Happy birthday message to my love one

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Ezeonwha was walking down a long hallway. The dry and plain painted walls and the pure white lighting of the lower levels of the 102nd Visitor Welcome Office helped to frame the dingy realities of those who could only afford these floors. Not even capable of having windows, these were for those who were the cheapest of the cheap or those who mingled with them. He'd passed several Guides on the way in, their claws echoing in the halls as a sign of authority in this lawless land.
Here, mediocrity was king, and he was a loyal servant. He drew his cloak closer about his neck, unwilling to reveal himself to those who weren't already equipped to see through it all. He was famous enough to be an abduction target if he let his guard down. This place was no exception, though Justicar tried to make them such. Too much security on the higher levels and too little on the lower levels. That was the way of things.
Another hallway, this one marked with bullet holes. Two contractors and a Guide were discussing the pricing of the fix project when he turned the corner. Their voices quieted to nothing, the stillness pressing down upon them with the same intensity as the false lighting. Ezeonwha clacked his jaws, giving them a low bow before continuing on his way. He saw the Guide's eyes light up with the sign of his implants getting a reading. It was another impromptu way of tracking via facial recognition, but it was an ancient practice.
Nothing was new about what the Guides did; only how many of them seemed to be on general patrol. Had Justicar hired more of them or actually done full conversions for all of them? Those arm cannons surely weren't cheap or ethical to insert into unwilling participants. And giving a victim a gun they couldn't be disarmed of was a very bad idea, even for Elders. And Justicar was better than most Elders when it came to abject stupidity. He'd likely only been dropped a few hundred times as a child versus the more likely Elder average of a few thousand.
Ezeonwha chuckled at his internal joke, heading deeper underground into the complex. He was going to a certain meeting, and it would be best not to be late. Even if the Guides tracked him, it wouldn't be negative. The group he had been approached by a few days ago wasn't a terror group. He'd looked them up. They dealt in 'freedom and liberation from all chains.'
The Eyes Of Liberty had focused upon Penny as their latest propaganda target and perhaps as a valuable ally in their fight against all tyranny. Though such a flowery message was likely steeped in idealism for the lower ranks, with more pragmatic and likely richer inner circle elites and leaders ensuring the pot would always simmer but never boil or grow cold. That was the way movements such as these managed to skirt the line between inaction and terrorism.
It was a dangerous thing to do. But these were dangerous times. If Penny left, he'd die. Someone with a grudge would kill him. It was a given, and he'd made peace with it now. He needed to get to work, to help others like him and those worse off, with just a small piece of the meager time he had left.
He was in the system as a friend of Penny, so little scrutiny would fall on him as he came and went. He had a new friend, one who was very interested in connecting to Penny.
The offer had come through his communicator, and he'd answered it given its interesting title. After a lengthy discussion about their goals for him and Penny, he'd agreed to at least have a meeting. He didn't tell them that he had a tracker from Phoebe, which would 'be impossible to miss' if things went badly. He knew the value he had, which was why one of the androids was also accompanying him under the guise of being a Sprilnav.
The android was 'walking' on all fours, its mechanical motion entirely silent. It was obscured by a wave of holograms and hard light holograms that would ensure that it wouldn't be considered suspicious beside him. His only guard was a capable one, and Phoebe had all the confidence of an AI who knew that the destruction of her android would only be an inconvenience for her.
Ezeonwha came to an unmarked door with a well-worn door frame. One knock. One pause. Two knocks. Another pause. Four knocks. He waited, and the door swung open. Eight Sprilnav greeted him warily but warmly, their eyes shifting to Phoebe.
The inside of the room was a dull red, coming from a pair of lights in the center of the ceiling that cast dark shadows near the edges. The whole room felt dark and dangerous, and the walls were lined with guns, computers, and several drones. Shelves and drawers were neatly stacked against the wall, as well as five couches and four double beds with ladder access to the top portions.
Bags of food rested atop a trash compactor unit, and the room service button on the inner side of the wall that Ezeonwha could see in the mirror was worn down to the raw metal. No paint jobs here, only grit and business. The room faintly smelled of body odor and assorted foods. Not entirely unpleasant, but also not what he'd expected from a group with sich a flamboyant name. Perhaps they worked in cell-based units. And that was another thing.
Minds were visible in the distance of the mindscape, but the people here were huddled together mentally. They appeared to be haphazard, but Ezeonwha recognized an old army-type defensive formation a mere step from each of their positions. They were more than they appeared. Though based on how their room looked, they probably weren't veterans, just decently trained.
As they walked through the doorway, a scanner activated. One of the Sprilnav, wearing a headset with numbers and letters swirling on the inner side of the visor, called out: "Phoebe android. Commando variant. Risk assessment: Certain Death. Ezeonwha. Carrying two pistols, one hidden in the pack on his left, and the other tucked inside a strap near the lower bottom of his chest."
That made them all pause, sizing each other up. Ezeonwha smiled nervously, failing terribly to break the building tension once again. His nerves started to get to him, but finally, Phoebe spoke. "Well, friends. I, for one, am happy to talk of the business of liberty. Tell us, what do you have in mind for my friend Ezeonwha?"
"It is not about him, AI. It is about the freedom all sentient beings deserve, and which we shall bring to the galaxy no matter if we are alive or dead."
"An honorable goal to strive toward," Phoebe said.
"Thank you. Your words are quite kind for your type."
"I didn't know I had one," Phoebe replied. "But thank you."
Ezeonwha turned his head toward the Sprilnav with all the fancy equipment.
"What is the best way for me and Penny to help in the fight?"
"The best way would be for you to start killing the gang leaders you come across. Barring that, have Penny ignore the graveyards, and continue freeing the slaves as she ought to. The dead have their freedom; the living need her work more."
"I agree with my companion," another of them said. "So far, Penny has done more for the fight for justice than any other on Justicar in generations, so it is a terrible thing to ask more, but we must ask. Even knowing the terrible toll it would have if she loses the Judgment, Sprilnav are at stake."
"People are at stake, you mean," Ezeonwha said. "There is no need to bring species into this."
"There would not be, but it is still a clear factor," another of them said, a female who looked more shifty in her gaze and demeanor. The Eyes of Liberty seemed like one of those groups with too much division.
"Do you disagree with each other often?" Ezeonwha asked innocently.
"Here and there," the tech guy said. "Not often enough to be a problem, and not when what matters is at stake."
"But that is the thing. How can you agree on when something that matters is a stake?"
"Is this a test?"
"Why would it be? Think of it as a genuine concern," Ezeonwha said. "To associate with your group, I have to be certain it will be resilient to change and risks escalating in the future. If the gangs cannot strike at Penny, they will pick the next best targets. Currently, that is me. If I associate with you in a way they can find out, and I assure you they will find out eventually, you all may be at risk as well. And your group's seemingly cell-based design also means large scale mobilization is difficult, ineffective, and risks severe coordination issues which cannot be quickly or safely remedied without changing core security features of it."
"You deduced all of that from context? You are smart, Ezeonwha. And have a good brain in your head. Everlasting knows we need one of those between all of us."
They all shared a laugh.
"I am not as young as I may look," Ezeonwha said. "Penny is not properly learned of the danger that faces us here. I am. The Underground will kill me when this is over. Do you want to die alongside me, all for your beliefs?"
Silence descended again. Ezeonwha kept the pressure on them when one of them stepped forward. "For freedom and liberty? Yes. I would die for that."
"As would I."
"And I."
They all declared the rest in orders that followed the patterns Ezeonwha was noticing. There were variances in their levels of belief and faith in their purpose. Each person had a different level of value difference, which meant that their lives would be worth more or less comparatively.
Cohesion was weaker, too. Not a full defector team, but likely pieces of several. Was that by design from a higher up leader, or was that just circumstance? Another thing to figure out later, that wasn't critical yet, but he would know before he truly went on any missions with them, if he did at all.
He suspected running messages to Penny would be the majority of their tasks. The quality of intelligence the Eyes of Liberty had offered was substantial. Perhaps enough for Penny to turn herself from a major annoyance to the gangs into an actual existential threat. With Justicar's swarming protection of the Fort Court and the 102nd Visitor Welcome Office, there was a limited amount of things that even the gangs could do. And if the rumors were correct, a Progenitor would be partaking in the trial.
"To be clear, if I join up with you, Phoebe would come too."
"Why would we let an AI join us?"
Phoebe smiled. "Without me, you'll die in this fight. You have trained for around 2000 days. You're acceptable combatants, as is Ezeonwha. But you are fighting in a city, and underneath it. You need to know how to keep a low profile. You need to know how to move through a crowd, get in and out. And you need to keep collateral damage to a zero, or the gangs will use you like they have others who had your purpose and were less careful to justify their 'protection' continuing. If you march in there and kill 50 slavers, if you kill a few slaves or a single bystander in the process, your credibility will be smeared. And frankly, with me on your team, you won't get blown up by an IED when you try clearing your first room in a fortress."
"IED?" One of them asked, while the rest digested her statement, going through various levels of offended looks.
"Your translator is too cheap. Improvised explosive device. Here, that can be old engines, reused oil, cracked plastic, frictional fuel bombs, circuit extruders, sodium splash grenades, as well as the more military style attacks they can pack, from small micro rockets all the way up to lower level fission or fusion bombs. Though if you're in a fight with those things involved, you're already dead."
"Why?"
"Because unless you're Elders, or holograms, a nuke will kill you whether you're right next to it or just inside the same shield. They concentrate the thermal pulse, so your bones would be ash before the pain hit your eyes."
"And what protection could you bring against that?"
"Telling you it's there before you start the attack. That is, if you listen to me. I value your lives over that of this android, but also I value Ezeonwha over all of you combined. I will not prevent him from doing this, but I will have you all know the risks involved."
"We are prepared, Phoebe. We have done much of the training you say, though we do not believe the gangs would plant explosive devices in their own fortresses. There is too much risk around that, with betrayals so common. However, the minefields we have scouted are easy to defeat with the right tactics. Perhaps you can give us a briefing on those, too?"
A challenge.
"I can, depending on how long you wish to do this for. But I have the stamina for either hours or weeks, depending on which you choose."
"What of your batteries?"
"They are of sufficient quality," Phoebe assured.
"I hope so."
Their tech guy nodded, more numbers flashing on his visor. Ezeonwha hoped he had a different way of display, like through an implant or something, for the missions in darker areas. The Underground was, by its name, not a place where much natural light was to be found. And the gangs controlled all the power systems in their territory. It was another part of the racket.
"Why aren't you guarding Penny?"
Phoebe's back straightened, a subconscious posture change to make her seem more confident. Ezeonwha caught the tactic for what it was, though without extensive knowledge of bipedal forms, it was less likely the surrounding Sprilnav knew it.
"Penny proved before a trillion eyes she's capable of fighting Elders, Progenitors, and a Dreadnaught Captain. Not to mention her immense power. I can shoot bullets, but she can literally snatch them out of the air and eat them. She has her own way of doing things, and it is a good way."
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Penny landed in the rubble and headed for the Vaquah with a trail of survivors behind her. Many of them, she could recognize the marks of slavery on, with numbers or brands on their skin or just the trauma crouching in their eyes dulled by the pain of a long life in a work camp. Penny went through the wreckage to the shield surrounding the rubble and the defining line between the rest of the city and the destruction. Several news drones flew above her.
More were arriving from various directions. The soft footsteps grew into a constant drumming sound, like a beating heart of doom. Penny marched with them, heading to the spaceport. A large medical operation there quickly rerouted many of its various branches to the most injured freed slaves.
Penny pressed her considerable psychic energy on the entire group, accelerating their healing, slowing bleeding, and generally repairing their bodies and cells from the trauma they'd suffered. But the cloud over their heads did not brighten. The atmosphere remained tense and mournful. Many of them had lost friends, family, and more. She had no right to ask them to feel any different.
She had freed them, that was all. They were not her servants. She was not their ruler.
Several of them came up to her, offering thanks in the small ways they could. Kind words. Attempts at hugs. Even offers of devout prayer and worship, which Penny respectfully declined. She knew, as did most of them, that veneration for her deeds was inevitable. She didn't want to be seen encouraging it at all, since this was a public place where many eyes were upon her.
She knew that it would be misconstrued as a threat if she did. Religions were some of the most major threats entrenched powers could face if not properly co-opted by the state to suit their needs. And here, the 'state' was a military dictatorship billions of years old, ripened with corruption, money, and the immortality of Elders sporting technology beyond any other in the galaxy.
The sky was blue with shields overhead. The Vaquah hung in the distance, its thrusters gently burning to keep it aloft. A trail of shuttles linked the massive ship with several spaceports, including this one. Penny watched the freed Sprilnav get on it one by one, promising themselves to a new life aboard her ship. Technically, they were citizens of the Autonomous Peoples' Stars.
That protection, Penny knew, was why the Vaquah and its innocent inhabitants were still intact. Elders already had hired mercenaries to attack it. They'd failed, thanks to Rimiaha and Penny, but also the defenses of Kashaunta's Grand Fleet when it was in higher orbit. Kashaunta, despite her willingness to use Penny as she would, also had a certain intelligence and empathy. It was highly selective, and only money and power seemed to flip that switch.
But Penny needed the Elder, and Kashaunta only had use for her as an asset. She palmed the new communicator Kashaunta had issued her after the last one's destruction. Kashaunta's hologram appeared. It looked around, noticing the news drones in the air.
"Not here."
"Where?"
"You will know."
In the mindscape, a Sprilnav appeared on Penny's layer. They felt odd to her, almost like the minds of certain humans high up in the hivemind's network. Penny greeted the Sprilnav warmly.
"Hello."
"Queen and Elder Kashaunta requests your presence on her flagship."
"Very well."
In reality, Penny looked around at the crowd. She waited until it dwindled to nothing, and then spoke.
"Displace."
Conceptual energy twisted, and she stood on Kashaunta's flagship, though nearer to the edge than she'd expected. The Elder was waiting for her in an outfit that looked much like pajamas, though they were under a few armor pieces that appeared anything but decorative. Now that Penny noticed it, it was the same sort of armor that Yasihaut had worn to their last encounter, which interfered with conceptual energy. The Sprilnav were highly advanced. She wondered just how far their technology could go. She'd heard mentions of some ships having artificial gravity, and of nanites and programmable matter. But nothing certain.
"Hmm," Kashaunta said, giving Penny a once over. "You have come back. Shall I assume you are still my ally?"
"Nervous, are we?"
"Nervous is what you should be, Penny. The Judgment is coming. Ten days. Indrafabar and Justicar will both be on the court as High Judges. That is not good for us at all. So I figured a bit of prudence was in order. I have thought long and hard about this, and with the great battles of our time so fast approaching, I figure it is time to mend our relationship before the chasm grows any wider."
Kashaunta motioned to a special looking sword sheath on her back. Slowly, she drew a sword. A Soul Blade. Penny began to draw up her armor.
"Oh, I am not wishing for a fight, Penny. I know the damage you could do, even in my sanctum in the sky. Tell me, do you know how Soul Blades are forged?"
"No."
