This is what you need to know about me: I'm a 28 year old trans guy and while I AM Indigenous, I am not from any of the People who have Wendigo or Skinwalker. (I just believe in them, think they're neat, and the running joke with me and my experiences with the 'other side' is that if not for "Darker" entities I'd have no friends because my dislike for people leaves me with no other options.)
My whole life, I've encountered many things like Dogman, shadow people, Incubi, Jinns, and one of my friends swears to every God that I have a Wendigo following me. (I do but it's actually after HER so it's just sticking with me until she can no longer fight it off. I've never seen him; only she can. She claims he's sort of protecting me but that's just because I give him access to her...anyway, onto the reason for the post!)
This experience was actually fairly recent; not even a year ago. (Summer of '22 in case this gets buried.) I want to say this was last June or July as that's when most road work gets done here and I remember it being fairly late into the evening while remaining sunny and warm enough to be wearing a dress. (I am not safely able to come out and love dresses.)
It was warm even for my area and I decided to go for a late-day walk to the nearest body of water and take my chances with the water Gods. As I left, every crow and raven I knew of swarmed my yard and for a moment, everything was a black, glossy mass with hundreds of beady little eyes. I laughed and went back inside to get the food for them; my goal is to have them landing on me and bringing me gifts. No luck as of yet. But, there's one particularly "round" female (I assume because she's way larger than normal and is the one sitting on the nest in the pine tree in front of my house every breeding season; I know it's her because she has silver-grey feathers on her breast but is all black otherwise) raven who follows me everywhere and perches outside my window to "bok" at me when I am late with her treats; I'd give anything to be able to tame her as she's been known to land just above my head and put her feathers in my hair. I've named her "Big Mama" and yes, she plays a part in this story!
I fed the black mass of feathers and kept walking; Big Mama swooping over-head and "boking" constantly. I looked up at her; if she was any closer, I'd of been able to bury my face in her belly. "What is it, Mama? Did the fruit and seeds not meet your standards today? Not in the mood to use it to bait a song-bird?" She swooped by again; I could smell her at that point. She didn't want me leaving my yard, apparently. But, even when I KNOW something's off/dangerous, I ignore the "vibe" and keep going; I wasn't supposed to live after I was born and have almost died/should have died many times so I stopped paying attention to danger well before this day. I simply threw a shiny rock to distract her and went on my way. However, I soon wished I'd listened to her for once.
I made it just a few minutes from home; I could turn around and see my bedroom window and still make out my (at the time) lime green curtains with magenta polkadots. So, I felt safe that if something happened, I could run back and be protected as I blessed the house almost weekly since my family moved into it when I was 7. (Shadow person attracted by the darkness in my family and targeting me for being the only one stopping it from doing harm.) So, when I saw what looked like a german shepherd/Coyote cross sitting ahead of me, I simply smiled and called out "Hi, Puppy! Want a treat?" I know people with wolf and coy dogs and know a couple run feral around here from time-to-time so I carry food with me in an attempt to befriend them. The dog looked at me; I was surprised by its blue eyes as its coloring told me it should have had brown or gold eyes. But, mutations and recessive genes exist, right? The dog then stood and started running between the parked cars where I was walking; most of them were from the road construction crew in the area as the road was closed to all non-emergency vehicles except for the ones who lived on that street. I looked around; not a single worker in sight. I even called out and asked if it was ok I was walking there/if someone owned the dog. No response (other than the dog whimpering from behind a truck with huge tires; just a size down from "Monster Truck" huge).
So, I kept walking and whistling for the dog; my town isn't exactly friendly to most large dogs since the "Husky incident" in the 90's and most the men have licenses to shoot coyote/coy mixes on sight. I wanted to see if the dog had a collar or anything I could use to see if he (now evidenced by the "danglers") had a home/owner. If so, I'd lure him home and call it in. If not? I'd sell whatever I could to afford to keep him; a dog that size, that pretty certainly would have made a fine companion for me and would, without a doubt, be a good protector for when I was in the woods or my mom was home alone. But, first I had to get him close to me, right? I took out a sandwich and kept whistling; no dog would turn down free food. Finally, the dogs' (hind) legs appeared behind another truck. (Looking back, I should have wondered where the other two were and why it had no tail, right?) I whistled more and approached the truck, except...
When I peered around the truck; there was no dog. Instead, a scrawny but still weirdly muscular man stood there. He wore the usual "street construction" clothes but they hung off him in a way that seemed wrong; many of the men working wore loose, baggy clothing but this man's clothes were loose enough to where it was a safety concern around tools and machinery. I stepped back, apologizing and explaining I thought I saw a loose coydog run by. The man tilted his head as if he was processing what I said; his eyes were the same piercing blue color. Finally, he just said "No dog." and just...stared at me. I quickly realized I was in trouble and slowly backed up; not looking away or blinking. I apologized again, and just said how the dog was pretty and how I'd love to have a dog like that. (When my back is to a wall, I often sweet-talk my way out of situations. I knew this guy and the dog were the same and my only hope was sweet-talking right there because weapons are against the law to carry here.)
He watched me go, taking a step every so often; waiting for me to turn around or look away, maybe? Then, from above me, a familiar "bok". Big Mama swooped down violently and attacked the man while I turned tail and bolted back down the street; looking back every so often and seeing the "man" snarling and snapping his jaws at Big Mama. Even at that distance, I could hear barking and coyote yips. I also heard painful croaks and crows as the flurry of black feathers blew by in the wind. I feared she'd be plucked and killed but no way was I going back to defend her. But, the closer I got to home, the more crows and ravens I saw zooming towards the area I'd fled. The "man",now a dot only visible because of the orange/yellow vest, was being swarmed by corvids and was lost in a black, glossy hurricane.
I ran into my house and collapsed to the floor; feeling every feeling known to man at once. My family is ashamed of the Indigenous blood so they forbade my sibling and I from learning anything of it/talking to anybody who isn't white. But, I've had a secret social media account since I was in middle school and my friends' list is packed with Indigenous people world-wide. I was in over my head and I knew it. I told all my friends and asked for their help. Most laughed and said "Nice knowing you!". (That included a guy who only wore coyote pelts/considers himself a witch. I like him, usually.) The rest told me to stay indoors for a couple weeks and when I went out, carry a weapon somehow. (And yelled at me to "Stop effing whistling!")
A couple weeks later, my dad came in and said he had to call animal control. When asked why, he said "There's a dog wandering (street encounter happened on). Poor thing's gotta be put down or shot; one eye is missing and the poor bastard's got not tail! The one eye he does have, is a striking blue, though. And, he's eating well; there's a pile of dead crows and ravens half eaten littering the street!"
He either didn't notice or care I'd gone pale and slipped into the yard. I brought offerings to the animals and there, looking like a half-plucked chicken and clutching what was once an eye in her talons, was Big Mama. She hissed at me; as if cursing me out for not listening and costing her most her family unit. But, even as I am sat typing this, she's never far away and the remaining flock+ their newest additions watch over me whenever I go. If they make it clear I shouldn't do something, I listen and I owe it to Big Mama (her feathers came back nicely) to never question her again.

Latency is making Alesis Nitro Mesh Electronic Drum Kit basically unusable for recording. Has anyone been able to find a successful strategy for minimizing latency when recording with an Alesis Nitro Mesh Electronic Drum Kit in Logic Pro?
I’m experiencing latency issues, as far as I can tell it’s a timing issue between audio and MIDI tracks. I’ve tried a lot of strategies and combinations to solve this issue, but it’s still not working well. The audio tracks have some latency, but not nearly as much as the MIDI. The audio tracks seem to sit together well time wise. But, even when I record in what sounds like an on time drum part, upon playback the MIDI drums are noticeably out of time with the rest of the tracks.
I’m recording the drum part on a Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit on an external MIDI track going into the Addictive Drums 2 plugin in Logic Pro via a USB cable (I’ve also tried using an UM-One Interface cable) that’s plugged in directly to the computer. I’m monitoring via headphones that are also plugged directly into the computer via a cable.
I have tried various things to fix this, including:
before & during recording: practicing the part a lot with metronome (on the bright side my musicianship improved, lol :). On the downside, the issue remains), recording with the lowest possible I/O buffer size of 32 samples plus enabling low latency mode, trying to offset the latency via recording delay in Settings>Audio, making sure input monitoring is off, using a drum plugin that came with Logic, turning off some of the internal processing of the AD2 plugin and even recording in a session where AD2 was the only plugin.
after the fact: quantizing via groove templates (regular quantizing never seems to work, probably because my other tracks in the song are looser in timing for a rock feel. The groove templates are still hit-or-miss as to whether they actually correct the timing enough to have the MIDI sit well with the rest of the song), manual editing (which only works about half the time when the part is played in with timing that sounded almost perfect when recording, and then the manual editing takes a very long time to do {about a week}, especially for such mixed results) and adding (timing) delay in the region inspector.
​

1. Hardware:
2. Alesis Nitro Mesh MIDI kit + its console>USB cable (I’ve also tried an Roland USB MIDI Interface UM-One able)>computer (MacBook Air)
3. Headphones via a wire directly into the computer

​

1. Software:
2. Console (not using the sounds from here just using the console to plug the kit into the computer)>Logic>Addictive Drums 2 plugin
3. Settings: I/O buffer 32, low latency mode

At this point I’m not sure what could be causing so much latency: is it the equipment, the settings, trying to record while using the plugin, the program itself, or something else? I’ve been able to successfully play in and layer vocals, guitar and bass together, but have yet to find a viable solution for this drum kit. I’ve been trying to solve this problem for almost a year and have done extensive research, and tried many, many solutions, but nothing really seems to solve the issue. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Latency is making Alesis Nitro Mesh Electronic Drum Kit basically unusable for recording. Has anyone been able to find a successful strategy for minimizing latency when recording with an Alesis Nitro Mesh Electronic Drum Kit in Logic Pro?
I’m experiencing latency issues, as far as I can tell it’s a timing issue between audio and MIDI tracks. I’ve tried a lot of strategies and combinations to solve this issue, but it’s still not working well. The audio tracks have some latency, but not nearly as much as the MIDI. The audio tracks seem to sit together well time wise. But, even when I record in what sounds like an on time drum part, upon playback the MIDI drums are noticeably out of time with the rest of the tracks.
I’m recording the drum part on a Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit on an external MIDI track going into the Addictive Drums 2 plugin in Logic Pro via a USB cable (I’ve also tried using an UM-One Interface cable) that’s plugged in directly to the computer. I’m monitoring via headphones that are also plugged directly into the computer via a cable.
I have tried various things to fix this, including:
before & during recording: practicing the part a lot with metronome (on the bright side my musicianship improved, lol :). On the downside, the issue remains), recording with the lowest possible I/O buffer size of 32 samples plus enabling low latency mode, trying to offset the latency via recording delay in Settings>Audio, making sure input monitoring is off, using a drum plugin that came with Logic, turning off some of the internal processing of the AD2 plugin and even recording in a session where AD2 was the only plugin.
after the fact: quantizing via groove templates (regular quantizing never seems to work, probably because my other tracks in the song are looser in timing for a rock feel. The groove templates are still hit-or-miss as to whether they actually correct the timing enough to have the MIDI sit well with the rest of the song), manual editing (which only works about half the time when the part is played in with timing that sounded almost perfect when recording, and then the manual editing takes a very long time to do {about a week}, especially for such mixed results) and adding (timing) delay in the region inspector.
​

1. Hardware:
2. Alesis Nitro Mesh MIDI kit + its console>USB cable (I’ve also tried an Roland USB MIDI Interface UM-One able)>computer (MacBook Air)
3. Headphones via a wire directly into the computer

​

1. Software:
2. Console (not using the sounds from here just using the console to plug the kit into the computer)>Logic>Addictive Drums 2 plugin
3. Settings: I/O buffer 32, low latency mode

At this point I’m not sure what could be causing so much latency: is it the equipment, the settings, trying to record while using the plugin, the program itself, or something else? I’ve been able to successfully play in and layer vocals, guitar and bass together, but have yet to find a viable solution for this drum kit. I’ve been trying to solve this problem for almost a year and have done extensive research, and tried many, many solutions, but nothing really seems to solve the issue. Help would be greatly appreciated.

