Hey guys, So, I accidentally dropped my phone and since then, I'm getting very poor signal? from my service provider. Lemme try to explain this better. So, it shows I have 4 to 5 bars signal on my phone, but I can't use mobile data. Or make calls. I don't receive SMSs, either.
This is mostly an indoors thing. But, yeah, my phone just straight up shows "No service" even with the eSIM on, with a working data plan and everything. I tried a physical sim, as well, to see if that was the problem, but same issue, it just won't connect to a network.
And, because of this, I'm unable to use Mobile Data mostly inside buildings, make calls inside buildings, I don't even receive texts when I'm in my room. It's really a pain.
Outdoors, I do get better signal, but again, the mobile data speeds suck compared to my friend's phones. I'm a student and I constantly have to rely on my friends' Mobile Hotspot.
A techy person told me that it could be that one of the antennas are lose from the board, becauseof the fall? He also asked me to try and reset my Mobile Network Settings. All this, I tried. No luck. If this is an antenna issue, any idea about how much it'd cost to get it repaired?
This is an S22 Ultra, 512 Gigs, US AT&T Version. I changed the CSC to TMobile so that I receive normal OTA Updates, cuz AT&T won't let me update unless I'm on US soil with an active AT&T connection. Which is pretty messed up, AT&T. The device was paid for, like any other S22 Ultra. But, yours is worse than getting a normal Samsung one? FFS. Which Android version are you guys on, rn? If you're reading this on an S22 Ultra?

The days are short, the nights are extensively long. Those who survive, do so thanks to the endless charity of the ruling class, but none thrive. Those who are mighty, get inducted. Those who are a threat, get ended. Bounty hunters are aplenty, and all those who are scorned from all corners of society are welcomed under the embrace of Lenssle's darkened skies.

Campaign Info

• Scheduling - Scheduling is fairly flexible around GMT timezones. 5 PM GMT and after is generally the go to. Thursdays/Saturdays/Mondays are the available days. The time is fairly flexible, and the day/time of sessions will be determined based on the availability of attendees, that's to say, once the players are decided, we'll figure out a consistent schedule.
• Requirements - A working mic, a computer, and time.
• Campaign - The campaign is set in a homebrew city adjacent to Faerun. It's a city cursed with ancient, inexplicable magic that forces it to only ever get about two hours of shitty sunlight a day, and the rest is just clouds and general darkness. This has made it a haven for all those rejected by society, whether due to taboo or due to their nature or afflictions. It's ruled by a set of noble vampire families, a mercenary company, and a family of cutthroat werewolves. The city serves as a central location for bounty hunters, loreseekers, and those interested in arcane arts that are banned everywhere else.
• Rulings - As a DM, I'm incredibly flexible with game rules as I tend to favour fun a lot more. I also have a habit of homebrewing absolutely insane magic items for my players and my general goal is to let each player "do the cool thing" so to speak. I don't actually give much of a damn about official rulings if they get in the way of people enjoying the game.
• Questions - If you have any further inquiries, feel free to either leave a comment or text me directly. I will respond to things as soon as I can, however do not expect a very swift response.

________
The Setting:
The setting is largely centred around subverting the general themes of what you'd expect from a high fantasy campaign. This isn't exactly dark fantasy, but it leans very heavily into the themes. There is also an aspect of cosmic horror attached at higher levels.

• The City - The central focus of the campaign. Technically there is a main storyline to follow, however if the party doesn't wish to stick with that, there's a quest board and a bounty board. The environment is highly reactive, and the goal is to build a narrative centred around the PCs and not the other way around.
• The Story - Beyond the introductory quest that gets everyone together, the story follows a web of lies, questions, and secrets untangle themselves as the PCs explore. The idea is that each portion of the city has its own reasons to tie into the story, so ultimately the experience wouldn't be lost, but a lot of angles are provided to come at the story from.
• The People - Most NPCs aren't meant to be generic. Everyone in this city has a story and a reason to be here. Be it that they were born here, escaped a previous life, or have chosen to settle down somewhere less temperamental than the average village or city within Faerun. Each family has its own history and lore, however I'll only dive into those if asked. Lore dumping isn't to be expected unless prompted.

The campaign will likely stay within the confines of the city, but I'm open to suggestions about going beyond at higher levels.
________
About me: Name's Yusuf. I'm 23 years old. I live in Egypt. I've been running 5e consistently (1/2 sessions a week save for skips) for the past 4.5 years, and have experimented a lot with other systems. The reason I like 5e is because it offers a lot of flexibility for both player and DM, allowing a curated experience outside of the Intended Game Design™ of most TTRPGs. Having said that, it comes with an ungodly amount of jank that you have to weave through. Funnily enough, that is a very fair description of me as well, since I have a fairly fringe sense of humour but I do dabble into most things in life if just to try them. Ultimately, I don't judge anyone for doing anything long as it isn't too degenerate or outright criminal.
Application link: https://forms.gle/MddwwowQ5m9otW7BA

Hey guys,
I’m gonna jump straight to the point and then I’ll give you some background in case you’re interested in reading it out.
I’m working on developing a website builder that I intend to use for future projects. While there’s enough popularity on site hostings or page creators like Wix, Squarespace and even GoDaddy, I believe that the biggest selling point here is the fact that you could either build your site (or just a landing page if you’re trying to test an idea and you want to catch early adopters) or you could just drop us a requirement list and we could provide the first version of the page for you to proceed and do adjustments as needed (the page would still be built and delivered with our tool). All this without paying anything other than the monthly subscription.
There would be, as expected, already existing “components” and templates to start from scratch and it would include SEO & analytics metrics to review the site performance, but I came here to ask if you’d find it attractive enough to get on board just for the fact of outsourcing the site creation process.
Lastly but not less important, most of the hosting providers rely on WordPress for sites creation and that’s fine, but when you have to do plugin updates, or just a theme upgrade, things get ugly. So it’s also about saving an extra headache for a bit more of a dolladay. That being said, all the modules of my builder are made using custom code, meaning the site would perform overall better than any Wordpress site since WP adds a lot of unnecessary code in general.
Now I’m gonna go to the background and why I decided to make this tool (feel free to skip if you’re just not interested)
I’ve been a web developer for 5 years now, always working for a variety of US companies while also taking care of local clients on the side (I’m from Buenos Aires, Argentina)
It’s no surprise that while for most of them Wordpress was more than enough, at the end of the day having to go and update the sites/plugins was a pain for both parties. Not to mention that if you have a site with an already established amount of daily visitors, you’d need a “staging” site in which to perform the updates to make sure you don’t break the production one.
So making the toolset with custom code and having an underlying infrastructure that allows the site to be updated with barely no downtimes and not having to rely on a lot of 3rd party plugins is also something that adds to the pricing equation. I completely understand that for potential customers they wouldn’t really care about this, but again, im just curious on if they’d get on board with the idea or if I should just focus on using it myself and get on with it
Thanks for reading!

