New neighbor moved in next to and above me. We share a basement that has a plywood wall divider and door in the middle. I’m now nose-blind to it, but when I come back in or smell clothes that haven’t been in my closet, it’s there and as potent as ever. I’ve seen my neighbor once while I was getting in my car, and me shouting how’s it going and waving almost scared her to death (she seems tiny and old), haven’t seen her since. Got a whole new air purifier to try to deal, but it doesn’t pick up anything.
That being said, I light up my bong and smoke weed in my apartment twice a night, running two air purifiers and using a SmokeBuddy — there’s a match’s amount of smoke produced at most (yes, weed still smells and I’m certainly blind to it). I know this isn’t considerate, and this makes me scared to ask my neighboleave a note asking if there are any mothballs in the basement and if so could she seal them in containers. I’m embarrassed to have people over, a friend said it was like “burnt chemical BO” when he walked in at first, though it apparently got better as he stayed. I brought a hoodie from my living room to an event and left it in my car because it smelled so bad of mothball.
I asked two maintenance guys about it, both said they didn’t smell anything (but they also smoke cigarettes before jobs and didn’t notice the smell of the stain they were using a few months ago), and one said he’d check her basement to see if there’s anything wrong. Haven’t heard anything since.
What do I do? Just deal with my anxiety and leave a note/try to catch her outside to ask how the neighborhood is and if she’s noticed any smells? Make a maintenance request? I’ve opened every window for hours, but it’s still seeping in after they get closed. I can deal with her tiny dog barking all day, but this smell affects people who aren’t me, so I do want to address it. I’m probably moving in a few months, so maybe I just deal and hope it doesn’t travel with me. I just need someone else’s thoughts at this point.

A friend of mine started playing Fates for the first time, so once again I got bitten by the “complaining about Fates” bug. In particular, watching chapter 18 of Conquest again after so many years really got me going, and while the general consensus I’ve seen online about this chapters writing was negative, I wasn’t that satisfied by any of the overviews of it I read. I decided to give it a shot myself.
Dissecting why something doesn’t work is fun and all, but I think it’s also important to be constructive which is why I wanted to rewrite this chapter alongside my criticisms. I really do think there’s a lot of potential here that could have been the highlight of the entire story, and so I’d love to try my hand rewriting this chapter to be what it could have been rather than what we got. I have most of it done already, but Reddit only has so many characters before it cuts you off and this post is plenty long enough as is, so I’ll save that for another part coming up soon. This will be part 1, explaining what the chapter is and elaborating on my issues with it, while part 2 will be rewriting it along with my thought process and explanations.
Recap: https://fireemblem.fandom.com/wiki/Black_%26_White/Script
Corrin and Co are traveling when they decide to rest for the night at the nation of Izumo. They are greeted by Izana, the archduke of the kingdom, who seems to be a real goofball. After introducing himself, the levity is ended when it’s revealed the entire Hoshidan family has been invited here as well! Before any swords can be undrawn, Izana tells both parties that the kingdom has a strict neutrality pact neither of them can violate.
The scene cuts to later, where Ryoma enters Corrin and Xanders room to talk with them. Xander and Ryoma’s argument is cut short when Ryoma is dragged off by Nohrians. Turns out “Izana” is actually a Nohrian mage named Zola, who disguised himself to trick the Hoshidan royal family into a trap. Corrin and Xander don’t approve of such dishonorable methods to win, however, and fight to rescue their captives with Xander saying “we’ll win this war with honor or die trying”. After Leo kills Zola, the game cuts to later where we see Nohrians and Hoshidans alike having a meal, much to the delight of the real Izuma, who turns out is exactly as bizarre as the fake impression. Xander and Ryoma confirm with eachother that their fight will continue as usual, but Corrin states that no matter what happens they’re grateful they got to see both families eating together even if it’s not under the best circumstances, and the chapter ends with them saying they’ll revel in this feeling.
So on paper, I think this chapter is a great idea. Despite being at war, when one family is at the total mercy of the other, they lend a hand instead of kicking them while they’re down. This highlights how the two nations could accomplish so much together if only they weren’t at war with eachother. If utilized well, this could have been a great “eye of the tornado scene” emphasizing how tragic it is that these two families who share so much in common are forced by fate to fight eachother, making it all the more sorrowful when that’s brought to it’s conclusion through bloodshed. This would also encourage Conquest players to buy Birthright in a natural and subtle way as well now that they’ve had a nice sample of the other side. Of course, I don’t think this chapter was utilized well, and after reading the script again I believe it boils down to three major problems.
-Problem 1: The Lack of Worldbuilding Causes the Conflict to be Driven by Contrivances.
This is one of the many instances where the lack of fleshing out the world and it’s rules out really hampers the weight of the scenes. Unlike Awakening where there was a general cause-and-effect outlining the level structure, all of the Fates routes are much more individual and self-contained when it comes to chapters. This means the game has to really stretch itself to justify this elaborate setup being brought up and solved in one single chapter of regular length, and it’s very apparent when you write out the summary of events here.
Corrin and his army are just walking by when they happen upon the capital of the country. Corrin decides this would be a great place to rest for the night at and are instantly welcomed by its leader, who is also the only person in the game of that country. The entire Hoshidan family also just happen to bump into us because they coincidently came here at roughly the same time, with somehow neither party noticing the other until they were staring at eachother in the same room.
The only thing we know about this new nation we’ve never seen or heard about before is that it’s a peace-loving land with some sort of neutrality pact which means the two nations can’t fight here. What is the importance of this place that would entice all the Hoshidan royals to come over for a banquet in the middle of their country being invaded? Never explained. What exactly is this pact and what power does Izuno have to enforce it, if any? Never explained. Xander, prince of a nation at war and frontline general, has never heard of it. How does Garon or Iago never figure out or look into what happened here, considering the royals walked through their trap unharmed and everybody in charge of the trap vanished? Never brought up.
How many times here was this supposedly major event dependent on coincidences, seemingly important details left completely unexplained, and characters not knowing things that should be basic information of the world they live in? Things like all this quickly build up and make the world feel small scale and artificial, as if nothing truly exists until it’s in the peripheral vision of main characters. In a vacuum, this could all be excusable if the main meat of the chapter was just so dense and important that they just want a convenient excuse to delve into it. But about that…
-Problem 2: Nothing happens, either character-wise or plot-wise.
This is the only scene in both Birthright and Conquest where all eight of the royal families are together in one spot, and they’re unable to fight eachother. What a brilliant idea! How many great scenes could you come up with from this setup alone? How many directions could this move towards?

-The families bonding over their memories with Corrin (X)
-Calling eachother out for uncool actions, like Ryoma refusing to help Elise or Nohr siccing monsters on farming villages (X)
-Working together to defeat some threat they’d have trouble taking down on their own (X)
-Some cultural exchange (X)
-Some melancholy scene where, even if there’s a lot of resentment, they acknowledge how this may be the last time they ever get to have a meal with Corrin. (Somewhat?)
-Corrin sits down and has a mature conversation with his birth family elaborating on their choice to stay with Nohr (X)
-Some negotiation or debate between the two families about the future of their countries relationship, successful or not (X)
-Corrin being formally declared by the Hoshidan royals as a Nohrian, officially cutting them out of the family (X)

So what does Conquest do with this prompt? It does the unexpected route where all of them but Ryoma are shuffled out as soon as they’re introduced, captured offscreen, rescued offscreen, most of their dinner is offscreen, finishing their meal and leaving is offscreen, all of them sans Ryoma have barely any dialog, and none of them are even present in any of the CG’s.
We actually start off strong, Ryoma and Xander naturally puff out their chest and don’t get along when they’re in the same room, but seem to calm down when Corrin elaborates on how similar they are to eachother. But the game is so eager to get to fighting that it drags Ryoma away kicking and screaming before he even gets to share what he had to say to Corrin, let alone explore what having common ground means to the two of them.
1) I understand this is the Nohrian route so it makes sense the focus is mostly on them, but Takumi only gets three lines here, one of which is “…” Hinoka also only gets three lines, which I think is still more than she got in Birthright, and two of those lines are “You!” and “What are you doing here?”. Sakura lucks out as she’s the only sibling on either side who has anything to say whatsoever when Corrin says they’re grateful they could share another meal with the Hoshidans. That’s a start, but the fact remains Ryoma is the only sibling in the chapter whose remotely relevant, the rest could be omitted and nothing would change. They are only here to be damsels in distress heightening the stakes of defeating the local bad guy rather than providing any character development, checking up on how they are doing without Corrin and Azura, comparing and contrasting their differences between their counterparts, sharing any new information about them, foreshadowing Takumi’s possession, any notable interactions with their counterparts, etc. But no, nothing happens.
2) I also understand this is a video game and they don’t have all the time in the world before the next fight has to happen, yet Conquest is oddly completely uninterested in it’s own set-up. Zola, a minor chapter boss introduced and killed in this chapter, has more screentime and relevance here than any of the siblings, something you’d think would be the actual meat of the chapter they’d want to delve into.
The implications and weight of two dueling nations and families obligated to pause their fighting and dine with eachother could easily take up two or even three chapters as a pivotal arc, yet it’s completely blazed through as if the game considered it a cute novelty rather than a potential life-changing or history-changing moment. Simply put, it’s wasted potential, as if to say “Oh both of the two families meeting in a game about choosing between mutually exclusive families? Eh whatever.”
I wanna stick with just this chapter and not rewrite a good chunk of the entire story, but I can’t stress enough that in any other game this chapter would be the plot-defining moment paving the new way forward rather than chapter 15’s “we’ll expose Garon as a monster by helping him invade an innocent people.”
Neither of the two families are fighting because they outright want to, this isn’t a war about irreconcilable differences or mutually exclusive goals, the only reason for any conflict whatsoever as far as the game has shown us is that the guy in charge of Nohr is a sociopath who threatens to kill his own children at the drop of a hat. Sure, they probably won’t hold hands singing kumbaya after one extended conversation with eachother, but when all of them are in a truce far away from Garon’s authority having a meal together, nothing significant comes out of it plot-wise?
In fact, at the end of the day what significance happened here at all?

• -We learned about a new country, but we know very little about it and (other than Izama potentially joining the party later) absolutely none of it will be relevant after this chapter anyways.
• -Well, maybe this place is just set dressing so we have an excuse to meet up with our siblings again, but then nobody has any meaningful interactions, new info to share, planning ahead, or character development resulting from sharing scenes with them.
• -Then is the primary focus supposed to be on how this situation affects the Nohrian family? The antagonist and the conflict he brings is introduced and quickly solved without any consequences, with all the siblings instantly in agreement about stopping him. They don’t really talk amongst eachother about their feelings or how to go forward.

If there’s no juicy character interactions or exploration, and no setting up future events, then presumably the point of this big moment of Corrin and Xander leaping to save their enemies was made to show off that despite working in the same army, our heroes are indeed better than the swarms of war criminals under Nohr’s name we’ve seen and would never tolerate such things under normal circumstances. They’ve talked the talk about disagreeing with their father’s cruel methods, now here’s proof they’ll walk the walk, aren’t they such noble people? The way this is done however, opens up another can of worms…
-Problem 3: Protags come off as dicks
While our heroes are indeed more likeable and moral than blatant monsters like Garon and Hans, liking peace and disliking war crimes is not enough of a reason for a pat on the back. Our protags might not be burning villages for fun, but it’s difficult to take their proclaimed goal of peace seriously considering both the context of working for people who DO burn villages for fun and they way they handle themselves when presented with an opportunity to work on this supposed goal.
Corrin and Azura

• This is not seeing things under the worst possible interpretation to be a stick in the mud, Nohr is indeed invading Hoshido for no apparent reason and leaving war crimes wherever it’s armies go. Everybody in the building is aware of this to some extent.
  
• Azura and Corrin’s grand plan to expose Garon as a slime monster to his family indeed involves directly helping Garon conquer Hoshido, which they acknowledge will bring destruction and suffering that the nation and royal family have done nothing to deserve.
  
