Large and small vessels in our body constantly circulate blood. From the heart to the feet it moves easily. On this route, gravity does not interfere with the movement of blood, but on the way back it becomes a problem. Blood circulation deteriorates not only due to gravity but also due to the inactivity of the muscles. When you sit or stand for a long time, the muscles do not work, and the blood flow slows down. It stagnates in the vessels, which is why they gradually expand. This is how varicose veins appear.
The problem with blood flow is one of the main problems with varicose veins. Types of massage that accelerate blood circulation, in theory, improve the condition of blood vessels. But in practice, it rarely works that way.
Massage for varicose veins of the lower limbs is not an option for all patients. If you have huge swollen vessels or trophic ulcers that have already appeared, then you will have to forget about going to the massage therapist. But the care of small veins that do not hurt when touched can be entrusted to an experienced specialist.
By itself, massage will not cure diseased vessels. This requires complex vein treatment that includes:

• Massage;
• Compression stockings;
• Special exercises;
• Medications.

If you come to a session with a massage therapist and the touches on your legs cause pain, then you need to go to a phlebologist and check the condition of the veins.
Properly chosen massage can slow down the development of the disease but inappropriate procedures accelerate the expansion of blood vessels and increase the affected area.

Anti-Cellulite Massage for Varicose Veins

With varicose veins, blood flow and metabolism are disordered and cellulite becomes more visible. It worsens the elasticity of the skin and changes the subcutaneous fat, aggravating the condition of the veins. Both phenomena reinforce each other. Therefore, anti-cellulite massage for varicose veins facilitates the condition of patients with diseased vessels. Its benefits are:

• Improved blood circulation and lymph outflow;
• Increased blood flow to the skin, making it smoother and more elastic;
• Breaking down fatty deposits that come out of the tissues with sweat and lymph;
• Increasing the speed of blood movement in the vessels;

The procedure should be carried out only in the initial stages of varicose veins. If you are concerned about swelling, heaviness in the legs, or spider veins, then anti-cellulite massage will help solve these problems.
There are some contraindications to this type of massage. Here they are:

• Pregnancy and lactation;
• Thrombophlebitis;
• Cancerous diseases;
• Acute inflammatory diseases.

If these restrictions do not concern you, then anti-cellulite massage will help stop the development of varicose veins and get rid of cellulite.

Lymphatic Drainage Massage

Lymphatic drainage for varicose veins is one of the most effective types of massage for vascular diseases. It is carried out with the help of special equipment, so self-treatment is excluded.
The patient puts on special overall or drainage boots that affect the problem area of the body.
Lymphatic drainage of the legs with varicose veins has such benefits:

• Removal of the swelling;
• Relieving the feeling of fatigue;
• Improving lymph outflow;
• Increasing the elasticity of the venous walls.

After the procedure, the vessels can better withstand blood pressure. Therefore, their expansion slows down or even completely stops.
To get an appointment for a massage, go through an examination with a doctor. In some diseases, such therapy does not help and even harms the vessels more. For example, hardware lymphatic drainage for varicose veins is dangerous with such conditions:

• Thrombosis;
• Bleeding;
• Purulent or inflammatory processes;
• Cancerous diseases.

Even if you do not have such problems, before such a massage consult with a phlebologist. They will assess the condition of the vessels and prescribe a safe complex treatment that may or may not include massage.

My husband and I (both 24) have been married for 4 years. His childhood was horrible, to the point CPS should have taken him from his mom. There were multiple men in his moms life, and all were abusive. My MIL tells me stories about situations and laughs about them. She just seems to think the trauma she allowed to happen is funny now because they all survived it, but my husband has so much healing to do because of his childhood abuse. It boils my blood & I wish we didn’t have any relationship with her. Also, we live over an hour away from my MIL & FIL. My husband works 6, sometimes 7 days a week, 6a-6p or 6a-8p, depending on production. They will call and tell us- not ask us- to come over at like 7 PM knowing it isn’t feasible. Not to mention, they NEVER make the drive to see us, and when we do venture over there, my FIL puts on a video game headset and cusses people out via online gaming, & my MIL plays on her phone. Nobody talks, nothin. Gas is too expensive for that!! I’ve been telling them no, but they won’t take the hint. I just can’t justify driving all the way there to have to turn around and drive all the way back. Especially with as little time as my husband and I get together, they need to back off. My FIL is my husband’s stepdad. My husband was 17 or 18 when he and my MIL married. My husbands dad passed away when my husband was a kid. My MIL refers to my FIL as my husbands daddy. She’ll say “go help your daddy do ___” or “ask your dad” and my husband has told her that he isn’t going to call him “dad” but she won’t stop trying to force it on him. This man has NEVER treated my husband as his son & he does not have my husband’s respect as a father, a husband, or a man in general. My husband and I are involved in church. We walk a pretty straight & narrow path with our lives. We don’t cuss/talk inappropriately. My in-laws cuss like sailors and discuss raunchy details of their sex lives in front of any & everyone- which to each their own, but it’s hard for us as we plan for children & how we want to raise them knowing we don’t want our kids to think those things are acceptable. I fear the day we have to place strict boundaries because I know it will be a huge cluster of a fight. The sex lives conversations are disgusting & if my husband talked about me/our business that way, I would feel disrespected. I don’t want to hear about it, but it’s like a guys locker room. Anything we say can/will be made dirty. It’s gross. I just want to tell them to shut up every time they speak. Finally, the kicker, is that my father in law grabs/pinches my breasts and slaps my butt… quite often. I try to keep my arms crossed and to avoid turning my back, but he always manages to catch me slacking. It makes me extremely uncomfortable, but he does it to everyone. My MIL, my SIL, his mother… and they act like it’s normal/funny. My family is reserved and maybe more “well-mannered” but I don’t know what to do because if anything is ever said to him that calls him out/accuses him of wrongdoing, he throws a FIT. I don’t want drama/a fight, but it is disgusting & not to mention, kind of painful and totally inappropriate. I WANT TO GO NO CONTACT. My husband isn’t willing because “his mom is the only living parent he has left” but she was a crap mom so I don’t get it. Advice, thoughts, opinions… anything!!

Quinn tapped his impatient thumbs against the steering wheel, muttering under his breath as he stared at the red light. “Call him again,” he ordered, glaring at the light intently. It was as though he believed he could manifest a faster light change, that his willpower could overwhelm the traffic control system. The whole thing’s run by computers, Milo thought as he tried to call Allen again. Unless you can glare in ones and zeroes, staring won’t be doing you any good.
“Straight to voicemail again,” he reported, pocketing his phone. “Might be a good idea to circle back.”
“No!” Quinn snapped, gripping the steering wheel tightly. “She’s here now. We need to find out where she’s going or we’re squandering an opportunity.”
“Fair enough,” Milo relented. Arguing wouldn’t do him any good; from his experience with the man, Quinn hated being questioned above all else. It was like walking on eggshells with him.
Allen had texted that the target was on 12th Avenue before going silent. She was on foot, and they hadn’t seen any busses on the way down the road. They were nearing the southern border of the Pearl District, and had no idea where she was heading from there.
It’s not a hunt, Milo considered. She didn’t sound very dressed up according to Lee’s description, and it doesn’t fit the kill pattern. What is it, then? Does she have other obligations? Does she know she’s being hunted? Is this a trap? These and countless other considerations and theories swirled in his head, but one thought kept surfacing before all others, one idea that wouldn’t stop nagging at him.
“She’s not in a disguise right now,” he muttered, looking down the street. “When she hunts, she’s dolled up, but she’s clearly not trying to be noticed, or possibly trying specifically not to be noticed. This is a different part of her life. The feeding, the pattern, it’s an event. What does she do with the rest of her time?”
“She’s going down 11th," Quinn replied.
The light turned green, and as they continued south, Milo looked towards the intersection to their left. Sure enough, the Black Widow was there, crossing the street, heading in the same direction. “We need eyes on her,” Milo said, “but we need distance. Stop at the curb. I’ll follow her on foot. You can go back and look for Allen.”
Quinn shook his head. “You’re staying with me. We don’t know where Allen is. She could’ve killed him. We need to keep our distance, but there’s strength in numbers in case she sees us coming.”
Milo shot a text off to Justin as well: Can’t find Allen. Phone off. Look between 12th and 11th. If Allen was hurt but not dead, he wasn’t going to let Quinn’s obsession get the man killed.
As he looked back at the intersection at 11th, Milo noticed the tracks through the middle of the street. “Shit, she’s taking a streetcar,” he realized, pulling the Trimet site up on his phone. The car would be there soon.
“Well let’s follow her,” Quinn replied, turning towards the curb.
“She’d spot us if we were in the car,” Milo countered, holding his phone up. “We can track the car, keep an eye on the stops and wait for her to get off.”
* * *
They continued south, past the border of the Pearl District and through downtown Portland. Finally, as the streetcar turned onto Lowell Street and came to a stop, prepared to continue up the track and begin the long trek back north, she appeared. Still with her hood up, still with her hands in her pockets and her head down. Quinn turned into an alley between two weather-beaten buildings that looked nearly as old as the city itself, then stopped the car, lowered his seat and leaned back. “Tell me when she’s out of sight,” he ordered.
“Sure,” Milo agreed, taking out his phone. he watched as she turned right, heading down Moody Avenue. Go ahead and make yourself look as little as possible, he thought. I can still see you. As he prepared to send an update text to Justin, his phone rang. “Yeah?” he answered.
“He’s alive,” Lee said quickly. Milo could hear the smile in her voice, the deep inhales of someone who’d been holding their breath for far too long. It was the sound he chased whenever he went looking into missing persons cases, whenever he got to tell someone’s mother or father that their child was alive. He was far more familiar with wails of grief or the deafening silence of anguish.
“He okay? What happened?” he asked, watching as the Black Widow continued south at the three-way intersection up ahead, down a trail. Unbuckling his seatbelt, he nodded to Quinn and opened the car door.
“Are you on speakerphone?” she asked after a brief silence.
“No,” he replied, lowering the call audio before holding the phone close to his ear.
“That’s the thing: she knew he was there,” Lee warned. “She knew we were following her. It was a trap. Allen said that she destroyed his phone and told him that we were warned not to get involved.”
“Funny, I don’t remember getting anything in the mail about that,” Milo joked. He exited the vehicle, pushing the door shut quietly.
He heard Allen mumbling something unintelligible to Lee, his voice weak and raspy. “Exactly. She told Allen that she warned Quinn to back off, but Quinn told us that she was already gone when he found the body in Bennington.”
“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind,” Milo assured. “In the meantime, your car is parked by an auto repair place by the corner of Moody and Lowell. We’re heading south from here. There’s one more streetcar heading down here, so we’ll follow her for now and meet back up here.”
“Will do. Stay safe,” Lee said.
Milo looked back at Quinn, then to the path the Black Widow had gone down. “Don’t know if that’s up to me, but I’ll do my best.”
* * *
They continued down the street, then onto the trail. To the right of it were some old train tracks, one end of the old trolley they ran north from Lake Oswego in the summertime. The path was shrouded in darkness, but before long opened onto a street. They were down at the waterfront, approaching a small side road with nothing but large office buildings and larger parking lots.
Milo and Quinn kept their distance, allowing her to nearly exit their site before continuing. It was dark and the street was poorly lit, but all she had to do was take one look back. Really rolling the dice on this one, Milo considered. There was no one else on the sidewalk, or on foot in any direction for that matter.
They passed by an office building, then another, and the road turned to the left. As they rounded the corner, Milo saw that the woman was nowhere to be found. Either she’d quickly turned the street, or she’d circled around the hotel. There seemed to be a path going down that way, a stone walkway deeper into the darkness between these buildings and the shore. “Looks like a trap,” Milo said, retrieving a small crucifix from his jacket pocket. “Shall we?”
Quinn nodded, then gestured for him to go ahead. Coward. “So where do you think she’s heading,” Quinn asked. “Is this just a trap or does she have business here?”
“Business…” Milo considered. There were only office buildings nearby, and they tended to operate mainly during the daytime. Didn’t mean there weren’t reasons for someone to be there after hours. “I think she’s heading to work,” he suggested.
“She’s going to work?” Quinn whispered.
Milo began down the path, the grip on his crucifix tightening. “If you were a vampire all of a sudden, where would you live? Can’t live on the street without being hassled by people, and you need a place to doll yourself up so you can lure unsuspecting men to their demise. You need a home- probably an apartment if you’re in the city. She has to pay rent just like everybody else, right?”
“You’d have to assume she has money, though,” Quinn countered. “Vampires always have money squared away, right?”
“Assuming she actually is a vampire,” Milo pointed, squinting his eyes and hoping to see her up ahead, “what makes you think she’s ancient? Even if she is, why would that mean that she has a lot of money? Not like she can ever go to the bank during business hours.”
“Huh,” Quinn grunted, and as Milo continued down the pitch-black path, a shiver went up his spine as he could feel Quinn’s breath against the back of his neck. “That’s good to know.”
Milo whirled around, holding his crucifix up without knowing for certain what he intended to do with it, and inhaled sharply as a knife entered the side of his chest. Quinn pulled the knife out, then pushed it into Milo’s stomach.
Milo felt the grip on his crucifix loosening, and tried to tightening his grip. His strength was leaving him. “What… the fuck…” he whispered, unable to raise his voice. He tried to breath deeply, but a sharp pain in his chest put a stop to it.
“Don’t try to talk,” Quinn ordered, twisting the knife. Milo’s body tried to let out a shriek of pain, but he could already feel his strength leaving him completely. “I think I punctured a lung. Sorry about that. Or maybe I shouldn’t be.” He pulled the knife out, reversing his grip on it, then plunged it into Milo’s shoulder. “You did trespass, after all. You’re no use to me if I can’t pluck your strings, but the others are good little marionettes. Besides, maybe she’ll start to reconsider when someone finds your body. If you’re right, they’ll go around asking questions, put some pressure on her, and she’ll finally realize that I’m a dangerous enemy to have.”
You want her to turn you, Milo realized. He tried to say as much, but no words would come out. His body was in shock, and he couldn’t get a word out. You really think she’s a vampire, and you want her to turn you.
Quinn rifled through Milo’s pockets, retrieving his phone. “Can’t have you dialing 911,” he said, slamming the phone against the ground once, then again before throwing it into the grass near the path. “If this brings you peace in your final moments,” he added, getting to his feet, “this is as much your fault as it is mine, maybe even moreso. You just shouldn’t have questioned me.” With that, he pulled the knife from Milo’s shoulder, a quiet groan all that accompanied the shooting pain, and got to his feet.
I knew you were a monster, Milo thought, watching helplessly as his vision began to blur. Quinn stepped back into the light, onto the street, and continued back the way they’d come. Streetlights in the distance became vague blobs of light surrounded by an inky blackness that seemed to dance around it. Didn’t peg you for a killer.
As warmth and light began to give way to the cold dark, a soft laugh broke the silence. “At least he’s not boring,” a woman’s voice noted. Was it distant, or was he fading from consciousness for the final time? “You seem a little lost for words, friend, but I know what’ll put a pep in your step.”
He winced as the Black Widow lifted him by the shoulders, sitting him up. She held one of her palms up, then dug into it with a fingernail, drawing blood. “Drink up. You have a long night ahead of you.”
Her bloody palm was pressed up against his mouth, and while Milo resisted as best his could, he couldn’t stop the coppery liquid from reaching his tongue. As soon as it did, something passed through him. It was a chill, but it was electric. It made him feel restless, but he couldn’t move an inch. All he could do, despite his better judgement, was continue to drink.
She held him close as he drank, one hand pressed against his mouth and the other wrapped around him in a cold, comfortable embrace. “I’m gonna tell you something that I wish I was told. When I was turned, I thought that I would rise again as a monster, but I didn’t know how it worked. When you pass- and you will- your soul will leave your body behind. You’ll go wherever souls go, and you might find peace or be reunited with your ancestors, maybe some loved ones who you’ve had the misfortune of outliving, but then something will take your place. It will grow, and it will fester, and it will take your body over. It won’t be you, of course, and you may watch from above as it terrorizes the living world, but it’ll have your memories. It’ll believe that it’s still you, but it won’t be. It’ll be something new.
“It’ll remember how you valued human life, and how you cared enough to try and stop the big bad monster from taking more.” She turned his head, and as he felt himself fading once more, she smiled. “It’ll remember how much you loved your friends and family. It will remember your values, your beliefs, your fears, but it will inherit none of them. It will watch the lives of countless innocents end by their hand, and it will not care. It will take any life I tell it to, and it will not care who.
“Sleep. Sleep for the last time. And keep an eye out for your friends; they’ll join you soon enough.”

​
What is ashwagandha?
The ashwagandha plant is one of the most powerful herbs. Various parts of the ashwagandha plant are used for medicinal purposes, with ashwagandha extract mainly being used in supplements. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, a natural agent that reportedly helps the body cope with stress. As a result, it’s believed to be effective at helping reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. It may also therefore potentially help with anxiety and depression too.
What does ashwagandha do?
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Ashwagandha is known to help reduce stress and anxiety. One way it does this is by reducing levels of cortisol, a hormone that is released in response to stress. Additionally, ashwagandha has been shown to improve mood and cognitive function, both of which can be negatively affected by stress.
Enhances Cognitive Function
Ashwagandha has also been shown to improve cognitive function. One study showed that it improved memory and reaction time in healthy adults. Another study found that it improved task performance in people with ADHD. Additionally, ashwagandha may help prevent age-related cognitive decline.
Boosts Energy Levels
Ashwagandha has been shown to boost energy levels. One study showed that it increased stamina and reduced fatigue in people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Additionally, ashwagandha may help improve exercise performance.
Additionally, ashwagandha may also help improve sleep quality and reduce inflammation. These effects can all contribute to enhanced energy levels.
Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Ashwagandha has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels. One study showed that it improved insulin sensitivity in people with type II diabetes. Additionally, ashwagandha may help reduce fasting blood sugar levels and improve symptoms of diabetes.
Additionally, ashwagandha may also help lower cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease. These effects can also contribute to improved blood sugar control.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Ashwagandha has been shown to help lower blood pressure. One study showed that it improved blood pressure in people with hypertension. Additionally, ashwagandha may help reduce stress and anxiety, both of which can contribute to high blood pressure.
Is ashwagandha safe?
Ashwagandha is generally considered safe for most people. However, it can cause side effects such as stomach upset, diarrhea, and vomiting in some people. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, it's best to avoid ashwagandha.
What happens when you take ashwagandha daily?
As a sleep aid, ashwagandha may help people get to sleep faster and stay asleep for longer. It is also used to promote male potency. Ashwagandha has a variety of health benefits, including reduced blood sugar levels, inflammation, mood, memory, stress and anxiety relief, as well as an increase in muscle strength and fertility. Depending on your requirements, dosages vary from 250 to 500 mg per day for at least one month.
When it comes to stress relief, ashwagandha may be as effective as some prescription medications. A 2010 study found that the herb was just as effective as lorazepam (Ativan) in reducing stress and anxiety. click the link below to learn more about abhwagandha, and its real health benefits.
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Does anyone else have high blood pressure and if so how did they Zoloft affect it? My blood pressure is pretty normal until a panic attack kicks in and then it skyrockets

The Chelsea FC Women May round-up - champions Chelsea complete the triple Double, in a perfect May

Welcome to the final Chelsea FC Women monthly round-up of the 2022/23 season. This post is a long read, so feel free to skip to the end for a brief overview!

