"Would you like to have a near-death experience? By crossing the boundary between life and death."

Yukari Yakumo

Themes:

• Necrofantasia:
  
• Night Falls ~ Evening Star: 7.5, 10.5, 15.5
  
• Yorimashi Between Dreams and Reality ~ Necro-Fantasia
  

Yukari Yakumo is a legendary youkai with the ability to manipulate boundaries. She is one of the sages who created Gensokyo in the first place, and a good contender for its most powerful resident. Despite this she is also exceptionally lazy, spending most of her time sleeping and foisting most of the problems off on Reimu or Ran. Still, her incredible intelligence and completely inhuman nature means one can never tell quite what she's thinking, and making her angry is a very bad idea.

Notes

• Source Index
  
• Perfect Memento in Strict Sense and Symposium of Post Mysticism is an in universe book written by Hidea no Akyuu. She has a tendency to exaggerate and speculate, so her claims should be taken with a grain of salt.
  
• Yukari herself is noted to lie quite a lot, so her own claims should also be taken with a grain of salt.
  
• In 15.5 Yukari makes use of the urban legend Teke Teke, but her attacks while using this urban legend are fairly in line with her normal capabilities. As it's unclear what effect the Urban legend is having, these feats will be included in this section but marked with Occult
  
• Yukari scales to a large number of characters, so here is every Touhou respect thread for the games
  

Defining Some Terms

Spell Card System: The Spell Card Rules were put in place by Reimu Hakurei in order to make duels between everyone fair, formalized, and safe. It is also the method nearly all Touhou characters will use in-character. Spell card battles have very clearly defined rules and attacks that are agreed upon before a duel with the purpose being that the most beautiful attacks win. In general Spell Cards are characters going easy on the foe, with ZUN outright stating they're not something the characters would ever use if they were serious.

• Given the original rules of spell card battles and a characters being introduced to the spell card system stating it would prevent useless bloodshed, there is at least a decent amount of implication that Spell Card battles are inherently non-lethal.

Danmaku: Danmaku are the "bullets" fired in a bullet hell, take many different forms, and are able to be fired by most Gensokyo citizens. They're an essential part of duels in Gensokyo, being used to control an opponent's movement and overwhelm them. They can either be fired in intricate patterns, or just fired rapidly from a single point.

• Danmaku is intentionally not efficient or effective for serious combat
  
• Danmaku in general can be lethal to normal humans
  
• Danmaku from major characters is very consistently able to break rock
  
  • Seija is considered notably weak
  • Sanae is considered nothing special as far as humans in Gensokyo are concerned

Youkai: Supernatural beings typically born from humanity's fear of the unknown, and the primary residents of Gensokyo. Youkai can be highly varied, but tend to be highly resistant to physical attacks while far more weak to spiritual attacks, such as names and traditions.
Gensokyo: Genoskyo is the region Touhou takes place in, and is a small landlocked region of Japan. It is fully enclosed by the Great Hakurei Barrier (more information bellow). The clearest picture of it shows it containing a few mountains, with it also being noted Gensokyo is small enough to see almost all of it from the Hakurei shrine

• The Sages of Genoskyo (of which Yukari is a member) are the beings responsible for the creation and maintenance of Gensokyo

Urban Legend Incident: Due to the occult balls various Urban Legends begin to manifest in Gensokyo, and some characters are capable of controlling an urban legend in battle that matches their tempermant. It's worth noting that the effects are present even after the occult balls are removed from Gensokyo though Reisen notes it will soon settle down.

Boundary Manipulation

General Description: Summarized, Yukari's power allows her to manipulate the boundary between any two things.This can apply both to physical boundaries (such as between Gensokyo and the outside world), or even the boundary of concepts (such as human and youkai or night and day).

• Both her profile and she herself state that she can manipulate the boundary between any and all things
  
• An official magazine says her power can affect anything, and that for narrative purposes she has to limit herself to the spell card rule or it wouldn't even be a game
  
• The manual states the danger and potency of her power is beyond imagination
  
• Akyuu states that her power fundamentally undermines reality. She states that it can create new existence and reject existence, is the most powerful ability held by any youkai. Additionally she states it can be applied to pictures, peoples dreams, and even stories
  

Direct Combat Usage

• Feats/Statements
  
  • Being able to draw boundary lines along surfaces means there is nothing she can not split in two
    • Sumreiko comments on her seemingly cutting space, with opening gaps in space also being her main method of transportation (see below)
  • Her barriers can destroy large amounts of enemy danmaku and damage her foes
  • Creates a large boundary around the entirety of Suika's mist form, and then suddenly makes it much smaller to force her back into her physical form.
    • Suika's mist form covered all of Gensokyo
• General
  
  • Uses a barrier to block enemy danmaku and strikes
  • Creates a boundary line with her strikes to hit her foe
  • A fan granting her powers is able to crash through all obligations, directly hitting a foe while they're guarding
• Skills
  
  • Boundary of Intellect and Feet: Runs a straight boundary to split her foe
  • Universe of Matter and Antimatter: Creates two gaps that do nothing on their own, but when they collide they create a huge distortion attack
• Spell Cards
  
  • Border Sign "Quadruple Barrier": Creates several overlapping boundaries to produce a barrier that can strike foes
  • Sign I "Quadruple Barrier": Another version of the above spell card
  • Barrier "Charming Quadruple Barrier": A larger version of quadruple barrier that sucks the foe in
  • Boundary "Quadruple Barrier of the Imperishable Night": Creates a larger quadruple barrier to protect herself and attack her enemy
  • Border Sign "Boundary of 2D and 3D": Creates a boundary that travels along the screen edge and changes directions to follow the movements of the screen
  • Barrier "Objective Barrier": Fires off four linked borders that travel along the edges of the screen
• Last Word
  
  • [Occult] Lend Me Those Beautiful Legs!: Locks her foe in place with boundary lines and then uses a gap to split them in two before putting them back together

Gaps and Warping

• Feats/Statements
  
  • General
    • Able to travel to entirely different locations by opening up gaps in space, with (according to Akyuu) it being said that this can also access pictures, dreams, and even stories
    • Can open gaps in thin air
    • Opens up a large gap, and is gone when it clears away
    • Repositions a gap to use as a seat
    • Spiriting away Kosuzu doesn't leave a single trail any other youkai can follow to locate her, not even leaving a trace of her soul behind
  • Travel/Range
    
    • Uses gaps in space as her main means of transportation, with her warping around Gensokyo, up youkai mountain, and even to and from heaven (though how direct these trips are isn't clear given how the time of day changes)
    • Reimu states Yukari can travel anywhere she wants to in a flash
    • Is able to freely travel past the Great Hakurei Barrier into the outside world, and pulls Rinnosuke back into Gensokyo after he's accidentally pulled into the outside world
      • Casually travels out of Gensokyo to see cherry blossoms
      • Comments to Mamizou about what's currently going on in Sado
      • Sends Sumireko and dream Sumireko from Gensokyo to the outside world
    • Off screen travels overseas and brings back a Hobgoblin, which she states are a Western creature
    • Instantly sends Marisa from the Hakurei shrine to the forest of magic
    • Easily travels to the netherworld (though in Gensokyo the netherworld is a location you can physically travel to
      • Summons Ran and Chen to her while within the netherworld
    • Suddenly goes from behind Luna to in front of her
    • Disappears to somewhere... literally
    • Placed a gap in a doorway so that Flandre traveled from the Scarlet Devil mansion to deep underground without even realizing she had done so
    • Pulls Sumireko out of the dream world (though Doremy implies this isn't something she's supposed to do normally)
      • Reimu refers to the dream world as another reality that is two sides of the same coin with the real world
      • Is often lurking in the dream world
  • Utility
    