I know this is pretty early, but screw it. The WarGames match for the women will likely be on Raw because 1. There is no obvious feud for the women on SmackDown and 2. The Bloodline story will likely lead into WarGames for that brand anyway.
Damage CTRL is on Raw, and if there is a WarGames match this year, of course they would be involved. They’re the only female faction, and they’ve had main-event level feuds with basically all of the top names. But they’ve also confronted Rhea recently, with her and Iyo specifically staring each other down leading into Mania.
Now, they’re stepping to Becky and have teased problems with Liv as well. Lyra Valkyria is also tied into this, having eliminated Dakota in the first round of QOTR, and coming to Becky’s aid for two weeks straight.
When Rhea comes back, it’s only natural that she’s gonna eventually cross paths with Damage CTRL. I think they have potential to include all of these women in a big story heading into Survivor Series.
My theory is that Damage CTRL will be the dastardly heels that they are throughout this year, but they’re gonna continue targeting Becky and Lyra. This makes a common enemy for Liv and Damage CTRL. In the most recent episode of Raw, Liv attacked Becky after Damage CTRL attacked her, and it got me thinking that it could be possible for Liv to become friendly with them all, although I don’t see her fully joining them. It almost looked like Damage CTRL was nodding Liv on after the attack. So they can be buddy-buddy for a while, making Becky’s life hell. Lyra can also have little scuffles with Liv because she’s loyal to Becky.
However, I’m a little unsure about when to give the title to Liv. It could happen in Saudi, but I don’t really know if that’s the right crowd. Plus, I have a weird feeling that she won’t get the title until SummerSlam. How this could work is Liv loses in some kind of screwy way in Saudi that takes her out of the title picture briefly, while Becky can defend against people like Lyra, and maybe Dakota gets a crack. But Iyo is likely to win QOTR, so this could lead into a match for the title at SummerSlam. But Liv gets under Becky’s skin in the weeks leading up to the show. So, Becky is compelled to add Liv to the match and it becomes a Triple Threat. Damage CTRL is understandably pissed off. But Liv assures them that Iyo will get the first crack if she wins.
Liv wins the match by capitalizing at the last second. But it’s fine enough, because Iyo still has that guaranteed title match.
Enter: Rhea Ripley.
This goes pretty much like you’d expect. She wins that title back ASAP, likely in Berlin. How this match could work is in the match, Rhea hits a Riptide, and Liv kicks out. Liv can hit an Oblivion, but Rhea kicks out. Toward the end of the match, Rhea hits a second Riptide, but does so sloppily because she’s fatigued from the match and her injured shoulder starts to hurt. Rhea fails to make the cover, and Liv rolls over to the ropes and uses them to pull herself up. Rhea looks over, her face a mix of annoyance, confusion, and pity (like Thanos to Cap in Infinity War). She walks over to Liv, grabs her face and starts insulting her. “Stay down.” “You’re dead to me.” “This is my division.” Liv can slap her, spit at her, flip her off, or something else that conveys defiance. I had Omega vs Ospreay and Michaels vs Taker on the brain when I came up with this. Similarly, Rhea can headbutt Liv (who will sell it like death) and hit a third and final Riptide for the win. So Rhea retains, but Liv still shows an undeniable, never-say-die spirit. On the following Raw, Rhea can cut a celebratory promo that also gives Liv her flowers to some extent. This promo also makes it clear that Rhea is now a face.
Liv is pissed that she lost, but Damage CTRL is pissed that Iyo didn’t get the match she was owed. Around this time, Damage CTRL will have had a few run-ins with Rhea, and this heats up a bit after she wins the title because they still believe Iyo is owed a match. Liv apologizes and explains that she was blinded by getting revenge on Rhea, and simply forgot about the promise. They give her a hard time about this for a while until they turn on her on an episode of Raw. Then, Rhea comes out and makes the save. She tries to take Liv’s hand, but she refuses. Rhea’s reasoning is that she gained respect for Liv after their match. She says that being out gave her a lot of time to think, but seeing Liv for the first time in months made her go blind with rage. But their match gave her clarity again. Even though she was the better woman in Berlin, she gained respect for Liv and realized that they’re both the same.
In the following weeks, Liv makes it clear that she doesn’t want or need Rhea’s help, and that she still hates her. Rhea has betrayed her to join Judgement Day, crushed her WrestleMania dreams by eliminating her from the 2023 Royal Rumble, took six months off of her career, then takes her title away after having the gall to blame Liv for the bed that she (Rhea) has made herself. Then, she comes out and saves “poor little Liv” as if none of these issues ever happened. Liv explains that her and Rhea are not the same, and that she still hates her.
Meanwhile, Becky and Lyra try to mind their own business but keep running into issues with Kairi and Asuka. Also, Dakota starts to show interest in the Rhea’s title, even though Iyo is the one that is owed a match.
On one hand, imagine being Rhea. Imagine trying to turn over a new leaf, but your enemy wants to dwell on the past. But can you blame Liv for being angry with Rhea? Can you also blame her for being angry with the fans for turning on her?
And now because Rhea has inserted herself into Damage CTRL business, she’s a part of this overarching storyline. They’re constantly attacking her and catching her off guard. Mind you, Judgement Day is no longer around. Rhea and Dominik aren’t together anymore either. And on top of Liv not wanting anything to do with her, neither do Becky and Lyra. All three of these women have history with Rhea, and it’s not good. Rhea is trying to rally the troops but they’re not having it. So, Rhea is all alone.
There will likely be a title defense or two against Iyo and/or Dakota in the following couple of months. Unfortunately, I’m not sure what the schedule is gonna be for the PLEs later this year.
These will be successful defenses that Damage CTRL can’t let go of. So, they’re still giving all of these women trouble. And the other faces are saying that this is karma for all of the bad things that Rhea has done to others. And Rhea has to accept the fact that they’re right. But a few weeks out from Survivor Series, an episode of Raw’s main story is that Damage CTRL is hunting the faces. Throughout the show, they attack Liv, Becky and Lyra. At the end of the night, Rhea gets ambushed after a match. Then, the faces all come out and make the save.
This is a very uneasy alliance. Remember, Becky and Liv don’t like each other. Rhea and Liv don’t like each other. Rhea and Becky don’t like each other. Liv and Lyra don’t like each other. Even Rhea and Lyra don’t like each other going back to their run-ins in NXT. But the main story here is that Rhea has to confront the ghosts of her past while leading the charge through such a rocky road.
Instead of a typical rah-rah speech that the faces give before WarGames, the promo between these four women largely consists of Rhea being chewed out. But in the end, Damage CTRL is their main focus, and WarGames commence. The faces ultimately win and water is mostly thrown under the bridge among the faces. And from here, the Damage CTRL split is officially underway.
I think this idea works because like I said, there is no obvious match for the women on SmackDown. Plus, I can’t really see any other top faces on Raw being involved in this storyline outside of the ones I named. Plus, I think it would be interesting to see Rhea’s character develop as she suffers the consequences of her past. I understand that she’s popular, but I can’t get behind her returning as mega-face and getting ‘revenge’ on Liv. The promo she cut where she was playing the victim just rubbed me the wrong way, because Liv was the real victim. But I think this story is a nice way to address that, as well as her history with Becky and Lyra, while still keeping Rhea on top of the division. This also gives Rhea and Becky— two top names— a noteworthy program to be in, and it recruits Liv, who doesn’t always get big opportunities like this. It also puts Lyra on the map even more by being in such a high-profile feud in her rookie year.
Sometimes I think the characters lack depth and that’s what I’m trying to remedy. Make us feel something. These are characters at the end of the day. No different than your favorite one-hour drama.
I will admit that it’s a bit of a risk because Asuka and Rhea are both injured right now. As I said, I know this is very early. But I don’t think either of them are gonna be gone for too long. So I think that this idea could work. In my opinion, this is a rather compelling storyline, and the women’s division is in desperate need of storyline with more substance than just wanting a title. Of course The Bloodline will always and forever take priority, but there’s no excuse for there not to be other captivating stories across the board.
I’d appreciate any feedback.
Tl;dr- WarGames: Rhea, Liv, Becky, Lyra vs Damage CTRL.

this was actually meant to help me gather ideas for a song i'm trying to right, and it turned into a rant about how my life sucks, with a lot of metaphor
every day in my life always seemed to play on repeat, and it kinda drives me crazy, every day is the same like a song looping over and over, but the song is plain and can get really irritating and it dosn't stop, yes sometimes it might change for a small bit, but that never lasts, everything always stays the same, like a time loop, it drives me crazy having to live this again and again and again and again, it never ends, so i'm just forced to life through all this, i basically don't even have a life, i wanna get out, do stuff! but i'm trapped, nothing i do seems to count, it might help for a minute or 2 but it mostly ust makes everything worst, i hate my life and i want some kind of novelty, some kind of thrill, but i know that's unrealistic, and will never become my reality, tho i hope i'm wrong, this is the one argument i don't wanna get right, it's like a hamster wheal you could say, there's no point but to run and run and run, but there's no end result or destination, there's nothing there no deeper meaning, i might as well live in a void, empty space would pretty much be the same as this just less clutter around me, it's like yesterday is the mirror of today, nothing i do matters and so i care so much, cuz the litter things become so much bigger when the reality is shallow, i hate my life, that's a sentence that's been coming up a lot recently, cuz it's true there's nothing about my life that has any real substance to it, if my life was a reality show, there wouldn't even be one person board enough to watch that shit, how dose nothing matter and everything matter at the same time, it doesn't make logical sense, everything is so empty, but so damn claustrophobic, my life is a small cage, the zoo animal nobody looks at, there's no escape, no hope for me, i might as well stand in a corner all day, people can call me pessimistic but i'm just seeing what's really there, witch is nothing, there's only emptiness and suffering, toped off with boardroom and pain

Hey all,
I'll start off by saying that I am mechanically and electronically experienced but I am not in the access control industry, so your professional experience is greatly appreciated!
At my complex we have a clubhouse with keycard access control. We're currently using "MENGQI-CONTROL" control equipment (yes I know, but its extremely cheap and we aren't using it for anything critical by any means. It's been fine if you can get past the janky software and we don't have to adjust credentials very often).
We also have a family restroom (no stalls, just a toilet and sink in a room) attached to the clubhouse but accessed from outdoors. We want to add access control to this door as well due to trespassers destroying the restroom. Our control board supports 2 doors so we're covered there, but I am uncertain about the locking hardware itself. We currently just have a normal doorknob and a deadbolt with an "OCCUPIED / VACANT" flag built into the deadbolt.
I really like mag locks because we wouldn't have to change any hardware or modify the door much, but in this situation I don't think its a safe option. The controller is low quality and the door is the only way out of the room, plus an emergency disconnect button would allow trespassers to disable the lock if they were to somehow get inside.
My only current idea is a passage storeroom lever with an electric strike, and keeping the same deadbolt on the door. The only problem is that people have to actually turn around and lock the door when they enter, and if people aren't paying attention outside they might not realize that their keycard does actually work, the door is just deadbolted because it's occupied so they think something is broken. Plus it just feels a little mismatched. I don't think the "push to lock" buttons sometimes used in restrooms are an option on this cheap controller, but maybe I'm missing another option?
Thanks for any feedback you can provide!

I just posted my Pi AI "chat", where I did a fun exercise to create a Dwarf Fortress board game from the basis of Dwarf Fortress.
I posted in dwarffortress, boardgames, boardgame design. Wanted to see how people unfamiliar with AI would react. I expected a good natured "wow", "this is interesting", "neat" reactions.
Here's what I got in responses:
Unethical AI software should never be the answer for uninspired wannabe designers.
Terrific. Now you too can get a collection of statistically related words!
Imagine actually posting this.
You're using stolen property and are trying to lean on 'civility' to shield your shitty actions. Go fuck yourself, you talentless hack.
I mean you show up with AI dogshit, can't see anyone upvoting you, asshole.
Why not? Because it isn’t your intellectual or legal property and you aren’t making anything. The ai is cobbling together everyone else’s original ideas through history you bottom feeders can act like inventors, artists, designers, and game theorists. You’re an armchair laze with no sense.
And, yes, my posts were DELETED from those subreddits. Because apparently posting AI chat to help develop a board game is not allowed.
What are your experiences of sharing AI stories or using AI on other non AI related subreddits? Do you even do so? I do not think I will, the hate is just too much.

