5419 new cut road

Was not considering the new Rx350 as I was not completely sold on the new exterior and interior. However, this deal from the dealership had me really tempted. 2023 Rx350 F Sport msrp 64000 ish msrp discounted to 60000.
I am worried about this impulse purchase as I generally do a ton of research about my large purchases. Since I never looked at lexus I have minimal knowledge going in. I have no complaint of the ride itself from the test drive but have minor dislikes about the interior etc that I can overlook.
Other cars I've considered with extensive research are the xc60, gv70, x3/5....i know i do not want mercedes or the RDX/MDX.
It will be a family car(1 baby), daily 10 min commute, occasional 4-6 hr road trip. Want a very safe car (the rx is iihs top pick+, which is a very strong factor why i am even considering it). But I am also feeling icky paying 60k for a 4banger.
Talk me out of the rx350 or help ease my mind.

Grand Theft Auto is no stranger to add-on content, but the latest in a long line of leaks suggests Rockstar might be taking a bit of a different approach for the long-awaited sequel — splitting up parts of the game to repackage as DLC.
The rumor comes from established Rockstar leaker Tez2, who says Grand Theft Auto 6 is currently targeting a release in holiday 2024 “which has been pushed back multiple times.” Tez2 adds the game may be pushed back again, into to 2025.
Furthermore, Tez2 claims Rockstar is considering breaking up the game’s content into post-launch DLC, to ensure the game can meet a release date. If GTA 6 launches in 2024, it will be a whopping 11 years since the last release in the franchise.
This wouldn’t be an unprecedented move from Rockstar, considering the approach the studio has taken with GTA Online, incrementally releasing massive updates and new story content. Notably, however, GTA 5 didn’t feature any additional story content, just updates to the Online portion of the game.
GTA Online GTA Online has managed to stay relevant for a decade with consistent updates, and it makes sense Rockstar would pivot to that same approach to single-player content.ROCKSTAR Taking this approach would let Rockstar more easily hit whatever internal timeline is established for GTA 6, and provide a road map of content to make post-launch more appealing to players. Interestingly, this isn’t the first time this kind of rumor has been brought up by Tez2, as last August the leaker reported GTA 6 would “expand over time,” adding on new cities after launch.
The easiest approach would be to create content that ties into both the single-player and multiplayer aspects of GTA 6, and creating new cities in-game could do just that. New locations could be fully playable in the online portion, while also adding on hand-crafted stories and missions. This would allow Rockstar to continue the overwhelming success of GTA Online, while story content could help attract new players or those that might not care to engage with multiplayer.
This tactic of splitting up elements of the game as DLC is something Nintendo has been using for years, to great success. Mario Strikers: Battle League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Mario Kart 8, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Nintendo Switch Sports, have all seen scheduled add-ons for new content, even years after their initial release. At this point, it’s not clear how much of a live-service element there will be for GTA 6, but this Nintendo-like approach would allow Rockstar to retain players who are primarily interested in single-player experiences.
GTA 5 Although GTA 5 never received single-player DLC, Rockstar’s director of design said in a 2017 interview the studio would “love to do more single-player add-ons for games in the future.”ROCKSTAR Nintendo stands apart from other developers, though, in that typically these updates are free or bundled with a Switch Online subscription. It’s a smart move, as games like Mario Strikers, which would typically have a very short shelf life, suddenly provide players with more of a reason to stick with it for the long haul. It also allows Nintendo to continue to sell its older, first-party titles with minimal discounts.
There’s no video game property in existence bigger than Grand Theft Auto, and a report in 2020 estimated GTA Online made a staggering $600 million in 2019. Even in 2023, it continues to hold an enviable place in the sales charts month after month. The popularity of GTA Online has only continued to increase over the years, and that mainstream success is exactly what’s poised to make GTA 6 such a massive success.
Breaking up content into DLC lets Rockstar bring GTA 6 back into the conversation every six months, year, or whatever release timeline suits the studio and the community best. Seeing a big GTA 6 update in a State of Play or other presentation will likely bring thousands of players flocking back to the game, and considering GTA 5 and GTA Online are still alive and kicking a decade later, it’s easy to say Rockstar is hoping for lightning to strike twice with GTA 6.

I’m looking to finally jump into electric mowers this season off of my Honda HRX. I currently already have EGO for weed trimmer, edger and blower and looking at their self-propelled select cut (LM2135SP) or Milwaukee’s new mower since I use their 18V for DIY projects.
My lawn is about 5K sqft and I mow at 3.5”-4” during most of the year. Are electric mowers nowadays able to handle these tasks?

