I need to share this fantastical experience so that I don't forget it and the importance it holds.
To add some context: I have just come across with the law 3 weeks ago and having been practicing it. I need to take the 44 bus home every day.
A few weeks ago, I happened to meet a guy who happened to live in a flat numbered 44. I thought that was an interesting coincidence. But since then, I've seen the number 44 more often. I pondered on what it might mean and secretly hope that it was giving me evidence for whatever I have been practicing regarding the Law. Last Saturday night, I was going home on the bus, and the two people sitting behind me kept talking and disturbing my peace, so I hoped they would leave. After a few minutes, they did leave. At that moment I thought, "Will I see 44 again at this moment?" So I lit up my phone to see if there is one but there was nothing on the screen, then I looked out the window and saw a bar named 44! I was totally amazed because the bus was moving and if I had looked up 1 second earlier or 1 second later, I would have missed it completely, but the timing was so coincidental that I looked up and saw the bar at the perfect moment when I wanted to see 44. I was shocked, and I thought to myself, "Universe, if you're trying to tell me something, let me see more of 44 tonight." So along the way I kept an eye out for numbers, and I did see quite many 44's, but I thought to myself that it could just be because I was looking out for it. But that was just the beginning. Then I got home and saw the package delivered by Amazon, with two 44s on it. Then I searched around my place to find more 44s. And then I noticed that my favorite youtuber had uploaded a new video, so I started watching it while pondering what happened, and in the middle of watching the video, it occurred to me that if I paused the video now, would it stop at x minute 44 seconds? So I paused the video, and it shocked me by stopping at 4:44! I was so speechless. My brain couldnt figure out what happened. Then it was bedtime, and I kept thinking about it. I always play a song on loop when I go to bed, and this time I checked its duration and found that it was exactly 4minute and 4 second long. I froze, again. By then I was literally a bit numb to the number. After a while I thought to myself that I needed to light up my phone screen to see at what second it was playing, I hesitated, then I lit up my phone screen and found that the song was playing exactly 44 seconds away from the end (I use Spotify and it shows how much time a song playing has left). My mind was literally numbed at that moment. I thought, "Universe, Im convinced now and enough 44 for the day." I wanted to just sleep. So I laid down, covered up and adjusted my position, then my phone lit up and someone sent me a message, and guess what, I saw that the time was exactly 00:44, and the person who sent me the message was the same person who lived in the flat 44. My mind just went wild. Couldn't fall asleep for another 2 hours of course.
I can't understand or explain this a a zing experience with logic and I hope I never forget the shock and awe it gave me and the meaning hidden behind it. So I think about it over and over again. Whenever I feel worried about the fulfillment of my desires, I remind myself of this series of impossible things happened. I hope that this personal experience will also help someone who needs encouragement: the universe is literaturally determined to cooperate with you in every way possible.

I (42f) met a man (43m) through a dating app two weeks ago and set a date for that same weekend.
The date felt fantastic. We were both surprised how well we got along. We talking in a public place for 3 hours straight. It honestly felt like we knew each other for years. Both of us agreed on that. We talked about futur dates and fun stuff we could do together. We agreed to take things slow at first. I felt some type of chemistry I haven't felt before. Ever. He admitted being a workoholic during the date. He's the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night as he has noone waiting for him at home. He sleeps an average of 5 hours a night. Simply because he's stressed out about work and not getting enough of it done. For the record, he doesn't own a business but his job is quite important. He had been on vacation the week before we started talking and clients were even sending him messages while he was away. And they knew he couldn't do anything for them. He also admitted going to work saturday and sunday mornings and also on bank holidays. Simply because he wants to get work done. He admitted often being so concentrated he forgets the time...
We headed back and he invited me for a drink at his place. Both of us had water, and I felt pretty comfortable. We kissed once I left and both thanked each other for the good time and promised each other to meet up again asap.
I texted him once I got home safe and he wrote me again how much he enjoyed spending time with me and how time just flew. He mentionned heading out to see his friend and they'd watch a game together. I wished a nice evening and didn't expect a text back.
Next day I text him with a picture he had asked me to send. Knowing it was a bank holiday and knowing he's probably working, I wasn't allarmed when I didn't get an answer. No answer all day (Monday)... no word on Tuesday or Wednesday.
On Thurdsay I decide to shoot a message "Hey I bet you're busy with work. Thinking of you. How are you doing?" I got an answer within minutes:'Hey, I'm fine but you're right. I have a huge workload to do and clients are slowly starting to realize I'm back. Reality kind of kicks in. How are you?" My reply:"I'm doing good thanks (commented on what I was doing during my lunch break). Do you have plans for this week end already?" No answer until 24 hours later on Friday afternoon. "Your lunch break sounds fun. It was my moms birthday this week so we're going to do sth as a family. I can keep you updated if you want to." (He had mentionned his moms upcoming birthday during the date so I do believe that). I told him I'd love to be kept up to date and if it doesn't work out for this week end we could make plans for another day as I'd love to see him again.
Once again I'm greeted with silence. I haven't texted since as I feel I made my intentions clear and it's up to him now. I start getting impatient but my friend, also a workoholic, tries to reason with me and try to explain how workoholics function. She sais that this is exactly who she would be if she didn't gave her husband waiting for her at home. Last Monday she said she was just getting back to people who had texted her on wednesday. She appologized to people on Monday. People who had asked Thursday if she'd like to hang out on the week end. "And I only check my texts because I have kids studying abroad." She encourages me to reach out again as he might feel it's too late and I may have moved on.
The situation is confusing to me as he did get back to me afterall. He even told me he'd keep me up to date if I wish. A text saying:"Sorry but I can't see this working out" takes less time to type.
Also I want to make clear that he didn't try to sleep with me when we were at his place. So he can't be mad at me for not having sex with him .
I'm just unsure what to do. I'm enjoying my life and my day, keep working, keep doing the things I do for fun etc. But this is a hard one and I catch myself wondering whenever I have the time. Or was this message a gentle and nice way to let me down?

