You worked security for some warehouse near the airport. You’ve read my stories and wanted to be sucked off on the job. You didn’t want to get caught so you asked to meet near the Applebees parking lot.
It’s close to 2am and most of the parking lot is empty. I nervously waited for you. I’m not sure what to expect and you keep stalling. 10 minutes turned to 20, then 30. Once I hit the 45 minute mark I was ready to leave. That’s when I saw the white security truck pull up next to me.
You had sent pictures but I had no idea how incredibly good looking you were. It didn’t help that you were in uniform. Needless to say my heart raced and my mouth watered.
You gave me the signal to hop on your truck. We sat in silence for a moment as you looked around. “Where do you want to do this?” I was confused, I thought you wanted to do this at your job but I wanted you to be comfortable. “Wherever you feel comfortable.” I suggested. “Are you sure this is going to feel good?” You asked. “It won’t feel good, it’s going to feel amazing. Have you not read my stories?” You once again looked around. It was silent for a moment before I heard you, “fuck it.”
You backed up your truck, then turned towards the airport. Not much was said and I wondered if your mind was racing just like mine. We drove under the flashes of colorful lights decorating the trim of the bridge. That’s when my eyes began to wonder.
I looked over towards your crotch wondering if your dick was hard. “Should I reach for it” I thought. I was so tempted. I decided to make a move. I wriggled close to you, you kept focused on the road. I figured if sitting close to you didn’t bother you, then neither would a little massage.
I slid my hand up your thigh, feeling your muscles tense up under your sharp black pants. I moved my hand up and ground it against your stiff cock. With my hand pressed up against your member I would gently grip, pull up, and let go. I couldn’t help myself. I eased down your zipper and slid my fingers inside, running them all around the outline of your erection. You took a sharp intake of breath. If you weren’t driving you’d probably close your eyes and enjoy. My mouth slowly began to fill up with saliva once I felt your briefs were already getting damp. I want to taste you already.
You stopped before the gate. This entire time you had said nothing. I was nervous, did you have a change in mind? That’s when you reached over and pulled me down towards your crotch. My mouth was pressed against the thin layer of fabric that stopped me from licking your cock. “Hold on, you can’t be seen.” I don’t know what turned me on more, my face against your crotch or the risk you were willing to take just to get a real good blow job.
We drove like this for a bit. My hot breath pressed up against your dick. I felt your dick getting bigger. We reached our destination. You stopped then released your grip.
We get off your truck and I follow you. Not only was your cock huge but you can tell you had a nice round butt.
You take me into a dark room with the only light coming from several screens. I looked over and noticed the entrance on one of the screens. Now it was understood why you held me down. There wasn’t much space. The only place to sit was one of those rolling office chairs.
When my eyes adjusted I looked over to you. You had pulled your dick out from the zipper in your pants. Waiting for me was your large dick. Wrapped around with pulsating veins. Your beautiful bright pink and curvy head was covered in glistening precum.
I got on my knees. There was too much clothes involved. Plus, things were about to get messy. I unbutton your pants, then pull them down. Your cock was solid hard. I ran my tongue over your head and then traced the thick vein right down the underside of your shaft. I could feel it pulse. I swirled my tongue around your head, tasting the salty sweetness of the moisture seeping from the slit, and then closed my lips around it. You tried to thrust your hips towards me, but I was the one in control.
I began sliding my lips up and down, taking you in a little deeper and sucking a little harder each time. You groaned and moaned “this is definitely the best blow job I’ve ever had.” I kept going. I inhaled your masculine, musky scent. This made me wetter. I sucked harder still, swivelling my head as it bobbed, my tongue dragging long strokes up and down.
My hands traveled from your cock, sack, thighs, and your ass. I was correct, your ass felt big, round, and smooth. I didn’t know how to ask but before I could you laughed and asked “you want to eat my ass, huh?” How could I not! Before I knew it, you had turned around placing your hands on the small desk.
The illumination from the screens cast shadows around your body. In between your legs I could see your big filled balls, ready to be drained. I leaned forward and grabbed onto each cheek and spread them, then went in for the dive. My tongue reached your warm hole. You immediately lean over, moaning for more. Once my face is pressed against your cheeks, I use my left hand to pull on your cock down like a church bell. Your cock is oozing all over my hand with precum. I pull my hand towards my lips and taste your precum. My hand is warm and moist. I continue to stroke you. My mouth and tongue focused on your hole. The feeling of my warm, wet tongue, and pressure against your hole is satisfying. I know that if I keep tugging on your cock, and playing with your hole, you will explode.
You turn back around. Now I relinquished my grip on you. It’s your time to take over. With that, you grab the sides of my head. You began to fuck my mouth as hard and fast as you could. Your groans grew louder, your thrusts more powerful. That’s when I feel the hot force of your cum spray the back of my throat.
Your whole body was shaking with arousal and the realization that I did not lie when I said my blow jobs were amazing. When you finally stopped thrusting and gasping, I let your cock slide slowly from my mouth, then licked it clean, along with my trembling fingers. You sat back on the rolling chair for a moment before getting your clothes back on. The only words you spoke to me after were, “when can we do this again?”

You worked security for some warehouse near the airport. You’ve read my stories and wanted to be sucked off on the job. You didn’t want to get caught so you asked to meet near the Applebees parking lot.
It’s close to 2am and most of the parking lot is empty. I nervously waited for you. I’m not sure what to expect and you keep stalling. 10 minutes turned to 20, then 30. Once I hit the 45 minute mark I was ready to leave. That’s when I saw the white security truck pull up next to me.
You had sent pictures but I had no idea how incredibly good looking you were. It didn’t help that you were in uniform. Needless to say my heart raced and my mouth watered.
You gave me the signal to hop on your truck. We sat in silence for a moment as you looked around. “Where do you want to do this?” I was confused, I thought you wanted to do this at your job but I wanted you to be comfortable. “Wherever you feel comfortable.” I suggested. “Are you sure this is going to feel good?” You asked. “It won’t feel good, it’s going to feel amazing. Have you not read my stories?” You once again looked around. It was silent for a moment before I heard you, “fuck it.”
You backed up your truck, then turned towards the airport. Not much was said and I wondered if your mind was racing just like mine. We drove under the flashes of colorful lights decorating the trim of the bridge. That’s when my eyes began to wonder.
I looked over towards your crotch wondering if your dick was hard. “Should I reach for it” I thought. I was so tempted. I decided to make a move. I wriggled close to you, you kept focused on the road. I figured if sitting close to you didn’t bother you, then neither would a little massage.
I slid my hand up your thigh, feeling your muscles tense up under your sharp black pants. I moved my hand up and ground it against your stiff cock. With my hand pressed up against your member I would gently grip, pull up, and let go. I couldn’t help myself. I eased down your zipper and slid my fingers inside, running them all around the outline of your erection. You took a sharp intake of breath. If you weren’t driving you’d probably close your eyes and enjoy. My mouth slowly began to fill up with saliva once I felt your briefs were already getting damp. I want to taste you already.
You stopped before the gate. This entire time you had said nothing. I was nervous, did you have a change in mind? That’s when you reached over and pulled me down towards your crotch. My mouth was pressed against the thin layer of fabric that stopped me from licking your cock. “Hold on, you can’t be seen.” I don’t know what turned me on more, my face against your crotch or the risk you were willing to take just to get a real good blow job.
We drove like this for a bit. My hot breath pressed up against your dick. I felt your dick getting bigger. We reached our destination. You stopped then released your grip.
We get off your truck and I follow you. Not only was your cock huge but you can tell you had a nice round butt.
You take me into a dark room with the only light coming from several screens. I looked over and noticed the entrance on one of the screens. Now it was understood why you held me down. There wasn’t much space. The only place to sit was one of those rolling office chairs.
When my eyes adjusted I looked over to you. You had pulled your dick out from the zipper in your pants. Waiting for me was your large dick. Wrapped around with pulsating veins. Your beautiful bright pink and curvy head was covered in glistening precum.
I got on my knees. There was too much clothes involved. Plus, things were about to get messy. I unbutton your pants, then pull them down. Your cock was solid hard. I ran my tongue over your head and then traced the thick vein right down the underside of your shaft. I could feel it pulse. I swirled my tongue around your head, tasting the salty sweetness of the moisture seeping from the slit, and then closed my lips around it. You tried to thrust your hips towards me, but I was the one in control.
I began sliding my lips up and down, taking you in a little deeper and sucking a little harder each time. You groaned and moaned “this is definitely the best blow job I’ve ever had.” I kept going. I inhaled your masculine, musky scent. This made me wetter. I sucked harder still, swivelling my head as it bobbed, my tongue dragging long strokes up and down.
My hands traveled from your cock, sack, thighs, and your ass. I was correct, your ass felt big, round, and smooth. I didn’t know how to ask but before I could you laughed and asked “you want to eat my ass, huh?” How could I not! Before I knew it, you had turned around placing your hands on the small desk.
The illumination from the screens cast shadows around your body. In between your legs I could see your big filled balls, ready to be drained. I leaned forward and grabbed onto each cheek and spread them, then went in for the dive. My tongue reached your warm hole. You immediately lean over, moaning for more. Once my face is pressed against your cheeks, I use my left hand to pull on your cock down like a church bell. Your cock is oozing all over my hand with precum. I pull my hand towards my lips and taste your precum. My hand is warm and moist. I continue to stroke you. My mouth and tongue focused on your hole. The feeling of my warm, wet tongue, and pressure against your hole is satisfying. I know that if I keep tugging on your cock, and playing with your hole, you will explode.
You turn back around. Now I relinquished my grip on you. It’s your time to take over. With that, you grab the sides of my head. You began to fuck my mouth as hard and fast as you could. Your groans grew louder, your thrusts more powerful. That’s when I feel the hot force of your cum spray the back of my throat.
Your whole body was shaking with arousal and the realization that I did not lie when I said my blow jobs were amazing. When you finally stopped thrusting and gasping, I let your cock slide slowly from my mouth, then licked it clean, along with my trembling fingers. You sat back on the rolling chair for a moment before getting your clothes back on. The only words you spoke to me after were, “when can we do this again?”

I’ve almost decided I want to do a mirror box. Please no relationship advice. I’ve been married a very long time with kids. We separated several years ago and still are romantic very often. This whole time, he’s been dating an evil bitch that we knew already. Whole story is stank behavior.
Anyway, SHE harassed me for 3 years until I got a restraining order because I was about to FCK HER UP. texting me evil shit about how she’s making my husbands eyes roll back, playing sounds of her getting fucked, and just evil, awful things you should never say to any wife. I had never even contacted this whore. Not once. Like WTF did I ever do to you except be married to someone you wanted?!
I promise I will calm down before I do any workings. Anyway, he’s all up my ass. Always here with me and the kids, taking us to dinner, buying me shit. But she’s still in the picture. Yes that’s his fault. And mine :(
I love him but this shit is ridiculous. I’ve gone no contact many times. We have kids so a cord cutting is not realistic. But he needs to leave me alone or stop playing games. And the other part of me really wants to start fresh with someone new. But I haven’t met anyone I’m attracted to who isn’t fckn married - and I refuse! to do that to another woman or myself.
I’ve done candles over the last year: banishing on her, third party removal of her from us, pink love candles for us, sweetening jar on him (best one yet). Also have done communication candles for him and I. And finally protection for him, for me, and for our family.
We have gotten much closer this year. But honestly I feel she did spell work on both of us. #1 their situation makes no sense, his attachment makes no sense; before the restraining order, I was really losing my shit. I was a mess because of her and the torment. She’s Puerto Rican, and while I think she’s a weak ass B, I think a family member helped her.
At this point, I’m ready to do a mirror box. I don’t want to do harm. I want him to see how he has ruined his family. I want her to KNOW that he’s still with US and feel rejected. I want her to receive her toxic bullshit - even though by law she has left me alone. I have a 4 year order on her. My kids hate this bitch too.
I’m kinda venting too. But damn I’m tired of this. Thank you 🙏🏼 Please don’t judge me. Having a bad day about this.

Decided to finally try an extended range guitar and after much research decided on a Strandberg Boden Standard NX8 for both range and fanned frets. So I go to their website and they're having a sale on B-Stock. Some cosmetic issues. What luck, right?
 
Completely lied to.
 
Minor Blemishes? I can find no flaw on this instrument.
Solid body? Lightest guitar I've ever played.
Carved body for just improved comfort? Most comfortable instrument I've ever played.
Multitool for tuning included? This thing arrived more in tune than other guitars after being played for a half hour. I've barely touched the tuners because it has yet to go more than a quarter step out of tune.
Fanned frets? I don't even notice them because my hand tilts that way as I go up and down the neck.
 
What's more they hardly advertise how the neck is carved to allow easier access to higher frets. Despite my best efforts I have yet to find a way to hold this that makes my shoulders, arms, or wrists sore like I am used to during long sessions.
 
All in all don't get tricked like I did and waste your time practicing scales for hours because the it's physically impossible to get tired playing this either sitting or standing. Don't fall for their 'B-Stock' lies or the bait of a nice, tough, and comfy gig bag.
 
Overall score: 0/8

PREFACE:
I’m doing this because I like discussions about this game. Across various platforms I’m seeing recurring questions and topics I feel like need some additional insights or interpretations so here’s my best attempt at fleshing everythingalmost everything out. I’ll try to do it in order, chaptestory-wise.
OBVIOUS DISCLAIMERS ARE OBVIOUS:
Spoiler warning. I’m going to reference information across the Compilation of FF7 (including, but not limited to, original FF7, Crisis Core, Advent Children, the books, and even Before Crisis).
Many of the following are interpretations. If something is confirmed, I will reference it.