Introduction

It was a mixed April for Chelsea, in which we won one semi-final, and lost the other.
A spirited, but in the end, painful two-legged defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League meant our European dream came to an end. We were still left fighting in two competitions, however, having beat Aston Villa to advance to the FA Cup Final for the third year in a row.
As well as facing Man United in that banner occasion in May, we were also locked in a tense title fight with the Red Devils in the WSL - both the league and cup were to be decided in the final month of the season, meaning Chelsea had seven games to determine whether we made it a third Double triumph in three seasons, or finished the season empty-handed.
Chelsea’s congested fixture list meant we started the month seven points behind leaders Man United in the WSL standings - but with three games in hand. That meant it was in our hands - win out, and we would win the league.
Seven games to define the season - one cup final, and six in the WSL. Chelsea would be playing two games a week - whilst our rivals benefitted from a lighter schedule. The Blues had been heavily hit by injury this season - it was confirmed ahead of the run-in that Fran Kirby and Millie Bright would be out for the end of the season, although we were boosted by the return of Pernille Harder and Kadeisha Buchanan.
This has been one of the most gruelling and challenging seasons in recent memory for Chelsea - both on and off the pitch. Emma Hayes’ team are used to making the ends of seasons glorious ones - and that experience and champion mentality could be key to making the difference.
It was not going to be easy - but when the calendar turns to May, Chelsea come out to play, saving our best for when we needed it the most. It was set to be a tense month, of hoping that history would be repeated.

Key headlines

Injury updates
The ongoing injury epidemic - especially serious knee injuries - has been one of the storylines of the women’s football season. This has been especially concerning for many players and teams, with the World Cup looming in July.
Another of Chelsea’s own joined the unfortunate ranks this month, with young defender Jorja Fox having torn her ACL whilst out on loan to Brighton. The 19 year old has returned to the club for her treatment.
It was also confirmed that Fran Kirby would miss the end of the season, and the World Cup, in another cruel blow for a player who has been so blighted by serious injury and illness. Our two-time Player of the Year will be back in pre-season, having undergone knee surgery.
Millie Bright, meanwhile, is expected to be fit for the World Cup - but would not feature again for Chelsea this season.
Harder and Eriksson depart
It had been long expected, but that did not make the news hurt any less. Club captain Magda Eriksson, and forward Pernille Harder - who joined Chelsea in 2020 for a then world record fee - confirmed that they would be leaving Chelsea upon the expiry of their contracts this summer.
The couple are likely off to Bayern Munich. It has been known for a while that the duo would be taking on a new challenge - announcing it before the end of the season gave the opportunity for fans to see goodbye at Kingsmeadow, and then again in the final game of the season - and to give two icons of Chelsea the send-off they deserved.
It was an emotional farewell for all involved - and their contribution, especially that of Magda, in her six years at the club, will always be a part of our history, and never forgotten.
Awards
With the season drawing to the close, it’s the time of the year that the end of season accolades are handed out.
Sam Kerr was voted the FWA Women’s Football of the Year, for a second year in a row. Despite her contribution to our success this season - it was something of a surprise, with many thinking that Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly should have won.
Nonetheless, it was deserved - we would not be where we are without Kerr.
First signing
Chelsea are getting their business done early, having already announced that Sjoeke Nusken will join the club this summer. The 22 year old German midfielder joins from Frankfurt, and can play in either a deep-lying or box-to-box role.
With rumours of some other big signings to come, it could be a big summer…
Fran Kirby extends her contract
It was not all bad news for Kirby this month - following her knee surgery, it was also announced that the club have activated an extension on Fran’s contract, meaning she will stay at the club until 2024.

Now - to the action!

Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (WSL)
First up in May was the rearranged WSL home game from January, against Liverpool. The match had been abandoned after just six minutes due to a frozen pitch. The truly farcical scenes drew much criticism of how the matter was handled - with fans inconvenienced and players put at risk.
Liverpool had gotten Chelea’s season off the a shocker of a start, when they upset us 2-1 on the opening WSL weekend - but we have gone on to beat them in the FA Cup since. Former Chelsea boss Matt Beard’s side sat seventh in the standings ahead of this one, meaning they had avoided relegation in their first season since returning to the top flight.
Despite the exertions against Barcelona, with nearly a week’s rest after that energy-sapping exit, Emma Hayes felt she only needed to make the one change. It was an attacking one, with Lauren James coming in from the start, and Maren Mjelde dropping out - meaning Eve Perisset dropped into a back three alongside Magda Eriksson and Jess Carter.
Any thoughts of a straightforward evening were rapidly dissipated, when Liverpool took a shock lead after just two minutes.
It was a goal of our own making. The aforementioned Perisset gave the ball away, and Liverpool pounced, with full back Emma Koivisto meeting a Natasha Dowie cross at the far post.
The Chelsea response was a good one - setting about the task of overhauling the Liverpool lead well, by dominating possession and laying siege to the opposition penalty area.
Unfortunately, Liverpool were equally up to their task, and defended with a determination and energy that had been entirely absent from their 4-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Leiecester in their previous outing. Based on our encounters this season, it seems like Liverpool have already developed a penchant for getting it up against Chelsea, on their return to the top flight. Maybe the presence of ex-Blues boss Matt Beard in their dugout has something to do with that…
Highlights of their defensive effort included a superb last-ditch block from former Chelsea player Gemma Bonner, to deny Sam Kerr what seemed a certain goal. Debutant keeper Faye Kirby also pulled off a series of superb stops - and when you have a goalie playing like that on her first senior appearance, it is easy to fear it may be “one of those days”.
Eventually, however, the Chelsea pressure told. Niamh Charles, who joined Chelsea from Liverpool in 2020, flicked home an equaliser from a Perisset corner - the latter’s assist making up for her earlier error.
With the score now 1-1 at the break, it felt like the Liverpool resistance could be at an end - with Chelsea having 45 minutes to find the winner.
The Reds’ heads, however, did not drop - and they set about their task of fierce rearguard action with the same focus as in the first half.
Emma Hayes moved to a back four, and used the full strength of her bench by bringing on Jelena Cankovic, Pernille Harder and Rytting Kaneryd. Harder in particular looked a threat - illustrating how much she had been missed in her long injury absence, since November.
Sam Kerr had gone close on a few occasions in the first half, but her threat had seemed to fade and frustrations grew as the game wore on.
It was however, the Aussie who in the end did what she does best.
Jessie Fleming was desperately unlucky to see her excellently-struck shot ricocheted off of the upright, in the 86th minute - but then immensely relieved (along with all Chelsea players and fans) to see the rebound find Kerr, who finally was able to beat Faye Kirby.
With that, Chelsea had found a way to secure a crucial three points - and ensure our title challenge marched on.
Chelsea 7-0 Everton (WSL)
Next came a home game against Everton, where Chelsea would be hoping for a more straightforward 90 minutes than in the previous game against the red half of Merseyside.
With the Sunday evening kick off slot, each of our title rivals had already played. Arsenal squeaked out a 1-0 win vs relegation-threatened Leicester, whilst Man United eased to a more comfortable 3-0 win against Spurs - maintaining their lead at the top. Man City, however, suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, meaning their title hopes are effectively over.
That meant Chelsea needed to do our bit - and keep on winning. Everton, sat comfortably midtable ahead of this game - well clear of any relegation trouble, and with no prospect of breaking into the top three to qualify for Europe. The last meeting between the two was the reverse WSL fixture, back in October, where a Niamh Charles wonder goal and a brace for Pernille Harder saw Chelsea win 3-1.
Emma Hayes rotated her XI, making five changes - with Chelsea still contending with a gruelling schedule of two games a week. The aforementioned Harder started from the bench - still to make her first start since returning from long-term injury.
Buchanan, Svitkova, Bright and Kirby remained unavailable - with the latter three now having been confirmed as out for the season.
Despite not having much left to play for this season, Everton started well, and had Chelsea on the back foot. The Toffees are a side who look good in possession, and had the Blues working hard off the ball early on.
What was to come, therefore, could not have been expected. The Toffees quickly melted in the early May sunshine, in the face of an absolute onslaught from Chelsea - who scored five sensational goals in the first half, from just five shots on target.
The Blues have made a habit of winning games whilst playing short of our top form this season - but this first half was Chelsea at our ruthless and scintillating best.
The first came from nowhere. With the Everton defence distracted by the movement of Sam Kerr, they allowed Guro Reiten far too much space in her wide left position - who unleashed a rocket to raise the roof at Kingsmeadow, and ignite the crowd. It was her tenth of the season - the first time our assist queen has reached a double digit goal tally for the Blues.
With Chelsea now with a spring in our step, a second came soon after. Sam Kerr had spent the day before representing Australia at King Charles III’s coronation - but this goal involved a different Charles, with Niamh delivering a superb cross for Kerr to nod home.
Unfortunately, that was to be Kerr’s last action of the afternoon - having rolled her ankle in the landing after her goal. She was able to walk off, giving hope her substitution was just a precaution.
Pernille Harder had replaced Kerr - and with her first touch of the game had put Chelsea 3-0 up. It was the Dane’s first goal since her brace in the reverse fixture against Everton - and another goal of the finest quality. Reiten cut the ball back for Harder to curl home, and put the win beyond doubt.
Chelsea were not done yet, however - Sophie Ingle next in on the action with a caressed finish, her first WSL goal of the season. There was still time for one more before the break - and this one was assisted by Harder, who laid it off for Jessie Fleming.
That made it 5-0 to Chelsea, in a truly five-star first half.
With a midweek game to come - and the FA Cup final the next weekend - Hayes made two half time substitutes. Lauren James replaced the superb Reiten, and Alsu Abdullina on for Eve Perisset for some rare WSL minutes.
It was a relaxed second 45 for Chelsea, who with big fixtures left to come and the three points already secured, did not need to take any risks. More could have been added to the tally, with James and Rytting Kaneryd going close - and a blatant penalty on James also turned down.
Erin Cuthbert and Jess Carter joined the party to complete the full complement of five substitutes, and just when it seemed the bunting was being put away for the day, Cuthbert and Harder produced a final flourish for a sixth Chelsea goal. The Scot surged from the halfway line into the Everton third entirely unopposed, and squared it for Harder to emphatically finish.
Cuthbert even had time to add a seventh - just minutes after Rytting Kaneryd had hit the post - to make it 7-0 to Chelsea, in arguably our best performance of the season.
A thoroughly brilliant win for Chelsea, which moved us into second place - four points behind Manchester United, with two games still in hand. The seven goals were a big boost to our goal difference too, although the Red Devils still had the advantage in this.
The only downside was the potential loss of Sam Kerr to injury - which also meant the two goals from Pernille Harder, signalling that the Dane is well and truly back, after her long injury absence, could not have come at a better time. If we were to go without Kerr, we would need Harder more than ever.
Chelsea 6-0 Leicester (WSL)
Chelsea were next in action midweek, fulfilling one of the two games we had in hand over Man United. That also meant our title rivals would benefit from three extra days' rest ahead of our FA Cup final clash at Wembley, on the upcoming weekend.
The opponents, Leicester, were fighting for their WSL lives - sitting 11th in the table ahead of this fixture at Kingsmeadow, two points above bottom side Reading.
Despite their lowly position, they had had some good recent results - including a 4-0 win against Liverpool, and had performed well in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal the weekend prior to this game.
Chelsea had earlier thrashed Leicester 8-0 in the reverse league fixture, but ahead of kick off Emma Hayes referred to them as “the most improved side in the WSL” - as they have made noticeable strides forward under manager Willie Kirk, since then.
Hayes also confirmed Sam Kerr was available for this fixture, with the issue that forced her into an early substitution against Everton only minor.
With the cup final looming, Kerr was not risked however - starting from the bench. Also starting from the bench were Katerina Svitkova and Kadeisha Buchanan on their return from injury - a welcome sign ahead of the run-in. Hayes made six changes to the line up that had started against Everton - including Pernille Harder starting for the first time since her own injury return.
Despite the changes, Chelsea very much started where they left off against Everton, pinning Leicester back from kick off - and had a deserved lead inside ten minutes.
The scoring was opened by the same player who had gotten the party started on the weekend - Guro Reiten storming in to finish a low Harder cross with aplomb.
The situation already looked ominous for Leicester, and the impending sense of doom deepened when another of Sunday’s goalscorers, Erin Cuthbert, made it 2-0 on 18 minutes. The Foxes were caught playing out from the back - a mistake engineered by the intensity of the Chelsea press, which had been relentless from the off.
Harder herself was then in on the goal scoring act with a brace, her second in two games The first was opportunistic - converting a rebound after Lauren James had had her shot saved. The second was some individual brilliance, capping off her own mazy run with a confident finish.
That made it 4-0 at the break, and meant that as against Everton, the game was already done at half time. Chelsea had made short work of Leicester, showing exactly the efficiency and ruthlessness that is needed at the crunch time of the season.
James added a fifth in the second half, to end a run of games without a goal. She did so with what is already becoming a classic of her repertoire - shimmying her way into a dangerous shooting position, then unleashing a rocket from range. Having got her goal, Hayes then brought James off in a series of changes made with Wembley in mind - Cuthbert, Reiten and Harder all also making way.
Jelena Cankovic made it a tennis score, and as a final positive note, Hayes was able to bring Buchanan on for Eriksen to get some minutes in the Canadian centre back’s legs for the first time since the injury she picked up in the April international break.
The six goals in this game, on top of the 7-0 win against Leicester, meant Chelsea had entirely erased Man United’s previously weighty goal difference advantage in the space of three days - now both locked on +42, and with Chelsea just one point off the leaders, still with a game in hand.
Chelsea’s form and confidence could not be better heading into the Wembley showcase - where we would take on our title rivals Man United in the FA Cup final. The return of Harder and Buchanan to fitness - and with Harder notching four goals in two games - brought even more cause for optimism, in a thoroughly excellent couple of fixtures for the Blues.
Then, onto Wembley.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United (FA Cup Final)
There is no bigger fixture in the women’s domestic game than the FA Cup final - and for the first time ever, Wembley was sold out ahead of kick off, meaning yet another attendance record would be broken in a season of milestones for women’s football.
It would be Chelsea’s sixth final since the showpiece fixture has moved to Wembley - and we had only lost one before. Victory against Man United would also make it a hat trick of FA Cup triumphs for Chelsea, having also won the 2021 and 2022 finals.
Standing in our way were a Man United team in brilliant form, who are also seeking to stop Chelsea winning the league title. It was Man United’s first ever final - and hence their chance to win their first ever trophy since forming a women’s team in 2018.
Man United had the sense of underdog and destiny on their side, whilst Chelsea had the experience and nous of knowing what it takes to win the biggest games. With the Chelsea players still amongst a relentless schedule, and missing key players like Millie Bright and Fran Kirby - there was a good argument for either side to take home the trophy.
The big selection news was Pernille Harder starting from the bench - a surprise given her back to back braces - with Hayes opting for Kerr, Reiten and James as her three primary attackers instead. This would mean Chelsea had a very dangerous game-changing player, lying in wait…
The game got off to a very notable false start - or two. First Chelsea tried to kick off before the pre-match music had finished - and then Man United had the ball inside the net within a minute, only for the Blues to be reprieved by the offside flag.
That would have given Chelsea the unwelcome record of having conceded the fastest goal at an FA Cup final for both the men’s and women’s competition, after Louis Saha outdid our own Roberto Di Matteo’s previous record, in 2009.
You might have thought this would have woken up Chelsea - but Man United looked in control, and Chelsea on the edge defensively.
Man United’s first-time-final nerves appeared to affect them in the key attacking moments third though - they were on top in the game, but looked scared to pull the trigger, and so despite a few shaky moments, did not hugely test Berger.
Emma Hayes decision not to use Harder from the start gave Sam Kerr a lot of work to do - she was tasked with keeping the Man United defence busy all on her own. Chelsea employed a similar strategy to that which had been successful in the game at Kingsmeadow earlier this year, in a 1-0 win where Man United had dominated but lacked a cutting edge, and were undone on the counter.
Lauren James looked lively whenever she was on the ball, and made ex-Chelsea full back Hannah Blundell work very hard in the sweltering heat. James also had a header tipped onto the post by Mary Earps - a reminder that even whilst Man United appeared to have the better of it, Chelsea would always be in the game.
With the score 0-0 at half time, there was a definite sense that was a much better score line for Chelsea - and that Man United might regret not finding a way to make the most of having the Blues on the back foot.
And so they did come to regret it. Hayes introduced Harder on the hour mark, as it was always expected she would - and the impact was immediate. Marc Skinner similarly tried to affect the game, but there were no players like Pernille for him to turn to - and his decision to take off Nikita Paris looked to be the wrong one, with United losing much of the impetus when she exited.
As well as taking an arm to the face that appeared to go completely unnoticed by the referee, Harder combined with Kerr to get in behind the Man United defence - and twice Chelsea failed to capitalise. With two such attacking threats to contend with through the middle, Man United all of a sudden looked rattled.
The third time was the charm.
Of course, it was Kerr who found the decisive finish. The Aussie treated the record crowd at Wembley to one of her trademark backflips, after having steered Harder’s low cross past Earps -
A double flip, even - hopefully a sign of things to come… .
The goal had a disheartening effect on the opposition. You got the sense that it had sunk United’s maiden voyage in search of their first ever trophy - and that Chelsea’s experience would now see them through.
However, including an agonising six minutes of injury time, there were still a few scares - in particular a late goalmouth scramble that left two Chelsea players collapsed on the deck, alongside the blue half of the Wembley crowd collapsed in the stands.
It was soon only the blue half that remained, however. The full time whistle blew, and the Man United exodus was matched by the Chelsea explosion. Jubilation greeted yet another trophy for Emma Hayes and her Chelsea side.
A third FA Cup win in a row. Another piece of history on another hallmark day for the women’s game - nearly 78,000 at Wembley in a record for the cup final, and any women’s domestic final.
There was still more to play for, of course. Chelsea had three games left to play in the league - where we remained locked in a gripping title race with the cup final’s defeated foes.
Whether this galvanised or deflated Man United remained to be seen. It was still in our hands - and after a reminder like this of the machine Chelsea are at the business end of the season, you would have been unwise to bet against Blue.
West Ham 0-4 Chelsea (WSL)
There was not much time to celebrate for Chelsea, with the team back in action just three days after the FA Cup final triumph at Wembley.
The Blues travelled away to West Ham, to make up our final game in hand on WSL leaders Man United - knowing three points at the Chigwell Construction Stadium would move Chelsea back on top of the WSL for the first time since March.
Paul Konchesky’s side have been in woeful form - having just the one win in the past 10 games, and you had to flip the calendar back to December last year to find their last WSL win.
Nonetheless, Chelsea could not be complacent, given the shocks, twists and turns this WSL season has already thrown up - and it was imperative to remain fully focused on the task at hand.
With this game following the cup final, and a huge game against Arsenal to come just four days later, rotation was a necessity - and Hayes made seven changes to the XI who started at Wembley.
These changes did little to disrupt Chelsea’s impressive recent form, who looked like they meant business from the off.
Niamh Charles deservedly opened the scoring for the Blues after 11 minutes - being quickest to a rebound to finish from close range. It was a goal that was extra special for the defender, as it came on her 100th appearance for the club. An impressive milestone, given she is still only 23.
It felt like similar score lines to Everton and Leicester might be on the cards, but West Ham - to their credit - dug in, and were able to push to dampen the Chelsea fire, and keep it to 1-0 at half time.
However, Pernille Harder soon had a second for the Blues shortly after play resumed - and Chelsea were comfortable from that point.
Sophie Ingle - who like Harder had been a substitute at Wembley, and in from the start in this game - slid the ball into the Dane in the box, who made no mistake with the goal at her mercy.
It was another excellent display from the bang-in-form Harder, who since returning from injury has now scored five goals, and three assists - including a game-changing contribution off the bench in the FA Cup final. Her return to fitness and form really could not have been better timed.
Ingle was then herself on the scoresheet, nodding home a rebound from close range, after the West Ham keeper could only tip it onto the bar.
Erin Cuthbert put a sensational cherry on top with a fourth goal in injury time - which was easily the pick of the bunch.
The Scot had come on as a substitute, and twice before gone close with long range efforts. At the third time of asking, she was able to find the net - an absolute pile driver of a strike, hit with all of the ferocity you would expect from our midfield dynamo.
In all, it was another impressive performance. Chelsea were comfortable, dominant, and ruthless in dispatching yet another foe in our quest for a fourth consecutive league title. .
The 4-0 win made it 17 goals in the past three WSL games for Chelsea - completely obliterating Man United’s prior healthy goal difference advantage.
The win also means for the first time in many weeks Chelsea and Man United have played the same number of league games - and the Blues on top of the WSL, holding a two point lead in the standings with just two games left to play.
The upcoming weekend would likely be absolutely crucial in deciding the destination of the title, with two huge games on the cards.
Chelsea would be hosting Arsenal at Kingsmeadow, whilst Man United would be at home to local rivals Man City in the Manchester derby. Neither City or Arsenal had any realistic chance of winning the title themselves at this point - but both would relish the prospect of having a major say in who does, especially if at the detriment of their respective rivals.
Following this result, Chelsea were back in charge - but that could all change in the next 90 minutes.
Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal (WSL)
It was a fixture that has been circled in the calendar all season long, and as expected, Chelsea's final home game of the season - against Arsenal - was set to be pivotal in determining who would be crowned champions.
However, it was not Arsenal that Chelsea were competing with to be crowned champions - as many expected - with Man United instead the team who sat just two points off Chelsea heading into the final round of games.
Whilst Chelsea would be taking on Arsenal at Kingsmeadow, Man United would host Man City in the evening kick off - 1st vs 3rd and 2nd vs 4th, WSL weekends do not come much bigger.
Win our game, and Chelsea would be all but there. Drop points - and it would be advantage Man United. This was huge.
The Blues had been in sensational form - stepping it up when needed to, as we so often do. Every game in May so far had been a must-win - and a Chelsea squad depleted by injuries and weary with fatigue had risen to the occasion. The Blues had won five in a row coming into this fixture, and in doing so had completely erased Man United's goal difference advantage with a series of thumping victories.
Our perennial rivals, Arsenal, still needed to confirm their spot in the top 3 for Champions League qualification next season - although their goal difference advantage means a win at Aston Villa on the final day would likely see them qualify regardless of the result in this game. There is no love lost between Chelsea and Arsenal - and although the Gunners and Jonas Eidevall would likely not be able to win the title this year, they will love nothing more than stopping the Blues and Emma Hayes from making it four in a row.
Arsenal have been plagued by injuries this season - Lia Walti was ruled out for the season in their mid-week win vs Everton, to add to the earlier losses of Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema, Leah Williamson and Kim Little. Chelsea continued to be without Millie Bright and Fran Kirby, key absences of our own.
Emma Hayes named an attacking line up - with all three of Guro Reiten, Pernille Harder and Lauren James starting in support of Sam Kerr. Magda Eriksson continued at centre back alongside Maren Mjelde, with Hayes not disrupting the partnership that has done so well whilst Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan have been out injured - despite Buchana now being fit again.
This meant both Harder and Eriksson would be starting what was a very special game for the pain. It had been confirmed in the days leading up to this fixture that the duo will leave the club in the summer, this therefore being their last game at Kingsmeadow.
Chelsea started like a team who knew what this meant.
Arsenal barely had a kick in the first 10 minutes, their back three pinned back by a flying Chelsea team, who pressed high and kept the ball with focus and intensity.
Guro Reiten - arguably our player of the season - deservedly put the Blues ahead midway through the first half. Eve Perisset found the Norwegian with a delicious cross, after Arsenal had failed to clear their lines following a set piece - and Reiten’s smart finish was enough to beat Zinsberger.
This first half was Chelsea at our best - we looked better in every aspect than the Gunners, who just could not match the performance.
Despite the dominance, Ann-Katrin Berger was called upon on a few occasions - but when the second goal came it was for Chelsea, and the 2-0 scoreline was no more than the Blues deserved.
The goal scorer was one who sent the Kingsmeadow crowd into raptures.
It came from another set piece - Sam Ker headed across goal, where captain Magda Eriksson was first to react to prod past Zinsberger, meaning she would mark her final game at Kingsmeadow with a goal that could be crucial in Chelsea’s march to the title.
Arsenal, despite their injuries, are still a good team - and had proved that with their response to seemingly endless adversity this season, where they have kept getting results that may well see them in Europe next year, and nearly put them into this season’s Champion League final.
Their response in the second half, therefore, was not unexpected. The introduction of Steph Catley gave them fresh impetus, and not long after the resumption of play they had struck the Chelsea bar.
A penalty for Arsenal - with Sophie Ingle penalised for handball - gave them a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit. Stand-in penalty taker - and captain - Katie McCabe put it wide though, in a let off for Chelsea. Ingle had dominated the middle of the pitch for Chelsea - and it would have been cruel to see this tar her exceptional performance.
Chelsea needed to wake up, and Emma Hayes did her bit by bringing on Jess Carter for Lauren James, in an attempt to settle proceedings.
Berger had made some important interventions in the first half, and became increasingly important in the second 45 as Chelsea rode out the Arsenal storm. The Gunners, for all their improvement, still lacked a cutting edge, and too often wasted good opportunities with a poor final ball. The game gradually settled, and the introduction of Buchanan and Fleming helped the Blues to see it out.
The latter also meant there was the opportunity for Kingsmeadow to rise as one to show their appreciation for the departing Harder, who left the pitch for the last time in a home game for Chelsea.
A game which showed two of the best sides of Chelsea - who Emma Hayes in the pre-match build-up dubbed as “hybrid monsters” for the squad’s versatility. In the first half we showed our quality when playing on the front foot, dominating Arenal to take a deserved 2-0 lead. In the second half we showed our resilience when defending a lead - and professionalism and nous in being able to keep what we had, even with the assist of the penalty miss.
Taking all three points meant Chelsea went five clear, having played one game more than Man United - and effectively put one hand on the trophy.
If Man United had failed to beat Man City in the later evening kick off, then it would have been confirmed before the final day. However, despite 10-player Man City equalising in the second half - and for 20 odd minutes it looking like Chelsea were already champions - United found a stoppage time winner to ensure it did go to the final weekend.
Chelsea would travel to Reading knowing that a win would see us crowned champions for the fourth season in a row. The Royals are all but relegated following their loss against Spurs in their penultimate game - and given the challenges Chelsea have overcome to put themselves in this position, you would back the Blues to see it through… but would there be one last twist in the title race?
Reading 3-0 Chelsea (WSL)
It all came down to this.
After what has been the best WSL title race in years, the champions were to be decided on the final day.
Chelsea were in pole position. Since the March defeat to Man City, the Blues have won every single league game. The Red Devils had topped the table for most of the season, but mainly by virtue of the fixture list - as they had always been ahead of Chelsea in terms of games played.
A busy May has seen the Blues make up those games in hand - and completely erase United’s goal difference advantage - meaning that we headed into the final day with a two point and five goal difference lead.
In the blue corner, Chelsea were looking to make it a fourth WSL in a row and three consecutive Doubles. In the red corner, our rivals were looking to win their first ever league title - or trophy of any sort - since reforming as a club in 2018.
A win for Chelsea would confirm it, regardless of what Man United could do at Liverpool. Given the goal difference advantage, a draw may also be enough - but memories of the painful loss of the title on goal difference, on the final day in 2014, meant Chelsea would not want to chance it.
Our opponent faced a battle of their own. Reading were rock bottom of the WSL - and needed a win to avoid relegation, meaning this game was as big for them as for Chelsea.
The Royals form had been as woeful as their lowly position would suggest. However, they are something of a bogey team for Chelsea, having beaten us in this same fixture last season, and fought back well to a credible 3-2 loss at Kingsmeadow back in December.
Chelsea, meanwhile, were flying into the game - having scored 22 goals for the loss of just one against, in our six months in May so far.
It would also be the final game in Blue for departing captain Magda Eriksson, and her partner Pernille Harder. Magda marked her final Kingsmeadow appearance last weekend with a goal - and both would want to end their career at Chelsea on the ultimate high, and a goodbye that two such iconic and beloved players deserved.
In a rarity for Chelsea this season - given the fixture congestion and injuries we have had to contend with - Emma Hayes was able to name an unchanged XI for the final game of the 2022/23 season.
There was only one way for Reading to realistically play - try to frustrate Chelsea, and sting on the counter. As such, they set up with a back five, and within a few minutes it was clear that this was going to be a matter of attack vs defence.
Chelsea would need to keep patient, and keep calm - and did determinedly set about their business of breaking down the Reading wall.
Sam Kerr blazed the first good chance over, after some excellent build up from the Blues. Erin Cuthbert then hit the bar - and there was a growing sense the opener was coming.
The link up which has been so prolific this season proved fruitful again. A Guro Reiten cross from the left, a Sam Kerr header - and a Chelsea goal. Reiten has in many people’s views been our Player of the Season - the ‘Assist Queen’ added another to her tally of 19 for the year in all competitions, and her contribution has been crucial in a season where we have missed Fran Kirby and Harder for most of it. Reiten and Kerr have at times carried our attack this season - and so it was fitting they combined for the breakthrough here.
That made it 1-0 to the Chels, inside 20 minutes , and if this result held, the title would be staying at Kingsmeadow. Reading could have equalised not soon after, but Justine Vanhaevermaet could not convert a free header from a free kick. This was enough to remind Chelsea that we could not rest on our laurels, after having taken an early lead.
Royals forward Deanne Rose went off injured shortly after - a major blow for Reading, as one of their danger-women, and meant their chances of coming back in the game had taken a major hit.
Reiten further illustrated her contribution this season by getting the second goal, shortly before half time. The Norwegian capitalised on a poor back pass from Easther Mayi Kith to find herself one on one with the Reading keeper, and coolly nutmegged the unfortunate Maloney.
With that, Chelsea now had one (and a half) hands on the trophy - and it meant the second half would likely be a procession.
And so it was. Chelsea were never truly troubled in this game - having had nearly 80% possession, and 23 shots in total. This was always in Chelsea’s hands - the game, and maybe even on reflection, despite the season-long drama to get there - the title was always in our hands too.
Kerr got her second of the game late on by finishing off her own rebound to give the scoreline the resounding feeling that the dominant performance in the Berkshire sunshine deserved. A fitting way to end a storming run through the business end of the season - Chelsea took it up to a new level, and nobody else could match it.
Elsewhere, Man United did their part in beating Liverpool 1-0 - but it mattered little.
Magda Eriksson had been substituted off to enable the travelling fans to give our departing captain an enormous ovation - nothing less than what a genuine legend of this club deserves.
The only thing more fitting was what came next. For the tenth time as Chelsea captain, Eriksson lifted a trophy. She did so in front of the jubilant fans who filled the Madejski Stadium - meaning there were more Chelsea fans than Reading there to see it.
A fourth WSL title in a row - a third consecutive Double. Chelsea were champions.

