​
What's going on?
​
A recent Reddit policy change threatens to kill many beloved, consistently used and necessary Third-Party apps. A lot of required moderation features as well as a number of popular and thriving community features will become permanently inaccessible to users and moderators.
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On the 31st of May Reddit announced they were raising the price to make calls to their API from being free to a level that will kill every third-party app on Reddit, including Apollo, Reddit is Fun, Narwhl, BaconReader and Boost.
​
Although we may not all use Reddit on mobile or these third-party apps this is a clear step towards removing user friendly features of reddit, further customization tools like Reddit Enhancement Suite or the use of the old.reddit.com desktop interface. This doesn't just cause problems on the user level but many subreddits thrive as a direct result of the tools only available on these apps for moderation purposes.
​
What's the plan?
​
On June 12th, Many subreddits will be going dark to protest this policy. Some will return after 48 hours: others will go away permanently unless the issue is adequately addressed since many moderators aren't able to put in the work they do with the poor tools available through the official app. We moderate for free with the tools provided to us and a great number of these third party apps have not been supported by reddit for some time, we as a fairly new community have not often been supported in moderation actions by reddit itself but by the greater moderation community educating us either directly or with it's wealth of information to help support other mods. If reddit continues to work against the people who volunteer their time to making their platform engaging, vast and create these spaces like GirlsNextLevel we will consider further protest actions.
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The two day blackout isn't the goal, and it isn't the end. Should things reach the 14th with no sign of Reddit choosing to fix what they've broken, we'll use the community and buzz we've built between then and now as a tool for further action.
​
​
What can you do?
​

1. Complain. Message the mods of reddit.com, who are the admins of the site: message reddit: submit a support request: comment in relevant threads on reddit, such as this one, leave a negative review on their official iOS or Android app- and sign your username in support to this post.

​

1. Spread the word. Rabble-rouse on related subreddits. Meme it up, make it spicy. Bitch about it to your cat. Suggest anyone you know who moderates a subreddit join us at our sister sub at ModCoord- but please don't pester mods you don't know by simply spamming their modmail.

​

1. Boycott and spread the word...to Reddit's competition! Stay off Reddit entirely on June 12th through the 13th. Instead, take to your favourite non-Reddit platform of choice and make some noise in support!

​

1. Don't be a jerk. As upsetting as this may be, threats, profanity and vandalism will be worse than useless in getting people on our side. Please make every effort to be as restrained, polite, reasonable and law-abiding as possible.

​
How will this impact GirlsNextLevel?
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Even if you only use the official Reddit app and/or "New Reddit" on your desktop, this change still impacts all of us. Our mods rely on third-party apps in order to keep up with moderation duties, and we see this change being pushed by Reddit Inc. as being anti-community and anti-user, particularly those who suffer from visual impairment.
We've all spent a lot of time on this website, both as posters and mods, and what this change will do is make it more difficult to do both, as the official Reddit app (along with "new" Reddit), while being terrible from a design standpoint, is also terrible in that it lacks effective moderation tools. As mods, we volunteer our precious time to work for this website in order to create positive discussion spaces for people — with the far superior apps offered by other Reddit users, made as a labour of love as this space was.
The GNL mod team have experienced a number of glitches and errors with mod tools recently and have first hand experience with the lack of tools the official reddit app offers us to effectively moderate this space. We appreciate that the podcast episode drop date/time coincides with the proposed blackout time and I will detail what I think is the best proposed action for us as a community to take;
I am in Australia, the upcoming podcast episode drops about 2:30pm on the 12th of June my time. This is Sunday evening the 11th of June in the U.S. I will still post the podcast as it drops as I usually do, you will have roughly 4 hours of that thread being up before we go dark with the rest of reddit.
If that changes because the protest time dictates it should go dark on the 12th in my timezone I will communicate that before the 11th. I believe this is roughly the expectation based off posts from other subreddits
Thank you,
princeofkats, butterly131313, exgirlfriendd

I see a lot of anger towards parents on this sub. So as a parent with ASD I thought I'd just give some feedback from both sides.
Firstly most parents want and try to raise a happy person. They don't enjoy telling you off or what to do.
Secondly the main issue often comes when the dynamic of the relationship between parent and child turns from a (do what I say) to a more equal dynamic. Often parents struggle to notice when this needs to happen and it's a gradual change.
When you have a toddler the dynamic is very much. These are the rules (and you can explain why) but generally the parent has so much more life skills that the toddler would do well to follow the instructions and learn. However letting toddlers make their own small mistakes is important
As children grow older they become more complex and while they may want to do things the parent doesn't think they should be doing they need to remember this child is now a young adult and needs to be given the freedom to make their own mistakes and those mistakes can be bigger but it's still the parents responsibility to try and stop their child making huge mistakes that may have a long lasting impact on their life.
And parents often don't get this balance right. Remember, parents are not perfect too.
Finally Raising a kid is hard... Like really hard. Since having my 3 year old and 1 year old I haven't had a single full down day. Where you can literally do nothing. I don't think I've slept in at all either. And I know I have a few more years of this at least, it's not an excuse but just remember they have put a lot of physical and mental work in for you and they may just be exhausted.
And as a parent the best way to recharge those batteries is form a hug and or being told I love you.
So if you are able, look at your parent and tell them that although they may not be perfect and that sometimes you clash, you appricated they have been and are trying their hardest to raise a happy person and that you love them. And then discuss any failings and improvements in the relationship.
I guarantee you this approach is more likely to shape your relationship in the way you want more than slamming doors and screaming I hate you!
:)
I do know that some of you will genuinely have horrible people for parents but for the majority the above should be true

Reddit more or less shutting down 3rd party apps by increasing the cost for API access and eliminating ALL API access to Adult (NSFW) subs has motivated me to start looking for alternatives.
I love this sub and community, and many others like it, but I'm not going to continue to use a platform that's incentivised to degrade the higher level user experience when making policy and development decisions.
It poisons the user base and gives me a headache if I'm honest.
It's already been like that for a while, tired of seeing low quality, morally shallow, and pandering posts/comments being pushed to the top.
Nuanced discussion is rarer these days almost everywhere and I find that to be very concerning.
Not sure where I heard this but it's a phrase that stuck with me.
I'm going to vote with my feet. I don't like where reddit is heading and I find a lot of the more mainstream subs to be ecco chambers of social affirmation and recycled content. It's almost as bad as Facebook. Don't want an app that's built around feeding their users metered out dopamine hits in order to drive engagement.
Reddit is big enough that it's always going to be here, unless the company does something really shortsighted to cash in of course, so I'll probably use reddit as a jumping off point instead of where I stop when finding communities in the future.
For those of you who feel as I do, I hope my post helps give you a little push to do the same or at least consider what alternatives are out there.
I'm creature of habit, I'd already have been gone of it wasn't for that.
I've been looking at discord mostly as maybe a good place to go, it just has a learning curve I haven't had time to crack yet.
Any other suggestions would be welcome.
Please share any platforms or alternatives if you already have some that you use.

I made this account just recently to search around for ideas to help me through life. but to no avail I'm left here hopeless to rot away alone, Im a teenager and slowly getting destroyed from the inside out. Im failing school and havent went in 4 to 5 weeks due to my mental health and I havent even been able to make any friends, I constantly get shut down when I talk to anyone and my ex bestfriend set me up for failure when I asked her to ask my crush if they liked me back, she purposely gave it to another girl that I sincerely hate for private reasons and then laughed it off. I really really need help but I can't ask for it in fear of getting hurt or locked out, this all sounds pretty corny most likely but I'm asking for some assistance, everybody gets giddy with me to get something from me or get me to DO something for them then they drop me like a deflated ball I hope someone sees this and does something good with it.