    • Claims to have an undending supply of electricity, kerosene, and nitroglycerin, and fills up Rinnosuke's heater with fuel while having a conversation with him, without him even realizing she had done anything
    • Covertly drops money into the shrine's donation box while having a conversation with Reimu
    • Puts a hand through a gap to block a hammer and grab a gameboy
    • Makes food disappear from right out from under Reimu's nose
    • Summons other characters like Reimu or Chen
    • Reimu implies Yukari can send just some body parts through the Great Hakurei Barrier
    • Left her arm dangling through a gap while asleep, and then puts her hand through another gap to douse a candle
    • Hid some of her own energy inside of a gap to revive herself after having all of her magical energy drained by Mizuchi's possession. Though she states it will soon run out and she needs to rest after. Also sticks her hands through gaps to grab cookies and wave at Reimu independently of her body
• General
  
  • Warps from one side of the screen to the other and grants Reimu the ability to do the same
  • Vanishes to dodge a spell card
  • Leans back into a gap while firing projectiles
  • Sticks her arm into a gap to strike her foe with an umbrella from another location
  • Drops into a gap and then appears in midair
  • After being knocked to the ground, creates a gap below and above her to redirect back to standing up
  • Opens a gap through which several pieces of wood fly out at her foe
  • Spawns street signs to attack her foe
  • Opens gaps through which rapid fire danmaku and lasers fire out
  • Summons a monstrous arm out of her gap to grab or strike her foe
• Skills
  
  • Rest on Stone, Rinse in Rivers: Opens up a hole that swallows up projectiles and stores them
  • Rinse with Stone, Rest in Rivers: Fires off stored projectiles
  • Chimera's Wings: Places a gap that she can then warp back to.
  • Fantasy Maniacal Rift: Disappears into a gap and keeps moving, before coming out to strike her foe
  • Flesh Dismantler: Drops down into a gap before leaping out while spinning her umbrella
  • Urashima's Box, Filled With Lament: Opens a gap in the sky to drop debris on her foe
  • Home is Where One Lays to Rest: Hits her foe with several pieces of wood
  • [Occult] World's Most Agile Torso: Uses a gap to send her upper body forward to attack her foe while her lower body remains in place
• Spell Cards
  
  • Evil Spirits "Yukari Yakumo's Spiriting Away": Repeatedly teleports around while firing off danmaku
  • "Boundary of Humans and Youkai": Vanishes entirely and attacks the foe with danmaku patterns while not physically present
  • Splitter "Thing That Splits All Into Two": Repeatedly jumps in and out of and moves through gaps while spinning her umbrella
  • Fantasy Nest "Flying Noctilucae's Nest": Opens up several gaps that fire danmaku forwards, always in the direction of the foe
  • Boundary "Overflowing Flotsam": Sends several pieces of wood flying at her foe
  • Abandoned Line "Aimless Journey to the Abandoned Station": Opens a gap through which an abandoned train comes from, though (in gameplay at least) it takes time to open the gap
  • "Unmanned Abandoned Railroad Car Bomb": Summons three train cars that fly into her foe before exploding

Great Hakurei Barrier

• The Barrier Itself
  
  • Feats/Statements
    • The Great Hakurei Barrier is a barrier of sense that surrounds all of Gensokyo, and keeps living creatures and their tools from passing through while allowing non-living things to pass through without issue. Via non-Euclidian space a person attempting to pass through the barrier will find themselves wandering endlessly, and they will find themselves back where they started upon turning around.
    • Even when Reimu and Marisa traveled to the moon they never left the barrier, and they consider getting through the barrier to be harder than going to the moon
    • Gensokyo is designed to be the opposite of the outside world, and things that contradict that concept cannot pass through the barrier
    • Akyuu states the barrier is a barrier of common sense and keeps the outside world's common sense outside, and that it's composed of multiple smaller barriers, but that it periodically weakens every 60 years
    • There is at least some difference in the seasons between Gensokyo and the outside world
    • Sumireko was unable to fully penetrate the barrier from the outside
  • Limits
    • Non-living things and certain creatures are able to pass through the barrier more easily
    • It's noted Remilia's scarlet mist would have spread past the boundary into the human world
    • Objects that violated common sense from the outside world being used on the barrier would threaten its very existence
• Manipulation
  
  • Yukari was one of the sages to suggest the creation of the Great Hakurei Barrier, though whether she's the actual creator is unclear. Reimu refers to her as the original creator but Yuyuko thinks the barrier is too strong for Yukari to make
  • States that she has torn holes in the barrier
  • Creates a powerful distortion in the barrier
  • Repairs the barrier after Reimu does something to weaken it
  • Whenever a human from the outside world wanders into Gensokyo, it's because of fluctuations in the barrier caused by her

Gensokyo's Boundary of Reality and Illusion

• General
  
  • Created a boundary of illusion and reality around Gensokyo, defining Gensokyo as illusionary and the outside world as real, so anything that becomes viewed as fantasy is pulled into Gensokyo, even from outside Japan. This was performed 500 years ago and still going strong.
  • Yukari seems to have at least some amount of awareness of those who enter and leave Gensokyo through this method
• Living Things
  
  • A snake wakes up in Gensokyo as soon as he transforms into a youkai, with Mamizou stating that when you turn into a youkai you wind up in Gensokyo. Said snake is potentially originally from India
  • When there's a demand for Zashiki-Warashi in the outside world they start vanishing from Gensokyo, and later return when that demand fades
  • New youkai created in the outside world immediately appear in Gensokyo as well, but due to not having a clear form they disappear just a quickly
  • Rinnosuke notes that Gensokyo is rather multicultural, as youkai brought with them foreign cultures as they were pulled into Gensokyo
  • A real life human shows up in Gensokyo after becoming a god
  • Animals that become endangered or extinct (at least in Japan) are more prevalent in Gensokyo
  • A completely ordinary seal winds up in Gensokyo after being forgotten while a youkai well integrated in human society could remain in the outside world
• Nonliving
  
  • Items that fall out of use in the outside world wind up in Gensokyo
  • People doubting or forgetting the moon landing is enough to cause several magazines about it to appear in Gensokyo as well as the Soyuz spacecraft
  • Lyrica implies that instruments and even noises can fall into fantasy
• Buildings
  
  • The Scarlet Devil Mansion is a western style mansion housing multiple powerful youkai that is assumed to have arrived in Gensokyo fairly recently, with Akyuu also noting that it seemingly wasn't designed for Japanese climates
  • Another western style mansion housing the Prismriver sister also exists in Gensokyo
  • Unused radio towers occasionally appear in Gensokyo
  • After Miko is forgotten by the outside world, her entire mausoleum arrives in Gensokyo
• Large Scale
  
  • Due to Kanako making it fall into fantasy the Moriya shrine and the nearby lake move to Gensokyo
  • According to legend the Bamboo Forest of the Lost appeared in Gensokyo after being washed away by a tsunami
  • It's thought (according to Keine) that Youkai Mountain in Gensokyo is the original mythical form Yatsugatake, before it had been torn down by a god, back when it was taller than Mt. Fuji

Misc

• Boundary of Reality and Illusion - Moon
  
  • Erases the boundary between the real and illusionary moon, turning a reflection of the moon in the water into a portal to the moon itself that allows for instantaneous travel
  • Can return to Earth by doing the same thing to a reflection of the Earth
  • Leaves the portal open by shoving an umbrella into it
  • The Watatsuki sisters state she can freely travel between the Earth and moon, and that she once brought a throng of youkai to the moon with her
  • Implies this can only be performed when the moon is completely full, and that she was trapped on the moon when the full waned more quickly than expected
• Netherworld
  
  • Weakened the barrier between Gensokyo and the Netherworld so Yuyuko could more easily enter Gensokyo. She is also responsible for its repair
    • The Netherworld's barrier weakening causes the boundary between life and death to become vague, with Youmu wondering if it's okay to leave the boundary between this world an the next so ambiguous, though Youmu also notes it hasn't changed up the natural order too much
  • States that she caused the borders between Hell and the Netherworld to fade
    • Both the Netherworld and Hell are massive, but it's not clear to what extent she actually merged them
• Lunar Capital
  
