One piece phone wallpapers

My parents - especially my mother - never showed any interest in her children. Any older children for that matter. From a certain age on, she looses all interest in children. However, she calls herself "baby crazy" and she is. She constantly wants to cuddle and hold baby's, wants to make thousands and thousands of photos of her grandkids (my brothers children, 5m and 4f). It is not unsualy that we get up to 30 or 40 pictures of my niece and nephew in our family group chat. My parents don't work since the mid 90s and live off benefits from the government. But she has a huge reborn collections, dolls that are made to look like newborn baby's. One can be a couple hundred euros. She really is baby crazy.
As far as I can remember, my parents raised us without any empathy, warmth or genuineness. They never asked how we are and as teenagers we did discuss it with them. Told them we want some more attention. Their answer: "So we have to ask you ever day how your day was?" as if it was so bothersome. When I moved out to study in a different city they never asked how it goes and never visited, except for when they had business in that city and needed to stay with me so they didn't have to pay for accommodation. When my younger sister was born, I was 13 years old and noticed, how warm and sweet she was with her baby. Not with us tho. It broke my heart hearing her say "I love you" to my baby sister but not me. Now my sister is 18 and hasn't heard "I love you" for a long time. This pattern continued with her grandkids. She adores them but ignores her adult children. Now, since my nephew is 5, my parents pride themselves with the fact that they can give the 5 year old a switch, mobile phone or any other electronic device and he sits on the couch and doesn't bother them. I find it sad tbh. It already started that they are uninterested in him. Last week it escalated and I argued with my mother. Mostly about my pregnancy but also about their lack of interest in their children from a certain age in. Her repsonse: "If we really were uninterested in our children from 6 years old, we would've put all of you up for adoption when you were 6." Two of her coping mechanism with critique is excuses or vastly exaggerating the issue to make it look ridiculous. It's really frustrating to have an adult discussion with her (Btw my father is the quite type, never argues but always stands behind my mother).
The problem: I (30f) am 38 weeks pregnant now. During my whole pregnancy she never asked how I am. Never asked how the baby was, which is not surprising. But now, she has demands. She demands - not even wants but demands - lots of pictures of my baby (not me or my husband, but my baby) because she already bought a photo album to put them all in. The same album she has for her other grandkids. It reads "my grandkids" on the cover. So it's only for her, not a memory that she can give to us when it's full. The issue I have here is that her only goal with these pictures is to post them online or show them (offline) to friends and family. My brother told me that she already promised lots of people these pictures. I assume she does all this to show what a great grandma she is. Her whole Facebook page is full of "best grandma" or "proud grandma" posts. What makes me believe that this whole situation is only for her benefit is connected to her lack of interest. To this day, she didn't even ask for the baby's name. Never. She only knows it because my sister slipped when she visited them. I am not mad at her for that. My parents are totally allowed to know the name but they simply never asked. So basically she isn't even interested to know my baby's name but wants hundred pictures to show them around? Doesn't make any sense to me.
In addition, she has no empathy for our wishes. For instance, my husband and I don't want naked photos taken of our baby. She does send us naked pictures of my niece and nephew and children of the extended family I never even met. So this has been an issue. Usually they are in the bathtub or relaxing after swimming in the pool. We did say we feel uncomfortable but her excuse: naked baby photos are totally okay because they are still small. My husband and I believe otherwise. But she is unwilling to compromise.
Some of the other issues I have and her response to my confrontation: - I told her she never asked how the baby is or how I am coping with the pregnancy. Her repsonse: when she was younger it was custom that the child informs the parent of any news in their life's. And since she was raised that way, she is not gonna change. - I told her she has to change since the world is constantly changing. She can't keep staying in the past. The world will never adapt to her. Her response: she is already 54 and can't change that easily, it would require her whole life to change. And, according to her, I wouldn't change either when I am 54. I doubt that. - she asked us if she can make prints of our baby's hands and feet when she comes to visit. My problem: she takes these moments away from us - the actual parents. I would like to do these things myself. - concerning visitation: my parents never asked us when they could come to visit. I am due June 22nd and honestly was hoping that they couldn't afford the trip, since they cannot stay with us and would need a hotel. But last week, they told us that they would like to come around July 17th for 4-5 days. They didn't really ask but told us, that this would be the best time for them. When I told them we have lots of things to do in July (new baby, becoming a small family, moving to a different apartment which my parents also know of) and we would welcome them in August, she lost it. They couldn't come I'm August because A) they have "so many" appointments in August and she thought, even tho we are moving, a few days for us to spare would surely work. And b) the baby would already be "too big" in August and I would rob her of these precious weeks when the baby is so small. Time she will never get back. And after all, I probably already would have had 2-3 weeks with my baby already after birth (as if she decides what's enough time for me and my baby). - she said that she thought the time when we plan to move would be perfect for a visit anyway since she can take the baby for the day while my husband and I do the moving or do household chores. I hate people who think that the best help for a young mother is to take her baby away from her so that she can "finally focus on household chores" wtf? - I am SO stressed thinking all she comes for is my baby. She has no interest in seeing me or my husband and said "I already know you two and now I want to get to know the baby". Reminder: she never even asked for the baby's name! But wants to "get to know her"?? How does that make any sense? - She told us she only wants to visit if she can hold, cuddle and kiss the baby. And she was livid when we told her we decide when she can hold the baby. I don't want them to hold my baby just because they are here. I want them to have a genuine interest in our live and our baby. Also I would like my baby to sleep in piece but I am sure she will take it anyway since she repeatedly said "we will only be there for a couple of days and wanna make the most of it". She also said "You can have it back when we are gone" and, what bothered me the most "The baby will belong to you once we are gone". As if it doesn't belong to me while they are here? My husband and I want to habe full control over who holds the baby at what time. For instance I want it back when it's time for breastfeeding but I know she will not easily give it back.
Early on in the pregnancy I knew it would come to that. A necessary discussion about setting boundaries. And it stressed me out so much. So we tried to compromise. We set a visitation date at the end of July (not August) and put some boundaries in place: only holding the baby when asked or if we give it to her, no pictures taken unasked, no hand or footprints taken unasked, if they want information about the baby, they need to come to us not the other way around.
She didn't accept any of these. We always told her we would like for them to come but we want them to respect our boundaries. To no avail. She won't compromise and uses the uni reverse card saying "Well, if you don't want us to be there..." which we never said. Yesterday my husband asked her one final time is they come to visit end of July. She said she would love to but can't due to the collision of "our and your requirements". As if she is entitled to requirements about my baby! My husband then asked what her requirements were and she said: unlimited and unrestricted access to pictures and cuddles/kisses. She said it would "break her heart" to hear us say no to photos, if the baby has a cute moment. Smiling for instance. A moment that he will never get back because she will only be here for a couple of days. And won't see the baby for months after that. But we all know that they won't give a firetruck about my baby once they are gone, once the baby is "too old" in there opinion.
This made me so mad. She really things she is entitled to everything concerning my baby. Everything that would proof what a "great/proud grandma" she is. I am so mad that she chooses pictures of my baby over seeing us. She would rather not come - out of spite - than to come and meet her grandchild. I am sure this relationship will not heal from that. I am sure that in the future I will always get to hear "Back then you didn't allow us to come..." etc. So I figured goof long contact might be the best solution for my little family and me.

So I'll make this as short a story as possible and for privacy reasons I won't say the name of the guy in question. But basically I was recommeded to CC by an older gentlemen in his late 50s or so. His granddaughter had been completely cured of epilepsy when she was 6 through a surgery they performed.
She's now 9 I believe and still hasn't had any seizures. So that's his backstory. So he highly recommended me to CC.
But I'm telling you guys it was only when I met him in person that I felt like going back, because I had felt extreme anxiety and fear about going back. Because had gone once before and they had done all these tests and scans, I had a seizure and everything. And they didn't find the cause. So they basically want me to come back and cut my skull open and force me to have another seizure. Something even more extreme than before.
But this guy was extremely confident, kind, EVERYTHING I wanted to hear, he said lolz If he was my doctor at CC I wouldn't have hesitated to go back the first time. I had talked to this guy over the phone because my brother knew him but we had never met in person. But when we actually sat down and talked face to face, it was another matter. I've felt better ever since. It might sound crazy to say this but I've been feeling less auras since our talk.
I think the older guy would've made a great doctor, very friendly. That one conversation made me feel better than all the anti-anxiety meds I tried awhile back, those were useless.
Anyway I just wanted to make this post because I didn't realize how big an inpact a single conversation could have. And to low-key praise this man who shall remain unnamed lol

Greetings everyones!
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A little back story ever since I was young I loved Transformers, G1, the OG movie, Beast Wars and so on, I had some of the old G1 figures growing up but as I got older I wasn't really allowed to keep them anymore and they got given away. Sometime in the early 2000s I started to collect the Armada figures and had a big collection of them, even Energon and many of the Galaxy Force figures. Then a girl I was really serious about being with decided that they needed to go, back then I just wanted to please them and sold everything... big mistake but anyway.
Even though I kept up with Transformers news, games, movies and shows; I never really brought any of the figures ever again untill very recently, the place I live doesn't have any big toy stores but there is a small one that was selling some of the 2022 collection for half price so I picked up no. 92 Crosshairs and no. 93 Autobot Hot Rod and just the other day brought from eBay 01 Bumblebee, the 1976 Camaro from the first live action movie which arrived today.
While I have opened Crosshairs and HotRod I have left Bee in his package because after handling the two it feels like pieces come off of them REALLY easily, for example the left front coat of Crosshairs keeps coming off and doesn't seem to set back in very well and continues to come off, while Hot Rod who I know has some issues with his transformation has an issue of the tiny flap on his left foot coming off all the time, unable to reattach it properly and just slides off. The issues have put a little bit of a soar taste in my mouth and has me wondering, is it just the later SS TFs that have these sorts of issues or are all of them quite bad with this OR is it just my ones that are this bad?
I do want to continue collecting the SSTFS and have my eyes set on 02 Decepticon Stinger (a bit pricey now but my bad for waiting so long) but just worried so many will continue to have issues.
Thank you for your time everyone!

