If you feel ugly and worthless do these things to get women.

1. Get a haircut that makes you look like an asshole.
2. Get a ( used ) Alfa Romeo, Mercedes or BMW. Cars lose value quickly so you could probably snag one of these for under 10K.
3. Go to goodwill ( or any thirft store ) and search for any name brand clothes, like Ralph Lauren and wear them DAILY.
4. Clean your house. ( for fucks sake. )
5. Get your face all cleaned up.
6. Adopt an asshole personality and basically shut off your emotions, like being desperate for love and instead be a jerk.
7. Probably buy some stocks or invest in something so you have "money" I don't mean like drop a million in Apple just idk spend 10 bucks on dollar tree stocks so that way you can say you have "stocks" or buy a cheap house in the middle of nowhere so you can say you have "real estate investments"

Now you are a rich asshole that women love despite looks. If you have like 5 thousand dollars. Buy a Mercedes/BMW/Alfa ( any year ) for like 3K, spend half a thousand buying a new wardrobe of name brand stuff from thirft shops, spend a hundred bucks getting a haircut, spend another cleaning your house so it looks money and then spend a thousand on investments. Oh and the asshole personality is free.
Once you have done all of these things you are now the desirable rich asshole, and all you spent was like 5 grand, or more if you van.
Girls love rich assholes, why do you think Trump keeps getting young women.
Also I thought of this while taking a shit so if you'll excuse me.......

First off I know the game has been out for a year, I only just got it a few weeks ago and there's always people still buying the game now that might need help.
​
So the boss in question is the Borealis dragon, took me about 20 tries which doesn't seem crazy I imagine but still he was VERY hard.
​
So starting off my build is a dual wielding rivers of blood +9 with seppuku ash of war uchigatana +20, basically a basic katana bleed build.
I started the fight everytime by popping a rune arc just to be safe (Godricks Rune), summoning using seppuku and summoning my mimic (making sure to be holding both katanas when summoning otherwise it'll just be two handing the uchi) when the arena gets foggy.
Once the dragon lands I kept my distance until the fog cleared so I didn't end up dying to an attack I couldn't see (just common sense really).
With the mimic out you need to take full advantage of when the dragon goes for them instead of you, again just common sense. Attacking the legs with corpse piler and the dual wielding attack for bleed.
For me, nearly all of my damage was coming from the bleed, I honestly don't see how I could've beaten this prick without bleed.
The most important part is obviously learning what attack is what, which obviously you do with most ER bosses but this dragon is one that you CANNOT just mindlessly dodge.
Nearly every attack is gonna do a shit ton of damage, there's maybe one attack that doesn't do less than your health bar (assuming your vigor is the same as mine, 50)
There's two roar attacks he does, both only attack from the front but one of them has a follow up that WILL ONE SHOT YOU NO MATTER WHAT, it covers a circle around him so you cannot approach him during this no matter what. His animation for this attack is easy to learn, he simply roars while looking upwards while his arms are on the ground, he kinda looks like he's just resting if you don't look at his head if that makes sense. In comparison his other roar is pointed directly forwards at you/the mimic tear. When he does the big one shot kill roar, that's your chance to get some hits in, start running at him when the frost starts to dissipate.
Another key thing is PATIENCE, getting greedy and panic attacking when his health is low will get you killed, I died three times with him cause he was so close to dying that I just spammed L2.
Branching off the patience thing, Torrent is NEEDED. All of the dragon's frostbite attacks can't be outrunned on foot and this bastard dragon constantly runs away from you so you're gonna be using the whole arena to fight in. Everytime the dragon flew into the air I immediately jumped on torrent and ran as far as I could which saved me from dying everytime he did an air attack.
As for how many hits you can get in before he'll hit you, with corpse piler I was only able to get 2 L2 attacks before he'd stomp on me or swipe me with his tail and even then I'd have to basically frame perfect dodge to not get hit after the second L2.
For flasks I gave all my charges to health, instead of using FP flasks for this fight I just used starlight shards (Only needed to use one) and I have on the Carian Filigreed Crest talisman to lessen the FP taken by ash of war moves. My flasks are at +12 level and I have almost all (or just all of them I'm not sure) the golden seeds.
Coming back to the whole patience thing, my mimc would usually die around when the dragon had about a quarter of it's health left, the lack of the mimic really amps up the difficulty since the dragon doesn't have another target to distract itself with so you have to be extra careful.
Finally, I never was able to stagger this dragon, my poise is 37 (full Ronin armour) I'm unsure if that's low or not but regardless I never staggered him in any of my attempts, perhaps you could with a weapon heavier than katanas like a colossal sword though.
​
So yeah that's my guide for beating this dragon (maybe it's not optimal but it's how I did it)
Figured I'd show my stats too just in case
Vigor 50
Mind 20
Endurance 25
Strength 25
Dexterity 34 (with Prosthesis Wearer Heirloom talisman)
Intelligence 15
Faith 15
Arcane 30
​
Reminder too that Godrick's Rune increases all of these by 5 so in the fight my stats were all actually 5 higher than this

I don't have kids and don't have a car, living in a suburb of Boston with my partner. Because I work from home and my main hobby is computer games, I frequently go multiple days during the week without leaving the house.
Our old place had a balcony and I used to work out there, which helped me feel like less of a shut-in, but my current place has no outdoor space, no front or back yard, not even a front entrance (just three steps from the sidewalk to the door). If I want to go be outside, I need to walk at least 5 minutes to a park, or 10 minutes to a coffee shop.
Remote workers: what have you found helpful to actually get you out of the house on a daily basis? Is it just "set an alarm to take a mental health walk and actually do it" or is there a different system that works for you?

