Behind this current “door” the red spots are where shut offs are currently located.
In the next couple months I’m going to have a plumber come out and replace the two gate valves with quarter turn shut offs.
He said he would need more access to do the job and I was planning on doing something with this anyway.
The shelving can be removed but would be nice to keep. How would you changed this out? After demo from stud to stud the opening is 25 1/4”
Looks like I can do a reg door, bifold door, or accordion door
https://i.imgur.com/omHNmmo.jpeg

tl;dr: I am having a difficult time choosing a dedicated track bike... do I get a ninja 400 and upgrade the brakes, suspension, rearsets, and clipons for a few thousand or do I pick up an Aprilia RS 660 or ZX-6R and keep it stock for now?
This season I want to start riding on track and have begun my search for a bike that I can use as a dedicated track bike. I've completed California Superbike School levels 1-4, and currently ride a Ducati SFV4 on the street. My goal is to improve my skill and confidence on the track.
My original plan was to spend around $5k and get a used ninja 400. In my area, Denver, dealerships are selling used n400 with 3k miles for $7500+, and on Facebook marketplace all of the bikes either have high milage (15k+ and selling for $5,500) or have been beat to shit by squids with a few thousand miles and they are still asking $5k+. A dealership did quote me around $6,500 for a brand new ninja 500.
The used market is absolutely bananas! I then started thinking, if I'm going to spend a few thousand to upgrade the ninja, would I be better off buying something like an Aprilia RS 660, or a ZX-6R? I wouldn't need to make upgrades because their suspension, brakes, etc are good enough.
What advice or recommendations do you have?
More context below: I do not want to buy an already built, dedicated track bike. I would rather buy a stock bike, then upgrade things as I go so that I can learn and feel the difference.
There seems to be two schools of thought on a track bike that I have heard in person and read online:

1. Get a ninja 400 or an R3 because its better to ride a slow bike fast, than a fast bike slow, and it'll improve your skill because you can't rely on power to fix your mistakes. Plus they are cheap and have great support for aftermarket parts.
   
2. Get a 600cc bike or equivalent because n400 is too slow, everyone will pass you and you'll get bored and want to upgrade to a faster bike pretty quickly.
   

I also understand that I'll likely go down and need to repair the bike, so good support for aftermarket parts and a certified mechanic/dealership is important. I know it's more expensive to fix an Aprilia than a Kawasaki.
I have always wanted a Ducati 749 dedicated track bike, since I can find them for $5-6k, but I know this won't be the best bike to learn/improve my skill on. But damn do I want to say fuck it haha This can always be a second or third track bike.

I work in higher education and in my department we only have a team of 2 IT admins - myself and my coworker. I have only been here for a little over a year while my coworker has been here over 20. He is also close to retiring. The problem is that since day one, he's come across as an entitled a-hole. His emails and Teams messages come off as super rude and condescending. His mindset is that it's his way or the highway; he always has something to nitpick regarding the way I work and never seems satisfied with the way I do things. He believes his way is the best way - I'm wrong he's right, end of story. At first I would brush it off, but it's really starting to take its toll on me, making work such a drag to show up to now. I've called him out on it once and he apologized, and his behavior improved for a bit but it has recently started again. This time I spoke to our department director about it and they even confirmed that he can be very difficult to work with. They said they will speak to him about it and I am also planning on talking to him as well.
He's good at his job, but his behavior is unacceptable - especially when he gives me flack for doing or not doing a certain something while he's done that same thing himself aka he is very contradicting. For example, the other day we had a new employee start and that same day I called in sick - we usually help the user get set up on their PC, connect to SharePoint, etc, and he was criticizing the fact that I called in sick knowing that we had a new employee start on that same day. Mind you, this was the same man who was also absent on MY first day. He talks a lot about always being there for the users, but at the same time requests time off during the same time I'm off. Again, there are only 2 of us so we can't both be off on vacation. I was approved for vacation months ago to be off a couple weeks in the summer, and recently he put time off for a couple of days the same week I'm off. Why? How can someone criticize my work ethic and say all these things about always being there for our users while at the same time requesting vacation time the same week as me, knowing damn well I won't be here. We have a shared Outlook calendar so we can all see the department's time off. Thing is he does whatever he wants; even if it's not approved he won't be here, I know it. We work in the public sector AND part of a union, so basically impossible to get fired as long as you get your job done. This specific example is just one of many.
How would you guys deal with this sort of behavior, besides the typical talk to him and go to your manageHR? Any tips?

I recently started my investment journey, and having gone through several suggestions, I decided to invest in mutual funds, specifically, an index fund and a flexi-cap fund. Initially, while still experimenting, I invested a lumpsum of INR 1000 in the HDFC Flexi Cap fund without SIPs. However, as I researched more and learnt about the PPFAS Flexi Cap Fund, I became keen on it and began SIPs for it, albeit in a small amount for now. Now, I have SIPs for the UTI Nifty 50 Index Fund and PPFAS Flexi Cap fund and only a lump sum for the HDFC fund.
I would like to ask whether it is wise to invest in two so similar flexi cap funds and if there is any strategy for it. Or should I just try and sell off the HDFC fund soon? I plan to hold the MFs in my portfolio for a long time and don't plan to sell very soon. Please advise.
Also, I was looking into the SBI Energy Opportunities Fund. Is it worthwhile to invest for the long term there looking at the booming energy sector that's going to expand further?

Monday my besties ( male) was murdered 😭 Secretly we were friends bc his wife hated me. Only bc he looked out for me. Back story this man helped me more times than I could count. I had junk vehicles all my life and id always end up stranded somewhere. His first tow was my 1996 jeep I lost a wheel off of. I had my baby in the car and my sweet grand mother on the way to get my baby. He comforted me as I cried knowing I couldn’t pay for a tow or get my car fixed. He offered half rate for a tow an I got my jeep to the shop. Fast forward 5ish yrs I’m in an abusive marriage and made my way out. An ran with everything I owned in my gmc. I broke down an hour an a half away from home. I called everyone I knew of. No one would answer. I sat for awhile and thought about my hometown best friend (said male) He picked up the phone and could barely understand me. I eventually calm down and he finds out i ran. I tell him everything. He shows up and helps get my suv back up and going follows me all the way home. Makes sure I take what I need inside for the night to rest. Following morning I wake up to a card and flowers.
Every week since I have been back home he’s made it a point to make sure I’m ok. He randomly shows up to my house and left me flowers to make me feel like life wasn’t so hard. The little text he’d leave for me to wake up to it’s really everything he did for me when I had no one that makes him dying so hard. I got a brand new car and he came to joke with me about it. Even acted like he was going to repo it. He cared about my girls birthdays like no one else. Always answered anytime I needed a shoulder to cry on. He had all the parts I ever needed for my old cars. I had a person who understood what I never had in life. An now he’s simply gone… All the summer plans gone… All the randomness of making me laugh bc I’m so stoned from all my trauma. My bestie who made sure all my heath issues didn’t make me feel like I’m always drowning. . . . . My favorite human was taken and it’s so painfull .
I hope you’re up there wearing the fliest shirts.