Latency is making Alesis Nitro Mesh Electronic Drum Kit basically unusable for recording. Has anyone been able to find a successful strategy for minimizing latency when recording with an Alesis Nitro Mesh Electronic Drum Kit in Logic Pro?
I’m experiencing latency issues, as far as I can tell it’s a timing issue between audio and MIDI tracks. I’ve tried a lot of strategies and combinations to solve this issue, but it’s still not working well. The audio tracks have some latency, but not nearly as much as the MIDI. The audio tracks seem to sit together well time wise. But, even when I record in what sounds like an on time drum part, upon playback the MIDI drums are noticeably out of time with the rest of the tracks.
I’m recording the drum part on a Alesis Nitro Mesh Kit on an external MIDI track going into the Addictive Drums 2 plugin in Logic Pro via a USB cable (I’ve also tried using an UM-One Interface cable) that’s plugged in directly to the computer. I’m monitoring via headphones that are also plugged directly into the computer via a cable.
I have tried various things to fix this, including:
before & during recording: practicing the part a lot with metronome (on the bright side my musicianship improved, lol :). On the downside, the issue remains), recording with the lowest possible I/O buffer size of 32 samples plus enabling low latency mode, trying to offset the latency via recording delay in Settings>Audio, making sure input monitoring is off, using a drum plugin that came with Logic, turning off some of the internal processing of the AD2 plugin and even recording in a session where AD2 was the only plugin.
after the fact: quantizing via groove templates (regular quantizing never seems to work, probably because my other tracks in the song are looser in timing for a rock feel. The groove templates are still hit-or-miss as to whether they actually correct the timing enough to have the MIDI sit well with the rest of the song), manual editing (which only works about half the time when the part is played in with timing that sounded almost perfect when recording, and then the manual editing takes a very long time to do {about a week}, especially for such mixed results) and adding (timing) delay in the region inspector.
​

1. Hardware:
2. Alesis Nitro Mesh MIDI kit + its console>USB cable (I’ve also tried an Roland USB MIDI Interface UM-One able)>computer (MacBook Air)
3. Headphones via a wire directly into the computer

​

1. Software:
2. Console (not using the sounds from here just using the console to plug the kit into the computer)>Logic>Addictive Drums 2 plugin
3. Settings: I/O buffer 32, low latency mode

At this point I’m not sure what could be causing so much latency: is it the equipment, the settings, trying to record while using the plugin, the program itself, or something else? I’ve been able to successfully play in and layer vocals, guitar and bass together, but have yet to find a viable solution for this drum kit. I’ve been trying to solve this problem for almost a year and have done extensive research, and tried many, many solutions, but nothing really seems to solve the issue. Help would be greatly appreciated.

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I was two months sober, then a member of my family died a horrific death. I've been drinking daily, anything I can get my hands on for the last two months. A mickey and a magnum bottle of wine, entire 26ers, I've been mixing liquor that I've never mixed before.
Last week I reached my mental breaking point. I woke up after a nightmare, fully awake and standing up I hallucinated that an Australian sized fucking spider was crawling up the wall. I've been having these horrible closed eye hallucinations? dreams? I'm very aware that I am awake but I'm also dreaming at the same time with my eyes closed.
I fucking hate this shit, I hate it so much. As of today I am a week sober and I'm terrified of going back to my ways because of how things have been going. I'm so terrified I'm going to lose my mind. Has anyone had a similar experience? I feel crazy.

