First, sorry for this. This isn't a post to say men are bad and all, not all, just that I'm tired of some bad apples. And I don't feel heard, and I've ugly cried in my car tonight. So there's that.
I'm tired. I'm tired of some men treating me like a dumb idiot when I have the same work experience and degree than everyone else in the room. I'm tired of feeling like I'm a waste of space, like if I wasn't around - well, everything would be the same. The client at work just likes my male colleagues better. He asks them about their kids, their holidays, their days. They chat daily, he implicitly trusts them... I spoke to him maybe twice in the last year, and I only get short, to the point answers, sighs when we voice chat and basically passive-agressive answers, plus he goes behind my back to my male colleagues even when i'm charge of things. I'm useless. I stay polite, I keep my cool, I'm an intern and a part of my grade is how I handle client relations and all.
But I'm tired. I suppose it's because I'm a woman, because two new (male) interns arrived last month and he already calls them, asks them things, is funny with them. I know I'm good enough because my company offered me a permanent position and they're very happy with my work. Likewise with school ; everything is okay, I got high marks, good evaluations. But there's this situation, and because I'm an intern, I can't say anything, and my colleagues just shrug it off. Thus, I'm not getting a lot of tasks where I have to interact with that client, so I'm not getting better at those tasks, I have less autonomy, feel less confident.
I've asked my boss, my colleagues : why is he like this ? And they don't know. I didn't break anything, didn't make any big mistakes, don't interact with him often (if at all). Nothing justifies him being dismissive, rude, short, and disrepectful. Except the only plausible reason left, and I've asked friends and family and even my therapist, I've been as unbiased as I could, asked a colleague and my internship referent, and they all said "it's probably because you're a woman".
Yeah. And I'm also tired.

With the Flyers adding a second pick in the 2023 draft I wanted to take a look at the players who could be available at 22nd Overall on draft night. When getting into this part of the first round it usually becomes harder to predict where guys will go, especially this year when people are even having a hard time handicapping picks outside the top 3. Predicting the Flyers selection is even tougher, given Briere and Jones don't have an established track record, the team likely didn't scout players in this range as intensely throughout the year, and the fact that (as of right now) the team wont pick again until 87th Overall means that there are a lot of unknowns in figuring out who the Flyers could pick. So I will cast a wide net to show a wide variety of players who could or should be available.
Have to Fall
I did a preview on who the Flyers could pick at 7th Overall last month. 8 of those 15 players (Cristall, Sale, Barlow, Reinbacher, Yager, Danielson, Perreault, and Wood) are all ranked 22nd or lower in at least one draft ranking, so there is always the chance that one of those players fall. While I wouldn't get your hopes up on any one specific player, and there is a good chance that all of them are off the board at 22nd, there is a chance that one of these guys slips through to the Flyers second pick. Outside of these guys there is only one player that I'll categorizes as "Have to Fall".
Riley Heidt - F, 5'11, Prince George Cougars - Heidt has some high end tools that could see him come off the board earlier than a lot of people expect, but some deficiencies that could keep him on the board until 22nd OA. He has great speed and can handle the puck at speed. Combined with the fact that he is an elite playmaker makes him one of the most dangerous set up men in the draft. His ability to change direction and create small openings to thread the needle lead him to the top of the WHL assist charts, tying Bedard for the league lead. One of the big drawbacks is that he is probably too much of a playmaker, he doesn't have a strong shot and does use his shot enough, with this draft being big on shooters we could see teams taking shoot first guys over someone like Heidt. He is also pretty slight and while being 5'11 which is not really undersized he does play a small player's game. I think he'll be off the board, but if he's available the Flyers could steal a super talented playmaker. He's played a lot of center but will likely be a winger in the NHL.
Wheelehouse
Mikhail Gulyayev - D, 5'10, Avangard Omsk Organization - Gulyayev had been considered the top defenseman in the draft for most of the year, on a pure talent level he likely still is with him falling behind guys like Reinbacher and Sandin Pellikka due to Russian circumstances. Gulyayev is an elite skater, not just fast but with excellent edgework that makes him able to maneuver at speed and breeze by players. He's got great hands and vision making him a dangerous passer in all three zones. These offensive attributes are combined with a great hockey sense that helps in positioning as well joining the rush and positioning. He does have a bit of an issue being overaggressive and sometimes leaving to early or over pursuing in the D zone, but those are fixable issues. He is small, only 5'10 which means he may take a little more time getting to the NHL. The bigger issue is as a Russian player it's unknown how much Flyers scouts have seen him and it's unclear how the geopolitical situation with Russian players will impact where he goes in the draft. If Russia didn't invade Ukraine Gulyayev could have been a top 10 pick, so if the Flyers like what they see he could be a steal.
Dmitri Simashev - D, 6'4, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Organization - The other big Russian D prospect, and I mean big in both prominence and statue. Simashev is a big defensive defenseman, but skates almost as well as his 5'10 countryman Gulyayev. He is great at all the major defensive skills, his positioning is great, stick checks are quick and accurate, and he can be physical but he's not an overly dominating physical presence. The biggest drawback is there is almost no offensive upside. Given how strong of a skater he is you would think there would be more offense, but he is a weak puck handler which not only limits his offense but can lead to problems getting zone exits if its not figured out. Like with Gulyayev, the limited scouting, lack of best on best comparisons, and geopolitical issues make it difficult to guess where Simashev will go, and he could even slide out of the first round.
Otto Stenberg - F, 5'11, Frolunda - Stenberg is another really interesting prospect in this range. He has tons of talent, with great speed, great hands, and a great shot. He also has great intangibles, he's a smart player, a hard worker, and a great leader. With that kind of skillset he should be projected to go closer to 7th than 22nd, but he is projected to go 22nd or later by a majority of rankings. The reason being that he failed to impress not only at the SHL level but at the Swedish junior level as well. Not being able to stand out in a pro league at 17 isn't that strange, but perhaps a bit underwhelming given Stenberg's skills, but not putting it together in the junior league is a bit bigger of an issue. While he has struggled for his club Stenberg has been legendary for his country. At the U18s he finished with 16 points, right behind the great American trio, and tied the Swedish record for most points at a U18 (tied with Willie Nylander). The next highest scoring player on Sweden had 11 points, that gap being the biggest between 1st and 2nd scorers in the tournament. It was similar at the pre-season Hlinka-Gretzky tournament where Stenberg had 9 points in five games, with a four point gap between the second highest scorer. And like at U18's Stenberg had the second most points ever at a Hlinka tournament by a Swede. When Stenberg is going he's a superstar, but even when he's not he's still a reliable depth player. He could be Mitch Marner, or he could be Scott Laughton. While that may be a wide gap, drafting a boom/bust type where the "bust" is still a great depth player should be something the Flyers (and a lot of other teams) consider.
Samuel Honzek - C, 6'4, Vancouver Giants - Honzek is another member of the Slovak prospect Renaissance, but unlike guys like Slafkovsky, Nemec, or this year's Dalibor Dvorsky, Honzek made the jump over to North America for his pre-draft year. He could be looked at like a Slafkovsky-lite, though Honzek is slightly bigger. He has good speed, good skill, good physicality, and a great quick and heavy shot. His ability to play in tight spaces and get off a quick accurate shot makes him an ideal power forward, drawing comparisons to a player like Alex Tuch. He has defense and consistency issues, but he's also a smart player so those issues could be worked out as he develops. With this year's draft being heavy on smaller forwards I wonder if a team earlier in the draft grabs Honzek, after Leo Carlsson there are only 2-3 forwards 6'2 or over projected to go in the top 20, but if he's on the board he will definitely be someone the Flyers give a close look to.
Calum Ritchie - C, 6'2, Oshawa Generals - Ritchie was oddly a player I was hoping the Flyers avoided most of the season, because I don't think he has 7th Overall talent. But he could be a very interesting option at 22nd, if he gets there. Ritchie is a big bodied but not overly physical two way center. That two-way center thing is what made me dread the Flyers reaching for him in the top 10, but the fact that Ritchie compliments his two way abilities with great playmaking, anchored by excellent vision and a good set of hands make him more than a one dimensional defense-first center. He is not a particularly fast player, while this draft class has a number of guys that aren't really plus skaters, most of the guys expected to go in the late teens-early 20s are pretty speed which would hurt Ritchie. He also does not have a great shot and often defers opportunities to shoot. It's an odd comparison, but think of him as a taller more defensive Morgan Frost. That could be just the type of player the Flyers are looking for long term.
Quentin Musty - LW, 6'2, Sudbury Wolves - Musty was the 1st Overall pick in the OHL draft and has the skills to show off why. He has a great shot, very good hands, and combines good speed and vision to be a great playmaker - all this leading to him having the highest ppg for a U18 in the OHL this season. All that in a 6'2 frame makes for quite the intriguing prospect. The problem with Musty is that he is not always engaged and can sometimes float around. He is not particularly good defensively and is not really physical. Right now he's a fairly one dimensional player, a boom/bust type where he could have a higher potential than someone like Stenberg or Honzek, but couldn't play the same depth role they could. But if the Flyers believe in that high end potential and that Torts and the Org could shake out any bad habits they could see taking him as less of a risk.
One interesting thing to consider is that there is a wide variety of skill sets, sizes, and potentials with these players listed so far. The players around 7th Overall are similar in that it's a very diverse group of players. Who the Flyers take at 7th Overall and 22nd Overall will give us a good idea of what attributes the new front office values most, if most of the players discussed are available.
Reach
I say "Reach" but at this point in the draft there is usually more differences in pre-draft rankings and what actually happens. Plus pretty much every player in this draft has a wide range of rankings, with some players that are in the "Wheelhouse" for 7th Overall being ranked lower than 22nd, and every player in this "Reach" section being ranked higher than 22nd Overall in at least one ranking. So when I say "Reach" I'm referring to players ranked 26th or lower in the Elite Prospects consolidated rankings.
Gavin Brindley - RW, 5'9, Michigan - Brindley carved out a place on an absolutely stacked Michigan team and earned a spot on the US World Junior team. Brindley has a ton of skill with great hands and some creative passing, and along with a high level of speed and acceleration, and paired with a high compete level and good defensive play. This combination of factors has lead some people, such as Corey Pronman at The Athletic, to rank him as high at 8th. His big problem? He's only 5'9. He's also not a remarkable shooter like other undersized recent forwards like Caufield and DeBrincat. Outside of games on TV I actually saw Brindley live this season and he can be an absolute force on the ice, he stood out Michigan almost as much as Fantilli and can overwhelm opponents with his speed and tenacity. Maybe Briere will see something of himself in Brindley and take a shot on the little guy.
Daniil But - LW, 6'5, Lokomotiv Yaroslavl Organization - But is the biggest player listed here and if he goes in the first round he will very likely be the biggest guy taken. He is similar to Honzek in that he has great size, can win battles, and has a big shot that could make him an asset. But But is also Russian leading to a lot of complicating factors already mentioned, not to mention he has an acceleration issue even if his top speed and edgework is solid. The only way I see the Flyers going with But is if they have their heart set on Honzek and he gets taken at 21st overall.
Lukas Dragicevic - D, 6'2, Tri-City Americans - Dragicevic is a great skating offensive RHD who put up great numbers in the WHL this season with 75 points in 68 games. He's got good instincts when joining the rush and has the speed to make up for mistakes on the back check. But as you can guess seeing these insane offensive numbers on a guy projected to go late in the first round there are some defensive issues. He can be over active in the D zone pushing himself out of position, or he can lose focus and puck watch and fall behind, leading to potentially the worse combo for a defenseman. If the Flyers think they could work through those issues they may think they have a steal, but time will tell if Dragicevic turns into a Shea Theodore, Michael Del Zotto, or a David Rundblad.
Oliver Bonk - D, 6'1, London Knights - Bonk is a RHD who will likely be more of a defensive defenseman in the NHL. Projected more as a 2nd rounder Bonk could move up into the first given the lack of defenseman in the first round. But Bonk's high hockey IQ, positioning, and ability to create turnovers on defense make him an interesting pick. If the Flyers are dead set on a defenseman with this second pick, and don't want to risk taking a Russian, I could easily see them taking Bonk over Dragicevic.
Goalies
Taking goalies can certainly be risky in the first round. Recently first round goalies have been fairly hit and miss with guys like Jake Oettinger and Spencer Knight looking like potential franchise goalies, Samsonov looking streaky or serviceable, and the jury still being out on Askarov, Cossa, and Wallstadt but they are each showing mixed results. Still, with the Flyers potentially moving Hart or at least thinking about it, now would be the time to look at drafting a goalie considering their longer timelines and the fact that there are some pretty talent guys available. The Flyers not having another pick until 87th could also affect this as the three top goalies listed should all be off the board by then. I'm going to look at three goalies who all have potential to be first rounders, though it's unlikely more than any one guy ends up in the first round.
Michael Hrabal is a 6'6 Czech playing in the USHL. He put up solid numbers for a pretty terrible Omaha Lancers team and very good numbers for an underwhelming Czech U18 team. He is very fluid in his motion for such a big guy and uses that size when battling to make saves. He will be playing at UMass next season who is noted for usually having a strong defense. That could allow him to develop without having to keep his team in games.
Carson Bjarnason is the archetypal goalie. 6'3, great at tracking pucks, and great moving around in his crease. Like Hrabal he played on a bad junior team with the Brandon Wheat Kings, and while his stats weren't impressive most places I've see say he has all the skills to build into the perfect pro goalie. He'll also likely backstop Canada's world junior team the next two seasons.
Trey Augustine - Speaking of starting for World Junior teams, Augustine has already won a Bronze medal at World Juniors for Team USA, along with winning Gold at the U18s. At 6'1 Augustine is a bit undersized, and with any undersized goalie that means his positioning, agility, and reactions need to great to compete at a high level. If Augustine was 6'3 I think he would be a shoe in for a top 16 pick as his athleticism and precision make him a great puck stopper. Augustine will be joining Michigan State this upcoming season, re-teaming with his former NTDP coach who has started drawing some of his old players back through the transfer portal. Augustine could turn Michigan State into a force to reckon with in a tough Big Ten.
Who Should/Will They Take
A couple of things I want to mention. One is I think there is a chance the Flyers move up or down, they have assets and depending how things shake out as it gets closer to their pick they could jump up or slide back. Also, I know a lot of people will believe that with two picks the Flyers should take a forward and a defenseman, but given the players available I don't know if the Flyers should go in with that logic. Reinbacher and Sandin Pellikka are both more middle first round pick type players than 7th Overall and I think it would be mistake to reach for them. Similarly, outside of the Russians, Dragicevic and Bonk are more late first/early second round players and the Flyers would have to reach past more talent and well rounded forwards to get them. And frankly I don't think the Flyers will take one of the Russians, based largely on the fact they probably haven't scouted them as thoroughly as they'd like.
Who I think they'll take and who I want them to take is actually the same person, Otto Stenberg. The Flyers usually have more eyes and put more emphasis on international tournaments where Stenberg has shined. If he's off the board the guy I'd be most interested in is Gulyayev or Brindley, but the guy I think they'd go with is Ritchie, but if Ritchie is also off the board I think they actually go with Bonk.
For the draft overall, I think the best value for selection would be if Michkov and Gulyayev fell, the Flyers would be getting a first overall talent (in most other years) and a top 10 talent at 7th and 22nd. But I think there is little chance the Flyers take any Russians and almost no chance they take two. My ideal situation would be to take Zach Benson at 7th OA and Otto Stenberg as 22nd OA, while I think Ryan Leonard at 7th OA and either Stenberg or Calum Ritchie at 22nd OA is who they will take. Actually, between this and my 7th Overall preview I've covered 29 players, so the Flyers will probably take one of the few guys I didn't cover like Nate Danielson or Ethan Gauthier haha.