Part 14.3

Heracles VS Lernaean Hydra

Author Note: I was thinking about it and I really wish that GT9 used more draconic symbolism throughout the story when (or if) I revisit Team Crowley VS Rosencreutz I'll have symbolism of Aleister (TheBeast666), Aiwass (Codename: DRAGON) and Coronzon (The Dragon of the Abyss) all have symbology of them being Dragons preying on a God/Hero like CRC and the reversed conflict of Chaos VS Order you see in mythology, I also wanted to achieve something similar with Kakine Teitoku as he can represent the Fallen Angel and the Seraphim but for now I'll try adding draconian symbolism into Gunha VS CRC.
True Expert Christian Rosencreutz, with his golden rosy cross sword, clashed relentlessly against the indomitable force of the Strongest Gemstone, Sogiita Gunha. With each clash of their powers, the air crackled and compressed, and the pavement trembled beneath.
CRC, observed Sogiita with a mixture of intrigue and disdain. "You fight like the legendary Heracles," he remarked, his voice carrying over the din of battle. "But know this, I am the Lernaean Hydra, and no matter how many heads you sever, I shall always rise again!" Rosencreutz roared to slice the #7’s midsection.
Sogiita, his entire body wreathed in unknowable energy, met CRC's blade unyielding. "Bring it on, old man!" he retorted, his voice brimming with confidence. "I'll knock you down as many times as it takes! I won't stop till you come to your senses and remember your roots, like the roses you love so much, Rosencreutz!!"
Their clash intensified, that old man’s higher dimensional sword colliding with the raw power of that boy’s fists and kicks as they pushed each other to their limits with each sword swing, punch, kick and flash.
Sogiita unleashed a barrage of punches, each strike carrying the force of a meteor, while that silver young man countered: he wielded his sword in his right hand and released impacts followed by white light that was enough to previously take down all of The Bridge Builders Cabal.
As the battle raged on, the very fabric of reality seemed to warp and shift around them, bearing witness to the titanic struggle between two unparalleled forces.
The founder of Rosicrucianism who intimidated reality itself to obey his will and that Gemstone with an unstable personal reality that could change on a whim.
The atmosphere crackled with electrifying distortion.
Sogiita's fists tore through the air with the ferocity of meteors, their velocity enhanced by his ability to adapt and accelerate, surpassing even CRC's speed. As each blow was released, the friction with the surrounding air molecules ignited a scorching heat, intensifying the impact.
The rapid movement of molecules generated an escalating thermal energy, causing the air to seethe with increasing temperature. It was akin to a tempest of incandescent projectiles hurtling towards CRC, their speed surpassing the limits of human perception.
It was like a storm of brilliant fiery arrows was fired at Rosencreutz.
These blazing arrows of force were reminiscent of the elusive strikes employed by the Rose & Cross Leader, ignoring distance with deceptive agility.
With each thunderous punch, that bandana boy sought to overpower his adversary through sheer kinetic force, his unwavering resolve palpable in every motion.
But that wasn't enough for this superhuman.
CRC, wielding his cross sword with precision and skill, deflected each and every one Sogiita's flaming arrows with calculated strikes of his own. Each impact unleashed a burst of blinding white light, sending shockwaves rippling through the chaotic city.
"You think brute strength alone will defeat me?" the silver man taunted, his voice cutting through the chaos of battle. "You may be strong, but strength without strategy is nothing but raw power wasted."
Sogiita grinned, his confidence unshaken. "Strategies for cowards who can't handle a real fight," he retorted, his voice ringing with defiance. "I'll K.O. you with my fists and guts alone!!!!"
Rosencreutz's eyes narrowed as he parried another of Sogiita's punches. "Your arrogance will be your downfall," he warned, his tone tinged with certainty. "I may not match your overall speed, but I have something you lack: intellect and precision.”
Christian Rosencreutz then plunged his cross sword into the ground.
"This is what harmed Kamijou Touma," he declared, grinning and unleashing a torrent of lethal invisible attacks from his outstretched palms.
However, the #7 countered with a relentless barrage of flaming arrows from the thermal aftershock of his punches.
Each strike akin to a particle accelerator in its intensity and speed. That Gemstone was the particles being fired on the right and that True Expert was the particles fired on the left.
As the attacks clashed, the battlefield became a spectacle of raw power and precision.
“Roar!” CRC held his open palm to his mouth and blew gently on the tip of the middle finger.
That was all it took for a blaze easily outdoing a flamethrower to rush out. And this was not just any fire. It fed on the power of a ley line and stole vitality from space itself. This overwhelming mass of light and heat was wielded for no other purpose than to take lives. Anyone who tried to survive it using simple composite armor or special fibers would dry up and burn away in less than a second.
But that wouldn't kill another superhuman would it?
Of course not.
“Aaaaarghhhh!!!!” screamed the #7.
Some assaults bypassed the fray entirely, slipping through the chaos like elusive particles in a collider.
A smokescreen.
Those brilliant fireworks from hell weren't meant to take Sogiita’s life. They were meant to disrupt the Gemstone's senses and sight so he couldn't counter all of that old man’s deadly attacks.
Invisible strikes found their mark on that Gemstone, and the searing arrows of the arrows scorched Rosencreutz.
CRC was wounded but he rejected to make any whimpers. Instead with a sudden burst of velocity, the young silver man picked up his cross sword from the ground and launched a flurry of strikes, cutting at the #7’s body with pinpoint accuracy.
His arms, his head, his face, his stomach, his legs, his midsection, his back.
Each blow landed with devastating force, causing Sogiita to stagger back under the onslaught.
If that bandana boy hadn't had his defenses and general stats raised by the #5 he’d be cut to pieces.
The #7 fell on his back.
"There's a fire," Sogiita declared, his voice ringing out amidst the chaos of battle.
With each attempt to break his spirit, Sogiita's resolve only grew stronger, fueling the flames of his determination. "Every time someone tries to make me give up, it's like wind feeding my flames, making them burn even brighter just like my punches," he explained, his words carrying the weight of his unwavering determination.
He refused to stay down.
With a roar of defiance, Sogiita surged forward once more, his movements blurring with speed as he disappeared from view. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared behind Christian Rosencreutz, catching the magician off guard.
"Hey, old man," Sogiita taunted, his voice filled with confidence as he seized Rosencreutz from behind.
Christian Rosencreutz's eyes widened in surprise as he realized he had been outmaneuvered.
As Sogiita Gunha faced off against Christian Rosencreutz in their airborne duel, he felt the flames of determination burning within him, driving him forward with unstoppable force.
Before he could react, the boy lifted him effortlessly and slammed him onto the pavement below with a resounding thud.
"I'm not just a kick-boxer!!" Sogiita sang.
As the impact reverberated through the air, the young silver man let out a pained cry. The force of the collision compressed the surrounding air, heating it up until it crackled with energy. Christian Rosencreutz's head struck the ground with a velocity equivalent to mach 20, igniting his body in flames upon impact.
This move is called a suplex.
Struggling to regain his bearings, Rosencreutz muttered in a daze, "The House of the Holy Spirit...the seven walls..."
"You said it yourself, didn't you?" the gutsy boy retorted, cocky. "My power and my guts can break through your impenetrable walls. And I can spread those same guts to the world around me."
With a grimace, Christian Rosencreutz acknowledged the truth of the boy's words. "Your uncontrolled AIM field grants you the ability to imbue non-organic objects with the properties of your virus," he observed, his voice tinged with begrudging admiration. "Allowing them to bypass even the defenses of the seven-walled tomb.”
"A virus? Don't be so gutless, CRC," the #7 retorted, his voice filled with defiance. "This battleground ruled by wills is a two-way road between you and me."
Christian Rosencreutz raised an eyebrow at the boy's words. "Hey Gemstone, you could've killed me if I weren't a superhuman with an idealized body that accomplished The Great Work and crossed the Ungrund, what then short-stack?" he questioned while fitting an insult against his height.
Even without the seven-walled tomb or sheets of diamonds Rosencreutz was cartoonishly durable.
"Sorry, old man," Sogiita replied, his tone tinged with annoyance. "I might've gotten carried away, but I know it'll take more than that to kill you. No matter how many heads you regrow, like Hydra, I will not give up until I've completed all my labors."
"Mhm, so you do know your mythology," CRC remarked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "The Lernaean Hydra, or simply Hydra, is a serpentine lake monster in Greek and Roman mythology. Its lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid, known as an entrance to the Underworld. In the canonical myth, the monster is slain by Heracles as part of his Twelve Labors."
"Yeah, I know," Sogiita replied confidently. "I studied the tales of great gutsy heroes in school.”
"So, short-stack," Christian Rosencreutz began, his voice carrying a hint of scholarly interest. “Have you ever considered the parallels between our battle and ancient Near Eastern religions?”
Sogiita listened intently. "Are you saying you see yourself as a god of war or a hunter?" he inquired.
CRC chuckled softly. "In a sense, indeed. We are both assuming roles in this grand theater, are we not? I, the Hydra, and you, Heracles."
He continued, "Consider the Second Labor of Heracles. Eurystheus, the king of Tiryns, sent Heracles to slay the Hydra, which Hera had raised specifically to defeat him. Heracles approached the swamp near Lake Lerna, where the Hydra dwelled. To protect himself from the poisonous fumes, he covered his mouth and nose with a cloth and shot flaming arrows into the Hydra's lair, causing it to emerge and terrorize the surrounding villages."
CRC paused, drawing a comparison. “In our own clash, the flaming arrows that Heracles hurled at the Hydra find their echo in your lightning-fast fists, generating shockwaves that ignite the air with their speed and force. It's as though each strike of yours is akin to shooting a flaming arrow, much like Heracles did.”
“Huh? Are you suggesting we're caught in a time loop? That some enigmatic group, like the Bridge Builders Cabal, manipulated events to resurrect you, pitting us against each other in a timeless struggle? I've never met them, and I'm certainly no child of Zeus. Are you implying that our battle will be distorted into a Greek legend by a meddling time traveler?!” frantically asked the boy.
“No, no, you simpleton. This world contains synchronicities. In Sumerian, Babylonian, and Assyrian mythology, the war and hunting god Ninurta was celebrated for his deeds. The Angim credited him with slaying eleven monsters during an expedition to the mountains, including a seven-headed serpent, possibly identical to the Mushmahhu, and Bashmu, whose constellation was later associated with the Hydra by the Greeks. In Babylonian contexts, the Hydra's constellation is also linked to Marduk's dragon, the Mushhushshu.”
“Uhhh….” That shounen boy was dumbfounded.
"Hhm, I suppose calling it a time loop isn't technically wrong," Christian Rosencreutz began, his tone measured. "I'll break it down from history class and reconstruct it through the lens of the occult. Historic recurrence, young Gemstone, is the phenomenon of events echoing throughout time. Whether it's the rise and fall of empires or the repetitive cycles within a single society, it's all part of this grand plan that was decided when Adam ate the forbidden fruit."
The #7 with his guard up but curious listened: "So, history just keeps repeating itself? Just a series of coincidences?"
Christian Rosencreutz shook his head sagely. "There is no such thing as coincidences. Take, for instance, the Doctrine of Eternal Recurrence, pondered upon by thinkers like Heinrich Heine and Friedrich Nietzsche. While it's said that 'history repeats itself,' it's not quite that simple. Rather, these recurrences stem from identifiable circumstances and chains of causality."
He continued, his voice carrying the weight of centuries of philosophical debate. "Consider the phenomenon of multiple independent discoveries in science or the reproducible findings in natural and social sciences. These recurrences, whether in the form of rigorous experimentation or comparative research, are vital to our understanding of the world."
Christian Rosencreutz paused, allowing the weight of his words to sink in. "G.W. Trompf, in his seminal work, The Idea of Historical Recurrence in Western Thought, illustrates the recurring patterns of political thought and behavior since ancient times. Through these patterns, history offers us invaluable lessons, often leading to a sense of resonance or déjà vu."
Their words reverberated like a challenge to destiny itself, a testament to their unyielding determination in the face of adversity.
That Gemstone didn't surrender his characteristic fervor. "History echoing through time, huh? It's like the universe itself is stuck on repeat, and we're just caught in the cycle. But you know what? If history's gonna keep looping, then let's break the pattern! Let's smash through those chains of causality and forge our own path. Who cares about déjà vu? We'll create something entirely new, something that'll shake the very foundations of this world and we’ll do it with guts!!!" He defied that silver monster.
But Rosencreutz wasn't finished. He pulled out his Crystal World Map.
The supposedly old man listened intently to that boy's impassioned response, his expression inscrutable behind his clairvoyant card. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.
“Gemstone, you speak of breaking free from the chains of repetition, of forging a new destiny against the backdrop of eternal return. It is a noble aspiration, indeed. However, consider this: eternal return is not merely a philosophical concept or a whimsical notion of fate. It is the very fabric of existence, woven into the nature of time itself.” He pressed his finger on the Miniature Garden and a 3D holographic projection flew out—
“In ancient times, the Stoics grappled with the idea, seeing in it both a sense of cosmic order and a challenge to individual agency. Augustine and others recoiled from its implications, fearing it as a negation of free will and salvation. And yet, Nietzsche, in his brilliance, dared to confront the concept anew, exploring its depths in the crucible of human consciousness.”
Didn't Aleister Crowley say that he had to shatter every single phase in order to eliminate the concept of fate?
“I will shatter every last phase and put an end to all mysticism. It can be helped and we need not restrain our tears and bite our lip when faced with tragedy. I will bring back the pure world in which everyone can feel anger like normal and question it all like normal!!”
And didn't Coronzon appear to break down all the phases including the Pure World?
Partial destruction would be meaningless. If anything remains and an eternal distortion is born from that, then it will all happen again. I will eliminate the ten spheres, the twenty-two pathways, and the hidden eleventh symbol. Collisions between phases? Sparks and spray? You cannot save anyone if you only treat those symptoms. All of the fundamental clogs must be removed. All so we can pass the baton to whoever comes next.”
“Sparks and Sprays…” Rosencreutz muttered.
“Eh?” The #7 didn't quite hear him.
"Beside time stands fate, cruelty's steadfast herald. In the silent chambers of the soul, whispers the most profound wisdom. Humanity, in its folly, neglected to exalt life's splendor, its radiance, its grandeur. Truly, it is a rare gift to comprehend the forces that shape our existence.” That magician spoke in despair.
“From the moment man ate the fruit of knowledge, he guaranteed your species’ failure... Entrusting his future to the whims of fate, man clutches to a flickering hope. Yet, within the Miniature Garden lies the key to all revelation. Beyond the well-trodden path lies the ultimate terminus. It matters not who you are; Death is the sole certainty awaiting all.” he finished with scorn.
Shokuhou Misaki was currently linked to Sogiita Gunha so was overhearing the entire conversation.
“Are you okay, Leader?” asked Kamijou back at the hospital.
“Yeah…” she responded.
“Really?” Mikoto breathed a white sigh. “It wasn’t the shock of seeing their school destroyed. Nor was it the fear of having those rioters attack. …They’re afraid of their own power. And after learning how exactly to use that power to survive, they’re not sure they can just switch it off and return to their normal lives. So their gears have ground to a halt.” Tokiwadai Middle School was a prestigious esper development school.
The young ladies registered there were Level 3 at the lowest and Level 5 at the highest.
Almost all of the students had a power that surpassed that of a blade or handgun if used properly, but something had become twisted.
Yes.
“A lot of them weren’t really sure why they were training their powers.”
Shokuhou breathed a white breath, wrapped her own arms around herself, and rubbed her thighs together.
Why are you studying?
How many people could give a proper answer to that question? Because my parents told me to, because my teachers taught me to, because that’s how the world works. Those would be most people’s answers. Even the students with a clear vision of their future would only have something vague like “for the entrance exams” or “for my future”.
Only a small handful would have specific puzzle pieces in mind, such as “I need to learn how to use this equation so I can build a rocket”.
The young ladies of Tokiwadai Middle School were the same.
What if the very gears that humans have…their actions, reactions, inactions were all the result of some transcendental entity hovering above.
Like God or The Devil watching over humanity’s reality sphere and ordering around his system like everyone was a pre-programmed NPC that had specific events occur to them to get them to develop in the way that they did and determined their genetic bloodline that composed their psyche?
Is there truly a free will?
It was said that in order for you to break out of the system of society that the working class was stuck in you had to climb to the top where the corrupt elites resided.
Imagine Breaker negated sparks, Aleister Crowley could see through the veil thanks to Holy Guardian Angel Aiwass, Great Demon Coronzon could always see the cogs.
Christian Rosencreutz could view the entire world through his Miniature Garden.
The rest of humanity was at the mercy of their own destinies.
A Guardian Angel wouldn't arrive to save a parent’s child from fate every single time.
"Okay, nice poetry, can we get back to fighting already?" asked the #7 impatiently.
