Hello, I'm Miki, an aspiring ukiyo-e artist. I'm truly a beginner when it comes to drawing, but my love for ukiyo-e has driven me to start practicing it myself.
For my first attempt, I reproduced a piece by Suzuki Harunobu, an ukiyo-e artist I deeply admire. I would be grateful if you could point out the areas where my work falls short compared to the original. My goal is to focus on and improve my weak points.
One of the main challenges I faced, which might be quite basic, was selecting the right brush. I couldn't find a brush that closely resembled the original, making it difficult to capture the texture accurately.
Additionally, I found it very challenging to achieve the watercolor-like painting style.
This image is a digital piece created using Procreate. If there are any Japanese art enthusiasts here, I would greatly appreciate your feedback from that perspective as well.
Thank you very much.

Hello. So I (20f) gave a cute guy my number. He instantly texted me and we texted back and forth for a few hours. On day two he literally invited me out with him for a shopping/hangout day. I couldn’t go because of a doc appt, but offered another weekend we could go. So, over that time, we would still text. He never really texted first, but when I did he would always respond pretty quick. Then, the Sunday of the week of the hangout, I told him that I knew we didn’t really know each other and it was no pressure to hang out. He agrees and says that he still wants to go, though, but just as friends. He added that he didn’t want me to go into this thinking it’s something it’s not. I’m a little crushed, but hey, we’re still going out. So, he literally offered to pick me up from my house and take me out still. He comes to my door and is very polite. He wouldn’t take the gas money I offered even though he drove alot. We had a good day, but didn’t eat or shop too much. Now it’s been two weeks, and we barely text. If we do, it’s not bad, but it’s not like it used to be either. He’ll respond in an hour or under, and ask about me. Being polite. I finally asked to hang out with him, which he said that he would have the check his schedule and he’d let me know. It’s been a week. We’ve texted since (with me of course initiating the convo). He hasn’t mentioned it. I don’t know if he’s just lying to spare my feelings or what. I just wanna plain ask him what’s going on, but in a polite way. Yes I know he doesn’t owe me anything. I just need some advice. I appreciate it. ❤️

I'm experienced seller on Ebay and a few other similar sites, but their cut is too high. I'm not looking to gauge anyone, just make a decent profit while buyer gets a good deal. Parents, siblings and myself are making a big buy of these parts. My thinking is to sell them via FB Marketplace, NextDoor and possibly Reddit because we live in 3 different large urban cities with sizable populations. We all have Linked In profiles or other reputable online sources to validate who we are. Cash only and pick up in person. We live in multi unit buildings in each city so pick up is safe at property management office. Some of the parts we have (and this is a fraction of them): Samsung, Intel, AMD EPYC, NVIDIA, Gigabyte GeForce RTX3080, ZOTAC, ASUS, Micron, Seagate, Toshiba, PNY, ProLabs, Hynix, SK Hynix. Appreciate your thoughts.

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.

Posting this as much for brainstorming as any concrete suggestion, but I would welcome changes to profiles that could somehow show a user's art better. I think Civitai does a pretty good job with models, and I appreciate the "showcase" section in profiles - but maybe more could be done.
Consider for example how your "artistic" images get mixed in with your model demonstration images, which can serve very different purposes. Folders, for example, would go a long way to helping to sort the "intent" of a given image or post.
It's also hard to see any sort of notification of new images from people you follow, so it's hard to follow people who create art you like. It's a lot easier now that you can apply "Followed" to the "Images" tab! But a visual notification queue like many other art sites would be very welcomed.
(On that note, I spend a lot of time switching between two filter sets: "Followed / Newest" and "Everyone / Most Collected")
I think, in general, a good place to start is to think about how things like profiles and visual notification queues for new content is handled on art oriented sites like Pixiv, DeviantArt, Artstation, and others.
As one parting thought: I've long since noticed that Civitai users mostly avoid doing retouch work on their images, I believe in part to preserve the metadata. I appreciate that and don't want to lose this spirit of sharing resources used and the sharing of prompts - but personally I think encouraging a "retouched" / "final" version, perhaps linked to the untouched original, would be great.
A "final" "artistic" image that encourages to show what AI can do without the blemishes, extra fingers, etc that could have been inpainted out.

