Nail salons open late

Part II
Don’t
The eerie warning still echoes through my shaken psyche.
It has been about ten months since I last updated the Báthory saga. Ten months and three more disappearances. I am not sure where the dumping ground for the devoured cadavers has moved to, but I am all too aware of where Báthory is the vast majority of the time.
Even though Báthory has not spoken to me again since its warning in the wake of the medium’s grisly demise, its presence has been a constant at work.
When I arrive.
When I hold a Zoom conference.
When I pick up the phone.
Báthory’s inky outline haunts my door when it isn’t off hunting for another stomach-curdling meal. A constant reminder that it is aware of my reluctance to stand idly by while the feeding continues. A reminder that any effort to stymie its bloody feast will be met with swift, intense, and lethal violence. A reminder that my usefulness has expired and Báthory’s patience has limits.
As you can imagine, this has done wonders for my general disposition. My colleagues have noticed my constant nervousness. Students openly comment about my paranoid “vibe” and complain about the ever widening turn around on grades. I have struggled with anxiety before, but this is different. That was general anxiousness about everything that made me frustrated to stand in slow lines or push through crowds. This is a paranoia about something very real. I know exactly what the threat is and what it can do.
But how can I grade in a timely fashion when I still have to be a husband and father at home, then use my old sleeping hours to conduct the research necessary to stop Báthory? Grading is slipped in between meetings and classes during my work day. The few hours between work and “bed time” are to ensure my burden does not destroy my family, and then I browse through online sources for any glimmer of information that could banish this malevolent entity.
Honestly, the late night research hours sometimes work to my advantage. I have moved beyond keeping the scope of research limited to Native American folklore and mythology. I have expanded to any and all strains of supernatural belief across the globe. You know, a completely realistic and manageable scope. I’m not running headlong into a swirling vortex of paranoia and guilt induced insanity, I swear. You just have to have solid, healthy coping mechanisms. The off-brand sugar-free Sour Patch Kids that I devour like a hangry Kronos keep the crazies away. Down the hatch blue raspberry Poseidon.
But, back to how being a night owl researcher has worked to my advantage. Many of the repositories that I contact in search of ancient tomes on mythology and lore are overseas. The time difference means that even though it is the wee hours for me, it is normal business time for some of them. Language barriers be damned, I have Google Translate on my side. Oh, and also the motivation of not wanting to continue being an accessory to appalling murders. That helps me to get my point across the linguistic gaps to these archivists a lot too.
I have already racked up an impressive selection of books of mythology, demonology, and every other topic that could possibly lend some insight to the origins and weaknesses of my shadowy companion. Composed of ancient first editions, reprints, translations, and original copies, the stack has taken over the entire right side of my desk and the coffee table next to the visitors chair in my office. It has been slow going to get through the books. Even when I can locate a colleague that can help with translations, there is often an issue with dialects or other translation hurdles that slow the quest for illumination. Not to mention the probing questions about what exactly my research goals are.
I have spun so many incoherent stevia-fueled lies that I have lost track of what I tell everyone I am on about. The sleep deprivation tends to leave me unprepared for the question and each query receives an off-the-cuff response that never seems entirely satisfactory. It is a good thing I already had a reputation for being a bit eccentric.
Then again, the rumors about how I am linked to the death of that medium might be a more compelling reason for many to lend a helping hand to the rambling, disheveled, wide-eyed professor that storms into their office looking for assistance with analyzing passages of arcane ghost stories.
Keeping my hoard of esoteric books in the center of Báthory’s hunting grounds and conducting my research throughout the fields of prey turned out to be the opposite of a well conceived plan. When prepping a trap for a predator, you should probably not shop for the supplies in its lair.
Keep in mind, I never once claimed to be the Napoleon of monster hunting.
A few days ago I stepped from my office for a quick faculty meeting. I know for a fact that the office door was shut completely behind me, I am a bit obsessive about making sure I close doors behind me. Just be sure that it was fully shut, you will understand why I am emphasizing it here in a minute or two.
After a speedy yet frustrating faculty meeting about details that could have been an email and a shortcut to gather some more snackables, I set off to return to my lair of gothic readings. Imagine my surprise when I found the door ajar.
Imagine my surprise when I entered the room and found the wall smeared with gore and the crumpled body of a student topped with the stump of what had once been a head on the floor.
The bright green collared polo and slacks were still immaculate. His black and white sneakers were as clean as if he was trying them on fresh from the box. The only thing askew was that his neck ended in a still oozing stump and a viscous concoction of skull, skin, brain, and blood was smeared around a rather deep hole in the drywall. This wasn’t the kind of drywall hole a Mountain Dew infused Kyle creates after losing a match on Call of Duty, this was the kind of hole a sledgehammer wielded by someone with a bloody glee in their heart creates.
Naturally, after a brief shocked yelp and unceremoniously depositing my lunch on the floor I called the police. A murder had just occurred in my office. I knew the police could never catch this particular culprit, but what else was I supposed to do when faced with a corpse in my office? Wait for the custodians to take it away with the gummi wrappers and other garbage?
Imagine my surprise when the first responding officer had also been there to question me at the medium’s death. And oh boy, did he definitely recognize me. That stern face was clearly practiced. His face had the round quality of a cheerful baker in a Disney cartoon. Eyes not hardened by years of stress and worry. This was someone who could leave work at the office, but turn on the character while in uniform.
If you are wondering, he did not seem to regard my presence at another death scene as an unwelcome coincidence. His face had more of an “I knew this motherfucker was up to no good” quality to it than surprise or any other reaction. Can you blame him? First I was walking with someone who just happened to start screaming before running away from me into traffic and now one of my students looked like he was trying to spread brain jam on my office wall. He knew I am connected to the deaths somehow.
If only he would believe the truth. If I told him, I would definitely have a Netflix documentary sooner rather than later.
He asked me the normal, if you can call them that, interview questions. We discussed my whereabouts, the identity of the victim, and the timeline of events.
Not buying what I was selling, he decided to pull the security footage. I offered up no objections, the tape would clearly exonerate me. But I also knew it would not provide any evidence he would accept of another, more sinister, culprit.
Just as I had stated, the video showed me leaving my office at the time I had provided. About three minutes later, the student could be seen entering my office.
But how? I know I had shut the door.
Unfortunately, the angle of the camera did not show the latch side of my door, and thus there was no evidence that I had securely shut it. Clearly, according to the officer, I had misremembered. We had both watched the student enter with no resistance. He just pushed the door open. I asked the officer to play back the tape from after I left.
What was I looking for? The shadow that played along the wall toward my door about a minute after I left.
Báthory had set a trap for both the student and myself.
Báthory had had enough of my meddling.
But why not just kill me?
The next part of the video showed me returning, making the gruesome discovery, and calling the police after soiling myself. No evidence of anyone else ever having entered or left my office.
Except for that shadow again.
Releasing me upon my own recognizance, the officer asked if I took one last look at the scene to see if I noticed anything unusual. Aside from the Pollock-esque redecoration my wall had undergone. I indicated to the officer that I did not.
But that was a lie.
About a quarter way down the stack of books on my desk had been a hefty tome bound in faded blue and gilded with dull silver lettering. That book stood out to me among the others due to its age and quality of craftsmanship.
It was no longer in the stack.
That book had the key to Báthory.
You sly bitch.
I racked my brain to remember the origin of that book.
French? Slavic? Uzbek?
I could search through my spreadsheet, find its metadata, and track down any copies if my office wasn’t now a crime scene and everything in it evidence. I would have to find the book itself.
You have overplayed your hand, Báthory.
Now it is a race to the finish. Either I find the contents of that book or Báthory successfully frames me for murder.
Game on.