"Seems I got carried away," the old man conceded with a nod. "The synchronicities of this world, akin to the astral configurations in astrology, serve as an example of synchronicity, according to Jung. It describes circumstances that appear meaningfully related yet lack a causal connection, much like the parallel relationship between celestial and terrestrial phenomena. Synchronicity experiences entail subjective encounters where coincidences between events in one's mind and the external world may lack a clear causal link but still harbor an unknown connection.”
"Ah," Sogiita chimed in, recalling his philosophy class discussions. "We talked about synchronicity back then. Jung thought it was a good thing for the mind, but said it could get dicey in psychosis. He cooked up this theory as a kind of mental link between those meaningful coincidences, calling it a noncausal principle. This term came about in the late 1920s, and then he teamed up with physicist Wolfgang Pauli to dive deeper. Their work, The Interpretation of Nature and the Psyche, dropped in 1952. They were big on this idea that these connections, even the ones that don't seem to have a cause, could still teach us a lot about how our minds and the world work."
“Mhm, you know more than you lead on, Gemstone.” pondered CRC.
“Oh this? My teachers say I'm not good at remembering speeches hahaha…” The #7 looked slightly nervous. “You know, analytical psychologists really push for folks to get what these experiences mean to boost their awareness instead of just feeding into superstitions. But funny thing is, when clients spill about their synchronicity experiences, they often feel like no one's really hearing them out, or getting where they're coming from. And hey, having a bunch of these meaningful coincidences flying around can sometimes ring the schizo bell. Delusions aren't healthy.”
Where was this conversation going?
"Delusion! Hah! That's a good one coming from you," CRC fired back.
"The real delusion is thinking humanity isn't worth a damn," Sogiita shot back, pulling out some info from Johansen and Osman. "Some scientists think coincidences are just random flukes, but counselors and psychoanalysts reckon there's more to it, like some deep-down stuff needing to come out.”
"Delusion! Hah! That's a good one coming from you," CRC fired back.
"The real delusion is thinking humanity isn't worth a darn," Sogiita shot back, pulling out some info from Johansen and Osman. "Some scientists think coincidences are just random flukes, but counselors and psychoanalysts reckon there's more to it, like some deep-down stuff needing to come out. Unconscious material to be expressed."
Rosencreutz interjected, his expression reflecting a mix of confusion and concern. "Aleister Crowley's actions have left a lasting scar on this world and this city," he began, his voice weighted with solemnity. “The vacuum-like dichotomy between magic and science created by the use of that colossal psychotronic weapon, has damaged this world's memory irreparably.”
Psychotronic weapon?
The Archetype Controller?
He paused, his gaze piercing as he continued, "Jung's exploration of synchronicity as evidence of the paranormal paved the way for further inquiry, notably by Koestler and the subsequent embrace of these ideas by the New Age movement.”
Sogiita shrugged, "Some folks say synchronicity is impossible to test or prove, so it gets labeled as pseudoscience. Jung even acknowledged that these synchronicity events are basically just coincidences, statistically speaking. But hey, who's to say what's really going on without some solid scientific studies, right?"
"Dubious as his experiments may have been," CRC interrupted, "Jung believed in a connection between synchronicity and the paranormal, drawing parallels to the uncertainty principle and works by parapsychologist Joseph B. Rhine.” CRC posed a thought-provoking question, "How are we to recognize acausal combinations of events, since it is obviously impossible to examine all chance happenings for their causality? The answer lies in the fact that acausal events are most readily expected where a causal connection appears inconceivable upon closer reflection. It's impossible, with our current resources, to explain ESP or meaningful coincidences as mere phenomena of energy. This challenges the very notion of cause and effect, as these events occur simultaneously rather than in a linear cause-and-effect manner. Hence, I have coined the term 'synchronicity' to describe this phenomenon, placing it on equal footing with causality as a principle of explanation."
Getting closer to that Gemstone, CRC emphasized, "Esper abilities cannot be fully understood with science alone. They defy traditional cause-and-effect explanations, instead representing a convergence of factors that create a quantum phenomenon affecting both the micro and macro. Why were there the naturally gifted and the naturally ungifted?”
Why did some students get praised for their abilities while others needed to work harder?
Others among them would have worked every hour of their free time and not progressed anywhere in this city’s leveling curriculum.
Why did this city present such an unfair and unpredictable status quo of potential?
Why did hard work barely matter in a city of empirical evidence to record any possible progress?
Sogiita Gunha wasn't a normal Level 5 but he wasn't always this powerful. He went through the curriculum same as everyone but if the outside conditions for his Gemstone ability to manifest didn't form in the exact way that it did, in such an acausal form then would he even be here to challenge Christian Rosencreutz right now?
Everything just happened to fall right into place.
All those puzzle pieces that would lead to this moment here and now.
Was it all just talent? God picking a fool as his champion?
The #7 leaned back, absorbing CRC's words with a thoughtful expression. "So, what you're saying is, there's this whole other layer to reality that we can't quite wrap our heads around," he summarized, nodding slowly. "I mean, it's like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands—slippery and elusive."
He chuckled, shaking his head slightly. "Historic recurrence, synchronicities, all these things—they're like pieces of a puzzle scattered across this substantial reality. And sometimes, they just... click into place, right? It's like the universe has its own plan, and we're just along for the ride."
That bandana wearing boy's gaze drifted, lost in thought. "You know, CRC, it's funny," he remarked, a wry smile playing on his lips. "Here we are, with all our powers and potential, but at the end of the day, we're still grappling with the same questions as everyone else. Talent, destiny, divine intervention—maybe they're all just different sides of the same coin."
He shrugged, the weight of the philosophical musings settling over the broken city. "Who knows? Maybe God does have a sense of humor, after all.” that boy chuckled.
There was a deep silence between them.
Rosencreutz’ response was swift and resolute, his tone filled with certainty. "All this ‘universe has a plan’ banter is just a distraction from the inevitable," he declared, his eyes narrowing. "We can debate the nature of us being all-powerful yet struggling with mortal issues until the sun burns out, but it won't change the fact that our fate was sealed upon the knowledge Adam learned."
“To think so many trivialities have developed while this old man wasn’t watching. Heh heh. Then I should assume the thread of fate has again begun to weave its strange connections between myself and some unknown human.”
He rose forward, his movements purposeful. "It's time to put an end to this dance of platitudes," CRC continued, his voice cold and unwavering. "We'll settle this the only way that somewhat matters—through objective action in this grand play."
“Silence, preserved doll. Illusionists are meant to remain silent. That is all we magicians are: wielders of substanceless illusions. Opening your mouth serves only to break the illusion.”
With a flicker of resolve in his eyes, he locked gazes with the #7. "I am Hydra, Gemstone," he said, his voice carrying a hint of challenge. "Our battle ends now.” CRC opened both his palms and began shooting at their surroundings, the buildings, the pavement, the apartments, the rubble.
It probably wasn't random as it seemed to create a pattern.
“Huh are you getting senile old man?” asked the young Gemstone.
“What fun. I never imagined someone would bother diligently polishing their skills this far while knowing it is all essentially an illusion. Didn’t you ever feel silly going to the effort?”
Rosencreutz dropped to all fours, his rosy cross sword gripped tightly in his right hand.
He moved—
“Arrgh!” Sogiita yelled amidst the relentless and precise and precise strikes from that golden cross. “Old man?” he asked.
That magician didn't say anything.
That silver man’s movements became more beastly.
Faster.
Stronger.
Fiercer.
Something new was beginning to manifest.
With each strike of his higher dimensional blade that old man’s blows seemed infused with an otherworldly energy.
The wounds inflicted by his weapon burned with a venomous intensity, sending searing pain coursing through Sogiita's body.
That boy grimaced as the poison from that silver man’s strikes surged through his being, each wound feeling like it was ablaze with venomous fire.
"Damn... That burns…like a killer hornet’s sting," he muttered through clenched teeth, his voice strained with effort. Gritting, he fought to maintain his focus, despite the agony threatening to overwhelm him.
Was this another application of The Four Stages? Citrinitas? No, there was nothing yellow here, it was more like a dirty purple.
But it wasn't just the physical damage that posed a threat.
As the Rosy Cross leader leaped on all fours his movements took on an almost erratic quality, he was bouncing from one building to another with an animalistic agility.
With each jump, a shockwave rippled through the air, carrying with it a palpable sense of dread.
Something was spreading.
The air around them seemed to thicken with a toxic miasma. The #7 struggled to breathe, the noxious fumes clouding his senses.
Like a chaotic monster’s venomous poison breath.
The once-clear air now felt thick and suffocating.
Gasping for breath, the bandana boy struggled to maintain his focus amidst the swirling chaos.
His vision blurred, his movements sluggish as he fought against the oppressive atmosphere.
Blinded that heroic boy could only fire a flame arrow without his sight.
His fists striking out with all the strength he could muster. Igniting in that poisonous compressed air.
It seemed to be flammable like a dragon’s breath.
???
At the hospital, Shokuhou's voice carried a mix of surprise and relief. “He caused real damage.” she exclaimed.
Kamijou turned his attention to her, intrigued. “What happened?”
“It's hard to see clearly, but it looks like the #7 managed to rip off CRC's left arm,” she explained. “Though, I'd say it was more of a lucky shot. I can read he acted on pure instinct.”
Kamijou nodded, a hint of melancholy in his tone. “Yeah... the psychic link and all.”
Had the #7 Level 5 given up on the old man?
Back on the battlefield, Sogiita cursed under his breath. “Dammit... Sorry, old man,” he muttered. “I was aiming to hit your whole body to maximize the surface area, maybe break a few bones as a casualty. We can probably get your arm reattached at the hospital. Heaven Canceller has enough guts to even fix me.”
It was clear—he hadn't given up.
It was an accidental strike of his arm.
“As each ghastly head was severed from its serpentine form, dreadfully, two more writhed forth from the abyss.” a cryptic voice amidst the chaos spoke.
Wasn't it said that the Hydra’s lair was the lake of Lerna in the Argolid.
Lerna was reputed to be an entrance to the Underworld.
The abyss.
The Ungrund.
There is no limit to the depth of the Alcyonian Lake, and I know of nobody who by any contrivance has been able to reach the bottom of it since not even Nero, who had ropes made several stades long and fastened them together, tying lead to them, and omitting nothing that might help his experiment, was able to discover any limit to its depth. This, too, I heard. The water of the lake is, to all appearance, calm and quiet but, although it is such to look at, every swimmer who ventures to cross it is dragged down, sucked into the depths, and swept away.
The keeper of the gate to the Underworld that lay in the waters of Lerna was the Hydra.
The serpentine Lake Monster.
“Rosencreutz……?” The #7 muttered.
That magician chuckled ominously. "Indeed, young Heracles," he intoned, his voice echoing with a bizarre resonance. “The Lernaean Hydra's curse is upon you now.” as he said that he ripped off a bit of his arm that was cuterarised and it began bleeding.
Anna Sprengel’s blood was said to create unknown miracles when spilled.
Christian Rosencreutz’ blood was so virulent that even its scent was deadly.
As Sogiita Gunha glanced at his severed arm lying on the ground, a creeping sense of horror enveloped him. "All fate is a curse and that curse," he murmured, his words barely audible over the din of battle, "extends even to my severed limb.”
Christian Rosencreutz’ left arm grew back.
No.
Two new arms grew in its place.
The arm was fully functioning with no defects.
Although one of the arms appeared somewhat scaly and lanky like a serpent.
It had human anatomy but something was abnormal here.
He almost looked like a spider as he emerged from the poisonous fog as he remained on all fours.
“So short-stack. Are you ready to complete your final labor: Crossing the abyss!!!” He challenged that boy with his cross sword facing him.
"Boss, what's up? You look kinda stuck," Kamijou asked, his tone concerned.
Two students were sitting together in the waiting room at a hospital.
"—abyss, Hydra, curse, synchronicities, Historic recurrence." she replied, her words carrying a weight of unease.
"Huh? What? Can you give me the lowdown?" Kamijou prodded, his urgency evident.
"Can't quite wrap my head around it. But what I can tell you is that after CRC started talking about these esoteric concepts, he leveled up his power ability, managed to seriously hurt the #7 despite me cranking up all his stats for the win condition," the honey-blonde girl explained, frustration creeping into her voice.
"Can you beam all that stuff into my head, like a memory download? You're a psychological esper, right? My right hand won't mess with it, and we've done the telepathy thing before," Kamijou suggested.
"Memory download's not quite it, but I can send you a recording," she clarified.
"Got it," Kamijou muttered as he absorbed the info.
"You got any ideas to help the #7’s situation ability, Kamijou-san? We're kinda desperate here," she asked.
"I wish Index was still here, dammit.” he lamented, “But you know about magic, right?" he queried.
"Yeah, people converting their delusions into reality right?," she admitted.
"Well, magic's not just about delusions; it can be tied up to the whole world. Not sure if it's relevant, but based on Idol Theory, Rosencreutz might be pulling in 'energy’ from the Greek 'phase’ of Heracles for an edge," Kamijou theorized.
"Like a chessboard flip?" Shokuhou Misaki inquired, her brow furrowed with concern.
"No, more like... imagine you're playing checkers with a buddy, and you're totally crushing it because you're a checkers pro. Then suddenly, your buddy switches it up and challenges you to an arm wrestling match, and you lose because, well, arm wrestling isn't your forte," Kamijou Touma explained, trying to paint a vivid picture.
"So, by taking on the role of the Hydra from Greek myth, he's essentially forcing the #7 into the role of Heracles? But didn't Heracles defeat the Hydra?" Shokuhou sought clarification.
"Yeah, but..." Kamijou recalled the tale from the movies he'd seen. "Lichas gave Heracles a shirt soaked in the Hydra's poisonous blood from his arrows, which ends up killing him by tearing his flesh down to the bone," he elaborated.
"It was actually Nessus seeking vengeance and tricking Deianira into giving it to Heracles as a gift, delivered by Lichas without disclosing the tunic's lethal bloodstained secret from the Lernaean Hydra, but you're right," Shokuhou corrected gently. "So, Rosencreutz is harnessing the power of that legend to slowly poison the #7 to death?"
"Not literal. I mean the poison is real but his slashes do significant harm now so it's more like shifting the paradigm in his favor shifting his position.” The spiky-haired boy wasn't in the mood to explain Phases, “Earlier, he mentioned Sogiita spreading his 'virus' throughout the world. A virus isn't a poison in the traditional sense, but the Rosicrucians originally sought to create a universal cure for all illnesses. Now, CRC is spreading a literal poison, positioning himself as the ultimate predator and his opponents as prey rather than his savior role, the paradigm has been shifted." Kamijou concluded, his voice tinged with gravity.
“So he’s changed the environment to get the win condition? The #7’s durability doesn't matter in the face of the world being forced to go about a certain way because of Rosencreutz stage play?” The girl asked.
“Yeah…if things keep going this way…Sogiita will….goddamnit….” The spiky haired boy swore. “I can't let someone else die after all that's happened but I feel like if I go out there I really will kill him…” he muttered that last bit while clenching his right fist that began shaking uncontrollably.
The girl’s eyes seemed confused. “What did you say?” The honey blonde middle schooler asked.
“Nothing, just mumbling to myself.” he spat out.
That boy and girl could never come to the right conclusion on their own without the aid of former Magic God Othinus by their side.
“Did you think I had challenged you with no hope of succeeding, you cesspool? The magic born on earth is bound by the directions based on the earth’s magnetic field and by the density and composition of the air which is determined by air pressure which is in turn influenced by gravity. That is inevitable when you are focused on the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west or on the basic elements of fire, water, wind, and earth. But what you will find upon leaving the atmosphere is an unknown. Coronzon, are you sure there will be no malfunction in the magic giving you control of Avatar Lola? And before, my power was bound by the puny speck named earth which failed to become a black hole or even a sun, but once we enter outer space, just how far do you think that power will be released? I do not mind at all that I will lose the support of Academy City.”
Well the boy was half right.
“Let us test it out, you cuspidor. On one side, we have you using the planet and bound to an avatar. On the other, we have me exposed and freed from the planet. Now, who will be the star of this show?”
Christian Rosencreutz did not shoot at his surroundings for no reason.
The battlefield transformed into Rosencreutz's canvas, resembling the legendary battleground of Lerna where Heracles once clashed with the Hydra.
Yes.
He didn't unleash his powers randomly; every action was deliberate.
In the magical side of Idol Theory, mimicking an object, event, or person allowed one to tap into a fraction of its power.
And that even applied to locations that essentially worked as stage plays.
Idol Theory was so absolute that even the basic cross held a portion of the son of God’s power.
As Above, So Below.
As Below, So Above.
Macro to micro.
Micro to macro.
And the macrocosm and the microcosm are always linked.