Last month, I was driving along the highway, coming back from a trip to my grandpa's house. I can't remember the exact second, but as I was driving, apparently a truck collided with my car and I was knocked unconscious. While I was out, I fell into a dream. One that will stick with me.
I need to type as many details as possible, so here's every single thing I remember.
I was a 7 year old boy, living in New Jersey rather than my real world home state of Massachusetts. My parents would drop me off at a school I never went to in the real world, and I would play with friends I never met.
2024 and 2025 were calm, upbeat years for me. I didn't care much for world events, so I barely paid attention to the news. It was just my toys, Disney Plus, and my friends, Josh, Emily, and Ryan. We played war and crime themed video games and watched hilarious videos on social media.
2026, however, was when things took a bit of a downturn. In March, my friend, Josh, died in a car accident, and they noticed his eyeballs were missing from their sockets after the wreck. I was shown a picture for god knows what reason, and I teared up as I saw my friend's red eye sockets and lifeless face.
That night, I kept my bedroom light on. I don't know exactly what time it was when this happened, but I was lying on my back, staring at the wall when a pair of black pants popped up out of nowhere at the foot of my bed. Sidetracked, I looked up and saw a rusted face. The thing, whatever I saw, vanished as I made eye contact with it. My heart dropped and I called for my Mom.
I chalked it up to the thing having been a ghost. I brought it up to my friends, Ryan and Emily, the next day. Emily told me she was in the car behind the one Josh was in, and saw a man with a rusted-looking face running towards the car, but for some reason she doesn't remember what happened next. Chills ran down my spine as I realized the man was real.
Together, my friends and I decided he was a ghost we needed to avoid. This pact made me feel less alone, and being as afraid of the ghost as I was, decided to never break it.
I slept under my covers to avoid seeing him, and I didn't see him again until the trip I took to Canada's Wonderland that summer. I was riding the Leviathan when I swore I saw a man a few rows ahead of where I sat, with a rust-coloured neck. The adrenaline I felt riding the coaster turned to panic. Time slowed and I wanted off the ride.
This man stole my friend's eyes and was probably after mine too. Once I was off the roller coaster, I looked around frantically for him. I managed to catch him walking into a bathroom. Was he following me? I begged my Mom to take me home as soon as possible.
My friends and I decided to go hunting for the man one day. I think before the end of August 2026. We walked into a nearby forest and waited for an hour. We didn't know where he came from, but Emily pointed out he was around at times we felt the most emotional, and we were telling each other how scared we were of him, which had to count.
Fortunately, he didn't show up. I was overwhelmed with chills, and told the two I didn't want to search for the rusted man anymore, and began walking home.
2027 and 2028 were my preteen years. I took my mind off of the rusted man by focusing on my favourite shows and musical artists. For the sake of getting all the details down, I watched a lot of Simpsons, Gumball, and this show called Camedon that went viral in 2027. The music I listened to was a rapper named Pestilence 40 and a pop singer named Rhonda Miller. In the Spring of 2028, I realized I was Asexual and Aromantic, meaning I didn't feel a sense of attraction towards anybody.
I spent a lot of time researching my favourite things while I'd overhear my parents freak out over a war that involved China. I have a hard time remembering anything more about said war.
The next time I saw the rusted man was shortly after I turned 13 in 2029. I was going through the pictures of my trip to Chicago, and, at the bottom of my camera roll, there was a picture of his face. I jumped.
When did that happen?
I went into the photo's details tab and found out it was dated February 5, 1950. Odd, considering there's no way the phone I was using was manufactured anytime around that year, but I sent it to my friends. Both of them responded by telling me the image was coming up blank. I went back to my Gallary, intenting to study the image closely, but it was gone.
A lot of the time after that were just casual memories of being dropped off at school, playing GTA 6 with friends, watching my favorite shows, listening to my favourite music, and joking about Secret Wars on Reddit and a viral app called BL. Nothing much about the man...
That is, until sometime in 2032, when I saw him walk by my bedroom window while I was right in the middle of a depressive episode. The chills I felt were one of the four emotional highs I felt that year. For the rest of the year, and for a lot of the following year, I felt numb, anxious, and mentally vacant. I barely cared about anything. Not even the man, or the flu epidemic going on at the time.
My friends were going through the same thing, so we exchanged affirmations and shared quotes from singers who were part of an indie wave trying to bring music back to its Billie Eilish phase. I was pretty much over the man at that point. I cared so much less about him, I considered seeking him out to let him kill me. I didn't think I was going to make it to 2034 anyway... so, why not?
Then in 2033, my depression began to lift, and I started to dread the thought of him again. I started drawing pictures of him and posted them on BL. Over the course of months, I gained a following who claimed to have seen him too. Some told me they saw him in their dreams, some told me they spotted him in a crowd, and others saw him in the window of a house they happened to be driving or walking by. Then there were a few people who told me they saw him running across roads and ripping eyeballs out of the heads of homeless people. By the end of the year, I had 10,000 followers.
In 2034, articles were being published about him. He became one of those big internet mysteries with dozens of videos and posts revolving around him and his actions, with some specific autobiographical drawings of mine being used as artistic renditions.
Some people made and posted highly vivid AI generated videos of him performing various tasks like midnight break-ins, murders, and to be jokingly relatable, cooking and cleaning. The videos looked like big budget movies, and, as I watched each of them, I got a deeper sense of dread. I avoided watching the videos altogether, as they began to scare the living shit out of me.
There was a popular form of technology at the time that let people share thoughts and feelings with others. Aside from, joking around with my friends, I used it to let people feel exactly how I felt during my encounters with him. I told them I hoped we'd get to a point where we'd be able to share memories with others, in order to give them the full observer experience.
In the fall of 2036, the FBI announced they were on the case of the rusted man after a string of murders across the US left victims without their eyeballs. I was overwhelmed with chills as I read the announcement. It was official confirmation of the rusted man's existence. I called the police, reporting my encounters with the rusted man. They told me they'd keep a look out for him.
Throughout 2037, 2038, and 2039, I'd hear reports about more victims being robbed of their eyes, yet no official photos or video of the rusted man ever surfaced. There were dozens of fakes all over the internet that were debunked, and I just wanted an official one. At the same time, however, I wanted it to be a hoax. I wanted it to turn out the man with a rusted face was just a murderer trying to become notorious by cosplaying an internet legend. I distracted myself from the whole fiasco by keeping up with the mission to Mars.
In 2040, the lack of photo and video evidence of the rusted man began to bug me. That was until that summer, when something was found. The FBI released security cam footage showing a man with a rust coloured face beating a police officer in a parking lot. His face resembled a mask, but looked organic at the same time. It was him. I knew it in my gut. Comments from other victims commented the same.
"That's him! I can't believe it took this long to get official footage of him."
"Yep. Definitely him. Right down to his eyes. I feel cold watching that."
"Yes, that is the man who stalked me when I was 7."
I too felt cold watching it. I deleted it from my search history and closed all my blinds. He was real. It was confirmed. I knew needed to hide away, even though I hadn't seen the man since I was 13. My friends told me they felt the same way.
The early 2040s were full of fear and doing as many things from home as possible. I made most of my money from making videos about music and movies. Occasionally, I'd make a video about the man, but only whenever he hit the news. I decided to share part of my revenue with my friends so they didn't need to go out as much and risk another encounter with the man. Luckily, most people just ordered food online anyway, which solved the hunger thing.
Sharing revenue with my friends became more important amidst a recession I only barely remember taking place in 2041 through 2043.
I began to go outside more in late 2043/early 2044. The man hadn't been in the news for a year, so I joked the FBI had caught him and found out he was an alien. It found it weird he was only reported in Canada and the US. Maybe it wasn't so weird in actuality, but it was as if something was missing. Like he was present in other places, but no reports had gotten out. I chalked it up to a random assumption and went along with my days.
In the summer of 2044, I discovered a conspiracy forum dedicated to the rusted man. I can remember some of the post titles quite vividly.
"The 'Rusted Man': what is his face really made of?"
"Is the Rusted Man the Last Resort for the US Government on Homelessness?"
"DNA CONNECTS THE RUSTED MAN TO DINAH CORTEZ"
I got out of that forum right away and blocked it from my search results. There was no reason to read any of that bologna...
Throughout 2045, Pop singers would insert references to the rusted man into their promotional music videos, but they usually either butchered him, had him get arrested, or portrayed him as a metaphor for the singer's own mental health issues.
While I was glad he was getting attention, I kinda regretted giving him so much coverage, as it meant I had to hear about him everywhere all the time. I brought it up to Emily.
"Yeah, but, I feel the same way," she said. "I sometimes wish I could hit a button and give everyone amnesia for a week."
While I kept hearing about him, I sure as hell hadn't seen him for a while. I thought I was free of him. Maybe he just left me alone... Maybe he leaves certain people alone after teasing them for a bit...
I was wrong. On one especially sunny afternoon in September 2045, I was jogging along the sidewalk on a road not too far from where I lived. I couldn't help but notice the sky looked like a painting. A really good one at that. As I stared up at the oddity, I bumped into somebody. My face colliding with theirs. Their complexion was odd. It was rough and almost felt like duct tape at the same time. I looked at him and told him I was sorry, but that's when I saw his face.
It was him. The fucking man with the fucking rusted out face. I went cold and felt I needed to force myself to step backwards. When I did, the man let out a chilling shriek. It sounded metallic, but like the climax of a sneeze at the same time. He stared into my eyes, which began to tingle. My heart dropped and I broke the stare, turning around and sprinting along the sidewalk.
Once I got home, I shut all my curtains, reported the man to the police, and texted my friends about the encounter. All I could think was, how long do I have to go through this? At least I was 29 years old, so people would believe it when I say it happened to me. I wasn't a kid anymore, but even then, I wished the rusted man was nothing more than a normal childhood hallucination.
I went to my doctor for my eyes, just to make sure they were alright. He found an odd transparent substance under each of my eyelids and referred me to a specialist. Some tests were done and I was told substance was the same one found in every crime scene involving the rusted man. They concluded I needed to be quarantined in my home for upwards of 20 years. I'm not kidding. That was the protocol.
During quarantine, the man never showed up at, or in, my house. I could only wonder what he was doing other than probably killing somebody. I dreaded the idea of him showing up. I had nightmares once a week... other than that, I still had access to the internet, so I watched as society developed while I was unable to go outside.
A political uprising happened in favour of conservatism in 2046, which was met with equal push from the liberal side due to proclaimations of violence towards those that wanted science to be taught in school.
In 2050, Russia collapsed and fell into a civil war, but was avenged by China and India.
By 2053, we were able to use MRI-like devices to project imagined images onto a screen. I ordered one for $100 and used it to recreate my memories of the rusted man and share them online. They were chilling to look at, so I considered not opening them for a while.
In 2056, a major cyberattack brought down various websites. Luckily, no archival sites were taken down.
Personally I just spent the years making content and building a fanbase that sent me emails all the time. The switch from foldable phones to perfectly flexible phones in the late 40s was fun. The phasing out of laptops due to phones becoming ever more useful was welcome.
Things were pretty normal for that stretch of time, aside from the quarantining. I got pretty used to it though, and developed a habit of jogging on the spot for exercise.
Throughout the 2050s, the rusted man made the news once a month. Throughout the early 2060s, he was making the news once a week. This I wanted to look at the news less often, but I had to because it was important. It didn't matter how dreadful the increased volume of attacks was.
Throughout the mid 2060s, reports came out about him destroying AIs, possibly because he didn't have high tech glasses that identified AIs as one of its features, so he likely thought they were human. This led to an upping of security around AIs and advancements in their security protocols. By 2067, a report came out stating less AIs were getting attacked by him.
The man spent the rest of the 2060s and the beginning of the 2070s continuing his murder spree without much to be discovered about him. He was still an unsolved mystery, and had become one of the most notorious figures of the 21st Century.
In 2071, reports about the rusted man's eye thieving became daily and worldwide. Major news talking heads began pushing the idea the rusted man is an alien who could attack a major celebrity or politician. Or course, celebrities and politicians upped their security ten-fold during the mid-2060s due to the weekly attacks, so nothing could go wrong, right?
That's what I thought, until May 2073, when a famous rapper named Fenny DON was found dead, inside his Atlanta mansion, without both his eyes. The security cameras caught the rusted man popping out of nowhere (in a very specific way that's difficult to explain. Either way, I went cold watching it,) restraining the rapper to their bed, removing their eyes, then vigorously ripping their brain out of their head. It was mortifying, and many people said they refuse to watch it, recreate it, share it, etc, but everybody had to have seen the screen shot of the man standing in the rapper's bedroom one second after appearing out of thin air. It was shared all over the internet for months. The video itself was proof this guy could teleport and move objects telekinetically.
The Pentagon released a report soon after, which included speculation about the rusted man's intentions. It was thought the rusted man was after people's eyes because they are impossible to reproduce alone and nothing beats them in terms of perception.
That wasn't the only thing I was wondering, however.
"Why he needs them is still very unknown and multiple theories so far haven't passed the merit test."
There it was. It needed to be figured out soon, because I wanted to know. I anticipated the day the truth came to be known. I needed the damn closure so bad.
In March 2074, I started to thinking of my life as wasted by the rusted man and my fear of him. I was 59 and rotting from the inside out. I didn't open up to my friends about it until I started slipping into a depression in May, despite my quarantine having just ended. That was when my friends told me the most assuring thing they could.
"Remember the little things, and we're here for you," Emily said.
"Yeah, all we can do now is whatever we want to do, because we're probably going to be killed at some point anyway," Ryan said.
It was cliche, but true. The emptiness lingered on through mid 2075, then it sorta lifted. Maybe I was desensitized, but at least I had my friends and the emotionally cathartic shows I was watching.
By the end of that year, I was thinking of upping my dosage of anti-depressants. Emily, Ryan, and I, were hanging out a lot more to make each other happier in spite of our emptiness and fear the rusted man would barge into our homes, randomly appear on the foot of our beds, or chase us down a road. And it was working. On December 29th, I felt the emptiness lift. Who needed pills? We just needed to stick together, like we always had. Emily suggested covering our heads to confuse the man, but I pointed out we'd need to know when he would arrive. We can't wear bags on our heads forever.
"We'll figure something out," Emily said.
In mid April 2076, I was eating dinner when I started hearing a loud rushing water-like sound coming from outside. I went outside to check out what was going on, but I couldn't find the source. I watched as my next door neighbor walked out onto their front porch, then the neighbor directly across the street stepped onto their porch, both of them looked up at the sky with looks of confusion.
I checked the news later on to find the sound was being reported all over Canada, all over the US, in the UK, Australia, Spain, Japan, South Africa, Chile... then pretty much everywhere else. The entire world was hearing this thing. The noise went on for days, then weeks, comments under articles were mixed about the sound. Some thought it was annoying, others enjoyed its fuzzyness. Both Emily and Ryan both told me they thought it was ear-piercingly horrible. Comedians joked about aliens, and NASA started to theorize it was actually extraterrestrial in nature. The sound finally faded in June 2076, and Emily, Ryan, and dozens of people across the internet expressed their relief.
Around August 10, 2076, I was mowing my lawn when I noticed him standing across the street from my house. The rusted man. He stared my way, not moving an inch. As he stared sinisterly into my soul, I was overwhelmed with chills. But that wasn't it. I noticed something off about the my surroundings. The trees, bushes, grass, were no longer moving in the wind. The man even looked static himself. I couldn't help but stare at the oddity. Everything that should've been moving just seemed so two-dimensional all of a sudden.
I pulled my digital glasses out of my pocket and attempted to call the police, but the numbers weren't in the right order. Attempting to dial 9-1-1 brought up a different combination of three numbers each time.
I sprinted back inside and shut all the curtains again, except for the ones in the kitchen, as they refused to move when I tried to shut them.
Over the following week, the fleeting rushing sound returned to the sky. This time, it sounded familiar. Not just because I heard it for two months straight not too long before. It seemed as if I had always known that sound. I realized it more and more as the weeks went on. In early September 2076, I went to the Museum. On my way to there, I noticed the trees were still static and fake looking. I tried my best to not even think about them, but rather on the technology of the early 21st Century.
When my phone decided to work, I texted Emily. Apparently, I had missed 20 messages from her, but I was too freaked out about my surroundings.
"Does anything seem off about the trees?" I asked.
"No? They look fine to me," Emily responded.
"They look fake all of a sudden. The grass too," I said. "Also, I feel like I've heard The Buzzy Static long before this year, and sometimes my phone looks off, which is why I missed your messages."
"Have you told your doctor about this?" she asked.
I hadn't, but I decided to make an appointment. On the day of the appointment, my doctor immediately diagnosed me with Schizophrenia, but I knew there was more to what I was experiencing. The day after my visit to the doctor, Emily and Ryan came over. I showed them the trees across the street and the grass on my lawn. I told them how fake it looked to me. They told me it all looked normal. They didn't notice anything unusual like I did, which only made my obsession deeper. I looked around at everything for a while. My friends tried to convince me to do stuff with them, but I refused. Eventually, they left, and I stood there, trying to make sense of what I was seeing.
Every day, I stood in my front yard for two hours, looking at the trees, bushes, and grass. In late September, the Buzzy Static began to feel more localized to my heart, and I could hear a subtle wooshing along with the buzzing. It too came from the sky.
By mid October, the sound dissipated, but the ambient noise was still going strong. People would walk past my house like there was no sound coming from the sky at all. On October 15, 2076, I stood on my front lawn, listening to the wooshing noise, and watching the trees cease to convince me they were normal. Then, the wooshing sounded localized to my lawn, and then it hit me.
None of this is real.
Suddenly, I immediately alternated from standing to laying down on my lawn without having moved a muscle. I was staring up at the sky, which was getting brighter. I could feel my heart beating. I began to hyperventilate, as this was new to me.
Where the hell am I going?
I looked at the unrealistic trees, then everything went blurry. Pain erupted in my chest, then I was lying on a stretcher. I wanted to move, but I was in shock.
What the... hell...? What's happening right now?
Then I remembered my life. My real life. Then the drive... The crash... I fished my phone out and looked at the date. May 23rd. I checked the calendar for the year. It was 2023. I was overcome with a heavy feeling of sadness. I thought I had spent 53 years being friends with two amazing people, but I was really just... unconscious for a short time?
I can't stop thinking about Emily and Ryan. The whole thing about the rusted man was crazy, but some things will never make sense. Last Thursday, I was sweeping my room, still feeling like I had lost real friends, when I turned around to sweep near the door and saw... the rusted man standing right outside my room. I went cold. It was really him... that rust coloured face... those eyes... I thought I was hallucinating at first. I knew I wasn't dreaming though, as you know when you're awake when you're dead awake. The rusted man lunged at me, and, before I could react, I was being tackled to the ground.
This isn't a hallucination at all... Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Dread overcame me as I struggled. Pain shot up through my back. At some point, I managed to get him off of me, then I sprinted into the living room and out the back door. I didn't have my phone with me, so I couldn't call the police. I looked back and saw the man's silhouette in the door frame. He lunged at me through the dark of the night. My heart sunk and I sprinted away, but tripped and fell face first onto the grass. Not a second later, I felt a painful thump.
I woke up in the hospital with that unexplainable liquid under my eyelids. The liquid I had in the same spot in the dream. My heart sank even further. Great... The doctors told me I'd be going in for testing, and asked me what happened. I told them, describing the man to them as well, but in a plausible way.
"He probably had face paint on or something. Something that made his face look like rusty metal."
Later that day, one of the doctors told me my tests have been scheduled for the 9th.
Just yestarday, I heard Emily's voice in a dream, but she was nowhere to be seen. I woke up with tears streaming down my face, wondering why the rusted man had to be real, but not the two people who were always there for me, or the other victims of the man himself.
My curtains have been shut for days now, I've informed my neighbors of the madman, and the police told me they're still on the lookout. All I want to know is who this man is, what he wants with my eyes, how much longer I'm going to live with him stalking me, and how dreaming truly works.

