Juice bar turkey creek knoxville

Juice bar exp

2023.03.30 06:53 Mcsjr Juice bar exp

What’s the best way to get Exp to level your characters in the juice bar? I’ve been doing the hospital a ton and have like 400k of everything but to get exp is so slow. Is there any other way to get a lot of exp
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2023.03.30 06:47 critical_courtney [A Bargain for Bliss] — Chapter Two (A sequel to The Fae Queen's Pet)

[A Bargain for Bliss] — Chapter Two (A sequel to The Fae Queen's Pet)

https://preview.redd.it/nmqvrevq3tqa1.jpg?width=1410&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=562496da54b53a3a0cacaf3343ff84957cd85019
Book One
Previous Chapter
Chapter Two:
The announcement sounded like always, “Announcing Queen Varella, ruler of the Raven Court at Featherstone, she who soars high above and wields the dark wind. And her pet, the Wolf of Featherstone.”
After my inner girl helped defend the palace against an invasion from the lake, our title received a promotion.
Hushed whispers became the norm for me after I arrived in court. The nobles never seemed to tire of looking at the queen’s pet werewolf. Covered from head to tail in walnut-colored fur, weighing close to 200 pounds, and carrying a jaw of teeth strong enough to pull apart iron bars, I was the perfect beast for the bird lady to tut around and keep others in line.
When the queen sat at her emerald-encrusted throne carved from stone and covered in cawing ravens, I joined her. Some days she wanted me closer and others further. But I was always in the chair with her.
The damn thing was big enough to hold three people. But the Raven Queen and her werewolf filled it comfortably. This particular morning the queen lightly tapped her left leg with two fingers, a movement I’d been careful to watch for over the last few months.
That meant she wanted my paws and head strewn across her lap. So I obliged. Because she was my pack leader, and my devotion to her was absolute. Though that certainly wasn’t the case when I first arrived after finding the inner girl had willingly ensnared herself in the queen’s service.
I tried my best facing off against the Raven Queen in the forest not far from here. To her credit, she gave me a fair shot. I just wasn’t nearly fast or strong enough to put her down. The feeling of being flipped over and slammed into the dirt hard enough to rattle trees around me was something I had trouble forgetting.
Looking out at the gathered nobles, faeries of the Raven Court who had assembled to speak before the queen or witness those who were, I saw more apprehension than normal. A goblin covered in blue flesh and wearing the fanciest rainbow suit I’d ever seen was sweating up a storm. A pair of mated centaurs were shuffling in place, hoves lightly clopping on the stone floor, cotton dresses swaying gently with their movements. On the opposite wall, a girl with the wings of a butterfly twiddled her thumbs, something that, until now, I’d assumed was just what my inner girl called an “expression.”
Random nobles cleared their throats, coughed a little, and wiped their foreheads, waiting for the queen to speak.
My pack leader remained silent, observing her people, trying to figure out what had them all so jittery. Or maybe she already knew. Yeah, that made more sense by her expression, a calm and gradual glance around the room. Her mouth gave away neither a smile nor a frown. Varella’s eyes retained their frosty gare, violet irises that told those who saw them nothing more than the Raven Queen was thinking about something. No other secrets did they betray.
After ruling this court for centuries, the dark monarch of Faerie learned to keep a tight grip on everything going on inside her thoughts and feelings. And on the off chance something slipped through, I was here to steal attention from the witnesses so they’d miss whatever nugget the queen might’ve dropped.
“Let the queen’s business commence,” she said at once and without warning. “I believe we have a long list of petitioners this day. No sense in dallying. Whoever is first to address me, step forth.”
The hushed whispers came to a stop as soon as she’d gotten a single word out. All eyes were turned toward the space in front of the throne. More cawing from the ravens on the back of this giant chair filled the chamber as we waited for the first person to take their place before the queen.
“I will approach the throne to start today’s business if it pleases you, my queen,” an individual called from the tightest cluster of nobles. They stood near the large brass doors at the entrance of the throne room. And I watched them clear out as quickly as their legs would carry them when this faerie spoke.
My pack leader motioned with two fingers for the speaker to come closer.
Approaching the throne with a cautious demeanor, hands folded together as though one might run away if not held tight, an androgynous individual stopped about 15 feet before the queen. I raised my head to get a better look at the faerie that smelled of lemongrass and peppermint.
Their orange hair was pulled back into a braid that swiveled back and forth on their approach. Brown eyes that couldn’t help but find their way down to me once in a while watched the queen for any sign of immediate displeasure. This individual’s movements were all carefully measured, as if every toe that made contact with the ground only did so after two days of nonstop planning.
It went beyond the otherworldly grace that typically accompanied faeries who danced along the shores of eternity as though it were as natural a thing as breathing or blinking.
This elf was tall and willowy, dressed in a well-tailored black vest covered in silver star designs. A short-sleeved white button-down shirt was tucked into his dark trousers, which were also decorated with silver stars and even bigger constellations.
“Who addresses me?” the queen asked, her tone warming a little bit.
They took a moment to gather their breath before speaking. Another quaint calculation on their part, eyes circling back around to me for just a moment.
“My name is Dareth Ickmunt. I bring you a petition from the Court of Stars, your grace,” they said, bowing their head.
A smile danced on the corner of Varella’s lips, and I looked from her back over to Dareth. He did not speak another word until the queen had time to consider his identity.
“Ickmunt. . . surname of the Star Court King. It’s been some time since I’ve spoken with King Falmouth Ickmunt. Of course, everyone knows he has no living sons. But I’ve heard he keeps a nephew close at hand, even granted him the title of prince. So tell me Prince Dareth, why do you visit my court without an official announcement? Foreign royalty doesn’t typically approach my throne among the nobles during court.”
Dareth paused and considered their next words. They made no effort to hide their identity. Now that I got a better look at the prince, I saw a blue crescent moon tattooed on their neck, along with more stars marking their terra-cotta flesh. It was intricate inkwork and truly set them apart from even the nobles.
“Forgive me, your grace. I did not mean to deceive you. Nor have I come to your court sans announcement for the purpose of spycraft or war. I only wear the title of ‘prince’ to placate my uncle. He is anxious about succession, you see. But I’ve considered myself royalty, despite his decree,” they said.
Varella clicked her tongue.
“So you come to my court without use of a title for the sake of humility?” my pack leader asked.
“It is as you say, your grace. I am not one for putting on airs. I find they needlessly devour my time,” the prince said.
They seemed to have found their noble legs, speaking a little more forcefully now, not with any aggression, just more surety. The elf may not want a title, but I saw nobility within their inflection now. It was their eyes, those locked with the pupils of my pack leader. Each knew who they were dealing with now. No games. Just the queen’s business.
My ears twitched as I heard the nobles whispering amongst themselves once more.
“The Court of Stars? Why would their prince travel this far south?”
“I’m not sure I like the sound of this unannounced royalty.”
“Why come here to our court if not to bring trouble? I don’t like their timing or tidings.”
They continued to speak in hushed voices, but I tuned out and focussed once more on Dareth as the queen raised an eyebrow.
“You speak of your time as though you have any. Our kind does not wear bondage brought on by the strands of time as mortals do. So it’s a curious thing to hear you speak of it in such a way,” she said.
With their eyes sharpened, the prince said, “You and I may have a ladle that can be dipped into the well of ages without limit, but my court faces the end of its days. This is why I come here to petition you, your grace.”
Her amusement was gone. My pack leader’s stare had grown cold again. I had only run in this world for years, but these were Faerie courts being spoken of now. Centuries of time wound up in each through peace and conflict. It was simply beyond the mind of me or my inner girl. Such was the comprehension of mortals and beasts.
“The Court of Stars is in danger of collapse?” the queen asked.
The prince nodded.
“My home of 90 years faces invasion if not utter annihilation from the Fist of Kairn, an alliance of courts who’ve expanded their military presence in neighboring territories far to the north. My uncle remains convinced our pacifism will keep us safe, and that the stain of dishonor that would come from taking a peaceful court will be enough deterrence. But I remain unconvinced.”
It wasn’t just whispering now from the nobles. A few of them were starting to speak at full volume.
“I knew it! They’ve come here to drag us into war.”
“Surely they can’t expect us to protect them from so far away. That’s absurd.”
“I say we ransom the prince off to the First of Kairn here and now. Then we avoid war and bring in a little coin.”
That last suggestion elicited a growl from yours truly. It was enough that the court came to a pause. When a wolf growls, the grotto takes notice. When a werewolf growls, the entire forest takes notice.
But my pack leader was not looking around the room to survey expressions from her people. She remained hyperfocused on the prince who’d traveled so far to be here, chased by the threat of war.
“Your uncle is an optimistic king. I will not speak ill of him, but his decision and confidence in honor seem precarious. So tell me, Prince Dareth, what exactly have you traveled all this way to ask me? What request was important enough that it had to be delivered in person and could not risk being sent via crow messenger?”
Another deep breath from Dareth before he spoke.
At the throne’s top, each raven perched silently, almost as if they were made of stone like the chair we sat in.
“You spent some years growing up in the Court of Stars, your grace. We still have a large painting of you and your brother when you were just a girl, studying constellations and the movement of celestial bodies with my mother and uncle. I’ve come here to ask that if war were to swallow my home, you be prepared to receive fleeing refugees.”
Varella considered this, crossing her legs and placing both of her hands on top of my head, which found itself in her lap once more.
“You’re not asking me to intervene militarily but to be ready to welcome evacuees should the Fist of Kairn bring destruction to your doorstep?” my pack leader clarified.
“My uncle has forbidden requests for defensive aid, citing our court’s laws. Pacificism means that not only do we avoid fighting, but our court refuses to allow others to fight for us. So I’ve come here to seek the next best thing. I made similar requests to the Yellow Court and Worm Court, but they turned me down almost immediately,” Dareth said.
I picked up the sound of footsteps as a noble stepped into view behind Dareth. He was a sturdy man wearing a red robe with gold trim. It covered most of his alabaster skin. The fae’s black hair was cut short, and his yellow eyes washed over the prince from behind.
“My queen, you cannot grant the prince’s petition. The Raven Court would risk further ire from the Star Court’s enemies if we welcomed survivors of a hypothetical calamity. Our resources are—”
The Raven Queen cut him off.
“I’m well aware of our resources, Lord Kitac. I do sit this throne and manage this court each week, do I not? So why would you presume to tell me things I already know? Or would accuse your ruler of being ignorant of her queendom’s assets?”
I didn’t give Lord Kitac time to respond, rising to my feet and leaping down from the throne to the stone floor. My large paws passed over gemstones in the landing beneath me. I strode past Dareth, not paying him a lick of attention. My fur came within inches of their legs.
My haunches popped as I assumed my full height and might, gradually approaching the lord who spoke out of turn.
Even though the other nobles were nowhere near my path, they backed up against the wall as I passed. Their heartbeats were growing faster. And why? They’d seen this play out before with Lord Harroldsen. They watched as I tore his throat open in an instant.
But not here. I took my time approaching this lord so he could stew in the juices of this particular error.
Lord Kitac was a man of average height, but I watched him start to shrink before my very eyes upon my approach. He made no move to run, and it was just as well. Outrunning a werewolf was not a common feat.
A deep, echoing growl resonated across the throne room. I watched as his face sank with each second that noise rattled in his ears. The confidence he so boldly spoke with just seconds ago had taken a sudden leap into a bottomless chasm. And I suspected he now wished his body could do the same.
I had a job to do here. My pack leader is a terrifying monarch. But she doesn’t have to put her power on display every time she sits the throne. If a ruler had to show their true power very often, they wouldn’t have a court to manage for long. That’s where I came in. Because a wolf can be terrifying each time you see one.
And a werewolf? Well, folks didn’t even need to see us to be afraid. A lone growl echoing from the dark is enough to make most folks turn tail and run, especially when they so effortlessly felt the rumble penetrating deep into their core.
I could be the threat and power flexed every day without a single noble questioning the strength of my queen. That’s why I’m here. I am her beast. The queen has her talons, her beak, her dark wind, and through me, she has claws and jaws that could fell any number of enemies.
Flashing fangs, I padded another step closer to Lord Kitac, and any surety he had left dove into the same chasm that he wanted to hide in at this very moment.
The noble fell to his knees and folded his hands.
“Mercy, please, your grace. I spoke out of turn. Please forgive me. Of course you know the resources of this court. You surely do,” the man said, nodding as if to convince himself.
Before I could step closer, my pack leader called for me.
“That’s enough, my pet. Lord Kitac knows he fucked up. Come back to me,” she said.
I locked eyes with the sweating fae noble for what felt like several minutes before turning to leave. He fell to his ass catching his breath and then slowly stood, trying to gravitate to a section of the wall where everyone would forget he existed.
As I climbed back onto the throne, the Raven Queen stroked my neck and said, “Good girl. Such a fearsome beast you are.”
I let my tongue hang out for a moment before locking eyes with Dareth and resuming a more vigilant pose.
My pack leader stood and addressed not just the prince but her gathered nobles now.
“You who call the Raven Court home, I do not blindly ignore your fears and worries. Whispers of war to the north have grown louder these last few weeks. And now that we have a physical reminder of that conflict before our eyes, I understand why it makes you uneasy,” she said.
Dareth said not a word. He stood listening to my pack leader with a calm demeanor that did not once lead me to believe he felt ignored by the queen’s change of attention.
“This court has seen war. We’ve seen death. But I will remind you that in my centuries on this throne, not once have I dragged our people into battle unjustly. Aggressors have tried their hand at conquering us, and enemies have stood at the gates of Perth before! Some of you were here to witness that. And what did I do?”
The hypothetical question was accompanied only by ravens above me, summoning their chorus of caws again.
Nobody answered the queen.
“I soared over those gates and struck down our enemies with a feathered blade in each hand. Time and time again, I have rallied our talons and feathers to drive the enemy back. You know me. I do not pick fights with other courts, and I do not loan our military to be a strength for others unless required to do so by established treaties. Do you not recall mere months ago when I avoided embroiling us in a war between the Yellow Court and Worm Court? Have you all forsaken belief in my wisdom so easily?”
Now some nobles did answer her.
“No!”
“We believe in you, our queen!”
“You’ve not failed us one single day on that throne.”
My pack leader nodded to her nobles. The energy in the room had completely changed. She’d whipped up their confidence into a fervor, all with a few words. I rose from the throne and stood at her side, my shoulders in line with her hips.
“You trusted me then. I call upon you to also believe in me now. I will not summon the ire and war of northern kingdoms to these lands. The Raven Court will remain safe and prosperous as it has for many years. So I ask you all, here and now, do you trust your queen?”
And with a thunderous echo, each lord and lady present hollered in affirmation.
“Armed with your confidence, I will continue to protect our lands. I appreciate you all,” my pack leader said.
Turning toward the prince as the nobles talked excitedly amongst themselves, the Raven Queen had softer words.
“Prince Dareth, I invite you to stay here at Featherstone tonight as my guest. If you accept my invitation, then we’ll discuss your request for prepared aid in the morning.”
The fae prince bowed.
“I appreciate your hospitality and am happy to accept, your grace.”
My pack leader awarded him a brief nod and then resumed her seat on the throne, calling me to her once more.
“Come now, my pet. We still have much of the queen’s business to attend.”
And that’s exactly what we did. Somehow, the throne room moved on from its display of Raven Court patriotism and continued with more petitions. None were as exciting as what we’d heard from the Court of Stars, though.
The very long day concluded with a shopkeep asking the queen for a 12-month moratorium on tax duties so she could expand her tailoring business from Perth into the neighboring village of Sanc Red. Once the queen granted her this, she dismissed the nobles. Within minutes, the throne room was empty and quiet as it hadn’t been since before sunrise.
I stood with the queen and stretched, wagging tail and rear rising while my front paws carried forward as far as they could. A yawn forced my jaws open wide for its escape.
Varella chuckled and ran her fingers under my chin.
“You did well today, my pet. Fierce and frightening as always you are at my side. My bargain continues to be fruitful. Are you ready to call it a day? Shall I summon your inner girl again?”
I nosed her arm, and the queen smiled.
Then she placed a hand over my head and called forth to the magic she kept within my wolfheart. It echoed within my core, responding to her will, reshaping me into the human girl that struck the bargain in the first place.
“Retreat, my wolf. Sierra Chelsi, I call you forth.”
A familiar smoke rose from the stone floor, engulfing my entire body so the transformational magic could take place.
My instincts sank into an inner slumber to be called upon whenever the queen saw fit in the future.
***
I stood on two legs once more and stretched. The smoke around me thinned, vanishing as the queen removed her feathered cloak, wrapping me in it as she often did when I appeared naked after each transformation.
“Fun day at court, my queen?” I asked, yawning.
My stomach grumbled, and I felt a familiar light-headedness that came when assuming a human form again.
“You certainly ensured so, my little wolf. I believe I promised you dinner and some answers about Bliss. Shall we head to your room to get dressed for an evening meal?”
“I’d like that very much, mistress,” I said, smiling.
Finally! I can have her all to myself, I thought.
My mistress ran her nails through my hair, which, as usual, left me frozen in a dizzied state while I absorbed every moment of her touch, head slumped to the right against her breasts.
“We’ll go when you’re ready,” she taunted.
I couldn’t budge, and she knew exactly why.
Maybe dinner wouldn’t happen after all.
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2023.03.30 06:34 Ezra_is_a_dumb_boy Every season 1 - 19 contestant and semi-finalist