"Good. And tell me, do you know why they draw so much power to swing, even for Elders and beings as capable as us?"
"I have a few theories."
"I am sure you do," Kashaunta said. "But here is the thing. Soul Blades are typically weapons assigned to highly promising Elders, or even Progenitors. Filnatra, undisputed sword master that she is, can wield them as easily as breathing. If I were to swing this blade, there would be no drawback. Why?"
"Because you own that Soul Blade."
"Because this Soul Blade is mine. It is not just something I own. I own around seven or so more Soul Blades, with some weapons nearing their quality lying in my various vaults even now. You did not detect them, because I willed that not to be. I need you to understand this, Penny. You have power. You have might. But you are not invincible. My Soul Blade, if it struck you, would not cutely separate Nilnacrawla or Cardinality from you. Nor would your speeding space entity be able to block this blade with his flesh. If this cut you, it would release unending agony upon you before you exploded in a burst of burnt gore."
Penny sighed. "There is no need to threaten me. Allies do not threaten each other."
"But you do not see me as an ally. You see me as your means to get through the Judgment. You believe I see you as nothing more but a linear singularity maker, and perhaps a passing curiosity I'm backing on a whim. You neglect to imagine that there might be firmer reasons why I back you, and why more Elders are getting drawn into this conflict. You believe I am comfortable with showing you my more pragmatic and ruthless sides because I am comfortable with the fact that you cannot harm me. That you would not dare to do so, when you need my assistance so badly. That I might even be aiming to normalize my 'new' self with you."
"That is hardly my belief alone."
"Is it now."
Kashaunta grinned. There was no warmth in her gaze.
"Nilnacrawla," Kashaunta said. "Cardinality. Exile. Come out and show yourselves. You are being rude as guests."
Exile detached from Penny's head. He grew into the shifting array of fractals and shapes she was more familiar with. What had once grated on her eyes did so no longer. Kashaunta stared at the speeding space entity for ten seconds, then looked back up at Penny.
"He will not work on us. I will cover his form with holograms if he walks through my ship out of courtesy for my workers and crew, if he cannot."
"I am capable, Queen Kashaunta."
"You are quite knowledgable, aren't you?" Kashaunta mused, looking at him hungrily. "Oh, how I wonder what secrets you have in your head. How many of ours do you know?"
"I will not be taken as a hostage," Exile said.
"You will not because I decide not to," Kashaunta said. "Formally, our species are still at war. There is no treaty."
"The Sp'rkial'nova no longer exist."
"Yes, they do," Kashaunta said. "The name was discontinued for use regarding the lesser specimens we created. But I can assure you, Exile, if you wish to go by that name here, that we still do exist. I am a Sp'rkial'nova in the flesh. In the blood. In the mind. In the soul."
"Say what you will, Sprilnav. It changes nothing."
"On that I agree. Though our views on how things are may differ, and yours is wrong, your opinion is not valuable enough to matter."
She turned to Penny. She would have defended Exile, but he gave her a simple shake of his head area.
Nilnacrawla formed out of psychic energy in front of Penny. Cardi did the same beside her. Kashaunta tapped a claw on the ground. Tables and chairs appeared. A chef brought in food that looked passable and a few decent attempts at human cuisine.
"We do not have to eat, though I would expect that all of you at least sit at the table. We will discuss our grievances, and how to solve them before we proceed with the future. We shall first go to the matter of the Alliance. Penny, many in their number wish to establish contact with you. Do you agree to this? If so, I will add their communicator numbers to the translation program I have reserved for your personal use, in case your own device needs another sudden replacement."
"I agree."
"Good. A first step of diplomacy, I would say. Agreement. Now, Nilnacrawla, you look like you have something to say to me. What is it?"
"Free Meridia."
"Meridia was detonated by planet cracker during the 139th Sector 9 Border War. I am sorry more could not be done."
A cold draft of air rushed out of Nilnacrawla's nose. He glared at her. "You let them die."
"I did not. A Grand Fleet was defending that star system, and three came to lay siege. I am many things. A tactician, a queen, an Elder. But I am not a god. I cannot perform miracles. I evacuated 30 billion people from that world and its surrounding stations before the planet crackers hit it. 4 trillion more souls died in that blast. The best I can do is to offer an apology."
"That will never be enough for what you did. If you had never established your nation, they would still be alive."
"They would be slaves. Chattel slaves, not that cute little 'wage slavery' concept privileged people throw around. Perhaps I should remind you just how much darker that reality would have been for your female descendents, specifically. I am a brutal warlord, a dictator with an iron fist. But my claws do not squeeze nearly as tightly as I could. Metrics say that I could extract at least 370% more profit from my people if I simply enslaved them. But despite the shock this may bring to you all, I do have principles. The Autonomous Peoples' Stars are my people. My nation. My empire, if you think I'm imperialist. But I protect them as best I can."
Nilnacrawla's cold anger didn't lessen. Penny placed a calming hand on his front left thigh. He blinked. He let out a long, pained sigh. And he bowed his head to her. Not to Kashaunta, but to Penny.
"There is no need to be cruel."
"My language was accurate, Penny. He is a strong Elder. Everlasting knows he's stronger than most of these fools. Nilnacrawla was and is a hero of the Source war. I respect him enough not to mince words, or to give platitudes. Coddling is for babies. Nilnacrawla is far more mature."
Kashaunta turned to Cardi. "You have been remarkably silent in this, concept."
"I have."
"A wonderfully succinct statement. Perhaps you can shorten it further. But nevertheless, you and I will be working together with Penny much more in the near future. Rest assured, if you refuse to become more independent, you will be nothing more than a crutch for her to rely on before leaving her to fall when you are ripped away."
"When, Elder? I would like to think your protection is sufficient."
"I am sure the truth is quite the opposite, dear. I will now get to the point. Penny needs to move faster, and needs to break out of her shell. She needs to be pushed to do more. She has signed a binding treaty, which shows she is capable of more than barbarian aliens, as some Elders would call her. You, Cardinality, will help her be a high achiever. To do this, you need to learn more about your own history.
That is the theme of the year, after all. History. My history, Penny's history, Sprilnav history, and even Gaia's history, it would seem."
"Gaia? What do they have to do with all of this?" Penny asked.
"Oh, you don't need to worry about that."
"Excuse me? You don't get to decide that, Kashaunta. You will tell me. I refuse to be coddled, like you say. I demand the respect I am owed."
"You forget yourself, Penny."
"I remember myself, actually. I am all I need to be. I can become all I need if I must. You can hold your backing against me all you want, but you won't withdraw it. As you said, more binds you and I than mere money and ideology."
"And if you're wrong?"
"Then I've doomed my species and my nation to war, and this planet to the full power of my wrath."
"Wrath, Penny. Wrath. The Sprilnav have many words for anger, rage, hatred. There is the desire for vengeance, in varying degrees. There is that for justice, which does differ. And that for belonging. I know you believe you are standing up to me as a way to assert your own authority in this relationship of ours. You believe I see you as inferior, and will pull back my help when it is profitable for me. I will not offer you the consequences of what your words could mean.
You already know them, and that argument is as stale as your view on us Elders. I will say this once, Penny. You are the Champion of Humanity. The apex predator of your planet, the only one mostly in charge of an Alliance that does more than merely dream of overthrowing us. It is easy for me to say you are not a threat, though I do not ignore the threat you and your nation are trying to become. Gaia will be a part of your movement, but even my information is not entirely complete. I will not mislead you by claiming I know Gaia's link to this, just that there likely is one.
And I am not unreasonably petty. I am willing to put all our animosity behind us and start anew. Even if you are not willing to do the same, I am willing to make this work for us. You have more people to care for than just the Alliance, now. Do not forget them."
"A lot of words that mean nothing."
"Because you heard, but did not listen. Perhaps it will be easier this way, Penny. I want you to win."
"Explain."
"You wish to overthrow the current Sprilnav led order of the galaxy. Your path to that will likely be through mass slave revolt. A viable strategy that I could spread far beyond just this planet. And I actually agree with you. This Judgment, this utter insanity around the Alliance and your species has shown me the truth. The Elders as a class and a species cannot be trusted to rule any longer. We need new leaders. Better leaders."
"And yourself?"
"As the hypocrite that I am, and the power-hungry ruler of the Sprilnav, I would obviously exclude myself from that number. Let's be realistic. The Sprilnav will never accept a non-Elder ruler. If you wish to see what our insurgencies would be like, imagine the 2090s Struggles of Asia. Expand that to billions of planets, large and small. Countless ships and space stations. We have more collective ships than you have people. And as your military planners know, there is no such thing as an unarmed ship. Without us, without me, your plans are stillborn. Your galactic Alliance or whatever you make will fall to pieces without proper counseling. In essence, my offer to you, and you alone, is this. The galaxy, for the Sprilnav."
"Who backs your offer, with the power to give it?"
Progenitors Lecalicus and Nova appeared in the room.
"I back Kashaunta," Lecalicus wheezed.
"I observe her offer, and wish it a proper outcome," Nova said.
"Thank you, esteemed Progenitors," Kashaunta said, standing just to bow to them. Penny stared at Nova, balling her fists.
"There will be time for battle later," he said. "But not now. Hear out her request. She does not make it lightly."
The Progenitors disappeared.
"If I accept your offer, it will be on a written record."
"No. It will not be, because if that record is written, my nation will be facing war on all sides. A better idea would be for us to keep this under wraps."
"Perfect for betrayal," Nilnacrawla muttered.
"It would be, yes. But consider the second part of this situation, Nilncrawla. If word of this galactic offer, not just the Pact, were to get out, which is why two Progenitors who know the price of interference were called here, it would mean the deaths of Penny and all her kind. Or do you forget what rapidly approaches us?"
Nilnacrawla frowned. "I did. I apologize, Penny."
Kashaunta spoke up again.
"Penny. You believe I will betray you. So I make an offer of collateral. An offer so unbelievably sacred for us Elders that many would recoil at the mere thought of it. Now that you have signed a backed treaty, you are fully qualified."
Kashaunta grabbed her Soul Blade and presented it to Penny.
"What does this mean?"
"Nilnacrawla, tell her," Kashaunta said. "She will trust your mouth more than mine."
"Bonded Soul Blades are priceless artifacts," Nilnacrawla said. "To offer one to another is the ultimate gesture of trust and respect among many martial Sprilnav cultures. It can also allow for a mind bridge, a soul pact, or a proposal for marriage between two great houses, martial families, or Elders of great wealth and power. To offer this to a human... to anyone... is an ultimate sign of backing, and one of trust.
It is a sacrosanct honor, the absolute agreement of speaking truth and respect. The words I can use in any human language are insufficient to describe the weight of this honor. This gesture is one of absolute truth. Family lines with hatred going back millions of years would never dare to violate this honor."
"Only one Elder in history did so, one who once led a group known as the Stannic Resistance. He does so no longer. Penny Balica, Champion of Humanity... if there is nothing else I can give you to prove that I do really back you, there is this."
"...Just how low are my chances in the Judgment for you to resort to this?" Penny asked.
"They are not zero, but your battle with be incredibly difficult even with this boon of mine. The future of the galaxy, I now realize, hinges on the outcome of this. If we do not have enough trust, they will sniff it out, and we will fail."
So she had no choice. But as Nilncrawla continued to explain in her mind, Kashaunta was getting the worse side of the deal. Which meant she was throwing her backing behind Penny for real, beyond all reproach and retraction. Kashaunta, the most powerful Elder in the galaxy.
"And if I reject this gift, or your reasons for it?"
"Circumstances would demand that I kill you and then myself using this blade as a way to cut apart the dishonor, before my remains are dumped into a black hole to be forgotten forever. I would not do this."
"A dark and archaic custom," Penny said. She would have said more, but she looked at Nilnacrawla's face. He was clearly deeply uncomfortable. Her five words had shaken him more than anything she'd ever said to him before.
"You do not understand," Nilnacrawla said. "This is not something to joke or lie about. With a Soul Blade Pact in play, all else must cease. Right now, there is you, and there is her. Accept or decline. The choice, your only choice, is yours."
"How will this look to the Elders in the court? To the Sprilnav, and the people who back me?"
She could see how it would be a boon and a curse.
"You, and I," Kashaunta said. "The whole of the universe between us right now is you and I. No others exist until this one act is done. There will be trust or there will be death. No in between. No middle ground. The nature of this bond will be a Pact of Blades."
Conceptual energy swirled between them. Penny's natural translation, as part of the hivemind, failed for the first time ever. Her communicator likewise did not translate the words Kashaunta spoke.
"Eis nama kaste Penny Balica, sun lanci Dorima Kashaunta. Ko'ri, lanci nupa bes na Dorima'Pecunyanova. Sp'rkial'nova. Sun. Homo Sapiens."
The air grew thick with tension. It was not just emotional, either. Psychic and conceptual energy gathered. The mindscape started to distort as more and more eyes began to view Kashaunta and Penny. But all of them were Sprilnav eyes. All of them were Progenitors. Nova's appeared brightest and largest, nearly six times the size of the next largest pair. They stared at her, sending psychic and conceptual energy down upon her in waves that forced her and Kashaunta to kneel to the ground.
"I apologize for my earlier words," Penny said. "I should not have denigrated this."
Penny stood for an hour, deeply contemplating the Pact. If it was as Nilnacrawla was describing to her, it was a promise that Kashaunta would not break. If she was offering it at all, especially to Penny, it meant she had a level of trust in Penny's capability far above what Penny had previously thought. Apparently, there were even higher agreements than this that were possible, with this Pact being the lowest level of bond and considered unbreakable with the enforcement of consequences coming from the Progenitors themselves.
She thought of her place in Justicar and the wider universe. Hours passed like water. And then, by the end of it, after nearly 19 hours, Penny finally had decided. She gave a short nod to Kashaunta, who had been kneeling to Nova all this time.
Kashaunta gestured at the sword. "Tol, nopa shikai."
Nilnacrawla fed her a few suggestions on what she would need to say.
"I come to this Pact seeking peace, justice, and hope," Penny said. "And a promise not to betray one another, by lies or by treachery."
Nilnacrawla translated Kashaunta's next words to her.
"I come to this seeking trust, understanding, respect, and peace," Kashaunta said. "And a promise not to betray one another, by lies or by treachery. I make this Pact before the gods, those who equal them, and those who surpass them. I bind them to an oath of silence regarding this event, until I directly instruct them otherwise, in a state of a sound mind, body, and soul. Here, we shall step into a future that needs both of us, casting aside that which is unimportant to focus on the ultimate goals we have. I offer my Blade to Penny Balica, of species Homo Sapiens. In this way, we forge a new future, and walk a new path. I accept the Pact."
"I accept the Pact."
Nova and a hundred Progenitors descended. Nova grew larger, and Kashaunta knelt to him. Penny remained standing. His sharp teeth glittered in the light. He pressed his claws to Penny's chest, and to Kashaunta's chest.
"The Pact of Blades is made before the Progenitors. We agree to your vow of silence. The penalty of breaking it will be dismemberment and disposal into a black hole. Penny Balica, Engineer Kashaunta. To break this Pact without mutual agreement is to call down our collective wrath upon yourselves. You both have agreed, and are of sound mind, body, and soul. The Pact is forged. By sword, by word, by action. I, Nova, Everlasting, Lord of the Progenitors, King of all Sp'rkial'nova, Heir to the Mantle of Power, Heir to Narvravarana, Progenitor, Elder, and Sprilnav, declare the deed done, etched in time, space, and Reality."
They winked out of existence one by one, leaving Penny and Kashaunta alone, to ponder the future. Penny's thoughts turned to the Judgment, and her confidence she could win it began to waver. How much worse was this Judgment going to be than before?
Penny stared at Kashaunta's Soul Blade. With careful fingers, she took it. Kashaunta sat up, satisfied.
"Now we can begin. I shall compile all the news about you I can find, and we shall see how to address the questions the High Judges will ask. Now that you trust me, I cannot betray you."

