So after graduating high school a couple years ago ive been going through a pretty rough patch. I worked nightshifts at a factory to fulfil my dream of traveling around the world, which i did half a year later, but I was too numb and depressed to actually enjoy it. Picked up some bad habits along the way and started self-medicating with weed. A couple months of substance abuse and a bad sickness later i wash up at home feeling disconnected and lost.
All my friends had moved away for college and all I had left were a couple younger friends who still went to school, music production, and pot. My weed consumption peaked that winter and I‘m pretty sure I got dangerously close to psychosis. I hit rock bottom on Christmas when cried in front of my mum for hours. That night I decided to quit, and I‘m on my second attempt rn after having a relapse for a month or so up until a couple weeks ago.
Quitting weed has been feeling like a nightmare you can‘t wake up from. Some of the few friends I thought I had left turned out to be completely different people from a sober perspective. Got my aunt to help me apply to universities, sold all my pot plants, shi I even got a Cambridge certificate to apply abroad. However, I still live alone, I‘m in between jobs and universities, and every single day I feel like I‘m going insane. I wake up from having nightmares every morning and spend my day doing whatever. My stoner friends have started hanging out without even inviting me, and even the few “sober” friends I had left have been leaving most of my messages on read and if we met up i felt like an alien trying to talk to them. I really don’t know how I’ll ever live life somewhat normally again. I feel terrible alone and disconnected, like I am an idiot worth nobody’s time and attention, and I feel like the depression, the trust issues, and the social anxiety I’ve developed won’t help me find friends either.
I’m not suicidal and if everything goes to sh*ts I guess I still have music and gardening to live for, but feeling this depressed and disconnected and hopeless for multiple years now definitely left its mark on me. Maybe someone has been in a similar situation before and has tips to recover from here. Thanks for reading if anyone did ily <3

So a fifth installment to this series; too much to reread but crazy MIL and FIL think that they can be selfish and purposefully treat me like shit and still have access to LO as long as they are in good terms with DH. In the first 7 weeks of his life, they’ve seen him for 4 hours as a direct result. The most insane entitlement to date y’all: they want to have a say in his NAME.
So I named my baby after my dad. If you read my previous posts you’ll see that he’s a selfless amazing man who never does anything for himself. Both DH and I love the name for him and DH loves my dad too (despite his many quirks). They have a great relationship unlike me and FIL.
Before we decided to name LO, DH asked if we might consider passing on his middle name. He’s from a Scandinavian country so it’s special because it’s different (we live in the US). Of course I said yes. It somehow slipped my mind that DH’s middle name is FIL’s first name until we told ILs the name several months ago and MIL freaked out and told me to stop talking and not just “breeze over it because this is a special moment for FIL”. Yikes. It was too late when I realized, plus this was before all this drama.
Anyway, my dad’s name is simple. Classic old name that will never die but definitely is nothing glamorous (although we love it). When we told my dad the name, he cried but also immediately told us how special it was because he always thought his name was boring and was insecure about it so he was very touched. The next day, he was referring to our baby as “first and middle” because he thought the flow sounded nice. Realistically his insecurities were taking over. He sent a sweet message to my ILs referring to baby as “first middle” (in my brain to make FIL feel included) and they of course took to it immediately. I spent the next four weeks rolling my eyes every time a grandparent called him “first middle” until I finally had enough at 4 weeks. This also happened to be my and DH’s anniversary.
I sent a group text to all four grandparents saying it was cute for the first month, but the first middle thing wasn’t what we named our baby and we didn’t want him growing up feeling that his name isn’t enough. To be honest, I probably could have let it rock for another few months, but when IL’s came and met baby, they were extremely insensitive and showed their lack of regard for me. I had a traumatic birth and my recovery has not been even remotely linear (I had a revision to tender stitches two days before ILs visited which they were aware of). I am also exclusively breastfeeding a very colicky baby, running on about 2-3 hours of sleep per day.
During the visit, they asked DH if he was getting enough sleep, and when he said “I’m getting way more than OP” they did not follow up. Just left it at that while I sat there. On the way out the door, MIL showered DH in compliments about how great of a dad and husband he is (correct) while I stood one foot away, then turned to me and said “good job- I mean, goodbye and goodbye LO!” LIKE WTF. So yeah, it was personal because I will not brand my child with that monster’s name.
Anyway my text was pleasant but said let’s limit how often we refer to LO as first and middle because that is not his name. I did not include DH in the thread because it was early and I knew he wouldn’t give a shit when I told him later in the day. Y’all MIL texted DH before he woke up! Saying that FIL will be “devastated” and that it seems personal because it’s only “three syllables” so it should be manageable to call LO that. She then asked if I even told DH about the text because she wants to try to stir up shit in our relationship ON OUR ANNIVERSARY.
DH lost his mind. He was so pissed at her for swearing two months ago that they wouldn’t push back on our boundaries with their endless big emotions (read guilt trips to attempt to control their adult children) and then doing it again on our first anniversary in such a shady way. He was a bit miffed that I sent it before I told him because he would have tweaked some of the language, but he understood why I sent it and I apologized for acting before talking with him. Definitely out of character for me but I had no idea ILs would literally feel entitled to my child’s first name lol. Insanity.
Anyway he chewed MIL out via text and demanded space and time, which thankfully we have gotten for two weeks. However, I’m well versed in the art of narc parents and I know they will send him something on Father’s Day. They wouldn’t have if they WERE on speaking terms but now they definitely will in an attempt to manipulate. They were on their best behavior the last two months until I sent this text because - shocker- they never intended to follow the rules that I set. Only rules DH sets or co-signs (and even then only in front of our faces). Because DH was on good-ish terms with them for a month before this, MIL mistakenly assumed she would be able to drag DH back into their shit family dynamic where she gets to decide what goes by guilting her children. While I’m disappointed in myself for sending this before talking to DH and allowing him to work on the messaging, we’re actually glad I had a lapse in judgement because DH wouldn’t have figured out that ILs were simply putting on a show when they said they respected me just as much as him as a parent.
Any advice for how to handle the gift they send for Father’s Day? He’s going to understand it’s a manipulation tactic but he’s still a human (and a really sweet one at that). He can definitely navigate this however he sees fit but I’d love to be a useful support system. For context, DH received a diagnosis last week of a lifelong, stress-induced disease that could flare up for the rest of his life. My suspicion is that as tough as parenting a colicky baby has been, his parents bullshit pushed him over the edge (but perhaps I’m biased). He’s in a sensitive state and I want to put him before me since I put myself first when I sent that message.

Hi all - need anonymity for this one.
My ex-fiancée and I lived together for 7 months in NV at the home I own. Together we shared expenses during that time, approx 50/50. We broke up due to a range of lies they told me about their background and emotionally abusive behaviors they displayed. I did not feel safe staying in the house after the break up so I asked them in writing to move out by X date in April and I went to stay with family. I went no contact except for email to settle anything.
Over email Ex told me I was kicking them out illegally because they shared expenses and had tenant rights and told me they wanted cash for keys. Overnight this became a tenant/landlord scenario with no lease. I had a 30 day eviction for a tenant-at-will served. They did not leave so had a 5-day unlawful detainer served which expires tomorrow COB which means the Courts can address the eviction decision.
During this entire period I paid 100% of the mortgage and all bills and I kept the internet going so I could monitor the wi-fi cameras (before they disconnected them in April) and the electronic lock to get of sense of the in/out of their whereabouts. When the unlawful detainer was served, Ex disabled the electronic lock to potentially avoid being “seen” as still occupying the house.
Four days later, Ex posed as me with the cable internet provider to make a service call to the house to which I triggered an email telling me about an appointment that was made. Internet stopped working for some reason. When I called the Internet provider it turns out Ex was able gain access to the account and update the account phone number to theirs and added themselves as an authorized user. I since had multiple service calls cancelled (they scheduled it twice), had them removed from the account, changed the account pin, email, added 2FA, and a new acct password. So for now they need to contact me if they want to get the current internet serving running until the day they are legally required to leave. If they have other means to secure internet I am sure they will keep trying. I also got Lifelock in case of future identity theft potential.
Given I have no way of knowing if they are in the house other than these kinds of BS tactics, I could use your take on the following:” - Can I place the internet service I have been paying for on pause or is that a vital utility in NV? The searching I’ve done isn’t clear. - I called the local police to report the posing and account changes and the desk officer told me that since we were romantic partners and there was no material loss or gain at this point it would hard to have charges stick and instead offered to go to the house and question them. I have the incident number but declined to avoid any further antagonism since I know they will retaliate down the line (other documented behaviors track). - What other ways can I find out if they are in the house if it is unsafe for me to see them face to face? I do not want to engage friends or neighbors. - What, if anything they have done and I have documented to show ill intent can I bring to the Eviction hearing in court or should I keep my part short and simple? - I took video of the house and my possessions before I left. If they destroy the home and take anything not theirs is there any particular recourse you’d recommend?
Thanks all. This has been so stressful and rage-inducing. I look to the day they are out and the locks are changed.

