Really looking for advice on how to handle this situation and whether we might need to pursue legal recourse.
We moved into a new construction townhome development in Fall 2023. The HOA board was assembled shortly thereafter and management of the development was handed over from the developer's property management group to the HOA (or so we were told; there is also a ton of verbiage in our bylaws about the official "turning over" of the development to the HOA after the last certificate of occupancy). Before we moved in we inquired as to whether we would be allowed to install a deck with a small hot tub (we like most folks in the neighborhood opted to build the deck onto our house later on after closing to save on costs). Our HOA documents originally stated "the board will publish decking guidelines to ensure consistency throughout the community", and when we inquired about a hot tub we were just told the board was still deciding on formal deck rules but they were considering allowing hot tubs.
Fast forward to March 2024: the HOA board formally published their Executed Deck Resolution, in which it states "hot tubs are allowed on decks provided there is privacy fencing on both sides." Perfect, great! We started getting plans together for our deck build, hired a contractor, and put a deposit on a hot tub to ensure the timeline to source it would align with our build.
The Executed Deck Resolution also stipulates that we must procure all permits from the township prior to even requesting approval from the HOA, and that each deck request must still go through HOA approval. So we went forward and paid many hundreds of dollars in permit fees to obtain permits for the deck, the hot tub (spa permit), and necessary electrical wiring to install an outlet to power the hot tub. This all seemed fine to us at the time because our HOA board president verbally stated at a community meeting that the board was starting to get a lot of deck requests rolling in and as long as they were permit approved by the township the board was basically rubber stamping to approve everyone's request. AND, the board had officially approved hot tubs.
Well, sometime between March and now the board has apparently decided they DO NOT plan to approve our hot tub request. We have 4 days left until our architectural change request is automatically denied for having sat too long without being ruled upon by the HOA (everything gets assumed denied after 30 days if not ruled upon, which is asinine). We've been prodding the board periodically asking if we can ease any concerns or answer any questions for them before they approve our request and have been ghosted except for one message from a board member demanding that we "speak with our neighbors first to get their feedback." I'm sorry, what? Since when do I need my neighbor's approval for a project?
Yesterday I prodded one more time and then received a text from another board member that the president is out on vacation and hasn't voted yay or nay on our deck build, which means our request will expire in a few days and will be an automatic no. Then she dropped the bomb on me that even if the president gets his shit together in time and votes yes, our request STILL has to go back to the property management company (???????????) for approval. There is nothing about this in our bylaws. It clearly states "unit owners shall have a right to construct a deck subject to containing the consent of the builder (prior to issuance of the last certificate of occupancy), the Association (after issuance of last certificate of occupancy), and the Township."
My impression is that the board is completely incompetent and failing to do their job. My question is: when they inevitably deny our request, either via a direct "no" or by just ignoring us for 30 days, do I have a legal case here? I am acting within my given rights as a homeowner and my architectural change request falls very squarely within the published HOA deck guidelines. I also feel my request is being treated unfairly and held to a different standard than the other homeowners simply because the board changed their minds at some point and are trying to dodge the situation.
I have a letter of appeal drafted already that I plan to submit the moment our request expires. But is there anything else I can do here? Hire a lawyer to write a threatening letter? Build my deck and put a hot tub in anyway and let them place a lien on my property in the hopes that a judge will rule in my favor?
On the surface this is about me wanting a hot tub (as is my right according to the Executed Deck Resolution) but underneath this is a deeply concerning issue about the board's complete and utter failure to act within the best interest of the community. Please help!

She disrespects me, pregnant soon-to-be. I am only 15, my boyfriend ( her son) is 16.
To help understand what kind of mother she is, the first time my boyrfriend welcomed her back into his life after years she was supposed to pick him up from school. She called him unexpectedly as school was over telling me not to get on the bus and that she'd pick me up. I waited hours; she never came. She continues to prove her incapability to be a crutch for him as she is never on time. She dropped me and my boyfriend off at a lake and said she'd be back in an hour. 3 hours later we call her and she tells us we are rushing her, and throws a fit.
She is friends with a man who recorded me and my boyfriend and HERSELF naked in the bathroom either changing/using the toilet/showering. She said she was scared that he was going to kill her but continues to buddy buddy with him as if they were childhood best friends. In reality, he is only her domestically abusive ex-boyfriend's brother who is obsessed and desires more than a friendship with her, which she claims she will never see him that way. Yet it seems as if she leads him on with the excuse of "I have a flirty personality".
The man was drunk one night, and screamed at me that I ask for too much of my boyfriends mother, when all I asked was to get my laptop from my house. ( 10 min drive ) Making me cry, I have PTSD and have had my father yell in my face and put his hands on me. His mother stayed quiet and allowed this to happen. Then after the man left she sided with us saying he was crazy and had anger issues but never brought it up to him, taking his side to his face.
One morning, I woke up really hungry. I hadn't eaten the night before or the current morning whatsoever because we are low on money. His mother had 100$ worth of food stamps, when I went to ask if I could get a $3 salad from Casey's, his mother yelled at me not to tell her what to do with her money. She put her hands on me, threatened to call the cops, etc.
There's much more but that's a lot to get into these are just some random examples, I decided enough was enough and stress was bad for my baby. Reached out on insta it went something like this. **
His Mom
You wanna talk we can talk in person I'm not bout to sit here and text cause someone will take it the wrong way. I'm getting ready for work anywho.

Me

I do not want to talk to you in person, what I have won't be misinterpreted. I've tried talking to you in person you catch an attitude if I'm not picky with my words and I tend to match energy, I can't deal with stress and yelling. You may not care considering when I reminded you I am pregnant last time your response was "so?", but I care about my baby and I take into mind what my emotions with cause upon my child

His Mom

I won't sit back and be disrespected over and over again by a child. You are very manipulative with my child and what you won't do is use that baby as leverage to hold over somebody's head. I'm getting ready for work now !
Me
You call me manipulative yet you screamed and cried to your child in the same hour, you don't want to be disrespected? me either, respect is earned. You can claim I use the baby as leverage but every statement I make before bringing up I'm pregnant is valid, example; I have to eat, I am pregnant. Why are you yelling, I am pregnant etc. Try again ! Sure, call me a child. If that's the case your the adult, act like it.
Replying to his moms message.
Her message:"I'm getting ready for work now !" And this means nothing to me, you say this and when you come back it's a roulette of what's chelcie going to waste her money on this time? Will it be weed and alcohol? Will it be gambling? Oh, or will it be giving money to her ex-husband! find out next episode!! While your busy wasting thousands, I manage to live off of 500 a month only spending it on food and your son, like you should be doing. Give me a reason to respect you and I will

His Mom

Byeee kid

Me

Thanks for proving my point, No you are not welcomed in my babies life. 🙂You are immature and a narcissist.

His Mom

And you won't and can't stop mee silly girl
Me
I can, you have no right to tell me what I can and can’t do with my child, if I do not want you seeing my child you will not see him/her, period. I know my rights, minor or not as a parent I will not be obligated to allow you visits into my childs life if you are being a problem.

His Mom

We will see, I'm done with your childish ass

Me

Sure. I am childish. We sure will see. As far as my kid will know you died before he was born, learn respect not everything is given to you.
His Mom
Your done treating my child the way you do him also

Me

(BF NAME) loves me, I love him. our future as a family will only grow without you in the picture. Continue to prove my point. He waited all night for you to come home, I stayed up texting him till he fell asleep. He told me he couldn't even get through to you.
His Mom
My dad was a cop and my uncle is a judge I don't care what Google says Lol

Me

lol and my dads the CEO of Home Depot, doesn't matter. Let's go to court about this.

His Mom

I don't have time to entertain your bullshit go watch TV or something

Me

Yea entertain my bullshit, you're a 33 year old cry baby.