  • Breaks through the barrier of the lunar capital, but it takes her a while due to the complexity
    • This barrier separates the living fantastical moon from the scientific dead one, and requires a specific route in order to reach the capital
  • Opens a whole in the barrier hiding the house of the Lunar sage with her thumb, and leaves her glove in the gap so that Yuyuko and Youmu can later use it to enter the Lunar Captial
• Misc Conceptual
  
  • States she can manipulate the boundary between Gensokyo and the outside world, the worlds of the living and the dead, human and youkai, or even day and night
  • Claims she can give the immortal Mokou a near death experience by manipulating the boundary of life and death
  • States she thinned the barrier between human and youkai, possibly making Reimu a youkai temporarily
    • States she could set the boundary between human and youkai for Mai and Satano to make them one or the other
  • Manipulates the boundary between daylight and moonlight to cause both to happen at the same time
  • Makes the moon as bright as daytime by manipulating the boundary between day and night
  • Marisa speculates that Yukari manipulated the border between danmaku for play and danmaku for combat for one of her attacks
  • States she can easily manipulate the boundary between spring and winter
  • States she causes noctambulism (sleep walking) in humans by manipulating the boundary between asleep and awake
  • Manipulates the boundary of master and slave, causing both teams using perfect possession to swap said roles
    • Doing this required interfering with the dream world

Other Abilities

Note that a number of feats here potentially involve boundary manipulation, but it's less explicit
Energy Projection

• Feats
  
  • Individual needles can break rock, and destroy a large boulder with sustained fire
  • Effortlessly defeats the three fairies of light, throwing out projectiles made of light and non-light
  • Marisa considers Yukari's danmaku harder to deal with than Yuyuko's
  • Surrounds herself with rings of danmaku
• General
  
  • Fires out large amounts of danmaku in various patterns
  • Fires off danmaku in front of her with a swing of her fan
  • Attacks with lines of energy
  • Fires off several orbs trailed by lines of energy
  • Creates spirals of energy around her body
  • Using a bomb, unleashes a pulse of energy that knocks back her foe
• Skills
  
  • Purple Needles of Painful Reproach: Rapid fires needles in front of her
  • Bewitching Bait: Creates a bird's eye that high speed projectiles then fly through at random paths
  • Spacetime Seam: Creates a pulse of energy projectiles in all directions around her, possibly by cracking space
• Spell Cards
  
  • Standard Danmaku Pattern
    • Barrier "Curse of Dreams and Reality"
    • Barrier "Balance of Motion and Stillness"
    • Barrier "Mesh of Light and Darkness"
    • Evil Spirits "Dreamland of Straight and Curve"
    • Evil Spirits "Bewitching Butterfly Living in the Zen Temple"
    • Sinister Spirits "Double Black Death Butterfly"
    • Barrier "Boundary of Life and Death"
    • Yukari's Arcanum "Danmaku Barrier"
    • Outer Force "Infinite Superspeed Flying Object"
    • Border Sign "Boundary of Form and Emptiness"
    • Border Sign "Boundary of Wave and Particle"
    • Photon "Doppler Effect"
    • Aerial Bait "Hyperactive High Speed Flying Object"
    • "Yakumo's Nest"
    • "Impossible Danmaku Barrier"
    • "Casebook of Luck, Resilience and Perseverance"
  • Combo Attack with Others
    • "Perfect Possession and Dream Seal": With Reimu
    • "Boundary of Spirit Medium and Divine Spirit": With Reimu
    • "Secret God Barrier": With Okina
    • "Shoot the Danmaku Barrier!": With Marisa
    • "Unauthorized Danmaku Photography is Strictly Prohibited": With Reimu
    • Paper Sign "Barrier-Enclosed Zener Card Shuriken": With Sumireko
  • Misc
    • Aerial Bait "Addictive Bait": Opens several locations through which high speed projectiles travel from
    • Fantasy "Perpetual Motion Machine of the First Kind": Creates a perpetual motion device that automatically fires danmaku without her input
    • Spirit Medium's Melancholy: Fires off danmaku that only hits one part of a perfect possession duo
• Last Word
  
  • "Profound Danmaku Barrier -Phantasm, Foam and Shadow-": Creates an everlasting bullet pattern with her finger deciding its life and death

Shikigami: Shikigami are spirits that have been turned into tools via a patter, that have software installed to control them

• Feats/Statmenents
  
  • Has the ability to control shikigami, which like computers will follower her commands exactly. Her primary shikigami is Ran, who herself has her own shikigami Chen
  • Has shikigami possess various crows which she uses for scouting
    • A crow rapidly flies over large swaths of the lunar surface in what is implied to be a short span of time. Its flight is also described as unnaturally straight, with it following the special path required to reach the Lunar Capital with computer-like accuracy
    • [Limit] A crow is killed by being possessed exposed to the vacuum of space
  • Has eyes all over Gensokyo... literally, with this eyes noted to be her familiars
• Skills
  
  • "Apparotation Needle": Has Ran chase after he foes while firing off danmaku
  • Eyes that View Change: Opens a gap holding an eye, which attacks the enemy when it sees a weakpoint based on specific programming
• Spell Cards
  
  • Summoning Rand and or Chen to attack enemies
    • Shikigami "Ran Yakumo"
    • Sign III "Ran Yakumo"
    • Shikigami "Ran Yakumo +"
    • Shikigami "Chen"
    • Shikigami "Ran Yakumo & Chen":
  • Other
    • Magic Eye "Laplace's Demon": Opens up several gaps holding eyes which attack when they see an exploitable weak point

Umbrella

• General
  
  • Hits her foe by spinning her umbrella
  • Creates spirals of energy around her umbrella
• Skills
  
  • Bewitching Butterfly Lurking in the Zen Temple: Envelopes her umbrella in energy and spins it while slamming into her foe
  • Fantasy Manji-Parasol: Gathers spiritual energy on her umbrella, then spins and fires it off as a projectile
  • Full Moon Umbrella: Creates a ring of energy around herself with a swing of her umbrella
• Spell Cards
  
  • Sign II "Manji-Parasol of Yakumo"

Senses

• Sees the human village despite Keine attempting to hide it by trying to make it appear that nothing had ever been there by eating its history
  
• Youkai can see perfectly by moonlight
  
• Claims to see the backside of the moon bathed with sunlight, even during a new moon
  
• Detects that a tree is from the outside world
  
• Eavesdrops on Sakuya's conversation while not physically present, and speaks to Reisen before warping to the location
  
• Claims to clearly see the launch of the Scarlet Devil Mansion's rocket from a ways away
  