A little over a year ago in this forum, I correctly predicted 39 locks to make the 53 man roster out of camp (although I was convinced by a fellow user to remove my 40th player (Sam Eguevoen), who turns out also made the team!). Given my success a year ago with this exercise, I figured it was worth giving it another shot in 2023.
https://www.reddit.com/miamidolphins/comments/ugbujd/i_only_count_14_available_53_man_roster_spots_as/
*Of note, this was prior to the signing of Melvin Ingram on 5/14/22, who would of also been considered a lock upon signing for $3.5 million in guarantees.
​
I utilize an approach to making these predictions that can be summed up with the old expression, "follow the money". I also use this approach to review players on the roster bubble headed into camp, and then lump them into several neat(ish) categories. Below I will list my roster locks (with brief explanation as needed), review bubble players (think mostly everyone who isn't a high priority UDFA or a inconsequential futures signing), and offer a few musings about the roster construction that I feel warrant further discussion among the fanbase (not Dalvin Cook!!).
Locks (40)
QB: Tua, White, Skylar
RB: Mostert, Wilson Jr., Achane, *Ahmed
FB: Ingold
WR: Hill, Waddle, *Berrios ($3 mill dead cap hit)
TE: Smythe
OT: Armstead, Jackson, *Wynn ($2 mill dead cap)
OG/C: Williams, Hunt, Eichenberg, *Feeney (3.1 mill dead cap hit), Jones
DT: Wilkins, Sieler, Davis
Edge: Philllips, Chubb, Ogbah, AVG
LB: Baker, Long, Riley, *Tindall
CB: X, Ramsey, Kader, Cam Smith
S: Holland, Jones, Elliot
K/P/LS: Sanders, Ferguson
*Ahmed: First off, I firmly believe he played his way into roster safety late last season. He is also still very cheap at his $1.4 cap figure, which was negotiated down from the cost of his right to first refusal tender. It would be pretty bad business to cut Ahmed after convincing him to take a decrease from his tender, thus forgoing his shot at free agency.
*Tindall: Former third rounders in their second camp are mortal locks to make it onto the 53. Patrick Turner was the last Dolphins 3rd round pick to not make it into his second season, for reference. And as I have now reminded myself, even Michael Egnew got a second season here.
*Berrios, Feeney, Wynn: Each of these players were guaranteed enough money on their deals this offseason that it would be a colossal front office failure if they were to be cut after camp.
​
Roster Bubble (13 spots available)
​
Too Expensive? (2)
Last year there was a group of 4 role players that I deemed vulnerable to release/trade at this stage, primarily because they were relatively expensive and could be replaced by a cheaper option with virtually no dead cap hit if released. Of the 4 players listed a year ago, two of them were in fact moved before the season, with Adam Butler waived/injured and Adam Shaheen traded and then traded back and put on IR. This year, I only identified one player that fits this specific description:
Keion Crossen $3.155 cap hit, $0 in dead cap hit
-Now, I still believe Crossen is likely going to be here, as he was signed to be a special teams ace, and also showed himself to be serviceable at CB when thrust into duty in 2022. However, at his premium cost for a 5th corneST ace and no guaranteed money, he is absolutely vulnerable to being replaced by a younger player who can replicate his production.
-Another expensive role player that is impossible to lock into a roster spot at this point is Cedric Wilson, though the reasons are pretty much the exact opposite of Crossen. Wilson is going to count $8 million against the cap, and his release would incur a $7 million dead cap. And yet, he might the team's 5th best receiver right now. In fairness to Grier, this is a good problem and a direct result of the unexpected Hill trade.
Trading Wilson has been discussed at ad nauseum in fan circles, but I do want to note, this depth chart makes very little sense with both Wilson and Robbie Chosen on it come week 1. Given Berrios projects as getting a heavy snap count in the slot and also as PR, the team would likely be keeping one of Chosen or Wilson inactive as a 5th receiver. That level of depth is excessive given other need areas, and also potentially blocks Ezukanma's path to playing time. While Wilson being traded would be the ideal scenario for cap purposes, don't discount Chosen being moved instead given his enticing vet minimum salary.
​
Swing and a miss? (6)
Last year I had another group of players who either had too much in guarantees or enough draft standing to not at least have a strong chance to make the roster. These were guys that if they were released, the team is owning up to a (major or minor) personnel flub, whether it be a failed FA signing (or re-signing), or a whiffed draft pick. Most notably, Trent Sherfield and Solomon Kindley fit this profile a year ago. This year I have identified 6 such players to watch:
Noah Igbinoghene $2.4 mill dead cap
Jake Bailey: $1.1 mill dead cap
Eric Saubert: $850k dead cap
Nik Needham: $750k dead cap
Malik Reed: $750k dead cap
Erik Ezukanma: $545k dead cap
(Outside of EE, the other 4 players profile as veterans with a decent shot to make roster, who still could conceivably be outplayed for their spot).
-Noah has finally reached an amount of owed guaranteed money where it is realistic for Grier to finally cut his losses, although he would still cost them $1.4 mill whether he is here or not. There are number of factors at play here, but there is a scenario in which a combination of other player's health and a resulting numbers game makes Grier grit his teeth and move on.
-Bailey is pretty straight forward, fighting with the young Turk for the punter job.
-Saubert I feel is very likely to make it, though the phins also have tough decisions to make at TE. They are unlikely to have space for 5 tight ends, and thus to keep Saubert they would have to move on from either one of Elijah Higgins/Tanner Conner or cut veteran Tyler Kroft, who costs you nothing to release, but is also cheaper than Saubert and more of an analogue to Durham Smythe.
-Pains me to put Needham off the lock list, but the Achilles tear is so unpredictable. I think there is a decent chance he starts out on PUP and provides depth in back half of season.
-Reed I believe is up against a few undrafted kids, as well as the veteran edge rusher market, as the team needs as much reliable depth at edge rusher as possible and Reed has had a difficult time since he last played for Vic Fangio. Remember, year ago he was traded from Denver to Pittsburgh for a bag of footballs right around the cut down to the 53 man, which is code for he was otherwise going to be cut by Denver at final cuts.
-EE is a classic case of a kid with draft investment goin up against over achievers like River Cracraft and Braylon Sanders.
​
Veterans in an uphill battle (9)
Then you have your vets who are guaranteed very little money (if any at all), and have enough competition, that they are directly in the line of fire and have an uphill battle to make the team if not for a change in circumstances. These players are all pretty much clinging to their NFL lives at this stage:
Myles Gaskin $0 dead cap
River Cracraft $0 dead cap
Robbie Chosen $125k dead cap
Geron Christian $350k dead cap
Kendall Lamm $200k dead cap
Cedric Ogbuehi $50k dead cap
Tyler Kroft $25k dead cap
Justin Bethel $75k dead cap
Elijah Campbell $0 dead cap
​
-It is very hard to see Gaskin's pathway to a roster spot. I remain unsure why he re-signed here.
-Cracraft would be the perfect depth wr or practice squad call up if Wilson or Chosen are moved. If not, I don't see how he sticks on 53 and how he gets back on field barring major injuries.
-It was tough to put Chosen on this list given his talent level and with things remaining so up in air. FWIW, I fully believe he makes zero sense to release while signed at the vet minimum. If his head is on straight, he could get us through an extended absence from Tyreek or Waddle, which is not something we can say for any other receiver on roster.
-Christian, Lamm, Ogbuehi, and rookie 7th rounder Ryan Hayes potentially could all be battling for a fourth OT spot, unless Hayes is moved inside to guard. I give Christian the inside track given the highest dead cap and his remaining upside at age 27. Realistically, the fourth tackle may not be on the roster, or they could even keep only 3 OT's given some of the interior guy's versatility.
-Kroft's status was already largely addressed. If Smythe is gonna be the guy, I'd we need another guy who can be a poor man's version. Perhaps Ingold allows for that guy to be a PS guy.
-Bethel I believe is likely to be a victim of a numbers game.
-Don't sleep on Campbell as the fourth safety. He is a survivor.
​
Young Pups, will they bite? (11)
With any roster, the last few spots are often taken by inexperienced players with cheap contracts and perceived upside, as opposed to low ceiling vets making 1 million+. The following young pups I believe are the most likely to challenge for a 53 man spot:
Taylor Conner
Elijah Higgins
Ryan Hayes
Brandon Pili
Keidron Smith
Aubrey Miller
Mitchell Agude
Trill Williams
Keidron Smith
Verone Mckinley
Bryce Thompson
Michael Turk
-I've thought about Higgins and Conner battling for one spot behind Saubert, as they all aim to replace Gesiki's snaps. It is also hard for me to envision Mcdaniel and Grier giving up on Higgins or Conner so soon, given the investment and hype for both.
-Hayes as a 7th round pick will definitely be given a real chance to make it. The organization has had a lot of success with 7th round picks in the last decade, but also whiffed on the only one they recently used on OL (Larnel Coleman).
-Based on the current roster, 1-2 udfa's are likely to make it on defense, either to fill a ST role or add depth. Look out, however, for veteran signings between now and training camp.
-They are going to keep 10-11 in the secondary. This is the unit I fear most in terms of losing a player to waivers with upside. I also always overestimate how much the league values our players, so take it with a grain of salt. Keidron Smith is here because he has the most guaranteed money of any UDFA, which has been predictive in recent years, as Kader and Robert Jones both garnered hefty UDFA bonuses.
​
Thanks for reading. And thanks for spotrac
https://www.spotrac.com/nfl/miami-dolphins/cap/

I do 65 mph in the left lane on I84 heading west, 40 down eagle road either direction, and 30 down state street so nobody gets caught speeding. People often thank me by flashing their light bars or honking their horns. What acts of kindness do you do for strangers in the treasure valley?

