Chapter 120 The spectators continued cheering and whistling even minutes after the fight had come to an end. Zaon had caught the crowd by surprise. He was going to be the talk of Farcrest for the rest of the week. The perfect underdog, classless, orphaned, a bit awkward even, coming up victorious against the tyranny of levels. But that was only part of the picture. Zaon had demonstrated the vast difference in skills between him and a combatant nine levels ahead of him.
The victory put us seven points ahead, but what mattered the most going forward was the three points Zaon had lost. Team Nara’s Soldier might not be half as a competent fencer as Zaon but his proficiency with Quick-Step had given him three undisputed points. The Soldier knew when to use the skill to reap the most benefit, and I assumed all our opponents would be the same going forward.
The more skills our opponents had, the harder it would be for the kids.
“Contenders, please enter the arena,” the Master of Ceremonies’ voice echoed over the crowd’s roar. “Ilya the Hunter versus Arel Nara the Warrior!”
Despite Zaon’s victory, I couldn’t help but feel nervous. The Warrior class had a better skill pool than the Soldier class. Ilya grabbed my hand, cutting my musings short.
“Something wrong?”
I examined her face, but she just gave me a nonchalant wink and pulled me to my feet.
“Play along,” Ilya muttered as we walked to the weapons rack holding hands. “Act as if you are choosing a weapon for me. Give me the same sword as Zaon.”
Ilya was trying to fool her opponent even before the match started.
I played along and walked Ilya to the weapons rack like a father dragging his daughter to the dentist. She took the bit about ‘all war is based on deception’ too seriously, but I couldn’t blame her. Ilya had to gather every slight advantage she could if she wanted a chance in a world of average-height people.
Her act worked because Arel Nara seemed to smell her weakness as soon as we reached the weapons rack.
“Have you lost your bravado, little Gnome?” Arel Nara said as he casually grabbed an arming sword with a broad blade from the rack. The boy had the same vulpine expression as Lord Nara, but unlike his lord, his yellow and black fencing uniform revealed his strong arms and legs.
Ilya cowered behind me without letting my hand go. The System should’ve given her the Actress or Spy Class.
“Just what I thought,” Arel Nara laughed. He had grabbed a round shield and an arming sword. “It seems I won’t need this,” he added, leaving the shield back on the weapons rack and strolling into the arena with a carefree demeanor.
Lord Nara, who until that moment was furious due to the first combat, seemed to relax after seeing Ilya cowering behind me.
“Your sword is longer than his, Ilya. Aim for his hands and feet, and don’t let him close the distance. Don’t let him disarm you,” I whispered as I put the slim longsword in Ilya’s hand. “And don’t let him get under your skin.”
Ilya grunted.
“I already know, Mister Clarke! I’m used to having the reach disadvantage and to that sort of comment. I know how to fight against stronger opponents, and he isn’t half of a trash talker as Holst was,” Ilya said with an evil smile. “I got this.”
“Teach him a lesson,” I replied with a smile.
Ilya nodded and gave me her best ‘I’m-on-the-verge-of-tears’ face before turning around and walking to the center of the arena. Despite her tailor-made uniform and the longsword on her shoulder, Ilya looked completely out of place, like a small bird caught in a storm. With a shaky smile, she stood before Arel Nara, raised her chin, and squared her shoulders. I made a mental note telling her to keep her acting shenanigans to combat.
I returned to the bench, avoiding Elincia’s glance. The Fortifier applied the barriers around Ilya’s body. As before, the work wasn’t bad; it was just sloppy on the edges. The difference would be too subtle to catch for anyone without a good grasp of mana detection. Even if I complained now, the Fortifier could brush me off, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t brewing a plan.
“She’s using that technique, uh?” Firana said.
“What technique?” I asked, sitting on the bench and patting Zaon’s shoulder. The boy leaned back with a towel on his face, still trying to control his accelerated heartbeat.
“Shu has been helping Ilya with her acting skills.”
I massaged my temples, worried. The news wasn’t at all surprising. I was already familiar with the little harpy shenanigans. Shu might already be a genius of manipulation at the young age of seven, but I didn’t foresee the little harpy teaching her dark arts to others.
Arel Nara greeted the crowd, his perfect smile reeking of overconfidence. Then, he walked to the Prince’s box with sluggish movements and bowed deeply. Arel Nara might be a braggart, but not a complete fool. He deliberately stalled combat as much as possible while Ilya trembled like a leaf with her longsword tight against her chest.
The Master of Ceremonies let the performance continue for a few seconds, unaware of the fact the battle had already started.
“Combatants, to the center!” He finally announced.
Arel Nara strolled back to the center of the arena, mindlessly swinging his sword and stretching his shoulders. Ilya remained still.
“The fight will end when one of the participants runs out of barriers. There will be no pause between barrier breaks. If you want to give up, raise your hand,” the Master of Ceremonies repeated the rules, looking at Ilya. “On guard!”
Ilya imitated Zaon’s guard, the pflug, not giving her opponent a single hint of the skills she had on her sleeve.
“Fight!”
Ilya stepped forward and swung at Arel Nara’s shin. The boy raised his leg out of the way and countered with a jumping attack that landed on Ilya’s chest. The girl fell on her back, but instead of going for the following attack, Arel Nara turned his back to Ilya and riled up the crowd.
Ilya used her sword to stand up. When she raised her guard, Arel Nara spun around, pushing her sword to the side. Ilya answered with a choreographed thrust, but Arel Nara dodged with enough time to get to Ilya’s side and deal a powerful blow with the pommel of his sword.
Ilya slammed the ground again, her uniform and face covered in dust. The crowd was ruthless, cheering for the strongest warrior. The underdog concept didn’t seem to exist in this world, which wasn’t surprising considering that underdogs, lesser Classes, had marginal opportunities to win against a more powerful opponent.
Ilya was two barriers down.
“You chose the wrong Class, Gnome. Your kind belongs to a workshop, not the battlefield.” Arel Nara taunted Ilya. “I don’t know what lies your Caretaker whispered in your ears, so let me be clear. You are falling short of the mark.”
Ilya separated her feet and adopted the vom tag guard, angering her opponent.
“You asked for it,” Arel Nara grunted as a wave washed over the Warrior’s body, and with a mighty cry, he cast a fortifying spell.
Ilya assessed the situation instantly and channeled her power but didn’t use any skill. She remained vigilant. Arel Nara performed a jumping thrust followed by a quick slash. Ilya parried the first attack and ducked in time to dodge the follow-up.
The crowd yelled for blood, but Ilya used her longer blade to keep Arel Nara at bay, aiming at his hand instead of his body. It was a clever tactic. She not only had the reach advantage, but a longsword packed the power of both arms, unlike the arming sword used with a single hand. Arel Nara burned his mana trying to break Ilya’s defense, but the girl was used to fighting against Wolf and Firana.
Being the ‘worst’ student had its benefits. During sparring, Ilya always fought larger, stronger, or more skillful opponents, and she had developed a system to make up for the difference in body span. Ilya’s defensive style was perfect for zoning out aggressive opponents. Moreover, Ilya was a smart fighter.
Arel Nara burned his mana to get a hit, but Ilya defended like a porcupine. The more Arel Nara approached, the more chances he had of getting stung, and he wasn’t willing to lose a single barrier against Ilya. Not taking a shield was costing him dearly. Longswords had a bad matchup against an arming sword paired with a shield.
Arel Nara attacked once more, unleashing a flurry of strikes. Ilya retreated, dodging and blocking, but the fortifying spell wasn’t in vain. Arel Nara pushed Ilya’s sword aside and seized the opening on the girl’s defense. With a quick step forward, he secured a clean slash across Ilya’s chest. The girl tried to riposte, but he retreated before she could hit.
Ilya was three barriers down and hadn’t broken a single one yet.
Arel Nara’s assault was relentless, and Ilya was starting to breathe heavily; dust and sweat covered her, and even her stance was getting sloppy at times. Ilya was a more skilled fighter, but Arel Nara’s stamina was superior; a prolonged fight would only benefit him.
“Not that good without a bow, are you?” Arel Nara taunted. “What are you going to do? Cast Piercing Shot with a sword?”
“I’m not the one running out of mana,” Ilya spoke for the first time in the combat.
Her words were a slap against Arel Nara’s face, who instantly interrupted the fortifying skill.
“You need four times your mana for that skill to have any effect in this fight,” Ilya taunted him. “You should try something else. Quick-step? Puncture, maybe? No? Even a Level 5 Soldier should have two or three skills at their disposal. Don’t tell me you decided to participate in the tournament with a single skill, please.”
Ilya’s taunt worked. Despite being three barriers down, she had made Arel Nara work hard for them.
“You asked for it,” Arel Nara said, channeling mana around his sword.
Ilya raised his guard, with the hilt of her sword at eye level and the point of the sword aiming forward. Ochs. She braced for the attack, but Arel Nara remained still. Then, he let the sword go, but it didn’t fall. Instead, the sword floated by his side, pointing menacingly at Ilya.
“I’m not a Soldier. I’m a Warrior,” Arel Nara grunted.
The sword flew in a straight line like a bullet, but Ilya blocked it. What she didn’t expect was Arel Nara running forward. The boy channeled mana and cast Iron Skin around his leg as he threw a high kick. Ilya leaned back, dodging by millimeters, but before she could counter against her unarmed opponent, Arel Nara’s sword flew back at her, stabbing her shoulder blade and breaking the fourth barrier.
Arel Nara smirked.
“Your choice, getting kicked or stabbed,” he said. “Forget that. For a Gnome, getting kicked might be more appropriate.”
Ilya smirked back. “That’s it? If you have any hidden skill, I warn you, this might be the moment to use it.”
The arming sword came back to life, spinning and circling Ilya, threatening to attack at any moment. Ilya remained impassive. She had prepared a plan. Mana surged from her chest, and just as the blade launched forward, a thick vine shot from the ground. The sword pierced the vine from side to side, but before Arel Nara could yank it back, the vine coiled around the blade like a boa constrictor.
Arel Nara strengthened his body and made a run for the sword, but Ilya stood in his way.
“Did you lose something, idiot?” She grinned as she thrusted.
Arel Nara cast Iron Skin and blocked Ilya’s blade with his forearm. The skill shrouded his barriers, preventing them from breaking, but the girl didn’t stop. She weaved a series of attacks and feints in a single fluid movement. Arel Nara retreated, casting Iron Skin around his arms and legs to block Ilya’s blows. Each time Ilya swung the sword, a chunk of Arel’s mana was blasted into the air until the signs of Mana Exhaustion started to show. Ilya ran him down, and the boy’s movements became erratic.
In a desperate last attempt to recover his sword, Arel Nara channeled all his remaining mana into the blade and tried to overpower Ilya’s vine; however, the girl effortlessly countered with her much bigger reserves. Sword and vine fought, but in the end, the vine imprisoned the blade against the ground.
“Your choice, surrender or get stabbed by a Gnome,” Ilya mockingly said.
[Awareness] brought Ilya’s words to my ears. A quick lesson in sportsmanship might be needed, but I decided to leave it for later. Ilya was making a statement. Not only was she a competent fencer, but she was also an intelligent fighter. The best part: she only used a fraction of her power.
Arel Nara gestured to raise his hand, but Ilya smacked it down with her sword before he could completely raise it: one barrier down, nine to go. Arel Nara opened her eyes in surprise. Ilya pressed the attack, breaking barrier after barrier until Arel Nara was left with only one. The spectators changed sides the moment the tides turned, roaring every time Ilya penetrated a barrier.
Arel Nara was trapped against the arena wall.
“I care very little about what you say about me, but I will not tolerate any ill comments against Mister Clarke. Idiot.” Ilya said, lowering her sword. “You have two options now. You can surrender or make a further fool of yourself trying to retrieve your sword.”
It had been a while since one of my students made me blush.
Arel Nara unenthusiastically raised his hand and returned to the pavilion with his head down before the Master of Ceremonies could announce his defeat. Ilya retrieved Arel Nara’s sword, or rather made the vine do it for her, and walked to the Prince’s box. She performed a gracious bow and saluted the spectators with an innocent smile. I couldn’t decide if the crowd was happy for Ilya or gloating at Arel Nara’s defeat.
Among the seats of the high nobility, Ginz leaned over the handrail with half of his body outside the box. A member of the royal army frantically grabbed him by the belt to prevent him from falling into the arena. Ginz would’ve made a great English hooligan if he had been born in London or its surroundings. I couldn’t help but share the feeling, but my position required me to maintain a certain level of composure.
Ilya skipped toward Ginz and high-fived him before returning to the pavilion.
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How we could save Star Trek: Lower Decks and create Star Trek: Legacy