I have a design in Vivado with some AXI peripherals that works perfectly well under PYNQ, but not without it.
The code is a user space C program that opens /dev/mem, uses mmap to map whatever address assigned in Vivado's address editor, and then reads and writes to the memory-mapped IO.
The docs say to use fpgautil the device, but that does not work properly. However, if I first program the FPGA using PYNQ, even if I use a completely different bitstream, fpgautil works afterwards until the next reboot.
By not working properly, I mean that writing to 16-byte aligned addresses work, but the rest don't. For example, the following program writes to the first 16 registes of some AXI peripheral.

volatile uint32_t* p = ... // address of some AXI peripheral for(uint32_t i=0; i<16; i++) { p[i] = 0xFFF00000U + i; } for(uint32_t i=0; i<16; i++) { printf("%d: %08X\n", i, p[i]); } 

When I program the device using fpgautil, I get the following output (only reads and writes to addresses 0, 16, 32, and 48 work):

0: FFF00000 1: 00000000 2: 00000000 3: 00000000 4: FFF00004 5: 00000000 6: 00000000 7: 00000000 8: FFF00008 9: 00000000 10: 00000000 11: 00000000 12: FFF0000C 13: 00000000 14: 00000000 15: 00000000 

However, if I use PYNQ to program the device, even for a completley different bitstream, for example:

import pynq overlay = pynq.Overlay("some_other_bitstream.bit") 

and then use fpgautil to program the device, I get the expected output:

0: FFF00000 1: FFF00001 2: FFF00002 3: FFF00003 4: FFF00004 5: FFF00005 6: FFF00006 7: FFF00007 8: FFF00008 9: FFF00009 10: FFF0000A 11: FFF0000B 12: FFF0000C 13: FFF0000D 14: FFF0000E 15: FFF0000F 

Any ideas on how to fix this?
Board: Ultra96 V2
Linux Image: PYNQ 3.0.1
Thanks!

Can anyone in HDSB elementary give me an idea about what permanent job prospects are like? I've been redundant with hcdsb for 2 years and it looks like the board is just going to continue shrinking. Is it the same in the public board?? I'm trying to decide if I should ride it out or jump ship...
Thanks in advance!!

If yall got some ideas for cards I'd love it

Common Channeling- 29 Ways Demons Enter

1. Ouija Board-Reputable spiritual leaders and experts have long warned against using Ouija Boards and their variants, as they can potentially expose individuals to malevolent forces. The idea of “safe” communication with angels through these boards is often a deceptive marketing ploy.
2. Angel Boards—While proponents may claim that Angel Boards provide a safe and spiritual way to connect with the divine, these devices can open the door to potential dangers. The use of such boards has been linked to occult practices and the summoning of entities that may not have our best interests in mind.
3. Consulting spiritual mediums—Spirit mediums claim to communicate with the dead. In a world of uncertainty, many people turn to spirit mediums for guidance, closure, and a connection to the beyond. These individuals claim to be able to communicate with the dead, see into the future, and uncover hidden truths. But are these abilities genuine or merely an elaborate illusion? However, the validity of these claims has long been a subject of skepticism and debate.
4. Consulting psychics – Delving into the realm of the occult, where demonic forces are said to hold sway, carries with it a weight of spiritual and moral consequence that should not be taken lightly. As rational beings, we must carefully examine the claims made by those who purport to possess the ability to peer into the future and question the true source of their knowledge.
5. Demon Teleaphaty – The mechanics of this demonic telepathy are not fully understood, but it is believed to operate on a metaphysical level beyond the normal bounds of the physical world. The demon’s consciousness somehow intertwines with the host’s, allowing for the seamless injection of foreign thoughts and urges. This creates an intimate, parasitic connection that the victim may be powerless to resist or expel.
6. Spells – These carefully crafted incantations are more than words – they are the fabric of enchantment, woven together to manifest desired outcomes.
7. Curses – These spoken words of harm or punishment, imbued with the power of magic, have the potential to wreak havoc on the lives of their targets
8. Fortunetelling – Whether through interpreting dreams, reading tarot cards, or analyzing astrological patterns, the art of foretelling offers a unique perspective on the unfolding of events.
9. Spirit guides – Through channeling, we can summon spirit guides that are aligned with our unique needs and highest good. These guides come in many forms – from departed loved ones to angelic beings to ascended masters – each offering a distinct perspective and specialized knowledge.
10. Satanism – Satanism is not about worshipping a literal Satan but rather an extreme form of individualism and self-worship. Satanists believe in taking responsibility for their own actions and pursuing their desires without guilt or shame.
11. Witchcraft involves harnessing the natural energies of the world around us and using them to manifest our desires. Whether casting a spell to attract abundance, performing a ritual to enhance personal growth, or simply connecting with the earth’s rhythms.
12. Automatic handwriting involves the spirit or energy of a deceased individual taking control of the subject’s hand and guiding the pen across the page to convey their thoughts and wisdom.
13. Astral Projections -This out-of-body experience allows the astral body to explore the spiritual dimensions beyond our physical world.
14. Generational Demons – These “generational demons” are dark patterns and destructive tendencies that seep into our lives through our bloodline. While it may feel like an inescapable fate, we have the power to break these cycles of darkness.
15. Spiritual Husband or Wife – plaguing unsuspecting individuals – the rise of the “spirit spouse” or “spirit husband/wife.” This demonic entity assumes the identity of a person’s spouse, infiltrating their lives and relationships with the sole purpose of spiritual and emotional destruction. Sexual demons
16. Physical sex-straight or gay

—

Negative Emotions

Negative emotions can serve as a gateway for demonic influences to take hold in our lives. It’s essential to be aware of how these toxic feelings can open the door for malevolent forces to infiltrate our existence.
Emotions like anger, fear, resentment, and jealousy can act as conduits for demons to enter and wreak havoc. Unresolved trauma, addictions, and unhealthy attachments also make us vulnerable to potential demonic possession.
We must be vigilant in addressing and overcoming these negative emotional states. Failure to do so can pave the way for dark energies to take root and cause untold damage. By cultivating positivity, self-awareness, and spiritual fortitude, we can safeguard ourselves against the insidious influence of demonic forces that seek to prey upon our weaknesses.

Understanding the Connection Between Demons and Negative Emotions

By understanding the connection between negative emotions and demonic presence, individuals can take proactive steps to safeguard their mental and spiritual well-being. Cultivating positive thoughts and emotions is crucial to creating a protective shield against these malevolent forces. Through forgiveness, mindfulness, self-reflection, and spiritual practices, we can fortify our defenses and reclaim our lives from the grip of these unwanted entities.
Anger, fear, resentment, jealousy, and other toxic feelings open the door for these malevolent forces to infiltrate our lives. Unresolved trauma, addictions, and unhealthy attachments also make us vulnerable to demonic possession.
By understanding the connection between negative emotions and demonic presence, individuals can take proactive steps to safeguard their mental and spiritual well-being. Cultivating positive thoughts and emotions is crucial to creating a protective shield against these malevolent forces. Through mindfulness, self-reflection, and spiritual practices, we can fortify our defenses and reclaim our lives from the grip of these unwanted entities.

Common types of negative emotions intensified by demons:

1. fear (all types)
2. Suicide
3. Jealousy
4. Bitterness
5. Strife
6. Depression
7. worry
8. pride
9. fatigue
10. Addictions
11. Gluttony
12. Generational bloodline Detecting these generational bloodline demons is no easy task as they remain hidden, subtly shaping one’s emotional state over time. The transfer of these demons through bloodlines perpetuates a cycle of negativity that persists until confronted and cast out. Understanding and addressing these vulnerable moments is crucial in breaking free from their grip and reclaiming emotional well-being for oneself and future generations.

Christians Can Have a Demon

Christians have a Demon because they sin. What are some other reasons Christians can have a demon?
In addition, Christians can have a demon if they invite a demon to direct communication. Christians participating in channeling activities can have demons because they have violated a very important spiritual law. This spiritual law states God does not want anyone to communicate with other spirits.
This is a common reason that all Christians have a demon because they sin and do not repent. In reality, many Christians can have demons because they do not believe in the devil or know how to protect themselves from the devil.
God does not force Christians to follow Him alone. If a Christian invites a demon to communicate, God will permit the demon’s entrance. Even if the person wants the demon to leave, the demon will stay unless it is cast out by self-deliverance (for Christians), self-exorcism, or exorcism with a deliverance team.

We bought this about 15 years ago. I always wondered is it even real? I hear he was pretty prolific, and it seems pretty real. Antiques roadshow was in town last week, and I took it to see if they could tell me anything about it. the person I spoke to didn’t want to appraise it, but suggested I keep investigating. He suggested I send an inquiry to an auction house in New York. When I did they couldn’t appraise without getting experts involved and me sending it in. I was doing some looking around on the internet and found limited ceramics based of of this image. It called Femme au Cheveux Flous (Fluffy-haired Woman). The Roadshow appraiser mentioned this picture has two tones of paper due to how it had been framed in the sun without proper glass protection. So someone had it framed for awhile before it ever got to me. It has a small pin hole as of it was stuck to a bulletin board at some point too. Anybody have more info on this I’d love to hear it.

