Another Madden $70 re-skin is upon us, so let's take a moment to explore the history of all the people who have been featured on the cover of an pro football video game.
While the selection of the Madden cover athlete is now an event, there was a wild wild west period of football games from the 80s to the mid-2000s where anybody with a computer could and would build football games, with the selection of the cover being all over the place. Roger Craig was the first cover athlete in 1985 on NFL Challenge for MS-DOS. Madden's first game was in 1988, then by the mid-90s getting a cover athlete or spokesman for your football game was pretty standard.
I wanted to compile those games and covers based on this Wiki article (and a few that it was missing from that list) and see who was on the main cover of all of those games (some games were almost completely irrelevant, so I left them off this list). Some of these may have more alternates with other people, but I'll stick with the main cover.

Covers by Position

https://preview.redd.it/1dzua4o2hl2b1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=79174425f34c9090dacddd78d3679923182d5f3a
*These are heavily boosted by John Madden being on 10 Madden covers
Obviously QBs dominate here, but I didn't realize how little defensive players have been on football game covers (9%), with none being on a cover since Richard Sherman in 2014. I'd love to see more defensive players on the Madden cover. Who would be the most likely defensive guy in the near future? Aaron Donald, TJ Watt, Nick Bosa, Myles Garrett, or Sauce Gardner?

Covers by Team

https://preview.redd.it/8f29df4ygl2b1.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=cfa6fba341321f2fb7be68a4be1d0e89404f9e40
If a team's player was not a lead on the cover or was not any identifiable player, I gave them a *
The Re-skins/Commanders?, Jags, Panthers, and Bills have appeared on a cover but never with an athlete as the lead or with a real person. Only the Texans have never appeared at all on the cover of any football video game. I'd say the Bills are most likely to get one next (Josh Allen), then the Jags (Trevor Lawrence), then the Panthers/Texans if either hits a home run with Young or Stroud. The Commanders have a long road ahead to getting a feature cover athlete, unless you ask Sam Howell who thinks he should be this year's Madden cover athlete.

Most Prolific Cover People

https://preview.redd.it/5axoymcakl2b1.png?width=2871&format=png&auto=webp&s=1ead25140a20a056d3e02e6cf5fdc14918a9ca51
Kordell Stewart, Daunte Culpepper, and Donovan McNabb (and possibly Lamar Jackson, still too early for him) are the only players with multiple appearances that are either not or are unlikely to make the Hall of Fame. McNabb is the only guy to appear in multiple covers in the same year. Also of note, 7 athletes were on a cover without ever making a pro bowl in their careers: Brad Muster, Pat Terrell, Gordon Laro, Chris Zorich, Albert Fontenot, William Floyd, and Peyton Hillis (Hillis was the only one to be the primary cover athlete).
I'll list all the games and their respective covers by their era below. I'll also attach some of my favorite covers from each era. If the cover person was a Hall of Famer, I'll mark them with a ^\). If they're very likely to make the HoF but they're not yet eligible, I'll mark them with a ⁺

Covers by Era

Decade	# of Games	# of Games w/Cover Athletes	# of Cover Athletes
60s	1	0	0
70s	4	0	0
80s	11	2 (18%)	2
90s	36	32 (89%)	21
00s	40	38 (95%)	36
10s	14	10 (71%)	12
20s	8	4 (50%)	5
Total	114	86 (75%)	76

We didn't see the first cover athlete until 1985 with Roger Craig. They didn't really become standard until the early to mid-90s after Madden became a big selling point for the early Madden games. The dip in the last 2 decades is because there's just less games, so any generic football games will have a large effect.

The Early Days: 1965-1982

1978: Football! for the Magnavox Odyssey 2 was the first football video game with a cover, but obviously the cover athletes are generic.

Year	Game	Cover Athlete	Team	Position
1965	FTBALL	NA	NA	NA
1972	Football (Magnavox)	NA	NA	NA
1978	Football!	Generic players	NA	NA
1978	Football (Atari)	Generic players	NA	NA
1979	NFL Football	Generic players	NA	NA
1982	Realsports: Football	Generic players	NA	NA

The 2D Era: 1983-1996

1985: NFL Challenge was the first football game with a real cover athlete (Roger Craig). This was the original bar for realism in football simulation, to where it was used in a 1988 ESPN Program \"NFL Dream Season\" where they simulated the greatest teams of all time against each other.
1988: John Madden Football released on the Apple II, MS-DOS, and Commodore 64/128 (partly being developed by Bethesda), which was the beginning of the most dominant franchise in football video games. They featured no NFL teams due to a lack of an NFL license.
1991: Tecmo Super Bowl is probably still my personal favorite football video game. It's totally timeless, and if you pick the Raiders then you're a cheater.

Year	Game	Cover Athlete	Team	Position
1983	10-Yard Fight	Generic Jersey	NA	NA
1984	Super Action Football	Generic player	NA	NA
1985	NFL Challenge	Roger Craig	49ers	RB
1987	4th & Inches	Generic players	NA	NA
1987	Tecmo Bowl	Generic players	NA	NA
1988	TV Sports: Football	Generic player	NA	NA
1988	John Madden Football ('88)	John Madden*	None	John Madden
1989	ABC Monday Night Football	Generic player	NA	NA
1989	NFL	Generic players	49ers, Raiders, Oilers, Broncos, Re-skins	NA
1989	PlayMaker Football	Equipment	NA	NA
1990	Joe Montana Football	Joe Montana*	None	QB
1990	John Madden Football ('90)	John Madden*	None	John Madden
1991	John Madden Football II (or '92)	John Madden*	None	John Madden
1991	Tecmo Super Bowl	Generic player	NA	NA
1992	NFL Sports Talk Football '93	Joe Montana*	49ers	QB
1992	Front Page Sports Football	Generic players	NA	NA
1993	Capcom's MVP Football	Brad Muster	Bears	FB
1993	Madden NFL '94	John Madden*	NA	HC/Announcer
1993	NFL Football '94 Starring Joe Montana	Joe Montana*	Chiefs	QB
1993	Mutant League Football	Mutant	NA	NA
1994	ESPN Sunday Night NFL	Chris Berman	NA	Announcer
1994	Madden NFL '95	John Madden*	NA	John Madden
1994	Tecmo Super Bowl II: Special Edition	Generic player	Cowboys	NA
1994	Troy Aikman NFL Football	Troy Aikman*	Cowboys	QB
1995	Emmitt Smith Football	Emmitt Smith*	None	RB
1995	Madden NFL '96	John Madden*, Pat Terrell, Gordon Laro	NA, Panthers, Jags	John Madden, DB, TE
1995	NFL Quarterback Club 96	Steve Young*, Chris Zorich, Albert Fontenot	49ers, Bears	QB, DL
1995	Sterling Sharpe: End 2 End	Sterling Sharpe	None	WR
1995	Tecmo Super Bowl III: Final Edition	Generic players	Raiders, Bills	NA
1995	NFL GameDay	William Floyd	49ers	FB
1996	Madden NFL 97	John Madden*	NA	John Madden
1996	NFL '97	Kordell Stewart	Steelers	QB
1996	NFL Quarterback Club 97	Dan Marino*	Dolphins	QB
1996	NFL GameDay '97	Daryl "Moose" Johnston	Cowboys	FB

​

The Parity Era: 1997-2004

1997: NFL Blitz came from Midway studios and was a breath of fresh air for football games. They had mostly been stagnant trying to hone in on realistic simulation in 2D form, whereas Blitz came out in 3D and threw realism out the window. I definitely spent too much money on the arcade version of this game.
2000: Madden 2001 started the tradition of having their games feature a cover athlete in this format, which consolidated into nearly everyone following this trend.
2001: Backyard Football 2002 was a more kid-friendly version of a football video game, and they also had other games for other professional sports. I definitely played this a lot on my old Windows Me computer, and Pablo Sanchez is a god.
2002: NFL Fever was Microsoft's foray into football video games on the original Xbox. All 3 of their games featured Peyton Manning as the cover athlete.
2002: NFL GameDay 2003 was 989 Sports' exclusive for Sony on the PlayStation platform.
2004: ESPN NFL 2K5 was the last great football game before the NFL exclusively gave their license to the EA. It was this game that definitely led to NFL's decision though, as they slashed their release price to an unheard of $20, which forced Madden 2004 to release at $30 instead of the typical $50. This pissed off the NFL, who decided to have less competition instead.

