At a bit of a loss here. Had a well-rated HVAC company come by for a diagnostic on why my registers upstairs (3) had very little airflow. 1978 1000sq/ft townhome. Five registers downstairs with a return on each level (ceiling on 1st, floor on second). He poked his head in the attic and then messed with the furnace a bit and told me there wasn't anything that could be done. According to him, the ducts needed a full replacement. Something about the furnace blowing air down into the crawlspace and then it needing to go all the way back up, and poor design in general. A "down-system" when it should have been an "up-system" or something.
I don't disbelieve him (or more accurately I don't know any better) but he quoted 12k for a full replacement with flex duct. He also suggested doing a duel-zone mini-split instead, but I don't think I can get HOA approval to run anything up the walls to the upper story and it was $13k.
Does what he said make sense?
On top of it, I have a 5y/o 2 ton compressor and 3 ton furnace, which another tech told me is very likely oversized and the cause of my mild humidity issues. The AC can turn my downstairs into an icebox in minutes and then yoyos every 5-10.
I was planning on having my attic air-sealed and re-insulated since it's really low and I'm sure that's not helping, but do I still bother? What do I do now?

I'm a first time homeowner and have been told my AC needs to be fully replaced. This wasn't unexpected as we were aware the unit was extremely old when we bought the house 3 years ago. However, I truly do not know where to start when it comes to replacing this. Should I do research on what model I want first and then look into hiring someone to replace it? Should I have several companies come over to give me quotes? I don't want to get ripped off on something that I'll have for many years, but I'm at a loss. When I've tried to google this question, I'm getting nothing. Also, I live in Orlando, Florida so AC is extremely important (heat not so much). Thank you for any advice!!!

Good afternoon anybody, somebody, nobody, & everybody
all evidence DM ME
My name is Jain Kunwar
I am a retail trader for 3.5 years.
I am not an ape, I am not an institutional investor, I am not a hedge fund.
Nor do I have any clients.
I do not provide personalised investment advice for fees or commissions or tax purposes.
I'm just an individual investor who did my own research like Detective Columbo/Pikachu.
I come from a broken family, I have been to prison, I have been homeless even at 15 for many years.
I am not a good person, but I am seeking salvation from God.
I been doing Heroin since the age of 13, sober 8 years since the day I pleaded out to God in Merton station London at 1 am asking God to save me.
Which I believe in myself he did because shortly…….
Soon after, I went prison by confessing all my crimes and the judge let me run it concurrently for being honest that I need help and I had no foundation and healed a bit moving forwards in life.
I was born on May 10th, 1994, in Nepal Butwal. Home of the Gurkhas
I came to England 2002 November & have lived here since.
I class my self as Asian British A9
I have been repenting for my sins happily, paying off my debts and learning to be a good human being for I was a sinner till I met Jesus in Church of England.
My one and only father Jesus.
I have been following and invested in Game stop for a long time.
I started educating myself about the stock market since then.
I have been buying shares of GameStop Since 2021 But since 2021 June been incurring losses through market manipulation techniques I.E.
I had been denied withdrawals/ buying or selling options, leveraging options from Capital.NLY

Which incurred me 6 Grand losses on June 2021 and God knows how much/many other investors BIG or small in all exchanges that this effected.
I also have evidence of numerous times the trading app has halted its trade for more then 30 minutes to an hour in a single day! But for these I have videos more then images
I am happy to hand it over if you tell me where to send it.
They kept ignoring me until a month ago in May the 10^th 2024 will touch base here later(miracle)
I have what’s app records of me trying to make complaints throughout the years with no redemption or straight answers.
I once spoke to an employee male & female one said, “We are experiencing some technical difficulties” this was about 1-2 years ago.
The Craziest thing was the ticker was moving in other exchanges just not in the one I was trading from.
Once it didn’t even open for 1.5 hours when it was open everywhere else
It finally opened at 10:49 how I know? I experienced this.
Under the FCA regulations all registered Trading Companies have a duty to protect investors from glitches and “technical difficulties”
Which They failed to do so for me I speak for myself and only what I have experienced.
The company even has glitched my leveraging system of 5-1 which was the setting since joining the company.
where, even if you pick 5-1 you only receive 2-1.
I have evidence of this as well & it’s not the first time either.
I know this has been done 100x of times if you take a Deeper Dive in the company’s own trading platform.
You won’t be able to find in other exchanges as other exchanges are working well so you cannot see the reason as its all “inter- linked”.
“Inter-linked “exchanges one falls apart whilst others are moving causing direct market manipulation.
Quoting blade runner “inter-linked”


Since then, I have been sent death threats anonymously.
Which also I can prove It was sent by him by connecting some dots with you
I met the owner in Wembley stadium in Corporate Box I was invited by Mr Stephen O
He contacted me and invited me to his corporate box on 8/6/24 I went there to find clarity as hackers have been going through my phones and social media with death threats.
Currently he is getting his hackers to find out where my siblings are and such as those are the type of questions I am getting in my social media platforms.
I call it phsing, smishing and vhising all 3 were used on my network.
Using carefully relaying questions in segment to build a definitive answer by narrowing down the wrong answers.
Like how it asks me what horoscope I am, Questions like use your initials to create a Japanese name.
Narrowing down an answer what every analytical mind would do.
I have been going through this since May 10^th after he contacted me.
I have said my name is J to every one of these questions should be in my social media history.
Notice how it says JJ DEAD MAN COVER
i.e
Notice how I met the Owner at 8/6/24 1 pm corporate box …there are plenty cameras there.
I like to be clear here I do not know this person or have his number for him to be coming to my social media as people “whom I know”.
I believe it was the vhising technique of his goons on hire you can see my history for the past month in call history I been getting scam calls left right and centre.
I will also give a copy of screen recording on request.
Then I went home and put a video of his trading app chart not moving like other exchanges for example having a 1-minute ticker symbol does not move for 30 minutes in graph line on my social media suddenly,
I see a people “whom you might know” soon after I posted the video.
I only went to the corporate box because he told me he has over 300 people retail traders coming which I was the only retail there apart from 5 millionaires 4 of which I believe they own the company only speculation whom others are currently.
But I felt an eerily vibe So I did not eat their food or take their hospitality which was probably funded by investors like me getting robbed blind because he thought no one would notice.
I also met a man there I spoke to him he told me His trading account was transferred to their platform.
The clue is there which accounts have been moved without consent or choice?
He will plan to bring all in one to have more control and doing this also erases all traces of manipulation in the trading platform it moved from a very sly way to delete history.
Should not affect me though I joined capital.com ticker symbol. NLY as my first and only trading app.
I have lost all history of my trade’s funds and even portfolios deleted without notice of consent why is he observing my account and why is he deleting everything without my consent? He knows he did me wrong that’s why because he uses capital.com to manipulate the market into his interest.
I can identify all 4 of them even though I only spoke to Mr S.O over the phone and only know their name.
I ended up being the only retail trader there, A poor man in a Billionaires Club
So out of place
I just can’t figure out why, Can you?
The ticker symbol has to be moving according to the time even if the price does not fluctuate the time has to keep moving like kinetic energy.
It has to be moving unless halted which can be only 35 minutes per day but I have counted over 1 hour gone in some days


I have been through mental trauma with hackers trying to hypnotize me with flashing lights and other spiral colour techniques mind you.
I am an epileptic which I grew out of when I was 15 which is highly reactive to epileptic people.
Miracle indeed, as many don't, certainly not after adult hood.

Also, they have tried to ask me questions to figure out whom I am on my social media,
I got closer to their crimes and my truth and they wanted to know what I know or make me join them as per the invitation I believe bribing me to survive another few years maybe?
Hope you Enjoyed the Corporate box Kenny it was from the money you stole from me!
Steal from the poor how dare you?
pushing pornographic and other Hypno/flashing light techniques to my social media platforms
also using racial harassment by calling me Paki Psycho
At least get the country right! Originally from Nepal BITCH Gurkhas Salute!
We both know whom we are now S.O
Which over the past 3 years have also caused me to lose everything…..
money, love, joy, sanity & dreams.
I have been Robbed constantly from these techniques they use also the withdrawal rejection from 10000 to even 100 this was very recently too. Have some images to reference this too.
I log almost everything I do.
That’s just how I found healing/clarity by writing it down.
I spoke to a person named Emma who told me to withdraw,
I have to show all my cards even the bank card “HSBC” which was bankrupt and stopped without consent.
Jokes on them I still had it Q.Q ahahaaha even after I showed them it didn’t work.
Until 3 days later after I lost 65% of my investment.
I like to point out, I mentioned to HSBC many times I am currently struggling and am willing to pay in an instalment plan.
What I can because I did not want my account to close ever as it would effect my credit score most indefinitely.
Also, the weirdest request was they asked me to show them a picture of the different Barclays Cards I have with the same account number.
saying it must be the same card but it’s the same account number same card basically so why?
I replied, I put the money from my apple pay send it back to my apple pay card he said please send us an email of all your cards indirectly refusing to let me withdraw whilst I am in profit.

So, I sent them by email which I should have on my email “for reference”.
He also mentioned he will be my account manager and watch my account after the first time he called me because I am a “premium” account.
I still am a premium account with minimum 5-1 leveraging glitched to 2-1 with only 400 pounds left in my account and still watches where and when as my judgement has been good when to buy.
Buy low sell high! Or just hold but I couldn’t do any of these.
I believe it took him this long for many years the issue was my real name and my social media are not the same people.
As I do not have a social media account anywhere with my real name.

He started taking control of my account and portfolios since the day he contacted me on 2024 May 5-15 around the same time I started losing again drastically.
Unfortunately, I cannot provide you how much money I had made in profits or losses because “My account manager of a premium account less then 50 grand had deleted all my portfolios and trade history to clear his name”.
My account portfolio was called Bullish-CFD
Glory CFD and 3 gbps cfds I ended up with one named GBP usd
How the name changed I do not know
I suspect he closed my shared and opened it in a different portfolio causing 8888 amc share sale in my account 1112 GME shares.
As these most of these shares were bought months ago which I believe he has to pay for borrowing he doesn’t have to pay if it was new trades, I suspect this happened here.
Why else would I not the Portfolio I had designated names on.
This can also explain why my trade history has been wiped.
I did not do this I did not consent this nor was I notified.
Let me make this clear I do not have any controls or jurisdiction to wipe my history of trades if you could compare with other users to see if they have been wiped out and why it has been wiped out as its detrimental for Securities Agency to have correct data of everything that is going on with trading exchanges.
Which makes me believe more in the investment of AMC & GME.
I also believe Mr S.O prior to 2 years ago before all these new rules started coming, he was using his trading account to artificially increase profits by making a profit/gain.
I.E you open a position in a stock that is about to split in the market or going through one.
Let’s say its 2 5-1 reverse split now its 10 he made 8 decimal gains instead of changing the shares according to the split.
This crime trick he used to manipulate the market ended when sundial went for a share split reverse.
I came to realise this when I ventured in a demo account, and it worked but I didn’t do it with real money as that is not the right way.
I am trying to be good doing it the right way.

I have worked physically demanding jobs for many years working 6 days -7 days per week doing 55-65 hours per week, killed my joy in life and even went without food to invest in this company as I believe in the Company board, company outlook and company fundamentals all 3 checks out as a great investment to my eyes a hat trick to a quad trick now.
Putting money in it almost every month in the past 3-4 years.
My journey ends here with my Losses from market manipulation but I will reveal the truth!!!
They have robbed us again and again even the government has been robbed.
just for their benefit ruined many people’s lives all over the world.
Especially now that the company managed to be stable and grow profits.
But the issue here is not my losses it’s the market manipulation.
the company is doing all they can to not close their losing trade which is the
THE BOX everyone is talking about, but no one is knowing about somebody may know though.
Maybe investigate their wives’ accounts and you might find it on a marginal line red line in this account.
The blonde lady. Wearing navy blue jeans. Bingo!
Mr Stephen O has tried bribing me in social media sending women over my home to seduce me but my dog did her job right! And sensed the intentions I know this because I had a media pushed through my social media saying do you want me to send you two women to seduce me in hiding his criminal behaviours but this is not about me
He has robbed millions of people .