Use this thread to promote yourself and/or your work!
(Descriptions of fictional crimes investigated by the story's main Character Max.)
Detective's Fate
It's august of 2008.....
Max is a detective living in Chicago He checks his pistol and puts on his police badge as he walks out his front door.
He has been searching for a serial killer known as the Caller for years and always been one step behind due to the red tape.....
More importantly the chief's lazy attitude towards getting search warrants and actions approved by the courts for raids. Twice Max had good intel on the suspect's locations and photo evidence showing him at the sites.
The department needs more vigilant, caring officers and leaders but no one steps up to do it, instead they just complain about the slow progress and officers. And hinder investigations.
Now Max has decided that it might be time to stop playing by the rules and catch this scumbag.... .... ....
Starting his car Max sets his GPS to the address that "The Caller" was last seen and pulls out of his driveway as the 50 miles of directions pop up.
The killer's nickname being for his signature of calling in as he is committing the crime.
As he drives he remembers his first case, five years ago now..... ..... .....
A woman, Joane Taylor, was found dead in an alleyway after going out for the night. She showed no signs of struggle leading the police to believe she had drank to much and expired from alcohol poisoning.... ...
The death was written off as a "party gone wrong".... That is until several more were found and the coroner decided on a whim to test for other substances.
Once it came out that the deaths were possible murders...
The calls started coming in, almost like the suspect wanted credit before revealing himself....
Then ways of the deaths began changing as the Serial Killer explored his twisted desires searching for his preferred method.
The last case being a young woman found stuffed in a dumpster after the killer apparently got scared off.... Max will never forget it.... .... ....
The GPS finishes and the car beeps its final direction, taking an exit off the highway. Ramps out here are always confusing... Which is funny since he has driven this one for five years now...
The chief says he should sit this one out but he can't... The latest victim 3 months ago.
Marie Spelner, a waitress out on her smoke break talking to her spouse on the phone.
Survived by her husband, no children or living relatives. ....
Max Spelner turns into the driveway of the house he was directed to... Stepping out of the car he walks up and knocks on the door. Looking at the house he knows the family must be doing well if they live here.... Raising his hand to knock again he hears a scream from inside....
A second later the door is answered by a middle aged butler holding a tray with wine glasses on it... "Hello Sir, I'm sorry but this house does not wish to partake in any offers at this time..."
Max calmly says. "I'm not selling anything."
The butler looks confused for a moment before his eyes dart over Max's shoulder seeing his unmarked cruiser and he nods.
Looking past the butler Max sees that a woman is cleaning up after their dog.
"Have you seen this man?" Says Max holds up a picture of the one suspected of being the killer.
The butler gives it a once over before replying. "I'm sorry sir, no I have not." His tone sounds like he is lying... ....
"Are you sure?" The detective asks.
"I would not lie about something like that, sir." He states, his eyes not meeting Max's.
The woman calls from inside "Fletcher, who are you talking too?"
"Some man asking about a killer" he calls back.
"The killer is an inside job!" The woman quickly states.
"What?!" Max says.
"The Killer, it's an inside job." She says again, louder this time. In the same Max also hears a child begin to cry in another room.
"We should start from the beginning, it will be easier to explain trust me." The woman says.
'She seems to know what is going on....
"How do I know your story holds water?" He asks out loud.
"Oh I wouldn't lie. I have been following the case myself and it seems like an inside job to me." She states, somehow sounding hurt.
"Is there anyone else in the house besides you two and the baby?" He asks noticing the baby isn't crying anymore.
"Just Fletcher and I live here, the baby is my cousins but he just stays the night sometimes." She replies.
Max draws his gun and enters the house upon reasonable suspicion of an emergency in progress or suspect on the premisses as the man seems to be deceiving.
While the woman still seems unconcerned that the child is now silent.
He pushes past the butler and rushes towards the area he heard the crying. passes the entryway, the dinning room, and a kitchen before finally finding a child in a playpen.
"There there..." He says in a sing song voice picking up the child. "I'm officer Max, do you know where your mommy is?"
The child just cries louder.
Then he sees the man from the photo walk out of the bathroom, upon seeing him he bolts for the door and Max sets the child down gently then gives chase.
He runs through the house, following the man as he can hear the woman screaming at him to stop but he doesn't."
"Stop or I'll shoot." The man doesn't even break stride.
Instead he runs out of the front door and jumps into his car.
Furious that the man might escape he fires at the car as it drives away.
The back window shatters and he hopes he got his tire, but he doesn't wait to find out as he runs to his car and initiates a pursuit....
He flips on his concealed lights in his cruiser as he reverses down the drive and into the street.
The suspects car is fast but he manages to keep up with it weaving in and out of traffic as people move over for the siren.
As they approach a red light there is heavy traffic in the intersection..... ....
The suspect slams on his brakes and Max's cruiser only just stops short of hitting it. Jumping out the Detective points his firearm at the vehicle running up beside seeing heavily tinted windows.
"Get out of the car and on the ground now!!" He shouts as he moves to the driver's side door.
After seeing no response....
Max throws open the door and the driver is gone with the passenger side open.
He quickly runs to the other side catching the man trying to sneak off tackling him to the ground and then takes his arms putting them behind his back.
Max grabs his radio and calls it in as the man cries.
As he is waiting he hears a noise that sounds like static.....
"Wrong guy moron.. Did you ever stop to think I wanted you close for this one. That I planned everything...Even framing the pothead..... I almost lost interest until you pulled in the driveway... The attic is kinda cramped tho... I think I'll go carve some meat. Maybe graduate to other things to. I'm not sure yet. Lets see if you can catch me before......" A familiar voice says over the radio then cuts off... ...
Max looks at the man on the ground. "Why did you run from me?" He asks.
"Cause I have like 19 grams of marijuana in my pocket." He replies...
"Do you know how stupid that is?! I don't care about that I'm looking for a killer."
Before he can answer Max hears the woman from the house screaming for her life and a child's cries on his radio.
Then from below Max. "He's in the house, he's in the house! My mom and the baby!" The man on the ground says crying.
Max uncuffs him and runs to his car heading back to the house as he lays down rubber on the road... ... ...
As he approaches and pulls into the driveway he notices the front door is open.
"Hold on I'm coming!" Max screams jumping out of his cruiser...
He runs into the house finding the woman's body arriving too late. Moving over to her he checks for a pulse but she is gone, a large gash in her neck.
As he stands up he slips in a fluid but gains his balance and tries not to think about what it is....
He rushes to the room the baby was in finding the play pen empty. He leaves the room searching the rest of the house and still doesn't find the child.
"Where are you!!!" He calls out....
"This is the Callers first kidnapping and the media would eat up the fact I failed to stop the man." He thinks as he blames himself.
Sirens begin to blare in the distance as backup is about to arrive... ... ...
"There's a woman dead and a baby missing! The woman is in the dinning room straight ahead of the front door, Hurry!" He yells into his radio...
Looking over at the mother seeing a piece of paper on the floor.
He walks over to it seeing writing.
"So close... Looks like I'm a kidnapper now.... Good luck finding me.... And... I so enjoyed killing that sweet wife of yours. Might do it that way again. Not to the kid tho....later Max. Ps. This game is so fun.." It says.
"He was here..." Is all he can muster as the team enters.
"He was right in this house and I missed it because her son freaked over weed and ran..." He says as another officer speaks to him gently.
"Don't beat yourself up Detective, it's not your fault. He must have hid before you got her and left after you arrived." The words do little to comfort him "First day back on the job and the killer escaped taking a child..." He says as he walks away.
The chief arrives in his new lexus with a screeching of rubber as he lurches to a halt.
He quickly exits and leaves his door hanging open as he rushes into Max's face....
"I told you to stay away from this case MAX!!!!....(takes a breath)...
"If I catch any flak from my superiors, I won't suspend you.... That'd be to easy. Desk duty and an entry level demotion. The new guy will have a higher rank than you if things go my way.... Now get outta my sight...". "(Sighs)...
"This job is gonna be the death of me..." He says walking away from Max and towards the Coroner's van..... ..... .....
On the way home the detective stops by the store close to his house which is unlike him because he usually follows the same routine.
He nears the front door and he hears a kitchen timer ding loudly from behind him as his car explodes throwing him through the storefront windows as they are blown out..... .....
Alarms around the lot and others nearby create a cacophony of noise. His head pounding as his body aches, Max pushes himself up and collapses as the store manager runs over to him telling him not to move as he dials 911.... .... ....
Waking in the hospital Max recalls the feeling of the Shockwave as he flinches in phantom pain.
"Who woulda thought its like holding a ringing metal bat that hurts your hands but all over and way more intense." He thinks.
He suddenly feels tired and falls asleep.... .... .... ....
The next time he wakes, he sees a breaking news story that Jane Saltani is reporting on....
"Young toddler Accidently Shoots Serial killekidnapper ending his life and Alerting residents in the Area." The news anchor says.
Sighing to himself Max thinks about how crazy that is and laughs.
Tho he really wanted to bring the guy in. He closes his eyes to get some much needed sleep as his door opens.
Max looks up to see a man with a silenced pistol pointed at him.
"Hm. Now they think I'm dead. Funny how they just assume they got the right guy. Just like.... You did Detect... ....." Max hears but then hears no more as his end comes at just over the speed of sound....
The Caller leaves the hair of another intelligent convicted murderer that he obtained in a spot that's believable and quickly leaves.....
He disables the surveillance system and sends a virus out to any device that has received video data from the hospital.
Erasing and corrupting the systems. Leaving a master hackers finger prints on a glass from his home....
"Sorry, no witnesses." He says to the security guard as he fires... ..... ..... .... ....

When the 17th Darala Conquest Fleet reached the Sol System, conquering its sole sapient race was downright easy.
Mankind's FTL was barely rated (on galactic standards) for inter-system travel, their weaponry centuries behind their invaders', their military fleet outranged and outweighed, and even if Humanity had the advantages on the ground the lack of sufficiently advanced and powerful enough surface-to-orbit arms meant that the enemies simply needed to toss big enough rocks and disabled human communication satellites down the gravity well and let the Laws of Physics do the job for them.
The commanding officer of the Fleet was quick to rename himself High Lord of the newly conquered planet, his orbiting fleet the greatest deterrent against insurgencies.
But...
"Never go out alone at night." Had warned human collaborators.
"Never build over places where many people died at the same time, for a long time, or both." Had advised said bootlickers.
"And never engage in carnal activities in certain out-of-cities places." They had continued with, with even more warnings following that one.
All warnings had been dismissed as mere superstitions and fearmongerings. The High Lord's personal palace built on top of one of Mankind's World Wars' battlefield in the are the primitives called Verdun to mock their attempts at intimidations.
And then, Dalarans started to disappear.
Always at night.
For the conquerors did not known of the other sapient predators of Earth, nor had they heeded the warning on how to not be open to their predations.
They will learn. Too little, too late.
​
OP Note: Basically, Advanced Aliens arrive and conquer us, only to get attacked by all the supernatural shit a Horror Movies Version of Earth is infested with.

Reddit’s upcoming charge increases and API changes are a serious blow to not only 3rd party apps and accessibility, but represent a troubling move towards censorship and a step backward for freedom.
I recommend the mods here and/or SBI not only join the blackout but formally create and endorse ”/c/albiononline” Lemmy community on one of the federated servers (lemmy.ml has been suffering from success lately so maybe beehaw.org makes more sense, whatever server it starts on wouldn’t make much of a difference).
The Lemmy protocol is open source and decentralized so this type of misguided capitalism would never impact this community adversely again.
I personally intend to not return to Reddit unless this predatory API model is rolled back, but this community is one of the few I will miss dearly.

