3 letters EMP I understand that the killer would be too op without them, and I'm not saying remove them but on large and indoor maps EMPs are too oppressive.
I want to main Singularity but EMPs make countering it way to easy, it's one thing that it can be used on teammates, but the fact that survivors don't have to spend much time getting them and that it essentially removes your power is a large penalty that the Devs sadly didn't account for.
I'm not gonna rant forever about EMPs needing to be eradicated and that all survivors need to perish (mainly because I play 50/50), but BHVR needs to address Singularitys issues.
I have a small solution maybe make the EMPs like the 1st aid sprays from Wesker or the Syringes from Nemesis, where they don't automatically generate(I'm not saying they should be a limited resource), this would make it a bigger hassle for survivors to get EMPs without making Singularity too powerful. (I have about 2k hours if somebody with more experience wants to explain why this is good or bad please do)
Also make Soma Family Photo Basekit

Hey Reddit! I struggle with dyslexia and writing - so I made this voice-native document editor that combines reliable dictation and natural language commands, letting you say things like: “make this a list” or “it’s Erin with an E” or “add an inline citation here for page 86 of this book”. You can use the free sandbox on the website withaqua.com - Here is a demo: https://youtu.be/qwSAKg1YafM.
I'd love to hear your ideas and comments with voice-to-text!

I don’t exactly know if this is the place to ask, but I really need advice or clarity and the situation touches on themes related to the sub. I’m not Karma farming I very much need advice on what to do
I’d say I have a strong moral compass.
I’m 21 and for most of my life I was kinda a teachers pet, goodie two shoes, Boy Scout etc.
And even now in all aspects of my life I normally am, I always hold doors, put my cart away, straighten shelf’s when I put something back.
Not that I don’t have a rebel or mean or lazy side but
I’m also rose tinted glasses and I’m told by everyone I’m too nice.
After a year of therapy and self reflection I’ve come to the realization that when I do genuine kind things I do them out of genuine kindness but a layer deeper it’s also cause I wanna be loved and liked.
When I feel I don’t meet up to my standards I feel really guilty or anxious even when things are out of my control
Like the one relationship I’ve had she broke up with me and it was fine no fights, but for months I was stirken with guilt cause her grandma who she lives with is a complete cunt
Like I don’t think I saw the worst of it but grandma was killing my exes self esteem the grandmother liked me better than her granddaughter it was night and day.
I felt guilty cause even though we broke up I knew that I brought her some light into her life. We had dreams of getting her out of that house and for us to have a loving home for eachother and some animals.
I’m over that guilt but I feel hints of it with what’s going on now .
So more exposition, as much as I have worked on myself physically and mentally the one thing I still struggle with is relationships
Both platonic and romantic
I’m single I got a couple of good friends I don’t see often but hoping to change that
But I’m super grateful for the people in my life, maybe to much, I over gift I over thank,
I get attached to folk who are nice to me real easy
And especially with woman and I’m not blaming them
I have a horrible tendency to succumb to limerence and putting them on a pedestal.
I think I might be a love junkie or something which is kinda weird since I’ve only ever dated once. I never even been on a traditional date.
The definite thing though is I’m very very lonely
But now to the current situation
I went onto forever alone dating. Messaged a few people a month ago.
One of these woman is 23 from Italy and we talked on an off then just periods of radio silence
She found someone in Italy while we talked
Which was fine, I was just glad to have the opportunity to speak with someone from Italy, it’s on my bucket list the visit I love the food, culture and history.
But the other day, I messaged just checking in looking for conversation
She said she wasn’t doing well and suggested to read her latest post
In summary, that guy she met they planned to both move to America, but he just abandoned her and now she’s homeless and shunned by her family. plus he was a physically abusive piece of shit I won’t even call him a man he’s a fucking animal she showed me scars and bruises
She’s still in Italy
I genuinely felt bad and was just there to help her vent and process this.
I offered to send her a lil money, to help her get a lil food and water.
And she proved she was real it wasn’t a scam, I sent 30 bucks
She’s very grateful
I do genuinely believe that true acts of kindness inspire others
But now that we are talking even more and we’ve both seen what we look like and sound like.
I can feel my stupid dumbass part of my brain leaking this very dumb thought of
“Maybe there is a chance”
I feel so scummy and I keep trying to fight it off
I know I shouldn’t do anything especially now she just escaped that monster and she’s out in the streets.
She just seems so vulnerable and lost and scared and I wanna help.
But now I’m so confused why I’m doing this should I be doing this.
Am I doing this out of genuine kindness
Or am I falling into nice guy, white knight , simp type shit.
I feel like I’m mostly doing the right thing for the right reason, which is she needs help and someone to talk to.
I really don’t expect anything out of her.
But I can feel my dumbass getting infatuated and I feel calling myself a dumbass is appropriate cause I do this to myself
I just I’m gonna keep helping her within my means nothing drastic.

I don’t really care about spoilers for this manga so if you need to spoil something go for it
That being said, I’m on about chapter 35 ish. I don’t really understand the meaning of the story. Well, i get that it’s saitama’s journey to find a purpose. I initially thought that he’d want to get recognition and have people be grateful to him for his deeds, and to be recognized as the greatest hero. It seems that shortly after he joined the HA, that didn’t matter to him in the slightest
Ok, so he wants another way of finding meaning. First of all, he’s saving millions of innocent lives all the time so I’d assume there’s meaning in that. But, let’s assume there isn’t. Where could the story possibly go that will make for a revelation moment for him? It seems like it’s all about fighting monsters.
In other words, what’s the point? What’s the substance of it? I don’t mean this in a judgemental way, I’m genuinely asking. If the whole thing is him fighting monsters and not getting credit for it, then i probably will stop reading.
For example, in one piece there’s a tangible goal. Not only does he want the one piece, but that’s more of a means to an end. His meaningful goal is to obtain true freedom through being king of the pirates. That’s an ending i can look forward to, and root for him on his way there. With OPM, i feel like im just watching a monster fighting/super hero anime. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with that. And i understand OP and OPM are different shows. I’m just saying that if there isn’t that tangible idea of a purpose then it might not be for me
Not at all judging anyone for finding this manga amazing. The art and characters are beyond amazing. I love that about it. I just don’t know if I’ll invest my time into it but based on your responses perhaps i will. Thanks in advance!

Hey everyone, thought I'd try again at finding a new friend who is sorta like me and sorta not so I can still learn and engage in the things they like haha. Just some friendly conversation with another possibly ND person (I'm autistic) around my age who likes to info dump and go on and on about the things they are passionate about.
Lately I've found myself without many friends. Some of it's my fault, some of it isn't. Life hit me hard and I fell into a deep depressive episode and not everyone was good for my health you know? I was the therapist friend that no one was willing to help. So, now I'm lonely despite being mentally better haha. I'll leave some info about me, and if you decide I'm interesting enough I can't wait to hear from you.
I'm a big nerd, love horror anything so if you do too that'd be nice. Who doesn't like bitching about bad horror movies. Also I am very left politically and hold my views staunchly. I'm a gamer of course, and play lots of different things. Right now I'm hooked on Dave The Diver and a racing game. I used to be a musician, happy to tell you about that. Have chronic health issues, and I'm a spoonie. IFYKYK. Trying to exercise and treat my body better. To build strength, not too worried about the dad bod haha. Anyways, if you're interested message me your asl and a fruit, with some tidbits about yourself. Chats are preferred, and I won't respond to empty profiles.

In the area I live, it seems like at least half the people above 18 have tattoos. I’m not talking tiny things that are barely visible…these are people with really nice sleeves, leg or forearm tatts, etc.
I’d like to get a tattoo myself, so I usually observe what other people have. If it’s someone I don’t know, I might tell them “I like your tattoo/ink.” I usually get a smile and a genuine “thank you” from the person. I don’t always do this…it’s only if I get a gut feel they’d be receptive to the compliment. f it’s someone I know better, I might ask them where they got it, and whether the experience with the shop and artist were good.
That said, I’m wondering if I’m out of bounds, creepy or rude if I make this kind of comment. I realize every person could have a different reaction, and as I said I give genuine compliments to some people occasionally.
What do all y’all think?