May results in brief

Fixture	Result	Competition	Goal scorers
Liverpool (H)	2-1 W	WSL	Charles, Kerr (Perisset assist)
Everton (H)	7-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Kerr, Harder x 2, Ingle, Fleming, Cuthbert (Rytting Kaneryd, Charles, Reiten, Fleming, Harder, Cuthbert assists)
Leicester (H)	6-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Cuthbert, Harder x 2, James, Cankovic (Harder, Carter, Perisset, Charles assists)
Man United (N)	1-0 W	FA Cup final	Kerr (Harder assist)
West Ham (A)	4-0 W	WSL	Charles, Harder, Ingle, Cuthbert (Ingle, Rytting Kaneryd assists)
Arsenal (H)	2-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Eriksson goals (Perisset, Kerr assists)
Reading (A)	3-0 W	WSL	Kerr x 2, Reiten (Reiten assist)

UTC!

The Chelsea FC Women May round-up - champions Chelsea complete the triple Double, in a perfect May

Welcome to the final Chelsea FC Women monthly round-up of the 2022/23 season. This post is a long read, so feel free to skip to the end for a brief overview!

Introduction

It was a mixed April for Chelsea, in which we won one semi-final, and lost the other.
A spirited, but in the end, painful two-legged defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League meant our European dream came to an end. We were still left fighting in two competitions, however, having beat Aston Villa to advance to the FA Cup Final for the third year in a row.
As well as facing Man United in that banner occasion in May, we were also locked in a tense title fight with the Red Devils in the WSL - both the league and cup were to be decided in the final month of the season, meaning Chelsea had seven games to determine whether we made it a third Double triumph in three seasons, or finished the season empty-handed.
Chelsea’s congested fixture list meant we started the month seven points behind leaders Man United in the WSL standings - but with three games in hand. That meant it was in our hands - win out, and we would win the league.
Seven games to define the season - one cup final, and six in the WSL. Chelsea would be playing two games a week - whilst our rivals benefitted from a lighter schedule. The Blues had been heavily hit by injury this season - it was confirmed ahead of the run-in that Fran Kirby and Millie Bright would be out for the end of the season, although we were boosted by the return of Pernille Harder and Kadeisha Buchanan.
This has been one of the most gruelling and challenging seasons in recent memory for Chelsea - both on and off the pitch. Emma Hayes’ team are used to making the ends of seasons glorious ones - and that experience and champion mentality could be key to making the difference.
It was not going to be easy - but when the calendar turns to May, Chelsea come out to play, saving our best for when we needed it the most. It was set to be a tense month, of hoping that history would be repeated.

Key headlines

Injury updates
The ongoing injury epidemic - especially serious knee injuries - has been one of the storylines of the women’s football season. This has been especially concerning for many players and teams, with the World Cup looming in July.
Another of Chelsea’s own joined the unfortunate ranks this month, with young defender Jorja Fox having torn her ACL whilst out on loan to Brighton. The 19 year old has returned to the club for her treatment.
It was also confirmed that Fran Kirby would miss the end of the season, and the World Cup, in another cruel blow for a player who has been so blighted by serious injury and illness. Our two-time Player of the Year will be back in pre-season, having undergone knee surgery.
Millie Bright, meanwhile, is expected to be fit for the World Cup - but would not feature again for Chelsea this season.
Harder and Eriksson depart
It had been long expected, but that did not make the news hurt any less. Club captain Magda Eriksson, and forward Pernille Harder - who joined Chelsea in 2020 for a then world record fee - confirmed that they would be leaving Chelsea upon the expiry of their contracts this summer.
The couple are likely off to Bayern Munich. It has been known for a while that the duo would be taking on a new challenge - announcing it before the end of the season gave the opportunity for fans to see goodbye at Kingsmeadow, and then again in the final game of the season - and to give two icons of Chelsea the send-off they deserved.
It was an emotional farewell for all involved - and their contribution, especially that of Magda, in her six years at the club, will always be a part of our history, and never forgotten.
Awards
With the season drawing to the close, it’s the time of the year that the end of season accolades are handed out.
Sam Kerr was voted the FWA Women’s Football of the Year, for a second year in a row. Despite her contribution to our success this season - it was something of a surprise, with many thinking that Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly should have won.
Nonetheless, it was deserved - we would not be where we are without Kerr.
First signing
Chelsea are getting their business done early, having already announced that Sjoeke Nusken will join the club this summer. The 22 year old German midfielder joins from Frankfurt, and can play in either a deep-lying or box-to-box role.
With rumours of some other big signings to come, it could be a big summer…
Fran Kirby extends her contract
It was not all bad news for Kirby this month - following her knee surgery, it was also announced that the club have activated an extension on Fran’s contract, meaning she will stay at the club until 2024.

Now - to the action!

Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool (WSL)
First up in May was the rearranged WSL home game from January, against Liverpool. The match had been abandoned after just six minutes due to a frozen pitch. The truly farcical scenes drew much criticism of how the matter was handled - with fans inconvenienced and players put at risk.
Liverpool had gotten Chelea’s season off the a shocker of a start, when they upset us 2-1 on the opening WSL weekend - but we have gone on to beat them in the FA Cup since. Former Chelsea boss Matt Beard’s side sat seventh in the standings ahead of this one, meaning they had avoided relegation in their first season since returning to the top flight.
Despite the exertions against Barcelona, with nearly a week’s rest after that energy-sapping exit, Emma Hayes felt she only needed to make the one change. It was an attacking one, with Lauren James coming in from the start, and Maren Mjelde dropping out - meaning Eve Perisset dropped into a back three alongside Magda Eriksson and Jess Carter.
Any thoughts of a straightforward evening were rapidly dissipated, when Liverpool took a shock lead after just two minutes.
It was a goal of our own making. The aforementioned Perisset gave the ball away, and Liverpool pounced, with full back Emma Koivisto meeting a Natasha Dowie cross at the far post.
The Chelsea response was a good one - setting about the task of overhauling the Liverpool lead well, by dominating possession and laying siege to the opposition penalty area.
Unfortunately, Liverpool were equally up to their task, and defended with a determination and energy that had been entirely absent from their 4-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Leiecester in their previous outing. Based on our encounters this season, it seems like Liverpool have already developed a penchant for getting it up against Chelsea, on their return to the top flight. Maybe the presence of ex-Blues boss Matt Beard in their dugout has something to do with that…
Highlights of their defensive effort included a superb last-ditch block from former Chelsea player Gemma Bonner, to deny Sam Kerr what seemed a certain goal. Debutant keeper Faye Kirby also pulled off a series of superb stops - and when you have a goalie playing like that on her first senior appearance, it is easy to fear it may be “one of those days”.
Eventually, however, the Chelsea pressure told. Niamh Charles, who joined Chelsea from Liverpool in 2020, flicked home an equaliser from a Perisset corner - the latter’s assist making up for her earlier error.
With the score now 1-1 at the break, it felt like the Liverpool resistance could be at an end - with Chelsea having 45 minutes to find the winner.
The Reds’ heads, however, did not drop - and they set about their task of fierce rearguard action with the same focus as in the first half.
Emma Hayes moved to a back four, and used the full strength of her bench by bringing on Jelena Cankovic, Pernille Harder and Rytting Kaneryd. Harder in particular looked a threat - illustrating how much she had been missed in her long injury absence, since November.
Sam Kerr had gone close on a few occasions in the first half, but her threat had seemed to fade and frustrations grew as the game wore on.
It was however, the Aussie who in the end did what she does best.
Jessie Fleming was desperately unlucky to see her excellently-struck shot ricocheted off of the upright, in the 86th minute - but then immensely relieved (along with all Chelsea players and fans) to see the rebound find Kerr, who finally was able to beat Faye Kirby.
With that, Chelsea had found a way to secure a crucial three points - and ensure our title challenge marched on.
Chelsea 7-0 Everton (WSL)
Next came a home game against Everton, where Chelsea would be hoping for a more straightforward 90 minutes than in the previous game against the red half of Merseyside.
With the Sunday evening kick off slot, each of our title rivals had already played. Arsenal squeaked out a 1-0 win vs relegation-threatened Leicester, whilst Man United eased to a more comfortable 3-0 win against Spurs - maintaining their lead at the top. Man City, however, suffered a shock 2-1 defeat to Liverpool, meaning their title hopes are effectively over.
That meant Chelsea needed to do our bit - and keep on winning. Everton, sat comfortably midtable ahead of this game - well clear of any relegation trouble, and with no prospect of breaking into the top three to qualify for Europe. The last meeting between the two was the reverse WSL fixture, back in October, where a Niamh Charles wonder goal and a brace for Pernille Harder saw Chelsea win 3-1.
Emma Hayes rotated her XI, making five changes - with Chelsea still contending with a gruelling schedule of two games a week. The aforementioned Harder started from the bench - still to make her first start since returning from long-term injury.
Buchanan, Svitkova, Bright and Kirby remained unavailable - with the latter three now having been confirmed as out for the season.
Despite not having much left to play for this season, Everton started well, and had Chelsea on the back foot. The Toffees are a side who look good in possession, and had the Blues working hard off the ball early on.
What was to come, therefore, could not have been expected. The Toffees quickly melted in the early May sunshine, in the face of an absolute onslaught from Chelsea - who scored five sensational goals in the first half, from just five shots on target.
The Blues have made a habit of winning games whilst playing short of our top form this season - but this first half was Chelsea at our ruthless and scintillating best.
The first came from nowhere. With the Everton defence distracted by the movement of Sam Kerr, they allowed Guro Reiten far too much space in her wide left position - who unleashed a rocket to raise the roof at Kingsmeadow, and ignite the crowd. It was her tenth of the season - the first time our assist queen has reached a double digit goal tally for the Blues.
With Chelsea now with a spring in our step, a second came soon after. Sam Kerr had spent the day before representing Australia at King Charles III’s coronation - but this goal involved a different Charles, with Niamh delivering a superb cross for Kerr to nod home.
Unfortunately, that was to be Kerr’s last action of the afternoon - having rolled her ankle in the landing after her goal. She was able to walk off, giving hope her substitution was just a precaution.
Pernille Harder had replaced Kerr - and with her first touch of the game had put Chelsea 3-0 up. It was the Dane’s first goal since her brace in the reverse fixture against Everton - and another goal of the finest quality. Reiten cut the ball back for Harder to curl home, and put the win beyond doubt.
Chelsea were not done yet, however - Sophie Ingle next in on the action with a caressed finish, her first WSL goal of the season. There was still time for one more before the break - and this one was assisted by Harder, who laid it off for Jessie Fleming.
That made it 5-0 to Chelsea, in a truly five-star first half.
With a midweek game to come - and the FA Cup final the next weekend - Hayes made two half time substitutes. Lauren James replaced the superb Reiten, and Alsu Abdullina on for Eve Perisset for some rare WSL minutes.
It was a relaxed second 45 for Chelsea, who with big fixtures left to come and the three points already secured, did not need to take any risks. More could have been added to the tally, with James and Rytting Kaneryd going close - and a blatant penalty on James also turned down.
Erin Cuthbert and Jess Carter joined the party to complete the full complement of five substitutes, and just when it seemed the bunting was being put away for the day, Cuthbert and Harder produced a final flourish for a sixth Chelsea goal. The Scot surged from the halfway line into the Everton third entirely unopposed, and squared it for Harder to emphatically finish.
Cuthbert even had time to add a seventh - just minutes after Rytting Kaneryd had hit the post - to make it 7-0 to Chelsea, in arguably our best performance of the season.
A thoroughly brilliant win for Chelsea, which moved us into second place - four points behind Manchester United, with two games still in hand. The seven goals were a big boost to our goal difference too, although the Red Devils still had the advantage in this.
The only downside was the potential loss of Sam Kerr to injury - which also meant the two goals from Pernille Harder, signalling that the Dane is well and truly back, after her long injury absence, could not have come at a better time. If we were to go without Kerr, we would need Harder more than ever.
Chelsea 6-0 Leicester (WSL)
Chelsea were next in action midweek, fulfilling one of the two games we had in hand over Man United. That also meant our title rivals would benefit from three extra days' rest ahead of our FA Cup final clash at Wembley, on the upcoming weekend.
The opponents, Leicester, were fighting for their WSL lives - sitting 11th in the table ahead of this fixture at Kingsmeadow, two points above bottom side Reading.
Despite their lowly position, they had had some good recent results - including a 4-0 win against Liverpool, and had performed well in a narrow 1-0 defeat to Arsenal the weekend prior to this game.
Chelsea had earlier thrashed Leicester 8-0 in the reverse league fixture, but ahead of kick off Emma Hayes referred to them as “the most improved side in the WSL” - as they have made noticeable strides forward under manager Willie Kirk, since then.
Hayes also confirmed Sam Kerr was available for this fixture, with the issue that forced her into an early substitution against Everton only minor.
With the cup final looming, Kerr was not risked however - starting from the bench. Also starting from the bench were Katerina Svitkova and Kadeisha Buchanan on their return from injury - a welcome sign ahead of the run-in. Hayes made six changes to the line up that had started against Everton - including Pernille Harder starting for the first time since her own injury return.
Despite the changes, Chelsea very much started where they left off against Everton, pinning Leicester back from kick off - and had a deserved lead inside ten minutes.
The scoring was opened by the same player who had gotten the party started on the weekend - Guro Reiten storming in to finish a low Harder cross with aplomb.
The situation already looked ominous for Leicester, and the impending sense of doom deepened when another of Sunday’s goalscorers, Erin Cuthbert, made it 2-0 on 18 minutes. The Foxes were caught playing out from the back - a mistake engineered by the intensity of the Chelsea press, which had been relentless from the off.
Harder herself was then in on the goal scoring act with a brace, her second in two games The first was opportunistic - converting a rebound after Lauren James had had her shot saved. The second was some individual brilliance, capping off her own mazy run with a confident finish.
That made it 4-0 at the break, and meant that as against Everton, the game was already done at half time. Chelsea had made short work of Leicester, showing exactly the efficiency and ruthlessness that is needed at the crunch time of the season.
James added a fifth in the second half, to end a run of games without a goal. She did so with what is already becoming a classic of her repertoire - shimmying her way into a dangerous shooting position, then unleashing a rocket from range. Having got her goal, Hayes then brought James off in a series of changes made with Wembley in mind - Cuthbert, Reiten and Harder all also making way.
Jelena Cankovic made it a tennis score, and as a final positive note, Hayes was able to bring Buchanan on for Eriksen to get some minutes in the Canadian centre back’s legs for the first time since the injury she picked up in the April international break.
The six goals in this game, on top of the 7-0 win against Leicester, meant Chelsea had entirely erased Man United’s previously weighty goal difference advantage in the space of three days - now both locked on +42, and with Chelsea just one point off the leaders, still with a game in hand.
Chelsea’s form and confidence could not be better heading into the Wembley showcase - where we would take on our title rivals Man United in the FA Cup final. The return of Harder and Buchanan to fitness - and with Harder notching four goals in two games - brought even more cause for optimism, in a thoroughly excellent couple of fixtures for the Blues.
Then, onto Wembley.
Chelsea 1-0 Man United (FA Cup Final)
There is no bigger fixture in the women’s domestic game than the FA Cup final - and for the first time ever, Wembley was sold out ahead of kick off, meaning yet another attendance record would be broken in a season of milestones for women’s football.
It would be Chelsea’s sixth final since the showpiece fixture has moved to Wembley - and we had only lost one before. Victory against Man United would also make it a hat trick of FA Cup triumphs for Chelsea, having also won the 2021 and 2022 finals.
Standing in our way were a Man United team in brilliant form, who are also seeking to stop Chelsea winning the league title. It was Man United’s first ever final - and hence their chance to win their first ever trophy since forming a women’s team in 2018.
Man United had the sense of underdog and destiny on their side, whilst Chelsea had the experience and nous of knowing what it takes to win the biggest games. With the Chelsea players still amongst a relentless schedule, and missing key players like Millie Bright and Fran Kirby - there was a good argument for either side to take home the trophy.
The big selection news was Pernille Harder starting from the bench - a surprise given her back to back braces - with Hayes opting for Kerr, Reiten and James as her three primary attackers instead. This would mean Chelsea had a very dangerous game-changing player, lying in wait…
The game got off to a very notable false start - or two. First Chelsea tried to kick off before the pre-match music had finished - and then Man United had the ball inside the net within a minute, only for the Blues to be reprieved by the offside flag.
That would have given Chelsea the unwelcome record of having conceded the fastest goal at an FA Cup final for both the men’s and women’s competition, after Louis Saha outdid our own Roberto Di Matteo’s previous record, in 2009.
You might have thought this would have woken up Chelsea - but Man United looked in control, and Chelsea on the edge defensively.
Man United’s first-time-final nerves appeared to affect them in the key attacking moments third though - they were on top in the game, but looked scared to pull the trigger, and so despite a few shaky moments, did not hugely test Berger.
Emma Hayes decision not to use Harder from the start gave Sam Kerr a lot of work to do - she was tasked with keeping the Man United defence busy all on her own. Chelsea employed a similar strategy to that which had been successful in the game at Kingsmeadow earlier this year, in a 1-0 win where Man United had dominated but lacked a cutting edge, and were undone on the counter.
Lauren James looked lively whenever she was on the ball, and made ex-Chelsea full back Hannah Blundell work very hard in the sweltering heat. James also had a header tipped onto the post by Mary Earps - a reminder that even whilst Man United appeared to have the better of it, Chelsea would always be in the game.
With the score 0-0 at half time, there was a definite sense that was a much better score line for Chelsea - and that Man United might regret not finding a way to make the most of having the Blues on the back foot.
And so they did come to regret it. Hayes introduced Harder on the hour mark, as it was always expected she would - and the impact was immediate. Marc Skinner similarly tried to affect the game, but there were no players like Pernille for him to turn to - and his decision to take off Nikita Paris looked to be the wrong one, with United losing much of the impetus when she exited.
As well as taking an arm to the face that appeared to go completely unnoticed by the referee, Harder combined with Kerr to get in behind the Man United defence - and twice Chelsea failed to capitalise. With two such attacking threats to contend with through the middle, Man United all of a sudden looked rattled.
The third time was the charm.
Of course, it was Kerr who found the decisive finish. The Aussie treated the record crowd at Wembley to one of her trademark backflips, after having steered Harder’s low cross past Earps -
A double flip, even - hopefully a sign of things to come… .
The goal had a disheartening effect on the opposition. You got the sense that it had sunk United’s maiden voyage in search of their first ever trophy - and that Chelsea’s experience would now see them through.
However, including an agonising six minutes of injury time, there were still a few scares - in particular a late goalmouth scramble that left two Chelsea players collapsed on the deck, alongside the blue half of the Wembley crowd collapsed in the stands.
It was soon only the blue half that remained, however. The full time whistle blew, and the Man United exodus was matched by the Chelsea explosion. Jubilation greeted yet another trophy for Emma Hayes and her Chelsea side.
A third FA Cup win in a row. Another piece of history on another hallmark day for the women’s game - nearly 78,000 at Wembley in a record for the cup final, and any women’s domestic final.
There was still more to play for, of course. Chelsea had three games left to play in the league - where we remained locked in a gripping title race with the cup final’s defeated foes.
Whether this galvanised or deflated Man United remained to be seen. It was still in our hands - and after a reminder like this of the machine Chelsea are at the business end of the season, you would have been unwise to bet against Blue.
West Ham 0-4 Chelsea (WSL)
There was not much time to celebrate for Chelsea, with the team back in action just three days after the FA Cup final triumph at Wembley.
The Blues travelled away to West Ham, to make up our final game in hand on WSL leaders Man United - knowing three points at the Chigwell Construction Stadium would move Chelsea back on top of the WSL for the first time since March.
Paul Konchesky’s side have been in woeful form - having just the one win in the past 10 games, and you had to flip the calendar back to December last year to find their last WSL win.
Nonetheless, Chelsea could not be complacent, given the shocks, twists and turns this WSL season has already thrown up - and it was imperative to remain fully focused on the task at hand.
With this game following the cup final, and a huge game against Arsenal to come just four days later, rotation was a necessity - and Hayes made seven changes to the XI who started at Wembley.
These changes did little to disrupt Chelsea’s impressive recent form, who looked like they meant business from the off.
Niamh Charles deservedly opened the scoring for the Blues after 11 minutes - being quickest to a rebound to finish from close range. It was a goal that was extra special for the defender, as it came on her 100th appearance for the club. An impressive milestone, given she is still only 23.
It felt like similar score lines to Everton and Leicester might be on the cards, but West Ham - to their credit - dug in, and were able to push to dampen the Chelsea fire, and keep it to 1-0 at half time.
However, Pernille Harder soon had a second for the Blues shortly after play resumed - and Chelsea were comfortable from that point.
Sophie Ingle - who like Harder had been a substitute at Wembley, and in from the start in this game - slid the ball into the Dane in the box, who made no mistake with the goal at her mercy.
It was another excellent display from the bang-in-form Harder, who since returning from injury has now scored five goals, and three assists - including a game-changing contribution off the bench in the FA Cup final. Her return to fitness and form really could not have been better timed.
Ingle was then herself on the scoresheet, nodding home a rebound from close range, after the West Ham keeper could only tip it onto the bar.
Erin Cuthbert put a sensational cherry on top with a fourth goal in injury time - which was easily the pick of the bunch.
The Scot had come on as a substitute, and twice before gone close with long range efforts. At the third time of asking, she was able to find the net - an absolute pile driver of a strike, hit with all of the ferocity you would expect from our midfield dynamo.
In all, it was another impressive performance. Chelsea were comfortable, dominant, and ruthless in dispatching yet another foe in our quest for a fourth consecutive league title. .
The 4-0 win made it 17 goals in the past three WSL games for Chelsea - completely obliterating Man United’s prior healthy goal difference advantage.
The win also means for the first time in many weeks Chelsea and Man United have played the same number of league games - and the Blues on top of the WSL, holding a two point lead in the standings with just two games left to play.
The upcoming weekend would likely be absolutely crucial in deciding the destination of the title, with two huge games on the cards.
Chelsea would be hosting Arsenal at Kingsmeadow, whilst Man United would be at home to local rivals Man City in the Manchester derby. Neither City or Arsenal had any realistic chance of winning the title themselves at this point - but both would relish the prospect of having a major say in who does, especially if at the detriment of their respective rivals.
Following this result, Chelsea were back in charge - but that could all change in the next 90 minutes.
Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal (WSL)
It was a fixture that has been circled in the calendar all season long, and as expected, Chelsea's final home game of the season - against Arsenal - was set to be pivotal in determining who would be crowned champions.
However, it was not Arsenal that Chelsea were competing with to be crowned champions - as many expected - with Man United instead the team who sat just two points off Chelsea heading into the final round of games.
Whilst Chelsea would be taking on Arsenal at Kingsmeadow, Man United would host Man City in the evening kick off - 1st vs 3rd and 2nd vs 4th, WSL weekends do not come much bigger.
Win our game, and Chelsea would be all but there. Drop points - and it would be advantage Man United. This was huge.
The Blues had been in sensational form - stepping it up when needed to, as we so often do. Every game in May so far had been a must-win - and a Chelsea squad depleted by injuries and weary with fatigue had risen to the occasion. The Blues had won five in a row coming into this fixture, and in doing so had completely erased Man United's goal difference advantage with a series of thumping victories.
Our perennial rivals, Arsenal, still needed to confirm their spot in the top 3 for Champions League qualification next season - although their goal difference advantage means a win at Aston Villa on the final day would likely see them qualify regardless of the result in this game. There is no love lost between Chelsea and Arsenal - and although the Gunners and Jonas Eidevall would likely not be able to win the title this year, they will love nothing more than stopping the Blues and Emma Hayes from making it four in a row.
Arsenal have been plagued by injuries this season - Lia Walti was ruled out for the season in their mid-week win vs Everton, to add to the earlier losses of Beth Mead, Vivianne Miedema, Leah Williamson and Kim Little. Chelsea continued to be without Millie Bright and Fran Kirby, key absences of our own.
Emma Hayes named an attacking line up - with all three of Guro Reiten, Pernille Harder and Lauren James starting in support of Sam Kerr. Magda Eriksson continued at centre back alongside Maren Mjelde, with Hayes not disrupting the partnership that has done so well whilst Bright and Kadeisha Buchanan have been out injured - despite Buchana now being fit again.
This meant both Harder and Eriksson would be starting what was a very special game for the pain. It had been confirmed in the days leading up to this fixture that the duo will leave the club in the summer, this therefore being their last game at Kingsmeadow.
Chelsea started like a team who knew what this meant.
Arsenal barely had a kick in the first 10 minutes, their back three pinned back by a flying Chelsea team, who pressed high and kept the ball with focus and intensity.
Guro Reiten - arguably our player of the season - deservedly put the Blues ahead midway through the first half. Eve Perisset found the Norwegian with a delicious cross, after Arsenal had failed to clear their lines following a set piece - and Reiten’s smart finish was enough to beat Zinsberger.
This first half was Chelsea at our best - we looked better in every aspect than the Gunners, who just could not match the performance.
Despite the dominance, Ann-Katrin Berger was called upon on a few occasions - but when the second goal came it was for Chelsea, and the 2-0 scoreline was no more than the Blues deserved.
The goal scorer was one who sent the Kingsmeadow crowd into raptures.
It came from another set piece - Sam Ker headed across goal, where captain Magda Eriksson was first to react to prod past Zinsberger, meaning she would mark her final game at Kingsmeadow with a goal that could be crucial in Chelsea’s march to the title.
Arsenal, despite their injuries, are still a good team - and had proved that with their response to seemingly endless adversity this season, where they have kept getting results that may well see them in Europe next year, and nearly put them into this season’s Champion League final.
Their response in the second half, therefore, was not unexpected. The introduction of Steph Catley gave them fresh impetus, and not long after the resumption of play they had struck the Chelsea bar.
A penalty for Arsenal - with Sophie Ingle penalised for handball - gave them a golden opportunity to reduce the deficit. Stand-in penalty taker - and captain - Katie McCabe put it wide though, in a let off for Chelsea. Ingle had dominated the middle of the pitch for Chelsea - and it would have been cruel to see this tar her exceptional performance.
Chelsea needed to wake up, and Emma Hayes did her bit by bringing on Jess Carter for Lauren James, in an attempt to settle proceedings.
Berger had made some important interventions in the first half, and became increasingly important in the second 45 as Chelsea rode out the Arsenal storm. The Gunners, for all their improvement, still lacked a cutting edge, and too often wasted good opportunities with a poor final ball. The game gradually settled, and the introduction of Buchanan and Fleming helped the Blues to see it out.
The latter also meant there was the opportunity for Kingsmeadow to rise as one to show their appreciation for the departing Harder, who left the pitch for the last time in a home game for Chelsea.
A game which showed two of the best sides of Chelsea - who Emma Hayes in the pre-match build-up dubbed as “hybrid monsters” for the squad’s versatility. In the first half we showed our quality when playing on the front foot, dominating Arenal to take a deserved 2-0 lead. In the second half we showed our resilience when defending a lead - and professionalism and nous in being able to keep what we had, even with the assist of the penalty miss.
Taking all three points meant Chelsea went five clear, having played one game more than Man United - and effectively put one hand on the trophy.
If Man United had failed to beat Man City in the later evening kick off, then it would have been confirmed before the final day. However, despite 10-player Man City equalising in the second half - and for 20 odd minutes it looking like Chelsea were already champions - United found a stoppage time winner to ensure it did go to the final weekend.
Chelsea would travel to Reading knowing that a win would see us crowned champions for the fourth season in a row. The Royals are all but relegated following their loss against Spurs in their penultimate game - and given the challenges Chelsea have overcome to put themselves in this position, you would back the Blues to see it through… but would there be one last twist in the title race?
Reading 3-0 Chelsea (WSL)
It all came down to this.
After what has been the best WSL title race in years, the champions were to be decided on the final day.
Chelsea were in pole position. Since the March defeat to Man City, the Blues have won every single league game. The Red Devils had topped the table for most of the season, but mainly by virtue of the fixture list - as they had always been ahead of Chelsea in terms of games played.
A busy May has seen the Blues make up those games in hand - and completely erase United’s goal difference advantage - meaning that we headed into the final day with a two point and five goal difference lead.
In the blue corner, Chelsea were looking to make it a fourth WSL in a row and three consecutive Doubles. In the red corner, our rivals were looking to win their first ever league title - or trophy of any sort - since reforming as a club in 2018.
A win for Chelsea would confirm it, regardless of what Man United could do at Liverpool. Given the goal difference advantage, a draw may also be enough - but memories of the painful loss of the title on goal difference, on the final day in 2014, meant Chelsea would not want to chance it.
Our opponent faced a battle of their own. Reading were rock bottom of the WSL - and needed a win to avoid relegation, meaning this game was as big for them as for Chelsea.
The Royals form had been as woeful as their lowly position would suggest. However, they are something of a bogey team for Chelsea, having beaten us in this same fixture last season, and fought back well to a credible 3-2 loss at Kingsmeadow back in December.
Chelsea, meanwhile, were flying into the game - having scored 22 goals for the loss of just one against, in our six months in May so far.
It would also be the final game in Blue for departing captain Magda Eriksson, and her partner Pernille Harder. Magda marked her final Kingsmeadow appearance last weekend with a goal - and both would want to end their career at Chelsea on the ultimate high, and a goodbye that two such iconic and beloved players deserved.
In a rarity for Chelsea this season - given the fixture congestion and injuries we have had to contend with - Emma Hayes was able to name an unchanged XI for the final game of the 2022/23 season.
There was only one way for Reading to realistically play - try to frustrate Chelsea, and sting on the counter. As such, they set up with a back five, and within a few minutes it was clear that this was going to be a matter of attack vs defence.
Chelsea would need to keep patient, and keep calm - and did determinedly set about their business of breaking down the Reading wall.
Sam Kerr blazed the first good chance over, after some excellent build up from the Blues. Erin Cuthbert then hit the bar - and there was a growing sense the opener was coming.
The link up which has been so prolific this season proved fruitful again. A Guro Reiten cross from the left, a Sam Kerr header - and a Chelsea goal. Reiten has in many people’s views been our Player of the Season - the ‘Assist Queen’ added another to her tally of 19 for the year in all competitions, and her contribution has been crucial in a season where we have missed Fran Kirby and Harder for most of it. Reiten and Kerr have at times carried our attack this season - and so it was fitting they combined for the breakthrough here.
That made it 1-0 to the Chels, inside 20 minutes , and if this result held, the title would be staying at Kingsmeadow. Reading could have equalised not soon after, but Justine Vanhaevermaet could not convert a free header from a free kick. This was enough to remind Chelsea that we could not rest on our laurels, after having taken an early lead.
Royals forward Deanne Rose went off injured shortly after - a major blow for Reading, as one of their danger-women, and meant their chances of coming back in the game had taken a major hit.
Reiten further illustrated her contribution this season by getting the second goal, shortly before half time. The Norwegian capitalised on a poor back pass from Easther Mayi Kith to find herself one on one with the Reading keeper, and coolly nutmegged the unfortunate Maloney.
With that, Chelsea now had one (and a half) hands on the trophy - and it meant the second half would likely be a procession.
And so it was. Chelsea were never truly troubled in this game - having had nearly 80% possession, and 23 shots in total. This was always in Chelsea’s hands - the game, and maybe even on reflection, despite the season-long drama to get there - the title was always in our hands too.
Kerr got her second of the game late on by finishing off her own rebound to give the scoreline the resounding feeling that the dominant performance in the Berkshire sunshine deserved. A fitting way to end a storming run through the business end of the season - Chelsea took it up to a new level, and nobody else could match it.
Elsewhere, Man United did their part in beating Liverpool 1-0 - but it mattered little.
Magda Eriksson had been substituted off to enable the travelling fans to give our departing captain an enormous ovation - nothing less than what a genuine legend of this club deserves.
The only thing more fitting was what came next. For the tenth time as Chelsea captain, Eriksson lifted a trophy. She did so in front of the jubilant fans who filled the Madejski Stadium - meaning there were more Chelsea fans than Reading there to see it.
A fourth WSL title in a row - a third consecutive Double. Chelsea were champions.

