#so that andromeda could be ensured stability

[darkestrellar]

Andromeda used in regular battles: not a usual occurrence. Svern doesn't battle much for sport and if he does he's more likely to use other Pokémon.

If you see Svern relaying move orders to Andromeda as numbers, that's based on the index numbers of the moves (which I steal from Bulbapedia). I thought it'd be funny to do that.

Andromeda starts every battle by a precursory analysis of the opponent. This is inspired by Download; Download checks which of the opponent's defenses are stronger and boosts the offensive stat that will target the weaker one. Andromeda just expands on this a little. Then they adjust type via Conversion to one or a dual type which they deem appropriate. If they need to, they can adjust it again later. (This isn't strictly how Conversion or Conversion 2 work, but that's Svern's modded version of the move. So essentially, Andromeda can change type at will.)

Andromeda's base stats are the same as normal, but they can apply stat multipliers as they deem appropriate. It's either an extension of Download or an unlocked version of what Z-Conversion does.

Magic Coat can reflect incoming status moves and Recover restores HP. Theoretically there's the full-HP restore function that's ordinarily accessed through Z-Conversion 2 somewhere in there as well. Porygon-Z have access to a lot of stuff that's cool in theory but that ingame limitations can't adequately make use of.

(There's also the whole glitchy thing, which would limit a standard Porygon-Z evolved straight from the original Dubious Disc data [and one without additional patches applied].)

Anyway, why does Andromeda have these extra functionalities? Svern doesn't even care much about battling in his main verse. Andromeda doesn't access that stuff 90% of the time. It's because that's what happens when he's bored and wonders what he can get away with. Sometimes you just have an idea and you have to see if you can pull it off. If it's useful later that's a bonus.

[xasha777]

In the distant future, where humanity has spread across the stars, the mighty kingdom of Brandenburg-Prussia has risen as a dominant force in the galaxy. This kingdom, an amalgamation of ancient traditions and advanced technologies, is ruled by the enigmatic and powerful Queen Elysia von Hohenheim.

Queen Elysia, known for her striking beauty and keen intellect, possessed eyes that seemed to hold the secrets of the universe. She was a descendant of the original Prussian rulers, and her rule extended across numerous planets within the Andromeda Galaxy. Under her guidance, Brandenburg-Prussia flourished, becoming a beacon of progress and innovation.

One evening, while Elysia stood on the balcony of her palace on the capital planet of Neupreussen, she gazed upon the distant stars with a sense of unease. Recently, there had been whispers of a mysterious force lurking on the fringes of their territory, a force that threatened the peace and stability she had worked so hard to maintain.

Elysia turned to her trusted advisor, Lord Heinrich, a seasoned strategist with a sharp mind. "Heinrich, we must uncover the truth behind these rumors. Our kingdom's future depends on it," she declared, her voice resolute.

Heinrich bowed deeply, understanding the gravity of the situation. "Your Majesty, I have already dispatched a team of our finest explorers to investigate. They will report back within a fortnight."

Days turned into weeks, and just as the tension in the court was reaching its peak, a holographic transmission flickered to life in the grand hall. It was Captain Lena Stark, the leader of the exploration team. Her expression was grim as she relayed her findings.

"Your Majesty, we have encountered a civilization unlike any we have seen before. They call themselves the Aetherians, and they possess technology that far surpasses our own. Their leader, known as the Luminary, seeks to expand their empire, and Brandenburg-Prussia stands in their path."

Elysia's eyes narrowed, her mind racing with possibilities. "What do they want, Captain?" she asked, her tone steely.

"The Luminary demands that we surrender our knowledge and resources, or face annihilation," Captain Stark replied.

Silence fell over the hall as Elysia considered her options. Surrender was not in her nature, but a direct confrontation with the Aetherians could spell disaster. She needed a plan, one that would outsmart their adversaries and ensure the survival of her people.

As night fell, Elysia convened a council of her most trusted advisors. They discussed strategies, analyzed intelligence, and debated long into the early hours of the morning. Finally, a plan began to take shape, one that relied on cunning rather than brute force.