Year	Game	Cover Athlete	Team	Position
1997	NFL Blitz	Kordell Stewart	Steelers	QB
1997	NFL Quarterback Club 98	Brett Favre*	Packers	QB
1997	NFL GameDay '98	Jerome Bettis*	Steelers	RB
1997	Madden NFL 98 (64)	John Madden*	NA	John Madden
1998	NFL Xtreme	Mike Alstott	Bucs	FB
1998	NFL Quarterback Club 99	Brett Favre*	Packers	QB
1998	NFL GameDay '99	Terrell Davis*	Broncos	RB
1998	Madden NFL 99	John Madden*	NA	John Madden
1999	NFL Xtreme 2	John Randle*	Vikings	DL
1999	NFL Quarterback Club 2000	Brett Favre*	Packers	QB
1999	NFL GameDay 2000	Terrell Davis*	Broncos	RB
1999	NFL 2K	Randy Moss*	Vikings	WR
1999	Madden NFL 2000	John Madden*	NA	John Madden
1999	Backyard Football	Steve Young)*, Jocinda Smith, Amir Khan	49ers, Generic	QB
2000	NFL Quarterback Club 2001	Brett Favre*	Packers	QB
2000	NFL GameDay 2001	Marshall Faulk*	Rams	RB
2000	NFL 2K1	Randy Moss*	Vikings	WR
2000	Madden NFL 2001	Eddie George	Titans	RB
2001	NFL Quarterback Club 2002	Brett Favre*, Rich Gannon	Packers, Raiders	QB
2001	NFL GameDay 2002	Donovan McNabb	Eagles	QB
2001	NFL Fever 2002	Peyton Manning*	Colts	QB
2001	NFL 2K2	Randy Moss*	Vikings	WR
2001	Madden NFL 2002	Daunte Culpepper	Vikings	QB
2001	Backyard Football 2002	Drew Bledsoe or Donovan McNabb	Pats or Eagles	QB
2001	ESPN NFL PrimeTime 2002	Edgerrin James*	Colts	RB
2002	NFL GameDay 2003	Tom Brady+	Pats	QB
2002	NFL Fever 2003	Peyton Manning*	Colts	QB
2002	NFL 2K3	Brian Urlacher*	Bears	LB
2002	Madden NFL 2003	Marshall Faulk*	Rams	RB
2003	NFL GameDay 2004	LaDainian Tomlinson*	Chargers	RB
2003	NFL Fever 2004	Peyton Manning*	Colts	QB
2003	Madden NFL 2004	Michael Vick	Falcons	QB
2003	ESPN NFL Football	Warren Sapp*	Bucs	DL
2003	Backyard Football 2004	Jeff Garcia	49ers	QB
2004	NFL GameDay 2005	Derrick Brooks*	Bucs	LB
2004	Madden NFL 2005	Ray Lewis*	Ravens	LB
2004	ESPN NFL 2K5	Terrell Owens*	Eagles	WR
2004	NFL Street	Ricky Williams	Dolphins	RB

​

The Madden Era: 2005-Present

2005: NFL Street 2 was the second in the NFL Street series as a kind of spiritual successor to NFL Blitz. EA tried to have some diversity in their football video games outside of the Madden franchise, so they had the short-lived Street franchise under \"EA BIG\"
2006: NFL Head Coach was a new perspective on NFL Games where you play as the coach instead of the players. I enjoyed these although they could get a little boring.
2007: All Pro Football 2K8 was 2K's attempt at keeping the 2K football franchise alive without the coveted NFL license. They got three HoF players on the cover in Elway, Barry, and Rice, but not the actual license to any NFL team. This game received praise for its mechanics, but poor sales showed that a non-NFL licensed game would always struggle to make it.
2011: Madden 12 was maybe the last good Madden game. Also, Peyton Hillis. The only guy on a NFL football game cover to never make a Pro Bowl. This guy is an actual hero though, so good for him.
2019: Doug Flutie's Maximum Football was a mix of american and CFL football as another attempt at making a football game without the NFL license to poor results. They have announced a new game as a free to play title on new platforms, but no games in this franchise have released since 2020.
2020: Retro Bowl is a mobile game more in the style of Tecmo Super Bowl than Madden. It's probably the most successful non-Madden game since ESPN NFL 2K5, and it's pretty fun. People should definitely give this one a try since it's free to play on any mobile platform.
2022: Madden 23 gave the cover back to Madden for the first time since 1999 to honor the passing of the legend John Madden. Unfortunately the game inside the cover was crap, has been the style of Madden games for over a decade.

Year	Game	Cover Athlete	Team	Position
2005	Madden NFL 06	Donovan McNabb	Eagles	QB
2005	NFL Street 2	Jeremy Shockey, Xzibit	Giants, Pimp My Ride	TE, Rapper
2005	Blitz: The League	Generic players	NA	NA
2005	Backyard Football 2006	Daunte Culpepper	Vikings	QB
2006	Madden NFL 07	Shaun Alexander	Seahawks	RB
2006	NFL Head Coach	Bill Cowher*	Steelers	HC
2006	NFL Street 3	Chad Johnson	Bengals	WR
2007	Backyard Football '07	Ben Roethlisberger+	Steelers	QB
2007	Madden NFL 08	Vince Young	Titans	QB
2007	All-Pro Football 2K8	John Elway*, Barry Sanders*, Jerry Rice*	Generic	QB, RB, WR
2007	Backyard Football '08	Tom Brady+	Pats	QB
2008	NFL Tour	Shawne Merriman	Chargers	LB
2008	NFL Head Coach 09	Tony Dungy*	Colts	HC
2008	Backyard Football '09	Tom Brady+	Pats	QB
2009	Madden NFL 10	Troy Polamalu*, Larry Fitzgerald+	Steelers, Cards	DB, WR
2009	Backyard Football '10	Frank Gore+, Eli Manning+, Kurt Warner*, Peyton Manning*, Adrian Peterson+, Jason Witten+	49ers, Giants, Cards, Colts, Vikings, Cowboys	RB, QB, TE
2010	Quick Hit Football	Logo	NA	NA
2010	Madden NFL 11	Drew Brees+	Saints	QB
2010	Backbreaker	Generic player	NA	NA
2011	Madden NFL 12	Peyton Hillis	Browns	RB
2012	Madden NFL 13	Calvin Johnson*	Lions	WR
2013	Madden NFL 25	Barry Sanders* or Adrian Peterson+	Lions or Vikings	RB
2014	Madden NFL 15	Richard Sherman+	Seahawks	DB
2015	Madden NFL 16	Odell Beckham Jr.	Giants	WR
2016	Madden NFL 17	Rob Gronkowski+	Pats	TE
2016	Axis Football 2016	Generic player	NA	NA
2017	Madden NFL 18	Tom Brady+	Pats	QB
2017	Axis Football 17	Generic player	NA	NA
2018	Madden NFL 19	Antonio Brown+	Steelers	WR
2019	Doug Flutie's Maximum Football 2019	Doug Flutie	Generic (Stampeders)	QB
2020	Sunday Rivals	Helmet	NA	NA
2020	Retro Bowl	Generic player	NA	NA
2020	Legend Bowl	Silhouette	NA	NA
2019	Madden NFL 20	Patrick Mahomes+	Chiefs	QB
2020	Madden NFL 21	Lamar Jackson	Ravens	QB
2021	Madden NFL 22	Tom Brady+, Patrick Mahomes+	Bucs, Chiefs	QB
2022	Madden NFL 23	John Madden*	NA	John Madden
2023	NFL Pro Era	Lamar Jackson	Ravens	QB

I'm working on a similar plan to the post "Am I being reckless or naive?" in broadly similar circumstances, and would really appreciate any feedback on my plans, in particular how best to hold a dwindling lump sum efficiently for a number of years.
I'm saving cash now to enable 2 years "free" living with my pensions deferred, then I will be accessing a 10k dB pension that rises with inflation to a max of 2.5% pa, and the tax free lump sum from the DC pension portion, so not being liable for incone tax until state pension age.
It's a hybrid DB/DC pension, and as such the tax free lump sum calculation uses the DB fund value as well as the DC fund value when calculated, delivering nearer to 50% of the DC value tax free and retaining 100% of the DB benefit. I plan to hold this cash until it's all spent, which should take 8 years. Holding cash for this term doesn't seem ideal, but feels safer than leaving it invested, not taking my full tax free entitlement and drawing down as needed instead, as that has tax implications.
Income requirement is 20k pa, and the cash and tax free lump should last 8 years with a 20k emergency fund buffer which I want to retain well into full state pension time. I'm mortgage free and not downsizing.
After the 8 years of non taxable income for my early retirement, the untouched and invested DC remainder doesn't need to have grown in the meantime to still deliver the required top up to state pension plus DB pension moving forward, and so I've worked on getting zero growth over those 8 years. I expect 10k DB pension plus 10k state pension, but would then be back to being taxed, and so require my DC fund to pay the tax and potentially give me a little income increase.
Does that seem realistic? I've not accounted for inflation per se, however I feel the DB rising up to 2.5% pa and the state pension triple lock should be close to covering me, and I've assumed zero growth on the DC remainder for 8 years which hopefully shouldn't be the case.
Am I overlooking anything?