So I usually never reach out like this but I've been feeling pretty lonely lately so why not give it a try? So the basics are: I'm a straight guy, 26 years of age from Europe . I work but also have a lot of free time. I'm looking for someone I can have a genuine connection with and talk often to. At first on here but I prefer Discord since it's more convenient for me. So here's a little more info about me:
What I like: Video games (GTA Online, Warframe, Genshin), Some anime (Death note being my favorite), Cycling, Open and genuine people, Deep thoughts and discussions
Music I listen to: Mostly rock/metal but I enjoy many other genres too
Specific traits about me: I consider myself a very deep and idealistic person. I'm pretty honest and you can always expect an honest answer from me to all your questions and inqueries about me/my life. I don't hide anything about myself and am an open book so don't be afraid to ask me anything. I'm pretty straightforward and I speak my mind. I like joking around and my humor can be harsh sometimes but I never mean bad with it. I can adapt well to different people and situations but it's very hard to change my views and beliefs. I'm agnostic but open to discuss any and all religions and beliefs.
What I'm looking for [IMPORTANT]: I would prefer if you do not message me if all you're looking for is to kill boredom or have a quick chat. I'm looking for something serious and long-term and I am honestly tired of wasting time on people who do not want anything to commit to or form a genuine connection. I reply relatively fast and would like the same in return except, of course, when we are busy with stuff. I wouldn't ignore you and I don't want to be ignored. I'd also prefer people who are not scared to show what they look like relatively soon after we start talking. I think it's an important part of actually getting to know someone.
So that's about it. If you want to know anything more just send me a message.

Title: Graham
Genre: Psychological Thriller
Treatment:
Act 1: - The novel opens with a prologue, set several years after the events of "Red Dragon" and "The Silence of the Lambs." Will Graham, now in his late fifties, lives a reclusive life haunted by his past encounter with Francis Dolarhyde, which left him physically disfigured and emotionally scarred. - News of Hannibal Lecter's escape from captivity once again reaches Graham, reigniting his burning desire for revenge. Determined to bring Lecter to justice, Graham, though aging and crippled, decides to embark on a worldwide manhunt to find the fugitive serial killer. - Graham's first step is to track down any leads on Lecter's whereabouts, relying on his extensive knowledge of the cannibalistic psychiatrist. He delves into the dark corners of the criminal underworld, gathering information and slowly piecing together Lecter's movements.
Act 2: - As Graham follows Lecter's trail across different countries, he becomes aware of rumors suggesting that Clarice Starling, his former colleague, has disappeared and is presumed to be with Lecter. Conflicted by his feelings for Starling and the desire for justice, Graham begins to question her loyalty and motivations. - Graham encounters individuals who have been influenced by Lecter's charismatic manipulations, realizing the extent of his power over people's minds. He navigates dangerous situations, always staying one step behind Lecter, who continues to commit heinous crimes while maintaining an elusive presence. - Throughout his pursuit, Graham's physical limitations and disfigurement pose constant challenges, forcing him to rely on his intellect and psychological insight to outmaneuver Lecter. He becomes consumed by an obsession to capture Lecter, vowing to bring him to justice regardless of the cost.
Act 3: - Graham's relentless pursuit takes him to various cities, each one revealing a darker side of humanity influenced by Lecter's presence. The psychological toll on Graham becomes increasingly evident as he grapples with his own sanity and moral boundaries. - Meanwhile, Starling finds herself deeply entwined with Lecter, living in a world of ambiguous loyalty and psychological manipulation. Lecter exerts his control over her, pushing the boundaries of her identity and morality. Starling's allegiance becomes uncertain, leaving readers guessing whether she will ultimately align with Graham or remain loyal to Lecter. - The psychological warfare between Graham and Lecter intensifies as they exchange messages, each challenging the other's beliefs and probing their weaknesses. The lines between hunter and hunted blur as Graham struggles to maintain his focus and Starling's true intentions remain shrouded in mystery.
Act 4: - In a gripping climax, Graham finally tracks Lecter to his lair, a secluded hideaway where he has orchestrated a web of deception and violence. The confrontation between Graham and Lecter is a battle of wits and psychological manipulation, where their shared history fuels the intensity of their interactions. - Starling's loyalty is put to the ultimate test as she finds herself torn between her connection to Lecter and the realization of his malevolence. The outcome of the final confrontation hinges on her choice, and whether she will choose to break free from Lecter's grip and aid Graham in his pursuit of justice. - The resolution of the novel remains ambiguous, leaving room for interpretation. The choices made by Graham and Starling will have far-reaching consequences, and the fate of their relationship and Lecter's legacy will remain open-ended, allowing readers to draw their own conclusions.
Epilogue: - The novel concludes with a sense of uncertainty and lingering questions. Graham, having confronted his nemesis, must confront the aftermath of his obsession and find a way to rebuild his life. Starling's

So I usually never reach out like this but I've been feeling pretty lonely lately so why not give it a try? So the basics are: I'm a straight guy, 26 years of age from Europe . I work but also have a lot of free time. I'm looking for someone I can have a genuine connection with and talk often to. At first on here but I prefer Discord since it's more convenient for me. So here's a little more info about me:
What I like: Video games (GTA Online, Warframe, Genshin), Some anime (Death note being my favorite), Cycling, Open and genuine people, Deep thoughts and discussions
Music I listen to: Mostly rock/metal but I enjoy many other genres too
Specific traits about me: I consider myself a very deep and idealistic person. I'm pretty honest and you can always expect an honest answer from me to all your questions and inqueries about me/my life. I don't hide anything about myself and am an open book so don't be afraid to ask me anything. I'm pretty straightforward and I speak my mind. I like joking around and my humor can be harsh sometimes but I never mean bad with it. I can adapt well to different people and situations but it's very hard to change my views and beliefs. I'm agnostic but open to discuss any and all religions and beliefs.
What I'm looking for [IMPORTANT]: I would prefer if you do not message me if all you're looking for is to kill boredom or have a quick chat. I'm looking for something serious and long-term and I am honestly tired of wasting time on people who do not want anything to commit to or form a genuine connection. I reply relatively fast and would like the same in return except, of course, when we are busy with stuff. I wouldn't ignore you and I don't want to be ignored. I'd also prefer people who are not scared to show what they look like relatively soon after we start talking. I think it's an important part of actually getting to know someone.
So that's about it. If you want to know anything more just send me a message.

Hello,
I’m super messy and disorganized. I didn’t close some of my gel polishes properly and there is sticky gel polish on a lot of my products. When I try to use acetone it just gets everywhere and makes things worse and also dissolves all the labels. Can someone give me advice on how to clean everything off?
Bonus if anyone knows how to open a jar of acrylic that is stuck closed (probably a bead of acrylic with monomer got stuck in the grooves or the cap)
Super bonus, I do my acrylic nails at home. I’m self taught. Is each 80/80 grit nail file like one time use? Do I just throw the file away after? It feels so wasteful but using older files takes forever with shaping.
Thank you!