I have evidence of this as well to turn it in his favour as I believe he is short on GameStop which is a direct Conflict of interest “the reasons why I am been having these trading technical issues “
Trying to turn you into a gambler not investor! By taking away the withdraw, buy or sell!!!
You see,
The universe spoke to me, and I am becoming the voice for everybody who are being robbed by this man.
Call it a sign, a cohencidence or just dumb luck!
I am not a messiah though I just uncovered the truth!
2 weeks before my birthday on May 10^th,, a stray kitten gave birth to 4 kittens and left only one behind. The squeeze began on my Birthday no fucking way!!!!!!!!
I/we have since, been taking care of her.
Meet My Newborn Kitten.

At 2 weeks old.

I also have a conspiracy theory on this as an attempt to harm my kitten.
To destroy me and make me stop trading.
I have frozen the medication Dr Elliot not a regular vet from that practice.
Well not the ones we see anyways 2 out 3 times.
My kitten was very ill shortly after taking the medication was also recommended to euthanised my kitten.
If you see her now you won’t believe why they would ever recommend this.
Of course, I argued and took control of the situation and saved her.
When I am back on my feet, I am going to a professional to check it out completely.
I like to remind you I already have a dog in this house for that cat to dare to come in my yard and give birth its like it was meant to be here cats? get it?
She is about 2.2 times her size now! Growing strong !!! just like GAMESTOP
CANT STOP WONT STOP GAME STOP
In Jesus name can I get AMEN!
b4 I continue...
I currently work as a civil engineer and am on the quest to turn my life around in my Pursuit of Happiness.
Thank heavens as I do not even hold a GCSE another miracle!
That I have this job.
I am a troubled child, but I still have dreams... of making it in life.
Which is providing my future wife and kids with everything I did not receive,
love, attention, guidance and more importantly a home they can sleep comfortably knowing they will have a place to sleep again tomorrow.
But I do not blame anyone as it was a first time for everyone being a father... a mother...even me a son just as guilty.
But I want you to keep reading this story… as it is very important if you have lost in the stock market as there are many other stocks that are missing in chart it was probably getting diluted for someone’s benefit to maybe stabilise their losing trading account.
I get the desperation that’s how I felt scrounging, borrowing money when I felt like I was about to be margin called totally human reaction.
The way he gained the money to stabilise it was totally criminal though.
I feel like he is digging himself a bigger and bigger hole and that hole is up some skunks arse hole by now.
I also like to point out Mr S.O has notified me that capital is a British company, but I have seen it being registered in the state of
This is the Final frontier.

My judgement was clouded by addiction made me do bad things...
I apologise to everyone I caused harm/inconvenience in the past and now.
I really am.
From the bottom of my heart.
my actions were clouded by addiction it took me more than a decade to defeat my heroin addiction.
At this sober state, now If you ask me anything; I’ll tell you even if it gets me in trouble
without a second thought.
I like to point out through out my columbo detective move I came across various information some even I should not know.
All I’m seeking is justice and peace right now and I hope someone can help me get this as I have proof for most of these speculations.
But I believe Mr S.O has been sending his hackers to feed numbers into my head by keep pushing it into my feed.
Because of this I purposely lost all my trades as I will not participate in insider trading sent by Mr S.O to convict me to silence.
Realising I was being watched by numerous people.
I went into a state of hallucinations, insanity.
It was hard but I crawled back out of the hackers infiltrating my device to corrupt my mind and decisions.
I suffer with anxiety and depression already too and have been suffering further since Mr S.O has called me.
I just didn’t know this before he called me, and all the pieces started to connect.

As this type of speculations and claims are only for the wealthy and privileged.
I know I am neither.
I am a very poor man with no land no inheritance no support.
Everything I earn is from these hands that push tools and this mind that tries to learn investing.
At my day job I give my 110% physically
at home
I work my mind 110% to try being an experienced smart investotrader as I know once I have knowledge and skill, I can make money easily after.
Currently, I am sharpening my day trading skills to further increase my knowledge from investor to a trader.
I earning ends meet living pay-check to pay-check and I will continue doing so to save earn invest and one day have a place, which my future family can call our home proudly safely.
But I still see the deep value in a growing company as the more room for growth the more gains the investment will make.
I learnt this from reading and following great investors of this decade I.E DFV videos of GameStop 3 years ago.
I especially like the one where we roll the 8 ball and just find a random ticker and analyse it you never know what dumb luck can bring you.
A school dropout like me to GameStop and I have learnt more things than I did in my lifetime.
You can learn anything in YouTube now amazing really we should use technology to assist us not work for us I strongly believe not use it for our own personal gain just because you have coders.
If you look through their trading app they chart doesn’t even revert the history into split prices SUPER MANIPULATION.

1 I love the stock/I believe in the stock.
2 the company has board members who doesn’t even get salary.
For this they have my trust of my investment and that they will do everything in their knowledge and power to make this company successful as toys brings “JOY” even to adults.

I kept putting more and more invested in this company, but the stock is being manipulated so it doesn’t work everyone will lose as how the conflict-of-interest person wants it he has survived until now because of this but there were no major leads of this I believe.
[Again, I am here to speak about GameStop and the TRUTH]()
I still see GameStop as a great investment.
The company survived Covid 19, also is profitable and stable currently.
With all the current market price fluctuations
Also the price has not dropped below 40! pre split price.
which further strengthens my speculation,
I currently own only 18 shares of GameStop I did have over a thousand.
But the company owners of; Capital.com ticker symbol NLY.
Have done everything they can to make me lose a winning investment.
They took my buy button my sell button and even stopped trading for more than 30 mins and hid it from none trading eyes in the bigger picture.
He also took my shares and diluted it I have incurred about 61 grand losses from my history of trading because of these market manipulation techniques over the past 3-4 years.
I as an investor a client of capital trading app was not treated fairly.
1 Even when I have raised complaints numerous time over the past 3-4 years was shrugged off because I am just well a NOBODY.
I call it a poor man's privileges.
2 Under FCA regulations Glitches or technical failures that cause financial harm to customers is a breach of this rule.
3 I am formally writing a complaint here and raising awareness with evidence of market manipulation!
would like support regarding the Law side of things and what i can recover from being ridiculed and robbed.
Using my food & leisure money to invest in this company.
I sacrificed my Joy for this investment with my hard earned money by working 50-60 hours a week labour 52 weeks per year non stop you can check my work rota records sometimes even 70 per week in physically demanding jobs.
1He has sent me Death threats today of what I am revealing now since meeting him in Wembley Stadium 8/6/26 (have a image of sending me death threats after meeting him today using paid hackers)
1 3/half weeks ago he called me to say I am in a premium account there are 300 of you and I would like to invite you to meet him today
which was really weird why is he putting my account on premium and saying He is going to look after it I am retail trader I have barely any money in account!
and deleted all my portfolio and trade history everything wiped clean!
+I suspect this was getting rid of evidence as I am right at the heart of the Griffin
I know why he took ownership from me without my consent and sold it without me knowing by derivatives and decreased the market value for his personal benefits.
Because he is already manipulating using this trading platform to control the prices elsewhere.
I have evidence of this you can only see it just DM me
if you look at the charts in their trading platform you can see it yourself to say it’s not photo shop.
no one else can notice it if you are not using the same app!!
+
2 Mr Stephen and his goons have been manipulating the stock since gamestop! 2021
+prior to 2 years ago his app would increase profits even from a split share!
I came across this information on 2022 You should recheck all files that are linked to him and splitting shares tickers as he has robbed them blind too.
I was the only retail investor, there alongside his corporate buddies which I am happy to identify and stand as witness.
I felt safe though as I don't even Fear the Darkest Night as I always walked by faith and believed in God has a purpose for me too..
A nobody like me maybe could be somebody one day!

(all hail great DFV) got to pay your respects !
I learnt trading since 2021
“Once there was a farmer who sold a pound of butter to a baker every week.
After several weeks of purchasing butter from the farmer the baker decided to weigh it. To insure it was indeed a full pound.
When he weighed it, he discovered the butter felt short of a pound which enraged him and made him feel cheated and decided to take the farmer to court.
The judge asked the farmer what his method is of weighing the butter.
the farmer replied “your honour, I am poor I do not own any exact measuring tool.
How ever I do have a Scale.
The judge then inquired if the farmer uses the scale to measure the butter the farmer explained.
“Your honour I have been buying a 1 pound of loaf from the baker Long before he began purchasing butter from me,
When ever he brings the bread, I place it on the scale and measure out the same weight to give him in return.
So, if the baker is not receiving a pound of butter he is also not delivering a pound of bread as promised.
The moral you get what you give if you try to cheat others of what they promised them.
You will be cheated in return.

KARMA IS REAL AND KARMA WILL PUNISH ALL OF YOU WILL GO PRISON

Sometimes success is merely hanging on when others would let go. It's not doing anything spectacular or out of the ordinary, not leaping a mile or jumping over a mountain, but simply carrying on. Thomas Edison has a famous quote that's really stuck with me over the years he says, "many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." How close they were to the Finish Line when they turned their back and said it wasn't worth it.
It's a really interesting thing to grasp, success is seeing what others can't. It's believing when others don't. It's taking the abstract within, those Visions, those pictures in your head, the make-believe and finding the courage to make it real, to bring those things to life. It's a constantly evolving process and it grows a little bit every single day.
Sometimes we feel that progress, we feel the momentum when we do something big, it's exciting. And sometimes the progress feels small. Then there are those times when we get knocked down and we don't see it at all. We feel like because we weren't validated, that we lost, that we failed, that it wasn't enough. We forget that it's part of the process, that progress is a journey and it goes when you go and it stops when you stop.
Just like that famous Dalai Lama quote, "the only way to fail is to quit." No one ever stops because they can't. They stopped because they decide to. They stopped because they see that huge mountain and they think that's impossible. They forget that it's only made of little rocks. They stop because they get so disheartened by the distance of the finish line that they forget it only takes a collection of little steps to get there. You don't have to leap the entire distance.
You know I've been there, this is me speaking from experience it took me years to figure just a little of it out and even now life is rapidly evolving. I've poured my heart into things that let's be honest, no one cared about. I've invested in opportunities that fell apart right in front of me. Each time it felt like the end of the world.
I've been lost. I've been unsure. I've gotten up after things didn't go as planned and felt like a loser. I've had to look at myself in the mirror and pick myself back up off the floor, but there's one thing that I kept doing, that I never thought twice about, and that's continuing on.
Whether life lifted me up or it beat me down my plan for tomorrow was always the same. Get up and try again. Keep going! And as I sat down this morning with my pen and a piece of paper and I thought, what's the one thing I would want to be told if I started out again, what's the one thing that my people need to hear most? And it's simple- just keep going.
Keep taking steps, because one day the world will start to make sense and you'll look around and you will be thankful for one thing, the fact that when most people would have stopped, you didn't. When the world said no, you said yes.
There's nothing as powerful as a soul that refuses to back down. See, persistence is not an important or an essential thing, it's everything. So to live is to see not what can be lost but what will be gained. Find your light in the darkness even if it's a flicker, even if it's a spark.
Every loss makes you a little tougher. Every instance of sadness uncovers something Beautiful. Every moment of fear teaches you to be a little braver, and every broken heart opens the door to a new connection.
Instead of doubting yourself, or feeling inadequate remember Life starts in those darkest moments. Know that you need to go through what you're going through. You are uncovering the little victories hidden in plain view.
So when the world feels like too much and your patience is thin be stronger than that voice in your head begging you to think small. Stand on every experience, the good and the bad and let it elevate you towards a beautiful tomorrow.
Remember, I love you. Recovery is just the beginning.

