i can’t figure out a song i’ve been endlessly searching for. i remember watching it over and over and over again in 2012. it was on mtv hits. there’s a little boy that escapes out of his window. he has on a super hero cape. maybe even the superhero eye mask. i think something happened in the bathroom before he left. and when he did escape out of the window, he ran away with super speed i think. and there might have been a little girl with him.

I went to 2 soulcycle classes for the first time in my life last week after no cycling experience. I'm pretty lean and healthy but by no means am active. Anyways, around 2 days after the classes, I had the worst pain in my thighs. It was a pain to walk (still managed to do it though), I couldn't bend my knees without it hurting, and hobbled up stairs. This went on for around 4 days. It's been a week and so far I'm mostly fine except some soreness when I bend down into a deep squat (also nicknamed an "asian squat"). I feel some tension in my muscles then and overall weakness(?) in my legs due to the soreness.
Is it likely that I had mild case of rhabdo or was it DOMS/muscle soreness? I'm contemplating getting it checked out because I'm going on an extended vacation soon, but I'm paranoid. I didn't have dark urine or any of the other symptoms other than the muscle soreness, so I really can't tell.
I've also noticed that my brain feels really foggy lately and my thinking feels slower. My short term memory feels a bit impaired as well. Could this be linked to the potential rhabdo and some neurological side effect?
Thank you!

I just got this hypochlorous acid spray from researching this weekend from Amazon. It helps so much with the itching. I had never heard of this before and no Drs ever told me about it. Makes my lashes feel so much softer too. I have very few lashes be of DES and they are not growing back. It's devastating. I was using cortisone at bedtime to stop the itching. The eyelash growth serums seem to make my eyes itch after 30 min or so also, such a bummer but they don’t really make my lashes grow anymore. I really hope this helps with the eyelid swelling too and the dark circles under my eyes? Oh please oh please oh please?
Can’t afford any kind of cosmetic treatments right now and my Kaiser Ins and Medicare cover nothing.

Turbo tint is a popular type of window film that has been gaining popularity in recent years. It is a high-performance window film designed to provide optimal heat rejection, glare reduction, and UV protection. Turbo tint is applied to the interior of the windows of a car, building, or home, and it offers a range of benefits for the occupants of the space.
In this article, we will explore the benefits and applications of turbo tint and how it can enhance the comfort, safety, and energy efficiency of your car or building.
Benefits of Turbo Tint

1. Heat Rejection

One of the primary benefits of turbo tint is its ability to block out heat from the sun. Turbo tint can reject up to 75% of the sun's heat, making it an excellent choice for people living in hot climates. By reducing the amount of heat entering your car or building, you can enjoy a cooler and more comfortable environment while also reducing your energy bills.

1. Glare Reduction

Another advantage of turbo tint is its ability to reduce glare. Glare can be a major issue, especially when driving or working on a computer. Turbo tint can reduce up to 90% of glare, making it easier to see clearly and reducing eye strain.

1. UV Protection

Turbo tint can also provide excellent UV protection. UV rays from the sun can cause skin damage and fading of furniture and upholstery. Turbo tint blocks up to 99% of harmful UV rays, providing a layer of protection for the occupants of the space.

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Turbo tint can also offer increased privacy. By reducing the amount of light entering the space, it becomes more difficult for people outside to see in. This can be especially beneficial for people who live in busy areas or those who have valuable possessions inside their car or building.
Applications of Turbo Tint

1. Automotive

Turbo tint is commonly used in the automotive industry to provide a range of benefits for drivers and passengers. By reducing heat, glare, and UV rays, turbo tint can provide a more comfortable and safer driving experience. Additionally, turbo tint can improve the appearance of a car by giving it a sleek, professional look.

1. Commercial

Turbo tint is also used in commercial buildings to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs. By reducing the amount of heat entering the building, it can reduce the load on air conditioning systems and lower energy bills. Additionally, turbo tint can increase privacy and security for businesses by making it more difficult for people to see inside.

1. Residential

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Turbo tint is typically applied by a professional installer. The process involves cleaning the windows thoroughly and cutting the turbo tint film to the appropriate size. The film is then applied to the interior of the window using a special adhesive. The installer will smooth out any bubbles or wrinkles, ensuring a clean and professional finish.
Conclusion
Turbo tint is a versatile and high-performance window film that offers a range of benefits for cars, buildings, and homes. By reducing heat, glare, and UV rays, turbo tint can provide a more comfortable and safer environment while also reducing energy bills. Additionally, turbo tint can provide increased privacy and security for occupants. If you're considering turbo tint for your car or building, be sure to work with a professional installer to ensure a quality and long-lasting application.

Anyone considers the signing of Kane an era defining moment?
If Harry Kane (29yo) comes (rumored fee is 100M + 450K wages), then he will play striker for atleast 3-4 years. This will have very big ripple effects in world football.

Ripple Effects:

1. Erling Haaland

• Erling Haaland (according to Sam Lee, tier-1 City Journalist) is rumored to renew his contract aggressively by City in order to bump his salary further and removing his release clause permanently.
  
• Him removing his release clause is the death sentence for any potential move to Madrid because Madrid can never compete against state owned clubs. City will never ever sell him and keep raising his salary every 2 years until he's 30. Not to mention the PL effect is very strong to withstand Haaland rebelling.
  

