How to clean oxidized vinyl shutters

Selling my Polaroid 110a Land Camera. 127mm f4.7 Rodenatock Ysarex lens. In fantastic shape. Shutter and aperture work. Bellows look brand new. Film compartment is clean. There is some dust inside the viewfinder and rangefinder glass, could be tore apart and cleaned. Comes with a Polaroid flash with diffuser and bulbs, light meter, lens filter, literature for camera and flash, film coatings, empty box of film, Polaroid postcards, and a case. Case is rough and help up with tape. Would be a good candidate for a instant film conversion or a nice display piece. Asking $75 plus shipping based off of recent eBay sold listings. Open to trades for other cameras and/or gear.
https://imgur.com/a/Mkfp0Ki

Most of the posts I’ve seen on here from LL’s share a pretty similar sentiment that their low libido started when their partner stopped putting in effort into the relationship. The HL would stop doing chores around the house, stop being romantic and planning dates, stop worrying about their partners pleasure during sex, etc. Although I believe it would be wrong to purposefully withhold sex for these reasons, it is perfectly reasonable that these things would lower one’s attraction to their partner thus making them LL4U. I empathize with LL’s who are in this situation because it is hard to have a partner who stops putting effort in.
My question is though how did I end up with an LL when I have been the one who did all the cooking and cleaning. I would plan all the dates and do all the romantic things in the relationship. I would put her pleasure first every time we had sex while she refused to give me head or try new things. This woman didn’t even get me a Christmas gift and I just accepted that.
When I first had the talk with her she told me that she needed a break from being sexualized. I was understanding because I am a very sexually open person and could see how that might be over bearing even though she has never shown any indication of this bothering her in the past . I stopped any sort of sexual contact or sexual intent. Regardless, when I would just innocently cuddle with her she would constantly accuse me of wanting sex and always being horny. At the same time she expected me to cuddle with her whenever she wanted and would get upset if I didn’t want to. Sometimes I just couldn’t take it because I knew the unfair judgement and pain that would come with it.
I stepped up my good boyfriend role even further than ever but never felt appreciated for anything I did. She stopped giving me compliments and started calling me ugly. She became meaner and meaner every day. Despite all of this I still loved her and held on to the hope that we would one day have a normal sex life again.
There are probably a lot of HL’s that truly were not great partners and their partners are justified in being LL4U but I can confidently say that I am not one of them. I almost wish that I was because maybe then I’d be able to understand why this happened to me.

I've been working on cleaning some trick tosses recently and I've been seeing a lot of people do rolls and stuff under tosses and I also want to try that but idk where to starts. I have a turn around down but I'm lowkey afraid to try a ground roll without knowing how to properly do it. any advice?

My dad always told me I was his ugly little duckling. He said he hoped I would grow up to be prettier like my sisters are, but until I did he wouldn't love me as much, and he showed it. I would get less dinner because I was "chubby". I had to sleep on the floor of the second and third ungliest sister's room. He treated us based on beauty and Selina was his favorite. She would get gifts, he would get her favorite foods, I would even have to cook for her and bring it to her in bed! She had a big beautiful room all to herself, but most important of all, she got the most of his love.
It went in this order: Selina, Tiana, Crystal, Jessica, Yasmine, and ugly stupid me. Crystal and Tiana shared a decent room with nice beds and soft mattresses, while Jessica and Yasmine have the smallest room. At least Jessica has a bed, and Yasmine has a mattress on the floor. I just get a blanket and a pillow. It's not fair. I just want daddy to like me. That floor is cold and hard and I hate sleeping there. It makes me desperate! Last night I snuck into Tiana and Crystal's room and "accidentally" knocked a vase over on Tiana's face. I ran away and daddy blamed Crystal for it. Unfortunately Tiana only got light scarring and she was still prettier than me, so she got Yasmine's bed. Lucky Jessica got to move up to Crystal's bed. Daddy said Crystal's jealousy wasn't enough to make her ugly, and that made me realize he wouldn't care what I did to be the best.
That's when I decided the only way to get through this and win daddy's love is to be the prettiest. Selina is in that room all by herself like a princess, but I have to cook her food and bring it to her. I took some of daddy's sleeping pills and put them in her spaghetti. When I knew she was deep asleep I snuck into her room with the filet knife. Skinning her face took time and precision, so I'm really glad the pills were strong. When she woke up from the pain enough to make noise I just put the rag over her face with the mixed cleaning products I prepared ahead of time. Thankfully videos are all over the internet about how to do certain things like make homemade chloroform. After I got her face off I had to do the hardest thing ever. Pain killers just didn't help much, but I got through it. Wearing her face is a little weird, but hopefully daddy will understand. She has my ugly face and I have her pretty one. She'll have to sleep on the floor and I'll get all of daddy's love and she'll know what it's like to not be cared about. Now I'm the prettiest sister, and she's the ugly duckling.