Hey there, here is my review for who cares to read it. I am gonna keep it simple as most people have launched a lot of good and bad points! Just another nobody dropping my opinion!
Fair notice HW is more about the art sound and story to me then it is the game mechanics so I wont touch most of that.
Soundtrack: Seriously how amazing is this. If anything the soundtrack takes this home. It is just incredible to hear and mix with the older entries. Really try mixing it on a playlist it just fits so well, it screams and sounds homeworld! I use all of the HW soundtracks for my creative endeavors and this one is anther godsend. Im not sure it wa 100% made solely by Paul Ruskay, but I can not stress enough just how divine the sound track is to let me immerse fully into that mysterious far away feel so peculiar of HW.
Ambience: Ive paused this game to death so I could look at every single little detail that might be hidden. Might be a bit biased here but I love homeworld for the feeling of wonder. The backgrounds and colors now mixed with new hazy environments make me feel like I am in some mythical dream space. I wish I could express my words better but it will definitely make me wanna draw lots of new things. The megaliths might feel a bit to claustrophobic at times but holy jesus they are and look amazing. Some levels look like a piece of art, really its that beautiful and it left me mouth open.
Combat: Combat was never what I looked for in this game franchise so my opinion is a bit mute here. I do feel sometimes it goes to fast for my liking and some units might not respond so well but I think time will fix this. I do miss watching my slow lumbering ships get ready for action tough and I wish I could have some places with more distance.
Ship designs: Fellas I am a HW1 diehard fan. No ships will ever look better then the Taiidan Ships from HW1 to me :D. Now putting that aside all of the new ships look great! I loved pausing and zooming in on them.
We definitely can see that Higaaran designs have jumped technologically even if the weapon systems don't always make sense, I do think a more streamlined fleet makes a lot of sense. The fighters looks suspiciously a bit Taiidan to me and I like that we might be going full circle there..
The incarnate ships could have had a bit more divergence to them but they are growing on me already. The destroyers look like angry space fish that don't take no for an answer and I'm digging that a lot. Loved all the other little ships you see in the tutorial and campaign start. Kalaan ships were great also! Probably my favorite! I low key love the mega freighter and im happy we rammed it.
Wargames: Played just a couple. Seemed ok to me but I hope we get new fleets (id kill for a Taiidan fleet haha) Please devs?
Lore/Story: Here is where I might be a bit more negative. It starts great. It was amazing to launch from Higaara itself. SERIOUSLY people, how cool was that small part. I almost felt in DOK again and I lost some time here also. It was nice to see Higaara. I loved the Kalaan raiders and a fact that these Taiidan vassals still hate us, for me curiously this was the the cherry on the cake and I loved this little lore detail. The Kalaan captain for the little screen time he had was a great small villian and I wished I had seen him more.
What can I say. I love this franchise to death but I would lie if I wouldn't say that after this point I feel it went down hill there is no denying it. It was not what I was expecting and our main villain was really off putting, I have memed her to death (pigeon on discord, zoom call meme) but I have made my peace with it. I have seen people criticizing about Imogen and Isaac (which is your right if you feel so) but I really feel they worked well in general! It was nice to see a more inexperienced person in command and In general I think Isaac grew on me over time.
Again the Incarnate Queen leaves much to be desired and I firmly believe if we had a more ''serious'' villain in terms of being able to keep his cool and composure this would have been a nice addition to the greater hw story. I guess we got so used to the 1 liner stoic villians from before that this just clashed to much. IQ could have been vocal as she was but I wished there was more maturity. The rest of the campain was ok. Also missed the mini enemies factions that were a HW staple of the series, but i absolutely loved the Kalaan raiders and the little lore we got with them. I could go on a deep dive about the fgreater HW lore that I felt was missing but that's it there is no point for me to debate this more :D
Also I miss the animatics from the old ones. Even In DOK I missed the old style animatics but I guess that makes the older ones so much more special to me now. Didn't care much for the whole dance of personalities going on. That new CGI could have been used to showcase more wonderfull HW places :P!
My conclusion: Take a seat here because this might be a tad emotional. I love Homeworld. No seriously I know you love it also but I love it. No other game has manged to pull me so deep and I still don't know why. It was there when my life went to sh*t and it was there when it got back on track. Homeworld for me will forever be the trip I did from Kharak to Higaara. Nothing will beat 1999 child me listening to the soundtrack for the first time. My main character will always be Banana ship 1 with Karan onboard and all the colonist trays I manged to save. My vilian will always be the Taiidan Emperor and the many little battles I made to get ''home'' (and junkyard dog lol). I will forever try to save the colonist trails and every time Elson hyperspaces above to save me it still makes me fuzzy inside.
And you see I think that is my problem. Somebody else had said here that the OG HW was lightning in a bottle and It will never happen again and I believe it.
For some cataclysm was the high point and while I agree its amazing I still prefer og HW. The Vaygr and Makaan felt like imposters to me, I defeated the Taiidan and retook Higaara, surely bathtub jesus wont stop me. Over time he grew on me and I made my peace with HW2 and it changes and now I do really like it. The scene with the Keeper is just engraved in me and I hum the tune from time to time without noticing. As flawed as I think hW3 story was I am happy to be back in the homeworld universe. I'm happy I finally got to see the megaliths and I wish we could have seen even more! I wasen't initially sure of it but now I am.
To finish while a lot of the criticism is fair I feel a lot of it is reaching points of nitpicking at this point. While story wise it wasent what maybe most of us wanted It looks beautiful and I would still recommend people to get it. I wish and hope that we get all the fleets (like remastered did) together for the the wargames and skirmish! And hopefully ill see another homeworld in the future.
Thank you for reading trough my poorly constructed mess of a review. Expect new homeworld drawings to come soon!

Seven ravens go with Arianne Martell to be Doran's eyes and ears to Aegon and the Golden Company in the Stormlands. And while Arianne's journey progresses she will likely need to make a choice... will she send the word 'dragon' home in a letter, the coded word asking for Dorne to call their spears and join Aegon's cause? Or will the word be 'war'? (...in this case 'war' means 'wait')... I'll let you decide - I assume most people's minds are pretty set on this point, and mine own is not really standard canon, so I will only say the last raven seems an ill omened thing as the seventh of a set is often linked to The Stranger, Westeros' god of death.
The topic I hoped to brainstorm today is not actually about what Arianne decides... but rather what happens next. Because I notice with a lot of theories the assumption is that the Dornish houses waiting on Arianne's response will march in lockstep with whatever her and Doran's order is... but... will they? Some of the Dornish houses seem pretty independent-minded and I feel there's been some fairly significant foreshadowing emerging that Doran's hold over the the kingdom is only tentative at best. That's worth discussing... In particular three houses seem to repeatedly stand out as possibilities to challenge the peace regardless of the Martells' wishes: Houses Yronwood, Fowler, and Uller....

House Fowler 🪶

The Fowlers make their home at Skyreach, a castle with a lofty perch and soaring stone towers carved into the stone slopes of the Red Mountains overlooking the Prince's Pass, one of two major overland routes into Dorne, and the easier to traverse of the two (the other being the steep and treacherous Boneway). The House is led by Lord Franklyn Fowler 'the Old Hawk', who has two twin daughters - Jeyne and Jennelyn. What could cause House Fowler to rebel against the Martells?
Sign #1 - The Fowlers closeness with Lady Nym
Oberyn's death was a rallying cry for a lot of Dorne desiring vengeance against the Lannisters, and in particular the news greatly effected the Sand Snakes - Nymeria Sand is said to be 'famously' close with the Fowler twins, she was actually with them the moment she learned of Oberyn's death, and it follows they likely sympathize with her position. In fact when Lady Nym first pitches Doran her plan to assassinate key Lannisters in King's Landing she does so by pleading the Fowler house words to him: "You know the Fowler words? Let Me Soar! That is all I ask of you. Let me soar, Uncle. I need no mighty host, only one sweet sister." And Doran would later tell Arianne that Nym is 'too close to the Fowler twins' (and thus unable to keep secrets from them). I imagine the Fowlers did not take the news well when they learned of Nymeria's imprisonment afterwards...
Sign #2 - Arianne's plea to Lord Fowler
Then when Arianne Martell is imprisoned herself after her Queenmaker plot she attempts to send out a secret message with one of her attendants to plead for help to free her from her father's grasp. She considers different options to address this letter to, someone ideally receptive to the idea of rebelling against Doran (which is no small thing to ask!) but also powerful enough to do so. Her first thoughts drift to Yronwood, but decides against them only because they fostered Quentyn and she believes he and Anders are conspiring against her, then goes through a few of the houses of her friends before finally deciding "that she had but two real hopes: Harmen Uller, Lord of Hellholt, and Franklyn Fowler, Lord of Skyreach and Warden of the Prince's Pass."
She ultimately decides to pen the letter to Lord Fowler because she thinks the Ullers as half-mad to the point of having a dangerous response. After that the attendant Cedra is presumably caught by Doran's men as she never reappears and Areo tells us that she was sent to the Water Gardens. But even without the letter actually going out the fact that she chose Lord Fowler to send this plea to probably says a lot about their overall relationship with Doran.
Sign #3 - A Toast to Tommen
In the Watcher chapter during the presentation of The Mountain's skull a toast to Tommen is made, and those who choose to drink or to refuse it give us another indication of the sentiments around Dorne... this is not subtly implied as much as it is directly pointed out by Areo:

The white knight did drink, as was only courteous. His companions likewise. So did the Princess Arianne, Lady Jordayne, the Lord of Godsgrace, the Knight of Lemonwood, the Lady of Ghost Hill … even Ellaria Sand, Prince Oberyn's beloved paramour, who had been with him in King's Landing when he died. Hotah paid more note to those who did not drink: Ser Daemon Sand, Lord Tremond Gargalen, the Fowler twins, Dagos Manwoody, the Ullers of the Hellholt, the Wyls of the Boneway. If there is trouble, it could start with one of them. Dorne was an angry and divided land, and Prince Doran's hold on it was not as firm as it might be. Many of his own lords thought him weak and would have welcomed open war with the Lannisters and the boy king on the Iron Throne.