2. Kylian Mbappe

• Kylian Mbappe is the best at left wing with cutting inside like Ronaldo used to do in his prime days but he can still play at a very high level as a roaming striker. Vini x Mbappe x Rodrygo trio is possible because all 3 players can interchange positions fluidly. But Mbappe cannot play on the right at high level, there is a significant decline on his ability because of absence of cutting on his strong foot.
  
• With Kane's arrival. Madrid will have to choose between Vini and Mbappe, most likely Vini staying meaning Mbappe will have to either find a new club or renew at PSG.
  

Unthinkable:

Amongst all this, United is being bought by Qatar. If they land Mbappe anyhow (PSG, United under same ownership) and with Haaland on City, they will be the defacto new duopoly that once Madrid and Barca was meaning neither of Mbappe or Haaland will move for their prime playing in same league against two big rivals with state owned investment

Real Madrid won't be able to compete against those two clubs in PL with unlimited cash backing. (fielding Mbappe and Haaland against one another with the narrative of new Messi/Rnoaldo).

I know this is pretty vague. I mean I know we all get sad here,but like what are some coping mechanisms when the kids are around? I’m already in therapy, I’m working out & journaling. But sometimes I just want to smoke a fat joint & watch the pain drift away. Although it comes back….
Ultimately I just wanna be good before my toddler is a teenager. I’ve always struggled with being sad, but like I gotta snap out of it. I’m a mom & bonus mom to all toddlers. I don’t need my sons seeing me cry. It’s just so hard trying to mask my pain sometimes. Plus I’m scared, I don’t wanna pass this down to them either.

Warframe has a ton of content islands (meaning that for the most part, they are completely separate from the main game except for a couple features). This could still be fun, but each of the content islands are being forgotten after the next couple content islands are released. For example:

Open Worlds

Cetus/POE: The last major non-QOL update was in August 2019 and that was adding secondary bounty rewards. Since then, the only 2 things that have been added were affinity range changes and fast travel. Everything else for the past 4 years has been bug fixes. The Eidolon trinity hasn't had any major changes since the Hydrolyst's introduction in 2018.
Fortuna/Orb Vallis: The Exploiter Orb was added March 2019, but we still have a 3rd orb chilling in a hot tub. Everything else for the past 4 years has been the same QOL changes and fixes as Cetus/POE
Deimos/Cambion Drift: Added in 2020, the only major update it's seen was in November of that same year which added some isolation vault rooms, infested kitguns, and the Bonewidow which brings me to my next point...
Necramechs: These things have so much potential being the bridge between open worlds as well as Railjack missions, but the newest one (out of 2) is nearing 3 years old at this point.
Conclave: ...

Honorable mentions:

I'm not counting liches or railjack in here because they both received major updates almost 2 years ago, and our next content island The Duviri Paradox has obviously taken some time (First trailer released in 2019, pretty sure it was on the whiteboard of things to do years before that).

