: 0.4), they will have a lower priority.
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Attention for words Technique:
Adding "()" in the prompt increases attention to enclosed words, while "[]" decreases it. You can combine multiple modifiers:
- a (word) - increase attention to word by a factor of 1.1
- a ((word)) - increase attention to word by a factor of 1.21 (= 1.1 * 1.1)
- a [word] - decrease attention to word by a factor of 1.1
- a (word:1.5) - increase attention to word by a factor of 1.5
- a (word:0.25) - decrease attention to word by a factor of 4 (= 1 / 0.25)
​
You can also use a few words in "()" and "[]". You can also use a few words in "()" and "[]".
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Also you can still use this structure: (example, example :weight), so the weight will increase for several words at once.
Examples: (grayscale, woodcut:1.2); (((blue hair, floating hair, liquid hair, chromatic aberration))); (rutkowski, artstation:0.8); (masterpiece, best quality:1.4); [cute, volumetric fog]
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Please note that to increase or decrease the weight of several words, you need to put a comma between them.
​
Start by asking a list of questions

1. Do you want a photo or a painting?
   
2. What’s the subject of the photo? Person? An animal or perhaps a landscape?
   
3. What details do you want to add?
   

a) Special Lighting. Soft, ambient, ring light, neon
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b) Environment. Indoor, outdoor, underwater, in space
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c) Color Scheme. Vibrant, dark, pastel
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e) Point of view. Front, Overhead, Side
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f) Background. Solid color, nebula, forest
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1. In a specific art style? 3D render, studio ghibli, movie poster
   
2. A specific photo type? Macro, telephoto
   

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This is not an all-inclusive list, but will help you get great results when you start.
your prompt crafting journey.
Answer the following questions:

1. Do you want a photo or a painting? => painting
   
2. What’s the subject of the photo? Person. animal, landscape. => a goldendoodle
   
3. In a certain camera position? side view, from bottom, from above, from behind => from behind
   
4. What details do you want to be added? => suit
   

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a. Special Lighting. Soft, ambient, ring light, neon => natural light
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b. Environment. Indoor, outdoor, underwater, in space => in the sky
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c. Color Scheme. Vibrant, dark, pastel => with bright colors
​

1. In specific art style? 3D render, studio ghibli, movie poster => by Studio Ghibli

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The order of words is important
The order and presentation of our desired output is almost as an important aspect as the vocabulary itself. It is recommended to list your concepts explicitly and separately than trying to cramp it into one simple sentence.
​
The keyword categories are:
​

1. Subject: what you want to see in the image, such as a person, an object, a scene, etc.
   
2. Medium: the material used to make the artwork, such as illustration, oil painting, realistic, anime, 3D rendering, etc.
   
3. Style: the artistic style of the image, such as impressionist, surrealist, pop art, etc.
   
4. Artist: the name of a specific artist or multiple artists whose style you want to emulate or blend.
   
5. Website: the name of a niche graphic website that aggregates images of a certain genre, such as Artstation or Deviant Art.
   
6. Additional details: any other modifiers that can enhance the image, such as sci-fi, stunningly beautiful, dystopian, etc.
   
7. Color: the overall color or tone of the image, such as iridescent gold, pastel pink, etc.
   
8. Lighting: the effect of light and shadow on the image, such as cinematic lighting, soft lighting, dark, dark shot, bright, etc.
   

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You don’t have to include keywords from all categories. You can use them as a checklist to remind you what could be used.
A negative prompt is a way to tell the neural network what should not be in the image. You can use words or phrases that describe what you want to avoid or exclude from the image. You can also use weights in negative prompt to increase or decrease the effect of certain words.
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Generally accepted negative prompt is considered: (deformed, distorted, disfigured:1.3), poorly drawn, bad anatomy, wrong anatomy, extra limb, missing limb, floating limbs, (mutated hands and fingers:1.4), disconnected limbs, mutation, mutated, ugly, disgusting, blurry, amputation.
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Realistic negative prompt: overexposed, (deformed iris, deformed pupils, semi-realistic, cgi, 3d, render, sketch, cartoon, drawing, anime:1.3), text, close up, cropped, out of frame, worst quality, low quality, jpeg artifacts, ugly, duplicate, morbid, mutilated, extra fingers, mutated hands, poorly drawn hands, poorly drawn face, mutation, deformed, blurry, dehydrated, bad anatomy, bad proportions, extra limbs, cloned face, disfigured, gross proportions, malformed limbs, missing arms, missing legs, extra arms, extra legs, fused fingers, too many fingers, long neck.
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For positive prompt and negative prompt, I have thought of universal keywords - styles. You may not find them in the examples because they are new. Almost every style has a Negative prompt. It is advisable to write it together with positive prompt.
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An example of how to use styles if you want to create a cat image in a Professional photo style:

1. Positive prompt: (dark shot:1.4), 80mm, cat, soft light, sharp, exposure blend, medium shot, bokeh, (hdr:1.4), high contrast, (cinematic, teal and orange:0.85), (muted colors, dim colors, soothing tones:1.3), low saturation, (hyperdetailed:1.2), (noir:0.4)

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1. Negative prompt: neon, (deformed, distorted, disfigured:1.3), poorly drawn, bad anatomy, wrong anatomy, extra limb, missing limb, floating limbs, (mutated hands and fingers:1.4), disconnected limbs, mutation, mutated, ugly, disgusting, blurry, amputation, over saturated

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For example, if you want to generate an image of a girl with Natural skin:
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1. Positive prompt: girl, (natural skin texture, hyperrealism, soft light, sharp)

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1. Negative prompt: (cgi:0.9), (deformed, distorted, disfigured:1.3), poorly drawn, bad anatomy, wrong anatomy, extra limb, missing limb, floating limbs, (mutated hands and fingers:1.4), disconnected limbs, mutation, mutated, ugly, disgusting, blurry, amputation, 3d, illustration, cartoon, (doll:0.9)

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Here are completely universal styles that you can combine and use in your prompt(I highly recommend using them!):
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Professional photo:

1. Positive prompt for Professional photo: (dark shot:1.4), 80mm, {POprompt}, soft light, sharp, exposure blend, medium shot, bokeh, (hdr:1.4), high contrast, (cinematic, teal and orange:0.85), (muted colors, dim colors, soothing tones:1.3), low saturation, (hyperdetailed:1.2), (noir:0.4)

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1. Negative prompt for Professional photo: neon, {NEprompt}, over saturated

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Natural skin:

1. Positive prompt for natural skin: (natural skin texture, hyperrealism, soft light, sharp)

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1. Negative prompt for natural skin: (cgi:0.9), 3d, illustration, cartoon, (doll:0.9)

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Details:

1. Positive prompt Details: (intricate details:0.9), (hdr, hyperdetailed:1.2)

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Gloomy style:

1. Positive prompt for gloomy style: complex background, stuff in the background, highly detailed, (gloomy:1.3), dark, dimmed, hdr, vignette, grimy, (slate atmosphere:0.8)

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1. Negative prompt for gloomy style: (depth of field:1.3), (bokeh:1.2), (blur), blurred, pink

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Cinematic style:

1. Positive prompt for Cinematic style: (cinematic look:1.4), soothing tones, insane details, intricate details, hyperdetailed, low contrast, soft cinematic light, dim colors, exposure blend, hdr, faded, slate gray atmosphere

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1. Negative prompt for Cinematic style: grayscale, black and white, bw, monochrome

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Horror cinematic style:

1. Positive prompt for horror cinematic style: slate atmosphere, cinematic, dimmed colors, dark shot, muted colors, film grainy, lut, spooky

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Cinematic art style:

1. Positive prompt for Cinematic art style: art by greg rutkowski and artgerm, soft cinematic light, adobe lightroom, photolab, hdr, intricate, highly detailed, (depth of field:1.4)

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Engraving style:

1. Positive prompt for Engraving style: (grayscale, woodcut:1.2), (etching:1.1), (engraving:0.2), {prompt}, detailed

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1. Negative prompt for Engraving style: colored

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Epic painting:

1. Positive prompt for Painting: rutkowski, intricate digital art, soothing tones, (cartoon:0.3), (art:1.4), epic realistic, faded, neutral colors, (hdr:1.4), (muted colors:1.4), (intricate), (artstation:1.5), dramatic, intricate details, (technicolor:0.9), detailed, intricate, cinematic, detailed