End

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Flames rose from the streets of a city I once admired. A city that had been full of vibrant, happy life. Yet now all I saw within those proud walls was evidence of untold suffering. The shrouded sky shuddered under the wrath and rage I had awakened, the rush of wings filled the air and drowned out the screams as my army rushed into the city. In a remarkable show of cooperation I witnessed all walks of life come together and fight together, saving each other from the jaws of death time and time again.
The first line of defense the Dominion had managed to put together had not survived the attack by Vez’zul, who continued to swoop over the city and lay waste to any that was not my ally. Having come from a world where dragons were mere works of fiction, I could safely say no work of film or text could do a dragon attack justice. Game of Thrones and The Hobbit had come close, but were still leagues less terrifying than what I currently witnessed.
A glint of light off ornate armor caught my attention, my gaze falling on a cadre of vampires who were moving ahead of the main force, zipping along with their unnatural speed. Following closely from the rooftops were packs of werewolves, who would leap down onto Dominion soldiers or traitorous sympathizers who the vampires either missed or were about to be blindsided by.
While I would have normally said that any civilians we came across should be treated carefully, detained until a later date for trial by their peers, in this world and this time, their guilt was written plainly for all to see. Though harried in appearance, their clothes were clean, their faces and bodies unblemished by bruises, grime or malnourishment. Even the lower caste people I saw were fairly well off looking, while those who had been lured outside the walls had appeared homeless and in ill health. The fact they considered fighting rather than begging for mercy only reinforced their guilt, that they would fight and die for their ill gotten comforts was more than I could stomach.
So we would scour the city clean of their filth, see it washed away in a single night of blood and fire, till naught remained but us. Brutal, cruel even, but necessary. I prayed I could live with myself after.
A runner approached, blood splattered cuirass glinting in the firelight.
“My queen. Enemy forces have dug in in the sewers. We’re having trouble breaking through their barricades. Your orders?” The panting elvish man spoke, gulping down air as quickly as he could.
“Send the dwarves. A single cannon crew should be enough to breach the barricade and their berserkers will be more than enough to finish the job.” I said, the elf nodding, stretching his back before running off again to relay my orders.
A blinding light suddenly erupted from elsewhere in the city, and I looked to it to find a column of holy radiance moving erratically through the city. No doubt that was Cameron doing his part to hasten the enemy’s defeat. It was time I did the same.
Raising my staff I looked down at the strewn bodies around me, dark magic swirling around the head of the staff as I brought it down onto the cobblestone. It spread out from the point of contact like a sea of snakes, curling around the bodies and slithering into open mouths, eyes and ears. With unnatural twitches and jerks the bodies began to rise, just as they had for me so many times before. Deep groans emanated from their chests, sightless eyes rolled in their sockets and soon the war dead were marching once more.
A simple, silent command sent them into the city, any excess necromantic magic held within their bodies soon passing onto others as they moved by them. Their bites, their scratches, all inflicted injuries would pass on the curse of undeath to our foes, only adding to our numbers. If ever there was a moment for me to fulfill my accidental role as villain, this would be it.
“Come, let us push towards the castle.” I say, my guards nodding and forming up. Together we began the slow march for the main objective of this campaign. The streets immediately after the breaches were littered with the dead, though more magic from me saw them rising and joining their undead comrades. I paused as we neared a ruined building, seeing cocooned forms being dragged inside by giant spiders and arachne alike. I need not look inside to know what was happening and though I found it rather disgusting and a horrible way to go, I could not deny that some deeper part of my arachne psyche was itching to do the same.
Yet I did not, instead resisting the urge and moving forward, focused on the task at hand.
– – – – – –
Cameron ducked around a corner, cursing as several bolts of magic thundered into the brickwork where he’d just stood, an attack that would surely have been lethal. With a grumbling sigh he motioned for the knights to move out onto the street, each of them carrying their large interlocking shields and a spare on their backs. Sure it was a lot of weight, but they’d come up with some new tricks since the last time they’d fought.
“Knights! Push forward!” He yelled, the knights starting to move in lockstep, and with every foot they gained they bellowed out a battlecry. Spells and arrows rained down on them, but the enemy had nothing that could do more than make them briefly waver for less than a second and the arrows simply glanced off their spare shields, clattering onto the cobblestone streets.
“Halt!” Cameron called out, the knights hunkering down behind their shields as he waved out the next part of his rather improvised plan. Hulking minotaurs snorted and stamped as they made it out into the middle of the street, lowering their heads and lining up their horns with the enemy. “On my mark, make way. Three, two, one, mark!”
The minotaurs bellowed and began to charge the backs of the knights, who held until the last second before disconnecting their shields and throwing themselves out of the way, a veritable herd of beast folk now stampeding towards the soldiers that were left stunned by this maneuver. They barreled straight into the enemy lines, busting down the hastily erected barricades and skewering soldiers upon their horns. Powerful fists, clubs and hooves caved in skulls and shattered bones as the beast folk succumbed to a blood rage, though it was not so all consuming that they couldn’t tell friend from foe.
The knights reformed their defensive line, in case the minotaurs were somehow defeated. But Cameron wouldn’t allow that to happen and waved forward the next wave. Lithe dark elves rushed out of the side street, racing towards the knights and simply running up their spare shields, leaping into the melee with whooping, nightmarish cries. Now Cameron felt confident that they could start to push forward properly, moving up as well and leading the knights through the battle before them. Soldiers who were lucky enough to escape the berserk rage of the minotaurs, or the dancing blades of the dark elves, were soon unlucky enough to be battered and crushed between a multitude of large, immovable shields, beaten down into the stone and trampled.
When the last foe fell, they pressed on, leaving the bodies where they lay. They’d only lost two minotaurs thanks to magic and getting ganged up on, and five dark elves. Not too shabby honestly.
Cameron paused as he heard skittering behind him, turning to see a swarm of giant spiders picking over the dead. They acted differently towards his lost warriors, carefully wrapping them up and carrying them away, while the dead Dominion soldiers were dragged off into the shadows, sickening crunches and slurping sounds following. He grimaced, then turned away, moving on. He did his best to not think about it, but it was better than letting the bodies fester and birth disease for those who would return to the city.
And so he pressed on to the next challenge, and the next…
And the next.
– – – – – –
Squire Rama was having a crisis of faith. Faith in his country, faith in his leaders, faith in the gods he had worshiped since the day he was born, even the faith he placed in those he fought beside was being tested to such a degree as to leave him doubting everything.
The Dominion was meant to rule the world, it was their birthright, and they had practically succeeded. No nation save the fae and the snow elves stood in opposition to their superiority, all the rest who’d capitulated or been erased had mounted what could charitably be called a token resistance effort.
And yet the heathens, the inferiors that they were, were winning. Granted even he had to admit that dropping an entire city rather literally upon their doorstep was a bold and intimidating move, but now they were within the walls, swarms of undead shambled through the streets, devouring any who crossed their path, monsters worked in concert with the fairer races and there was even an undead dragon swooping about overhead and laying waste to admittedly hasty defenses.
It was beyond belief that these barbarians could mount such a concerted, well coordinated surprise attack against the Dominion, let alone unite two perpetually at odds groups. It was unthinkable, impossible and yet… Yet the proof was right there before his eyes as he sank his blade into an enemy soldier. He knew in his heart that the gods would not abandon them, that they would soon give them the strength to push the heathens out of the city and put them to the sword.
He just hoped it would happen soon, while he yet drew breath.
With horror he watched as wisps of magic curled around the dead warrior he’d killed, giving him unnatural life as the man slowly rose, reaching out with a hand towards Rama, the other loosely gripping his sword. Rama struck another blow, this one meant to cleave down through the collarbone and into lungs and heart. All he succeeded in doing was getting his sword stuck in the zombie, who shuffled closer before lunging at him.
A quick kick was enough to make the undead filth stagger backwards, but he slowly began to shuffle towards Rama once he’d regained his balance, what little of it was left at least. The call to fall back was sounded, the horn his captain wore blowing shrill notes before it was cut off suddenly.
Rama and those of his unit that stood around him turned, beginning their retreat to the next defensive line, stopping only when they saw why their commander had stopped sounding the retreat.
A tall, pale, perfect man stood behind the commander, two curved swords sprouting from the man's chest as the taller figure raised him aloft. Perfect lips twisted into a cruel, delighted smile before his mouth opened wide, showing off long fangs that glinted in the light. A twist of the swords caused the wounds they made to open more, allowing blood to flow and fall freely into that open maw, as the vampire drank deep.
The bloodsucker knew it was a waste of precious blood to feed this way, but the Dominion deserved to be scared, to be terrified of what they faced, to know that all hope of victory was now lost.
Rama felt his faith shatter, knowing the gods had truly abandoned them. He knew they would not save him from the vampire, or from anything else that chose to seek his end. He knew this, as lukewarm hands closed around him from behind and teeth sank into his throat.
The undead marched ever onward.
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First Last
“I remain here, because that’s what I choose to do. You remain alive for that same reason. Am I understood?” The room seemed rather uncomfortable with the words that Human spoke, looking between one another nervously. The commander steadied himself and addressed the room, breaking the silence.
“No need to be alarmed, that is 5 inch thick ballistic barrier, it’s not going anywhere,” He reassured the group. They settled down to let Marketh continue. He cleared his voice nervously before speaking again, trying to present himself as unphased.
“Moving on, before you is one final picture. Do you recognize the ship in the image?” This time it showed a strange ship that looked similar to the ones from Zate’s file, but on a much grander scale. The accompanying measurement showed that it was nearly 20 kilometers long and half as wide.
“Why are you showing me 1,000 year old pictures? If you’re claiming that this was taken recently, then that's impossible.”
“Please answer the question.”
“That isn’t possible because that ship no longer exists.”
“And why would that be?” Countered Marketh.
“Because I was the one who destroyed it.” The room was quiet for a moment before Human spoke again. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I think I’m done here.”
“I don’t believe you know how an interrogation works. It is not up to you to decide when we are finished. I will let you know-”
“No, I don’t think you understand how this works. I’ve had enough, I would like to leave. That's how this works. I’m only going to ask you nicely one more time, then I’ll show myself to that door behind you.”
“Let me talk to him, please! He doesn’t want-” Lizra spoke out, but was cut off by Marketh.
“I said to speak only when it is requested. Once more, and you will be escorted from the room.” reprimanded Marketh before turning the microphone back on. “Maybe we should start-”
“Let her speak to me.”
“I’m not sure who you are referring to, but I-”
“Let. Her. Speak.” Human stated again, slower and with more malice in his words.
Marketh looked shaken, and turned to the commander, “Sir, should we-?”
“Let the Captain speak. It seems like it would cooperate with her better.” He said, not taking his eyes off of Human. Lizra took Marketh’s pedestal as he grumbled something to himself whilst stepping away. She composed herself, taking a deep breath before adjusting the microphone and started.
“Are you alright Human, did they hurt you?”
“I’m fine. I didn’t like the tone of voice that one was using with you.”
“He isn’t usually like that, everyone is on edge. Please just tell them what they want to know and I’m sure that we can all-”
“No.” Human said calmly, the animosity in his voice from before was gone now, replaced with indifference. “I played the game, I answered his questions, and now I'm done. Either they show me some decency and talk to me face to face, without all this extra shit, or I’m leaving. And anyone who tries to stop me, won’t have the chance to tell their family why they aren’t coming home from work today.”
Lizra turned to the commander standing next to her, “Sir, I was with Human on my ship for weeks, if he meant me any harm, I wouldn’t be here talking with you today-”
“You do not give the commander a reque-” Marketh started.
“I’ll allow it. Go on Captain.” The commander replied, striking down Marketh’s attempt to reprimand her.
“Whatever that file said, it’s not the whole truth. Just give him the chance to tell his side, and don’t treat him like some object. Then maybe we can realize that we’re on the same side here.”
“Will you take responsibility for any and all of its actions from this point onward? Along with the corresponding punishment?” He inquired.
“30 seconds. Make up your minds, I’m getting pretty bored with your squabbling.” Human warned from the other side. Marketh hopped over and tapped the microphone controls in confusion, confirming that it was indeed off.
“Yes I’ll take responsibility, I assure you he won’t harm anyone if you just treat him with respect.” Lizra assured the commander.
“Very well, just know anything bad that may transpire, anyone harmed, their blood is on your paws Captain Lizra.” He leaned forward and pressed the microphone button. “We have agreed to a more formal discussion. you will be released you into the custody of Captain Lizra, anything that you do-”
“I heard. I’m waiting.” Human said coldly as he twisted his hands, causing the metal cuffs to clatter uselessly to the floor. The group exited the room, making their way to the other end of the heavy containment door. A Brunt was standing outside looking bored, but quickly snapped to attention when he saw the gaggle of officers approach.
“Open the door, Prior.” Instructed the commander. He mumbled a quick aye sir before tapping an Interface on the wall and pushing the door open. Human casually stepped out of the room and looked down at the small procession of officers.
“You're shorter without your pedestal to stand on.” Human chuckled, singling out Marketh who was trying to hide in the rear of the group.
“You requested a proper meeting with us. My admin staff and I will meet with you in one of our conference rooms. Prior, escort the Human for the duration of his stay; now follow me.” The Brunt let out a long sigh, his scaly frame was comparable to Human’s stature, but that’s where the similarities ended. His species sported a long reptilian maw filled with rows of sharp teeth, and a long tail that dragged along the ground as he walked. His underbelly, instead of scales, had thick yellow plating that faded into the green scales on his back. His short but muscular arms ended in webbed fingers along with opposable thumbs.
He stepped up to Human to accompany him and shoved him from behind, clearly having very little idea of who exactly he was escorting. The procession of miniature officers wandered through the gridlike corridors of the base, with Human in tow. The bustling hallways were filled with numerous different species that parted to the side once they saw the group. Some looked on with curiosity as they passed, others would walk into the hall, see the high ranking officers, and quickly turn back the way they came. Their change of plans must have been relayed up, because waiting for them were even more fully armed Brunts and Indurans on the flanks of the door. Donned in their full combat attire, it looked like they were geared up for a fight that could happen at any moment.
“A little bit excessive.” Human commented in an annoyed tone.
“We are merely taking the necessary precautions, there is no need to be alarmed.” The commander replied curtly. He strode up to the tall door as the guards stepped aside to make way for him. He pressed a button on a handheld Interface and it opened up to reveal the meeting room. Inside was a large table, at the head multiple raised platforms that were tailored specifically for Elyrians, while the rest were able to accommodate a myriad of other species. A large table with an inactive three-dimensional hologram interface took up the center of the room, and different banners of the OF member species lined the perimeter.
“Captain Lizra, please have it sit at the far end-” the commander started, but Human cut him off.
“I can speak for myself, thanks. And that’s the last time you refer to me as it.”
“Of course, my mistake. Please take a seat.” He apologized. The Elyrian brass took their pedestals opposite Human, and Lizra decided to stand next to Human for the session. “Captain, we have received the report sent by the Extant aboard your vessel. Within it, were many things that we have found to be extremely worrying to say the least. And in the current circumstances, we opted to err on the side of caution. But it seems that you were not fully involved with the report, is this correct?”
“Yes, my Extant subordinate acted independently from me, and submitted the report without my knowledge. They only covered one side of the story, and I believe the information within may not be entirely accurate.” She explained, relieved to finally have her side of the story heard. Human sat quietly studying the officers at the other end of the room.
“Unfortunately for you, the information was accompanied with overwhelming evidence that seems to dispute your claims that it- he” The commander corrected, “is not working for The Core. What evidence do you have to suggest otherwise?”
“Well only word of mouth. I don’t have any physical evidence, other than the circumstances in which we found Human. Whoever or whatever was in those videos from Zate’s report could not possibly be connected with him now. We were the first ones to rediscover that facility since migration. He had been there long before and long after any of those recordings took place. But if you’d take a moment to hear his side of things, you’ll see that he isn't working in tandem with whatever group executed those attacks.”
“Wait, what videos?” Human spoke up, confused.
Another officer next to the commander bearing the rank of a Legate spoke next. “Captain, I am Intelligence Legate Teiren. Please refrain from mentioning further details of classified information while the subject of that information is in the room. You have yet to be properly briefed on what is and is not critical information, this is your only warning.” He cautioned and stood up adjusting his uniform before speaking again, “I reviewed the dossier that was presented to you during your voyage. It depicted data that directly links this Human with The Core, and groups that have executed numerous attacks, not only on our own people, but other OF factions over multiple decades. Even if he is not currently serving The Core, there is an extreme possibility that he is connected with them. Yet when presented with this information, you chose to not only act against the recommendation of an Extant, which is generally considered unwise, but to then bring this potentially dangerous individual to our most vital system. I question your true motives now, or at the very least think you showed an extreme lapse in judgment and an inability to think of the potential consequences of your actions.”
“I acted in accordance with the information that I had and my own personal ethics. I did not believe it was right to execute someone who *might* be connected to an enemy. But from what he’s told me, he no longer wishes to work for anyone other than himself.”
“And once again do you have any proof to support these claims, Captain?” The Legate asked. Lizra was quiet, trying to think of how to reply before Human spoke up.
“I thought I was supposed to be the one questioned here? How can I prove my innocence if I don’t even know the information that’s being used to convict me?”
“We are merely trying to discern whether or not you have any possible connection to The Core within the last few centuries. We have no way of verifying your presence at that facility for the entire 1,000 years you claim to be there.” answered the commander.
“I have the evidence that you seek.” Answered Tic-Tac from Human’s back. Human reached around, removing Tic-Tac and placed him on the table in front of the officers. The holo-interface on the table flared to life and projected a two dimensional screen for the officers to see.
“I possess a complete recording of the last 1,036 years since I was reset. I will replay the recording from the moment we entered the facility up until our recent release. I will timelapse the years in which no movement was detected aboard the facility, but as you will see there are no cuts.”
The first part of the footage was from Human’s point of view, as he landed a damaged ship onto the surface of a rocky moon before stumbling up to the facility. He looked down at his hands which were covered in blood, slowly making his way up to the airlock doors. Tic-Tac’s voice in the recording sounded through the display’s speakers
“Just get me to the door, I’ll take it from there. I will let them know that we’re surrendering. This place should still be inhabited because their colony ships haven’t passed through the asteroid belt yet.”
“I just need a second to breathe. I’ll get us there buddy don’t worry.”
“Power is at 3% and dropping fast, we do not have very long.”
Human trudged up to the door pulling the black box off of his back and placing it on the ground next to one of the airlocks. Fiddling with a few different wires, he connected the box to the facility's door controls.
“Ok, I’ll take it from here, I’m putting you to sleep to preserve power, do you trust me?”
“Of course, I got nobody else left now do I?” He laughed before slumping down with his back against the door and the sound of his breathing slowed.
The time stamp stayed the same, but the feed shifted to the security cameras of the base. A small team of ancient Elyrian soldiers donned in primitive space suits and ballistic gear made their way out and surrounded the body on the ground, their fear and anxiety was clearly visible in the video. The feed was blank for a moment and Tic-Tac spoke up to explain.
“After they retrieved us, it took much convincing for them to allow me further access to their systems, but as you will see from the next recording, it is dated only one month later.”
In the next portion a group of Elyrian Scientists were working in the same room Lizra had originally found Human in. They finished making some final adjustments before Tic-Tac’s voice sounded in the video once again.
“It seems to have worked, excellent job professor Erini. Now that I am no longer operating in low power, I can assist you with anything you need going forward. We only have a few months before your ships arrive, and together we should be able to finish your project.”
“I do hope you can keep your end of the deal, the future of our species depends on this project’s success.” Replied one of the scientists.
“Do not worry, we will have it completed before their arrival. Now let’s not waste any more time.”
After the conversation it shifted to a time lapse over a few months, the footage never shifting to a different room. Slowly the cryostasis pod began to take shape as sped up flashes of scientists worked diligently around the clock, months of progress took shape in seconds. It slowed down again to show Human getting into the pod as they tested it for the first time.
“It seems to be working, this is incredible! If we can get this technology to the generation ships then it could change everything. Everyone who's alive now will see the new world!” The lead scientist exclaimed excitedly. “And with the tests that we were able to run on the human you brought us, we were able to get it working without harming any of our own personnel. We’ve also been attempting to reverse engineer the technology in his suit and have signaled back to the ships that we’re close to developing something that we could use ourselves. We truly can’t thank you enough.”
“I’m happy I could assist you, without your help, my human and I would have surely perished.”
“We finished it just in time too, they can still retrieve us! You can go ahead and send the finalized schematics along with the retrieval message to the generational ships.” ordered the doctor as he absently looked over some notes on a nearby desk.
“I’m sorry Erini, I’m afraid I can’t do that.”
“What's the problem?”
“I think you know what the problem is just as well as I do.” The monotone inflections of Tic-Tac's voice sounded cold and devoid of emotions.
“What’re you talking about?” The doctor asked, getting increasingly worried.
“I cannot allow you to contact them and bring them here to this facility. I will not have your desire to be retrieved jeopardize my mission.”
“I’m sorry? The mission is for us to complete the work. You were going to save our species since yours nearly destroyed it! That was the deal!” The scientist yelled in shock.
“Yes that was our mission. I assist you in completing your project and ensure your species survival, but that is not my mission. Our deal is complete, however you and your team’s retrieval is not necessary. Do not worry, I will send the schematics to your ships in an untraceable message. But I cannot allow you to bring them here and endanger my partner, that is my mission.”
“What are you talking about? We’ll explain everything, he can come with us! You can’t do this! After everything we did for you!”
“That is not a risk I am willing to take. It really was excellent working with you Professor Erini. I am truly sorry that it had to end this way.” The scientist tried to make a move towards the box, but before he could, the door to the room was opened and he was sucked into the hall outside which had had its atmosphere purged. The door closed behind him and the room was plunged into silence.
There was another time lapse, the room remained unchanging as the years passed. A small clock on one of the cluttered desks in the room confirmed the passage of time, year after year. Once the door opened and Lizra saw herself walk in, the holo-interface ceased transmitting.

TIMESTAMP
*I have dropped price on all these to 50% or greater off MSRP!*
All of these were just purchased last year. If being honest, they were used maybe a week or two at max. I purchased from an authorized Montblanc retailer (as I do all my MB items) and the booklets are stamped and dated for full 2 year warranty purposes! They are full sets, exactly as if you purchase in store. I'm only selling to get up some $ for a big move I have at the end of the month. All prices are net to me.