A little messy as the placements are random, except if their state was shown 3 times so bear with me. I'm gonna give some fun facts about the semifinalist bc they aren't as well known.
every antm contestant and semifinalist (1 - 19)
cycle 1: Christina from Little Falls, Minnesota Heather from Galloway, Ohio Ebony M. from Cumberland, Maryland Nicole C. from Chapel Hills, North Carolina Lenora from Greenwich Village, New York Elyse from Albuquerque, New Mexico Shannon from Franklin, Ohio Jakai from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Robin from Memphis, Tennessee Jessica from Tucson, Arizona Noelle from Reno, Nevada Kesse from North Little Rock, Arkansas Toiya from Atlanta, Georgia Ebony H. from The Bronx, New York Katie from Glenview, Illinois Tessa from Chicago, Illinois Adrienne from Joliet, Illinois Giselle from Corona, California Nicole P. from Murrieta, California Erin from Pasadena, California Natalie from Riverside, California April from San Diego, California Shawna from Los Angeles, California Justine from Huntington Beach, California Corey (unknown)
Corey, Toiya, and Jessica were semi-finalist that weren't shown to make it seem like there was 20 girls. There might have been more based on the bulletin board they used but it's hard to tell.
cycle 2: Camille from Mamaroneck, New York Anna from LaGrange, Georgia Mercedes from Valencia, California Nargis from Mohegan Lake, New York Sara from Seattle, Washington April from Miami Beach, Florida Shandi from Kansas City, Missouri Bethany from Houston, Texas Xiomara from Morganville, New Jersey Jenascia from Burien, Washington Heather from Moreno Valley, California Yoanna from Jacksonville, Florida Catie from Willmar, Minnesota Rebecca from Minneapolis, Minnesota Christina from Little Falls, Minnesota
Most semifinalist are unknown for cycle 2. The only known ones were girls who went back to audition (Christina, Rebecca and Nargis). Christina was our first returning semi finalist.
cycle 3: Mary from Portland, Oregon Cassie from Norman, Oklahoma Natalie from Walla Walla, Washington Brianna from Plainfield, Illinois Toccara from Dayton, Ohio Jennipher F. from Pocatello, Idaho Amanda from Henderson, North Carolina Sarah D. from Baltimore, Maryland Kristina from Bristol, Rhode Island Magdalena from Worchester, Massachusetts Josie from Fayetteville, North Carolina Vicky from Washington D.C Laura/Kristi from St. Louis, Missouri Julie from Kent, Washington Chrissy from Colchester, Connecticut Ann from Erie, Pennslyvania Leah D. from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma Nicole from Minot, North Dakota Tiffany from Miami, Florida Amy from Ocala, Florida Roxanne from Dania, Florida Eva from Westmont, California Norelle from Newport Beach, California Sarah from Capistrano, California Vanessa from San Francisco, California Diana from Los Angeles, California Rachael from New York, New York/Huntsville, Alabama Yaya from Harlem, New York Nargis from Mohegan Lake, New York Kelle from Lenox Hill, New York Kimberly from Huntington Station, New York Lea Q. from Queens, New York Brit from Manhattan, New York Jennifer W (unknown)
Sarah (Martin Luther King according to Tiffany) from Capistrano was suppose to make top 20, but due to unknown reasons couldn't continue. Amanda joined the top 20 after Sarah left. The "I don't know, I can't take the pressure of it!" girl is Natalie from Walla Walla.
cycle 4: Mary from Portland, Oregon Tatiana from Maui, Hawaii Lindsey from Baton Rouge, Louisiana Estela from The Bronx, New York Lacy from Las Vegas, Nevada Michelle from Terre Haute, Indiana Kahlen from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma Jessika from Houston, Texas Alexandria from Ft Collins, Colorado Lacey from Atlanta, Georgia Noelle from Reno, Nevada Brandy from Houston, Texas Leslie from New York, New York Naima from Detroit, Michigan Sarah from Baltimore, Maryland Rebecca from Minneapolis, Minnesota Tiffany from Miami, Florida Christina from Tallahassee, Florida Brittany from Tallahassee, Florida Rachel from Tampa, Florida Melissa from Tampa, Florida Mollie-Sue from Tampa, Florida Brita from La Cañada Flintridge, California Jennifer from Richmond, California Lluvy from Modesto, California Alexia from Studio City, California Keenyah from Compton, California Jen from Santa Monica, California Ebony (unknown)
Rachel became a famous chef and Leslie is a famous comedian. Both were semifinalist.
cycle 5: Ashley from Fort Lauderdale, Florida Adriana from San Juan, Puerto Rico Stacie from Grayson, Oklahoma Diane from Orlando, Florida Nicole from Grand Folks, North Dakota Cassandra from Houston, Texas April from Las Vegas, Nevada Jayla from Tucson Arizona Latricia from Trenton, New Jersey Sarah from Boonville, Missouri Jasmine from Flagstaff, Arizona Nik from Atlanta, Georgia Coryn from Minneapolis, Minnesota Kyle from Dexter, Michigan Kim from Yorkville, New York Susanna from Carthage, New York Bre from Harlem, New York Melissa from Syracuse, New York Ebony from Sylmar, California Lisa from Los Angeles, California Krystle from Long Beach, California Whitney from Fairfield, California Regina from San Matteo, California Jessica from Templeton, California
Susanna had a very good model career!
cycle 6: Andrea from Geneva, Ohio Wendy from New Orleans, Louisiana Katherine from Brevard, North Carolina Furonda from Stuttgart, Arkansas Angela from Houma, Louisiana Alejandra/Leslie from Higley, Arizona Kari from Brookings, South Dakota Joanie from Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania Danielle from Little Rock, Arkansas Dani from Spring, Texas Nnenna from Houston, Texas Brooke from Corpus Christi, Texas Yvonne from Surfside, Florida Gina from Odessa, Florida Mollie Sue from Tampa, Florida Leah from Boca Raton, Florida Jade from New York, New York Claudia from Manhattan, New York Tanika from Buffalo, New York Alexius from Manhattan, New York Shkita/Kita from Watts, California Rebecca from Palo Cedro, California Dracula from Shadow Hills, California Cheran from Venture, California Sara from Davis, California
Alexius, like Sarah, was a original top 20 girl but also dropped out for unknown reasons. It's also unknown who took her place.
cycle 7: Jaslene from Humboldt Park, Illinois Evita from Gloucester, Virginia Christian from Columbia, South Carolina Ginger from Derby, Kansas CariDee from Fargo, North Dakota LeAngela from Columbus, Ohio Anchal from Homestead, Florida Cyndel from Wichita, Kansas Irina from Miami, Florida Monique from Chicago, Illinois Brooke from Keller, Texas Jaeda from Parkersburg, Iowa Ebonee from Paulding County, Georgia Melrose from West Bloomfield Township, Michigan Eugena from Columbia, South Carolina Megg from Los Angeles, California A.J from Sacramento, California Megan from San Francisco, California Amanda and Michelle from Anaheim, California Becky from Sierra Village, California Brittany from San Rafael, California Jaimie from Riverside, California Andree (unknown)
As we all know, there was a girl from Humboldt Park who claimed we would come back next season. She did, and ended up winning!
cycle 8: Melissa from The Bronx, New York Anna from Lancaster, Pennsylvania Chelsea from Richmond, Virginia Sarah from Lake Zurich, Illinois Dionne from Montgomery, Alabama Kathleen from Brooklyn, New York Jael from Detroit, Michigan Megan from Seattle, Washington Renee from Maui, Hawaii Diana from Garfield, New Jersey Cassandra from Seattle, Washington Samantha from Pinson, Alabama Jaslene from Humboldt Park, Illinois Whitney from West Palm Beach, Florida Micheline from Atlanta, Georgia Natalie from Atlanta, Georgia Brittany from Savannah, Georgia Gelecia/Gigi from Atlanta, Georgia Bethany from Alice, Texas Farrah from Houston, Texas Heather from Deer Park, Texas Felicia from Houston, Texas Natasha from Dallas, Texas Jessica from Inglewood, California Lauren from Pasadena, California Aly from West Hollywood, California Hannah (unknown) Erin (unknown)
Most of the known semifinalist were all from California (Aly, Lauran and Jessica), Texas (Heather, Farrah and Bethany) or Georgia (Gigi, Natalie and Micheline). The only semifinalist not from those states were Megan, Melissa, Anna and Chelsea.
cycle 9: Victoria from New Haven, Connecticut Spontaniouse from Montgomery, Alabama Chantal from Austin, Texas Christie from Lewisville, North Carolina Jenna from Flint, Michigan Kimberly from Ocala, Florida Heather from Valparaiso, Indiana Ambreal from Dallas, Texas Marvita from Anchorage, Alaska Janet from Bainbridge, Georgia Lisa from Jersey City, New Jersey Jenah from Farmington, Connecticut Bianca from Queens, New York Jessica from Brooklyn, New York Sylvia from New Hyde Park, New York Tara from Chicago, Illinois Ebony from Roseland, Illinois Jess from Chicago, Illinois Sarah from Heath, Massachusetts Jennifer from Walpole, Massachusetts Mila from Boston, Massachusetts Juliana from Lancaster, Massachusetts Saleisha from Madera, California Sabrina from Cerritos, California Allene from Fresno, California Sara/Eleatrice from Sacramento, California
A lot of J names. Out of everyone from cycle 9, 7 have J names.
cycle 10: Amis from Bartlesville, Oklahoma Marguerite from Cincinnati, Ohio Kristen from Portage, Michigan Aimee from Spanaway, Washington Shalynda from Washington D.C Allison from Waunakee, Wisconsin Shaya from Country Club Hills, Illinois Tiffany from Portland, Oregon Marvita from Anchorage, Alaska Anya from Honolulu, Hawaii Dominque from Columbus, Ohio Jenna from Boston, Massachusetts Kimberly from Worchester, Massachusetts Fatima from Boston, Massachusetts Whitney from Atlantic Beach, Florida Jennifer from Orlando, Florida Sonja from Fort Lauderdale, Florida Stacy-Ann from Miami, Florida Claire from Oahu, Hawaii/Brooklyn, New York Lauren from Brooklyn, New York Erica from Manhattan, New York Katarzyna from Roslyn, New York Atalya from Brooklyn, New York Camilla from Long Beach, California Tonya from San Diego, California Petra from Valley Glen, California
Camilla from Bad Girls Club was a top 20 semi finalist for this cycle. You can see here when Tyra is picking the final cast and during Shaya and Fatima's fight.
cycle 11: Lio from Minneapolis, Minnesota Lindsey from Clinton, Mississippi Isis from Prince George's County, Maryland Sharaun from Chicago, Illinois Joslyn from Lucky, Louisiana Renée from Inglewood, Tennessee McKey from Lake Forest, Illinois Susan from Canton, Michigan Brittany R. from Henderson, Nevada Alexandria from Vicksburg, Mississippi Shanna from Miami, Florida Lauren from Charlottesville, Virginia Elina from Seattle, Washington Clark from Pawleys Island, South Carolina Hannah from Fairbanks, Alaska Nikeysha from The Bronx, New York Sheena from Harlem, New York Brittany H. from New York, New York Kacey from Palmdale, California Samantha from Woodland Hills, California Veronique from Riverside, California Marjorie from San Francisco, California Stephanie (unknown) Olivia (unknown) Olivia (two Olivia's, both unknown)
There was actually Brittany's this cycle. The 4th Brittany is Brittany Hall! She's a NYC Model that has beautiful dark skin and long, wavy hair.
cycle 12: Adiamond from Denver, Colorado Kathryn from Farmland, Indiana Teyona from Woodstown, New Jersey Sandra from Rockville, Maryland Anna Lisa from Scottsdale, Arizona Aminat from Union, New Jersey Fo from Albuquerque, New Mexico Tahlia from Phoenix, Arizona Monique from Telluride, Colorado Kortnie from Houston, Texas Angelea from Buffalo, New York London from Arlington, Texas Celia from Cynthiana, Kentucky Allison from New Orleans, Louisiana Asha from Atlanta, Georgia Bianca from Albuquerque, New Mexico Jessica from Bradenton, Florida Isabella from Barboursville, Virginia Alex from Tampa, Florida Nijah from Rancho Cucamonga, California Tatiana from Lakewood, California Natalie from Palos Verdes, California Lauren (unknown) Kelly (unknown)
London and Isabella's real names are Lauren and Kelly. They went by nicknames because there was another pair named Lauren and Kelly, and they just kept the nicknames.
cycle 13: Amanda from New Orleans, Louisiana Nicole from Louisville, Colorado Bianca from Columbia, South Carolina Kara from Fort Wayne, Indiana Rae from Minneapolis, Minnesota Raven from Knoxville, Tennessee Courtney from Plantation, Florida Tyrie from Indianapolis, Indiana Jennifer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Erin from Spring Grove, Illinois Simone from Hagerstown, Maryland Xixi from Wexford, Pennsylvania Ashley from Chicago, Illinois Laura from Stanford, Kentucky Germaine from Woodhaven, New York Lulu from Brooklyn, New York Voila from The Bronx, New York Melanie from Brooklyn, New York Minolta from Queens, New York Stacey from Utica, New York Lisa from Queens, New York Alison from Santa Rosa, California Brittany from Livermore, California Ciara from Riverside, California Rachel from Woodland, California Amber from Oceanside, California Sundai from Bakersfield, California
A power ranger auditioned for the role. She's one of the more well-known semifinalist, but Ciara was a power ranger in the late 2000s - early 2010s.
cycle 14: Hallie from Memphis, Tennessee Krista from Pine Bluff, Arkansas Rogi from Washington D.C Naduah from San Diego, California Jessica from Conway, Arkansas Anslee from Dracula, Georgia Ravyn from Washington D.C Tatianna from Ewa Beach, Hawaii Jeanna from Chicago, Illinois Raina from Minnetonka, Minnesota Anastasia from Chicago, Illinois Danielle from Greenville, South Carolina Justine from Syracuse, New York Alasia from Marietta, Georgia Gabrielle from St. Louis, Missouri Martha from Charlotte, Tennessee Angelea from Buffalo, New York Brittany from College Park, Maryland Simone from Lenexa, Kansas Honor from Santa Monica, California Jessie from Warren, Michigan Nida from East Bernard, Texas Julianna from Austin, Texas Alexandra from Kerrville, Texas Aimee from Houston, Texas Madelynne from Houston, Texas Tuesday from Houston, Texas Ren from Dallas, Texas Brenda from Houston, Texas
Texas was done dirty this season. Many of the semi finalist (Tuesday, Madelynne, Aimee, Julianna and Nida) are all from Texas (Brittany also lived there for a while) and for some reason, Ren was casted? The reason why is because they wanted someone to create drama and all the top 20 remaining girls were nice (except one) so they brought Ren.
Hallie was a top 20 girl, and she was bratty and spoiled. So why wasn't she casted? Both her and production found out that she was pregnant so she couldn't continue.
cycle 15: Tyrie from Indianapolis, Indiana Justine from Indianapolis, Indiana De'Yana from Detroit, Michigan Chelsey from Boise, Idaho Jane from Baltimore, Maryland Jessica from Willow Grove, Pennsylvania Esther from Boston, Massachusetts Lauren from Brettwood, Tennessee Vanessa/Violet from Lakeville, Minnesota Emily C. from Ona, West Virginia Toya from Beaufort, South Carolina Christina from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Kendal from Northport, Alabama Emily H. from Barboursville, West Virginia Terra from Arlington, Texas Anna from Dallas, Texas Lyzbeth/Liz from Arlington, Texas Christin/Chris from Arlington, Texas Laura from New York, New York Anamaria from Queens, New York Sara from Tarrytown, New York Alexia/Lexie from Geneva, Illinois Nitasha from Chicago, Illinois Jillian from Chicago, Illinois Kayla from Rockford, Illinois Jordan from Chicago, Illinois Kacey from Palmdale, California Emi from Pismo Beach, California Rylee from Orange County, California Sara B. from Menifee, California Shelby from Beverly Hills, California Rhianna from San Diego, California Mindy from Murrieta, California Anna (unknown) Jen (unknown)
Jen is an unknown Asian girl who just randomly slipped away from production and ran away during auditions.
cycle 16: Laree from Atlanta, Georgia Breanna from Blaine, Minnesota Elizabeth from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Molly from Olathe, Kansas Annabelle from Manhattan, New York Sierra from Park City, Utah Kari from Steamboat Springs, Colorado Taneisha from Anniston, Alabama Brittani from Beech Creek, Pennsylvania Tiffany from Hattiesburg, Mississippi Molly O. from Charleston, South Carolina Ondrei from Muskegon, Michigan Kasia from Wheaton, Illinois Yashure from East Saint Louis, Illinois Monique from Hebron, Illinois Alexandria from Huntington Beach, California Dalya from Corona, California Vee from Sacramento, California Dominique from Houston, Texas Jaclyn from Belton, Texas Rune from Edinburg, Texas Hannah from Houston, Texas Mikaela from Boca Raton, Florida Deidrian from Lauderdale Lakes, Florida Nicole from Orlando, Florida Angelia from Pembroke Pines, Florida the unnamed stripper from Mobile, Alabama
The fake out girls were not actresses, they were real people. This is more well known now but maybe you didn't know.
cycle 17: Seymone from Augusta, Georgia Allison from Houston, Texas Isis from Prince George's County, Maryland Mariah from Pendleton, Oregon Kyle from Magnolia, Texas Laura K. from Stanford, Kentucky Eboni from Seattle, Washington Kayla from Rockford, Illinois Dominique from Columbus, Ohio Molly from Olathe, Kansas Shannon from Franklin, Ohio AzMarie from San Fernando Valley, California Alexandria from Newport Beach, California Lisa from Los Angeles, California Angelea from Buffalo, New York Laura L. from Scotia, New York Sheena from Harlem, New York Candace from Brooklyn, New York Bre from Harlem, New York Camille from The Bronx, New York Bianca from Queens, New York
Before season 17 was an Allstars season, it was just a regular season. Some of the 32 girls included Candace, Laura L, AzMarie, Eboni, Kyle, Mariah, Seymone and Molly (a season 16 fake-out girl). Production changed it last minute and everyone last minute accept Molly went on cycle 18. This was confirmed by Molly and AzMarie
cycle 18: Amelia from Port Talbot, Wales Laura from Scotia, New York Eboni from Seattle, Washington Candace from Brooklyn, New York Mariah from Pendleton, Oregon Kyle from Magnolia, Texas AzMarie from San Fernando Valley, California Seymone from Augusta, Georgia Ashley from Armadale, Scotland Alisha from South London, England Jasmia from London, England Sophie from Oxford, England Catherine from Folkestone, England Louise from London, England Annaliese from London, England
There was another American girl that was a semifinalist on cycle 17 and moved to 18. She dropped out, however, before production started. They had to cut a UK girl out to make it more equal and that was Amelia.
cycle 19: Latrishe from Washington D.C Ivory from Whittier, California Nastasia from East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania Jamie from Gahanna, Ohio Lauren from Ann Arbor, Michigan Deedra from from Portland, Oregon Jessie from Speedway, Indiana Victoriana from San Diego, California Brittany from Gilbert, Arizona Savanna from East Lansing, Michigan Kiara from Las Vegas, Nevada Allyssa from Fort Lauderdale, Florida Kaci from Moon Township, Pennsylvania Christin from Cook County, Illinois Destiny from Columbus, Ohio Yvonne from Minneapolis, Minnesota Kristin from Jacksonville, Florida Leila from Farmington, Massachusetts Sara from Seattle, Washington Maria from Las Cruces, New Mexico Victoria from Colquitt, Georgia Darian from Baton Rouge, Louisiana Laura from Cambridge, New York Caroline from Awendaw, South Carolina Amber from Sachse, Texas Jasmine from Fort Worth, Texas Briana from Southlake, Texas Andie from San Antonio, Texas Sasha from Dallas, Texas Delaney from Dallas, Texas
These are the hometowns of all the college girls instead of their college cities. Like season 14, Texas was done dirty.
submitted by Ezra_is_a_dumb_boy to ANTM [link] [comments]