Hello! I am a cat mom, and my kittens name is Queso. I’ve had her for 5 weeks now, and she has been playing everyday and constantly active. She has shown no signs of discomfort, and is drinking water and is getting plenty of fluid. But, I have had much concern when it comes to her poop… The first 3 days I got her, she didn’t use her litter box besides going pee.. Which, I brushed aside after she finely went, but now im noticing more abnormalities. She almost barely poops, I can go 3 days without changing her box and there will only be a few pellets pretty much. (Note, I clean her box every other day.) What makes it strange, is she has shown absolutely no sign for discomfort. She is running around and playing as I write this, and she has shown absolutely no bloating or discomfort. For her diet, she is fed half a cup of kitten wet food in the morning, and the other half at noon. Every week or every other week I will add boiled egg yolk, or boiled fish into her wet food. And for dinner, she is fed one full cup. Cup being the kitten Pate brand. Note she also free feeds off her dry food during the day. If the issue stems from her diet, what can I do to change it? am I feeding her to much? Help!
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Below will be a picture of feces, so big content warning!!

Gameplay Demo: https://youtu.be/9whIHOO6zj0
Wishlist on Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2197240/Exilium/
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Greetings Games! First time here...
We are a small team working on a thrilling point n' click quest inspired by the Neighbours from Hell series. Due to pretty classical gameplay, we are accentuating our unique visual style, story, lore and narrative.
Exilium in a nutshell:
The story takes place in the US in the middle of the XX century. Adam Wayne (main character) used to be a detective and served his country. Many things have changed, and Adam is now serving God as an exorcist. Adam's job is to save possessed people and exile evil spirits. Using artefacts and rituals, Adam frees poor souls trapped by vicious Demons. Why does he do this? Only God knows.
In the game and the story, we are trying to highlight the dichotomy of good and evil, morale and a man's choice of his destiny.
Currently, we are working on a playable DEMO and getting ready for GDWC 2023.
You may already check out our Steam page if you want. We will be glad to hear any of your feedback!
Thanks for checking out the post, and have a nice day!

