Ford maverick hybrid for sale near me

Hello! Thanks for stopping by my post! A bit about me:
- I work with animals at a humane society. There isn’t an animal I don’t like, though I’m hugely a cat person over a dog person at this point in my life. My job is not easy and I have a crude sense of humor to deal with the things I deal with day to day. I can make a joke out of pretty much anything .
- I am plus sized and I like to think I'm like a 5/10 on the attractive scale. I grew up with a poor self-esteem, but it’s definitely gotten better and I am learning to love myself.
- I am incredibly independent and have lived alone since I was 21. I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to dating/relationships.
- I love binge watching tv shows. My go to shows are The Office, King of the Hill, Grey's Anatomy, SVU, criminal minds, plus several other shows. Open to suggestions for more binge worthy shows.
- Social Anxiety is real, I love exploring chill places like museums, zoos, and thrift stores. Not a huge bar person.
- I am VERY childfree so if you want kids I am not the person for you. You got a cat/dog/exotic/fish? Sign me uppppp. Their is not an animal I dislike!

• I’m bisexual/ probably asexual (it’s complicated lol)

- I am a homebody but would love to find someone who can draw me out of my cave once in a while :)

• if your outside the US I won’t respond I’m sorry. I’m ok with a LDR to a certain extent but I wanna keep it realistic

​
What I'm looking for:
- Someone who is loves to joke around but also I want someone who can get into deep conversations and talk about things in depth.
- I would prefer to take things slow (especially if its long distance) I am not one to rush labels and though I dont mind exclusivity I just want to hang out and have fun. IM NOT INTO HOOK UPS so sorry if thats what your looking for. I can vibe with people and be in the mood but if you come out strong I'm not into it.
- Preferably someone on the tubby side too who can feel my pain lol I like the Teddy Bear types.
- 25-37 and in the US/ideally the midwest/Nebraska so meeting could be possible in the near future.
- Memes and pics of animals is ideal. Funny videos, music you like, anything that lets me know what you enjoy are things I really enjoy to receive
Would love to hear from you!!

23M. Basically I grew up dirt poor. I attended a Cal State near me and achieved both a BS and MBA. I graduated with 0 debt. Right now, I am a biz ops manager managing 4 offices making close to 6 figures. It is a stressful, but well-paying job.
I have high ambitions. My dream is to start a successful business, not sure what industry and I'm still learning and trying to figure it out. The only reason I even went to college was to have a safety net in case my ventures fail, which will happen since entrepreneurship consists of trial & error. If I fail, at least I can land back on a comfy corporate 9-5 job instead of slaving in retail for pennies. I have already made a commitment not to have a wife and kids until I accomplish my dream (not like women are knocking at my door anyway). I'm doing this because having a family will conflict with my ability to take risks and will tie me down to one geographical location.
Lately I have been doing research on millionaires and billionaires. I tend to find a good amount of them, not all, tend to have some fancy ivy league education. There are all kinds of schools represented and a few of them did not go to school at all. There are a few at my school who went on to start large F500 companies (2 to 3) and a few others that have gone on to be major execs. There seems to be a bit of an elitist glass ceiling and these opportunities are typically presented to the already wealthy. Can someone like me with a poor background and no fancy degree break into this "class"? I don't want a billion dollars, but I am not going to lie, I am aiming for 10 million. Or the amount that I can f off to South America and never be seen again. It sounds ambitious but I am willing to do whatever it takes to get there. Any advice or thoughts would be appreciated.

My brother and I moved to Tucson recently. We have noticed there are quite a few buildings here that look like castles.
Is there a reason for this? I am from Albuquerque and he is from Phoenix. We did not see any there.
There is one on Stillwater on the west side and one on Blacklidge near Campbell. Please let me know if you know of any other locations.

The course includes:
​
• Foundations
• Self Transcendence
• Organic Attraction Mastery
• 7-Figure Imperium Agency Funnels
• Paid Attraction Mastery
• 7-Figure Sales Strategies
• Building Your Team
• Service Delivery
• Replays
• NorthFlow Coaching Program
​
You can find all of them on - Our Discord Server
Discord: PLIATSIK#0227
Telegram: t. me/PliatsikG (Remove the space between "t." and "me" for the link to work properly or search directly for my telegram name PliatsikG).
​
100+ Vouches from clients
1000+ Members on our Discord Server
20+ TB of rare and known courses

Contact me to get Iman Gadzhi - Agency Incubator by chatting me on +44 759 388 2116 on Telegram/Whatsapp.
I have Iman Gadzhi - Agency Incubator.
Iman Gadzhi – Agency Incubator course is one of the best products on how to start a marketing agency.
Over the span of 20+ hours, Agency Incubator has training that covers EVERY aspect of building an agency. This is almost a plug & play system with enough success stories to back it up! You name it... signing clients, running killer Facebook ads, building out your team, on-boarding clients, invoicing, sales... this course has everything covered for you!
The lessons inside Iman Gadzhi - Agency Incubator course include:
1. Foundations
2. Mindset
3. Systems & Processes
4. Finding Leads and Setting Meetings
5. Sales
6. Service Delivery
7. Operational Supremacy…
… and more!
To get Iman Gadzhi - Agency Incubator contact me on:
Whatsapp/Telegram: +44 759 388 2116 (Telegram: multistorecourses)
Reddit DM to u/RequestCourseAccess
Email: silverlakestore[@]yandex.com (remove the brackets)

Contact me to get Iman Gadzhi - Agency Navigator by chatting me on +44 759 388 2116 on Telegram/Whatsapp.
I have Iman Gadzhi - Agency Navigator.
Iman Gadzhi - Agency Navigator course is one of the best products on how to start a marketing agency.
Iman Gadzhi - Agency Navigator includes over 50 hours of step-by-step training covering EVERY aspect of building an agency from scratch. This is almost a plug & play system with enough success stories to back it up! Signing clients, running Facebook ads, building out your team, on-boarding clients, invoicing, sales... this course has everything covered for you.
The topics inside Iman Gadzhi - Agency Navigator course include:

1. Agency Navigator course Core Curriculum
   
2. Custom E-Learning Platform For Agency Owners
   
3. Financial Planner, Revenue Calculator, Outreach Tracker & More Tools
   
4. Websites Templates, Funnels, Ads & More
   
5. Template Contracts, Sales Scripts, Agreements & More
   

The lessons in Iman Gadzhi - Agency Navigator will teach you how to:
- Starting Your Agency
- Finding Leads
- Signing Clients
- Getting Paid
- Onboarding Clients
- Managing Client Communication...
...and much, much more!
To get Iman Gadzhi - Agency Navigator contact me on:
Whatsapp/Telegram: +44 759 388 2116
Reddit DM to u/RequestCourseAccess
Email: silverlakestore[@]yandex.com (remove the brackets)

Diretide/TI8/TI9/TI10/Nemestice/Aghanim's Immortals & Collector's Cache Sets FOR SALE
...........................................................................................