The following day, Elysia announced her intentions to the kingdom. She would personally lead a delegation to meet the Luminary, to negotiate terms and seek a peaceful resolution. However, hidden within her retinue were the kingdom's most advanced AI units, designed to infiltrate and sabotage the Aetherian technology from within.

The journey to the Aetherian stronghold was fraught with danger, but Elysia remained composed and determined. When they finally arrived, she was greeted by the Luminary, a being of immense power and intellect. Their negotiations were tense, each side testing the other's resolve.

As the talks progressed, the AI units quietly went to work, planting sophisticated viruses within the Aetherian systems. Slowly but surely, the balance of power began to shift. Elysia's gambit paid off when the Aetherian technology started to malfunction, giving Brandenburg-Prussia the upper hand.

Realizing that they had been outmaneuvered, the Luminary begrudgingly agreed to a truce. Elysia's cunning had averted a war and secured a fragile peace. As she returned to Neupreussen, the people of Brandenburg-Prussia celebrated their queen's wisdom and bravery.

In the years that followed, Elysia continued to lead her kingdom with grace and strength, always ready to protect her people from the challenges that lay ahead. Her legacy as the ruler who outwitted the Aetherians became legend, a testament to the power of intelligence and diplomacy in an ever-expanding universe.

[coyotescribbles]

The tail end of something original, for once lmao

IDK I got the idea from a dream I had this morning and this is what it inevitably spun out to. Figured I’d write out the ending before I forgot (or gave up on writing) it lol

----------

With the cataclysm raining fire down around them, Ajax grabbed Andromeda's wrist and locked his finger joints to keep them from being separated as he pushed through the panicking crowd. She struggled to keep up with his pace, but soon enough they reached the gates of the spaceport.

He did not, however, head for the crowded shuttles; instead, he made a beeline for the departing automated supply transports.

"Ajax, wha- the evacs are over there!" Andromeda cried, her voice barely audible over the din and chaos. "What are you-"

"I know, I know - just... please trust me, okay?" He let go of her wrist and bolted up a retreating ramp, slapping the controls and overriding them with several hasty commands. "Come on, get in! Hurry!"

She hesitated, but only for a moment before a booming explosion nearby sent her bolting up the ramp - while he pulled up command screen after command screen to change the transport's pre-programmed course and ensure that it didn't vent atmosphere when it left the surface. And when he was finished...

"Stay on this transport, it'll take you somewhere safe, I promise. And when you get there..." He pulled a folded-up envelope from a compartment in his forearm and pressed it into her hand. "When you get there, go straight here. Everything’s going to be okay, I promise."

"Ajax, what - I don't understand, where am I going?"

"I - I was planning to surprise you with it at your gallery showing, but," he shrugged and gestured helplessly at what was happening outside. "It - it's a studio. Actually, it's a a bit more than that, but I picked it out for the space where you could work. I thought - I thought it would make you happy, but 'safe' is probably better right now."

Tears shimmered in the corners of her dark eyes, threatening to overflow; he just reached up to cup her face in his hand, stroking his thumb across her cheek.

"Don't worry about me, okay? I'll know exactly where you are, and I'll come to you as soon as I can. No matter how long it takes, I will come find you."

"What about-"

"Agamemnon? Don't worry about him, either." There was a cold edge to his voice at that, and his ears flattened back for a moment. "Just focus on yourself for now. Everything's going to be all right."

There was a brief pause, and he had just started to turn to leave when Andromeda threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly and pressing her face to his chestplate.

She was shaking.

Slowly, cautiously, he returned her embrace, taking a moment to bury his face in her hair - and surprising himself with the overwhelming strength of his own feelings. He would move the heavens themselves to ensure her safety if he had to; what he'd decided to do to keep her safe wasn't even a drop in the bucket compared to that.

Outside, the growing disaster made the ground beneath the transport tremble; Ajax gave Andromeda one more gentle squeeze before reluctantly letting go. For one long, last moment, they locked eyes and he desperately wanted to confess his feelings, but he feared that doing so would only invite more disaster; she seemed to feel the same, if the conflicted expression she wore was any indication. Instead of words, she reached back to tug the red ribbon from her hair, and rushed to wrap it around his left hand and wrist.