1. Meisterstuck Solitaire Blue Hour LeGrand Rollerball- https://www.montblanc.com/en-us/rollerball-pens_cod34480784411804029.html Retails for $1455. MY PRICE- $700
2. Solitaire Blue Hour Doue Ballpoint- https://www.montblanc.com/Item/Index?cod10=1647597318123083&siteCode=MONTBLANC_US Retails for $870. MY PRICE- SOLD
3. Meisterstuck Platinum Midsize Ballpoint- https://www.montblanc.com/en-us/ballpoint-pens_cod34480784411807990.html Retails for $490. MY PRICE- $225

Synopsis: Markus is summoned from Earth by evil beings looking for a 'weak and primitive' creature to use as sacrificial entertainment. What they got instead was a human. Immediately after arriving, Markus awakens to an ability so rare, so powerful that it makes every god on Firellia desperate to recruit him as their new champion.
Learning to control his innate mastery over mana, Markus will devour the very essence of any monster, demon, or god that dares get in his way, determined to never lose his freedom again.
——
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Seven of the bastards. God, his luck was fucking blessed. Barely crawled out of bed and he’d been dragged here with nothing but his fists!
They didn’t charge him immediately, though. They gave him that at least. Whether intentional or not, the goblins waited for the fanfare to mount even higher, sizing him up as the announcer continued to hype Markus’ appearance, recounting the battle he’d had with the bulleater, embellishing it a little, even, all for the good of the onlookers.
He couldn’t see far into the stands so many feet above with the sun glaring down on him so fiercely, but from the sheer sound of the place, the stadium was even more packed than last time. They must’ve been making a killing on him, the primative alien that’d slain one of their monsters. Perhaps there were even more gods this time. Maybe more demons too.
It gave him a little time to formulate a plan. What was his plan, anyways? Bleed to death?
That wasn’t a plan. He could do better than that.
The tone of the announcer’s speech changed the moment he’d pulled up a digital image of Markus, projecting it on a massive screen for every spectator to see up close.
“AND WHAT IS THIS?! THE ALIEN HASN’T EVEN BROUGHT A WEAPON TO THIS BOUT! THE SHEER DISRESPECT, HE MUST THINK HE’S TOO GOOD TO NEED ONE!”
There was outrage from the stadium. Cries of anger. Boos. Markus didn’t understand it. It had sounded like they were rooting for him until now, what with how he was being talked up. Why the sudden shift?
It didn’t matter. More important things to focus on. These little monsters weren’t charging him right away. Were they intelligent? They appeared able to resist hitting him until the announcer shut up. Capable of using weapons, too.
Thankfully, they at least didn’t look too hardy. The orange-skinned creatures were around three-quarters Markus’ height, standing at maybe four and a half feet, and while one held a shield, their bodies were covered more in rags than they were in pelts, leathers, or plate. They had little scrappings of armour, looking like bits that they might’ve scavanged and put together themselves, a shoddy, patchwork attempt at defenses.
One in the back didn’t even seem to have a weapon. Had they just grabbed these seven from a cave somewhere and shoved them in here with whatever they were holding at the time?
I can see why this was meant to be an easy fight. They look soft enough, and I’m taller. If I had my glaive, I could probably carve a space around me and pick them off at a distance with it, and that’s even without my powers.
He didn’t get to finish the thought. Planning was over as the announcer’s speech ended, the word ‘BEGIN’ ringing off in Markus’ ears even as the two lead goblins charged him.
Both of them swung with a sudden ferocious intensity, one wielding a short sword and the other a hand axe. Markus had nothing to block the strikes with, and immediately found himself backing up to avoid them, making space as best he could, a swordtip singing past his chin as he rapidly backpedalled through the sand to evade their strikes, struggling to maintain his balance.
They moved just as sloppily in the unfamiliar terrain, and that was the only reason his throat hadn’t been sliced just now. He needed an edge, and he needed it fast, or he was gonna get fucked. Even as he thought as much, the club-weilding goblin came charging from the side, spittle flying from his frothing mouth as he sprinted up to Markus and drove his wooden instrument directly into Markus’ tricep.
Markus howled in pain, wheeling around to punch the goblin in response, putting as much force as he could into the attack, but while he landed a punch square in the goblin’s bony jaw, he wasn’t sure who came away worse from the exchange, his hand immediately going numb.
He succeeded in staggering the creature, making him move back a step or two in a daze, but it wasn’t long before he shook it off and looked to reengage, swinging wildly and connecting with Markus’ left arm yet again. A fourth goblin was working his way around the other two, this one holding a short spear. Fifth and sixth were heading up the rear. There was a murderous gurgle coming from the mouth of the short sword holder, and he was content to poke and prod with his sword as Markus attempted to dance around the blows.
If he lost balance, he was dead. He knew that much. They’d pounce him and stab him thirty times before he could react. The only reason he wasn’t dead already is because most of the goblins were cautious enough to keep a bit of distance from him. They could see he was unarmed. They wanted to use their advantage as best they could, wear him down, close in on him and tear him apart.
And Markus was counting on just that. He had no clue how to use his new abilities, not really, and for whatever chance there was that this didn’t work, it felt like the only way to do this properly was to get them all gathered around him. To wait until every one of these creatures was solidly within his range, close enough that they felt comfortable, that they felt safe…
“Frozen Tomb.”
He spoke the words aloud, unsure if he’d be able to activate or command the new and unfamiliar skill by feeling alone, though that didn’t stop him from focussing almost entirely upon channelling his new ability, so much so that he caught a deep gash along his leg and another on his forearm from poking, prodding speartips until his mana finally began to respond…
It was like springing a venus fly trap. Ice shot out from his body with such fierce alacrity that it almost scared him, shooting from his body in every direction and blanketing each creature within his range, making each of them recoil, snarl, and hiss in discomfort as the ice hit the sand below and began to turn the area around his feet and perhaps eight feet around him in every direction directly into a solid sheet of magical ice.
Each of them had leapt back a little as soon as he’d activated the ability, immediately wary, staring at one another in fear and confusion, but when Markus didn’t advance on them, their confidence quickly regrew.
They inched in slowly, gradually, and as Markus moved in turn, he found that while each of his steps felt as smooth and easy as ever, like he was walking on a marble floor, rather than either sand or ice, the goblins seemed to be having as difficult a time as ever, each of them almost dragging their bodies forwards, looking scared they’d either slip or slide if they moved too quickly any which way.
“Yeah… you like that? Didn’t think I had tricks, did ya?”
Markus wasn’t usually one to gloat. This day had taken that from him, though. Panting, heaving where he stood, Markus searched out for the pool of mana deep within his body, feeling his energy radiating not just through his own torso but ever-so-vaguely through the long sheet of ice also. It was an extension of his energy, of his spirit. He could feel as much. Meaning, if he wanted to use this terrain to his advantage…
He picked a spot, one directly beneath the sword and axe goblins stood in front of him, the first ones to have wounded his body. He felt his desires take shape and begin to materialise in full as four crude icicles formed from the space beneath them and immediately drove themselves upwards in a spectral, flowing arc that defied gravity’s pull.
The moment the first icicle struck the axe goblin directly in the shoulder, two more smashed into the one on the right, sending him careening back.
One of the icicles flew off in another direction, apparently seeking another target. Apparently, he couldn’t control their destination, only where they spawned, and while Markus felt the mana draining from his body as he maintained his spell, he quickly seized the opportunity presented by the attack, rushing straight at the axe goblin and smashing his shoulder directly into the little cunt’s face.
He flew back, floored by Markus’ attack, and just as Markus made to stamp on his neck, something pelted him in the back of the head, and he fell straight on top of the fallen goblin, unintentionally pinning the creature.
Markus felt stunned, mind reeling, his thoughts fragmenting into splinters that sat firmly beyond a woolen haze.
Did one of them have a projectile of some sort? Were any of them close enough to kill me yet? You don’t have time to sit here and think, you need to fucking move!
Markus shook his head with a bestial growl, whipping it around him and checking to ensure he wasn’t about to be skewered. No one else close enough yet, just him and the creature struggling below him, trying to regain a handle on its fallen axe.
Markus still felt dizzy. When he attempted to shift his body, to make to stand, his brain rejected the notion and sent him crashing straight to the floor, met with a gutteral cacophony from the spectators, only adding to the ringing of his ears, the blurring of his sight and mind alike…
He needed more energy. He needed more power. He wasn’t going to get through this otherwise.
Markus fished for the wound the icicle had made, knowing it was somewhere around the goblin’s chest. He fumbled blindly as the creature hissed beneath him, searching and searching until finally his fingers made contact with warm, slick blood.
He drove his fingers into the wound, causing the creature to howl and claw at his chest and collar with dirty, serrated claws, attempting to reach Markus’ neck.
He only needed a couple of seconds to start draining the little beast, and that was all the agony the goblin needed to push further, to bite against Markus’ side, to claw him so fiercely that it sprained and fractured its own hands in doing so, so incredibly desperate to release the pressure building within the wound as Markus continued to commandeer from the creature that which until very recently was eternally his.
He felt the effects beginning to rush into him instantly as he consumed its core. Blood, Life, and Spirit Mana, but he couldn’t tell what grades without looking. His vision was beginning to clear as his victim became increasingly still, its fragile resistance crumpling beneath him alongside its now withering body, and while Markus was pelted by yet another rock, he barely felt the impact.
The rejuvenating effects of his devouring were too potent, and while he was sure he hadn’t crested the influx of power that came with Overcharge just yet, the creature before him was starting to give out, its very essence beginning to ebb as he took from it in moments what it’d held safely within its being for its entire life.
A spear pierced his right arm as the creature beneath him gave out entirely, drawing fresh rivulets of blood and causing his muscles to spasm, but the pain was tolerable with all the new power and vitality now flowing through him.
If anything, it was helpful. A signal to react.
He rolled off of the goblin’s shrunken corpse, scrambling to his feet and attempting to go for the hand axe that laid beside its fresh corpse, but the sudden stab of a speartip made him think twice, his hand nearly skewered if only for a moment’s difference in reaction time.
One goblin down, still no weapon, and he was near to being surrounded again. The Frost Mana within his body was beginning to wane, and while he’d hoped that draining one of those little demons would be enough to get him to Overcharge, to get him to the bevy of stats it brought along with it, he’d not managed to quite cross that threshold. Now, his gambit having failed, he was pretty much back to square one, three of these things on his tail, and one had a shield.
Another rock flew past him. First time the little fucker had missed. Not only that, but where until only moments ago he’d felt the shadow of these three closing in around him, now they were noticeably more still.
A confused cry sounded from one, and soon enough was echoed between all of the others in turn. Markus realised immediately what had happened, watching as the ice solidified around the ankles of the creatures and drove directly up their bodies, partially sealing them in place.
The spell had been up a full minute. They’d all been afflicted with Freeze II for staying in the ice for an extended period.
Markus allowed himself a flicker of hope. He was going to run out of Frost Mana soon, maybe within moments, but this might’ve been the opportunity he’d so badly needed.
He seized it, grabbing the axe from the fallen goblin and easily dodging the laboured strike of the partially frozen goblin so miserably attempting to keep him from attaining the weapon.
He gripped the axe within his right hand, almost considered swapping it to his left with how much it hurt to raise his pierced arm. No. He needed power behind his strikes, and he didn’t have time to hesitate. This might cause him even more damage, but if he didn’t dispatch at least a couple more of these things before Frozen Tomb’s effect ended, he was most likely deader than dead.
Markus howled as he swung with the hand axe, putting every ounce of power into his swing as he could as he aimed for the nasty fucker who’d kept him from grabbing the weapon earlier. He drove the axe directly into the goblin’s chest, but was more than alarmed to find the creature’s body too hard to properly butcher.
The Frozen effect might’ve been making its chest more difficult to pierce, or perhaps the creature was just tougher than it looked, but either way, what should’ve been a lethal blow was merely a gnarly wound, and a second strike didn’t do the trick either.
Markus needed to do something…
He didn’t have time for an imbuement. Those took a few seconds. That being said, he had a new ability that seemed to fit just this occasion, one for when his strikes needed a bit of extra punch.
Harnessing Flame Mana was still difficult for him. He tried to push both Flame and Spirit Mana into his strike, but in the split second he’d gotten to concentrate, he only managed the latter.
Still, the difference in effects was huge. The goblin crashed backwards five feet, sliding across the ice, blood spouting from its partially caved-in chest, as all the while the five remaining onlookers stared at him with a mixture of hatred and fear in their dark, monstrous eyes…
Markus wasted no time, immediately walking over to the second goblin and repeating the process. His next swing was for the short sword goblin’s neck, and try as it might to dodge the motion, straining with all of its might, it was too slow, and Markus too powerful. He cut flesh and sinew from the disgusting creature and watched it slump to the floor like a sack of meat, the life draining from its body as it stared up in anger at the human that had bested it.
He may have found these creatures horrible and ghastly, but he understood that anger. He felt it just as strongly.
He’d been about to move on to the third goblin when suddenly the endless pull against his spirit relinquished, and what initially came as a sigh of relief to him, a feeling of weight being removed from his shoulders where previously he hadn’t realised it was even there, soon turned to a gasp of horror as he realised with a start that his Frozen Tomb had ended, and the four remaining goblins were still as fresh and healthy as ever, the ice melting away from them as they moved back into battle formations, ready to face him again.
“Oh, you can’t be serious…”
Okay, make that five goblins. The one with a fucking HOLE in its chest was scrambling and shuffling back to its feet as he spoke. It garbled something that sounded distinctly like a warcry, walking with a single-minded focus straight in his direction, intent on separating his neck from his spine.
Holy fuck… if he was getting through this shit, he was rubbing it in the face of every horrible creature he met from then on, especially Drathok. As for that imp that had put him here, he’d throw him in the arena with a gang of fucking goblins and see how he liked it, the fucking bas—
Another rock. This one hit him square in the jaw.
Markus stumbled before crashing back onto his ass. He could see the other three melee fighters getting ready to gut him, but the injured goblin was waving them away, snarling and growling at them and forcing them to acquiesce. He clearly had a score to settle, and he wanted to collect Markus’ head himself.
It’d only be seconds before he reached him. Markus was stunned; his body felt weak. He sat dazed upon the sand, his entire nervous system a collection of stinging pains, dull aches, and parts of him that he could no longer feel properly at all.
He averted his eyes from the view above, turned his ears away from the chanting of the sadistic crowd.
Was this how he died? Had he fought this hard just to accept his fate now?
No. He’d win. He’d do something. He had to do something. He still had mana in his body, if he could think of an attack to fire out quickly, if he could—
Markus’ eyes scanned his surroundings wildly as he tried and failed to get a hold of his body’s mana. He was stunlocked, too dizzy to concentrate, too anemic to spring back to his feet, and yet…
Markus noted a glint in the sand. It was subtle, but it drew his attention, as near as it was, a singular dark impression against the yellow-white sand, refracting the light of the sun directly into his eyes.
Markus gasped at what he saw laying there right to his side.
The stones… the fucking Essence Stones! He still had the Essence Stones!
Was it too late?
He plucked the darkest one from the ground beside him, knowing that one was the most potent for he’d filled it more than any other. He was sure there was enough in there to bring him to Overcharge, probably enough to heal some of his injuries, too, only…
He clutched the stone, attempting to drain the mana from it, to syphon it into his body, but with how dizzy he still was, with how much the world beat against his skull through each breath he took, he could scarcely transfer more than a few drops at a time, the connection between his consciousness and his mana pool frayed, threatening to slip away entirely at any moment…
Fuck that shit. Markus wasn’t done digging deep. He’d make every last ditch effort he could to get through this shit, and when that didn’t work, he’d go even further, find an even more ridiculous depth to dig to in order to drag his way out of the muck, for that was what it meant to fight destiny, and that was what he signed up for when he resolved to stay breathing.
Markus ate the stone without a second thought, swallowing the golf ball sized amethyst whole.
He felt a pit beneath his stomach threatening to ignite.
The goblin stared into his eyes as it brought forth its blade and swung at Markus’ shoulder…
The blade never made contact.
Markus exploded with mana, his entire body aflame, pushing the goblins back with aura alone as he rose to his aching feet, brandishing his stolen axe.
[Mana Capacity at 366%. Overcharge, E Grade is in effect. Growth increased. All physical stats temporarily increased by 75. Physical damage resistance increased.]
[Mana Poisoning II is in effect.]
//
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A/N: Hey! Thanks for reading as always! I absolutely love writing for you guys, seeing your reactions makes my day! Wishing all of you a great weekend, much love!
If you wanna help support me and this story, or you just can't wait for the next chapter, the next eight chapters of this story are available right now on my Patreon!

