TL;DR: Im moving back home and need money for the move. Not sure if I should ask my parents or not since my mom doesn’t like to give me financial help.
I’m moving back home due to issues I’ve had with my bf. My parents have begged me to come back home with them and try to save up and pay off my debt. I appreciated the offer, especially since I’m having issues with my bf. I told him I’m done living here and I want to go back. That’s a dealbreaker for him which is fine because he’s depleted me of all my money and now that we’re about to have our second child, I can’t keep doing this. I’ve tried making it work but he’s just a lazy AH.
The thing is, I need help with moving expenses because I’m already going to do payments for our last months rent that I couldn’t afford. I have to bank off of my savings for a little while so I don’t want to spend everything all at once.
I really would need some money for moving but my mom refuses to give me actual money. She doesn’t mind helping me if I’m home (well she would make my dad) it wouldn’t come out of her own pocket. I understand I’m an adult but I haven’t asked for pretty much anything from them since I left home in 2018.
It’s really frustrating because she spends so much on herself and sees that I’ve been struggling for years. Never offered to help me except for begging me to move back home. If I come back which I am, she wouldn’t help me, my dad would. He’s the one who doesn’t mind giving me money but I don’t like asking him because 1. he would give me everything if he could and 2. my mom always makes me feel bad that they’re really struggling and that he doesn’t have money. When she just got herself a 2022 B class Mercedes. Spends over $500 on spa care and buys new bags and shoes all of the time. Makes him pay for everything because it’s a man’s job to provide for a woman and she only has to be a trophy wife. She doesn’t even cook for the guy and it’s just them two. Like she wants to play the gender roles but doesn’t even do her part when it comes down to it.
Obviously she can do whatever she wants with her money but never once has she specifically offered to help me except for asking me to move back home. Which I get is a lot if they’re not charging me rent but it really would have helped if she could’ve helped me here and there. Especially for moments like this where I need money to move back home. How can I talk to her and make her understand I need more help that just coming back home?

I’ve been wanted to make this post for a while. But have been a little too scared to. But here it is, hopefully I don’t forget anything 😥
Hey so quick backstory. I’ve been transitioning for 6 months now (I know I’m still very early on). Fairly early into my transition I got involved in politics, both locally and online. After a while I noticed I kept spending increasing amounts of time on GC Twitter accounts. Usually reading their feed until I eventually cried and/or disassociated. I like to think of this as a form of self harm, to purposely invalidate myself in order to feel something and also to validate a victim complex that I was developing. ffw a few months and I got banned on Twitter, and decided I needed a new place to get my self harm kick. I decided to go to Ovarit and lurk for a bit. This evolved until I was lurking nearly everyday, constantly exposing myself to GC rhetoric and arguments. And to my surprise I started to strangely agree with some of their points, granted not everything. I noticed a couple things:

1. There are many different GC people out there, some more reasonable then others. There are those that want to find a practical solution to the issues caused by trans people, especially people like me trying to exist in spaces we feel comfortable in. And I actually found myself agreeing with their purposed solutions frequently. However, there are also those on Ovarit who are frankly just angry and upset at trans people, which while I don’t agree with their solutions (trans woman should just go to mens prisons, etc.), I totally understand their anger as what has been done to them (a total invasion of their spaces) has been terrible and unfair and they are hurting.

In the same way I wouldn’t feel comfortable with a cis person coming into my trans therapy group and acting like they belong, I understand that a transwoman coming into a woman rape shelter and acting like they belong would make people EXTREMELY uncomfortable and potentially unsafe.

1. Most GC people don’t “hate” trans people. Now I’m not speaking for all of them, but there was a surprising amount of people who genuinely pity us and emphasized with a lot of the struggle to conform to gendered stereotypes. Seeing this I was much more open to hearing and actually listening to what they were saying.
   
2. Many of their demands aren’t unreasonable. In this section I’m not talking about the “a male wearing makeup is woman face” or “trans woman can’t be raped in male prisons because they are men” crowd. Instead I’m talking about finding third spaces for trans people to exist safely. Single stall public family bathrooms, a transgender wing/ward in prisons, a separate sports league for trans people. Im also talking about their request to not be referred to be terms that they find offensive (Terf, people who menstrate, etc). And of course not wanting transwomen trying to convince lesbians to have sex with males. (btw who of y’all do that because that’s absolutely insane)
   

Even the idea that it might be good for therapists to offer potentially other outcomes/solutions for peoples perceived gender dysphoria, that seems like a solution and would hopefully be the self-policing that the trans community desperately needs. I do possibly disagree with them in that I believe that adults should still have the ability to access transitional care through the means of a qualified endocrinologist and a proper gender dysphoria diagnosis.
Separate of these three enlightening points I also had some more personal realizations. Me taking hormones, or wearing certain clothes and makeup, talking a certain way, etc. these things don’t make me a woman. Don’t get me wrong, these things make me happy, comfortable with myself, and confident, but they don’t make me a woman. I am a male with gender dysphoria who is being medicated for it. I personally prefer the term transwoman, meaning I am wholly and entirely different then a woman (adult human female). I define it as a male who takes inspiration from women in how they present themselves physically, socially and personally while still being very much male. And me using this title doesn’t suddenly give me the right to access their spaces. Do I “want” to be a female? Yes. Is that a physical possibility or reality? No. I am not a god who can change my fundamental characteristics at will.
Now there are still more things that I need to consider (bad way of phrasing it) like the fact that I prefer certain pronouns. I don’t get upset at people when I get called he/him; however, it still doesn’t make me feel good and I will likely remove the person from my life so that I don’t feel bad around them. As far as I can tell the purposed GC position is just get over it, which doesn’t seem concrete enough to me.
I know I’m going to be called a pick-me or a psyop for saying this… but i truly, deeply feel that they are right on a lot of fundamental points. Im also worried that I could lose my trans friends or access to trans spaces by holding these views, but ig I need to get it off my chest.
However, I also realize that I am only 21 and I have not been living this lifestyle for long, and who knows what life will be like if a few years. Also at the same time, my therapists have been trying to convince me that I’m just experiencing internalized transphobia and that is why I feel this way… maybe they are right and the only reason I feel this way is because of the family/religion/society I was raised in, where gender essentialism was paramount and enforced… idk
Ig I was hoping someone here could help me with the turmoil between my beliefs rn