Before my story starts, I want to give a trigger warning for suicide and self harm, as well as stalking and harassment. Please don't read any further if these are things which upset you or cause you any discomfort. With that being said, do not EVER, under any circumstances, act the way I do in this story and please get help if you have even the smallest compulsion of obsession. You can recover and get the help you need.
I was in my early 20's, struggling with clinical suicidal depression for over a decade. A friend of mine had been with this girl for about a year, but their relationship was rocky pretty much the whole way through. I was supportive to both of them as a friend during their relationship troubles, but always put my boy first. Always encouraged her to weather the storm. Eventually she did the best thing for herself and ended the relationship. I was supportive of both of them, but pretty much cut off all contact with the girl.
Six months pass, and I randomly get a text from the girl about getting a piercing and sent a picture to show it off. She mentioned that she pretty much sent it to me because she didn't have any friends to talk to about getting the piercing, and figured I'd be cool to talk about it. At the time, a video game had just come out that was super grind-heavy, and told her that she could call if she wanted to chat since I could use the company during the monotony. So she called. We chatted for like five hours, just shooting the shit. Nothing major, just catching up since we hadn't talked in a long time. This evolved into her coming over to my place every day for a week or two in which we would be having dinner, watching movies, having deep and lighthearted conversations before I realized that I'd caught feelings for her.
I was really conflicted. This was my best friend's ex. I had asked him early on about if he was cool with us talking or hanging out despite them not being in a relationship anymore. He was supportive, and was like "You don't gotta worry about that, man. She was your friend when she was my ex. You don't gotta worry about talking to her." But I knew that I wouldn't be able to talk to her about my feelings without telling him first. I called him up and asked him to come over for dinner and drinks.
After we'd finished eating, I pretty much brought him up to speed. He was definitely not comfortable with hearing the news, but he wasn't violent or anything. He pretty much told me that it wasn't up to him and that it was out of his control. I remember him saying "If you two get together, you better last." I tried explaining to him that it wasn't planned, that it just happened organically, but that obviously didn't make him feel any better about it. He said he didn't want to be involved in anything going forward and that whatever happens happens. We ended up going through a pretty bad falling out after he found out about the relationship formed. I've never spoken to him since.
Anyway, the next day, the girl came over to watch a movie like usual. After the movie was over, I told her about my feelings. She wasn't really all that receptive and kind of went silent. We didn't talk all that much before she went home. She told me over text later on in the middle of the night that she felt weird, because she just wanted us to be friends. I felt pretty defeated inside, but understood. I told her that we could keep calling or hanging out and we'd just be buds. Everything went pretty much back to normal after that.
That is, until a couple days later. She had been frantically texting me from the hospital. She was having suicidal thoughts and was afraid of being a harm to herself. She was possibly going to be committed to the psychiatric ward, and when that possibility arose, and she knew she wouldn't be able to talk to me, she went into a panic. I told her that she would be okay, and that I'd be here for her when she got out if that was the case. She then said that they were about to confiscate her phone for a psych screening, and that afterwards they would evaluate whether or not to commit her, but that she had a final message. It went something along the lines of "Hey. Umm. I don't know how to say this. But I love you. But I don't know how I mean it." I said that I loved her too, and to be strong.
In my head, I figured this to be her reciprocating the feelings that I had for her. I was excited but also somewhat uneasy inside because I didn't know for sure. I was super tired at the time, and texted her to call me and wake me up if she wasn't getting committed. After thinking about it a while, I went for a nap. I was woken up by a text saying "Guess who's about to get woke the fuck up, beeitch?" and a phone call.
She had just gotten home. We pretty much went over the events at the hospital, and then I asked about the whole "I love you" thing. She said that she didn't know what it meant but that she felt the need to tell me. I was flirtatiously telling her that if she loves me, to say it over the phone. She was saying that she was too shy. I told her that she said it over text, she can say it out loud too. She eventually said it, and I said that I love her too. She kept saying it. Over and over. We must have said it to each other repeatedly for twenty minutes. The floodgates of emotions were let loose.
I was really happy. After being depressed for so long, I felt such a crazy amount of dopamine that I was ecstatic. She had mentioned so much to me in the following weeks, like how she always had thought of me as being the emotional buffer throughout her relationship with my best friend, and wished that she was in a relationship with me instead. The relationship was fun. We had lots of fun in the moment. This went on for about two months before I noticed a change.
She started being super distant. She wouldn't text me during work. She didn't want to come over for movies or talk on the phone anymore. She spent more and more time on her own. I started becoming an emotional wreck. I was being super clingy. She tried to tell me that she regretted telling me that she loved me, and that she wasn't thinking clearly when it happened. That she felt like I had pressured her into thinking that she meant "I love you" in a romantic way rather than platonic. I responded to it really poorly. I pressured her into continuing the relationship despite her not wanting it. This happened two more times in the coming weeks before we had finally broken up.
I was doing absolutely despicable things. I was stalking every interaction she had on social media (multiple sites). I was sending videos of me taking a ridiculous amount of Xanax. I was sending her pictures of empty prescription bottles. I was telling her that I was going to kill myself. I was trying everything I possibly could think of in my sick, twisted mind to get her to come back. The worst thing I did was send her a video of me taking about 20mg of Xanax with the caption "Dunno if I'll wake up from this lol." She had texted me probably 50 times while I was passed out and she was at class. Most of them were "Please be alive." She even said "I love you" like five times in desperation to get a response. I woke up and told her that I wish she hadn't said that because I knew it wasn't true.
Eventually she told me that she couldn't talk to me anymore and that if I died because of it, that it wasn't her fault. And when she did, I started messaging her on everything I could think of and telling her how much I loved her. How I didn't think anything but her and how perfect she was. How I didn't understand how she lost feelings for me because I did everything right. Begging her for an answer. Refusing every answer she gave me of being the truth.
I was so mentally unwell. I had romanticized both my depression and her inside my head beyond reality. She wasn't a human being. She was an angel that would rescue me from the darkness that I'd been stuck in for so long. After I was blocked from every social media account she had, as well as being unable to text or call her due to her changing her phone number, I was finally forced to face the truth. I was an absolute disaster of a person. I was burning myself with cigarettes, cutting myself with steak knives with the intention of leaving large scars, and hiding it all from everyone I knew. I went to therapy with the delusion of being reassured that I did nothing wrong in this whole situation.
My therapist was a godsend. He taught me about how awful of a person I was being and helped show me how sick I was. It took months of work for me to even realize how disgusting I was. I was completely delusional. I felt so bad. I was still obsessed with stalking her on social media, and I reached out on a burner account to apologize for everything I did. It was such a shitty apology, too.
She was receptive, but in retrospect I'm pretty sure she was only responding to me because she wanted to leave me with the idea that we were cool to avoid me reaching out in hysterics again. I even tried to manipulate myself back into her life by asking for her to introduce me to some new friends she had made that have similar interests to us. She politely declined and said that they'd definitely not like me after she'd confided in them about the trauma I'd caused her. She also told me to please never contact her again. I told her that would definitely be best. So I never did. And I stopped checking her social media.
I rarely think of her anymore, but the thing that I struggle with whenever I do, is that the way I acted and the trauma I caused this human being to be two of the biggest regrets of my life. The fact that I won't ever be able to truly apologize to this person for the rest of my life is incredibly difficult. I can't take any of the things I did back. I can't ever remove that trauma from her life. I've also kept this all a secret from my current girlfriend of six and a half years who I am in a wonderful, loving and mature relationship with. We plan on getting married and having kids within the next year. This secret is something I plan on taking to the grave.
I'm a completely different person than I was at that time in my life. But despite everything, I learned of every single toxic trait I had. And I learned to never, ever repeat any of the things I had done ever again. I learned so much about myself through years of therapy and that I was a powder keg of mental instability. My girlfriend would probably never think in a million years that I would have been capable of doing the things I'm admitting in this post.
I just wish it was possible for me to apologize to her for everything I'd done, and let her know that I wish her nothing but the best. I'd like to know that she's happy. Because she deserves it after everything I put her through. It's selfish, because it would make ME feel better. The best thing for this person is to probably go the rest of her life without ever hearing from me again, anyway. But I really do hope that they're happy out there somewhere.

