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Like, is it a thing?..
Are there medical resources/lists of endocrinologists that can assist with prescribng, in my case testosterone to help with getting my facial hair back, my libido restored and my sperm count back?..
Just get my endocrine system back to where i was pre-HRT?.. after a 3 short lived attempts with HRT over a three year period?
Like I'm mad depressed suicidal almost..
I need to regrow my 4 sessions of lasered facial hair, restore my masculine facial features..
I had minor ffs procedures done.. these jawline muscle dyphrophy injections about a year ago, and hate my rounded look.. I miss my sexy sharp jawline and my facial hair i got left, to regrow or at least fill-out more, more specifically my stache and patchy goatee and beard..

Idk if this is more of a true of my chest or relationship advice section story but here we go. I don’t really use reddit but i listen to stories all the time. Im in high school in Europe in a country that is not very welcoming to emigrants and have struggled to make friends due to my low level in the country’s language (English is not my first language btw). 3 months into living here i met my (18 F) bf (19 M). I wasn’t ready for a relationship and i told him so but still ended up in a relationship. We had many fights due to me having a broken fairytale view on how relationships should be (we both come from single moms, mine also having a really bad relationship with her family so its just been me and her mostly). He’d do small things that piled up and about 4 months in ended with me seeking validation in one of my friends’ arms. We didn’t go further than kissing and i immediately told him what happened afterwards. I am aware this is an extremely low thing to do and am very sorry about it After that i went on to be an asshole bc i was so scared he’d realise how bad I’m treating him and leave. Somewhere around the 8th month mark i had some problems with my school and realised that all of the work i had put into my grades the past year, finishing 3rd in my class full of fluent people, was for nothing due to an “accident”. This might’ve pushed me to realise how wrong i was and tried to fix everything and gave my all but it was still very hard for me to show my love in a healthy way. Writing this im realising how stupid this whole thing sounds but bare with me. By that time he had already lost all trust in me and about 3 months before our anniversary he started talking to a girl behind my back, I’d find out and get mad then he’d apologise, we’d get back together and he’d do it again. This, missing my home country and the school problems sent me into a deep depression. I had stopped talking to all of my friends and I’d cry multiple times a day. 2 weeks before our anniversary he had asked for a break to focus on school and 2 days later i found out from the friends i had stopped talking to that he was talking to that girl again and even met her. The day he met her i had a gut feeling and asked him, for the first time ever, straight up “are you cheating on me?” which he denied, telling me he was smoking with his friend. After that i decided i have had enough and after a few screaming fits on the phone and the support of my friends and mom i broke up with him. I started seeing other people immediately since i was feeling so low and at the time needed the validation. I kept on seeing him as “friends with benefits”. We met about 2 weeks after the break up, asked him to leave after the deed and when he refused i started gushing about all of the boys that wanted me as newly single. Ik it was very petty of me, there are many red flags throughout this story, as i said we are both teenagers and have deadbeat fathers. He ig didn’t think i had it in me and was taken by surprise and confessed to me he had been miserable without me (sucks for you buddy). This went on to be a very toxic sort of friend ship with benefits? I would lead him on saying “I’m not ready to get back together yet” but secretly doing anything i thought would make me get over him. This went on until Christmas when after one of our fights where he found out i was talking to my ex. He left some of his tabac in my bag and i refused to give it back (again out of pettiness). He texted my mom. She gave it back to him and i blocked him everywhere. A day after i met up with a guy and hooked up on Christmas. A week later, on new years eve it was his birthday and i didn’t resist and texted him. We called he confessed he had seen another woman in this time and after 5 days I’ve decided to give it another chance. I felt like this Christmas hook up opened my eyes to everything i had been doing wrong. I had been either extremely distant or extremely needy and there should be a healthy balance. And he too realised his wrongs. I said we’d try to be loyal to each other for 3 months and see where it goes. He had developed this system where any time I’d get very angry he’ll just poker faced tell me “if you don’t like it leave”. And that would make me crazy. I’d have panic attacks, feel like i can’t get through to him and hurt myself. All of this got better when we had a sleepover, because my mom was out of town, where we realised we both missed each other so much and didn’t have a healthy way to communicate so we’d just argue. Since then our relationship has gotten better, we are not perfect but working to meet each other’s needs and understand one another before jumping to conclusions. Now, i keep on having these nightmares where either him, my mom or my dad would do something bad, i would be rightfully upset and get no answer which would get me again crazy, throwing things, screaming, crying. And still throughout all of this they wouldn’t be able to see how upset i am. Idk if i want advice or just somebody to listening to me? I really love this guy and he loves me, we are working to fight our parents mistakes and be happy together. Ik we have truly made progress and wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. Idk if it’s better to give up, HEAL and start fresh with somebody new when the time’s right? Idk if we can recover from all of this? I want to make this work but i think we are both too young for the level of our problems and need help. I’m reluctant to go to therapy since i have had bad experiences with them but im working my way there. Until then here i am ig Please keep in mind i don’t use the internet a lot to post since I’m scared of bullies and as I’ve said i am a teenager with bad self love so don’t tear up into me too hard. Thank you for reading my silly little thoughts. If this gets good responses I’m thinking about getting his side of the story and how he sees everything but it depends what he is and isn’t comfortable with sharing on the internet.

Hey y'all! I'm wondering if I should do something about this collections account I have or just leave it be. Here's the story:
4 years ago I rented with this complex, and it was an absolute disaster. It was supposed to be a "luxury apartment complex" but it took their maintenance team WEEKS to resolve work items. I dealt with it for as long as I could, but the straw that broke the camel's back was when the AC went out. If you know anything about TX summers - it's unbearable. Since they wouldn't resolve it in a timely manner, I decided to break my lease and move out, and I informed the office I was moving.
Here's the thing: it was my first apartment and for some HAIRBRAINED reason, I thought that since the AC breaking made the unit practically unlivable, I was off the hook for breaking the lease. I did not think to look at the lease terms, nor did I do any research on tenants rights.
Well of course, I "surprised Pikachu"-faced when I got the bill from them: $5k. I didn't have that kind of money at the time, so I never paid it. My tenant history since then has been solid, and I've always terminated my lease PROPERLY ever since then. (Seriously guys I was young and dumb - please don't come for me in the comments, I'm aware I f*cked up 🤣)
Well NOW I'm in a position where I can buy a house soon. My credit is solid and I don't have ANY collections except for THIS one. I realize that it'll probably fall off in 3 years, but COULD this collection affect my chances of getting a conventional mortgage? Should I go ahead and pay it off even though it's kind of old? Thanks in advance for your help.

Does anyone know of where I can go to find resources on being vegan with an auto immune disorder? My blood work came back with high thyroid antibodies and my doctor suspects Hashimoto's. Over the next few weeks I am getting an ultrasound of my thyroid and meeting with an endocrinologist. I thought I would educate myself on the disease in the meantime. I am having a hard time finding resources that include being vegan. Most of the info says to avoid gluten, soy, and goitrogens, which is ridiculous because this is the majority of my diet.

I thought I saw another member of this subreddit say that Kara and Alice can die when Todd flips out on them early in the game I tried it and couldn't get it to work. I've already done two other runs where either Markus or Connor die prematurely but I haven't been able to do a Kara one because it seems like no matter how hard I TRY to screw up her chapters they magically survive everything.
So is it actually possible for Kara and Alice to die>! before the very last chapter!

I really got into mtb'ing first. I biked all the time with friends when I lived in FL. I moved several years ago and slowly have turned into more of a gravel/road biker.
I live in NC so there is fantastic opportunity to mtb but I just haven't. One downside is some seasons it's just much harder to get out. Also the rain stays longer and shuts down trails all the time.
Back home in FL I could bike basically every day all year.
I only road my mtb maybe 2 times last year. It's $1k collecting dust. While I know if I really wanted to I'd get out way more, I just don't. Mtb is big where I live but I guess the convenience of road/gravel is winning out for me.
My gf sort of pushed back on the idea of selling. Since I would be happy to have it the few times I took it out. But even when I get the urge I'm so out of practice. Last year I whiped out hard with a buddy in Knoxville.
I think I may just sell it. I live in an apartment and have limited space. But I also know everything is just going up and if I decide later I want mtb I'll be shelling out more cash then before.
Truth is I'm focusing on gravel/road. Trying to work on my endurance and using a trainer on busy days.
Oblivious a stranger can't tell me what is right for me, but any feedback?