Ok so this is a whole vent.I’ve been struggling with my self for what seems like all my life. I keep it in until I explode. Always drawn to discovering my purpose and spirituality on a deeper level. I have always felt like i am not like those around me. I am realizing that I have a pattern. But I still don’t understand what I’m supposed to bedoing here.
My mum was a single teen.Childhood was not typical, traumatic abuse from a male family member. No positive male figures. Mum had multiple bfs around it was confusing. I didn’t really start to open up until 10th grade. Started making friends, having boyfriends, picking up interests. I had some less than perfect first experiences in HS. It wasn’t until about a year after I graduated that I met what would become my most impactful and longest relationship. It was 2010 I was spending my time working multiple jobs to get a car to go to college. I got a random message from C on FB. I had no idea who he was or how he knew me. After a few days of chatting. I met him for the first time. It wasn’t a typical first date. He picked me up and we went to the hot tub. Me a shy little girl just felt automatically comfortable with him. We went on to love each other for almost a decade. I learned the most from him, I learned about weed and mushrooms, the pleasures of alcohol and partying, he took me out of my shell, he is 4 years older than me, and from a different culture, I loved it , I began to learn his language, became apart of his family. He was very spiritual, I never met someone who saw me. He was strong and protected me. We viewed each other as royalty. He was the type of man who rather build something than play games. He lead me to a career that would provide me stability. It wasn’t just all the memories,it was how fiercely he loved me. He understood me without needing explanation. But like all the men I ever met he drank…usually after working. But even though I would partake it bothered me. Because of childhood trauma. I didn’t realize this then. So around year 4 , I grew tired of the arguments we would have during drinking. I wanted him to stop completely for me. I wanted him to solely focus on me. I was selfish. I took that experience and that confidence that he helped me find and I broke it off, which became a regular occurrence for the next 4 years. At first it was relief. I would get excited about dating someone new. This hurt C , during each break was a new fling , he stayed single, even while I was with someone else we stayed in contact, we still talked to each other as if we were still together, at times I even went to stay the night. We longed to be together even in the midst of all the conflicts. There was no boundaries to our love. It has been nearly 5 years now that I haven’t talked to C. The longest most painful. We had been close to reconciliation, but I was still messing around,I met someone new. Within 5 months from me last telling C i wanted to be with him forever, I instead got hitched to someone I barely knew. I feel now this was a physical attraction. entire time I have still felt Cs presence, I still feel him waiting for me to come home. But more recently I find myself feeling very pulled to him, longing to check in. I am sensing that their may be a health issues with his parent or grandparent. But idk if I should trust these feelings. These years I haven’t been with him have been hard. I am back in the shell. My H now has hurt me so much and I still keep trying. But is this my punishment? For my mistakes. H is hardworking for money but makes me feel like furniture. Our world is pretty empty. I can’t see past his lies. Randomly lately I find myself dancing and singing with excitement though nothing is exciting. Is it all C calling me back now or is it that I have realized the power we share and the knowing that nothing else could ever compare so any other relationship would be doomed. Why do I feel spiritually married to C. What do I do with all of this?
Details: OP: 31, F Virgo H: 31, M Aquarius C: 34, M ,Scorpio

I work as a stock broker, highly stressful job, and one of the ways I relieve my stress, that i feel works best for me, is casual sex. Especially since I try to avoid drinking alcohol as much as possible.
Now, about 6 months back, I met this incredible woman at a party and as we got to talking we somehow clicked. Like telepathic communication clicked, if you know what I mean. Anyway we exchanged numbers, and after a couple weeks of texting back and forth, I think the attraction we both felt for each other increased even further as we got to know each other. I could talk to her about anything. We soon started dating.
It was on the 5th or 6th date, I remember setting up a dinner date at my apartment, hoping one thing would lead to another. She arrived as ravishing as ever. I cooked. She watched me she found a man who could cook incredibly sexy (I chose to take that as consent). Anyway, we had an enjoyable dinner followed by a late night movie, we even made out a little. But as things started to heat up, she paused the movie, looked me seriously in the eye and said that she's not ready to take that last step yet. Now, remember I haven't had any sex since I met her. I was like fine, if you're not ready, you're not ready (gently ofc), and told her to take her time and there was no rush.
Fast forward 5 months and she says she's still not ready. Now I have tried to be as patient as I can with her, but with my stress piling up, I was getting kind of irritable and it was affecting my job as well, so I decided to finally confront her about it. I asked what's really going on, is there something that's bothering her and what not. But for the first time, I felt she wasn't being completely honest with me. She said her first time was really bad and she's suffering from the trauma, and while that felt like it was the truth, I knew there was something more to it.
But seeing how uncomfortable she was getting about the topic I decided to let it be for the time being and told her about my difficulties and my lifestyle before I met her. She said she was sorry, she had no idea she was causing me stress. And I was surprised when she brought up the idea of me getting back to having casual sex, just as long as it's strictly physical, and I told her about it after, whenever it happened. I was startled at how comfortable she seemed at the idea.
Turns out she wasn't, it's been a couple weeks since then and I hooked up a couple times and, as she requested, told her about it. But I'm starting to notice she's been getting a bit more distant and less intimate lately. It's nowhere near that I think she's not interested in this relationship anymore but not as much as before I started hooking up.
Now, I want to really make this relationship work but I have absolutely no idea how. I realise my job may be a problem, but I'm still hesitant on quitting over a relationship. Any advice is appreciated. I'd really like to know what's going on with her without making her uncomfortable.

So I realized about 2 years ago that I’ve had absolutely abysmal healthcare for the majority of my life.
I’ve had horrible periods since I was 12 (just turned 36) and the doctors in my health system refused to give me anything other than BC pills. I tried so many different kinds over the years and none of them helped my symptoms.
My endometriosis is not confirmed, only suspected and the dr who told me I most likely had it, told me the solution was to just go have babies. He would not sign off on confirmation surgery or biopsy.
About 2 years ago I switched to a different healthcare system that I had to drive a considerable distance to see and it was night and day. I actually cried. First time a dr has ever sat and listened to me and really seemed like they wanted to help.
She put me on the depo shot and all my pain gradually went away. I no longer suffer for two weeks out of every month. I no longer have near constant pain in my lower abdomen that are “probably just cysts”. I no longer have painful BMs or pain when my bladder is too full. For the first time in 24 years I don’t hate being a woman.
The problem? I moved to a new state and had to find a new doctor. She seems like a great dr but does not like the fact that I am on Depo, and I do know that it’s hard on your body and can’t be a permanent solution. She wants to switch me to an IUD. I am honestly kind of afraid of going back to how things were and that awful pain.
Did an IUD help your debilitating period pain? Do they keep your endometriosis in check?

