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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.
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"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."
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"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."

I m32 have been married to my wife who's also 30 for 2 years now. Our relationship has been good for the most part but this recent situation has caused me to not even want to be around her. For the past few months, my wife has been telling me that she wants to get a tattoo of her mother's birthday who passed away in September of last year. I've always been supportive of it and even paid for it when she got it done on Friday. When I got home she showed me It was wrapped in plastic wrap but I could still see it. I was upset when I saw it because she decided to get a number tattoo on her wrist. I find that super disgusting especially since we all know why you shouldn't get number tattoos on your arm.
I honestly think this disrespects Holocaust Survivors especially since I was close to one. I had a best friend who was Jewish and we've been friends since we were 4 and his family has always treated me like their own. Even to the point, his grandma (who was in the holocaust) made me call her Bubbe (she did pass away in 2006) which hurt all of us. Before I got upset I asked her if she knew why people normally don't get tattoos of numbers on their wrists and she was confused at first until I explained. She laughed at me and told me that happened a long time ago and people don't care anymore. At this point, I was upset and told her she can either cover it up or I'm home because what she said was highly disrespectful. Now I'm getting messages from my step-MIL and FIL about me being a p*ssy and nobody gives a shit about what happened anymore. Reddit AITA?

Honestly I didn’t know how else to title this. Also this may be a longish post since I’m trying to remember all the important details. I know that I wasn’t perfect in the relationship either but Idk what I did to deserve this.
It’s been 5 or 6 years since my first relationship ended. I was 2 years older than him and we had already dated before for 6 months before we broke up the first time. It was very toxic and we were fighting a lot (mainly me getting mad and him crying bc he had parents that always fought so he never wanted to fight…made me feel like I was a monster for always being the one getting mad even thought he would make me mad…) also no I don’t have a history of anger issues before anyone tries to say anything
We ended up getting back together bc he went into boot camp and we missed each other and once he got back, we immediately got back together (we definitely should’ve stayed broken up). We dated for about 6 more months after that. This guy was my first of everything. I had made a promise to stay pure until marriage and he told me he wanted the same thing….until he convinced me that we would end up marrying each other anyway so it didn’t matter.
A couple months go by and that’s where fighting starts to continue (just like before our first breakup). We were still together and then me him and my (our) bestfriend went on a mini trip in the summer. I had a feeling before that trip that something was going on between them but couldn’t figure out what. I knew before we even had gotten together he told me that he had a crush on her first but she had a boyfriend at the time. The night before, I go through his phone and see text messages (I know bad idea but he was losing my trust). I see messages to her that he would rather be with her instead of me and she responded back that she did think he was cute but it would be wrong because he should be with me. He even told her he loved her in the messages.
Fast forward, we have an intimate moment in our room….and he keeps calling me her name. Not once, not twice but 3 times. At this point I’m just numb and don’t get mad because I always thought this is what love was. This was my first relationship early 20s. I always date to marry and I always thought it would be so special if I only had one boyfriend and then that would be it i’d just marry my first boyfriend. Later that night I confront my bestfriend about it and I can’t exactly remember what she says but she told me that i had nothing to worry about.
That morning I confront him and I tell him that he told another girl that he loved her “Well she’s my bestfriend too”. Like no…you told her you loved her in a romantic way….”Well she’s my bestfriend too” is all he kept saying. You would’ve thought i’d break up with him then and there right?? nope. I wanted to make it work. I was fighting for something that wasn’t even there anymore.
Now this is the part where I knew I absolutely messed up and wish I could take words back. One of his friends ended up passing away and he was supposed to come to my fam reunion. He told me he didn’t want to come to my fam reunion and he had been telling me lies already and honestly idk if he had just made a story up. He told me he was staying with the friends family said so I said okay. That night I got intoxicated from going out to dinner with fam (i was 22 don’t worry) and I was texting him and said a very worrying remake and said maybe if i did something he would care about me then too. I know that was a stupid thing to say and if i could take it back i would. The next morning i find out he’s out to bfast with said bestfriend.
Two nights roll by (we haven’t had any contact with each other) and I see he’s out to dinner with said bestfriend again. At this point it’s about 130am? so I go out and drive to see if he’s home. He’s not. I drive by his friends. Not there either. I go to my bestfriends….there’s his jeep in her yard. I try calling her and him no one answers. Finally my friend gets back to me. I ask her if she knows where my bf is….she said she has no clue and maybe he’s at his house….meanwhile i’m staring at his jeep at HER house. Later that morning he calls me and says i’m a crazy stalker and ends up breaking up with me. I did feel crazy honestly. I felt so crazy but it wasn’t because of me. It was them making me feel crazy.
This is when I started going to therapy. Then 2 years later I got into another relationship (go to my page to see how that one turned out).
It feels wrong to still be hurt by this because it’s been so long but then things make me think about and I get hurt all over again. Why didn’t you just break up with me if you didn’t love me anymore??? There’s still questions unanswered.
Oh and of course you get nosey and want to know how the other person is doing right?? He’s married now with 2 kids. Soooo I mean i’m happy for him but dang he did me so dirty. And don’t worry I immediately cut off ties with the friend too.

My father passed away while on long term disability from a job with the city, he and my mother are common law and bought the house sometime like 30 years ago, she believes they are both on the title/deed. It’s paid off. They do not have a car and I believe the only debt is CC debt for 6500 ish
He paid all the bills, did the shopping and my mother is essentially clueless on how to pay them, how much she makes from her job, and what their account balances are. He gets paper bills and paid by phone or in person. I believe she has a small TSFA, a RRSP and I think my dad had those and some kind of mutual find but the bank won’t give us any information even though their accounts were joint. I believe he has a pension through Omers and some kind of policy through Sunlife in which no beneficiary was listed so it goes to the estate (a problem?). Their mortgage is paid, they haven’t done their taxes for over 10 years but I believe their combined income was maybe 40k, so I’m not super worried about them owing. I just want to be able to grieve my dad but I’m so worried about my mom, who has no idea about anything and makes like 13k a year. Totaling up their monthly expenses she needs about 1100$ ish just to live which seems like a lot for just bills, I’m going to see if I can get their TV & internet and phone plans better rates as they’re about 225$ ish total which seems like a lot.
I just don’t know how to help her. I don’t know how much his policy is, if the pension pays out and I obviously do not want her to even begin to touch the very little money she thinks she has saved as obviously I don’t want to burn through it.
Can anyone, who has also lived through this absolute fucking nightmare please help me? I have no idea what to even ask the funeral home so we don’t get ripped off, we’re trying to keep the cost so minimal but burial is expensive and idk where to even start. I’ve organized all her bills, and we put a couple bucks on the things we think are due so they can see we’re trying to pay it. We haven’t “notified” anyone other than family of his passing, and the bank who we made an appointment with. “Do the funeral and then come talk to us” - HOW. We made an appointment anyway. His name is also on my account, as he opened it for me when I was like 8 so idk how that effects my account - I really don’t have any money but I moved what I need for my own rent out as idk if when you die can they just seize your accounts if you do owe?
Anyway sorry this is written with a lot of emotions but I really do need advice- badly. Thank you for reading 💖

Hi guys, (Pardon my english, I am french), I need a different perspective on a situation i had yesterday because I am doubting my relationship and I am wondering if I am making things up. Yesterday, me, my boyfriend (lets call him Kevin) and his little sister (lets call her Marianne) went in our hometown which is 2hours and a half away from our current home to meet with friends and have some fun. The plan was that me and Marianne would meet some friends, go eat and then go to a club while he goes see his friends on his side and when we are ready to go back home, we had to text him and he would pick us up in time. The restaurant was great! We had a good time we enjoyed but when we arrive to this club, it went downhill.
We first got there because we heard many good reviews (my boyfriend and some of my friends in that group said good things too) so we trusted that. We were dress properly, (if it matters), we were not were not wearing revealing clothes a tad sexy but not exaggerated , I even wonder on my side if they would let me in because I was dress with clothes i put on everyday. In my city, you can’t go in a club wearing sneakers or wearing jeans, you have to dress a certain way to get in. So we arrived there, and the club, looks trash, it was not the type of club we are used to go. Even my friends were surprised and says that it was not like that when they went before covid. The club was small and jumpack, there was a lot of street members, the guys would touch us when we try to walk in the crowd, they will grab our hands and literally try to convince us to drink with them and they wouldn’t take no for an answer. Fortunately for us, we manage to stay together(no we didn’t drink with guys), but understandably, for these reasons, most of my friend left not without making sure that we were not alone.
So at that point, It was me, Marianne and another friend. I texted my boyfriend at 1:45 am to inform him of the situation and ask him to pick us up, and he said he would be there in 30 minutes. So we waited 20 minutes inside the club, but at some point, we couldn’t take it anymore so we went outside to wait for the remaining ten minutes. Now the guys outside were super aggressive, and wouldn’t take no for an answer. They were more aggressive than inside the club. We were super scared. 10 minutes passed (2:15) and kevin is no were to be found. Therefore, I am trying to call him but he doesn’t pick up the phone. At somepoint 10 minutes later (about, 2:25 am) I literally texted him, for the love of god where are you, there are guys that wont leave us alone please come. This is where he called us. He tell us he will be there in 15-20 minutes because his friends needs a lift to their cars. Mind you they all have their own car, but they decided to use his car to go to a casino that is 15-20 min away. The timing doesnt make sens, It shouldnt have taken that long.
I am pissed but I dont say anything, but I tell him to hurry up, because we don’t feel safe. At some points, our feet hurt, we are physically tired, and as time passed, the guys were more drunk so more aggressive so we decided to go down the street and sit inside a bus shelter.
15-20 minutes passed (around 2:45) and he is still not here. My friend take a cab and go home, so its me and Marianne. Now we have to deal with the crack heads, they started banging on the bus shelter, so we leave this place but they follow us and start calling us name. We are scared as they are supper aggressive. I call my boyfriend, he ignores my call and my text, but when his sister calls, he pick up the phone, and he says he is still with his friend and that he will be here in another 15 minutes. I can hear his friend in the back of his car. I am pissed I am telling him we are scared, and I ask him if he was really coming , he says yes, there is traffic but he’ll be here.
Mind you, there was no sign of any traffic on our side.
Another 15 minutes passed, we are walking, we are cold, so his sister call him, i grab the phone, and I let him know that we are really scared, that we have been waiting after him, we have no where to go (my friends do not live close from where we were) and its been a while now. I told him that I couldn’t trust him to come in time, otherwise we would have made other plans so we dont have to wait alone in the night, that we were scared to get raped, but he woudln’t budge. I asked him, when he knew he had to pick us up tonight, why they didn’t take separate car to go in the casino, (his friends all came with their cars) , he said that I was on speaker phone (with an embarrassed voice) and I shouldn’t say that. His sister, picked up the phone, and even told him 4 times that we were scared.
Now its 3 am, and he still hasn’t showed up, we are super cold, and almost out of battery, and dont know what is happening . We keep on calling him and he says he is close. 15 minutes later, I text my best friend about the situation, and how pissed and scared I am, she is ready to come get us, and finally he arrived. It was 3:15 am . We texted him at 1:45am. There is no way it took that long (1 hour and a half) to come pick us up. Obviously, we get in the car and we are angry. I explain to him what happened and that the fact he was not reliable and prioritized his friends over us put us in a dangerous predicament. Which he answered, that he is not a taxi driver. I didn’t want to say more because his sister were with us but to say that I was shocked would be an under statement. I asked him, what if something would have happened to his little sister or to me, he answered that not his fault if he couldn’t arrive in time, that we should have waited inside the club and then he proceeded to give me attitude for stressing him out.
He is never like that normally, he is the sweetest and such a gentleman but yesterday, I didn’t recognize him.
Was I the AH? Did I overreacted? Am I crazy for feeling the way I am feeling? What would you do after this? I need advice.
Oh and by the way, before someone asked, I didn’t call my friend sooner because every time he said that he would be there in 15-20 minutes, which is faster than the amount of time it would have taken my friend to come pick us up.