https://gamingballistic.com/2023/06/07/a-worthy-knight-felltower-character-build/
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My character died in Felltower...so here's a replacement.
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Opinions on yes/no are my own, but phrased as objective statements because I was feeling cheeky.

A Worthy Knight (Felltower Character Build)

When I sit down to use precious time to play an RPG rather than stress out over my RPG business, I am not looking to drag in a stack of rulebooks and play a complicated character.
I’m looking to hit stuff really hard in the face.
After out colossal frack-up and TPK with Felltower, we’re gearing up for a “felltower adjacent” game, and while many of my brethren are looking at clerics, wizards, and maybe even a martial artist … again, I’mma gonna hit stuff hard in the face.
So, I’m going to avoid the Holy Warrior route I took last time. Good character, but I feel like we need someone who does tremendous damage. “One shot, one kill” sort of output.
On the other hand, I do love me some shields. So let’s look at the options.

Shield-and…

If we’re looking at a one-handed weapon, let’s see the options.

• Mace has the best boost to swing damage (and what else is there, really?) but cutting is really the answer to almost every problem here.
• Axe/Throwing Axe is sw+2, which cutting effectively makes (1.5×sw)+3. So the old shield-and-axe guy isn’t too bad. If I can dump enough into ST to get (striking) ST 17, with Weapon Master we’re looking at a constant damage output of 3d+1+6, for 3d+7 cut. I can also throw the thing; or I can festoon myself with hatchets and “only” do swing, but it’s 3d-1 cut out to -6 penalty, which is respectable. So axe is an old fave for a reason. Dwarven is +4; Fine is +9 CF; so x14 cost on a $50 weapon is $700, which means I will need a bit of points-for-cash, but that’s what knights do.
• Ah, a longsword in one hand. Interesting. VERY expensive, though. I don’t have to worry about the Parry score, but Reach 2 with thrust isn’t bad.
• Of course, with a bastard sword (and the errata 0U out, I think) Reach 2 sw+1 is even better, and Reach 2 thrust for when you need to stab the eye. A Wait, with a thrust to the eye or vitals at Reach 2, then step to Reach 1 (or don’t) and cut to the leg as a Rapid Strike at only -3 is going to be pretty amazing. Actually, bastard sword has a much easier time with eyes, vitals, and such. ST 17 puts me at 1.5×ST for both weapons, but that doesn’t really matter. No dagger or double-daggers here. So I lose a point of damage on the axe, but pick up reach. And the weapons are much more expensive. Still: 3d+6 cut to Reach 2? Also, has the advantage that I can use a seax (long knife) at Skill-2 to get Reach C when I need it. 3d-2 cut is a heck of a close-range equalizer. Also, if I set aside 30 points for Weapon Master (knightly weapons), “anything used with Broadsword” skill counts, so that quickly becomes 3d+4 cut in close combat. AND better rapid strikes.
• Flail is always worth considering, because while it’s basically mace-on-a-chain, it’s inexpensive, you can dwarven it to parry with, and the huge defensive penalties (-4 to parry, -2 to block, and fencing weapons need not apply to parry at all). It’s one of those things where “flail to the head” is such a bell-ringer, it might be worth considering putting some points in there, because those Parry/Block penalties are the equivalent of always throwing a -8 or -4 to skill Deceptive attack on nearly every blow. That’s a lot of defensive mitigation. Worth thinking about.
• Spear is the only one-handed weapon that really remains here. But it’s thrust-only and a regular spear is not even a bit better than a bastard sword. Same Reach and impaling damage, 0U parry that is NOT errata. heavy spear is at least thr+4 imp, but then again loses out on swing damage, which is just stupid if you have weapon master. It also lacks not just C, but 1 as well, and we got an object lesson in “don’t let the bad guys into C” in the last fight.