Oh to have a walk-in closet! All things in one place! Nothing in the attic to rotate with the seasons. A dream, but never a reality. With each place I've lived, my bedroom closet has gotten smaller. Not by choice. Currently in an older house, closet is 39" wide and a dresser for socks and undergarments. I've maxxed the heck out of my closet - slimline hangers, wall-to-wall shoe rack, tension rods, hooks, over the door canvas pockets, you name it. But it has forced me to really rethink what I wear. I have a kind of capsule wardrobe by default I suppose. And you know what? It took me a little while to appreciate it, but it's not a bad thing! I finally understand that a small closet creates clarity, fosters decision making, curbs spending/shopping, and inspires creativity in organization.

This year has been a rough year. A lot of things has happened, and I think every day is more intense in comparative of yesterday.
I'm in my 4th year of school, I really like the career I am studying, but it is so exhaustive. It is a humanist career, so I have to read a lot, like for the next next week I have an oral interrogation where I need to read 2 books with 400 pages each one, and that's just 1 subject. I am assistant in a subject and the rest of the assistant (2 other people, I'm mad with one of them because last year didn't help me with anything and I collapsed because of that) aren't very helpful, or they make some comments that hurt my feelings. Because of this and other situations, I am not comfortable when I'm in class and I get drained easily. Sometimes I'm daydreaming about changing career and study arts, because I always wanted to be an artist, but I don't have time to do something, and I am too ashamed to share what I do to my friends.
I am not comfortable in my home, neither. My little brother (4M) is at that moment of his life where his is super hyperactive but, at the same time, he is a little violent ? I don't know. He pushes me, he pinches me, he screams all the time, and he learned to open the door lock of my room, so I have no privacy. I am tired. I do not have the best relationship with my mother since never, and last time we started to talk more about how can we be gentle with my brother. Last week he got diagnosed with autism, so I have been helping and giving advice to my mother because I am autistic too, but I got diagnosed last year (my mother didn't believe me at that time, now she always tries to talk about it to me because I can help her with my brother but, at the same time, she hasn't said it to my other family about it ?? Like she ignores that I am autistic too and ignores all my struggles and that. It is not that I want she to say it to all the world, but when I came out to her, she told all my f* family and it was so weird. My family always tells everything to everyone, so. Yes. Is very weird) and I can help a little with that. My brother is like that because my grandfather (we live in his house since ever) like to scream and insult a lot, he has me fed up, and the father of my brother doesn't help her with him because he is having a parental burnout (is his first child so very understandable). This is a very stressing situation for everyone.
So, the "cherry on top" is that my partner (20M) and I decided to start living together. Yea. We both have similar situations on our respective homes, so we were so tired emotionally about it that we decided to search for a flat. And we luckily found a very good one last Saturday! So we are happy about it. But his family is more supportive than mine: my mom started the law of ice (I don't know if that's expression is valid in English, in resume she is ignoring me) and try to avoid me. But there are some days that she's super worried about it, and she gave me a washing machine and wants to buy me other things and that makes me so uncomfortable because since I was 15 yo I started to worry about myself and my needs (health and educations, my mom doesn't pay my university and nothing related to me) so is strange.
And I am tired because even if I have these good things in my life (a fantastic academic life, a partner that listen to me and is super nice to me and this new home only to us) I feel so sad and so insecure about a lot of things... I don't know if I am making the right decision with this, since I am just moving from home, but I'm still in the same city (I have this and the other year to finish my career, but I'm planing to study a master or still working in research) and sometimes I think that's dumb. And I know that it doesn't and this is going to help me with my mental health, but sometimes is just. I don't know. Everything is so complex.
I just wanted to vent, but if anyone wants to say something or share a similar situation, I am all ears. Or eyes in this case.
Sorry for my english, that's not my native language. And thank you so much for read me and for your time.