Hello. Morning Reddit before starting my day and preparing for the rest of my busy week!
Hi. I enjoy reading. I’m in a book club! I enjoy to read books off of my kindle while lounging in the sofa section of my pool area. You can’t beat a hard copy physical book though. Love to display them on my shelves. I have an enclosed indoor pool which brings in all the sunlight like a green house. Quite handy.
I’m planning to go back to college soon to wipe up the rest of the credits that I need for my degree in bio chemistry. Been very content with just playing video games since that is technically my job. I play, I stream, and I have in the 380k follows. Grinded that number back when vine was still a thing.
I’m a vegan. I like making my own jelly. Trying different fruits is the best and fun part. Making a pineapple and jackfruit jam so im excited to try that with toast! I’m pretty tomboyish. I have a few fun idea but it involves a partner that’s willing to write and comment and do a bit of hunting and searching if anyone is willing! I don’t think anyone ever read post in full. So I’ll be expecting a bunch of short messages which I hate.

Nestled in the heart of Massachusetts, Woburn offers a unique blend of history, natural beauty, and small-town charm. In this blog post, we’ll take you on a virtual tour of this picturesque town and uncover some of its hidden gems. From historic landmarks to outdoor adventures, there’s so many things to do in Woburn, MA.

Things to do in Woburn, MA:

Exploring Woburn’s Historic Charm:

As you wander through the streets of Woburn, it’s hard not to be captivated by its rich history. The town’s well-preserved architecture and quaint storefronts offer a glimpse into its storied past. Take a stroll down Main Street and admire the elegant Victorian buildings that line the road. Stop by the Woburn Public Library, housed in a beautiful Victorian building, to delve deeper into the town’s history and heritage.
Woburn’s history dates back to the early colonial days when it was first settled in 1640. Originally known as Charlestown Village, the town was later renamed Woburn in honor of Woburn, Bedfordshire, in England. Throughout its history, Woburn has played a significant role in shaping the region, from its involvement in the American Revolution to its contributions to the Industrial Revolution.

Nature and Outdoor Activities:

For nature lovers, Woburn offers plenty of opportunities to explore the great outdoors. Head to Horn Pond, a peaceful oasis in the heart of the town, where you can enjoy a leisurely walk along the shoreline or rent a kayak for a paddle on the water. The Middlesex Fells Reservation, just a short drive from Woburn, is a nature lover’s paradise, with miles of hiking trails, scenic overlooks, and opportunities for wildlife spotting.
In addition one of the best things to do in Woburn, MA is visiting parks and recreational areas where you can enjoy outdoor activities such as picnicking, biking, and birdwatching. Whether you’re looking for a peaceful retreat or an adrenaline-filled adventure, Woburn has something for everyone.

Culinary Delights:

After a day of exploring, treat yourself to a delicious meal at one of Woburn’s many restaurants. Whether you’re in the mood for classic New England seafood, international cuisine, or hearty comfort food, you’ll find plenty of options to satisfy your appetite. Be sure to save room for dessert – Woburn is home to several bakeries and sweet shops where you can indulge in a decadent treat.
If you’re a fan of craft beer or fine wine, you’re in luck – Woburn has several breweries and wineries where you can sample locally-made libations. And for those with a sweet tooth, don’t miss the chance to visit one of Woburn’s ice cream parlors or candy shops for a delicious treat.
Important tips: A Guide to Parks in Boston

Conclusion:

As you can see, Woburn is a hidden gem just waiting to be discovered. With its rich history, natural beauty, and vibrant culinary scene, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in this charming New England town. And if you’re planning a move to or from Woburn, be sure to consider Premium Q Moving and Storage for all your moving and storage needs. With our years of experience and commitment to customer satisfaction, we’ll ensure that your move is smooth and stress-free. Remember, at Premium Q Moving and Storage, we move lives, not things.
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Catch the latest episode of the Life Beyond Boxes podcast now! Tune in for captivating conversations and eye-opening insights:

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Link to schedule

Welcome!

Almost caught up this week! Check back in a little bit for the rest (including questions), I'll try to prioritize it. And apologies, in advance, for the stench of meat and burnt hair.

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 9 - Finding Words

Tenar goes to the lord manor during the haying, she talks with the workers there and they view the leather capped man, Handy, as shifty but with nothing wrong particularly. They are reticent to talk to her or anyone else however. She runs across the wizard from before, Aspen, and it turns sour quickly after a real poor showing from him. As she leaves he starts to attack her magically, but is interrupted just in time from the king's men from Havnor. They stop him but are still cordial to him, politics as usual. Tenar gives the men some information about Ged and thankfully they aren't reproachful, when Ged doesn't get back to them they accept this and sail off. Tenar finds little reason to stay around but it would hurt to leave so she just keeps Therru closer than ever, and the days pass. Aunty Moss looks into it and there's a rumor that the wizard from Roke, Aspen, was contacted after the death of the grandson's mother, and the wizard supposely was helping keep the grandfather alive by siphoning the youth's life force. Therru is actually doing pretty good, she gets some interesting toys and even started to learn a trade. Tenar worries about what Ogion said about "teaching" however and one afternoon tries to teach Therru about the true word for "stone", but something slightly odd yet poignant happens. That night, Tenar is wracked with anxieties and evil thoughts, she even bolts from bed and throws down countersigns for a curse. There's a weird smell in the house. The next day she picks up some fabric in town with Therru and is attacked with a shower of stones ("stones" again). Arriving back at the house it is apparent somebody was there. Furthermore, her thinking gets really muddled, she relies on Kargish to get through what's likely a curse. They abandon the desecrated place but not before watering Therru's peach tree and taking Ogion's great books (dumping the fabric in the process). They stay off the main road and the words (Hardic and true) slowly come back to her, she even picks up a stone, says its true name, and carries it. They arrive in Gont Port and the plan is to camp in a forest but instead they run into the leather capped man. They flee to a Havnor ship and are stopped by a sailor. The leather capped man, Handy, first says he wanted to help them (like he helped alert the women to Therru when she was burned) and grabs Therru, breaking Tenar's promise that he would never touch her. A younger sailor arrives, and Handy switches his strategy, suddenly Tenar is a witch that has stolen his niece. The young sailor lets her on the deck while he looks into things and Tenar collapses, begging them not to let him take her, not to let "them" have her, not again, not again.
In-depth Summary

Chapter 10 - Dolphin

Tenar comes around from exhaustion, and promptly realizes the young sailor is actually King Lebannen (aka Arren from the last book). They were actually seeking her out and thought maybe she came there because she had heard this. Lebannen agrees to take her to her old farm in Middle Valley on Gont. Therru is put to bed by the king and Tenar relays the terrible things that have befallen them, particularly with Therru which is worse than what's been outright stated. Tenar feels they will be safe where they are going, and she talks to Labannen about Ged instead. Of particular note is that Tenar claims people of ill will are after him, there's also a comparison drawn between the land of the dead's mountain, Pain, its stone, Tenar's stone, and Ged's damaged hands. Ged needs healing and has lost his patience, to be replaced with self-reproachment. The next morning, Therru is hard to rouse, she might be in fever and the place where Handy has grabbed her is noticeably marked. On the high prow Tenar meets in particular the Master Windkey of Roke Island, who actually trained Ged as a child. Unfortunately, Tenar finds him close-minded to her throughout this chapter in various ways. A very weathered sailor presents Therru a carved ivory or bone dolphin, which Therru puts with her other dolls, but even now she doesn't thank the man (she leaves that to Tenar) and she retires soon after. Tenar goes back to the king and the weatherworker and they talk about their search for a new archmage. It's mentioned Thorion from the last book has perished which is one of the reasons the king was there on Roke. The wizards congregate in the Grove and eventually the Master Patterner says in Kargish, "A woman on Gont." Nothing else is known, but they did remember Tenar's adventures, so here they are. The mage asks her if she would lead them to anyone (nope), or if she knew of any woman it might be (also nope). Tenar tries to mention the evils as of late (the gangs, what happened with Therru, the wizards' and witches' power lessening or changing, even the wizard's influence changing with the new kingship) but is ignored, the Master Windkey says the wizard's power structure and art will be healed (over a long time) now that Cob from the last book is defeated. After the Master Windkey leaves Tenar and Lebannen have a bit of shorthand, she implies that the woman might be Therru, at leaast one day. Tenar relays her immediate plans and Labannen says he'll visit if he can. Also, he will forbid the wizards from bothering Ged.
In-depth Summary

she has a narc husband and narc MIL. Comes to our house for months at a time, and tries to gain sympathy constantly by showing how difficult her life is. Instead of breaking the cycle she has made our lives hell.
She tells my husband she doesn’t know who is influencing him to do things differently than the way she does, because apparently he cannot have his own opinion. She keeps on asking my husband does your wife come first or your mother?
Refuses to go to her other child’s house because she will ‘not be as comfortable as she is in our house’ there in spite of kicking around and screaming about how she doesn’t feel ‘at home’ in our home.
Constantly tries to meddle in our plans and wants to come wherever we go. When DH stands up to her she makes him count the things she has done and the money she has spent on him and how he could never repay them for what they have done for him.
Believes in giving her other child complete freedom and that parents should not interfere in plans and that the other kid has a life of their own but there is no concept of space with us, she thinks she is entitled to do whatever we are doing.
She wanted to come on an international trip with us because she hasn’t travelled in her life and if she doesn’t go with her son who will she go with? Of course she has not been allowed to do so.
Taunted me saying i wonder how youre not able to land a job anywhere when i lost mine due to downsizing and recession made it tough to find jobs in my field.
She refuses to leave her husband and talks shit about him all the time but if anyone else says anything, she blows up at them saying he’s a very good person (he’s an asshole)
While i sympathize for how tough her life (abuse) has been i do feel now she would be the core of many issues that have been caused. She progressively gets worse with age and starts screaming and shouting when boundaries are enforced.
Keeps on saying i dont want to leave ur house because this is my house too in spite of being told she needs to go. We have managed to get her to fuck off and booked her flight tickets but she is hell bent on coming back in 2 months after staying for 6 months to which we have said no. The only thing left to do is slam the door in her face now.
DH and I barely talk to her now because of how she behaves.
If anybody has been in this situation would love to know how you dealt with it. Thank you!