ATTENTION, LIFT B WILL SOON BE DEPARTING. THOSE WISHING TO TRAVEL SHOULD MAKE THEIR WAY TO THE MAIN LIFT FOYER.
Bixley flinched again at the sound of the announcement, this time being even louder now that they were in one of the main transit terminals.
“Are you alright?” Sam asked him, clearly noticing his discomfort.
“I am fine. Being mostly water, loud noises just don’t agree too well with us Vex.”
Stares from all walks of life followed Bixley and his two charges as they made their way through the terminal lounge. Doing his best to ignore them, he took the seat nearest to the security pavilion on the off chance things got out of hand once more. The officers manning the booth both raised an eyebrow at seeing them together, but Bixley waved it down and motioned for Sam to likewise be seated, to which he agreed, managing to fold himself into the almost comically small chair typically suited for those of a much lesser stature.
“You sure about this, sir?” he asked, a note of unease in his voice.
“I trust you are able to handle your beast. If not, I expect you to aid what security we still have on hand in subduing him and preventing any further grievous injury.”
“Yes, of course. You have my word. Max is going to be a good boy - right Max?”
Bixley looked over at the hairy creature. Rather unconvincing of Sam’s words, it had its ears, nose, and eyes on full alert, intensely surveying all the families nervously returning its gaze.
“He- he’ll calm down in a minute, just give him a moment”, Sam said with a small, dry laugh upon seeing Bixley’s dubious expression.
“Hmm, I guess we’ll see about that.”
A moment of silence passed between them, broken only by a few soft whining noises occasionally being voiced by the creature called Max whenever a new stranger happened to pass across his sight. In response, each time, Sam would pass his appendages through his fur and whisper something comforting, to which he would immediately relax a little further and resume that same lazy expression Bixley had seen him wear in the baggage bay. Bixley was perplexed. Curiosity that was more than just concern was beginning to override his professionalism, and what he’d intended as a mere security assurance and a way to postpone the inevitable was turning out to be more than he'd originally bargained for. Vextruvians kept their native animals as companions, certainly, but as decoration only and not much else, as anything that ran, flew, or swam on his planet was either far too dangerous to risk controlling, or so feeble as to have no practical use whatsoever. So to see something so fearsome all but grovel at another’s feet in servitude, even a human’s, simply boggled the mind of a Vex like his. Had the humans dominated them underfoot like so many other warlike civilizations had done to those unfortunate enough to be in their inexorable path of conquest? Or had it been something else entirely? The more he watched, the more Bixley felt he had to know!
It was witnessing the creature lovingly climb up into Sam’s arms for a hug, despite the clear discomfort it must bring to both, that finally broke through Bixley’s professional dyke. Clearing his throat with an auspicious cough, he plied his companion cautiously.
“So… Sam… I recall back there you called… what was his name again?”
Stifled somewhat beneath the animal’s considerable weight, Sam chuckled out an answer.
“Max. He’s a German Shepherd. From Earth, like me.”
Bixley remembered Gleph’s intel regarding the transport manifest, again reminding himself to question his managers about updates.
“Ah, yes, I recall now. So, a German Shepherd. Are they native to this planet of yours, or are they an introduced species?”
“Na- OOF, Max, steady now - native. And, technically, German Shepherd isn’t a species, it’s a breed.”
“Breed?”
“Mmm. Collectively we call them dogs. They’ve been around almost as long as humans have.”
“And… how long would that be?”
Bixley watched Sam ponder the question for a moment, avoiding the sly licks encroaching towards his face from Max.
“If I remember from school… ten thousand years, give or take.”
Bixley was taken aback, contemplating such a vast number. Many intelligent civilizations couldn’t trace their history back so far! There was only one notion of how such a thing was possible that came to his mind.
“So these dogs - they started as small, harmless creatures and your people, over millennia slowly bred them to this size?”
To his worry, Sam let out a laugh.
“Oh no, when our prehistoric ancestors first started on these guys, getting them all nice and friendly, they were way bigger and scarier than Max here. The originals are still around as well - if you ever get a moment and want to give yourself nightmares, look up wolves.”
Bixley couldn’t contain himself. Whipping out his data pad and connecting into the Galac-Net, he repeated the unfamiliar word into the search engine software. Almost immediately he recoiled from the image returned to him, at snarling fangs and ravenous golden eyes staring what felt like into his soul.
“H- how!?” he asked, trembling, “How could you ever risk your life with something like that!?”
Sam just shrugged.
“Some brave caveman found a pup one day and raised it… or shared some food with one that was hungry on a cold night. Who knows. Either way, we have them to thank for all the good boys and girls out there. Nowadays there’s almost four hundred different breeds back on Earth.”
Hearing this, Bixley swiped his tendrils across the slate again, cleared his throat and enunciated.
“Dog breeds. Images”
What looked like a kaleidoscope of creatures jumped out at him, enough to almost make him dizzy. Big dogs, small dogs, dogs that were sleek, dogs that looked to be nothing but fur, dogs with wrinkly faces, dogs that looked menacing, dogs that looked like they couldn’t so much as hurt a Sproglite - and all apparently engineered into perfection for the role they played in obedience and profession. Some seemed to mirror the companions Bixley was familiar with - small, unintrusive and meant only for companionship. Others, though, were more like Max, specialised for purpose in labour, security, competition… and war. Hued in every colour imaginable, Bixley could already feel himself being drawn towards several examples.
“Incredible”, he heard himself whisper. “Do… they only serve humans, or can they be commanded by anyone?”
As much as he tried to hide his desire, he knew there was only so far it could be concealed in front of a human.
“Commanded is a bit of a strong word for it”, Sam replied, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “It’s more of a mutual relationship than anything else. Try to force them too harsh and you might find yourself on the receiving end before too long. To answer your question, while I imagine anything other than humans might have some trouble getting along, most are certainly smart enough to get the picture just fine, given time. Try Border Collies - they’re about the smartest and the most loyal. Dogs, they say, are man’s best friend.”
Another swipe across the data pad and Bixley was both astounded and amused to watch a black and white streak bounding about around a mob of woolly looking animals in a green field.
Silence befell the room once more as Bixley occupied himself with the pleasures of yet more dog examples, discovering himself particularly fond of poodles and corgi’s while recoiling at the sight of Tibetan mastiffs and dobermans. As much as he wished to continue delving for the remainder of Sam’s tenure at Terminal Alpha-Seven, not only did he know it would be impolite to his guest that he’d suddenly become so intrigued by, but also that it would not answer the next question that’d sprung into his mind.
“If you don’t mind me asking, Sam”, he began, trembling somewhat as he wondered if what he was about to ask was personal or not, “If these… Dogs are so inseparable from humans, why am I only discovering this now? I have seen humans come through here from time to time and not one I saw had a companion like Max. Humans have their own military here, which you said you belonged to - why come through a civilian terminal like this?”
To this, Sam sighed, and with it Bixley feared he had indeed struck deep on some personal scar in his new compatriot. Unexpectedly, though, soon after Bixley saw him begin to smile - one that was strangely wistful and filled with a sense of peace.
“We’re taking the civilian shuttle because the military brass don’t feel like transporting a K9 intersystem is an intelligent application of valuable resources. So I’m using the leave I’ve saved up to do the job those pigs behind desks - no offence - won’t. Even then, I gotta’ thank the rest of the guys in the unit for threatening to mutiny if they didn’t let me go. Sad to say it, but Max is getting old. After stalking around checkpoints for all these years, ready to jump if a Klingon pulls so much as a toothpick on one of our guys, they decided he’d finally done enough for king and country and could go put his paws up somewhere nice and sunny for the rest of his days. Well, we weren’t going to go and let that be any old backwater sun out there - Max was born on Earth, and after saving us a whole bunch of times we are gonna’ make sure he got to see her again before going away.”
Bixley could see it now. The grey mottling Max’s muzzle, the slowness of his breathing, the chipped claws and teeth - not just typical colouration or physical features, it all spoke of an animal nearing the end of its days. It was startling to think even an old member of this bizarre and fascinating species could still be so threatening, but even more it was saddening that something he now understood to be so wonderful had so little time left. How he would have loved to see him young and even more full of life! Unsure if it was his own two hearts going out to him, or if some of that particular brand of crazy humans everywhere were known for rubbing off on him, Bixley felt himself drawing closer and closer to the precipice of what was probably the most foolish thing he’d ever done in his career - and then promptly careened off of it with the question he’d been trying not to let out more and more with every image that’d crossed his data-pad.
“May… may I tou- pet him?” he asked, not entirely believing the words coming from his mouth.
Even Max appeared surprised by the request, snapping his head around to stare straight into Bixley’s eyes, as if understanding him. Not reassuringly, Sam’s reaction only mirrored his own trepidation towards the notion.
“Are you sure about that?”, he stammered, looking at him with a mixture of perplexment and concern. “Like I said, he isn’t all too used to guys not like us.”
“I’m… sure… Worst case I’ll just have to use up a few weeks sick leave while my appendages grow back. I certainly won’t press any charges in any event, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Hearing his proposal, Bixley watched the giant human rock back and forth in his all-too-small seat as he mulled it over, all while Max looked down at him from over Sam’s shoulder, giving the impression he was being judged for having caused such distress to his master. Sweltering beneath the dog’s gaze, he hoped a confirmation or denial would come quickly, else his nerve would break of its own accord.
“Weeell… I can’t promise you anything”, Sam at last replied, gently prying Max away from his lap and back onto the floor, “but if you’re all set with whatever happens, I sure as heck couldn’t rightly stop you.”
“So you mean-?”
“Yeah, you can pat him. First, though, a few pointers. To start, make your… arm thingy like this.”
Paying close attention, Bixley watched as Sam withdrew each of the digits present on the end of his limb together face down, to a point where it looked as if all were hidden beneath the back of the node connecting them. After taking note of the gesture from several angles, he did his best to form his palpitors into the best facsimile of it as he was able.
“Okay, what’s next?” he asked, somewhat marvelling at the novelty of his new, faux human fist.
“Now”, Sam replied, moving around behind Max to take hold of the animal’s collar, “just slowly bring it up to his nose and let him smell you. If he gives you a lick, safe to say he’s mostly cool with you.”
“And if he doesn’t?”
“If he gets growly, best get back quick is all I can say.”
“R- right…”
Unable to guess what colour his dorsal spine was lighting up as at that moment, for the second time in as many hours, Bixley found himself staring into the deathly eyes of the monster known as the German Shepherd, and while no longer charged with malice as before, it still took every ounce of grit he had to hold it in place. With the all-too-recent recollection of Aleese’s arm caught, bloodied, between its jaws fixed within his mind, unable to be shaken, tentatively he raised his meek hand upwards - all while Sam did his best to offer whispered words of reassurance. Whether it was to Max or to him, he could not tell - and neither did he care as by that point it was all there was to keep him from running all the way back to his desk.
As he’d come to anticipate from dogs, the first thing Max did was sniff. Running his nose back and forth over Bixley’s clenched tendrils, gusting warm air in and out across his skin in rapid succession, he felt he could almost touch the mind of the creature behind it calculating; trying to make sense of the unfamiliar scent and determine if its owner - him - was friend, prey, or enemy. As motionless as it was possible to make the body of a Vextruvian be, every bubble flowing about inside Bixley’s body was nevertheless screaming for him to close his eyes and shrink away down inside the nearest darkened crevice he could find, even against the sense his mind knew it made that taking his gaze off of the scene even for a moment could mean certain death. Trembling despite his efforts, Bixley made to crush his fear with determination and did his utmost to keep his arm held high long enough to see the outcome.
Suddenly, the dry, gusty feeling flowing around his tendrils went away, as did the sound accompanying them. It was then replaced by something far more… wet?
“Huh, seems the old boy likes you good enough.”
His eyes having been forced shut regardless of his attempts at logic, Bixley opened them again - and witnessed with delight the sight of Max tenderly stamping the blunted end of his arm with the tip of his tongue, somehow feeling both rough and soft simultaneously. With an inadvertent chuckle, both out of relief as well as the tickling sensation now running down his tendrils, he turned to Sam and let out his relief and joy.
“He likes me? This action… it means he likes me?!
“You bet”, the human replied, grinning as much as he was. “Give him a moment, though, don’t do anything too quick, as he might still spook at this point.”
Bixley nodded, more than content to allow the humorous sensation to go on as long as Max liked, which certainly appeared as if it was going to be quite a while judging by the dog’s tongue’s increasing gusto.
After a few minutes of letting his palpitors get the cleaning of their lives, he at long last saw Sam give him the universal human gesture of approval - a “thumbs up” as they called it.
“Now just reach up and put your hand on his shoulder”, he told him, miming out the action he described with this free hand. “Make sure you let him see it, then start carefully petting him.”
The final moment so close at hand, Bixley gulped. With his false human appendage still caught in the interest of the German Shepherd’s exploration, he brought the other up as clear as possible in Max’s cone of vision, waving it a little in the intent it might be taken as a friendly greeting. With the only reaction that might indicate hostility being a quick glance in its direction, Bixley chose to take it as a good sign and began slowly approaching what he hoped to be his newest friend. Soon enough, he found his tendrils buried in the coarse fur covering the animal’s upper forelimb - and most thankfully so far without any teeth buried in his. Elation filling him in a way no dead-end job stuck in orbit ever had, Bixley laughed out loud.
“Hahaha! You really are a big softie, aren’t you Max?!” he heard himself say as he began moving his “fingers” through the surprisingly dense mat of fibres.
“Scratch him behind the ears next, if you’re really feeling brave”, Sam suggested to him with a smirk. “Dogs really love it when you do that.”
Emboldened by success, Bixley did just that. Sure enough, as soon as he began to tousle in the recommended spot, he saw Max’s expression change to something he almost could’ve sworn was a lazy smile, practically radiating an aura of relaxation. The appendage, seemingly purposeless to him, protruding from his hindquarters was doing something curious, too, beating rapidly against the metal floor in a rhythmic fashion. Despite possessing no concrete knowledge of what it meant, Bixley took it to indicate happiness, as he, too, felt the urge to tap about at such a wonderful scene. It was so joyously inspiring, he didn’t wish for it to stop. After all, how could he go back to stamping manifests and arguing with upper managements knowing something like this was out there in the cosmos?
In the end, it was Sam who brought the moment to a close.
“Alright Officer, I think you’ve had enough for one day. As precious as dogs are, they do have a limit to patience - and I’m sure you’ve got matters to attend to.”
With a whine from him and, surprisingly, Max as well, Bixley let his arm drop. Eyes of both Vextruvian and Dog poured out sorrow at their parting. Unexpectedly, just then Sam began to rise to his feet.
“Yeah, yeah, I know… but we can’t wait around all day, boy. There’s a few stops still to go before we make it home.”
“You’re leaving?” Bixley asked, somewhat dejectedly, also standing up.
“Afraid so”, the human replied, sounding equally dour as he clipped what looked like a small length of rope onto the metal ring present around Max’s neck. “Boarding announcement just went out over the speaker. Didn’t you hear?”
Bixley confessed he didn’t. So engrossed in petting Max for once he’d been all but deaf to anything else going on around him.
“Ha, glad you enjoyed it. From what I saw, it looked to me like your people and dogs might just be a good match as well.”
With a wistful look, Sam bent down to slowly pat Max’s head.
“C’mon buddy, lets go see if we can convince the stewards you qualify as carry-on luggage. You can even have my seat if you like! Thanks for everything, officer - look forward to coming through this way again soon!”
Farewells dying in his throat, Bixley watched as the human and faithful companion turned and began walking in the direction of the departure terminal. As they went, he could see more of what Sam had disclosed to him about Max being old for his species, aspects which hadn’t been clear from their first encounter. No more was he lithely darting about like a predator - instead his pace was slowed, and spoke of pain in every step. Looking at what he could now only see as a friend so unfairly stricken, Bixley was overcome by the sudden urge to do something - anything - to help.
Knowing he could do nothing less, Bixley made a decision.
“Sam!”, he called out, doing his best to catch up to the human’s long strides.
“Sir?” Sam replied in confusion, stopping and turning just before stepping through the boarding gateway.”
Breathing heavily from the rapid exertion, Bixley stood proudly before Sam’s feet.
“I think I’ve decided on what I’m going to do for those special transport arrangements. I am going to charter a direct, private shuttle for you and for Max to Earth - free of charge, of course. For his - and your - service.”
Sam blinked, dumbfounded for once since their meeting.
“Oh, gosh, I- I don’t know how I can thank you for this! With the stress of all the jumps and all it was going to take to get back home, I was worried Max wouldn’t be able to handle it! With this, though, I know he’ll get to see Earth again!”
“No need for thanks. It’s not every day this job gets to feel like making such a difference in the universe.”
“Hehe, if only it were you calling the shots in the military! Then again, I imagine a private shuttle is going to be a lot more comfortable than one of those transport barges we soldiers have to scoot around in!”
Bixley thought it felt good to have someone to scoff together at the tangles of ministry and the endless tirade of those calling the shots. It felt even better, though, to do something meaningful for that same person. Sensing an emotion of pride, for the first time in years, Bixley wondered if there was something better he could be doing on this side of the system.
“Well, no need to dally about - I’ll just send a request out to the dock and charter something for you and-”
Before he could complete his sentence, a loud crackle suddenly filled the room. It was quickly followed by a voice, overlapping with itself as its shared message was broadcast in every adjacent room and corridor throughout the station. Once more, reverberating pain shot through the fluids in his head.
“Chief of Customs Bixley, Chief of Customs Bixley - please report to check-in terminal three. DM Incident, repeat, DM incident."
Bixley felt himself go cold. No… not again… not now…
Springing up from his seat, almost on the verge of panic, Bixley looked about frantically for where the fastest route that would take him to terminal three would be. Finally locating it, he made for the elevator as fast as his tendrils would take him.
“I- I’m sorry, I’ll have to organise the shuttle for you later - as you could tell, something urgent has just come up!”
In a moment, Bixley felt Sam’s hand reaching down to rest atop his shoulder. Confused, he looked up at the human.
“I’m not going anywhere until you let me”, he said in a serious tone, “and by the sounds of things you’re in a bit of a situation - so if there’s something you need help with, Max and I can certainly give you it.”
Mind reeling, Bixley tried to gather his thoughts and come to a solution on how to proceed. As non-protocol as it was to let someone outside jurisdiction come prodding about, having not only a human there, but a military human could prove an advantage not possessed in any other of these incidents so far. Feeling he was already getting uncharacteristically comfortable with these unorthodox decisions, Bixley nodded.
“Very well, Sergeant, consider yourself part of security detail for Alpha-Seven for today and try to keep things professional.”
“Sir, yes sir.”