I'm not a mod of a large subreddit. But I am a mod, and I am impacted by these changes.
Let me start by saying I still have my t-shirt from the Rally to Restore Sanity sitting in my closet. So I'm not exactly new to Reddit.
I don't exaggerate when I say that Reddit changed my life. I moved to Amsterdam from Los Angeles for my job. I didn't speak a word of Dutch, and knew nobody in the city. Feeling a bit lonely, on a lark, I went on /Amsterdam and tried to organize an outing to go find the best pizza. From there I organized other meetups, to go on a canal trip, to various bars, and so on. I became a moderator of /Amsterdam, and have been one ever since. We used to run at least one meetup a month, and had people travel from all over Europe to join us for Global Reddit Meetup Day. We even tried to get the admins to join us -- we sent the Admin team some Dutch gifts and snacks along with an invitation to join us. Through /Amsterdam, I found my closest friends. Last month I gave a speech at a wedding. The groom was a friend I met on Reddit. The officiant was a friend we met on Reddit. Almost half the attendees were part of the larger /Amsterdam community, some of whom no longer even lived near Amsterdam but still held such a strong connection to one another because of what happened on Reddit. I've traveled to other countries with my Reddit friends. When my job took me to London for a few months, the first thing I did was go to /LondonSocialClub, where I was instantly welcomed. My time in London was delightful because I had a ready group of Redditors to hang out with and see the city.
I would not be who I am had I not posted on /Amsterdam. I am a better person for the people I met here, and I will always be grateful for it. kn0thing, ten years ago, summed it up: "Facebook makes me hate the people I know, and Reddit makes me love the people I don't."
When I became a moderator of /Amsterdam, we were around 4,000 subscribers. Today we're almost 230,000. That's still nothing compared to the default subreddits, but it's not exactly niche. As the subscriber count has grown and Reddit has grown, the complexity of moderating has not scaled linearly. It took more than a year for our first-ever ban. Now we have to ban multiple people a week, sometimes many in a single day. Moderation has become more difficult as Reddit goes to the masses and rolls out features like chat for subreddits. We've gone through waves of harassment, brigades, and an endless stream of insults in modmail, direct mail, and chat. Sometimes I put off opening up Reddit because I don't want to read another message attacking me for my tyranny in deleting a racist post. When we are brigaded or when people make multiple accounts to deliver as many attacks in modmail as they can in an hour, I think seriously about quitting. Several of my fellow mods have quit over the past few years, because they simply didn't see it was worth their time to take that punishment.
I haven't quit though, and that's because I love Reddit, and because Reddit changed my life.
We have had a deal for the past decade and change. I and other mods devote our labor to making Reddit a better place, and we do it without compensation, and without recognition. We do this out of love. In turn, Reddit provides us with as much space as we need to get the job done. In our case, and in the case of many mods, that space has come in the form of the API. When I first started moderating, I learned enough Python to build a bot on the API to help us moderate. Today we use some standard bots, RES, and mobile apps to do the job. I get more done in ten minutes with Apollo than I can get done in an hour in the official app. It's not always been clean or easy, but it's worked, and it's been part of the unique flavor of Reddit, each subreddit coming together with their own hacky solutions to problems, learning from one another.
It seems Reddit has decided to change this deal, out of the idea that "Reddit needs to be fairly paid". Ok, I get the sentiment. But let's consider who isn't paid here. Reddit is the only social media company that relies on unpaid moderators. Facebook employs fifteen thousand moderators, with substantial press scrutiny over their working conditions. Before Twitter was bought out, it employed fifteen hundred moderators, and post-acquisition, there's no shortage of criticism that the lack of moderators has diminished the quality of the platform.
There are ways to be "fairly paid" other than in cash, and the way I felt that I was fairly paid was in getting the psychic benefit of making Reddit a better place through my work. What Reddit has said with these pricing changes is that it wants to unilaterally revoke the things that made Reddit beautiful, and make the experience of moderating worse. We now have to (indirectly) pay exorbitant fees to use the tools that allow us to do our jobs. We now have to quit using the tools that allow us to give our own spin on moderating. I don't know how I'll moderate next month. And I don't know if I'll have any desire to do so next month. Reddit is increasing my costs, decreasing my benefits, and blaming iamthatis for it.
/Amsterdam will be going dark on 12 June. My request to the admins is that they come to their senses before they do permanent damage to something I, and so many mods, truly love.

A while ago, I treated myself to The Handsome Collection. While Borderlands has been a fun little time-waster, I genuinely can't understand why the franchise got as big as it did. While they're cleverly written and nice looking the game-play is absolute garbage on any level.
1) Shields are Useless. The first thing that happens in any fight is your shields will be dropped in one hit. Yeah, I know, "take cover" but there's rarely any cover to be found in a combat arena. They're all tiny, cluttered spaces and every weapon has ludicrous splash damage. There's no option but to run away and plink at targets with a sniper rifle. And even then, mobs have hit scan accuracy which keep knocking your shields down.
2) Weapons are useless. TVHM only makes this point worse. You're level 38, your weapon is a Green lvl 37 and you're still emptying two or three 50-round clips to take down a lvl 36 mob. And it seems that you always - and I mean always - run out of bullets while the mob still has a pixel's-worth of health bar left, especially in FFYL
a) Sniper rifles are useless. I genuinely do not understand why these are in the game at all. They're under-powered (Yes, Marcus, even a Jakob's takes way more than one shot) and inaccurate, but that describes every weapon. What makes them unusual is that you might get one or two hits in and then you're rushed by bullet-sponge melee attackers anyway.
b) The melee mobs are their own special cheese since most of your combat is spent quickly backing up and emptying clip after clip at bullet sponges whose melee attack always connects regardless of how fast you're moving. Unless it's been built up by class-specific skills, the player melee attack is monumentally useless and really only serves to interrupt the shamelessly long reload sequence.
c) Reload and Weapon Swap times. What is the game-play balance idea behind the obscenely long reload speeds? It's especially strange when it comes to FFYL and you have to burn it all reloading or swapping weapons. This is especially baffling in Borderlands 2 when you have to use the slag mechanic. By the time the slag takes and you switch weapons the slag is gone anyway. But even beyond that it just seems like nothing but a pro-frustration feature to add some twist to game play for it's own sake.
d) Grenades just suck. Easily the most useless of the bunch, either they're the "trick" grenades that never go where you throw them because the devs though that silly gimmicks were more important or they're just as useless as any other weapon.e) Dahl, Torgue and Jakob's weapons. If inaccuracy and bullet-sponges weren't enough, the devs kindly thought to add courting carpal-tunnel syndrome to list.
3) Boss fights are terrible. You need to cheese each and every one of them. Really , there's no other way. You'll get swarmed by bullet-sponge ads, blasted by one or two hit kills spammed by the bosses while you're plinking away at their weak point. The only way is to find a place to hide on the map and burn through all your ammo and all of your patience.
4) Loot is terrible. You level up super fast in the franchise, and even when you have level parity it's still a chore going through combat. You would think that, knowing this, the devs would leave some new weapons lying around in the loot chests so you can at least keep up, right? Wrong. When you're desperately looking for a new shield or an upgraded weapon, all the devs give you are grenades and Oz kits. Even when using Moonstones, Eridium or single-use Golden Keys, IT'S ALWAYS GRENADES. Even if they weren't completely useless they're simply not such a make-or-break element of the game that they need to comprise 90% of the loot. And even TPS's Oz kits aren't much of an improvement. At least there's a little variety since OZ kits are 40% of the loot with grenades making up the other 50%. You get the Oz kit at the beginning which restores health when you pick up oxygen canisters...and that's the only one you will ever need, since no other Oz Kit in the game does that and you will always need any health pickup you can scrounge.
5) Combat is terrible. I will give the devs something of a break. There are plenty of times where the combat can be fun. The main problem is that they've given you the PC from Call of Duty or the ARMA franchise and set you up to play DOOM. If the mobs are one or two levels above you, combat consists mostly of cheesy tactics and straight-up exploits and dying a lot from one-hit kills. If they're slightly below, then it's insultingly easy.
6) The writing gets a little more credit than it deserves. The main issue is that the pace of the stories don't match the pace of the game. You do have to grind and side quest to get ahead, but it kills the urgency of the story you're following. It's the old MMORPG problem of getting to spend 8 months on a quest for an NPC who'd "dying" in 5 minutes. Borderlands 2, with it's "Handsome Jack is a Psycho" gags are worth noting too. It goes from dark and gritty to cartoonish Giallo camp just by the sheer number of times you're reminded that Jack is not a very nice guy.
What saved this franchise from the oblivion it deserved?