"Stay safe," She whispered, almost pleadingly.

"I will. I'll see you soon."

Then, he reluctantly turned to leave, hitting the controls once more in his way out to close the ramp.

And he waited - waited for the ramp to close, for the transport's engines to roar to life... for it to ascend into the sky with the rest of the fleeing vessels, until it was nothing but a tiny black pinprick against the wild red sky.

Then, and only then, did he turn to leave the port, and reenter the city proper.

---

Search And Rescue units had not reached that particular borough yet, and likely wouldn't start trickling in for at least an hour; the majority of them were currently dedicated to the business districts and to rescuing survivors trapped there. He had time.

The house - like most of the houses around it for blocks in every direction - was a total ruin. The walls, roof, and floors were three-quarters of the way collapsed and still shifting with every tremor, creating a hazardous situation.

Ajax made his way through the wreckage, regardless, prowling like a creature on the hunt.

In a way, he was.

And soon enough, he found what - or, rather, who - he was after, pinned under the remains of a shattered wall. Dark red blood pooled around the man, who was barely conscious, thought still feebly trying to dig his way free with his one good arm. The sound of Ajax's soles on the cracked marble floor caught his attention, and he turned his head to squint weakly at the approaching cyborg.

"Oh, thank god... I thought help was... never going to get here..." Agamemnon rasped out. "Could you please... get this wall off of me..."

Ajax stopped short, scowling down at him. The relieved expression on the man's face faltered, then faded as soon as he spotted the red ribbon wound around his hand.

"I know what you did, Agamemnon," Ajax said flatly, "all of it. Every last twisted little thing. Did you really think you'd be able to keep it under wraps forever?"

Confusion set in, then gave way to recognition and, finally, Agamemnon showed fear.

Ajax stepped forward, planted his boot squarely on the man's throat, and began to press down, ignoring his scrabbling attempts to push him away.

"Oh. Don't you worry about Andromeda. She's safe," Ajax's voice dripped with mock-pleasantry and although he couldn't smile, his eyes widened in triumph, "and she'll never need to fear the likes of you ever again. She'll have her gallery, and friends that she selects, and a home of her own. If she wants one, she'll even have a family, and it will be her choice, not yours. Never. Yours."

With every word, he bore down with more and more of his weight, watching Agamemnon's face turn red and purple as he choked and gasped for air. Saliva frothed at the corners of his mouth, and he clawed at Ajax's leg, leaving bloody streaks on the armor.

"She will be happy. And you? You will be an unpleasant memory that fades away until you. Are. Nothing."

There was a crunch underfoot, and Agamemnon's struggles ceased. Ajax waited, just long enough to ensure that he was dead - then, stepping back, located and hefted a sufficiently heavy chunk of debris, and dropped it on the dead man's head, obliterating all trace of what he'd just done.

Afterwards, he rinsed away the blood in a broken water main, and busied himself with being among the first to look for survivors in the residential districts.

After all, that was his job.

---

Days stretched out into weeks. One month passed, and became two, then two became three. Slowly, the great city stabilized, even as his patience wore thin.

But at long last, Ajax finally found himself disembarking a shuttle on a verdant little world three days' travel from his home. The sun was brilliant and summer-warm, trees reached green branches to the sky along broad, winding streets, birds were singing... and he paid little attention to any of it. He had one goal on his mind and one goal only, and it was on the far side of one of those broad streets, across from the green field he'd landed in.

A little brick house with a blue slate roof, shaded from the sun by stout trees and surrounded by a wrought-iron fence and low but thick hedges. His vents and coolant pump were working overtime as he stepped through the front gate, and he had to restrain himself from bolting to the door.

Not that he had to worry, because before he'd made it halfway there, said door was flung open and Andromeda was all but flinging herself into his arms. For just a moment, he let himself feel shocked - before wrapping his arms tightly around her in return. And for a long moment, they just stayed like that, holding on to each other and not caring who might see; they didn't have to walk on eggshells here.