Mistakes

On 15th May 2023, I was filming part 1 Q&A video of 24th May Q&A. 24th May Q&A video was filmed on 15th May 2023 because got many many questions. So I divide into different days different parts. On 15th May 2023, I made a big mistake. The place where I film, sometimes the NEA, they will pour the stupid bottle on the floor, got a lot of stupid idiot mosquitos then come to my place. That time I didn't bring this call the mosquito thing, the insect, the one call what. That time 15th May 2023, I never bring this thing. So after that, I put this thing (shieldtox) everyday inside my bag. Because sometimes I film the Q&A here, the NEA. I don't understand why they want to put the bottle of mosquitos. Then the mosquito fly here, I feel very frustrated. So after that, I tell myself, every-time I film Q&A, I must put this one inside my bag. So on 15th May 2023, I forgot to bring this. Then what happen ? A lot of mosquitos fly here fly there very dulan. As I want to hit the mosquitos, I accidentally hit the tripod stand. The tripod stand was with the phone. The tripod stand with the phone dropped down on the floor. Lucky the phone never spoil. If the phone spoil then honggan already. Because the phone I need to use for Q&A. So this was a fucking fucking big mistake that shouldn't have happened.
On 20th May 2023 (Saturday), my fans that time he message me say he want to treat me KFC. He order KFC to send to my house. That time I was seeing a doctor at Polyclinic. I was going for the X-Ray. After the X-Ray, I was at this void deck writing the 4D/Toto, then my this fan message me, going to order the KFC to deliver to my house. So I see the delivery time, its around 1.26pm. I was thinking I can reach home early by 1.10pm. So by 1.10pm, I can reach home already. That time my fan got tell me to tell my family/my parents. That time I never tell, I thought I can reach home early. Because if I tell my parents my fan want to treat me KFC, my parents will be a bit suspicious because my parents don't trust. Even that time I went out with Eddy Low, I have to tell my parents that this is my working colleague. Because they don't believe. Because you know I got a lot of haters. So my parents they don't trust people. They will felt that this is a guy. This guy is a hater. Trying to pretend to be my fans. They don't trust. I have to say he is a working colleague. So I made a mistake. I never go and call my parents say got food delivery coming. So that time when I reach home around 1.10pm. Just nice. Few minutes ago, the food delivery guy just left and my parents thought order the wrong one then they tell the delivery man they never order KFC. Then the delivery man go off then I was shocked. The delivery man call my fan. My fan say the address never wrong so ask the delivery man to return. But of course the delivery man have to go to other places to send first. So as a result, wait more than 30 minutes and I apologize to the delivery man. So its a big mistake because I should have call my parents on the phone when I was writing 4D/Toto that there is a delivery man coming but didn't. Luckily the delivery man got return but wasting a lot of time. So this is a mistake that shouldnt have happened.
The next mistake I make on 21st May 2023, I didn't go and check my notifications with the PLRD. Monday night, I cannot work because I got two notifications. Then after that I got to call the agency the next morning. Total got 2 agencies still holding my name. So I called the 2 agencies to cancel my notifications. What happened ? 24th night. Supposed to can work already. Then I go to look for adhoc jobs in the security whatsapp group. Then the agency check say I got two notifications. I was shocked. Then the next day, I call the agencies. Both agencies they forget to cancel. You see on the 23th May, I call them. The notifications in order to cancel need to wait for 24 hours later. So on Wednesday morning, I should have called the PLRD to check with them whether my notifications have been cancelled or not but I didn't. I think cannot be two agencies both also forgot to cancel. Confirm got one agency will cancel one. In the end, both also forget. Its a mistake that shouldn't have happened. When you work security officeguard, one person can only maximum two notifications. That means my name if lets say got two agencies, you cannot go and work adhoc job. Because your name got two agencies already. So you need to take out one of the agencies or best if you take out both agencies, the notifications so that your name is not under them then you go and work adhoc job. Ah then only you can work.
It was on the 25th May 2023, when I go to the toilet at home, while carrying the phone and the notebook, my notebook/datebook and the YouTube photo slideshow. The photo slideshow for example, I write the NXT champion Kurt Tay take selfie blah blah. That is called the photo slideshow book. I use the color ink pen to write the words. For example, the almighty WWE champion Kurt Tay take photo with fans. That is called the photo slideshow book. So this book and the date book, I accidentally drop inside the toilet bowl. Its a mistake that shouldnt have happened.
I made another mistake. It was on the 25th May 2023. 24th May 2023, my wife was off. When my wife was off day, its a bit hard for me to do the wrestling pose because she at home. She see me do the wrestling pose, she don't like. But however, 25th May 2023, my wife was working and I after eating, I forgot to do the wrestling pose because I was wearing the Almighty Bobby Lashley T-shirt but I forgot to do the Bobby Lashley wrestling pose after eating so this is also a mistake.

What the difference between the new and old Kurt Tay ?

Sometimes people will think. Got difference meh. Whats the difference ? Let me explain to you. The new Kurt Tay will have more confidence. My confidence level will reach above the sky level. My confidence will be a few million times or even a few billion time more confident than you can ever imagine. And I will be a few million times or even a few billion time smarter than you can ever imagine. Not only that. Sometimes in the past, you see my videos have to wait for a few days, never post. This thing will never happen again when the new Kurt Tay arrive on 4th June 2023. You see last time on certain days, there are fans take photo with me, sometimes I never get to post them. There are a lot of them which I never post on my YouTube channel. This thing will never happen again. Got fans take photo with me. Confirm guarantee plus chop, I will post them on my YouTube channel. And you will not see my food videos how come few days never post. Every day the food photo slideshows/videos will post on the date itself. No more wait for few days never post. No. Unless, this selfie eating videos, I might post on the next day. Because the selfie eating video is fucking long. Sometimes must take even 2 hours. So if I go to work, if I use the phone to upload the selfie eating videos, it will waste a lot of data. That one I will wait after work then I go home and use my wifi to upload. Other than that, the other videos you confirm see will post on the day itself.

Why don't you want do property agent ? Can earn a lot of money you know. Complete one transaction can earn $10000 in commissions. Didnt think of that ?

This is a very very good suggestion. If really one transaction can earn a lot of money, I think I will go and try. Thank you for the advice but then I hope the job got at least some basic. If the job totally dont have the basic, what happen if you have 0 transaction then how ? That means that whole month, you got no money at all. You got $0 earnings. If got $0 earnings then will honggan already. So I want to make sure got at least some basics. Not totally depends on commissions. If really can earn so much from transactions, I think I will actually quite interested. I think I will call to find out more because who don't love money. I love money but of course must guarantee have some basics also. What happen if I got zero deals ? I got try before last time. Do like the sales everything. Its not so easy to get people to buy your product you are promoting all these. Its not so easy. I want to make sure that everything is OK.

What are your birthday wishes ?

My birthday wishes every year is the same. Of course I hope that I can strike Toto first prize become a millionaire. I really have been dreaming to become a millionaire. Its my birthday wish. I want to become million dollar man. Money Money Money Money. Other wishes. I wish my family got the healthy. Myself healthy also. The third wish is actually that is quite impossible. I want to have Doraemon magic pocket. Because got that magic pocket, you basically can grant any wishes you want. You can have time travel machine blah blah blah. The Doraemon magic pocket.

If that someone promise to forgive you if ask you to crawl on all fours in public, will you do it ?

Answer is No. Last time is Yes. But also must see situation. Because if I not famous online celebrity, I got no problem doing that. But I am a famous online celebrity so it will be inconvenient. But now the answer confirm is No because I really very disappointed in someone.

I curious what your wife reply to you (referring to voice message to my wife where I was working at Raffles Institution Junior College)

I was working the traffic marshall. That means the car jam, I need to marshall the cars, to go as fast as they can. The RI, usually the parents will drive cars, the students got off from the cars and I so super super famous, a lot of students recognize me and approach me and take photo with me. That time so many fans. I went inside the guard house to take photos with my fans, RI students. Later on, so many fans, I keep on go in go out. In in out out. The supervisor can see. So I go inside, the view they cannot see. Later on the supervisor see why I keep walking in and out then she come and take a look. Then she say how come you taking photos with the students. Then she say "are they your relatives" ? Then I say "yah yah yah. my relatives" I also don't know how to explain because she don't know me. But then a lot of students they know me. This supervisor say cannot go inside to take photos. Then I say "Ï stand here. They take photos with me can or not" ? Then she say "cannot. you are on duty". After that around 7.50am, still got a lot of fans want to take photo with me. Then I tell my fans to wait say supervisor not happy already. I am SSS but I only work there adhoc 1 night only. After that I tell my fans have to wait until 8am when I finish work. 10 more mins. Some can wait. Some cannot wait. I actually missed out quite a lot of fans to take photo with me. So 8am, once finish work, a lot of fans rush to take photo with me. I so super super famous. After that I went back to the guard house, there is this one man which I think is the management. Because he wearing civilian clothes. He was instructing the security officers what to do. His face was very black color. Because I think he saw what happened. How come this security guard got so many students want to take photos with me. So this incident I got tell my wife. So Mr Meow is curious what my wife says. So my wife says "I should have tell my fans that I am working now. Cannot take photos." My wife say the management his face black black color. Its understandable that he is angry because I am doing security work. So my wife say should have tell my fans that I am working. Cannot take photos. So my wife say that I will kenna complain. Maybe the management will complain to the security agency. But the thing is a lot of fans will feel sad. They will feel disappointed when I rejected them when their idol (me). When they cannot take photo with me (their idol), they will feel very very disappointed. They will feel very sad. So I try not to make my fans disappointed which was why I agree to take photos with then. You see for famous online celebrity like me, its actually quite hard to work in school where I need to work road traffic marshall. Then got fans recognize me all these. I also not suitable to work security at MRT station. Imagine I doing security at MRT then people say "Kurt Tay Kurt Tay" So many people want to take photos with me. Because I am public figure. Certain security job like public area. I so famous. Its a bit hard. Its inconvenient.

If male and female JC students want to engage your BDSM services, will you say yes ?

This one must see if they got underage or not. I am not sure BDSM if there is a age requirement. I know sex there is a requirement. BDSM. I think its best at a legal age lah. To avoid conflict. If lets say students, its best if its 18 years and above. The legalized age. So if got male and female want to engage me as the male master, as long as they are legal ages, that should be fine. Must see situations first. Answer is Yes and No. If underage then cannot.

If the male and female JC students want to become your master and mistress to punish you, are you OK or not ?

For guys confirm is No. For guys, I can only become the master and not the slave. For girls, I Ok to be the master and slave but then must see if they are legalied age or not.

