Fingers swollen and burning in the morning

I sent a pre-sales email inquiry to [support@hetzner.com](mailto:support@hetzner.com) around 9:45 AM Friday morning (GMT). I figured that being a pre-sales question, it would take 1-2 business days to get a response. Two business days have elapsed, and still nothing but the autoreply robot.
Is this typical for Hetzner support? Once I get setup I should need zero support going forward. I might require some support to initially get established, particularly if things don't work as I'm used to. I am very put-off about Hetzner Support's lack of a timely response during the pre-sales stage, and how it might reflect post-sales technical support responsiveness. I see no chat support options on Hetzner's website, and I'm not calling Germany at $3.00/min to wait on hold until someone picks-up and then discuss my questions/issues. Can any current customers Hetzner's support processes and responsiveness?
Having just been burned by another hosting company, I need to get written verification of some features and capabilities before I commit to starting over again. Things that are not disclosed in either the product features or TOS on Hetzner's website. I am looking for an official response from either [support@hetzner.com](mailto:support@hetzner.com) or u/Hetzner_OL, please.

1. Does Hetzner Webhosting plans with email fully support CalDav and CardDav synchronization with clients such as Microsoft Outlook desktop/mobile and Mozilla Thunderbird? I know that CPANEL has problems with these protocols and they currently don't work at all, but I don't know if Hetzner has a workaround.
2. Can I get ssh access to my webhosting container?
3. Does Hetzner have any plans on their roadmap to offer Webhosting out of a US datacenter?
4. For Hetzner Cloud VPS plans, are there pre-configured Email/CalDav/CardDav app(s) available to install?
5. What are Hetzner's terms of use for running Wireguard and/or Tailscale on a VPS.
6. Does Hetzner bill US-based customers in dollars or in euros?

I m a 30M, who one afternoon on 4/15, went to use the bathroom and saw discharge coming from the tip of my penis after squeezing it. The next morning on 4/16 I went to a reputable family clinic located in Da Nang, Vietnam and saw a doctor who said it might be gonorriha or Chlamydia. He examined my penis then gave me two 500mg tablets of AZITHROMYCIN and a needle in my ass cheek of CEFTRIAXONE.
The next morning, I woke up and my penis was swollen and the discharge was white. I went back to see him and he assured me everything looked normal. I was very impatient waiting for my STD results because I told it would take 3 days to get back, so I went to a different lab and provided a urine sample. I was hoping to get it sooner. I received both results back on 4/18 and they were negative.
The time in between getting tested and getting results back I’ve experienced discharge (dry stains in my boxers through the day), redness at the tip, it stings when I pee (sometimes worse after I pee), somewhat swollen foreskin, and a lil bit of blood when I wipe the time sometimes.
Speaking of blood, I went to go take a shit and as I began to pee I had to push really hard to urine. When I got up, I noticed a good amount of blood in toilet bowl (it felt like I pushed out a kidney stone, although I never had one before) So now I m really concerned. I didn’t test positive for anything, yet I m having these crazy symptoms. Could anyone shed some light, this subreddit has helped calm my nerves a lot from afar but was wondering if anyone had any feedback for me as I leave for the States today.