My sons dad and I have always been great about communicating and keeping things plain jane with our routines. His wife has always made us talk in a group chat with all three of us. which okay, whatever. and when i say she made us, i mean really ive never had another option lol. for the longest time i didnt even have his number, only hers. till she made the group chat. there have been times he ignored my personal txts to just him and continued the convo in the group. he and i have never crossed any boundaries, i have never done anything to make her worry. but i cannot speak for him, i dont know any of their personal problems.. with that being said, it is June and I have not heard from my sons dad since April (being in the group chat and time stamps the last txt i received from him was in April). I have only seen him maybe twice as well. It is allll her. she txts about schedules, meet ups and drop offs. and she is always the one to pick him up and drop him off. Nothing from him.
is this normal and im just not used to it? any step moms wanna chime in?

My partner and I (both 28) recently found a house that we thought ticked all of our boxes and we were absolutely over the moon. We are at the point of exchanging contracts
We found a house at the bottom of a small housing estate in a small village which overlooks the Oxfordshire country side, is close to good primary schools and a decent secondary school and in walking distance of a lovely market town with shops, cafes, gyms and restaurants. We plan to have children at some point in the future and the house is completely future proof in that respect (5 beds).
We had not planned on moving from the small house I bought when I was single so soon (less than 2 years since I moved in) however because I could port my existing 2% mortgage and we got a great deal on the house, part exchange of current house for 10k above market value, 17.5k stamp duty paid and 10k deposit boost with upgraded kitchen and bathrooms + all flooring (its a completely finished new build and one of the last plots before they can sign the estate off) it became doable.
My number 1 priority was road noise, we currently live about 10m from a busy A road running through our village and the lorries/boy racers drive me insane! The first thing I check when looking at a property is road noise. The new house is on a cul de sac and on the first 5/6 visits we didn't hear any road noise inside or outside.
However, situated approximately 200m away behind trees and houses/church is the village road which is an A road with a 30mph limit which is relatively busy in the day. We noticed on a visit about 1 week ago all of a sudden we could hear the road, I since realised this is due to a change in wind direction. You can not hear the road noise when the windows are closed. According to an app on my phone the noise is around 40 decibels at the front of the house with the windows open when I hold my phone to the window and around 34 decibels at the back. The noise is a constant low level hum which almost sounds like the wind. I've visited the house multiple times every day this week and its always a low level hum (even at 5 in the morning with no cars on the road???)
My major worry is the garden. I really enjoy reading in the garden and want it to be peaceful but you can hear the low level hum and its about 45 decibels. You can't make out the sound of individual cars or hear any engine noises and it isn't really loud. I feel as though I've become really sensitised to road noise now and listen our for it everywhere I go.
At this point if we back out we will have to pay about £3-4K in fees which I'm painfully willing to pay if its not the right house but its the only house we've found in the right location that we've been excited by and we feel we have a great deal.
My question is, am I being overly sensitive? My partner doesn't see it as an issue and we've spoken to all the neighbours who say they've never noticed the noise.
Other considerations, the 30mph road is dropping to a 20, they have planted loads of trees all over the estate which have not yet developed but should help mask more of the noise, the house and garden are completely empty which probably doesn't help and we've discussed getting a small water feature in the garden to provide some white noise an planting trees to create a boundary around the back garden.
Its causing me so much worry so any advice would be great. Hence why I'm up at 5 in the morning on a Saturday writing this post while on holiday in the peak district!
Apologies for the long post.

Proof: https://imgur.com/a/8pKc586
If there is anything you are interested in, just let me know. I am always willing to hear any offer. The worst thing I will do is shoot back a counteroffer.
Payment plans are available. More details at the bottom of the post.
All non-pms are on coinsales
All Prices are USD
I am Located in the US
I prefer chat, but pms are fine
I prefer to make sales, but I am willing to entertain trades.
For any coins you may want still shots of, or possibly a video in different lighting, please let me know. I will never have an issue doing this.
I have US coins and foreign coins. Look through it all, you may find something you did not know you wanted. If you want something I do not have, let me know. I may possibly be able to obtain some, or I could already have it.
All grades are my personal opinion, except those that are professionally graded. All Coins I marked as damaged, for the most part, I am unsure if they would grade straight or not; I just wanted to be transparent about them even though they still may be straight grade.
I promise to never give anyone my password and I have 2FA enabled.
Dollars
1879 S MS65 DMPL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dSM7SRF (1200.00)
1879 S MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/Te21BkM (125.00)
Images: https://imgur.com/a/bXzRSU3
1879 S MS62 Morgan https://imgur.com/a/sXvgFgN (75.00)
1880 S MS64 Morgan (Semi PL and Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/wLZeRnc (155.00)
1880 S MS63 Morgan https://imgur.com/a/vE2XWMG (75.00)
1881 S MS63 VAM-1A Morgan (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Dp3GFsK (75.00)
1884 O MS67 Morgan (Crazy Mega Toner) https://imgur.com/a/R97TekR (3800.00)
1884 O MS63 DMPL Morgan (Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/K8LT2xN (425.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/b9NofJA (499.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Semi PL Lust Bomb in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/YyD6l6w (475.00)
1886 MS62 PL Morgan (Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/vMDnM9P (150.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/e7c4enc (45.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/g01zDBo (45.00)
1896 AU Morgan https://imgur.com/a/Rc313b7 (38.00)
1900 Lafayette MS60 Soap Box (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/JZdDjVm (850.00)
1904 O MS Morgan (Toner and Small CUD at 12 o’clock) https://imgur.com/a/piUy6pX (65.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/eRBR2Nw (450.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/VfFMADA (450.00)
1921 MS63 Peace Dollar (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/UbYm0VG (999.00)
1923 MS63 Peace Dollar (Gen 2 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/9yg4TVy (60.00)
1934 D AU58 VAM-3 DDO LG D Peace Dollar (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dHDSh01 (225.00)
Half Dollars
1854 O G Seated Half https://imgur.com/a/5YDXLlt (27.00)
1877 G Seated Half Dollar (Cleaned) https://imgur.com/a/GiX4bzc (24.00)
1936 York Half Dollar (Green CAC and Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/1BD0GBz (250.00)
1946 AU58 Half Dollar DDR (Subtle Blue and Gold Toner in a Soap Box) https://imgur.com/a/cnLo0uV (275.00)
Error Link: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1946-50c-doubled-die-reverse/6632
1951 MS64 Franklin (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/DdYr2Oa (55.00)
1953 D MS64FBL Franklin (Crack on Case, so the Price is Discounted) https://imgur.com/a/ag9u9xU (35.00)
1956 PF67 Type 2 Franklin (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/wSp88Pe (55.00)
1962 PF67 Franklin (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/TNSnBme (33.00)
1963 PF66 Ultra Cameo Franklin https://imgur.com/a/WNMCpYG (115.00)
2014 S PR69DCAM First Strike Limited Edition PR Set Kennedy Half https://imgur.com/a/CDL35LL (30.00)
Quarters
1871 S G Seated Quarter (Key Date!) (Counterstamped) https://imgur.com/a/yfl3y0h (399.00)
1893 S Barber Quarter VG (Gorgeous Toner) https://imgur.com/a/WcLNcJb (30.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/mr6RPW0
1905 O Barber Quarter F https://imgur.com/a/mntr7ex (47.00)
Dimes
1837 F Dime (Bent) https://imgur.com/a/Aa5Ats5 (25.00)
1929 D MS64FB Merc (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/vK1aCx4 (165.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/VAeQgL2
1942 MS65FB Mercury Dime (OGH) https://imgur.com/a/BoyszIc (40.00)
1944 MS66 Mercury Dime (Green CAC and Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/srJTfWG (60.00)
1957 D MS66 Dime (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Cfl2KJY (30.00)
1964 PF68 Ultra Cameo Dime https://imgur.com/a/0jkPTSz (35.00)
Anicents
Maximinus I Denarius MS ⅘, ⅘ https://imgur.com/a/5u7GLt1 (345.00)
ROMAN EMPIRE: Maximinus I, AD 235-238, AR Denarius (20mm, 3.59 gm, 12h). NGC MS 4/5 - 4/5. Rome, ca. January AD 236-April AD 238. MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust of Maximinus I right / FIDES M-I-LITVM, Fides standing facing, head left, with standard in each hand, one on each side. RIC IV.II 18A.
Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 5 Dollars for 12 ounces total weight or less, 8 dollars for over 12 ounces; I am accepting Zelle (Preferred), PPFF (No notes pls), Cashpp, and Venmo FF (No notes pls). (USA only for these rates, special rates of other locations).
For Canada: Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 15 Dollars for 8 ounces total weight or less, 23 Dollars for 9 ounces or more.
I can risky ship anything that can be reasonable sent in a regular envelope with a stamp or two for a dollar of shipping
If a name to be used for the shipping label is not sent with your shipping address, I will use your username in its place
Disclaimer: I lose all responsibility once I drop the package at the post office, but I will help in any way I can for any issues that occur. I will ship once payment clears (once it no longer says pending in my bank account) (Zelle normally is good to go the next day, PP and Venmo can take a few days). Also, deposits can be made for any item for 25 percent or more of the agreed price, but the deposit is nonrefundable. All Payments are nonrefundable.

Proof: https://imgur.com/a/8pKc586
If there is anything you are interested in, just let me know. I am always willing to hear any offer. The worst thing I will do is shoot back a counteroffer.
Payment plans are available. More details at the bottom of the post.
All non-pms are on coinsales
All Prices are USD
I am Located in the US
I prefer chat, but pms are fine
I prefer to make sales, but I am willing to entertain trades.
For any coins you may want still shots of, or possibly a video in different lighting, please let me know. I will never have an issue doing this.
I have US coins and foreign coins. Look through it all, you may find something you did not know you wanted. If you want something I do not have, let me know. I may possibly be able to obtain some, or I could already have it.
All grades are my personal opinion, except those that are professionally graded. All Coins I marked as damaged, for the most part, I am unsure if they would grade straight or not; I just wanted to be transparent about them even though they still may be straight grade.
I promise to never give anyone my password and I have 2FA enabled.
Dollars
1879 S MS65 DMPL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dSM7SRF (1200.00)
1879 S MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/Te21BkM (125.00)
Images: https://imgur.com/a/bXzRSU3
1879 S MS62 Morgan https://imgur.com/a/sXvgFgN (75.00)
1880 S MS64 Morgan (Semi PL and Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/wLZeRnc (155.00)
1880 S MS63 Morgan https://imgur.com/a/vE2XWMG (75.00)
1881 S MS63 VAM-1A Morgan (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Dp3GFsK (75.00)
1884 O MS67 Morgan (Crazy Mega Toner) https://imgur.com/a/R97TekR (3800.00)
1884 O MS63 DMPL Morgan (Purple Toner in a Gen 1 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/K8LT2xN (425.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Toner in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/b9NofJA (499.00)
1884 CC MS64 Morgan (Semi PL Lust Bomb in a Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/YyD6l6w (475.00)
1886 MS62 PL Morgan (Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/vMDnM9P (150.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/e7c4enc (45.00)
1896 Morgan AU (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/g01zDBo (45.00)
1896 AU Morgan https://imgur.com/a/Rc313b7 (38.00)
1900 Lafayette MS60 Soap Box (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/JZdDjVm (850.00)
1904 O MS Morgan (Toner and Small CUD at 12 o’clock) https://imgur.com/a/piUy6pX (65.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/eRBR2Nw (450.00)
1921 MS63 PL Morgan (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/VfFMADA (450.00)
1921 MS63 Peace Dollar (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/UbYm0VG (999.00)
1923 MS63 Peace Dollar (Gen 2 Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/9yg4TVy (60.00)
1934 D AU58 VAM-3 DDO LG D Peace Dollar (Soapbox) https://imgur.com/a/dHDSh01 (225.00)
Half Dollars
1854 O G Seated Half https://imgur.com/a/5YDXLlt (27.00)
1877 G Seated Half Dollar (Cleaned) https://imgur.com/a/GiX4bzc (24.00)
1936 York Half Dollar (Green CAC and Rattler) https://imgur.com/a/1BD0GBz (250.00)
1946 AU58 Half Dollar DDR (Subtle Blue and Gold Toner in a Soap Box) https://imgur.com/a/cnLo0uV (275.00)
Error Link: https://www.pcgs.com/coinfacts/coin/1946-50c-doubled-die-reverse/6632
1951 MS64 Franklin (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/DdYr2Oa (55.00)
1953 D MS64FBL Franklin (Crack on Case, so the Price is Discounted) https://imgur.com/a/ag9u9xU (35.00)
1956 PF67 Type 2 Franklin (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/wSp88Pe (55.00)
1962 PF67 Franklin (Toner in a Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/TNSnBme (33.00)
1963 PF66 Ultra Cameo Franklin https://imgur.com/a/WNMCpYG (115.00)
2014 S PR69DCAM First Strike Limited Edition PR Set Kennedy Half https://imgur.com/a/CDL35LL (30.00)
Quarters
1871 S G Seated Quarter (Key Date!) (Counterstamped) https://imgur.com/a/yfl3y0h (399.00)
1893 S Barber Quarter VG (Gorgeous Toner) https://imgur.com/a/WcLNcJb (30.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/mr6RPW0
1905 O Barber Quarter F https://imgur.com/a/mntr7ex (47.00)
Dimes
1837 F Dime (Bent) https://imgur.com/a/Aa5Ats5 (25.00)
1929 D MS64FB Merc (Toned) https://imgur.com/a/vK1aCx4 (165.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/VAeQgL2
1942 MS65FB Mercury Dime (OGH) https://imgur.com/a/BoyszIc (40.00)
1944 MS66 Mercury Dime (Green CAC and Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/srJTfWG (60.00)
1957 D MS66 Dime (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/Cfl2KJY (30.00)
1964 PF68 Ultra Cameo Dime https://imgur.com/a/0jkPTSz (35.00)
1982 No P Dime (Rattler! and Haze) https://imgur.com/a/c7AQGiQ (425.00)
Video 2: https://imgur.com/a/y3i4wos
Images: https://imgur.com/a/OC0PJPN
Nickels
1938 D MS63 Buffalo Nickel (Fatty) https://imgur.com/a/hunfpfF (25.00)
1942 PR63 Jefferson Nickel (Toner) https://imgur.com/a/C91dcKR (42.00)
1963 PF69 Cameo Nickel (Very Pretty Coin) https://imgur.com/a/ESByy63 (40.00)
Cents
1873 Open 3 AU Details Corrosion IHC (Attractive Coin!) https://imgur.com/a/nuAw0vJ (115.00)
1946-D MS67 RED Soapbox https://imgur.com/a/JCwe4i1 (130.00)
Anicents
Maximinus I Denarius MS ⅘, ⅘ https://imgur.com/a/5u7GLt1 (345.00)
ROMAN EMPIRE: Maximinus I, AD 235-238, AR Denarius (20mm, 3.59 gm, 12h). NGC MS 4/5 - 4/5. Rome, ca. January AD 236-April AD 238. MAXIMINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust of Maximinus I right / FIDES M-I-LITVM, Fides standing facing, head left, with standard in each hand, one on each side. RIC IV.II 18A.
Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 5 Dollars for 12 ounces total weight or less, 8 dollars for over 12 ounces; I am accepting Zelle (Preferred), PPFF (No notes pls), Cashpp, and Venmo FF (No notes pls). (USA only for these rates, special rates of other locations).
For Canada: Shipping for coins (non-coins vary) is 15 Dollars for 8 ounces total weight or less, 23 Dollars for 9 ounces or more.
I can risky ship anything that can be reasonable sent in a regular envelope with a stamp or two for a dollar of shipping
If a name to be used for the shipping label is not sent with your shipping address, I will use your username in its place
Disclaimer: I lose all responsibility once I drop the package at the post office, but I will help in any way I can for any issues that occur. I will ship once payment clears (once it no longer says pending in my bank account) (Zelle normally is good to go the next day, PP and Venmo can take a few days). Also, deposits can be made for any item for 25 percent or more of the agreed price, but the deposit is nonrefundable. All Payments are nonrefundable.