Before I dive into everything that has happened over the last couple of weeks I want to get a couple of things out of the way. I moved to this town four months ago because of a job offer: I was supposed to start working with a construction company. Second, I am not going to give you my last name. But I will tell you my first name, it's Tom. I am telling you all this, just in case. Ya know?
Anyway, I moved here four months ago. At first, the job offer seemed too good to be true. I was promised an apartment, full benefits, and grocery delivery twice a month. I was told the town was small, and honestly, it is! I am not used to living in a place like this. I mean, I saw the stars for the first time in my life the day I got to my new apartment.
The apartment itself is nice, I have two bedrooms and a good-sized bathroom. I have no complaints about any of the accommodations. Two weeks into moving here I was told that I would be starting at the end of the month. My boss told me that rent would be covered and gave me a list of things I needed for my first day.
As the end of the month came around I decided to go out and buy a new pair of work boots. I figured this would give me a good chance to get a look around town and maybe meet some people. I was mostly right.
The store was only a couple of blocks from my apartment building so instead of taking my truck I decided to walk. The town is cozy, ya know? Like everyone seems normal. Everything felt like it came out of a classic American novel though. So anyway, I went and got my boots and on the way home I decided to stop at a store and pick up the local newspaper.
When I got home and sat on my couch to crack open the newspaper, I could tell something was off right away. The story on the front page read “New Mayor Elected” and right below that, “Strange Lights in the Sky.” By itself, those two things would not raise red flags, but the pictures looked off. It’s hard for me to put into words but the photo of the new mayor looked both old and new. I scanned the page for a date and couldn’t find one. I figured that maybe something went wrong with the printing or something. After I gave the front page a good read I put the paper down and went to bed.
For two days I stayed home to make sure I was well rested. At this point, I had not purchased a tv yet and decided to jump on the opportunity and read more. On my way to pick up new boots, I noticed the town library and thought why not? I could get a couple of books and a new paper. The library itself is beautiful. The wood looks well maintained and the giant stone lions on either side of the staircase were extremely cool to look at the first time I saw them.
Heading into this library was just like walking into any other library. I don’t know what I was expecting. The outside was cool so I thought the inside would be more done up. As I walked through the aisle and scanned the books I could feel the hairs on my arms stand up. It was a weird feeling, something I had not experienced before this: It was almost like I was scared for no reason. As I pulled a book off of the shelf and read the cover I was extremely puzzled, for reference I was standing in the history section. The book read, “To Mars and Back. How America pioneered space travel.” It sounded more like a science fiction book to me, and there were a lot of other books like this. “They live among us, humanity's first contact with God.” or “The secret history of the Roman empire.” As I went through and examined more books I started to notice little scratches on the bookcase. They looked like tally marks. I followed them down the shelf until I found some writing. “Turn back” and “Go home” were scribbled on the shelf. I quickly stood up and clenched the book I was holding.
As I turned around I took one last look at the book in my hands before heading off to speak with a librarian. As I approached the counter I swear to god the woman behind the counter took my breath away. She was so beautiful, but it didn’t seem natural. I could feel the hairs on the back of my head stand up as I got closer to the desk. I decided to put the book down and leave. There was something inside of me, screaming at me to not speak to the woman. As I headed out of the building and walked down the staircase I noticed my hands were shaking. I was confused because technically, nothing happened.
I never bought a paper that day. Instead, I went home and went to sleep. Technically it was midafternoon, I had no idea why I was tired in the first place.
When I woke up the next day and went to check the mail, I found a rolled-up newspaper at my front door. I shit you not I have been getting a newspaper every day since that day. At first, I was interested in reading them, but the more I read the more I didn’t want to read. At the end of the month, I was waiting for a call from my boss, but the call never came. I tried to call him but his phone was disconnected.
As the next month rolled around I kept getting the newspapers. I stopped receiving normal mail, and I stopped wanting to live in this damn apartment. Two weeks into the new month I decided to call it quits and move back. I was not getting this job and my time here had been nothing but uncomfortable. So I packed my bags and stormed outside to climb into my truck. I was planning on leaving that day however, my tiers had been slashed.
I did what anyone would do, right? I called the damn police. They came promptly and once again I was met with the same feelings as when I saw the librarian. These men did not look real. Every inch of their faces looked…fake. I mean yes they were people but there was not a hair out of place. They were perfectly symmetrical in every way. The whole time I was filling out the police report my hands were shaking. My body was so tense I thought I was going to fall over on the spot. Once the situation was handled I ran back to my apartment. I was skipping steps as I went back upstairs. I felt like I could not get upstairs fast enough.
A couple of hours later I heard pounding at my door. I can’t stress this enough, the pounding scared the shit out of me. “WHO IS IT?!” I screamed. “Please! I need help!” A woman called back to me. I went to my front door, I wish I could tell you I did not hesitate but I did. I eventually opened the door for the women. She was an absolute mess, her makeup was running down her face and she was wearing pajamas. It will sound fucked up but I was so happy to see this woman, her crying gave me comfort. She did not look like the others, she looked real and natural. I asked her what happened and she told me her daughter had gone missing. I asked her if she called the police and she told me no. She said she wouldn’t, she told me her daughter wouldn't go to them either. I asked her what her daughter's name is, she told me her name is Zoey. We talked for what felt like hours before I told her I would keep my eyes open. She thanked me and went back to her apartment in tears. As I closed and locked my door I went to the pile of newspapers and opened the most recent one. I wanted to see if there was any mention of Zoey in the paper. The front page read, “Local man found dead outside of his home. No suspects.” below that there was another heading, “Local girl missing.” I checked for a name but it wasn’t Zoey. They are the same age though. As I scanned the paper I heard a scream come from down the hallway. I stood up quickly and rushed to my door, this time without hesitation I ripped it open and looked down the hallway. And that’s where I saw…it. One of the cops except it wasn’t a man. He had tight skin, he almost looked like a walking skeleton. His eyes were bulging out of his head, and his arms were larger. “Sir…” The thing said to me. I quickly turned and slammed the door shut. I locked all four locks and put the kitchen table up against the door. I haven’t left this apartment since. I did call my ex, she said she would come and get me but I don’t know how long I will be waiting. If this is fear, I have had enough. I can’t sleep and I am too scared to eat. It feels like my heart might explode like my whole perception of reality has changed.

What's going on?

A recent Reddit policy change threatens to kill many beloved third-party mobile apps, making a great many quality-of-life features not seen in the official mobile app permanently inaccessible to users.
On May 31, 2023, Reddit announced they were raising the price to make calls to their API from being free to a level that will kill every third party app on Reddit, from Apollo to Reddit is Fun to Narwhal to BaconReader.
Even if you're not a mobile user and don't use any of those apps, this is a step toward killing other ways of customizing Reddit, such as Reddit Enhancement Suite or the use of the old.reddit.com desktop interface .
This isn't only a problem on the user level: many subreddit moderators depend on tools only available outside the official app to keep their communities on-topic and spam-free.

What's the plan?

On June 12th, many subreddits will be going dark to protest this policy. Some will return after 48 hours: others will go away permanently unless the issue is adequately addressed, since many moderators aren't able to put in the work they do with the poor tools available through the official app. This isn't something any of us do lightly: we do what we do because we love Reddit, and we truly believe this change will make it impossible to keep doing what we love.
The two-day blackout isn't the goal, and it isn't the end. Should things reach the 14th with no sign of Reddit choosing to fix what they've broken, we'll use the community and buzz we've built between then and now as a tool for further action.
What can you do?

1. Complain. Message the mods of /reddit.com, who are the admins of the site: message reddit: submit a support request: comment in relevant threads on /reddit, such as this one, leave a negative review on their official iOS or Android app- and sign your username in support to this post.
   
2. Spread the word. Rabble-rouse on related subreddits. Meme it up, make it spicy. Bitch about it to your cat. Suggest anyone you know who moderates a subreddit join us at our sister sub at /ModCoord - but please don't pester mods you don't know by simply spamming their modmail.
   
3. Boycott and spread the word...to Reddit's competition! Stay off Reddit entirely on June 12th through the 13th- instead, take to your favorite non-Reddit platform of choice and make some noise in support!
   
4. Don't be a jerk. As upsetting this may be, threats, profanity and vandalism will be worse than useless in getting people on our side. Please make every effort to be as restrained, polite, reasonable and law-abiding as possible. This includes not harassing moderators of subreddits who have chosen not to take part: no one likes a missionary, a used-car salesman, or a flame warrior.
   

I (23F) just learned that my sister (16) is lying to us and I believe she made up a scenario about her friends to get us to take a trip so she can see a boy.
Basically, a few months ago she told me that her friend’s family invited her on a trip (5 hour drive away) to tour colleges and asked if I could drive her. I was excited because I’d been looking forward to touring colleges with her and said I’d be willing to drive her. My mom suggested we just turn it into a family vacation with the three of us since it’s not often we get to take trips. My sister suddenly got argumentative and when I tried to ask about the plans for the college tours she screamed at me and told me she didn’t want me to go on the tour with her and her “friends” and how she didn’t want us to come at all because she’s going to be “sleeping over at and spending most of the time with my friends anyway”. I didn’t think much about it.
Today, however, my trust in her was completely broken. I overheard her talking through the walls on the phone to what sounded like a male voice. She was making plans and saying how they’re going to go to all of these places, cities, etc. I was so upset I wanted to barge into her room to confront her but I didn’t. She is extremely argumentative and gets very physically violent toward both me and my mom when things don’t go her way or when confronted.
I don’t know who this male is and I’m so upset that she would lie so heavily like this and feel so comfortable letting me and my mom splurge on a trip knowing we work our asses off just to keep a roof over our heads. This was supposed to be a college tour trip and now I feel deceived thinking we’ve spent all this money to not only have her not want us to go on the tour with her but so she can frolick around with some random boy.
I hate to be the “snitch” older sister but I’m concerned about her safety and I don’t know how to approach this. My mom isn’t even that strict, I also had a boyfriend in high school but I was honest with my parents (now divorced) about it and they trusted me, so I don’t understand why she feels the need to lie. I’m so disappointed in her and don’t feel like I can trust anything she says.

Ecclesiastes 10:18~" By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through."
By much slothfulness the building decayeth~

1. The Lord Jesus was not speaking metaphorical when he said possession in this world is corrupted by moths and rust over time, and a very short time at that.
2. If measures at not implore regularly, even our greatest investment will soon decay and be worthless, or much less than if diligence was used properly.
3. Hoa's were created to ensure that others did their part to maintain their property value, so others who were diligent did not suffer along with others who were too lazy to do the simple work needed to preserved their investment.
4. However, there are houses, such as a kingdom, a nation, a family, a church, etc.
5. COnsidering the context and what we just considered above, about national prosperity. These as well we decay through the sin of slothfulness.
6. Care must be implemented and even force to preserve what we have labored for.

And through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through~A lazy man or woman cause the house to fall apart!

1. The application is higher, for it follows the context of folks ( leaders mainly ) given over to "excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries" ~1st Peter 4. Both sexes are equally the source this evil spoken of by Solomon. In my opinion men are more so, since the burden is on them to be leaders, of their household. Most godly women follow the lead of their husbands, IF the husband would just lead as he should.
2. Laziness affects all, and destroys much gain. A lazy father hurts his family~if he is lazy spiritually, ( the worst kind ) then all suffer the consequences of his laziness. In ALL work there is PROFIT, there is no profit in being lazy.
   Proverbs 24:30-34~"I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.
   We can learn wisdom by others’ mistakes. Observation and analysis are great teachers, and Solomon was a master at both (Eccl 1:12-14; 2:11-13). It is our duty to learn from the mistakes of others and to teach our children to do so as well (Pr 19:19; 22:29).
   