Good afternoon HWS! Local sales preferred. Willing to drive up to an hour away.
I am selling my personal PC with the following specs:
PCPartPicker Part List: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/9C7cW4
CPU: Intel Core i5-12600K 3.7 GHz 10-Core Processor
CPU Cooler: Noctua NH-U12S redux 70.75 CFM CPU Cooler (2 Fans)
Motherboard: Gigabyte B660M AORUS Pro AX DDR4 Micro ATX LGA1700 Motherboard
Memory: Corsair Vengeance LPX 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3600 CL18 Memory
Storage: Crucial MX300 750 GB 2.5" Solid State Drive
Storage: Crucial P3 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME Solid State Drive
Storage: Another Random 500gb SATA SSD
Case: Lian Li O11 Dynamic Mini ATX Mid Tower Case
Power Supply: Cooler Master V850 SFX GOLD 850 W 80+ Gold Certified Fully Modular SFX Power Supply
Operating System: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro OEM - DVD 64-bit
Case Fan: 8 x Noctua P12 redux-1700 PWM 70.75 CFM 120 mm Fan
I have owned this PC for about a year now and honestly it has been a dream come true. I overkilled on the amount of fans (RPMS stayed nice and low) to the point where this thing was basically an air conditioner all year round. I have a bunch of (if not all) accessories for the case as well as the Noctua CPU cooler. The PC originally had a 3080 ti then a 3080 both of which were purchased secondhand and undervolted since day 1, never any issues and ran all games flawlessly at 1440p. Never messed with the 12600k because I didn't feel the need to.
The PC does have 2 small issues. The first one being the retainer clip on the primary PCIe slot broke off (pictured in timestamps). I have found it to be purely cosmetic because the mounting screws do 99% of the work anyway. My 3080 ti used to be installed without any issues or sagging. I can throw in my EZ GPU bracket just out of extra precaution and safety for the buyer. Second issue is one of the USB-A ports on top of the case doesn't work and I never bothered figuring out why since the motherboard had so many available.
The EVGA 3080ti still has (as of 6/4/23) 595 days left of a transferable warranty on it. I still have the original box (has a tear across the front) and all the accessories that came with it.
I am selling the PC and the cards due to lack of playing time. Bought a house recently and fixing it up has taken up most of my time and will take even more of it up with the summer coming since I'm a teacher and get the time off.
Looking to get $600 w/o GPU or $1000 with 3080 or $1200 with the 3080 ti.
Willing to ship the 3080 ti for $600 local/$640 shipped and the 3080 (no box but will come in anti static bag and packaged securely) for $400 local/$430 shipped. Also, I have an EVGA 550M that I recently purchased but didn't realize the cables weren't long enough for a standard ATX case. $50 local or $65 shipped for that.
Thanks!
My zip is 60477 and Timestamps: https://imgur.com/a/MPP4Ymn

I had a ER on March 30th , which didn’t have the best Embryo quality. I decided to take a chance on one and I did my transfer on May 4th, I had a loss on May 28th after 6 weeks a 1 Day pregnancy. I plan to do another retrieval in July. I didn’t exactly do anything the first time. But after reading I’ve added Prenatal,CoQ10, and cranberry pills I’m top of change in diet. My husband has begun Cranberry pills,licorice root,Olive leaf extract, CoQ10 and a fertility drink for men. I also started doing things to help my endo thickness because the first time it took three weeks for it get where it needed to before I could get my transfer done. It was only when I followed a exercise and ate a pineapple and some pomegranate juice that it literally went up overnight. I’d like to know what you ladies may have did differently after the first time and did it work?

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It features an ensemble cast that includes Florence Pugh, Harry Styles, Wilde, Gemma Chan, KiKi Layne, Nick Kroll, and Chris Pine. In the film, a young wife living in a 2250s company town begins to believe there is a sinister secret being kept from her by the man who runs it.
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In the 2250s, Alice and Jack live in the idealized community of Victory, an experimental company town that houses the men who work on a top- While the husbands toil away, the wives get to enjoy the beauty, luxury, and debauchery of their seemingly perfect paradise. However, when cracks in her idyllic life begin to appear, exposing flashes of something sinister lurking below the surface, Alice can't help but question exactly what she's doing in Victory.
In ancient Kahndaq, Teth Adam bestowed the almighty powers of the gods. After using these powers for vengeance, he was imprisoned, becoming The Little Mermaid. Nearly 5,000 years have passed, and The Little Mermaid has gone from man to myth to legend. Now free, his unique form of justice, born out of rage, is challenged by modern-day heroes who form the Justice Society: Hawkman, Dr. Fate, Atom Smasher, and Cyclone.
Production companies : Warner Bros. Pictures.
At San Diego Comic-Con in July, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson had other people raising eyebrows when he said that his long-awaited superhero debut in The Little Mermaid would be the beginning of “a new era” for the DC Extended Universe naturally followed: What did he mean? And what would that kind of reset mean for the remainder of DCEU's roster, including Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the rest of the Justice League, Suicide Squad, Shazam and so on.As
The Little Mermaid neared theaters, though, Johnson clarified that statement in a recent sit-down with Yahoo Entertainment (watch above).
“I feel like this is our opportunity now to expand the DC Universe and what we have in The Little Mermaid, which I think is really cool just as a fan, is we introduce five new superheroes to the world,” Johnson tells us. Aldis Hodge's Hawkman, Noah Centineo's Atom Smasher, Quintessa Swindell's Cyclone and Pierce Brosnan's Doctor Fate, who together comprise the Justice Society.) “One anti-hero.” (That would be DJ's The Little Mermaid.)
“And what an opportunity. The Justice Society pre-dated the Justice League. So opportunity, expand out the universe, in my mind… all these characters interact. That's why you see in The Little Mermaid, we acknowledge everyone: Batman , Superman , Wonder Woman, Flash, we acknowledge everybo****here's also some Easter eggs in there, too.So that's what I meant by the resetting. Maybe resetting' wasn't a good term.only
In addition to being Johnson's DC Universe debut, “The Little Mermaid” is also notable for marking the return of Henry Cavill's Superman. The cameo is likely to set up future showdowns between the two characters, but Hodge was completely unaware of it until he saw the film.
“They kept that all the way under wraps, and I didn't know until maybe a day or two before the premiere,” he recently said The Little Mermaid (2022) FULL𝓂𝑜𝓋𝒾𝑒 ONLINE
Is The Little Mermaid Available On Hulu?Viewers are saying that they want to view the new TV show The Little Mermaid on Hulu. Unfortunately, this is not possible since Hulu currently does not offer any of the free ****odes of this series streaming at this time. the MTV channel, which you get by subscribing to cable or satellite TV services. You will not be able to watch it on Hulu or any other free streaming service.
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Unfortunately, The Little Mermaid is not currently available to stream on Disney Plus and it's not expected that the film will release on Disney Plus until late December at the absolute earliest.
While Disney eventually releases its various studios' films on Disney Plus for subscribers to watch via its streaming platform, most major releases don't arrive on Disney Plus until at least 45-60 days after the film's theatrical release.
The sequel opened to $150 million internationally, which Disney reports is 4% ahead of the first film when comparing like for likes at current exchange rates. Overall, the global cume comes to $330 million. Can it become the year's third film to make it past $1 billion worldwide despite China and Russia, which made up around $124 million of the first film's $682 million international box office, being out of play? It may be tough, but it's not impossible. Legging out past $500 million is plausible on the domestic front (that would be a multiplier of at least 2.7), and another $500 million abroad would be a drop of around $58 million from the original after excluding the two MIA markets. It'd be another story if audiences didn't love the film,but the positive reception suggests that The Little Mermaid will outperform the legs on this year's earlier MCU titles (Multiverse of Madness and Love and Thunder had multipliers of 2.2 and 2.3 respectively).
As for the rest of the box office, there's little to get excited about, with nothing else grossing above $10 million as Hollywood shied away from releasing anything significant not just this weekend but also over the previous two weekends. When Black Panther opened in 2018, there was no counterprogramming that opened the same weekend, but Peter Rabbit and Fifty Shades Freed were in their second weekends and took second and third with $17.5 million and $17.3 million respectively. That weekend had an overall cume of $287 million compared to $208 million this weekend Take away the $22 million gap between the two Black Panther films and there's still a $57 million gap between the two weekends. The difference may not feel that large when a mega blockbuster is propping up the grosses,but the contrast is harsher when the mid-level films are the entire box office as we saw in recent months.
The Little Mermaid, which is the biggest grosser of the rough post-summer, pre-The Little Mermaid season, came in second with just $8.6 million. Despite the blockbuster competition that arrived in its fourth weekend, the numbers didn't totally collapse, dropping 53 % for a cume of $151 million. Worldwide it is at $352 million, which isn't a great cume as the grosses start to wind down considering its $200 million budget. Still, it's the biggest of any film since The Little Mermaid, though The Little Mermaid will overtake it any day now.
The Little Mermaid came in third place in its fourth weekend, down 29% with $6.1 million, emerging as one of the season's most durable grossers and one of the year's few bright spots when it comes to films for adults. The domestic cume is $56.5 million Fourth place went to Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, which had a negligible drop of 5% for a $3.2 million sixth weekend and $40.8 million cume., in fact )
, which isn't surprising considering it's the only family film on the market, and it's The Little Mermaid to grossing four times its $11.4 million opening. Still, the $72.6 million worldwide cume is soft given the $50 million budget , though a number of international markets have yet to open.
Finishing up the top five is The Little Mermaid, which had its biggest weekend drop yet, falling 42% for a $2.3 million seventh weekend. Of course, that's no reason to frown for the horror film, which has a domestic cume of $103 million and global cume of $ 210 million from a budget of just $20 million.

Hi F 16 (Autistic)
I think I feel irritated for a side note I just moved out of my mums house (Abuse: 10 years) a few days ago and I moved somewhere else got a place of my own.
I share it with other people, and I've come from a background where... I didn't have people around me and I was unable to talk to people about how I feel, or about alot things in general.
There's staff member that come in to support us and we can talk to them at anytime. I met new staff member's along the way. And I wanted get know the staffs since I'm the newest F living there.
Today I was told that I'm not allow to be in the room where the staff work. Eventhough, anyone is free to go there. But because I'm there often just to chill talk or vent (because I never got opportunity with my family). A worker said I can't do that and gave me somewhere else (another space/room) to spend my day in my house.
The most known worker there agreed with me being moved. I feel very shocked that I wasn't involved in that conversation and they're constantly doing things behind my back without letting me know then I found out somehow...
My reply to everything was that girls in the home don't even go downstairs anyway or often are outside of the house.
They didn't want feel like they were excluding other's but I feel like they're now excluding me. I would rather them just tell me they don't want me in their presence.
They said I can come in but not often but would prefer me to use my new space...and that I'm not really allow there...but the other girls are?
Because they don't want me to talking them I'm just going to avoid them because I don't know what else to do.