Hi- need serious advice. I know this is a novel, I’m so sorry but I would appreciate anyone who reads it. I’m a 20 yr old F and I live with my brother, 19 M, and my two parents. My parents are abusive. There is no way to get around it. Physically when I was young and mentally now. I can’t describe what they put me through now- it’s awful. I promised myself all throughout high school I would leave the moment I turned 18 but something kind of switched and they became more tolerable, almost nicer, so like a fucking idiot I stayed. I started my bachelors, started working and tried to convince myself it was alright. The other reason I stayed was for my brother. I’ve taken care of him my whole life. I didn’t have any other choice, and I didn’t think I wanted one. It was my duty to take care of him and I did my job as best as I could only being 11 months older. I have gotten in the middle of fights, taken beatings, punishments, paid for him, drove him, etc. Time and money I didn’t have to spare spent on him with no repayment, and I’m talking about he wanted a new $60 game so I asked him to help me while I cleaned my room (vacuuming, taking down dirty clothes, wiping down my fan). This has been going on for years. I was the one to complete his college essay, to call his advisors to get his transcripts, to do his homework, otherwise my ass was on the line with my parents. I have done everything I could for him. Plus, he didn’t even get into college because I told him he had to complete his 200 word prompt for his college application, leading him not to get accepted because he didn’t fucking do it. He’s in his first year while I’m almost in my fourth. I have had jobs for the last 3 years in my field while he has done nothing. I begged my parents for a car and drivers license for 2 1/2 years while he, at 19, only got his 4 months ago. He does the bare minimum. Less than that, actually. The night before fall semester started he got into a fight with my father, physically, left the house, and made me go looking for him and try to convince him to go back home until 5am. To say my semester was fucked after that is an understatement. It’s constant but I stay because I’m his sister. It’s my job. It’s also a cultural thing I guess. I know I’m venting but I’m getting to the point I promise. A month ago I asked him to help me clean my room so that I could study since he has a habit of fucking his room up, coming and staying in my room, taking up my bed, and asking me to buy him food. I had just returned from the library, brought him Taco Bell, and wanted to clean a bit before continuing to study for my final the next day. To be clear, if I didn’t pass this class I wouldn’t be on track to graduate or get into my optometry program. He said he didn’t want to help and bitched and moaned but when I pointed out that I had gone out of my way to get Taco Bell for him he agreed to aid. I asked him to just bring up some cleaning stuff and take down my clothes so I could have them clean for work and he left. After an hour or so of waiting for him (yes I was procrastinating and purposely didn’t ask why he was taking so long) I heard him come upstairs with a plate full of sandwiches and go into his room. I was pissed. I started to text him, angrily and cursing I’ll admit, about him not doing shit and being so annoying. I called him a bum for never following on his promises or doing absolutely fucking anything. He started texting in all caps not to call him that otherwise he swore to god I would regret it, and I, being the person that I am (a fucking idiot) called him it again. He rushed out of his room, kicked open my door and threw his phone at me as hard as he could and left me with a bruise. He started standing over me, threatening me, saying shit like he was going to throw me done the stairs, snap my neck, etc. I’ve seen him get that way before- he smashes shit to pieces, breaks anything in his sight, and generally destroys things. For some context he’s a big guy, almost 300lb and used to be able to deadlift 500+lb. I got scared, saw a knife on my counter from dishes I had yet to clean, and pulled it on him. He slowly backed off and went to his room, before I, again, a fucking idiot, called him a bum again. A stupid decision, I know, I would definitely be the bitch that got knifed in a movie and you’d cheer for her death. This time I closed the door before he could come in, he tried to break down the door while I was on the other side, and in response he smashed something made of glass on the other side and punched a hole in my door. I contacted my dad who was far away and he sent my mother home. My mother and I haven’t spoken to each other in a few months since she called me a burden for asking her to help me get my work clothes ready for the week. She came in, spoke to my brother I guess, then came in and spoke to me. She said it was unbelievable and she didn’t know what to say and when I explained what happened and then told me to study for my test. She also went back to talk to him and came back to talk with me, asking me if I pulled a knife on him, which I admitted to, only because I was seriously afraid of him pushing me down the stairs or knocking me out. After that I locked the door and when texting my parents about the situation they only told me not to worry about it, just study. I couldn’t, and I swear to god I tried, all night. I was scared and I think in shock. I got to the lecture hall early and tried to study there but that didn’t help either. I had done alright in the class, done very well in the lab, but knew I bombed the final. I went home and didn’t speak to anyone at home for days. After about 3 days I went downstairs and saw my dad who tried to act like it wasn’t a big deal. I explained how insane and irrational the entire situation was and how I wanted to move out. I couldn’t handle dealing with all of their shit, and if I was the problem like they said I was then I would be fixing that too. I have a very important board exam this summer that I also have to take to get into optometry school and I proposed that I would live on campus, only for the summer. He refused, angrily saying that it wasn’t me place to move out, that he would never support me, and that if that’s what I wanted to do I could get the fuck out right now. A few things- I pay partially for my school. I don’t make much but I put a lot of what I do have toward school and the rest towards little things for me and my brother. Secondly, almost every single thing within my bedroom I have paid for. Excluding the mattress, furniture, and my phone, I have paid for everything I need or want through hard work. Thirdly, both my parents are currently unemployed but wealthy. Wealthy enough that they can go on vacations, pay for four cars, go out with their friends, and pay for their son’s tuition with no hassle. It’s only mine that poses a problem, which is the reason they let me work. They attempt to dictate how I should spend my money constantly. The argument went on for an hour, him accusing me of failing because I chose to, him proposing that he get a lock for my door, telling me I could move into the basement, etc. When my father refused to budge I went upstairs, used a loc that I had bought for when your staying at a hotel to barricade the door and have not spoken to him since. It has been a month now and I have not spoke to anyone in person, though my mother has been trying to guilt me into making me give up my refrigerator in my room by telling me my grandfather is in hospice, there will be a funeral soon, and me having that fridge is making me too fat to be presentable, as well as trying to be nice and hugging me when I have to leave for work in the morning. Now, with all of that context, here’s what’s going on. Since the entire incident happened I have been trying to figure out a way to leave. I have looked into campus housing but it’s an additional $7000 per semester that I don’t think I can afford even if I take out student loans and do FAFSA. I’m scared of the position. It’ll put me in when it comes to going to school. I do have another choice though. I recently toured an apartment complex that is beautiful it’s my dream place and the rent is less than $1500 a month. The only problem is that I only currently make being part time 12 to 1300 a month I just got a raise to $18 an hour but even then that’s not gonna be enough to cover it if I’m going to school at the same time, I’ve looked into some options and FAFSA and loans wouldn’t be able to cover any of my housing outside of living on campus. The only problem with living on campus is I can’t make the morning drive less than an hour and a half to work and I’m afraid with how it all affect my schedule and will to study. I was honestly giving up the idea of moving out at all because it seems so impractical and there was no way that I could actually leave and take my stuff with me without a fight. However, I recently learned that my parents tomorrow are leaving on a five day vacation to Vegas with Little to no thought of how that affects me and the position that I’m in with my brother, if I can figure out a way to somehow be able to afford the rent for this place afford a car to get to work because we have really bad public transportation in my area then I think I would just drop out of school and go. I love optometry more than anything and that’s why I was willing to deal with all of this but maybe school just isn’t in the cards for me. I don’t want to give it up but I don’t think that I’ll make it out of here alive, in all honesty. I can’t keep up with everything it’s ruining my life and I’m only 20 years old. But it’s so scary that I don’t know if I can even take the steps to moving out. I just paid tuition for the spring summer semester and have only $500 to my name. I would need to take out a loan to be able to put down the down payment for the car and the apartment and what if I don’t get approved? What if my work doesn’t give me full-time? what am I gonna do then? I don’t have anybody in my life that could help me. I also have a big family that would all be on their side and agree with them and what if I leave and they come back and cause a scene that causes me to lose my job? They would 100% do that. I know for some people it’s a no brainer but put yourself in my shoes. I have no money, family, friends, or support. At least here I have car and my room and sometimes they’re tolerable. I would only have to do it for 1-2(?) more years. On the other hand, this place is destroying me. I hate who I am becoming because of it. Would it be worth giving up my future for getting my dreams or moving out? If you read all of this you’re amazing, thank you so much. I can only stare at a pros and cons list for so long 🙃