May results in brief

Fixture	Result	Competition	Goal scorers
Liverpool (H)	2-1 W	WSL	Charles, Kerr (Perisset assist)
Everton (H)	7-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Kerr, Harder x 2, Ingle, Fleming, Cuthbert (Rytting Kaneryd, Charles, Reiten, Fleming, Harder, Cuthbert assists)
Leicester (H)	6-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Cuthbert, Harder x 2, James, Cankovic (Harder, Carter, Perisset, Charles assists)
Man United (N)	1-0 W	FA Cup final	Kerr (Harder assist)
West Ham (A)	4-0 W	WSL	Charles, Harder, Ingle, Cuthbert (Ingle, Rytting Kaneryd assists)
Arsenal (H)	2-0 W	WSL	Reiten, Eriksson goals (Perisset, Kerr assists)
Reading (A)	3-0 W	WSL	Kerr x 2, Reiten (Reiten assist)

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I have a wonderful girlfriend that I've been with for around 6 months now, she's kind to me and a pure and honest girl.
For the longest time she had secretive behaviour and some things stuck out as really odd. Like even asking about her day made her really defensive if I wanted to know any details beyond very vague answers.
Naturally I got the nasty feeling she was hiding something from me or seeing someone else. It turned out that she's been completely honest and loyal to me however the truth is actually more terrifying.
My girlfriend is only in her mid twenties but until last year she had been born and raised by her family as a part of a "religion".
The only thing is, it's more like a cult than a religion. It is a rather large one with thousands of members.
She was not allowed to leave the living quarters of the cult, they lived on a large patch of land in a huge house together and basically had to fulfill their daily duties as per the cult's requirements.
Usually it boiled down to daily maintenance of the cult's facility and etc.
Because she was forbidden to go outside and heavily monitored by her parents and the cult's members, she grew to be very withdrawn and gets really up tight about people knowing her business.
She would basically shut herself away in her room because it was easier to be alone and safe in her private space.
Even simple things such as taking a bicycle ride outside were forbidden.
Imagine people knowing about every tiny detail of your daily life with no privacy?
So for the longest time her high requirements for privacy really got to me, but after finding this out, it makes so much sense so I try my best to just help her feel comfortable and not pressured.
She eventually took the opportunity to leave the cult, thankfully her parents came around to it after the initial dramatic reaction and it sounds like they are respectful of her choices but she's now effectively exiled and lost any association to the cult.
I can't help but get the feeling that she's still anxious about any further fallout, revenge and etc since some of the members are likely pretty hardcore and from the monitoring she faced before.
It's a tough one since she's been forced into this old fashioned lifestyle for most of her life and she's now doing her best to catch up on things and enjoy all the things she missed out on.
We're likely moving in together soon and progressing down the relationship path and of course it would be nice to meet the parents out of respect and etc since they seem important to her but we're both a bit anxious about the reaction we'll possibly get.
She's stressed there's no way I'll be allowed into the cult premises since I have no family connections nor am I a member so we'll have to meet somewhere else. Going in would be way too intimidating for me anyway. Who knows what they'd do to me?
I must admit I'm kinda scared since her family does have quite a large authority in the cult and since I'm a non believer and also a different race, I'm expecting them to not approve and demand we separate.
It makes me feel sick knowing that she had all this stuff forced on her.