Hi ppl! Which safe and thrustworthy website do you suggest to buy gift cards or vouchers for a Nürburgring driving experience. My sister would like to give that as a wedding gift to my brother in law but is a little afraid and unaware of which is the best solution, considering that it is still quite some money. Thank you

Hello all, I'm a 24 y/o female that weighs 210 lbs, and I'm 5'6". I'm currently a full time chef as well as a full time student, and while I'm currently on a calorie deficit I haven't noticed any weight loss, so I'm seeking some advice on how I can adjust my routine.
My history: I was 210lbs when I was younger, and I went on a weight loss journey that dropped me to 150lbs but I also developed an unhealthy eating disorder from that. I also developed knee problems from that journey that has put me in physical therapy twice. (My parents also have had knee surgery so the genetics probably passed to me). In the past I did the calorie in calorie out method for weightloss and fluctuated between cardio and strength training (primarily in my legs). However, in my current lifestyle I have little time to try to go to the gym.
My daily routine: I generally wake up at 5am, get ready for work, and I work till about 2-3pm. I try not to eat during my time at work but that can be difficult when you have to taste everything you make. In the past I had done alot of snacking on small items throughout my shift and I know that can lead to encounted for weight gain. Currently I try to keep my mouth shut during my shift. The average amount of steps i take at work range from 8,000-10,000 (i have a fitbit).Once I arrive home, I'm sitting at my desk studying till about 8pm, I eat, and then I have to go to bed. Sometimes I have a sliver of time to take my dogs on a walk. When I do find that time, I take them to a trail that fluctuates in inclines, and we walk between 15-30minutes. On a lucky week I can take them 3x a week, but lately I've only found time to take them once. Sometimes my studying bleeds into my weekend too. When it does come time for me to have my days off, I generally find myself too exhausted to want to do any sort of physical activity (I do still try to walk my dogs though), and this is unfortunate because I could be using that time to work out.
My consumption: I do keep track of my calories and I've been consuming roughly 1,700 a day. As a note, I also primarily have a vegetarian diet, but I include chicken in my diet. During my morning drive I generally have a premiere protein shake (160cal). I try not to consume anything during my work shift. When I'm home I have a blacktea with almond milk to fill me up for the evening. For dinner, while I am a professional chef, it's hard for me to be motivated, let alone find time to cook. So my partner and I order meal kits from EveryPlate. The meals we order are either stews, pastas, or rice bowls. They range between 700-900cal. And we choose them because rice and pasta dishes can be more filling. If we choose to eat out during the work week or weekend, I try to eat pho, salads, poke bowls, anything that seems healthy and isn't fried.
Final thoughts: I've been trying my best to control my calories and squeeze in time for exercise. However it's been hard to find time to work out, and I've been burnt out between work and study. I did just get a standing desk, and I'm hoping to encorperate some sort of exercise equipment while I study. I was looking at a portable treadmil or a stepper to use while studying, but I'd like to purchase the most effective option. Any helpful advice on my current situation would be appreciated, thank you 😊.

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GLOSSARY This links to a post on the free section of my Patreon. Note: "Book 1" is chapters 1-59, "Book 2" is chapters 60-133, "Book 3", is 134-193, "Book 4" is CH 194-(ongoing)
Kazue tried not to fret as the dungeon waited for the arrival of their invaders. It took hours after the message arrived for the first group to cross into their territory. Without foreknowledge, and if their territory truly began where most thought it did, there would have been nothing to make this group stand out from others. They didn't even head directly to the town, they skirted well clear of the trading post and made their way down to the trail leading up from the main road, and then came back up along the trail to arrive from the same direction as other groups did.
The first notable anomaly was in the third group to arrive. Mordecai was examining magical auras very carefully, but even he missed it at first. One of the people in this group proved to have a new variation of the token that had been used previously to summon enemies deep into their territory, but it had been tucked away deep into their pack. But as they had to sign up for an entry slot that started the next day, they took rooms in the inn.
And placed their bags down. Unattended. In a dungeon's territory.
The entire contents of the bags were analyzed in an instant, and the odd magic of the talisman was noted. She watched as Mordecai crafted a physical replica and imbued it with an aura that would look like the original to most people. A skilled mage or arcane craftsman would be able to tell the difference if they examined it closely.
While he was doing that, Kazue stole all their potions and replaced them with weaker variants, along with subtly sabotaging other items such as arrows.
If they had done this to normal delvers there may have been repercussions for acting against these people in what appeared to be a safe area. But both by their actions and by carrying summoning tokens with the same traits as the previous enemies had used, these groups had shown themselves to be hostile to the dungeon.
And there are no safe spaces for invaders.
Letting these people enter both routes grated on Kazue's sensibilities and instincts; she knew they were not truly here for any reason other than violence. But Mordecai had a plan, even if he was already modifying it with a new idea because of the tokens. The presence of so many hostiles was also rapidly finishing off their deficit and giving Kazue enough mana to expand their prison.
The next twist came shortly after a hundred invaders had entered their outer territory, and the first few groups had started down each path. Cold fury bloomed in Mordecai, drawing Kazue's attention to the new group. As soon as she recognized two of them, her own ire began to simmer.
The oni was easy to spot, and they recognized the bandit Akuma's face immediately. And walking beside him was a man that neither of them had seen before, but whose likeness had been shown to them. Lord Antoine Demidov.
Kazue wanted to claw their eyes out.
She'd never felt so bloodthirsty before. When they'd been invaded before she'd been scared and angry, but she hadn't felt such a personal hatred of another person. It was hard to not order those two to be attacked immediately, but they needed to follow Mordecai's plan if they wanted to make sure they got everyone.
By the next day, the only groups on the signup boards were those of the invaders.
The day after that, the dungeon began the next stage of their plan.
When the invaders in the trading post awoke that morning, they found it deserted by everyone but them and the town emptied of all supplies and merchandise. The contents that belonged to outsiders were carefully marked so that they could be returned, but they would give no spoils to these people.
Antoine gathered a larger group together and sent in a few scouts followed by some heavily armored muscle, and slowly added more groups to investigate. The shrines were deserted, and the path selection chamber was open, but the pedestal was gone. Instead, the third door was revealed, showing the path to hell.
While the mercenaries scouted the entrance to ensure that no traps waited, the rooms remained quiet. It was only when Antoine and Akuma approached the selection chamber than the dungeon showed its hand.
Two pedestals that flanked the opening into the selection chamber activated, one of them being controlled by Mordecai to display his image. "Invaders. Killers. Murderers." Kazue's illusion hissed at them, channeling her genuine anger into this performance.
Mordecai played opposite to her, cool and unflinching. "Last night, one of the groups you sent in made a slip of the tongue. Now that we know part of your plan, well, we can't prevent you from entering. But we can make it unpleasant. As for the portion of your forces already inside the dungeon, we're going to be spending some time sorting them out from the proper delvers. Hopefully, no innocents will get caught in the way. You should find at least some of them joining you in the sewers, where there are no rules restricting groups. And no rules about fair play."
Antoine sneered, "Do you think to trick me with paltry threats, demon spawn? We've come prepared to cleanse the world of your filth, and we'll burn you and your whores to ash. We prepared for this, thanks to Akuma's recounting of your previous encounter. Men, begin!"
They had obviously trained in this maneuver as various troops began unloading alchemical flasks that were rolled down the slope and into the awaiting darkness. Then an array of tower shields was erected before several mages launched fireballs down into the sewer depths.
The results were less spectacular than they might have hoped, though there was still a multistage explosion. It did not, however, propagate down the sewer the way that the invaders had undoubtedly hoped it would.
Mordecai smiled unpleasantly. "We've had time to prepare as well. Don't think we've neglected to evolve some countermeasures ourselves. Oh, and Lord Antoine Demidov, I know exactly who you are. Don't think of running away, or I will hunt you down. So come on little Tony boy, show me what you've got. One of my wives already beat you up once, maybe I should let the other one have a go at you too?"
And with that provocation complete, both illusions cut off. Mordecai had fibbed a touch in his parting words, his phrasing had implied that they'd evolved ice mold, infamous for its dangerous ability to consume heat and fire to fuel its growth. In fact, the alchemical flasks had been part of Kazue's sabotage and his avatar had been present in the sewer in order to counter the blast of fire.
Antoine's response was fairly predictable, and despite Akuma arguing that they should cut their losses, the prideful young lord had to have his way and ordered his troops to make their way into the dungeon. He at least let the professionals do their job, and they set about countering the slick slope before they actually descended. The dungeon couldn't interfere with the frame they put in front of and inside of the doorway or the ropes attached to the framework, at least, so long as any of it was attended. But eventually, the entire group made its way into the sewers, the deadly spikes carefully broken and a path cleared.
While this was going on, the dungeon was dealing with its other hostile visitors. The various groups were either at the rest spot before the library, the rest spot at the entrance of the mushroom forest on the combat side, or otherwise spread throughout those two zones, as everyone from the day before had the time to clear the first three zones. At the same time that the initial selection room was set for the hell path, every entrance and exit to the library and mushroom forest zones opened to the hidden paths they'd constructed so many months ago. And much like the trading post, the floors were emptied of contents. However, their inhabitants remained, though they were hidden for now.
Leaflets fluttered from the ceiling, all saying the same thing. [We know your intentions, you have been separated and divided. Those who surrender will not be harmed. All others will be eliminated as threats. To surrender, gift the dungeon your weapons and armor.]
Most of the invaders in the dungeon were in large enough groups that confidence and peer pressure dominated. However, a couple of the groups were isolated enough that they chose to not risk being able to make it to another group in time, and a handful of individuals were able to slip away to surrender privately. The tunnels that had previously been used to ensure a healer was always nearby were now used to have the dungeon's warriors surround these groups and take the prisoners away. All told, they had eighteen people surrender. A nearly ten percent reduction in enemy forces before they even engaged in combat.
The forces on the non-combat path were ignored for the moment, to encourage them to make their way into the sewers. The forces on the combat path and not in one of the designated safe spaces were engaged as soon as their intentions were clear, and there was no longer any hint of fairness or encounters meant to merely challenges. They were harried and harassed, constantly assaulted by carefully timed waves to give them no opportunity to rest. And their only exit was through the boss room, while they were still being attacked by the regular floor inhabitants. None of the groups that had been scattered through the forest made it past Sarcomaag and Klastoria despite doing their best to simply fight their way through to the open exit.
Those scattered on the library level faired much better, but a little under half of them fell before they made it to the sewer. Biblios and Horace were injured during their participation in the running battle, but they would have faired much worse if the merged groups had made a stand. Of course, those groups would have lost more people too, and unlike them, the dungeon bosses would be back in action in less than twelve hours. So fighting their way past was the wisest move.
The two merged groups in the safe zones both chose to enter the sewers through the entrance near them, rather than fighting across the floor to skip part of the sewer. It was a rational seeming decision, but if they had fought across the floor, uniting with the small scattered groups might have cost them fewer casualties.
The fighting in the sewers was a slog in more ways than one. In favor of the invaders, these groups were already gathered together into larger forces, and their spellcasters could focus their defensive spells on acid, poison, and disease. But these sewers were hostile lands even to the dungeon inhabitants, and the presence of literal fresh meat attracted the attention of every single predatory scavenger in the sewers. Nothing was safe here; even the crystal flowers had become explosive traps, and the crystal shards had to be removed quickly from any survivors for they acted as quick-growing seeds that would consume the flesh they had been embedded in. Meat was much more nutritious than muck or the acidic bodies of slimes and oozes.
The largest group was the one facing the least resistance, and despite the delay caused by making the entrance ramp safer, they were moving more quickly through the hell route than the groups further on. Which was when the next stage of the trap was sprung.
Such a large group had attracted the attention of everything in the sewers, which also meant that they'd cleared out every significant hostile creature in the sewers. The dungeon's inhabitants in the early zones were entirely unoccupied, so now Mordecai gave them something to do. They flooded into the sewers behind the small army and charged forward.
The first waves were not terribly dangerous to the veteran mercenaries who were now formed up into proper ranks, but there were a lot of them and it now meant that the troops were facing a battle on two fronts. Additionally, as the army cleared the sewers of a particular zone, Mordecai could send in the inhabitants of that zone to join the earlier ones, and every twelve hours he had a new wave available.
And finally, once Mordecai had sent in the first of their inhabitants, Kazue sent a rabkin to fly to their borders and signal the troops that had come from Riverbridge and Azeria in response to their request for aid. These were the final backup plans if the invaders proved more dangerous than Mordecai had estimated. For now, the two sets of troops followed their guides, stalking the tail end of the army from the safety of the dungeon's normal paths.
While the invaders slogged their way forward under constant assault, there was still the matter of the talismans to deal with.
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Also to be found on Royal Road.
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$3. : 10 Early chapters, lore excerpts $5. : 20 Early chapters, Short Stories $10 : 30+ Early chapters, New stories not published anywhere else (Until after I finish this story at least) . . . . . "A Girl and Her Dungeon", "The Celestine Fox", and AU Core 1: "Coreless"