We were so close with each other. You thought of me as a brother, and I cherished you like a sister. I saw you cry, I comforted you, when you and your ex broke up. Years passed, and you did the same for me, you comforted me when my ex broke up with me.
For years, everyday we talked, I didn’t know my feelings were growing for you. I wished it didn’t. I opened up my growing feelings for you, and you declined it. You said: you are like a brother to me, I cherish our friendship and I don’t wanna lose it, and don’t wanna gamble something that might lose you.
Days, weeks and months passed. My feelings doesn’t go away. It hurts. And that there was only one way out. To cut things off. An opportunity came, where in I was able to cut things off, never to talk with you again.
Either way, gambling it with love or not. You still lost me.
Months passed we didn’t talk. And I forgot about you. But one time, you messaged, I wished you didn’t. Because it all came back.
In the end: ako pa rin ang talo. I lost a good friend at masakit pa rin.

I play the lottery, one thing I dream about if I was to win would be giving away some of the wealth. Nice gifts for friends, buying houses for random people worse off than me. That kind of thing.
So how did the wealthy millionaires and billionaires become so detached from reality that they've given up on doing things like this?
I always remember a story about George Michael watching an episode of deal or no deal and the woman said she wanted to win money for IVF. George Michael got in contact with the show's producers after the show had aired and paid for the woman's IVF... More people needed to be like George Michael.

Shadow-Verse
The moans of the zombies seem to draw Blaze into sleep as he looks at Larissa.
A voice in the darkness speaks to him... "It's time." It says.
Suddenly he is falling and images of colorful world's and places flash in the darkness, some clearly, others blurred or missing pieces...
A different feeling envelopes him and everything goes black again...
Then there's light and noise as his memory plays out in the dreamscape.

 Non Hostile Invasion ... ... Heavy footsteps pound the dirt.... "Run... Keep going!" 

Dark energy rips through the air and punches through dead trees.
A female voice answers. "I can't!"
Several blasts rock the petrified forest as a steady drone of demons grows louder and louder by they second.
A younger male voice yells. "They are geTTING CLOSER!"
"WE CAN MAKE IT, DON'T GIVE UP!"
A large flaming demon rumbles by overhead and impacts the ground.
"IT'S GONNA BE OK! JUST DON'T!......"
....
....
Earlier that Day...
A week after Velzix is defeated by Shadow things in Hell are almost back to the usual. Mihrab smiles at her King as he kisses her cheek and laughs.
Velzix walks in at the same time. "Is that happy laughter I hear? My king I am disappointed." He says.
Shadow looks at him. "You wanna fighta bout it? Loser has to shut up and not complain anymore." Says Shadow.
Velzix declines as he continues with his report then leaves.
Looking at Mihrab, Shadow says. "Lets go for a walk around the lost zone of Purgatory."
She hugs him. "Its been awhile since we have been there." She says.
Mihrab nods. They both grab their weapons and head out into the woods.
After walking for about an hour they reach the edge of the area where souls are sent when they become corrupted enough to become a demon or monster.
One of the many unknown changes due to Shadow neglecting his duty long ago and not creating new demons on top of other things, eventually losing the full control of the ability as the new system was put in place by God's angels and was acceptable as an alternative. The energy to create being directed more to the Lost planes.
Tho Shadow did recently create a cute little fun loving demon fox named Spark and Mihrab Created the equally adorable and fun loving Ember.
As they walk through the Lost Zone Shadow sees many young demons aimlessly wandering around and some fight as they walk past.
Shadow looks over at a wolf like demon that's smaller than most of the others and stops in his tracks.
"MELIODAR!" He says excitedly.
Meliodar turns to him and sees him but doesn't move.
"Meli-dar!" Mihrab Shouts.
He looks around, then smiles and runs towards them.
Shadow looks at Him. "Where have you been son?" He asks Meliodar.
He looks around and notices the other demons staring at him.
"What is it?" Meliodar asks them and they all look away.
Shadow rejoices over finding their son Meliodar and the demons move away.
Meliodar looks up at his father. "I've been here the whole time. I thought you guys didn't want me anymore so I stayed out here." He says.
Shadow is shocked at his words and looks around again to see the rest of the demons still looking in another direction.
"Why would you think that?" He asks him. "We love you and we missed you."
His son who was conceived on Earth with Mihrab looks up. "Velzix told me, you hated me and that you said to stay out here alone." He says crying.
"He lied! We never wanted to get rid of you. We sent every demon we could to find you. Velzix had this part of Hell to search! That ingrate." He says.
Shadow and Mihrab hug their son tightly. "You're home now." Shadow says to him.
He looks up at his parents and asks. "Is that true? Did you send everyone to look for me?"
Shadow smiles. "Yes, we did. But we couldn't find you." He answers.
Meliodar looks at his mother and asks "Did you try to find me?"
She smiles at him. "We did. I'm so happy we found you!" She says kissing his forehead.
He looks back at his dad. "But why did you hate me? Why did you say to leave?"
Shadow looks around. "I never said that. Velzix lied to you son, we never hated you..." He pauses. He looks down and says to himself. "Velzix will pay for this." ....
....
On the way back to the castle Shadow, Mihrab and their son play chasing each other through the petrified trees.
It takes Shadow a second to realize that Meliodar's behavior has changed and he is more tame and playful when he had not been before.
Shadow smiles and wonders what to do next as he thinks about Heaven and Earth...
Shadow looks at Mihrab. "Lets go try and live in Heaven... But lets do it without violence and see how it goes. Earth didn't go well last time. Maybe our luck will change in Heaven" He says.
Mihrab hugs her husband and kisses him on the cheek. "That sounds strange but lets try it." They both laugh.
The three of them are almost to their kingdom and are met with the sight of Velzix and his followers attacking the castle.
Shadow stops motioning for his family to go back the way they came as a demon turns and sees them.
Shadow charges forward cutting it in half and the demon's body falls to the ground as several more rush at him!
He continues fighting until he is completely surrounded. Meliodar swiftly appears and rips through them making a path to escape as the three of them run....
10 million of Velzix's supporters roar in the distance as hundreds follow closely on their heels. ....
The three of them arrive at the Leviathan pit and have no choice but to travel through it as more demons appear coming from all three sides.
Mihrab looks around for the other enter-dimensional barrier leading out the other side as the pursuing demons hesitate to enter the pit.
She locates the exit. "There! We can go through here!" She shouts.
Shadow runs towards it as he grabs Meliodar and leaps to the side avoiding a Leviathan as it slams into the dirt, the void in its mouth violently sucking in material as it turns toward them.
Shadow and Meliodar are about to be eaten when the Leviathan Lilly bursts from underground sending the other Leviathan flying as she fires a powerful beam of energy.
Looking down at Shadow, Mihrab and their son Meliodar. " You had best keep your promise to me Mihrab." Lilly says and then leaves as they exit the pit.
Looking around they don't see any demons but continue to run as their war cry gets louder and louder.
Then a group of demons appears to the left and begins firing energy beams and blasts at them as they push harder to reach the portal room within sight on the horizon a dead straight path through Hell itself. ...
Shadow's heavy footsteps pound the dirt.... "Run... Keep going!" He yells.
Dark energy rips through the air and punches through dead trees.
Mihrab stumbles in front of him. "I can't!"
Several blasts rock the petrified forest as the steady drone of demons grows louder and louder by the second.
Looking back Meliodar fires a blast."They are getting closer!"
Shadows helps Mihrab up. "WE CAN MAKE IT, DON'T GIVE UP!" He shouts above the masses.
A large flaming demon rumbles by overhead and impacts the ground.
"IT'S GONNA BE OK! JUST DON'T!......"
The massive shockwave of its impact decimates the area knocking Shadow and his family off their feet....
Shadows shakes his head. "What happened!?" He asks out loud confused as he scans the area in disbelief.
He sees a strange being standing on the horizon. It is tall, covered in black armor and has a long spear that it points at him.
Looking more intently he notices the crest from King Arthur. One of his black knights having been cast down into Hell where he turned into a demon and should be imprisoned due to his power and selling his soul.
"Guess he is a demon now." Shadow thinks as he looks nervously at the gateway to the portal room then back at the knight as it charges it's spear with energy.
The knight fires and Shadow throws himself to the side as the attack hurtles towards him blasting away the already broken and splintered dead trees as it rips up the ground.
Seeing the power of the blast Shadow and his family brace themselves as it passes with the force of an explosion and impacts nearby creating a massive mushroom cloud that rises miles into the sky and the shockwave batters the area.
Shadow looks up in horror at the crater and realizes the ground is still shaking from the impact of the attack.
He turns and sees a small figure running toward him, as he watches he is filled with relief. "Meliodar!" He cries as he sprints towards him pointing at a high ridge line that the Knight can't see behind.
Mihrab appears beside Shadow holding an injured arm as another blast hits on the far side of the ridge.
Tho the shockwave is lessened by the landmass it hits them hard. They brace themselves as Splinters of wood and crushed rock scream by and then are sucked back up into the rising cloud of the explosion.
The sound of millions of demons shakes the ground as Shadow pushes debris off himself and Meliodar. Mihrab crawls from under the shattered trunks of dead trees groaning in pain.
Shadow moves to help her up and puts out his hand as the demons come into view.
Meliodar raises his head as a glob of dark energy forms in front of his mouth.
Launching his attack a rapid fire stream of dense energy spikes streaks towards the masses of incoming demons taking out 100's as the horde moves like a wave engulfing everything.
Every demon fighting to be the first ones to kill the royal family.
Shadow looks at the demons as Mihrab and Meliodar take off towards the portal room.
"Its a good thing they don't actually work very well together and are not organized." He thinks following close beside his Family.
The Black Knight appears above, massive raven-like wings protrude from his back and a rain of laser like beams fall as he attacks.
Shadow grabs Mihrab and Meliodar as he makes a barrier with his dark energy. The beams hit exploding violently and Shadow's barrier fails from the onslaught... The attack stops suddenly and Shadow stumbles shaking his head as his body screams in agony.
Grabbing his arm Mihrab pulls him into a sprint for the portal room as their son runs along side them deflecting blasts and projectiles with his cloak of dark energy.
Reaching the doorway they dive inside as the knight strikes once more, the blast destroying the portal structure as they vanish through it closing the portal. ...
Sitting inside the portal room Shadow and his family lay sore and exhausted.
Looking at the dark portal arc Shadow knows it will be a few days before it is fixed giving them time to rest.
With his body aching he crawls over to Mihrab and Meliodar wrapping them in his arms.
Looking at her as he brushes her cheek. "Are you ok?" He asks worried.
"I'm fine but I think we should wait until we heal until traveling again." She replies as they all pass into sleep...
...
...
Shadow is the first to wake the next morning. Looking around he sees the portal that leads to the gates of Heaven.
Mihrab and Meliodar sleep a few more hours as Shadow thinks about the plan...
....
..
After waking up fully Shadow, Mihrab and their son Meliodar move through the portal leading to Heaven.
A portal only Lucifer and the angels are permitted to use.
They land on a grassy field surrounded by the most beautiful white buildings and walk to the nearest one.
Shadow looks around and sees the building is a church. He scans the area finding no sign of anyone as they are all inside giving praise for the day.
Shadow covers his ears hearing them all and even dulling his own sense of hearing has no effect on how it stings his mind.
Tho Meliodar and Mihrab seem fine.
Suddenly the pain stops and Shadow feels a presence he knows from meeting only once when he was created and assigned a place.
He starts to turn to look.... A powerful voice calmly tells him. " Do not look upon me yet for thee shall surly perish....." It says and Shadow freezes obeying.
There is a noticeable shift in energies and then the voice says. "You may now turn around safely and state your business here. It better be good for it is unspeakable for a demon to enter this place uninvited." The voice says calmly.
"My name is Shadow. This is my wife Mihrab. We have come to speak with you God." He says and there is a slight pause. "We seek to live in Heaven by just asking you without violence so we can finally live in peace where our Love isn't hated."
God chuckles amused. "You know what? Why don't you go ahead and do that and see if I am willing to let you have it after doing that?"
Shadow looks at God. "Will you surrender peacefully to us and give us life in Heaven?" He asks God.
God laughs. "What kind of question is that? Of course I'll surrender to you!" He yells happily.
Shadow looks at him in confusion. "But why would you?"
"The reason is because you are a Demon. Demons are evil creatures that hate all life." God laughs. "I have been watching you for some time Shadow Seed. I find this turn of events amusing and you haven't heard my terms yet.... Somehow you seek to have it and try non violence. As well as claiming to Love another demon. I will say I am surprised by things you do but they are also not unexpected. For me to give you Heaven. You first have to be one of my protectors of the universes. All three of you will become half human half demon beings. You will keep your powers but you will lose a significant amount of it to hide you from demons as you go about this Path to Redemption." He pauses...
"You will also be given a secondary energy as well that will be weak in you but as you learn to us it, it's power will grow as well... You will also not die of old age, hunger or human illness, only sever damage can kill you and if you do die you will be reborn or remade at your choosing. You three will become Eturnals and in time you will fight to protect the humans you have conquered on numerous occasions..... I will call upon you later to Protect my human creations from the demons of Hell and other evil in the universe. And be warned that the demons of Hell are looking for you, stay hidden and work in secret avoiding the demons till you are strong enough to rival them." He says.
Shadow is speechless. He looks at his wife who is smiling at him.
He looks back at God and sees him laughing. "So what's the verdict? Do you accept my terms of surrender?"
Shadow genuinely smiles as he says."Yes I do and I surrender as well!"
Mihrab chimes in. "I accept this as well!"
Meliodar looks at his father Shadow who nods. Turning back to God Meliodar also agrees happily.
"Good, now one more thing, here is a sword that can kill anything. It is called an Eturnal Blade and I custom make each one." He says handing a blade to each of them.
"Thank you." They say together.
God then says. "One more thing being reborn you have a very high chance of... Forgetting past lives and who you really are due to the new brain that is different. Tho it will grow used to your soul and spirit bringing the memories back as they sync over time. The same is true for being made at an adult age, tho the memories come back significantly faster than when you are born."
He then raises his hand and transforms the three of them as he said he would. "Do you want to be born or to be created at the age of 35 and 20 for Meliodar?" He asks them.
They all agree to be born and Meliodar with spend time in a lower form of Heaven to learn a few things till his parents mature and bring him into the world.
"Very good! Now this is going to be very different to you... I almost forgot... Don't listen to the darkness within and if you hear it, refuse anything it offers you. This is unknown territory so heed my warning." God says and then there is a bright flash and everything goes dark for three of them.
God turns to the many angels watching. "Lets see if they can do it. If they can, who knows maybe there could be others as well." He says to them as some seem unsure.
....
....
Blaze wakes feeling as if he is full of energy and looks over at Larissa who is looking at him smiling. "I know that look. It's about time you remembered something.
Blaze nods. "We were king and queen of hell and even had a true son. Then we're made part human." He says.
Larissa flinches as suddenly the room is filled with light.