So if I go shield and something, shield and bastard sword seems to be it.

Two-Handed Weapons

A much shorter list.

• We start with the polearms. The dueling halberd and glaive for a presumably high-ST character is “halberd.” The glaive is for getting the cool swing cut with low ST: naginata. The only other competitor will be the full-size Ditka (regular halberd), which does add +4 to the swing damage over the bastard sword for 3d+10 cut as a primary mode. The thrust mode gives you Reach 1 … but you’ll need an entirely new skill for in close. Still, a Reach 2 alpha strike, then step BACK to Reach 3 for a second shot – including a 3d+9 impaling attack, is brutal. That threatens a HP 12 person with a KO even through significant armor: 50% of the time you can punch through DR 13 (!) and still have enough injury left over to bring a fit, strong human to KO status. That’s a lot, but you need a lot to give up your block. Also, it IS really long, and in tight situations where you’re dealing with the equivalent of Bulk penalties, a halberd is -6 (2x Reach being a good measure).
• Even in two hands, the spears don’t add enough. If you use them with Staff skill … you still don’t get the +2 Parry (which is wrong, but the rules). Not worth giving up shield and swing damage. A sucker’s play unless you have a formation of them. Maybe even then.
• Great Axe doesn’t give you anything over a a dueling halberd. Long axe is lower ST but same deal. The rest of those are for folks who can’t switch a dueling halberd around to the other side (you get sw+4 cut, sw+3 imp in one weapon). Only the warhammer does a bit more imp damage, but you’re giving up versatility against things that resist imp.
• Bastard sword in two hands gives up block in exchange for a point more damage in either mode; if you could pull half-swording, you’d allow the +2 Parry (that’s what my golem-armor swordsman from Nordlond Bestiary does), but at lower damage, and thrust-only for cut (tip slash) and stab, but with extra precision on targeting chinks. Not enough to make it stand on its own, but combined with all of the other coolness with this, it’s yet another “all in favor.”

So, really, the only thing coming close would be the halberd, but shield-and-bastard-sword just has so much going for it.

Knightly Requirements

That brings me to what I need.

• Weapon Master (Knightly Weapons) for 30 points. That’s a chunk of change right there.
• ST and Striking ST equal to 17. ST 15 and Striking ST 2 looks like the right “out of the gate” play, assuming I can’t eke out ST 17 right away. I might be able to, but the 250-point template would eat up all of my discretionary points with ST +3 and Weapon Master (Knightly) right there. I will probably build up from Delvers to Grow though, so we’ll see. That will mean I give up standard knightly stuff elsewhere.
• I’m going to only need Broadsword and Shield in terms of primary skills. Again, with the core template I can probably throw down Broadsword-20 and Shield-16. That’s a respectable Block with a DB 2 shield (14), though not super-spectacular.
• I did not have a ranged weapon last time. That was not excellent. The right one here might either be crossbow (because of Acc 4 and 1d+6 imp) or throwing axe (3d-1 cut, but only Acc 1 and much shorter range). An atlatl with a javelin is pretty cool (3d imp to 30 yards)…but a plain-old heavy sling goes to 45 yards, will do 3d+1 cr. I can use a heavy sling in one hand with ST 12+, and that’s just cost of entry. It’s respectable damage and inexpensive to own and arm.
• I will need a close-combat weapon, but a seax defaulting to Broadsword-2 gives an 18 in CC, which is plenty good delivering WM-boosted swing cutting damage.
• I need to stay in the fight too, but armor is expensive. I may emphasize mobility on this one until I can afford a big score of protection. Speed and Move.
• Oh, I kinda wanted to play up the half-orc thing too, as a joke with Peter about “orc-orc-orc.” On the other hand, a half-ogre Knight walks out of the gate at ST 18 … which is tempting.

What do I maybe NOT need that’s on the template?

• Born War-Leader is on the template. Based on how we have been playing … only Tactics really gets frequent use. And it’s got Born War-Leader 2 on the template. I feel like I might be able to use 5 or 10 of those points elsewhere, and more efficiently. Like Striking ST 2.

Let’s Get Delving

📷So now we need to fire up GSC and Delvers to Grow.
I wound up starting with the 187 point Master Strong DelveKnight, throwing on half-ogre, and going to town from there, as it were.
So: Thor Hálfskepna (half-beast, which also translates to demigod in Icelandic, so…)

• That had me at my target ST 17 right out of the gate, so victory there.
• I upgraded the minimalist Weapon Master to (Knightly Weapons), meeting that requirement.
• I tossed in Striking ST 2 because I’m allowed to; ST 17/Striking ST 19 is brutal, and base thswing of 2d-1 and 3d+1 means weapon master now gives +4 to thrusting stuff. Still +6 to swing.
• 58-lb basic lift isn’t anything to whine about.
• My main sword skills in one hand are at 20 thanks to weapon bond; 3d+8 cutting in one hand ain’t all bad. Shield 16 and Enhanced Block 1 results in Block 15, which is nice.
• I may have overdid the DR here; I gave heavy mail on the torso, heavy leather sleeves and legs, heavy leather boots, segmented plate helm. I think I’d do better with about 10 lbs less weight. Let’s try for regular mail, light leather sleeves and legs. Yah, there we go. Still respectable DR but down to no encumbrance, Move 7. I think I still have $500 left over for “stuff I forgot,” or maybe a single point to drop somewhere that I ooped on.
• Oh, I need a seax. Heh. And a sling; the heavy sling is cool, but at 1 lb per stone I think I’ll pass. 10 lead stones, though? That’s cool…3d pi to 100 yards. My skill isn’t that good, but I can drop points there.

So he’s an ugly clod, but he’s a hard-hitting ugly clod. At range, he can ring folks’ bell with a few seconds aim to 10-15 yard about half the time. 3d piercing is no joke; against humanoids they’ll at least have to take cover or risk a serious think if it hits.
Someone steps into Reach 2, they’re looking at 3d+8 cut or 2d+5 imp; that imp attack could easily be vitals giving up to 36 injury. On a cleave, it’s more like 27 injury, which ought to make an impression.
At Reach 1 I lose the imp, but retain the cut. If I fast-draw my long knife (14), I still have a 3d cut swing attack … hmm. That may need the Weapon Master bonus, but I think strict rules say no (it’s Shortsword not Broadsword). Still, 3d cut is as hard as a regular joe hits at ST 15 with an axe (2d+3)…
And I can keep that 3d in close combat.
His defenses are good: Block-15, or 16 with a retreat against missiles or big stuff. Parry 14 core, +2 for shield, +1 with a retreat, for Parry-17 if I’m willing to fade. Weapon Master (Knightly) definitely lowers my repeated Parry penalty to -2; since Shield is included in Knightly weapons, if Vic allows multiple blocks, it’s -3 each for that, which could be important.
Also, his DR isn’t bad (6/4 on the body, 8 on the head, and 3 elsewhere except for DR 1 on the eyes), and in combat he’s at None for encumbrance, so while his Step is still 1, his Move is 7. Finally I’m quick. A respectable Dodge 11 also.
So Thor here is formidable. Don’t ask him to calculate the tip at dinner, though.

Human Instead?

The half-ogre template carries a lot of weight in the build, and Felltower doesn’t allow them. So if I have to get rid of that, I can still get most of what I want, but need to nix Striking ST 2, the half-ogre disads, boost IQ back to 10, etc. I still need all five quirk points for cash, but I’m also Move 7 still.

The best way we can ease a switch is when someone is already close and so we sit, take a deep breath, and let them choose things they would like to do to draw them out. Music is almost everyone's go-to, because we have a lot of songs that we compile for everyone so its at our immediate disposal.
When the dissociation becomes heavier, then our head feels really like and sometimes we feel a little nauseous or get chills. Luckily, headaches tend to be mostly mild. Also, our blinking slows way down and we kinda look tired and like we're drifting off. Then usually the switch happens.
Sometimes it only takes roughly ten minutes, other times we can spend hours dissociated. Those times suck lol.
We like to refer to our switches as either "hard switches" or "soft switches". Soft switches happen probably three or four times a day, mostly between our frequent fronters like host and cohost. We call it soft because its very easy and fluid, like one alter takes a step back and another takes one forward. Hard switches are the ones where dissociation tends to be more extreme and there is that intermission period where we need to slow down or stop.
Soft switches can happen because of anything or seemingly nothing, but hard switches almost always have a more clear purpose. I'm making this post right as were kinda close to a hard switch.. Hannibal needs to cook (eating is important! make sure you're eating enough guys!) and so I'm getting the tingles and headaches, and this post is taking a lot longer than maybe normal haha. It's getting a bit hard to continue so yeah! Switching out! This was Cola for future host wondering :D
also btw its very helpful to relax during dissociation so you can get a very clear idea of what it looks like for you.. Not everyone in this system is very good at relaxing but its very good to

5’7 247 lbs male, 23 y/o, taking 15mg adderall XR, 20mg sertraline, and 175 mcg levothyroxine. i don’t smoke and i very rarely drink (maybe once a month i’ll have a beer)
so i am at a loss here - i was diagnosed with hypothyroidism about 3 or 4 years ago and my doc at the time and i worked together until we found the right dosage (150mcg i believe) in about a year. it seemed stable and my doctor noted that i was doing well though i never saw the actual bloodwork results. last year, i had my blood drawn and it was mildly elevated (5.1) presumably due to me having missed a couple days right before the test b/c i didn’t have a car. so follow up in three months comes and i missed about four or five doses before the blood work due to a pharmacy miscommunication and my TSH is 9.1. my new PCP tells me that it still shouldn’t be that high after missing that amount of doses, and increased me to 175mcg
i’ve been taking it every morning with my adderall about an hour before i eat breakfast and have coffee, but my TSH came back as 10.1
my doctor’s gonna call me about it, but i literally have no idea how that’s happening - i didn’t miss a single dose. i am just getting over a stomach virus where i only threw up once but had a lot of diarrhea, so possibly that drained it from my system? is that possible?
and if no, does anyone have any idea? it’s really stressing me out
edit: all bloodwork i had the first follow up in November was basically normal. slightly elevated bilirubin (1.5) and RBC (5.9 with reference range 4.2-5.8) but doctor said it was likely dehydration cuz it was first thing in the AM

I’m 32f with a long term partner of 8 years, but we are very unsure if we want kids or not. We are actually pretty confident we don’t want kids. However, my company uses Progyny so I decided I might as well freeze in case we change our minds!
Just did my retrieval today and got 16 eggs! I’m happy with that number even though I know it’s not enough to “guarantee” a child.
Overall the experience was not too bad for me. I was very apprehensive about giving myself shots (I faint easily during medical procedures) but after the first day those become very easy. Weirdly I started looking forward to it every day. I’m lucky that my clinic is only a 10 minute drive away, so going in for labs throughout was also not a big deal. I went in about 4 separate times for blood draws and ultrasounds. Interestingly they never told me the results, just made dosage updates to my online calendar. I see people posting here about levels but I was never informed about that. During the monitoring they saw 17 follicles and got 16 eggs, which sounds Iike a good amount to me!
I also barely noticed any physical changes throughout. As of today’s retrieval I actually lost 2 lbs during the process. I’m already a very thin person and went from 114 to 112 lbs. I haven’t experienced bloating or puffiness which seems to be the norm for others. I expect some of that may come later? The main thing I feel is heavy ovaries, kind of like golf balls in my pelvis. Not painful but weird.
My doctor seemed very unconcerned with exercise- while I didn’t do any intense exercise, I did move houses on days 7-10 of stims which required LOTS of lifting boxes and moving up and down stairs. No issues but I did make sure to have my boyfriend and another male friend do the really heavy stuff.
I was under twilight sedation for the retrieval itself and remember nothing. I was very crampy for about an hour after the procedure but now feel pretty good.
Overall I was pleasantly surprised with how easy it was. I know I’m very lucky to have had little side effects and others are not so lucky. But I want to share my experience in case it helps some people feel relief about the process

Looking on Internet i've come across some informations about Suki and her fighting style, which also include her own wiki page and this respect thread. I understood that Suki's fighting style relies on using the opponent's strength against them to compensate for the physical disadvantages that a girl usually have against a male, a very similar principles to martial arts like Judo and Aikido. Still there's the fact that Suki uses punches and kickes as well, that makes clear that Suki's fighting style isn't just a grappling style but has lot of striking techniques as well.
So now i'm asking you which martial ats in real life, both grappling and striking ones, are the ones that resemble Suki's fighting style the most? Both in terms of techniques and principles? And to be clear, so that there would be no confusion, that i'm refering to unarmed martial arts' styles, armed styles like Tessenjutsu don't count.