Someone’s selling used Sasquatch tires and wheels near me with 5000 miles on the main 4. Asking 2800. That a good deal?

I've been doing this for 20+yrs now and have recently developed an issue that's perplexing me. White mold occasionally appears (after a few+ days) on/near copper foil lead lines. @[email protected] (I make small, intricate free form pieces nowadays.)
Last night I had to deconstruct a small piece I'd done b/c I borked it... when removing the leaded copper foil from the glass, I noticed a trace amount of flux on the outer edge of the glass! That is the culprit, right? How the hell did it get there? How is it that suddenly flux is seeping below the copper foil? Could the foil be old foil and the adhesive is defective? Help! It's driving me to distraction! lol

Timestamp, photos and video (excuse the breathing in the video I have a cold)
 
First is the Benchmade Griptilian. This is the older 154CM version. I love this knife and it has been carried and used. Came back from the LifeSharp a couple weeks ago and have not cut or carried since. Blade is centered and action is great but there is a tiny amount of blade play. Original owner but I do not have original packaging. SV $100
 
Second is the Microtech TAC-P. Comes with the carbon fiber sheath with ulti-clip. Original owner, never carried or used. SV $60
 
Third is the Demko AD 20.5. Got from a user here so I'm the second owner I believe. Previous owner stropped to near mirror finish. I did not carry or use, just played with it. Action is awesome and blade is perfectly centered. SV $100
 
I do not have the original packaging for any of these. They will ship in a bag inside a box.
 
Yolo rules, PayPal G&S cuz flair no notes, all prices shipped.
PM me over chat as I don't see chat on mobile.
 
Thanks

What can I do if I found every pore is nearly blocked on my face ..
And my limbs are covered in scars and dark spots. And as a woman I think many people would think I don't have a decent looking body...they will regard my body as ugly and weird
You wouldn't dislike me, would you 😢 Nothing about me is aesthetic..
Don't hate me 😭

I have social anxiety which is somewhat manageable unless I find a guy attractive then I just become mush. I will shake, blush and stumble over my words. It’s extremely embarrassing and I know it makes people uncomfortable and confused.
So the other day, this very attractive guy sat near me at a coffee shop and I could feel my nerves creeping in and shakiness start to overcome me. I didn’t even talk to him or make eye contact, he was just soooo cute and I guess me rarely going out in public these days makes me not know how to act. Ironically, I actually find myself attractive and feel good about my appearance but the anxiety is just an irrational thing I can’t help.
Anyways, he got up to leave and walked past me and even turned his head to look at me. I soo badly wanted to make eye contact but I was scared and acted busy on my laptop 😅 like wtffff I’m 26 years old and shouldn’t be feeling like a 14 year old girl.
How do you manage nerves around attractive people or your crush?

Hello there!
First of all, I have never been to the US and this will be my first domestic flight ever. I want to fly from CVG to LGA with American Airlines, however they don‘t need any Passport numbers or anything. This made me very insecure, as you have to nearly tell the german Airlines half of your life-story in order to be allowed to book a flight.
So two questions:

1. Are foreigners allowed on domestic flights inside the US?
2. Is it correct, that they don‘t need any Passport numbers or something like that from us?

Thanks in advance and have a nice day y‘all!

I have a few offers to teach English in China. Coincidentally one from each city tier. Any suggestions/experience living in these places?
1) Beijing (tier 1), 20,000 after tax, 15 hour work week
My biggest worry for Beijing is saving money potential. The rent is very high from what I understand, and despite the great average hourly rate, it's still only a 15 hour working week. I appreciate the free time, but I've estimated I'd save half as much here as in Yangzhou/other positions. The biggest benefits are great pay and the opportunity to socialise with other expats.
2) Yangzhou (tier 3), 24,000 after tax, 23 hour work week
Again, this is a great pay rate, and a also few more hours than the Beijing job, so I'd be able to save a lot more, especially considering how low the rent and cost of living are! The biggest concern here is feeling isolated/lonely due to it being a tier 3. Are there many expats here? The silver lining is that it's a short distance from Shanghai. Also I guess it'd be valuable to have an "authentic" experience.
3) Chengdu (tier 2), Around 20-25,000 after tax, Full-time 40 hours
I kind of have my heart set on Chengdu. It seems like the perfect medium as a tier 2 city, and everything about it appeals to me, like the food, location, culture, etc. The only thing is that the offers don't seem nearly as good as the previous 2. Don't get me wrong, I can see that this offer is far from bad for a first-time teacher, so maybe I'm being spoilt. But I very much appreciate the free time to enable me to actually explore and enjoy my time in China, and it seems that I can make similar money by working half the time in other locations.

Going through some of my fathers old cameras and wondering if it is worth me listing them for sale on ebay? Not sure how big the market is for a camera as old as me! I have no idea if the camera market and if there is still a desire for old retired cameras from the late 80s!
It's in full working order but has some cosmetic marks etc. It was used for a few family holidays in the 90s and has mostly spent the last 20 years in a draw in it's box.
He also has a near new condition Olympus mju III 150 with case, box, leaflets etc. Would there be any interest in it?
Thanks!

