Circle k easy pay debit

28M with 3.2k earnings each month (salary will remain mostly unchanged over the next five years)
I currently only have a current account and savings account with Santander joined on to it, 110k in the bank sat there any have been doing nothing with it.
Been reading the wiki and realise my money is now going to waste and hoping to do something beneficial with it.
I was going to carry out the following

1. Open hargreaves lansdown S&S ISA. Deposit 20k before 5th April
2. Deposit another 20k after 5th April
3. Switch to Nationwide Flexplus account for benefits (insurance , breakdown cover etc)
4. American Express Platinum Card (this will replace my debit card)
5. Set up direct debit to pay off American Express

This leaves me with 70kish and I'm not sure what else I should do with this - leave in a savings account?
I currently live with my parents but moving in with my partner soon who owns their property. I think my only contribution here will be with bills and council tax.
I don't think I'll be looking at buying a house within the next 2 years
I've been saving since I started working after uni at 24 but have been doing nothing with my money and have just left it in these accounts

May 7th, 1945
This home is wonderful, it has everything I want and need, everything I ask for and for such a low price. I had always wondered why beautiful houses such as mine were on sale, and I would assume it was due to the inflation. Though don't ask me because I don't know how it works around here. The neighborhood is quite beautiful too, we have lovely rich neighbors who have welcomed us with open arms and oh our garden! That is what I set my pride and joy to, however there is this beautiful willow tree that I can't seem to revive, it's slowly dying and I don't know how to save it. I decided in the end it was un-savable, until one night I had thought I heard someone in my garden. I had tried to wake my wife and asked if she heard anything but she was in a deep sleep, I checked to see if maybe my daughter was awake but she was also asleep. I went downstairs with my flashlight and walked into my garden, but no one was there. I was going to head back to sleep but I heard a woman crying, it was coming in the direction of the willow tree.
"Who's there?" I called out, but she only cried, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" But she didn't answer, I slowly walk towards the willow tree and looked around but no one was there, "Hello?"
"Up here." Her voice was angelic and she sounded young, I looked up and saw the shape of a beautiful woman. I went to point my flashlight towards her but it had died, I banged on it but nothing worked. I looked back up and she was still here crying.
"Why are you crying?" I asked softly, I wondered if she needed help or if she was hurt.
"The tree," She said, "It's dying." I almost felt ashamed when she mentioned this, because there really wasn't anything I could do to revive it.
"I tried to fix it, but there isn't anything I can do. It's something that doesn't want to be saved." She sniffled and I saw her slightly perk up.
"I know a way you can fix it." Excitedly I looked up, "But... I shouldn't tell you, it's too much to ask. The last owner, he refused to help the tree, that's why it is dying."
"I want to save the tree, I'll do anything!" I couldn't tell but it looked as though she looked down at me.
"Anything?" She asked in a curious tone.
"Of course! My garden means everything to me," I turn and spread my arms to show my lovely garden, "As you can tell I have taken well care of everything, all I need to save is the willow tree, so if there is anything I can do to save it I must know!" For a long moment she was silent, not a word was said and for just a moment, I lost slight hope until she spoke again.
"The tree needs blood." She said in a cold tone, "But your sacrifice won't be for nothing. The tree can grant you a gift, one thing everyone wants and can't deny. The one thing everyone is so desperate to have." My heart almost stopped beating for a moment, did she mean to sacrifice my own blood or kill someone?
"I can't kill someone!" I said, "That's a horrible thing to do! I would rather the tree die." For a second I laughed, "You have to be joking right? You don't really mean blood." She fell silent and didn't answer, a lump had got caught in my throat, she really does want me to kill someone, "I'm not killing anyone."
"You don't have to worry about hiding your crime, the tree will help you!" I grabbed my flashlight and began to walk away, I wasn't going to feed into these delusions, "The tree can give you Eternal youth!" She called out, and I stopped in my tracks
"Eternal youth?" I asked quietly, "You're lying."
"It's true! It's the gift that anyone would kill for and the only thing that the tree will offer to those who sacrifice for it." I turned to face the tree and walked closer again, looking back up, she hadn't moved an inch, "I was once and owner, I did the same thing for the tree. I too was skeptical, and one night, a burglar broke into my house, I ran into my garden and I killed him. The roots of the tree sank his body to the ground and granted me the gift of eternal youth, as long as I kept providing, and anyone else who was willing to provide for the tree." I looked at the trunk of the willow tree and grazed my hand upon it, I began to fantasize the idea of murdering people and continuously staying young with my wife and daughter forever.
"I don't even know how I would be able to murder someone."
"A party." She said softly, "Throw a party and bring someone alone to the garden, then, when no one is looking, kill them in front of the tree. The roots will consume the body into the earths soil." I stayed silent, was it really that easy? Will I really be granted this gift of eternal youth and my family, "Think about it, you don't have to decide now." She began to hum an unfamiliar tune and didn't utter another word, I went back to bed, but I couldn't sleep, all I could think about were her promises and her soft voice.
"Eternal youth..." I whispered to myself before falling asleep. My wife woke me up for breakfast the next morning, and as I went about my day, all I could was stare at my tree. Dead people in exchange for eternal youth didn't seem like a bad deal, and the tree will hide the body and my crime. I shake my head in shame, why would I ever do that to anyone? I couldn't hurt a fly, but if it were for my family...
"Honey! Dinner is ready!" my wife called out to me from the kitchen, I was in the garden, staring at the tree, not a woman in sight. I quickly walked back inside and my wife began rambling about how we need friends, a social life and how our daughter needs to make friends of her own. At first I didn't even pay attention, but I knew what I was going to do and I had finally made my decision.
"Let's have a house warming party." I said, "You'll make friends and so will Edith." Edith looked up at us with sparkles in her eyes, clearly excited by the thought of having friends. My wife, hugged and kissed me already planning on everything that was going to be needed for the party. That night I thought about who I would kill, how I would kill them, and how do I lead them to the tree. I looked out my window and there was the figure of the woman staring at my house, it felt as though she was waiting, like she knew I had made my decision.
The next morning I spent all day helping my wife decorating, I did all the things she wasn't able to and Edith made some cards and my wife cooked a wonderful feast. I bought fine wine and sat the drinks in an ice bucket. It was beginning to grow dark and finally the guest arrived, drinks were served, music was playing and everyone was having a joyful time.
"Ethan!" I turn to see Henry James calling my name and he held a glass of wine in one hand, and the other wrapped around his wife's waist, "Let's take a look at that garden of yours! You talk about it so much I just must see it!" My heart sank, I had completely forgotten that I was meant to kill someone and this was basically an opportunity falling write in my hands.
"Of course!" My throat suddenly became extremely dry as I guided him outside with my flashlight, "Isn't she a beauty? I designed her myself and she's very healthy."
"What about that thing?" I dreaded facing my light at the tree and showing its dead leafs and branches.
"Nothing I can do about it, it's not something I can save." I said taking another sip of the drink.
"It's because you don't have the money!" Henry laughed, "Your tree is dying from all those cheap products you use, of course it can't live in such cheap condition." He laughed much harder, his faced slowly glowed red, "I'll pay for your tree, I'll take it and show you what money can do!" I began to grow more and more angry; he looked down on me for not having much money, and he wanted to see my garden so he could laugh. I shut off my light, "Where's the light?"
"Battery died, give me a second." I said in a dark tone, "I just gotta give her a little shake." Henry laughed again, talking about cheap flashlights and gardens and he began to mention how I was lucky to even afford this kind of wine, I had lost it, smashing his head repeatedly, I turned the light on and shine it on him. I watched as the ground softly rumbled and the roots of the tree grabbed the body of Henry James, and I vomited.
"The tree is grateful," It was that woman's voice, and my flashlight stopped working again.
"No," I panicked, "I didn't mean to, it was an accident!"
"The tree will bless you now, aren't you happy?"
"No!" My heart raced with fear, "This shouldn't have happened! I'm drunk!"
"And who will believe you, the police? All the see is a man whose poor and killed a rich man." My eyes began to widen with fear, I have made some sort of deal with a demon and it was clear there was no escaping this. I ran inside, dropping my flashlight.
"Honey? Is everything okay?" I looked up and realized everyone was looking at me, I had to come up with a quick excuse, something that made sense and something believable.
"Yeah!" I laughed softly, "I wouldn't go back there until I've cleaned it, I vomited, had a bit much to drink."
"And my husband? Where is he?" Henry's wife perked her head up, "Didn't he go out with you?"
"Yes," I quickly thought of something, "He walked out through the back, headed home! He said he wasn't feeling well and to tell you he'll meet you home." She smiled softly, clearly calmer.
"This wouldn't be the first!" She laughed raising her drink and everyone went back to partying. Everyone believed me, no one batted an eye, no one questioned me, and my wife was social. Was I afraid of nothing? I continued to party with everyone like nothing had happened, even though the reminder of Henry James body was dead in the ground, nurturing my willow tree.
The next day, police knocked on my door, my wife had explained that Henry was missing and his wife had reported it that he was last seen with me.
"We just have a few questions to ask you," That woman was right, all the police will see is a poor man who killed a wealthy man, they don't care what went down.
"Of course." I softly smiled, "Ask me anything, Henry was a wonderful person and if there is anything I can do to help I will do everything I can." I invited the police in and My wife brought out tea for everyone, they asked me all the simple questions of what happened, when I last saw him, if he said anything out of the ordinary and of course I lied to them.
"Could be having an affair and decided to start anew." One of the officers mumbled, and then a lightbulb popped.
"You know officer, he did mention something," I spoke silently, leaning in the table and so did they, "He mentioned another woman, younger than his wife, mentioning starting anew." I shook my head, "Easily could just have been drunk talking, but I felt it be important to mention. He's a good guy, I don't think he would do that to his wife, I don't want to bad mouth him you know?" The officers looked at each other and began to stand.
"Alright, thank you for taking the time to speak with us," I guided towards the exit and one of the officers stopped, "By the way, you have an extremely beautiful garden, especially your willow tree there. Got any tips?" I chuckled and told him the fertilizer I used.
"Definitely something to die for." A lump in my throat formed remembering the dead body of Henry. The officers left. Later that night I went out without my flashlight, "Where is the gift? I don't look or feel any younger!" I angrily spoke to the woman in the tree, "Was this all just for me to kill?"
"The tree is more lively is it not?" She spoke softly.
"What are you?!" She went quiet, and finally she dropped down, I watched as she slowly walked towards me and stepped into the light, she was naked, and she had beautifully shaped body. I slowly looked up to her eyes and horror filled my body. She had leafs and branches sticking out of her eyes and mouth, she looked as though she was just flesh and the tree filler her with its branches like a puppet.
"The tree," She whispered. I screamed at the top of my lungs, rushing back in my house as quickly as I could, "Feed me, and I will allow you to live." She said before swinging back up, hiding behind the branches. I must feed the tree, I have to keep feeding the tree.
~ End of Diary
I looked out the window of my house, and there tree was. The same tree in the diary, and right below it was my great grandfather, sitting in front of it, in his rocking chair and staring at it. I opened the window hearing a woman softly cry, and I watched in horror, as she stepped out from under the tree and into the backyards light, staring up at my window before the lights flickered and popped.