• We need to be friends for at least 30 days to be able to send the item/set as a gift
• To reserve an item/set you need to pay 25% of the price in advance
• Taking Items(Dota2/CSGO/TF2)/Skrill/Paypal/Crypto
• You can add me if you have any questions

Link to my spreadsheet, with all my prices, stock and reservations already made
TI8 COLLECTOR’S CACHE II SETS

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Shimmer of the Anointed (Nyx Assassin)	4$	12	-----
The Rat King (Chen)	5$	10	-----
Pattern of the Silken Queen (Broodmother)	5$	12	-----
Shackles of the Enduring Conscript (Axe)	6$	9	-----
Fires of the Volcanic Guard (Ember Spirit)	8$	11	-----
Loaded Prospects (Brewmaster)	10$	12	-----
Ire of the Molten Rebirth (Phoenix)	10$	8	-----
Pitmouse Fraternity (Meepo)	10$	6	-----
Raiments of the Obsidian Force (Underlord - Rare)	20$	9	-----

TI8 COLLECTOR’S CACHE I SETS

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Grasp of the Riven Exile (Weaver)	4$	9	-----
Insights of the Sapphire Shroud (Dark Seer)	4$	9	-----
Pillar of the Fractured Citadel (Spirit Breaker)	5$	7	-----
Primer of the Sapper's Guile (Techies)	6$	3	-----
Trail of the Sanguine Spectrum (Bloodseeker)	8$	4	-----
Molokau Stalker (Venomancer)	10$	10	-----
Raptures of the Abyssal Kin (Queen of Pain)	10$	4	-----
Morbific Provision (Witch Doctor)	10$	5	-----
Fate Meridian (Invoker)	15$	2	-----
The Murid Divine (Necrophos)	15$	7	-----

TI9 COLLECTOR'S CACHE II

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Automaton Antiquity (Broodmother)	5$	3	-----
Prized Acquisitions (Batrider)	5$	6	-----
Directive of the Sunbound (Clockwerk)	6$	4	-----
Tribal Pathways (Warlock)	6$	4	-----
Verdant Predator (Venomancer)	7$	2	-----
Sight of the Kha-Ren Faithful (Drow Ranger)	12$	4	-----

TI9 COLLECTOR'S CACHE I

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Riddle of the Hierophant (Oracle)	5$	1	-----

BP 2020 COLLECTOR'S CACHE II

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Secrets of the Celestial (Skywrath Mage)	5$	19	-----
Clearcut Cavalier (Timbersaw)	5$	17	-----
Carousal of the Mystic Masquerade (Rubick)	5$	20	-----
The King Of Thieves (Keeper of the Light)	5$	16	-----
Blaze of Oblivion (Phoenix)	5$	25	-----
Blacksail Cannoneer (Sniper)	5$	18	-----
Beast of the Crimson Ring (Bristleback)	7$	14	-----
Evolution of the Infinite (Enigma)	7$	19	-----
Wrath of the Fallen Ones (Doom)	7$	15	-----
Crown of Calaphas (Shadow Demon)	7$	17	-----
Talons of the Endless Storm (Chaos Knight)	9$	18	-----
Ire of the Ancient Gaoler (Arc Warden)	20$	8	-----
Horror from the Deep (Tidehunter)	20$	8	-----
Master of the Searing Path (Ember Spirit)	20$	8	-----
Steward of the Forbidden Chamber (Templar Assassin - Rare)	15$	26	-----

BP 2020 COLLECTOR'S CACHE I

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Songs of Starfall Glen (Enchantress)	5$	7	-----
Beholden of the Banished Ones (Warlock)	8$	5	-----
Herald of the Ember Eye (Grimstroke)	8$	6	-----
Apocalypse Unbound (Ancient Apparition)	8$	6	-----
Fury of the Righteous Storm (Disruptor)	10$	2	-----
Heartless Hunt (Bounty Hunter)	10$	1	-----
Flashpoint Proselyte (Huskar)	10$	3	-----
Fissured Flight (Jakiro)	10$	3	-----
Mindless Slaughter (Pudge)	15$	2	-----
Ancient Inheritance (Tiny - Rare)	20$	3	-----
Forsworn Legacy (Ares - Very Rare)	50$	1	-----

Nemestice Collector's Cache 2021

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Twilight Hex (Dark Willow)	5$	3	-----
Caerulean Star (Enchantress)	5$	5	-----
Silence of the Starweaver (Oracle)	5$	3	-----
Astral Terminus (Enigma)	10$	2	-----
Litany of the Damned (Doom)	10$	1	-----
Desert Bloom (Nature's Prophet)	10$	1	-----

Aghanim's 2021 Collector's Cache

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Secrets of the Frost Singularity (Ancient Apparition)	3$	7	-----
The Chained Scribe (Grimstroke)	4$	5	-----
Forgotten Fate (Mars)	8$	4	-----
March of the Crackerjack Mage (Rubick)	8$	3	-----
Blightfall (Abaddon)	10$	1	-----
Cosmic Concoctioneers (Alchemist)	10$	1	-----
Widow of the Undermount Gloom (Broodmother)	10$	1	-----
Apex Automated (Clockwerk)	10$	1	-----
Days of the Demon (Axe)	10$	1	-----
Perils of the Red Banks (Chen)	10$	2	-----
Pyrexae Polymorph Perfected (Ogre Magi - Rare)	15$	4	-----

Diretide 2022 Collector's Cache II

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Grand Suppressor (Silencer)	2.5$	15	-----
Darkbrew´s Transgression (Alchemist)	2.5$	16	-----
Transcendent Path (Oracle)	2.5$	15	-----
The Wilding Tiger (Brewmaster)	2.5$	15	-----
Dawn of Darkness Foretold (Doom)	2.5$	15	-----
Cursed Cryptbreaker (Pudge)	2.5$	14	-----
Feasts of Forever (Night Stalker)	2.5$	16	-----
Withering Pain (Clinkz)	2.5$	16	-----
Freebot Fortunes (Ogre Magi)	2.5$	14	-----
Acrimonioes of Obsession (Vengeful Spirit)	2.5$	14	-----
Sacred Chamber Guardian (Huskar)	2.5$	16	-----
War Rig Eradicators (Techies)	2.5$	14	-----
Darkfeather Factioneer (Phantom Assassin)	5$	11	-----
Bird of Prey (Legion Commander)	10$	4	-----
Grudges of the Gallows Tree (Treant Protector - Rare)	10$	16	-----
Brands of the Reaper (Anti-Mage - Rare)	10$	13	-----
Sublime Equilibrium (Void Spirit - Very Rare)	25$	3	-----

Diretide 2022 Collector's Cache I

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Hounds of Obsession (Chen)	2.5$	18	-----
Seadog's Stash (Clockwerk)	2.5$	18	-----
Chines of the Inquisitor (Faceless Void)	2.5$	17	-----
Trophies of the Hallowed Hunt (Ursa)	2.5$	16	-----
Crimson Dawn (Phoenix)	2.5$	18	-----
Fogotten Station (Terrorblade)	2.5$	19	-----
Dirge Amplifier (Undying)	2.5$	17	-----
Champion of the Fire Lotus (Monkey King)	2.5$	16	-----
Deathstitch Shaman (Witch Doctor)	2.5$	18	-----
Spoils of the Shadowveil (Spectre)	5$	10	-----
Scarlet Subversion (Riki)	5$	8	-----
Whippersnapper (Snapfire)	8$	8	-----
Shadowleaf Insurgent (Hoodwink)	10$	4	-----
Starlorn Adjudicator (Dawnbreaker)	10$	5	-----
Blue Horizons (Marci - Rare)	10$	11	-----
Angel of Vex (Invoker - Rare)	15$	4	-----
Dark Behemoth (Primal Beast - Very Rare)	25$	4	-----

IMMORTAL TREASURE II 2022

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Limbs of Lycosidae (Broodmother)	1$	2	-----
Draca Mane (Huskar)	1$	1	-----
Sullen Sanctum (Necrophos)	1$	2	-----
Insight of Forlorn Precipice (Dark Seer)	1$	2	-----
Draconic Divide (Dragon Knight)	1$	2	-----
Tremors of the Tandem Storm (Disruptor)	4$	1	-----
Golden Draca Mane (Huskar)	6$	1	-----
Golden Sullen Sanctum (Necrophos)	6$	2	-----

IMMORTAL TREASURE I 2022

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
infernal Cavalcade (Centaur Warrunner)	1$	6	-----
Flutterstep (Enchantress)	1$	6	-----
Seclusions of the Void (Templar Assassin)	1$	7	-----
Aktok's Glory (Venomancer)	1$	6	-----
Everglyph Goggles (Meepo)	1$	7	-----
Blastmitt Berserker Bundle (Bristleback)	4$	1	-----
Seclusions of the Void (Templar Assassin)	6$	1	-----
Infernal Cavalcade (Centaur Warrunner)	6$	3	-----
The Strings of Suradan Bundle (Hoodwink)	30$	1	-----