I genuinely cannot take another moment in here. 15y.o. Guy. Dead Dad. My mum is just so angry and hateful all the goddamn time I can’t stomach it anymore. She’s been remarried for 8 years now, so it’s not like she’s worried about being alone. Everyday I come back to school and dread walking in the door. Second I step in it’s “‘name’, Take the bloody dog out” or “‘name’, why the fuck have you not got a shower yet?!?!” Every bloody moment of the day that I’m not in school, (which isn’t great either because I’m nearly constantly bullied) I’m being insulted or screamed at for something or other. 15 minutes ago I was called useless piece of shit for DROPPING A BLOODY KNIFE ON THE FLOOR. Every moment I’m constantly on edge, I yearn to be alone and away from all of them, yet no. I’m always the bad guy for wanting nothing to do with them. I’m always the mistake the problem the useless piece of shit that she thinks I am. I remember weeping on the floor when I was eight years old, feeling like I was about to vomit, because she was screaming at me for not tidying my room. I nearly tried to jump out my own window a few days ago. I was dangling my legs out, from one floor up, thinking how fucked she would be if she had a dead kid on her hands and how free of this pain I’d be. I don’t know what to do anymore. I have few friends, And I’m just so bloody tired of doing anything. Then I get screamed at for doing nothing, then I do something and fuck it up and get screamed at anyway. I can’t fucking take this anymore, I’m sure she’d be happy if I was lying in a ditch somewhere, dead. She wouldn’t have to deal with such a fuck up that I am. I weep in my room for hours at a time. She heard me once. She told me to shut up and go to sleep.
Whoa sorry not exactly a perfect family, I know. Sorry to dumb this on the lot of you, I just don’t really want to go elsewhere.

So apparently Shopify allows anyone to create a store and sell things but has absolutely no control over refunds or purchases. I used my shop points I had gained from purchasing items from other shops. The store never shipped anything so I reached out to them. They are giving me the run around over 7.00 in shop points. I’m pretty sure they are scamming people by selling things at low prices since most people would just give up after a month of not getting a refund. Shopify can’t do anything and says I should go to the bank but that won’t get my points back. Watch out for unknown shops because they can sell items and not ship them and unless you go to your bank you will never see a refund. Lame.

I've been meaning to get one for a while and I nearly had an accident with some prick who, twice, tried cutting me up at a roundabout nearly taking me off. I doubt reporting dangerous drivers will amount to anything, but at thevery least I'd like to be able to have some evidence to use to sue them for everything they have, or at least pay the bills if they take me out.
I dont know what to look for though, I'm fresh as a baby with all this so any advice would be helpful.

Using your fingers or even a vibrator can get tiresome. Toys are made to imitate the mouth in so many ways, whether its the sucking experience on your clit, or the vibrating all over - there is nothing you could compare to a real vibrating tongue with lips that will suck on your clit until you run out of orgasms!
Lets make this into an orgasmic experience where pillow princesses are treated the way they deserve to be - your head on the pillow, my face between your sexy thighs.
You will not give me a blowjob, let alone us having sex.
You will just have your pussy eaten.
You will feel me run my fingers across your body, caress each and every sexy curve of yours as I trace with my fingers over your soft, smooth skin.
You will feel my firm grip around your sexy thighs and spread you wide open, exposing your soaking wet pussy.
You will feel my tongue running slowly over your sweet, intoxicating pussy - from your pulsating clit, all the way down to your sexy ass - experiencing my very first taste of you.
You will feel my lips wrapped around your pussy and start to gently suck, swallowing every little bit of your sweet juices.
You will have your thighs clamping down tightly around my head, as I gently work my tongue up inside your pussy, exploring all over.
You will feel my lips clamp down over your pulsating clit, sucking it in as I trail my fingers along the outside of your pussy, making my way slowly inside you.
You will feel two of my fingers inside you as I hear your sudden gasp with pleasure, while I slowly continue until I am knuckles deep inside you.
You will feel my 2 fingers curve up deep inside you as I find your G-spot and hit it over and over again, while my tongue is attacking your clit from every direction.
You will feel your pussy drenching my cheeks with your sweet juices as I suck harder and harder and hit your G-spot with my fingers faster and harder as your moans of pleasure fill the room and bounce off the walls, while your knees tighten around my head and the impending sensation of your explosive orgasm continues to build.
You will feel me holding down your squirming body in place and keep sucking as you scream, your back arching and your hips rising as the overwhelming sensation of an orgasm finally hitting.
You will feel your pussy contract and clench my fingers as your body begins to shake. Your trembling hands tightly grasping the bed sheets for support, as warm tingly waves of pleasure surge all across your sexy glistening body.
You will feel your eyes roll back as you buck and ride every orgasmic wave. Quivering and shaking as your pussy squirts and spasms, your mind completely lost in the overwhelming tingling sensations coursing through you.
You will feel yourself collapse into my arms, breathing heavily, as a post-orgasm wave of blissful relaxation overtakes you. Bringing my drenched fingers to my mouth, I will lick up every last drop of your juices and place my palm on your back, bringing you closer to me.
Then I want you to close your eyes and get your rest. Because I’m going to be sucking the juices out of you for the rest of the night.
Location:
I live NYC and would prefer someone near me, but open anywhere in the US as I travel frequently for work, so feel free to hit me up if you’re in another part of the US.
Me:
I'm a 34 year old, white, athletic/muscular, 5’11’’, with dark brown haieyes. I’m DDF (I get tested frequently, so I need you to be clean as well). I’m funny, friendly, and love to chat with people, so I’m sure we will have great non-sexual conversations as well. I will send pics of myself after we message for a bit.
You:
Aged 21 - 40. DDF. I absolutely love voluptuous women, but I am also very down for petite women.
Like I said above, I don’t want sex nor any reciprocation. I just want to dine on your pussy and give you the best orgasmic evening of your life.