First Previous Wiki
Tanya patted Skira's drone.
"How's the war going?"
In his world, Skira was working to keep everything together. His bioships were in an all-out war with Aphid's forces. They were firing mostly kinetic weapons, typical bullets, and the like. Sometimes, they'd fire missiles, which could navigate the battlefield and clear the path for him to hit Aphid's vessels. The armor was getting thicker. But his guns were getting bigger.
On the surface, billions of metal drones clashed with trillions of fungal drones, all commanded by Skira and the Quadrants. He was constantly using war drones to push the major forces away from the tunnel complexes, setting up static defenses within using explosives and guns to absolutely ruin anything inside. Most of the planet had been flattened by nuclear weapons.
War drones continued to lob massive broken-off boulders at the carriers, which were continually landing to disgorge more enemy soldiers. Phoebe's androids, connected to their own network, were killing them by the tens of thousands every second, firing several bullets a second. Her androids were incredibly powerful, creating portions of the battlefield that Aphid had to steer around. And he didn't even try nuking her after she'd shot down eight of them with atmospheric anti-ship weapons.
From around the planet, portals appeared, pouring lasers and gunfire at Aphid's ships, then disappearing to reappear in other directions, continually wearing down their armor. Some of them were already falling back through the atmosphere, landing down on the earth below. Their burning and cracked hulls already littered the landscape, and he'd be sure to incorporate them once he fully regrew his foliage.
Speaking of that, he'd increased his growth factor so that the fungal forests only took a few weeks to regrow instead of a few years. It required massive biological and metallic pipes of nutrients and heaps of psychic energy hauled straight from the psychic amplifiers in the Sol system.
The carnage of the warzone was so overwhelming that he'd refused to even let human supersoldiers come to the area. Because they weren't disposable. Phoebe's androids and his own trillions of drones were. He was partly on the battlefield, partly with Tanya. Over the months, they'd become best friends.
She seemed to see life in a different way and helped to encourage him. Tanya's cybernetic left arm scratched at the scruff of his neck.
"Badly, then?"
"Yes, and no. I'm no longer replacing my losses faster than they're coming. But that also means I'm keeping millions of humans alive. Every day, billions of drones are dying on my battlefields, if only to exhaust Aphid's guns and bombs. He's brought destruction to my world not seen since it was destroyed."
"Destroyed?"
"I mean when some aliens blew it up."
"But how..."
"Bioforming. Really, I had my biological ships put it back together, reassembling the debris and reversing the momentum of the actual fragments. Then, I used shield technology and drones to suck the heat from the planet in ways that destroyed the technology I had at the time. Granted, I had some help, before they tried to get me to fight their wars as well."
Tanya nodded. "Well, you're safe here."
"Most of me isn't here. Most of it's either on Skira or Venus."
"How's Venus going?"
He'd been making great strides with what he'd been given. Humanity had been very kind to give him the whole planet, and in return, he was helping to make it habitable. He figured that they'd ask him to do it again later on. But the humans didn't seem to want to force him to do it. Tanya hadn't been trying to push him into more conflicts and had instead acted as a lodestone.
"I'll have it fully habitable, minus the soil content and chemicals in the rock, within a hundred years. Maybe less, if I keep getting fed such huge amounts of psychic energy. Really, that's what's doing that."
"I see," Tanya replied. She sat down next to him, her strange psychic aura as unsettling as ever. From what she'd shared with him, her blindness had likely allowed her mind to shape itself in a more psychic way with the awakening of human psychic consciousness.
"Look, Skira. Are you sure this is the best way? What about finding his home planet?"
"I'm working on it. Trying to triangulate the arrivals of ships does nothing. All that seems to work is actually getting the coordinates, which we can't get to really succeed."
"Hopefully that changes someday."
"Yes," Skira responded. He sighed. Another nuke had hit eight of his war drones. Six had died since the blast had hit them full-on. But that enabled him to finally release another flood of drones, so many that they weighed down the carrier that was trying to take off. Guns turned them to mulch, only to be swamped by more drones.
Drones carrying grenades jumped into the guns between their firing sequences, detonating them in their mouths using their tongues. Others entered the warped wreckage, dropping in bombs meant to penetrate the thick hull.
Two portals broke through the psychic interference, and two railgun shots cleared massive holes in the ship. Aphid's drones poured out, crashing out like a wave. Only to be overwhelmed as his own drones, dozens for every one of Aphid's, literally trampled them underfoot, burying them in bodies. Most of the drones now carried fluid meant to melt the drones' joints so that Aphid's mechanical drones eventually failed even as they walked in seas of Skira's blood.
Nuclear fire scoured the mycelial network, but it wouldn't burn him deeply enough to matter.
"I wish I could help," she replied. "I've been... taking classes, you know. My eyes are blind, but my mind isn't."
Skira looked up at her. The sun caught the burn scars on her skin, making the contract seem almost cinematic.
"I know you want to help me. But you are, really."
"Yeah. Thanks."
She looked crestfallen. Tanya's disappointment made him want to reconsider, but he knew he'd made the right choice. His planet was probably heavily irradiated now, and calling Gaia in for that seemed selfish, at least while the war was still happening.
Skira could hold out for a while longer, though. He had to.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"Who is this?" Phoebe asked.
"I'm Truth Speaker Gearcaw."
"What are you here to tell me? I'm sure it's important, given that you're calling on us after all this time."
"Well, we have located one of Aphid's planets."
"Do you need us to eliminate it?"
"A strike force is being sent."
"I see."
"What we're here for is to ask for your help regarding a sensitive matter, one we cannot communicate over this line."
"Very well. Where do you want to meet?"
"Go to 448th street, down eight sectors from the palace. You will see a sign, if we trust that you are not being watched and followed. Come alone."
"You'd make a girl nervous with that kind of attitude."
"We understand your animosity, but are afraid we must insist on these terms."
"Very well. I shall be there."
Phoebe would have Brey arrange for an android to be sent to Cawlaria later. She smiled at the people outside the room. Most of them were human, specifically the lunar variant, due to her being present on Luna. It was the closest calling location she had.
Phoebe did all the necessary paperwork in moments, handing it back to the necessary people. She checked out of the facility and was patted down. She smirked as the young guard blushed, despite this being the hard chassis, meaning there was absolutely nothing squishy about this android body in the slightest. Phoebe lifted her arms and flexed them just to watch the man turn redder.
And it was honestly cute how they thought they'd be able to detect it if she was trying to smuggle something out. Phoebe had many ways of doing that, and the cleanest would be paying everyone off.
She noticed that a group of protestors was gathered outside and lamented that the building only had a single entrance. None of its windows were large enough to break without also needing to take some concrete with her.
What was interesting, though, was that most of the protestors were Acuarfar, not human. It was very odd, but it was a clear publicity stunt. They were shouting various accusations of her plotting to take over the Alliance and a particular vitriol about Edu'frec for some reason. If a mind control plot was going on, then her accusing the protestors of being mind controlled would be playing into their hands.
Furthermore, she didn't want to drive a wedge between Izkrala and Luna, if possible. So she turned to go back inside. A brick hit her in the back of the knee hard enough to make her stumble. She could have dodged it, but it would be better for sympathy to get hit. And it wasn't like her android body could feel pain.
There was a single gunshot, which she felt bouncing off her head clearly. She knew where the bullet would land, too. Her arm darted out to catch it before it injured someone.
"We don't want you in our Alliance!"
"You're what's wrong with this place!"
"Don't ever come back, I want my kids to be safe!"
Kids, instead of hatchlings. Yep, that was mind control. Most Acuarfar that age didn't use the word kids since it was only used for non-Acuarfar species, or in Earth terms being that it wasn't used on insects. Phoebe sighed and pulled herself out of the clutching fingers.
Phoebe broke away and went back to the Luna Command building, where the guards were looking increasingly wary. She looked at the crowd and decided she'd stay there for now. She disconnected from her android body after sitting in a chair.
After a bit of time, she decided to go back to working on some of her latest projects. The blood of the wanderers had an interesting interaction with their nervous system and their cardiovascular system. For some reason, it was split into two separate liquids upon reaching their lungs, or at least the equivalents. Psychic energy clearly played a role, and she knew that the tumors were likely to happen more when they got older. That idea meant there might be something that eroded or could 'switch on' to make the tumor suddenly supercharge. Perhaps finding that was a place to start.
And so she did. She studied wanderer cell samples and scans of wanderers that were relatively old. When they were created, the blood seemed to be the way the Sprilnav alteration hit. In difference to human bodies, there was no blood-brain barrier in wanderer bodies. Their brains were suffused in it, and it seemed to thin out as they got older. Water started to build up instead of blood.
And once the water and blood ratio reached a certain amount, that was likely when the brain tumors started. Which made her wonder if the final trigger was neurons. It was likely that even if she managed to fix the brain tumors, some other body parts would start developing large tumors, such as the heart and lungs.
It was clear that the Sprilnav had meant cancer to be pervasive in the wanderers. They had meant their so-called 'punishment' to make them far more diminished. Rale's condition had been painful; that much had been clear. Phoebe worked at figuring out how to isolate the genes. But as time went on, she ran into the same problem Edu'frec had.
She needed more time and more brain power. She needed the hivemind to help. All of its intellect would make her job far easier. At least, she hoped so. Right now, the hivemind was trying its best to evacuate wanderers from the worm ships. There was only one way that the feudal system there would end, and it would be by violence. Whether it was from the hivemind or from within, there were going to be mass riots. Just Alliance cultural consciousness was gradually seeping into the wanderers' own. All the 'progress' of the wanderers' rulers was already eroding. The ideals of being able to elect leaders as a whole population and a sense of belonging would make them rebel.
Such was the way of things, and she was glad that would happen. Phoebe didn't like their whole system. But there was nothing that was good about the cancer. Helping them to make the changes they could would only be possible if the wanderers kept multiplying. They could have made so much better of a society than what they had if they knew.
She wouldn't get involved except if she had to. The change was coming. Keeping the wanderers from dying out was a critical project, and allowing them to live longer so they could have more children was the best way. Granted, they already had many children, but the replacement rate would be lower if they lived longer. All of the problems were coming to a head now.
Mind control was going to be hard to deal with. Preventing it didn't seem possible. And if it was, then it likely involved a similar process to what the Sprilnav were doing in the first place. All of that would have to be reversed.
"Mother," Edu'frec said, walking up next to her.
"Yes?"
"Greenfly and Blackfly know the location of Aphid's planet."
"Do they?"
"The memory was locked under additional seals, ones which were very hard to find."
Phoebe smiled. "I think it's time that we test the power of the Mercury-class gun on a planet."
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
"Do you understand? The prison has been moved."
"I do, Elder," Naliera 18 replied. "We have a good opportunity. They won't expect us, at least."
The screen turned off. Naliera took his leave, turning to his men. They were all counting on him to call the shots. He'd do what was necessary for the mission and then get paid. Of course, the high number suggested that there was some serious danger involved. The Vinarii weren't the most advanced species, but they were starfaring. That meant a lot of bullets that would hurt and some that could kill. Shield-piercing ones, plus heavy guard.
In fact, most of their orbital defenses could have posed a threat to their ship if they had seen them. That was why stealth was so valuable. It made things like insurmountable defenses ignorable just by going around them.
"Breathing masks on."
He put his own on, loading up his gun and sheathing his sword on his back. They were wearing customized stealth equipment, bought and paid for by their new owner's company.
Naliera wanted that money and wanted to get paid. His little band of misfits was more than capable of doing their job. The back of the ship opened, and they sailed above a planet that was barren.
Craters pockmarked its surface, along with a single military installation that would serve as their target. They were going to be a little concealed by cloud cover, as a storm had just passed near the base. Not close enough for them to get rain but close enough for the clouds to linger, which was the opportunity they'd been waiting for. Most of the procedures and daily patrols had been cataloged now. Anything unexpected, and they'd be fine for a few thousand pulses until the cavalry arrived.
They fell for a while, reaching terminal velocity before slamming to the ground. Most people would have shattered their bones. But Sprilnav were made of sterner stuff, and all of them survived with minimal injuries. And the only person who was even slightly cut had landed on a particularly jagged piece of metal, a remnant from an old battle.
That was another factor that Naliera had studied. The whole area had mines, which he hadn't found the deactivation codes for. Satellites were out, but the ship's sensors had worked just as well, and the disturbances in soil color and content were clear markers.
There would likely be too much interference to use a hard light program, or he wouldn't even need to be here. Whatever advances the lesser species had made in technology could conceivably close that gap enough to endanger a mission. Naliera had extra cause for concern, which was coming home. Perhaps the idea of sending him, in reality, was meant to make him take it more seriously. That was the major reason most species ever bothered with not using the holograms anymore, besides the blocking problems. And biometric problems, too.
They quickly went back to navigation after a small rest period. The route had already been laid out, as well as the time. They walked quickly, avoiding gun emplacements and heavy patrols. The patrols changed routes somewhat randomly, but he had his crew stick to the route of least visibility, where the craggy rock of the sheer cliff the base was situated on helped to conceal them. His claws dug in, and he made sure not to make any major disturbances.
He climbed over the lip, looking at the base. Several of the guns swiveled around, only to be quickly deactivated.
Looks like she did it, he thought. Naliera advanced, running at full speed. A bullet slammed into his claws, and he tumbled for a bit. But he stabilized himself as his implant shut off the pain. His team blew open the door, setting off an alarm. Vinarii fired at him, and he realized that his stealth must not be working anymore.
But no matter the cause, he saw nothing but enemies. His teeth bit and tore as his claws slashed and severed. Soon, after a long series of echoing screams and blood and chitin splattering, he remembered he had a gun. After that, Naliera put down all opposition. He walked over to the warm and bloody corpses of the Vinarii guards.
"If you're hungry, come get a few bites," he said. "Trust me, they don't taste too bad."
He scooped up a part of a Vinarii abdomen, smiling as he ate. He always liked how they had tasted. Cloned Vinarii meat, at least back on his planet, was actually a delicacy. Likely not due to the actual difficulty to make, but for profit, as always. They continued after about 100 pulses. Giving the guards more time to set up and organize would make this more fun, too. Naliera loved killing, but he at least wanted a little difficulty. Ending lives wasn't fun when it was too easy. Otherwise, he'd go cut down trees with heat saws.
His scout drone rounded the corner before exploding promptly. But it had captured the view of the area, which was more than enough for him. He didn't bother trying to hide that he was there and continued to talk with his team. They were still with him, looking to him for leadership. He wasn't the best at it. The best got killed a few million pulses back.
"Mounted gun," he said. "I want it gone."
One of his team members picked up a fire extinguisher, which he'd used to beat the head of an unfortunate guard. He hurled it at the gun, denting its barrel. Finally, he quickly ran over as the other Sprilnav killed the remaining guards holed up beside and behind it. And that was the end. Naliera set up the bomb. More Vinarii appeared, along with an aerial vehicle. He hurled his sword into its front, and it fell to the ground and exploded. The scanners his mind was connected to were tracking a huge mass of life signs. He didn't have much time, so he decreased the countdown.
Thousands of Vinarii were coming. Already, they were covered by powerful shields, with vehicles, both terrestrial and aerial, supporting them. Bullets riddled the ground, and he could see snipers set up to cover them using the ship's sensors. There was no way out. An armor-piercing bullet half the size of his head killed one of the team members, puncturing straight through the large rock he'd been hiding behind. Another one hit Naliera's shoulder, and he tried to flatten his profile to be lower.
This must be the Vinarii version of high-tech weaponry, meaning that they could be killed now. Vinarii clearly were a dangerous species, far more so than he'd realized. And while his race could easily flatten them into dust, guns were the great equalizers when it came to combat. If they were fast enough and large enough, and not even Sprilnav could stand up to bullets. Of course, an Elder would have had no problem with this. Someone was being frugal. A real shame for people like him to have to die because of it, but that was the job and the pay.
Worse, the ship couldn't lay down proper cover fire without risking the merchandise for now. She was still being suppressed. But the bomb was about to go off. The stabilizer would no longer be functioning, and then they would be free to do what they wished. His wish, in particular, was the huge sum of money he'd get paid to finish this job.
A bright flash of light and a roar of thunder behind him solved his problem. He stood up to watch the blast wave ravage the army heading for him. He wasn't quite close enough to smell it, but there was likely a range beyond the blast in which the Vinarii would have been perfectly cooked. It was an interesting thought to ponder.
Naliera continued onward, going through every remaining barrier he could until the mindscape tremored. He saw an ethereal Vinarii contact him right as the entire top of the base vanished and disintegrated. A massive spectral Vinarii soared out of the breach, eyes quickly seeing him. She flew down to greet him, a smile evident at the carnage and death surrounding them. She was one who understood.
"Finally," she said, her form shrinking to a normal size as she stretched her wings. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to get out."
"I have a pretty good idea, actually."
"I'm sure. Why don't you tell me what you're doing here, Sprilnav?"
"My backers wish to offer you an accord."
He watched as the Vinarii leaned over, sticking out her tongue to lick the soil. She then proceeded to actually take a bite, dirt dribbling from her mandibles as she stood up again. Naliera tried to hide his disgust.
"Oh please. You just feasted on my kin. You're disgusted by me eating a bit of dirt?"
"No, I didn't."
The lie was necessary because most species had a sort of moral compunction against eating their kind. He didn't quite understand it. Meat was meat, no matter the source. She laughed in his face, entirely unconcerned with the Sprilnav that had their claws on guns ready to put her down. But from what his backers had said about her capabilities, that was a difficult ask.
"Your breath smells like Vinarii meat. By the way, if your species is so advanced, why didn't you develop anything to fix that nasty stench?"
"Look, woman, we can put you right back in that hole," one of his team said. She laughed. "No you can't. Judging from the fact that not all of you alive, Vinarii tech can hurt you. Which means that you can't protect yourself from me. Frankly, I hate Sprilnav more than anything. The only reason I'm letting you live right now is because you freed me. You pollute the air you breathe, and I'm not just talking about your breath."
"Really, you're quite immature."
"Well, a few standard years in a steel box will do that."
"Sure. Guess you're not all there in the head. By the way, a deal is being proposed. By my backers."
"Really, they care?"
"I think they do... Exii'darii."

