Dance drawings

Occult Artwork

2015.06.19 03:27 NotoriousBootyPirate Occult Artwork

Technically, "Art" includes music, writing, dance, etc, but here, we are looking for paintings and drawings with a hint of occultism. Post originals or the art of others, as long as credit or a source is given. :)
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2020.08.24 21:30 --I_Am_Fabulous_-- CatsDontDance

Heya there simadame! Welcome to CatsDontDance! In this community, we accept both animals and humans! This is where fans of the Warner Brothers movie Cats Don't Dance can come to discuss it, share images, drawings, animations, and more! Just as long as it revolves around this amazing movie! Rules- No NSFW No Toxicity No Hate No Off-topic Posts/Discussions
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2012.08.21 07:04 SinSha Just Dance

The official subreddit for Just Dance enthusiasts. Talk about your favorite moves, characters, songs, or anything else related to Just Dance!
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2024.05.15 09:39 teenstravage This is my story, and the reason why I want to talk to our juniors.

I am a PCMB student from Kerala. The past two years have been extremely difficult for me. I've struggled with suicidal thoughts, clinical anxiety, and worsening asthma. Just three days ago, I broke up with my long-time boyfriend. Two days ago, my 12th-grade results were released. Best of 5 subjects: 92%.
But this story starts back in 2006, when I was born. I am the youngest girl in a family that doesn’t openly discriminate based on gender, but there are biases. My family is full of medicos who believe that MBBS is the ultimate goal. I have 11 cousins on my mother’s side, all of whom took PCMB, cracked NEET/JEE, studied in tier-1 colleges, and now work in MNCs, live abroad, or have central government jobs. They all had love marriages, had kids, and built their own houses in their early 30s. My elder sister, my only sibling, is currently gearing up to be a house surgeon, following this same path.
When I first joined school, I was no different. From KG to 8th grade, I was always the topper, had great scores, and won many prizes. Although I couldn’t sing, dance, or draw well, I excelled in speeches and debates, and I owned the stage during my school years. I was never afraid of the stage and took part in all competitions, either as a participant or as an anchor or organizer. Teachers often said I was the face of the batch.
Then COVID-19 happened. Since birth, I’ve had health issues which worsened when I got COVID. I was hospitalized for a long time and then put on bed rest. I hated rote learning and could only study if I understood the material, but during this period, I couldn’t even touch the 9th-grade syllabus.
I've always loved science, especially planetary physics and anthropology, but my best subjects were social sciences and literature. I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember. So, when it came to deciding my future, I was always torn between Arts and Science.
While on bed rest, I kept up with other subjects except for Math and Science. By 10th grade, I realized I would do better as an Arts student. Having to memorize concepts without understanding made me hate Science. Despite this, I completed 10th with 96.4% marks, topping my school. But due to pressure from important people in my life, I took PCMB in 11th. News flash – I hated it.
I got into an unhealthy relationship that affected all aspects of my life. My friendships were a mix of toxic and great. By the end of 11th, I failed in Physics. The next year, I tried to pick up the pieces. Though I’m sure I could have done much better if I wasn’t so emotionally exhausted and surrounded by better people, I’m grateful for the 92% I scored.
Before the board exams, I tried to fill in as many gaps as I could, figuring it out on my own without guidance. My school only cared about their top students and just wanted others to pass somehow. I’ve never liked tuition, so I’ve never had it.
In my next posts, I'll be sharing some advice for my juniors that I wish someone had given me when I was struggling. I've wanted to do this for a long time but thought I should wait for my results first. I also don't want to keep talking about my 12th-grade results for years, like some YouTubers, so I thought I should get it over with now.
Your value is not defined by your academic achievements alone. Your resilience, passions, and how you overcome challenges shape who you are. Stay strong, believe in yourself, and keep moving forward.
submitted by teenstravage to CBSE [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 09:21 carlos3rcr 26[M4F]US scientist that likes trashy reality tv, running, and imessage games

hey!
here’s what I look like
I’m in the midwest, in the middle of my phd, using the sacred few hours of sleep I got to scroll reddit while binging on the trashiest reality TV and early 00s MTV music videos
tbh, since moving here I’ve been aching to meet people that aren’t related to my professional or academic sphere, and rarely got the time to do much outside the lab, so, here I am, it seems meeting people online could be good bet :o
some random trivia
here are two truths and a lie
If you're interested in talking, send me a line about yourself!
submitted by carlos3rcr to ForeverAloneDating [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 09:18 carlos3rcr 26[M4F]#US#online scientist that likes trashy reality tv, running, and imessage games

hey!
here’s what I look like
I’m in the midwest, in the middle of my phd, using the sacred few hours of sleep I got to scroll reddit while binging on the trashiest reality TV and early 00s MTV music videos
tbh, since moving here I’ve been aching to meet people that aren’t related to my professional or academic sphere, and rarely got the time to do much outside the lab, so, here I am, it seems meeting people online could be good bet :o
some random trivia
here are two truths and a lie
If you're interested in talking, send me a line about yourself!
submitted by carlos3rcr to r4r [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 08:26 Aeogeus Do Not Fight Monsters