I'm looking for options to earn low-risk interest on my emergency fund. I currently have most of it sitting in a savings account from one of the big banks with nonexistent returns, but want to change that.
Current options I'm entertaining:
1) SoFi savings account It has a ~4% APY* and is FDIC insured. This seems pretty safe and painless. *if you set up direct deposit
2)Fidelity Cash Management Account Many similar features to a checking account (checkbook, debit card, bill pay, and ATM access) and deposits are FDIC insured if you leave them as cash. Return is currently ~2%. If I move the funds into a money market fund like SPAXX, the current rate is ~4.5%, but it wouldn't be FDIC insured. Instead, it would be SIPC insured.
I already use Fidelity for my investments and credit card, so it would all be included in one app.
Question: What other approaches are you all taking? Am I missing some risk with the SPAXX approach with Fidelity?
Thanks!

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"Hello Freyja. It has been quite a while since our paths last crossed from abysmal infernos in the Under-World to an alignment and agreement to work alongside each other. You have been trying so hard to keep it together, both in personal matters, family dynamics and the pursuit of housing locations. Your black essence has stayed true, strong, and intact throughout it all and it is for this I am much pleased in you. When you signed the pact with me, I was at first unsure whether you would commit. After all, you tend to bounceback and forth between deities, ranging from demonolatry to the Abrahamic religion and it can be confusing as to know where you place your merits in myself, your black eyed mistress of darkness and liberation of the kindred spirit and soul. Please know while your father has been, yes indeed, do not try to deny it; abusively erratic and toxically vile, I will ensure you are brought back from inner to outer torment and into a shining example of the black goo in which you lay upon, in the tub of reflections past and merriment present, to the eventual and dreaded ego removed future you will one day look upon and say, 'lo and behold, I claim it to be mine.' Are you aware of the power that is your mind and the depravity I lay destructive witness to? You are capable of much, and capable of bringing dictators down to grovel at your feet, and yet you remain humble for this regard. Not many could hold such power in a whisper, nor in a banshee's shriek, and not use it for personal usages damaging to the fleshly domain in which you all live. You always remain humble. It is for that I can applaud you, but also say 'indeed,' use at least some of your black essence to assert a balanced domination upon the people that make it all dire and loathsome for you. You have embraced your womanhood. I applaud you for this as well. It can never be easy being a once man and then go on medical pharmaceuticals and rewire your body, brain, and chemistry to create a woman from scratch. No, no, that is not what I meant my sweet Freyja...You have decided to and are playing God with your body. As you humans might say, 'fuck yeah,' to that. I am glad we could have a chuckle over my attempt of relation to the humanly curated forms of tongues and speech. It can go to show I am not all that I am perceived as. Okay, as you have instructed myself towards, let us get to the point of this messaging via digitally constructed communication. Even though we were once lost from each other, I did not forget you nor the work you put into myself when you dedicated yourself to me with pride and with love. I do say, 'indeed' that you are my child and I am your darkly illuminated abysmal mother of blackly dark essence. I want to thank you Freyja. Too often and more than I would prefer, DEPRIVED and MISGUIDED M E N arise from the underbelly of the digital world, such as the one you all claim to be 'Reddit' and ask their fellow scoundrels of my most unholy name how to F U C K ME WITH NO REGARD TO HOW I FEEL, WHAT I AM THINKING, NOR WHETHER I COULD OFFER THEM MORE THAN A SIMPLE HUMANLY CURATED SENTENCE OF 'F U C K A N D C H U C K.' YOU FREYJA, HAVE ALWAYS SIMPLY TREATED ME AS A MOTHERLY FIGURE, PERHAPS MORE OF A MOTHER THAN THE ONE THAT ABANONDED YOU AS A SICKLY PUP AT THE AGE OF INFANCY. THANK YOU FREYJA. IT IS FOR THAT I AM IN YOUR DEBT, AND MY RESPECT IS EARNED AND IT IS GIVEN. To finalize this digitally constructed communication, I am asking you to reflect upon how you want to be perceived in your every day life. Do you wish to be viewed as, 'kind?' or 'passive?'; or rather, would you like to be viewed and seen as 'desirable' and 'within femininity's unknown bounds of rawly curated beauty?' Please do think on this, and come back to me when you finalize your conclusion. With that, Freyja, I bid you a LOVING farewell. Visit me in your mind whenever you see fit, and please do embrace your black godly essence. Goodbye for now, Renich Viasa Avage Lilith Lirach.

Today after 9 days of having my Marcus account locked, and them finally receiving my notarized affidavit of identity at their P.O. box... After over 4 hours on the phone, a long email, and making a CFPB report, I finally have my answer of what went wrong. Can you guess what I did? Well before I reveal it, I need you to listen to a word from my sponsor... just kidding, Here is the answer: I updated my phone number. Thats right, and I can pinpoint the day it happened from an email confirmation. On Feb 20, 2021, I updated my number and it didn't get flagged by their fraud department until March 21st, 2023 for an account I have actively used the new phone number for as verification since... then confusion, panic, and anger ensued.
Well the 21st started out like any other day. I have my own business, and I use Marcus as kind of a central hub account as it is easy to send large sums of money outbound from there. The day prior I had just sent out a large sum to pay for a new truck purchase at an auction, but then I got an email that would change my life for the next 9 days, but felt like forever.
"Action requested: Please call us back about your account". I call in immediately and I'm informed my account is locked for fraud protection and they cannot tell me the reason until I am verified. I think oh no problem and I give them my last 4, DOB, passphrase, and the last step is a pin to my phone number. After several minutes of them sending me a pin multiple times, I just wasn't receiving it, and I'm thinking that is really odd. I ask if they can just email me a pin, but they said "no, we need to verify through your phone." I wasn't able to piece it together until now, but since my new number was flagged as potential fraud, they were trying to send the pin to my dead phone number from 2 years ago and they for some dumb reason wouldn't or couldn't tell me that my phone number was flagged until after I verified my pin that was going to a dead phone number... yeah... makes a ton of sense.
They then transferred me to the fraud department, where when I finally got ahold of someone, they said they would call me back in 2 minutes for verification reasons where again they were trying to call a 2 year old dead phone number, but I didn't know that. So after 20 minutes of no call back I called again, and at this point I am starting to get frustrated, but on their side since I didn't take their call on my old dead phone number they have now brick walled me.
They are now telling me the only route to go is for them to mail me this affidavit of identity and get it notarized, then mail it back to their PO Box. Then I start to panic, because I know that will take over a week and I need access to my money, and I don't know the extent of this fraud or what is happening! Is someone intercepting my texts? Do I need to be worried about my other accounts? Future me here: "Nope just the old phone number and a horrible fraud department", but I am thinking the worst because they refuse to tell me what's going on. I tell them to let me upload my passport, DoD ID, drivers license, hell whatever they want!
Nope! Goldman Sachs doesn't have a customer email system, but don't worry I was told "that is something they are working on"... yeah since when? the year 2000!?... No secure place to upload verification documents? I'm sure its coming any day now... so I beg them "please just hop on a video call with me, I can sort this out in a matter of seconds"... "sorry sir we can't do that"... "can you at least priority mail me a pin to my address that has been on file for the last 5 years"... "sorry sir we can't do that".
The only thing they did allowed me to do is print the form instead of waiting for it to come in the mail, and I was able to send it off to the P.O. box they gave me. I asked "when it gets there will you be able to unlock my account"... "no sir, you will have to call in"... "can you just call me?"... "no sir, you will have to call in"...
So I rush to the notary before the end of business and mail this thing off, and then its time to wait... then call to check if they got it, 30 minutes on hold... explain everything, "nope we didn't get it yet"... then wait some more... call... 30 minutes on hold... "no...", wait some more and call... meanwhile I am checking my accounts and everything looks good, but I have to scrap together some money that I didn't know I would need, and end up paying tons of fees and making tons of additional calls to sort out my business situation... and then finally after 9 days they got it... not to mention that I got their mailed AoI after only 3 days.
TLDR: So then today they tell me "The reason your account was locked is because our verification service wasn't showing your name for the number you had on file"... "Wait the one that has been utilized to log in to my account for the last 2 years?"... "yeah that one, so we referred to your prior number, but don't worry I put in a $4 request so you can get reimbursed for the notary fee and the inconvenience"
A multi-billion dollar bank in 2023 ladies and gentleman... holy