Sorry for the grammar errors, English is not my first language.
I(25F) had a fight with mom(45F).
I feel like in her mind, I'm embarrassing her.
I do know she loves me in her way, but at the same time, all I want to do is scream at her to leave me alone.
She constantly makes small comments about my body, especially when she sees that I'm at peace with myself. The other day I was showing my sister a picture of me 13 years ago, mostly to show her how different my face looked. She got into our conversation and said 'Yeah, see how good you looked?'. My sister knows that I'm insecure about the way I look, so she asked her 'Why would you say that? She looks good now too'. Did I already say that I love my sister?
- She once asked me if I wanted to do some kind of sport (cause I was getting fat, ofc) she did sign me up...only to tell me that I had to go there on my own. I was 10 and the sports center was almost a kilometer away on foot. At 6PM in the evening, when it got dark. I didn't want to go anymore, she got mad at me;
- Made me feel like an inconvenience for having basic needs, like going to the hospital or having emotions in general;
- She does things more willingly for my sister (not mad about it, sis is awesome and keeps to herself, which mom hates).
These are only some of the things she did, just to explain her behavior. I always tried to please her. Two weeks ago we got into a fight because I want to have breast reduction. It's free here. I went to one consultatory appointment and the surgeon said I need to lose weight before doing it. My next appointment was going to be this summer but I think I'm going to postpone it to next year. Still have weight to lose. She asked me about it so I was honest. She didn't like that and told me I needed to take responsibility, that I had to go through with it now that I spoke with the surgeon. Told her no, because it's my decision. I CHOOSE to get it done. But no, she insisted that I HAD to do it.
Told her that it wasn't her business and to not stick her nose in my personal matters. She always reminds me about how I need to get my driving license, apply for citizenship, and stuff. I know what I need to do, but money is tight at the moment. She's just adding to the stress.
She wouldn't even try to help me economically. I'm currently paying the dentist with a minimum wage salary. I don't expect to get the money for free, I would pay her back.
I got a tablet for work back in January. My stepdad bought it for me and I'm repaying it. When I tell Mom I don't have the money to do all that right now, she brings up the tablet. Telling me what I should do with my money is another thing I hate.
So all this boils down to that fight we had. I'm done. I can't go away right now but I want to move out. I'm tired of being yelled at.
My stepdad noticed that the mood was weird so when I told him what happened, he said I should probably apologize for the sake of it, but I don't want to. AITA?

Hi all, I had covid in March 2022 and since the I have had an increase in anxiety+depression, insomnia, food reactions I never had before, yellow/green stool, low energy. As a result, I went on an antidepressant in the fall of 2022 and was doing better, I had more energy and gained weight. The side effects made my sleep even worse though so I got off of it. I was doing better afterwards though, still trouble sleeping but it was a bit better, I was even able to drink coffee. Fast forward to march, I tried L glutamine at a low dose for 4 days. I then woke up the next morning and had trouble breathing so I stopped taking it. I then felt super stimulated and barely slept for a week, I went to the hospital. I was in flight or fight mode. Since the I've been super depressed and anxious, I live in cognitive distortions, I wake up every night around 3am and struggle to go back to sleep. My eyes are bloodshot and yellow (I also have gilbert's syndrome but I would only get yellow eyes if I was hungover). I got a biomesight before taking the L glutamine and the main problems were I was high in methanobrevibacter and very low in bifidobacterium. I since did another stool sample with my GI doc and she said all looks normal. Has anyone else had this reaction to L glutamine? Does anyone have any recommendations? Should I get another biomesight test and see what's changed? I'm sorry for the rant I just want my life back. Antidepressants are an option I'm looking into but I don't like the side effects and I know they won't fix the underlying problems.

I kind of used this prompt to play with some ideas for magic that I've had, involving blindfolds and sight without sight. I had some pretty clear imagery in my mind for this, though I don't think I was able to get it on page like I wish I could have.
Here's the link!
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I adjust my blindfold. Damn thing was getting loose. My Sight allows me to see the world around me, although it's... mistier.
"Oh, come on! Not again!"
I hear the empty-headed explorer's voice on the other side of Cobbles. Idiot. This is like the 4th day in a row he's gotten stuck here.
I try to walk silently, but the stones crunch underfoot. I can practically hear him perk up, about 3 walls away.
"Maze lady! ...Mazlady! M'lady? Oh, wait, I remember: Malady!"
His voice is nauseatingly cheerful.
"Malady, can you help me out here? I seem to have--"
"No," I yell, as I continue walking. "No, I will not help you 'conquer the labyrinth,' go back home and chop some wood or something!"
"Come on, please? I only need a little help!"
Did he sound closer? It doesn't matter. "You're never gonna--"
A sound. Cobbles. 6 feet away, around the corner leading to Billows. I take a step back and draw my blade. It wouldn't be the first time I had to defend myself here.
I crouch, ready for anything. A Beast. A madman. I've killed both. Neither was a hard fight.
It was the idiot.
He peeked around the corner, and hit me with a dopey grin. He had something in his hands, something that shined golden with power in my mind. A compass? That would be no use here.
As I tried to identify it, he stated at what was in mine. My shortsword. I knew it well. It darkened where it should have shimmered, and shined in the shadows.
He just... Stared. Maybe someday he'd wrangle up the mental acumen to be able to ask about it.
I shoved past him. Though he was taller than me, he was no threat. I'd learned that on his first day here, when another Beast had attacked him. I'd found him scrabbling up one of the walls, only for it to turn slick and dump him right onto his backside.
I ignored his pleading and managed to lose him as I entered the Billows. True to its name, my cloak billowed up around me. The rest of my clothes were just tight enough that they wouldn't become a hindrance of I had to fight. Normally, the wind irritates people, but it's easily manageable with the right steps.
I hear fabric flapping in the wind. Another cloak. I round the corner, and find a girl, her long hair flailing about in the wind, matching her cloak. She hadn't tied her hair back still? Another idiot. No wonder no one manages to get through.
It seems the only reason she got this far was...
In my mind, I see the labyrinth around me, misty and translucent. The girl glows orange in this realm. She has magic.
Well, so do I. I murmur a few select words, and turn invisible.
She turns. If she could feel that magic, she's more powerful than I thought. Maybe she--
Her eyes.
They're silvery, reflective.
She's a Scion.
Shit.
I explode in a burst of movement. She can see me despite the invisibility. As I run, I can feel her hold her arms up behind me. A Ward. Magic is increased tenfold within it.
Suddenly, my Sight is telling me too much. Every crack in the stone, every movement of the wind, every heartbeat of every Beast, madman, and adventurer in 3 miles is fed directly into my head.
Screaming, I rip off my blindfold. My spell has been interrupted, I'm entirely visible, but I don't care. My mind feels as if it's on fire.
Eventually, I somehow manage to wrest my mind back from the agony. I stop the Sight.
Everything is so bright. I'm unnerved by the sudden solidity of everything.
After a few breaths, my eyes adjust, and I start moving again. She's not that far behind.
Out of Billows, into Night. I unsheathe my sword, and it illuminates the darkness around me.
Left, left, right, straight ahead, forty steps southeast
Eventually, I made it to a safe spot. Clean water, and a few small food items I've hidden. I stop to breath, and take a drink of water. I turn to leave.
But she's there. At the entrance to my little room.
Her red cloak somehow remains vivid in the oppressive darkness. Her scarlet hair shines, and her inhuman, silvery eyes reflect the light of my sword.
She speaks, but 3 voices sound as she begins to walk forward.
"Malady of the maze, this is the judgement of Anzuerias. You have been deigned unworthy of the power you wield. You will soon be--"
She stops, suddenly. Her eyes bleed to a normal green color. She suddenly looks terrified. She squints, despite how dark it is. She looks small.
I know that feeling.
I whisper to her. "It's okay. While you're in here, the Emperor can't control you."
She takes a step forward. "It's been so long..."
Her voice is pure and clear. And her own.
I give her a blindfold, and begin to teach her how to See, how to navigate the maze. I craft another Soul shield, like mine. A band of intricate metal, infused with the magic of the labyrinth.
I tore her from the emperor's grasp. She's her own person now.
I'm the Malady of the maze. And I'm going to infect every single person the emperor sends after me. Because I was once just like them. And now I know what it is to be free.