“What do you mean it’s wrong?” said Tamara, becoming frustrated with Samuel.
“I'm trying to tell you that plants do not eat earth. They just absorb nutrients from it,” Samuel replied, equally annoyed as this was the fourth time he had explained it. “Look, just take my word for it, OK,” he added.
“Fine, but you will have to explain it again,” Tamara retorted.
Samuel and Tamara were partners in a scientific study of their forest home. It was genuinely idyllic in every sense of the word; the trees stretched high into the sky, and everyone was covered in succulent leaves, a deep and gorgeous shade of green. Around their trunks were rings of flowers gathered from every continent, and a thick carpet of grass lay on the ground.
The two sat underneath a chestnut tree, writing up their findings for the day. It had focused mainly on tree sizes and growth rates, and they had continued this study for, on and off, almost a year.
Samuel turned to look at his assistant and found that she was just as remarkable as the day they had first met: golden locks, like living sunlight, tied neatly in a bun. Her eyes were an emerald green, and all in all, she was gorgeous. However, it was when you came to her waist that things became truly incredible because rather than a pair of legs, there was a long and wide snake’s tail.
It was huge, at least seven metres long and as wide as her torso. The scales were the same beautiful colour as her hair and reflected the sunlight in such a way that she appeared to glow. She was wearing an ultramarine tunic with a black diamond in the centre. She was like this not because of a plague, a curse or some mutation; Tamara was a Lamia; it was how she was born.
Samuel, on the other hand, looked far less impressive. He was around five foot ten, with dull brown hair and equally dull eyes. His stomach stuck out from the rest of him. No amount of exercise was able to get rid of it.
He was by every description a ‘dull as dishwater’ human. His clothes, however, were slightly more interesting. He wore a navy blue tunic with a thick leather belt wrapped around his waist. On his feet was a pair of excellent leather boots, able to withstand whatever the world threw at them and on his forearms and shins, he wore something Tamara had never seen or even heard of before: a pair of vambraces and greaves, Samuel called it armour.
Three strips of rugged leather layered on top of one another made up each piece, and between each layer was a collection of tiny metal beads. When Tamara asked what they were for, Samuel said they were for protection.
All of this would have been inconceivable to Samuel two years ago, but he had become used to it in time. Samuel was not born into this world; he had arrived. How? He did not know, but he remembered it all vividly; his senses had been overloaded, and at first, he believed he had died.
“What’s wrong?” Tamara asked Samuel, who had been silent for over a minute.
Samuel snapped out of his daydream and said: “nothing, just thinking about that day again.”
Tamara nodded and said nothing else; she knew exactly what was wrong.
Samuel went straight back to writing. When Samuel first showed up, there had been no paper or pens, but what was even stranger than the lack of these apparent necessities was that Samuel had had to invent both of these items.
Tamara and those like her did not possess a written language; they relied entirely on their memories, and until Samuel had shown up, Tamara had not even conceived of the notion, but she had picked it up astonishingly quickly.
“It still sounds like eating to me,” said Tamara, bringing the conversation back to the original topic.
“Well, it isn’t; eating requires a mouth and stomach,” Samuel replied.
“Says who?” Tamara asked defiantly.
“Says me,” Samuel answered.
Samuel jotted down the last of his notes and left the pages to dry in the sun. Samuel then turned to his right and looked at a large book, the size of a chair’s seat, bound in yellow leather and knotted by animal tendons. He picked it up and began to leaf through the pages.
His eyes glanced over paragraphs about oak trees and orchid flowers until he finally reached the section he sought; the page was titled Silver Birch (Betula Pendula).
“Have you finished the drawing on Silver Birch yet?” Samuel asked without looking.
Tamara was currently focused on a drawing of sunflowers, but she understood his request and, without looking up or saying a word, handed him the picture he wanted.
Samuel took the drawing and took several moments admiring it. Like all her work, the picture was astounding; not only did it look like an actual Silver Birch, but it also seemed to be alive, as though it would start blowing in the breeze.
Samuel punched four holes along the sheet's left side, undid the tendon strings and then attached the drawing behind the title page. He added eight more pages to his book, four of text and four illustrations.
Their work was now done; there was no more writing or drawing today, and he placed their work into a knapsack Tamara had brought with her. Samuel turned to his partner and asked: “so what do you want to do now?”
Tamara looked up through the canopy and could make out the silhouettes of several birds and finally said: “I’d quite like to fly.”
Samuel smiled, chuckled and said, “Yes, so would I, but that would require every member of the village working together for decades.”
Tamara looked Samuel in the eye and said: “are you making fun of me?”
Samuel did not reply; he just looked Tamara dead in the eye. She observed every minute twitch on Samuel's face and concluded he was not.
“How could a person fly?” She asked, suddenly intrigued.
“I don’t know, I’m not an engineer,” Samuel answered, “So apart from flying, what else do you want to do?”
Tamara let out a sigh and said: “I guess we will just have to walk.”
These were the moments Samuel lived for, just a quiet afternoon with his best friend enjoying a stroll; he was utterly content.
“You seem chipper,” Tamara said, noticing the growing smile on Samuel’s face.
“That’s because I feel chipper” he replied
They passed through the trees, heading towards their favourite spot, a beach by the side of a lake so large you could not see the other side.
“So, how is everyone?” Samuel said, trying to spark a conversation.
“You mean every single one because that could take a while?” Tamara replied.
“Let’s start with your mother” he clarified.
Tamara’s mother, Pancha, was more or less just a larger version of her daughter, just as brash and headstrong.
“She’s fine; she has finally stopped asking me what happened every time I come to meet you,” she said.
“Really, and it only took her two and a half years,” said Samuel with a smirk.
Yes, that first year here, had been a real trial. Samuel had never felt so scared, isolated and persecuted in his life. When he thought about it, he could still feel the fear and the hopelessness.
A gust of air slammed into Samuel’s face, bringing him back to the present, and what a wonderful time it was. The water was crystal clear, the beach was covered in sparkling white sand, and the distinct aroma of water wafted through the air. Samuel breathed it all in as Tamara spread herself over the beach.
The cooling breeze that Samuel found so enjoyable, Tamara found far less agreeable. Tamara was ectothermic or cold-blooded. She could not maintain her body temperature; she needed to absorb it from her environment, and the wind was slowly draining her.
“Comfortable down there?” Samuel asked.
Tamara turned her head, looked up at him and said: “Actually, yes, not as good as my bed, but still fine.”
Samuel left Tamara to her thermoregulation and strolled down to the water’s edge, “stay where I can see you!” Tamara called.
“Yes, MOM,” Samuel answered sarcastically, though he knew it was more for Tamara’s sake than his; she had a problem with open spaces.
Samuel closed his eyes, stretched his arms above his head, feeling his muscles strain against the tension, and yawned. Small tears formed in his eyes and wiped them away. He had only been up for a few hours but was ready for bed.
“Too much thinking, that was the problem,” Samuel mumbled to himself.
The sunlight sparkled on the water’s surface. It seemed as though millions of diamonds were suddenly brought into existence, danced for a few moments, and then vanished as quickly as they came. It was beautiful, just like everything else here.
He climbed up a rock that jutted from that sand and sat down, his legs dangling over the edge. As he kicked his legs, a ray of sun caught his greaves, and although the leather was rather dull, it still dazzled him.
Samuel heard a sound reminiscent of sandpaper brushing against wood, and he knew at once what it was. He waited four more seconds and said, without moving an inch, “Don’t even think about it!”
“How did you know?” Tamara asked, feeling simultaneously impressed, confused and disappointed.
Samuel looked her in the eye and replied: “who do you think you’re dealing with?”
Tamara had not clambered up the rock like Samuel; she had simply raised herself on her tail so she stood over two metres high.
“Are you feeling better?” he asked.
Tamara smiled and answered, “yes, thanks for asking.”
Tamara moved behind Samuel and then began to coil around the boulder, and if he had not experienced it all before, it would have been unnerving. Tamara was only twelve and a half, yet she was already far stronger than him. Samuel was sure if Tamara really wanted to, she could crush a bison to death. After the graceful dance around the stone, she sat down beside Samuel.
The pair was silent for a few minutes, except for a quick coughing fit by Samuel; they took in the unnatural beauty of their surroundings.
“Hey, I have a question,” said Tamara, coming back to her senses.
“What is it?” Samuel replied.
“You still haven’t told me why we are studying the forest?” She asked.
In an instant, Samuel became deeply confused. To him, it seemed all too obvious why they were doing it.
“There is no practical reason for doing it. We do it so that we know,” Samuel answered.
Tamara became silent. Samuel realised that she was deep in thought and decided to give her all the time she needed until she finally said: “Is this one of those human things?”
Samuel, upon hearing this, gave a small chuckle and answered: “yes, if you like.”
Suddenly, something caught Samuel’s eye. It was a crab, no bigger than a golf ball. Its back was powder blue, and it held its arms upright, its claws pointing down. The tiny creature would walk forward, scoop some sand into its mouth, and then leave a small pellet behind.
“Look at that!” said Samuel, nudging Tamara’s shoulder and pointing at the tiny crustacean. Tamara turned her head and looked directly at where he was pointing; she strained her eyes at what she thought was a pebble; she was about to climb down and collect it when it suddenly moved, and she squealed.
Tamara dragged the bottom end of her tail up from the beach and timidly said, “What’s that?”
Samuel remembered that tone of voice all too well, and it brought with it some unpleasant memories, but he pushed them to the back of his mind and said: “it’s a crab.”
Samuel was certain he had seen this type of crab before but could not put a name to the image. Samuel was sure he had read about them, watched a documentary, or attended a lecture, but he could not remember. Ultimately, he decided to drop it for now and see if the answer would come to him.
Tamara kept staring at it as though she believed it would pounce if she took her eyes off it for one second.
“Is it dangerous?” she asked, her voice hushed to ensure the creature did not notice her.
Samuel sighed and answered: “it’s a crab, Tamara, unless you happen to be a nematode then…”
Samuel paused mid-sentence as his brain finally connected the dots and asked, “Wait, you have never seen a crab before?”
This perplexed Samuel for a moment until he remembered that Tamara did not have a television, a car, and she could not fly a plane, so it was not unexpected that she would not know what a crab was.
Tamara shook her head in response to his question, and Samuel added: “you know what a woodlouse is, right?”
Tamara nodded and said, “I like woodlice.”
“Well, a crab is just a type of woodlouse that lives near water,” Samuel concluded.
However, he could tell from her face that she was unconvinced, so he got off the rock, walked over to the tiny creature, wary of its pincers, and picked it up by its backside.
“What are you doing?” Tamara called in alarm.
Samuel held the animal, its legs flailing wildly in an attempt to escape, and said, “showing you there is nothing to be worried about.”
Taking care not to crush it, Samuel clambered back up the rock and presented the animal to her. Tamara stared at it for some as the crab bobbed its eye up and down and tried in vain to find a part of Samuel it could nip.
“It’s actually kind of… cute,” Tamara said after two minutes of silence.
She relaxed her tail and let it rest on the beach once more. “Can it hold it?” She asked Samuel, fear being replaced by interest.
“Of course, you can. Just make sure you hold it by its back and be careful of the pincers; if they get you, it will hurt.”
Samuel handed the crab over to her and watched as Tamara began to inspect the animal from every angle. The crab had a white underbelly and purple joints.
“You think you could draw it from memory?” Samuel asked.
“Hmm?” Tamara replied. Samuel let out a sigh and repeated. After three more attempts, Tamara finally took notice and said, “Yes.”
Five minutes later, Samuel said, “we should probably put him back now.”
Tamara moaned about it, but Samuel said: “he has his own life, Tamara; you can’t keep him!”
She conceded, grumbling under her breath, and gently placed the animal back on the sand. As the crab dashed away, the two noticed that while they had been fixated on that single crab, thousands more had emerged on the beach.
Upon seeing the swarm of animals make their way across the beach, Tamara let out a squeal and once again pulled her tail up off the beach. The army of crabs marched along the shore. The collective walking produced a sound loud enough to hear from fifty metres away, and at last, Samuel remembered what they were and said, with no small amount of satisfaction in his voice, “they’re soldier crabs.”
“What are they going to do?” Tamara asked, concerned by the sudden appearance of so many creatures.
Samuel kept staring at the gathering, but he heard her question and replied, “They’re just feeding,” and added quickly, “But we are far too big for them.”
“That's odd,” Samuel said under his breath.
“I know there are so many of them,” Tamara said, deeply unnerved by the sheer vastness of the swarm.
“No,” Samuel said, “There should be this many of them; it’s where they are that is strange.”
Tamara momentarily took her eyes off the army and asked, “So where should they be.” There was a slight flicker of fear in her voice at the prospect of being invaded; rats and mice where bad enough. They did not need another pest.
“By the sea, not a freshwater lake,” he answered.
“The Sea?” Tamara almost yelled. Samuel was a little surprised by this enthusiasm and turned to face her.
“Yes,” he said.
“Have you ever been to the sea,” she asked.
“Yes, many times,” Samuel said, uncertain where this was going.
“I bet it’s wonderful,” Tamara added with a smile.
Samuel was silent as his brain connected a few dots and asked: “how can you know about the sea if you don’t know about crabs?”
She smiled; Tamara enjoyed it when she knew something that he did not, “there is a story that my mom told me that before we came to this forest, we were a different people that lived by the sea.” Tamara paused for a breath.
“But then humans came and drove us from the water, and we fled inland. Our people split into two. One half went to the mountains, and the other settled in the forest.”
Tamara finished and waited for his reply. Samuel, however, just kept looking at her. Tamara was concerned that she had upset him; he did not like it when humans were labelled as the enemy, yet his face and posture were not those of one who was sad or angry.
“You people blame us for everything, don’t you?” Samuel said with a chuckle.
“If there is a fire, it’s a human’s fault. If there is an earthquake, it’s a human’s fault. If a little Boreray boy drinks all their apple juice in one gulp, it’s a human’s fault.”
“So, getting back on topic, where did these “Soldier crabs” come from anyway? We have visited this lake for over two years and never seen even a glimpse?” Tamara asked. Samuel looked back to the slowly advancing army, and several ideas flashed through his head.
“Maybe they have been dormant up until now; perhaps they make a large circle around the lake shore, and it’s simply luck that we were here on the day they passed by, or maybe the migrated here from somewhere else.”
They watched the crabs' ceaseless march until Tamara said, “These things are still giving me the creeps. Can we go now?” Samuel could not argue that there was something eerie about all of these animals appearing, seemingly, from nowhere; however, there was still one thing he had to be certain of.
“You think you could draw one from memory?” he asked.
Tamara’s face contorted in a scowl. Samuel, for all his good points, could become far too focused on his research, which often caused him to become ignorant of other people.
Yet she knew sitting here yelling at him would accomplish nothing, so she told him the truth: “Yes, can we go now!” Samuel nodded and then slid off the rock. Tamara copied him, and they both slinked back to the cover of the trees.
Now that she was beneath the canopy, Tamara let out an enormous sigh of relief as the anxiety slowly left, and the close air warmed her body. On the other hand, Samuel began to chafe at the stagnant air while his head began to bead with sweat, but it was nothing he had not experienced before, so he gritted his teeth and bared with it.
With their plans now ruined, Tamara and Samuel wandered aimlessly through the woods, chatting about what they could do to fill the rest of the day. Several ideas arose, including visiting a nearby waterfall and a set of monument stones, but none truly appealed to them.
In the end, Tamara said, “how about we just call it a day?”
Samuel was happy about this. Tamara was his only form of human contact, yet he could not deny the pointlessness of wandering around the woods, so he said, “Ok, but let’s take the long way.”
Samuel heard a sound above him and saw a red squirrel scampering through the trees.
“Is it difficult?” Tamara asked.
Samuel looked at Tamara and replied, “Well, it can give me a crick in my neck sometimes.”
Tamara let out a short laugh and clarified, “No, I mean, is it difficult being so inquisitive? It looks exhausting.”
He was not entirely sure what she meant by that. To Samuel, Tamara was every bit as curious as him, so he stated: “you tell me, you went out looking for me just because you wanted to know.”
“True,” answered Tamara, “and everyone has always said that I am always asking questions, but you’re like a boar that just ate sugar beat.”
“I have no idea what that means,” Samuel said, shaking his head. “But I do know that people always told me, when I was a boy, that humans are, by their nature, infinitely curious, but personally, I think that it’s just how I was born.” there was a pause, and he quickly added, “just like you.”
Tamara’s fingers started to numb as she brushed them against the bark of passing trees. She took a good look at the trees around her. Tamara had lived her entire life sheltered by these trees. This place was her home, her family’s home and her friend’s home, and she loved it, a perfect example of the innate beauty of nature.
Samuel, however, was of a different opinion this forest disturbed him, though this feeling had diminished with time. The trees all grew in perfect symmetry, four and a half strides form each other.
From Tamara’s perspective, there was nothing strange about this, yet Samuel often said that this should not be possible, that the wood should be a mess and that the trees should grow in an unorganised fashion. Yet to Tamara, the idea of messy forests was just as impossible as a structured one was to him.
Noon came and went, and Samuel’s stomach began to rumble. His breakfast was becoming a distant memory; he thought he might be able to bear it for another hour or so, but as they travelled closer to the village, Tamara started to become irritated by Samuel’s constant growling.
“We need to find you something to eat before that sound drives me nuts!” Tamara stated bluntly.
“That’s all well and good, my dear, so long as you can materialise food out of the aether,” answered Samuel, with just a hint of condescension in his voice.
Tamara did not know what the aether was, but it did not matter. “No, but I do know a nearby tree with some great fruit in it,” she replied.
Samuel found this strange for two reasons. Firstly, he found it very difficult to believe there was a source of food in this forest that either he had not found, or Tamara had not told him about yet.
Secondly that, Tamara would know much about something she could not eat. Tamara was strictly carnivorous; she ate nothing but meat.
He wanted answers fast and asked: “So why haven’t you told me about this before?”
“Because I can’t stand the smell, that’s why, and I didn’t want you stinking up the place,” she explained.
“If it smells disgusting, what makes you think I will eat it?” he asked.
“Because the Boreray can’t get enough of it, some of them say that they taste like all the best parts of every fruit and vegetable we grow, which is a shame because they smell like all the worst,” she added.
He asked no more questions. He was too busy thinking; this fruit sounded so familiar, but he could not remember. The need to survive day in day out had pushed most of his standard learning, from school and university to the back of his mind, not forgotten mind you just buried.
I'm back with Tamara and Samuel latest adventure. If you like what you've read so far and want to know where it's going you can find the complete story by following the links below.
e-book(US/UK/CA/AU/DE)
Physical(US/UK/CA/DE)
If you do decide to read ahead please leave a review or rating, every single one helps immensely, and helps me keep doing what I'm doing.
Also the e-book will be at a reduced price until the last chapter it published on reddit.
submitted by Aeogeus to HFY [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 08:04 Coidzor Looking for advice on what to pick for Magical Secrets for a high level Lore Bard.

I have a Lore Bard that just hit level 14 and with it, I need to pick some more Magical Secrets. I've managed to lose my notes on what spells I was going to pick, so it's back to the drawing board. So far, Find Greater Steed is already slotted in for level 14 and Wish is slotted in for level 18, but the second pick for both of those levels is wide open. My feats are Inspiring Leader, Ritual Caster, War Caster, and Moderately Armored.
My current Magical Secrets are Haste, Counterspell, Telekinesis, and Wall of Stone.
Haste was chosen for cases where the solution to an encounter was more Divine Smites from our Paladin. Wall of Stone was chosen for a combination of story reasons and the permanence of the wall playing into the DM's style. Counterspell and Telekinesis were chosen for reasons of pure power.
The party consists of a Vengeance Paladin, Dragon Sorcerer, Light Cleric, and a Moon Druid.
The Paladin primarily smites but does occasionally use spells for movement. The Sorcerer primarily uses Fireball, Lightning Bolt, and Scorching Ray. Our Cleric favors primarily using either Spirit Guardians or Sunbeam. The Moon Druid is a fairly even split between using Call Lightning and melee Wildshape.
So far I've bounced between crowd control, buffing, and blasting as seemed most advantageous at the time. Often I'll lead with a Hypnotic Pattern or a Wall spell or Haste and then in subsequent rounds either throw out a Blindness or blast. I keep wanting to use Animate Objects or Telekinesis but it just never quite seems to be the right moment for them.
Simulacrum has been considered, but it would probably be an extended period of time before I'd have both the 12 hours to cast it and the ruby dust to spare.
Contingency is one that I'm interested in, but still a bit unsure about what spells I'd really want to use with it and how useful it would be.
Plane Shift is another I thought about, but it is of questionable use given the cosmology of the setting we're playing in and the nature of our current adventure with difficulties traveling between Feywild, Material, and Shadowfell.
I've been considering grabbing Aura of Vitality to help the Cleric feel less obligated to healbot or Heal for an emergency mid-combat. I briefly considered Revivify but decided that between the Paladin and Cleric, if both of them were dead and I somehow survived, they're just going in the portable hole.
I've got so many Concentration spells competing for my attention that I'm not super keen on ideas like Circle of Power even though I have used it with other characters and loved it, and it feels like there should probably be enough blasting between what I already have and the rest of the party that something like Destructive Wave is less called for.
I've been considering Wall of Force since I don't know how long it will be until I can actually use Forcecage, but I do currently have 3 flavors of Wall spell already at this point.
I'm probably just overthinking it, but I keep having this feeling that I'm overlooking something that might be obvious to an outside perspective.
Full spell list as follows. Note that our DM allows us to have an additional spell known per spell level for spells that we're playtesting for him.
Cantrips - Minor Illusion, Mage Hand, Siren's Shout(single target blast, ranged spell attack, Thunder damage), Flash of Foreboding (Green Flame Blade clone, Psychic damage, rider effect requires downing an enemy in that encounter), Razor Edge(Shillelagh + damage buff), Prestidigitation
1st level - Faerie Fire, Dissonant Whispers, Speak with Animals, Hidden Bolt (single target Force damage blast)
Rituals: Alarm, Comprehend Languages, Detect Magic, Find Familiar, Floating Disk, Identify, Unseen Servant
2nd level - Blindness/Deafness, Invisibility, Mirror Image, Bone Fiddle (Conc., single target speed debuff + Psychic + Slashing damage over time), War Cry (bonus action, AoE minor Buff to party + Wis save vs. 1 round Frightened on enemies)
Rituals: Augury, Gentle Repose, Magic Mouth, Skywrite
3rd level - Dispel Magic, Hypnotic Pattern, Major Image, Slow, Ghostly Charge (30' Cone AoE Psychic damage blast, Int save for no damage)
Magical Secrets: Counterspell, Haste - Rituals: Phantom Steed, Tiny Hut, Water Breathing
4th level - Confusion, Greater Invisibility, Polymorph, Psychic Lance, Songbird (10 min Conc., gives an additional, less powerful Bardic Inspiration die to a 2nd character each time Bardic Inspiration is used)
5th level - Animate Objects, Synaptic Static, Telepathic Bond, Wall of Thunder (10 min Conc., 5' thick, semi-invisible see-through wall, Con Save vs Thunder damage + Deafened, Disadvantage to ranged weapon attack through it, blocks sound)
Magical Secrets: Telekinesis, Wall of Stone
6th level - Mass Suggestion, Irresitible Dance, Flock of Retribution(10 min Conc., Crown of Stars meets Armor of Agathys, Shadowfell-energy-based, Psychic damage single target blast, 1 per turn, no action or reaction beyond the initial cast)
7th level - Forcecage, Mirage Arcane, Wall of Dread (Conc., 20' thick Wall of Magical Darkness + Difficult Terrain + Wis save vs. Psychic damage + Frightened + Bonus Action single target blast + save vs. Frightened)
I also have some items that give me access to 1/day of Detect Magic, Entangle, Faerie Fire, Fly, Ice Storm, Invisibility, Levitate, Protection from Evil and Good, Shillelagh, and Speak with Animals.
submitted by Coidzor to dndnext [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 07:43 Cartmanshonkerz Mother