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[Thank you for agreeing to teach them.]
Volta nodded, not entirely sure if it was for the best, but recognizing a request—or in this case, a thinly veiled order—for what it was.
Ever since she had taught Scarlet and the others her field, the occasional rotation of Lilhuns would be assigned to work under her for a time. It made her job easier, especially since the settlement was expanding at a ludicrous rate compared to what she had heard from the new members of the pack.
The Atmo that had joined were quickly treated and cared for, those who did not require so much time for recovery quickly accompanying the existing insects in their tasks. The largest, Mama, frequently assisted in construction and decoration of structures, so they worked with her. Once they had oriented how things progressed and their part in it, they were paired off with a construction group to be assigned a project. It was to the point where there were as many as five buildings nearing completion at once, the majority of them being accommodation for the new members of the pack.
The remaining question was regarding the insect kits. The answer? Well, there were four Atmo slightly smaller than the purple ‘Queen’ that had requested Volta instruct them, the pearlescent shimmer of her scaled carapace dancing in the sunbeams afforded by the skylight the den had been constructed with.
Teaching Violet—as well as the two Atmo that Volta had escorted to this pack—in the ways of sanitation had been an interesting endeavour, all things considered. They held a remarkable dexterity in those long edged appendages, but the lack of something to properly grasp with made finding a way to secure a rag onto the ends difficult. Luckily, Heralt was receptive to assisting her with creating something that would attach to the blades.
It was little more than a mop that secured to the joint and braced around the cutting edge gingerly, the ends of the stick using ‘ironwood’ springs to clamp onto fabric pads that would soak in the cleaning solution and allow them to do the floors and walls. Were it not for how shockingly efficient the task was performed, she would have been useless through the laughter at the sight.
Each Atmo kit held two of the devices on their limbs, allowing them to travel in pairs and simply finish large spaces within the time it would take her to prepare the next batch of cleaners to use. They had only started a short while ago and yet two dens had been finished, Scarlet assisting her in doing whatever furniture or ledges the Atmo were unsuited to completing. The odd pack member going through what Head Sahari called ‘versatility training’ listened to her instructions in an oddly compliant manner, giving the blue-furred female pause at the unusual experience.
All in all; the cleaner was guiding the five insects and three Lilhuns in the ways of cleanliness. Scarlet was primarily keeping an eye on those who interacted with the purple-coloured Atmo, her contributions to the other tasks proficient, despite the split attention. Before, she would have assumed the servant quietly acquiescing orders, but the dark red-furred female was particularly vigilant in matters pertaining to the kit now.
Volta wasn’t sure what happened to the other servants that regularly assisted her on a rotation—save for Kaslin, the female seeming to have been unofficially inducted as Grand…. Toril’s assistant alongside his mate, Tersa—but Faye, the mild-mannered deep gold-furred female, and Raine, the polite and excitable brown-furred female, had been absent for many suns now.
It was almost lonely, in a way.
Almost.
“That should be sufficient for this den,” she announced to the gaggle of Atmo kits and Lilhuns, careful to remind them not to bother the few ‘rock-worms’ that Ferra kept separate from the rest outside. There were only four, the largest one adorned in an odd script, but they were apparently a selection of favourites of the female. Regardless, it would not do to irritate a mate of Atrox.
The brown-furred male was responsible for the ghastly armour that the Grand Hunter wore on occasion, and she was not in a hurry to see if the disturbing tendencies of the male extended to how he displayed his displeasure.
“Where is our next destination?” Scarlet asked, her tail brushing up Volta’s spine in an uncomfortable way. It wasn’t that she disliked the touch, but the owner of it worried her. Something about the servant struck her as more than what was presented, and it was obvious that the female thought of it as immensely entertaining. That much was obvious, even without the sly grin.
“We have proceeded much faster than I was expecting,” the blue-furred female admitted, mentally checking over her itinerary while subtly batting away the offending appendage. “I suppose we should attempt the barracks while the pack is engaged, then rest for a time.”
[May I leave to check on the other Atmo?]
Volta paused, unsure why it was being requested rather than merely presented as a fact. Violet was—as far as it mattered—completely beyond the cleaner’s station, if only because she was an adopted kit of the Grand Hunter, as well as a sort of leadership figure for the insects. It was an enigmatic blend of positions where the purple insect could very well order Volta to do things, rather than ask. Though the hierarchy was not nepotistic in nature, it was safer to adhere to the wishes of the den-kit than it was to disobey.
“You may. What of the others?”
[I will leave them with you and Scarlet.]
The mentioned servant frowned. “I am to accompany you.”
Violet chittered her curious laugh. [These young ones are your task. I must attend to my own.]
Volta discreetly jabbed the female with a claw, glaring at her not to question the wishes of her better. The less attention drawn from the Grand Hunter, the better. Just picturing the disturbing mask and piercing gaze was enough to make her blanch.
Either reminded of her position, or merely interested in playful retaliation, Scarlet sighed quietly, bowing slightly to the insect. “As you wish, young mistress. Do call for me if I am required.”
[I will. Thank you, Scarlet, Volta.]
Volta lowered her head, watching the Queen leave before returning her attention to the group.
“We will do the first barracks, then determine if we are of time to do the second. The kits are to await the floors cleared of obstruction by the Lilhuns before cleaning them. We will manage it in sections so as not to disturb any who may be taking a break. In future—assuming you are to operate independently from myself—it would be best if you are used to working in groups.”
The Lilhuns nodded their understanding, the young Atmo hesitantly conferring with each other before approaching Scarlet to have their mops freed of soiled cloth and materials placed upon their carriages.
The Atmo had all been outfitted with a specially made platform that fitted over their wider base, clasping underneath past their six legs. It allowed them to transport much, their carrying capacity much larger than one would suspect from their size. The kits could comfortably haul all of the materials for the sun by themselves, and the adults had been the subject of idle speculation for mounted weapon platforms—assuming the fragmented conversation she had chanced upon was to be believed.
Volta inspected the odd section that the Lilhuns under her tutelage completed while she waited for packing to finish. She was not necessarily pleased with the results, but it was more important for them to understand the procedure to take for various locations at the moment. They had proven that they understood what to do for the dens, so next came teaching them how to approach high-traffic areas.
Once everyone had been prepared and the materials gathered, they left the den and started towards the barracks, glimpsing the Grand Hunter sparring with some of the pack in the open.
Ever since the Atmo were delivered by a trade caravan, the male had taken to training much of the pack personally, Huntress Pan taking over much of his more mundane work. Those who were deemed adequate were then pawed off to Head Tel for some specialized training, though Volta was not privy to what exactly it was meant to accomplish.
Regardless, Head Sahari was in charge of rotating out the pack amongst tasks, only a few specialists being directly assigned to any one occupation. By all rights, Volta herself should be training under the male, but the nature of her work meant that she was typically better off doing her job when such was under way. Given that the Grand Hunter was a rare case of someone fully understanding the importance of her specialty—and how little she wished to interact with the alien—she was thankfully spared.
Disregarding the events going on, she motioned for her group to follow her. There was work to do.
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“Two up!” he called out, wiping the sweat from his brow. The exertion cleared his mind, and the break from endless paperwork was appreciated. With the influx of members and various training being required, he had gotten rather exhausted mentally. Between the Wraiths being gone for two weeks since he told them to do recon around the Atmo traders, regular interaction with various caravans, planning out what they needed to do, and Robert still not calling him since the man had left to handle something, he had been pretty high-strung.
As always, there was more on his mind. Harrow had become more elusive regarding him ever since he had her transcribe the Union documents regarding the Lilhuns, their conversations vapid and brief. Jax didn’t have anything useful to say about it other than that she wanted time to sort her thoughts. Toril, Idee, Mi’low, and Bratik were given copies of the file to go over recently, since they were the closest thing he had to a counsel unfettered by a close relationship.
His own makeshift family took the news in an odd way. There was a lot to unpack.
Jax had become quiet, his muscles tensing. Harrow ended up staying away from her mate for a few days until he had stopped brooding about it. In the end; the guy just told Joseph that he would trust the Grand Hunter’s decisions regarding it, finding himself at a loss otherwise.
Sahari and Nalah were approached about the bonding information, the latter denying any bond to him, as well as Sahari confirming the same towards her blond-furred mate. The only line of reasoning that they could think of to make sense was that Nalah’s circumstances had messed with her in some way. The two seemed rather distressed by the assertion, but calmed somewhat when he mentioned that nothing would change between them regardless. Sahari could tell how conflicted he was about the whole thing, he just wanted to give them something to hang on to.
It was a bigger deal for them than he had initially internalized. In retrospect; something revered as a literal gift from their god being denied really should have been an obvious point of stress. As begrudging as his acceptance was, he was linked to the whole ‘Great Hunt’ business in their minds, so he was aware of how deeply that belief ran. He didn’t personally subscribe to the religion, but they never really bothered him with anything besides overseeing funeral rites—not that he would have refused anyway.
Pan seemed to mirror his feelings on the matter—a dark feeling of helplessness and sorrow. She had fallen quiet when she heard about the trials on the defectives, that particular section hitting her harder than the others. After an entire day of silence, all she had to say about it was that she loved him, and then spent the night burrowed between him and Tel, unable to sleep. He had a hard time as well, but it extended well past the initial night.
Tel had informed him that his restlessness had made it difficult for her to get any shut-eye, his shifting disturbing her, but it was said in a slightly concerned tone. Her general reaction was fairly subdued compared to the rest otherwise, her lifetime of being at either end of a gun numbing her to the reality of things. It was weird for him, but he was deeply thankful for it on some level.
She kept him sane, her cold response being a candid ‘Wish it, and I will end all who displease you.’
For once, her more violent background gave him something to grip onto. It resonated in him—loose, yet present. A door within him, chained and locked, was brought to mind as he really considered what he wanted for those involved. The traders who abused the Atmo, those who seemed so bent on hurting his friends, the Union ‘GUOS’ who called for the experiments... A thrumming settled in his fists, an itch that couldn’t be sated by just scratching.
A paw flew past his brow, his shifted posture allowing him to slip the claws that had been left exposed in the heat of the spar. His heart hammered, his sweat soaked his clothing, and his focus returned to the fight.
No Union, no traders, no worries. Just the two security members who had doubted Jax’s claims that the smaller Human had somehow bested the male in a fight, and were now bringing out their natural weapons on instinct.
Grabbing the wrist with his right hand and gripping the shoulder with his left, he pulled, using the rotational force to pivot on his left foot and haul the overeager Lilhun to the dirt, the appendage bending behind them sharply. A second fist came from the corner of his eye, the other combatant trying to use the momentary distraction to score a hit.
Using the gripped arm as a balance, Joseph leaned into the spin, firing the sole of his shoe into the head of the opportunistic attacker. The loud slap of his foot connecting with the larger male almost outdid the crumpled form crashing to the ground unconscious. It was only a dull sensation of mercy that stopped him from completing the spin while he maintained his iron grip on the arm of the thrown adversary, saving them a torn and dislocated shoulder.
Joseph breathed heavily, the adrenaline wearing out as Jax checked on the defeated. Minus some stiffness expected in one of them and a sore jaw for the other, they would be fine, albeit embarrassed for such a quick disposal in front of their usual teachers.
The sound of his rubber sole slapping on the ground some distance away killed off whatever motivation he had to continue, his shoes finally giving out.
“I would ask you not to disable my security, Grand Hunter,” Jax said with mock frustration, the black-furred male’s eyes following the two leaving with an expression of exasperation.
“Sorry,” Joseph breathed out, his heart hammering in his chest as his system wound down.
The Head of Security glanced down at him, his expression pensive. “As much as I enjoy my boasting of your prowess to be validated, I do worry that you see more than a spar in them.”
He drew his lips thin as he brushed his sweat-soaked hair back, his arm dropping to his side. He took a few moments to sort the thoughts that returned. “I probably should have called that kick, yeah.”
The larger Lilhun snorted. “They will be fine, it is not their health I am worried about.”
“I’m fine, Jax,” he snapped, averting his eyes when his friend seemed to have made his point. “I…. I’ll be fine. Just some things on my mind right now.”
“Joseph,” the black-furred male started, walking up to place a large paw on his shoulder. “We are here if you wish to talk.”
His breath died in his throat, his eyes closing in defeat. He felt the soreness in his hands surface, hours of constant fighting to soothe the burning in his blood that failed to abate. Bruises made themselves known, dehydration made his joints stiff, and lack of sleep clouded his mind. Jax was right, he was a bit of a mess.
“Grand Hunter,” Mi’low called, his tired glance in her direction revealing the female approaching. “We are ready to speak.”
Joseph placed a hand on Jax’s paw, patting it softly. “Talking will have to wait. Tell Harrow I said hi and that I’d like to hang out again. I miss it.”
The male looked at him apologetically, nodding as he was still unable to offer anything to ease the sting of a friend distancing themselves from the Human. “I will.”
The Human cycled a breath and faced the actress. “The rest?”
Mi’low nodded. “Where will we meet?”
Joseph waved an arm towards the base. “My place. More chairs.”
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Toril was wearing his usual smile, his eyes inspecting everything about the hub from the couch while Tersa stood nearby, her body language telling that she was wary about being in a new place without time to scout it. Bratik was in his wheelchair, Sorren holding his paw as he sat on the opposite side of the chemist. Idee—being the only one to spend time in the outpost regularly—simply thanked Kaslin for the water from her place between the two mated males. Mi’low had claimed a free chair, her legs crossed and back straight as she stayed away from the others on the couch. The Wraith handed Joseph his requested tea since Scarlet was babysitting the insects, then occupied a place out of the way, but close enough to act if things got heated.
He stayed standing rather than occupying his usual place on a table, his second choice of seating being filled up. He could have dragged over the Atmo couch, but he didn’t want to stress his body any more than he had already by lugging it. “So, everyone had plenty of time to read the documents.”
“Indeed,” Mi’low commented dryly, a glare shot in his direction. Idee nodded, though her expression fell as it was brought up. Toril maintained his detached look of amusement, but it didn’t escape Joseph’s notice that Tersa stiffened.
The Grand Hunter took a sip of his refreshment, enjoying the fleeting feeling of warmth from something other than exertion. “And what do we think?”
“We?” Sorren asked, the male not quite used to the Human using their tongue. Joseph’s mastery of the language was still spotty at times, but Kaslin could fill any gaps if needed.
“Yeah,” he replied plainly. “It has more to do with you than me. I just got the message.”
“I find it rather fascinating,” Toril opined cheerily, his energy at odds with the atmosphere of the room. “Such thorough study allows us many insights into facets of our own biology that we may never have known!”
“By slaughtering our kin in the thousand,” Mi’low shot back, a slight snarl pulling her lip.
“As regretful as such is, we can not bring them back,” the chemist noted with a small nod. “We must simply use the information gleaned by our foes without repeating their atrocities.”
“You suggest ignoring their sins?”
“I suggest utilizing what they have learned and incorporating it to our advantage.”
“Or,” Joseph interjected, “we talk about it instead of getting into an argument.”
“Your people are not free of fault, Grand Hunter,” the crimson-furred female spat. He remained silent, already having spent far too long thinking about how none of it would have happened if Humans weren’t in the picture for them.
“You can not hold him as a factor, Mi’low,” Idee said softly, shifting in her seat to get comfortable and smiling apologetically at Sorren when she bumped him.
“Were it not for them, then we may not have lost our homes!”
“Were it not for him you would be little more than bones bleached by the sun, or so I hear.”
“We are not here to cast blame,” Bratik disputed quietly, his voice carrying through the room despite the low volume. “The Grand Hunter has saved each of us. Some from demise, others from the shackles of their station, and others from the fate of losing loved ones.”
Toril and Idee shared a glance as the male continued, Tersa paying attention to him for the first time.
“He seeks our counsel. Not our aimless ire to be spewed upon him for that which he himself had no knowledge of, nor involvement in. His kin were as much victims as our own.”
“Quite,” Toril concurred as the two females ceased their bickering reluctantly. “How would you like to address this, Grand Hunter?”
Joseph blinked, expecting the blame, but not Bratik defusing it so quickly. “Well, we have a few things to work off of. Years of experiments coinciding with missing persons after accepting a job, whoever tipped off your military taking info with them about Sol and the ‘blacklist’, whatever bond fuckery they discovered, and the defects.” He shrugged weakly. “Take your pick.”
“There are too many missing across too wide an area to recognize such a comparative few,” Idee stated, the others in the group silently agreeing.
He nodded, nursing his tea with small sips. “Figured that would be a sticking point. Plus, we don’t really know how long it was going on... or when it started... Not even if it was a bulk recruitment or slow trickle. I guess the missing people are something we’ll just have to keep unknown.”
“The bond information was rather enlightening,” Toril mentioned, his eyes rising to the ceiling as he thought about it. “Our peoples are wildly compatible.”
“As servants, perhaps,” came the scathing remark from the High Huntress. “What use is our gift if it is twisted to be mere subservience? To discard ourselves for some alien race?”
Sorren’s ear flicked. “It is hardly ‘twisted’ to protect that which the Hunt Mother has afforded us.”
“Are we to just accept that our bonds are better suited to that,” she emphasized with a pointed claw in Joseph’s direction, “rather than our kin?”
“Drop it,” the Grand Hunter ordered tiredly, his reflection in his beverage shaking as he shifted on his feet. “Arguing isn’t going to help anything.”
Mi’low held her disgusted expression. “You ask us to trust that which led to our downfall? We are yet another strike against your kin, no?”
He shook his head, his eyes buried in remains of the shimmering image he held in his hands. “I blame the sick fucks that did all this. If you can’t agree with that, then there’s not much reason to hold this meeting.”
“What is it you seek to accomplish?” Toril asked, amused by the theatrics. The rest seemed surprised by Mi’low’s pointed aggression, but the chemist was more interested in continuing.
“I have people looking to get me out of here,” Joseph informed them, laying his empty cup on the table with a soft clack. “People who will probably extend the offer to you. If they come, I need to know what we’re doing about it. The last thing I need is people acting like Mi’low and opening fire on whoever comes to drag us out of the mud.”
“Why would we?” Sorren asked, taking his mate’s paw as he gave a worried glance to the offended female.
“Because our people were tortured due to our interactions with them,” the chemist noted in a matter-of-fact tone, his pleasant demeanour remaining despite the morbid topic.
“Did our people not initiate contact with another species on less hostile terms?” Idee asked, her head tilted slightly.
“But no one lived to talk about it,” Joseph countered, gesturing with an upturned palm. “Plus, that’s assuming whoever was in charge of that call being the norm, rather than the exception.”
“You believe our people to act otherwise?” Bratik asked, his tone inquisitive rather than judgmental.
Joseph shrugged. “To be fair, I’ve almost been killed by more of your species than the wildlife. Granted, a few of those were just people being assholes, but still.”
“Many would see the opportunity as retribution for the Union,” Mi’low mentioned dryly.
Sorren’s face fell. “Then we should not propagate this knowledge?”
The Human glanced between each of them. “That’s why you’re here. My group knows because I trust them with it. I think we should keep this to ourselves, but if we do—and someone finds out—it would just cause a lot of issues. Alternatively; we tell everyone.”
“And suffer the consequences of that action as well,” Idee concluded dejectedly. Joseph returned a wry smile as Toril raised a paw, speaking when the Grand Hunter raised a brow at him.
“Perhaps we should withhold the information from the lesser station?”
“Like, just the Grand Hunters?” Joseph inquired cautiously. Toril tilted his head.
“Those who would be more diplomatically minded, perhaps.”
“I don’t exactly see some of them as what you would call ‘diplomatic’ and I’m not going on some voyage to visit everyone with the info in tow.”
“We are able to make copies,” Sorren offered. “Perhaps we could exchange the information using traders and gain something from it as well?”
Mi’low shook her head. “That is assuming they do not claim us manipulative nor seek to remove him. Some may very well move to strike us all down for ‘withholding’ the information, regardless of how readily we supply it.”
“Do your people know?” Bratik interjected, gathering the attention of the others. Joseph winced in uncertainty.
“I’m not sure. I’d guess my brother does, but I don’t know how sensitive things are. It could have been announced and there’s an intergalactic war, or it might be kept under wraps until conflict isn’t as likely. At least until it’s less likely to blow up in our faces, anyway.”
“They are of lesser force?”
“No clue,” he admitted. “Not my area. All I do know is that there are more species allied against us—or at least aren’t inclined to take a bullet—than are.”
“So our options are rather limited,” Idee concluded, receiving a series of agreements.
“We could,” Mi’low said after a few moments of contemplation, “distribute the information anonymously. Humans are not named directly in the document, and we need not divulge its origin.”
“So, what? Just pass people tablets and ask them to forget where they got it?” he probed, not entirely disagreeing with the idea, but skeptical all the same.
“Tersa may make additions to trader inventories without their knowledge,” Toril offered, the mentioned Blade frowning at him, but not protesting. “Or perhaps Trill’s kit, since she is devoted to yourself.”
“Eh. I guess that’s an option,” he conceded, sighing. “So, about the bond; any opinions? Notes?”
“Stay away from me,” Mi’low answered warily, earning a flat scowl.
“I meant something besides that. I’m not too keen on adding to the cluster-fuck I have going on anyway.”
Sorren smiled. “I am excited to meet your people—should I be so blessed. There are many who would never know the joy of the Hunt Mother’s gift otherwise.”
“I would not mind her words, Grand Hunter,” Toril chuckled. “She is a creature of dishonesty—including her own desires.”
The actress glowered at the chemist. “I preferred it when you were nomadic. It was much easier to ignore your presence. Your words were but some distant wind I need not soil my ears with.”
“Perhaps our meeting is best ended here,” Bratik interjected, waving his functional paw. The other arm was coming along, but still too stiff to use for much. “We should propagate the information through unsigned parcels to the Grand Hunters.”
“One last thing,” Joseph said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “The information on Sol; anything ever get done with that?”
“We were capturing habitable planets in a particular direction, though the decision to do such was made by our superiors.”
He nodded. “Makes sense. Same issue we have now. Can’t let everyone know because chaos is a lot easier to manage when it’s directed. Between the religious connotations and the context around it; there’s no saying if it would lead to riots or worship. Rather not bring the problem to our door.”
“Wise,” Mi’low remarked sarcastically, her judgmental side-eye aimed between him and Sorren.
“Alright,” he said with a raised voice, ignoring the red-furred female to the best of his ability. “Drop off letters and lock myself in a room or something. Sounds like a plan.”
“That will not be required,” Sorren corrected with a laugh. “Though the documents confirmed a high percentile of successful bonds, there were many incompatible pairings. It is unlikely that your informant included every variation of failure, but the bond seems to be as selective as usual, just more receptive to those who meet the criteria. I would speculate that the majority of those who would bond to you by now, have. Barring the new additions, of course. I doubt you will need to worry about bonding to half a species by yourself.”
“I’ll take your word for it,” he muttered. “Okay, you’re free to go back to your work. You know who to talk to if something comes up.”
The gathering dispersed, Toril requiring Tersa to drag him by the ear before he got too distracted. Mi’low stayed behind, waiting for everyone else to leave.
“Thoughts?” he asked, glancing over at her. She shook her head as she dropped the antagonistic persona.
“Two attribute you to their religion, Toril is too interested in your species to act against your best interest, and Idee rather enjoys her time here—as well as sympathizes with your position. Tersa’s allegiance is with Toril, so she will follow him, as well as your tentative arrangement as a superior over her.”
“So, we’re good?”
“We are,” she confirmed. He looked at her for a long moment.
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Going to try and kill me again?” he questioned wryly.
The High Huntress snorted. “Unfortunately, my pack has ostensibly become yours, and with it, my fate. They would rather watch me go than follow. It seems your influence extends past our biology.”
Without an opportunity for him to ask what she meant, she headed to the exit, pausing in the doorway when he called out to her.
“Mi’low?” Her ear tipped back towards him. “Thanks. For putting yourself on the block like that. I know how risky that could have been for you.”
She afforded a single nod before letting it close behind her.
“’Past our biology’, huh?” he muttered, eyeing the empty cup on the table.
He considered bothering Tel, since she would likely offer him a distraction for a while.
Sighing at his remaining intact shoe flopping as he stepped, he decided to do exactly that.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
“How are we holding up?”
Tech leaned back in her chair, yawning widely. “Communications have been down for a while, navigation software is pointing everywhere at once, and if it wasn’t for me, everything else would be dark too.”
“All hail Tech Ops,” Comms quipped, struggling to make his system do much more than transmit static on a loop.
Willin rolled his eyes at Tech’s boasting, but she was probably right to do so. They had aligned themselves in the right direction and simply let navigation go, communications discreetly blinking out as they got close without warning. All they had left was the actual piloting and onboard support systems, both of them hanging by a thread until Tech could run diagnostics to see if she could counter them properly. She might be able to eventually, but she didn’t seem confident beyond keeping the crew mobile and alive.
“How’s it look down there?”
Nav had long since given up making sense of their controls, opting to keep watch for whatever they were approaching. Since they had gotten within visual range, they had occupied themselves using whatever scanning equipment Tech managed to keep shielded. They leaned over the readouts, brows raising before furrowing at the information.
“It appears that they have remained fairly close together. I am reading several AEC distress signatures... Why am I able to?”
Tech raised a paw. “Right here. The jamming is consistent with the United Military’s algorithms, though boosted past what we have the equipment to manage. Can’t override it for you or Comms, but it was never meant to counter the low-frequency of a distress pulse, since that would get lost in normal noise anyway. I took the liberty of limiting the scope of collected data to increase the sensitivity.”
“Not much frequency pollution on an untapped planet,” Willin remarked dryly, his screen mirroring what Nav was looking at. Thirty-eight sources, most of them repeating the initial call-signs. Two seemed to have retained some power, though not much, implying a makeshift solution. There would normally be more to glean, but the measures taken to make picking them out at all possible had stifled it.
“Orders?” Nav asked after a moment. Willin considered it, scouring the somewhat distorted visual feed.
“Let’s get closer first.”
“Understood.”
He adjusted his uniform as they drew near, Tech frowning as more of her fail-safe measures ironically failed. Quick action saved them from listing aimlessly, but any chance of copying the survivor’s distress call faded. The AEC’s were effectively invisible until Tech had dealt with the issue preemptively, and their beacon wasn’t any stronger.
Detriment of a scout craft, he supposed. Help would have to deal with not knowing where his ship had gone until they were up to their necks in the warp-spike’s field. Hopefully, the EW fleet would manage it better.
“Just outside of atmosphere,” Nav reported, activating the scanning equipment again. Normally, it would be able to tell them everything down to the rough number of wildlife in an area, but all the interference gave them little more than confirmation that life existed.
“Well, there goes any advanced recon,” Willin muttered, ignoring Comms silently debating if he should bother Tech to duplicate the feed again. Noticing, she did anyway, the male gesturing their thanks. “Tech, can you get us population density?”
“I’m good, Leader, but not that good.”
“Leader,” Nav called, highlighting a few points on the feed. Whatever it was that they were trying to show him, he didn’t see it. “These areas are likely settlements.”
“Structures?”
“Affirmative. It is subtle, but there.”
He nodded, trusting their judgment. “Which is the largest?”
The feed zoomed in, losing most of the clarity—not that there was much to begin with. “Location coincides with an AEC still actively reporting.”
“They set up around it.”
“Likely, Leader.”
Willin exhaled slowly. “Take us down nearby. I’d say to hide us, but that’s hard to do with open skies.”
“The planet suffers constant rain,” Tech added, her screen already reverting back to a simplistic game while she waited for someone else to need something. “We could descend under the cover of it.”
“Any idea how long?”
Her monitor flickered. “One local sun.”
“Then we spend the time gearing up,” he ordered, waving to have Nav and Comms’ screens defaulted. “You two will make sure our defence armaments ship-board are active and loaded. Tech, queue up whatever armour and equipment we might need for a diplomatic mission.”
She turned in her chair, her head tilting questioningly. “Just us?”
“Just us. We’ll want someone here to keep things warm in case we need to leave quickly. Can you get Comms’ station capable of short-wave?”
She nodded after a moment, her eyes losing focus as she consulted her implant. “We’ll lose the fabricator during, but we should have enough for life-support and in-atmosphere flight. Weapons will have to be swapped out with it too.”
“That bad?”
The purple-furred female shrugged. “It’s that or I take down the defences and we lose it all.” She frowned at her screens. “Even this is pushing it.”
“Can you take down the purifier once we’re down there? Switch to external flow?”
“As long as you don’t mind alien air, sure. It won’t give us more to work with, but it should make it less taxing to keep what we have.”
Willin scratched at his ear. “Do it. They lived here this long, doubt we’ll join the Void breathing it too.”
“Will do.”
He shifted his attention back to Nav. “Set course to that settlement. Keep us above the clouds until it gets bad enough to obscure us.”
Nav signalled their agreement, the scenery shifting slowly as they picked a cloud to shadow in the meantime. Comms looked at Willin expectantly, forcing him to come up with something for the male to do.
“Comms, I want you to monitor anything this place has coming in or out. Set up surveillance.”
The male raised a brow. “My systems are inoperable, Leader.”
“If you try to do anything big, yes,” Willin corrected. “Just keep us informed if something goes through. We don’t need to know what happened, just that it did.”
“Keeping track of possible communications between settlements?”
Willin bobbed his head to the side. “Whatever we learn, it’s more than we know.”
“Understood. I will try to arrange a passive probe.”
The group set about their tasks as he brought up a still-frame of the settlement Nav spotted. It was blocky, blurry, and the chromatic aberration on the edges hurt to look at, but it was a settlement. A large AEC surrounded by silver constructions, all laid out in a slightly haphazard way. He couldn’t judge it too harshly, however. There was a method to the madness. Narrow pathways hidden between dens, each leading to the AEC like a system of routes for select Lilhuns to reach anywhere they may be needed as quickly as possible.
The AEC itself seemed modified, large solar panels placed where a solid hull would be expected, the semi-transparent material likely acting to illuminate the interior. Many of the buildings around it were larger than those beyond, some appearing to be two or three levels.
From sheer volume of dens, Willin figured this was a contender for the largest settlement. His best estimate placed the number of inhabitants in the range of three hundred or so. If the other settlements were even close, then the initial guess of a thousand survivors was woefully short.
That made things complicated, yet so much simpler.
He awaited the distant storm clouds rolling over the landscape, thankful Tech had prioritized the water-proof gear.
He hated being soaked.
Next
A/N: 500k words. Half a fucking million.

My anxiety triggers my gag reflex which raises my blood pressure and then the gagging dry heaving makes me feel embarrassed that someone will see me doing it and then that raises my anxiety even more in a vicious cycle. This is especially bad in medical situation in which I have white coat hypertension which is high blood pressure that only occurs during medical visit and is caused by anxiety. Last week I was supposed to get my teeth cleaned at the dentist, but my anxiety kicked in and I started gagging and when they measured my blood pressure it was really high (155 over 105) so they did not clean my teeth and told me to contact my doctor and get a prescription for some kind of sedative to help with my anxiety and gagging. My doctor wrote me a prescription for 1 MG Lorazepam that I should take 1 hour before going to the dentist and I could take another tablet if the first one doesn't work. I have someone that will drive me and pick me up. My question is does anyone have experience with Lorazepam treating gagging anxiety and lowering high blood pressure induce anxiety? Does it work?

​
What is ashwagandha?
The ashwagandha plant is one of the most powerful herbs. Various parts of the ashwagandha plant are used for medicinal purposes, with ashwagandha extract mainly being used in supplements. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, a natural agent that reportedly helps the body cope with stress. As a result, it’s believed to be effective at helping reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. It may also therefore potentially help with anxiety and depression too.
What does ashwagandha do?
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Ashwagandha is known to help reduce stress and anxiety. One way it does this is by reducing levels of cortisol, a hormone that is released in response to stress. Additionally, ashwagandha has been shown to improve mood and cognitive function, both of which can be negatively affected by stress.
Enhances Cognitive Function
Ashwagandha has also been shown to improve cognitive function. One study showed that it improved memory and reaction time in healthy adults. Another study found that it improved task performance in people with ADHD. Additionally, ashwagandha may help prevent age-related cognitive decline.
Boosts Energy Levels
Ashwagandha has been shown to boost energy levels. One study showed that it increased stamina and reduced fatigue in people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Additionally, ashwagandha may help improve exercise performance.
Additionally, ashwagandha may also help improve sleep quality and reduce inflammation. These effects can all contribute to enhanced energy levels.
Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Ashwagandha has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels. One study showed that it improved insulin sensitivity in people with type II diabetes. Additionally, ashwagandha may help reduce fasting blood sugar levels and improve symptoms of diabetes.
Additionally, ashwagandha may also help lower cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease. These effects can also contribute to improved blood sugar control.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Ashwagandha has been shown to help lower blood pressure. One study showed that it improved blood pressure in people with hypertension. Additionally, ashwagandha may help reduce stress and anxiety, both of which can contribute to high blood pressure.
Is ashwagandha safe?
Ashwagandha is generally considered safe for most people. However, it can cause side effects such as stomach upset, diarrhea, and vomiting in some people. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, it's best to avoid ashwagandha.
What happens when you take ashwagandha daily?
As a sleep aid, ashwagandha may help people get to sleep faster and stay asleep for longer. It is also used to promote male potency. Ashwagandha has a variety of health benefits, including reduced blood sugar levels, inflammation, mood, memory, stress and anxiety relief, as well as an increase in muscle strength and fertility. Depending on your requirements, dosages vary from 250 to 500 mg per day for at least one month.
When it comes to stress relief, ashwagandha may be as effective as some prescription medications. A 2010 study found that the herb was just as effective as lorazepam (Ativan) in reducing stress and anxiety. click the link below to learn more about abhwagandha, and its real health benefits.
CLICK HERE

There are generally two kidney function tests from which the doctor can detect kidney diseases. They are also utilized in renal failure diagnosis, for example:

1. Urine test: This test is also called UACR(Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio), which helps the doctor to find out how much albumin passes into your urine over a 24-hour period. If the result is 30, or more indicates that you suffer from any kidney problem.
   