We're still out there...
HardCore Hell – PVE only, double loot, but puppets are… hardcore. You want to loot and build at your hearts content? This is the place.... but you BETTER respect the puppets. Here are the basics:

• 20 slots (increasing to 30 when we average 15 players)
• Pre-paid for 2 years
• PVE only (with one small exception, see below)
• Community gets along well; help is there, rides etc.
• The ONLY player-to-player damage is hand to hand… and it’s turned down to 0.1.
• Welcome Kit for new people to server, just ask Admin
• Build anywhere (except roads/runways out of courtesy)
• Scavenger Hunts running, find the locations hinted at in pics for a GRAND PRIZE.
• Puppets 3x with damage 4x
• Loot 1.5x (name is 2x but it's turned down a little from that)
• ZERO Mechs
• Trader increased unlimited money/goods
• Gas extended use/fast re-fill
• Metabolism slowed down
• Vehicles increased (new mod cars are 80% spawn fully working)
• Safe zones will allow XP gain
• Long Day / short Night cycles (but nights are FULL DARK)
• Only a single Admin, no abuse
• Helpful and welcoming of new players
  Scavenger Hunt for a LOADED car is still going strong, log in to see if you can find the clues from the pics on our Discord.
  

We're also having Thursday night fights in the Arena, Admin teleports, prizes etc.... The only thing you can lose is Fame Points... but so much to gain!
We wanted something PVE only AND to be afraid of puppets. So it’s all PVE, no base/vehicle lock picking (but you can pick airdrops and POIs) no base destruction. If you’re tired of getting raided, this is it. BUT… more puppets and they hit HARD. 3 or 4 good whacks and you are done. Loot is doubled and trader cash/items are increased. Everything is positive for the player, metabolism is slowed down, day is much longer, night is shorter (but FULL dark as well).
The exception to PVE? There is a small Red Zone that covers Zagorje and a bit of the surrounding area. THAT Red Zone is PVP. And player lock picking. And explosives. It’s a lawless wasteland and very easy to avoid…. But it’s where the bank is located. Stop by, check it out, thanks.
We do have Discord but it’s not always hopping, you can reach the Admin there. https://discord.gg/RQ2aG74
HardCore Hell [PVE Only] no Mechs, 2xLoot/airdrops... and Puppets... so many puppets...173.237.27.28:28702
BattleMetrics has us a top 1,000 server right now as well. But we're trying to get back to a top 300 like we were.
Thanks.

I was transferring files over from my old computer over to my new computer. I realised I hadn't copy and pasted, I had cut and pasted. Meaning that when I fucked up the file transfer and went to delete those files (permanently. It was a lot of stuff.) to just redo the whole thing over I fucking deleted the whole damn thing off from everything, forgetting I had used the cut and paste feature.
I lost hundreds of hours of footage I had filmed, bank details, and tons of documents from my main hobby.
I'm trying shit like Recurva but I don't have high hopes. I fucking hate my stupid fucking brain. I wish I could have just been fucking patient enough to sit and wait to resume the file transfer or thought even for a fucking SECOND about what I was doing before I hit the delete button.

I work as an ABA therapist for a smallish company. Terrible bosses, everyone is pretty much looking for new work as it’s become a sinking ship. I have an interview scheduled for a different field that I’m really excited about (didn’t know what ABA was before I started, don’t really agree with many of its values).
I have one direct client who’s fairly new. The child’s parents are great, but obviously don’t know how horrendous the company is. My plan is to quit with no notice when I get hired elsewhere, since they’ve been cutting pay drastically (I’m talking 50% salary for some staff, moving other staff to hourly and part time so they don’t have to pay for their company insurance, all with no notice).
Should I let the family know ahead of time that I’m planning on leaving so that they can make the best choice for their child? I don’t really want to leave them hanging but I know it’s crossing a professional boundary to speak to them like that (ie. “Letting you know I’m leaving the company and don’t plan on giving notice…”) - then again, if they decide to leave but continue ABA, they’ll have to hop on another waitlist asap and even then they’ll have to wait months.
Opinions?

With the litchi app, I've flown my drone every week past exactly the same waypoints around the house.
What I want to do is to align a LARGE amount of these 3 minute videos next to each other and then fade between them moving forward in time - which looks like the house is being built up while the drone is flying.
Something in this fashion
My question: What workflow points should I do in Davinci to make this happen:
1/ My videos currently are synchronised to a moment where the drone flies over a particular point, but waypoint flights are messy, you certainly cannot depend on alignment in time and exact location the further along you get -> Will need to somehow align the intended cutover point as exactly as possible -> *How do I put all these videos in exactly the right overlap, it'll probably be 100ish videos - can davinci hold these in a single timeline?
2/ Every flight I pre-cook and cut the result video to start at that same point over the hedge, and then put it on my server. Can Davinci monitor that folder and import any new files?
3/ If I'm feeling silly I might want to sync the cutover points with an audio track. Is there some clever way to make that work easily?
Any further tips or guides on how to do this elegantly and efficiently would be appreciated. I'm sure it's doable with 5 videos but once you hit 100 I imagine it will start to go really slow..