• Corrin and Azura are indeed presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity here to sit down behind closed doors and communicate anything, just anything significant at all, to the royal family that still seems to value them, but our heroes don’t even try or seem to acknowledge that. Corrin doesn’t have any interactions with them that last more than a sentence or two, and Azura is never acknowledged nor speaks to them.
  
• And yet despite, all this, both Corrin and Azura are quite pleased with the turn of events here, with Corrin acknowledging they’ll “probably try to kill eachother next time they see eachother” but that they’ll “revel in this feeling.”
  

Azura in particular is problematic here. During Odovakar 's excellent overview of the problems with Fates writing, he goes into detail about how Azura’s line about “this is all quite heartwarming. We're like one big family...albeit, a dysfunctional one.” in particular comes off as incredibly tone deaf and tasteless given the circumstances of Azura and Corrin marching on one family’s homeland for the sake of the other family. What I think was also worth noting is the context leading up to that line…

Sakura: I was just, um...th-thinking...it's really nice to finally see you again. I'm glad you... I'm glad you f-found a way to be happy... Corrin: Sakura... I'm happy to see you too. Sakura: R-really? You mean it?! Oh, Corrin! Elise: HMPH! Back off, you! He/She's my brothesister! MINE! Sakura: Ah! I'm s-sorry! Corrin: Elise! Mind your manners, little one. Elise: But she's trying to take you away from me... She's my archnemesis

Whether intentional or not, this is actually a very clever microcosm of the family’s conflict acted out by the youngest and most innocent among them who probably weren’t even born when the conflict started. The Hoshidan loves their sibling, but their time with Corrin is interrupted by the Nohrian shoving them away and declaring Corrin for themselves. This is a great way to challenge our protags to some introspection about themselves.

Azura: Heehee! Corrin: Azura? Did you just...giggle?

Instead, Azura just finds this a real knee-slapper. I understand maybe this is just meant to be a cute image of imoutos fighting over oni-chan Corrin and nothing more, but the context makes it very hard to swallow the narrative’s insistence that all this is “heartwarming” as Azura puts it. Keep in mind that all the Hoshidan nobles are sitting at the same table watching all this. Do you think Ryoma also finds it funny that his little sister is scared off and declared an archnemesis by the daughter of the man who killed his father in cold blood? Do you think Hinoka also thinks it's like one big dysfunctional family when Corrin is preparing to march on her homeland with an army?
I get it, I totally know what they were going for, and in a vacuum it could be a great line making for a properly bittersweet moment. “Even if the two are at eachothers throats and the future is bleak, me and Azura are grateful we get to have at least one big normal dinner together like a real family.”
But the future is bleak because of Corrin and Azura participating in an invasion, the families are at eachothers throats partially because Corrin and Azura haven’t accomplished anything to reform Nohr. If anything, Corrin should feel great shame here. Elise just unintentionally reenacted the history between the nations where Nohr was clearly in the wrong, and Corrin is sitting directly across and staring at the family who’ve done nothing wrong to him yet are going to be hurt because of Corrin’s decision. Grateful they could spend time with them again? Maybe. But cheerful and laughing?

ProZD: D-did an alien write this game? blows gently

But at least Corrin doesn’t show outright contempt for the family they’re screwing over…
Xander and Leo

Xander: Corrin! There's no need to insult me like that. I could not possibly be anything like this sorry excuse for a prince. … Xander: We will win with honor or die trying. Come, Corrin. Let us go set free our sworn enemy. … Corrin: Heh, sorry... It's just that you and Ryoma really are so much alike. If you weren't on opposite sides of a war, I think you could have been great friends. Xander: Yeesh... Do me a favor and keep that nonsense in your head where it belongs. … Xander (to Ryoma): We only acted as Nohrian royals should. When we leave this place, you'll be nothing but an enemy to be defeated once more.

Okay, but why? Ryoma is not the one Xander overheard laughing to himself about how much he’s going to make Corrin suffer. How are the Hoshidan royals “nothing but enemies to be defeated” here when they’re just trying to defend their homeland from somebody who assassinated their king at a peace meeting? Where is all this contempt from Xander coming from?
It’s perfectly understandable he doesn’t get along super well with Ryoma because of the tensions between their nations, that makes sense, but I see no reason for why Xander is making several petty insults to his face unprompted, let alone so nonchalant and even somewhat eager to get back to waging a war Xander himself calls “a senseless war of greed and madness” in the epilogue.
He doesn’t treat his own people much better this chapter, declaring Zola and his henchmen as “traitors” to be “dealt with” for their dishonorable methods when ironically Zola taking over the country by disguising himself as the archduke is actually one of the least evil and self-destructive things we’ve seen the kingdom do so far. It must be emphasized that every sibling was in the same room watching Garon demand Xander kill Corrin if he interferes with killing POWs for his amusement, and half of them were in the same room when Garon ordered his henchmen to murder every singer they can find in a neutral country. So a few hundred or thousand innocent people, most of whom would presumably be young woman, murdered to snuff out potential assassins. Or Garon directly ordering the deaths of unarmed civilians in chapter 13 with Hans relaying “Villagers are just soldiers who haven’t picked up a sword yet.”
Xander talks a big game in this chapter about how “we’ll win this war with honor or die trying”, but how do you honorably win a war when your nation is constantly and openly rushing to pointless overkill brutality like this at every turn? What moral high ground does this country have that Xander is so determined to preserve he kills loyal soldiers over what he sees as sullying it, when at no point in the game does the influence of Nohr ever do anything but make life significantly worse? His sudden fervor towards doing the right thing is completely contrasted later on when Xander is the one telling Corrin there’s no justice to be found in war and you just gotta do what you gotta do rather than what’s morally right, in response to Corrin being upset the Nohrian army is killing woman and children who looked at them funny.

“Justice is an illusion, a fairy tale…Letting innocents die is a tragedy, but so is letting the chance for peace slip away. This is war. There is no such thing as a clean win when lives are on the line.”

“Justice is just a fairy tale, innocent people getting screwed over is something we have to accept in war because there’s no such thing as a clean win! But also we better win this senseless war of greed and madness with honor or die trying!”

• If “justice is an illusion”, how is killing Nohrian soldiers to free people who are apparently “nothing but enemies to be defeated” so you can fight them later on terms you prefer, directly prolonging a war which will lead to much more deaths on both sides, for the benefit of Nohr? By Xanders own logic, is this not letting the chance for peace slip away since there’s no such thing as a clean win? Forget Garon and Iago, I’m confident the citizens back home whose loved ones got conscripted would be the ones demanding his head if they found out about this. A very charitable interpretation is that ending the war this specific way will cause more chaos and fighting in the long-term compared to if they conquered and oppressed an innocent nation fair and square, but that’s nowhere to be found in the script whatsoever.
  
• If Xander believes in “We’ll win this war with honor or die trying”, why is he still following Garon? Garon is winning the war in part thanks to honorless and extreme acts of cruelty like blackmailing the Ice Tribe or making an example out of Scarlet’s body, yet instead of taking action against him like he does with Zola, Xander is instead the most loyal sibling to him to the point Corrin decides the best way to get him on his side is to expose Garon as a literal slime monster? Where’s Xander’s zeal of “Come Corrin, let’s go save our sworn enemies” when his father orders Hans is go through killing injured and surrendering foes who were promised they be spared? Where’s his conviction shown here about “not letting treachery go unpunished” when his father outright says he couldn’t care less about the welfare of his people and he’ll just kill anybody who complains to make an example?
  

I understand one might get the impression I’m going off topic or selectively picking and choosing quotes here from all over the game, but no matter how you look at it Xanders beliefs, morality, and priorities are just all over the place depending on what the plot needs him to do. This means not only is his motivation for helping his enemies here faulty no matter how you look at it, but it also makes the extreme lengths he goes to do so, killing his own subjects who won him victory on a silver platter because it wasn’t a “proper” victory, come off as baselessly self-righteous at best and outright cruel at worst.
I’m sure the game would assure us Zola and all his mooks are terrible people who had it coming, but the issue is no matter how virtuous you portray Xander and creepy you portray Zola, Xander is still directly managing the war for a megalomaniac and helping him achieve his goals in spite of his long history of open sadism and public crimes that make Zola look like a saint. By ignoring the clear root cause of Nohr's dishonor while going this hard against random goon's participating in dishonor, instead of being a gallant preserver of morals, he comes off like a bully who selectively picks and choices punishment.
On the topic of punishment, it particularly rubs me the wrong way how Leo just casually mercs Zola at the end, keep in mind Birthright confirms for all his faults he actually isn’t a complete monster like Garon and dies trying to help the protag.

Leo (smiling portrait): You’d probably rather die than live with the shame, correct? In that case…
Zola: Eek! No, please! M-m-milord... I was wrong! S-so wrong! I have seen the error of my ways! P-please...spare my unworthy life!!
Leo (still smiling): Make peace with it, Zola. Perhaps on the other side you will find forgiveness.

Leo makes a fair argument that the stakes are too high and Zola can’t be trusted not to snitch, but this is bit sadistic, no? One of the most powerful people in the country is smug and sarcastic as he’s getting ready to execute somebody whose bleeding on the ground begging for his life and genuinely confused as to why we’re upset with him. I know the intent of “I was wrong! I have the seen the error of my ways!” is supposed to be him saying whatever Leo wants to hear to weasel out of punishment, but that’s exactly the thing, he’s fully cooperating and doing everything he can to appease this guy. And then he’s just killed like a dog without trial or final words, presumably using the spell that skewers you with tree branches.
Didn’t the game use killing defeated foes like this to establish Garon as a bloodthirsty monster? Why is Corrin just standing there watching this happen? This exact same scenario in Birthright has them jump to spare Zola, but here their disapproval is very meek and only voiced after the deed is already done. It’s still apparently too much for Leo though, who chastises Corrin for being “too soft…I envy your innocence.” And then he declares the matter settled on their behalf.
I’m sure this scene was meant to show off Leo’s pragmatism and strategy skills, but it just makes him look like a sociopath and Corrin look spineless. And that’s the biggest issue with this chapter to me, more than the plot being driven by contrivances that aren’t explained or the lack of any character development or interesting scenes taking advantage of the setup, the actions and dialog of our protags don’t match the noble heroes the narrative insists they are:

• Corrin is openly enjoying spending time with innocent people they’re throwing under the bus so Corrin won’t have to risk their relationship with the Nohrian siblings by directly fighting Garon. They then clearly disapprove of Leo executing a surrendering foe begging for mercy but stand idle watching it happen.
• Azura sits directly across her former family who’ve been very negatively impacted by her decisions and actions, and will continue to be so in the future, yet she’s giggling about the conflict and doesn’t seem to be taking the fact that her two families might kill each other seriously.
• Xander insults Ryoma as a sorry excuse for a prince, and afterwards kills his own subjects to prolong a war of aggression so it can be won the way he personally wants it to be won.
• Leo seems to be having a good time killing somebody who’s surrendered and begging for his life. He then chides Corrin for being “too soft” when they wish that didn’t have to happen.
• And again, for no apparent reason, neither Corrin or Azura do the bare minimum to clue to the Hoshidans about what’s going on or even have a meaningful conversation with them despite claiming to care for them. This is the golden opportunity they were hoping for, yet they apparently spend the entire dinner instead talking to eachother about how happy they themselves are.