2023.03.30 05:46 TelevisionMelodic715 I’m done

(First time op and also grammatically challenged) So I had no clue how addictive this stuff is and I’ve been a career drug user. The worst part is not being able to sleep. Anyways Kentucky emergency banned with no notice. I had been using consistently for 5 months and just recently went from 1 gpd sodium to 2 gpd. Zaza red in between orders. To cold turkey. Had no idea what I was in for I assumed it would be just the old obsession or depression. I just tried to ride it out didn’t hydrate or eat properly tried to just lay in bed 48 hours off Tia the diarrhea hit wtf. Anyways I hustled up 40 grams sodium and 15 bottles of zaza red (I’m down to 13 now) but I’m shaking this shit I’m not going to get to the end of it.
I can’t get any meds bc of legal issues. I went to Walmart tonight bought Gatorade, Imodium, a case of nutrition shakes, zzzquil melatonin, candy bars, gummies.
I’m done with this shit the only thing I’m struggling with now is the $320 I have tied up in the 40g sodium and the $500 I have in the zazas.. I know a smart man would throw them in the river or something but fuck.
If anyone has any other suggestions —welcomed
I’m going to try and stay moving hydrated and nourished. Also attend aa meetings
Godspeed
submitted by TelevisionMelodic715 to QuittingTianeptine [link] [comments]


2023.03.30 05:45 RiverSeparate7868 i do not know when enough is enough with my (20F) boyfriend (21M) of a year

This is very long so I apologize in advance:

So, as the title states, my boyfriend and I have been together for a year. The girlfriend of 3 years before me got cheated on at the year and a half mark, and they tried to make up but he ended it after another year and a half because it just was not going to work. I know he has a lot of unsolved problems and shame from that relationship, but we have talked about all of it together to help him process it and for me to understand the reasons and to trust that he learned his lesson. I set the boundary at the very beginning that if he was unfaithful to me in any way that I would be done, no questions asked.
The beginning of our relationship was interesting and we had some issues because I caught porn on his phone (after he told me he did not watch it) as well as deleting messages with an old friend. It turned out that he felt too ashamed to come and admit these things to me, so instead he tried to hide it. I almost broke up with him for the deleted messages, until he offered to take me to his house to get his laptop to show me the messages (they were nothing, she had texted something like "I see your friend at this bar" and he responded something with "no way". I made it very clear after these instances that he will not hide anything from me, or I will be done. He explained to me that after he cheated on his first girlfriend, when they got back together, she made him send him videos every time he stepped out of his apartment, facetime her at random times to make sure he wasnt with anybody, and completely controlled him. He couldnt talk to any girls, mention girls, sit by girls in class, nothing. She covered his car in snow cones one day because she was angry and always went through his phone. Therefore, he developed a habit of hiding ANYTHING that could be probable cause for an argument, and that is why he hid those innocent messages because if that had happened in his last relationship, she probably would have killed him (not literally but ...) Anyway, after this, he was very open with me about his porn issues and anything that would happen with girls and he gained my trust. I have always had trust issues, and with him cheating on his first and only other girlfriend, I was afraid. We built the relationship from the ground up, and it was the most comfortable and open environment I had ever felt. This went on for probably 8 months. We both talked about our histories a lot and I have been going to therapy for years, so i encouraged him to go because I know he has depression and so he went and started taking medication (which in my opinion really helped).
He is a year older than me, we are both in college, but he was supposed to graduate in December. He failed a course, which prevented his graduation, so therefore he has had trouble finding a job for 3 months. His mom has cut him off from money and he worked a minimum wage job for his 3 years of college. He was supposed to get a huge scholarship for college from his job, which is why he stayed at that job with such low pay, but because he did not graduate, he only got half of it. The plan before, where in the scenario that he did graduate, his mom would reward him that money because she paid for his tuition. However, since he did not graduate, he took that away from him to pay for his one class. She has cut him off financially completely except for rent and insurances through his family. He walked the stage in December because he had already applied for graduation and was accepted before grades were out, only to find out that he did not graduate. He is currently enrolled in the course he failed, and has not attended a single class.
Since December, everything has changed. He completely pushed away from me, started to get very agitated and was a completely different person. He has been interviewing for other jobs for 3 months now, and has gotten declined from every single one. So, he has no job, no financial assistance, and his mom is about to cut the rent off for the month of April. He has thousands of dollars in credit card debt, so he finally went home and opened up to his mom about everything and she refused to help him out financially (even though she makes about $500,000 a year). I think what's been happening is the anger that he feels towards her for whatever reason is getting taken out on me and I have become resentful. I am the only person who has lifted him above water, he tells me all the time that he does not know what he would do without me and that he never wants to do anything, but I have tried to support him the best I can. He does not hang out with anyone else except for me and I guess I am the only outlet for his emotions. He has become selfish, especially sexually, where I will ask and ask and ask and he always says he "is not in the mood" but then goes home and masturbates. Also, even before our relationship and through our entire relationship, I have had an only fans to make money. I make more money in 3 days than he would in 2 weeks of work, and I think he is envious of this. I told him about my OF at the very beginning and he was okay with it, until all of a sudden last week, we were talking about a hot topic and he got very defensive and said "as least I dont sell my body for money". All of a sudden he told me that he was going to start "setting boundaries" with me and told me this has always made him uncomfortable but he never said anything, so I agreed and I stopped doing it. A couple days later, just to test him, I asked him if I kept doing it but gave him 20%, could I "keep doing it". He said yes. This made me furious, because I thought the whole reason behind why he set the boundary to stop was because it made him feel disrespected, but it seems as though he did not want me to have something he couldnt. We have been in an argument about this for a week or two, and his defense is always "well you make money and I have nothing so if I can benefit then do it." This makes me feel like he "owns me". Also, the relationship is completely different.
He is a different person overall. I have communicated time and time again he needs to improve his communication with me and to stop taking things out on me, yet it cant seem to stop. There have been so many "second chances" and I started to get really close to the point of ending it. He is also extremely insecure and jealous, and that does not come out in great ways. His mom told him that he never showed signs of depression before and told him to stop his Lexapro cold turkey, which made him a monster, so I told him to go home (literally home which is an hour away from our college town) because I was not going to deal with it. Apparently when he was home, his little sister told him that I am the one that is holding him back in this town and there are so many job opportunities elsewhere and that he was never on medication until me (indicating I am the problem). When he told me this, I asked if he defended me because that is obviously not true, and he said he did not say ANYTHING. I was furious. So, of course, he did the worst thing possible, in which he told her that he told me and that I was very upset with what she said. So not only did he not defend me, he broke his sisters confided talks and so she is also upset with him. I realized the reason she came to those conclusions were because he didnt even tell her he didnt graduate, so that is why he is still here. He has had depression for years longer than I have known him, but I am the one that pushed him to go and get help, so it obviously looks like I am the problem because he never told his family about these issues before.
He is so ashamed and insecure about everything and I told him that I am at my last straw. I keep getting the "it'll get better" and "im sorry ill change" response and i am fed up. i am fed up with the depression and lack of even trying in class. i am fed up of being the blame of all of his issues when all i have ever done is lifted him above ground (which he has also done for me on occasions, but NOTHING compared to this). i feel lost and hopeless, yet there is that little part of me that is HOPING is gets better someway or somehow. i feel like everything he says is BS, he is so lost in life, but he does want me. i know and i feel like i deserve more because at a time he gave me that, but it just isnt the same. i have been going through hell for the past 3 months trying to rationalize that he is going through a hard time (because he is) but i just do not know when to call it quits and i am really struggling on making my decision because i feel like it would kill me to leave him. i just miss him so much.
submitted by RiverSeparate7868 to relationship_advice [link] [comments]


2023.03.30 03:46 ragemonkey I made a typo and Bard just went along with it

I made a typo and Bard just went along with it
“Why are you called Bars?”
submitted by ragemonkey to ChatGPT [link] [comments]


2023.03.30 03:35 Ok-Rip7572 Rate my 2400 calorie meal plan as an extremely lazy person

I know it’s a bit repetitive and boring, but I hope it will do the job.
BREAKFASTS - kasha go cereal, almond milk, mixed with a scoop of protein powder 370 cal, 21g protein, 13g fat
MID MORNING SNACKS - cottage cheese, banana, and pb fit 180 cal, 27g protein, 5g fat - turkey pepperoni and string cheese 170 cal, 17g protein, 11g fat
LUNCHES - peanut butter, honey, and banana sandwich with whole milk 360 cal, 8g protein, 8g fat - tuna salad sandwich with pickle chips and baby carrots and peanut butter 520 cal, 20g protein, 20g fat
PROTEIN SHAKE 803 cal, 83g protein, 13g fat
AFTERNOON SNACKS - CLIF protein bar 260 cal, 10g protein, 8g fat
DINNERS - turkey burger + apple 460 cal, 29g protein, 9.5g fat - lean cuisine herb roasted chicken 180 cal, 18g protein, 4.5g fat - power bowl chicken adobo 330 cal, 26g protein, 8g fat
DESSERTS - yasso bar 100 cal
submitted by Ok-Rip7572 to fitmeals [link] [comments]


2023.03.30 03:18 Colchonero135 Poster/Graphic I made with all the birds I've photographed nearby.

PosteGraphic I made with all the birds I've photographed nearby. submitted by Colchonero135 to birding [link] [comments]


2023.03.30 02:36 queenofthescreen [Thank You] A postman wants to be a comic but his delivery is awful. The P.O. is a mail-dominated place but if a girl wants to work there, lett#r! Why did Henry VIII hate the P.O.? Had a hard time getting his male. Hear about the lady giving birth @ the P.O.? Guess we can call it a special delivery.