Kadillac Kirk had been a good friend of mine for several years. I had met him through friends from The Spring Stage; and he never had anything to do with The Imp, which is why he didn’t appear in the Married Mary saga. Mary would have totally thrown herself at him, and Kirk would have definitely “thrown it in her.” He loved the ladies and often remarked that there was no such thing as an unappealing woman, nor was there anything sweeter than finding the pearl of passion in an outwardly plain dame. Fortunately for Kirk, he never met Mary. This was probably fortunate for Mary as well, seeing as Kirk was a confirmed bachelor and he would have probably broken her fat heart.
Kirk was an older guy. Not MOE old, though. He was in his early forties, but he easily passed for a carefree dude in his 30s... not that he lied about his age. I only mention this trait to juxtapose Kirk’s genuine youthful air with Moe’s unconvincing youthful farce. Kirk dressed normally, avoided stupid jargon, and never busted out gimmicks like tarot cards or spells. He just existed, behaved affably, and people liked him for it.
He drove a classic 1962 Cadillac El Dorado convertible with red leather interior, and he lived in a charmingly quaint (and ridiculously expensive) neighborhood. How he made his fortune remained a mystery, but he never bloviated about his wealth. He just threw spectacular parties and people showed up. And, to my knowledge, he never tried to lure women into bed with his money (although I’m sure he got his fair share of boom-boom thanks to his digs and his wheels, even if the gold-diggers denied their monetary agendas).
Kirk was legitimately handsome. He was a drummer, he had a full head of black hair, he was clean-shaven, he worked out, and he knew all the hidden gems in Wellsprings. So why hadn’t I tried... or even desired to date him? I don’t know. I just didn’t feel drawn to him like that. He felt like a cool uncle and he had, thus far, never done anything to change my perception. Plus, the age difference weirded me out a little. Kirk didn’t look forty; but knowing that he had so much more life experience than I did created a power imbalance that would have creeped me out if we’d been dating. As buddies, I just felt supremely cool riding in his Cadillac, smoking Fantasia cigarettes, and hitting the speakeasies and jazz clubs I would have never known about if it weren’t for Kirk’s connections.
And he had been a good person to talk to about my romantic woes. He never lecherously suggested that I should date him, and he gave the type of tempered advice that only comes with lived experience. But he often lightly mocked me for my crush on Dennis and he did a hilarious impression of Smegal popping too soon over his “precious.” So when Mary “got me back” by doing whatever she did with to Dennis, I called Kadillac Kirk and told him the drinks were on me if he’d be my designated driver for the night.
Why hadn’t I called Whisky??? Well, A) Kirk was way more fun to hang out with, at least from my past experiences up to that point. And B) I needed to bitch about a boy, something I couldn’t do in good conscience in front of a guy I was dating. So I put on the sexiest plunging halter dress I owned, applied heavy eye makeup and spikey accessories, braved a pair of stilettos, and sashayed out to Kirk’s convertible. I felt like a badass rock star. I probably looked like a try-hard hooker.
Kirk: Daaaaay-um! Somebody really did do a number on you, huh? I know you said you were upset, but the gents are gonna be writing thank you notes to that fat girl and that butt-fucking hobbit.
Me: I just need to feel pretty and numb. And I trust you to keep me from making a fool of myself.
Kirk squeezed my shoulder. “I’ve got you. You do whatever you need to do to get rid of these demons.”
He sparked up a J and offered me the first puff. I gladly accepted. He took one puff of his own, but said that the rest was mine since he didn’t want to drive stoned. See? He was responsible! Weed wasn’t legal in California yet, so I got a little bit baked before I stashed the sativa in the glove box and wrapped a scarf around my hair like a starlet from the Golden Age of Hollywood. Kirk sped out of the parking lot and said he was taking me to a downtown hotel that was hosting a party that night in their lush lobby.
Kadillac Kirk pulled up to the main entrance, paid the valet, and then opened my door. I was wobbly from the weed. And I had stupidly decided to wear heels. You can get high or you can wear high (heels). You can’t have both. Not if you’ve repeatedly injured both ankles (as I have). I had to take Kirk’s arm to keep from keeling over. “Can people tell I’m stoned?” I whispered. Kirk replied, “Nobody’s paying any attention to anyone else’s intoxication. I promise you that much.” I nodded, steadied myself, and strutted alongside my very cool friend, feeling a little more confident.
A live jazz orchestra was playing Cole Porter as we entered the lobby. Everything sparkled. The music was even more intoxicating than the spliff had been. “Just One of Those Things” brought tears to my eyes since the lyrics hit every raw nerve regarding the Dennis debacle. But I smiled. It might sound mental, but being distraught over a trash fire of a one-sided romance was exhilarating. Immature, for sure. But also exhilarating. You see, that kind of sadness doesn’t hurt. Not really. It stings. It leaves little bruises, but it’s very safe to wallow in because you haven’t actually lost anything. Melancholia over that which you never had is as sweet as it is bitter; and that type of twisted splendor is rivaled only by Stendhal.
“Here's hoping we meet now and then. It was great fun, but it was just one of those things.” I sang along with the band, and a fat tear rolled down past my melancholic smile and onto my chin. Kirk brushed it aside. “Too close to home?” I wiped away the remnants of the tear’s journey from eye to chin and smiled a more genuine smile. “The perfect distance from home. Shall we get drinks? Remember, I’m buying.”
Kirk: No, no. This is your time to heal. And I’m here as your pal, not your chauffeur. What would the lady like?”
I pretended to barf. Kirk knew I hated it when he got overly formal and overly attentive. So he did it just to mess with me. “Shot of vodka,” I replied.
Kirk: How many?
I thought briefly. “FIVE.”
Kirk: Five to one, baby. One in five...
Me: No one here gets out alive.
Kirk: Are you able to hold yourself upright, or should you come with?
I took a seat on an ornate, damask-upholstered chaise lounge. “I’ll be okay. And I was kidding about the five shots.”
I sat there lost in the music for a while. I thought very little about Dennis. Even less about Mary. And not at all about Whisky (whom I had shagged less than a week ago). My mind danced through the ornate lighting in the hotel lobby, and I suddenly felt the need to join the hoity-toity guests on the dancefloor!
Kirk returned with four shots of vodka. Two for him, two for me. That was quite reasonable of him. He knew damn well that I couldn’t handle five shots, but he also knew that I was in a... state. One that called for more than a single shot. I raised a both miniature glasses to “No more ninnyhammers or hairy-footed lovers.” Kirk did his hilarious Smegal impression, we double-toasted, and downed the shots. The band launched into “Let’s Misbehave,” and I kicked off my stilettos and made a beeline for the dance floor.
“There’s something wild about you child that’s so contagious. Let’s be outrageous! Let’s misbehave.” Kadillac Kirk swept me up, twirled me around, and dipped me as we both sang along with the lyrics. I wasn’t swooning for him, but I was enthralled by the moment. The music, the dancing, the combination of booze and bud... so I kissed him as he pulled me back to my feet. And he kissed back. In a way that Dennis never had. In a way that Whisky’s beard wouldn’t permit. I didn’t feel the visceral sensations that I’d felt when Dennis had kissed me, but it felt nice to feel desired. And then I noticed that other guests were watching us and applauding. Now, that was a dopamine rush if ever there was one!
I gently broke away from the embrace, high-fived Kirk and returned to the chaise lounge to put my stupid shoes back on. He followed me and smashed his face back onto mine. I pulled away and laughed. “It was a moment,” I told him. “I appreciate the dance, and that kiss was the perfect finale. But it’s not happening again.”
Kirk: Not to worry, Valerie. I know you. I knew all along that we were performing, and I was more than happy to be your scene partner.
Me: And dance partner! Those were some excellent moves! I didn’t know you had ballroom training.
Kirk: You name it, I’ve mastered it. Another drink for the lady?
I pretended to barf again. “Not yet. I’m not sad right now. Do you mind if I just sit here and enjoy the music?”
Kirk: Ah. My kisses do have healing properties...
I flipped my hand up at him. “Knock that shit off, bro. I wanted to hang out with you because I trust you not to get weird. Even if I get weird, I know you have the maturity to balance me out.”
Kirk: Are you calling me old???
Me: No. I’m calling you rational, responsible, and respectful.
Kirk: Well, now. If you can articulate an alliterative statement that fluently, then you clearly aren’t drunk enough!
I dismissed this comment as a joke. And he did indeed knock off the flirtation. We had a perfectly pleasant time chatting and dancing (no more kissing, though). And then I noticed a girl I knew from Into the Woods entering the lobby. She’d played Florinda and I’d played Little Red. I called her name and waved enthusiastically. She waved back. And then her date entered. It was D.E.N.N.I.S. I sank into the chaise. Kirk caught on immediately. “The hobbit???” he asked. I nodded silently. “You wanna make out again?” he enthused. I shook my head. I had to go say hello to Flo. And I had an idea...
I crossed the lobby, smiled, squealed, and hugged her.
Florinda: Lil’ Red! It’s been forever! So glad to see you!!! This is my friend, Denny.
Dennis was shifting uncomfortably. I extended my hand. “Nice to meet you. I know your date from Into the Woods. I bet she could tell you some entertaining stories about that show...” Flo laughed out loud, well aware of the many misadventures to which I'd referred. Of course, she might have been laughing because Dennis never, ever listened to anyone else's stories. He was too busy telling, re-telling, slightly altering, and exaggerating his own.
Dennis: C’mon, Val...
Me: Oh, you’ve heard of me? Small world! You guys picked a great night to come here. They’re playing Cole Porter, and the band is delovely!
Florinda (appearing oblivious to the iciness between me and Dennis): Have you seen Prince Big Bad (Scumbanger) lately?
I laughed. “Last time I saw him, he was hitting on some nasty fat chick at The Imp.”
Flo and I both scoffed at the pervy pest. Into the Woods was where I’d initially met Scumbanger. He played The Wolf/Cinderella’s Prince. Again... typecasting. There’s a whole essay in my brain about my first encounter with the pest, during which he quoted the song that he sang to me in the show, “Hello, Little Girl.” But it gets into some pretty uncomfortable territory because he made me feel excited. Well, excited and scared. Nothing of note happened during Into the Woods, but our odd interactions did kind of set the stage for some extremely regrettable events during that Cats cast party.
I excused myself, saying that I needed to get back to my friend. And then I leaned in and said in a hushed voice to Flo, “Watch your ass with that one. If he’s the Denny I’m thinking of...” I gave her a look that only another female would be able to read. Her eyebrows shot up and she nodded. Dennis continued to shift as though he were trying to hold in a massive dump. “BABE! Uh...”
Flo apparently answered to that moniker as well. “What is it, Denny? Don’t worry. That was just telepathic girl talk. You apparently have a reputation...”
Dennis: Different Denny. I assure you I’m a pious gentleman.
Me: Ah. My mistake. Well, then. You guys have a good time! Nice to meet you, Denny. Great to see you, Flo!
I hugged Flo again, gave Dennis a curt nod, ignored the scent of mandarins and mountain air, and returned to Kirk.
I collapsed on the chaise lounge, exhausted from holding back the rage. I had no right to be mad at Florinda. I hadn’t seen her in three years, so how was she supposed to know that I’d had a thing with Dennis? Hell, I couldn’t even be mad at Dennis because the last time he and I had spoken in any meaningful way, I’d told him that I was no longer entertaining my crush on him. So why was I surprised to see him dating??? And why had he never taken ME out on a date like this??? And why wasn’t I smitten with Kadillac Kirk who HAD taken me out on a date like this, was an objectively excellent kisser, and a bona fide BALLER? What was wrong with me???
Kirk suggested going down the street to a quaint little bar and then sobering up at a diner closer to my apartment. I numbly nodded and followed him in silence for a few blocks. He assured me that I had “turned several heads” on the way to the new location, but I neither cared nor believed him. This wasn't the type of numbness I'd been aiming for. Now I needed to get schnockered. “Five shots of vodka, please.” Yes, I was serious.
Kadillac Kirk, my reliable designated driver, ordered only a beer and watched in something across between astonishment, concern, and delight as I slammed all five shots in rapid succession. I half expected to immediately retch all over the bar. But I felt fine. I half expected to immediately lose consciousness and wake up in the hospital. But I remained coherent. How I’d managed to take in that much hard liquor and suffer no direct consequences, I’ll never know.
I think I wanted to suffer. I wanted to either feel nothing at all or to feel a sickness bad enough to distract me from the scorching sting that pulsed through my being when I realized that I had lost the abstract notion I’d been addicted to this entire time. Hope. It wasn’t Dennis himself I couldn’t quit. It was that drug called hope. The hope that maybe, just maybe Dennis would give our romance a fair chance. The hope that maybe, just maybe he would make peace with himself, get his mind out of his crotch, and enjoy some agenda-free togetherness. The hope that maybe, just maybe he would stop bloviating about his admittedly impressive accomplishments for five fucking minutes and ask about my life. I had my own reasonably impressive accomplishments, even if they paled in comparison to his. A proper suitor would have enjoyed hearing about them.
But seeing him out with another woman, a woman who had no reason to parade her Dennis escapades before me as some means of revenge, a woman he was clearly courting of his own volition... My hope had died. It died before I’d had time to wean myself off it. Now I had to mourn the loss of hope, which is a very tricky brand of grief to navigate. Vodka wasn’t the answer, but it was what I had to work with. So it would have to do.
After enough time had passed without vomiting or collapsing, I asked Kirk to bring his car around to the bar so that I didn’t have to walk two and a half blocks drunk and in heels. He nodded and dramatically leaned in for a kiss. I recoiled. “DUDE! I told you. The moment has passed.”
Kirk: I beg your pardon. I misread your eyes. Thought I saw a green light...
Me: It’s fine. I just want to go home while I’m still feeling okay.
Kirk: Of course. Your chariot will be here soon.
He skipped off to fetch his Cadillac and I noticed that the lights in the bar were beginning to dance a bit. This should have been concerning. But then I realized that I was giggling. Wait... What? Oh shit. Sure, I was drunk from those shots. But what I was feeling in that moment wasn’t drunkery. It was stonery. Kirk probably misread my face because my pupils were dilated. Not from desire, but from drug use.
Some of you might be thinking that I was a bad friend for not introducing Lucy, an old dude connoisseur, to Kirk. Well... I did. Several years before the events of this story. He adored her. She, on the other hand, thought he was immature. And she wasn’t wrong. Lucy was astute when it came to sussing out a person’s true nature. Far more astute than I. Her initial assessment that Kirk was immature is about to be vindicated. Stretch those cringe muscles! It’s almost time for pie...
I somehow managed to get to his car. I honestly don’t recall how I got there. Did one of the bartenders carry me? Did some kind patron allow me to lean on him? Had Kadillac Kirk carried me out? I’m not sure. But my memory ceases to be fuzzy about halfway to the 24-hour diner. It might have been the very same 24-hour diner where Mary pulled her... shenanigans. I’ll never know.
Kirk: Would you say that you’re more drunk or more stoned?
Me: STONED. Definitely stoned.
Kirk made some sort of grunty noise and reached for my thigh. I slapped his hand.
Kirk: Stoned but not amorous? That’s rare.
I started laughing rather unkindly. “You’re a fucking horndog! I thought you were my safe straight male friend, dammit.”
Kirk: I solemnly swear that your safety is my primary concern, my stoned beauty.
I pretended to throw up.
Kirk: So... You’re not horny. But are you hungry? The diner I’m heading to makes this Maple Walnut Pie with the most sumptuous... sensual cream and exquisite drizzling of...
Me: Ew! Stop trying to bang the pie. Bro. Are YOU stoned? (Then I remembered the question.) Yes, I’m hungry. But I don’t like nuts. I’ll have banana cream.
Kirk made that repulsive grunty noise again. “Uhhhhh... Mmmmmm. Cream. Yessssss. Yes, we’ll be there in just a minute.” He was squirming in the driver's seat.
Me: GROSS, DUDE! If you’re gonna be like that I’ll just order HASH brows. Get it? Hash??? (I giggled uncontrollably.). You can’t make that sound nasty.
Kirk: Forgive my jokes. I think my blood sugar’s a bit low.
As Kirk parked, I began to wonder how I might get away with walking shoeless into the diner. The stilettos had to get off my feet. At least while I was walking. And Kirk was kind enough to give me his socks and wear his loafers “island style” into the establishment. Okay, that was gallant of him. Maybe he was going to behave himself for the rest of the evening.
I wasn’t terribly talkative as we sat down, and he expressed concern for my emotional well-being. I wasn’t coherent enough to explain what was happening to my emotions and I wasn’t sure I trusted him with my deep, dark secrets at that point. So I shrugged like a sulky teenager, ran my hands over my messy, windblown hair, and mumbled that I was “just hungry.” And right on cue, a very kind, slightly older waitress with a sweet southern accent stopped by to take our order.
Kirk: Ah, yes. We’ll have two cups of black coffee. And we’ll share a slice of that delectable Maple Walnut Pie.
Waitress: Oh, honey. That pie is scrumptious! I take it you’ve been here before?
Kirk: I have. This will be her first time to taste the splendor.
I hated to be a killjoy, but I interrupted and said to the waitress, “Ma’am? I’m sure the Maple Walnut is excellent, but could I please get a slice of Banana Cream? And a big glass of ice water?
Waitress: Sure, hon! Banana Cream’s just as yummy! I’ll be right back with those coffees and that big water.
Kirk was sucking on the tip of his forefinger and shaking his head a bit. “You’re passing up so many sensational... sensual...”
I put my forehead on the table and growled. “You swore you’d stop being nasty!” I held this #headdesk pose for quite some time before I finally lifted my head... only to see that Kirk was still sucking his fingertip and staring at me like a wild animal. “Pleeeeeease be normal,” I whined. “It’s been a really weird night for me.”
Kirk: Indeed. Many surprises. You know... You’re like titanium. Your flame burns so fast and so bright, if a guy doesn’t get in there while the iron is hot, he’ll never get another chance. I was too slow.
What the...? I was pretty sure he was wrong about titanium burning quickly. I’m no chemistry wiz, but my dad and my oldest brother are both big-brains when it comes to physics and chemistry. So I picked up some things just listening to them talk. Accurate or inaccurate, Kirk was being creepy again. He’d never been creepy towards me before, although I’d seen him act like this with other women. Usually with staggering success. Why????? His money. It had to be his money. Kirk was a nice-looking man, but holy shit... No amount of good looks could save this creep show.
And then, our sweet waitress sat down our coffees, my water, and the two slices of pie. After I gulped down a whole bunch of water, I grabbed a fork, prepared to quell my munchies... and then I froze. Kirk was quickly flicking his finger back and forth across the top of his pie. And moaning. He noticed my wide-eyed stare, smirked, sucked the tip of his thumb, picked up the plate with both hands, and began flicking his tongue across the tip of the triangular pie slice. And moaning some more. Well, there went my appetite.
Kirk took his middle finger and jabbed it into the crustless vertex of the pie slice, then he began pumping it in and out like a piston, and flicking his thumb across the increasingly demolished top layer of whipped cream. He gasped this time. People were starting to stare. His pointer finger joined his middle finger in the piston action, and he replaced his thumb with his tongue. Between flicks of the tongue, he groaned, “Oh yeah, baby... Let me taste you,” but it was kind of hard to understand him.
And I was either about to run to the back office, tell them that I was in danger and needed a police escort home... OR I was about to burst out laughing at the spectacle. Kirk continued... He removed his fingers and gregariously licked pie filling off of them. And then he started sucking his fingertips again, switching from middle to pointer, middle to pointer and emitting a delighted little, “Mmmmmm” with every suck.
Finally, he jabbed his fingers back into the utterly destroyed pie, lowered his face into the mess and lapped loudly and passionately, moaning, grunting, and mumbling “Come on, baby. Come on. Mmmmmm. Come on.” I could see the waitress and some dude in a suit heading over to the table, so I sank down in my seat, partially covered my face, but continued to watch the train wreck. At last, Kirk shuddered violently, he splatted his entire hand onto the plate and rubbed furiously. And then he locked eyes with me. He sucked the tip of his thumb one final time and said, “You...” There was a long pause during which Kirk lovingly stroked the mess he’d made. “You... are the pie.”
I don’t hang out with Kadillac Kirk anymore. But he’s still a bachelor, ladies!