[ First / Previous ]
Memory Transcription Subject: Hileen, Krakotl Fugitive Recovery Agent
Date [standardized human time]: November 28th, 2136
It'd been a while since I sat in Marlig's office for a talk face-to-face. Given the agency's secluded location at the edge of the downtown region, it was a chore to drop by when it wasn't for business, but I'd deemed the matter at hand to be worth my time.
I passed by Nampi at her desk on my way to the door and she gave me a coy glare as I carried on. Trying to ignore her risible ear waggle, I turned the corner to the door with my boss’s name painted on the glass panel where I could hear the frantic crumpling of paper.
Quietly, I entered Marlig's office without prompt as I knew he hated to be spooked by knocking. My mentor was surprisingly spry for a bird at his age, sorting through papers with one wing and an eye while using his talons with the other to set away the papers he had splayed out.
“Hileen!” he chirped. “Glad you could make it in today. I was just finishing up my paperwork. Take a seat.”
It was always nice to hear him drop the professional motif for a more grandfatherly attitude when speaking in person. I did as he suggested and took a seat while he grumbled to himself over the sorting. My eye caught a few of the old contracts he was rifling through and saw that some dated back to his days as an agent.
Eventually, he left some sitting out as he sequestered the rest back into their files, sorted by a dichotomy that only he and Nampi could comprehend fully. He motioned with a wing for me to peruse and I turned the first one to face me to find it was my first contract, signed by me in a sloppy fashion. “This takes me back a couple of years.”
“Slick bastard thought he could get away on a forklift but you showed him! Certainly more exciting than my first day!”
“Mm-hmm. And it was when I nearly got impaled that you had the idea to commission all of us utility vests.”
He chuckled, “I really should’ve done so sooner. Cuts and scratches were already a risk, but a forklift was a new one!”
I flipped through the pages of each report, finding that Marlig's notes were filled with praises of my work. There were highs and lows, but I was flattered to find that the grizzled krakotl held my performance in such high regard.
“Flawless interception!” read one footnote about me catching a runner. “Couldn't have done it better myself!”
Marlig waited patiently as I browsed quickly through each page, realizing more and more how the notes also marked improvements in my work. How I found it easier to talk down a rowdy client, or apprehend them in the case that they were beyond helping on my part. Flowery language plastered most pages with him fawning over my work as a doting father would to his prodigal child.
The trend took a sharp turn as the notes became fewer and more critical the closer the dates reached to the present. I brushed the others aside with a wing to peruse the final paper. “And this…”
“Is Tac. Your latest contract. The most recent in a line of declining performance since the interview. This has become a pattern, Hileen, and its consequences are beginning to reach beyond yourself. Paji and Vesek resigned recently for personal reasons, which leaves us even less hands on deck than before. That's four people to cover the entire municipal region, and maybe even beyond, should needs arise. Three, if we include this little probation I have you on.”
“What was I supposed to do? Marlig, these ‘jobs’ you've got us working on overstep the contracts we were signed on with. Our job is to make sure people obey their court-mandated duties, not drag them off to the facilities ourselves!”
“... So the trip we took to the facilities did bother you.”
A sigh clicked in my throat as he reminded me. “Is that what happens to the people we take in, Marlig? Is that what would've happened to your wife?”
His feathers ruffled.
“That's what happens to those who are too dangerous to the general public to be left roaming free. Not everyone we deal with winds up there, but everyone can be subject to it. Miskela sued for her exoneration and proved in court that she was not diseased. I brought you there to show you how it helps the people, but I see now that it was a mistake. I understand why you were so perturbed, really, but it's how things have been for centuries. It's how we've protected ourselves from the dangers out there.”
“You were willing to let Barsul be interned there, too.”
Marlig flinched and sighed as he swept the papers towards himself once I'd signaled I was done. He turned one eye to me while he sorted them.
“There's no room for favoritism, girl. I negotiated for him to be allowed to walk free, and look where that got me. That boy - your neighbor - suffered the consequences of my nepotism. So too would the girl, had nobody intervened.”
“Like Richard.”
“The human, yes. Or you. Or the police. Where does this sudden obsession with humans come from, anyway? I get notifications of you talking about the acceptance of them all the time on forums.”
“Does it even need explaining?”
“Well, I guess not, no, but it's certainly an about-face from the way you used to talk about them with me beforehand.”
“People can change, for better or worse. Which one I fall under remains to be seen.”
Marlig stroked at the plumage on his neck as he finished his sorting. “I hope it's the former, for your sake. Was there any reason you came to talk, or were you just checking that I hadn't gone senile?”
“Well, I was hoping to borrow your secretary for the evening.”
He perked up while his eyes narrowed and he laced his fingers together with curiosity. “You… want to spend an evening with Nampi?”
“It's not what you're insinuating, but yes.”
“I was insinuating nothing,” he warbled coyly. “Go ahead and take her, and make sure to split the bill at dinner.”
“Pain-in-the-ass geezer. I'll keep in touch if your friend causes any more trouble.”
“Keep in touch regardless. Miskela and I get lonely in our old age,” he called back. “Take care.”
I stepped out into the hallway and turned toward the desk where I could hear the secretary's claws tapping furtively at her keyboard. Nampi sat silently with her ears and tail in a relaxed position that implied a bored demeanor. There was barely any response as I stood before her, waiting politely for her acknowledgment that never came.
Hesitantly, I cleared my throat.
An ear raised in acknowledgement, but her focus remained on the screen of her computer. “Mhm?”
“Do you…?”
Her ear rotated toward me, though she still maintained a passive attitude as she continued to glare mindlessly at the monitor.
“Are you free this evening?”
“Well, I'm quite booked, I believe. Why do you ask?”
I was surprised at her curt, dry tone. She hadn't spoken with me like this since we first got to know one another.
“Well,” I started. “I realized something. Every time we went out, whether it was clubbing, or dinner, or even walking around the parks, you always footed the bill. And so…”
Slowly, her other ear perked up and I saw her keystrokes slow down as she listened in.
“I wanted to return the favor?”
Her lips smacked as she opened her mouth, though paused before she spoke. “How could you possibly do that?”
“With a little gesture of friendship.”
Nampi's horizontal pupil turned up toward me and her tail twitched.
I continued, “So that belt you're wearing? It's the same belt you've worn since we first met. And I know you're the pragmatic type who'd never spend a credit more than she needs to, except for all the times you do"- her ears twitched in indignance -"I wanted to see about getting you a little something… extra?”
Her paws raised from the keyboard and she leaned in, resting her snout on her palms. “Go on.”
The bubbly venlil's tail sold out her collected facade as it twitched with anticipation. She was cornered and she didn't even know it yet.
“Well, I found just the place on the other side of town where we can start. It's a place almost as rich and indulgent as yourself.”
“The Platinum Paw? I mean3”
Her ears folded back in embarrassment as she cracked. She wasn't cut out for acting anyway.
“So that's what it's called! Jeez, I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was called. Now what do you say? We go over there and find you something nice—”
I hadn’t even finished my thought before Nampi had grabbed her bag and was out the door, giving me a playful tail flick that said come and get me.