The Recon Team had traveled 2.2 Mi. So far, they hadn’t encountered a scouting unit from the advancing force. Not even the reading Bla`ol was getting from the satellites showed any movement on their part. Valè had even Comm’d Command Center to see if the satellites were in working order, and what she got was the same info Bla`ol gave her. The advancing force hadn’t moved from its location. Valè didn’t like that at all. Her gut was telling her something was off. The corner of her HUD began to blinker, notifying her that someone was trying to reach her via Comms. Answering her Comms, the tiny image of the Champion appears in the corner of her HUD.
“Did you find something, Champion?”
Valè asked as she signaled to the rest of the Recon Team to stop.
“Junior team leader Valè, I have found a hollowed-out cave-like pathway inside the tree. My…Gift scanned ahead and showed me it would place us about 3/5 a mile above the advancing force. This location would make a perfect sniper nest. I mean, look out to recon from.”
As the Champion gave his report, next to his image appeared several images and 3D images showing Valè the hollowed-out cave. As the images and 3D images changed, something caught Valè’s eyes. Her gaze focused on the image. The image stopped and expanded, showing scrapping marks on the tree bark. The scrapping didn’t look natural. It looked almost as if something had drilled its way into the tree.
“Have you found any signs of tracks or recent movement near the cave?”
Valè voiced her concern. The cave looked too artificial, and she feared an advancing scouting unit had created it.
“No, there are no signs of movement of any kind. What are your orders, Junior team leader Valè?”
The Champion's reply was simple and straight to the point. Still, Valè was concerned about this cave. Something about it seems off.
“Have you found another path that will take us closer to the advancing force?”
Valè asked, hoping there were other pathways. The Champion shook his head and spoke.
“Not unless you want to jump off the edge of this branch and land in the middle of the advancing force or take a thirty-minute detour.”
Valè clicked her tongue. They were pressed for time. Deciding on the fastest route, she went for the cave.
“Wait for us to arrive at your location, Champion. ETA to your location is five minutes.”
The Champion nodded in acknowledgment and cut the Comms. Valè turned to the Recon Team and spoke.
“The Champion has found a path for us. Move it on the double!”
The Recon Team moved with swift grace and stealth, their movement going unnoticed by the creature that grazed on the massive tree. The only animal that noticed their actions was a mid-sized slimy predator who, thanks to the Recon Team, had failed to catch its prey.
The Recon Team reached the massive cave. Their faces behind their helmet were painted with awe and surprise. All of them were thinking, “what or who made it?” Standing above the cave-like entrance, Gabriel turned off his “cloak” and called to the Recon Team.
“It's a clear path, Junior team leader Valè. Just watch your step. It has quite the slope.”
Everyone's gaze turns to the Champion and then back to the cave. Something just didn’t sit right about it. One of the Recon Team, Vijatà, spoke.
“Are you sure it’s safe to go in?”
Vijatà said what everyone was thinking. Gabriel jumped off from the top of the cave and slowly descended in front of the Recon Team. While doing so, he spoke.
“Yes, you just have to watch your step.”
Everyone turns to Valè, waiting for their orders. Valè took in the information she was given and weighed her options. With the bit of time they had left and the need for information, Valè decided to enter the cave.
“I know everyone is not liking the feeling this cave is giving off, but we are pressed for time. We march forward. Champion, please take the lead. Vijatà and V`yx, with me in the middle, be ready with your Gifts. Bla`ol, I want you behind me, ready to deploy a construct and have your sensor watching our backs. Yoremedia and Ùzonal, both of you on our 6. Anything that pins the wrong way on Bla`ol sensors, I want you to delete it from existence.”
Everyone nodded and got into position. While everyone was getting into position, Valè gave Command Center an update on their current path and the massive cave. Like her, those in the Command Center found the cave odd and warned them to proceed with caution. With her update to the Command Center done, Valè joined the formation and glanced at the massive cave entrance before diving in.
Everyone marches towards the Creepy cave. The group walked silently, their steps being the only sound inside the cave and, occasionally, the sound of them stepping in a puddle of a very sticky liquid. As they walked, they scanned for any threat and took in the strange yet eerie world surrounding them. The cave walls were covered by a glowing sticky goo :maxbytes(150000):strip_icc()/optaboutcomcoeusresourcescontent_migrationtreehuggerimages201508_joseph-michael-glowworm-cave-photos-5-ea27eebbaab54a2e8be6e822bbf5fd4d.jpg)that dripped from every corner. At first, they had not encountered the glowing goo. It was only recently that they began to see it. Walking behind everyone, Yoremedia kept her eyes on Gab`riel on and off. On their way here, she had a small glimpse of what was bothering Gab`riel. His rotations inside the Transport that had brought him here had left him with symptoms of claustrophobia. The symptoms were now mild, thanks to the cycle he had spent with Healer of the mind Zè. Still traveling in something the size of a Transport still left Gab`riel irritated and annoyed, making him use a meditation technique that Healer of the mind Zè had taught him.
Yoremedia sighed. The meditation worked, as Gab`riel said, but his body still responded to being confined. She wished she could do more for him, but her paws were tied behind her back alongside her tail. Something moving caught Yoremedia’s eyes. Something she found odd as her HUD or Bla`ol’s hadn’t warned them. Turning her head and rifle, she looked at whatever caught her gaze. Slightly above the group were large pockets of whatever the sticky goo was. Her scanners show that the pockets of goo were made out of sucrose, water, and small amounts of Glucose and fructose. Whatever this goo thing was where sure to be sweet, very sweet. Suddenly, the cave’s floor moved, making everyone jump into a battle formation. The walls of the massive cave began to constrict, bringing the glowing world around them to life. Everyone was on edge except for the Champion and Bla`ol. The Champion’s eyes scanned the walls, ceiling, and floor while Bla`ol’s Mecha’s onboard sensors and scanners did the same.
“Clear! The tree is just breathing!”
Both the Champion and Bla`ol screamed, cutting the tension that filled every one of the Recon Team. Slowly lowering their rifles, everyone let go of the breath they were holding.
“Recon team, we detected elevated heart rates and spikes in your adrenaline levels. What’s going on?”
Comms Officer Unjerstrinia's voice and image came through a level 5 Comms. Her concern was evident on her young Litrigon face.
“The tree gave us a bit of a fright. It turns out trees can breathe.”
Valè said while trying to get her heart rate down. This place just rubs her the wrong way.
Comms Officer Unjerstrinia’s ears twitch for a bit, confused by what she heard, and her bioluminescence also shows a bit of confusion. Still, she places that confusion in the back of her mind. She needed to know if the mission was still viable.
“Acknowledge Recon Team. Is the mission a no-go?”
Valè turns to the people still looking at the tree, scanning it, and asks.
“Champion. Bla`ol. Is it safe to move on?”
Bla`ol looks at his sensor readings and scanners. Everything shown to him was green. The only life signs inside the massive cave were the seven of them. Turning the Mecha’s outer speaker, the male Tiverno spoke.
“Everything looks green. Nothing out of place.”
Valè nodded her head at the reply. Turning her attention back to Comms Officer Unjerstrinia, she spoke.
“We all green here, Command Center. The mission is still a go.”
Comms Officer Unjerstrinia nodded and spoke.
“Understood, Recon Team. We will continue to monitor your progress. Goddesses speed and good luck.”
The Comms ended, and Valè turned to the rest of the Recon Team. She was about to give the order to continue but noticed the Champion still looking at the cave. She was about to say something when the Champion spoke.
“Vijatà move three steps to the right.”
Gabriel spoke. His deep voice echoed in the massive cave, stunning those behind him for a second. It took Vijatà another second to process what she heard. But by the time she did, it was too late.
“What do yo...Ahhhh!” What in the Eight Agony Plains is this icky goo thing!?”
One of the large pockets of goo had burst open, dropping all its content on top of the Tubinestian female. The image of Vijatà covered in glowing sticky goo was too much for the group of mixed children of the Empire. Every single one burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! Look, Sis, your dream became true!”
V`yx screamed, which only made her other litter sisters laugh louder.
“Demon fucker! When I said, I wanted to be bathed by something sticky! I didn’t mean this shit!”
Vijatà said with apparent rage while trying to get the goo of herself. This, in turn, only made the rest of the group laugh even louder. The only one that wasn’t partaking in Vijatà misery was Gabriel. He had just finished scanning the pocket of goo that exploded because of the tree breathing, and he could not believe what he saw. Being disconnected from the net, he had not been given a clear sign of what he had been walking through, even with his passive scans scanning ahead. All he got was what he believed to be natural tree juices. He finally understood what he was seeing when the pocket of goo or blue glowing alien maple syrup completely covered Vijatà. No, he first needs to check his theory out. Countless imitations had fooled many Humans and even his father, but if this turned out to be maple syrup, then one of Humanity's many Edicts would be complete.
“Could this mission get any worse?” Vijatà thought. Not only was she scolded by her older litter sister, but her attempts to get the Champion's attention had also failed. She knew before the crash the Champion would always find it amusing when Team members gave him compliments or straight-up flirted with him. But now, anything she tried or said would only get her a slight smile or complete indifference. Beeping from her HUD added more salt to her already bruised ego. It warned her of the goo going into her rifle and gunking some of the components. She was about to swing her rifle around and see if that got the goo out of it when the Champion grabbed her by the wrist.
“Champion?”
Vijatà asks, confused by the Champion’s action. The Champion said nothing. Only the slight glow of his helmet disappearing answered her. Vijatà looks down at the Champion and notices him scanning her paw with his deep, glowing eyes. The Champion's action made everyone stop laughing and pay close attention to what he was doing. This time it was Valè turns to ask.
“Champion, is that goo dangerous?”
The Champion did not answer as his tongue was busy licking Vijatà’s paw. Everyone's jaw would’ve hit the floor if it wasn’t for their helmet holding it in. Vijatà was over the moons. The Champion was licking her paw with feverous lust. Even through her armor, she could feel the Champion’s tongue gliding over her scales. Oh, how it felt. How she wishes she could rip her armor off and feel his tongue between the crevices of her scales. The Champion’s tongue moved away from her palm and began to lick her fingers. This made Vijatà’s legs tremble and sent a chill down her spine to the tip of her tail. It felt like hours. The Champion’s tongue over-stimulated her senses almost to the breaking point, but the Champion stopped before she could reach that oh-so-sweet climax.
“Oh, hell yeah! That is most definitely maple syrup!”
The Champion screamed in his cradle tongue. His voice radiated a joy that burrowed into everyone's core, pulling those stunned by his little act out of their daze.
“Recon Team, what in the name of our Divine Goddesses is going on over there!? And why in the damn Eight Agony Plains is team member Vijata’s vitals showing signs of extreme sexual arousal!?”
Once again, the voice and image of Comms officer Unjerstrinia rang and appeared inside every Recon Team member’s helmet. Still, in a bit of a daze, Valè shook her head, trying to get her bearings. But what she had witnessed had left her in a state of shock.
“Recon Team! Report!”
This time, the voice and image that came through weren’t Comms officer Unjerstrinia but Supreme Commander Yesleta. The authority and power behind Supreme Commander Yesleta’s voice was the sledgehammer that broke Valè out of her shocked state.
“I…well…the Champion…he licked? Something…from team member Vijatà’s paw?”
Valè words were full of confusion and shock. Even as she spoke, it sounded like she could not believe what she was saying. The image of Supreme Commander Yesleta shows her raising her eyebrow. Yesleta knew something was off when she felt Gabriel’s disbelieve, followed by his intense enjoyment. Just what in the damn Eight Agony Plains was he doing?
“Gab`riel, mind telling me what you are doing? We are all dying to know.”
The voice of Yesleta came through the outer speakers of the Recon Team helmets. Her voice echoed in the hollowed-out cave tree. Making the hairs on the back of Gabriel's neck stand on end. Gabriel cursed internally. His need to find out about the maple syrup had made him forget where and with whom he was. Taking a deep breath, he faced everyone and spoke.
“Ah, yes. What is currently covering Vijatà is a substance Humans call maple syrup. This substance was processed from trees called Sugar maples. Sadly many milleni….sorry I mean, thousands of rotations ago, the trees, alongside many flora and fauna from Humanity's cradle home, were…went extinct. Finding something similar to maple syrup has been placed in what my people call the Humans Edicts. These Edicts are very important, to the point that finding one would make all of Humanity move.”
Yesleta saw countless emotions running through Gab`riel’s face through the cameras on the Recon Team helmet. His expression was similar to when someone was rewarded by the Divine Goddesses when that person had achieved something remarkable. On any other occasion, she would be curious and willing to listen to Gabriel explaining these Edicts. Yet here, and now she could not let whatever these Edicts were, take precedence over the mission in paw.
“Champion Gab`riel, whatever these Èjïtcs are, do not outweigh the current mission. I hope I do not need to remind you of what is currently approaching our location.”
Yesleta's voice wasn’t low or harsh. Yet it carried an authority that made Gabriel slightly flinch. Feeling Yesleta’s disappointment through their link didn’t help Gabriel either, but he couldn’t control this. It was part of him; it was in his DNA. Still, Yesleta was right. They have more pressing matters to attempt too, plus he could always find more maple syrup now that he knew what he was looking for.
“No, Supreme Commander. There is no ne……What the fuck!? Everyone move!”
Gabriel screams at the top of his lungs while pulling Vijatà, who was standing next to him, into his arms and jumping into the air. The rest of the Recon Team, too, jump back just in time to see a set of very familiar tentacles. Gabriel flips in the air and lands on the cave ceiling. Cursing, he materialized his helmet and looked at the hideous creature before him. In his moment of lax judgment, Gabriel had not been paying attention to his passive scans, which were screaming at him about a massive worm measuring 70 meters long and 40 meters high approaching them. He only noticed the gigantic worm when his senses screamed at him of the danger below their feet. The worm rose from the massive hole it created. It opens its mouth, revealing countless razor-sharp fangs and tentacles.
“Is that a fucking Agony Demon! How the fuck did we miss that!?”
Vijatà screams while being carried bridal style by Gabriel. Seeing this creature, she, alongside the Recon Team, understood why they all felt odd inside the massive cave. They were walking through an Agony Demon’s nest!
“The tree! The Tree’s Essences was masking it from our HUD and scanners!”
Bla`ol screams, his voice amplified by Mecha’s outer speakers.
“We’ll deal with that later. Light the fucker up!
Valè screamed. Every member of the Recon Team heard her orders. The sounds of their regular rifles coming to life are heard, and what follows soon after are the sounds of rounds going at Mach 15 echoing inside the cave. The Recon Team had begun fighting the monstrous worm.
The rounds pierce the horrendous creature's flesh, making it scream in pain. The beast retaliated using its massive tentacles. The Recon Team members dodge the incoming attack with grace and great dexterity. Yesleta watched the battle that had just ensued and could not believe her eyes. An Agony Demon had escaped their detection and made it home inside the massive tree.
“That's not an Agony Demon! It's a native species of this planet!”
Gabriel's voice came through everyone's Comms. Hearing his outrageous outburst almost made those fighting the beast lose their footing.
“What do you mean it's not an Agony Demon!? Look at it! Sharp razor fangs! Countless tentacles and hideously ugly! That is most definitely An agony Demon!”
Vijatà, who Gabriel was carrying, screamed what everyone was thinking.
“Exactly that. I scanned it. Its genetic makeup matches the beings of this world.”
While Gabriel gave his explanation, he sent his findings to the Command Center. Those that read the information provided by him were surprised. The creature was indeed a native of this planet. Yesleta, with her ability to absorb more data, read the complete data package that Gabriel had sent. The creature was unique, to say the least, and it was a bizarre example of convergent evolution. She sighed. She knew later on that Momola`n would throw a fit over what she was about to order.
“Is it possible the cave is this creature's home, and when everyone entered, it felt threatened. But as it stands, we don’t have the luxury to make the creature flee. Recon Team, you have the green light. Eliminate the threat in front of you.”
Yesleta gave her order, making everyone move into action. Gabriel kicked off from the ceiling. Beams of superheated plasma shot out from his helmet—burning tentacles aimed at the Recon Team. The massive beast roared. It turned its attention to the one that attacked it and spat a foul-colored liquid. Gabriel easily dodged the foul liquid thrown in his direction. The simple-minded creature, annoyed at the tiny being flying around it, began to pay complete attention to it. Which, it turns out, signed its doom. Yoremedia and her team members Ùzonal and Bla'ol fired their rifles and mounted arm cannons. Their rounds rip large meaty chunks off the beast. The beast roared, enraged by the pain it felt losing its flesh, but in its simple-mindedness, it only saw the flying being about its head attacking it.
“Hot bone!”
Bla`ol screams through his Mecha helmet while throwing an aerodynamic cylinder he created with his Gift at Yoremedia. Catching the cylinder, Yoremedia began injecting her Gift into it. The power of Divine light fills the cylinder, and soon it begins to glow.
“Frag out!”
Yoremedia yells out, throwing the cylinder out at incredible speeds. The cylinder flew, cutting a path straight to the creature. The creature's tentacles began trashing around more violently due to Gabriel burning its mouth. A tentacle was about to smash the cylinder into pieces when countless shadows rose from the ground slicing the tentacle into ribbons.
“That was close!”
Ùzonal, the other male member of Yoremedia’s team, screams out with his paw stretched out. Moving his paws in a circular motion, the shadows match it creating a rotational dome around the cylinder. The now shadow missile cut its way deep into the creature, making it release a horrendous scream. Cracks began to form around the shadows covering the cylinder. Soon light began to radiate from it, and then a blinding explosion happened, releasing billions of nanites into the creature. The nanites flew everywhere, attaching themselves to whatever they came into contact with. Soon the power that Yoremedia injected into them reached a boiling point creating countless explosions. Where once used to be flesh was replaced by smoky white bones. A shriek of despair rang inside the cave, almost deafening the Recon Team. The hideous creature thrashed violently, aggravating its wounds and releasing a vile-colored liquid that began to eat away at the floor. Not knowing what the liquid would do, Yoremedia and her team jumped back and continued to fire their rifles and arm cannons.
Valè and her litter sister V`yx ran around firing their rifles while dodging the spit, tentacles, and falling debris the creature was throwing around. As she ran, a glowing light covered V`yx. Thanks to the covering fire her older litter sister Valè provided, V`yx gathered her Essence into her Gift. Extending her paw, she fired a glowing missile of light. The missile crashed into one of the many tentacles, spreading its light throughout the massive beast. The light ran like wildfire on the beast covering it completely, and soon, the gigantic worm began to lose strength. Its violent trashing slowly dies down. V`yx smiled. Her Gift had weakened the disgusting creature, but not completely. It still had some fight left. It smashed two of its tentacles into the ceiling sending large chunks of bark into the floor below. Both Valè and V`yx dodge the incoming debris. They weave with trained perfection, the tentacles, falling debris, and the odd-looking liquid; they dodge it all. But avoiding a chunk of bark the size of a Transport, Valè found herself alone with her back against the cave wall. Tentacles race toward her with the intent to end her. Power rose inside Valè. Her Essence reached its peak and was released with great force. The force tore the tentacles apart and any debris near her. Around her, a blue shield was created, blocking anything that wished to harm her.
“Vijatà, get down here now while I have my Gift up! We need to put this thing down now!”
Valè screamed into her Comms, carrying her voice to her other litter sister. Vijatà was having the time of her life. The Champion had licked her fingers and paw clean off, which almost made her come, and now she was being carried by him while flying around. It felt off being at the mercy of the Champion, but she wouldn’t lie. It was thrilling to no end. What's more, in the position she found herself in, her paws could grab onto the undersuit of the Champion. The suit had a similar texture to her armor, making it easy to feel what was underneath.
“Vijatà, get down here now while I have my Gift up! We need to put this thing down now!”
Valè annoyed, and pissed-off voice rang next to her ears, destroying Vijatà's joyful and wonderful moment. Vijatà sighed. It was time to get back at what she was good at, and that was killing ugly Demon fuckers. Hopefully, once she was done and the Devine Goddesses allowed it, the Champion would return to cleaning her again. With her goal in mind, Vijatà taps the Champion’s shoulder. The Champion stops firing plasma beams from his helmet and turns his attention to Vijatà.
“I got to go. Thanks for the cleaning, Champion! Once this is done, can we continue where we left off? I still hav….”
“Vijatà! Get your fucking tail down here, Now!”
Valè’s voice booms into Vijatà’s Comms, making the young Tubinestian woman jump. Annoyed, Vijatà looked over her shoulder and saw the battle below. Her litter sister V`yx had weakened the creature with her Gift, but it wasn’t enough to bring it down. Turning to the Champion, she winks, which the Champion could see as her helmet wasn’t tinted yet. Running her fingers down the Champion’s helmet, Vijatà spoke.
“See you later, Champion.”
Pushing herself off the Champion, Vijatà fell to the battle below. With unparallel skill, Vijatà twisted her body, dodging the creature’s tentacles. A tentacle was getting dangerously close to her. Extending her arms, Vijatà pushed herself away from the beast and flipped in the air, catapulting her high above the creature’s head. As she flew over the creature's head, Vijatà grabbed her rifle and began to rain supersonic rounds down onto the beast. The rounds pierce the creature’s skull, destroying a section of its skull. The beast started flailing its tentacles violently over its head, forcing Vijatà to change her landing trajectory. Landing on the creature’s back, Vijatà almost lost her footing as the back of the creature was covered by some type of slippery substance. Bearly maintaining her balance, Vijatà was able to slide down the creature’s back and land next to her older litter sister.
“You took your damn sweet time! Link up with V`yx so we can bring this thing down now!”
Valè said through gritted teeth, as keeping her Gift up against the constant onslaught of attack from the creature’s tentacles was draining her Essence rapidly. Not missing a beat, Vijatà looked at her HUD, searching for her litter sister V`yx IFF. The HUD painted her nearby, running toward her Vijatà scream.
“To the Goddess of War, we pray!”
“Mighty Catteyutiria, we call forth your wrath!”
In the distance, V`yx voice booms.
“Bring down those that stand in our way!”
Vijatà continued to scream as she got closer to her litter sister.
“Shatter their will to fight with your ever-growing might!”
V`yx voice sounded closer to Vijatà now. V`yx and Vijatà were only a few feet away from each other. Putting their rifles away, they ran toward each other with their fists held high.
“Let the sound of your War drums ring! Catteyutiria’s Smite!”
Both Tubinestian women scream while their fists collide. A large amount of Essences was released by each clash. The ringing of their fists echoed across the massive cave, and the large amount of Essences covered the gigantic worm. The worm began to lose strength. Its tentacles which it once used to rend the cave ceiling and floor apart, were now strewed on the cave’s floor motionless.
“Bring it down! Before the debuff runs out!”
Valè screams to every member of the Recon Team. V`yx and Vijatà grabbed their rifles and fired at the massive worm. Valè, now with some breathing room, joins her younger litter sisters leaving the cave’s wall behind. Yoremedia and her team focused fired onto the gaping hole they created, tearing every organ exposed.
Gabriel had stopped firing his plasma beams when Vijatà and V`yx had used their Gifts in a combo or k'i'ik'el kechmekatl. He had read about it while studying **“**MagIc~.” It was an ability of those from the same family, alongside similar Gifts, could perform. Giving a prayer to the Goddess they had an affinity to, just like Vijatà and V`yx had prayed to Catteyutiria, would amplify their Gifts, creating a more potent reaction and boosting their Gifts. Seeing the k'i'ik'el kechmekatl was interesting yet bizarre, like everything that dealt with “mAgIc~” still, seeing it in person and reading it about were two different things. The application and deployment of these unique abilities would change the playing field of any battle, just like what was happening in front of him.
Everyone was fighting the ugly as-sin worm…or, to be more precise. They were curb-stomping it to death. Dodging a round, Gabriel took notice of something. The Recon Team was fighting the creature in front of them as if it was an Agony Demon which was bad. At the beginning of the fight, he had been cautious in using his abilities. As throwing balls of plasma or using the Spear of Terra replica would’ve destroyed the cave…something the Recon Team was doing by themselves already. Sure, they were cautious with their shots, but this creature wasn’t built like an Agony Demon. Rounds flew through the beast, tearing flesh and destroying whatever was on the other side. He needed to finish this fight before they brought the cave down.
“Everyone pull back!”
He screamed. The voice of the Champion came through everyone’s Comms. No one bothered to second-guess what they heard. Every member of the Recon Team jumped back with amazing speed. Helmets began to tint as an extremely bright light engulfed the cave. A massive ball of plasma sat above the Champion. With one swift motion, he throws it at the beast below. The ball of plasma flew toward the creature, who was still under the effect of V`yx and Vijatà's strange ability. The eyeless monstrosity could not see what was approaching it. It could only feel the scorching heat for less than a second before turning into ash. The massive ball of plasma flew past the gigantic worm, leaving nothing behind, not even ash. Seeing the beast turn to nothing, the Recon Team began to relax but still maintain vigilance.
“Recon Team report.”
The voice and image of Supreme Commander Yesleta came through. Vale turned her gaze to the corner of her helmet. There she saw her Supreme Commander, as always displaying power and dignity worthy of her position. Raising her tail for a salute, Valè spoke.
“Supreme Commander, the immediate threat has been neutralized. Team members V`yx and Vijatà have used a significant portion of their Essence, but nothing an Erol fruit can’t fix.”
Yesleta nodded her head. She had seen the battle play out thanks to the cameras on the Recon Team helmets. In less than two minutes, the massive creature had been brought down, and no one had suffered any significant damage. Satisfied with the result of the battle, she spoke.
“Regroup and continue with your current heading. We will continue to monitor you. Lastly, Champion Gab`riel, I hope another “event” doesn’t occur. Supreme Commander Yesleta out.”
Gabriel flinched at Yesleta's last parting words. He had been listening to the conversation in case of any new orders, yet all he got was a chewing. A chewing that would continue once he got back if what he was getting through their link was true, which always was…maybe if he took some maple syrup to Yesleta, the chewing wouldn’t be as ba…
“Hey, where is all this coming from? Champion Gab`riel, what did you call this thing? Matlè cirit?”
The voice of Vijatà derailed Gabriel’s train of thought. Turning his attention toward the young woman, he saw her eating Erol fruit that replenishes their Essences and an ankle-deep stream of blue glowing maple syrup running down the cave’s floor.
“I think it's matle cirit, and can you just sit and eat your Erol? We need to get our Essence back, or did you forget we have a battalion of unknowns approaching us.”
Gabriel turned his gaze to the one that had spoken. Sitting around a boulder-sized bark was Yoremedia, her Team members Ùzonal and Bla`ol, Valè, and the one he was sure had spoken V`yx. Everyone had taken their helmets off and were waiting for V`yx and Vijatà to finish their fruit. Seeing everyone taking a breather, Gabriel decided to continue to “examine” the maple syrup. After all, he needed to be 100% certain it was maple syrup. Flying toward a wall, Gabriel scanned it for anything that would affect the flavor. Finding nothing, he began to sample the maple syrup. His tastebuds when into euphoria all the sweet things Gabriel had tasted up to this point could not compare to this type of sweetness. A ping from his passive scan notifies Gabriel something is happening to the hole the worm came out from. Flying to the massive hole, he began to scan the interior of it and noticed the odd-looking liquid the worm had used was rapidly deteriorating. Landing on the edge of the hole, Gabriel detected several fault areas. Something he didn’t like, as the smallest amount of force would shatter the bark and flood this cave with a sea of maple syrup. Opening the Recon Team’s Comms, he spoke.
“Junior team leader Valè, we should begin to depart. I have finished scanning the hole where the creature appeared, and it shows significant damage done to it. The possibility of breaking and flooding this cave with maple syrup is high.”
Information pops up from Valè’s forearms' 3D display. The leader of the Recon Team reads the data and wrinkles her brow; she doesn’t like what she is reading.
“Ya’ll heard the Champion. Let’s move.”
Everyone nodded, and their helmets began to close around their head. Gabriel began to walk toward the group to get into position when his passive scan showed a familiar scan. The scans were the same as the ones when the tree was about to breathe…