Goodies from goodies: https://imgur.com/a/ik6GLtg
u/welshfancy x 2 Thanks for the *amazing* Barbie card. It’s so cute & fun, I can’t stop smiling! I share the hilarity here for those who share our Bananas-for-Barbie brains: One Barbie says to the other: “If only all men were like Ken…” & the other Barbie replies: “It’d be perfect! When you get bored you just put him away in a shoe-box! LOL!!! Including a close-up pic of it through the link :)
In one of our DMs & in my last thanks post, you shared that you really enjoy jokes. I’m kinda blushing here with some of these jokes, but I wanna gift you some laughs for this beautiful Barbie card. BTW ***I love men***, and I know we all do on this sub (even our friend who’s apparently selling their husband on the meta sub haha), so no offense to any of the lovely men on this sub. K, you sweet manly muffins? These are stupid stereotypes but shared only in the spirit of fun, no harm, & obviously we can’t live without y’all. I don’t think. ;) This is purely to entertain our friend u/welshfancy here because they deserve it after the job rollercoaster they've been on lately. But if anyone takes offense, I’ll immediately delete them. Better yet - feel free to post some funny revenge jokes about women. But remember, if you do, we’ll be sure to send appropriate “thank you” cards hahaha!
*Do you know what the insensitive bit at the base of a guy’s manhood is called? The man. ;)
*What’s the difference between men & government bonds? Bonds mature. =)
*What’s the difference between E.T. & men? At least E.T. phoned the hell home.
*What’s the difference between men & vultures? Vultures wait until you’re dead before ripping your heart out. ;)
*Why are men like blenders? You know you need one, but you’re not quite sure why.
*When’s the only time you can change a man? When he’s a baby.
*How do men help clean the house? They lift their legs so you can vacuum underneath.
*What did God say after creating man? “Hmmm, I think I can do better.”
*How are men like laxatives? They irritate the crap outta you! ;)
*How can you tell if your husband is happy? Who the hell cares?
*What do men & mascara have in common? They both run at the first sign of emotion.
*What do you call a man who disagrees with you? Wrong.
*Why does it take TWO HUNDRED MILLION sperm to fertilize one damn egg? Because not one will stop to ask for damn directions! ;)
Hope some of these made you giggle. :) I also LOVE this illustrated postcard of the Moon from La Loteria!!!! Thank you. :) Ya know I’ll need to hear about your wacky wild 80s adventures in Mexico, right? It’s like you left me with a cliffhanger! Feel free to share your wildest stories anytime - I’d love to share them on the sub in a thank you post. But if you wanna tell me confidential story secrets, that would be fun too! :) Thanks for always bringing a huge smile to my face with your endless mail love! Wishing you infinite joy…along with toilets & people that aren’t full of crap! ;)
u/410bore x 2 Is your PERFECT cool-calligraphy handwriting for REALS?!? OMG if I had your hot handwriting, I’d write all day long on walls & the sides of buildings to show off, graffiti laws be damned! Your handwriting is so hella awesome, you should charge admission to people just to watch you write!!!! Thank you for the vintage NASA card, which was just the icing on top of your gorgeous calligraphy cake! Thanks so much also for the neato wooden postcard!! It’s so unique! I love that you bought it from the Santa Monica Pier. BTW I’ve been to the Adobe Max virtual conference before - super inspiring. Hope you had a blast! BTW don’t be alarmed if you notice that it’s broken in the pic - I didn’t do it. That was courtesy of the USPS, which admitted its mistake. I honestly don’t know how they BROKE a WOODEN postcard LOL! But it’s no less beautiful - my nephew loves it so much he wants to feature it in his room. ;) Thanks for thinking of me, kind friend. =)
u/MelodicEntertainer Thanks for the cool retro sausage ad postcard - love retro ads!!!! Yes, friend, you’re almost ;) right that “Texas = BBQ” (haha, love it). I would edit this: “Texas = blissful, buttery, beefy BBQ” ;) I know it may seem redundant to type “beefy” but I add this because there are weirdos here who think CHICKEN & TURKEY classify as BBQ. I should take my shotgun & shoot them. Kidding. Just ‘cause I’m from Texas, it doesn’t mean I’m nuts enough to own a shotgun. =) I would use my glock. Kidding, again. Seriously I can’t stand gun violence. :( But the people who think that BBQ includes anything other than my blissful buttery beef should never, ever receive any cool stickers from any of us. ;) I’ve heard certain parts of Canada have some BBQ game too! Calgary maybe? Wishing you the sweetest, spiciest slabs of marbled, majestic beef, fabulous friend!
u/likablelobster Friend, there could be no more likable lobster than you. You became more likable by the minute after your adorable illustrated croissant & coffee postcard arrived! Did you use a ***gasp*** TYPEWRITER to type your super likable thoughts on this postcard?!? I’m obsessed with typewriters! I wish I had one from the 1940s! They are so crazy cool & believe me when I tell you that you became even more likable to me by typing crooked! I don’t know if it was intentional or not but THIS is the sweet crazy charm of using a typewriter - having no control over lawless words that don’t align to mad margins! For the first 15 minutes I stared at this card in awe, I didn’t even READ what you typed hahaha! I was entranced by the typing!!!! And then your likability catapulted to the moon when I read what you had actually typed. ;) I loved how you typed so much in such a small amount of space, you likable sweetie!!!! This postcard is now among my absolute favorites - because you typed through tumultuous postcard terrain & included what is the PRETTIEST stamp I have EVER seen (the super colorful illustrated Postcrossing stamp)!!!! Thank you SO much for making me so happy with your beautiful mail!
u/maiiiu Thanks so much for the super cuuuuute handmade “Write” card! Your calligraphy of the word “Write” is just gorgeous! I just love the awesome puffy-ish pastel-colored plant stickers you included - they’re so fun to look at & I can’t wait to use them while sending mail!! I love that you have a mentor, & what a bonus that he makes you laugh! I say, next time, *you* get to decide what y’all have for lunch. Wishing y’all perfect palak paneer lunches that are free from rain & roadside diversions! ;)
u/dekabus Thank you for the pretty floral card with all your sweet sentiments on beauty! I found it delightful that you included the cool sticker that says “Vermehrt Schönes” or “Increase Beauty” in German! I love it!!!! I think the subject of “beauty” is fascinating & want to share with you one of my favorite quotes: “But if a mirror ever makes you sad, you should know that it does not know you.” – Kabir Here’s an interpretation of the meaning from outofstress.com: “The mirror is merely a reflection of your external form and not of your internal form. Hence the mirror does not know you and what it portrays is of little importance.” You are BEAUTIFUL, u/dekabus, for so many reasons. But in this moment, you are most beautiful for spreading so much kindness & cheer to so many across the globe, especially to strangers! Thank you! Wishing you beauty in all its forms, beautiful friend. =)
u/jess_4943 Thanks for the pretty hyacinth postcard decorated with the fun stickers! I really love the lightbulb sticker that has flowers growing within it, like a terrarium! Depictions of mini terrariums housed in unusual objects always delight me!! Wishing you terrariums of joy! =)
u/wabisabi_sf Thanks for the serene RAoC 10th anniversary beach postcard with my name written in your *gorgeous* calligraphy! I appreciate your kind words & wish you beaches of beauty & bacon (if you like bacon ha)!
u/kk6321 Thanks for the cool postcard with all the fun travel stamps! Wishing you a blast in Spain! Re: you wondering if there will be AC…a few years ago I was in Portugal & it was 117 degrees. No AC. I prayed for death & canceled my plans to go to Spain because apparently it was hotter there. :( Wishing you buckets of ice & balmy breezes!!!!
u/omggallout x 2 Thanks for the adorable Arriety postcard - what a fun illustration! Haha, how cool that we unwittingly sent each other space postcards!!! Thank you for the gorgeous depiction of Orion Nebula with the fun planet stickers! Wishing you planets of peace & prosperity!
u/lehmongeloh Thank you for the cuuuuute kitty floral postcard! You are a magnet to cute, my friend! Please DM me with your address & likes if I may send you a card. =) Wishing you all things that are crazy cute!
u/smellyann64 Thanks for the cool vintage Vienna House of Parliament card! I don’t know what your job title is, but you staring down barracudas & hangin’ with octopi wins the RAoC coolest career contest! Wishing you safety & smiles in the sea!! =)
u/mypetitmal x 2 Thank you for the SUPER FUN, beautifully-illustrated Power Woman thank-you postcard! I love it! The artwork is so eye-catching & I love the comic-book panel style! It was my pleasure to send you the kitty card. My thoughts are with you & I hope that you’re feeling better. WHOA you’ve been carding since 2007 - whoa!!!! So awesome! Have you ever counted the number of cards you’ve received? To answer your question…I’ve been a crafter since about 2016 when I started frequenting craft classes at a bunch of different libraries. But I only got into carding when I met the beautiful u/Bridge-etti at a Victorian scrapbooking class & she casually mentioned RAoC to me! Imagine my delight at “running” into her again on accident/BY SURPRISE on this sub when she sent me a V-Day card & I sent her a birthday card!!! I’d been waiting to see how long it would take for me to cross paths with her since I never got her info and it only took about 6 weeks!!! Amazingly fun!! So I have her to thank for my new obsession - RAoC, & for the sad/fun reality that my car now looks like Hobby Lobby had a baby in it. ;) Thanks also for the super cuuuute friendship currency postcard! What cute doodles. Also love the adorable sticker you added! I hear you on the time change - same. Wish they would abolish it so we can prevent traffic accidents & other nonsense! Hope you recover soon & that your trip to Chi-town was a blast! Eat anything tasty there? =) Thanks for thinking of me & looking forward to learning more about you. Wishing you endless smiles & sunshine through RAoC & beyond, sweetheart!
u/thunderlightboomzap Thank you for the pretty illustrated sky card! You shared such wonderful affirmations - thanks for taking the time to share them with me! And so many! I especially love how you shared affirmations focusing on self-worth: “My worth cannot be measured by my paycheck, my job title, or a list of professional or academic achievements” & “There is nothing I need to accomplish to be worthy. I am already worthy.” Right on! These are amazing reminders. Thanks also for the “mental health matters” & self-compassion stickers! You’re such a loving, encouraging soul! Here are some affirmations for you on one of my fave subjects, creativity:
“I am creating in every moment, awake and asleep.”
“I am free to take my imagination anywhere it wants to go.”
This one is a bit wordy, but I like the spirit:
“I effortlessly connect with the universe's boundless inventiveness.”
Thanks again for being so thoughtful & encouraging! Wishing you the same peace, joy, & smiles you gifted me!
u/drguinea Thanks for the beautiful pastel flower postcard! Looking at all the pretty colors brightens my spirits. YESSSSS I’m all about David on Schitt’s Creek! I recall Googling the heck out of him when I first watched the show - it’s so easy to fall in love with him. But sad for me, he’s too hot & gay so what’s the point of living anymore?!? ;) And his real-life/tv DAD Eugene Levy - okay should I be embarrassed to admit that I fell in love with him years ago when I heard him speak live at a banquet in Austin LOL? He is HILARIOUS!!!!
u/LaCuntessa Thanks for the wacky fun Joan Miro postcard - love this art, & especially the smiling sketches!
u/hato_mailing x 2 Thanks for the GORGEOUS wax seals you sent along with the sweet nature postcards. :) The seals are simply stunning & a total wonder to look at, wow! The turquoise & silver seals are especially fun & fanciful! Thanks for letting me be a part of your fun mail wax seal test initiative - super cool. :) Wishing you the hottest of wonderful wax that never burns you! But not ear wax - OMG have you ever gone temporarily deaf because of excessive ear wax? It’s kinda cool & convenient when your mom yells for no reason but kinda torturous otherwise. Kinda like how I’m torturing you by mentioning ear wax for no reason. Sorry I haven’t slept much. Wishing you endless joy in your snazzy snail mail experiments!
u/libertyprogrammer Thanks for the gorgeous Women in Art Ray Eames postcard! I can’t wait to study her films. And as a newbie, I went batcrap bananas over all the flippin’ FUNNNNN & super unique postage stamps you included!! They are EXTRAORDINARY, & so are you for brightening my day with all this beautiful eye candy. Wishing you limitless liberty (LOVE the username)! =)
u/travel4me Thank you for this ****super gorgeous**** Loupaper postcard of the charming charcuterie snacks! You totally nailed the “brightly colored illustration” prompt - I loooove this card so much! Wishing you the crunchiest carrots, sweetest strawberries, creamiest cheeses, & bluest blueberries at your next social soiree! =)
u/missnettiemoore Thanks for the neato retro Absinthe ad postcard! Love vintage ads. I’ve never tried absinthe either. But I’m all about the art! Wishing you days full of intoxicating laughter & love! =)
u/bluedecemberart Thanks for the elegant Alphonse Mucha postcard! Love your thoughts on watercolor vs. lithographs. Holy moly I don’t know anything about art but I can’t believe it’s watercolor either! Astounding. Thanks for sharing your art expertise with me, I love to learn! Wishing you endless joy as you create your art. =)
u/photographyislove Thanks for the exquisite wildflower specimens postcard! I love illustrated cards like this one. =) I was alarmed to hear about your winter storm traffic story but relieved you’re around to talk about it! Wishing you safety & the best of hilarious podcasts while you drive!
u/mostlygoodthings Thanks for the sweet wishes from Spain - adorably written on the Norway postcard hahaha! I’m feeling envious about the gorgeous ambient sunlight scenes you described. =) Wishing you soft, serene sunlight (not like the sunburns we get in Texas ;( ) & smiles!
u/jamiekj Thanks for the sweet surprise wishes from Savannah! How adorable are you to think of me while on your work trip?!? I appreciate your thoughtfulness so much & hope that you had some fun while on your work trip (or at least tried some tasty treats). =) Wishing you lots of exciting excursions & zero work on your “work” trips haha!
u/lspjackie How cuuuuute is this vintage St. Patrick’s day illustrated postcard?!?!? It is sooooo adorable, & you are too for blessing a stranger with it! I’m insane for vintage illustrated ads & this one is just frame-worthy! Thank you. Hope you had a 17th full of luck & laughter! =)
u/tashmash Loved receiving a postcard from your fave ice cream joint! Thank you. What cuuuute diamond washi you used to decorate the postcard. I feel like American ice cream is devoid of flavofat because they jack it up with sugar. I wonder if your ice cream place uses more fabulous fat than stupid sugar in the ice cream. Your postcard makes me wanna pack up & move to NZ just to test out the goodies for myself. ;) Wishing you boundless buckets of chocolate cherry & cookies & cream ice cream without ice cream headaches!!!
u/Proud_Ad_759 x 2 This Winnie-the-Pooh card is crazy adorable but ALMOST as adorable as you are!!!!! I just LOVE your enthusiasm for snail mail & was so charmed by your cuuuute inquiry if I had received your postcard like a day hahaha after you mailed it from 87 states away! Seriously, your positive energy is so infectious & I’m so happy we met! I was also so happy to hear about your 6th sense…okay the same uber weird stuff happens to me. And it IS a “big thing” my friend! Now how can we channel that into winning the lottery LOL? Just kidding. Sort of - I mean, I’ll take the lottery but to be honest, even if I won it, I would NEVER EVER stop exchanging cards with fabulous fun friends like you! I think I’d just use the $$ to juice up the process. Like I’d hire a full-time assistant to take care of all the RAoC tasks while I just read & appreciate the cards. ;) Thanks also for the funny Peter Pan postcard of the little weirdo exposing his beautiful belly! Just loved your funny, creative answer to my macarena dance prompt !!! If you’re okay with me posting your awesome answer, I’ll do that later when I post a special thanks including all the different answers to the same prompt. =)
u/BetterOwl3221 Hello-Hello I’m so happy-happy to receive this STUNNING Halo-Halo recipe postcard!!!!! THANK YOU! =) I'm including a close-up pic of it in case anyone reading my long-winded nonsense wants to check out the recipe. =) I’m bananas for illustrated cards & this one needs to be framed for my future dream house! All of the pastel colors on this gorgeous card instantly brighten me up & I’m even excited to live today if that makes sense hahaha! It’s kinda cool how one beautiful card from a beautiful stranger can instantly be a beautiful balm for one’s mood. I also loved your description of the dreamy dessert. It sounds so perfect & simply scrumptious! The postmark is from last month - it took ages to get here. And funny, this is the *one* card I kept thinking about for weeks out of all the ones I’ve ever requested because it just looked like the happiest card ever on your post & I was hoping it wasn’t lost. So the day I got it in the mail, I started jumping up & down like a lunatic outside near the mailbox & was so giddy that a kid passing by, ALARMED, asked me if I needed help. I was like, really, you kind moron? I’m smiling & laughing like a nutcake while holding this beautiful mail & your instinct is to call the cops on me hahaha?!? I wanted to yell at the stupid sweetie to check out RAoC so he could experience the kind of joy you made me feel. =)
u/Dolliesqueak Thanks for the super cool Night Sky postcard with the awesome Carl Sagan quote!!! I agree that we are made of star stuff =) Wishing you shooting stars & sweet sunshine!
u/doggotoast x 2 Thanks for the gorgeous SG postcard! So cute! I’m digging your affinity for oatmilk. Yummmm - my fave oatmilk is Planet Oat, Extra Creamy - it’s insanely delicious. :) Thanks also for the bright yellow furniture postcard that woke me up! ;) I LOVE how you’d be workin’ the Macarena even though you “hate dancing” hahaha! Wishing you non-awkward dance experiences & the most aromatic cups of coffee, friend!
u/RideThatBridge Thanks for the super pretty illustrated floral card! I just love the Indian proverb you kindly shared: “All of the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today.” This is insanely profound & inspires me to procrastinate a little less with all my work. ;) Here are some of my fave Indian proverbs:
“Don’t poison someone whom you can kill with sweets.”
“They who dream for too long will become like their shadow.”WHATTT!?!? Aren’t these deep?!? Thanks for the lovely inspiration! Here’s hoping your seeds of today blossom into fabulous flowers tomorrow! =)
u/jubilan Thanks for the cool illustrated Hawaiian cocktail postcard with your self-love encouragement! So sweet. Your positive vibes are so beautiful. Wishing you lots of contemplative, wonderful walks & sunny smiles!
u/drivingogre Thanks for the adorable bear postcard FANTASTICALLY FULL (yesssss for zero white space!!!) with the most fun facts!!! “Art used to be an olympic event!” Whaaat?!?!? That sounds amazing! Here’s a cool fact for you: kitty pee-pee glows in the dark! Wishing your lovely brain hoards all the most amazing fun facts forevermore so you can dazzle people dizzy at parties! P.S. Charming u/ellezavech , also a fact fiend like us, taught me a tres cool fact about one of my most fave words, “dazzle”. But you’ll have to work for it by checking out the post ;) https://www.reddit.com/RandomActsofCards/comments/11h673n/thank_you_when_does_bread_rise_when_you_yeast/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
u/sebisrude Not again with this rude nonsense, sugar! I’m dying to hear about this fun/mean username! I’m happy *as hell* you saved me from a critical Pipsticks expenditure emergency (stupid student-loan-debt-be-damned) by sending me this illustrated pen & pencil postcard!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU! I’m batcrap bananas over it & can’t tell you how badly the nerd in me ached for this card when I missed out on an offer for it ages ago! I had never even heard of Pipsticks before I saw this postcard. And now I hope a rich, evil relative dies soon (kidding) & bequeaths me his/her glorious estate which I will then fill with Pipsticks utopia & host a Pipsticks party to which you will be the guest of honor! Wishing you the peppiest of perfect stickers!
u/shipping_addict x 2 Thanks for the super cool NY postcard in the shape of a stamp!!! What a sweetheart you are, sending me the roasted veggies recipe unprompted. :) Are you sure you’re not a southerner, Darlin’, with all that homemade cookin’ & crazy cool cardin’? Thanks also for the *adorable* Over the Garden Wall tarot card!!! What is it about mini cards that drives me merrily mad?!!? I haven’t dived into tarot readings yet but am intrigued by what you wrote: “success, achievement, failure”. All I know is, if I’m successful & achieve, I’m thanking myself. But if I fail, I’m blaming *you*, Sugar, & will send you the ugliest postcards of all time. I’m collecting a batcrapload of ‘em specifically for this purpose. But you’re so cute, sweet, & strangely southern in your demeanor that your polite self would likely write the most heartfelt, sweet lies about how you love it all. ;) And OMG you sent me a Lindsay Lohan PARENT TRAP sticker?!?!? So hilarious & awesome! Hoarding it for life!!!! Also love the cuuuute lemon stamp sticker & the little pastel illustrated cutie!!! Ooooohh I just saw the cool purple Broadway stamp on the envelope - sweeeet!!!! =)
u/SherlockLady x 5 Thanks for the cuuuuuuuutest homemade Easter bunny card I’ve ever seen!!! The smiling sweetie & the bright orange carrot right next to it on the spring-y lime green paper just put me in the best mood! Also love the “You only live once” card, the super motivating “Be brave be bold be you” superhero card, the super thoughtful self-care card, & the Eiffel tower scrapbook paper card! LOVE the cute washi tape samples you sent! The eye-themed one is so adorable & my fave. Thanks also for the stickers & the tea - can’t wait to try it! You constantly spoil me with so much amazing love & I’m so grateful for your nonstop magical mail surprises!!!
u/stephkempf x 8 Sweetheart, I wish I could say I keep you in the postcard sending “business” LOL!!!!! THANK YOU. =) I can only hope that they appreciate you at work & give you boundless bonuses so you can buy as many stamps as your insane, adorable, gorgeous, generous, syrupy sweet heart desires. :) Truly, you AMAZE me with how much you indulge us with your fun, frightening, & frighteningly fun offers hahaha! I honestly had no idea what in the hot holy hell I signed up for when I filled out your birthday bonanza form. All I know is, I keep wondering if it’s my birthday when I’m surprised with a random birthday postcard hahaha! That’s super crazy fun! I’m so jazzed that you’re upcycling all your cards & blessing us with them. LOVE all the b-day postcards - especially the Snoopy one. I don’t understand how that kid never ages. Thanks also for the soothing floral non-bday postcard. I’ll admit I was jarred that it’s not a b-day card hahaha! I so appreciate all the fun, good vibes, & insane beauty you send my way!
submitted by queenofthescreen to RandomActsofCards [link] [comments]


2023.03.30 01:24 45422 Turkey Creek Jack Johnson: Doc, you oughta be in bed, what the hell you doin this for anyway? Doc Holliday: Wyatt Earp is my friend. Turkey Creek Jack Johnson: Hell, I got lots of friends. Doc Holliday: I don't.

Turkey Creek Jack Johnson: Doc, you oughta be in bed, what the hell you doin this for anyway? Doc Holliday: Wyatt Earp is my friend. Turkey Creek Jack Johnson: Hell, I got lots of friends. Doc Holliday: I don't. submitted by 45422 to leanbeefpatty [link] [comments]


2023.03.30 00:24 ElatedRival Made a juice bar

Made a juice bar submitted by ElatedRival to DreamlightValley [link] [comments]


2023.03.29 23:34 Sousvidecrockpot The Bloodyless Mary

The Bloodyless Mary
I was unsurprisingly craving a Bloody Mary one day, but ultimately wanted to create a show stopper. I juiced and seasoned. I strained and spun (in a centrifuge). Ultimately, I came up with a fantastic Bloody, however for a bar or restaurants menu, this was too much work to complete on a regular basis. Furthermore, I strongly believe that a bloody mary is, "just a mixy", or at least should be. Back to the drawing board.
Of course I came to Reddit for inspiration and found a post by u/the_madeline in which they milk punch and clarify a bloody mary. Genius! We recreate their exact recipe among a couple other punchs for comparison (we used Zing Zang and Clamato for the two other versions). We were close, oh so close!
The final recipe, which is pictured here, went for a base mix comprised of 75% Clamato and 25% Master of Mixes (Zing Zang was too... Zingy). We did an initial spin with a coagulant to get rid of the big pieces and then mixed a bacon-fat washed vodka into the clearer mixture.
Given how acidic the Clamato juice is by itself, we really didn't need to play with acidity, although I did add just a scootch of pickle brine before adding whole milk. Letting that sit over night, we strained the mixture through a coffee filter and voila!
The recipe is: 3.5 Bloody/Clamato mixture 1.5 Bacon-fat washed vodka An eyeball of pickle brine
Poured directly into a Collins glass and garnished with a pickle.
I'm proud to introduce my no-mixy Bloodyless Mary!
submitted by Sousvidecrockpot to cocktails [link] [comments]


2023.03.29 23:16 DocumentPrunes Booger Sugar Ain't So Sweet

Totes just need to vent.

A former friend of mine is really into supporting the cocaine cartels and corruption that goes with producing that party favour.
I know a lot of people partake in it, or know someone who does. Heck, I had an ex that used it "only at New Years" and guess what? For the 5 years we dated, he really ONLY ever did it in December. I watched him turn it down all year long.
It's too bad that so many people become unbearable because of it. I'm all for functioning __________ but there's a point where you step over the line from "lovin it" to "I do this every day, this is my job now".
It's brutal how quickly a weekend hobby turned into this former friend inviting me over to watch her do rail after rail. And I mean, I smoke a lot of weed so I don't worry about what people do with their bodies of water, but at least cannabis gets me out hiking, or having a good time.
This broad would do a bump and then slam her fist on the table while telling a story (her personality is aggressive to begin with), I'd just laugh because I'm not afraid of violent people. Just aware. Only problem is, all her stories are about her, and like a typically high and delusional person, she assumes she's more interesting than she is. I mean, I've lived a life full of interesting stories, but I don't tell them to everyone, all the time. They're for me, but I will entertain in the write context.
I guess what gets me about all this is the voluntary brain dysfunction. Like, "can't you do a drug that makes you talk about interesting things? Or be nicer?" It's also highlarious to watch how much more alcohol she can consume when she's all hopped up on booger sugar. Which always ends trash.
From what I can tell , doing lines is a great way to: waste money on alcohol (and wake up and wonder why you drank all yours, then accuse guys you invited over of stealing it, till you find a bag of blow said guy gave you for the beers he drank), harm the absolute fck out of yourself smoking 3 packs of cigarettes in a night, and of course, get loud at the bar at the end of the night because you out drank everyone else with your beer, beer, beer, beer and whiskey, beer and whiskey, whiskey and beer, and whiskey, whiskey, whiskey 😂
I would have laughed and let this go except a side effect of addiction is "morality going out the window". And it did when she started stealing. At first hats that were forgotten at her house went missing. Then something from my purse that I knew was IN MY PURSE before I left, but mysteriously never made it back to my house after I used her bathroom before I left. And of course, cigarettes. Missing packs from me and "friends" (term used loosely because are they your friends if you steal from them?) This broad must have been really high to think that stealing from backpacks and purses isn't going to get noticed. Like "oh geez, I guess I just lost my stuff to mischievous elves".
The unfortunate side effect of all this snow blowing seems to also be communication breakdown. It's hard enough talking to an aggressive combative person when they're sober, never mind when they're all juiced up on coke made of meth. I couldn't even salvage the friendship by talking to her about this because she just wanted to fight about it. No discussion, no explanation, no apology. Just defensive dominance. I wasn't surprised tho, she's like an adult child (she's 42 and her mom has to come over and help her clean her house). Incapable of being anything other than fun and ferocious. Not aware or emotionally mature enough to be honest with herself, much less others (mom doesn't know about the blow).
I knew she was getting too into the powder power when she the last conversation we had was her SELF PITYING statement: "I get the impression I missed your birthday". Awesome. A logical (not high and drunk every day) person might think "hmm did I miss her birthday? Maybe I'll look on Fckbook and see if people wished her a happy birthday?" Or actually use the power of social media to look at when my birthday is? Nope. Instead she just tried to make me feel sorry for her? For how bad SHE FELT about missing something that hadn't happened yet? Excuse you? 😄 That's like 8 types of crazy stoopid. Assuming you missed someone's birthday (not asking if you did) and that THAT'S THE REASON they've been distant from you (not the stealing) and then expecting THEM to feel sorry for you?!?!!
I understand she lost a parent she really loved when she was young. So did I, but she has one left (I do not) and she has a lot going for her to be grateful about (and also LOSE from messy addiction, she calls in sick to work at least once a week from a hangover). At the end of it all the only thing I could do was tell her she seems different now, but that she is a "cool chick" and I did appreciate the fun we had (hangin at the lake, going out for dinner, watching movies, playing games) and I hope she gets back to being that person sooner than later.
Has anyone else had a similar setback with a friend, family or other person in their life because of the yayo? What did they do? What did you do?
submitted by DocumentPrunes to offmychest [link] [comments]


2023.03.29 23:11 BAYDREAMRECORDS If you're looking for something to do in Tbay this Friday come out to the Westfort for our Hip-hop night! Featuring some talented local artists and classic Hip-hop music played by DJ Bay Dream. Tickets are 10$ at the door! You can also get your ticket in advanced online.