Hello, I don't know if this is the right place for this or not, but I was hoping to get advice on possible careers I could go into given my skills/interests. If this is not the right place, I would appreciate guidance on where to possibly ask this question.
I am a 22 year old male who recently graduated college with an English major and a minor in psychology. I am signed on for a 10 month contract as an English teacher starting this coming August. I don't anticipate disliking the job, I enjoyed student teaching (best part of college in fact), but I am starting to do research on salaries and prices and realizing that a teacher's pay (44k a year in my area, which is actually not awful for my location) is not going to cut it for my life goals. For reference I am also getting married at the end of this month, and one of my goals is for my wife to be able to be a stay at home mother (which will require getting a job that pays atleast ~75k+ within the next 3-5 years).
I am currently looking at finance, specifically becoming a CFP, as a possible career change and have already started pursuing the education and certifications necessary, but I thought I would ask online to see if anybody could think of a job more suitable for my abilities. I just chose CFP because I know it pays well, and have recently went into a deep dive on how to optimize personal finance, as well as investment portfolio optimization and retirement planning. It also stood out to me because it would let me help other people, which is the reason I initially chose being an English teacher.
Skills/Abilities:
Although I have no formal education in math unless you count AP calculus, I really enjoy making spreadsheets. I have made one for calculating the amount owed to the IRS (and FICA) for a given income (including different filing statuses), as well as the tax savings one would get from taking deductions or tax credits. I have also made a calculator that compares the cost of different cars over a 20 year time horizon given initial cost and mpg, factoring in gas inflation. The car calculator also doubles as a loan cost calculator given price, interest rate, and down payment (also works for houses). I enjoy making these calculators on spreadsheets, especially if I find them useful.
I also really enjoy optimization. Which can probably be gleaned from my enjoyment from making spreadsheets. I buy my own T-bills because 5% in a high yield savings account is suboptimal to holding the bills myself. When I play games I am the guy who makes calculators and does math and build optimization for hours just to get a 10% damage increase.
Another thing is that while I am an introvert, I have a good amount of public speaking experience, and am alright with addressing crowds or individuals.
Besides that I am a quick learner, have a good sense of humor, and put my all into everything I do. I think it also probably goes without saying that I have a good knowledge of literature, know how to communicate myself, and am good at writing and interpreting writing.
Things I wouldn't want to do: Jobs with heavy amounts of physical labor or working outside, Jobs with excessive work off the clock working hours (Haha, kinda funny considering I'm gonna be a teacher. I don't mind working some off the clock, just not enough that I have no free time whatsoever), and jobs that would require constant relocation.