Again the Fowler twins and Ullers show us that they still hold a lot of resentment. Daemon Sand makes sense too - he was part of Oberyn's retinue in King's Landing (sometimes rumored to have had a relationship with him) and watched him die, and after the Sand Snakes were imprisoned he went to Sunspear to demand their release and was imprisoned himself for the trouble. I'd keep an eye on him in Arianne's plot.
The Yronwoods weren't in attendance for the toast, however the Wyls were and refused it - I get the sense they are pretty close with the Yronwoods, both of which have their houses on the Boneway where they've joined forces. Another party that refused the toast, the Manwoodys, are stationed in the Prince's Pass and likely close allies with the Fowlers - lending more weight to the idea that this area is rebellious. House Gargelene is the one that's most difficult to place, being located in a fairly isolated spot in the south of Dorne at Salt Shore.
Sign #4 - The Troops in the Passes
By Arianne's TWOW excerpts we also hear that the troops in the Prince's Pass and the Boneway are becoming restless:

In the Boneway and the Prince’s Pass, two Dornish hosts had massed, and there they sat, sharpening their spears, polishing their armor, dicing, drinking, quarreling, their numbers dwindling by the day, waiting, waiting, waiting for the Prince of Dorne to loose them on the enemies of House Martell.

Darkstar's Plot
So how might the Fowlers act out? Outside of Arianne's raven being sent (and depending on the result), I think we should be keeping an eye on the Darkstar plot. Darkstar, per his own words and actions, seems to want to start a war against the crown and has presumably fled back to his home of High Hermitage in the Red Mountains where its implied he has support. He will probably pass by Starfall on the way up the Torrentine's rushing waters, but the Prince's Pass and Skyreach are both not that far from his location and in fitting with the prior indications of the Fowlers' intentions and Darkstar's overall goals he may try to incite the already anxious troops there to raid the Dornish Marches. These houses have a long history of animosity towards the Reach and Marcher Lords whose defenses will be exposed with Euron's attacks. Such an assault could parallel prior rogue leaders the Vulture Kings.

House Uller 🏜️

We've already seen that the Ullers play out somewhat similarly to the Fowlers - they were one of the major considerations for Arianne to send her plea for help to, and they were one of the parties notably refuising Tommen's toast. Lord Harmen Uller is the current Lord of the Hellholt, "a grim, stinking seat beside the sulfurous yellow waters of the Brimstone" located near the deep sands in the centesouth of Dorne.
There is a saying in Dorne we are told: 'half the Ullers are 'half-mad and the other half are worse.' And as Ellaria Sand is Lord Harmen's natural daughter when she and her little ones (Elia, Obella, Dorea, and Loreza) were locked away with the rest of the Sand Snakes Arianne thinks this would 'have made Lord Harmen wroth, and the Ullers were dangerous when wroth.' Its worth noting that in Arianne's Queenmaker plot her end goal was to get to Hellholt to officially crown Myrcella and raise her banners there...
What's interesting about Uller is that while they have a lot of reason to rebel there is at least one pacifying force headed their way - Ellaria Sand (who is also bringing Loreza with her). Ellaria sand accepted the toast to Tommen and despite having been Oberyn's paramour and closer to him than anyone as well as being there for his death, she is actually one of the strongest voices arguing for peace.

"A start?" said Ellaria Sand, incredulous. "Gods forbid. I would it were a finish. Tywin Lannister is dead. So are Robert Baratheon, Amory Lorch, and now Gregor Clegane, all those who had a hand in murdering Elia and her children. Even Joffrey, who was not yet born when Elia died. I saw the boy perish with mine own eyes, clawing at his throat as he tried to draw a breath. Who else is there to kill? Do Myrcella and Tommen need to die so the shades of Rhaenys and Aegon can be at rest? Where does it end?"

A Hidden Hellholt Chapter?
Given the Hellholts relative isolation you might be thinking how this could factor further into the plot.... maybe some news of Ellaria's daughters? Or later on if there is an invading force (as Ellaria and Doran fear is coming)?But I've actually been thinking that before Areo Hotah shows up in the Red Mountains we may get to see a chapter with him and Obara and Balon Swann at the Hellholt with Ellaria and Lord Harmen Uller, it would be rewarding to catch up with these characters and see their clashing perspectives on vengeance and Areo on the trail of Darkstar. Per some recent analysis of GRRM's chapter hints we can also kind of conclude there may be a few Areo chapters in varying locations. Another interesting thing pointing me in that direction is the soon to be released 2025 calendar which will be featuring artwork of the Hellholt... that's a strange inclusion for a castle with few mentions (the most relevant of which being Rhaenys' mysterious death long ago), and a lot of the other locations on the calendar do suspiciously have relevant plots nearing them in Winds (so if we haven't seen them already we may do so soon).
The logistics work out pretty well as Hellholt is practically a necessary stop on the way westward to the Red Mountains by land. Even though Arianne herself knows the desert well....

Beyond Vaith the deep sands waited. They would need help from Sandstone and the Hellholt to make that crossing, but she did not doubt that it would be forthcoming.

...Even she fears to tread the deep sands alone... and for Obara it may be the same despite her experience. You really should have a desert guide to locate water sources and navigate the terrain ("In the deep sands a man must hoard his water."). And one of the last safe stops for water and guides is the Hellholt making it invaluable for travelers crossing the sands. The sandstorms seem especially dangerous:

[...]beyond Vaith, western Dorne is naught but a vast sea of restless dunes where the sun beats down relentlessly, giving rise from time to time to savage sandstorms that can strip the flesh from a man's bones within minutes.

House Yronwood ⛓️

The Yronwoods are Dorne's second strongest house and their seat is located up in the high meadows of the Red Mountains near the Boneway where the air is always crisp and cool after dark, no matter how hot the day had been. Anders Yronwood, the Bloodroyal, is the leader here.
Even though previously we've seen a few signs that the Yronwoods may rebel given their brief consideration for Arianne's letter for help, and the Wyls' refusal of Tommen's toast, the biggest reason for them to strike out on their own might be their uniquely fractious relationship with the Martells. In fact, we were told Yronwood was only just recently on the verge of rebellion after Oberyn allegedly poisoned Lord Edgar Yronwood in a duel after he was found abed with Edgar's paramour, and it was only Doran's quick thinking that avoided it.

Blood feud and rebellion would surely have followed Lord Edgar's death, had not her father acted at once. The Red Viper went to Oldtown, thence across to the narrow sea to Lys, though none dared call it exile. And in due time, Quentyn was given to Lord Anders to foster as a sign of trust. That helped to heal the breach between Sunspear and the Yronwoods, but it had opened new ones between Quentyn and the Sand Snakes...

Quentyn Aftermath & The Blackfyres
And the biggest thing that may reopen that wound is, not surprisingly, news of Quentyn's voyage. Anders Yronwood has lost two sons on what could be seen as a pretty foolish attempt to court Daenerys including his son and heir Cletus Yronwood, who was sent along on the voyage and died from a corsair attack off the coast of the Disputed Lands. The other son? Quentyn Martell himself.... despite him being a Martell, he is really more Yronwood at heart. He grew up in Yronwood with Anders, his best friend was Cletus, he became smitten with his eldest daughter Ynys (who is now heir to Yronwood), and then later fell in love with Gwyneth, the youngest daughter of Anders.... All of Quentyn's memories are with the Yronwood really and Arianne even notes he is somewhat a stranger to her and Sunspear. Doran himself is forced to admit that "Anders Yronwood has been more a father to him than I have".
Anders hasn't heard anything yet from Meereen, information moves slowly in Essos (which has no messenger ravens so it needs to be carried by hand) and most of the people who can pass on that message, like Arch and Drink, are still caught up in the Battle of Fire (and hoping that the Tattered Prince will be merciful to them for their previous desertion). Any news that might get back could end up with a distorted and unflattering picture of Daenerys too (and some of that fallout may carryover to Aegon who seeks to ally with her).
But even before it does the troops commanded by the Yronwoods in the Boneway are conveniently close to the events happening in the Stormlands with the Golden Company. And the Yronwoods have been suspiciously consistent partners of the Golden Company and Blackfyres in the past (which often drew in second houses with a lot to gain), which is all the more interesting given the rumors around Aegon ("Lords of Yronwood rode for the black dragon in no less than three of the five Blackfyre Rebellions.") So if Arianne seeks to side with Aegon and JonCon the Yronwoods might be the first to throw in with that cause... especially if its also a way to oppose Mace Tyrell given his hatred of all things Dorne. However, it might also be interesting if she takes after her father's advice to be cautious and tries to hold back her forces, leading to the Yronwoods ignorning her and Doran's commands and striking out on their own anyways. And it will be interesting how these events may combine with the x-factor of news of Quentyn and Cletus arriving at some point (whatever the timing of that might be in relation to the Battle of Steel).

So what do you think of Houses Fowler, Uller, and Yronwood... will we see them act out in Winds or play loyal bannermen to Doran?
~Thank you for Reading!~
TLDR This post explores the ample foreshadowing that Houses Fowler, Uller, and Yronwood may be unreliable allies of Doran when pressed, and their reaction may not follow what we'd expect when Arianne sends out her last raven either calling Dorne's spears to side with the Golden Company or holding off and keeping to the passes (taking after her father's more prudent advice). Could the Fowlers join with Darkstar and raid the Dornish Marches? Will we have a chapter at the Hellholt before Areo's party travels the deep sands where we see Lord Harmen Uller's rebellious nature collide with Ellaria Sand's attempts at peace? And will the Yronwood troops in the Boneway join their historic allies in the Golden Company, or have a divisive reaction to news of Quentyn and Cletus' deaths?