I'm sorry in advance for the length, but this is a multifaceted problem a year in the making.
A year ago I had a problem that pretty much could be solved by changing the Cam Position Sensor. I specifically asked them "Hey, I'm only misfiring when I'm coasting with a slight decel at highway speed. It goes away on restart. Is this possibly an issue with the VVT system, or a bad signal being sent to the ECM"?
No, of course it can't be. No, the entire engine is apparently unrepairable and must be replaced.
Quoted $50k. I was able to find a reman unit for 13k and they agreed to install it for $5k (half labor rate, which clearly created issues I'll get to later).
So I replaced it with a reman unit (the supplier took it, remanufactured it, and sold it within a week, so clearly that was some bs, but what ever). After 4 months of waiting (all parts were delivered long ago), I finally get on their case. Magically after raising some hell with the brand's corporate office (or what ever you call the manufacturer) and the Franchiser, the new engine gets put in within a week (Which makes me highly doubt the Engine was unfixable but what ever). Ok cool. Immediatly get lights, take it back and they forgot to secure the intake. What ever no biggie... nope, misfire on the same cylinders under the same conditions. Sparkplugs, ingnition coils, fuel pumps, all changed. Nothing. Little ideas that keep adding up out of pocket.
"Ok, it must be the timing being completely off after 200 miles, lets take it appart and see... for $10 grand. Also I think your oil pressure is about 5psi, I used a home made tool to check it" What? This new engine you put in is somehow out of time? The car that just made a 70 mile trip is somehow at 5 psi? I call bs, it wouldnt have made it here. Ok so I take it to a different mechanic after telling them to pound rocks. We do maybe $2k in parts canoning before changing the o2 sensors. That temporarily makes the problem go away. Of course I can only tell them information that the dealer told me, so we arent checking the cams, timing, or VVT system outside of a normal diagnisis that reads "OK".
Fast forward a few months, I'm getting misfires again, same cylinders as before, and now finally a Cam Position Sensor code. And what happens when I pull the sensor? Problem is fixed. Um... wait a minute? That is quite literally what I asked them about. A sensor that is sending bad cam position information, related to the VVT system, thats causing incorrect fuel timing? Yeah, while not word for word, if they took my question seriously they would have noticed this issue.
$300 part. $30,000 in "unecessary repairs".
Yes I should have bailed long ago, but got in way too deep and fell victim to the sunken cost falacy (it started with "the value loss of just selling is about the same as putting in the reman", then spiraled out of control from there. Thats on me. I learned a lesson and will never make that mistake again.
Whats my legal recourse here? Am I able to do anything when I specifically asked them about this, and they just about laughed me out the door, talking about how "that cant be it, that never happens, and our best guy doesnt make mistakes"? Is there any reasonable expectation that a mechanic shouldn't be 10,000% wrong just to push proffits? (I'll add a note about why I strongly believe this is the case).
Why I believe they did this to push proffits:
1: During this process, there were a few OEM parts on long backorders. I ordered aftermarket parts to be delivered to the dealer mechanic. One of these parts magically got checked into inventory, and they tried to resell it to me. I had to fight them about that, because why would a dealership that notoriously does not want you using aftermaket parts, happen to magically stock exactly one of the aftermarket part I bought? (Heck, this came in pairs. Why would they only have half of the pair, while my car has the other half?).
2: They actievely fought me and refused to test drive it until I replaced my wheel bearings that magically went bad while the car was there. They had absolutly no issue when I had the car inspected there before a month prior to the engine problem. Now if they want to make the case that they died while it was left baking in the sun for 4 months while they refused to work on it, thats one thing. But refusing to see if the engine would stop misfiring until I bought new wheel bearings? Yeah that sounds like a forced sale to me. I refused unless they would pay for it, and magically the issue was dropped when I started getting mad at corporate.
3: Their solutions to a new engine having the old engine's issues made no sense. Home made tools with obviously bad readouts justifying a $10k repair that "likley wouldnt fix the problem but might"? How can the oil pressure be at a fraction of normal spec and not be throwing a dozen codes? How did I drive 70 miles to the shop? Theres also no indication the engine is out of time so why would you be suggesting that for a random misfire, that can be duplicated using the same conditions, that goes away until put in the same conditions. There should be some expectation that when they put the new engine in they ensure its timing (and yeah, its not out of time). So that reasoning was stupid enough, they couldnt even explain their reasoning in a convincing way.
And yes, I acknowledge that if my head was blown I needed to atleast get the headgasket replaced, however they did their best to ensure this was described as not an option. That that engine would never be repairable and was destined for the trash bin. If I could have gotten my 2 cylinders of conern remanufactured (4 and 6), and a new headgasket, then replaced this sensor for even just 1/6-1/3 of the cost, how thats still $20-25k in wasted repairs.
This has been a very irritating and expensive lesson in when to just call it quits and not fall victim to the sunken cost fallacy, and have a bit of humility (though admitedly when I was right it makes it a bit harder). I recognize my mistakes and will own them, so if there is infact no oportunity to sue, is there any type of report I can file against them so they cant pull this with anybody else?