Hello all and welcome to a (I assure you) totally wholesome episode of The Outcasts! Another week, another step forward for the lives of Evra, Jessie, Ref, and Kikri as they try to settle into a steady rhythm after all the excitement recently. So stay tuned and I hope you enjoy!
As always thanks to u/Bluefishcake for the universe, and thanks to u/roboticstatic, u/shneekeyTheLost, u/catsintrenchcoats, and everyone on the Discord server for helping with editing! Without further ado, Chapter Ten!
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Kikri watched as Jessie fell into slumber beside them and her sisters, a somewhat troubled expression on Jessie’s face as they dreamt. Then, taking a hand and lightly caressing Jessie’s face, Kikri let out a small mewl of sadness that their mate was still suffering from night terrors, albeit less severe now. She had been watching Jessie closely these past several days because she enjoyed watching them and keeping an eye on their mental state, having been terrified when Jessie regressed after the first night they spent in bed with the polycule. Kikri could tell Jessie was trying to deal with their repressions, but she could also know that it wasn’t going well despite how it looked. Better, most definitely, but not the best.
Jessie’s scent had been changing as well since the incident. The tinge of constant fear was still there in Jessie’s pheromones, but a new addition, smelling almost sickly, had appeared and been growing since. The smell reminded Kikri of her first kill on Dirt, but she could not place why. Certainly, Jessie was physically healthy, so the scent wasn’t a precursor to some disease, and yet, when the smell flared up in Jessie’s scent, it made her uneasy, just like during the incident on their date. When that happened, her instincts would always tell her one thing.
Death.
Despite this, Kikri held Jessie close and dear to her, as did Ref and Evra. And Jessie held them just as dearly, Kikri assumed from their pheromones. Which is why the Rakiri was worried. She was well aware of her species’ penchant for ‘losing themselves’ to their urges during courtship and feared that with Jessie’s issues and things moving too quickly to be safe, in her mind, her being with Jessie first would undoubtedly cause problems. So, after making sure Jessie was indeed asleep, she called her sisters over to the table to have a small girlfriend meeting. Prying themselves free of Jessie was no small task, with how heavily Jessie began clinging to them in their sleep. After a few moments, however, Ref, Evra, and Kikri gathered. With a deeply held breath, Kikri looked to her sisters and said the words that instantly made them stiffen their
postures.
“We need to talk about Jessie.”
The previously sleepy Ref and Evra instinctively bolted upright with concern. Neither of them doubted Kikri’s nose for things like this, her having been proven right so many times before boring any distrust of her senses out the window. So instead, the Helkam and Nighkru waited for their Rakiri sister to continue, the former’s ears twitching while the latter fidgeted with her hands.
“Is everything okay with her?” Evra asked, glancing back at Jessie for a moment. It had been less than a week since Jessie had broken down on that couch, and the incident was still fresh in her mind. ‘Jessie is the nest now. We have to protect Jessie.’ Her thoughts were easily readable on her face when she returned to looking at her sisters.
“Nothing worse. I wouldn’t say that Jessie is fine, but perhaps on the way there now,” Kikri explained, causing both Ref and Evra to look at her in confusion. But, of course, if everything were fine, Kikri wouldn’t call for a little meeting like this for no reason.
“If things are improving, what should we be concerned about?” Ref said, wiping her eyes clean. She had been just about to follow Jessie to the world of dreams when Kikri called for them, and it showed, despite her upright posture.
“That’s precisely why we should be. Jessie is pushing herself far faster than is normal. I’m not sure why, but we need to be prepared for if things get more..intimate,” Kikri slowly explained, choosing her words carefully enough that neither girl would mistake what she meant.
Two bright blushes appeared on the girls’ faces as their minds presumably imagined such a scenario. Neither looked concerned, and Kikri had to snap her Nighkru sister out of it, sensing she was losing herself in another fantasy.
Since Jessie moved in, getting alone time has been difficult. Jessie’s scent having more masculine pheromones and feminine ones had made things difficult for Kikri and Evra, who were more susceptible to such traits. As such, Ref frequently had to cover for them so they could get away and recover themselves at times without Jessie knowing. Evra, however, always came back just a bit more frustrated than relieved.
“S-should we really be discussing this?!” Evra whisper-yelled, but Ref instead put a hand to her cheek, thinking.
“ “Kikri’s right, we do,” Ref spoke evenly after a long pause. If Jessie makes a move to progress our relationship, we need to be careful with the order. Kikri’s conscious that her species tends to go overboard. Meaning you or I should ideally be first.
“Wha…t-then you’ll be his first time, Ref?!” Evra said, causing Kikri and Ref to look at her quizzically.
“Jessie would need someone affectionate and positive for their first time due to what they’ve been through. I am neither, so no.” the ever-clinical sister explained, while Kikri simply sat neutral, letting them hash it out.
“W-wait, that means….” Evra started, utterly shocked at this turn of events.
“You were the one who calmed their episode and knew to call Dr. Amelia. And Jessie often says you are very ‘bubbly.’ So you are the ideal choice, Evra.” Ref continued.
‘Oh no, no, no, no.’ Evra’s mind repeated the sentence over and over. So she would have to be Jessie’s first?!
But she had no experience!
-Two Days Later-
‘Don’t be nervous. Don’t be nervous. Don’t be nervous.’
Jessie’s inner voice said as they rode in the transport. Jessie, Ref, Kikri, and Evra were on the way to Shau’tari Marine Base as their leave was up. Kikri and Ref would take the first rotation to work on base, while Evra and Jessie would drop them off and return home. At least, that’s what Jessie took the conversation yesterday to mean. Right now, Jessie was too busy gripping Kikri’s and Ref’s hands in each of hers, having developed a bit of anxiety about leaving the apartment now since the past couple of times ended up in attacks. Cold sweat dripped on the nape of Jessie’s neck, her leg bounced incessantly, and even her eyes moved around quickly as if on high alert.
‘Almost there. Then drop Ref and Kikri off, then head home. No biggie. I can do this, I can…Shit, there’s the gate.’
As they pulled up to the building gate, a small box beside a metal gate complete with built-in sensors, Kikri signaled Evra to stop there and drop them off. Jessie inhaled deeply as they pulled over to the side, where the drop-off area was. A relatively well-maintained tarmac parking lot, with several vehicles or transports parked there, most likely the vehicles from those fortunate enough to live off-base.
“ It’s alright, Jessie. We’ll be fine. We aren’t going on deployment but staying on base. Ref is helping out in medical, and I’ll be in the armory.” Kikri said kindly, her arm reaching out to gently cup Jessie’s face.
“You okay?” Evra asked, glancing over at Jessie with a slightly concerned look, her own hand gingerly moving to rub the outside of Jessie’s thigh, more out of support emotionally than anything else.
“I’ll be fine. Just nerves, is all.” Jessie’s hands moved to cup each of their girlfriends’ hands in turn, putting on a brave smile for them. But, truth be told, the idea of Kikri and Ref not being home terrified Jessie.
“You know you don’t have to hide your anxiety with me, Jessie. I get it too.” Evra said comfortingly. Jessie knew she did, but that thought did little to comfort the nauseating feeling in their stomach at the moment. Kikri and Ref gave a longing look at Jessie, but time waited for no sapient, so they, unfortunately, had to leave. As the two stepped out, however, they each gave a knowing look to Evra, entrusting Jessie’s safety and care to their Nighkru sibling.
“I know. Let’s just..head home? Being out here gives me a bad feeling.” Jessie managed to eke out without showing too much of the discomfort they were feeling. The disquieting pause afterward and the slight change in Evra’s face were as far from imperceptible as one could get.
“Alright. But Kikri and Ref will be gone until Shel. So why don’t we try working on your anxiety a bit?” Evra asked as she turned the transport, heading back home. Jessie didn’t really give her an answer as they stared out the window to their right. Ordinarily, the passing sights of New Orleans would be a comfort, but right now, it just felt…bleak, as if someone took a grainy, overexposed photo and set the color and brightness to zero. Even the weather seemed to agree as it again began to rain.
A little while later, they were back home, with Jessie visibly relaxing inside the safety of the apartment. It was still morning, and as this was one of the few days Jessie had a training break, they settled on the couch. Flipping through the channels on the omni-tv but not finding much worth watching, Jessie instead glanced to see Evra go to take a shower with a particular curiosity. Nighkru bathing was a slight issue regarding their algae, as certain cleaners were quite harmful to them even though they were subdermal. Still, Evra always seemed to take longer than anyone else in the bathroom, and Jessie’s curiosity sometimes made them want to ask why it took so long, among other things, ashamedly. Of course, they never would, but they wanted to.
‘Monster.’
‘Shut up, Derrick.’
Derrick’s voice still occasionally popped up, but it was quieter and easier to tell off. Jessie wondered if it was the medication or the girls who were a more significant impact. They had already saved Jessie multiple times and asked Jessie out on a date after knowing Jessie’s past. Not to mention the essentially numerous confessions several days ago…or had it been a week already. Jessie wasn’t sure as time had become a bit of a fog around the girls now.
‘Freak.’
‘Shut up, Derrick.’
Still, the only times Derrick was truly silent was during training and the “snuggle fests” afterward. And depending on how stressful Jessie’s day had been, it could get harder to tell that voice off. Right now, it was particularly tiring due to emotional stress, so Jessie decided to busy herself with something nice to do for Evra. So, naturally, it was making a meal.
Standing up from the beanbag-like couch, Jessie walked a few feet over to the kitchen and began looking through the pantry/fridge. Most of their biology study on Nighkru basic had been finished, so Jessie had a rough understanding of what most Nighkru liked to eat flavor-wise. Picking out a few ingredients, Jessie grabbed an apron to put on and began preparing a meal.
‘Small knife for trimming, large for butchering meat, and that one for the veggies,’ Jessie thought to herself as they began preparing the meal. Nothing too complex, as they weren’t exactly a professional chef, but something like a grilled meatball salad with scallion and shaved cheese was doable. Though as they thought about it, a steak and tomato salad would probably be better. They began cooking by grabbing some Angus thick cuts, fresh cherry and heirloom tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, an avocado, and some wine vinaigrette.
One of the few things Jessie did grab from their apartment or instead had Kikri seize the other day was a set of cast-iron pans their mother used. No Louisianian worth their salt would cook without a well-seasoned cast iron, and Jessie was no different. Trimming up the steak, Jessie made a blend of garlic, onion, salt, pepper, and various other seasonings to make a good rub for the meat and set it aside, Letting the flaked salt draw out the moisture to mix with the seasoning and be reabsorbed for better flavor. At the same time, they worked on the other ingredients.
Taking an onion, they chipped it up into long, fine strands and threw it into the skillet with butter and bacon fat. It turns out Kikri really liked bacon, almost as much as any human. Jessie had plenty of flavorful fat to use as a medium for sauteing onions. While that was going, they began cold-soaking the lettuce and chopping up tomatoes.
By the time Evra came out of her shower, Jessie had begun cooking the steaks, filling the apartment with a beautiful aroma. Evra looked at Jessie cooking in the kitchen with a practically voracious expression, even having to wipe away a bit of drool, which Jessie found adorable. The lithe space elf with horns and freaky eyes had certainly grown on Jessie, especially after saving them from their own mind during an episode. Since then, however, Jessie had been having conflicting feelings about her and the other girls in general. Jessie definitely felt closer to them, but the closer they became, the more worried Jessie became and the more confusing their feelings became. Jessie felt like they wanted to be even closer to them, but the only way she could think to do so involved…that, and Jessie wasn’t sure if they could, if Derrick had ruined them from ever being able to be…intimate.
‘Weak little abomination’
‘Shut. It. Derrick.’
‘Not like a monster deserves happiness. End it before you hurt them, too.’
‘I said, SHUT IT!’
“Wow, Jessie. I didn’t know you could cook like this. It smells amazing! What’re those yellow plants?” The adorable Nighkru asked, looking at the finished salad with a particular hunger. Jessie froze, her face showing her puzzlement as she stopped what she was doing. It took Jessie a moment to figure out what she was talking about since the color was off, but then she remembered Nighkru couldn’t see red. Taking the steaks over to a cutting board, Jessie began cutting them into thin strips to add to the salad.
“Those are tomatoes. Ordinarily, they’d be tart with a slight bitterness, but they should be a bit sweeter and a little zesty in this salad. Those light shavings are avocado, the leafy stuff is lettuce, and the cooked brownish stringy stuff is grilled onions. Once the steak is done, I’ll toss it all with a light champagne vinaigrette, and then it’ll be ready.” Jessie explained, particularly proud of figuring out food they liked that most of their girlfriends could eat too. Kikri would have a bit of an issue from so much roughage, but Ref and Evra should be okay with this. Evra seemed rather shocked at not only the fact that Jessie could cook but that Jessie had already taken into account the increased appetite she and her sisters had based on the portions she was making.
“Why're you acting so surprised? I lived alone for years. I had to learn to cook for myself, you know.” Jessie asked curiously as they returned to cutting the steak. Stealing a glance at Evra, Jessie had to admit. She was rather striking today. It certainly didn’t help that the black undergarments she was wearing, and only that, were as tight as spandex leaving little to the imagination. A bit of water still glistened on her skin, giving her an almost ephemeral appearance. Jessie quickly had to turn their gaze back to the steak out of fear of getting distracted and cutting themselves.
“Jessie, you may not know it, but for those of us in the rest of the galaxy, seeing a guy in an apron cooking in a kitchen is like..like… Goddess, it’s so hot.” Evra started to explain but couldn’t find the right word. Jessie wasn’t sure why they were talking about the temperature, though; it was relatively cool despite the cooking. It was a pregnant pause before Jessie, with a bright blush they attempted and failed to hide, realized what she meant.
“Well, half a guy, I guess,” Jessie mumbled, moving the steak into the salad bowl with the other ingredients and adding the vinaigrette to toss the salad. Evra moved around the corner she was leaning against and walked over to Jessie, softly placing a hand on their forearm and breaking Jessie’s thoughts. She leaned over, breaking their vision that had been concentrating on the food with her face, alight with a warm smile.
“You’re not half anything, Jessie. You’re you. I’m unsure if you have seen our males, but human males are very different. They’re built more like women than our males are. So you being lithe like you are and androgynous enough to appear like both? It doesn’t detract anything in the slightest. To most in the Imperium, you’d be quite the catch!” Evra said, not really making much sense to Jessie, but they knew she was trying to cheer them up. Rather than respond directly, Jessie, for some reason, blurted out a somewhat out-of-character line.
“Quite a catch, huh? And what do you think, Evvie?” Jessie teased before realizing exactly what they’d said. A bright blush appeared across both Evra's and Jessies faces as Jessie immediately started stumbling over themselves to apologize, the salad tossing wholly forgotten.
“I-I’m sorry, Evra. I don’t know why I said that. It was stupid and childish of me to say, and I shouldn’thavebutIdidand-”
“Jessie,” Evra said, interrupting them and giggling from seeing Jessie so flustered. “It’s fine, really. It was kind of cute, actually, almost as adorable as you. Very boyfriend-ish. Oops, I mean girlfriend…Um...actually, which do you prefer?”
“Oh, um..uh..ahem,” Jessie started, giving thought to her question before mumbling a response, though it was too quiet for Evra to hear.
“What did you say? I couldn’t understand you, Jessie.”
“I said, erm...” Jessie trailed off with another mumble, awkwardly trying to play it cool as they covered their blush with one hand.
“Um, Jessie, I can’t hear you if you hide your mouth with your hand and mumble like that.”
“I...I said Mate, okay? Kikri said it, and um...I um…So yeah, that one.”
Evra giggled, leaning closer to Jessie, close enough that Jessie could feel her warm breath on the side of their face. Then, whispering in their ear, Evra said in an out-of-character and rather sultry voice.
“Thank you for the meal, my wonderful mate.”
Jessie froze, blood rushing to her face and other places as Evra giggled and grabbed the salad bowl for herself. She gave Jessie a quick kiss on the cheek, leaving them further stunned and causing Evra immense joy as she watched Jessie’s brain try to restart several times.
Jessie wasn’t ready for that step yet, though, much as they, and their body, wanted to be, so they instead gave Evra a quick kiss on the cheek and sat down to eat. Evra was kind enough not to point out the ‘perkiness’ Jessie’s body was showing, and Jessie was kind enough not to point out the faint gray blush forming on Evra’s cheeks. Neither really knew how to continue the conversation after that, and so chose to spend the meal in quiet silence, letting the flames die down a bit, so to speak. Afterward, the two romantics ended up cuddling on the couch, watching some Shil movie about a warrior prince.
“I’m sorry, I’m not ready for that yet, Evvie,” Jessie finally broke the silence as they held her close, Evra’s head resting against Jessie’s shoulder and both holding hands in a gentle, loving manner.
‘Coward.’
‘Shut it, Derrick. It’s your fault.’
Always hiding behind someone else, Jessie.’
“It’s okay, Jessie. Take your time. Don’t try to rush it for our sake, okay? Evra replied, squeezing Jessie’s hand just a bit tighter as if to emphasize her point. Jessie said nothing in response, but the look of conflict on their face was worrisome to Evra. Deciding not to speak of it anymore, Evra returned her attention to the movie, enjoying her one-on-one cuddle session with her ‘mate.’ Petting Jessie’s head gently, a very different kind of turmoil was brewing within the young Nighkru…
------
“This is turox-shit,” Kikri said with a growl. So rather than having them go out with other pods for patrol, somehow Kikri got assigned to helping out logistics with inventory while Ref was pulled for hospital duty. Kikri didn’t like this at all. Seeing the explosives in the long warehouse, having to get into a bucket-of-bolts exo-suit, having to handle the explosives…It reminded her of the bombs she failed to deactivate back in Washington, reminded her of the kids on the bus, and reminded her of the carnage afterward.
The warehouse itself wasn’t much to write home about. Around 400 meters long by 300 wide, the thermocast-reinforced concrete building offered little in the way of beauty. It was essentially a large rectangle, with a requisitions office at one end, completely closed off by a gate made of steel and, once again, that purple alloy. The inventory racks went up to the ceiling as if they barely even fit. They were all loaded with various supplies such as extra power cells, medication, uniforms, essential needs, and weapons, too much for the relatively diminutive armory.
Setting down the explosive her suit was holding and placing it into its rack slot, Kikri breathed relief. Truth be told, she had avoided demolition duties. Just seeing an explosive was enough to trigger a flashback, and each time it hurt. Still, she was a warrior, a Rakiri, a marine. So she grit her teeth and bore it, moving one explosive after another and saying nothing. Speaking out would not do any good here.
“Oh look, it’s that Rakiri!” A shill pointed out. Kikri already didn’t like her. She smelled of pompousness and decadent lifestyle, scents Kikri usually flagged as ‘people to avoid because they are so annoying.’ Still, this one was rather large, even by Shil’vati standards, at over eight feet tall and all muscle. Kikri had to wonder if it was natural or some illegal gene mod. She could already tell the girl had gotten at least one to get that strange blue hair.
“So, Rakiri, how does it feel to have to be protected by a male? A primitive one at that!” The girl snickered, but Kikri ignored it. As much as she wanted to bare tooth and claw to the girl, the repercussions of such an action made it less than ideal as far as Ideas go.
“Jessie has the spirit of a fighter and is wise beyond his years. Your attempt to shame me through him will not work, only make me prouder in my choice of mate, Shil,” Kikri said in response, moving the old, orange-colored exo down the line to continue her next explosive.
“I don’t know. He seemed pretty weak. I bet I could beat him.” The Shil spoke, still trying to get a rise out of Kikri, smiling and snickering at her own words.
“You are welcome to try if you find him,” Kikri said, focusing on her job. This next crate of explosives was particularly finicky and dangerous, so she wanted to take her time with it.
“Maybe I will then. Then, maybe afterward, I’ll steal your mate, Rakiri. He looks like the kind who likes to get…’ physical’ during sex. Think I should give him a punch or two while we do the deed?”
Kikri tried to ignore the comment, but blood was boiling in her veins. A mere pup who had yet to wet her claws was threatening her mate, and every instinct in her told her to use her own to extol the price in blood and flesh.
‘How dare an impudent bitch insult Jessie like that! And how dare she insinuate she would beat him.’
Releasing the exo, Kikri dropped to the ground, her limber five-foot eleven-inch frame now on full display. She did not posture herself, acting every bit like this was a standard process.
“And you’re a runt too! Haha, No wonder that male had to-guh”
Kikri calmly walked over to the woman, not letting on her intentions. Like the attack of a serpent, however, her arm lunged out and grabbed the girl by the throat before she could respond. She smiled in the satisfaction that her claws, now extended, drew a bit of Shil blood from pricking the bitch’s neck. Then, pinning her against one of the racks, Kikri used her free hand to grab her thermocast knife and put it to the woman’s face.
“Say whatever you wish about me, clawless whelp, but speak ill of Jessie again, and I’ll start with the face before removing your fingers and shoving them up your clam! Are we clear!” Kikri growled, fanged mouth showing as the girl struggled for a breath. Her fur stood on end, making her look larger than usual, not that it was needed. The Shil girl evidently hadn’t expected Kikri to get so aggressive, and honestly, Kikri couldn’t believe she was so quick to do it, either. Then she thought of this Shil actually trying to do what she insinuated to Jessie, causing doubt in her actions to disappear.
“T-threaten all you want; we both k-know you wouldn’t risk your sisters for it,” The girl managed to spout out before Kikri dropped her hold and put her blade to the woman’s throat. For half a moment, she imagined running the bitch through and spilling more of her ugly blue blood on the floor for threatening Jessie. But, barely holding herself back, she instead used her words.
“I’ve killed many more than you have counted, shellsucker. And if you EVER threaten MY MATE or my kho-sisters again, I will make you wish you had met the deep so quickly you’ll be gone before you hit the floor. It will be long, slow, and painful. I will take your mind to deny your deepminder. Your family won’t even have anything left to bury, and your goddess won’t have anything left to free. You will slowly waste away, knowing you weren’t even worth enough for me to take a trophy from. And if by some miracle I am caught, I will make sure to tell the truth that you were a man-beater and a coward. You begged for death in your last moments, powerless and helpless. Your service will be stricken, and your records will be struck from the annals of history. You will become a ghost no one remembers, never having achieved anything. Now leave.” Kikri’s voice was low, growling almost like an animal. A heavy grinding sound from gritting her teeth from wanting to bite this bitch’s skull in half only added to the intensity. This wasn’t a threat, and it wasn’t even a statement. It was a fact. Should she continue pushing this, Kikri would make good on her word; no Rakiri would make such a promise idly. And the Shil bitch knew it.
The Shil nodded, fear strongly present in her scent as Kikri let her go. The Shil marine began scrambling her way up and running out of the warehouse as quickly as possible. After all, Kikri had a reputation on this base, and most of the women here knew it. She sighed, watching the Shil ran off, even stumbling a time or two, evidently from the liquid residue of her fear... This was going to lead to more paperwork for her. Again.
She grabbed the mop to go clean up the mess.
------
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“Have the preparations been made for the operation?” Lieutenant Commander Derval asked, sitting in her office while looking at an omnipad. There were various shuttle paths, flight plans, and inventories for inbound and outbound system traffic. Derval’s face was more tired than last time, having been pulling multiple all-nighters for the past few weeks in order to bring everything together for this plan of hers.
“Yes, Lt.Commander Derval. The bribes have all been accepted as of 0643 today. The teams are prepping for the exercise and have all been sworn to secrecy. In addition, we’ve implanted the stolen Consortium designs as well. So there is no risk of leakage.” A voice, gruff and low, said over the pad. Sergeant Xixian was a competent leader and an excellent soldier, Derval’s right-hand woman. She had personally volunteered for this mission even after knowing the stakes.
“Good. Make sure there are no survivors. And make sure nothing points back to us. Once the mission is over, activate the implants.” Derval said resolutely, leaving no room for argument. “I…Yes, Ma’am, I understand.”
It would be a loss having to give up valuable pawns from the DHC candidate course, even if they had been dropouts. Still, Derval was flying under the radar for both sides, and it was best to leave no loose ends. The fact she would lose Xixian from this mission also weighed painfully on her chest, especially since Xixian didn’t know she had an implant. Still, this was the job of a commander in war, and with a grim face, Derval accepted it.
‘Soon, you will cease being a problem, Jessie Reider.’
PREV FIRST NEXT