A friend of mine recommended I post here to get some much needed advice so enjoy the overly long story lol.
So all this starts way back in freshman year. I had just joined my first ever public school after going to a private one from kindergarten all the way to 8th grade and only had 2 other ppl from my previous school join me. Starting freshman year I dated someone for about 2 weeks max who I’ll refer to them as G (M18) and later meet and got with my ex D (they/them 17) who identified as female way back but now does not.
Anyways me and D were best friends and everyone at school kept asking us if we were dating, I ofc denied it and so would they but it got to a point where both of us agreed to just “pretend date”. It all happened because of everyone asking if we were, they wanted an excuse to not get hit on, and finally why not we were already close to each other and definitely cared for the other and agreed we would end things if the other meet someone they really liked.
We dated for 2 fucking years and around the second year we decided that we should really date date instead of pretending. I honestly didn’t care since I wasn’t seeing or interested in anyone at the time and I don’t really know their reason why. But throughout our entire time together never once had we kissed on the lips or much less had sex. The farthest it went was forehead kisses, holding hands, and cuddling from time to time. Towards the end of our relationship I had become friends again with G and D was not the happiest but supported our friendship and tried to be cordial (the reason for this is bc G had done some things in the past, pushing a lot of ppl away and D was in someway apart of it).
So one day (now a junior) me, G, a friend who i’ll refer to as M and another friend went to six flags, D was invited but chose not to go claiming they had work. We’ll M and D were best friends at the time and when she came with us she had gotten mad that we went on a ride that they didn’t want to and evidently started a rumor that me and G had kissed which wasn’t true (mind you G had come out as gay the year prior). Obviously this rumor reached D and I wasn’t yet aware that M was the one who started it but M became the middle man during all this when i tired to contact D. In the end they broke up with me and at that moment i felt like i lost a best friend not a partner. (keep in mind this was my perspective on what happened but in reality my ex D wanted an excuse to break up with me and ig not be seen as the “bad guy” in it all and still be the victim. They had manipulated M into saying they saw me and G kiss) They had also openly cheated on me and would show me the text between them and other ppl with those ppl saying how they wanted to have sex with them or make out with them and all this (this literally all happened through that one app Yubo)
Not long after I had gotten with someone else, L (f17). Me and L dated for about 4 months and we were on and off for about 2 more months after that (very mentally draining and a hole different story for another day😭). But L was the ex in which me and them made a sex video (we were both 16 at the time and both consented). We’ll towards the beginning of me and L’s relationship me and D became friends again but kept a boundary, they too had meet someone at the time (they started dating G’s ex so a little awkward) but we would both talk about our relationships to each other and whatever else we were interested at the time. We’ll that friendship didn’t last long after I found out that they and my friend G’s ex had been making fun of him😀. I called them out on it on the video they had made abt him and they proceeded to deleted it and shortly afterwards his ex did the same with any videos making fun of him. After that I cut contact with them in february and even though we had a class together I just ignored them and focused on my current relationship and the things going on in my life (mind you this all happened junior year).
Fast forward to senior year towards the end of first semester (so like december or so) L had reached out to me after being broken up for abt 4 months or so wanting to ask me something. They had reached out asking if I had showed or sent D the sex video of me and her and when I said no and asked why she proceeded to tell me that when they hung out (along with other ppl) D confessed to L explicit details in the video. We left it alone because neither of us had sent it to someone but came to the conclusion that I maybe showed them a part of it but definitely not all since I remember they showed me one of theirs with someone else (All I can say abt this is that yes I was weird for even showing them a clip but I’ve definitely learned from that💀)
Over all we left the situation alone and me and L became friends again and it wasn’t until like a month or so later that L messages me again about the video because guess what, someone who neither of us knew apparently said they had seen the video, yup you heard it right folks, someone who neither of us knew had seen it and had seen it quite a while ago before we even found out in the first place. So to keep this part short said person who neither of us knew said they had seen the video from D in which I started hysterically crying and went to my principal in which their response was to have us sit down a talk about it and only gave D a warning. My parents and I were ready to press charges but the same principal who I had talked to called my mom and told me that I would be in trouble for making a report to the police because I had made the video in the first place. So we were in a rock and a hard place after hearing this but later I had gone to my school officer in which he told me it wasn’t true but that he wouldn’t know what kind of report would be made given that there was no concrete evidence and only a few ppl saying they got it or that it was airdropped to them by D. And while all that D claimed someone airdropped it to them but they “deleted it” but admited to someone that they were the one who sent it out and found it funny.
In the end we had to leave the situation alone seeing as nothing could be done and my parents didn’t really wanna deal with the drama. I was able to talk to my counselors about the situation seeing if i could graduate during the middle of the semester since I could’ve graduated early but chose not too. They said yes but I would have to make a decision within 2 weeks because at some point i would already be considered “apart of the class” and they wouldn’t be able to just pull me out. I decided I would wait and see how thing go and hope for the best because honestly I didn’t want D to have that kind of power over me but at the same time like I felt so exposed and so vulnerable and this event just made my anxiety sky rocket and I was diagnosed with IBS the year prior so if you know what that is you know eating and all that after math was absolute shit no pun intended (sorry not sorry).
In the end I chose to stay seeing as things were calmer and I hadn’t heard anything but damn was I very very wrong. Shortly after everything had happened I had made a new friend, Mg. Mg used to be friends with D but after seeing how D really was distanced herself from D and their whole group. Well because of this and as you know the butterfly affect, a very close friend of D who i’ll call O, messaged Mg about her hanging out with me and pretty much through that I had found out D was accusing me of .
Again I was hysterically crying because I just can’t seem to be left alone no matter what I do and D will do anything for the attention. I had had enough and tried reaching out to D and overall be like wtf but they didn’t want to talk and told my friend Mg that they have nothing to say to me. So again school was involved and again did nothing. So here’s the thing now. O, D’s friend who claimed i them, but I have a screenshot of what D said about what I did but only claimed that I sa them. Now something not a lot of ppl know is way back in middle school I was sa by someone really close to me and everyone around me either didn’t believe me or just told me to forgive him. Because of those events I can’t remember the last 2 years after it happened and D who i was friends with at the time helped me realize what really happened to me and that it would be ok. I had looked up to D a lot back then because they would always talk about mental health and how important it was and especially when I came from a household who didn’t believe in mental health, I looked up to them and respected them but then here they are ruining my mental health and many others because I am sadly not the only person they have done this too and it’s horrible that no one holds them accountable for their actions. Like we’re about to be adults in the real word and they still act like this.
Rn I am really close friends with M because after it all we both came to realization that D never wanted us to be friends and would tell one person something and then the other another thing making us not be as close or even be able to puzzle what was really going on. I am done with the stupid immature drama, I am ready to grow up and go to college without any worry but because of D I can’t because this shit could really ruin my life if i ever try to get certain scholarships or grants and someone says something abt this rumor, a lot of times they won’t care wether or not these accusing are true and I could lose all those opportunities. I will say I have been thinking about seeing if D would meet up with me face to face and ask them straight up what I did too them to even do things like this to me and see if I could get them to tell me the truth that they lied because they won’t need to keep the charade up with no one else around but at the same time I would be recording our entire conversation (i live in a one party consent state thankfully). Over all I need another perspective other than friends because they are kinda bias so I need an unbiased opinion on what I should do next. I am so sorry with how long this turned out to be but i really appreciate any advice.