If you're looking for something to do in Tbay this Friday come out to the Westfort for our Hip-hop night! Featuring some talented local artists and classic Hip-hop music played by DJ Bay Dream. Tickets are 10$ at the door! You can also get your ticket in advanced online. submitted by BAYDREAMRECORDS to ThunderBay [link] [comments]


2023.03.29 22:48 RingoCross99 The Adventure Games (Section 2 of 4)

The Adventure Games (Section 2 of 4)

https://preview.redd.it/96g1qoy9qqqa1.png?width=2000&format=png&auto=webp&s=eb7f873eac2d8949865c7244d6714eda7407cba9
The Adventure Games
By Ringo Cross
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Chapter 2: continued...)
His theatrics made us all blush. I closed the pantry, took a deep sigh, and made my way over to the table. I glanced nervously into the eyes of what had become my unwanted audience. They were all waiting impatiently for me to begin what was arguably one of the most awkward, forced introductions in recorded history:
“H-hello. My name is um... um... Joshua Graham. I’m originally from Waterbury—uh—Connecticut, sorry. My parents relocated to Clayton, Missouri when I was twelve. I have one sister, she just turned seventeen. She’s the reason I’m here. Phew. Man, I, I told them I’d join if they’d help her. They agreed and I, um, well, and now I’m here, right? There’s really not much else to say—oh, I’m 29, work for Amazon, delivering packages all day. That’s pretty much it. I live a pretty normal existence, oh and I’m... human? I don’t know why we have to mention that, but whatever,” I told my unwanted audience while standing there and waiting for any unwanted questions they may have had.
“So, basically, you already got your wish?” Bully asked with a mouth full of sandwich.
“I guess you can say that.”
“Humph. That’s suspicious.”
“How is that suspicious?”
“How isn’t it suspicious?”
“Man. My sister was literally days away from dying! I traded my wish for her life.”
“That explains the name tag,” Bully laughed contemptuously at me.
“You’re a real piece of work. But thank you for reminding me to take this stupid thing off,” I said while peeling the name tag off my shirt.
“It’s noble if you ask me,” the Lover said, with a wink and a smile. Then he kind of gave me an innocent little bump, indicating that I should step aside, as if the spot I was standing on had become the place to be. I obliged and he began his longwinded introduction:
“Greetings, everyone. As you already know from today’s prior announcement, my name is Roger Pierson. I hope this doesn’t come off as a jump scare, but I’m afraid I am indeed one of those filthy ‘nonhumans’ she was talking about. I’m a vampire to be precise, but please, please you have nothing to fear. I’m not some starving brood waiting to kill you in your sleep,” he said before tittering away like an amiable courtier. “Ok, where was I, oh, yeah—”
“Wow, wow, wow,” Bully managed to stammer out without choking. “What do you mean you’re a vampire?”
“Humph. I don’t know how else to describe it,” he said with a slight sigh and shrug.
“Bro. Are you being serious right now?”
“Deadly serious—ok, so I probably shouldn’t have said that. That wasn’t funny,” he said before placing a hand to his chest and huffing in displeasure. “But no. In all seriousness, I’m totally a vampire.”
“This is unreal,” the Followed muttered.
Roger placed a hand to his head in exasperation, “Oh devil, I knew this was going to be a hardship. Why wouldn’t it be? I’m obviously telling a bunch of randoms the most shocking bit of news there is.”
“I call bs!” Bully said rather mockingly. He folded his arms and looked over at Roger with an annoyed expression. “Dude. Come on. This isn’t the time for pranks. We got enough going on as is.”
“It’s true...” the Rationalizer spoke. He had been lingering around in the shadows for so long I forgot he was a part of the group. He slowly made his way over to us, and added, “He’s not lying. Now let him finish. If this is our only task for the day, I’d like to be done.”
“Fine. The floor is yours,” Bully said very sarcastically and mockingly of Roger.
Roger took it in stride, showing off his decorum. “Thank you, and thank you,” he told the two gents before finding the main road again, after that volcanic segue. “Where was I? Ah, yes, that’s right. Ok, so like I was saying, I am a vampire. I’m 44 years younger,” he paused for a moment to gather his thoughts. His eyes lit up in fanciful imagination. “Ah, yes! How silly of me. I almost forgot about my precious Ana. Ok, everyone, last but certainly not least, let me tell you a thing or two about my darling sister. Oh, my, you guys are going to love this. Her name’s Diana but we call her Ana. She just finished her blood rituals with a strapping young lad from a noble family! It is to a lesser house but a decent, well pedigreed one. I’m so excited for them and for this amazing marriage! I can’t tell you how much this helps increase my already voluminous profile in vampiric society. Hmm... I wonder... Maybe that’s the reason I was given the master bed? I must be the highest ranking notable in the bunker? Pfft. Any who. Like I was saying, ‘nobility’ and ‘royalty’ are interchangeable terms in the vampiric world, since technically we aren’t the real power behind the throne. Hope this doesn’t come as a shock, but the real power behind the throne belongs to our—”
“Put a sock in it already!” Bully barked.
“Excuse me?” Roger asked with a scowl.
“You heard me, stick to the point!”
“How rude,” Roger uttered. “Fine. As to why I’m here. Isn’t it obvious? I’m here because I was promised patronage from one of the elven original vampiric houses! Any order will do, since we live in LA, I’m thinking it’ll be the Vandervelt order. There’s no way I’m getting into the Báthoric order. Or the Dracul, or the Hapsburg, or the Windsor. Yeah. It’ll probably be the Vandervelt’s. They’re like the only ‘American’ clan,” he bumbled and mumbled. There was an odd pause. He looked at us and quickly realized we were all staring at him as if he were a madman, not only for talking to himself but for talking to himself in front of us about things we had no clue about. Seeing this, he wiped the sweat from his brow and nobly carried on, “Whew. Ok, so I know that was a lot to take in. Sorry about my little conniption there. Oh, and as far as work, hah, labor isn’t really my thing. Oh my. Now that I think about it, I’ve probably never worked a day in my life. When I do ‘work,’ as you commoners say, I coordinate parties and other high-end affairs for the highborn.”
Everyone looked at Roger. No one knew how to follow that up. I looked over at the Follower and gestured for him to go next with an innocent head nod. I think he picked up on what I was putting out there. Because he stood from his chair and gingerly and clumsily made his way over to what had quickly become the speaking spot of shame.
When Roger saw this, he cringed as if the boy was a smelly hunk of meat. He hurriedly got out of his way, trying his best not to stare. I’m guessing he didn’t have much experience with humans, let alone urbanites. To him, we were all probably repulsive smelly hunks of flesh. He was too stuffy and uppity to appreciate anyone who didn’t appreciate fine linen or fine dining.
The Follower tore off his name tag with a shaky hand. Then he waved at us, all unsure of himself, like this was his first time addressing a group:
“Sup? Name’s Aaron. Just turned eighteen. Little bit about myself, as you can see, I like tattoos. I’m into stoner and skater culture. Grew up in Virginia Beach. I’m mixed so you know I try my best not to be no vulture and always rep ‘the culture.’”
He made an odd hand gesture when he said the last bit about ‘the culture.’ Then, as if that wasn’t already cringy enough, he carried on, saying, “Right now I’m part of the gig army. Uber Eats, Lift, Spark, Insta, all that good stuff. I don’t know man, it ain’t like it used to be when my parent was growing up. Everything was cheap. It’s hard out here nowadays. That’s why I joined. They said if I win, I can get a full ride to Duke. I’m a huge Blue Devils fan. If I was taller, I swear I would’ve been a baller, but it’s whatever now. That stuff’s old news,” he abruptly stopped, but before leaving so someone else could talk, he looked over at Roger and blurted, “Oh, and I’m human! If what bro said is true, I think vampires are sick man! You gotta tell me more, big homie, I’m all ears!”
Roger folded his arms and smacked his lips as if what Aaron said had left a tart taste in his mouth. He didn’t even bother with a remonstrance; a simple eye roll and an “Ugh” were enough to convey his disdain.
Aaron got the message and hastily sat down next to the young girl. She leaned over and whispered into his ear while staring at Roger. The two erupted into laughter. The type of boisterous uproar only teenagers could get away with. We all just kind of looked around waiting to see who would take the initiative and go next. When no one else stepped up to the plate, Bully finally decided to go next. I could tell he had an attitude. This guy was going to be trouble I thought to myself.
He stood there for a moment, frowning and fuming, like he wanted to smash something. Instead of giving in to his lesser angels, he held his head high and gave in to his better angels: “I’m a human, like everyone else here,” he peeled off his name tag while grumbling, “Stupid nonsense. My name isn’t bully. I’m not a freaking bully. My name’s Brock. Brock Berger. I’m twenty-five, and as you can clearly see, I’m heavy into the fitness scene: weightlifting, deadlifting, flexing for the ladies, all the usual stuff muscleheads do,” he said before flexing his bicep muscles.
I can’t lie, even though he had the personality of a milk carton, he was Zyzz levels of ripped and about as aesthetically pleasing as a Greek god. He gave the Narcissist a wink before transitioning his front double bicep pose into a Greek god pose.
She glared and scoffed at him, “Can you like, hurry up? I’m not here to find a boyfriend.”
“If I win—no. When I win, I get a brand-spanking-new Wrangler Sport and an all-expensive paid road trip—from my home state of Maryland, all the way to Malibu! I can’t wait! Malibu here I come baby! Wahoo!”
Brock continued to cheer for himself like a total you-know-what. Once he was done being bothered with us, he went over to the fridge and grabbed a whole jug of OJ. The bastard began chugging it straight from the bottle. I had never seen someone drink so ravenously. I suppose all those muscles came with a hefty energy demand.
Everyone waited to see which brave soul would take the floor next. There was a bit of awkward silence. But before things could turn from awkward to downright uncomfortable, someone spoke: “The name’s Markus. I don’t really have too much to say. I’m 33, unemployed, my last job was at a call center. I’m into comics, I’m also a vampire, and if I win, I get a million dollars, hard cash.”
Roger’s eyes lit up. He raised his hand as if he were a student gaining the teacher’s attention. When Markus saw this, he asked him what did he want.
Roger said, “Wow. You’re not much of a charmer. Riddle me this? You’re a vampire, correct?”
“Yeah. What about it?”
“Pureblooded, by any chance?”
“Nope. No chance.”
“Oh, that’s too bad.”
“I take it you are?”
“Naturally,” Roger crowed.
“What are you guys talking about?” I asked Markus.
“It’s nothing,” he mumbled.
“Oh, it’s definitely something,” Roger chortled.
“I’m what you’d call a brood.”
“What’s that?” Aaron asked.
“All it means is that I wasn’t born a vampire. I was human once. I was changed into one. So, in our world, vampires like me are considered impure.”
“How is that a bad thing?” I asked.
“I know right?” Aaron seconded.
“It’s not. I don’t feel like explaining. Let’s just finish introducing ourselves and move on.”
Roger scowled as if his lowly thoughts of Markus had somehow exceeded expectations. I had no clue what the beef between them was. I made a mental note to find out more. If I wanted to do that, I would first have to find a way to get one of the last two people to go.
The only two contestants left were the girls. The younger of the two, the one whose name tag read “Teenager,” tried to make herself smaller.
When she hunched over into a ball, all eyes seemed to naturally gravitate towards the Narcissist. I don’t know if she was daydreaming or what. But when she finally noticed what was going on, she stopped playing with her fingernails. Her cold stare said it all. She folded her arms and stewed for a second. Then, to everyone’s shock and relief she complied. She didn’t bother standing up, she just sat there and began angrily addressing us:
“Tch. This is so stupid, whatever. I’m already so over this. Name’s Lisa Pilgrim. 21 years old, 50k followers on Instagram. I’m human, like, I don’t know what all this vampire talk is about, but it is so not cool. Only reason I’m even here is because they promised I’d get a blue check mark if I participated or whatever.”
“You joined for a blue check mark?” Brock asked with a chuckle.
I jumped in and said, “It’s not like your wish is any better.”
“You guys are so clueless. If you don’t know why it’s important that’s not my problem. I’m not your mother. I know because I hate kids.”
“Wow. Ok,” I told her.
“Anyways,” she said with an eye roll to die for, before returning to nothing, I mean, staring and playing with her polished fingernails as if we were nothing.
The only person that was left was the girl. She peeked around the room nervously before ducking her head back down when we exchanged glances. Since no one else was going to do it, I walked over, crouched down in front of her, and gently asked if she wouldn’t minding introducing herself.
She peeked over her knees and smiled nervously. Her cheeks were rosy red. I could tell she absolutely hated me for coming over and putting her on the spot like that. I knew it was a bit trashy, but I was hungry, tired, and frustrated. The sooner she got on with it the better.
“Fine...” she sheepishly squeaked before standing up. Her eyes darted around the room. She glared at me for a moment more before getting on with it: “Hi. My name is Sarah. I’m human. I’m sixteen.”
When she told us her age everyone was a bit taken aback. How in the world was she allowed to participate in whatever this was without parental supervision? Seeing our baffled expressions, she added a bit of clarification: “It’s not like it was my idea. I know what you guys are thinking, and I would never sign up for something stupid like this.” She took her name tag off and ripped it into pieces, grumbling, “My father’s so controlling.”
“He did this to you?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“That’s brutal,” Brock said.
“Why?” Markus asked.
“Why what?” I asked, taking somewhat of a defensive stance on behalf of the girl.
“Why’d he do it?” he asked her with folded arms, as if he was questioning her story.
She gave a slight shrug and said, “It’s complicated. I did some things I probably shouldn’t have, and he kicked me out. Oh, and I don’t get anything if I win. Well, I will get to see dad again, but I have mixed feeling about that, considering how harsh he punished me.”
“That’s awful,” Roger said.
She swiped the tears from her eyes and told him it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle. He went over and gave her a cautious hug, making sure not to invade too much of her personal space.
“Thanks,” she shyly spoke.
“It’s okay, honey. I’m here if you need me. Trust me, I know what it’s like to have overbearing parents. Why being born into a pureblooded family will do that to you,” he said with a playful wink.
Markus unfolded his arms and grumbled, “This guy,” as if rubbing in his status wasn’t irritating enough. He was being condescending as well.
“You know that automated voice sounded a lot like you,” Brock told her.
“Excuse me?” Sarah said.
“The lady who was over the loudspeaker when we first walked in.”
“What about her?”
“She sounds like you.”
Sarah shrugged but said nothing, staring at him as if he had lost his marbles. I went over and gave Brock a playfully slap across the shoulder, “Better be careful. She might kill you first, tough guy.”
He laughed, “Yeah right. If anything, I need to be worried about you, hero-boy.”
“What do we do next?” Aaron asked.
“Food,” I quickly replied.
“Ok, let’s do food,” he snorted.
Lisa turned away in disgust. She stood and headed for the recreational room, which was right across from the kitchen. Markus took her seat at the table but said little to nothing. Roger headed straight for the whiskey cabinet, which was to the right of the kitchen cupboards. I had no idea it was a whiskey cabinet until he opened it. He briefly examined the contents within before seeming genuinely impressed with the selection.
Brock opened the fridge and began helping me make ham and turkey sandwiches. Aaron and Sarah were sitting down next to Markus, asking him a bunch of question about being a vampire. I probably would’ve joined in, but I was too hungry to think straight.
Aaron seemed pretty animated, asking a million and one questions about the odd and surprising ins-and-outs of being a real-life vampire. There was much laughter and banter. For this to be a kill box, we all seemed to be having a good time or whatnot. The mind was funny like that. It was like our traumatic entrance into this insane asylum, and all the questions, and all the problems that came with it had been forgotten.
“So, you guys don’t live forever?” Aaron asked.
“Not even close,” Markus replied.
“Aw. That sucks,” Aaron moaned.
“I want to be a vampire!” Sarah smiled.
“Yeah, me too!” Aaron exclaimed.
“Trust me, you do not want to be a vampire,” Roger mentioned while pouring himself a glass of whiskey.
The two looked over at him and waited for him to elaborate. When he didn’t, they turned to Markus and waited for him to explain. Markus just shrugged, leaving the two youngsters in the dark.
“Speaking of which. What was that all about earlier?” I asked Markus after placing a plate with a sandwich and some chips down in front of him.
“What is this for?” he asked with a suspicious snarl.
“Vampires need to eat, right?”
“Sometimes.”
“You just answered your own question.”
“I’m not eating this,” he told me.
Brock came over and sat a plate down for each youngster. He gave Markus a playful push and said, “He didn’t poison it, I helped him make it.”
“Humph,” he grumbled under his breath as if he was pissed off by Brock’s insinuation.
Brock laughed while grabbing a stack of sandwiches off the counter like a Gothic king fresh off a good sacking of Rome. “I’m going to the rec room. Wish me luck, maybe I’ll get lucky with the Narc. You guys enjoy your stupid vampire talk. And you better eat your sandwiches, or I’ll make you a five finger one next time! Losers! Ha!”
“What a jerk,” Sarah mumbled.
“I’m not a jerk, I’m a bully, remember? Respect the name tag!” he shouted while walking away.
“Anyway,” I said before turning my attention back to the group. “So, like I was saying, what was that all about earlier when Roger was chiding you?”
Markus looked over at Roger and watched as he sipped his drink like the intellectually vacant elitist he was. The way he examined each whiskey bottle was revolting. Markus hid it well enough, but I could see the anger and resentment in his eyes. He took a bite into his sandwich, staring at me the whole time he chewed, as if I had done something sinister to his food. The ire roiled in his eyes a moment more before he finally gave up the goose and said, “Like I said, Roger is what we call a pureblood.”
“Because he was born a vampire, right?”
“Correct.”
“So, he thinks he’s better than you?”
“All purebloods do,” he said.
“Wow, you can be born a vampire?” Aaron asked.
“I know right. So cool,” Sarah smiled.
“It’s not what you think,” he replied.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“There’s really no difference. It’s just their way of discriminating against us so they can keep all the good stuff to themselves.”
“I don’t get it,” Aaron said.
“Me either,” Sarah added.
“I get it,” I said.
“You do?” Aaron asked.
“Yeah,” I said before taking a bite out of my sandwich. “It’s their guys’ version of poor and rich. Humans, like Markus, who were altered into a vampire are considered less than and called broods. Those who were born into the blood are considered rich and given privilege.”
“Oh, I see now,” Aaron uttered in astonishment. “Dang, dude, that’s pretty messed up.”
Markus frowned, “What pisses me off is how he acts like he’s nobility. They’re even worse. Those blueblood bastards. They pretty much hate us all.”
“A blueblood? Ah, man, you just threw a monkey wrench into the equation. What the hell is that? Is that a step higher on the social rung of injustice?” I asked.
Markus sighed. I could tell he wasn’t too eager to give us, what had to be another mind-numbing explanation. “They’re basically the ones who rule over us. They’re completely insane and do nothing but kill each other, and us too, if we get in the way of them killing each other. Think Game of Thrones, but with vampires.”
“Never seen it,” Sarah said.
“Me either,” Aaron seconded.
I shrugged and said, “Good show.”
“Are you allergic to sunlight?” Sarah asked.
“No.”
“Really?” I asked.
“Yeah. Really.”
“Garlic?” Aaron asked.
“No.”
“Crosses?” Sarah asked.
“No.”
“How are you not harmed by sunlight? I think he’s pulling our leg,” Aaron said.
“Me too,” Sarah smiled.
“Hey, Roger?” Markus said.
“What is it?” he asked.
“Are we allergic to sunlight?”
“No. Why would we be?” was his reply.
“That’s what you see in the movies,” I said.
“Stop believing everything you see in the movies,” Roger said with a soft chortle.
“Wow, that’s crazy. You’d think it would be more like in the movies,” Aaron mentioned.
“Why would we be harmed by the one thing that our prey utilizes more than anything? That would be like finding a shark that’s allergic to water,” Markus said.
“Let me guess, you guys don’t get any superpowers either?” Sarah asked.
“Nah. Not really,” Markus stated.
“Really?” I asked. “So, what’s the point in even becoming a vampire then?”
“Just picture the best version of yourself. That’s what it’s like to be a vampire.”
“Humph. I hope you’re right,” I mentioned as my thoughts drifted to my sister.
Seeing this made him raise an eyebrow. “You want in? You want to be one of us?”
I told him, “No.”
“You sure? You seem pretty invested,” he replied.
“It’s... it’s my sister.”
“Ah. I get it. That’s rough.”
“Get what?” Aaron asked.
“His sister was attacked by one.”
“Wow. Is that true?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah. And if everything those agents were saying is true, my sister became one.”
“Oh my God, that’s epic!” Aaron gleefully and naively exclaimed.
“She was on the verge of death.”
“Really?” Sarah asked.
“Yeah. That’s why I’m here.”
“Aw. That sucks,” Sarah muttered.
“I know right,” Aaron said.
“Don’t feel bad man. It’s pretty much like that for everyone. It’s a real crapshoot.”
“Why is it like that?” Sarah asked.
“Well, if it were that easy to become a vampire, everyone would be one. Our job is to blend in and not be seen. Prey is supposed to outnumber its predators. I know it’s not glamorous, but it’s not supposed to be. It’s more ‘uncanny valley’ than supernatural.”
“Uncanny what?” Aaron asked.
“Uncanny valley,” he repeated.
“What does that mean?”
“Well, it really applies to AI. For some reason the more realistic AI appears, the more repulsed and negative the human emotions. There’s like a mathematical threshold that delignates acceptance from fear. Theory has it, this inert fear goes way back to a time when humans were hunted by a species that mimicked them. Crazy part is they’re right. It was a primitive version of vampires called Grigori. You see a true vampire stays just below the peak of the uncanny valley curve. We hide in plain sight just out of reach of human insight. I’m not doing my job if you know. The worst thing that can happen is for you to know.”
“That’s pretty sinister,” I said.
“That’s nature for you,” he replied.
Roger walked over and stood behind Markus. He listened to our conversation while examining the stupidly expensive bottle of scotch in his hand. “You shouldn’t be telling the kids scary stories before bed.”
I could tell our little conversation tickled him by the amused look on his smug face. When no one responded to his grim warning, he told us, “Very well. I’ll be in my room if anyone’s interested.”
“No one’s interested,” Markus mumbled after making sure Roger was out of sight.
“I heard that,” he shouted back.
Roger’s response caused Sarah and Aaron to burst into laughter as if it was the funniest thing they ever heard. I chalked it up to youth before getting up from the table to go and examine the whisky bar for myself.
I saw something out of the corner of my eye. At first, I thought it was a trick of the light. When I looked over, I saw that it was Markus. He was standing there, silent, and still as a lion, right before it pounces on its prey with a lethal neck bite.
Meanwhile, Sarah and Aaron were at the table laughing and giggling away about things that my twenty-something mind could not possibly comprehend. She tapped him on the shoulder, leaned over, and whispered something shifty into his ear. Aaron looked over at me before nearly erupting into a million pieces from unadulterated laughter.
I shook my head and pulled a bottle of Jim Bean from the cabinet. I placed two shot glasses down on the counter and looked over at Markus.
He frowned a bit before saying, “You think it’s a good idea to drink?”
“No. But, so far so good, right?”
He checked his watch. “The night’s still young.”
“Eh. I think Brock might be right.”
“Ha. He isn’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Just look at him. Does he look like a human who’s right about anything?”
I glanced over into the dayroom and saw Brock and Lisa engaged in a half-hearted conversation while watching TMZ on the big screen. The two kids were in the kitchen doing what teenagers did best. And Roger was supposedly in his room. So far no one stood out except for him.
I guess Markus read my mind because he said, “I don’t trust him either.”
“Who Roger?”
“You know it.”
“Yeah, but I also know you’re a vampire. And if it wasn’t for the task, you wouldn’t have mentioned it. Roger on the other hand. He has a cruel honesty about him.”
“Ha. I see. You don’t trust me either?” Markus said with a slight snicker. He grabbed the shot of whiskey and took it to the head. After exhaling, he said, “Remember. I’m a brood. The lowest of the low. I used to be human. I know what it’s like. But those types, they have no idea. They have no sympathy or compassion for you. They don’t know what it’s like to be what you are.”
“Humph. Is that so?”
“I wouldn’t lie.”
“When someone says that it usually means they’re lying,” I told him.
“Whatever, man,” he grumbled.
“Who spoke to you? I wonder was it the same two agents who spoke to me?”
“Was one a woman with black hair. Looked to be about your age?”
“Yeah. And the other was some older gent who seemed to have a chip on his shoulder.”
He nodded. “I’ll never forget that asshole.”
“What was his name?” I asked.
“Agent Adams,” he said before putting a hand on my shoulder. “Let me tell you, I’ve seen some sketchy figures, but that guy. He takes the cake.”
“Really? Why do you say that?”
“Want to know something crazy?”
“Depends on how crazy.”
Before he could respond, the two youngsters agitated us yet again with their wild giggling. Sarah tapped Aaron on the shoulder. She glared at me while whispering what had to be another crude remark into his ear. He looked over at me and was in absolute stitches. After wiping away the tears of joy, he anchored the last bit of sandwich above his mouth. Sarah said, “choo” “choo” like a train, right before he dropped it down the hatch. This as you can imagine made him snort and chew wildly.
I turned my attention back to Markus and did my best to try to ignore their teenage antics. “What were you saying?” I asked him.
“Want to know a secret?”
“Depends on what it is.”
“We’re not the only—"
Markus paused when we heard a loud commotion. I whipped my head around to see what was going on. That’s when I saw Aaron floundering in his chair like a fish out of water. His plate came crashing down. Black and purple veins wiggled across his face like vines wrapping around an old Roman column. His eyes bulged in terror. He gripped his neck and wheezed in horror.
Sarah jumped from her chair, knocking it over. She backed away while screaming hysterically. I rushed over and began slapping Aaron across the back. The commotion drew Lisa and Brock’s attention. Brock hopped over the couch and dashed into the kitchen.
“Oh my God! He’s choking!” Lisa cried out.
“What do we do?” Sarah frantically asked.
“You’re doing it wrong!” Brock shouted as he practically knocked me over. He wrapped one arm around Aaron and knocked over his chair with the other. Then he secured both arms around Aaron’s stomach and began applying abdominal thrusts. I could hear the panic in Brock’s voice. He gave it a good effort, yelling and screaming for Aaron to hang in there the whole time. Aaron was slipping in and out of consciousness at this point. After a few more agonizing moments of this, his body went limp. Brock let go of the kid’s body and headed straight for me.
“What happened?!”
“Nothing! Why are you asking me?!”
“Because he’s dead! What did you do?!”
“I didn’t do anything!”
“Why is he dead! Why?!”
“Let me check for a—”
Brock blocked my path. “Uh-Uh. You’re not going anywhere, mate. Not until we sort this out.”
“Please! Somebody! Check for a pulse! It might not be too late. We can still do CPR!” I screamed.
“Brock’s right. He’s dead,” Markus spoke while glancing down at the body. The way he calmly pronounced Aaron dead was very unsettling.
It wasn’t suspicious enough for Brock apparently, as he wasted no time laying into me once more, “Start talking, hero-boy,” he practically demanded.
I backed away and said, “Dude! What’s your problem? I was over there by the whiskey bar with Markus! The kid. He, he just started choking!”
Brock stepped right into my face, killing whatever illusion of personal space I had managed to regain. He growled while staring me down, going over scenarios in his head as to how he could take me down. “Is that so, hero-boy? You telling me nothing happened? He just started choking out of the blue, huh?”
“Maybe you should be asking the girl that same question,” Markus told him.
Brock and I kind of gave him the side eye when he said that. It’s funny, in what was arguably our most heated moment, he gave me one of those “are you thinking what I’m thinking” expressions. I was and the tension between us came to a screeching halt.
We both looked over at Markus and then the girl. There she was, kneeling over Aaron’s body, bawling her eyes out, apologizing for things she had no control over. She kept telling him to wake up. And that she was sorry. The moment spoke for itself. Her grief wasn’t from guilt. I had no idea where Markus was going with his accusation.
“Oh, look at you, you’re a real tough guy,” Brock told him with a sneer.
“I’m not a tough guy,” Markus fired back.
“Oh yeah?”
“That’s right.”
“Punk,” Brock bellowed under his breath.
“Hey, hey, hey—come on guys!” I shouted when the two got in each other’s face.
Markus turned right then and there. I could tell he had lost control by the flash in his eyes. The realization made it considerably harder to breathe. I don’t know what it was. I suppose his transformation tapped into something primal. Something that instinctually told me to run. His fangs... I-I couldn’t take my eyes off them. I imagined him going into a feral frenzy and unleashing unstoppable pain and power upon us all.
“Yeah, that’s right go head and show us your true colors, vampire scum,” Brock stated.
He groaned at Brock’s comment. For some reason, he kept stealing glancing at his neck. I imagined he desired nothing more than to drain his life essence with a brutal bite to the neck. If he seized the jugular vein instead of the more desirable carotid artery, surely, that would be enough to put an end to his bullishness.
Having had enough, Lisa spoke up, “Guys, knock it off already. Gah! So stupid.”
“Yeah, come on, guys. It’s not worth it. Back off. Let’s figure this out,” I told them.
Brock tried to side-step me so he could get to the vampire, “I bet you did it!”
“Did what?” Markus asked.
“Killed him!” he said, pointing to the corpse strewn about on the floor.
“He didn’t! He was standing over there with me! I promise you! The girl didn’t do it either. They were laughing and joking the whole time.”
“Ok, so what happened?” Brock asked me.
“It-It was an accident. That’s right—he must’ve choked on the sandwich! It’s... It’s the only thing that makes sense,” I hurriedly explained while looking baffled as I thought about my own baffling explanation in real-time.
“Yeah, the sandwich you made,” Brock said.
“You mean the sandwiches we made?” I asked.
“I don’t trust either one of you,” Brock spoke.
“Yeah, well, I don’t trust you either,” Markus told him.
“Don’t you guys have superpowers or something? You must have mesmerized him!” Brock shouted.
“You watch to many movies, pal,” Markus hissed.
Just then, as if things weren’t chaotic enough, Roger huffed and puffed his way towards the kitchen. I could hear him grumbling about the loudness, and about him being the only civilized one out of the bunch. His ranting came to a halt when he bent the corner and saw Aaron’s body sprawled out on the floor. Before he could ask what happened, I yelled, “It was an accident! He choked on a sandwich!”
“The sandwich you made!” Brock exclaimed.
“Hey, back off before I hurt you!” Markus snarled before shoving him out of my face.
Brock stumbled sideways. He looked alarmed and surprised by Markus’ strength. I guess it must’ve finally dawned on the meathead. The fact that he was squaring off with something designed to kill him. He quickly backed down, like the bully he was, and determined he’d have better odds studying the crime scene.
I could tell Markus wanted to end him right then and there, but out of civility and decency he held back. He centered himself until he had returned to normal. Relief washed over his senses after wrestling control of his primal urges back from the vampire within.
“Thanks man,” I told Markus.
“Don’t mention it,” he grumbled, I could tell by the way he said it that he wasn’t fully convinced that I had nothing to do with it.
This was crazy. What the hell did I sign up for? I asked myself. I could tell everyone was thinking the same thing. Because everyone just kind of looked at everyone else with an accusatory eye.
Aaron’s body was twisted, as if his final moments were his most miserable. He was laying on his back. His hands sprawled out and his face black and blue. I looked away after looking into his eyes.
“Dammit man,” I muttered.
“What do we do now?” Sarah sheepishly asked while wiping away another round of tears.
“What did the lady say?” Brock asked.
“What lady?” I asked him.
“You know, the voiceover—from when we first came in; she said something about coffins,” he stated.
“Oh, you me the burial room?” I inquired.
“That’s right! W-We gotta take him there. Come on let’s go,” He stammered out before hunching over and quickly scooping Aaron’s body off the floor.
It was surprising and haphazard, the way he did it, but hey, I suppose perfection wasn’t the goal. He had Aaron slung over his back, like a sack of rotten potatoes, showing off his might in the process. He looked me dead in the eyes and said, “Lead the way, hero-boy. I wanna make sure I keep you in my sights.”
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2023.03.29 21:55 EatinSLOCal Black Sheep Bar & Grill - Review