These are not the actions of heroic characters.
Summary: Overall, this is a very bizarre chapter. It feels like something meaningful happens here at first glance, your brain sees what’s going on and knows that this is supposed to be a huge moment. Peaceful music playing, a very well-drawn CG of dozens of individual units, liberating a country from Nohrian control, Corrin and Azura are happy and say some lines that sound like they should be deep and impactful.
But when you step back and analyze the bigger picture and context, you find that more or less embodies all of Fates writing, both good and bad. It has a brilliant premise that gets your mind going, excellent presentation to accompany it, and some individual scenes or dialogue in a vacuum are very welcome. If you’re a casual player who just wants context for your favorite characters fighting, it’s easy to feel satisfied at first glance and move on thanks to those factors, especially since the gameplay and MyCastle are very fun. At the same time, there’s no denying the severe flaws that hamper the experience.
Despite being the hyped-up main draw of the chapter, our exciting premise that opens so many doors is almost completely neglected in favor of (once again) exposition on meaningless settings and characters that aren’t relevant anywhere else and also reminding us how evil Nohr is, to the point the chapter title is Black and White. The context makes it very difficult to take the plight of our heroes seriously due to their lack of action (both before and in the present) to achieve their proclaimed goal despite ample opportunity, the proaction they do have being unnecessarily extreme and self-serving, and a narrative that insists they are in the right at every turn despite the results clearly showing us otherwise. There’s definitely bits and pieces of something great buried in all this teasing us, otherwise I wouldn’t be interested enough to write this much all these years later, but as is it’s just a mess. An enjoyable mess, but a mess all the same.

But what do you guys think of Conquest Chapter 18: Black and White? Do you also consider it a wreck, or was there something positive here you believed I missed? What would you like to see in a potential rewrite of it?

This story is based on ALLEGEDLY true events. It is inspired by a line in G-Eazy’s “Maximum”, where he claims her heard supermodel Adriana Lima fart and it was apparently so stinky he had to cover his nose and walk away. The events I describe in the story will be my own interpretation of what could’ve happened during this strange encounter between two celebs
It had been a long recording night in the studio for award winning rapper G-Eazy. The “You Don’t Own Me” musician spent much of his day working on the follow up album to his debut release which catapulted him to stardom. After sleeping overnight at Westlake Recording Studios in WeHo, G-Eazy gets a call from his agent to remind him that he’s scheduled to make a talk show appearance for NBC’s pop culture news staple “Extra”. Totally forgetting about this engagement, a restless G-Eazy pulls himself up from the couch and stumbles out the door as he heads out to the black Escalade awaiting to take him home. Once G-Eazy arrives back to his Los Angeles residence, he showers, changes clothes and takes a few calls from his team so they can go over what will be talked about during his Extra Interview
Later, G-Eazy hops back in the black Escalade which takes him to NBC studios where Extra is currently taping its latest episode. G-Eazy is met at the studio by his agent along with the rest of his team. They are all greeted by the show’s producer who takes them to the main dressing room. It is there where G-Eazy receives his hair and makeup and also gets to watch his crush Adriana Lima sit down with Extra for her own exclusive interview. G-Eazy has always been fond of the Brazilian supermodel and had no idea she was going to be a guest on the show. Not only does G-Eazy find Adriana incredibly attractive, he is aware that she is knewly single thus he immediately comes up with a plan to “shoot his shot”. The greaser-looking rapper figured rather than wait until call time to go out on set and perhaps run into Adriana after his interview, it was perhaps a better idea to leave his dressing room ahead of time and try to catch the Victoria Secret beauty on her way out. For the time being, he sat in his chair, studying Adriana’s body language, keeping his eyes glued to the movement of her mouth as she uttered soft spoken words under her thick, gorgeous accent. He stared her up and down and up and down, analyzing her every move, taking in her presence through the screen. The longer he watched, the more apparent it became, he HAD to have this woman
As the day longs, G-Eazy becomes a bit unsure of his master plan. Hair and makeup has been taking much longer than he had anticipated and Adriana’s interview was beginning to wrap up. He begins eyeing around the room, attempting to come up with a quick getaway as he fidgets in his seat. Finally, the words spill out and he tells the styling people that he has to go to the bathroom. Without even waiting for a response, G-Eazy jumps out of his chair and fast walks out of the door. Completely unsure of where Adriana would even be coming from once her interview had concluded, he runs around the lot in hopes of running into a 5’11, brown skinned model in long, white silk dress good enough to be worn at an overseas film festival. After aimlessly wandering around the lot, G-Eazy finds himself approaching the entrance to the soundstage where the interviews are conducted. He spots two of the hosts sitting as they get their makeup retouched. He then looks to his left…and there she is. Adriana is standing with a few other important looking folks, smiling and giggling in what seems to be a conversation being had between everyone. G-Eazy walks back toward the hall, only to stop halfway, he decides to stay there and “look busy” as he waits for Adriana to approach the walkway.
Sure enough, the Brazilian stunner begins making her way toward the entrance and she starts walking up the hall. She is joined by two other people, perhaps her agent and assistant. G-East looks up from his phone and commences his long awaited plan. He walks up and blocks Adriana from brushing past him. It’s then that he politely asks for a pic with the model and he is genuinely surprised when she recognizes the “No Limit” rapper and tells him how big of a fan she is. The pair go off to the side and take a few pics. Now for the good part. G-Eazy turns on the and sends a few flirtatious comments Adriana’s way to which she is obviously flattered and even blushes quite noticeably. As G-Eazy begins to put another move on the supermodel, he hears an odd sound. FFFFFRRRRR He initially suspects he just received a text as he whips out his phone yet there’s no new notifications that pop up on his screen. He looks around as he continues talking but his sentence is cut off when he gets a whiff of the foulest odor. G-Easy stops and looks up at Adriana who’s standing a mere two-three feet away from him. She looks off to the side as she plays with her hair. She says something but between her accent and the nasty stench floating in the air, G-Eazy has no comprehension of what she even uttered. The space between the two stars grows pungent, it’s as if a giant piece of dog turd fell from the sky and landed right between their feet. At that moment, all G-Eazy can say is that it was nice meeting the stunning Amazon and he awkwardly walks away, hearing Adriana’s faint “it was nice to meet you as well” only as he turns his back and covers his nose with his shirt. Somehow the stench is potent enough to start following him so he begins speed walking back to his dressing room

• Species: Dog
• Age: 6.5 years
• Sex/Neuter status: fixed male (fixed in Nov of 2023)
• Breed: Beagle
• Body weight: 26.8lbs
• History: Neutered in Nov of 23. No other notable recent health events.
• Clinical signs: See linked vet records
• Duration: ~5 days for symptoms onset, one day of scrotal edema
• Your general location: Central CO
• Links to test results, vet reports, X-rays etc.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zwF95Ouad__4zytR-Se2_L8gOB6eXxMcIvTiNNDwG8I/edit?usp=sharing
Okay, so I'm a little stumped here. My dog started acting sick about 5 days ago, and I thought he might just have a cold (he gets colds about twice a year and is usually a huge baby about them... took him to the vet many a time for them to tell us he just needs benadryl). However, his scrotum started to swell so I decided to take him to the vet. It didn't look excessively swollen, if anything he suddenly just looked intact again. This dog responds really overdramatically to pain (he will cry and spin to bite) and palpating it gently at home didn't seem to hurt him, but it could also be that he was just too sick/tired to react. Vet also notes him trembling after the exam, but this dog has always trembled just from anxiety in general so I'm not 100% sure if that's a pain response.
I originally thought he might have a hematoma or something, but it didn't/doesn't look anything like a hematoma and he was neutered so long ago I don't know how he would sustain enough trauma to that area to cause one. The vet says he might have an inguinal hernia, and that the intestinal loop might have descended into the scrotum which is what is causing the swelling.
The weird thing is, A. he was presenting with lethargy, low appetite, frequent drinking, etc before his scrotum started to swell (I'm sure the hernia could have descended into the scrotum after the fact but it's still something to note), and B. he's on antibiotics and carprofen now and... overnight the swelling has disappeared and his scrotum is back to normal. Obviously I'm going to keep medicating him, but just kind of strange that the swelling has completely disappeared. He is also obviously feeling much better - he is actually eating and he is wagging his tail and wanting to play.
I'm still going to get him into my primary care vet for a better abdominal ultrasound, but I just dropped a grand on him last night so I kind of have to wait and save a little money before I do it all. I do have carecredit, I just need to save up just in case this is indeed an inguinal hernia because that will be like a 2k surgery to repair it.
I've never heard of an intestinal loop/hernia descending into the scrotum (I volunteered with vets in rural shelters for many years... I haven't seen it all but I have seen a lot) and also his urinalysis showed up funny and the vet didn't have much of an explanation for that either (no shade to her, she did a great job, it's just all these weird symptoms at once).
At this point, I'm of course going to treat him the best I can and make sure he is happy/healthy/not in pain, but it's a bit of a mystery I suppose until I get him in for the better ultrasound and I was wondering if anyone here had some personal experiences about a similar situation. He is feeling much better now, as I said before, so I am not super worried about his condition worsening suddenly especially since he's on antibiotics, and if it is indeed a hernia I will keep him low activity until I am able to scrape together the money for surgery.
I also have the detailed urinalysis and bloodwork if anyone wants to look, I'll just have to take photos and black out my personal details.