She would never have to, ever again.

"I was starting to think I'd never see you again," she eventually choked out, and Ajax winced at the sound of tears in her voice. Lifting one hand, he ran his fingers through her hair - it was cut in a short bob again, the way it had been when they'd first met - and he smiled.

"Hey, I promised, didn't I?" He laughed once, softly; "I always keep my promises."

"You did," she managed a laugh, too; "you do."

He gave her a soft squeeze as she pressed her cheek to his chest.

"You're buzzing," she whispered, almost laughing again as she reached up to wipe away tears.

"Well, I've had a lot of time to get wound up, waiting to see if you were all right. Couldn't pull strings fast enough to get here."

Andromeda just laughed softly, and for another stretch of time was content to just hold on to and be held by him.

Eventually, though, the unspoken question that hung over everything finally came up.

"And Agamemnon...?"

"He didn't make it," Ajax answered quietly.

Andromeda inhaled sharply, and held that breath for a beat... before letting it out again in a ragged sob. Her knees buckled, and he slowly sank to the ground with her, stroking her hair as she sobbed in broken relief against his chest.

And when one of the neighbors hesitantly inquired as to what was wrong, a quiet, simple "her brother was killed" sent the woman on her way with a sympathetic wince and an understanding nod.

No one had to know, after all, that the tears being shed were not tears of grief.

[themalfoyswife]

Gender: Female

Birthday: December 23rd

Occupation: Unemployed, Fundraiser

Any changes:

Traits: //

Positive Traits:

+ Ambitious - Many may think that being the spoiled youngest daughter, Narcissa was perhaps the most selfish of the Black sisters. Quite the opposite. Life made her realize that if she didn't take care of herself and weren't ambitious enough to keep her from the same luxuries of her single life, she would be in terrifying condition. Her ambition made her realize that Lucius was the best candidate. Money, stability, Status, and of course, pureblood. Cissa saw in him a lot of potential to rise within the Ministry. Also, their children would be brought up in a world very similar to what they had lived so far. Without this ambition, she would never be balanced there compared to both sisters. Someone had to make the family name stand for years in a perfect lineage, and that would be her. Narcissa was never content with little or anything, was it too much to ask for anything beyond? Or demand someone your best?

+ Observant - She is a woman of few words with those she would instead not be found nearby. Since Andromeda and Sirius had chosen to leave, she had realized that she had not lived up to her ability to observe and read the scenery that was included to protect herself from any situation. It's also a way of protecting herself from Bella, who had begun to become even more obsessed with war. If Narcissa weren't careful, she'd be burying a husband and defending herself due to her older sister.

+ Cunning - Thinking about Narcissa's beautiful traits, Cunning shouldn't be a surprise. She prefers to act more in the shadows, let herself be seen and allow people to observe her beauty while having a plan in mind. She had often thought of doing this to Lucius, enticing him to follow his plans and ideas for an improvement in the family's heritage, but in Malfoy's influence. Politics, this was the Black's daughter who had the most exceptional ability to get involved with the Ministers, make them laugh and get various amounts of money for "orphanages," "nursing homes," etc. that hid much of the structure for the Death Eaters.

Negative Traits:

- Submissive: Narcissa wasn't raised to be a leader like her big sister, letting her alone bringing honor to the Black's. However, she was prepared to be a wife, being married to someone who made her legs tremble, and she might be able to be ruled by him. She'd like to work in pairs, but she preferred someone who kept guiding her as usual, so it was very worrying when Bella ordered her to do things. Since the younger is submissive to the older, she could get into situations that would cause problems to her new family and herself forever by being unable to escape. Bella could be very persuasive, and her desire for Lucius could also be dangerous.

- Snobbish: Cissy is an elitist. She lives among the best and highest leaders in the wizarding world and would never get involved with anyone below her. What can be a great form of alliance for your work also becomes your biggest enemy? When it comes to having to deal with those worm children who were in charge of the charity fundraising events, she needed to fake interest in them, and on rare occasions, people would realize. She judges people by their clothing, personality and including their speech.