Mike O'Sullivan • May 2024 • mike@cerritosenterprises.com
Executive summary
We can save Lower Decks and create Legacy, but it will take more than appeals to Paramount. It will take money. These series can be fostered by a group of business savvy Star Trek fans. It would be a profit making venture that could also give Star Trek fans more of what they want.
Key takeaways:

• I'm not being a downer, but we need to face reality.
• Letter writing campaigns and petitions will not save Lower Decks or create Legacy.
• Doing so would take money.
• Investors could make a good profit from those shows.
• I propose here a plan that is a long shot but could work.

Historical background
Star Trek TOS was the first show ever extended because of a letter writing campaign. NBC and Desilu executives were impressed enough by the campaign to extend the show one more season.
At the time, determining television ratings was a young science. Shows were only rated by percent of total viewers. Demographics were not taken into account. Only a few years later, NBC executives realized that Star Trek was actually a big hit. It attracted young, middle class Americans… one of the most sought after markets in the world. Ever since then, Star Trek has had a symbiotic but complicated relationship with fans and networks.
Recent background
Unlike TV ratings in the 1960s, streaming services know quite a bit about viewership. They know which shows are popular and the demographics of those viewers. They know exactly how much money each show is bringing in. Apparently, Star Trek isn't doing well enough to attract their investment dollars.
Paramount is in the midst of serious financial difficulties. Their stock has declined by 50% in the last year. Their streaming service, Paramount+, lost $490 million last year, which was an improvement over the previous year when they lost about $575 million. All of Paramount's revenue streams are down, they're over leveraged, and they have a cash flow problem. [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/paramount-streaming-loss-subs-1235838684/] Paramount is struggling to make ends meet, so they're making cuts. We wish they weren't cutting back on Star Trek, but tough decisions have to be made.
Executives presumably already knew that there would be campaigns to save Lower Decks and create Legacy. They've already taken that into account. Unless a campaign is overwhelming, it's unlikely to change their minds.
The plan
It's important to understand that this plan is based on profit, not fandom. While there is certainly a place in the world of commerce for doing something because it's cool, profit is the engine that drives business.
I propose here a plan in which a group of investors form a company devoted to investing in Star Trek. This plan would reduce Paramount's risk while leveraging the popularity of Star Trek. As business ventures go, the plan would be relatively low risk because it only moves forward if certain contracts could be arranged. However, even with contracts signed, it would take a significant investment to get the cameras rolling.
First, let's look at some numbers. I'm working from memory here, but I think these numbers are close enough for an overview of the situation.
It costs about $3 million to produce an episode of Lower Decks. It costs about $8 million for an episode of Discovery, so Legacy would probably cost around the same amount. For the purposes of this discussion, we'll only look at Lower Decks. The same principles would apply to Legacy on a larger scale. A ten episode season of Lower Decks would therefore cost around $30 million. Hollywood accounting can get tricky… an expense item can get allocated among multiple projects that might not seem related. Therefore, a per-episode estimate is fuzzy and doesn't necessarily extrapolate into a season-long budget. We'll go with a season budget of $30 million here. Reality will adjust those numbers as necessary.
In terms of corporate structure, there are two Paramount divisions involved in producing Lower Decks: Paramount Studios and Paramount+. This plan drops Paramount+ out of the equation, instead relying on other streaming services like Netflix.
So let's get to the actual plan.
A group of investors would form a company called Cerritos Enterprises. Those investors would probably be Star Trek fans… the tech world is filled with Trekkies. However, remember that this is a profit making endeavor, so fanship isn't a requirement.
Cerritos Enterprises wouldn't initially need to raise a huge amount of money (as startups go). $1 million would probably be a good start, enough to show that the company is a real, established startup that's ready to do business. They would need to provide evidence that they can raise more funds if the deal goes forward. That makes it relatively low risk because more money isn't invested until there are signed contracts. (I'm going to stop saying "relatively" every time I say "low risk". Just assume the risk is always relative to the general risk of any business startup.)
Having established credibility, Cerritos Enterprises makes proposals to two companies: Paramount and a streaming service, say Netflix.
To Paramount, they propose hiring Paramount Studios to produce Lower Decks. That would appeal to Paramount because it would be low risk: they don't have to proceed until they have at least some cash in hand.
To Netflix they propose that Netflix would carry the show. Netflix would be the biggest risk taker: they can't know for sure how popular the show would be on their platform. However, Netflix is in a good position to take risks. They made $5.4 billion profit last year, up from the previous year. In fact, they have been consistently profitable every year since 2011. [https://www.businessofapps.com/data/netflix-statistics/] They're a good candidate for a risky entertainment venture.
The proposals involve sharing expenses. Each player would contribute money. For example, Cerritos Enterprises would kick in $10 million, as would Paramount and Netflix. Paramount's investment would be in-kind… they produce the show with the knowledge that Netflix is already ready to buy. Netflix would need to kick in some money before delivery to get production going.
Allocating profits would get complicated. Paramount might want more than just payment for producing the show; they would want revenue based on the popularity of the show. Netflix might not be satisfied with just adding a great show to their platform: they might want a share of merchandising or of future expansion of the franchise. All of that would have to be worked out.
If we go with these numbers, Cerritos Enterprises would need to pony up about $10 million. To give some perspective, $25 million is considered the sweet spot for first round investment in a tech startup. Most startups fail, so an investment of $10 million in a low risk venture wouldn't phase the world of investors. It has a better promise of profit at a lower investment than most startups.
In terms of who would put up the money, we can generally divide investors into two categories: macroinvestors and microinvestors.
Macroinvestors are the peoplecompanies that put up millions of dollars for a venture. They're often called "angel investors'' because they put money into projects that most people wouldn't view as promising. Angel investors would form the bulk of investment.
I would love to see the project include Star Trek fans (like me) as microinvestors. However, that might be difficult or impossible. Securities and Exchange Commission regulations make it difficult for small investors to get in on startups. (Personal note: this is a situation that I think should change. Little guys like me should be able to get in on the action.) You can't just crowdfund a project by selling equity. That being said, fans could be a promising source of money. Trekkies probably skew towards higher incomes, and they're passionate about the franchise they love. I'm sure quite a few fans (like me) would make small investments just for the sheer excitement of getting involved in Star Trek. If for no other reason, I would like to see Cerritos Enterprises include microinvestors so the fan base could have more say in the future of our franchise. A company like MicroVentures (https://microventures.com/) might be able to help implement microinvestment.
Cerritos Enterprises would benefit from having a Star Trek star on the board of directors. Jonathan Frakes would be a good choice. Not only is he beloved by the Star Trek community, he's an experienced director and producer. He knows the business. He could attract Trekkie investors, then he could talk business with them. George Takei is also an experienced entertainment producer. There are probably other business savvy stars who could get involved.
Conclusion
Entertainment industry professionals will undoubtedly find flaws in this plan. That's a good thing: it helps make the plan better. However, Hollywood is like any other industry: money talks. A pile of cash on the table will get their attention.
This is an ambitious plan, but Trekkies are an innovative group. Making things happen is what we do.
Let's make this happen.
Mike O'Sullivan [mike@cerritosenterprises.com](mailto:mike@cerritosenterprises.com) Star Trek fan

Hello wonderful Redditors of the Assistance Subreddit.
With the dramatic increase in price for basic necessities such as food here in Montreal and with my disability payments changing from every two weeks through salary insurance to once a month through the long term disability option of the health insurance I get through my work, I have Ben struggling to make ends meet.
I currently have no food in the house and no money to go to the grocery store. While the end of the month is not too far away, I only get my check on the 31st of May, which leaves me worrying about how I'm going to survive the next 10 days with no food.
Due to my health conditions and due to food intolerances that are so severe that eating those foods can land me in the hospital for weeks, unable to even take a sip of water without throwing up, I can't rely on quick and usually cheaper food items like bread, pasta, and other gluten containing foods, as well as carb heavy foods such as potatoes, since I developed a low tolerance for carbs (high carbohydrate meals trigger my nausea and vomiting disorder (currently awaiting to do a gastric emptying study to determine if the current diagnosis of treatment resistant severe cyclic vomiting syndrome and idiopathic intracranial hypertension is actually gastroparesis)).
I am coming to you lovely people here on the assistance subreddit to humbly ask if anyone can help me purchase some groceries.
I have PayPal, and I can accept interac e-transfers and would even accept gift cards to the two grocery stores near me (Maxi and IGA) which I will link into an Amazon wishlist in the comments momentarily
Even if you are unable to help, id like to thank you for reading my request post anyways and wish you all a good day/afternoon/evening/night in advance

I'm looking for a partner for a long-term romantic relationship. More than that, I'm looking for someone to be on a team with me as we work together on becoming our best selves. Someone with a common interest (could be any of a variety of things) that we work to become very talented at together.
I work in tech, and hope eventually to get into security research. I've played piano for over 24 years now (time flies), and play a bit of guitar also. I like cooking and baking. I also like spending time outside and working out.
I'm looking for someone to share some part of my world, and enjoy growing together. Alternatively, share some of your interests that maybe you think we could grow in together.
I'm looking for someone kind and gentle. The world is both a wonderful and terrible place, and I'd like to meet someone who is interested in making it better in some small way.
If you love music, that's wonderful. I would love to jam with you, I would love someone to have impromptu sing-alongside in the car and the shower with. If you play piano, we should play a duet.
Let's work out together? I lift weights most days during the week. Maybe we can go mountain biking and skiing together.
Other important things:
I have made a conscious decision not to drink. One of my family members has kidney disease, and may require dialysis within the next few years. I believe I will live my best life by not drinking. It would be very cool (although rare) to meet someone who also has made a conscious decision not to drink, or would at least be open to considering it. I also don't smoke or do drugs.
Center left politically, horrible dog allergies.
US only please. I'd like to be with you in person as soon as possible. Not looking for an online thing.
Let's chat.

It is good, just not good enough

I get what the developers are going for and commend them for their hard work and novel idea. However, there is not much meat on this bone. For the 25 USD price point the game has not met my expectations. Combat is lacking, some mechanics are straight up bad and should be removed, and the game can soft lock you repeatedly during random encounters

The 'Wordle' part

The setup of the game is simple. You type words to execute an action or attack. You find new actions or attacks by revealing words one at the time per character. The way the game helps you discover the words is through combat, which reveals 1 letter you choose, or through riddles, where the letters in the answer will apply to all of the characters speeding up the discovery proces.