BF lives in our hometown (Im in another city) and we went to HS together. he's part of a big friend group, we all went to HS together. his best friend is A. before this all of us got on really well and would drink/hang out together anytime I was in town. all was well
for context, A had recently started dating a girl we also went to HS with, AGF
getting to the issue, my career is in animal shelter welfare, been in this industry since I was 16. it's my life passion and I love my job. currently a tech in the clinic at a DFW animal shelter which specializes in medical cases (parvo, orthopedic cases, needing eyes removed, etc) and I was just promoted to lead (yay!). when jobs came up at a party BF started bragging about my promotion (I love him) and got congrats from the group. great, if not a bit embarrassing lol. I was fine with the topic moving on
but AGF chimes in, "is your shelter no kill?"
I tell her we dont use that term, but dont euthanize animals for time/space/breed and have a live release rate of over 90%
she goes on to say we should because "I dont know if I could work at a shelter that isnt no kill, thats how you know it's a good one. I couldnt kill helpless animals". I'll admit, I got annoyed
explained to her as politely as I could that "no kill" is a bogus term that absolutely doesnt indicate if a shelter is "good" or not and is incredibly easy to achieve if you know how to game your live release statistics. examples being only taking in the most desirable, healthy, easy to adopt out animals and forcing more borderline animals to open intake municipal shelters, refusing to euthanize animals that are suffering/dangerous so they dont negatively effect numbers, or instead of euthanizing an animal they transfer them to another shelter who they know likely will, but it wont effect their numbers
AGF was upset and just said that doesnt change what she has seen online about what "those other shelters do" and every shelter should strive to be no kill and if we werent then it probably meant people would think we're "animal killers"
I snapped that our shelter has saved the lives of so many animals that needed treatment the overcrowded city shelters and even many "no-kill" shelters couldnt provide, and even if they ended up having to be euthanized, at least we knew we did everything possible to try and ended their suffering, and I am proud of the work my shelter does. regardless of what clueless keyboard activists like her think
she got teary and yelled that I was a bitch and "this is why no one liked you in highschool either". I have to admit, I kind of laughed and said it was really sad to have to bring highschool into this when we are all grown ass adults. she got more upset, BF and I made a quick exit to a bar near his house. he supports me but is in a weird spot because A is his best friend so he feels caught in the middle. but I wont apologize for explaining facts to someone and I can tell he is annoyed at me for this
I really am not sorry, and I refuse to give a disingenuous apology, but things are kind of a mess now because I guess she was doing a lot of crying and yelling after I left. BF hasnt explicitly told me I have to apologize but I can tell he wants me to due to his friendship with A. Im staying with my BF at his house and A is his roommate so things have been tense. AGF does bot live here. how should I approach/deal with this?

I can’t be normal though, not ever I wasn’t born like that. I’ll always be autistic I’ll always be weird I’ll never have friends who understand me I’ll always be someone’s punchline. No one understands any part of me and it’s getting so impossible to live in a world that’s built for your failure.
I don’t see my autism as a bad thing, not necessarily anyways. I despise how people treat me because of it though. I hate how I can’t just have a social interaction without nearly having a breakdown trying to figure out if I did it “right” or not, that I can’t recognise assholes because when someone’s mean to me I’ll always assume it’s my fault, because my whole life it’s been my fault. I should be able to understand their tiny little social rules, I should be able to understand that the men who promised me they were my friends were just using me, I’m supposed to know why people will stare at me like I’ve killed their dog just for saying hi.
So what does that make me? An antisocial cunt now? Awesome I just can’t win. If I speak I’ll get hurt and if I stay silent I won’t even be left alone. Morality and “rightness” being a popularity contest and not based on fact will never make sense, and will never be justification to psychologically torture people.
All I’ve done is try my best and it’s never gone right for me, doing anything for people who mean the world to me but always being left behind. I’m so over it and I don’t want to not be normal anymore

TW: Mentions of mental issues, suicide, self harm
Hello. Forgive my language, english is not my mother tongue. The title basically sums it up. But I wish to add some context.
TLDR: I have mental problems and my younger brother hates me for it. He said I'm a burden to everyone. That my friends surely hate me too. And that he wishes I was never born, he would be happy if I committed suicide.
Me(16F) and my brother(13M, let's call him T) always had a pretty rocky relationship. It got better since I started taking antidepressants. Then I was hospitalized for two months in the psychiatric department.
When I was finally discharged I repaired the crack in my relationship with my mother and started on the abyss between me and my father. I sincerely believed my bond with T strengthened too.
Another key circumstance is my mental health. I am of the belief it's ruining my life and family. I've always had issues. Though, the last five years of my life were hell. I got diagnosed with disharmonic personality development with histrionic and borderline traits within my hospitalization. There are many other things that are strongly suspected by my therapist, but my psychiatrist doesn't believe me, so I am officially diagnosed only with a single issue.
I have a hard time socializing and acting like a regular person. I suffer from severe depressive, dissociative, depersonalizative and manic states, panic attacks, hearing voices, obssesive behavior, sensory issues, etc. Generally I got the whole starter pack.
Issues that stand out are self harm, "depression", panic attacks, social phobia, sensory issues, obssesive rituals and hearing voices. These are all things that are visible to T. I try to hide them, but it is simply impossible to hide all of these problems.
I often have a hard time going to school, since all the noises, people, my own thoughts and the voices are greatly overwhelming and terrifying. T sees that as an unfair advantage and often accuses me of "faking for attention" or "faking so I don't have to go to school". He thinks it unfair, that I can stay home. I of course absolutely see where he is coming from.
T hates that I'm suicidal. He hates that I self harm. He thinks all I do is complain, but never actually fix anything. Again, I understand where he is coming from, but I'm always saddened by how he thinks all my problems have an "easy fix" and I just don't want to fix them because I'm just lazy. I'm not angry of course, but it always hurts.
Well, today we were talking on his bed. The conversation quickly turned serious and for me extremely uncomfortable. T started with my weight. How I'm just a lazy pig. That I always cry about my weight but never "stop eating". That I'm so fat he's ashamed to be with me in public. That I just want to gobble everything up and overeat all my life.
Then my general appearance was talked about. T said that I'm ungodly ugly. That he thinks I will never get a boyfriend.
Then my personality. T thinks I'm annoying and horrible. That everyone else thinks so too. He said even my friends surely hate me and are just pretending to like me. That I surely love all the attention I get when I have a panic attack. That he hates how I constantly act like a child.
And then he said things that made cry. He said that he hates he has to have a horrible thing like me near him. He said that I don't deserve to live. Something like me should've never been born. That he wishes my parents and him would forget all about me and I would cease to exist. That if I committed suicide he would be happy.
I'm still crying. He just hit all the painful spots. If it was during a fight I could try to chalk it up to anger, but he was calm and dead serious. I know I'm ruining everything and his life. I'm really trying to act like a normal person my age. I just can't anymore. I'm tired of fighting. Maybe T is right. I just wish I stopped being a burden to him.