I love my mummy. She grew me from her insides, encased by the flesh that we share. She nourished me with the liquid pulsing through her rotten body. Together we play games, mummy shows me how to make dolls from the scraps of daddy’s meat, pretty girl dolls with long floppy limbs that reek of decay. I don’t like mummy after the sun goes down. She tells me we can’t make dolls anymore, tells me my dolls are stupid. At night I hide. I have to find a different hiding spot tonight; mummy found my last one at sunrise. I can see the claw marks from when she found me in the linen cupboard. Long nails attached to long fingers, penetrating the cheap wooden door until there was nothing but torn up paint and inch deep fleshless lacerations.
The sun is setting. The final flash of orange sky and her eyes will gloss over like daddy’s did when mummy found him. Wet film slicked over green ovals of empty rage. She still looks like mummy, only her mouth is a tight line that reaches from ear to ear and it can’t open very well. It’s all muffled words now. Mummy looks like a tree after the sun sets. Her arms and her legs grow longer, they get too heavy so she hunches over. I am going to hide under her bed. Daddy’s bulge is hidden under there. Mummy keeps it a secret, but I know. Her bed is thin and much too long and her black hair is tangled up in the sheets. The scent of her sweat stained cushion lingers into my nostrils and down to my lungs as I crawl under, deeper into the dark stinking pit at the center.
I see the warm shadows from the final seconds of sun dance through the handmade curtains at her window. Mummy took the skin off daddy’s body to make those. His bellybutton, still attached to his torso skin, looks like a little crystal in the golden light. The pretty shadows disappear, and the room is black. I can hear mummy looking for me. She’s laughing through that muffled slit on her face. There is death in her eyes and a tremor in her shrieking that makes me nervous. She is angry now. I wasn’t in the linen cupboard this time. I am too smart for her.
I curl in on myself in the safety of the dark and wiggle my loose teeth in waiting. The nights are slow because I cannot sleep. I never sleep. Mummy is still running around the house looking for me, grunts of anticipation much louder, much more feral, than any wild animal. A pool of blood starts to swirl under my head where a loose tooth has fallen. Not good. Mummy smells blood as much as she craves it. The door creaks open. Two long feet stand still in the doorway, toes curling from excitement at the scent of her baby’s blood. I pray I do not end up as curtains and dolls like daddy. Mummy is on the bed; she is digging up the insides of her mattress. Maybe if I stay still enough, she won’t find me. I want to be brave, like daddy was.
I roll onto my back, there's a big hole in the mattress above my head. My eyes take seconds to adjust to the darkness above before I see Mummy’s dewy eyes beaming into mine. “My baby is here” the tight line where her mouth has been stretched starts to open slightly and she drools on me through her words. Her hand pokes through the slats in the bed and she pinches my cheeks until blood pours out. “We need more dolls, baby. We need this skin”. Warm water leaks from my eyes onto the tips of her fingers where blood gushes. She draws her hand away and I feel her tugging at my feet, grunting like an impatient child. I cannot kick, for her fingers reach from her palms to my thighs. I am paralyzed in her grip, and I let her pull me out from under my final hiding spot. I am dragged by my blood-stained hair to the backyard where mummy likes to play.
“Mummy is thirsty, baby? You can’t keep all that blood. You’re not selfish”
Her muffled words are comprehensible enough to foresee the fate at which I am now destined for. I am here to feed her, to fuel her life, as she once did me. In the way shadows chase the light, how the moon must always put the sun to rest, birth must give way to death. In turn I must give life, my flesh and bone, to the creator of my life and my light. To return to the darkness that will always encompass her. it is her right.
submitted by Cartmanshonkerz to scarystories [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 07:07 Unarmedone76 Small business taking on southern religious group.

I live in a suburb of Charlotte, NC in a little town called Monroe. The establishment I frequent has been berated by Southern religious groups for the past three years. The establishment serves everyone they host Drag Shows, Latin dance nights trivia. The restaurant / Superette has a good following good employees that care about the community. For the past 3 years on drag show nights the protesters would come out and protest in front of the establishment. At first the shows were all ages. These protesters would berate the patrons of the establishment and yell at young children as their parents brought them to the show. One of the protesters would be the future mayor of the city. The drag, queens and kings would wear nice gowns tuxedos beautiful dresses and feel free to show off their hard work. The the kings and queens would never wear lingerie speedo or anything that is deemed inappropriate for children. There would be some lewd jokes and that sort of nature. The establishment had to change from all ages to 18 and up. Once the restaurant /establishment went from all ages to 18 and up for the drag shows. The protesters kept on coming and eventually they all stopped. So the protesters would take pictures of children with their parents and post them on social media websites. So as a joke, one of the owners of the establishment took pictures of the protesters. They Photoshop out what the protesters were saying on the Posters. The signs would eventually say eat at this restaurant I like hamburgers stuff The signs would eventually say eat at this restaurant I like hamburgers and of that nature.
So fast-forward to just now recently in the past couple of months, the protesters are suing the establishment for using their likeness. So now the establishment has a counter suit. Against the protesters group and their leader. The establishment needs a lot of help to fight the fascist pigs. The establishment has created a GoFundMe to help for the legal battle against the protesters.
I would like to know if I should write about this on another sub Reddit like the lgbt community. I just want to draw as much attention to this group.
I didn’t post the name of the restaurant or their website because I don’t know if it’s allowed in this community. If I’m allowed to post the name of this establishment and their website, I would post it in the comment section.
Thanks everyone sorry for the long read and I know my grammar is not correct.
submitted by Unarmedone76 to SatanicTemple_Reddit [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 06:11 Ok-Objective-7706 I think KOL will be the next thing

I think KOL will be the next global girl group. They have done well so far. Coming from a standpoint of analyzing what's worked for global groups like BP. Here's my two cents
You can see each member can hold their own through their solo debuts. Looking at how each member plays into the group dynamic is vital.
We can draw comparisons from BlackPink (one of the most successful GG)
Julie She's the ace. She can rap, sing and dance, and fits the beauty standards. almost like Jennie
Belle Vocals and dancer, Like Rose
Natty Dancer and Rapper, Like Lisa
Haneul Vocals and Visuals, Like Jisoo
They all play a role that is vital to the success of the group. We can also draw compression from BP based on the background of the group, we have 2 fluent English speakers, Julie and Belle, who are vital to the Western market. Natty is the draw for southern Asia. Haneul is the homegrown talent, like Jisoo plays in BP. Haneul brings in the Korean audience, Julie and Belle bring the North American and Oceanic markets. Natty brings the Asian market. From a business standpoint, this group is fail proof. This whole group takes the formula from BP and applied it to create an up and coming, and most likely very successful group. I'm not saying KOL is a carbon copy of BP. I am saying that S2Ent is very smart for choosing these members and promoting them they way they are. I think they will have a very successful career!
submitted by Ok-Objective-7706 to kissoflife [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 05:29 Save_the_Manatees_44 Advice: TW Teen Self Harm

My 15 yo has struggled with anxiety for a while. She started scratching and cutting herself almost a year ago. She had a few months where she stopped and then in the last few days it’s gotten worse. She used a kitchen knife on her arms and legs. This time she filmed it on her phone. She’s good and coming to me after and saying, “Hey, I did this because I felt stressed.” And she did show me the video.
INFO: She has learning disabilities and struggles with emotional regulation and basic comprehension skills. It’s hard to explain, she looks totally normal but she has a lower IQ and just struggles with comprehension and communicating what she’s thinking.
I don’t know what to do. She’s already on an antidepressant. I have all the scissors and knives now locked away. We’ve talked about different tactics for relieving stress including running as fast as she can, doing a Just Dance until she’s tired, breathing exercises, drawing, journaling, etc. She knows she can always talk to me or her sister or call her dad or her aunt. She knows she has people to go to.
I’m so lost. Her dad and I are going through a divorce. He moved across the country a few months ago and they’re due to go visit this summer. I think she’s stressed about all of that, so it’s making things worse.
Any advice? I’m trying to pick my battles with her, and keeping her safe is my top priority right now. I feel so sick to my stomach. I couldn’t even watch her video. I deleted it so she couldn’t rewatch it either.
I’ve considered an impatient program, but our car was repossessed because my stbx walked away and left me with no way to pay the bills…. So if I did get her there I couldn’t see her easily. I don’t know how she’d do considering her communication struggles.
I don’t think she’s in danger of being suicidal, I just worry I can’t help enough. I do work from home so I’m here all the time to keep an eye on her too.
Any advice?
submitted by Save_the_Manatees_44 to parentingteenagers [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 04:52 c00chieluvr 7:51

  1. Autoschema & Consciousnesses: Autoschema represent fundamental components of existence; Consciousnesses embody sentient entities among the cosmos.
  2. Merits & Events: Objects are recategorized as Events; merits encompass events' physical and energetic characteristics.
  3. Warp vs. Merit: A Warp is an idealized version of a Merit, representing a desired manifestation "ordained" by a divinity.
  4. Mayora Singular & Menor Plural: Acknowledgment of inherent imbalance within all binary structure; one side inherently holds more power (mayora singular) than the other (menor plural) by consequence of organic imperfection.
  5. Engineers vs. Sphinxes: Agreeable consciousnesses are called Engineers, which drives focus to their agreeabiliy instead of their personal flaws or strengths [which are just a reflection of personal needs & wants in an archetype] & teaches the self to assume that harmony can be achieved with logical fact over unreasonable demand. Those disagreeable are termed Sphinxes, as their obfuscation & blockage are to be understood as redundantly harmful & mysterious, rather than someone to be overfocused on & dissected. This draws the focus on into refense [self-healing] rather than external conflict.
  6. Mutual Contravisms & Altruism: Altruism is generated when the divinity of the self chooses to equalize itself with the cosmos rather than overcome it, allowing for one to glean utopia. [[[This state is highly volatile & has yet to be tested +1x - focus on mutual contravisms allows one to be comfortably passive ((as opposed to 0d neutral?))]] This comfort emphasizes the belief in universal sacrifice for a common goal.
  7. Dynamic Energies: Yangs (Bounce, Whum, Dance, Whistle) are energized backwards [reflecting absorption inwards - ><], while Yins (Breathe, Stance, Stretch, Worship) are set forward [reflecting assertion outward - <>].
Key:
submitted by c00chieluvr to crazyramblings [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 04:44 x6661xforeverx [US-NY] [H] Wii/Xbox One Consoles, Wii/PS3/PS4/PS5 Games [W] PayPal

https://imgur.com/a/Q6oKxhH
**Wii Console - $45 Shipped**
**Xbox One Bundle - $110 Shipped, or $100 shipped without Spyro**
**Games:**
**PS1**
**PS3**
**PS4**
**PS5 - $60 shipped for both**
**Wii - Take the entire lot for $100 shipped**
submitted by x6661xforeverx to GameSale [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 04:44 OwlLickz Had to draw myself covered in Dance Moms tattoos because its cheaper and less embarrassing this way

Had to draw myself covered in Dance Moms tattoos because its cheaper and less embarrassing this way submitted by OwlLickz to dancemoms [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 04:38 Midnightbobaenjoyer 19 [F4A] South Korea/Online looking for friends or more