Combat

The combat is based on the player typing these discovered words.

• One of the main gripes I have with combat is the cooldown mechanic. It completely removes the player's typing speed from the combat skill equation: How fast you can type only matters at the initial attacks, after that you just line up the words and hit enter after the character's cooldown expires.
• There is also not a lot of variety in attacks between characters
• Some words (like salmon or urchins) do the same thing on the same character.
• The overview of all the unlocked 'words' (i.e. attacks) mixes the important attack words with other useless 'memory' words that have no use throughout the game
• Enemies have a shield that can soft lock you. You unlock crack early on in the game for Jorro. If the shield enemies have armor you need to crack before being able to do damage AND a shield that states any of the letters that are used in the word to counter it, you can't progress and just have to wait for your party to die.
• The armor mechanic also makes heavy hitting attacks much less useful, as you have to remove the armor before being able to deal more damage. So knowing puppet, rattle or cackle (which are all, again, stacked on the same character) often does little

Exploring

The exploring gets old quickly. All areas start to look the same. Rocks, grass, a wooden door and rampart. It never really changes. The black and white visuals do little to redeem this and perhaps even add to the repetitive look of the dungeon. The rooms you will explore can be quite big. As a dungeon crawler it makes sense you want to explore these rooms, but the game does nothing to reward you for it. You can waste a lot of time navigating all the nooks and crannies of the map, expecting perhaps a chest or puzzle, but instead be rewarded with more black and white walls.

Puzzles and Riddles

The riddles are great and are a nice addition to the game. The mental switch from 'Wordle Dungeon Crawler' to solving riddles is fun and feels good. Not all riddles are equal though, some are unoriginal and you've probably heard before many times whereas others are quite clever and new. The one thing they completely messed up is that not all riddles have the correct answer.
Early on the game acknowledges this in the tombs. The riddle "What has an eye but cannot see" can be given multiple answers and the NPC will reply with "I did not expect that particular answer but it is also correct so here is your prize". You can answer blind, needle or storm and all will be true and counted as such.
Later in the game this completely goes away. For example the riddle "What do you have but never use, and others use all the time" requires the answer "name", but a) you do use your name to introduce yourself and b) In that case something akin to 'your reputation' should also fit. Or Your phone number. There are many riddles that can be given multiple answers to in this game and I was hoping, due to the core mechanic being trial and error inputting words, the game would accommodate this throughout the game.
This makes solving riddles much more frustrating and less fun. It makes it feel abitrary. It highlights the fact that the 'dungeon master' that you interact with has much more limited interactions than you'd expect at first.
The game also has a big difficulty spike at Ulara castle when it comes to riddles. There is one where you straight up need create an algebraic function and solve it. It makes the pacing feel weird and the new area feel like a brick wall which I am sure will discourage a lot of players. You can have the narrator literally give you the answer after 1 or 2 tries, but for a game about solving riddles, where is the fun in that.

The story

You are probably not buying this for the story but rather for the gameplay mechanics described above. If you mainly want a good dungeon crawler story, this is not the game for you. The characters in this story are weak and interchangeable. Your party of heroes consist of mutes. The game tells you to talk to NPCs and interact with them using action keywords like 'talk', 'use' or anything contextual. But 90% of the time you can't talk to the NPCs and the dungeon master gives you the same reply again and again. 'You will talk when I will tell you to' as you roll your eyes and move towards the next door on your map. The fun and interesting parts in the story are few and far between.

Conclusion

The game has an insane amount of potential. It just needs a lot more polish and more thought into the design elements of the game. The gameplay loop could use a review. The combat needs a complete overhaul that caters more towards typing fast while remember the words you unlocked, removing the cooldowns or making them much short will be a great start. Currently the game to me is a 4 or 5 out of 10 because of the reasons mentioned above. With some more TLC it can be a 7 or 8.

I had a man get so butthurt I sank him (when he attempted for me first) over an hour of this man making accusations and trying to insult my love life, going outside, and somehow skill level despite the fact I won. And he asked for a rematch but then proceeded to skirt around saying it whole crying for over an hour in my inbox. I love this game so much, but players like that. Make it so much better!!! Warsmoth cause you know he'll never farm it the proper way. Or have the patience to L farm. Especially with how he reacts to an L 🤭🤓

Hello all, I'm (44M) and have worked as a video editor (mostly for social media) the past six years and have a background in Sports Information and Media Relations for college athletics. I took an entry level position three years ago to move closer to my family and girlfriend (now wife) and I feel like I'm stuck because there is not really any room for growth with my current job and credentials.
My wife suggested taking Google courses to get a certificate/credential as a Data Analyst or SEO expert but I'm finding the subjects boring and hard to focus on. My current pay is below 45k and we're struggling to make ends meet. I've looked at something in the trades but I can't afford to take time to go to a class and help raise our kids.
I keep telling myself to just power through the courses and get them done but the harder I try the more trivial the subject matter seems.
I apologize for the rambling but I'm hoping to get some inspiration/advice on how to get to a better-paying job.

Hi Reddit, going through a rough time right now, as you could have guessed. I broke up with my girlfriend of three years yesterday and I'm being torn apart about whether it was the right decision; I'd really appreciate your help and advice. Essay below.
My girlfriend and I have been (this is still very fresh so I'm probably going to stick to present tense here) dating for just over three years. Throughout almost all of that time we have been long distance as she was pursuing a graduate degree in one city and I had my dream job in another (we started dating after those things were set). We've probably been able to average one week together every two months or one weekend every month and we talked on the phone every day. We were set to close the distance by moving to a new city together (I'm about to start my graduate degree and she's going to start working), but I ended things yesterday.
I love this girl. She's incredibly loyal, kind, emotionally intelligent, and humble. She makes me a better person, as I sometimes focus too much on the outcome oriented things in life (career, status) and she is more oriented around family and doing things the right way, so we end up balancing each other out nicely. I'm also a bit grumpier and will express my opinions, whereas she is very forgiving and gets anxious about causing any inconvenience to others. We have very aligned values on what's right or wrong and have similar political opinions. However, during our relationship I've often had doubts creep in. She's religious and I'm not, which makes me worry that we will not be able to relate to each other on things down the line. She's a bit of an introvert and gets pretty uncomfortable with people she doesn't know or in groups, which I worry will limit what we will want to do in the future. We don't have too many interests in common either and I worry that we'll get bored togther. Physical touch is very much my love language and she isn't really a cuddler or the type of person to give a surprise hug, which I have struggled with but she has improved on since I mentioned it and I haven't brought it up much since because I felt needy. There are some others but over time these types of things have slowly built up and I've always squared them away by saying to myself that we can work it out (we've already talked and worked a lot of things out about the religious difference, for example how we want to raise our kids and such) or that we'll be able to see if these actually keep being or become issues when we close the distance and live together. But as the date started getting closer I was getting more and more anxious about it not working out. I was afraid to potentially waste more of our time and to be let her move to a new city, where she has no family or connections, for me when I was feeling really unsure about things. I ended up essentially using a relatively minor disagreement we had about housing as an excuse to break up, making it into a whole thing about how this disagreement represented a insurmountable difference in our mindset and life goals. It was complete bullshit and I was being emotionally dishonest, which must have been very confusing and upsetting. I'd been debating breaking up with her for a while, mostly because of all the relatively small things that built up over time, but I'm annoyed that I did it that way.
No matter what I decide on what to do next, I'm definitely going to reach out to her in the next day or two and let her know how I was really feeling and why I broke things off. She deserves that much. However, I'm really conflicted on whether to end that with telling her that I want to try and work things out, if she's willing to, or to just have that be the full stop. I didn't communicate with her much at all about the doubts I've been having, because I knew it would upsetting and we didn't have that much time together in person. This means we haven't had a true chance to work on them together. I'm thinking that maybe if I get all this off my chest to her and we manage to work it out, things will be great. But I still hate the thought of potentially wasting more of her time, or us working on our relationship and then things still not feeling right.
A lot of this is just me getting my thoughts and feelings out there, but I'd really appreciate an outside view. Thanks.