Of course, we can also learn wisdom by observing the good choices and actions of wise men (Ps 37:37; Phil 3:17-21). It is a helpful habit to watch and identify the character or conduct that makes a man either foolish or wise. It reinforces the rules of wisdom.
Solomon here condemned lazy men (Pr 24:30-34). One of the first lessons parents must teach children is to get out of bed, work hard, and finish the job. Laziness is condemned often in Proverbs (Pr 6:6-11; 10:4; 12:24; 19:15,24; 20:4,13; 22:29). Observing and analyzing ants can also teach this wisdom (Pr 6:6-8; 30:25). Solomon knew his son’s success required his own diligence, and he also wanted him to reject lazy administrators.
Poverty is relatively easy to explain. Solomon saw that love of sleep costs many men their financial success. When he viewed derelict homes and property, he realized that the certain consequences of laziness had come to roost at those addresses. Men who enjoy sleeping in the morning and procrastinating in the evening will surely end up poor. Of course, the poor often have their ready excuses, but the facts of life are still the same.
A wise parent can be like Solomon to children. He can point out losers in life and the certain results that come when the Bible is not obeyed. Life can be the lesson guide for social studies in folly and wisdom. Son, do you see the shutters falling off that house? The owner intends to get to them, but he always finds a reason to wait. If he does not fix them soon, the house will eventually fall down, just like the Bible says (Eccl 10:18).

I feel like a scared child in the body of a teenager, I’m petrified of getting hurt again. For as long as I can remember I have had that awful feeling you get after something bad has happened, everything feels off. I’m scared of disappointing people, I’m scared of angering people, I’m scared of people, I don’t want to get hurt again but I don’t want to close myself off so it feels like I’m stuck in some sort of cruel limbo. I know I’m safer now, I know I’m not around my family (aside from my mum obviously but it’s better to just stay away from her) and people are apparently less harsh but the scared feeling is still there. I feel like if I were to meet child me I would just end up crying or at least having that feeling. I still feel that same racking distress I felt when I was a child, each and every memory of mine is shrouded by it. I’ve always felt like I deserve it, even if I didn’t directly say that it would always cross my mind to stop being a coward, you have no reason to cry as you deserve this. It hurts now and honestly I don’t know whether or not I should believe it because I know it’s a bad mindset to have but it feels like I’m just in denial when I say otherwise. I don’t know how to go about it. It hurts thinking about how even as a child I felt that, I should have been fucking enjoying things, I should have at least felt safe, I’m not saying that I deserved to be treated like royalty but at least to have the bare minimum of what a child should have. I’m devastated that that’s it, that’s my childhood. There is no way to change it, I can’t go back to make memories that I would look at now and smile about, I didn’t get to do things every other child seemed to do, I am furious that nothing can change what has happened. Sure, I’m on high alert incase something bad happens (which is useful but not nice if that makes sense) but it wasn’t worth sacrificing my fucking childhood. No matter how much I tried to please my peers nothing changed, I would always be up at night shaking terrified, having everyone be asleep while I’m the only person awake seemed to further emphasise the fact that if anything bad were to happen I would be alone in the situation, I always felt that but when that were the case it just brought more light to it. That felt worse combined with the overwhelming fear of seemingly nothing, I have no idea what specifically I was scared of, all I know as that I was scared. I hated when it was time to sleep, around most people I felt scared of going to sleep while they were awake incase they decided to harm me in my sleep, I would be completely defenceless and vulnerable. I was also scared of going to sleep while everyone else was asleep, I knew that with everyone asleep there would be no way for anyone to do anything if something bad happened. I know that I myself might not have been able to do much if anything if say someone broke in or a fire started or someone was having medical complications and wasn’t able to get help on their own but at least I would have been able to wake someone up or call for help from the police or something. I never really knew what to do, I would usually just fall asleep when my body would allow me regardless of me being terrified. I always felt scared and wanted to cry but would then feel guilty for being sensitive, I wasn’t fucking sensitive, what I felt was fucking reasonable for a child like that, everywhere I went there was hurt, there was a constant lingering judgement everywhere I went, I never felt safe and was constantly anticipating the worst if not mourning what has already happened. I don’t know where I heard the phrase ‘it’s a world of hurt’ but wherever I heard it it’s fucking true, no matter where you go, what you act like, what you look like, what you like or what you do you’ll always have someone willing to hurt you. Even as a fucking child people want to hurt you. It is sickening, not even as a child could I escape that vile treatment from people. I still feel like I’m there a lot, that’s what I mean when I say that I feel like a child trapped in a teenagers body, I still feel weak, I still feel petrified of getting hurt again, I still feel scared when I accidentally do something wrong or mess up on something, even the smallest mistakes pierce me with an overwhelming fear of being hated or punished, even if I do something like accidentally spilling a small amount of water I have that feeling where you want to cry, I feel so guilty over such stupid things and to be honest I can’t tell when things are reasonable to feel like this over, obviously things like what I’ve just mentioned about spilling water are obvious that it’s stupid to think that some sort of punishment other than a complaint or someone sighing will come from but other stuff is just no. It feels like everything I do warrants punishment. I envy people who don’t feel guilty for showing emotion, I feel so infuriatingly pathetic over this, I long to be comforted when I cry or feel terrified, I hate myself for it. I long for that comfort I never experienced as a child, I would always feel envious when I see people receiving help from others when they feel sad because I never experienced it myself, I’d always have the questions “why am I different”, “what did I do wrong”, “how come people are willing to help you”. I despise how petty it is but I still have that grating feeling about it. Even now I feel it, I feel deeply selfish and angry at myself for it

I feel like a scared child in the body of a teenager, I’m petrified of getting hurt again. For as long as I can remember I have had that awful feeling you get after something bad has happened, everything feels off. I’m scared of disappointing people, I’m scared of angering people, I’m scared of people, I don’t want to get hurt again but I don’t want to close myself off so it feels like I’m stuck in some sort of cruel limbo. I know I’m safer now, I know I’m not around my family (aside from my mum obviously but it’s better to just stay away from her) and people are apparently less harsh but the scared feeling is still there. I feel like if I were to meet child me I would just end up crying or at least having that feeling. I still feel that same racking distress I felt when I was a child, each and every memory of mine is shrouded by it. I’ve always felt like I deserve it, even if I didn’t directly say that it would always cross my mind to stop being a coward, you have no reason to cry as you deserve this. It hurts now and honestly I don’t know whether or not I should believe it because I know it’s a bad mindset to have but it feels like I’m just in denial when I say otherwise. I don’t know how to go about it. It hurts thinking about how even as a child I felt that, I should have been fucking enjoying things, I should have at least felt safe, I’m not saying that I deserved to be treated like royalty but at least to have the bare minimum of what a child should have. I’m devastated that that’s it, that’s my childhood. There is no way to change it, I can’t go back to make memories that I would look at now and smile about, I didn’t get to do things every other child seemed to do, I am furious that nothing can change what has happened. Sure, I’m on high alert incase something bad happens (which is useful but not nice if that makes sense) but it wasn’t worth sacrificing my fucking childhood. No matter how much I tried to please my peers nothing changed, I would always be up at night shaking terrified, having everyone be asleep while I’m the only person awake seemed to further emphasise the fact that if anything bad were to happen I would be alone in the situation, I always felt that but when that were the case it just brought more light to it. That felt worse combined with the overwhelming fear of seemingly nothing, I have no idea what specifically I was scared of, all I know as that I was scared. I hated when it was time to sleep, around most people I felt scared of going to sleep while they were awake incase they decided to harm me in my sleep, I would be completely defenceless and vulnerable. I was also scared of going to sleep while everyone else was asleep, I knew that with everyone asleep there would be no way for anyone to do anything if something bad happened. I know that I myself might not have been able to do much if anything if say someone broke in or a fire started or someone was having medical complications and wasn’t able to get help on their own but at least I would have been able to wake someone up or call for help from the police or something. I never really knew what to do, I would usually just fall asleep when my body would allow me regardless of me being terrified. I always felt scared and wanted to cry but would then feel guilty for being sensitive, I wasn’t fucking sensitive, what I felt was fucking reasonable for a child like that, everywhere I went there was hurt, there was a constant lingering judgement everywhere I went, I never felt safe and was constantly anticipating the worst if not mourning what has already happened. I don’t know where I heard the phrase ‘it’s a world of hurt’ but wherever I heard it it’s fucking true, no matter where you go, what you act like, what you look like, what you like or what you do you’ll always have someone willing to hurt you. Even as a fucking child people want to hurt you. It is sickening, not even as a child could I escape that vile treatment from people. I still feel like I’m there a lot, that’s what I mean when I say that I feel like a child trapped in a teenagers body, I still feel weak, I still feel petrified of getting hurt again, I still feel scared when I accidentally do something wrong or mess up on something, even the smallest mistakes pierce me with an overwhelming fear of being hated or punished, even if I do something like accidentally spilling a small amount of water I have that feeling where you want to cry, I feel so guilty over such stupid things and to be honest I can’t tell when things are reasonable to feel like this over, obviously things like what I’ve just mentioned about spilling water are obvious that it’s stupid to think that some sort of punishment other than a complaint or someone sighing will come from but other stuff is just no. It feels like everything I do warrants punishment. I envy people who don’t feel guilty for showing emotion, I feel so infuriatingly pathetic over this, I long to be comforted when I cry or feel terrified, I hate myself for it. I long for that comfort I never experienced as a child, I would always feel envious when I see people receiving help from others when they feel sad because I never experienced it myself, I’d always have the questions “why am I different”, “what did I do wrong”, “how come people are willing to help you”. I despise how petty it is but I still have that grating feeling about it. Even now I feel it, I feel deeply selfish and angry at myself for it

I've been in the trenches of influencer marketing for quite some time now. And truth be told, I was pretty terrible at it when I first started out.
The campaigns I ran for brands just weren't generating the sales I had hoped for.
But after a lot of trial and error, I realized there were four common reasons why these campaigns were falling flat. Here's the lowdown:
​

1. Choosing the wrong influencers: I was dazzled by influencers with large followings and sleek feeds, only to realize these weren't the key to success. Now, the approach is more refined:

• Checking follower counts and engagement rates.
• Browsing through the comments to check the kind of engagement
• Checking alignment with brand values.
• Ensuring the influencer's content is engaging and persuasive

​

1. Sloppy onboarding: I was basically just sending products to influencers and hoping for the best. Not a good move. Now, I've developed a solid onboarding document with all the details like:

• Info about the brand (logo, product shots, etc.)
• Clearly outlined expectations and perks
• Where to contact in case of questions
• Any processes I use (approval, payouts, etc.)