Hi everyone.
To Kill a Predator is a work of fan fiction set in the Nature of Predators universe originally created by SpacePaladin15 whose Patreon you should subscribe to.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Depiction does not equal endorsement.
Hope you enjoy it!
[First] [Previous]
---
Memory transcription subject: Martin Russo, Human Refugee
Date [standardized human time]: January 10th, 2137
​
Without the girls, life settles into a boring rut. I talk to them as much as I can on the pad, but they’re busy on Earth, hitting the ground running.
There’s been a lot of ground to cover before they’re caught up to where everyone else will be, particularly for Vilek. She’s often had to pull double-claws of studying, working her fluffy ass off to gain a baseline understanding of psychology in record time. Thiva’s classes on VP by contrast have prepared her well for humanity’s relatively simple technology.
That, and they’ve had to get used to Earth. Earth food, Earth culture, and a planet full of omnivores with forward-facing eyes. I’ve been doing what little I can to help coach and encourage them.
For my own part I’ve been restless. Given that I’m not able to look for a job yet, that physical therapy kicks my ass every other paw, and that I’ve got nothing to do other than look forward to a half-hour of chatting with my friends… I’ve started up on software again. It’s something I can do even while laying prone. Particularly since I have a way to write without using my hands.
What do I do with that, anyway? I can read minds. I can even use the raw data from a full brain scan to extract memories. There’s got to be something useful to do with this. It’s practically the only part of this entire debacle I haven’t bothered telling the UN about.
Honestly after what I’ve been through, I can’t imagine trusting them, or the Venlil government, with this. Bastards would be prosecuting thought-crime by the end of the week.
​
Jarkim’s opened his business a couple of weeks back. Without an actual office, since he plans to simply operate out of Slavik’s farm. As I understand they tolerate it as long as he also helps out in return for food and board. I hope the arrangement works out for the both of them.
I gave Jarkim some help with his online presence. He wasn’t initially sure about the black and white picture of him in a fedora and a tie, or about the business name “Jarkim Krakotl, Private Eye”. But as soon as humans heard about Venlil Prime’s only Krakotl detective they’ve ended up coming to him with their problems.
He sent me a picture of his first solved case, some runaway kid who got lost and reunited with her mother. He was still wearing the hat. No tie, though.
​
Today is my paw off from Chasa’s torments, and it coincides with the launch of another exciting new business venture. So I take the time to visit Mosun.
“Hey Martin! Hold on a minute!” I see the Yotul wrangling a bunch of foam mats around the large, empty room. And its wall-length mirror. Fittingly the place look like the midway point between a dance studio and a martial arts dojo, except for the soft and spongy floor. It’s meant to safeguard against falls.
I glance around the room while he huffs and plops the last few ones down. There’s perhaps thirty-five or forty foam mats scattered on the floor. “So are you being optimistic, or did you get a good reception?”
He looks at me, bouncing with excitement. Though his ears signal a bit of nervousness. “Five Yotul have signed up so far! That’s almost half the Yotul in the entire town! And almost twenty humans! Hanya’s bringing a couple of Gojid friends too, and we’ve got a few Venlil coming along with their humans… Oh, and an Iftali, that was a surprise. Honestly I may be a little in over my head here; I’ve never taught crowds before! I’m not even sure how much will translate across species!”
“So you’ll be learning on the job. I have complete faith in you. Are the Exterminators going to give you any trouble?”
He barks a laugh. “Hah! No, Jarkim had a talk with the magister. I got permission from Vaska’s office to teach the classes in the name of cultural preservation, so those motherfuckers can’t touch me!”
I laugh as well. “You might need to censor your language a bit as a teacher.”
“Combat Dancing is about honesty and expression, Martin. If I can’t live it, how am I supposed to teach it?”
Well, he got me there. “Anything I can do to help?”
He glances at me, his voice gets a little uncomfortable. “Um, I don’t know. Can you carry heavy stuff right now?”
I shrug. “Probably not, no.”
“Then I’ll be fine. You’re not interested in taking the class?”
​
“I think my dancing days are over, for the foreseeable future.” I wryly lift my cane and wave it as a small reminder. It’s wood, and I’m quite fond of it. Chasa found a Venlil craftsman who wanted to be the first to make one for a human, and he made it out of the wood of some kind of tree called Lampan. The color reminds me of mahogany.
His ears droop a bit. “Ah yeah. How permanent is that looking?”
I shrug. “Finger dexterity on the right hand’s likely never going to be the same, but I’ll be able to play video games. Left arm should recover enough for daily use. Leg should get a full range of motion, but I won’t be going jogging. Thankfully I look dignified with a cane.”
He wags his tail teasingly and cocks his head as he regards me. “Do you? …Must be a human thing.”
“Piss off. Mind if I sit in on the class?”
“Of course not!”
Turns out first class of Yotul Combat Dancing is a quick demonstration, and then Mosun talking to the quite large and varied crowd. He talks about the history and cultural significance of Combat Dances to the Yotul, the philosophical underpinnings of the artform, and the mentality to be cultivated in practitioners.
Everyone is listening with rapt attention, and a few of the humans are even taking notes. When he opens the floor for questions, a Venlil asks “Isn’t this an expression of Predator Disease?”
To which Mosun answers “No. Next question?”
Which is honestly as much of a response as that warrants.
I talk with Hanya briefly after the class. She says that she’s been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and that human therapy is helping her out. She even talks excitedly about piloting shuttles again, someday soon. I’m glad for her.
​
Once I get back to the house, there’s a man in a suit waiting for me. He’s tall, bald, and has very dark skin. I don’t recognize him. He extends his hand toward me, and I shake it. He speaks English with an African accent, instead of letting the translator handle it. I’d guess western Africa, but I’m hardly an expert. “Bamidele Adeyemi.”
“Martin Russo. Can I help you?”
He indicates the door. “May I come in?”
“Sure. My Venlil hosts aren’t home right now.”
“Of course.”
Once he’s been let in, and I’ve given him something to drink, I wait patiently for him to explain his presence.
“I am the UN liason to the district magister’s office.”
I keep my tone neutral and politely curious. “What happened to Robert McGinley?”
He keeps his tone neutral too, but friendly. He smiles at me. “It was decided that he should be replaced.”
Oh no. Anyway. “Alright. But… No offense mister Adeyemi, but why are you here?”
​
He takes out a pad. “I have some documents that the UN and the District Magister would like you to sign.”
I sigh inwardly and make a quite heroic effort to not sigh outwardly. I look at the pad briefly anyway. As I expected, it’s about making myself legally liable should I speak up about what I’ve gone through. “I’m afraid you are wasting your time. McGinley told me to sign papers like this too, and I told him ‘no’.”
He nods, entirely unsurprised. “I understand you signed similar documents over a smaller… altercation with the Exterminators. Why the difference of response, if I may ask?”
“Because the first time he threatened to have me thrown out of the refugee center if I didn’t.”
Bamidele’s eyes widen briefly. “I see. That does explain why you told him to ‘fuck off’.”
“Yes.” I pause briefly. “…You’ve been polite enough that I don’t want to use the same language. But.”
He laughs briefly. “Haha, yes, I understand. Different circumstances, yes? My predecessor tried the stick. I am here to try the carrot. So tell me, mister Russo, what will it take for you to sign?”
“There’s nothing that…” I pause.
I sit down. I’m briefly quiet. I miss my friends so goddamn much. I swallow, mouth feeling dry as I tentatively reach for the proffered lifeline. “I… hear Sweden’s lovely this time of year.”
He flashes his teeth at me in a broad smile and chuckles pleasantly. “Hehe, I thought you might say that. But… You do realize it is January?”
​
​
Date [standardized human time]: January 12th, 2137
​
The thought of leaving this wretched planet and its wretched food and its wretched government and its wretched ever-present sun makes me feel like I’m already back in Earth’s lighter gravity.
I ended up paying Chasa back for all the pain and suffering she inflicted on me: The largest gift basket I could find online, filled with fruits, candies, and preserves of both Zurulian and human origin.
When I wake up at the start of the paw, my arch-nemesis has sent me two pictures. The first one is a schedule to keep for the next couple of months. In the second picture she’s put pillows and blankets in the basket and is using it as a bed, a paw raised in goodbye.
If the medi-teddies ever learn to weaponize their cuteness, humanity is in real trouble.
Packing is easy. I don’t have a lot. A band shirt from when I went to see ‘Where Angels Fear’, a few bad sketches of fruit, my dad's chess set, my pad, and a neural scanner.
​
Date [standardized human time]: January 13th, 2137
​
The space flight actually lands directly in Sweden, somewhere north of the polar circle at a place called Esrange. I immediately realize that winter’s back on the menu, as the cold makes my left leg and arm ache like hell. It’s the dead of night, too… But I’ve missed night. So has everyone else, as despite the cold people are walking straight out into the snow to just stare up into the starry sky and stare in open awe at the sky, where the stars form a backdrop for the northern lights. I join them.
A poetic whimsy falls over me, making me grin at the cheesiness. It’s like the sky itself is welcoming us back home.
From Esrange we take cars to Kiruna, Sweden’s northernmost city. From there it’s a long train ride south. I’ve gotten a sleeper cabin. With the generous stipend from the UN, I have no need to scrimp.
Even so, it takes significantly longer to travel 1400 kilometers across Sweden than it did to travel 16 light-years from Gliese 832. I’ve got almost twenty hours to appreciate the irony.
​
Date [standardized human time]: January 14th, 2137
​
I’m met at the train station in Lund by a man holding a sign with my name on it. His car takes me directly to the university. Everything feels very… ordinary, except I’m a bit dazed at having so many humans around me again.
We arrive a little before 8 in the morning. Excited students scurry to and fro, eager and hopeful for the first day of spring term. The driver is named Markus, and very kindly helps me find my way to my meeting. I’m left outside a door, standing around awkwardly.
The man I’m meeting with is Jonas Falck, and he’s the head of the department of computer science. While the UN has ‘encouraged’ the university to take me in despite it being so close to the term start, the decision remains with him.
I really wanted to see the girls first, but the meeting time was set for me. I desperately wish I had thought to shave beforehand. I’ve been using my beard to hide my weak chin, but it probably looks more unprofessional than-
“Hey, are you Martin Russo?”
Ah, I see.
Mister Falck is holding two cups of coffee and offers one of them to me with a smile. He’s got a full beard, a full belly, hair past his shoulders, and a pink hawaiian shirt to go with his khaki shorts and flip-flops. This man is clearly one of the most talented professionals working in the field today.
​
“So, do you mind if I ask…” He motions to my cane while I take a seat.
“How that happened?”
“Yes.”
“That’s classified. I’m not even joking.”
He nods once, like that was more or less what he expected to hear. He leans back in his chair, which creaks a bit, and takes a slow drink from his coffee while reading on his computer. “So you studied at Columbia University before the Bombing?”
“Yes.”
“And your family lived in New York?”
“Yes.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” He doesn’t say it unkindly, but he does say it as rote. ‘Oh you’re from one of the places that doesn’t exist anymore? Sorry to hear that.’
I nod awkwardly. “Yes.”
“And you were focusing on studying brain-computer interfacing?”
I feel like a recording. “Yes.”
“It’s very uncommon to add a student this late. The term begins today.”
“Yes.”
“We can’t provide housing for you on such a short notice, for one.”
“I have that handled, sir.”
He scrunches his face up. “Jonas, please. Americans are so formal.”
“Alright, er, Jonas.”
“So, Martin, what I’m asking for is a reason. To take you in right now, I mean, instead of next year.”
I nod. This is thankfully something I had planned for. My hand slips into my pocket, fingering the box holding the scanner electrodes. “Well, Jonas… I think there’s something you should take a look at.”
​
Handling paperwork and basic orientation takes most of the morning. I manage to get morning-and-evening classes to share my time off with the lambchops. That only works because most people don’t want evening classes. Evenings are for partying if you’re a student, so late classes are mostly for adults with jobs.
I end up standing around nervously by the entrance to the university building, counting down the time. I watch people passing by as calmly as I can, still checking my pad every minute or so for any messages and jerking my head around like a bird at anything that’s even a bit of a shade of gray.
I can tell the alien girls are coming even before I see them, since everyone is glancing curiously their way. I straighten my back and shift my weight from foot to foot. I feel like a dog at an airport, waiting for the return of its owner.
They’re looking around as I see them, and Thiva’s the first to spot me. Her ears perk up and Vilek immediately looks to me as well. As they speed up into a sprint, I’m a bit surprised to see them both wearing clothes. Both girls are wearing custom boots made to fit their digitigrade legs.
They’re both wearing coveralls, Vilek’s in a hospital teal and Thiva’s in a bright red. It’s been explained to me that many at the university have a student culture of wearing colorful coveralls that they decorate with patches, called ‘Ovve’, and that Thiva’s red marks her as a mechanical engineering student. Vileks’s teal, presumably, mark her as studying healthcare. Or specifically therapy, perhaps. I need to look it up.
Seeing as computer science students are apparently expected to wear pink ones, I’m thinking I might sit out this grand and colorful tradition. On the other hand according to the Internet it’s an informal rule to cut a bit from the ‘Ovve’ of anyone you’ve exchanged body fluids with and patch it onto your own. So I suppose I could be convinced.
The girls collide with me, thankfully gently. Their tails are wagging like crazy out of the back of their outfits, and they’re clinging to me. I inhale deeply, take in the distinct and pleasant scent of my cute Venlil friends, and cling to them as well. My fingers stroke through their thick fur, and I hear their happy wordless bleating and whistling.
I close my eyes and enjoy the moment, not giving one whit for the passersby watching the scene.
“Oh, girls, I-” Vilek punches me in the arm unexpectedly. The right one, thankfully.
“Ow!”
Even though her ears signal joy and her tail is wagging, her voice is still stern. “We learned what ‘lambchops’ means!”
Ah.
​
The student flat isn’t very expansive, but it’s larger than the one we shared on Venlil Prime. Probably because humans are just plain larger.
It’s currently sparsely furnished. There’s a couple of desks, a couch, a table, a beanbag chair, and a bunk bed. I take my shoes off in the hallway, as the girls do. When in Lund.
They help me unpack. There’s not a lot, but they had already set aside a little corner for me. I’ve got the beanbag chair instead of a desk, which I’m perfectly fine with.
I sigh and lean against a wall briefly. “I’m… so glad to be home.”
Thiva turns her head a little, flicking an ear in question. “You missed being on Earth?”
I chuckle, and pinch her ear-tip lightly. I lean over to give Vilek one too, for fairness. It earns me a pair of bleeps from them, and I go on the offensive to rub their heads and scratch their ears and do everything I can to make the lambchops squeal happily. They thankfully oblige. “I missed being with my herd.”
My friends are safe, they’re here with me, and we all have paths forward. I’ve fought and bled for this opportunity. I’m allowed to enjoy it.
I sit down on the couch with a quiet groan of satisfaction, finally getting to put my cane aside. “So, girls… how are you feeling about Earth so far?”
They grumble immediately. “It is so freaking cold!” “Snow! We do not like the snow!”
“It’s only for another couple of… Months.” They’re undressing right in front of me. I am left briefly stunned.
Oh right they don’t normally wear clothes.
Reminding myself of that doesn’t help. The context is what it is. They’re my best friends and my two favorite girls and they’re stripping naked before me.
My brain fails me. “…Okay, so, uhh. Um. Hmmh. Huh.”
Mother of God there’s nothing different! They’re naked. They’re always naked! It hasn’t been a problem on VP, it won’t be a problem here! Man up!
I take a deep and steadying breath and resolutely refuse to think of patches of white and red on a set of pink coveralls, with pink patches on their matching ones.
“I guess we should… buy some food? And some clothes for me to use? And…”
And they turn their heads toward me, staring at me with one eye each. Side by side. Making me feel like I'm being stared down by a single creature. One with forward-facing eyes. And an orange blush.
They take slow steps closer. Thiva speaks first with an amused lilt to her voice. “Or maybe this is a good time to talk. You know, about the house rules.”
Vilek speaks as well, moving her tail sinuously in a teasing motion. “Relationship statuses.”
Thiva comes in with the finisher, practically purring. “Sleeping arrangements.”
Ah.
​
---
And that's the end! Thank you all so much for reading, and check the comments for a small request from yours truly!
[First] [Previous]