Wade held Jasmine in his arms as he flew a low height down the long road to another section of the staryard, Tina on his back and Nathan and F right behind them in the air. Together, the five glided across the base grounds, taking care as to not irritate the aerial security during their search for the meeting room. Being outside for the flight, the group considered it a blessing that Wade's 'enhanced cooling unit' allowed his body to tolerate the breaching sun in the still cloudy sky, which, according to F, was dangerous to drones like her due to the inefficient cooling she and disassembly drones like her suffered from. Given F's physical fault, she had to fly under shady areas in order to safely traverse the base at day.
Originally, Wade and his friends had planned to walk to the meeting zone, but after running into a trooper experiencing a health mishap, the group did what they could to help the distressed officer. By the time he was brought to the medical ward by other soldiers, Wade found that him and his team would be at least a few minutes late if they kept on their way with their walk.
Deciding to speed things up, Wade, understanding the concern for performing such an effort, opted to carry the Fowleys around the base to the meeting area. Reluctantly, F decided to come along, carrying Nathan in a similar manner that Wade was carrying Jasmine. Taking notice of the time on his HUD, which read, "9:47 AM", Wade scouted for the building he and his friends were directed to. "8072" He said to himself, the number being for the building that would house the imminent meeting.
"They said it was down here, right?" Wade asked aloud to Tina before stopping himself in mid-air, the girl holding onto him tightly as he tried to speak over the growing sound of a retrofit Apache flying overhead.
Looking about, Tina nodded as she spotted the target building. "Yes, I believe that's the one over there!" Pointing past his head, Wade followed her finger to a large building ahead at his right. The structure was moderately tall, only about two stories high, with several soldiers and officers going in and out of the building. Wade smiled as he noticed the target number, as well as the big, bold words describing the building's designation. "8072, Briefing Center B"
"Good eye, honey. Hang on!" Continuing his low glide, Wade zoomed towards the building's entrance before stopping just meters above the ground, his two friends close behind as they slowed down as well. The troopers around them initially looked startled by the sudden arrival of Wade and his group, but quickly regained their composure as Wade hovered still above them.
"At ease! Just visitors." One of the soldiers declared as they identified the newcomers, who touched down before Wade let Jasmine down to her feet, Tina hopping onto the ground along with her.
Putting his hands up, Wade apologized for his swift surprise. "Sorry for the scare, we got delayed for a meeting we're invited to."
The soldier gave an understanding nod as he replied to the former worker drone sternly. "I can see that, just be a bit more careful next time, Mr. Carter. You gave the boys here quite a scare."
Wade returned the gesture in embarrassment as F put a hand to his back, chuckling at his efforts as Tina questioned the officer. "Is Mrs. J in there? She's the one who called for us."
The guard gave his reply as Wade and Tina pulled out their IDs for clearance. "Yes she is, Miss. The meeting's set to begin in under ten minutes." Checking the two drones' IDs, Jasmine and the others pulled out theirs as well, the watchman motioning another trooper over to verify the group. Once the guard finished checking the five's cards, he nodded in approval as the watchman spoke once more. "You're clear to enter."
"Thank you Sir, again, sorry about that spook back there." Wade replied with a smile as the trooper gave one of his own, the disassembly drone and his allies making their way towards the office door before stopping upon the call of a voice.
"Hey, Felice!" Wade turned to find the origin of the voice, F doing the same as the two quickly spotted a quartet of soldiers walking excitedly towards F. The disassembly drone glanced to her friends with a smile before turning back to the approaching entourage.
Wade examined the four troops as they got closer: Two human men, one woman, and a male worker drone. One of the male soldiers had short, blonde hair, and a small scar to the right side of their face. The second man bore a tan skin tone and had black hair, with blue strips that went down slightly in a mullet style. The woman bore a set of long, dark green hair, with the hair going down and over her left shoulder. As for the worker drone, he wore the standard green soldier helmet, single eye visor and all. He had no hair on him from what Wade could tell, and bore a pair of whiteish purple eyes on his visor.
As F walked over to the soldiers, the same one that called to her spoke again. "Felicity, I didn't expect to see you around here today! Where you been?"
The girl soldier interrupted his initial chatter. "Hang on Carlos, do you even know if she remembers us?"
"Aye, don't she have one o' them memory locks, or sumthin?" The drone added in a heavy Scottish accent.
F waved her hand as she replied to the group. "Easy, everyone. Thankfully I still got my memories, courtesy of my technician back at Central." Lowering her hand, F let down her usual persona as she gave a wide smirk to the soldiers, clearly pleased to see them. "Good to see you guys around here."
The soldiers gave light cheers to F as they all embraced her, the group having a surprise reunion as Wade and the others watched in surprise. These must've been F's old colleagues from when she was in the service, Wade thought. Quite the coincidence for them to be here at this base of all places.
Not bothering with the convenience of the matter, Wade shook the thought off as he and his friends watched F and her old friends breaking the hug, Tina wrapping an arm around her boyfriend as the second male human spoke to her in what the two discerned as Spanish. "Ay, who your new friends, F?"
"Oh, these guys?" F replied in the same language, quietly startling Wade and the others as they had never heard her speak like that until now. Glancing over to Wade, F motioned him and the others to come over. "Everyone, these are some friends I made in the past few days. Wade, Nathan, Tina, and Jasmine." She pointed her hand to the four as she said each of their names. "I met the boys here during my time on Ceres. Jasmine and Tina here are sisters."
The four soldiers gave various forms of excitement, ranging from hearty laughs to low woops and even a whistle from one of the guys. As F stood next to her old teammates, they each introduced themselves to Wade and his friends. The blonde soldier went first. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you all, name's Carlos, Lieutenant Marksman."
"I'm Private Alvaros, good with close-range and stealth operations." Said the tan soldier with a salute.
"Sergeant Lucia Vasquez, usually the one who leads this bunch around these days." The female warrior stated with a humorous smirk.
"And Corporal Duncan Wallace, at your service!" The soldier drone stated proudly as he saluted to the bunch in front of him, who gave warm smiles as Wade shook his hand.
"Quite honored to meet you all, seems you have quite the history with F." The former worker drone said as Carlos patted F on her back.
"Oh, we do! She's the one who took charge when we didn't! Did you all hear of the Pasting of Nola VI?" Jasmine and Tina gave nods of affirmation while Wade, not as familiar with such history, held his hand up in a questioning manner.
"I think, wasn't that the battle where the Navy just barely held the outpost in that system? From the Stryker Clan?" Wade asked as Carlos nodded approvingly to him.
"That's right, and if Felice weren't there, WE would've been the ones getting pasted!" Carlos' statement brought victorious cheers and "oorahs" from the group, F letting a blush loose as she chuckled at her team's praise of her efforts.
"Well, that's not wrong." Although she didn't want to break off from her friends and discuss the past few years since they'd last met, F remembered the briefing. Clearing her throat, she continued. "And as much as I'd like to chat about the good times, I've been called to a meeting here, as have Wade and his crew."
The soldier group gave understanding looks to F as Lucia spoke up. "Thought so, Carl here was real eager to see you, though."
"Maybe we can talk after the meeting?" Nathan proposed as the soldiers collectively nodded in agreement, F readying a smartcomm attachment before turning to face her friends again.
"We're probably getting low on time, you all go in, I'll catch up in a sec." Wade nodded in acknowledgement before taking Tina's hand, the lover drones continuing towards the briefing center as Jasmine and Nathan followed behind them.
Passing through the door, the four guests observed a short hallway, which seemed to split into two paths as they came closer to the other end. Looking to a sign on the wall above, they saw arrows pointing to two separate areas, "Primary Briefing Room; Main Lobby + Secondary & Tertiary" Going to the right, they entered the moderately active lobby, several officers walking and standing about in mass chatter. Walking over to the desk up against the wall to their left, Wade and his group waved a hand to the occupying attendant.
"Welcome, what do you need?" The desk attendant asked as Tina raised a finger to reply.
"We're here for a meeting, Mrs. J called us here."
The attendant nodded in understanding before directing an arm towards the other end of the room, where a single door stood. "She should be in the second briefing room down that way."
"Thank you." Tina replied warmly before she and Wade began walking towards the door, their friends behind them as they proceeded into the room.
The room beyond the door was quite sizable, a large circular table occupying the middle with several chairs surrounding it. The walls went up a few meters, with four whiteish blue lights illuminating the room. On the wall opposite to Wade and Tina were three monitor screens, all of which showed the USN in bright blue. In several of the seats were faces both familiar and unfamiliar, several men and women in varying styles of uniforms conversing about quietly or taking notice of the recent visitors. Standing up near the monitors were three people: A decorated officer whom Tina identified as a ship captain, and the so-called operatives, Tessa, albeit as a hologram, and J.
Walking slowly into the room, Wade gave a low wave of his hand as he tried to hide his nervousness. Noticing his shyness in front of the officers, Tina held his hand and rubbed his arm comfortingly while returning a pleasant smile to the staff in the room.
"Ah, Wade, Tina. Glad to see you all here." J stated with a smile as she scanned the group, raising a digital eyebrow as she noticed one missing guest. "Or, most of you, I see. Did F run off somewhere?"
Wade shook his head as he replied to his fellow disassembly drone. "Oh, no. She just ran into some old friends, she should be back-"
"Right now." F finished aloud as she entered the room, seemingly having heard Wade speaking about her absence. The warrior drone fast walked to Wade's team, taking a seat near them as they prepared to do the same. "Not too late, are we?"
"Not at all." The standing officer answered as the group took their seats, Wade and Tina sitting next to each other as they got comfortable. The captain examined the lot for a moment, glancing to J as he asked about them. "So, these are the ones you helped rescue from the Mojave?"
"Yes Captain, and they helped us out greatly in turn. This is Wade Carter, one of the captured drones whom became a disassembly drone before we could mount the rescue. The luckiest one, if you ask me." Motioning her arm over the others, she continued. "And there's his girlfriend, Mrs. Tina Fowley, and her sister Jasmine." Smirking to F and Nathan, she finished her friends' introductions. "And these two are Serial Designation F and Mr. Nathan, whom I've heard were once under your ranks."
The military captain gave a welcoming smile to the five as they returned the gesture, eyeing F and Nathan specifically before speaking to them. "Indeed they were, we still have records on their contributions to the colonies." Eyeing F, he continued. "Though, in Mrs. F's case, I won't blame her if she doesn't remember us. We've been very well aware of JCJenson's 'memory suppression' protocols when it comes to their DDs."
F laid back in her seat with a smug look as she replied to her former superior. "Well, my friend on the station's a good tech gal. She's... waived that hindrance from me."
"I see, that means your still with us, am I right, Mrs. Lee?" Unlike her friends next to her, F was not startled by her original name being said aloud, rather smiling proudly as she saluted to the captain. "Good to see you again."
"Pleased to be here, Sir." F replied as she lowered her arm, glancing to her companions next to her as J spoke up.
"Everyone, I'd like you to meet Captain Preston Mitchell, commander of the USNV Vickers down at the stardock."
Wade gave a respectful salute to Preston as he spoke first. "It's an honor to meet you, Sir."
"Thank you, Mr. Carter. I've heard about your efforts from J, you did an admirable job back there, son." Wade failed to hide an embarrassed blush from the compliment, but it quickly faded as a beep sounded from a small device on the table. It was swiftly silenced by the captain as he tapped a button on the small, pyramid shaped timer, then facing Wade's group before continuing. "Though, as much as we could use some small talk, it'll have to wait till later."
"Indeed, we're running late at this point." Said another officer, a highly decorated member of the base with dark skin, dark grey hair and a thin beard. He immediately won the attention of everyone in the room as he spoke up. "I'm General Hugh Hood, overseer of this base. I'm certain you know some of the reasons you're here with us, correct?"
Wade nodded as he spoke to Hood. "Yeah, it's cause of those rogue agents from the JCJenson corporation." Glancing to J, the corporate drone nodded in affirmation before speaking herself.
"Tessa and I spent the last hours of yesterday evening clearing up the matter with General Hood, along with several other officials stationed here." She stopped as the middle monitor behind her flashed with a banner at the top, reading, "INCOMING TRANSMISSION", and in place of the USN emblem was a textless version of the JCJenson logo. Below the profile image was another two lines of text. "N. Jenson (Company Exec); Comms Source: Yottrite IV"
"And also told our boss about what happened here too, he wanted to give his say on this ordeal." Looking to the general, J asked him, "May I put him on?"
Hood only gave a nod of approval to the corporate drone before she picked up a remote on the table and tapped a button, accepting the call as the picture shifted to show a middle-aged man in a pristine-looking business suit on the screen.
Wade and Tina glanced to each other before J introduced their guest on the screen. "Ladies and Gentlemen, the CEO of JCJenson: Mr. Noor Jenson."
Jenson gave a pleased nod to his subordinate as he spoke to J. "Thank you for the pleasantries, J. I see we are ready to discuss our plans on dealing with this 'recall' disaster I've bore witness to on the news this morning?"
J nodded as she replied to her boss. "Indeed, I've explained to General Hood here about our efforts yesterday, and, as of recent, we've just received a message from a source we believe to be close to the company."
Mr. Jenson looked down to J attentively as he spoke to her. "Well, that's quite intriguing news, J. Do you have this message available for us to view?" J and Hood both nodded in affirmation, but didn't get an immediate reply as Jenson gazed to Wade and his friends. "...And I presume these are some of the drones rescued from one of the factories?"
Again, J nodded to her superior before explaining her colleagues. "Yes Mr. Jenson, the two drones at the front in particular were among those taken by the Administrator and their subordinates." Pointing an arm to Wade and Tina, she introduced the drone couple. "The disassembly drone here is Mr. Wade Carter, a brother to his-technically speaking-owner, the late Ron Carter. The latter helped us recover Wade during an initial raid inside the Nevada facility." When bringing up Ron, J gave an apologetic look to Wade as to show she did not mean to be offending on him and his brother's relationship. "And this is his romantic partner, Mrs. Tina Fowley. I heard she and her sister Jasmine are pilots."
Jenson looked over the two drones as his obedient employee described them to him, quietly sighing as Wade and Tina returned the gaze with nervous smiles. Once J finished, Jenson spoke to Wade. "I... would say it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Carter. But, given recent events, I don't hold fault to you for feeling frustrated at me for my... former subordinate's actions."
Wade shook his head lightly, taking Jenson's light apology with a faint smile as he replied to the CEO. "Actually, I don't. The only person I have such feelings put towards is," He hesitated for a moment, his anger at Dr. Halloway returning for a short moment before he eased himself. "..That bastard Halloway."
"The feeling's mutual, Mr. Carter. Dr. Halloway has been trying my patience for years now, especially with you and your fellow disassembly drones." Looking to J, then F, he returned his gaze to Wade before questioning him on his new body. "I don't know if J has told you of this, but if there's one truth my company has admittedly not held up to for a while, it's our quality. Recently, some of my research staff here made blueprints for an upgraded variant of the disassembly drone design. It's intended to fix several faults we expected to be nonexistent previously, most notably that atrocious cooling unit."
As a schematic pulled up on the left monitor, everyone glanced to the improved design before F spoke up about it. "If I may ask, Mr. Jenson, how big of an improvement is this new cooling unit supposed to be?"
"Good question, F. Frankly, it's supposed to do away with the issue entirely. Saves us from sacrificing enormous supplies of oil for the poorly built unit in the previous iterations. We even tested it with a repaired drone just a few days ago, and it worked flawlessly." Then, glancing to Wade again, he questioned the former worker drone on his new form. "Speaking of, how does your enhanced body feel, Mr. Carter? I'm certain it feels better to not have to-"
"Actually, Mr. Jenson," Wade interrupted, pulling out one of his canteens as he answered the CEO on his upgrades. "I guess Halloway changed up the blueprints, cause unfortunately this new cooling unit didn't cure the overheating problem. I... kinda learned that the hard way." Wade glanced to Tina apologetically, still feeling bad from her seeing him eat the corpse of the dead murder drone back at the factory.
The corporate CEO grimaced in frustration as he took in Wade's statement, already intolerant of the head researcher's actions as he replied. "...I was worried about that, Edgar always likes to run things his own way, making excuses for that 'Administrator' he watches over." Taking an agitated breath, he continued on with his spew on the two culprits of yesterday's events. "It was only because of all the very impressive creations and enhancements she and her research team provided that I tolerated them for so long, but this..." Sitting up straight in front of the camera, Jenson finished sternly. "J said the Administrator... Cyn, I believe? She was apparently something worse than we presumed originally, and I'm very inclined to believe so after yesterday."
"As well as the program tied to the Administrator, the AbsoluteSolver." J clarified before receiving an agreeing nod from Mr. Jenson, standing corrected on his placing of blame.
Raising a hand, Nathan asked about the supposed plans. "Yeah, about this "Solver Project", what do we plan to do about that?"
"Good question, Nate." Tessa replied as she crossed her arms before looking to Jenson and beginning her explanation. "Initially, we were going to investigate the other factories spread across Earth in order to get some more info on the Administrator before things get worse. But, just this morning, it seems someone else saved us the trouble." Just as Tessa neared the end of her sentence, J held up the remote again, tapping a few buttons before the left monitor shifted to show a slightly grainy video onscreen.
The video only showed a single being, a worker drone, dressed in a chrome suit and bearing a set of yellow eyes. Behind them was what appeared to be a vacant room, a few shelves holding many books within them standing still in the back. The drone's visage indicated they were filled with immense anxiety, terrified of being caught as they spoke quietly to the camera.
"I can only hope someone gets this in time, they're gonna be on me once they find out the transmitter screens are down!" Turning the camera, he showed what appeared to be a large factory room, several more of the mysterious conveyor belts like at the factory slotted next to each other. It was hard to discern every detail due to not only the window reflection, but also the dark lighting in the inactive conveyor room. Filming the room beyond, the drone continued. "Dr. Halloway's a madman, he's got more of those stolen drones being brought here and he's going to be overseeing it in the afternoon tomorrow! I've seen what happened back in Nevada, I can't take this any longer! I'm at coordinates ##.######, -###.###### Please, send someo-"
The suspicious, partially scrambled transmission immediately cut off to static, leaving Wade, Tina, and their friends with confused expressions as Tessa spoke up. "Yeah, that caught me by surprise too."
"So, that guy says they got more drones being sent 'there', but... where is there, exactly?" Jasmine asked with immense curiosity.
"I was hoping you'd ask that, Mrs. Fowley." The technician replied as she glanced to J, who tapped a few more buttons on the remote before speaking over her boss-friend.
"While the transmission itself isn't much to work off of, our friends from Comms over here managed to intercept the signal earlier, and even better, discern where it originated from." As J started her explanation, the screen shifted once more to show a large city, with one skyscraper highlighted in red as it was zoomed towards on the screen. "That scrambled audio wasn't a simple glitch, it was intentionally done so as to hide key information for us to uncover. Upon cleaning up the message, we managed to recover a set of coordinates, which direct to this structure here, in San Francisco."
Wade and his friends stared at the building in shock, examining the tall structure as it stood over the shorter buildings in the city. Tina broke the silence in her gaze. "So, this is another factory? It looks... terribly different from the one we got out of."
"Not exactly, Mrs. Fowley." Mr. Jenson answered, Tina and the others looking to him as he continued. "THAT is the Administrator's main laboratory, its location was kept on the down low so other authorities and terrorist groups wouldn't find out what the buildings true purpose was." Sighing, Jenson completed his reply. "But, with this recent mistake of Halloway's, that place has lost all purpose for us at the company."
Wade raised a hand to speak. "So, we're going to pounce on that place? Get Halloway before he runs off again?"
"Exactly." General Hood replied as he looked up to Mr. Jenson. "This whole 'recovery/recruitment' effort has gotten out of hand all across Sol. We've gotten countless reports of people being killed because of this, be it the brutal robberies here in Nevada or the bloodbath on Ceres. Even if Mr. Jenson refuses to cooperate, this has become a dire matter for us now. One way or another, this insanity will be stopped with due haste."
The CEO nodded in acknowledgement before explaining his own plans for the mission. "Speaking of cooperation, upon seeing what was happening at Earth, I ordered a detachment of our corporate starships in orbit at the time to depart for Sol in order to help with investigating the situation. They're not warships, but they are well-armed. I'll dispatch them to your authority upon concluding this call." Glancing to Wade and his team for a moment, Jenson continued. "As for the mission, I may not have much of a say, but let it be known that you have my blessing to do whatever it takes to end this madness. I don't care what you do with Halloway or any of his lackeys, or what happens to that facility down there... I want that program shut down."
"Thank you for the extra hands, Mr. Jenson. We'll make sure this Administrator is dealt with." Hood replied gratefully as Wade sat firm in his seat, Tina and the others following suite.
"General?" The former worker drone said aloud, catching Hood's attention before he made his request. "I know I'm not a soldier, but I want to help with dealing with Halloway and his grunts. After what he did, after losing my brother, I can't rest until I see that man stopped."
Tina raised a finger as well. "As do I, Wade could use a hand with those people, and given how we did during our escape run out of that place, I think the two of us make quite the duo." She glanced to Wade with a smirk as she referenced their combat prowess when flying together.
Nathan and F stood up before the latter gave her own request. "Sir, I wish to take part in this mission as well. I can also recommend Wade for you too, as I fought alongside him during the factory raid."
"Wouldn't mind giving a hand myself! And I'm sure my pal Kurtis would love to help, he's here at the base too!" Nathan added with a confident smirk, the group's determination encouraging Jasmine to stand up as well.
"I'd like to help too." She stated simply, a smile on her face as the general and his companions observed the five guests.
Admittedly, Hood knew it would be a bit absurd to allow these people to take part in an operation which would certainly involve bloodshed, especially considering most of them merely had civilian status at the moment. But, upon careful evaluation of the five, their desire to see this problem dealt with, and the fact that some of them had experience on the field...
He paused his train of thought as Captain Mitchell spoke to him. "General? I read up on the Fowleys' files when we recovered Mrs. Jasmine here, they provided service in their early careers." He smirked to the pilot sisters as he finished adding his say. "And to be frank, we need more people like them here. The records we have of them showed them to be damn fine pilots."
Tina blushed at the praise from Mitchell as she spoke to the general. "That is true, we uh... did get discharged for our... 'fancy maneuvering'."
"Sir?" Jasmine said, the general's attention on her as she added to the conversation. "Even if our flying is a bit out of protocol, Tina saved a lot of people on that starjet a few days back. I can promise you, she's an excellent woman to have at the wheel."
Glancing to Wade again, Hood took in his face, one of begging desperation as he spoke once more. "Please, Sir. My brother, the troops he brought from the Coalition, Halloway's gotten them all killed cause of this. I want to do this. I HAVE to do this, at least for them."
The good general took a deep, quiet breath, considering his decision once more before finally revealing it to Wade and his friends. "Mr. Carter, Fowleys? I'm probably making myself a fool for saying this, but you're permitted to assist us in this mission."
The drone couple contained their gratefulness in the form of ecstatic grins as Wade replied to the general. "Thanks, General. We won't let you down."
"And Mrs. Lee?" Hood said as he glanced to F, who returned the gesture as he told her, "You're technically under Mr. Jenson's authority, whatever his answer is, it's mine as well."
Bringing her yellow-orange eyes to her CEO, F awaited Mr. Jenson's answer. "F, yes? I heard Mr. Hood call you by a different name just now, I assume you have some experience with the army?"
The warrior drone nodded as she explained herself. "I once inherited the name of Felicity Lee, Mr. Jenson. I served under the USN Defense Forces before joining the DD Division." Then, glancing to the military staff near her, she finished with, "I had hoped to provide my enhancements to the Force one day."
Jenson gave a hint of a proud smile as he finally gave his decision. "Well, it seems you'll finally get that chance. From now on, even after this mission on Earth is over with, you're hereby dispatched to serve under the USN."
F admittedly couldn't hide her excited smirk as she flung a salute to her now former boss. "Thank you Sir!"
Looking up to Jenson, General Hood asked the CEO, "Mr. Jenson, how long until your ships can reach Earth?"
Jenson glanced down at his communication console as he answered the military leader. "At max speed, their Ion drives should be able to bring them into orbit in as little as one to two days. I believe there should be some ships within the system that could help as well."
"Signal them when you can, Mr. Jenson. We could use all the help we can get from them." The CEO nodded to Hood as he stood firmly to the viewer, the general turning to face Wade and his colleagues. "And Mr. Carter? We'll be mobilizing our forces immediately after this meeting concludes. It'll be a minute, but I want you to gather whatever items and belongings you'll need for this operation. Be ready to head to the flight pads in no more than three hours."
"Understood Sir!" Wade said with a salute, Tina, Jasmine and Nathan giving their own as Jasmine raised a finger.
"What about the area around the lab? That place looks like it's in the middle of the city."
J raised a finger as she told Jasmine and the others about their resolution of the civilian obstacle. "Shortly after reporting our findings on the transmission, Hood told us that they were sending in some teams to clear out the civilian population within several miles of the facility. Once we get there, it should be of no concern."
Jasmine sighed in relief as Tina spoke up. "So the people should be safe from any sort of danger?"
"Correct, Mrs. Tina." Preston answered before continuing. "Given the resistance Halloway and his men showed during the Coalition's raid, they most certainly won't hold back there."
"One more thing, Sir." Nathan asked. "The Coalition's going to help us out with this too, right?"
"You can count on it, Mr. Nathan." The Vickers' captain replied as he looked to J, then to Jenson as he spoke further. "I met the leader of the Coalition's detachment working with us when I was introduced to J and Mrs. Elliott here, they intend to see this conflict finished. I highly doubt they're willing to sit back and let us do this by ourselves."
"And their help will be much appreciated." Hood added, everyone's attention returned to him as he looked to Tessa, curious eyes scanning her holographic form. "And Mrs. Elliott, if I may. Do you mind heading down here to assist us in our investigations later on?"
"Funny you say that, General. I'm almost done with my own snooping around on the JCJ up in orbit, Cyn has some small departments of hers aboard, and I thought I'd gather some more intel before coming down." Glancing to Mr. Jenson, she saw him giving an understanding nod before returning her gaze to the military staff. "I should be down there by the evening, judging by where you're located."
"Do what you must, Mrs. Elliott. We could use whatever you find." Hood replied firmly as he turned once more to the JCJenson CEO. "Thank you for your time, Mr. Jenson. We will get to the bottom of this."
"It's my pleasure, General." Glancing to J and Tessa, he spoke to them once more. "J? Contact me when you've finished with Halloway and his Administrator."
"It'll be done, Mr. Jenson." The obedient servant answered before saluting firmly, receiving a final nod from her boss before he ended the transmission.
With their off-world guest out of the way, Hood looked to Wade and his friends, J, Tessa and Captain Mitchells sharing the gaze with them as the general spoke to them in finality. "Well, you know what comes next everyone. You're all dismissed for now. And remember, landing zone by 1300."
"We'll be there Sir." Wade said with a nod as he and his friends stood up, pushing in their chairs before making their way out to the door.
As they neared it, Wade stopped for a moment as they heard Hood call to one of his friends. "And F?" The soldier drone looked to the general as he continued. "Before we depart, would you mind changing your uniform? I believe it could help with identifying you from the other disassembly drones more easily." Glancing to J, then back to F, he finished with, "I recall hearing about the most formidable drones having clones prepared, yes?"
"Correct, Sir. I'll stop by the nearest barracks while I can." F replied before turning back to the door with her colleagues, Wade opening the door for them all as they passed through. After them, Wade passed through himself, shutting the door to the meeting room as he returned to the lobby.
Walking about together, F spoke to Wade and the others. "Well, that went smoothly. I'll be heading down to the barracks, then head over to your place to help out."
"Actually," Wade replied, raising a finger up as he asked his fellow murder drone, "You think you could bring your friends over? We could get to know each other while we're getting ready."
F glanced to Nathan with a smile before returning her eyes to Wade. "I could see about that. You're gonna like them, I can promise you that."
Taking Tina's hand, Wade walked with his girlfriend alongside Jasmine and the others, nearing the hallway they came through as they prepared for the walk back to the apartment.