Just wanted to express gratitude to the world out there pushing towards job positions that have and use the option to work from home. We are both in IT and had a baby two weeks ago. Although my partner (m31) has no paternity leave (we are in North Macedonia so he gets 2days only 🤦🏼‍♀️) but he will be working from home and we can all stay together and observe the milestones and be happy. I am so grateful for this. Guys out there working in management, thank you!!!

Need Urgent Help
Hi All
I did extended working hours claims in 2021 during covid time and that time was working from home. Manager gave approval that I can claim for extra working hours. Finance team mail me that during wfh claim is not allowed. Finance team told me to further add my HR for more discussion. I explained everything to HR and provide artifacts as well. He is not at all listening and asking me that you have 3 option. 1. Take in written from your manager that from this date to this date with amount I allowed to do claims, ( I discussed with my manager and he is not helping on this) 2. Put resignation from your side, we will give you experience letter and all with no comments. And all recovery will take. 3. I can go for enquiry, where you will get half salary and if found wrong, will be terminated with reason mentions.
HR is saying I have pressure from compliance team but he is not allowing me to discuss with compliance team.
Request you to please help me and suggest what to do.

corporateit #tcs #reddit

Hello everyone at GiftofGames, how are you all doing!!
I recently graduated from college and I'm struggling to find a job. It's really demoralising for me receiving rejection letters, I'm a big gamer and playing games is the only thing that has kept my morale up during these tough times. My financial situation is pretty dire right now, I can't afford to buy a lot of new games.
I'm currently looking to buy Horizon Forbidden West on my PS5. This is my 30th attempt at requesting for this game. I played the first game on my PS4 and loved it. The complete edition of the game is currently on sale with a 34% discount at $39.59. I'm looking for a $40 PlayStation gift card of US region.
GAME SUMMARY
The sequel to 2017's Horizon Zero Dawn, Horizon Forbidden West is set in a post-apocalyptic version of the Western United States recovering from the aftermath of an extinction event caused by a rogue robot swarm. The player can explore the open world and complete quests using ranged and melee weapons against hostile machine creatures.
Basically the game takes place in the far future where humanity almost gets destroyed by their advanced robotic creations. But it seems humanity have sort of gone backwards with their primitive clothing, implying that they haven't got the previous knowledge of their ancestors. The first game Horizon Zero Dawn, the protagonist Aloy discovers secrets about what happened to humanity, and its sequel is the continuation of this first game where she explores the far west of modern day america.
WHY I'M INTERESTED
The reason why this game appeals to me is the setting. I find it soo interesting how humanity was able to be on the brink of extinction and somehow managed to survive (I can't anymore due to spoilers). And after surviving, civilisation sort of went backwards instead of continuing on from the ancestors. I watch a lot of lore videos on youtube about this game, and there are many different stories hidden in the game world which tells us different perspectives of people on the situation. Even though its humanity that is in trouble, everybody has a different view on how to tackle the problem. But this is only touching the surface, there is also the robot machines created in these giant cauldrons that is a big mystery to this day.
I appreciate you taking the time to read my post and will give my thanks if I receive the gift card from you. Here is my PSN ID: https://psnprofiles.com/Revelanttech713
Game link: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/horizon-forbidden-west/

So I’ve had the worst pride month so far and just need to vent, buckle in cause this is an EXTREMLY long one.
Some backstory I (17f soon to be 18) have known I was into women since as young as 13, I had unlimited access to the internet and knew about different sexualities so it was very easy for me, well for the longest while I went by pansexual. I had come out to my mom almost a year ago as her and I were always close, well she just didn’t care and almost pretended like I didn’t. This year however I realized that I was actually a lesbian and came out to her and 2 weeks before pride month, it didn’t go all to well and our relationship is a bit strained but it was fine until this past weekend.
Onto the worst pride month of my life:
Saturday June 1st:
Well comes June first, I worked at 6am and got home at 12, I had a rough day at work and was just ready to relax, well my mom and I step out the car and suddenly I am being cornered by my ex step-father (him and my mom broke up about 6 months ago at this point and he already moved out months ago). Apparently he found my socials which clearly state I’m a lesbian and felt it was his “duty” to tell my mom even though they aren’t together any more 😒. He proceeded to tell her had had screenshots and blah blah blah in case I tried to deny it but obviously I didn’t because my mom already knew.
WELL she threw me under the bust and pretended she didn’t know just to appease him, I was annoyed by this so I just went inside to my room and locked my door. Well about 10-15 minutes later she comes banging on my door and is fuming with me, apparently my ex step-father didn’t want my brothers (I have 4 brothers who are his kids) living with me and was threatening to take them and it was my fault. She blamed me for everything saying I ruined her life (yes HER life, not mine who has just been outed, HERS) she forced me to take down all gay stuff from my accounts and I ended up setting them to private them.
Well later my my ex-stepfather starts calling my phone, I don’t answer obviously so he sends my brother to come call me so we can talk (I later found out he outed me to my brothers as well and asked them if they knew I was a lesbian, not cool dude 😒). Well he surprised me by talking about how he raised me since I was 2, and didn’t care what identified as and loved me regardless (dude never apologized for what he said or did but I’ll give him a pass). Well he was about to say something else, when his mother started CRYING saying him leaving ruined her life, (Yes his mom still lives with us, that’s a whole story in itself) so he left. I had one more fight with my mom about everything and then that was the end of day 1, Yep just day 1, more shit happened on day 2 and 3.
Sunday June 2nd:
So it is now June second and obviously I was pretty upset considering the events on the previous day as not only was it pride month but my 18th was only a month away, I had work that day but called out because after the shit show the day prior I was NOT in any place mentally to go to work (about 80% of my co-workers are apart of the lgbtqia+ community and I knew seeing them all happy about pride month would make me upset). So instead I went out with a friend as we had already prior made plans to go thrifting that day before I had work and after the day I had the other day this was just what I needed. Well it was a fun and eventful day ending with us getting lost and (once again a story for another day). Well I get back home and ex-stepfather is in the kitchen? I say good evening out of respect and head to my room when DAMN I’m being cornered AGAIN, I thankfully got to relax a little before I was attacked but suddenly my mom comes to my room and is furious.
Apparently my ex-stepfathers sister had found out (who lives all the way in Jamaica by the way, and this went down in Canada) and was nagging my mom about it and blaming my ex-stepfather for me being a lesbian and my mom was not happy about it. (Yes she is still in contact with his family, and the reason she blames him is cause he cheated and treated my mom horribly so she thinks he made me hate men 😒).
My mom was mad he was getting blamed for me being a lesbian, and for me being hostile with him the day before and today (yes she still loves him, once again another story, I feel like at this rate I should create a post for these 😂). This starts an argument between us because I tell her he had no right to out me to my brothers or her, even if she already knew (I don’t know if anyone else knows) She once again talks about how she’s struggling with this and I accidentally sigh out loud (I mean common though if you’re struggling then what about me) well one thing leads to another and we end up fighting, she tries to say I can’t be a lesbian because I dated my ex boyfriend (even though he was the only guy I ever dated before realizing I was lesbian and we’ve had numerous conversations where I told her that she made me feel pressured to date him). Well the fight got super heated and I did say something I’m not proud of after she told me to go read a bible, this resulted in her telling my to call my dad to pick me up so I can stay with him for a while (this is legally allowed as he does have part custody of me and I turn 18 in July)
Eventually after slamming doors and me almost calling my father, we calm down and have a talk (I still live with her currently) the conversation didn’t really go anywhere and we did end up fighting again, this time over different religious views and me talking about how I felt pressured by her to date my ex. The conversation ended because we had to pick up my sister from work and we never picked it up again, it’s still feels like she wasn’t trying to understand me, but I was too exhausted to put any more effort in.
Monday June 3rd:
Never fear this is the last day of the saga and it thankfully was happy, in the end.
Well, it’s Monday and I have to go back to school and it’s also my Bio fathers birthday (which I totally forgot about due to the prior days events and felt extremely bad), I thought I was ok but after a couple pride month announcements, I ended up leaving class and had a breakdown in the hallway (I’m ok now, all the weekends events just finally caught up to me that day). Well, I was found by some teachers and was brought to guidance to talk to somebody after I went back to class and and talked to my teacher about everything who offered me her support (she is an absolute sweetheart, and I love her so much🩷).
Well, I made the executive decision to just tell my father because considering the fact that people in Jamaica were finding out he was going to find out at some point and I wanted him to find out from me (I did intend on telling him, just after my 18th in July incase things went south with my mom, which they almost did).
I sent him a text and turned off my phone for the day, thankfully his response was much more loving than my mothers and he told me he loved me regardless, he picked me up from my moms and we ended up spending the day together and later on we picked up my sister and watched a movie together. I didn’t speak much to my mom this day, aside from telling her I was going out with him.
Well this is it so far, it’s been 6 days but I still can’t get over everything so I just wanted to vent. As of right now my relationship with my mom is improving but still strained and I don’t think it will ever go back to how it was before. Especially considering the fact that my father was very accepting of me, and even my ex-stepfather was more accepting of me than her despite the way he initially reacted.
Well, this is it if you somehow read this entire thing and thank WOW and thank you. If anyone wants clarification, feel free to ask and I’ll edit them onto the post. Also if anyone is curious, I am more than willing to talk about some of the other stories of my family (Trust me it gets CRAZY)