I'm skipping Chapter 1's flashback because I don't want to get into for now
CHAPTER 2: A NEW JOURNEY BEGINS
How does Sephiroth manifest before Cloud in the inn at Kalm?
Tifa invites Cloud out to talk. As he follows, Sephiroth manifests before him before trying to mind@#$% him by planting the seed that Tifa isn't real, that he "killed her. So who is she?" We've seen time and again that Sephiroth manifests himself by using the black robes as vessels, so how does he show up now?
Broden. The innkeeper, former SOLDIER, who just so happens to be resting downstairs. Suffering from degradation at the time, and eventually fully converts to a black robe sometime before Chapter 11.
https://preview.redd.it/ficw3tcyz3yc1.png?width=997&format=png&auto=webp&s=f89aef14f510bc8815e29c3b2d623c65486da23e
I. Cloud first sees a vision of Sephiroth downstairs at the inn II. Afterward, Cloud sees a resting Broden downstairs
Where is Tifa's scar?
Tifa tries to prove her identity with the scar she received from Sephiroth five years ago. I've seen people say that the reason we don't see the actual scar is to keep players guessing, staying suspicious. What if Sephiroth is actually right?
👀
Yes, Tifa does have a scar, and it's across her sternum meaning it's sandwiched between her honkers. The novel Traces of Two Pasts detailed the exact location:

"You've sustained a severe laceration from some manner of very sharp object. I hate to say it, but if I had to guess, it was probably a sword. The wound stretches from your left upper chest..."
Dr. Oranye reached one finger to her own chest, indicating a point just below her clavicle, then slowly drew the finger down and across, stopping just below her right breast.
"...to just about here. It was deep enough to reach bone. In fact, it managed to shatter a portion of your sternum."
- Dr. Oranye to Tifa, Traces of Two Pasts (English translation)

First, considering this game is rated T, there is no way to see the full scar without shooting the rating up another step.
Second, it’s unlikely any character’s clothes are modeled separately from the actual character model. It’s part of the reason why you don’t see characters sleep in pajamas. Sure sometimes gloves come off, and Aerith takes off her jacket, but that’s about it. So the work required to animate Tifa’s top as she rolls it up will actually be way more work than we expect. Coupled with the previous point… sorry horndogs, keep dreaming.
Why did Sephiroth save Cloud from the Midgardsormr?
At the end of the Midgardsormr boss battle, Cloud gets dragged underwater by the serpent, only for Sephiroth to magically show up and launch it out into the air where it ultimately lands by getting impaled on a tree.
So… Sephiroth wasn’t there at all. In the OG you don’t see Sephiroth kill the Midgar Zolom (as it was known back in the day). The party just sees the corpse already impaled and assumed it was Sephiroth. Maybe it was back then. Maybe not. But in Rebirth, it could be interpreted that Cloud was the one who dealt the killing blow. We see Cloud caught in the Midgardsormr’s coil first.
Cloud completely trapped in the Midgardsormr's grip
Moments later, Cloud begins blacking out before Sephiroth starts to manifest. Do note that in this scene, Cloud is nowhere to be found. He is not only released from the grip, but he's missing altogether, deliberately hidden from sight.
Masamune no Cloud
And finally, "Sephiroth" sends the Midgardsormr flying with what appears to be a vortex-like attack. This attack is remarkedly similar to Cloud's level 3 limit break "Finishing Touch."
https://preview.redd.it/utvs7l2jz3yc1.png?width=997&format=png&auto=webp&s=d78c5a7a2afc52e2a4f4d63b951defcbe23746f1
I. "Sephiroth's" vortex attack II. Cloud's Finishing Touch limit
Later on we know that Sephiroth is able to possess Cloud at times, essentially juicing up his combat abilities and turning him into a bloodthirsty killing machine, butchering everything in his path. This scene could simply be foreshadowing.
CHAPTER 3: DEEPER INTO DARKNESS
What did Aerith mean by "Standard Course"?
At the entrance of the Mythril Mines, Cloud jokes that he'll lead the way for 2000 gil. Aerith quips that 2000 gil is "enough for her Standard Course twice," calling back to Madam M's massage services back in FF7 Remake
We appreciate Madam M's services
What did Tseng mean by "I suggest you look in the mirror"?
After the bout against Rude and Elena, Tseng shows up and suggests that Barret "look in the mirror" regarding any blame on the events that have occurred. Both Avalanche and the Turks are violent and have blood on their hands. While the Turks ultimately carried out Shinra's orders to drop the Sector 7 plate back in FF7 Remake, it was an over-the-top retaliation against Avalanche sabotaging multiple mako reactors, dating back to before the start of Remake's events.
https://preview.redd.it/kvm0jd88i3yc1.png?width=1005&format=png&auto=webp&s=1cb0e3f8ec74fd80e0113a4beee3eb603810540d
CHAPTER 4: DAWN OF A NEW ERA
Who is Viceroy Sarruf?
Rufus. Sarruf is a near anagram of Rufus. In Japanese, "スフール" is "Sufur" or "Rufus" backwards.
Surprise surprise
Rufus has orchestrated multiple behind-the-scenes shenanigans throughout FF7 history, beginning with his role as the primary financier of the original Avalanche in Before Crisis. What Rufus's ultimate goal in the renewed Shinra-Wutai war remains to be seen, though we know the magnus materia arc (a.k.a. Huge Materia from the original game) will likely play a major role in Part 3.
Glenn revealing the nature of the impending Shinra-Wutai war
At the end of the game, Glenn mentions Sarruf as a "rich kid," further alluding to Rufus as Sarruf and vice versa.
Can I make it more obvious?
What did Rufus mean when he said Cloud's file was "fascinating" and "enlightening"?
When Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith's identities were revealed, Rufus said that Cloud was a "fascinating" individual and that his company file was "enlightening."
Rufus knows things
One can assume that, as the president of Shinradictator, Rufus has access to all sorts of classified information. He likely knows Cloud's complete SOLDIER history, the experiments performed on him, and likely a hefty portion of the past that Cloud himself is not aware of.
CHAPTER 5: BLOOD IN THE WATER
Who is Faz?
Aboard the Shinra-8 cruise ship, Aerith and Tifa have seemingly been chatting for a while. The first line we hear is Tifa asking Aerith if she ever saw "that Faz guy again."
Faz is a character in the Traces of Two Pasts novel, a Shinra employee who orchestrated Aerith and her mother Ifalna's escape from Hojo's confinement. Faz isn't a saint, though. He was an obsessive creep over Ifalna and years later, tried to claim Aerith when they crossed paths again.

Even after all these years later, Aerith's perception of Faz still wavered, stuck somewhere between horror and sympathy. She knew she did not want to see him again. But she also recognized that his fate was inextricably tied back to her actions and Ifalna's, and she'd begun to wonder if the only way to free herself from the tangled knot of emotions was to face the man once more. She wondered if the opportunities would ever come, and if so, what form it might take.
- Traces of Two Pasts (English translation)

Best friends for life
The entirety of this scene is the basis for Aerith's section of Traces of Two Pasts, where she talks to Tifa and shares the story of her childhood up through her life as a flower seller in Midgar.

"I'm here if you want to talk," Tifa added quietly.
Aerith was grateful, as always, for this particular companion's warm, thoughtful acceptance. It was easy to speak of her past when Tifa was the one listening.
"Well, actually," Aerith announced, already certain of the next thing she wanted to share. "I was kinda hoping we could talk business."
"Uh... What kind of business?"
"You know. Business." Aerith paused and then added, "Boys."
- Conversation between Aerith and Tifa, Traces of Two Pasts (English translation)

CHAPTER 6: FOOL'S PARADISE
What's the deal with Aerith's clear materia?
At Johnny's Seaside Fleatrap, Aerith and Nanaki ponder the materia Aerith keeps in her bow. What was once white has turned colorless. It is assumed that the whispers from FF7 Remake have somehow removed the knowledge and memories from Aerith's materia, thereby rendering it an empty husk.
https://preview.redd.it/5s59ar62y3yc1.png?width=798&format=png&auto=webp&s=607357f36c26227323e1dec4a1e121ca5b690c65
I. A materia without knowledge and memories becomes void? II. Prior to battling fate itself, at Destiny's Crossroads, Aerith hints that she will no longer be who she is at this moment III. After the battle, Aerith shakes her head when Cloud asks where they are. She no longer knows where they are or what will happen next IV. It all comes full circle
CHAPTER 7: THOSE LEFT BEHIND
What Shinra personnel was Doctor Sheiran referring to?
The party visits Dr. Sheiran in Corel on Tifa's request. After getting cut down by Sephiroth, Tifa was airlifted out for an operation in Corel.
https://preview.redd.it/amn84lcf24yc1.png?width=997&format=png&auto=webp&s=3296be3977a005ffc15a5bc0bf180f9b00bfc690
While it is not confirmed who made the call to save Tifa, it's possible that Shotgun, the female playable Turk from Before Crisis, was responsible. She was on site at the Nibelheim reactor and earlier on had lengthy interactions with the younger Tifa near Mt. Nibel when Tifa was searching for her cat Fluffy. In fact, Shotgun was the one who agreed to have Tifa be the guide for when Cloud and Sephiroth came to town on their mission.
https://preview.redd.it/a8knachn34yc1.png?width=798&format=png&auto=webp&s=a47e11160412aa541d25b99630d782b83062152e
I. Tifa volunteers to be the guide for when Sephiroth comes to town - Before Crisis II. Shotgun on the phone immediately after the incident at the reactor - Last Order
CHAPTER 8: ALL THAT GLITTERS
Why did Dyne end up saving Barret?
In this rendition of Barret and Dyne's confrontation, Dyne ends up pushing Barret out of the hail of bullets from Shinra troopers, sacrificing himself. Or so it seems.
In the end, Dyne fulfills his own wishes to die in order to join his wife Eleanor. At the same time, he wants Barret to continue living on with the weight of his decisions, the guilt, on his shoulders. In essence, it's akin to leaving him a curse.
https://preview.redd.it/uyxr0dsp44yc1.png?width=1049&format=png&auto=webp&s=2b8c6f3dd9745e4d7abc79d0f2760188496a3a1e
CHAPTER 9: THE PLANET STIRS
What's the deal with the black and white whispers?
In Tifa's lifestream scene, we see white whispers for the first time. Both the black and white whispers are different from the whispers of fate in FF7 Remake. It is likely a parallel between Sephiroth (black) and Aerith (white), in turn referring to the Lifestream Black (Sephiroth) and Lifestream White (Aerith) segments of the novel On the Way to a Smile.
We later learn that the black whispers are indeed controlled by Sephiroth. The white whispers eventually appear to be controlled by Aerith -- or at least some version of Aerith. It's also possible to infer that some version of Aerith, controlling the white whispers, has stepped in to protect Tifa from Sephiroth, who has been trying to get rid of her since the opening chapters.
War of the Whispers
Why was Sephiroth struggling so much against a baby Weapon?
Toward the end of Tifa's lifestream scene, Sephiroth manifests himself and attempts to kill Tifa himself after failing to manipulate Cloud to do so earlier. He ended up missing with his Masamune and instead turned on the Weapon itself. Here it is possibly the only time we ever see Sephiroth struggling to do anything.
Audible grunts included
We need to understand that based on the original game, no Sephiroth the party has encountered to this point has been the real one. The real Sephiroth at this time is trapped in the Northern Crater. He expends energy to manifest either in the black robes or here in the lifestream.
One can argue that it takes a lot more effort for him to appear here, while controlling the black whispers, and trying to take down a Weapon (mini baby version or not) at the same time. He only wields a fraction of his true power.
To be continued... I'm tired lol