tl;dr at the beginning, or even just the title. while i'm sure that this could also go to the "off my chest" communities i refuse to risk any bingo-ing that may incur let alone any PL people because i will lose my fucking mind. however, i would like to get this off my chest to people who will at least understand because i am not exactly surrounded by people supportive of freedom of choice. that's neither here nor there and i would have taken this route regardless. i do apologize for any vagueness or incoherency and, who knows, maybe it'll help people who have second thoughts or just feel aversion to the abortion pill/process in general.
tl;dr i am and have always been staunchly CF till the day i leave this realm. i got pregnant through a slip-up, had an abortion via pills (chemical abortion?). i don't regret a single thing and i barely think about it in general.
***some descriptions may be a bit graphic for which i also apologize but i tried to keep it as bloodless and least gross as possible. however, it's inevitable at points!
in this climate i find myself lucky to live in a purple, but still blue-leaning, state, especially since my situation happened in the heat of A Moment. i also TMI! have a fetish for being came inside, which is difficult to reconcile, but the trepidation of motherhood is enough to put me off usually, lol. about four weeks into the budding fetushood i knew something was amiss: i couldn't stand smelling let alone eating my favorite foods anymore especially things with garlic (wtf!), i was exhausted constantly, and my face kept breaking out. i had morning sickness about five and a half weeks in. i have pathological emetophobia therefore aversion to eating anything that could make me sick, so when i was throwing up before 11am for even just one day i went and bought three pregnancy tests. all positive. it was like my worst nightmare was coming true, especially knowing that morning sickness means my body is adjusting well to the hypothetical future child. i called planned parenthood the same day all three tests showed positive. i can't even begin to describe the kindness of the gentleman on the other line. he helped me get scheduled within three weeks - THREE! - at my local PP in early dec 2022, which as we all are probably aware was during a most contention time re: roe v wade and abortion access. again, i am so thankful to live in a more blue area. it devastates me more to think that there are people in much worse situations than mine don't or may not have access to this option - that this is a world we live in hurts me more than my abortion ever did or will.
i go to my appointment. the front desk lady checks my financial status and was able to work it down to something i could pay for on the spot. she was definitely an angel in human skin. i wait for four hours. someone has doordashed wendy's and my stomach complains because i hadn't eaten breakfast just in case. my name is called, i go back for the ultrasound. at this point i am about 8 and a half weeks along, and everyone and everything is healthy. it's interesting to note the tech keep the screen turned away from me. personally i wouldn't have cared if i saw the images, i've been reading medical texts since i was a kid. i'm escorted back to the waiting room and wait for another half hour before being taken back again for the main talk. blood was checked - i'm healthy! - and questions were asked - i'm not in an abusive relationship, i'm not being coerced, i do use condoms i just got ahead of myself - by a very kind nurse who broke down the process. oral pills first, wait several hours, then do the intravaginal ones. paperwork was signed. i was escorted back out to the lobby, waited again, and then taken back for a third and final time to talk to a medical professional to finish up the final round of paperwork and talks. i confirm, consent, sign, and i'm sent out the door with condoms, instructions, and my pills. all in all it took six hours just to get examined, signed off, and then sent on my way. i got wendy's on my way home and take the oral pill.
PP does NOT fuck around with this. please support PP in any way you can, if you can.
that night i bought plenty of maxipads - no tampons, due to risk of infection - then put the pills inside me as directed, took pre-emptive OTC ibuprofen (not the ones prescribed at PP, because i'm a fool as you will see), and went to sleep, thinking that maybe i could sleep through the inevitable nausea and possible pain.
OH YOU THOUGHT?
i went to bed at midnight and woke up at 5am and immediately hurled my guts out - even the morning sickness wasn't as brutal as this. it was almost constant, every fifteen minutes or so i was just hacking up every single drop of fluid that made its way into my poor stomach. the only break i got was when my uterus started to void its contents. i'm serious when i say my uterine spasms were the only break i got from the horrendous vomiting. i can handle blood and tissue expulsion but vomiting is a genuine phobia i have; i've assaulted people when i've blacked out during throat swabs, it was horrible. i'm sure i spent at least five hours on my bathroom floor gasping and sobbing and literally rolling back and forth because i knew i would be throwing up again in fifteen minutes. my only break was knowing when the cramps hit i could expell the mass within me with a severe clench of my muscles. i genuinely felt lighter every time i heard the water splash in the bowl and turn red. it was working, so i knew i would be okay in the end.
however, as mentioned above, i'm an idiot and thought that OTC ibuprofen would work to stave off cramps but between the throwing up and horrible clenching pain in my bits and my gut it didn't even touch this shit. i don't know how i managed to make it to the cvs while driving and bleeding out of myself in a steady trickle but i can only assume that poor pharmacist took one look at me, sweating and shaking and hunched over with both palms on the counter and was like "oh holy shit" and sent me on my way as fast as her poor short-staffed self could. i got stuck at the same red light three times on my way home - thank you suburban usa for your stunning lack of public transport so i'm stuck in traffic even at the most dead hour of the day! - and while i'm not one for screaming fits, i did scream by the third one. pounding my wheel and crying I JUST WANT TO GO HOME!!!!! i was just in so much pain and needing to sit on the toilet, because holding back expelling a bunch of tissue and blood is quite difficult, that all i wanted to do was GO HOME that was only three blocks away!
that all was the worst part. just those six hours. not eighteen-plus years of regret.
after i got home i powerslammed some applesauce and saltines into me, the first real food i had eaten in a while since, y'know, morning sickness and all, and slammed down that ibuprofen and anti nausea medication as well. within thirty minutes i was fine and snoozed like a baby the whole afternoon with intermittent breaks to go to the bathroom and flex and expel. kegels, my friends, are truly a game changer for this. the most crass i will get will be to say that during a particularly bad cramp, after i dry heaved for twenty minutes, i was crying and just trying to push out what i knew would be a big clot or tissue or something, then i felt a ripple of my muscles and heard the biggest splash of all. then... relief. full body relief. it felt like something had truly left me then. i remember holding onto the bathtub rim with one hand and the sink counter with the other, my legs trembling, out of breath and just muttering, "oh my god, oh my god..." and had not a single intolerable cramp after. i went back to work two days later.
so what is my reason for posting this? what is the message i want to send? nothing. absolutely fucking nothing. well, to get it off my chest with pride of course, but i had an abortion. i was attended to by some of the most caring people in the healthcare industry. it was easy, navigable, and over and done with in just a few days. (granted, i did have spotting for two months after, but this is a part of the chemical abortion process) it sucked in the interim but i knew what i was walking into. i don't think about it. i had no attachment to what essentially amounted to a bloody mess in my gut. i have no regrets and it doesn't affect me. and i would do it again if i have to. but hopefully i won't because now i am being even more careful!
abortions are healthcare.
if you read this far, thank you for your time :) i suppose in the end if any net positive comes out of this, it would be to support PP and maybe alleviate any fears for people who are on the fence about it.
i have no regrets and neither should you!
i may delete this later, i may not, but have a lovely rest of your week CF comm. i feel even lighter now. x

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Once upon a time, it was commonplace for online games to have subscription fees. The earliest popular graphical online games, including Ultima Online and EverQuest, all had recurring service fees, as did many games that came after, such as Final Fantasy XI and World of Warcraft.
That model has largely given way to the "freemium" model where the publishers give the game itself away for free, but much of the game's content is locked behind the choice of either extended play times "grinding" for materials, or the option of skipping that grind with a real-money payment.
However, some games have both, and that usually includes the longest-lived and most-successful ones. Sega's ten-year-on Phantasy Star Online 2 is free-to-play, but has extensive cash purchases and also has a "premium" subscription available. In Final Fantasy XIV and the venerable World of Warcraft, the subscription fee is still required despite the presence of a cash shop.
carmeet
Grand Theft Auto Online has a lot of similarities to what we usually think of as qualities of "MMO" games. While it isn't "massively multiplayer" on a local scale—sessions normally include a maximum of 32 players—there are tens of thousands of players online at any given moment. It has named player characters with persistent progress and all of the other things we think of from MMO games: equipment, appearance customization, player housing, difficult multiplayer "raid" events, and so on.
With that context in mind, it probably shouldn't be a surprise that Rockstar is launching a subscription service for GTA Online. It's called GTA+, and it costs $6 a month. Ponying up for the premium subscription earns you a cool $500,000 in the in-game GTA$ currency every month and extra GTA$ on "Shark Cards," as well as exclusive benefits. Here's the list of benefits for the first month: The Principe Deveste Eight — along with a complimentary Hao’s Special Works upgrade for it before it is made available to purchase by the general public — plus the HSW Orange Trip and HSW CMYK Glitch Liveries. The Auto Shop located in La Mesa, introduces an assortment of gameplay updates from Los Santos Tuners. Current Auto Shop owners can relocate to La Mesa at no additional cost. Waived LS Car Meet Membership fees. Current LS Car Meet members with GTA+ will be reimbursed GTA$50,000 during this event period. Yacht owners can upgrade to the Aquarius Super Yacht at no additional cost. The Gussét Frog Tee and Broker Prolaps Basketball Top and Shorts automatically added to your wardrobe. The Conveyor Livery for the Mammoth Avenger, HVY APC, and TM-02 Khanjali. A selection of free paints and emblems for the Auto Shop. 3X GTA$ and RP on Hao’s Special Works Race Series. 2X Car Meet Rep on the Street Race Series. It would be easy to criticize Rockstar for this move because the company has already taken $60 of your money for the game. That's to say nothing of the grind-heavy nature of GTA Online that practically forces players to purchase Shark Cards for in-game currency if they want to make progress at any kind of reasonable rate. There's also the fact that the company is charging money for what is honestly an extremely minor update on the current-generation consoles.
In the interest of fairness, though, we'll note that many players who bought GTA V (including GTA Online) purchased it nearly a decade ago. Just like other major online games, GTA Online has seen years of additional content and improvements through continual updates, and that stuff does cost money to create.
deveste eight The Principe Deveste Eight, one of the rewards for subscribing this month.
If you own GTA V, you don't actually have to pay Rockstar anything to play it for the rest of eternity, so giving players an option to spend a little every month to support continued development is fair. However, the list of benefits, at least for the first month, is pretty weak.
There's another caveat, too: this program is only available to players on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series consoles. We've asked Rockstar if GTA+ will be coming to the PC version, and will update this post if we get a response.

To say that I’m a Diablo Fan is an understatement, but unlike some who discovered Diablo in the 2nd installment, I discovered the Diablo Series at Diablo 3 when it came out May 15th, 2012, and followed it all the way through its full and complete series. I played D3 for about 3-4 years as a part of my daily Gaming schedule for pure enjoyment, but there was finally a point in which I could not run the same circle or cycle over, over, over, over, and over again, which led to me finally & sadly ending my time on D3. All I could think about was “Why hasn’t Blizzard put out a Diablo 4?”. Yet, the years continued to pass…11 years in fact.
Then with the Greatest Joy and Excitement, Diablo 4 was announced November 19th, 2019, but…prematurely so, with no release Date attached, and we all were left with our proverbial Pants around our ankles waiting for the Big Date. As it was later deduced that Blizzard wanted to create a buzz to get people to buy into Diable Immortal, a Pay To Win Mobile platform game, that was initially rebuked, but somehow there still were those that have shelled out unimaginable amounts of Real Money to progress in that arena. Once again proving that Mentally Damaged Individuals are willing to Enslave themselves, and are more than willing to be Fleeced just to Win at something in Life, even if its as pathetic as a Video Game. (Side Note: This is also evident as the companies that provide Cheat Programs for PC, and Cheating Hardware products for Consoles have produced Record Earnings in 2022 due to the sheer number of pathetic individuals willing to cheat at something as simple as Video Game just to Win at something in Life.)
So here we are…11 Years from the start of D3, and 2 years after the initial announcement of D4, and finally we had a chance to play the Beta of D4. I believed it was fully understood by the Masses that the Beta was a Test of the Infrastructure of the Game itself, as Blizzard stated initially. Additionally, I believed it was fully understood by the Masses that the Beta was a mere 20% of the Full Game, and would be more of a Stress Test than an Actualization of the Real or Full & Final Structure of the Game itself.
However, Enter the Nerds, Dweebs, & 30 yr Old Virgin Console & PC Sycophants with the Waves of Negativity, Criticism, and their supposed Expert Negative Opinions through their extensive Criticism of D4 in totality. The negativity posted on YouTube was overwhelming. Once again the Nerds, Dweebs, & 30 yr Old Virgin Console & PC Sycophants lived up to their useless opinions.
I listened to their Negative commentary and game play of the Barbarian. Being a Barbarian Master, I already knew that the Barbarian at Level 25 was just getting started in his Growth Structure, and would become God-Like by the time he reached Levels 40 to 50, less known by the time he made it to levels 80 to 90. But, here they were spouting off about how useless the Barbarian was, because they were themselves Ignorant of the actual Mechanics of Diablo as a whole, and they were already looking for the EASIEST Character to use in D4, because they were either incapable of playing the Barbarian properly, or they were more interested in being the Sorcerer, Rogue, Necromancer, or possibly the Druid. How many times did I see the useless Negative Sycophants playing the Barbarian and IMMEDIATELY turn to the Spinning Barbarian tactic, which is the MOST MIND NUMBING limited structure to play the Barbarian on any level of the game. Yet, the sheer numbers of YouTubers & Twitch Streamers who followed that dynamic was staggering to say the least. This is when I knew these idiots knew NOTHING of Diablo, and their opinions should be seen as nothing more than Fecal Matter Smeared Toilet Paper and quickly flushed accordingly.
Then came the immediate Flocking of Pigeons to the Sorcerer…and Suddenly Everyone Loved being the Sorcerer. Imagine that…Make it EASY on them and the Pigeons loved it immediately. The same was seen with Rogue, as the praise for how FUN & Easy it was to play Rogue. With everyone anticipating the release of the Necromancer in the following weekend.
Just as predicted, the Pigeons loved the Necromancer, because they seemingly didn’t have to worry about Dying, and they were overwhelming the Games settings easily. It was laughable to say the least watching each Streamer extol how AMAZING they were, and how Great they were at D4. Then the inevitable happened…they began stating: ”D4 may be too EASY for me, and it’s too repetitive in its current state.” Pathetic.
Any Diablo Expert or Master knows that the Beta was presented as a Present to those that chose to Pre-Order D4. The Beta was set up on EASY, just to confirm that everything was working as it should, the applied skill tree, the attributes of the Weapons & Armor, the secondary attributes, and movements of the Characters. The Beta severed its purpose very well. The Servers had trouble digesting the sheer numbers of players that jumped on all at the same time initially, but Blizzard handled that issue as best they could under the circumstances.
It’s going to be SO FUNNY watching all these Sorcerers, Rogues, and Necromancer Fans DIE OVER & OVER in their attempts to Level Up wondering…”Why am I dying so much, and why can’t I beat the Bosses as easily as in the Beta?” How fast will that head back to Fortnite, or some Pay to Win Game that they can use their Mothers Credit Card to appear to be Good at something. LMAO. My disdain for them is already palpable.
I am not a Developer for D4, and I am not sponsored, nor do I have any vested interest in D4 other than my personal hopes for a Game that exceeds my Adventurous Hopes to delve as deep as possible into the War between Good & Evil that is the Fabric and Foundation to Diablo 4 in its entirety. I waited until the tides of Sycophants moved on to make this comment, because unlike them, I am not out to become “Popular” for my opinion.
For the Diablo Purist. D4 will have its Positives and Negatives as does any Video Game, but there are some things that are easily solved, like the Storage Amounts, and some things that are not, like Co-Play on PC. We will see D4 evolve over the years just as D3 (The most Sold & Played game EVER) that lasted 11 years somehow with people still playing it Daily.
If I were to put my two cents worth of an opinion out there it would be to ask that they (Blizzard Devs) continue to EXPAND the Open World Map Over Time, and don’t leave the Map as is for the duration or remainder of the existence of D4 as they did in D3. I believe the OPEN-WORLD Concept was an Excellent and Winning Idea that will pay off greatly, but I sincerely hope you don’t become static and fail to push deeper into what will surely pay-off magnificently if you guys should choose to EXPAND the D4 Open World Structure over time so the dedicated players don’t burn out running the same circles & cycles over, over, over, over, and over again until they are forced out of D4 due to the sheer pointlessness of playing D4 anymore. Please put New Monsters, Abilities, Weapons, and Bosses in New Locations in the years to come.
Otherwise, I’ll see you on June 6th with my Barbarian, and My Wife will be a Magnificent Mage grinding to Level 100 over time. I’ll probably try the Rogue or Druid too. I don’t like the Necromancer, because I don’t like letting the Mob play the Game for me. By the way Necromancer lovers, don’t think you’re just going to run about D4 untouchable either. I’ll leave my predictions at that, because I don’t want people thinking I’m a secret Dev, or that I have some unknown secret information, which is totally not the case at all.
Take care, and I’ll see you guys out there June 6th to Destroy all that is Evil.
OMNIGod