2. The blood test is used to determine the amount of GFR(Glomerular filtration rate). This is the primary test you take to detect kidney conditions and is usually a measure of the level of waste products known as creatinine in your blood of yours.
   

How is Kidney being treated?
Kidney disorders are really serious illnesses, and they should be dealt with immediately if you discover out there are any issues with your kidneys. Numerous kidney treatments are available to ensure proper treatment and maintenance for the sufferer.
Below are some of the methods for treatment:

1. Medicine
   
2. Changes in diet
   
3. Fluid management
   
4. Control of blood pressure
   
5. Management of symptoms
   
6. Supportive care
   

What does homeopathy do to work in treating kidney diseases?
The homeopathic method is an effective cure for kidney issues of all kinds,
They are powerful medicines that have the ability to bring the kidneys back to their original condition and to bring levels of creatinine as well as high urine urea in the blood treatment to their original levels. kidney treatment by homeopathy is a method of providing appropriate medications and treatment to sufferers. The homeopathic method works by activating the immune system's reactions. Likewise, herbal treatments aid in providing nourishment to a specific part of the body.

Have you ever felt like your emotions were controlling you instead of the other way around? We've all had moments where we reacted in anger, fear or anxiety and regretted it later. The truth is, your emotions don't have to rule you. You can learn skills to better manage your emotional reactions and choose more constructive responses. This article will teach you techniques used by life coach to help clients gain awareness and control over their emotions.
You'll discover how to identify triggers, reframe situations, and stay calm under pressure. With regular practice of these strategies, you'll strengthen your emotional intelligence and experience less stress and conflict in your daily life. Take control of your emotions and start living with more intention and purpose. The power is within you.

Identify Your Triggers

To get your emotions under control, the first step is to identify what triggers them. Pay attention to situations where you find yourself getting angry, anxious or upset. Look for patterns and common themes.
Some common triggers include:
● Stress from work, relationships or finances. When you're under pressure, your emotions are closer to the surface.
● Lack of sleep or exercise. Both influence your mood and ability to stay calm. Prioritize good self-care.
● Negative self-talk. The way you talk to yourself directly impacts your emotional state. Notice negative thought patterns and try to reframe them in a more constructive way.
● Old memories or past experiences. Emotional triggers from your past can continue influencing you in the present. Work to address unresolved issues through self-reflection or professional counseling.
Once you've spotted the triggers that provoke strong emotional reactions in you, you can start developing strategies to better manage them. Some effective techniques include deep breathing, meditation, journaling or simply taking a timeout to relax and reframe your thoughts in a more positive light.
The more you practice, the better you'll get at noticing triggers in the moment and responding in a balanced way. With time and consistency, you'll gain awareness and control over your emotions instead of the other way around. Stay patient and remember, it's a journey - but the destination of improved wellbeing and healthier relationships is well worth it.

Practice Mindfulness

To get your emotions under control, you need to practice mindfulness. That means focusing your awareness on the present moment while accepting your feelings without judgment.
● Start by finding a quiet place free of distractions. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and pay attention to your breathing. Breathe naturally and notice the flow of your inhales and exhales. If your attention wanders, gently bring it back to your breath.
● Do a quick body scan. Notice the sensations in your body, like your hands on your lap or the feeling of your back against the chair. Release any tension and relax into the present moment.
● Observe your thoughts and feelings without reacting to them. Don't try to suppress your emotions or cling to pleasant thoughts. Just watch them come and go without judgment.
● Start with just 5 or 10 minutes a day of mindfulness practice. You can work your way up to 20 or 30 minutes as you get more comfortable. The more you practice, the better you'll get at managing your emotions in everyday life.
Mindfulness gives you a chance to pause before reacting to emotional triggers. Over time, you'll get better at accepting difficult feelings without being overwhelmed by them. You'll also start to gain insight into the underlying causes of your emotions and behaviors.
Stick with it and be patient with yourself. Controlling your emotions is a skill that takes practice. But with regular mindfulness, you'll get there. Your improved emotional intelligence will enhance all areas of your life.

Life Coaching Techniques to Gain Emotional Control

Identify your triggers

The first step is to pinpoint situations that cause emotional reactions in you. Make a list of events, interactions, or circumstances that trigger feelings of anger, anxiety, or sadness. Look for patterns and try to gain awareness of your triggers. Common triggers include stressful work environments, financial difficulties, health issues, or relationship conflicts.

Challenge negative thoughts

Notice the thoughts that arise from your triggers and try to adopt a more balanced perspective. Replace negative thoughts with more constructive ones. For example, change "I always mess up at work" to "I made a mistake, but I will learn from it and do better next time." Challenging negative thoughts can help reduce emotional reactivity.

Practice self-care

Take good care of yourself by maintaining a healthy diet, exercising, engaging in hobbies, and pursuing social interactions that you find meaningful. Getting enough sleep is also essential for regulating your emotions. When you feel stressed or upset, take some deep breaths to help yourself calm down. Self-care helps build your resilience and ability to cope in a healthy way.

Seek professional help if needed

If you are having trouble gaining control of your emotions, consider speaking to a therapist or life coach. They can provide guidance tailored to your specific situation and needs. Speaking with a professional counselor does not mean there is something "wrong" with you, only that you want to improve your wellbeing and quality of life.
With regular practice of these techniques, you can strengthen your emotional regulation skills and learn to navigate difficulties in a balanced, thoughtful manner. Stay patient and compassionate with yourself along the way. Gaining mastery over your emotions is a journey that takes time and commitment. But the rewards of greater peace and fulfillment make it well worth the effort.

Conclusion

So there you have it. Emotional control is a skill that takes practice, but with time and effort, you can master your emotions instead of letting them master you. Start by identifying your triggers and reactions, then work to pause and evaluate the situation before responding. Choose to respond in a constructive way rather than reacting impulsively. Learn coping strategies to stay calm and think rationally. Surround yourself with a strong support system of people who encourage your progress.
Little by little, you'll gain awareness and make better choices. You'll build mental toughness and resilience in the face of challenges and setbacks. Stay committed to continuous self-improvement and maintaining a balanced perspective. With life coaching, you can achieve an optimal level of emotional control and wellbeing. The rewards of this journey are well worth the effort. You've got this! Now go out there and start reaping the benefits of managing your emotions and living life on your own terms.

To already make that clear, personally don't really think I am. But the interaction that happened made me question it a bit and some folks I know think I am kind of the asshole so here it goes.
I was at the cinema last week with a friend of mine. We watched a movie (Puss in Boots: The Last Wish) no issue.
Bit of background info: My tics at that moment mostly consisted of whistling, sharp inhales and because it's a movie about cats, loads of cat related sentences ("That cat can really boot!" Was one of them). Plus a bunch of motor ones from Wich I think the most annoying in a cinema is raising my hands up for a sec. Non of these above speaking volume and me and my friend thought they blended in mostly with the sounds of the movie.
Well after the movie we got up to leave because my tics skyrocketed (always do after a movie) and to get some food. Out of the corner of my eye I could see a women hurriedly get up but did not think anything of it at that point.
But sure enough she followed me and my friend out in to the hallway, dragging her son behind her and started going on and on how I ruined her kids viewing experience of the movie. How I shouldn't go out if I couldn't behave. How I wasted everyone's money by being there.
Another clarification here: while in the theater I get how she couldn't know, but now I was standing there, motor tics full force, still whistling and going on and on about cats and boots and thumbs. As well as wearing a lanyard that stated something along the lines of "I have tourettes, I make noise and movements I can't help.".
Because I was taken aback my friend tried to explain but she walked away. She then went to get the closest employee and complained about me, employe knew who was meant because he was the guy that sold us tickets and just told her that they can't kick people out/ban them for being disabled.
That's basically where that whole unpleasant situation stopped but I can't help understanding her viewpoint. She payed money for a certain viewing experience and didn't get that because of me. Could I have waited till the movie was out on some streaming service? Yes. But I wanted to go to the cinema, haven't been for this reason for years. Like I don't know what I could have done differently.
Clarification for people that aren't to sure what Tourettes is or are running around with half knowledge: It's a neurodevelopmental disorder wich affects basically the part of your brain that inhibits overreaction of your nerves. The result is uncontrollable movements, sounds and sentences. Like most with tourettes I can suppress it for a short time but it's kind of like holding your breath or not blinking, it gets more uncomfortable/painful with time and then ends up coming all at once (like after not blinking you tend to have to blink a few times). So not ticcing for the whole duration for the movie was not possible.
Addition: thanks for the input. It's mostly NTA Wich thx. The suggestion to sit on the side or the back, no worries I already do that. I also already only go to kids movies. As I personally think it does not make much difference if it's a bunch of loud kids or me. Would not go in to some serious quiet movie.

Hello! This is my (27F) first post here. I wanted to ask how to proceed… I was having GI issues that caused abdominal pain. I was also experiencing very slight rectal spasms/pain and had constipation-ish???(I have daily bowel movements but have had to strain for them (I didn’t know straining was bad at the time) and bm consistency would indicate constipation). I went to PCP and was given referral for gastroenterologist… they haven’t called me to set appointment yet but should be calling in the next couple days for scheduling.
However, since I had the appointment with the PCP, I have been having increasingly worse rectal pain. If I sit too long, it gets very uncomfortable and feels like a burning sensation. It’s painful, but not crying painful. I also have immense pressure in my rectum… only today has there been a slight itch, too. NO blood in stool, have been adding fiber to diet and haven’t noticed too much of a difference. I use heating pad and it feels decent but today it isn’t helping much. My water bottle is 64 oz and I drink about 2 full a day.
My question is, my symptoms seem to line up with others here so I’m thinking either hemorrhoid or anal fissure. I will have gastro appointment coming up in near future, but in the meantime- should I treat it like a hemorrhoid to see if that helps? Creams, gels, inserts, etc? Or does that have the potential to make it worse if I’m not sure what the issue is yet. Any advice is welcome as this is a first for me!
TLDR; have possible hemorrhoid or anal fissure, can I treat myself as if I have a hemorrhoid and see if that helps even if I’m not sure what is wrong with me? Or could that potentially make whatever is wrong worse/should I wait to be seen by doc before doing any hemorrhoid treatment?

​
What is ashwagandha?
The ashwagandha plant is one of the most powerful herbs. Various parts of the ashwagandha plant are used for medicinal purposes, with ashwagandha extract mainly being used in supplements. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen, a natural agent that reportedly helps the body cope with stress. As a result, it’s believed to be effective at helping reduce levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. It may also therefore potentially help with anxiety and depression too.
What does ashwagandha do?
Reduces Stress and Anxiety
Ashwagandha is known to help reduce stress and anxiety. One way it does this is by reducing levels of cortisol, a hormone that is released in response to stress. Additionally, ashwagandha has been shown to improve mood and cognitive function, both of which can be negatively affected by stress.
Enhances Cognitive Function
Ashwagandha has also been shown to improve cognitive function. One study showed that it improved memory and reaction time in healthy adults. Another study found that it improved task performance in people with ADHD. Additionally, ashwagandha may help prevent age-related cognitive decline.
Boosts Energy Levels
Ashwagandha has been shown to boost energy levels. One study showed that it increased stamina and reduced fatigue in people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Additionally, ashwagandha may help improve exercise performance.
Additionally, ashwagandha may also help improve sleep quality and reduce inflammation. These effects can all contribute to enhanced energy levels.
Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Ashwagandha has been shown to help regulate blood sugar levels. One study showed that it improved insulin sensitivity in people with type II diabetes. Additionally, ashwagandha may help reduce fasting blood sugar levels and improve symptoms of diabetes.
Additionally, ashwagandha may also help lower cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease. These effects can also contribute to improved blood sugar control.
Lowers Blood Pressure
Ashwagandha has been shown to help lower blood pressure. One study showed that it improved blood pressure in people with hypertension. Additionally, ashwagandha may help reduce stress and anxiety, both of which can contribute to high blood pressure.
Is ashwagandha safe?
Ashwagandha is generally considered safe for most people. However, it can cause side effects such as stomach upset, diarrhea, and vomiting in some people. If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, it's best to avoid ashwagandha.
What happens when you take ashwagandha daily?
As a sleep aid, ashwagandha may help people get to sleep faster and stay asleep for longer. It is also used to promote male potency. Ashwagandha has a variety of health benefits, including reduced blood sugar levels, inflammation, mood, memory, stress and anxiety relief, as well as an increase in muscle strength and fertility. Depending on your requirements, dosages vary from 250 to 500 mg per day for at least one month.
When it comes to stress relief, ashwagandha may be as effective as some prescription medications. A 2010 study found that the herb was just as effective as lorazepam (Ativan) in reducing stress and anxiety. click the link below to learn more about abhwagandha, and its real health benefits.
CLICK HERE

Doesn't make sense. If your brother got arrested you don't owe them anything. It's not like you asked your parents to fuck.
Now I'm going the extreme because people have their heart strings tugged but I don't think the sister who refuses to raise her estranged brothers children is necessarily a monster. Lets say the brother and his spouse died. If it's not in her to be a parent, then thats not her burden. I know people say kids in foster care suffer. Sure. But in this scenario they are estranged. Why does the sister owe the brother anything. Or the children. The children are strangers. Again the sister didn't ask the brother to fuck..
Sure you can help out if you feel a sense of love, but it's not because of blood. Like my hypothetical in laws would mean nothing to me. My cousin's spouse would mean nothing to me.
I mean the idea to help out is one big chain that frankly I don't even know.

Pregnancy induced rhinitis has my sinuses so swollen that I will literally snore while awake if I don’t consciously think about my breathing. It’s also causing post nasal drip making me cough like a smoker. And of course it’s allergy season which has been exacerbated this year by pregnancy and the smoke in the air from wildfires. I have to wear snore strips on my nose at night to breathe, and I’ve been prescribed a steroid inhaler and steroid nasal spray; both of which don’t seem to do much. My doc has also advised me to take an allergy pill during the day to help with these symptoms.
My heartburn has been so bad that I had to get a prescription for a stomach acid reducer. For weeks I had stomach acid splattering up into my mouth and making me gag and vomit most of the day. The prescription helped this for a while but at 32 weeks I’m getting severe acid reflux again and the prescription just doesn’t seem to be helping. It flares up at night when I’m sleeping so I awake to stomach acid splattering in my mouth and clogged sinuses to where I can’t breathe unless it’s through my mouth. I’m barely sleeping- maybe 3 hours a night in total.
The stretch marks are beginning to take over my belly. I thought I’d almost made it through this without them but the last couple days my entire stomach is so itchy no matter how much I oil it up and the big purple lines are appearing. I’ve gained 40 pounds and I still have 2 months of pregnancy to go. I feel tons of pressure on my belly from it expanding (and what feels like a touch of diastasis recti) and when I tried using kinesiology tape for some belly support I broke out from the tape. Seems I’m allergic to it.
Pair this of course with the constant urge to pee and terrible leg cramps and hip/back pain as many people also experience. And I can’t seem to stand or do much like housework or cooking for more than maybe 15-20 mins at a time without having to lay down and rest. The smallest amount of activity takes every ounce of energy I can muster.
My partner and I have attempted to make love on several occasions in the last few weeks but penetration is incredibly painful for me right now. My pelvic area is painful and swollen and the heaviness of my belly is causing discomfort and pain when we have sex. But of course my raging hormones are making me want it. So then my hormones are also making me cry when I can’t do it due to the pain. And I’m just generally emotionally distressed because of everything going on with my body and the stressors of daily life.
This is my first pregnancy and I am so happy to be pregnant but I feel like I’m in a battle with my own body every single day. It’s like having the worst flu for like 225+ days in a row. Hubby is helpful but doesn’t understand. I feel like nobody really does. I was never one for taking medications and now I’m on multiple prescriptions as well as a number of doctor recommended OTCs like tums, allergy pills, Tylenol…. Although my doctor knows about all the meds I’m taking, I’m genuinely worried that all of this could harm my baby. And I’m feeling so horrible in my own body that I don’t feel like I can stop these medications either. I just want to feel normal again. I’m due at the end of July. I used to be so scared of how much delivery would hurt… now I just can’t wait until that day comes because one day of pain to end this torture doesn’t sound so bad anymore. Only 2 more months to endure until my due date 😥. Hang in there fellow mamas. Hope y’all are feeling better than me.

The truth is worse than nihilism. What I mean is that nihilism is right, but not complete, just as atheism is right, but not necessarily the entire truth. The real, complete truth is truly depressing, and I wish I never came to realize it. Let me explain. First, let's start off by listing the "layers" of truth.

1. Religion: Pure delusion, the opposite of the truth.
2. Irreligion: Not being religious due to having not been raised religious. It's a bit semantic with atheism but anyways,
3. Atheism: The belief that god doesn't exist, but not necessarily believing that life is meaningless. Typically people who call themselves atheists have grown up in an environment with religion, and call themselves atheists to distinguish themselves, which is a bit absurd, kinda like sane people having to call themselves non-flatearthers.
4. Nihilism: The belief that life is meaningless.

But what could come after nihilism? Nihilism, in itself, it actually not depressing, it is liberating once you realize you don't have to conform to societal pressures, you don't have to do all those things you really don't want to do. But nihilist still believe in themselves, the may not believe in a soul, but they have a sense of self, something that feels like a soul, something that feels like a single tangible point they could grab, stored in their brain. This sense of self is what gives nihilists the will to live, life may be meaningless, but they clearly exist, and can do whatever makes them happy.
But this sense of self is an illusion. "You" only exist at this very instant in time, not before, not after. The person you remember yesterday? That wasn't you, it was a near identical copy of you who you have memories of, but not you. If you've ever been under anesthesia, you would know. Anesthesia is no different from death, whatever your brain does to make you, you, doesn't exist when under anesthesia. The only thing you remember are the moments before you sleep, and then instantly waking up as if time didn't exist. Clearly there is a lapse where "you" didn't exist, just as when you die, yet somehow you wake up with all your memories, feeling like the exact same person. This is the most clear and obvious example of how sense of self is an illusion. "You" are recreated every moment with your memories, but "you" are not continuous throughout time. So the ultimate truth is not just realization that life is meaningless, but realization that "you" don't exist, sense of self is an illusion.