So, I was thinking about the line sketch concept.
I sorta gave it a try just to see if I would notice anything, right… and the whole concept of it being a representation of how some imaginary fabric fell on you lmao.
Personally, what I did was remove a background in a photo & then I filled the whole silhouette with one solid color. Which of course, I realized wouldn’t work with the whole imaginary fabric thing unless I drew over it - which seemed weird cuz I just got to my actual silhouette, but I realized that what I’m prolly meant to see is the * combination* of fabric over my body 😹 maybe that’s what is actually meant to be defined by the accommodations?
I thought to myself that it would be kind of more fun or insightful if I tried to use my silhouette as a template model for sketching layers of actual HTT outfits on top of my outlines (cutting and pasting images of clothing doesn’t work because those images aren’t designed to your personal lines)
Btw I think I’ve just put together the meaning of what HTT means (head to toe?) but I am not sure if there’s a specific definition for it.
Anyways I know some people here make their own clothes, and I’m sure those of you that do are familiar with a process like this maybe?
My learning style is definitely not linguistic (I only really write so much because I struggle with rewording the same idea over and over until I hope it’s clear enough) so I find it refreshing to kinda practice my understanding of lines & etc this way that I can still learn about myself in without trippin out about what I actually accommodate or what my ID is.
I definitely think anyone who wants to better understand what outfits they harmonize in (without wasting money on new outfits to try) & also has a different learning style maybe would enjoy sketching various ideas over their silhouette? Even just for fun I guess idk.
I am doing it digitally - which is kinda difficult since I’ve always drawn by hand / pen, but I still find it fun.
I’m hoping to go get all my sketchbooks and journals etc back! After I moved in such a rush, most of my possessions were thrown out and/or donated. My drawings, folders, sketchbooks, pens pencils etc etc. are some of what I do have left out of what I could keep and thankfully some relatives are holding them for me 🙏🙏🙏
Im def looking forward to drawing again & have more artistic capability and control with what I can practice drawing out. In the meantime I’ve just been using apps on my phone and using inspirations of clothes I see whilst window shopping online. I always think “omg that would be perfect if only …” and i think it’s a good place to especially explore those ideas!
What are your guys thoughts? Has anyone tried this before?