To say that I’m a Diablo Fan is an understatement, but unlike some who discovered Diablo in the 2nd installment, I discovered the Diablo Series at Diablo 3 when it came out May 15th, 2012, and followed it all the way through its full and complete series. I played D3 for about 3-4 years as a part of my daily Gaming schedule for pure enjoyment, but there was finally a point in which I could not run the same circle or cycle over, over, over, over, and over again, which led to me finally & sadly ending my time on D3. All I could think about was “Why hasn’t Blizzard put out a Diablo 4?”. Yet, the years continued to pass…11 years in fact.
Then with the Greatest Joy and Excitement, Diablo 4 was announced November 19th, 2019, but…prematurely so, with no release Date attached, and we all were left with our proverbial Pants around our ankles waiting for the Big Date. As it was later deduced that Blizzard wanted to create a buzz to get people to buy into Diable Immortal, a Pay To Win Mobile platform game, that was initially rebuked, but somehow there still were those that have shelled out unimaginable amounts of Real Money to progress in that arena. Once again proving that Mentally Damaged Individuals are willing to Enslave themselves, and are more than willing to be Fleeced just to Win at something in Life, even if its as pathetic as a Video Game. (Side Note: This is also evident as the companies that provide Cheat Programs for PC, and Cheating Hardware products for Consoles have produced Record Earnings in 2022 due to the sheer number of pathetic individuals willing to cheat at something as simple as Video Game just to Win at something in Life.)
So here we are…11 Years from the start of D3, and 2 years after the initial announcement of D4, and finally we had a chance to play the Beta of D4. I believed it was fully understood by the Masses that the Beta was a Test of the Infrastructure of the Game itself, as Blizzard stated initially. Additionally, I believed it was fully understood by the Masses that the Beta was a mere 20% of the Full Game, and would be more of a Stress Test than an Actualization of the Real or Full & Final Structure of the Game itself.
However, Enter the Nerds, Dweebs, & 30 yr Old Virgin Console & PC Sycophants with the Waves of Negativity, Criticism, and their supposed Expert Negative Opinions through their extensive Criticism of D4 in totality. The negativity posted on YouTube was overwhelming. Once again the Nerds, Dweebs, & 30 yr Old Virgin Console & PC Sycophants lived up to their useless opinions.
I listened to their Negative commentary and game play of the Barbarian. Being a Barbarian Master, I already knew that the Barbarian at Level 25 was just getting started in his Growth Structure, and would become God-Like by the time he reached Levels 40 to 50, less known by the time he made it to levels 80 to 90. But, here they were spouting off about how useless the Barbarian was, because they were themselves Ignorant of the actual Mechanics of Diablo as a whole, and they were already looking for the EASIEST Character to use in D4, because they were either incapable of playing the Barbarian properly, or they were more interested in being the Sorcerer, Rogue, Necromancer, or possibly the Druid. How many times did I see the useless Negative Sycophants playing the Barbarian and IMMEDIATELY turn to the Spinning Barbarian tactic, which is the MOST MIND NUMBING limited structure to play the Barbarian on any level of the game. Yet, the sheer numbers of YouTubers & Twitch Streamers who followed that dynamic was staggering to say the least. This is when I knew these idiots knew NOTHING of Diablo, and their opinions should be seen as nothing more than Fecal Matter Smeared Toilet Paper and quickly flushed accordingly.
Then came the immediate Flocking of Pigeons to the Sorcerer…and Suddenly Everyone Loved being the Sorcerer. Imagine that…Make it EASY on them and the Pigeons loved it immediately. The same was seen with Rogue, as the praise for how FUN & Easy it was to play Rogue. With everyone anticipating the release of the Necromancer in the following weekend.
Just as predicted, the Pigeons loved the Necromancer, because they seemingly didn’t have to worry about Dying, and they were overwhelming the Games settings easily. It was laughable to say the least watching each Streamer extol how AMAZING they were, and how Great they were at D4. Then the inevitable happened…they began stating: ”D4 may be too EASY for me, and it’s too repetitive in its current state.” Pathetic.
Any Diablo Expert or Master knows that the Beta was presented as a Present to those that chose to Pre-Order D4. The Beta was set up on EASY, just to confirm that everything was working as it should, the applied skill tree, the attributes of the Weapons & Armor, the secondary attributes, and movements of the Characters. The Beta severed its purpose very well. The Servers had trouble digesting the sheer numbers of players that jumped on all at the same time initially, but Blizzard handled that issue as best they could under the circumstances.
It’s going to be SO FUNNY watching all these Sorcerers, Rogues, and Necromancer Fans DIE OVER & OVER in their attempts to Level Up wondering…”Why am I dying so much, and why can’t I beat the Bosses as easily as in the Beta?” How fast will that head back to Fortnite, or some Pay to Win Game that they can use their Mothers Credit Card to appear to be Good at something. LMAO. My disdain for them is already palpable.
I am not a Developer for D4, and I am not sponsored, nor do I have any vested interest in D4 other than my personal hopes for a Game that exceeds my Adventurous Hopes to delve as deep as possible into the War between Good & Evil that is the Fabric and Foundation to Diablo 4 in its entirety. I waited until the tides of Sycophants moved on to make this comment, because unlike them, I am not out to become “Popular” for my opinion.
For the Diablo Purist. D4 will have its Positives and Negatives as does any Video Game, but there are some things that are easily solved, like the Storage Amounts, and some things that are not, like Co-Play on PC. We will see D4 evolve over the years just as D3 (The most Sold & Played game EVER) that lasted 11 years somehow with people still playing it Daily.
If I were to put my two cents worth of an opinion out there it would be to ask that they (Blizzard Devs) continue to EXPAND the Open World Map Over Time, and don’t leave the Map as is for the duration or remainder of the existence of D4 as they did in D3. I believe the OPEN-WORLD Concept was an Excellent and Winning Idea that will pay off greatly, but I sincerely hope you don’t become static and fail to push deeper into what will surely pay-off magnificently if you guys should choose to EXPAND the D4 Open World Structure over time so the dedicated players don’t burn out running the same circles & cycles over, over, over, over, and over again until they are forced out of D4 due to the sheer pointlessness of playing D4 anymore. Please put New Monsters, Abilities, Weapons, and Bosses in New Locations in the years to come.
Otherwise, I’ll see you on June 6th with my Barbarian, and My Wife will be a Magnificent Mage grinding to Level 100 over time. I’ll probably try the Rogue or Druid too. I don’t like the Necromancer, because I don’t like letting the Mob play the Game for me. By the way Necromancer lovers, don’t think you’re just going to run about D4 untouchable either. I’ll leave my predictions at that, because I don’t want people thinking I’m a secret Dev, or that I have some unknown secret information, which is totally not the case at all.
Take care, and I’ll see you guys out there June 6th to Destroy all that is Evil.
OMNIGod

So I am a 25 year old 5'11 indian guy. I am an electronics engineer. Due to the lockdown and a lot of inactivity I ballooned upto 103.5 kgs or around 229 lbs. Around mid August I decided that enough is enough and I needed to make a change to my life and my lifestyle. I started working out, joined a jiujitsu class and started doing intermittent fasting. In around 4 months I lost around 33 lbs or 15 kgs. I plan to get to around 165 lbs and participate in an iron man marathon and also maybe compete in mma, be it as an amateur.
The finish line is far but I am not stopping anytime until I achieve what I have set out to.
There are a few life lessons that I learnt from this journey until now that I would like to share for anyone who is going through the same struggle:
1.) First step is actually the toughest - What I found out a month in my training is that it is very easy to get trapped in a vortex where we keep delaying what we need to do. The inertia from not doing anything is too big and making the first move is actually very hard. We keep delaying it thinking once we start, we are not going to stop and thus it is fine to rest for one more day. That one day turns into weeks and months. So anyone who in this phase, please make one move start from something small such stopping to drink coke or eating sweets for a day. Take one small step.
2.) Rome wasn't built in a day - Now obviously we can't get in the shape that we thought of in one day or achieve whatever we set out to in a day or even a week or a month. But what I found out that before starting to train, I always had the thought process that I have a very strong will power from whatever I have done in my academics and research and that is going to permeate in my physical training as well. Well after just a day or two, I found out that it is not true. We cannot carry forward same level of tenacity from one field to the other. It takes time to build up that level of commitment and discipline. So anyone who is trying and failing to follow a particular regimen, please be patient. It is fine that you have failed today. Atleast you tried and I don't even mean as a consolation. The fact that you tried means you are one step closer to be better. And in some time you will see the number of days where you falter and do not follow the routine become less and less.
3.) Happiness is not in the end goal, it is in the journey you undertake - If you are thinking that the day you will achieve what you set out to, is the day you will enjoy, then you won't be able to complete the journey. You have to find happiness in your daily or weekly success that only you know. They may sound insignificant to others but that's not even the point. You can't get happiness from showing others that you achieved something. True happiness is innate and it only comes from the realization that you are better, you are improving. For me I set every Friday as the day I used to check my weight. Some weeks I lost 1 lb of weight. In absolute terms it is not much but I was the happiest in the week, at that moment. Honestly, I couldn't stop smiling as it validated the fact that I was on the right path and my work was paying off.
I think this post is getting too long. There are few other points that I think will help people on their own journey of growth and self discovery. I will write another post if people are interested to read.