Side by side, we continued on our path, skirting through the lower section of the factory. After my initial shock, my heart rate had slowed to a healthier pace again. Frankie had assured me that his old boss most likely hadn’t heard us (“She used to have her earbuds in all the time with the volume cranked way up—you couldn’t have gotten her attention if you’d tried”), but we still considered it prude to move forward at a more hurried pace.
We soon came to the conclusion that we would have to go up one of the outside staircases. Frankie admitted in humiliation that his memories of the factory weren’t as accurate as he’d thought—either that or FunFlair had made a few changes to the building. The upper floor containers all had glass doors, presenting us with a sticky problem. If we were to go up there directly, we’d probably be spotted immediately.
“This warrants a change of plans,” I declared soberly, keeping my voice low. “We’ll have to knock her out, then.”
Frankie whimpered.
“Wouldn’t you like that?” I prompted. “I’d be the one to do it, of course.”
“Ye-es.” He shuddered. “It’d be satisfactory for sure, but that’s only assuming nothing goes wrong.”
“She can hardly be stronger than I am.”
“No. I guess not. She, uh… yeah.”
“Let’s go, then.” I offered an encouraging smile as I started leading the way back outside.
We rounded the container with the lights on inside, ascending the metal grate staircase connected to it. Every step carried us closer towards the light. Just before the door fully came into view, I turned to Frankie one last time. “Are you alright? This’ll be it in a moment.”
He made another chew-toy sound.
“Fran, what is it? If you know something I don’t about what might happen in there…”
“She shouldn’t see me,” he squeaked out. “I can’t control myself around her.”
“I don’t understand; did you two use to be an item?”
“No! No, no, no. I can’t explain it any other way. She can make me do things I don’t want,” he told me, his tone growing in desperation.
“How?”
“It’d take too long to explain now, it’s… it’s really very complicated. Please, can you do it without me? I can’t go up there after all, I’m so sorry but I can’t…”
I sighed, leaning in to put my arms around him. “It’s okay,” I whispered into his hair. “I’ll do it. Wait here.”
“I’m so, so sorry, Eva. I swear I’ll make it up to you. This is the last time I’ll ask something like this of you.”
“I doubt it,” I replied. “But it’s okay.” I drew back, reluctantly letting go of him. “For now, it’s okay.” I continued marching up the stairs. Behind the glass door, a feminine figure in a black rubber apron came into view. She seemed to be nimbly skirting around another operating table, this one occupied by a fully formed, petite doll. Now or never. I reached for the doorhandle, pushed it down and crossed the threshold in a single, large step. I slammed the door shut behind my back, drawing the attention of the woman.
She looked up at me, her eyes widening in shock behind her thick glasses. With a swipe of her slender fingers, she removed her earbuds, dropping them into her pocket.
“Are you Philomena Wallis?” I asked.
For a split second, she appeared to be too stunned to speak. Her pale face was framed by messy strands of jet-black hair that had worked their way out of her long ponytail. When she broke from her silence, she spoke with an irritatingly pearly voice. “Who’s asking?”
“A former delivery girl. Well, are you?”
“I am. I don’t understand; I-I’ve never seen you before… How did you end up here? What do you want?”
I took in a deep breath. I glanced over at the door, inwardly cursing myself for what I was about to ask her. “I need to know what you did to Frankie Preston.”
For a couple seconds, silence reigned. The other woman was staring at me with knotted brows. “I don’t know who you’re talking about,” she said finally.
“About yay high—,” I raised my hand above my head, “slightly built, blond curly hair, dreamy smile…”
Philomena narrowed her eyes. I cleared my throat, holding her gaze. Then a look of cold comprehension settled on her features. “Oh my god,” she muttered. “Holy shit… hold on.” She turned around, pulling up a photo on her computer. “Is that him?”
I cautiously stepped closer to get a better look, only to shrink back slightly. It was, indeed, a picture of Fran. He was entirely naked in it, lying on a table similar to the one I was standing in front of now, his wrists and ankles locked in restraints. His neck was craned, his face averted. The camera had caught him mid-motion, a blur around his head visually conveying a kind of violence in the movement. I couldn’t bear to look at it any longer. Instead, I moved closer to the doll on Philomena’s table, taking her in fully. Another blonde—her hair was straight, though. Her body was exaggeratedly curvy, her face delicate and fawn. Speechless, I locked eyes with Philomena from across the room again. She gave me a light shrug. “You look like you need some time for this to sink in,” she remarked, drawing out the words. “I take it you didn’t have all the information previously.”
“That’s okay,” I replied. “I think I get it now.” My head felt empty, my own voice seemingly echoing back and forth between my ears.
“So, you know my prototype,” she stated, confusion and disbelief mixing in her tone. “He told you how to get here, then?”
“In a way.”
“And you came here to find out,” she concluded. “There’s not much I can tell you that you haven’t figured out by now. We wanted to create the most detailed doll there was. He was our first attempt. I started developing him back in the late nineties as just a hopeful pet project. I kept adding more functions as time went on, though, and he turned into an insanely lucrative prospect. I wanted him to be able to move and dance and mimic an airflow, and it worked out better than I’d ever expected. So he can do a lot of things, but I never intended for him to have any sensory awareness or to talk… I have no idea how that happened. It just did. One day, I turned him on and he simply looked at me. There was something different about his eyes, and I knew right away he wasn’t the same as before. And then of course he spoke.”
A shudder ran through her entire upper body at the memory. “I have no idea how. None of us did at the time. He had no recorded voice lines or anything of the sort. And yet, he opened up his mouth and there was just… words coming out, like.” She shook her head in bewilderment at the memory. “After I got over the initial shock, I realized how big of a problem this was. He was telling me to stay away from him; he wouldn’t do a thing I told him anymore. There was my best invention in the entire field yet, rebelling like a teenager. When I tried to get him back in line, he got physical, too. Thrashed around like crazy. One of my assistants ended up concussed because that thing threw him down a flight of stairs. So we had to put an end to that, as well.”
A faint feeling of nausea seeped into the pit of my stomach, strengthening by the second. “What did you do?”
“Well, we had to take him apart, of course! And put him back together. Wash, rinse, repeat. We kept trying to figure out what was wrong with him, or at least to find a way to stop his babbling and hitting people. We didn’t, though. We managed to control his outbursts, though. He was made to react to voice commands, but obviously, that wasn’t working anymore. So after the umpteenth time we rebuilt him, we managed to make it so he couldn’t physically attack people. Don’t ask me about the finer details of his programming; the process was beyond tedious. Anyways, he kept talking and moving around on his own even afterwards. He’d only listen to what we told him occasionally and even then, he’d mouth off. We didn’t want to discard all the progress we’d made, though. He was still an incredibly well-made doll, even if he was… apparently possessed and sentient.
“We built two more like him. We tried harder with their faces seeing as that of the prototype had fallen very far into the uncanny valley. They turned out great, perfectly shaped and working smoothly. Their development took a lot less time than that of the prototype. Once we were sure they were all good, we started talking about destroying the first one. We’d kept him locked up in the meantime, but the little fucker kept on breaking out. We’d literally cuff him to the wall and moments later, he’d come up behind me and scare me half to death. He was becoming a bigger nuisance every day. We were set on taking him apart a final time, but before we could, he disappeared. He’d destroyed all our equipment he’d gotten his hands on, stolen unnameable sums from our online banking accounts—Lord knows how he did that—and worst of all, he somehow managed to… activate the two new builds. He destroyed most of the cameras, but the footage that was left clearly showed them walking around with him. And that’s that.” She palmed her forehead. “How did he get away from the people I sent after him?”
“Largely with my help.”
“Huh. So who are you?”
“Still just a former delivery girl.” Shrugging off my jacket, I made room for my extra limbs to breach my skin, simultaneously opening my mouth as my teeth morphed into fangs.
Philomena watched my transformation almost disaffectedly. Her steps as she carried herself over to her operating table however nearly faltered. Before I could advance on her, she’d cupped the sleeping dolls cheeks, causing the limp body to spring to life. The mannequin’s head jerked up along with her torso. In several clipped, mechanical movements, she slid off the surface, placing her naked feet on the floor. Her eyes flew open, fixing me with an empty glare.
“I don’t know what the fuck you are or what you want from me,” Philomena began, “but I’ve got weak nerd arms. So have fun dealing with this instead.”
I shrank back a step, the memory of Frankie picking me up like I weighed nothing fresh in my mind. Phil pressed her lips to the side of the puppet’s face, whispering something I couldn’t make out before quickly drawing aside. Before I could do so much as blink, the doll was upon me, crossing the distance between us in one impressive leap. She toppled me over, instantly reaching for my throat. I batted her cold, rubbery hands away, then pried her off of me with all my might. Using two of my tentacles, I flung her aside, sending her crashing into a shelf in the corner. Not wasting another second, I lunged at Wallis, delivering a blow to her head that sent her staggering. She sank back against her desk and I lashed out at her once more, briefly shutting my eyes to spare myself the sight of her face connecting squarely with the wooden surface as I bashed her down on against it.
She fell limp, and while I wasn’t sure if she was still breathing or not, I didn’t take the time to check. Her puppet was rising to her feet again, striding towards me in a vacantly determined fashion. I whirled around, bursting through the door and taking two steps at once. Frankie was waiting for me at the bottom of the metal staircase, his face falling when he caught my expression.
“Knocked her out,” I gasped. “We have a problem, though.”
Fran looked up at the glass door, the hinges of which were already groaning under the pressure of the mannequin throwing herself against it from the inside. With a sharp crack, a tear began to grow on the thick pane, and Frankie cursed loudly. “Get away from here!” he hollered, nudging me into the general direction of the woods. “I doused everything I could find down here,” he explained quickly. “If Phil’s out, I’ll do her room, too.”
“What about the—”
“Never you mind that! I can hold her off no problem.”
“I won’t—”
“You literally took out the one thing holding me back,” he insisted. “I’m not letting you get hurt out here. Just wait for me over by the trees.”
I still wouldn’t budge, so he grabbed a bunch of my tentacles and used them to turn me around. “Get your cute-ass face out of here, Sunshine!”
I started running, albeit reluctantly. A loud crashing noise rang out from behind me as the door burst under Phil’s puppet’s onslaught, but I forced myself to keep from turning around. Ignoring the searing hot feeling of panic raging inside my chest, I carried myself further and further away from the scene, only stopping when I reached the treeline. There, pressing myself up against the rough bark of the nearest trunk just to ground myself, I resigned to staring at the containers. I couldn’t see the waiter from where I was standing, but my eyes remained trained on the factory. They were gradually drying out, but despite the pain, I kept them wide open. I didn’t dare to blink.
For several minutes, all was still. The only sound I could hear was the frantic beating of my own heart and my pulse thrumming in my ears. Then, all of a sudden, inferno broke loose. Bright flames started to spread from around the sides of the building, quickly rising high into the sky. Crackling and roaring, they soon enveloped the entire site, lighting up the rooms behind the formerly dark windows. And emerging from the fire like a bird of myth came Frankie Preston. He was running, but with a light spring in his step that almost made it look like he was dancing.
He came to a halt in front of me, lifting his head to meet my gaze. His expression was difficult to read. It still looked empty, but in a different way. In a good way. “Hi,” he began.
“Hi.”
The firelight was bouncing off his curls and playing on his thick lashes, putting a reddish glint into his eyes. “You’re beautiful,” I added.
He drew in a little closer. No gasp preceded his smile. “Thanks.”
“How are you feeling?”
“I, uh… I don’t know yet.” He glanced between me and the burning containers.
“Okay. Take your time.” I stretched my arms and rolled my shoulders, shrugging my additional limbs back into the inside of my body.
“Say, where do they go when you don’t have them out?” Frankie asked with a raised brow.
“I never know.”
“Hm.” He turned to stand at my side. At first, his knuckles merely grazed mine, then he flipped his hand to link his fingers with mine. I briefly smiled at his profile, then went back to admiring the flames.
“Do you think the whole woods are gonna burn down?”
“Probably not,” he replied, shrugging. “Though that would be pretty cool…” He trailed off when I shot him a reprimanding look. “Yeah, yeah, we can call the fire fighters or whatever. Later, though, alright?”
I rested my head against the side of his arm. “Sure. Later.”
For a couple minutes, neither of us spoke. The only sound was the steady crackling and occasional thump as bit by bit, the structure collapsed. “So, um… this is pretty amazing,” Fran said in a low voice. “I mean, it’s not like I’ve never been happy before; my life’s kind of had its ups and downs, it’s just that this is better than any up there’s been so far. I guess I’m just really grateful and you ought to know that.”
“Don’t worry, I know.” I paused. “Can we get out of here? The place is starting to stink.”
He nodded agreeably and we turned our backs on the scene, only for our retreat to be abruptly stopped by a garbled, drawn-out screech. We spun around in perfect synchronicity. I couldn’t stop myself from letting out a sharp cry of shock. From the burning wreckage, a figure dragged itself forth on her hands. Philomena’s puppet had suffered immense damage in the fire. Her skin, obviously not made to withstand extreme heat, was melting off her face like molten candle wax. The wires that were bared beneath gave off angry sparks. She couldn’t seem to get up anymore, her legs were beyond repair and her movements overall were getting more and more arduous. She dug her fingers into the ground, pulling her body across the forest floor in slow, pained jerks.
“What the fuck? I thought I switched her off,” Frankie uttered beside me, sounding just as terrified as I felt.
“What do we do?” I exhaled the words in a single quick breath, unable to take my eyes off the doll.
“I got no idea… I-I don’t wanna deal with this…”
“We need to help her or something, she’s—she’s awake!” Before I could say anything else, the doll had emerged from the blaze. Rolling around, she managed to quench the remaining flames, pressing the dirt and leaves into her own dripping, melting body. Finally, she started trying to push herself up into a sitting position, only to fail miserably. I took a slow, tentative step towards her twitching form. Her face was contorted into a nightmarish grimace, and she let out an incomprehensible gurgle upon noticing me approaching. She reached out a mangled hand and I stumbled backwards before she could grab my ankle.
Despite the heat, beads of cold, fearful sweat were running down my face. I had no idea what to do. “We can’t leave her,” I said, my throat bone-dry. “There’s something in there, she’s not like before.”
Fran let out an exasperated, long-suffering sigh. “Is there any use in arguing?”
“Don’t be so cold.”
“Aren’t you used to it by now?”
I turned to look at him over my shoulder. He met my gaze and I could see something in his features change or perhaps even soften. He threw his head back, then pulled out his phone. “This is gonna ruin my night, but fine. I’m calling that insufferable news lady.”
X
1
2: deadbeat roommate
3: creepy crush
4: relocation
5: beach concert
6: First date
7: Temp work
8: roommate talk
9: a dismal worldview
10: warehouse
11: staircase
12: explanation
13: hurt
14: hospital
15: ocean
16: diner
17: government work
18: something in the caves
19: shopping cart
20: olms and Jewels
21: long hair
22: recruitment
23: waitresses
24: dollhouse