examples of works:
good prompt: (dark shot:1.1), epic realistic, portrait of halo, sunglasses, blue eyes, tartan scarf, white hair by atey ghailan, by greg rutkowski, by greg tocchini, by james gilleard, by joe fenton, by kaethe butcher, gradient yellow, black, brown and magenta color scheme, grunge aesthetic!!! graffiti tag wall background, art by greg rutkowski and artgerm, soft cinematic light, adobe lightroom, photolab, hdr, intricate, highly detailed, (depth of field:1.4), faded, (neutral colors:1.2), (hdr:1.4), (muted colors:1.2), hyperdetailed, (artstation:1.4), cinematic, warm lights, dramatic light, (intricate details:1.1), complex background, (rutkowski:0.66), (teal and orange:0.4)
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good prompt: (dark theme:0.9), medieval portrait of a man sharp features, grim, cold stare, dark colors, Volumetric lighting, baroque oil painting by Greg Rutkowski, Artgerm, WLOP, Alphonse Mucha dynamic lighting hyperdetailed intricately detailed, (hdr:1.22), muted colors, complex background, hyperrealism, hyperdetailed, amandine van ray
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good prompt: a demon made with black stone, Giovanni Strazza sculpt style , bokesharp focus depth, shadows, mist, fog, very High detailed, cinematic lighting, Cinematic, high detailed, ultra detailed, Accent Lighting, very god colors, realistic, 8k, HDR
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good prompt: woman, samurai armor, helmet oni evil mask intricate, ornaments detailed, cold colors, metal, egypician detail, highly intricate details, realistic light, trending on cgsociety, glowing eyes, facing camera, neon details, ultra realistic details, portrait full body, japanese atmosphere, global illumination, shadows, octane render, 8 k, ultra sharp
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good prompt: (dark shot:1.1), epic realistic, RAW, analog, A full portrait of stunning woman wearing swimsuit, alluring expression, swimming pool, clear water, wet hair, natural look, no make up, pureerosface_v1, masterpiece that captures the essence and beauty of the woman and water, ((highly detailed skin, skin details, water details)), sharp focus, volumetric fog, 8k UHD, DSLR, high quality, film grain, Fujifilm XT3, art by greg rutkowski and artgerm, soft cinematic light, adobe lightroom, photolab, hdr, intricate, highly detailed, (depth of field:1.4), faded, (neutral colors:1.2), (hdr:1.4), (muted colors:1.2), hyperdetailed, (artstation:1.4), cinematic, warm lights, dramatic light, (intricate details:1.1), complex background, (rutkowski:0.66), (teal and orange:0.4), (natural skin texture, hyperrealism, soft light, sharp)
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good prompt: A flower by Casey Weldon, Olga Kvasha, Miho Hirano, hyperdetailed intricately detailed gothic art trending on Artstation triadic colors Unreal Engine 5 detailed matte painting, deep color, fantastical, intricate detail, splash screen, complementary colors, fantasy concept art, 8k resolution, gothic deviantart masterpiece, (dark shot:1.4), art by greg rutkowski and artgerm, soft cinematic light, adobe lightroom, photolab, hdr, intricate, highly detailed, (depth of field:1.4)
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good prompt: almaty girl, kazakh, Portrait of haute couture beautiful kazakh fashion model , ethereal dreamy foggy, photoshoot by alessio albi, editorial fashion magazine photoshoot, fashion poses, in front of mountain. kinfolk magazine. film grain, (dark shot:1.3), (natural skin texture, hyperrealism, soft light, sharp)
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good prompt: Delicious glowing galaxy cake on a dining table in the kitchen, comfortable light, romantic light, ultra details, photorealistic, realistic, gel lighting, Cinematic, Filmic, medium shot, 4k, Front-light, Cinematic Lighting, volumetric Light, Ray Tracing Reflections, Chromatic Aberration, photography, hyper realistic, 4k, 8k,closeup
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just an example: drunk, creepy santa, muddy, crowded bottles bar, intricate details, hdr, intricate details, hyperdetailed, cinematic, dark shot, muted colors, film grainy, soothing tones, muted colors, technicolor
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just an example: (masterpiece, best quality), (best illumination, an extremely delicate and beautiful), (best illumination, an extremely delicate and beautiful), (beautiful detailed face), (finely detailed eyes and detailed face:1.4), dark fantasy, (young girl, small beasts, 1girl, solo, crazy smile, pale skin, white hair, red glowing eyes, dynamic angle, vampire), (gaint vampire castle in background), (red moon, red sky), pointy ears, fangs, demon wings, demon horns, blood on face, blood rain, blood fog, (depth of field), high contrast, (blood splatter:1.4), full body
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just an example: masterpiece, chinese dragon, long dragon, Loong,fangs,fantasy, mythical, art by( greg rutkowski:0.8), epic lighting, (photo realism:1.2), high quality, highly detailed, masterpiece, epic
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just an example: epic video game key visual, giant armored creature, horde, skeletal army, many approaching in an ancient desert windy dust debris storm landscape midnight moonlight foreground debris (zrpgstyle) (masterpiece:1.2) (illustration:1.1) (best quality:1.2) (detailed) (intricate) (8k) (HDR) (wallpaper) (cinematic lighting) (sharp focus)
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just an example: 1girl, beautiful vintage color, instagram (photorealistic, high resolution:1.4), ((puffy eyes)), looking at viewer, full body (8k, RAW photo, best quality, masterpiece:1.2), (realistic, photo-realistic:1.37),(sharp focus:1.2), professional lighting, photon mapping, radiosity, physically-based rendering, (pale skin:1.2),nsfw, small breasts,nipples, looking at viewer, middle hair, portrait, purple eyes, wet clothes(sliver hair:1.1),bangs, (simple background:1.4), solo, upper body, white background,realistic, (masterpiece:1.4), (best quality:1.4),(shiny skin), makeup, red lips, smile, (skinny,closed mouth,shy:1.3), blackshirt short sleeve, black pencil short skirt,black tight skirt, school unifrom
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just an example: complex 3d render, ultra detailed, beautiful death angel, biomechanical cyborg, analog 150 mm lens, beautiful natural soft rim light, crystal feathers, roots, fine foliage lace, colorful details, Boris Bidjan Saberi outfit, pearl earrings, piercing, art nouveau fashion embroidered, intricate details, mesh wire, mandelbrot fractal, facial muscles, cable wires, microchip, badass, hyper realistic, ultra detailed, octane render, volumetric lighting, 8k post-production, red and white with a bit of black, detailled metalic bones, semi human, iridescent colors, Glenn Brown style, futuristic room, power of the god, high-angle shot, complex body poses
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just an example: the anatomy of a head of lettuce, an ultrafine detailed painting by james jean, behance contest winner, vanitas, angular, altermodern
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just an example: (RAW photo, best quality), (realistic, photo-realistic:1.3), masterpiece, an extremely delicate and beautiful, extremely detailed, CG, unity , 2k wallpaper, Amazing, finely detail, light smile, extremely detailed CG unity 8k wallpaper, huge filesize, ultra-detailed, highres, absurdres, soft light, (((medium hair:1.3), short bang, pink hair, floating hair novafrogstyle)), beautiful detailed girl, detailed fingers, extremely detailed eyes and face, beautiful detailed nose, beautiful detailed eyes, long eyelashes, light on face, looking at viewer, (closed mouth:1.2), 1girl, cute, young, mature face, (full body:1.3), ((small breasts)), realistic face, realistic body, beautiful detailed thigh, business suit, cross-laced clothes, collared shirt, open clothes, in office, detailed office, open cardigan, black thighhighs, miniskirt, black underwear, unbuttoned shirt
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just an example: end of the world, epic realistic, (hdr:1.4), (muted colors:1.4), apocalypse, freezing, abandoned, neutral colors, night, screen space refractions, (intricate details), (intricate details, hyperdetailed:1.2), artstation, cinematic shot, vignette, complex background, buildings, snowy
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anime prompt: (flat color:1.1),(colorful:1.3),(masterpiece:1.2), best quality, masterpiece, original, extremely detailed wallpaper, looking at viewer,1girl,solo,floating colorful water
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anime prompt: (masterpiece, best quality, ultra-detailed, best shadow), (detailed background,dark fantasy), (beautiful detailed face), high contrast, (best illumination, an extremely delicate and beautiful), ((cinematic light)), colorful, hyper detail, dramatic light, intricate details, (1girl, solo,black hair, sharp face,low twintails, red eyes, hair between eyes,dynamic angle), blood splatter, swirling black light around the character, depth of field, black light particles, (broken glass), magic circle
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anime prompt: (masterpiece, top quality, best quality, official art, beautiful and aesthetic:1.2), (1girl), extreme detailed, (fractal art:1.5),(cherry flowers in fractal art:1.3), colorful, highest detailed, upper body, purple hair, purple eyes, large breasts, kimono, bangs, sash, mole, obi, tassel, blush, hair ornament
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anime prompt: (Girlish Painting:1.3), (Ultra detailed:1.3), (Cosy:1.3), best quality, masterpiece, highly detailed, ultra-detailed, 1girl, Emma Watson, unreal engin 5, octane render, (2D:1.2), limited palette flat color, digital painting, artstation, concept art, smooth, sharp focus, art by ross tran, art by greg rutkowski, art by alphonse Mucha, art by Bak Karol, (oil painting:1.16), (acrylic paint:1.16), (colorful:1.5), (watercolor:1.16), by nvinkpunk, kuvshinov, dreamlikeart, samdoesart, modelshoot style, (by Artist Koho Shoda:1.3), (by Artist Mike Mignola:1.3), (by Artist Joop Polder:1.3), (Classicism Art:1.3), (Industrial Art:1.3), (Solarpunk Art:1.3)
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anime prompt: ((masterpiece, best quality)), 1girl, solo, flat chest, chain, cuffs, shackles, broken chain, collar, chained, handcuffs, barefoot, black and white hair, long hair, metal collar, solo, ankle cuffs, broken, purple eyes, very long hair, ball and chain restraint, bound, bdsm
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anime prompt: (Highest picture quality), (Master's work), (ultra-detailed), (Detailed eye description:1.2), masterpiece, best quality, absurdres, original, extremely delicate and beautiful, beautiful detailed eyes and face, 1girl, black hair, cherry blossom, white clothes, looking at viewer, mole, pink flower, solo, (masterpiece:1.4), (best quality:1.4)
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anime prompt: masterpiece, best quality, best detail, 5girls, swimsuit, focus on character detail, character on the front camera, high detail background, bloom, blue sky, high lighting detail, widescreen, 16:9, sea, beach, sunny day, medium hair, red face, megane, smile, sexy pose, realistic finger detail, close-up, portrait, getting wet, random hair colors, standing, erotic, yuri, hentai, nipple, leg strap, sexy hip, see-through, Draw realistic hand, random eye color, erotic face, sexy eye contact, half-naked, random hairstyle, random face, hold breast pussy, megane, pussy cum, small breast, yuri sex, kissing, open mouth, tongue, breasts grab
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anime prompt: masterpiece, high quality, highres, absurdres, ultra-detailed, detailed eyes, 8k, 1girl, colorful eyes, fangs, open mouth, blue eyes, bangs, colorful background, (graffiti mural walls background), looking at viewer, vibrant, contrast, blue hair, white hair, gradient hair, happy, high five, heart symbols
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anime prompt: (extremely delicate and beautiful:1.2),1girl,fashi-girl, bangs, blue eyes, blurry, blurry background, bow, brown hair, closed mouth, from side, hair between eyes, hair bow, lantern, light particles, long sleeves, looking at viewer, medium hair, night, red bow, solo, star symbol, upper body,smile,red lips
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anime prompt: masterpiece, best quality, ultra-detailed, illustration, 1girl, solo, outdoors, camping, night, mountains, nature, stars, moon, tent, twin ponytails, green eyes, cheerful, happy, backpack, sleeping bag, camping stove, water bottle, mountain boots, gloves, sweater, hat, flashlight, forest, rocks, river, wood, smoke, shadows, contrast, clear sky, constellations, Milky Way, peaceful, serene, quiet, tranquil, remote, secluded, adventurous, exploration, escape, independence, survival, resourcefulness, challenge, perseverance, stamina, endurance, observation, intuition, adaptability, creativity, imagination, artistry, inspiration, beauty, awe, wonder, gratitude, appreciation, relaxation, enjoyment, rejuvenation, mindfulness, awareness, connection, harmony, balance, texture, detail, realism, depth, perspective, composition, color, light, shadow, reflection, refraction, tone, contrast, foreground, middle ground, background, naturalistic, figurative, representational, impressionistic, expressionistic, abstract, innovative, experimental, unique
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anime prompt: best quality, masterpiece, high definition, high quality, high resolution, sharp focus, trending on Artstation, 4k, beautiful fantasy spring sunny scenery landscape, celestial japanese temple alone at the peak of a mountain overlooking the landscape below, high point of view
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anime prompt: (flat color:1.1), (colorful:1.3), (masterpiece:1.2), best quality, masterpiece, original, extremely detailed wallpaper, looking at viewer,1girl,solo,floating colorful water
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anime prompt: (masterpiece:1.2), (best quality:1.1), 1girl, transparent, perfect face, black silk stockings, high quality, cute, black hair, highest quality, ultra-detailed, extremely detailed, hyper detail, (intricate detail:1.2), (panties over black pantyhose:1.2), (Japanese sailor suit:1.2), (cameltoe:1.2), (lift feet:1.4), soles, lie down, park, looking at viewer, sun shine
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anime prompt: (masterpiece, best quality:1.1), bird's eye view, asymmetrical, blue ocean, low tide, sea waves, coastal road, sandy beach, piers, sailboats, yachts, ship wake, contrail, cars, tourists, lighthouse, seagulls, horizon, breeze, summer, morning, sunny, cloud, calm, fresh air, depth of field
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anime prompt: masterpiece, best quality, ultra-detailed, illustration, 1girl, solo, fantasy, flying, broom, night sky, outdoors, magic, spells, moon, stars, clouds, wind, hair, cape, hat, boots, broomstick, glowing, mysterious, enchanting, whimsical, playful, adventurous, freedom, wonder, imagination, determination, skill, speed, movement, energy, realism, naturalistic, figurative, representational, beauty, fantasy culture, mythology, fairy tales, folklore, legends, witches, wizards, magical creatures, fantasy worlds, composition, scale, foreground, middle ground, background, perspective, light, color, texture, detail, beauty, wonder
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anime prompt: masterpiece, best quality, 1girl, (colorful),(finely detailed beautiful eyes and detailed face),cinematic lighting,bust shot,extremely detailed CG unity 8k wallpaper, white hair, solo, smile, intricate skirt, ((flying petal)), (Flowery meadow) sky, cloudy sky, building, moonlight, moon, night, (dark theme:1.3), light, fantasy
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anime prompt: masterpiece, best quality, ultra-detailed, illustration,2girls,fantasy, RPG, heroine, devil, final battle, outdoors, epic, dramatic, intense, powerful, dynamic, magic, spells, sword, shield, armor, wings, horns, tail, fire, smoke, light, shadow, impact, movement, energy, determination, bravery, courage, heroism, villainy, evil, darkness, destruction, victory, defeat, redemption, justice, sacrifice, friendship, companionship, teamwork, perseverance, challenge, obstacle, success, achievement, goal-oriented, progress, improvement, realism, naturalistic, figurative, representational, video game culture, anime, manga, Japanese, RPG tropes, character design, animation, special effects, composition, scale, foreground, middle ground, background, perspective, light, color, texture, detail, beauty, wonder
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anime prompt: masterpiece, best quality, ultra-detailed, city, street, gothic, steampunk, illustration, 1girl, (solo), platinum long hair, boots, from behind, vintage, antique, brass, metal, gears, machinery, ornate, elegant, classic, sophisticated, refined, poised, contemplative, thoughtful, curious, mysterious, enigmatic, magical, watchful, intelligent, bookish, contrast, perspective, depth, texture, detail, realism, impressionistic, expressionistic, abstract, surrealistic, innovative, experimental, unique, atmosphere, ambiance, mood, nostalgia, historical, cultural, technological, industrial, fantasy, imagination, creativity, artistry, craftsmanship, skill, precision, detail, composition, balance, harmony, rhythm, colorful, darker, reflection, refraction, foreground, middle ground, background, vanishing point, horizon line, focal point, naturalistic, figurative, representational
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anime prompt: (masterpiece, best quality:1.2), cinematic anime, anime clip of a 3 girls floating in space, universe, milky way, cosmos, planet, stars, astronaut, full body, ultra detailed, beautiful face, finely detailed eyes, extremely detailed, correct anatomy, incredibly_absurdres
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anime prompt: ((masterpiece)), (((gray eyes))), (((blue hair, floating hair, liquid hair, chromatic aberration))), (focus on eyes, shaded, photo, insanely detailed, bloom:1.5), short hair, photorealistic, masterpiece, dynamic angle, highest quality, photorealistic, masterpiece, dynamic angle, highest quality, intricate, Alessandro Casagrande, Greg Rutkowski, Sally Mann, athletic wet punk body, (blue panties), nipples, concept art, 4k, far-off, (medium breasts, portrait, choker, soft), (sadness), (((blue flowers))), (((Night))), high sharpness, extreme saturation and contrast
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anime prompt: ((4k,masterpiece, best quality)), shuimobysim, traditional chinese ink painting, lotus, hanfu, maxiskit, 1girl, solo, white hair, long hair, fox ears, white, bikini, fish, many fish near girl, look at viewer, tease
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anime prompt: 1girl, ((cinematic light)), colorful, hyper detail, dramatic light, intricate details, best quality, (extremely detailed CG unity 8k wallpaper, masterpiece, best quality, ultra-detailed, best shadow), (detailed background:1.4), (beautiful detailed face, beautiful detailed eyes), High contrast, (best illumination, an extremely delicate and beautiful), (girl:1.5), solo, black skirt, blue eyes, electric guitar, guitar, headphones, holding, holding plectrum, instrument, long hair, music, one side up, pink hair, playing guiter, pleated skirt, black shirt, indoors ((caustic)), dynamic angle, beautiful detailed glow, full body, cowboy shot
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Here is a list in my opinion of the most important artists:
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- Agnes Martin - an artist who paints geometric abstract paintings. In stable diffusion, she helps to get the texture of canvas or an object with this texture.
- Jacob Hashimoto - an artist who creates complex worlds from paper, bamboo and other materials. In stable diffusion, he helps to get an interesting background with modular components or bright colors.
- Stanley Donwood - a designer who invents covers for albums, posters and other things. In stable diffusion, he helps to get arts with stable stripes and lines, which is useful for fingerprints or other graphic effects.
- Julie Mehretu - an artist who works with markers, pencils, acrylic and ink. In stable diffusion, she helps to get intersecting lines and layers, if you add the word "eclectic" to the prompt.
- Quentin Blake - an artist and illustrator of children's books. In stable diffusion, he helps to get a cartoon style with simple shapes and expressive emotions. If you add the word "punk" to the prompt, you can get a more daring and unusual style.
- David Palumbo - an artist who creates illustrations in the genres of fantasy and science fiction. In stable diffusion, he helps to get visible strokes and smudges from paint, which gives the art more realism and dynamics.
- Phil Jimenez - a comic book artist, known for his work on Wonder Woman. In stable diffusion, he helps to get increased detail and realism of characters and scenes.
- Geof Darrow - a comic book artist, known for his extremely detailed work. In stable diffusion, he helps to get highly detailed backgrounds with lots of small elements and textures.
- Nicola Samori - an artist who creates dark and gloomy baroque. In stable diffusion, he helps to get splashes, blotches, stains and dirt on the art, which gives it more expressiveness and contrast.
- Ben Templesmith - an artist whose work was adapted into the film "30 Days of Night". He creates covers for books, cards and concepts for films. In stable diffusion, he helps to get a dark and dirty style with bloody accents and fuzzy contours.
- Brandon Woelfel - a photographer with neon photos. In stable diffusion, he helps to get a photographic neon light with bright colors and contour effect at low-res.
- Viviane Sassen - a photographer from the world of fashion. In stable diffusion, she helps to get stylish and aesthetic photos with models in different poses and moods. As we know, almost identical faces are generated in many neural networks. Viviane Sassen also helps to mask the neural network and get unique faces by adding the word "detailed" to the prompt.
- Brian Oldham - a photographer who creates creatively or creatively. In stable diffusion, he helps to get professional, cinematic, creative photos or arts without additional tokens. Just write his name after the prompt.
- Lisa Frank - an artist who makes mega colorful school supplies. In stable diffusion, she helps to get a bright and rainbow style with different animals, stars, hearts and other elements.
- Simon Stalenhag - an artist who specializes in retro-futurism. In stable diffusion, he helps to get a cozy and major style with elements of old technologies, robots, rockets and other things from the past future.
- Iryna Yermolova - an artist from Russia who creates magnificent works in oil. In stable diffusion, she helps to get a classic style of painting with realistic characters and landscapes. If you write her name with I (Irina), you can get a 3D effect on the art.
- Todd Schorr - an American artist who works in the style of pop-surrealism. In stable diffusion, he helps to get Slavic motifs with khokhloma, ear-zagogulinki, molding and other elements of national color.
- Alayna Lemmer - a star of art-station who creates magnificent landscapes, castles and magical creatures. In stable diffusion, she helps to get a fantasy style with detailed and colorful images. She is mandatory for any prompt in the genre of fantasy.
- Andre Charles Boulle - a French artist who makes wood carvings and draws ornaments. In stable diffusion, he helps to get intrigue gold or golden effect on the art by adding low-res.
- Conor Harrington - an Irish street graffiti artist. In stable diffusion, he helps to get an epic staging of a scene or a hero with realistic details and contrasting colors.
- Wangechi Mutu - an artist from Kenya who makes anthropological art with African motifs. In stable diffusion, she helps to get coffee-chocolate arts with different patterns and symbols.
- Patrick Dougherty - an eco-artist who makes sculptures and installations from sticks and seedlings. In stable diffusion, he helps to get a hay-like or wooden effect on the art, if you need to make something out of shit and sticks. It creates anything from branches
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About Modifiers
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Modifiers are words that can change the style, format, or perspective of the image. There are certain magic words or phrases that are proven to boost the quality of the image. In this section, we will talk different types of modifiers you can use in your prompt.
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Photography
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Photography Prompt - Mix and Match!
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Shot type- Close-up; Extreme Close-up; POV; Medium shot; Long shot; At a distance;
Style- polaroid; Tilt-shift; Color splash; Monochrome; white and black;
Subject- Woman; Old man; Grey cat; Bunny; Ferrari;
Lighting- Cinematic light; Sun light; Ambient light; Soft light; moonlight; dramatic light;
Context- Indoor; Outdoor; At night; In the park; Studio;
Lens- Wide-angle; Telephoto; 24mm; EF 70mm; Bokeh; F/1.4; 50mm;
Device-iPhone X; CCTV; Nikon Z FX; Canon; Gopro; Fujifilm XT3 ;
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3D illustrations
Stable diffusion can be used to create any 3D scene or object you can imagine!
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Isometric assets- isometric kitchen in a cutaway box, isometric, tiny, cute, soft smooth lighting, soft colors, 100mm lens, 3d blender render;
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Low Poly- kawaii, low poly, squirrel character, 3d isometric render, white background, ambient occlusion, unity engine;
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Pixar Renders- 3d fluffy Lion, close-up, cute, adorable, cute big circular reflective eyes, long fuzzy fur, Pixar render, unreal engine, cinematic, intricate detail, cinematic;
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3D Item Render- isometric Alarm Clock, isometric, tiny, soft smooth lighting, soft colors, 3d blender render, trending on polycount, modular constructivism, physically based rendering;
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More illustrations
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Vector- living room, vector illustration, Flat Style, pastel color palette;
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Comic- Retro comic style artwork, benedict cumberbatch, highly detailed, comic book cover, symmetrical, vibrant;
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Caricature- Caricature art, spiderman, sitting , chair, drinking beer, on Charlie Hebdo;
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Propaganda- Poster, USSR propaganda poster, Eat Oreo!;
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Psychedelic Art- dear face, Hypnotic illustration, hypnotic psychedelic art, by Dan Mumford, pop surrealism, dark glow neon mystical, Behance;
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Splash Art- mage, channeling arcane magicks, armored, Splash art, mana shooting from his hands, mystical energy in the air, action shot, heroic fantasy art, special effects, hd octane render;
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Stickers- Die-cut sticker, Cute, kawaii, Goldendoodle character, sticker, white background, illustration minimalism, vector, pastel colors;
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Simple feelings modifiers can set the atmosphere of the scene!
Positive emotions
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Cosy- Cosy vintage bedroom, octane render, by weta digital, exotic colorful pastel, ray traced lighting, reflections;
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Romantic- couple shopping, romantic lighting;
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Joyful- Joyful, husky puppy, splashing water, canon eos r3;
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Energetic- Energetic painting, pool with flamingos;
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Hope- Woman, filled with hope, beautiful dress, running, beach;
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Lust- couple, Painting, filled with lust, by mike mignola;
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Peaceful- Japanese city street, peaceful, dreamy, soft colors, studio ghibli style;
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Satisfaction- Old man, looking at viewer, filled with satisfaction, Canon EOS 5D Mark IV;
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Negative emotions
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Depressing- Depressing photo, futuristic park;
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Loneliness- Girl, sitting in window, reading a book, loneliness;
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Grim- lake with ducks, grim painting;
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Regret- man, looking at viewer, painting, filled with regret;
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Suffering- woman, suffering, sitting on a bench, forest, Digital painting, by goro fujita;
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Hopelessness- Man, hopelessness, black and white, looking at viewer, sketch, intricate details;
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Fear- Child running towards the camera, in fear, by atey ghailan, by mike mignola;
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Vibrant keywords: Weirdcore, Acidwave, Dreamcore, Vaporwave;
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Gloomy:
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Liminal Space- Flooded, liminal space,underground city carpark, lighting with lensflares, photorealistic 8k, eerie;
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After Hours- After hours, stairs to the park, complex background, stuff in the background, highly detailed, (gloomy:1.3), dark, dimmed, hdr, vignette, grimy, (slate atmosphere:0.8);
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Brutalism- Building, architecture, brutalism;
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Post-Apocalyptic- Post-Apocalyptic town, houses, cars;
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Magic words:
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HDR, UHD, 64K- Quality words like HDR, UHD, 4K, 8k, and 64K can make a dramatic difference.
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Greg rutkowski- Adds epicness to the photo, often suitable for fantasy art
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Highly detailed- Quality words like highly detailed can make a dramatic difference.
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Studio lighting- Studio lighting could really add some nice texture to the image
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Professional- Adding professional, can greatly improve the color contrast and details in the image
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Trending on artstation- without description
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Unreal engine- a magic word that adds very realistic 3D renderings
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Vivid Colors- Adding Vivid Colors, adds life to your images
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Bokeh- Bokeh blurs the background and highlights the subject. It’s like iPhone portrait mode.
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High resolution scan- Want a historic looking photo? Add "High resolution scan"