• Senses Eiki's presence
  
• Senses the weakening of the Great Hakurei Barrier while presumably asleep
  
• Realizes the Shinmyoumaru in front of her isn't the normal one
  
• Sees the outside world beyond the Great Hakurei Barrier
  
• Sees the flow of energy from living things and helps Youmu to understand it
  
• Able to see the god that Utsuho had absorbed the power of
  

My Fiancé (26M) left me (26F) 8 months after proposing saying that I didn't do anything wrong but he doesn't see a future with me anymore
We just celebrated our 7 year anniversary and he had proposed about 8 months ago. We were planning on buying a house so we had moved into his parents house a few weeks after the engagement to save up and because our rental property lease was up. A couple months after that he had just started a new job in the city and that's when cracks stated to show. We were commuting in together but because his parents lived a little far out we were losing a lot of sleep with these commutes and not only that, he started to lose a lot more patience I think just being around his parents all the time - I think he felt like he had lost a lot of his independence. The purchase of the house was also taking a lot longer than we expected which was also taking a toll on the both of us because we just really wanted to move to get our lives back. We spoke about and it was difficult for the both of us but we were kind of struggling together so I was never truly worried that we were going to break up. We did start to fight a little more but we always figured things out and still wanted to just focus on the future. But then about 4/5 months into his new job he tells me that he has a crush at someone at work and that there was a conversation where they were discussing who they would sleep with in the office and they both said each other. I was a little taken aback but he assured me that there was nothing to worry about and as we both had dealt with crushes before I wasn't too worried. But then more started to happen with this girl. She was in a long term relationship too which put me at ease but there was one night that he stayed over at hers after a work do because it would have been difficult for him to get home (I didn't have an issue because I trusted him) and after that night she was apparently super cold and mean to him. He was DISTRAUGHT I had never seen him this upset about the "potential loss of a friend" and so I had to talk to him a lot to help him through this as I thought it was just his anxiety getting the better of him. But then she came to him apologising for the coldness and basically told him that it had "messed with her head" the night he stayed over so then, the first betrayal, he told her that he also felt the same way but wanted to keep things as they were at work. He didn't properly close the door on her until after we had discussed it ourselves which really hurt because he couldn't even see why he was playing with fire. I didn't tell him to cut contact or anything, I was actually trying to help him figure out how he could still be friends with her without it becoming anything more. But then after he closed the door on her saying that he didn't want anything to happen between them, they ended up getting closer at work and his feelings started to develop. During this time we were trying to plan the wedding, we were sorting out the invites and were hoping to send them off within a month or so. But whenever we sat down to sort out the wedding he would get super stressed and so I asked him what was going on and he said he was starting to have doubts and he was worried about his feelings for this girl. These conversations about doubts etc went on for a few weeks but I always tried to reassure him that doubts were normal and that actually I had had most of the thoughts that he was having and I had come through the other side. I had also had a crush at someone at work which highlighted to me some aspects that I didn't like about our relationship but then we/I worked through them and I thought we were in a much better place. I told him about my crush at the time but didn't tell him to the full extent about my doubts of the relationship because I have anxiety so didn't want to talk about them until I was sure because I didn't want to ruin what we had. But then I had come out the other side and was super happy with my choice so I was trying to tell him that he just needs to make a conscious choice about who he wants (I was presuming he still wanted me) and then set the appropriate boundary with this new girl so that he can still be friends but we would be committed to each other. We had lots of conversations about how love was a choice and that commitment was a choice and we usually ended those conversations saying that we ofc want to still be together and that he was choosing us and me. And I believed him - I always asked him to be totally honest even if it was difficult to say so that it wouldn't eat him up and I always gave him the space to not judge his true feelings etc so yes I believed him. But then about a week ago he comes home after a night out where he had gone to dinner with this girl and another friend from work and just tells me that he doesn't think he can marry me anymore. It turned out that she was still super into him and had left her boyfriend (who was supposedly abusive so probably for the best) but wanted to be my fiancé. And he told her that basically he was confused but has feelings for her too. And then they shared an intimate moment of holding hands as if they were a couple.
This was all devastating to hear but the only thing I needed to know was what did he want - me or her. And thus began the longest week of my life. He couldn't choose between us and kept making up his mind back and forth which was so painful because every time he would say he wants us to get back to where we were he just seemed so distant and was basically thinking of her the whole time. We had a weekend away planned together so we thought it was a good idea to go on that to salvage our relationship but he was still in turmoil about his decision I was just in tears the entire time we were there. So we get back home and he finally says that he chooses me 100% and that he's going to work on us to get us back but I could see it in his eyes and the almost resentment he had towards me that he still didn't know what he wanted. So we decided to give each other space for a few days so he could stop being distracted and start to focus on us. After no contact for 2/3 days he says that he's found his truth and comes to me and says that he's not leaving me for her but he's leaving me because he doesn't see a future with me anymore. He says that he feels that we had everything he wanted but that there was something missing but nothing he could tangibly tell me of and that he's been putting off these thoughts/doubts for a long time even before the proposal.
So now I feel so lost and broken because in my mind we were a team we always tackled everything together and I still don't understand how he was sure enough to propose to me 8 months ago and saw the life he wanted with me but now absolutely nothing. I refuse to believe that this girl had nothing to do with it because despite him saying that he's not leaving me for her, he had reinitiated contact with her over the week where we were giving each other space, and just 24 hours after we broke up when I went back to his parents house to start packing up, he leaves the house and spends about 5 hours with the new girl. He said that it was none of my business because we had broken up but it just felt like he threw me away so easily and had no respect left for the relationship we had. He said that he still loves and cares for me and that he was very ashamed of how this all turned out because he told me that I had done nothing wrong but he just seems like a completely different person to me now. I can't see the person I fell in love with anymore and it breaks my heart. He also said that he still wants to be friends in the future after a long period of no contact so we can move on from each other but I don't think I can just from how much he has hurt me and how quickly it feels that he threw me away and the 7 years we were together. I think he is definitely going to regret his decision of leaving me but I think with the damage done and how clearly he says he is thinking I don't think it will be any time soon enough to ever make it work between us again. I am in so much pain and hurt and he says he is too but i still don't think I have properly processed everything that's happened because I was so happy with us just 2 weeks ago. Maybe I was being delusional too but I just still can't believe that we were planning our lives together and now it's just gone. I needed to post this because I don't know how he can just switch like this - I need to know why he did this because I don't understand if he loves me why he wouldn't want to fight for us through either taking a step back from the relationship or through couples therapy.
I think we did get together too young (we were both 19) and so I think we didn't learn what kind of life we individually wanted so I think he feels lost because of that and the stress of commitment brought out a lot more of these doubts. But then I still don't know why he proposed when I didn't ask at all for it and he was also the one keen to buy a place together. I suggested that maybe we should live separately for a while and just go back to dating so we could figure out how we actually wanted to live our lives (together and separately) but he said that his heart just wasn't in it anymore. Because of how quickly I feel this all happened I honestly refuse to believe that he's not leaving me for her but he's just not seeing it himself yet. But I guess it doesn't matter anymore because I don't think he ever wants to get the life we planned together back.
TLDR - My fiancé breaks up with me 8 months after proposing saying that he doesn't see a future with me anymore. During those 8 months we were living at his parents, trying to plan the wedding, trying to buy a place and he developed a crush at work. He says he still loves me but there's something missing and insists that he's not leaving me for her but I don't see how it could be any other way. Why did he do this is, is he just that delusional? Do you think he'll ever realise the mistake he made and how much he hurt me?

I know Sharkbite gets a lot of hate, but has anyone actually had one leak on them? I'm looking to install a new dishwasher and the shutoff valve under the sink needs to be replaced. Tight spot (I'm not comfortable sweating on a new one) and local plumbers want $400 to swap it. Sharkbite is $12 at home depot.
Question for everyone here; has anyone actually had a shark bite valve leak on them? Especially a "1/2 x 3/8 Inch Compression Angle Stop Valve" one?
Thanks!