You can check the exact template we use here.
​

1. Infrequent posts: There were times when influencers just weren't posting enough. The solution? An 'activation drip'— a set of pre-scheduled, automated emails sent over time. These reminders:

• Share success stories from other influencers.
• Provide examples of effective content.
• Keep them in the loop about the benefits of working with my brand.

​

1. Product-market fit if off: And then, there were those times when I hit a wall and realized there was nothing more I could do. The product just didn't fit the market. If this happens:

• Consider whether other channels are successful. If not, influencer marketing might not be right for you.
• If you're not making headway anywhere, it's time to focus on finding your product-market fit.

Let me know if you want more details about each problem and solution. I will share those. What about you? Any facepalm or eureka moments you've experienced in influencer marketing?

I feel like a scared child in the body of a teenager, I’m petrified of getting hurt again. For as long as I can remember I have had that awful feeling you get after something bad has happened, everything feels off. I’m scared of disappointing people, I’m scared of angering people, I’m scared of people, I don’t want to get hurt again but I don’t want to close myself off so it feels like I’m stuck in some sort of cruel limbo. I know I’m safer now, I know I’m not around my family (aside from my mum obviously but it’s better to just stay away from her) and people are apparently less harsh but the scared feeling is still there. I feel like if I were to meet child me I would just end up crying or at least having that feeling. I still feel that same racking distress I felt when I was a child, each and every memory of mine is shrouded by it. I’ve always felt like I deserve it, even if I didn’t directly say that it would always cross my mind to stop being a coward, you have no reason to cry as you deserve this. It hurts now and honestly I don’t know whether or not I should believe it because I know it’s a bad mindset to have but it feels like I’m just in denial when I say otherwise. I don’t know how to go about it. It hurts thinking about how even as a child I felt that, I should have been fucking enjoying things, I should have at least felt safe, I’m not saying that I deserved to be treated like royalty but at least to have the bare minimum of what a child should have. I’m devastated that that’s it, that’s my childhood. There is no way to change it, I can’t go back to make memories that I would look at now and smile about, I didn’t get to do things every other child seemed to do, I am furious that nothing can change what has happened. Sure, I’m on high alert incase something bad happens (which is useful but not nice if that makes sense) but it wasn’t worth sacrificing my fucking childhood. No matter how much I tried to please my peers nothing changed, I would always be up at night shaking terrified, having everyone be asleep while I’m the only person awake seemed to further emphasise the fact that if anything bad were to happen I would be alone in the situation, I always felt that but when that were the case it just brought more light to it. That felt worse combined with the overwhelming fear of seemingly nothing, I have no idea what specifically I was scared of, all I know as that I was scared. I hated when it was time to sleep, around most people I felt scared of going to sleep while they were awake incase they decided to harm me in my sleep, I would be completely defenceless and vulnerable. I was also scared of going to sleep while everyone else was asleep, I knew that with everyone asleep there would be no way for anyone to do anything if something bad happened. I know that I myself might not have been able to do much if anything if say someone broke in or a fire started or someone was having medical complications and wasn’t able to get help on their own but at least I would have been able to wake someone up or call for help from the police or something. I never really knew what to do, I would usually just fall asleep when my body would allow me regardless of me being terrified. I always felt scared and wanted to cry but would then feel guilty for being sensitive, I wasn’t fucking sensitive, what I felt was fucking reasonable for a child like that, everywhere I went there was hurt, there was a constant lingering judgement everywhere I went, I never felt safe and was constantly anticipating the worst if not mourning what has already happened. I don’t know where I heard the phrase ‘it’s a world of hurt’ but wherever I heard it it’s fucking true, no matter where you go, what you act like, what you look like, what you like or what you do you’ll always have someone willing to hurt you. Even as a fucking child people want to hurt you. It is sickening, not even as a child could I escape that vile treatment from people. I still feel like I’m there a lot, that’s what I mean when I say that I feel like a child trapped in a teenagers body, I still feel weak, I still feel petrified of getting hurt again, I still feel scared when I accidentally do something wrong or mess up on something, even the smallest mistakes pierce me with an overwhelming fear of being hated or punished, even if I do something like accidentally spilling a small amount of water I have that feeling where you want to cry, I feel so guilty over such stupid things and to be honest I can’t tell when things are reasonable to feel like this over, obviously things like what I’ve just mentioned about spilling water are obvious that it’s stupid to think that some sort of punishment other than a complaint or someone sighing will come from but other stuff is just no. It feels like everything I do warrants punishment. I envy people who don’t feel guilty for showing emotion, I feel so infuriatingly pathetic over this, I long to be comforted when I cry or feel terrified, I hate myself for it. I long for that comfort I never experienced as a child, I would always feel envious when I see people receiving help from others when they feel sad because I never experienced it myself, I’d always have the questions “why am I different”, “what did I do wrong”, “how come people are willing to help you”. I despise how petty it is but I still have that grating feeling about it. Even now I feel it, I feel deeply selfish and angry at myself for it

i’ve just finished my junior year. i have enough credits to only have to do one semester in the fall and then graduate in december, then go to college in the fall (using the spring/summer to work without school getting in the way).
i don’t necessarily want to specify what i want to do, i have friends and family who frequent this sub, but it’s definitely not something you could just browse indeed and find a job. but, it’s my dream since before i can remember.
i guess now that i’ve started making plans and saving for the equipment i’d need people have started to realize i’m not just a “big dreamer.” they all used to be so supportive, encouraging me and telling me to go for it, but now i can’t talk to my friends or family without a stem related degree or trade school being pushed onto me. i would understand if i just didn’t have a plan, but i have a job lined up for me after i graduate. it’s safe, and i’d be able to survive comfortably off of it especially since i’m going to the college a 20 minute drive from my house.
my aunts and uncles who i haven’t talked to in months have called and texted, practically begging me to do something safer and pursue my dream without a degree. yes, that is possible, but makes it harder and i’d need the training that college would give me. they all say the same stuff over and over, it’s hard to get into unless you know people, it’s a demanding job, i’d have to travel, the hours are unpredictable, i couldn’t have a family like that, etc. my aunt even went as far as to call one of her old high school buddies who entered my desired field just to tell me that he quit (after a VERY successful career, mind you) to start a family and he’s happier now than ever before.
nobody takes me seriously when i say i don’t want kids, i WANT to travel, i don’t mind the hours because this is everything i’ve ever wanted. i don’t mind that it’s hard to get into, because with the training the degree would get me i can do side hustles and earn experience and money so they don’t need to be concerned. it’s always the same “every woman wants kids! and you can’t have both with this career!”
even if that’s true, even if i change my mind there are so many women in this industry with families. i shouldn’t have to give my dreams up because of their sexist ass worldview that every woman just needs kids to be happy. my male cousin is spending hundreds of thousands on college across the country on an even riskier degree but nobody bats an eye because he’s always been “determined”.
this job is it for me. it’s everything i’ve ever wanted, and now i’m finally starting to be on the path to get it. i think at the very least i should get some support from my family and friends.

(I welcome honest opinions but please be kind about it, this is a hard situation for me and feeling sensitive about it because I love her so much and trying to approach this in the most balanced way possible, but I’m also trying to respect my own boundaries)
Background: My MOH is a long time childhood friend, her and her family are basically family. My first impression of her boyfriend, the first time she ever talked about him to me, was when he already fucked her over (she barely told anyone about him in the beginning because she was embarrassed that they wouldn’t like him and some other reason I forgot….), he was immature, ghosted her, left her for his ex even though he told her his ex gf was crazy...etc etc. I was there for her through that, helping her process and holding space for her.
Time goes on and she stops talking to me about him so I assumed she's moved past it, but eventually (she never told me but I heard from her sister) she’s starts talking to him again. (Her sister has told me that he’s pulled more bullshit on and off throughout that time as well). I thought, well if she is ready to talk to me about him then she will tell me how things are. She never really does.
And so I make my guest list for my wedding and I didn’t give her a plus one because I literally didn’t even think she had a bf. (She’s going with her whole family to my wedding and knows many others there).
Fast forward this past month, about a month before my rsvp deadline, she starts slowly referring to him as her bf casually. I don’t say much or ask questions. Fast forward to 4 days after the rsvp deadline (but 3 days before I have to give my final number to my caterer), she asks if she can bring him.
I have a strong bodily reaction to it when she asked. I realize that he triggers me. I’ve been in past toxic relationships that remind me of the shit that guy has pulled. And I may be extremely biased, but during a 2 day road trip I had with her recently, he called her soooo many times (and my MOH’s mom told me the same thing happened to her when her mom traveled to visit my MOH from out of state, her mom had to keep telling her to get off the phone)…and to me, that’s a sign of unhealthy attachment at best, or at worst, keeping tabs/controlling behavior. And that shit triggers me because, again, I’ve been in that kind of relationship many years ago. (I have met him once over FaceTime for like 10 seconds, and it felt overly friendly disingenuous/fake or trying too hard to the point where I felt awkward and had a hard time connecting with him, but again, it could be my bias)
I plan to talk to her soon and be honest with how I feel about it, and that I do want to get to know him and work through my triggers of him (because she said during our road trip he is improving and putting in effort, etc etc but it's hard for me to believe right away) but I don’t want to have to work through my triggers and get to know him AT my wedding.
I feel bad because I love her and she puts in effort to be a helpful MOH and she’s already upset that her mom doesn’t like her bf and me not wanting him there will probably make her feel worse. I just don’t want that energy or that reminder of those triggers at my wedding. I'm seeing my partner and I's wedding day as something sacred and there's certain energies I do not want there. I know my friend will be hurt but will generally respect my decision...but am I being rude for not inviting him?

im constantly doing research but i always find something i didnt know before and i have so many questions. i bought him a massive and extremely expensive cage, constantly buying him toys, talk to him all the time, etc. i just have some questions id so so grateful if someone could help.