I am going to map out my plan for you all and I would like people who are on it or have been on it to add to it, advise me, tear it apart etc. I started this to obviously clear up my skin but I am also hoping to use it as a reason to lead a better life style. I intend on drinking 1 gallon of water per day. I am 5’6 and 120 pounds. I would like to gain a little weight (by going to the gym and increasing my caloric intake). I am hoping to do minor lifting in the gym 3 days a week to assist in the weight gain and just remain strong as I age. I have a dog so I walk daily and get outside. Right now I am eating like 1500 calories a day. I simply snack throughout the day and am not hungry often. I am hoping to change that and increase my intake of foods with healthy fats and higher in protein. I do not intend on using a protein powder because I heard that can be bad on your liver. I will have to start a skin care routine because of dryness. I was discouraged and never stuck to one because I felt like nothing was working. I will limit alcohol intake to special events and even then maybe a glass or two of wine. Adding to this I am going on a social media detox. The mindless scrolling is so unproductive and then I feel like shit at the end of the day when I scrolled for 3 hours throughout the day and nothing else got done. I say this because I heard accutane can cause mental health reactions so to assist with that I am hoping to use the first month to reprogram my dopamine intake to more productive things. I intend on sleeping with a humidifier, carrying chapstick and lotion. I started taking victims B12, C and a daily allergy pill. So I have covered my plan for a better diet, increased water intake, more exercise, WAY less alcohol, skin care routine, vitamins, preventing dryness. Am I missing anything?

So for context we met in high school and ended up dating my senior year. I moved across the country to go to college with him, we dated for almost a year but broke up because he was a porn addict also going on tinder and other dating apps while I was sleeping at our apartment messaging girls disgusting things.
The night I found out we were both drunk and got in a huge fight. I was 17 and the time and he grabbed my phone out of my hands and locked himself into the bathroom. As a drunk younger teenager, I wasn’t sure what he was going to do with it and I was so upset I broke down the door and got it back. His family found out and he blamed everything on me so he wouldn’t get in trouble.
A couple years later I moved back across the country for him and school and we got back together when he started living in my apartment. The same problem happened again where he would be messaging other girls trying to cheat. Eventually things got better and he’d take me out to dinners, invite me to hangout with his friends, have me over at his place for most days out of the week. The issue is he NEVER wants me around his family. Doesn’t invite me on trips, won’t mention me to them, even told me the wrong date for his graduation just so they wouldn’t see me. He tells me he loves me and wants to be with me but continues to hide me from his family.
When he’s drunk he gets really drunk and messages girls from high school specifically one he had a crush on but never dated “i really miss you” and calls her. Then when I get upset he tells me to just leave and says awful things to me that make me feel worthless and like i’ve wasted years of my life. When he sobers up he apologizes and says he didn’t mean any of it he was just hammered and is really nice to me the day after. It exhausts me always having to be vigilant to make sure he’s not cheating, I’m constantly stressed out and sad in the back of my mind.
He is my best friend and I love him to death which is why I want to make it work. When it’s good it’s really good and when it’s bad it kills me. I don’t know how to get through to him so he realizes I’m not trying to start fights I just want to have a normal relationship where I’m included in family events and not cheated on
TL;DR My bf cheats online and hides me from his family after incident above. How do I get him to understand my POV without thinking I’m just starting an argument

We're both adults, fully employed and out of college. I live in a 2 bed room apartment with a common area, so 2 people can live in it.
My new roomate recently moved in and his parents helped him move in. The first thing I noticed was after we first met, they needed to go back down to grab stuff.
His Mom insisted to stay and talk with me while I was on the couch, she started talking my ear off. We hit it off for a bit before they returned.
After they left she went out of her way to get my phone number from the front desk and she texted me late at night saying how nice it was to meet me and apologized if they were in the way.
What are your guys thoughts?

Hey hey everyone, I'm back again for some quick tips and tricks to make that first year transition just a little easier. If you have any other questions leave a comment!
Campus
Every building has a corresponding address (100 Louis Pasteur) and a building name (CRX). 99.99% of the time you'll just hear it by the building name. Building name is also what you'll see on your schedule.
Campus isn't that big, SITE to Tabaret is doable in 10 minutes at a fairly brisk pace. Closer distances (Montpetit to Marion, UCU to STEM) are doable in 10 minutes at a normal walk.
Enrollment
Every program has a corresponding course sequence. Hopefully you know what your program is (it's on your acceptance). If you google your program + course sequence, it will likely come up. They look like this.
You'll want to enroll for 1st year fall AND winter (BOTH SEMESTERS) the first chance you get (I believe for 1st years it's 8am on the 21st). When I say 8am, I mean 8am. If you put all your classes in your shopping cart and hit go at 8am, you'll likely get the classes (and sections! Think of the sweet sweet sleeping in) that you want. If you try later like at 9am... maybe a little less likely.
How do I prepare?
Honestly, the summer after high school is one of the last relaxing periods you'll have for a while. Don't worry about pre-studying or preparing academically. Finish this high school semester with good memories, have fun, and just relax this summer. Work a part-time job, go out on a date, whatever you want. The last thing you want is to start a new chapter of your life stressed and tired!
What about getting books and supplies?
On the first day of class profs will normally go through the course outline/syllabus. This will tell you everything you need to know about the class (how you're graded, major deadlines) and of course, the textbook. Sometimes there won't be one. If there is, you'll be able to get it easily within the first few weeks of class. No one expects you to have all that prepared before you start.
Some other programs have other things. Science will require you to have your own lab coat for labs. You can buy them in September, so again, no rush.
Once again if I've missed anything, let me know. Same goes for any other questions you might have. Good luck everyone!

Hi guys, after losing brain cells trying to find information on how to install the Guppy screen, I wanted to show y'all how to do it on your own if you choose to. I may be wrong on some parts, but these are the things that worked for me. Thanks to wolfie_the_king_574 for telling me some of the steps on how to do it, but some of it didn't work for me. I also used Wiki for Creality Helper Script (guilouz.github.io) and ballaswag/guppyflo: GuppyFLO is a self-hosted service that enables local/remote management of multiple Klipper printers using Moonraker (github.com) and ballaswag/guppyscreen: A native Touch UI for 3D Printers running KlippeMoonraker. (github.com) on the steps for some of it and will be summarizing most of it. I will also be adding in the common downloads needed here for easy access as I was jumping all around to find it. [I'm not sure if you have to keep rebooting your printer during this process, but I'll take the safe way and do it anyways]
[Edit: I'm not sure why upon posting, that the numbers are all 1. but I can't change it so bare with me]

1. [1] Reset your entire Nebula Pad

• Download and unzip this file: Creality_K1_Reset_Utility.zip
• Open the file Creality_K1_Reset_Utility.html in your Internet browser.
• Make sure your printer is on, and put in your IP address and click reset.
• Reboot to make sure it has reset.
• Turn off your printer now.

1. [2] Reinstall the firmware for the Nebula Pad

• Download this Ender 3 V3 SE Firmware.
• Add the Ender3V3SE_firmware.bin file into your SD card and plug it into the printer.
• Choose the Ender 3 V3 SE logo on the next page. Put in your settings and update to the latest version.
• Turn off your printer.

1. [3] Now you want to root your Nebula Pad

• Click on this Destinal Root and download the first link in the description.
• There should be a white usb that came with the Nebula Pad. Plug that into your computer and format it in FAT32 with 4096 allocation size.
• Now copy the file into the usb and insert it into the side of the Nebula Pad.
• Turn on the printer and there should be a popup to upgrade.
• After it finishes upgrading, take the usb out or else it will keep having that popup.
• You can reboot if you want, I don't think you have to right now.

1. [4] Install PuTTY and go into Helperscript

• Click on this PuTTY Download and download the right one for you and install it.
• Next, when you open up PuTTY, enter the IP address for your printer and press enter. The IP address can be found where your wifi settings are on the Nebula Pad.
• It's going to say login as: and type in root
• Now it'll ask for the password which is creality
• Next, type in ./installer.sh to enter Helperscript

1. [5] Uninstall Moonraker, Fluid, Mainsail, and the Creality OS

• Type in 2 to get into the remove screen.
• Go one by one and type in 1 2 3 to remove each one respectively
• Type in b to go back to the main screen
• Type in 4 to enter the Customize screen and type in 3 to remove Creality OS
• Reboot

1. [6] Update Helperscript

• ssh back into the Nebula Pad using PuTTY
• Type in git config --global http.sslVerify false to avoid encountering an issue, I'm not sure what.
• Type in git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/Guilouz/Creality-Helper-Script.git /usdata/helper-script to install the script in the usdate folder.
• Type in sh /usdata/helper-script/helper.sh to run the script.
• There's two different way to now update the Helper Script
  • Go through the PuTTY, go through the user and password and enter ./installer.sh again and it should pop up with the update OR
  • When you access Fluidd or Mainsail, update it directly there.
  • You can access Fluidd by http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:4408/ (replacing xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx by your local IP address).
    • Go in the Settings tab and go into Software Updates and click Update for Creality-Helper-Script.
  • You can access Mainsail by http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:4409/(replacing xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx by your local IP address).
    • Go in the Machine tab and it should be there as well.
• Reboot

1. [7] Reinstall Moonraker, Fluid and/or Mainsail

• Go back into PuTTY, go back in the ./installer.sh, type in 1 to the installation screen and follow along for the installation of those. I don't think I have to baby steps that now.
• Reboot

1. [8] Update Everything

• Depending on if you use Fluidd or Mainsail, go back into those websites and update everything in the update section if it's not already updated.