Demographics: Male, Hispanic, California, Public CA School, Low-Income, Big School though, over 2k students, Immigrant
Residence: Los Angeles, CA
Hooks: First Gen Immigrant, Low Income, Very bad school
Income: Less than 30k
Intended Major(s): Chemistry or Biochemistry
ACT/SAT/SAT II: I won't submit, no matter what lols
UC GPA = 4.15W/3.76UW Community College GPA = 4.0 Rank = top 9.9% 38/383 (currently)
Coursework: AP Chemistry, Ap U.S. History, AP Lang, in my senior year I am taking AP Gov, AP Lit, and AP Calc AB. I took Dual Enrollment. LATTC (CC) = Intro to Psychology (A) Intro to Sociology (A) American Sign Language (A), Stanford University (Actual University) = CompSci 105 (A+), and also took Communication 101 (A) at USC but through LATTC, and will take 2 other college courses at USC during the summer which are astronomy and sociology 2. I will also take one more college class in my senior year at USC.
Awards: Top 10% Stanford Class Scorer Across the country: Since I had an A+, I scored top 10% out of 4,000 students across the country who took the Compsci class. Students from the National Education Equity Lab program. National Honor Society for National Equity Lab: Since I scored that high, they put me in their National Honor Society. High Honor Roll all High School: this is common but I’ll put it anyway. CompSci 105 Certificate: Since I took the class they gave me a certificate. UCLA Three-day Writing Bootcamp Certificate: I attended a boot camp with the UCLA EAOP program, and I stayed in the dorms for 3 days and took writing classes with other students across LA. Peer Mentor Summits Certificates x3: Certificate showing that I went to the summits to learn about ways to talk to students and colleagues. Pal/CLEF scholarship x2: 400 dollars in total. USC Summer Program Certificate: I will be getting a certificate by the end of the summer program.
Extracurriculars: Mental Health Resource Website(11th): Currently working on a website to add mental health and school resources for students at my school. I am using html, css, and javascript to build it. Took my own initiative to reach out to professionals and students to help me with the project.
English Tutoring(9th-11th): I tutored 1 college students from El Salvador in their college English classes for over 2 years, 3 hours a week during the weekends and sometimes Fridays. Went over their lessons, and tried to prepare lesson plans for them.
Peer Mentor Club(leadership position, maybe president?)(9th-11th)
Work Experience(10th-11th): I worked at a shapewear store, I was in charge of the inventory, and sales, and I was a cashier at the same time. I helped with the inventory system as well. Invited to events by the CEO.
Pop-Rock Club(11th): So far I am learning how to play the guitar and we have done multiple fundraisers to get the instruments and equipment that we need.
Chess Club (10th-11th)(President)
Leadership(10th-11th): I only went to leadership for 1 year since they turned the club into a class, and my school goes by mesters so I only take 4 classes and I have 3 APs so it doesn’t fit my schedule. But when I was in leadership, I would organize events like pep rallies, I would help with fundraisers during Valentine's day or Christmas, holidays basically. I might help them when they do events but I don’t attend meetings.
Chemistry Club (President/Founder): I founded the chemistry club.
Programs(9th-11th): I am in multiple programs, including UCLA EAOP which is a program by UCLA, we go to UCLA all the time which is cool. I am in the USC UpwardBound, I take college classes with them on Saturdays, and in the summer I will be staying at their dorms for 6 weeks taking 2 college classes. We also have community service opportunities in the program. I am also in the Gear Up program, we go on hella field trips and I learn a lot from it. I am in the National Ed Equity Lab which allows low-income students to take college classes at schools like Stanford, Harvard, etc.
Community Service Hours: 300+ with Gear Up and other programs. Will also do community service through the city I am in and will volunteer at a good bank this summer.
Essays/LORs/Other: UC PIQS : Prompt #2: Showing my creative side, I will talk about how I use twigs and leaves to create creatures and characters in order to use storytelling and create a story in nature since my mom taught me that when we used to go to the mountains in my home country, El Salvador, and how that shows my creative side because I am able to express my emotions and thoughts through storytelling.
Prompt #4: Which is how I took advantage of an educational opportunity, I will talk about USC Upward Bound and how it allowed me to find the person I want to be in the future through their resources and tremendous love and care for me (I will go in detail about the opportunities the program provides) and I will mention how I am the first undocumented student to join the program since 1977 which is a huge accomplishment and I want to be able to represent my community and myself.
Prompt #5: My significant challenge and how I overcame it, I will talk about my moms health, and how I had to become an adult at a young age to be able to process the emotions in my household and how I got a job in order to buy school supplies like a laptop and an iPad, to not worry my mom.
And lastly, Prompt #7: Which is how I made my community a better place, I will talk about the mental health resource website and how my exigence was hating to see my friends sad and missing out on big opportunities like I did when I was down, so I created a website to give mental health resources to students at my school.
Schools I want to apply to: I want to apply to UC mostly. I really really want to go to UC Irvine. That is my top choice for sure, please be brutally honest with UC Irvine with my stats.
Little Background: I am really worried about my GPA because my history teacher was a terrible human being so she never gave me an A. And since my school is in the quarter system, AP classes are a year long, however the 2nd and 3rd quarter are called honor classes while we are still in the AP class. Therefore, the AP is 4 grades in total and the teacher gave me 3 Bs and 1 C which brought my GPA down SINCE THEY ARE ALL WEIGHTED. I have all As in my sophomore and junior year except my sophomore year I had 2 Cs. So really, only the APUSH class is the one ruining my life basically.
UCLA UC Irvine UC Riverside UC San Diego UC Santa Barbara UC Santa Cruz UC Davis UC Merced UC Berkley Stanford CSULB CSUF SDSU