Black Sheep Bar & Grill - Review
Background:
If I’m being honest, it took me an embarrassingly long time after turning 21 to realize that over half of the bars downtown also have some sort of daytime food service that's open to all. They were just some sort of magic place that only served alcohol after 9 PM to me, and because of that I missed out of a few years of good pub fare and bar food. One of my favorite bars, Black Sheep Bar & Grill, has always had a great menu and have doubled down on having some of the best mac and cheese (according to Yelpers) in San Luis Obispo, to build out an ultimate build your own mac and cheese menu in addition to all their classics.
\"1117 Chorro\" Burger with Garlic Jalap-Parm Fries
Setting:
📍1117 Chorro Street, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Black Sheep is located downtown next to the cigar shop and I think the new Girl Scouts office (gotta get those cookies). Inside is a wood and brick interior with seats at the bar as well as sit down seating, as well as a back patio that is walled in but always a great spot to sit when the weather is nice. I’ve been going here for so long, it is hard to describe it in an appreciable way beyond, “it is Black Sheep,” it is a staple of downtown, especially if you’re too old for Bulls but not ready to be a local barfly at McCarthy’s. The atmosphere is always friendly, but it can be crowded depending on time of day and day of the week. They are open 11 AM to Midnight Sunday through Wednesday, 11 AM to 1 AM Thursday through Saturday. The kitchen usually closes at 9 PM (correct me if I’m wrong, please) and you can also place to-go orders via their website or call-in.
Grow a Pear cocktail
Menu/Selection:
The menu has a wide selection of Pub Fare, so I’ll do my best to cover it, but you can always find the full menu on their website. On the menu under their actual Pub Fare section are Killer Nachos (which you can add one of six meat options to for an extra fee), chips and salsa or guacamole, Buffal Wings, Onion Rings, Pub-Style Brussels (sprouts), Baby Back Ribs, Fish & Chips, Jalepeno Poppers, Mozzarella Sticks, Chicken Strips, and two different Totchos (that’s tater tot nachos for those of you not in the know). There are seven different salads including a baby spinach, a tri-tip, a grilled chicken, and Cajun Blacked Shrimp & Avocado, with six different dressing options. On the Sandwich Menu are six sandwiches and two wraps including a French Dip, a Linguica, and a Pesto Chicken sandwich, all served with a choice of side salad, soup, fries, or tortilla chips, with an option to upgrade to Garlic Jalap-Parm fries, Sweet Potato Fries, or Tater Tots. On the Burger Menu, a half-pound beef burgers basted in a House Guinness reduction customizable but also with eight pre-dressed options, all served with the same side options as the sandwich. Six taco options from fish to chile verde to Cajun Shrimp to Carnitas, come as two tacos served with the same side options as the sandwiches. On their South of the Border Menu there is a housemade Chicken Tortilla Soup, a Veggie Chili, a bowl of Chile Verde, and the Pub Quesadilla with the option to add a protein. Finally, they have a customizable Mac and Cheese menu, with nine “pre-made” dressed options, but you can also just customize it to your heart’s desire.
There is also a decent Kids Menu with a Corn Dog, Chicken Strips, a Quesadlla, and Mac and Cheese with sides like a basket of fries, carrots & celery, tater tots, or sweet potato fries. There’s also a Family Platter Menu, which I assume is a holdover from the Pandemic to-go options, but you can get a mac and cheese tray that serves 6-10, among other fun, family sized portions. On the drinks menu, there are eighteen signature cocktails with 3 types of margaritas, and other various Black Sheep spins on classic cocktails.
Cup of Hot Mama Mac (and Cheese) with a bite out of it to reveal the noodles
What I Had:
I had the Grow a Pear cocktail, a cup of Hot Mama Mac, and the “1117 Chorro” Burger with a side of Garlic Jalap-Parm Fries. The Grow a Pear is Bullet Bourbon, St George Spiced Pear liqueur, fresh lime juice, simple syrup, and ginger beer, and it was quite delicious. The bourbon provides a nice base for the lighter flavors of the liquor and the lime juice, the lime juice also creates a nice complement with its acid and the ginger beer gives it an effervescence that really brightens the cocktail. You can get any a la carte mac (or build your own) as a cup of mac and cheese instead of a full bowl, so I had to try the Hot Mama which was Linguica, jalapenos, and Cayucos hot sauce on top of elbow macaroni tossed in their secret blend of cheeses and serve au gratin. I don’t know why I didn’t expect the Hot Mama to be hot (spicy), but it obviously was, Cayucos hot sauce always delivers a nice kick, but so did the linguica and jalapenos. The jalapenos were either fresh or maybe quick pickled in house because they were a deep green and still had a majority of their crunch to them. The mac and cheese was good, the macaroni still had some tooth to it and was tossed in a bechamel, then topped with the toppings before being covered in shredded cheese and broiled. For my preference the sauce was a little too runny, but only by a hair, it didn’t detract from the dish in anyway and the different types of spiciness from the toppings.
The “1117 Chorro” Burger is a classic from an older iteration of the menu, and is all beef, half pound patty basted in a Guinness reduction topped with sauteed mushrooms, onions, and peppers, melted cheddar cheese, and the works (lettuce, tomato, red onion, pickle, thousand island) on an artisan bun and the side of Garlic Jalap-Parm Fries are kind of self-explanitoy, but they’re garlic parmesan fries with rings of those slightly grilled(?) or fresh or possibly quick pickles jalapenos that were in the mac and cheese. The burger was tasty, if not a bit unruly. The bun kind of disintegrated by the last bite and a lot of the bottom toppings (bottomings?) spilled on to the plate. Also it is served with a knife in the middle, but it might be easier to eat if not split in twain. That being said, the flavors were good, and the especially noticed the cheddar, which was a good complement here because of the “weight” of all the toppings, the thickness of the burger, and that Guinness reduction it was basted in. The Garlic Jalap-Parm fries were also good, but probably the least enjoyed of the meal, the fries were a standard pub/bistro cut, which would’ve been fine for the garlic and parmesan, but the jalapeno rings were huge relative to everything else and had to be picked up by hand, unable to be supported by the fries alone. Granted the burger was already messy, so I shouldn’t have an additional reservations about the fries being a little messy to eat as well. Although, the thickness of the jalapenos were also helpful in avoid them on the back half of the meal as there were a lot and I had already had my fill of spicy in the mac and cheese at that point.