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Memory Transcription Subject: Elias Meier, Former UN Secretary-General
Date [standardized human time]: July 13, 2160
The irritability coursing through my psyche was palpable. Every sound was dialed up to eleven, stabbing at the core of my sensory processing. Constant awareness grated on me after days without sleep, never having any break from the stream of information I needed to digest. There was no way to shut the world off and reset, and no reprieve from the unsettling reality of my physical experience. I was curled up in a ball on the floor, rocking back and forth; I wasn’t sure how much longer I could go on like this.
Virnt scuttled over to me in the spaceship, jostling my shoulder. “Elias? Would you like to turn back from this mission?”
I remembered how I’d spent most of the trip, standing under the water in the shower. There was a special shampoo they’d provided for synthetic hair, like a wig. I held out my phony hand and emptied most of the bottle’s worth of goop, zoning out; I was trying to soak in the distant sensation of liquid running down my spine. Once upon a time, this had been the most relaxing time of my day—letting muscle tension fade away and cleansing grimy skin oils. Now, I knew neither of those two still existed in my day-to-day life to assuage.
Did it even matter to slap soap on some metal frame? There were no consequences of letting hygiene go by the wayside. I didn’t sweat in order to start to reek, and I couldn’t get skin conditions or be affected by bacteria. It could be that I was bathing out of habit, clinging to my old lifestyle, that I kept going to wash up. Perhaps the shower had become my favorite haunt because I felt disgusting in this body. Everything was a reminder that I was an inhuman scrap pile, and it was wearing on my sanity. It wasn’t like anyone related to what I was going through.
I used to spend so much time fussing over making my suits look crisp and perfect—immaculate ties, UN pins adjusted just right. The heavy jackets would trap my body heat in the summer; now, it no longer had that effect. I could bundle up as much as I wanted in 40 degree Celsius heat, unless there was some limit that would fry my circuits. Shit, I might not need a spacesuit in the vacuum of space—I couldn’t freeze or suffocate, after all. Being left out in the void for all eternity didn’t sound that much different from my present experience.
I hate what I’ve become. I hate what they’ve done to me; all I do is think, and every part of my new self lives in the uncanny valley. There’s nothing positive. Maybe it’s time to call it…death was better than this. I can’t bear another day of this hell.
“Hey, stay with me! Distractibility, depression, being unable to maintain concentration—these are natural consequences of sleep deprivation. I’m surprised it carries over without a physical mechanism to grow tired…but I’m working on a sleep suite, I promise,” Virnt said, glossy eyes staring at me.
I groaned. “I’m not tired, but it’s just nonstop. I…I’m having trouble remembering what I read.”
“Here, I’m going to try a temporary fix. You look like you need it. I don’t want you to suffer; just turning you off and on isn’t the same. I’m going to emulate GABA, uh, shut off your optic sensors, decrease the activity in your prefrontal cortex, and simulate delta waves for an hour. We can see if it somewhat fills the need for deep sleep, okay? Relaxation, no processing: worth a shot, right?”
I nodded mutely, staying in the fetal position. I didn’t have the will to move, and I didn’t want to get my hopes up that Virnt’s plan would be any mercy. The sensation of the Tilfish tinkering with my settings was strange, as if my brain was being overridden in the moment. There was no process of falling asleep to give it the air of naturalness. Suddenly, I was blind, trapped in darkness—and a modicum of drowsiness kicked in, limiting my movement. Thoughts died down, offering much-need relief; I faintly wished I could remain in this state.
When I came to, there was a sudden influx of information as the rest mode was switched off; it was hardly a seamless waking, but I’d take it. Peace in my own head was something I’d never take for granted again. I hadn’t thought myself to be a weak-minded individual, but I hadn’t realized how much it wore on you: feeling out of place in your own body every waking second, and not trusting your senses. Brain function had been restored enough that I could get a grip on myself, and rise in my disheveled state. A peek out the window revealed we’d completed our intra-atmosphere transit to the Duerten embassy.
I rubbed my eyes on reflex, but there were no gifts from the Sandman there. “Why couldn’t you have just added everything to start with, Virnt?”
“The humans I talked to said they wouldn’t want to sleep, unless they had to! I put the most focus on your emotional matrix and your facial expressiveness, since I thought that has the highest importance of what makes you human,” the Tilfish replied.
“You could’ve made it at least optional.”
“I sent the option to your holopad for the future, to trigger this program for as long as you’d like. This is a learning process, so I’m sorry for anything that’s off. All trial and error here, but it’s only going to get better! That’s the positive.”
“There are a lot of patches needed. For starters, you’re missing two of the senses: taste and smell. In spite of that, ever since I walked past the Terra Technologies staff eating tater tots, I’ve been craving them at random intervals. I’m not hungry—I can’t consume food!”
“Predator instincts,” Virnt teased. “The Federation was right.”
“I’m serious! Why on Earth would that be a thing? I literally can’t satisfy it, so it’s almost cruel.”
“It’s psychological, Elias. I looked into it after I saw it in your transcript. When humans are under a lot of stress or otherwise feeling down, you seek dopamine from food. It’s something familiar that activated your memories, and promised emotional comfort. That’s why you have the phrase ‘comfort food.’”
“I can already see how the Federation remnants would spin that. A predator’s so-called emotions are tied to food, and stimulate appetite to fulfill their whims.”
“You seem in better spirits. To add to your improved mood, we announced the success of your memory transplant to the world. The response was overwhelmingly positive—history looked back fondly on you. You got a lot of well-wishes, and I was able to get almost all of your social media re-activated. At least, the platforms that are still active.”
“I’m…allowed to share my honest experiences?”
Virnt eased me out of the shuttle, into the sunlight; cameras were waiting, causing me to stiffen. “Of course you can. I’m not here to muzzle you, my friend. Quite the opposite, in fact: I want your experiment documented as thoroughly as possible! You’re the spokesperson for—”
I shielded my face from the reporters, who were lobbing questions. “What is this? I don’t have a prepared statement. This is an ambush.”
“Terra Technologies has a mission of transparency, and improving sapients’ quality of life through digital means. We had to announce such a monumental breakthrough, but you’re under no obligation to speak with them.”
“Good,” a warm voice chimed in from next to me, making me jump. “The poor guy’s come back from the dead, Virnt. Give him a break. He’s here to speak with the Duerten Forum and their ambassador, for some semblance of his old life.”
I turned my head, beaming as I recognized her. “Erin? Oh, sorry: that’s Secretary-General Kuemper, isn’t it? You’ve moved up in the world. The United Nations is in good hands.”
“It’s good to see you, Elias. I bawled my eyes out at your funeral. You cared so much for peace and taking the high road; there isn’t a person out there who could’ve handled first contact with more grace. You inspired me, and an entire generation of future diplomats.”
I embraced Erin, who’d once been a passionate SETI researcher giving me all of the bad news about aliens. As we flailed about in the dark to save humanity and adjust to the galaxy, finally acquiring a few friends, she’d become my Secretary of Alien Affairs. I’d trusted her to do whatever it took to stabilize our extraterrestrial relations. It was a bit of a relief to see a positive reaction from someone I knew; I wasn’t sure how my friends would take my return, but I hadn’t been expecting a welcome with open arms. It brought me solace and comfort to know about the legacy I’d left behind, and the ripple effects my tenure had on the United Nations.
It is strange to see how much she’s aged. That’ll be the reality of anyone that used to be an acquaintance of mine.
The alarm bells pinging in my head faded into the backdrop, and I forgot that the wind gusting against my face only felt like a dull push. My mind slipped away from food cravings that failed to get my mouth to water, how there was no feeling of tightness from my dress shoes, and the stillness of my non-existent diaphragm. I was simply happy to see someone I cared about and enjoyed working with, in my old life. There was safety in having a person I trusted to be on my side. My brain snapped back into diplomat mode, falling into a familiar flow of conversation. If I had nothing else, I still had my social skills—an ability to navigate various cultures.
“So the Duerten Forum agreed to meet with the two of us. They know about the Sivkit attack, but not the full threat,” I spoke aloud, after breaking away from the rather soul-affirming embrace. “I read the strategy meetings for briefing them, and I’m on-board to appeal to nostalgia; humanity saving their homeworld was after my time, but close enough to it that I could serve as a reminder. A blast from the past.”
Erin nodded, her security forming a wall between us and the cameras as we walked toward the embassy. “I always wondered what you’d think of modern Vienna, Elias. All of the aliens willing to be here on our world, and to treat us like people. Friendship used to seem like a pipe dream; we were happy if they’d allow us to exist, tolerate us to that extent. Look at us now.”
“I almost gave up hoping that they could care about us, or stand beside us at all. We couldn’t do it alone then. It’s time we remember to stand together—to rise to the occasion once more. I can’t bear the thought of anything threatening our home, or our friends. I saw enough needless death twenty-four years ago.”
“That pain is a lot more recent to you. It’s completely okay to be wrestling with grief. A billion of ours died.”
“We didn’t become the monsters they thought we were, and we pulled through. We revealed their hatred and treachery, and have chosen a future set on rectifying every right they trampled. I’ll always mourn what we lost, but I’ve never been more proud of humanity in my life.”
Kuemper patted my shoulder. “You sound like yourself, my dear old friend. It’s very good to have you back; you were much better at smiling while they spit in your face than I ever was. Let’s do what’s necessary to get the ball rolling with the Shield.”
“I’m right behind you.”
The exterior of the Duerten embassy had a distinct construction style, with metal and concrete forming the bulk of the outside structure; on Kalqua, sturdiness was at the foremost of their priorities. Winds on a normal day could ratchet up to what we’d consider a tropical storm, according to my brief review of their culture. The door was evidently heightened to facilitate foot traffic from humans, despite the exit hatches on the upper floor which seemed frequented by the avian staff. Their personnel could literally fly away during an emergent situation. I tailed Kuemper into the lobby, and noted how much of the inside’s floor was concrete as well. It was resilient and easy to clean, a perfect surface to avoid being marred by talons.
Most of the gray avians used perches instead of chairs, with several staffers working on paperwork at their desks; in private areas, some met with any humans who had business with the Duerten Forum. The lack of reaction to a predator’s approach was new to me, but a welcome change. Kuemper confidently led the way to an elevator, which had the English and German words for “Welcome to the Duerten embassy!” written above the opening. The generic Shield logo was painted on both sides of the door, and emblazoned with a representation of Kalqua. There were no buttons inside, apart from an emergency exit; a camera surveyed us, before a watching staffer summoned the car upward. I felt a jolt as we reached the top floor.
“To be visited by two Secretary-Generals: one of whom is a ghost! Let me express the Duerten Forum’s honor and delight. Not, of course, that I don’t cherish Ambassador Hannah Marston’s visits.” A silver-feathered head poked out of a door at the end of the hallway, past a spacious lounge; his beak was the precise yellow of corn. “Please, come in. Make yourselves at home. Can I get you anything to drink?”
Kuemper shuffled forward, giving me a knowing look. “Water would be lovely for me. Thank you for the warm welcome, Ambassador Korajan.”
“I second that gratitude. Enchanted to meet you. I’m sure you know, but I’m Elias Meier.” Taking a gamble that the ambassador was more than acquainted with our customs, I extended a hand. Korajan strode forward with confidence, ensnaring my palm in his wingtip. “We appreciate you taking the time to sit with us, Ambassador.”
“Just Korajan,” the avian said, feeling my artificial hand with undeniable curiosity. He finally released my grip, and waited for us to get seated. “There’s no need for formalities, especially when I’m in such esteemed company. What can I do for you?”
“We’ve come to seek your assistance in the fight against the Sivkits’ assailants. The Sapient Coalition needs allies to back us against these menaces,” Kuemper stated. “Any help we can get would make a difference.”
“I see. I heard about your unfortunate defeat in your prior engagement, but I don’t see how it involves or concerns us. The Duerten, as you well know, aren’t in the position we used to be. We’ve turned our focus inward for years, shoring up our defenses to watch out for our beloved planet. The potential benefit it might offer you is so negligible that it’s hardly worth increasing our vulnerability. The risk far outweighs the rewards for any party.”
I studied the avian, careful to avoid a direct stare. “I understand that it’s a lot to ask. However, small bits of help from across the Shield can accumulate to be a massive difference maker. We want to stop this genocidal force from getting anywhere near Kalqua; if we play our cards right, you won’t need defenses.”
“Elias—sorry, may I call you Elias?” Korajan asked, continuing after I nodded. “We’re, of course, concerned to have a predatory species with such power and intentions, outside our known terrain. They bear a striking resemblance to the Arxur, and my government does appreciate the advance warning from the SC so we can make preparations. Yet the Forum is concerned by several of your recent initiatives, which would make us doubly unwilling to back your cause.”
“Go on. What initiatives have unsettled you?” I hope he doesn’t mean me, with resurrecting dead humans; that’d hit close to home, and I don’t know how to defend it. “Perhaps we can clear up our rationale and intentions, ensuring that there are no misunderstandings.”
“I hope I’m not impolite to point it out, but my government is beginning to see a pattern in your recent connections to carnivores. The Sapient Coalition is attempting an uplift on one race, despite what we all know happened on Wriss, and has brought them into your mix while they are at war with each other. We’re also aware of these Osirs—a race you are resurrecting to live among you, despite having no idea what they’re capable of. Present company excluded, species that need meat are not trustworthy types. These Osirs are weapons: look at the fangs.”
“Anything is a weapon in the wrong hands. Respectfully, we don’t feel that it’s right to judge a species for their diet. If I’m not mistaken, your own kind were once omnivores, Korajan.”
The Duerten fluttered his wings in acknowledgement. “The Federation changed us greatly—some things for the better, others to erase our intellect. We’re an individualist species, and they tried to make us…what do you humans call it? A ‘hive mind.’ Hive minds, of course, are fiction, yet they tried to make it real. Still, sometimes when you’re changed enough, it makes it impossible to go back to how things were.”
“I of all people grasp that sentiment,” I sighed, without moving an abdominal muscle, reflecting how my life would never be the same in this state. “We believe all sapients deserve a chance at life and happiness. Equality isn’t a principle we withhold based on any factor, and we don’t change species to fit our own whims.”
“This is why we’re content with our relations as is: separate, so we’re not connected to your disputes or obligated to get involved. The Duerten will always have differences between what are considered acceptable behaviors, and our guiding principles and overarching goals.”
Kuemper tapped her fingers on her knee. “Regardless, our choices with the Bissems and Osirs will have no impact or tangible effects on the Duerten. Nor is it a reason to shy away from protecting herbivores, the mandate that led you to stand up to the Federation in the past.”
“That cost us everything. Kalqua took a beating worse than Earth did. We don’t set out to attract the ire of powerful enemies these days.”
“We saved Kalqua. We were there when you needed our help to keep your innocents safe,” I reminded him, knitting my eyebrows with earnestness. “We answer when others call for our help to stay alive; the Duerten know what drives us to answer the bell. Isn’t that worth a smidge of reciprocation?”
“If Earth, or for that matter, Leirn were under siege, we would come. However, it appears to us that you entered their territory, not the other way around.”
“Think of the type of species…no, the kind of governments that would glass worlds. The old-school Arxur Dominion. The Kolshian shadow caste when they were defied. The Krakotl extermination fleet because they hated us. That’s what we see in the Osirs, and the gluttonous killing of Sivkit civilians while refusing to speak. We can’t turn a blind eye.”
“I’m sorry, Elias. Even if I wanted to help you, I don’t have the authority. I’m expressing my government’s position, and I’ve been told the Duerten Forum isn't going to war under any circumstances. I apologize that I can’t be of more use, and regret if you might feel your time has been squandered, leaving empty-handed.”
I shared a look with Kuemper, recognizing that we had been stonewalled; there was an implication in Korajan’s last statement that the discussion on this matter was over. The Forum hadn’t given him any negotiating room, so I didn’t get the sense I could do better than asking for him to take a message. If this was the most friendly party we’d be interacting with, I wasn’t off to a good start wrangling support for an alliance. There were a few other Shield races we could try, but an endorsement from the founders might’ve gotten the whole union on board. We had to find another angle—negotiating with the Fed remnants would be impossible without the Shield as an intermediary.
“Of course we don’t feel that way. The back-and-forth was enlightening, productive communication, as much as humanity would love to stand side-by-side in this endeavor,” I offered. “We appreciate you hearing us out, and do hope you’ll pass along our rationale to the Forum, for clarity.”
“I will,” the Duerten responded. “Your words, as always, deserve to be heard and treated with respect.”
Kuemper followed my lead, rising as I stood. “Korajan, I want you to know I deeply appreciate what you said about coming to Earth’s aid should we ever fall on hard times. That stood out to me, as a reason why our cooperation is so precious and beautiful.”
“I agree wholeheartedly. I do wish you the best of luck in your future engagements; my people hope you emerge victorious.”
“Thank you. Our door will always be open if you have a change of heart.”
In my mind, I had already vacated the Duerten embassy, but it was necessary to retrace my steps to depart the ambassador’s office. Aliens were much more diplomatic in rebuffing us now than in my era, which was the proper way to express disagreements between nations. It wasn’t lost on me that the differences in “behaviors” and “principles” Korajan meant were things such as hunting, omnivory, accepting carnivores, exterminators, and predator disease facilities. The Forum still clung to much of their old lifestyle; the gray avian had stated that some Federation changes were “for the better.” That was telling about how much of their ideology they’d yet to shed.
“Forgive my impertinence, but before you go, Elias…may I ask a personal inquiry? It’s not on my behalf of my government,” Korajan called, as our shoes cleared the threshold of his office.
I turned around, giving him an encouraging smile. “Of course. Go ahead.”
“What…what was it like? To die…to be dead?”
“It wasn’t like anything. It was a singularity of all outcomes: all I ever was, and all I ever could be, condensed to nothing. There are no words to describe emptiness and infinite rest. It’s a peace that knows no equal.”
The Duerten dipped his head. “Thank you. It gives me some…personal solace, to know…to know my daughter is resting peacefully. She died in so much pain after only a short period of remission. Ahem…if you’ll excuse me, I…”
“We’ll leave you in peace,” Kuemper replied, softness in her voice.
I folded my hands behind my back, mulling over the choked-up ambassador’s words. How could I let a few days of mental suffering defeat me, when kids suffered through such terrible diseases—never getting to reach adulthood? This program could give children like Korajan’s daughter a chance to grow up, and be a kid, free from pain. As soon as I was alone, I knew I’d be cast back into a maddening state of consciousness, with my brain struggling to stay tethered to this reality. Where I’d been ready to give up before Virnt’s quick fix, the avian’s story made me want to remain in the fight.
The Tilfish had been right: there was the potential for the technology that had brought me back to do a lot of good, and save others a great deal of heartbreak and suffering. No personal sacrifice was too great to ensure that one day, no parent would ever have to bury their child.
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Star Crossed [Multiple Free Sample Chapters] Patreon Subreddit Discord Paperback NOP2 Species Lore

Hey all,
I know sponsorship patches on jerseys and helmets are generally despised, but what company’s patch would it absolutely infuriate you to see on your team’s uniform?
For me, as a Leafs fan from Southern Ontario, it might be 407 ETR. Someone on leafs made this comment, and on reflection, I agree.
407 ETR is the private company that operates the Highway 407 toll road in the Greater Toronto Area. In the late ‘90s, the conservative provincial government gave away this then brand-new freeway, meant to be a northern bypass of the horribly congested Highway 401, to private interests under a 99-year lease, who have since gouged commuters with outrageous prices and contributed to even further gridlock on the 401. It was always meant to be a toll road, but the fact that all revenues are going into the pockets of private interests is just infuriating beyond belief. It’s now majority owned by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, so I guess we could at least say 407 revenues are going to fund our social safety net, but still.
I’ve seen 407 ETR ads on the sidelines during TV broadcasts of the National Bank Open (major professional tennis tournament in Toronto held each summer). Can you imagine if they graced the historic blue and white Leafs sweater? Sacrilege!
Anyway, what corporate logo would it absolutely infuriate you to see on your team’s kit, and why?
Thanks!!