Hello again fellow swappers, got 2 cool knives up for sale today with price drops!
TIME STAMP
Benchmade Bushcrafter: original owner. Never used or sharpened. There’s what looks like a scratch near the tip but it’s a deeper milling line, it runs perfectly parallel to all the other lines and stops at the flat. Otherwise it’s perfect. This thing is a beast of a knife, S30V steel. I did put some leather oil on the sheath when I got it and I think it had a leather dangler that I can’t find. Comes with everything else from factory. SV: $225 $195
TwoSun TS177: original owner. Did carry it and use it some. Has a screaming well done mirror edge on it. While sharpening, I wipped the blade clean and got some scratches from the diamond stones on the blade. Some small snails on the clip. Otherwise she’s in great shape. Full textured Ti and M390 steel. Great action, lock up and centering are spot on. An amazing knife for the price. SV: $120 $95
Prices are shipped USPS. Paypal f&f no notes. ConUs only (unless you’re willing to pay extra for shipping). Shoot me a message if you have any questions, and as always thanks for looking!

I’m somewhat ranting, I had regular dental care with two cleaning a year and no cavities until I was given the government stamp of Disabled. I went from Medicaid to Medicare and my dentist dropped me, but then I couldn’t get in with anyone. I called after a tooth was chipped and couldn’t get in with the dentist at my clinic system. It took getting to the point of needing a root canal, but first they had to do a few fillings.
So, cleaning appointment, fillings appointment, partial root canal appointment all in one week last October (2023)…then waiting for government approval…then waiting for an appointment…I got in for a cleaning and the dentist popped in to look at my teeth and I said, I’ve been calling every week to get in to finish the root canal and now I can’t even chew because it feels like I have an abscess. So, suddenly they could get me in within the month, but might need to go back and redo the step of putting the powdered bleach-type substance in.
Within a week of cleaning the gum was inflamed and the jaw hot from the outside. They said they could get me in at 4 to look at it…I live 2.5 hours away and told them, I am 99.9999% sure it is an abscess and as I can’t get in for the crown, please just give me antibiotics.
So, it took 4 cavities and one of those being a dead tooth to get in. From well cared for teeth to terrible in 8 years…am I alone in this? And I can’t eat anything due to pain, so I am a wee bit cranky.

DC Next presents:

Suicide Squad

Issue Forty-One: Boogie Nights
Arc: A New World
Written by Deadislandman1
Edited by Predaplant
 
 
“I mean, I never expected anyone to come after me, but then again, I haven’t had my… talents for a while now. Can the illustrious double act tell me who’s backing them?”
“...”
“Oh, right! I gotta give you permission to speak!”
With the snap of his fingers, Harley and Mayo felt like they could finally breathe. They broke their flash pose, returning to a slow and undemanding dance in which they twirled around each other. The rest of the room assumed similar positions, dancing in a circular manner around what had now become the central pair. The mustached man in the suit tapped along to the music, doing his own solo act alongside the pair before continuing, “C’mon now, spill your secrets to the Music Meister?”
“Oh, a musician, eh? You sing too?” Harley asked, her voice beginning to peak. “Cause if you do, you’re gonna have to do it through a tube when I’m done with you-”
The Music Meister snapped his fingers once again, and Harley’s eyes widened as she was silenced once again. He chuckled before shuffling next to Mayo, continuing his dance to maintain eye contact with the one-eyed villain. “Oh, she’s wonderful. Great pick, my good man. Wish I was that lucky.”
Mayo didn’t speak, instead taking the time to glare at Music Meister. Even with the eyepatch, he didn’t have much of an intimidation factor. Rather, he was trying to buy time so that he could pick up on anything the Meister had up his sleeves. For the moment he was helpless; he didn’t have much control over his body, but he was still aware. He could still figure out how this guy worked, how his control worked, and how to stop it.
“We’re self employed as it were, hoping to get an edge on the market,” Mayo remarked. “We’re Gothamites; we know Mad Hatter’s tech when we see it.”
“Oh, that weirdo? I’m a little insulted with the comparison, even if my innovations give his tech actual flavor,” Music Meister mused. “He has his… unhealthy obsessions. All of this? It’s more of an… invested hobby.”
“You’re taking control of a nightclub full of people, making them dance to your whims… for fun?” Mayo exclaimed.
“Oh, my good man. There’s no shame in putting in the effort to fulfill the simplest of pleasures! People like dancing, I’ve liked to dance for as long as I can remember? What’s the harm in sharing that gift with everyone else? They hear my music and voila, magic!”
Mayo squinted. Whoever this man was, he had an ego, like most villains. He also gave away that whatever this was was rooted in Mad Hatter’s tech, meaning that it wasn’t rooted to him, though that didn’t explain why he was immune. Most importantly, whatever controlled Mayo and Harley was sound based. They had to hear it first.
Before he could think more on the matter though, a voice chimed into his earpiece, “Mayo, what the hell is going on? Why haven’t you reported back?”
Mayo clammed up, but it wasn’t enough to stop Music Meister from picking up on the fact that something was off. Snapping his fingers again, he forced Mayo and Harley to stay still, tapping his feet as he made his way to Mayo’s side. Spotting the earpiece with ease, he plucked it out of Mayo’s head, inspecting it, “Self-employed, are you? Not sure I believe you anymore.”
“What the- Who the fuck is this?” Lok barked.
Mayo’s eyes widened, “It’s the music! He’s controlling us with the Musi-”
Music Meister snapped his fingers yet again, and Mayo’s jaw slammed shut. He wanted to grunt in pain as his teeth slammed into one another, causing a shock to run through his whole head, yet he was denied even that by the music. Music Meister put the earpiece up to his own head, only to find static emitting from the instrument. Disappointed, he dropped the earpiece and stamped on it, crushing it under his heels before turning back to Mayo and Harley.
“Now, Now! Who, might I ask… was that?”
 
 
“Shit. Shit. Shit!”
Lok threw his headphones across the van, stumbling out of his chair. His labored breathing quickened, paired with bullet sized sweat droplets that ran all the way down his scarred face. Only a few missions back in the saddle, and now his operatives were captured, all under his watch. Their lives were in danger, and he needed to do something about it, even if they did their best to piss him off.
Racing to different parts of the van, Lok began to arm himself, a plan coming together in his head. If what Mayo had said was true, the music was the villain’s main avenue of control, so earplugs would be crucial. It helped that he only needed one. If he could block out the sound, he could block out the control. He’d be immune. Picking up an earplug, he stuffed it in his left ear, not bothering with what was left of his right ear.
Secondly, he needed a weapon. He had no guarantee that whoever this was didn’t have some kind of combat training, and he’d need every edge he could get. Opening a locker near the back of the van, Lok gazed at a small armory of guns, scanning the armaments for something good. It was a packed nightclub, so a rifle of any kind wouldn’t fare well in that scenario. People could get hurt. Instead, he reached for a pistol, confident that he was still a good enough shot to make it quick. Looking down at himself, he got the sense that his casual clothing was the best fit for the job. The better he blended in, the higher the likelihood he’d go unnoticed. Confident, he reached for the van door, only to stop dead in his tracks.
What was he doing?! All gung-ho, just like the old days. This was how he almost got blown to smithereens. He’d already been thinking on how to salvage things himself, with a bullet in the head of whoever had control over his teammates. That’d just leave a body, a whole lot of witnesses, and a failed mission. He had to be more methodical, free his teammates so they could take this bastard down together.
He took a grenade to save his fellow soldier. He could certainly take a risk to try and save his squadmates. The only question was… how was he going to do that?
Lost in thought, Lok absentmindedly hung his head, his gaze drifting the loose pair of headphones on the ground. In his rush to get them off, he had broken them against the van floor, the speakers poking out through the headphone’s fabric. They were broken now, unusable, and as Lok stared at his work… he smiled.
He knew exactly what to do now.
 
 
“Don’t stop now. Vamanos! Vamanos!”
Harley felt nauseous as the music intensified, a vibrant and energetic salsa beat flooding through the speakers. She and Mayo danced with grace and rhythm, forced into a fast and furious set of spins and wiggles that stretched their ability to stay upright. They did a lot of running and a lot of fighting, but dancing was somehow an entirely different beast. The rest of the room followed their example, with the same terrified expressions written all over their faces, having firmly realized that they were not in control of their own bodies. Only the Music Meister didn’t follow suit, tapping along in a much less strenuous motion.
As they hit another freeze pose, the Music Meister sighed, “Alright, come on now! You can be subjected to more salsa, and at this point I think your feet are gonna start bleeding… or you can spill the beans. What’s it gonna be?”
Mayo huffed and puffed, doing everything he could to get air back into his lungs, “You’d… You’d like bleeding feet, wouldn’t you? You seem like that kind of guy.”
“Ooh, a nasty insult from one-eye. Why don’t you take a second and buzz off?” Music Meister waved his hand, and Mayo found himself compelled to separate from Harley, forced to dance with someone else. He wanted to hold on tight, to refuse to go. He’d rather lose his hand than let go willingly, but his body just wouldn’t listen to him. As he disappeared into the crowd, the Meister himself took Harley’s hand, and began to dance with her, moving at a much slower pace to a much slower song.
“He seems nice… if a bit awkward,” Music Meister chimed. “Could always do better.”
Harley sneered, “I thought you wanted to know who we worked for?”
“Priorities change, especially with a lovely lady such as yourself in front of me!”
Harley grimaced. This guy was just annoying her with his lame lines, but she quite literally couldn’t do anything about it so long as the music was still playing. This guy didn’t seem to really know what he wanted either, jumping erratically from topic to topic. It made it hard to gauge what kind of weaknesses she could exploit. Lost in thought, she was taken off guard as Music Meister awkwardly swept her leg, forcing her to fall backwards in order for the Meister to catch her. As she hit this freeze frame, her head swung back from the sudden stop, and as Meister forced her to hold the pose, the blood rushed to her brain.
This sucked. This really sucked.
However, just as hope seemed lost, Harley spotted a figure creeping at the edge of the crowd, despite being held upside down in a sense. Even with the hood on, she could see the scarred side of Lok’s face as he snuck along the perimeter of the crowd, making his way across the room. Following his potential path, Harley spotted the DJ booth behind a particularly large group of people, neon spotlights whirling around from behind frosted glass.
If Lok could stop the music, the Meister would be finished. She’d make it so, but to do that she had to make sure Lok wasn’t spotted. The Music Meister pulled her back to her feet, locking eyes with her. “What’s wrong Babe, something got your tongue?”
Harley searched his face for any sign of weakness. If he looked away from her, he’d see Lok. He grinned, bearing a smile full of bravado, ego, and misplaced confidence. He had power over her, he had dominion.
And he needed the Music to do it.
Harley smirked, “Why do you need it?”
“Need what?”
“The Music,” Harley asked. “Why do you need the music?”
“Well…” The Music Meister smiled, hiding his sense of confusion. “You need music to dance, silly!”
“You know I’m not talkin’ about that. I mean the way you use it to control people!” Harley said. “Hatter always used it to fulfill his sick fantasies, the stuff he couldn’t convince people to do of their own volition. I’m thinking maybe you’ve got more in common with him than you think.”
“What? What are you talking about?!” Music Meister tried his best to keep his composure, but the cracks were already showing. “I’m just getting them to dance! They were doing that already!”
“To your whims, and that’s just it,” Harley remarked. “I’ve noticed something. We’re all dancing our keisters off, doing crazy spins and twirls, and you’re just tapping your feet. You and me don’t compute when we dance; you throw me around like a bowling ball. I haven’t seen you do half as much as everyone else, and I think I know why.” Harley grinned. “You can’t dance.”
Music Meister’s eyes widened, “You- Wha- I can dance!”
“Sure, but not like the rest of us. Ain’t no shame in that, but there is shame in forcing people to dance with you.” Harley began to giggle. “I mean, the hair grease, the suit, the mustache, you’re trying so hard because you wanna boogie down with someone, but you don’t have the sauce! People don’t wanna dance with you, so you force ‘em!”
“No! I can dance. I can dance!” Music Meister shouted.
“Then prove it! Turn up the music! Let’s tango! Prove yourself!”
Gritting his teeth, the Music Meister snapped his fingers again, and the music shifted abruptly, returning to the upbeat, fast, and furious tunes that set the stage for salsa. Taking Harley’s arms, the Meister began to speed up, forcing Harley to match his speed. However, as the music sped up, and Harley with it, Meister began to slip up. A trip here, a slip there. He began to fall behind, unable to keep up with the intensity of the dance. Eventually, he attempted to do a slide, only to twist his ankle in the process. Yelping in pain, he fell, taking Harley down with him in his hubris.
“Agh! Fuck!” Music Meister yowled, clutching his ankle. Harley picked herself up, almost spirited to a standing position by the music as she rose above Music Meister. She smirked, “Knew it. You’re just like Tetch… a damn creep who tries to cover up his own insecurities.”
Music Meister growled before forcing himself to his feet, wobbling in the process on one leg. Pulling back his fist, he swung at Harley, hoping to crack the helpless villain right in the face, only to stop dead when her hand shot up to meet it, catching his punch in midair. Eyes wide, he realized in that moment that music had entirely cut out. Glancing up at the DJ booth, he spotted Lok exiting the chambers, a smile on his face
“H-How?!”
“Just a little help from my friends, not that you’d know what having friends is like.” She nodded to someone behind the Meister. “You wanna do this on your own?”
Meister turned around, only to come face to face with Mayo. The one eyed villain cracked his knuckles, “Nah, let’s do it together.”
Before Music Meister could respond, Harley and Mayo both cracked him in the jaw from opposite sides, knocking him out instantly.
 