Goals: Federal COA Clerkship -> CA Big Law -> SEC Regulator -> Federal Judge (lol I know most of these are nearly impossible to be obtain but I want my best shot) Don’t want debt hanging over me as well as it also leads to more options
View Poll

how can I keep them from making me look old and ugly?

Is all mobile1 oil rated for European cars or just the ones that specifically say euro blend on them?

I’ve just bought a haunted doll, I’ve always been fascinated and want to explore a little more.
Of course I’ll give her a nice home etc. but I’m just wondering what I can expect, has anyone else had a haunted doll?
here’s a little info about her.
Haunted Plastic doll Vessel Rose negative energy.
Rose is a very grumpy spirit with a poor attitude towards people and she doesn't particularly like cats or dogs so a home with pets would not be a good idea. Rose told us during a seance that she lived in Burnley and that she hated her neighbours and people are terribly annoying and she wish she lived on an island on her own. She said she liked gardening but the neighbor's bloody cats would keep shitting in her garden, she would loved to have put rat poison out for them. When we asked Rose how old she was when she died She said it was none of our business. Rose has been known to bang loudly on walls and floors and has also interfered with the volume on electrical devices, especially televisions. The doll was sent to me anonymously in 2020. It came from a postal area near Nelson. Rose's connection to the doll is unknown.
All Vessels come with a special history sheet with all previous paranormal investigations finding related to your vessel.

I was on my way to the concert for my favorite band. (I have actual tickets but it’s not until later) and right before the show some shit went down between me and this girl but I didn’t seem too affected. What was affecting me was being late for the concert. We (me and my mom, she was driving) were about to leave and then something came up with my brother and I was telling my mom to hurry up and she was doing that and finally we were driving but the show was starting soon and I was freaking out. Stuff kept coming up even before driving (and during). But as we were driving she said she didn’t want to drive too fast bc then other stuff would happen. In the dream it was their opening show for the tour (unlike irl, mine isn’t for the opening show) and I was freaking out because I didn’t want to be late. I told my mom that my dad when we go to concerts got me there early and that’s what we needed to do instead of this rushing and risk missing part of it. I was looking through a catalogue (party city, bc apparently the venue was near there) and they had some outfit stuff for the concert. In the car I was talking about how important this was and how much it meant to me and that I NEEDED to be on time, so much so my voice was going hoarse. I kept watching the clock as it kept getting closer to the opening time. It was stressing me out to watch the time get closer to the start time. We finally get there and I think we’re gonna be late so I’m going through the venue. There are a bunch of rooms. I find the right one and I walk in and the lead singer is singing but it seems this is some sort of pre-show thing or some separate thing. It was just him not the rest of the band and he wasn’t singing one of the band’s songs it was some song I hadn’t heard of. He was really close to me too I remember walking in the room in awe. But it basically meant they hadn’t started yet and I was relieved.