Hi I hope everyone reading this is having a great day/week
I’m looking for a friendship or more with someone close to my age
About me
I’m a student majoring in computer science from 군산시 South Korea but I have visited the states and have self learned English
•my hobbies are drawing cosplaying and dressing up music gaming watching movies drama occasionally anime crime documentaries and reading I love fitness exercising and dancing too
•Music genres I like rock metal lo-fi indie alternative 90s 80s K-pop pop r&b and other genres too
• my personality
I can be eccentric and a jokester I enjoy dark humor and joking a lot I love making others laugh I’m very open minded and friendly chill
and happy to learn more about you and to share our day and memes with each other but also deep conversations too
I experience episodes of depression and social anxiety that I’m working on so I’d like to have a supportive friendship or relationship with someone
• What I’m looking for?
looking for chill friends or more if we hit it off I don’t mind distance just be close to my age and not a creep or disrespectful
I’m only interested in something serious please note of a time zone difference and my busy work study schedule I sometimes need a lot of alone time so don’t take it personally if I’m distant if you’re still reading and interested introduce yourself and hit me up.
submitted by Midnightbobaenjoyer to r4r [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 04:07 surfenusaxd Korean Comments on the Girls Never Die MV Comparing tripleS to New Jeans

I was looking at the comments and the Girls Never Die music video on youtube and was really interested reading the english translations from all of the Korean comments. Many were recounting how the song gave them strength amidst depression.
Others were contrasting how New Jeans portrays adolescence in Ditto vs tripleS in Girls Never Cry. I feel like they see Ditto capturing a nostalgic and playful view of youth, full of carefree moments with friends. Whereas, "Girls Never Die" dives into the more complex and often harsh realities of growing up, portraying themes of struggle, resilience, and the determination to keep going despite hardships.
Not trying to start a fanwar but just an interesting topic. It is interesting because even though most of the Ditto music video involved friends dancing with each other, the ending is definitely darker.
Overall, I'm glad tripleS is being appreciated for their artistry and it's incredible that the lyrics are resonating so strongly with Koreans.
Some of the comments:
submitted by surfenusaxd to triples [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 03:27 Murder_Giraffe Another review if you feel like reading! From a HW art fanatic

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

2024.05.15 03:19 PsychologicalGirly I’m trapped and very depressed.

My(27f) last relationship was 4 and a half years.. It was serious and we purchased a home.. not even 2 months after we closed, he didn't have enough money to cover his part of the mortgage and other bills.. turns out he was doing heroin, he was acting wild and took money that was for the bills and spent it on drugs.. That's when I ended things. He(24m) was also physically abusive throughout the relationship.. There were multiple occasions where he hurt me.. He went to jail a couple times.. I always took him back because I wanted to believe he would change. Classic domestic violence, trauma bond situation.. It was just a lot to deal with.. I should have known better than to buy a house with this man. Long story short.. Since we broke up - I've been paying everything for the house and my own bills. I've taken on all the debt including loans we were supposed to split for furniture & renovations.. My quality of life was significantly impacted. I made the most money I've ever made in a single year last year. Over $90k and I feel like I have nothing to show for it. The equity in the home is my only hope to try and recuperate finances that I've invested and pay off other debt so I can sell the home and move on with my life.. BUT since he is a "co owner" - he gets 50% when the house is sold and he has to be involved in the process.. Now.. we agreed that I will get all of the money when the house is sold but I can't trust him to give me the money, so he agreed to sign a written legal agreement that I paid $1000 to my attorney to draw up. His attorney was sent the agreement almost 3 weeks ago and not a single update. He changed his phone number, workplace and address.. moved out of his mom's house where he spent the last year and a half paying $0 to live. He was able to do whatever he wanted with his money.. and now he's just avoiding this business we have to take care of.. moved in with his new girlfriend and I think he's going to try to steal money from me basically... by not signing the agreement and I’m worried I won't be able to sell the house if he doesn't communicate or he can't be found..
I'm honestly not doing so well.. I'm in a very unfortunate situation that has totally effected my life and mental health.. I've been single for a year and a half.. but still feeling so lost as to who I used to be before or who I'm supposed to be after so much trauma. I'm trying to heal.. but I spend some days doing absolutely nothing.. I sit in my bed and stare at the walls or doomscrolling random reels.. I don't dance as much.. I feel like I was using dance as an outlet and that was great, but it kind of kept me from feeling things or taking care of things.. maybe? I'm really frustrated. Like I said I just feel trapped. I broke up with this man a year and half ago and I'm still dealing with a form of abuse. He's told me he would sign it. He's told me "I'm not going to fuck you over" and he's literally doing the exact thing I wanted to prevent from happening. He’s now found a new girlfriend after stringing me along with the idea he would do the work he needs to for himself and we would work things out. He lied when I straight up asked him and deliberately told me that he was not dating other people.. He changed entirely and I had a hunch but stupidly believed him again and after a month of barely speaking we met and hooked up twice.. in my car.. 2 days later he said he needed to talk to me and told me that he’s been seeing someone since the last week of February ! Since then he has changed everything and has moved on.. leaving the house still unsettled.
I just want the money that's rightfully mine and to get out of this house. I'm stuck in this place physically, financially and it's affected me mentally. I've stayed to myself. I haven't opened up to anyone. I haven't dated because I don't want to bring any of this into the next part of my life. And I feel like it hasn't started yet because I'm still in this house and he still has some kind of control over my mind because knowing he can steal money that he does not deserve, out of spite, drives me absolutely mad.
So it's crippling depression and anxiety because I've worked so hard my whole life for every thing I've acquired. It's been my work, my drive, my dedication, my money.. and for all of it to be for nothing, for it all to be abused, taken for granted and then used against me! Extremely defeating and I don’t know what to do about it.
submitted by PsychologicalGirly to TrueOffMyChest [link] [comments]

2024.05.15 03:08 ForestHasEyes Polish GROM has been fighting a secret war for decades, our enemies aren't human [Part 3]