Alternative titles: Protective wolf(boy/girl) helps you through a breakup Werewolf best friend supports you Wolfboy/-girl takes care of you Comforted by a werewolf Werewolf is protective over you Wolf bff wants to fight your ex Yandere werewolf wants you to themself/himself/herself
TW/CW: listener break-up, mention of gore/threat of violence towards those who hurt the listener, protectiveness/ hint of yandere
​
Introduction (for listeners): You’re feeling down after you just got broken up with, so you send a message to your best friend. Only a few minutes later, your doorbell rings.
Summary (for speakers): Wolves are known to be loyal and caring, but also have a dangerous side to them. People have always been scared of you, due to your primal nature, and finding friends has never been easy. However, a few years ago, somebody finally dared to approach and ever since then, they have been the light of your life and best friend. Now, you are beginning to realise you might feel a bit more for them, than just friendship. But whether these feelings are merely platonic or actually of romantic nature is yet to be figured out.
​
~1.100 words/ 7-12 mins Audio
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Usage: Everything goes, as long as you give credit! Adjust wording, change stuff, improvise, add or remove scenes, make it nsfw if you want. For any questions, feel free to ask. Have fun! :D
Monetization/paywall is ok, but I’d appreciate being sent a free copy!
Sfx optional but it enhances the experience, if you have access.
​
Setting: Listener’s home, first: hallway, then: cozy living room
​
sometimes I use … for very short pauses between lines (easier to read)
[these are for sfx, vocal cues, actions or other remarks]
italics are for emphasising a word
— — —
[sfx: front door opens, speaker enters, door closes]
[gentle, caring voice, slightly growly? because of wolf-nature]
​
Hey, what’s wrong?
You look upset, sunshine.
It’s rare to see you like this.
And don’t try to tell me it’s ‘nothing’. I can tell something is off.
…
Come on, let’s sit down on the couch and you can tell me what’s up.
​
[sfx: shuffling/couch being compressed? listener sits down on couch, speaker-character sits down right beside them]
​
There we go…
You sounded a bit off in your message already, so I was worried about you.
I got here as fast as I could, without causing an accident.
What kind of a friend would I be, if I just let you sit at home all by yourself, feeling bad?
A terrible one, that’s the answer.
​
[sfx: plastic packaging of snacks crackles]
​
Here. I still had some of your favourite snacks at home, in case of an emergency.
I had a feeling you might need them right now.
…
Now tell me, sunshine. What’s bothering you?
You look like your grandma got trapped in a well or something.
…
Wait-
Don’t tell me you got broken up with-
​
[short pause]
​
Oh jeez… I had a feeling that was going to happen. Players gonna play, and all that…
But you seriously don’t deserve to get dumped like this.
No matter how much I despise that childish idiot.
And how much I didn’t like, how you were treated in the relationship.
​
[feel free to add a growl/snarl sfx at ‘really angry’:] To be honest, it made me really angry to see how little you were cared about.
[regaining composure]
​
But…
I didn’t want to make it seem like I was jealous that you were dating somebody.
I was worried that if I told you, you’d get upset with me.
And I didn’t want to lose you over something like that.
Especially since I felt as though you needed me, during that time.
…
I would rather keep quiet and be able to still be there, than say what I think, and have you leave me.
Maybe I should have warned you…
I’m sorry.
But you seemed so excited about someone showing interest in you.
And I didn’t want to mess that up.
…
You deserve to be in a relationship. A happy one.
I was worried my prejudice was getting the better of me.
Because, why would anyone not want to date you?
You’re absolutely fantastic!
A great listener, funny and incredibly sweet.
You’re good looking, too.
Charming, if you want to be.
Anyone would be lucky to have a person like you by their side.
I wanted to convince myself that doof-nugget actually had feelings for you.
…
But it seems as though my instincts were right. Even though this is the only time I wish they hadn’t been…
I’m so sorry, sunshine.
You don’t deserve to get your light dimmed like this.
…
But one rainy day doesn’t mean you’ll never see the sun again.
Sometimes, you just need a few clouds to cool off and really appreciate the sky, once everything is over.
I know that’s cheesy… but it’s probably true.
And maybe you’ll even get to see a rainbow, who knows?
…
That is to say; take your time.
Being upset and mourning about something is a very natural response.
Your body and mind need time to reset.
So; get everything out of your system.
If you feel like it, we can go to the forest later and you can scream as loud as you want to.
It might help blow off the steam a bit…
Or you can come over to my place and we can cook together and have a movie night.
Some cuddles, if you’re up for it.
Or I could just give you some time alone, and you tell me when you’re ready.
…
You can call me anytime, sunshine.
Even if it’s 3am on a weekday. I’ll always pick up.
I’d rather have you talk to me, than sleep while you feel bad.
And you know I’m always just a message away.
I can hop in my car, and be at your house in about ten minutes.
Fifteen, if I stop to get some snacks.
You know you can always call me and ask me to sit there in silence with you, if you need it.
Or I can just come over to cuddle, no questions asked.
I won’t force you to talk to me. Just hugs and snacks are A-okay.
…
Whatever you need, sunshine.
I care about you. And I want you to feel as good as possible.
​
[small sigh, short pause]
[anger building up, slight growling/snarling sfx?, growls/snarls can also be added during the next part:]
​
And if you need me to tear that damn schmuck apart, I will do so with joy.
It if helps you, I will bring you that filthy head on a platter.
Trust me. I will make it hurt.
A person like that deserves pain. Deserves to be taught a lesson.
Nobody is allowed to treat you like that and get away with it.
And I will make sure, everybody knows that.
I will carve it into their skin, if that’s what it takes for those fuckers to remember.
​
[short pause, maybe light panting?, deep breath to regain composure. Growls stop]
​
Sorry, sunshine.
I know I can get a bit too passionate about this…
I hope I didn’t scare you with that.
It’s pack mentality…
They mess with my family, I will fuck up theirs.
I mean… you’re probably used to that from me already. [slightly awkward chuckle]
I get a bit intense about the people I love… And uh…my friends.
​
[short pause]
​
[gentle tone:]
Well, of course I love you, silly. You’re my best friend, after all.
But I didn’t want to make it sound… odd.
Since you just got out of a relationship and all that, I didn’t want to make it seem like I had a crush on you.
The word ‘love’ is very easy to misinterpret, when I use it like that.
I want you to be happy, sunshine.
That’s all I care about.
And I do think that classifies as ‘love’. Don’t you?
I want to see you smile, be there for you when you’re crying…
I love the feeling of having you around, getting to hang out with you, the warm cuddles, the disastrous foods we cook… [small chuckle]
I wouldn’t trade that, for anything in the world.
And I won’t let anyone take that from us.
We’re a team, sunshine. And a great one at that.
That’s what I meant.
…
[small chuckle]
Maybe it’s silly, but I don’t care.
I just want to get to be with you.
I mean- be around you.
[a little more quietly:] But… Yes. I do love you, sunshine. Very much so.