Hopefully someone on here could please guide me towards a solution to this problem I’ve been having with my Photon Mono X 6k.
My brother and I got this printer for Christmas and so far we’ve been able to make two successful prints (Anycubic Latticed Cube and the Lychee Chicken) using our basic understanding and the Anycubic documentation.
The first print, I leveled the bed using the paper method I was told to do, filled the vat with Anycubic ABS-like grey resin, and away we went. Worked great.
A month or two passed. We changed our ventilation strategy, and in the meantime I cleaned out the vat and put the resin back in the bottle. Just a couple of weeks ago, I releveled the bed and poured the resin back into the vat. Lychee Chicken was printed successfully without issue.
… Now for our third print, I was attempting to print off this Clodsire (https://www.printables.com/model/364615-pokemon-inspired-clodsire-tabletop-dnd-miniature) by PixelChroniclesMiniatures. I go to hit print… and the motor starts whirring as the bed hits the FEP. We have a magnet and flex plate attached to the bed, but that hasn’t been an issue with our past two prints.
Since this print refused to start, I’ve tried: 1. Removing the vat and cleaning the bed. Releveled using the paper method, (everything appeared fine, no grinding when I hit home), so I hit Z=0 to confirm the position. Put the vat containing resin back in, hit print, motor buzzes after it submerges and tries to start. 2. I did this same exact thing again but this time being even more attentive to detail, watching this video by spidiq8 (https://youtu.be/gDARzoyDt9E). I played with the .1mm button until the drag on the paper felt just right when I pulled and pushed on it. Hit Z=0 to confirm the position. Put the vat containing resin back in, hit print, motor buzzes after it submerges and tries to start. 3. Just today tried a method of leveling from J3D-Tech’s guide (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z8fkzOxEgI9sOTwDKI6CeblpnuP4V8ayYVwZrYGmo44/mobilebasic#) where I keep the vat and resin where it is, and level by applying medium pressure against the FEP while tightening the screws. I couldn’t even get to that point, because when I went to hit home and the bed sunk down into the resin, it buzzed once it met the FEP and couldn’t even complete its homing process…
So I can’t print anything. Needless to say this has been quite the pain in the rear for me. I’m sorry for how long this post is, but I felt the need to document this issue I’ve been going through as best as I could so that you have most if not all of the information you need. If someone could please help me through this, I would appreciate it. Thank you.