First Prev Next
Date: May 3, 2235
This feels like the longest hour of my life, Tom thought.
The training went well, even better than he thought. Teresh seemed to be good at adapting on the fly. He would have them walking by Maxim and Ally chatting, then have them stop them and ask questions. Using only body language from Tom, they navigated the conversation without him having to say a word. He stayed calm, but this was a controlled environment of course. To mix things up, he began to lie about the scenario. Saying one thing would happen, and another instead. Instead of walking around them, a box would drop, and they would both walk up to him. Talking loudly and admonishing him, all acting of course. Tom could only imagine how scary it would be to have two alien creatures talking angrily to you. He let Teresh react to the situation, and then he'd sweep in to resolve it. Thankfully, it looked like the kid wasn't one to run or visibly panic. The suit did wonders to conceal his truth. He almost mistook him for Ally on an occasion or two. It wasn't much, but these small victories instilled in him a sense of stability. This insane idea was no longer one that was completely out of grasp. Something that was possible, doable.
Yet, there was something else on Tom's mind. Something that was mulling around since he and Teresh got acquainted. This was really the best candidate the so-called "empire" had to offer for a diplomatic mission? He couldn't defend himself, scared easily, and came out of the gate asking for the surrender of their entire species? Something wasn't quite adding up there. There was something off about this whole thing, and Tom wanted to get to the bottom of it.
However, with a notification from the ship's nav, Maxim and Ally both got up and left for the bridge. Leaving just the two of them sat on crates, breathing heavily.
"I'm proud of you Teresh, you did great. Just remember what I told you and you'll be just fine," Tom said, going to wipe his forehead but only hitting glass.
"Stay calm. Stay close. Stay silent," Teresh repeated.
Tom smiled, "You got it."
They sat in silence a tad longer, in contemplation. He was confident that they could get their mission done. They always found a way after all. No matter how daunting or impossible the task seemed, trust in each other always got them out in the end. It was shocking how much comradery he felt towards Teresh, even after only spending a short time together. They were more different than anyone he'd met before. Curious, clever, and with a childlike wonder about anything and everything. They were almost like...
"Tom," Teresh asked, shaking him out of his thoughts.
"Yes?" He replied.
"What was your home like? Ari-zona," they asked, sounding out the word.
Tom stifled a chuckle at how cute it sounded. It reminded him of his little cousins trying new words or sounds. So endearing and innocent.
"Well, it was hot, dry. Sunny all the time," he began, thinking back to his old home.
"Is that good for humans?" Teresh asked.
Tom shifted his head from side to side, "Some like it, some don't. Too much sun and it damages our skin, gives us cancer. So, we wear clothes and coat ourselves in substances that block ultraviolet light."
"Couldn't you live someone covered, or darker?" They continued.
"Our homes and buildings are all covered. As for living somewhere darker, we could, yes. A lot of people do," Tom explained. "It's not all bad though. Home is home after all. It's not perfect, but it's ours."
He could see the alien's posture shift. It looked like his words had a deeper effect than he intended.
"I feel the same way about my home. It wasn't extravagant or amazing, but it was ours. My marja, mother, did her best to support us. Even though it was difficult," Teresh explained, his voice becoming more distant.
Them too, huh, Tom thought to himself.
"Yeah, my old man wasn't around much either. He left one day and never came back, not that it changed much," he explained. "But we did our best. And hey, I had my dog and a bike and that was all I needed."
"Dog... bike," Teresh repeated.
Tom chuckled, "I'll have to give you a tour of home when I get back. Still think I've got that old bike in the garage. Could hit the mall, pool, catch a movie, get a whole summer vacation experience."
After a time, they replied, "I think I'd like that. Thank you, Tom."
There was a bit of static in his helmet, the private channel opening up. He heard Ally's voice relay to him, "Need you at the helm sir. We're about to make our approach."
He reached up behind his ear and hit the button for said channel, replying, "Be there in a minute."
Setting it back to the open channel so he could communicate with Teresh. He asked, "They want me at the bridge. Would you like to come with me?"
"If you'd allow," Teresh answered. Receiving a nod from Tom.
Hopping off of their crates, the man led them up to the administrative section and the large ascent to the bridge. As they walked, Tom had a random thought.
"By the way, how do you want me to refer to you? He, she, they, something else?" He asked. Tom had defaulted to “they” up till now, but it'd be good to know going forward.
He hoped that Teresh knew what he was getting at. Tom never really had trouble with gender or preferred pronouns, but some acted like it was some insurmountable task. Laziness is what he called that attitude. It's 2235, it really wasn't rocket science at this point. The small figure looked up at him, the sheen of the helmet glinting in the sterile light of the stairway.
"I'm male, and you can refer to me as he/him in conversation. I didn't realize your species had distinctions in gender," Teresh relayed.
"Ah, yeah. It's taken quite some time to get here, but it's pretty common place now. Sorry if I put you on the spot there," Tom apologized.
"Don't worry, you haven't put me in any spots. Would it be safe for me to assume the same of you?" he replied.
Clang, clang, clang. Their boots echoed through an empty ship.
"Yep, same with me and Maxim. Ally is female, and goes by she/her," Tom explained.
"Understood, thank you Tom," Teresh confirmed.
"Anytime," he concluded. Before opening the door to the bridge and stepping inside.
The bridge itself wasn't massive by any means but was good enough for their purpose. It was a tad larger than your average room and extended lengthwise to allow for more space. Centralized in the center of the ship, at the back, it let them have a wide view of the rest of the vessel. Letting them eyeball not only incoming hazards but other ships as well. Which is what they would be doing if Tom hadn't requested that they raise the outer shields on the viewports. Darkening the interior and making it nigh impossible to see outside the ship except with equipment. These were meant to block any asteroids or debris from cracking or piercing the viewport glass. Though it was industrial grade and damn near impossible to shatter, it was still possible. That wasn't the reason they were down however; it was mostly cause of Teresh. Tom didn't want to overwhelm the poor boy and cause him any extra anxiety than he already had. Keeping him from seeing the massive number of ships circling and around the moon was the least he could do. That, and... He was still an outsider from an empire that wanted their surrender. The less he saw of their defenses and ships, the better. As much as it hurt to see the young'un as a possible enemy, Tom was ever the dutiful soldier. Even if it pained him to admit it.
Maxim and Ally sat at the helm, both tapping away at monitors. Ally typically handled protocol and procedure while Maxim handled driving and navigating. Tom usually served as the captain and doled out where they needed to go and when. Even though the shipping company technically owned the Tarva, everyone knew who its captain was. Though the title still irked him somewhat, in this context it was bearable.
He walked up and crossed his arms, seeing a display of the moon on the monitor below. Maxim was pulling them around the underside to head towards the military base. If all went well, they'd be able to slide into the hangar without much issue.
"Approaching in five, strap in for land-" Maxim began, getting interrupted.
There was a sudden hail, seeing the communication going through on the screen. It was from the base and Tom felt himself scowling unconsciously. He jabbed a finger on the button, opening the channel. Here we go...
"Vessel signature: U.N.E Tarva. You've entered a restricted area. Please provide a valid authorization code or alter your flight path and leave the area," a male voice came over the intercom.
"This is the U.N.E Tarva. Requesting to land at hangar 10. Sending the authorization code now," Tom replied.
He punched Mikael's code into the computer and sent it to the base. The voice on the intercom went silent. His heart began pounding faster and faster as they approached the base. Knowing that any one of the many anti-hull laser cannons could blast the Tarva out of the sky in an instant. The four of them waited with bated breath, flinching as static appeared back over the channel.
"It's an older code, but it checks out. You're free to dock at hangar 10, welcome to Jefferson Base," the voice replied, signing off.
With a collective sigh of relief, Maxim piloted the ship into the hanger. Tom directing Teresh to sit down as they made their approach. Their ship lunged forward a bit as they hit the gravity field. Feeling it slow and then eventually settle in. A resounding boom as the heavy vessel finished docking.
"Okay, that was the easy part. Now for the real fun," Tom announced.
Though he couldn't see or hear it, he could tell that Teresh just gulped.
--------------------------
The ship's landing gear had touched down without issue. Landing themselves in a small little square of space in the corner of the base. Perfectly distanced away from everything else. Tom could thank Mikael for that one when they met back up. They all stood at the main door before the entry ramp. He looked down at Teresh, giving him the cutting motion with his hand. The three of them heard a small click as his translator was shut off. Then picking up a small box that was going to be his security blanket. He was completely in the dark now, and they needed to lead him out of the lion’s den together.
With a hiss, the door opened and they began stepping down the landing ramp. The base was just as he'd remembered. A never-ending stream of people and ships, constantly loading or unloading supplies. Many of them were cargo ships like the Tarva, though more standardized military of course. He could pick out a few fighters here and there, but they usually sit for weeks on end. Their angular wings and shape made them almost appear like birds of prey in flight, nigh impossible to see with their typical black and red paint job. He never flown one himself, but the hot shots in the air force always bragged about their hawks.
The hangar itself was spacious and massive, clear lanes cut through that led to tunnels. Which in turn would take them to several other bases on the moon. They never got too deep to threaten structural stability, but he knew they wormed their way all over the place. It was humanity's first major military installment outside of the atmosphere, and it showed. Far on the left side, there were ginormous spaces left for the larger ships. Cruisers, destroyers, dreadnoughts, and even capital ships. Though, the latter two mostly stayed on earth due to the sheer size and manpower needed to run those behemoths. From this distance he could pick out at least two to three cruisers, and what looked to be a destroyer in the far back corner.
The ships themselves had to fly through a gravity field to enter the base. It essentially operated as a forcefield that kept everything inside safe from being exposed to the space outside. Though permeable enough for ships to fly in and out without shattering it or themselves. It was like flying through a layer of jello that morphed itself around the ship. He didn't really understand how it worked, but that technology enabled both the construction of bases on the moon and larger hangars in ships. No need to constantly open and shut airtight doors when you could simply have a field that you could freely move through. Though, it was only really employed by the military since the tech was still expensive as hell and only useful for heavy traffic.
After so much time spent away from the military, it was oddly nostalgic to be back in a base. He could imagine himself heading off to the mess hall and chowing down with the rest of the bulls. Though the time for that had long passed, he had a mission to complete.
Stepping to the bottom of the ramp, he saw two individuals walk up to his ship. They were both dressed in standard black and gray military attire, with helmets that were more angular than his own. It resembled the shape of a bird of prey's head in many ways, pointed and somewhat intimidating. As for the rest, the attire of the UNEM was twofold, one uniform and one space suit. Outside of different material, the uniforms and spacesuits were purposely indistinguishable to a good extent. The chest and legs were typically cloud gray, having a soft "V" pattern. The edges outwards being a coal black. A pair of fat red stripes rounded each bicep. The uniform often came with a hat, though they were wearing helmets, so it was omitted. Over each of their left breast was a gold badge fixed with a bull posing proudly, the symbol of the UNEM. Since they didn't have the kolta of a high ranking official, neither of them were officers or above.
With their bright gold badges glinting, one gestured to him. On the local channel, they all heard: "Which one is the captain of this vessel?"
"That would be me," Tom replied nonchalantly, raising a hand.
"We did a surface scan of your ship. Nothing out of the ordinary, but we picked up a strange read in your cargo bay. Could you tell me why that is?" The figure asked, a distinctly male voice with a Spanish accent.
"I'm afraid that's classified, under Grand Admiral's orders. If you check the dossier you should see our authorization code," Tom answered without hesitation. Walk and talk like you belong.
"Hmm..." the man paused, tapping the pad a few times. "Okay, there's your code and- wait a minute. Your name here..."
The other man looked over and suddenly righted himself, his posture rigid. They held out a hand, another male voice, German this time, coming over the channel, "It is you! You lead the Phantom Legion, yes?"
There it is, Tom felt a chill in the air. The thing he'd been fearing ever since they began their approach. All he wanted to do was throw something or scream out in anger and frustration. Yet all he could manage to do was to reach out and take the man’s hand. Shaking it with a firm grip.
Exclaiming, "Tom Xavier, at your service. Though I'm guessing you know me as the Black Wolf?"