So I usually never reach out like this but I've been feeling pretty lonely lately so why not give it a try? So the basics are: I'm a straight guy, 26 years of age from Europe . I work but also have a lot of free time. I'm looking for someone I can have a genuine connection with and talk often to. At first on here but I prefer Discord since it's more convenient for me. So here's a little more info about me:
What I like: Video games (GTA Online, Warframe, Genshin), Some anime (Death note being my favorite), Cycling, Open and genuine people, Deep thoughts and discussions
Music I listen to: Mostly rock/metal but I enjoy many other genres too
Specific traits about me: I consider myself a very deep and idealistic person. I'm pretty honest and you can always expect an honest answer from me to all your questions and inqueries about me/my life. I don't hide anything about myself and am an open book so don't be afraid to ask me anything. I'm pretty straightforward and I speak my mind. I like joking around and my humor can be harsh sometimes but I never mean bad with it. I can adapt well to different people and situations but it's very hard to change my views and beliefs. I'm agnostic but open to discuss any and all religions and beliefs.
What I'm looking for [IMPORTANT]: I would prefer if you do not message me if all you're looking for is to kill boredom or have a quick chat. I'm looking for something serious and long-term and I am honestly tired of wasting time on people who do not want anything to commit to or form a genuine connection. I reply relatively fast and would like the same in return except, of course, when we are busy with stuff. I wouldn't ignore you and I don't want to be ignored. I'd also prefer people who are not scared to show what they look like relatively soon after we start talking. I think it's an important part of actually getting to know someone.
So that's about it. If you want to know anything more just send me a message.

The second period of the Cenozoic, the Neogene saw the world start to shape into the way of the present. The Neogene in general had a much more stable climate than the Paleogene, though there was still a notable cooling trend that peaked at the end, causing the first Pleistocene Ice Age.
Miocene
The Miocene was a time of recovery for the planet, as the world was recovering from the Late Paleogene mass extinction, the climate was finally starting to stabilize, and appeared noticeably cooler than the hothouse of the late Paleogene. Soon enough, the stage was set for a new chapter in the history of life.
Though deserts were still widespread, it was not as hot and far more wet at the beginning of the Neogene, and as a result, the deserts quickly shrunk throughout the period.
In North America and Asia, this period is often called “The Age of Raptors”, due to the great diversity of the dromeosaurs. With the tyrannosaurs gone, and with the unstable climate of the Paleogene finally starting to level off, dromeosaurs started to grow into giants, and the 29 foot long Archoraptor from about 22 million years ago in the Early Miocene, not even 5 million years after the end of the Paleogene, shows that the dromeosaurs wasted no time grabbing hold of the top predator niche. The largest of these “Mega Dromeosaurs” was Borealoraptor, who at 36 feet long and 5 tons, was about as big as the Jurassic Allosaurus.
In South America and Africa, Spinosaurids were also experiencing a new age, carcharodontosaurs were eliminated in the two continents and left exclusive to Asia as a result of the extinction, and that allowed spinosaurids an opportunity to fill in the spot of terrestrial predators, a chance they very quickly took, with forms like the Amazonian Bulbsnout appearing 17 million years ago, a success story that lives into the present. Other forms also started appearing, with Suchodontosaurus being one of the largest carnivores of all time.
In Africa, Spinosaurids started taking a different direction. Instead of becoming bulkier and heavier built, they took inspiration from the carcharodontosaurids, developing more gracile and agile forms such as Hamonychus, with many leaving their old water-dwelling ways behind.
Despite so many new land based Spinosaurs, some still stuck to their roots as semiaquatic fish eaters, with many such as the Gojirasuchus becoming more adept swimmers. This is also where false Shark whales have their roots, with Carcharomimus from about 13 million years ago being the earliest known.
Despite being confined to Eastern Asia, Carcharodontosaurids still stayed relatively common, Dinodontosaurus was one of the most well known ones, likely thanks to having the longest known teeth of any theropod, barely beating out Tyrannosaurus and the European Bulbsnout at 14 inches long compared to 12 inches and 12.5 inches respectively, definitely earning the animal the name “terrible toothed lizard”.
Sauropods on the other hand were on a steady decline throughout the period, being restricted to North America, evidently having been knocked back off their game by the Paleogene extinction. Only 2 species are known to have reached the proportions of their predecessors, those being Ornithocephalusaurus and Gravicaudasaurus.
Around 9 million years ago, there was a strange event known as the Neogene Oxygen Spike, where oxygen levels suddenly nearly doubled in the span of just one million years. While the relatively sudden rise in oxygen went unnoticed for most continents, in Australia this lead to the rise of the arthropods. Already the dominant land animals as a result of both dinosaurs and most other reptiles going extinct on the continent, the sudden rise in oxygen allowed them to grow to sizes they haven’t seen since the Carboniferous.
Springtrap centipedes, at around 11 feet long and weighing nearly a quarter of a ton, are the largest known arthropods on earth and have lived until the present.
Several other arthropods attained larger sizes, with 4 foot crickets and 6 foot earwigs also known from Late Miocene Australia.
Pliocene
The Pliocene was noticeably cooler than the preceding Miocene, due to lower amounts of CO2 in the atmosphere. This cooling trend eventually resulted in the End Neogene Glaciation, which kickstarted the Ice Ages.
This period signaled the beginning of the end for the Age of Raptors. Around 3 million years ago, a land bridge temporarily formed, connecting North and South America. This allowed animals from South America to migrate into North America, namely the Spinosaurs.
The arrival of the Spinosaurs proved to be the nail in the coffin for the Mega Dromeosaurs, and they were likely out-competed for food by the southern invaders, and by the start of the Pleistocene, only 3 species of Mega Dromeosaur were left, Ferrunychus, Gravinychus, and Titanoraptor, and all of these were found in southern Canada, where the Spinosaurs hadn’t reached yet.
For the sauropods on the other hand, the formation of a land bridge was their saving grace, as many species migrated into South America and diversified heavily, Serpenmimus, Poseidosaurus, and Stegoplodocus are examples of this sudden radiation.
End Neogene Glaciation
The Neogene concluded with the End Neogene Glaciation, also known as the Pliocene-Pleistocene Glaciation. This was nowhere near as bad as the glaciation that kicked off the Paleogene, these ice caps only only extended down to about where Maine is, and in the Southern Hemisphere, they likely extended far enough to gently graze the southern coast of Australia.
The ice age is the first one of the Quaternary and is thought to have lasted nearly 70,000 years.
Aftermath
Unlike the Paleogene Ice age, this one isn’t associated with any significant extinction events, but the drop in sea levels likely caused a land bridge to form between North America and Asia, allowing North American animals to migrate into the larger continent and diversify further.
*A/N: nothing really to say here other than the fact that I decided to nerf the sizes of Australian arthropods, so Springtrap Centipedes are more in line with a mid sized alligator rather than a saltwater crocodile.