Throwaway account.
I (33m) live in a foreign country without local language skills. My girlfriend (26f) is a local. She started to mention having memory lapses about 6 months into her job as a content moderator for a well known social media platform, which she started 10 months ago. It's the type of job where you have to watch random garbage content all day.
She told me about heading home from work via public transport despite having her vehicle parked at the office, or forgetting to lock her apartment door. Things like that. In my presence she has never shown any of this behavior (or maybe I didn't pick up on them?). So I was not sure what to think about it (although I occasionally suggested looking for a different job). But this has changed recently.
Last month we decided to go on a week long vacation. We met at my place to share a ride to the airport. She wanted to order a ride on her phone, but instead of selecting the airport as the destination she proceeded to stare at the ride hailing app for what felt like a minute. In tears she told me she forgot where we were going.
I asked her about her sleep and she admitted to only sleeping for two hours because she worked late. Okay so that's why, right? During our trip I did not notice any other memory lapse, everything seemed normal. We've had great sleep every night, so I started to assume her memory issues are purely stress related.
At this time I have been trying to convince her for weeks to quit her current job as the salary (which from a purely financial perspective is way above average in this region) is not worth the toll the job is taking on her, and to see a doctor about the issues she has been telling me about. I have also offered to cover her rent until she finds something new. Unfortunately without success, she is refusing all of it.
She's been back to work for a week now. Yesterday we both enjoyed another day off. I showed her a scratch on my laptop screen and we decided to go out, have it fixed, and then go for lunch and coffee. Everything felt normal, we had a good day. Until this point, the only instance of her 'memory problems' I've witnessed was her forgetting what to put as destination into the ride hailing app.
In the evening we watched a few episodes of Breaking Bad. During a sex scene she turned to me asking why we haven't had sex today yet. But wait a second.. we did. I explained to her we had sex before going out today, in the morning. She had no recollection of it, at all. I thought this was a bad joke at first but I decided to dig deeper, and it turns out she forgot most of what happened during the day.
She did not know I didn't get my laptop fixed (price of screen replacement was not worth it), despite her being there when I walked out of the shop after 2 minutes and telling her exactly what happened. She told me I did get my laptop fixed, without being able to tell me what was wrong with it. She did not remember the scratch that I showed her before, even after showing her the screen damage once again.
She misremembered what we had for lunch, and where, citing a location and a dish that doesn't match reality. She completely forgot about the dinner we just had, of which the leftovers were still on the table in front of us. She didn't remember how many days we spent on vacation, nor the name of the hotel.
That's when she opened up and told me about more instances of memory loss. For example crashing her bike because for a moment she forgot she was riding a motorbike in traffic and thus released the handlebars mid-drive. She previously told me this accident happened for turning too fast.
She also failed to find her way home from work once, driving around aimlessly for half an hour.
At this point I wasn't able to hold back my tears and I was too afraid to ask more questions. This morning she forgot she told me the truth about her recent traffic accident. I feel like she doesn't want me to know about the full scale of the problems she is experiencing, and who knows what else is happening that I don't know about.
I'm begging her to forget about work for a second and go get a proper screening at the hospital. She's refusing to listen, not wanting "additional stress". I have no idea what to do, I can't force her. I'm thinking about sending a text to her mother, and/or friends, to convince her to get help.
How can a 26 year old woman be having these issues? There is no substance abuse, she doesn't drink any alcohol. I can only link this to her work, but those are just assumptions. How do I make her seek serious help for this serious issue?

Michigan State Michigan State @ Maryland Maryland
Game Start Time: 3:30 PM ET
Location: Maryland Stadium, College Park, MD
Watch: Big Ten Network
Michigan State Michigan State

Total Passing Yards	Total Rushing Yards	Total Yards	Interceptions Lost	Fumbles Lost	Field Goals	Time of Possession	Timeouts
408 yards	83 yards	491 yards	1	0	1/2	16:22	3

Maryland Maryland

Total Passing Yards	Total Rushing Yards	Total Yards	Interceptions Lost	Fumbles Lost	Field Goals	Time of Possession	Timeouts
165 yards	163 yards	328 yards	2	0	1/1	11:18	3

Drive Summary
home for 90 yards in 167 seconds ending in touchdown
away for 4 yards in 32 seconds ending in turnover
home for 4 yards in 34 seconds ending in field_goal
away for 75 yards in 67 seconds ending in touchdown
home for 65 yards in 126 seconds ending in turnover
away for 49 yards in 51 seconds ending in miss
home for -3 yards in 31 seconds ending in punt
away for 78 yards in 97 seconds ending in touchdown
home for 40 yards in 126 seconds ending in turnover
away for 90 yards in 42 seconds ending in touchdown
home for 6 yards in 17 seconds ending in end_half
away for 31 yards in 160 seconds ending in field_goal
home for -2 yards in 39 seconds ending in punt
away for 63 yards in 119 seconds ending in touchdown
away for 70 yards in 15 seconds ending in touchdown
away for 53 yards in 223 seconds ending in turnover
home for 58 yards in 88 seconds ending in touchdown

Team	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4	Total
Maryland	10	0	7	7	24
Michigan State	7	14	10	0	31

Game thread
Plays

Game complete, Michigan State wins!

Introduction

Creating a harmonious and prosperous work environment is essential for the success of any business. Many people believe that following Vastu Shastra principles in their office can bring luck, fortune, and financial prosperity. Vastu Shastra, an ancient Indian architectural science, provides guidelines for the design and arrangement of spaces to harness positive energies.
If you're looking to align your office space with Vastu principles, here are some important guidelines and tips to consider.

1. Direction of the Office Building

When constructing an office or commercial building, it is crucial to follow Vastu principles to ensure prosperity and good luck. The direction of the office building can have a significant impact on the business's success. For service-oriented businesses, the east direction is considered suitable. The north direction, associated with the lord of wealth, Kuber, is ideal for profit-making businesses. Depending on the nature of your business, the north, northeast, or northwest directions may also be favorable. Additionally, ensure that the property is surrounded by running roads when selecting a location for your office.

2. Seating Arrangement

Proper seating arrangement plays a vital role in maximizing productivity and promoting positive energy flow in the office. Here are some seating arrangement tips according to Vastu Shastra:

• Entrepreneurs and business owners should sit facing the north, east, or northeast directions to encourage growth and new beginnings.
• Marketing and sales personnel should face the northeast direction to enhance proactiveness. Their sitting position can be in the northwest direction.
• Account department officials should sit in the southeast corner and face the northeast direction.
• Managers, directors, and executives should sit in the southwest, south, or west corner of the office to facilitate better decision-making.

Employees should also consider facing the north or east while working, as it improves productivity. Sitting directly under a light beam should be avoided. If unavoidable, it can be covered with a wooden board to minimize its impact.

3. Office Entrance

The entrance of your office plays a crucial role in attracting positive energies. Ideally, the entrance should be in the north, northeast, or northwest direction. These directions are considered auspicious and bring positivity and financial profits. The north direction, associated with the lord of wealth, is particularly beneficial for accelerating financial gains. Ensure that the entrance is clean, clutter-free, and well-lit to create a positive first impression.

4. Creating Positive Energy

To foster a positive and conducive work environment, keep the office space clean, organized, and clutter-free. Store documents, stationery, and other items in locked cabinets when not in use. Avoid sleeping at the desk, as it can attract negative energies. When sitting in a cabin, make sure your back does not face the door to avoid feelings of distrust. Hang a mountain scenery picture behind your seat and place a turquoise pyramid on your desk to promote support and communication among colleagues.

5. Office Décor and Interiors

The colors and décor in your office can greatly impact the energy flow and overall ambiance. According to Vastu Shastra guidelines for office:

• Use bright colors for the walls, as they spread positivity and reflect light. Blue is suitable for the southern wall, while green promotes harmony and can be used for the southwestern wall.
• Place a mirror or Kuber Yantra in the north direction or on the northern wall to enhance financial health.
• Avoid piling up finished goods in the northeast direction. Instead, store them in the northwest direction to ensure smooth clearance of unsold stock.
• Place your safe in the southwest corner, facing the northeast direction, to promote prosperity and security.
• Install a water fountain in the north zone for career growth and positive energy flow. Avoid placing fountains that flow outward.

6. Office Lighting

Proper lighting is essential for creating a vibrant and energetic workspace. Natural light is considered auspicious, so try to maximize the use of natural light in your office. If possible, place workstations near windows to allow employees to benefit from natural light. Use full-spectrum light bulbs that mimic natural light for artificial lighting. Avoid dim or flickering lights, as they can create a dull and stagnant atmosphere.

Office Furniture and Placement

The choice and placement of office furniture can have a significant impact on the energy flow in your office. Here are some tips:

• Use ergonomic furniture that promotes comfort and productivity. Uncomfortable or broken furniture can hinder work efficiency.
• Avoid sharp-edged furniture, as they can create negative energy. Opt for rounded or curved furniture designs instead.
• Ensure that furniture is placed in a way that allows for smooth movement and doesn't block any pathways or doors.
• Arrange desks and workstations in a manner that encourages collaboration and teamwork.
• Avoid cluttered and disorganized desks, as they can obstruct the flow of positive energy. Encourage employees to keep their workstations tidy and organized.

Meeting Room Placement

If your office has a meeting room or conference room, its placement is crucial for productive and successful meetings. Ideally, the meeting room should be located in the northwest or northeast direction of the office. This promotes clear communication, effective decision-making, and successful outcomes. Ensure that the meeting room is well-lit, properly ventilated, and free from any distractions or negative energy.