- Cold: She could never deny that with a busy life, she feels cold internally. She hoped Lucius would be able to rekindle the flame of affection or affection, but perhaps it was too broken and frozen for that.

 Strengths:

- Transfiguration: With the best of her senior year with this subject, Narcissa likes to study techniques even nowadays, profoundly honing her talent with this science. From time to time, she modifies her hair to test changes, as well as other body parts and the house, to hide the things the Dark Lord asks for them.

- Protective: Cissy had promised to protect Lucius from any situation and his family, so she tends to be quite intense when it comes to them. That means learning some dark spells to protect them and yourself as well.

- Area Defense Spells: Able to drown out the sounds of torture, as well as hiding the body locations, part of their responsibility in addition to raising funds for the Death Eaters, was also able to conceal the kidnappings. None of them usually came back alive anyway, so creating a maze for them seemed to entertain him for a long time.

 Flaws:

- Love: She will love Lucius like she never imagined. That means she would be willing to go against her own family to protect him. She is well aware that when this happened, it might not be easy to deal with Bella and the others, but she would try to make Lucius no longer need them but go on without the Death Eaters.

//

Biography: //

Being born a Black meant being sure that she had won the magic lottery. Part of one of the existing purist families in the United Kingdom, Narcissa, had gained the glances of the magical world since uttering the first sounds. Beautiful, her blond hair stood out in the crowd of dark ones, as well as the kind smile she offered to every person who was introduced from a young age. She enjoyed the adult events, where she listened to her parents' conversations and loved the high society dances she could attend until defined times. A young lady like Cissy needed to follow specific rules that were part of her charm, and if allowed, she would create new ones herself.

School for her had been like an opera. She knew her role, was able to transit everywhere extraordinarily. Cissy had never paired with a muggleborn or even halfbloods. Her record was impeccable, and her talent for getting teachers to help her do what she wanted was delicious to watch. Everything was going well until Sirius had left the family. He that rebel made Cissy's life very difficult, but at least he brought her something different. A freshness she was not always expected, but that seemed welcome when she lived with someone who insisted on being against the imposed rules. Andromeda had been her best ally in the situation, accepting that Sirius was just another stranger in the crowd.

But when Andromeda left her, her heart ached. It was the time when her parents turned to Narcissa with all the rigidity and weight that had never imposed before. Bella watched each of her steps as if mistakes and weaknesses had come after their perfect creation. No one had protected her, and there, with an arranged fianceé and finding herself holding the Blacks' crown of thorns, she wondered if the situation was worth dealing with. Gradually, the war began to demand from Bella. Narcissa's parents realized that she'd be smarter enough to not follow in the footsteps of two ignorant, allowed her to breathe again. However, she had the crown and she would make every second count as the queen of her family.

Marrying Lucius was the right thing to do. She might not know him as well as she had expected from her marriage, but she would have her whole life. In the middle of the war, adding the fact of feeling so alone, she was tempted to read Andromeda's letter about the story of her escape. For the first time, Cissy missed her sister and would like to have someone to help her. Regulus was dead, Bella was going crazy, and Lucius wouldn't understand her. Sirius now lived like a wanton, and for the first time, the queen was alone thinking of seriously stepping out of her tallest pose to embrace a filthy commoner.

What was happening to you, Narcissa?//

Para sample: // We’d like to see your writing style so you must write at least a 2 paragraph or more writing sample that’s IC. If you have already been accepted for another character, this is not necessary. //

Interview: // Choose three of the following questions about your character to answer. Ideally these would be at least a paragraph each. 

• Why did your character join the Order / Death Eaters / remain neutral?

It wasn't Narcissa's first choice to be Death Eater. She doesn't have the mark, and she prefers it, just serving and without having to mark her beautiful skin with that tattoo. With her parents' pressure on her to keep up the supremacy, Bella more involved with the war, and Lucius being a Death Eater was the logical way. She would prefer to remain neutral, to be honest. This dream would help her to raise her future family much more safely, but unfortunately, Bella would not let Cissy just turn her back on an idea that had been marked in their hearts.

• Why did they choose their occupation?