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TLDR: ISO Rural/country oriented, right leaning, quiet life
Please see my other ad for a few other details
Core Requirements - Age 30-50 - Location: must in the US (non-negotiable), anywhere in the south east - NOT married or in any type of committed relationship. I am VERY monogamous.
Vanilla: - ***** Must be into rural living and/or homesteading *** - Speak fluent sarcasm and have a great sense of humor (The darker the better!) - Doesn’t take life too seriously, goes with the flow - Pro 2a
BASICS: I’m an introverted homebody that enjoys a simple life. Low key, low drama, low maintenance. I have all the typical ‘adulting’ in order (car, house, job etc) and I’m simply looking for a person to enjoy that with. Speaking of a jobs, I also have a side gig (reselling) that is my passion project. Three Great Danes are what I consider to my children, but no actual tiny humans, nor have I ever been married. I also thrive on sarcasm and dark humor.
While I currently live in Northeast Ohio, I do plan on relocating to somewhere in the southeast, preferably somewhere with mountains.
HOBBIES: I have ADHD, so collecting hobbies is a thing. I’m also very prone to researching anything that pops into kind (pick a topic and I’m sure we can have a great conversation on it) Current hobbies include reselling (and always learning more about e-commerce), house plants, gardening and the dogs. Being a Pisces, being around water brings me a lot of peace. Whether that’s walking on the beach, fishing or kayaking. I also love the outdoors! Camping, hiking, bushcraft.. you name it, I’m down. I don’t watch much tv or movies, though I adore books! I also adore music, and almost all genres (except rap)
DISCLAIMERS: As stated I have ADHD, but also BPD, CPTSD, depression and anxiety. These conditions are well managed (I’ve ‘done the work’). So while they’re not my entire being, they have shaped who I’ve become.
ABOUT YOU: I don’t care how much money you make, but I do request that you’re life be in order and emotionally capable of a relationship. Having a great sense of humor is extremely important. Because while there times to be serious, I tend to just roll with the flow and not get bogged down by things that won’t matter in a month or year.
I crave a deep and substance filled partner with whom we can share thoughts, musings and ramblings from the mundane to aliens to the philosophical. And of course, everything in between.
I’d also want a partner who enjoys a slower paced life. If you travel a lot, we probably won’t be a good fit. I find peace and calm at home, I’d like someone similar. But also someone who’s into either farming. Homesteading, prepping or something alone those
I’d you’ve read this far, here’s a cookie 🍪 If you do choose to respond, please say more than just hi. Tell me a bit about yourself and what you’re looking for.

Hi folks! Here i am again to get some ideas from you.
So, as GM i like to mess a little bit with my players, trick them. In the end, It seems those are the funniest situations not only for me, also for them when they finally figure It out.
On our next session they are gonna be forced to sleep open air in a dangerous jungle-like planet. The point is that the spot where they are going to camp it's full of plants which release a kind of spores that create paranoia. While they sleep they are going to suffer some nightmares about there's a traitor in their group. When they wake up, the players will receive a paper saying "you are calm, you are not a traitor". Cause in fact no one is betraying the group, just as i said, i want to play with them and make them suspect what is written on the other player's papers.
As you can see, i've already plenty figured out everything to this point. Where i would like to get some ideas is on the next step, to "solve" this situation.
I have a couple things in mind, but i would like to hear some more:
-one of them is to introduce a new NPC who is playing with their minds (a kind of shaman?), maybe just for fun or maybe to defeat them and take their belongings. This could end in many ways, making It a foe or even a new ally. If It ends in a combat, should the players have a debuff that gives them a chance to attack also the other members because of the paranoia?
-and another thought was to make this paranoia lasting during the campaign. Just to plant this Seed on them and watch how it evolves. Maybe until they figure It out or i'd have to stop It😅.
What are your thoughts about this? Some ideas? Maybe too much? Thank you in advice!