First Previous Next
Patreon Official Subreddit Series Wiki Royal Road
Two items — a crystal ball, and a green leather-bound notebook — sat benignly and idly atop of the black-robed professor’s desk.
The camera lingered on them, giving them what most may see as an undeserved moment in the spotlight.
But to those that knew, to the parties invested in this controversy, this little pause and dramatic zoom-in was accompanied by a hair-raising excitement… along with an untempered nervousness for what was to come.
It definitely caused the investigative duo on the other side of the screen some pause for thought; prompting them to stand intently, pondering both the orb and the notebook.
Ilunor, as far as I could tell, was entranced by the green notebook in particular. Though it wasn’t a trance born out of any positive emotion, but instead, one of abject horror.
“Recommended Reading Materials for the Studious Student.” Sorecar announced with a steady breath, prompting Ilunor to visibly flinch in his seat, as the man reached a finger over to point at the hand-scrawled title of the leather-bound notebook. That finger soon found itself carefully manipulating its pages, opening the cover first, before turning over the internal dust-cover to reveal letters and symbols written in High Nexian, but arranged in a manner the EVI simply could not translate.
“Error: Unable to Translate. Cause: Unrecognized and/or unintelligible organization of local script-forms.”
Yet despite this, it seemed as if both Sorecar and the Apprentice were able to draw something from its otherwise senseless pages. As despite being written haphazardly, with letters and pictograms arranged in no meaningful order, they were able to still draw meaning where the EVI couldn’t.
“Within these pages lie materials for the studious student. Materials are to be found within The Library, and are to be retrieved with great haste. May you make swift work of their contents, and may those after you find only ash in your wake. Seek, unlearn, and remove from the grip of the eternal entity, that which was once a gift but is now a curse. Seek, unlearn, and remove; with the fires of your passion, oh studious student.” Sorecar read aloud, managing to read something verbatim from the nonsensical pages of the book.
Ilunor’s eyes were practically glazed over at this point, as he began bringing his cape over across his chest, tucking his legs towards his chin in the process.
“This is it.” The apprentice announced with a half-cracked smile. “Please, keep going. I’m certain your skills of appraisal far exceed my own, Professor.”
Sorecar obliged by flipping the page, turning over to two pages of complete gibberish, once again watermarked by the EVI’s error message; but proving no challenge at all for the ever-inquisitive professor.
“Section One, A Tainted Reality: A Wretched Collection of Historical Affidavits During the Reconciliation and Reformation of Otherwise Lost Realities.” Sorecar paused, before turning towards the apprentice. “It lists an entire section’s worth of books, in titles held within spatial positions with reference to their potentialities within the ever-evolving library.”
Thacea’s features visibly flinched at that revelation, but similar to the apprentice in the footage, she refused to comment. At least not for now. Her eyes however betrayed a look of mild distress, which subsided somewhat as the apprentice urged the armorer to continue.
Which he did, as he flipped from page to page across the relatively small notebook, only pausing to read in between what he interpreted to be different sections and ‘chapters’.
“Section Two. The Unspoken War and the Treacherous Alliance.”
“Section Three. All surviving works from Alaroy Rital.”
The apprentice cocked her head, as if trying to recall some familiarity in that name. “Alaroy Rital.” She repeated. “I don’t recall hearing of such a name before.”
“Well his full name, as far as I recall, and vastly aided by the book is as follows: Alaroy Rital, Lord-Mayor of the Township of the Two Rivers, Slayer of the Dragon of the Grey Canyon, Repeller of the Tainted Blight of the Orsin, Liberator of the Aether, and Grand Master of the Elusian Guild Hall of Adventurers.” Sorecar responded succinctly, prompting the apprentice to once more clench her eyes shut in deep thought, before finally letting out a sigh of defeat.
“The name is both familiar yet foreign at the same time.” She finally admitted.
“As far as I recall, and mind you, my memory of those years are far from perfect… the man was a local hero of sorts. Though his record was besmirched by some controversy or another.” Sorecar offered, prompting the apprentice to finally shrug, giving up on this particular subject matter entirely.
“There are more sections, yes?”
“Correct.”
“Then let’s move on.”
Sorecar nodded promptly at that, flipping the pages over until he hit the next section.
“Section Four. A Sordid Account of the Most Bizarre of Newrealmer Arrivals: A Death By Harmonization and the Ensuing Investigation.”
That immediately got my attention, causing me to jolt forwards, prompting the armor to quickly follow as it automatically switched from the currently active in-armor-postural-readjustment mode, and back into its active configuration.
“Section Five. The Unfortunate Procedures Against Unruly Realms and the Instances in Which Such Procedures Were Incurred.”
The armorer paused after that, not necessarily due to its contents, but as if puzzled by what lay ahead in the next few final pages. In fact, he flipped back and forth between the pages soon after that, treading and retreading what were effectively the last five pages of the book. “There is an appendix which includes titles not covered by these sections, however it will take some time to read through them.”
“That’s enough for now, professor.” The apprentice offered, prompting the man to quickly pull back, closing the notebook with an unsatisfying thump. “We have our glowing wand.” The apprentice surmised. “The oeuvre of works which are no doubt the subject of this grand controversy. Now all we need to find is the contract which ties everything together.”
“I’m assuming you haven’t forgotten about our second item of interest?” Sorecar gestured towards the crystal ball.
“Of course not, professor. However, the fact we’ve found that book implies that we must be close to its dependent article.” The apprentice responded with a renewed sense of urgency, as she began using that same ornate magnifying glass in an attempt to further pick apart each and every nook and cranny of Mal’tory’s desk.
Part of me wanted to make some joke about how this was every unpaid intern’s dream, to be rummaging through your boss’ stuff.
But that part of me was completely buried underneath the confusion and dread that came with the revelations from within that little green book.
I… honestly didn’t know what I was expecting, but I felt like I’d been suckerpunched, with the wind being knocked right out of me from the implications of exactly what had been selectively purged from the library.
It was a struggle to process it all, which more or less made me dull out the more eccentric aspects of the apprentice’s investigation; as she unlocked drawer after drawer, pulling out pile after pile of magical nicknacks and more documents than what was possible from that finite amount of space.
Sorecar was clearly of the same opinion as the rest of us right now however, as he continued obsessing over the book, his hands once more trailing over to inspect its cryptic pages. The man seemed transfixed on the second and third sections in particular, though his featureless visor made it difficult to really pin down what his reactions were.
Yet throughout all of this, it was clear the reactions on the homefront were much, much more animated, as Ilunor was just about ready to pass out from the stress, and Thacea seemed about ready to burst at the seams if her featureless facade was of any indication.
“That was the book.” Ilunor finally chimed out, just as the narration through the recording had died down during the more tepid phase of the apprentice’s investigation. “I know it.”
“I thought your memories when it came to the whole Mal’tory book burning situation was lost, Ilunor?” Thalmin countered.
“It was. I mean, it still is. But I remember parts of that room. I vaguely recall the emergence of a book that I was forced to…” The Vunerian trailed off, as if struggling to piece together words.
“... to sign?” Thalmin offered in a surprisingly helpful tone which stood at odds with how he earlier regarded the Vunerian.
“No. No you imbecil-” The Vunerian paused, realizing his misstep as he backtracked from what would’ve otherwise been an expected response. “That wasn’t a book of binding. It’s not comparable to the yearbook, if that was where your assumptions were leading to, Prince Thalmin.” Ilunor clarified, gripping the armrests of his seat tight between his fingers.
It was about this point in time that I expected Thacea to chime in, to elaborate on the nature of the book with her encyclopedic knowledge on seemingly every aspect of the magical world.
But she didn’t.
Instead, her eyes remained practically glued to the screen, as I realized that whatever had been revealed thus far had hit much, much harder than I could’ve imagined.
Ilunor, as if taking note of this silence, elected to fill in for Thacea. “The book… is an adjacent artifact. It is, as the apprentice has noted, an eclectic oeuvre of works, a list if you will, to be bound to and referenced by a contract and a spell of binding. The book itself isn’t the binding agent, moreso the reference material by which the contract is hinged upon.”
“So what’s with the illegible text? Are they ciphers or some magical equivalent of it?” I gestured once more at the bird’s eye view offered by the drone, and the pages of indecipherable text currently beneath Sorecar’s hands.
“Those are anchor runes, earthrelamer.” Ilunor answered with a frustrated sigh. “It is frustrating to see them for what they are not. Frankly, it’s as if your sight-seers and memory-shards were designed to mimic the world as it is seen through the eyes of a particularly weak-fielded commoner.” The Vunerian went off, venting his frustrations through a rant before finally calming down. “But I digress. Those runes are referred to as anchors for a reason. For tethered to them are akin to pages of text to be openly read and deciphered within the manastreams. Granted, this form of writing is not common; moreso used for the purposes of contracts and other such magical binds.”
“And on the topic of contracts. I’m assuming that the contract… your contract, is what the Apprentice is currently rummaging for?” I gestured towards the screen once more, at the apprentice who was now buried ankle-deep in piles upon piles of books, documents, and an assortment of scrolls that criss-crossed across the room’s mahogany and carpeted floors.
“Unless she’s a complete nitwit, then I’d imagine so, yes.” Ilunor responded with his signature cattiness. “In any case, the fact she’s even trying proves that she’s barely above a fool anyways.” The Vunerian shrugged. “And before you ask, earthrealmer, let me preempt your question. The contract, at least on the professor’s end, has more than likely suffered the same fate as my own. Namely, its existence is more than certain to be dubious at best. What the apprentice will surely find will be nothing more than ash at the bottom of that bottomless drawer. Which… given its sheer size and scale, and the potential inhabitants within its limitless confines, will more than likely result in even ash being difficult if not impossible to find.”
There was… more than one point I wanted to raise with Ilunor’s statements. However, before I could address any of them, the elf in question finally spoke up once more; now surrounded by an entire archive’s worth of documents and nicknacks.
“Nothing.” Larial spoke with a sullen breath, taking a moment to steady herself as she made a point of not sitting on Mal’tory’s chair. “At least nothing that’s relevant to our case.” She continued, resting her palms flat against the green suede of the desk.
“Were you really expecting anything different, Apprentice?” Sorecar countered, having since moved from pondering the pages of the book to now pondering the depths of the crystal ball.
“I’d assumed the damage to the man hadn’t been so severe.” Larial admitted, alluding to something else that drew all of our collective attention. “When I first saw him in the healing ward… he looked… intact. You couldn’t even tell there was anything wrong with him.”
“And yet they called you of all people, to aid in the ritual.” The armorer surmised, with a tone of voice that now more resembled that of a fully fledged Academy Professor. His happy go lucky persona had subsided completely, at least for now, as he addressed Larial in a manner more akin to what I’d expected of the Dean. “You have been around the Academy for long enough to understand that calling upon the aid of apprentices is unprecedented. Which means that despite how things may seem on the surface, that lurking beneath the seemingly calm waters, is a hydrostorm of epic proportions.”
“This entire situation is unprecedented, professor.” Larial countered meekly. “But you are correct. It… must have been desperate if they required the aid of apprentices. I just… cannot fathom the fact that the professors must have…” The apprentice trailed off, her face scrunching up and breaking eye contact with the armorer as if too skittish to broach the next point.
Sorecar didn’t reply, nor did he complete her sentence for her, simply allowing her to recuperate and reorganize her thoughts herself.
“... brought the man back from the brink.” She managed out, offering what was in effect a euphemism that didn’t seem to sit right with the armorer, if his immediate head cock was of any indication.
“That is the only way you can explain the complete loss of a contract.” Sorecar reasoned. “You were hoping to find it, despite knowing well that it, amongst the rest of his contracts, have more than likely gone up in flames.” It was around that point that he walked around behind the desk, and reached down into the drawer the apprentice had been searching in. His arm sank impossibly deep, deeper than what should have been physically possible inside of that small and limited space. After a few moments, the man finally brought his hand back up, holding within it what appeared to be fine specks of ash that he allowed to filter back down into the dark depths of the seemingly bottomless drawer. “And there you have it — ash. Most of it has no doubt already been consumed by the bottom-feeders. However, what remains is enough to account for what is perhaps more contracts than most would form in their lives.”
The man stood back up soon after, before once more taking his place at the front of the desk.
“Well, I believe that answers our prior speculations on Auris Ping’s potential relations, contractual or otherwise, with Professor Mal’tory.” Thalmin growled out, punctuating the moment of silence within the footage; which soon continued with a resonant sigh from the apprentice.
“I guess, in a way, I was trying to find the contract not so much because of my assigned task, but because I wanted to perhaps prove to myself that the situation wasn’t as dire as my intuition leads me to believe. The loss of all these contracts can only mean one thing.” Larial paused, once more trying to find the strength inside of her to face whatever facts were self-evident in this case. “The man was lost.” She finally managed out through a shaky breath. “His soul must have departed from his mortal coil. And yet…”
“... and yet he remains.” Sorecar surmised.
“They must have re-tethered it before I arrived that night.” The apprentice shot back. “But I felt nothing different when they asked me to aid in the mana-channeling processes. This whole situation is just…” She sighed, prompting Sorecar to cock his head.
“Unprecedented?”
“Yes.” The apprentice once more admitted, sinking her face into her hands and taking a moment to process it all, more or less falling into the same camp all of us were currently in. “Moreover, it brings up a very disturbing question.”
“Which is?”
“If his soul was truly untethered, even for a split second… how exactly were they able to retether it? Or more specifically, through what means are they using to permanently retether his soul to his mortal coil?”
This question seemed to cause some level of concern from Sorecar, as his answer soon demonstrated. “There are… ways of doing so that aren’t exclusive to being spellbound to armor.” The man offered under a dour breath. “Especially if the body is… fresh, in a manner of speaking. Though it requires the use of-” He stopped, halting himself from going down what was clearly a darkening path. “I apologize for prompting this rather… dark and dreary subject matter, Apprentice.” Sorecar offered, as that empathetic, kinder side of him returned without much prompting.
“It’s quite alright. It… it needed to be said, if we are to complete this investigation with any degree of professionalism.” The apprentice concluded with a small smile. “Whatever the case may be, it is clear that we are unable to procure the contract through which the perpetrator of the library’s burning was bound. We have, however, undeniable proof of Professor Mal’tory’s involvement with the scandal.” She pointed at the green notebook. “And of course, a potential interloper who may or may not have been a part of this conspiracy; thereby expanding this from a mere Academy matter, to one which could implicate others beyond its walls.” She pointed at the crystal ball. “Have you discovered anything from your observations thus far, Professor?” The apprentice inquired, prompting the man to nod, as he knelt down to eye-level, pondering the orb from desk-height.
“The inherent limitations of the Echovale make it so that it’s near impossible to transcribe anything following the cessation of a communique.” Sorecar began. “Though of course, you knew this, and hoped that because I am perhaps one of the greatest armorers to have ever lived, that I would be able to aid in this impossible endeavor, hmm?” The armorer’s tone of voice had more or less resumed that flighty, happy-go-lucky one I knew him for.
The apprentice, hearing this, could only smile awkwardly in response. “I wouldn’t have put it that… bluntly, professor. But I do indeed have faith in your ability to make the impossible, well… probable, at the least.”
“Hmph! Well, I couldn’t pin a face or a name, but I was able to pin a definite location if that helps.” The man offered.
“Any stray piece of information will help tremendously, professor.”
“The Crownlands.” He answered without a hint of hesitation, prompting the Apprentice to raise both of her brows up high.
“That’s as far as I am able to draw from the residual echoes within the vale.” He tapped at the ball, generating a series of satisfying clinks in the process.
“So the man wasn’t acting alone. Or rather, perhaps he was consulting someone.” The apprentice pondered. “Then again, that final communique could very well be with Lord Lartia—” The apprentice paused, before placing both palms softly across her throat. “—may his soul rest in peaceful slumber.” Following another moment of silence, the apprentice’s hands soon shifted towards the ball. “In any case, if it isn’t Lord Lartia, then who could it possibly be? Maybe we should…” The apprentice suddenly stopped; as if realizing the dangers of diving any deeper into this growing conspiracy. “No.” She quickly corrected herself. “Whatever the case may be, this is probably now completely out of my purview. I was assigned to collect any evidence I deemed to be relevant to recent happenings, and I believe this should suffice.”
“Whatever you believe is best, apprentice.” Sorecar acquiesced, prompting the apprentice to slowly, but surely, pack the archive’s worth of documents, books, and scrolls all back into the drawer using nothing but telekinetic spells.
This left just the crystal ball, and the little green book, both of which the apprentice promptly pocketed into a small pouch, before placing it somewhere beneath her cloak.
“Though on that note…” Sorecar began, pointing towards the apprentice’s cloak. “If I may ask, how do you plan on divvying up these finite pieces of evidence?”
This caught the apprentice off-guard, as her mouth opened, but no response came through.
“Moreover, are you even obligated to hand in this evidence? Or are you only expected to write a report to all parties involved?” Sorecar continued, pressing the matter further, causing the apprentice to stop mid-stride. “Because if primary evidence isn’t explicitly required, might I offer my services as a master forger?” The man spoke with a hint of mischievousness, the duality of the word perhaps translating equally well despite the language barrier.
“I may need to contact my superiors to ask if a… copy will be satisfactory to their needs. I believe not, but… we shall see. In any case, I am due to submit the evidence along with my report no later than the end of next week. As such, this should give me ample time to organize my findings, which is especially convenient given the roster of duties I am expected to cover over the next few days.” The apprentice took a moment to pinch the bridge of her nose, halting her rambles as she steadied herself with a sigh. “But I digress, I believe I will take you up on that offer, Professor Pliska.”
“It would be my pleasure to welcome you into my domain, apprentice.”
The rest of the footage consisted of small talk between the pair, with nothing in particular standing out as the topics being addressed soon turned from high-stakes espionage, and back into faculty banter.
Yet despite that, none of us broke the silence that now dominated the boring trip back. Not even as the footage came to a complete stop, and there was nothing more left to play.
I leaned back against the armor, eliciting a series of creaks from the couch below me, echoing across the high-ceilinged room and disrupting the tentative peace that came with this ominous silence.
“This explains… a lot.” Thalmin offered, finally breaking the silence with a tentative tone of voice. “It explains your contract, and its abrupt cessation.” He continued, turning towards Ilunor. “It explains Mal’tory, or at least, his current lack of public appearances. And it reveals to us exactly what he was trying to hide from you, Emma.” The lupinor eventually turned towards me. “And I think the sections of the library, selectively pruned, are self-explanatory as well.”
“Section four, and section five, at least.” I replied shortly thereafter. “I have no idea who or what Alaroy Rital has to hide in section three, and don’t even get me started on section two, let alone section one.” It was at that point that I turned towards Thacea, who let out a sharp exhale upon me bringing up section one.
“The removal of all information relevant to… and I quote — Tainted Realities — speaks volumes to the inherent fears of the Nexus. Though I know not what specifically they may fear from your discovery of its deep and now-lost lore.” Thacea offered through a pensive gaze. “There are many rumors, legends that come with the phrase Tainted Reality. Though most are mythical; epics of long lost eras that dwell between the blurry line that exists between history and legend. Perhaps the records within the library were pieces of irrefutable evidence that would’ve shed light on this nebulous subject matter. But even so… that begs the question… why? Why would they hide what is effectively a non-issue when it comes to your discovery of its lore? Taint, and more specifically, the concept of a Tainted Reality, is something that is inconsequential in the contemporary world. Its history, even if it proves to be true, is neither a disruptive political element, nor a practical tool for war, that could be used in countering the Nexus.” The avinor’s explanations were clear, concise, and yet they belied something personal that she clearly wasn’t broaching.
And I wasn’t about to dig either, not when this topic very clearly hit close to home for her.
“This leaves the second subject matter then.” I offered, giving the avinor an off-ramp towards a potentially more palatable topic.
“The Unspoken War and the Treacherous Alliance?”
“Correct.” I nodded.
“That… I have no knowledge of.” The avinor admitted, prompting me to turn to both the lupinor and the Vunerian for answers.
“Don’t look at me, earthrealmer, I’m the one who lost all memories on the subject, remember?” Ilunor countered.
“I’m afraid I’m as in the dark as you are on this one, Emma.” Thalmin replied with a loud huff, leaving me with perhaps more questions than answers at this point.
“Right then.” I nodded. “Well, regardless, as disquieting, confusing, and disturbing as these revelations have been, they are exactly that — revelations.” I took a moment to stand up, resting both hands on my hips, as if adopting Ilunor’s more theatrical approach to things. “We started today off with no intel on Mal’tory, with no idea how we were going to complete The Library’s Seekership questline, and no knowledge on exactly where we stood in this game. We’re ending today off with a firm grasp on exactly what we need to do, what exactly was scorched in the library, and a tentative understanding on Mal’tory’s fate. I’d say that’s an incredible step forward, even if the answers we now have are leading to even more questions.”
“Reality is often filled with disturbing truths, but only when we acknowledge them, can we act to change them.” Thacea offered.
“Here here!” Thalmin reaffirmed through a firm stomp, standing up tall and ready.
“While certain revelations come as disappointments… namely the survival of Professor Mal’tory… it is indeed somewhat satisfying to hear that the man is at the very least suffering for his actions.” The little thing spoke maliciously, as he too stood up. This prompted a look of worry to form amidst all three of us, but instead of reacting accordingly, he instead displayed an expression of confusion. “What? The man was a monster! He actively antagonized not only me, but this entire group! Surely you also feel at least some sense of satisfaction at the consequences of his actions catching up to him!”
“The delight in an enemy’s defeat, best comes from the resistance of the blade against his body. Not from the suffering incurred from happenstance.” Thalmin countered, whilst Thacea and I refused to entertain that line of thought, as I quickly placed a palm across my forehead, bonking it once again in the process.
“Right, well, here’s the game plan. We now have a clear target to complete our first objective — the notebook. We grab that, hand it in to the library, and presto, we accomplish the Seekership questline. Now comes the difficult part… how exactly do we do that?” I turned to the group, as offers and suggestions finally came flying in.
“Take advantage of your life debt?” Ilunor offered.
“I wouldn’t take advantage of that card just yet, Ilunor. Not if we have other options.” Thacea countered.
“What if we steal it?” Thalmin proposed.
“Thievery isn’t a diplomatic approach, Thalmin.” Thacea shot back with a glare.
“Well, Emma here was able to grapple her way, through manaless means, across the outside of the castle towards the apprentice whilst she was in the medical wing. I’m sure we can pull something else off in a similar capacity!” The lupinor countered.
“No, Thalmin. As much as I would like to try, I believe it might be best if we try a more diplomatic approach.” I offered, prompting the three to cock their heads.
“We could just ask, right?”
First Previous Next
​
(Author’s Note: And there we have it! The first step towards the completion of the Library's questline! We've found exactly what we were looking for, the list of books that were ordered to be put to the dragon flame by Mal'tory. With that being said however, a new series of questions arises... exactly why were these books targeted in particular? Moreover, what exactly was lost as a result? These questions and more will continue to linger in the back the gangs' minds as we push forward! Especially as we now find ourselves in the midst of another conundrum, exactly how are we going to get the book to the library! Regardless, this is still a massive step forward, and one that will surely bring Emma and Ilunor closer towards addressing the first phase of their intertwined fates with the library! I hope you guys enjoy! :D The next Two Chapters are already up on Patreon if you guys are interested in getting early access to future chapters!)
[If you guys want to help support me and these stories, here's my ko-fi ! And my Patreon for early chapter releases (Chapter 84 and Chapter 85 of this story is already out on there!)]