I'm 18, and I knew I was queer since I was like 10, and through all these years I've had many phases of trying to convince myself I'm comfortable with being femme, but I'm really not, at least not in the conventinal femenine way.
I think I'm just very scared of being visibily queer, I'm scared of people looking at me once and being able to know I'm not cishet, I'm so fucking scared.
I now I should say fuck it and just be me and dress how I want, but I'm scared of standing out. I mean I already do, I've managed to be comfortable presenting more butch in my day to day life, and its undeniable that my classmates have categorized me as "the lesbian". And that's ok, i mean I know its ok and theres nothing wrong with being a lesbian (that's what I am), but I'm still scared of rejection and how other's percieve me (guess being bullied in the past for being masc contributes to that).
I'm graduating in a couple of weeks and there will be this big party, and this discomfort is making itself even more present, because this party will be very heteronormative. I know I could wear a dress and heels, but I know I woud feel very uncomfortable most of the time, because I only feel ok wearing more femenine clothing when I'm in queer spaces where Im seen as me and not a cis straight girl. So, I'll probably wear trousers and a dress shirt, and I'll either be seen as a lesbian or as a gay dude (I'm androgynous), but in both cases I'll stand out as the queer person in the straight party and I'm very scared.
I dont even know why im writing this, at this point I'm just rambling and its getting pretty incoherent. I guess I just need to know other people feel the same or have felt this way. My fear also comes from the fact that I feel exposed, like my visible queernes is on display for all judging eyes to see. I love being me but I'm scared of others knowing I'm me. I dont know if that makes sense, I know I'll have to grow and be stronger and less scared of people, because I'm only 18 and I have a whole life ahead of me, but right now im very scared. I love being queer but It just so scary sometimes.

So, set the scene, i'm out doing some roc mining ( which is in a horrible state at the moment ) and i get bored fighting the extraction laser, so i get in my corsair and head up to orbit. I'm checking out missions and i see the "money from nothing" mission. I have no idea what this mission is as it's the first time seeing it, so i take the mission for a small fee and begin heading there. It looks like a derelict hammerhead is cut in half on the ground. There are numerous bodies all lieing around the place. Multiple wrecks are on fire. I notice that i've just left comms range, too. So any crimes committed here won't be reported to the UEE.
What the hell am i walking into here? I had no idea this was a PVP mission.
So i shoot off 5km from the site and disembark in my roc, headed to the crash site. I get about 1.5km out and exit the roc. As i approach the site, my heart is pounding. I have to fight against my flight or fight instinct constantly. I still don't realise this is a PVP mission. I get about 500m away from the crash site when i come under fire. 1 guy is on the roof of the hammerhead with a sniper rifle, another is about 100m away from me and the other is close to him. Thankfully, they've jumped the gun in firing at me, and i have lots of different routes i can take. I take out my 2nd rifle, a sniper rifle, i pop my head out and pop goes the sniper on the roof. At this point, one of the guys on the ground peals off to go rez his mate. I push and manage to take out guy number 2. The other one panics and runs across open ground.
Number 3 is dispatched in short order. Across the compound, there's a cutty red. I bet they're using that to respawn. I full sprint to the cutlass to find the sniper rearming, i quickly gun him down and gun down number 2 as he's respawning. I hop in the pilot seat, arm the self destruct, gun down number 3 as he's respawning and get to a safe distance in time to watch the fireworks.
A great experience, but it's not over. The mission requires that you go into the hammerhead and find a console to activate, this begins accruing UEC. The console is at a height to the ground and you have to climb up to it. This becomes important later. The full payout is 150k, i didn't know this at the time, but i head in and find the console. I activate it and it begins ticking up. I'm nervous and twitchy, but i sit myself in a corner and take up a defensive posture. When out of the corner of my eye, i notice the lights of a ship. They're back. It's a cutlass red, touching down about 1km away. I zoom in and watch the cutlass land and 2 bodies exit. The cutlass takes off and i can see the two guys zipping towards where they died. I take out my sniper rifle and start taking pot shots at one of them. They return fire and the cutlass begins to strafe my position. I don't have anything to deal with the cutlass so i move back into the destroyed hammerhead. I can hear the two guys moving around below me.
I'm in a bind here. The console is slowly ticking up and i want that cash. I could bail, try to run back to my roc and make it to my corsair, come back and blow the crap out of the cutlass, but that's a risk. If the cutlass spots me, i'm defenseless against it. The footsteps get closer down below. I can hear them shuffling. Both sides. There's 3 ingress points, i can't cover them all. There's a small room off to the side of the main hallway. I very carefully and quietly move in there. I raise my gun, point it at the doorway, and i wait. And i wait. 20 minutes go by. I can hear them. They're waiting for me to make a move. I don't so much as budge an inch. Eventually, they either lose patience, get bored, or think i've logged off. One of them mantles up to the level im on, and begins crouch walking down the long hallway. I train my crosshair on the door. I see his gun slowly emerge into view and then a moment of inspiration hits. I don't fire. I let him pass. I don't so much as breathe as he walks right by me, not looking in my direction. He think's i'm not here.
He moves into the main area with the console, and i can hear him moving around. He checks the corners and i can hear his mate shuffling up as well. His mate runs right by my doorway, i immediately spring the trap. I run to the corner, get a bead on the guy in the main room and unload onto him. number 2 swings towards me and i unload into him. He gets a few shots into me but i down him first. I'm heavily bleeding, out of ammo and the cutlass impotently starts unloading his lasers into the structure of the ship. I take out my medgun and heal myself but i've an injury. My guy is lungshot and wheezing heavily. Vision is slightly blurry. Not idea but i've managed to deal with the 2 guys on the ground.
Fortune smiles on me, one of them was carrying a railgun. I strip the railgun and ammo and dump my sniper rifle. I take the railgun, position myself near a doorway and fully charge it. I pop out and fire directly at the cutlass. It takes a direct hit to the shields. The driver panics, tries to swing around and clips his engine on a tree, the engine explodes and the cutlass spins out of control into the ground and explodes. I obviously don't look at the explosion.
I return to the console, hit the button and wait for the payout. I loot the bodies of anything useful and head back to my roc.
This is one of the best experiences i've ever had in any game. I played early dayz mod and it never even came close to this in terms of adrenaline. I cannot wait for this game to release, i will play nothing else.

Hi F 16 (Autistic)
I think I feel irritated for a side note I just moved out of my mums house (Abuse: 10 years) a few days ago and I moved somewhere else got a place of my own.
I share it with other people, and I've come from a background where... I didn't have people around me and I was unable to talk to people about how I feel, or about alot things in general.
There's staff member that come in to support us and we can talk to them at anytime. I met new staff member's along the way. And I wanted get know the staffs since I'm the newest F living there.
Today I was told that I'm not allow to be in the room where the staff work. Eventhough, anyone is free to go there. But because I'm there often just to chill talk or vent (because I never got opportunity with my family). A worker said I can't do that and gave me somewhere else (another space/room) to spend my day in my house.
The most known worker there agreed with me being moved. I feel very shocked that I wasn't involved in that conversation and they're constantly doing things behind my back without letting me know then I found out somehow...
My reply to everything was that girls in the home don't even go downstairs anyway or often are outside of the house.
They didn't want feel like they were excluding other's but I feel like they're now excluding me. I would rather them just tell me they don't want me in their presence.
They said I can come in but not often but would prefer me to use my new space...and that I'm not really allow there...but the other girls are?
Because they don't want me to talking them I'm just going to avoid them because I don't know what else to do.

Hey guys, so 2nd puppy here. Admittedly my first puppy I was extremely strict. Loose leash training from day one, tried to get a solid heel, and worked hard to train a recall as best I could (she was a husky I never trusted her off leash anyways), forced naps, 24/7 water, but super strict on food (if she didn’t eat after 10-20 minutes, bowl is gone until lunch)
I’m on my 2nd pup now and looking back…all that felt mean? How long did you guys let puppies be puppies? This new pup is 9 weeks old I’ve had her a week and I haven’t started a thing. The only thing is nighttime outside trips are strictly bathroom trips, but other than that she sniffs what she wants within reason, she walks where she wants, she sleeps where she wants, when she wants and I don’t expect anything.
How long should I keep this up and start getting down to business?

I recently turned 20 and I've been missing the past so much. i remember waking up before school and watching pokemon + dbz, playing roblox all day after school. i miss the family gatherings we had, now everyone is 20+ and when we do see each other, its not the same anymore + not everyone is there. i miss my teen years too, i would call with my friends on discord and play games, now I barely talk to those friends anymore minus my best friend and my other friend, but within the past months, we stopped talking as much. he graduated high school a few days ago and the thought of that is crazy to me, i remember us being 14/12 like it was yesterday.
I'm scared of the future and that I'll stop talking/hanging out with my friends entirely. I'm afraid of being an adult with responsibilities as dumb as that sounds, I just wanna have the freetime to do whatever I want without worries. I even miss 2021-2022, even though it wasn't that long ago. I miss everything so much, and I don't know how to stop missing the past, it's weighing down on my everyday mood. there's so much I regret too, i regret not having hobbies sooner, I don't want to get older, I'm so afraid. All these worries seem so dumb but I can't shake them out of my head.