Hi.. first time creating a such a reddit post and reaching out - normally writing these things in journals but never spilling my gutts out to the internet for everyone to see. If abuse triggers you please do not read.
I'm (F) 21, and have been going through a lot from a young age - good and bad.
At 13, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and severe social anxiety two years on. This derived from some family trauma. I found out my father was cheating on my Mum through a series of inappropriate text messages between him and a student of his at the time - and I had to break the news to her (all I knew at the time was mum deserves to know the truth, even if it hurts).
I recieved a lot of physical abuse from my Dad, when he found out I told her and this was really the beginning of the end for school. Given, I was going to an all girls private school at the time, I went from being part of the "popular kids", to the outcast within a year. when I found out student counsellors and students had ended up gossiping about my situation around tea, this made me feel deeply ashamed and embarrassed to even turn up at school.
I remember on the days when I did, walking into class would be trully uncomfortable - it would go from chatter in the class and as soon as I entered the room, you could hear a pin drop. I remember sitting in IT class, and zoning out from the fact that I was physically and mentally abused that morning, to having my teacher yell at me for not paying enough attention. This was when I stormed out of class and never came back.
There were so many days I had to walk home with my heavy backpack in terrible weather because mum was just trying to keep her job and pay the bills and my father wasn't in the picture for three months at a time because he would be cheating and travelling with this other bitch of a woman (which I later found out through an SD card that I had found bundled under some papers in his room). He'd lie saying he's going to a "work conference" when in reality, he was busy trying to please a woman 30 years younger than him, who eventually left him back to Bangladesh, taking all of the money he gave her. It wasn't all his money mind you. He took $25,000 in life savings of mine AND well over $80,000 in my mothers shared account.. which I hadn't found out until 3 years later - this also included money I had worked hard for. She was a total scam artist and my stupid father fell into her scheming trap. I was so confused at the beginning - I remember crying and wondering why this was happening to me.. mum doesn't deserve this.. I was lost. I remember roaming the streets alone at night some days never coming back until the early hours of the morning. Wishing my life was different. Wishing I could run away. Wishing this was only a nightmare I'd eventually awake from.
I'd never know when he would turn up. He turned up one day to come and drop me off at school and on that day, I had dressed up but him being in the picture again sickened me to the point I dropped my bag and went back to my room. He then stormed towards my room, slammed open the door, picked me up by my neck and dragged me to the front door all the while telling me "you worthless child, you're going to hell for making me late, you bitch" - mind you.. it was still 8am in the morning. He never needed to be anywhere in the past which also lead to me finding out that the reason he was so angry was because I was making him late for picking up that bitches child and dropping him off at child care.
It got to the point were child services got into the picture. I remember the lady coming every Wednesday to check in to see if I was okay. This lead to mum losing days off work because she would have to stay home to make sure I was okay, otherwise I'd be sent off to foster care. She nearly lost her job because of being reported so many times by some racist and nasty bullies at work for tiny things.
I never liked the system. I never liked how they focussed on the victims more than dealing with the perpetrator that caused all the pain and trauma. It was all too much for me. I had fo grow up too soon and there were many times people much older than me would tell me "you're mature for your age".
Trauma. It always stays with you.. you carry it to your grave and it impacts all areas of your life - from relationships to work. I have fears of losing loved ones to this day which is ironic because, i'm actually alone. I no longer have friends like I once used to. I mask my emotions at work and at get-togethers. Even though I tell the truth about my emotions, I always end it with "but I'm okay though! Don't worry!"
I never really feel like I belong. I feel misunderstood. People in my past used to tell me they never would have known what was going on in my life if I didn't say because I am always so happy, and kind, trying to make everyone feel included and belong - it's in my nature to be that kind person.. but.. it also has it's downsides when people start taking advantage of it.. sigh* that's another story.. I'm just trying to come to terms with my past and move on. But sometimes things happen in life which make it bubble back to the surface. I'm trying my best. That's all I know.
I often feel like a burden. My family is overseas and I'm not really close to my half siblings (although we say happy-birthday or merry Christmas with the odd "how's it going", it's normally surface talk). I feel homesick from time to time when I miss my cousins and family overseas which I haven't seen since I was 14.
I often feel like I do not belong. I never understood alcohol or cigarettes and would often be left out because I didn't do those things - I did once.. in highschool a few years on through peer pressure, but it wasn't me. So I cut that phase pretty quickly.
The only place were I felt loved through these times were when I had my loving 9yo dog who passed away 3 days from now last year (who had to be put down in my arms because he also had incurable cancer of the spleen) . He was my world. Still is. He would be with me when times were extremely tough and no one was there.. he was my support. And now he's gone, I often feel totally alone.. talking to my walls because I don't want to put pressure on my mother who constantly complains of bills and finances. Not only a few months after my dog passed, we found out that my father is also sick with an incurable Cancer and the Doctors noted he only has 4 to 6 years to live. Yes.. although he was the cause of much of the trauma in my life, I cannot change the fact that he is my Father and it's difficult for me to comprehend the fact that he could be dead in three years.. I'm only 21.. it's just.. a lot to think about and a lot that has happened in a small space of time. I also have my own medical issues currently. Given I've been trying to manage my kidney pain for months now. I found out today that it will take a few months to recover which is good news. But ths pain is still very much there - it can get exhausting balancing two jobs and study with physical and mental pain honestly.. not to mention, I've exhausted my boyfriend of two years with my issues.. and I feel absolutely terrible for putting so much pressure on him from reaching out.. last night I had a terrible breakdown and since then over call he just told me "I'm exhausted".. I just.. I know he loves me.. but my negativity is all too much for him and I no longer want to reach out to him given he also has things he's dealing with.
Again, I have no friends.. so I didn't really know where to go for this. I do have a remote psychologist but I only have an hour to talk with her and time was up before it even got to resolving my current issues. I had to fill in the gaps of my trauma and what prompts my sadness and stress.. which is another thing I find frustrating.. there's just too much to say and not enough time.
There are so many gaps in what I've written.. so many things left unsaid.. but my story could cover too many pages for anyone read in a small amount of time. My life is pretty chaotic right now. I'm just trying to hold on to hope but it's hard sometimes. There are so many of us struggling out there I just wish we could come together and fight this you know.. anyway.. thank you for reading.

I just got a 4 year old German Shepherd from a family that has had her since she was a puppy. They just had a baby and just can’t handle her and give her the time of day a dog needs and the first week. She was doing pretty great and now we’re on our second week with her, and she is hiding in the closet, running away from us, whining all the time and seems scared of us, and we don’t know what to do, I looked it up and said go in the closet when they morning or they’re sad. Does anyone have any advice on what I should do and how to fix this she was such a great dog and I loved her at first but now I’m doing a ball of anxiety and won’t even wanna go near me, please let me know what I can do to make her feel better and go back to how she was!

This was sent to me and my friends in a group text. For reference, this woman doesn't know too much about how technology works, and that seemed apparent in her comments about her cell phone not making calls. I don't believe WiFi jammers can do that. That is a completely separate thing, right? Is this a WiFi jammers or this woman being oblivious?
Any advice is appreciated.

I am still shaken by this strange incident that happened to me when I was home alone yesterday afternoon. A supposed DoorDasher suddenly showed up at my side door (that is hidden from street view). She was weirdly wearing a heavy red jacket in this warm weather, a red ball cap, a blue face mask, and was carrying a large, empty canvas bag. Her hair was clearly a wig of long, curly brown hair (elbow-length). I don't know anything about wifi jammers, but she was able to walk past 3 wifi cams (placed at my front door, driveway, and side door) without getting detected. My dog didn't even sense her presence until she rang my doorbell. I wasn't expecting anyone so I tried to access my cams, but noticed it had gone offline with a notification that my internet connection was lost. I tried calling my husband from my cell phone (that uses mobile data), but my calls also weren't getting through. Therefore, I have no pictures or videos to share. After several doorbell rings, I went to answer without opening my door (half of my door is window), and I just spoke through it. She was oddly standing off to the extreme right of my door where it would swing in if I did open it. She announced that she was DoorDash. I told her I didn't order anything, but she lingered and continued speaking. It didn't feel right so I just walked away. I was only able to call the Westwood police after 10 minutes had past and my internet connection was back to normal.

After trying so many different plant-based medications, my reactive dog (10 kg) has been using Fluoxetine (aka Prozac, half a dosage) for the last 2.5 months. The effects on her mental and emotinal status have been tremendous. We can really see that she is much calmer against stimuli and she accepts training much better. She could finally find some peace.
The problem is that she is getting tired very quickly when we are outside. She is a high-energy, young (3.5 y/o) terrier mix, and our daily routine is a 1.5-2 hours mix of walk on leash and decompression walks. She used to not take any pauses to rest or only rested after running a lot or during the heat waves, in which we do not spend a lot of time outside anyways. In the last weeks, she has been panting a lot and lying on the grass to rest only after short time. This almost constant panting and quick tiredness worried us and our vet told us that this could be a heart problem. It makes sense since fluoxetine is an SSRI and SSRIs cause heart palpitations and arrhythmia in humans as well. We will see a cardiologist in a month (we live in Germany and this is how appointment system works unfortunately...).
Is there anyone with a similar experience?
TL;DR -> Fluoxetine (an SSRI) may be causing cardiac problems in our dog. She pants more and gets tired quickly during activities.

So the other day, my mom accused me of not caring about her and never making an effort. My mom has early stage dimentia, and so I've made more of an effort lately to take her out. Its incredibly difficult for me and I literally have to drug myself up with anti anxiety meds before doing so. But last week I took her out on five seperate days and when she accused me of never helping her I lost it. My mom is incredibly needy. But I ended up screaming and crying some very pent up shit and I could see by the look on her face it was all a big surprise. Backstory: even though my dad made good money my mom never fed us properly. I never had food for lunches, was only allowed to drink water, and when people gave us candy she would take it away. When she had boyfriends later on, she would cook them both wonderful expensive meals and give my sister and I Kraft dinner. Consequence of always being hungry as a kid and having a totally screwed up relationship with food, my sisters and i all have eating disorders. To make things worse, my mother is obsessed with looks and fat. Every time she sees me she makes an assessment; "oh you've lost weight since I've last seen you", "think I've seen better outfits on you", "your bum looks different are you working out?". Every. Single. Time. I brace myself cause having an eating disorder these types of comments affect me. I've asked her many times not to talk about my weight. For many years. She can't help herself it seems. I showed her a picture of my best friend in Mexico with his dog. She didn't see how happy he is, instead made some comment about how fat he is getting. So the other day, I screamed and swore at her that the reason I don't make enough effort even though I had recently, is because of her comments to my body. I said other things as well. I feel bad cause I'm not even sure she will remember that conversation. My mom is from the older years where a woman's value was in how she looks and how clean her home is. I try and remember that, I just wish she understood how damaging her comments are to me.

Helpful advice/recommmendation.

• According to the Tushetian tradition, it is forbidden to make pork meat or any dish prepared with pork.
• There are several places in Tusheti where women are not allowed (ask locals when in doubt ).
• There is no ATM and currency exchange but guesthouses can often arrange for payment of services.
• There is no pharmacy and access to emergency medicine is often limited. ( always bring essential medications ) There is only one hospital in Lower Omalo Omalo with one ambulance and critical transport can be arranged by the military via helicopter.
• There are no petrol or car repair services in Tusheti if you decide to go with your car be prepared.
• There is no supermarket in Tusheti. There are only a few small shops. Before you go to Tusheti, it is better to ask your host what you can buy in the nearest store.
• If you have food allergies or restrictions there is not enough food options (if you stay in a hotel or guesthouse tell your host before you go).
• If you are a hiker be prepared before you will go, you cannot resupply at each village.
• If you bring a water purifier it is advisable to carry spare filters, sometimes, on rainy days the water is full of particulates.
• You will need summer clothes and warm clothes also. Weather is changeable and nights are cold - always carry layers.
• Most Tushetian drivers are experienced on the mountain passes (all our drivers have many years of experience on the Tusheti road).
• Guesthouses have water heatesolar panels as well as wood stoves. Some hotels only have solar panels and if weather changes there may not be hot water.
• Some of the guesthouses have no washing machines.
• Georgia’s mobile signal coverage is limited in Tusheti and only reaches about 40% of the 52 villages in the region.
• Shepherd dogs guard the flock of sheep, the shepherd's shelter, and the cattle. So if you do not cross their territory they are not aggressive and only swarm to warn you, but if you cross their territory they get very defensive. Avoid walking on their territory as much as possible. If you have no other choice and have to go through their territory show the dog that you are not afraid of him -just defend yourself and always get advice from locals about how to manage the animal encounters.
• It is better if you arrange a car in advance, especially in May, June, September, and October. Sometimes it is a challenge tofind a car at that time.

my partner is very sensitive and struggles with relationship ocd and adhd. he has an 8 yo daughter who is also in my life and we all cohabitate 50% of the time.
today, we were driving back to the house this morning to grab her backpack for school. my partner grabbed it from inside and came back to the truck. his daughter then asked to go in and grab something that she wanted to bring to school. he decided sure why not. said she could get out of the truck on the left side as to not let the dog out with her. i said “left side? she should go out the right side” bc it is a busy street and the left opens into traffic.
once we dropped her off, he berated me for criticizing him and how it’s unnecessary and not productive to comment on things like that. that it’s mean and my tone is hurtful.
i do agree my cadence is neutral or flat, but in no way was i demeaning him or trying to make him look bad. i was trying to be cautious and keep his daughter safe
is all this an overreaction or am i in the wrong for observing and commenting???