Can I save/fix myself? I am 23 years old and suffer from overwhelming anxiety and panic. It noticeably only happens when I have to “apply myself” aka school, chores, and work. (I am not a lazy person. I lost 100+ pounds and I go to the gym religiously. It’s not easy but I was capable of doing it.) I dropped out of high school at 18 due to these issues but decided to go back and somehow graduated at 19. I am enrolled in college but due to my overwhelming panic and anxiety I have taken it very slowly, but I am just one semester away from graduating. However a major issue and one that brings me here is my inability to work. Despite being 23 I haven’t held a job, except for a part time (~20 hours) Deli job a few years ago but that only lasted a few months before I had a terrible panic attack and shut down again. I got used to just sitting in my room, taking an online class, and playing video games and that became my life. I wasn’t happy with it but I was OK with it, it was a stress free, anxiety free life. Then my friends got me into the gym and I fell in love with it. It got me out of the house and helped me build back up my confidence and social skills, as well as a routine. I worked up the confidence and signed up for a full-time school semester. It was extremely difficult and life was not enjoyable but I did it. And I also met this girl. She has completely transformed my life but with it also made me realize how far behind and abnormal I am. She made me start stressing about my career and my money (she is aware of my situation and has been extremely understanding, she doesn’t care about my money) but I still feel this extreme level of motivation to provide for her. Not only for her but because I now have terrible anxiety when away from her, and my home life is not good. I want nothing more than to be able to afford to move in with her, but I am struggling. After doing nothing for 2 years I am slated to start working a full 40-hour work week (YMCA Summer Camp Counselor) in 10 days, but I am struggling. I am physically capable but I worry if I am MENTALLY capable. I am suffering non-stop anxiety and panic attacks and I seriously doubt if I am able to do this but I don’t see an alternative. I don’t like broadcasting this on the internet but my mental health is the worst it has EVER been and I am getting some ideations. I need to know if it’s too late for me or if what I am going through is normal. I genuinely believe in my head I will never be able to hold a job. It’s gotten to the point where I can’t leave my girlfriend’s side without severe panic and anxiety, and it is putting a strain on my life away from her as well as our relationship as a whole. I want help, I need help, but I don’t know where to turn. Any and all advice or comments will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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Chapter 27 - I Guess a Bathhouse Episode was Inevitable
Last Time: Having attained at least some measure or personal safety, the party recovered from their wounds in a forest clearing. Aiden awoke from his nightmare-troubled sleep to see everyone waiting. They had found a fortuitous ally in the form of Alex, a teamster who had happened upon them during their flight from Tripit, though they were away retrieving the party’s belongings. The day passed peacefully enough, and good news was had when Oxcard awoke from his sleep. In the relative quiet, plans were made for what the party would do going forward. Aiden, Laran, Leor, and Oriwyn would follow Arcadia and Oxcard as they made their way to Diareen, a distant trade city. In addition to following them, Aiden made Arcadia and Oxcard the offer to join their party. The two siblings deferred their answer but acquiesced to the party joining them on their trip, and thus it was that they set travel that night at a much more leisurely pace than they had been forced to take the night before.
We had been traveling for about three days. During the first, all of us had been jumpy. Many small clumps of people lined the roads that led from Tripit, little communities that arose in order to be near Tripit or which persisted despite the meteoric growth of their larger neighbor. Any time someone glanced over at us, I felt like they were going to report our whereabouts to Daisy and we would need to flee into the darkness. Luckily, however, there were no incidents and we began to be able to fully relax.
Oxcard was making a good recovery. He still rode in the cart more often than not, with Oriwyn often joining him to minister to his wounds as best she could. It quickly became apparent that he knew more about treating injuries than Oriwyn, so her attempts quickly turned into lessons. Arcadia normally walked nearby, chatting pleasantly with Oxcard whenever he otherwise didn’t have anything to do - I had noticed she didn’t talk to the rest of the party as much, but given the circumstances I figured that her joy at saving Ox merited a little bit of single-minded focus.
It felt strange to lead the group with nothing really going on. We had too many injuries to really try to train, and we wanted to spend as much time as we could traveling to put some distance behind us just in case someone was following, so we barely acted like an adventuring party. In general, it felt more like we were a group of backpackers who had run into each other and decided to stick together rather than an adventuring party on a quest for future glory.
All in all, I couldn’t say I really minded it.
In the quiet times after we’d made camp but before I fell asleep, I would occasionally check Lorna’s pocket mirror. The first time I did, I was unsurprised to learn we had all leveled up - I was level six, Laran and Leor were level seven, Oriwyn was level eight, Arcadia was level five, and Oxcard was level six. In addition to that, I had increased in bond with everybody. After such a harrowing venture, it felt right.
About midway through the third day of travel, Alex called out to us all, suddenly excited.
“I thought this looked familiar! See the weird tree that looks like it was hit by lightning? And that pile of boulders over there that kind of looks like a bunny? If we take the side road we’ll find in about ten minutes, then we’ll get to YaDa’s!”
I had no idea what Alex was talking about, so I shot a look around to the rest of the party. They seemed equally as mystified, so I decided to take one for the team.
“Uh, YaDa’s? What is that?”
Alex slapped a hand to their heart as if they’d been offended.
“You don’t know of YaDa’s? It's the finest combination inn, general store, and bathhouse in all of Tal!”
I snorted with laughter at Alex’s mock indignation. The place certainly sounded interesting - even after only three days on the road, I could do with an inn, a general store, and a bathhouse. If they all happened to be in the same building, then that was all the better for it. I did have one question though.
“I think we’re interested, assuming it won’t cause us too much delay. That being said, why is someone trying to run a business out in the middle of nowhere? Sure we’re not too far from Tripit and we’re on a decently large road, but I can’t imagine that enough people pass through to make it fully worth their while.”
Alex just shrugged and smiled.
“The owners seem to do just fine for themselves! Maybe it’s because they tend to get a lot of repeat customers. I’m not the only one who looks forward to my path taking me by YaDa’s - in fact, I stop pretty much every time I’m going to or from Tripit!”
I nodded along as Alex continued to ramble about some of the amenities of YaDa’s. Everyone else seemed interested too, so it wasn’t much of a decision to declare we would stop in and rest the remainder of the day. Everyone’s mood got an immediate boost and we all moved faster - even the pack animals pulling the cart seemed excited. Soon enough we found a simple wooden sign next to a side road, which Alex directed us down.
The sign had three pictograms on it - a coin purse, a plate of food, and a steaming bath. As I looked at them, my brain started to work out what order I wanted to do the actions they represented in.
Oriwyn’s eyes were bright and wide open as we came down the path. Already, a building could be seen in the distance. It was large for how little else stood near it - a big, blocky building that matched what I thought an inn should look like was flanked by a smaller, blocky building and a large geodesic dome. I blinked a few times, startled by the shape. It looked like triangular panes of glass rested on a wooden substructure, making a shape that I always associated with retrofuturism. Leor looked interested too - maybe she had some interest in architecture?
As we approached, Alex rumbled their wagon to a halt.
“You six - sorry Brams, seven - go ahead and run in ahead of me. I have an understanding with the owners so I’m going to hitch Peggy and Gary up in the stables before I try to get settled. Someone should be working the front desk - introduce yourself, they’re friendly!”
We thanked Alex for their insight and made our way into the building. We entered into a slightly small space - it wasn’t cramped, but it definitely felt small for what I associated with the entryway for an inn. A few plush chairs were arranged around a fireplace on one wall and a desk stood at the far end. It was currently unoccupied, but I saw a small hanging bell and a hammer on an iron stand on the desk. Shrugging, I took point and walked up to the desk. I glanced around but couldn’t see anyone, so I picked up the hammer and tapped the bell. The resulting noise was surprisingly loud and the answer was almost instant.
“So sorry! Be with you in a second!” came a deep but feminine sounding voice. Sure enough, after a short time had passed, a door opened and a woman stepped through.
To call the woman tall felt almost like an understatement. It seemed like she needed to duck under the doorframe - my best guess is that she was six foot eight or taller. She was built in a way that suggested the Ghost of Christmas Present to me - red hair and all - and when she walked behind the desk it looked comically small before her. She appeared to be human, but I wondered if giants were a thing in Tal - if they were, she definitely looked the part.
“Welcome to YaDa’s!” she said, smiling brightly. She swept a hand up to herself by way of introduction. “My name is Ya, and Da is around elsewhere, and together we run YaDa’s! I don’t think I recognize you - is this your first time?”
Leor was the one who stepped up to answer, which surprised me. I shifted back a little to let her take point.
“Yes, this is our first time, though you came highly recommended by our associate Alex. I believe they should be joining us soon!”
Ya beamed behind the desk.
“Oh! Alex is a good sort - glad to see them back! Their favorite room is even open right now - unless they’d be staying with you?”
“We hadn’t discussed how we would be doing lodging arrangements, but I assume Alex may want some peace and quiet after having us unexpectedly tail along for a few days. What sort of accommodations are there?”
Ya ran a quick count on our number. “For six? We have suites that can take six, or you could do three rooms of two. Honestly, it’s cheaper if you’re all together, and we have a harder time filling the big rooms anyway.
It was at that moment that Brams began to try to scale Ya’s desk. With a scrabbling sound and some snorting, he made his presence known. Ya looked down, looked a little surprised, then reached over the desk and held out her arms. Brams gladly stopped scrabbling and flopped into the proffered embrace, so Ya lifted him and placed him on the desk.
“My my, aren’t you a strange one, little creature! Can’t say I’ve seen your like before…”
Brams made a snorting sound that seemed almost indignant and shook himself. His tail wiggled with the end of the shake, then he sat and stared up at Ya. There was a moment’s silence and Brams looked very intent - all of us leaned in a little, as it seemed like Brams was about to do something. A violent sneeze burst from his muzzle, making us all jump, and the moment was over. Ya smiled at him and tousled the hair on top of his head with her huge hands.
“Well, sorry for not including you in the count. I’m sure that the room will fit seven, though you may need to squeeze a little. Follow me!”
With that, Ya pulled a bulky key from a pocket in her pants. She bent down and unlocked a drawer in the desk, withdrawing a smaller key. As she handed it to Leor, she gave her some instructions.
“Now this key is enchanted. After we’ve opened your door, you’ll have ten minutes to make as many copies as you’ll need. Just take the key, leave it on an open spot of the table, and make sure nobody looks at it for about a minute. When you look back, there’ll be a second key on the table. Take the key and give it to someone - have them put it out of sight - and repeat it until you have what you need! When you’re done, stroke the first key and tell it thanks and it’ll stop duplicating itself.”
I chuckled - hotel key cards had nothing on what I’d just seen. Sure the whole system seemed a little convoluted, and there was a part of me that wanted to keep summoning keys for a few hours just to see how many I could make, but it still felt really cool. In a way, it felt like proper magic, like in a fairy tale.
It was amazing how quickly parts of Tal had become passé to me. I figured since I’d been living in Tal for a while, it was natural that I'd done my best to try and fit in, which would explain how I so quickly became inured to the magical wonders of the world. After all, it seemed like my life was going to continue on as it had been for the foreseeable future. Still, sometimes something small would hit me over the head with a sudden feeling that I was somewhere different from Earth.
Over time, that feeling had been less and less negative.
We followed Ya as she led us to our room. She had to slow a little, as Arcadia made it a point to walk in front of Oxcard and walk slowly so he wouldn’t try to keep up with the tall woman and possibly re-open his wounds. Despite the delay however, we made it to our rooms fine before too awful long.
Our lodgings were simple but spacious. Beds lined two of the walls, creating a corner for sleeping that stood opposed to a clear space with some tables, chairs, and what appeared to be a simple wood-fired stove. A stack of small firewood sat in a basket and thick quilts covered the bed, and overall the whole place gave off a very cozy feeling.
We wasted no time in thanking Ya and starting to get settled in. Arcadia, Oxcard, and Oriwyn took the three beds on one wall while Leor, Laran, and I took the remaining. Leor busied herself making keys, though had some trouble because Oriwyn kept trying to sneak a peek of the key when it split, causing the magic to not work. Eventually though, each of us had a copy - we even made a copy for Brams and tied it around his neck loosely with a piece of ribbon, figuring that it would be a good backup. Leor had an odd look on her face when she began to stroke the key and tell it thank you, which got the rest of us laughing. The key shivered in her hand and let out a contented sigh, which made Leor drop it. Oxcard started laughing so hard that he doubled over in pain, but there was no damage done and the mood stayed high. I decided I should address everyone and come up with something of a game plan.
“Well everyone, it looks like we have some R and R time on our hands! What do people want to do?”
What followed was a pleasantly lively discussion. Arcadia, Laran, and I really wanted to see about the bathhouse side of things, while Oriwyn and Leor argued that they were hungry. Oxcard stayed quiet for most of the deliberation, offering noncommittal answers if ever directly asked about anything, which I found a little strange but which I didn’t press on. The whole time, Brams ran laps around the room, flapping his wings as he jumped from bed to bed. I noticed he seemed to be getting just the littlest bit of a glide going as he leapt over the longer stretches - I would bring that up with Ori later. It also seemed like a positive development that the movement didn’t cause him pain, despite the healing scar on his wing.
Eventually, a plan was settled on. We would go to the general store to see if they had bathing clothes and something to eat. If they did, we would make our purchases then head to the bathhouse, which we assumed was the glass-encased dome structure. If we couldn’t find something that worked as a snack, we agreed we would get a proper meal before swimming. Our plan solidified, Oriwyn calmed Brams down enough so that he stopped running laps of the room, and we headed back to the front.
When we got to the store, we found someone we hadn’t seen before. By the look of her, she seemed to be Ya’s daughter - she hadn’t inherited her mother’s prodigious height entirely, but still stood roughly six feet tall. As we all walked in, she perked up immediately.
“Hello! My name is Yada, and I run the general store here! Have you ever visited one of our shops?”
So many things hit me at once I had trouble figuring out what to focus on first. The first thing I came to grips with was that this person’s name was likely a combination of her parents’ - it wasn’t that hard to imagine, but it still felt weird. The second was that there were multiple shops. Obviously the concept of a chain of stores wasn’t foreign to me, but they were a concept I thought I had left behind with Earth. Curiosity overtook me, so I decided to press for a little more information.
“No I can’t say I have - where are they?”
Yada puffed up behind the desk and looked proud of herself.
“Oh they’re around! Pick three out of the four cardinal directions from Tripit, and there you’ll find a branch of Yada’s General store. My siblings - Yadayada and Yadayadayada - run those two stores, but I was the one who started the whole thing and got this shop made! Mom and Dad really mostly care about the hospitality part of things, so I was free to make the business as I wanted it.”
Leor snorted and bluntly asked Yada a question that I had to admit had occurred to me too.
“Yada, Yadayada, and Yadayadayada? Good thing your parents didn’t have more kids or that would get unwieldy. Are they not very creative people?”
I may have phrased things a little more delicately, but I was still curious of the answer. Luckily Yada laughed it off and didn’t seem to take any offense.
“No, they’re good hosts but not the most imaginative when it comes to naming. We always joked it made it easy for people to remember who was the oldest - take the number of syllables and divide by two!”
Leor just raised her eyebrows but Arcadia burst out laughing. I don’t think I’d heard her laugh like that before. Oriwyn looked at her and slowly began to chuckle along, slowly crescendoing to full-blown laughter as well. I managed to keep a straight face until I glanced over at Laran, who looked utterly mystified. Ox was smiling - the first time I’d seen him do so in the short and intense time since I’d met him - and even Leor was giving a disdainful look, which was tantamount to a grin from her. When everyone calmed down, we thanked Yada for the introduction and got to the business of shopping.
There were sandwiches wrapped up in little paper bags, which we all bought one or two of. Oriwyn, Leor, and Oxcard immediately wolfed theirs down while Laran, Arcadia, and I went to a small table set off to the side and had a more leisurely time of things. As we ate, the other three began to look at the wares of the shop.
Oriwyn immediately found little baubles and spent a good while combing through a small chest of brooches. While she was doing that, Oxcard went to some shelves that had what looked like medical supplies. He came up to Arcadia with an armful and asked for some money, which she hurriedly fished out and gave him. Finally, Leor seemed to be focused on a small collection of clothes. She held up a garment and wandered over to a mirror to see how she looked in it. It didn’t take me long to figure out it was some sort of bathing suit.