Use this thread to promote yourself and/or your work!
(Descriptions of fictional crimes investigated by the story's main Character Max.)
Detective's Fate
It's august of 2008.....
Max is a detective living in Chicago He checks his pistol and puts on his police badge as he walks out his front door.
He has been searching for a serial killer known as the Caller for years and always been one step behind due to the red tape.....
More importantly the chief's lazy attitude towards getting search warrants and actions approved by the courts for raids. Twice Max had good intel on the suspect's locations and photo evidence showing him at the sites.
The department needs more vigilant, caring officers and leaders but no one steps up to do it, instead they just complain about the slow progress and officers. And hinder investigations.
Now Max has decided that it might be time to stop playing by the rules and catch this scumbag.... .... ....
Starting his car Max sets his GPS to the address that "The Caller" was last seen and pulls out of his driveway as the 50 miles of directions pop up.
The killer's nickname being for his signature of calling in as he is committing the crime.
As he drives he remembers his first case, five years ago now..... ..... .....
A woman, Joane Taylor, was found dead in an alleyway after going out for the night. She showed no signs of struggle leading the police to believe she had drank to much and expired from alcohol poisoning.... ...
The death was written off as a "party gone wrong".... That is until several more were found and the coroner decided on a whim to test for other substances.
Once it came out that the deaths were possible murders...
The calls started coming in, almost like the suspect wanted credit before revealing himself....
Then ways of the deaths began changing as the Serial Killer explored his twisted desires searching for his preferred method.
The last case being a young woman found stuffed in a dumpster after the killer apparently got scared off.... Max will never forget it.... .... ....
The GPS finishes and the car beeps its final direction, taking an exit off the highway. Ramps out here are always confusing... Which is funny since he has driven this one for five years now...
The chief says he should sit this one out but he can't... The latest victim 3 months ago.
Marie Spelner, a waitress out on her smoke break talking to her spouse on the phone.
Survived by her husband, no children or living relatives. ....
Max Spelner turns into the driveway of the house he was directed to... Stepping out of the car he walks up and knocks on the door. Looking at the house he knows the family must be doing well if they live here.... Raising his hand to knock again he hears a scream from inside....
A second later the door is answered by a middle aged butler holding a tray with wine glasses on it... "Hello Sir, I'm sorry but this house does not wish to partake in any offers at this time..."
Max calmly says. "I'm not selling anything."
The butler looks confused for a moment before his eyes dart over Max's shoulder seeing his unmarked cruiser and he nods.
Looking past the butler Max sees that a woman is cleaning up after their dog.
"Have you seen this man?" Says Max holds up a picture of the one suspected of being the killer.
The butler gives it a once over before replying. "I'm sorry sir, no I have not." His tone sounds like he is lying... ....
"Are you sure?" The detective asks.
"I would not lie about something like that, sir." He states, his eyes not meeting Max's.
The woman calls from inside "Fletcher, who are you talking too?"
"Some man asking about a killer" he calls back.
"The killer is an inside job!" The woman quickly states.
"What?!" Max says.
"The Killer, it's an inside job." She says again, louder this time. In the same Max also hears a child begin to cry in another room.
"We should start from the beginning, it will be easier to explain trust me." The woman says.
'She seems to know what is going on....
"How do I know your story holds water?" He asks out loud.
"Oh I wouldn't lie. I have been following the case myself and it seems like an inside job to me." She states, somehow sounding hurt.
"Is there anyone else in the house besides you two and the baby?" He asks noticing the baby isn't crying anymore.
"Just Fletcher and I live here, the baby is my cousins but he just stays the night sometimes." She replies.
Max draws his gun and enters the house upon reasonable suspicion of an emergency in progress or suspect on the premisses as the man seems to be deceiving.
While the woman still seems unconcerned that the child is now silent.
He pushes past the butler and rushes towards the area he heard the crying. passes the entryway, the dinning room, and a kitchen before finally finding a child in a playpen.
"There there..." He says in a sing song voice picking up the child. "I'm officer Max, do you know where your mommy is?"
The child just cries louder.
Then he sees the man from the photo walk out of the bathroom, upon seeing him he bolts for the door and Max sets the child down gently then gives chase.
He runs through the house, following the man as he can hear the woman screaming at him to stop but he doesn't."
"Stop or I'll shoot." The man doesn't even break stride.
Instead he runs out of the front door and jumps into his car.
Furious that the man might escape he fires at the car as it drives away.
The back window shatters and he hopes he got his tire, but he doesn't wait to find out as he runs to his car and initiates a pursuit....
He flips on his concealed lights in his cruiser as he reverses down the drive and into the street.
The suspects car is fast but he manages to keep up with it weaving in and out of traffic as people move over for the siren.
As they approach a red light there is heavy traffic in the intersection..... ....
The suspect slams on his brakes and Max's cruiser only just stops short of hitting it. Jumping out the Detective points his firearm at the vehicle running up beside seeing heavily tinted windows.
"Get out of the car and on the ground now!!" He shouts as he moves to the driver's side door.
After seeing no response....
Max throws open the door and the driver is gone with the passenger side open.
He quickly runs to the other side catching the man trying to sneak off tackling him to the ground and then takes his arms putting them behind his back.
Max grabs his radio and calls it in as the man cries.
As he is waiting he hears a noise that sounds like static.....
"Wrong guy moron.. Did you ever stop to think I wanted you close for this one. That I planned everything...Even framing the pothead..... I almost lost interest until you pulled in the driveway... The attic is kinda cramped tho... I think I'll go carve some meat. Maybe graduate to other things to. I'm not sure yet. Lets see if you can catch me before......" A familiar voice says over the radio then cuts off... ...
Max looks at the man on the ground. "Why did you run from me?" He asks.
"Cause I have like 19 grams of marijuana in my pocket." He replies...
"Do you know how stupid that is?! I don't care about that I'm looking for a killer."
Before he can answer Max hears the woman from the house screaming for her life and a child's cries on his radio.
Then from below Max. "He's in the house, he's in the house! My mom and the baby!" The man on the ground says crying.
Max uncuffs him and runs to his car heading back to the house as he lays down rubber on the road... ... ...
As he approaches and pulls into the driveway he notices the front door is open.
"Hold on I'm coming!" Max screams jumping out of his cruiser...
He runs into the house finding the woman's body arriving too late. Moving over to her he checks for a pulse but she is gone, a large gash in her neck.
As he stands up he slips in a fluid but gains his balance and tries not to think about what it is....
He rushes to the room the baby was in finding the play pen empty. He leaves the room searching the rest of the house and still doesn't find the child.
"Where are you!!!" He calls out....
"This is the Callers first kidnapping and the media would eat up the fact I failed to stop the man." He thinks as he blames himself.
Sirens begin to blare in the distance as backup is about to arrive... ... ...
"There's a woman dead and a baby missing! The woman is in the dinning room straight ahead of the front door, Hurry!" He yells into his radio...
Looking over at the mother seeing a piece of paper on the floor.
He walks over to it seeing writing.
"So close... Looks like I'm a kidnapper now.... Good luck finding me.... And... I so enjoyed killing that sweet wife of yours. Might do it that way again. Not to the kid tho....later Max. Ps. This game is so fun.." It says.
"He was here..." Is all he can muster as the team enters.
"He was right in this house and I missed it because her son freaked over weed and ran..." He says as another officer speaks to him gently.
"Don't beat yourself up Detective, it's not your fault. He must have hid before you got her and left after you arrived." The words do little to comfort him "First day back on the job and the killer escaped taking a child..." He says as he walks away.
The chief arrives in his new lexus with a screeching of rubber as he lurches to a halt.
He quickly exits and leaves his door hanging open as he rushes into Max's face....
"I told you to stay away from this case MAX!!!!....(takes a breath)...
"If I catch any flak from my superiors, I won't suspend you.... That'd be to easy. Desk duty and an entry level demotion. The new guy will have a higher rank than you if things go my way.... Now get outta my sight...". "(Sighs)...
"This job is gonna be the death of me..." He says walking away from Max and towards the Coroner's van..... ..... .....
On the way home the detective stops by the store close to his house which is unlike him because he usually follows the same routine.
He nears the front door and he hears a kitchen timer ding loudly from behind him as his car explodes throwing him through the storefront windows as they are blown out..... .....
Alarms around the lot and others nearby create a cacophony of noise. His head pounding as his body aches, Max pushes himself up and collapses as the store manager runs over to him telling him not to move as he dials 911.... .... ....
Waking in the hospital Max recalls the feeling of the Shockwave as he flinches in phantom pain.
"Who woulda thought its like holding a ringing metal bat that hurts your hands but all over and way more intense." He thinks.
He suddenly feels tired and falls asleep.... .... .... ....
The next time he wakes, he sees a breaking news story that Jane Saltani is reporting on....
"Young toddler Accidently Shoots Serial killekidnapper ending his life and Alerting residents in the Area." The news anchor says.
Sighing to himself Max thinks about how crazy that is and laughs.
Tho he really wanted to bring the guy in. He closes his eyes to get some much needed sleep as his door opens.
Max looks up to see a man with a silenced pistol pointed at him.
"Hm. Now they think I'm dead. Funny how they just assume they got the right guy. Just like.... You did Detect... ....." Max hears but then hears no more as his end comes at just over the speed of sound....
The Caller leaves the hair of another intelligent convicted murderer that he obtained in a spot that's believable and quickly leaves.....
He disables the surveillance system and sends a virus out to any device that has received video data from the hospital.
Erasing and corrupting the systems. Leaving a master hackers finger prints on a glass from his home....
"Sorry, no witnesses." He says to the security guard as he fires... ..... ..... .... ....

We have a 21 month old and a baby due in October. He owns his own business and works very, very hard. There is a lot of stress from work, and I know he is always tired, but he always tries his best to be a present husband and father.
He loves our son and helps with him every night after work and always spends time doing fun activities with us on the weekends. He usually gets a two hour nap in on the weekend days, and a couple hours to rest after son’s bedtime, but otherwise we are both active with our son pretty much all the time (he is very high energy and adventurous). I try to offer him time to himself here and there, he has a helicopter ride with friends in a few weeks, and I encouraged him to go see his favorite football team play out of state in early September which I know he is looking forward to. I still think he craves down time which is understandable, but hard to come by.
I worked part time this year as a teacher (previously full time). Next year we decided I will stay home as childcare for two little ones will not be possible for our families, or financially sustainable via daycare. I do all the cooking, we have someone clean once a week, but I do laundry and keep things very tidy in between (he helps with dishes, and laundry sometimes). I try to take on the bulk of my son’s needs for attention, stimulation, and comfort, but I do need a second to rest, too and so when my husband is home I try to share the responsibility with him without totally overwhelming him. I can honestly say he is a wonderful man and I tell him that often and I love him with all my heart, and he knows that and I try to do everything I can to ease his burden at home.
A while after I made breakfast this morning, I suggested we go to a local farmers market which he agreed to happily. Then he went to get ready. When he was done, he asked if I was ready, and I said I just needed him to watch the baby so I could brush my teeth (my son will climb the toilet, turn on the sink etc. or scream and cry and bang on the door if I close it). This part is a bit hard to remember exactly, but I’m trying to be as unbiased as possible to get your advice. He told me to “just close the door”. I was annoyed (we have had this disagreement before) and said “I just wanted to get ready once a week without the baby crying at the doomy feet.” He raised his voice and said “close the fucking door, who cares if he cries.” I said something like “I care if he cries, I’m his parent, why are you acting like an asshole? You don’t have to go to the farmers market you can stay here. I don’t want to go anywhere with you when you’re acting like this.” I closed the door since he wasn’t picking up the baby, not sure what I should really do, I heard him yell “fuck you” through the door. I brushed my teeth, and when I opened the door 2 minutes later he was gone, he left with the baby for three hours.
I texted him and called him asking him to bring the baby back at first, telling him I would take the baby so he could rest/cool off on his own, that I was very stressed and I was sorry and wanted to talk etc. He refused to answer calls and texted me back I should enjoy my peace and they would be home later, I told him I could not relax knowing he was angry and I wanted to be with our son and him, too if we could communicate. He said that was my choice. Then he turned his phone off without saying when he would be home.
I want to preface this part by saying, my husband and I are usually really good communicators believe it or not. This type of exchange is not in our usual character. However, I don’t like when people raise their voice and curse at me, and I won’t take it lying down anymore (I did for most of my life with others) and my husband knows this. He has never done anything like this. I didn’t know what to do, I never have and never would withhold my son from him and refuse communication. I can’t begin to describe how upset I was that my son left after I closed the door on him crying, and then I didn’t know where he was or when he would be home. I have never been powerless to reach him like that before. My husband came home and said he needed to nap, he would not talk. I told him we needed to talk and I would never do what he had done, but I left him alone to sleep (he is someone who needs his rest, and needs time to cool off before talking).
I just don’t know where to go from here. I’m hoping he will wake up and apologize and explain his behavior and I can apologize and try to find a solution to address his angestress/tiredness that led to this. I doubt that will happen though, I think he’s angry, and I’m angry too, but I want to have a conversation that will lead to resolution. I never want this to happen again and I want to help him. Please advise me. I’m at a loss.