Battle report: R-02
Time: One day after the Galdush battle, day 21 since REC forces crossed to the other side
Report carried out by: Brigadier General Oscar Wayne
Report states: At noon of the 21st day the remains of the enemy seventh army engaged base Galdush. The attack was carried out by air forces, consisting of the enemy's seventh wyvern corp, and ground forces, consisting of the enemy's seventh siege legion. The wyverns came within roughly three miles from the base before the majority was taken out of the sky by AN/TWQ-2 missile systems, the rest either fled or stayed and were taken out via heavy machine gun fire. The siege legion was destroyed sooner by M155A2 self-propelled howitzers. The majority was eliminated, and remnants fled.
Outcome: Victory
REC casualties: None
Enemy casualties: Estimated 4.000 (Not including wyverns and hardware)
Identification sources: Captured general of the seventh army, Drannor Crax; Captured dwarven commander Dunan Oremelt.
(Twenty days after the Galdush battle)
Imperial palace, Elyana
"What is the meaning of this!?", Canus yelled in furious anger as he stood up from his throne.
"Your Majesty, I can explain.", Laeroth said standing in the center of the Grand chamber, surrounded by senators and the Chosen legions, "I was planning on informing you-"
"Inform me of what!? That the invasion force led by general Ylindar was destroyed in less than a day!? That the troops you sent to Galdush to stop the humans were also crushed!? That we lost nearly two hundred thousand forces, including two of our armies and generals, in less than one fucking moon cycle!?".
This was the first time anyone has seen Canus rage out like this. His whole life he was calm and collected, never raising his voice at anyone. Even if he did have an outburst, its magnitude was nowhere near the level of what the Grand chamber's attendants were experiencing at this moment. Laeroth had no words with which to defend himself and lying was beneath. He underestimated the enemy's capabilities. If they could do this, then he shuddered to imagine what they would do if they were given even more time. All he knew for sure was that a direct approach will undoubtedly lead to failure.
"Your Majesty.", Laeroth spoke, "I meant no disrespect. I only assumed that-"
"You assumed!? You do not assume, Laeroth. You determine! You bring solutions and results. In over three hundred cycles you never once assumed anything. What has changed? Are you losing your edge?"
"Your Majes-"
"Perhaps I should put someone else in charge.". These words shook Laeroth to the core. "Someone more youthful. Someone I can fully trust. Someone capable of cleaning this mess. Perhaps Athtar, maybe Reebus or Syndra. Or... maybe that fellow Alphs."
"No!", Laeroth shouted, his voice booming over the halls, making everyone present twitch. He drew his sword and knelt, "I shall resolve this. I shall not fail you, Your Majesty.". He brought the edge of his sword to his left hand and without hesitation sliced off his smallest finger. Then he placed his sword on the floor and offered Canus his finger. Canus slowly walked over to him and took it.
After observing the finger for several moments, Canus spoke, "Rise.", and so Laeroth did, "This is your final chance. Should you fail me, you will lose more than this finger.". With a bow and a salute, Laeroth exited the chamber. "This meeting is over! Return to your duties!"
With that, the chamber was emptied and only Canus remained with his guard. Sitting on his throne, Canus observed Laeroth's finger. All he could do was hope and pray that Laeroth's determination would prevail.
As Laeroth walked down the halls he patched up his hand with cloth. His first captain walked beside him, "Sir! You must slow down."
"I cannot Helion!", Laeroth shouted, "Every minute we spend bickering is a minute we give to the enemy. Their power, their speed, it is like nothing we faced before."
"Well... What do we do? What can we do?"
"First we need to fortify the North Alston river. Send word to general Lyklor Balphine of the XI and general Reebus Octo of the XII. Tell them to hold the bridges and not let the enemy pass. Since they have powerful cannons, they need to spread their forces out and use long-range catapults. Second, send word to the Meilume nobility and tell them to leave the region. Third, bring me the captive humans as soon as possible. Where are they?"
"About a dozen have been scattered at the Meilume and Kuruk capitals. The rest are on their way to the other cities between Kuruk and Elyana and many will be sent to the mines of the Tubal mountains."
"I want eight captives here as soon as possible."
"Understood sir.". The captain saluted and rushed to his duties, leaving Laeroth who entered his personal chamber and grabbed his flask. After he emptied it he threw it to the corner of the room. Sitting down on his bed he caught his breath and stared at the spirit statues on his shelf and prayed, "Morto, I beg of you. Bring death upon these cursed enemies."
---
(Around the same time)
South village, Yellow forest county, Meilume
Nym will never forget what happened that day. His little crew swore that they would never tell anyone about it. That... man, if it can be called a man, terrified them. When they returned to their parents they lied about how they were running from ferals they saw in the forest while playing. This put the whole village on alert. Of course, it would, a danger of ferals attacking was normal. The whole forest had dens of feral welfen and leanoids, but the county didn't have the means with which to deal with the problem and the empire doesn't see them as a threat overall, so the counties were on their own.
The Yellow forest county had roughly eight thousand people living in it with roughly six hundred militia. It was small compared to some other counties but it held on all things considered. Some people wanted to leave the country as they feared it was becoming too dangerous due to feral activity, but recent events made them choose otherwise. Two massive armies marched near their forest and looking down from the hill the people could see them. The first one marched to the rift to get to the other side and the other after them to assist them. But they were all defeated. This frightened the people of Yellow forest, but they chose to stay, thinking that maybe the enemy won't enter their forest because of the ferals. A long shot, but one they chose to take.
Nym was outside with his friends. The sun was starting to set and they had to return home from mushroom picking. "We never should have gone there.", said Cohnal.
"Stop talking about it.", Nym said, "It's done, stop."
"He has a point, Nym.", Elsha said, "I don't know why that man let us go but... I don't ever want to see him again."
"Same here.", said Meara.
"And we won't have to.", Nym said, "As long as we don't tell anyone anything and we never go to Galdush, we will be fine."
The four of them nodded to that. What happened on that day scared them to the core. But it made them confused more than anything else. The passing imperial soldiers said how they were going to a savage land filled with barbaric monsters. But if that was true, then why did the men on Galdush spare them? Was it because they took no pleasure in killing children? One thing was for sure, they will heed their advice and stay away.
"I think we have enough.", Elsha said.
"Yes.", Hallas said, "We should probably return to the village before ferals show up."
"I don't think they will.", Nym said.
"What do you mean?", Meara asked.
"Haven't you noticed that we haven't seen any ferals in several moon cycles? It's like they ran away."
"That is strange.", Cohnal said, "But either way, we should hurry back."
The five of them started walking back. The forest is quite beautiful in the evening and at night. The reason why it's called Yellow forest is that in the late yellow season and all of the green season, the yellow-backed fireflies and red-headed beetles start flying at night and illuminate the whole forest with yellow and red dots. The county doesn't put up many torches in these times because the people love watching the red and yellow dance of insects. A few beetles have come out of the trees and this told the children they should hurry.
As they ran through the forest, Elsha stopped when she heard rustling in a nearby bush. Her curiosity got the better of her and she walked closer to the bush, despite Nym telling her not to. She walked closer and closer and when she got closer she noticed a pair of green eyes inside the bush. She realized immediately what it was and jumped back just before the creature jumped after her. It was a goblin. Short and bald with a big nose and ugly teeth it wore rags and held a crudely made spear. Elsha was backing away but she slipped and fell on her back. The goblin was about to stab her with his spear, but Nym jumped in and shanked it in the side, piercing its heart. Pulling out the knife he grabbed Elsha and the five of them started running back to the village. As they ran, goblins started jumping out of the bushes and shrubs. Dozens of them. The children could see the gate of the village.
"Open the gate!", Nym yelled as he dragged Elsha, "Goblins! Let us in!"