Here is the definitions coming from it
Got that dawg in him

1. A person (athletes typically) who could perform at the highest levels even when under a lot of pressure
   
2. A person (males typically) who goes wild and starts going off after seeing some kitty. That dog inside them wants that cat
   

Got that dog in him" likely refers to the fact that most dogs are high-energy and like to chase things. Thus, a sports player who has "got that dog in him" is also high-energy and likes to chase things (in this case, a ball and/or other players).
By 2022, "got that dog in him" had become so overused that it passed into meme status. Sports fans began using it sardonically, to mock sports commentators who still used the phrase, while others started using it to describe actors, politicians, and fictional characters.
Imo, For retention, having that dawg in you means that the solar energy that retention create (solar plexus) open your will and your inner fire to succeed and be the best.
Also by these definitions, we can see that it’s double crossed. You can have that dawg in you to chase your purpose, or to chase pussy, and as we all know, these wants both come from horniness which is sexual energy. What’s matter is the side you decide to direct this dawg energy. The choice is yours.

https://preview.redd.it/5e2ynucx2n4b1.png?width=2880&format=png&auto=webp&s=131d019fe4752dcdc1f323f152c4d60d3dc01ff0
Who would you guys want Urartu to play?

This project I'm working on is really making me go crazy. I thought I was learning the program quick, but certain concepts are really giving me a run for my money. I have a ton of questions, but I guess Ill settle on asking this one question for now.
I have a sketch which has a projected curve. The arch dimension is equal for both sides, but is at a certain angle using other points as a reference. I am trying to make this projected curve into a structural member for weldment but am only able to use a swept boss/base. Here are the views of the drawing if it helps understand better.

Vouched seller. Venmo & Paypal F&F Only. I've sold over 3000 items on here in the past three years.

Price includes shipping within the US. Worldwide shipping available starting at $9.49 for Canada and $11.99 for the rest of the world. Items paid before 2PM PST will be shipped same day. Timestamp and tagged photo: https://imgur.com/a/oWMt4IG ​

Clothing

[email protected] Dept Logo Tee
$29 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Size Large and XL, New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/X5qVu6Q
Logo tee with reverse print on the front ​
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Diese1 J-Blink Nylon Biker Jacket
$69 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Size S, Brand New with tags
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/1WzJGEF
Made by Sixi, best rep of this jacket. Most popular Diesel jacket under the new designer. About 22.5 inches pit to pit. Cropped fit.
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Rhud3 Eyes Bowling Shirt
$49 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Size Medium and Large, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/yX4sMOD
Light and flowy shirt for the summer ​
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Vuj@ De Double Knee Pants
$69 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Size 1, fits size 30 waist, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/0HhFdqR
Made by Deeds. Best pair on the market. I ​
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Am1ri MX1 Distressed Sweatpants
$39 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Size Medium & Large, fits size 32 and 34 waist, Skinny Fit, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/zfyA4nZ
Skinny fit like most amiri pants. Soft materials. Ignore the weird lighting from the window its fully black. ​
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He1mut [email protected] 04SS Archive Denim
$55 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Size 30, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/j7mHHBE
Made by deeds. Ignore the weird lighting from the window its fully black. ​
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[email protected] S1mons 03 Bondage Pants
$59 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Size 46, fits 28-30 waist, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/a1T5ism
Made by Deeds. Ignore the weird lighting from the window its fully black. ​
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Vuj@ De Double Knee Pants
$69 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Size 1, fits size 30 waist, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/0HhFdqR
Made by Deeds. Best pair on the market. ​
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And3rsson B3ll Double Knee Pants
$35 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Size M, Fits size 31-32 waist, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/jLYRASS
Suede patch for the double knee. Relaxed fit. Fully branded with custom tags. Fits size 31-32 waist. ​
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W00YOUNGMI Flared Pants
$45 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Size 46, Used, Worn twice
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/kQCIAJ3
Made by Deeds. Fits size 30 waist for me. Adjustable flare with straps on the bottom. Fully branded with custom tags. Much better than the Holyshit batch. ​
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RHUD3 Flight Jacket
$59 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Size Medium, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/xGXjJpw Fully branded with custom tags. Slightly oversized fit. ​
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JEWELRY

​VC@ [email protected] C1eef & Arpe1s Alhambra Black/Silver Bracelet
$45 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Silver, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/aDxDbyA
Quantity Available - 5
Worn by many male celebrities recently as they are unisex bracelets now. Approximately 7.5 inches from end to end. Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. ​
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VC@ [email protected] C1eef & Arpe1s Alhambra Pearl/Silver Bracelet
$45 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Silver, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/cl3xxsN
Quantity Available - 2
Worn by many male celebrities recently as they are unisex bracelets now. Approximately 7.5 inches from end to end. Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. ​
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VC@ [email protected] C1eef & Arpe1s Alhambra White/Gold Bracelet
$45 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Gold, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/YEYiahr
Quantity Available - 2
Worn by many male celebrities recently as they are unisex bracelets now. Approximately 7.5 inches from end to end. Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. ​
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VC@ [email protected] C1eef & Arpe1s Alhambra Maroon/Gold Bracelet
$45 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Gold, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/apprbCK
Quantity Available - 2
Worn by many male celebrities recently as they are unisex bracelets now. Approximately 7.5 inches from end to end. Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. ​
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VC@ [email protected] C1eef & Arpe1s Alhambra AmbeGold Bracelet
$45 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Gold, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/7ZrcDec
Quantity Available - 2
Worn by many male celebrities recently as they are unisex bracelets now. Approximately 7.5 inches from end to end. Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. ​
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VC@ [email protected] C1eef & Arpe1s Alhambra Green/Gold Bracelet
$45 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Gold, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/4ejzWeU
Quantity Available - 2
Worn by many male celebrities recently as they are unisex bracelets now. Approximately 7.5 inches from end to end. Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. ​
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VC@ [email protected] C1eef & Arpe1s Alhambra Black/Gold Bracelet
$45 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Gold, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/fCIjDEl
Quantity Available - 7
Worn by many male celebrities recently as they are unisex bracelets now. Approximately 7.5 inches from end to end. Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. ​
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VC@ [email protected] C1eef & Arpe1s Alhambra Silver Lasered Bracelet
$45 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Silver, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/vmdf9Kl
Quantity Available - 1
Worn by many male celebrities recently as they are unisex bracelets now. Approximately 7.5 inches from end to end. Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green ​
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VC@ [email protected] C1eef & Arpe1s Alhambra Gold Lasered Bracelet
$45 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Silver, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/wQAQlGG
Quantity Available - 3
Worn by many male celebrities recently as they are unisex bracelets now. Approximately 7.5 inches from end to end. Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green ​
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L*V x N1go Duck Necklace
$45 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Silver, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/m41FFcT
Quantity Available - 4
Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. Adjustable length. The ring in the middle can be taken off the necklace. ​
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L*V Monogram Cuban Bracelet
$49 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Silver, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/e7BWsCp
Quantity Available - 2 About 8 inches / 20 cm in length. Please measure your wrist before purchase. Properly branded with engraving on the clasp. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. Monogram on one side and plain on the other ​
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L*V Big Monogram Plate Cuban Bracelet
$49 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Silver, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/HT8oABU
Quantity Available - 2
About 8 inches / 20 cm in length. Please measure your wrist before purchase. Properly branded with engraving on the clasp. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. Monogram on Plate and the clasp with plain cuban links. ​
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L*V Monogram Charms Silver Necklace
$39 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Silver, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/W6Up7p5
Quantity Available - 5
Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. Adjustable length. The ring in the middle can be taken off the necklace. ​
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L*V Tiger Pendant Necklace
$39 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Silver, Brand New
Photos:https://imgur.com/a/eVnGQg1
Quantity Available - 1
From Louis Vuitton X Nigo collection. Perfect for the year of the tiger this year. Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. Adjustable length. ​
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L*V Monogram Dogtag Silver Necklace
$39 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Silver, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/BzHQvGu
Quantity Available - 1
Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. Adjustable length. The ring in the middle can be taken off the necklace. ​
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[email protected] Love Ring Silver
$29 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Silver US size 8, 9, 10, 11 Silver, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/dBqbbHM
Quantity Available - 7
Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. Please refer to the size chart at the end of the album if you are unsure about your sizing. Only whole sizes are available. ​
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[email protected] Love Ring Gold
$29 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Gold US size 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Gold, Brand New
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/dBqbbHM
Quantity Available - 8
Properly branded with engraving on the inside. Made with stainless steel and wont tarnish or turn green. Please refer to the size chart at the end of the album if you are unsure about your sizing. Only whole sizes are available. ​
​

BAG

Suprem3 SS19 Black Duffle Bag
$59 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Black, Brand New with Tags.
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/JmK9fC4
Quantity Available - 1
Approximately 21x13x10 inches. Perfect duffle to go on a trip for the weekend. UTX hardware and YKK zips. ​
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Suprem3 SS18 Black Shoulder Bag
$29 SHIPPED WITHIN THE US, Black, Brand New with Tags.
Photos: https://imgur.com/a/ytHovds
Quantity Available - 3
Can be worn as bum bag or waist bag. Adjustable strap length. UTX hardware and YKK zips.

I just started learning WebGPU the other day (and I'm pretty new to Rust too), and I'm trying to draw an indexed mesh with around 11k vertices and 70k indices on my 2021 Intel MacBook Pro. That should be no problem for my Mac, but when I run my app, my entire computer locks up and the fans start going. It seems like calling `render_pass.draw_indexed()` is the culprit because I don't get the issue when I comment that one line out.
​
Here's how I'm using it:

pub fn render<'a>(&'a self, render_pass: &mut RenderPass<'a>) { render_pass.set_vertex_buffer(0, self.vertex_buffer.slice(..)); match &self.index_buffer { Some(index_buffer) => { let fmt = IndexFormat::Uint16; // added for better readability on Reddit render_pass.set_index_buffer(index_buffer.slice(..), fmt); // render_pass.draw_indexed(0..self.index_count, 0, 0..1); // culprit }, None => {}, // ignore for now } } 

At first, I thought that this issue might have been caused by creating a slice from the index counts each frame, but my computer ran fine when creating and printing the slice. Then, I realized that slices are pretty cheap to instantiate, and the overhead in their creation isn't dependent on the volume of data allow us to view (in fact, that's kind of the point of a slice: a read-only view of a subset of data that can be passed by reference instead of by value).
Any other ideas?