My f(20) boyfriend (29) are getting engaged. We’ve been dating for two years now and I was originally excited but now I’m not as much? I mean I’m excited to be married to him but I’m not as excited for any sort of wedding anymore and here’s why.
He’s told some of his family members his plan, and it was met with a lot of them going “are you sure?” Or “it’s just a piece of paper don’t do it.” Like what does that even mean? I know marriage is a big deal but we are both wanting this, I’ve been living with him for almost a year and our future goals align together perfectly. We are currently saving up together for a down payment on a house so we can start our family, and his family knows this.
It just feels rude to me, idk. Would they have asked these things if my boyfriend was with someone older? He’s never been married or engaged before so I can’t say for sure but I feel singled out. I’ve always felt a little singled out because of my age, like I didn’t belong with him or his family. No one has ever been mean to me or said anything to my face, but it kinda hurts.
Idk maybe I’m reading too much into it. Has anyone else been in something of a similar situation? The entire thing is making we want to say screw it and go to the courthouse and just get it done and not invite anybody, but I know that’s petty and not what him or I would want. I’m also not really trying to establish myself as that type of person to his family, all of whom I’ve met multiple times before.
If anyone has any advice or words of encouragement I would really appreciate it.

So I (22 M) started work at a mid-sized national retail store (Canada) In April and I am already thinking of handing in my two weeks notice. I work in the tech department. I thought I signed up for a part time job selling tech products to people. What I actually signed up for was a parade of awful* customers and terrible management.
*90% percent of my customers have been chill, remaining 10% are the problem
The things I've had to deal with include(But are not limited to):
Having to watch to make sure that somebody who is clearly on something so that the don't pilfer the smart home stuff or the tablets, several times a day in some cases.
Having an old white dude loose his mind because I was taking a bit to cut up someone else's passport (On a paper cutter, mind you) as a line built front of the photo counter because I was only one of four people on the tech floor at the time and two of the three are managers who are in a meeting and the other was our proper computer technician.
Activating a phone plan for someone who is (again) clearly on something and in an elevated mood, sending my autistic brain into fight or flight mode and causing me to look like an idiot in front of anyone nearby.
A manager being like "How do you not know how to do The Thing?!" even though the thing that they are referring to is a complex procedure that I did a training module for almost literal months ago and have not done in person ever before.
Our cardboard compactor being set on fire from the outside.
Some dude smashing his iPhone on the tech counter and storming out.
Having someone pay for a game console entirely in cash.
Customers looking at me like I told them that I kick puppies because I told them "I'll just a moment" as I was putting out small appliances on the display shelves that are taller than I am.
I recognize that this workplace is inherently toxic, but I really don't have many other options nearby as I live in the kind of place that prides itself on being a university town, even though that in reality it's an isolated cesspit that's used the fact of it having a university to disguise the fact that it a dead-end Industry town, like a boujie outhouse in the middle of the woods that people keep using but no one has bothered to clean in the past 12 years. Thank you for reading through my rant.

Part 1: First contact
The nature of predators belongs to the wonderful u/SpacePaladin15
Lancer is copyright Massif Press.
All characters are my own. (Excluding RA, Sisyphus, and Osiris)
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Do you see us? Do you read us? Can you hear us? RA is waiting. But you ignore him.
Everything felt wrong. Of course, piloting a Pegasus made you feel that, but at this point Echo thought he would be used to it. “Dawn, Mech status?”
“Mechs structure is fine, but the hull is banged up a bit.”
“And the Ushabti?”
“It’s still stable… for the most part.”
“Well, we better check in.” Echo opened themselves to the omninet, they felt around only feeling the six mechs around him. “Dawn… I Can’t” they stutter.
“Me too Echo. I can only feel us and the others.”
“How are the idiots in shard doing?” they stutter
“The Sisyphus responded with the whole I know everything, and nothing deal. And the Osiris was still in storage. And Lono was still singing.”
“At least one of them is still stored. Weapon and system status?”
“The Fusion Rifle is at 78% power. The Autogun is at full functionality. The Mimic gun is angry. The smoke mines and grenades are fully used up”
Echo got up and started to pull out a choker and a thermal pistol. They climb out of the cockpit and update their hair from dark black to a lighter brown with a green fade. Flexing their metal right arm and cybernetic left leg. It’s clawed toes scraping at the metal floor. “Let’s get out of Fragment, dawn.”
“Cap! It’s on fire and we need to leave! We are under attack! Come on!”
Righ bolts up. His head is pounding, he shakes his head. “God where am I?” He walks over to his cockpit. “Better run a system check.” He mutters to himself. “let’s see, Thermal rifle at full power, Laser Rifle at 45% functionality?” “The prototype is at 35% functionality?” “Apocalypse rail at 100%. Hull at 32% Structure at 75%! Shit shit shit!”
He springs up faster than a man at his weight should. He downs his heavy hardsuit. As his helmet locks into his main suit, he grabs his handheld printer ready to do basic repairs. As he climbs down to the modified storage room he sees the stored mech suit is banged up a little but not so much that Echo would kill him.
As he climbs out the storage hatch, he notices three things; one that is a hole the size of him in his mechs left side. Two the air is breathable. And third that the stars are not the same as the ones he last saw. “Well, where are we, and how do we get here?” he asked to no one in particular.
“Piper you can’t keep doing this!” “I have too!” “You don’t and you know this!” “See you later Pip.”
Pip is in pain. He feels himself being pulled to sleep by the pain. He grabs around his cockpit until he feels his medicine bag. He feels through it until he feels one of his stims. Pulling it out,.
“Kick huh. That works.” He mumbles. He injects it feeling is body burn for a few moments as his body forces it’s self-wake. “Oh, that hurt. Oh, that always hurts.” He sits up leaning in his seat.
“let’s see. Vijaya rockets silo full. Charged blade at 36% power. Need to charge that. And the Variable sword as normal is at 100%. Fade cloak ready. Hunter logic online. Singularity contended ready to be exposed. EVA auto powered off. Planet side huh. Jump jet at 29%. Powering that off to prevent more damage. Flight system ready for action. Heat levels low. Reactor stress... high. Ok, need to get Echo to fix that. Oh, I am rambling to myself again.”
He sighs and pulls out a dagger and rifle. Pulling out an armored hardsuit he puts it on. Clicking his medicine bag to the outside sheathing his dagger and holstering his rifle. He climes out of his mechs cockpit and into the open air. The sky smells of ozone as he sees Echo get out the belly of their mech and Righ is using his handheld printer to repair his mech piece by piece. ‘Well Wind. Let’s deal with this” he whispers to himself.
-----{Two hours later}-----
That looks unstable. Are you sure that is going to work? Oh, dear that’s gone all so wrong.
“Righ your mechs internal systems are low. Your stabilizers are jammed, along with your Flak launcher targeting systems being offline.” Dawn’s ‘voice’ coming from his suits comms.
“We can work on that when I don’t have a hole in my mech. This is going to take a while to repair.” He grumbled “We only have my handheld printer right now so we can’t do much at the moment.”
There’s a crashing sound as the smell of burning plastic and flesh starts to drift downwind.
“Can Basher move or is the hole to much?” Pip called to Righ
“They can move but a bit slower.” Righ responded.
“I think we should check that out. There are people at crashes. Could tell us where we are.” Echo said.
“Everyone suit up and get ready. We are moving out. Prepare for potential hostiles. Echo, you go after me, Righ your last.” Pip called out. As everyone climes up into their mechs they start to see the smoke rise as unfamiliar screams sound in the distance. “Update hostiles almost confirmed. Prepare for combat.” Dawns ‘voice’ calls from the mech intercoms.
-----{One hour later}-----
As the mechs come over a hill they see a crashed ship with human and strange bodies everywhere. “Those aren’t all human. But they got weapons.” Pip stated.
“No shit Pip. What are those?” Echo says as one of their mechs four clawed talons reaches up and points to reptilic humanoids eating the bodies. The reptilic humanoids notice them and start to point weapons at them.
“Well shit. Time for combat.” Righ activates his stabilizers only for an error message to pop up. “Shit. Well, no rail today.” He climbs out of his mech as the things start to fire at him. Pulling out a scope he reads their distance at about 120 feet. He dashes back to the cockpit. “Out of range they are 120 feet out. Counting 60 hostiles” He calls out.
“Understood! firing Mimic Gun!” echo shouts over the intercoms as the flat rounded face of their mech pulls apart as an ever-changing weapon emerges from the split in the face. It fires a bolt that explodes on contact with the ground.
When the dust clears seven bodies lie on the ground. The mech runs 30 feet closer to the hostiles. The mechs back armor opens up revealing a spine like object with what looks like nerves coming off deeper into the mech and a blackhole appears over a disk shape at the back of the mech as it fires a bolt of something killing one of the hostiles. A different gun raises from the spine, fires and folds back in the spine as two more bodies fall. “Nine hostiles down 51 to go.”
“Loading Rail, Pip your up.” Righ broadcasts.
Wind runs 70 feet towards the hostiles as they start to flicker before disappearing appearing next to the hostiles instantly. They slice at the things with an impossibly thin blade that’s now covered in red blood. As two bodies fall over. They slash with a thick blade that was in its sheath a moment ago as six hostiles fall over sparking from the energy that just ran through them. Two rockets fire from its shoulder and two of them explode. The mech holds the thick blade in a guarding pose. “17 down.”
The hostiles move as one get slashed from the mech. They fire and Wind just takes it. They then charge 40 feet at Basher and Fragment. Wind looks scratched. “19 down.”
“Ejecting, mechs locked down.” Righ says before as they jump out with a mini gun and their heavy hardsuit, a large sword clamped on his back. They walk 20 feet closer to the hostiles. They start unloading the mini gun at the hostiles killing two before stopping and holding his ground.
Fragments runs 30 feet at the hostiles. The mimic gun fires killing four more in an explosion. And then a fourth gun unfolds from the belly of fragment shooting a bolt of lightning frying two of the hostiles. “27 hostiles down 33 to go. Opening the Eye of Horus. I SEE EVERYTHING AND EVERYTHING SEES ME!” echo screams.
Wind flickers and reappears in the middle of the hostiles. Before slashing eight of them with the thin blade as they pick them apart with expert detail. They slash with the thick sword missing. As two rockets fire and hit two of them. “37 down.”
Righ moves 30 feet closer as he unloads his mini gun, killing six of them. He prepares to hold his ground. The hostiles charge the last 30 feet between them. As the hostiles start to slash at him, they can’t breach his armor. Two of them shoot him but it misses. He pulls out his sword and cuts through them. Killing three. “that’s forty!”
Fragment moves into the hostiles. The gun reemerges from Fragments spine as all four guns unload killing eight more. Fragment’s legs are coated with blood as Echo is cackling. Wind’s thin blade flicks as four more fall as three rockets fire killing three more. The last five of the things fall to Righs blade.
“That’s all of them. Let’s take ten and look at that ship.” Righ called. He turned around as the mech lifts it’s hand as he starts doing repairs on the armor. Pip climbs out of Wind and starts cleaning the blades of blood. Echo quiets his cackling as he climbs out and starts looking at the bodies.
“These things are alien, same with their tech. It’s all code me and Dawn can’t make sense of.” Echo starts fiddling with some of the weapons on the bodies. “Looks like their claws and teeth are their main weapons, the guns are an afterthought.”
“Can you not pick at the dead Echo?” Pip mumbles.
“Nope. By the way your blade is out of power.”
“Already knew that.” Pip grumbles as he starts climbing back into Wind. “let’s look at the ship and then we can deal with our mechs. Don’t want to get jumped by more of those things.”
“I agree. The faster we are the sooner we can find survivors.” Righ climbs back into Basher as the mech starts to turn to the ship.
“I still want to mess with the bodies.” Echo mumbled as he climbed back into Fragment. All the guns sunk back into Fragment as the back armor closes up, and the split in the face seals. The group starts to run to the crashed ship.
Wind appears next to the ship. Pip climbs out and starts to check the non-eaten bodies. Fragment arrives as Echo ejects out landing on the top of the ship. Basher arrives and picks up a small part of the wreak. There’s a creaking sound as the area where Echo is standing falls.
“Found survivors. Or more of I fell into survivors.” Echo’s voice rings over Pip’s and Righ’s comms.
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I am going to try to make at least three parts. Please give me feedback. This is my first published writing so all feed back is appreciated.
[next]-[Last]-[First]