So first I should add some context. The campaign I'm taking part in is part of a school club, composed of grades ten to twelve. As such our schedules don't always line up, meaning at times several players are missing. When that happens the DM lets me play the spare character I made, so I have one ready if my usual one dies. Today (when this story happened) two were missing, so I got to play him. The character I usually play is an Eladrin called Daveren, and the second character is a Yuan Ti Malison called Vince. The other players are going to be kept private, as I do respect their privacy. I'll just say there was the DM, Half Elf Paladin, and Dragonborn Rouge, who seduced a dragon. Other potentially important context is that I am terrible with social cues, and I usually go for the most logical option when making decisions. Like a you try to hit me twice I try to hit you twice sort of deal. While I will admit I can get heated, my decisions are made with the best of my logic, as I find other decision making skills strange. Those in the story attribute such tendencies to autism, which I do not have, but they think I do and make fun of me for it. (Though this is likely done in good faith, because one of them is diagnosed with autism).
As for the story, my party was sent to kill goblins and whatnot in a castle, and we only had one room left. We opened the door, and the Dragonborn rushed in. It turned out there was an Owlbear, so we all rolled initiative. Daveren was the only one left in the door, as everyone else had ended up just inside the room. Either way, the Owlbear got the highest initiative and went first. Since I was blocking its way out it attacked me, and long story short did ten damage, followed up by eight, knocking me down to eighteen hp. I shot the bug bear, did ten damage, used action Surge, and did another ten. Then it was Vinces turn, he did twenty damage, and then his turn ended. The Half Elf didn't do anything too important, just hit it and did a little damage. However when it was the Dragonborn Rouges turn they decided to attack. For context the player is female but the character is male, so I will use they/them in reference. Now, apparently they didn't like that I attacked the Owlbear and was blocking its exit, so they decided to attack me. Luckily the DM made us both roll, and since I have a high DEX score I managed to dodge the hit. But I did decide it would be better to get out of the Owlbears way my next turn, so the Dragonborn Rouge would have no reason to continue attacking me. And that is what I did. I used Fey Step to teleport behind it, healed up a bit, then attacked again. While I understood the Dragonborn Rouge wanted to let it live I considered my characters personalities, and decided to keep attacking. Daveren didn't care, so he would let it go, but still attack just to ensure it didn't kill him first. Vince would want to kill it no matter what, but I decided need be, I could let it go to not stir up conflict in the party. Still, even after teleporting behind it the Dragonborn Rouge attacked me again, much to my surprise. They attacked with two daggers, and rolled a nineteen and natural twenty, so they hit. I ended up taking twelve damage, which would have killed me had I not healed, as the Owlbear had hit me again. Still, I decided to focus on the fight. Nothing else too significant happened, and the Owlbear ended up escaping on one hp. Now, that should have been that, but the Dragonborn Rouge decided to attack again. They missed, but I was getting fed up. So I decided to retaliate with both my characters. Vince ended up doing twenty damage, bringing them down to six hp. They still were ready to attack, so I decided I would finish them off with Daveren, let them be dead for a death save, then heal them, hoping that would calm the situation. Besides, I was the only one who could still heal, so I thought after I killed them once and healed them, they wouldn't attack me again. However that's where conflict began to arise. The Half Elf Paladin refused to let me attack again, despite having not expressed any opposition when the Dragonborn Rouge tried to kill me. Not only that, but she decided she wanted to B slap me, and rolled for it. She failed, but then decided to reroll, and the DM allowed her to. She succeeded, and took off four hp. I expressed my frustration at the situation. She was taking the Dragonborn Rouges side, even when I thought my solution made sense, and it would cause any long lasting issues. Then I asked the Dragonborn Rouge why they attacked me, even after I moved out of the way, as that is why they said they were attacking me. They said it was because I was trying to kill the Owlbear, but I brought up how I wasn't the only one, which made them admit Daveren was targeted because I was the one playing him. I understand I am not fun to be around, but still, it seemed like overkill. Especially when I was well known for rarely rolling over ten, and no one but me could heal, so I could have very much permanently died. Still, everyone argued with me, stating how I was in the wrong, and whatnot. It was threatened that the Dragonborn Rouges dragon boyfriend would get sent after me if I killed them, which again, seemed like overkill. Eventually I killed them, revived them, then wrote a letter to their boyfriend as my character has a background as a poet. Still, the whole interaction rubbed me the wrong way. They all stood against me, and told me I was pointlessly arguing, even when I though my decision made sense, and I held no ill will towards the Dragonborn Rouge, as I just wanted to keep my character alive. Besides, technically I was playing into my character with the killing the Owlbear, and eventually deciding to temporarily kill the Dragonborn Rouge, but I was criticized for doing such. However when the Dragonborn Rouge played into their character they were passed, even after them “doing what their character would” ended with them targeting me specifically, not even my character.
(Please note that this story will have some discrepancies, as I don't remember exactly numbers and attack order, however the main details are the same)

(My profile is tagged NSFW because I also post these in dirtyr4r since some have actually had luck finding something serious there. Figured it's worth a shot, haha.)
I'm searching for the kind of wonderful woman who shares most of my interests below, who's also goofy, likes to playfully insult each other, and also believes in open and honest communication. I believe with that, we can work out any problems when they arise. 💛
• I'm a gamer, car guy, and maybe one day, a musician too. I enjoy anime, nature, going on little adventures, swimming, traveling... I wanna see the world with you before all the beautiful sights are gone. - Current games I've focused on lately is Helldivers 2 and Deep Rock Galactic. If you wanna play those together, that would be awesome! I would also eventually like to play other things together like Stardew Valley, Minecraft, Terraria, etc. - My taste in music is nearly everything except country and today's rap. To name a few bands/musicians I really love: Led Zeppelin, Arctic Monkeys, Tame Impala, The White Stripes, The Raconteurs, Queens of the Stone Age, Mac Demarco, Them Crooked Vultures, and Metronomy.
• I want to dance with you. In the living room, bedroom, back yard, in the park, almost anywhere. I enjoy doing romantic things and expressing my love. I love deep conversations that distract us from the passing of time.
• I'm a dog person because my allergies chose to target cats for whatever reason, so there's that. 😅
• I'm monogamous and don't have children currently, but they're in my future plans, probably within the next 6 years. I want to spend plenty of time with, well it might be you, and enjoy the best of life as a couple, and then as spouses, traveling and whatnot, before we start a family. 🤗
• I'm really hoping to find someone who's also into dirty humor (amongst other forms of humor) and has mutual...interests 😏 so we have even better compatibility in the bedroom (and sometimes away from home too). I usually have a high labido, but I only want to get intimate when we're both comfortable and ready. 👉👈
• Specs for those who would like them: - 6 feet tall (about 183 cm). - 219 lbs and dropping (about 99 kg). ~ My figure is very dad-bod at the moment, but apparently it comes with a nice ass (so I'm told). ~ This is close to the most I've ever weighed, and I'm not happy with it. I'm targeting somewhere around 170 lbs (about 77 kg). - Brunette/dirty blonde, kept relatively short. - Blue eyes. - Caucasian.
• I have learned the hard way that I do have a type. I used to date outside that type, and it only led to hurt feelings, so I don't want to repeat that. That being said, my type is Caucasian or East Asian ranging from petite to average body type. I don't love going to the gym, but if you have or want a membership I would be open to going together. 😁 I apologize if my preferences differ from who you are. You're all beautiful people, regardless! Please love yourself and enjoy the time you're given in life! 💛
Chat with ya soon! 😁

Dear Gamers,
Just a seasoned old man gamer here (clocking in at 30 here. fucking oof) and I wanted to talk about something I've been seeing a lot more lately: In recent years, I've noticed a growing number of younger players who display a tendency to give up prematurely in League of Legends games. Whether it's due to feeling overshadowed by their teammates performing better than them, or making mistakes and having a difficult time recovering in lane, the inclination to give up early feels like it's becoming increasingly prevalent among the younger generations of gamers. It's getting exhausting.
Let's be real though, League is not a welcoming game and the community can be a bit... unforgiving at times. I understand the frustration of falling behind or not performing as well as you'd like. We've all been there. However, what concerns me is the shift in attitude over time towards giving up at the first sign of adversity. It's saddening and frustrating to see players abandon all hope when there's still a chance to turn things around.
Let me be Clear: I'm not talking about the ff 15 mentality; that's a separate issue and discussion. Some games truly are unwinnable. But that's not what this post is about.
I'm talking about the mental tilt that sets in before the game even gets a chance to start rolling, the "inting" because someone else didn't carry their lane, or the spite because your teammates dare to try to win while you personally struggled. This weird ass "main character syndrome," where everyone needs to be the star of the show, can ruin a team's ability to adapt and overcome challenges. And honestly, this mentality is ruining competitive gaming integrity in a lot of games, not just league. I see it elsewhere: Dota 2, Apex legends, Call of Duty, Roblox, Fortnite, etc. This attitude is not compatible with the heart and spirit of gaming. When did losing on purpose become fun?
Think back to the days of trash-talking lobbies in Call of Duty. Sure, it was a toxic hellscape, but there was a sense of camaraderie there in that space, even amongst rivals and shit talkers. Hell, you could even laugh at somebody else's shit talk and even make friends with people through shit talking. That just doesn't happen now, or it very rarely does. Back then, even players at the bottom of the leaderboard were still invested in winning. Nowadays, it sometimes feels like people are competing to be at the bottom spot. Back in the day (yes, I'm channeling my inner gaming grandpa here), competition was fucking brutal, trash talk flew freely, and sure, it got toxic sometimes. But there was also a bigger sense of competition and rivalry, a "we're in this together" or "i'm not going to be the one at the bottom of the leaderboard" vibe. Even if you weren't at the top of the scoreboard, everyone seemed to at least be trying to win. I've never seen it this bad.
Here's the thing: giving up early hurts the entire team. It might feel justified in the moment, but it extinguishes any chance of a comeback and ruins the experience for everyone.
So how can we cultivate a healthier, true gamer mentality?

• Reframe your game. Focus on improvement: Every game, even a loss, is a learning opportunity. Analyze what went wrong, identify areas for growth, and focus on those in future games.
• Remember, it's a fucking team game: League isn't a solo show. Support your teammates, even if they're having a rough time. A kind word, a "thank you", or a well-timed gank can make all the difference in the mentality of other people.
• Mute negativity: Sometimes, if you truly just can't fucking handle it, the best course of action is to mute toxic players. Focus on your own gameplay and shotcalling, and let your pings do the talking.
• Celebrate small wins: Even if you lose a game: a successful gank, a clutch objective steal, perfect CS numbers, great positioning – these moments matter. Recognize them and keep it up in your games moving forward.

League can be intense, but it's also a game. We all play games for a similar reason: To escape the bullshit that is real life sometimes. We come here to have fun and be better versions of ourselves or to showcase something we're good at. By focusing on getting better, teamwork, and having a positive mindset, we can create a better experience for ourselves and everyone else.
If you're angry, be angry. If you wanna rage, then rage. But channel that energy against the enemy team as an effort to try to win, not at yourself or at your own teammates. And definitely not through hate speech and inting. Keep the true gaming spirit alive, and channel it into a drive to win as a team, not a justification for giving up.

In this new delightful movie starring Jocelyn Hudon and Dan Jeannotte, we find the ever efficient(some might say annoying efficient) Madeline at a crossroads in her life. She recently was dumped five weeks before her wedding to Jason. Jason sounds like a go-getter. He also calls her "babe" which bothered me. "Babe" is not a good term of endearment. But he couldn't take her quirks and personality it seems. Anyway, he dumped her in public during lunch. Bad, bad boy. So what was Madeline going to do? Go on the honeymoon anyway. That's right. Why waste a perfectly good trip to a super romantic spot like Niagara Falls? Prior to that, like many a sad and depressed person she found solace in junk food and in at least one Hallmark movie, the classic "Fit for a Prince".(Not to be confused with Stalked by a Prince with the same two leads.) So she decides to go off to Niagara Falls with her sister instead. She too is at a crossroads in her life working at a job that she dislikes. Now it's true that Madeleine was really efficient and might even have a case of OCD(I don't know. I can't diagnose.), it should be noted that she wants to go to Niagara Falls for a very good and romantic reasons. A reason which should endear her to her boyfriend if he had a heart and a modicum of sensitivity. That reason is that her grandparents(who largely raised Madeline and her sister Harley) also went to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. Aww. But Jason didn't even seem to like that because as Madeline is wont to do, she planned to do everything that they did on their honeymoon as well as planned every hour of the honeymoon. This type of thing was too much for Jason.
So Jason breaks up with her and she goes off to Niagara Falls with her sister. Meanwhile in Niagara Falls we have the small tour operator run by best friends Emily and Mike appears to be struggling. Mike blames himself. Of course, he is currently single and shortly will fall for the numerous charms of Madeline. But he too had to deal with recent heartbreak with his girlfriend leaving him to go live in Ohio. We have a funny first meeting between our two leads where he is playing the guitar on a bench and she drops a coin into her filled coffee cup. Ha ha ha. I've seen this recently in another movie. But of course, this annoys him and unknowingly he manages to upset his future customer as well. She had called ahead and asked for a tour guide for all of the trips she wanted to take on her honeymoon and Mike was to be the tour guide. Emily was to help a bit but she has to take care of a couple who are getting married in a few days. Her brother is the best man. Harley, the sister, is a photographer and she is coaxed into helping out the couple with photos of their trip and later of the wedding itself. This reignites her passion for photography. Also her and Emily's brother take a shine to each other as well. He even is able to provide her with very good publicity via his company as well. Everybody is in love! Well, except for Emily. Sad Emily. Just kidding. She seemed happy at the end of the movie with her brother and her best friend in love. Oops. Did I give away the ending? Well, not if you ever seen a Hallmark movie before...
Well, Mike teaches Madeline to be a bit more free-flowing and spontaneous. He also teaches her to face her fears and to leave herself open to new things and experiences. Some of the hesitation for Madeline goes back to things that happened in her childhood. Like many people she seeks order in a chaotic world. Well, for her it was a chaotic childhood. Of course, at the end there is a wrinkle but our leads find the path back to each other by the end of the movie. Oops, I did it again.
The plot to the movie has been done before in various forms. I mean the whole idea of going-on-the-honeymoon-despite-getting-dumped aspect of it. It's still a good plot. It allows for reflection and new experiences. In fact, at one point in this movie, Madeline tries to show off her newfound "wildness" in a social media post to get Jason's attention. That will show him, ha! Anyway, as for the film itself, I must say that I prefer Jocelyn in more comedic roles. Not that this was terribly heavy. She's good with her facial expressions. She can make some funny ones, I mean. The character was a little annoying but that was part of the problem. That being said, Jason was a bozo. He could have just said that he was getting cold feet and talked to someone but no, it seems, that he largely dumped her on the spur-of-the-moment. Bad form, Jason. I feel sorry for his next girlfriend. Dan Jeannotte was pretty good. He is affable enough. Nothing to complain about him. Nothing too shout from the rooftops as well. He was a good guide for Madeline on her new path in life. She needed a change and Mike was the right man to help her along the way. Incidentally, one of the aspects of the film, they didn't really explore but which is no doubt a part of the future, is the fact that Madeline is somewhat of a tax expert and she can help out the tour guide be more profitable and so on and so forth. At one point, she offered help in this manner but he turned her down.
Overall, it was a pretty decent movie. Lots of great views of the Falls. The only downside for me is that I wish it had taken place somewhere less famous and had gotten the same treatment. Niagara Falls doesn't need the publicity. But that's a minor point. It's justly famous. Luckily, there were no funny accent to contend with in this film nor any possible age problems. Love Madeline's apartment in San Francisco. That must be worth a pretty penny. Very nice and clean. Of course, it's very clean. Loved the karaoke scene where the three couples mentioned sang three songs all of which were about 100 years old. Was Hallmark trying to get around the copyright issues? Well, one of them was only 98 years old. They put in three for the price of one! Like Madeline very efficient. Anyway, I would give it a 6 or 7 out of 10. Not excellent but certainly not the worst movie I've seen recently.