Imagine all the applications and implications of this patent.
Here is a summary of the US patent by Chat GPT below:
US patent US8606819B2 is titled "Method and System for Generating Automated Trade Execution Orders in a Stock Exchange." It describes a system and method for automatically generating trade execution orders in a stock exchange based on predefined trading rules and conditions.
The patent outlines a computer-implemented method where trading rules and conditions are input into a trading system. This system monitors market data and executes trade orders automatically when predefined conditions are met. The method includes steps such as receiving market data, applying trading rules to the market data, generating trade orders based on the rules, and sending the trade orders for execution.
Potential applications of this technology in the market include:

1. Algorithmic Trading: The patent is relevant to algorithmic trading systems that automate trade execution based on predefined strategies. It can be used by institutional investors, hedge funds, and other market participants to execute trades efficiently and at high speeds.
2. Risk Management: Automated trade execution systems can incorporate risk management parameters to control exposure and mitigate potential losses. The technology described in the patent can help in implementing such risk management strategies.
3. Market Making: Market makers can use automated systems to continuously quote bid and ask prices and execute trades based on predefined algorithms. This improves liquidity in the market and enhances market efficiency.
4. High-Frequency Trading (HFT): The system described in the patent is relevant to high-frequency trading strategies where trades are executed at very high speeds based on algorithmic rules. It enables rapid decision-making and execution in fast-paced trading environments.
5. Trade Automation: Individual traders or investment firms can use this technology to automate their trading strategies, reducing manual intervention and improving execution efficiency.

Overall, the patent US8606819B2 represents a technological advancement in automated trade execution systems, with applications across various segments of the financial markets, including algorithmic trading, risk management, market making, high-frequency trading, and trade automation.
Just think about it. Is this considered fair trading? Well, I guess some people think it is considering that the patent was granted. Right?
Fact of the matter is that "The patent grant confers “the right to exclude others from making, using, offering for sale, or selling the invention throughout the United States or importing the invention into the United States."
How fair is that in the context of a public stock market?

Hello guys. I'm not a native speaker, so sorry in advance.
1 year ago, I wasn't able to to leave the house. I've had all physical symptoms of anxiety such as air hunger (shortness of breath), hearth palpilatioms, dizziness (worst one), lump feeling in throat, panic attacks, health anxiety, appetite loss, waking up in the middle of the sleep, struggling falling sleep, breathing problems during sleep, being afraid of litrally everything (going out, eating something etc.)
Now I'm completely a new person (Actually I am who I was before anxiety ruined it :)))
I've suffered from heavy anxiety for 8-9 months. A total waste of time, literally.
Heres the things that helped me the most;
1- Working out. I work out 3-4 times a week (weight lifting). It had/has amazing impacts both in my physical health and mental health. I wanna share a quote from my country's founder, Atatürk (who is an amazing person); "A healthy mind is in healthy body"
2- Getting out of your comfort zone. This is so important. But don't forget that you'll feel terrible at first once you leave your comfort zone. You'll regret and %100 want to go back. But once you resist the urge of turning back, and stay out of your comfort zone, you'll become a completely new person. Anxiety will start being afraid of you at this point :)
3- Studying, keeping mind busy, challenging you brain. For example learning a new language, solving problems, learning a new instrument etc. Do things that challenge your brain, everyday. Our brains actually hate that because it wants comfort. But if our brain keep staying in comfort it will start losing it neural connections. Whenever I regularly learn new things, I always feel happier and more social, less anxious and less depressed. Idk the exact science behind this.
4- Keeping a xanax beside me is helped me a lot. I don't even use it, I just keep it with me wherever I go. The feeling of having it with me destroy mu anxiety :) I know xanax is so addictive so please be carefull with it. My soctor prescribed me and I rarely use it.
Btw I didn't use any antidepressants because I hated the side effects.
And one last note: Cold showers help a lot as well.

TLDR:

Initiated a swap using the in-app swap feature in ELLIPAL for $10K+ worth of $XLM to $DGB that remained “in-progress” for 9hrs during which I went through the 5 stages of grief, contacted ELLIPAL support, bought an equivalent amount of $DGB through my CEX (since I wanted to capitalise on the market dip), and ended up having 2X amount of DGB than I initially wanted.

The Story:

So I’ve been using the ELLIPAL Titan for close to 2 years now, and never once had any issues/complaints regarding anything, granted I’ve never used the Staking feature, or other DAPPS via in-app (nor do I plan to) so can’t comment on those specifically.
But my world was recently shaken up, and my life flashed in front of my eyes for 9 hours straight.
I’ve used the in-app SWAP feature before, but for only $20 - $30 transactions. Recently, the market correction on June 8th provided a good opportunity for me to restructure my crypto portfolio, which I had been planning for a long time. I didn’t want to use a DEX/CEX because of the spreads and liquidity issues, which is why I decided to use the in-app swap feature by ELLIPAL.
I wanted to swap $10k+ worth of $XLM to $DGB. I started by conducting a trial swap of $100 and in about 5 - 10 mins the equivalent amount of $DGB appeared in my wallet. Since everything worked out fine, with no issues or hurdles, I proceeded for the final/main swap.
I initiated a swap of $10k+ worth of $XLM to $DGB for which it initially showed me the accurate equivalent amount of $DGB that I would receive.

The Good:

The in-app swap feature has an option in the upper right corner where you can choose whether you want the swap to proceed at the fluctuating market rate or the option to complete the swap only at the market rate initially quoted to you before confirming the swap, & in case of failure to match the order, the funds would be refunded back to the wallet along with the network fees. In my previous adventures, I had experienced the importance of selecting the 2nd option first hand.

The Bad:

As soon as I confirmed the swap and went into the swap history option to check on the progress of my swap, I was shocked to see that the resulting amount of $DGB that I would receive (once the swap would complete) was almost $2K less than what was initially quoted. Seeing this literally broke my heart, and I cursed myself for choosing to swap on ELLIPAL rather than doing it on a CEX. But since the swap had already been initiated nothing could be done now, than just looking at the screen and seeing my money vanish into thin air.