So I usually never reach out like this but I've been feeling pretty lonely lately so why not give it a try? So the basics are: I'm a straight guy, 26 years of age from Europe . I work but also have a lot of free time. I'm looking for someone I can have a genuine connection with and talk often to. At first on here but I prefer Discord since it's more convenient for me. So here's a little more info about me:
What I like: Video games (GTA Online, Warframe, Genshin), Some anime (Death note being my favorite), Cycling, Open and genuine people, Deep thoughts and discussions
Music I listen to: Mostly rock/metal but I enjoy many other genres too
Specific traits about me: I consider myself a very deep and idealistic person. I'm pretty honest and you can always expect an honest answer from me to all your questions and inqueries about me/my life. I don't hide anything about myself and am an open book so don't be afraid to ask me anything. I'm pretty straightforward and I speak my mind. I like joking around and my humor can be harsh sometimes but I never mean bad with it. I can adapt well to different people and situations but it's very hard to change my views and beliefs. I'm agnostic but open to discuss any and all religions and beliefs.
What I'm looking for [IMPORTANT]: I would prefer if you do not message me if all you're looking for is to kill boredom or have a quick chat. I'm looking for something serious and long-term and I am honestly tired of wasting time on people who do not want anything to commit to or form a genuine connection. I reply relatively fast and would like the same in return except, of course, when we are busy with stuff. I wouldn't ignore you and I don't want to be ignored. I'd also prefer people who are not scared to show what they look like relatively soon after we start talking. I think it's an important part of actually getting to know someone.
So that's about it. If you want to know anything more just send me a message.

​
https://preview.redd.it/9bs3mg8po75b1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=49f2f42fdab5ecfd92040d178d1f983c9d148620
The game didn't crash
The characters didn't die
and the game network accelerator didn't disconnect
But Me，really can't hold it, too tired. 6 Hours.
​
​
​
https://preview.redd.it/dfisqktuo75b1.jpg?width=1920&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=83a60ef0ea652b7550bf6a08ceadc2b243b0dcf1
It is currently 11th on the list, which is not bad
I only bought level 10 accuracy +“Get a random talent at start”upgrades in DC and nothing else.
​
What I got:

1. 30 season levels
2. 21 chests, including 2 exotic weapon chests (one of which is supposed to be a weekly quest, the other may be a season pass)
3. Expert skill points 40+ (When I heard this game will have a new mode, I was very happy, thinking that could be a good mode just like survival mode in TD1, so I created a new account)

​
That's all the rewards. Nothing. And very little fun.
And if you quit this mode, the progress will clear to zero!
Take loop 40 as the end point，It will take at least another 10 hours to play. Starting from 15th loop, there will be 3 waves of enemies in each room.
​
Overall, the cost of failure in this model is too high, resulting in high levels of frustration and very little positive feedback. (Game crash ,network,PC reboot ETC, and u can not save ur progress!)
​
Even in the late stage, the player's skills, talents,every are build up in good shape， there is not much fun.
Because similar experiences, or even better experiences, can be played in normal mode, even more comfortable, such as hunter suits and strike suits.
​
​
​
If you want to play this mode, I also give you some tips:
​

• Killing Nemesis is just the beginning

​
In the first 5 loop：

• select hard mode to get money
• Talent focus on armor recover, by killing enemies, by critical hits, by headshots. These are important ！！！！！！
• Pay attention to the type of weapon, especially handguns. In firt 8 Loops, you will need a lot of ammunition.I would say ALMG+ M870/Super 90+A pistol with a medium rate of fire（not 93R）
• Better have a super 90 or M870. And a control skill to control Nemesis，so u could shoot

From Loop 6：

• Choose mid mode，because for solo players, the enemy in Hard Mode are too many , and have faction changes.
• After killing a Boss,improve ur fire and armor one by one，Until you start to feel that enemy can smash your armor every ez.
• Talent focuses on increasing critical chance and critical damage and head shot damage
• At Loop 7~8 u will meet Nemesis
• Nemesis needs to use skills to control it and not shoot with it too much，if u did ，u die.
• It seems to use the same weapons and skills as you, but the damage is much higher.
• I'm using the foam skill, taking control and using shotguns and AR to kill depending on distance.

​
After killing Namesis

• You can continue to play the cycle, because this is when you start to strengthen, from a toddler to a teenager.（装备开始成形）
• After 15 loop, basically everything you can buy is sold out, and money should be re-roll talents, focus on armor recovery and output.
• Start with loop 16，You will encounter elite enemies with yellow blood stripes and thick armor
• Later on you'll also encounter "special enemies" using rotating machine guns, grenade launchers, shields and nail guns, and have super armor，you know. (My English is not good）
• All kinds of robots and drones, with purple and gold blood stripes.
• Hazard protection will become important. More and more elite enemies, their grenades will burn, lasers will blind, foam will control.and u will die easily.
• You should be ready to run and shoot, like COD,don't stay in the cover when there are too many enemy，You'll be surrounded
• Choose a single shot high damage weapon, I switched from M4 to M60, M870 works very pefect. The pistol was changed to the revolver with the best single shot damage and good bullet speed
• Because of the talent, I didn't need to reload.
• Speed of fire is provided by talent
• Use the M870 and foam skill to try to block the door in each room
• The revolver is suitable for medium and long range and weak spot destruction

​
Each time you enter the room：

1. Choose a safe corner according to the terrain
2. ambush the door where the enemy appears+next to ur safe corner.
3. Try to kill these enemy at the start of each wave, so that half of the entire room is safe for u in next 20 seconds. During this time, fine enemy's position. Take them one by one, using run-shoot（just like cod） if necessary, to avoid being redefended by the remaining enemy.
4. Try to get back to the safe zone before you kill the last enemy in the wave.
5. High ground usually has advantages, but some maps are longer, and high ground is not a safe place, in this kinf of map ,you need to go to low areas, and try to block doors and clear a safe zone.
6. Killing bosses is easy because of the size of the map.
7. In DC u can buy Elite enemy protection upgrades, this seems to be unique, no talent in speed Descent can provide.
8. I don't upgrade my skill strength at all, after killing a BOSS, I increase my armor depending on how easy it is for the enemy to crush my armor. if i think i am safe ，i will upgrade firepower

Ohter：

• The best weapon I've ever seen is blue, and since Loop 18, I've barely adjusted my weapon or skill. Because they haven't changed at all.
• Talents in game mode provide 50% critical hit, the remaining 10% need to be purchased upgrade in DC.
• Max Critical hit damage is 100% with a talent. I don't know if it stacks up with other talents.
• Revivals seem to have a limit, after I get knocked down (0 armor, 0 health, agent down), something called Revivals Token appears in the store and I buy it every time. Because I rarely get knocked out, unless it's a series of grenades, or a packet loss on the Internet.
• At the end of the 20+loop, my main weapons were revolvers and M870, and always have enough ammunition. About 40 rounds of shotgun ammunition left before i buy ammo.
• The M870 is too fast to clear enemies at close range, much, much faster than the M60 and AR.
• The LMG has the effect of suppressing the enemy, if the enemy just comes out of the door, and you keep shooting, the enemy will "freeze" for a few seconds, which is a good opportunity. However, this was too ammo consuming, so I only use LMG in map with supply stores and BOSS battles.

​
Overall, I wouldn't spend another 6 hours playing this mode
Since Namesis can only be killed once, the rest of the game is not much fun, your equipment and skills are grow up and become perfect, but the challenge（Namesis） is gone.
​
Changes I hope UBi could make:

• Shorten the process. It takes too much time right now.
• Or allow the player to save progress at every 5 loop, just like Peak Tower mode.（not 10 loop that take tooooooo much time）and allow restart from loop 1 without quit to DC。
• ​
• Nemesis can reappear , fight it again in loop 20,30,40 and get a exotic weapon chest.
• Exotic talents can add up/stuck up level.
• More permanent upgrades available
• Provides suit talents after loop 20, such as hunter，strike
• GUI imrpove
• Allows players switch Key1 and Key2 positions for weapon and Q/E for skills.
• Reduce the negative feedback caused by death, for example, starting with 11 loop, each loop allows the player to revive once. But lose a certain amount of money or drop 1 level for a random talent. Come on, the Internet will disconnect, computers will crash, games will crash. These are all negative gaming experiences caused by unexpected circumstances. Since we can't save progress all the time, can we make a baseline protection mechanism?
• Add more talent and more solt for talent.

My spouse (US citizen) and I (non-US citizen) are in the UK and made the mistake of opening a stocks and shares ISA and investing in a couple of EU domiciled Vanguard ETFs recently.
We file FBARs and tax returns ourselves but just discovered that we need to file Form 8621 reporting our PFICs as well.
PFICs seem a little beyond us so we contacted the following accountants a week ago for assistance and only 1 has responded ($250 per hr).
Is it because it's tax season or is a lack of response normal with PFIC work?
Any suggestions on how to deal with these ETFs, ie. I see form 8621A available? Is this for those who have filed late and wish to fully liquidate their PFIC holding?
Once Form 8621 is filled in I assume we have to file an amended tax tax return for previous years to account for the capital gains and to pay the tax for every year we held a PFIC and made any gains?