The guards quickly rushed to open the gate. They opened it just enough so the children could pass. One by one passed and Nym was about to cross but he was grabbed by the goblins. The goblin that grabbed him was taller and bulkier than the rest. He dragged Nym back and left as more goblins showed up. The children cried and the guards quickly closed the gate and climbed on the walls. They saw not dozens, but hundreds of goblins. How could there be so many, they couldn't know and there was no time to find out. The one hundred and fifty militia that were at the village armed themselves and prepared to fight. The goblins threw stones at them but the stone is not as strong as an arrow. The militia opened fire with bows and crossbows, killing dozens of them. The larger goblins threw larger stones and even smaller goblins at the wall. A few made it over and some landed on the militia and started stabbing them. One militia fighter used his sword to slice their heads off and grabbed the crossbow of a fallen fighter and shot the larger goblin in the head, killing him and letting his disgusting, bloated hunk of flesh flop on the ground.
"Aim for the large ones first!", he shouted, "I need spears on the edges, they are climbing! Burn them, they hate fire!". He continued to kill more goblins, slicing the heads of the ones who climbed up on the wall's edges. In front, he could see how a section was overwhelmed as the large goblins threw smaller ones at the militia. He grabbed a nearby shield and charged at them, knocking several down and letting the forces on the ground deal with them. As he looked down he saw the last six large goblins grab a log and he immediately understood their role. "Prepare the torches! Grab cloth!". The fighters did just that and threw the burning cloth and torches at the goblins as they hit the gate with their log.
As the battle went on, the militia killed dozens of goblins with volleys of arrows but more just kept coming. They could see the end though, there were no more large goblins and the small ones had organized a suicide charge to overwhelm the wall, but the fighters kept throwing fire and shooting them with arrows. As this was happening, however, something was happening in the village. The people were all in their homes, but a few were still helping the militia fight as they treated their wounds and brought arrows, food, and boiling water. One of them heard something coming from the abandoned well and moved closer to see. When he got closer he peaked in and a green hand grabbed him as another one stabbed him in the throat. From the well goblins came, several of them, then a few dozen. They went into homes and people started screaming. Elsha was in one of the homes, and her grandmother was laying in the corner when a goblin walked towards her, but Elsha took a knife and stabbed it in the head. From her door, she could see more of them running towards her. She was scared but relieved as more militia came. They were from the western village of the county and had come as soon as they could. The fighters went into the homes and started killing the goblins. Chopping off heads, stabbing hearts and lungs, firing crossbows, burning, the militia used everything.
Eventually, the goblins inside the village were all killed and the fires were put out. The goblins outside the wall were mostly dead but nearly a hundred fled. This was a dark night. The south militia lost nearly a third of its force and dozens of people were killed by the goblins from the well, which was covered up with wooded planks and stone. But the damage to the hearts and minds of the people was greater. Mothers mourned their children and children their fathers. Their greatest fear was the goblins coming back.
(The next day)
Everyone looked to the wall defender, Tulgor, the commander of the south militia. They hoped he would have an answer to all this, and so did he. Some wanted revenge, many asked what to do next. Truth is, he didn't know what to do. Something like this never occurred and no one thought it was possible.
"Tulgor.", spoke an elderly elf, "What do you think we should do?"
"I... I do not know, elder.", Tulgor replied, making everyone around them lower their heads in grief, "We could send fighters down the well and see what is down there. It could be their den and if so they are asleep. But I cannot be certain what we will face. If we get cornered we would die. Besides, we do not have the means with which to destroy the den."
"So all that remains is for us to prepare for the next attack?"
"I fear so. And since we do not know where they will attack next, I suggest we inform the mayor to declare a state of alert county-wide, as to prevent further surprises and death."
"Very well. I will personally go to the central hall and-"
"Tulgor!", shouted a militia fighter, "Tulgor! You have to see this."
Tulgor quickly stood up, "What is it? Have the goblins awoken?"
"No. But... I don't know. You must come, they call for you."
"Call for me? Who? Imperial soldiers?"
"No. They are soldiers, but they are wearing green armor and have boomsticks. They're not dwarves, they are too tall and their skin is paler than theirs is."
This greatly confused Tulgor, "Did they say where they are from?"
"Yes. They are from Galdush."
This statement made his heart freeze and the people around him panicked. The enemy from Galdush came here? Why? Have they come to kill them and take their land? Why here, this is a small county. Swallowing the spit that worked up in his mouth he spoke, "How many?"
"I counted only a dozen. But I think there are more in their armored carriages."
"Assemble fifty of our finest. I will meet them."
---
(Earlier)
Operations base Galdush, morning
It's been a while since any attacks have been launched at them and REC got to work. They improved their base, finishing the machine shop, barracks, airstrip, fortifications, and central command. The base was taking shape of a polygonal fort. The reason is that, historically, these types of fortifications were the best defenses against cannon fire until more accurate and powerful forms of artillery were created. But since the highest level of military technology possessed by the enemy is that of the Napoleonic era, it's not an issue. The other benefit is that polygonal forts are built in a way so that the point which needed to be defended is in the middle. This way the rift is in the center and defended on all sides. As an extra precaution, the rift was surrounded by a steel dome with a garrison defending it.
After the full thirty thousand troops made it to the other side of the rift, a few reforms were made. Firstly, all equipment that required a satellite link was not to be used as they had no satellites here. Instead, they used drones until a proper system can be emplaced. Secondly, a squad of four distinct tribals will be accompanying all Rift groups, or RGs, in order to spread the word to the other tribals of North Altia in hopes of bringing more people to the US's side and also showing them why they are not monsters.
There were currently five RGs and each was given an assignment. They were to go to various locations in Meilume and do reconnaissance as well as gain contact with locals and find out more about the imperial government. Each RG was a platoon of thirty-eight rangers from the 75th Ranger regiment led by a first lieutenant and was equipped with standard hardware. Since the end of the Great crisis, Russia and the US have been working on the 'Warrior' project in order to create better gear for soldiers. The result was a helmet, body armor, a one-piece coverall, hearing protection; protective glasses; a protective set for knees and elbows; new grenade launchers, submachine guns, assault rifles, sniper rifles, ammunition, a combat knife, as well as 24/7 reconnaissance means, a day and night sighting system, a small-size binocular, optical and thermal weapon sights, etc. As well as these, the system comprises a universal shelter, a multifunctional knife, a signal lamp, a watch, winter and summer two-side camouflage sets, an autonomous heat source, a backpack, an individual water filter, a small entrenching tool, breath protection devices, means of radiological and chemical control, a medical kit, and filtering clothes. As for vehicles, each RG has two JLTV3s, two International MaxxPros, and one LAV-40, all armed and ready.
With their assignments given, the rangers got to work. RG-2, led by lieutenant Andrea Williams, was to track down the elven children Spearteam found snooping. The group tracked them down to a nearby place designated Yellow forest. They took a path through the forest and hoped to run into their village. On the way, they admired the environment. The green trees, the clear blue sky, and the animals looked like the ones back on Earth, just with a few distinct features. Like how rabbits have longer legs, foxes have brighter eyes, some even have two tails. Everything was truly fascinating.
"Man this place is beautiful.", said sergeant David Hall, "It's like driving through a national park."
"You said it, Dave.", said sergeant Greg Nivera, "What do you think we'll find here?"
"Man, I'm hoping for some griffons or something."
"Griffons are only in the north.", said Xod, the leanoid, "If we ever get to the dwarven kingdoms we might find one."
"That's a bummer.", Greg said.
"Bummer?", asked Zog, the welfen.
"It means it's a bad thing.", David said.
"Why is that a bad thing?"
"Because I really wanted to see one!", Greg said.
"Quiet.", said Andrea over the comms, "You forgot to turn off the radio."
"Sorry ma'am.", said Greg as he turned the radio off.
"Boys.", said Andrea in the lead JLTV, "Let's find these kids."
"I just hope we don't scare them.", said sergeant Sophia Adams, "I'd hate to make a bad first impression."