14th June 2024, Day 32
0511
Darwen, GBQZ West Sector
Three vehicles made their way to the junction leading onto the M65. Getting there is now easy as the Mastiff simply pushes over any obstacles that were in its way. Those on the bus could occasionally see cars going airborne as the vehicle pushed them up the wedge and to the side.
"Turn right here." Casper's voice filled the radio as he led the convoy of three vehicles into Earcroft Way. Ahead of them was the M65, and they could see scores of abandoned vehicles clogging the road leading up to the on-ramp.
“Clear a path for us, Casper.” Taylor replied over the radio.
“Roger that.” Stepping on the gas, the Mastiff gained speed as it made its way towards the traffic jam. Casper aimed for the middle of the jam, where the wedge in front of his truck would have the most advantage. "Stay close, boys." As soon as he made contact, he parted the line of vehicles like Moses parting the Red Sea as they were effortlessly tossed aside to make way for the vehicles behind him.
“Woah, look at him go at that.” Said one of the passengers. As they made their way forward, they reached the ramp leading straight to the motorway.
"Take that ramp." Sheffield said as she looked at the map.
"Got it." Casper replied as he reached for the radio. "Hey guys, up this ramp." As they drove up the ramp, they noticed that it was devoid of vehicles, even more surprising when they drove up the motorway to find that it wasn't as blocked as they thought. Granted, there were still some vehicles there, but there was plenty of room for them to manoeuvre around.
"And I thought the motorway was going to be jammed." Sheffield muttered.
"Hey, relax, girl. At least our journey will be smoother this way." Said Darcy, who was also in the truck with them. It seemed there hadn't been any problems. They continued along the motorway through the unspoilt British countryside, which gave them a sense of peace and tranquillity, as everyone seemed untouched by the chaos the outbreak had caused. Occasionally they saw signs of fighting, such as craters from artillery or aerial bombardments, but they didn't give it much thought. As they approached Brimmicroft Interchange, they encountered traffic again. Again, the lead vehicle simply ploughed through. But then they ran into a problem.
"Oh damn, this one's jammed for sure." Casper shouted as he brought the truck to a halt. Everyone inside could see why, with a long stretch of abandoned vehicles clogging the motorway ahead of them. Technically, they could drive through them, but Casper was afraid it would put too much strain on the wedge, especially when there were heavy vehicles like buses and lorries that even his modified Mastiff couldn't move. "All those cars go on for miles!"
"Hey, what's the holdup?" Owen shouted over the radio as he was in the Husky, the last vehicle in the convoy, and as such couldn't see what was ahead of them beyond the bus.
“Uh, we got a bit of a jam ahead of us.”
"Oh, OK." By now they have worked out how they are going to get out of this jam. There are a couple of options on the table and they've looked at them.
"Maybe we can try to take it slow and stick to the E lane." One of them suggested.
"Er, no. I won't try my luck with that.
"So what, have you got any ideas?" While everyone was arguing, Edinburgh glanced at the road ahead, noticed that the eastbound lane was almost empty, and shouted.
"Guys, haven't you noticed that the opposite lane is empty?" Edinburgh pointed to the mostly empty eastbound lane, causing the others to look and see that she was right.
“Damn, she’s right; the whole lane was empty.”
"Yeah, but we need to remove those dividers first."
“Eh, just leave it to us. Edinburgh, with me.”
"Ah, OK." Edinburgh and Sheffield then got out of the truck and walked over to the divider, summoning their rigging as they went. Belfast noticed this from inside the bus and contacted them.
“Sheffy, Eddi, what are you two doing out there?”
"Nothing, just removing this divider so we can use the opposite lane as there's no traffic on that side."
"I see. Just hurry up." Meanwhile, Sheffield looked at the divider before grabbing the section where the dividers were bolted together and pulling it out with her ship's strength, ripping it open. Then she slowly pulled the partition aside.
“Edinburgh, I need your help here.”
_____
FFN: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13850576/21/Outbreak
AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30339519/chapters/116121961
Last Chapter: https://www.reddit.com/AzureLane/comments/100f4hf/outbreak_the_last_of_us/
1st Chapter: https://www.reddit.com/AzureLane/comments/mfokzn/outbreak_prologue/
_____
Oops, I accidentally added a barrel of plot thickener into this chapter. But there we have it. The missing maids managed to return to safety, the Royal Navy finally receives a new commander to lead them, CIA decided to play with an inferno, and Russia making big moves knowing nobody’s looking at them.
This story is not over yet. So hang on tight everyone. The next canon chapter will mark the beginning of Act II as Outbreak will dive further into politics. Don’t worry, shipgirl vs Infected is still the main agenda of this story so Act II will feature two big engagements as NATO and Azur Lane were tasked to get London ready for repopulation attempt.
Until then, enjoy.

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• High Performance Selling [Robert Kiyosaki, Tony Robbins, T Harv Eker,Bob Proctor]
• How to predict the future
• How To Save A Fortune In Taxes [Robert kiyosaki, Tony Robbins, T Harv Eker]
• Increase Your Financial IQ
• Michael Maloney – Guide to Investing in Gold and Silver
• Own Your Own Corporation
• Real Estate Advantages
• Rich Dad Poor Dad audio and book
• Rich Dad Poor Dad for Teens_ The Secrets About Money – Robert T. Kiyosaki & Sharon L. Lechter
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Hi guys
I (26f) and my boyfriend (28m) bought a house, we live here for a year now.
We used to rent a house in a city for 3 years, about 7 feet away from a street with a 30mph limit. There were a lot of big trucks and a lot of big tractors and also a lot of cars troughout the day. It was very loud on the inside because it was a poorly insulated house. But we were kinda used to it. The big tractors could be hella loud, so we had to pause the tv or rewind because you couldnt hear anything when they were passing by.