I’m reposting because for some reason my post from last night isn’t even showing up on my profile and I’m desperate to get some opinions. I’ll try to keep it as short as possible.
Only 4 weeks from dday2. More context in my Post history. Things has been going really well I thought, especially leading up to Saturday. we went out to celebrate our 16 year wedding anniversary. The day was amazing we had a lot of fun, but later that night I went to show him a picture on Facebook and he saw his AP in my search history. He gave me a face and we moved on with the night nothing terrible happened.
Things were good Sunday, he was gone at work all night and then on his day off Monday he was in a weird mood. Pretty negative and being inconsistent with what his plans for the day were. He said he didn’t think he had time to hand out with me(we don’t currently live together but I was hoping to try to move back home soon). So I made other plans that was fine. I wanted to respect his space but all the sudden a couple hours later he wanted me to go out to lunch with him. I was a little annoyed and we talked about it on the way to get food but never really got anywhere. So at the restaurant I apologized for being emotional and we ended up going to his place later and spending the night cuddling and watching movies and having a great night.
Yesterday things were good still. We talked when he woke up for an hour while I was on my lunch break and things were seeming good. Then just an 1.5 hour later he sent me a whole Message saying he’s been feeling off and he’s sorry that he doesn’t want to bottles it up since we’re supposed to be honest and communicate. He said he didn’t like that I had AP on my search history and that he thinks I’m not happy and just “putting on a brave face” and that also the Monday situation had him scared we would slip back to old habits and attitudes. That he felt like the unhappy old is and that we salvaged the night but he was scared it would be that way often. Which by the way these are the things he often said concerned him while he was engaging in a false R. He would often say he was afraid that I WOULDNT CHANGE and we would go back to being unhappy, with the undertone that my attitude is the cause of his A and why he was so unhappy. So it felt a little triggering. He said That he’s trying to be happy but things are piling up on him.
I responded by saying it’s ok and I appreciate him letting me know. I want him to be able to tell me stuff. I told him it wasn’t just a brave face and that I am happy with him but I admired I do look up AP sometimes and I still struggle with how pretty she is and how it was so hard for him to leave her. But that I know it’s not right and I’m sorry. I told him some things that scare me as well such as thinking things are going well when they aren’t and that dday2 really messed me up like that because during that I thought we were healing and doing well then too.
His response? “I’m not sure what to don’t fix myself that’s why I’m going to start counseling and I’m also going to take a solo trip somewhere and really focus on myself. I feel so bad when I need space because it hurts you “
This is where I start to spiral. I told him I want to respect he needs space but he’ll tell me he loves me and wants to be with me then turn around and have this arrive toward us the very next day. It’s inconsistent. . I also told him that the whole attitude thing Monday was him too. That he was being really negative and it’s not all just me and that we’re not going to feel happy all the time and that we handled it well by not letting it ruin our night. He’s at work at this point and says he doesn’t know what to say and he’s trying to read through it at work. That it seems like I’m mad looking through my Messages. I told him I’m definitely not and he doesn’t have to respond right now. He then said he was just trying to express some feelings and he feels like he’s getting grilled because of it.
I told him I’m sorry if I was getting defensive, that to me it seemed like I ruined Saturday and now he’s struggling and wants to do his own thing and it’s all my fault. He said again he was just trying to express some feelings. I said I’m sorry I and I don’t like being this way (spiraling).
Next thing I know he says “do you think we need to take some time? I know I need to get away for a weekend and really deep dive my personal issue and I’m trying to get into therapy. Is that the fix though, actually separating and being happy by ourselves? I just don’t know”
That’s when I really lost it said sure. Do what you need to do. I can’t keep doing this back and forth and I don’t what’s driving him to go from acting to in love and adoring me to this. I can only guess.
Now he’s like “woah was just asking” and “this is what I get for talking” “I should just bottle this stuff up” etc.
He’s acting like I’m blowing this out of proportion and he can’t understand how I spiraled so hard off this exchange.
Am I being unreasonable?? I go back and forth about maybe I was too much but he’s also not being very compassionate given how much hell he’s put me through. And to say he can’t understand? I sent walls of texts explaining myself and I’m tired. I feel like maybe I did take his concerns and turn it into something crazy but I initially Tried to validate him and apologize. I don’t know I feel crazy right now. Maybe I am Oo mich.
How would all this make you feel?

(The information on the three gold companies in this report is not definitive. Instead, this information will drive you to do more due diligence and make an investment decision.)
A different way to invest in gold is to look for great properties. If you bundle the three companies/properties in this piece, you could own three great properties collectively for under CDN2.00 a share.
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GOLDEN RAPTURE MINING (GLDR: CSE) is a collection of premier Ontario mining properties in the Rainy River region that have done enough work to unveil potential, below but left a significant amount of gold with great g/t numbers. As of this morning, some numbers will indeed up its profile. Considering the stock has been listed for about two weeks, these results are excellent. Forgive the length of the table, but given the quality of the results, investors must get the whole picture.
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First, the newest, being listed in the last month, is Golden Rapture Gold. The Company intends to reactivate past mines in the Rainy River area of Ontario. The property is so new that management has only walked about 5% of it, but the numbers are already impressive over its two projects. The Company holds a 100% interest in the high-grade Phillips Township Gold Property, Rainy River District, NW Ontario. The land package totals 225 claim cells for approximately ten thousand acres located close to 4 mineral deposits. These assets include the New Gold Rainy River Mine (+8 million Oz.), the Cameron Lake Deposit (1.8 million Oz.), the Agnico Eagle-Hammond Reef deposit (3.3 million Oz.), the Tartisan Nickel, Copper, and Cobalt Deposit, and many others. Mature local infrastructure, workforce, heavy-duty equipment, hospitals, major highway systems, and local services are nearby.
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Mr. Richard Rivet, CEO of Golden Rapture, commented: “I am incredibly pleased that we have just made some essential and rapid steps toward identifying additional high-grade drill-ready targets. We were pleasantly surprised to discover many high-grade quartz veins on the surface, with the majority of them carrying gold. Unlike many exploration companies, we are not just chasing the typical geophysical anomaly but also many vast high-grade gold structures identified on the surface that can be drilled at any time.
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The Company holds a 100% interest in the high-grade Phillips Township Gold Property, Rainy River District, NW Ontario. The land package totals 225 claim cells for approximately ten thousand acres located close to 4 mineral deposits.
These assets include the New Gold Rainy River Mine (+8 million Oz.), the Cameron Lake Deposit (1.8 million Oz.), the Agnico Eagle-Hammond Reef deposit (3.3 million Oz.), the Tartisan Nickel, Copper, and Cobalt Deposit, and many others. Mature local infrastructure, workforce, heavy-duty equipment, hospitals, major highway systems, and local services are nearby.
Ryan Yanch CIM, a director of GLDR, states***, ‘One extremely important fact is that GLDR’s drilling cost is an industry-leading CDN140 a meter. It is not unusual for other gold comp[anbies to spend CDN200-400 or more a meter. One major contributor to this is that one significant cost is the location of the drilling company. 17 km away from the properties significantly lowers the capital cost and allows a more robust drilling program”.***
Given the uniqueness and exceptional quality of GLDR’s properties, there could be excellent investor support. Gold is rallying, and the prospect of further rises may portend in the shadow of interest rate cuts.
Previous work on the properties quickly removes the ubiquitous ‘drill’ on the property or other tropes. These are serious businessmen and women with decades of mining and entrepreneurial experience.
In the world of junior mining IPOs, there is a feeling that the stars must align to profit. Au contraire***. The keys to investing success are the right properties, management, and, in this case, a rallying gold price.***
Numero Deux
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Element79 Gold Corp (the “Company”) (CSE: ELEM) (OTC: ELMGF) is a fascinating gold company and the second in our gold triumvirate located primarily in Peru through its flagship Lucero, Peru, property.
(Full Disclosure: James Tworek, CEO of Element79, is an adviser to the GLDR Board. Your humble scribe owns a small position in each Company.)
The past-producing Lucero Mine (“Lucero”) is one of the highest-grade underground mines in Peru’s history, with grades averaging 19.0g/t Au Equivalent (“Au Eq”) (14.0 g/t gold and 373 g/t silver).
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In its past 5 years of production, ending in 2005, it produced an average of 40,000oz+/yr.
Assays from March 2023 yielded 21-ore-grade and high-yield up to 11.7 ounces per ton of gold and 247 ounces per ton of silver from underground workings, further validating the potential for a significant high-grade future operation.
Consolidating its focus in this region and its impressive geology, ELEM acquired the Roxana Vein and surrounding 1200ha property, Lucero del Sur 28, via auction held on May 17, 2023. The property is located strategically just east of the high-grade Lucero gold-silver project.
Instead of going into much history, let’s look at the Press release ELEM put out on April 23. New assays were released, and CEO James Tworek stated, “The data obtained is not just promising; it’s the cornerstone upon which our future endeavours will be built,” said James Tworek, CEO of Element 79. “These recent results, coupled with historical data, represent the bedrock upon which we are advancing our Lucero project.”
Corporate Presentation.
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From the PR: A total of 97 samples were sent for assays, 56 of which returned greater than 0.1 g/t gold (up to 8.55 g/t gold and 523 g/t silver. Several samples also were rich in base metals (up to 23.7% lead and 9.9% zinc), all of which underscores the richness of our project, further supporting the Company’s belief a robust resource base can be delineated. (Actual assay numbers are shown in the PR)
James C Tworek further states, “Element79 Gold has transformed from an asset amalgamator and seller to a near-term production story, responding to Peru’s government push for formalizing artisanal mining operations. We at Element79 Gold are thrilled to share our unwavering dedication to bringing our Lucero gold project in Peru into production. This past-producing, high-grade gold and silver mine holds immense potential to revitalize our Company and foster economic growth and prosperity in the region. “
The other ELEM property brings us back to North America. Nevada, to be precise. Reason to pay attention?
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Maverick Springs is adjacent to the Carlin Trend. For the uninitiated, the area contains several of the largest gold mines on Earth. The area includes a number of the largest gold mines on Earth. Maverick Springs is a blind deposit comprising a 30-120 metre thick, flat-lying zone centred on an anticlinal structure with oxidation pervasive to 120 metres and intermittent to 270 metres. (5)
West Whistler property is in the same area as Maverick, closer to the Battle Mountain Trend, alongside Carlin: Near several gold deposits, including the Cortez Mine, North America’s third largest gold mine with 2021 gold production of 828,000 ounces.
Finally, the Clover Property, 16 km west of the massive Hecla Mine in the Northern Nevada Rift. The property sits at the top and centre of the Carlin and Battle Mountain Trends.
Nevada Gold’s active Turquoise Ridge Mine, the third largest gold mine in the United States with 537,000 ounces of gold production reported in 2020, as well as the Twin Creeks open pit mines and the dormant Pinson and Getchell mines.
Element 79 has drilling programs announced for the 2023/24 years and a more vigorous program for 2024/25.
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As (GoldSilver.com) an aside, the gold price—and silver—have softened after particularly gold had a decent run. The first two in our group have slid a bit but seem to be holding in nicely.
If one follows gold forecasts, the pundits call for USD 2500-3000 over the next few years. The strategy is simple: A move to USD 3,000 represents a 50% appreciation. However, that also comes with physical and liquidity issues should you want to sell.
And the Gold price?
On December 30, 2022, gold closed the year at $1,819.70 per ounce. Flash forward to one year later, and gold closed 2023 at $2,062.40. That’s a gain of 13.3% in a single year.
With gold pushing to new record highs, it’s a fascinating time for gold investors.
Predicting the future of gold prices is never easy, but to offer some insights into what 2024 might hold, we’ve (compiled an array of gold price forecasts, outlooks, and predictions from renowned banks, industry experts, and financial analysts.
Let’s take a look.
https://preview.redd.it/hvtfmvojol0d1.png?width=1270&format=png&auto=webp&s=e010811fe9a82a92ebcfbce86a0b8ef1a3ca60f8
Numero Three
https://preview.redd.it/c3piq1qlol0d1.png?width=368&format=png&auto=webp&s=5e03a374e70713d3d9c1d284149582b1bef3797d
Off we go to South America. This time, Columbia with SOMA Gold. (TSXV: SOMA) (WKN: A2P4DU) (OTC: SMAGF) (the “Company” or “Soma“) recently announced that gold production for Q1 2024 was 7,335 AuEq ounces, an increase of 8% over the same period in 2023.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
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The Company owns two adjacent mining properties in Antioquia, Colombia, with a combined milling capacity of 675 tpd. (Permitted for 1,400 tpd). The El Bagre Mill is currently operating and producing. Internally generated funds are being used to finance a regional exploration program.
https://preview.redd.it/3oy5cbapol0d1.png?width=872&format=png&auto=webp&s=f777cb52c01985d3c554fabc0cd2eb42ca45cd89
Soma is further ahead than our previous companies, which doesn’t make it better; it is just a different stage of development.
Corporate Presentation, 2023 results, Tech Report.
https://preview.redd.it/39o70anqol0d1.png?width=729&format=png&auto=webp&s=d3542994b4fcfb9fdc0ee7150497a8df2bd2d448
Properties
Cardero Mine

• The 84 thousand tonnes (kt) production rate in 2022 will ramp up to a peak mining production rate of 248 kt (680 tpd) in 2024. Achieving the planned peak production rate of 248 kt per annum would allow the Company to restart its previously operating El Limon Mill, with feed from Cordero in late 2023.
• El Bagre Gold Mining Complex is located approximately 167 km northeast of Medellín in the Department of Antioquia, Colombia. Soma produced 23,115 ounces of gold at its El Bagre Mill in 2022, an increase of 30% from the previous year. Soma’s production forecast for 2023 is for a further 50% increase to 35,500 ounces of gold produced.
• In addition to its operating El Bagre Mill, Soma owns the 225 tpd Limon Mill, which is located 47 km south of the El Bagre Mill. The Limon Mill has been on care and maintenance since 2020 but will be restarted when production from the Cordero Mine exceeds the capacity of the El Bagre Mill.
• The Limon Mill operates similarly to the El Bagre Mill with two-stage crushing, ball milling, gravity concentration, flotation, cyanidation, Merrill Crowe precipitation, and smelting to produce doré. The mill was upgraded in 2017 to a capacity of 225 tpd and is permitted for up to 400 tpd.