Sup guys,
As you already probably know, Reddit is being fuckin assholes and increasing its API pricing even higher, making it unaffordable, which will make third-party apps unable to continue their services. Lots of things you guys like and use, whether it be search engines or third-party browsing apps, will be affected heavily because of this. These third-party apps very existence offer features to the users that the official Reddit app doesn't. Marginalized groups that struggle with things like being vision impaired will have no possible solution to browse Reddit.
Many communities, including this one, utilize third-party apps to make moderating more efficient, without auto mod this place would probably turn upside down since without it, Reddit offers little to no help. If the API changes go through, it will decrease overall moderating capabilities and impact the experience users have.
The mod team has discussed that it would be good to join the ever growing list of subs are going dark in protest of this dumbass policy.
Sub will not be accessible starting June 12th, and at the earliest reactivation, June 14th. (Although we are more than likely going to be inaccessible for longer)
- mod team
Here are some other things you can check out incase you're interested about the policy being implemented, why it's being protested, and how you can help.
What We Want
An open letter on the state of affairs regarding the API pricing and third party apps and how that will impact moderators and communities
Don't let reddit kill 3rd party apps
Reddit to the Visually Impaired

Hi folx,
I'm on a weight loss journey for overall health and to feel better about myself. Doing great so far and between CICO and a supplement for my PCOS I'm finally making some progress! I'm proud of myself but I know I need to do more than just general walking. I'm losing weight but my stomach is starting to hang some, and that's where I carry most of my weight so even if I'm losing my clothes don't quite fit right or comfortably.
I'm almost middle aged so I know genetics and an aging body will work against me some, but are there any exercises I can try to just tone up in general? I was going to sign up for my local community center for access to their gym, but I'm recovering a bit from a recent death and its related expenses. I have an exercise bike and yoga mat, and I can afford some simple free weights. Just trying to keep general costs down for a while and still work on my health in the process.
TIA!

I am using desktop mode on my deck with a bluetooth keyboard connected and i alt tab between my browser and discord regularly and if I do it too fast, KDE just hangs up completely and sometimes it just happens at random but i can still move my cursor and hear youtube videos playing. The only fix is to hold down the power button and force reboot. This is super annoying and I cant find a fix for this anywhere, please help.

In addition to the list of Notable Names and Contacts pointed out in Rtx-7’s post, there is also 1240 confidential parties and an additional 552 confidential parties that were served Exhibits A & B. As much as we don’t know who all these confidential parties are, suffice to say that is a lot of interest in SRNEQ. Makes me want to believe it includes a significant number of suitors trying to work out a deal. This provides options for STI to chew on and decide its course of action. See the following statement from certificate of service below:
On June 1, 2023, at my direction and under my supervision, employees of Stretto caused the following document to be served via first-class mail on the service list attached hereto as Exhibit A, and on one thousand two hundred and forty (1,240) confidential parties not included herein, and via electronic mail on the service list attached hereto as Exhibit B, and on five hundred and fifty-two (552) confidential parties not included herein:
Given what we know today, as of the release of the settlement proposal, I am not surprised that Ji is not jumping at the settlement deal on the table right now to close the deal. Note that the closing date is not till July 14. if Ji was anxious to close the deal, I’m sure the LW would have negotiated for a shorter timeframe. I believe Ji is taking his time for LW and Moellis to work a deal with Big Pharma on Notables list. Considering that we also have all the confidential parties above that are interested somehow in the bankruptcy process, I believe there is a lot of optionality here for STI. Deep down Ji would prefer to continue to litigate his claims and not relinquish royalties for the PD L1 and surrender ownership interests in the Nant companies, as required by the walk away settlement option. He will want to be the monkey on PSS’s back for as long as it takes just as a reminder and payback for all the pain he has brought to bear on STI.
For us as shareholders, there is light at the end of the tunnel and we will do well from here on.
Your Thoughts

My boyfriend and I have been dating for a year and we moved pretty quick in our relationship. Currently we live together and that has been taking a toll on me lately it is very hard and the reason being is he has a child from a previous relationship. She is five years old and quite the troublemaker. She spends a lot of the week with us like 3-5 days out the week He told me that he has thought about keeping her full-time because she will be attending school. I was not OK with that just for the fact that when she is with us it’s very chaotic and the house is always turned upside down , we have discussed her behavior, many many times, and yet nothing has changed. I have become really distant when she is here. I usually try to work or I stay in my room The main thing is what I’m not OK with is that I would have to be more financial responsible for her. I have a child of my own who is a teenager I take full responsibility of her and never ask my partner for help. However, that’s not the case with him. I feel that if she lives with us full-time, he’s going to ask me to be responsible all for the things that she needs I feel that I already take care of things like I buy the food the hygiene supplies and other necessities that are required in a household that everyone uses on top of paying half the bills I feel he’s trying to push his child on me more and more and it’s a little frustrating. I do make more money than him, but I don’t feel that should be why I should have to take on any type of financial responsibility of his child. Also, I just want to throw in that the only reason why he wants to take on full responsibility of his child is because the mother of the child decided that she couldn’t do it mind you she is receiving child support she just don’t want to step up and have to go out her way to take the kids back-and-forth from school so I don’t feel that I should have to step up and do what the other parent should be doing if she in fact can do it !
It’s very frustrating and we get into fights about this. He tells me I need to step up. I knew what he came with, but I constantly give him the reminder that I do know in fact what he comes with, but never have I asked him to change around his schedule are Take responsibility of my child. I feel like he is asking a little too much for me. I feel that I pull my way around here. I take care of the house bills him and I try to do what I can but I feel like it’s just not enough at times. And I really don’t want to put myself in a financial position over a child who is not mine. And who’s parents can both take care of on their own

I really don't want to be one of those people, but I really hate my parents.I've been struggling to take care of myself for my whole life really, and I only just recently found out I have a serious breathing issue, probably a sleep disorder as well. I've been kind of drifting throughout life with increasingly impaired cognition, and I thought it was all normal for years. Because my parents, who have very similar issues, also seem to think it's normal, and never got me help. For my entire life I've been unable to exercise because I can't breathe through my nose - I'm always gasping for breath after just a few steps - and I've been increasingly spaced out, unable to make friends, commit information to memory. . . you name it. It didn't used to be quite so bad, and it's been partly disguised by my excellent school performance bc I think I would have been gifted in another life and the remnants of that helps compensate for my deficits, but despite this I feel like I've lost 30 IQ points. I need adderall just to function minimally, and I can't think in complete sentences or even words without it. It's that bad. And it could have all been avoided if I had just been taken to a doctor for any one of the many little mental and physical issues I've been facing even since childhood.
So it goes without saying that just living is kinda hard. Couldn't hold down jobs, barely any friendships, getting out of bed in the morning is a Herculean task, et cetera. And I get the blame for it.
It's not that my parents don't care. But they seem to have many of the same issues I do to varying degrees, and when so much of your mental effort is devoted to just keeping up with life for years at a time, "look out for number one" becomes kinda your default policy. And some other things happened to them bc we have weird emotional issues that run in the family that made their home environments a bit rough, especially my mom's (my primary caretaker, unfortunately - I'm a dependent). These things have affected them in such weird ways, where they seem incapable of truly empathizing with or trusting us. It's like living with kids, except you have no choice but to indulge them because you're dependent on them.
Plus, life being hard is normal to them. So why can't I just suck it up? My mom almost says this outright. And she's been saying it a lot lately, trying to make me feel guilty for taking a break this summer when I have been pushed to my mental and physical limits in college for the last three years. I would love nothing more than to find a summer job, find somewhere else to live, and move forward in life, but I just can't. I try so hard every day just to barely break even if I'm lucky. And I try to tell her how hard I'm trying, but I can't confide the real issues to her because when I told her some of what I suspect about my medical issues, she does one of three things: accuses me of "making excuses" to get out of some kind of responsibility, go on about her own issues and avoid the issue of me doing something, or tell me life is hard and I need to be more diligent and take responsibility.
Thing is, I've gotten myself this far. I had to convince my parents I needed therapy junior year of high school, and fight them (verbally haha) to get antidepressant medication. This was when I was a zombie, just barely capable of advocating for myself, and through therapy came to realize how much of my life was abnormal. I had some hope for the first time of crawling out from under the cloud of depression that's been hanging over me for much of my life. It took a wonderful teacher in high school to suggest I may have ADHD, and regardless of whether or not I actually have it or a sleep disorder, getting myself started on Adderall - the reason I can write this now - was the best thing I have ever or will ever do for myself. I was awake for the first time in my life. I could see things, feel things, make plans and have ambition for the first time ever. I wasn't whole, but it was a start: I had real hope for the first time ever, and came to see how truly screwed up my family was. I paid for my Adderall myself, because I knew my parents wouldn't see it the way I did. I'm dragging myself through a biology degree with a 3.97 GPA, taking hours to do the simplest tasks because of my slow processing speed even on medication, with a combo of Long Covid and mono dragging me down for 2 years now. There were days I couldn't walk without my heart racing, when after "exercising" I was so drained I would lie on the floor for an hour, too weak to even change out of my clothes. This was the summer I was yelled at for being lazy, not long after which I was diagnosed with mono. I've cried more times than I can count: for bad, lonely day I've had, every time I fight with my parents over things I can't help, and every time I think about how much time and happiness I've lost. I'm only 21 and I'm drained.
And now that I apparently haven't been adequately breathing through my freaking nose my whole life, I'm getting myself an ENT appointment. What's my mom's primary concern? Not my breathing, not that of my little sister (who suffers so much too, and apparently has the same defect as far as I can tell), but how much the appointment will cost. I need to manage her stress on top of mine. I'd pay myself, but I have no job this summer (I've only gotten rejections for programs I applied to in December, and I'm struggling to find a temp job for when I go back on campus).
So. At the same time there is currently a national shortage of Adderall, the only drug that works for me (I've spend horrendous money trying and failing to find another), I have school, research duties, and no job. I need to pay for summer housing to get a job, really, because my house is in an inaccessible location and I can't drive, but my mom refuses to help (with money from a college fund, which isn't exactly depleted) unless I get a summer job that I'm struggling to find and which I'm scared I won't be able to hold down. I'm going to get blamed for it if I can't find one. My only escape is treatment, but my ENT appointment in July, and who knows how long I'll have to wait from there to get help. I can't afford to get my own CPAP/APAP, not when I'll need to pay for other things this summer. I'm isolated from most of my family members, and there's a limit to how much I can really ask of them because I don't want to just beg for things that might cost thousands of dollars, even though it might genuinely be my only options. I'm on my own. I'm so scared and I don't know what I'm going to do, it feels like nothing's going to be ok.