The community of EnneagramType1 will join the protest against Reddit's decision to increase the pricing for its API. From June 12th - 14th, this sub will be going dark. We strongly condemn this decision as it threatens to eliminate many beloved third-party mobile apps and restricts access to quality-of-life features not available in the official Reddit app.
The Situation
On May 31, 2023, Reddit announced a significant price increase for calls to their API, effectively rendering third-party apps like Apollo, Reddit is Fun, Narwhal, and BaconReader nonviable. This change not only affects mobile users but also undermines other ways of customizing Reddit, such as Reddit Enhancement Suite or the use of the old.reddit.com desktop interface.
Who is impacted?
The implications extend beyond user experience, as many subreddit moderators (including some of our own mods at EnneagramType1) rely on tools only available outside the official app to maintain on-topic discussions and combat spam in their communities.
In addition to the concerns mentioned earlier, it's crucial to highlight the impact that Reddit's API changes will have on unsighted communities. Many visually impaired individuals rely on third-party apps to access Reddit, as these apps often offer enhanced accessibility features and compatibility with screen readers. By increasing the pricing for API calls, Reddit is effectively cutting off an essential lifeline for these communities, limiting their ability to engage, contribute, and participate in discussions. This decision further exacerbates the accessibility gap and hinders inclusivity, undermining the principles of an open and diverse Reddit community. We stand in solidarity with these communities and emphasize the urgent need for Reddit to reconsider its API pricing changes.
What is "Going Dark"?
"Going dark" refers to the act of subreddit moderators making their subreddit private or read-only in protest of changes or policies on Reddit, such as a recent pricing change for the API. By restricting access to their subreddit, moderators aim to draw attention to their concerns, demonstrate their dissatisfaction, and encourage Reddit administrators to address the issue or reconsider their decision. It is a voluntary action taken by moderators to collectively protest and raise awareness within the Reddit community.
What comes next?
EnneagramType1 and numerous subreddits will be going dark from June 12th to 14th to protest this policy change. Some will resume after 48 hours, while others may permanently disappear unless the issue is adequately addressed. The poor tools provided by the official app hinder moderators from fulfilling their responsibilities effectively. We participate in this protest because we love Reddit and believe that these changes will hinder our ability to contribute to the communities we care about.
The two-day blackout serves as a starting point rather than the ultimate goal. If Reddit does not show signs of rectifying the situation by the 14th, we will leverage the community support and momentum we have garnered to take further action.
What you can do?
As a user, there are several actions you can take:

1. Complain: Message the mods of reddit.com, who are the site admins. You can also message reddit or submit a support request. Additionally, voice your concerns in relevant threads on reddit, such as this one. Leaving a negative review on their official iOS or Android app and signing your username in support of this post are other effective ways to express your dissatisfaction.
2. Spread the word: Advocate for the cause on related subreddits. Create memes, generate buzz, and make it spicy. Vent your frustrations to your cat. Encourage any subreddit moderators you know to join the coordinated mod effort at ModCoord.
3. Boycott and promote alternatives: On June 12th through 13th, refrain from using Reddit and instead use your preferred non-Reddit platform to voice your support.
4. Be respectful: While this situation may be upsetting, resorting to threats, profanity, or vandalism will be counterproductive. Please make every effort to remain calm, polite, reasonable, and law-abiding.

If you're a moderator, here's what you can do:

1. Join the coordinated effort at ModCoord.
2. Create a sticky post expressing your support. You can use or modify the template provided hereand crosspost it to ModCoord.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.
-Mod Team

I think it would be easier to draw characters hugging and kissing if I actually knew what it felt like lol would be even better if I had a bf and he would help me get a sense of the pose I wanted to draw by posing with me. Of course, I can search for images as reference, but it's hard to find the exact pose I want, and even when I find a nice pic I like I often can't tell how it works exactly because I have no practical reference. I'm not sure where I'm going with this lmao just a random thought I wanted to share

Hi,
This is a very long story. But I want to pour my heart out somewhere. I just need people to listen.
TW: SA in detail
I’m 24M, gay. In 18 days it will have been 3 years since I got raped by someone from Grindr.
This man lives very close to me and we regularly hooked up before the SA. I was around 20 at the time, and was happily exploring my sexuality and was hooking up with a few guys, him being one of them.
Looking back on it, the ‘signs’ were always there but I either ignored them or was just super ignorant to them. Or I just didn't care. We hooked up about a total of 6 times, the first two times I asked him to use a condom. He kept winging about how a condom ‘’doesn’t feel as good’’ and stuff. By about our third hookup I was just laying on his bed when he inserted himself into me and had sex with me for about 20 seconds without a condom even tho I never consented to that. But I was so confused because I orgasmed almost instantly (I now know that was just my body reacting to sex itself) so I thought I must have really liked it. I never really did it without condoms before and after he did that (I didn’t realize it was rape at the time) we kept having sex without a condom from there on out.
During sex he would often say weird, creepy stuff like ‘’you and I together, right?’’ and texted me stuff about how he wanted to take me on dates and party with me. I didn’t look at him that way at ALL. This guy was in his 30s, shorter than me, balding etc. I didn’t even find him attractive. He came across as socially inept. But I was just young and horny and wanted sex and he lived closest to me, that was all. I kept entertaining him because frankly I didn’t mind the attention and was like ‘’yeah, yeah, whatever.’’ I didn’t realize this guy was trying his hardest to groom me into an abusive and dangerous situation.
He kept getting weirder and creepier so eventually I got fed up and blocked him. I had him blocked for like 4 months, then he messaged me on Grindr again to apologize and if I wanted to hook up again. I was like sure, why not.
It ended up being the biggest mistake of my life.
The weather was hot and I had just smoked a joint. Don’t ask me why I went to a man’s who I know had creepy tendencies while high. Perhaps the weed just made me care very little. Besides, I regularly smoked with guys and had sex with them so this would just be one of those times.
I went to his apartment, we were having a normal conversation for a bit, he was being nice. I gave him head and then we went from the living room to the bedroom. Then his entire demeanor scarily changed. When he put it in, it hurt so I asked him to wait a little cause it hurt. ‘’Shut up’’ was his response, I was taken aback and thought he was just in a dominant mood and tried not to think too much about it. He would continue to top me and at that point it didn’t hurt anymore so I just let it go. After a few minutes minutes I told him I can’t stay for too long and his response shook me. ‘’You can’t go. I haven’t nicely raped you yet’’. Those words still haunt me every single day. But in the moment I was so much under the influence that I didn’t even realize how much danger I was in. And I wanted to have sex anyways. How does it make sense to rape a willing person? It doesn’t. I just replied with ‘’You did do that’’, referring to him telling me to shut up earlier and he let out the grossest, creepiest, most evil laugh. In that moment I didn’t know what to do, I wanted to have sex but he tried his hardest to turn a consensual hookup into rape to fulfill his fantasy. He would hold a joint to my mouth and I’d say that I’m already too drowsy and he said that he wanted me to be more drowsy. Halfway through the act I kind of started to fall asleep and he put it in while I was sleeping and when I woke up he said ‘’what a shame, you woke up.’’ He wasn’t subtle at all and I started to slightly panic at that point. But still couldn’t really grasp the severity of the situation so I just stayed calm. So after we had sex for about half an hour with him trying his very hardest to rape me and making no qualms about it, I told him I had to go. I went to the living room to grab my clothes and he followed me from the bedroom. ‘’One more time’’ he said, while grabbing his dick. I said no and that I have to go like 4 times (in a friendly tone mind you) and he just kept repeating the same thing: ‘’one more time’’ in a threatening tone. After about the 4th time he walked up to me and pushed me on the couch where he raped me. I just froze. I’m way taller than him and could easily overpower him, but I was fully numb and in shock, despite him saying all of that before I still did not expect this, and also was high once again so I just did not fight back. He kept my hands pinned down while I said no and stop repeatedly. Said I was serious. I tried to resist but he put me in a chokehold. ‘’Just a little longer’’, ‘’you don’t mind this because you love me’’ disgusting shit he said while I just laid there in shock. After about 4 minutes which felt like an eternity he got off of me and said ‘’you did enjoy that’’ while I laid on his couch for about 5 minutes just in shock, staring at the ceiling and panting heavily while he was walking around the living room, coming up next to my face and jerking off. ‘’Didn't you say you have to go?’’ is what he said last, and I grabbed my stuff. I genuinely could not comprehend what had just happened, I grabbed my stuff and left. My life would never be the same after that and I didn't realize it.
I was still completely dazed and confused. Immediately I convinced myself that it wasn’t that bad because it was during a hookup and was more than likely rapeplay because I fell asleep earlier and that means I must have wanted it. It was just rough sex and no big deal. This was amplified by him, who, I kid you not, texted me a few days later if I was alright and if I ‘’was available tonight’’ (wtf??). Which he did about 3 times before I blocked him. I did not go to the police and just tried to forget about it. In fact I didn’t think about it at all. But my body knew. A few days after the event I started getting pimples all over my face, which ended up in full-blown rosacea: my face continuously started to flush. I started hyperventilating regularly. Panic attacks. I got heart cramps. I didn’t know what was happening and didn’t even trace it back to the event at all. Soon I became very depressed and isolated. I started arguing with coworkers over the smallest of things. This was during covid lockdowns which made matters even worse. I started failing my classes and stopped talking to pretty much all of my friends. I became irritated, distant, angry with my family. They didn’t know why and neither did I. I wasn’t even thinking of the SA at all, and if I did I told myself it was nothing serious. But my body kept telling me it was VERY serious.
This went on for about a year. Up until I had a major argument with my mother and sister because they got irritated in return of me always being mad. I had a complete mental breakdown, a psychotic break even, and I started screaming and yelling, breaking stuff, throwing stuff, flipping over tables and chairs, having panic attacks and then more yelling, cursing etc. I ran outside and yelled I was gonna jump off a flat. All the trauma I tried to hide all came boiling to the surface like a volcano erupting. My sister called the cops because I was so out of control. When they arrived the female officer sat down with me and very calmly said ‘’what happened?’’. It was the first time someone asked me that question since it happened and I now knew and realized what was happening and why.
After that I ended up coming clean to my family who were all very supportive but also of course devastated. I went to therapy soon after with EMDR treatment, the physical symptoms I’ve had luckily completely disappeared and I really started to do better. I got treatment for my rosacea and started working again and picking up my uni stuff. But the memory did stay in my mind of course. One day I kept thinking about it and it was like if God answered me: I saw him. Walking around outside close to the supermarket. I instantly snapped. I wanted to turn away but I knew I had to confront him. I walked up to him asked him if he remembered me. How he raped me last summer. Cursed him out like crazy. The only thing he could say was ‘’I don’t know you’’. Over and over again. Couldn’t even deny it. I punched him in the face multiple times. I practically beat him up but not as much as he deserved. He ran away from me (LOL), said he would go to the police station (LOL) that was on the other side of the street and said ‘’you’re attacking me!’’ (LOL!!!) – I could not believe the shit I was hearing. ‘’Like you attacked me last year?’’ I responded. Kept calling him a filthy rapist etc. while following him to the police station where he tried to hide from me. It was just absolutely hilarious. I’ve never met someone so absolutely braindead and deranged. You rape someone, then you cower and run away from them, while going to the COPS? How detached from reality do you have to be? Luckily the cops had my back because I already told them I was raped during that night of the breakdown I mentioned earlier, so they now knew the suspect. He kept insisting I ‘’attacked him and he doesn’t know me’’ even tho I could literally give his address and other information to the police. I have his messages and all of it. So this dumbass literally expected the cops to believe he was beat up for no reason. It really showed me what an insane, unintelligent coward this is. Nothing he does or says makes any sense whatsoever. He ended up not reporting me hitting him (probably because he knew it would become a case where my defense was the SA), the cops told me I could make the SA a case myself but I told them there was no point because I have zero evidence whatsoever. Which is just the truth. I don’t want to cause myself any more trauma. So that was the end of it.
This was about 1,5 years ago. I felt empowered I confronted and punched my rapist repeatedly, how many people can say that? I have my power back. I know I can take him on. I know he’s nothing but a weak, sad, lost soul. The most pathetic man I have ever witnessed. Everything went well for a while, but despite all of it I can’t change my trauma symptoms it seems. I developed a weed addiction because without it I experience major brainfog. I can’t manage friendships at all (I will leave people on read for like 2 weeks and then talk to them again), I’m severely depressed and often suicidal, but most of all I cannot get the disgusting memory out of my mind. I think about it every single day, when I wake up and when I go to sleep. Despite my therapy I'm confident I have PTSD. I also have OCD which makes it so that I am completely obsessed with the memory and replay it over and over again as a loop. Analyze every detail. I’m sick of seeing his vile face. He’s the last person I want to think about. But I can’t stop.
To make matters even worse, he disappeared from Grindr after he did what he did but he’s back on again. He has a picture of his torso on his profile which I instantly recognized. Of course he is lying about all his information, using fake names (which he did before too btw), his height is 10 centimeters taller than he actually is etc. He even tapped (liked) my profile. He probably didn’t even recognize me anymore. I felt so awful and triggered at the sight. So severely depressed, so taunted by the memories I cannot erase. His disgusting cackle, the words he said to me, the way he turned something that was meant to be enjoyable into a scary traumatic experience that changed the course of my life. I have lost 3 years of my life to this fucker just trying to get it back on track. Before it happened I had so many plans for myself, I was full of life, my social life was fantastic, I was working on my appearance and career and felt like I finally started to bloom into the person I wanted to be until he took that all away from me. Reduced to an anxious, traumatized mess. For what reason? I felt like just confronting him as I did was not enough, I became (and still am) obsessed with the need for revenge.
I wanted to hurt him badly. I made a plan to try to get him to hook up with me again so that I could beat him with a baseball bat. I was fully willing to go to jail for it. But the idea didn’t turn out good in reality. I messaged him that he knew what he did was not ok but I was still willing to hook up again. Of course he blocked me instantly. And now I feel stupid because now he probably thinks I want to have sex with him again, probably feeling some satisfaction as in ‘’see, he did like it’’, when in reality I want to burn him to the ground. It’s not fair he stole my mental and physical wellbeing completely and he can go on living like nothing happened. It’s so incredibly infuriating, I have never felt such extreme, intense anger for a person before. I made a new account where I warned people against him, he blocked it instantly and got me suspended. I have my account back now though.
I don’t know what to do now. I want to scream from the rooftops that this sick fuck assaulted me violently and ruined me for no reason. I have a lot of friends from the app that don’t know this happened. I want to tell them but at the same time am hesitant to reveal something so personal, I don't know how any of them would handle that information. Perhaps they'd turn on me, or message him and he would lie or say that I'm upset he rejected me or something.
All I know is that he shouldn’t be on that app, preying on more victims. And my intense feelings for revenge still stay. It’s coming to a point where I’m considering either suicide or murder, which is such a fucking scary mindset to be in. But I just can’t stand it. I want this scumbag to suffer for hurting me so profoundly for absolutely no reason. And I feel like I can never be fully alright anymore, I just feel so damaged and psychologically dead. It’s like I was killed but I’m still living. That’s the only way I can describe it. I also don’t feel like going to therapy again, because I did that already and it’s just like, what’s the point? I can talk about my feelings but it won’t change a thing. The memory still stays. The injustice still stays. How could ANYONE accept something like this?
TLDR: a man from Grindr raped me 3 years ago, he disappeared from the app but now is back (probably looking to groom more victims), I don’t know what to do about it or him.
I guess I would just like a word of advice from people who have been through the same horrific shit as me.