Maximillian Voss, second born son of Rhictor Voss, king of Adopest was born into the arms of a loving but large family. Both his mother and father cared for him and his siblings deeply. Growing up, he was raised in a life of wealth and luxury. He received the best education money could buy and more importantly mentorship into whatever he desired. His family cared not what their son did, only that he was happy. The only downside to his raising was that being the second out of five kids meant he often had a tendency to find himself overlooked in favor of the other children.
Growing up, he would sit around the fire with his family and listen to his father’s stories. Some were fairytales and others stories about monsters and ghosts. The stories that stuck with him the most however, were the tales of “The War to End All Wars.” His father had been leading his country on the field for several long bloody years and he had stories to tell. Endless stories. His father had been a phenomenal fighter and a war hero. Even his enemies respected him for always upholding honor on the field of battle, conquest or retreat. He was known throughout the mortal realms as wise and fair.
Years of war leaves no man untouched though. As Maximillian grew older, he became more perceptive of the world around him and most of all, his father. The noble warrior was beginning to age and a man who had once been a hawk, had begun to live a life of peace and prosperity, wanting nothing more than just that for his family.
As the years went on, Rhictor Voss would find himself at summits and peace talks across the world working to restore the world he and so many other leaders had their hands in destroying. Never far behind was his heir-apparent Samuel Voss, Max’s older brother. Samuel had followed in his father’s footsteps. He was a warrior, a skilled one at that and never one to back down from a challenge. He always seemed to make it his duty to clean up his father’s mess from the war.
The two of them travelled the world far and wide, helping wherever they could and providing aid and relief to displaced populations as well as rebuilding several entire cities from the ground up with the help of the Royal Engineering Corps. All of this while Maximillian remained in the capital tending to his studies. He was not like the rest of his family, he understood how the world really worked.
His studies varied from routine mathematics to art, and his favorite subject recent history. He found himself fascinated with the great war. Such an unnecessary conflict with such a drastic loss of life. The world had been left in ruins and for what? Nothing. No ground had been gained and no agenda struck from the books. It was chaos. To make matters worse, his own father had a hand in the destruction of society. The thought of his family participating in something so cruel made his stomach twist.
Seeing his father righting his wrongs was not enough. In Max’s eyes it was an empty gesture. He had studied the battles, seen the numbers, and made up his own mind. War was a cancer and it could not be allowed to fester any longer.
As he grew older, the world became a more familiar place. Countries began to rebuild and tensions had started to rise once more. New weapons and technologies had been discovered and alliances had been formed. Everything seemed oh so familiar to Max. He had seen this before in the history books. The world was preparing for another war. This would be a war that only he could stop.
He was in position to put an end to all future wars. He had the lineage; it would be disgraceful to not at least try it. In order to do so however, he would need the throne and two people stood in his way. His family had become soft and weak-willed. They lacked the strength to rule and all of these talks of peace and friendship were only weakening the kingdom from within. If and when the next war came, it would be far worse. The only way to achieve peace was to grip the world in a fist of iron. He would be the man to do that.
Two days before his nineteenth birthday, his plan was ready. He had hired several mercenary companies and made several large promises to a handful of corrupt military officials. The coup had begun. The palace erupted in combat lead by Maximillian himself sword in hand. The rebels fought their way up the steps of the palace in a bloody conflict. Violence had spilled into the streets and before long, the capital was overflowing with conflict. Max was horrified by the violence he had wrought but it was too late now. If he was going to fix this, he needed the throne.
He and his mercenaries continued onward until they had made it to the throne room. Their goal was here. The only thing standing in his way was his older brother commanding a detachment of the royal guard. His brother pleaded for him to surrender and put a stop to this madness but it was too late. Max tore into the fray and soon enough, the two were locked in a duel which escalated out of the throne room and up out onto the ramparts of the keep. Metal clashed and sparked as blades collided, Max unable to gain the upper hand, constantly kept on his back foot.
After some time, Max finally found himself out of breath and cornered. In front of him, the prince and a pair of royal guards. Behind him, a long drop to the rushing palace moat below. Max looked across the capital city at the pillars of smoke before catching glimpses of his surrendering army. He had lost. How had the weaklings won? They should not have put up that much of a fight. Unwilling to admit defeat, Max found one final surge of strength and charged his brother, unable to land a single blow with all of his might.
With nothing more than a simply parry and strike, his brother landed a blow from Max’s torso, slashing upward across his jaw nearly killing him. The unconscious prince stumbled backward, falling over the rampart and into the moat with a resound splash before being carried down river by the rushing current.
When he awoke, he was cold and shivering. The river had carried him far from help and he found himself alone on the riverbanks of Desukon River He could feel himself dying. His wound had become infected and he could barely stand. He managed to crawl his way to a tall oak tree and die in peace when he heard a voice call out to him. From there things were a blur but before he knew it, he was upright walking into town back to his old self.
With his wounds healed and a newfound magic coursing through his veins he was not ready to quit. People had already died for his cause and he was not about to let their deaths be in vain. It was clear fate was on his side. It was only in the city of Deliverance would he discover his new destiny…