Would I Have It Again:
Definitely! There’s so much on the menu to explore including all the mac and cheese variations. The staff is always friendly. It can be a little busy during peak hours, but with order ahead options, you can drop in and get your food to go. The base mac and cheese is delicious, all the variations for that, the burgers, and the tacos means you can find something to please your palate. So with all of this in mind, Black Sheep Bar & Grill gets an Eatin’ SLOCal rating of – Take-Out Now!
submitted by EatinSLOCal to EatinSLOCal [link] [comments]


2023.03.29 21:23 I_have_multiple_cats Not into bourbon?

Hi,
I'm pretty new to this lovely hobby and I'm trying to try at least couple bottles of everything (Islay, Speyside, irish, japanese, bourbon, rye...) and while doing that I'm now on a job of Knob Creek 9yo and Wild Turkey 101. I don't care too much neither of them. They both remind me about big plate of waffles with maple syrup messed with strong taste of alcohol. Would there be any third (and/or fourth) bottle I should try before saying bourbon is not for me?
As I say I don't care too much of them, I mean they are "ok". I'm drinking them and enjoying it, but I'm probably not going to buy them again.
submitted by I_have_multiple_cats to WhiskeyTribe [link] [comments]


2023.03.29 21:22 Dragoncat91 Almyra worldbuilding (been doing this for about two years now)

Almyra worldbuilding (been doing this for about two years now)
Anna the merchant was a bubbly woman with long red hair in a ponytail. She was dressed from head to toe in fashionable clothes and jewelry. Her stall was equally flamboyant, with fancy knicknacks hanging from it and brightly colored banners and windsocks. "Ah, Tiana von Riegan, the shooting star of the Leicester Alliance!" Anna greeted. "Here in the far east, the Kingdom of Almyra, a warrior culture known for their tenacity and their spices! Is she here for business? Is she here for diplomacy? Is she here for...love? All three?"
"Anna, please, you'll wake them up." Tiana said.
"Oh, yes, the slumbering herd." Anna smirked. "How may I help you today?"
"I need a bar of damascus steel. I also need a bundle of saffron."
(from Upside Down Diplomacy: Chapter 2 - Trials and Tests)
Almyra is a country that wasn't touched upon very much in the canon stories of Fire Emblem: Three Houses/Hopes, despite one main character being from there. I've been worldbuilding and writing for it for a few years now. Please note: some aspects may still be inaccurate to Hopes. A lot of this was made before Hopes existed, and while I did make room for Shahid, who only appears in Hopes, I'm still taking creative license with him and the country as a whole. Enjoy the little bits of prose before each section!
Terrain and Climate
It was close to springtime, and while frigid winds from the north were still rolling down in mainland Fodlan, the border between Leicester and Almyra remained warm year round. However, that didn't mean the Almyrans had a food surplus. Crops could only grow well for six months a year in spring and summer. Outside of those times, produce stored in the clay structures known as yahkchals were rationed, and wild poultry and red meat was harvested with the exception of elk from the forests in the west, as those were a protected, sacred species.
(from Upside Down Diplomacy: Chapter 1 - Crossing the Steppe)

https://preview.redd.it/bl71cqr4bqqa1.png?width=550&format=png&auto=webp&s=58efb397c7a63aa448c4a446a0a1181c4032f7e8
Almyran cities are situated around the canyon/forest area in the western portion of the country. The capital is Caglar, which rests in the middle of Catal Canyon. Its palace is clearly visible from the air, and wyvern patrols fly in and out regularly, but if one is approaching from land, it's hidden by the surrounding canyon. Unlike its fellow kingdom on the continent, Faerghus, there's not a ton of noble houses with territory. Trabzon is in the northwestern portion of Kumalar Plains, and is the gateway to the mainland once trade is established, ships sail out of it around the Fodlan's Throat mountains and can make landfall in Faerghus provided the ports are not closed by ice. Mardin is in the Kuyruk Woods on the southeastern bank of Kuyruk River. Markay is in the southern coastal region of Kumalar Plains and serves as a port to and from Abbas Island off the south coast.
Avise Desert is east of Catal Canyon and is racked by sandstorms year round. Further east, extending to the eastern coast, is more steppe like that in Kumalar Plains. There are no cities east of the desert, instead, homesteaders, farmers, and ranchers move throughout the area in a nomadic lifestyle with portable tents known as yurts, or they put down more permanent houses when they find an ideal spot. Visitors to the kingdom often make the mistake of calling this vast eastern steppe "East Kumalar Plains", while the locals only refer to it as "The Wild" or "The Plains".
Ethnic Traits
Danah came out of her room, dressed in a pretty purple dress and shoes, with a green hair scrunchie that brought out her orange eyes. She had long black hair. Uzair was wearing a dark blue suit jacket with loose fitting gray pants and shined shoes. His eyes, like his father's, were lightning yellow. His hair was dark brown, short, and had been fluffed nicely. Both had the typical Almyran tan skin tone.
(from The Sunset Before Us)
Almyrans are generally tan. Their hair is often thick, coarse, and colored in shades of brown and black. Both men and women tend to be, for lack of a better term, fluffy, with clear patches of fuzz on arms, legs, chest, and armpits, and both sexes also tend to have thick pubic hair. Men often have beards and/or mustaches of some sort. Some women shave their excess body hair, some do not. Woman fuzz isn't as thick as man fuzz regardless. This is distinct from birth, with male babies tending to have more hair than their female counterparts. Almyran eyes are typically colored in warm shades: reds, browns, yellows, and oranges.
Names can be drawn from the Middle East: Arabic names, Turkish names, Syrian names, Persian names, Iranian names, that general area.
Silk is a common clothing material for the upper and middle class, lower classes will wear leather and burlap. Soldier uniforms consist of light plate armor or chainmail with leather, typically unisex to the point where a male and female soldier are indistinguishable unless they stand right next to each other. Cloth cowls and neck scarves are commonly colored to fit a faction identity, or worn by commoners without being dyed.
Language and Culture
Tiana's husband gave her a unit of horseback archers. They were greenhorns, which she wasn't complaining about. She was good at training troops. But what she wasn't sure about, was communicating with them. Only Almyran royals and nobles spoke fluent Common, and she was not fluent in Almyran aside from the very basics and swearing.
She mounted her warhorse and positioned herself at the head. Their eyes, all warm colored, were fixed on her. She raised her arm and waved them to the left. "Go."
The greenhorn bow knights fell into formation and followed her. She led them halfway down the trail before uttering "stop."
They did not seem to catch that. Except for the one nearest her. He turned his horse and put himself between Tiana and the others, then threw his arm up and said something in Almyran. They understood him. Tiana made a vow to learn what "stop" translated to.
The man then placed his horse beside Tiana's. He looked at her, smiling sheepishly. He jabbed his thumb into his chest. "Omar," he said.
She blinked slowly as she realized he was introducing himself. "Merhaba, Omar." She replied, certain she'd gotten "hello" right. He bowed in response.
(from The Queen's Language Lessons)
For the native language of Almyra, I've been using Turkish, as Ancient Persia/Ottoman Empire/Turkey/Turkiye seems to be the biggest inspiration for the country. Also, Turkish uses the Western alphabet more than Arabic which is easier for my American keyboard.
They're a polytheistic religion, with but not limited to a war god, a harvest god, a love goddess, a sun god, and a moon goddess. They believe that elk are the resting place for a soul who has led a full life and is preparing to run to the afterlife, so they do not eat elk. They will eat deer, moose, or antelope, however. Common food includes kebabs, falafel, shawarma, curry, and dried fruit/nut/jerky preserves.
They're a proud warrior culture. While men are more often on the front lines of battle, lady soldiers do exist, as does the rare lady commander. Their military consists of mostly wyvern riders and cavaliers with either lances or bows, but there are some units of infantry and mages. Armies on the move will put up yurts for the night, with the leader's yurt in the center and everyone prepared to wake up in fight mode if needed.
Royalty is hereditary, and only a man can take the throne. Kings are allowed to take multiple wives, and most have over the course of history. Everyone else is more monogamous, including high ranking nobles. A king will hand pick his successor out of his sons, or nephews as a last resort, and test him with a gladiator sparring match. It ends when one side yields, but it is not to the death as it used to be nearly a century ago. Once the successor has won, he takes the throne upon the death of the current king.
Economy and Exports
Boran took a plate of rice, turkey, and a small slice of roast moose. He'd covered it all in gravy and topped it with a sprinkle of chili powder that he brought himself.
"Trade routes, then? Almyra can offer spices, saffron, cactus flower, yucca seed. We can also offer damascus steel, or silk." Boran suggested. "The caravans will cross through Leicester and may need guarded heavily, but my son, you know him as Claude, will help assure that."
Dimitri swallowed a bit of roast and potatoes. "Faerghus can, in return, give lumber, cheeses, leather, furs. Maybe some potato crops, they may grow in Almyra. And if you wish, the trade can happen via ship. I know you have a navy, is there a port town that's suitable for trade?"
"There are two." Boran said. "There's Trabzon, which is actually a doable sea route from Derdriu. Then there's Abbas, an island to the south. If you wanted to get the caravan to Derdriu, it can then be shipped to Trabzon." He paused to grab the tea kettle and fill a cup.
(from Two Kings)
Currency is interchangeable with the rest of Fodlan, with copper, silver, and gold coins. Trade operates on silk and spices with the occasional damascus steel, known as wootz steel in the mainland.
The local economy, as with every other country, depends on the exact area. Abbas Island and Markay have a lot of fishing. Trabzon also does fishing, but is mainly a bustling port town that brings in imports and pushes out exports. Mardin is an agricultural town that trades crops and meat from the woods. Crops are mostly beans and rice, with the occasional sweet potato or turnip.
Caglar, as the capital, is the most varied and wealthy. There are entertainers, dancers, and bards who perform in hookah bars and mobile venues. Military presence is heavy in Caglar and there are several armories that sell cutlasses, scimitars, poleaxes, tabars, pikes, halberds, and bows and arrows. There is a orchard at the palace with apple, apricot, peach, and pear trees. The palace gardens have raspberries and blackberries as well.
While mainland Fodlan has the central church keeping people reliant on the holy magic of the church monks and other types of medicine restricted, Almyra has some healing spells, but they mostly only work to stabilize an injury. They have what's called "the good meds". It's common for half an army to be "higher than wyvern pizzle" in the words of His Majesty himself as they recover from their wounds.
submitted by Dragoncat91 to fireemblem [link] [comments]


2023.03.29 21:19 Dragoncat91 Far East of Fodlan: Kingdom of Almyra

Far East of Fodlan: Kingdom of Almyra
Anna the merchant was a bubbly woman with long red hair in a ponytail. She was dressed from head to toe in fashionable clothes and jewelry. Her stall was equally flamboyant, with fancy knicknacks hanging from it and brightly colored banners and windsocks. "Ah, Tiana von Riegan, the shooting star of the Leicester Alliance!" Anna greeted. "Here in the far east, the Kingdom of Almyra, a warrior culture known for their tenacity and their spices! Is she here for business? Is she here for diplomacy? Is she here for...love? All three?"
"Anna, please, you'll wake them up." Tiana said.
"Oh, yes, the slumbering herd." Anna smirked. "How may I help you today?"
"I need a bar of damascus steel. I also need a bundle of saffron."
(from Upside Down Diplomacy: Chapter 2 - Trials and Tests)
Almyra is a country that wasn't touched upon very much in the canon stories of Fire Emblem: Three Houses/Hopes, despite one main character being from there. I've been worldbuilding and writing for it for a few years now. Please note: some aspects may still be inaccurate to Hopes. A lot of this was made before Hopes existed, and while I did make room for Shahid, who only appears in Hopes, I'm still taking creative license with him and the country as a whole. Enjoy the little bits of prose before each section!
Terrain and Climate
It was close to springtime, and while frigid winds from the north were still rolling down in mainland Fodlan, the border between Leicester and Almyra remained warm year round. However, that didn't mean the Almyrans had a food surplus. Crops could only grow well for six months a year in spring and summer. Outside of those times, produce stored in the clay structures known as yahkchals were rationed, and wild poultry and red meat was harvested with the exception of elk from the forests in the west, as those were a protected, sacred species.
(from Upside Down Diplomacy: Chapter 1 - Crossing the Steppe)

https://preview.redd.it/urfr3ycjaqqa1.png?width=550&format=png&auto=webp&s=d96e0849e48d2bb1066845f2a4c72bea5118f66c
Almyran cities are situated around the canyon/forest area in the western portion of the country. The capital is Caglar, which rests in the middle of Catal Canyon. Its palace is clearly visible from the air, and wyvern patrols fly in and out regularly, but if one is approaching from land, it's hidden by the surrounding canyon. Unlike its fellow kingdom on the continent, Faerghus, there's not a ton of noble houses with territory. Trabzon is in the northwestern portion of Kumalar Plains, and is the gateway to the mainland once trade is established, ships sail out of it around the Fodlan's Throat mountains and can make landfall in Faerghus provided the ports are not closed by ice. Mardin is in the Kuyruk Woods on the southeastern bank of Kuyruk River. Markay is in the southern coastal region of Kumalar Plains and serves as a port to and from Abbas Island off the south coast.
Avise Desert is east of Catal Canyon and is racked by sandstorms year round. Further east, extending to the eastern coast, is more steppe like that in Kumalar Plains. There are no cities east of the desert, instead, homesteaders, farmers, and ranchers move throughout the area in a nomadic lifestyle with portable tents known as yurts, or they put down more permanent houses when they find an ideal spot. Visitors to the kingdom often make the mistake of calling this vast eastern steppe "East Kumalar Plains", while the locals only refer to it as "The Wild" or "The Plains".
Ethnic Traits
Danah came out of her room, dressed in a pretty purple dress and shoes, with a green hair scrunchie that brought out her orange eyes. She had long black hair. Uzair was wearing a dark blue suit jacket with loose fitting gray pants and shined shoes. His eyes, like his father's, were lightning yellow. His hair was dark brown, short, and had been fluffed nicely. Both had the typical Almyran tan skin tone.
(from The Sunset Before Us)
Almyrans are generally tan. Their hair is often thick, coarse, and colored in shades of brown and black. Both men and women tend to be, for lack of a better term, fluffy, with clear patches of fuzz on arms, legs, chest, and armpits, and both sexes also tend to have thick pubic hair. Men often have beards and/or mustaches of some sort. Some women shave their excess body hair, some do not. Woman fuzz isn't as thick as man fuzz regardless. This is distinct from birth, with male babies tending to have more hair than their female counterparts. Almyran eyes are typically colored in warm shades: reds, browns, yellows, and oranges.
Names can be drawn from the Middle East: Arabic names, Turkish names, Syrian names, Persian names, Iranian names, that general area.
Silk is a common clothing material for the upper and middle class, lower classes will wear leather and burlap. Soldier uniforms consist of light plate armor or chainmail with leather, typically unisex to the point where a male and female soldier are indistinguishable unless they stand right next to each other. Cloth cowls and neck scarves are commonly colored to fit a faction identity, or worn by commoners without being dyed.
Language and Culture
Tiana's husband gave her a unit of horseback archers. They were greenhorns, which she wasn't complaining about. She was good at training troops. But what she wasn't sure about, was communicating with them. Only Almyran royals and nobles spoke fluent Common, and she was not fluent in Almyran aside from the very basics and swearing.
She mounted her warhorse and positioned herself at the head. Their eyes, all warm colored, were fixed on her. She raised her arm and waved them to the left. "Go."
The greenhorn bow knights fell into formation and followed her. She led them halfway down the trail before uttering "stop."
They did not seem to catch that. Except for the one nearest her. He turned his horse and put himself between Tiana and the others, then threw his arm up and said something in Almyran. They understood him. Tiana made a vow to learn what "stop" translated to.
The man then placed his horse beside Tiana's. He looked at her, smiling sheepishly. He jabbed his thumb into his chest. "Omar," he said.
She blinked slowly as she realized he was introducing himself. "Merhaba, Omar." She replied, certain she'd gotten "hello" right. He bowed in response.
(from The Queen's Language Lessons)
For the native language of Almyra, I've been using Turkish, as Ancient Persia/Ottoman Empire/Turkey/Turkiye seems to be the biggest inspiration for the country. Also, Turkish uses the Western alphabet more than Arabic which is easier for my American keyboard.
They're a polytheistic religion, with but not limited to a war god, a harvest god, a love goddess, a sun god, and a moon goddess. They believe that elk are the resting place for a soul who has led a full life and is preparing to run to the afterlife, so they do not eat elk. They will eat deer, moose, or antelope, however. Common food includes kebabs, falafel, shawarma, curry, and dried fruit/nut/jerky preserves.
They're a proud warrior culture. While men are more often on the front lines of battle, lady soldiers do exist, as does the rare lady commander. Their military consists of mostly wyvern riders and cavaliers with either lances or bows, but there are some units of infantry and mages. Armies on the move will put up yurts for the night, with the leader's yurt in the center and everyone prepared to wake up in fight mode if needed.
Royalty is hereditary, and only a man can take the throne. Kings are allowed to take multiple wives, and most have over the course of history. Everyone else is more monogamous, including high ranking nobles. A king will hand pick his successor out of his sons, or nephews as a last resort, and test him with a gladiator sparring match. It ends when one side yields, but it is not to the death as it used to be nearly a century ago. Once the successor has won, he takes the throne upon the death of the current king.
Economy and Exports
Boran took a plate of rice, turkey, and a small slice of roast moose. He'd covered it all in gravy and topped it with a sprinkle of chili powder that he brought himself.
"Trade routes, then? Almyra can offer spices, saffron, cactus flower, yucca seed. We can also offer damascus steel, or silk." Boran suggested. "The caravans will cross through Leicester and may need guarded heavily, but my son, you know him as Claude, will help assure that."
Dimitri swallowed a bit of roast and potatoes. "Faerghus can, in return, give lumber, cheeses, leather, furs. Maybe some potato crops, they may grow in Almyra. And if you wish, the trade can happen via ship. I know you have a navy, is there a port town that's suitable for trade?"
"There are two." Boran said. "There's Trabzon, which is actually a doable sea route from Derdriu. Then there's Abbas, an island to the south. If you wanted to get the caravan to Derdriu, it can then be shipped to Trabzon." He paused to grab the tea kettle and fill a cup.
(from Two Kings)
Currency is interchangeable with the rest of Fodlan, with copper, silver, and gold coins. Trade operates on silk and spices with the occasional damascus steel, known as wootz steel in the mainland.
The local economy, as with every other country, depends on the exact area. Abbas Island and Markay have a lot of fishing. Trabzon also does fishing, but is mainly a bustling port town that brings in imports and pushes out exports. Mardin is an agricultural town that trades crops and meat from the woods. Crops are mostly beans and rice, with the occasional sweet potato or turnip.
Caglar, as the capital, is the most varied and wealthy. There are entertainers, dancers, and bards who perform in hookah bars and mobile venues. Military presence is heavy in Caglar and there are several armories that sell cutlasses, scimitars, poleaxes, tabars, pikes, halberds, and bows and arrows. There is a orchard at the palace with apple, apricot, peach, and pear trees. The palace gardens have raspberries and blackberries as well.
While mainland Fodlan has the central church keeping people reliant on the holy magic of the church monks and other types of medicine restricted, Almyra has some healing spells, but they mostly only work to stabilize an injury. They have what's called "the good meds". It's common for half an army to be "higher than wyvern pizzle" in the words of His Majesty himself as they recover from their wounds.
submitted by Dragoncat91 to FanficWorldbuilding [link] [comments]