• AMERICAN TAX CONSULTING UK https://www.americantaxconsultinguk.com/
  
• INGLETON PARTNERS https://www.ingletonpartners.com/services/us-disclosure/
  
• BUZZACOTT https://www.buzzacott.co.uk/
  
• GOLDING LAWYERS https://www.goldinglawyers.com/form-8621-reporting
  

TLDR: I resign my obsession with IQ and can with reasonable certainty estimate it to be 140±5. I have become more confident in my academic and professional endeavors and have this subreddit to thank for it.
This post is in fairly stark contrast to the reigning homebody of this subreddit, 'HardStuckBronzeRank' (no hate though - got nothing but love for you buddy).
I started this journey in late-2021 to overcome my nervousness around cognitive testing, and it's been a great ride. Throughout my time here, I have taken approx. 40-50 different tests with the results averaging around 141-142.
I have talked to multiple interesting profiles from this subreddit and learned a lot about intelligence in the process. Similarly, it has certainly been entertaining to engage in discussions with like-minded, as well as 'un'-like-minded, people on the topic of intelligence, albeit being an investment that yields very little outside of this subreddit.
During this time, I have become significantly more confident in my cognitive abilities and it has shown in my academic achievements, and more recently in my full-time job. It has created a more deep-seated calm when facing complex problems and has allowed me to find substantial joy in trying to solve them.
All of this, both academically and professionally, would not have turned out this way, were it not for this subreddit, the tests, and the people. So, thank you all!
I do hope that other people share this experience, and I hope that the people who don't can recognize the hidden gem that this subreddit truly is.
​
Now onto some anecdotal data on practice effect, or lack thereof:
Unless you take the same test repeatedly, you really shouldn't worry about practice effect inflating your results too much. You'd be best off disposing of this term before it turns your new-found testing hobby into full-blown masochistic OCD. If you accept its premise, you will literally NEVER be satisfied with your results.
Below are the more recognizable/reliable tests I've taken throughout my time on this subreddit, which should help anecdotally support my point:
​
Late 2021 to early 2022, when I just started testing:
Mensa Finland: 140 - first test taken
Numerus Basic: 130
ICAR60: 141-145
PDIT: 146
EqusB high-range matrix tests: 141 & 144
​
Mid- to late 2022:
Mensa Wonderlic: 142
Psy-Q Raven's-like test: +139 (25/25)
CAIT: 145-147
OpenPsychometrics: 141
FRT-A Mensa Admission: +135
​
Early to mid-2023, when my obsession was tapering off:
Hagen Matrices: 145
BRGHT: 136-143 (renormed)
Lumosity: 141-142 (99.7th percentile)
JCTI: 142 - last test taken

I'm taking a leap of faith today, hoping to find someone special who shares my love for life's little joys and appreciates every small thing that life gives to us.
I'm 30 and currently living in Israel, but I'm thinking about relocating sometime. I hope you don't mind my awful accent! Here's some information about me: I'm the nerdy type, skinny, with dark hair. I like to watch anime and TV shows, but I'm very critical and love to discuss them. I'm always down to play video games with friends and I wish to have someone to play Divinity with me, roleplaying our characters.
I enjoy cooking and do it with love and passion. I'm very creative even with simple ingredients. Lately, I've decided to make changes in myself by preparing healthy dishes and engaging in sports and biking rides.
I am a very caring, open-minded, and introverted person. I like to share my feelings and moods. Sometimes people say that it's too feminine, but screw them.
More than anything, I value genuine connections built on trust, respect, and open communication. I aspire to find a kind-hearted woman who embraces her own quirks, passions, and vulnerabilities. Together, we can support each other's dreams, create a safe space for shared experiences, and nurture a love that stands the test of time. I hope to find a serious relationship, including long-distance relationships.
I do know that no one will read until this line, but if you really did, thank you!! You are amazing! I hope to see a message from you.

Heyyyy lovely people how are you all doing. Im okay i just feel rather lonely lately and would love to make some new friends so... Here i am.
A bit about myself. My name ia danny im 21 and from the netherlands. I am talk active and a good listener. I love to talk to everyone and get to know all of you lovely people. I love nature, science, animals, random facts, lego's, and meeting new people. Im also a very caring and always want to help people by listeninging to them or give advise soo if you need any advise or just a vent than im all ears.
Im just looking for some new friends to talk to around the day. So message me my dms are open and i would love to hear from all of you!!

So I usually never reach out like this but I've been feeling pretty lonely lately so why not give it a try? So the basics are: I'm a straight guy, 26 years of age from Europe . I work but also have a lot of free time. I'm looking for someone I can have a genuine connection with and talk often to. At first on here but I prefer Discord since it's more convenient for me. So here's a little more info about me:
What I like: Video games (GTA Online, Warframe, Genshin), Some anime (Death note being my favorite), Cycling, Open and genuine people, Deep thoughts and discussions
Music I listen to: Mostly rock/metal but I enjoy many other genres too
Specific traits about me: I consider myself a very deep and idealistic person. I'm pretty honest and you can always expect an honest answer from me to all your questions and inqueries about me/my life. I don't hide anything about myself and am an open book so don't be afraid to ask me anything. I'm pretty straightforward and I speak my mind. I like joking around and my humor can be harsh sometimes but I never mean bad with it. I can adapt well to different people and situations but it's very hard to change my views and beliefs. I'm agnostic but open to discuss any and all religions and beliefs.
What I'm looking for [IMPORTANT]: I would prefer if you do not message me if all you're looking for is to kill boredom or have a quick chat. I'm looking for something serious and long-term and I am honestly tired of wasting time on people who do not want anything to commit to or form a genuine connection. I reply relatively fast and would like the same in return except, of course, when we are busy with stuff. I wouldn't ignore you and I don't want to be ignored. I'd also prefer people who are not scared to show what they look like relatively soon after we start talking. I think it's an important part of actually getting to know someone.
So that's about it. If you want to know anything more just send me a message.

The Itinerary—
Day 0: Nonstop flight to Rome
Day 1: Landed in Rome early in the morning and got an early check-in to the hotel. Got oriented to the city by walking around Piazza del Popolo, Spanish Steps and Trevi Fountain
Day 2: Visited the Trevi Fountain quickly before our 8:55 guided tour of the Colosseum Arena and Forum. In the afternoon, visited the Capitoline Museums and walked around Tiber Island and a bit of Trastevere
Day 3: 7:45 guided tour of the Vatican and St Peters Basilica. After lunch, walked around Campo di Fiori and visited Piazza Navona as well it’s underground
Day 4: Attended a cooking class where we made pasta and tiramisu. Afterwards, visited the Roman National Museums
Day 5: Day trip to Orvieto. Visited the duomo, underground caves, and St Patricks Well
Day 6: Early train to Florence. Walked around the Duomo before lunch. Afterwards, climbed Brunelleschi’s Dome. For the rest of the day, walked around the Ponte Vecchio area.
Day 7: Took a guided day trip to 2 Tuscan towns. Spent time walking around Siena before a winery tour and lunch in a Tuscan winery. After lunch, visited San Gimignano before heading back to Florence
Day 8: Visited the Uffizi right when it opened and then climbed Giottos Bell Tower before lunch. Saw the David afterwards before relaxing in the evening and enjoying a Florentine T-bone steak
Day 9: Morning train to Venice. After checking into the hotel, visited St Marks Basilica, wandered Dorsoduro, and rode in a gondola
Day 10: Got up at 4:30 to watch the sunrise, wandered around the San Marco area without the crowds and then did the secret itinerary tour of Doges Palace. In the afternoon, walked around in the Cannaregio area before spending the evening at St Marks Square
💶 The Cost for Two People—
Attractions and Tours: €1200 ——I did a small group tour for the Colosseum, Vatican, and Tuscan winery
Hotels: €1700 ——All 3 star hotels near the city centers
Meals/Drinks/Gelato: €1000 ——Ate a light breakfast everyday and ate out at a sit down restaurants for almost all meals (skipped maybe 2 dinners if I had a big lunch)
Flights: €3300 ——Nonstop flight from the US to Rome and 1 stop from Venice back to the US
Transport within Italy: €300 ——Prima Class on Italo trains, ubers, vaporetto pass, transport to/from airport
TOTAL COST: €7500
Travel tips I learned: 1. Book tours for important sites and get into sites right before they open or close. I got the earliest tour for the Colosseum and shared the arena floor with the 4 other people in our group. Surprisingly, it never felt crowded in the Colosseum

1. Only book SMALL or private tours. Both tours for Colosseum and Winery had 6 people total whereas the Vatican tour had maybe 15. For me, having 15 people in a group was way too many. I think that for crowded/popular sites, spend the money for private tours or tours that have less than 10 people.
   