My family went through a very traumatic event all together, with my brother and I getting the worst of the trauma as I witnessed the event and my brother had to physically interact with/be on the line with emergency services (at 11yo and 13yo respectively), and my parents getting the second hand trauma/grief associated since they were not present for the event.
So they of all people should understand. They of all people shouldn’t roll their eyes and think I’m making excuses for myself to be a lazy POS (my dad’s opinion).
But every time I mention my crippling disabilities due to PTSD or I’m having a bad episode which has me reduced to sitting on the couch 12 hours straight physically unable to move, they treat me like a “edgy teenager who just watched a tiktok and thinks they have anxiety now.” (Moms opinion)
They judge me for my messy car (I’m doing so much better keeping this area clean now! Mini success!) and my messy home (mini success no. 2, got my kitchen mostly under control!) But every time my mom comes over it’s “Jesus agreeablemeal, how can you stand to live like this!”. When I explain that I CANT stand to live like this and am using all of my energy to try to NOT live like this, but this is the reality of a mental illness like depression and PTSD, it’s “oh please you keep talking about ~MeNtAl iLlnEsS~”
I can’t fathom it. I can not understand how a woman who KNOWS what her child has been through, who has had front row seats, and who CHOSE not to provide professional help to that child who asked for it on multiple occasions, could have that kind of a response to them talking about how their trauma has affected them.
I know she has suffered a lot too, and I know it must have been hard to try to parent after that, and with another child acting out because of it (still didn’t get him professional help either). But how can you not at least be empathetic now that your children are both adults and moved out. How can you still be so judgmental.
I don’t know what else to say. I’m just hurt and angry and have no where else to turn.

So I started working for a catering company, where we get to work at different Caffé-s, Bistros etc. Last week I was working with a girl that I really started liking, she was very attractive and very nice. She would often come to me during out shift, how I was doing, can she help me (we were in a caffé, mainly making coffee, cleaning tables, taking away trash etc) , and I felt like both of us just wanted to be around the other person as much as possible. We went home together for a while as we could take the same train for a while before both of us had to get on out buses and go our separate ways. When we said good bye, she looked me in the eyes gave me a big hug and said stay safe and have a good night. I was buzzing on my way home since it’s been a while since I had a gf, and this seemed so nice. Fast forward the next day I followed her instagram she instantly followed me back. I dm-ed her asking her about mainly work related stuff, like when do we get paid, what other places she had been to etc. That conversation dies pretty quickly bc she left me on read after the first “oh that’s so nice”, relpying to the restaurant she had been to the past week. I dm-ed her today again asking her what days she would work next month (we can basically fill in an online calendar werher we are available to work on given days and the company selects the people on who will work where on the given day). She told me she doesn’t know yet bc she had no confirmation (so like you say you are available on Saturday, you get a confiramtion shorty wether you get a job for the day or not) She left me on read again, after I told her but what days did you mark. And she left me on read again. Tbf I formulated it kinda confusing (we do not communicate in english, we are not from an english speaking country) We will work together tomorrow, maybe I’m just thinking about the whole online interaction too much, or she is kinda awkward at texting, but we will see in real life tomorrow. Maybe she is just very kindand this is what her casual personality is like with everyone. What do you think?

Last fall, my GI diagnosed me with IBS-C and redundant colon, based on my symptoms and a contrast CT of my abdomen. I've had constipation problems since birth, but was able to manage them with diet, exercise, and lifestyle until last year (I'm 35).
The GI doctor prescribed Linzess 72 mcg, told me to take it on an empty stomach, wait 30+ minutes before eat, and drink lots of water, and sent me on my way.
I followed her directions fastidiously and Linzess worked beautifully... for about 7 weeks. Over the past 2 months, I've noticed my constipation symptoms slowly coming back. The abdominal distension, bloating, and appetite suppression became unbearable enough that I got an appointment with my GI's physician assistant yesterday and she doubled my Linzess dosage, sending me on my way. The higher dose is cleaning me out more compeletely, but not as well as the 72 mcg dose did when I was totally naive to it. I can still feel something up in my tortuous transverse colon - and I can SEE it through my belly.
I fear that this cycle is just going to continue: I'll build tolerance to this dose and have to increase it. What happens when I max that out? I asked the PA about motegrity, but she really wanted me to try the higher dose of Linzess first.
I've read the "how to make Linzess work permanently" guide, but everything listed there is something I was already doing: wake up, take Linzess, drink at least 24 fl oz of water, walk 1 mile, 45 minutes post-Linzess I eat a breakfast of oats (steel-cut, lots of fiber), blueberries, pumpkin seeds, and natural peanut butter (nothing but peanuts and salt). Then a cup of black coffee 60-90 minutes after taking the Linzess.
I drink 100+ fl oz of water per day - I track it on my phone - and more if I go outdoors or do physical activity.
I tried abstaining from the morning coffee, but had fewer BMs, the ones I did have were smaller, and I didn't feel "cleaned out".
I store the pills in the bottle the pharmacy dispenses them in, with the dessicant packets (I asked for extra dessicant last time, because I live in Florida which is very humid) and store them in a dark, dry, room-temperature-stable place.
I also tried delaying breakfast 2 hours, as well as skipping it entirely, per the "make linzess work" guide. I have stayed far away from dairy my whole life due to lactose intolerance - I even avoid casein and whey just in case (my brother's casein allergy was misdiagnosed as lactose intolerance for years).
I already walk 2+ miles per day, do 60 minutes of "constipation yoga poses" daily, eat a lot of beans and leafy greens and avoid processed food, dairy, and red meat. I do not drink alcohol or any beverages besides water and black coffee. I even quit smoking weed, which was super hard and sucks a lot!
I suspect pelvic floor issues are part of the problem and have found a local lower GI motility & pelvic floor specialist who accepts my insurance. He works for the same hospital system as my current GI, so they both have to do a bunch of paperwork to switch me to his care. And, like my current GI, he's scheduling new patient appointments 4 months out, so it'll be a long time before I can see him.
What can I do in the meantime to keep my bowels moving while I wait months for an appointment with the motility specialist? Just pray that I don't develop tolerance to the higher dose of Linzess? I just want to get that "empty" feeling again. I lived my whole life with abdominal pain without being aware of it until Linzess took it away during those first few weeks. I want that pain-free empty feeling back!

Hi all (sorry, this became way longer than I thought). So my family member says that now that she doesn't need to worry about COVID anymore she wants to open the house so she can throw huge dinner parties again. The thing is, these huge dinner parties were always preceded by at least a week of yelling and shouting and things being completely wrong and tons of work for everyone and a huge disruption (all coming from her). We would have to do all the work and nothing was ever right. Then there would be the dinner and it's like none of it ever happened and she was super happy with everything. During this period of the dinner we were still doing everything behind the scenes, but also had to be okay with the "guests" doing anything they liked and getting anything they wanted (including being gifted something that was actually yours). Then afterwards we did all the clean up and got yelled at for things not being as perfect as they could have been. She also would call up everyone afterwards to say how much fun she had and demand they tell her they had a wonderful time and how good she is at throwing parties, which fueled her love of these parties and started the planning for the next one. Needless to say, we hate throwing these parties. We haven't had any dinners during COVID as there are people in the house who could have been killed if they got it. During this time, she has gotten worse. I actually don't think she could handle the stress anymore (but we couldn't tell her this, she believes she is very healthy and has decades to go before she can't do things anymore). Not even mentioning how she has gotten meaner and being forgetful and easily confused will just make things amazing. She is still at the stage where she can be lucid for big chunks of time, and then she has her "episodes". She says her two big joys in life are to have people over at her house and to have parties. I want her to have parties and enjoy these things, but I just can't get behind going through this again. Even one person coming over invariably means that she wants everything she doesn't own being thrown out, new carpeting, a new kitchen, and a professional cleaning service to re-do the whole house. These don't happen to that degree of course, but I have had to dig through the trash to get my things back. We have been trying to accommodate her by having dinner parties at restaurants and such, and she enjoys this a lot, but she always keeps talking about having people over again and throwing parties. It's been escalating and she keeps saying this is the year when we have people over all the time again.
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Does anyone have any insight or advice? Confronting her doesn't work as she is at the stage where it's either her way or the highway. I don't know if it seems like a big deal to everyone else (oh no, I have to host a party I don't want!), let me just say that it is really stressful and no one here enjoys it except for her during the actual dinner.
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I appreciate you guys, thanks.