The Ugly:

Since nothing could be done now about the $2K difference the only thing to do was to wait for the swap to complete. I expected it to complete in just about few minutes, since all my previous swaps had always completed within 5 - 10 minutes sometimes even quicker. But man, I was in for a surprise.
After about 10 minutes passed, I started checking the progress on my swap every 5 minutes. May be I might have done something wrong, may be the swap has already been completed, but not showing up properly in the progress bar?
10 minutes turned into 60 minutes, then 2 hrs, then 3, and I was in full panic mode by then. Checking the progress on the swap every 30 seconds & contemplating my life decisions and choices I’ve made that resulted in this outcome. Cursing myself for choosing to save a few $100 on a CEX vs SWAP and potentially losing $10k+ in the process.
The swap transaction ID that was provided, proved useless (maybe because I didn’t exactly know how to look for the transaction on the blockchain with the help of the swap transaction ID). I tried searching endlessly on the internet using the transaction ID but couldn’t find anything anywhere relevant regarding it.
By this time, 5 hrs had passed, the SWAP was still showing “in-progress” and I had completely become numb to anything and everything around me. Never had I thought that such a thing would ever happen to me.
I thought, I was very careful with everything regarding crypto & follow all the GOLDEN RULES of crypto while also having redundancy upon redundancies to Iron Clad my funds and protect my assets. But never had I thought that I would be my own wealth-destroyer trying to save a few hundred dollars on a transaction worth 5 figures.
Having lost faith in my abilities, I had almost accepted my fate. I decided to send an email to cs@ellipal.com regarding my issue, and explained the problem as best I could, but secretly I knew within me that nothing could be done now, atleast not by me. My FATE was not in my own HANDS for the first time, in a very long time.
Having accepted my fate, I had started to make peace with it, but the buying opportunity was still there, and I wanted to capitalise on it. An opportunity is an opportunity only until it is acted upon. So I decided to buy the equivalent amount of $DGB that I wanted via the swap on my CEX account and had it transferred to my ELLIPAL wallet for safe keeping.
By this time 9 hrs had passed since I initiated the swap. Although I was checking on the swap progress (which it was still showing as “in-progress”) there was nothing I could do.
What I feared the most was, that this SWAP would remain pending forever, (even though I selected the 2nd option) because I realized that other DEXs have a time limit for their swap transactions to process. For example, Uniswap has the feature to select the time limit of 10min upon which if the swap has not been completed, it would return back to your wallet. Such a limit is not available in the in-app ELLIPAL feature.
Sometime during the 9th hour I checked the progress on my swap transaction and suddenly I was amazed to see that the “in-progress” was changed to “completed”. I soon opened my $DGB wallet and there it showed the swapped $DGB was added to my wallet. And to my surprise there was no difference of $2K that it was showing while the swap was in progress. The amount of $DGB that I received was exactly the amount that was quoted to me before I initiated the swap.
There was no difference in the quoted amount and the final amount & no loss of funds, except for the fact that the swap took 9hrs to complete during which I went through all the 5 stages of grief - Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression & Acceptance.

Conclusion:

1> The in-app SWAP feature works.
2> It works for $10, $100, $1000, & $10,000+ swaps. (Should you use it for large $ transactions? Certainly I won’t !)
3> It may take anywhere between 5mins to 12hrs to complete your swap at your desired market price (or you could swap it as per the fluctuating market order).

Fun fact:

1> ELLIPAL support replied to my email within 24hrs (on a weekend), but by then the FIRE IN MY HEART was already extinguished.
2> I now have twice the amount of $DGB than I was initially planning to hold & still contemplating on whether to sell the surplus or just HODL it through!

Thoughts?

If you made it this far, thanks a lot for reading this through. I just wanted to share this experience with like minded people who may or may not have gone through similar situations in life, and would like to know your thoughts/suggestions on what I did wrong, or what I could have done something differently to avoid such a similar situation again in the future.

This is a quote from an acquaintance of mine, who is an 18 year old gay man..
I'm just at a loss. He just kept regurgitating Faux News talking points and saying that he couldn't handle four more years of Biden.
I don't like Biden, I don't want to see him sit for another term, but I sure as shit don't want TRUMP back. So yeah I'm voting blue because voting anything else feels like I'm handing car keys to a drunken toddler that has road rage. At least with Biden we aren't wholly laughed at by the rest of the world, we won't lose as any human rights, and he's not constantly spewing hate and vitriol everywhere.
But this guy legitimately thinks things were/will be better with Trump as president. But it won't and I cannot make him see reason. Gas prices won't go down like he thinks, we'll lose more rights across the board, the economy is going to suffer greatly, and that's just the tip of the iceberg (which will melt faster if he wins because Trump doesn't believe in climate change)

Introduction
Hello, my name is Irving Ernesto, and I'm a Python freelancer with 3 years of experience helping businesses and individuals automate processes and gain valuable insights.
My areas of expertise include:

• Automation:
  • Web scraping for efficient data collection
  • Custom bots for website monitoring, product purchases, and appointment scheduling
• Data Analysis and Visualization:
  • Uncover actionable business insights from your data
  • Identify trends and optimize spending for increased return
• Machine Learning:
  • Implement practical ML algorithms for predictions and analysis (e.g., forecasting potential losses)
• AI Chatbots:
  • Develop personalized chatbots with enhanced privacy and reduced costs
• Python Tutoring:
  • Customized guidance to advance your Python skills

Pricing

Service Type	Hourly Rate	Project-Based Estimate
Data Automation	$10 - $40	Custom Quote
Data Analysis	$10 - $25	Custom Quote
Python Tutoring	$20	N/A
ML/AI Development (In Progress)	TBD	Contact for Discussion

Let's Collaborate
If you have an automation project in mind or would like to explore how Python can benefit your business, please send me a direct message on Reddit. For more detailed inquiries, you can reach me at [business@irvingernesto.com](mailto:business@irvingernesto.com).
You can find more about me at https://www.irvingernesto.com/ (the contact form doesn't work yet).

Hello all, hope you are doing okay.
I don’t know where I want to go with this post, but I just put myself into a situation where I stole money from a friend,(they found out and told me) and I’m assuming it will leak into the friend group pretty shortly, which sucks and I hate to think about. Nobody likes or trust a thief.
I lost my last 2 jobs essentially for stealing / gambling related causes. Last time money got in between my friendships and I (due to my gambling), I said never again, but here I am.
The last 3-4 years of my life have been heavy gambling, the ups and downs we all go through, wins and losses. I am feeling real tired mentally at the moment, which may be the coward way to think. I’m aware that we all need to take things one day at a time- but hearing the quote of a recovering gambler saying “I will be like this for the rest of my life, I just have to live one day at a time” hurts to think about for the long run. Why am I a gambling addict unlike my all friends who have control and no interest in losing every last penny to their name?
I have been in therapy the last few months by request of my family- my therapist has been recommending medication / and or inpatient for gambling addiction recently. I am real scared of those latter two options, but after my actions today I think I am ready to take a step like inpatient… what do you guys think and have any expierence? My father is bipolar and I have been thinking I have something malfunctioning in my own noggin as of lately.
I can’t keep living this shit life that I am creating for myself… WE are MORE than gambling addicts, I know I was not put on this earth to destroy myself through gambling. I can’t believe I’ve let this disease to destroy as much as it has in my life. Keep me in your thoughts. Advice appreciated