Hello! My names azreil and i'm an dog owner and an apprentice to a well known dog trainer (3 years).
i started owning dogs at a young age i've owned two dobermans, an Australian Shepard, and 2 german short haired pointers
All my dogs were trained the following professionally:
"Come”, “Sit”, “Down” “Place”, “Out”, “Off” Extended (Sit, Down, Place) “Loose Leash Walking.” (walk beside you on a leash) Command Explanations: Extended sit, down, and place, your dog will REMAIN in the down, sit, or place position until YOU tell them to “break” (release them).“Out”(drop any and all things you ask them to). “Off”( Do not jump on me or anyone else.)
Sit and Extended Sit (Dog remains in position until released) Down and Extended Down Loose Leash and Off-Leash Walking Come on command (outside, off-leash, with distractions) Greeting Manners(not jumping) Door Manners (wait when they are opened until you release them) Mealtime Manners (wait until they are released) Place (Go to specific place ie bed, crate)
2 of my dogs were also service dogs.
This is also what i am looking to train my dog to do, but it's going to change because my life style has changed to much i'm getting ready to move to an apartment and i'm looking for the perfect complain. I can not need more then 2 hours of exercise a day i'm a college student but i have plenty of time off and i'm very active, all of my dogs were my hiking partner anytime i'm outside i have my dog with me. All had good diets and were a member of the family. However i have to give up with having an extreme active breed as i can not keep up with it anymore.
Looking for breeds that are good with off leash walking/exploring.
They most have a low prey drive or a mild prey drive that can easily diminished with the proper training. So the vast majority of hounds, terroirs and some herding dogs are out of question.
It has to be a dog that needs less then 2 hours a day of exercise. I don't mind dogs that have lots of energy but i can't deal with dogs like german short haired pointers, Australian shepherds, vizlas etc that need to be worked all day.
I need a breed that is a family dog, loyal, trainable, not prone to alerting to sounds.
Medium sized short haired or long haired (preferable long haired).
Dogs that can be left alone up to 4 hours a day.
Of course i have done my research but there is so much info out there and while i have a general idea i have had that moment where i've said "this breed is perfect"
I breading considered pharaoh hounds but had to rule them out do the fact that is is heavily advised they are not off leash and they can be hard to train, while there are some things i can give or take and work with if everything else is really adding up unfortunately while i loved some of this dogs traits a variety of them simply would not work and wasn't what i was looking for.
Consider Dalmatian's but do to their proneness to health issues and various other factors had to rule them out.
Also considered other popular dog breeds like german shepherds, golden retrievers etc but ultimately ruled them out.
I am well aware that while we can predict how a certain breed will act or do when we think about what it was breed for or its history, that it does not determine how every individual dog will be, every dog is different and their traits and personality's vary widely and can easily differ from what is generally believed.