Not sure if there’s a different subreddit for this.. I'm know I'm not the only one who's seeking this exact advice, l've lurked on this subreddit for years but I'd love for someone to give me their 2 cents based on my situation.
For context- I had braces late middle school to highschool & my teeth have shifted significantly. -I also bit my nails as an anxiety coping mechanism (I know😕) which contributed to a lot of shifting. -overbite still significant
I've finally gotten a new decent paying job and wedding is 6 months away. My biggest insecurity are my teeth, especially the one front tooth that sticks out more than the rest due to nail biting. The rest of my smile is ok, nothing that noticeable when I smile and I don’t mind my overbite.
I’ve had this guilt because my parents wasted so much money on my braces I’d be pulling the trigger again and wasting money. I’ve consulted over the years but never went through with it because I was kind of tight with $$ in college.
Now that I have decent savings, ive decided if it’s for my confidence I should stop delaying it, it will always be worth it .. my last consult was March 2023 and if I went through with it I would’ve been right on time for my wedding this November. 🥲
My main concern is just for that 1 tooth to push back in the next 5 months. My ortho said it will happen by the wedding and I’m ok to go either route braces or aligners… IDK about that, wouldn’t braces make a quicker difference? And because my jaw is all uneven, would aligners help shift that? Upon reviewing my options, they recommended Angel aligners as an upgrade to Invisalign.
The cost is $5500 for aligners vs $4500 for braces. I can’t find enough info about angel aligners in mg area other than they’re actually a cheaper alternative to Invisalign. Is it worth the cost then? Shouldn’t it be cheaper lol I’m in Houston for reference. I’m going to see if they can settle on $5k but I can’t find enough online to know if I’m being up charged..
I liked the service of this clinic. I’ve consulted with a handful in the past but I went back to this one and want to lock things in.
Open to any advice, experience with Angel aligners?!?
Thanks!!