Hi all, I'm a 27y old male and I recently got an MRI done on my brain and cervico-thoracic region of my spinal cord. Radiologist report claims there is no demyelination present on either but they did a 90 min scan in about 45 mins, I think they were rushed? I'm stumped because my symptoms include never ending fatigue, breathlessness that fluctuates day to day, eyelids thay don't open in the morning, fluctuating vertigo and intense burning pains that come and go in my fingers and toes. I had a past infection of EBV that was severe enough I was hospitalised and needed steroids to overcome it, plus I have diagnosed Coeliac disease. Also had a bad case of shingles when I was 16 and periods of severe vitamin D deficiency, probably worsened by the Coeliac. Every time I go to a specialist they act like I'm being a hypochondriac or that my symptoms are just a result of anxiety and/or depression. I don't know what to do, I feel like I can't keep living my life like this, and no-one is taking me seriously. Every time I go to a specialist I hope they'll finally give me an answer but I never get any, just more gaslighting that my symptoms aren't real or that I'm overreacting.
I guess I just wanted to rant a bit in case anyone has some advice about what I should do from here. I know it might not be MS, it could be something else I guess, but most of my bloods came back normal. Recently did an autoimmune panel to see if it could be something else but haven't got the results yet.
I'm seeing my neurologist next week and hoping to god she listens to me/ has some answers. Should I ask for a spinal tap?
Currently living in Sydney Australia, does anyone have any good recommendations for radiologists who are practiced in recognising MS lesions on MRI scans?
Anyway, sorry for the long rant, I basically just want to know if I'm not alone in this experience.