As mentioned, these three companies are similar in that they have what appear to be skookum properties. They are also all great gold proxies, and they all trade for under CDN1.00. Cheekily, I may have said that investors can own all three companies for under CDN 2.00 a share.
While I like the companies, I would buy them for their land positions. All have land that isn’t some dust pit but has either historical or proven assays. And most are near large producers. Element79; Nevada.Carlin Trend? Seriously?

I am 32F and my LO is mid-40s to early 50’s and male. I am a social worker. He is my co worker but we don’t work closely together as he works in a different part of the service. We’ve been working together since September 2021 when I started my current role. He’s always been friendly and there have been times when I thought he was flirting. I myself have tried to flirt with him but I am socially awkward, have little experience with the opposite sex, and can’t do much other than intense eye contact and smiling lmao so I doubt I was smooth with it. We sometimes see each other on the office floor and don’t acknowledge each other - for example, if I’m depressed, I won’t say hi. We’ve barely interacted.
Anyway , he is bad news. Apparently married and also dating someone in the office so I should steer clear.
Sadly, work is shit without him and I think about him all the time. Yesterday , I sent him an email asking if he could call me as I wanted to speak. He called me and I said and did the following :

• I told him work is boring when he isn’t there and that he is never in -asked him if I have ever made him feel uncomfortable - he said no
• asked him if he has ever flirted with me or picked up on flirting from me - no to both
• told him I lack social skills and was assessed for autism but it was negative
• told him that I’ve asked him questions I know the answer to just so I can talk to him -told him I don’t say hi sometimes because I am depressed. -told him if I talk to him in the kitchen, I’m either gonna say nothing or be inappropriate. -told him I’m an overthinker -told him I have adhd and I’m working on getting it treated but I did take my medication today and that I used to be more impulsive as a child -asked him to pretend I don’t exist - he replied he’s going to be authentic -spoke about how I’m not planning to leave my job any time soon

He mostly listened and said that he hopes I feel lighter. He also said he won’t share anything I’ve said with anyone.
I am really attracted to him and have masturbated to the thought of him. I’ve done a lot of cyber stalking too. I don’t want a relationship with him I think.
I’ve got adhd and borderline personality disorder along with the usual like depression and anxiety. I’ve experienced childhood trauma. Had a lot of therapy over the years including the treatment for BPD and looking to go back into it. Also looking to get my adhd treated. I know I feel like this partly because I am lonely and have been for most of my life.
It’s not the first time I’ve experienced this but it’s the first time I’ve been limerent for a coworker.
FML. I feel sad that he didn’t say that he feels the same way and happy that I have got it off my chest. I felt like crying at work today and I think it’s because of this situation.

I haven't seen any posts announcing its release, Arcana understandably being a touchy subject here on this sub now, but I have seen a lot of interest in seeing reviews of Arcana's new Planet Earth: Post Humankind collection. With the third part's drop delayed until next Monday, I thought I'd take this opportunity to share my thoughts on the three perfumes I have tried, in case folks here might find it helpful (whether you want to order direct or search out things in destashes). I can say that the quality of Arcana's perfumes remains as high as it's ever been. Do your research to determine for yourself if you are comfortable ordering. Some of these - like Daydreams of Trees - I think are a bit unlikely to land in destashes in any great amount.
​
Daydreams of Trees [Our hand-distilled fir needle oil with French lavender absolute, jammy fir absolute, organic spruce tips, white iris, dappled sunlight, a bit of orris, and a hint of sugary sap] - Evergreen trees, but soft and almost dusty, with gentle lavender and an almost silken base. Not their actual silk note (which I love), but now I think I'm starting to recognize their fantasy "dappled sunlight" note, which they do often pair with their silk or cashmere. Daydreams of Trees is absolutely stunning, I love it so much, and this from a person who doesn't typically enjoy tree perfumes or most houses' lavender notes. Meanwhile, Husband (who does love tree scents) doesn't like this one - he thinks it's the "dappled sunlight" that's putting him off. (And at his request, I won't wear this one as a bedtime scent, though I think it would be amazing for that.) From this I conclude that this is perhaps a tree scent for folks who don't normally love tree scents. It's so soft and lovely! I'm kind of amazed how madly I fell in love with this one, actually. It's one of the ones currently out of stock (the reason for their delay in releasing the Part 3 scents) and I plan on FSing it next Monday if I can (which also means my sample will go in my destash, for anyone hoping to try it without placing a direct order).
Infinite Sky [French vanilla with our cumulus cloud accord, ivory musk, sheer silk, blue amber, and milky sandalwood] - It smells a little unbalanced in the vial, the gourmand-style vanilla not quite meshing with the airy and decidedly non-gourmand accents, but on my skin, woah. In fact, both Husband and I separately went "ohhhhh" upon sniffing my wrist. On my skin, it's a decidedly French vanilla with powdered sugar undertones, but thankfully not too sweet (and I have a low tolerance for sugary), and it melds gorgeously with the milky sandalwood. There is such an airy, clouds-in-the-blue-sky effect, with the blue amber just the faintest bit ambergris-like. It's one of those scents that's beautiful and interesting enough to be satisfying, yet also innocuous enough to be a totally work-safe perfume, and in fact I've already worn it a second time for exactly that reason, when I needed something the other day that absolutely positively wouldn't bother anybody around me.
Fae Haven [Peach ice cream cones, orange flowers, white chocolate, and magnolia blossoms lead to a drydown of sheer, pretty musk, apple slices, fairy mounds, peach nectar, dewy rose petals, lily of the valley, and green grass] - This is a super cheerful tropical-fruity scent - the peach and orange blossom combine to become almost like guava/passionfruit (it reminds me of Pink Moonbeams [A sugared gourmand blend of juicy passion fruit, velvety purple iris, Tahitian vanilla beans, pink candyfloss, reflected sunshine, sheer layers of soft orris, glowing musk, and a hint of wild lavender stems] but way less pink). There's a pineapple-like tartness but also a smooth white chocolate, and underneath it all, a green note which reminds me of Strawberries Crave Waterfalls [Rain, woodland strawberries, fresh water, petitgrain, osmanthus, clover, and smooth amber] (which unfortunately means that Fae Haven, like Strawberries Crave Waterfalls, goes slightly bell-peppery on my skin).

Im writing this to get off it off my chest cuz ive been carrying it for so long.
Ok so, im slowly falling out of love again with by boyfriend. lol i find it funny cuz we already broke up about a year ago then got back together after 6months kasi namiss ko siya. Well long story pa rin naman why we got back together, thats another story to tell. Anyway going back, yes I wanna get out of this relationship again, why? Kasi its the same shit as beforelike gago i felt like he doesn't have plans for me or for our relationship. I already talked to him about this, pero ewan ko feels like the same shit after a year of getting back together. I hope he's not here in this subreddit cuz he'll know na its me.
Not to mention about the sex!!!!!! The sex issssss boring (like fucking boring) there's no dominance at all!!! Yeh fine he knows that I am kinda dom pero tangina sana konting dominance naman????? In fact I already communicated this to him but still the same routine during sex pota!!!!! I wanna be fucked like a puta at the same time like a baby (baby puta lol)
Tangina baka if ill choose to stay ill still end up cheating????? Idk i hate cheating pero tangina nakukulangan ako. Puro imagination na lang pinapagana ko!!!! Im so bored of this relationship tangina.
I know being in a relationship is a choice pero right now im feeling it as a chore.
Fuck im fucking fucked up

Chapter 9 - Finding Words
Tenar arrives at the haying and asks the women about the leather capped man. Nobody is sure why he, Handy, isn't there, but they view his kind as shiftless so that's no surprise. After she mentions the child the workers, being weary of the villagers let alone Ogion's apprentice, move on.
Tenar heads to the road and comes across Aspen, the wizard from before. He asks if she's there for work, and Goha is sure he says this not because he doesn't recognize her from before but more as an insult or warning. Tenar instead says she was going to warn the overseer that they had hired a thief known to her village. It takes him awhile to answer that he doesn't know about the hirelings, and Tenar suddenly realizes he seems older and more wizened than appearances. Suddenly he calls her a witch, a gossip, and a liar, and that he should have punished her over the incident with Ogion's body, and also, about Therru, that, "[t]he man did well who tried to destroy that creature, but the job should be completed." He says, "'Have you understood me?' 'No,' Tenar said. 'I have never understood men like you.'" She leaves down the road, but gets a static sensation and turns to see the wizard gathering dark lightning with his staff and started to speak a curse (she has a realization that because Ged has lost his power she kind of superimposed this on all others).
Two of the men from Havnor interrupt this, ostensibly (and, unfortunately, as a bit of a faux pas) to stop Aspen. They address her very cordially, at least one of them with honor, referencing her past deeds with the Ring. "'Ah,' said Tenar, flustered and warmed right through--'there’s all kinds of power in the world!--Thank you.'" She wasn't sure if the wizard knew of this or not, but it doesn't matter, as he hates her, as he hates Therru, because she is a woman. She thanks the envoys, in particular by giving them the information that Ged will need time but will get back to them, and draws positive comparison to them and the new order by the new King: "There was indeed a king upon that throne, and in his crown the chiefest jewel would be the Rune of Peace." She in particular was quite fond of the younger one which showed her particular reverence... though on turning back she is a bit sad to find (unfortunately, understandably) that they are chatting with the wizard as if nothing happened.
The men stay a few days and leave without contacting Ged, and Tenar finds some difficulty in a reason to stay around, particularly with Aspen the wizard and Handy the leather capped man now quite openly a threat. She feels like in leaving though she will lose the last bit of Ogion less, and on top of that "...she thought, 'I will never dream of the sky, down there.' Here, where Kalessin had come, she was Tenar, she thought. Down in Middle Valley she would only be Goha again." She doesn't let Therru out of her sight, and the days pass.
After being told everything, Aunty Moss had put out feelers in the acquaintances at the manor (after all, she was a healer and whatnot and so had some heft). A tale emerges that the younger lord, the grandson, had become sick and withered following the death of his mother, and oddly instead of seeking out Ogion or healers they sent for a wizard from Roke. Something a bit more than a rumor emerges, that they had been keeping women away from the manor and that the wizard was working on keeping the old lord, probably more than a century old, immortal off of the grandson's life. There's such a "let it be" attitude in the village that even Aunty Moss doesn't outright call it an evil (though she does think it'll all go wrong). Tenar had started asking villagers about Handy, the leather capped man, including if he left the area or not, but only received vague, uncommitted replies in return. Tenar was generally viewed as an outsider and uncordially by all but Fan, the old weaver.
Therru was kept close by, though she seemed to like this "...as a much younger child [might], working with her or playing. Her play was with cat's cradle, basket making, and with a couple of bone figures that Tenar had found in a little grass bag on one of Ogion's shelves.... To Tenar they had no sense of power or danger about them, and Moss said, 'Just toys.' To Therru they were a great magic. She moved them about in the patterns of some silent story for hours at a time...." She also learned to spin wool into yarn. Tenar felt like she wasn't "teaching all" like Ogion had said, though the Goha part of her said that the more homely arts, and the wisdom behind general good living, were true arts in themselves. One afternoon Tenar tries to to Therru the true name of a stone, but then (for a specific reason, after Therru mouths the name) she thinks it's just not time yet for it. Instead, she teaches her a fable that Lark had thought their children together, of Andaur, a woodcutter who cut down an oak tree that had a human voice, and Avad. Once again, "As long ago as forever, as far away as Selidor..."
That night, however, Tenar is wracked with anxieties while trying to sleep. These start general but get more and more specific and dark (supernatural, even) that Tenar wakes, makes a countersign, then springs from bed and yells, "'You come too late, Aspen. I was eaten long ago. Go clean your own house!' There was no answer, no sound, but a faint, sour, vile smell of burning-singed cloth or hair." She sets Ogion's staff on the door, checks on Therru, and does not sleep that night. The next day they visit the village to sell their yarn to Fan, and a curious incident happens where Tenar is pelted by stones as if by rain (there are some boys hiding about). Tenar starts to get shaky, and when they arrive at the house it's apparent someone was there: "It smelled of burned meat and hair. The coverlet of their bed had been disarranged." She realizes a spell had been put on her, it was no coincidence that the same word she had tried teaching Tenar was thrown back at her. Even her thoughts seem to turn against her, and to combat this she tries to think in Kargish. It's like she's contacting her old self, Arha the dark priestess, who reacted last night and knew curses and knew how to live in (or with) darkness. Tenar realizes she must leave, and a somewhat funny (in a way) incident happens with Heather (she tries to give her the goats and to keep up the household in other ways) where the words she wants to say only come out as insults. She gestures to Therru to come in the house to prepare to leave, and Therru poignantly reacts to the stench in the house. Amongst the activity a couple things are interesting, Tenar makes Therru water the peach, and Tenar empties her fabric to make room for (Ogion's, Ged's, "Hers") three great books instead of leaving them in the desecrated place. They take the staves Tenar had carved, leave Ogion's in the dark corner, and leave with "...the door of the house wide open to the wind from the sea."
They leave, instinctually she bypasses the main road, as if she met Aspen on the way she'd be lost. A mile away she knows she choose well, the words (Hardic and true) come back to her, first the true word for "stone", then "Kalessin", then she feels better. On the way to Gont Port, Tenar is thrilled to see a ship driven by magewind. A small segment here about the few towns Tenar has visited. Fifteen miles they had traveled (Therru steadfast, but certainly tired) when they come across a gate with two stone dragons surrounding it. Surprised by a guard (they guard city gates? What do they keep out?) she unwittingly does a perfect imitation of Heather and the guard, bored, lets them through. Gont Port is a living cacophony and Therru is transfixed. They travel along southward, the plan possibly to camp in a forest, when Therru alerts Tenar that the man in the leather cap is there. He spots them, pauses, and they run. They arrive at the docks and they are past their limit. Tenar asks a sailor if this is a ship from Havnor. It is, but he can't let her on it.
Suddenly, the man in the leather cap, Handy, appears behind her. He entreats her that she didn't have to flee, he was the one that got aid for Therru, and he wants to help them. "He put out his hand as if drawn irresistibly to touch Therru. Tenar could not move. She had promised Therru that he would never touch her again. She saw the hand touch the child’s bare, flinching arm." Suddenly a younger sailor (it seems to be Tenar's son for a moment) appears and asks what Handy wants with them. Handy says Tenar took his niece, "witched it", and ran off with her. She pleads the sailor to let her board and the sailor takes her to the deck and tells Handy to wait there. Tenar collapses, "...dropping the heavy sack but clinging to the child. 'Don't let him take her, oh, don't let them have her, not again, not again, not again!'"