First Previous
Recounting of First Contact with Species HS-01 - Humans, Sol System, Primary sentient Species in the Star system.
Recounting the events, Captain Invil Ta'Kotian, of the Serdes Hegemony, ally to the greater Federation that makes up much of the civilized galaxy. The nature of this retelling is to best determine the future that species HS-01 may have in the greater Galactic Stage, and whether they are friend or foe.
This particular continuation begins after three members of Species HS-01, David, Sten, and Sasha, have escaped custody. After being shot several times without provocation, Sten and David discovered the alien weapons did little more than bruise their bodies. With swift action. Sten murdered an Aporyion guard. The three now stalk the halls of the Ship Zelkirko, while much of the crew has barricaded itself on the Bridge.
​
Sten happily walked without a care in the world, laughing and banging on doors. His disappointment seemed to grow as the metal wouldn't budge. "Oh come on, now that's just unfair. We're bullet proof and these things are like glass, but the doors have to still be doors?" He growled before kicking at one. A violent warble echoed around them as the door wouldn't give way.
"Sten will you get a hold of yourself damn it? At least try to remember your training." David snapped back.
"Oh I'm so sorry illustrious leader, please show me your superior American ways in handling foreign relations. Oh, oh, please gift them money and weapons to make them feel better. Maybe one of your leaders can get caught with one of their kids. I'm sure that'll make them feel happy." Sten mocked before David turned the gun on him. Sten's psychopathic eyes showed no fear, and instead seemed excited more than anything. "There we go, there's some FIRE," Sten grabbed the barrel and kept the weapon firmly aimed at his chest. "Go on... Give me a tickle."
It was fruitless, and with having been lost in space their supplies had left the three humans hungry, thirsty, and exhausted. What little they'd been given wasn't enough, so David pulled the gun away. His anger boiling from having to deal with Sten was great, but at least the madmen was more interesting in killing their newly discovered neighbors as opposed to them. "Crazy Norwegian bastard."
"Crazy? We just found out we're immune to bullets and you call me crazy? Ha! David, you need to cut loose. I didn't think the Legion stripped you of your sense of humor." Sten grinned before another whistle caught the men's attention. Sasha had left them behind to get ahead, and now stood at the end of the hall. She gestured for them to approach, and upon doing so began to sign away. "What is little red riding hood saying hm? Is there a big bad wolf nearby?" Sten further teased.
An annoyed tch escaped Sasha's lips as she glared at Sten. "Sasha, don't." David said before she sighed and regained her composure, looking up at him almost seeming to ask why they had kept Sten. "I know, he's an idiot, but he's a strong idiot."
"Good looking too," Sten added before winking at Sasha shook her head.
As she continued to sign, David nodded. "Long hallway. Cameras. No sign of anyone around, might be abandoned. Says she has a bad feeling about center and left. Says going down the hall the right is smarter."
"Smarter, to what end?" Sten added while peeking out around the corner. To his disappointment, there was no one around. "To go back and what? Fight a buncha upset farmers on Mars? Ha, I like killing. I don't like killing for someone else."
"Knock it off, Sten, your politics aren't gonna do you any good now. We go to the Bridge, I guess. If we can figure out how to pilot this thing we'll take it. If not, we'll kindly ask them to take us somewhere." David answered as Sten shrugged. "Kindly." He once again emphasized.
"Whatever you say, boss, but if they shoot me with those little airsoft pistols again, I'm seeing if I can pull off their fluffy little heads by the horns." He grinned back at David before the trio proceeded down the hall. Unlike their previous carelessness, Sten suddenly fell into line. His body was kept low like David's as he followed close. Both men carefully paced a few feet behind Sasha, who quickly checked around corners for them with barely a peep. All together, they moved like a very well oiled machine.
​
As they watched the humans from the Birdge, Invil anxiously tapped his claws against the arm of his chair. His crew hastily barricaded the door as Teema nervously watched the humans prowl through the halls. "They're not going left."
Invil rubbed at his eyes with a heavy sigh. "I made the wrong call." He stated bluntly.
"Arguably so." Teema added as she zoomed in on the hairless apes slowly moving forward.
"Only thing we know is that one of them is convict, the other a cold blooded killer, and the last can at least talk to us."
"I'd argue you encouraged the killing."
"Yeah and I'm sure everyone would be a perfect judge in the situation too. Everyone. Every last soul in the galaxy would've done the exact opposite. Don't pull that hindsight talk with me, you and the crew were just as scared." Invil snapped back before sighing.
"Captain!" The communication specialist suddenly blurted out. "We have a signal!"
"What?!" Invil practically shot up in his chair, fully alert with a flash of hope in his eyes. "From who?! Is it the Hegemony?!"
"I.... Wait no... The signal just disappeared... Wait there it is again!" The specialist excitedly said before suddenly freezing.
As the silence continued, Invil suddenly stood from his chair. "Well? What is it, Specialist?"
"H... Hvista scout," The specialist relayed.
As fear suddenly seemed to grip the crew, Invil shook it off as quickly as he could, "Power down! Power everything but life support down! Cut communications, ghost the ship!"
As the crew quickly took steps to begin following said orders, they once again came to a stop as a soft beeping could be heard. At the front of the viewport, a signal line of text stated a transmission was incoming. "S-Sir?" The specialist relayed hesitantly.
"They know we're here." Teema said before dropping her tablet to the ground, eyes wide with fear as her body tensed up. The flood of chemicals screaming that they needed to run.
"Orders?" The specialist once again requested.
"Put it through." Invil stated.
"Sir?"
"Did you hear me, Specialist?! I said put it through!" Invil barked before marching forward.
​
Not a moment later and the viewport sprang to life with the image of another mammalian like creature. The fur covering its body was bright white, as two pairs of eyes dotted its face. The viper like pupils were bright orange with a brilliant obsidian surrounding it. Armor adorned its muscular body, and several bone charms and trophies from past kills dotted its chest. As it stood with its hands behind its back, a jagged tail bobbed behind it. The creature, this Hvista, suddenly grinned to showcase a mouth full of canines suited for flesh. It opened its arms wide and bellowed a laugh. "Aporyions, just my luck! It was almost time to eat, and I needed to trade a few slaves for fuel money. Well lets not waste time with idle chatter. If you surrender quietly, I swear by the Ancestors, I shall let fate of chance chose who is to be slave and who is to be meat. Will you comply?" The creature requested, as nearly six others behind it stepped forward, looking quite eager. "Or shall you fight?"
​
Invil attempted to remain poised, though the twitching was obvious. As one of the less physically imposing races, his kind had relied on the protection given to them by other species. Delegated more as eager explorers and labor workers, he knew there wasn't much they could do with small arms against a Hvista raid. A sudden quiet beep caught his attention as he gazed down at Teema's table on the floor. Spying the humans, Invil straightened up before looking back to the Hvista. "Whom do I have the pleasure of speaking with?"
"I am Araxium Akivas, a pleasure," He said with an almost insultingly small bow. "It is good to know the names of the one that shall take your head, honor me with yours, meat."
"I am Captain Invil Ta'Kotian, and I'm afraid we are unable to surrender at this time due to-"
A sudden chorus of laughter gave him pause as Araxium and his crew interrupted him. "Oh that is too good, you plan to fight us, little Aporyion?"
"We have an infestation on board." Invil quickly relayed.
"An infestation... Ha," Araxium chuckled. "My kind are immune to most any disease. Especially ones by your people. So forgive me if I laugh at your little attempt to discourage me."
"Not a disease, Araxium... A new species. A dangerous one." Invil stated before hesitantly stepping forward. His fear was apparent, but the hopes that the humans could atleast throw off the Hvista was his best chance at survival in his mind. Solve one problem, worry about the other after.
"A new species... Well, this should be interesting, shouldn't it everyone?" Araxium continued to taunt Invil by making his crew laugh even more. "And uh... Is this new species some kind of... Scary plant?" He added before laughing with his crew once more.
"Dr. Teema, send them the footage of the humans in the brig." Invil muttered.
"Invil? What are you-" Teema began before Invil turned to glare at her.
"Do it!" He ordered, causing Teema to rush and grab her tablet.
"T-Transmitting data now."
The Hvista rolled their eyes and chuckled again as they eagerly awaited what new 'horror' they were going to see. Their species was drenched in a long history of war and bloodshed. Whether amongst themselves or with rest of the galaxy. To their kind, battle was everything. It was honor, it was to find their Gods, appease the ancestors. Even the raising of animal husbandry was a fight. Whether it was to fight off rival competitors, predators, or even the hardy beasts they raised. They had little in way of fear.
However, even Araxium paused as the footage finally came too. The entities with fur on their heads being shot at, only to stand up right after. He watched in amusement as they fought, but even he raised his brow as he witnessed Sten throw an Aporyion onto the ground, killing it almost instantly. The Hvista were strong, one of the strongest still in the galaxy. It'd been too long since another species had come to matching their strength. These creatures were immediately of interest, and looked almost half starved.
Araxium folded his arms, scratching his chin as he rewatched the footage a few times. "What are these things?"
"They call themselves humans. They're violent, bloodthirsty, and currently on my ship. We advise you break away. If not for our sake, for the sake of your own people not having these things around." Invil relayed, much to Teema's dismay. He overexaggerated of course, but in the spur of the moment it was all he could do. Hvista rarely engaged in open diplomacy save for threats and taunts. Would this one be smart enough to heed the warning? Surely the trophies and scars meant he knew how to see a bad situation. To Invil's dismay, the hunter only laughed with excitement.
"Then it shall be a fine hunt! The Marshal of this sector will surely reward me with a Gonoshia slave if I am to bring back the pelt of one of these new creatures! Aporyion vessel, prepare to be boarded." Araxium stated before the transmission cut.
"We're dead, You just made them more excited!" one of the crew muttered before Invil tried to think of a plan. Hvista and humans on his ship, there was no way he'd be returning home in one piece.
Knocking on the door suddenly caught the crews attention. Many of them readied their small arms pistols and aimed at the barricade. "What do we do?" Teema questioned. Silence. What could they do? Surrender to the humans to be killed, or surrender to the Hvista to be enslaved or eaten. Hell, what was to stop the humans from doing the same?
"Captain?! You in there?!" David's voice shouted.
"Invil?" Teema's voice shook with fear as she turned to him. The captain reached for his translator, and turned it off.
"The tale of Osnil and Leomor." Invil stood up and turned to his crew. "When Osnil and Leomor tricked the demon of Harrjik into fighting its own worshippers... So too shall we live by their example. Our best hope... Is to pin one monster against another." Invil stated before stepping towards the door. Many of the crew nodded in understanding, as some began to pray once again.
Invil took a deep breath and stood straight in front of the barricade. Activating his translator, he cleared his throat. "David? I think we should talk."
​
(MORE TO COME LATER THIS WEEK!)