I love Neck Deep so much, it’s so well written, the opening guitar parts are rlly fun to play and the half time breakdown and the slower ending section make it possibly the best track on the album. The last time they ever played it live was in like 2010 or 2011

Hi there! I'm mainly making this post because the past three days I have ended up matching with three actual skinwalkers. I'm on a roll and hoping an actual person will message me and break this dumpster-ass streak lol!
Muh Face
Me being cringe af
Okay so a little about me! My fossil ID is 34/M/TX to start. I'm a very extroverted introvert. By that I mean I ramble about unhinged topics at length on mic but freeze up and a mumble rap in public and not in a work uniform. I am a basic bitch early 2000s weeb/gamer with a hard r. As such I don't actually watch new anime, but just rewatch the same 3 comfort shows (send me recommendations and I won't watch them but will check the wiki and say I did).
As for games I'm on PS5/PC/Switch I'm currently playing Outlast the Trials, Helldivers 2, Fallout 76 (the best one fight me), Dragon's Dogma Dark Arisen (ITS BEEN LIKE 13 YEARS LETS FUCKING GOOOOOO) and tomorrow DD2, and Rise of Ronin. On PC I and playing Palworld and Nightingale. My Switch is also here...
Other hobbies include but are not limited to, playing guitar, squawking with playing guitar, jogging, driving in a very safe and sane manner, walking into target looking at one thing then immediately leaving, playing with my dog, breathing, being a functional member of society and not an unhinged weirdo in a skinsuit.
If you would like to apply I mainly like to communicate via voiceclips and would be hyped if you did too. Please keep in mind when applying for this position I have very strict criteria on which I will select applicants. Below is a list of required skills.
°Be funny °Be able to breathe °Blink occasionally (optional) °Bonus points for pics with your intro
That's about it. I look forward to sifting through all (one) of the messages I'll be barraged with. Hope you all have a pleasant whatever. :)

here is what i have so far.
Prologue: A Storys has to start somewhere
Jazz was a good kid, well openly at least. he did his best to pick his battles but he did partake in the occasional misdeed mostly pickpocketing to buy some candy or other but not one person would have expected him here all these years later, He knew better than to mess with the bootlegging business, the gangs as you can imagine did not take nicely to competition but he convinced himself he could get away with it just once after all he was strapped for cash just a run or two and he be done, he was wrong. “Halt get back here” the buttons yelled chasing him and another perpetrator of the illegal trade “we’re busted” Jazz shrieked as the dealers and customers scattered then chicago lightning and a fellow right behind Jazz dropped as Jazz turned the corner to escape the alley,
“RASPBERRY PUDDING” Jazz screamed ducking between light poles and trash cans the crack of more Chicago thunder following Jazz down the street it was pretty empty for a Friday but the night was young, the few people out ducked at the sounds and watched the pursuit now the buttons had to be more discriminate lets a stray bullet hit someone.
jazz heard loud music nothing like a radio, he tried to follow it when to getting his ears full of the sound of gunfire, a bullet hits Jazz in the shoulder he clenched his teeth and groaned and stumbled the cops gaining on him, looking for a way off the street Jazz saw another alley with fairy lights lining it and the music i-it was coming from thare a speakeasy, Jazz began running again and disappeared down the ally in a line to get in
Chapter One: A Dance in the Moonlight
The night hung heavy with the scent of jasmine and mischief, the sultry air of the speakeasy wrapping around the mysterious figures that moved through its smoky embrace. Swing jazz spilled from the relatively small stage, a sultry siren's call that beckoned them all into the arms of the night.
Evelyn "Scarlet" Moreteli ruled this realm, a woman of power and poise, her raven hair cascading in loose waves, but management never suited her well an adrenaline junkie she loved the feeling of getting her hand's dirty doing interrogations herself and a stakeout every once and awhile, that's why when she saw Jazz enter covering his shoulder she took a mental note and watched him pass, walk right past the bar and head to the bathroom. Cops entered a moment later looked around then saw Evelyn,
“Good evening officers anything i might be able to do for you tonight”
The older of the two grabbed the others shoulder to usher him out but the younger asked “have you seen a man run in here about 5.9, longer brown hair and a bullet in his shoulder”
Evelyn responded, simply standing up and swirling a martini glass “No officers I haven't now unless you need your payment for this month officer Smith I suggest you and the rookie leave” The older man looked away flustered and practically dragged his partner out.
Evelyn sat back down “Tonight should be interesting” she said to herself taking a sip and watching the bathroom door out of the corner of her eye at all times. she watched from her table, a smoky-eyed specter draped in shadow, as the world outside danced to a rhythm of her making. It was a world of secrets, a world of sin, and Evelyn revealed every inch of it.
During this time Jazz was busy trying to dig the lead out of his shoulder but he wasn't strong enough to endure the pain and pull it out “ahhhh ok, ok this isnt working i need a plan” he sat thing for a long time back against the cold door almost dozing off when a softer peace of music played.
“No ok ok well um im small and skinny i need a change of clothes maybe they got something behind stage, yhea they gotta” he got up slowly and left the bathroom now watched by Evelyn, he did his best to ignore the throbbing in his shoulder as he looked for a way backstage, just his luck guards he did his best to think a reason for entrance as he walked
Evelyn's eyes never left him curious about his next move tempted to approach.”why were the cops after him, there must be something more than meets the eye”
Jazz gathered himself and approached the guard.
“Hey i really don't want to be like this but i see a drunk guy at the bar and i dont think hes taking no for an answer think you can knock some sense into him”
The man grubs and shakes his head
“i swear they just get more and more common these days thanks for the tip”
Jazz nods and smiles then goes backstage when the guard is out of sight. It was dim backstage. He passed ladies preparing for the stage and a group of men packing up instruments. Jazz was looking around, not the most subtle but he had never been backstage before so it was understandable if not for the fact he was running from the police.
Evelyn, ever watchful, noted Jazz's entry backstage. Her curiosity grew, and she decided to follow him discreetly.
Jazz stumbled upon an open dressing room someone left it open and lit a beacon of light and hope to Jazz. he walked in and saw all the clothes, all high quality he felt poor just looking at them but nothing seemed to be his exact size except
“A blue flapper dress I couldn't … well”
It looked almost perfect long enough to cover his less slender legs and in a flattering c-
“Jazz are you even thinking”
Oh he was Nobody would expect him not dressed up like this
“I don't even know how to put this on but”
“I can help” Evelyn said coming through the doorway nearly giving jazz a heart attack
“How did you”
“Shush listen i ask the questions ok”
“O-ok yes ma’am”
“So tell me why are you here“ Evelyn asked jazz as she organized the outfit “also strip id look away but i cant trust you yet”
Jazz blushed but did as she asked turning around to spare some of his pride “w-well i was trying to get some extra money but then the cops found out what i was doing so”
“What were you doing” Evelyn asked evenly not judging yet
“Transporting alcohol”
“Oh well then so far i have no gripes with you, tell me is this your first time”
“What do you-”
“Breaking the law, -she rolls her eyes- get your mind out of the sewer oh and now that your done face me i need to help dress you now” jazz turned around head down
“I cant dress you like that you have to took at me -he doesn't move, she sighs and puts a finger under his chin- “ please keep cooperating you were doing good and your not in trouble yet ok”
Jazz nods
“Ok good” - Evelyn dresses jazz up and as she does her mind and mouth wander - “well you don't seem to be a trouble maker you may not have answered my question but a person as shy as yourself well i couldn't imagine a daisy like you being much of a hood
Jazz looks at her a little confused
“That's not an insult to be clear” Evelyn continues reading the look on Jazz’s face
“o-oh then thanks” “but how did you know i was in trouble with the cops?”
“Oh well you see someone running into an establishment like this and you just gotta take notice and then two cops came in-”
​

Dear Gamers,
Just a seasoned old man gamer here (clocking in at 30 here. fucking oof) and I wanted to talk about something I've been seeing a lot more lately: In recent years, I've noticed a growing number of younger players who display a tendency to give up prematurely in League of Legends games. Whether it's due to feeling overshadowed by their teammates performing better than them, or making mistakes and having a difficult time recovering in lane, the inclination to give up early feels like it's becoming increasingly prevalent among the younger generations of gamers. It's getting exhausting.
Let's be real though, League is not a welcoming game and the community can be a bit... unforgiving at times. I understand the frustration of falling behind or not performing as well as you'd like. We've all been there. However, what concerns me is the shift in attitude over time towards giving up at the first sign of adversity. It's saddening and frustrating to see players abandon all hope when there's still a chance to turn things around.
Let me be Clear: I'm not talking about the ff 15 mentality; that's a separate issue and discussion. Some games truly are unwinnable. But that's not what this post is about.
I'm talking about the mental tilt that sets in before the game even gets a chance to start rolling, the "inting" because someone else didn't carry their lane, or the spite because your teammates dare to try to win while you personally struggled. This weird ass "main character syndrome," where everyone needs to be the star of the show, can ruin a team's ability to adapt and overcome challenges. And honestly, this mentality is ruining competitive gaming integrity in a lot of games, not just league. I see it elsewhere: Dota 2, Apex legends, Call of Duty, Roblox, Fortnite, etc. This attitude is not compatible with the heart and spirit of gaming. When did losing on purpose become fun?
Think back to the days of trash-talking lobbies in Call of Duty. Sure, it was a toxic hellscape, but there was a sense of camaraderie there in that space, even amongst rivals and shit talkers. Hell, you could even laugh at somebody else's shit talk and even make friends with people through shit talking. That just doesn't happen now, or it very rarely does. Back then, even players at the bottom of the leaderboard were still invested in winning. Nowadays, it sometimes feels like people are competing to be at the bottom spot. Back in the day (yes, I'm channeling my inner gaming grandpa here), competition was fucking brutal, trash talk flew freely, and sure, it got toxic sometimes. But there was also a bigger sense of competition and rivalry, a "we're in this together" or "i'm not going to be the one at the bottom of the leaderboard" vibe. Even if you weren't at the top of the scoreboard, everyone seemed to at least be trying to win. I've never seen it this bad.
Here's the thing: giving up early hurts the entire team. It might feel justified in the moment, but it extinguishes any chance of a comeback and ruins the experience for everyone.
So how can we cultivate a healthier, true gamer mentality?

• Reframe your game. Focus on improvement: Every game, even a loss, is a learning opportunity. Analyze what went wrong, identify areas for growth, and focus on those in future games.
• Remember, it's a fucking team game: League isn't a solo show. Support your teammates, even if they're having a rough time. A kind word, a "thank you", or a well-timed gank can make all the difference in the mentality of other people.
• Mute negativity: Sometimes, if you truly just can't fucking handle it, the best course of action is to mute toxic players. Focus on your own gameplay and shotcalling, and let your pings do the talking.
• Celebrate small wins: Even if you lose a game: a successful gank, a clutch objective steal, perfect CS numbers, great positioning – these moments matter. Recognize them and keep it up in your games moving forward.

League can be intense, but it's also a game. We all play games for a similar reason: To escape the bullshit that is real life sometimes. We come here to have fun and be better versions of ourselves or to showcase something we're good at. By focusing on getting better, teamwork, and having a positive mindset, we can create a better experience for ourselves and everyone else.
If you're angry, be angry. If you wanna rage, then rage. But channel that energy against the enemy team as an effort to try to win, not at yourself or at your own teammates. And definitely not through hate speech and inting. Keep the true gaming spirit alive, and channel it into a drive to win as a team, not a justification for giving up.