1. [9] Install Anything Else + Guppy [FINALLY]

• Go back through PuTTY and into the Helper Script. Now you can also install anything you wanted to during. If you're unsure of what these mean, click on this Installer Definitions and look to the left side under "Install Menu" and look through whatever you want to.
• Some of these you won't have since this is meant for a different printer.
• You have to exit out of the Helper Script now by typing in q
• Now type in, to install GuppyFLO wget -O - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ballaswag/guppyflo/main/installer.sh sh
• Now type in, to install the Guppy Screen and it should change your Nebula Pad to horizontal format and have you calibrate it touching cursors.sh -c "$(wget --no-check-certificate -qO - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ballaswag/guppyscreen/main/installer.sh)"

1. [10] How to Connect to it on the Internet (I copied this straight this)

• Create a Tailscale account: Create Tailscale Account
• Install Tailscale application depending device(s) you want to use for remote access: Download Tailscale App
• Search up http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx:9873 (by replacing xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx by your printer's local IP address) to access the GuppyFLO Web interface
• Then, click on authenticate link to register GuppyFLO instance to Tailscale
• You will be redirected to the Tailscale website to connect device by clicking on Connect button
• Go to to your Tailscale Admin console here: Tailscale Admin Console
• There you will see the connected devices and their respective IP addresses:
  • guppyflo → Your printer
  • IP address assigned to your printer
  • The devices you have connected to Tailscale (here my mobile phone)
  • The IP addresses assigned to the devices you have connected
• Go to Tailscale DNS settings tab and enable MagicDNS feature
• Go back to GuppyFLO Web interface and click on Add Printer button
• Configure settings and click on Save button
• You can now connect to GuppyFlo Web interface remotely with http://guppyflo URL

Now this should be everything! Be sure to visit this Website or Demo Video or Website to understand how the screen works, how to connect to it with pictures, and whatnot.
Let me know if I did anything wrong, but these are the steps that worked for me.

Started going last Tuesday to heal a pretty severe case of kundalini energy syndrome. It’s where your body has way too much light energy and your nervous system can’t handle it, so it needs to be grounded and blocks removed.
After the first session on Tuesday she just hit kidney 1. Didn’t really feel much but ok. During the second session on Thursday is where I felt a big difference. She hit kidney 1, liver 3, and heart 7. I felt a lot of tingling in my head/face and it felt like a lot of energy was coming down. Walking out I felt more stable and things were looking up.
Now today the same points were hit, k1, l3, and h7. Not nearly as much cleaclean movement in my energy and as a matter of fact felt like it was building up somewhere in my body instead of working its way through. She says I have a major block in between my solar plexus and heart. Was it a bad idea to “ground” energy today and while trying to send it down, it got caught up in the block my doctor was talking about?
My symptoms right now as I type this are the exact symptoms I am trying to get away from. Severe head/body pressure and anxiety due to this energy not doing anything but sitting in my body stagnated. It just seems like nothing was gained from today’s session.

Maytag MDB4949SHZ 1
Hello, I have been in a battle with my dishwasher, I feel like I’m going insane. Let me lay out the steps of what I’ve done so far.

1. The dishwasher kept cancelling itself mid-cycle, water was coming, would clean dishes, but would just “cancel” partway through. Worst part was, it wasn’t repeatable, it seemed random. It would even sometimes finish cycles like maybe 5% of the time.
   
2. Repair guy comes out, charges $105 to “diagnose”, he runs the diagnostic lights and it says it’s a float issue. He told me was the float solenoid is bad, it’s making a multimeter beep but that the button is too sensitive and that may cause it to trigger, I ordered a new one anyway cause it was cheap and easy. Looking back, the button was too easy to push down, so that should, if anything, make it HARDER to cancel as more weight would need to come off the switch to un-press the button.
   
3. I change the float solenoid. Once I do, the dishwasher will not take in water. Whole new problem. It sounds likes it running, there is a hum, it is going through the cycle, but you can hear there’s no water spraying and dishes aren’t getting wet. I read up and learn that water inlet valves go bad. My multimeter won’t beep when I test it, though it reads numbers. I order one, change it, still same problem, and the new ones are similar, they don’t beep but they read numbers. It probably wasn’t bad in the first place.
   
4. Since the dishwasher has now done 2 things wrong that seem unrelated (canceling randomly and now no water) I order a new control board. I change it out, I run it, same exact issue. No water coming in. Run diagnostics, same float switch error code. I know the float switch is pressed down like it should. It’s sending a signal.
   

So now I’m thinking it’s the water pump. I should mention that I can pour water into the bottom of it and when I run a cycle it pumps it out fine. Drain line is totally clear. The water pump is hard to reach, $260, and wouldn’t explain the canceling mid cycle or why it’s calling for a float switch error code. Does anyone have any advice to fix it? Or is it a “cut your losses dummy, just buy a dishwasher.”
Thanks in advance.

I would like to start this off by saying I'm sorry; this is a long one, and I appreciate any advice or help I can get. Also, to anyone willing to read this, thank you so much! I'm currently looking for a new job but having no luck, so I'm trying to also improve my current situation as much as I can.
I’m 28 and work in California for a school district in IT, and I love IT. The only problem is my boss. I've worked this job for almost 5 years now, and he has been the boss at this school district for almost 10 years. He's really good at the IT side of his job, but as a manager, not so much. He likes to call his employees morons, yell at and reprimand employees in front of coworkers. He's now caused several employees to quit or seek therapy (including myself). One time, I was sitting in my office working on a project, and he yelled across the office, "Gojo, get your ass in here," for the whole office to hear, and then proceeded to chew me out with the office door open and the entire office listening. He believes fear is a good management tool, which isn't really my style. His current thing to do is trying to pit us against each other and talk trash about other employees when they aren’t around. He micro manages everything you do and calls you stupid if you aren’t doing something exactly the way he wants you to. If there is a way you can save literally TWO seconds on a task and you aren’t doing it that way, he gets upset. After he does all of that, then he tries to be nice and talk about video games with you or buy the office food or let people go home 20 minutes early, but then it’s right back to the usual harassment.
Almost a year ago, I interviewed for and got the open Tech II position, promoted from Tech I. At the time, I was interested because I would learn a lot of things that would help me get different jobs, and it was a little more money. I regretted this promotion really early on. I dread coming to work and several times almost quit on the spot with no job lined up. Therapy has helped a lot with these emotions.
Outside of my boss being terrible, he also piles on work and gives the line, "You’re a Tech II now; you should be able to do all of this," or "You’re a Tech II; you have to figure out how to balance all the work." Currently, I’m balancing 12 projects, providing tech support for our district office, working as an escalation point for our Tech I’s(we have 4 soon to be 6 and they support 15 schools), and assisting our network admin with his projects. While I’m trying to do all that, my boss is also yelling from across the hall, adding more tasks that he needs me to work on and needs to be done that day. As a Tech I, your main task was working on help tickets for about 3 schools, and then during the summer, you helped with some projects. This promotion got me a whole $2 an hour increase in pay.
I am currently working on getting a new job. I’m applying for city, county, and state IT positions, but they take months before they even start interviewing for those positions, and the entire process is taking a long time. In the meantime, I’m reaching out to my union to see if I’m able to demote back down to Tech I. That doesn’t help with the boss situation, but it does help with the lack of compensation for all the extra work.
As far as my boss goes, I want to report him to HR, but I have no physical evidence, and most of my coworkers are afraid. I’m starting to document in my notes every time he is inappropriate, the date and time of that incident, and who was a witness. He’s pretty smart about how he does everything, nothing in writing, no emails, or texts. If I do report him, it has to be enough to actually get him fired. I’ve been told teachers have reported him to HR in the past, then HR has told his boss, and then his boss tells him about who reported him, and nothing has ever come out of it. He likes to hire people new to the industry or really young people so they are less likely to push back at him or are too intimidated to report him. He has bragged to us several times about how if he ever did get fired he’s taking people down with him because he knows all the districts dirty secrets.
How can I legally obtain evidence of his abuse? What should I know about reporting bosses to HR? I don’t know what to do anymore. I really appreciate anyone who took the time to read through this. I have plenty more examples of his abuse if anyone needs more, this was already a really long post so I didn't want to add more.
TL:DR My boss is abusive and has made several people quiet. I’m being overworked and not being equally compensated. How do I Get him fired?

There’s nobody supervising in any useful way. Cameras everywhere, no managers. The guy who packs the trucks says it’s like Severance; he can hear voices occasionally and they see him but he sees nobody all day. Multiple branches have been merged together in a location far from their delivery zone. Training is useless. Things break down and there are no humans to ask for help. The basic technology from routing to loading is schizophrenic. Belts don’t move and nobody on the floor can fix them. The one manager has taken two weeks off to see Dave Grohl.
The worker jokes that when you can’t scan a package you just make a beep beep noise with your mouth and move on. Beep beep. He says that soon he will be liquidated, and that he’s not able to see anything about where your package is.
The customer service front has been closed off and when your vehicle approaches because you’re fed up and want to talk to someone, you get a warning message blared into the parking lot. Going there is, like, illegal now, but it’s still on google maps.
And it’s impossible to call anyone for help; the robot on the line gaslights you. You ask, "Can I talk to a human?” and it says, "Only if you give me a tracking number." You give it your tracking number and it tells you there’s no updates and your package is on its way. It’s not on its way— it’s in a freight yard in Roanoke. You contemplate picking up 74 boxes with a school bus or a Farm Use truck with no mirrors.
You call Kinkos and explain your issue to someone who manages the copier and finally your call gets routed to an actual human in India, someone who invariably will misunderstand you, so your overnighted packaged takes a fortnight and tracks back from Tennessee to Virginia up to Maryland. You paid over a thousand dollars for this.
FedEx was almost my Thirteenth Reason today. I guess this is the consequence of being owned by an Indian man obsessed with AI— or a consequence of not being unionized, or nationalized— but I must ask, how is this company that is insensible and inept valued at twice that of UPS? Nobody gives a fuck across the entire chain of operations.