Previous First Next
Even almost a week later, Yegel was still soaring on the hope from that day. A weight on his eyes that he'd never even noticed had been lifted, leaving him more alert and awake, the whole world more vibrant and colorful.
Of course, the morning after had brought clarity- and an additional helping of stress. Having had the time to calm down and examine it, he was realizing that the fact he now saw humans as people was dangerous- especially with such an important and dangerous screening coming up. If he accidentally sympathized too much in one place, or had a reaction that he would never have had before...
...He still couldn't bring himself to regret it though. Even the fading of his emotional high hadn't erased what felt like an important revelation- that he no longer thought of humans as predators with interesting quirks, but as real, actual people, with true empathy and sapience. They were still predators, still alien in ways he couldn't understand- but now, that didn't feel like the same kind of impenetrable barrier that it used to be.
Still, now he had to be even more careful going forward- regardless of it being the truth, nobody else would believe him about a predator species being fully sapient and civilized. If anything, trying to convince anyone would get him institutionalized- and he was already fighting far too hard to keep himself out of those nightmare-makers for as long as he could manage. At least with humanity being extinct, the topic was unlikely to come up, but he hadn't made it this far in life without preparing for even the unlikely.
Caution was still warranted though, and so he'd been spending his time preparing and watching the manifests for incoming ships- so when he saw a group of scowling figures approaching him from behind at lunchtime, it was less of a shock and more the realization of inevitability.
Exterminators. Just what he needed to deal with today.
Sighing quietly, he fought down the rising panic and instinctive urge to run, and instead pretended not to notice the approaching officers- running never did any good, and trying to fight back or protest would lead to... retaliation.
Their timing was just the worst though- he'd been looking forward to having lunch with his friends, and taking a chance to decompress and relax. He'd been meticulous so far this week at maintaining his stress- other than his newfound indulgence in forbidden predator media- so it wasn't like he was scrambling to calm down. However, he really could use every bit of patience and composure he could get.
The grasping hands roughly pulling him out of the lunch-line, however, clearly didn't care about that, immediately starting to goosestep him through the cafeteria, regardless of the whispers and stares now coming their way.
"Lieutenant Yegel," a vaguely-familiar voice barked harshly as he was shoved forward, "your presence is required immediately. You are coming with us."
A bit late to give him a warning, wasn't it? Especially since he wasn't resisting in the first place. It was just theater to them- reciting something because they were supposed to, despite the outcome having already been determined. It was better to just not antagonize them-
"You know," he couldn't stop himself from saying, "If you wanted a date, you could have just a-"
A massive fist slammed into him, burying itself beneath his ribcage. The words died in his throat as all his air was forcefully expelled, his talons leaving the ground as he bent double over the grey three-toed paw.
"Quiet, predator," the Takkan ground out, slowly removing his forelimb from where it had been buried in Yegel's gut. "you'll only talk if our boss deigns to let filth like you waste our air, got it?"
Wheezing in reply, Yegel fought to try and recover the air that had been forcefully driven out of him, the exterminators yanking him by his wings and dragging him onwards. Perhaps it was good that he hadn't eaten yet- nothing there to have upchucked other than the vile spittle now burning at his tongue.
Guess he must be a new transfer, Yegel thought offhandedly, glancing up to see them approaching a familiar eating area. That would be a useful distraction from the main threat. Fighting down the pain through bitter familiarity, Yegel did his best to relax his feathers and his mind- he'd need all of it for this next mental sparring match.
Ornate doors covered in intricate patterns were thoughtlessly slammed open as the Exterminators dragged him into the private eating area, the shift between industrial flooring and soft, luxurious padding making his dragging talons catch on the delicate textiles. Vibrantly detailed paintings hung amidst sprawling vines imported from Nishtal, cast in cool, fluorescent light that made their rich colorings shimmer as he was dragged by. Even the tables and chairs were carved in the old Krakotl fashions, padding clearly intended for nesting rather than the utilitarian perching of the seats in the mess-hall.
It wasn't perfect though- spots of dull gray industrial walls poked through gaps between the wood, and the carpet was peeling in places, revealing the dirty standard flooring beneath. Despite the valiant attempts, any further inspection made it clear that this was all inserted after this area had already been built- a veneer of elegance plastered over a crude, utilitarian base.
Unfortunately, he did not get the chance to indulge in the comfortable seating, instead receiving a sharp blow between his wings that pushed him to the ground, heavy feet planting themselves on his back and neck to pin him to the ground. Iron grips continued holding his wings, pulling them painfully above his back, where they felt moments away from getting dislocated. Dragging in a rasping breath, his eyes roved to the two exterminators now aiming their flamethrowers at him, a young krakotl female whose adult patterns hadn't even fully come in yet, and a grim-eyed Gojid with distinct scarring, who at least looked somewhat professional as opposed to his partner's obvious anger and twitching trigger.
"Oh, fer Intala's sake," a familiar wheezing voice groaned in exasperation. "Can't trust you Grucknut-heads with anything, can I?"
The Krakotl tottering into the room was puffing what rough, stringy feathers he had left in irritation, a walking cane thunking on the floor as he hobbled over to a table decorated in a carving of two krakotl in flight- though from this angle, it looked more like they were plummeting to the ground. The skin around the geezer's eyes was wrinkled and gathered into such heavy bags that he seemed to be squinting at all the world around him- though Yegel certainly didn't miss the cold, calculating glint buried deep within his eyes.
"Off!" He barked, clacking his way over to where Yegel was pinned, angrily thumping his cane against the very confused Exterminators pinning him down. "Off him, you nut-skulled lunks! Bad enough you can't remember simple instructions, now you make me correct your messes meself? Off I say!"
In the face of the irate elder, the befuddled Exterminator's grips on Yegel loosened, finally letting his wings fall slack enough to make his chest stop feeling like it was stuck in an industrial compressor. Gratefully sucking in air as his rapidly-bruising side twinged, he looked up to find the his crotchety savior kneeling next to him, one wing resting on his cane as he creakily settled into a crouch.
"Sorry about the fuss," he wheezed, flicking his tail angrily at the young krakotl who had been moving forward indignantly. "Ask them to invite somebody to mealtime, and they go and pull this." A shaking wing reached out, offering it's grip to Yegel. "Up you come, boy. I'll not have you eating off the floor like some animal."
Yegel eyed the shaking hand, before planting his wings on the ground, fighting through the pain until he'd pushed himself onto his talons through his own strength. A glimmer of something oily flashed behind the old man's squinting eyes as he watched the display, snorting in amusement when Yegel reached out and pulled the Elder to his feet instead.
"Wasn't much of a request," he commented, carefully ignoring the angry shuffling of the people he knew had flamethrowers trained on him. "I don't suppose you're just wanting to make another sales pitch, are you Geezil?"
"Hah!" the old man barked, toddling over to a cushioned seat, "Always so blunt, Yegel. Straight to business, every time!" The younger krakotl female stepped forward, gently helping the grumbling man into his seat, where he sighed and immediately settled back into the cushions. "Ah, don't worry, got more to say than the usual this time- but first, got a special something for our meal."
With a flick of his wing, he signaled several servers to quietly enter the room, carrying a wide array of dishes and platters that were quickly and efficiently distributed to the relevant tables- both for the old man and Yegel, and even for the other exterminators, who glanced warily between the food, Yegel, and the officer watching everything with a hawkish stare. None of them seemed brave enough to decide what to do- or to stop Yegel as he began moving forward.
Yegel carefully pulled out his own perch, keeping his own movements slow as he settled into the admittedly-luxurious seating. Commander Geezil, the one in charge of the base's Exterminators- and probably one of the oldest individuals still serving within that institution's ranks. He'd heard the rumors about this being an unofficial forced retirement- storing him someplace out of the way when they couldn't make him quit- but he'd come to know the old man too well to believe it. He'd chosen this post himself- and Yegel still couldn't figure out why.
"Sir," the young krakotl started, giving Yegel the stink-eye from across the table, "I must ask what you are doing- you are well aware that he's-"
"Accused, girl," the codger interrupted, frilling his feathers derisively, "by a bitter fleet commander with a record of incidents from his troops longer than his crew-lists- and a penchant for lashing out at those he thinks insulted him." Seeing her shrink back at his harsh tone, his tattered feathers smoothed back down, a shaking wing reaching out and gently patting her shoulder. "Ah, it's politics, grand-daughter- a vile game of inflated egos and pointless posturing. It's like a courtship dance with a Duerten- unpleasant, filled with angry words, with a result that's unpleasant regardless of success or failure- but if you try to skip out, you're liable to lose an eye or worse, hehe."
"Still," she insisted, though much more hesitantly now, her eyes not quite as harsh as they flicked over at him, "with a list of incidents this long, however justified, you must admit it is a clear sign of a violent, unstable nature. If he were to suddenly lash out..."
"I've personally reviewed each incident," the commander snorted, swirling an eating utensil through the bowl in front of him. "Didn't find a single one where he were in the wrong. Besides, were we really concerned about his mind, we got a perfectly good doctor right on-base." His gimlet eyes turned to Yegel, the corners of his beak turned up in a smirk. "You're familiar with her, of course?"
"Indeed," Yegel admitted, keeping his wings at his side despite the tightening of his stomach as the smells of the meal assaulted him. Everything the old man was saying was already known between them- and while it might be simply for the benefit of his new underling, Yegel knew better than to assume there wasn't a different, less obvious purpose. "I've been screened by her multiple times- just like the doctors back on Nishtal, got clear marks across the board."
Her expression was twisted, clearly unwilling to accept that but unable to think of an adequate rebuke for it. "All the same," she started, shifting her wings to roll the fuel tank for her flamethrower from side to side, "I'm uncomfortable with this- it's dangerous to be eating with a predator, especially alone. Just because we're in the room doesn't mean we'll be able to react in time."
The old man's features wrinkled as he scowled, beak half-open, when Yegel jumped on the opportunity. "Actually, I agree," he stated, taking a bit of mischievous glee in the way their expressions popped in shock. "I would feel much safer if someone was sitting with us, to keep me safe."
Beak dropping open, her gaping expression twisted between shock and indignation as she choked at such blatant disrespect- but whatever retribution she thought to unleash was cut short as the old krakotl burst into loud, wheezing laughter, his bony wings thumping against the table as he howled in glee, making the dishes rattle dangerously. His laughter echoed through the room, to the visible discomfort of every other exterminator, half of them sinking back down from where they'd half-risen from their seats.
"Cheeky to the last, you are!" he barked, clutching his chest as he giggled dry, crackling chortles. "Ah, you have a point- best you sit with us, my dear- get introduced with- with this handsome young fella. Yegel, this is Lialu, daughter of my firstborn, and as you can see, the unfortunate inheritor of the branch up his bum." Kalina squawked indignantly, raising a wing as if to smack his shoulder in retribution, but her eyes flicked to Yegel as she paused, slowly settling back into a tense at-ease stance. "You might be working together someday- and if things go well, maybe a little more than that, hehe!" The sour twisting of her cheeks showed exactly what she thought of that idea.
"I'm flattered," Yegel droned dryly, "but I think if she hasn't even gotten her adult patterns, then that's far too dangerous for me."
"As if I'd be interested in such a disgraceful troublemaker in the first place!" she snapped right back, wings half-raised in a gesture of disgust. "tarnishing my career so early would be pointless- and I have no interest in such distractions anyways!"
"Bah, you're fourteen already, better that you start looking for a partner now," the geezer griped, ignoring the way she rolled her eyes uncomfortably. "This work's dangerous, girl- you can't plan for the future as if it's guaranteed, or else you'll find you've missed out." His eyes went a bit glassy and unfocused, staring off into the walls in an melancholic reminiscence. "Regret's a heavy thing to bear, and the years are never kind..."
The two younger krakotl shifted uncomfortably as silence fell, glancing between each other uncomfortably as he lapsed into old memories only he could see. Yegel was silently thankful for the break- these gaps in the old man's train of thought were the only thing that made these conversations manageable.
Unfortunately, Yegel's stomach decided to interject by gurgling it's frustration at being empty, snapping the greying elder out of his thoughts as his gaze snapped across the table. Yegel fought back the urge to flinch, if only barely- and even that was enough for the old man's eye to sparkle with something that made Yegel's skin crawl beneath his feathers.
"Ah, I've been distracting you with my yammering, haven't I?" the Head Exterminator apologized, gesturing grandly towards the array of filled dishes. "Go on, eat up boy- you've got a busy day ahead of you after all!" His wrinkled wing-hand receded from gesturing, and patted the young female on the shoulder. "You too, grand-daughter- gotta keep your calorie intake up to maintain those muscles- gear's heavy, and always getting heavier!"
Whatever his tone and attitude might have suggested, Yegel already knew that it wasn't a request. Gritting his beak, he delicately scooped up a bowl of thick, viscous algae, and methodically poured some into his beak.
Silty and clinging to his tongue, Yegel knew intellectually that this was a high-quality blend- that the consistency and density of the meal spoke of great care taken in the growing, filtering, and preparation of this dish- completely unlike the usual clumpy, soil-tainted slop served in the cafeteria. It was the sort of dish that must be incredibly expensive, even ignoring how far they were from anywhere of any importance- a culinary treat most on the base would have fought fiercely for a chance to try.
Yet as he consciously swallowed it down and discreetly clinked the bowl down on the table, all his tongue could taste was ash and flamethrower-fuel.
"Good, isn't it?" Geezil prompted as his grand-daughter also set her own bowl back down. "Straight from Nishtal, that is, grown properly in the pools, instead of them techno-vats they got on this here base. Reminds me of when I met Laila, you know- or rather, when I first worked up the gumption to ask for her time..." The old man chuckled to himself, his eyes staring off into the distance once again. "Stars, she was beautiful- and me a strapping young lad, straight from academy- big-headed from training, yet a fumbling mess with the other sex. Took me far too long to even make a pass, and longer still to make it official- kept finding excuses, when I really was just scared she'd say no!"
Yegel suppressed the urge to sigh, and found himself sharing a commiserating look with the exterminator who clearly had been through this rambling story almost as often as he had. Maybe he'd entertain the idea of bonding with her over it, if only he wasn't painfully aware of how strongly she and her friends wanted to reduce him to a pile of charred carbon. At least he wasn't suffering alone.
"You know, we got some side-eyes because of our difference in age- I was a fresh recruit, and she had been in the service for twelve years," Geezil confided absentmindedly, a dreamy expression on his face even as his granddaughter blanched and leaned away. "Ah, but we made it fine, found our happiness- and you should too!" he shifted, refocusing on his two unwilling guests. "Ten years made no difference, and you've a difference of what, five years? Not even that!"
Yegel inhaled deeply, letting his chest fully expand as he held back the surge of emotion that would certainly have worn through the elder's patience if let loose. Releasing the air in a deep sigh, he wrangled himself back into a restrained, controlled frame of mind. "Is trying to play matchmaker with your grand-daughter the only reason you arranged this meeting, sir? Because I stand by my utter lack of interest in her."
"Ah, you know it's not, you stiffneck," the old man grumbled, shifting around in his seat as he picked through his own spread of food. "You're a perfect fit for the corps, and we both know it. You got enough fire in you to want to fix the rot in society when you see it, and a good head on your neck as well- just gotta give you the training to aim it right, if you know what I'm saying." His cane reached out and tapped Yegel on the side jovially- and Yegel winced as his bruised ribs ignited in fiery pain, unable to stop a strained hiss from escaping his beak as he bent in place from the automatic tightening of his muscles.
Immediately, the entire room fell deathly still. Where once the silence had been uncomfortable but tolerable and interspersed with the inane sounds of clinking dishes, now it was an oppressive, choking claw squeezing around everyone's neck, unbroken by even a single breath of air.