• We had annoying neighbours who always threw parties in the summer, even on weekdays.
  
• There also was another neighbor with a dog who was constantly barking at night, even with the windows closed it was very loud.
  

After 3 years of renting and saving money we found the perfect house. We noticed from the start it was near an expressway with a 55mph limit. (Our house is about 250feet away from the expressway). When we were visiting the house, the first thing we kept in mind was the expressway. We opened the windows and listened, we went into the garden, etc... and we were so surprised, it's not as loud and busy as the house we used to rent, and way better insulated.

• No barking dogs , no hella loud neighbours at our new place, as far as i know.

We didnt notice/care about the road noise because we were used to the noise from our previous house, so it didnt bother us, it was just background noise. White noise.
But then..
I randomly stumbled on a topic about road noise and people saying they never want to live near a highway or expressway.. they say its unhealthy ,....
and it makes me feel very insecure, i feel like i failed.
Even though our neighbours are always outside in their garden + they live here for years, so is it really that dangerous? I know some friends who even live closer to the same road as ours.
We are healthy people, we love walking in the woods, we do not smoke, we eat our vegetables,...
because of this its the only things thats on my mind. I am focussing on the noise when i am outside and i am scared to go outside now because they say its not healthy.
But, yeah, to be honest, i think the air quality at our previous house was worse because it was only 7 feet away from heavy traffic??
I have autism so i hyperfocus on this topic alot.
Are there people who also live close to a big road or highway, and are actually happy? (Like i was in the beginning)
I just want to be proud of our home again. I'm glad this whole situation doesnt bother my bf though.
Thanks guys

I just needed a place to share this with. Mom passed last year. She was 47, I was 17.
Hey Mom. I miss you.
I don't really know where to start this. I'm moving through life as if there never was any resistance. As if everything was just in the exact right place. Nothing to ever worry about, no thought about things going wrong or not working out like I want them to.
Yet sometimes, I still feel so lost and alone. As if this sense of gliding through life was just me losing my grip of everything. As if nothing really had a meaning anymore, because the only person I'd really want to share this with isn't here to hear it anymore.
Whenever something went really well in life, when I did really well, the only person I wanted to share it with was you. Not because I felt like I had to validate myself to you. But because I knew that your pride in me was the strongest feeling of love I could ever get. Knowing that you were proud of me was what lifted me up and made me keep going all these years. And now that you are gone, I don't know what is going to keep me afloat when I'm giving up on myself.
You were my biggest believer and my most loyal supporter. You made sure the road was clear for me to head towards my goals. And to be honest, being your own cheerleader gets kind of tough sometimes.
Sometimes, I feel like the world is just ruling in my favor all the time, even if I can't see it at first. That things just magically fall into place, as if there was someone guiding me in the right direction, placing and removing obstacles so I'd find my way. Yet, I'm not sure if all of that is worth having lost you. If I'd not rather live a different, less exciting life, but have you by my side as I live it. Because the truth is, no matter how well it is going, I still feel like I am losing my grip every once in a while. Like I don't even know what I am doing this for. Sometimes, I just sit on my bed and wish that I could rest my head on your shoulder, that I could listen to your heartbeat and know that I'll be okay. That you would hold me and tell me that it is going to be alright, like you did all those times when I felt like I couldn't push through or that I was losing myself under the pressure of outside expectation.
I really do not like having to fight for myself. And I don't like knowing that I can't stop the hurting from getting a hold of me all over again. Losing people never stops. And I am not sure if I can handle losing the most important people in my life again.
Why can't you just be here, right by my side? Why can't I call you and tell you about all the amazing things I did and experienced? Why can't I be good enough for you? Why was I not good enough when you needed me the most? Why didn't I understand that you were hurting? I feel like it was my responsibility to know. My responsibility to stop all of this. To prevent it from happening. To make sure you'd see your children succeed and reach their life goals. To make sure you could hold and watch and nurture your grandchildren. That I could buy that stupid house at the beach with some garden space for a donkey.
Whenever I see a donkey here in Malawi, I think about how badly I'd want to sent you a picture of it. Because it would make you so happy to see it. And maybe you would've visited me here in Malawi. Maybe you would've been the person I ran towards at the airport. I would've hugged you and not let you go for so long, because damn, I would've missed having you up in my arms for so long.
I regret that I spent so little quality time with you in the last years. That I had the desire to be free and fly into this new big world without you. I never realized you were the one enabling me to spread my wings. When you left, I felt like I couldn't fly at all. As if I were jumping off a cliff, falling, but my wings wouldn't open or be able to carry me. Now, it feels like I'm managing to handle things on my own. But this management doesn't feel like flying anymore. It feels like I'm walking up a hill, with a heavy bag on my shoulders. Always seeing a goal, and being somewhat free. But the ease of floating, gliding in security and safety, that is gone. I'm still dictating my own path through life. That is freedom. But it feels a lot heavier since you're not here anymore to guide me.
I hope that you see me being here and doing my best. And I hope that deep down, you're still proud of me. Because with everything that I'm doing, I'm trying my best. My best to be good. And my best to honor what you taught me about life. I want to live my life in a way you would've been proud of. A life where I can chase my dreams, fight for the better, for equity, for others, and for myself. I need to know that you're still here to give me that strength. Because without you, I don't know if I can pull through it. I promise, I will do the best that I can to be worthy.
Please, don't leave me alone. I can't be alone. I miss you. Stay with me, please.
I love you, Mom.