OOC: co-written with NotTooSunny
It was an ordinary day at the New York City Library. People wandered in and out of the building, unaware of the monster that lurked among them.
The only people who seemed to know the danger these mortals were in were Harper and Amon, who entered the building with glowing bronze swords at their hips. The bulky weapons seemed to have escaped the notice of the other library patrons, which was a good thing. The job description had made it clear that they were meant to remain inconspicuous in completing their task.
Harper had traded her usual bright orange camp shirt for a more discrete cropped black t-shirt and pleated pants. She had been insistent on coming up with a persona for them on the train ride from Montauk Station into New York City. They were meant to act as high school students researching for a World History paper on Ancient Greece. Now that they were inside the library, she had stopped her incessant rambling to peruse a riddle book, in what she had insisted was preparation for their job.
As they wandered through the bookshelves, she remained absorbed in the dog-eared children’s book, thumbing through the pages to find a riddle that would be fitting of a sphinx.
“Here’s one, Amon,” she said, narrowly avoiding a collision with another library patron as she read, “What is something that runs but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps?”
The dark-haired son of Apollo glanced over from a shelf of dusty atlases, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “That is an easy one,” he replied simply. "River. Try me with something more challenging next time around." He adjusted the collar of his striped button down, which he had layered with a navy blue sweater in preparation for the chill of the air-conditioned interior.
“The real riddle is where we can find this sphinx,” Amon glanced around the spacious reading area, eyeing the dark wooden staircase with its ornate railings. “The boyfriend and girlfriend who tried this last time, they found her by a bookcase.”
“A bookcase,” Harper repeated derisively, closing her book to theatrically scan their surroundings. “That narrows it down.”
Ignoring Harper’s mockery, the son of Apollo paused suddenly, his dark eyes glazing over with concentration. His hearing dulled, the surrounding footsteps and rustling pages fading into the background as if muffled by a thick curtain. Amon searched for the energy signature of the monster he knew lurked among the mortals. It was a subtle shift, like trying to discern a whisper in a crowded room, but he felt a faint, abnormal energy hanging somewhere up above.
“I say we try the second floor,” he said as he snapped out of the tracking trance, offering no other explanation to Harper.
“We could do that, sure,” Harper said, words laced with blatant doubt at his sudden certainty. “I say we try asking the Visitor’s Center. I know she's supposed to be disguised by the Mist, but the librarians have to have noticed something.”
“You can go ahead and do that.” The small smirk from earlier was now spreading across his face. “But you can’t be upset if I find the sphinx and solve her riddle before you even get there.”
Harper rolled her eyes, but she made no attempt to stop Amon from walking towards the staircase. After a moment she set off after him, footsteps even against the wooden steps.
Up on the second floor, Amon moved quietly, his dark eyes scanning the hallway for anything out of the ordinary.
I know you’re up here.
He stopped at every heavy-looking mahogany door, peering through each muted glass insert. He felt the air grow thicker with ominous energy at every step, so he knew the monster must be near.
One of the doors was slightly ajar, a suspiciously open invitation. Or a trap. The dark-haired boy caught sight of a cat-shaped figure on the other side before ducking down and motioning sharply for Harper’s attention. He unsheathed his kopis from his belt, bracing himself for confrontation.
Harper crouched against the wall, hand on the hilt of her sword as she tried to peek through the frosted glass pane. She held her breath, ready to move at Amon’s signal. He held out three fingers and then put them down one by one. When he hit zero, they stood in unison, flinging the door open together.
When Amon and Harper stepped inside, the body of the sphinx lay motionless on the floor.
The rest of the room was in disarray, littered with disheveled chairs and broken bits of chalk. A window on the other side of the room had been forced open, the curtain fluttering in the wind.
“No way,” Harper said. The door clicked shut behind her as she pushed past Amon into the room and kneeled to study the monster’s limp figure.
The sphinx had the large body of a lion and the eerily human face of a middle-aged woman, hair tied back in a severe bun and foundation caked onto her high cheekbones. Fangs jutted out of her red-painted lips, and eagle wings sprouted out of the space between her shoulder blades, folded tight against her back.
“Monsters dissolve into dust when they die,” Amon remarked, keeping his distance as he watched the subtle rise and fall of the monster’s ribs. “She must have been knocked unconscious.”
“Right,” Harper agreed, “The real question is who. And why.”
She hovered a hand over the cat's shoulder, set on rousing her. Before she made contact, the sphinx's eyes snapped open, round irises surrounded by shocking yellow sclera.
"Slain!" she wailed. Harper staggered backwards. Amon’s arms instinctively reached out to catch her, but she didn’t stumble near enough to make contact. "I am slain!"
With feline grace, the sphinx rose to her feet. A white tape outline marked the placement of her previously prone body on the floor. The muscles in her legs rippled as she paced in front of Harper and Amon, massive velvet paws silent against the carpet.
"And you, my dear heroes," she roared, eyes narrowed in an accusatory glare, "were too late to save me!"
The sphinx sniffed, composing herself. She leapt onto a wooden table. The table legs creaked underneath her weight. "Fear not," she tutted, "Fear not. For you can still avenge me. If you are able to determine the murderer and their weapon, then I will obtain justice, and all will be right with the world.”
“Your riddle is a murder mystery,” Harper said, confusion written across her face. Amon raised an eyebrow. The sphinx chuffed, a low rumbling sound reminiscent of laughter.
“You sought that hackneyed question about man? The Sphinx that the storytellers remember is far less adaptive than I am. I am not interested in your ability to regurgitate the information you have read. Nor am I interested in taking advantage of the nonsensical rules of your English language.”
“I am here to satisfy my own curiosity: does modern mankind still possess the ability to engage in deductive reasoning, or do they only seek to make themselves appear intelligent? Do not speak,” the sphinx said, a pointed look at Harper, who had opened her mouth to interject, “You will answer my questions when you play my game.”
“The potential murder weapons are scattered throughout this room,” she continued, leaping off the table. “And the suspects have already provided their testimonies for your review. Rest assured, I have made certain that their statements contain no lies.”
A shimmering, translucent energy began to swirl around Harper and Amon’s feet, beginning to take shape as holograms with a flickering, ephemeral quality.
A projection of Cerberus materialized first, his three massive heads snarling and snapping in unison. A ribbon of text appeared by his paws to translate his growling: "I was guarding the entrance, my duty unbroken."
Next came the Minotaur, his towering form pacing within the labyrinth on Crete. He snorted and pawed at the ground, the holographic maze shifting behind him in the background. The translation text appeared: "Confined within these walls, no escape for me."
Lamia's projection flickered into view, her serpentine lower half coiled around her as she wept in her cave. She glanced mournfully at the holographic images of her lost children: "My grief consumes me, innocent of this crime."
A shimmering Hydra emerged next, its nine heads snapping at invisible foes. Each one moved independently, showcasing its ability to act on its own. The translation for the hissing head at the center read: "Engaged in battle, I could not have killed."
Typhon materialized with a thunderous roar, his colossal form fighting against restraints under Mount Etna. His immense size and power were palpable, even in scaled down holographic form: "Bound by chains of the earth, I could not have roamed free."
Echidna’s hologram appeared last, her form a mix of human and serpent, lounging in a dimly lit cave. She looked directly at the viewers, her expression both defiant and amused. The translation text by her side read: “I dwell in my lair, uninvolved in such petty affairs.”
The sphinx swiped at the last projection as it faded, deeming her handiwork satisfactory. “There is not enough information to deduce the killer using evidence alone. Because I am fair, I will provide you with three hints before your final guess. Be forewarned: if you fail to provide a correct answer, you will both perish. Is this understood?”
Harper spoke. “If we answer correctly, you will leave this library for good.”
“If you answer correctly, I will permanently relocate. It is a preferable option in comparison to another death. Now, do you agree to the terms and conditions?” the sphinx said primly, regarding Harper and Amon with casual disdain. The pair nodded. “Very well.”
The sphinx dropped onto the floor and let her head loll back, pretending to be dead once more.
Hint #1

Suspects	Weapons
Cerberus	The Shirt of Nessus
The Minotaur	Siren Song
Lamia	Harpy Talon
The Hydra	Celestial Bronze Sword
Typhon	A-C Encyclopedia
Echidna	Cerberus Fang