English is not my first language so I'm sorry if it doesn't make sense.
So for context I am 18 and close to finish high school. I planned to go to college in art but my family doesn't really want that since I will get to not a husband and kids.
I had told them millions of time that I don't plan to have kids and that they might ruin my chance to get a good job or ruin some other things in my future. (By the way I don't say it's the case most of the time but I don't want to risk and I'm not good with kids)
So after I said they threw a party whit the hole family. I always stay in my room and draw but that time they locked my room whit everything in it except my phone and said that I'm b word for not wanting kids and that they still kept me even if went I was a new born I was the devil.
I scream at them that I didn't want kids at least not time I have a good stable income and why should I go so fast to have kids. They said cuz one of there parents is dying and they want to see they great grandchildren.
I laughed and just said I will never have kids and if I do I will never let them meet my family. I didn't really mean it but in the moment of anger I said that.
So now half of the family sides whit my parent and half whit me i am currently in my aunt's house which love my drawing and accepted that I want no kids.
I get spammed with texts and calls calling me an ahole and a b word for not complying and getting kids.
So am I the Asshole?

So been testing out stuff most of the weekend. Played with a friend who was learning support role so made my life a bit harder, shifted to this role not to long ago. Anyways, had several and I mean several bad games in a row. I'm talking asswhoopings where I did fuck all.
Confidence took quite a hit midway through it, just kind of felt very defeated and playing ti play with the friends. Problem is, now it's bled over into me playing at all, I'm instantly on edge and have literally zero confidence in my play rn. Don't want to fight just want to farm kind of mentality which is not helpful. Any advice to get it back?
I'm bed rn but my op is bubblegum bitçh if you want to see the massacre.