The last memory I had of my grandfather was hearing him scream as the the shadows in the field began to surround him with thin, web like fibers. Then my mother picked me up and ran with me in her arms back into our old farm house.
My last memory, that is until last night, when I awakened to a tinkling bell in an unknown vault so immense I couldn't see the walls or the ceiling. Far away I saw a dull light and heard the faint tinkling of a bell, incessantly ringing. I followed the sound till I could see him on a throne, which seemed to have merged with his body, leaving only his fingers free.
The acrid scent of burning wax and a lurking fear clung to the borders of the dream, if a dream it was. There, in the dim candle glow, sat my grandfather, his weathered face, a thousand years older than when I'd last seen him, etched with a desperate urgency. The same face I'd last seen contorted in a scream as he was swallowed by the shadows that had consumed him years ago.
"Elias," his voice, as dry as the dust that blanketed his entire body, said "You must listen. The darkness… it returns. Stronger this time." Terror struck my heart like a dagger, the memory of that horrifying night vivid even after all these years.
He pointed to a small table, on top of which lay an ancient leather book. "The Book of Repelling Shadows," he whispered. "Hidden all these years in my library… find the spell. You'll know it by the seven ravens on the preceding page. Recite it, Elias. It's the only way to banish the darkness and save yourself from my terrible fate. Go!!"
The dream dissolved, I awoke in a cold sweat, back in my bed. My heart pounded, like a drum, a rhythm of dread mixed with a sliver of desperate hope. I knew I must find the book or suffer the same choking embrace of eldritch shadows that had cursed our family for generations. Had my grandfather finally learned the secret to banish them forever? I had to find that book before they returned to claim me.
The book was, as He'd said it would be, in the family library. Written in an strange tongue, I frantically turned page after page till I discovered a page, on which were drawn seven ravens. On the opposite page there was written a single spell. The script was a simple gothic alphabet which I could recite, even though the language was unfamiliar.
Days bled into nights as I poured over the archaic script, the cryptic letters writhing like snakes before my sleep-deprived eyes. The passage was an incantation which seemed to promise the banishment of shadows. Relief washed over me, freedom from the ancient curse within my grasp. Tomorrow, I would face the darkness, armed with my grandfather's book.
The next night, I stood in the field behind the farmhouse. The moon was casting long, menacing shadows across the grass. Clutching the book, my voice trembled as I began the chant. The shadows seemed to peer into me, responding to the power of the words. Then, a flicker in the corner of my eye. A single tendril of darkness began to creep back from me, melting into the others.
Suddenly, I felt powerful even joyous as I recited the passages. I'd done it. I'd outwitted the very essence of darkness, using the power of the grimoire in my grandfathers library to turn it back. But as I closed the book , a flicker of unease sparked in my mind.
The symbols on the cover seemed different somehow. The incantation I'd recited sounded wrong as it paused, seeming to hang in the air . Anxiety began to overtake me, I felt a cold fear creeping down my spine. The shadows, weren't retreating as I believed but were surging forward with a malevolent hunger.
Frantic, I flipped through the pages, searching for the passage, the one that had repelled the darkness. But there were no ravens to be found, only a chilling emptiness where the spell had been moments ago. In my desperation, a horrifying realization dawned. This wasn't the Book of Banishing Shadows. It had never been.
The reality crashed over me like a tidal wave. My grandfather had been dead long ago. That old man on the throne wasnt him. All along, I'd been an unwitting pawn, duped by the darkness itself into unleashing the very thing I feared the most. The shadows I'd "banished" were now dancing joyously, in the pale moonlight.
My scream, lost in the encroaching darkness, was the last sound the world would ever hear from me. I was slowly being enveloped by the very shadows I so naively believed I'd repelled. The book, now fallen at my feet, in a cruel mockery of hope, lay closed. Its true title now plain to see in the last rays of the setting moon - The Book of Summoning Shadows.

I have had flares on my hands and fingers for years now but it has 'recently' been catastrophic. It itches so bad, it hurts and even worse : it's extremely visible. I can't stand anymore the disgusted/intrigued stares i keep getting daily from strangers, coworkers and even friends/family.
I've always been insecure of my hands, even without the flares (they're disproportionately small and my palms are more creased than the average palms)
a year ago, I've had a dermatologist prescribe me some kind of spray for treatment and it burned my skin off. I am now left with literal red plaques all over my fingers that people keep staring at or constantly asking 'omg what happened !!!' in a very concerned voice because it's THAT bad looking. It is still looking like it has been burned a couple of days ago while it has been a whole year. My skin just won't heal and it made the itchiness of my flares worse. I'm stuck in a constant battle of discipline not to itch my skin, not to use steroids bc i'm on withdrawl from it (I have a finger that has 'elephant skin' bc I used cortisone cream on it for a year bc some useless doctor told me it was '''safe''', lol.), and the mental exhaustion of being looked at weirdly AND treated differently bc of it.
I miss the time where people treated me normally, only looking at my face when talking to me and when no one was disgusted when my hands touched something they touched / are touching / also have to touch

we’re currently at different colleges and last week we were not able to talk on the phone because my girlfriend was having exams week, and she had to share the room with her grandma. throughout the week i was overthinking as it was so hard for me to be without her but she seemed to be okay and it was hard for me to understand, i didn’t want to burden her with my thoughts so i kinda kept to myself until last friday where i told her i was overthinking and that i really missed her, that i really need to be with her this weekend (when we would be able to) and she reassured me and was happy we could be on call together. on saturday night, after waiting throughout the day to call her, we greeted each other and talked for a couple minutes but all of my emotions suddenly hit me and how i wanted so badly for her to tell me she truly missed me and she truly wanted to be with me, and she tried asking me what was wrong but i just couldnt bring myself to tell her because i was being selfish but she was falling asleep at the same time so it felt like she couldnt bother to stay awake to be with me, i was overthinking so much. she ended up falling asleep as i was talking and then the next morning i told her how i was feeling and how it felt like the whole week i was missing her so much and worrying when it felt like it didnt bother her. she told me that how dare i say that when she was so busy and she feels like she does everything for everyone else, and shes right, i feel so bad. she then only texted me once throughout the day (she said she needed space from me, but was also busy, and that we would talk about it later) and 10 hours later she said she was going to finish her skincare and then we would talk.
but she took way longer than she normally does so i got worried and scared and i was afraid she mightve hurt herself and that she was ignoring me so i spam called her and texted her, and eventually she answred and said “im sorry i fell asleep i was texting you to update you but i was so tired” and i said in a stern tone to “show me the text then.” and she didnt hear me so i said “you said you were sending me an update, so send me the text” and i have never spoken to her that way EVER nor ever showed any anger towards her but i was so lost inside of own head and overthinking it felt like i was worried the entire time for nothing. she was really hurt by this and said “how could you ever speak to me like that” and i said i was sorry im not thinking straight i didnt mean to and she kept pushing me away and i couldnt handle the frustration at myself and i said i need a break i need a break for a day, i cant do this rn i need to think. i didnt mean it, i didnt mean that i wanted a break for a day, i just couldnt help but feel like i kept messing it up the more i spoke and i just wanted her love, i just wanted her to truly want me and express it because i missed her. in a rash decision when she kept pushing me away i left the call and said that “maybe we should sleep alone tonight” and i regret it so bad, its so immature, it felt like i was high off of adrenaline and i said the wrong things. i called her back and tried saying sorry and explaining everything but she said she didnt want to hear me speak anymore nor want to be with me for the night, so she left the call and while she was sleeping i sent four paragraphs explaining everyrhing but she only said that “i dont know how to message you rn, ill read when i can” and now, days later, she has been extremely dry, and busy, we havent talked on the phone, and it now makes me wonder how she could keep being so dry and if she truly cares anymore, i know i shouldnt compare but i couldnt imagine treating her how she is treating me now if she ever yelled at me. but again, she probably feels the same with the way i spoke to her. we were doing so good, will she hold this against me forever? i dont think shell leave me, atleast not now, but im so scared, i cant sleep, all i think of is her while she goes throughout her day and she is dry with me.
here’s an example of our conversations:
me: “i’m home now, i know that you don’t want to be with me right now and don’t want to hear my voice, i know you need space, and my heart can’t handle you rejecting me, so i’ll give you time. i’m going to go to sleep now as my eyes burn and i can’t think properly. i explained all of my thoughts in the paragraphs i sent you, and i hope i didn’t say the wrong words or there to be a misunderstanding. i’m sorry for everything. you deserve everything this world has to offer, and i truly hope someday i’ll have the opportunity to give it to you. I LOVE YOU MWAAH”
her: “i’m home, i’m gonna do everything i have to do then i’m going to lay down because i have to wake up early. im sorry i couldnt read your messages. I LOVE YOU MORE MWAH.”
and she updates me dryly throughout the day and doesnt say much. it was our 8 month anniversay so i just took pics of what i got for her and sent them and its now been over 10 hours since she last messaged me, i cant handle the pain of her ignoring me like this, i just wish we could work it out. please can someone give me any advice, i just want to be a good person for her and to make her happy. i’ve tried to so hard to comfort her but she cant bother to listen to me and i cant keep pouring my heart out to be ignored, i know its my fault but it hurts too bad

So lets tell a small tale about our first day in the Ashlands. 2 ships. 6 Vikings. 1 disaster.
It took nearly an hour to get down there. Despite 2 fully stocked ships ready to go, general fannying around, a laughably small amount of wind, one Viking falling off and drowning, and a total failure to remember Moder buff, led to most of the evening spent sailing south. Everyone is in high spirits, a minor attempt at mutiny is put down after the doldrums drum up some angst, but in general the mood is positive.
We arrive. Boat one gets attacked by a dirty great sea monster, sailing in circles screaming for help, boat 2 arrives. Boat 2 buggers off into the field of jagged rocks leaving us to defend ourselves. They land. Much screaming on discord later, there is no survivors. Boat 1 successfully fights off the sea monster, and mocks boat 2 for their cowardly behaviour.
We sail carefully into the field of rocks.. another sea serpent appears. This time the fight doesn't go so well, the serpent refusing to come out from underneath the ship making line of sight impossible, as the ship hits 10% durability the call to abandon ship is heard. Some brave Viking manages to find a tiny ledge to put down a workbench, and saves the ship! Now on a tiny sliver of health. Using this new found safe spot the second sea monster is slain, and a portal is placed down.
3 naked Vikings from boat 2 pop out, finally a full compliment of (albeit starkers) crew for the ship. As the Captain attempts to negotiate his way around the rocks, the brave hero who saved the day, jumps into the sea to recover some vulture meat. At this moment the wind picks up and the ship sails off, leaving the adventurer to drown. A short embarrassed trip through the portal later, we slowly and carefully make our way to the 'landing site' with our supplies and gear strewn across it. As we land, next to the burned out carcass of our second ship, 2 vultures, and another sea monster. This presents some small issues to the naked adventurers, but through steely grit we manage to land, and recover our gear.
That's about it for the good news. What happens next is D-Day. Swarms of skeletons engulf the crew, one of our adventurers is cut down almost immediately. A handful more make a stand on top of a rocky ledge, one coward runs away down the beach. There is a lot of screaming, a lot of running, the boat is being eaten by the sea monster, vultures attack from the sky. One of our number gets isolated and falls into a crevice, by some miracle it works to lose the attention of the monsters. Another member of the crew dies, leaving 2 dead, 2 fighting to the death on pride rock, one stuck in a hole, and the final member..
The crewman who bravely ran away locates a small isolated pocket of beach and sets up a small wall, and portal. A beachhead, a lifeline...
A fighting retreat to the beachhead takes place (wisely luring all the mobs to the one, very destructible thing allowing us back). The tit in the crevice decides to mine his way out, the unexpected nature of rock however leaves a great big hole in the wrong place and he is swarmed by mobs. His corpse still sits there to this day, being camped by half the Ashlands.
The beachhead is somehow holding with the walls being constantly repaired. The naked crewmen dash home to try and get a shield core built, hoping it will do something.. anything to stem the tide. An attempt to build a roof, leads to the biggest disaster of all. The wall being accidentally dismantled. The hordes swarm in, a tactical retreat through the portal saves the lives of a few of our heroes. The shield core is now ready, but.. the portal is no-longer connected.
At this point our steadfast author decides to go to bed, so his fiancée doesn't complain at him again, as she needs to be up early for work. The team decides the only remaining action is to build a new ship, using the first portal still dangerously perched in the ocean, on a rock, and sail back.
By morning the beach is grey, and covered in smoke. Boxes of supplies float in the surf, gravestones litter every point of high ground visible. Beachhead is deserted, but the wall has been replaced, another portal has been erected partway up a jagged rock.
Perhaps tonight will be more successful...