I'm feeling so worried about a potential relationship that I thought was going well. So we matched on Hinge.
I'm trans & she cis+ queer, she kept saying how cute I am. She did said she's still navigating queerness & leaving some toxic people and habits so just wanted to be friends and go slow, I said good idea. On the 2nd time we met, we hang out with her best friend. While walking outside, I had my hands in my pockets, then she put her arm through my arm to grab hold of me while walking, which I think is a romantic gesture. Later I put my arm around her shoulders, and she leaned in closer seemingly happy (while her friend was walking ahead). And they kept saying we should do different things in the future. After hanging out for 3 hrs, she said she's having period pain and needed to lie down so she should go home, I suggested checking out an internet cafe that have sofa for lying down. Then her friend said she was tired, and I offered to drive her home but they said no because her direction is more on the way. She texted me to let her know if I got home safe & I did, then I ask her how shes feeling the next night, but I have not receive any replies for more than a day and half now.
​
I wonder if I made any mistakes? She grew up in the US with parents from India, I moved to the US at 11 from China, so I don't think there would be cultural misunderstanding? I had been told that I get too clingy too quickly, so I'm not sure if it's unhealthy to fantasying about having a future together too quickly.
​
Should I check with her friend on Discord or call her later?

***If you don’t want to read the background skip to the “stats summary/situation” section, thanks in advance for reading :)
Background: I did my undergrad (finished spring 2023) in biochemistry and finished with honors (3.68) and took my mcat last August. Unfortunately, leading up to my exam my whole life turned upside down. I lost my car, lost my dorm due to finances, and since my family was so far away, I became homeless for 6 months. There was a lot more but I’ll spare the details. Anyways I’m AAMC practice FLs I was scoring 515 but, I became so withdrawn that on the day of my exam last august I got a 504(cars I sucked in and bio I just froze up a lot despite that on practices I was scoring 131-132 consistently, everything Else was really good). I decided to retake my mcat this June 29th and since then my life has made a big change for the better. I have stable housing, car, money, a relationship with a girl who makes me complete and supports me. My practices are in the 518-520 range for this month thus far
Stats summary: major: Biochem honors GPA: 3.68 MCAT2022: 504 MCAT2023: To be decided but hopefully much better Extracurriculars: 1500+ hours EMS, 2000+ hours research, 1 year Cancer bio and intro bio TAing, 3 years working as a barber, 112 hours shadowing
Situation: now that I’m going into this mcat the scores release July 31st… should I apply august and if so would I have a chance? Would it only do me more harm if I try reapplying next cycle? Should I take some time to boost my app. Any advice even if it’s a bit untraditional, will be super appreciated.

Hi all, first post here! My experience with tuning has not consolidated itself yet in software tuning, so here I am.
I’d like to start with throttle body mapping, and I’m looking to map a 2015 Mini Cooper JCW equipped with the B48. To start my journey, I would like to eliminate rev hang from the car, I have already found a solution to fix the throttle body opening speed but when I let off the gas, the AFR goes to 0 and the revs come down slowly. I wanted to get my hands on BM3 (Bootmode3) to remove the off-throttle lag.
Does anyone have qany experience with throttle body mapping or with BM3?.

I'm not sure if this has already been shared, but about two months ago the old trick of enabling switch access and adding a second language to Google Assistant to get the "beep" sound back after saying Hey Google stopped working. This has driven me nuts as I hate not knowing if the Google Assistant is waiting for a command, and when driving you had to look down at your phone to see if the assistant had heard your Hey Google prompt. Anwyays, last night I enabled "Voice Access" under the accessibility settings and went through the setup and now have audible "beep" sound back!! While doing the setup I disabled all the voice access features except for the main "Use Voice Access" toggle. I did have a little notification icon on my notification bar that showed the voice access was enabled, but hid this using the notification settings. Please note that I also have Google Android Accessibility Suite installed from the Play store. Just thought I'd share for others missing this feature!

I feel so helpless and I just want to run away or dissolve into nothing. A couple of nights ago I was hanging out with someone I’ve been friends with for years(let’s call him D) Usually when we hang out it’s only for like 30 minutes and then he’s on his way and everything is fine. I hadn’t seen him in a minute and he kept asking and asking to hang out so I finally said sure. He shows up with some drinks and we just catch up like usual. The drinks in question were just some fruity little drinks with a low alcohol content and I can drink a lot before actually feeling drunk and it takes a lot to make me black out. Well after just a couple of drinks of the 3rd drink, which is a drink he opened for me in the kitchen while I was in my bedroom, I started to feel really weird. Everything from this point on is really fuzzy and I can’t remember most of it. I remember him trying to kiss me and I pushed him away from me and locked myself in the bathroom where I proceeded to call one of my other friends(let’s call her T) I don’t remember this phone call but according to my other friend I was slurring my words and begging for help. My other friend shows up makes sure nothing weird is going on and she thinks I’m just really drunk but I couldn’t form a complete sentence and was just freaking out. T says I eventually pass out in my bed and she leaves to go to work thinking that it’s fine I was just drunk and D was gonna make sure I was okay. I literally don’t remember anything at all. I woke up to the sound of a door opening and I felt like I was suffocating. I realized someone was on top of me and I kick him off and ran out of my bedroom. I didn’t have any clothes on and when I realized this I just broke down crying . I just remember being so confused and scared and then my bf was there and he took me to his house. The next day he wants nothing to do with me and he says it’s because he just caught me naked with another guy. I explained that I don’t remember anything that happened and I felt insanely sick. He didn’t care it’s like he thought I was lying. I had to go to the er later that day to get fluids and medicine. The hospital said they didn’t test for date rape drugs and since I had showered they weren’t going to do a rape kit. I tried to talk to my bf but he just acts like I’m dirty and he hates me. He’s the one person I really need some support from and he just acts so cold and won’t talk to me. I keep blaming myself for what happened and I feel so gross and disgusting. I just want to run away from all this I don’t know what to do.