"Barum." Geezil's flat, quiet statement whipped out through the stillness, a single cracking note that made the Takkan flinch in his seat. There was no waver in the old bird's voice now, only a cold, hard surety that made Yegel's feathers itch. "I was very explicit in my instructions. Was I not?"
"The- the predator resisted!" Barum tried to protest- though the waver in his voice clearly made it more of a plea. "With how dangerous he's proved to be, I had to-"
"Dangerous?" the drawled interruption made the hulking, thick-skinned exterminator flinch back from the dull-feathered bird barely half his size. "I see no injuries on any of you. There has never been an injury from officers bringing him in to me. I... was quite clear about wanting him brought here unharrassed." A single beady eye bored into the towering gray alien, making him shrink into himself under it's heat. "Do I lie?"
"S-sir please!" Sweat glistened on the Takkan's thick grey hide as he cowered back, his seat clattering to the floor as he stumbled. "It- I apologize, I swear I thought it was necessary! It won't happen again, sir! Please!"
Yegel knew what was coming next- the tightening of Geezil's beak and raising of the feathers on his back were a sure sign of how furious the old man was. All he had to do was sit back quietly and let it play out, and it would be both a distraction that bought him time, and retribution for the unnecessary blow he had taken- and was probably going to need to see the doctor for after this- if he was in a position to visit her, of course. Geezil's eyes were hard and cold, focused on his subordinate- getting between him and the subject of his ire would only earn him trouble... and yet, as Geezil's beak opened, he simply couldn't stop himself.
"While this is all quite engaging," Yegel interjected, refusing to flinch back as every eye in the room snapped towards him, Kalina's expression one of open shock while Geezil's screwed up in barely-contained fury, "but you said there was more to this meeting than making another recruitment pitch to me, yet all you've actually given besides that was an attempt to get me to go out with your grand-daughter." His confidence faltered as wrinkled eyes tightened, glaring holes into him, but he rallied himself and carefully considered his next words. "While your... repeated offers are actually quite flattering, I am quite happy with what I have managed to make for myself, without accepting favors or handouts- from anyone."
Geezil hummed to himself, maintaining his glare as the silent room held it's breath, before his jaw twitched upwards into a satisfied smirk, his eyes glinting as the granite in them faded into a smug satisfaction of having found what he was looking for. The entire room relaxed as he leaned backwards in his perch, Barum falling to the floor and trying to muffle the sounds of his heaving for breath. The gentle clinking of dishes and silverware once more filled the room in a very deliberate attempt at making noise, covering up the previous tension with artificial ease. Kalina was giving Yegel a look- not the pure disgust from earlier, but something confused, as if he were a particularly perplexing puzzle-game, or a problem that had suddenly reached an unexpected solution.
"You really can't help yourself, can you," Geezil noted approvingly, glancing over at his grand-daughter's reaction before nodding at Yegel- and making a jerking motion at Barum, who gulped and pulled himself off the floor, quietly hurrying his way out of the room. "So, I uh..." the light in his eyes faded, his beak clacking shut as he rapped his talons against his perch. "I, uh, huh... hmmm. There was, actually something else... Bother me, where were we? I can't remember..."
"I believe," Yegel commented dryly, fighting to keep his own breathing even, "That I was once again saying how content I am with my current position, and that even this doctor being imported just for me isn't enough for me to leave everything behind and run into the Exterminator Corps."
"Ah, right, right," he nodded, snagging on to the lead Yegel had thrown him, before pausing and looking out over the room. "I do respect what you've managed on your own," he finally admitted, setting his bowl to the side, "But this time... this doctor, he's not exactly playing fair. This is politics, the nasty sort- where he's going to do everything he can to make you disappear. Unless, of course..." reaching into his own pouch, he shakily produces a holopad that he slides over to Yegel, displaying a series of documents- and a prominent line for signatures. "You take an alternative. Sign up, and it'll be our own docs who do your eval- and you'll clear their tests just fine, I think. Might not be your ideal career path- but I'm loathe to let such a promising young man get screwed by Old-Molts with thin egos and sharp talons."
Yegel's first instinct was to push the pad away, to reject it like he usually did- but now, he paused, expression screwed up in conflict. A part of him was tempted- severely tempted- to accept- the part of him that was still terrified of the looming threat, that wanted to run somewhere-anywhere- and hide until this whole twisted situation just went away.
Was he being selfish, rejecting an offer like this? Wouldn't the right thing to do be to accept and guarantee he stayed alive, like Jelliba and Kallik so desperately wanted? Why take the risk, when safety was right here, just a signature away- something that would guarantee him the chance to see what Jelliba's final design would look like, to see Kallik climb through the ranks like Yegel knew he someday would? Was it pride that stayed his talons, or was he simply afraid of change?
"Seriously?!" his granddaughter hissed, clearly taken aback, unaware of Yegel's silent internal debate as she rounded on her grandfather angrily. "That's why he's here? So we can just ignore his entire history of warning signs, just because you like him? With a record like his-"
"-He'd fit right in," he finished for her, eyes narrowed in a disappointed glare that had her beak snapping closed as she shrunk back into her perch. "I know you ain't seen most of it, Lialu, but most of our recruits aren't exactly got glistening feathers. Heck, lots of our older recruits got worse on their record! It's half the point of the training regimen, to file down the burrs in their talons, make something useful from them."
File down the burrs... Was he really willing to accept what that entailed? What parts of himself would he need to sacrifice, if he went down this road? What would he become, on the other side of whatever training they had in store for him?
Would he still be Yegel?
Inhaling deeply through his beak, Yegel grasped the pad, which felt far heavier than it should... and gently slid it back over to Geezil.
"If I accepted now, that would practically be an admission of being sick," Yegel breathed, his heart pounding heavily within his chest. "I... am going to see this through- I will pass this evaluation, no matter what he throws at me- and then!" Finally, he looked Geezil in the eye, firming his own resolve as he squared his shoulders. "Then, and only then, will I consider your offer."
Geezil watched on, the burning tongues of some dark flame flickering behind his ancient eyes. When Yegel stood strong, his feathers crinkled into an amused display, even as he shook his head in mock disappointment. "Ah, you really are a fine young lad," he sighed mournfully, rapping his cane against the table. "Are you sure? The doctor arrived only an hour ago in port- this is your last chance, before we have to take you to your evaluation. And without anyone having requested the extra security of one of my officers, why, this might be the last time we see each other!"
Ah. So that was the old geezer's game. Yegel pushed down the rising surge of fear, quivering in his perch as he forced himself to meet the elder's gaze. "Then I'll go ahead and invite you myself- I'm more than happy to have an audience to me proving my innocence."
The old bird's beak twisted into an ugly grin. "I am sure you do. Lialu, go ahead- consider this a learning experience for the future, hmn? Now, I won't waste any more of your time- so off you go!"
The scraping of seats being pushed out was all the warning Yegel got before he was grabbed and pulled from his seat. "Hey, hey, gentle with him, you hard-headed brutes!" Scoffing, Geezil pushed himself back in his seat, glaring at his Exterminators as Yegel was unceremoniously dropped.
"So, you planned this all out in advance, didn't you?" Yegel guessed, pushing himself to his feet- and wincing as his side twinged in pain, reminding him of the rapidly-swelling bruise.
"Dunno what you mean," Geezil denied in faux apology, as his granddaughter gaped between the two of them, clearly lost on what was happening. "Figured you needed a chance to make the right choice- or failing that, a decent last meal." Waving his wing in disappointment, he gestured towards the door- which Yegel found himself getting rapidly pushed towards. "Good luck, lad- I hope to see you again someday!"
"Don't worry, sir," Yegel snapped back, shouldering away from his escorts and refusing to look back. "I'll be back sooner than you think."
The doors slammed shut behind his escorts, reflecting the young female's confused, conflicted gaze as she strode alongside him- Yegel felt a moment of pity for the young girl, who the geezer had clearly thrown into the deep end on purpose. Hopefully she caught onto the game soon, otherwise she'd end up as somebody's tool- though maybe it was already too late for that.
Stomach roiling at the thought of what lay ahead, Yegel couldn't help the feeling of regret for not taking the escape offered to him- sure it wouldn't be ideal, but he owed it to the people most important to him to make sure he stuck around a little longer. Why he'd rejected it... he couldn't quite put it into words, only a feeling that it would have been... wrong, somehow.
The cafeteria murmured again as he was led through the mealtime crowd, catching the panicked gazes of his friends across the room. Kallik was halfway out of his seat before Yegel carefully gestured back, tapping his wing against his throat- and watching his friend slowly settle back down, Kallik's eyes growing focused as he turned and strode towards a different exit, vanishing into the distance as Yegel was dragged through a set of doors out into a cold, grey hallway.
Clenching his gullet, he carefully felt out around Kallik's gift- safely stored within his throat. The creeping tendrils of terror within his mind were growing stronger, but he chose to have faith in his friend- and resolved to make sure his efforts were not wasted.
He'd find a way through- he just had to keep moving forward.
///
one week earlier...
Once he'd had the chance to compose himself, Yegel returned to his viewing- he wanted to see what happened next, after such a massive shift in the struggle now that Eren had actually earned them a victory.
Despite that, Armin's narration pointed out that too many lives had been lost for any celebrations to be in order- a sentiment that Yegel understood, but... well, he wasn't as surprised to to see it from the humans anymore. Imagine, it wasn't long ago that he'd have been expecting them to revel in the carnage like other predators, uncaring of the toll in lives- yet here they were, deeply affected by the loss of so many friends and comrades, and instead of being baffled by it, Yegel completely understood their response.
Oh, and they'd taken advantage of their unique situation to even capture two of the smaller titans, presumably for study- which, given Eren's sudden new powers, was probably something that needed more study than initially presumed. Thankfully the restraints seems pretty extensive, so hopefully they could keep the monsters contained- but still, imagine being the poor soul tasked with keeping them locked down! Hopefully it wouldn't take long for them to get what they needed and dispose of the creatures.
Of course, with victory came the morbid task of cleaning up the aftermath- and not in the way anyone else in the Federation would believe if he told them. Gathering up bodies as respectfully as they could, instead of devouring them on the spot? He'd be hard-pressed to convince anyone he was telling the truth!
Wait... Marco?!
When did Marco die?! Yegel thought he'd gotten away after saving Jean! Maybe it was in the push to get Eren to the gate? Geez, and Jean was the one to find him- Marco had been so supportive of him, despite Jean's fear and self-doubts, always willing to give a word of encouragement and affirm Jean's place as leader... and now he was gone, with Jean being forced to help the cleanup crew's by giving Marco's details...
The female doctor brought up something Yegel hadn't considered- that the reason for the urgency of their cleanup was because of the risk of an epidemic breaking out. The dead had been left too long, and now there was a risk of a secondary disaster if the humans didn't hurry. Yegel had never really considered something like that- meat was meat to predators, wasn't it? The Arxur never seemed to mind eating bodies they stumbled across, so he'd somehow assumed that diseases like that weren't a concern for predators.
Just another area where the humans proved their difference from the greys, he supposed.
Thankfully, the camera hadn't focused on Marco's corpse for too long, so Yegel was able to contain his urge to gag, focusing in on Jean and his emotional response- and how expressive human faces were, even when covered by face-masks to protect themselves from germs and contamination. Of course that was when the scene shifted to Sasha and Connie, helping to clean up a massive ball of... flesh... that apparently titans upchuck when they're too full, since they don't actually have a digestive track... and a closeup showed a human mouth inside, still opened in a silent scream...
Yes, hello wastebin, been a moment since we last met, how have you been? Don't mind me, just emptying my stomach again!
...Yegel didn't like Sasha- she was clearly the most "predatory" of the humans- but at least here, the disgust and horror on her face showed that there were lines even she wouldn't cross.
Even Annie, the stoic female who never seemed to show emotion, was shaken- standing over a body, apologizing over and over again, before Reiner pointed out that contrition did the dead no good, and that they needed a proper burial. So the humans buried their dead? That was kind of similar to Gojid traditions for honoring the dead, burying them in vast family crypts.
But, why did the scene shift to a fire burning? What were they-
Oh.
So that's what those grey flakes that had been falling everywhere were. Yegel had kind of been wondering about that.
So, they didn't even have time to give proper burials to everyone.
That...
Yegel forced himself to take a deep breath, rubbing the sides of his head as he exhaled. He'd say it was similar to Krakotl death rites, purifying the body to drift through the divine winds of Nishtal, to be carried away to Intala's realm, but... in this context, it clearly must have been desperation and urgency rather than a matter of respect.
...Intala, please watch over them.
...Thankfully, the perspective then shifted back to Eren- who was now locked up in a cell deep underground, and chained to a bed. Understandable precautions- his powers were clearly still volatile, and the last thing the humans needed to deal with was a rogue titan wandering around.
Commander Erwin and Captain Levi were outside his cell, watching him. Erwin asked if he had any questions- which, well, Yegel obviously had several, but Eren was still disoriented from waking up. Which made sense, given how much using his power seemed to take out of him- he must have been exhausted after carrying that boulder for so long.
Erwin proceeded to ask about the key that had held such importance- and the secret that was apparently hidden beneath Eren's house. Eren confirmed, and Levi scoffed about how it must suck to have your dad and your memories MIA at the same time- unless it was just a cover story. Which- was a reasonable concern, but... was that what Yegel sounded like to other people?
At least Erwin confirmed that they knew Eren had no reason to lie- and proceeded to ask Eren what he wanted- what his intentions were. After all, to reach the cellar, they'd need to seal the breach in the other wall like they'd done in Trost- which required Eren's special power. Apparently they'd even conjectured that the Colossal and Armored titan must be like Eren- titans piloted by people?! Which did make sense- the Bad Humans probably had an easier time developing and using titan powers, since they weren't trying to fight or resist their predator instincts. That also would explain their motive- killing all the good humans would mean the bad humans would win, and be able to rule as dominant predators like the Arxur did.
...Was there a group of good Arxur once, that lost their own fight with the Arxur Yegel knew?
NO. No, that was impossible- there was no way the greys had ever had anything good within them- they were monsters through and through! Good Arxur? Ridiculous- just because humans were an insane enigma that broke every rule as if they were intentionally trying to didn't mean the same applied to other predators!
Unless of course, the good Arxur had all been killed-
No. NO. Yegel was not going down that path of madness! He was not!
...
...Erwin expanded on his statement, saying that was why he asked Eren's intentions- because Eren could save "us," presumably meaning the good humans. Eren initially said he didn't know- but then his past, his memories, all flooded through his head- his inner voice angrily declaring that he would stop this with his bare hands! When Levi pressed for an answer, Eren looked up with a downright deranged grin- and declared that he wanted to kill all the titans- every last one.
So that's how Eren turned out different- he'd aimed his instincts towards the monsters, and become obsessed with wiping out the titans, instead of wanting to consume humans like every other titan did. That said something about Eren's mental fortitude- and why he still had difficulties with his power. Actively twisting your instincts like that must cross a few wires, leaving him needing to actively learn things instead of simply doing what came naturally.
Levi seemed to like that answer, a gleam entering his eyes as he approached Eren's cell and announced that he'd take responsibility for him. Not that he implicitly trusted him, but that he trusted his abilities to kill Eren if necessary. He offered Eren congratulations, officially welcoming him as a new member of the Scouting Corps- and told Erwin to let the higher-ups know.
And then announced that, despite this meeting, Eren wasn't out of the woods yet- as he was going to stand trial, where they'd need to argue against him simply being killed.
Because of course it couldn't be that simple.