Blachowicz here.
Kept yah’ waiting, huh? Heh, sorry about that one, but I can explain. As we all know… we lost a few good men the last few months.
That’s the brutal part of a hybrid war like ours: We’re fighting a foe unconventional, with half our arsenal tied down because those who grant us authorization are either in disbelief of the true facts, or scared… or already assimilated. That being said our momentum recently was a change not seen in years, and because of that… despite the losses we have garnered, we were close through a breakthrough. One last night Krol pulls myself and other two must trusted squad leads into the back of our COP. There is one of our equipment cages, surrounded by m-bitter radios, tripods, and several hundred thousand dollars of equipment he brought us around a simple worn table. Before us he laid a map of eastern poland… red markings indicating cells that seemed to dot the countryside like a pestilence, or used to… as deep gashes of advance from raids had trisected their lines, even if ones did pop up in the interior.
It was a back and forth; an outside virus infecting Polska at it’s heart, and we were the antibodies sent to drive them out. To which… Major Krol points to one of the largest symbol on the map: a dark red diamond, the NATO symbol for an enemy unit, deep inside of an untouched wooded area, adjacent to a mountain ridge. Several jagged lines indicated entrenchment, with red horizontal lines indicating possible enemy control… or our contested control, for over 20kms surrounding it. Letting us all look, the Major lit himself a cigarette.
“Sir, you sure it’s wise to smoke in here with the dive tanks just behind us” 1st Squad’s lead quipped. “Fuck off” Krol dryly said.
“Alright… this is it… this is the one we’ve been searching for for years, this is the nucleus my predecessor commander died trying to find” he says, pointing to it. Not far from Zamosc, it was almost touching the border with Belarus, the contested area indicating the Strigoi did operate over it… indicating one of the largest spill through points. “-It’s an old soviet bunker, made during their 1960s initiative it was designed to hold the munitions and manpower of several units in the event of a NATO first strike” Krol explained. “It’s gotta be massive then…” I said gazing at the map; “Didn’t the army demolish all of the old soviet hulks near Belarus to prevent any infiltrations?” 3rd Squad’s lead asked. “National Police took the effort over… and by extension, the Strigoi. It was halfway demo’ed before they burrowed into it and have been using it as a bridgehead ever since. This is it…” Krol said. He looked around at all of us, a sense of certainty I had never seen before as he blew smoke from his nostrils; “We’ve been fucking around in the dark for so long, it’s hard to believe we’ve made any progress, but this is it. With this gone, this will set them back over a decade and the momentum will finally shift into our favor… into Poland’s… -Europe’s”.
I swear there was almost a flash of joy, of pride in his eyes and a phantom of a smirk before reality set back in “That being said… we can’t leave this to chance, especially not something as important as this. We’re going to have to go there ourselves… clear through every inch of that place, and tear it all down, piece by piece. I will be straight with you all… when we go, there will be some of us that aren’t coming back. -but we are going… a whole generation is counting on us, and unborn billions rely on us to succeed”. We all nodded, a silent agreement washing over us as we took this upon ourselves. Echo-1 spoke up: “So… They’re authorizing a raid? How big?”. “We’re rolling in as a hard target, armor, explosives, and air support” Krol answered, taking a drag off his cigarette. “Aviation? How the hell did we get that approved, we’ve gotten attempts shot down four times due to those leeches” I said in disbelief. “There’s too much evidence here pointing to the human trafficking tied to their actions… We’ve finally got too much weight pinning them down, to keep the hammer from slamming into their necks” Krol chuckled. He looked around “Any questions?”. “When?” Echo-3 asked. “Three hours. We’re hitting them in the dead of night, only time we could get the birds authorized. Get your boys ready. We’re rolling out” Krol said, dying the cigarette bud out on the table. I can’t begin to tell you the euphoria we felt leaving that cage, as our men started arriving, they did so a lot quicker, and with their heads a lot higher than they had in weeks. As Second Squad’s lead we were going to be one of the main arms of attack into the bunker, thus I made sure we had a breacher loaded with enough thermite, charges, and tools to cut through anything. Our shield bearer we ready to go, as was our assaulters, grenadiers, and machine gunner. I double checked each and everyone of their weapons; ensuring the feeder paws of our squad’s belt fed were intact, making sure every breach charge we had was properly set and packed. There was going to be no mistakes, no slip ups. The margin of error needed to be the smallest it had ever been for us tonight if we were going to make the gore spilt worth it.
Finally… there on the outside of the building, the bright LED lights kept the darkness of the ensuing night at bay as the roar of our MRAPs could be heard. It was said once that war is 99% peace, and 1% chaos, they were right. The slow periods where the blood slowed and the doubt creeped in was the worst… yet we all kept it at bay. We needed to, there was going to be no backing down tonight. All three squads were up, all of us ready to go… we circled up… short stares and shaky nods telling us one things: We were in this together, till the end… the finish line so many before us had been searching for, we were being granted tonight.
A single set of footsteps could be heard as we turned, Major Krol stepping into the center. He took the last drag of a cigarette, throwing it down to the ground and stamping it out onto the damp concrete. He looked around… his chin strap blowing in the weak air as he met everyone of our gazes… then mine… then looked around. “I want you to remember every detail of tonight, as you have every other night… when you are situationally aware, scanning for the enemy, liberating the subjugated, I want you to remember the sting of anxiety, the shake of adrenaline, the chill of the bunker, the heat of your weapon as it cuts them down… because tonight we are going to write every fine detail of our victory, their defeat, in history…” Krol’s words echoed deep into our souls. He paused for a moment, staring around he looked down… a small pause before he said “When you are ruthless in combat, remember to be patient, and reserved in victory. This conflict is for our existence… a lot of innocents have bled due to the mistakes of those who failed to listen, a lot of our brothers are now laid under because we had to bridge the gap of uncertainty with their lives. We remember them now… but in an hour? We forget them… when we raise our barrels, when we cut into those foes, and we liberate Polska!! This does not end tonight, but history puts everything in it’s place, and patience is the companion of the victor… All of our hard work will be cemented, no matter the obstacles we face in that darkness… no matter the demons, the blood, no matter what incomprehensible horrors, we will make them comprehend that to invade our land, to bleed our people, the justice will be paid in full… Load up. It’s time*”*.
The purpose in our steps was heavy as we climbed the back ramps of the MRAPS; Four of the heavily armored vehicles, one for each squad with an additional for attached personnel including our JTAC, the term means Joint Terminal Attack Controllers. With air support requisitioned to us for this operations, there needs to be a definite liaison on the ground who can directly communicate to the birds, and coordinate their fire and progress. I’d worked with many of them in the past, resourceful guys, quick thinking though I guess that comes with the position they hold of needing to quickly figure out what bombs to drop, on which target, at what precise points, whilst taking contact. He loaded in the lead vehicle with Major Krol… and soon, our convoy kicked off.
The drive was several hours as myself and my squad sat in the back of that forty ton goliath, the rumbling of the engine keeping us awake as the crap heater fought to keep the cold from the outside frost from setting in. I looked around to each of them, some were catching some sleep because even with the circumstances… better to get all the energy you can, than to stay awake for nothing. Others were checking their weapons… My gunner locked eyes with me, the same one from the village extraction… many of these men I had trained with for a while now, fought with for months.
We may have met on unconventional circumstances but those in JW Grom thrive on austere chance and create opportunity from scratch. I was pulled from my thought by the sound of a transmission, my peltors were set up for dual comms so I could both receive information from the Major and other leads, whilst communicating with my team.
Krol himself sent out: [“Approximately 10 minutes from enemy AO…”]. As the rest of the squads acknowledged, I quickly sent out [“Echo-2 Copies”], before kicking the boots of any of them sleeping: “Look alive, we’re here”. Through the exterior net armor of the MRAPS, and the bars protecting the small reinforced windows, we could barely see jack shit. I reached up, turning off the overhead light as we all looked through our nods to scan the outside. A dark wall of dense trees was shown before us, making it difficult to see… in addition to night vision capabilities we had also requisitioned ourselves some thermals… when mounted onto rifles they were bulky, made it a pain to aim down quickly, but considering the supernatural capabilities of spotting our foes we needed every advantage necessary.
I flipped out one of my tubes… scanning the outside with my scope. I looked over to one of my assaulters who had been assigned to man the turret of the MRAP, seated near the view screen as he controlled the 50. Cal. Each of the vehicle turrets had been assigned a direction to cover… we took the 9 o’clock, the left flank. “See anything?” I asked. He shook his head; “Negative… wait… I’ve got two cold signatures, front left heading to our rear”.
I quickly scanned the far tree line, at approximately 60 meters off our left were two cold signatures… followed by a third heading to our front… then another. They were surrounding us, moving at speeds so fast I could barely keep my reticle on them. Is this what the National Police saw? What they faced at that lodge without the benefit of a foot of heavy armor protecting them on all sides. Then… suddenly. Something slammed into the side of our MRAP so hard, it caused it to shake. From over the leader comms, Echo-3 quickly shouted [“Contact right!! 4 hostiles!!”].
One of the Strigoi… so bold, had charged and slammed into the side of our MRAP. I quickly looked to see the figure, a dark blue mass of cold energy through my thermal, back away without so much as a stagger… as they tried to flee into the woods, the white hot justice of Echo-3’s gun fired at them, cutting them down. “Blachowicz I’ve got a few breaking for our vic” my man on the turret called out, I spun around, spotting out the window.
Just then, Major Krol announced [“weapons free, watch and shoot for targets of opportunity…”]. I turned to him… “take those fuckers out-”. Without hesitation my vic’s turret began to quickly target them, and through the darkness I saw a stream of outgoing fire bisect one of them, the ISR of the black blood freaking out the optic so badly it didn’t know what temperature to register it as… but it did register it. As another was cut down, one broke through the tree line and latched onto the side of our MRAP. The thing tore at one of the outer net armor panels, usually made to stop RPGs. It grabbed at the bars near the windows, tearing one off… I lowered my rifle as we locked eyes through the reinforced window.
The thing… the Strigoi looked at me, skin cracked as putrefied muscle fibers seemed to leak through dead flesh. It’s teeth were corroded and worn down to sharp fragments, alongside newly mutated fangs that messily protrude from the jaws. Even through the thick walls of the MRAP I could hear it’s roar, as it then tried to punch it’s way through… it cracked the outer coating of the vehicle… but it wasn’t getting anywhere near. My machine gunner, seated next to me, seemed to chuckle at the sight, quippily saying “Yeah… fuck you too”. It’s then our vehicle lurched upwards, as we began to climb the small incline of the bunker. I knew the layout, mapped it in our head, the main entrance was built into the rocky side of an old cliff meaning we could easily set up a defensive perimeter around it, a horseshoe. Krol’s vehicle was first, taking to the right as Echo-3’s MRAP followed. My vehicle, third, left the incline and took a left and… that’s where things got complicated.
We’re still trying to work out what happened but… from what Joakim says his drone captured. Right when the MRAP turned, several of the monsters quickly slammed into the side of the vehicle, as another more bulkier one, pushed at it’s undercarriage. The result.. Was the 40 ton armored vehicle tipped over. It wasn’t uncommon, hell in some cases a well placed IED, a good shot with a recoilless rifle, have been known to tip over Oshkoshs and Maxpros all the time. But this beast? Needless to say we barely had a second to comprehend it as it leaned to the left; “Grab on to something-” is all I had time to shout. A mess of gear and men spilled onto one side of the vehicle as it slammed into the old gravel and dirt.
Several of my assaulters, my grenadier planted right ontop of myself and the others as we came to a stop. Someone’s knee slammed directly into the side of my skull, causing me to dazily bob in and out of consciousness as my face was smushed against the glass of one of the windows.
Through my peltors, the other squads were erratic;
[“Echo-2’s vehicle is down!!”].
[“Echo-3 to Echo-2… Echo-3 to Echo-2…”].
Krol’s voice came through the comms;
[“Echo-Lead to Echo-2… Fuc-... Echo-1 secure Echo 2’s flank, Echo-3”].
[“Echo-3 to other units, they’re spilling through, I’ve got several enemy combatants converging on Echo-2’s vehicle”].
I pushed the legs of my grenadier off my head as I fought to my hands and knees, unfucking my nods as I looked around… “Fuck it… we’re going lights on, shield your eyes” I muttered as I reached for the overhead lights and flipped them on. The bright LEDs bathed the inside of the vehicle as we all gained our bearings, a mess of multicam, gear, and weapons as we quickly pushed each other off. My gunner caught as he fought to realign his promask, from what I gathered one of the assaulters had landed directly into his gun, pushing it directly into his jugular, as pulled back at the rubber and coughed, freeing up his esophagus. We didn’t have time to think however… the sound of bending metal caught our attention… as the back ramp door of the MRAP was ripped clean off. I could barely believe it but as the white light of the MRAP’s interior poured to the outside, a hulking mass leaned in, the dead flesh on it’s face nearly fallen off as the hideous Strigoi leaned inside.
Without hesitation I aimed took aim, yelling “Keep to the deck!!” to any of those inbetween myself and the invader as I opened fire. A burst of full auto fire tore through it’s collar and neck, my men quickly clung to either sides of the fallen MRAP as a few more fired out. As the thing backed up, a blast of .50 cal fire quickly tore it to shreds, along with several others as I realized they were fuckin swarming over the outside of our vehicle. Echo-3’s vehicle continued to carefully fire on the Strigoi on the outside, the sounds of .50 cal ricocheting off the outside of our armor was enough to make the pucker factor set in.
[“Echo-3 to Echo-2”].
[“This is Echo-2, we’re green on ammo, equipment, men”].
[“Roger, we’re shifting fire, exit the vehicle”].
“Hurry up let’s go!!” I barked to my men, leading the way as I staggered out. I turned on my peq, taking aim at silhouettes in the brush as I began to fire. The sounds of machine guns lighting up the brush, as a sea of growls, howls, and incomprehensible roars fired back at us was the ambient noise of the night. My men quickly exited, my gunner being the last as he and I pulled back to the rest of the defensive perimeter. I set in my men to take up the frontal security, as 3rd squad took the right flank, 1st squad to the left. Major Krol and the JTAC were bickering with each other; “How far out are the birds”. “They’re entering airspace now…” Joakim said, already scanning his smart book.
I asked “What’ve we got?”. He then flipped through… to the NATO combined arms segment, quippily saying; “Apaches…”. This caused me to pause as Echo-3 turned their head whilst directing their squad’s fire “The hell… where did we get apaches from?”. “The Americans… they volunteered” Krol said dismissively as he took aim at the darkness, firing off a controlled trio. “Volunteered? They’re aware of what’s going on?” I asked.
Krol seemed to stop, glancing back at me before returning his focus “There’s a lot more going on than you realize, Blachowicz… Prep the breach, you and 1st are going on”.
I quickly pulled my breacher off the line, securing some thermite as the reinforced bunker door wasn’t going to go as easily as a conventional door breach would. 1st Squad pulled back, stacking up and preparing themselves to be the first in. All the while… Joakim gave his firing solution; “Alpha Hotel Two Five Nine, This is Bravo-4…… Type 2….”.
I snapped to my right, watching as a Strigoi managed to dark across the clear gravel field, only to be cut down by my gunner, the peq’s laser marking the burst as it tore through the beasts’ hips, as it hit the ground and still continued to claw, another GROM operator took aim and fired into it’s skull. Joakim popped up to his feet…. “Marking laser, high power…”. He then pulled out a target marking laser… if you’ve watched night operations, you’ve probably seen them.
The green laser than as it says on the label, marks targets. The pattern of which can vary… if it’s a point target, it’ll usually lasso an area, or remain on target until the target is removed with extreme prejudice. If its close air support, then it’ll be a line of the general area… and Joakim damn near marked the entire perimeter around us. He quickly pocketed the tool, turning back to Krol; “Don’t go past 20 meters unless you want to be liquidated”.
With that… 2nd and 1st stacked up at the door as 3rd squad took up the perimeter security. As Major Krol went over to Echo-1… I saw them. A single blinking IR strobe from the beasts as they moved on the far off horizon, converging from several angles… and fired. The sound of the Apache’s main gun, the M230, truly sounds like the hammer of god… the 30mm cannon shot through the dark sky, lighting it up as we saw three incoming streams tear up the woods. Only then as the sound broke did we start to hear their rotors as they broke and began to circle, firing again… then… Joakim dipped his head and looked to Krol; [“Foxtrot Mike, hang onto your teeth…”]. One of the Apaches fired off a AGM-114… a Hellfire. I barely saw it out of the corner of my eye as the Apache from our right flank fired off at a target approximately 200 meters off. A fireball lit up the forest as the horrendous roar echoed throughout… then went silent.
Echo-3 scanned the horizon carefully;
[“Echo-3 to Echo-Lead, enemy contact is starting to die down”].
[“Maintain perimeter, Close Air is to maintain fire mission until we are boots up, Break…”].
[“Echo-Lead to Echo-1, condition white has been met. Proceeds”]. I saw Echo-1 and his men quickly stack up close to the wall and gesture to me; Breaching. I quickly pulled my stack back against the wall as his and mine breacher quickly hit their actuators. Now under normal circumstances, it doesn’t take much for thermite to melt the locks off of a metal surface, in fact it’s a more precise took as alternative means get real medieval like saws, pry bars… we weren’t in the mood for precision, we need to breach their little lair, and drag them out. The sound of several pounds of hellfire burning through the metal could be heard around the corner as a sea of white and red sparks flew out… after several seconds, two of our men tossed a fragmentation grenade and a nine-bang through the opening… a series of concussive blasts and a large explosion rang out.
Echo-1 and his men maneuvered. 1st Squad quickly converged as we followed them in.
Stepping through the black wall of smoke, the dark abyss of the interior was illuminated in a white light as entered barrels raised. Shots rang out as several of the beasts near the entrance were cut down, though not immediately, rounds disconnected the shoulder of one of them, leading to their arm hanging limply by a single tendon as they roared… another series of rounds putting them down. What greeted us was a messy concrete hell of rust and debris, fecal matter, trash, and all kinds of obstacles laid in our way, our boots sticking to the floor. I thank every god we had promasks that night. I called my shield bearer up, 2nd squad leapfrogging ahead to take the next corridor as 1st squad checked their weapons.
One of my men mule kicked the metal door ahead, twice, finally the latch gave away as we tossed in a grenade. A horrifying roar was cut off as an M67 shook the walls of the ancient soviet mausoleum, frag and spall kicked off the walls as I moved in right behind my shield man. The cramped russian design meant there was barely enough space for three people, and that’s three normal people, not in 50kgs of kit, moving slowly and maneuvering against creatures of the dark. Still… we moved forward, my shield bearer and I pushing the pace as two stacked of either squad formed on either wall.
As we passed doorways they flowed in… “Door Left!!”, “Door Right!!”. “Move!!”.
Two men entered each side, no gunshots, we moved up, a roar came.
“Door left!!-”. A series of gunshots came out as we continued to push forward.
“Two down!!”. “Confirm them” Krol commanded, as a series of gunshots run out in response. From one of the doorways, a Strigoi emerged… a female… clumps of hair had been ripped from her decaying skull, as her blooded eyes locked on myself and my shieldman. The skin on her hands had been tore down to the point where barely her bones and tendons remain… looking like huge talons as she roared and lunged at us. He fired off his pistol, though the rounds did little to stop her as she pushed against our stack.
“Fuck!!” he muttered, somehow her strength caused him to stagnate, holding up the advance… fuck that. I shoved the muzzle of my MK18 into her ribcage, flipping the weapon to auto as I fired of round after round. The 5.56 salvo disconnecting her spinal column, causing her to fall as I continued to fire, along with a man to our right and left as the stacks reformed as we pushed to the end of the hall. I fell back, dropping the magazine and loading a fresh one, like clockwork a GROM Operator from 1st squad took my place. Krol was beside me as we approached the end of the hall.
[“-Prep an entry”] I radioed to my breacher, a comrade handed him one of the charges from his back panel as he took to the door, quickly securing it. We all moved as far back as we could, look away, exhale. The blast knocked metal and wood in all directions, scrapping against our uniforms and kit as we made our way in and what laid before us was… it used to be the center atrium of one of these bunkers. Soviet’s loved their grandiose designs, the complex was supposed to be a circular room around a central planning table… instead. It had been turned into some sort of church. Runes and old eastern Romuva pagan symbols written in black ink and blood across the walls, old rotten filing cabinets, long receipt terminals. In the center… several of the Strigoi were kneeling before the table where someone had been tied down, flayed, and… shared amongst the group. They rose to their feet, we aimed our barrels…
The ladder amongst turned to us… his skin wasn’t cracked, or flayed, it was smooth… it still looked dead as the body on the table but it seemed more… accustomed to it. I don’t know… evolved? Under the surface however I could see it’s darkened veins pumping whatever cursed blood ran through them as it locked two blood red eyes onto each of us. It’s nose had long since been turn off, exposing boney nostrils to the open air as it seemed to smirk. All across it’s body were the same symbols on the walls, in every cell… markings of death, of rebirth, of assimilation… From behind this seemingly Alpha emerges another figure I had never seemed before… dressed in a white cloak with a deer head.
"So they've followed the trail... they're too late" the Deer headed individual spoke, definitely not from here, a dialect similar to an Americans but... aristocratic? Each word was drawn out, assurance as if they had everything mapped down to our actions. They didn’t sound like they were from Poland or the east.
“Doesn’t matter…” the Alpha growled… and then, it lunged at us. Quickly breaking from their ground it slammed into my shield man knocking both him and myself at the ground as it displayed an intense feat of strength. Around us I could see several of the Strigoi leap at our comrades… though to no fruitful endeavor as I could see one GROM operator cut two down, as another got into a hand to hand confrontation… my breacher, crafty as they were, reached back and slammed one of the prybars of his kit into the skull of the beast.
The Alpha however was not content as it threw away the 90lb shield, sending it flying across the room as it grabbed my comrade by the skull. I quickly kicked up at it, firing my MK18 into it’s body as the rounds pierced it’s gray and rune covered flesh. The thing simply seemed to chuckle… that was until Major Krol blasted away at the side of it’s head, the alpha turned… and it’s smirk turned to a scowl when face to face with the major. A knowing pause almost like they had done this dance before…
The creature lunged, locking up with Major Krol as it swung and slammed railing. Krol didn’t back down however as he pushed against the creature, hiptossing it to the ground even as it tore at his armor and gear. But the beast pulled, both of them rolled and the Major was on his back as the thing reached for his neck. I fought to a kneel, firing into the creature messily with my MK18, trying not to hit my commander… then…
Click. A sound sends a chill up the spine of every warfighter during a firefight.
My gun ran dry. I dropped the magazine, looking to load another, but the thing came up and with one of it’s claws, sliced deep into my cheek, through the pro mask. I could feel my own blood go flying through the air as I landed hard on my back plate, spitting out red iron as I quickly tried to adjust my mask. Through my fogged up, blood covered lense… I saw my shield man raise his pistol, firing into the skull of the thing staggering it with a roar. Krol came from behind, drawing his knife he sunk it deep into the neck of it…. I reached for my rifle, forcing a new magazine in and damn near punching the bold release. ““Sir, down!!” I shouted, Krol rolled away, back to his own rifle as I fired. So did my comrade as he continued to fire his pistol… so did the Major as he fired his rifle. All of us chewing through that apex predator of darkness, that beast… the leader that had been preying on our people for so long. Layer by layer, muscle group by bone… eventually… the alpha landed on whatever was left of his back.
The silence of the fight died down as all of us checked our surroundings, GROM Operators putting controlled pairs in the heads and nerve stems of any Strigoi laying around… I flicked my weapon onto safe, letting it hang as I pulled off my mask. I dared not touch the wound on my face… the pain nearly crippling me if it wasn’t sheer will pushing me through, and adrenaline doing all it could to subdue it. The sound of the apaches continuing to lay hate drew us from our moment of contemplation as the Major went back to work; [“Confiscate any info, burn the rest…”]. He turned back to me as I shoved my damaged M50 mask back into it’s bag, chuckling as he looked at the sight; “You need a medevac, Blachowicz?” he quipped.
I shook my head, barely able to speak as I muttered; “Negative sir…”. The two of us scanned the room as my shield bearer went to collect his defense implement turned 90lb projectile, we scanned the center of the room, checking and confirming bodies, until we got to the last one alive. His white gown was soaked in red crimson and black ooze, as his dear head was mangled from bullet fire and impact from falling on it. I swear… the way his blood poured out of it though made me wonder if it was a mask. I gave it no second thoughts as he looked to Krol; “You… you can’t stop this, they’ve already-”.
The Major was in no mood for communication as his rifle snapped up and fired off three rounds to the body, four the head. The violent yet quick salvo ending the cultists life, I looked down at it, then to him as he remarked; “Have your squad drag him out to the front, burn the rest”. I stood alongside him, looking down as the sight of it’s deer head was both captivating and horrifying… the curiosity in me wanting to look closer at it fighting the primal instinct I had to burn the thing to ash. “-Haven’t seen one of those before…” I muttered, thinking the Major had an answer.
He didn’t. Krol saying “Neither have I…” shortly before he walked away, was what truly shook my soul about that entire night. Victory stood firm in our hearts that night as we stood outside of the bunker. The night sky burning with fire and white phosphorus as we watched the ruin burn from the inside from the other side of the lot. In the distance, the Apaches continued to scan and circle the forests, no longer firing…. Which meant they had driven any or turned to glass any enemy combatants within a four miles, probably both, more than likely the latter. Echo-1 patted me on the shoulder as we stood there, soaking it all in, though Krol looked none to pleased. “In the time it took us to take this one down, they’ll be trying to set up three more cells… that being established…” he said, looking to either of us, then to Echo-3. “-Hell of a thing we did tonight, been waiting for this one for a decade, cleanly, maybe more… but no time to rest on our laurels… we’ll have another task for us as soon as we’re boots down back home” he said, to which his eyes followed mine, the body of whatever cultist that was zipped up in a black body bag beside the wheel of one of the MRAPs. The fire from the bunker casting an orange hue over it’s shiny jet black outside, something didn’t sit right with me… “That wasn’t a Strigoi…” I said to Krol.
“That’s very clear…” the Major said, shoving his mask under his arm and lighting a cigarette. “So… someone’s helping them?” I asked. The meer notion of it shook me to my core, sickened me. This parasite was already badly infecting Europa, Polska… if it was spread like this throughout the world. Krol settled my nerves: “We’ll be ready… It’s not just us anymore”. As he said that, I realized what he meant… my eyes looking to the Apaches as they started to form up, leaving the areas as their thunderous propellers melted into the night’s calm, unnerving ambience.
It’s been a couple of weeks since then, Echo Detachment has been busy. We’ve gained good ground against the enemy and honestly I think in a few years, we might see a much larger change. For now… we must keep going, that being said the Strigoi aren’t the only ones we’ve been combating. Recently we’ve made contact with of some sort of extermination coalition, they’ve known about the Strigoi, and others plaguing the world, the level of corruption and corrosion on society goes deep. Regardless a lot of the units we’ve been working with are apart of NATO, such as this “4th Special Forces Group” of the American Military. I don’t know where the road from here leads, but we’ve gotten momentum on our side, finally. Just remember… these things are out there, in every town, every city, every nation… preying and waiting for you to be alone, vulnerable, so they can take you and replace you.
Watch your back, and stay safe.
For now, Blachowicz signing out. Until next time
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2024.05.15 02:27 ElvisP17 How do I get someone to like me (for lack of better phrasing)