"Ikn ultro irthir tairais."
I focused on what looked like a meeting room, the sounds of busy Humans reached my ears.
"I can hear their chatter." I said. "For the next twenty minutes, as long as I maintain my concentration, I will hear them."
I let my body relax, focusing on the words, letting them flow through my mind. "I can hear them talking about us, complaints that they got put on 'lizard duty', complaints about how we should have just died off by now. I can hear them talking about me, they are approaching."
The voices grew louder, chairs being moved, the creaking as they sat down, the door sliding shut.
"You all know why we're here." A gruff voice spoke. There was a shuffling of papers. I spoke the words as I heard them. "What the fuck do we do about these goddamn lizards?"
They muttered among themselves, uncertainty, fear."
"More importantly." Another voice spoke. "What do we do about the bulletproof motherfucker? They've got fucking magic that stops a bullet, magic that chases you down and blows your fucking head clean off- I watched as my buddies got killed by those freaks of nature."
"Kobolds." Another, softer feminine voice spoke. "Always chaotic evil creatures, looked them up myself." Another voice spoke. "Based on what the lab coats say, anyone who gets turned into one gradually becomes more like them in mindset and morality. Now, I'm just a humble player, and part of me's fuckin' ecstatic over the fact that one of my favorite games're real-"
"Get to the point." The gruff voice spoke.
"We're disconnected." The softer voice spoke. "Everything we know about the universe is a lie, and as sure as God is my witness, I'm pretty sure this problem of ours is caused by an evil god named Kurtulmak, the God of Kobolds." The room went silent. "That means they've probably god Clerics working under her, plotting nothing less than the spread of her will."
The room erupted with arguing.
"Quiet down!" Gruff Voice shouted. "Corporal, since you're the expert here, what do you suggest?"
"Well, they're clearly using magic, so it stands to reason they've got enough Clerics and Druids to maintain their food supplies. We can't risk any of our fliers going over the quarantine zone, and launching a nuke is just going to cause problems. With Clerics, they can cure any disease or poison we throw at them, and that's not even going into what happens if any when they go underground. Therefore, I think the only reasonably course of action is tapping into that same power they have."
"How?" The question was simple.
"Well, the existence of certain older mythological deities, such as Bhaal, imply that at some point, there was connection. Maybe the rise of Christianity severed us, maybe it just happened regardless. But considering we're against Kobolds, our best option would be to try and make contact with the God who has a longstanding hatred of them."
The room went silent for several moment, followed by Gruff Voice asking, "Whom, and how do you plan on achieving this?"
"The Gnome God, Garl Glittergold." Soft Voice spoke. "He once nearly wiped them out at the height of their power, and based on the reports, our bulletproof Kobold seems to be at the very least a worshiper of Kurtulmak. As for the how, the only thing I can think of is observing one of his holy days, the Communion of Laughter- he's the jovial kind of deity, you see. I'm thinking, if we can get him to notice this going on, he'll be more curious than not as to why an outlier is suddenly paying homage to him, and we can explain our situation to him."
"Draw attention to a god who hates these 'Kobolds', and get him to do what we can't." Gruff Voice said. "I think it's a long shot, but literally anything is better than nothing. When is this holy day?"
"The thirteenth, sir, about five days away, if we can manage it."
"Corporal Martel, I'm investing in you the authority to set this up. Anything and everything you need. we will get it as quickly as we can. We only have one shot at this-"
"It's every thirteenth, sir." Martel stated.
"What?"
"The Communion of Laughter is held every month on the thirteenth. The best case scenario is it works, we get rid of the problem, and then we can go home. Worst case scenario, we party each month and have a boost in morale."
"Very well. Every thirteenth, we'll try our damnedest to get this guy's attention. Dismissed."
They left as my spell petered out. I shook my head and looked at the others, they were stone-faced.
"Five days, huh?" Nakk said softly.
"Their plan won't work." I said. He looked at me, confusion clear in his eyes. "Part of the deal for letting our Emperor out of the cavern below was his agreement to agree to compromise. Even if they remain enemies, with Bahamut interceding on our behalf, Glittergold won't be able to do a damn thing about us. Either he attacks us, and loses Bahamut's support- especially since he'll be attacking innocent victims of Tiamat's actions- he refuses to attack knowing Bahamut will get on his ass about it, or the more likely scenario, he won't even notice at all."
I paused, thinking for a moment. "That said, we need to ensure everyone is safely underground in the event that Glittergold does attack. The day of the thirteenth, we need everyone evacuated underground to Darastrixthurhi. If Glittergold decides to reenact its destruction, he'll have to contend with the fact that it's underground, surrounded by solid rock, as dug out by the first Kobold who would have already anticipated a second destruction."
"We could just kill them." A Rogue remarked.
"We could, but then we're attacking a potentially devout follower of Garl and that might piss him off even more. I will be convening with our Emperor, and I will be making an effort to bring Bahamut's Temple into this. Nakk, I want you present, we tell them I asked you to provide me the means to spy on our enemy."
Nakk nodded.
A Rogue ran over to us. "Leader, the Council has requested to convene."
"It'll have to wait." Nakk spoke. "Imperator, I will follow your lead."
The Council room was quiet when we entered, Tudru and Kuvli looked annoyed, they were glaring at Galax, who was holding his Holy Symbol in hand and silently uttering a prayer.
"We're all here." Merti stated as Nakk and I sat down.
"We are still missing one person." Galax stated. "He will be here soon."
As if on cue, the door opened and my Emperor strode in. Everyone did a double take, except Galax, who simply opened his eyes and looked at us all. "I have had a vision." He said.
"Not this shit again!" Tudru sighed. He stood up. "I'm not fucking having any more of your religious bullshit, from anyone!"
"Tudru, sit down." I said.
"No! Fuck you, Ruuk! Fuck you, Galax! And especially fuck you-!"
My Emperor grabbed him by the throat as Tudru fronted on him, his eyes blazed with divine fury. "I invite you to calm yourself, Fighter, or your people will need to replace you."
Tudru went silent, all anger replaced by terror.
"The Temple of Bahamut and I have, at present, made amends." I stated. "If your concern, Tudru, was that we were going to be at each other's throats, rest assured any further aggression will take place outside of the town." I looked at Galax. "Do not forget that Galax has had accurate visions in the past, I do not think it would be prudent to ignore him simply because he and I have been fighting."
"It's not just you two." Kuvli stated. "They're too fucking high and mighty for their own good, I still remember what he said. Out of his hands, my ass!"
"That's not even going into the shady shit you've been doing." Tatla said. "Don't think I haven't noticed those Sorcerers going in and out of your Tower like that."
"The same Sorcerers who I found today underneath where we sit, who were gathered around an altar, bleeding on it, so they could summon a Demon for power?" I asked. Everyone- except Tallyn- expressed surprise at this.
"I gave them a simple ultimatum." I continued. "Since they could not be trusted with the interests of the Warren, they could either submit to my Master, and have the oversight they desperately wanted to avoid, or I would kill them." I looked at everyone. "At present, my Master has given them a collar which will choke them if they willingly do anything that will harm the Warren. They fucked around, they found out. This will be the case for any spellcaster who endangers the Warren for personal power."
"Do you hear yourself?" Tudru asked.
"Do you have a better option?" I asked. "If so, I will happily release them."
Nobody said anything. I looked at Galax. "Your vision." I said.
He nodded. "I had a vision." He spoke. "My God had delivered to me a platinum blade, and he spoke. 'This blade is the end of your life. Wield it without hesitation.' And then he was gone, and in his place stood a white dragon, who laid upon my hand a single nugget of gold, and then came forth a black dragon, who did the same, and so it was with a red, green, and blue dragon, until my hand was weighed down by the gold. Yet even as I strove to drop the gold, it had melted into it, forming a golden manacle that was as hard as steel, that chained me to my temple. And it was then, and only then, that the sun was blotted out as if by an eclipse, and our town was destroyed."