For over 20 years, audiences watched the adventures of a boy named Timmy Turner and his fairy godparents, Cosmo and Wanda. Fast paced and funny, The Fairly OddParents asked the question, “What if a kid had an unlimited number of wishes at his disposal?” and answered that question with, “He’d get into trouble, constantly.”
Now who would we get if the same fairy godparents took a new kid under their wing? A kid whose last name isn’t Turner? More hijinx and comedy, of course!
You might be wondering, why make yet another Fairly OddParents? Aren’t a series of shorts, 10 seasons, a live-action series and 3 live-action films enough? Well, my friend, the answer is no. Absolutely not. You can never have too much magic!
An 11-minute comedy just like its predecessor, the new Fairly OddParents is going to retain the retro, absurdist, irreverent sitcom feel the original had, with some added poignancy, serialization, and a tighter focus on character. Gags will still abound but will also have a bit more of an emotional core.
Timmy’s problems were external: evil babysitter and checked-out parents. Hazel’s challenges are more internal: life changes and becoming more comfortable in her identity. Teaming up with Cosmo and Wanda will give Hazel an opportunity to stand out and become the big, bold, hero she longs to be! And it’ll all begins… with a wish.
Hazel’s story and wishes will go further into what makes her tick, connecting to audiences with both humor and heart. Hazel’s journey will be one of self-acceptance and confidence. She starts the beginning of the series daunted by her new circumstances, but thanks to Cosmo and Wanda’s magical guardianship, and the new experiences and adventures she goes on via her wishes, she soon learns to put herself out there and just live life.
For Cosmo and Wanda, it’s about finding a new groove. They’re coming out of retirement and have decided to take on a monumental task in godparenting again! But why? In short, because they love it.
Godparenting is their calling, and they’re good at it. (At least Cosmo thinks so – though that ain’t saying much!) But the world is different, and kids today are more self-aware than ever before. They’re encouraged to vocalize their emotions, inspire, create change, and question tradition.
Because of this, fairy godparenting looks different, wishes aren’t wishing like they used to, and they’re trying their best to adapt!
We’re setting out to tell a new story in a new town, to introduce the amazing Fairly OddParents world to a new audience, while keeping the wide-ranging, ageless humor that will appeal to everyone, regardless of whether they grew up on the original, for some hilarious family co-viewing goodness. So yeah, we’re making another Fairly OddParents. To quote Timmy Turner, “What could possibly go wrong?!

The Story

Ten-year-old Hazel Wells has just moved to the big city of Dimmadelphia with her parents, so her dad could start a new job. On top of being in a new city, it’s the first time she’s been without her brother, who’s just started his first year of college. A bright, fun, creative kid, Hazel’s new situation suddenly has her feeling unsure of herself. But all that changes when the pink-and-green-haired couple next door reveals they’re no ordinary neighbors, they’re Cosmo and Wanda, fairy godparents! And they’re coming out of retirement to make all of Hazel’s wishes come true!
When we last saw our beloved pink-and-green-headed fairy godparents, in The Fairly OddParents: Fairly Odder, they were godparenting their second generation of Turner children, but after so long with just one family, they made the decision to hang up their fairy crowns and retire. Surely no new child could rival the Turners in their hearts, so why even try?! Jump to 10,000 years of vacationing through time and space! Exploring the wonders of Ancient Rome before it collapsed! Hobnobbing with aristocracy in 18th century France! Journeying to the moons of Jupiter in the year 26,000 P.G., whatever P.G. stands for!
Now they’ve settled down – no longer in some kid’s fishbowl but posing as humans in the bustling city of Dimmadelphia, assuming the form of endearing, across-the-hall neighbors to the Wells. Mimicking human life, Cosmo and Wanda set their sights on a peaceful retirement, ready to live out the remainder of their fairy days in an apartment that secretly offers direct access to Fairy World! That is, until they meet Hazel and are reminded why they loved their old job so much in the first place. Not since Timmy has a kid so tugged on their heart strings, and the instinct to fairy godparent quickly consumes them. Soon, they find themselves as fidget toys on Hazel’s backpack, ooey gooey blobs in her lava lamp, and even assuming the form of human bellhop and concierge at a hotel Hazel wished for. But after 10,000 years of using their magic only on themselves, are they really ready to get back in the game?
(Spoiler: they’re not, but they’re going to do it anyway!)

Hazel Wells

Black 10 years old
Spunky, fun, curious, and hugely imaginative, Hazel Wells is a small fry in a big world! Like, literally, she’s small. A petite cutie pie. A li’l nugget. She’s our tiny hero with a huge heart!
Think for a moment… Have you ever been the smallest kid in class? You have to ask for help to reach things, every year you get paraded to the front line for the class picture, and you get a patronizing pat on the head every time you do a great job at something – and that’s if they even notice you! Just about every kid can relate to the frustration of feeling, well, small. So when Hazel Wells moves to the BIG city of Dimmadelphia on account of her dad taking on a new job and is forced to leave behind everything she once knew – her friends, her home, and her big brother, Antony – she’s left feeling smaller than ever before.
But that’s not about to stop her! In spite of her miniature stature, Hazel is bold! She’s enthusiastic about life and all its wonders, and is an adventurer who loves to explore and ask questions! It’s what makes her such a great wisher – she’s curious about people, and the world, and hungry to learn more about her place in it.
At the very start of the series, she’s feeling a little more on the introverted than extroverted side. She’s in a new town and trying her best to be happy about it, but she always felt her brother Antony was like her secret superpower. He was smart, kind, confident, and most importantly, BIG. Having Antony around was an instant “in'' with people at school. All her teachers already knew and loved him, mean kids knew she had a protector, and cool kids thought she was cool just by association. Without him, she’s like Linus without his blanket… Dumbo without his feather. Without him, she’s just… Hazel. And just in this moment at least, she doesn’t feel like that’s enough.
Being chosen by Cosmo and Wanda as their fairy godkid is just the push Hazel needs to bust out of her shell and blossom! Where Timmy’s wishes were often self-serving, Hazel, at times, cares too much about other people. A little empathy is great. An over-abundance of it can lead to mental fatigue and well, chaos. Making wishes (and mistakes) and learning from them will teach her to love and put herself first, and share that love with the rest of the world.
And once the wishing begins, look out, because just like with Timmy, Hazel’s wishes are driven by who she is… and by the fact that she is a CHILD. And children are nothing if not passionate and unpredictable! Hazel’s wishes (and their undoing) will come mainly from the following personality traits…
She’s smart!
Hazel has a bit of an intellectual edge and tends to overthink things, thanks to her brainy mom and dad, so her wishes will have an extra layer of smarts to them. However, the bit of knowledge behind the wish won’t necessarily make it a wise wish. Children are charmingly lacking in critical thinking skills! Apologies to any children reading this. It’s not your fault. Your brains just aren’t at that developmental stage yet. It’s okay, you’ll get there. Also, who sent you this bible? This bible is property of Nickelodeon Animation Studio and its parent company.
She’s caring!
Hazel cares deeply about other people and fairness (so help you if Hazel sees you cut in line or litter…), so a lot of her wishes come from her compassion and her sense of right and wrong. Unfortunately, 10-year-olds don’t have a great grasp on nuance and tend to think of justice in black-and-white, and that is gonna lead Hazel into some sticky wishes.
She’s quirky!
Hazel’s an oddball with unusual interests and instincts. Timmy’s whole thing was that he was an average boy with average boy wishes. Hazel is… different, partly from being around her dad’s studies of freaky happenings in human history, partly from being around her mom’s studies into the human mind (also freaky), but also… it’s just who she is! She’s a feeler, adaptable, and full of imagination. This manifests in myriad ways, from turning her thoughts into songs and singing them aloud; to having niche obsessions with nature; to collecting a bunch of twigs, putting googly eyes on the twigs, and naming all the twigs.
In conclusion, Hazel’s wishes and adventures will inevitably result in making a lot of beautiful, messy mistakes. Hazel will learn and grow from each of these mistakes, just as all kids do! But Hazel’s learning and growing is gonna be full of magic, making it a heck of a lot more fun than the slow, boring growth the rest of us had to put up with.