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 🙃

I'm currently a sophomore in High School and an upcoming Junior in NYC. To put it bluntly, I'm not the best student. My freshman year, I was mainly a B and C student, with the occasional D in things like Math and such. My Sophomore year though, began amazingly. A's and B's across the board, only one D and C in two classes in the first marking period (in nyc semesters are split in two marking periods, each school year containing 4 marking periods, 2 for each semester. Not sure if thats the same everywhere else though). After that first marking period though, it sorta went downhill. The second marking period I ended up flunking some classes which didn't change very much in the third marking period. I'm currently in the final marking period of the school year and its not looking hot either, although I'm working to change it before June. Since I did so poorly, it isn't confirmed, but I'm 99% sure I'll be needing summer school to make up some classes/credits. I am aware that my Junior year will be pretty much the deciding factor on whether or not I get into a good college or not because of it being the year colleges care most about, so I am determined to do everything I can to be an amazing student next year, but what are some things that I can do in order to maximize my chances in getting into a good college?
For starters, right now I think I have something like a 2.5-3.0 GPA (am not sure how to check), and recognizer the importance of extracurricular activities, so I am part of the school soccer team (was the manager before becoming a player on the team), plays the Euphonium in the school concert band, part of the school Aviation Club, frequent the Weight Room, and am part of the Dungeons & Dragons Club. Along with this, I am currently an Intern at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, lent my voice in a College Film Project (Voice-Over Work), and worked last summer. I feel as if my resume is already pretty stacked but would like to further it with things like volunteer work and more work experience (I plan to work again this summer if summer school doesn't interfere with it), so advice on finding opportunities like volunteer work and internships would be much appreciated.
In terms of academics, I'm pretty sure the reason why I am doing badly is because of laziness. I'll admit, that first stretch earlier on in the year was cool because I had post-summer academic motivation, so it was admittedly easy to keep up work. Once work began to get more challenging as the year progressed though and I began to get invested in other things, things like homework and school work got put on the back burner. I know I could be an amazing academic student if I really tried, its just hard to find the motivation sometimes, although I plan to get better.
So thats pretty much the rundown of the kind of student I am. Advice on how to become better would be appreciated, along with advice on how to secure volunteer work and more internship/work opportunities. Another thing I'd like are my chances on getting into a good school with how I am now (I.E., how likely am I to get into a top school with my current academic resume including things like extracurriculars and work experience).

Man, I had a rough run, but here's my example of an application that went... not great. Worth noting that I had no idea what I was doing and the few people who apply US from my school are legacies/have contacts, and after I got deferred ED I panic-submitted all of these in the space of like two weeks. (also my college counselor was absolutely rubbish, told me I should aim for "safer schools", and then defined a safer school as anything above 10% acceptance).
Demographics

• Gender: Female
• Race/Ethnicity: White-Asian
• Residence: UK
• Income Bracket: Upper middle class
• Type of School: Very good private school in the UK
• Hooks: First in my family to study in the US, first generation immigrant, neurodivergent

Intended Major(s): Film, astronomy minor
Academics

• A-levels (predicted): Four A*s (art, history of art, philosophy, maths)
• GCSEs: eight 9's, three 8's

Standardized Testing

• SAT: 1470 superscored (790 writing, 680 maths) - submitted test-optional to all schools because I was told by my counselor it wasn't high enough.

Extracurriculars/Activities

• Accepted to a prestigious college-level summer film program at the age of 14, only international student and youngest in the program that year (between freshman and sophomore year)
• Set up and ran a film society at my school (sophomore year)
• Volunteered at neighbouring primary schools doing art classes (junior year)
• Artworks were exhibited in two group exhibitions (sophomore year and senior year)
• Attended a summer program in Los Angeles for three weeks for film directing (between sophomore and junior year)
• Did a month-long internship at an arts organisation program (between junior and senior year)
• Did graphic design work creating posters for filmmakers I've worked with in the past
• Researched and wrote a paper proposing a theorem on number theory pure mathematics (end of junior year)
• Freelance screenwriter for independent studios in my free time.
• Submitted twelve or so films I had directed as well as mixed-media artworks

Awards/Honors

• Highly commended for an art scholarship
• Artworks were exhibited in two group exhibitions

Letters of Recommendation

• Art teacher who I'm really close with and has supported me a bunch through my endeavours: 10/10
• Art history teacher who used to do US admissions at my school and has known me since I was 11: 10/10
• Counselor, who I barely knew, didn't really like me, and was generally very unhelpful: 4/10

Interviews

• UPenn - pretty ok, guy was a bit dry and had majored in statistics so it was a bit difficult to find common ground, this was also my first interview and I was so nervous
• Yale - lady was super nice and chatty and talkative and actually left me with some really good advice that wherever I did end up, Yale or not, I seemed like I would be happy. Worst part was that there was a big storm in England so the call kept cutting off.
• Princeton - oh god oh fuck what a disaster, it was going so well, the interviewer was super nice and she was asking me questions and seemed super interesting, and then came the question I had to ask her, and I went "what was your favourite part of the yal-THE UH PRINCETON EXPERIENCE". I did not get into Princeton.