The place I suggested was in a shopping center on the opposite side of town, though easily accessible because of its proximity to the transport rails. Nampi had insisted on grabbing something to eat beforehand and so now gleefully bit into a bundle of stalks that had been “grilled” as explained from the food truck we'd stopped at.
Her tail flicked back and forth with her usual enthusiasm as we entered the massive complex of stores. The roofless plan allowed the natural, orange sun to flood the upper levels while artificial lighting illuminated the ground level wherever the light couldn't reach.
The place was built in the last decade by the previous City Magister in a bid for popularity, though ultimately for naught as he would lose the vote following a scandal involving an iftali priestess and a carved bar of soap. I had to say that despite being sick in the head, he sure had a great sense of decor.
Nampi snacked away, joining me in admiring the scenery as we continued to the place I’d planned out for us. Aimless chatter all melded together into a single, thrumming murmur as pedestrians navigated the many levels and stores offered in the place.
A troupe of children passed by us, held in a chain of tails and arms as they were escorted by a pair of venlil who I assumed were students and teachers on a school trip. I caught a whiff of a sweet, aromatic breeze and found it to come from a perfume shop on the same level as us; naturally, venlil were not to be found inside.
We passed a fountain where a couple sat on the edge, their tails twined together as they giggled and flirted. I turned and caught Nampi watching them as well, though she awkwardly returned to sucking the remains of her meal from her claws when we made eye contact. Her ears lifted when I raised a wing to signal to the store we were going to stop at first.
“Platinum Paw, The Greatest Fashion Emporium For Everyone!”
The title alone was painfully cliche, taken to the tenth power by the brightly lit store taking up three department slots. Despite the flashy exterior, though, it was the best place to shop for belts, brooches, and bracelets alike. Customers who looked like they earned my yearly salary in a week browsed the higher end brands while I brought my friend to the section I wanted to show her.
Her ears were held up as we stood together next to a shelf chock full of fashionable bags and bandoliers of every variety.
“Pick one,” I told her.
Nampi's ears shot to a straight pose in surprise, “Any?”
“Within reason. I've got a few extra credits to blow and I know nobody better to spend it on.”
With an inviting headtilt, I let Nampi peruse the shelves at her leisure. Her lips pursed together and her tail flicked with glee as she fingered at every piece that caught her eye. I chuckled at her outburst of enthusiasm while turning to find my own items to gloss over.
A breeze from outside nipped at my beak while I considered what I’d like to purchase. The place dripped with an atmosphere of faux hospitality, from the bright blue-stained floorboards to the radio prattling off advertisements in a sickeningly sweet tone to the faint, fruity aroma of scented cleaner. It was oppressive as only a fissan-owned company could be to the senses.
What I wouldn’t pay to see how a human would fare in such an environment.
I knew they were social creatures at least, but I had no doubt that the predatory senses of a human, so honed to hunting, would get overstimulated in this center of gaudy indulgence. Knowing I was something of a predator myself made me sympathize provided that even I had to squint to keep the pale lights inside from searing my eyes. I could only imagine how the arboreal eyes of a Terran would fare. I was so lost in thought imagining how lost the Terrans would be that I could almost ignore the obnoxious giggling and metallic rattling coming from behind me.
Risking a peek at the source, into my sight came a pair of venlil, one a male carrying a pair of bags as well as a couple more strapped to his belt. The bored expression in his eyes was not one of a man who was in high spirits. The other venlil was a woman who was the source of the noise.
Her mottled gray pelt was accented by a tasteful belt design, free of almost any practical functions but not flashy or excessive in garnishment either. At least, that’s what I would say, were it not for the braid of beads that dangled on the belt, jingling with each bounce of the lively woman’s stride. It was clear that such a gaudy accessory was intended to draw attention to her, though why was a mystery. Certainly, the shiny braids seemed designed as decoration first and practical second.
She turned about and I faced back to my browsing before she could catch me staring. Nampi was nowhere in sight, though I figured she was somewhere behind the shelf, sifting through every accessory on the section I'd suggested.
Clink.
Something pelted to my immediate right. I tilted my head to spot a tree nut shell clattering to the floor. Without being able to guess where it came from, I had to wonder what could've launched it over this way. Even with my keen eyesight, nobody in the crowd seemed to be a suspect.
Clink.
Another shell pelted my vicinity, ricocheting off of the floor and hitting the shelf I was standing next to. I ruffled my feathers in frustration - clearly, someone was trying to get my attention, though I couldn't make out who it was. Out of the corner of my vision, the woman from before eyed me curiously as I looked about, though I wasn't interested in engaging with her.
Thwack.
One more shell came flying and, unfortunately, the aim on this one was true, nailing me on the beak. Irritated, I stormed out of the store to find the source of the instigator. I scanned over the bodies to find anyone who could've been responsible for this indignity, eventually concluding that it came from the dining area across the walkway.
Whoever was responsible was in for an earful and I was already structuring which of the offender's family members would be acceptable as fodder for stray words. As I approached, I found the tables were mostly empty save for one, which made my heart begin to drop as I met eyes with the only occupant. Suddenly, I was much less inclined to hurl insults.
“Oh, hi there!” Qitel called out in a sickly sweet tone. “Come, take a seat! We have much to discuss!”
The Exterminator clutched a bag of tree nuts in his claws, a pile of discarded shells already gathered on the table next to him. He grabbed another as I approached, effortlessly prying the shell in half between two claws and tossed the contents into his mouth. “Good protein, these,” he commented as I sat down.
“Must be for that good arm you've got there,” I mumbled. I caught sight of a couple of bags beneath his chair, seemingly from one of the tech stores contained within the center.
“Bah, it's guesswork. So how are you? I haven't heard from you since we worked together!”
“I was just spending time with a friend, shopping and enjoying my time off.”
“Your time off? Oh, am I interrupting something?”
His snide tone irked me, though now wasn’t the time for interjections. “You are, Qitel,” I replied with no shortage of vitriol in my tone. “But I see no harm in chatting for a bit.”
“Good, because I have some merchandise”- he reached into his belt pocket and deposited a couple of items onto the table -“and you’re just the person to look into it, human sympathizer.”
I drew a terse breath in shock, but my worries were quelled when I considered that if Qitel had the power to do anything about it, he would’ve done so instead of approaching me so discreetly. A glance down at the item on the table showed that he was presenting what looked to be a tracker as well as a personal drive. “Found in the garbage,” he told me.
“The guild resorts to dumpster diving when they already have such a bloated budget now?”
“No, featherbrain, I have decided to keep this for myself. These items were found together, sealed in a plastic pouch, and placed in a garbage bin. The city has bans against electronics being placed into public bins, and so I was curious why this wound up in there. Managed to get my coworker, a techie, to crack it open and…”
Qitel reached into his belt again, glowering at me with the same condescending gaze he’d given me when I first saw his face. He seemed to revel in digging for the item as slowly as possible to waste my time. Finally, he found whatever he was looking for and revealed it as a printed piece of paper, folded into eighths. The snobby yotul threw the unfurled paper on the table and rolled it toward me.
I craned my neck to look at the parchment, though I was immediately perplexed by the text on it; it appeared to be some sort of form, going by the boxes with words on the inside, followed by blank lines. “Found on the drive, here,” Qitel told me, jabbing a claw to the storage. “Translator shows it as Terran writing.”
Drawing my holopad from my satchel, I held it over the paper with the translator to get an understanding. Surely enough, the language on it came up positive as a variant of Terran writing and I was affirmed in it being a form of some sort based on the wording of the text. The boxes seemed like an odd sort of job application, asking for the typical name, contacts, and prior work experiences, but quickly took a strange turn as it began asking for where their home on Earth was prior to arrival, what family they had on Venlil Prime if any, and where they worked, implying that they were seeking individuals who were already employed.
I knew little about human employment methods, but I didn’t imagine that sourcing individuals from other jobs was the most efficient way to gain a workforce. Terran service industries already dotted the planet while many humans also found work in local environments. So what was the angle that the creator of this application was going for?
Most concerningly was that the paper had no insignia, identifying marks, or noted address to return the form to. “And where did you find it again?”
“In the garbage, alongside this intact tracker that was activated at the time of recovery. Y’know, when I was dumpster diving. Text on the document showed it was addressed to one ‘Choctaw Nexus’.”
“A pseudonym of some sort?”
“Clearly. Short sorting through the archives shows the first name traces back to the group out east - perhaps you've heard about them. How the name and the items we have here are connected is beyond my understanding, but-”
“Well, this has been an absolutely riveting discussion about your collection of trash, Qitel,” I told him as I stood up to leave. “But this really sounds like an issue to be resolved by your fellow guildsmen.”
The sound of another shell splitting rang out as I turned away.
“I'm not through talking with you, predator.”
The sting as a piece nailed me in the back of the head prompted me to whirl back around, sticking my beak in the insolent yotul's snout. “Perhaps you've forgotten, little man,” I cooed in an equally bittersweet tone to the one he gave me before. “The krakotl never had a problem with settling issues the old-fashioned way before the interview. Try me and find out why I'm in the line of work I am.”
“Oh, we wouldn't want that in such a"- he waved his paw to a group of passersby who had stopped to gawk at my display -”public forum. Please, contain yourself.”
I had to force the feathers on my back to settle and I raised my head away from him. “What else is it you wanted, then?”
“Well, I'd appreciate if you took this merchandise off my paws,” he told me as he brushed the electronics and printout toward me.
“Why would I do that?”
“Because you're closer to the humans than I'd ever care to be, and may be able to find out who this Choctaw Nexus is. Something about the package just feels… off. And I know when to trust my feelings. Besides, we both know that you know where Tac is, don't we?”
“I don't-”
“We have videographic evidence that you conspired with a human - of the aforementioned squatters, no less - and let the kid escape. You're not as sneaky as you think, and if we find this ‘Choctaw Nexus’ turns out to be a bad actor that can be traced back to them - and by extension, you - well, there’d be no talking down my boss from having you dealt with. By helping me find out who this is, you may yet be able to clear your name of any wrongdoing.”
I clenched my beak tightly to maintain a straight face. Qitel stood up with a flourish and discarded the bag he was carrying in a bin.
“See, the krakotl were never special for using threats and bullying to get results. It's because you were good at killing predators,” he jeered. “Now, if you don't mind, this primitive has appointments to attend to… old lady who got trampled courtesy of the humans and all. You stay out of trouble, Hileen, and stay in touch.”
The self-assured marsupial melded into the crowd in a matter of seconds, leaving me with a table containing dumpster trophies and a pile of shells. Reluctantly, I swept the shells into my wing and dumped them into the bin before gathering the other two items he'd left me and stuffing them into my bag. I'd been gone from Nampi long enough and she would notice my absence before long.
Crossing the walkway again, I could spot from where I stood that Nampi was indeed still in the Platinum Paw. I approached, and soon I found that while she didn't seem to have noticed me stepping away, she was definitely in a soured mood based on the sagging of her ears and tail. With my talons clacking on the floorboards, I hustled to her side and her mood chippered up ever so slightly as she heard me approach.
I chimed in, “Find anything?”
“Everything. I want everything, Red, and I can't decide on what I want. They all just look so great!”
From behind, a voice called out, “Nampi!”