So the guy I’ve been seeing (29M) had a difficult childhood I guess. He’s the only stepchild and said he was always treated differently from his brothers. His dad passed away when he was 16, it’s been 13 years now and he still didn’t process it. We met on tinder and I was quite surprised that he wasn’t like the other guys on there and tried to ask for my snap or be sexual, he told me he values himself so much. He never showed affection nor by words or actions, he doesn’t go out a lot and can go weeks without seeing his friends. 3 weeks into the relationship he told me how he always made sure that his relationships never get to the point where marriage is mentioned cause he didn’t want that.
He said until he met me his mind changed( not sure if this is a red flag), he said he was ready to settle and be in a relationship with someone. He’s always telling me how he values himself, he never asked for nudes or any of those things. We do fight a lot cause he tends to misunderstand everything I say. But my question is, can someone’s hard childhood play a role in their adulthood? I mean does he still have trauma from the past? I did tell him to go to therapy to help him heal from his dads death but he told me he doesn’t believe in therapy. Is his trauma the reason our relationship is always so hard to understand?
TL:DR is his difficult childhood/teenage years the reason the relationship is hard to understand? Or is he a narcissist?

"Deciding the winner was not easy. We evaluated based on the choreography, costumes, songs, expressions, clap meter .It was a tough call, but one team stood out in the way they presented themselves ,elegancy and expressions " - Mech HOD was announcing the winner
They held their hands, the last line gave hope, they did well on all the three parts, may be may be may be, and she is not the one to celebrate early!! Lets see!
"The winner of this year's fiesta , THE E-CLUSTER " the crowd roared especially eee,ece and eie crowd, this is a big win!!
Manju akka asked all the E-cluster members to join the stage with her. It was an epic win. E-clus haven't wont a single fiesta so far and that too girls never reached top 3 . This was in fact a moment of pride for everyone .They got on the stage and received the trophy. The girls hugged Manju ka, she was the main motivation for them.
The crowd had begun to move already , her girls came to her near the stage and hugged ,they were excited for her.
"Gals, you go ahead , I have something to do here, and hey I am hungry d ,take couple of idli and sambar from mess?"-she asked Sandy. Sandy nodded and hugged her back and left.
Only the club members where left, photography, arts, drama and movie club members,
"Madhu, we need to write names on the certificate and distribute, can you grab them from the mech seminar hall?write the names and bring it back, cant do this in the crowd"- Naveen anna handed her the list
She walked out of the auditorium and saw him walking towards her,
"Honestly no words , I am speechless, you did amazing"
"Thanks" she blushed, why is the path so dark? usually this area is lit up . she hoped he would walk with her, she was always afraid of the dark,
They were walking on the dark path and she noticed to full moon, god this day couldn't get any better. He was walking silently with her , deep in thoughts, She even glanced at him few times, he didn't notice her,
"Looks like it is a full moon day , its so beautiful"- she started the conversation
"Yes it is, its so beautiful, it might even start to drizzle "- he replied , he didn't see her still
They reached the seminar hall and she opened the package on the desk and opened a black marker and started to write the names on the certificates
He sat opposite to her, still deep in thoughts, she could see that in his face, but she didn't dare to ask, she didn't want to have any other conversation with him, she always dreaded that. She was happy with the way things are for now.
"Madhu, can I talk to you for a minute?"- ah no here we go , she thought
"Yeah?"
"Remember the first day you came to school? +1 , we were giving a file , a pen and all the necessary forms to be filled for the new comers"
"I don't Selva, what happened that day?" she was busy writing the certificates
"I was sitting on the table and I handed over a green file and a pen with the forms", she looked at him
"I didn't see your face , I was just scoring out the names on the list and I heard a voice asking 'Can I get a purple file?'"- Selva paused
she smiled, yeah she still has the purple file , but didn't remember asking for one
when I looked at you and you said "Please? It matches my dress color!!"- he imitated her face
"I found a purple file from the box and you were so happy, juts lit up and happy, so pretty , I started noticing you right away !! and yeah I used to see you from our class window during PT periods, you will be playing co-co or a ring, always smiling and playing, you would participate in dance, drama and music what not!! quite famous"
"Okay?"
"and you joined Durai master tuition "
"Did you go there too?"
"Yeah"
"Like you were everywhere, I will always be seeing you, tried to talk to you but I was bit hesitant you were junior and school was strict , didn't want to get you in trouble"
"Thank god you didn't. I would have cried"
"I finished school and I tried to get your phone number from you classmates and even called once, your mom picked up and I hung up the call , when I saw you on the corridor that day it was a dream come true for me!"
She didn't know what to say, she smiled and continued her work,
"Madhu, look at me"- he said in an authoritative tone
She looked at his face
"I love you"- he looked deep in her eyes as he said
There it was, the three words she dreaded the most, she have heard few 'I love you!!s' before, in a bus stand , in her tuition and in her school, for some reason they were all nervous while confessing their feelings, writing on a paper and sneaking it inside her notebook or from her behind when she turned back this guy was long gone , or sending a friend as a messenger, she didn't take anything seriously .she carefully eluded the glances and signals, but here he is confronting her with it, looking at her straight in her eyes and confessing his feelings.
She always had an imagination for everything, she thought she was always meant to fall in love, may be all those romantic love stories she read growing up or the movies she watched drove her imaginations wild. she would always run in the savanna with the flowy long skirt, and this guy would chase her and hold her hands and say 'I love you ' and she will melt in those arms, but this was nothing like she ever imagined. She was here sitting on a dusty desk , in an old classroom ,not in a flowy white skirt not she was being chased on a meadows, but this was perfect , perfect way to express love. Her throat went dry and it was hard for her to breath ,For all the 1000 words she would speak for every single word, for how talkative and playful she is, all she could bring up was
"nan pogata?" she could barely hear her own voice, it sounded so weak and why the hell is she asking his permission to go?, shouldn't she just leave if she wants to? she looked out of the window and the path was not dark anymore, she gathered all the certificates and couple of markers and left the room, he got up and started walking behind her , they entered the auditorium and nobody noticed them , the air was electric and they were all in small groups talking something loud. She saw Aarthi and Manju akka in one of the groups and went to them
"Okay attention da!!"Naveen anna went up the stage, everyone sat where they were in small groups, Selva was sitting somewhere behind with his mech friends from the dance club
"A round of applause for everyone, this is one of the best in years. Just amazing". They all clapped
"Can't believe mighty megatrons lost to bunch of half-saree girls!!, but anyway amazing. I want to thank all the volunteers who made this event successful, participants, other club members, no time to give all the certificates one by one da, So I am reading the names here and raise your hands Manju will come and give it to you, just be seated" Naveen anna was holding the mic
Naveen anna read the names as everyone received their certificates,
"Finally, A big thank you for the art club members da, amazing decorations and background, especially Selva went above and beyond to get those diyas because they cancelled the order this morning and Selva travelled to cbe to get it personally. Thanks da for helping dance club"
Oh that's why you were not here this afternoon, she thought
"Anna avan onum dance club pavam nu seiyala, yarukaka nu avanaye kelunga"- Pradeep shouted from the crowd and everyone laughed
"Ena da nadakuthu inga??"
"Anna selva ku ,e and i la oru ponnu mela kannu , avlothan yaru antha ponnunu yen vayala sola maten atha neengale kandu pudinga"
"Enga na?, ivlo kashta pathathuku oru thanks kooda sola matengranga"- Selva looked right at her from the stage.
What is going on here? god everyone knows, the girls were asking her to thank him
"Hey he bought diyas for everyone , why should I thank him. we all can say thank you at once!"- she asked Aarthi
"Hey he bought it for you !! okay? go go up on the stage and say thank you go"- she pushed Madhu
She went up on the stage and said thank you, they all started to clap and make fun of them, he extended his hands she gave him a handshake and said "Thank you!!"
"welcome"- he had a smirk on his face, he is cocky, he is enjoying this. why am I not angry now and blushing like an idiot?
This is out now, out in public, everyone knows he is into her now, everyone knows something is going on between them , she was too nervous when she got back to the seat, god I need to be with my girls now! Cant wait to go back to hostel
To be continued.....