Ok so to understand you need to hear the backstory first for the whole picture: Its long sorry but thank you
So, I had been seeing this girl for about 4 months friends for 2 months and dating for 2, good girl I've met in a fat while lol met her family and everything and she met mine. After Valentines the next week we have another small mini date were we went to the mall and gas station and went to a park in the afternoon. Next day she text and I text All fine. Like 4-5 days pass and we haven't texted or called and I wonder if she's ok? so I call her and doesn't answer that night. 2 hours later she posts she's overthinking and posting about it on Instagram notes. I texted her asking what was wrong, but she brushed it off, saying it was just a silly text, which I knew wasn't true. 2 days later I text her saying if she's eaten since she sometimes does eat cause of school and work are so close time wise and takes longer to respond than usual which I found odd.. but thought nothing of it. 3 days later she calls me to play Stardew valley so, we played Stardew Valley, and afterward, she posted again on IG, saying, "I just don't know anymore." I told her we needed to meet and talk but kinda said separate cars since idk why I had a bad feeling (Her friend and her question why i am not picking her up- she told me).
We met up and talked. At first, she tried to change the subject, but I persisted. Finally, she said she didn't know how if she could add me to her life because of school, family, and friends which i sort of understood but the way she said it felt like she saw me as an obstacle so i asked and she said no and so I let her talk more. After hearing her talk I had to ask her how she'd feel if I just left or vanished, and she immediately said she wouldn't care, which stung. A few seconds (like 2-5 sec) later, she corrected herself, saying she would care. I asked if she wanted to continue what we had or just be friends. She implied friends with benefits because she said friends as in how?, but I told her we would be just friends, nothing more most il do is probably a hug, and she agreed. She also told me not to wait for her and mentioned that I shouldn't have left her alone for too long. She asked me to ignore any texts or calls from her later that night(got a can i take it back it was a mistake IG note that night). She also mentioned how she hoped it ended with like making out and stuff I think she meant make up but man after everything she said u know it hurt and to throw away the letter she gave me and (believe said delete pictures i forgot) plus she said she now wont be able to show off her lipstick. . Despite everything, I gave her a birthday gift and a final kiss since her birthday was coming up. (fyi she was on and off about the kiss we we were talking when i mention no more kissing when i drew the line but did offer a final one which she took here) (Ended on good terms)
The next day, I couldn't get our conversation out of my head. It hurt, so I decided, with the help of God, to break it off. Something was telling me it was for the best. I told her I hoped she found someone who could truly make her happy and wished her the best and a sappy speech (not gunna say lol). She cried and thanked me.
The next day, she sent me an apology, saying she didn't want me to deal with her bipolar disorder and her changing feelings about me every day. She said she wouldn't regret being with me and would respect it if I did not be friends and she truly still cares for me and maybe it was for the better. A few days later, I saw her IG notes saying how she hated being bipolar and how "love isn't real (for some)." It didn't make sense to me, but I ignored it. Also she said how she cold now at night cause apparently she has no heater on IG Notes so I texted her saying if she wanted my jacket back since it was very wooly and told her I didn't want to to suffer in the cold for something trivial and she could have it. She replied no it's fine and it's mine anyways. So I left it at that
We became friends again a few days later iniciated by me. She asked me to call her on IG notes. I said I would call at 10, and then she said she didn't want to hurt my feelings anymore. It seemed like she wanted to get something off her chest, but she said no not really. When I called, she hung up and told me "beg" on IG notes. I said just no, and she responded by saying, "your no fun" (I said "ok...and") and "You're just so cute, I can't stay mad at you," and "your warmth is incomparable." I felt like I was being played with, so I ignored it.
We sent each other a few reels on Instagram, but at the end of the month, I went to the store where she works. I sort of ignored her because she looked busy handling pallets. She posted on IG notes, "Not even a hello???" I told her she looked busy. A few days later, I went back to the store for snacks for an upcoming road trip. She approached me to say hi, and we looked at each other awkwardly. Two guys started talking to me, and she walked away. When I was done I went looking for her at her department continue talking but she went in and then left. Later, I texted her saying I wanted to say hi but those guys interrupted she asked if I had her phone number I said yea (I didn't lol) but told her idk what to say to you anymore💀 and so I asked if she wanted to continue playing Stardew Valley, but she said she was busy all day tomorrow so i left it at that. Then, she posted on IG, "I have a stalker," which felt like it was toward me
I waited until the next morning, still up so unfollowed her, and went on my trip. Two days later, she liked my pictures with me in it from the trip. And I'm so confused
We also talked about making it official and what not but she said it can't be in this specific month cause it's her birthday month which was kinda weird cause I haven't heard anyone say that but I said ok.. and then there was one instance where she said she can claim me as hers but I can't claim her as mine which made no sense she said it's a girl thing... Which was odd... But This was before the whole thing happened IK i wasnt perfect either but i did attempt to fix some of my flaws

For some context : I have a 3 year old Catahoula Leopard who started having seizures right at 2 yrs old. It’s now been just over a year of him having seizures and he’s had 7 or 8 seizures in total . (He may have had one when no one was home 😔)
He had his second seizure 2 months after his first one, then went about 4-5 months before having another one (this is where I’m unsure about a possible seizure) i say this because he pukes and then pees while it’s happening and I came home to puke and pee on the floor. A week after this is when we started him on levatiracetam (keppra) 750mg / 2x a day. He then went 4 months until another seizure occurred. And then had another one just two weeks after that ( which was last month )
Then we upped the dosage to 1000mg / 2x a day A month later he had another seizure ( last week)
Today my vet wants me to start him on phenobarbital 64.8 mg 2x a day as well as giving the keppra for the next two weeks with it then after two weeks only using the phenobarbital.
I’ve read from other people on going from phenobarbital to keppra but I’m unsure on the other way around. Does this seem okay with anyone else that’s experienced this ? I’ve had to change my entire work schedule around his medicine as well. I’m doing 10am/10pm every day and am supposed to leave for work soon but am now worried I should take the day off with him as I’ve read some pretty serious side effects. Is there anything I should look out for or be worried about specifically? Is it best to keep him supervised under this new drug ?
Sorry for long post , and if you read all of this thank you for taking the time out of your day and if your going through something similar I hope your dog is doing well 😊

Hi everyone,
I'm planning to set up a new system and need some advice on the best hardware to buy. My main goals are to run Home Assistant OS smoothly and to host a local LLM (Large Language Model
Performance and speed are crucial,
I'd like to keep the cost reasonable but am open to investing more if it means significantly better performance.
Other Considerations:

• Energy efficiency is a plus.
• I'd prefer a setup that's not too noisy, as it will be in a living area.
• I'm open to building a custom setup if that's the best route.

Questions:

1. What CPU and GPU specifications would you recommend for this dual purpose?
2. Is there a particular motherboard and RAM configuration that would suit my needs?
3. Any specific brands or models for SSDs that are known for reliability and speed?
4. Are there any pre-built options that might meet my requirements, or is a custom build the way to go?
5. Any tips on cooling solutions that are efficient yet quiet?

Thank you in advance for your help! I appreciate any suggestions or advice you can provide.

Went to DQ last night with my wife. I really didn't feel like cooking and I wanted cheap, fast food. We order 2 combo meals at like $9 each, and a side of cheese curds for my son. We get to the window and the kid working looks at me with a smile and says, "$33.58, please".
I ask them to double check it. At this point, I'm holding up the line and the employees (The oldest was probably 20) are staring at me. l 'm completely calm, not causing a scene. Simply asking why fast food costs so much. Another employee comes over and confirms the price. I said, "No thank you", and left without our order. Went home and threw fish sticks and tater tots in the oven.
I'm only 30 but I remember pre-Covid when you could eat for under $5 a person. These kids don't know that, and they seem completely desensitized to the problem. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk. Have a nice day, unless you make the prices at DQ.