TL:DR Slim, mature, responsible, and intellectual guy seeking a petite to average size (as in, not overweight, not that you have to be short haha) younger girl (18 or older) that's going to graduate HS this year, or did recently (i.e. the last few years or so) that wants the build the deepest, most romantic and loving relationship with someone that genuinely wants to get to know and understand them on a deep level! Also, someone that will DEEPLY appreciate them, on a level most boys her age could only dream of. Someone that will THOROUGHLY enjoy spending TONS of time with you, savoring every second, loving the memories you're making together, and the things you learn about each other as you get to know and understand each other that much better! A girl that wants to experience a "young love" style of romance, and by that I mean going on all sorts of dates, including some cheesy ones, holding hands a lot while we walk around in parks, at the mall, even at the supermarket if you wish (if you're super shy we can hold off on the PDA such as hand holding until you're more comfortable). By "young love" I also mean just being very romantic, excited to see and spend time with each other, and also lots of hugs and cuddles and kisses (only in private is fine at first if you're shy). Do all sorts of things in life together, cuddle, travel, explore, and just in general enjoy life together and spending time together. Also trying lots of new things together and really appreciating the memories we're making together! Basically just going all-in on the romance / relationship and giving it our all, and just thoroughly enjoying the ride as we get to know each other better and better, and hopefully we click well enough to stay together forever! <3
So that gives you a decent idea of who and what I'm looking for, but there's still more details I'd like to go into, as well as telling some more about myself, so you can better understand who I am.
Ideally I'm looking for a girl that just graduated HS (or did in the last few years), but anyone up to ~25 or so is welcome. If you're shy, even extremely shy, or have strict parents [those aren't requirements either], this could be a great opportunity for you, as I used to be extremely shy when I was younger too (and also had strict / controlling parents, so I understand how that can be too). If you're outgoing, and/or just want to explore new things and places in life, that's cool and fine too! Size wise, as I'm a relatively slim guy myself, I'm attracted to girls that are petite to average weight. I want to be able to do some athletic things together like walking/jogging/perhaps some sports (and/or other things, depending on what you're into). So it's not just an attraction thing that I'm not interested in people overweight, it's a matter of lifestyle / mentality / and being able to do certain things together. Of course I expect my partner to have the same expectations of me, that I don't get fat either.
Anyways, moving on, so thanks for reading my post so far, and if you're looking for what I'd described, hopefully you'll read on and find me interesting, and if so, PLEASE send me a message! It's fine if you are just curious and want to ask some questions and learn more first, before making any decisions / jumping into anything! With that in mind, let me describe myself a bit. I'm a slim, intellectual guy, often been called cute, and I'm pretty upbeat and optimistic, but I've been a bit lonely lately and would LOVE to find a girl that wants a deep, loving, emotionally and mentally close relationship, and is willing to put in the time and effort to build that - assuming of course we click well enough. That doesn't mean we need to rush into things, and I'm not looking to - I'm just saying that should be our end goal. If we date for a while and then decide we're not a close enough match, well, it happens sometimes, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't try! So, to address the elephant in the room, yes, I would be a good bit older than you, so obviously you need to be OK with dating a middle aged guy, and I realize that's not for everyone - and that's fine. I'm not looking to pressure anyone into anything. But I also know that there most definitely ARE some girls out there that are open to that, as well as some that specifically prefer that. There's advantages to dating someone a bit older than you, such as them being a lot more mature, responsible, considerate, respectful, and, perhaps most importantly, appreciate life and a deep relationship sooooo much more. Someone whom knows when they have someone special with them, and can appreciate and enjoy that on a level that someone your age can't. Anyways, as long as you're genuinely open to a deep, serious relationship with someone my age, hopefully someday leading to a serious LTR and kids, that's fine. Like I said, I'm not looking to rush into anything, I want to spend some time chatting and getting to know each other first, so we can get comfortable with each other before meeting. So if you're shy, even extremely shy, don't worry, it's OK! I actually used to be EXTREMELY shy when I was young, so I totally understand how that can be, and I usually can get along well with shy people because I've been there and understand where they're coming from. Also, if needed I can carry the conversation until you start getting more comfortable and more talkative. ;) If you've been too shy to talk to guys you like (or possibly you do like older guys but are WAY too shy to approach one) - but genuinely DO want a relationship and would love to find someone willing to spend the time to get to know and truly understand you, this could be the opportunity you're looking for! On the other hand, if you're outgoing and love to chat [and looking for a relationship], that's totally fine too! haha Both sides of that coin can be fun, so I'm cool with either way you are. ;)
Alternatively, maybe you had a bad time at prom (or some other romantic event you were looking forward to), or didn't go, or didn't have anyone to go with, or maybe it was OK but didn't nearly live up to your expectations, and would love to get to have some romantic evenings and memories. Or maybe you just didn't get out much (or had super strict parents that didn't let you) and want to get out into the world and explore new places and new things, etc. and would love to have a romantic partner to share all those experiences and memories together with!
...or maybe you had suuuuper strict parents and want to finally get out from under the rock you were living under and finally get to see and do many of the things you've wanted to for a long time! (I would totally understand this one as I had very strict parents)
Maybe you've had a few relationships before but you never clicked very deeply with any of them (and/or they were just too immature), and you're looking for a relationship that's much deeper and more meaningful than that. Or maybe you've never had anyone that you've connected well enough to to feel that they really understand you. ...while I can't promise that we'll click well enough for that to happen, I'd like that to be the goal, and there's certainly a non-zero chance of it happening haha.
Perhaps you're REALLY wanting to be able to fully dive into a relationship as soon as you graduate, and are looking forward to, not necessarily Prom [although possibly that too], but also/mostly just would love to be able to take a long romantic vacation / visit once you're done with school and have some freedom. An opportunity to be yourself and learn about both yourself and your romantic partner.
Or, lastly, maybe you're just single and would love to have someone to cuddle with, talk to, share everything with, watch movies or shows together with, play games together, and travel or explore together!
Anyways, whatever the case is for you, if you think I'm interesting and would like to explore some or all of those things, I'd love to hear from you! Before I get too far ahead of myself, let you tell you a little about me. I'm 39 (but I look a bit younger), white, 5'11" and relatively slim at 165 lbs. I enjoy walking and jogging in the park, as well as exploring new parks / seeing new places and new scenery. Although it's 100 times better when I have someone to enjoy that with and talk to meanwhile! <3 Anyways, I do have a number of nerdy interests - games, movies, anime, computers, science stuff, etc., but I can also enjoy long conversations with a date, walks in the park - or on the beach, playing board, card, or video games together, or sports, etc. Plus I'm open to learning some interests of yours - I can't promise I'll be interested in all of your interests, but it's extremely likely that I'd at least enjoy hearing you talk about them, and some of them I may be happy to join you in (this is very likely). We don't need to share ALL of the same interests, as long as we share a few haha. As far as games go, I'm primarily (almost entirely) a PC gamer, but I occasionally play some console games (primarily older consoles). My favorite thing to do is to cuddle up and watch something fun or interesting, such as movies, YouTube (I watch a lot of YouTube), Anime, Netflix, or Kdramas (occasionally). So you need to at minimum be someone whom would enjoy cuddling up and watching things together with me haha ... but then, almost everyone enjoys doing that. Oh, and I also have a relatively newfound love for Theme Parks and water parks since I recently started going back to them for the first time as an adult recently, and there's many more I'd love to go to - as well as re-visit the ones I've been to with someone special going with me to share the experience with. <3 I'm also curious to try out some amusement parks now that I'm getting more comfortable on rollercoasters.
Anyways, that's a bit about me, I'd love to hear some about you and what your interests are! And maybe note some shared interests that we have! Of course I do have some additional interests, I haven't listed EVERYTHING haha, nor do you need to in a first message haha. Just because my post is long doesn't mean your messages have to be haha. ;)
As for requirements for you, I'm pretty open minded on most things, so I'll try to keep the requirements pretty minimal. Ideally I'm looking for someone that's white or Asian, or some mix thereof (i.e. if you're 50/50, or 50/50 white or Asian and something else, that's fine). I'd consider making exceptions to this for the right person, if we really clicked otherwise. ;) Age wise, while it would be nice to find someone about to graduate HS (and is excited to use their newfound freedom to explore so many new things in life and the world), I'm willing to consider someone a bit older, up to early to mid 20s, as long as we share a number of interests and you feel like you're looking for something similar to what I've described. It's more that I'm looking for someone with a certain mindset and/or at a certain point in their life, not necessarily that they're SUPER young. My main requirement is, as someone that's slim (and sometimes athletic, when I have time to get more exercise), I need you to also BE [as opposed "working on it"] average weight or below, and plan to stay there (but also to expect me to as well - I don't expect anything from a partner that I don't have at LEAST as high expectations of myself about). I find petite girls super cute, but average size girls are fun and cute as well! Both sizes have their fun and interesting points haha, so I'm fine if you're either one.
Anyways, I think I've talked long enough for now haha, but that gives you a decent idea what I'm looking for plus some basics about me. As the title says, while ideally I'd love to find someone within 3 hours of Harrisonburg, VA, I'm willing to consider someone anywhere in the US (probably just the lower 48 states). Drives longer than 3 hours are definitely still very plausible, possibly even 8 or 10 hours perhaps, and flying is an option if you live significantly further away (plus points if you live anywhere remotely near a major airport, but that's not a requirement). Anyways, my point is, if you're further away than a few hours drive, I'd need you to be willing to travel / work with the distance when the time comes - particularly with the drastically increased costs of gas/travel these days. For example, if you're pretty far away, then after the first visit or two, we'd probably need to be planning longer visits when one of us travels to the other. Anyways, I'm not looking to rush into meeting, but I'm also NOT INTERESTED in an online only relationship. We need to start meeting in person in the relatively near future (i.e. a few weeks or so (possibly several weeks if you're far), assuming we talk a good bit during those few weeks). Also, I'm willing to come to you the first visit (or perhaps more) if you're far, but after the first visit or two you'd need to be willing to visit me (I might be willing to pay for your flight if you can't, we'll see), as that's going to be a LOT cheaper than me flying out somewhere, getting a hotel, and renting a car. On the other hand, if you're much closer, within a reasonably driving range, if needed I could pick you up in my car once you're ready to visit (and I can just drive to you for the first few visits). And if you're within 3 hours or so drive, I'm happy to drive to you for several visits at first, until you're ready to visit me. Regardless of the timing, I'm not going to pressure you do visit me before you're comfortable doing so, and it's something we can play by ear. For example, if you're someone that's super shy I understand if it takes a few extra times of me visiting you before you're ready to visit me, or perhaps we need to chat some extra time first, etc.
Well, thanks for reading my rather long post haha, hopefully I've piqued your interest, and if so, I'd love to hear from you! Certainly feel free to ask me any questions you may have, either if you're interested, or if you're curious but need to know some more before you know if you're interested haha. Also, I'm happy to exchange some (clean!) pictures of each other after a few messages. On that note, when you message me, please tell me at least a little about you (i.e. age, race, height/weight, and a little about you and what you're looking for). Thanks again, and hopefully this can be a great opportunity for both of us, and the start of something amazing!
P.S. To the SUPER shy and lurkers out there - yes, you, you know who you are - if you've been looking and wanting a relationship for a while, but have been too shy to ever post yourself or respond to a post, but you find me / what I'm looking for interesting, THIS is the post for you, THE one you've been waiting for. I've talked to a few VERY shy girls occasionally, and it was such an amazing experience for some of them to talk to someone that understands them and is willing to take the time to get to know them, and give them time to get comfortable before meeting. Someone that can help them slowly come out of their shell, gently nudging them to try new things and slowly be more outgoing, but without being pushy. So if that's you, you fit what I described that I'm looking for, and you're THAT shy but really DO want to be in a relationship, THIS is the post that's the opportunity for you. You've found the person that's willing to spend the time to get to know you and let you get comfortable, and also the guy that's going to enjoy and appreciate spending time with you in person if/when we get to that point (hopefully, that's the objective). I understand that shy girls, if you can get to know them well enough that they get comfortable with you, can often build some of the deepest emotional connections, because they appreciate the few close friends they do have SO much moreso than average people. So, if that's you, and you've been wanting a relationship for a while but been too shy to message anyone, PLEASE do this time! <3 I can carry the conversation if needed, but you need to at least say "hi" so that I know you're interested! [If you're too shy to say much, just say "Hi, I'm shy but I'd love to chat" or something like that]. :) Romance doesn't have to be just something you read about in books or watch in movies, YOU CAN experience it yourself! <3