Soon after the Sphinx had laid back down, Harper and Amon began to scour the room. A small pile of prospective murder weapons formed on a nearby table.
“We can easily eliminate the siren song,” Amon rushed to speak over Harper, eyeing the small glass vial of swirling gray matter that they had found nestled behind a row of books on metalworking. “It is a luring mechanism, not a murder weapon.”
“We could rule out Cerberus’ fang too,” he pointed at the enormous yellowing tooth, about the size of the small baseball bat Amon used to have when he played in the little league. “If we take the hologram as ground truth, all of his teeth were intact there.”
Harper used her kopis to prod at the stained tunic that had been hidden in a desk drawer, being careful not to touch it with bare skin. “The Shirt of Nessus is a viable option. It would be easy for any of the suspects to lay it down and wait for the hydra venom to kick in.”
“I am not ready to rule out the bronze sword either,” Amon noted. “Monsters have access to heroes and the weapons they leave behind.”
“Most of these monsters don’t even have opposable thumbs,” Harper argued, running a hand over the sword they had found by a power outlet. ”They don’t have the dexterity to wield a sword.”
“I do not imagine that the technicality would be that granular.”
Harper laughed. “Oh, the number of teeth in the Cerberus hologram tell all, but we’re drawing the line at opposable thumbs.”
“I suppose that that logic would also rule out the harpy talon and the encyclopedia easily as well,” Amon admitted. “Which would be too easy.”
“I’m just that good at logical deduction.” Harper said proudly. “If my assumption is correct, then the poisoned shirt is the only one that makes sense.”
Amon scoffed, folding his arms across his chest as his dark eyes bored into Harper. “It would not necessarily matter what our first guess would be anyway.”
“Can you provide an argument for any other weapon? Or are you intent on purposely making an illogical guess?” she countered cooly.
“Fine,” Amon acquiesced. “Since you are so adamant about the shirt, we can guess the shirt, and be incorrect. It does not matter. What about the suspects themselves?” He clasped his hands behind his back, his steps measured as he started to pace across the plush red carpet of the room.
Harper smiled, smugly accepting her victory. She strode towards a chalkboard at the side of the study room, inscribing the list of weapons and suspects with a fresh piece of white chalk.
“All of them have alibis,“ she began. “I think that-”
“Some make more sense than others,” Amon spoke over Harper, irritated by her minor triumph. “Cerberus, for example, is under the service of Hades. He says he did not leave his post, and he could not have done so without permission or dire consequences on the process of the dead.”
Harper silently seethed as Amon spoke, meeting his rationale with reluctant acceptance before starting again in a louder, exaggerated tone. “I think that the ones with the shakiest alibis are Lamia, the Minotaur, Typhon, and Echidna. No witnesses can confirm their locations. In fact, Lamia provides no location at all.” Harper circled those names. She looked at Amon with a forced smile, allowing him a moment to provide more commentary.
“Lamia? Well,” there was a hint of mockery in the sneer that tugged on the corner of Amon’s lips. “I would imagine her emotions rendered her… Too fragile and unstable to carry out such an act.”
“You’re kidding,” Harper scoffed, searching Amon's face for the slightest hint that he was joking. “Her grief is what moved her to kill children in the first place. I doubt it would suddenly be incapacitating. She’s just appealing to your sense of superiority, and I can’t believe that you’re falling for it.”
"It is not about superiority. It is about logic," Amon retorted, bristling in defense. “You cannot deny that emotions cloud judgment. Maybe the sphinx wants us to leverage our knowledge about her past crimes to reason that she was not thinking clearly in this case either.” Amon had no other evidence that pointed towards Lamia as the top suspect, but he had dug deep enough where he was now ready to stand firm in his reasoning.
“Murder,” Harper countered, eyes narrowed in a venomous stare, “-does not require you to think clearly. Haven’t you heard of a crime of passion? If anyone’s judgment is clouded right now, Amon, it’s yours.”
The son of Apollo squared his shoulders, his expression hardening. "I understand the concept of crimes of passion, thank you.” His dark-eyed stare returned Harper's gaze, unflinching at the intensity. “But our investigation must be rooted in facts, not assumptions based on emotions. And the facts are,” he resumed his pacing once more, “that Lamia cannot be the culprit, as she is the only suspect that openly admits to being innocent of this crime.”
Amon had considered this from the very start, but provoking Harper like this had proved to be far more amusing.
Harper crossed Lamia’s name off of the board. She swallowed down her anger, fighting the urge to continue pressing the issue in favor of returning to their list of suspects. She pointed her piece of chalk at the next names on the list. “The Minotaur and Typhon are trapped, or so they say. How could they have done anything?”
“Their alibis revolve around their inability to escape,” Amon pointed out. “Not that they were unable to commit murder. The Labyrinth, in fact,” he raised a dramatic finger, “has several moving passages that could have permitted the Minotaur to move and commit murder without an official escape.”
Harper considered his words for a long moment, trying to find the flaw in his reasoning. Seeing none, she placed a dot next to the Minotaurs's name.
“Typhon escaped his prison in the Second Titanomachy. He could do it again,” Harper said thoughtfully. “Though I don’t understand why he would do something like this. He’s the Sphinx's father. The same goes for Echidna.”
Amon, who had been nodding at Harper’s assessment of Typhon’s abilities, pursed his lips at her observation of parentage. “I do not see how this could possibly be relevant to the logical puzzle at hand.”
Harper spoke slowly, as if the answer was obvious. “What motive would they have to kill their own daughter?”
“Harper,” Amon began curtly, folding his arms across his chest. “Half of the Greek myths revolve around immortals killing their own children.”
“Then we should pick one of them,” Harper declared, pivoting her argument instead of admitting her logical blunder. “They would have more of a motive than the rest of the suspects, if anything.”
“The Minotaur can escape much more easily than Typhon can. Motive aside, it is the most logical guess,” Amon concluded, adjusting his collar haughtily. “I will remind you that we picked your choice of weapon. It is only fair that I select the monster.”
“Fine.” Harper agreed, her gaze stormy as she turned back towards the sphinx. “We accuse the Minotaur of killing the sphinx with the Shirt of Nessus.”
The sphinx opened one eye. “None of these are correct!”
Hint #2

Suspects	Weapons
Cerberus	The Shirt of Nessus
The Minotaur	Siren Song
Lamia	Harpy Talon
The Hydra	Celestial Bronze Sword
Typhon	A-C Encyclopedia
Echidna	Cerberus Fang

“Two more hints left.” Harper announced, crossing off the Minotaur’s name and the poisoned shirt on the chalkboard with a flourish. It was not ideal that her initial logical deductions had been incorrect, but at least Amon had also been wrong. She couldn't resist a snide comment. “I knew it wasn’t the Minotaur.”
“So you still think it’s Typhon.” Choosing to ignore Harper’s taunting, Amon rested his hand on a nearby desk, studying the lists on the chalkboard before him. He had taken the Minotaur error as a personal failure, and was determined to get the suspect right this time.
“I do.”
“Why not Echidna?”
“She’s too emotional to kill someone, obviously.” Harper said sarcastically. “Her frail female arms are probably too weak to even hold a weapon.”
The dark-haired boy rolled his eyes. “Objectively,” he began, ignoring her quip once more, “Typhon could not have lied about his inability to roam free. A natural disaster freed him from Mount Etna during the Second Titanomachy, but he could not recreate those conditions on his own.” Though his tone remained aloof, it was clear that Amon was relishing in the opportunity to flaunt his mythology knowledge.
“Maybe,” Harper argued, stubborn. “But Echidna’s statement was less ambiguous than his. Typhon just explains his predicament; he doesn't provide a real claim. Echidna explicitly says she was not involved.” She thought for a few more moments, rolling the piece of chalk in her hands. “Echidna could have released him? They would be accomplices.”
Amon shook his head. “There was a single murderer. Not two. The sphinx would not lie about the premise of the game.”
Harper stared at him coldly, but could offer no rebuttal. She turned her attention to the board. “Typhon is a giant. He’s capable of using the sword.”
“But the specificity of Echidna’s denial is still incredibly suspicious. ‘Petty affairs’ is a strange way to phrase a murder. But,” Amon added reluctantly, “I understand the logic behind Typhon. I suppose it is your turn to choose the monster, and we will still have another guess to work with.”
“As for the weapon,” he continued, “I still think the sword is the most viable option, given that the siren song and the fang can be ruled out and the shirt with the venom was, well,” Amon pursed his lips, fighting the urge to smile, “incorrect.”
Before Harper could interject, Amon turned towards the sphinx at the front of the room. “We accuse Typhon of killing the sphinx with a Celestial Bronze Sword.”
“One of these is correct!”
Hint #3

Suspects	Weapons
Cerberus	The Shirt of Nessus
The Minotaur	Siren Song
Lamia	Harpy Talon
The Hydra	Celestial Bronze Sword
Typhon	A-C Encyclopedia
Echidna	Cerberus Fang

“Aha!” Amon raised a triumphant finger before pointing it at Harper. “I told you,” he gloated, “Typhon had no escape route.”
“You were right,” Harper admitted, staring down at the carpet so that she would not have to look at his smug expression.
“Let’s get this over with,” she muttered, and turned back towards the lioness with crossed arms. “We accuse Echidna of killing the sphinx with a Celestial Bronze Sword”
“One of these is correct,” the sphinx announced. Her mouth twisted in amusement, fangs bared in a menacing smile.
READ PART 2 HERE