31M here with 32F girlfriend. I let her move in with me about two months ago I didn’t put her on my lease I just let her and her dog move in with me and my dog because she got into a really big fight with her roommate I have a 55 pound husky she has a 93 pound dog that is a wolf hybrid.
Her dog is really reserved and scared of people but around dogs sometimes she can be very domineering especially at parks to the point that my gf won’t even take her into parks if there are other dogs there. Yesterday I was at the dog park at my apartment with two other dogs and about ten minutes later my GF comes walking by with her dog who started pulling so hard and whining because she wanted to get into the dog park my gf decides its a good idea to come in with her dog and I even told her are you sure this is a good idea and my gf said I’ll grab her while we’re inside to see how she reacts she said her dog was really excited but I saw it as anxiety. Anyways my gf’s dog snaps at one of the dogs in there and the owner was really nice about it and said maybe holding her back is causing the dog more stress so my gf let her dog go and the dog went up to another dog and tried to go for the dogs neck and the owner freaked out and my gf grabbed her dog and the owner of the dog that almost got attacked got up and tried to punch my gf’s dog and was yelling at her telling her to get out of the dog park and said don’t ever bring her dog back to any of the parks.
Well I stayed behind and was talking to the two owners saying I was sorry I totally understand peoples emotions were running high and we all love our pets I was pretty much trying to de-escalate especially because one of the ladies wanted to report me to the office saying I had a viscous dog in my apt. I was trying to leave the dog park and grab my dog and my gf sent me texts saying she was leaving for the night and saying thanks for not sticking up for her at the dog park. When I got home she locked herself in the bathroom and was crying and I was trying to talk to her saying it’s ok to calm down and I finally got into the bathroom and my gf told me to get out and leave her alone I tried to hug her and she wouldn’t let me and then I said hey let’s sit and talk and she got mad and starting throwing shampoo bottles and stuff in the bathroom onto the floor.
Finally things calmed down a bit and I just didn’t say anything and she called her best friend who said that the lady overreacted and somebody’s dog almost getting attacked doesn’t count so that lady can’t do or say anything. After that we got into a big argument and I honestly think we’re gonna break up over all this we’ve been together 2 1/2 years but her being so irresponsible and not taking responsibility is something I can’t live with.
tl;dr: Should I have sided with my girlfriend ?

So I’ve had the worst pride month so far and just need to vent, buckle in cause this is an EXTREMLY long one.
Some backstory I (17f soon to be 18) have known I was into women since as young as 13, I had unlimited access to the internet and knew about different sexualities so it was very easy for me, well for the longest while I went by pansexual. I had come out to my mom almost a year ago as her and I were always close, well she just didn’t care and almost pretended like I didn’t. This year however I realized that I was actually a lesbian and came out to her and 2 weeks before pride month, it didn’t go all to well and our relationship is a bit strained but it was fine until this past weekend.
Onto the worst pride month of my life:
Saturday June 1st:
Well comes June first, I worked at 6am and got home at 12, I had a rough day at work and was just ready to relax, well my mom and I step out the car and suddenly I am being cornered by my ex step-father (him and my mom broke up about 6 months ago at this point and he already moved out months ago). Apparently he found my socials which clearly state I’m a lesbian and felt it was his “duty” to tell my mom even though they aren’t together any more 😒. He proceeded to tell her had had screenshots and blah blah blah in case I tried to deny it but obviously I didn’t because my mom already knew.
WELL she threw me under the bust and pretended she didn’t know just to appease him, I was annoyed by this so I just went inside to my room and locked my door. Well about 10-15 minutes later she comes banging on my door and is fuming with me, apparently my ex step-father didn’t want my brothers (I have 4 brothers who are his kids) living with me and was threatening to take them and it was my fault. She blamed me for everything saying I ruined her life (yes HER life, not mine who has just been outed, HERS) she forced me to take down all gay stuff from my accounts and I ended up setting them to private them.
Well later my my ex-stepfather starts calling my phone, I don’t answer obviously so he sends my brother to come call me so we can talk (I later found out he outed me to my brothers as well and asked them if they knew I was a lesbian, not cool dude 😒). Well he surprised me by talking about how he raised me since I was 2, and didn’t care what identified as and loved me regardless (dude never apologized for what he said or did but I’ll give him a pass). Well he was about to say something else, when his mother started CRYING saying him leaving ruined her life, (Yes his mom still lives with us, that’s a whole story in itself) so he left. I had one more fight with my mom about everything and then that was the end of day 1, Yep just day 1, more shit happened on day 2 and 3.
Sunday June 2nd:
So it is now June second and obviously I was pretty upset considering the events on the previous day as not only was it pride month but my 18th was only a month away, I had work that day but called out because after the shit show the day prior I was NOT in any place mentally to go to work (about 80% of my co-workers are apart of the lgbtqia+ community and I knew seeing them all happy about pride month would make me upset). So instead I went out with a friend as we had already prior made plans to go thrifting that day before I had work and after the day I had the other day this was just what I needed. Well it was a fun and eventful day ending with us getting lost and (once again a story for another day). Well I get back home and ex-stepfather is in the kitchen? I say good evening out of respect and head to my room when DAMN I’m being cornered AGAIN, I thankfully got to relax a little before I was attacked but suddenly my mom comes to my room and is furious.
Apparently my ex-stepfathers sister had found out (who lives all the way in Jamaica by the way, and this went down in Canada) and was nagging my mom about it and blaming my ex-stepfather for me being a lesbian and my mom was not happy about it. (Yes she is still in contact with his family, and the reason she blames him is cause he cheated and treated my mom horribly so she thinks he made me hate men 😒).
My mom was mad he was getting blamed for me being a lesbian, and for me being hostile with him the day before and today (yes she still loves him, once again another story, I feel like at this rate I should create a post for these 😂). This starts an argument between us because I tell her he had no right to out me to my brothers or her, even if she already knew (I don’t know if anyone else knows) She once again talks about how she’s struggling with this and I accidentally sigh out loud (I mean common though if you’re struggling then what about me) well one thing leads to another and we end up fighting, she tries to say I can’t be a lesbian because I dated my ex boyfriend (even though he was the only guy I ever dated before realizing I was lesbian and we’ve had numerous conversations where I told her that she made me feel pressured to date him). Well the fight got super heated and I did say something I’m not proud of after she told me to go read a bible, this resulted in her telling my to call my dad to pick me up so I can stay with him for a while (this is legally allowed as he does have part custody of me and I turn 18 in July)
Eventually after slamming doors and me almost calling my father, we calm down and have a talk (I still live with her currently) the conversation didn’t really go anywhere and we did end up fighting again, this time over different religious views and me talking about how I felt pressured by her to date my ex. The conversation ended because we had to pick up my sister from work and we never picked it up again, it’s still feels like she wasn’t trying to understand me, but I was too exhausted to put any more effort in.
Monday June 3rd:
Never fear this is the last day of the saga and it thankfully was happy, in the end.
Well, it’s Monday and I have to go back to school and it’s also my Bio fathers birthday (which I totally forgot about due to the prior days events and felt extremely bad), I thought I was ok but after a couple pride month announcements, I ended up leaving class and had a breakdown in the hallway (I’m ok now, all the weekends events just finally caught up to me that day). Well, I was found by some teachers and was brought to guidance to talk to somebody after I went back to class and and talked to my teacher about everything who offered me her support (she is an absolute sweetheart, and I love her so much🩷).
Well, I made the executive decision to just tell my father because considering the fact that people in Jamaica were finding out he was going to find out at some point and I wanted him to find out from me (I did intend on telling him, just after my 18th in July incase things went south with my mom, which they almost did).
I sent him a text and turned off my phone for the day, thankfully his response was much more loving than my mothers and he told me he loved me regardless, he picked me up from my moms and we ended up spending the day together and later on we picked up my sister and watched a movie together. I didn’t speak much to my mom this day, aside from telling her I was going out with him.
Well this is it so far, it’s been 6 days but I still can’t get over everything so I just wanted to vent. As of right now my relationship with my mom is improving but still strained and I don’t think it will ever go back to how it was before. Especially considering the fact that my father was very accepting of me, and even my ex-stepfather was more accepting of me than her despite the way he initially reacted.
Well, this is it if you somehow read this entire thing and thank WOW and thank you. If anyone wants clarification, feel free to ask and I’ll edit them onto the post. Also if anyone is curious, I am more than willing to talk about some of the other stories of my family (Trust me it gets CRAZY)