Add 3% if using PP Goods and Services. I will split shipping and charge $5 for shipping within the US. US shipping only. Any questions, please ask. Open to offers.
Outdoor Research Trail Mix (Size Medium) Orange/Red. Great condition. No rips or tears. - $45 OBO
Arcteryx Atom (Size Small) Orange. This jacket has a lot of life left in it. Some stains and small holes that have been stitched up (see photos) - $110 OBO
Patagonia Better Sweater (Size Small) Grey. In great condition. Has a logo stitched into the right arm (Calico South Park). - $45 OBO
Patagonia Nano Puff (Size Medium) Black. Still lots of life left. No major wear or tear except for small hole on front left chest (see photo) (Can patch it with gear tape if wanted before shipping). Wanted a hooded version so I am letting this one go. - $70 OBO
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https://imgur.com/a/MV6cW4S

I have an 8 month old male gold retriever and our veternarian just chewed me out when I told him we are not going to get him neutered. He is the sweetest dog I have ever met with absolutley no aggression problems. We have a 4 year old minni australian shepherd and they get along great. We live in the country where he has 20 acres to run, but is never outside unless under our direct supervison. I have seen numerous studies from well accredited universities that show male golden retrievers live healthier lives when they are kept intact.
Just to be clear, I am not judging anyone who neuters their dog. Everyone has their own citcumstance and should be able to do their own research and make their own decisions. I just don't understand why our vet was so upset when I told him we would not be neutering our dog.
Has anyone else experienced the same thing from their vet?

Game Information

Game Title: Storyteller
Platforms:

• Nintendo Switch (Mar 23, 2023)
• PC (Mar 23, 2023)

Trailer:
Developer: Daniel Benmergui
Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
Review Aggregator:
OpenCritic - 75 average - 46% recommended - 14 reviews

Critic Reviews

But Why Tho? - Mick Abrahamson - 9 / 10

Storyteller is full of charm, laughs, and head-scratching puzzles. All are made in a way that lets you create the story you want to tell to fit the prompt. With standouts like its hands-off instructions to subtle butterfly effect interactions, this is a can’t-miss game for anyone looking for a new puzzle game to sink their teeth into.

CGMagazine - Jordan Biordi - 6 / 10

Storyteller is a mediocre game that can GENEROUSLY be called a puzzle-solver, but isn’t nearly as creative as it thinks it is.

COGconnected - Jaz Sagoo - 74 / 100

Storyteller is a wonderful game that uses a simple mechanic in a clever way. Linking panels is addictive and due to this, you’ll want to peruse the pages and continue to the next chapter. Unfortunately, you’ll fly through and reach the end in no time at all. While there is no incentive to revisit the chapters, you’ll still thoroughly enjoy your first read-through of this charming telling tale.

GameLuster - Sarim Irfan - 9 / 10

Storyteller is delightful, innovative, and incredible fun in a stylish package. This is one book you won't want to leave on your shelf.

IGN Italy - Damaso Scibetta - Italian - 7.8 / 10

Storyteller takes the concept of "topos" and extends it greatly, basing the entire gameplay on it, and does so competently by teaching the player about the traits of characters and locations, and giving them the freedom to experiment. I would have liked Storyteller to be more daring with experimentation, giving us the opportunity to play more with its extraordinary concept, but even so, it's an interesting divertissement that will make for a very enjoyable evening. Highly recommended.

IGN Spain - Adrián Suárez - Spanish - 7 / 10

Storyteller is a fascinating game full of laughs and surprises. If you love both comics and videogames, you will enjoy it for sure

Luis Alamilla - Luis Alamilla - 8 / 10

Video Review - Quote not available

Metro GameCentral - Nick Gillett - 8 / 10

A highly original puzzle game that turns the act of telling a story into an entertainingly convoluted process of logical deduction and amusing plot development.

Nintendo Life - Lowell Bell - 8 / 10

While our hopes for some secret, extra-hard levels or some post-credits challenge were quickly dashed, Storyteller features a small tease of the possibility of more in the future, and after just this short taste, we sincerely hope Benmergui and Annapurna give this clever premise a sequel.

PC Gamer - Jon Bailes - 76 / 100

A uniquely inventive and chucklesome puzzle game that could do with a little more substance.

RPG Fan - Bob Richardson - 77%

A bite-sized puzzle game with an emphasis on crafting stories that will delight for a short gaming romp.

Rock, Paper, Shotgun - Alice Bell - Unscored

Storyteller is a lovely, literally story-driven puzzle game with surprising complexity that'll charm you, but it's quite short - whether you like that or not.

Shacknews - Morgan Shaver - 7 / 10

Nevertheless, the game is undeniably gorgeous and clever, and easy to drop in and out of. The stories and characters are fun to experiment with as well, and Storyteller ultimately does a great job at establishing itself as something wholly unique within the puzzle game space. It’s worth experiencing for the chance to get to see everything that could ever happen in a story — from what goes right, to what goes terribly, terribly wrong.

Worth Playing - Cody Medellin - 8 / 10

Storyteller is both a very good puzzle game and an excellent source of humor. The scenarios are a mix of pieces from classical literary works, but their simplified nature makes for some head-scratchers, even for those mildly familiar with the works these were inspired by. The simple animations and illustrations are captivating to look at and make everything naturally funny. You will wish that Storyteller were a longer experience,l but if you're good with the short playtime, you'll have a ton of fun with it.