Chapter 1

Concept art for Sybil
Of Men and Ghost Ships, Book 1: Chapter 21
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As Carter walked onto the bridge, he was surprised that only the girl was present, but he decided to shrug it off. Maybe they were having fun observing their new toy ant colony or whatever the vixen would call the cockroach equivalent. Instead, he spoke to the Sybil who was present. "Well, now that everyone's settled in, so to speak, how do we go about unloading them?"
Instead of adjusting her glasses and launching into an analytical assessment as he expected, the girl looked at Carter with a raised eyebrow. "You want to get rid of them so soon? After being stuck with us for the last few weeks, I figured you'd be with them, enjoying some human company."
Carter shrugged. "This may surprise you, but despite seeking out the glamorous lifestyle of a solo cargo hauler, I'm not much of a people person. I'm not saying I'm a huge fan of empty halls and dust-filled rooms, but I'm not looking into making several dozen new friends, either."
The girl shrugged. "As you prefer, though these may very well be the last people you'll have a chance to get to know."
When Carter didn't say anything, she continued. "Well, unloading them isn't as easy as flying to a space station and dropping them off. It may have been a while, but I'm sure the local governments still have at least some record of all our pirate activity over the years. It might be better to wait until we come across a cargoship of some kind and drop them off there."
Carter laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure any captain would be delighted to take on a whole extra crew's worth of mouths to feed when they have little to offer in return. Not to mention the difficulty of even getting someone to stay and listen long enough to ask. Maybe the new guys never heard of you, but almost anyone who's been in the game long enough to become a captain will know of the stories and rumors about the Sybil. As soon as we show up, any sane captain will either run or shoot first and ask questions later!"
The girl smiled, though this smile would probably be more at home on the vixen's face. "Yes, that has been our general experience as well. So what is it you suggest, Captain?"
Carter stopped and thought about it a moment. "Well, you need to hunt ships to repair and maintain yourself anyway, right? If we take one in good enough condition, we could just give it to them and let them fly off on their own..."
The girl looked bemused. "Quite generous of you to just let them have an entire ship just like that."
Carter shrugged. "Listen, I'm not saying we give them a battleship or some state-of-the-art freighter, but pirates tend to convert anything they can get their hands on into some sort of fighting vessel, whether it's in good shape or a junker. We can probably find some old, beaten-down freighter that's not worth the resources to consume and let them have that. It won't be glorious, but it should get them to a nearby colony or station, and they can figure it out from there."
Now, the girl seemed inscrutable. "So, you want us to become pirate hunters now? Like some sort of do-gooders from a children's cartoon?"
Carter shook his head, then stopped and thought about it. "No... Well, not quite, anyway. Listen, I'm not looking to take on any more than we can chew, and I'm definitely not interested in risking life and limb for a bunch of people I've never met, but this way, we can satisfy everyone's needs and not take it out on a bunch of people who are just trying to get by same as us. It'll get you the resources you need, get the pirate the fight he craves, and let the vixen torment lowlifes to her heart's content. It's what we call a win-win...win."
The girl looked bemused again. "The pirate and...vixen..?"
Carter sighed and rolled his eyes. "Hey, I gotta call you all something other than Sybil. You might all share one mind and memory, but you're all very different people to me. What did you want me to do? Call you all Sybil? That would get confusing real quick!"
The girl laughed. "I suppose, given your... limited perception, that makes sense. So, what's your little nickname for this version of me?"
Carter wondered briefly if he was talking to the vixen in disguise, but despite her choice of words, it lacked the edge or condescension she usually had. Instead, he decided to just answer. "The girl, I suppose."
This time, the girl looked mildly offended. "'The girl?' Really? I'm almost surprised you didn't choose something really witty like four eyes or bookworm!"
Carter grinned. "I didn't know you liked books!"
It was the girl's turn to roll her eyes. "Not the point!"
Carter decided to take pity on her. "Well, what would you like me to call you then?"
That seemed to stump the girl. "What? Do you want me to come up with a name for myself? I already have one. I'm Sybil!"
Back where he started, Charter shrugged again. "Hey, that's fine. I respect that. But given my 'limited perception,' I still have to differentiate you somehow. I can just stick with the girl, pirate, and vixen if you prefer."
The girl shook her head. "No...I'll think about it..."
Carter grinned. "That's all I ask! For now, anyway. And while you do that, I'll go enjoy some 'human company' and have a word with our guests about what we're gonna do with them. Maybe they'll have an idea or two to offer."
-
Alen had just finished eating and was trying to think of some way to pass the time that didn't involve exercising, eating, or sleeping, which seemed to be the only three things available for the crew when Captain Carter walked into the mess hall. He looked around for a bit, then upon seeing Erik, Vanessa, and Alen, who'd taken to eating together, he seemed to brighten slightly and approach the table.
Unsure of what the Captain would want but nonetheless curious, Alen found himself interested, but after Carter laid out his plan, Alen was suddenly less interested. "You want to pick a fight with a bunch of pirates to get us a ship? Are you insane? There's got to be some backwater colony you can drop us off at!"
The Captain shrugged. "Any colony backwater enough to not have records on this ship or be a threat to us is gonna be too small to handle your crew being suddenly dumped on them without notice. Besides, this way, you all can sell the ship, and you won't be starting from nothing!"
Alen shook his head. "We won't be able to sell anything if you get us killed before you unload us! This just sounds like suicide the hard way!"
The Captain didn't seem dissuaded. "Listen, this ship has been feared for hundreds of years for a reason. We were running on fumes in that last fight and still gave them a run for their money. Next time, we won't be on the back foot. I think we'll have that ship for you sooner rather than later!"
Alen shook his head. This guy had clearly lost his mind.
Of course, that was when Erik decided to offer his two cents. "Will we be able to have any fun, or would you be doing all the fighting?"
Alen fought the urge to slam his forehead into the table. Of course, the viking alien wanted to fight. Carter seemed thoughtful. "Well, if we take any ship intact enough to give to you all, it'll probably have to be cleared out the hard way, so I imagine you'd get to get your hands a little dirty."
Erik laughed and slapped the table. "I LIKE this plan!"
Commander Reid, who'd been walking past, looked interested in their discussion. "What's this about a fight?"
Erik grinned at the smaller man. "The Captain here wants to capture a pirate ship to give to us! But we'll have to clear the decks once the Sybil has disabled it!"
The commander took a seat at their table. "What kind of weaponry and support can you give us? What kind of a ship are we talking about? What's the crew compliment?"
Alen felt the last shreds of hope fading. This was not what he'd signed up for. When he'd managed to secure an officer position aboard the Trader's Vigilance, he'd thought he'd lucked into a nice, steady gig that would give him the experience and training he'd need to one day be captain of his own trading vessel. However, instead, he'd gotten a ship full of pirate-hunting lunatics, recruited an insane alien whose whole definition of entertainment seemed to begin and end with pirate hunting, and ended up aboard a pirate-hunting ghost ship. He was in a giant floating insane asylum and surrounded by madmen. He could only hope his family would be able to find his life insurance policy and get some use out of it...