I’ve been hospitalized twice in the past once for an attempt and once for suicidal thoughts. Both times I hated it and didn’t feel it really helped. I was locked up in a place I didn’t feel like I needed to be. I was released back into the world with the same problems and with a $3000 hospital bill. Feels like a scam honestly. I want to get real help! I want these thoughts and feelings to go away but I’m feeling so hopeless right now. I don’t want to hurt my loved ones but I’m tired of hurting.

“It” is whatever type of interaction or form of communication you desire. I noticed when I searched for friends/relationships with girls, I either failed terribly, the relationship/friendship was forced and felt one sided or after a while I noticed I didn’t really like them.
When you’re looking for “it”, you tend to do whatever you need to satisfy the other person. You overcompensate and sacrifice your character, instead of simply letting the things build naturally. That’s not relationships or friendships form. They’re organic.
I noticed this when I was reflecting on my actions the other day. I noticed I went to a bookstore and skate park not to enjoy skating or read books but to simply be there and HOPE someone would approach me or a conversation would click and flow naturally (the irony. I was looking for something natural while forcing it to happen). I went there later that week and I was simply enjoying it all, reading the books, skating. All the good stuff and I didn’t make any “life long” friends but conversations came easier and flowed easier because I wasn’t looking for em.
This isn’t a message to say: “sit back and let it all come to you” because you do have to initiate some conversations if you want them but you should never force em. There are rare expections I feel like if you see a girl you like but she’s walking somewhere else. You’ll know, you won’t have to think “is this the right time”, it’ll happen.
Anybody got any other thoughts to put in?

Ok, so we have been married for 9 years, together 10. Since the beginning I had told him what I wanted in a relationship and I was very honest about it. No lying, if interested in someone else, just say so, openly talking about past hookups/relationships. After some dating time, I found out he had been lying about a lot of shit. I decided to dig and found more bs that he had told. He stated he won't do it again and blah blah. This has continually been happening over these years. I've forgiven and come to the conclusion that he just can't be honest. Recently he had been on his phone too much. I asked him and he said that he has been texting his sister (he does text/talk to her a lot) one time I noticed it wasn't the texting app. I checked his phone when he was busy with something else and had actually left his phone (usually attached to his hip) and he had been talking to some random guy from another country, but he lied about. I've noticed that he lies a lot about dumb shit. I told him he needed mental help because he just lies about dumb shit he doesn't need to when he can just be honest and tell it how it is. I speak my mind and have since the beginning. He also had a job where he had an apt in a city 3 hrs away and was gone every other week. I found out he had been emailing some guys from Craigslist but he stated that he never did anything...do I believe him..? when he lies about miniscule things...I've put up with this for a long long time but I feel like I've lost respect for someone that says he loves me but is a liar...like Do you even know what love is? I am his first relationship as he had only had plenty and I mean plenty of hook ups before me. And he was going to dump me after a few dates but I didn't let it happen...sometimes I wonder if I would have been better off without him since I don't trust him at all...