I'm not sure If I like this, I've been getting into writing more and wanted to make something I'm proud of. It's supposed to turn into a medieval apocalyptic survival but I haven't gotten to that point, any pointers are appreciated!
Prologue
An Unprecedented Danger
Astrid had warned me numerous times not to go on raids alone. “We don’t have supplies to waste on useless runs.” She would say. But tonight was much different. Rather than just the theories in my own mind. I had received a good amount of information. A man in the pub was blackout drunk, I doubt he even realized what he was saying before he mentioned a rich courier of supplies, he was waiting for. He had been ordered to take them to the king once they arrived in the providence. He claimed the escorts were armed to the teeth with sanctioned knights, but I was hoping that that was a working of the keg of ale he consumed. Either way if I could pull this run off my bandit guild would be set for 3 months at least. I didn’t believe in teams, most of the time they were always too slow to be of any use, but this group had saved me from an abusive father back when I was just a boy. I owed it to them to give a hand until they decided I had paid off their favor. It had been many years since then and I was a working adult, bakers’ hand by day and bandit by night. My thoughts were interrupted when I saw a distant light down the trail. This must be them I think to myself. Nobody would be travelling this late at night unless it was meant for the king, I shuffle slightly in the brush I’m waiting in. I was purposely in wait in the densest part of the forest so no noise would be heard by any other traveling groups that may have camps nearby, which also means I wouldn’t be found if something went wrong. The caravan draws closer, and I hear the clanking of metal on metal. Knights, the bloke wasn’t kidding. I saw fully armored knights, their longswords reflecting the wobbly lantern light held by the caravan driver. Helmets covered the entirety of their heads except a slit they use to see. They must’ve been expecting some rebels to be holding an ambush because there’d be no other reason for them to have their whole suits of armor. They all bear the king’s crest, it’s an image of an eye, with golden trimming; an emerald color is the color of the iris and an outline of black surrounds everything. This must be a valuable load, there’s not much in this world that is worth that much protection. The knights get closer, there seems to be about 6 of them; they get closer to where I’m in and I see a glow behind the steel helmets they’re wearing. It’s their eyes, they were completely absent of any semblance of life; I notice their pupils are surrounded with a thin white aura, and their limbs seem to drag behind their sluggish movements. I stay as still as I possibly can. The caravan driver is now visible, and I now see his face clearly. His cheeks are sunken in, and his skin is loose around his bones. His mouth lays open with rotten teeth crowded inside. This isn’t normal; no matter what occurred I had to stay perfectly silent. Whatever these were they weren’t human. I must survive and warn the city about what was coming. I wince as I suddenly hear a horrid screeching sound coming from the inside of the caravan, I move in shock, but the knights don’t seem to notice the sound. My eyes are drawn to the caravan and the cloth covering flaps as a small leather bag slips out. I’ll collect it once they’re a good distance away. I watch as they move past where I’m hiding at a snail’s pace. The back of the caravan, also covered with a curtain, so I’m unable to peer inside. As the light disappears around the curves of the road I crawl out of my bush, dirt and leaves now caked on the sleeves of my clothes. Walking tentatively towards the leather bag, it’s about the size of a child’s boot. I look around, making sure to be warry of any unwelcome beasts. Before grabbing the bag and putting it in my jacket pocket, there seems to be something small inside, but I don’t have the time or vision currently to check what it is. My current mission is to make it back to The Guild and tell them what I saw. I turn towards the brush and begin sprinting, I would beat the caravan if I didn’t run into any trouble, the shortcut The Guild uses used to be a game trail but is hardly traveled by anybody. Creatures stay away from it because of the elden sap we had smeared on the trees. So, it makes it useless from a hunter’s standpoint. Tree branches reach for my body as I run through the dense forest. The Guild’s signature mask protects my face from the twigs eagerly trying to cut my face. The mask is reinforced with iron-silk, so it was extremely durable, with a lotus emblem on the bottom right to signify my allegiance. I’m sprinting as quickly as I can, and the ground becomes a blur, and the sky uses rays of moonlight to pierce the dense foliage. The moonlight occasionally hits my eyes, and they reflect their brown color. If not for the full moon I wouldn’t be able to see the logs I was now vaulting over. I had been running for around 20 minutes before I had to stop and eat some miners’ ichor, which reinforced my muscles and fixed the fatigue I felt, making it so I could run at the same pace for at least another hour or so. With the power of the ichor, I swiftened my pace taking advantage of a skill I had learned from a man in the Guild to avoid tripping hazards while moving at quicker speeds. It took me a while still before I saw the glow of the town through the forest. I just needed to make it a little further until I could warn the guild of what was coming. I had hope of that goal until I began feeling a tingling feeling in my legs, shortly after, bursts of needles shot up my leg with every bound. The miners’ ichor was wearing off and my movements become heavier and less exact, the blurry ground now becomes more visible as I lose momentum. Before I even realized, I had tripped on a large root and was lying on my stomach, inhaling dirt with every shallow breath I made. I need to make it to the guild, I must… Warn them… and my eyes blur my vision and force themselves shut, my frantic thoughts skid to a halt and I pass out from exhaustion.
Chapter 1
(The Grave and The Unsuccessful)
I wake with a splitting headache and an aching body, wishing nothing more but to go to sleep but I’m nowhere near comfortable. I sit up slowly being certain to not make any fast movements lest I anger my headache further. I got lucky I hadn’t landed on a rock and died right here. I maneuver myself on the ground, so that a tree trunk is supporting my back. I sit there for a while attempting to gather my bearings and remember everything, but my headache makes it harder than it should be. It couldn’t’ve been a dream; I remember it all too vividly. The image of their seemingly glowing eyes burned into my retina. I remember the sound that came from inside the caravan and shivers run down my spine, angering my muscles as it does. I have a thought and remember I still had yet to see what was in the leather pouch that had fallen out of the caravan the night prior. I slip my hand into my jacket’s pocket, and I’m relieved to find that it hadn’t fallen out during my desperate dash. I slip it out of my pocket and examine the bag, nothing seems out of the ordinary at first but on the leather strip that ties the bag closed lies a rune etched into its skin. Damn it. A locking spell had been cast on it and I wouldn’t be able to get it open without a mage’s help. There just so happens to be a sorcerer in the guild that specializes in unlocking such runes, but I’d have to get to the town first. I realize that there’s a large chance that the town was attacked by whatever I saw last night. I couldn’t warn the town of what I saw, but it was also foolish to think that I would’ve been able to convince the guards that what I was saying was true anyways. Slipping the bag back into my pocket I look up in the direction the town is supposed to be, I’m only a mile or so away so any large amount of smoke would be visible from here. I stand up using the tree I was resting against as a temporary brace to get myself up. As I stand my legs give out and I must hug the tree to prevent my fall. My tripping must’ve been more violent than I first thought. I stand up by using the tree as a back brace. Reaching into my satchel I take out a light healing tonic and drink it in one movement. It tastes disgusting and leaves a bitter taste in the back of my throat, I really wish there was a way to make that stuff taste better. But it does its job quickly and the pain from the bruises on my legs fades away. I drop the empty bottle back into my satchel, and I’m able to lean away from the tree and begin walking to the town. It takes me around 45 minutes of travel until I find the sewer exit, my nose finding it before my eyes do, it lies at the bottom of a hill that doubles as the secret exit the guild uses. I squat and grab the bottom of the grate and it gives an aggressive whine in protest as I lift it open. Lowering myself down the ladder I take a moment to close the grate behind me as I climb down. The stench fills my nose completely and I gag. No matter how many times I travel down here I never get used to it. I reach the end of the ladder and begin my trek. It is a straight path until I reach under the city, and I take the 4th left turn and then an immediate right to climb up into the ladder that the Guild’s bakery is at. The baked goods we make are the best in town but not many people come by because of the rumors tied to guild activity. I climb up and knock on the trapdoor. “Aperire sesamum.” I say loudly and a familiar gruff voice sounds over the rushing water of the sewer. “It’s ‘bout time you came crawling back.” The trapdoor swings open and a bearded face peers back at me, Brodnar. He was the dwarf that had been put in charge of ordering spices and ingredients in the bakery but he mostly stayed in the basement organizing and making sure nothing unwanted came through the trapdoor. “Astrid has some choice words she’d like to share with ya’.” He says as I crawl through the opening. “She always has choice words for me.” I say with a slight smile just glad I’m back in semi-one piece.
“That’s beyond the point though I found something while I was out, and I need to consult the mage about it.”, I say.
“ou’ll be lucky if you survive talking to Astrid boy, let alone if she doesn’t take what ye found for the guild.”
“I’m doubt she could possibly be that upse-”
I’m cut off by somebody’s steps coming down the stairs. Astrid’s face becomes visible in the lantern light, and we lock eyes. Her piercing blue eyes stare into my soul, she’s older than me by a good bit, probably 6 years or so more. Her caramel hair rests gently against her shoulders, she stands with a displeased stance and folds her arms over her chest. “Come upstairs.” Her tone icicles, and it cuts into my soul. I don’t dare speak back to her in this moment, so I start up the stairs, and she follows me up as I do so, I walk up through the back room of the bakery and into the Guild’s lounge area I feel my companions’ eyes on me. Astrid walks by me and leads me into her quarters, She sits behind her wooden desk and tells me to sit down as well. Awkward silence fills the room as the sounds of the Guild ensue outside of it. “You can begin by telling me where you were in the 3 days you were gone.” 3 days? The shock must’ve been visible in my eyes because she continued.
“I’ve told you explicitly that you weren’t to play such games, especially when the guards are just a step behind us.”
“I know I understand but-”
“No! No you don’t understand, with the guards being precautious because of the rebellion, one wrong move, just one mess up and all of us get hung. You’re blinded by your own selfishness and immaturity; you act as if you were still a young boy and the worst punishment you could be given is no supper. But you’re not just a boy and every time you go out rogue you endanger everything we’ve worked for, for years. You’re lucky I don’t give you to the guards myself to protect my Guild.”
Her words are filled with spite. And it’s quiet for a while. A lump appears in my throat as I take in what she just said to me.
“I’m sorry.” I say doing my hardest not to choke on my words. The chatter that was once outside the room was now silent.
“A ‘sorry’ wouldn’t be able to fix the damage you could’ve caused to the Guild. Now get out of my sight I need time to decide what to do with you.” No more emotion could be found in her voice.
I stand up without another word and walk out of her quarters. As I exit, nobody looks me in my eyes, and I walk to the stairs and make my way to the backroom. Maybe a bath would help me clear my head. I walk through the exit under the stairs and enter the alleyway. A stray cat skitters away from me and into the shadows. I walk out into the street and the sun blinds me momentarily. My vision clears to see a busy marketplace, children run rampant trying to tag their friends. Beggars sit in wait attempting to gain enough money to afford a meal, people are bartering for different goods trying to get their goods for a cheaper price, I begin routing myself to the bath house taking turns and maneuvering through crowds. A magician garters a large crowd as they show off their trick magic. Real mages were rare and often only held one type of magic, elemental, physical, psychological, or shielding. The one the guild employed happened to have shielding magic which also meant she had power over runes. I glance away from the magician reading some young mans mind and glance over to the bath house, it is connected to an inn just by the front gates which sheltered many passersby and travelers. I turn down the road and see the familiar sign “Olde Hearthstone Inn” and I make my way inside to pay for their services. A maid greets me, takes my payment and tells me what stall I will be in. I thank her and get in my booth, throwing my clothes in a corner so they won’t get wet. This was one of the best bath houses I had ever been in despite the much travel I had done. The tub was large enough for your whole body lengthwise and the room was spacious enough for you to feel comfortable. The whole inn had been placed on top of a spring, so the water was heated perfectly. It feels amazing to scrub the dirt out of my pores, my face loosens as I rest for a while, letting the steam of the water encase me in its heat. Once I had had enough relaxation, I put all my clothes back on and exited the bath house. I think to begin walking back to the bakery but suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of dread. I look up to see a very familiar crest and a single knight with his back turned towards me.
Chapter 2
(idk its just chapter 2)
Only one of them? When I had seen them there had been much more, around 7, Maybe even 8? I couldn’t remember anymore. Regardless he stands there across the street unbothered by whatever was going on around him. What confused me the most was that nobody paid him any mind, acting as if they had already seen him around. Which I know shouldn’t be the case as knights like this rarely come through this town, because of the rebels that have taken over the roads to the west. As I examine him, I notice his eyes no longer were visibly glowing from behind his visor, and his movements seemed like a normal human. Perhaps it all was a dream, or a trick of the light. The knight lifts his helmet momentarily as he says some words to somebody he is talking to, and I’m able to take a glimpse of his face. I’m not quite able to put my finger on it but he doesn’t look natural, maybe it was the bags under his eyes, or maybe how his face looked awfully young, but it was horribly wrinkled. I feel a hand touching my shoulder and I nearly yell out of surprise. It was the maid, holding a bucket of water. “Would you mind movin’?” She says with a kind farmhand’s accent I utter an embarrassed “Sorry” and step out from in front of the doorway, she walks by dumping the bucket of dirty water on the street. Moving my attention back to the knight I notice the person he was talking to was in fact the man that I had gotten the tip from in the pub. I should question him. I begin following him trying to catch up through the dense crowds, shopkeepers are yelling that they have the best goods and at cheaper costs. I then see his balding head round a corner to a less traveled road, and I break my way through a crowd that had formed in front of an mythical creature caravan. I see the man and his body language tells me he wasn’t in the mood to be pestered “Excuse me!” I yell out to him anyways; he turns his head and his expression changes to a grimmer one once he sees it’s me. I do a quick jog to make it, so we are talking face to face. “What do you want?” he says, quizzically.
“I want to know about the knights and their load.” I say
“What is there to know? I already told you all about it when you took advantage of my drunken state.”
“What about the knights? It’s been days since they’ve been through here why is one still here?”
“That’s what I had just asked him, he said we could have a more in-depth conversation tomorrow, were going to meet and speak more.”
“If you would, I’d like to meet with you afterwards to hear what his business staying here is.”
“I don’t see why not; I know you’d probably stab me if I didn’t.” he says as he motions towards the lotus on my mask.
“Your gang of thieves should invest in more subtle identification, meet me at the pub at star rise. I’ll tell you what I find out then.” He says. I give him a nod
“Don’t gyp me, I have eyes everywhere.” I say, as a warning.
“I know.” He says, and he turns away continuing on his way.
I would normally just interrogate the knight myself but I doubt I would be able to get the information that the man would. The only question is if he is trustable, I don’t even know his name after all. I start walking back to the Bakery and notice the knight that had once been prominently gleaming had since disappeared. I bring my attention to the travelling caravan of mythical animals; it was unusual for one of such merit to come to town. The crowd had dissipated since they put away their main focal point which had been a kitsune pup; but they still had many various beasts on display, a massive spider spins itself a web, a couple fae fly in a jar, but what catches my eye the most is a gremlin a creature that was usually impossible to domesticate was instead sitting in his cage like a drunken man that had just realized he was in debt. Looking closer he looks almost defeated. Gremlins are sought after because of their ability to manifest a coin purse that can store an infinite number of valuables. I notice something in his eyes and look closer, I can hardly believe my eyes when I notice a sliver of purple in it’s eyes. I immediately catch the attention of the man that looked like the owner of the caravan. His hat is decorated with a carpet of phoenix feathers and a large dragon scale atop it as if it were a jewel. His clothes are made of shiny silk “What do you want.” He says without care.
“How much for the gremlin?” I say disregarding his tone. ijiraq.
“That ugly thing? I should be paying you to take that eyesore. All that beast does is sit there, it has a broken will, doesn’t even move.” He demonstrates as he violently shakes the cage and its body is flung limply against the cage. I put my hand firmly on his arm. “That’s enough.” I say. He grimaces as he retracts his arm and brushes off where I had touched his silky shirt. “3 gold.” He says with boldness in his tone.
“That’s hardly fair, you said yourself that it is barely useful as a parchment weight, 50 silver.” I say contradicting him.
“It’s still a creature that is hardly common, 2 gold fifty silver.”