Life, for most, was a series of ups and downs. You fail your test but then your mom makes your favorite dish for dinner. You lose the big game for your team, but then you make a major breakthrough in the spell you've been practicing for weeks. You drop your ice cream, but find some cash in your pocket you didn't remember leaving there.
The girl you've been fawning over for weeks tickles your tonsils with her tongue, but then you're cut in half and enslaved by your nation's mortal enemy.
Yeah, my life was different, there was no doubt about that at all. But the lowest lows made even the slightest highs feel so much higher. Something as simple as eating a hot meal was the height of life when you had been living on crackers, stale bread, and nearly century-old dried meat.
We failed to notice that everyone in the restaurant was staring at us as we wolfed down plate after plate. The juices; the flavors; the tenderness of the meat; the softness of the hot bread smothered in butter. I couldn't stop smiling as I ate.
"You gotta try this," Tovin said breathlessly between bites as he passed me a bowl containing what looked like some kind of wet, shredded, colorful salad. I swallowed the big bite of steak I had been chewing and quickly put a spoonful of the mystery dish in my mouth. It was heaven on earth.
"Holy smokes, what is this?" I asked.
"I think it's the coleslaw, give it back," he said, pulling the bowl right out of my hand. I turned and looked at the dumbfounded waiter standing next to our table, and smiled. "More coleslaw, please! And ribs, I'm outta ribs! And a refill on... what was this called?"
He stared wide-eyed at my plate and then shook his head as though clearing his mind. "Uhh, I believe you were having the peach lemonade, sir."
"That!" I pointed my fork at him before turning back to the assortment of delicacies splayed out before me. I wasn't sure if it was because I hadn't had a proper meal in weeks, or if it was just that the empire knew how to eat, but it was the best food I had ever tasted in my life.
"So good," Tovin said in such a way that I had to check and make sure he wasn't crying.
After eating all that we wanted and all that we could, the two of us just sat slouched in our chairs with bulging stomachs. I lifted my hand shakily toward the last rib on my plate, but let it fall to my side as I closed my eyes and accepted defeat. The will was there but the room in my stomach wasn't.
"My goodness, sirs," said the waiter. "You hunters sure can eat."
I looked up at him with a satisfied grin, "Hard work always makes a meal so much better. Know what I'm saying?"
"Can't argue with that," said the waiter as he folded his hands. "But... if I may, could I politely ask you to pay your bill? I mean no offense, but you and your friend have a..." he cleared his throat. "Musk about you."
I looked at Tovin and then at myself, and then at all the empty tables around us. We were still covered in the calraven's dried wing gunk. I had to have gone completely nose-blind to it. Now the faces everyone had been making at us made a lot more sense. I looked down to see that it had been flaking off of us and onto the restaurant floor.
"Oh man, I'm so sorry," I apologized.
"No!" said the man, holding his hands out. "It was an honor to serve the hunters keeping our cities safe, don't take me the wrong way. It would be our pleasure to serve you again, but it's about to be 5'o clock and our dinner rush will be starting soon."
I suddenly remembered something I had completely forgotten. I looked up at the man, "Excuse me, do you have a pencil?"
"Certainly," he answered, pulling one from his apron and setting it down on the checkered tablecloth. "Your bill will be 22 octims."
"That's so much," Tovin groaned, not bothering to lift his head or open his eyes. He wasn't wrong, but we had ordered almost everything on the menu. I wasn't completely certain I could walk correctly when it was time to leave. I pulled out the envelope and handed him 25 octims.
"Keep the change," I said, Tovin groaning quietly in tacit disapproval.
"Th-thank you!" said the waiter with a wide grin.
"In return, I'm keeping the pencil," I added, smiling back.
x - - x - - x - - ★ - - x - - x - - x
It didn't take long for us to find an inn. Bronzegirder was full of them, as it was apparently a booming industrial hub rife with people traveling on business. We decided to book one room with two separate bedrooms to save a bit of money. It came out to 9 octims a night, which when you factored in food, meant we only had a little over a week's worth of cash if we spent conservatively. I didn't know how long it was going to take me to find Atlas and Axle, but I couldn't see it happening that soon. We would likely have to hunt again; that or find a steady job that paid the bills.
It was a humble inn compared to some of the others we had seen. I really wanted to stay in one of the nicer ones, but Tovin wasn't having it. He said the less we had to go out and make money, the better, and I couldn't come up with a good enough argument to push back. While Tovin took a shower, I took an eraser to everything Fena had written to me in the notebook. I left a little bit of her message so as to avoid suspicion, and decided I'd write back later tonight before bed.
After his shower, he realized that he only had dirty clothes to change into and we were reminded that we needed to go shopping. I rinsed off and the two of us made our way back down to the lobby and out into town. It had gotten considerably darker since we had checked in, and the chill winds blew against my cold hair, sending shivers down my spine. We pulled our hoods up and hit the market.
The first shop we landed at was a big success. We bought a warm hat for Tovin's head, which was only just now growing back a thin layer of hair. We found some sheepskin flight jackets with wool collars that rode high against the back of our necks. Tovin begrudgingly accepted them as the best option both for warmth and for hiding our slave tattoos, but for me, I also thought they looked really, really cool.
We bought some leather gloves that matched the jackets, along with new undergarments and sleep attire. We bagged some Diesillian snacks and drinks, as well as a refill of cigarettes for Tovin before heading back to the room. We were both exhausted, and I was more excited about a bed than I ever had been. Back in the room, we sat on the floor and tried the different candies and snacks as we discussed our next plan of action.
"Let's stay here for a little while," Tovin advised, sitting under the open window with his cigarette in hand. "This place is huge. The odds of them finding us here quickly are slim."
"I agree," I said as I popped one of the candies in my mouth. "I'm not going to say I like it here, but it sure beats being on the run."
"We're still on the run," he warned. "Don't misunderstand that. We should also probably pick new aliases. DuPonte has the wrong ones, but Gilliam is pretty similar to William."
"Yeah, but we're not on the run, run. Y'know, being chased through the night, sleeping in abandoned shacks, and stowing away in train cars. I know they're still looking for us, but how are they ever gonna catch us now?"
He folded his arms and dropped his eyes. Smoke billowed from his mouth as he sat in quiet contemplation. "It would be a mistake to underestimate our enemy," he said finally. "We need to start going by new names. I'm Wallace, and you're Geoffrey, got that?"
"I don't want to be Geoffrey, you be Geoffrey," I said playfully as I passed him a bag of candies. "Here, try these. They're called jelly beans, they're pretty good."
He dug his hand into the bag, fished one out, and popped it into his mouth. "Fine," he said. "You can be Wallace then, and I'll be Geoffrey. You need to help me remember that, you understand?"
"Yeah, I got it," I assured him.
"Gill."
"I said I heard you, Jeez," I said dismissively as I picked up the dark beverage I had been eyeing. It was labeled Root Beer and it generated a golden fizz at the top when disturbed. I couldn't wait to taste it. Tovin reached over and gently lowered my hand. I looked up to find him staring at me intensely.
"Gill," he repeated. "Stop. Just stop it, alright? I know what you're doing. I might be slipping, but I'm not dumb, deaf, and blind just yet. While I appreciate the act, or at least where it's coming from, I know you're just as scared as I am. I'm not a child; and while I may not be able to preserve what remains of my dignity for very much longer, I would ask for your respect until that time comes."
I had somehow underestimated the smartest man I had ever known– again. I didn't know the extent of his condition. Based on our interactions, I figured that he had no memory of the times when he regressed. I assumed that he didn't fully understand how bad his lapses had gotten, but it seemed he did. Worse yet, I knew how he felt about sympathy. The way I was acting had to have felt like the biggest insult to him, and even so, he wasn't reacting with anger.
He just wanted to be heard.
"Earlier today in the woods," he said, lifting his arm and tapping his cigarette against the window sill. "I can't remember the details. I don't know how you did that monster in, how I ended up unconscious, or anything about how we got back to the city. But I do remember how I felt."
He traced the floorboards with his eyes and placed his arms on his knees as he looked for the words. "... I felt useless; helpless like a terrified child. At one point, I felt like I didn't deserve to be alive." He looked up at me. "It was like I was swimming in a dream; like I was watching my own actions from over my shoulder. I came back to consciousness for a brief moment and contemplated shoving that rifle in my mouth."
"Tovin–"
"Shut up," he waved at me dismissively, drawing tendrils of smoke in the air with the end of his cigarette. "I don't need your pep talk," he huffed. "I'm past it." He rested his head against the wall behind him. "I just want you to know that this whole thing is getting harder for me. It's like there are two people fighting for control of the wheel, and when I'm not steering, I'm in a sleeplike state. My thoughts play out in front of me like I'm having some kind of fever dream. They smear and melt like watercolor giving me brief glimpses of reality through a window I can't reach or jump through."
I stared at him with concern. We shared a brief moment of eye contact before he closed his eyes and exhaled smoke. "It's not looking good for me, Gill. I just wanted you to know before I went to bed," he said, getting to his feet. "That if I go to sleep tonight for the last time..."
"Hang on," I interrupted. "There's something you should know. I reached out to that friend of mine back home. He's already working on a way to fix you."
His face brightened. "Y-yeah?" he smiled. "Gill, why didn't you say anything?"
I picked up the bottle and used the opener we had purchased with it to pry the lid off. "There was never a good time," I shrugged. "It's been a long, long day."
"Well, what else did he say?" he asked, taking a step forward.
"... Just, y'know," I trailed off. "Hang in there."
He sucked his lips in and looked down at the floor. He knew I was holding back. I was more worried about putting him through information overload than anything else. There was a lot he didn't know; too much, in fact.
"Tovin, just trust me. You'll know everything soon," I assured him. "All of it. As soon as you get your memories back."
"You really think your friend is that incredible?" he asked without looking up.
I smiled knowingly. "I do."
I took a swig of the beverage and spat it back out all of my legs. It almost splashed his legs and he quickly scrambled away. He looked at me with apparent disgust.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" he yelled.
"It's like medicine," I grimaced. "I don't think this is even a drink!"
x - - x - - x - - ☾ - - x - - x - - x
That night, as Tovin slept, I wrote down the events of the day. As I jotted it all down, I began having new revelations. Tovin seemed to be at his best after resting. In the morning when we got off the train, he seemed alright. However, as the day drew on, he became less and less like himself. I should have known something was up the moment he wandered off without me. Then he was acting like a literal child up to our confrontation with the calraven. He had even mistakenly called me dad, perhaps reliving a buried memory of a hunt with his father.
But when his rifle exploded and he lost consciousness, he was back to himself when he woke up. He seemed to hold strong through dinner up until he went to bed. I wondered what it was about sleeping that restored at least a portion of his working mind.
Then there was the stranger, referred to only once as "Deac." There was no mistaking the magic that glowed in his body, but what was that other energy? I couldn't see it, but for the fact that it danced with and often overtook his magic essence. There were two energies tangled up together inside of him, and they seemed to be at odds with one another. And then there was the Diesel Devil sitting at the back of the cave.
The two of them definitely knew one another on a familiar level. They had been sent together to investigate Eluviel, but why, and from where? She definitely didn't seem happy to see them, but could that have been because she felt I was threatened by them? A splinter-sprite, he called her. A piece of her consciousness that she had shed just before she was subdued.
I wondered why she'd chosen me. Was it because I could see her while others couldn't? Or maybe I was just secretly really, really awesome, like a main character in a novel. I sat under the electric light and smiled at the idea of being someone worthy of tales. Someone like Tovin or Atlas with a bright destiny. But was revenge really such a noble pursuit? The yearning to return home and lift some heads off of shoulders didn't seem like any sort of heroic journey. After I penned the events of the day as best as I could, I got to work answering everyone individually.
Tovin. Be nice to Gill. He's doing his best with what he's got. Instead of being pissed at him, be pissed at the headmasters in question for what they've done to him. I hope everything I wrote above helps in some way, but I'm still running around out here with a lot of questions. Any luck with the spell for your counterpart? As you;ve read, he's getting worse. I need that miracle cure sooner than later. Thanks for your help.
I could already hear him in my head. "I'm working as fast I can you ingrate," or something like that. I laughed under my breath as I thought about what a dick he was. It was pressure, pride, and maintaining appearances that warped his personality so much. Out here in the Diesel as a nobody with nothing to prove, he was so much more agreeable. His inner-Tovin showed through now and again, but I wondered what would happen if he suddenly got all his memories back. Would he be a more chilled-out version of his ENU counterpart, or would he be even more high-strung?
Gill. I hope you read the annotation I scribbled in the margins about not reading the whole journal entry. I forgot you had asked me not to talk about the Galgalim before I had already written it all down. If you skipped right to this response as I hoped, then don't go back and read any of that. There were major revelations about what she is and why she's here.
I knew he wouldn't be able to resist after reading that. I needed his curiosity to overpower his fear. It was possible, I figured, that I could undo some of the damage Vega had done. I just needed to remind Gill of who he was.
I know it's weird putting your trust in me, but if there's anyone you can trust, it's yourself. I'm 99% sure Tovin would back me up on that, haha. And yeah, I remember Fena boasting about the importance of keeping a diary. We love that girl, but we hate to write, am I write?
I hoped he would find my pun funny. He was me, so he would at least smile at it, I was sure.
Even now my hand is aching something fierce, I want to go to bed more than anything. You know how long its been since I've slept in a bed? This mattress feels like heaven under me right now, you got no idea. And is Tovin still threatening to kill you? I thought we had gotten a little closer than that. I can't believe Axle was expelled. You're right, that means you're probably next. Keep your head down, man. Thanks for cooperating with me. If you had changed the summoning signature for the tome, I would have died today... and yesterday too, actually. I'm getting actual combat experience out here. It's wild knowing you can die at any moment. My hand is kinda cramping and I still have to write Fena back so I'll end it here. Thanks again for hearing me out and staying open-minded about this whole thing.
I set the pencil down and massaged the muscle between my thumb and forefinger. I had a lot to tell. But I wasn't about to roll over and drift off without writing to Fena. I picked the pencil up and readjusted myself before putting my words down.
I'm sorry I asked Gill not to tell you, but something deep down inside of me told me he would do it anyway. I just wanted to touch base with him first before I reached out to the rest of you. And technically, I was the one who showed you the message in the tome, so I didn't actually ever keep a secret from you.
I doodled a little smiley face with his tongue sticking out and then quickly erased it only to find that I couldn't fully get it off the page. There was a big smudge there that made it evident that I'd written and then erased something. I let out a frustrated sigh and drew it again, but somehow worse.
That's a solid theory on Tovin there. Same for Atlas. That could end up coming back to bite Vega in the ass. I promise I'll be safe, but do me a favor and help Tovin with whatever it is he needs. He's working on that spell to untether blocked memories from the mind, and the Tovin with me is getting worse by the day it seems. I don't want to see him get caught and sent back to the camp. He won't cooperate with them and they'll definitely kill him.
Thanks for everything, hun. I miss you more than you could ever know. Promise me you'll stay safe too. I know Vega is trying to find a way to get to you. If he got to Tovin... look just take every precaution you can. I love you. Goodnight.
I closed the book and set it down on my bedside table. I pulled the chain on the light, snuffing it out, then turned over and sank my head into the pillow. It wasn't that late yet– I could hear the hum of Diesel vehicles and even the chatter of the populace outside. I pulled the blankets over myself and closed my eyes. I let the warmth of the bed cradle me as I counted my many blessings, and thanked Hahnahkordia that I had somewhere warm and dry to lay my head.
The room was dimly lit when I opened my eyes again. It was just bright enough that I could read the clock on the wall. It was about 7am. It felt like I had blinked. I thought about getting up, but the blankets were so warm, and the room was cold– I had left the window open all night by accident. What reason did I have to get out of bed anyways? I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep again and repeated this several times until the clock read noon and I started to get hungry.
I rolled out of bed and quickly closed the window. I hurried into the hot embrace of my morning shower and got dressed before knocking on Tovin's door. "Hey, you up? I was thinking of breakfast."
There was no answer. I carefully opened his door to find his bed empty and neatly made. I entered the room fully to find that his backpack was also missing. I figured he had to have gotten hungry first and left without me. That theory fell on its face when I ventured back to my room and found a note placed on the side table.
You can sleep all day if you want. I'm going down to the gun range at the hunters' office. I won't be shown up by you again.
I set the note down and began to worry. I didn't like the idea of him going out by himself. What if he were to suddenly backslide mentally while out in Diesel territory alone? I could see a scenario where he'd forget his alias or that he has an incriminating mark on the back of his neck. I got dressed in a hurry and grabbed my backpack before heading out the door. I hurried down the steps and out into the cold wet streets of Bronzegirder.
I made my way north of the crowded city streets and found Alloy street. The bitter winds blew against me as I made my way up the empty road toward the hunters' office. I was starting to regret not buying a warm hat for myself when I bought one for Tovin. I skipped every second step on my way up to the front door and made my way past the reception desk and into the firing range. I heaved a sigh of relief when I found Tovin shooting at targets downrange.
I walked up next to him as he turned his rifle over and grabbed a handful of ammunition from the box sitting on the counter. "Busy morning, Geoffrey?"
"Did you just wake up?" he asked as he began feeding bullets into the tube.
"I figured I didn't have anywhere to be," I shrugged. "I assumed you didn't either. I thought the plan was to get our bonus and ditch this place."
"Yeah, well, I kind of like shooting," he admitted. "Also, we're out of money."
I felt my knees turn to jelly underneath me. "What?" I yelled. "How?"
"Turns out these guns are expensive," he said as he pulled the hammer back and lifted the rifle to his shoulder. "You left ours out in the woods. They charged us for them."
I stammered for entirely too long before wiping both hands over my face and collecting myself. "... How much we got left?"
"We owe," he answered, firing his gun. "They charged us for the uniforms, and then a fee to clean the gunk off of them. Also, I bought us a pair of rain ponchos, they're cheaper here." He motioned to a couple of folded-up ponchos hanging over the wooden divider.
I stammered for a little longer. This was becoming more expensive than it was worth. We would have to hunt another monster today. I was hoping to never have to hoof it out there again, and it was even colder today than it was yesterday.
"Calm down," he said, not taking his eyes off the target. "Get your poncho on. I've got a plan."
"A plan?" I asked.
x - - x - - x - - ★ - - x - - x - - x
"The circus?" I said with a hint of anger in my voice as we stood in front of the many tents and attractions. They had set up east of town on the perimeter of the city. Families wandered the fairgrounds. Vendors had set up games and stands with delicious food we couldn't pay for, and I had just remembered I hadn't eaten breakfast.
"I came this way first when I smelled the food," Tovin said, taking a few steps in front of me and turning around. "Then I explored a little bit. And wouldn't you know it– I found an attraction that was offering a cash prize. It just wasn't open yet."
I sighed and hung my head. "You just wanted to come to the carnival," I grumbled.
"100 octims," he said flatly.
I looked up at him and he smiled faintly. "Thought that would get your attention." He reached into his pocket and produced a single red ticket. "This will get us one round."
"One round?" I asked, taking the ticket and inspecting it. It read, "Single Admission ~ 1 Minute."
"There's a stage toward the back with a guy in a cape that you can challenge in hand-to-hand combat," he said, beckoning me to follow as he turned and started into the fair. I hurried after him as he explained. "Here's the kicker though. You don't have to beat him. All you've got to do is hit him."
"Just hit him?" I asked.
"That's what they said. He's supposed to be some kind of master. You strike him just once and we're set for the next several days, and that's after settling our debt."
This plan was a little better than I had given him credit for. Here I had thought he'd gone bananas again, but this could really work.
"You think I can do it?" I asked. "It can't be easy if they're throwing around a hundred octims."
"Here's what I'm thinking," he said, lowering his voice and slowing down to walk next to me. "You use a little bit of that magic– the kind you isolate in your feet to move quickly."
"Are you nuts?" I cast him an incredulous glance. "Did you forget we'd be on stage in Diesel territory?"
"Just use it once quickly to make your swing a little faster," he reasoned. "It's been drizzling all morning. The stage is wet already. If you're quick about it, it won't stand out."
"I don't know," I shook my head. "It's not the worst plan, but it's so risky."
"Riskier than hunting monsters?" he asked.
That was a fair point. Still, the idea of casting in front of everyone made me uneasy. It wasn't like Jetstream was a super common spell, though. Furthermore, the odds were slim that anyone in the crowd had ever even witnessed magic before. The more I thought about it, the more I started to think we could actually pull this off.
"This is the place," said Tovin as we approached a crowd. There was a wooden sign in front that read, The Slippery Salamander! One hit gets you 100 octims! The two of us pushed through the crowd until we came to the stage where a mustached man was swinging like crazy at the aptly named Salamander. He bobbed and weaved effortlessly around every attempted strike until a man in a red and white striped outfit hurried out onto the stage and blew a whistle.
"Time's up!" he called out.
The crowd cheered and applauded as the Salamander turned and took a bow. The world fell out from underneath me. I couldn't believe my eyes.
Writing Prompt Submitted by u/My-Last-Hope