Hello /Games!
A couple days ago I properly revealed the game i'm working on: Settlemoon, releasing August 1st.
It's a cute little idle game inspired by an odd cross of Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector and...the town areas in Zelda 2. The sun and moon have both disappeared from the world, leaving everything in a void. Your job is to keep the sky lit and build a town for passing adventurers to buy things and hang out in, while also trying to figure out what happened to the world.
As you progress, your town will get a lot more busy. This will get the attention of NPCs to sell things, give you gifts, or even challenge you to boss raids (which your town's adventurers will take care of).
I've been working on it mostly as a solo dev for a little over a year now...though solo is a bit of an exaggeration. My composer did an amazing job with the music, and the beta testers have given me tons of good feedback. If I had to take away anything here it'd be to have people test it as soon as possible.
Steam page (with trailer): https://store.steampowered.com/app/2443780/Settlemoon/
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/kH39T4PaS5
Thanks for checking this out!

I'm a divorced white male, and as the title says I'm 6 foot 5 inches tall with blue eyes, 47 years old.
I work out regularly and I am in good health and I have a good career.
My daughter passed away a few years ago. I want to meet someone who wants to have a child with me. Please DM me if interested and you are local or willing to travel. Thank you

I'm a divorced white male, and as the title says I'm 6 foot 5 inches tall with blue eyes, 47 years old.
I work out regularly and I am in good health and I have a good career.
My daughter passed away a few years ago. I want to meet someone who wants to have a child with me. Please DM me if interested and you are local or willing to travel. Thank you

About a month ago, I had a very strange and memorable dream about someone I’ve only ever seen a few times in an old photograph, about 110 years old. The person in question, for whatever reason, did have a vague sort of familiarity to them, but I have not been able to place my finger on a relation to any person I’ve met in my waking life. A few weeks after seeing the photo, I had pretty much not thought about it much at all, until I went to sleep on a Friday night, and had this dream. In the dream, I appeared on a dirt path running from left to right, with an old house directly in front of me. Everything in the dream was in black and white. The girl from the photo was standing in the doorway, and behind her, inside the house, was pure pitch blackness. When we saw each other, there was a moment of extreme elation between both of us, and we met each other on the porch of this house and hugged, both very happy to see each other. Like two old friends meeting after many years. The dream then skipped to what I thought was the inside of this house, sitting on an old style couch. We were sitting side by side, looking rigidly straight ahead. We never turned to look at each other, but I could see her also looking straight ahead in my peripheral vision. Ahead of me, I could see only a sparse wooden plank floor stretching on for about 15 feet, and then it faded to just darkness. I could not see the end of the room. For whatever reason, I became aware that we were unable to speak to each other, but we could sort of feel each others emotions, and we were surrounded by the most warm happy feeling, like just so happy to even exist next to each other. And then, she simply leaned over, and pushed her left cheek against my right cheek, and it was extremely surprising to me in the dream. I could feel every detail of her face. It was the most real and detailed physical sensation I’ve ever had in a dream. She then simply pulled away without a word, and we continued to stare straight on into this darkness. The dream then skipped to us in a standing position, her directly in front of me with her back to me, and me with my hands on both of her shoulders from behind, still just looking straight ahead. I made note of how small and fragile her frame felt, too small for her, and it concerned me for a moment. She was shorter than me, coming up to about the bottom of my chin, and I could just make out the top and back of her head as we both looked forward. It then felt like she took me to a doorway, still in the same position as before, except now we were looking into a small ornate mirror on the wall inside this room. And we just stood there, staring at ourselves in this mirror, still surrounded by that same incredible warm feeling from before. She wore the slightest smirk on her face as we looked into the mirror, and I noted to myself that she was really pretty. And then it was over.