“After you shook the cage like that I doubt it’ll even be mentally functional, 1 gold 5 silver final offer.” 

“Fine. But don’t expect any insurance when it dies.” I open my satchel and dump my coin purse contents into his palm. “That should be exact.” I say as I grab the “gremlin’s” cage. He gives me a look that tells me that he is questioning my sanity. But I pay no mind and turn away. Looking at the little creature in the cage looked like it was in horrid shape now that it had been taken away from its charmed environment. The “gremlin” was now visibly abused, bruises appear and it’s ribs now appear much more prominent than they had been before. I decided that I would take it to Tara. Tara was a druid we had saved from an opposing bandit camp a few years back, she was tall and had fair white hair that reached her collar bone. Her eyes were a piecing green and her ears came to a faint point, she had ashen skin that was painted with dim freckles. When we found her. Her clothes consisted of vines with heavy leaves that she had allowed to grow on her body. We had since switched her to a farmhand’s attire to match the smudges of dirt that were often on her face. Her round nose often looked as if she had been sniffing the dirt. We wouldn’t have had an issue with her in her vined clothing but druids were hunted for the healing properties found in their blood, as druids were treated as lesser beings many join the rebellion which had just worsened the racism they were already facing, being more treated as a game animal rather than a thinking being. They more related themselves to the ogres, trolls, seafolk, and beasts than they did the oppressive humans. Tara’s own village had been raided by the king’s knights, and in her running had run directly into a bandit trap, then we found the bandit camp on a scouting trip and the rest is history. Tara didn’t usually speak unless she was spoken to which made our conversations far and few. The times we did converse however, she was nothing but kind to me despite what humans had done to her. I looked up to her in a way. Hell, I was even taught by my father that druids were savages and should be exterminated from this world. She simply had an unfathomable ability to forgive or perhaps not to forgive but to separate those who hurt her from those that rescued her. I continue walking through the street, using my body to cut the crowds and towing the cage behind me. I no longer had money on me so I wasn’t tempted by the treats being advertised that I would usually indulge in. Children stop their games to point and gawk at the “gremlin” that now lies on its back eyes closed. Its shallow breaths are exaggerated by the lack of body fat. I finally reach a spot where I can see the bakery. I make sure to not swing my arm, so the gremlin doesn’t get flung against the cage anymore than it already had. I open the front door and a fresh sent of goods fills my nose. Farren is working the oven, his back turned to me he’s currently pulling some muffins out of the oven. He’s easily 3x my own stature paired with a well-kept flowing beard, which he would often have intricately decorated with flowers and braids by the orphaned children he would visit on his time off. I step in fully and notice the obviously undersized apron he had tied on. It is thoroughly covered with various ingredients. He stoops down to reach the top rack of the stone oven and he places the muffins on a cooling rack. He turns as I take another step to see who had entered and the joy is visible in his eyes as he sees that it’s me. “Ryland! I was beginning to believe that Astrid had gotten rid of you!” He says this as he opens his arms as if trying to hug me over the counter but then turns to reach for a muffin. “Here let me get you situated; I want you to tell me what it was this time.” He says whilst plating a muffin, jam, and fresh orange juice for me. I place the cage on the counter “Starting off I found this when I was out.” I say, lifting the cage to he could see the creature inside.
“A gremlin? I suppose it does look quite malnourished.” Farren says.
“Not a gremlin entirely, I don’t believe the man that sold it to me knew what it was either.”
“And what do you think it is?”
“I’m not sure but I’m certain it isn’t just a gremlin.”
“Here I’ll take care of the miserable thing.” Farren grabs the cage over the counter and moving it to the back counter and makes a bowl of honey mixed with water to insert it inside the cage for it.
“Besides the ‘gremlin’ though, I received a tip from a fellow in a pub that had ended as a failure.” I take a bite of jam and muffin and chase it with some orange juice, I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I had food in my stomach. I guess I haven’t eaten in 3 days. In fact before I say another word to Farren I devour the muffin he had given me and 2 more before He stops me. “Cmon now you can eat some more once I hear about the details.” He says with a laugh. “Well, there’s not much to tell. It was simply false information.”
Hey! Thanks for reading (or scrolling down to the bottom) here are my goals for the plot. The item in the satchel is going to be a ring, that once put on turns the user into a vampire. The rebels sent a convoy of ghouls to the capitol, the convoy is carrying a load of rats with a version of the black plague that had been altered to turn the infected people into zombies. Once it reaches the capitol it will spread to all adjacent cities, and so the apocalypse begins. In the future of the story the protag will meet a vampire chick in the apocalypse and protag will have to choose between her and Astrid (keeping his humanity or completely becoming a vampire) and he will have to drink the blood of other survivors to not only stay alive but also feed his vampiric abilities.
I realllly hate the pacing I feel like I'm going so slow, and I feel like I'm going in too much details for characters im not going to keep in the story. I need a tonn of help I notice the ametureness in the writing but I dont know how to fix it entirely.
Thoughts? Ideas? what do you hate what do you love?
edit1: I have no clue what the slider bar is or how it got there

We recently adopted an 8 month old husky/shepherd mix from our local kill shelter that was at max capacity. This dog is one of the best behaved dogs I have ever had, however, he wants to attack our other 6 year old mixed breed female every time she gets close to him. We tried to do our due diligence and had them meet on leash at a neutral location before bringing him home. This meeting went great. No issues, smelled each other, sniffed around, got all up in each others butts and faces. We separated them when we got home in order to allow the new dog to explore the house and get adjusted. The second day, we brought them both out to the yard on leash. Once they got close enough to greet each other, the new dog latched onto our other dogs ears. I was able to get him off pretty much immediately. I thought maybe he was still just overstimulated from all of the change so I kept them completely separated for the next 2-3 days either by crate rotation or baby gates. After he seemed to be more acclimated, we tried again but made sure he had a muzzle on this time. He once again attempted to lunge at her as soon as she turned away from him. We recently took him to my mother in laws who has 4 dogs of varying temperaments. He was clearly nervous at first but very quickly rolled over and allowed the other dogs to sniff his belly and then played happily with all four dogs for about an hour, even after one of the dogs growled at him. While our female dog is not the one initiating this, this is not the first time that an otherwise well-tempered dog has tried to attack her. We have had two other dogs who have never had any issues with aggression come to our house and either growl or snap at her. So, I think there may be something in her body language that we are missing. She does play well with other dogs in our yard and outside of the home though. She plays with our neighbors dog in our backyard with no issues once or twice a week. Regardless, I love both of these dogs very much. We are obviously not going to rehome our first dog and I really don’t want to return our new dog to the kill shelter. He is so well behaved in every other aspect and our 3 year old has very quickly bonded with him. I don’t have a behaviorist/trainer near me that I trust to be able to handle something like this, so I would be paying a good amount of money to pay someone farther away to help. I am 100% willing to do this in order to get both of these dogs to live in harmony but obviously don’t want to waste money if these issues are not able to resolved. Just looking for any insight/tips.

I know I’ll never be the one to change your mind. I’m learning to accept that. I want us friends first, always 🫶🏼 how could I not? 🙃😁 Not sure if I ever told you but to me, you are like one of my best friends. I know you see us as friends. You always have and I appreciate that hell out of you. Those other feelings.. I’m ok now with being just friends. Just watching a game on the tv or a favorite show 🐉🗡️👑🏰🪑and talking about anything and everything, watching you play video games- me finally playing with you 😅🎮 and smoking a pre roll with some wet water 🥰 i honestly crave that peace. I enjoy it with you. You don’t judge me and you remember the little things that actually mean a hella lot to me. Thank you for being you. I would never want you to change who you are. 13 years I’ve kept you close. Im just ready to be apart of someone’s life. I wanna be someone’s peace and I want them to wanna have me fully in their life.. you know what I mean.. you’ll always be my ‘snugs’ 🥰🫶🏼

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THURSDAY - MAY 2nd

Avalanche vs Jets @ Ball Arena
Trevor Noah Live @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre @ 8PM
‘Swan Lake’ Ballet @ Buell Theatre @ 7PM ‘Swan Lake,’ the ballet of all ballets, will be performed one night only as a part of the World Ballet Series with a live score played by the Boulder Symphony.
Carlos Ballarta @ Paramount Theatre @ 7:30PM
Benny The Butcher @ Summit @ 8PM
Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit @ Mission Ballroom @ 7:30PM With Amanda Shires
Sanguisugabogg + Jesus Piece @ Gothic Theatre @ 7PM
Hi I’m Ghost @ The Church Nightclub @ 9PM
Sean Hayes & Esme Patterson @ Bluebird Theater @ 8PM
Megan Burtt and The Patti Fiasco @ Chautauqua @ 8PM
Jamie Miller @ Globe Hall @ 8PM

FRIDAY - MAY 3rd

First Friday Art Walk @ Santa Fe Arts District @ 5:30PM First Fridays in ADSF means the Santa Fe Drive and its side streets come to life for this signature neighborhood event.
​​First Fridays Art Walk @ RiNo Art District @ 6PM Enjoy free exhibitions, markets, live music, and so much more on first Fridays at RiNo!
Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre @ 7PM With Amanda Shires
Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors @ Summit @ 8PM
Caskey @ Marquis Theater @ 8PM
City Morgue @ Mission Ballroom @ 7PM With Fourfive
Missio @ Meow Wolf @ 8PM With Polly Urethane
YOOKie @ Ogden Theatre @ 8PM
Start Making Sense: Talking Heads Tribute @ Gothic Theatre @ 8PM
Flosstradamus @ Temple @ 10PM
Sidepiece @ The Church Nightclub @ 9PM
Knower @ Fox Theatre @ 8PM
Sam Bush @ Boulder Theater @ 8PM With Foggy Mountain Spaceship
Taylor Fest Party @ Bluebird Theater @ 9PM
Helado Negro @ Globe Hall @ 8PM
Pete Wernick + Flexigrass @ Chautauqua @ 8PM
The Toxhards @ Moxi Theater @ 8PM