"These people live in the Yellow forest.", said Madia the lepian, "It's likely that they know about the Galdush battle and they consider you as an enemy. I wouldn't expect them to greet you with 'open arms' as you say it."
"I don't expect that either.", said Andrea, "But that's why we're here. We have to show them that they don't have to fear us. "
Ksee, the feelian, scoffed at that, "You should use your cannons and destroy them. It's what they deserve anyway."
"We won't be the monsters they say we are. There can be another way. Besides, it's the army and the emperor along with the other stuck-up nobility that's the problem. I'm not gonna kill farmers 'cause some bureaucrat attacked me."
Ksee thought about that. She saw what the Americans were capable of, and yet she couldn't understand why they don't just force the elves into submission. As they drove through the forest, they came across another path that led deeper into the woods. The tracker led them there and so they followed it. It was amazing how many things the human soldiers were capable of doing, unlike the elves who only knew how to kill in several different ways. The vehicles moved through the woods and reached a wooden wall about roughly twenty feet tall that looked like it saw action recently. They followed the tracker and found it on the ground in front of the gate.
'What happened here?', Andrea thought as she picked up the tracker.
"Hold it!", shouted someone from the wall. It was an elf and around him, about twenty more with bows and crossbows pointed at Andrea, "Who are you?"
Andrea calmly stepped forward, "I am lieutenant Andrea Williams of Rift group 2 from the Rift Expeditionary Corp!". This seemed to confuse them.
"Where are you from?", he asked.
"Galdush."
This made them tense up. They seemed angered. "You are the enemy! Why have you come?!". The rangers aimed their guns at them but Andrea waved for them to calm down.
"We are here to speak with your leader. We only want to make peaceful relations."
"You lie! The imperial army told us that they were heading to Galdush to face the enemy that has come to invade our lands! Thousands went and only dozens returned! That was your doing!"
"Those soldiers attacked us first. They sent their army through the rift and killed thousands of innocent people. We are here to peacefully solve any and all problems with the empire, but we need your help."
"Why should I trust you?"
In response, Andrea gave her gun to Greg, took off her helmet, and widened her arms, "I mean you no harm!". After some hesitation, one of the elves climbed down from the wall.
"Wait there!".
So the team waited. Some were skeptical about this but did nothing. David walked up to Andrea, "Are you sure about this lieutenant? You really think they're gonna even consider talking to us?"
"All I know is they could've shot us on sight. Do you want to kill hundreds of people today, sergeant?". At that moment, the gate opened and an elf followed by fifty more stepped out. The fifty made a defensive line of shields, which tensed up the rangers.
"No, but if this keeps up I might have to.", David said.
The leading elf stepped forward, "I am Tulgor Salvin, commander of the south militia."
Andrea stepped forward, "I am lieutenant Andrea Williams, commander of RG-2 of the Rift Expeditionary group."
"Why have you come, Lieutenant Andrea Williams?"
"As I stated before, we are here to make peaceful relations with the elven people. We mean you no harm."
"You misunderstood my question. Why are you here, specifically?"
"We are here because we want to prove to you that we are not monsters and savages that the empire claims us to be. We only desire peace."
"You keep saying that word. Peace. And yet you kill dozens of thousands if not hundreds of thousands of soldiers."
"Those soldiers attacked us first. You can't blame us for defending ourselves."
"True. Still, how do I know you won't stab us in the back? I see the tribals behind you. You make them fight for you, so how do I know you will not enslave us as well."
"We are not slaves!", Xod shouted, making the fighters twitch, "We chose to fight alongside these humans because we are tired of the empire enslaving and killing us! We fight with them because they promised us freedom! With them, not for them!"
This made Tulgor raise an eyebrow, "Is that really true?"
"Yes.", Andrea said, "We want to end slavery and show you that there is a better way. So if you want to fight them, you'll have to fight us. And I assure you, it will be bloody.". The fighters and rangers tensed up, ready for a fight. But Tulgor laughed.
"Never before have I met a woman with such ferociousness and authority.", he said, "You have my respect. However, if you want my trust, you must offer me more than words."
"And what is it that you want?"
Tulgor thought for a while before answering, "There is a certain goblin problem we are facing."
"Goblin problem?"
"Last night, a horde of goblins attacked us and I lost many fighters. I sense that they will come back but I cannot search for them and leave the village undefended."
"Interesting. Do you have any leads? Or a hunch as to where they are?"
"They came from the forest but it stretches for many leagues. They did however come from an abandoned well."
This caught Andrea's attention, "Very well. But my soldiers will have to enter your village."
"I shall allow half of your men and two carriages."
"Alright.", she turned to the group, "Hall, Adams, bring half the group, one JLTV3, and one MRAP. Madia, Ksee, you're coming too, the rest stay here."
The group organized and entered the village. All the people stared at them and their vehicles, like something otherworldly, which they technically were. They came to the abandoned well and Andrea gave the order to prepare the RC drone and the flyer. The rangers removed the wood and stone from the well and started lowering the drone.
"What is that?", Tulgor asked.
"It's a device we can use to see what's inside the well without going in there.", Andrea answered, "And that one can fly."
"Amazing. How?"
"A long story. I might show you sometime."
The drone was lowered to the bottom and a private drove it. He had to turn on night vision to see. "It looks like a tunnel.", he said, "They probably dug their way in there. You got anything?"
"Nothing yet.", said the other private, "Hold on. I think I see a cave. Yeah, definitely. The entrance is above ground level."
"Goblins are night dwellers.", Tulgor said, "They sleep during the day and hate fire. A cave is where they prefer to live. But to think they would dig their way to our well. I knew they were on a tribal level but this."
"Don't compare us to those monsters, elf.", said Madia.
"Why? They also kidnap people and force-mate with them."
"We only do it when we need to!"
"Calm down!", shouted Andrea, "We had an agreement."
"Ma'am, come look at this.", said a private, and Andrea, Tulgor, and Sophia gathered, "I see dozens of them, sleeping, maybe more further out. And here. It's a boy."
"That is the boy they took last night.", Tulgor said, "He still lives."
"Someone has to go down there and get him.", Andrea said, "Ksee?"
"Why me?", Ksee asked.
"You are the most flexible one. Plus, that's an order."
Ksee groaned but accepted. The private pulled the drone back and tied the rope to her. She was lowered down and then crawled through the tunnel, ignoring the stench on the way. Finally, she came to the cave and looked around, her cat eyes allowing her to see clearly. She saw the boy, who was a little battered but breathing and alive. She slowly grabbed him under the arms but he woke up and started freaking out. This woke up a few goblins and Ksee grabbed the boy and ran back, quickly going back through the tunnel.
She tied the rope around him, "Pull him up!". As they pulled the boy up she could see the goblins approaching, "They're coming!"
"Take this!", Andrea shouted, throwing a frag grenade at her.
"What is it?", Ksee asked.
"Just pull the ring, throw it, and then climb!"
Ksee did just that. After she pulled the pin she threw it at the approaching goblins who grabbed it out of curiosity. A curiosity that would have them killed as the grenade exploded, killing several goblins and blocking the path to Ksee. After Ksee and the boy climbed out, the soldiers rejoiced.
"Please don't make me do that again.", Ksee said.
Andrea chuckled, "No promises."
Ksee saw the boy run to his mother and friends, who cried tears of joy. This made her smile. Tulgor walked over to her and slightly bowed, "Thank you for saving one of my own."
"Don't mention it.", Ksee said, "It was a piece of cake."
Tulgor was confused by that statement, "Cake? There is no cake here."
Ksee laughed a little, "Don't worry about it. The humans taught me, I was a little confused myself."
Greg walked over as he put away his radio, "Ok, it's done. I gave the location to command, they're sending a platoon with flamethrowers to deal with the cave."
"How-", Tulgor began to ask.
"Another device.", Greg said, "We have a lot of them."
Tulgor chuckled, "I see. Thank you, humans. I suppose we can trust you after all. Come, let me introduce you to the elder."
End of chapter 7
​
---
First / Previous / Next
Thank you very much for reading
If you'd like to support me and my work feel free to upvote, follow, and check out my Patreon where you can get access to early chapters, a private Discord server, a chance to commission, and even influence on ongoing stories: patreon.com/SimpleWrites