I'm posting here hoping to get perspective on our relationship and on my own actions. I'm also hoping someone may be able to help me figure out a path forward.
Also FYI, I'm a single parent to a 10 year old. My boyfriend isn't her dad but they get on great and they're really good buddies.
I feel like my boyfriend lacks motivation and I feel its been affecting out relationship for a while now. We met in our final year of uni where we'd been mature students (different fields of study). We both had an idea of what kind of job we wanted. I knew my field was very tough to break into so after a few rejections I broadened my job search and landed a role that, while is still relavant to my degree, isnt exactly what I had planned. My boyfriend has had a few interviews, none of which he's been successful at. His common complaint afterwards was that he hadnt prepared enough. He's refused to broaden his job search, he's failed to follow up on a few approaches from recruiters and, 9months after graduation, he's still jobless.
At first, our relationship felt easy because we were in college together so it was easy to see each other almost every single day and get some regular "us" time, but it's struggled since I've started working. We made a plan that we stay over with each other twice a week; once midweek and once at weekend. Though he'd often come over midweek, he rarely actually stayed. At the weekend he generally came over to mine. We'd talked about doing sleep overs in his house with my kid but I told him I wasn't doing that until he properly cleaned his place. We're not talking hoarder levels of filth here but dirty and a bit grimy. The whole place needed a good airing and a deep clean. A day's work would have done it. We finally stayed over at his for a night when I finally got pissed off at him and told him I wasn't doing anything else with him that day until we cleaned his house.
Over Christmas just gone I sat him down and told him I was getting very tired of his refusal to take anything seriously. Up to that point anytime I'd raise some kind of concern or something that bothered me he'd kinda brush it off like I was being dramatic and kinda joke about it (his not cleaning his house being one such example) until I'd end up getting so annoyed I'd just lose my cool and yell at him about it. Only then would he make an effort but not before telling me I needed to communicate better. I told him that stuff like not cleaning his house, being late and last minute to everything we do, only feeding himself once or twice a day, not following up on job opportunities, laughing off my concerns instead of listening all had me seriously rethinking this relationship. He may think some of these are things that only affect him but from my POV why would I, a single parent, want to be in a relationship with a grown man that needed to told to clean his room, to eat his dinner and what time he needed to catch a train at. I also told him that I wasn't interested in continuing the cycle of him treating everything like a joke until I yelled at him. I told him that if our relationship was to work he'd need to put in more effort, both into himself and into us. He heard me out and things did improve.
That was until his dad suddenly passed away about 4 months ago. A perfectly healthy man suddenly fell catastrophically ill and, despite putting up one hell of a fight for almost a month, he ultimately passed away. Naturally enough my boyfriend was devastated. I lost a sibling quite suddenly about 10 years ago so I have an idea of what it's like for your world to suddenly implode, though of course I cant even begin imagine what it's like to lose a parent.
Since then I've really done my best to support my boyfriend and be there for him but also to be patient and understanding with him. I know how difficult grief is. I remember so many days of feeling so slow and heavy and just feeling tired and sad to my very core. How there were days where you felt like you were doing everything you possibly could just to keep your head above water. So I do have an inkling of what he's going through, though I know his grief is not the same as mine was. He's also dealing with some trying family circumstances at the moment which Im sure only compounds his situation. As I've said I've really tried to be patient and understanding. I've done my best to respond to his needs and his emotions and to cut him slack. I don't expect him to be his most attentive and most perfect self right now but I also haven't expected out relationship to back slide as much as I feel it has.
Everytime he stays over now, I'll get up at 9 with my kid while he'll stay in bed. I'll eventually have to go in to wake him around 11 or 12. Often I've to go in a few times to wake him. At first I didn't mind the staying in bed so late because I knew how exhausted he'd been and that he wasn't sleeping well. But he's still sleeping late when he's over even though he said he's sleeping much better the last while. He just stays in bed, leaves me to cook breakfast for us all and then he heads off. He does the exact same when we stay over at his except I end up having to clean his kitchen because it's a mess AND I've to go out to get breakfast things because he won't have bought food. Not even a slice of bread. If we want to do something on the weekends 9/10 it's me doing all the planning and organising. My boyfriend then rocks up last minute before it's time to go wondering why I'm stressed.
We've also had few fights now where he's asked my opinion on disagreements he having with family and when I gave my honest (but gentle) read of the situation, he'd blow up at me for "ganging up on him". He would apologise after and I'd let it go putting it down to... Well everything. But he's been getting pissed off and annoyed with me A LOT. Once or twice I did something a bit thoughtless but most of the time I wouldn't have done anything at all. On a night with friends recently he was being especially rude and catty to me, to the point where a mutual friend pulled me aside to ask if I was okay. She also pulled him aside and called him on his behaviour. He hasn't apologised for that one.
Again, I understand that things are immensely difficult for him right now and will continue to be for a while but I feel like we've gone back to where we were before. He's putting in less effort to maintain his space which means we spend less time at his (something he says he's wants to change). He's made very little effort on the job front. He's back to brushing off concerns I raise until I get pissed at him and then blaming me for lack of communication. And now he's also just being rude to me for no reason, having fights with me when I don't instantly and totally agree with him and back him up.
Part of me says this is temporary and that Im being too hard on him considering everything he's has going on. But another part of me feels he now just expects that I'll figure out his whole life and do everything for him. I honestly don't know what to do.
I'd appreciate all and any opinions. Am I being too harsh? Too petty? Am I expecting a lot from him right now? Or do you think I'm justified? How would be a good way to tackle these things?

Rereading the webtoon, I realized that White constantly gets weaker in his fights because he keeps using up souls and has to get new ones, hence why he always complains that his power doesn't last so long. However, in the Bam vs White fight in Cat Tower, the Blue Thryssa notes that all the souls in Bam are trying to run away after all of them are being consumed. Bam is probably still powerful, and he did absorb part of white, but does this mean he lost all the billion souls? Sort of confused on how the power works, and if he can do it again

Hi, I (18F) met my boyfriend (20M) mid December of last year. We met in college and he quickly became my best friend. We’ve only been dating for 5 months which isn’t very long and this is also my first serious relationship, but i truly love him. I am completely financially dependent on my parents which makes this situation much harder. He is mexican and I am white. My mom and dad have instilled in me the importance of only being with a white man since i was little. They fully disapprove of our relationship and will never accept it. My mom is more understanding but is heavily influenced by my dad, causing her to lash out on me. The amount of times they’ve sent me nasty, hateful texts or threatened to disown me breaks me. And I admit I have been selfish and have lied a lot throughout this in an effort to maintain a relationship with him and with my family. My dad told me I had to choose between my boyfriend or college (my future) and I told him I wouldn’t choose. My boyfriend visited me this weekend and my dad says I have destroyed my family and broken his heart completely, i know he will never forgive me. My parents are getting a divorce and my dad is moving out. My mom sees that he’s too controlling and was really angry when he threatened to take my car and phone away. I can barely sleep because i feel fully responsible, I knew my parents wishes and I did it anyway. I just can’t lose my boyfriend and I can’t choose I don’t think it’s fair. I feel helpless and torn and I want to know if i’m wrong for not breaking up with my boyfriend.

I saw in some of the old messages from a Detective Conan Discord Server where a member said with dissatisfaction about a case they read/watched that they got irritated at it.
I don't have anything against them, I don't want to discredit them, neither say that their dislike on the case is unjustified, I'm just curious to know what mystery case they're talking about.

According to them, it was a case where the suspect have a understandable reason to kill the victim, but Conan do the black & white high-ground argument about it.
It was about a suspect who killed someone because this someone killed their dad (for some reason?), even he bragged about it. He even killed the only witness. After the culprit reveals their reasoning, Conan said "You're not better than the murderer".
The user disagreed with Conan's saying, since technically the suspect wasn't better than the murderer. They still disagree with the suspect's actions and it wasn't right to kill the murderer for revenge, but because the murderer killed the suspect's dad, someone who they loved, get away for so long and even bragged for it like it's some sort of big achievement, then it makes not really as bad as the murderer.
The murderer killed the witness at the sea, which happens years ago. And by the time, it was impossible for the suspect to pursue it legally. It was also implied that the event happened during the storm, so many people including the police blamed the storm for it.

What they describe interested me as I can see why a case would make them angry, and see how Conan is not being very understanding with the situation.
And the quote Conan said sounded pretty ballooni to me, as he's not really supposed to be TOO apathetic to the suspects imo.
He's supposed to have the greatest sense of justice, so even if the culprits have motives, he does NOT agree with their actions and they're still get legally punished acordingly.
But even then, he understands their reasons, he just don't condone their actions and he doesn't let them pass. He even said that at Desperate Revival Arc, where he says that it's such a shame that any reason to kill someone, despite the arguments and explanations, he can't agree with any of them despite he can understand.
To me, there's a middle-ground between "undertand but don't agree" and "feeling apathetic". I really like when Conan call-out the culprit's actions and make them regret suddently because what they did does NOT make things better and in fact, it turns into a really ugly thing.
But the case this member described feels like a bit too far. I'm not saying that Conan is at the wrong, but it doesn't really show what Conan is truly is imo.
Idk, let me know what you think.
Anyways, the closest cases I got was:

• A Ghost Ship Murder Case (Part 1 and 2) - Ep 61-62
• Distinguished Family's Consecutive Accidental Death Case - Ep 77-78

These cases shared some similarities, but none of them are exactly what the member described. This episode seems to came out around 100s-200s.
So please, if you know what episode/mystery case is, let me know at the replies.