Cissy has always been involved with great and influential leaders of the Wizarding World. It all started with a small amount of money for charity. Sooner, she was on various committees, giving her a chance to do what she liked best for high society and also having time to be home and taking care of her husband. She takes care of at least 4 annual events, ensuring that all of her charities receive as much money as possible, diverting most of the money to the Death Eaters by using fake notes inside Gringotts to deceive anyone looking to evaluate.

• What do they think about the war / muggle society?

Cissy never cared much about the war. She knows that her sister, if she knows this, will bother her, but in the end, it only spoils her nails. She would rather see her husband becoming minister than deal with those filthy floors and bloodstained garments. //

[primes-daughter-blog]

History

 Andromeda was sparked during “Orion’s” short stay on the Nemesis.  Before realizing he was carrying, Optimus’s memories were restored and he returned to the Autobots.  It would be only a few weeks later that he found out, after suffering from a bought of exhaustion and dizziness.  There was no question who the sire was, and Optimus briefly considered purging the new spark.  Bringing a sparkling into the world during a war seemed cruel, sentencing the little one to a life deprived of the security and stability needed.

But Optimus finally decided he couldn’t purge the sparkling, that he at least had to give his creation a chance at living.  The Autobots took great care to ensure the Decepticons never learned of the new spark’s existance, and, as far as they know, the Cons are still none the wiser.  Ratchet, who had been Optimus’s partner since the later days of the War on Cybertron, offered to help Optimus raise the sparkling as their own.

Andromeda’s emergence was swift and uneventful.  Just barely small enough to fit into Optimus’s servo, she was unusually tiny for a sparkling carried by a mech of Prime’s size.  More worrying was the touch of purple in her optics, which Optimus feared was a sign the tiny femme was tainted by her sire’s dark energon use.  Ratchet’s scans detected no trace of the Unmaker’s Blood within the tiny femme, however.  

Her claws were concerning as well, as with their size and sharpness, she could easily hurt herself or others with them.  Despite how uncomfortable it is for her, Ratchet keeps her claws filed into smooth digit tips.  While she cried as a newspark during this, she’s learned to tolerate it, so long as Optimus is holding and comforting her.

Optimus choose to name her Andromeda, the human’s name for a constellation also visible from Cybertron, said to represent a great leader during the Golden Age.  Within her first week, Andromeda was walking and talking, and already trying to climb Optimus and Ratchet anytime they stood still long enough.  It wasn’t until her second month that she finally took an interest in the other ‘Bots, and the humans.

By this time, she was already four feet tall, and had to be gently reminded to be careful with their human friends.  She picked up English quickly, and during her third month, with much improved coordination and comprehension, snuck out of the base with Miko.  This escapade succeeded in giving both Optimus and Ratchet the biggest scare in her short life.  Lectures from both mechs convinced Andromeda and Miko not to repeat the stunt.

She gets lost exploring the base frequently, and the one time she found the room holding Airachnid in the stasis pod, scared her so bad she’s never approached the room again.  She’s also gotten into the medbay several times, earning multiple lectures again.

Most recently, she’s been pestering her creators and the other bots for stories about Cybertron, aware that they will be going back once the final Omega Key is located.

[lelibug]

Storm Stella… Thank you for being yet another terrible import from America. For the last week or so you have been driving every nerve and cell in my entire being utterly bananas, and I’m in constant paraesthesia pain – I may as well be attached to Ol’ Sparky for the amount of electric shocks, buzzing tingles and burning, like sunburn, that I am currently having to ensure.

So thanks, ridiculously horrible storm that came from across the sea to cause so much misery.

It was supposed to be a good week this week, and especially today (it’s the release of Mass Effect: Andromeda [game]). But all this has made it impossible to manage to be anything close to even “Meh”. Definitely not “OK”.

It’s beyond trying, being dictated to by not only this condition but also the bloody weather. It’s even messing with my von Willebrand’s – and I have no idea how that happens. I’m already restricted by the damn condition, I really don’t need any more trouble because the atmospheric pressure has gone ga-ga…

I’ve been knocked off my feet and trying very hard to be Que Sera about it all… but this comes on the tail of a stressful couple of weeks, including being ill with flu for about two weeks as well. Then just as I was starting to get better, Stella came… and now I’ve got yet another flare-up from Hell again.