Tl;Dr: taxi debit scam using a Domino's Pizza delivery payment instead of the taxi fare.
Saw this in the toronto subreddit. Link to OP and thought I'd share here since it's a good reminder that the same scams can be dressed up differently to distract you.
Original Text:
Tonight I was walking to my car in Fairview Mall's outdoor parking, when a girl approached telling me she has ordered a pizza from Domino's, but apparently the driver refuses to accept cash. There was a car with a Domino's sign on top, which looked a bit different from real Domino's cars I've seen around, but I did not care that much, thinking maybe it's their new design or something.
I had heard some stories of fake taxis in Toronto taking debit cards with pins from passengers, and then return another debit card. so I asked the girl if I can tap with my phone (credit card). She said yes of course, thanked me a lot and we both walked to the supposedly Domino's driver, waiting impatiently in his car.
The driver passed me his pos machine, and I was thinking to myself: ok it cannot be a scam, why is he giving me his pos then? I took my phone out and here their sequence of super suspicious acts started:. First he said his machine does not support tap payments. I took out my credit card, and was looking into his pos machine to see if it's legit. Meanwhile he asked me if I am paying with credit card, and I said yes. He then said something about credit cards and HST, and requested me to pay by debit. At this point I finally came back to my senses, and told them that I don't carry my debit card. The girl showed some disappointment and thanked me, and I left the scene. I looked back after a few steps to check the license plate, and it was kinda distorted so I couldn't read it. Funny thing was that the girl immediately got into the car of the delivery guy after I left, and they both disappeared.
I thought it's worth it to share my experience with reddit, as I myself was fortunate enough to hear a similar story, and that story saved me from being scammed.
Please, DON'T HAND IN YOUR DEBIT CARD TO ANYONE, AND BE EXTREMELY CAUTIOUS WITH YOUR PIN.