Cosmo and Wanda (Returning Characters… obviously)

White, ageless
Green-haired, daffy, and childlike, Cosmo is the same whirlwind of fun we already know and love, but a little wiser for his additional 10,000 years. He didn’t do it on purpose, but it’s hard not to pick up a thing or two about human nature when you’ve lived this long. Cosmo is still quite dimwitted and will muck up a wish five ways from Sunday, but he’ll accidentally give you an epiphany here and there too. This is a Cosmo that’s gotten a little zen.
Sassy and silly, yet pragmatic, Wanda has always been the brains of the godparenting operation, and that dynamic remains the same. Problem is, these brains have been out of the game for a loooooong time, so while she might once have seen the dangers in making Timmy a giant pair of cheese pants, now it’s not as clear to Wanda what might go wrong with a wish. Consequently, go wrong, it will!
Cosmo and Wanda have a very loving, supportive dynamic. They both have their flaws and are very different from one another, but they’re also each other’s biggest fans.
Cosmo and Wanda both provide aspects of what Hazel lost when Antony went away to college. In Cosmo, she has a silly playmate. Cosmo is drawn to Hazel because he immediately connects to her oddball nature. Someone who’s down to put googly eyes on twigs? That’s his kind of kid. Cosmo will help Hazel approach the world with more openness. In Wanda, she has a nurturing, non-parental guardian again. Wanda is drawn to Hazel because she’s a good-hearted mess. Cosmo sees Hazel putting googly eyes on twigs and thinks, “Fun!” But Wanda sees the emotional need behind Hazel giving those twigs rich emotional backstories and relationships. Wanda sees a sweet kid in need of companionship and guidance and helps Hazel work out her problems through play and fun.
Timmy, Cosmo, and Wanda had a particular kind of friendship. Timmy and Cosmo were like a pair of unruly, id-driven goofballs with Wanda as the put-upon Mom. When a wish got out of control, Timmy needed heaps of pushing and prodding to clean up his messes. With Hazel, Cosmo, and Wanda, it will play out as a more evenly matched trio, with the comedy and dynamics shifting to fit the story and emotional core.
In a way, they’re all in need of help – Hazel because she’s new to making wishes, and Cosmo and Wanda because they’ve been on a 10,000-year break. Their dynamic will be about growing and getting better at magic together. Sometimes, a wish goes out of control because of Hazel, and Cosmo and Wanda must save the day. Sometimes, a wish goes out of control because of Cosmo, and Hazel and Wanda must save the day. And sometimes… well, you get it. All three will be the crisis and the solutions in a more equal measure

Angela Wells

Black, early 50s
Hazel’s mother Angela is an intelligent, poised therapist who’s accomplished all her life goals and continues to achieve. She has her own private practice and created a self-help therapy program, the “Be Wells Method.” Her “Be Wells” books and “Be Wells” therapy app are big hits with celebrities and on social media. Angela’s always taking inspiration from Hazel by osmosis. She’s constantly planning, strategizing, and developing her program, with plans to offer the “Wee Wells Method” for kids and “Deep Wells Method” for seniors.
Angela loves her daughter, but is such an expert in helping adults, she often forgets that Hazel isn’t one, and tries to tackle Hazel’s issues the same way she would help a grown woman in her 30s formulate a business plan. Sit down > offer coffee or tea > identify problem > offer solution. As a result, Hazel can spout a lot of therapy speak, but still has no idea how to deal with the basic kid things troubling her.
When Angela unknowingly gets caught up in the magic of Hazel’s wishes, she will always try to find a way to make it a “value add” to their home or her work. There are no problems in Angela’s world, only opportunities! Angela is a roll-with-the-punches kind of lady, so if Cosmo and Wanda suddenly fill the house with squid in a wish gone wrong, well then darn it, she’s gonna find a way to make calamari. She is often distracted and on the phone with her trusted assistant Beatrish via bluetooth earpiece. Which is great for Hazel, because keeping fairies a secret is a must!
Like Cosmo and Wanda, Angela and her husband, Marcus, are head over heels in love, despite having near opposite personalities. Their differences are often a point of hilarious conflict - Angela is minimalist, tidy, and thrives on structure, while Marcus is reckless and thrives in organized chaos. Both extroverts, their life has caused them to laugh, laugh, laugh through their challenges, always bringing them closer together.

Marcus Wells

Black, early 50s
Hazel’s father, Marcus, is a scatterbrained, but brilliant scholar, professor, and author who studies the intersection of human history, and the paranormal. He’s a guy who fully believes in every kind of magical/ mystical/inexplicable occurrence (witches, werewolves, ghosts, alien encounters, etc.), but will talk your ear off with the scientific explanation for each.
The Wellses have moved to Dimmadelphia so Marcus could take a teaching position at the Galax Institute, a small (unaccredited) institution of higher learning that focuses its curriculum on the “pseudosciences” (though, of course, that’s not how they refer to their subjects). What Marcus doesn’t know is all the evidence he’s chronicled over his career about paranormal events throughout history, has actually been fairy events throughout history.
His work will sometimes bring him dangerously close to finding out the truth about fairies and Hazel will have to scramble to throw him off Cosmo and Wanda’s sparkly trail. Unlike Mr. Crocker of the original series, however, Marcus’ continual near misses on finding out about the existence of fairies doesn’t come from a nefarious or selfish place, but an altruistic love of history and the truth. Marcus isn’t trying to steal anyone’s fairies; he’s just devoted to learning. Doesn’t mean we can have him in on the secret though! There are still Da Rules after all!
Marcus sees his daughter as being very special and even important to the world. While. Angela tries to analyze Hazel as an adult, Marcus hopes Hazel will become a leader in his field, often sharing newspaper clippings with her featuring unusual sightings and unexplained phenomena. He even sometimes does activities and exercises with her he hopes might encourage any possible latent supernatural talents within her, like telekinesis or mind-reading.

Antony Wells

Black, 18 years old
Hazel’s brother, Antony, is a smart, cool kid who’s going places. He’s an All-American, 4.0 track star. He also plays the oboe and rides a dirt bike. What doesn’t he do?! Antony is beyond smart and carries a quiet confidence – truly the mellowest of his family members. He can hold court on any topic from politics, to anime, to music theory. He is very protective of his younger sister and would do absolutely anything for her. He’s always been like a combination best friend/third parent to Hazel, but now that he’s off to college, he’s finding his way and making a new life separate from his oddball family.
We won’t meet Antony for a while – since his absence was the catalyst to Hazel needing Cosmo and Wanda, we can’t just bring the kid home for visits all the time. At the beginning of the series, he will only be present as an unseen living legend, which we’ll have some fun with by teasing the audience with only tiny glimpses – always out of frame, out of focus, present only in stories Hazel tells friends or in Angela and Marcus bragging about his college progress. Antony is a dream-come-true big brother, and he is sorely missed by Hazel. We all wish we had an Antony. We’ll meet him someday, but until then, the legend of Antony’s greatness will grow and grow.

Dale Dimmadome (Returning Character)

White, 40s
Dale is the long-lost son of Doug Dimmadome– billionaire, real estate tycoon, and owner of the Dimmsdale Dimmadome. When we last saw Dale, he was barefoot, in tattered clothes, and working in a sweatshop underneath Vicky’s lemonade stand.
Dale is now the tall, brooding heir to the Dimmadome fortune, and CEO of Dimmadome Gl0bal, the largest tech company in the world. Whereas his father was a haughty businessman clad in all white and a 10-gallon hat, Dale is a socially awkward genius, with slicked hair and a thirst for the next revolutionary tech breakthrough. The only thing bigger than Dale’s staunch demeanor is the chip on his shoulder – which is somewhat understandable, after being abandoned by his wealthy father for so many years.
Bit by bit, Dale will factor in as an adult antagonist to Hazel, Cosmo, and Wanda. Hazel’s wishes will sometimes leave a mark on the world, and Dale’s obsession with breaking new tech ground will have him take notice of some of these things, eventually making him a threat to Fairy World. But for now, he’s just an emotionally distant dad setting a bad example for his son, who will be Hazel’s first main antagonist.

Devin “Dev” Dimmadome

White, 10 years old
Dale Dimmadome’s son and frequent antagonist to Hazel (as stated above). Dev is in the same class as Hazel, giving her a front row seat to Dev’s raging sense of entitlement. Coming from money and seeing how his dad often operates “above the rules” as founder and CEO of his corporation, Dimmadome Gl0bal, Dev mimics that behavior at school – even going as far as having lunch delivered to class so he doesn’t have to walk to the cafeteria where the “peasants” eat.
Dev is smart as a whip and has fully embraced the need for technology, just like his father. His two drone babysitters, Au Pair 1 and Au Pair 2 accompany him wherever he goes and cater to his every beck and call (almost like a Siri or Alexa, but on the go!). On the inside though, he’s a lonely child yearning for his father’s attention. Somewhat like the wealthy Remy Buxaplenty of the original series, but with layers.
Hazel and Dev Dimmadome start as antagonists, but as he gets lonelier over the course of the season, he softens and grows

Season One Arc: Part 1 - Episodes 1-10

Most of Season One will focus on Hazel’s growth and her episodic adventures with Cosmo and Wanda. Some serialization will come into play with her antagonist Dev, as the two go from enemies to friends. The Season One, Part One finale, however, will introduce Dev’s dad, Dale Dimmadome, as a more serious antagonist, when Hazel appears in his data as a consumer anomaly, the only kid who isn’t addicted to his new app because she doesn’t need to buy things, she has fairy godparents granting her every wish! And Dale’s bad behavior in the finale will finally tip Dev into full needy child mode, one who is granted his very own godparent: a fully grown POOF (now Periwinkle a.k.a. Peri), Cosmo and Wanda’s son!

Season One Arc: Part 2 - Episodes 11-20

Hazel’s fun, episodic adventures with Cosmo and Wanda continue. Meanwhile, Peri struggles with how to be a good godparent to Dev, and Dale continues to research Hazel, eventually coming to learn about magic and fairies. Convinced it would make him the richest person who ever lived (imagine being able to use magic to sell people things!), he sets his sights on conquering Fairy World, with the help of classic FOP villains, the Pixies! In our Season One, Part Two finale, it’ll be up to Hazel, Cosmo, and Wanda to save the day!

Every time I clean filters the float valve in the skipper comes loose and I lose prime in the pump. The valve dislodges the skimmer in a sudden rush of water. It take several weeks for the air to work itself out of the line. How can I speed up the process or fix the problem?