I’m keeping it from getting too much worse with the essential oil blend and Magnesium Oil. But there’s only so much even they can do in this situation. The paraesthesia has gone mad and there seems to be no stopping all those damn horrible symptoms that comes with it.

I was hoping that things would be back to normal by now. I wanted to play Mass Effect: Andromeda on Day One and enjoy it. I wanted to make it to an appointment to help teach someone about basic tech skills tomorrow. But no. It’s not happening. Instead I get self-consciousness, zombie-ness (and I’m not even Walking Dead… more Sitting Down Whilst I Rest Dead…), terrible sensations of being burnt and electrocuted, my hands don’t work properly (typing this is a nightmare for my fingers, but longhand is even worse), and I’m not sure how on earth I’m going to be able to focus on my new game and the lovely Collector’s Edition Guide to go with it. And I’ve been looking forward to this for years.

I am exhausted… so much so it’s more akin to being drugged with drowsy pills, which is really not easy to handle. It often makes my grumpy and without patience. I’m trying, but I don’t know how long it will take before I can’t take it anymore and snap… although I obviously hope I do not. I did not get any sleep last night because this morning there was going to be no one here to help me take my medication, and because of the weather I knew I wasn’t going to manage it alone if I had slept, so I stayed up the entire night to ensure I took it properly and on time. Afterwards, I passed out in my Aspie tent for about 2 hours, then I was up again. I was hoping to play my game. Despite it being there, in front of me, after my father brought up the packages that had come in the post (when he finally returned and I was cat-napping), I had to be disappointed in realising I wasn’t anywhere near up to doing much of everything, as the exhaustion and paraesthesia pain and intense sensations caused by the air pressure once again created an existence I could barely even exist in. Let alone play my new game.

It’s one thing when you’re in control of your health, your recovery or stability of your condition… but when something comes along and can dictate so absolutely what happens to you and inflict so much upon you, it’s hard to process that. It’s impossible to manage to control it. You can’t “get over it” or undo it, and the likelihood is that – after the awful and super-debilitating flare-up is finally done with half-killing you – you are then left to deal with the aftermath and recovery from it.

The constant storms of 2015/16 were so constant, it’s taken me nearly 10 months to start a true recovery (of sorts, relatively speaking) from it… then just when I think it’s safe to go back into the water … always something like this happens. Illness, weather, air pressure… something always seems to turn up. The bottom line it that you feel like you’re simply never in control of your life, condition, or health, and so end up feeling so hopeless and despondent.

It’s also the last thing you need when you’ve got an ASD brain… The random inconsistency, the lack of control, never able to plan anything, and everything constantly in flux even minute to minute, let alone any longer… It’s all a nightmare that never ends, and the only thing possible is learn how to live like that. Somehow find some consistency in non-consistency and non-complacence in how your condition or “triggers” behaves.

The only thing I can think of to cope with all this now (and it’s taken long enough), is to find a bunch of “safe” things that are always consistent despite the inconsistency in everything. More like “If-Then” kind of scenarios, and enough of them to cover as many eventual possibilities as possible – then there’s a constant stream of consistencies to find comfort and familiarity in – frankly, comfort and familiarity I simply used to get just by being in London (at home, my home). Because nothing makes much sense here at all, I need quite a few different “safe” things to have available, regardless of the situation.

Right now, all I want is for these symptoms to go away, my fickle concentration to return, to be at least almost entirely conscious, and to be able to play my game. I have a simple life with simple requirements these days… Something like that shouldn’t be too difficult to ask for – surely?

  Oh, Stella… Storm Stella... Thank you for being yet another terrible import from America. For the last week or so you have been driving every nerve and cell in my entire being utterly bananas, and I'm in constant paraesthesia pain - I may as well be attached to Ol' Sparky for the amount of electric shocks, buzzing tingles and burning, like sunburn, that I am currently having to ensure.