Cover Art!
Just because you’re transported to another world, doesn’t mean you’ll escape from your pain.
Abused by her parents, thirteen-year-old Frances only wants to be safe and for her life not to hurt so much. And when she and her class are transported to the magical world of Durannon to fight the monsters invading the human kingdoms and defeat the self-titled Demon King, Frances is presented with a golden opportunity. If she succeeds, Frances will have the home she never had. If she fails, Frances will be summoned back to the home she escaped.
Yet, despite her newfound magic and friends, Frances finds that trauma is not so easily lost. She is dogged by her abuse and its physical and invisible scars. Not only does she have to learn magic, she has to survive the nightmares of her past, and wrestle with her feelings of doubt and self-loathing.
If she can heal from her trauma, though, she might be able to defeat the Demon King and maybe, just maybe, she can find a home for herself.
Teaser: The Traditionalists last stand...
[The Beginning] [<=Chapter 188] [Chapter Index and Blurb] [Chapter 189 on June 5 or now on patreon]
The Fractured Song Index
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The first sign that something wasn’t quite the same about the Greenway was when Frances, Timur and their company spotted horsemen in the far distance. They would have assumed this was Thorgoth’s scouts, but these horsemen retreated toward the Greenway and entered into the broken fortifications.
So the group entered into the Greenway fully armored and armed, ready for a fight. They rode into the underground highway, travelled for a full second day and saw nothing the matter.
Then they entered Kairon Aoun.
The ancient goblin city of Kairon Aoun had been built as a defensive city facing north. As such, the city in the great cavern it was carved out of was stepped into four tiers. To access each of the levels, the attacker would have to fight their way up a ramp that ran up the side of the rammed-earth foundation of each tier.
Every tier’s edge was also faced with a brick curtain wall with machicolations built into the ramparts. This was so that stones and other objects could be dropped, wherein they would fall down the steeply stoped sides and slam into the attackers. Many of these ramparts had fallen into disrepair when Morgan, Hattie and Frances had last passed through here.
Except, the moment Frances and her company rode through the Greenway and into the city, they could see it was alive with activity. New ramparts were being built atop of the old. In the distance, they could see old houses had been demolished and cannon batteries had been set up. Holes in the walls were being patched.
“What’s even lighting this whole thing?” Tara whispered.
Morgan pointed at the ceiling. “The ventilation shafts provide some light. I’m not sure how they ended up lighting the entire place up, though.”
“Combination of mirrors through said shafts and a goodly amount of torches,” said Timur. He glanced at Frances. “Did you know about this?”
“No I did not, let’s hope they recognize us as friendly. Colonel Tara, we’ll take the lead,” said Frances, touching her heels to her horse.
The gatehouse on the lowest level, which was protected by a low, thick wall, now swung open and a wing of cavalry rode out, Erisdalian and Lightning Battalion standards flying high.
Timur immediately recognized the troll that lead the group. “Aloudin! It’s me! We’re back!”
Captain Aloudin, eyes wide, broke his horse into a gallop. Riding ahead of the cavalry, he only stopped so that he could slap his hand into Timur’s. “Your Highness, it is good to see you. Though, you really ought not to take such risks! Who are these new arrivals?”
The prince chuckled, squeezing his friend’s hand tightly. “One of those rumored orphan brigades who decided to defect.” Timur gestured behind him. “This is Colonel Tara, who risked her life along with her troops to help us escape.”
Riding up, Tara unsheathed her saber, which she presented it to Aloudin, only for the troll to gently push it back to her.
“There’s no need for that, Colonel. We do things quite differently around here.”
Tara sighed, returning her blade to her scabbard. “I’m beginning to see that. Makes me wonder why I didn’t try to leave earlier.”
“The first step is always the hardest,” said Frances. She shook Aloudin’s hand as well. “What’s going on here, Aloudin? I know our long term goal was to fortify Kairon-Aoun, but we hadn’t the manpower to spare.”
The captain pursed his lips before they twisted into something between a grimace and a smirk. “We got some important news and new orders. I’ll show you. Follow me.”
One thing that Ayax and Elizabeth hadn’t accounted for when they ran up into the attic was the lack of a water source, and any way to dispose of waste.
So by the next day of their hiding, the trio stuck in the attack were wearing cloth masks, thirsty as hell, and hoping the odor wasn’t going to alert anybody.
“This shit stinks,” Leila growled.
Elizabeth touched a hand to Leila’s cheek. The girl’s color had returned and after some very reluctant healing by Ayax, she was now able to sit up. “You’re right, but I think you’re much better now.”
“I feel better.” Leila staggered to her feet, pushing the covers off of her. “Does Janize know you found me?”
Ayax snorted. “We told her while you were napping. She’s pissed.” The troll walked over. “Do you think you’re ready to move?”
“I take it you’ve come up with something?” Leila asked.
Elizabeth pursed her lips. “Yes. You need to convince Janice we need to launch the attack now.”
“Excuse me what? Are you insane? We haven’t—” Leila rubbed her sweat-matted hair with her bandaged hands. “Wait, how long have I been captured?’
“ A week. You were out for one of those days,” said Ayax.
“Then you’re right. Darius will have to make a move now that he knows I’ve disappeared. Wait, Janize doesn’t—Of course she doens’t. She’s cautious by nature. Get her on the mirror right now!”
“You could use please,” said Elizabeth, handing Leila her mirror.
“Leila—”
“Janize, there’s no time. You need to barricade yourself in a safe place with as many guards as possible, perhaps the throneroom and get the attack started by tonight.”
Frowning, the queen’s eyes narrowed as she stared at the mirror with a mixture of confusion. “Love, we haven’t finished preparing—”
“There’s no time! Darius and Scarlet know I’ve been rescued. They’ll attack as soon as they get everything in order because they know you can move to arrest them!” Leila put her hands up to the mirror. “Love, they’ll stop at nothing until you’re dead.”
Janize’s eyes widened and she whispered, “What did they—”
“It doesn’t matter, Janize. Please, you need to issue the orders now!”
The queen exhaled slowly. “Alright. Ayax, Elizabeth, are your forces in place?”
Elizabeth, relaxing a little, smiled. “Martin and Ginger found a way to get to the Water Tower and to deploy reinforcements into the palace. We still need your troops to ensure the Water Tower’s guns are silent and for the main gates of the citadel to be opened to us.”
“It will be done. How are you getting out of Darius’s mansion?” Janize asked.
“When the attack takes place we’ll break out and support the attack,” said Ayax, arms crossed.
Janize pursed her lips. “Then we are going for tonight?”
The three exchanged a glance and all nodded.
“Go for tonight,” said Elizabeth. “Good hunting.”
“Good hunting.” Janize leaned forward, peering intently through the mirror. “Leila, stay alive. No matter what they did to you, you’re still mine you hear me? I still want you by my side.”
Leila blinked. She blinked again furiously and pressed her bandaged hands to her eyes. “I…Janize, thank you.”
Janize smiled. “I love you, dear. See you soon.”
Ayax had turned from the exchange. When the mirror was shut off, she let out a long, shuddering exhale.
“You are terribly lucky to have her,” she said.
Standing up, Elizabeth took Ayax’s elbow, squeezing it gently. The troll placed a hand around Elizabeth’s side, hugging her tightly.
Leila could only bow her head. “I know.”
“Because I probably would have killed you if it weren’t for her,” hissed the troll. She swallowed. “And not because of our agreement.”
The Otherworlder looked up. “Why then?”
Biting her lip Ayax stammered, “I couldn’t kill someone who doesn’t want to hurt me when they have a loved one. There’s no…no justice in that.”
With that, Ayax walked to the corner of the attack. Elizabeth gave Leila a look. “When you’re ready, we ought to call George and the Otherworlders, give them a heads up and communicate our plans.” Elizabeth then ran after Ayax, interweaving her fingers with the troll. They left Leila standing in her corner, in her own thoughts.
Half-choking, her hate-filled grunts punctuated by hacking coughs, Jessica followed Ginger down the sewer.
“I hate you. I hate you so fucking much!” she hissed.
Half-gagging herself from the smell, Ginger glanced over her shoulder and shrugged. “Hey, I just suggested it to you. You wanted to help rescue Leila.”
Two middle-fingers was Jessica’s response along with a chuckle from the Erisdalians that were part of Jessica’s unit and new band of comrades.
Ginger joined them in their chuckling. She knew she could rely on Jessica and the rest of her group. Besides, their attack was going to be much easier than what her fiance was going to be doing up high.
Taking cover behind a slightly holed house, Martin examined the area in front of the citadel.
The Lightning Battalion’s batteries had been keeping up a very long barrage. Mortars and long cannon had pounded the makeshift defense line of houses on Castle Way. After hours of bombardment, they’d breached the line.
The result was flat, rubble-covered broken ground that led up to the moat in front of the citadel and main palace within. They had no hope of knocking down every house. Houses still stood on the flanks of the Citadel, covering the road that led up to the castle’s side gate. There were also a number of houses standing on the main approach, though, this actually was better for their plans. The remaining stone foundations of the houses and charred remains in the gap would be able to cover the advance.
The bigger problem was the walls in front of them were mostly intact and the gatehouse’s drawbridge was up. Their mages could cast smoke or illusion spells to screen their approach, but that would do no good if the drawbridge was still up and the gatehouse in enemy hands.
Martin breathed in and out slowly. No, they were entirely reliant on Janize keeping up her end of the bargain.
Sitting in the throne room, Janize steepled her fingers, eyes focused on the steps to the dais.
Was her decision correct? Was she making the right choice? Had she considered everything?
Those thoughts ran in her head as she studied the carpet. The sounds of her guards and knights preparing the throne room and ensuring the main entrance was secured echoed in her ear. Yet she did her best to ignore them.
If she went through with this, she knew she’d never sit on Erisdale’s throne again. Her brother would be the last to sit on the throne and then it would be House of Conthwaite, the house of a knight and later, his offspring with a common soldier.
How had it come to this? Why had she put herself here?
The image of a fierce Otherworlder came to mind, along with the litany of decisions she’d made. Siding with Darius, rejecting the Alavari as monsters, falling in love and then realizing where she’d gone wrong. The news of the dragons in Thorgoth’s employ.
Maybe it wasn’t so bad. Maybe there was still hope. At the very least, she still had Leila.
The Otherworlder, George marched up to the dais and bowed. “Your Majesty, we’re ready to open the gates. The Water Tower’s received their orders.”
Janize sighed. “To think that there was a route to the citadel through the sewers.”
George chuckled. “At least we’re making them suffer for it.”
The queen pursed her lips. “Tell me, George. You fought against Ayax and Elizabeth at Lehrbach. You sided against them. All the Otherworlders here sided against them. Why are you willing to fight alongside them once again?”
The teen—no, young man looked away, towards the windows that lit the hall.
“I think after a year of fighting with Darius in earnest, we all realized we’d made a mistake. We’re not from your world, but we learnt enough in our own that this… what Darius was doing is wrong and no different from the worst villains from our world. We weren’t fighting Alavari, we were fighting other humans. We just…didn’t know what to do about it. So when you and Leila told us about the plan, and that we would have a chance to actually fight Thorgoth, to protect people from a world ending threat, we all jumped on it.”
Janize snorted. “You’re going to have a heck of a time convincing the other Otherworlders.”
George sighed. “We all know that, but hey, they are going to need us. I mean we are going to be fighting literal dragons.”
“That is true.” Janize closed her eyes and nodded. “Carry it out, George. Get those gates open and signal the Water Tower.”
George saluted. “Yes, Your Majesty. It’s been an honor and a pleasure.”
Through her spyglass, wrapped warmly in her bright orange cloak, the Erlenbergian mage, Ophelia Voidsailor watched the coast with her spyglass.
Despite the years Erlenberg had fought Alavaria along the northern front, and through all the naval battles on the eastern coast, Ophelia still wore orange. It’d become her calling card of sorts and she knew it gave the crew of her ship comfort to see her strut around. Honestly, she was getting a little tired of the color, but she liked the attention more.
Beside her, looking through his own spyglass, the one-eyed Eustace Windwhistler glanced at the sky. “It’s about time,” said Edana’s brother.
“I know—I see it!” Ophelia exclaimed. Before her eyes, the Water Tower, the main obstacle to the Erlenbergian fleets advance, had lowered the red banner of the traditionalist. A blue banner was being run up and more blue flares were being fired into the sky by some mage.
Eustace looked through his spyglass and nodded. “Signal to the fleet! Follow my lead. We are attacking!”
Flags ran up and down on the galloen Stormcaller, which had been named as such much to her namesake’s consternation and embarrassment. Behind Eustace and Ophelia’s warship, the long lineof Erlenbergian ships of the line ran flags up and down in acknowledgement. The entire line then followed the Stormcaller as it swung starboard toward the bay.
Underneath the Water Tower, Ginger found a ladder had been dropped into the sewer. Gingerly taking the rungs, she climbed up and was helped up by several red-uniformed harbour guardsmen. A petite woman with a musket slung over her shoulder handed Ginger a clean rag.
“Wow you stink, but I’m glad to see you. Captain Belinda of the Harbour Guard.”
“Ginger, yes, that Ginger. Are Darius’s troops reacting?”
“They are indeed. Several regiments have filed out of the Citadel and are making their way here as we speak. How many have you brought?” Belinda asked.
“A whole regiment of crack musketeers are behind me to help you secure the tower. The Erlenbergian fleet is landing marines. We’ll be fine, I’m just worried about the main assault,” said Ginger. She wiped her face and hands. “Show me the battlements. I’ll get my soldiers set up along with yours.”
“This way,” said Belinda, guiding Ginger out.
Ayax and Elizabeth silently crept down the drop-down attic stairs. Behind them, carrying a spare wand, Leila limped as quietly as she could. They could hear shouting in the mansion and the scurrying of people on the lower floors.
The trio paused to quickly grab a drink of water from a nearby pitcher left by the servants for any houseguests, before continuing on. From what they could tell, someone was having a heated discussion in the foye.
As they got closer to the staircase, they soon could figure out who.
“Janize is making her move and the Lightning Battalion must be close behind. The Erlenbergian fleet is moving in and the Water Tower is not firing on them.”
“There’s no need to panic—” “Scarlet, your fucking plan has accelerated Janize and the Lightning Battalion’s timetable! We’re fucked. We’re all probably dead.”
There was a sharp intake of breath. The three heard Scarlet growl, “Alright, I was…overly optimistic that the Lightning Battalion and Janize would split due to that report, but we only need to secure Janize and the Citadel and our position will still be quite strong.”
“I disagree, but Janize won’t have long. My troops led by Vulpina are converging on the throne room as we speak. Otherworlders or not, she can’t hold for long.” Darius chuckled dryly. “We might all die in the attempt to oust her, and hell she may be killed, but we won’t let her have the last laugh.”
Ayax turned to the two humans with her. “Liz, Leila, go. I’ll try to pin them down here.”
Elizabeth blinked. “Wait, but Ayax—”
“Liz, if we lose Janize, we’ll lose the civil war. You got to go.”
Elizabeth briefly closed her eyes and nodded. Grabbing onto Ayax, she drew her troll close to her and into a brief, fierce kiss. “Come back to me, alright?”
Ayax managed a smirk. “Always.”
Elizabeth turned to Leila. “Let’s go—what are you—” The Otherworlder had knelt on the ground her head bowed.
“Ayax, I’m sorry. I promise you can do whatever you want to me after you save Janize, but please, let me save her first,” said Leila, she lowered her head, but Ayax quickly grabbed her by the shirt and yanked her up. It was easy as the girl was still very light.
“This is not the time. I accept your promise, but we’ll talk later. Now go!” Ayax hissed.
Nodding, Elizabeth grabbed Leila and the pair took off in the opposite direction. Meanwhile, Ayax took a deep breath and walked up toward the balcony overlooking the foye.
Darius was pacing, whilst Scarlet was biting her finger, one hand gripped tightly around her staff.
“What if they breach the gatehouse?” Scarlet asked.
“There’s no way that force assembling outside can breach the gatehouse. They’ll need—”
“Earl Darius, Master Scarlet, I have waited a long time for this moment.” Ayax leaned casually against the railing, noting the fine, polished grain. “Do you know who I am?”
Darius, eyes staring up at her, took a step back. “Ayax the Blackgale.”
“Daughter of Allaniel the Valorous, who you had murdered,” Ayax hissed.
Scarlet ripped her heavy cloak off and gripped her staff in both hands, which had a number of rings on the fingers. Her eyes narrowed at Ayax. “So it was you who rescued Leila. I thought you would kill her.”
“You certainly tempted me, but she was just the instrument. It was you two who had my parents killed.” Raising her staff, Ayax growled. “Prepare to die.”
Scarlet waved the earl off. “Darius, go, deal with Janize. I can handle her.”
Darius arched an eyebrow even as he grabbed the main door’s handle. “Are you sure?”
Scarlet smirked. “She’s no Frances Stormcaller. Just an angry little troll.”
“I’m a pissed off troll.” Ayax leapt over the railing, throwing several spell cards at Scarlet. The woman waved her hand, magical rings activating to form a barrier. The cards slammed into it, sparking and banging. It would have knocked her back, but the barrier dissipated the force.
No matter, Ayax landed nimbly on the carpet and whirling her staff, slammed it into Scarlet’s barrier. Darius had run for it, slamming the doors behind him. Ayaxs’s blow sent Scarlet smashing through those closed doors, nearly throwing her onto Darius.
The Red Order Mage picked herself off the grown, dusting off her robes. “Ah I see the familial resemblance now you monster. You and your adoptive ‘cousin’ are just fucking irritating.”
Ayax was about to quip back, but found herself pursing her lips as a thought ran through her head. “You know, if you were just a little nicer, just a bit more understanding, you could have gotten along with Frances. It’s really hard to not get along with her.”
Scarlet’s snarl faded and she grimaced. “She wouldn’t have been my student, but Edana’s. Now are you going to kill me, Blackgale, one of the people who helped murder your parents, or are you going to talk me to death?”
Ayax flinched, feeling the swirling vortex of power bubble in her very core as her fury sparked. At the same time, a serene, piercing idea just echoed through her head. It was not really a revelation, more of an observation she’d noticed about Leila, Darius and now Scarlet.
“You all are awfully insistent on dying. Why don’t you all just…give up? Live?” Ayax asked. The pair were circling now, ready to let loose with spells at any sign of weakness or an opening.
Scarlet snorted. “Would you let me and Darius live?”
Ayax paused, watching Scarlet continue to circle. When the troll didn’t move, only followed her with her eyes, the mage stopped and tried to circle in the other direction. Still Ayax didn’t move, she just remained still, staff at the ready.
“If you all surrendered and submitted to a trial, I would,” said Ayax. There was still turmoil, rage, roiling in her heart. Yet, she was starting to feel another emotion that calmed her, despite how odd it felt.
The Red Order Mage blinked, before she sneered. “Then you are a naive fool.” She twirled her staff, the ends bursting into flame as she sang. Fireballs tore toward Ayax.
The troll dodged, not flamboyantly. She just stepped out of the way, shuffling and stepping from side to side. No fancy shielding required, no complicated jumps needed. Scarlet cast, and continued to cast. Whips of crimson magic were followed by cobblestones torn from the road. Ayax had to briefly block those with a quick shield, before twisting out of the way.
Shifting her grip on her staff, Ayax pulled her weapon to her side, as if she was drawing a sword. Crying out a string of Word of Powers, she whipped it across.
The staff suddenly extended, dark-blue magic lengthening it until a incredibly long, thin rod of magic crashed into Scarlet’s side. It sent her tumbling through a hedge and onto the lawn of Darius’s mansion.
Leaping over said hedgerow, Ayax rolled to a perfect landing on the other side. Scarlet had staggered to her feet, wiping blood from the scratches on her arm and face. She was already wincing as she touched her side.
Ayax thought she would be taking pleasure from this. Well, part of her was. She was happy she was kicking Scarlet’s butt. Yet, the part of her that was choosing to be calm, to think and be a good person felt an entirely different emotion.
Pity.
Pity for how pointless this whole battle was, pity for how this woman and her allies had hurt so many and seemed so unhappy with their lives. There was disgust and anger, and yet when Ayax thought about what she had, and what Scarlet lacked, she found that anger seeping away.
“Scarlet, this is your last chance. Surrender now,” said Ayax.
“To you? Not to Edana Firehand, or even Frances Stormcaller? But to their lackey? A second-rate battle mage?” Scarlet spat on the ground and raised her staff again. “I’d rather fucking die.”
The troll sighed. “So be it.”
Author’s Note: Ayax is getting ahold of her anger. It hasn’t been easy to figure out how her feelings changed but I decided to approach it from the idea that she’s matured as a person and has started to take more perspectives, something that she’s always struggled with.