I was really, really thankful that Tal had the concept of bathing suits. Part of me had been quietly dreading the prospect of skinny-dipping with five people who were barely more than strangers to me. The fact there was some reasonable expectation we would all be clothed was a relief.
After we finished our sandwiches, we all went to look at the bathing wear. Yada wandered over and started talking about things, going over what was popular where and who had suggested certain styles. I did what I normally did and grabbed the first pair of anything that reasonably looked like it would fit me, and it seemed Oxcard did the same. Arcadia was the next to choose, then Leor. Laran and Oriwyn were debating extensively amongst themselves, going over minute differences in material and cut that I wouldn’t have even thought to look at, so we left them to it and told them to meet us in the bathhouse. They agreed, so we set off.
When we entered the glass dome that hosted the baths, I saw that I had been right. A wooden frame created triangular ledges that held up glass panes. Some of them seemed to be missing from strategic places, creating a cross breeze. Still, the glass held in a large amount of steamy air, and we quickly picked out a large pool to claim as our own. There were only two other bathers, and they were off in a much smaller pool off to the side, so we had plenty of choice. We saw some booths off to the side and went to get changed.
As we gathered by the pool, my head idly studied what bathing suits we’d all chosen. I had gone with what was familiar - a pair of baggy trunks that had a cinch at the waist so they wouldn’t fall down. They didn’t have the weird inner netting that I was used to in place of underwear, which felt a bit strange and loose, but otherwise they were comfortable enough. Oxcard seemed to have chosen much the same as me, but where mine were dyed a green color, his seemed to be wholly undyed. I wondered if they had been the cheapest pair available - that might track with what little I knew about him and Arcadia.
Speaking of, Arcadia was wearing what looked like a sports bra and spanks. I’m sure there were women back home who would have killed for her sporty build, though given her life I’m sure she hadn’t come by it in a way that was in any way pleasant. The last to emerge was Leor, and I had to stop myself from laughing. She looked like a candy cane, wearing a red and white striped one-piece bathing suit that made me think of the old-timey Victorian bathing suits I saw guys wearing in movies and read about in history books. The lower part nearly came down to her knees, and given her beard and candy-cane coloring I got the impression of one of Santa’s elves on holiday. The mental image was doubly funny given that Leor was very definitely a dwarf, but I managed to hold myself together regardless.
We all slipped into the water - it was warm and inviting - and had just started to chat when we heard the bathhouse door open. We waved at Oriwyn and Laran as they entered, and they quickly went and got changed in the hutches we had vacated. It was with some curiosity that I watched for them to exit.
Oriwyn wore a loose, draped garment that seemed to be gathered at specific places to preserve her modesty - it looked vaguely Greek to me. I only had a few seconds to observe the cut though, because she immediately took a running start and jumped towards the deepest part of the pool. Brams immediately followed, offering a secondary splash nearly as large as Oriwyn’s as he splashed down. He began to paddle around the pool happily, having tucked his wings up and out of the way, while Oriwyn surfaced, shooting a cheesy grin at Leor - who she had splashed severely with her entrance - and took a place along the ledge at the edge.
When Laran came out, my face turned a little red. Now I wasn’t a prude, and over the years I had seen several men in very, very revealing swimsuits, but Laran’s suit was drawing my eyes in a way that I felt like they hadn’t been drawn since I was going through puberty. He wore what appeared to be folded fabric instead of trunks like Oxcard and I had found - some distant memory thought it looked vaguely Roman in Earth terms. It was a dark burgundy and not even that revealing, but something about seeing him in it brought back the bashfulness I had experienced when he’d run around the edge of the house shirtless the first time I met him. He seemed to be thinking the same way as I saw his cheeks darkened, but ignored his self-consciousness and walked over without comment to join us in the pool.
We all relaxed in the warm water, trading the occasional bits of small talk. After a while Alex walked in and we waved, but they seemed bent on going to a particular pool on the opposite side of the room. After a while of discussing nothing important, Arcadia cleared her throat to get our attention.
“Excuse me? I don’t want to be too formal or anything, but Ox and I have been talking about your offer and I figured we should share what we decided.”
My heart nearly froze in my chest. My curiosity on if they’d join us had been burning away at me for the whole trip so far, and it seemed like it was going to be answered. Of course we would survive without them, but with what all we’d been through I very much wanted them to accept. Also, part of me wondered if I felt that way because their refusal would mean our group wasn’t worth joining. I tried to push the sudden jumble of emotions down and focus on what she was saying.
“We talked it over and decided we’ll join you. I didn’t have a much better plan long term, and you’ve already proved you’re trustworthy. So, assuming you’ll still have us, we’d like to join.”
Arcadia looked a little nervous while Ox remained hard to read. I felt a sudden soaring in my heart, but Oriwyn beat me to accepting the offer.
“Yes! Of course! We never rescinded the offer after all, plus we work well together!”
Arcadia looked pleased, and I thought I saw the ghost of a smile on Oxcard’s face. Leor smiled too, while Laran suddenly shot to his feet.
“This calls for a proper celebration! Wait ‘ere!”
With that, he got out of the pool and raced off. In short order, he returned with two wine bottles and a few glasses. He eagerly began passing them out, Leor enthusiastically helping get things uncorked and poured. When we all had our glasses, Laran raised his in the air.
“A toast! To new allies an’ a new team! May we do well, do good, and do well for ourselves in so doin’!”
He said the words as if he’d heard them before - I wondered from whom for a moment but abandoned that train of thought quickly. Everyone readily agreed to his toast and raised their glasses, myself included, before taking hearty drinks of our wine. It was a sweet, almost citrusy flavor that bordered on too sweet for me, but its flavor cut through the steamy air of the bathhouse well. I enjoyed it and it seemed everyone else did too. As we lowered our glasses though, we all got quite a shock.
“Cheers! Now where’s my glass?”
The voice came from Brams, who was happily paddling in the center of the pool. Laran choked on his wine, shooting a little out of his nose. Leor just stopped and stared into her glass, looking for an explanation there. Oxcard and Arcadia looked at the rest of us, vaguely confused, but it was Oriwyn’s reaction I really wanted to see.
She sat on her ledge in the pool, a broad smile across her face. I could see a hint of surprise in her eyes, but still she flashed her smile to the rest of us.
“Why are you all acting so surprised? Did you think I was talking to Brams just for fun?”
Elsewhere: The captain of the river barge stood eagle-eyed at the front. It wasn’t like he needed to steer very much - just about anybody could control a riverboat when it was being pulled by horses on the bank - so his attention was much better spent keeping an eye out for threats. He looked to the side - the group of three mercenaries he had hired to accompany his boat and walk by the horses trotted along, weapons sheathed and chatting amicably. He couldn’t blame them really, given that they’d been going for a full day and a half since he’d picked them up without trouble. Still, he knew this stretch of the river and knew he should expect trouble. He scanned the gently rippling surface of the river again, a sudden feeling of discomfort settling over him. A disruption caught his eye, and he let out a cry. The bubbles that caused the disruption began to surface more violently, making the calm stream look like a pot of water at a roiling boil, and the captain cursed his luck. He’d been a fool to try and make his run when he did, but he felt like he’d had no choice. Now he was going to pay for that specific incautious decision - all he could hope was that he didn’t pay too dearly in either coin or life.
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Chapter 27 - I Guess a Bathhouse Episode was Inevitable
Last Time: Having attained at least some measure or personal safety, the party recovered from their wounds in a forest clearing. Aiden awoke from his nightmare-troubled sleep to see everyone waiting. They had found a fortuitous ally in the form of Alex, a teamster who had happened upon them during their flight from Tripit, though they were away retrieving the party’s belongings. The day passed peacefully enough, and good news was had when Oxcard awoke from his sleep. In the relative quiet, plans were made for what the party would do going forward. Aiden, Laran, Leor, and Oriwyn would follow Arcadia and Oxcard as they made their way to Diareen, a distant trade city. In addition to following them, Aiden made Arcadia and Oxcard the offer to join their party. The two siblings deferred their answer but acquiesced to the party joining them on their trip, and thus it was that they set travel that night at a much more leisurely pace than they had been forced to take the night before.
We had been traveling for about three days. During the first, all of us had been jumpy. Many small clumps of people lined the roads that led from Tripit, little communities that arose in order to be near Tripit or which persisted despite the meteoric growth of their larger neighbor. Any time someone glanced over at us, I felt like they were going to report our whereabouts to Daisy and we would need to flee into the darkness. Luckily, however, there were no incidents and we began to be able to fully relax.
Oxcard was making a good recovery. He still rode in the cart more often than not, with Oriwyn often joining him to minister to his wounds as best she could. It quickly became apparent that he knew more about treating injuries than Oriwyn, so her attempts quickly turned into lessons. Arcadia normally walked nearby, chatting pleasantly with Oxcard whenever he otherwise didn’t have anything to do - I had noticed she didn’t talk to the rest of the party as much, but given the circumstances I figured that her joy at saving Ox merited a little bit of single-minded focus.
It felt strange to lead the group with nothing really going on. We had too many injuries to really try to train, and we wanted to spend as much time as we could traveling to put some distance behind us just in case someone was following, so we barely acted like an adventuring party. In general, it felt more like we were a group of backpackers who had run into each other and decided to stick together rather than an adventuring party on a quest for future glory.
All in all, I couldn’t say I really minded it.
In the quiet times after we’d made camp but before I fell asleep, I would occasionally check Lorna’s pocket mirror. The first time I did, I was unsurprised to learn we had all leveled up - I was level six, Laran and Leor were level seven, Oriwyn was level eight, Arcadia was level five, and Oxcard was level six. In addition to that, I had increased in bond with everybody. After such a harrowing venture, it felt right.
About midway through the third day of travel, Alex called out to us all, suddenly excited.
“I thought this looked familiar! See the weird tree that looks like it was hit by lightning? And that pile of boulders over there that kind of looks like a bunny? If we take the side road we’ll find in about ten minutes, then we’ll get to YaDa’s!”
I had no idea what Alex was talking about, so I shot a look around to the rest of the party. They seemed equally as mystified, so I decided to take one for the team.
“Uh, YaDa’s? What is that?”
Alex slapped a hand to their heart as if they’d been offended.
“You don’t know of YaDa’s? It's the finest combination inn, general store, and bathhouse in all of Tal!”
I snorted with laughter at Alex’s mock indignation. The place certainly sounded interesting - even after only three days on the road, I could do with an inn, a general store, and a bathhouse. If they all happened to be in the same building, then that was all the better for it. I did have one question though.
“I think we’re interested, assuming it won’t cause us too much delay. That being said, why is someone trying to run a business out in the middle of nowhere? Sure we’re not too far from Tripit and we’re on a decently large road, but I can’t imagine that enough people pass through to make it fully worth their while.”
Alex just shrugged and smiled.
“The owners seem to do just fine for themselves! Maybe it’s because they tend to get a lot of repeat customers. I’m not the only one who looks forward to my path taking me by YaDa’s - in fact, I stop pretty much every time I’m going to or from Tripit!”
I nodded along as Alex continued to ramble about some of the amenities of YaDa’s. Everyone else seemed interested too, so it wasn’t much of a decision to declare we would stop in and rest the remainder of the day. Everyone’s mood got an immediate boost and we all moved faster - even the pack animals pulling the cart seemed excited. Soon enough we found a simple wooden sign next to a side road, which Alex directed us down.
The sign had three pictograms on it - a coin purse, a plate of food, and a steaming bath. As I looked at them, my brain started to work out what order I wanted to do the actions they represented in.
Oriwyn’s eyes were bright and wide open as we came down the path. Already, a building could be seen in the distance. It was large for how little else stood near it - a big, blocky building that matched what I thought an inn should look like was flanked by a smaller, blocky building and a large geodesic dome. I blinked a few times, startled by the shape. It looked like triangular panes of glass rested on a wooden substructure, making a shape that I always associated with retrofuturism. Leor looked interested too - maybe she had some interest in architecture?
As we approached, Alex rumbled their wagon to a halt.
“You six - sorry Brams, seven - go ahead and run in ahead of me. I have an understanding with the owners so I’m going to hitch Peggy and Gary up in the stables before I try to get settled. Someone should be working the front desk - introduce yourself, they’re friendly!”
We thanked Alex for their insight and made our way into the building. We entered into a slightly small space - it wasn’t cramped, but it definitely felt small for what I associated with the entryway for an inn. A few plush chairs were arranged around a fireplace on one wall and a desk stood at the far end. It was currently unoccupied, but I saw a small hanging bell and a hammer on an iron stand on the desk. Shrugging, I took point and walked up to the desk. I glanced around but couldn’t see anyone, so I picked up the hammer and tapped the bell. The resulting noise was surprisingly loud and the answer was almost instant.
“So sorry! Be with you in a second!” came a deep but feminine sounding voice. Sure enough, after a short time had passed, a door opened and a woman stepped through.
To call the woman tall felt almost like an understatement. It seemed like she needed to duck under the doorframe - my best guess is that she was six foot eight or taller. She was built in a way that suggested the Ghost of Christmas Present to me - red hair and all - and when she walked behind the desk it looked comically small before her. She appeared to be human, but I wondered if giants were a thing in Tal - if they were, she definitely looked the part.
“Welcome to YaDa’s!” she said, smiling brightly. She swept a hand up to herself by way of introduction. “My name is Ya, and Da is around elsewhere, and together we run YaDa’s! I don’t think I recognize you - is this your first time?”
Leor was the one who stepped up to answer, which surprised me. I shifted back a little to let her take point.
“Yes, this is our first time, though you came highly recommended by our associate Alex. I believe they should be joining us soon!”
Ya beamed behind the desk.
“Oh! Alex is a good sort - glad to see them back! Their favorite room is even open right now - unless they’d be staying with you?”
“We hadn’t discussed how we would be doing lodging arrangements, but I assume Alex may want some peace and quiet after having us unexpectedly tail along for a few days. What sort of accommodations are there?”
Ya ran a quick count on our number. “For six? We have suites that can take six, or you could do three rooms of two. Honestly, it’s cheaper if you’re all together, and we have a harder time filling the big rooms anyway.
It was at that moment that Brams began to try to scale Ya’s desk. With a scrabbling sound and some snorting, he made his presence known. Ya looked down, looked a little surprised, then reached over the desk and held out her arms. Brams gladly stopped scrabbling and flopped into the proffered embrace, so Ya lifted him and placed him on the desk.
“My my, aren’t you a strange one, little creature! Can’t say I’ve seen your like before…”
Brams made a snorting sound that seemed almost indignant and shook himself. His tail wiggled with the end of the shake, then he sat and stared up at Ya. There was a moment’s silence and Brams looked very intent - all of us leaned in a little, as it seemed like Brams was about to do something. A violent sneeze burst from his muzzle, making us all jump, and the moment was over. Ya smiled at him and tousled the hair on top of his head with her huge hands.
“Well, sorry for not including you in the count. I’m sure that the room will fit seven, though you may need to squeeze a little. Follow me!”
With that, Ya pulled a bulky key from a pocket in her pants. She bent down and unlocked a drawer in the desk, withdrawing a smaller key. As she handed it to Leor, she gave her some instructions.
“Now this key is enchanted. After we’ve opened your door, you’ll have ten minutes to make as many copies as you’ll need. Just take the key, leave it on an open spot of the table, and make sure nobody looks at it for about a minute. When you look back, there’ll be a second key on the table. Take the key and give it to someone - have them put it out of sight - and repeat it until you have what you need! When you’re done, stroke the first key and tell it thanks and it’ll stop duplicating itself.”
I chuckled - hotel key cards had nothing on what I’d just seen. Sure the whole system seemed a little convoluted, and there was a part of me that wanted to keep summoning keys for a few hours just to see how many I could make, but it still felt really cool. In a way, it felt like proper magic, like in a fairy tale.
It was amazing how quickly parts of Tal had become passé to me. I figured since I’d been living in Tal for a while, it was natural that I'd done my best to try and fit in, which would explain how I so quickly became inured to the magical wonders of the world. After all, it seemed like my life was going to continue on as it had been for the foreseeable future. Still, sometimes something small would hit me over the head with a sudden feeling that I was somewhere different from Earth.
Over time, that feeling had been less and less negative.
We followed Ya as she led us to our room. She had to slow a little, as Arcadia made it a point to walk in front of Oxcard and walk slowly so he wouldn’t try to keep up with the tall woman and possibly re-open his wounds. Despite the delay however, we made it to our rooms fine before too awful long.