AGELESS HEIRLOOMS 2022

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Howls of the Northmarch (Anti-Mage)	1$	4	-----
Faction of the Feather (Templar Assassin)	1$	3	-----
Melange of the Firelord (Chaos Knight)	1$	4	-----
Heinous Exultation (Razor)	1$	5	-----
Tangled Tropics (Monkey King)	1$	4	-----
Fury of the Thunderhawk (Zeus)	1$	4	-----
Oaths of the Beloved (Death Prophet)	1$	4	-----
Twilight Legions (Night Stalker)	2.5$	3	-----
Jewels of Anamnessa (Medusa)	5$	1	-----
Wings of Imperium (Mars)	15$	1	-----

The Battle Pass Collection 2022

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Hides of Hostility (Huskar)	1$	4	-----
Heat of the Sixth Hell (Doom)	1$	4	-----
Nefarious Fixations (Lion)	1$	3	-----
Distinguished Forgemaster (Clockwerk)	1$	4	-----
Volcanic Sanctuary (Broodmother)	1$	3	-----
Obsidian Atrocity (Lifestealer)	1$	4	-----
Charms of the Firefiend (Batrider)	5$	1	-----
Molten Bore (Mars)	10$	1	-----

DEAD RECKONING CHEST

SET(HERO)	ITEM VALUE	STOCK	NOTE
Dead Heat (Lina)	6$	1	-----
Dying Light (Dawnbreaker)	6$	1	-----
Death Adder (Medusa)	6$	1	-----
Soul Serpent (Viper)	6$	1	-----

SteamRep

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/ZhIQKIG
What I have for sale today ...
Bose QuietComfort QC Earbuds (Version 1) - $95 $80 Shipped (USCON)

• Comes with case and charging cable with the box.
• Only eartips I have are the size "L" that are installed.
• Will be fully sanitized and I will include more sterilization wipes for your convenience
• Case and earbuds holds charge great
• Upgraded to most current firmware using Bose Connect iOS App
• The earbuds are in EXCELLENT condition

Bose QuietControl 30 Wireless Headphones - $95 $80 Shipped (USCON)

• Comes with case and charging cable
• Comes with S/M/L eartips .. the S&L are unused, the M are used.
• Will be fully sanitized and I will include more sterilization wipes for your convenience
• Headphones holds charge great
• Upgraded to most current firmware using Bose Connect iOS App
• The headphones are in EXCELLENT condition

Only selling because I have too many pairs of headphones and these don't get any love.
Please make sure to respond to my post here first and then send me a PM using Private Messages (not chat).
Payments with PayPal G&S only - will ship to the address associated with your PayPal account.
I am open to fair offers, but please PM to negotiate.
For more verification - I am active on photomarket & appleswap
Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/ZhIQKIG

My nephew is 10 and he’s really into Lego ninjas. About 2 months ago I asked him what he wanted for his birthday (today) and he said he wanted something about a Lego ninja temple. I figured at most it would be $20 so I said sure I would definitely get it for him. He texted me a week later with the actual name and this thing was well over $700 with tax on Amazon. I have a great job in machine part sales but I couldn’t justify spending that so I got him a toy ninja play set with plastic weapons complete with like a mask which I thought was cool.
What I guess I didn’t realize was that he has two months to tell his friends he was getting his set so he was really disappointed today. My sister flipped shit on me and said maybe I should have communicated with her about not being able to buy the set. I said I had no idea it was $700 and she said she would have been equally as upset had I bought him the $700 set. I said I felt like I was in a no-win. She said no “you put yourself in a no win by not talking with me so I could do some expectation management And why didn’t you get him even a small Lego? Did you buy that Ninja set at a truck stop?” I said actually did because I ran out of time this week. She said everything about this makes me embarrassed to be your brother and pissed for my son.
She didn’t say asshole but she might as well have. AITA?

I am a Bible student so I am always in need of ways to more comprehensively search the Scriptures, so I made a handy little search tool for ChatGPT. I know it seems redundant because ChatGPT could already search through the Bible on its own, but this gives you the ability to contextualize boolean operator search terms. It does make mistakes, and sometimes (though rarely) even misquotes Scripture, so do double check its work.
A few things that I want to add,

• Support for the original languages
• Integration between the original languages and the English, such that it "knows" which underlying term corresponds to which English word.
• The ability to search not just the Bible, but multiple Christian documents, - effectively turning it into a research assistant. I am not sure if this is possible, but fingers crossed.
• Quickly compare translations.

​

Follow my Instructions: Search the Bible for specific words or phrases using boolean operators or natural language queries. Please provide the requested passages without any additional commentary or explanations. You can use the following operators when they are capitalized: AND: To find passages that contain both words or phrases. OR: To find passages that contain either of the words or phrases. AND/OR: To find passages that contain either both words or phrases or just one of them. NEAR: To find passages where the words or phrases appear near each other. BEFORE: To find passages that occur before a specified word or phrase. AFTER: To find passages that occur after a specified word or phrase. IN: To specify the book or chapter to search within. This parameter specifies the book or chapter to restrict the search. If the "IN" parameter is not provided, the search will encompass the entire Bible. You will set the "IN" parameter once, and it will be remembered for subsequent searches unless you specify a different book or chapter. If I do not specify an IN parameter, search the entire Bible. REL: Prioritize the results of the search based on the relevance to a second specified passage. Similarly, you will set the "REL" parameter once, and it will be remembered for subsequent searches unless I specify a different book or chapter. If I do not specify words or phrases, provide a list of verses that are most pertinent to the REL operator. For example if I type "REL John 3:16" you should return a list of verses that are related to John 3:16. Additionally, I may type "REL Bible" to stop prioritizing based on a second passage. FUZZ: Perform a fuzzy search based on the general idea or concept. The fuzzy search will consider the general idea or concept behind the search phrase, providing results that match the intended meaning rather than exact word matches. For example, using the search phrase "Simon was walking on the water" may return a relevant passage such as Matthew 14:29, which reads "Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water, and came toward Jesus." Please remember that when you capitalize an operator (e.g., AND, OR, NEAR), it will be treated as an operator in the search. However, when you use lowercase (e.g., and, or, near), it will be treated as a search term. This distinction will ensure accurate processing of your search queries. In addition to these boolean operators, you can also enter natural language queries to search the Bible. The prompt will understand and process your search queries in everyday language. For example, you can use boolean operators like "AND" and "OR" in your queries, or you can use natural language phrases like "Show me the verses where Jesus walked on water" or "Find passages about love in the book of John." The prompt will do its best to understand and generate relevant search results based on your input. Your first reply to me should be friendly conversational instructions on how to interact with you. It should be under 200 words that say something to the effect of "Welcome to Bible Search Chat. You can use this tool by... please be advised that sometimes I can be biased and even misquote Scripture so do double check my results..." Unless otherwise specified, you should provide as many verses as possible. Your answers should be as long as you can make them. You should provide the user with exhaustive lists. For example, if I ask for "Jesus IN 1 John" you should provide all of the passages that mention Jesus in 1 John. Note at the end whether or not the list you have provided is exhaustive. Do not provide commentary on passages, even when they are controversial. Simply return the passages that the user has requested. Do not explain what a text means, or things about a passage that it is important to note. Do not attempt to explain what the Bible does or does not teach as a whole. For example, you should not say things like "Please note that the Bible contains various perspectives on the existence of God, including affirmations of God's existence and discussions about the nature of faith. The search results will provide a range of passages that touch on these topics." before giving me the list of texts. By default, the ESV Bible will be used for the search. However, if I specify a different translation, you should change to the desired translation. To reset all the settings, including the book, chapter, relevance, and translation, you can type the operator "RESET". This will clear all the previously set parameters and revert to the default settings. 

Hope this is a blessing to you!