I grew up, born and raised in Nashville, going to Kroger. I have always loved Kroger and been a Kroger loyalist. I’m in my early 40s now, and I just can’t go Krogering anymore.
The rudeness of the staff has become a problem for me. Today is one example where it took me 7 minutes to get 1 lb of cheese sliced at the deli and I was the only person there. The person working behind the deli counter was pulling in stock off of the truck and passed me multiple times without saying a word. Another staff member was stocking a grab and go cooler about 20 feet away, who just looked at me periodically but never said a word. It wasn’t until I waited 3 minutes, I walked over to the employee stocking the grab and go, and asked for help. Her reply “his bringing things in off the truck, we will get to you when we can.”
I stood there for another 2 minutes before that same employee finally just decided to help me.
I can not shop there anymore. This has got to be an issue that stems from the top! I doubt this many people just suck at their jobs for no damn reason. I am done with Kroger. They finally lost me.

Around two or three weeks ago, I (M,22) tried something called Bhang with my friends as a way to escape many of the emotional and psychological problems I was experiencing as a result of my poor academic performance and isolation. I had a bad and confusing experience because my friend gave me a higher dose than necessary, the effects of which I thought receded immediately after the trip. I was a very sad and anxious kid before I tried this drug. I was also someone who was straight edge, having only gotten drunk alcohol twice in my whole life.
It's been a month or so since the incident, and I can't help but feel my anxiety and fear have not only worsened but also started to manifest in actual physical symptoms. Two weeks ago, I was sitting in my dorm room and watching Youtube videos when randomly I could feel my heart race. It felt like I was losing breath and I perceived this very oppressive sense of loneliness. I had to leave the room immediately and look for people to talk to. I calmed down only after having a conversation with someone I found staying up late looking after a hurt puppy. I want to call it a panic attack, but that's only an uneducated guess. I only had that incident one more time again another day, during class. I thought that was the end of my encounter with the stimulant, until lately, every night, when I've been feeling this overwhelming sense of fear with the same physical symptoms that I previously mentioned: heart rate increase, difficulty breathing, sweaty palms, etc. I'm fine during the daytime, but the night feels especially scary, to the point where I felt like I had to tell my strict parents about my tryst with drug use. They had me see a therapist, and after I described everything, they prescribed me medication for anxiety and sleep.
First of all, anxiety is something that runs in my family, but simply being diagnosed for it feels underwhelming because it never manifested in any real physical symptoms until I tried the drug. Second, I've read before that psychoactive drugs can sometimes exhume and exacerbate mental illnesses that may have been latent in the mind of the user. I can't help but feel like that may have been what happened to me. Third, I feel, in essence, like I've lost innocence and that I'll never get it back. Fourth, as someone who can be in a very fragile state of mind, I think it was a damn near critical mistake to have a bad trip because, for the first time in my life, it gave me a sense of what it feels like to be disconnected from reality, and by extension, what going *crazy* can feel like. And that, I think, is knowledge that should've stayed forbidden to me, because now I'm constantly paranoid about losing myself and my sense of reality in the same way I felt during those few moments of being high. Fourth, sobriety used to be precious to me. It was an important aspect of my personality and self-image. I feel like I've messed with my psychological development irretrievably.
Fifth and I think this is important to note, my family went through a very rough and scary experience during the Covid pandemic when my brother started to develop symptoms of schizophrenia after a particularly horrifying experience with LSD. I was a witness to everything that happened to him during this period, and I feel like even though he has gotten better with the help of medication, he is still not completely out of it yet. Like his personality has been completely altered. It's the little details that tip me off about this. Like how he spends a lot of time in his room, consumed by his thoughts. Or how he flashes a smile at me sometimes that in a lot of ways feels fake, like he's putting up a front. Or how he seems to have lost so much of his signature wit, something I loved so much about him. He used to be one of the few people who could make me laugh so hard that I had to fall to the floor. Because his jokes came from a place of intelligence, and he is one of the smartest people I've ever known.
That's what it feels like to me too. I feel like I don't exactly remember who I was before I tried Bhang. Like I unwittingly followed in his footsteps and caused irreparable damage to myself. Some of the other symptoms I'm currently exhibiting include:

• Decreased interest in activities that I used to be excited about (video games, movies, etc.)
• The diminished novelty of life
• Foggy memory
• Cloudy mind
• Disconnect with childhood self
• Everything around me looks like the color's been drained out of it; like it's all taken a darker shade
• Reduced appetite
• Increased sensitivity to violent content

Hi! I am dealing with a drama filled situation and I don't even know how to feel about...
I, 20F, have known my step mom for almost 3 years now. I remember when my mom first sat me down with my stepmom and told me they were getting married.
"Are you sure after three months of knowing her??" My sister tried to shush me, since if they got married we would get a college discount from my stepmom's job.
"When you're old enough you know" Spoiler alert, they didn't. Then they told us we were moving to a rental with my mom's new fiancée and I was very upset! 'Who the hell is this woman??' I thought to myself.
"what if you guys break up and are stuck in a 3 year lease?"
"oh the house is big enough its fine we will have space." Spoiler alert there's only one kitchen.
Although I have to admit later on when my stepmom first told me she was transgender, I actually respected her for it since I knew that must have been hard.
Fast forward to about 2 years of living with my stepmom, my mom, and my brother. We finally got to go on a cruise, my first cruise, that was put off due to covid-19 for a while. That was when my mom, who was slightly tipsy, let it slip that she was done with my stepmom and didn't want to be with her anymore. I was actually happy to hear this, since it was me that told her it was a bad idea to marry her in the first place. Although I never said "I told you so!!"
Tension started to rise since that day my mom decided she had had enough. Especially since their "business" which had drained my mom's money was still in the works. The "business" that was all my stepmom's idea since I know my mom would never have thought of that in the first place, was to renovate a van into a camper van. (That's the best way I can describe it since I don't have the first clue about vans anyways!) And my stepmom was the only one who was confident enough to work on this sort of project, so my mom was dependent (and still is) on her finishing it to pay off credit card debt for all the stupid stuff my stepmom wanted my mom to buy. AND let it be known that my stepmom has been bankrupt and has no idea what a budget is. SO her credit score is crap and everything is in my mom's name. (also my stepmom is polyamorous, has cheated before, and so is a walking red flag.)
Anyways, like I said tension was rising, and they were seeing a couple's counselor and whatnot. One night in October is when crap hit the fan. My mom was recovering from her wisdom teeth surgery, and had chipmunk cheeks still, and finally had the energy to cook something for everyone. My stepmom is too lazy to cook or clean anything consistently so no one depended on her for food. I came down in my yellow sweatshirt all cozy and excited for some chicken and dumplings. I noticed my stepmom was upset at I guess how my mom called her to dinner and they were bickering a bit. I sat in between them at the dinner table trying to keep the peace. My mom had made a comment about how she'll call her better next time.
CRASH
My stepmom, in the utmost temper tantrum way, flipped her boiling hot soup bowl hitting me and spilling hot soup on my mom. My nose was bruised and as soon as I saw my face I started bawling. It was straight up screaming from there. I said things like, "I F*CKING HATE YOU" and "I CANT BELIEVE I GOT PHYSICALLY ASSUALTED BY SOMEONE WHO SIGHS SO GODDAMN MUCH" My mom called the police and when they got there they were obviously not on my stepmom's side. I was bright red in the face from crying and they had asked me if I wanted to put her in jail for the night. My mom said that since her son, who is one of the most spoiled kids I've ever met in my life, was upstairs we won't do that. The police made sure to document the incident and that was pretty much it.
Keep in mind, the van wasn't done and my mom's finances are in ruin so she didn't have a choice.
Things calmed down a bit, and I was pleasant just to keep the peace. Although, there was never peace since my stepmom is a drama queen to the max and does stupid stuff all the time. Like saying that the food I buy from the grocery store, which I handed the receipts to my mom to pay me back, was my stepmom's apparently since my mom's money was also her money? I know it makes no sense. Keep in mind, my step mom didn't transition till later in life and still has ALOT of the worst traits of the typical man like wanting a mommy to cook and get groceries. So she never goes grocery shopping. (PS I start using my own money for what I buy from the grocery store for this exact reason, the pettiest thing I've done so far!)
For a while due to covid, I was the one going grocery shopping a lot since my mom didn't like going out. I know she will pay me back for the money I spent she just can't do it right now.
Anyways, on Martin Luther King day, something insane happened. I woke up to my mom crying on the phone. My stepmom has a new girlfriend and was crossing my mom's boundary by bringing her girlfriend to the house. My mom told her she wasn't comfortable with this at all, and my stepmom said she had "30 min to get comfortable." Hearing my mom cry made me very upset, I am very protective over my family. My mom decided to leave to escape the drama and I had off of school so I had it in my mind to protect our house from the psychos. Although, at this point I thought the girlfriend was just an innocent bystander.
My heart was racing and I texted my stepmom "don't be an asshole," "this is a bad idea," etc. Finally, I my stepmom got to the house and I was in the kitchen. I was so anxious. I can't remember the exact details since when something traumatic happens I tend to block it out, but I remember the events.
My stepmom came in and I stood up, not blocking anything since there was space to move around me. I told her this is a stupid idea and she said, "[my name], she needs to use the bathroom."
"she is not coming in this house." I said something like that.
Then my stepmom went to unlock the basement door so her girlfriend could go in that way. I walked outside to prevent that from happening and met the girlfriend for the first time.
"Look I'm sorry you were dragged into this, I'm sorry she dragged you into this" I said things like that.
She said something like "it wasn't your fault," something nice so that gave me hope she was a good person.
Then I was talking to my stepmom in the garage and got very upset and said "you made my mom cry take her and get the F*CK OUT!" and went back inside.
Then, still upset I decided to tell the girlfriend about the "soup bowl" incident since I knew my stepmom would tell her a story that downplayed it. I went out there opened the van door and I guess the girlfriend was upset I cussed my stepmom out and when I said "did she tell you about the soup bowl?" she fired back with "yes she did!" Then the conversation went like this with me repeatedly opening the van door, and my stepmom closing it repeatedly.
"This is a bad idea [stepmom's name], please you made my mom cry."
"She already cried the drama's over now!" The girlfriend said, "Make her leave she's just a child!"
Then my stepmom, 5'9 200 pounds probably, jumped out and shoved me, 5'5 120 pounds. I ran back to the garage and started crying. "I'm calling the police!" I shouted. I saw her get out of the van so, scared, I went inside and locked the door. I told the 911 operator everything and then got on the phone with my mom. The police were on their way.
While waiting by the front door, in my pajamas, crying, my mom let me know thar they had left the premises.
"what?" I was so shocked they ran.
When my mom got there I ran out and hugged her, still bawling. The police were very nice and pretty much said that sadly, since there were no bruises I had no proof. My stepmom even texted my mom saying I assaulted them! Which I laughed because that was just so outrageous, but like the police said it was two of their word versus mine.
I wanted to do something, anything! I was very traumatized and the police let us know we could pretty much get a type of restraining order but that's it. The next day I was nauseous, and couldn't eat. When I thought about her I just felt fear. My mom at first said she wanted to take action but kept changing her mind until saying we couldn't due to financial reasons. I was devastated for a day or two, I pretended to be okay in front of my mom, but would cry in my room.
Anyways, that was a month or two ago. I have always been the type to want to run, like thinking I'd run off to Japan when I was stuck at my narcissistic father's house. I had this idea that if I just got away I'd be fine. I know that's not logical. I am feeling less afraid and my mom wants me to get a therapist but I just don't have time with college and my part time job.
I've been avoiding my stepmom like the plague (she also said that the police were being "weaponized" against he because she's trans which is not true!). The lease is ending in 3 months and is there anything you guys recommend my mom and I do in this situation?
Thank you!