I (15M) have been trying to get a girlfriend for two years now. Here a bit about me: I like horror games/shows etc, I love to draw, I have some acne, and I’m 5’11”. I always get the same answer when I ask someone to a dance or something. “I’m going with my friends, sorry” I know they are just rejecting me nicely but it gets kinda annoying when multiple people do it to you. Any tips on how to be more likable I guess?
Thx
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2024.05.15 01:37 newsu1 Tue 05-14-24 Shining from Within The word of the day is "Radiant"

Tue 05-14-24 Shining from Within The word of the day is
To be radiant is to exude a warm, luminous glow that radiates outward and fills the space around you. A radiant person shines brightly from within, their inner light illuminating their countenance with a soft, effervescent aura. When someone is radiant, it's as if joy itself emanates from their pores, cascading over their features and infusing them with an incandescent vitality.
A radiant soul beams with unabashed contentment, their smile as dazzling as the morning sun peeking over the horizon. Their eyes sparkle with an undimmed luster, twinkling with life's profound richness. Radiance speaks of profound inner peace, serenity comingling with jubilance in an exquisite dance.

To encounter someone radiant

To encounter someone radiant is to bask in their warm, welcoming presence. Like a flower unfurling its vivid petals, a radiant individual naturally draws others in with their infectious zest. Their radiance acts as a balm, soothing troubles and instilling hope through the sheer force of their sunny disposition and cheery mien.

Embracing Radiance

Ultimately, to be radiant is to live wholeheartedly, fully embracing each moment while gracefully manifesting your authenticity. A radiant spirit glows because they have discovered the splendor of being unashamedly, gloriously themselves. By embodying radiance, they become a beacon of inspiration, their light gently illuminating the path toward self-acceptance, fulfillment, and soul-centered bliss.
Newsu
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2024.05.15 00:50 Junepero Story’s of panem 114 pre games