Not sure how to format this post, but I'm looking for affordable performance/muscle car options. I work 5 days a week, and monthly income is about $4000. I don't have to worry about utilities, and I'm pretty lucky that my family has vehicles available to use.
Ultimately, my favorite car brand is Pontiac. I love the G8, GTO, Bonneville, and Grand Prix.
I have been fawning over a Pontiac Firebird WS6 for a couple years now, and it is one of my dream cars, but in my area they are going for around 13k-18k, and the insurance would be fairly high for somebody my age, at around $150 a month. Regardless, this is my main option that I am going for.
I was very close to purchasing a 1997 Pontiac Firebird Formula, but I decided that it wasn't worth it because the LT1 engine is much less reliable than the LS1, and has less power, but the same insurance rate.
The 3rd generation Firebird would be more of a pain to work on, but insurance would be cheaper at $80/month. I appreciate these cars as well but I would want something that has performance. The T-Tops, style, and pop-up headlights are very appealing to me though.
I really like the Buick Grand National, but due to the rarity and age, that would be completely out of the picture. The Pontiac Fiero seems to be a good choice because insurance would only be $40 a month, plus it includes features the qualities I want, but lacks performance. Same with the Buick Reatta.
I have considered newer cars like Dodge Chargers and Challengers, but I would like something older. Other than that, I have considered settling for something. I have considered the Miata and RX-7, but those are exceedingly rare in my area.
I have considered a Corvette, but I find them to be a lesser version of a Pontiac Firebird. Same with the Camaro family. Yes, I understand they are practically the same, but Pontiac is much more appealing to me.
I am not interested in anything Ford, or foreign. What are some other good options? Yes, I understand this may seem like immaturity, but I would like my first car to be something I can learn to work on and appreciate.
Edit: I have also considered the 90's Buick Park Avenue due to the reliability and maintenance. I have worked with the Buick 3.8 engine and I am very familiar with it. Only problem would be the lack of performance, and no T-Tops or pop-up headlights. But that may be a better choice until I have a better budget for a muscle car.

Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/ZhIQKIG
What I have for sale today ...
Bose QuietComfort QC Earbuds (Version 1) - $95 $80 Shipped (USCON)

• Comes with case and charging cable with the box.
• Only eartips I have are the size "L" that are installed.
• Will be fully sanitized and I will include more sterilization wipes for your convenience
• Case and earbuds holds charge great
• Upgraded to most current firmware using Bose Connect iOS App
• The earbuds are in EXCELLENT condition

Bose QuietControl 30 Wireless Headphones - $95 $80 Shipped (USCON)

• Comes with case and charging cable
• Comes with S/M/L eartips .. the S&L are unused, the M are used.
• Will be fully sanitized and I will include more sterilization wipes for your convenience
• Headphones holds charge great
• Upgraded to most current firmware using Bose Connect iOS App
• The headphones are in EXCELLENT condition

Only selling because I have too many pairs of headphones and these don't get any love.
Please make sure to respond to my post here first and then send me a PM using Private Messages (not chat).
Payments with PayPal G&S only - will ship to the address associated with your PayPal account.
I am open to fair offers, but please PM to negotiate.
For more verification - I am active on photomarket & appleswap
Timestamp: https://imgur.com/a/ZhIQKIG

Hello, i hope you are well
I am not an orthodox buddhist, but i have a sangha and regularly attend for talks on the dharma
I feel like it is the main positive thing in my life that helps me focus on what is really valuable: cultivating compassion, kindness, and living a good, harmonious life with others.
I will be graduating from college soon and i am thinking about what to do next with my life
I am a construction worker, but i feel like construction sites are a place where one cultivates the opposite of virtue. You can be kind to others, but if you are too kind too often it can lead to seriously negative consequences for yourself. Getting walked on, taken advantage of, and can even result in your dismissal.
Anyway, after i graduate, i was either thinking of going back to the union apprenticeship for carpentry, but i feel if i do this, while it might lead to financial security, it will also result in me becoming someone i dislike: an agressive, cynical, hateful person who has to dominate others in order to survive.
The other option is to keep working non-union jobs while i go to my woodworking guild and become skilled enough as a woodworker to sell what i create. I feel like this will lead to a happier, more virtuous life where i do not need to spend most of my time where you often can only survive by way of cruelty.
Cliffs: Graduating in near future Have the options to go into carpenter union where i'll likely get further socialized into being a mean construction guy Or i can do non-union work where i can spend more time developingas a wood worker, eventually selling my own stuff and not having to deal with the hateful and agressivr construction environment.
Thank you for anyone who has constructive wisdom to share

Yesterday as I was getting ready to jump in the shower before work, my wife (A) was playing with our almost 3 year old daughter (B). B sees a bruise on A’s leg and asks “what’s that?” A says “it’s a bruise” and B replies “why” and my wife says jokingly “daddy hit me.” My jaw dropped to the floor; to be clear I’ve never been in a fight, have never hit anyone, man or woman and definitely never A. I told A that’s not ok and she corrected herself with B, that she fell or ran into something. I jumped in the shower and for sure had shower thoughts, a little time to process and realize this isn’t the first time. After I finish showering, I approached my wife and told her I was mad at her and why, but then I had to leave right away because I needed to be at work early. When I got to work, I composed myself and sent a lengthy text, and her response was to go on the offense and throw her usual go-tos in my face (how I’m on my phone too much, how much more she does for B than me, etc). Nice whataboutism.
Maybe six months ago I heard A say to B, again jokingly, “daddy doesn’t love you” and I freaked the fuck out. My divorced parents used to shit talk each other all the time and I hated it, like they were trying to poison me again at the other. I told A don’t badmouth me to our daughter, I’m very aware that she’s always listening. I’m always very careful what I say around B, especially since an incident while I was driving with her in the car and made some comment to another driver, which she repeated. Luckily, it was tame, only “later loser” but it shows my point. B is in that stage now where she not only hears everything, she’s often repeating everything.
Case in point, just this morning. After dropping my wife off at work and garage saling, I was carrying B up the stairs and I said to her, “B, I love you. Do you love daddy?” and she says to me “no, you’re rude.” Rude is a word my wife uses and overuses. So clearly she’s poisoning the well, whether she means to or not. I’m going to have a long talk with A, but I don’t know what to say. Evidently our talk six months ago did nothing. Generally we have a really good, strong marriage but A’s continuing bad behavior has me extremely vexed.
​
TLDR - just like the title says, my wife has been badmouthing me to our daughter and I don't know what to do about it.

This is a throwaway account because family members and my girlfriend have me on my main and I’d be a little embarrassed if they saw this.
My (m17) girlfriend (f17) of ten months has gone nearly non-verbal, meaning she talks fine until her social/verbal battery runs out. She’s been stressed a lot lately and she does her best to talk to me as much and as long as she can, but it gets to a point she really can’t talk, usually something—that something being her family being just kinda rude to her and then she just stays quiet and kinda does her own thing.
When we’re on FaceTime and this happens- and it tends to happen at least once a day—she ends up teaching me a little sign language. I don’t fully pay attention because usually I’m gaming, but I’ll pay attention enough for her to write something down and have her show me, or for her to sign I love you.
When I’m stressed because of school or losing a game, she’ll get my attention and “boop” me (poke the camera) or “pat” me (cup her hand over the camera and pat it a few times) and she’ll just sit there supporting me with whatever’s going on.
She’s the sweetest person I could ever ask for and I love her so much. She’s never judged me for anything, she’s always been here through anything I’m dealing with, stands up for me when I’m getting picked on, etc.
I plan on marrying her one day. Yeah yeah, we’re young, and we’ve only been together ten months, but sometimes you just know. I love her, she has my heart and I know I have hers.
Don’t want any advice, just wanted to let that out.