Our lodgings were simple but spacious. Beds lined two of the walls, creating a corner for sleeping that stood opposed to a clear space with some tables, chairs, and what appeared to be a simple wood-fired stove. A stack of small firewood sat in a basket and thick quilts covered the bed, and overall the whole place gave off a very cozy feeling.
We wasted no time in thanking Ya and starting to get settled in. Arcadia, Oxcard, and Oriwyn took the three beds on one wall while Leor, Laran, and I took the remaining. Leor busied herself making keys, though had some trouble because Oriwyn kept trying to sneak a peek of the key when it split, causing the magic to not work. Eventually though, each of us had a copy - we even made a copy for Brams and tied it around his neck loosely with a piece of ribbon, figuring that it would be a good backup. Leor had an odd look on her face when she began to stroke the key and tell it thank you, which got the rest of us laughing. The key shivered in her hand and let out a contented sigh, which made Leor drop it. Oxcard started laughing so hard that he doubled over in pain, but there was no damage done and the mood stayed high. I decided I should address everyone and come up with something of a game plan.
“Well everyone, it looks like we have some R and R time on our hands! What do people want to do?”
What followed was a pleasantly lively discussion. Arcadia, Laran, and I really wanted to see about the bathhouse side of things, while Oriwyn and Leor argued that they were hungry. Oxcard stayed quiet for most of the deliberation, offering noncommittal answers if ever directly asked about anything, which I found a little strange but which I didn’t press on. The whole time, Brams ran laps around the room, flapping his wings as he jumped from bed to bed. I noticed he seemed to be getting just the littlest bit of a glide going as he leapt over the longer stretches - I would bring that up with Ori later. It also seemed like a positive development that the movement didn’t cause him pain, despite the healing scar on his wing.
Eventually, a plan was settled on. We would go to the general store to see if they had bathing clothes and something to eat. If they did, we would make our purchases then head to the bathhouse, which we assumed was the glass-encased dome structure. If we couldn’t find something that worked as a snack, we agreed we would get a proper meal before swimming. Our plan solidified, Oriwyn calmed Brams down enough so that he stopped running laps of the room, and we headed back to the front.
When we got to the store, we found someone we hadn’t seen before. By the look of her, she seemed to be Ya’s daughter - she hadn’t inherited her mother’s prodigious height entirely, but still stood roughly six feet tall. As we all walked in, she perked up immediately.
“Hello! My name is Yada, and I run the general store here! Have you ever visited one of our shops?”
So many things hit me at once I had trouble figuring out what to focus on first. The first thing I came to grips with was that this person’s name was likely a combination of her parents’ - it wasn’t that hard to imagine, but it still felt weird. The second was that there were multiple shops. Obviously the concept of a chain of stores wasn’t foreign to me, but they were a concept I thought I had left behind with Earth. Curiosity overtook me, so I decided to press for a little more information.
“No I can’t say I have - where are they?”
Yada puffed up behind the desk and looked proud of herself.
“Oh they’re around! Pick three out of the four cardinal directions from Tripit, and there you’ll find a branch of Yada’s General store. My siblings - Yadayada and Yadayadayada - run those two stores, but I was the one who started the whole thing and got this shop made! Mom and Dad really mostly care about the hospitality part of things, so I was free to make the business as I wanted it.”
Leor snorted and bluntly asked Yada a question that I had to admit had occurred to me too.
“Yada, Yadayada, and Yadayadayada? Good thing your parents didn’t have more kids or that would get unwieldy. Are they not very creative people?”
I may have phrased things a little more delicately, but I was still curious of the answer. Luckily Yada laughed it off and didn’t seem to take any offense.
“No, they’re good hosts but not the most imaginative when it comes to naming. We always joked it made it easy for people to remember who was the oldest - take the number of syllables and divide by two!”
Leor just raised her eyebrows but Arcadia burst out laughing. I don’t think I’d heard her laugh like that before. Oriwyn looked at her and slowly began to chuckle along, slowly crescendoing to full-blown laughter as well. I managed to keep a straight face until I glanced over at Laran, who looked utterly mystified. Ox was smiling - the first time I’d seen him do so in the short and intense time since I’d met him - and even Leor was giving a disdainful look, which was tantamount to a grin from her. When everyone calmed down, we thanked Yada for the introduction and got to the business of shopping.
There were sandwiches wrapped up in little paper bags, which we all bought one or two of. Oriwyn, Leor, and Oxcard immediately wolfed theirs down while Laran, Arcadia, and I went to a small table set off to the side and had a more leisurely time of things. As we ate, the other three began to look at the wares of the shop.
Oriwyn immediately found little baubles and spent a good while combing through a small chest of brooches. While she was doing that, Oxcard went to some shelves that had what looked like medical supplies. He came up to Arcadia with an armful and asked for some money, which she hurriedly fished out and gave him. Finally, Leor seemed to be focused on a small collection of clothes. She held up a garment and wandered over to a mirror to see how she looked in it. It didn’t take me long to figure out it was some sort of bathing suit.
I was really, really thankful that Tal had the concept of bathing suits. Part of me had been quietly dreading the prospect of skinny-dipping with five people who were barely more than strangers to me. The fact there was some reasonable expectation we would all be clothed was a relief.
After we finished our sandwiches, we all went to look at the bathing wear. Yada wandered over and started talking about things, going over what was popular where and who had suggested certain styles. I did what I normally did and grabbed the first pair of anything that reasonably looked like it would fit me, and it seemed Oxcard did the same. Arcadia was the next to choose, then Leor. Laran and Oriwyn were debating extensively amongst themselves, going over minute differences in material and cut that I wouldn’t have even thought to look at, so we left them to it and told them to meet us in the bathhouse. They agreed, so we set off.
When we entered the glass dome that hosted the baths, I saw that I had been right. A wooden frame created triangular ledges that held up glass panes. Some of them seemed to be missing from strategic places, creating a cross breeze. Still, the glass held in a large amount of steamy air, and we quickly picked out a large pool to claim as our own. There were only two other bathers, and they were off in a much smaller pool off to the side, so we had plenty of choice. We saw some booths off to the side and went to get changed.
As we gathered by the pool, my head idly studied what bathing suits we’d all chosen. I had gone with what was familiar - a pair of baggy trunks that had a cinch at the waist so they wouldn’t fall down. They didn’t have the weird inner netting that I was used to in place of underwear, which felt a bit strange and loose, but otherwise they were comfortable enough. Oxcard seemed to have chosen much the same as me, but where mine were dyed a green color, his seemed to be wholly undyed. I wondered if they had been the cheapest pair available - that might track with what little I knew about him and Arcadia.
Speaking of, Arcadia was wearing what looked like a sports bra and spanks. I’m sure there were women back home who would have killed for her sporty build, though given her life I’m sure she hadn’t come by it in a way that was in any way pleasant. The last to emerge was Leor, and I had to stop myself from laughing. She looked like a candy cane, wearing a red and white striped one-piece bathing suit that made me think of the old-timey Victorian bathing suits I saw guys wearing in movies and read about in history books. The lower part nearly came down to her knees, and given her beard and candy-cane coloring I got the impression of one of Santa’s elves on holiday. The mental image was doubly funny given that Leor was very definitely a dwarf, but I managed to hold myself together regardless.
We all slipped into the water - it was warm and inviting - and had just started to chat when we heard the bathhouse door open. We waved at Oriwyn and Laran as they entered, and they quickly went and got changed in the hutches we had vacated. It was with some curiosity that I watched for them to exit.
Oriwyn wore a loose, draped garment that seemed to be gathered at specific places to preserve her modesty - it looked vaguely Greek to me. I only had a few seconds to observe the cut though, because she immediately took a running start and jumped towards the deepest part of the pool. Brams immediately followed, offering a secondary splash nearly as large as Oriwyn’s as he splashed down. He began to paddle around the pool happily, having tucked his wings up and out of the way, while Oriwyn surfaced, shooting a cheesy grin at Leor - who she had splashed severely with her entrance - and took a place along the ledge at the edge.
When Laran came out, my face turned a little red. Now I wasn’t a prude, and over the years I had seen several men in very, very revealing swimsuits, but Laran’s suit was drawing my eyes in a way that I felt like they hadn’t been drawn since I was going through puberty. He wore what appeared to be folded fabric instead of trunks like Oxcard and I had found - some distant memory thought it looked vaguely Roman in Earth terms. It was a dark burgundy and not even that revealing, but something about seeing him in it brought back the bashfulness I had experienced when he’d run around the edge of the house shirtless the first time I met him. He seemed to be thinking the same way as I saw his cheeks darkened, but ignored his self-consciousness and walked over without comment to join us in the pool.
We all relaxed in the warm water, trading the occasional bits of small talk. After a while Alex walked in and we waved, but they seemed bent on going to a particular pool on the opposite side of the room. After a while of discussing nothing important, Arcadia cleared her throat to get our attention.
“Excuse me? I don’t want to be too formal or anything, but Ox and I have been talking about your offer and I figured we should share what we decided.”
My heart nearly froze in my chest. My curiosity on if they’d join us had been burning away at me for the whole trip so far, and it seemed like it was going to be answered. Of course we would survive without them, but with what all we’d been through I very much wanted them to accept. Also, part of me wondered if I felt that way because their refusal would mean our group wasn’t worth joining. I tried to push the sudden jumble of emotions down and focus on what she was saying.
“We talked it over and decided we’ll join you. I didn’t have a much better plan long term, and you’ve already proved you’re trustworthy. So, assuming you’ll still have us, we’d like to join.”
Arcadia looked a little nervous while Ox remained hard to read. I felt a sudden soaring in my heart, but Oriwyn beat me to accepting the offer.
“Yes! Of course! We never rescinded the offer after all, plus we work well together!”
Arcadia looked pleased, and I thought I saw the ghost of a smile on Oxcard’s face. Leor smiled too, while Laran suddenly shot to his feet.
“This calls for a proper celebration! Wait ‘ere!”
With that, he got out of the pool and raced off. In short order, he returned with two wine bottles and a few glasses. He eagerly began passing them out, Leor enthusiastically helping get things uncorked and poured. When we all had our glasses, Laran raised his in the air.
“A toast! To new allies an’ a new team! May we do well, do good, and do well for ourselves in so doin’!”
He said the words as if he’d heard them before - I wondered from whom for a moment but abandoned that train of thought quickly. Everyone readily agreed to his toast and raised their glasses, myself included, before taking hearty drinks of our wine. It was a sweet, almost citrusy flavor that bordered on too sweet for me, but its flavor cut through the steamy air of the bathhouse well. I enjoyed it and it seemed everyone else did too. As we lowered our glasses though, we all got quite a shock.
“Cheers! Now where’s my glass?”
The voice came from Brams, who was happily paddling in the center of the pool. Laran choked on his wine, shooting a little out of his nose. Leor just stopped and stared into her glass, looking for an explanation there. Oxcard and Arcadia looked at the rest of us, vaguely confused, but it was Oriwyn’s reaction I really wanted to see.
She sat on her ledge in the pool, a broad smile across her face. I could see a hint of surprise in her eyes, but still she flashed her smile to the rest of us.
“Why are you all acting so surprised? Did you think I was talking to Brams just for fun?”
Elsewhere: The captain of the river barge stood eagle-eyed at the front. It wasn’t like he needed to steer very much - just about anybody could control a riverboat when it was being pulled by horses on the bank - so his attention was much better spent keeping an eye out for threats. He looked to the side - the group of three mercenaries he had hired to accompany his boat and walk by the horses trotted along, weapons sheathed and chatting amicably. He couldn’t blame them really, given that they’d been going for a full day and a half since he’d picked them up without trouble. Still, he knew this stretch of the river and knew he should expect trouble. He scanned the gently rippling surface of the river again, a sudden feeling of discomfort settling over him. A disruption caught his eye, and he let out a cry. The bubbles that caused the disruption began to surface more violently, making the calm stream look like a pot of water at a roiling boil, and the captain cursed his luck. He’d been a fool to try and make his run when he did, but he felt like he’d had no choice. Now he was going to pay for that specific incautious decision - all he could hope was that he didn’t pay too dearly in either coin or life.
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	HOUSE	FRAGRANCE	SIZE	REMAINING	Notes/Condition	Price	Type
1	Amouage	Incense Rori Attar	12mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$439	Niche
2	Amouage	Material (Woman)	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box; Tester Cap	$145	Niche
3	Amouage	Orris Wakan Attar	12mL	99% Full	Full Presentation	$419	Niche
4	Amouage	Rose Aqor Attar	12mL	99% Full	Full Presentation	$419	Niche
5	Amouage	Vanilla Barka Attar	12mL	99% Full	Full Presentation	$419	Niche
6	Andy Tauer	Cologne du Maghreb	50mL	99% Full	First Release, Rectangular Clear Bottle; With box	$95	Niche
7	Bond No. 9	Hamptons	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box; No Cap	$125	Niche
8	Bond No. 9	Madison Square Park	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box, No Cap	$135	Niche
9	By Kilian	Apple Brandy on the Rocks	50mL	99% Full	Full Presentation, Box has some wear.	$160	Niche
10	By Kilian	Bamboo Harmony	100mL	100% Full	Tester Refill (No Spray)	$209	Niche
11	By Kilian	Black Phantom	100mL	100% Full	Tester Refill (No Spray)	$215	Niche
12	By Kilian	Gold Knight	100mL	100% Full	Tester Refill (No Spray)	$209	Niche
13	By Kilian	Good Girl Gone Bad	250mL	99% Full	Decanter; No Box	$800	Niche
14	By Kilian	Intoxicated	100mL	100% Full	Tester Refill (No Spray)	$209	Niche
15	By Kilian	Love Don't Be Shy	50mL	99% Full	Full Presentation, Box has some wear.	$160	Niche
16	By Kilian	Love Don't Be Shy Extreme	50mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$195	Niche
17	Byredo	Infloresence	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$135	Niche
18	Byredo	Lil Fleur	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$135	Niche
19	Byredo	Mixed Emotions	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$135	Niche
20	Byredo	Mumbai Noise	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$135	Niche
21	Byredo	Sunday Cologne	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$135	Niche
22	Chanel Exclusif	Misia EdT	200mL	95% Full	Vintage Discontinued Formula; No Box	$350	Niche
23	Christian Dior / Dior Privee	Bois D'Argent	7.5mL	100% Full	Official Mini	$30	Niche
24	Christian Dior / Dior Privee	Bois D'Argent	5mL	100% Full	Official Mini - Batch Code 0V01 (2010 Production Date) - Price includes shipping	$35	Niche
25	Christian Dior / Dior Privee	Cologne Royale	5mL	100% Full	Official Mini - Batch Code 1X01 (2011 Production Date) - Price includes shipping	$30	Niche
26	Christian Dior / Dior Privee	Diorissima	7.5mL	100% Full	Official Mini; No Cannister - Price includes shipping	$30	Niche
27	Christian Dior / Dior Privee	Eau Noire	5mL	100% Full	Official Mini - Batch Code 1R01 (2011 Production Date) - Price includes shipping	$35	Niche
28	Christian Dior / Dior Privee	Eden Roc	7.5mL	100% Full	Official Mini - Price includes shipping	$30	Niche
29	Christian Dior / Dior Privee	Granville	5mL	100% Full	Official Mini - Batch Code 0V01 (2010 Production Date) - Price includes shipping	$35	Niche
30	Christian Dior / Dior Privee	Milly-La-Foret	5mL	100% Full	Official Mini - Batch Code 0W01 (2010 Production Date) - Price includes shipping	$30	Niche
31	Christian Dior / Dior Privee	Mitzah	5mL	100% Full	Official Mini - Batch Code 1W01 (2011 Production Date) - Price includes shipping	$35	Niche
32	Christian Dior / Dior Privee	New Look 1947	5mL	100% Full	Official Mini - Batch Code 1R01 (2011 Production Date) - Price includes shipping	$30	Niche
33	Clive Christian	I Pour Femme (Woody Floral with Vintage Rose)	50mL	99% Full	No Box	$180	Niche
34	Clive Christian	Rock Rose	50mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$289	Niche
35	Creed	Acqua Florentina - F Batch	75mL	95% Full	Box, Can add a Creed Cap as well	$175	Niche
36	Creed	Aventus - 22A11A	100mL	100% Full	Full Presentation	$250	Niche
37	Creed	Aventus Cologne - 2022 Batch	100mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap	$229	Niche
38	Creed	Aventus Cologne - F Batch (Plastic Cap)	100mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed in Box	$239	Niche
39	Creed	Aventus for Her - F567	75mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap	$185	Niche
40	Creed	Erolfa - 15X01	120mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap	$349	Niche
41	Creed	Erolfa - F Batch	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box, No Cap	$160	Niche
42	Creed	Green Irish Tweed - 19U11	50mL	99% Full	No Cap	$139	Niche
43	Creed	Green Irish Tweed - 2022 Batch	100mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap	$195	Niche
44	Creed	Himalaya - 22B01A	100mL	100% Full	Tester with Square Style Cap	$175	Niche
45	Creed	Millesime Imperial - F Batch	100mL	100% Full	Comes with Box and SQUARE Older Style Cap.	$180	Niche
46	Creed	Neroli Sauvage - F241	100mL	100% Full	Comes with Box and SQUARE Older Style Cap.	$180	Niche
47	Creed	Original Santal - F511	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box; No Cap	$160	Niche
48	Creed	Royal Mayfair - 15R01	120mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap	$229	Niche
49	Creed	Royal Oud - F BATCH	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box; No Cap	$250	Niche
50	Creed	Royal Water - 20C01N	100mL	100% Full	Tester with Square Style Cap	$175	Niche
51	Creed	Silver Mountain Water - 21V01A	100mL	100% Full	Tester with Square Style Cap	$180	Niche
52	Creed	Spring Flowers 2023	75mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap	$209	Niche
53	Creed	Tabarome - 21Y01A	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box; No Cap	$160	Niche
54	Creed	Viking - F512	100mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap	$205	Niche