"What the fuck is that even supposed to mean?" Tatla asked.
"I know the answer." I said. All eyes were on me. "Nakk, please tell the Council about my request to you."
Nakk nodded. "You asked me to send some of my rogues to infiltrate the enemy's base of operations." He said. "You wanted them to get a good look at the interior, and provide silent images for you."
I nodded. "I cast a spell known as Clairvoyance." I said. "With it, I listened in on their base. They were talking about us, and I'm sorry to report that they don't even see us as former citizens, just evil creatures that need exterminated."
I paused, letting everyone come to terms with that.
"How does this relate to the vision?" My Emperor asked.
"I overheard a meeting. One of their own has a plan to, on the thirteenth of this month-" My Emperor's eyes widened, he instantly knew. "-to perform a ritual known as the Communion of Laughter, one that venerates the Gnome God, Garl Glittergold, who destroyed Darastrixthurhi countless ages ago. The thirteenth is five days away."
"It is likely to work." My Emperor said. "But I have learned from that time, I have reinforced my rebuilt fortress, there is solid earth between it and the surface, even then, it is already beneath a mountain. I am certain, should he come, we will survive."
"Bringing in an entire fucking god?" Tudru asked.
"While you remain safe underground, I will confront Garl alone." My Emperor spoke. "Even if he seeks to kill me, so long as I have one faithful remaining, I will not die."
"I'm sorry, Master." I said. "I am not letting you be alone." He looked at me. "Order me as you wish, I have already disobeyed a God to stand at your side."
"I will go too." Galax spoke. "Garl Glittergold will have to contend with the reality that the faithful of Bahamut is willing to stand beside a foe, for we are innocent victims of a cruel mistress."
I looked at the rest of the Council. "The rest of you, please do what you can to ensure the safety of the people. Everything I have done has been for them, I refuse to let them die."
"How can we trust this isn't some sort of trick?" Tudru asked.
"Zone of Truth." I said. "But at this point, since you clearly don't trust us, you'll find a reason as to why we couldn't possibly be telling the truth."
The room was tense.
I could no longer count on Tudru having my back, Kuvli might still have some regard for us. Nakk was on my side, certainly-
"I will." Kuvli spoke. "Five days will prove whether or not they're telling the truth. We continue as normal, and when it's time to go underground, we will."
"Tell us something, Ruuk." Tudru said. "And be honest with us. Have you ever at any point harbored any desire to take over?"
"Clarify the question, please." I said.
"So, you deny it?"
"Clarify the question." I stated.
He paused for a moment. "Have you, at any point, made any efforts behind the Council's back to establish a different form of government?"
"It is my will, that this land one day bears witness to my Empire." My Emperor spoke.
"I'm talking to-"
"And I am answering!" My Emperor snapped. "Just as Bahamut would wish for a nation that holds true to his ideals, who serve him faithfully, so too do I. Under my command, Ruuk lays down the foundation necessary to- if this Council either falls, or deigns to relinquish power- take command. I have named him my Imperator, my faithful call him such. He still clings stubbornly to the necessity of this Council."
"No matter how many times it's brought up, I'm still going to say no." I said in the most exhausted voice I could muster.
"There have been an increase in dissatisfaction with us doing our job..." Kalith spoke. "What is stopping them from simply tossing our authority- such as it is- aside and establishing something else?" He looked at the others. "If it comes to such, I will take up that responsibility."
At first, I was confused as to why he was doing that. I was the Imperator, but then I saw the glares directed at him.
'Merti, Tatla, Galax, and Tallyn.' I mentally noted. Tudru only glared after it became apparent there were others who were doing it, and it wasn't like he wasn't paying attention. Kuvli simply stared at him with no outward expression. With Nakk rolling his eyes, putting on a show for the others. Rekka just looked away.
That made it potentially four people on my side, not counting Kalith. We actually had the advantage.
"No." I said. Kalith looked at me with wide eyes. "That isn't something we can decide on. The only way something like that is happening is if the people overwhelmingly support it. Even then, I couldn't possibly take that kind of role."
I shook my head. "Besides, we need to focus on the threat at hand. Five days from now, we are all going to be facing the potential of death. Merti, Tatla, even if you don't believe us, please work hard to stock up on enough food to support everyone. No matter what, we need to survive, at least long enough for our enemies to lower their guard."
They both looked at each other, then nodded. "We trust Galax's visions, and since you can corroborate something that at least makes sense with it in context..." Merti trailed off.
"We'll do it, for the good of the Warren." She said.
"Galax, do you think your Clerics would be willing to work together with ours to spread the news? So far, the people have only seen us bickering, knowing there is a danger and that we're already making efforts to ensure everyone's survival should heighten our chances of getting people to listen."
Galax nodded. "You brought the sword to me that signals the start of this, one that could have only come about had you any love for my God. We will do this."
"So, what, me and my Fighters are just fucking useless?" Tudru asked.
"Can you fight a mountain?" Kurtulmak asked.
"N-no..." Tudru replied.
"Tudru, Kuvli, you've been working your warriors hard, I know everyone's been using magic to heal sore muscles. That means each and every one of your Fighters and Berserkers are strong. We're going to need that strength to get everything we need moved down in Darastrixthurhi."
I could see in their eyes, in spite of their outward hostility and aloofness, they respected me and wanted to support me.
"Nakk, you know your Rogues better than any of us, do what you need to in order to keep us safe, and tell the Monks that we're not leaving them topside, they're coming with us and that is non-negotiable."
"On it." Nakk replied.
"For someone so unwilling to lead an Empire, you're certainly quick to give orders." I looked at Tallyn. "Are you actually against such a thing for moral reasons, or because you want it, but know you shouldn't take it?"
"Tallyn-" I started.
"Tell us honestly." He said.
My Emperor lightly tapped my back, then he scraped his claw up, then down. So, this was it, then. I looked down, rubbing my hands together, I spoke, "I'd be lying if I said the thought didn't appeal to me." I looked up at him. "But I can't."
Based on the expressions of the others, it seemed that earned me a few brownie points with them.
"Rekka, can you and your Artificers come up with something to ensure we have fresh air underground? I know there are shafts that bring fresh air in-"
"I'm already mentally building the schematics." She said.
"What will you and Kalith be doing?" Tallyn asked.
"I'll be organizing my Sorcerers to ensure everything goes smoothly." I replied. "He and his Warlocks will be doing much the same as me." I paused. "Tallyn, I'm not actually certain what Paladins do, exactly."
"I can lead my Paladins to heal anyone who gets hurt, that should be enough."
"It will have to be." I said.
That was the end of the meeting, nobody made any comment on how I effectively took command. Galax and Tallyn were the first to get up and leave, with Merti and Tatla leaving shortly after.
"Tudru, Kuvli, Rekka." I said. They all looked at me, "Was it my imagining, or does the idea of the Warren becoming an Empire not bother you?"
"No." Kuvli stated bluntly. "It does not."
"It's pretty much inevitable at this point." Rekka said.
Tudru averted his gaze. "I'd be lying if I said it did." He said.
"Then will you support your Imperator when needed?" I asked. Only Tudru and Rekka looked surprised.
"Finally." Kuvli said, smiling. He walked around the table over to me and knelt. "We've been waiting since day one of us Awakening for you to say something like that."
"Imperator." Tudru said hesitantly. He did the same as Kuvli, and knelt.
Rekka followed suit.
"Swear your fealty to me, and our God, our Emperor, Kurtulmak." I said.
"I swear." They spoke.
"In the days to come, I want the people to demand I take command. If anyone speaks out against this, have them detained, so that when I do take command, I release them and show I am a magnanimous leader. Is this understood?"
"Yes, Imperator." They all spoke. Tudru smiled as he said it, it was clear he had been wanting this for a long while yet.
​
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I mean where English speaking provinces need to have bilingual staff and signage, but Quebec is now pushing a French only system? Why does the rest of the country have to spend billions to adhere to a minority's bilingualism needs, while Quebec is actively trying to drive English out of its borders? It seems very one-sided.