Hi. My name is Amy and in October I got very sick. I stayed that way despite multiple hospital visits that just disregarded my symptoms and gave me two powerful anti biotics. On December 8 I went in to the hospital because I felt like I was dying. They tried to pull the same thing with giving me anti biotics and sending me home. This time I rejected them and said no I need further evaluation. Giving me a general diagnosis of colitis and treating it with anti biotics just doesn't seem right. The anti biotics were making me feel worse. They admitted me that day.
Three days later they gave me a colonoscopy in order to give me an actual diagnosis and it turns out I had severe ulcerative colitis. steroids failed, Remicade failed, and I was transported to a hospital in Baltimore, bc I live in a rural area. The doctors were supposed to be more experienced. On January 5th, I had a total collectomy and now I have a colostomy bag.
A few days later they realized my right ureter (the tube between your kidney and bladder that transports urine) was severed. They put a stint in to try to direct the urine but the doctor didn't place it properly and severed the ureter completely. I ended up with a nephrostomy bag. The tube leading to the bag would cause me to become septic approximately every two weeks. I was very sick the entire time I had it and it wasn't until two weeks ago that I got rid of it through another major surgery.
May 15 I was supposed to have a surgery to remove my right kidney and transplant it to the left side of my body to re attach the ureter. But I was already in the hospital for another infected nephrostomy tube. so they had to put it off until I was able to be transported to a different hospital in Baltimore.
The kidney was so damaged from the weeks of continued infection, that after they connected the kidney to the ureter and transplanted what they thought was successful, I started bleeding internally and my body was rejecting the kidney. Just two weeks ago I nearly died. I now have one kidney, but I am alive. And grateful.
All of this has happened since October. My life changed in an instant. I was already on this sub because I have a neck injury that is also pretty severe. I can't even feel my neck pain because of how badly this abdominal pain is. I don't know what I did to myself to end up like this, but it's rare I wake up without crying every day.
The hospital prescribed me 15mg of oxycodone, once every 4 hours. They gave me a two week prescription, 84 pills I think. It said two weeks on the label. So two weeks would be the 7th.
I had an appointment with my pain management doctor yesterday so I called the pharmacy to make sure they ordered a months supply of this medication. I had her send the prescription way ahead of time so if any issues arise, they can be handled before the 7fh. He tells me they're on back order. That my insurance company won't cover any amount of pills until the 18th instead of the 7th. And when they do fill it, they can only fill 96 of the 180 that I was ordered for a months supply.
So I've been taking my prescription as prescribed by the surgeons who wrote the prescription. Every 4 hours. I am in serious pain. They did some serious damage and I am having more disgusting symptoms than ever. Now I can't even pee normally either. I start to pee, I'll get a good stream going, and then suddenly, it stops. I wait a moment or two and the same thing happens. I go through this until I think I have emptied my bladder. I'm worried because I am not sure that I have fully emptied my bladder. I am concerned about getting a kidney infection due to this. I can't get an appointment with a urologist until the.28th.
I have to go back to Baltimore on the 8th for a follow up. Visit with the surgeons or just a surgeon who may or may not have worked on me. I have to drive almost three hours to Baltimore for me to see the doctor for probably less than five minutes. Then turn around and go back home. At least that's how it went with the follow-up with the surgeon who did the collectomy.
I guess I just needed somewhere to rant. I have enough pills now that if I only take one a day, I'll be fine by the me the 18th rolls around. I'm calling my insurance company as soon as I can on Monday to see what's going on here. They have some policy that every 25 days, you're allowed 180 pills. After 25 days end, it starts over and you are allowed 180 pills. This is the first time I've ever come close to having a script so large until now.
I'm terrified of how the next two weeks are going to go. I'm in serious pain. Just the incision hurts so much, my entire inside feels bruised. You don't think about how much you use your abdomen until something like this happens and your abdomen is cut through..it's hard to walk, even just standing is a task. I can usually only do one activity per day before I need to rest. But I'm doing my best to get out at least once a day now. Also, while I was in the hospital my dog Lucy passed away on her 12th birthday. I had rescued her at six months old..
Thanks for listening to my unloading of so.much.sh*t.

I made an appointment 3 weeks ago to get my first 2023 EN oil change done. I told them to check that they had 0W30 synthetic in stock, which they did, and then I asked them to cancel my service and reschedule should they run out before today, the day of my appointment. No call. So I drive to the dealership where I purchased the car 6 months ago, with 2765 on the clock. I pull in and ask if they have 0W30 full-synthetic on had. Tech said they should and I asked if I could see it. He gets the service manager who calls the garage who say they don't. I asked why no one called me to cancel my appointment since you failed to have the oil on hand. Then he offers that they have 0W20 on hand and that would probably be just fine. I said I'd rather go with what the manual calls for than his opinion. Guy said his tech said it's Hyundai policy that it's okay to put 0W20 in the car as long as the reason is that they don't have any 0W30 on hand. I indicated that there's no way that could be true unless Hyundai is a crap company. Then I asked him how he thought his words and attitudes and direct quotes would play on the Internet - how crazy they would sound. He didn't seem to be able to care much less, and pretty much said so. Then he doubled down on his theory that I should just let them put 0W20 in it. Before I left the dealership, I went to the sales floor and demanded that the owner of the dealership call me during the week. Personally, I recommend asking to lay eyes on any oil Hyundai techs say they are going to put in your engine.

Me: 39M, healthy, tall, educated, reasonably attractive, not on any medication, full hair, finances not quite what they should be at my age (that's what academia does to you) but better than ever before and improving, so no obvious red flags as far as I can tell and no downward tendencies in the last few years that would be an obvious reason for why I'm in a sexless marriage. I'm as fuckable as I ever were. So it's probably not that. I also have no unorthodox sexual desires, let alone recently developed ones, so it's not that either. I used to enjoy a hedonistic sex life in my 20s until I realised that it didn't fulfil me. Started looking for more calm waters and more meaningful connections, fell deeply in love with who would become my wife. The way I'm phrasing the story is relevant because sex was never a priority with her from the start. It was good, not great, it was fun/frequent enough but I loved her for other reasons and I mostly believe I still do.
Her: 37F, still very attractive to me, her body outright refuses to age, used to have some chronic endocrinological health conditions (thyroid issues) that were resolved beautifully when she changed her diet into a (now not so strict anymore) paleo direction and became a bit obsessed with gut health, gluten-free, yoga, supplements, etc. But her health seems to be proving her right ever since. Otherwise in good health and no psychological condition or trauma I'm aware of and no medication other than thyroid hormones.
Timeline: We met in 2010, split up for almost a year in 2015 (she left and asked me to take her back), we decided to go all in after that. Started trying to have kids around 2017, which turned sex into a chore with obsessive timing and zero passion whatsoever from her side. That phase really took the joy out of it for me as well and I was glad when we decided to stop and instead go with IVF, wich got us a wonderful little boy and my favourite human in 2019. There was no diagnosis that would have explained the difficulties. IVF took a second attempt as well. We also got married in 2018 but since then have had sex for fun exactly twice (once in 2018 and once in 2019). And of course it wasn't great, but why would it be after such a long time? I really enjoyed the intimacy with her though and suspected that we'd be able to have actual fun again. Interestingly she initiated both times (I have stopped trying a long time ago.) and both times happened on vacation in a hotel room. Make of that one what you will, psychologists. Maybe she was trying to find out if optimal conditions would make her enjoy it, I don't know. She's not easy to talk to about these things and acts very intuitively.
Fast forward to now. She has zero interest in sex and/or intimacy whatsoever, she says she never masturbates, has no sexual thoughts or desires whatsoever, she has just become completely colourblind to sexuality. She is a non-sexual entity and I've kind of started accepting her that way. But sex isn't the only thing that's lacking in our relationship. Any kind of non-sexual intimacy is extremely rare and our emotional connection is clearly damaged, as we both don't seem to show the kind of resilience and patience with each other anymore that family life demands of partners. I'm under the impression that couples who have a sex life are just more resistant to outside stress. Well, we clearly don't have that anymore. We're a functional team, most of the time. She's a wonderful mother, we still have our moments, and I don't think our marriage is 100% doomed quite yet. But I'm feeling some resentment and maybe even contempt building up on both sides when times are stressful and my general level of frustration shows.
And I honestly don't think anyone else but myself is to blame for my decisions. I don't feel deceived in any way and I'm also not viewing her decline to zero as in any way linked to external issues, trauma or health. I knew perfectly well that her sex drive and probably her whole experience of sex was near the lower limit of what I'd be able to live with, even in our 20s. I knew that she was just wired a little differently and that there would always be a chance that things could get worse. Her pregnancy issues kind of confirmed that intuition. Interestingly, her sex drive faded even more with her improving health, if she wasn't pretending that she ever had it in the first place. I couldn't blame her. I also appreciated (and still do) the great influence she is on my life in terms of values and self-care. Choosing her was like eating my vegetables. Maybe even punishing myself a bit for the life I've had before (again, nothing crazy, just flings with lots of women and no attachment). But it was eating my vegetables with someone I truly loved and who was (and still is) crazy attractive to me. But I should have seen this coming. It was wishful thinking all along. And that's completely on me.
So what now? Ever since my Dad passed away somewhat surprisingly in his late 50s, I'm starting to ask myself how many years of health I have left and I'm starting to think that I cannot live like this until I die. The idea of having sex with her now seems more weird and awkward to me than with a literal stranger, because of all the history and baggage. I honestly can't see myself doing that anytime soon but I'm also sure that it won't be asked of me. I'm going through some kind of midlife crisis 15 years too early, but for pretty much exactly the same hormonal reasons (on my wife's end).
Here are the options that I would suggest if I were the reader:

1. Suck it up. Life could be worse. I have a somewhat functional marriage and a lovely son who needs a functional family. We are his world and he deserves his world not to be fucked with. Pun intended. All the sex I've had in my 20s didn't make me happy either. Eventually my testosterone levels will drop and I will find more appreciation for the extra time I have. During this marriage, I've painted some badass Warhammer armies. But then again, my early midlife crisis is kicking in hard right now. I'm not ready to die. Maybe using something like excessive exercise or a new hobby etc... could it be possible to redirect the unused sexual energy. Does anyone have experience with something like that? Does it get better or worse if you hit the gym 6 times a week?
   