Relevant info: This is a throwaway account. I am 15, my dog is 10, he is a german Shepherd mix (mixed with some sort of small breed so his head is barely up to my knees and I'm 5'3), my mom is currently on a work trip and won't be able to help with anything for at least a month. I originally posted this on Advice but was advised to also post it here, couldn't figure out how to crosspost, so I just copied it over lol.
My (M15) dog recently escaped from our yard and ended up attacking another dog. The owner is understandably upset and will be reporting my dog. The problem comes with the fact that this is his second offense, so he will more than likely get taken away. I've had him since I was four and I'm not ready to let him go. He's a part of my family and I feel like I've failed him. I've urged and begged my dad to put my dog into a behavioral class of some sort or at least a training program, maybe anxiety meds (as my dog has been diagnosed anxious). But he's resisted everything, or just forgotten to do further research. My dog has a line we should be chaining him up to so he doesn't get out again (put up after first offense) but my parents simply haven't been doing that. I can't do anything about what happens during the day as I'm at school. I want to get my dog a muzzle (a big one so he can still pant, but won't be able to bite anything and will hopefully give AC peace of mind). I also want to get him into behavioral training for his reactivity. However, I cannot work and have no money to be able to do those things on my own. My dad has gotten depressed thinking about his little guy getting taken away and hasn't done anything yet.
I want to know

1. is there a way I can convince animal control to let me keep my dog
2. how do I slap sense into my dad and get him to actually do something
3. are there any good dog training programs that I could get my little guy into (preferably cheap and online as I live in the middle of nowhere)
4. how do I prepare for the worst

Thank you for reading this, sorry it's super rambly and scatterbrained. Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. And to get ahead of any comments yes, I know I probably don't deserve to have a dog or any pet if I can't train it properly and make sure it doesn't act out. I know he would probably be happier somewhere else with a family who knows what they're doing, but I just want my dog, I just want my best friend to stay with me. He's already not long for this world. I know it's selfish, but I just want my buddy, I just want him to be happy for the rest of his days

When I was 12, my family was living in a suburb of Nashville, TN. It was a typical summer morning where I ran downstairs to shove some breakfast in my mouth before running down the street to my friend's house to hang out. As I'm eating breakfast and telling my mom where I was going, she was acting very strange and asking a lot of questions about wanting to know specifically where I was going to be, who I was going to be with, and to call her when I got there. She was never this particular about knowing the specifics of my whereabouts, and I could tell something was bothering her, so I asked why she was acting so weird.
She first tries to brush it off, but my mom and I were pretty close so I kept prodding. She finally shares with me that she just feels off because of a nightmare she had the night before. The details of her dream are below from my mom's perspective:
I "woke up" in our house and our dog was downstairs whining and scratching at the front door as if she had to go to the bathroom. So I put on my robe, walked downstairs, and opened the front door so Emma (the dog) could go out into the front yard and do her business. As I was standing on the front steps of the house waiting for Emma to finish, I looked down our street and saw a person in a white hoodie and dark jeans walking up the street towards our house. Every time they would walk under one of the street lights, the light would go out, leaving the rest of the street behind them in darkness. I scooped up Emma and went inside. I locked the front door and went upstairs to look out the window to make sure this person kept going past our house. This person just stopped right in the middle of the street in front of our house, looking directly towards the window as if it knew I was there. I couldn't see his face under the hoodie, but I felt so unsettled and unsafe; like it was staring right at me and almost into me. Then I woke up.
After my mom shares this story, I just brush it off as a weird dream and reassure her that I will be with my friend and will call her when I get to his house. Fast forward to later that afternoon, my friend and I walk down to the front of our neighborhood where an elementary school is. The back part of the playground had a chain link fence that you could hop over to go into the woods. If you followed the steep slope down through the woods, you would eventually end up at a creek that we would often hang out to find arrowheads, weird bugs, stuff like that. As we were hiking our way down through the woods, we stopped at a halfway point that was a long clearing for a four-wheeler trail that ran pretty far left and right and was just a straight path down. As we stopped for a moment in this opening, my friend and I both saw something white, very far down the path, dash uphill between the tree lines going extremely fast. Way too fast with how steep the hill was and how densely wooded this area was. From what we thought we could tell, it looked to be about the size of a small deer, but we really weren't sure.
Seeing that blurred movement of something white in the distance set off the memory of my mom's dream that she told me earlier that morning. I didn't tell my friend anything about it, but I felt a little freaked out and just said we should go the other direction down the four wheeler trail to get back to a spot of the fence at the playground so we could leave the woods and just go play video games at his house. So we leave the woods, go about our day, and say we'll see each other tomorrow.
The next day, my friend and I meet up again and want to go back to the woods and down to the creek. As we're walking across the school's playground towards the fence line to hop back over into that four wheeler path, we see something hanging on the fence. As we get closer, we see that there is a white hoodie hanging on the fence at the exact spot that we left the woods the day before. I never told my friend exactly why, but from that day on I never went back into those woods.
This event happened over 20 years ago now. I never really shared it with anyone until a couple nights ago with some friends and my wife, and their reactions have sent me on a bit of a journey trying to research if anyone else has reported something similar. I've never tried to put this experience into writing, so hopefully this all is easy to follow. If anyone else has had experiences with being followed or watched by a figure in a white hoodie or something like this, I would love to hear your stories.

Picked up my Overtrail+ last night and wanted to give some thoughts to quell some of the negativity on this page. Understand that this opinion is coming from a 40 yo/m that lives in Colorado, works in a high-end office district but spends every weekend skiing, fly fishing, hunting, hiking, camping. My prior history has been with Jeep Grand Cherokee both a 2018 Summit and then 2023 Summit High Altitude V8 with every option ($80k MSRP paid $73k). I’m 6’1 and larger frame. I am not interested in BMW/MB/RR etc due to my lifestyle. The GX OT+ is much more aggressive that it looks in pics and the road presence is somewhat dominating. Similar look to a Bronco on 33’s with the fenders and stance.
Purchased from Greenwood Village Lexus with no prior purchase history, on the list June 2023. Scott Mendlesohn is the new sales manager and is great to work with. Sounds like they have a list of approx. 70 per trim. All sold at MSRP with no ADM and in order of getting on the list no games. I was in the top 10 and one of 3 on the list for OT. Slee Off Road got the first OT and then I got the second which was OT+. Incognito with black roof, interesting point he shared was you cannot order black roofs right now on anything but Earth. They are going to do limited production runs of each color with roof. First order could be any color but now it will only be Earth that gets a black roof for a bit.
Base MSRP for Overtrail+ is $75,900. Options added were Bi-Color paint, Traffic Jam Assist $620 (I didn’t want but was correct about slow downs this morning on the highway), HUD $900, digital key $375, Mark Levinson $1,140, Cool Box $170 (preferred without but all are being delivered with it), alloy wheel locks and rubber cargo mat, +destination. All were requested items by me other than the digital key, traffic jam, cool box, black emblems, and alloy locks. I paid $81,250 which is MSRP as optioned, no mark up (some in this forum believe Options are a mark up and do not understand MSRP option pricing), and dealer did not pressure PPF, tint, nitrogen, extended warranty etc.. I declined all. Pricing is inline with my prior top of the Jeep Grand Cherokee L and I much prefer the GX. Looked at Tahoe, Yukon, Land Cruiser, various pickup’s all in the same price range and slightly higher. I believe that if you intend to off road this is the clear choice.

• Interior: does not have as much leather and stitching as the JGC nor does it have the upgraded headliner which I loved. I do prefer the GX interior as it is very nice and modern, I’m not as worried about it with weekend activities and dirt. Interior is very similar to what you get in similar priced pickups from GMC, Chevy, Ram. You would not be able to tell a difference between the NuLux and the Jeeps Nappa leather, will see how it ages/wear and tear. The ML sound system is ok, I have high end home stereo as well as upgraded systems in past vehicles with speakers like Focal. The McIntosh on the Jeep was probably a hair better, I’ll play with settings but I was not blown away, its fine for a car stereo and better with bass heavy songs and vocals, not much mid. Vehicle is tall and side steps are great, wider than the JGC which were useless. The windows all around feel very large and you can see everything! I have seen complaints about the hood moving, I noticed it much more on my Jeep. In my limited driving I was paying very close attention to it and wouldn't have noticed if people hadn't said anything on this forum. The Jeep I noticed immediately on my own.
• Tech: the JGC had a passenger side screen which was useless, night vision which again was useless, and a rear-view mirror camera which made me dizzy (I don’t think the GX has one). The massage seats on the GX are 100% better than they were on the Jeep, the touch screen is very responsive and intuitive, the HUD is better on the GX as you can move it up and down, make it brighter (one note on the HUD is if you lean more towards the center of the vehicle you will start to lose vision of it bc it is meant to be seen from straight on). The HUD also does much more than the JGC which only did speed/speed limit. Still playing with it but it’s a great addition. Surround cameras are clear and backup functions warnings are A+. The screen is bright and clear, easy to navigate. Not sure what tech I'm missing but it has everything and more than the Jeep.
• Ride: The JGC has air suspension, and this felt equally as comfortable on my commute and highway. Noticed the same bumps and nothing more significant. As responsive if not more than the Jeep, both in steering and power vs the Hemi V8. I was worried about it being sluggish like a 4runner or old GX but it was very quick for its size. You sit higher up and more upright, but these are both things I prefer. The dealer took off the $1500 roof rack since I didn’t want it so I can only comment on road noise as is and it was not noticeable at highway speeds. Tires are also quiet for being so big.
• Complaints: being nit picky and knowing that this is all this page cares about. My complaints are as follows. Side mirrors are tall but they are a little too narrow. Front seat width (knee to knee) is sufficient but slightly narrow but I am a bigger guy. We do not have kids but the 2nd row could be considered small for full size adults on road trips, my wife dog and I won’t have a reason to complain. Ambient lighting is hard to notice compared to the brightness and use in the JGC. Will try and add as I drive more but overall thrilled with the vehicle.

NOTE: I did turn off driver attention and auto braking functions

I’m home for the summer now. It has been less than a week and I’m already losing my mind.
I’ve been left alone with my parents’ dog for several hours every single day. Caring for him has basically become my responsibility. AGAIN. If I don’t feed him, take him for walks, or discipline him when he acts up, my parents will guilt trip me until I do. If I don’t do it, it either doesn’t get done, or they bitch and whine the whole time they’re doing it.
They’re content to let him bark and growl until my ears bleed, leave his vomit on the carpet, and not bother letting him outside for hours. I just want three seconds of peace and quiet, which I can’t GET because this dog is completely untrained and barks and scratches all hours of the day.
I hate how quickly they’ve gone back to relying on me to care for this thing. I took care of him all through high school because they didn’t. I actively opposed getting the dog and told them it was a bad idea. Did they listen? Nope. They have never made any actual attempt to train it (all his “training” comes from me, he doesn’t listen to anyone else because they’re extremely inconsistent with commands and either result to yelling, pinning him to the floor, or standing by and not doing anything) and they are never home to take care of it. I can’t just leave it to its own devices because then it tears up the house, pisses on the floor, or starts barking for my attention, and then I have even more to deal with.
I hate it so much. I wish we could give it to someone else, but my mom acts like the thing’s her damn child. I wish I could ignore it but the incessant whining, scratching, licking, growling, barking never fucking stops. It makes me want to tear my hair out sometimes.
Every solution I’ve tried has failed. In high school I demanded my parents either get someone else to watch the dog or start paying me, and they laughed it off like it was ridiculous (I was watching him for 8-14 hours a day) and told me if he was that much of a hassle, I should just put him in his crate until they get home. I might hate this dog, but I’m not a monster. The fact that they see that as a viable solution to my problem just goes to show how little they actually care about this dog. My mom has even said she just wanted a dog to have something nice around the house.
It was just so nice not having that responsibility while I was away, even if that meant he was neglected, which sounds awful. This thing is attached to me and I hate it. I can’t escape the responsibility of caring for it. I’m so close to telling my parents I refuse to look after it, and if it tears up their house while they’re gone, it’s not my fucking problem. It’s not my dog and I hate that they act like it is. I didn’t ask for any of this. I told them I didn’t want a dog and they couldn’t handle the responsibility of a dog, and they laughed it off. I was completely right and their heads are shoved too far up their asses to see it. I desperately need them to get off their asses and actually care for the thing they claim to love sooooo much.
Ugh. Fuck dogs. Fuck THIS dog.

The way she emotionally manipulates Devon in S5 is crazy. First she strings him along purposely pretending like she may want to have kids in the future knowing he wants them, but tells everyone but him that she doesn't want kids. When he finds out and rightfully breaks up with her, she takes no accountability and tries to make it seem like it's only his fault that there's tension with them at work. In S5E22 when Devon goes to the interview she ambushes him in his office out of nowhere starts giving him puppy dog eyes "so are you going to take it" when he tries to see if the relationship can be saved, she blames him for it ending because he wants to have kids, when her hypocrite ass did the same thing. Devon points out how she literally makes all the decisions affecting their relationships without consideration for him or his feelings while being in a relationship: her job, her eggs, her body, and her future. Instead of taking accountability the self centered hypocrite starts to guilt trip him saying he's blaming her for abandoning his friends and the hospital that made him, when his real friends want him to do what's best for him. I hope Devon finds someone better than her.
Just like last time I already a bunch of you guys are going to call me sexist because I dared utter some criticism of woman and down vote this, so enjoy.