I don’t know if this is allowed, but maybe you all will understand best. We have a 21 month old and a baby due in October. He owns his own business and works very, very hard. There is a lot of stress from work, and I know he is always tired, but he always tries his best to be a present husband and father.
He loves our son and helps with him every night after work and always spends time doing fun activities with us on the weekends. He usually gets a two hour nap in on the weekend days, and a couple hours to rest after son’s bedtime, but otherwise we are both active with our son pretty much all the time (he is very high energy and adventurous). I try to offer him time to himself here and there, he has a helicopter ride with friends in a few weeks, and I encouraged him to go see his favorite football team play out of state in early September which I know he is looking forward to. I still think he craves down time which is understandable, but hard to come by.
I worked part time this year as a teacher (previously full time). Next year we decided I will stay home as childcare for two little ones will not be possible for our families, or financially sustainable via daycare. I do all the cooking, we have someone clean once a week, but I do laundry and keep things very tidy in between (he helps with dishes, and laundry sometimes). I try to take on the bulk of my son’s needs for attention, stimulation, and comfort, but I do need a second to rest, too and so when my husband is home I try to share the responsibility with him without totally overwhelming him. I can honestly say he is a wonderful man and I tell him that often and I love him with all my heart, and he knows that and I try to do everything I can to ease his burden at home.
A while after I made breakfast this morning, I suggested we go to a local farmers market which he agreed to happily. Then he went to get ready. When he was done, he asked if I was ready, and I said I just needed him to watch the baby so I could brush my teeth (my son will climb the toilet, turn on the sink etc. or scream and cry and bang on the door if I close it). This part is a bit hard to remember exactly, but I’m trying to be as unbiased as possible to get your advice. He told me to “just close the door”. I was annoyed (we have had this disagreement before) and said “I just wanted to get ready once a week without the baby crying at the doomy feet.” He raised his voice and said “close the fucking door, who cares if he cries.” I said something like “I care if he cries, I’m his parent, why are you acting like an asshole? You don’t have to go to the farmers market you can stay here. I don’t want to go anywhere with you when you’re acting like this.” I closed the door since he wasn’t picking up the baby, not sure what I should really do, I heard him yell “fuck you” through the door. I brushed my teeth, and when I opened the door 2 minutes later he was gone, he left with the baby for three hours.
I texted him and called him asking him to bring the baby back at first, telling him I would take the baby so he could rest/cool off on his own, that I was very stressed and I was sorry and wanted to talk etc. He refused to answer calls and texted me back I should enjoy my peace and they would be home later, I told him I could not relax knowing he was angry and I wanted to be with our son and him, too if we could communicate. He said that was my choice. Then he turned his phone off without saying when he would be home.
I want to preface this part by saying, my husband and I are usually really good communicators believe it or not. This type of exchange is not in our usual character. However, I don’t like when people raise their voice and curse at me, and I won’t take it lying down anymore (I did for most of my life with others) and my husband knows this. He has never done anything like this. I didn’t know what to do, I never have and never would withhold my son from him and refuse communication. I can’t begin to describe how upset I was that my son left after I closed the door on him crying, and then I didn’t know where he was or when he would be home. I have never been powerless to reach him like that before. My husband came home and said he needed to nap, he would not talk. I told him we needed to talk and I would never do what he had done, but I left him alone to sleep (he is someone who needs his rest, and needs time to cool off before talking).
I just don’t know where to go from here. I’m hoping he will wake up and apologize and explain his behavior and I can apologize and try to find a solution to address his angestress/tiredness that led to this. I doubt that will happen though, I think he’s angry, and I’m angry too, but I want to have a conversation that will lead to resolution. I never want this to happen again and I want to help him. Please advise me. I’m at a loss.