(Size stands for Teensy/Humungo in this post. If I need to refer to them separately, I will use their names.)
I made a couple comment under some posts before about this, but even now I don't see this really being covered anywhere, so I'm making a separate post about it.
If you want to hunt for a specific Pokemon that has the Size mark, it is obvious to use the Size modifier on your sandwich. However, you either need Encounter alongside it, or get an outbreak to narrow the list of encounters to the Pokemon you are looking for. If you can get an outbreak, you just make a Size Lv.3 sandwich and be done with it, and you can even make a Sparkling + Title + Size sandwich to hunt for a Size marked Shiny Pokemon.
For Pokemon that can't have outbreaks (such as Paradoxes, which we will focus on here), you need to have Encounter with it as well. This is where the problems start, because for any sandwich to have Lv. 3 powers, it must use Herba Mystica, and this also means that that sandwich will always have Title in the mix of powers. Futhermore, unlike the Sparkling sandwich, all of the powers will not have the same type for this sandwich: one power will have the same type as Title and the other will be different from the other two. All of this means that,

1. We cannot have Encounter + Size of the same type in a sandwich, and
2. We cannot have Encounter, Sparkling and Size at the same time in a sandwich.

Fortunately for us, we can pick two types on our Encounter + Size + Title sandwich such that it covers both of the types for the Pokemon we want, therefore making the different types restriction not matter. Second, this sandwich is FAR MORE EFFECTIVE than Encounter + Sparkling + Title for finding a Size marked Shiny Pokemon due to how the game calculates a Pokemon's size, it's not a simple 1/256 because average sizes have more weight in the calculation. Without a Size Lv. 3, your chances of finding a Size marked Pokemon (not Shiny) are 1/16512, which drastically rises to 1/64 when using said power. So yeah, a measly 3 additional Shiny rolls can't even come close to making up the difference.
Unfortunately for us, this type of sandwich cannot cover all dual typings, and among the ones not included are the majority of Paradox Pokemon. I will include the explanation for this at the end of this post and it will get very technical, so if you don't want all of that nonsense you can just skip it and lose out on nothing as far as your Paradox hunting is concerned. With that out of the way, the ones we can hunt down are: Great Tusk, Flutter Mane, Sandy Shocks, Roaring Moon, Iron Moth and Iron Thorns. I know this is a small list that heavily favors Scarlet players but there isn't anything to do about it. The recipes are as follows (don't try to swap the places of the types, they are made so that you will isolate the encounters with the type on Encounter):
​

• Great Tusk

1. To get Humungo: Herbed Sausage, Herbed Sausage, Herbed Sausage, Rice, Noodles, Spicy Herba Mystica, Horseradish, Whipped Cream, Cream Cheese. This will result in Title and Humungo Power Lv. 3 (Ground) and Encounter Power Lv. 3 (Fighting).
2. To get Teensy: Replace the Spicy Herba Mystica with Sour Herba Mystica in the above recipe, and the Humungo will change to Teensy.

• Flutter Mane

1. To get Humungo: Potato Salad, Potato Salad, Potato Salad, Potato Salad, Red Onion, Egg, Spicy Herba Mystica, Wasabi, Salt. This will result in Title and Humungo Power Lv. 3 (Fairy) and Encounter Power Lv. 3 (Ghost).
2. To get Teensy: Replace the Spicy Herba Mystica with Sour Herba Mystica in the above recipe, and the Humungo will change to Teensy.

• Sandy Shocks

1. To get Humungo: Noodles, Noodles, Noodles, Noodles, Herbed Sausage, Yellow Bell Pepper, Spicy Herba Mystica, Horseradish, Salt. This will result in Title and Humungo Power Lv. 3 (Ground) and Encounter Power Lv. 3 (Electric).
2. To get Teensy: Replace the Spicy Herba Mystica with Sour Herba Mystica in the above recipe, and the Humungo will change to Teensy.

• Roaring Moon

1. To get Humungo: Potato Salad, Potato Salad, Potato Salad, Potato Salad, Herbed Sausage, Avocado, Spicy Herba Mystica, Wasabi, Salt. This will result in Title and Humungo Power Lv. 3 (Dark) and Encounter Power Lv. 3 (Dragon).
2. To get Teensy: Replace the Spicy Herba Mystica with Sour Herba Mystica in the above recipe, and the Humungo will change to Teensy.

• Iron Moth

1. To get Humungo: Chorizo, Chorizo, Chorizo, Rice, Noodles, Spicy Herba Mystica, Horseradish, Marmalade, Cream Cheese. This will result in Title and Humungo Power Lv. 3 (Poison) and Encounter Power Lv. 3 (Fire).
2. To get Teensy: Replace the Spicy Herba Mystica with Sour Herba Mystica in the above recipe, and the Humungo will change to Teensy.

• Iron Thorns

1. To get Humungo: Noodles, Noodles, Noodles, Noodles, Egg, Yellow Bell Pepper, Spicy Herba Mystica, Horseradish, Salt. This will result in Title and Humungo Power Lv. 3 (Rock) and Encounter Power Lv. 3 (Electric).
2. To get Teensy: Replace the Spicy Herba Mystica with Sour Herba Mystica in the above recipe, and the Humungo will change to Teensy.

Past this is the reason why we aren't able to get all dual types. Open up the sandwich item list on Bulbapedia or Serebii to make sense of any of this. One more thing, the amounts listed there are for a single piece of the given item. Chorizo, for example, lists +12 to all the types it boosts, but putting Chorizo in your sandwich will give you 3 pieces, and putting all of those on your sandwich gives +36 to its types.
Every ingredient gives a boost with four variable attributes: typing, power, flavor and amount. These determine what powers your sandwich has, for which types, and at what level:

• Having at least 180 on a type will grant a Lv. 2 boost. 380 will make that Lv. 3, and for that Herba Mystica are necessary - they give +250 to all types, far more than any other ingredient.
• The two most dominant flavors in your sandwich will give +100 to the corresponding power:

1. If Spicy is the most dominant, followed by Salty, Sour or Bitter, Humungo is boosted.
2. If Salty is the most dominant, followed by Sweet, Sour or Spicy, Encounter is boosted.
3. If Salty is the most dominant, followed by Bitter, Exp. Point is boosted.
4. If Sweet is the most dominant, followed by Spicy, Raid is boosted.
5. If Bitter is the most dominant, followed by Sweet, Sour or Spicy, Item Drop is boosted.
6. If Sweet is the most dominant, followed by Sour, Catching is boosted.
7. If Sweet is the most dominant, followed by Salty or Bitter, Egg is boosted.
8. If Sour is the most dominant, followed by Salty, Bitter or Spicy, Teensy is boosted.

• A sandwich picks the top 3 types in it, alongside the top 3 powers in it, and then the resulting powers will be those three powers with the respective types. For instance, if your sandwich has Fire, Water and Grass as the top 3 most dominant types in that order, and has Encounter, Catching and Raid as the top 3 most dominant powers in that order, your sandwich will be Fire Encounter, Water Catching, and Grass Raid. However, this changes when Title and Sparkling are involved. If both those powers are present, them and the remaining power will all be of the same type, that being the most dominant one. If only Title is present, things get even more interesting: Title and the next most dominant power in the sandwich will have the most dominant type, but the power after that will have the third most dominant type.
• Sparkling will never appear with only one Herba Mystica.

The first restriction makes it so that in order to get our Size + Encounter + Title sandwich, we need ingredients that boost both of the types we are looking for and at a good amount. The only ingredients that fit the bill are Egg, Herbed Sausage, Chorizo, Rice, Noodles and Potato Salad. If a dual type you are looking for is boosted at the same time by one of these ingredients, it will be possible to get the sandwich with all powers at Lv. 3, but the opposite also applies and makes having the sandwich impossible. For example, Great Tusk works because Herbed Sausage boosts Fighting and Ground at the same time. Similarly, Iron Thorns works because Noodles boosts Electric and Rock at the same time. Iron Valiant will not work however, because none of these ingredients boost Fairy and Fighting at the same time.
This ended up being an extremely long post, and I hope it helps someone. If I messed up some combo, let me know and I will edit the post. The recipes have in no way been optimized yet, and I don't know if making recipes that work for any Herb is even possible, and to be honest I have no intention of finding out.

Hello people of reddit,
​
Once again I return with an issue because I am very stupid.
​
I am currently facing an issue with my site where I receive a http 500 error when I submit a form without adding a image.
​
fluxmanagement.co.uk
​
here is my site if anyone wants to check it out.
​
Here is the mail.php code that I have been given by my developer ( He doesn't speak very good english so that's why I am struggling to fix the issue):
​
[email protected]"; $subject = "You Got Message"; $email\_from = $\_POST\['email'\]; // Email headers $headers = "From: ".$email\_from."\\r\\n"; $headers .= "Reply-To: ".$email\_from."\\r\\n"; $headers .= "MIME-Version: 1.0\\r\\n"; $headers .= "Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary=\\"boundary\\"\\r\\n"; // Email body $message = "--boundary\\r\\n"; $message .= "Content-type:text/plain; charset=utf-8\\r\\n\\r\\n"; $message .= "Name: ".$\_POST\['name'\]."\\r\\n"; $message .= "Email: ".$\_POST\['email'\]."\\r\\n"; $message .= "Interest: ".$\_POST\['interest'\]."\\r\\n"; $message .= "Budget: ".$\_POST\['budget'\]."\\r\\n"; $message .= "Message: ".$\_POST\['message'\]."\\r\\n\\r\\n"; // Read the file data $file\_data = file\_get\_contents($\_FILES\['photo'\]\['tmp\_name'\]); $file\_name = $\_FILES\['photo'\]\['name'\]; $file\_type = $\_FILES\['photo'\]\['type'\]; $file\_size = $\_FILES\['photo'\]\['size'\]; // Extract the file extension $file\_extension = pathinfo($file\_name, PATHINFO\_EXTENSION); // Generate a unique file name $new\_file\_name = uniqid().".".$file\_extension; // Add the photo attachment $message .= "--boundary\\r\\n"; $message .= "Content-Type: ".$file\_type."; name=\\"".$new\_file\_name."\\"\\r\\n"; $message .= "Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64\\r\\n"; $message .= "Content-Disposition: attachment; filename=\\"".$new\_file\_name."\\"\\r\\n\\r\\n"; $message .= chunk\_split(base64\_encode($file\_data))."\\r\\n"; $message .= "--boundary--"; // Send email if(mail($to,$subject,$message,$headers)){ $\_SESSION\['status'\] = "Email sent successfully."; header("Location: index.php#contact-us"); } else{ $\_SESSION\['status'\] = "Failed to send email."; } // Redirect back to the contact form page ?>
Any guidance in the right direction on this will be greatly appreciated.
​
thanks,
​
Full time noob

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my favorite go-to dessert is a low cal brownie recipe (~140 cal, it's like the size of 3 decent sized brownies), and I'll eat the entire thing mixed in with some non-fat greek yogurt and drizzled with some PB2/water. It fills up an entire bowl for me and is a large dessert for only 250-ish cal. It quenches my sweet tooth and fills me up, which is super important for me because i'm trying to heal from bulimia which is triggered when i either restrict or eat a ton of high cal food.
Does anyone else have any favorite volume dessert recipes (I know there's Halo Top and similar low cal ice cream brands, but I'm moreso thinking of bread-y/pastry items)? I've seen muffin recipes that are like 50-75 cal per muffin, which would be great since then I'd have multiple and again maybe pair them with some yogurt/PB2.
Any ideas? I have a lot of healthier potential baking ingredients usually on hand as well (monkfruit, oats, choc protein powder, etc.)