55	Creed	Virgin Island Water - F473	100mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap	$195	Niche
56	Creed	White Amber - 17W01	75mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box; No Cap	$149	Niche
57	Creed	White Flowers	75mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box; No Cap	$200	Niche
58	Creed	Wind Flowers - 22C01B	75mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap	$199	Niche
59	DS & DURGA	Amber Kiso	100mL	100% Full	New, No Box	$125	Niche
60	Frederic Malle	Eau de Magnolia	10mL	100% Full	Official Travel Spray	$55	Niche
61	Gallagher	Bergamot Silk	100mL	99% Full		$84	Niche
62	Giorgio Armani / Armani Prive	Gardenia Antigua	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$155	Niche
63	Giorgio Armani / Armani Prive	Pierre de Lune	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$155	Niche
64	Giorgio Armani / Armani Prive	Rose Alexandrie	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$155	Niche
65	Guerlain	Angelique Noire	30mL	100% Full	Mini Bee Bottle Decant	$215	Niche
66	Guerlain	Angelique Noire	10mL	100% Full	Tall Glass Decant	$55	Niche
67	Guerlain	Bois D'Armenie	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$379	Niche
68	Guerlain	Cherry Oud	100mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$279	Niche
69	Guerlain	Cruel Gardenia	200mL	95% Full	Tester; No Box	$319	Niche
70	Guerlain	Embruns D'Ylang	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$339	Niche
71	Guerlain	Epices Volee	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$339	Niche
72	Guerlain	Gourmand Coquin	10mL	100% Full	Tall Glass Decant	$60	Niche
73	Guerlain	Herbes Troublantes	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$339	Niche
74	Guerlain	Joyeuse Tuberuese	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$349	Niche
75	Guerlain	Musc Outreblanc	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$349	Niche
76	Guerlain	Oeillet Pourpre	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$339	Niche
77	Guerlain	Oud Nude	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$349	Niche
78	Guerlain	Rose Barbare	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$339	Niche
79	Guerlain	Rose Barbare	200mL	90% Full	DECANTED - NO ORIGINAL BOTTLE	$250	Niche
80	Guerlain	Santal Pao Rosa	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$349	Niche
81	Guerlain	Tonka Imperiale	30mL	100% Full	Mini Bee Bottle Decant	$199	Niche
82	Guerlain	Tonka Imperiale	10mL	100% Full	Tall Glass Decant	$55	Niche
83	Hermes / Hermessence	Agar Ebene	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box, No Cap	$150	Niche
84	Hermes / Hermessence	Brin de Reglisse	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$165	Niche
85	Hermes / Hermessence	Cedre Sambac	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$165	Niche
86	Hermes / Hermessence	Epice Marine	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$170	Niche
87	Hermes / Hermessence	Iris Ukiyoe	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box, No Cap	$150	Niche
88	Hermes / Hermessence	Muguet Porcelaine	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$165	Niche
89	Hermes / Hermessence	Myrrhe Eglantine	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$185	Niche
90	Hermes / Hermessence	Osmanthe Yunnan	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box, No Cap	$150	Niche
91	Hermes / Hermessence	Paprika Brasil	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box.	$170	Niche
92	Hermes / Hermessence	Santal Massoia	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box.	$170	Niche
93	Hermes / Hermessence	Vanille Galante	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box, No Cap	$150	Niche
94	Hermes / Hermessence	Vetiver Tonka	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box, No Cap	$150	Niche
95	Hermes / Hermessence	Vetiver Tonka	200mL	100% Full	Full Presentation, Brand New.	$399	Niche
96	Hermes / Hermessence	Violette Volynka	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$185	Niche
97	Hiram Green	Vetiver	50mL	95% Full	Full Presentation	$130	Niche
98	House of Sillage	Hufflepuff	75mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$325	Niche
99	House of Sillage	Nouez Moi	75mL	99% Full	Tester	$120	Niche
100	I Profumi di Firenze	Caterina De Medici	50mL	99% Full	No Box	$35	Niche
101	Initio	Side Effect	10mL	100% Full	Official Travel Atomizer	$75	Niche
102	Knize	Knize Ten	125mL	99% Full	No Box	$110	Niche
103	Le Labo	Another 13	50mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$189	Niche
104	Le Labo	Baie 19	100mL	99% Full	Sprayed Once to Test / Brand New; No Box	$225	Niche
105	Le Labo	Cedrat 37 – Berlin City Exclusive	100mL	99% Full	Sprayed Once to Test / Brand New; No Box	$275	Niche
106	Le Labo	Cedrat 37 – Berlin City Exclusive	50mL	99% Full	Sprayed Once to Test / Brand New; No Box	$225	Niche
107	Le Labo	Gaiac 10 – Tokyo City Exclusive	100mL	99% Full	Sprayed Once to Test / Brand New; No Box	$400	Niche
108	Le Labo	Mousse de Chene 30 - Amsterdam City Exclusive	50mL	99% Full	Sprayed Once to Test / Brand New; No Box	$300	Niche
109	Le Labo	Musc 25 – Los Angeles City Exclusive	50mL	99% Full	Sprayed Once to Test / Brand New; No Box	$250	Niche
110	Le Labo	Rose 31	50mL	99% Full	Sprayed Once to Test / Brand New; No Box	$175	Niche
111	Le Labo	Tabac 28 – Miami City Exclusive	50mL	99% Full	Sprayed Once to Test / Brand New; No Box	$250	Niche
112	Le Labo	The Noir 29	50mL	99% Full	Sprayed Once to Test / Brand New; No Box	$175	Niche
113	Maison Crivelli	Bois Datchai	100mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$169	Niche
114	Maison Crivelli	Rose Saltifolia	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$159	Niche
115	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	724	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$365	Niche
116	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	724	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$165	Niche
117	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Amyris Femme Extrait Special Edition Bottle	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$245	Niche
118	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Aqua Celestia	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$115	Niche
119	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Aqua Celestia Cologne Forte	200mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$279	Niche
120	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Aqua Celestia Cologne Forte	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$149	Niche
121	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Aqua Celestia Forte	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$159	Niche
122	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Aqua Media Cologne Forte	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Cap	$175	Niche
123	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Aqua Universalis Cologne Forte	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$119	Niche
124	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Aqua Universalis EdT	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$219	Niche
125	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Aqua Vitae	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$219	Niche
126	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Aqua Vitae Cologne Forte	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$119	Niche
127	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Aqua Vitae Forte EdP	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$159	Niche
128	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Baccarat Rouge 540 EdP	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$205	Niche
129	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Baccarat Rouge 540 EdP	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$409	Niche
130	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Gentle Fluidity Gold	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$165	Niche
131	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Grand Soir	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$170	Niche
132	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	L'eau a La Rose	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$129	Niche
133	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	L'eau a la Rose	35mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box.	$90	Niche
134	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	L'homme A la Rose	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$159	Niche
135	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Oud EdP	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$170	Niche
136	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Oud Extrait	10mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$35	Niche
137	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Oud Satin Mood EdP	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box.	$190	Niche
138	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Oud Silk Mood EdP	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Cap	$170	Niche
139	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Oud Silk Mood Extrait	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Cap	$190	Niche
140	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Petit Matin	70mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$145	Niche
141	Maison Francis Kurkdjian	Petit Matin	200mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$350	Niche
142	Maison Lancome	Orange Bigarades	100mL	100% Full	Full presentation with Box	$229	Niche
143	Mark Birley	Charles Street	75mL	97% Full	Travel Version	$90	Niche
144	Masque Milano	Tango	35mL	99% Full		$90	Niche
145	Memo Paris	French Leather	75mL	100% Full	Tester; No Cap	$135	Niche
146	Memo Paris	Inle	75mL	100% Full	Tester; No Cap	$135	Niche
147	Memo Paris	Italian Leather	75mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box or Cap	$135	Niche
148	Memo Paris	Lailabella	75mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box; No Cap	$135	Niche
149	Memo Paris	Marfa	75mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box; No Cap	$135	Niche
150	Memo Paris	Moon Fever	75mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box; No Cap	$135	Niche
151	Memo Paris	Oriental Leather	75mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box; No Cap	$135	Niche
152	Mind Games	Caissa	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$250	Niche
153	Mind Games	Gardez (Black Queen)	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$225	Niche
154	Mind Games	Scholar's Mate	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$225	Niche
155	Mizensir	Cologne de Figuer	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box.	$175	Niche
156	Mizensir	Cologne de Matte	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box.	$175	Niche
157	Mizensir	Ideal Oud	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$165	Niche
158	Mizensir	Luxury	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Cap	$165	Niche
159	Mizensir	Mythique Vetiver	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box.	$175	Niche
160	Mizensir	Sweet Prailine	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$165	Niche
161	Mizensir	Bois de Mysore	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$165	Niche
162	Mona di Orio	Cuir	75mL	99% Full	No Box	$120	Niche
163	Oliver and Co.	M.O.U.S.S.E.	50mL	99% Full	Limited Edition 87/133	$110	Niche
164	Parfums de Nicolai	Patchouli Intense	100mL	98% Full	Full Presentation	$119	Niche
165	Perris Monte Carlo	Tuberuese Absolue	100mL	99% Full	No Box	$99	Niche
166	Pomare's Stolen Perfume	Angel's Share	9mL	70% Full	No Box	$40	Niche
167	Roja Dove	Apex Discovery Atomizer	7.5mL	99% Full		$50	Niche
168	Roja Dove	Creation-E Essence de Parfum	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$165	Niche
169	Roja Dove	Scandal Essence de Parfum	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$165	Niche
170	Roman Monegal	L'eau de Rose	50mL	97% Full		$70	Niche
171	Santa Maria Novella	Sandalo	100mL	95% Full	No Box	$80	Niche
172	The Harmonist	Desired Earth Eau de Parfum	50mL	100% Full	Brand new, Sealed	$219	Niche
173	The Harmonist	Magnetic Wood Parfum	50mL	100% Full	BNIB Sealed	$229	Niche
174	Tom Ford	Beau de Jour	1000mL	100% Full	Sealed Dramming Bottle	$1,000	Niche
175	Tom Ford	Ebene Fume	250mL	99% Full	Decanter; No Box	$750	Niche
176	Tom Ford	Ebene Fume	50mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$170	Niche
177	Tom Ford	Fougere Platine	250mL	90% Full	Decanter; No Box	$625	Niche
178	Tom Ford	Fougere Platine	1000mL	100% Full	Sealed Dramming Bottle	$1,000	Niche
179	Tom Ford	Fucking Fabulous	250mL	99% Full	Decanter; No Box	$750	Niche
180	Tom Ford	Fucking Fabulous	50mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$180	Niche
181	Tom Ford	Grey Vetiver Parfum	100mL	100% Full	Sealed, New in Box	$170	Niche
182	Tom Ford	Oud Fleur	1000mL	100% Full	Sealed Dramming Bottle	$1,000	Niche
183	Tom Ford	Oud Wood	250mL	99% Full	Decanter; No Box	$750	Niche
184	Tom Ford	Rose de Chine	50mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$175	Niche
185	Tom Ford	Rose Prick	100mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$269	Niche
186	Tom Ford	Soleil Blanc EdP	50mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$140	Niche
187	Tom Ford	Soleil Brulant	50mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$145	Niche
188	Tom Ford	Soleil Neige	1000mL	100% Full	Sealed Dramming Bottle	$850	Niche
189	Tom Ford	Tobacco Oud	50mL	95% Full	No Box	$180	Niche
190	Tom Ford	Tobacco Vanille	50mL	90% Full	Full Presentation with Box	$155	Niche
191	Tom Ford	Tuscan Leather	50mL	100% Full	Magnetic Cap Decant	$119	Niche
192	Tom Ford	Vert des Bois	1000mL	100% Full	Sealed Dramming Bottle	$900	Niche
193	Tom Ford	White Suede	1000mL	100% Full	Sealed Dramming Bottle	$850	Niche
194	TVGA	Milestones Extrait	9mL	90% Full	No Box	$40	Niche
195	Washington Tremlett	Black Tie	100mL	95% Full		$125	Niche
196	Yves Saint Laurent	Tuxedo	250mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$375	Niche
197	Acqua di Parma	Arancia Di Capri	150mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$65	Designer
198	Acqua di Parma	Colonia EdC	100mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$75	Designer
199	Acqua di Parma	Colonia Intensa	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$65	Designer
200	Aqua di Parma	Magnolia Nobile	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$115	Designer
201	Caron	Pour un Homme de Caron Le Matin	125mL	100% Full	Opened to test, sprayed once	$69	Designer
202	Caron	Pour un Homme de Caron Le Soir	125mL	100% Full	Opened to test, sprayed once	$69	Designer
203	Caron	Pour Un Homme Impact Parfum	75mL	97% Full	No Box	$175	Designer
204	Chanel	Allure Homme Sport - Aftershave Balm	100mL	99% Full	No Box	$65	Designer
205	Chanel	Allure Pour Femme EdT	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$65	Designer
206	Chanel	Antaeus	100mL	85% Full	Silver Sprayer	$125	Designer
207	Chanel	Bleu de Chanel - Aftershave Balm	100mL	99% Full	No Box, Minor Cosmetic Damage	$55	Designer
208	Chanel	Bleu de Chanel - Aftershave Lotion	100mL	99% Full	No Box, Minor Cosmetic Damage	$55	Designer
209	Chanel	Bleu de Chanel Parfum	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$130	Designer
210	Chanel	Chance Eau Tendre EdP	50mL	90% Full	Tester; No Box	$90	Designer
211	Chanel	Chance Eau Tendre EdT	150mL	99% Full	Tester; No Box	$120	Designer
212	Chanel	Coco EdP	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$85	Designer
213	Chanel	Coco Mademoiselle - Moisturizing Body Lotion	200mL	99% Full	No Box	$55	Designer
214	Chanel	Coco Mademoiselle EdP	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$90	Designer
215	Chanel	Coco Mademoiselle EdT	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$65	Designer
216	Chanel	Coco Mademoiselle L'eau Privee	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$90	Designer
217	Chanel	Cristalle Eau Vert EdT Concentree	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$135	Designer
218	Chanel	Cristalle EdP	50mL	95% Full	Tester; No Box	$135	Designer
219	Chanel	No. 19	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$115	Designer
220	Chanel	No. 5 Eau Premiere	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$85	Designer
221	Chanel	No. 5 EdP	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$85	Designer
222	Chanel	Platinum Egoiste	75mL	99% Full	SPLASH, NOT SPRAY Older Formulation	$125	Designer
223	Christian Dior	Dior Homme Sport - 2017 Version	125mL	99% Full	Tester; No Box Batch Code is 6Y02	$89	Designer
224	Christian Dior	J'adore in Joy EdT	100mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap, No Box	$60	Designer
225	Floris	007	100mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap, No Box	$100	Designer
226	Floris	A Rose For...	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box.	$65	Designer
227	Floris	Cefiro	100mL	100% Full	Tester with Cap, No Box	$59	Designer
228	Floris	Lily of the Valley	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box.	$65	Designer
229	Gucci	Gucci Guilty Absolute	90mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$70	Designer
230	Guerlain	Habit Rouge L'instinct	100mL	99% Full	Sprayed once	$84	Designer
231	Guerlain	L'instant de Guerlain Pour Homme EXTREME	10mL	100% Full	VINTAGE BLACK RIM - DECANT	$50	Designer
232	Hermes	Twilly	80mL	100% Full	Tester; No Box	$65	Designer
233	Jo Malone	Amber & Lavender	30mL	90% Full	No Box	$52	Designer
234	Jo Malone	English Oak & Redcurrant	30mL	80% Full	No Box	$49	Designer
235	Jo Malone	English Pear & Freesia	100mL	100% Full	Brand New with Gift Box and Gift Set (Body Wash, Body Lotion)	$180	Designer
236	Jo Malone	Rose & White Musk Absolu	100mL	100% Full	No Box	$180	Designer
237	Jo Malone	Velvet Rose and Oud Cologne Intense	50mL	99% Full	Tester; No Box	$90	Designer
238	Thierry Mugler	A*MEN	100mL	99% Full	Rubber Flask; No Box	$75	Designer
239	Thierry Mugler	A*MEN Ultra Zest	100mL	85-90% Full	Rubber Flask; No Box	$250	Designer
240	Tom Ford	Costa Azzura Parfum	50mL	100% Full	Brand New, Sealed	$130	Designer
241	Amouage	Cristal and Gold Ladies	50mL	95% Full	Vintage, Incredibly hard to find. Full presentation in nice condition	$399	Vintage
242	Cartier	Santos EdT	100mL	100% Full	Spray; Refill.	$299	Vintage
243	Chanel	Egoiste Cologne Concentree	100mL	97% Full	Bottle Only	$399	Vintage
244	Chanel	Gardenia EdT	100mL	100% Full	Vintage; Sealed	$390	Vintage
245	Crabtree & Evelyn	Crabtree & Evelyn Extract of West Indian and Sicilian Limes	125mL	100% Full	Full presentation with Box	$209	Vintage
246	Dunhill	Cologne	125mL	99% Full	Vintage; Splash	$100	Vintage
247	Escada	Pour Homme Aftershave	75mL	100% Full	BNIB Sealed	$165	Vintage
248	Escada	Pour Homme Aftershave	125mL	100% Full	BNIB Sealed	$240	Vintage
249	Floris	Bay Rum	3.5 Oz	97% Full	Vintage; Splash. "Use as a cologne, after shave lotion, or hair lotion."	$84	Vintage
250	Floris	Special 127	100mL	98% Full	Vintage; Dark Blue Box., 2 Royal Warrants, Vintage Version	$70	Vintage
251	Fragonard	Zizanie	240mL	80% Full	Shaker bottle (Splash, not spray) no box. At least 80% Full.	$240	Vintage
252	Geo F Trumper	Ajaccio Violets	100mL	99% Full		$40	Vintage
253	Gucci	Envy Aftershave	50mL	100% Full	BNIB Sealed	$140	Vintage
254	Gucci	Envy Aftershave	100mL	100% Full	BNIB Sealed	$215	Vintage
255	Gucci	Rush for Men	50mL	100% Full	Full Presentation; These do not come fully filled	$190	Vintage
256	Gucci	Rush for Men Aftershave	100mL	100% Full	BNIB Sealed	$140	Vintage
257	Guerlain	Heritage EdT	200mL	100% Full	New; Vintage; Splash. 1991 Bottle.	$225	Vintage
258	Guerlain	Samrasa EdP	50mL	100% Full	No Box	$109	Vintage
259	Guerlain	Samsara EdT 1992-1993 Formulation	100mL	100% Full	Tester; No Cap; No Box	$109	Vintage
260	Jean Desprez	Bal a Versailles	9 Oz	70% Full	Vintage; Splash; No Box Open to offers on this enormous bottle.	$135	Vintage
261	Lacoste	Eau de Sport Vivifiante	100mL	99% Full	No Box	$110	Vintage
262	Lacoste	Land	100mL	99% Full		$130	Vintage
263	Nino Cerruti	Fair Play Pour Homme	100mL	99% Full	Full presentation with Box	$275	Vintage
264	Paco Rabanne	Eau de Metal	20mL	100% Full	Vintage; Mini	$15	Vintage
265	Ralph Lauren	Silver Romance for Men	100mL	80% Full	No Box, No Cap	$145	Vintage
266	Revillon	Pour Homme Eau de Toilette Super Concentrate	60mL	99% Full	Atomizer	$190	Vintage
267	Revillon	Pour Homme Eau de Toilette Super Concentrate	90mL	99% Full	Atomizer	$290	Vintage​