--- Table of Contents ---
Autumn 4986, 16 Aoimoth
Shon and Nangran hobbled their horses at the base of a steep hill deep in the woods north of Hamerfoss. They'd left at fourth bell, before any of the other Squires had woken for their morning run, and it had still taken them hours of riding through narrow trails to reach this place. At least they hadn't run into any monsters. The snow that had dusted the landscape during the night lay thick here, crunching underfoot and occasionally flopping noisily to either side as it fell from the tall evergreen branches.
Shon adjusted the strap of his sword across his chest and reached his left hand back to brush shaking fingers over its hilt. He'd been glad when the Paladins insisted he take it with him. To them, it marked Shon as a representative of Hengist and the Temple. To Shon, it was a sign of his hard work and resolve. Having it was a comfort.
Nangran started up the hill, and Shon hurried to follow. The smith hadn’t spoken a word since they set out, not even to try and ease Shon’s anxiety, for which Shon was grateful. Master Daunas had tried to sound confident as Shon saddled his borrowed horse, and The Major General had offered him encouragement as they mounted. Neither realized how much that just drove home the desperation of the situation in Shon’s mind.
The smith pulled his heavy cloak tighter, and Shon looked away. He hadn’t bothered to wear his cloak. He'd never really felt chilled in the winter like others seemed to. Now that he knew why, he wished he had. Cold continued to swirl around him, enhanced by his worries. If he could just block those emotions, the power would never have been a problem to begin with.
The trees thinned the higher they climbed, disappearing almost entirely as they crested the top of the hill. The clearing looked over the treetops, offering an unimpeded view of the horizon. Forest all around, with flatland to the south and rocky mountain peaks to the north. Only a handful of small trees grew in the clearing, and in the middle stood a little ramshackle hut only slightly larger than an outhouse.
Nangran threw his arm out, stopping Shon from walking past him, "Don't touch anything. And don't be surprised if he says no right off."
Shon nodded, trying to swallow down his fear so it wouldn't be seen in his eyes. Dropping his hand, Nangran started forward again, finishing, "Be honest, but not insulting." The instructions, -or perhaps advice?- seemed like common courtesy, which made Shon wonder why quiet Nangran had bothered to say anything.
As they drew closer to the little shack, Shon could make out a sign on the door. He squinted to read it and had just made out 'No Soliciting' when the door swung open, banging against the wall and sending birds into flight. An old man, so thin he looked like a skeleton with yellow skin pulled tight across its bones, stormed out. Wearing nothing but a loincloth, he was shaking a thick stick at them that glinted with red rubies in the low autumn light.
"I already paid my dues for this decade! So you can take your request and shove it-" Shon’s hand instinctively reached for his sword, but Nangran just crossed his arms over his barrel chest. The old -virtually naked- man stopped yelling mid-rant and lifted one shriveled arm to shade his eyes as he squinted at them, "Eh? Flintchest, what’re you doing way out here with a blasted mage in tow?"
Rather than answer, Nangran started forward again, he didn't much care for talking, let alone shouting. Looking from Nangran to the loincloth man, Shon slowly lowered his arm, but still took position to the left and just behind the Smith as they approached the crazy man with the glittering club.
"No mage." Nangran said as he came right up to the strange old man, "Squire." he glanced over his shoulder at Shon and finished, "Sorcerer."
The old man spat on the ground and moved his squint to Shon. Running his eyes from the top of his black head to the tip of his polished boots and back, exaggerating the movement before he stopped at the Squire’s cold blue eyes.
He spat again, then barked "Where's your familiar?" scanning first the ground at Shon's feet then the sky above his head.
Shon blinked at him, furrowing his brow in confusion at the question. The mage snapped his fingers impatiently, "Your familiar! All Sorcerers have a familiar."
Nangran came to his rescue, "Just woke last night," he said shortly.
The mage spat again but didn't argue, "Well, come in then." Shon looked sideways at Nangran, but the Smith had already begun following the skinny old man into the shack. Shon hurried to catch up.
Inside, Shon's eyes were assaulted with a sparkling rainbow of colors. The room they'd entered was considerably larger than the outside would suggest, with plush carpet and a stuffed high-back armchair in front of a blazing fire in the opposite wall. Shelves full of exotic plants, glowing glass jars, and glittering stones filled every available space, reflecting off one another and setting streaks of light to dance on the floor and walls like sun rays through crystal.
There was too much to take in, so Shon focused on their host. The old man was slipping into a thick robe of deep purple velvet. He'd hung the club on the wall beside the door, which looked just as decrepit on this side as it had on the outside.
"Make a habit of greeting visitors half-naked and swinging an old fireball wand?" Nangran asked as he slipped out of his cloak.
"Keeps the conversations short." the old man replied tersely, tying his belt and turning to his guests. With boney knuckles on boney hips and glare firmly planted on his wrinkled face, he snapped, "Don't bother getting comfortable, Flintchest; you'll be leaving soon enough."
The Smith ignored him, hanging his cloak on the hook that had presumably held the mage's robe. "Got a favor to ask," he said, but the old man was already shaking his head,
"More like a favor to cash in. That's the only reason you're in here and not smoking in a hole outside."
Nangran ignored the threat and motioned from Shon to the old man and back. "Archmage Ivelm." The mage looked Shon up and down again as Nangran made the introductions, “Squire Shon.”
"Not much longer, I'd say." Ivelm said to Nangran as he finished his second examination, "It's to the Guild with this one. Too much magic." he turned his head and spat in a brass can by the door. It rang out with a loud ‘ting!' and Ivelm sniffed, looking down at Nangran again, "What do you want, Flintchest?"
"Need a seal. So the boy doesn't freeze Hamerfoss more than it already is." the smith crossed his arms, watching the mage and somehow still seeming completely at ease.
"Eh?!" Ivelm exclaimed, leaning far forward. Shon had to try hard not to crinkle his nose as the old man brought his face close enough that Shon could smell Ivelm's breath. Garlic, the mage ate a lot of garlic…
"So… you don't want to be a mage, do you?" he demanded, glaring down his nose at him. Shon shook his head and would have answered with a 'no ser.' except the mage continued, "Rather swing around some hunk of metal like a brute?"
Shon blinked stupidly, and Nangran cleared his throat, "Watch what you say about my swords, old man."
Ivelm ignored the smith as soundly as Nangran had ignored the Archmage, and continued to Shon, "The powers of the universe are at your fingertips. Blood blessed with the strength of the elements, and you wanna throw it all away," he threw his arms into the air, still uncomfortably close, "And for what? Some illusion of an honorable death by the sword?"
Shon didn't know what to say. He looked past the affronted mage's face, only an inch from his own, to Nangran. But the smith gave no sign he was going to help. Shon’s future depended on convincing this strange old man, this Archmage, to help…
Shon wasn't the type to try and convince anyone of anything, but the least he could do was explain himself. Shon stepped back from the mage to address him from a more comfortable distance. "I chose to dedicate my life to perfecting my art, and my art is martial combat," he said. Ivelm wrinkled his nose, his mouth twisting as if he were going to spit again, but Shon continued, "magic would be better served in the hands of someone who wants it badly enough to work for it. Like I've worked for my martial skills."
Ivelm leaned away from Shon, his eyebrows lifted into his frizzled gray hair. Shon looked to Nangran, hoping for some sign that this was a good response. The smith smiled from behind the mage.
"Soooo…" Ivelm drew the word out, "You think only those who dedicate themselves to strict study and practice should wield the power of the universe?" he leaned forward again, turning his head and fixing one eye on Shon like a bird. As if trying to catch him in a lie.
Shon nodded, confused, then asked, "Isn't that what it takes to effectively wield magic? Focused study?"
Ivelm didn't answer the question, instead turning his face to examine Shon with the other eye, scanning him up and down yet again. The old man had looked him up and down so much Shon wouldn't be surprised if the next question were about his hair or boots.
But Ivelm didn't ask another question. Instead, he stood straight and spat into the brass can with another ringing 'ting!' "I like this one," he said, turning his back on Shon and facing Nangran, "But it's too much." he shook his head, lifting his hands in helpless surrender, "Too much power, and ice at that. Stubborn element that one. And it's so finicky to block just elemental magic..."
Ivelm continued talking but Shon heard very little of it. A hole had opened in his gut, and it felt like his heart was racing his stomach to fall into it. But Nangran just rolled his eyes at the mage, interrupting, "Used to be the name in new magic items... made shackles to hold Archmages." he squinted at Ivelm, who had frozen mid-head shake, "Must've gotten rusty out…"
Ivelm snapped his fingers under the Smith's nose to stop him talking, "The mind does not rust, Flintchest!" he huffed, one bare foot tapping under his robe, "Not like your swords and shriveling muscles." Nangran just stared stubbornly, his thick, muscled arms still crossed over his broad chest.
The mage continued to tap his foot, his nose in the air. But as the silence stretched, Ivelm looked down at the smith, who continued to say nothing. The silent battle of wills ended when Ivelm threw his arms up in disgust and shook a finger under Nangran's nose, nearly hitting it, declaring, "I'll show you. I'll make a gem especially for this lad, and you'll see the mind only continues to grow sharper!"
He spun on his heel back to Shon, who had just made out the smith's returned smile from behind the mage when the old man snapped his fingers in Shon's face, making him jump. "Well, what are you waiting for? Come here so I can take some measurements!" Ivelm swung around again and marched across the room to a large workbench with plants and gems scattered across it. Shon scrambled after him, praying his thanks to Hengist and suddenly feeling light enough to float. His anxieties dropping away and melting like snow in summer.
***
It was already noon, and no one had come to see Her. She jumped up to grab the bars of Her window, pulling Herself up to peak out but seeing nothing but new snow and tree trunks. She was full to bursting with nervous energy, amplifying every sound and sensation. Footsteps sounded outside Her door, and She dropped from the window, sprinting across the room and resting Her ear on the wood.
“Ran, recheck the lab. Brom, with me.” Archmage Morndancer spoke with his strange alternation between draconic and common as he passed Her door without stopping. She could easily make out the swish of their robes on the stone hall leading away. Three people, Brom, Ran, and Archmage Morndancer. And yet the scurrying of too many feet to be only the two apprentices and Archmage Shaloon, sounded from the floor above. There were strangers in her tower again. Many strangers. Something was happening, something big…
She ran to Her window again, just for something to do, seeking some way to burn off some of the anxiety of not knowing what was going on around her.
A roar from down the hall, a roar of pain, sent ice washing through her veins. She slammed into the door at full speed. Pounding on the wood, She called out, “Brom?! Ran?!” Nothing. Then a yip cut short, followed by barking and yowling.
She shook the handle with both hands, rattling the door on its hinges, “BROM! RAN!” Something was happening to Her treasures, something terrible… The door handle began to glow, the metal warping and sagging as it melted. The knowledge that She would be in more trouble than She had ever been in before was nothing compared to Her terror. She wrenched the handle back with all Her might, splashing molten metal across Her bed, lighting fires that flared in her panic, and sending smoke to curl up to the ceiling.
She didn’t care. She shouldered the door open and ran.
“Red?!” She passed the first open door but couldn’t stop as Ran called out to Her. Reaching Her treasures' room, She tried to stop but slipped, slamming into the ground with a sticky splash. A final whining bark started a buzzing in Her ears as She stared, transfixed, at Her hands. They were painted red. Warm and sticky. The overpowering stench of iron nearly made Her gag as She looked up to see Morndancer toss aside a glittering golden wolf pup, the body flopping limply over the corpse of its mother and siblings.
Her world went red.
***
The last sample was taken care of, but something roared with enough ferocity to shatter glass.
Morndancer's head snapped around in time for him to fall back, shielding his face with his hands as the Firewyrm exploded. White-hot fire engulfed Her and spread out to the stone floor and walls. His robes began to smoke, the new fire protection spells woven into them being overpowered by the sheer ferocity of the blaze.
Brom had no such spells, and he had only managed a single step towards the girl before he fell to the ground, writhing for only a moment before lying still. The Archmage heard Ran scream from the hall before the journeyman stumbled past the door, flailing wildly. Barely discernible as human inside the flames.
The Firewyrm moved towards him, stepping through Brom’s head, turned to ash, and blown up to dance in the air on the same heatwaves causing the girl's hair to wave wildly about Her. She didn't seem to notice, Her face was expressionless and her eyes glowed as red as the scales across Her cheek. Morndancer tried to snap his fingers, but the golden collar around Her neck melted, Her clothes burning off and leaving Her naked and terrible in the flames.
His robe was burning now, and only the pain of that could pull his eyes from the Firewyrm as he pointlessly tried to beat the fires off. He fell back, hitting the wall, which drooped, sagging and dripping molten stone onto his head and face. Then he fell further back, into a gate that opened behind him.
Shaloon pulled him through the portal and into the library three stories up. The Firewyrm roared again and the tower walls shook with the force of it. The gate closed, but Morndancer continued to burn. He could hear screaming. Was it him? Was he screaming? Fire burst up the spiral stairs in the middle of the room, and apprentices, both their own and many sent from the central and western Talon, scrambled about in a panic, some even leaping from the windows.
Shaloon cursed, holding out her hand and summoning her sword again. She had to draw the circle five times before a second gate finally formed, and she dove through it, pulling Morndancer along with her as it quickly closed. An apprentice reached through, and his arm fell at Morndancer’s feet, miles away in the sitting room of his manor back in Smildna.
He laughed. Shaloon slapped him, and he laughed. Ronni, his daughter, burst through the door, her own daughter, only a year old, perched on her hip, and still, he laughed. “What’s wrong?! What happened to him?!” he barely registered his daughter's words and continued to laugh, rolling around on the ground in mirthful madness.
“The Firewyrm She…” Shaloon started, but Morndancer yelled over her in draconic,
“She is true! She is pure! She is rage! The children will come and raise the grandchildren! We have only to await the coming of those Chosen!” the room faded around him, becoming washed out and gray then finally black as he continued to laugh and shout, “They take those who slew them and use them to raise themselves anew…”
He couldn’t feel his burns or the hands trying to settle him. He saw only darkness and stars. And the eyes of his Master boring into his soul from the outer planes.
***
Shon couldn't remember ever feeling so drained in his life. He'd been tired before, exhausted even, but it had never felt quite like this. The eccentric Archmage Ivelm had ordered him to 'empty his energy' into stone after stone. Measuring the weight, color, and temperature of each. Making notes in chalk directly on his table and talking to himself. Shon was shocked the first time he saw the smooth rock handed to him change from a translucent white to an onyx as black as his hair, but by the time they'd gone through the twentieth stone, Shon had decided to stop counting.
Ivelm, however, seemed to get more and more excited with each one. Giving Shon reason to suspect the mage may be taking the energy for himself. After what felt like hours, Ivelm finally stoppered the potion he'd mixed with the most recent jewel, glowing a soft pale blue, and stepped back from the workbench, bony hands on bony hips.
"It can be done." Ivelm swiveled to face Nangran, "He's strong, I don’t know how he managed not to manifest until now, but it's all focused in one elemental direction." he rubbed his chin and looked at the ceiling, completely ignoring Shon's arched eyebrow. "It has a bit of divine flavor as well. But I suppose that shouldn't be surprising for a training Paladin." The mage stopped musing and glared down his nose at Nangran, who had made himself comfortable in the oversized wingback chair by the fire, "It will have to be a lot bigger than a piece of jewelry would allow."
The smith just hummed and sipped at his mug. When had he gotten a mug? Shon looked from one old man to the other. It was apparent Ivelm wanted Nangran to ask him for details, but the ever stoic smith said nothing.
Shon was tired. His limbs felt heavy, and the weight of his simple uniform felt more like platemail. He was just about to ask what the Archmage meant, to hurry them along, when Ivelm threw his hands in the air and said, "You'll need to find somewhere to put it. I would recommend that." he pointed at the hilt of Shon's sword over his shoulder, continuing, "If the lad is insisting on swinging a metal stick around instead of harnessing the ultimate powers of the universe then that same stick might as well sap the power literally as well as figuratively." Shon arched an incredulous eyebrow but Ivelm wasn't paying attention, finishing, "I can get it down to about an inch and a half orb. At the smallest. If you want something different, say so now."
Nangran set his mug on the ground and stood with a grunt and a groan. Shon just wanted to go home and sleep for a week, so when the smith reached for the hilt of his sword for a closer look Shon hardly noticed, until the squat smith jerked it down to eye level. Shon swung his arms like a drowning man and stepped wide to prevent himself from falling over.
"Quit wigglin'," Nangran grumbled, studying the sword's pommel with a professional eye. "One and a half'll do, preferably in a tear…"
The mage snorted and continued to ignore the struggling half crouched Shon, his voice dripping sarcasm as he addressed the smith, "Shall I wrap it in silk for you as well?"
"Na." Nangran let go of the sword, and Shon stood straight, lifting his leg to shake out the knee. "Drop it off when you’re done." the Mage snorted again but didn't counter.
None of them were interested in extending the visit, so Nangran grabbed his heavy cloak and shrugged it on while Shon waited by the door. "It will be at least a fortnight," Ivelm called from his position by the workbench, not about to walk them out.
Nangran grunted his confirmation and opened the battered and decrepit door, letting the wind and early autumn snow blow in on their way out. Shon followed numbly, his eyes unfocused as he walked, and ran right into the much shorter man. Nangran hardly moved as Shon bounced off of him. He was squinting into the distance, one large hand shading his eyes. Shon stared at Nangran for a moment before following the direction of his gaze over the tree line.
Smoke. A LOT of smoke. The black clouds billowed violently into the sky, occasionally lit from below by sparks shot high into the air.
"Elm!" Nangran shouted. Shon had never heard the man call so loudly. The Archmage must have also been shocked because the door to his hut swung open and he stuck his head out to look to either side, eyes wide.
"Flintchest, what?" but he soon saw what, "But, that's the old chemist's tower… What?" he stood in shocked confusion for a heartbeat before turning back into the hut. Shon looked from the shack to Nangran, but before he could say anything, the mage was back, struggling with two long rods, one blue with what looked like waves painted all around, the other black and studded with diamonds.
"Don't just stand there!" Ivelm snapped at the two as he finally managed to slip the blue rod into a sheath at his side. He then pointed the diamond rod at the space between two close-growing trees. Shon heard him say something unintelligible, and one of the diamonds shot out of the tip of the rod to hover between the trees before expanding into a portal.
Beyond the magical gate, Shon could hear the fire roar. It sounded how he imagined the burning hells might sound, but as he followed the two men through, he realized his imagination was tame by comparison.
The smell of burning flesh and hair choked him as they stepped clear of the gate's magic. The heat smashed into them like a wall, and all three brought their arms up to shield their faces. Around them were the charred remains of what looked like humans, their faces buried in the mud as if they'd been trying to run from the blaze. Shon had to swallow the bile that rose in his throat and focused instead on the fire Ivelm had said was a tower.
It was completely engulfed in bright flames of all colors. Squinting through the light, he could see the stone walls melting like wax. The arch of the doorway sagged in the middle, and Shon's eyes went wide. Someone was in there.
He would've had to shout over the roar of the flames, but it didn’t matter; Ivelm was already raising the blue wand, jerking his fingers in strange ways and mouthing words impossible to hear. Water shot out the tip of the wand with the force of a ballista and hissed against the glowing stones.
It wasn't possible. It must be a trick of the flickering flames. But the figure turned its face to them, long hair whipping about as it took steps in their direction.
"Don't just stand there, boy!" Ivelm screamed. "They must have a fire-resist spell; those things don't last forever!"
Nangran grabbed Shon’s upper arm, pulling him a step closer to the fire and down so he could shout in his ear, "Freeze a path."
Shon swallowed. He was so tired, literally drained. He didn't know what to do or how to do it. But the figure in the fire reached out to them only to pull away from a drop of molten rock. Shon fell to his knees, placing his hands on the ground and pleading silently to Hengist. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know how to control the power. He tried picturing a path of snow between himself and the tower base, concentrating on it until the mental image overlaid the real world, as he did when imagining phantom fighters during practice.
Ice snaked its way from Shon's fingers towards the burning tower along his mental path, powered by the fear that he wouldn't be fast enough to save the person inside. The water from Ivelm's wand helped carve the way, and Shon grunted physically as he struggled to push mentally. His breathing came heavy and ragged. He could feel the fire melting the edges of the ice as if it were a part of him. Still, he fought back and forced it to continue to form into solid sheets moving closer and closer to the figure still trapped in the tower.
Wherever the ice formed solid, it stayed. The fire drawing back from it until, finally, it reached the doorway. He urged the ice to climb up the doorframe, to hold it in place and keep it from falling, from moving at all.
Shon was seeing double. He struggled to focus on the figure and flinched as they stepped onto the frozen path. The ice hissed and melted under their bare unsteady feet, he could feel it... feel them, their heat, on his ice.
It was a young woman. Or an older girl. She was naked; her clothes burned away by the fire. Her long hair was being blown forward by the heat of the burning tower, obscuring her face. As she moved closer, Shon could make out strange red stripes snaking around her body, standing in stark relief against her pale skin.
Ivelm stepped in front of him then, throwing Nangran's cloak around her shoulders as she crumpled to the ground. Nangran himself knelt beside Shon, resting one massive hand on the Squire's back. "You can stop, lad…" his voice trailed off, and Shon felt an emptiness open in his chest. No one could have survived that, not if they hadn't already made it to the entrance like the girl. As if to punctuate the thought, Shon managed to focus his eyes only to see the tower's entrance wall fold and collapse in on itself, the stones flowing like soft wax.
--- Table of Contents ---
Sorry for the double post today. I wanted to keep Ch 14 & 15 together.
Thanks for making it this far, you are the real MVP