Office Plants

Introducing plants into your office space can bring freshness, vitality, and positive energy. Plants are known to purify the air, improve concentration, and reduce stress. Here are some recommendations for using plants in your office according to Vastu:

• Place small plants or bonsai trees on employees' desks to enhance creativity and productivity.
• Use money plants (Epipremnum aureum) near the entrance or in the north zone to attract wealth and prosperity.
• Place lucky bamboo plants (Dracaena sanderiana) in the east or southeast direction for growth and good fortune.
• Avoid placing thorny plants or cacti in the office, as they can create negative energy.

Balanced Elements

According to Vastu Shastra, the five elements (earth, water, fire, air, and space) should be balanced in the office to create a harmonious environment. Here are some tips for balancing these elements:

Earth:

Use earthy colors like brown and yellow in the office decor. You can also place a crystal or gemstone on your desk to connect with the earth element.

Water:

Install an aquarium or a water feature in the northeast direction to attract positive energy and prosperity. Ensure that the water is clean and the aquarium is well-maintained.

Fire:

Use proper lighting and incorporate the fire element through the use of candles or decorative lamps. Avoid using harsh or excessive lighting that can create a stressful environment.

Air:

Maintain good air circulation and quality in the office by opening windows, using air purifiers, and incorporating indoor plants that improve air quality.

Space:

Keep the office well-organized and clutter-free to allow for the free flow of energy. Avoid overcrowding the space with unnecessary furniture or equipment.
Remember, while Vastu Shastra principles can provide guidance for creating a harmonious and prosperous office environment, it is also important to consider practical aspects and individual preferences. Adapting Vastu guidelines to suit your specific office layout and requirements can help create a positive and conducive workspace for success.
​
Get To Know About: 40 Vastu Shastra Tips for Home: Better Life, Prosperity & Harmony