The last memory I had of my grandfather was hearing him scream as the the shadows in the field began to surround him with thin, web like fibers. Then my mother picked me up and ran with me in her arms back into our old farm house.
My last memory, that is until last night, when I awakened to a tinkling bell in an unknown vault so immense I couldn't see the walls or the ceiling. Far away I saw a dull light and heard the faint tinkling of a bell, incessantly ringing. I followed the sound till I could see him on a throne, which seemed to have merged with his body, leaving only his fingers free.
The acrid scent of burning wax and a lurking fear clung to the borders of the dream, if a dream it was. There, in the dim candle glow, sat my grandfather, his weathered face, a thousand years older than when I'd last seen him, etched with a desperate urgency. The same face I'd last seen contorted in a scream as he was swallowed by the shadows that had consumed him years ago.
"Elias," his voice, as dry as the dust that blanketed his entire body, said "You must listen. The darkness… it returns. Stronger this time." Terror struck my heart like a dagger, the memory of that horrifying night vivid even after all these years.
He pointed to a small table, on top of which lay an ancient leather book. "The Book of Repelling Shadows," he whispered. "Hidden all these years in my library… find the spell. You'll know it by the seven ravens on the preceding page. Recite it, Elias. It's the only way to banish the darkness and save yourself from my terrible fate. Go!!"
The dream dissolved, I awoke in a cold sweat, back in my bed. My heart pounded, like a drum, a rhythm of dread mixed with a sliver of desperate hope. I knew I must find the book or suffer the same choking embrace of eldritch shadows that had cursed our family for generations. Had my grandfather finally learned the secret to banish them forever? I had to find that book before they returned to claim me.
The book was, as He'd said it would be, in the family library. Written in an strange tongue, I frantically turned page after page till I discovered a page, on which were drawn seven ravens. On the opposite page there was written a single spell. The script was a simple gothic alphabet which I could recite, even though the language was unfamiliar.
Days bled into nights as I poured over the archaic script, the cryptic letters writhing like snakes before my sleep-deprived eyes. The passage was an incantation which seemed to promise the banishment of shadows. Relief washed over me, freedom from the ancient curse within my grasp. Tomorrow, I would face the darkness, armed with my grandfather's book.
The next night, I stood in the field behind the farmhouse. The moon was casting long, menacing shadows across the grass. Clutching the book, my voice trembled as I began the chant. The shadows seemed to peer into me, responding to the power of the words. Then, a flicker in the corner of my eye. A single tendril of darkness began to creep back from me, melting into the others.
Suddenly, I felt powerful even joyous as I recited the passages. I'd done it. I'd outwitted the very essence of darkness, using the power of the grimoire in my grandfathers library to turn it back. But as I closed the book , a flicker of unease sparked in my mind.
The symbols on the cover seemed different somehow. The incantation I'd recited sounded wrong as it paused, seeming to hang in the air . Anxiety began to overtake me, I felt a cold fear creeping down my spine. The shadows, weren't retreating as I believed but were surging forward with a malevolent hunger.
Frantic, I flipped through the pages, searching for the passage, the one that had repelled the darkness. But there were no ravens to be found, only a chilling emptiness where the spell had been moments ago. In my desperation, a horrifying realization dawned. This wasn't the Book of Banishing Shadows. It had never been.
The reality crashed over me like a tidal wave. My grandfather had been dead long ago. That old man on the throne wasnt him. All along, I'd been an unwitting pawn, duped by the darkness itself into unleashing the very thing I feared the most. The shadows I'd "banished" were now dancing joyously, in the pale moonlight.
My scream, lost in the encroaching darkness, was the last sound the world would ever hear from me. I was slowly being enveloped by the very shadows I so naively believed I'd repelled. The book, now fallen at my feet, in a cruel mockery of hope, lay closed. Its true title now plain to see in the last rays of the setting moon - The Book of Summoning Shadows.

I jumped into fitness barely knowing anything. Last year I was a 5'11 / 179cm male weighing in at around 165lbs / 75kg, so nothing too overweight but definitely not fit, but I wanted to make a change. I went through multiple relationships where I was cheated on which really had an impact on my self image to a point where I'd feel disgusted just looking at myself in the mirror constantly wondering what was wrong with me.
I started walking 10,000 steps a day and limiting myself to 1800-2000 calories a day, and after a few weeks I started feeling way healthier and I noticed slight results. I avoided a scale because I didn't want weight gain to demotivate me. Eventually I upped my steps to 15,000 every day and threw in a bit of strength training (push up variations, crunch variations, plank variations etc etc for about 15 min 3 times a week), and sure enough after a few more weeks (about 3-4 months into the start of my fitness journey) my muscles were starting to show, and when I laid down my six pack abs were visible.
I felt better than I ever have and I looked better than I ever did, but I still felt like I could do more, so I ended up completely ditching my social life and getting mad at friends just so I could get over 20,000+ steps in (4-6 hours of walking and jogging) PLUS a 40 min bodyweight workout EVERY day without any breaks. At this point I was working out for 6 months and still haven't weighed myself. I had a visible 4 pack when standing up in the mornings which would disappear throughout the day, and in my mind this meant I still had more body fat to burn.
I'm currently 9 months in, and it was only last month when I decided to weigh myself. Expecting to be about 155lbs / 70kg, it turns out I ended up to be 120lbs / 54kg after eating a lunch and dinner + wearing clothes and a belt.
So what did I get out of this whole workout fiasco? I lost some of my closest friends due to pushing them away to focus on my workouts, I constantly worry about my body even more than I used to, I can't eat sugar or drink alcohol without enjoying the moment / beating myself up over it the next day / working out even more the next day, I'm always exhausted, I spent less than 2 hours on my hobbies this entire year, but hey my 4 pack is slightly visible in the morning!
If your goal is to maintain six pack abs really do your research and really make sure it's something you want to dedicate your time and effort to, and make sure you're in the right mental state of mind and that you do your workouts right. If you do it just for the aesthetic like me then don't even bother, aim to be realistic, not perfect. I'm aware that I have a problem but I still can't break out of it.

I have been doing this to myself off and on since the summer before my junior year. I just graduated from high school on Thursday and I'm still the only one who knows, so I guess this is how I reach out. I hope at least someone hears me, sees me, and knows what I've done. I started burning with matches because I was worried about my SAT the day after taking it and I'd read that people sometimes hurt themselves to deal with emotional problems, so I decided to give it a go for myself to see what the fuss was all about (such a weird way to put it lol). I definitely wasn't going to cut myself because all the blood and stuff just did not appeal to me at all, so I would sneak matches out of our grandparents's house (they always kept a few boxes around) and hold them to my legs or torso. I was careful to try to make sure that I didn't burn my arms at all or my legs in visible places, but my parents were able to catch a glimpse of a few poking out of the bottom of my shorts. Luckily (not really) I had recently gotten a really bad poison ivy rash from weed eating at the house, so I blamed the red marks on that, and they didn't think anything of it after that. It got worse, even after I got my SAT and AP scores back, and I began doing it even more frequently after school came back. It was initially almost an attention-type deal, where I imagined someone accidentally finding my scars or wounds and me crying my pain away while they hugged me or some bs like that. However, by that point, I developed an obsessive need to hide what I was doing and make sure no one could catch a glimpse. I got more precise, only burning on my upper thighs and making sure that I would continue doing this undetected. My self-esteem was hitting rock bottom at this point, and I began more and more to isolate from my friends and neglect my homework. At this point it became an addiction, where the endorphins and adrenaline would genuinely make me feel good whenever I burned myself, and I began doing it in the bathrooms at school. Now, my high school has vape detectors that can detect smoke and vapor and take a screenshot of whatever dumbass thought he could escape our principal, but I thought I was slick and would hide under a jacket to sort of hotbox myself with match smoke as I touched the burning head directly to my thigh. This worked for a month or so before it all fell apart. The assistant principal asked to see me one day during my virtual psychology class in the library and took me for a walk in the hall, asking me if I had a vape on me. I knew I was kind of fucked at that point because the matches were in a ziploc bag in my pocket and my school takes a tough on crime approach to vaping and smoking paraphernalia, so I just owned up to having the matches in my pocket and didn't make him search me and find them. But I, this dumbass, was so smart and so slick that I thought up a lie and I thought it up quick. I told him with a completely straight face that I had been shitting and used the matches to cover the shit smell. Somehow that mfer believed me and let me off with a warning (he confiscated the matches too ofc). My parents and everyone believed me, mostly because I'm a people pleaser and would absolutely do that if I was feeling anxious or insecure enough, and the only consequences have been my mom bringing it up as a joke a year and a half later. I wish she would forget. Even though my bullshit worked, I decided I had to stop both so I didn't get caught in the future. So my self harming was dormant until the beginning of this most recent semester. I was extremely busy, balancing school, athletics, and college and scholarship applications. Everything seemed so big and scary and overwhelming. So I began burning again. We have moved out of our grandparents' house, so no matches, but I have been able to sneak the lighters that we have lying around. I make sure to put them back exactly as I found them so I don't get found out. I don't do it at school anymore (for obvious reasons), so instead I began doing it in the mornings before I left for school. I would get up only around fifteen to twenty minutes before I had to leave because I'm lazy, so on a lot of mornings I would have to choose between eating breakfast and burning myself with a lighter. Guess which one I chose. I was never able to get a consistent schedule down during school, but now that school is out I have much more disposable time to hurt myself. It's weird, but I thought that once school got out and I knew where I was going to college, things were supposed to get better, but that did not happen at all. I'm feeling bad about being away from my friends, but instead of sadness it's more like an empty coldness. I didn't cry at graduation, and I haven't cried since, but I feel like shit and I can't get it out. Burning is the only way I can feel safe and be free for a little while from those feelings. I want to tell my friends but I don't want to be burden an attention seeking POS (not to invalidate people who SH as a cry for help or for any other "attention" at all, your feelings are just as real as anyone else's and you are loved and valuable, I just have it in my head that if it's ME doing it as a cry for help then I'M bad). I can't tell my parents because I straight up lied to them twice about it, and I'm worried they would be mad. I feel like I'm always trapped in this cycle of doing shitty things to myself and feeling like shit and like I'm shit, and I don't know how to fix it or where to even begin. Everyone else sees an awkward eighteen-year-old man who is about to go to college (which I am very lucky to be able to attend), but I just feel awful so much of the time. I'm not actively suicidal, but I feel like I don't want to exist a lot. I don't even have a good reason really. I probably shouldn't be posting. But I will I guess so at least someone knows that I self harm and that, to some extent, I'm hurting.

Good morning,
Yesterday happened as usual, I came to a casino to get MAX up to 3 pints to get through withdrawals and kill couple of hours, because I was very tired at work because of the hangover and because it was weekend on which I drank through. Next thing you know I am in another bar (they are like 25 meters apart, but the second one has better vibe, but full of alcoholics (and I am one of them)). Scrolling through instagram, chatting, feeling sorry for myself, then feeling good about myself because its the last evening I drink right? Already 11pm they are closing and im into my 7th pint (I cant even get drunk till 6th anymore). Instead of getting ok with being bit drunk and went to sleep, I came back to casino got another two pints. Usually I loose my mind after that much pints, well become drunk me, yesterday I was fully aware of what I was doing. Then I met another young guy who had no money but also has drinking problems. I bought him a beer and we became "brothers/friends"... I didnt want to get that tenth pint, so I bought cigarettes, went home and smoked three in a row to get even more f'ed up. Its been like this the past 5 months for sure. and probably since 2023 july month. In that time I quit weed, harder drugs, but my alcohol intake and addiction for it just went through the roof. Now I dont even know why I go to the bar, why do I drink. I don't like these random people, being friends with them, cuz all we have in common is being alcoholics. I am really grateful for the life I have, I do have my own place, some relationships. And I know the longer I go with this streak the deeper the hole will get. I used to be fit, fresh skin, looking young for my age, now Im bloated, eyes swollen, always tired, can't stay still without wanting to puke. Anxiety is through the roof, I cant focus, my job performance is going down. And after all this, admiting this. I still choose booze. My main thing is physicall addiction, when I think that I am not drinking this evening and being in the bed without being f'ed up, my body aches, my stomach gets seizures.
Having a tough of what I have done to myself, the money I spent, the shape I am in now, and imagining the process of getting through withdrawals scares the f out of me. But If I managed to drink for the past year every day, It is my price for it. I've been having problems from alcohol ever since 16 years old. Lost girlfriends, fight with parents, family, lost jobs, lost driving license. But I was never full blown alcoholic, I did my responsibilites as much as I could, I've had some sober streaks. I was heavily into drugs too, which Im refusing now.
Usually im back to drinking on day fifth because of feeling depressed, anxious, sick, tired, panic. My mind tells me then "Why the F I am not drinking??? For what?" And then I go to have those 3 pints again and them I am usually back to making it even worse.
After yesterday, I know there will be no limits, no ending, no last 3 pints. I was waiting for that day zero for the past ten years. And this morning I realised that I can start it, not universe, not spirits, not faith. But ME. My awareness, my brain, my body. I hope I can comment this tomorrow with saying "Day zero / completed"

Swollen tongue with cold symptoms
28F, 5’8”, 145lbs. Never smoked, no drinking or drugs.
UCTD (treated as lupus) Selective IGM deficiency. daily medications: plaquenil, Keflex, and adderall.
Hi! I’m having a bit of a panic because my frequent common cold has come with a fun new symptom: swollen, sore tongue.
I catch a cold once a month, maybe every 2 months. And it’s always pretty standard. Sore throat, cough, insanely runny nose, high fever, malaise, headache. Dayquill and 2 days off takes care of me.
I started getting my normal symptoms yesterday morning, and by last night it was full blown. This morning however, I noticed my tongue doesn’t fit in my teeth anymore. Ive trained myself to rest my tongue in my lower jaw because I have an overbite and I don’t want to make it worse. But today my tongue doesn’t fit in either my upper or lower jaw. Also, the sides are very sore, like when you eat too much sour candy. It isn’t causing any difficulty breathing but i literally can’t close my teeth and it’s exacerbated my sore, dry throat.
I’ve been taking dayquill and added in naproxen when the fever stopped declining (highest has been 103.1 and won’t go lower than 101) I took a Zyrtec when it was suggested by the minute clinic that the tongue thing could be an unrelated allergy; but it hasn’t gotten any better.
I tested negative for strep, flu, and Covid.
I had an uncomplicated wisdom tooth removal 4 days ago; and have had no pain, swelling, bleeding, or sign of infection since. But I wanted to add in case that’s relevant.