My command:
qmk compile -c -e CONVERT_TO=BLOK -kb boardsource/microdox/v2 "boardsource-microdox-v2-boardsource-microdox_comfort-v04-00-00.json"
The result and error:
~~~ ⚠ "git describe --abbrev=6 --dirty --always --tags" returned error code 128 ⚠ "git describe --abbrev=6 --dirty --always --tags" returned error code 128 builddefs/build_keyboard.mk:62: *** multiple target patterns. Stop. ~~~
Lines 61-62 in builddefs/build_keyboard.mk:
~~~

Generate the board's version.h file.

$(shell $(QMK_BIN) generate-version-h $(VERSION_H_FLAGS) -q -o $(INTERMEDIATE_OUTPUT)/src/version.h) ~~~
Notes, including about environment and project files:

• I'm running this from within the directory of the source code downloaded from https://config.qmk.fm/.
• Early in this process, I was getting some kind of errors about lib/chibios/os/hal/lib/streams/streams.mk, which didn't exist. So I downloaded that project, which included that specific path. Then I started getting the error above. I also re-tried with all available versions of chibios, from 2020 to 2024.
• I tried fresh again, by starting with a clean project downloaded from https://github.com/qmk/qmk\_firmware/. I then filled in linked repos to chibios and chibios-contrib to make shure those files were all there. And copied my configured keyboard .json file into the top-level qmk_firmware project directory. Same problem.
• Strangely, I can't recreate it complaining about chibios, even if those lib folders aren't there. Which seems to indicate that the "multiple target patterns" problem is happening earlier in the build process. I don't know how I apparently got further before, I'm not apparently doing anything different.
• The git errors don't seem to be fatal. And I've run git init on the directory.
• According to my googling, the "multiple target patterns" error seems to be the result of a colon, space, or possibly some other illegal character in the output filename or command that generates it. But I can't figure out how or where that's happening in the makefile, based on variables and macros set.
• I'm running on Debian Bookworm, x86-64.

I would try a target of a generic RP2040, or some other specific variant like the Sparkfun Pro Micro RP2040, but as near as I can tell, the Boardsource chose a slightly different pin configuration for the Blok.
Any advice? Has anyone got this configuration working?
I'm on day two, hour ~10. At this point I'm wishing I had chosen a different controller, QMK support for the Blok controller seems weak at best. But by all accounts, it at least seems possible. (And I'm not an EE - barely know how to solder - and although a former programmer, know little about working with makefiles.) I used to have a v1 Microdox, I loved it so much. Was painless to program and flash with QMK Configurator. But one of the TRRS cable connectors broke off after about 10 replugs, and for some reason I don't remember, resoldering didn't seem to be an option. Pro-tip: superglue that sucker to the board, taking care to avoid the metal jack connectors! And try not to un/replug it if possible.)

Hello archlinux community,
I'm encountering a strange issue with my Lenovo FLEX 3-1120 laptop running Arch Linux. Here are my system specifications:

• Model: 80LX Lenovo FLEX 3-1120
• CPU: Intel(R) Celeron(R) CPU N2840 @ 2.16GHz, Intel Atom Processor Z36xxx/Z37xxx Series
• RAM: 4GB (soldered)
• Storage: 240GB SSD

The problem occurs every time I boot into Arch Linux. When I reach the terminal login screen, after about 5 seconds, two 'o' characters are automatically typed.
I've noticed that the laptop has a dedicated mute button, which, when pressed in the terminal, types 'o'. This makes me suspect that the mute button might be malfunctioning or being triggered automatically somehow.
Here is what I've tried so far:

1. Checked for any stuck keys or physical issues with the keyboard - everything seems fine.
2. Searched for similar issues online, but couldn't find anything specific to this problem.
3. Looked into keyboard settings and configurations in Arch Linux, but didn't find anything unusual.

Graphic demonstration: https://i.imgur.com/cCs7h5d.jpeg
Has anyone experienced something similar or have any ideas on how to troubleshoot this further? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance!

I’m fully committed to talking about my girlfriend on this throwaway because she’s truly incredible. I genuinely wish everyone could experience having someone like Nora (fake name for privacy) in their lives.
Nora is the most caring person anyone’s even met. She always goes out of her way to help every, making them smile and feel appreciated. My sisters (22F and 18F) are constantly talking about her. She's always the first to show up at my younger sister's art shows and exhibits, genuinely interested and supportive. She also makes time to hang out and go to concerts with my older sister, strengthening their bond. Nora fits seamlessly into my family, and her presence is felt in every aspect of my life.
When I’m with her, I feel deeply connected to the world around me. Everything she does brings a sense of warmth and vitality. From the music she plays to her singing softly in my ear, to the way the sun highlights her skin and makes her eyes shine brighter than caramel, she has a unique glow. Nora surrounds herself with the color green, symbolizing life and growth. She is my evergreen, embodying everything fresh and vibrant in my life.
Her commitment to my family and me goes beyond the usual. She’s always there for my sisters, offering advice, sharing laughs, and making memories. Whether it’s attending family gatherings, supporting my siblings in their endeavors, or simply being a reliable friend, Nora is always present.
She has saved me countless times, both literally and figuratively. In my darkest moments, she has been my light, pulling me back from the edge with her unwavering support and love. Her strength and compassion have helped me through challenges I never thought I could overcome. Nora has this incredible ability to ground me, reminding me of what truly matters and helping me find my way when I feel lost.
When I think about the impact she’s had on my life, it’s overwhelming. Her ability to make every moment special, her unwavering support, and her genuine love for me and those I care about make her extraordinary. My love for her grows every day, and I am constantly reminded of how lucky I am to have her. My evergreen, my amazing girl, I am completely and utterly in love with you.
Idk if you could tell but I’m madly in love

As I mentioned in a post earlier today, I have decided to embark on the religious studies journey by preparing a special study guided series of self paced dynamic verse by verse incredibly high level of studies in secular and spiritual development of the world cultural and religious traditions that's going to include numerous types of sources texts from every single type of practice I can unearth thanks for the Good old Google and Bing research resources.
This started with the Gnostic texts and the Dead Sea Scrolls with the Gospel of Thomas and the Book of Enoch. It has been a few weeks and I have literally gotten so far ahead of myself that it seems like I am overdue and overwhelmed by such an amazing task. This is why I am not sure if I should really be posting it but if not here, I would not know where to ask for advice and feedback and guidance and editing and moral support and even research assistance and input from anyone whose willing to assist in any capacity.
There's nothing to do except process the questions and help with the commentary and limitations of this format and the hope that there might be at least ONE human being that's interested in similar things that's willing to help in whatever capacity they can....
I had plans of trying to make it easier for everyone by trying to finish at least one full text before posting others, but I don't think it's possible because I keep going from different ones back to these then to those then back to that regardless of the fact that I am confused and staring to get burned out before I get started....
So I have changed my mind about finishing up one to present for the group and will simply be posting some daily stuff for your input and feedback. I'm not trying to make you convert to any faith as these guides will cover every single type of practice eventually.
Today is Wisdom of Solomon day so I have to unpack my own stuff here and I have no real formal plans yet for how to present it all, that is based solely on the fact that I am also doing this for my own spiritual growth and development and so there's no formal plans for publication as a project yet....
Anyway this is a basic overview of how I have been working on my project and I love the fact that you still might be reading after that long winded meandering message!
WISDOM OF SOLOMON
Wisdom of Solomon Outline:

1. Introduction (Chapters 1-6):

• Addressing rulers and kings
  
• The pursuit and benefits of wisdom
  
• Reflections on divine wisdom
  

1. Wisdom in History (Chapters 7-9):

• Solomon's request for wisdom
  
• Wisdom's role in various historical events
  
• Contemplation on divine attributes
  

1. Wisdom and Idolatry (Chapters 10-11):

• God's guidance in history
  
• Consequences of idolatry
  
• Divine justice and mercy
  

1. Divine Wisdom vs. Human Wisdom (Chapters 12-15):

• God's protection of Israel
  
• Contrasting divine wisdom with human folly
  
• Punishment for wrongdoing
  

1. God's Just Providence (Chapters 16-19):

• God's interventions in history
  
• Divine providence and care for Israel
  
• Consequences of disobedience
  

1. Wisdom as a Guide (Chapters 20-21):

• Moral lessons from history
  
• The role of wisdom in human life
  
• The contrast between the righteous and the wicked
  

1. Call to Righteousness (Chapters 22-24):

• The importance of following wisdom
  
• Wisdom's divine origins
  
• The benefits of embracing wisdom
  

Study Guide Questions

1. Symbolism:

• Explore the symbolic meanings of key elements in the text, such as wisdom, righteousness, and folly.
  
• Analyze the metaphors used to convey deeper spiritual and moral truths.
  

1. Historical and Secular Context:

• Investigate the historical context of the Wisdom of Solomon, considering the cultural and political milieu of the time.
  
• Examine secular perspectives on the text, noting its influence on philosophy and ethics beyond religious contexts.
  

1. Esoteric Wisdom:

• Uncover esoteric or hidden wisdom within the text, delving into allegorical interpretations and hidden meanings.
  
• Explore how esoteric knowledge is conveyed and its significance for those seeking deeper spiritual understanding.
  

1. Theological Implications:

• Discuss the theological themes present in the Wisdom of Solomon, such as divine justice, mercy, and the nature of God.
  
• Examine how these theological concepts align or differ with other religious traditions and theological perspectives.
  

1. Spiritual Development:

• Identify the types of individuals mentioned in the text and explore how their engagement with wisdom contributes to their spiritual development.
  
• Discuss the transformative journey depicted in the Wisdom of Solomon and its implications for readers seeking spiritual growth.
  

For exercises, activities, readings, and examples:

• Exercise: Analyze a specific passage from the Wisdom of Solomon, discussing its symbolism and how it relates to broader themes in the text.
  
• Activity: Compare a selected verse from the Wisdom of Solomon with a similar concept or teaching from a secular philosophical work.
  
• Reading: Explore relevant passages from apocryphal texts or the Dead Sea Scrolls to identify common themes with the Wisdom of Solomon.
  
• Example: Provide a case study of an individual or community applying the wisdom found in the text to navigate a moral or ethical dilemma.
  

👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾👾
Chapter 1, Verse 1:
"Love righteousness, you rulers of the earth. Think of the Lord with goodness, and seek him with sincerity of heart."
Themes:

1. Symbolism:

• The call to "love righteousness" symbolizes the importance of moral and just leadership.
  
• "Seeking the Lord with sincerity" symbolizes a genuine and wholehearted pursuit of divine wisdom.
  

1. Historical and Secular Context:

• The address to rulers reflects the historical context of addressing leaders, emphasizing the moral responsibilities of governance.
  
• The concept of seeking God's guidance resonates with broader ethical teachings in various cultural and philosophical traditions.
  

1. Esoteric Wisdom:

• The verse hints at esoteric wisdom by emphasizing the inner disposition of rulers and their connection to divine principles.
  
• Explore hidden meanings within the call to righteousness and sincere seeking of God.
  

1. Theological Implications:

• The theological implications involve the relationship between righteousness and divine favor, highlighting the importance of ethical conduct.
  
• Consider how this aligns with or challenges theological perspectives from other religious traditions.
  

1. Spiritual Development:

• Rulers are encouraged to grow spiritually by cultivating a love for righteousness, suggesting that moral development is integral to leadership.
  
• Reflect on how individuals in positions of authority can spiritually evolve through ethical governance.
  