Full disclosure, I do realize this places a huge notice on how long we've been waiting on Chapter 2 and it isn't my intention to put Axolot Games on the spot for it having taken so long. I know that Chapter 2 is supposed to be their launch which brings Scrap Mechanic out of Early Access and they spent time moving their office to accommodate a larger team. Also it's worth mentioning that coding takes a very long time, longer-still to make sure your code is clean and functional, as well as the work that goes into 3D modeling. So, again, not my intention to take the developers to task on how long this is taking. Just thought I'd compile a list for things to look forward to in Chapter 2 which they've just said in today's Devblog 25 *should* be released this year. Also, keep in mind that I've spooled through all the devblogs so if Axolot Games has said on Twitter or somewhere else that something listed here isn't being implemented at all then I haven't seen it.
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Devblog 25 - March 23, 2023
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/387990/view/3320866312887566935
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Yellow Totebot
Blue Totebot
Red Totebot
Green Tapebot
Yellow Tapebot
Grow Labs
Ore Prospector
Glass block visual improvement
Item Schematics
Woc Outfit
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Devblog 24 - October 4th, 2022
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/387990/view/3320866312887566935
Minerbot
UV Growbed
Lighting visual improvement
Builder Quests (quest system first talked about in Devblog 21)
Blocks become flammable (yeah, great)
"New Warehouse" - I'm assuming this means "finished" warehouses, ie. all those buttons, switches, cranes, and other interractable things will be functional.
Farmhand and Farmer outfit back packs
Drill Spawners
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Devblog 23 - March 11, 2022
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/387990/view/3129444399315676278
Turret Seat
Sawbot
Improvement on previously talked-about underground industrial areas (Devblog 20)
Multi-component Kits
Ore Collector
Crusher
Miner Outfit
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Devblog 22 - September 17th, 2012
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/387990/view/5525343639479722068
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Battery Generator
Digital Signs
Wedge Blocks (Sawbot will make these, Devblog 23)
Plasma Saw
Tuxedo Outfit
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Devblog 21 - February 23, 2012
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/387990/view/3057351918255325052
Cablebot
Quest system
Digital Clock
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Devblog 20 - December 22, 2020
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/387990/view/2943630880659070162
Underground caves and industrial areas (Caves look to be basic, closed-in caves, glowing caves, and mineral caves)
Trashbot
Sticky Wheels
Hot Chilis
Plasma Drill
Welder Outfit (first mentioned in Devblog 15)
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Devblog 19 - September 27th, 2019
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/387990/view/1592509846749130914
Propane Station
Devblogs 18-14 have had all their features implemented as far as I can tell.
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Devblog 13 - November 21st, 2017
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/387990/view/5277612140650487884
Scrapyard
Scrapbot
Golfing Outfit
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Devblog 12 - August 26th, 2017
https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/387990/view/5277612140650488321
Wildlife (showed a .gif of a bird landing on a block)
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And from this point the devblogs are all just basic mechanics and improvements that they've implemented.
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EDIT: Sorry about so many edits but Reddit is a garbagey piece of garbage and kept either formatting my post weird or deleted 3/4 of it when I went to edit it.
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I usually don’t have a lot of time on campus, but for some reason, this semester I have a six hour block between classes. I live far enough away that it would be extremely inefficient for me to drive home for 3 hours and come back. I don’t work well on campus so instead I usually just walk around campus bc I have been on campus for 2 years now and I realized I didn’t know where anything was so I take walks around and through each building to pass the time.
Also I thought it would be funny lmao.
To be clear, I have not been to every bathroom on campus, but I would say I have been in most of them in the main buildings. From my experience, the bathrooms are pretty similar between floors of most buildings (of course with a few exceptions).
Now that I am about to post this I don't know why I decided to do this.
Without further ado, a full list:
Horizon Hall: Most are the same between floors besides the second floor. They are all pretty clear during class hours but for the 15 minutes between common class times they are the worst. The second floor is a exception because it is significantly less clean for some reason.
Planetary Hall: Probably one of the better buildings for bathrooms. The LL, 2nd, and 3rd floors are always empty, and I have never really had a bad experience there. The first floor is meh, mostly because of foot traffic. The only slightly annoying thing is how the paper towel dispensers are seemingly always out/broken. I will note, the lighting is sort of recessed or something which is nice bc it’s pretty dim inside.
Performing Arts Building: 0/10 I got yelled at for being there.
Exploratory Hall: Probably the most middle of the road to bottom middle set on this list. There is seemingly always traffic no matter what floor (albeit there is a slight reduction for every floor you go up). There is always something wrong with either the faucets/paper towels/etc. and there’s always water on the floosink. I tend to avoid going here if I can. There are two variations of each bathroom, a small type and a large type. The small type is fine but even one other person is too much while the large is consistently more open, but also covered in water. Side note: The mirrors on the LL have some black stuff or coating removal on the bottom which is kind of an ick.
Krug Hall & East Hall: Grouped these together because I think I have the same experience for both. Pretty small, definitely made during a different time. Not a fan of the sink being that close to people pissing tbh. For some reason when I went to East a few semesters ago the water pressure was crazy high and hot, but that seems to be fixed.
Lecture Hall: God I hate this building. I forgot if there was a bathroom here until I asked a friend because I never want to go to this building ever again. Personal bias aside, I remember it showing its age. I wouldn’t go out of my way to go there, but it’s not the worst. Definitely lower on the list though.
Art and Design: Definitely the best overall during off hours. Never dirty and always restocked. The cleaners here are chill and I have never been bothered for anything. It’s probably the baseline for all of these tbh.
Fenwick Library: Fenwick has the most variation floor by floor and between old and new Fenwick. I would say the worst one is definitely the ground floor of new Fenwick. I actively avoid going in here. The water pressure on the right sink is way too high and has crazy splash back, which most people don’t know until their second time going in there, and either cover themselves, the counter, the floor, or whatever else they can get wet. This along with the higher than average traffic for the building and garbage air blade hand dryers make this probably my bottom tier. The 3rd floor is definitely the best. Overall, it’s wider than the 4th and 5th floors, and has an overall better vibe. 2nd is way too busy.
Old Fenwick: Old Fenwick has by far my favorite bathrooms. Regardless of which floor you go to, there are very rarely any people, the lighting is good, and it is always stocked and clean. That being said, if someone is there before you or comes in after, it’s kind of annoying.
David King: As much as I hate these, I will say I have been to them more then probably any other. I have had at least one class here every semester, so I am very well versed in these. So, they are trash. No matter what floor you go to, there always seems to be someone there. They all look straight from the 80s-90s and I feel like if I were to get bullied/killed, this is where it would be. Each floor has a quirk. The top floor is the most decent, the ground floor has the weird frosted window and high traffic, and the bottom has piss on the floor and a broken toilet. (Bonus note: why is the handle broken on the bottom floor? I asked my friend’s dad who went here in the late 90’s and he said that handle had been broken then as well)
Johnson Center: I want to be upfront about my bias before this: I hate Johnson Center. That’s not a joke. There are too many people there all of the time and I don’t like the vibe. Don’t use the bathrooms here. They are always packed and gross. At the JC I have been there while people have forcibly opened a stall with multiple people inside, opened the door while someone was busy lighting up, and had some random try and look me in the eyes while I piss. Take my advice, go somewhere else. Also, if you are any of the people in the situations I listed please drop out.
SUB 1: Like if Johnson center had less visitors and better cleaning.
Peterson Hall: Probably the coolest or close to coolest in terms of space and cleanliness. If it was restocked more often it would most likely be my favorite.
Nguyen Engineering: This is the reason I wanted to write this. The engineering building has a total of 10 bathrooms. I have never, and I genuinely mean this, never been in a slightly decent one. The one that I think represents these the best is the ground floor one in the statistics hallway (near the glass front). It is always an out of paper towels, floor covered in water, trashcan filled mess that I want nothing to do with. Multiply that by 10 and you have the building. You’d think that a building so recognized for its engineering would have better paper towel dispensers.
Innovation Hall: One of the better halls for size and cleanliness. Overall, I have never had a horrible time here.
College Hall (and all of the buildings connected to it + Aquia building): Similar to East and Krug. Not really where I’d want to be, but I think the second floor of mason?(I went through one entrance and out another and did the whole thing in one take) was pretty decent. I have only been here during off hours though, so take that with a grain of salt. Aquia building kind of folds into this. They’re all so similar and mid that I stopped noticing anything really interesting after a point.
Enterprise Hall: I decent hall for bathrooms. Very similar to planetary. The bottom floor is probably the busiest, but other than that it’s okay.
Research Hall: An okay bathroom. I couldn’t go up to the upper floors because I was afraid of the construction, but it was a nice enough experience that I would rather go there than engineering.
And that’s all I have for now. I haven’t been to Findley hall, the Hub, or most dorms. I don’t really have any desire to go to the dorms, but from my experience I’m not missing much. I don’t think I could even get through the doors if I wanted to.
I think my biggest takeaway from this is that GMU charges way too much for its campus experience and maintaining something as simple as bathrooms. I want to make it clear the cleaners for all of the buildings I went to are fantastic. I mean, if you can clean the JC then you are a saint in my book. As I went through these I feel like I became more and more desensitized to their flaws and just how absolutely vile some of them are after a bunch of students rush through them. Y’all need to clean up after yourselves. And stop splashing water on the floors wtf is wrong with you­.

I work from home as a content creator after years of struggling in an office. No matter what employed job I do, I reach breaking point because of my adhd.
I’ve been let go, I’ve ended up signed off for long periods, I miss deadlines, make costly mistakes and I’m constantly exhausted. My RSD means any type of criticism sends me into a depressive spiral. I have two degrees, I should be earning more then what I earn now (less then 10k last tax year) but I can’t because of my adhd.
So for the past 2 years, I’ve worked as a content creator at home, predominantly for food and drink brands. It’s certainly far from thriving. I don’t pitch, advertise, I go months without work, and one job that’s meant to take me a day takes a week. But I just about manage it, film some videos, and get paid. I don’t earn enough to even move out of home and pay rent though. But I have a public, online ‘portfolio’ on social media that could easily look like I don’t qualify for PIP.
Examples such as:
Preparing food/taking nutrition:
What my social media shows: I have a digital portfolio of recipes I’ve made, videos of me making them. Healthy, nutritious and complex recipes.
The reality: I make one of those a month, if took me 2 attempts, 3 trips to the shops because I forgot stuff, a bin full of gone off ingredient’s and I’ve cooked it for a job, not to look after myself. Day to day, my dinner might involve a packet of crisps, 3 slices of toast and I’ll go 2 weeks without eating a vegetable because I can’t get motivated to cook, and/or I haven’t been organised and don’t have anything in my fridge. I burn food, I forget to close the fridge door and have to throw things away, I get distracted and cut myself with a knife often.
Washing/bathing:
What my social media shows: A well put together woman with makeup and hair done. Looking very presentable.
The reality: I have body dysmorphia dysphoria so I go to great lengths if and when I leave the house to look nice. Does it mean my underwear is clean? No. Have I been sleeping in my contact lenses for 3 weeks? Yes. Are my thighs covered in boil scars from poor hygiene? Yes.
Engaging with people face to face:
What my social media shows: Photos of jobs or events I have had to physically go somewhere to do. Sometimes the events are client dinners or press events and I post about them as this amazing, fun, social experience.
The reality: In the past year, I’ve attended 7 out of home events/jobs. That’s it. The rest of my job is at home, liaising with clients via emails that I have to start with ‘sorry for the delay’. I have lost several jobs and income because they’ve asked for a call, or to meet for a coffee or I just don’t respond. I can’t deal with the social side of working in an office or being part of a team. I have crippling anxiety too and I get so nervous I won’t talk. And any social interaction I have, especially work events, means days and weeks after spent decompressing, being on edge and emotional.
How exactly is anyone going to give me PIP when i have a social media that I’ve worked hard to convince people I’m fine?