SATURDAY - MAY 4th

Nuggets vs Lakers @ Ball Arena
Monster Energy AMA Supercross Championship @ Empower Field @ 4:30PM See the world’s elite riders clash head-to-head for the coveted title of Supercross Champion.
Denver Derby Day Party @ McGregor Square Get your ticket to the biggest & best Derby party outside Kentucky!
Denver Mini Derby @ Tivoli Quad Enjoy a mini horse and corgi races, craft cocktails, photo opps, live music, and, of course, live viewing of the Kentucky Derby on the big screen.
Cinco de Mayo Community Parade @ Civic Center Park @ 11AM
Cherry Creek Fresh Market @ 9AM Shop Colorado products in season like farm flowers, fresh fruit & veggies, local greens, culinary herbs, French cheeses, vegan & gluten-free products, and much more!
May the 4th Pop-Up Market @ Mile High Spirits @ 2PM Shop from local artists, enter an exclusive costume contest, and discover unique products at this edition of Hangin’ N’ Slanging’ market.
Meditation in the Galleries @ Clyfford Still Museum @ 9AM Clear your mind, relax, and enjoy the beauty that surrounds you in the galleries.
Breakfast Fly-In @ Wings Museum @ 9:30AM Enjoy breakfast from a local food truck, watch aircrafts fly in and explore interactive exhibits and simulators.
‘Listen to Your Mother’ Live Show @ Boulder Theater @ 7PM This Mother’s Day show features local writers reading their works on motherhood, taking the audience on a journey filled with humor, poignant moments, and lots of nods of recognition.
‘Samson and Delilah’ Opera @ Ellie Caulkins Opera House @ 7:30PM Opera Colorado closes the season with Saint-Saëns’s operatic take on the biblical story of ‘Samson and Delilah.’
Mersiv @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre @ 5PM With OTT, Smith., Sumthin Sumthin B2B FLY, Yoko, Terrawave
Deep Medi @ Mishawaka Amphitheatre @ 8PM Featuring Mala, Commodo, Sir Spyro, Silkie & Sgt. Pokes
L.A. Witch + Pink Fuzz @ Levitt Pavilion @ 6PM *Part of the Levitt Free Summer Concerts Series
Blind Guardian @ Summit @ 8PM
Suicide Cages + The Burial Plot @ Marquis Theater @ 7:30PM
Mk.gee @ Meow Wolf @ 9PM
James Arthur @ Ogden Theatre @ 8PM With Forest Blakk
Sam Bush @ Gothic Theatre @ 8PM With Pick & Howl
Myles O’Neal @ Temple @ 10PM
Start Making Sense: Talking Heads Tribute @ Fox Theatre @ 9PM
The Music of The Beatles for Kids @ Bluebird Theater @ 11AM Presented by The Rock and Roll Playhouse
Jade Bird @ Globe Hall @ 8PM
Way Down Wanderers @ Moxi Theater @ 8PM

SUNDAY - MAY 5th

Steve Vanderploeg Stand Up @ Comedy Works Downtown @ 7PM
John Novosad Stand Up @ Comedy Works South @ 7PM
Cirque de la Symphonie Performance @ Lone Tree Arts Center @ 7PM The Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra and Cirque de la Symphonie join forces to bring a truly awe-inspiring collaboration of musicianship and artistry.
Yo-Yo Ma with the Colorado Symphony in Concert @ Boettcher Concert Hall @ 7PM Multi-GRAMMY Award-winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma returns to perform Elgar’s renowned Cello Concerto with your Colorado Symphony.
Official Cowboy Carter Beyonce Dance Party @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre @ 7PM
The Spill Canvas @ Summit @ 8PM
Jack and Jack @ Marquis Theater @ 8PM With Sammy Wilk
Mersiv @ Mission Ballroom @ 3PM / 7PM With Fly & Onhell
The Amity Affliction @ Fillmore Auditorium @ 6:30PM
Young Rising Sons @ Bluebird Theater @ 7:30PM With Diva Bleach
Cinco de Mayo Celebration @ Globe Hall @ 4PM Featuring Slidewok, Polysanto, Coast to Ghost, & Frankly

All Weekend

SATURDAY & SUNDAY - Denver Cinco de Mayo Festival @ Civic Center Park @ 10AM Immerse yourself in the vibrant spirit of Mexican culture with a weekend full of exciting events, contests, and non-stop entertainment.
All weekend - Jordan Jensen Stand Up @ Comedy Works Downtown
All weekend - Jamie Lissow Stand Up @ Comedy Works South
All weekend - Music & Blossom Fest @ Canon City The Blossom Festival is the largest community run school music competition in the state.
All weekend - ‘The Cher Show’ Musical @ Buell Theatre ‘The Cher Show’ is 35 smash hits, six decades of stardom, two rock-star husbands, and countless EGOT awards, all in one unabashedly fabulous new musical that will have audiences dancing in the aisles!
All weekend - ‘A Year with Frog and Toad’ Family-Friendly Musical @ Arvada Center Arnold Lobel's treasured characters hop from page to stage in a story of friendship and adventure.
All weekend - ‘Where Did We Sit On The Bus’ Play @ Singleton Theatre Through live music and storytelling, this one-person show immerses the audience in elaborate, layered soundscapes by fusing Latin rhythms, hip-hop, and spoken word poetry.
All weekend - ‘The Lehman Trilogy’ Play @ Kilstrom Theatre ‘The Lehman Trilogy’ is an epic and timely story of family, ambition, and risk, sprawling across 163 years of history of the Lehman Brothers.
All weekend - ‘Emma’ Play @ Wolf Theatre LAST CHANCE - In a new adaptation that’s a bit zany and refreshingly contemporary, playwright Kate Hamill infuses the language and perspectives of today into Austen’s beloved characters.
All weekend - ‘Noises Off’ Play @ Arvada Center LAST CHANCE - A play withing a play, this relentless, high-energy farce is filled with embarrassing moments, behind-the-scenes kerfuffles, physical comedy hijinks, and even flying sardines.

Ongoing

Ongoing - ‘Space Explorers: The Infinite’ Immersive Experience @ Stanley Marketplace LAST CHANCE - Embark on an immersive excursion through new breathtaking videos that reveal the many wonders of space exploration.
Ongoing - ‘The Berlin Airlift: Supplies from the Sky’ Exhibition @ Wings Museum The exhibit shares the lessons of courage, perseverance, and the triumph of the human spirit and pays tribute to the brave citizens who risked their lives to bring hope to a divided city.
Ongoing - 'Spookadelia' Immersive Show @ Spectra Art Space LAST CHANCE - 'Spookadelia: Doubt’s Echo' is an all-ages narrative-driven psychedelic immersive art, theatrical, and highly interactive experience.
Ongoing - ‘Fazal Sheikh: Thirst Exposure In Place’ Exhibition @ DAM Capturing the Colorado Plateau, Sheikh’s portraits and landscapes shed light on the far-reaching consequences of extractive industry and climate change.
Ongoing - ‘The Russells in Denver, 1921’ Exhibition @ DAM Charles M. Russel’s works capture the vast landscapes, mountain ranges, and peoples of the American West of the 1880s, thus leaving a valuable chronicle of the West that once was.
Ongoing - ‘Sandra Vásquez de la Horra: The Awake Volcanoes’ Exhibition @ DAM The exhibition highlights paintings, drawings, and prints by award-winning artist Sandra Vásquez de la Horra, who explores the notions of fantasy, desire, fear, and pleasure and its relationship to the human body.
Ongoing - Spring Exhibition Series @ MCA MCA’s Spring series includes solo exhibitions of three contemporary artists whose multidisciplinary works focus on the exploration of the natural phenomena, landscapes, and human interactions with the natural world.
Ongoing - ‘Performing Self’ Exhibition @ Boulder Museum of Contemporary ArtThis exhibition provides a look into how seven multidisciplinary artists celebrate the mutability of self-identity through the embodiment of alter egos or personae.