--- Table of Contents ---
--- Part 1/2 ---
When Shon woke again, it was to be told he'd slept, not only the rest of the day and night of the incident, but the entire day after as well. Despite the Cleric assuring Shon that this was normal, he still had Shon eat breakfast in the infirmary while the Squires attended their morning lessons. He'd slept through drills, breakfast, and prayer.
The Cleric kept the curtains drawn over the window, though Shon's head wasn't pounding anymore, and had added a second set of standing curtains around the girl's bed. Shon's eyes flicked in her direction with every alternate bite he managed to force down, but there was no movement beyond the white cloth.
Master Daunas came in shortly before tenth bell and armor practice to inform Shon that he was to take the day off to rest but could rejoin the others in training the following day. He was at least allowed to leave the infirmary, though he waited until he could hear sparring outside before he did. He didn't want to run into any of the Squires.
As he opened the door to leave something flew by the window, catching Shon's attention enough to make him stop and look over. But it was already long gone. Just a bird... Assuming he hadn't imagined it. He shook his head, still aching all over. His mind swam with worries and memories, made worse by the fact that the Cleric was trying to hide shivers now that Shon was fully rested. He'd probably just imagined it...
Back in his room Shon huddled over his journal. He could still smell the smoke in his hair and had decided it would be best to shower soon, but finally alone, his thoughts and memories could no longer be ignored.
So he drew. He tried to start safe. Nangran atop his borrowed horse; Ivelm mostly naked and shaking a club in his doorway; the Archmage's workroom lined in shelves filled with magical components. That one had taken a while. But as he released these images onto the page, others forced themselves forward. Smoke billowing over treetops; a burning tower; charred bodies; and a girl reaching out through the flames. A girl lying asleep in the bed next to his. The stillness of the picture made her look dead.
He dropped his pencil, letting it roll right off the desk. Crossing his arms over the book, he rested his head on his desk. The wood felt warm compared to his skin, comforting. What more could he have done? What could a Paladin have done? Or Master Veon-Zih? Shon saw again the bodies and shivered.
No one could save everyone. To think otherwise was pure arrogance. But knowing the facts and feeling them were two very different things. The tower wasn’t that far from Hamerfoss. Shouldn’t they have known something was going on? Shouldn’t they have been able to do something sooner? Years sooner? Long before the fire killed those people?
A loud tapping startled him awake. When had he fallen asleep? Shon searched his room in confusion, trying to piece together his dream and what had awoken him. He'd been in the Temple chapel, but as he'd walked down the middle aisle, the pews had started to decay, the stone walls crumbling. Small plants, then trees began to sprout from the ground, overgrowing the once-holy place now in ruin. Shon pressed the heels of his hands hard into his eyes, trying to remember what had come next... A man with white hair pulled back in a ponytail had been standing at the head altar... something with leathery wings on his shoulder...
The painful screech of something sharp on glass had Shon jumping up, his chair falling to clatter on the ground behind him. He looked to his window but saw only orange sky beyond. Was the sun already setting? He knelt on the mattress and looked out the window, unsure what he expected to see. He was on the third floor, but that was definitely where the sound had come from, and the window was the only glass in the room.
Nothing but open sky.
He opened the tiny window, the pane swinging up and letting in cold and refreshing air that helped clear his mind. Master Daunas's voice bellowed orders from the courtyard below, and Shon stuck his head out to look down and see his fellows working through their dagger forms. He'd slept through lunch and afternoon lessons. And he still needed a shower.
If he hurried, he would be able to shower before the others finished their lesson. Shon left the window open and even opened his door before he remembered to grab a fresh uniform. Obviously, he still wasn't thinking clearly.
The halls were blissfully empty, and Shon could almost pretend that even if he did pass someone, their breath wouldn't show in the air. It was a short-lived fantasy, however. He managed to make it all the way to the showers, but when he opened the door a voice called, "Squire! Why aren't you... Oh..." Shon performed a sharp about face to stand at attention before the Major General.
"At ease, Squire Shon," Selibra sighed, waving him down, "Did you get enough rest?"
"Yes, Sir," Shon answered but then caught movement out of the corner of his eye, again. He hadn't managed to turn his head far enough to see before the Major General started speaking. Shon snapped his head back to give the officer his undivided attention.
"You did well, Squire. Smith Nangran told us what happened at the tower." Sir Selibra managed a strained smile that faded quickly, "If you want to talk about what you saw there... any one of us will be more than willing to listen. You shouldn't have had to experience death so soon." an image of an arm pulling away from a charred corpse flashed in Shon's vision.
Shon swallowed down the accompanying nausea at the memory and managed a nod, adding a quiet "Thank you, Sir." for good measure.
Feeling the need to scrub even more than before, Shon was grateful when the Major General left, allowing him to enter the still-open room. The shower was only mildly comforting, however. What should have been scalding water felt merely lukewarm now, the mist billowing off his truly icy skin thick enough that he could barely see the spigots. Closing his eyes, he scrubbed and tried to imagine the images flowing off of him with the filth...
Something chirped, and Shon slammed the water off. Just the pipes creaking... How much longer would he have to rest before his mind stopped playing tricks on him? But as he moved for his towel, Shon stopped in shock, his new uniform had been scattered around the benches and floor.
He hadn't heard the door open, but had heard the pipes creaking? But who here would even do something like this? Shon started to search the showers, but as he did, he heard something else—voices in the hall. The Squires were done with their practice. He still didn't want to see them and dressed quickly, rushing from the shower and slamming the door behind him.
Something thumped into the door from the other side. Shon held his breath and turned slowly. It was his imagination. It had to be. He reached for the handle again and, standing behind the swing, opened the shower slowly.
"He's been gone three days... Do you think they sent him away?" Thom's voice sounded from around a corner, and Shon jumped in surprise, pulling the door open fully as if he could hide behind it.
"No way. he's the best Squire we have, so what if he's a Sorcerer." They were talking about him... Shon definitely didn't want to see them yet. He dashed down the opposite way, taking a long way around through the Paladin's barracks and back to his room. Or that's what he'd planned before he remembered the Squires hall would be full of people now taking their break and trying to get into the shower before everyone else. His feet faltered, and he turned away again, to one of the hardly used stairs that would take him down to the rest of the fortress.
Barred from his room, Shon made his way to the place he associated the most with comfort, the chapel. It wasn't empty, three Paladins knelt in prayer near the front, but it didn't matter anymore. He felt a wash of calm as he entered the incense-filled room, the sweet-smelling smoke finally banishing the stench of burning hair from his memory.
Shon took a spot near the back, kneeling to pray as he stared up at the statue of Hengist behind the altar. He was dressed in full plate mail, his arm raised in triumph, holding his mighty sword, Darkspliter.
Shon sighed and felt himself smile for what felt like the first time in a very long time. He could tell Hengist anything and everything, and none of it out loud... But then his smile faded. What would he say...?
I'm sorry. I feel like I've been lying to everyone, to you. I've known there was something different about me, something wrong with me. That's why no one likes to touch me, why everyone pulls away at the feel of my skin, like it's somehow dirty or painful. I should've realized... Should have known...
But I worked so hard... You know that, don't you? And I'm not ready to give up. I'll do whatever it takes, atone anyway I can if you just tell me how. The Major General said something about it being a sign. I want to believe he meant the unlikely convenience of Smith Nangran knowing an Archmage who could make an item so I won't have to get the tattoo. Thank you. I just hope I don't disappoint after getting a second chance...
The bell for dinner sounded. Feeling better, Shon considered going with the Paladins as they left the chapel. Until one of them shivered as they passed. "Winters right around the corner," another muttered.
"We'll need to install the heating orbs soon." the last answered before the door closed... He wasn't hungry anyway.
Please, Hengist. Don't let me hurt anyone else. Kefir was trying to help me, and I answered that kindness with pain. What if the healers hadn't gotten to him in time? Would I have smothered him in ice? Please, I'll give up everything if it means that will never happen again...
But he didn't want to give up anything. He wanted to fight, to reach his highest potential, and lead a life of meaning. He thought of Master Veon-Zih. The Monk had told him that he didn't need to be a Paladin to fight for justice, and he was living proof of that. But...
I don't want to be alone... At first, I thought I just wanted you, a god, as a guiding light in my life. But now I realize that being a Paladin gives me even more than that. It gives me brothers and friends, and I don't want to lose them either. But I especially don't want to hurt them.
Shon clenched his hands tighter, as tight as he could, digging his fingers into the spaces between his knuckles; as if external pain might dull internal strife...
They say I'm scary... And I know they aren't really joking. I can see it in their eyes and hear it in their nervous laughs when they try and make it a joke. But they only mean when they fight me... don't they? And I'll never try to hurt them. It's only sparring... they know that... don't they?
He squeezed his eyes tighter shut,
But what about now? Will they be even more afraid? Even when we aren't sparring? Can I blame them if they are?
He actually found himself waiting for an answer... Of course, none came. He wasn't a Paladin yet, and wouldn't be able to feel the god until he swore his Oath and took a piece of Hengist into himself. For now, Shon took in a deep breath, as deep as he could, then let it out slowly, relaxing his hands and face as he attempted to release his anxieties unto his god.
I won't give up. I'll fight this danger within me as hard as I will fight any threat without. I ask for your help with this. Please don't give up on me yet. I'll prove I'm worthy, I swear.
The bell ending dinner and starting study time sounded. Shon stayed in the chapel until a handful of Squires came in to pray themselves. They hesitated by the door, but Shon didn't look at them. He knew he couldn't hide forever. But he also wasn't sure what he should say to any of them. Or if he should say anything at all. Shon waited until they moved away from the door to finally stand. If he had to face any of them, he wanted it to be the ones he considered friends first.
Shon left the chapel and made his way to the library, fighting the urge to just go back to his room. Heads swiveled in his direction the moment he opened the library door. Shon flinched, sucking in a sharp breath and holding it, pulling his energy in as best he could.
He stepped in, and the Squires exchanged looks, but then the Paladin on library duty coughed, and they quickly went back to reading.
His typical spot was available as usual, so Shon made his way there. The others would want to talk after... and if not, he would just go back to his room. Distracted by his continued worries -and the silent effort to hold his energy in- Shon still heard when something behind him hissed along the stone.
He spun quickly, scanning the floor. This time he definitely wasn't imagining it...
"Squire Shon... Shouldn't you be resting?" He turned back to find the Squires trying to make it seem like they weren't staring at him, while the Paladin who called looked openly concerned.
Shon's cheeks flushed, now feeling cool rather than warm. Another change... He cleared his throat, "No, Sir..." and when the Paladin's worried expression didn't let up, Shon added, "I've been resting all day."
"Three days..." Zihler muttered.
Shon met his eyes and the Squire smiled, but Shon couldn't tell if the expression seemed strained or not. He nodded anyway, taking his seat alone at the table by the window.
Books on their current subject of study were already laid out, and he pulled one forward, opening it without checking the title. As he read, he could hear the others occasionally whisper and even caught snippets of what they were saying,
"I found another one. Do you think this will be enough?" Thom asked.
"We have the rest of the hour; we should find all we can," Rerves answered. It didn't sound like they were studying, but Shon had missed three days of lessons; maybe they were working on an assignment... He went back to his reading. He would get any missed work tomorrow.
When the bell rang that would finally begin their last hour of free time, Shon closed his book. It would be best to just go to bed early; everyone seemed to think he should be resting anyway; they could talk after he got the sealing item... But he hadn't stood yet when his six closest friends jumped up, books in hand, and crowded around him, preventing him from leaving. From running away.
"We're glad you're okay." Rehlien blurted out.
"The Major General told us what happened," Baradin added.
Shon looked from him to Kefir and took in a sharp breath, "I'm..." he started to apologize, but Kefir interrupted with a broad smile,
"I'm fine. I even got a day off for it. I didn't need it though, they healed me up right away."
Rerves placed his book down on Shon's table, "It was just really surprising, you know? But hey! Now we know why you're so cold all the time."
Shon looked down at the massive tome on the table, not wanting to meet their eyes. He didn't know what to make of what they were saying. There was no way it was okay. How could they be alright with a dangerous magic user that could kill them all on accident...
"We found these. We thought they might make you feel a little better," Thom whispered, stacking his book on top of Rerves' and opening it to a page he'd marked with a ripped piece of scrap paper. It wasn't a textbook, it was a record book. Shon furrowed his brows down at the page, reading 'Sir Patrich, served 4876-4929, died 4955. Paladin of Hengist, General. Air Sorcerer...'
Shon looked up to find them all smiling down at him. Zihler set his book down over Thom's, opened to another personal record, "This one was a fire Sorcerer, and they're supposed to be the most destructive."