Disclaimer-this is going to be a lengthy post so those of you who want to comment please make sure you read the entire thing and not just recklessly skim the post
To start off I am 18 years old as of writing this thread and five years ago both I and my brother were removed from my mother's care and placed into foster care. The reason being I ran away with my brother who was two years old at the time was because of the severe abuse and almost torturous conditions me and him were living under. Constantly beating, biting, punching and kicking me.
I remember on a few occasions were she beat into my skull with a metal spoon and I started bleeding and too matters worse this was before we were heading off the barbers so my hair was bloody and oily and it stung every time the razor would come into contact with the wound.
Things got so bad that I remember many times as a child being 8-9 years old and asking Allah why was I given such a horrific mother? What did honestly do to deserve this? even worse I asked Allah to end my life. My mother has been assaulting me since I was 4 years old. My younger brother was born when I was 10 and I remember holding him for the first time I've always been an only child so I was pretty happy to have a younger brother however who knew life would become increasingly harder after this
A year after my brother's birth she began
Whenever she was feeding him and he vomited she snapped and beat him like there was no tomorrow and there I was forced to watch the entire thing incapable of doing anything. I stood there and watched my baby brother being brutally beaten into submission and I couldn't do anything about it. This continue for about a year and a half and she advanced to hitting my brother's head and choking my brother in order to prevent him from throwing up but that just made it worse but then again it also lit a spark in me and the possibility of maybe running away.....
I thought about it over and over and was a very dangerous task to do but I couldn't,
I couldn't watch my brother being completely dominated like that. I grew numb to the beating I got; I didn't mind it anymore but not my brother, watching him hopeless like that was worse than anything my mother ever did to me. I planned everything out and ran off with my brother unfortunately we were caught by my aunt and you can guess what happened but I ran away again with my brother until we were caught by the police and I explained everything which then my brother and I were taken away from my mother's guardianship and placed in foster care and my mother was investigated.
I remember seeing my mom a year later after school which was a very awkward reunion to say the least but she started to break down and apologise but to be honest I couldn't care any less and this all happened when I was 14 and I haven't seen my mother since
I very recently left foster care which was a bag of trauma itself but I moved in with my father both he and my mother divorced when I was 7 and know he has his own wife and kids (my brother and I have two different father btw). Very recently my father has been pushing me to go and see my mother and when I ask him why he's only argument is 'because she's your mother' I argued with his poor reasons and how he never understood anything since he was never really there and his opinions are invalid. My father constantly brings it up and it's starting to become unbearable.
I asked my father one day 'Is a mother allowed to curse at a child' and he responds saying yes it's her child and this told me everything I needed to know about what he think about this situation.
His logic is that a mother can do anything inhumane to a child and make the child's life a living hell and the child is just supposed to sit there and take it because she's his mother. He even added that I should go to my mother apologise to her and that I am in big trouble with Allah at the moment; if my mother dies right now angry at me the my akhirah will be doomed?
What a ignorant and brainless way of thinking- she does a poor job at raising me and because I decided to take me and my brother out of her care in fear that she would one day inflict enough damage on my brother that'd she kill him it's my fault?
This is the same issue I had with my relatives everybody sees me as the villain and her as this innocent saint who's done no wrong. My mother's sister who was my aunt forced me to damage one of my sexual organs as a punishment and despite all of this my father still believes I am in the wrong and I shouldn't have ran away. I'm really starting to hate him he chose the perfect wife to raise his little kids and they live their best lives yet he continues to remind me of my unforgivable action of abandoning my mother who he chose to have a child with
I'm just so sick and tired of people weaponizing Islam and trying to make me feel bad about what I've done saying 'Your kids will do the same to you when you become a parent'
Even when I visit Jummah and listen to the Khutbah they always regurgitate this constant notion of respecting your parents and by all means I have no issue with and I understand that parents and seniors in generals are well respected in Islam no problems at all but they always neglect the privileges children have over their parents and all this does is create parents who are practically egomaniacs and use Islam to justify their despicable parenting
In all honesty I don't ever want to see her face again and even hearing her name is enough to irritate me, I'm constantly told to forgive her for the sake of Allah and even that I don't want to do
My brother was diagnosed with autism when I was 15 I was in a very dark place when heard the news my experience in foster care was bad enough and they separated me and my brother and now he's got autism it did nothing but completely amplify my hatred for her my brother won't be able to do certain things others can do and I know kids can be mean so he'll more than likely have a pretty difficult time in school. Maybe she hit his delicate head to hard as a child rewiring his development? or maybe I'm just coping
I understand this life is a test and we're told to pass through as though we're travellers
​
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I (39) am an aunt to two beautiful kids: Michelle (almost 3) and Matthew (2 mos). The only thing is that I live about 5 hours away from them by way of the Trans-Canada highway, one way, and I don't feel safe driving, due to medical reasons, so I've never gotten my license. I also am on disability income assistance due to my health and I'm not able to work right now, making any sort of travel very difficult due to very little money.
When my niece was born, it was the height of Covid. My dad knew just how important it was for me to meet and hold her as an infant, as there's nothing like holding a beautiful, new life, but he didn't care and went to meet her on a business trip. I had no idea he went to meet her until he showed me the picture and I was extremely upset. He told me to "get over it." I didn't get a chance to meet her until she was around 1.5 years old. While it was still nice to meet her, obviously, the joy of meeting her as a newborn was long since passed. I've never forgiven him for it, he never apologised, but I had no choice but to move on.
We were going to meet him together over the Mother's Day weekend but my dad got sick and things had to be postponed.
As I was getting picked up by my stepmom this morning for an appointment, she told me that she and my dad (why she goes with him is beyond me as there's literally nothing for her to do) will be going out that way, where my brother lives, for my dad's work. I immediately figured out that they were also going to be visiting my brother and meeting Matthew and I was extremely angry. I wasn't yelling and screaming or using any kind of language, but I was angry. First my stepmom, after telling my dad that I would be angry about this, tries to skirt around the issue saying, "Oh, we haven't really decided..." then says it makes no sense to not drop in as they'll be driving right past them. She then carries on to tell me to grow up and that anyone would tell me that I'm acting the fool especially when I said they could skip visiting this once and we could go again later.
I called my dad and told him how angry I was. He told me that I have no right to tell him how to live his life and that I'm being a bully and that he does not take kindly to how I'm reacting.
My dad said in a text that I could try calling my brother and ask if I could stay at his place for the time that they're there but I don't know if I want to put him out like that. I want to meet my nephew, not impose. He then added I could come back in the rental truck with them or take the bus back and he doesn't care.
For a bit of context: my dad's been like this all his life and never took my late mom's feelings into account, and always did whatever he wanted and it left my mom feeling like crap more than you can imagine. When she passed away, my aunt, her sister, told me that my mom was even considering an annulment because of how he so often never cared about her feelings.
I love my dad and stepmom very much, but but this has hurt me and I honestly don't know what to make of it.

Over the past few months, this place has exploded. I'm fairly certain I looked a month or two back thinking the same thing, and we were at like 141k users. We're far past that now.
Because of this, I want to take a second to help level-set expectations a little, especially since some new folks seem to really be struggling after the ChatGPT announcement.
First things first- forget the leaderboards and forget the marketing hype when open source models come out (yes, open source models can have marketing). Pound for pound, in a one on one comparison with proprietary models: open source models will lose almost every time. Comparing the two like that would make you miserable for no gain at all. Don't do that.
I mean, think about it a bit: ChatGPT 4 was rumored, a YEAR AGO, to be 1.6T (Trillion Parameters) model, and they've only been adding to it since. Improving it constantly. Alternatively, our biggest models (that folks actually use, or aren't frankenmerges) are in the range of 70B (Billion parameters)... and a lot of folks can't even run those.
We are not going to beat whatever the current ChatGPT version is at any given moment. And that's ok. That's not where the value of Open Source lies.
Here in Open Source land, we make that tradeoff, using this instead of proprietary, for certain benefits. For example:

• The biggest, and most important benefit: everything that you tell your local AI is private. Really private. Truly private. Every trade secret. Every million dollar idea. They all remain just yours.
• If your local AI is pretty good at some task today, it will still be just as good at it a year from now. That may not sound like much, but I promise the folks over at the chatgpt sub wish they could say the same. So many "why is chatgpt dumb today" and "why is chatgpt hallucinating today?" posts popping up there all the time. That's a problem you just won't deal with, unless YOU update something, and then you'll know why
• Compliance: you can find local models that won't immediately lecture you about animal cruelty when you ask how to kill a Python process. Sometimes you need an answer, not a lecture.
• Its always available. There's no maintenance or global outage. Some server somewhere pooping out won't stop your local model from responding to you.

Remember that Open Source progresses. All of us are working on projects to share that will hopefully help, even if a little. And of course we have absolute geniuses here, like the minds behind llama.cpp, exllama, pytorch, etc, who are all constantly innovating.
Unless a law forces otherwise, Open Source isn't going anywhere. We'll keep getting Open Source models, because there is value to corporations in doing so. They are crowd sourcing QA, bug fixes, etc by doing that. We're finding the issues. The super smart people in the community are finding the answers. In many cases, the very libraries these companies use are getting updated, at 0 cost to them. I'd be willing to be that Open Source has saved some companies MILLIONS of dollars. Sure, they could just give us an API with these models, but they'd be getting only a fraction of feedback and none of the bugfixes/ideas for how to handle their own stuff. AND they'd be on the hook for hosting costs, which are not insignificant.
What does all this mean? It means that I'd be shocked if we don't have something at least somewhat comparable to GPT4o or whatever its called, in a year or two, in some form or fashion.
Will it be later than they have it, and maybe not quite to the same capability? Sure. But guess what? All the people using it now will have everything they say and show to it stored, logged, maybe even catalogued, trained and possibly even sold. And if there's ever a data breach? Then far worse will happen.
But your model? Nah. When you finally get your locally run fancy vision-voice AI that giggles while it loads a response, it won't tell a soul about your Hello Kitty pajamas.
So for real- kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Don't stress about OpenAI; look at them as a preview of what's to come for us. Want it REALLY badly? Help make it happen, in any way you can.
It's fun here, so don't get discouraged. Tinker on what you do have while you wait for the next stuff to arrive.