Lydia awoke with Waldo screaming. Lydia quickly got up and activated the magic stones lighting the room, Lydia did not see a reason for him to be screaming and was about to wake him when he went quiet. Lydia wondered what had happened and as she watched him she became concerned he was not breathing but just as she was about to shake him away he started breathing again then he began to weep in his sleep saying “I would take it back if I could. I did not know what it meant. Please, I never meant for this.” Lydia watched over him for several minutes as he repeated this over and over. Lydia did not know why but after a while she embraced him gently.
“It is ok. We all make mistakes.” Lydia said quietly holding him. She did not entirely know why she chose to do this as she felt some concern over what he was apologizing for having done but something made her decide to stay with him. Eventually, he stopped and started sleeping peacefully. Lydia slowly fell back to sleep after he quieted and returned to a peaceful state.
Lydia awoke again with Waldo sitting dressed on the edge of the bed. “Good Morning.”
“Good Morning.” Waldo replied, turning to Lydia. “Sorry, if I woke you in the night. I do not always sleep well.”
“I can understand that. It took almost a year before I could sleep through the night.” Lydia replied.
“I brought breakfast up. Kna mentioned I screamed in the middle of the night. I rarely have a companion… So I did not know. I guess I was extra loud last night. I woke some other patrons.” Waldo said calmly. Lydia climbed out of bed and dressed herself as Waldo watched her but when she looked at him she felt he was lost in his own mind.
"Copper for your thoughts.” Lydia said as she started to lace up her dress. Waldo walked over to her and helped her.
“I thought I knew who I was…but I remembered things last night…” Waldo said hollowly. “I don’t know what I was fighting for… All that time as a soldier and now I remembered… what I learned before arriving here and it isn’t what I thought.”
“Do you want to elaborate?” Lydia asked.
“I am not sure I know how.” Waldo said and there was silence for a moment.
“Well, maybe you should stay here if you don’t know why you were fighting. At least, until you figure out what you want.” Lydia said and feeling better about what she had heard last night she kissed him gently on the cheek. “Thank you. I would stay for breakfast but I need to get to work.” Lydia said, grabbing a piece of bread with an egg off the plate.
“Have a nice day and I hope to see you later.” Waldo said, as she headed toward the door.
“Good luck today!” Lydia said, smiling and left. Waldo collected several things from his pack then stored it under the bed and took the plate of food to the common room where he ate slowly. Waldo noticed that Lydia was not in the common room as he ate breakfast. Waldo did not have to wait long after finishing his breakfast before Strisk arrived.
“Good Morning!” Strisk waved at Waldo moving across the common room.
“Greetings Strisk.” Waldo replied standing and moving to meet him.
“Are you ready to go down to the training grounds?” Strisk asked.
“Yeah, let’s head out.” Waldo said, motioning for Strisk to lead the way.
“Are you in a hurry?” Strisk asked, leading Waldo out.
“No, nothing like that just…” Waldo stopped in the door exiting the inn as he looked out into the city. Waldo had expected Protham to be small but realized it had been dark when he arrived and late that is why he had not realized how expansive it was. Waldo saw a wall sixty or seventy feet tall. Waldo stepped into the street and could see a gate two hundred or so feet down the road in one direction and in the other there was what appeared to be a small square. “How big is Protham?”
“It is just a small village, only five thousand or so. Most people are employed in fishing the lake or harvesting trees.” Strisk replied. “The gnolls recently opened a college here… Something about ley lines and increased power, but that is not my expertise.”
“I am surprised they even care about the ley line. The planet is so saturated with magic I would have thought everyone can easily use it.” Waldo responded.
“I wouldn’t know about that. Are you a mage?” Strisk asked.
“I cannot use magic… I can still feel it pooling.” Waldo said, wondering why he could feel it still since he now knew he could not use it. “It must be something to do with the leveling. I wonder if there is a construct powering the whole system.”
“You are suggesting a magic artifact causes people to level?”Strisk asked, shocked at the strangeness of the idea.
“Um… So I assume it is a mage college of some kind they opened?” Waldo asked, trying to change topics.
“Yeah. I would have suggested going and seeing the head there about your teleporting but from what I have heard they see almost no one who isn’t a student.” Strisk said, starting to walk down the street. Waldo followed, taking in the people and the streets. Waldo noticed most people were gnollish he saw drakes as well but it seemed to be ten to one.
“Lydia said you are a Drake. I have never learned to identify the scaled races apart from one another. It appears that Protham is mostly gnolls and Drakes. What makes a drake a drake and not say a lizardfolk?” Waldo asked, carefully.
“Lydia is right. I am a Drake. Lizardfolk always have tails. Drakes rarely have tails and those that do have a tail almost always have wings. That is usually the easiest way to tell us apart but it is more nuanced. A healthy Drake’s scales are vibrant, we stand out. A healthy lizardfolk has duller scales. Drakes can have horns or spikes across their head and back but never hair. Lizardfolk never have horns but can grow spikes. Usually they grow something more like a fin, which can be over their head or even down their chin to their chest. All the facial features are nuanced except the eye. Drake’s eyes face forward. Lizardfolk’s eyes face out enough to easily tell if you look at them.” Strisk explained calmly. “Kobolds are short but look like Drakes with a tail and all the other scaled races have gills.”
“Thank you. I realize that might have been rude to ask but I assume it is ruder to make a mistake.” Waldo said as they continued to make their way through the mostly empty streets.
“Most drakes consider it the pinnacle of rudeness to mistake us for the lizardfolk. Well the lizardfolk seem indifferent. I once saw a short Lizardman get mistaken for a Kobold and they laughed about it. Well a few days ago I had to break up a bar fight cause a gnoll called a drake a lizard.” Strisk said. “My people need to calm down about being mistaken for another race. Most cannot even tell the other races apart. No offense, but I assume you are a human because Lydia is one without looking at your ears, which are currently covered by your hair you could pass for an elf in my eyes and if you told me you were a dwarf I would believe it… even though, I think you are too tall to be a dwarf.” Waldo laughed at Strisk’s words.
“An elf you say?” Waldo said, smiling and moving his hair from over his ears. “I am a human. However, I can understand the confusion. Even among humans it is possible for some to mistake another human as one of our kin races.”
“Kin race?” Strisk asked.
“Yes, races that share certain broad features and where half races are possible.” Waldo said.
“Then would Drakes not be a Kin race.” Strisk asked.
“You ever seen a half human and half drake?” Waldo asked.
“Well no, but I was told it was possible.” Strisk said, wondering.
“Possible for our race's women’s bodies to respond as if they are creating a blend. However, it is largely my understanding no blend has survived birth. Maybe one is out there but largely our internal anatomy; bone structure, organ placement, organs in general, and finer points don’t blend into something that survives birth if a pregnancy occurs which to my knowledge is extremely rare and usually it is a half race not a full where that can occur according to one report I read most mothers die in labor if they carry the blend to term and the child still dies.” Waldo said calmly. Strisk stopped.
“How do you know this?” Strisk asked. Waldo thought about it for a moment. Realizing he did not know how to explain having millions of years of knowledge on hand a little surprised he had so easily recalled something from another life. As he thought about it he wondered how he could so easily access it. Then he knew. Four of his prior selves had learned to build a mind palace. When the Orc had implanted all the memories, those four had combined their knowledge and laid out everything, which made him wonder how he knew about the interbreeding of humans and drakes, which brought forth the memories of four doctors. One of which was drake. Strisk watched as Waldo stared off into the distance. Suddenly, Waldo went pale and threw up in the street. “What the hell?” Strisk said, jumping back to avoid getting splattered.
“Sorry.” Waldo said, feeling queasy. Waldo pushed the doctor’s memories away realizing he was not ready to go exploring all the memories aimlessly. Waldo pulled out his hip canteen and washed his mouth out. Spitting the water down a nearby drain “Damn. I was hoping to not have to eat until dinner. I assume the interview will have a combat skills test?” Waldo asked, looking at Strisk.
“Well yes, but what was that?” Strisk asked, feeling the response was unjustified for his question.
“Oh, right, your question. Um… I went to a memory I should have left alone. I was thinking about my time studying… when I strayed into an incident.” Waldo said, trying to explain without lying.
“An incident?” Strisk asked.
“I expect there are things you have seen as a city guard you would rather not remember.” Waldo replied, carefully.
“Oh… you mean something like that. I can understand that. Let’s continue on. Just another block or so.” Strisk said, letting Waldo follow him. Neither said anything until they got to the city's barracks. They had crossed near the center of town and were now at a lakeside gate that had a training arena with a large gatehouse next to it.
“How many positions is the guard filling?” Waldo asked as they approached the building.
“We are adding five new full time positions in hope of growth due to the mage college, three part time, and around fifty new reservists.” Strisk said and then opened the gatehouse’s front door.
“Good Morning, Strisk!” A female voice behind the counter greeted as they entered.
“Good Morning, Violet.” Strisk replied. “Is Trag in?”
“Yes, he got in a bit ago and…Who are you?” Violet asked, staring at Waldo as he entered the gatehouse.
“Waldo Winter.” Waldo said, step into the room and bowing slightly to the human girl behind the counter.
“He is with me. Violet. He arrived in town last night under strange circumstances.” Strisk said.
“Is he why you are meeting with Trag this early?” Violet asked, keeping her eyes on Waldo. “Is he a criminal?”
“Yes to the meeting with Trag and not as far as I am aware. You haven’t done anything illegal have you?” Strisk asked, grinning Waldo.
“Admittedly, I have not read your legal code, but assuming it follows traditional patterns of legal codes for structured societies. Not in this city. At least, I very much doubt I have.” Waldo said, smiling lightly at Violet.
“What are you doing here then?” Violet asked.
“Apart from identifying myself to local authorities due to the strange way I arrived. Hopefully, applying for a job.” Waldo stated. Violet frowned.
“Are you applying for citizenship in Protham or just submitting notice of intent to work in Protham?” Violet asked.
“Notice of intent to work, at this time.” Waldo replied, moving up to the desk as Strisk stepped away. Violet handed him a sheet of paper and pulled out a second enchanted page.
“Good luck finding work here. There are not many jobs outside of scribe, barworker, or general laborer for humans in Protham. The Drakes and Gnolls are larger and stronger than humans naturally and they are basically hiring enforcers right now.” Violet whispered to Waldo. “Where are you staying?”
“The Spriggan Inn.” Waldo said, looking at the form, surprised he could read it. As he started to fill out the form he remembered a passage about grown arrivals passing between world and being gifted languages of the worlds they arrived on from death. Waldo tried to remember the author's reasoning for the gift but could not. Waldo wished he had learned written gnollish languages but had only learned their spoken languages.