Essays

• Wrote Common App on my expereinces with synaethesia and how it affected the way I see the world differently and how it affected my art.
• Other essays referenced being neurodivergent/seeing the world differently, an experience at a planetarium that made me see the beauty of astronomy, my exploration of individuality/identity in art, etc.

Decisions (oh god this was so rough)
Acceptances:

• NYU (committed for Tisch Film and TV!!)

Waitlists:

• UChicago (later rejected)
• Vassar
• Brown
• Tufts

Rejections:

• Harvard
• Yale
• Princeton
• Barnard
• Columbia (applied ED, deferred, rejected. ouch.)
• UPenn

Additional Information:
Well, that wans't exactly what I expected, but honestly, I'm thrilled. I've always wanted to live in New York, I've always wanted to go to film school, and I have a feeling this is all meant to be. NYU is better for film than ivies anyway and I'm still the first in my family to go to the US, and yep, 10 variations of "no" is rough, but it only takes one "yes" :) (see this post for extended gushiness and feelings)

TL/DR: Discovered a broken microwave door after guests checked out after a 2 night, $2,000 rental ($1k/night). Guests politely insist they did not use microwave and would dispute any damage claim. It’s basically my word versus theirs. Am I being unreasonable for pursuing a ~$500 damage claim?
Hello hosts! My guests checked out today after a 2 night rental with 8 members of a family. When I checked inside the microwave for cleaning, I realized the door had a significant crack around the handle. It is only noticeable when the door is open, but if you open the door, you feel it immediately. It will absolutely need to be replaced. I took pictures and messaged the guests in the app, informing them I would need to submit a damage claim.
The guest responded politely saying no one used the microwave. I politely said that it was not damaged when I cleaned the property prior to their arrival, and I would be pursuing the claim through the app once I can confirm the cost for a replacement. The guest responded politely again, saying she has checked with every member of the family to confirm no one used it, and that she would dispute any damage claim.
This is my first ever damage claim after over 50 stays at the property. I am confident that I would have noticed this damage prior to these guests arriving, but it’s basically their word against mine. I have pictures of the place prior to arrival, but this crack would not be visible.
Am I being unreasonable pursuing the damage claim (likely around $500USD for the microwave and installation)? In the past I have chalked up other issues to “cost of doing business”, including an old sleeper sofa that was broken several years ago because the cost of a replacement was not in line with the value of what was broken. But in this case I feel confident that one of the guests broke the microwave.
Additional context - the rental rate was $1,000 / night as it was a college graduation weekend (significantly higher than a normal weekend). There were scratches to a brand new coffee table which I did not notice prior to messaging the guests. I’d be willing to chalk this up to cost of doing business. Otherwise house was in great shape. The guest has 25+ reviews all 5 stars. Guest gave me a lovely, appreciative message when they checked in. I have ~30 reviews, all 5 stars. No one is being devious or malicious, here, but I am struggling at the thought of taking this one on the chin.
Thanks for any advice!

I'm a 14M and my teacher made me work with my crush for a project. We decided to sit by a door and one of my friends who knows I like her started tweaking when he passed by the door. Later I asked wtf was he doing then he kept saying W rizz when she was 2 lockers near me.

[ 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 ]

As stated in the title, my ex boyfriends mother threw away almost everything I purchased for my ex when we where together, both me and my ex are minors and his mother is my teacher. Altogether what was thrown away was about 230-250 dollars, I intend on asking if what my ex said was true and if it is I’m asking for compensation, my parents are on my side and plan on dealing with it if I can’t hash it out with his mother on my own. Is this a good plan? Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.