As the sun sets, painting the sky in fiery tones, I waited by the roadside as you instructed. That’s when I heard the rumble of an old Bronco. As it quickly approached me with its top off, my eyes were glued as the rugged driver was revealed. During our conversation prior to this meet up you had sent me pictures but I had no idea how attractive you’d be in real life. You stop right next to my car and signaled me to get in. No questions were asked. No words were exchanged. I immediately feel a rush of excitement and anticipation as I hop into the vintage ride, ready for a casual encounter. I sat in your passenger seat as the fresh, cool spring air brushed against my skin. You mentioned a hidden spot and I trusted you. So I sat back and enjoyed the ride when suddenly, without warning, you veered off the road, jumping the curb and going around a gate blocking car access. The sudden movement caused everything, including me, to shift in your car, and instinctively, I found myself grabbing onto your thigh. You remained focused on the road, flashing a smirk as my hand lingered there. Before I could retract it, you guided it up to your crotch. I couldn't help but notice the thickness beneath your pants as my hand rested there. What turned me on more was the heat radiating from the blood pumping through your veins. My mouth watered…. The sun had completely set. The road, flanked by trees casting shadows, your old bronco left a trail of dust behind us as we hurried along. My anxiety spiked as we approached a sharp curve, fearing we might end up in a canal. Thankfully, you began to slow down just in time, revealing a clearing near the curve. Stopping at the sharp curb, you backed into the clearing surrounded by trees. The last couple of minutes seemed chaotic but now we were surrounded by calmness. I glanced up and noticed a splatter of twinkling lights, adding a touch of magic to our adventure. "Hop to the back," you instructed, drawing my attention to the worn-out leather seats. But before I could comply, you paused, pulling out a blanket and spreading it out for me. Typically, encounters like these were quick "cum and go" affairs, but this felt different. I moved to the back, settling in the middle as you requested, my nerves tingling with anticipation. Without warning, you leaned over from the front seat and kissed me passionately, igniting a fire within me. You sensually held my face as your warm tongue brushed up against mine. I felt flushed, motionless, and ready to be yours. You stood up, you began to undress in front of me, prompting my curiousty, "What are you doing?" I had never encouraged full nudity for public play; it felt too risky. “We're good, no one drives back here," you reassured me confidently, leaving me no choice but to trust you. You place both feet beside me as you prop yourself up, placing your elbows on the back beam of your Bronco and lean back. Dangling in front of my face is your long semi hard, uncircumcised dick. You close your eyes, lean your head back and tell me, “show me what that mouth can do." I wanted to tease you a bit, so I spent some time kissing your thighs, getting closer and closer to your balls. You let out soft moans as my mouth traveled all over your lower body. Then, I put one of your balls into my mouth, swishing it around inside before switching to the other one. Meanwhile, I stroked your thighs with my hands. Your breathing became heavy as I managed to fit both your balls into my mouth at once. Tenderly, I licked your balls while warming them up with my hot mouth. Using my tongue, I moved them all around, my lips completely taking your entire sack, up to the root of your cock, which had become hard as a rock. My hands began to stroke your cock. I pulled your member up with one hand and held it against my lips. It was dripping in glossy precum. I brush your head against my lips tasking your bitter-sweetness. I pressed my lips against your head and push your skin back as your cock traveled down my throat. You let out a loud moan letting me know how much you were enjoying my mouth. I look up as I feel you looking down at me. I pull your drenched cock out of my mouth and swipe my tongue over your pee hole. Keeping my eyes locked on yours, I slip your head back into my mouth and push down until my lips press against your base. This drives you insane! “I can tell you love sucking dick.” I grab onto each side of your hips and guide your body toward my face. I want to ensure your entire shaft is snugly nestled down my throat. Your head breaks past the throat barrier. You're so deep in my mouth that your balls are slipping inside my mouth. "Oh fuck!" you shout. "You like this dick, don't you?" Holding your dick down my throat, I couldn't speak, but I did verbally answer, "Mhm," slowly and as loud as I could. This sends vibrations through your cock, even making your balls tingle. "Oh fuck, you're going to make me cum." You have the perfect bubble butt, and I wanted to make sure to rim you for the first time. I grab your hips and signal for you to turn around. You pause for a moment, nervously turning around. Your perfectly smooth butt is ready to be tongue-fucked. I'm afraid I might be suffocated by your ass. I asked you to lean forward while I spread your cheeks, looking for your puckered hole. I lean in and take my first lick, before pushing my face forward deep in between your cheeks as my tongue circulated your hole all while I played with your dick. A few seconds later I heard you say, “oh I fucked up” I was confused what could have gone wrong. I didn’t stop making out with your hole, when I felt your hot-gooey cum on my hand. You were embarrassed to admit you had cum, and cummed quickly. You stood there motionless for a moment. Then you collapsed next to me and apologizing. I didn’t care, I had done my job. You quickly began to dress yourself when I asked, “can you rate my mouth?” You embarrassedly answered, “Are you kidding? You made me cum quick. I’d give you a higher score than 10 if I could.”

My son got invited to a pool birthday party he is in 2nd grade. My question is what is the etiquette for parents going and staying at the party ? Part of me wonders how the kids will be supervised in the pool if they need more parents and part of me thinks I should just drop him off so he actually plays with kids and isn’t just stuck by my side the whole time. Is that considered rude to not join the kid to a birthday party you know no one. Or should I be more concerned with h dropping him off where I know no one? When I was a kid my parents just dropped me off and I was lucky if they came on time to pick me up…

Hi! So I’ve had this capture card for ~7 months that I’ve used primarily for capturing my Wii U, which I spend a lot of time on (I’m a speedrunner), and it has worked fine since then. I would plug it into my PC’s USB port on the top, and it would let me display it in OBS.
As of about a week ago, occasionally it would display this when trying to boot up my Pc: https://i.imgur.com/k9bDCzr.jpeg however, I could just unplug the capture card to boot up the pc, then plug it back in and it would work fine. So I got in the habit of unplugging the capture card before booting up my Pc
However, as of today, the capture card will not be accepted even after I boot up my Pc, and it will display this message: https://i.imgur.com/oNN4mEl.jpeg I have no idea what’s causing this, and if it’s the PCs fault or the capture card.
What I’ve tried so far: I’ve tried every single usb port on my pc, I’ve tried uninstalling all the USB controllers devices in my device managers, and I’ve tried restarting my pc.
My computer specs should be in the first Imgur in this post, and I can give additional information about my capture card if that’d be helpful. Overall it’s some random $30 one from Amazon Idk what’s going on

As the sun sets, painting the sky in fiery tones, I waited by the roadside as you instructed. That’s when I heard the rumble of an old Bronco. As it quickly approached me with its top off, my eyes were glued as the rugged driver was revealed. During our conversation prior to this meet up you had sent me pictures but I had no idea how attractive you’d be in real life. You stop right next to my car and signaled me to get in. No questions were asked. No words were exchanged. I immediately feel a rush of excitement and anticipation as I hop into the vintage ride, ready for a casual encounter. I sat in your passenger seat as the fresh, cool spring air brushed against my skin. You mentioned a hidden spot and I trusted you. So I sat back and enjoyed the ride when suddenly, without warning, you veered off the road, jumping the curb and going around a gate blocking car access. The sudden movement caused everything, including me, to shift in your car, and instinctively, I found myself grabbing onto your thigh. You remained focused on the road, flashing a smirk as my hand lingered there. Before I could retract it, you guided it up to your crotch. I couldn't help but notice the thickness beneath your pants as my hand rested there. What turned me on more was the heat radiating from the blood pumping through your veins. My mouth watered…. The sun had completely set. The road, flanked by trees casting shadows, your old bronco left a trail of dust behind us as we hurried along. My anxiety spiked as we approached a sharp curve, fearing we might end up in a canal. Thankfully, you began to slow down just in time, revealing a clearing near the curve. Stopping at the sharp curb, you backed into the clearing surrounded by trees. The last couple of minutes seemed chaotic but now we were surrounded by calmness. I glanced up and noticed a splatter of twinkling lights, adding a touch of magic to our adventure. "Hop to the back," you instructed, drawing my attention to the worn-out leather seats. But before I could comply, you paused, pulling out a blanket and spreading it out for me. Typically, encounters like these were quick "cum and go" affairs, but this felt different. I moved to the back, settling in the middle as you requested, my nerves tingling with anticipation. Without warning, you leaned over from the front seat and kissed me passionately, igniting a fire within me. You sensually held my face as your warm tongue brushed up against mine. I felt flushed, motionless, and ready to be yours. You stood up, you began to undress in front of me, prompting my curiousty, "What are you doing?" I had never encouraged full nudity for public play; it felt too risky. “We're good, no one drives back here," you reassured me confidently, leaving me no choice but to trust you. You place both feet beside me as you prop yourself up, placing your elbows on the back beam of your Bronco and lean back. Dangling in front of my face is your long semi hard, uncircumcised dick. You close your eyes, lean your head back and tell me, “show me what that mouth can do." I wanted to tease you a bit, so I spent some time kissing your thighs, getting closer and closer to your balls. You let out soft moans as my mouth traveled all over your lower body. Then, I put one of your balls into my mouth, swishing it around inside before switching to the other one. Meanwhile, I stroked your thighs with my hands. Your breathing became heavy as I managed to fit both your balls into my mouth at once. Tenderly, I licked your balls while warming them up with my hot mouth. Using my tongue, I moved them all around, my lips completely taking your entire sack, up to the root of your cock, which had become hard as a rock. My hands began to stroke your cock. I pulled your member up with one hand and held it against my lips. It was dripping in glossy precum. I brush your head against my lips tasking your bitter-sweetness. I pressed my lips against your head and push your skin back as your cock traveled down my throat. You let out a loud moan letting me know how much you were enjoying my mouth. I look up as I feel you looking down at me. I pull your drenched cock out of my mouth and swipe my tongue over your pee hole. Keeping my eyes locked on yours, I slip your head back into my mouth and push down until my lips press against your base. This drives you insane! “I can tell you love sucking dick.” I grab onto each side of your hips and guide your body toward my face. I want to ensure your entire shaft is snugly nestled down my throat. Your head breaks past the throat barrier. You're so deep in my mouth that your balls are slipping inside my mouth. "Oh fuck!" you shout. "You like this dick, don't you?" Holding your dick down my throat, I couldn't speak, but I did verbally answer, "Mhm," slowly and as loud as I could. This sends vibrations through your cock, even making your balls tingle. "Oh fuck, you're going to make me cum." You have the perfect bubble butt, and I wanted to make sure to rim you for the first time. I grab your hips and signal for you to turn around. You pause for a moment, nervously turning around. Your perfectly smooth butt is ready to be tongue-fucked. I'm afraid I might be suffocated by your ass. I asked you to lean forward while I spread your cheeks, looking for your puckered hole. I lean in and take my first lick, before pushing my face forward deep in between your cheeks as my tongue circulated your hole all while I played with your dick. A few seconds later I heard you say, “oh I fucked up” I was confused what could have gone wrong. I didn’t stop making out with your hole, when I felt your hot-gooey cum on my hand. You were embarrassed to admit you had cum, and cummed quickly. You stood there motionless for a moment. Then you collapsed next to me and apologizing. I didn’t care, I had done my job. You quickly began to dress yourself when I asked, “can you rate my mouth?” You embarrassedly answered, “Are you kidding? You made me cum quick. I’d give you a higher score than 10 if I could.”