1. i read somewhere just a few minuts earlier that ur not supposed to make eye contact w ur bird cus then they see u a predator?? what?? i do that all the time and now im worried hes threatened of me
2. ur not supposed to chase around ur bird, ikik. butttt i used to give him a bath in my bathroom shower (in his cage). but now the cage is too big for that. i give him one in the balcony and use a water sprayer. he LOVES baths, and has no fear of water or baths. but the sprayer im using, he seems to be afraid of it? when he first saw it he panicked and flapped his wings and flew to the other side of the cage obviously panicked. my mom said its just cus its a new object, but i wonder if its cus of the colour? its bright red. he would also get scared when i sprayed it at him. idk why cus when we do it in the bathroom shower he loves it. i thought maybe cus its a new environment? but hes still not used to it. issue is when he doesnt do it i just chase him around with it, cus how else do i give him a bath? but now im realizing that was a bad decision. and i feel like its probably making him hate me. evetually he does settle down and stays still so i can shower him though.

he's a bit more accustomed to it now, lot more than before, but still he panicks sometimes and tries to fly to different parts of his cage sometimes esp if i get too close with the sprayer or try to spray his frontside. also he doesnt let me spray his frontside just the back. so like, how am i supposed to give him a bath? why is he scared of the sprayer, should i stick to what hes comfy with (the bathroom) or try to get him accustomed to this cus its a bit more convenient? im gonna try keeping the sprayer next to his cage today to see if he gets more used to it.
3) i put a lil container inside his cage for him to bathe himself sometimes. i took it out now but the issue is he keeps dipping hard things (pellets, biscuits) in it to soak them and eat lol. but the container is pretty big and wide so the biscuit floats away and then he cant take it again. and i dont want him taking a bath in that water.
4) i heard about target training to get him out of his cage. i have a question - so in target training u tap a stick and then he follows it, and when he does u treat him cus he followed te stick and eventually when hes used to it u take im out of the cage. thats cool but what if he follows the stick to attack it? do i still treat him?? cus if i give him a treat then, itll be like im treating him to attack, and i dont want him to attack things.
5) i got him to lick things i put inside the cage in exchange for a treat. but then i wasnt home for 2-3 days and now he doesnt do it anymore. also yesterday he was super mad at me for some reason, kept attacking me. he usually doesnt and i can put my hands inside the cage (as long as theyre not near him), sometime si even put my head in. yesterday he was NOT having in. today when i put my hand in to change his food he opened his mouth (didnt lunge). i took it a bit slow then he didnt mind.
6) his mood like fluctuates on certain days hes angrier than other. i think he likes kissy sounds lol whenever i make those hes a bit nicer. i think it soothes him or something.
7) i read somewhere that u shouldnt give ur parrot a bath and they can do it themselves?? this along with him not being a fan of the sprayer is making me consider it but when i give him a bath i can clean him nicely. plus he does LOVE baths, just not the newer version of it lol.
8) i dont give him seeds often. he loves them but ir ead theyre too high on fat so i rarely give it. yesterday i gave him 2 things he loves but no one was home all day n i came home n saw he hadnt eaten ANYTHING. and it was almost 9pm. so i gave him seeds and he ate that and i put him to sleep at 10. should i give seeds more often?
9) he sleeps from 8pm onwards and gets very cranky during that time i assume cus hes sleepy. but also the past few days ive been busy at night n my parents put him to sleep a lil late like 9-10pm. i think thats making him cranky??
10) how dark should his cage be at night? ever since i got this new cage, i cant cover it properly. his cage is in the hall. earlier his cage was smaller so we would drape a bedsheet over it but now the cage is too big for that. the hall has lights on until like 12am. i just drape a bedhseet over it and its semi-dark in the top part of the cage (where he sleeps) but its not DARK dark as light still seeps in from the bottom half of the cage + the bedsheet isnt fully opaque (little bit light still comes in from the bedsheet as i cant fold it since the cage is already big). also sometimes the TV is on during this time, is the noise annoying him? hes never minded the TV, in his smaller cage he used to sleep well cus we could make it dakr in his cage. now im thinking maybe hes not sleeping so good? i dont know, hes only been cranky the past 2-3 days, should i try keeping him elsewhere? how do i cover the cage well without making it super hot inside?
11) reasons i think hes been cranky - a) i havent been home the past few days and have been busy and not spending as much time w him b) the sprayer?? idkkk c) hes being put to sleep late? if the hall is dark he'll just go to sleep but then someone comes in and switches on the light and since theres no bedsheet covering him
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honestly just overall i need help w tricks on how to tame him. do i need to use those clicker thingies? overall, hes not super afraid of me. he eats from my hand (although one time he bit me), he loves it when i talk to him and listens intently. sometimes he gets mad or lunges at me. past few days hes been a bit mad.
hes not yet comfy coming out of his cage but if i can get this target training thing then ill try that soon. he doesnt let me touch him, not with my hand or any object.
i wanna eventually get him out and be able to touch him. but with the target training i really dont know if i should reward him when he follows the stick just to attack it. cus i dont wanna reward him attacking but i want him to follow the stick???

I've been a player since Legion and have been enjoying my time with World of Warcraft on and off. I've dabbled in various activities like leveling, M+, and even tried out WoW Classic when it was released. However, I've always had this nagging desire to try raiding, but I've been hesitant due to difficulties in finding a guild or a pug group.
I've done some research and received mixed feedback about different servers, so I'm turning to this community for some advice and recommendations. I would greatly appreciate it if you could share your experiences and suggest a server where I can easily get into raiding.
I've heard that Turtle WoW has a high population, but some players mentioned that it's mainly focused on leveling. On the other hand, I've come across Warmane, which seems to have strict gscore requirements, making it challenging for newcomers like me to join. I also gave Tauri WoW a shot, but struggled to find raid pugs.
​
Edit:I am okay with any expansion or vanilla server as long as raiding have done by at least 10 people. I don't like scaling content to 5 person or playing with bots etc

Finding a good tutor who can effectively assist you in a specific subject is crucial for academic success. This article provides practical tips and strategies to help you find a qualified tutor who meets your specific needs.

1. Identify Your Requirements: Before starting the tutor search, clearly define your requirements. Determine the subject you need assistance with, the level of tutoring required (e.g., elementary, high school, college), and any specific learning objectives or challenges you may have. This clarity will guide your search and help you find a tutor who specializes in your desired subject.
   
2. Seek Recommendations: Ask your friends, classmates, teachers, or school counselors for recommendations. They may have worked with tutors in the past or know someone who can provide assistance in your chosen subject. Personal recommendations often carry more weight and can lead you to trustworthy and reliable tutors.
   
3. Utilize Online Tutoring Platforms: Online tutoring platforms have become a popular resource for finding tutors in various subjects. Platforms like Tutor.com, Chegg, and Wyzant connect students with qualified tutors who offer one-on-one sessions. These platforms often provide reviews, tutor profiles, and information on their qualifications and expertise, making it easier to find a good fit.
   
4. Check Tutor Qualifications and Experience: When considering potential tutors, review their qualifications, experience, and educational background. Look for tutors who hold relevant degrees, certifications, or professional experience in the subject you need help with. Additionally, consider their teaching experience and track record of success.
   
5. Interview Potential Tutors: Before committing to a tutor, conduct interviews or introductory sessions to assess their teaching style, communication skills, and compatibility with your learning preferences. Ask questions about their teaching methodologies, availability, and approach to addressing specific learning challenges. This interaction will help you determine if the tutor is a good fit for your needs.
   
6. Request References: If possible, ask potential tutors for references from previous students or parents. Contact these references to gather insights into the tutor's teaching effectiveness, professionalism, and reliability. Hearing from others who have worked with the tutor can provide valuable feedback and help you make an informed decision.
   
7. Consider Cost and Schedule: Evaluate the cost and scheduling options offered by the tutor. Compare rates and packages from different tutors to ensure they align with your budget. Additionally, consider their availability and flexibility to accommodate your schedule, especially if you have other commitments or extracurricular activities.
   
8. Trust Your Instincts: Finally, trust your instincts when selecting a tutor. If something feels off or you don't feel a connection with a particular tutor, it's best to explore other options. A good tutor-student relationship is built on trust, effective communication, and mutual understanding.
   

Finding a good tutor requires careful consideration of your specific requirements, seeking recommendations, utilizing online platforms, checking qualifications and experience, conducting interviews, requesting references, considering cost and schedule, and ultimately trusting your instincts. By following these steps, you can find a tutor who will effectively support your learning and help you excel in your chosen subject.