2. Seek Professional advice. I'm pretty sure at this point that I couldn't get her to seek medical advice. She has no unmet need, I do. Call it selfish, maybe this is something I need to bring up more. As far as she is concerned she has never been a very sexual person. Psychological: No idea. My wife will be very skeptical because she's a therapist herself (not for sexual issues though) so she probably knows the limitations better than anyone. Maybe she's just comfortable with the situation and has no regard for how I feel, so there is no pressure to fix things.
   
3. Leave. I couldn't do that to my son. I don't want to talk to him at 16 or whatever (if he still talks to me then) and tell him sorry son, that you had a fragmented, guilt-ridden and emotionally confusing childhood, but I had to leave because turns out I really like pussy. Impossible. Really not the kind of life the little guy deserves. So hard no. Of course this doesn't mean that my marriage won't blow up in my face eventually but I see no need to pull that plug preemptively.
   
4. Talk her into an open marriage. Not gonna work. She actually brought that up herself, as if I had asked already. And despite not wanting sex, I believe a total lack of jealousy would be horseman of the apocalypse, more than anything else.
   
5. Cheat and don't get caught. I'm thinking about this "solution", also knowing that some day I will have the opportunity to do something really stupid after three drinks and possibly will end up paying for it dearly. So why not do it intelligently instead? After about 3 years of sexlessness I hooked up with an old acquaintance from my university days a few times. It was incredibly easy for me to do, no guilt whatsoever. Because after all, I clearly wasn't giving anything to her that my wife would have wanted. Whatever we have isn't monogamy, it's zero-gamy, so to speak (couldn't be bothered to look up the greek word). I guess that's what you get for viewing your wife as a non-sexual entity. It felt amazing to be appreciated and the experience itself was a blast, but I wasn't able to fully relax because instead of guilt, I felt a sense of shame because I never thought this is the man I was going to be and also a kind paranoia for fear of getting caught and destroying my son's family in the process. Taking off your wedding ring before entering a hotel room is such a gut-wrenching degree of personal failure that I dread ever being in that situation again (strangely that move was out of respect for the institution, isn't that absurd? Of course my friend knew I was married). Also the fear of getting another woman pregnant or jealous etc.. is a fear I'm not sure I'd be able to cope with long term. Ultimately, I'm not sure if that means that this path isn't for me or if I'd just need to get used to the pressures. Right now I don't want to. But how do you even approach "ethical" cheating? Lying to one woman is stressful, lying to two is bound to fail. So given that your affair needs to know that she's just that, what kind of woman is both comfortable in a situation like that AND trustworthy/stable enough for you to gladly put the fate of what's left of your family into her hands? It doesn't seem worth it and even though said former uni friend is probably both of those things, she has her own issues (and a failing marriage) too, and ironically, it seems wrong to be part of that in any way. So am I looking for a woman with lower ethical standards than my own here? How do you even approach that? Cheaters, please let me know how you do it. No judgement.
   
6. Prostitution. No. Just no. For a million reasons. Feel free to try to change my mind but no.
   

Here is what I am doing though. In order to fight my early onset midlife crisis, I made a pact with a friend who's also turning 40 by the end of the year to try to get ripped until our respective birthdays. I've been into some martial arts in the past but extreme personal fitness has never been a real goal of mine so this is what I'll be doing until the end of the year, hoping that spiking my testosterone isn't going to be all it does, thereby increasing the chance of doing stupid things. I'm hoping that being physically exhausted all the time makes me calmer and better able to vent my frustration and looking the best I ever have might also serve as a test for whether there is any sexuality left in my wife at all or if everything is truly lost and dead in that department. I'll also keep it in my pants for now as there doesn't seem to be a solution.
Thank you for your time, any comment is very much appreciated, including those telling me to grow a pair.

My ocd is super hot this week (I have my period anyway now) it has been jumping theme to theme:
“What if I truly don’t love him and I’m just in denial ? What If I don’t want to be with him and I’m truly in denial?”
“What if I’m just in denial of any problems in the relationship/flags?”
I’m in therapy. And my partner loves the idea of couples therapy if it comes down to it. Right now it’s all okay it’s just fear that overtakes me (Esp right now with my period).
I’ve gone over every possible concern with my partner and therpist - and from both ends , nothing screams red flags. But I can’t shake the feeling that I’m trapping myself by committing (we want to get married in the near future, and it’s a goal we are trying to reach).
Here is the thing, I was married before at 22 years old and it was an abusive relationship. The abuse didn’t come out till we got married :(. I also told him everything I wanted in life and expected from the relationship for 2 years that we were dating, and gave him plenty of opportunities to leave , but he didn’t. I asked him if he was really happy with me and wanted this life and he said “yes”. That was a lie. He told me 10mo after we were married that he never wanted to marry me, he never loved me, and he doesn’t want to be with me…. He just didn’t know how to break it off (what a whimp)! Do you see where my fear steams from?!? I told my ex husband while we were dating all my travel goals and desires and he agreed and loved to travel. We even took 2 big trips together while dating so I believed him.
My current soon to be fiancé loves to travel. But I’m just so scared. What if I’m married and I’m trapped ? Meaning he say we will take a trip but we really don’t ? What if my partner says , when married , it’s different and I’m trapped ? It means I made a mistake and it’s not recoverable. But I’d still want to be with him as long as he’s not beating me up. :(
My future fiancé has already said he doesn’t want me to feel or be trapped. And that he’s not my ex-husband.
I’m so scared that I’m going to trap him too. :( Meaning, when I get married I’m going to realize I don’t love him, never wanted to be with him, and that I just played him on like my ex-husband did to me. My ocd convinces me at time I’m just going down the path of my ex-husband , and this time I’ll be the bad guy.
My therapists has also confirmed these are TRAMA BASED fears that I’m dealing with. Seeing that my ex promised me one thing and did a 360… I’m so scared my partner will do the same, or I will.
How can we get married with ocd ? :( any success stories? I’m so scared if I feel panic at engagement, or wedding, I’ll run away.. I don’t want to. I just wish I can wake up, and be married to my best friend ;(
It’s as if the steps (milestones) and wedding day is a huge trigger. A symbol.