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Well, sounds like almost all of the characters have gotten to know each other. Now to see how well they all get along!
My Wiki has all my chapters and stories, including the short series and stories that I write for an occasional change of pace or style!
As a reminder, "Of Men and Dragons" Books 1 and 2 are available to purchase in e-book or physical form. (Both softcover and hardcovers are available!) Book 3 is almost done being edited, so I'll just have to get the cover art and formatting done, and it will be available to purchase as well! Hopefully, in no more than a month or two! (Barring more Amazon drama like last time... fingers crossed!)
OMAD Book 1: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09NCPP3PP
OMAD Book 2: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CQ7FQ1ZJ

Hey , i dont know how to say or spell it , and i hope somebody could help me!, So my mom (47) is a single mom, i lived my whole live alone with my mom and we had a Good Relationship, she gave me everything that i wanted, But then my live changed when my Brother (27) Move to us. I never hated him he was nice i liked that im not living alone and have a Big brother who will Protect me. He was always sleeping in one bed with my mother , i never Ever think that way that she could have se* with her own son, so that wasn’t a big deal for me. But then everything changed, my mom was a Alkohol addictive but she stopped to drink alcohol, but then my brother always bought alcohol and she startet getting drunk everyday, i was pissed because i hated when my mother drank. Few month were over and my brother was getting a new job here, at that point i hated to live with him because of him my mother was again alcohol addicted. But one day they drunk so much that my mom was so drunk that she couldn’t even stand still, so she got to bed to take a nap , then i saw how my brother going in her room and he lay in front of her in her bed, i was confused so i sneak and watched what he was doing because my intuition said that something is wrong. Then i saw my brother how he was touching my mother on her bud then he squished her bud, i was so in shook that i couldn’t even realize it , i watched for 5min straight and he was touching her on other areas i hope you know wich areas i mean…i was shocked so i run to the kitchen and i think he heard me , he got imminently up and go to the main room to smoke a cigaret, he asked me if everything was fine , i just said yes. I never ever told my mom that because i thought that she wouldn’t believe me. At that point i knew something was wrong but i had no choice, i just lived with that at this point . 1 moth got over and he moved again to my grandmother, i was so happy about that because my mom stopped drinking and everything was fine, but then 3 months got over and my mom got diagnosed with Brest cancer. I was at that point 15 , my live changed so much that i couldn’t realize it. I was in turkey with my dad , and my mom called me to show me that my brother is in our house and he moved to us, because he wanted to help my mom, i was pissed at this point i could help my mom myself, when i drove too my home i had a bad feeling about my brother i overthinked so much, so when i got to home again things started to change , my mom was having a good relationship with my brother , they sleept in differed rooms so that wasn’t so weird, but things started to be strange, my mom drank so much that you couldn’t stop her, and my brother know that my mom had cancer and that she cant drink because of chemo but he ignored that, he always said to her that if she drink nothing will happened but then she started to throw up blood. At this point i didn’t know what to do she throw my phone away because i wanted to call the ambulance, she said that she is fine. She drank everyday, and throw up i got very depressed , anyways i started to Notice that my brother began to sleep Again with my mother in one bed at that point I knew what he was trying to do.But then my mom started To renovate her room at that point my mom started to sleep alone in her bedroom but every time she got drunk I saw how my brother going in her room and lay on her bed.I was a person who had every time the doors shut, But at that point I open my doors every time she was drunk and she was going to bed because I was scared that my brother doing stuff of her that she didn’t want. so when she got drunk and she got to bed to take a nap I saw my brother going in her room and lay in her bed I checked every five minutes if he’s doing something but then I realized that my mom wasn’t asleep they were under one blanket he was very close by her but they had they close on. so I had a plan how to just fake it that my mom’s best friend is calling me when I was in her room I gave her the phone but then she immediately got up with him. I didn’t know what to do so I never talk about this but I got depressed because of this because I knew something was wrong when they talked alone I heard how they talk to each other they talk very dirty to each other then I start to realize what is going on in my household I got so depressed that I didn’t even go to school because I needed to control them and at this point I hated my brother so much that I just want to kill him.Every time I needed to go from my home to friends or something I just had in my brain that they could do something together.I was so disgusted at my mom that I didn’t even eat her food that she was making a lost 12 kg my weight was at 44 kg and I was 16 at this time sorry.Then I noticed that they gave each other code words. I was so discussed I was so depressed because of him and my mother I just hated them and I wish it to me that they just died in a car accident I never ever talk about the situation but this got deeper and deeper with every day.I started to controlling them and every time they slept in the main room I was going every five minutes to the bathroom because from the bathroom I saw what’s going on in the main room so I saw the both.Then I started to notice that my brother is jealous at everything my mom is doing he was jealous at me he was jealous at boys that my mom have contact with and then I realized what’s going on that they had something together I started to panicking I didn’t know what to do.I started to notice saying that my brother is drinking with my mom because he wanted to have intimity with her.Then I started to going to school And I said to just one friend that I can trust whats going on, my friend had the idea that I could buy me some cameras and record them and confront them about that. and this is what I did I bought a mini camera for 50 bucks on Amazon.I never had the chance to record them because our apartment is too small and I am scared that they will see the camera.I realize that they had something and I didn’t want to live anymore but I got up and every time I talk to my mom why she’s sleeping in one bed with her son she will just say yeah because this is just my son and that’s nothing to worry about we are family and this shit. and one day when they were very very drunk I couldn’t handle this i begann to yell at my brother I began to said things to him that hurt him but I didn’t said what I knew I just said that I knew everything about him and every thing that he’s doing my mom just look at him and when I got to my room I sneak what she’s doing.She was talking with him very quiet and I think in this point my mom realize something,My mom began to hate me and every time I said something bad to my brother She started to yell at me and said to me very bad things like I hope you die and I hope you will go to a car accident stuff like this when I graduated school she didn’t even care me She didn’t even said oh my God I’m so proud of You she just didn’t care about that i graduated school. I just want to go to my own but I am not 18 yet and I don’t know what to do every time I see my mother and my brother I am so discussed that I need to throw up I never ever said this but I think it would be better when my mom wouldn’t be here I think it will be better when my brother be dead. I really don’t know what to do but I just know that one day everyone in our family will know the true about them I started to ignore them and I just know that my mother isn’t my mother anymore and I hope this bastard will die he just ruined my life.
This story wasn’t that detailed like the real story with every detail the story with every detail is even sicker I hope you guys have some tips and I hope you can help me