Hi everyone! So, i have been expanding my annotations on dates of events of ASOIAF in my AU and i just wanted to share my current list of dates.
Things to keep in mind:
1: WIP. I will only start this fic when i end my current one.
2; Is a AU that changes a lot of things, like: title names, shorter timespan, Valyria was a Empire, different marriages, it is a Rhaegar Wins AU, dragons never died out (but also never were super numerous, so there is dragons from canon that were hatched only later on and some are still alive by 298 AC). So, it is quite different, but still similar for future readers.
3: I have a Family Tree for this AU! Link in the comments.
So... the Timeline. Any questions? Let me know!
First Men Invasion - 2562 BC
The Grey King kills Nagga and becomes the High King of the Ironborn - 2380 BC
Children of the Light come to Valyria - 2262 BC
Rise of House Shell as Kings of the Broken Arm - 2233 BC
The Long Night - 2203 BC - 2198 BC
Arthur Fisher proclaims himself as King of the Riverlands after receiving the sword Avalon from a lake - 2185 BC
King Garth I Gardener's War for Mandervale and the Cockleswhent surrender - 2180 BC - 2175 BC
The Grey King dies - 2180 BC
King Garth II Gardener's War for Misty Islands - 2167 BC - 2160 BC
King Garth II Gardener's War for Blueburn - 2155 BC - 2151 BC
King Garth II Gardener's War for Coldmoat - 2147 BC - 2143 BC
King Garland I Gardener's War for Bitterbridge - 2140 BC - 2135 BC
King Garth III Gardener annexes Red Lake - 2117 BC
King Garth III Gardener annexes Old Oak - 2114 BC
King Garth III Gardener annexes Goldengrove - 2107 BC
Andahar (High Septon I) receives a vision from the Seven and founds the religion - 2107 BC
Hugor Sunderchane converts to the Seven - 2103 BC
Andahar (High Septon I) is executed and Hugor Sunderchane starts a Holy War against the Clans in revenge - 2100 BC
Kings Garth IV and Meryn II Gardener's War for Torrentpeak - 2099 BC - 2092 BC
The High Empire of the Andals is founded by High Emperor Hugor I Sunderchane - 2093 BC
House Mudd inherites the titles of House Fisher - 2087 BC
King Meryn II Gardener's War for Tumbleton - 2086 BC - 2081 BC
King Varald II Mudd conquers Blackwood Vale - 2055 BC
Urras Greyiron becomes High King of the Iron Islands - 1980 BC
Durrandon Conquest of Tarth and Doom of Morne - 1904 BC - 1902 BC
King Garland II Gardener annexes the South Reach - 1864 BC
King Monfryd I Durrandon conquers Duskendale - 1734 BC
King Monfryd I Durrandon conquers Maidenpool - 1733 BC
Maidenpool gets Independence - 1714 BC
Duskendale gets Independence - 1713 BC
Riverlands vs the Alliance of Five - 1565 BC - 1553 BC
King Domlech I Mudd conquers Duskendale - 1562 BC
King Domlech I Mudd conquers Stokeworth - 1559 BC
King Domlech I Mudd conquers Rosby - 1556 BC
King Domlech I Mudd conquers Hayford - 1554 BC
King Domlech I Mudd conquers Blackwater Rush - 1553 BC
1st Draconic Conquest - 1532 BC - 1520 BC
Fall of Aliegor and rise of Valyria - 1520 BC
King Tywin I Lannister tries to take Goldengrove by force after feeling insulted by House Gardener and loses - 1481 - 1480
First Ghiscari War - 1398 BC - 1386 BC
Second Ghiscari War - 1339 BC - 1331 BC
Third Ghiscari War - 1298 BC - 1293 BC
Forth Ghiscari War - 1264 BC - 1260 BC
Fifth Ghiscari War - 1245 BC - 1242 BC
Urron Greyiron ends the Kingsmoot - 1232 BC
Andal Invasion of the Vale - 1200 BC - 1188 BC
First Sarnori War - 1176 BC - 1173 BC
Andal Invasion of the Riverlands - 1172 BC - 1066 BC
Andal Invasion of the Stormlands - 1168 BC - 1065 BC
Second Sarnori War - 1166 BC - 1161 BC
Andal Invasion of the Dorne - 1065 BC - 1050 BC
Andal Invasion of the Westerlands - 1161 BC - 1134 BC
Third Sarnori War - 1148 BC - 1142 BC
Andal Invasion of the North - 1146 BC - 1133 BC
Andal Invasion of the Reach - 1129 BC - 1111 BC
Forth Sarnori War - 1117 BC - 1115 BC
Andal Invasion of the Iron Islands - 1105 BC - 1087 BC
Fall of House Greyiron - 1087 BC
Fall of House Mudd - 1066 BC
King Edmure I Tully creates Riverrun (region previously disputed between Blackwoods and Brackens) - 1066 BC
King Alyn I Blackwood wins Trial by the Seven and House Blackwood remains faithful to the Old Gods - 1066 BC
Conversion of House Toland, Fall of House Tor and Rise of House Jordayne - 1063 BC
Fall of House Shell and Rise of House Martell - 1062 BC
Fall of House Grace and Rise of House Allyrion - 1061 BC
Fall of House Brim and Rise of House Uller - 1059 BC
Conversion of House Dayne - 1056 BC
Conversion of House Blackmont - 1055 BC
Conversion of House Fowler - 1053 BC
Conversion of House Yronwood - 1050 BC
First Rhoynish War (First Turtle War) - 1041 BC - 1035 BC
Second Rhoynish War (War of Three Kings) - 1017 BC - 1014 BC
Benedict Rivers takes Avalon from the ground and founds House Justman - 1007 BC
Third Rhoynish War (Second Turtle War) - 999 BC - 993 BC
Forth Rhoynish War (Fisherman's War) - 975 BC - 966 BC
Fifth Rhoynish War (First Salt War) - 949 BC - 945 BC
Riverlands vs the Alliance of Five - 949 BC - 939 BC
King Benedict II Justman conquers Hayford - 946 BC
King Benedict II Justman conquers Blackwater Rush - 945 BC
King Benedict II Justman conquers Rosby - 942 BC
King Benedict II Justman conquers Stokeworth - 940 BC
King Benedict II Justman conquers Duskendale - 939 BC
Sixth Rhoynish War (Third Turtle War) - 923 BC - 913 BC
Seventh Rhoynish War (War on Dagger Lake) - 889 BC - 883 BC
Eighth Rhoynish War (First Spice War) - 858 BC - 849 BC
Ninth Rhoynish War (Second Salt War) - 828 BC - 825 BC
Tenth Rhoynish War (Forth Turtle War) - 802 BC - 795 BC
Eleventh Rhoynish War (Second Spice War) - 776 BC - 766 BC
Battle of Volon Therys - 768 BC
Rhoynish Invasion of Dorne - 766 BC - 748 BC
Norvos bends the knee to Valyria - 766 BC
Pact of Womanhood - 757 BC
Qhoredian Age - 731 BC - 566 BC
First Andal War - 726 BC - 720 BC
Second Andal War - 718 BC - 713 BC
Qhoredian invasion of the Riverlands - 716 BC - 712 BC
Fall of House Justman - 712 BC
Third Andal War - 711 BC - 707 BC
King Perceon III Gardener exiles House Manderly - 707 BC
Forth Andal War - 705 BC - 702 BC
Fifth Andal War - 700 BC - 697 BC
Sixth Andal War - 695 BC - 693 BC
Seventh Andal War - 691 BC - 688 BC
Rise of House Teague when Torrence Teague finds Avalon and is proclaimed King of the Riverlands - 581 BC
King Torrence I Teague conquers Willow's Wood - 579 BC
King Torrence I Teague conquers Blackwood Vale - 575 BC
King Torrence I Teague conquers Riverrun - 574 BC
King Torrence I Teague conquers Southstone - 573 BC
King Torrence I Teague conquers Acorn's Rest - 570 BC
King Torrence I Teague conquers Wayfarer's Rest - 567 BC
King Torrence I Teague conquers Seagard - 565 BC
King Torrence I Teague conquers the Crossing - 561 BC
King Torrence I Teague conquers the God's Eye - 558 BC
King Torrence I Teague conquers Esgaroth - 555 BC
King Benedict IV Teague conquers Maidenpool - 538 BC
The Millennial Valyrian Celebration - 520 BC
The cursed line of Rowans - 414 BC - 383 BC
King Arlan I Durrandon conquers Tumbleton - 383 BC
King Arlan I Durrandon conquers Blackwater Rush - 372 BC
King Arlan II Durrandon conquers Hayford - 356 BC
King Arlan II Durrandon conquers Rosby - 352 BC
Valyrian Colony of Dragonstone is founded - 351 BC
King Maldon V Durrandon conquers Stokeworth - 326 BC
King Maldon V Durrandon conquers Duskendale - 324 BC
Battle of the Six Kings / Fall of House Teague and Dondarrion Conquest of the Riverlands - 290 BC
Main line of House Targaryen leaves Valyria and settles in Dragonstone - 114 BC
Doom of Valyria - 102 BC
Hoare Conquest of the Riverlands - 90 BC - 87 BC
Construction of Harrenhal Starts - 42 BC
Prince Horonno Qhaedar is deposed and executed by the Elephants - 4 BC
Aegon's Conquest starts / creaton of New Valyria (AU King's Landing) - 2 BC
Burning of Harrenhal and fall of House Hoare - 2 BC
Field of Fire - 1 BC
Aegon the Conqueror splits the Reach in North Reach (ruled by House Tyrell) and South Reach (ruled by House Hightower) - 1 BC
Aegon the Conqueror is officialy crowned as Emperor Aegon of House Targaryen, first of his name, Emperor of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Ten Kingdoms and Protector of the Empire - 1 BC
First Dornish War - 7 AC to early 10 AC
1st Great Tourney - 10 AC
Second Dornish War - late 10 AC to 14 AC
Death of Emperor Aegon I Targaryen - 37 AC
Faith Militant Uprising - 41 AC to 48 AC
Death of Emperor Aenys I Targaryen - 42 AC
Maegor Targaryen usurps the throne - 42 AC
Death of Emperor Maegor I Targaryen - 48 AC
Emperor Jaehaerys I Targaryen marries Alysanne Targaryen, the only child of Maegor the Cruel and Ceryse Hightower - 48 AC
Princess Aerea Targaryen marries King Rodrik III Arryn of the Vale - 60 AC
Princess Viserra Targaryen marries the young heir in the line of White Harbor - 87 AC
Baelon the Braven is chosen as heir of the Empire under the Principle of Proximity - 92 AC
The Great Council - 101 AC
Death of Emperor Jaehaerys I Targaryen - 103 AC
Conquest of the Stepstones - 106 AC - 115 AC
Death of Emperor Viserys I Targaryen - 129 AC
Dance of Dragons (DRAGONS DON'T GO EXTINCT) - 129 AC - 131 AC
Suicide of Emperor Aegon II Targaryen - 131 AC
Emperor Aegon III Targaryen marries Jaehaera Targaryen for political concerns - 131 AC
Princess Baela Targaryen marries Duke Aethan II Addam Velaryon of Driftmark - 132 AC
Princess Rhaena Targaryen marries King Lyonel I Hightower of the South Reach - 132 AC
Prince Viserys Targaryen returns to Westeros with the Rogares - 134 AC
Prince Viserys Targaryen claims his dragon and ends the political drama between Westeros and Lys - 135 AC
Death of Emperor Aegon III Targaryen - 157 AC
Conquest of Dorne - 157 AC - 161 AC
The Dornish Treachery / Death of Emperor Daeron I Targaryen - 161 AC
Death of Emperor Baelor I Targaryen - 171 AC
Princess Elaena Targaryen marries Count Aelyn I Alyn "Oakenfist" Longwaters of Nimmark - 171 AC
Death of Emperor Viserys II Targaryen - 176 AC
Summerhall emerges as the title of the second in line to the throne - 179 AC
18th Great Tourney filled with political tensions - 180 AC
Emperor Aegon IV Targaryen ends the good relations with House Rogare - 181 AC
Emperor Aegon IV Targaryen knights Daemon Blackfyre - 182 AC
Daemon Blackfyre, authorized by the Emperor, claims Morghon the Cannibal - 183 AC
Death of Emperor Aegon IV Targaryen and legitimized Great Bastards - 184 AC
First Blackfyre Rebellion - 196 AC
Ashford Tourney - 209 AC
Death of Emperor Daeron II Targaryen - 209 AC
Second Blackfyre Rebellion - 212 AC
Third Blackfyre Rebellion - 219 AC
Ser Duncan the Tall wins the hand of Princess Daella Targaryen in the 22th Great Tourney - 220 AC
Death of Emperor Aerys I Targaryen - 221 AC
Princess Rhaenys "Rhae" Targaryen marries Duke Vaemond II Velaryon of Driftmark - 221 AC
Death of Emperor Maekar I Targaryen - 233 AC
Forth Blackfyre Rebellion - 236 AC
Imperial Prince Viserys IV Duncan Targaryen of Dragonstone is disinherited - 239 AC
Princess Rhaelle Targaryen marries Prince Ormund Baratheon - 245 AC
Prince Steffon Baratheon hatches a dragon - 246 AC
Fifth Blackfyre Rebellion / War of the Nine Penny Kings - late 260 AC
Death of Emperor Aegon V Targaryen - late 260 AC
Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion - 261 AC
Prince Stannis Baratheon hatches a dragon - 264 AC
Death of Emperor Jaehaerys II Targaryen - 266 AC
Defiance of Duskendale - 277 AC
Year of the False Spring - 281 AC
The Baratheon Rebellion - 282 AC - 283 AC
Imperial Prince Rhaegar I Targaryen of Dragonstone defeats King Robert I Baratheon of the Stormlands in a dragon duel - 283 AC
Imperial Prince Rhaegar I Targaryen of Dragonstone defeats King Stannis I Baratheon of the Stormlands in a dragon duel - 283 AC
Death of Emperor Aerys II Targaryen / Trial of Jaime Lannister - 283 AC
Emperor Rhaegar I Targaryen settles the war and takes Lyanna as his second wife in a shady way with the help of the High Septon, but the Empire is tense because of it - 283 AC
Prince Brynden Tully is appointed to the Imperial Guard - 284 AC
Benjen Stark decides to be by the side of his sister in the capital and becomes a ward of the Blackfish - 284 AC
Dowager Empress Rhaella I Targaryen marries Maegor Monford Velaryon - 284 AC
Jaime and Cersei are caught and Cersei is forced to marry Ser Addam Marbrand - 285 AC
Prince Jaime Lannister marries Ashara Dayne - 285 AC
Benjen Stark is knighted by the Blackfish - 286 AC
Benjen Stark is appointed to the Imperial Guard - 289 AC
Greyjoy Rebellion - 289 AC
29th Great Tourney - 290 AC
Princess Rhaenys Targaryen is promised to Prince Robb Stark - 290 AC
Prince Jaehaerys III Targaryen of Summerhall leaves as a ward to King Eddard II Stark of the North and Benjen goes with him - 290 AC
Princess Asha Greyjoy marries Prince Edmure Tully as part of the agreement in the Greyjoy Rebellion - 292 AC
Prince Viserys Targaryen marries Princess Arianne Martell in a Dornish Matrilineal Marriage and moves to Sunspear - 293 AC
Imperial Prince Aegon IX Targaryen of Dragonstone is bethroted to Princess Margaery Tyrell - 294 AC
Princess Vanora Martell hatches a dragon - 295 AC
King Jon I Arryn of the Vale dies - late 297 AC
Prince Jaehaerys III Targaryen of Summerhall goes to New Valyria with House Stark - 298 AC