Exercise:
Reflect on a historical or contemporary leader who exemplifies the principles outlined in this verse. Discuss how their commitment to righteousness and sincere seeking of higher principles impacted their leadership.
🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫🔫 Chapter 1, Verse 2:
"For he will be found by those who do not put him to the test, and manifests himself to those who do not distrust him."
Themes:

1. Symbolism:

• The idea that God is found by those "who do not put him to the test" symbolizes a call for genuine faith and trust.
  
• "Manifesting to those who do not distrust him" suggests the importance of a sincere and unwavering relationship with the divine.
  

1. Historical and Secular Context:

• The notion of not putting God to the test reflects a biblical caution against demanding miraculous signs.
  
• Explore how this concept aligns with or differs from testing or seeking evidence in secular and philosophical contexts.
  

1. Esoteric Wisdom:

• The verse implies esoteric wisdom by emphasizing the subtleties of divine manifestation, which may require a certain disposition or spiritual state.
  
• Discuss the deeper meaning of finding God through trust and the absence of doubt.
  

1. Theological Implications:

• The theological implication is a call for genuine faith and trust in God's presence.
  
• Consider theological discussions on faith, trust, and divine revelation within the context of different religious traditions.
  

1. Spiritual Development:

• This verse suggests that spiritual development involves cultivating a trusting relationship with the divine, rather than testing or doubting.
  
• Reflect on how trust in the divine can contribute to an individual's spiritual journey.
  

Exercise:
Explore historical or biblical narratives where individuals either demonstrated unwavering trust in the divine or faced challenges due to testing God. Discuss the outcomes and lessons learned from these narratives.
🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃🌃 Chapter 1, Verse 3:
"For perverse thoughts separate people from God, and when his power is tested, it exposes the foolish."
Themes:

1. Symbolism:

• "Perverse thoughts" symbolize moral and spiritual deviation, highlighting the impact of one's inner disposition on the relationship with God.
  
• The testing of God's power symbolizes a lack of trust and reveals the foolishness of such attempts.
  

1. Historical and Secular Context:

• Explore historical instances or secular examples where moral or perverse thoughts led to a separation from higher principles or values.
  
• Consider how the testing of authority or power is viewed in different historical and philosophical contexts.
  

1. Esoteric Wisdom:

• The verse implies esoteric wisdom by emphasizing the spiritual consequences of perverse thoughts and the folly of testing divine power.
  
• Delve into the hidden meanings of "separation from God" and the exposure of foolishness.
  

1. Theological Implications:

• Theologically, the verse underscores the impact of moral choices on the relationship with the divine.
  
• Discuss theological perspectives on the consequences of moral deviation and the testing of God's power.
  

1. Spiritual Development:

• This verse suggests that spiritual development involves guarding against perverse thoughts and avoiding attempts to test or challenge divine power.
  
• Reflect on how individuals can cultivate a mindset that fosters a closer relationship with the divine.
  

Exercise:
Explore historical or literary examples where characters or individuals faced consequences due to perverse thoughts or the testing of authority. Discuss the broader moral lessons conveyed in these narratives. 🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄🪄
Chapter 1, Verse 4:
"For wisdom will not enter a deceitful soul, nor dwell in a body enslaved to sin."
Themes:

1. Symbolism:

• "Deceitful soul" symbolizes insincerity and moral duplicity, suggesting that wisdom requires authenticity.
  
• The idea of wisdom not dwelling in a "body enslaved to sin" symbolizes the incompatibility of wisdom with a morally compromised state.
  

1. Historical and Secular Context:

• Explore historical or secular perspectives on the relationship between wisdom and personal integrity.
  
• Consider how different cultures and philosophical traditions view the role of wisdom in virtuous living.
  

1. Esoteric Wisdom:

• The verse suggests esoteric wisdom by highlighting the spiritual prerequisites for the indwelling of wisdom.
  
• Reflect on the hidden qualities that make a soul receptive to wisdom and explore esoteric interpretations of the text.
  

1. Theological Implications:

• Theologically, the verse emphasizes the alignment of the soul with moral principles as a condition for receiving wisdom.
  
• Discuss theological perspectives on the interplay between wisdom, virtue, and the state of the soul.
  

1. Spiritual Development:

• This verse implies that spiritual development involves purifying the soul from deceit and sin to make it a suitable vessel for wisdom.
  
• Reflect on how individuals can actively work toward creating conditions for wisdom to flourish in their lives.
  

Exercise:
Analyze a historical or literary character who experienced a transformation from deceitful or sinful behavior to a more virtuous state. Discuss the role of wisdom in this transformation and the impact on the character's life.
🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️🛤️
Chapter 1, Verse 5: "For the holy spirit of discipline will flee deceit and will leave deceitful thoughts behind, and will be ashamed at the approach of unrighteousness."
Themes:

1. Symbolism:

• "Holy spirit of discipline" symbolizes divine guidance and correction, emphasizing the transformative power of discipline.
  
• The departure of the holy spirit from deceitful thoughts symbolizes the incompatibility of divine guidance with moral compromise.
  

1. Historical and Secular Context:

• Explore historical examples or secular perspectives on the role of discipline in personal and moral development.
  
• Consider how different cultures view the concept of a guiding and disciplining spirit.
  

1. Esoteric Wisdom:

• The verse implies esoteric wisdom by linking discipline with the holy spirit and suggesting a spiritual transformation.
  
• Examine the deeper meanings of discipline and the spiritual consequences of deceit and unrighteousness.
  

1. Theological Implications:

• Theologically, the verse underscores the role of the holy spirit in guiding individuals toward righteousness and away from deceit.
  
• Discuss theological perspectives on discipline, divine guidance, and the consequences of unrighteousness.
  

1. Spiritual Development:

• This verse suggests that spiritual development involves embracing the discipline of the holy spirit and distancing oneself from deceit and unrighteousness.
  
• Reflect on how individuals can cultivate a receptive spirit for divine discipline in their journey of spiritual growth.
  

Exercise:
Explore religious or philosophical texts that discuss the concept of divine discipline and its role in guiding individuals towards righteousness. Discuss the similarities or differences with the Wisdom of Solomon.
I will stop here since it's already overwhelming long and I have been working today up to the end of Chapter One just with Wisdom of Solomon.
I will post the Book of Enoch stuff later on which is already much more in depth with the commentary and study materials and I think that it's coming along nicely. This is just beginning so I figured it was a good skeleton to illustrate where I start off then I will give a much better clue 🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️🗝️ to where it's headed later today when I can format the Enoch stuff for posting.
Thanks in advance for checking it out and please don't hesitate to repost in places that might help out in their own ways, even if it's to roast the hell out of me (no pun intended, if that's even a pun!)