We both jumped at the exclamation and turned about to spot the venlil lady I'd seen before spring from behind the shelf. The man poked his head from behind the shelf too, though less enthusiastically and with yet another bag in his clutches. My friend's eyes widened in surprise with her tail and ears perking up in kind. With a light in her eyes, she exclaimed, “Nalek!”
The two embraced with shrill squeals and laughter as Nalek's accompaniment and I traded awkward glances.
“It's been too long!”
“You never stayed in contact!”
The women exchanged giddy greetings and the pompous stranger turned to me, leering over me as though she was sizing me up.
“Who's your friend here?”
“Oh she's actually my-...”
Nampi paused for a moment, looking back to me.
“Yeah, she's a friend.”
“A friend,” Nalek repeated while her eyes flicked between Nampi and I. “Right.”
Somehow, I get the impression that that was judgemental.
“I'm Hileen, by the way,” I chirped, “if names are to be exchanged.”
“Hileen, that's a lovely name! And such plumage to match, it's a wonder you aren't swarmed by suitors!”
Internally, I groaned at the notion. The idea of being approached by someone to state their interest in me made me queasy, to say the least. Thankfully, I never had that issue growing up as most of the other drakes in school were too busy chasing girls who didn't have a lousy pigmentation mutation such as myself.
“I'm flattered,” I told Nalek before turning to the man whose name had yet to be introduced. “May we get your name?”
“Sask.”
His response was succinct and tonally flat, though there was a brief silence as I expected him to elaborate. Nalek's beads jingled as she lashed him on the calf with her tail.
“I'm Sask, Nalek's fiancée,” he added, throwing her a look to see if she was satisfied.
Nampi gasped with her paws over her snout. “Fiancée! Nalek, you're getting married and you never even told me!”
“Well, I felt a little guilty since it technically broke our pact we made when we were pups. You remember that?”
“Of course! Why wouldn’t I? ‘Let she who bonds through betrothal first be cast out unto the world for all to admonish her!’”
Sask and I both gave inquisitive expressions. “You two spoke like that as pups?” Sask asked.
“Well, I'm paraphrasing,” Nampi admitted with a playful ear waggle. “But you get the gist.”
“Indeed, they do, sweet Nampi. Now, may I ask what you're doing bringing your avian friend here into this store on this fine claw?”
“Oh, no no, she's the one treating me! Isn't that right, Red?”
I saw her tail twitch and was sure it took restraint not to tickle my neck with it as we stood before her old friend.
“She's been a good friend,” I explained. “So I wanted to reverse the roles for once and treat her to something myself.”
Nampi skipped over to me and wrapped her arm around me, glancing back to her old friend. “See? We'd all be so lucky to have a… friend like her.”
“So I've witnessed. But perhaps you're a bit stuck, as I've seen you prancing up and down these aisles for a while, no? Maybe you don't know what you want?”
“Nalek, you know I've never been good about making my mind up.”
“Some things never change, you ditz. Tell you what: you and Sask go find us a seat and we can catch up all we'd like when we're not taking up aisle space, yes? So shoo! I'll help Hileen here pick one out for you!”
With a bored grunt, Sask made off with the goods he had strapped to himself, followed by Nampi who gave me one more playful tail flick before dashing off into the crowd. I looked back to the mottled snout of Nalek who watched her friend wander off with a wistful glance.
“She was my first, you know.”
“Your what now.”
“Love. Way back when we were growing from pups into young adults back in private education, we explored much together. We saw each other through a lot, including the less savory parts of finding a mate. When Nampi realized it wasn't the boys she was into, she turned to me, and I offered my hand as her stalwart companion… to a point.”
“You weren't interested in her the same way?”
“I'd grown up seeing her as a sister of sorts, so ultimately, when we split it off, we stayed close as friends and she never seemed to be bothered by it. She struggled to find others in school who had the same interests as herself, but she never fussed about it.”
Nalek's claws browsed over a set of pouched bandoliers made with intricate embroidering. “Have you two… spent the night together? Alone?”
Spiritually, I reeled from the inquiry. The whiplash from that question was equitable to being smacked by a human. “Wha- why? How's that pertinent to the subject at hand?”
“That sounds like a ‘yes’ to me,” she purred with a smug glance my way.
I didn't need to begin to list the different ways such a question was violating to our privacy, and yet this woman was treating it like a game.
“Not really your concern, ma'am.”
Nalek chuckled as she picked out one of the bandoliers and inspected it with her claws. “I'd like to think that she and I still have that old connection, despite everything. And to that end, I know that she's no slag and doesn't trust easy. To see her be so vulnerable around you and to talk so highly of someone who's clearly below her income level as a predator…”
She stretched the bandolier out to appreciate the design in its entirety.
“Well, that's something special. Here"- she foisted the accessory into my wings as I stood gobsmacked -"this just screams her name.”
“This is, like, double my budget.”
“Love don't come cheap, darling. You wanna see good things happen, sometimes you've gotta step out of your comfort zone and grasp for it!”
“I'm being lectured by a rich woman on finances.”
“It's a philosophy that goes beyond money, ‘Red.’ The humans have a saying, in their horrendously predatory nomenclature, that contains a kernel of truth: ‘you miss every shot you don't take’.”
Yep, that's definitely a human phrase.
Nalek's steely braid rattled with every flick of the tail as we proceeded through the checkout.
“You want things to change between you and her?” she continued. “Don't just wait for it to happen.”
She let the conversation rest there as we finished the purchase, possibly to let me recuperate mentally from the damage done to my account. Outside, we found our respective partners sitting at a table with Sask looking up in boredom as Nampi chatted away, though she immediately shut up and turned to me with excited flicks of her tail as she saw what I was carrying.
I held it toward her and she happily shot to her feet, effortlessly removing the tags with her claws and clipping it to her belt. Nalek clapped and waggled her tail as the giddy lady did a whirl about to let us admire the accessory. While I'd have preferred one with pockets to give it a more practical use, I decided to let Nalek have the victory as our mutual friend clearly enjoyed it.
The rest of the paw was a blur as the two friends chatted without end until Sask eventually reminded his betrothed that they had a schedule to attend to. Though Nalek offered to call us a taxi home as a gesture of kindness, I saw through her ruse to determine that she was trying to pull a fast one on me - the clever ear flick she gave as we boarded the automated vehicle sold it for me.
We sat in the seats as the vehicle took the express ride home.
Nampi cleared her throat before she spoke, “Thank you for taking some time to spend with me, I know you've had a lot less free time as of late.”
“It's a prison of my own design, if I must be honest. A feedback loop of working a job that doesn't guarantee a paycheck to pay for rent that keeps going up, and thus needing to work more.”
The venlil giggled and chided me, “You really should've stayed in university.”
“There's a lotta 'should haves’ that've led me to this point. No use wondering what could have been.”
“There's always a use for wondering what could have been, Hileen.”
She wrapped an arm around my shoulder.
“Every decision I make, I always wonder what I could've done differently that it'd have turned out better,” she explained as she waved her free paw to the sky. “It's how you grow as a person, Red.”
Her silky pelt felt heavenly in contrast to the chilly air from outside, making it hard to let her words sink in.
“You rich types seem chock full of philosophy. I wonder if I'll become a brooding orator when I get some cash to my name.”
The cab filled with laughter as we veered around the final corner to my neighborhood, as it was the closest stop. The door popped open accompanied by a chime from the drone, signaling for me to depart.
But before my talons could even hit the pavement, I felt Nampi's scrawny arms wrap around my waist and she let out a pitiful mewl again.
“You don't need to get off here,” she told me with a pouty expression. “We can spend the rest of the paw at my place.”
“I'd love it, but I need to water my plants and get the month's bills sorted before they're due. Again.”
One claw at a time, I plucked her paws from around my waist and the childish venlil conceded, giving me another ear waggle as I departed. “I'll see you tomorrow?” I asked her.
“If you still have eyes by then, then you can bet your ass!”
“I still don't gamble.”
“You'll come around to it eventually.”
I shut the door to the taxi and watched as it carted away the one venlil who I ever truly felt on the same wavelength as. Fiddling with the lock felt like more of a chore than usual at this time as I felt a little voice tugging at the back of my head.
“You miss every shot you don't take.”
The lock felt jammed as I began to jiggle it more vigorously with the electric key. Either the RFID or NFC readers were messed up, as the lock refused to accept my key. I looked up and down the street, though Nampi was now long gone for me to rescind my earlier rejection.
“Every decision I make, I wonder what I could've done differently.”
The door rattled as I grew more and more infuriated with the lock. Qitel's smug expression as he threatened me so boldly in public played back in my head, and I wondered what would've happened had I decided to go through with insulting his mother. Better yet, I wondered what could've been had I not backed down in the face of his unflinching confidence.
Bzzt. The lock rejected my key again.
“Raagh! You fucking useless hunk of junk!”
I squawked in anger and kicked against the door, careless of the consequences of having Markol back down here to admonish another of his tenants for causing a ruckus. The walls were surprisingly sturdy for how ineffective the venlil architecture looked on the surface and I reeled back in pain as my leg throbbed.
Click.
I looked to my left to see that it wasn't my door that came open, but that of the twins. The door cracked open ever so slightly, no doubt nudged by the force of my tirade and I sighed. Nobody was expected to be home at this time, with Vili being away and Luka leaving early to get a head start.
Luka had been given a stern talking-to by the landlord for allowing one of those cats into his apartment through neglect, and I was disappointed that he seemed to have not learned his lesson this time. In fact, it seemed he hadn't even thought to lock the door this time.
I took it upon myself to shut the door for him before turning back to my own apartment door. Grasping the key with one talon, I turned it ever so gently, though the lock still refused to give in.
With a bit more force, the torsion applied to the key felt as though it should've snapped it by now. Markol sure didn't waste any expense for the security for this place, doubtlessly as a result of his history in electronic security, but I wished now that he had provided a way in that didn't rely on privately sourced locks.
Considering my options as I stood trapped outside, I realized that I had never gotten around to paying for a new lock for Tadi. I'd considered contacting her to inform her that Tac had made it out of town safely, but that'd involve also telling her that her son was now in the care of humans, as if that was a better outcome to her.
Stepping out front, I realized that there was one more option I hadn't considered: my window. I usually forgot to lock it after I was through letting air circulate and I was silently grateful to myself for this absentmindedness now more than ever. Sticking a foot on the threshold, I lifted myself in a way that'd allow me to have leverage to force the window open.
The window made me fight for every inch, but I felt a strange satisfaction as it slowly opened up into an entrance that I could squeeze my way through. I let out a sigh as my talons clicked against the cool floor and slid the window shut.
I laid my satchel on the couch and turned back to the door, ready to unleash my fury on the disobedient object. But as I reached for the lock to manually open the door, I noted that the lights on the RFID interface both flashed at once, blinking erratically. Red and green flickered without rhyme or reason, indicating that it was both active and inactive.
As pretty as the colors were, I now knew that Markol's locks were not as reliable as he had touted them about: typically, such would not occur unless the device was damaged deliberately, and yet nothing indicated that I'd had uninvited guests. One could pray that those cats didn't secretly know how to cobble together an ECM jammer, but my personal wager was on faulty equipment.
Settling in, I browsed my favorite soaps on the television. For what was intended to be a day of relaxation and show of affection for a friend, I found myself rather wound up over all the things that added up. Couples threw around flowery words and swooned over one another on screen as I felt the tension diffuse. My holopad rang and I turned it over to spot that Nampi was informing me that she'd arrived home safely.
>>> Feels empty here, all alone.
She made sure to drive the point home with a sticker of a venlil making a pouty expression.
Next time, I thought to myself, I'll get it right for you, Nampi.
[ First / Previous ]