I'm a 21 year old woman with major depression and anxiety (not self diagnosed lol) and I really struggle to maintain friendships.
Basically, long story short, I have a lot of "undesirable" and anti-social personality traits. I might be on the spectrum, but that's neither here nor there. I know that a lot of my failed platonic relationships are 100% my fault, and I do a lot of cringe things when I hang out with people (like get too drunk and be MASSIVELY ANNOYING). I'm fully aware that this is an issue, but I also do struggle with impulse and addiction problems. I've been trying to majorly cut back on drinking.
Recently, I've been trying to reconnect with some friends from high school. They hang out with this girl that I don't really know, but have met a few times and seemed to get along with alright. She's younger than us, probably about 18 or 19 and she's said and done some not so nice things to them in the past (I don't even know why they're still friends with her, but that's none of my business tbh). Let's just call her E for clarity's sake. I've tried to be friendly with E, but it seems she's decided she doesn't like me. I get it, I really do, I can be a hard person to be around. It just makes me a little sad.
Last weekend, I asked one of my friends what they were up to that night. She said they'd be going to a specific bar because E wanted to, and that E didn't want me to come with the group. My friend said to "just show up and pretend I didn't know they were there" but that's totally not my style. I don't like to be where I'm not wanted. That really hurt my feelings, but I decided to go to a different bar with my boyfriend.
Apparently the bar they wanted to go to was closed, so I saw them walking up to the place we were going. E saw me, quickly looked away and went inside. The other girls didn't notice me. I didn't want to be annoying, so I just talked to other people until my friend noticed and waved me over. E saw me come over and became visibly irritated, not saying hello or anything. I pretty much just kept to myself and left them alone, because I didn't want her to feel like I just invited myself to hang out with them.
The night ended pretty uneventfully, but I just can't shake the feeling that none of them like me anymore. Maybe that's ridiculous, but they're some of the only people I actually consider friends. Now I feel like every invite or text is out of pity, and they all secretly can't stand me. I just want to crawl into a hole and die. I wish people liked me, and I wish my personality wasn't so grating. I feel like I'm in elementary school again, hoping the popular girls will befriend me. It's pathetic and embarrassing.
Does anyone have any advice? I think this is an insecurity/jealousy issue within myself. I compare myself to these girls a lot and feel really ugly and boring around them. My life is kind of falling apart at the seams right now, and I don't even have any kind of friend support system. It just makes me feel utterly alone and empty and sad :(

My family worships my brother. He works off and on but he ever has any money ever. The only stuff that he has is his parents money because they pay all his bills. He gets to drive around in my old luxury car, but my mom worships him and calls him a boss, and acts as if he brought it himself. He never spends time with her ever. He acts as if he’s too good for, but she still spoils him and gives me nothing. Ok so he has a life? He doesn’t go to school. He works sometimes but where’s his apartment and car? He does nothing but hang out with his friends all the time. I work all the time but my family always tries to down play me like I’m the bum just because I don’t have time to have fun like he does. I’m always jealous and bitter. Yes he’s younger than me but at his age I was poor and never got the stuff that he has. They treat him like a girl and me like the guy. how to stop being bitter it’s turning me into a angry mean person?