First Prev Next Royal Road Patreon
u/KieveKRS providing the Trash certification of quality! (with help from u/coldfireknight cuz this one needed it.)
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Nalah affixed the massive shield to her back, the rectangular form large enough for him to fit behind while only needing to crouch slightly. It was mostly ironwood, but the sides and front were metal-plated, so it still weighed a considerable amount. Despite that, the thing’s bulk hardly seemed to be noticed by the blonde-furred female, likely due to the constant construction work she involved herself in. It paired oddly with the long pike she insisted on using, but he couldn’t deny that poking at things while hiding behind a mobile wall sounded like a good idea.
Jax was wearing his new armour, the bulky chest-piece a mirror of his blond-furred pack mate’s. Though he forwent the protection a buckler or likewise would offer, he doubled up on gear. Gauntlets, vambraces, pauldrons, and anything else he could wear to compliment the massive axe he had taken a liking to.
Where Nalah was fitted to look like an apocalypse survivor—her protections limited to her torso, forearms, and shield—the black-furred male resembled a giant, if underfunded, paladin. All he needed now was some religious imagery and a penchant for exalting the qualities of their god. Joseph almost nudged the guy to suggest it for kicks.
On second thought, he decided that Jax absolutely did not need a reason to start yelling about the Human-turned-religious-figure, because there was no way in hell he wouldn’t. There was no telling what he would choose to say, and the Grand Hunter was perfectly happy never knowing.
Having been with the male as long as he had, it would probably involve ‘taming’ females or something else that would leave him groaning for weeks, if not just contemplating another high-dive from the cliff.
Joseph fixed his own equipment, the ‘Wraith armour’ worn over his own thin iron breastplate. He wasn’t thrilled to wear the extra weight, but it beat being mauled by the thing they were heading out to kill. The trips so far had been tolerable, fog and overcast skies keeping the temperature in check, but he didn’t want to go out in this on a hotter day as Summer really kicked back in. He was sweaty enough without baking inside all this crap.
He adjusted the wolf-skull mask, the rest of the hunting party having gotten over the worst of the unease it gave them. Though they’d needed to rotate people out for the sake of fairness, this would be their eighth consecutive scouting. Using the information that Raine and Faye provided, they narrowed down a likely stomping grounds for the creature and were systematically clearing sectors. It might have been discouraging to keep looking after so long, but the occasional marking on trees and the odd moss-wolf corpse tipped them off that they were getting close. There was still another week’s worth of searching left if today wasn’t the day, but somehow he doubted they wouldn’t need that long.
All in all, they numbered six; larger parties were attempted, but their efforts at stealth quickly became pointless between so many trudging through the forest and stopping for breaks. There was a bit of a scare where one of Mi’low’s pack went missing, but the guy had just stopped to relieve himself. Since the discovery was made by someone else knocking him over in the process by mistake, they decided that keeping the number smaller made communication easier. And lowered the amount of grumbling about needing a bath.
Jax, Nalah, two security members, one of the hunters, and him. Sure, grabbing Tel or the Wraiths would have been a bit more useful for cohesion, but they were all busy with things, and he didn’t want to grind everything in the settlement to a halt for nothing if the search turned up empty again. They were more suited to taking out their fellow Lilhun than some monster in the woods, as much as he disliked the thought.
Scarlet was spending a lot of time with Violet and the new Atmo, Faye was spending much of her recovery with the moss-wolves and moss-pup, and Tel was in the process of helping Harrow shore up the few security members that were slated to become snipers. Kaslin was still learning chemistry with Toril, and Raine was helping whoever needed a hand, so that marked off all of his usual accompaniment. He could have taken more of his direct pack, but they all had important things to take care of as well.
Sahari was managing the pack and putting people where people needed to be put, Pan was working with Idee and Heralt to make a line of armour for the whole pack, and Mi’low was...well, Mi’low. He was pretty sure she was unofficially the master of the hunter’s lodge and spent most of her time keeping track of what came in and out of it, while also making sure that everyone got their fair share. It needed to be done with the settlement growing as much as it had, and it kept Mi’low busy enough to stymie the flow of complaints, so he wasn’t about to complain.
They double checked that they had everything that was needed; food, water, arrows, bolts, and some bags to store anything that the snares had caught on the way back. Four ranged and two melee weapons meant that they would be mostly using Jax and Nalah to soak hits if it came down to it, the others peppering it with projectiles. Given that Harrow was insistent on the bear-thing being resistant to anything they could use at a distance, they also carried spare weapons for the ranged users, just in case. Nodding, Joseph gestured to the group finishing up their preparations for the day’s trip.
“A moment, sir?” Scarlet called to him as she approached the gate, the Wraith flanked by Rose and Cobalt. The two Atmo were decked-out in their own armour, which appeared to be almost entirely metal, save for the palm lining the inside for comfort. Each of their six legs were adorned with broad shields, their bases capped off with a flat storage carriage. They looked like someone had a little too much fun testing how much the insects could effortlessly carry and had ended up with sapient hexapedal tanks.
“Only if you explain why those two would look more at home if they had cannons installed on their backs,” he quipped, an expression somewhere between surprised, amused, and plain dumbfounded plastered on his face. The blackish red-furred female smirked for a split-second before resuming her usual servile presentation.
“The young mistress had extended her request for these two to accompany you.”
Joseph tilted his head incredulously. “Violet told you to send them?”
Scarlet nodded, gesturing to the outfitted Atmo. “They have been under her tutelage for some time now, and wish to be of assistance.”
The Grand Hunter snapped his mouth closed when he was about to ask why his daughter would teach them anything that might be useful for fighting a deadly beast. Of course she did; It was one of the first things he did for her. It would have been weirder for her not to pass on what she knew after all the hours she spent either seeing him coach the others, or being coached herself. With the time she had under her belt, she was the local Atmo Close Quarters Combat specialist, and no one else understood how the modified boxing she learned worked with their bodies like she did.
He wore a hesitant expression, shifting his weight to his other leg. “Well, they’ve certainly geared up.”
“It is a product our smith is rather proud of,” the Wraith affirmed confidently.
He exhaled slowly. “Seems a bit much.”
She seemed to be expecting the remark, barely pausing to register what he said before responding. “Your kit wishes you safe, yet understands you would not allow her to accompany you. These two wish to be of assistance.”
To punctuate her point, the two nodded in agreement, walking forward and slinging some of the backpacks onto their carriages. It seemed ‘no’ wasn’t something they were going to accept after Violet had said her piece. He sighed, conceding that they wouldn’t slow the party down with everyone carrying so much weight in equipment, regardless of the bags. They took breaks frequently enough to accommodate the Atmo, so that wouldn’t hinder anything either.
“Fine,” he relented with a wave of his hand. “We’ll take them. Not like they’d hurt anyway. But–” He put a warning into his tone. “–they’re not playing the hero and getting themselves killed. This isn’t going to work if they think any of us dying is still a net positive, got it?”
The two Atmo mimed their understanding, Scarlet replying with a victorious smile. Joseph couldn’t help but bemusedly roll his eyes. The female had taken rather well to baby-sitting, and that seems to have extended to humouring the young Queen’s schemes now. It wasn’t an unwelcome addition to their little sojourn. At least they could haul back any larger game without it tacking hours onto the return trip.
He thanked Scarlet for her trouble before dismissing her, confirming with the group that everything was accounted for, and set off before it grew too late. He wasn’t looking to get caught out in the woods during the night. The Lilhuns might be fine, but he was pretty well blind unless the moon felt generous.
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Jax watched the two Atmo quietly follow on the sides of the group, their heavily armoured forms posing no issues with their naturally soundless movements in the forest. In the den, they would make moderate clacks and clicks as their chitinous legs contacted the ground, but the soft dirt and foliage stifled all but the smallest report of their travel. With Scarlet supervising alongside Violet, he wouldn’t have been surprised to learn that the former Blade had influenced their movement with the goal in mind, though he had never paid much attention to how they walked before to compare.
He had to admit, having them carry the additional equipment was exceedingly useful. He had proposed having the group use the newly acquired platforms on their more arachnid-like abdomen to rest in shifts, but Joseph was quick to insist that the insects were of lesser stamina than even Lilhuns. The phrasing seemed like a comparative insult, but Jax had more than enough experience with the Human to know that he had simply spoken his mind. To him, everyone had sub-par stamina. Training had gone some way to remedy the discrepancy, but the Grand Hunter could still continue for longer than even the most well-conditioned of them.
The black-furred male rolled his shoulders, feeling the heft of his axe shift with the movement. It was an impressive size, the weight well-balanced and its edge sharp. He had once laid it to the ground out of curiosity and confirmed that it was about as tall as Pan from head to haft, though only if she stood to her full height. Regardless of its size, it was still lighter than the armour he chose to don.
Having only really worn leathers or a few sets of ironwood protections, the encumbering prominence of the iron equipment took getting used to. It wasn’t entirely restrictive, but did put a damper on any chances he had of sprinting from danger. That was fine, he supposed, since he was wearing it against a beast he had no experience with. It could very well outrun him regardless, and he would rather have the defences in either case.
Nalah seemed to be doing fine, the large barrier she kept on her back swaying slightly as she walked. She was unhindered by it, her movements barely affected by the bulk, which was reassuring. Joseph, however, seemed to be panting more than usual, the rolling cloud coverage easing as the sun progressively warmed the environment. The fog from earlier meant that it was rather humid, and that seemed to bore no well wishes for the male encased in dark leathers and thick plates. He had even flipped down his hood, the sweat beading on his skin adding a sheen to his visage.