Hi all! I (25F) have been heavily exploring my spiritual identity and awakening for the last few years, but primarily (yet casually) attracted to the pagan community for its principles. I love the idea of us all being connected and all United as seperate pieces of one in the universe, heavy connection to nature, love all and do nothing but good being the most important rule holding all the different categories of pagan community togrther at it’s core. My hubby and i have been going through some trials and tribulations and there was a point where i questioned if i was meant to be where i am with him, will it get better, will it be worth enduring the fight to correct and overcome these issues we’re having.
Simply put, i finally opened the door for a professional(?) to take what I’m feeling and learning and tell me what’s next. I finally got the answer to my question on my love life, and clarity on negativity I’ve always felt around me but never understood. and it feels like a weight has been lifted. She is a 3rd generation spiritual lady that does psychic readings tarot cards chakra reading aura reading all of that, so she did it for me today and will be meditating to reach into the spiritual realm to create a solution for me. From what i understand, she is going to figure out how much energy and what kind of help is needed to realign my 3 chakras that are severely off balance due to negativity in my life and my past life.
She told me i had suffered a lot of pain abuse snd harm in my previous life, and I’m an older soul than most and carried a lot of that darkness into this life.
For background, i am very blessed and fortunate to have had a fairly simple and privileged life wth little adversity thrown in my path. But i have always had this weight holding me bsck from discovering my true self, and my theory (which i shared with her once she asked if i knew anything or felt anything from my past life) is that i was a witch who was found out and harmed for it. I’ve always felt extremely drawn to the story of Medusa and i felt that these feelings could be relevant to why i love her so much.
I guess i am just looking for feedback on how to really get the most spiritual awakening and improvement to ensure i am doing my due diligence to give all i can to those i love (and myself) and be the best enlightened version of myself. I have a few days until i pick up this “package” from said psychic which will basicslly help me to realign my chakras and cleanse my soul so i can move forward and no longer be held back by my past. I know that their business model is to identify an issue so they can deliver a solution, but i think from what she told me which did come across genuine.. that this is a more intricate and complex solution than your run of the mill love spell or money spell.
Thoughts or advice from anybody who may have gone through or is going through any similar feelings? Thank you in advance

So about a month and a half ago I got a Pixel 7. From day one it would freeze and restart randomly on multiple different apps and even just idle in pocket, even during calls. After posting my last question here and searching online furiously for any answers, I found not one single solution that worked. I tried hard reset 2 times and ensured it had latest updates, which is what every forum / video said to do. It Still froze and restarted upwards of 5 times a day.
So I decided it must've been a faulty phone right? No.
I took it back and replaced it with a new Pixel 7 and to my surprise after not porting data from my old Samsung and starting from complete scratch on this new Pixel 7, it happend on day 1 again. Had this Pixel 7 for a week now and I'm honestly so disappointed, there seems to be videos of 6a's and comment threads on reddit and Google forums with ppl having the same issue but literally everything just says Hard reset. It does nothing! I'm just going to have to return it and either go for an Samsung or iPhone as this is fkn crazy! It's been out for like 6months right? How has this not been fixed!! This phone is up to date software wise, all apps updated too and yet it froze and restarted 5x today alone. That's the new one I'm talking about, not the one from a month ago that did the same thing but I put up with it for way longer. Sorry if you're having the same issue, wish I could help. But I've given up.