When somebody suggests you commit arson together, your reaction is most likely to differ based on the identity of that person. If anyone else had asked me to come along to burn down a building, I would have assumed it was a joke. However, being aware of Frankie Preston’s barely suppressed murderous tendencies made me take his request quite seriously. Of course, three main questions presented themselves upon first consideration.
“What building?”
“A small developmental factory owned by FunFlair.”
“Do you plan on burning it while there are still people inside?”
“Only one, and that one deserves to burn alive.”
Shelving my thoughts on that answer for the moment, I inquired as to when he was hoping to go about this endeavor.
“The sooner the better. My sister—you haven’t met her—found out that they’re going to move sites in the near future, so if I want to take revenge on my old boss easily, I need to do it now. It won’t be too difficult. I know the layout of the place really well, they can’t have changed much these last three years. It’s small, hidden but unprotected. A bunch of containers in some woods a couple hours from here. The human I hate most in the entire world is there, every night, working all alone.” His shoulders twitched. “I drove by the place a couple times, and I kept thinking about doing it, but I was too scared. Having you there would make all the difference.”
“It would?” I echoed.
“Yes! Sunshine, you’re strong. Amazingly so. I don’t want you to feel like I’m using you, but the thing is, I can’t do this on my own. If you tell me to go away and never mention this again, I will. That I swear to God. Or whatever sadistic omnipotent being has put me on this world to suffer.” He briefly glanced heavenward, or rather at the ceiling, then back at me. “I can’t hurt anybody, remember?”
I nodded along slowly. “This person, your old boss… what did they do to you?”
“Simply put, she’s why I hate everything.” He spoke with an uncanny intensity, staring past me like he was miles away.
“Who is she?”
“Her name is Philomena Wallis. She’s the one who keeps sending people after me. She wants me back to do fuck knows what to me because she's still pissed I screwed her over." He paused. "She did—does horrible things. You'd want her dead, too."
"Why isn't she in prison?"
"Nobody gets taken to prison if they're rich enough. Either way, what she does isn't technically illegal… and no one knows about it either. It's a tricky situation."
I took a deep breath. “Do you have a plan?”
“I do. We’ll go there at night, I’ll slip in and make sure the door to Phil’s workspace is locked, and then we’ll douse the whole thing in gasoline.”
“Are you sure you’ll need me for that? It doesn’t sound like you’d be inflicting hurt directly. I mean, you wouldn’t have to actually raise a hand to your boss, not physically. Or can you not do that either?”
“The risk lies rather within what could happen if she finds me.” He rubbed his arm, a look of uncertainty crossing his features. “I’m different when I’m around her. I can’t help it, she… she can just walk all over me. She made me be this way. There’s nothing to be done about it, except to get rid of her once and for all.”
“I’m not following. She made you be this way? What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said!” he snapped, only to shrink back and raise his hands. “Sorry! I’m so sorry!”
I stared at him in silence for a beat. “You’re terrified,” I said.
He glanced at his chucks, then back at me, looking like he wanted to say something but didn’t know what.
“Sad, too,” I added. “Sometimes, I can’t tell what you think, so I apologize if I’m reading this wrong…”
“You shouldn’t have to guess what’s going on inside my head anyways,” he muttered. “I can’t believe what I’m trying to rope you into again. It’s like I didn’t hear myself talk for a minute there.”
“I’ll help you.”
He raised a skeptical brow. “I don’t want to force you. I swear I don’t. I will do this, and I’d feel so much better if you came with, but if this is something you’re gonna resent me for in the long run…”
“The long run?”
“I mean—” He started playing with his gum again. “Are we not doing this? You really like me, I think?”
“I think we shouldn’t be talking about this in the same breath as committing lethal arson.” I rubbed my nose before letting go of a long breath. “If I can’t stop you from doing this, I’ll at least make sure you come back out in one piece.” I wonder if this is how Nettie Peterson usually feels.
Frankie beamed. “You will? You’re absolutely sure?”
“Yes. Here’s the plan, I drop off what I bought for my savior human and then we can prepare; do what’s needed. I don’t want to put this off. The sooner it’s over, the better.”
“Definitely,” he agreed with an eager nod. “I’ll drive you right over.”
“Good. And Frankie… you know precisely how I feel about you.”
We got on our way the following morning. The car ride lasted several hours, most of which I spent fast asleep stretched out on the backseat. It was a wonderful nap; I hardly felt any of the vehicle’s movements, admittedly a credit to the server’s abilities as a driver. Eventually, the road was getting too bumpy to ignore, and I drowsily lifted my head to find us pulling onto heavily wooded terrain. Upon noticing I was awake, Fran gave me a fleeting, quite obviously forced smile. After a few more minutes, we came to a halt on a clearing. I got out and produced a canister of gasoline from the trunk, handing it to Fran after opening the door for him. He looked strangely absent, gazing off into the distance with a vacant look in his eyes. He grabbed the offered canister and clutched it to his chest, almost like he was hugging it.
“We’ll be going the rest of the way on foot, then?” I inquired.
He nodded wordlessly.
I couldn’t hide my frown. The air around us was warm and fragrant, the moonlight shining through between the branches that seemed to reach out for us as we began walking. There was not even a hint of a breeze, and yet, a chill ran down my spine. My companion’s demeanor was nothing short of uncomfortable; he seemed to suck the warmth out of the atmosphere around us, together with my initial confidence and the sweet scent of pine needles. His silence instilled in me a clammy sense of dread, and I couldn’t shake it no matter how hard I tried. Normally, I would have probably appreciated the perfect calm and serenity of the lush forest around us, but seeing him in such obvious, unspoken distress drove away all my idyllic thoughts.
“This seems like an odd place to hide a factory,” I remarked, trying to open a conversation once more.
“That’s the point. You wouldn’t go looking for a doll manufacturer in bum-fuck nowhere,” he replied.
“It’s strange to think about. What kind of shady stuff can a toy manufacturer even get up to? Don’t get me wrong, I trust you when you say they’re bad people, I just wish you’d give me a little more information. I feel like I’m not getting something here.”
He let out a low hum. “You… are really innocent.”
“No, I’m not,” I argued, affronted.
“Not in a bad way. I said innocent, not naive. I’ve been cagey again, I know that, but the thing is, you’ll see exactly what I was talking about when we get there. You’ll understand everything, and to be honest, I’m very afraid of what you’ll think once you do.”
We finally reached the building Fran had told me about. If it could indeed be called a building. It looked more like something that had been thrown together by a larva using Lego bricks. It was, as predicted, a bunch of containers lined up and stacked atop one another, small corridors and open metal staircases connecting them. It seemed to be almost entirely empty—all the lights were out, except for a single one. From behind a window on the upper floor, filtered through gray blinds, a cool, bright glow shone down upon us. It bathed Frankie in its surreal luminescence that seemed completely out of place given our raw, natural surroundings.
“You were right,” I stated, tearing him from his rigor. “Seems like there’s only one person in there.”
“That’s Phil,” he mumbled. “I’m certain.”
“Then let’s do this.”
Frankie detached himself from the canister, peeling it off his body like a piece of clothing. I took it from his hands while he walked over to the nearest door, reaching into his pocket to produce a set of shiny, slim tools. Despite the darkness, he set his fingers to work on the lock. It didn’t take long at all for him to let out a satisfied sound, straightening up as he held the now open door for me. “I’m very skilled at lockpicking,” he said lightly, by way of conversation.
I couldn’t hide the admiration in my gaze, and I gave him a proud smile that briefly caused his features to soften. I had not yet crossed the threshold when he grabbed me by the wrist, holding me back. “One more thing,” he whispered, his voice suddenly ringing desperate again, “you won’t like what we might see in there.”
“I know,” I answered. “It was implied.”
Stepping forth into the dark room, the smell of plastic and coffee instantly hit my nose. Fran fumbled for a lightswitch before thinking better of it and turning on the flashlight he’d brought. We were clearly in a breakroom; there was a table in the middle surrounded by chairs, an espresso machine in the corner and several calendars and posters taped to the walls. Unsuspecting. Frankie didn’t comment, immediately moving across the cube and towards the door on the other side. It led out into a small corridor, improvised using more corrugated iron elements, and into another larger container. There was a desk with a computer in one corner and an empty operating table in the center.
A large shelving unit occupied the entire left side of the room. A closer inspection revealed that it held all sorts of small parts, though what they were parts of was beyond me. Opening the plastic drawers at random, I glimpsed all sorts of metallic and silicone pieces, forming strange little… thingies.
“What is all this?” I asked Frankie.
He had been standing by the operating table, staring at it with unblinking eyes. His expression was once more perfectly vacant. Not even his jaw was moving around his bubble gum. He didn’t look up, and for a minute, I wondered if he’d heard me at all. “Doll parts,” he suddenly answered, his voice lacking any inflection.
I frowned, picking up one of the tiny metallic objects and inspecting it closely. I could see what he meant now—it appeared to be a very small joint, perhaps for a finger. “When you said FunFlair made dolls, I thought you meant these stiff little baby dolls. I didn’t know they made them this detailed.”
“Oh, they can be detailed alright.”
“Is this, like, a robotics thing? Can they move on their own, too?”
Frankie let out a sharp, mirthless laugh that was much too short. He fell completely silent again, and it felt as though the room had gotten colder. I bit my lip, placing the finger joint back in its box. I tentatively reached out to Fran and rested a hand on his upper arm, only for him to flinch, drawing away as if burned. “D-don’t touch me right now,” he pleaded.
“I’m sorry,” I breathed.
“No, I am. Don’t mind me, okay? Let’s—let’s just go on.”
So we did. Another makeshift corridor led us over into the next container. The beam of our flashlight cut through the darkness, revealing a sight that made me stop in my tracks. There were several bodies propped up in the corners of the room, bodies that I only realized on second glance were artificial. They were of roughly the same size as the average person, with fully formed arms, legs and everything. Their faces however were different. Most of them weren’t even fully complete, the skin-like material not fully covering their heads and leaving the mechanical structures underneath uncovered. Their eyeballs—sitting in hard plastic sockets and unframed by lids—stared out at us blankly, utterly void and expressionless.
Cold dread began to seep into my bones, paralyzing me for a second before I managed to break from my stillness. Taking a step towards one of the lifeless figures, I bent down to get a closer look. Keeping my distance, I reached out a single finger to trace along one of the countless delicate wires peeking out from the soft patches of facial material. It was cool to the touch, making my skin crawl. I pulled back, turning to Frankie in bewilderment. “Wh-what is all this?” I asked hesitantly.
“That’s them. That’s the dolls.”
“Well, yes, I can see that but this… this is really, really unnerving.”
He let out a strangled, mournful sound. “I guess it is,” he said eventually, his voice low and flat. He knelt down beside me, a little closer to the doll, and started fumbling around with the back of its neck, clearly looking for something. Finally, I heard a little click, followed by a whirring noise as the doll jerked up its arm. I squeaked, scrambling back on my hands and rear, only to find my back suddenly pressed up against the chest of another mannequin. I hadn’t done a thing, but it instantly sprang to life; robotic fingers clamping down around both sides of my nape. The painfully fierce touch wiped away every last bit of my composure, and I let out a shriek that seemed to tear apart the relative silence. Frankie spun around to fix me with the beam of his flashlight, causing me to squeeze my eyes shut. My heart was hammering against my ribcage, seemingly exploding when the hands started pulling me closer against the lifeless, yet animate body.
The next thing I knew was that Fran had leapt forward and removed me from the doll’s clutches with one swift, powerful yank. My chest was heaving and I couldn’t suppress a low whimper when I pressed myself to his side, frantically glancing about my surroundings. My fangs were bared, but my racing pulse was admittedly overtaxing me. I couldn’t seem to form any coherent thoughts. My flight-instinct was kicking in, further setting off my panicked response when I realized I might end up involuntarily jumping dimensions again.
Suddenly, I felt Frankie’s hand on my cheek, the gentle pressure tilting my head up to make me meet his gaze. “It’s alright,” he said, his voice equal parts firm and understanding. The fog in my head lifted just a little.
“They’re not going to hurt you,” he went on, his thumb stroking the curve of my outer ear. However he managed to convey such certainty when he himself had been so uneasy mere moments ago was beyond me, and yet, I found myself believing him. My breathing slowed and I hazarded a second glance at the doll I had bumped into.
It had stopped moving, its body having locked into an unnatural, almost feral-looking position. It was cowering on all fours, its torso lowered and its head up. Its neck was bent at such an extreme angle that it was approaching the comical.
“What the fuck was that?” I whispered, the curse word escaping me before I could stop myself.
“Some of them have to be activated manually, others can be turned on just by touch. I remember that,” Frankie replied. “There’s no need to be afraid of them, though. Even if it’s hard to believe considering… well.” He gestured at the oddly crouching doll at our feet.
“Something’s very wrong here,” I muttered, unable to tear my eyes off the lifeless, incomplete face. “I didn’t even know they made toys like that.”
“They’re not for children,” Frankie said, his eyes glazing over once more.
“Are they, like, robots? Do they know what they’re doing?”
“Not if they’re lucky, they don’t.” He paused. “They’re not made to think. Any awareness they might have would be unplanned for.”
“And you really used to work here? Did you help build them?”
“We can talk about that once we’re out of here.”
I swallowed. “Look, I’m freaking out. This can’t be a normal production site.”
“It’s not. I wish you didn’t have to see this. It… it only gets worse. And your instincts aren’t failing you, none of this is right. If you want to back out, I don’t blame you. This place shouldn’t exist.”
I took a deep breath. I wished I had insisted on knowing the full truth before coming here, but it couldn’t be helped now. Instead of prying further, I pointed at the canister of gasoline. “Then let’s remedy that.”
Despite himself, Frankie smiled.
Instead of mirroring the expression, I felt my own features suddenly derail. “Oh crap.”
“What is it?”
“Do you think she heard me scream?”
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

We looking at hosting a fifa 23 ultimate team league.
Rules: -Entry fee R100 per contestant. -Minimuim 6 players needed to begin. -Games will be recorded and/or sent to the host. -winner will take the prize pool. - games will take place on Thursdays 7pm onwards -if interested pm for team rules and conditions. -you’ll be required to play 2 games a week. A home/away fixture.