IGNORE THIS IF YOU WANT: I tried again since last time they said I looked like a mean girl writing (I don't even speak English). You probably won't help but I'll try again, for the love of God I just want tips, if you're going to complain about my text, dont even open the post And if I sound like a mean girl, sorry man, its the Google translator (as I said, im not perfect in english, so its all translated to portuguese)
...
I highlighted the parts that I consider most important
The first thing I have to say is: the tip is not for me, I'm a fem ENTP 7w8 - in high school.
I'm asking this question anonymously for a friend of mine (fem ESFP 2w3), I met her right after I arrived at high school and I also met a fem INTJ 5w4.
we always got along pretty well
But recently my friend ESFP met an INTJ, I knew he was an INTJ after talking to him for a bit.
Obviously I met other people at the time and they complained about this INTJ (let's call him INTJ-a so as not to confuse him with my friend INTJ 5w4).
I mean, he looked cool in the start but...
the first weird things I heard about him were two friends I made, they said they tried to be friends with him but as time went by he started to exclude them and use them both to give money for him if they wanted to continue to be his friends.
Anyways, I looked at INTJ-a crookedly from the beginning because I just heard shit about him. It's difficult for you to like someone because your impression of a certain thing or person has already been made: it's how prejudice work you guys.
My ESFP friend wanted me to meet him, but I refused, and rarely spoke to him - the messages he sent to people radiated a certain arrogance that was kinda annoying, he always wanted to people feel... inferior in some way? almost like dramatizing his deeds
well, in the meantime my ESFP friend kept talking to him.
(My INTJ 5w4 friend and I agree that our ESFP friend has always been an emotional person, the type of person that if you say you like her she will ask you to marry her. But she is a good girl, just... too much sometimes.)
However, she has always had terrible taste in men. All the guys she liked were an alternate version of Eric Cartman.
In short: she was in need of romantic attention and this weird intj guy showed up.
He told her that he has autism and she said that she also suspected she had it and the two started talking to each other. Sometimes I would snoop on her cell phone and see that she was texting him.
They talked, talked, talked a lot.
Honestly, I never liked him: I could smell the god complex from afar, but my INTJ 5w4 friend said 'meh, he doesn't seem that bad. He just likes be quiet and with himself.'
Nothing against it, i was also like that when I wanted to be. so I just ignored it
My friend said she didn't want to be with him despite his advances, but she didn't want to say that because she didn't want to leave him hurt since he ended a relationship because of her.
She started to show discomfort when being close to him but seconds later she was smiling and happy with him. Which was somehow weird. How can you not like being around someone you are supossed to like?
I knew there was more to this than meets the eye. but as she didn't want to say anything I left her alone.
My INTJ 5w4 friend told our ESFP friend that if you feel uncomfortable around someone you like, that's not normal, and that if he says something strange she should just walk away.
She also said that if she wanted to put an end to what was going on between the two of them she should stop trying to run away from the problems and just tell him.
Anyways, I let the tips with my INTJ friend.
well the ESFP spoke to the Intj guy and.. apparently it all ended there. but not.
She continued to talk to him (even after showing interest in another boy) and then came a point, I don't know what he said, that she desperately wanted him to delete his conversations with her.
She talked to him and apparently he did that, but even my INTJ 5w4 friend told her "how are you sure he really deleted everything" - which boiled down to: my INTJ friend and I started to suspect him more, almost like a instinct.
and then the bombshell went off when I heard from a girl and a boy in the third grade that when he was 16 the INTJ-a posted online intimate photos of a ELEVEN YEAR OLD. I saw the print of the posts, it was real.
apparently he did it because the 11 year old girl didn't want to be his girlfriend
and then it all got worse when our third year high school friend told us that the INTJ-a and the ESFP were planning to 'do it' in a isolated building.
And when I least expected it, our group of friends was already around her, saying she shouldnt ho there, while she cried desperately.
We saw him looking for her in the cafeteria and on the exit but hesitating when he saw that my INTJ friend and I were with her.
I took her to a coffee shop and bought her some drinks. And then our ESFP friend vented, she said she wasn't totally innocent because she would go there. But honestly, she's obviously a more emotionally unstable person, he knew what he was doing to her, he's not stupid.
I read his messages, honestly, it was weird to see him talking so warmly to her while sometimes treating her so coldly.
It was probably the cold potato and hot potato method of manipulation (you know? where they act kindly and then coldly to make the person feel trapped?)
Honestly, in my opinion he's just fucking manipulating her.
He also constantly uses the excuse of being autistic to make my Esfp friend think what he is doing is normal. She always shows that she wants to stop being friends with him, and then starts talking to him again.
Well, any Advices? And dont complain about the big text, IT IS a big story you guys, just stop whining right now.
I can put here some prints of him and what he says if you guys want.

I made a mistake at work. It was a big deal, but I was able to catch it early and fix it before any damage was done to the business. Our company's president found out about it before I fixed the problem and threw a fit. He went so far as calling the CEO of the company we're contracted with to try to fix it on his own (probably wasn't necessary). Furthermore, the problem happened on a Friday; I got a call from him after working hours and he spent a good 30 minutes chewing me out and comparing me to my other coworkers talking about how they would never do something like that. I admitted my mistake and apologized.
Fast forward to present time, the problem is fixed but to him it's not. He hasn't spoken to me since the phone call. He goes around greeting my coworkers and makes it a point to make eye contact with me then walk away without saying anything. I'll admit that I started the problem due to a missed minute yet important detail, but other people made mistakes regarding this issue and it made the problem bigger than it should've been.
Honestly, I don't know if he's shunning me because he's going to fire me soon or if he's just not the in-person confrontation type. I would be pretty upset if I got fired over this because I know for a fact 2 coworkers of mine have made this same mistake in the past and nothing happened to them. I've started doubting myself ever since this happened. My direct supervisor has always praised my work ethic but the way the president is treating me is making me doubt my competency.
Have you ever been shunned by your boss before? If so, how did you deal with feeling like you're incompetent at your job?