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

Yes I know, people are probably tired of seeing chatgpt related things, but I really wanted to share this one. I haven't used it before so I was curious to see if it could be a sort of "narrator" for a nuzlocke after hearing someone made great use of it for a DnD campaign where it keeps track of characters and events and all. To my surprise, it did so quite well and I feel like I'm just scratching the surface. I thought I'd have to set up all the context for each response, but it just goes once it has the setup. I'd be interested how it turns out if someone did so for an entire run
I was quite impressed with what it was able to output with how little it was given and found it quite intriguing. Disclaimer: not an actual run.. yet. Anyways here are the 3 responses it gave but I'll cut some of it out (longer than I was expecting). The third one I found to be the most interesting if you just want to read that one
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Q: I'm doing a wedlocke of pokemon emerald. I want a story for my pokemon which are (male) treecko paired with (female) poochyena, (male) zigzagoon paired with (female) lotad, and (male) wingul paired with (female) psyduck up to the first gym

A: One day, the Treecko and Poochyena met in the lush forest near their hometown. Despite being different species, they quickly formed a strong bond and decided to team up on their journey. The Treecko was a confident and fierce fighter, while the Poochyena was more cautious and strategic. They complemented each other well and set off towards the first gym.
On the way, they met a Zigzagoon and Lotad, who were also traveling together. The Zigzagoon was an energetic and curious Pokemon, always eager to explore, while the Lotad was a shy and sensitive creature, fond of the quiet and serene nature. They decided to join forces with the Treecko and Poochyena and make their way towards the gym together.
Lastly, they met a Wingull and a Psyduck near a calm river. The Wingull was a proud and majestic bird, with a sharp sense of direction and excellent flying skills. The Psyduck, on the other hand, was a bit scatterbrained and often lost in thought. Nevertheless, they agreed to accompany the others on their journey.
Finally, they arrived at the first gym, where they faced a formidable opponent. The Treecko and Poochyena fought fiercely, using their unique abilities to outsmart their opponent. The Zigzagoon and Lotad provided support, while the Wingull and Psyduck cheered them on from the sidelines.

​
Q: poochyena dies, how does the party react

A: The Treecko, who was Poochyena's partner, would likely feel devastated and heartbroken. They had formed a close bond during their journey, and losing their friend would be a significant blow. They may become withdrawn and quiet, struggling to come to terms with the loss.
The Zigzagoon and Lotad, who had also been traveling with Poochyena, would feel saddened by her passing as well. They had all shared experiences and battles together, and Poochyena had become a part of their group. They may offer comfort and support to Treecko, understanding how difficult it is to lose a friend.
The Wingull and Psyduck, who had not been as close to Poochyena, would still sense the sadness in the party. They may not fully understand what has happened, but they would likely pick up on the emotions of the other Pokemon and become more subdued as well.
As the trainer, it would be important to acknowledge the loss and give the Pokemon time to mourn. You may want to hold a small ceremony or moment of silence to honor Poochyena's memory. Additionally, it would be a good idea to offer extra attention and care to the remaining Pokemon, as they may be feeling vulnerable and in need of support.

​
Q: treecko finds a new partner, a female whismur

A: After the tragic loss of Poochyena, Treecko may have struggled to move on and find a new partner. However, one day, as he was wandering through a dense forest, he heard a soft and melodious voice. He followed the sound and found a female Whismur, singing a beautiful song.
At first, Treecko was hesitant to approach her. He still missed Poochyena and felt guilty about the idea of replacing her. However, as he listened to Whismur's song, he felt a spark of excitement and curiosity. She seemed gentle and kind, and her singing reminded him of the joys of friendship and companionship.
Slowly but surely, Treecko and Whismur began to bond. They trained together, sharing their knowledge and skills. Treecko showed Whismur how to be more confident in battle, while Whismur taught Treecko how to appreciate the beauty of music and harmony.
The Zigzagoon and Lotad welcomed Whismur into the group, happy to see Treecko finding joy and comfort once again. They recognized the special connection between Treecko and Whismur and were glad to have her as part of the team.
The Wingull and Psyduck, who had not known Poochyena, were also happy to have a new friend in the party. Whismur's singing and gentle nature brought a sense of calm and peacefulness to the group, which they all appreciated.
Overall, Treecko's new partnership with Whismur helped him heal and move on from the loss of Poochyena. They were a strong and dynamic duo, ready to face any challenge that came their way. And with the support of their friends, they felt invincible.