Monetization is allowed as long as I am credited. If you would like to change anything, please ask me.
[Hear marketplace noises]
Come along knight. We need to get supplies before we hunt down that red dragon of yours. Don’t worry about the price. I have plenty of money (shakes bags of money).
….
We will still use the food that I grow in my garden, but I can’t grow everything, friend. We will need other rations, tents, bed rolls, and waterskins. Plus some magic potions and some other equipment might not be the worst thing to have. If you are fighting a dragon you will want to be prepared.
….
We don’t need all this? Well, of course we do. Some stuff is for you and some is for me. I’m sure that you have a bed roll already and a waterskin, but I need them if I want to sleep comfortably at night. I’m not sleeping on the ground. I am used to having certain luxuries that I will not give up and sleeping on the ground without anything is one of those.
….
Yes. I could sleep in my dragon form, but that gets tricky out in the open, so I want to avoid it as much as possible.
….
I mean if you want to wake up to people screaming in panic every night and then explain to them that I am not like the rest of my kin. That I will not hurt them and we mean them no harm and no you have not been kidnapped by me, be my guest. That is what will happen everytime that someone comes across us if I sleep in my dragon form. I will use that form for fighting and flying, but the rest of the time I would like to look human, thank you.
….
I have what we need from here. Where would you like to go next? We could go look at weapons, armor, or magic items.
….
[Laughs] Of course, I should have known that you would want to go look at weapons first. The weapons shop is right over there. Follow me. (Door opens) There you are friend, have fun looking around.
….
[Chuckle] It’s an impressive shop is it not? The owner is known for being the best craftsman in the land.
….
Have you found anything that you like?
….
That is a really good sword. Do you want it?
….
You can’t afford it? Of course you can, friend. That is why I am here. I will get it for you. Here give me the sword.
….
You're right, I don’t have to buy it for you, but I want to. Besides if we are going on a quest to kill a dragon you will need the best sword to slay the beast.
….
You don’t need to pay me back. I’m doing this because I want to.
….
Alright, how about this. If you are so insistent that you pay me back then how about you kill the red dragon. That dragon is a bully and is giving all dragons a bad name. I will buy you the weapons that you and after you slay the beast your debt with me will be settled. Does that sound fair?
….
Good. I’m glad that is settled, even though you don’t seem too happy about the arrangement. Now let’s head to the magic shop. There are a few things that we will need before we leave town.
….[Door opening and closing]
I’m going to buy some healing potions. Unless you are a healer?
….
No? Shame. We will have to rely on the potions then.
….
Oh. I think there has been a misunderstanding. The healing potions are not for me, they are for you. We are going up against a very dangerous dragon. You will want all the help you can get.
…..
I’m sure that you are a very capable fighter, but it never hurts to have these in case something goes wrong. Dragons are very cunning and they do not fight fair. It’s better safe than sorry. Now let’s see if they have the other item I’m looking for. Ummm…. Ah, here it is.
….
What is this? This my friend is a dragon poison. It won’t kill a dragon, but it will impair them. Like I said, I like to be prepared. Well I have everything that I need. Is there anything else that you would like before we leave town?
….
No? Alright then let’s get going. It’s going to be a two week journey to his lair in the mountains.
….
[Chuckle] Don’t groan. It’s not my fault you got the wrong information. If you had asked more than one person I’m sure they would have pointed you in the right direction the first time. However I am glad that you ended up at my cave. If you haven’t stumbled into my cave then I wouldn’t get to go on this great adventure. I rarely ever get to go on adventures anymore. This will be fun.
….
So, besides being a knight, what else do you enjoy doing?
…..
Why do I care? I’m just trying to make conversation and I’m curious to know more about you. I find people fascinating.
….
I mean we don’t have to talk about anything personal if you don’t want to. However I would like for us to talk about something or this or going to be a very long and dull journey.
….
There is something you want to ask? Of course. What do you want to know?
….
Why does this village look more prosperous than the other villages around it? Oh, that’s an easy question to answer. So that village is a part of my hoard.
….
[Chuckles] What is with the face? Are you surprised that dragons collect a lot of wealth?
….
Wealth is not just money or treasure. At least not to this dragon. In this case wealth also means relationships with people. Do you remember when I mentioned that I love coming down to visit the villages?
….
So, after getting to know the people I became invested in helping the people out that I had met. Everytime that I would come to visit I would bring a bag of gold to spend and make sure that it was all gone by the time that I left. After doing this several times the village used the gold to build better shops and buy more supplies for those shops. This caused people from all over to come and trade with them. The village has been doing well ever since.
….
Why am I so generous? Because like I said I consider these people part of my hoard. I want them to be well taken care of. That should not shock you. Dragons take great care of their hoards and people that they like which now includes you, my friend.
….
Hm? What did you say? I didn’t quite catch what you said.
….
You enjoy reading in your spare time? Interesting. You don’t strike me as a bookworm. I thought you would have said sparring.
….
I’m not judging you. When we get back I will have to show you my book collection. I think you will like it.
….
You would like that? Great. So out of curiosity, what made you decide to share that about yourself?
….
It’s because I have been so open about telling you things about myself. Well, I’m glad to know a little bit more about you. I think we will be really good friends at the end of this adventure.
….
What’s with the heavy sigh? Do you not want to be friends?
….
It’s not that? Then what is bothering you?
….
This journey is taking too long? [Chuckle] Impatient aren’t we? Well, I can think of one way that would make the journey faster. Do you trust me?
….
You do? Well in that case let’s make this journey a little more (begins to change into dragon form and his voice becomes deeper) interesting. I hope you are not afraid of heights.
….
Stop squirming! I don’t want to accidentally drop you.
….
Why did I change into a dragon? Because you wanted the journey to go faster. We will cover a lot more ground if I fly us to our destination. Do you want me to put you down and continue walking for the next two weeks?
….
No? Alright then hold on tight. We will make it to the mountains in no time.

let's lean into the cringe stereotypes a little 👀
https://preview.redd.it/ibjeinhfeh0d1.png?width=926&format=png&auto=webp&s=e73a8b9eaf23b08fb57792de54c2e6d97e220bc6
I'll go first since I'm asking:
• Goals I don't want to die, ever — I want to live forever and explore endless exoplanets similar to Earth and go on a quest to discover intelligent life outside of our solar system. I also want to continue learning everything for its own sake because I'll always be curious.
All that seems like centuries away and surely will not happen in our lifetime. right? How could I possibly do this? well first of all I'm not delusional enough to believe I can, no one can truly predict with (100%) certainty where technology will go—much less the future; who knows WW3 could break out any day and we could all be dead just like that.
• Plan 1
Luckily I've been fortunate enough to be born in the right country, at the right time. New advancements in AI has allowed me to effectively clone myself, I've been writing 800+ words into my diary every day in the morning for the past 4 years now. I've used that entire data set and fed it into LLM, results weren't too bad; it's very like me, but in no way does it actually think like me (yet). I've taken steps to clone my voice too and can't wait to integrate it with OpenAI new GPT4o multi-modal in the coming weeks.
It will have all my desires, dreams, and persona. And hopefully, with each new iteration better I could make myself come alive one day when the AGI problem finally gets solved.. I've taken the same steps with my mom as well should anything happen. Though as it is now, my digital self remains a mere token predictor, however even if I die now, I at least won't be completely gone from this world. but maybe one day someone could revive me(?) hopefully!
• Plan 2
My other contingency plan is to, in about 5 years from now to sign up for Cryonics before I'm 25 and have a bit more capital to my name, since the procedures can be quite expensive. Even though I know the science doesn't really exist yet to truly preserve your body for such a long time, It doesn't really matter to me. I'm just being hopeful here, that maybe I can be revived one day if at least some of my cells are intact. It at least beats rotting somewhere in a graveyard until you're nothing more than bones/dust.
• Long Term Plan (if I don't die in an accident somehow)
I'm midway through my education in data science and looking to transition to computational neuroscience in about 2 years. I don't know if I'll get a PhD or anything yet, but whenever I have really good research skills and able to use the knowledge practically in coordination with tech, is when I'll really start getting entrepreneurial or joining a tech cult that shares the same enthusiasm.
Current AI agents sorta just mimic humans; it needs millions/billions of examples to learn, rather than a few examples like humans. My goal is to help create neurobiologically inspired models to decode some of the evolutionary cognitive science systems that goes into things like decision-making and learning, perhaps understanding the underlings there could help us achieve true machine-level sentience when we program that "code" into AI agents. Maybe we can even extend this intelligence to animals and humans one day.
I personally would love to merge it with my brain altogether and become a GOD!
Ultimately the main goal of bringing this intelligence is to assist in age-reversal technology so that it can keep humans healthy and immortal indefinitely.
In the meantime having access to these cutting-edge technologies every day may allow me to do some selfish things like using the systems to record my brain waves every day and store it in a lab/computer somewhere so that it can be made easier to revive me one day should I die sooner than expected. I'm sure there'll be some type of earphones to enable this sometime soon.
Meta's sensor-filled helmet, using noninvasive language decoders to discover someone's thoughts makes me optimistic it won't be too long until we're able to decode someone's persona by using those methods, which potentially could be better than LLMs.
This is an interdisciplinary field and there's a universe of science that must be done, but hopefully working on it will at least give me early access to selfishly use it on myself.
Until then, I will be eating healthy, exercising, and doing whatever I can to reduce the speed at which I age.
unhinged time:
But once this technology is possible and I'm immortal, I'm going to extend my consciousness by creating multiple clones of myself and spread it across different regions around the globe. they'll be in secured safe freezers for me to respawn too in case I unexpectedly die (delusional I know :p).
not gonna put my eggs in one basket, scattered buildings are much less riskier than having a lone fortress. from there I will go on to create whatever I want and travel to other planets.
Anyways that's my plan for the next 20-50 years (if I'm not dead hopefully).
But what about you, what's your Master Plan?
🤔
​