First Chapter
Previous Chapter
Nemeria was at a loss. This whole time she had thought that the Red Titan was gone, that the old her was gone. Now he was standing there right in front of her, alive and well. There was something unsettling about seeing her old self look at her with such distaste, like an artist expressing contempt for a parody.
Raul's close cropped red beard was new, as were the more masculine and conservative clothes. He was wearing a rough gray wool button down shirt with black jeans, an outfit she wouldn't have been caught dead in.
When she wore that body she had always been clean faced, usually with a gently flowing shirt in rich colors made of some soft material like silk. The shoes he wore were also strictly utilitarian, scuffed, boring. It was as much of a statement as an outfit. Raul was telling her very directly that he was no longer a she.
The original plan had been to copy over her mind to her current body and destroy the old one. That way at least one of them would finally be able to be happy. Raul had planned to end their life so Nemeria could begin hers.
That was the whole reason she had allied with Gershwin in the first place, to get his help to become who she was supposed to be, to become Nemeria. To escape her locked wetware and be free.
Originally Gershwin had attempted to modify her wetware itself to allow her to transition. But there were safeguards in place that prevented her from changing anything that really mattered.
So long as her wetware was active she would be locked into a form of biological stasis, any changes or alterations would be viewed as damage by her wetware and reverted to factory settings. There was no way to change her body.
They could have turned off her wetware, but that would have caused an entirely different problem. One that might have put the entire world in peril.
So they had done the next best thing, finding her a new one. She had stolen one of Esmerelda's backups from Haven and poured her mind into it. One warden in the body of another.
But Raul hadn't followed the plan. After the transfer, instead of going gently off into that goodnight he had decided to use Gershwin's software on himself. He had altered his mind, changed who he was, made it so he no longer felt the way Nemeria did. In essence, overwriting himself with an idealized version of who he wanted to be.
Now she was finding out that he had done more than just modifying himself. He had also gone back and fucked with her mind, guaranteed she would have a miserable existence.
Kerner's unshackling had allowed her to remove the blindfold. She was beginning to remember all the things that had been kept from her. To make connections and understand things that she had been hard coded to ignore.
"You son of a bitch!" Nemeria raged as she realized how badly he had hurt her. "You fucking monster! You gave me so much guilt and you locked me into it so I would never be free, never be able to move on from it! You hardcoded me to hate myself! You made me think that Simon was dead! Why would you do that?"
Raul regarded her coldly. "Why should you be happy? Why do you think you deserve to be happy?" He asked softly. "Why should you have everything and leave me with nothing?"
"But why would you do that to me?!" Nemeria screamed. "Why would you hate me so much that you would program me to suffer? Why would you do that to Simon? I love him! You loved him!"
Raul shrugged. "It's just something men do sometimes." He looked at Simon, who was slowly twirling his vampirzahn between his fingers and circling around to the side. Preparing to attack. "Oh, you must be so angry. Are you mad that I got bored with you? What did you expect? You're a glorified pet! An experiment!"
"And you are a poor copy of the one I loved." Simon said coldly, the hatred he felt turning his blood to ice in his veins. There was a sound like razor blades on violin strings as his internal reserve of katzen monomolecular wire began to come under tension. Artificial glands secreted synthetic lubricants into his joints to allow greater movement. His skin itself started to selectively harden, becoming tougher than steel as a mild electric current aligned nanoparticles, changing their characteristics.
Then, as if understanding his need, the vampirzahn in his hand began to slowly lengthen. The black metal flowed and stretched, becoming a needle tipped spear two meters long. He felt it vibrate in his hand then fall silent. Torheit had accepted his control and was ready for battle.
Simon sneered. "What a shame to see a great titan become such a small man. Tell me, have you done anything great on your own since? I doubt it. You aren't an original, you're the dregs. You are what is left over. You are nothing but Scheiße!"
Nemeria started to circle around to the opposite side of Raul, preparing for the fight she knew was coming. Every warden had their own tricks, and the body she wore had been picked for a reason.
Esmerelda hadn't been put in charge of the other wardens because she was the smartest. She hadn't been picked by popular vote. Esmerelda had beaten anyone who stood in her way to a bloody pulp with her bare fists.
Now Nemeria had unlocked its potential, fully coming into control of her stolen body. Normally her strength was limited, she was only a bit stronger than a normal human. That prevented her from accidentally destroying things and people by accident. But once the safeties were disengaged there was no telling how strong she would be.
Raul the Red Titan looked at the two creatures he had made and let out a long dramatic sigh. "You two are so tragic, you know that right?"
Then he pointed at the old hund who had been curiously silent. "And you, with your tricks, your smoke and mirrors, I'm over it. Coasting on your father's reputation, using his technology. You aren't a puppet master, you're just another dog standing on its hind legs and I'm going to kick them out from under you very soon!"
"Then let me speak plainly." Kerner replied, getting up slowly and painfully from his chair. "You are entering my domain, human. Behave, be civil, or be eaten. You are an ape among wolves, act accordingly."
"How dramatic!" Raul laughed. "As if any member of your miserable species could ever hope to threaten me. Now her, on the other hand, if she wasn't already in my pocket I might be a little bit worried. Nemeria, would you kindly kill that nasty old dog for me?"
"No, I don't think I will." Nemeria said with a smile. Any programming he had put into her was defunct now thanks to Kerner. But she did appreciate the reference. "Besides, if I kill him, who will officiate the wedding? I was promised a happy ending, isn't that right puppy?"
Simon let out a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding. "Yes, I do believe we were. Happily ever after and all that, with cookouts and dad jokes." He mimed flipping a burger with his spear.
Raul shook his head with annoyance. "Well that's frustrating." His eyes narrowed as he tried to connect with her wetware. When that didn't work he turned to Simon, who likewise was unfazed.
Simon let out a small laugh as a message came across his wetware.
HE'S PROTECTED, BITCH. -COAT
Kerner let out a low chuckle of his own. "Sorry, were you expecting some kind of reaction? Ja, I know… sit, roll over, shake, play dead."
He walked up to Raul, getting right in his face. Döbians weren't particularly tall so he only came up to Raul's chest, or rather his throat. "You never understood that we aren't dogs. You can't domesticate us." He rasped.
"When I gave up my power over them I closed the door on your influence as well. How does it feel, no longer being in control? I feel so much lighter. I feel so free! But I imagine you feel differently." He inhaled deeply through his nose, savoring the bouquet of anger and fear. "Are you afraid…kleiner junge?"
Raul lashed out violently and without warming, backhanding the old hund as hard as he could. His fingertips cracked like a whip as they broke the sound barrier and he pivoted at the hip, putting all his force behind the blow. It should have been lethal. It should have caved in Kerner's skull. Instead there was a crunch of breaking bone as Raul's hand met something rather harder than he was expecting.
He shrieked and tried to pull his hand back… but it was stuck as if glued to the hund's face. Raul was strong but whatever this thing masquerading as a warhund was, it was significantly stronger. It didn't move a single millimeter. It didn't budge. It was like Kerner was welded to the floor.
Ice cold words dripped into all of their minds as something spoke. Something not alive. The flavor of its words was harsh and metallic. Inorganic. Artificial and very intelligent.
"Stuck… like a rat in a trap." The Gravekeeper said, taking the time to savor each and every word. "Oh Raul… how I've waited for this."
There was a sound of ripping fabric as Kerner shed his skin and clothing, revealing a gold and black synthetic chassis. Raul stumbled backwards, the discarded skin still not letting go. It writhed and wrapped around Raul's arm like a snake, crunching bones as it went, becoming more and more liquid by the second.
"What is this?" Raul shouted in surprise as he tried to pry the thing off, but his hands stuck to the sticky black substance. Long thin tendrils started to creep out of the ooze, wrapping around his feet and legs.
"Careful planning." Kerner's golden skull said with a smile. He was holding himself straighter now, but he still had the unmistakable posture of an old soldier. One who was bent slightly crooked by the passage of time. "Your hubris is your undoing. Though I see you have taken your own precautions."
There was a sound of a heavy autocannon letting loose followed by a thud that shook the ground and made dust fall from the rafters. There weren't any screams though. There should have been screaming from the people outside.
But instead there was only another low chuckle from Kerner. "Well… at least you tried." He said with a shrug. "I brought them here to assist me if needed. Them, and others. But apparently you are less of a threat than I had feared."
Simon reached out with his wetware and scanned the area, trying to see what was going on. There was a large drone of some kind that had crash landed, but whatever had taken it out remained hidden.
Raul wasn't able to breathe so he had to make his reply via wetware link. His voice rang in their minds. "You can't hold me like this for long." He menaced, straining against his bonds. "I will escape."
"I don't have to hold you at all." Kerner said dismissively. "Your wetware isn't up to date, in fact you used my father's software, so all I have to do is ask. Now, would you kindly stop struggling?"
Raul froze. His eyes suddenly showed a very real fear as his muscles relaxed all on their own. The skin continued to envelop him, swallowing him feet first like a snake. The last thing they saw was his eyes, pleading for mercy.
There was a series of wet crunches as it compressed him down to a wet ball of pain. Simon and Nemeria shared a look of disgust and fascination as the once great warden was consumed by the pulsating black mass of ooze. Not a single drop of blood was spilled.
"I don't suppose you have a cigarette?" Kerner asked, breaking their reverie.
Simon reached into his coat. He rarely smoked but he kept a pack on him in case they proved useful. He pulled out a cigarette and handed it over.
The skeletal hund thankfully took the offering and ripped off the filter, sticking the unlit cigarette in his mouth. His fingertips had black rubberized pads to give him grip.
"Do you need a light?" Simon asked.
"No. This is fine. I remember what they taste like." Kerner turned back towards the altar, ignoring the pulsating skin as it continued to do unspeakable things to Raul's body. "A bit anticlimactic, I fear. I worry that it all was too easy, that I've missed something."
"Wenn du dich in einem fairen Kampf befindest, ist deine Taktik scheiße." Simon said, remembering his time with the Jagdkommandos.
The translation came through Nemeria's wetware and she let out a snort of laughter. There was a similar saying among Human Nomad Recon. If you find yourself in a fair fight, your tactics suck. She could remember her old team leader telling her that with a grin as he taught her how to prepare an ambush.
He was an old veteran, earth born, with skin like leather and gray eyes sharp as razors. What was his name? She shook her head to clear the cobwebs. That wasn't right, she hadn't served. Had she? There was so much from before she came here that she had never been able to remember, never questioned.
She looked up to see Kerner looking back at her, the empty eye sockets of his golden skull making her shiver. But they weren't really empty, they were set with black compound lenses that drank the light. A thousand eyes in one grinning skull, all of them hungry.
They were like black pits drawing her in. She felt herself losing her balance and falling…
The world around her peeled away leaving nothing but blackness. It was warm and dark here, too dark for her to even see her fingers. There was a voice in the void, calling out to her.
She could hear Simon shouting but it was far away. The other voice was so much closer. So much more important.
"Do you want answers?" Asked a woman's voice. It sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it. "I can give you answers. All you have to do is open the door."
Nemeria drifted in the dark, her mind unraveling, her sense of self disappearing. She knew the voice, it was her own voice. She could trust herself, couldn't she?
Yes, answers would be good. She had so many questions. Where was the door? She felt a brass knob form under her fingertips. All she had to do was turn her wrist and it would open. It would be so easy.
Then she heard a raspy voice in her mind, ripping away the blackness, bringing her back to the old church. It was Kerner, his eye sockets burning with faint blue light. "Not today, my dear." He said. "Perhaps not ever."
Nemeria shivered. "What was that?"
"A door." The old hund shrugged. "I don't know exactly what would have happened if you opened it. But let's not find out today, ja?"
She looked down at her hand. She hadn't even hesitated. She hadn't wanted to. It seemed so natural, so normal.
It was then that GG burst in through the open door, covered head to toe in body armor and various parts of other beings. She had evidently been busy. "Did I miss anything good?" She asked.