Daily Affirmation Of The Way <3: "[i]Dukkha[/i] (suffering) is the gulf between expectation and reality. Between what the heart wants and what it has. It can be resolved by properly aligning your expectations... or by properly aligning reality." * Of all the techniques Princess Qiu demonstrated one stands out in your mind above all others. She demonstrated techniques for fighting armies and gods. She showed you how to cut heartstrings and excise indifference. She had this weird thing where she tossed her sword from her right hand really fast and caught it in her left hand right as the cut was already beginning. But one technique, used almost offhandedly, always struck you as having more potential than even she knew. One, two, three - [i]now[/i]. Once Princess Qiu cut time and space with the edge of her blade. It was during your first meeting with her atop her doomsday pyramid castle thing. She used it to make everyone the centre of the world - of her world. To put everyone individually in a position where [i]you and me[/i] was all there was. And in retrospect, you think that she was somehow doing it wrong. One, two, three - [i]now[/i]. It occurs to you sometimes as you contemplate her techniques. In retrospect, going through the motions, feeling each beat of the dance out you can see that there were mistakes. Imperfections, failures of imagination or execution, wild improvisations that somehow came off as brilliant counterstrokes but were in truth fueled entirely by luck. And you sense that here the true form of her world-splitting technique was blinded by insecurity and craving. She wanted to be the most important person in everyone's world, all at the same time. She was afraid that if she did not do it then it would not happen. One, two, three - [i]now[/i]. But what was really being cut? Was it space and time, as you first assumed? No... you can cut them and they're not so special. Was it emotional bonds, connections? That doesn't seem right either. One, two, three. Your blade rotates through the set time after time. Your stance shifts and flows through the motions. Step by step you're coming closer to perfection but you still can't figure out what you're trying to cut. And not being able to see it you keep missing. One, two, three - [i]now[/i]. One, two, three - [i]now[/i]. One, two, three - [i]now[/i]. The swishing of the blade goes faster and faster. You're on the clock, see. The little cart is making it's winding way up the hill. Before too long you'll see your little cottage. You'll see the picnic all laid out for you on the grass by Hyra, with a view overlooking the waterfalls of the Lake. You'll be so happy that you'll forget all about any lingering regrets for years and years and years until they finally come out as a quiet 'darn it'. If only there was a way to cut heartache. One, two, three - [b]now[/b]. * Your feet hit the ground in a run. Ten thousand tacky palm trees pass you by, shadows against ten thousand neon billboards. Laughing 8-bit faces, thumbs up, cascading rains of golden coins on digital screens. Skyscrapers the size of titans, all the burrows of the world inverted and stretching up to the sky. And upon the moon, orbit so close it fills an eighth of the sky, glittering in hot pink writing: KIKILLAND. You reach the edge of the skyscraper promenade and look at the sprawling mechanized theme park below. KIKILLAND A massive entrance shaped like a grinning face, mouth open to ingest guests in their thousands. Written in mile tall glowing letters above it is a word. KIKILLAND. A deep, electronic pulse flows through the city - digital, music, daemonic. Columns of emerald and burgundy flames pump up wretched souls from the lowest levels of Hell. From there they descend into mechanical frameworks, lumpen things with miniguns for arms and racks of missile launchers for shoulders. Upon each of them a word. KIKILLAND. The sun in the sky has been wrapped in a mechanical cage, a dyson sphere that lets only a dim glow free. A massive space elevator runs all the way up to that distant stellar body, holding both it and the rotation of the planet in place. A word is written on the sun's container. KIKILLAND. And yet for all of this there is not a single other person. No princesses, no maidens, no wolves, no beasts. No one adorns these streets. And yet, for all of this, you are not alone. You see up there in that distant tower a single white light that isn't in a garish pink or green. You see your reflection in a million CCTV cameras aimed your way. You don't know how you came to this place, this wild, tacky, wonderful, terrifying, amazing, miraculous hidden landscape. You've heard the rumours about Princess Kikil of the Tesla Hive, who found incredible new ways to repurpose the technology of the underground. But this! Is this the world in her dreams? In her Sunshard? Has she been building this just below the surface, or in some alternate reality, and is just waiting to unleash it upon the world right at the perfect moment? You don't know. But you know where she is. You know that there's an army of ancient robots between you and her. And you know how to use your sword. With such knowledge, there is no need for thought. * [b]Elsewhere![/b] You are filled with regrets, Princess Chen. Freeing an island full of Kitsune seemed like a cool and romantic thing to promise to Cyanis in the midst of a sword duel against the Wolf Princess Hyra. But now you're here on a cruise liner filled with 6,000 kitsune and it's not quite what you imagined. You can't even relax and let yourself get tied up because they [b]will[/b] crash the ship if you and Rose aren't there to stop it. Probably the worst part of it is how they'll sometimes just walk up to each other and scream-laugh in each others faces for minutes at a time in that way foxes do. Other times they'll flirt with you outrageously, attempt to steal articles of your clothing, or attempt to push you overboard. You can hardly walk down a corridor without having to step over dozens of bound and gagged foxes who huff indignantly against their gags. Fires break out at random intervals and places. Every little while there's a yelp and a splash and then angry yipping as a fox is pushed overboard by another fox. Every computer surface and inch of the sundeck is covered by fluffy tails and bare skin as foxes soak in the sun. And none of this to mention the impromptu foot races that send dozens of girls, foxes and foxgirls racing about at maximum speed. And they're not even hungry yet. You packed enough fried tofu for everyone but now you're pretty sure that these foxes will start throwing supplies overboard in order to drive up the price as soon as they can figure out how to pick the galley lock. If nothing else, Cyanis' promise of 'the cruise of a lifetime' is coming true.