What kind of food did you guys have at your showers? Mine will be at the cusp of the end of summer and trying to get ideas for food. Mostly I know I want chicken salad sandwiches on croissant, but curious what other people did.
Also was the food all pregnancy friendly? Because I thought about a charcuterie board as well for the guests but I wouldn’t be able to eat most of the meats.
TYIA!

I love the idea of a tool that is used for a specific action. (Like the Seashell Ring, Alchemist Knife, Cleaver, Jeweled Pickaxe, etc) Board Saw makes boards craft 30% faster. I didn't even get a chance to use it because it appeared in the shop after I got Jade Adze. (Which speeds up crafting carpentry by 30%)
Two suggestions for this. Increase Board Saw speed to 35%, as it only works on boards. (And still useful after the max Adze) Secondly, slightly increase the spawn rate of it in the shop. (Or vastly bump up the spawn rate after say 55, as that unlocks Cedar boards)

Two species, both alike in advancement,
Spanning the vast emptiness of black space;
Expanding borders create encroachment,
Interstellar ships brings foes face to face.
Whence from their cradles the worlds issue forth
A vast pair of exploratory fleets,
Whose collisions do readily transport
A balanced wave of death whence they shall meet.
Cultural ignorance breeds the great hate,
Foreign ideas permeate all the norms,
Whereas pastimes do, the soldiers lives abate,
These trinkets have the power to transform.
That which matters not to one may save all
For its meaning may be hard to recall
false significance plastered on the wall
May yet bring peace and prosperity all.
—-------------------
The klaxons shattered the silence of the station, blaring through all of the corridors and reverberating off the bulkheads. The cacophony of sounds, as the entire crew leapt from their bunks and quickly grabbed their most prized, or irreplaceable, possessions, grew in intensity as the red lights flared in an oscillating sequence.
The crew were halfway through packing before the klaxons were punctuated by instructions: “All hands, prepare to abandon station. M’quezniok Battle Cruiser is inbound. Repeat: M’quezniok Battle Cruiser inbound. Take only what you must and make your way to the nearest escape craft.”
The drills had been effective. All hands of the terraforming station were accounted for in the various slipstream escape craft within 7 minutes of the initial detection of the inbound warship.
All possessions were secured within another 3 minutes and the small fleet of vessels were free of the atmosphere 5 minutes later. In formation they slid silently through the blackness and away from the approaching insatiable appetite of conquest.
27 hours later, the twinkling effect began at the bow of each vessel as they pierced the veil of reality and speared their way into the void between the planck lengths of spacetime.
Earth Command received them a mere 49 hours, 29 minutes, and 37 seconds after the last of the escape craft abandoned the terraforming station.
The station became another dot on the map of conquest of the M’quezniok, a line that seems to be expanding in all directions away from their homeworld much faster than the humans can build up and sort of defensive perimeter.
The M’quezniok culture lacks subtlety and nuance; it lacks empathy. It only has room for measurable strength and their measure lies in whether or not property can be taken and held. If it can, it belongs to whomever can do so… and that someone, in their eyes, should always be them. They have no mercy and eradicate all citizens of colonies that they conquer. They raze every building that cannot be readily adapted to their purposes. They devour any animals that they cannot use for brute force. They are ruthless and their culture lies entirely in the glory of the expansion of their empire, in an unsustainable need for personal edification for each military commander.
—--
The ground forces commander entered the station ahead of her troops. There were no humans here. They fled like the cowards they were, well in advance of the arrival of her ship. There was no honorable conquest to be had at this location, just the claiming of an abandoned complex. As such, since there were no spoils of individual combat for any of her crew to claim, the entire base was hers for the first-taking. None of her crew dared touch anything in a way that might suggest an interest in it for, the appearance for claiming spoils out of turn could result in punishments far greater than any rewards to be found here.
The Commander walked through the terraforming station, going through bunk after bunk, finding nothing of value and even less of military value. There were no secrets here. There were no riches here. There were… clothes, little trinkets, manuals for the equipment, nasty human food. The commander was greatly disappointed in the raid but, in order for her crew to split the meager offerings that were present, she had to take SOMETHING. So she chose a box on the floor at her feet. This room, like all the others, was a no-frills crew bunk. Like the others there was nothing of apparent value in it. So, she took the box and declared that it was the entirety of her prize. The crew cheered and vanished into the station, each one searching for anything that they might deem of value for their own trophies.
The Commander took the box and returned to her quarters where she opened it to see what personal secrets it may have, what stories of the former crew member who fled the station like a coward at her approach. She found, much to her shock and utter amazement, a vast collection of tales of superior warriors. Brave individuals who, in the times of greatest need for the human civilization, had risen to the challenges within their own society to defeat the misguided evils that sought to undermine the human way of life as it existed then and as she knew it to exist now. These stories, laid out in a bizarre format that seemed to mix a form of graphic depictions alongside the human language as text, reminded the Commander of many struggles within her own empire’s history; times when it took massive competing armies to determine which philosophy should rule their future; times when the death tolls where high and the waste of resources on putting down rebellions was tremendous. The Commander reviewed these documents left behind by the unknown crew member of the human terraforming station and pondered where these great heroes of humanity were, if not already devastating the front lines of M’quezniok fleet.
That’s when it occurred to her. The humans were giving the M’quezniok a chance to prove themselve worthy of living. They were giving the M’quezniok an opportunity to stop their conquest against the humans on their own before they unleashed their most powerful military forces. The Commander, stunned by her realization, dropped the volume of deeds and turned to her communications terminal.
“We have made a grave mistake in violating human space” she began her message. “I have uncovered a volume of histories which outline the capacity that humans have when situations exceed their tolerance. I have uncovered this box, quite by accident, as an item of abandoned loot in my most recent raid. Please review the contents, as I have put them into the end of the this transmission. Consider that all we know of humans through direct contacts is corroborated in these volumes: they always try to allow those who have wronged them to change their ways and, only when those ways are not changed, does it appear that they will unleash tremendous force to utterly defeat and destroy their foes. Note, in sample 17, that the humans in the story, after being unable to reach a peaceful accord with their opponents, wiped and entire sentient race from the cosmos to end the conflict with them. Note in samples 3, 9, and 47, that they have the mind to develop weapons that can be silently deployed among their enemies and which will only affect their enemies, causing them to die of disease whether the battle reaches them or not. Note that, in samples 5, 9, and 62, that the humans have a history of boarding enemy vessels in small numbers and converting the vessels themselves into weapons to destroy huge components of the enemy fleet. Most importantly, in all of the above examples, note that humans will often sacrifice themselves without promise of lasting glory or honor or riches to merely inflict harm on their opponents. There is no methodology of these tales that makes sense in our culture and that, we should all agree, makes the humans infinitely more dangerous than we previously expected. More than all of the previous, note that the humans have the capacity, when needed, to reveal their strongest military assets; single individuals who carry the power of an entire legion of our finest soldiers. Single fighters who can destroy warships without any equipment or weaponry. Single individuals who, according to these volumes, have the ability to turn our very minds against us if we face them in battle. As you are all aware, it has appeared that the humans have given up all efforts to defend themselves against us and the war is, essentially, over. There is no more honor or glory to be found in fighting humans. We arrive, they retreat. We arrive, they abandon what they have built. We arrive, and they fall back, taking all of their observations of us with them. As you can see from volumes 1, 6, 19, 33, 42, 54, 68, 71, and 98, this is when their greatest warriors emerge. It is my tactical advice that the abandonment of this specific box of intelligence on human culture was left as a final warning to us; a warning that, should we continue our actions against them, we will pay the consequences as they unleash their greatest technology and soldiers against us. If you agree, order all Conquestors to halt their advancement and return to the edge of our space.
—----
Humanity Space Command received the transmission. The statement of complete cessation of M’quezniok incursions and a promise that the last 79 encounters, in which humans had abandoned the facilities before the M’quezniok could even arrive to start fighting, would be surrendered peacefully, and permanently, back to human control.
The message indicated that the worlds conquered by force would be the new, permanent, boundary between the two empires and that humanity need not fear for any future incursions. The message also outlined that, should humanity absolutely require it so as to not unleash their greatest warriors in retribution, a list of worlds could be presented as negotiable assets that could be returned.
Human Space Command was baffled. Astounded, pleased, elated, even… but more than anything else, baffled. The best humanity had been able to offer was defeated in every dispute against the M’quezniok. Their individuals were faster, stronger, and harder to kill than humans. Their weapons were more powerful. Their defensive technology vastly outclassed anything humanity could throw at them. Their declaration of cessation simply made no sense and their outlines that they wished to avoid humanity unleashing their greatest warriors and technology as retribution made even less sense. But the top brass of HSC was not about to continue a war in which humanity had no hope of winning when the opposition declared they were done.
The HSC’s final conference on the subject, prior to transmitting the acceptance of the M’quezniok’s declaration, ended with a compound question: “who is this Lois Lane and why do they want her to be the liaison should we have to open negotiations?”