"Good evening, tributes, and welcome back to the stories of Panem. Before we begin, I would like to thank Christian Blanco, the original writer of "Tales of the Hunger Games," and Lauren from "Panem Reborn." Now, since I don't have too much else to say, let's go!
Game 114 (150):
District 1: Jacqueline and Facet
District 2: Malona and Crane
District 3: Darlene and Colt
District 4: Brook and Harbor
District 5: Unknown girl and Darian
District 6: Fifi and Atlas
District 7: Bloom and Amarylio
District 8: Scarlet and Carter
District 9: Zest and Mazin
District 10: Zulu and Mateo
District 11: Unknown girl and Lee
District 12: Dorothy and Hargree
District 14: Both unknown
A plethora of excitement crossed the capital over the past year, especially their beloved commentator Camilia Ravenstil's pregnancy, which resulted in her giving birth to twins named Amelia and Cyrus, to honor the past two Game Makers. Even Winnow's victory was still in high popularity.
As the reapings rolled around on July 4th, many of the capital citizens flew to their TVs and viewing parties. Winnow made her journey from district to district with her mother and entourage from the capital. When she landed in District 4 on the late morning of the third day of the reapings, she was greeted by Mayor Chigwell. After a rather long tour of the district's harbors and jewelry stores, they stopped at a nearby seaside diner for a brief lunch. Viewers in Snow Square laughed at Winnow's face of pure boredom as Mayor Chigwell ranted about the latest trends in the district's fashion. Winnow's face soon turned to relief as the mayor brought her back to the district's reaping square.
After a little bit of time, the light blue-catered youths were walked into the square by rather impatient Peacekeepers. Mayor Chigwell finished up his speech before welcoming Winnow to the stage. She gave out a rather tired smile at the district's population before talking about the joys of being a victor. She then asked if any of the girls wanted to volunteer. After hearing no response, she then took out the name of 17-year-old Brook Branachok.
Brook was found in the back of the 17-year-old section. Her platinum blonde hair made her quite noticeable to viewers in Snow Square. She sighed dramatically before flipping her blonde hair back in a dramatic manner as her piercing blue eyes even made some of her nearby peers shudder in fear as Brook arrived at the stage and shook Winnow's hand. "She was later described as a 'rich high school bully' by commentators. The girls in a mood," Winnow laughed before shaking Brook’s hand before walking to the male reaping bowl. After a brief silence, she thrusted her hand elbow-deep before taking out the name of 17-year-old Harbor Zanders. A brief pause soon followed by a discussion as a boy with dark brown curly hair with a smattering of light brown freckles on his face gave a guilt-ridden smile before walking up to the stage. However, as a group of teens his age giggled, Harbor turned back and glared at the giggling boys as they suddenly grew quiet. Harbor soon took out a flask of wine. Capital citizens laughed as Harbor found one of his friends and tossed it to him before walking back up to the stage. Back in the capital, both Camilia and Silca and even most of the audience had been surprised at the pair's striking attitudes.
Harbor then shook Brook and Winnow’s hand before they were announced as this year's tributes for District 4 before moderate applause followed. Winnow soon brought the two tributes to the drawing room before she made her journey to District 3 with her entourage.
Brook was visited by her mother, father, and four younger sisters clinging dearly onto their sister. After successfully removing her sobbing siblings, Brook’s mother calmed her daughter down as her father, Coral, gave the best advice he could offer. Peacekeepers soon came in to bring Brook to the waiting dock. She waved and said she’d "At least try to win."
As for Harbor, he was visited by his mother, father, and his younger and older brothers. As his siblings were saddened as well as his parents, Harbor embraced them all in a tight hug. Before he was needed at the dock, his girlfriend Melanie even joined in this hug causing Harbor to show some emotion.
After a few more minutes, peacekeepers soon brought Harbor out of the room to join Brook at the dock as the pair boarded the jet boat to the capital.
"Man, you've been through the ringer, haven't you?"
"Same goes to you, girl. Haven't seen you in a year."
The pair soon chatted with each other about their experiences at the academy and gossiping about old friends. Brook, in particular, laughed hysterically when Harbor mentioned how his ex-girlfriend got karma returned to her when she crashed a birthday party at Harbor’s dad's bar, resulting in the peacekeepers putting her in the district's jail for a month.
However, as the pair tried to dine upon the food provided, the boat hit a bump resulting in Brook, Harbor, four avoxes, the dining table, and nine peacekeepers to go flying up into the sky. Thankfully, no harm came between the fifteen as the peacekeepers then helped the two back up as a new lunch buffet was arrived. And so did their mentor, Sienna Shoreville, victor of the 105th Hunger Games, arrived in.
"I don't want you two to ally with the 2s, maybe the 1s, depends on how they are."
Brook looked curiously at Sienna before saying, "Didn't Anamaria get her neck snapped by the girl a year prior?"
Sienna groaned in annoyance at remembering this cringeworthy death before walking to the bar carriage before inviting the two to join. As Sienna asked the pair about their lives, she laughed while listening to Harbor telling some stories of working at his dad's bar and the customers who would frequent the place. However, when Sienna asked Brook about her life and possible skills, Brook sighed before saying, "I guess looking pretty’s a skill."
Sienna laughed before replying, "For getting sponsors, yes, but not when you're in a fight to the death."
As this reality check wiped the smile from Brook’s face, she and Harbor finished up their meals before listening more to Sienna’s lecture about the games. And as an act to see if her tributes were actually paying attention, she quizzed them on the dos and don'ts in the capital. As Harbor passed this quiz, Sienna laughed before allowing him some "Capital Goodies." However, as Brook blatantly failed the quiz, she laughed and called Harbor a "suck-up" before walking to her room.
Sienna looked at Harbor for a second before saying, "I guess she’s either related to the mayor or is a spoiled rotten brat."
"She usually brags about her rich family members, always thinks she's better than everyone."
"And trust me, the girl ain't pretty."
Sienna and Snow Square laughed as she then patted him on the back before""telling him to get a 'nap' in before they were to arrive in the capital."
He nodded before Brook returned. It is unknown what the two girls talked about for the remainder of the trip, but our historians have noted that Brook’s scowl from before had dissolved for the time being. As evening rolled around, the pair from District 4's boat landed at Mcaine dock as an excited crowd of capital citizens swarmed the pair from 4 and their very popular mentor, who had been giving out her new jewelry to some of her lucky fans.
Brook and Harbor performed rather well, with the capital citizens enjoying their "feisty sailor attitudes." Even some reporters from Golden 24 put up a most popular tribute poll with Harbor and Brook being in the top 3, narrowly beating Fifi from District 6.
Sienna then thanked the capital for their time before taking her tributes to the limousine. Once it arrived at the accommodation tower, they arrived at the 4th floor. After arriving, Sienna called their stylist, Orivile Cartwright.
Orivile embraced Sienna before showing his tributes his pre-made outfits, which were Sailor themed, which made Brook and Harbor smile. Due to them having a fair amount of time left, Sienna displayed the post-reaping commentaries before turning on the commentary for District 1 as Orivile worked away at the pairs' outfits.
Mayor Cassino greeted a very exhausted Winnow Fraiser. Also accompanying the mayor was Realm Jones, victor of the 101st Hunger Games, and Quintin Mahoney, victor of the 108th Hunger Games, joined Winnow on the initial tour. Winnow appeared to be star-struck sitting between both iconic victors. She even turned around to Quintin saying, "I can't believe I get to meet a legend like you."
Quintin laughed before giving Winnow some comic relief during the tour, telling her about his games and even asking a few questions about her own games. At the conclusion of the tour, Realm's eyes lit up in delight as he saw his own capital mentor, Narcissa Valentions, warmly embracing her mentee.
"So what're you doing here?"
"I had some time off. I figured I'd come by and see how you've been doing. Business at my shop has been bustling as ever, so I figured I’d take a break to see my first victor."
As Realm and Narcissa soon walked over to the talent demonstrations together, Quintin laughed as Mayor Cassino welcomed the scarlet youths. Winnow was then brought up to the stage. She asked if any of the youths wanted to volunteer, becoming surprised when 10 ladies and 8 gentlemen volunteered for the role of tribute for District 1. Silca joked with Camilia, saying, "It's normal for them, isn't it?"
With the ladies' many remarkable weapon displays and archery displays, 18-year-old Jacqueline Faywether had been announced as the final volunteer to try her luck. She smiled at many nearby cameras as even one enthralled boy in the audience fainted seeing the rather extractive career girl.
She shot 10 arrows blindfolded and threw 8 knives in the letter J form, causing even more ripples of laughter sounded in the square. The mayor announced the two passing tributes. As for the two tributes, Jacqueline’s only remaining opponent, Jewel, had almost won the title of female tribute but had a stroke leading to Jacqueline to win the title of female tributes.
As for the guys, 18-year-old Facet Elixithorn had made himself a crowd and capital favorite by his spear-throwing display and to ending in a handstand with wild applause following. Three guys made it to the debate round with Realm this time asking the questions. With poise and dignity, Lance’s strong mind and less nerves had won him the title of male tribute for District 1.
After the pair were bathed and stylized, they were then brought out to the square as they then shook Winnow’s hand before she announced Jacqueline and Facet were announced as the tributes for District 1.
And after a brief meeting with their families and friends with not too much emotion, Jacqueline and Facet were then brought to the train as the train began their journey to the capital.
Narcissa, Realm, and Quintin then greeted their tributes with Jacqueline and Facet being surprised seeing their district's first victor’s mentor. Quintin soon brought the four to the table having a brief dinner with Narcissa asking the two if they had any skills besides their ‘weapons of choice.’ Quintin was pleased to hear of Jacqueline's diverse skills of weaponry before bragging to her district partner about her achievements at the Kobayashi self-defense center. However, instead of being jealous, Facet asked his district partner about her accomplishments.
Realm and Quintin were pleased with their tributes getting along with each other before showing the past reapings in the districts. Facet and Jacqueline laughed hysterically at the District 2 reaping games even Narcissa let out a smile. Quintin then asked the pair if there had been “Other commendable allies besides the non-dazzling loonies from 2 besides Jade and Hermina, they are dazzling.” Realm also chimed in adding that they should “Look for others.”
However, as Jacqueline was going to ask why Realm shushed her and said, “The career pack has their on and off years.” Jacqueline nodded before Quintin continued talking to the pair about the past reapings. Facet and Jacqueline even suggested the girl from 3 and the pair from 4 as potential allies. Realm appeared to consider this before Quintin added in that “He would see what he could do.”
As the pair nodded, the pair from 1’s train arrived in the outskirts of the capital. Narcissa soon styled the pair up, quietly complaining to Realm of how Jacqueline's red hair and Facet's long blonde curls were impossible to tame. The train then arrived in the capital with the usual excited capital crowd marveling scarlet couture. Jacqueline and Facet were both outstanding hits with the capital citizens maintaining proper etiquette. However, two capital lights had to be removed from the audience after heckling Facet about his district partner. Narcissa then wished Jacqueline and Facet luck before kissing Realm and Quintin on the cheek. Realm and Quintin then thanked the capital citizens for their time before bringing the pair from 1 to the limousine as it brought them to their accommodation tower.
Once they arrived at their accommodation tower apartment, they were greeted by their stylist, Aurelia Heavensbee. She smiled at the four of them before whisking them to the dining table showing them her designs for the parade. Jacqueline in particular was marveling at her long ruby dress as Facet jokingly told Jacqueline that they looked like a “walking jewel.” However, Aurelia frowned as Realm glared at Facet as the smile was wiped from his face. The pair then groaned in annoyance at their stylist's bland outfits.
Before the pair were then brought to the parade moments later, Facet and Jacqueline were immediately approached by Malona and Crane, both from 2 introducing themselves. However, Facet cut the pair off from further words, saying, “the career pack is gonna be different this year.” As Malona protested, Jacqueline said, ‘thanks but no thanks.” Both Jade Heath and Herminia Gold looked at the District 1 mentors in bewilderment as they also reciprocated. However, the pair from 1 then came over to the pair from 4 chatting with their mentor.
“Darling, you look stunning.”
“Oh, thank you, you dazzling ruby.”
Brook and Jacqueline seemed to obtain an instant connection. As Facet complemented Harbor’s outfit. Harbor smiled good-naturedly back before chatting away with him about lives in their districts. Facet soon asked the pair if they would be interested in an alliance in the arena; however, Sienna leaned in this conversation asking “Where are the 2s?”
Jacqueline then replied that they were “trying something new this year” before pointing at the pair making fun of Mateo from 10’s cow-themed parade outfit. Sienna shrugged as Brook and Harbor warmly accepted the offer as Facet and Jacqueline smiled saying “splendid see you soon.” When the pair from 1 got back, Realm popped up asking “You with the 4s this year.” As the pair nodded, Realm smiled and nodded with Quintin and Aurelia doing their touch-ups to their tributes' outfits. Sienna commended the pair for “making friends already,” she still urged caution before re-adding in “The 2 mentors there are my ride or dies but still keep your eyes on them if needed.”
The pair then nodded as the parade then began. Regal applause and cheers sounded for the pair from 1, but Nico Anderson lead editor of Anderson Fashion applauded for their strong impression but said the dress was “So Basic.” The pair from 4 were given a large amount of applause as Harbor and Brook waved at the audience even performing an old dance known as a “Jig”. The pair were also given a boatload of flowers and chocolate resulting in both Brook and Harbor sneezing uncontrollably at the end of the parade during President Mcaine's speech. Best dressed was ultimately awarded to the pair from 4 with their sailor-themed couture.
When the pair from 1 arrived back in their district apartment, they were glaring daggers from afar at Aurelia,
“How did it go.”
“How did it feel getting harshly criticized on live TV.”
Quintin shot Jacqueline a disapproving look as Realm asked if there other worthy allies. Both mentors were pleased hearing their success with the pair from 4 before Realm reassured them that they still looked “dazzling” before sending his tributes to bed. However, with the pair from 4, Sienna warmly embraced the two of her tributes on a best-dressed win. As Orville also joined in the group hug has the 4 of them partied till around 11:30 pm until Sienna sent her tributes to bed as she and Orville stayed up a while longer.
Bright and early the following morning, the mentors ushered their tributes to the training center with a very frustrated Apollo Price. Unfortunately, during his speech about the rules of the training center, he tasered Mateo from 10 after he tried to make a break for the door after Price’s speech concluded. Mateo’s mentor Bianca Jr Ramon rolled her eyes before dropping her mentee at the knife station.
The newly made career alliance between the District 1 and 4 tributes conquered most of the training stations with Facet and Harbor bonding over dropping and throwing large weights causing Fifi from 6 to wet herself earning a smirk from the boys. When Mateo awoke from his unconscious slumber, he immediately ran to Mateo asking him to spare. Since Mateo was no older than 14 and he was the youngest tribute the careers laughed before Facet told him to “Buzz off”. However, as Mateo continued to pester the career boys, Harbor gave Facet a knowing look before accepting Mateo’s sparing request.
A short crowd of tributes went to the jousting stations as Mateo and Harbor were briefed on the rules before being allowed to go at it. It was no surprise that Harbor won all 4 rounds.
“Easy”.
Harbor smiled warmly before being tackled to the ground by the 14-year-old boy from 10.
“You think you're better than me HA you rotten career boy.”
As Price Facet Brook and even Sienna tried to step in Harbor held his hand up to stay back. Harbor then threw the boy off him before pinching the nerve on Mateo’s neck knocking him clean out. As training master Price and Sienna looked at him in bewilderment before Price smiled saying
“Good job kid”.
Harbor smiled before Facet and he returned to the weight station and survival, knife and axe stations even giving advice to Amarylio from 7 with starting fires.
As for the girls they mainly gossiped to themselves and having “Girl talk” at the aquatic station sword station and archery stations. When any tribute tried to use the archery station both Jacqueline and Brook would melodicaly but fiercely slam there weapons into the targtes.
At the end of the traing head master price brought the tributes to the asscors room. Due to the request of the new head game maker the tributes assesment scores were kept strictly confidential. However tabloid reporters manage to scoop out that Jacqueline Facet Harbor and Malona from to managed to score at the top of the pack with a 11. Brook and Amarylio scored a 9 and at the bottom of the pack was Mateo and Hargree from 12 scoring a 3 each.
Both Sienna Quintin and Realm were beyond impressed with there tributes scores before they’re stylist sketched up potential outfits with there mentors soon quizing the pairs on interview educate.
Camilia Ravenstil welcomed the excited capital audience modeling a rather gothic dress that made her look like a ghost tree by the audience. The audience even laughed good naturedly as Camilia shook for a second as leaves fell of her costume as if wind had hit her. She then exictedly welcomed Jacqueline from 1. She was adorned in a stunning pink and red dress with her hair put up in braids. The two had some gossip before reavling to the audience that she was a decdent of Emarld Rivelta victor of the 34th hunher games. Camilia slapped her knee and laughed saying “Thats who you resmbl I guessed right I knew it!”
As the girls chatted the audience loved her regal responses to Camilas questions as even mentoning the carrer alliance brought the crowd into rapsous cheers,even when she talked about her allies from 4 openly. She then kissed Camilia on the hand before bowing which caused even more cheers before she was dismissed back stage. Facet was welcomed in next marveling a sleeveless pink suit with ruby jeans making many of the capital audience to swoon over his physeigue. Even Camilia was taken aback by his charm and confidence as he spoke about his training experience and the strength of his alliance with Jacqueline. His witty remarks and easygoing demeanor captivated the audience, earning him loud applause and admiration.
Later on into the night brook was welcomed in next with wild cheers and wolf whistles sounding. With her hair being dyed a pure yellow with a light brown dress resembling sand following her. She proceeded to have the same amount of banter with Camilia as Jacqueline did however Camilia cut her off as she was finshing up talking about her dads money saying “Honey this is the hunger games.”
“Yeah and Ill live how I like before the games.”
As a few jeers sounded the rest of her interview was rather dull the only light being Camilia shooing the “Regina George” of the stage. As Camila then called Harbor loud cheers sounded again as Harbor walked on to the stage with his curly black hair and brown eyes making him quite attrauctive to many even his pirate themed coustume became an over night sensation with many fashion designers stating that they wanted this fashionable suit.
As Camilia asked Harbor about the games becoming pleased with his short but sweet responses. Even cracking some good jokes about the other competitors mainly about Bloom from 7 and Mateo from 10 . To conclude Harbor’s inteviwed he tossed his waist coat to teh crowd as an excited gagle of captial ladies clammered for this waist coat. As his interview ended on a high. Finaly after the interview of the boy from 14 the new head game maker Natellia Swan was welcomed to the stage. Head game maker swan was adorned in a regal black gown also sporting garish make up making her resmble more of ghost then human. After introducing herself to the excited capital audience Camila smiled before shaking her hand saying that “Game maker swan has alot to accept from.” She laughed before giving hint out to teh audience by pointing to both of the laides dresses. Curious osund sof inteirgue soon followed as game maker swan smiled and bowed as she then left the stage as Camilia then ended the interviews there. The next morning tributes were given a breif breakefst before being brought to the arena’s holding room.
This years outfits consisted of black coats with black jeans and snakers with there distristicts nymbers stickered on the back of there coats. Realm visited Facet before reminding him to stick with Jacqueline and Harbor and Brook. However before Realm finished Facet replied “That girl Brook might be problem.” Realm nodded and agreed before reminding him to keep an eye on her before shaking his hand as he went into his tube. Jacqueline was visited by Quintin the pair had a similar conversation as Realm did with Facet before Jacqueline embraced Quintin and thanked him joking “District 1 needs more ladys.” Quintin laughed before hugging her back before walking Jacqueline to her tube. As for Brook she was not visited by Sienna nor Orvilve a fact that suprised her the most but shrugged before patiently puting her hair up in a bun and waiting for the tribute call to sound. As for Harbor Sienna visted him. She embacred Harbor before reminding him to “ Keep an eye on all of them.”
Harbor smiled before thanking Sienna for her mentor ship before Sienna walked Harbor to his tube his tube and at mid day the podiums then arose into the arena.
Arena Ghosty lake Game 114
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2024.05.15 00:48 Disastrous_Finish678 How should I (25F) move forward regarding my sisters (26F/22F/20F) and my mother (47F)?