2023.03.29 21:16 BonesJackson My weekly grocery deal list 3/29 - 4/4

Safeway:
FREE Vive Wellness Shots digital coupon limit 1 Weds only
Ground Beef 80/20 buy 1 get 1
Boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs buy 1 get 1
Red seedless grapes $1.48/lb
Beef London Broil $3.99/lb
Tri Tip $3.88/lb digital coupon limit 1
Navel oranges $0.49/lb digital coupon limit 1lb
Signature Select French or Sourdough bread $0.99 digital coupon limit 1
Aidell's sausages or meatballs 10-12 oz $3.49/ea digital coupon limit 2
Deli turkey or cheddar $5.99/lb digital coupon limit 1 lb
Signature Select cranberry juice 64oz 3 for $5 digital coupon limit 3 (total 9?)
Salmon 7oz $5
Lobster 3-5oz $5
Pepsi or 7UP packs buy 2 get 2
Lays or Doritos party size chips 3 for $10
Oreos or Cheez Its buy 1 get 1
Cheerios (regular and honey nut) $2.79/ea
Lucerne cheeses 32-36oz bags $5.99 digital coupon limit 3
O Organics milk gallon $5.99 digital coupon limit 3
Land O Lakes butter 16oz 2 for $6 digital coupon <-- no limit
Pepperidge farm cookies $2.49/pack digital coupon limit 4
SeaPak or Morey's Seafood... frozen battered seafood? Can't really tell. buy 1 get 1 digital coupon
Manischewitz Matzo Ball Soup mix 2 for $5
Signature Select thick cut bacon 3lb pack $14.97
Lucerne Milk $3.99/gallon $3.99 when you buy 2
Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce 40oz $4.49
Ben & Jerry's 2 for $8 digital coupon
Pork Ribs extra meaty 2lbs for $5 Friday only
Fresh baked Croissants 4-8ct 2 for $5 digital coupon Friday only
Shrimp 21-25ct 2lb bag $10 Friday only
Campbells condensed soups 4 for $5 Friday only
Easter candy. So much Easter candy.
Lucky: They're really pushing a gasoline rewards program this week. I no longer use gasoline so I don't care but I mention it for the rest who do because this list is for more than just me.
Pork Shoulder bone-in $0.88/lb digital coupon limit 1
Beef Chuck Roast $3.99/lb
Chicken dark meat $0.99/lb
Pork country style ribs $1.88/lb
Broccoli, White Onions, Roma Tomatoes $0.97/lb
Simply Juice assorted 52oz 3 for $10
Shrimp 21-30ct 2lbs bag $9.98 Fri Sat Sun
Dungeness Crab sections $8.99/lb F S S
Applewood Bacon $.399/lb F S S
Medium Avocados $0.77/ea F S S
S&W canned beans 15oz 10 for $10 F S S
Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies 2 for $5 F S S
Nob Hill:
Pork shoulder bone-in $1.77/lb
Raley's chicken dark meat $1.27/lb
Lobster tail 3oz $4.97/ea
Nature Valley bars 5-6ct $1.97/ea digital coupon limit 4
Baskin Robbins, Sunnyside Farms, It's-Its $2.77 digital coupon limit 4
Oreos Family Size $2.97 digital coupon limit 4
Kettle Brand potato chips party size $2.97/ea digital coupon limit 4
Large Hass Avocados $0.97/ea digital coupon limit 4
Ground Turkey $2.77/lb digital coupon limit 2
Crystal Geyser water gallon $0.77/ea digital coupon limit 4
Kellogg's Cereals $2.97/ea digital coupon limit 4
Asparagus 3lbs for $5 Mon only
Raleys pasta bowls 12oz $5 limit 4 Mon only
Simply brand lemon or limeade 52oz 2 for $5 Mon only
Sunnyvale ham $0.97/lb limit 2
Raley's smoked bacon $4.99/lb
Jimmy Dean pork sausage 1lb roll $4.99
Daisy Sour Cream 16oz 2 for $4
Simply brand juice 52oz 3 for $10
Smart & Final:
Ground turkey $2.99/lb
Hass medium avocados 2 for $1
Farmer John ham $1.49/lb limit 1
Broccoli crowns $0.99/lb
Roma tomatoes $0.99/lb limit 20
Dole juice 59oz $1.99/ea digital coupon limit 4
Stouffer's party size lasagna 6lb $12.99/ea when you buy 4
Foster Farms whole chicken or half breasts $1.59/lb
Shrimp 8-12ct 2lb bag for $17.98
Ground Beef 96/4 2lb chub for $12.98 (Chub is back, baby!)
Tillamook cheddar or pepper jack 2lb blcok $9.79
Ling Ling club size potstickers 56oz $10.99
General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Lucky Charms 38-49oz club size $5.29/ea when you buy 4. I think?
Tide 92oz detergent, Pods 25-42ct, Downy fabric softener 164oz $9.44 digital coupon limit 1
El Super:
Cucumbers 3 for $0.99
Oranges 2lbs for $0.99
Pineapples 2lbs for $0.99
Pork chops $1.47/lb
Chicken dark meat $0.77/lb
White onions 3lbs for $0.99 Weds only
Roma tomatoes 2lbs for $0.99 Weds Sat Sun only
Zucchini 2lbs for $0.99 Weds only
Tomatillos 2lbs for $0.99 Weds only
Large Hass Avocados $0.99/ea Weds only
Green grapes $1.29/lb Weds only
Whole clean Tilapia $1.99/lb Thurs Fri only
Pork leg $1.69/lb
Pasilla peppers $0.99/lb
Fresh corn 2 for $0.99
Hass small avocados 2 for $0.99
Radishes 3 for $0.99
Green Cabbages 2lbs for $0.99
Jicama 2lbs for $0.99
White onions 2lbs for $0.99
Bananas $0.69/lb
Broccoli or Carrots $0.69/lb
Roma tomatoes $0.69/lb
White onions 2lbs for $0.99
Mushrooms 8oz $1.99/ea
Lemons 2lbs for $0.99
Whole raw octopus $4.99/lb
Cilantro 3 for $0.99
Libby's whole kernel corn 15oz can $0.99
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2023.03.29 20:32 talkingtomyself55 Wonderland Trail Planning Help

I was the lucky winner of an early access lottery pass (Apr. 10). I’m going to be in the Seattle area for essentially the entire month of August. I just took a peek at the campsite availability today, and Indian Bar and Summerland are completely full for August. With the recreation.gov maxing out at a 17.5 mile day, what should I do? I would need to camp somewhere in there.
My plan right now is to camp my last night at Nickel Creek and make my last day super long (like 22 mi, ~8000K). This is the only way I can think of to make the numbers for a thru hike work. Does anyone have any other ideas?
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2023.03.29 20:30 ThrowRA10092022 My boyfriend (25M) broke up with me (22F) because of my 'rich lifestyle'...

I went on holiday for 2 weeks to Turkey, Alanya six months ago with 2 family members. The bar tender in my hotel seemed similar to my age and I liked chatting to him because he knew some English. He was respectful and hard working to all the guests in the hotel. We spoke about his life in Alanya, and I spoke about my life in England when the bar was quiet and when it was just the two of us.
He then asked me out on a date after a couple of days because guests started teasing that we looked good together. I was reluctant at first because I have never been a bold person, but one of my family members was a free spirit / you only live once empowering sort of woman, so I agreed to go. After that, we then went on dates every night after his shift would finish. Guests started calling us husband and wife for the rest of my stay. He would tell new guests that I was his wife and that we had a child together as a joke when they would actually believe him it to make me laugh. I didn't intend to fall in love on this trip at all. I intended to go and relax. I had been single for years and this was my first holiday abroad after saving up money after getting a promotion (in the UK we say a secondment). I decided that traveling was on my bucket list and now was the perfect time to do it after working so hard for so long. I tagged along with my two family members just to experience travelling safely since it was my first time. I really enjoyed my time in Alanya. I was confident and independent on this trip. Respecting Alanya and embracing the city. This 'holiday romance' felt like a dream for both of us. I really fell in love. He would pay for my food when we went on dates to a small take away close to the hotel, and he even bought me a little ring as a gift when we went to the beach, which I was not expecting at all. I gave him a rose on the same day too, but I won't go into more detail about what else we did for the rest of the trip (if you know what I mean), but overall we had fun, got to know each other and was kind to each other. He respected that I wanted to stay close to the hotel and he kept me safe.
I have only ever been in one relationship when I was 18. It was a fairly abusive relationship. I don't date a lot because of it and also because I work for the governing body for my authority and don't actively seek love. I am very hard working. My first job was being a cleaner. I have worked multiple jobs at once ever since I was 17 to save up for the things I would like or need. Now I have my dream job and my life is stable. Some might say that I am very lucky to have the job that I have now because I do earn the most in my family. I live with my mum, I pay her money for board, I pay for my own food, and I bought my own car. I have saved money for everything that I want. I have never borrowed or asked for money from anyone. I am really good at saving my money too. I am a sensible with my money and decisions.
When my trip ended we said that we would keep in touch, we really wanted to make this relationship work if possible. We talked everyday for 6 months. I started learning Turkish and I wanted to save up money to see him again.
When I left Alanya he went back to study at University. He was determined to study so he could get a better / dream job. After a few months when he went back to University he said that he was failing exams because working alongside studying was just too much and I could tell that he was tired. He would revise really late at night for hours whilst messaging me. I am not naive to the working life for a young person in Turkey, you are overworked and underpaid and it's difficult to afford much without help from family members or friends. He didn't have any family members in Alanya. His dad would sometimes send him money from France. My boyfriend cared about his sisters and ill mother and had been the caregiver growing up. This is really how we bonded as our lives and upbringings were similar.
A few months into the relationship my boyfriend left work so he could pass his exams. He really struggled mentally with this, I could start to see his low self esteem, and he became unmotivated about the future. I tried my best to support him, but I never sent him money. Our first fight was about money. My boyfriend wished that I could send him money, rather than asking me for it, it was like a little dig at me I guess. He said this because he had to pay for his sister's private medical bills. I set my boundary and told him that it's not my responsibility to pay for things. He agreed and said that he didn't want my money or my country and that it was a misunderstanding. As he apologised I used this experience as a learning experience and we spoke deeply about how it's important to communicate and to understand each other, we always aimed to fix problems rather than create them. People say that I am mature for my age. My dad passed away when I was 6 years old. I don't have many friends or family. I am self-aware, intellectual and try my best to always support my partner, even if it means seeing things from their P.O.V and coming up with solutions to meet half way in the middle.
Then the earthquake happened in Turkey, but not where he lived he was safe. He told me that his family was affected, but that they were okay, they lost their home, his clothes, everything. Understandably, our bond got stronger when this happened. We had pictured a future together for a while, we spoke about marriage, having kids, and we still called each other husband and wife as a little joke. He would tell me that when he would become rich one day, he would take care of me.
I suggested the idea that he could travel to the UK one day. I said that I would pay for it all, only if he could save up for a passport and a little bit of spending money. He was excited and said he would do it. Then a few weeks later he changed his mind and said that he couldn't afford it. After this, our relationship got difficult. I didn't get mad at him. I said that it was okay and that I would travel to him.
He would message me at night telling me that he was starving and that he couldn't get anything to eat. I know that he gets food from his University sometimes for free when he was staying in the University's dormitory with other students, but it wasn't the best or the most fulfilling meal. He also stopped paying to go to the gym. He loves the gym because he is a body builder. He said that his University kicked him out the dormitory when the earthquake happened and he went back to stay in a flat from the government.
For the last week his replies got sorter and less frequent to me. He stopped asking me how my day was. I assumed he was just studying hard for his exams as he told me that it was exam week.
I asked him why he had been ignoring my messages for 3 days despite still being online (not in an insecure or desperate way.). To my surprise he then blocked me. I was left heartbroken and confused.
I let him cool down for a few days and I then tried to message him on WhatsApp. I told him that I understood that he may need some space and that if he was feeling okay, could we talk. He replied saying,
'while I can't afford to eat here, you lead a rich life there and show me the food you eat. People don't do such things to the person they love, and they want it. You don't know how I am here I lost my house I lost my clothes and I can't get a job and work because of my studies I have to go to school or work my choice is misery. The person you love gets cold at night, covers himself up and questions whether he sleeps hungry at night, so I need to find someone who truly loves me. Time is wasted with you.'
I haven't answered the message because I don't know what to say, or even know whether or not I should say anything. It's been 2 days.
For context, I don't post pictures of food on my instagram to make him jealous. I enjoy cooking on a budget and I have PCOS. So a good lifestyle and eating healthy for my fertility and to achieve a regular cycle is important to me and he knows this. I explained PCOS to him and he understood it and was very supportive. When he feels low I try my best to motivate him, but I never offer him money. I have never been brought up to give anyone money. Only if my mum or sister ever needed it. (and they rarely ever ask.) I was brought up poor, but my mum was a provider since my dad died and I aim to do the same thing. I didn't study at University myself because I knew at the time I couldn't afford it. Now that I am in a better place I could study if I wanted to. I suppose my point is, although I appreciate spending money, I know how to think long-term, and there's a strategy behind my spending decisions. I will crunch the numbers to live in the best style I can realistically afford—without going into debt. I know that in contrast, he is desperate to live a life of comfort and luxuries, but he loses finances easily due to impulsive purchases or rash investments. He never wants to budget anything because he is so adamant that it is impossible.
All my family and friends are telling me to block him and think that he is an asshole. I am a very understanding person and my job involves mental health awareness.
I have two sides to how I feel right now...

  1. Right now my boyfriend is depressed and his avoidant attachment style is making him self sabotage this relationship. People engage in self-destructive behaviours to deal with anxiety, self-doubt and shame. This is how we would manage stress and negative emotions. We begin to feel anxious, like we don't fit in. I have been in a dark place myself and your mindset really is horrible. He really wants to be the provider as a man and I am getting in the way of that. I am worried that he is terrified of losing his independence and as a result he is pushing me away when I get too close. Two of his friends also died of suicide last year due to their difficult lifestyles in Alanya. I worry that he may feel the same at times. I also understand that jealousy is often a protective strategy fuelled by more vulnerable feelings, such as worthlessness or feelings of inadequacy. I also feel like he may be taking his anger out on me to provide a small moment of relief, but it will not solve the real issue.
  2. He is disrespectful, cold, and using excuses to break up with me for whatever reason (that I will never get the answer for.). He really doesn't want to talk to me because I am a heartless and I should send him money for food. He wants to move on and never talk to me again. I should ignore him.
I can't decide what to do. I have cried to the point where I don't have much energy, trying to keep myself together at work. Deep down I know that I should never take people's actions personally.
Should I message him because when people leave me on read it drives me insane, I would hate to be left on read after explaining myself deeply to someone. I feel like I have left him on read for too long now and that nothing will come from it even if I do, I just don't have the energy mentally because how unexpectedly this has happened but I believe that communication is key. I just don't know what to say to make anything right. I just don't know what to do, and I don't know what I should believe for the first time in my life... I would really appreciate any opinions because my mind is just so tired and is being my worst enemy right now.
Thank you so much if you have read this far. xxxx
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