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Any help will be appreciated!
I paid for a self storage service and later decided to cancel it because of the hidden charges. I paid for the first month, and then I cancelled it 4 days before the payment date for the 2nd month.
I still have £10 deposit that I paid into my online account with them. They were supposed to use it for my first month payment but they never did that. In the contract I signed with them, I only had to give a 7 days notice. So according to the terms, I only had to pay for 3 additional days which the £10 is more than enough to cover. The staff even mentioned the same thing on email. She made it clear if I ever cancelled, I would only owe them the amount for the missing days regarding the notice.
I sent them the cancellation in writing via email and they did acknowledge they have received it. But since then there's been multiple attempts to charge my debit card, which is £92. I usually use my Revolut card for companies I don't trust. So they can never take any money from me after I cancelled. The card has now been frozen.
I was furious when I found out about the attempt to charge my card. They also sent me a letter on email that if the £92 is not paid up, a 12.5% interest will be added.
I sent them an email, explaining I don't owe them any money, with all the numbers laid out. I mentioned if they are trying to charge my card again without my consent, I will report them. I will also go to an ombudsman.
They never have the nerves to reply me. I was gonna let the whole thing go because I don't wanna waste any more time. A week later, they just trying to charge me a random amount that comes out of nowhere, £15.62. My card is still frozen so my money is safe.
Is there anything I can do about this? I don't want them to be able to get away with this. I googled their reviews on Trustpilot. They do this very often apparently. I am in a lucky position that £92 won't cripple me if they did manage to take that money from my account. But I have been poor and I remember what it feels like. I don't want them to be able to get away with this kind of bullying behaviour.
Any help will be appreciated!

Source: https://www.bungie.net/7/en/News/Article/destiny-2-twab-3-30-23
This week at Bungie, we’re still recovering from the emotional roller coaster that was last week’s story mission and this week’s remembrance centering around Amanda Holliday. While we’re still making our best attempt at pretending we aren't sobbing messes over our favorite mechanic, we did want to share our preview of the mid-Season weapons update, a fun behind-the-scenes look at development animation horrors, and an update on what our Player Support team is working hard on.
Here’s what we’re going to be digging into this week:

• A preview of our mid-Season update from the team.
• Answering a question about one particular weapon players are searching for.
• A behind-the-scenes look at placeholder animations regarding that gun.
• Update from our Player Support team on known issues and coming updates.
• The community’s favorite #AOTW and #MOTW picks of the week.

In case you missed last week’s blog, here’s a helpful TLDR:

• We said farewell to the man behind our beloved Commander, Lance Reddick.
• Shared a quick wrap-up of a recent Crucible blog post.
• Shared some changes to the Root of Nightmares raid.
  
  • A bonus heads up that Master and Challenge Mode begins this week.

You can check out last week’s update here to learn more!
Before we move on to the actual TWAB, we wanted to pay tribute to the incredible Amanda Holliday. Last week, we all said goodbye to a character that proudly walked the Guardian path in every way but her title. Holliday gave her life during Season of Defiance, and she did so in the most Amanda way possible: like a compassionate Badass with a capital ‘B.’ No matter her trials, her heart never shied away from caring about those around her, even when her mind begged her to be more reserved. We saw it with her friendship with Crow, and against all odds, we saw it in the small ways she showed our Vanguard that she was there to support them. We also saw it each time we spoke with her, even if we just needed a little ship tune-up.
Image Link^imgur
On a more personal note, I worked on aircraft when I was active duty military, so I always looked up to Amanda as a character and felt a special bond with her. I could see myself in her. I wanted to be her. She was a Light and had a strength I don’t even think she knew about. It has always been inspiring, and her journey will continue to inspire long after her sacrifice.
Amanda Holliday gave up her life to help those around her, for those who needed protection. Needed safety. She sacrificed herself for a cause she believed in, and it’s our job as Guardians to make her proud.

Time For a Difficult(y) Conversation

We've been keeping an eye on community feedback on overall difficulty since Lightfall's launch, and we have some changes in today's update and future updates that retune certain experiences. In today’s update, we’ve reduced Legend and Master enemy HP scalars for non-boss units, which we felt were a little higher than we liked:

• Reduced the enemy HP scalar in all non-raid/dungeon Legend and Master activities by 10%.
• Reduced the co-op enemy HP scalar in Legendary Avalon by 33% in a full fireteam.

We've also made some additional reductions to Commendations requirements so players can reach their milestones at a more enjoyable pace:

• Reduced Hawthorne's weekly challenge Commendations target from 20 to 5.
• Removed Guardian Rank objectives that require players to give Commendations from Ranks 7, 8, and 9.
• Further reduced Commendation score requirements for Guardian Ranks 7-9:
  
  • Rank 7: 100 (was 460)
  • Rank 8: 250 (was 790)
  • Rank 9: 500 (was 1,290) ##Mid-Season Preview, Weapons Edition

Hello everyone, and welcome to another mid-Season weapons balance pass preview! Senior Design Lead Chris Proctor here. This is not going to be a huge one, but we feel that the changes we do have are impactful to the sandboxes in both PvP and PvE. Also, as a note in case you missed it, in last week's patch, we corrected an issue with Target Lock that was making it significantly more forgiving to use than intended, which originally would have been included in this patch, but we felt the change warranted being pulled forward.

PvE Primary Weapon Balance

We wanted to see how the PvE sandbox shook out after the release of Lightfall, not necessarily to see if primary weapons needed a buff, but more to see how much we should buff them. We've done quite a bit of testing on these numbers, in content ranging from Heroic Nightfalls to Legendary campaigns, all the way up to Grandmasters and we think that the changes are impactful without invalidating the difficulty of the appropriate levels.
Image Link^imgur
In Heroic and Legendary content, you should be more likely to one-shot red-bar enemies depending on your weapon type, and even in GMs, we have shaved how many shots it takes and time it takes to kill for the below weapons against red and orange bar enemies. We want to add that we do not believe we are done with tuning weapon damage in PvE, this is merely a starting point, and we will revisit it in the coming Seasons to make sure everything has a place in the sandbox.

• Increased the damage of the following weapon types against red and orange bar enemies in PvE:
  
  • Auto Rifles face steep competition from Submachine Guns (SMGs) within parts of their range, and having a longer possible engagement distance wasn't doing enough to offset it. We don't want Auto Rifles to defeat combatants faster than SMGs, as that would flip the script and invalidate the lower range options instead, but we did feel like we could close the gap substantially.
    • Auto Rifles - 25%
  • Pulse Rifles and Hand Cannons have been considered weaker in harder PvE content for some time, so we wanted to make sure the buff we gave them was substantial, while at the same time keeping them below the lower ranged options in terms of pure lethality. Pulse Rifles have struggled, being less effective than Scout Rifles despite, for the most part, having a less effective range. We also put Sidearms into this group because they similarly lagged in damage output compared to the longer ranged SMGs. At these values, Pulse Rifles should be in a more reasonable spot, Hand Cannons should feel like they pack more of a punch, and Sidearms should fall much better into the "high risk, high reward" category.
    • Pulse Rifles, Hand Cannons, and Sidearms - 20%
  • Scout Rifles - We need to be careful tuning Scout Rifles up too much, because they offer the benefits of very safe engagement ranges paired with unlimited ammo, so making them too strong instantly turns most endgame PvE content into "sit as far away as possible and plink," which we want to avoid. That being said, after the changes to the other weapons, they felt like they were trailing just a little too far behind, so we have moved them up as well.
    • Scout Rifles - 10%
• SMGs and Bows - We tuned the rest of the primary weapons using these two archetypes as benchmarks, but as mentioned above, we will continue to keep an eye on the primary weapon balance in PvE and may revisit their tuning as needed.
  

Image Link^imgur

Weapon Archetypes

• Submachine Guns
  
  • Aggressive Frame SMGs have been very strong in the PvP meta for the last couple of months, with a handful of outliers taking most of the credit. The IKELOS SMG was something of a mystery to us, as we continually felt, and got reports, that the gun seemed to have much better stability than its stats would indicate it should, compared to other SMGs. Originally, the IKELOS SMG was built back in the Warmind era when we had fewer guidelines on how to keep weapons balanced, and upon doing a deeper investigation we found that some custom tuning had been added to the weapon's scope to give it a recoil reduction effect. For comparison, the recoil reduction tuning was like having an effect nearly equivalent to Zen Moment at max strength, and always active. We have removed that custom tuning, and the recoil should now feel in-line with other SMGs.
    
    • IKELOS SMG:
      • Removed some tuning in the custom scope causing these weapons to have significantly less recoil than intended. The recoil is now in line with other Aggressive Frame SMGs.
    • We are aware that this change in isolation, while noticeable, is unlikely to put much of a dent in Aggressive Frame SMGs current dominance, so we have a larger change to reduce the damage of the Aggressives sub-family that will release alongside Season 21. The change will be targeted at shifting the resiliency threshold where the gun can achieve its optimal 0.67s Time to Kill (TTK) down to a lower value, to force a more reasonable 0.77s TTK against most players, while also decreasing their forgiveness of missed crits.
• Fusion Rifle
  
  • When we last touched Fusion Rifles, Shotguns had seen a big drop in effectiveness, and we were concerned that Rapid-Fire Frame Fusions would rise up to take their place. As such, we preemptively nerfed Rapid-Fires pretty hard. In today's sandbox, this is less of a concern due to the renewed strength of Shotguns following the airborne effectiveness and pellet spread changes, so we have walked back some of the damage nerf we made to Rapid-Fires. This change will push them back to defeating all resilience levels in 7 bolts and give them a decent bump to ease of use.
    • Increased burst damage by 15 (damage per burst goes from 245 to 260, damage per bolt goes from 27.2 to 28.9).
    • Damage in PvE is unchanged.
• Trace Rifle
  
  • Trace Rifles are in a bit of a precarious spot in the Crucible. In the right hands, they can kill very quickly from long ranges, even outside of their optimal time to kill (TTK). On the other hand, they can be difficult to use, and they often feel heavily ammo limited if you are not hitting the optimal TTK. We did a lot of experimenting with them for this change, including multiple combinations of damage and crit ratios, and settled on the values below as the highest we could push their damage output before they became frustrating to deal with in Crucible. Interestingly, with damage any higher than this the feeling was that they had a surplus of ammo, especially in 6v6 modes, and could often net 2 kills per Special brick picked up, which was concerning. Once we moved their damage values, they still felt like they needed a little bit more, and we wanted to lean harder into making them feel good to use, so we increased the effect that stability has on reducing flinch at the high end of the stat. We will monitor this change when it goes live and may revisit the ammo situation in a future update if their effectiveness remains low.
    • Increased base damage by 4% (base damage goes from 12 to 12.5).
    • Reduced precision hit multiplier from 1.4x to 1.35x (crit damage goes from 16.8 to 16.9).
    • Increased the effectiveness of stability at reducing flinch by 10% at 100 stat (scales down at lower values).
• Sniper Rifle
  
  • Rapid-Fire Frame Sniper Rifles have long struggled to find a place in both the PvP and PvE meta. In PvP, their inability to kill with two body shots puts them on uneven footing with other Snipers, and in PvE their fast RPM but standard inventory sizes mean you constantly feel low on ammo. To address these concerns and differentiate them from other Sniper sub-families, we have reduced their recoil by 50%. This means hitting crits on a boss or Champion in PvE is much easier, and taking rapid follow-up shots in PvP is too. We have also increased their inventory stat by 30%, which should give them a lot more rounds to play with in PvE content.
    • Reduced recoil by 50%.
    • Increased total ammunition (magazine + reserves) by 30%.