Hi guys,
I’m new to this sub and i joined because of my problems with very dark body- and face hair. I’m tired of shaving so often (especially my sideburns) and I’ve therefore decided on laser hair removal. However, treatments in clinics is very expensive where I’m from, and considering I’d need 6-8 treatments on both legs, arms and face, the price will be through the roof (around 9600 dollars in total).
Therefore, I would like to know if any of you have had success with at home laser hair removal, and if so, what type of laser hair removal machine should I get?
Thanks in advance ☺️

Just one week far from my 7 1/2 months old daughter and I've never been more sad. From now till the end of the years I'll be traveling abroad for work 4 weeks and go back home 2 weeks. I should consider myself lucky that my boss understands why I don't want to stay away 6 months straight and allows me to flight more often, but it still sucks: the first tooth, the first words, the first step...I'll likely miss all of that. I just hope she remembers me when I go back

VDEP is a Hardcore Survival Vanilla+ server with Dark Nights and MORE INFECTED. We offer a fresh take on the Vanilla Survival Experience, with a few QoL changes as well as some additions. We are a First Person PvE/PvP server with 3 hour Days and 40 minute DARK nights, restarting every 3 hours. Only Wiping every 4-6 months we provide a home for long term base building and survival game play. VDEP also features hand crafted lore and POIs unique to our server, making up a new and different story for those who want a more immersive experience.
Chernarus is as wild as it’s ment to be
Make this server your server! Be what you want! Play how you want to play as long as you’re not toxic! Are you a Bandit, a Hero, a Survivor? Every life is a story, what’s yours?
We are a fun, friendly, and interactive community creating a server and discord for all types of players who are looking for that Vanilla DayZ Experience.
We want to populate the server with mature people who like to have a good time and have fun! Lone wolves, Squads, and Factions welcomed!
32 slots can increase to more! Admin/Coder always looking to improve and update! Active Admin
Always looking to improve and create a unique and diverse experience while staying true to the Vanilla feel of the game. The VDEP team works to make the best possible Vanilla Plus server available!
There is no kill feed, There is no safe zone, There is no admin backed trader.
Here's a few things VDEP offer:
+Vehicles spawn fully built - just find water to fill the radiator!
+Loot is vanilla condition - badly damaged to pristine loot to be found
+Landed C130 Event w/ Survival supplies - plane with food, civilian clothes, civilian weapons and building supplies!
+”Relics of The Old Ones” Survival Horror Experience - A VDEP exclusive Lovecraft & Horror inspired “Quest” Fight the Cult, find the Idols, Stop the Olds Ones, Save Humanity!
+Kamyshovo has come alive! - This little village is DANGEROUS. Rumors of a Cult, hordes of infected, and treasure! The VDEP Survival Horror Experience starts here. Live if you can, Survive if they let you! Face your fears in “Relics of the Old Ones” Episode 1; The Horror of Kamyshovo
+More Infected - The infected are abundant. Where there’s one, there’s more. No easily running through towns.
+Dark Nights - Afraid of the dark? You should be!
+Stashed items dont affect the loot economy - Find it, stash it, find another!
+Added Unreleased Items - Gun Attachments, Melee Weapons, and more!
+Amount of Building Supplies increased slightly - A bit more than official but you’ll still need to search for them!
+Unique Custom POIs - New locations around the map exclusive to VDEP. New Military, Civilian, and Horror Inspired locations can be found.
+Unique Server Lore - A unique and custom backstory to the server offering details and insight to the secrets of the map. For those who enjoy a more immersive play.
These are just a few things we offer, for a full list join our discord! It’s not required but will help you enjoy everything VDEP has to offer!
We have Punch and Pie!
Search VDEP to find Vanilla DayZ Experience Plus
https://discord.gg/SATQXKf75c

Used to play back on console a long time ago so me and a small group of friends got a server for PC and welcome anyone who wants to join, our goal with this server is to create a place were we can have some good times and make great memories with anyone wanting a safe place for PvE with a bit of PvP 3 times a week.
Our server is evolving and you may want to give your input on the economy, clan v clan interaction, what kind of events would you like, etc., then no worries that's all open, so if you want a server that listens to its members has increased decay times so you can pick up and drop the game whenever and dose not tolerate toxic people, were a great server to start with.
We now have a small but very active base of players that is constantly growing every day & some arena events every Wednesday with more coming soon, the server is still fairly new so come join and help us in making this one of the best community's in Conan.
2x Gather rate, 1.5x XP, 50% faster thrall & pet taming, PvP Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays (GMT-6)
Features - /home, /multihome, /tpr(teleport request), /trade, starter kits(more kits coming soon), paydays, social merchants(sell your own goods to other players using thespians), a market for players to place there thespians & An arena for thrall/pet battles or friendly duals, custom quests
Mods > Pippi - User & Server Management > ModControlPanel > Sudo Exile > Kerozards Paragon Leveling > Thrall Wars Dungeon > Emberlight > Frost and Flame Placeables > Pythagoras: Expanded building > LBPR - Additional Features > Unlock Plus > Less Building Placement Restrictions > Javelin Improved > SH - Armory > RA: Character Customisation & Fantasy Extension > Simple Minimap (by Xevyr) > Hosav's Custom UI Mod > AWS v1.0.7, Tot ! Custom
Server name - [FF] Exile's Sanctuary
Location - US West
IP/port - 45.137.246.56:29300
Discord - https://discord.gg/tgmvRMAfV7

أقوى عروض على غسالات ملابس اتوماتيك:

• فريش غسالة أوتوماتيك 6 كيلو أبيض FFM6VST1-D800WWLD
• غسالة فول أوتوماتيك تحميل أمامي من كاندي GVS107DC3B-ELA، 7 كيلو جرام – أسود
• بيكو غسالة ملابس فول أوتوماتيك 10 كيلو 1400 لفة ديجيتال بالبخار WTE 10736 CHT
• غسالة ملابس وايت بوينت تحميل أمامي ديجيتال، سعة 6 كيلو، فضي - WPW61015PDS

Received my order and have been testing the fragrances, purchased all of the above from Malkeet who’s very communicative which is surprisingly uncommon for sellers👀👀.
Bright Peach
Good Lord, this a prime example of needing to sample before purchase. I bought 30 ml decant and regret it deeply. I don’t love patchouli and it’s particularly strong here.
It opens with a strong dirty boozy rotten peach smell and then dries down to a honeyed patchouli with synthetic peach in the background. After that it stays quite linear. The peach scent is absolutely not juicy to my nose or particularly “real”. I love the smell of peaches but this one is by far the worst iteration I’ve smelled. I would only recommend if one likes patchouli heavy perfumes.
Longevity is good, nothing insane. It seemed to perform better on skin, am8-9 hours.
3/10
Versensia Noir
This one is interesting, I do not like the opening at all, it smells exactly like an insect repellent, very screechy, it then mellows out. You can definitely smell the cardamom and coconut florals here. Don’t love it, smells like a hair oil that I can’t quite place. It improves the longer it sits and by the time we get to the base notes it’s actually quite a pleasant and comforting scent. This perfume is a really journey, I really feel like you can follow the way the notes develop. Two thirds of it is quite bad thought and not sure it’s worth it for a mediocre end.
Longevity isn’t bad 6 hours or so but projection is good for the first few hours.
Yara
Yara! The surprise favorite and more complex than I expected. It’s really lovely and dreamy. Sweet but not sharp, very creamy. I don’t really pick up any strawberry or much fruitiness. It’s more florally. Smells very similar to the dry down of a Oriflame perfume called Secret Garden which has heliotrope and milk listed. Yara has heliotrope too so I’m guessing that’s what I’m really loving. It settles into a warm vanilla musk skin scent by the end and I love that too.
6/10
Longevity isn’t bad, 6-7 hours. On clothes, it retains more of its top and middle notes. Projection is mid.
8.5/10 and would purchase a full bottle anyday.
PS:- If anyone wants the Bright Peach 30ml decant please feel free to pm me, will send it out at the cost of shipping only. Want it to find a better home and perhaps save someone from making a mistake haha👀