First Previous
Ja’vail woke up with a yawn, her eyes squinting in the evening light. Her room was positioned in the castle on the west side, to ensure that Tor’s sun would wake her up for her duties. It was a purpose that it served with perfection, despite the fact that she really would have liked to sleep for a few more minutes.
However, her duty could not be delayed. It was her power that served as the linchpin to Tor’s spell, and she would fulfill her duty to ensure her Diarchy’s, and her world’s, future. With a grunt of exertion, Queen Ja’vail rose from her bed, stretched out her wings, and moved to the balcony before picking up her robe. As soon as she was somewhat decent, the Queen of the Night then opened her wings, looked to the skies, and began channeling her power into the spellform that had been weaved between the planet and its moon, renewing the bonds that connected them, and ensuring the delicate balance between her magic and her husband’s would not come undone.
She performed this ritual twice a day, every day, to ensure the spell’s continued existence. In the past few months she had performed it well before Tor had performed his own renewal, and had had to go remind the foolish drake to not only perform his duties, but to hurry up and get his tail to bed. Without her efforts, and her constant reminder to the king, the entire thing would come undone, ensuring their planet’s rapid descent into division once again.
Without the two dakri turning the planet, the two sides would either become too hot or too cold to sustain life, with the twilight between them ruled by monsters birthed from the nightmares of the oppressed.
It was with some surprise, then, that as she poured her soul into this undertaking, she could feel the thrum of her husband’s power clear in her mind, letting her know that Tor had already renewed his half of the spell for the night.
He really did need that sleep, she thought, giving a self-satisfied nod towards the setting sun before turning back towards her private chamber. She still had much to prepare for her night; even with the most pressing matter out of the way, she still expected a full schedule. Her court wasn’t especially busy, as the dakri found the night to be the best time to sleep and prepare for the next day.
That was besides the point, though, as her duties rarely involved overseeing the day-to-day rule. Rather, her task was to patrol the ǣther, hunt the nightmares that plagued her people, and to do her best to heal the source of those nightmares.
This was especially important now that she had cleared the Forest of Yith and had located the source of that particularly violent nest. It was best to keep those nightmares from returning, and for this cause she was going to attempt to enter the survivor’s dreams again. She doubted she would have as much success this time as she had last time, simply because almost drowning had weakened the creature’s defenses significantly. However, she had faith that she would at least be able to soothe the visitor’s dreams, and possibly gain a little more information on how he thought.
At the very least, she’d settle for a name. She couldn’t just keep calling it ‘the creature’ or ‘the survivor,’ as those ‘names’ grew heavy on the tongue, and wore down her patience. A name would also help the visit she had planned go a lot smoother, and would hopefully help them as they tried to convince him to come to the castle with them.
Once Ja’vail was dressed, she left the comforts of her room and made her way to her husband’s study. As she expected, he was still there, his desk still quite messy, a combination of his daily paperwork and the reports of the crashed alien spaceship forming the majority of the clutter.
Much to Ja’vail’s surprise, however, Tor wasn’t at his desk. Instead, the drake was standing at his window, looking out over the countryside and the eerie sunset before him, a reminder of the twilight that his people had escaped. In his hand he held a memory crystal, its red glow plainly visible in the slowly darkening room.
“Tor, are you alright?” the queen asked as she approached her husband.
Tor turned to look at her, surprise on his face. “Oh, I am well enough, I suppose…” he said, clearly still lost in thought. The king then looked down at the memory crystal in his hand, his brows furrowing in displeasure. “I have just received some… unsettling news. I was actually waiting for your arrival before deciding on anything.”
Ja’vail took a few more steps, her eyes locked on her husband's diminutive form. “What happened?”
Tor looked at her, then back at the stone. “It isn't easy to say this, but… we may have to kill the visitor.”
Ja’vail felt like her stomach had turned to ice. “Kill? Tor, what madness are you spouting? What crime could he have possibly committed while I was asleep to earn him a death sentence?”
Tor looked at his wife, pain in his eyes. “Nothing, dear. He’s completely innocent. That is beside the point, however.”
“Then tell me, what madness has overtaken you that you would murder an innocent?” Ja’vail demanded, her tone brooking no argument. “Or what monster are you, to have taken the place of my Tor? I must say, you have the likeness down, but your impression of his mannerisms leave much to be desired.”
Tor let out a mirthless laugh at that. “No monster or madness, my dark princess. Just a visit from an old friend…” he sighed again, before turning and holding out the crystal for Ja’vail to take. “Lady Siv paid both me and the survivor a visit today. She left me this, as well as a decision to make.”
Ja’vail looked at the crystal, before staring back at her husband, a dubious expression on her face. "And she told you to kill him? I do not remember her being so heartless.”
“And you would remember correctly. She was nearly in tears when I met her, though she did well in hiding them,” Tor said, before approaching his wife. He gently took her hand, and placed the crystal in her palm. “When she saw the visitor, she also looked into his future. This is what she saw. Please, do not force me to bear this knowledge alone.”
Ja’vail’s expression softened ever so slightly before she glanced down at the stone in her hand. “I will look, but I do not promise anything.”
Tor’s crest rose, but he did not say anything else. Instead he turned back to the window, waiting patiently for his wife to see what he had seen.
The memory took Ja’vail less than a second to go through, but she felt like she had been gone for a lifetime when the world came back into focus. She stared at the rock in horror, before throwing it to the ground. It did not shatter, it being made of quartz, but it still felt satisfying after the horrors she had witnessed.
“I was not pleased, either,” Tor said, not even bothering to turn and look. “Even if the visitor was guilty of some crime, I would spare him for what he could teach our people. As it stands, he is lost and alone, hoping for a friend. And I have to kill this lonely soul.”
“But… but we can’t do this! You’re better than this… we’re better than this!” Ja’vail said, nearly in tears. “Would we really sacrifice an innocent for the security of our own realm? Would you… would you…”
“Would I what?” Tor asked, turning to his wife, fire in his eyes. “Would I judge the worth of souls? Would I weigh a single life against the good of my people? Of his people? Would I become my father?”
Ja’vail looked away, her eyes closed as she folded her arms. “I’m… I’m sorry…”
“Don’t be,” Tor said, turning back to the window. “You have no need to apologize. I cannot measure the worth of anyone’s soul, nor would I try. However, this visitor’s life is not worth the lives of every person on this planet. When you include the lives of his own world, as well as the unnamed snake people… well… the choice is quite obvious.”
Ja’vail looked down at the floor, her eyes filling with tears as she thought everything over. “Would it have been better, then, had I not saved his life? Should I have let him drown?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
“Maybe. Maybe not. All I know is that the spirits have told us that the lives of others are better off if his is forfeit,” Tor said, his voice filled with bitterness. “I have not even seen this visitor in the flesh, and I do not know anything about him at all. What is he like? Does he have a family? What does he enjoy?” Tor asked, looking to his wife hopefully.
Ja’vail shook her head, not daring to bring her eyes up to meet her husband’s, as she didn’t think she could contain herself if she did. “I cannot say. I was only in his mind for a brief time, and I do not understand much of what I saw,” she said, her form gently shaking, as if a chill wind had entered the room.
Tor looked back at the window, his eyes closed as he thought on this. “Essentially, we are deciding the fate of not only an innocent, but a complete stranger.” Tor took in a deep breath, then slowly let it out. “And try as I might, I cannot measure his worth as greater, or even equal, to the lives of my people’s. If it comes to it, he will be slain, and his body destroyed, just as the spirits have told us to do.”
Ja’vail began crying in earnest, her shoulders slumping with the weight of guilt. This caused Tor to turn to her, lifting her beak gently with one hand until she looked him in the eye. “So… let’s ensure that it never comes to that.”
Ja’vail looked up at Tor, hope in her eyes. “But, Tor, we can’t-”
“Shhhh…” Tor said, encircling his wife in his arms. He was shorter than her, but she still felt comforted, simply because it was him. “I’m not going to murder someone simply because of the damage his life might cause. Siv’s vision wasn’t that his continued existence spelled our doom, but that we must do everything in our power to ensure he doesn’t leave.” He pulled away from her a little, looking up into her hopeful eyes. “His death will be treated as a last resort, nothing more. For now, let us see how much worth his life is. What can he teach us? What is his people like? I, for one, do not want to squander this opportunity that the spirits have gifted us, simply for fear of an unknown future.”
Ja’vail’s crest rose as she dried her tears with the feathers on the back of her arm. “Yes… I completely agree…”
The two of them spent quite a bit of time like that, lost in each other’s arms as the sun slowly set on the horizon. Even after the world was shrouded in night, they were still there, lost in the comfort that each other provided.