I’m wondering if something is wrong? I have been on rover since last summer. It’s my full time gig! I have been able to maintain for the past almost year by just doing Rover. Lately I’d say the past month in a half I’m lucky if I get one request a week sometimes not even that. When I do get a request it’s been nothing but cats. Now don’t get me wrong I love cats & they’re super easy! But I’m wondering why I’m not getting dog requests at all anymore? Is there something wrong with my profile? Is it just a slow time? Like I said I have been on since last August so I haven’t experienced a spring time on Rover & I’m wondering if it’s slow for everyone. But like I was swamped this winter & I thought that would be the slow time…. So idk any advice helps. I’m just getting really discouraged because I love what I do & I was really hoping I could make this my long term if not forever job but now I’m thinking it’s not gonna work out :(

Hey there! I'm a long time D2 player (like, 3500 hours at this point) but I have never really stepped foot into raids aside from one Normal VoG clear 2 years ago and an unfinished VoW attempt. I raided all the time in D1 and really loved the experience, just haven't found the proper time to get involved in a regular group or braved LFG since growing into an adult.
I'm hoping to find some folks to help me sneak in one clear of at least Crota's End and/or RoN before June 4th, even better if I could learn Ghosts of the Deep and Warlord's Ruin before then too. Really just open to anyone welcoming enough to help me out. Weekdays after 6PM PST and weekends before the evening time work best for me! My bungie ID is MW Inkworks#1527, discord is mwinkworks.

I git a job that nearly doubles my income and I'm proud of myself. He has said he's proud, but it's evident that he feels less than par. He has a hard time holding down jobs due to mental health problems. He sends me messages like "I'm sorry I'm a fuck up" or "look I'm already fucking up".
I sort of pushed talking or celebrating this opportunity to the side cause I'm tired of him putting himself down just because he wasn't given an opportunity. It hurts that I can't celebrate and if I tell him he's just gonna say that he's an asshole and sorry. I posted it on Facebook and hide him from seeing it because I just wanted some people to be genuinely happy for me.

I (26F) met my ex-GF (26F) in college when we were about 20 years old. I dated one guy prior in high school but I never really found myself invested in the relationship (ended with me getting cheated on lol) but anyway. I met my GF, let's call her Lia and I swear the first time I saw her I was just inexplicably drawn to her. She reached out to me on Instagram and we started talking and hitting it off from there. We got together about 4-5 months after and were going pretty steady. She was my first girlfriend and probably my first love as well. Things were going great although we were both closeted and hung out as "Friends". While she was my first GF, I was her second and I'm pretty sure she was still in love with her ex, or perhaps still had some lingering feelings. So anyway, she would compare me to her ex a lot and mention all their little fun and cute times together. It bothered me a whole lot but I decided to accept it because I figured she's with me now and I just wanted to make this work.
There were also instances of her making me jealous by being overly close to this one girl. Like having her sit on Lia's lap and stuff. I was pissed but I guess she enjoyed the attention she got from others and the jealousy from me. More than her ex I was uncomfortable with this current girl (Amy). The final year of college comes and I have a planned trip with my friends in winter. It's not even the second day of the trip and she confesses to me that Amy and her shared a drunk kiss. Amy came onto her and she let her. I was seething at this point and lashed out and she lashed out at me trying to make it seem like it was on me. We broke up.
We got back together during the trip itself though. And it was from this point onwards that I hardly opened up to her that backlash I got after being angry at something I felt was valid, just did something to me. And I've never been the one to be confrontational anyway.
After graduating, I got myself into a Uni across the country and she hadn't got herself in any so I suppose the stress from that, me moving across the country and her home situation got to her to the point that she would lash out at me for small things (gosh I can hardly remember what they were about) and only remember the times I cried. She accused me of cheating since my phone was always busy (the network was so shit where I was, I can't even imagine how I would cheat, also I was just a socially anxious loner who read manga and fed dogs in my free time). But she broke up with me citing religion and how it was against her beliefs (she's catholic). It was bullshit but I cried and let it go. She then wanted to get back and we did.
Any who, all these fights we had seemed to always go in circles because I kept bringing up stuff from the past. I guess it was because I would try to rationalize things I was unhappy with and say I was okay when I wasn't and she would want to move on from the mistake she made. But since I was not over them they kept creeping up.
The second year of Uni comes, and we have a big fight again and she blurts out that Amy (remember her) and her kissed another time when she went for a sleepover (she assured me at the time nothing happened) and I guess she forgot she did, and I was livid and she was livid because I was hung up on the past yet again.
After graduating, I moved back home and Covid hit so I was stuck at home with my parents (think drunk dad who unloads his frustration on wife and kids and submissive mom who thinks he has every right to because he provides for us). So being stuck at home with no job and my parents really did a number on my mental health.
Boom, we have another argument over her bringing up her ex-girlfriend and Lia wondering how things would have turned out with her. I asked her if she was still in love with her ex and she hesitated and said she wasn't sure and that she'd always have a soft spot for her (being her first love and all that). At this point I had enough, cried like a baby and initiated a break up for the first time (all our previous break ups were her doing). I told her our relationship would always be a cycle if we never changed (my toxic trait being saying things were fine when they weren't and hers were lashing out whenever she felt like it) and I couldn't do that anymore because it wasn't to fair to her or me, since I told her things were fine when they weren't and it was too late to acknowledge and validate them now. And that was that.
A lot of things happened and although we communicated from time to time, it wasn't much. I then finally got a job in another city and moved. We started talking more after that she realized how she treated me and wanted to get back. It was about after a year that I decided to get back and try to work things out again. I told her that if at any time we reverted to our old selves, that would be it for us. I looked at the relationship as something to start afresh, but she would always bring up the great times we had in the past. But whenever she brought up stuff from the past of how we used to be, I would also recall the bad and although that sucked, I still tried to hold on to this relationship, thinking maybe we can still work this one out. But my mental health had other plans for me lol. She knew how bad I got during Covid but I suppose I just ever really bounced back up.
I had to moved back home, and started spiralling downwards even more. And I felt like I was only disappointing her, she would ask me if I missed her, how I felt when I met her, saw her, etc. But for me it was like even feeling emotions was a huge plus. I suppose I had some form of dissociation because, I would recognize people - in my head I knew who they were but emotionally just never checked out. I told her how I felt, and she said it was alright and that she didn't mind and just wanted to know if I still saw her the same. I told her that she's the one I want to be in a relationship with. Although, with us being in different cities, and different life plans, we may clash but I wanted to take things as they come. But as time went by, I delved deeper and deeper into isolation and although we talked, I disappointed her numerous times by not being able to respond to sexy or cute texts and calls in kind.
So, I broke up with her because its not fair. Although most of the negatives parts of my relationship are mentioned here, we did have many good times together. She made me feel loved, beautiful, and there were times she believed in me more that I believed in myself. I really only wish her the best.
That is all.

Hello,
I only have experiences with loved ones who grieved and would share their grief with me openly. But I never encountered a person who shut down (eg; do not respond to texts, calls, etc) , I want to make sure I am doing everything I can do to help my friend!
Things I did:

1. Sending a 'care package' like food
2. Informed my friend that I'm here for them to share their grief and that my friend is under no pressure to respond (as I would want to give them space if they want to grief alone)
3. I dont want to seem infringe on my friend's space, should I completely leave my friend alone now? Follow up after every x weeks? How could I best support my friend further?

Thanks!