I’m struggling a bit. I had a great relationship with my housekeeper for years before I had to practically beg her to be my nanny housekeeper. I have always treated her very well, been as understanding as I can, paid her holidays or sick days when she didn’t show, and trust her. She told me that she could speak English a while back and I believed her. We have always gotten along well I was so happy that she was willing to be my nanny. I saw it as a win for all, as it would be less labor work for her and less hours than cleaning multiple houses per day. I offered her a fair hourly wage and she asked for more. I obliged because I trusted her and knew my son was in good hands.
Fast forward: my baby is now 8 months and working with her is becoming a huge burden. I am extremely irritated that she told me she speaks English and I have now found she does not, I would guess about 75% of what I say she doesn’t understand. I catch her on her cell phone texting all the time when baby is awake, she will even take calls just to chat in front of me when my child is awake. She shows up late to work every single day (10-15 minutes) although I pay her for the agreed upon hours each week. I even arranged the schedule around other clients she needed to keep although it’s tough for me because I’m cutting my own work hours short. I tell her not to kill herself trying to keep up w baby and house but I can’t help but feel totally pissed when I get home and she’s texting or reading a book and my house isn’t straight because it was agreed upon initially she was doing both roles. If the baby needs her more some days I totally get it and don’t care if housework didn’t get done but when he naps for a couple hours or is gone doing things I do expect the house be pretty darn clean.
I think all this is really starting to boil up and I’m not sure how to address all these issues at once without her feeling like I am being aggressive. Last thing I want is my baby with someone upset at us and him not being treated well so I am very torn on if I should just move on since I am expecting baby 2 and am paying her the same amount I would pay an experienced nanny that speaks fluent English.
Oh and I found out recently that I can’t claim her income as a salary on my taxes. This was also a curveball that I am not happy with.
My fear is that my son is already attached to her and that I could find someone else who turns out to be alot worse. I go back and fourth in my mind on whether I’m lucky to have someone I know so well or if I have made a bad choice.
So AITAH?

I made a thread (since deleted it over fear of being discovered) back in June 2022 about my breakup. TLDR: Dismissive avoidant female (25) ended things with me M(30) abruptly over a text message, quickly moved out and showed basically zero emotion since. We dated for 1.5 years, lived together for 6 months. NC was broken twice and reset NC - both times were pretty brutal and a complete destruction of my ego.
There are some things I’ve learned in my journey that I’d like to pass on to some people here. I am giving 10 tips, one for every month it’s been since my breakup.
To answer the question that most people probably clicked this post for - no, she didn’t reach out. I’m writing this post as a form of cathartics for myself as I got my closure from her (she has a new bf) and there is no purpose for me to use this sub anymore.

1. Do not break NC for any reason - just don’t do it. I broke it twice before really learning my lesson. To date I am at 8 months NC and as hard as it’s been to maintain that, this is the best option for me now knowing she is seeing someone new. It would look absolutely ridiculous if I broke it again at this point.
   
2. Deal with your mental health and focus on it every day. It’s like going to the gym but for your brain. Read books, have an outlet that you can talk to.
   
3. Deal with your physical health - every day I didn’t go to the gym spiked the anxiety and fear even more. It will just snowball. Dealing with this also helps tremendously with #2.
   
4. Maintain a healthy relationship with your family (if you can)
   
5. Put dating new people aside for as long as you can and focus on rebuilding yourself. I failed to do this in many ways and it just made it worse because I constantly was comparing new people to her and after dates with 8 people, and having mediocre sexual encounters with about 5 of them, I mourned the loss of my ex even more.
   
6. Try your best to get used to the idea of them not ever reaching out ever again. I realized I would probably never hear from her again at about the 6 month mark. It will get easier over time - you will have some harsh days and some easier days, but overall it does get better. Don’t let the success stories of people on this sub get to your head, and don’t live your life thinking they ever will come back. Live it for you - the odds are they aren’t ever going to come back anyways, and they don’t deserve you if they did.
   
7. Manage your dopamine habits and try to have healthy sources of dopamine. If you are spiralling and constantly overthinking about your ex - it will become easy for your brain to resort to easy satisfaction and coping mechanisms. Mine was playing hours of video games and not getting anything done. Try to find a new hobby or something that can create that drive for dopamine and positive experiences once again.
   
8. Maintain a good relationship with somebody of the sex you are attracted to - I want to appeal to people of all walks of life here, in my case I am heterosexual, so I found a lot of value to have a solid platonic relationship with a female that I could vent to, and offer her the same outlet in return. I myself have very few female friends, as most of the women I put much effort into communicating with, I wanted more than a platonic friendship with. I will stress how underrated it is to have a solid friendship with somebody who can offer insight from the other side.
   
9. Make an effort to keep your living environment clean. The worst days I ever had my house was an absolute disaster.
   
10. Consider seeing a doctoprofessional to help you navigate the trials of the traumatic end of your relationship. I don’t care who you are or what you went through - if you went through a breakup, regardless if you are the dumper or the dumpee - you are experiencing trauma and you need healing. Traditional therapy didn’t work well for me, but I am now finding success with a SSRI prescription to help alleviate a lot of my anxiety. Figure out a healthy solution that will work for you and commit to that.
    

Anyways - If you got this far I appreciate you. I am still healing, and this is the most amount of healing I’ve ever had to go through out of all my relationships. The benefits of this sub are now outweighed by the costs and the weight of the trauma from reading the same content over and over again has gotten to me.
I wish you all the best out there - stay strong and don’t reach out.

Hi guys,
Firstly I hope everyone is well, i fee shrooms have changed me completely and it's comforting but also quite scary how quick this has all happened. I have had a breakthrough experience this Sunday night gone. It was amazing. Without going into to much detail I m pretty sure I died and was reborn , I had the urge to listen to remove evil eye mantra, Hinduism. The Hindu goddess come alive in the screen and I had a insane connection with her. The big canvas picture I have of a sea side picture with an umbrella was alive. The waves were moving and it was almost as if I was there.
Next minute I look at my hand and feet and they were small and stubby, it didn't look like me.it was uncomfortable but eventually relaxing, I had the feeling I was literally blasted out of my body scrambled and put back together. There was no pain. I had almost a hump on my back prior and it was painful adding weight to my shoulders .There was no sense of time. When listening to the mantra it felt like hours but was actually only minutes. I sat down and was almost "told" by this god that I am powerful, I must reclaim my soul and remove negative energy and banish it to hell. Once I said this a few times my back felt normal again. Reality came back I was touching myself, with the feeling of not recognising this body.
It was scary, amazing , and awesome I eventually calmed down. Listened to some relaxing hz and was coming to sense with the new lease of life, this almost rebirth to reality.
Now the following day I cleaned my house top to bottom.
I bought a nutri blender.
I went to the shop and was drawn to fruit, veg, fish. And steered away from bacon and any milk or cheese. Which usually I love.
Now this may not seem drastic but beforehand I was eating takeaways drinking fizzy drinks.
I have had a multiple fruit blend smoothie every day since for breakfast. And have been making fresh food at home for the first time in ages.
I already feel the benefits and now have no desire for binging on takeaways and fizzy drinks and snacks.
I also had encounters with a few individuals, one Muslim; I had a desire to ask about Ramadan, Eid etc.
I also spoke with my Hindu housemate and feel a strong connection to Hinduism since Sunday, I mentioned the mantra and she was in awe. She also noticed my sudden lifestyle change congratulating me and telling me it's a very good start.
Now this is wierd as prior, respectfully I had no interest in anything religion related!
I feel very different and my life has changed so drastically in such short time... makes me question the illusion of time.
I feel a connection to the energy's around me and have had the realisation that everyone is equal , no matter their belief my hip back and neck pain has literally gone and lump and tension has dissipated.
I have had the urge to be with nature and visit the forest. My connection with my fish tank has increased and have cleaned them and tested the water to make sure they are as happy as can be.
It's overwhelming how much I feel I've changed and my thought processes in such little time.
Shroooms deffo are magic no doubt about it!!!🪬🍄🧿🌎🤷‍♂️❤️

I picked up a DP1 finder cheap that wasn’t working. I’ve got it working now. by disassembling it and cleaning the ring resistor and repositioning some of the contacts. I have it all back together and I made the adjustment on the pulley string so that the shutter speed displays correctly. Unfortunately, the aperture does not display correctly, some of the aperture‘s are not quite centered at times and it will not display the highest aperture only the next to highest. I cannot find any information on making adjustments to the aperture display. Does anyone have any information on this?

DS414. I have never connected this one to my network before. I know it has data on the drives so i want to hard reset it but I cannot find it on my network. Not a network issue as I was able to find my other one that's the same model. It does have a blinking orange light which I assume is a drive or volume error. I tried to hard reset with the reset button but I couldn't get the three beeps after the one beep. Any idea how I can wipe this thing clean? Thanks. I am kind of a newbie.

I know there are several "fix it yourself" guides on here for frets not working, but this one is quite different!
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The green and blue fret buttons are not working.. everything else does though. Have tested continuity for all solder connections and cables on the fret board with everything working perfectly. So I have narrowed it down to the main circuit board where everything else runs to.
Main circuit board: https://imgur.com/a/ALarhip
I have already desoldered and cleaned up the old connections from the white ribbon cable. Nothing necessarily looks damaged from what I can see...
Solder joints (front): https://imgur.com/a/HyBxf92
Solder joints (back): https://imgur.com/a/IEPNhmq
Using a multimeter, I am able to test continuity between the 8 different pads here and with the guitar hooked up to my computer, can see when specific buttons are being pressed. (I am using the control panel/controller test page). By touching different combinations of pads, I can fire every button, except the blue and green. Which looking at the following picture, the common denominator is solder pad 1. Green is 1 & 8 and Blue is 1 & 2. No other color uses solder pad 1. I don't think I am misunderstanding this, but if I am, I'd appreciate being corrected lol.
Fret board combinations: https://imgur.com/a/szKpwzz
I started to investigate other places to test continuity and for other possible places to solder some wires to for solder pad 1 and solder pad 2, but not sure if this will work. At this point I am just trying to test and see if the main board is toast or if there is damage somewhere that I can maybe work around. Below is a picture of two locations where I was able to follow the trace back and test for a connection there, but no success.
Other solder points: https://imgur.com/a/saOep9n
I would love some input if someone is familiar with the wiring for the fret board or if someone knows how to diagnose a circuit board in general! It just seems odd that just one of the 8 pads is messed up...