I'm a big-time breast man, a true lover of all breasts regardless of size, shape, color, etc. Even better when they are attached to a fun, outgoing, drama-free lady that enjoys attention for her pair or is interested in having a guy focus on her breasts.
I had a great time with an awesome lady a few days ago but, alas, she doesn't live here so it was a one-time thing. We met for a quick sanity check at a coffee joint, then back to her hotel to spend some time together.
I'm open to visitors or a one-time experience, but someone interested in making it a regular thing would be ideal. I've had another recent success of finding someone new here on reddit a few months ago, and we had a great time together. We had every intention of meeting up again but our schedules don't match well.
As for me, I'm 42, white, clean-cut, no drugs, and definitely no drama. I don't smoke or use any drugs, rarely drink. My work keeps me very busy which makes dating difficult. I'm in the middle of a dry spell due to work, but also just not having luck finding someone whose interests align with my own. I'm very, very laid-back, not pushy or aggressive...either we match or we don't, I'm fine either way...and very patient so not in a rush to just find the first situation that comes along. I'm 6', 250 lbs in decent but not great shape, very much an average joe type of guy. I think I would be great for a first timer thinking about trying this out.
I'm mostly interested in older ladies, but if you are over 21 I'm sure we will get along just fine. I ask that you please be a non-smoker, no drugs, and leave the drama at home. I'm open to all breast sizes, ethnicities, body types, marital status, etc so don't be shy about reaching out.
I can't wait to hear from you.

All right, today's the day! Hopefully you've got your tickets/streaming service/pirate ship and are all ready for tonight.
But, here's the thing. With all the media attention that the team is getting for its new, cutting-edge ownership philosophy, (I think the technical term is "trying") a lot of people here don't know all that much about the team before this most recent push. So, here's an attempt to bring newer fans up to speed. Also, older fans to remember the good old days before we found out half of the people we knew were batshit crazy in 2020.
So, here's a quiz about the Padres from the Before Time, the Long Long Ago: 2019!
Anyway, reddit hates numbered lists so the questions are done by letters. Answers will be in the top comment, along with the grading scale. Good luck, and if you need to scroll down to cheat, I won't tell if you won't!
A. Which of the following names was actually a player on the 2019 Padres opening day roster?

• Nick Margevicius
• Tommy Montenegro
• Billy Czernowicz
• David Toreroero

B. No San Diego Padres club has ever completed a no hitter to that point, but in 2019 one of their minor league affiliates did. Which team was it?

• El Paso Chihuahuas
• Amarillo Sod Poodles
• Fort Wayne TinCaps
• Tri-City Dust Devils

C. Starting pitcher Logan Allen made his debut in 2019 for the Padres with seven scoreless innings. By doing so, he won a $1 bet from which former WWE Champion?

• Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
• John Cena
• Brock Lesnar
• “Stone Cold” Steve Austin

D. What Spring Training rarity got Fernando Tatis Jr. to break camp with the team?

• A three-homer game
• Scored from first on a single
• Scored from third on a pop-up
• Stole four bases in a game

E. Outfielder Franmil Reyes got some notoriety for his singing, mostly for his cover of which famous song?

• “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion
• “I Will Always Love You” by Whitney Houston
• “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” by Madonna
• “Hello” by Adele

F. Which opposing team’s mascot conned Manny Machado into signing a $300M check made out to him?

• Philly Phanatic
• Blooper
• Mr. Met
• Bernie Brewer

G. At the trade deadline, the Padres agreed to a trade with the Cubs for one terrible reliever for another, straight up. Name either of them for one point each.
H. Eric Hosmer’s up, with one out and a runner on first. What happens next?

• Single to right
• Swinging strikeout
• A full-count walk
• 4-6-3 double play

I. Which 2019 Padres starting pitcher had not had “Tommy John” surgery to that point?

• Garrett Richards
• Eric Lauer
• Dinelson Lamet
• Chris Paddack

J. After a horrific slump, Ian Kinsler finally broke it with a home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates. What did the camera clearly catch him saying to everyone as he crossed home plate?

• “Fuck You”
• “Eat Shit”
• “Kiss My Ass”
• “Thank God”

K. In June of 2019, the Padres and Rockies combined for 92 runs in four games. The last game on Sunday was won with an RBI walk from which reliever?

• Matt Wisler
• Robbie Erlin
• Matt Strahm
• Phil Maton

L. Mark Grant came up with an…interesting nickname for reliever Trey Wingenter, inspired by some famous 90’s-era beer commercials. For one point, which brand of beer was it? For another point, what was the nickname?

• Coors
• Budweiser
• Keystone
• Michelob

M. During Player’s Weekend, each player got their nickname on the back of their jerseys. Which player wore the name “CHUBBS SR.”, in honor of his pet dog, Chubbs?

• Manny Machado
• Greg Garcia
• Kirby Yates
• Austin Hedges

N. Who was the best golfer on the team?

• Ian Kinsler
• Andy Green
• Wil Myers
• Craig Stammen

O. The Padres set their new franchise record for homers in a game in 2019, with seven. Where did it take place?

• Yankee Stadium
• Camden Yards
• Rogers Center
• Fenway Park