Hey there! Coming up on my CFI / CFII check ride end of July. Seeking employment with CAE / Doss Aviation, have heard nothing but great things.
Former ICU nurse, now pursuing aviation. Have worked as lifeguard instructor, fencing coach, an english teacher, iand worked as an RN preceptor so this wouldn't be my first rodeo for an education based job.
If anyone has any contacts at CAE / Doss, I would be very appreciative if given the chance to network with such a great company. Comment or send a message, blue skies friends!

Hi all! First time here. A little about me: 28 years old, high school English teacher, DnD player and video game lover. I have been RPing on-and-off for around 13 years and, after a bit of a dry spell, I am looking to get back into it! Obviously, per my profession, I am literate and very capable of multi-paragraph replies - though I am a busy person, and can obviously work with just a paragraph or two!
I am not just looking for a partner (or multiple new friends!) but also someone to vibe with. I write better when I get along with my partner(s), so I love to chat, talk about muses, and share character playlists, art, etc.
What I am looking for: •MLM, MxM plots •MNB, MxNB •OC only - I enjoy creating new characters and prefer not to play any canon characters. •Creation of original worlds/universes - post-apocalyptic, fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, etc!
Fandoms (in order from most interested): •Fallout (The TV show reignited my obsession with this universe. Love the show and games!) •DnD (Baldur’s Gate included) •Cyberpunk 2077 •Bridgerton •One Piece (Pirate things in general) •Dragon Age •Mass Effect •Stranger Things •More upon request!
I prefer to RP on Discord only. If you are interested, please PM me! I am so excited to write with you :)

Should I select UTSG political science or Laurier core sciences (an alternative offer from chemistry)?
I'm more interested in the arts but I know that science degrees have better job prospects. I plan on attending either law school or medical school. I would appreciate some advice on what program I should select.

I feel my life is so bad, so utterly not worth fighting for. But I know it's not. Can you help me with this decision? Can you talk with me for a while? I've been to music school for two years already, the first one I really struggled with piano lessons, this one, even more... I'm a conditional student, it means I didn't pass piano 1, but I can take subjects that require piano 2 this year. I need to take a test on August so I can pass piano 1 and go on, but... I'm really scared of playing the piano! I know that if I study I will improve, but I just don't do it!! You know why? I don't really enjoy going there, going to class, doing homework... I have trauma regarding this, I think. From high school, I've been treated very badly, by teachers and directors, so I dread anything regarding learning. And even without taking this into consideration, I'm not really enjoying learning music. Also, there are teachers that aren't really nice Now you may think, then why do you go there? why don't you choose another path? The answer is that I don't have any other path, I'm utterly lost. I feel so attached to my notes in school, I feel that those will condemn my future, and even worse that teachers are not very...calm about it. I don't mind having strict teachers at all, but it's not being strict to yell at your students for having problems learning things, it's not their fault, and it's not like it's medical school, nobody's life is at steak here, so why treating your students so badly? I find music so hard to understand and learn, I wish school wasn't so straight and burocratic. I was thinking maybe... youtube? I really enjoy those aesthetic videos from Japan that shows a cozy, quiet life. I don't like normal jobs, like, 9-5 in an office or surrounded by costumers and people who are sometimes rude and not appreciative of what you do. I hate that environment, I would prefer dying over that, honestly. I want my life to have meaning, why was I born then? Why do I have consciousness? Why am I even allowed to have these questions? Honestly, I was never passionate about learning to play the piano...I just chose it as a companion for singing, which I really enjoy. But I really doubt being a singer, I'm very shy and reserved, I want to have freedom of creation, and I know that often doesn't happen with a label, you just give your voice. So now I'm really confused.
Now, if I stop going to class and abandon this piano school, I would feel so relieved, I would be able to breathe for once. But then what? I have a million more things to worry about. Sometimes I feel that my life is very complex to be a reality, that I am not made for this world, so...suicide...
But I want to live, but to be happy, to be fulfilled, to have purpose, to live so at peace that the problems that arrive can be overcome with ease and knowing that there is happiness. I don't have that. I know what could give me that, but it seems so distant and obscure.