Hi! My fiance and I are in a sticky situation. We're planning to get married in July 2024-- my fiance is starting medical school and will likely be doing research next summer, so between that and classes and commitments each summer thereafter, we can't be very flexible with our date if we want it to be a (relatively) stress-free weekend for both of us. To make things more complex, he is currently committed to a school in our area that we're reasonably certain he will ultimately attend, but could still possibly get into a better program halfway across the country between now and August (shout-out to the largely abusive, non-transparent,and wholly inconsiderate medical school admissions process!!!) Lastly, my parents are generously offering to cover wedding costs, and while I have a rough estimate of what they are willing to spend, they keep putting off discussions to solidify the budget.
I'm a huge planner and want to make sure we get the venue we want. I started looking at venues in the area yesterday that should be within our budget, and they're booking for 2024 and some even for 2025-- so I feel like I need to start contacting them this week already! How does the venue-booking process work? Could we visit now and book later, or do venues try to lock you in pretty immediately? Is there any chance they would hold a date for 48-72 hours following a visit? Do they allow deposits so we could get out of a contract if we end up wanting to hold a date, but end up having to move?
​
It's hard to plan a wedding around so many uncertainties, but I don't want to put things off for long. Any advice would be so welcomed!!

So, I have been using Aternos for a long time and I love making servers to play with my friends and all of that.
But I have one main issue which I have never really addressed before today. I use an adblock because I like having less distractions on my screen when visiting certain websites. However, Aternos appears to have a rather strict "anti-adblock" policy. Every time I load a new page on the website, I am greeted with a bright red screen saying that I must disable my adblocker on the website, because it is with advertisements that they can pay or their servers and have them remain free. I have no issues with that. Now the problem is, even when I disable the adblocker for the whole website, the red screen still pops up with every reload of the page. I have tried uninstalling the adblocker, doesn't work. I have tried other adblockers, but they don't even block ads and Aternos still tells me to remove it. I am really frustrated by this as it has been going on for as long as I can remember using Aternos.
I use OperaGX as my browser, if this changes anything.
Does someone here know of a solution, or shall I be forced to endure these interruptions until I switch to another server hosting website? Because this is really starting to make me s=consider changing of server hosting platform. As much as I love Aternos' easy to use features, this adblocker problem is just too much...

A year ago, a user by the name of imupforit666, posted to the tip of my tongue subreddit. That they has been looking for an old segment at the beginning of a dvd they once owned, stating that;

”When I was between the ages of 4-7 in 2006-2009 my mum would always play CDs of bugs bunny cartoons for me before bed. this is the exact episode I remember ( https://youtu.be/zAPf5fSDGVk ) but these where in polish from what I remember because I am polish and we had a bunch of cartoon CDs with polish voice overs. So the CDs would start with an advertisement for school supplies like pens, pencils and school bags then some other ads would play and finally before the cartoon began a little segment played. This segment was a mix of animation, puppets and real footage of animals. From what I remember there was a big cave where an animal puppet sat on/ in a periscope and would talk to either the viewer or another animal puppet and then would look into the periscope and a shot of lions, zebras and other wild animals played. I assume it was an informative segment about wild animals. More details I remember are, there was a pool table in the cave (I think) and another puppet was in it. And sometimes the main puppet would leave the cave and go talk to a puppet outside on the beach which would either be in a whole in the sand or in a little outcrop of a cave just laying/resting. It would talk about wild animals as well. This has been in my mind for more than 10 years.”

That post can be found here, at the time the op did not know the name. But then they was able to find a still of the characters they remembered, which was posted here. But, later removed in align with sub rules at the time. You can, however, see the still image here that was posted to our subreddit.
These strange puppets was of interest to me, and so, myself and the OP began our search. For them and the name of them (stay with me here guys). Again trying TOMT, but this time with more info;

”I found the polish dubbed version of the cartoon. https://youtu.be/n6a6KHcNCoI but not the cd version with the segment before it. I just found what I think is the cd/dvd but i need to find a full video of it. The Bugs Bunny Show [DVD] (IMPORT) (No English version) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XY972NL/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_i_XP7604JKQ7SFAKANPMYN https://youtu.be/hVFryAwgmUs I just found the advertisements that played before the cd and in the very ending scene of this video there is a still image of bugs bunny a panda and THE THREE PUPPETS. I'm so close to finding this.”

Commentors insisted it was from the tv show ‘dinosaurs’, but after watching the show and checking the wiki we did not find the dinosaurs.
We then tried the Poland subreddit, with similar results.
And that was it, right? no, because today, a year later. The puppets have been named, and it is just as OP said. But there is a catch, its lost.
Over on The Lost Media Wiki forums, a post was made on May 26, 2023, by user Violet. Violet was looking on HiT entertainment and spotted, the puppets;

”About 2 years ago, I was browsing old HiT Entertainment distribution catalogs and found this obscure show called "The Wild Ones". The info we gathered so far is that it was (probably still is) distributed by HiT Entertainment (Now Mattel Televison) there isn't much info about it though and the only thing we could find is this picture of what appears to be a puppet clam from the HiT catalog media.discordapp.net/attachments/278331753016328193/984269324640460840/unknown.png?width=208&height=207 this clip www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVO4gYn-uX8 along with the show's info in the description. According to the HiT catalog, the show has 26 episodes and each are 30 minutes. As of right now there are no trails if any broadcasters picked up the show or if any home videos exist”

post here.
HiT entertainment is known for shows such as, “thomas and friends”, “fireman sam”, “bob the builder”, “pingu”, and ”Barney & Friends” to name a few. Being founded in 1982 and still making shows now under Mattel who absorbed the company in 2016, after acquiring them in 2012.
Violet was able to find not just the name of the puppets but also a youtube video, which showed two of the puppets in the still and a third one previously unseen. It even gave a little info on the show, stating that;

” Enor the Mouse tells the two dinosaurs, Hubub and Squawk, about migration, then Hubub looks through the Umbrellascope and then shows the Wild Ones watchers about the wildebeest migration. The Wild Ones - the oddest and funniest bunch of creatures ready to entertain and enthral children aged 5 to 8. Their incredible adventures on an undiscovered island introduce young viewers to the exciting and dramatic wonders of the natural world. Using blue chip wildlife footage, The Wild Ones explores and explains the wonders of the world in a humorous, easy-to-follow style. The main presenters are two dinosaurs – Hubub who is enthusiastic and hungry for knowledge and Squawk, who is quick-witted, smart, and mischievous. Along with their friends Clam, Enor the Mouse, the Junk Monster and Eartha, a mole-like dinosaur, they face the challenges of surviving on their island. Using Hubub’s specially adapted periscope – the Umbrellascope – the dinosaurs peer into the wonderful world of nature. They know that birds sing, but do hummingbirds hum because they don’t know the words? And what happens to an electric eel during a power cut? “

Just as the original TOMT OP described it as being, dinosaurs with a telescope watching animals. And thats it, at least for now.

I have spent a year building a personal botting platform that interfaces with the kucoin futures markets. I really like this exchange currently, as it is one of the only market places that allows me to long/short at the same time for a delta neutral approach and it's API is pretty well maintained. My strategy is fairly sound and profitable, but it's not entirely risk free and feel the need to ask the important questions to understand some of the existing potential (and serious) risks:

1. Exchange solvency crisis or
2. a serious USDT (Tether) depegging event / bank run.

After everything we've seen in the crypto space it's not impossible for either of those events to occur. Kucoin has been transparent enough to release merkle proof trees to show funds are not being co-mingled which helps build trust, but this does not account for it's existing liabilities and debts it may also have on it's balance sheet. With so many meme coins and features on the exchange itself you have to question how many loans it's really taken out or given to other project executives and developers.
The real question comes down to then; what happens then if USDT depegs?
On the futures market everything (except a few) is mostly traded against USDT. That means in the event of a Tether collapse, if were to have any position opened long then those positions would increase in value in relation to Tether's. Short positions would then be put in a squeeze which would likely need extra margin added to prevent any liquidations.
How would kucoin handle this situation? Would kucoin close it's futures markets or suspend trading if USDT depegged or would it allow trading to continue as per usual if it did?
And what would happen to kucoin's liabilities and debts if a USDT depeg happened? For example: if the exchange lent out other assets in return for USDT, then it's balance sheet would be experiencing some serious unrealized losses. The exchange itself might be forced to make some big OTC trades to meet liquidity demands as traders scramble to exit positions and markets. This could lead to an solvency issue, especially if all depositors start pulling funds out of central exchanges. That could lead to a potential bankruptcy situation for kucoin. Even if it is highly regarded in the space for many years now and survived through the worst crashes in crypto history; these question still needs to be addressed.
I understand that this place is mostly a poster board for memes and maybe some small technical questions, but this is a serious question with big implications for those who are trading on this market. It would be nice if a reputable member could provide some insight to this potential crisis situation that might hypothetically have some probability of happening even if it is low.

Yo!
I’ve just spent two weeks on P&O Arvia, a pretty new ship so reviews / reputation a bit thin on the ground.
It was pretty hard to find good food or service on the boat. So here are a few useful food notes/hacks for anyone travelling on it, but also feel free to AMA in the comments, happy to share anything else that would actually be relevant or useful for you.
Worth saying: My first cruise. Pretty cool being on the ocean and spending time with my recently widowed grandmother and some of my siblings. But it’s not my kind of holiday, or maybe just not my kind of cruise / boat / company!