2. Don’t only visit the big cities. I enjoyed Orvieto and Siena way more than Florence and Venice. (Rome was my favorite stop though)
   
3. Get up early or stay up late. I got up for sunrise at Venice and it was magical. Completely different than during the day and 10 times better
   

TWBS Previous Next First
-
---Simone’s perspective---
---Thursday, 4th of January, 2683 Terran Calendar---
---Southern England---
“So… let me get this straight…” I say, frowning at the pair before me “…Within an hour of landin’, you…” I point at the tall, dark haired boy “…were bitten by a king brown snake and were laid up for the next two days, unable to contribute more than advice to Reid while she did all the heavy liftin’… You weren’t able to call an evac because, between the two of you, you’d managed to leave the beacon you should have had here in Graffham… and you think I should pass you for that, do you Privates?”
“Yes, Ma’am!” answers the redhead.
“Why should I pass you for that, Reid?”
“We fulfilled the terms of the assignment: We survived the full five days in the environment we were dropped in using only the allowed equipment and without calling for an emergency evac, Ma’am.” answers the Scot, straight faced, somehow.
“You admit that you would have called an evac if you could have, Private?”
“Yes, Ma’am… but we couldn’t so we didn’t.”
“You admit that it was your own shared stupidity that meant that you didn’t have a beacon with you when you went, Privates?” I ask, drily.
“I… don’t believe lack of stupidity was a requirement of the test, Ma’am.” answers Reid, cheekily.
“Guess again, Private! Lack of stupidity is always a requirement in the Military! Stupid Soldiers are dead Soldiers!” I correct, sternly.
“My mistake, Ma’am.” apologises Reid, hastily.
My anger subsides as I say “Buuut… as you say… you did make it out alive… you didn’t call an evac, even if only as a result of bein’ stranded by stupidity… and…” I take a sniff and then chuckle “…it certainly smells like you two are gettin’ along better than you were when you left…(!)”
“I’m… not sure what…?” starts Reid but I cut her off.
“Don’t play dumb, Private!… You’ve tried to wash it off but I’m half Tshwane… you can’t fool this nose!”
The pair shift uncomfortably before I reassure them “Relax! You’re not breakin’ any rules… So long as this relationship doesn’t negatively affect either of your performances, we have no issue… I also trust this means you two won’t be at eachother’s throats so much… At least, in public… don’t really much care what you’re into doin’ in the privacy of a bedroom… or a cave, as the case may be(!)”
“I think it’s safe to say our rivalry is a thing of the past, Ma’am.” provides Taylor.
“Or shifted onto much friendlier terms, at least…” smirks Reid.
“Good…” I turn to Taylor “…Taylor, now you’ve reached the age of majority, you’re eligible to be moved to a bunk in a shared room…”
His face falls, clearly having hoped I’d forget about that.
“…but…” I continue, causing him to perk back up “…I’m a busy woman and assignin’ you one is able to remain low on my list of priorities… so long as you (or Reid) aren’t givin’ me the impression that you might benefit from more rest, that is!… Do we understand eachother, Taylor?”
The boy gives me a rare smile and answers “We understand eachother perfectly, Ma’am.”
“Good!… You are dismissed, Privates.”
The two of them turn to go.
“Oh, and, Privates?”
They both turn to look at me, expectantly.
“Happy New Year…”
---Esme’s perspective---
---Friday, 5th of January, 2683 Terran Calendar---
“I can’t believe you’ve been sleeping in a conjugal room this whole time!” I grin at the handsome man, currently acting as my mattress in the broomcupboard sized space.
“Technically, it wasn’t a conjugal room… it was designated as a private room for me, since I was a minor…” he smiles without opening his eyes.
“Oh, aye(!) Let’s protect the wee baby boy from any indecency by putting him in the rooms where he’ll be able to hear all the sex through the paper thin walls, every night(!) I see no issue here(!)”
He shakes his head “It wasn’t that bad…”
“Oh it wasn’t, was it(?)… You nasty little perv(!)” I smirk, mischievously.
“Most of the time… people are some combination of embarrassed and considerate enough to keep the noise down… It’s rare that I would have out and out screamers next door… That’s all I meant…”
“Attention all:…” comes Sands’ voice, making the morning wake up call over the PA “…It is now 0630hrs… Time to wake up!… After breakfast, you are to assemble in the yard. Father Christmas came by last night to drop off some late presents for all of you(!)”
---Oskar’s perspective---
I find the crate that has my name on, shaped (ghoulishly) somewhat like one of the wooden boxes that Christians bury their dead in.
I pick it up and carry it aside… it’s heavy!
Looking around for someone who’s done using one of the crowbars that are being passed around, I make eyecontact with Milligan.
He raises the length of metal he holds, proffering it to me.
I take it, appreciatively, and thrust the claw end between the box and its lid.
What is inside does nothing to dispel the ghoulishness of the container’s outward appearance…
The box contains a humanoid figure, almost my exact height and build, rendered in jet black metal with a rippling, wootz pattern.
“Fresh off the forges of Ivaldason and Sons’ Durasteel Foundry, Iceland…” announces Sands, strolling through the throngs of people opening their respective crates “…Between 20 and 30kg each, dependin’ on your proportions… Wearin’ this armour, you become nearly as close to indestructible as it is possible to get without enterin’ the realm of divinity!… These suits are bulletproof and bombproof!… They do have some limitations… they’ll not, for instance, protect you from a long drop and a sudden stop! Your organs will still be rendered into slurry in that case… Neither’ll they protect you from bein' cut in half with a plasmasword!… From now on, you’ll wear these from dawn to dusk! Classes may be taken with your helmets off… Durin’ PT, however, you WILL wear them in their entirety!… It’ll be hard to begin with but, after less time than you think, your bodies’ll have acclimatised to the extra weight… and you’ll find movin’ in these almost as easy as movin’ out of ’em!… This mornin’s workshop’ll be an instructional on how to properly don, remove and maintain your armour!… Do please give it all your attention!"
---Esme’s perspective---
---Tuesday, 9th of January, 2683 Terran Calendar---
This is HELL!
The armour is perfectly fitting and nicely padded… but it’s so fucking heavy to wear that I can’t think about much more than how sweaty I am and how much my muscles ache from the days I’ve already been wearing it!
Sands said we’d get used to it sooner than we thought but, so far, I feel like exhaustion is making me worse, day on day!
I had to go and sleep in my dormroom last night because I was just too exhausted to engage in any… extracurricular exercise with Oskar(!)
He was quite understanding about it… A little too understanding… I wish he’d seemed at least a touch disappointed!
Back in the present moment, the black metal giant (boosted to over 2m by the height he gains from the boots and helmet) rams the tip of his training sword into my solar plexus… the one upside is that I’ll probably get less bruises wearing this armour!
“Hey…!”
“You’re dead, Esme…” is the only answer that comes from that expressionless helmet.
“You not feel like going a little easier on me now, Oskar?!… I am your girlfriend!!!”
“Caring more about you makes me wish to see you better able to protect yourself… So, no… I’m not going to coddle you…”
“Perfectly logical…(!)” I mock in a flat, midAtlantic accent, holding up my right palm, the ring and little finger splayed from the middle and index.
“Change partner!” shouts Sands.
Not too long ago, my heart would have leapt at that instruction and I would have utterly squashed any feeling of disappointment… Now, however, it causes my already flagging morale to vaporise!
Of course… it makes sense… If you only ever fight with one partner, you only ever learn to fight one way…
I shuffle along while Oskar stays where he is.
The next partner I’m up against is Kilroy… I might have a chance of holding my own against him at least!
---
Support me on Patreon for to access the entire series, now.
---
TWBS Previous Next First

This has been making me feel awful for a little too long now and I honestly have no clue what to do so I might as well try writing here (from a throwaway account of course) I’ve known her for about two years, but we’ve really been friends for only like 5 months (maybe a little more than that to be fair). So basically though, I think we’ve developed a pretty nice friendship during this time. Personally I have anxiety disorder so I always have a hard time believing people are actually being genuine with me and fully trusting them, but I always feel pretty comfortable around her, she also often simply checks in on me asking how I’m doing especially if she notices I’m stressed or not in a good mood and other “little” stuff like that, she’s almost always very kind to me and even though we haven’t really known each other well for too long she’s one of the few people I feel comfortable opening up to and talking to about more serious stuff (and viceversa) and she’s always willing to help me and like listen to me even for hours when I need to. Apart from that she’s attractive and I really like basically everything about her personality, she’s very smart and kind and mature for her age. Now the problem is lately I don’t know if I actually like her like her, but I do spend quite some time thinking about her, miss her when I don’t see her for a few days and I lose my sh*t if I see her even dancing with some guy to the point I start breaking things and being unable to get out of bed even for multiple consecutive days after it (my mental illness has something to do with this tbf), so uhm yeah I guess so. And at this point I honestly don’t know what to do. Like I said I value my friendship with her but I feel like it’s reached the point where sadly this is causing me more harm than good. I’m not sure how to stop caring about it and if that’s even possible anyway, but how should I approach her. Factor in that we’re not even gonna leave in the same place in a couple months so that should make it easier but in the meantime I would still prefer to get out of this situation like right now because it’s already a tough period for me due to unrelated things and I can’t really handle this whole situation on top of everything else. Obviously telling her the truth is not even an option since it would be pointless and get to the same conclusion anyway with the only difference that it would be 1000 times more stressful and embarrassing. Do I just start ignoring her and see what happens? At worst maybe start a fight on purpose over something random for no real reason?

In the past hour I contacted my spirit guide for the first time. Or one of them.
At the start of my meditation I heard: “Do not fear, God is here”.
I was a little scared, but continued any way. I was sitting in my dim kitchen, with a candle I lit with the intention that it was for my guide. I was sitting in a basic meditation stance and focused for the first couple minutes on my breathing.
I visualized a luscious forest/jungle. I heard crickets and frogs. There were hanging trees, some branches extending to a pond below. There was a waterfall and moss-covered rocks and logs. I walked on a soft earthen path with my hiking boots.
I reached a clearing before I even could have guessed I’d be ready. It was black rocks covered in moss. I saw my spirit guide somewhat. Not very clear.
It’s a she with perfectly shaped nails and hands, almost white as snow. Her voice sounded like my own but slower and more loving. I asked her name and she said Senova. But I’m not sure if I got it right. She was very tall very thin and she didn’t have wings but it’s like energy leaked from behind her that was sort of shaped like what could be wings.
I asked her “who am I” and she said “good / one of the good ones. There is good and evil in this world”.
She told me to keep faith. Enjoy the little things. Spend time with family and friends. That there is a man waiting for me. Someone I should meet.
I sat down on a moss rock and burst out crying. I told her: “I am so tired. I want to go home, I want to go home”. And she said: “not yet”.
Then I thanked God for this experience and blew out the candle.
I’ve been hearing “keep faith” a lot lately so I’ll keep trudging on as I have and stay hopeful.