I've always struggled with both. It varies in severity, depending on how anxious or depressed I am. At one point, I accidentally gave myself a tiny bald spot because I get these coarse strands that bother me so I pull them out. I know that's terrible but I become obsessed over it so I just keep doing it. Recently, I chewed up one of my fingers and then suddenly noticed my cuticles were all kinds of jagged and I've been absolutely destroying my fingers. I've tried to tell myself I have to stop but then my fingers will snag on my clothes or blanket and I feel compelled to get rid of the snagging skin. They burn and look so bad. I thought about putting bandaids on them but I wash my hands constantly so the bandaids would just come off. I don't know what to do.

Oh my god. I don’t know where to start. I just need to talk.
I hate myself so much. The only thing I think when I see my body is “disgusting”. All I feel is fat. But I still eat. I’m still hungry. I eat more than my meal plan everyday, which is already more than I burn daily. I gain weight every single day. I can’t even fucking shower. My step mom had to put a candle in my bathroom and turn all the lights off while I showered because I hate looking at my body. This didn’t even work, I started wailing because I just fucking hated how I looked so much. The only thing I see myself as now is fat. Every time I touch my legs or my stomach or my neck or literally any part of my body, even my ears, I start thinking about how much fat I’ve probably gained. I never reached my UGW, which, I’ll face it, probably wouldn’t have satisfied me anyways. God I miss eating as little as I did, having SO MUCH control. I remember that a week after developing AN, I started sobbing to my mom because I had eaten 800 calories. I fucking miss that. I miss waking up every morning and getting skinnier every day. I even miss binging and then restricting the next day. I envy when I had to take a nap because I was so anxious over eating a Yasso bar, when I started hyperventilating because the tofu was a few calories higher than I thought it was. I miss my 350 daily calories. I just wanna go back. I was so beautiful then and I didn’t realize how much I would miss it. I felt like shit but at least I was pretty.
At least sometimes the first thing that would come to mind when i thought of myself wasn’t “god you’re so disgusting”.
I miss when I could eat barely anything all day and then go for a 40 minute walk. I miss when my blood pressure was so dangerously low. I miss when I could drool over food without feeling disgusting for doing that. I want to starve again.
I can’t keep uncontrollably sobbing every night. I’m tired.

In recent years, vaping has emerged as a popular alternative to traditional smoking, touted by some as a safer option. However, incidents like auto-firing — where a vape device activates on its own without user input — raise significant safety concerns. Understanding why this happens is crucial for health professionals on the front lines of patient education and public health. Let's dive into the mechanics behind auto-firing, the role of vape batteries, and what can be done to prevent such occurrences.

What is Auto-Firing?

Have you ever wondered what happens when a vape device fires itself? This phenomenon, known as auto-firing, occurs when electrical malfunctions within the device cause it to activate without user interaction. It's like having a car that starts on its own — not only unexpected but also potentially dangerous.

The Role of Vape Batteries

Vape batteries are the heart of any vaping device. They provide the power needed to heat the coil that vaporizes the liquid, and just like any other battery, they come with their own set of risks. Batteries' quality, type, and condition can significantly influence the likelihood of auto-firing incidents.

Common Causes of Auto-Firing

Several factors can lead to a vape device auto-firing:

• Faulty batteries: Compromised batteries can overheat and cause the circuit to close unexpectedly.
• Liquid damage: E-liquid can leak into the device’s internal components, leading to electrical shorts.
• Poor maintenance: Regular maintenance is crucial; neglect can lead to mechanical failures that trigger auto-firing.
• Device design flaws: Sometimes, the device's design can predispose it to auto-firing.

Impact on Health

When a vape auto-fires, it can lead to overheating, which not only damages the device but can also cause more serious accidents, like burns or even explosions. These incidents can result in severe injuries; thus, understanding and mitigating these risks, including how to select e-liquids, is paramount for health professionals advising patients.

Preventive Measures

Encouraging proper maintenance and care of vaping devices is critical. Regular checks, using high-quality vape batteries, and replacing any worn-out parts can significantly reduce the risk of auto-firing.

Recognizing Faulty Vape Batteries

What does a faulty battery look like? Often, it may be swollen, leak, or show signs of damage. Educating users on how to inspect their batteries and when to replace them can prevent many auto-firing incidents.

Educating Patients and the Public

As health professionals, it’s essential to communicate the risks associated with improper vape use, including the dangers of auto-firing. Sharing information about safe practices can make a big difference in public health.

Regulatory Considerations

Discussing current regulations and standards can help patients understand the safety measures in place and the importance of choosing compliant products.

The Future of Vaping Safety

Looking ahead, advancements in technology and stricter safety regulations could help mitigate the risks associated with vaping, including auto-firing.

To Wrap It Up

Understanding the causes and consequences of vape auto-firing is crucial for health professionals and the vaping experience. We aim to decrease these incidents by sharing knowledge about safe vaping practices and emphasizing using reliable vape batteries. Healthcare professionals can contribute significantly to patient safety and well-being by engaging in informed discussions about vaping risks.

"Gods damn it, they in the turnips again Sal!" Rummy hobbled over from the window and jabbed a finger in Sal's direction. "You get out there and shoo them off before they trample the whole damn crop down. Bunch of gawkin' idiots wanderin' about with those damned candles and flags. Lost their Gods damned mines."
Sal pushed up the brim of his hat, squinting at Rummy, "I already done told 'em to git. Said they was in no ways wanted, but they keep sayin' I'm the Chosen One!" He leaned to the side and spit, prompting a scowl from Rummy.
"Yer 'bout to get chosen for the back side of my hand if you don't off that chair. I ain't spent all spring in that field to not see a profit from it. You get 'em gone or I'm gonna get gone."
Sal seriously contemplated the benefits of trading a field for his screeching banshee of a wife before he came grumbling to his feet. He scratched at his beard as he made his way over to the window. Immediately a chorus was taken up as the gathered pilgrims took up a song at his appearance.
He shooed them with his hands. "Go on now, get on out of here. Use the path. Stay off the plants."
If the pilgrims could hear him, they made no indication of it. He turned and looked over his shoulder back at Rummy and gave her a helpless shrug. Her scowl deepened.
"All right, all right." He said, heaving a sigh. He pulled at his tunic, trying to smooth it down as he approached the door. His calloused hand lay a hold of it and then he turned the knob, yanking it inward. He stepped out into the dull drizzle of the early morning. The sky was overcast. There'd be rain later.
A cheer rose up at his appearance. He raised his hands, calling for silence. It was only after a round of applause had died down that he could be heard. Spread throughout the field were a few hundred pilgrims. Many carried candles with them, a few had large, unfurled flags bearing the image of what appeared to be an elderly farmer leading an army of turnips into battle.
Once they had quieted, he cleared his throat, preparing to speak. They leaned in, a few hushing the murmurs of others. "Y'all done got me in trouble with the lady. She's a screeching battleaxe on a good day and this officially ain't a good day."
A few closer individuals and turned and looked at one another, confused. Another pushed through them and made his way to the fore of the group. He bowed low, his body turning almost at a right angle. "Blessed day, Chosen One, I am honored to stand before thee."
Sal spit to the side. "No. I ain't no chosen one. I'm just a Gods damned turnip farmer. Now go away!" He shooed his hands again at the bowing man.
The man rose gracefully. In his hand he carried a leatherbound book emblazoned with a turnip on its over. He turned slightly to side, half facing the crowd once more and then raised the book. "It is as it is written in the Book of Roots!"
Excited whispers picked up.
The man began to recite a passage, shaking the book with emphasis at each word.
"He shall deny the mantle!"
"He shall deny the mantle." They repeated back.
"He shall deny the flock!" Said he.
"He shall deny the flock." Said them.
"He shall deny the way!" Said he.
"He shall deny the way." Said them.
"He shall deny until there can be no denying. He shall turn the blind eye until he is forced to see."
"To see!" They exclaimed.
Sal looked at the man, "Now what in the blight goated hell are you going on about? Ain't no one gonna force me to see nothing that I ain't interested in seeing. And the only path I'm interested in is the one out over yonder, which is the same path y'all should be takin' on out of here before I set Rummy on you."
The man nodded solemnly, as if each word were of great weight. "So it is written, so it is said." He replied.
"You daft boy? Some mule get sweet on you and give you a kick upside the head?"
"Are we not all dull in the light of the Chosen One? Have we not all lost our senses until the sensible way has been shown to us?" He clasped the book tight to his chest. A woman in front burst into tears, nodding her head up and down.
"Amen," she called out. It was echoed by the others.
Overhead, the clouds shifted and a single ray of light shined forth, illuminating Sal on his doorstep. Hands immediately raised and the crowd began to sing.
"In the light of the morn, the Chosen was born, in the grace of the day, he showed us the way,
To the lost he was found, And gathered them around, With the Root and the Book, He saved the forsook,
The path began that day, And carried them away."
A small child chose that moment to scurry forward, carrying a perfectly shaped turnip. She curtsied and then presented it to Sal. Sal stared at the girl and then up at the heavens in disbelief. "Betrayed by a damned cloud," he whispered under his breath. Behind him he could hear Rummy making a racket, slamming drawers and hooting about how there'd be hell to pay if he didn't get 'em off and come back in.
Sal winced at the hollering. Then, slowly, he reached back and closed the door. He took the turnip from the girl, who beamed up at him in response. Then he turned to the man and shrugged, "Can't be worse, can it?"
Then he raised the turnip above his head. "I HAVE SEEN!"