“How did you come to be there?” Violet said, showing surprise.
“Long story short…Some sort of teleportation accident.” Waldo answered, focused on completing the form.
“Wow… Lucky.” Violet said, thinking it strange he appeared in the only inn with a human working in it in Protham.
“Yes, but I suspect there is a good reason for that.” Waldo said, handing her the completed form.
“You how to read Grofeas gnoll?” Strisk asked, looking at Waldo holding the form out to Violet. “You said you had not heard of this country last night.” Violet took the form looking suspiciously at Waldo.
"No, I am familiar with other gnollish written languages and this is close enough to them that I guessed. Please check that and make sure my responses make sense.” Waldo said, looking at Violet. Waldo smiled at his omission. He was familiar with several gnoll written languages and had learned a few key words like bathroom, food, and price but had not even memorized their alphabet. Violet started to look over the document carefully. Waldo noticed the enchanted page on the desk had a picture of his face on it now with a list of several things about him, such as height, an approximate weight, and the like. Waldo heard a low growl with several inflections. Waldo looked at the gnoll standing by Strisk.
“Would you mind repeating that? I am not sure I quite heard what you said, because I thought you called me a fur lover.” Waldo said, looking narrowly at the gnoll. The gnoll made several more growls at Waldo. The gnoll had reddish brown fur and stood a little shorter than Strisk. Waldo thought the gnoll would probably be considered extremely handsome among gnolls. He was well groomed and clearly muscled under the fur. He even wore a steel breastplate that was polished to a shine. Waldo saw a stamp over his right peck that appeared to be a runic enchantment.
“Because I am not. I learned it at the time because my life depended on it. The gnolls I met were not as affluent as you are here and only knew one language. Their own. I had to learn it or live without speaking. Their treatment of me would have killed me if I had not learned their language. They knew next to nothing of humans and were a tribe secluded in the mountains. They meant well, but due to the harsh circumstances of the location I was slowly dying from starvation and exposure. It took four weeks to learn enough for rough communication after which I found them to be extremely friendly and curious. I spent two years with that tribe before making contact with a human settlement in the area. I managed to broker a peace there because I learned gnollish. So I continued my education and have since learned various spoken dialects.” Waldo responded to the newcomers' growls calmly.
“Why don’t you respond in gnollish?” The gnoll asked, changing languages. Waldo growled back in several inflections and moved a hand. Violet had noticed hand movements when gnolls growled and never associated it with them speaking but Waldo’s movements were so pronounced she realized it had to be part of the gnollish language. “Fair enough. I am Captain Trag. Strisk says you are a soldier.”
“Wait what did you say?” Violet asked Waldo.
“Violet. Don’t be rude.” Strisk chided, curious himself but having held himself back.
“I am sorry. I have just never seen a non-gnoll speak gnollish” Violet said, almost involuntarily. Trag slapped Strisk across the back of the head.
“Strisk, she is our scribe, do not order her around.” Trag said, smiling. Waldo got the sense that Trag did not like Strisk.
“I explained human throats are not well formed for the gnollish language, which hurts my throat the more I speak it and makes my accompanying hand movements more pronounced than is proper.” Waldo explained to Violet.
“Can you teach me?” Violet asked, seeing how beneficial it would be to know gnollish in her job.
“We can talk after the interview.” Waldo said, smiling at Violet.
“Right, sorry. Thank you.” Violet replied looking over at Trag apologetically.
“Excuse me for interrupting your conversation Violet. I will make sure to send Waldo back once we are done.” Trag said, smiling at Violet then turning to Waldo. “What level of soldier are you? Or is it some other fighting class?”
“I don’t have any levels in fighting classes.” Waldo replied.
“And you want to be a city guard?” Trag said looking angrily at Strisk who looked at Waldo surprised.
“Wait, are you a medic of somekind?” Strisk asked, remembering the other night.
“No, just give me a chance. We should go to the training ground if combat assessment is to be a large part of this process.” Waldo stated, a little surprised they had started asking questions in the entrance.
“It is. We can train you in Protham legal code, but we rarely do combat training for our guards; most people come to us with twenty or more levels in a combat class, when they are applying to be a guard.” Trag stated, as Waldo opened the door.
“Where I come from people do not rely on the leveling systems for combat training.” Waldo started walking to the training grounds as Trag and Strisk followed.
“Where are you from?” Trag asked.
“Halcyon. Heard of it?” Waldo asked, knowing the reply.
“Nope.” Trag replied, thinking this human could never keep up with a gnoll or drake in a fight. “What are you wearing?” Trag asked, no longer able to hold back the question as the human looked very strange to him.
“Desert Armored Combat Fatigues, my throwing knives, combat knife, an assortment of tools I have found useful over the years, and a magic sling.” Waldo said, touching different things on his body. “The armor is stab resistant and there are several metal plates spread out in the fabric. If I get the job I would like to wear this until I can afford to get some locally made gear.”
“A magic sling?” Trag asked.
“Yeah, but I have limited ammo for it. It only works with special magic ammo and I doubt you have that here.” Waldo replied.
“Have you heard of a magic sling Strisk?” Trag asked.
“No, that is new to me.” Strisk replied. “I thought you could not use magic.”
“I cannot not cast a magic spell but this is an artifact. I could teach anyone to use it. If I had unlimited ammo or access to a bullet manufacturer I would be happy to show it off but I only have ninety rounds for it.” Waldo explained.
“How long have you been a soldier?” Trag asked, Waldo had seen himself in a mirror and knew they would not believe the truth. Waldo looked like he was in his prime but Halcyon slowed aging massively Waldo was older than any human got to normally and he was still unsure if he had died or Death’s healing had further reduced the effects of aging.
“Nine years.” Waldo replied, pushing it as far as he thought he could. Waldo had put his age down as twenty nine on the form, but knew he looked closer to twenty now. “I expect I will be sparing with one of you?”
“No, we are waiting for your sparring partners. I sent for two reservists. They generally are not needed for regular guard shifts and if they are injured it should not interfere with their regular jobs.” Trag stated, show us how good you are with throwing knives.
“Alright.” Waldo said, pulling four of the weighted knives from their sheaths. Waldo carried twelve in all. Four on his left leg, two on each arm and four on his chest. Waldo started by juggling the knives as he moved into position to throw them. Waldo smoothly plucked them out of the air as he was juggling them and launched them one after another in quick succession down the lane, with the knives sinking deep into the wooden target in a tight group.
“For having no skills that is pretty good. Now for the moving targets.” Trag said, with Waldo looking back at him as he pressed a button. Waldo watched as the targets began to move side to side. Waldo could tell this was intended for arrows as the range was longer than he would usually throw when it came to moving targets.
“May I move up or do you want me to throw from here?” Waldo asked.
“Tark throws from there.” Trag replied, Waldo grabbed two more knives, throwing them half a second after looking back at the target. Both landed bullseyes but Waldo could feel the strain on his muscles. He was not used to this distance. Waldo pulled two more and turned his back to the targets. Waldo slowly strafed toward the center of the range as he had started to the right side. After a moment making sure to give the targets time to move he spun around and with one hand launched both knives. One landed in a bullseye, but the other fell short. Waldo turned his back to the targets and drew all of his remaining knives placing them at the ready in one hand. Waldo turned and threw three and turned back around quickly. He heard 2 thuds and one that was a clang. He was not sure what the third had hit. Waldo spun around and sent his final knife down the lane hitting another bullseye. The three quick throws were not bullseyes but they had all hit targets.
“That is all the throwing knives I carry.” Waldo said. “Shall I collect them?”
“No, Strisk go get the knives and report back on how deep they are.” Trag said, turning the moving targets off. Waldo moved over to Trag as Strisk retrieved the knives. “Only one complete miss, that is not bad. If you are hired then we are gonna have to replace the knives with some weighted rods. We can issue you some bolas while on duty. Unless a kill order is issued, but most the time we will expect people to be taken alive.”
“Understandable. What is a bolas?” Waldo asked.
“It is three pieces of rope tied to each other on one end and has a weight on the other side. When throwing it, the intent is to hit a person's legs and if it works correctly it will wrap around a fleeing person’s legs and trip them. In town it can be tricky to use and for people they have lighter weights. It was originally used to hunt various animals on the plains. If the weights are too heavy they can break bones.” Trag said, explained. “What class are you?”
Waldo had been preparing for this question since they had asked him earlier. “Diplomat.” Waldo replied.
“You have no levels in a combat class but you are a diplomat as a soldier?” Trag questioned.
“When I use skills from it as a soldier it is generally in interrogations, but my personal goal was to try and find less violent solutions to my nation's disputes. So, I ended up becoming a diplomat. The times I acted in that capacity I was glad to have trained as a soldier. Few people seem to want peaceful resolutions. So as a diplomat I have often been met with violence.” Waldo explained twisting the truth. They stood in silence as they waited for Strisk to finish retrieving the knives. Strisk handed Waldo eleven of the knives and Trag one of the knives.
“Six perfect hits. Three near perfects. Two hits. One miss. Ten hits were all very deep. The one that made the clang hit a metal frame holding the target. It dented the metal and chipped his knife.” Strisk reported as Waldo sheathed the eleven knives he had been handed. Waldo looked at Trag just in time to catch his face returning to a neutral state after what Waldo believed to be a frown.
“How is your hand to hand combat proficiency?”Trag asked.
“I am an expert with a knife, however, I could easily swap it out for a padded baton. It would be harder on me, but I am sure I can hold my own.” Waldo said, showing the knife sheathed across his lower back and trying to determine Trag’s mood. Trag examined the knife and could see it was custom made for Waldo and well used.
“Strisk, you are good to go on patrol. Your partner should be ready about now.” Trag said, with a hint of sadness.
“I was hoping to stay and see him fight the reservists.” Strisk said, a little excited and as Strisk said that it clicked for Waldo.
“No one is coming. To test my combat proficiency.” Waldo said, calmly. “Sorry, Strisk. I should have known better.”
“We should go to my office and talk.” Trag said and handed Waldo the chipped knife Strisk had handed him.
“Wait, why?” Strisk asked, Trag.
“Politics, Strisk. Guardsmen are just a little political, which means Trag cannot hire another human. Especially, not in a citizen-facing role.” Waldo said, with a smile. “Am I right?”