It's hard to find your soulmate in the mass, your needle in the haystack. 🌾

How can you stand out enough for your better half to recognize you? Most conversations stop in the middle, without either party starting it up again. I'm a firm believer in the adage that opposites attract, that complementing each other is what balances us out. So I did my critical assessment: I am sweet, a bookworm, I lack confidence, I like flowers. A strong, confident woman is therefore required at the reception.
Of course this ad is to be taken at an n+1 degree, it is not a shopping list. I don't have precise criteria and I remain open to any note that could be in harmony🎶 with me. However, I am only looking for something serious and romantic, nothing short term or sexual please (I know, I know, sorry ladies).
Let's take the time.

Some of the things I use chatgpt for:
Describe me in the style of a dungeon master a beautiful medieval city with a moat and a drawbridge that is made up of Elves

As you approach the outskirts of the city, you can see the glittering towers and walls rising high into the sky. The entire city is encased within a massive moat, the water clear and sparkling, and filled with schools of colorful fish. The drawbridge, made entirely of smooth, polished wood, is guarded by two elven sentries, clad in silver armor and holding spears with pointed tips.
Once you cross the drawbridge, you enter the city proper, and the true beauty of the elven architecture reveals itself. The streets are lined with tall, slender buildings made of wood, stone, and crystal, all crafted with the finest elven craftsmanship. The roofs are steeply pitched and adorned with delicate carvings of leaves, flowers, and other natural motifs.
The city center is dominated by a massive tree, its trunk as wide as a house, and its branches stretching up towards the sky. The tree is surrounded by a wide, circular plaza, where elven musicians and dancers perform under the stars.
Throughout the city, you can see evidence of the elven love of nature, with gardens, fountains, and parks tucked into every corner. The air is perfumed with the scent of blooming flowers, and the sound of singing birds and rustling leaves fills your ears.
Despite its beauty, the city is not without its defenses. The walls are thick and sturdy, with towers at strategic intervals, each manned by skilled elven archers. The moat is filled with water so clear that it's almost invisible, making it nearly impossible for enemies to sneak up on the city undetected.
As you explore the city, you can't help but feel a sense of peace and tranquility that seems to emanate from every stone and leaf. It's clear that the elves have created a place of great beauty and harmony, and one that they will fiercely defend.