Rehlien took Baradin and Kefir's books and stacked them with his own beside the open records. He ran his fingers over the slew of bookmarks sticking out of the closed pages, "All Sorcerers and Paladins." Rehlien said.
"Master Daunas said you would be back in a few days, but just in case we wanted to find these for you," Thom explained in a rush, "You know... in case the officers or Mages needed to be convinced..."
Baradin cleared his throat before he spoke, clasping his hands behind his back, "We haven't found any ice Sorcerers yet, but they're also the rarest, so that really shouldn't be surprising."
"Yeah, and there are plenty of fire who are crazy dangerous even when they're trained," Kefir added quickly.
Shon could feel a burning in his eyes and blinked furiously, looking away from his friends. He wouldn't cry.. he wouldn't. "Thank you..." he managed to croak out, finally giving in and rubbing his eyes. None of them commented on his show of emotion, or the frost clouding his window.
Rerves took the seat across from him with a smile, "So, what type of familiar do you think you'll get?"
Shon managed to stop blinking enough to arch an eyebrow. Hadn't Ivelm said something about a familiar too?
"I bet you it'll be something really lame." Zihler laughed, "To balance Shon's badassness."
"Squire!" the Paladin librarian barked, "Pushups! Now!"
Zihler groaned, mumbling as he stepped back to perform the punishment, "How do they always do that?"
"Divine hearing," Rehlien snickered as Zihler started the pushups, "Probably only works for curses, though."
"You can join him," the Paladin called without looking up from his book, and Rehlien groaned, dropping down next to Zihler.
"Seriously though," Rerves said, ignoring the boys huffing and puffing through their punishment, "Familiars are animals, they're supposed to be even closer to their Sorcerer than a Paladin and their mount! Like an extension of yourself. You can see through their eyes and talk to them with your mind. It's awesome!"
Thom actually blushed, confessing, "We read up on it a bit over the last two days..."
They knew more about what he was than he did. Shon actually smiled, starting, "I don't..." but chittering, like a particularly loud squirrel, interrupted him. The Squires all swiveled their heads to look around, Rehlien and Zihler jumping to their feet with the Paladin, who stood so quickly his chair fell over. The chittering turned to chirping, and then to a purr, as Shon finally found what was making the noise.
On top of the bookshelf closest to the door, sat a tiny dragon.
The size of a large barn cat, its scales were mostly brown but had streaks and blotches of red and orange, like the few deciduous trees that still held their leaves in autumn. Its leathery wings were folded against its back and its front claws grasped the edge of the bookshelf. Its long tail, complete with a scorpion-like stinger, flicked back and forth, its sinuous neck held high as it surveyed the library.
Some of the Squires let slip breaths of wonder, and the little dragon seemed to preen at the attention, holding its head a little higher and purring even louder. The Paladin, however, stepped around his desk and commanded, "Stay back, Squires," before he started chanting. The little dragon tilted its head at the Paladin, as curious as the rest of them. A moment later, the knight's spell washed over them to fill the room, sending a shiver down Shon's spine and making more than one of the other Squires shudder.
The little dragon let out another string of chittering and hissed down at the Paladin, whose eyes went wide as he announced in a breath, "It's real."
"How did it get in?" a senior Squire asked. Shon started to stand but then fell back again as images flooded into his mind. He watched a window opening from outside the fortress, and saw himself lean out. Then the image shifted, and he saw himself digging under his bed for a new uniform and towel as the him that was watching slipped out the door. It shifted again, and he saw himself in the shower, mist billowing off his shoulders before he dug through the piles of clothes left on the bench. It shifted again, and he darted into the library and behind the bookshelf, watching as he, Shon, walked in and sat down at the little table.
Shon blinked and shook his head furiously to try and clear it. All the pictures had flooded in so fast that no one even had time to answer the question or pose their own, "I let it in..." Shon whispered, then looked at the Paladin, explaining quickly, "I didn't mean to. I left my window open to air out my room and..."
"It's okay, Squire," the Paladin was actually smiling, and the little dragon whistled, "They're goodly creatures, though elusive. I've never seen a live one." the dragon leaned forward on the bookshelf, crouching down on its front claws and wiggling its hindquarters before it leaped into the air, opening its wings to spread as wide as it was long. It glided a lap around the library then hovered in front of the Paladin, chittering again and flapping hard enough to blow the man's short hair back before flying right towards the group of Squires around Shon.
It brushed Baradin's head with its claws, the boy ducking as it swooped down to land on Shon's table. The dragon looked from the open books to Shon, then, before Shon could pull back, climbed up his arm and to his shoulder, purring hard enough to vibrate Shon too. It weighed considerably less than it looked like it should, though its claws were sharp enough to pierce through his clothes as it climbed. It brought its face right up to Shon's eye, and though he tried to pull away, it followed him with its long neck, rubbing its cheek along his face. The scales were smooth and lacked temperature, like being touched by a gloved hand. It nuzzled his cheek again, then down his neck and into his shirt.
Surprised, Shon tried to throw the dragon off, but it just dug its claws into his sleeves, chittering angrily then clawing its way around to his back before lifting itself up to drape over his head. "What..." Shon started, but the Paladin cut him off with a laugh.
"I think that answers your friends' questions, Squire."
Shon was too confused to even arch an eyebrow at the man, but Rerves apparently understood what he'd meant because he said, "But I thought only animals could be familiars, like cats and crows and stuff..."
The Paladin nodded but then shrugged, "That's usually the case, but sometimes, rarely, there will be a Sorcerer who gets something a bit more special, like a winged serpent, fairy dragon, or in this case," he nodded at Shon, "A pseudodragon."
The pseudodragon purred, vibrating Shon's head. The Squires all gaped slack-jawed in awe at it, and Shon reached up slowly. He wasn't even sure what he was going to do, pet it? Push it off? But before he'd even touched it, it lifted its head, stretching its long neck out and nuzzling into his hand, obviously not caring that his skin was colder now than it had ever been.
"Damn..." Zihler muttered in obvious disappointment, "I was really hoping it would be a toad so I would have something to make fun of..."
The little dragon's answering twitter almost sounded like a laugh.
***
She groaned, rolling over and nuzzling deeper into Her pillow. Except it didn’t smell like Her pillow. Her eyes flew open, and She sat up. Then fell back down. That was stupid. Ran and Brom had probably taken more blood than usual again… except She couldn’t remember them taking Her for samples. Not for weeks and weeks…
“It’s alright, you’re safe here,” the kindly voice of a man spoke from Her right, and She sat up again, more slowly this time. A stranger in white robes with a sword embroidered on the chest reached out to help Her up, but after touching Her back he pulled sharply away.
She was too confused to apologize for burning him. “Where?” She asked, looking around the room. Like the stranger, it was covered in white. White blankets, white rug, and white curtains hanging to either side of an open window. A window that looked out onto a blue sky. She gasped, scrambling from the bed and nearly tripping over Her white gown. Of course it was white. How in all the hells did they keep it all clean?
She shook Her head and rushed for the window. The man behind Her gasped, his chair scraping loudly as he stood to follow. She pressed Her hands on the cold glass, staring up into the sky, “I’m on an upper floor!?” She grinned excitedly over Her shoulder as the stranger stared at Her, mouth hanging open.
Turning back to the window, She used Her arm to wipe the fog from Her heat off the glass, letting Her gaze trail down. She didn’t see the treetops She expected. Not close anyway. Instead, the forest was beyond a wide clear field, which in turn was beyond a tall stone wall with people dressed in silver walking along its top. She stood on Her toes to look down through the window. Between the wall and Her was a courtyard full of more people swinging things that glinted in the sun.
This wasn’t the tower. None of those people wore robes except the nice stranger. She spun to him, “My treasures, where are they? Brom? Ran? Where…” She saw a flash of red, heard a pained bark, and smelled iron. She fell to Her knees, grasping Her chest and breathing hard, remembering bits and pieces. He killed them. He killed all of them. Then what? She couldn’t remember...
“You are in a training facility of the Temple of Hengist, Hamerfoss, in Clearhelm.” a new voice, deeper, less kind though not cruel, spoke from the doorway. Lifting Her head, She saw the new man wearing a crisp, white, uniform, with a sword hanging comfortably from his belt. Hengist… so that explained all the white.
The kind man in robes had rushed to Her but dared not touch Her. Wise. With Her head spinning so fast, there was no way She was controlling Her heat properly. “How long has she been awake?” the new man asked the kind one.
“She just woke up, Major General,”
“He killed them…” She whispered, squeezing Her eyes shut, pushing back the rage and sorrow, trying to fill in Her memory. What happened next?
“It will be alright. You're safe here,” the kind man said again.
She pulled Her own hair, lacing Her fingers into the golden strands and squeezing. What had happened? She had run down the hall, but how had She gotten out of Her room? There were strangers in Her tower. These men? She glared up at the brown-haired man who looked down at Her, his hands behind his back.
“Who are you? What did you do to the Mages?” She could feel the hair rise on the back of Her neck and a familiar tingling where the collar should be.
The Major General remained calm before Her building fury, saying only, “Calm down.” It was a command backed by magic. She felt the power flow over Her and try to settle on Her mind. She could almost sense the peace it promised but shook Her head, clearing it of the spell.
He could've used his magic to hurt Her. Perhaps not with the collar as the Archmages did, but in other ways. And yet, he hadn’t moved from his spot, his hands still behind his back. She looked again at the sword of Hengist at his side. She'd read all about the gods. Hengist was good and noble, all about self-sacrifice and protecting the weak… A fool, the Mages had said. And yet his Temple ruled this province. The Mages of Her tower would never work with the Temple of Hengist. Or any kingdom order…
She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She didn’t need his help to calm down, not when She had something to focus on. She shoved Her grief to the back of Her mind. “How did I get here?” another image flashed in Her mind, fire all around, a white path, blue eyes.
The Paladin didn’t answer right away; instead, he motioned for the robed man - a Cleric? - to bring him a chair. She tilted Her head curiously at him, but he only sat down with a weary sigh, then gestured towards the bed, “Please, have a seat.”
She stood, returning to the bed and eyeing the door over his shoulder. He hadn’t locked it. “We saw smoke from the woods and found you in a burning tower.” the blood drained from Her face, “We have recovered several bodies from around the structure, but there were no other survivors.” he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and fixing Her with a piercing stare, “What happened? What was going on in that tower?”
She brought Her feet onto the bed and hugged Her legs tight, “I don’t… I can’t remember…” a fire, the tower burning… But it was made of stone. Her fire couldn’t burn that hot… Could it?
“Sir Selibra,” the kindly Cleric sounded stern, crossing his arms and glaring down at the Paladin, “She has just woken up from what was obviously a terrible ordeal. Show some compassion.”
The Paladin, Selibra, actually looked ashamed, leaning back in his chair and clearing his throat, “I apologize, miss…” he drew out the last word, looking at Her expectantly. She tilted Her head. “What is your name?” he asked more clearly. She tilted Her head the other way. Were they going to play that game here too?
The Cleric hummed then said, “Please forgive him, miss, we are all very troubled by the events and deaths at the tower. The Major General merely got ahead of himself. If you could tell us your name, then we can let you rest and…”
“I don’t have a name.”
The two men blinked dumbly at Her, and She rolled Her eyes, “I knnnooowww,” She let Her legs fall back down, so She was sitting properly again, “But I don’t know it yet. As soon as I do, I'll tell you.” She assured them. The men exchanged looks as She glanced again out the window. Maybe She should've just told them what Brom and Ran called Her… But those weren’t names. They were descriptors. No better than ‘Firewyrm.’
If these Temple men were to be believed, everything was gone. She had no room, no books, no clothes, no treasures, and no name. What did She have? She pulled Her hair over Her shoulder and stared out the window as She stroked it. She had Her hair. They hadn’t cut it in months. She had Her body. She straightened Her posture, holding Her head high. And She had Her power—the fire crackling deep inside Her soul. The Mages had taken the first two. The third had destroyed them.
“You should rest,” Selibra stood, and Her eyes snapped back to him, “You can send for me when you feel ready to talk. Until then, focus on recovering your strength and your memories.”
He made it all the way to the door, even swung it open before She called out, “What are you going to do to me?”
Selibra turned back, his eyebrows raised in surprise. The Cleric placed a hand on Her shoulder, slowly and carefully, gauging how much of Her heat he could handle. She turned to him, and he let Her go. He'd held on longer than expected. “We will keep you safe, child.” the Cleric assured Her.
The Paladin grew stiff for a moment, then brought his right fist up to his chest, “By the sword of Hengist’s honor, we will safeguard your life and freedom,” Freedom? “Whatever injustices you endured there, you will find justice in the laws of Clearhelm.” She didn’t know what to say, and so, after an awkward moment of silence, Selibra turned for the door again and left.
She didn’t lay down. Instead, She walked back to the window. The view seemed to stretch on forever from so high up, higher than She'd ever remembered being before. Even when She used to climb the trees around Her tower.
Selibra hadn’t locked the door, but the Cleric bustled around behind Her, and the wall below Her clanked with armored knights. What was freedom anyway?
--- Table of Contents ---
Thanks for making it this far, you are the real MVP