Okay I literally finished the book a few minutes ago after spending 2 days binge reading it. I am going to mis a hilarous amount of details and important story bits, but I gotta stick with the vibe.
Here is the Dreadgod one Reddit - Dive into anything
You ready? No? Neither am I!
**SPACE ADVENTURES PART ONE**
Okay so we start in space again, and suriel and ozriel are like "yep we are def gonna die" and then eithan is like "Okay but hear me out...what if only one of us dies?" And suriel is like "You better not be up to some main character bullshit" and eithan then proceeds to pull a gandalf and fight the main baddy on his own while suriel goes back and goes to pick up something from Makiel, who would really like eithan to die please.
Makiel is looking for the ultimate killing tool everywhere and hopes to get it to kill ozriel, the mad king, and basically anyone who would fuck up the system. Suriel comes and is like "YOUR VIBES ARE ATROCIOUS AND YOU ARE UNDER ARREST" and makiel, having been a villian for a VERY long time, is like "bet. That makes sense."
Suriel, being the goodest girl, and not a hound, is super confused. Makiel explains, "Look I've seen like a billion villian stories. I knew after my final villianous act, I have to die to the hero or get diposed or something so I Was just gonna give up after I murdered your friend." Suriel who likes having friends, decides thats not okay and activates her trap card: Reaper's Gift!!!
By activating reapers gift, she can tap infinite black lands so long as she has the artifact equip. She then is like "Look...you've been a villian for a while." She then transfers the item to HIS character sheet "Wouldn't you rather go out like an anti-hero????" Makiel wasn't expecting someone to be nice to him, which might be a huge theme in this book.
So he says "fuck it we ball" and they go back to find eithan, SOMEHOW NOT DEAD YET, even though he has no super weapon, lost his mantle of ultimate protagonist power, and is literally fighting the solo boss with no equipment besides his pajamas. Makiel is like "Fuck dude I hate you." and ozriel is like "Feelings mutual buddy~" and the mad king tries to kill them both.
And then they realise that they both hate the same thing: Losing. Suddenly, united by the pettiness icon, Makiel and Ozriel trade weapons, and start wombo combing the Mad king like they are bros. They are both upset about the fact that they are actually doing really well. That said, its still a lot, and they are basically in a stalemate until eithan realises how to break it in a way that only he can.
By taunting the enemy in his final moments of life with a meme attack. He bops him on the head with the GOD SWORD OF AIM HAX and is like "Lmao get rektd" and then mcfucking dies, and then makiel super crits the mad king with the +100 sycthe of ultimate murder, and suriel jsut deletes him for good measure.
Then suriel is like "We gotta fix him, but he got mcfucking murdered, which is way worst than normal murder. What can we do?" And then makiel gives her his magic jacket and is like "One life...for another..." and suriel is like "WAIT YOU HATE HIM??? WHY WOULD YOU-"
"Because...nothing would piss him off more...than me going out like a hero...." and then he mcfucking dies to undo eithands death who comes back smiling, but on the inside, is morning the loss of his bro, the most petty man in existence. Truly and honor. Also everything has gone to shit.
**BABY BOX ADVENTURES** Back on baby box, Lindon and co go into the definitely not hyberbolic time chamber to super not go to super saiyan. Lindon is like 1/4 dreadgod and is ridiclously buff, and after having stolen everyones shit, makes sure to set up super training plans for everyone. But first, we gotta fix mercy, who got her ass kicked by her mom, because she's toxic. This will also be a theme for the book.
Mercy gets revived and is like "Fuck my mom IS the worst" and everyone side eyes because yeah, but shes having her time. After that, its time to get used to the weird training everyone has to do.
Orthos has to do cannibalism but not get feral or racist about it. He is very old, so its kinda hard to stop both of those things from happening, but he manages. Mostly. Drops a H slurr in there once.
Little Blue has to become a person. She makes a great mascot, but she has to get more substance to become a full fledged character with autonomy and shit.
Mercy has to deal with her mommy issues. No for real. Not a joke. She just has to deal with her mommy issues and get her own personality, outside of her mommy issues. This is a legitmate struggle for her, due to being the princess of the gaslight/gatekeep/girlboss empire.
Ziel needs to learn that he both has depression, and also, is a very angry person. Also to maybe not be so bloodthirsty. Also how to do time math. Also how to deal with the insanity caused by experiencing eternity....he has to deal with a lot.
Yerin is supposed to learn how to sword from her ghost dad, which lindon summons from a definitely not engagement ring box. Yerin pouts about this. Sword ghost dad says that she could probably get the sword icon if she just vibed correctly, and red faith agrees. She doesn't know WHAT vibe she is supposed to have though, until she thinks about eithan, and beating the shit out of red faith, and realises she REALLY wants to kill people. Like really bad. This is somehow ALSO a theme in this book.
Lindon...has to kill more dreadgods, each being a CR40 encounter. Also every time he does he has to make a will save or jsut straight up stop being a PC. This is fine he says. At least he still has the loot from the last one, right?
No one agrees with him.
Outside, Reigan shen decides to annoy lindon. Lindon responds by firing a **Death** arrow at reigan shen. He then runs the fuck a way because HOLY SHIT THE MAIN CHARACTER HAS A PROTAGONIST WEAPON NOW???? WTF GUYS WE GOTTA GET THEM!!!!
Malice + northsider agree, and decide to also annoy lindon. The more they annoy him, the less time he can spend digivolving his friends, and also prepping for the WEEPING DRAGON who is COMING TO FUCK EVERYONE UP. It is QUITE CROSS that SOMEHONE (hi lindon) MCFUCKING KILLED THEIR BRO!
Lindon uses his ghost dad jutsu to summon everyone has a ghost to fight...3 monarchs, 2 sages, a bunch of annoyances, and potentialyl a dreadgod. It is not a good day for him. Its not going to get better. Still, he has his protagonist weapon! And thats scary! Unforunately, being a protagonist weapon, he can only use as many times as the story allows...
Which is still enough to scare the shit out of reigan shin who just wants to end this all. So instead of using his usually gilgamesh bullshit, he instead uses his fusion ultimate doom attack of enkuidu + Enuma Ellish + Tiberian's Super Storm Beam of Triple Death. He is absolutely sure this combination of super attacks will wipe the protagonist off the face of the earth!
Unforunately, in his rage, he forgot that he was a villian that had just pulled out an ultimate weapon, which meant the hero HAD to pull out a hax option for the plot to continue. Said hax option, is literally just ghost eithan, who is like "bro, you sweep like this? Lemme show you how to clean house." He then proceeds to beat up all 3 monarchs in one attack and a dodge just to be a dick and is like "Oh btw that wasn't even like half my power, summon me when you have more juice homie."
Lindon, being tired of this bs, was like "Okay hear me out. How about 1v1s? You win, I stop being an asshole. I win, you fuck off." The monarchs, who had a lot more experience being assholes, accept this, and northstrider then proceeds to kick lindons ass. So much. So hard. His oracle codex is like "*He is weak. And dumb. And smelly. And he doesn't even sacred arts bro.*" and nothstrider is fine with that for a bit but then squints and reads the script again, and notices most of the lines were written over with sharpie.
Getting a copy of the ACTUAL script, he see's that lindon is drinking him, like a LOT and even stealing his icon and then slams him into the ground and points at Malice like "You want next?" malice, not giving a shit about men, says "Uhh nah im good." and fucks off back to her goth milf castle. Lindon then sighs because damn that was a long day. It'd be nice if he could get 5 minutes of-
Oh look shen found your hyperbolic time chamber, and is really mad that he's gotten his ass kicked twice today is going to take it out on all of your friends! Go lindon go! He does and shen is like "even if I am erased from the plot I am going to get ONE W IN THIS GOD DAMNED STORY!!!!" and lindon is like "Pls stop" and then shen does...but only after blowing up the door to the time chamber. Lindon is surprised that he was being so nice until he looked behind him and saw the weeping dragon charging up his forward smash.
Shen, being an asshole, decided that would have to due, and he'd have to rely on plan Q. He was...running low on plans. But at least he had more of them! Surely they couldnt all fail.
Back inside of the hyperbolic time chamber, yerin and co realise the door broke. Yerin is like "okay I...cut it open?" Breaking the fourth wall, and then, a door opened. Unforunately, she hadn't been specific when she wrote that and walked all the way to the rosegold continent. OOps.
Ziel and mercy also want to help, but are kinda weak. Ziel digivolves by learning how to harness the power of time, tbe universe, and everything, and mercy digivolves be realising that she honestly just wants to be a nice person and do nice things. She realises this by having a pity party about how she sucks and ziel being like "STFU you are a fucking main character. Act like it." and she realises, sHE IS!!!
So they go out to help lindon and he says "Okay uh no **GTFO**" because they will absolutely get stomped if they help. And they land...in the rosegold continent! How convient! Hey is that yerin using the death murder kill technique????
Anyway house eithan is fighting house shen and house shen is busted, with a herald who is a pixie, and a sage who is crazy, on team weeping dragon, and can regenerate from nothing. Which is absurd. Team eithan just has cladia, who is the best, but also an old lady. She has a thousand eyes, but could use more hands. Oh look, youths!
Mercy, being a nice young lady, helps her elder cross the battle field and annihilate threats. Cladia was sceptical about the girl until it slowly dawns on her that this girl is DEFINITELY a main character. In the super fight, yerin is learning how to murder death kill more effectively, but still doesn't have it down perfect. Ziel is trying to also murder death kill but it just isnt working, and instead, he's getting trolled by the calling storm sage, who seems to just like to see people suffer.
Ziel see's all his friends getting their asses kicked and decides "fuck man...that isnt cool" and unlocks the shield icon, as it turns out, he ALSO wants to be a protagonist, he just forgot. Together with mercy being nice, cladia being the best, and yerin using the art of murder death kill, they defeat house shen with style....but are also v tired. Cladia thanks the newly minted main characters and gives them the coveted mid story power up they will need to face the next boss: Weeping Dragon!
What is this powerup? Well a HUD of course! Turns out, very helpful to have. Also some of the weeping dragons stats. Turns out, its very good at lying and its dragons breath is *reads notes* THE MOST POWERFUL STRIKER TECHNIQUE ON THE PLANET. JUST. THE STRONGEST ONE. EVER. IT **CANNOT** Be blocked. In fact, as they get back to lindons side, the attack misses them entirely, firing mostly into the air....AND STILL NEARLY KILLS THEM. BY PROXIMITY!
luckily lindon kept them from being hyper murdered. Unforunately, as per the rules of cradle, in exchange he had to be hyper murded. So he just kinda falls over. Team main character take exception to this, and decide to beat the shit out of the dragon. The eight man empire is here and are trying to help, potentially in exchange for that SWEET SWEET LOOT...but also to not fucking die.