Author’s Note:
Upvotes and comments go a long way in helping me reach a larger audience <3
First
Inside GB-2
“Huh, that wasn’t there before,” Ron said, pointing to a new hole in the wall – another passageway.
Henry turned to look where Ron pointed. Sure enough, there was a new doorway. It must’ve been a section that opened after they restored the power. “Huh, yeah. Let’s check it out.”
He went through, finding a short hallway past it and another room just beyond. Henry signaled for his team to form up, preparing to breach. As they stepped in, they found themselves in a brightly lit room filled with various types of furniture – empty pedestals, comfortable-looking single couches, and empty desks with opened cabinets.
Henry stepped further into the room, eyeing the oddly arranged furniture. The single couches were lined up in neat rows, all facing the same direction – towards the empty desks. It was like some sort of waiting room, but for what?
“Is it just me, or are these couches set up weird?” Isaac asked, voicing the question on everyone’s mind. “I mean, who lines up a bunch of single couches like this?”
“Strange, indeed,” Sera agreed. “They seem arranged as though for spectators, yet naught lies before them to behold.”
Like a movie theater, Henry thought. However, there weren’t any screens or holograms to watch. If there was a clue, it would probably be within the couches themselves.
Dr. Anderson approached one of the desks. “Perhaps this was some sort of office or workspace? The desks and cabinets certainly suggest that.”
Isaac then decided to touch one of the seats, eliciting no reaction. He pushed further, sitting down on one of them. At that point, the couch began to adjust its form to better suit Isaac’s envirosuit, as if able to optimize its comfort for the user. Then, a nozzle slowly stretched up from the seat’s headrest area, stopping just short of Isaac’s neck. “Woah!” Isaac bolted up as the nozzle bonked against his helmet.
“Neural interface, maybe?” Henry wondered. “I think we should leave this to the researchers… unless you wanna volunteer as a lab rat?”
“Hell nah,” Isaac vigorously declined the offer. “Hey, there isn’t anything on my helmet is there?”
Henry dusted off the back of Isaac’s helmet with his glove. “Nope, you’re clear. Just gotta hope it ain’t grey goo.”
He could see the dread and uncertainty through Isaac’s visor. Henry gave him a pat on the shoulder. “Well, think about it this way: if it really was grey goo, it would’ve gotten to us – or the Spiranids, for that matter – long ago. C’mon, let’s secure the next room.”
With a nod, Isaac fell in line behind Henry as they moved towards the doorway leading to the adjacent room. Peeking inside, it couldn’t be further from the rest of the room’s they had encountered so far; not at all what they could’ve possibly expected inside an ancient, high-tech alien facility. It was expansive, with a layout that reminded Henry of a high-end restaurant. Comfortable booths lined the walls, while tables of varying sizes filled the central space. The furniture looked almost human – perhaps even indistinguishably so.
The room was tinted with a soft, cozy yellow light. The warm and inviting ambiance felt soothing compared to the clinical feel of the previous areas. The lighting, combined with the plush booths and elegant tables, gave Henry a nostalgic impression.
“Well, I’ll be damned,” Ryan remarked. “Think they got any cheesecakes?”
If it wasn’t for the alien decor and helping of sleek devices scattered around the room, Henry would’ve thought they were back home. Hell, there was even a bar, filled with exotic liquors that could probably fetch millions at an auction – or give them the trip of their lives. Beside it however was something unusual. Where he might’ve expected a path leading to the kitchen, he instead found a wall with a slight, rectangular-shaped recess that was just big enough for a tray.
He glanced at Isaac, who returned a knowing look. “Replicators,” Isaac said.
Henry smirked. “Personally, I’m partial to synthesizer, but to each their own.”
They gathered around the wall, which didn’t seem to respond to their presence. Taps on the wall didn’t seem to do anything, either. Henry considered probing further, but decided against it. “Alright, let’s not take any chances. We’ll make a note of this for the research teams to analyze later. Let’s keep looking around.”
Henry split apart from the others, pairing with Ron as they continued to walk around the room. They soon came across another doorway on the far side of the room, which opened up into a short corridor that led into multiple sets of doors. Each had a symbol on the wall beside the doors – one that depicted the basic figure of a person.
Ron pushed open one of the doors, taking a peek inside. “Looks like even the Gatebuilders needed restrooms.”
Finally! “Alright, let’s take a quick break here. Bring everyone else over.”
Thankfully, the amenities within were easily comparable to those of modern society. The toilet looked like a toilet, and the sink resembled a sink. Even in a space as mundane as this though, the Gatebuilder’s technology was evident: self-cleaning surfaces and enough technology to put a high-quality Japanese bidet toilet to shame. At least, that was just from the look of things. Henry didn’t think now would be the best time to check whether the restroom had ass-washing robots or not.
After a few minutes, Henry regrouped with the rest of the team around a central table in the ‘restaurant’. Dr. Anderson was already present, his archaeological kit opened and a spread of alien items organized on the table.
“Ah, Captain!” Dr. Anderson noticed him approaching. “We found cabinets that weren’t empty. Most of the artifacts appear to be personal effects.” He held up a necklace, emphasizing his point. “Jewelry, memorabilia, and some other artifacts that I – admittedly – can’t quite describe.”
Dr. Anderson pointed his pickup tool at a small disc laid out on a padded mat. “It hasn’t shown any active properties yet. It’s rather peculiar; it seems to be a solid disc. Lightweight, unblemished surface, no visible markings or etchings.”
“Have you tried touching it directly?” Henry asked.
Dr. Anderson frowned, manipulating the claws of his pickup tool. “Well, not directly.” Catching the implications in Henry’s query, he continued, “I’ve checked for radiation, toxins – all clear. While I’d advise against direct contact, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t the least bit curious.”
Henry nodded. Yeah, the Doc was probably right, but what was discovery without risk? He reached out and picked it up, rotating it in his hands. As his gloved fingers brushed against the surface, the disc suddenly emitted a soft glow.
Henry flinched slightly, almost dropping the disc in surprised. As he fumbled with it, the disc seemed to respond to his touch. Suddenly, a series of objects materialized on the table, appearing out of thin air.
“Oh, shit!” Ron exclaimed. “It just… spawned a bunch of stuff!”
Henry stared at the new items. Several containers, probably holding some kind of food, were still sealed tight and impossibly effective at insulating its contents. It was crazy to think that the food inside might still be hot after who knows how long.
Next to the containers was a bracelet. Possibly normal, possibly enchanted or integrated with technology they couldn’t hope to understand. There was also a bottle of some bright blue liquid – probably for drinking, but there was no way to be sure until Perdue tested it. And then there was the picture, showing a strikingly human couple, holding each other underneath a gorgeous alien sky. It reminded him of memorabilia people would sometimes keep in their wallets, though why humans were there was a mystery.
The last object the disc spat out was a thin, transparent sheet. Coincidentally, it was about the same size as a smartphone. If he had to guess, it probably had the same function as one, too.
“Incredible,” Dr. Anderson gawked at the items. “The disc must be the Gatebuilders’ version of a wallet, somehow using dimensional storage technology!”
“Akin to the Holding Bags,” Kelmithus noticed. He peered into his own Holding Bag, his expression indicating that he was connecting the dots. “Fascinating!”
Dr. Anderson then inspected the image, his face reflecting the same confusion Henry felt when he first saw it. While they continued to sort through the items, Henry explored the sheet further. The moment he tapped the screen, a holographic interface sprung into existence above it.
What he had initially thought was a simple hologram was something far more advanced, almost indistinguishable from reality itself. Almost instantly, they were surrounded by mountains and valleys, details springing up to form a realistic, three-dimensional map.
It was like a pocket holodeck. The only anchors the projection had were the various icons and pockets of text floating around – and the fact that the hologram was transparent enough for him to see his surroundings and his teammates.
Sera seemed to be the most shocked out of all of them. He couldn’t blame her. The sight was surprising enough for himself, who was even familiar with the concept through sci-fi; how much more alien would it seem to someone from – effectively – the past?
“I’ve not beheld such a spell… ever!” she exclaimed softly, pausing to gather her thoughts. “Hold on…” she continued, pointing to the distant peaks. “Why, yon mountain range! Does it not strike you as familiar?”
“Huh?” Ron squinted at it. “Does it?”
“No, yeah, it does!” Isaac said. “Shit, uh, is that the Ovinne Mountain Range?”
Henry brought up the file for the Ovinne Mountain Range on his visor, comparing it to the hologram. “Huh, yeah, it is. What’s a map of that doing in here, though?”
Dr. Anderson raised his hands in the air and spread them apart, mimicking a zoom. Lucky for them, the alien tech seemed to understand what they were going for. Now up close and in full detail, the Ovinne Mountain Range dominated the room. Somewhere in the mountains, an icon that looked like a pair of glasses sat right on top of a Gatebuilder tower, barely poking out of the mountainside.
Ryan crossed his arms as he scrutinized the hologram. “Is this what, Find My iPhone?”
“Hmm… rather likely,” Dr. Anderson agreed. “This device must be some sort of Locator.”
“Locator, huh?” Having this clue was an incredible breakthrough, but he noticed something else. “And right where the Ovinne Mountain Campaign’s supposedly taking place, at that.”
“Indeed, that you mention it, such alignment is surely noteworthy,” Kelmithus remarked. His voice took on a more excited note, “Be it fate, perhaps?”
Henry smirked. “Hah, you’re sounding a bit like Sera, now. Well, looks like fate’s telling us where to go next. Let’s pack this up and head back.”
They carefully stowed the various artifacts in their holding bags, Henry holding on to the Locator. They made their way back to the locker room where they first entered, everyone excited for the next step in their mission.
Henry stepped through the airlock first, emerging on the other side. As he did so, a faint sound caught his attention. It was distant, muffled, but definitely not a sound that belonged to this facility. He wanted to take off the envirosuit, but it seemed that had to wait.
Ron came through the airlock after him. “Bro, you think –”
Henry held up a hand, stopping him short. He raised his weapon, picking up on the ‘something’s not right’ vibe.
Activating his infrared vision and using the laser mounted on his M7, Henry searched for signs of thermal distortions, just like he’d done back at Duke Vancor’s mansion. Ron did the same. As the rest of the team emerged from the airlock, they quickly caught on to the situation. Without a word, they joined them in securing the room.
After clearing the locker room, Henry signaled to move on to the lab next door. It was just as empty as the locker room, but now the sounds were more audible, definitely coming from the hallway just outside. Instructing his team to hold still, he crept toward the doorway to investigate.
He peeked around the corner, and felt his stomach drop. There, in the main hallway, was a group of soldiers. They were decked out in distinctive black armor and cloaks. They had no identifiable markings or insignia on their armor, but it was obvious – these were Nobians.
Henry pulled back, returning to his team. “Contact outside. At least a dozen Nobians securing the hallway.”
Ron’s expression grew serious. “Shit. Any idea on their entry point?”
Henry positioned himself behind a desk, aiming his weapon at the doorway. “Probably the same way we came in.”
“Main corridor’s the only play, huh?” Ryan said.
The main hallway only had one line of sight, and it just happened to be the only way out. Well, the only one they could reasonably access. The facility probably had other exits or fancy teleporters, but they’d already scoured the area for the former and wouldn’t be able to figure out the latter.
“Dozen hostiles doesn’t seem like a lot,” Isaac pointed out, taking out another Black Hornet from his bag. “We’re still good on ammo, too.”
Ron shook his head. “Dozen? Yeah, a dozen that we can see.”
“Owens is right,” Henry agreed. “We can’t confirm their numbers outright. If I had to guess, it would probably be at least fifty. Manageable, but I’d prefer that to be our last resort.”
“How might we fare with a disturbance?” Sera offered.
Kelmithus gripped his staff. “I might conjure an echo of noise distant hence. It shan’t last, but it can afford us enough time for our escape.”
Kelmithus’ plan seemed like it could work, but only if the Nobians didn’t know they were here. “No,” Henry disagreed. “They’ve seen our MRAPs outside. We’d get surrounded.”
“How about negotiation?” Dr. Anderson suggested, a hopeful note in his voice.
“Negotiation? With the Nobians?” Kelmithus questioned.
They all knew what the Nobians were like. It really did come off as a ridiculous idea, but what if Dr. Anderson was right? The archaeologist defended himself, “I know, I know. However, we have yet to confirm their hostility, and it would not serve us well to initiate hostilities with the Nobians.”
Taking in the silence as contemplation, he continued, “If talks break down, we hold our ground here. It’s not ideal, but we’ll control the engagement area and prevent them from flanking us.”
Henry reviewed the situation again. 12 hostiles, but they should expect the worse, so at least 50 hostiles plus failed negotiations. Holding the only way out, they were likely spread out between the hallway, the cave system, and possibly even the forest outside. Dr. Anderson’s plan was solid, but he had a few minor qualms. In particular, holding the line meant possibly exhausting themselves in a battle of attrition.
“Alright. We’ll open with negotiations. I’m skeptical, but it's worth a shot. Should that fail, we can’t engage in a drawn-out conflict. We’ll disrupt their positions and quickly move to the cave outside.”
“Smoke grenades and flashbangs,” Ryan muttered.
“Affirmative,” Henry said, nodding in agreement. “If we can’t see them, we’ll level the playing field so they can’t see us.”
“Captain,” Kelmithus quickly interjected, “Bid me aid your efforts. I’ve insight enough to create fog. I’ve learned from our encounter with the Sentinel Lindwyrm.”
“You can replicate that heavy fog?” Ron asked.
Kelmithus held up his palm, producing an opaque puff of steam to prove his point. “Indeed so, Lieutenant. Adequately do these envirosuits shield us, that I might harness more extreme temperatures for more effective casting.”
Henry was impressed with how quickly the archmage grasped such a concept. “Good. Yen, get that drone into the cave. We’ll hold for updates.”
Yen nodded, carrying out Henry’s order silently. The drone’s feed directly streamed to their HUDs, and after a few minutes, Isaac looked up. “Done.”
Henry analyzed the data. They had visual confirmation of a dozen Nobians inside the facility itself and a staggering forty outside, both in the cave and around the cave entrance. It was an assumption, but there probably weren’t many cloaked soldiers past the hallway. He sighed; the worst-case scenario would have them facing a hundred men in total.
It was a challenge, but the drone’s intel granted them a critical tactical advantage. He analyzed his minimap, selecting and sharing a route with minimal enemy contact. “After clearing the facility’s entrance, we’ll proceed along the designated path. Upon exit, I’ll deploy a flare to signal our movement to the MRAPs for extraction. We will then rendezvous with Zulu-9 and coordinate with air support before re-engaging to secure the site.”
His team nodded, fully on board with the plan. He took a deep breath to steel himself before checking his watch – 16:24. “Alright, time to show ourselves.”
Letting his M7 sling over his chest, Henry prepared two flash grenades – one in each hand – before stepping out. With his team in tow, he moved to the center of the hallway, catching the attention of one of the Nobian patrols.
“Attention, Nobian forces! We request parley. I am Captain Donnager of Alpha Team, Tier 6 Adventurer. We are on an official quest sanctioned by the Adventurer’s Guild. We have no intention of hostilities and seek to discuss our presence and objectives to ensure mutual understanding.”
As Henry’s words echoed through the hallway, the Nobian soldiers snapped into action. He heard the sounds of bowstring being drawn taut and the rasp of metal as swords cleared their scabbards. His hands tightened around the flash grenades.
He kept his gaze steady, projecting a sense of calm; of confidence – enough to convince the Nobians that even outnumbered, he and his team were still no match for them. More soldiers joined the patrol, until all twelve of the previously identified Nobians were upon them. They kept their distance, but Henry could feel the tension boiling.
Just as the standoff seemed to reach a critical point, the air in front of them seemed to fold outward from itself, like watching the effects of gravitational lensing on light. A figure coalesced from the distortion – so this is what invisibility magic looked like.
The man was broad-shouldered and tall, seeing eye-to-eye with him, even despite the extra inches in height the envirosuit gave. As the last wisps of the cloaking magic faded away, Henry found himself staring into a pair of piercing gray eyes that seemed to bore into his very soul.
The newcomer had an angular face and was clad in black armor with a different sheen than the black armor of his comrades. Silver trimmings and an insignia emblazoned on his chestplate – a dagger through a swirl of mist – differentiated his status. A cloak of the same dark hue billowed behind him as he walked forward and drew his sword.
Keeping his sword to the side, he stopped a respectable ten meters away from Henry. “I am Carvus Alnect Virelius, Umber Vicearch of the Order of the Shadow.” He then pointed his sword at Henry, declaring, “Of desecrating sovereign Nobian territory, you stand accused.”
As Carvus spoke, more soldiers materialized alongside him, shimmering into existence as they dropped their cloaking spells. Henry had expected this to happen, but seeing it play out still sent a chill down his spine. How many more were still lying in wait?
The Vicearch kept his weapon on Henry, eyes narrowing. “Commander unto commander, I offer a choice: cede your Holding Bags, that secure passage may be granted unto you. Refuse, and you shall be declared as spies and enemies of the Nobian Empire, your lives forfeit to swift execution.”
READ 2 WEEKS AHEAD: Season Finale Chapter 17 is now available for Tier 2 Manifest Fantasy Patrons and higher!
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