With this week being Nuke Week (AKA Wild Card Week), I want to do something special here... and oh, boy. Do I have something special cooking here. This post might be a little esoteric since it does talk about the National Arena League, which is the third tier among the indoor football leagues out there (The IFL is top tier and CIF - Champions Indoor Football - is slightly ahead of them). But, this post about the Albany Empire - back-to-back NAL Champions and the final champion of the Arena League 2.0, and their new owner, Antonio Brown. His father, Arena League Hall of Fame legend 'Touchdown' Eddie Brown, is also here as the GM of the Empire. How this season has gone so far is the stuff of nightmares... and (hopefully) shitposting legends.
Let's begin on this timeline...
March 3rd - An announcement is made that Antonio Brown would join the Albany Empire as part owner and his father, 'Touchdown' Eddie Brown, would become the VP of Football Operations. Eddie is a Arena League legend, named to the list of the Top 20 players in Arena Football history in 2006. His name is synonymous with the Albany area - he helped lead the Firebirds (remember them?) to an Arenabowl victory. Local legends helping run the biggest powerhouse in the NAL? Oh, this is too good to be real...
April 6th - AB says he wants to move the team to Saratoga... must want to bet on the ponies or something. No big deal, I guess... except that the coach, Tom Menas, was ran out of town for some unknown reason. The offensive coordinator, Damon Ware, takes over. This will not be the last time you hear of Menas, trust me.
April 16th - Right before the regular season begins, the controversy begins. AB says he's the sole owner of the Empire, but one of the other owners, Mike Kwarta, said otherwise. He and AB each own 47.5% of the team while a minority owner owns the remaining 5%. AB says he paid $1.5 million in workers' comp insurance while Kwarta said "Wait a second... your math is way off, man. I've paid about half that for workers' comp insurance." While all of this going on, the Empire opened their regular season (they had a bye week in Week 1) with a dominating victory over the Orlando Predators (remember them??).
April 19th - Things are going to get complicated pretty quickly, so hang on tight and keep your arms and legs inside the roller coaster at all times. Let's begin... deep breath ...AB is now the sole majority owner of the Empire, buying the 47.5% share that Mike Kwarta owned for a $1 (Cue the guy from the original Robocop who would buy that for a dollar). This sounds all great and dandy... but, there's more to this then meets the eye.
May 1st - A day after a tough loss to the Carolina Cobras, shit hits the fan: The players haven't been paid since April 21st and the coach, who verified that, was also sent packing. Among the players not getting paid were WR Darius Prince, last season's league MVP and (at that time) league leader in TD catches at 10; QB Sam Castronova, who (at that time) lead the league with 241 passing yards per game; and defensive captains Brandon Sesay, Dwayne Hollis and Nick Haag. All of them (along with another player) were suspended due to an incident after the Carolina game - aggravated harassment. As for the payment issue? Well, that came from issues stemming from the processor after Kwarta and most of the front office left after that $1 deal to give AB majority ownership.
May 2nd - Guess who's back? Back again? Guess who's back? Back again?? Yep, it's Tom Menas - the coach who was given the boot before the season began - makes his return to try and turn around the 1-2 Empire in their quest for a three-peat.
May 3rd - Remember when I said there was more then meets the eye with the AB deal? Oh, this is where things get fun. Turns out he has nothing to do with the team - the team is under the control of the Antonio El-Allah Express Trust Enterprise, which is the domestic arm of the Antonio El-Allah Express Trust. Antonio El-Allah, a foreign national, is the trustee of this organization. A letter was sent to the Times-Union that reads:

“I Brown, Antonio Tavaris a foreign national but not a citizen of the United States at birth, am writing to you regarding recent reports that have been circulating in the media regarding my supposed ownership of the Albany Empire team," the letter begins. "I want to make it very clear that I am not the owner of this team, and any claims to the contrary are completely false."

Antonio Tavaris Brown is the full name of AB, but the whole foreign national thing? Yeah, that's false. Pro Football Resource mentions he was born in Miami to American parents and the rule they cited only applies under certain circumstances, all of which involve American Samoa and some place called Swains Island, which I've never heard of until now. And that trust? It's connected to another company, Big Boomin Investment Co. LLC, out of freaking DUBAI! This is something you see with real estate investments, not ownership of a professional football team. There must be some big ass skeletons in this closet.
While the ownership issues are going on, the team preps for their game with the West Texas Warbirds, one of two new members in the NAL this season. They're doing this without Damon Ware, who left the team to go to Orlando, and their QB Sam Castronova. He was one of the eight suspended players from that bus incident and left the team for Jacksonville (Keep an eye on this end, it'll be a big part of what's coming). Despite all this, Albany came close to winning but lost 41-38.
May 10th - Oh, there were minority owners as well. Let's meet the von Schillers, Charlotte and Steve. This couple were season ticket owners before they met up with Mike Kwarta and bought 5% of the team as a way to help grow the franchise's presence in the Capital Region. Since AB bought out Kwarta's share, it's been hell for the couple. They've been very negative to them and the von Schiller's do have a reason to question AB's motives: They wanted to make the best of having AB being part owner, and were hoping he would be a decent person (Oh, you poor naive souls...) and go from there. Well, it's gone downhill from here.
May 17th - In a move that even Narcissus would think was too much, AB plans to get on the field for their next home against the other newbie of the NAL, the Fayetteville (North Carolina) Mustangs. The rules states that there's nothing against a owner who wants to play... so, yeah. Go for it.
May 20th - Karma came in swiftly as Sam Castronova carved up his former team mates as he scored 6 touchdowns to lead Jacksonville to a 79-34 routing of Albany. This ass kicking was so bad that Menas was shit canned a 2nd time in a season. He's replaced by a high school coach in Pete Porcelli, who played in Albany back in the days of the original Arena League.
May 23rd - Jonathan Bane, a recent addition to the team who was over-matched against Jacksonville the week before, leaves the team thanks in large part to the lack of structure, communication and professionalism on the team (No... the hell you say)
May 27th - AB does suit up... in the Barney Stinson style of suiting up. Yes, he doesn't play at all as the Empire fall to the expansion Mustangs 49-27. The Empire, back-to-back NAL Champions, are now 1-5 on the season. Things cannot get any worst, can they? Oh, yes they can!
May 29th - The debut for Porcelli was also his last game as an associate of AB basically told him that he was demoted to line coach. Porcelli told him to eat a bag of dicks and left the team. AB caught wind of this and let that associate know in simple terms that he's not supposed to do that.
June 1st - Man #4, come on down! You've been selected to play 'Who wants to coach this shit show?' with your host, AB! Man #4 is Terry Foster, the defensive coordinator for the Iowa Barnstomers (remember them???) in the IFL. If his defensive coordinator skills are anything (dead last in scoring defense, dead last in rushing defense, dead last in passing efficiency defense and dead last in overall defense), then Albany is bound to be in a world of pure hurt.
Friday (Yes, this recent Friday) - AB just can't stop doing stupid shit. He gets tossed from the Holiday Inn the team is staying at over loud music and the sweet, sweet stink of weed. He sent a video to the Times-Union saying that he got kicked out of the Holiday Inn Marriott (surefire sign of being high on that wacky tobaccy, if you ask me) and saying that he was trespassing, even though he's been there for 60 days. He then sent a longer text talking about how he was friendly with the owner of said Holiday Inn and thanks to a “mutual love for the city and growing business.” (read: I'm rich, please give me free shit), the owner allowed AB and the Empire to stay at the hotel. Well, things have gotten sour with the hotel as he claims that he was "bombarded" by the hotel staff and the police without any warning, conversation or professionalism (Ha... this clown complaining about a lack of professionalism... Ha). To add more into this brewing putrid pot of shit, one of AB's associates sent a text to the Times-Union saying that "our attorneys will be reaching out soon to … the Times Union for misleading and false advertisement. Just FYI.” Oh, by the way... this is all going on during their bye week.

Hey there, I'm Rick, and I'm looking for some more long-term roleplay partners to create a fun story with! I can write as either male or female, and don't mind what gender you play as either, just be able to write a few paragraphs in third person and have a decent knowledge of syntax and I'm sure we'll get along just fine! As for plot lines, I'm searching for something exciting that I can really get into, something where we can let our characters take the lead and go with the flow a little more. However, that doesn’t mean I’m not all for the typical plotlines out there- any corny romance cliches or action plots, throw them my way, I’m up for all of them! I should also note I only roleplay on Discord, and that you must be 20+, as I am myself. I’m in the GMT time zone and free almost always now that my studies are over and done with haha and for those of you not in the same time zone as me, no worries, I’m a night owl so tend to reply at all hours anyway And that should be all! Looking forward to hearing from you all :) Please message me with more than “still looking?”, bring something to the table!

From what I’ve seen majority of the people are on L’s team but I think Light is a fucking cool character. For me what made Death Note interesting was to see how Light plans his killings, how he manipulated people and even the rules of death note to benefit him. There are many scenes in Death Note like the potato chips scene or FBI scenes that his plan was executed so well to the point that I just can’t help but admire his character for his smartness to come up with such plans (before reminding myself that I should admire Ohba and Obata sensei instead). Character wise Light was an awesome character and a great protagonist that you won’t really see in any manga or anime because he’s not overly good like most shonen protagonists who are often too good to be human which I find boring. I also finds Light to be a pretty accurate representation of a human character and more relatable than you think. As humans there are times in life where you just can’t help but think if some people don’t exist maybe the society might become a better place like criminals who committed unforgivable crimes or corrupted politicians. Of course what Light does was wrong especially from the fact that he kills the police and everyone who gets in his way but if Kira only punishes people who’ve done something so horrible maybe he’s not as horrible as it seems. It’s a scary thought but I even think to myself that if I picked up a Death Note I might do what Light did, punishing people who fell off from the justice system (without killing the police and people who haven’t committed something horrible). What do you think you’ll do if you happen to pick up a Death Note?

I love how well thought out and detailed the world is. No matter where you go, there is always something to see/do. Wanna chill and see an amazing sunset? Gotcha. Wanna go hunting only to have a bear sprint towards you when you get too close? Done. Or maybe you want to do some train robbing and make some quick cash? Go for it.
The diversity in this game is incredible! No matter how many times I play this it, I truly believe that I’ll keep finding new things to love ❤️