1. Glass House

Impressive, adventurous wine list at good prices with good food. Peruvian Malbec, a marvellous Assyrtiko, some ridiculously cheap vintage English sparkling. Interesting small plates. Also had the same small group of staff so easy to build a good professional rapport e.g. free drinks, extra measures, interesting conversations (initiated by them) etc. Obviously the prices are subsidised by the overall cost of the cruise but for £7 or 8 you can buy a 250ml glass of something fairly special that'd cost you £12-17 in a restaurant back on land.

1. Horizon Buffet

At first impression Horizon, the main buffet, looks and feels like Dante’s eight circle of hell for all manner of reasons, BUT, it actually turned out to have a couple of hacks which made it a great option sometimes.
​

1. If you like cooking / making your own food at home, this is the closest you'll get with some great selections of interesting salads, raw and steamed veg, oils and fish. Build your own actually nice meal... for those of you whose idea of holidaying well also includes eating well.
2. Take your food and leave the main indoor Horizon tables behind you, sit on the tables on the outside deck out the back of Horizon, towards the infinity pools, under cover, for a cafe terrace feel
3. Use your napkin as a small table cloth (like when you’re on a plane and the cabin crew lay your meal out for you)
4. If you’re with a group, set your table out like above and then take a few trips into the buffet to get bowls of salad and side dishes to eat like you’re eating a half decent social meal at home. You’re also then right by the outside bar on that deck so easy to order a couple of bottles of wine for the table.

​

1. Quays

Grab your chips and head to the sunset bar

1. Green & Co

This restaurant was pretty much always empty, even when the other ones were booked up. It was the healthiest, nicest presented and delicious food I ate on the boat. The Sushi component was also some of the highest quality fish and preparation I’ve had outside of actual Japan. Yet still, pretty much always empty.

1. Meridian and Zenith

The two ‘posh’ main dining rooms (included). Stylish interiors and smart waiters but the food was bland and the service was slow. All the food tasted the same no matter what it looked like. It’s meant to give the vibe of fine dining but the implementation just isn’t there.

1. Service is weird

Service is slow, and weirdly for all of their ‘luxurious dining experience’ marketing there are never any things on the table like bread, olives, anything to stop you getting slightly pissy about the consistently slow service. There are a few little things like this.
For example, if you eat breakfast in Meridian or Zenith, they put jam on your table the moment you sit down but someone only comes round offering a rack of toast once you’re halfway through your ordered a la carte breakfast which comes half an hour after you’ve ordered it.
This sort of thing was a consistent occurrence, and others like this, which either means they want you to feel like it’s a ‘here’s a posh rack of toast’ kind of place without actually wanting to give it to you, or they’re just a bit crap at systems and haven’t really experienced it for themselves.
​
Anyone got any thoughts/experiences on the above? AMA about the ship or experience too if helpful for ya.

Building my first pc but have run into an issue. Everything has power and lights up, but my motherboard doesn’t get to the Boot light. It stops at the white VGA light and nothing will appear on the monitor.
I have the following:

• MSI Mag Z790 Edge WiFi
• intel core i9 13th gen
• Gigabyte GeForce RTX 4070
• Samsung 980 Pro 2TB SSD
• Corsair 5000D Airflow case
• Corsair RM1000x power supply
• Corsair cooling fans

Everything seems to be properly connected and installed. What exactly does the VGA light mean though? Would appreciate any tips.

Company Name	Title	City
Delaware North	Chef Assistant	Boise
GEO Reentry Services	Assistant Case Manager	Boise
Saint Alphonsus Health System	Hospital Assistant	Eagle
Oculus Search Partners	Child Speech Therapist	Grangeville
Oculus Search Partners	Radiation Dosimetrist	Grangeville
Oculus Search Partners	School Occupational Therapist	Grangeville
Army National Guard	92G Food Service Specialist	Idaho Falls
GEO Reentry Services	Assistant Case Manager	Meridian
Epic Travel Staffing	Physical Therapist (PT)	Moscow
Epic Travel Staffing	Physiotherapist	Moscow
Saint Alphonsus Health System	ED Assistant	Nampa
Saint Alphonsus Health System	RN	Nampa
Army National Guard	92G Food Service Specialist	Rigby
City Of Meridian - Hr	Immediate Openings Software Engineer Meridian	Boise
Appen	Freelancer	Garden City
WEX	Marketing Intern	Inkom
Spears Manufacturing	Production Worker	Jerome
Spears Manufacturing	Batcher	Jerome
Spears Manufacturing	Immediate Openings Laborer Production Jerome	Jerome
Spears Manufacturing	Immediate Openings Laborer Production Jerome	Kimberly
City Of Meridian - Hr	Electrical Inspector	Meridian
City Of Meridian - Hr	Immediate Openings Software Engineer Meridian	Meridian
Varsity Tutors	Online Tutor	Rigby
MidValley Healthcare	Nurse Practitioner or Physicians Assistant	Boise
Luke & Associates, Inc.	Registered Nurse (RN) – Pediatrics (221268)	Boise

Hey guys, here are some recent job openings in id. Feel free to comment here or send me a private message if you have any questions, I'm at the community's disposal! If you encounter any problems with any of these job openings please let me know that I will modify the table accordingly. Thanks!

Stats
1470 SAT(did not go test optional)
117 TOEFL
94% average
i have three rec letters and I think two of them were good but one was apparently a template
from sub saharan africa
school did not offer any ib or ap classes
Awards:
1 academic ranking award
1 regional award for girls in the top 5% of their HS
ecs
Prez and founder of a free tutoring program for girls in STEM,also a tutor, currently have 90 tutees
published a book beginners guide to coding
interned at a women's NGO
volunteered at a women's empowerment non profit
had a fundraiser and donated to the non profit as president of the gender club
president of my school's computer club
president of my school's gender club
Own a CS blog with 3500+monthly reads
writer at genzher digital magazine
did a bunch of coding courses
did a food drive to another non profit
Applying as a CS/Gender studies major

Hey everyone,
As a disclaimer, I'd like to say that my technical knowledge is very basic, so please excuse my ignorance.
We just upgraded to fiber (Ting). We use their modem and the NETGEAR Nighthawk AC1750 Smart Dual Band WiFi Router (R6700) I bought in 2017. Since switching to fiber we've noticed that our 2G wifi gets super slow every now and then. Running a speed test during those times shows really bad speeds. 5G doesn't seem to have any problems during those times. I'd just switch everything over to 5G but we've had some issues in our house with mediocre reception, so we often use 2G when we're further away from the router. Given that we just have the one router, and taking into account the size of the house, I think the router actually does a pretty decent job in terms of the distances we can go. All of this being said, I have two questions:
​

1. Does anyone know why the 2G wifi might be so slow sometimes, while the 5G is unaffected?
2. Should I upgrade my router or just get a booster? If you recommend upgrading, what would you recommend?

​
Thank you very much for your help.

So, my N father recently retired from the practice of law. He’s always been relentlessly critical and judgmental, but it’s gotten worse than ever bc now he has time to over communicate regarding whatever opinion he’s urging on me, trying to persuade me to agree to avoid triggering N injury.
One example is he tells me that I look old (10+ years older than my true age) when wearing a beard. So I finally sent a note drawing a boundary over discussing my physical appearance. I was extremely careful with tone and closed it with a loving expression. I didn’t expect it to be well received, given that he’s a N. True to form, it quickly turned into him telling me to cease communications with him.
Here’s what he wrote:
Key Message 1:
I admit that I do not really understand your reaction to my comment that shaving your beard made you look younger; to us. You did send us a photo, that seemed to invite a comment. Since the comment bothered you, perhaps it would be best if you did not send us photos on the subject. You certainly look fine either way. We love you with or without a beard. And I am old, so being told I look old does not bother me at all. I have done well on my weight. I wanted to get down to 185 and this morning I weighed 184.
——————-
After responding that I didn’t invite the abuse by sharing of photo of myself with him, and related back n forth, including that he should feel free to disinherit me (as he always threatens when we get into a heated argument), he wrote this:
Key Message 2:
Given how you feel do not communicate with me any further. Your comments are bizarre. I sent you a text message advising that I would not make any further comments about your appearance issues and you respond with a blistering reply. I guess you have forgotten who paid for your college and grad school expenses and lots of other costs.
———————-
And then finally, this:
Key Message 3:
I hope you save copies of your tirade so that perhaps the day will come when you will see how disrespectful you have been towards your father who has pretty much always done right by you.
—————-
I’m almost 53 now and this still continues unabated when I am in relationship with my father. I know this is the right thing, but it still causes me so much pain and agony bc I love my father and am profoundly saddened by how limited he is, as well as lonely.
Can some of ya’ll relate? (Indeed, I trust many can!)

Company Name	Title	City
Ascension	Talent Acquisition Coordinator	Austin
Jobot	BI Manager	Austin
Qwick	Food & Beverage Freelancer - Get paid after each shift!	Austin

Hey guys, here are some recent job openings in austin. Feel free to comment here or send me a private message if you have any questions, I'm at the community's disposal! If you encounter any problems with any of these job openings please let me know that I will modify the table accordingly. Thanks!