I had a great time with this 1997 game. The game was easy to learn, it uses an action point system similar to the original XCom or Xenonauts, so I slid in real easy. While the opening cave serves as a check on if your built character is "viable", I did half follow a guide. The timer ticking down was my biggest apprehension going in; it's actually very generous, I wasted a ton of time reading skill books and healing with plenty of time to spare.
The #1 thing about this game is how incredibly atmospheric it is, so eeriey and mysterious. That opening cut-scene was great. I saw plenty of 50s theming with the robots and greaser jackets and such. There's also how sadistically gruesome the combat is. I vividly remember my first combats against super-mutants, with them zapping me in half and setting me on fire. But firing full auto into someone at point blank is incredibly satisfying. Crippling limbs really helped to keep the combat interesting, and the flavor text accompanying attacks was some Matt Mercer style cool.
The skill system for this game is a bit wonky. Some skills were pointless. I pickpocked half the people I met without putting any points into the Stealing skill (because I had high Agility), and it didn't effect my Karma. While Repair and Lockpicking are essential skills. First Aid was great for giving me XP and free healing, while I never received a crippled limb to use Doctor on. The way the game handles weapon progression is that Energy & Heavy Weapons represent your end-game capabilities (if you started with those skills, you'd have none to use).
I love how weapons are handled. You load and unload guns, and put in anti-personnel and armor-piercing bullets to fit the situation. I would pick up enemy guns, yank out the clip, then drop them.
The quests were fun and memorable, with variable solutions, and a lot you can talk through.
One of my favorite memories in this game is investigating The Glow, with the sense of danger, discovery, reactivity to my skills, while managing my radiation levels, and getting end-game equipment at the bottom just by chucking a few pulse grenades .
The first time I fought death claws, I was well prepared with a Plasma Rifle (despite no spare ammo for it), and a tip from some geezer on where to shoot it. That went alright. But, soon after I got my Power Armor, a gang enforcer beat me to death with his bare hands. It turned out, he was hopped up on Psycho and had spiked knuckles. Came as a real shock. Overall, I had a great time. I would say the end-game areas were some of my most frustrating experiences: Force-fields in the military base, and being locked out of peacefully infiltrating the Cathedral just because I had talked to the Followers of the Apocalypse. Sorting through my inventory and packing loot onto companions to carry was a real chore; I can see why the guide said to forget the loot and gamble to buy anything you want. Sometimes, allies felt like herding cats, but they aren't as bad as people make it out to be (just respect lines of fire, and don't use a chaingun unless you want everything in front of you dead).

For starters, the title is an obvious reference to Finding Nemo.
I thought this episode in particular to be very mean spirited. David is gone for most of the episode and no one cares, Stevie notwithstanding of course. No one wonders at all why he ran off and when they find him, they don’t have the curiosity of asking him if he’s ok. David texted Alexis earlier and she said and did absolutely NOTHING. I get that the Roses are supposed to be apathetic, but this is a new low, even for them. Moria only cares about her stupid bag and Alexis is caught in boy drama.
David was clearly going through a hard time and no one gives him any sympathy whatsoever, not even Stevie as she acted completely disgusted by him even though she openly and nicely declined his offer to go to New York as he didn’t intentionally lead her on and wasn’t aware of her continuing feeling for him. He had abandonment issues which I wished could have been explored more outside of the penultimate episode where David chooses to stay in Schitt’s Creek.
David was the only one of the Roses who was genuinely lonely and craved for love and a shoulder to cry which Johnny, Moira and even Alexis had. Then after he is found he gets bashed on continuously until the episode ends. I felt really bad for him, not that running away is an excuse, but he really needed someone to console him.
That’s my thoughts on the episode, what are yours?

Asc y’all.
My ex-girlfriend (28) from years ago still reaches out periodically. It's been years since we broke up, but there wasn't any bad blood, so we've kept in touch Snapchat facebook and even on iMessage.
Background. We were basically high school sweethearts. she's the only girl I've ever had true feelings for. I'm not sure if she felt the same at the time but she said so. I knew she was also seeing another guy at the time but because I loved her so much I just went with the flow. Hey, I was just a kid, so don't judge me. Our relationship was on-again-off again. I dated a lot of different girls from different nationalities and lots of Somali girls but i've always remained close with her even when I was dating these other girls. I guess I never got over her lol and she seemed to feel the same way.
A couple of years ago I met this good girl we started dating and before I knew it we were married. Imo i was a bit rushed but I don’t really mind because I’ve never gotten anything but love from my wife we also have a baby on the way 🤯 Everything is happening so fast man. I have a good paying job so I'm more than able to take care of my family. The only thing that bothers me is that my wife lied to me about owing almost 18k in student loans and another 20k in car loans. Now that she's not working anymore she’s expecting me to pay all this which I’m not sure about because I have my own student loans to worry about. This is not the important part.
A month or so ago my ex-girlfriend reached out. She was in my state for a close family member's wedding so she wanted us to meet up before she left. (She knows I'm married.) She said we just talk for old times sake and nobody needs to know. So I got us a Turo and we went on a nice date. I know this is wrong but I did it anyway because I kinda missed her man , nothing haram we just ate, walked, and talked. She unloaded on me bro I had to sit there and listen waying how she would do to anything be with me but she also knows it's impossible. This wrecked me bro seeing her cry and she also said she hasn't been with someone like me since then. So I took her to the hotel left her there, and the next day she flew back home.
I hate to admit this to myself but I think I need to go and see her one last time. It sucks but it has to stop forever. I don’t want to sound like a simp but she still smells feels and looks the same. I don't know why I didn’t hold on to her back then This sucks walahi. But I had to get this off my chest. So fk it
Note: we are both Somali.

This happened a year ago, but my heart is still shattered and I need to get this off my chest.
I (F30) had a best friend (M29) and we grew extremely close. There was no one in the world I trusted more than him. One night after a year of friendship we ended up in a hotel and… you get the picture. Best sex of my life, it was intimate, so safe and passionate at the same time.
We began sleeping together a few times a week. We decided not to date cuz of circumstances (finances, wanting different lifestyles and family plans), but I was definitely falling in love anyway.
Two months later he told me he had fallen in love. He wrote me a love letter and said the most romantic things about how I was everything he’s always dreamed of. I thought I would die of happiness—until he said that despite how he felt, circumstances hadn’t changed. He did not want to be in a relationship or exclusive right now, but he hoped things would be different one day.
We continued acting like a couple. I couldn’t lose my best friend and was in too deep at that point. We had each other’s phone passcodes, I helped him run his business, I love yous every night, he paid for a vacation for us, and lots of passionate sex. There were instances where he flirted and once when he kissed someone else, which caused fights, but I always ended up letting it go cuz I knew we weren’t exclusive.
Then one weekend a year ago he was at my house, we slept together like always and the next day he said I should invite some of our mutual friends over. So I did.
I knew he had hooked up with one friend (B) a couple years before when they were both on molly, and though I felt uncomfortable he told me it was a one time thing cuz of the drugs and he wasn’t into her.
I trusted him fully—he was my best friend first and foremost, after all. But you can guess how this ends…
Long story short, he ends up making out with her and fingering her IN MY BED while I was in another room.
I only found out two months later, when B admitted the truth to me. She said she had wanted to go all the way (cuz she didn’t know me and him had anything—we kept it a secret) but he stopped it in the middle saying, “I can’t do this to (my name).” That’s when she realized something was going on between me and him.
I had suspected something was off, cuz right after this happened he pulled away and began acting cold and like a jerk to me for no apparent reason. He said hurtful things, would ignore me for days… it was so out of character but I had already started grieving by the time she told me.
He came back to make amends a few times, and I’m embarrassed to say I gave him a couple more chances over the next few months. But it never ended well.
I went NC five months ago. But my heart is still shattered, because I was betrayed by my best friend. Who I had trusted and loved more than I’ve ever trusted or loved any man before.
TL;DR: My best friend turned situationship fooled around with our other friend in my bed.

I got heavy GAS during Covid, bought a bunch of stuff and rarely used it. I basically still just play my old acoustic and nothing else, ha.
I'd of course prefer a local sale, but I'm happy to ship on your dollar so long as it's shipped fully insured.
Both the Coupe and YY10 have been played once each and set on their stand. I bought both brand new from Sweetwater.
Coupe - $850
YY10 - $775
The Vox sounds great, and has been played maybe 40 hours in the 4 or so years I've owned it. Never gigged, bought from another gent who also only played it in his home who bought it new. No one has left this one on standby (I know this can be an issue with this model, so both the former owner and I have avoided it). Comes with official Vox cover. - $850
The EBMM Stingray is stunning, and you'll struggle to find a nicer example in the pace car blue finish with gold hardware. Comes with an EB hardcase. Just a stunning bass, and I wish I played bass just so I could justify owning it. $1700.
https://imgur.com/a/atp-stuff-sale-on-5-14-24-ccNZmkJ

So my current girl friend (29F) of 2 years lied to me a few months ago about talking to this guy (as friends).. She’s never met him, though I have. When I confronted her about it she lied and said that they never talked, but later admitted they snap chatted every day but there wasn’t anything to it. I told her awhile back that I had a funny feeling about him, I never told her not to speak to him, however she told me she wouldn’t talk to him. She continued to Snapchat him anyway knowing how I felt. She said that she didn’t want to be rude to him. Fast forward a few months, her and this other guy from the past are loving/liking each others pictures on IG. Then a guy messaged me to tell me that my girlfriend has something going on with this guy. I confronted her about it, but she keeps telling me that she hasn’t done anything wrong. I want to believe her, but my mind is just racing with thoughts telling me I can’t and it is causing arguments. What do I do?!