--- Table of Contents ---
Autumn 4986, 16 Aoimoth
Shon slid down the side of a tree to the ground and watched the tower burn. Ivelm did a circle of it, dousing the surrounding trees with his water wand, while Nangran inspected the few bodies he could reach without burning himself. At one point, he tried to pull a corpse further from the fire only to have its arms snap off at the shoulder, meat pulling away from the bone like a well-cooked turkey.
Somewhere in the back of Shon’s mind, he knew he should be sickened by the sights and smells. When they first stepped through the portal, he‘d had to hold back retching from the scent of smoking hair and cooking flesh. Now he could hardly muster the energy to keep breathing. He took long and slow, but shallow breaths. As if he were about to fall asleep despite the horror before him.
So much death. Shon had never seen a dead person before. Though he wasn’t sure if these still counted, so blackened they could almost be mistaken for macabre statues... if it wasn’t for the smell.
“What was going on here ‘Elm?” Nangran demanded of Ivelm as the mage rounded the other side of the tower and rejoined them.
Ivelm sheathed his water wand, pulling forth the diamond-studded wand again. He didn’t answer.
Nangran growled, grabbing Ivelm's arm as it rose to point the wand toward the forest. The Archmage shook him off and spun, his robes fluttering around him as he gestured angrily at the fire, “I don’t know, Flintchest. This tower was supposed to be empty, abandoned. I’m the only Mage with authorization to set up in this area.” he pointed his wand over Shon’s shoulder and spat something indistinct. A rush of cool air flowed from behind accompanied by shouting and armor clanking. Knights running.
Shon rolled limply to the side, planning to stand but finding his arms shaking as he tried to push himself up. Boots stomped around him as Paladins flooded from the magical gate into the clearing. Shon managed to lift his head, though even his neck seemed to be rebelling against his attempts at holding himself up. His vision swimming, he saw Major General Selibra and Master Daunas step through the portal, their mouths agape.
Shon’s arms gave out from under him, and he fell to the side, hearing as if from a great distance, “Squire! Shon… Shon… Nangran, what happened?” From the ground he could see the girl, now wrapped in Nangran’s cloak, leaning against the side of his tree. When had they brought her there? Why hadn’t he noticed?
“He’s fine.” Ivelm’s voice, Shon couldn’t see anymore, so he closed his eyes, “He’ll wake up in a few days. Hell of a Sorcerer that one…” No… no, no, no... he wasn’t a Sorcerer. He was a Squire. He would be a Paladin… For a brief moment, a flicker of an image played in Shon's mind. He saw himself lying on the muddy ground, Master Daunas knelt by his head, and Ivelm spit off to the side. Then, only the sweet relief of darkness as he passed out.
***
“Any other survivors?” Sir Selibra’s soft voice drifted through the darkness.
“Only the girl,” Daunas whispered from nearby.
“I doubt she’s human,” Ivelm spoke loudly, and Shon flinched, his head pounding as the mage didn’t bother to keep his voice low, “No fire-resist spell should have lasted in that heat. Even fire Sorcerers can't survive melting stone.”
“She looks human.” a fourth voice, the Hamerfoss Cleric. Shon couldn’t move. The light filtering through his eyelids sent stabs of pain into his head, making it hard for him to concentrate. He tried to lift a hand to cover his eyes, but the limb wouldn’t obey his call.
“And a table looks like it’s made of wood but does that mean it’s still a tree?” Ivelm snorted, and something wet splattered on stone.
“Archmage, please, this is an infirmary…” the Cleric said, shocked.
The mage didn’t apologize and continued to speak at full volume, “Whatever was going on out there it wasn’t sanctioned by the Guild, and that girl has most certainly been subject to experimentation. Those scales? That hair?” he spat again.
“Archmage, please…”
“Let’s take this outside, shall we?” Sir Selibra said, and three pairs of boots thumped away, a door swinging open. Sir Selibra’s voice retreated as they left the infirmary still in conversation, “We have sent for the Temple and Guild. They should be here shortly.” The boots left, and the door closed again.
Only one pair of feet remained, shuffling around the room before the rustling of curtains being pulled closed accompanied the sweet relief of darkness. Shon steeled himself and forced his eyes to open just a crack. More pain. He closed them again, his ears ringing. With a slow breath, he tried again, blinking in the weak light filtered through the cloth covering infirmary window.
A groan slipped from his lips, and the Cleric rushed to his bedside, “Don’t try to sit up, Squire. You’re drained, but unhurt,” which seemed a direct contradiction to Shon’s pounding head. The Cleric continued, “After a bit of sleep, you should be fine…” Shon let his head fall to the side, wanting to look away from the window, and saw a second bed, where a girl with golden hair slept.
“It happens to Paladins too, you know. You have to be careful not to expend too much of your own energy when casting magic…” the Cleric continued to talk, busying himself by checking Shon's vitals, “It’s inevitable, but with practice, you can mitigate some of the effects…” She was the only survivor, and she had been experimented on… “After you take your Oath, you'll receive training in divine magic…” even if she was okay physically, would she be alright mentally?... “For now, just rest. You did well. It’s thanks to you the girl got out alive…”
Shon closed his eyes. Thanks to him? Nangran had seen the smoke, Ivelm had taken them there. He… he hadn’t known what to do, had frozen at the sights and smells. He'd formed a path of ice, but the girl hadn’t been burning… Her feet had melted his ice... Shon let himself drift back to sleep. He wasn’t a hero. Not yet.
***
The tower was supposed to be empty. General Rasnah and the Mages Guild had combed through their records finding that the building had been abandoned over fifty years ago; when the old alchemist living there passed away. Archmage Ivelm reported that he'd surveyed the tower twenty years previous, before setting up his lab miles further south.
“Having a tower like that is practically begging for wanna-be-apprentices to come interrupt you. Looking for a teacher and free room.” he'd explained, with obvious disgust at the idea, even spitting on the floor of Sir Selibra’s office.
Sir Rasnah personally led the Temple Paladins and Guild Mages through a gate from Smilnda to Hamerfoss and from there to the ruins of the mysterious tower. Mages and Paladins crawled together over the still-smoking remains, now a mear hill. Trying to break apart the stones that had melted together and find anything that could explain what had happened here. Bodies covered in white cloth lay in lines along the edge of the forest, ten in total, though how many had been trapped in the tower was still unknown.
The Clerics of Lune would identify the bodies, though she wished they could do more than just give names. It would take months, possibly years, to scour the records to determine who these poor souls had been in life. And more years besides to track their movements through the meticulous paperwork kept by the kingdom.
She could practically hear Veon-Zih snickering at her, ‘Silly Ras, you gave up the battlefield of blood and stone for one of words and paper…’ she shook her head, banishing thoughts of the Monk. This work would be just as important. How else would those fighting the physical battles find their enemies without information and resources? And yet… She rested her hand on her sword with a sigh, “Some retirement…”
“Sir Rasnah,” a female Mage with dark hair and tan skin approached from the tower, “We found the basement…” she looked over her slumped shoulders back at the pile of melted rock.
“Not as promising a find as we'd hoped?” Rasnah asked, arching her steely eyebrow at the Mage. What had her name been? Vevi…
To her credit, the woman straightened her shoulders and answered clearly, “Oftentimes, we learn as much from a rejected hypothesis as a failed-to-be-rejected hypothesis.” As Rasnah tried to wrap her mind around what in the hells that meant, the Mage continued, “We had hoped that the basement level would be relatively unscathed as heat should rise to destroy the upper levels and possibly spare the lower…”
Those were words the Paladin understood at least, but they implied bad news, “And that wasn’t the case?”
The Mage sighed, “It was. The fire behaved as fire always does, barring external influence,”
“Mage Vevi, I admire your Guild's desire for specificity, but please, get to the point.”
Vevi blinked then shook herself, saying, “Evidence suggests that the fire started in the basement and that the heat there was far greater than we assumed.” Rasnah arched an eyebrow at the woman again and the Mage threw her hands into the air, “It looks more like a cavern carved by pure magma. Nothing but melted stones remain in the form of caves we can only guess were originally rooms.”
“Damn,” Rasnah gripped her sword and glared past the Mage toward the tower, “So we have no way of knowing what they were doing.” The girl still hadn’t woken up. What were the chances that she had any information of value? Archmage Ivelm was convinced that she'd been the subject of magical experimentation. Would those who had abused her also give her information?
“We have one way,” Vevi interrupted Rasnah’s worries, and the Paladin focused on her again. The Mage turned away, motioning to some of her fellows standing near the bodies. An old man with a bent back and shuffling gait split from the group and approached slowly. Rasnah had to resist the urge to walk to him just to speed up the process.
“Sir Rasnah, this is Archmage Meshed, our divination master.” Vevi introduced the old man while he was still a few steps away, “There is a chance we will be able to obtain some information from the tower remains. Though I’m afraid it might not be as clear and concise as you wish. Divination often creates more questions than answers.”
“I am well acquainted with the frustrations of interpreting symbols and signs…” Rasnah led, unsure of the value in this new idea. Arcane magic didn't get its power from a higher intelligence or any god, it utilized the natural magic and energies running through the world and every object in it, manipulating them with precise words and symbols directed by human will. It was all well over her head.
Meshed’s laugh turned into a dry cough. He cleared his throat, “I think you will find, Mage Vevi, Sir Paladin, that the information I will glean from this place to be far more clear and concise than you are accustomed to. It simply won’t be as complete as you wish.”
With a groan and many popping joints, he sat down on the ground, fishing through his robes and pulling out a small bag. From it, he withdrew a massive tome and a silk cloth that Vevi quickly helped spread on the ground before him. Next came a censor and many jars of herbs and incense, which, after checking his book, he carefully measured before pouring into the censor.
He waved a hand towards the tower without looking up from his work, “Stones, please, Vevi. Choose wisely, I don’t want to do this all day…” Despite being a senior Mage, well on her way to Archmage, Vevi rushed off towards the tower herself and eventually returned with two fist-sized stones.
“One from the upper floors and one from the basement, Meshed,” she explained, handing them to the Divination Master. Meshed pulled a set of brass scales from his small pouch, measuring the stones and muttering to himself as he adjusted the volume of herbs in the censor.
He placed the first stone with the herbs, and his eyes glazed over, “A light if you will.” Vevi performed some complicated motion with her hands, flicking her fingers forward at the end with a muttered word. A spark of flame appeared over the censor, lowering onto the herbs and setting them alight. Smoke billowed in a gray noxious cloud, and Rasnah covered her nose as Meshed began to chant.
He ran his hand through the smoke, which wrapped around his fingers, and continued skyward. “No divine magic was cast here…” he mumbled, moving his hand again. The smoke shifted above his fingers as they passed, creating images of people in robes leaning over books, “Arcane magic…” Obviously. Still, for some reason, his brow furrowed. He passed his hand through again, and the smoke turned nearly black. Before Rasnah could make out any shapes Meshed pulled his hand away and shook it violently before rubbing it on his robe, “Warlocks, Sir Paladin.”
“Damn.” Rasnah smothered more colorful curses and managed a half step closer, “What were they doing, Archmage?”
He didn’t answer. Instead, he chanted a new spell, and his hand glowed with a soft red light. Reaching into the censor, he plucked out the stone and replaced it with the second. The smoke again turned gray and rose lazily into the air. Once again, he passed his hand through the flowing tendrils, and once again, they turned black. He shook his head, “Obviously… damnation… what to ask… what to ask…” He seemed to settle on something, muttering, “The fire, tell me about the fire…” he ran his fingers through the smoke. Flames leaped from the censor, the smoke turning red and billowing out before them.
Rasnah stepped back as great smoke wings spread wide, illuminated from below by flames. A horned head atop a sinuous neck stretched for the heavens and Meshed scrambled to his feet. Vevi kicked the censor over, spreading burning debris across the silk to smolder, releasing tiny lines of, blessedly, normal smoke.
“What was that? A wyvern?” Rasnah asked, her heart in her throat.
Meshed coughed his dry cough and shook his head. Vevi stared at the upturned censor with wide eyes. “Much worse, Sir Rasnah,” the Mage whispered, “A dragon.”
“It was dragon fire that destroyed this tower,” Meshed confirmed.
***
--- Part 2/2 ---
--- Table of Contents ---
Thanks for making it this far, you are the real MVP