Intro: You’re in the middle of something pretty damn important when your girlfriend walks in. What does she want this time?
Summary: Speaker asks Listener a question, which leads into a long discussion.
Go ahead and monetize, it's fine. Word count is about 1700.
If you fill this or plan to fill this, please notify me. Please don't make edits without asking first.
Line breaks represent the listener talking or space where no one talks and should be short pauses, words within {brackets} represent the speaker’s tone or sfx. At ellipses, the speaker trails off, and at dashes, she is either cut off abruptly by the listener or by herself.
Author’s Note: So, before another long, emotional note ensues, let me just say: this is why I shouldn’t be allowed to write. This script right here. Back to the subject at hand, though, holy hell! I’ve hit a year! Yup, one year to the day since I posted my first script, and damn, what a journey it’s been. 43 scripts, which doesn’t sound like many but felt it, 198 fills at the time of this posting (so damn close!), a ton of friends made and fun projects worked on, and all of the chaos. I can’t bring myself to regret a second of it. For anyone reading this, thank you! Even if you choose to ignore this script and pass it by, just by reading this, you’ve become one of the people who makes this whole hobby of mine so rewarding. I’m genuinely, sincerely grateful for this little world I’ve found and all the fun I’ve had in it. To celebrate making it to a year, I think I’ll finally start working on some much-requested Part 2s. (Might even get back to Fangs, hopefully?) As always, to anyone who might see this, have a wonderful day, and keep kicking ass at whatever it is you need to do. You got this, buddy! (And now my Writer character, who I brought out in celebration and to EDUCATE y’all unwashed masses, shall go back into her little box until I hit another milestone. Don’t worry, she likes it in there.
​
​
If you want to read this somewhere other than Reddit, it's also here.
All right, honey, question for you:
Wha- yes, of course it’s important! Come on, do you really think I’d interrupt your… whatever this is for something less than absolutely crucial?
Well, I’m not. I really need to know your answer.
Right, here we go: Lamia. Smash or pass?
Yes I’m serious! This is necessary. I have to know whether you would bang a snake girl or not.
Don’t ask why, just answer the question.
No, no, I promise, this isn’t some kind of test or relationship trap. Believe me, I know you wouldn’t cheat on me with a lamia. And I’m not gonna judge you for it, I’ll be answering too.
{sigh} We’ve already gone over this. Just because I’m straight doesn’t mean I can’t get women. And at the very least, I have opinions on monsters.
Umm… Nooooo? I… haven’t spent excessive amounts of time contemplating the fuckability of different monster girls? That’s totally not a thing I would do- anyway, let’s just move on. I already asked you the question, I’m going to require an answer.
Uh-uh, no. You don’t get clarifying questions. Personality doesn’t matter, there are no extenuating circumstances. Just smash. Or pass.
Yeaaahhhh, that’s what I thought! Nice.
Oh, yeah, in a heartbeat, smash. I mean, was that even a question? Come on, she can coil you up…
Shush, you, there’s no need to bring that up now. Next question: arachne.
Did you really think I’d stop at one? We’re making a list.
Yes, we must. My apologies about your whatever this is, but it’s now a whatever this was.
Yes, thank you, I was planning that one. Took me a whole ten minutes to come up with it, I think I’m going to be using it a lot.
Yup! We are. Arachne, smash or pass. Remember to consider, she could tie you up…
Really? A pass on that? Your loss, I’m taking the smash.
Oh, I see how it is. You’d rather trap the spider in her own web? Interesting… Okay, so, since we disagreed, I’m putting her in B tier.
Yes, obviously I’m assembling a tier list. Again, was that even a question? I need to soapbox the objectively correct opinions into people, but I want some kind of visual aid to help me do so. Hence, tierlist. I thought I’d get your input because your opinions usually aren’t terrible, even if they’re not always as right as mine.
Shut up and take the compliment, don’t make me regret including you.
Hey! No! No turning this wholesome! We are being horny today, come on. Monster. Girl. Tier. List. Lamia obviously goes in S tier, because of course she does. Arachne in B tier, because I like her and you would like her without the tying up bit, correct?
Fantastic. Next: mermaid.
Really? You would?
I think you’ve been watching too many Disney movies, honey.
…Or reading too many Xanth books, okay. But like… no. She’d smell like dead fish.
Well, I never thought I’d hear the phrase “make the mermaid take a shower.” Congratulations, I think you just invented a new sentence.
You’re gonna want her high tier, aren’t you?
All right, how about this: since she can be made to smell better, she’s not instantly relegated to the bottom tiers, but since her default state is “smells like fish” and in a vacuum - which is how this is supposed to be considered - that’s what you’d be stuck with, she goes in C tier? Sound reasonable?
Hmm… okay, I like the thought, but no, having gills doesn’t mean that she doesn’t need to breathe, only that she can breathe in water. While on land, she’d still require just as much oxygen as a human. Maybe a little more, to support her particular… physiology.
Don’t look at me like that, as far as you know I’m talking about the tail.
Shut it. We’re agreed, mermaid in C. Next one is pretty obvious. Neko, Inu, Kitsune. I’m lumping these together because they’re basically the same, anyway.
Yeah, I figured. They’re just generically bangable, yeah? Couldn’t not go in A tier. Nothing much to say, there. Let’s move on to harpies. I’m gonna say it: smash.
No, no, think about it. She’s got wings, the feathers are gonna be soft, she’s probably pretty athletic from flying around all day, she doesn’t have a beak or anything crazy, I’m not seeing the downside here.
Okay, I’m hearing a lot about birds, but harpies aren’t birds. They’re bird girls. Surely the human half would win out over some of the more… grotesque avian instincts. She’d be clean.
That’s… all right, look, mermaid went in C tier, and that debate was basically the same. C for harpy?
Fantastic, I can live with it also. Maybe we’ll come back, but for now, how about centaur? Now, personally, I’d be willing to try, but I can understand why you might be… somewhat reluctant.
I- ooh, yeah. Either way that goes, it’s not so good for you. I’m guessing you want D tier?
All right, F feels a little excessive. Consider the human half.
Look, I know you’re thinking about it. There’s gotta be some way to make it work, right?
Really? Adamant on that? Well, I’m putting her in D tier anyway. Still not great, but at least I’m willing to try.
Oh, shush, it’s my tier list. You get input when you’re not wrong.
Uh, excuse me, we’ve established that my opinions are the objectively correct ones here. On to dragon girls!
Umm… yes? Dragon in human form, with just a few draconic features. Horns, probably wings, a few patches of scales-
Damn, that was forceful. S tier, then?
I’m gonna have to agree. She’s a dragon. We should all aspire to be Donkey.
I mean, I’m sure there’s a lot of reasons that sums up, I’m just not taking the time to elaborate on them at the moment. “She’s a dragon” is enough for me.
I concur. Now, what haven’t we gone though… Hmm, lamia, arachne, mermaid, neko, inu, kitsune, harpy, centaur, dragon…
Ooh, that’s a good one! Succubus. Well, not sure she exactly counts as a monster girl, but close enough. And all right, since you asked first, I think I’m gonna say pass.
Excuse me, I happen to like my soul where it is. It might be beat-up and dingy, but it’s mine, dammit.
Okay, no, obviously if she didn’t take my soul, automatic S tier. I mean, come on, an actual demon of lust? Hell, yeah- literally! But she probably takes my soul. Most versions of succubi I’ve read about do this thing.
We’re not talking about the books I read, we’re talking about the monster. And look, I assume you like your soul, too?
As I thought. So how about a compromise? Since she’s a conditional smash, B tier?
C is what we went with for the previous compromises, yeah, but come on. I don’t need my soul that badly.
Wonderful! B it is. In the vein of succubus, how about a vampire?
How dare you. Imagine relegating a Dark Lady, Mistress of the Night, all-powerful vampire Queen to “spicy human.”
No, I know you’re not wrong! That’s the worst part!
Look, A tier, that’s my final offer. Take it or leave it.
Good, then.
God, what’s left? I feel like we’ve run through a lot. Oh! We did vampire, we have to do werewolf, yeah? Smash or pass.
As I figured. No matter how the shapeshifting works, she always at least has a human form, and I’d bet quite a lot that headpats and “good girl” carry over.
Well I know I’d like ‘em, whichever form I was in, if that helps.
Hey hey hey, calm down there. We need to finish this list without any werewolf-related distractions, come on.
I told you, I require a visual aid! For soapboxing! So I’ll have to write all this down… later. Eh, I’ll do it later. I probably won’t forget. Now, what other kinds of monster are there? Slime? Have we done slime?
Ah, perfect.
…I’m gonna say no, not an acidic one. I would’ve thought that’d be obvious, but I understand why you felt you had to ask. Nothing melty, just slime.
Really? Still that low? You don’t think it’d feel good at all?
Okay, so it’d be a little messy. Whatever! It couldn’t be that bad to clean up.
…Why do you know that.
No no no, why do you know how hard this situation would be to… sanitize? Inquiring minds want to know. I’m very curious.
All right… but we’re coming back to that later. I will find out what secrets you’re keeping from me about sticky things.
Of course I will. But later. A lot of things, later. So, D tier? You sure?
All right, fair enough. I had some other ideas, but nothing super relevant in that context. In that kind of vein, though… eldritch.
No, no, consider: tentacles.
You’re not considering hard enough. Tentacles.
Keep thinking about it, it’ll grow on you.
I- all right, yes, my mind might collapse into madness, but that’s supposed to happen anyway if it’s good enough, right?
{laughing} All right, all right, kidding! Put that down!
Menacing me with a pillow is rude, I hope you know. So I take it you’re not a fan of insanity?
Yeah… I suppose if you can’t enjoy it, there’s no point.
Really? F tier?
Okay, I can see that. I suppose we needed something in there, anyway. And that’s pretty good, fourteen monsters and only one in F? Sounds pretty objectively correct to me.
This is the only time Princess Bride quotes aren’t applicable, honey. Don’t you dare.
…You said it. You weren’t supposed to say it.
Take it back, I absolutely know what I’m talking about! Do I need to soapbox you first? I’ll harangue if I have to. Are you prepared for that, you unwashed mass, you?
Hey hey hey! That was not the time for a dirty joke, I- ohhhh. Okay. I’ll admit, that’s clever. Never do it again, but it was clever.
Wait, wha- what now?
Uh, lamia and dragon were the only two, I think, why?
Whaddya mean, “make me feel like one of them,” I’m not particularly reptilian?
I- wait, what? I’m not sure I count as S tier…
Wait, how could you- OH-

Intro: You’re in the middle of something pretty damn important when your girlfriend walks in. What does she want this time?
Summary: Speaker asks Listener a question, which leads into a long discussion.
Go ahead and monetize, it's fine. Word count is about 1700.
If you fill this or plan to fill this, please notify me. Please don't make edits without asking first.
Line breaks represent the listener talking or space where no one talks and should be short pauses, words within {brackets} represent the speaker’s tone or sfx. At ellipses, the speaker trails off, and at dashes, she is either cut off abruptly by the listener or by herself.
Author’s Note: So, before another long, emotional note ensues, let me just say: this is why I shouldn’t be allowed to write. This script right here. Back to the subject at hand, though, holy hell! I’ve hit a year! Yup, one year to the day since I posted my first script, and damn, what a journey it’s been. 43 scripts, which doesn’t sound like many but felt it, 198 fills at the time of this posting (so damn close!), a ton of friends made and fun projects worked on, and all of the chaos. I can’t bring myself to regret a second of it. For anyone reading this, thank you! Even if you choose to ignore this script and pass it by, just by reading this, you’ve become one of the people who makes this whole hobby of mine so rewarding. I’m genuinely, sincerely grateful for this little world I’ve found and all the fun I’ve had in it. To celebrate making it to a year, I think I’ll finally start working on some much-requested Part 2s. (Might even get back to Fangs, hopefully?) As always, to anyone who might see this, have a wonderful day, and keep kicking ass at whatever it is you need to do. You got this, buddy! (And now my Writer character, who I brought out in celebration and to EDUCATE y’all unwashed masses, shall go back into her little box until I hit another milestone. Don’t worry, she likes it in there.)
If you want to read this somewhere other than Reddit, it's also here.
All right, honey, question for you:
Wha- yes, of course it’s important! Come on, do you really think I’d interrupt your… whatever this is for something less than absolutely crucial?
Well, I’m not. I really need to know your answer.
Right, here we go: Lamia. Smash or pass?
Yes I’m serious! This is necessary. I have to know whether you would bang a snake girl or not.
Don’t ask why, just answer the question.
No, no, I promise, this isn’t some kind of test or relationship trap. Believe me, I know you wouldn’t cheat on me with a lamia. And I’m not gonna judge you for it, I’ll be answering too.
{sigh} We’ve already gone over this. Just because I’m straight doesn’t mean I can’t get women. And at the very least, I have opinions on monsters.
Umm… Nooooo? I… haven’t spent excessive amounts of time contemplating the fuckability of different monster girls? That’s totally not a thing I would do- anyway, let’s just move on. I already asked you the question, I’m going to require an answer.
Uh-uh, no. You don’t get clarifying questions. Personality doesn’t matter, there are no extenuating circumstances. Just smash. Or pass.
Yeaaahhhh, that’s what I thought! Nice.
Oh, yeah, in a heartbeat, smash. I mean, was that even a question? Come on, she can coil you up…
Shush, you, there’s no need to bring that up now. Next question: arachne.
Did you really think I’d stop at one? We’re making a list.
Yes, we must. My apologies about your whatever this is, but it’s now a whatever this was.
Yes, thank you, I was planning that one. Took me a whole ten minutes to come up with it, I think I’m going to be using it a lot.
Yup! We are. Arachne, smash or pass. Remember to consider, she could tie you up…
Really? A pass on that? Your loss, I’m taking the smash.
Oh, I see how it is. You’d rather trap the spider in her own web? Interesting… Okay, so, since we disagreed, I’m putting her in B tier.
Yes, obviously I’m assembling a tier list. Again, was that even a question? I need to soapbox the objectively correct opinions into people, but I want some kind of visual aid to help me do so. Hence, tierlist. I thought I’d get your input because your opinions usually aren’t terrible, even if they’re not always as right as mine.
Shut up and take the compliment, don’t make me regret including you.
Hey! No! No turning this wholesome! We are being horny today, come on. Monster. Girl. Tier. List. Lamia obviously goes in S tier, because of course she does. Arachne in B tier, because I like her and you would like her without the tying up bit, correct?
Fantastic. Next: mermaid.
Really? You would?
I think you’ve been watching too many Disney movies, honey.
…Or reading too many Xanth books, okay. But like… no. She’d smell like dead fish.
Well, I never thought I’d hear the phrase “make the mermaid take a shower.” Congratulations, I think you just invented a new sentence.
You’re gonna want her high tier, aren’t you?
All right, how about this: since she can be made to smell better, she’s not instantly relegated to the bottom tiers, but since her default state is “smells like fish” and in a vacuum - which is how this is supposed to be considered - that’s what you’d be stuck with, she goes in C tier? Sound reasonable?
Hmm… okay, I like the thought, but no, having gills doesn’t mean that she doesn’t need to breathe, only that she can breathe in water. While on land, she’d still require just as much oxygen as a human. Maybe a little more, to support her particular… physiology.
Don’t look at me like that, as far as you know I’m talking about the tail.
Shut it. We’re agreed, mermaid in C. Next one is pretty obvious. Neko, Inu, Kitsune. I’m lumping these together because they’re basically the same, anyway.
Yeah, I figured. They’re just generically bangable, yeah? Couldn’t not go in A tier. Nothing much to say, there. Let’s move on to harpies. I’m gonna say it: smash.
No, no, think about it. She’s got wings, the feathers are gonna be soft, she’s probably pretty athletic from flying around all day, she doesn’t have a beak or anything crazy, I’m not seeing the downside here.
Okay, I’m hearing a lot about birds, but harpies aren’t birds. They’re bird girls. Surely the human half would win out over some of the more… grotesque avian instincts. She’d be clean.
That’s… all right, look, mermaid went in C tier, and that debate was basically the same. C for harpy?
Fantastic, I can live with it also. Maybe we’ll come back, but for now, how about centaur? Now, personally, I’d be willing to try, but I can understand why you might be… somewhat reluctant.
I- ooh, yeah. Either way that goes, it’s not so good for you. I’m guessing you want D tier?
All right, F feels a little excessive. Consider the human half.
Look, I know you’re thinking about it. There’s gotta be some way to make it work, right?
Really? Adamant on that? Well, I’m putting her in D tier anyway. Still not great, but at least I’m willing to try.
Oh, shush, it’s my tier list. You get input when you’re not wrong.
Uh, excuse me, we’ve established that my opinions are the objectively correct ones here. On to dragon girls!
Umm… yes? Dragon in human form, with just a few draconic features. Horns, probably wings, a few patches of scales-
Damn, that was forceful. S tier, then?
I’m gonna have to agree. She’s a dragon. We should all aspire to be Donkey.
I mean, I’m sure there’s a lot of reasons that sums up, I’m just not taking the time to elaborate on them at the moment. “She’s a dragon” is enough for me.
I concur. Now, what haven’t we gone though… Hmm, lamia, arachne, mermaid, neko, inu, kitsune, harpy, centaur, dragon…
Ooh, that’s a good one! Succubus. Well, not sure she exactly counts as a monster girl, but close enough. And all right, since you asked first, I think I’m gonna say pass.
Excuse me, I happen to like my soul where it is. It might be beat-up and dingy, but it’s mine, dammit.
Okay, no, obviously if she didn’t take my soul, automatic S tier. I mean, come on, an actual demon of lust? Hell, yeah- literally! But she probably takes my soul. Most versions of succubi I’ve read about do this thing.
We’re not talking about the books I read, we’re talking about the monster. And look, I assume you like your soul, too?
As I thought. So how about a compromise? Since she’s a conditional smash, B tier?
C is what we went with for the previous compromises, yeah, but come on. I don’t need my soul that badly.
Wonderful! B it is. In the vein of succubus, how about a vampire?
How dare you. Imagine relegating a Dark Lady, Mistress of the Night, all-powerful vampire Queen to “spicy human.”
No, I know you’re not wrong! That’s the worst part!
Look, A tier, that’s my final offer. Take it or leave it.
Good, then.
God, what’s left? I feel like we’ve run through a lot. Oh! We did vampire, we have to do werewolf, yeah? Smash or pass.
As I figured. No matter how the shapeshifting works, she always at least has a human form, and I’d bet quite a lot that headpats and “good girl” carry over.
Well I know I’d like ‘em, whichever form I was in, if that helps.
Hey hey hey, calm down there. We need to finish this list without any werewolf-related distractions, come on.
I told you, I require a visual aid! For soapboxing! So I’ll have to write all this down… later. Eh, I’ll do it later. I probably won’t forget. Now, what other kinds of monster are there? Slime? Have we done slime?
Ah, perfect.
…I’m gonna say no, not an acidic one. I would’ve thought that’d be obvious, but I understand why you felt you had to ask. Nothing melty, just slime.
Really? Still that low? You don’t think it’d feel good at all?
Okay, so it’d be a little messy. Whatever! It couldn’t be that bad to clean up.
…Why do you know that.
No no no, why do you know how hard this situation would be to… sanitize? Inquiring minds want to know. I’m very curious.
All right… but we’re coming back to that later. I will find out what secrets you’re keeping from me about sticky things.
Of course I will. But later. A lot of things, later. So, D tier? You sure?
All right, fair enough. I had some other ideas, but nothing super relevant in that context. In that kind of vein, though… eldritch.
No, no, consider: tentacles.
You’re not considering hard enough. Tentacles.
Keep thinking about it, it’ll grow on you.
I- all right, yes, my mind might collapse into madness, but that’s supposed to happen anyway if it’s good enough, right?
{laughing} All right, all right, kidding! Put that down!
Menacing me with a pillow is rude, I hope you know. So I take it you’re not a fan of insanity?
Yeah… I suppose if you can’t enjoy it, there’s no point.
Really? F tier?
Okay, I can see that. I suppose we needed something in there, anyway. And that’s pretty good, fourteen monsters and only one in F? Sounds pretty objectively correct to me.
This is the only time Princess Bride quotes aren’t applicable, honey. Don’t you dare.
…You said it. You weren’t supposed to say it.
Take it back, I absolutely know what I’m talking about! Do I need to soapbox you first? I’ll harangue if I have to. Are you prepared for that, you unwashed mass, you?
Hey hey hey! That was not the time for a dirty joke, I- ohhhh. Okay. I’ll admit, that’s clever. Never do it again, but it was clever.
Wait, wha- what now?
Uh, lamia and dragon were the only two, I think, why?
Whaddya mean, “make me feel like one of them,” I’m not particularly reptilian?
I- wait, what? I’m not sure I count as S tier…
Wait, how could you- OH-