“I liked this better when the sun didn’t exist,” the Human lamented quietly, just loud enough for Jax to hear. The black-furred male chuckled.
“It would be rather dark.”
Joseph glared at him for a moment before rolling his eyes. “I just don’t rank ‘heavily armoured hike through the woods’ high up on my list of things I want to do regularly.”
“I believe that list would be occupied by your mates, no?” he ribbed playfully, a smirk arising when the Grand Hunter shunted his eyes closed in a grimace.
“I hate you.”
“I can see your smile underneath your displeasure, Joseph,” Jax quipped, nudging the male with his elbow, then giving an apologetic smile when his friend almost fell. Joseph sighed, waving Cobalt over and fetching a water-skin from the luggage that the insect was ferrying without breaking stride—though he needed to be careful not to get stepped on.
The Atmo always amused Jax. Be it their passive demeanour hidden by their towering stature, or his interactions with the den-kit, they never failed to be curious people. Having the two that accompanied Volta with them was an unexpected development, but he couldn’t claim to disapprove. If they had been imparted the methods of combat that Violet had cultivated, then there was little worry of them being harmed by naught but perhaps their current target. At least not until there was a better reference of its strength than the single encounter the first-years had so long ago.
At the time, it had smashed pillars and pierced flesh effortlessly, claws proving to be little more than tempting ministrations of tender touch to the thick hide. Jax only had some of the pack’s recount to base the experience off of, but was content to take their word for it. He was, ashamedly, preoccupied taking care of baser needs when the event transpired, so he was woefully unprepared for the eventual encounter. Still, he was afforded the best the settlement had to offer so that he might serve his duty of protecting the Grand Hunter. Harrow would never forgive him if only he returned.
His thoughts were disturbed by Joseph calling for a rest, Jax’s legs thankful for the break from supporting the unusual weight for so long. The Human dispensed rations and water for the pack, the Atmo waiting until everyone else was supplied before accepting their portion. They rested on their base directly, instead of curling their legs beneath them like Jax had become accustomed. Perhaps the armour impeded such, or they wished to remain mobile in the event such was required. Regardless, they blocked what little breeze there was, forcing the Grand Hunter to walk beyond them to enjoy it in the shade. It was short-lived however, as Rose quickly repositioned to stay between the pack and whatever lay beyond their protections.
It was a futile effort, it seemed, because it repeated again twice before Joseph groaned loudly and threw himself atop the carriage to lay back, his legs dangling at the knee. He seemed perfectly content with the unorthodox arrangement, snorting his amusement along with a muttered comment about a ‘taxi.’
The entertaining sight was marred by a distant yelp, snapping the group to attention. Jax and Joseph traded looks, subtle nods and gestures given to move out while remaining quiet. Ignoring his earlier complaints, the Grand Hunter flicked his hood up and donned the mask, drawing his crossbow and readying a bolt. The hunter of the pack mimicked the preparation, the two security members loosely nocking their arrows while Rose, Cobalt, Jax, and Nalah took point.
They proceeded quietly for far longer than the proximity of the noise would have suggested, but marks and gashes upon the trees implied a moving conflict. Thoughts of it being a lost cause quickly became moot as a closer growl and bark shattered the careful silence they had been maintaining.
Motioning for the pack to stop, Joseph waved Jax forward, Nalah approaching the other side. Using the large shield as additional cover, they peered around a particularly thick tree. Locked in combat were two moss-wolves, both attacking a truly massive grey creature.
Twice the Human’s height, half that in width. Four pillars as legs—the muscular trunks sinewy and defined—supported the disturbing hunched figure, the wide base tapering slightly into a thick and extended torso. A singular eye-stalk replaced the head, the ocular organ atop it pitch black and free of any indication of its focus. Four arms with deadly claws parried and sliced the two yellow beasts as they attempted to drive off the predator, a sickeningly large maw gaping to catch any attempts at a lunge. The mouth of the creature almost occupied the entirety of the available surface area upon its front, the jagged bone tools of manduction undulating with the promise of sustenance.
Joseph pulled them back, cursing under his breath as he tried to fight off the tension. From Nalah’s worried expression, it seemed his caution was rather potent, the other members of the group smelling his reaction as well.
“So, what’s the plan, Jax?” the Human whispered, his grip on the crossbow alternating with his fingers stretching across the trigger lest his fidgeting cause a misfire.
“I thought that, with your record, you would wish to tame it for the settlement,” Jax replied while thinking through a plan of action. He was glad that his friend trusted him, but he wished he had known the true scale of the beast prior. Joseph grit his teeth, turning to glance past the tree again with sarcasm pouring out of his response.
“Can’t quite see Winnie-the-woodchipper there playing great with kids.”
“You say that after adopting an Atmo as kit, Grand Hunter,” he returned, nodding to himself when a plan formed. The Human smiled, the banter easing the tension somewhat. “Rose, Cobalt, you two are the most well defended of us. Circle around and drive the beast this way. You should be capable of such without noise, yes?”
The two insects nodded, emptying their luggage behind a tree so as not to lose any of it before disappearing into the trees. The slight glimmer of their iron armour was the only indication of their position through the dense forest. Jax hoped that the beast was not particularly curious about the dimly pulsing glare, nor finished with its current altercation in time to impede the pair.
Satisfied with their progress, he motioned for the two security members to scale a tree and gain a superior vantage point. Their weapons would be able to maintain a more rapid pace of sustained fire at longer ranges. Joseph and the hunter were instructed to hide behind trees nearby, though the Human would need to remain grounded as his lack of claws made scaling the large flora difficult with his equipment.
Finally, Nalah and he positioned themselves much closer, in order to flank the creature as it fled the Atmo and occupy it long enough for the others to bleed it out, if not outright dispose of it.
With the forms of the Atmo peeking through the brush opposite them, Jax raised his axe to signal the start.
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Joseph felt the hammering in his chest, his heart preparing him to fight for his life against the walking abomination that easily outclassed the only other predator that he had experience with. Sure, the moss-wolves were easy to take down once you had equipment and a plan, but that thing screamed danger.
He watched Jax and Nalah set up behind thick trees, their goal being for Jax to hopefully disable a leg or two with the war-axe while Nalah occupied it with the shield. As the two strongest members of his little family, he trusted both to do their job.
As a clusterfuck of animal and torture device, he had no faith in the creature playing along.
Swallowing his hesitation, he adjusted his grip on the crossbow again, mentally tallying his shots and cursing himself for not researching explosives. Sure, Toril didn’t want to be involved in that kind of weapon, but at the moment, the tailless white-furred male could suck it up and make one anyway. Joseph would give his left nut to see how quickly the chemist would make weapons of mass destruction just to annihilate whatever that thing called home.
Jax raised his axe, glinting the sunlight of it towards the Atmo. Receiving the start signal, the two clicked and loosed a deafening screech, the Human’s ears ringing even from this distance.
The beast seemed unperturbed by the noise, though the lack of visible ears may have had something to do with the lacklustre effect. Regardless, it did notice the two armour-clad insects charging at it, and smartly decided to extradite itself from the area. The moss-wolves, however, didn’t quite get the memo, mistaking the advancing assistance as yet another foe to defend themselves from.
He had to say, Violet taught the two well. They flashed their blades out in the same flicker jab that he had shown his daughter, and with an unceremonious squelch, the two bisected canines landed in four pieces, a vibrant green ichor now staining the weapon-like appendages of the Atmo. Undeterred by their first act of violence—as far as he was aware, anyway—they continued herding the beast.
It wasn’t as fast as they might have feared, its quadrupedal gait hindered by its proportions, but it was still quick enough to be damn intimidating. Its arms acted as a counter balance, constantly adjusting this way and that just to keep it stable. That thing was clearly never meant for sprinting, all its mobility being given to the overactive maw that pulsated with the exertion.
He readied his crossbow, the shaking in his hands not ruining his aim against such a large target. He eyeballed the distance between the creature and the ambush point, forcibly moving his finger off the trigger so that he didn’t fire early.
Closer. Come on. Almost.
Now.
Jax wound up like a particularly enthusiastic lumberjack, putting his full body into the rotation. The massive axe swung like a horizontal pendulum striking home with all the finality of a clock tolling midnight. It bit into the front leg of the beast, only sinking a few inches before momentum nearly wretched the weapon from the black-furred male. Luckily, the force and timing was enough to trip it, the creature crashing to the forest floor with a deafening roar of pain.
They could hurt it. That made him feel better.
His relief evaporated as the beast swiftly recovered, hauling itself from the ground faster than he thought possible, but his archers took it for an unspoken signal. Arrows and bolts peppered its thick hide, to no effect—it shrugged off the projectiles like they were nothing more than pine needles, none sinking far enough to gain notable purchase.
Jax hefted his axe for another strike, careful not to over-commit this time. Nalah prodded the beast wherever she could with her pike, the melee weapon sliced and skewered just past the surface of the hide, though not enough to do more than marr. It was, however, enough to gain the attention of the target, the creature swinging two of its four arms to rake across the shield that the blond-furred female held. The iron plating across the front let out an unearthly shriek as claws ripped and crumpled the metal.
Well, fuck.
Nalah was quick to react, treating the shield less as an immovable barrier and more like a slight distance buffer, dodging in and out of range to steal jabs with the polearm. The security members nocked another volley, picking different targets than before. An arrow bounced harmlessly off the black orb of an eye, another finding purchase in what passed for gums in its mouth.
The hint was received; aim for the mouth. Thankfully, that was a large target. Less thankfully, it realized that flashing its teeth was detrimental to its health, slamming the maw closed.