Hi, I didn't get a lot of interaction on my last post, but I guess someone was concerned about me enough to contact Reddit Support, so I decided to post an update.
It's going on 4 years of NC with my[25F] mom[47F], with the exception of family events where I am forced to see her. My mental health really improved after I stopped interacting with her, though I do get fairly stressed when I have to see her at family events.
This is mainly concerning an incident this past weekend. I was at a friend's party when my sister '22F' called me, telling me that my mother was concerned about my other sister '20F' not being home and having heard gunshots outside. For context, the sister that called me lives in California, and I live in Chicago, and so do my mom and youngest sister. I immediately panicked, calling my youngest sister repeatedly, thinking the worst, having a panic attack in front of several friends and my boyfriend, who expressed severe concern for me.
I eventually made contact, and she informed me that she was at a late running dance practice. My mind immediately knew this was true, since my sister was consistently either at work, home, dance practice, or school. As soon as the relief wore off, I got angry at both my mother and my sister that had called me.
Despite knowing that my mother had a history of blowing things out of proportion, I still allowed myself to get drawn into her needless panic, even after my boyfriend told me that there were no reports of gunshots in the area where my sister and mom lived.
When I woke up the next morning, my sister had messaged me to tell me that I shouldn't be contacting her friends to find her if I couldn't get in contact with her. This was the straw that broke the camels back, and I unblocked my mother to berate her for kicking up a fuss just because my ADULT sister didn't see it as necessary to keep her updated on her location.
I'm currently taking a step back from my sisters, but I really don't know how to move forward, since it seems like my sisters will just keep drawing me back into any drama my mom causes.
TLDR: My '25F' Mom '47F' overreacted to my sister '20F' not updating her on her location, causing my sister '22F' in California to call me, causing me to have a panic attack
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2024.05.15 00:31 DragonKnov Kunlun Sect's Weakest Disciple: Chapter 17

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One had recently become a 2nd realm martial artist, while the other was renowned solely for her exquisite beauty that turned heads wherever she went.
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Ji Wuye's eyes narrowed as he scrutinized Song Jia, who appeared outwardly calm despite the fury that had been etched across her delicate features moments earlier.
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With a curl of his lip, he muttered inwardly, 'Come to think of it, what realm is she even in now? First? No... perhaps second...'
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As Ji Wuye pondered, his Senior Sister raised a hand, ebony silken robes whispering around her wrists. "Begin!" she commanded, her voice cracking like a whip in the silent sect ground.
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At her signal, Qin Bai burst into motion, his body wreathed in a shimmering azure aura of Qi. He closed the distance in the blink of an eye, crossing the three zhang between them in less than five breaths.
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Qin Bai leapt, raising his wooden sword arm in a blur until the wooden blade was parallel to his body. A vicious grin split his features as he took in Song Jia's seeming lack of reaction.
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"Hahaha, take this, you bitch!" he jeered, assuming her stillness meant she was frozen in fear or shock.
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As the one who has basically stayed longer in the sect, even though Qin Bai rarely practiced, with the ease born from years of being in the sect, he still managed to draw the wooden sword down in a straight, powerful line.
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In addition, confidence blazed bright within him now that he had finally overcome the barriers of the 1st realm. And from what he had gathered, this Song Jia was all beauty with no bite, just another fresh-faced newcomer with no real strength to speak of.
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The wooden blade sang through the air, trailing streamers of azure Qi that stirred Qin Bai's hair into a wild dance as it arrowed down towards her unprotected head.
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To his delight, she made no move to channel her own Qi in defense against his attack. His smile stretched wider, vicious satisfaction blazing in his eyes at being proven right.
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The Kunlun Sword Style he practiced was famed for its elegance and swiftness. The opening stage of Meridian March focused on stimulating the flow of Qi through the body's meridians and was practiced by those below the 4th realm who had not yet formed their Three Main Dantians.
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Meridian March, First Move - SINGLE WHIP!
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A straightforward vertical slash tracing the path of the Taiying Lung Meridian along one side to promote Qi flow from the hand into the lungs.
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Though not a tremendously powerful technique, it packed more than enough force to easily floor an untrained civilian when fueled by a 2nd realm martial artist. Yet Qin Bai missed one crucial aspect in his arrogance...
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His wooden blade met an impenetrable horizontal guard as Song Jia effortlessly parried his strike!
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With a resounding clank that reverberated through the courtyard, she turned the wooden sword to absorb and disperse the weight of his weapon and the intense momentum of his descending body.
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Qin Bai's victorious sneer froze, transmuting into sheer panic mid-air as he absorbed the impossible scene before him.
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Not only had this slender beauty remained utterly unharmed and unmoved from her position, but she had negated and deflected the full force of his offense with apparently no effort at all!
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Her calm expression didn't even flicker as the impact shuddered through her slim form in a manner that should have been impossible.
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For a lower realm martial artist to withstand an attack from someone of a higher realm was nearly unheard of.
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The only explanations were if she had undergone intense physical conditioning to augment her body's fortitude, but surely not at her delicate size.
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'Or perhaps she had superior skill and experience in the same martial style as me... or even employed a different art entirely designed to counter the Kunlun sword techniques.
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'But no... that couldn't be... could it?' Those were the inward thoughts ranging in Qin Bai's mind.
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In that case, Song Jia could easily exploit any openings or weaknesses left by Qin Bai's overconfident assault and capitalize on her evident advantage.
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And finally, the most logical yet unthinkable conclusion - her realm was higher than him...
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"You..." Qin Bai snarled, poised to rotate his waist and deliver a retaliatory kick. But before he could, a look of acute satisfaction gleamed in Song Jia's eyes as her wooden sword continued halting the progress of his own blade.
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The shock and disbelief writ large across his features made enduring his crude insults absolutely worth it.
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"Stupid," Song Jia retorted, a mocking smile curving her lips as she reveled in his humiliation. For a brief moment she allowed the tension to ease from her slender shoulders, savoring the sight.
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Then, with a subtle adjustment of her wrists, her wooden sword shifted trajectory. The pressure abruptly released from Qin Bai's suspended weapon, sending him stumbling forward towards her in his precarious, airborne position.
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THUD!
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In the next instant, a stunned gasp of surprise escaped Qin Bai's lips as Song Jia's wooden blade struck the unprotected right side of his abdomen with pinpoint accuracy.
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"Gah!" His body flung violently to the side, legs buckling as he crumpled into an undignified heap on the ground. The surrounding disciples squinted against the billowing clouds of dust kicked up by his impact, watching in hushed disbelief as his form convulsed.
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"That's it? He didn't even realize his mistake..."
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"I thought Qin Bai was supposed to be strong...how pathetic am I in comparison..."
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"What a disappointment, it ended in just one move..."
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The whispers and mutterings among the observing disciples filled Qin Bai's stunned mind as he coughed and struggled to push himself up on trembling arms.
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He looked towards Song Jia, who smirked and mockingly stuck out her tongue at his prone form.
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Fear, rather than rage, consumed him in that moment.
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"She's already...in the 3rd realm..." he rasped, grasping at the only explanation that could account for his utter defeat. His obsessive pursuit of climbing through the realms at the expense of true martial skill had clearly blinded him.
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Qin Bai swallowed hard, casting venomous glances around at the other disciples gathered who were all weaker than him in terms of realm alone. The bitter shame and impotent fury churned in his gut as their mocking disdain washed over him.
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Meanwhile, Lian Ruogang, the senior sister who had overseen the duel, observed the scene unfolding with a discerning eye.
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Though her expression remained outwardly inscrutable, inwardly she felt a sense of satisfaction at Song Jia's elegant display of martial prowess against such an arrogant, overconfident opponent.
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As Qin Bai continued struggling fruitlessly to rise from the ground after the devastating blow, Lian Ruogang directed her piercing gaze towards his prone, pathetic figure.
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Instead of focusing on his opponent, he seemed lost and absent-minded, eyes roving wildly around as if uncomprehending of his surroundings. It was clear he either lacked the intention or ability to stand and face her.
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With a tone that demanded respect and carried a sense of finality, Lian Ruogang addressed the defeated youth, each word dripping with censure:
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"Qin Bai, it is evident that your so-called prowess has finally found its match on this day. Will you yield now, preserving what little honor you might have left? Or will you continue to invite further embarrassment and humiliation upon yourself with this disgraceful display?"
‎
...
‎ 
[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(F)]<<] The proficiency of your passive skill has been increased by 0.01%!
‎ 
[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(F)]<<] The proficiency of your passive skill has been increased by 0.01%!
‎ 
[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(F)]<<] The proficiency of your passive skill has been increased by 0.01%!
‎ 
[>>[QUICK ADAPTATION(F)]<<] The proficiency of your passive skill has been increased by 0.01%!
‎
Meanwhile, amidst the crowd of onlookers, Ji Wuye's glowing crimson eyes gradually faded.
‎
His gaze fell upon Song Jia, whose hands now trembled with the force of her exertions as jubilant female disciples swarmed her, hugging and playfully pressing her flushed cheeks in congratulation.
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'It's not the 3rd realm, but her stance...' he pondered inwardly, brow furrowing slightly.
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Having witnessed arrogance and underestimation of an opponent's skills countless times before in those like Qin Bai, Ji Wuye understood that most of the other disciples present were not as oblivious to the truth as the defeated youth.
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Thanks to his passive skill Quick Adaptation constantly analyzing and adapting to situations, Ji Wuye was able to not only identify critical flaws in Qin Bai's movements, but also recognize the subtle preparations and feints behind Song Jia's deceptively simple actions.
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'Firstly, Qin Bai made the mistake of levitating his body off the ground by jumping, sacrificing a solid footing,' Ji Wuye mused to himself.
‎
The initial Single Whip strike of the Kunlun Sword Style's opening Meridian March sequence relied heavily on proper stancing and grounded footwork to unleash its full potential.
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Yet the overconfident youth had forgone those fundamentals.
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'On the other hand, Song Jia clearly had her stance and rooting mastered.'
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In her brilliant counter-attack, she seemed to have utilized the follow-up Double Slash movement to simultaneously target both flanking sides of Qin Bai's exposed torso - his key vulnerable area left unguarded by his unbalanced posture.
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'Furthermore, Qin Bai has only recently broken through to the 2nd realm after wasting years on frivolous pursuits fixated solely on realm advancement, neglecting the true essence of martial arts...'
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Ji Wuye nodded in satisfaction, confirming the current timeline seemed to still align with the previous one despite the subtle alterations he had introduced.
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Qin Bai's lack of true skill and one-dimensional focus were glaringly evident.
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But there was more to Song Jia's effortless victory. As Ji Wuye's crimson eyes studied her movements, he realized she had not merely relied on superior stancing.
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Even as she appeared to make no attempt at channeling her Qi, deftly concealing it, Song Jia had been circulating and consolidating her Qi beneath her feet the entire time.
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The implications gave Ji Wuye pause.
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For Song Jia to already be capable of such fine Qi control, there were only two possibilities - either she had secretly become 5th realm martial artist...or she possessed a hidden, powerful martial art imparted by her Master.
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'Hmm…the 5th realm… then, why would she have bothered concealing such an achievement all this time?' Ji Wuye dismissed the former option as unlikely, leaving only the latter conclusion.
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'Which means...her Master's sword art is the key,' he murmured, thoughts trailing off as he pieced together the full significance.
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'So basically, all this time she used her Master sword art, heh,' This was a new revelation; in the previous timeline, Ji Wuye neither possessed the Quick Adaptation skill nor had knowledge about Song Jia's secret art.
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Just as he was about to take his leave and ponder this further, a sudden prickle of unease ran down Ji Wuye's spine.
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Almost unconsciously, his crimson eyes scanned the surrounding area, coming to rest squarely on the burning, venomous glare aimed directly at him from none other than the humiliated Qin Bai himself.
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'Ah... I almost forgot about this one,' Ji Wuye exhaled softly, lips quirking in a curled-up smile as their gazes met and locked.
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