Hi!
I am a current Sophmore (class of 2025) who, due to mental health struggles, has a realtively poor GPA. I do not do a many ECs as the few I do, plus having therapy 3+ hours a week, takes up a lot of time. I am looking to get recruited for my sport (rowing, coxswain) but putting that aside, I would love advice on what else I can do.
Also, next year and senior year, I will be doing dual enrollment at my local community college. Around 18-20% of students in my district do it so it is not that uncommon. I am not expecting credits to roll over once I go to a 4 year college, nor am I going for an AA, this is mainly for my mental health and so I have more flexablity for rowing. Any advice on people who have done this/thoughts on how these classes compare to APs please let me know. Next year, I will be taking one class at the high school, AP Research, and senior year I will only be at the community college.
Posting stats/info below.
College List
It is a pretty big list as of now, over 35 schools. Here are 3-5 safeties, reach, and matches that are like my top few in each.
Safeties
Barry University, Bucknell, Bryant University, Jacksonville, Rollins
Matches
SMU, Ithaca, Colby, Santa Clara, Stetson
Reaches
Columbia (note- this is mainly due to their joint degree program with the Jewish Theological Seminary), Brown, Georgertown, Harvard
Background Info
Major: English with a creative writing concentration and/or marketing or communicatiuons with a minor in Jewish Studies
Demographics: Jewish, LGBTQ+, white, upper-middle class
High School: Top 20 public school in Washington state, would say pretty competive with a strong academic focus
Parents: My mom went to UGA (no intrest) and my dad Jacksonville University
Stats
GPA: 3.58 UW as of January (when our first semester ends), will likely stay the same/drop a bit this semester
Tests: ACT was between a 24-26 cummaltive when I took it in 7th grade, I do not have access to the score report. PSAT as of fall 10th grade: 1180 with reading/writing being a 660 and math 520
Classes 9th Grade - No APx offered to Freshman, took all honors avalible per my math level: Art 1, Health, English 9 Honors, Spanish 1, geomatry, biology (honors track), world religions, digital design, psych, world history 1
Classes 10th Grade: Ceramics 1, AP seminar, English 10 Honors, Spanish 2, algebra 2 honors, AP world, Creative Writing
Awards
Duke TIP Scholar
Scholastic Arts and Writing Personal Essay and Memoir Regional Gold Key Recipient
John Hopkins CTY Scholar
ECs
Rowing
I rowed for 3 years and switched to coxing this past fall. I am on a junior mens team and also work with a nationally competive masters team (adult women). No crazy/outstanding race results- but I am looking to get recruited for it- either a mens or women's team. I am already talking to 3-4 D3 schools, but cannot talk to D1 for another week. This takes up 20+ hours a week.
City's Youth Council
About 2 hours every 2 weeks, so call it an hour plus/minus a week. We help plan events that benefit
high school and middle schoolers in our city, are a focus group for the city planners. I am not currently in a leadership role, but I was nominated last year and this year, elections are this upcoming week.
City's Library Board Youth Seat
Similar to above. About 1-2 hours a month. Was recently appointed and do not know much about what my role will be yet, but I know the general goals of the board are to provide acessablity and make the library a better resource for all.
Jewish Student Union
Was created this year and am a founding member. We are currently working to change the curriculum around the Holocaust/Jewish history in our school, and working with admin to stop the increase in anti-Semitism at our school/in our community. In addition, we help out at a local Synnaguge.
School Newspaper
Was a staff writer last year and this year was both a staff writer and PR manager for the first half of the year. I stepped back from the club mid-year as I was struggling to balance everything, but am hoping to get back involved next school year.
Volunteer Hours
As of this week I have 189.5 from 2021- Today. A mixture of work at a local Synnaguge, my city board/youth council work and spending the summer before my Freshman year as a camp counsler. Hoping to be at 350-375 by September of senior year.
Summer
Last summer I worked as a lifeguard at my local pool, rowed, and did a creative writing course at UWashigton Seattle. In addition I did a 4 day rowing camp at UW Seattle.
This summer, I applied at got accepted to the following, but am staying home to do an intensive therapy program as to avoid the issues I have had the past two years arising again.
I am planning on doing a Jewish Studies research project though, with a plan to submit it to National History Day, and than contine to work on it and eventually submit it to The Concord Review.
Summer 2023 Acceptances:
Brandeis Genesis Program, Community Rowing Inc U19 Mens Summer Racing Team, USRowing Olympic Development Program: Youth Development Program
Other
I am a big writer and, in addition to the application essays, am planning on attaching a portfolio to any school that accepts supplemental material. I also have a poetry chapbook in the works that I would like to get published (traditional route) and hope to begin that process before college application season. I also am an avid reader and read over 100 books a year. I also am already planning on including some information about my mental health in the grade explanation section (don't know what it it called).
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If you made it this far, big thank you for reading and for any advice you may have!

I need to get a taxi from Duomo to the Santa Maria novella terminal tomorrow morning using the mytaxi app. Has anyone used it before? How responsive/reliable is it?