So, for the last year, Gamestop has been giving us snapshots of the DRS numbers at the end of every quarter (this time they gave us nearly 2 quarters between snapshots). I think that having a strict cutoff for when the numbers get reported gives the HFs too much heads up. Why can't GS start making a week to week plot of number of individual investors and the total number of shares held by those accounts and include that in their reporting?
DRS reporting is not standardized and GS is setting the example, I believe that more information is always better, so is there any reason they couldn't give us a small spreadsheet or just a simple line chart with those numbers? I know it might take them a little longer to certify the report, but it doesn't seem to me like it would be all that difficult since the numbers from CS should be pretty cut and dry.

My boyfriend (22M) and I (22F) had been together for 4 months & we broke up yesterday. It was all great, hes a good person. He is very good looking, but thats not what I fell for. We were best friends for 3-4 months first, then we started dating.
Yes, we slept together after 3 months of dating. He was my first kiss, first everything, but no, did not take my virginity. I was his FIRST too. I just used to go over to his house.
I broke up because this relationship didn’t elevate me & he hurt me.
The reasons actually are:

1. Im tired of all girls being upon him (I avoid the guys who are upon me)
2. Theres this cousin that likes him but he doesn’t want to admit she does.
3. They talked before but he never told me.
4. He lied before saying they dont talk (shes a cousin) and I found out by checking his phone (while he was sleeping) FIRST CHANCE WAS GIVEN
5. He told me to be friends after we slept together, because we were giving too much hope & our parents do arrange marriages.
6. He felt distant lately.
7. Saw him hangout with the cousin without telling me. SECOND CHANCE WAS GIVEN.

When I said “ i dont want to talk anymore” he was like “ok if its for the best for us then I will not talk to you…you were the only girl i put all my energy for & only girl who understood my side jokes and all, i hope you meet someone better “
TL;DR Then today, we met, in school we had a gathering and we pretended like nothing has happened near others. We were talking a little. He kept looking at me but then kept looking away. I tried avoiding him, i tried avoiding eye contact in general. My friend was like he was literally staring at you but you didn’t look back. He apologized to me, but I told him I can’t answer right now.
Should I forgive this person? Another chance?