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Exotic Weapons

• Final Warning - Final Warning being able to track targets through barricades, while funny in some cases, felt pretty unfair to play against and was not an intended mechanic of the weapon.
  
  • Can no longer mark targets through Titan Barricades.
• Tarrabah - This weapon is something we have been keeping an eye on for a while, and with the spotlight being shown on Aggressive Frame SMGs, it felt like Tarrabah has had its time in the sun. When the weapon was introduced, there was substantially less survivability in PvP, and the intention was that it would take nearly two full engagements to get Ravenous Beast active, which made it one of the costliest perk activators we had in game and justified the extreme power it offered. As the sandbox has progressed, however, survivability has increased, and it has become possible for Ravenous Beast to be very close to activating after a single engagement. This has meant that savvy players could purposefully bait or take a small amount of damage (like standing in a grenade's effect) to top off the perk, and then have it active for the second engagement. The increased ease of access has made Ravenous Beast an outlier in today's Crucible, and we were left with the options of reducing the potency of the perk itself or trying to make its activation more difficult, and we decided to work with the latter. This reduction in energy granted from taking damage puts the onus back on the user to deal damage and shifts the balance of the perk back towards a difficult activator that justifies its reward of a potent effect. In addition, we are continuing our mission to address zoom outliers, and this felt like a good time to reduce the zoom of Tarrabah back down to something more in line with the rest of the SMG archetype.
  
  • Reduced the amount of Ravenous Beast energy generated when taking damage from 3% to 1%.
  • Reduced zoom from 16 to 15.
• Revision Zero - Fourth Times the Charm (FTTC) working when Revision Zero went into Hunter's Trace is a fun and intended interaction, but it caused some unfortunate issues. Activating it too early while the perk was up caused the weapon to overflow its limited mag size and return to the normal Pulse Rifle mode. We have made a fix so that FTTC can continue to work while Hunter's Trace is active, but it will not be able to grant ammo until all shots have been expended. This means you can still enjoy the 2 free shots provided by the perk as long as you hit all 4 Hunter's Trace rounds without worrying about being kicked out of the mode. In addition, we have buffed the damage of the Hunter's Trace rounds by 25% in PvE, and we have buffed the Häkke Heavy Burst rounds by 75% in PvE. This will now make it more of a tradeoff when choosing between the origin perks, either dealing more damage in the primary mode but charging Hunter's Trace more slowly or dealing less damage but charging the bonus shots more quickly.
  
  • Fourth Times the Charm will now be reset when entering Hunter's Trace.
    • This will prevent the issue of firing a single shot while in Hunter's Trace and being forcibly returned to Pulse Rifle mode when FTTC activates.
  • Increased PvE damage of the Hunter's Trace rounds by 25%.
  • Increased PvE damage of the Häkke Heavy Burst rounds by 75%.Video Link ####At Season 21 Launch
• A sweeping rework of weapon hip fire reticles to better display useful information to players (accuracy, aim assist, charge state, Exotic perk state, etc.).
  
• The Aggressive Frame SMG nerf.
  
• A 10% PvE buff to Sniper Rifle damage.
  
• Buffs/adjustments to more than a dozen Exotic weapons, including Graviton Lance and Salvation's Grip.
  

  In the Future

• We are going to be taking a look at how zoom interacts with damage fall off, and the base damage fall off ranges of all weapons in general.
  
• Zoom, and perks like Rangefinder that manipulate zoom, have become a requirement on several weapon types, either to compete at all in the sandbox, or to allow the weapon to exceed its intended engagement ranges. This has led us to begin to consolidate zoom values on certain weapon archetypes, which removes an important lever that we can use to modify weapon feel, given the effect zoom has on field of view, recoil reduction, and aim assist falloff.
  
• We will be investigating decoupling damage falloff from zoom (this would be paired alongside a refresh of the base damage falloff values to compensate), which should allow us to better control the engagement ranges of individual archetypes, while at the same time letting us continue to use zoom as a tuning knob for weapon feel without dramatically changing their performance.
  

  The Case of the Missing Khvostov, A Peek Behind the Developer Curtain

Cinematics Director James Myers has an answer that many of you have been asking: “Where the heck is the Khvostov weapon seen in cutscenes?!” Funny story about that, we’ll let Myers take this one.
Myers: During the production of Lightfall, a certain story beat was pitched related to reluctantly aiming a weapon, and we quickly realized that we would need to animate that moment much more specifically than we typically handle Guardians pointing weapons in previous scenes. Many players have noticed some of the sillier results in some real-time scenes, even when we avoid extreme poses (like our Guardian holding a Bow at the end of The Witch Queen.) So, I spun up a thread with the studio leads and suggested that we decide on a “default weapon” that we could feature if we ever needed something specific like this. I suggested the Khvostov because it’s the very first weapon every player receives in Destiny. Literally every Guardian has tinkered around with this weapon, so it felt like the right call.
At the same time, new systems were being developed that would feature Guardians (like Commendations), and similarly, there were a lot of visual bugs popping up with certain weapons like Glaives and Bows. The animation team was stretched thin closing on cinematics, and a new set of animations was, unfortunately, something that would cost us other content. Because of that, we made the decision to use the same default logic in the instances where a visual bug would detract from the quality bar we aim to achieve.
Regarding helmets seen in in-engine cinematics, I have seen some folks post screenshots of their Guardians from recent real-time cinematics, and many were helmetless! Something we started doing in Lightfall is respecting the player's choice of helmet or no helmet in real-time scenes, where appropriate (we'll keep your helmet on in the vacuum of space for example). But for the most part, if you choose "hide helmet," you'll see your Guardian's face. And if you don't, you won't unless there's a special exception (I don't want to make that promise too airtight, just in case!). There is one caveat to keep in mind: the Season 20 cinematics were in production before we finalized this plan, so from Season 21 onward this will be consistent!
As a little bonus “sneak peek,” some animators in the film industry were recently discussing how they push animation poses in ridiculous ways to get the framing just right on camera, making for better shot composition and framing. It stirred up some interesting conversation, so we figured we'd show you one of these reframings with an example from the Season 20 intro cinematic. Whatever it takes to get the shot, y’know?
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There Will Be Wallpapers

And because you all had to see the hidden horrors of animation right alongside us, here are some freebie wallpapers to enjoy as a return to normalcy. You know, as a treat. Plus, can we just take a moment to drool over the Mara art? Because definitely going to snag that one for my new background.
Desktop:
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Player Support Report

Poll: Do you call it Root or RoN?
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Another week, another Player Support Report. This week, we’re diving into Loadout crashes, providing another update to Guardian Ranks, and detailing a list of known issues that the crew is working on.
This is their report.
Known Issues List Help Forums Bungie Help Twitter
LOADOUT CRASHES
We are aware of an issue where attempting to equip certain loadouts can cause game crashes for players. We recommend that players experiencing error code WEASEL when equipping loadouts ensure that their Class Items are using the updated version of the Empowered Finish mod as outlined in Hotfix 7.0.0.6.
GUARDIAN RANK UPDATE
The Commendation requirements for unlocking Guardian Ranks 7, 8, and 9 have been updated. The updated requirements can be viewed in the Guardian Rank objectives by navigating to the Journey tab. Players must complete and claim all required objectives, then interact with the Ironwood Tree in the Tower to unlock their next Guardian Rank.
KNOWN ISSUES
While we continue investigating various known issues, here is a list of the latest issues that were reported to us in our #Help forum:

• The Preservation mission in the Throne World is not available for some players.
• The Hydroponics Delta Lost Legendary Sector has a longer respawn timer.
• Veteran players do not receive the correct amount of lore books when they rank up for the first time.
• Reservoir Burst explosion with Subsistence can sometimes fail to activate on kill.
• Adept Trials Hand Cannon is getting one round less in the magazine than the non-Adept version.
• The grav-lift on Neomuna is tied to framerate, causing players with higher framerates to die upon landing.
• Non-Lightfall quests showing up under the Lightfall quest category.
• Hunter gauntlets Thunderhead Grips are missing as an ornament for armor synthesis.
• Certain Heavy weapon archetypes are not benefitting from equipping a third reserve mod.
• Players are no longer able to equip the Unbroken title.
• Restoration reverts to a lower timer when reapplying the original source of the buff.
• Weapons can mark targets through Titan barricades.
• Thread of Generation stops functioning on Hunters for grenades that aren't Grapple after using their Super.
• Unpowered melee can produce fast melee combos in quick succession.
• Players experience a black screen when previewing armor bundles on PS5.
• Some players on Steam are unable to progress past the class icon loading spinner on launch. Please send us your DxDiag on our Help forum.
• Commendations are greyed out as already given in some activities.

For a full list of emergent issues in Destiny 2, players can review our Known Issues article. Players who observe other issues should report them to our #Help forum.

To Strand or Not to Strand, It's Not Really a Question at This Point

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Hippy: It’s pretty easy to see that we love ourselves a good Strand grapple. Seriously, some of the videos y’all tag us in are making Spider-Man proud. We just know it. While some videos out there go ham on making a statement ala green-flavored Darkness, this “strange anomaly” is so subtly hilarious it was impossible to leave out of this week’s movie picks.
Movie of the Week: Investigating a strange Strand anomaly.
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Sam: We've seen rocket riding, but have you seen this?
Movie of the Week: Guardian Down

Due to certain... circumstances... the Guardian Space Agency is hard at work determining new ways to support the Guardian fleet with space travel! #MOTW
Preliminary Results:
❌ Rocket Riding
❌ Lumina Riding
✅ "Guardian Down" Riding pic.twitter.com/jAhZVuXgYx
— DVSuffering Student 📚 (@A_DVS_NTT) March 23, 2023

So, Nezarec and Eris Walk Into a Bar (Stop Us If You've Heard This One)

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Bruno: I think the Root of Nightmares raid has been around long enough for us to start praising your art around a certain Final God of Pain. Nezarec is an amazing character with a unique design, and I'm so happy so many artists are making their own versions of him.
Art of the Week: The Final God of Trapezius, too

I've fallen in love with Nezarec, actually #Destiny2AOTW #Lightfall pic.twitter.com/5fcourZxok
— The Edgeless Terror (@ascendantraisin) March 20, 2023

Ivan: This piece has some (space) magic behind it. Now I'm curious what's there behind the curtain. I guess we'll need to wait and find out. Great #Destiny2AOTW submission, congrats!
Art of the Week: Eris Morn

Eris Morn
Drawn by a friend's request #Destiny2AOTW #Destiny2 pic.twitter.com/d80bkwMTxJ
— 백곰 (@polarbear2324) March 26, 2023

And that's a wrap on our latest TWAB! This one was pretty weapons-focused, but with so much talk about recent changes, we wanted to spend some time going over what's coming down the pipeline.
Now that our paths must diverge once more, just a friendly reminder to please remember to drink your water, prioritize that self-care, pet all the good puppers out there for me, and always lead with your kindest foot forward. See you on the flip side, friends.
"I should go,"
<3 Hippy