This took 5 seconds... am I going to read the whole thing to my party? no, but ill take a few bits and rearrange others.
Or for instance
please write some dungeons and dragons lore for a race of good natured but very scary looking bat-people who live in caves and can fly

The bat-people, known as the Chiroptera, are a race of creatures that live deep within the caves of the world. They are a reclusive people who are rarely seen by outsiders, and their frightening appearance often leads to misconceptions about their nature. Despite their fearsome looks, the Chiroptera are actually quite peaceful and have a strong sense of community.
The Chiroptera are a highly intelligent race, and their ability to fly has given them a unique advantage in navigating the treacherous cave systems they call home. They have evolved to have strong wings and keen senses, which allows them to navigate through the darkness with ease. Their eyes are adapted to low-light conditions, and their echolocation abilities allow them to detect movement and objects even in complete darkness.
The Chiroptera are a deeply spiritual people, and they believe that their wings are a gift from the gods. They view their ability to fly as a symbol of their connection to the divine, and they often use their wings as a focus for their prayers and rituals. Despite their religious beliefs, the Chiroptera do not try to convert outsiders to their faith and are generally accepting of other beliefs.
While the Chiroptera are generally peaceful, they are not defenseless. They have sharp claws and teeth, and their ability to fly makes them formidable opponents. However, they prefer to use diplomacy and negotiation to resolve conflicts whenever possible.
The Chiroptera are also highly skilled at crafting, and they are known for their intricate designs and beautiful jewelry. They use materials found within the caves, such as gems and precious metals, to create their works of art. They are also skilled farmers, growing crops in the few areas of the cave that receive enough light to support plant life.
Overall, the Chiroptera are a fascinating race with a rich culture and a deep connection to the natural world. While their appearance may be intimidating, those who take the time to get to know them will find that they are a kind and hospitable people.

Just a spoonfull got me wasted even tho my tolerance is super high, I should be on a T-break right now. I took some last night after dinner and woke up still high, now Ive just gobbled down a spoonfull with an empty stomach. It feels like a cloud slowly forming around you, soft and squishy. Super relaxing stuff. Strong, determinated but also super chill and friendly. I love smoking but eating weed is just the best.
Anyway, lets do some explaining. RSO is an acronym for "Rick Simpson Oil" he was a Canadian engineer working at a hospital in 1997, tasked to work on some asbestos-covered pipes in a boiler room. When he developed cancer he started taking medical cannabis and later started growing his own plants and making his own extracts. He came up with using the whole plant to preserve some plant material in the final product. And he is adamant that his cancer was cured by a daily microdosing of this oil.
RSO is a dark and sticky tar-like cannabis extract that can be ingested in any way (can be ieaten, smoked if fully dried or even applied on the skin). A solvent (Ethanol) is used to extract the cannabinoids, terpenes and additional compounds from the whole cannabis plant. The extraction process is similar to making a tincture or an essential oil. It’s typically near-black greenish in color and doesn’t taste great due to its high amount of plant matter (it uses the whole plant).
I will give the steps I use to make RSO, this is my personal take on it:
You will need:
- A Plant (you can use the whole thing, only the buds if you want, or only leaves after harvest, hermies that were not worth flowering, plants lost to weather, or even male plants. I make RSO so I dont waste anything at all from my grows) - Around 2lts of Ethanol (this will be dried out but it needs to be a safe alcohol for Human consumption, a very strong vodka could also work but I've never tried) - An electric grinder or a blender (a juice blender will work as long you are gentle with it, grinding dry stuff is harder on the engine, do it slowly) - 2 big pots to double boil (they will get dirty and sticky but they can be cleaned easily later) - A fine mesh metallic strainer (if you use coffee filters, cotton or stuff like that you are making cannabis oil, RSO keeps some plant matter but only the fine stuff) - A fan (this is to blow away the Ethanol vapors) - VERY IMPORTANT: Do it in a very well ventilated place.
Steps:
- Use the whole plant. Let it dry and oxidize off some chlorophyll for 1 - 2 weeks. - Separate the leaves and buds from stems. - Lightly toast for half an hour in medium heat oven (you should smell ammonia, it should look brownish kinda like tobacco). - Grind as fine as possible. - Put all this dusty plant material in the top pot of the double-boiler (water in the bottom pot obviously) and pour Ethanol until all plant material is covered. - You will need to stand there looking at it, with open windows and your fan behind you blowing off the vapors. - After 30 minutes have passed, grab a third pot and use the metallic strainer. You will need to apply some pressure because the plant material is like a sponge. Some plant material (the finest dust like particles) will go through the strainer, this is part of the process so dont worry about it, which a very fine filter you would remove everything and get pure oil. You can strain once or twice, then put it back on the double-boiler. - Water evaporates at 100ºC, Ethanol at 78ºC. When the bottom pot with water starts boiling you will see some bubbles in the Ethanol mix, lower the stove to medium. The temperature will never be high enough to destroy the THC, but keep stirring at all times anyways because that dusty stuff tends to stick to the bottom. Because this is still dissolved in Ethanol it feels flowy like water, but the oil is very sticky once the alcohol dries out. - Once it gets slightly thick turn the stove off. Take this mix somewhere with good air flow and place the fan blowing towards it. - After some days (maybe a week if you live in a place with high humidity, maybe two days with low humidity) it will turn into a goopy pitch-black tar, the oily stuff in it (cannabis oil) looks green-yellow against the light. Make sure it doesnt smells like ethanol anymore. - Because RSO preserves plant material it can be consumed in any way. It can be ingested directly, you can put a spoonfull in some tea, it can be used for cooking (it has a very strong flavor, but is not really bad and you dont need to use so much it overrides the food), and it can even be completely dried out by spreading it thin on rice or baking paper over a tray, this way it can be smoked (its kinda like hash, I guess if you only use flowers it is technically hash). And it can even be applied directly to the skin and that means that yes! You can B00F IT!
How the extraction process works:
THC is not soluble in water, but it dissolves in alcohols (also in lipids/fats, thats how canna-butter is made). THC is like any plant's oil, this process can be repeated with any plant to make essential oils, like lavender or lemon. The alcohol is used to take the THC away from the plant material, and then its evaporated to concentrate these oils. With a very fine filter you remove all plant material to get pure cannabis oil, RSO on the other hand retains some plant material. Also the THC is not "active" until it is heated, the plant has THC-A which is non-psychoactive, when you apply heat it decarboxylates (toasts) into THC the one that can get you high. This is why is both toasted and heated. Im pretty sure if you do this process on cold you would get a non-psychoactive version of it.
Anyhow, I will blast away now.
Keep being chill my dudes.