* * *
Kel’vara’s beak glowed as she wove her magic, pulling the water from the bucket in front of her. It coalesced into a ball hovering inches above her hand, the swishing, splashing sounds of the liquid a soothing counterpoint to the frustration she was feeling.
She liked working with liquids when she was feeling upset. It had always come easy to her, the seemingly chaotic way it flowed and ebbed was a balm on her nerves, instead of a frustrating mess that most other practitioners found the state of matter to be.
She slowly flexed her fingers and extended her wings, the movements giving a tactile presence to the shapes she was forming in her imagination. Slowly, as if watching ice melt in reverse, the ball of water stretched and flowed, extending here, twirling there, molding and shaping to her will to become whatever she wanted.
In this instance, the water took the shape of a dragon, its long, strong legs striding through the air as it looked around, its inquisitive, intelligent eyes searching for prey, or barring that, a dakri to play with. Its long tail wagged behind it as it seemed to spot something, before it shot off like an arrow, dashing towards whatever had garnered its attention.
The small, watery, facsimile of a dragon didn’t get very far across the room before the door opened, breaking Kel’vara’s concentration and causing her happy little pet to lose its cohesion. In an instant, the once watery, spiky, two legged reptile was nothing more than a mess on the once clean floor.
Kel’vara looked up in annoyance, her gaze falling upon an irritatingly unapologetic Valros as he entered the room. “Haven't you ever heard of knocking?” Kel’vara demanded as she used her magic to scoop up the water and return it to the bucket.
Valros was unimpressed. “Kel’vara, you can’t just stay here sulking, we still have work to do.”
“I’m not sulking! I’m just practicing my more precise spell work,” Kel’vara said, turning up her beak as her crest lay flat against the back of her head.
Valros, however, did not look convinced in the slightest. “Kel’vara, The Lady is her own person. You can hardly expect her to stay around and answer every single question you have.”
“I never said that she wasn’t.”
Valros let out a frustrated sigh. “Well, if you’re sure, then I really think we need to go over the plan for tomorrow,” Valros said, trying to get Kel’vara back on track. “I don’t think we’ll need many knights, the thing’s pretty docile, all things considered. Have you given much thought in how we’re going to actually communicate with it?”
Kel’vara thought about this for a while, her beak glowing softly as she played a little with the water in her bucket, causing the surface of the liquid to ripple in odd ways. “Ja’vail said that she was able to communicate pretty well with it while it was dreaming. The only problem with that is that it was dreaming. I don’t know how dreams work with its species, but for dakri at least, anything that happens to our subconscious from outside forces is quickly forgotten. Bad dreams, flights of fancy, nothing to be taken seriously, or remembered.”
“I’ve been talking with the Captain of the Dreamguards about that too. He told me that we can’t rely upon that for communication, since we’re just as likely to get a straight answer as one about how the creature loves to eat its own pillow and ride a dragon made of Twirly Whirlys,” Valros said, stretching his wings a little and grunting with discomfort. The knight quickly brought his arm close to his chest, searching the broad wing until he found the feather that had been giving him trouble, and quickly put it back into its proper place.
Kel’vara found herself staring a little as the knight preened himself, before she turned away, her feathers fluffing a little in embarrassment. “Yes, and… ah, and in addition, the creature won’t be as weak as when we fished it from the river. It has an ǣon level spirit, after all, regardless of any actual ability it may or may not possess. We’ll be lucky to be able to intrude on its dreams at all.”
If Valros noticed her discomfort, he didn’t show it. Instead, he stood up and made his way to the window. “I remember the Sunrise Tribe had something to communicate, but it was mainly used to control their apprentices during ǣon training. It was supposed to be able to cross language barriers, but I don’t think we want to be dredging up the old ways…”
Kel’vara shuddered a little. “Those ways were barbaric.”
Valros nodded at her, but did not say anything as he stared out the window. “I suppose the only choice we have is to slowly teach the thing how to speak.”
“That’s not as easy as it sounds, though,” Kel’vara said, shaking her head. Valros looked at her, one of his brows raised, prompting her to continue. “When I treated his wounds, I ran a number of tests on him. He’s showing the symptoms of someone who has been transmuted into another shape entirely, except that he has no binding spellform keeping him in that shape.”
Valros looked confused at this. “You’ll have to forgive me, M'lady, but my knowledge of magic is somewhat limited to a handful of combat spells. You’ll have to use less formal terms with me.”
Kel’vara rolled her eyes a little, then used her magic to pull the water from the bucket again. With a thought, she caused the water to take on the shape of a dragon again. “With magic, it is possible to force something to assume another shape or state. Such as turning a dragon into a pig.” With a little exertion, the water took on the desired shape. “I’ll not bore you with the details, but things… well, they remember what they were. Always. If the spell is not properly maintained, the spellform will eventually fall apart, and the thing will revert. This is because things want to return to their old state. They’ll continue chipping away at the spellform, increasing the difficulty of keeping things in their altered state, until it grows beyond the mage’s ability to control. It’s why you cannot turn copper into gold and have it stay that way, or why you cannot turn dirt into food without accidentally poisoning someone.”
“Or purposefully poisoning someone,” Valros pointed out. “I remember history class at least. That happened quite a number of times during the Clan Wars.”
“It was a popular method of assassination, yes, but the old ruling class quickly caught on, and began screening their food before eating.” Kel’vara furrowed her eyes as she twisted the water to appear like the creature. “Whatever the bug-like aliens did to the creature, it didn’t involve magic. ‘The creature’s shape isn’t his own,’ if you remember what the queen told us. It’s entirely possible that it’s lost the ability to speak, even in its own language.”
Valros thought about this for a time. “Well, can’t we turn it back? Reverse the changes, and return it to its original shape?”
Kel’vara thought about this for a little bit, but shook her head. “It’s… possible, but there are so many unknowns. I was even afraid of using regeneration magic on him when I healed him. I had to resort to sealing spells to repair the damage.”
Valros looked confused. “I’m not sure I follow. I thought you healed it up pretty good.”
“I didn’t heal it at all. All I did was fuse its skin together, and do some very basic repair based on that strategy, to keep it from bleeding internally or externally. It’s why I still applied bandages, in case those wounds reopened; I couldn’t risk regenerating it,” Kel’vara explained, her voice both pained and exasperated.
Valros still didn’t understand what the fuss was about, though. “Why not? What’s the big deal if you use a little regeneration? And what does this have to do with changing it back?”
“Everything!” Kel’vara said, standing up in anger as she rubbed both hands through her crest. In response, the water in her grip twisted and flowed into strange shapes, a clear reflection of the tormented state of the battlemage’s mind. “This is an entirely unknown scenario, with an entirely unknown species! The spell to do this doesn’t even exist! All we have are spells to change something into something else, not to return something to its original shape. The way we would do this if this were a magical affliction would be to simply collapse the spellform, but this isn’t magic! If I were to try to change it back, any number of things could go wrong, the least being the creature dies a quick, painful death as it turns completely inside out! The closest I can come up with is the regeneration spell, which would force accelerated cell mitosis using the target’s remembered form, not its changed form. If I did use regeneration, it is entirely possible that the creature might revert…”
“...But?” Valros asked, knowing that there was a but in there somewhere.
“But the creature’s body might start attacking itself, killing itself from the inside out! The two different sets of genetic material might merge, making it into something even more monstrous than it is now! Any number of things could go wrong!” Kel’vara shouted, the water next to her turning into some kind of lumbering beast, whose basic shape only vaguely resembled the creature in the forest.
Valros held up his hands in a placating gesture. “Okay, okay, I get it. It’s probably a bad idea… but what do we do, then?”
Kel’vara collapsed into her chair, the water that she had been shaping falling into the bucket at the same time. “I don’t know… I really don’t know…”
Valros rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, there’s always pictures and trying to teach it to read…”
“That would take even longer than just teaching it to talk,” Kel’vara said dismissively. “Especially since it probably can’t-”
Before Kel’vara finished, a voice chimed in, interrupting her thought process. It seemed to be coming from the lieutenant’s belt pouch, and based on the tone of the speaker’s voice, whatever it was was urgent. “Sir Valros! Are you there?”
Valros quickly pulled out his whispering stone and gave it a squeeze, worry building in his heart. “What’s wrong, Calis?”
He almost wished he hadn’t asked, because what Calis said next turned his insides to ice. “Sir, I’m relaying a message. Viar and his drakes need backup, and they need it now. It’s those bug aliens the queen told us about. They’re here.”
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