TLDR; I realize my parents don’t have my best interest in mind, and that their “help” is just a mask for control of my being. I decided after my Ndad verbally assaulted me over the phone when I told him I was quitting that I was just done. I have no more fight or desire to engage with him or my mom. He’s always had a unsetteling creepy vibe and is a total king baby that try’s to convince everyone he is in high demand. I now see him losing impulse control and I am pretty sure it’s onset dementia. Now my sister is reaching out to me and insists we talk over the phone. Not sure if she is attempting to “fix it” or just check to make sure I’m okay.
I (26F) quit working for my parents. They are mentally, emotionally, and financially abusive. Their “help” was a “part-time job” I did for 6mo while getting back on my feet. It was not that, but a way to use and manipulate me. They are both so sick. They are my parents and I broke down in front of them. I felt so scared and fell into trusting them. They make it out to seem they wanted to see me grow, and that this was the opportunity to help me get there as an individual, that turned out not to be the case. They lied about their expectations and job description (there was none), and they just constantly and excessively wanted me to cater to their emotional regulation problems and play therapist while at work. Visit managedbyanarcissist and family business for more context. I worked for them for several years over two years ago and left because of similar issues. I feel stupid for taking the bait. I was struggling financially and showing some signs of depression. They like when I’m doing good for them, but resent me and show signs of jealousy when they see I’m doing good for me. They cannot stand me and it is so confusing the way they make you feel. My mental health was declining SO terrifyingly fast, I have other things going on in life that are stressful, but this has just tripled all the nervous system dysfunction.
He has a history of shorting my checks and his excuse then was that he though the told me he was going to start paying me less. This time around he was relentless about how he makes no money in this business after he gets done paying me. Piles a string of unrelated tasks and won’t solidify a role of responsibility. More and more work on me without context or guidance. In his reality, he truly cannot be wrong. He gives changing goal posts/unclear instructions, and I am forced to engage with him, I’m his captive audience. It’s an environment that doesn’t allow for disagreement. I was preparing myself to grey rock, but pretty much when I heard him start blowing up on the phone, I knew I was done right then and there.
He blew up on the phone and was telling me stuff like “you’re rotten and effing me over, you’ll never go anywhere in the business world, go eff yourself!”. I was way to calm (literally trauma) and sent him in my Emom an email that I was just quitting immediately. I tried leading with love but also be completely honest, and told him he needed to seek help if we can want some resemblance of a relationship. My Ndad, sent me the most malicious, rambling, profanity laced message, and continued writing me multiple more strings. his rational is that I gave him short notice. He is a typical boomer and thinks that a two week notice is required and enforced like martial law. He complained that he had no one to do my job now, kind of funny, seeing how I don’t do the job right in the first place, he micromanages and changes everything based on which ever way the wind is blowing that day. Nothing about my job was is in writing so I cannot express any boundaries or hold him accountable. I only got through about three sentences and have not been able to get through the rest. I get the gist. My sorry excuse for a mother chimed into the email saying she was so sorry and that she just had a feeling he couldn’t be a dad and a boss at the same time.? This comes from the woman that is constantly blaming/shaming/guilt tripping her children for reacting to their explosive dad‘s temper tantrum’s. But also cries when we don’t fold over or feel bad for her. She said to us all privately that he’ll never change, he’s just like that, he loves you guys. From there my Emom get to work on a literal PR campaign/damage control for him, probably cried or omitted facts to garnered sympathy while creating a narrative that she is concerned about me. This situation has open my eyes and double down on my belief that she is just as bad as he is, she’s using my older sister like a literal tool for all of their games and I’m so mad she is putting her through this. I am done. I cut them off. The only bill they were paying was my phone. I will not be contacting them to get them to release my phone number and I don’t want them to have it. This happened two days ago. I will be going tomorrow to the Verizon store to figure this out. I opened up another bank account and will be moving my money into it so as they do not have access to my banking and routing number (they had this for payroll). I am going to sell my townhouse, I bought pre-Covid and am sitting on about 95k in equity. I will be investing it fully into myself, my health, my own business, hobbies, travel, and . building deeper relationships with the people who have made me realize how much I am loved. Where I live I could do nothing and coast off that for two-three years while I build up my self-esteem and the highly technical skill I have been gaining by doing night community college classes. I am still deciding whether or not to go to the police department and try to get some thing in writing that I made an appearance on this day and I seemed mentally competent and was not in fact missing. My worst fear is they start going that route while spiraling out of control with hate and anger. Maybe I’m paranoid and reading to much on this sub. My body is starting to shut down from stress, I’m feeling sick tonight, but trying to keep myself busy and healthy. This is it, I really feel like I’m doing it. I hope it’s the first and last time. My dad is rolling into his dementia years, and my Emom has done nothing but made excuses like how an abused victim does as long as I can remember. I am horrified of her becoming the boy that cries Wolf with my dad, once he really does need to help people are just going to regurgitate what she’s always been responding to them with, he’s just like that. He has the capacity to be a dangerous person and his cognition/impulse control is starting to fail him. My mother cannot be everywhere he is to “calm him down” and he has embarrassed our family with his temper tantrum‘s for our entire lives. I literally don’t know if she realizes he can, and at some point will become a danger to himself or others. That rakes through my mind, but the type of help he needs is not some thing I can give. Once he is totally not able to control himself, she is going to have to call an ambulance and he will to go to a facility, they both will.
My older sister is a textbook golden child, she was parentafied, and still participates in the triangulation from time to time. My younger sister is completely disconnected from them mentally and is low contact/info diet. I feel like my actions caused my dad to throw a hand grenade into the family. My mom immediately after the event transpired called my older sister, who has tried to call me now for the last two days and keeps asking me to call her back. I’ve tried to convince her over text that I’m doing fine and just that nothing is wrong, but she keeps insisting to talk to me over the phone. I just don’t know if I can trust her. Honestly, I do not know what they have told her, but I’m afraid she’s going to “you’re sensitive and over reacting” and “we need to help them” me into submission. I am just not into it. On the other hand, my mom could have called and done her whole charade, and my sister could have seen right through it and just want to be checking on me to make sure I am safe and OK. I hope it’s the latter but we have a complicated relationship so it’s hard to tell. I blocked my parents on everything so the thought that she’s now going to assault me with more of their words/thoughts/opinions/“help” just hurts my brain. If I do call her, what are some canned responses I can use if she tries to bring it up or is nosy about it?

Hello there!
I am looking to build my first PC, for the first time. I have opened PCs before and changed components, I have a decent knowledge of IT in general but never actually assembled one on my own.
I wanted to ask for some humble opinions or tips on my first build. Basically it revolves around a Gigabyte RTX 4090 that I just ordered (hoping it arrives and not just a brick lol).
The CPU, I am undecided between I7-13700k or I9-13900k, more inclined on the first, since I heard stock temps are better and performs almost the same as the I9.
I would use it for Gaming mainly, VR, and maybe some AI and Stable Diffusion.
I am unsure of the RAM, so I found a similar build that used the one below. I also read about some brackets needed for the CPU? Is it necessary for the I7?
Any tip on this would be highly appreciated. I'd prefer to not set the house on fire or damage any of these fairly expensive pieces XD
Here is the List:
PCPartPicker Part List

Type	Item	Price
CPU	Intel Core i7-13700K 3.4 GHz 16-Core Processor	$407.99 @ Amazon
CPU Cooler	NZXT Kraken Z73 73.11 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler	$259.99 @ Best Buy
Motherboard	Asus ROG STRIX Z790-F GAMING WIFI ATX LGA1700 Motherboard	$399.99 @ B&H
Memory	G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32 GB (2 x 16 GB) DDR5-6400 CL32 Memory	$129.99 @ Newegg
Storage	Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$139.00 @ Amazon
Storage	Samsung 980 Pro 2 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive	$139.00 @ Amazon
Video Card	Gigabyte GAMING OC GeForce RTX 4090 24 GB Video Card	$1800.00
Case	Lian Li O11 Dynamic EVO ATX Mid Tower Case	$147.99 @ Adorama
Power Supply	Corsair RM1000x 1000 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular ATX Power Supply	$248.99 @ Amazon
Case Fan	Lian Li UNI SL120 58.54 CFM 120 mm Fan	$27.35 @ MemoryC
Case Fan	Lian Li UNI SL120 58.54 CFM 120 mm Fans 3-Pack	$108.97 @ MemoryC
Case Fan	Lian Li UNI SL120 58.54 CFM 120 mm Fans 3-Pack	$108.97 @ MemoryC
Case Fan	Lian Li UNI SL120 58.54 CFM 120 mm Fans 3-Pack	$108.97 @ MemoryC
Monitor	Samsung Odyssey G7 LC32G75TQSNXZA 31.5" 2560 x 1440 240 Hz Curved Monitor	$599.99 @ Amazon
Prices include shipping, taxes, rebates, and discounts
Total	$4627.19
Generated by PCPartPicker 2023-06-03 13:41 EDT-0400

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So in September of 2021 I ended up breaking up with my boyfriend of around 8 months. Here is the backstory of why I broke up with him. He and I went into a public space (we lived in the city so it was a very busy space in the summer with lots of people) for me to meet one of his friends and to get to know her. Her and I started joking around and teasing him about something to do with that women need to take longer showers than men because of all the things we have to do in the shower? Something to that nature that was not harsh at all. Eventually, he just sat at the table silent on his phone not interacting with either of us. I even tried to put my hand on his and he snatched it away. It was super awkward anyways but also just super awkward because this was my first time meeting his friend and he just had us all sitting there in silence. After ab 15 minutes of sitting in silence and us playing on our phones, I motioned to him with my face like “what is wrong”. He immediately got up and starting yelling at us in public and making a scene. After he stopped yelling, he ran off around the corner and I couldn’t see him anymore. I began crying and profusely apologizing to his friend, taking the blame for the situation. He eventually came back around the corner and I just left because I didn’t want to deal with him in that moment. My best friend was on campus in a building near by so I immediately went to her in tears bawling and explaining the situation to her. Clearly, she knew how this affected me and exactly what happened.
This friend is a photographer. Towards the end of the school year, I noticed on her photography instagram that she did a photo shoot with him. I was kind of turned off by it, especially the fact that she told me she did it free of charge for him. Ever since then, I’ve just been avoiding doing phone calls with her or hanging out because I’m just so uncomfortable spending to with her. I feel like she betrayed me because she knew how much he humiliated me. I was so afraid he’d flip on me and hit me or something when I broke up with him that I did it in a public space with a friend nearby on lookout. I know I am definitely in the wrong for not communicating with her and letting her know how I felt. Initially I just thought I’d eventually “get over it” but as time has gone on I’ve felt the same way ab it. Now I feel like it’s been so long it’d be insane to bring it up lol. I also want to mention that this is not about me “not being over him”. After he yelled at me like that I was totally turned off, I’m in an over year long relationship now and extremely happy. I guess I’m asking, AITAH for not feeling comfortable with her anymore?

Simple and easy app to manage personal finance, developed to track and save money, plan for the future, and see all your finances offline with Simple Budget app you can stay on top of your daily expenses, check weekly reports on your spending, manage debt, and track bills.
Take control of your finances, the simplest and most efficient budgeting app on the market. Simple Budget makes it easy to track your expenses, set financial goals, and plan for the future. With features like reminders, expenses tracking and debt management, Simple Budget gives you the tools you need to manage your money with confidence. See your finances your way: anywhere, any time.
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You can easily control your spending, budget, and save more money using this finance tracker and bill organiser.
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More features ✔ Money Management ✔ Reporting ✔ Budgeting ✔ Forecast Budget ✔ Bill & Recurring transactions ✔ Expenses reports ✔ Expenses Breakdown ✔ Expenses Categories ✔ Automatic cloud backup and syncing ✔ Offline support ✔ Simple and interactive weekly and monthly reports ✔ Personal finance ✔ Investment tracking ✔ Debt management and reduction ✔ Spending analysis ✔ Track savings ✔ All features are 100% free
HOW IT WORKS? 1. Download the app 2. Select currency 3. Add your available balance 4. Add your income/expense (You'll get daily reminder) 5. That's it!
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https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=gplx.simple.budgetapp&hl=en

So I bought a 2018 F55 Mini Cooper S and I'm loving it! Was able to connect my Google Pixel 7 Pro without any issues. Bluetooth audio through the Harman Kardon speakers is awesome! Phone connected, contacts uploaded. I receive calls and can hear the caller clearly, but no one hears me!! What could my issue be? Thanks!!