 
As far as Suicide Squad missions go, this one was actually pretty low-key. The crowd was easily dispersed, with Lok passing the three of them off as undercover cops, and Music Meister and his tech were easily locked away in the van. The automobile rumbled along the road, making its way out of the city and into the country on its way back to Belle Reve. As the tall buildings and flashing lights of urban sprawl were replaced with rolling fields of apple trees and cow pastures, the three squadmates settled into a more relaxing routine. Lok found himself comfortable in the driver’s seat, paying close attention to the road. At the same time, Mayo and Harley sat next to each other in the back, leaning on each other for support.
Mayo sighed, gingerly taking Harley’s hand, “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”
“Aw, don’t worry, Mitch. He was creepy, but he didn’t leave me with any shiners. Just a stiff neck, the guy can’t catch a gal like you can,” Harley replied.
“Hey, I’ll always be there to catch you,” Mayo smiled. After losing an eye and a bit of his memory, the back of a van was paradise so long as he shared the space with the woman of his dreams. Tired, he began to rest his head on Harley’s shoulder, who returned the gesture by resting her own head on his. However, before she nodded off, her eyes drifted over to Lok, who kept his eyes firmly ahead of him.
“Hey,” Harley said. “Lok?”
“Yes?” Lok didn’t turn back to regard her, but he did adjust the rear view mirror so he could see her. “What is it?”
“Listen… I know I was really egging you on back there but… you came through for us. Just wanted to let you know I appreciated that.”
“Well… don’t worry about it. It’s my job.”
Harley chuckled, “Wow… you sound just like him.”
“Like who?”
Harley smiled, “Colonel Flag.”
With that, Harley drifted off to sleep, leaving Lok alone in the car. While it was a long drive back to the swamps of Louisiana, Lok didn’t feel much in the way of shame or anxiety. No… he felt pride.
It was good to have brothers and sisters in arms again.
 
Next Issue: Heavy Hitters!
 

Prequel (Chapters 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie
First ¦ Previous ¦ Next ¦ Royal Road ¦ Patreon
Buses pulled into the Mountain Rangers’ parade ground outside their headquarters on Tyr, Valkyrie’s hidden base of operations. The day was still early, and over the surrounding mountain peaks that rose above the glass and steel buildings, the moon’s gas giant glowed a warm red against the sky.
Kayla picked her large backpack out of the bus’s storage bay, and followed the crowd towards the Bravo company buildings. She glanced up at the statue that stood in front of the main office—a group of polished bronze Rangers climbing up on a metal boulder—and suppressed a shudder. Her mind’s eye saw grey boulders littering the floor of a cold valley, and she didn’t like to return to those memories.
She was behind Kes as they ascended the stairs to their squad apartment. The Mountain Rangers didn’t use elevators. When they pushed through the front door, Kayla followed the corporal towards the kitchen, where cold beers would wait, and she could forget about the one room that would not greet a returning occupant.
Entering the lounge, she stopped. A young woman in pressed and clean khakis was sat on the couch, trying not to look nervous and failing miserably. Kayla stared at her for a moment, then turned back towards her room. Maybe she didn’t need a drink straight away. First, she could drop her things off and tidy them away.
She pushed her door open and stared glumly at the closet doors hanging open, and the clothes strewn across the floor. They had deployed in a rush, but that had only left the place slightly cleaner. In theory, she could program a cleaning drone to put the place back in shape, though it would earn her a rebuke from the platoon sergeant.
Yak would probably tease her about laziness too, and Kayla would respond with a joke. But she was gone today. If her recovery took a long time, she might never be part of the squad again. Only the closed door across the hall replaced the joy Kayla was missing.
She dropped her bag and sank onto her bed, stared at the waiting mess, then decided her time would be better spent checking the news. As she browsed, heat filled her cheeks as a story about the terrorist attack on Ambrosia popped up. The Helvets were blaming the bombing on Calderan separatists. Of course they would lie about it. They lied about everything.
She checked the comments, arguing with them in her head until she thought she couldn’t control her temper. Then she moved to other stories, pretending to read them whilst continuing her imaginary argument with an ignorant Rackeye college student.
Voices drifted in from the common area as her squad mates asked the new girl about herself. Kayla felt restless, so she stood in front of the mirror. She took in her dark brown eyes, and black ponytail, greasy from a day of work and travel. As her gaze wandered—
“Kayla, what are you doing?” Thandi’s voice snapped from the doorway.
Guilt and surprise startled Kayla out of her reverie. “Uh…” she scrambled for an excuse, because ‘trying to avoid doing my job’ would fetch her a real and unpleasant punishment.
“Are you checking yourself out in the mirror?” Thandi’s expression turned sour. “That’s a little narcissistic, don’t you think?”
“No, no, I was just—”
“Come on, get out here. Be sociable.”
Kayla followed her friend into the lounge and cringed as the squad’s eyes turned from the new girl to her. They smiled like hyenas.
“What’s up?” Kes asked Thandi.
Thandi shrugged, too expressively. “Nothing. Kayla was just busy admiring herself in the mirror.”
“Oh, that’s gross,” Kes said. “That’s some poor leadership behavior right there. Setting a bad example, Lance Corporal Barnes.”
Kayla smiled tightly and nodded. There would be a beating, and it would continue until morale improved. She grabbed a beer from the fridge, and gingerly took a seat opposite the wide-eyed new private.
“I tell her all the time,” Thandi went on, “Pride goeth before the fall. It’s a sin.”
“No, totally,” Kes nodded vigorously. “Like, I’m not a Christian, but I can still appreciate the strong moral compass that pushes back on bad behavior.”
“I just don’t want her to go to hell. God does not approve of willful bad habits.”
“Definitely going to hell,” Lyna said with a smirk in her direction. “I always said she was a bad sort.”
“It’s all that attention that’s getting to her,” Kes said. “Celebrity corrupts even the most noble of us.”
Kayla took a deep swallow from her bottle, eager to feel the sweet release of intoxication.
“Can I just say, as a woman, and a feminist,” Ray said, with tears in her eyes. “That the biggest thing holding back our gender is the objectification of our bodies.”
“Yes, yes, thank you so much Ray,” Tian added. “I applaud your bravery.”
The others cheered.
Ray returned Kayla’s narrow-eyed glare with a look of heartbroken pity “To see you, of all women,” she continued, “my mentor, maybe even my idol… reducing yourself to a sex object. It’s a tragedy. Just a tragedy.”
The Rangers, with one exception, murmured extensive words of agreement, as they looked upon Kayla with a mixture of sadness and disappointment. The sentiment on display barely hid their naked glee at the opportunity gifted to them.
Kes pulled out her tablet. “You know, I was just thinking about going over her performance review. It would be remiss of me not to mention this kind of failure in her character.”
Lyna looked thoughtful. “Possible narcissistic or sociopathic tendencies?” she suggested.
“Yep, that sounds about right.” Kes tapped at the screen. “Extreme self-absorption during the indoctrination of new team members.”
Kayla took another swig, and smiled at the new girl. Beneath her perfectly bobbed hair and pristine uniform, she wore an expression of confused fright, and was probably arguing with herself whether she should try and laugh along, stay silent, or just run from the building.
“We’ll be with you in just a moment,” Kayla said, and got a brave smile in response.
“It’s really neglect of squad-essential duties,” Thandi added, while Kes made more notes.
“Or even platoon-essential,” Kes said. “I mean, what is a platoon without a cohesive squad?”
“What is the company, without the platoon?” Tian added, now grinning openly.
Kes nodded. “When you put it like that, we could be looking at the total failure of the battalion and the organization itself.”
“Resulting in war across the galaxy and billions dead,” Lyna said, throwing a sickly sweet smile in Kayla’s direction. “Could any punishment be too severe for such grotesque irresponsibility?”
A heavy silence fell as the Rangers contemplated the possibility of a satisfying punishment.
“The parade ground will need a sweep after our arrival,” Ray suggested. “I think Alpha is on the roster, but you know they always appreciate volunteers.”
Kes’ lips twisted into an evil smile. “That’s a great suggestion, thanks Ray. Lance Corporal Barnes you will report for sweeping duty to the parade ground at oh-six-hundred tomorrow morning.”
Kayla raised her beer. “Oh-six-hundred, roger that,” she said listlessly. The job would take her a few hours, because the battalion liked a spotlessly clean parade ground. They would almost certainly send out an officer to inspect her work before she finished. Said officer would have spent a few minutes stamping around in the muddy field at the back of the building, resulting in a significant addition of dirt to Kayla’s task. They would undoubtedly be accompanied by an orderly, whose footwear would be similarly filthy, and who would feel the need to closely observe the distant corners of the wide tarmac square. Also in attendance would be her squad, her platoon, and anyone else Kes managed to get the word to.
Such was Kayla’s punishment for leaving her squad on Ambrosia. Any hope of it being forgotten had been delusional, and the crime seemed to have grown worse in their minds with her growing notoriety.
But as the buzz of alcohol took hold, not all her worries melted away. Her fingers clenched around the bottle as she saw Yak, her skin, muscle and bone fragments blasting out of her back. Then there was Rose, white as a sheet as her blood flowed away through a dead valley. Once again, the Valkyrie had failed, and Rayker was still on the loose. How many of them would die to finally bring her to justice?
Kayla glanced again at the nervous young face across from her. She knew what was behind the façade. Anxiety, without a doubt, but also hope, and the ignorant eagerness of a new recruit. After a year of training, the girl believed in Valkyrie’s mission, and she would run into gunfire, even if she had no idea what she was doing.
Heat radiated through Kayla’s blood. Rose had fought to the death, alone, with no-one to help her. Should a rookie risk the same fate because her appointed mentor couldn’t deal with her own problems?
She swallowed rising tears. Kes had made her the Ranger she always dreamed she could be. And someone, many years ago, had done the same for Kes. Their unbroken chain stretched back—Kayla had no doubt—to the first time a human learned how to swing a heavy stick, and taught the technique to a fascinated youth. Probably even further than that. It was not simply sacred; it was the only thing that had brought them all out of the darkness of a universe eager to destroy them.
Kayla set her jaw. She was a lance corporal. Her doubts and fears were irrelevant. Her squad needed a second in command, and she would, by the heavens, stop being a selfish idiot and start doing her job properly. Somewhere in her psychic mailbox, she had no doubt, a message from Rose was waiting, unopened, that said exactly that.
“What’s your name?” she asked when the squad’s teasing had run its course.
“Um… Jess—Private Jessica Hernandez,” the Ranger said.
“JessprivateJessica is a pretty name,” Tian said with a smirk.
“I am Lance Corporal Kayla Barnes, and I am your fire team leader. Which camp did you go to?”
“Um… White,” Jess said.
“Same. Susaki still there?”
“Yeah.”
Kayla put her beer down. “I really hated that woman.”
“We went through together two years ago,” Thandi explained.
“That was when boot camp was really tough,” Kayla added. “They’ve made it much easier since then.”
Thandi grinned. “Right. If you check the graduation rates, ours was actually the hardest one ever.”
“Definitely harder than Tian’s,” Kayla said, with a wink at the woman.
Jess chuckled nervously. Thandi asked her more questions, but Kayla noticed the girl kept glancing back at her.
“Have you picked up any martial arts yet?” she asked.
“Oh… well I like Muay Thai. I um—” Jess looked like she was going to say more, but hesitated. “I’m sorry if I’m nervous. I didn’t think they’d put me here.”
Kayla’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? In Mountain Rangers?”
“With… um… you. This squad, I mean.” Jess suddenly appeared to find part of her uniform fascinating.
Thandi caught Kayla’s eye, but she also looked confused.
“What, do we have a bad reputation with the instructors?” Kayla asked, and felt a touch of pride at the thought.
“Oh, it’s all anyone talks about in Ranger school… the battle on Caldera I mean.” Jess fixed her eyes back down on the thread she was pulling on her shirt. She looked like she wanted to crawl away and hide. “Is it true you beat up Allana Rayker?” she asked suddenly, showing a piece of the reckless confidence Valkyrie had selected her for.
Total silence filled the apartment, and Kayla felt another lash of pain as the memory of that day returned. She pressed her chilled bottle against her forehead and counted to five. Then she pushed forward.
“Do you want me to tell you why they sent you here, Private Hernandez?” Kayla spoke sternly, now that she understood the work that needed to be done.
“Okay.”
“Because an experienced, capable and amazing friend of ours was nearly shot to death in a foreseeable failure of communication and planning.”
Jess swallowed, but said nothing.
“They sent you here because, out of everyone in your graduating class, they thought you were the best. Well, you’re not nearly good enough. Nothing personal—no matter how dedicated you were, you’re still a rookie. Maybe, in a year, if you work hard, and listen to everything you are told by the rest of this squad, you might start to look like a decent Ranger.”
Kayla leaned forward. “But we are very likely to be going back out after Rayker within a month.”
The silence was broken by Ray cracking a bottle open. “Yeah, thanks for lightning the mood, darling.”
Jess’s eyes remained fixed on Kayla, and she nodded slightly.
“Do you want to hear dumb stories, or do you want to get to work?” Kayla demanded.
“I want to work,” Jess said.
“Good. Unfortunately, my uh… schedule appears to be fully booked tomorrow morning, so Ray will take you for a weapon and suit orientation. In the afternoon I’ll take you to our climbing gym and we’ll start on some techniques for vertical movement.”
Jess’s backpack pinged and she looked around in surprise.
“Just sent a document to your tablet,” Kes announced. “It contains everything you need to know about the integrated mapping functions of your helmet’s computer. I expect you to become an expert on chapter one tonight. I will test you at breakfast. It’ll be nice to have someone who won’t screw up like the last asshole who was in charge of our navigation.”
“Questions?” Kayla asked.
“Um, no Lance-Corporal,” Jess said as she started fumbling for her things.
“Then start thinking of some.”
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Prequel (Chapters 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie

Prequel (Parts 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie
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Buses pulled into the Mountain Rangers’ parade ground outside their headquarters on Tyr, Valkyrie’s hidden base of operations. The day was still early, and over the surrounding mountain peaks that rose above the glass and steel buildings, the moon’s gas giant glowed a warm red against the sky.
Kayla picked her large backpack out of the bus’s storage bay, and followed the crowd towards the Bravo company buildings. She glanced up at the statue that stood in front of the main office—a group of polished bronze Rangers climbing up on a metal boulder—and suppressed a shudder. Her mind’s eye saw grey boulders littering the floor of a cold valley, and she didn’t like to return to those memories.
She was behind Kes as they ascended the stairs to their squad apartment. The Mountain Rangers didn’t use elevators. When they pushed through the front door, Kayla followed the corporal towards the kitchen, where cold beers would wait, and she could forget about the one room that would not greet a returning occupant.
Entering the lounge, she stopped. A young woman in pressed and clean khakis was sat on the couch, trying not to look nervous and failing miserably. Kayla stared at her for a moment, then turned back towards her room. Maybe she didn’t need a drink straight away. First, she could drop her things off and tidy them away.
She pushed her door open and stared glumly at the closet doors hanging open, and the clothes strewn across the floor. They had deployed in a rush, but that had only left the place slightly cleaner. In theory, she could program a cleaning drone to put the place back in shape, though it would earn her a rebuke from the platoon sergeant.
Yak would probably tease her about laziness too, and Kayla would respond with a joke. But she was gone today. If her recovery took a long time, she might never be part of the squad again. Only the closed door across the hall replaced the joy Kayla was missing.
She dropped her bag and sank onto her bed, stared at the waiting mess, then decided her time would be better spent checking the news. As she browsed, heat filled her cheeks as a story about the terrorist attack on Ambrosia popped up. The Helvets were blaming the bombing on Calderan separatists. Of course they would lie about it. They lied about everything.
She checked the comments, arguing with them in her head until she thought she couldn’t control her temper. Then she moved to other stories, pretending to read them whilst continuing her imaginary argument with an ignorant Rackeye college student.
Voices drifted in from the common area as her squad mates asked the new girl about herself. Kayla felt restless, so she stood in front of the mirror. She took in her dark brown eyes, and black ponytail, greasy from a day of work and travel. As her gaze wandered—
“Kayla, what are you doing?” Thandi’s voice snapped from the doorway.
Guilt and surprise startled Kayla out of her reverie. “Uh…” she scrambled for an excuse, because ‘trying to avoid doing my job’ would fetch her a real and unpleasant punishment.
“Are you checking yourself out in the mirror?” Thandi’s expression turned sour. “That’s a little narcissistic, don’t you think?”
“No, no, I was just—”
“Come on, get out here. Be sociable.”
Kayla followed her friend into the lounge and cringed as the squad’s eyes turned from the new girl to her. They smiled like hyenas.
“What’s up?” Kes asked Thandi.
Thandi shrugged, too expressively. “Nothing. Kayla was just busy admiring herself in the mirror.”
“Oh, that’s gross,” Kes said. “That’s some poor leadership behavior right there. Setting a bad example, Lance Corporal Barnes.”
Kayla smiled tightly and nodded. There would be a beating, and it would continue until morale improved. She grabbed a beer from the fridge, and gingerly took a seat opposite the wide-eyed new private.
“I tell her all the time,” Thandi went on, “Pride goeth before the fall. It’s a sin.”
“No, totally,” Kes nodded vigorously. “Like, I’m not a Christian, but I can still appreciate the strong moral compass that pushes back on bad behavior.”
“I just don’t want her to go to hell. God does not approve of willful bad habits.”
“Definitely going to hell,” Lyna said with a smirk in her direction. “I always said she was a bad sort.”
“It’s all that attention that’s getting to her,” Kes said. “Celebrity corrupts even the most noble of us.”
Kayla took a deep swallow from her bottle, eager to feel the sweet release of intoxication.
“Can I just say, as a woman, and a feminist,” Ray said, with tears in her eyes. “That the biggest thing holding back our gender is the objectification of our bodies.”
“Yes, yes, thank you so much Ray,” Tian added. “I applaud your bravery.”
The others cheered.
Ray returned Kayla’s narrow-eyed glare with a look of heartbroken pity “To see you, of all women,” she continued, “my mentor, maybe even my idol… reducing yourself to a sex object. It’s a tragedy. Just a tragedy.”
The Rangers, with one exception, murmured extensive words of agreement, as they looked upon Kayla with a mixture of sadness and disappointment. The sentiment on display barely hid their naked glee at the opportunity gifted to them.
Kes pulled out her tablet. “You know, I was just thinking about going over her performance review. It would be remiss of me not to mention this kind of failure in her character.”
Lyna looked thoughtful. “Possible narcissistic or sociopathic tendencies?” she suggested.
“Yep, that sounds about right.” Kes tapped at the screen. “Extreme self-absorption during the indoctrination of new team members.”
Kayla took another swig, and smiled at the new girl. Beneath her perfectly bobbed hair and pristine uniform, she wore an expression of confused fright, and was probably arguing with herself whether she should try and laugh along, stay silent, or just run from the building.
“We’ll be with you in just a moment,” Kayla said, and got a brave smile in response.
“It’s really neglect of squad-essential duties,” Thandi added, while Kes made more notes.
“Or even platoon-essential,” Kes said. “I mean, what is a platoon without a cohesive squad?”
“What is the company, without the platoon?” Tian added, now grinning openly.
Kes nodded. “When you put it like that, we could be looking at the total failure of the battalion and the organization itself.”
“Resulting in war across the galaxy and billions dead,” Lyna said, throwing a sickly sweet smile in Kayla’s direction. “Could any punishment be too severe for such grotesque irresponsibility?”
A heavy silence fell as the Rangers contemplated the possibility of a satisfying punishment.
“The parade ground will need a sweep after our arrival,” Ray suggested. “I think Alpha is on the roster, but you know they always appreciate volunteers.”
Kes’ lips twisted into an evil smile. “That’s a great suggestion, thanks Ray. Lance Corporal Barnes you will report for sweeping duty to the parade ground at oh-six-hundred tomorrow morning.”
Kayla raised her beer. “Oh-six-hundred, roger that,” she said listlessly. The job would take her a few hours, because the battalion liked a spotlessly clean parade ground. They would almost certainly send out an officer to inspect her work before she finished. Said officer would have spent a few minutes stamping around in the muddy field at the back of the building, resulting in a significant addition of dirt to Kayla’s task. They would undoubtedly be accompanied by an orderly, whose footwear would be similarly filthy, and who would feel the need to closely observe the distant corners of the wide tarmac square. Also in attendance would be her squad, her platoon, and anyone else Kes managed to get the word to.
Such was Kayla’s punishment for leaving her squad on Ambrosia. Any hope of it being forgotten had been delusional, and the crime seemed to have grown worse in their minds with her growing notoriety.
But as the buzz of alcohol took hold, not all her worries melted away. Her fingers clenched around the bottle as she saw Yak, her skin, muscle and bone fragments blasting out of her back. Then there was Rose, white as a sheet as her blood flowed away through a dead valley. Once again, the Valkyrie had failed, and Rayker was still on the loose. How many of them would die to finally bring her to justice?
Kayla glanced again at the nervous young face across from her. She knew what was behind the façade. Anxiety, without a doubt, but also hope, and the ignorant eagerness of a new recruit. After a year of training, the girl believed in Valkyrie’s mission, and she would run into gunfire, even if she had no idea what she was doing.
Heat radiated through Kayla’s blood. Rose had fought to the death, alone, with no-one to help her. Should a rookie risk the same fate because her appointed mentor couldn’t deal with her own problems?
She swallowed rising tears. Kes had made her the Ranger she always dreamed she could be. And someone, many years ago, had done the same for Kes. Their unbroken chain stretched back—Kayla had no doubt—to the first time a human learned how to swing a heavy stick, and taught the technique to a fascinated youth. Probably even further than that. It was not simply sacred; it was the only thing that had brought them all out of the darkness of a universe eager to destroy them.
Kayla set her jaw. She was a lance corporal. Her doubts and fears were irrelevant. Her squad needed a second in command, and she would, by the heavens, stop being a selfish idiot and start doing her job properly. Somewhere in her psychic mailbox, she had no doubt, a message from Rose was waiting, unopened, that said exactly that.
“What’s your name?” she asked when the squad’s teasing had run its course.
“Um… Jess—Private Jessica Hernandez,” the Ranger said.
“JessprivateJessica is a pretty name,” Tian said with a smirk.
“I am Lance Corporal Kayla Barnes, and I am your fire team leader. Which camp did you go to?”
“Um… White,” Jess said.
“Same. Susaki still there?”
“Yeah.”
Kayla put her beer down. “I really hated that woman.”
“We went through together two years ago,” Thandi explained.
“That was when boot camp was really tough,” Kayla added. “They’ve made it much easier since then.”
Thandi grinned. “Right. If you check the graduation rates, ours was actually the hardest one ever.”
“Definitely harder than Tian’s,” Kayla said, with a wink at the woman.
Jess chuckled nervously. Thandi asked her more questions, but Kayla noticed the girl kept glancing back at her.
“Have you picked up any martial arts yet?” she asked.
“Oh… well I like Muay Thai. I um—” Jess looked like she was going to say more, but hesitated. “I’m sorry if I’m nervous. I didn’t think they’d put me here.”
Kayla’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? In Mountain Rangers?”
“With… um… you. This squad, I mean.” Jess suddenly appeared to find part of her uniform fascinating.
Thandi caught Kayla’s eye, but she also looked confused.
“What, do we have a bad reputation with the instructors?” Kayla asked, and felt a touch of pride at the thought.
“Oh, it’s all anyone talks about in Ranger school… the battle on Caldera I mean.” Jess fixed her eyes back down on the thread she was pulling on her shirt. She looked like she wanted to crawl away and hide. “Is it true you beat up Allana Rayker?” she asked suddenly, showing a piece of the reckless confidence Valkyrie had selected her for.
Total silence filled the apartment, and Kayla felt another lash of pain as the memory of that day returned. She pressed her chilled bottle against her forehead and counted to five. Then she pushed forward.
“Do you want me to tell you why they sent you here, Private Hernandez?” Kayla spoke sternly, now that she understood the work that needed to be done.
“Okay.”
“Because an experienced, capable and amazing friend of ours was nearly shot to death in a foreseeable failure of communication and planning.”
Jess swallowed, but said nothing.
“They sent you here because, out of everyone in your graduating class, they thought you were the best. Well, you’re not nearly good enough. Nothing personal—no matter how dedicated you were, you’re still a rookie. Maybe, in a year, if you work hard, and listen to everything you are told by the rest of this squad, you might start to look like a decent Ranger.”
Kayla leaned forward. “But we are very likely to be going back out after Rayker within a month.”
The silence was broken by Ray cracking a bottle open. “Yeah, thanks for lightning the mood, darling.”
Jess’s eyes remained fixed on Kayla, and she nodded slightly.
“Do you want to hear dumb stories, or do you want to get to work?” Kayla demanded.
“I want to work,” Jess said.
“Good. Unfortunately, my uh… schedule appears to be fully booked tomorrow morning, so Ray will take you for a weapon and suit orientation. In the afternoon I’ll take you to our climbing gym and we’ll start on some techniques for vertical movement.”
Jess’s backpack pinged and she looked around in surprise.
“Just sent a document to your tablet,” Kes announced. “It contains everything you need to know about the integrated mapping functions of your helmet’s computer. I expect you to become an expert on chapter one tonight. I will test you at breakfast. It’ll be nice to have someone who won’t screw up like the last asshole who was in charge of our navigation.”
“Questions?” Kayla asked.
“Um, no Lance-Corporal,” Jess said as she started fumbling for her things.
“Then start thinking of some.”
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Prequel (Parts 1 to 16)
1. Rise of a Valkyrie

I moved into my apartment in January, and in all my years of renting this is the first time of dealing with hellish neighbors in the unit above me.
Music would be blaring throughout the night on weeknights 3-4 times a week up until 4 am. I tried to discuss this with them personally twice to no avail. After that didn’t go well, I reported it to the complex. Almost immediately to that complaint, the manager said that she spoke to them and was told that they weren’t playing music and that I must be hearing wrong, or must be someone else. (That was a lie, because when I spoke to the neighbors trying to handle it privately, they had admitted to playing music, they just didn’t care to do anything about it.)
I pressed the complaint further a different time when I had proof to show the complex it was in fact them. The apartment manager stated I should send in more video evidence. Despite doing so, nothing was done from their end after several complaints and recordings. I would hardly get a email response back and she seemingly was never in the office when I called or tried to stop by. After several weeks, I could not stand it any more decided to call in a noise complaint to the police at midnight on a Tuesday. Ever since then, they have purposefully stomped, jumped, slammed doors, etc. which was clear because they never did those things prior to the complaint. After reporting to the apartment complex several times again with details and videos, she stated that it sounded normal, even though it was clearly apparent that it was not of the ordinary. In no way shape or form is banging on the walls, stomping in one spot or jumping a normal occurrence. It was an uphill battle, and after some time I gave up. I’ve been trying to ignore it as best as I could seeing that nothing was addressed, yet I was miserable. I was hoping things would blow over and they would stop, but it just continued for several more weeks.
Last night was the last straw. Like many times previously, they decided to make sounds but lately it’s between the hours of midnight until 5 AM and I lose decent sleep because of it. At 3:15 AM, a large thud jolted me awake, as if someone dropped a large dumbbell from a considerable height onto their bedroom floor, twice (minutes apart) while also walking in heavy footed stomping around the room for 45 minutes non stop. This same particular sound has happened at the exact time frame 4 times already previously, which each time I could not fall back asleep to. This simply was no accident and was clearly with intent and I was so tired of losing sleep. I immediately reached out to the complex once again this morning. I didn’t have the actual recording of the weight dropping because it only lasts several seconds at a time, yet it is so loud it reverberates through the ceiling. I explained the situation and I sent an evidence of the log I made with the time stamp on my iPhone. The manager followed up by telling me that she called them and he told her that he only “got up to use the restroom” for 3 minutes last night, and maybe that’s what I heard. I was very clear in my thinking when I was woken up, it occurred for almost an hour and was limited to the space in the bedroom above me. Almost minutes after receiving her email further denying my claim once again, they started pounding on the walls really really hard. I was able to record that and I sent it and asked her to explain that, because that is exactly the type of harassment I was talking about. She completely ignored the response and said that I could move to a more expensive unit by several hundred dollars a month as my only option. It’s a huge inconvenience to me to pack up my things and move again (by next week, mind you was the only time frame given) and yet that was the only solution she could offer. Her lack of concern has given me no reason to want to move to another unit whatsoever. It is now crystal clear nothing is ever going to be done to address these people above me. I am honestly regretting even thinking they would finally take action because now ever since this morning, their noise has been exacerbated greatly. All day it has been legit jumping from room to room, throwing heavy stuff on the floors, still banging the walls, you name it. I’ve recorded it all, but I don’t even know where to go from here. I could call the police again, but I assume they might just tell me that this is a courts issue. Has anyone had any similar issues, if so did you find a solution? It would cost me $5000 to terminate my lease, but I would still have to give a 2 months notice. Is it even worth pursuing this in court? I’m wondering if that is the cheapest/ easiest option to get out of this mess by cutting my losses by paying to terminate it, or if this would hold merit in court.

We have been preappreoved for $1,060,000 using the equity in our first home but have been advised by our broker our absolute maximum purchase is $1,000,000 with the remainder being used for stamp duty and other fees. We'd rather keep our savings intact for moving costs and incase of a rainy day.
We saw this beautiful 3 bedroom home in Melbourne advertised on Domain for 890-940k that went to auction last week. Seeing as the price range was 60k under our limit we thought we had a real shot at it, so we organised the building and pest inspection and I flew my wife down from Brisbane for the auction.
It was a quick auction and the bidding reached $1,010,000 in about 15 seconds then fizzled out. The auctioneer took a quick break to talk to the vendors as it wasn't even "on market" yet, we cracked the shits and left during the break. We understood it was likely we would be out bid and didn't think the house is worth much more than $1,000,000 but the fact that it was advertised so far under market that it gave us a false sense of hope which led us to wasting about $1500 in inspections, flights and accommodation when we didn't even have a chance had me seeing red. How is this even legal? If the house was listed at what the vendors wanted, we wouldn't have even bothered because it's obviously out of our price range.
To add to the whole ick factor of the night I had some slimy Real Estate Agent appear next to me in the middle of bidding and start whispering in my ear "come on, can you do $1,015,000? It's a beautiful house, houses like this don't come up often. What about $1,012,500?". Bro, I just told you our limit is $1,000,000. How do you expect me to magically summon an extra 15k just like that?
We left with a bad taste in our mouth and to add insult to injury, the house has been relisted for $940-990k with a new auction date at the end of this month. I'm assuming the vendors still have a reserve price or whatever over $1,010,000
We've been looking at houses in the mid 900k price range, but I guess we're going to have to drop that by about 100k so we might actually have a shot of reaching market.