Chapter 1/Part 1
A blood curdling scream pierced the night. Solon jumped to his sleep, reaching for his hatched, looking around the wagon as another howl echoed out across the sands. Sheela too, was now awake, moving over to Solon while crouching. "What the hell is that?"
The mercenary poked his head through the curtain of the wagon, tracing the sounds back to the other cart in the caravan, one hauling the merchandise. The four guards were poking their spears through the bars of the cage, angrily using the blunt ends to push and jab at a small creature. Solon and Sheela exited the main wagon to better see what was going on.
"You two! Go back inside, there's nothing to see here." Kopak turned to them, barding out the order.
"Easy now son, don't be rude to our guests." Vur'z said, walking past the pair while talking to his son. "They must have been quite startled by the noise."
With a snap of his fingers, the old man lit a small lantern that hung by the cage wagon, illuminating what is inside. Solon leaned forward, squinting his eyes to see better what was moving under the flickering light. A pair of piercing green eyes stared back at him. He could make our a tail and some ears, nothing out of the ordinary, until what he thought to be a large cat stood up on its hind legs.
"So that's a beast person?" The mercenary concluded, looking at the creature with slight aversion. "Every basement dwellers fantasy."
"They exist on your world too?" The former genie asked.
"No, just as folk tales, legends. Fiction." The man replied, as the creature went from howling frantically to speaking.
It stuck its head through the wooden bars, waving its hands and tail around, yelling something at the man. Solon looked at it, confused, as he did not understand a word that was being said. By the sound of the voice tho, he could deduce that the creature was a young boy, and not a fully grown beast person.
"Alright little one, that's enough out of you for tonight." Vur'z said, waving his hand in front of the boys face. "Sleep now."
The beast child backed away, but the spell had already been cast, causing it to slowly stumble until it collapsed on the floor of the wagon.
"Well, now I know why an old man and four would-be guards can make a living as slavers." Solon chuckled.
"Adult beast folk are impossible to train. They follow only who they believe is stronger than them, and they are freakishly strong, so not many people outside their own tribes can command them. That's why there is very little beast folk as royal help, soldiers or guards." The old slaver explained.
"They are only good for gladiatorial combat. But if you train one before they start adolescence, they can be molded into serving just about any purpose." Sedef added, as his father proudly nodded.
"I see. So what will become of this one?" Sheela asked, folding her arms.
"No clue. We acquire them and sell them further. The thought never crosses my mind as to where they end up, I don't think my conscience could handle it." Vur'z grinned at his own, before patting Solon and Sheela on their backs.
"The sun will soon rise, and we are all already awake, so what do you two say we get this caravan back on the move?" He asked, and the pair agreed, making their way back to the main wagon.
[ ]
"Shit. They have barricaded themselves too well in there." One of the dungeon clearing squad members cussed.
"What's the situation?" Clyde, who was sitting on the floor, back against the wall, looked up at the woman as she returned from the hallway that lead to the next dungeon floor.
Clyde's squad had reached the fifth floor of the dungeon with expert proficiency. Somewhere after the third floor, they stopped taking prisoners regardless of race, which resulted in a one sided bloodbath of various monsters and adventurers alike. On the fifth floor they decided to make a small makeshift camp, to rest after driving the goblins that reemerged back to their burrows. Their progress had been halted by a party of platinum adventurers that were tasked with guarding the next floor below.
Within the ranking system of many guilds across the continent, platinum adventurers were considered the highest tier of freelancers in the adventuring business. Though there were a few higher ranks than platinum, adventurers of that tier were most often employed as guards to many various royal families or were made into private militia, again under employment by royalty or extremely wealthy businessmen. Despite being considered adventurers still, they rarely abided by regulations and code of conduct of their respected guilds and gravitated more towards following the orders of their employers. Platinum rank adventurers were the highest tier of adventurer that still functioned as freelance parties or individuals.
Clyde didn't feel like they were any issue to his unit, however they did possess magic that had proven a nuisance. A mage in the party guarding the sixth floor had the ability to manifest various defenses, and has used that power to create multiple gates at the very entrance to the chamber. Realizing that they will run out of explosives to tear down walls way before the mage runs out of mana to spam the same spell over and over, Clyde has decided to call in for backup, sending one of his men to the surface, as long range communication did not in the dungeon at the depth that they were in.
He now sat on the floor of the fifth floor, helmet resting by his side, as he smoked.
"We can't get in there." Said one of the soldiers, approaching him. "I mean, we could, but they are pretty well prepared and since that's the only entrance, we would end up in a bottle neck and that'll lead to unnecessary casualties."
"I know, relax. Have a doobie." Clyde grinned, offering the man his smoke.
"Oh shit, don't mind if I DO." The other man grinned and sat down, taking a long inhale from the joint. "How'd you even smuggle this past the outpost control?"
"Man, those bastards don't check for shit once I'm inside this armor. I have so much weed on this inside of this thing, If I get blown up, the whole dungeon will be hallucinating for weeks." The huge man tapped on his chest plate and laughed.
The two rowdy men attracted the attention of another comrade of their. The man put down his handheld monitor and walked over to them. "What the fuck are you two doing?"
"Smoking, why?" Answered Clyde.
"What are we going to do about the sixth floor?" The guy standing over them asked.
"Jeremy, baby relax. I got it all covered." His armored comrade blew him a kiss and laughed. "I called in for backup, that'll take care of everything. Now come hit this while we wait."
[ ]
"Uh... Gods." Quinn huffed, leaning on her staff while chugging a mana potion, face frowning at the bitter taste. "I think they finally stopped trying to breach"
"You alright?" Filtz patted her on the back. The paladin looked up, checking on the rest of his party. "Everybody else alright?"
The remaining members of the party all raised their hands, signaling that everyone was alive and standing.
"Damn elves, they did not tell us we would be going up against such a force. While they hide on the last floor no less!" The parties fighter, a stocky dwarf said, spitting on the ground. "Typical of those long eared wimps."
"Shut up." Quinn angrily said, not taking kindly to the dwarves insulting of her people. "We were paid well for this job. Are you not an adventurer? If you dislike this, maybe you should retire instead and get paid to sit around and mold."
"Quinn relax. I'm sure he meant nothing bad by it." Said the party's tank. The large ogre woman walked over to the exhausted elf, casting a recuperation buff on her.
"Did they really back off?" Belam'Bal asked Filtz, while still casting her spell on Quinn, who had already started to feel less shaky and exhausted.
"I don't know. Rin! Anything outside the gate?" The paladin asked.
Outside of the dark behind the party, one of the three assassins replied. "Yeah, they seem to have backed off. I sense no one near the entrance."
"Perhaps they have went to lick their wounds. Or maybe they have ran out of supplies. Their weapons aside, they did not seem too equipped to stay down here a long time. We can probably wait them out like this." The dwarf cackled.
"And have me do all the heavy lifting to keep the entrance sealed." Quinn rolled her eyes.
The party settled down, deciding to rest as much as they could before the next breach attempt by the invaders. Tension seemed to die down as a few hours passed without a single movement on the other side of the sealed off entrance.
"Told you, they must have realized we're not letting them in without a fight and gave up." Laughed the warrior.
"They are no match for Quinn's magic!" Belam'Bal patted the elf on the back.
"Wait. I sense movement." Yu, the second of the three assassins said, grabbing everyone's attention.
"The goblins in the area decreasing in number rapidly." Rin added to her brothers statement.
"Hah! They must be so angry at their loss, they are taking it out on the goblins." The dwarf said, slapping his knee.
"There is someone on the other side of the gate. A single person by the feel of it." Said Jan, the third of the party's assassins. Each of the three siblings was blessed with powerful detection magic, capable of sensing things even through objects and behind walls.
"Just one guy? Maybe they want to surrender? Think it's a trap?" Belam looked at the paladin, who shook his head and shrugged in response.
"Yes. There is other present anywhere near, it seems he is alone." Rin's answer was interrupted by a faint knock on the stone gate, coming from the other side.
Cautiously, weapons drawn, Flitz told the elf mage to lower the gate, but be ready to cast it again immediately. The elf nodded and did as she was told. To the party's surprise, a black man stood on the other side. He wore the uniform of the invaders, with slight modifications such as decorative furs and feathers that matches the green of the uniform. Filtz noticed something hanging off the mans hip and quickly identified the object to be a Kobold skull, clearly taken as some sort of trophy.
The man took a single step into the chamber, flashing the party an honest smile. His stature in no way matches his overwhelming confidence and lack of any fear or worry, considering he was no taller than the party's dwarf warrior.
"What do you want?" Filtz asked.
The man seemed to be glad that someone present spoke a language he could understand and locked eyes with Flitz. "I have come here to tell you that you are surrounded."
Everyone stood in silence, baffled at what the man had just said. "Surrounded?" Quinn whispered, looking over at the assassins.
Before she could get an answer, the man continued. "Since we just had appetizer, I want to offer you one chance to surrender. Give up and I will let you leave here alive and in one piece. No harm. No foul."
[ ]
"Sir, sir, wake up. The reinforcements are here." A soldier nudged Clyde with her foot as he laid passed out on the floor. The short black man pushed past her, stomping on Clyde's ribs, as he was laying on his side. "Wake up, ya bastard!" He shouted with a heavy Cameroonian accent.
"Auuuugghhh... yeah, yeah, I'm up." Groaned the head of the unit as he got up to his feet, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. He took a deep inhale, hoping the stale dungeon air would clear away the fog in his head. Groggily looking down, a huge smile appeared on the man's face.
"Shaka Zulu! Glad you could join us, all the way down here." Clyde laughed, patting the small man on the shoulder.
"Clyde, I see your humor is still as shit as the rest of you." The single person reinforcement replied with an equally big smile.
The other two men who were passed out on the floor woke up from the noise and slowly started getting up to their feet.
"So, this is our reinforcement? A pygmy?" Jeremy chuckled, looking down at Clyde's friend.
The black man looked at him, his confidence unimpacted by the comment. "You will find me more than enough."
The armored behemoth shot a quick glare at Jeremy, causing the latter to look down and quickly head somewhere else in the cap to help the rest of the unit with preparations. They hauled in large, heavy, metal boxes as per the short man's orders, leaving them very close to where the exit to the fifth floor met the hallway that lead to the sixth floor. Soft huffing and noise could be heard from inside the containers, as Marcel walked over in front of the containers, signaling to the rest of the unit to move a healthy distance away.
"So, what's in the cages?" Jeremy asked Clyde, observing as the other man tampered with what looked like a remote to the containers.
"Gungams." Replied Clyde, his comrade looking up at him with confusion.
"Marcel is to beasts what Cesar Millan is to dogs." The behemoth in combat armor continued his explanation as the remove beeped and all ten containers simultaneously opened.
Jeremy shone a flashlight in Marcel's direction to better see what was going on, as the darkness in the hallway made it nearly impossible to see. The soldier stood frozen in his tracks, watching massive lizard like beasts emerge from the containers, sniffing the air and crawling around Marcel. The short, dark skinned soldier did not seem worried in the slightest, actually seeming glad and happy to be around those creatures.
Each of the ten lizards seemed equal in size, 5 feet from the head to the tail at least. Their arms and backs were covered in thick scales, the ones on their backs being the size of diner plates and overlapping. Arm scales seemed equally thick but smaller to keep mobility. Their tails ended with two dorsal plates, but horizontal, giving the tails an appearance of a double sided axe swinging side to side. They moved slowly, having only one pair of limbs, that being their arms.
As the soldier stood in shock, one of the creatures turned towards the source of the light that was shone. Clyde quickly grabbed his comrade by the wrist, snatching the flashlight away from him.
"They dislike artificial light. So, don't do that." He said, letting go of Jeremy's wrist.
The soldier still stood stunned, as the creature's attention turned back to Marcel, the image of the lizards face forever etched into his memory.
It's head was torpedo shaped, bone plating covering it like a helmet, connecting to the neck and back plates. 2 pairs of eyes, one eye on each side like the snakes and lizards of Earth, the other pair sitting atop the head, facing directly forward. It was unlike anything he had ever seen.
Marcel whistled once, snapping Jeremy out of his trance and getting the attention of his pets. He pulled something out of his pouch and let the creatures get a good sniff. With the second whistle, the lizards moved uncharacteristically fast, lunging at the walls and ceiling of the hallway and boring into them. Silence ensued, soon followed by muffled and distant screeching of the goblins in their nearby burrows.
"Huh, I guess some goblins did survive." One of the other soldiers commented nonchalantly.
"What the fuck are those?" Jeremy muttered under his breath.
"Told you, Gungams. Cave dwelling predators from this world. Everything from their webbed claws to the shape of their head and scales is designed to have them glide through the ground like they're swimming. They use their arms to clear the way and move forward, while their long bodies use motion similar to snakes to move fast. Pretty tough to kill too, those plates are thick as shit, damn near bulletproof to standard caliber. Even lower caliber ammo piercing rounds struggle against them. Their underbellies are soft, but good luck flipping one of those nimble bastards on their backs." Clyde explained.
"I have no clue where Marcel found them, let alone how he got them doing tricks." He added.
"If they're underground, why do they need 2 sets of eyes?" Clyde's comrade asked.
"I don't really know. According to Marcel, they use the eyes on the side to see, like our reptiles. The eyes up front at to mesmerize and entrance a larger opponent or bigger prey, while the rest of the pack moved in from the side to kill. So yeah, do not look them dead in the eyes. Don't look at them directly at all, those things are always itching to beef." With his explanation finished, Clyde raised his right hand, making a circling motion with his index finger, giving the unit the order to start packing up as they're about to head out soon.
Jeremy took one more glance at the now silent hallways, but Marcel was already gone, walking on his way to the sixth floor, to deal with the party that was barricaded there.
[ ]
Everybody stared confused at the dark skinned soldier standing at the entrance to the sixth floor. He did not seem very armed nor armored. Even if he was carrying a hidden weapon, the party knew there was little to no chance he would be able to take them all out before Quinn's magic or the assassins took him out. But for some reason, his words carried the weight only irrefutable truths do, when he told them they are surrounded.
"Rin, Yu, Jan! Observe the area again, this time as far as you can, include the walls and ceiling too." Ordered Filtz, never taking his eyes off the enemy soldier.
"Surrounded? You must be mad. There is no way they would be able to dig through this much earth in such a short time. Plus, we'd hear them." Said Belam'Bal, looking from one party member to another, seeking someone to agree with her.
The paladin opened his mouth to speak when the clamor, the tale tale sound of steel hitting stone, echoed from the side. He turned to the source, only to be met with Rin, kneeling on the ground, staring up at a spot in the ceiling. She had dropped her dagger, her arms hanging limply at her side in utter surrender.
"Right there... There is a lizard, right above me." She whispered, never taking her eyes off the spot above, tears welling in her eyes.
"There are lizards, all around us. Burrowing through the soil." Jan answered, as Quinn rushed over to Rin, trying to snap her out of her daze.
"Gungams." The dwarf said, exhaling in defeat and taking a step towards the enemy soldier, axe in hand.
"What are y-?" The party's tank reached out to stop him, but the dwarf already had his mind set.
"There is no chance we can survive this, let alone fight the beasts off." The warrior continued, looking Marcel dead in the eyes.
Although the invader did not understand a single word of dwarven, he got the message loud and clear. The dwarf dropped his axe to the ground and raised his hands high, palms pointing outwards. "I surrender."
"You coward!" Quinn hissed, snapping her head to face the dwarf, glaring at him furiously. "It is so like you, to abandon something as soon as the going gets tough."
"I have been paid to defend the dungeon, not leave my bones in it." The dwarf replied, walking over to the enemy and turning around to face his comrades. He looked at the paladin, begging him without a word to listen to reason and surrender. Even though dwarves never had a habit of expressing their feelings, he did not wish to see them die.
"I agree." The ogre woman sighed, dropping her spiked club next to the dwarfs axe. "We have been paid in advance, and quite a hefty sum at that. But to defend the sixth floor of this dungeon. We failed at that. Even if we fight and die here, that outcome will not change. Please Filtz, I know you have plenty of reasons not to die here."
"Anyone else?" The paladin asked, though his mind was set on an answer the second the dwarf put his axe down.
The threes siblings threw their assassins daggers onto the pile, and went to stand next to their comrades. Filtz sighed, somewhat glad at the decision they had made. He turned and looked at the elf mage, the only one still hesitant to lay down her staff.
"What, what if he still kills us after we surrender? We can't guarantee that." She shouted, pointing her finger at Marcel, who had leaned against the edge of the hallway, already bored with the display.
"He might. But if there is even a small chance that we can walk out of here alive, I will take that gamble." The party leader answered, sheathing his blade back into its scabbard and extending his hand to Quinn. The mage looked down at her feet, before taking his hand and joining the group.
The black man looked up at them. "So? I take it you surrender?"
"Y-yeah. We surrender." Flitz answered, avoiding the man's gaze despite being significantly taller than him.
The party's hearts collectively sank as Marcel frowned at their answer bit, before shrugging. "A disappointing answer, but a very expected one. I am a man of my word. Leave."
Without another word, he turned around and walked back up the hallway, letting out another short whistle as he went. Gungams burst through the walls and ceiling of the hallway and followed their master obediently, never once glancing back at the stunned party, that up until a few minutes ago could have been their meal.
Not stopping to think or reflect on the situation, the adventurers quickly grabbed their discarded weapons and bolted up the hallway, running past Clyde and his unit who began to descent from floor five to floor six, running all the way to the exit of the dungeon.
[ ]
Solon was overjoyed when small village peeked from the behind the dunes. It was far from what he would consider a developed settlement, but at this point, he did not care at all. Soon, the caravan slowed to a halt, just in front of, what seemed like a market of sorts, and everybody stepped out.
"Thank you again Vur'z, for sharing your wagon and supplies with us." Solon said to the caravan leader, bowing his head slightly.
"Thank the two of you, for sharing stories and a good time with us." Vur'z replied, bowing back.
The caravan moved once more, leaving the pair behind and disappearing around the corner.
"Well Sheela. It has been an... experience." Solon said, extending his good hand to the former genie.
"Oh don't get ahead of yourself mortal. We are not on equal ground just because YOU believe you outsmarted me. I am the Goddess of the Sands!" She scoffed, looking down on him, partially due to her superior height, partially due to her over superior ego. Arms crossed and resting on her chest, it was evident she would not reciprocate his show of good faith. A few passerby's turned their heads at her loud statement, before moving on with their business.
Solon closed and retracted his hand, making a clicking sound with his mouth. "Oooo-kay then."
Before he could turn away, he stopped for a second, one last question on his mind. "You speak a lot of languages. Do you know what that beast thing was yelling at me before Vur'z knocked it cold?"
She raised an eyebrow, rubbing her chin. Solon wasn't use if she was trying to remember or if she was trying to decide whether to tell him or not.
"It thought you were an adventurer and mentioned something about having a big reward for its safe return or something like that. Saying its parents are adventurers too, I believe. Too late now though."
"Yeah." Solon nodded. "Well, so long Sheela, best wishes with your new life."
"Hah! I don't need wishes. I will amass a following and usher new rule of power and prosperity." She proclaimed boldly, garnering some more attention from the vendors and onlookers.
"Great. Looking forward to it. I'm sure your reign will bring even more sand to this desert." Replied Solon, before nodding and walking away, quickly blending into the crowd. He moved at a brisk pace, making sure to get out of ear shot before she could retort, relishing in the having the final word.
Sheela grinded her teeth, before swiftly turning on her bare heels and walking away in the opposite direction. Both quickly got swallowed up by the marketplace crowd, never once turning back as they parted ways.
(Notes: Let me start this off by saying: Screw new Reddit. A turd of a website, had to repost this more times than I would like, because the text would magically vanish every time I hit post.
Initially my thoughts were to have the adventurers on floor six absolutely dismantled by the lizards, but have decided against it. An enemy, in this case invading humans, are much more cool when they show thought and restraint, rather than just being a mindless meat grinding machine that kills everything. Plus if I was up against 10 bullet proof lizards that can bore through a brick wall, I would surrender too.
That aside, I hope you guys like this one. I have put in the link for the first chapter, in case any new readers find themselves here, so they don't have to start from the middle. I hope the link doesn't screw over Reddit again.)