I'm planning on eventually building a baja bug for off-roading, looking for recommendations.

• what makes a good donor car? Is there a specific year, condition, price, etc.? I don't want to take a clean , restored bug off the market, just to turn it in to a baja bug.
  
• what sort of frame should I use? Is there benefits to using a specific frame type?
  
• what engine/ transmission would be best for off roading?
  
• would 4wd or 2wd work better?
  
• any ideas on where to start?
  
• other advice for building a bug that is good to know?
  

Any help is much appreciated

Did anybody else feel like WWE's handling of Edge in 2010-2011 was just bizarre?
First Edge returned at the 2010 Royal Rumble after spending the second half of 2009 healing a torn Achilles tendon. Gets a huge reaction from the crowd and ultimately wins the match. From there, Edge is clearly being positioned as a face, a role he hasn't played in five years, and solidifies his turn by challenging ex partner Chris Jericho for the World Heavyweight Title at WrestleMania 26. I'm sorry, but this feud did NOT have enough of a build to warrant a Mania world title match. Jericho and Edge were only partners for like a week before Edge got injured. And then we get the 'Spear' chants. That was just cringe. But hey, I get it, this is prime PG Era WWE, so Babyface promos have to be dumbed down to age appropriate levels. Jericho wins the match at Mania, only to lose the title to Jack Swagger a few days later (shudders) and the Jericho-Edge feud continues on without the WHC (which really it never should have had in the first place). Edge wins the feud with a Steel Cage Match at Extreme Rules 2010.
Then things start getting bizarre for Edge. He gets traded to RAW in the 2010 and immediately turns heel again by costing Randy Orton a number 1 contenders match because...reasons? And the promo with Christian a few days later where he justifies the reason didn't get the desired crowd effect either. If you go back and watch Edge mocking the fans for the 'Spear' chants you'll probably hear crickets. Anyway, just like that, Edge is right back in familiar territory. The Orton feud didn't benefit him that much since Orton was so white hot at the time. Then Edge is thrust into the Nexus storyline (keep in mind, this is when the group still had potential). Finally in October, Edge gets traded back to Smackdown after throwing a hissy fit and destroying the Anonymous RAW GM laptop.
So now Edge is once again a face, which pretty much makes the last 4-5 months a complete waste of time. This time it's a more sustained face run, and Edge gets another WHC feud, this time against Kane. The Kane-Edge feud of 2010 gets a lot of slack and rightfully so - tbh these guys have just NEVER clicked together for me - and I think that it just goes to show how bad the PG Era writing was by this point. Their match at Survivor Series ends in a DQ, leading to a fatal fourway at TLC that includes Rey Mysterio and Alberto Del Rio. Edge finally wins the his first World Title as a face, which seemed like their original plans for Edge in 2010. He then ends his feud with Kane with a Last Man Standing Match on Smackdown.
Next Edge moves into a feud with Dolph Ziggler, who is a rising star in WWE (yes, I know that aged poorly). By this point, WWE are beginning to elevate several new talent to make up for their top-tier stars that have either left (Batista), retired (HBK), or been reduced to part time status (HHH and Undertaker). Dolph also has an onscreen relationship with Vickie Guerrero, Edge's ex storyline wife, which is supposed to add a new layer to this storyline. But really, this storyline just felt like Edge feuding with Vickie, especially after Vickie became interim Smackdown GM. Edge retains against Dolph at the Royal Rumble, but gets stripped of the title a few weeks later after a mixed tag team match. Dolph gets awarded the belt the next week, only to lose it back to Edge the same night. Don't worry Dolph, it only gets worse from here.
Then we move onto Edge feuding with the 2011 Royal Rumble winner Alberto Del Rio. WWE banked hard on Del Rio in 2011, and the fact that he was getting a World Title match at his first WrestleMania proved it. This feud gives us an Edge and Christian reunion, which I'm sure us Attitude Era fans can appreciate. Edge beats Del Rio at WrestleMania in what would be his last WWE match for nine years. The fact that this match opened Mania 27 though just shows how far the WHC had fallen in value at this point.
Finally, we get the promo. Edge comes to the ring on RAW and says that his neck problems have finally gotten the better of him. It was an emotional moment, even for me as I'm a huge Edge fan. Edge surrenders the World Title and announces his retirement from wrestling (at least for now).
So that was Edge's final year as a full time WWE wrestler. It was...weird. Between the brand switches and various heel-face turns, there just wasn't much consistency with Edge. Maybe it was the loss of so much star power. Maybe WWE weren't completely sold on Edge as a face after so many years as WWE's biggest heel. Whatever the reason, something just felt off about Edge during this period.
I apologize for the long post, I just thought a full description would illustrate my point better.
Thoughts?

So caveat right off the bat that this is just my current concept that I'm still workshopping, and this won't be one size fits all for all tables and parties etc etc.
I really like the campaign, I think it lays out a great foundation for a truly memorable campaign that I can't wait to start. That said, I also really hate how it's Central Hub and then a series of fetch quests with little to motivate the players, especially since the fetch quests are to get an item that's not even needed to destroy Vecna, so it can feel punitive unnecessarily. I know a lot of folks have put forth their own ideas on how to improve these things, this is just my take after having read the book and speaking with a bunch of folks.
Prologue/Setting:

• Evernight is cool, but the book wants you to complete that portion, give the players the Vecna Link, and then do a time skip. Instead I plan on running that chapter as part of Tomb of Annihilation, which my party will be running to go from levels 1-10 before Vecna truly starts. The players will be unaware of their Vecna Link until they're summoned to Sigil.
• Most interplanar travel is limited due to Vecna's unraveling of the universe but powerful NPCs aren't yet sure why. Alustriel deduces that she can still travel due to being a Chosen of Mystra, but rather than go hopping around the Multiverse herself, she's secretly using her Sanctum to collect other powerful beings to try and empower and stop Vecna. The players can travel because of the Vecna Link, and Kas can also travel because the Dark Powers give him the power to do so. This is why the players must take on the quest rather than the Wizards themselves, Kas has to pretend he's Mordenkainen and Alustriel is using all her power to keep a window open.
• The Dark Powers want Kas to defeat Vecna so that he can be their pawn and they can feed off of the souls he enslaves.
• MordenKasnen will suggest the players find the pieces of the Rod as it is rumored to be the key to unlocking a vault holding the Sword of Kas, which can defeat Vecna. This way the players aren't totally wasting their time trying to find it and they still have the Sword as a goal.
• If players die, they can resurrect with the power of Vecna but at a cost. They will gain a new element of madness and Vecna will become aware of his power being sapped. From this point on, he will keep an eye on the party, growing increasingly concerned as they grow in power. He can't leave his base due to the ritual, but he will start haunting their dreams, sending members of his Cult, and generally trying to impede them if he sees them as a potential threat.

Underdark:

• Honestly no major notes, I like how this is laid out and always enjoy running around the Underdark. The players will get their first piece and then excitedly return to Sigil to start on the second. I plan to keep this portion short since it's not as exciting for many players as going to other worlds.

Spelljammer:

• The players go to the Astral Sea to try and retrieve their first piece, although I'm going to have them sail the high seas for a while first so they'll need to actually navigate to the dead god and all that.
• The rod piece is locked in a chest that only Inda can open. She is willing to help the party if they fix her prosthetic wing. Unless your players have an artificer in the party, consider pushing them to find one in Eberron, which may be where Inda first got the wing made. My plan is to actually keep the players from getting this Rod piece until after Eberron.

Eberron:

• This will be the first world wherein the players run into members of the Cult of Vecna. I plan to replace the Lord of Blades' followers with Cultists, or at least have them work together. The cult will try to steal the rod piece before the Party can.
• I'm giving Mercy an engineer in her party of pilgrims that could repare the angel wing (see Spelljammer notes). They'll agree to do so if the party assists with the Cyran veterans.
• Kalyth and the Cyran veterans meanwhile will know where the players can find a decent Docent.
• The host of Landro should be a vast supply of knowledge, but not infinite. Maybe he can tell the party of the rumored Hand and Eye of Vecna (which I'll have in Avernus and Greyhawk, respectively). He may also have heard of the Amber Temple in Ravenloft or some other important info.

Ravenloft:

• I have a lot of ideas to change this portion and I haven't fully settled down on one yet. Here are a few of my thoughts which I may combine or select from:
  • Rather than fight at Death House, I may start my party in the village of Barovia where they meet Ismark, who suggests that if they seek guidance they find Madame Eva. She then conducts a Tarroka reading that points the party to the Amber Temple.
  • Madame Eva may also read that they can find allies in Vallaki or Krezk (or wherever you want) where they can meet Esmeralda and van Richten who tell them lore of Kas and the Domains of Dread.
  • The rod piece would be located in the Statue to the God of Secrets (Vecna) in the Amber Temple, protected by the Arcanaloth.
  • As the players leave, they're confronted by Strahd, who has been watching their actions. If for some reason the players have deduced that they're fighting Kas, then Strahd would be willing to let them leave Barovia and take the Rod piece to punish the other vampire lord, whom he finds annoying. Otherwise he tries to claim the piece, they have to fight him, upon his defeat they can leave the mists.
  • I think I'll have Sarusanda be a member of the Vecna Cult disguised as an Inquisitor. She might lure the players into Death House to try and have them killed amongst its traps, thus allowing the cult to steal their assembled rod pieces.
• Like I said, my thoughts here are still messy and I'm figuring out what would fit best for the party.

Krynn:

• After their defeat in Ravenloft, the cult will move back and try to refocus their efforts not on the Rod, but on trying to reclaim the Hand and Eye of Vecna. As such, they will be mysteriously absent from Krynn in such a way taht should make the party paranoid.
• I plan to move the Rod piece to Dargaard Keep and have the characters showdown with Soth. I like Teremini and her plotline, but I think it might work better as a precursor to the main event.
• The players will find MordenKasnen speaking with Soth in a heated argument, trying to get the Death Knight to give him the rod piece and join his side. When discovered, Kas will attempt to flee, but he leaves behind his amulet that goes to his homeworld (Oerth). Before he goes, he destroys the portal to Sigil, leaving the players only one option to escape Krynn.

Oerth:

• Oerth is the homeworld of Kas, Mordenkainen, and Vecna himself, so this will be a chance for them to learn some lore. I plan on the players being transported to Kas's old stronghold, which still has some broken down statues of Kas in his hey day. They will have to navigate to the Tomb from Keoland.
• Acererak will have already made an appearance in my game, since we're going through Tomb of Annihilation first. As such, Acererak will be the final boss of this setting.
• Acererak will have gained the Eye of Vecna during his travels, but his distrust of Vecna means that he doesn't like carrying it on his person. As such, he has put the eye into Rerak. The cult will navigate the dungeon along with the players, forcing occasional run ins. the final fight should be large and epic and have 3-4 competing factions (Players, Cult, Acererak, and Rerak if he's turned against Acererak)
• Once Acererak does fall, he makes an escape through a portal to Avernus, leaving the Rod piece behind. The cultists will try to convince the players to take the Rod and they'll take the Eye.

Avernus:

• Avernus will be home to the Hand of Vecna, in possession of Arkhan. The cult is desperate to get the Hand and is willing to work with the players to get it. Arkhan will offer the players access to Tiamat and the Rod piece if they side with him and destroy the Cultists. The players will have to choose either side or attempt to fight both of them at the same time.
• Once again, the cult is willing to let the party take the Rod if they get the Hand.
• Keep Windfall and her motivations, as they're great in the game. If the players aid Arkhan, he'll bring them to Tiamat but in chains.
• There's a spelljammer in the casino that an unlucky patron gambled away in the past, the players can use this to get back to Sigil after claiming the last Rod piece.

Betrayal:

• Once players return to Sigil with the completed Rod, Kas reappears in the Sanctum and attempts to steal it. Big fight, Alustriel and Tasha join the party, Kas escapes quickly into Pandemos, ideally with the Rod.
• Alustriel and Tasha suggest the players follow him so that they can still regain the Sword of Kas and defeat Vecna. They go to Pandemos and there I go back to book to pretty much run as written, apart from beefing up Vecna's stat block significantly, especially if he does regain the Hand and Eye.

Again, it's not for everyone but I think I'm going to try and go about it in a similar vein to this. My notes on this are still scattered and I'm purposely not trying to iron out every detail, since of course the players will have a lot of agency on how precisely this all turns out. Still, feel free to offer some feedback on what you think may or may not work.