Wondering if I am house poor, if I made a mistake by buying.
Take home net is $5390.
Putting $250 toward 401k a month.
Mortgage is $2550. HOA is $700. Utilities are $70. It’s a condo.
I am in my late 20’s. Single. I have justified it by thinking of the home as part of my retirement. But…I don’t feel like I can take vacations, and my emergency fund is growing painfully slow, sitting at 11k atm.
I could have been renting a smaller space, studios in my area are 1k. A comparable (2br) to my place is around $2400.
I just can’t help thinking I am throwing the money away on interest. Having buyers regret. Am I house poor, is it worth it to sell as soon as I can, etc, etc…
If anyone in a similar situation could speak about how they feel, that would mean the world. Thank you.

heyy, im just here to get y’all guys’ opinion and different viewpoints from different perspective.
recently, my partner gifted me a very beautiful kurta, (a loose shirt commonly worn by south asians) it’s currently sitting in my cupboard, and i want to find a way to put it to good use. donating it away isn’t something i’d consider honestly, especially since it’s a gift from the love of my life. i tried it on briefly, and y’all… it’s so cooling and airy 😭😭
now, i’m wondering when would be the right time for me to wear it. should i save it for a specific occasion like racial harmony day, or is there no issue with me wearing it at any time?
i sought the opinions of my friends on a chinese person wearing a south asian dress. some are happy that, as a chinese person in a country like singapore, i’m open to embracing this gift (mind you i accept it cuz i love my bf and the idea of kurta, i’ve been saying it to him so he got me one) however, others are not as thrilled seeing someone from a different race wearing their cultural clothing publicly.
i think the predominant concern stems from the potential stares and judgment i might face while wearing it in public, especially in a place like sg where we have such divided views on race particularly among different age groups. i mean… own your shit right? 😝😝
of course it goes without saying, it’s important to show respect when wearing traditional clothing...
so... what do you think ?? id love to hear everyone's opinion !!

My (18F) best friend (18F) met in high school. We both just graduated.
We did theatre all throughout HS, and she consistently had problems with our drama teacher. She talked a lot about how he supposedly hated her and how this grudge fueled her exclusion from roles and other opportunities in the program. In particular, she was really upset when he picked another student for a slot in the senior showcase over her, and she quit theatre altogether after that incident.
Now, I love her dearly, but this is somewhat of a pattern. She has a tendency to feel personally targeted by authority figures in her life and convinces herself that they are out to get her. This is not the only time she has had issues with a teacher like this.
On the last day of school, she texted me to say that she was going to go to his room and “tell him off” for showing favoritism and making her hate theatre. I told her not to do this and to just let it go because it could only go poorly. She insisted that she’d “be respectful” and that she didn’t care what he thought of her. Honestly, I didn’t see a “respectful” way to confront a teacher like this, and I cared less about his opinion than I did about her embarrassing herself with this show of pettiness. So I once again told her not to do it and said it’s a childish thing to do.
She left me on opened for the rest of the day and only texted me again hours later to curtly tell me she’s glad she did it AND that she played a recording of the interaction for her parents and they were proud of her for standing up for herself. Ignoring the fact that recording him without his knowledge is totally illegal, I swallowed my annoyance for the sake of not turning this into a big thing and just said if she’s happy I’m happy, and I asked her how the rest of her day went. She didn’t reply, clearly upset by my lack of support and probably my “childish” remark in particular. She’s been cold with me since.
I know what I said was harsh, but I felt she needed to hear it—especially given her history with these kinds of things. I admit that our theatre program is a bit clique-y and there’s definitely an “in-group” (+ the girl that beat her out for the showcase spot was in that group), but I feel that crying favoritism is a tad pathetic because whatever, it’s high school theatre, plus those “in group” people are truly really talented so it’s not like they weren’t qualified. She has a right to feel the way she does, but cornering him right as she’s about to graduate to air out her issues with him to his face was just not right or mature in my opinion. I feel bad because she clearly felt empowered and confident before and after, but I worry that my support would mean she won’t want to take the high road in similar situations going forward. I feel I have a responsibility as her best friend to tell her when she’s being unreasonable and her judgment is clouded.
So, AITA for not supporting her and saying she was being childish?