Also Orthos and Little blue got out of the time chamber and are now archlords! They go to find lindon to help him after super dying, and he says "Hey...you guys...are main characters...now..." And boom instantly, orthos becomes the black dragon sage, and little blue becomes a herald because, yeah he got that move from eithan in book 2. So now they can help fight! Also now everyone has a dross in them because reasons!
So they arent doing GREAT on that front because most of them are like broken and half and relying solely on hax to keep fighting. Few more than Laran, who got to use the protagonist bow for a little while!!! It felt good...like being significant....
ANYWAY, now its mercys turn to use it and WOOF that was scary...but oops that used up her protag powers.
Yerin, time to attack with the murder death kill move...which is great! But OOF that used up all of HER protag powers.
And so ziel is left with the s trongest monster who has like one bar of health left but hits for all of your HP. Can he do it? Its kick or carry time and...whats this? Is that ziel getting on the top ropes? With the DEATH ARROW? AND LOADING IT INTO HIS ALAPHABET ARRAY? AND INFUSING IT WITH TIME MAGIC! YO WATCH OUT **WATCH OUT**
And then THE MAN HIMSELF smites THE ULTIAMTE SUPER DRAGON with the INSTANT DEATH NO SCOPE HEADSHOT AIMBOT attack that kills god. Or almost kills god. He's got like...3 anime seconds to live.
Seeing that the fight was over, malice returns to be toxic and player kill all the exhausted PCs. She seems really eager about the idea for some reason and then right as she is about to kill lindon, she hears the weeping dragons timer about to run out. Quickly, she erases her own attack, because she is VERY genre savvy when it comes to romance, and if she kills yerin, the main male protagonist will DEFINITELY kill her.
Which he almost does anyway, because as soon as weeping dragon dies, lindon digivolveS AGAIN and nearly nukes her. She escapes, but FUCK man that was close. PHew. Live to gatekeep another day.
lindon and co return to their training fortress, and everyone is tired and sad. Lindon tries to cheer them up in the way he knows how: Advancement and new toys! They all groan.
lindon tries to cheer ziel up most of all, because he got the killing blow, and ziel is like "Bro I JUST got the chill icon, please no." and lindon smiles because that meant moRE LOOT FOR HIMSELF. Woo!
Mercy is fighting more of her mommy issues and is terrified that when she levels up to herald, itll kick her ass , because her mom's remnant was SUPER toxic and just started pking people to fuck with her. mercy prepares for the fight of her life...only to see that her spirit is a sweet bean and literally just wants to give hugs and encouragement. Mercy is very surprised that its being nice to her and everything goes perfectly fine because mercy is actually a very helpful and kind person. This is a small moment of celebration.
Taht is until he is YOINKED! GASP????? By what???Only reigan shen of course! He had taken sleeping ghosts binding and used it to summon lindon. Turns out, each time the dreadgods die, the rest of them get stronger...and smarter...and get more personalities. Like the bleeding phoniex deciding to be a she/they waifu apparently just to fuck with shen. Shen tries to convince her that he is a very important antagonist, and she responds with "You were." And this frightens him, given the page count. He tells her that she should get revenge on lindon and she is like "I dunno...I think I have a better plan for my otouto. ISn't that right Onii-chan?" She says to the wandering titan who was listening in over space discord. He agrees and shen realises that he has caught YET ANOTHER L.
Also where is emiriss? Wasn't she supposed to be helping??? Well she would be she got captured by northstrider who wanted to make sure that the protagonists had NO MORE ELDER MENTOR FIGURES! THEY HAD TO MANY! He is convinced that he can handle anything that happens...Which is why he is totally chill when lindon++ shows up and tells him to calm the fuck down and gives back tree grandma. Northstrider says fuck off, and lindon says "okay, but we are going to talk about this."
Northstrider thinks this is a threat. It was actually a promise, as he is pulled into lindons house and lindon is like "...So...I've been reading your character sheet...and it says you were...neutral good? And wanted to like...be a hero?" And northstrider squints because no one is supposed to read his cringe backstory. He tries to destroy it but lindon says "Ah ah ah...read it first." And then he relents because fuck this guy was a main character. What was the worst that could happen?
So he reads his character sheet and realises that he's been playing the character all wrong the whole time and was like "Fuck...I am kinda a dick now I...ya know what, I'ma drop before I get worse." And lindon is relieved that at least SOMEONE cared about being a dick. He also tells them how to get emiriss, who was happy to see that she only had to wait 5 dragon ballz minutes to get rescued. That was pretty short for an arc in her opinion.
Now back in the present lindon is dealing with 2 dreadgods, and regan shen at the time. Bleeding Waifu says, "Hey bro, we could just SHARE the planet and its fine!" and lindon says "mmm no sorry, kinda would be a shit ending to just change plot motivations here." The dreadgods nod and then try to kick his ass. Luckily he used the loot from his last 2 wins to summon his new god weapon Wavesplitter++, whose power is to fucking command super god lightning swords, and its companion Silent King.exe, that let dross be a pain in the ass, letting lindon temporarily digivolve to Dreadgod++
Which was JUST enough to survive a fight with 2 dreadgods...for a while....like about.....5 dragon ball z minutes.
So elsewhere, team friendship to go talk to malice, hoping she will be chill, Mercy, having realised the power of being nice, tries to be nice to malice. She is straight up like "Mom I know you are trying to be a protagonist but you are straight up Lawful evil rn. It's really fucked."
This goes very poorly. MAlice figures that being nice is a trap and only idiots are nice and if she has to kill her favorite person in the whole world, who is literally the embodiment of a good bean, she would rather be THE ABSOLUTE WORST. So she tries to kill all of the other people with hax abilities, constructs, powers, you name it, she has it.
Everyone is on the verge of death when dross is like "hey yerin, uh...if we want to live this, you are going to have to game out of control." And she is like "eh what else is new?" and is then overloaded with strats from every single sword artist in the entire series. In seconds, she almost manifests the sword icon, but then that would mean being a monarch. That was bad right? Thats what they were trying to get rid of.
And then Malice calls her a bitch, and yerin remembers that she REALLY wants to kill something. Like super bad. And then remembers wait...she wAS the fighty character...and she DID have a sword...and she DID love killing bad guys. Holy shit she could be the queen of killing. And so she does.
and then malice is like "Wait no what-" and then mcfucking dies to Yerin, monarch of murder death kill, apprentice of Eithan murder death kill. Charity, and mercy are very sad about this.
Back on the ship. Everyone is freaking out become lindon got yoinked and decide, alright we should all probably digivolve. Yerin points to ziel, "Okay time to fight your depression." He asks, "With like...meditation?" and then is immediately mauled by himself. He eventually realises he has a lot of self destructive tendencies and decides to keep the scars as a reminder to work on that. Dealing with his depression, for real this time, lets him be a monarch
Emriss then points to mercy and is like "You are a good person even if you are sad, and everyone actually likes you a lot." and she realises that omg, she doesnt have to be a gatekeeping,gaslighting,girlboss in order to succeed in the world. She could just be like...a good person. That revelation gives her so much relief that she actually becomes a monarch.
That said, this all took a while...like....4 dragon ball z minutes and 59 seconds.
Which is just enough time to save lindon! Hurray! The team works together and defeats wandering titan with a team attack, beat the shit out of the tiger boi, get sha miara on their side, and blow the fuck out of the bleeding waifu. Here's the problem. The second they do, lindon is going to go 100% Dreadgod x5 and...well thats less than ideal. Also means he can't finish the story....not yet.
So the crew all say their goodbyes really quick and decide OKAY WE CANNOT STAY ON BABYBOX! And so the like 7 monarchs leave and go to space.
**Space Adventures Part 2**
All of team babybox goes to space, including the rainbow baby monarch, and tree grandma. They decide they are done being characters and would like to leave the plot peacefully. The story allows that. The main characters ask where eithan is. Eithan, being a protagonist, appears and is very excited to see his squad. He is also excited to immediately get them back into trouble.
The Abidan is in DIRE need of protagonists. Actual DIRE NEED. If they don't get some more protagonists out there RIGHT NOW so many settings are going to collapse. But unforunately, they dont have a protagonist division, because every time they tried to make one, they kept getting ANTAGONISTS out of it. Something about raging against systemic injustice??? Anyway the new team become team protagonist and go do protagonist things which are so funny, I'll just list them out.
Yerin defeats an evil lich king in like 5 minutes and then leaves but not before becoming a legend...with the wrong name.
Mercy solves an ages old racism dispute by saying "I have fixed both of your systemic issues and if you do any more hate crimes, I am sorry, but I will have to kill you, please do not do any more hate crimes...or like any big obviously villianous plans like making an infiinite army of evil or making another sun to set everyone on fire. Okay? Again I fixed everything so just...be nice. Or you die."
Ziel writes a tax code and bill of rights for a planet likely destroyed by elon musk.
**Baby Box: Lindon Saga**
Lindon wakes up on baby box and is very upset that he couldn't go with his friends. So he does what anyone would do and bides his time until he can get everything back together. Has to take it easy ya know? he's on the path to recovery from his hunger addiction. So in order to chill out he-
Bribes the eight man empire with god weapons
Creates more god weapons
Establishes his sect more
Gets another icon
eats Reigan Shen's ghost and takes back his inheritence
meets li maruth, the wind god who killed him in book 1, who has all of the powers of every protagonist system, and smites the fuck out of him for daring to appear in the post credits scene
and generally just preps to leave baby box. Which is very hard considering everything has gone to fuck in space due to...a lot of people dying and being replaced.
**Space adventures part 3!**
So lindon finally gets to space! Woo! Orthos and Little blue are hyped! But oops...he landed on the bad guy side. And OOPS he had to fight a super bad guy like 5 minutes in. If only he had friends!
Akura fury, being trained to be a protagonist, could sense a good entry like a wolf, and thus came in as soon as there was a fight scene he could join in space. He was so happy. He then escorts lindon back to team protag, where lindon gives lindon 3 things she thinks she deserves.
A god killing sword of unspeakable power.
A wedding ring made out of one of the most powerful artifacts on their planet
And a mom...she's probably needed one of those for a while.
And then lindon and eithan hug. Its so pure.

I'm not going to talk about the epilogue but FUCK I LOVE CRADLE! This is easily my favorite magic system and series and OMG ITS SO GOOD AGGGGGHHHHHH