Is it a bad idea if I (F21) ask my boyfriend (M22) to use a cost splitting app to keep things even?
My boyfriend (M22) and I (F21) have been dating for a year, and things have been going amazing! He is so kind and puts me first, which is great until it comes to things like paying for the bill. He always tries to put his card down which I think is sweet, but I’ve always been a person who likes to split the bill. In my eyes, each paying for our own bill means that each of us contributes and we don’t accidentally put more of the financial burden for dates/trips on one person, as I also suffer from some memory-related issues. However, he thinks that splitting the bill is weird because it’s fun to treat each other sometimes, which I can agree with.
I suggested that we can find a median by using a cost splitting app as a way to make sure costs are even. Aside from the occasional treat, I thought it might be a good way to help keep track of how much we’re spending on dates and will help my awful memory with who paid last. He seemed hesitant though, but wouldn’t explain why so I want to know if there’s a better way to split things.
It’s also important to note that we are both still dependent on our parents for living expenses in college but have part-time jobs; overall, he has a lot more expenses than I do for things like groceries and club sports and I have scholarships that cover a lot. There have been times where I cover the bill until he gets paid and he’ll want to pay me back, but it makes me feel bad for him to send me money because it makes the relationship seem a bit transactional. He also is pretty embarrassed to ask even when I tell him I understand our situations are different, and he always insists on paying me back no matter what. I’m thinking that by putting it in the app, instead of him feeling the need to pay me back then maybe he can pick up the next tab and it will feel like a treat for both of us!
Overall I don’t know if I’m being too frugal and making it a bigger deal than necessary, or if maybe he’s more anxious than I thought about finances, but I would love some advice!

I mentioned to my coworker (62M) that I was going to ride my Onewheel around the trail by our office during lunch. He asked to come look at it and see me ride it, and I said sure.
After watching me stand on it, roll around a bit, listening to me explain how it works, he said:
“I’m tempted to try it”
I said:
“You can if you want, just stand up slowly and put your hands on my shoulders”
He proceeds to stand on it, barely put his hand on one of my shoulders, and immediately loses balance, takes a foot off, and boom. Board goes flying, he hits the ground with a leg twisted under him.
I took him to urgent care where we find out it he fractured two bones in his ankle and may require surgery. Though he’s an adult and capable of making his own decisions, I feel absolutely awful.
No one will ever be trying my Onewheel again.

Is my (21F) relationship with (23M) over?
I (21F) have been with B (23M) for almost 10 months now. We have been doing fine up until recently. For context, my family basically kicked us out of the house because we weren’t working (we were dealing with mental health crises) so we moved in with his family.
It all started when S (18F) (his stepsister) broke up with her boyfriend. She was going to the gym with her boyfriend because he works out and she needed training. After they broke up, S asked B to train her. I was a little uncomfortable with the idea as B had thought S had a crush on him at one point. But regardless, I wasn’t going to tell him what to do and the three of us started training together, but he would give her more attention and praise where as I would get little to no attention unless it was to critique me and no praise.
Recently, I’ve begun to get jealous (which I admit is unhealthy) and I have expressed to him that I wanted to spend more time together as we don’t really do anything together anymore since he has been spending time with her but he chalks it up to working on his goals. I try to ask about our goals in a relationship but they essentially get ignored.
One of the goals I mentioned was getting a place of our own. I have been DoorDashing consistently until I find something better whereas he hasn’t had a job since we’ve gotten together. I try to have a conversation but he immediately takes it as me attacking him and lecturing him. I vented to S about my feelings and she immediately went and told B what I said.
B and I had another argument today, and when we resolved it his mother pulled him aside and they had a talk. He came to talk to me and when he mentioned that I was brought up, he wouldn’t tell me what was said. Said he didn’t want to have negativity. But then immediately went upstairs and told his mom what happened.
I understand I have behaviors I need to work on and am making progress towards but anytime we have an argument I’m made to feel like the villain no matter what. I am so upset that I got in my car and just left. It feels like I’m back in high school and I can’t tell anyone anything.
What do I do? Any advice would be helpful, I’m so conflicted.

Hello! Within the next year, I will be living in my car full time and in the mean time I have been looking into some ways to make the time less stressful. Here are some things I have tried out in my local area and their prices!
1.) The deli in Walmart is fairly inexpensive if you know what to get, looking for a hot meal? Ask a small container of mac n cheese, this will cost you $0.97 but turns into $1.05 after tax (in California).
2.) Local Mexican bakeries have some of the best prices for bakery items like conchas! I’ve gotten a bag of like 3 conchas for around $2.00!
3.) Planet Fitness is cheap way to shower! Most of them are open 24hrs a day some days of the week. Very clean usually and you can even kill some time by working out. This can either be $10 or $25 a month.
4.) Goodwill, everyone know about this place but you can go on days where things are cheaper! (Keep in mind this is for California where I live, check in your area for their specific discounts) • Students receive 15% off their purchase, any day of the week with valid ID. • Adults 55 and older also receive 15% off their purchase each Tuesday when a valid ID is presented at the register. • Active and retired military personnel and their dependents enjoy an additional 15% off purchases each Monday when valid military ID is presented at the register.
5.) Looking for a warm breakfast without making a dent in the bank? Taco Bell by far is the cheapest option for a healthy meal, be there before 11am and you can have access to a meal under $2.00. My favorite is the “Cheesy Toasted Breakfast Burrito with Potato,” which runs you $1.69 before tax!

Sorry if this is a stupid question and if this isn’t allowed here let me know and I’ll remove it - I fairly recently got myself a Nimbus access card (for few reasons) and it would allow me to skip queues at certain places like gigs. As I'm quite an awkward, anxious person and would feel awkward using it even though I have a legit reason to how would I go about doing so?
Would I just show the security my card and I’d be let in? What difference would being able to get into a gig early make?

I've been married for 6 years with two kids (16m & 6f). The 16m is my stepson and I've know him since he was about 8. The age gap between the two kids makes it hard for us as a family to do things. My wife always picks to do things with the older one mainly because he's hands off and she can go shopping or eat lunch/dinner with friends when my stepson has basketball classes or tournaments. Our marriage was decent until recently when my stepson started to have more activities outside of school.
I've asked her to switch once in awhile and she always says no. Her quality time with our daughter is basically just 3x a week at night when she takes her to shower and bed time. During the week she takes the oldest to practice or games at least 5x a week and most weekends she is gone for tournaments. I feel like a single dad most of the week and even though I should cherish the alone time, I am exhausted and I can't feel like I'm getting shafted. Last weekend they went to a tournament in vegas and I was at home taking care of my sick daughter while she had plans with her friends the entire weekend. The weekend before, it was a tournament in another city so they were gone the entire weekend. She basically laid out the summer plans and there's some event going on every other weekend. I can't take my daughter since she has some classes of her own on the weekend. But do you guys have any advice on a middle ground?
What makes it worse is that I'm the one footing the bill for these trips. She works part time, but most of her money is sent back to her parents. What also doesn't help is my stepson's attitude towards me has really gone to shit - ignoring my messages and not doing his chores. When I talk to him about this he just says he has no time and for me to back off since I'm not his father.
I'm kind of venting by now, but for those with kids that have ages far apart, how do you guys make time?