Jax managed another swing, this time into one of the rear legs. It wasn’t as effective as the first strike, but it did warrant a sweeping double back-fist from the creature, scoring Jax’s armour with shallow claw marks as he jumped backwards. Joseph let out a breath as he fired his second shot, only just narrowly missing the sliver of a gap between razor teeth that the enraged attack afforded. It couldn’t keep its mouth shut forever, each frenzied swipe pulling its form enough for glimpses of softer flesh within to appear. The hunter dropped from their tree, darting across to reposition for a wider angle to capitalize on. The creature noticed, lunging forward to eviscerate the easier target.
Joseph blinked as two armoured figures jumped in front of the Lilhun, raising their blades in a tight guard to block the four arms grabbing for a quick meal. The beast recoiled with a thunderous screech, two of its appendages sporting deep gashes that fountained blood, while the others managed to impact above the edged outside of the blades. Rose and Cobalt pressed forward, buying time and space for the hunter to collect themselves and scale up another perch. Taking advantage of its pain, two new arrows ripped through the air, smacking into exposed inner flesh. Two new protrusions joined the first in the mouth, one landing next to the existing projectile, while the other cleared the gateway of serration, driving deeply inside of it.
More flicker jabs and extended straights pushed and cut the beast as it tried to gain distance from the two that wounded it, every retaliatory strike earning it another gash in its grey hide.. Unencumbered by the constant barrage, Nalah thrust into its legs more vigorously, her body leaning into each attack to gain every inch of penetration she could into the muscle and thick hide.
Jax used the chance to score another chopping blow, doubling down on a previous wound to a back leg—striking bone this time, based on the unholy wail the beast uttered. Joseph raised his crossbow to land another shot into its mouth, but the beast flailed wildly to fend off the ambush.
Rose managed to block, Jax lunged backwards, Nalah deflected most of it with what remained of her shield, but Cobalt was caught by a strike, taking the hit to its torso. The Atmo flew backwards, rolling when it landed, the carriage and assorted armoured plates trailing behind it. Rose shifted instantly, covering the direction that their companion had been sent while Jax and Nalah focused on pulling the beast away from the downed combatant.
Joseph’s eyes flicked to the Atmo, waging an internal battle on whether helping the insect would be better or worse for the situation as a whole. He didn’t want to lighten up their assault if it would just mean more injuries, but Cobalt could be in dire need for a patch job. It was hard to tell from where he was.
Cursing, he bolted from his spot, firing off one last round into the gaping maw before clipping the crossbow onto his armour and sliding on his knees in front of Cobalt, healroot hastily retrieved from his pocket.
He paused, sighing in relief when none of the armour bore more than deep gashes, the carapace underneath unblemished by the attack. Cobalt clicked lightly, dazed, but otherwise seeming unhurt. Unlearned in the physiology relevant, he ushered the Atmo to remain out of the fight for fear of concussion or something similar. They could look at the insect back at the base to be sure later.
“Joseph!”
His head spun around at both Jax and Nalah screaming his name, a massive clawed hand sweeping at him—the monster's approach unnoticed while he focused on Cobalt. Lacking a better option, he lunged forward towards the underside of the beast to dodge the swipe, crashing to his shoulder on the dirt below.
The creature raised a leg above Joseph, pounding the earth scant inches from his head as he rolled sideways. Ignoring the kicked up dirt, he brought his fist to the underside of the beast, flicking the release on his bracer.
Blood spouted from the newly formed wound, the blade breaking at the mechanism as the massive animal lurched in pain, Joseph rolling out of the way of another attempted trampling. He scrambled to his feet, feeling the wind of another strike narrowly missing him.
Yeah, that would probably kill him.
Luckily, the injuries renewed the desire to flee in the monstrosity, the group of attackers proving too dangerous to continue challenging. It stumbled away from them, sparing Cobalt from its panicked trudging. Jax and Nalah started to run towards him, worry evident in their eyes, but he barked for them to finish it, redirecting the two to keep the pressure going. He didn’t want to mention the pain in the arm from where the bracer hitched. It didn’t feel broken, and thus was irrelevant.
Pressure applied, the grey beast picked a random direction free of opponents to escape, ignorant of the waiting security. When it was too close for them to shoot into its mouth at a decent angle, they slung the bows over their shoulders and drew the swords they had been afforded, patiently waiting with the blades turned down.
It passed below them, the two Lilhuns dropping from the branches to put their full weight into the plunging blades. Both landed on the large target, one sword sinking deep into a shoulder, while the other managed to pierce one of its hip joints. The beast spun haphazardly to dislodge the ‘new’ threats, both security members kicking off and finding new trees to set up in.
Whatever damage was actually done, it had lost the use of an arm, and its gait shifted awkwardly as the blade lodged in its hip worked more harm with each shambling step.. Emboldened, Jax picked up the pace, struggling to position himself with the amount of metal he wore. Ducking another swipe of its claws, he saw his chance and swung, pivoting with his axe as a counter weight. For the third time, his axe blade found the wound in its leg, adding a sickening crunch as the bone snapped from the impact.
The creature swung wildly, forced to favour its two remaining good legs, and the only other leg that could still support at least some of its weight. It was unstable now, the hunched figure swaying while unmoving. Unable to run, it decided to go down with as many of them as it could.
Rose caught up with the attack, drawing attention from the comparatively squishy Nalah as the blond-furred female deflected a wayward swing with her shield. The once iron-plated ironwood now sporting little more than jagged scraps of metal atop its silver wooden structure, a series of deep gouges marring the surface. Two lunging thrusts with the pike bit flesh, drawing new blood from the beast.
Joseph loaded his crossbow, getting off two bolts, but not managing to keep it steady enough to hit anything of use, his arm faltering under the weight of the weapon. Cursing, he decided to flank the beast and try his luck with the other bracer. If nothing else, the force in which the blade deployed was enough to pierce the thick hide, and the others were doing a good job of distracting it.
The red armoured Atmo let loose a series of directed swings, the fifth severing an arm in motion, the flying appendage forcing Nalah to raise her shield to block the unorthodox projectile. The female was sent sprawling from the weight of the impact, but the beast was too busy voicing its agony to take advantage of it. Jax worked another two chops into the broad legs, but neither managed to incapacitate it any more, and the prolonged exertion was slowing his reflexes.
As if cued into his waning energy, the beast flung Jax with another strike, the hunter of the group sinking a bolt deep into the cavernous flesh of its mouth to prevent an attempt at following up.
Joseph roared, desperate to finish it off before the creature could do the same to his downed pack. He sprinted at the monster's back and slid underneath it with as much speed as he could muster. Throwing his fist into the passing undercarriage, he let the deployed blade leave a long gash in its wake.
The grey monster lost its ability to stand, torn tendons, blood loss, and inflicted injuries taking their toll. The Grand Hunter kicked off his knees to fling himself out of the way of the collapsing figure, grimacing as the remaining bracer proved unable to support the abuse he had put it through. He looked back at the beast, the flailing body failing to right itself as teeth did little more than gouge dirt, its back exposed. Rose approached, raising their blades together and plunging it through the body over and over until it stopped moving.
Exhausted, the Atmo dropped where it was, breathing heavily. Joseph’s instinct to yell their victory was delayed as he hurried over to Jax and Nalah to confirm he didn't need to bring back bad news. Nalah seemed fine, if a bit sore from hitting the dirt and rolling, while Jax just asked to lay down when he heard that everything was over. Cobalt came over to the group, the armour that had come off collected atop the carriage it had managed to loosely affix to its base.
It was light, a chuckle originating from the Human as he slumped to the ground against a tree, but soon the entire group was roaring with laughter as victory settled in their minds. The two security members helped the hunter begin disassembling the beast, their contribution to the fight leaving them with more energy than the rest. They hadn’t been slacking off, that much was certain. The number of arrows jammed into the maw of the thing would have guaranteed a few extra seconds of survival and chances to escape if one of them had been forcibly tossed into there, and it had caused enough pause for the rest of them to get in a few hits up close.
Joseph rested across from Jax and Nalah, letting his heart rate slow from the rapid pace it had been pinned to since the start of the conflict. His arm continued its protests, but from the amount of movement he still had, he guessed that he had just strained the elbow. A few days taking it easy should straighten that right up.
Once the active members were about half way through processing the creature for hide and meat, Cobalt approached him, a mimed request for assistance putting their armour back on being redirected to Nalah since he doubted he could lift the damn pieces without hurting himself at the moment. She obliged, getting the blue Atmo back in full attire, though it took a while.
Rose stood first, stopping over to allow the hunter to place collected bits and pieces onto the carriage before securing it with whatever they could make due. A security member gathered the moss-wolf corpses for a similar treatment. Waste not, want not, he supposed.
Rose ended up carrying most of their spoils. When he was about to ask why, he, Jax, and Nalah were dragged to Cobalt and hefted onto the carriage. A series of confused questions revealed that the rest wanted to head back before it started getting dark, and it was pretty obvious who was the most exhausted of them. Lacking the will or energy to argue it, he flopped back on the Atmo as the trees passed them by, Nalah resting her legs across him as her head sat on Jax’s lap. The black-furred male didn’t so much as smirk, so it was clear he had pushed himself too far to quip about the arrangement as he laid down.
“The next time you wish to exhaust me this much, Joseph,” the Head of Security started after a long while of silence, tiredness in his voice, “I would prefer it to involve my mate and a bed.”
The Human snorted, closing his eyes and enjoying the lack of walking as the surprisingly stable Atmo carried the three of them. “Fuck off, Jax.”
“Of course, Grand Hunter.”
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A/N: Patreon is fixed!... aka new one cuz problems with the last. Check it out to support the story, get AI character art every now and then, or even preview sections of chapters as i write them! (aka, before kieve gets to fix them :D)