“Violet, is our scribe. Citizen’s see her.” Strisk said looking confused.
“Violet is my scribe. She assists with filing and compiling guardsmen reports. She has only covered the front desk on a few occasions and usually it is to give another scribe a break or chance to go to the bathroom.” Trag stated.
“Strisk, thank you for introducing me to Captain Trag. I truly appreciate this opportunity. I would be happy to speak to you in your office Trag.” Waldo said, smiling at both of them.
“Sorry, Waldo… I didn’t realize.” Strisk said dejectly. Waldo laughed lightly.
“You have done no harm at all and even helped me file documents I needed to in order to stay. You introduced me to your Captain. Strisk, you have been nothing but helpful. Please do not feel sorry.” Waldo said, smiling at Strisk.
“Thanks, I guess I should get going.” Strisk said, clearly feeling better. “Sir. Waldo.” Strisk said, nodding his head to each of them and leaving. Trag started heading towards the guard house and motioned for Waldo to follow, which Waldo did in silence. Trag opened the door and sure enough Violet was no longer at the front desk. There was a male Drake scribe sitting behind the counter.
“Sir.” The drake said, standing up to greet them. Trag waved his hand and the drake sat back down. Waldo followed him up a set of stairs and down a hall to an open room with three scribes working on various documents on a table big enough for four, one of which was Violet.
“Your morning report sir.” A female gnoll scribe said, smiling at Trag and holding a folder. She noticed Waldo and her demeanor changed slightly. She glanced at Violet as Trag grabbed the folder.
“Thank you. I have a meeting for a few minutes. Is there anything urgent?” Trag gestured at Waldo. The scribes all looked up and gave a negative nod. “If needed you may interrupt us.” Trag said, opening his office door and leading Waldo into his office. It was a plain room. There were several chairs facing the back of the room with a large desk and chair behind it facing the door. There were two sturdy looking bookcases organized with an assortment of documents. The room was clean and orderly. A couch sat against one wall with a window behind it that had shutters and Waldo noticed a plain axe with a rope next to it leaning against a bookcase. “Please take a seat.” Trag said, opening the folder as he moved around the desk and sat down. Waldo sat across from him. They sat in silence as Trag read over a few reports. “Thank you for your patience.” Trag said look up from the report.
“Anything important?” Waldo asked.
“No, just the normal going on. Except for you of course.” Trag said.
“Yeah, I made a surprising entrance last night.” Waldo agreed.
“Teleportation has a tendency to create some alerts. If Strisk had not reported your arrival last night, the guard may have interrupted your welcome to our fine city.” Trag replied.
“That report is more thorough than I would have liked.” Waldo stated.
“Kna is a friend and Aer is a gossip.” Trag replied.
“I should have waited in the common room. We could have talked last night.” Waldo guessed.
“Doubtful, but I would have known your face this morning if you had.” Trag stated.
“I had hoped this was an offer for contract work of some kind.” Waldo said, frowning slightly.
“It still might be. I have not determined what to do about you.” Trag replied.
“Oh, well is there something you would like cleared up?” Waldo asked, smiling.
“Kna is worried about one of her barmaids. Aer has never seen her friend respond so positively to someone so quickly.” Trag stated, calmly. Waldo knew they were straying into dangerous territory.
“I have never responded to another human as positively.” Waldo replied, honestly.
“Just two soulmates meeting for the first time?” Trag asked, Waldo jerked in surprise at the word reacting before he could stop himself. Waldo realized Trag did not mean it the way he had taken it but it was too late. Trag had been watching him closely and was now looking unsure at Waldo. “I think you have some explaining to do.” Trag said, prepared to strike. Waldo leaned forward and placed his head in his hand dropping his show.
“This cannot under any circumstances leave this room. If you have listeners they need to stop. If you have a way to make the room secure. I will tell you enough to know why.” Waldo said, unsure of what would happen next.
“What, so can you kill me in silence?” Trag asked, feeling concerned about this stranger's response.
“If you want to tie me up feel free, but I am not talking until I am confident the secret won’t leave this room.” Waldo said, sitting back and calming his nerves. Waldo was trying to figure out how to explain this with as little lying as possible. Waldo wondered if he could avoid lying all together. Trag hesitated for a minute then opened a drawer and pulled out a small box. Trag said a command word under his breath and the box activated.
“Alright, we are alone and no one can see or hear us. This better be good or I won’t keep your secret.” Trag said.
“Have you ever been in love so much it hurt your soul?” Waldo asked.
“What?” Trag asked, surprised.
“I have. If I had understood this was possible. If I had known. I would have done so many things differently.” Waldo said, deciding to be as honest as he felt he could. “I thought she was dead. I joined the wrong people to get vengeance. To make it stop. In doing, so I pissed off some really powerful people. I thought my master was strong enough to protect me and I thought I was powerful enough to protect myself. I want to tell Lydia so bad. I want her to remember our time together. Every second we spent together. If I had magic this would be so easy but using magic to accomplish it would be wrong.” Waldo said, with tears in his eyes. “I wish I could just show her. However, the people I pissed off took my ability to use magic. I did not even know that was possible.” Waldo said, holding out an open palm. “Light.” Trag felt magic tug slightly, but nothing happened. “They took my magic so I could not interfere. When they did that I thought they would send me to a prison cell or some equally horrible place. They cursed me with unwanted knowledge I can barely grasp. Part of my mind is still trying to rip itself apart. But instead of sending me to a desert. They toss me like I am nothing and I land inside Spriggan Inn, in Protham barely even hurt. I did know she was the same soul at first. Standing in the dim light of the inn. She looks the same. Alive working as a barmaid in a place I have never even heard of. She doesn’t even remember me but she was drawn to me just like I was to her all those years ago.” Waldo said. “Kna is worried I might hurt her and honestly so am I. However, if we are to separate again I would have her tell me to go. It would be the most painful thing I ever do but I would leave if she asked. I don’t blame you if you don’t believe me, but I have found my dead lover again, my soulmate and I never thought I would see her. She died so I figured that was it. I did not know about the cycle but now I do. So please give me the chance to win her.” Waldo finished with tears at the corners of his eyes. “Please, I am begging you.” Trag knew Waldo was leaving part out but felt he was being honest and looking at Waldo Trag knew he held this man’s life in his hands at this moment. Trag looked at Waldo and activated several skills he had for conversations like this. Trag knew Waldo did not intend harm at this time or harm to his city.
“For the moment. You have convinced me.” Trag said, still slightly concerned, something about him bothered Trag, but Trag was confident the stranger would be unlikely to deliberately cause problems in Protham.
“Thank you for giving me a chance. I will prove I mean no harm.” Waldo said, starting to recover his composure. Trag grabbed the rope and axe, placing them on his desk.
“Do you know how to cut down a tree?” Trag asked.
“Yes.” Waldo replied.
“As captain of the guard. I am allotted two trees every year. The town allows me to do as I will with the tree tokens, I am issued. The mill will pay me five gold per token on average. However, If I cut the tree down and turn in the tree with the token they will right now pay eight gold. If you cut a tree down and turn it in for me. I will let you keep two gold coins of those eight.” Trag stated placing a token on the table.
“Sounds like a good deal.” Waldo replied.
“Have you hunted boar?” Trag asked.
“I have hunted. Not specifically boar but I am familiar with the complexities they present.” Waldo replied, wondering where this was going.
“Currently, we have a boar problem on the western road and several groups have been attacked by boars. It is quite troublesome. Protham does not have an adventuring guild and most hunters will hunt safer game or only kill one or two boars at a time. You can rent a hand cart for a day for three coppers at the docks. Usually they are used to transport fish around town. They are sturdy carts and can hold several hundred kilos. There are several blacksmiths in town that sell quality steel tipped javelins, for a silver. Now they are not perfect for hunting boar but they should work well enough. Currently, I have placed a bounty on boar kills of a silver per boar jaw turned in. We will even buy the dead boar for one and half coppers per five pounds. However, you could show us the boar, collect the silver, then most local butchers will buy dead boar for two copper per five pounds. Those are the current rates for whole boars” Trag explained.
“Sounds like I have a tree to chop down.” Waldo said standing.
“Out the main gate past the mill and then pick an un-worked tree the taller the better. They pay less for trees shorter than twenty feet and more for trees taller than twenty five feet. If you are willing to search there are some forty and fifty footers out there. I expect six gold regardless.” Trag stated.
“Why are you doing this?” Waldo asked.
“It is not one thing. Lots of little things adding up. Kna is a friend and Lydia is important to her. Kna knows I cannot employ you as a guard. This keeps you out of trouble. Solves a problem for me and if you work hard. Kna might start to like you. I was not going to be able to cut my second tree down before the end of the year. There are more reasons, but in the end, I see no downside for me giving you this chance.” Trag stated plainly.
“Well thank you. I appreciate this.” Waldo said and picked up the axe smiling.
“Good Luck. I plan to eat dinner at Spriggan Inn. So if you get back after sunset you can find me there.” Trag said, gesturing for Waldo to leave.
“Thank you, again!” Waldo said, leaving. After he closed the door he looked for Violet but she was not there. Waldo headed to the stairs back to the entryway. Violet wasn’t there either so he left a message for her and headed back to the Inn. Waldo wanted to ditch his armor before heading out to cut down a tree.

Hi. I, 20f, have been with my boyfriend, 21m, for almost a year now. I want to surprise him with something special on our anniversary while out in the city. He loves honkai star-rail, genshin impact and various metal artists, (ERRA, Northlane, Rise Against, Knuckle Puck, etc.) He is literally the man of my dreams. We’ve been together almost a year and I know that I want to be with him forever. He is literally the sweetest person I know and I am so grateful that he is in my life. I just don’t know how I can express that significance. I know I want to treat him to dinner somewhere, but I want to give him something while there to show how much I love him. I was thinking maybe concert tickets or something related to his favorite games. I am on a budget of $150 max for this gift, (not including dinner), any ideas? Also the city is downtown Cleveland, Ohio. Are there any restaurants that you can recommend? Thanks so much!

Hi! Me [23F] and my mom [55F] are trying to start doing at home workouts together. However, she has had multiple C-sections and has mesh in her abdomen. She has to be careful doing ab exercises. Are there any at home Pilates video for beginners that anyone could recommend to us?
Additionally, if Pilates isn’t really possible to do without strenuous core exercises, I would appreciate the honesty and any other recommendations! I am new to working out and don’t have a lot of experience. Thank you!