I'm looking for someone to chat with that can make me laugh, or swap some interesting stories, facts, or music. Let's mix up the routine of sitting around at home late at night. I'm okay with just chatting for the night, or talking more if we get along. I can also send you some pictures of the cutest dog in the world.
A little about me: I'm 35 and currently live in Texas. I love my situation and where I live, even if I hate the local politics. I have a great group of friends and spend my time about 50/50 between various outings with them and enjoying some me time at home. I work in electronics repair and love what I do.
I tend to be pretty laid back and take a playful or humorous approach to most things. My sense of humor isn't particularly dark or mean spirited but I enjoy the occasional off color joke.
Music is my first love and I listen to a wide variety. I love swapping songs and exploring musical connections. I go see live music and stand up comedy whenever I can. I'm a pretty big sports fan so if you are too we can definitely talk shit if our sports/teams don't overlap. I love bar activities and do pub quiz once a week and also play in a dart league. I game when I have the time and play a little bit of everything. I tend to keep up with news, politics, and pop culture and can usually talk at length about any of them.
If you're similarly bored, restless, or just feeling adventurous drop me a message and we'll see what happens.

Lately I found I have a problem to concentrate, especially on studying. I think it has a connection to the information clutter I surround myself in - specifically phone. I did all I could to reduce the information overload while staying informed on the most important stuff. I noticed an improvement with how long I stay on my phone. I also started practicing yoga every week and started to feel better - less depressed. But still it's very hard for me to concentrate on studying and I get very easily distracted on my thoughts. I feel like I may need some sort of therapeutic practice to implement regularly to work on my concentration and let my dopamine receptors rest a bit. Meditation is still incredibly hard for me, but I want to get there eventually and I seek some practice that might prepare me for it, if you know what I mean...
What are some practices that might prepare me for stepping further to meditation? I used to draw a lot when I wanted to concentrate on a lecture in class. Do you think it might help if I tried to focus on drawing for a certain amount of time regularly? Do you have other ideas?
Thank you :)

I stopped smoking and now I have nightmares every night. What do I do?
I [26m] quit smoking 2 weeks ago, and before then had been smoking everyday for about 6 years. Now, I have nightmares every night. Some of them more vivid and realistic than others, but nightmares nonetheless. Before I quit, I couldn’t even tell you the last time I had a dream; in fact I would kinda brag about being someone who “never dreams,” because my nights would go by very quickly. I would fall asleep and wake up seemingly immediately, and it would already be morning. I liked it that way.
Now, I dread falling asleep and it takes me usually a couple hours to actually do so. And tonight I woke up from a dream where not only did my ex-gf expose me for a pretty humiliating incident, but then an old friend-turned-enemy found me and got in my car to beat the shit out of me. I woke up with a migraine that strongly resembled how the dude had been hitting me. I even had to check in the mirror for bruises and a black eye, but there was nothing there. I only slept for about 2 hours, and I don’t plan on getting any more sleep tonight.
I’ve read and heard from others about how smoking everyday or right before bed can affect your brains ability to get REM (rapid eye movement) sleep, which is where most dreams occur. So I’m not necessarily surprised that I started dreaming again. But I’m more worried about what will happen if these nightmares never stop. They’re always very different, and almost never about the same things or people.
I originally quit smoking because a friend of mine that I play games online with everyday convinced me to quit with him, because “it’ll be easier if we do it together,” which is true. It was easier to quit knowing he was quitting too, and that I’d have someone to bounce side-effects off of and process the pros and cons of quitting. However, when I first told him I’d been having nightmares, he told me he “hadn’t really started dreaming again yet.” We’re supposed to make it a month or two (depending on how we feel after month one) without smoking, and I still want to do that. the pros I’ve experienced while I’m awake include faster thinking, better short-term memory, and more confidence. So I don’t really want to lose the progress I’ve made with those things.
I guess my main question is has anyone else experienced this before, and if so, how long did it take for the nightmares to cease, and is it worth it if I plan on going back to smoking in another couple of weeks? Thanks.

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As the title states, I just recently purchased a 2001 Nissan Frontier with the supercharged VG33. Its a manual trans and 4wd as well.
What I'm looking to find out is what are the MECHANICAL differences between a non-supercharged model and this one, besides the obvious Belt drive changes, the spinny thing on top of the engine, and difference electrical stuff/ECU.
One of the major things that comes to mind is the Transmission and clutch mechanics. I'm finding conflicting info. Some sites list the same part numbers for Clutch kits and flywheels, while others dont. Rockauto lists TWO clutch kits under the supercharged engine option and does not explain which one for which, and one is not a HD option or anything like that. Both are listed under their "OEM" line.
My truck also either needs the trans rebuilt or replaced. 4th grinds badly. Again, OEM part numbers from Nissan are different from a regular one to the supercharged model if you look up a rebuilt transmission unit. However I do not know if that means uncompatible, or just different in the sense of it had stronger synchros or something along those lines.
Any info will be greatly appreciated, even if its minor. Thank you!

I'm going throughout the campaign of lightfall and it has become quite boring after play for hours and hours alone. I mean I've always played alone all through destiny 1 and 2 so far. and after coming back for the first time in 1-2ish years i cant remember its more fun then i remember but I'm kinda at my limit. I've always wanted to play with a clan but i never fit in anywhere so i figure why not try one more time after so much time.
If anyone needs a friend and or a clan needs a new member I'm down to join up. If interested plse msg me or comment ^^