I run a business that manufactures cosmetics. We do around $500-700k per year in sales. Since I started, we have been non-renewed two times now. We have had 0 claims since starting in 2015. So each time we had to shop again, the new underwriters all scratch their heads and do a double take when they ask for loss runs which show nothing. As far as I know, they all do a pretty deep dive into our operations and ask for labels, contractors, vendor names, product pages, etc.
Also our quotes are always wildly different. 1 year of standard $1MM/2MM coverage ranges from $1,200-11,000.

Life’s really starting to feel hopeless at this point. When I was growing up, I was never a kid to make terrible decisions, act out, or do anything bad really. Was very frugal in my teenage years, went my last 2 years of high school with a part time job and always planned on either joining the Navy(which I did at 18) and building a career out of that, or becoming a doctor.
I was in the Navy for two years and nearing the end of my time there, my long distance girlfriend started hanging out with one of my “best friends” at the time. I put that in quotes because what he did, a real friend would never do. Whenever I needed relationship or life advice, he was the one I would go to. To summarize this part up, when me and my girlfriend broke up, they both ended up getting together, which completely ruined my trust in anyone, and sent me into a deep, deep, depression.
After all this had happened, I turned to alcohol to get my mind off everything. Being away from home, having no family to talk to or ask for help, being betrayed by my bestfriend, on top of the breakup, was all too much for me at the time because I was so young and had no idea how to handle that kind of stress. The drinking didn’t help at all, it only made everything worse. As I started making decisions I wouldn’t ever make before, it led to me being separated from the Navy, only worsening the depressive state I was in. Now I feel worthless. I can’t complete the job I came here to do, and thats something I take pride in. I swore an oath, and went through everything I went through just to do this stupid shit.
With my mental health deteriorating, and the separation process beginning, the drinking persisted for another month or so, the time in which my entire financial situation went to shit. The drinking and loneliness led to gambling, which led to losses, and chasing losses and chasing more losses. Next thing I know my credit card with an $11,000 limit is maxed out.
As soon as I got out of the Navy, I had another job lined up for me back home. The gambling didn’t stop. I continued to try and chase my losses because I had no idea how gambling worked, and that I would never make back the amount I’ve already lost. It was so bad that I would just deposit $50-$200 at a time, multiple times a week, just to try and get something back. Never. It’s quite comical looking back at it, honestly. Also, the first 6 months I was out of the Navy, they were incorrectly paying me my E-2 salary as they normally would, as if I had not been separated from the military already. Of course my dumbass had to gamble that shit away too.
So now, not only am I at rock bottom in terms credit card debt, but also owe a fuck ton to DFAS(the department that handles military pay), and have like 4 other bills I have to pay on top of that. My car payment and insurance, along with interest for every bill, is so astronomical that I cant ever see myself getting out of this situation. Whenever I make some progress on my cc bill, I run into something where I need to basically use what I have available on it.
I held a pretty decent entry level job for about 2 years but just recently quit due to my mental health only worsening. Im currently doing Instacart full time, bringing in about $2,400 a month and I’ve been somewhat content with life compared to when I was at my last job making $2,800 and doing bullshit with people I didn’t like, but I can barely make any progress. I would be doing something else, but the job market in my area is terrible right now.
If anyone can give me any advice, whether you’ve been in this situation or not, I would really appreciate it. Its getting harder and harder by the day to see a light at the end of this tunnel of debt.
Edit: My current expenses are listed by monthly payment:
Credit card: $11,400 remaining to pay $250/month at 14.9%
Car payment: $13,000 remaining to pay $264/month at 18% (was paying 300 because interest is insane)
Car insurance: $275/month
Rent: $800/month
DFAS repayment: $4,500 left to pay $245/month
Old lease: $1,600 left to pay $240/month

50 Motivational Quotes To Make Your Day

Hey everyone,
Feeling a bit down or just need a boost of inspiration?
We've all been there.
Sometimes, all it takes is a few words of wisdom to turn things around. Here are 50 motivational quotes that can help you power through your day. Save them, share them, or simply let them brighten your day.

1. "The only way to do great work is to love what you do." – Steve Jobs
2. "Success is not final, failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts." – Winston Churchill
3. "Don't watch the clock; do what it does. Keep going." – Sam Levenson
4. "You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take." – Wayne Gretzky
5. "The best way to predict the future is to create it." – Peter Drucker
6. "Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else’s life." – Steve Jobs
7. "If you can dream it, you can do it." – Walt Disney
8. "It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop." – Confucius
9. "Believe you can and you’re halfway there." – Theodore Roosevelt
10. "What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us." – Ralph Waldo Emerson
11. "Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can." – Arthur Ashe
12. "The only limit to our realization of tomorrow is our doubts of today." – Franklin D. Roosevelt
13. "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream." – C.S. Lewis
14. "I can’t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." – Jimmy Dean
15. "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." – Eleanor Roosevelt
16. "It always seems impossible until it’s done." – Nelson Mandela
17. "Don’t wait for opportunity. Create it." – Unknown
18. "The harder the battle, the sweeter the victory." – Les Brown
19. "Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does." – William James
20. "Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." – Henry David Thoreau
21. "Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart." – Roy T. Bennett
22. "It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up." – Vince Lombardi
23. "Keep your face always toward the sunshine—and shadows will fall behind you." – Walt Whitman
24. "The only place where success comes before work is in the dictionary." – Vidal Sassoon
25. "You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great." – Zig Ziglar
26. "Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle." – Christian D. Larson
27. "Success is walking from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." – Winston Churchill
28. "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." – Walt Disney
29. "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." – A.A. Milne
30. "Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today." – Will Rogers
31. "If you’re going through hell, keep going." – Winston Churchill
32. "The secret of getting ahead is getting started." – Mark Twain
33. "Your limitation—it’s only your imagination." – Unknown
34. "The only way to achieve the impossible is to believe it is possible." – Charles Kingsleigh (Alice in Wonderland)
35. "Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny." – C.S. Lewis
36. "Great things never come from comfort zones." – Unknown
37. "Dream big and dare to fail." – Norman Vaughan
38. "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." – Henry David Thoreau
39. "You are capable of amazing things." – Unknown
40. "You define your own life. Don’t let other people write your script." – Oprah Winfrey
41. "Success is not in what you have, but who you are." – Bo Bennett
42. "Do what you can with all you have, wherever you are." – Theodore Roosevelt
43. "Dream it. Wish it. Do it." – Unknown
44. "Aim for the moon. If you miss, you may hit a star." – W. Clement Stone
45. "Do one thing every day that scares you." – Eleanor Roosevelt
46. "The biggest risk is not taking any risk." – Mark Zuckerberg
47. "The man who has confidence in himself gains the confidence of others." – Hasidic Proverb
48. "What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals." – Zig Ziglar
49. "You don’t need to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." – Martin Luther King Jr.
50. "Stay positive, work hard, make it happen." – Unknown

I hope these quotes bring some light into your day and motivate you to keep pushing forward. Which one is your favorite? Feel free to share your own motivational quotes in the comments!
Stay inspired!

Hi all, was hoping someone could help diagnose a fault with our 2018 1.2 petrol Grandland X. The garage have claimed it is a worn clutch, and some hydraulics issues, but I'm not 100% sure.
The issues are: - Occasional loss of power when pulling away - Loss of power and juddering while driving - Slight knocking sound by the pedals - Fault codes relating to knock sensors - Excessive oil and fuel usage
I am wondering if anyone else has had these issues, before coughing up the quoted £1300 repair bill.
For background info, it's currently on 73k miles, and there's no info in the service book of the wet belt being changed. I didn't know of the issues with it before buying it.
Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated