Hi Guys, it's my first time dealing with a written off car, thankfully, but I cannot understand the process, to get worse I'm dealing with my mom passed at the same time, so I'm really hoping to get some help over here. Because, I'm not on my best to make hard decisions right now. I read that once they quoted my car value I'd have 7 days to give an answer if I agree or not if their decision. The only thing I got so far is an email stating, " The above vehicle has been assessed as a Write Off.
Prior Accident Value is $11491.
The claims dept will be in contact in the near future."
I believed I got a call from them, but no message was left, so I'm not sure. I'm asking as I was expecting a full quote, as they have to take the excess and insurance cover fee. So, I'm doubt if I should send them already an answer from my side. Also, they told over the phone that my insurance will have 10% addition, because of the accident, I was at fault. My insurance renewed on the 11th May, I hit my on the 13th. I had already got a quote from than of $100 per month, I do monthly payments. So I believe it'll be $110 a month, which will be discounted as $1320 from the car value. But, as the policy had started on the 11th, should they wait until the next policy next year? The $11491 is regarding a Kia Picanto 2017 Si Auto MY2018, I had 3 accidents before, all fixed under insurance. Would you guys believe this is a fair price? I'had a look in 2016 Picantos, could find much about 2017 and they're around $13500, but in Vic not QLD. Sorry if it's too many question, but any advice is really helpful at the moment! Thank you Guys!

I am not The OOP, OOP is u/IcemanEx54
GM Locked Me Out Of Interacting With Other Players Because I Got Confused
Originally posted to rpghorrorstories
TRIGGER WARNING: manipulation, controlling behavior, sexism
Original Post March 6, 2024
I'm a player in a tabletop RPG campaign and I just wanted to vent about this session. The GM uses a "rules light" homebrew system and it's his homebrew world as well. He's been doing this campaign for years now, but I just joined through a mutual friend after another player left recently.
When I joined the campaign, the GM had told me he wanted me to be from a particular country as a prince, and since it was his homebrewed world, I went with it. The country I'm a prince of is a massive empire that has conquered many lands. I wanted to be a morally good character so I made up a backstory where my prince had a secret romance with a commoner so it gave me more empathy and understanding than my other royal peers would have. Then in session 1, he had the commoner immediately break up with me since the players were all leaving the city session 1.
Several sessions later, there is a carnival being hosted in the empire and all the players are attending. The players split up and my part began with my character watching as a mentally handicap child was put in the dunk tank and was being dunked against his will. So I had my character help the child and stop the game (This isn't relevant to the larger story but I thought it was really weird). Then I am told I have to go to the "main stage" which is just a strip club seemingly. And of course, walking around topless serving drinks is my character's commoner love interest that I made in session 0. The GM laughs a bit and comments, "Isn't it funny? Look at what your ex has to do without you." I have my character give her the shirt off his back and we go to the outskirts of the carnival to find a quiet place to talk, but then the carnival was ambushed by some enemies as arrows and fire rained down on the parade.
Suddenly, my character and his ex are teleported back to the main stage and the GM starts jumping back and forth between all the player characters asking what we want to do without any sort of initiative and if we don't respond quickly enough he skips to another player. I ask, "What direction are the arrows coming from?" GM, "You can't tell". "Which direction to the palace?" I ask. "You don't know," he tells me. I'm honestly genuinely confused about what to do here and my mind goes blank, but then the GM has my bodyguard (a Brienne of Tarth type) tell me to follow her so I do. As he cuts back and forth, another player loses his mom in the chaos, I tell GM, "I want to help him find his mom." "You can't see him" GM tells me. Then I ended up surrounded by 12 ambushers in the "Pleasure Gardens". GM asked what I would do. I say since the carnival is burning, I look for a piece of wood on fire and since it's the pleasure gardens maybe there's some oil I can spill and light on fire to separate myself, my bodyguard, and ex who are all with me from the ambushers. He tells me there's no oil and then I'm held down by the men. I tried to escape, but he says I failed (he just did a dice roll behind his screen and didn't tell me the results). I am then hogtied by the ambushers with my bodyguard and ex and thrown in a cart. Meanwhile, the other two players have stolen a cart and are escaping. I try to do a goofy wave as my character is tied up towards my companions and he just says, the carts never pass each other so the other players don't see you. Before the session ends he tells me my bodyguard is dead.
After the session, I think my body language showed I was a bit bummed. So GM pipes in, "You want to know why you failed that encounter?" He proceeded to tell me it was because I followed my bodyguard and there was no way a woman could have protected me and I needed to make the choice instead. Some of the other players chimed in and said it was surprising my bodyguard failed since in the lore she was a 20-year veteran who survived "The Great War". The GM keeps defending his choice. Then he started making self-deprecating jokes about how he just sucks then and he's the worst GM ever until the other players all reassure him it's fine. I kind of just sat there shell-shocked.
His system reduces dice rolls to a rarity and he does them all himself as a "way to keep tension". I'm honestly more about hanging out with my friends than judging the quality of any campaign or system but this was my first "combat" of any sort in the campaign and I just felt so helpless in this system and it was frustrating. Plus there are no insight or persuasion rolls, just what the GM claims "my character would know" and "how his NPCs would act". So I'm not sure how I was supposed to handle this encounter. Being a GM myself, I thought he was using my bodyguard character to get me back on track, but I thought wrong. I honestly wouldn't have minded if he was just railroading me for a plot point, but him trying to manipulate me and saying his hands were tied when he essentially locked me out of interacting with the other players for the rest of the session is what bothers me the most.
Edit: Changed gaslighting to manipulating since I was using the term wrong and don't want to dilute it's meaning.
Update: GM Defends Style And Told Me He Owns My Character March 20, 2024
This is an update from my post a couple of weeks ago.
One of my friends in the group reached out to me and asked me to not leave the group. He told me there were only 2 sessions left and asked me to stick around as a favor to him. I told him I'd reach out to GM and see if we could get on the same page. So I texted the GM and told him I wanted to talk because I had some concerns after the way everything went down last session. He was down and we talked on the phone a couple of days later. To my surprise, the first thing he did was profusely apologize. I hadn't been responding in our group chat, partly because I was mad and partly because my partner had a death in her family. I guess me not responding caused him to dwell on the last session a bunch. He said he was going to retcon my bodyguard's death and keep her alive. I even told him that the treatment of women in the campaign was bad and that it was making the story worse, he told me that it is something that he can work on being better about too. I was surprised, but all this gave me a lot of optimism for this conversation.
I was honest and I told him that his homebrew system is very difficult for me since I don't have a character sheet. So my character doesn't have abilities, he doesn't level up, and I can't do things like roll investigate or perception rolls which makes it hard for me to make informed decisions. I told him it makes me very risk adverse because I don't have things like HP to even know if I'm in danger. He responded to this by telling me I shouldn't worry about that because his GM style rewards me if I roleplay well enough. He went on to say he hates systems with things like perception rolls because that's "Not how real life works".
I also lamented the fact that I also don't get to interact with the other players much. I didn't mention this in my first post, but he plays with all of us in a Discord call but he only plays with us one at a time, and the two of us who aren't playing are expected to listen and record notable quotes for his notes. He'll switch between characters where each player gets 2-3 "scenes" in a 3 hour session. He has our characters all spread out across the country Game of Thrones style and I've only gotten to play with another player in 2 sessions so far. This was also why that carnival scene was so frustrating because all 3 players were finally in the same place and we were trying to find each other and he just kept saying, "You don't see them".
He told me that he doesn't do party-based adventures because you can't get character growth that way. I pushed back and said I've seen awesome character growth in traditional DnD style games in the past, it just depends on the group. I also said he's just making things harder for himself by trying to run three campaigns instead of one. And if we don't have character sheets and aren't in a party then this is all more dramatic improv than a tabletop RPG.
He responded by saying his way is better because it creates a real story and that I should be happy because he made me the main character. (I guess that is what me being the prince means?) He then went on a rant about how much he loves the game world he created and he's very grateful that our characters brought it to life. But then he says that since it's his world, he feels like he owns our characters now and that after the campaign he wants us all to sign off on him using the characters to write books and a screenplay. And if we don't he'll just change their names and do it anyway. He then thanks me and tells me that this campaign is the main thing that has been stopping him from self-harm and going to dark places. Then he says he has to go and he rushes to hang up before I can say anything else.
I'm dumbfounded after that rapid-fire series of bombshells. I've known since the first few sessions that this was barely a TTRPG, but I got to hang out with my friends so I didn't care what it was. It was nice to hang out with old friends a couple times each month. Then the story got weird, and there was so much misogyny, and then I had the horrible session that caused my original post. Then in this conversation, he throws up even more red flags that I'm not blind to, but he is also planting a seed that he may harm himself without the campaign which is not something I want on my conscience. I'm just exhausted at this point.
TLDR: GM says that abilities and parties make TTRPGs worse and he wants to use our characters to write books/movies after the campaign because he owns them since we're playing in his world. He says he may fall back to self-harm without the campaign, making me feel guilty for wanting to leave.
RELEVANT COMMENTS
ShitThroughAGoose

Any update to this?

OOP

I ended up doing one more session for the finale. There was some drama during that session and when I mentioned that I didn't want to play in the next season of the campaign. I wasn't sure if I wanted to post about it again. I might still, but I think I want to take some time and reflect on everything.

Final Update May 11, 2024
[Final Update] Moving On From My Toxic DM And Losing A Friend In The Process
This will hopefully be my last post on this sub for a long time, but I’ve been using this place to vent about my toxic situation for a while so I figured I might as well post how everything concluded and what happened when I left. I’m going to reflect on everything and recap the important parts so no one has to read 3 posts.
It all started when I decided to start DMing to keep in touch with some college friends after graduation. During my first campaign, one of the players, Pirate, asked if his friend, Colorado, could join. I didn't really know Colorado, but I figured, "the more, the merrier."
Colorado had some issues early on, giving unsolicited advice to everyone on how to play and viewing newer or shy players as “side characters”. However, he frequently missed sessions, only showing up for less than half of them for the first few years so nothing came to a head early on. Then, Colorado decided he wanted to bring back his tabletop campaign from his college days and started trying to recruit players after my sessions. Pirate suggested I join the campaign, promising that Colorado was a better DM than player. Since I had been the Forever DM up to that point, I agreed to give it a go.
I created a character who was part of the royal family but enjoyed interacting with commoners in the slums, even having a secret girlfriend from that background. After that, Colorado also started hitting me up to help with the campaign. I ended up photoshopping character art for a bunch of his NPCs and I even drew his world map for him. I didn't mind doing it, as I do that kind of stuff for fun.
For our first session, Colorado had already created character sheets for us based on our backstories, but only he could see them. Colorado would also roll all the dice himself so “all we had to focus on is roleplaying”. We played one on one in different "scenes" that could last around 30 minutes to an hour each. We usually had around 2 to 4 scenes per session, depending on what Colorado thought was important. During the game, Colorado asked us to write down quotes from him and the other players when it wasn't our turn.
I had to wait for well over an hour before I could finally play. My first session was on rails. I mostly just had to repeat after Colorado during a ceremony. Afterwards, I got to sneak out of the castle and meet with my commoner girlfriend, but Colorado immediately had her break up with me. Then I was told that I had to leave the city. I was essentially locked out of my hanging out in the slums and commoner girlfriend subplots. NPCs generally disliked my morally good character, especially my sister who was depicted as purely evil towards me. Despite my efforts to mend the relationship, she never changed her mind and Colorado never rolled any dice to determine that. Later Colorado revealed to me the character was based on his ex-girlfriend, who was originally intended to be the player character from my country before they broke up.
Eventually, I finally got to interact with another player, Soldier, who I had really good chemistry with and we had a really fun scene. Which Colorado exclaimed, “See! This is why I keep you apart. It makes these moments so much more epic!” But I’m just thinking that if we were in a party, every session could be this epic.
Then Colorado got busy. He went to some alternative medicine nature retreat and didn’t pay his rent the whole time he was gone so he got evicted. At that point, the campaign went on hiatus as people got busy and Colorado was couch hopping. It was during that time I considered the campaign over and made my first post because I thought it fit the sub. Then a year after the last session, Colorado started trying to organize the group to do 3 more sessions to finish the campaign. I just ghosted the group chat for a while, but Pirate’s roommate is a player in the campaign I DM so Pirate started hopping on the call asking me to come back for the finale. Pirate told me that it would be different this time because all of our characters were going to meet up for the finale and he really wanted to play with me. I naively agreed to give the game a second chance.
The first of those three sessions led to this post and this follow up.
[TLDR - I never got to meet up with the other characters. Colorado made my ex a stripper and I was captured by invaders with no dice rolls to prevent it. I had a conversation with him about my concerns after the last session. He apologized and agreed to make changes saying he needed the campaign for his mental health.]
Colorado decided to have a single super finale session, which I reluctantly attended because of sunk cost fallacy. I was imprisoned, beaten and whipped, separated from my girlfriend and recently resurrected bodyguard. A deus-ex ninja offered to help me escape, but I wanted to save all the prisoners. So I helped the commoners escape with the ninja before saving my girlfriend. My bodyguard got captured, but I made sure my girlfriend escaped and then I went to save my bodyguard because I wasn’t letting her die after she just got resurrected. I tried to find my bodyguard but every door was locked and I was forced into a long one on one fight with a guard that would make John Carpenter blush. I lost the fight due to an unknown -2 modifier on my fighting rolls, leading to my re-imprisonment.
Pirate tried to board a boat to reach my location, but was unsuccessful. Colorado informed him that the sailors refused to let him on the ship because they didn't like his tone. Fortunately, Soldier saved me and we agreed to stop the big bad and rescue my bodyguard together. With a squad of Soldier's peers, we pursued the big bad into the woods. Without any rolls, all the other soldiers were sniped by archers.
Finally, the two of us reached the clearing where the big bad and his followers were. We were outnumbered about 30-2. My bodyguard and the other commoners were tied to a tree. Soldier was the same race as the villain so he approached while I stayed hidden. He delivered an awesome passionate speech against the big bad's actions saying that it wasn’t what their ancestors would want. I’m sitting there waiting and hoping for a persuasion roll… and nothing. Colorado says the big bad doesn’t change his mind and he sets the tree on fire, causing my bodyguard and the commoners to burn to death. Soldier and I retreated into the woods to end the campaign.
Pirate was supposed to have a scene after us, but he fell asleep because it was past 1am. Colorado kept trying to call Pirate on the phone. I joke, “Hey, we’re old now, being up past midnight isn’t as easy as it used to.” To which Colorado replies, “I just thought Pirate had more respect for me than this.” The Discord call becomes quiet and after Colorado starts focusing on Soldier and I. He wants to know why we’re not discussing the ending more. I remarked that it was a bit of a downer and I’m tired. Then Colorado starts spiraling, saying that RPGs are just another medium that he failed at just like film and music. HE STARTS CRYING and hangs up from the Discord call. Soldier and I stayed on and had a short “That was awkward” conversation. I don’t know Soldier well so I didn’t say much about my grievances with the campaign and eventually we ended up just talking about Baldur’s Gate 3 for an hour.
The next day, I wake up to a barrage of texts from Colorado apologizing, mansplaining how hard it is to be a DM as if I’ve never done it myself. He then starts sending me messages with all his ideas for my character in the next season and how he promises I’ll have more freedom next time. I wouldn’t understand, but he NEEDED to do the prison sequence and my bodyguard to die for my character growth, but next season will be different. I tell him I’m not doing another season. Colorado replies saying that he thought I’d say that because Pirate (who was apparently not sleeping) told him Soldier and I were bitching about the campaign after the session. Colorado said that once I get over it, we can start talking about season 3. I reaffirmed my stance. Then Colorado texts me one last time and asks if I’ll still make his maps and character art even if I don’t play. I said no again.
It's been two months since I last heard from Colorado or Pirate. We used to play games and talk about pro wrestling all the time, but now there's been no contact. A lot of the comments on my posts helped me realize I was prioritizing Colorado’s mental health over my own and I felt like it was my responsibility to support his campaign because he constantly referenced how important it was to his mental health. Intentional or not, he preyed upon my empathy. I’m not his Giving Tree and I shouldn’t be left a stump for a campaign where he doesn’t even want us to affect the world.
I sometimes worry Pirate is going through a similar situation to me, but for a longer period of time. Pirate introduced me to Colorado, and he's really loyal to him. I think that slowed down my exit from the group because I trusted Pirate to be my friend as well. I remember opening up to Pirate about a panic attack I had while Colorado was spiraling one day, and he just shrugged it off as me being dramatic. It's frustrating. I want both of them to be happy, but I can't make that happen for them, especially if it comes at the expense of my own well-being.
I ended up venting to some of my irl friends and they really supported and listened to me which is why I didn’t feel a need to vent here. I learned a lot about what not to do when DMing from this campaign and it made me reevaluate my approach to playing RPGs. Now I'm in a group with my irl friends and it's a blast. I can relax and just have fun playing again.
TLDR - I started DMing to stay connected with college friends who were scattered across the country. One player, Pirate, introduced me to Colorado, who eventually took over as the DM. Colorado had some unconventional methods, such as not using character sheets and controlling all the dice rolls. The game became focused on his storyline and my character had limited agency. Despite this, I gave the campaign a second chance. In the final session, things went poorly, and Colorado had a breakdown. Despite his apologies and promises for the next season, I decided not to continue playing. I have not heard from Colorado or Pirate since. I now play with my real-life friends and it's much more enjoyable.
RELEVANT COMMENTS/ADDED INFO
TicketPrestigious

Glad you're doing better. That does sound like quite a toxic situation.
If I've understood it right, the stuff with Pirate 'falling asleep' but actually listening in to you and Soldier talking feels like a massive red flag to me. I understand worrying about him since you were/felt like you were friends, but if he's enabling Colorado with that sort of stuff then it's probably best to move on.

OOP

Yeah even the best case would be that Pirate woke up after Colorado left the call and just overheard Soldier and me talking without us realizing because his mic was muted and we assumed he had passed out and then he snitched after which is still a bad look tbh. I had been distancing myself from Pirate since he invalidated my panic attack prior to this. It's just hard to be vulnerable with someone again after that.

THIS IS A REPOST SUB - I AM NOT THE OOP
DO NOT CONTACT THE OOP's OR COMMENT ON LINKED POSTS, REMEMBER - RULE 7

Clearly massive Spoilers for not only Wind, yet all of ASC, as this is more of a review of the current events.
Well! Upon finishing Wind and realizing in horror I'm waiting till NOVEMBER to finish this, and hoping to Starclan I still remember what happened by then, it feels right to just review the Arc as of now anyways.
I'm likely just going character by character, not literal event timelines. I'll review Nightheart, Sunbeam, Frostpaw, Splashtail, and Squirrelstar! Enjoy.

Nightheart.

Oh boy, this Man was the "Rootspring," of ASC. Really got on my nerves with his hypocrisy and shortsightedness at the beginning when he was still Flamepaw. He was always justified in his desire for his own legacy, but he also seemed to have a sense of self importance and expectations he had not earned. However, as he became Nightheart, things began to change.
I'll discuss the NightBeam/SunHeart ship as one right here, I absolutely support it. A healthy, no bullshit relationship of two cats who genuinely just respect and support each other. The amount of sheer willingness and support between these two cats all the way from book one to five is astonishing. Sun and Night both wholeheartedly comfort and aid the other in times of hardship, and both cats straight up made their mind with Clan swapping with no issue or regret. (Within reason, of course.) They are fully dedicated to each other and loyal to their family. They love and believe in each other, even when some parts of their lives go against each other, like Sun's reluctant attachment to Berryheart, who despises Nightheart. Night never brings her down or attacks her for still caring about her mother. That shows true understanding for who she is as a cat. This relationship I believe also played a tremendous role in Nightheart as a character.
Back to him alone, his connection and journey between Frostpaw and Sunbeam molded him into a loyal, courageous, and downright brave motherfucker and I like the Man. He is upfront, generally sensible in his thinking, compassionate, understanding, and humble, even taking responsibility for his younger issues at times. He has quickly turned himself around as a remarkable cat! As such I said, basically like Rootspring for me!

Sunbeam.

The perfect choice for Nightheart for sure. She's a cat caught in the dilemma of old and new family, new hearts and old, struggling to keep both intact, praying that both don't break. She holds herself together amazingly well, and she had the respect for not only Nightheart, but Thunderclan itself, that beyond even standing up to everyone she knew for Nightheart, she also dedicated her loyalty to Thunderclan beyond Nightheart, proving her change of heart was true. She stood firm in adversity such as Cherryfall with more maturity than I'd have shown that sabotaging cat, and most cherishingly, she held out for weeks and more with half the cats in the Clan and herself dreading if Nightheart had abandoned her, yet not for a moment did her trust in him falter, and their bond seemed even stronger when he returned. She quickly made great and honest bonds with Thunderclan cats including Squirrelstar and Nightheart's immediate family that consistently have hung on.
Sunbeam has shown herself brave, cunning, and sensible beyond average reason. She'll selflessly help cats of other Clans, and is the first to volunteer for dangerous quests and keep Nightheart out of mischief, ha! Sunbeam was asked to prove her qualities, and she has done so with great honor. She is one of the few who's loyalty to Thunderclan couldn't be questioned even after sneaking through Windclan territory to help her family, exiled from Shadowclan. She cares for both ends, yet weighs her priorities with care. I look forward to her development and closing arc!

Frostpaw.

Ah, the traumatized Apprentice No. 99938-something. Well, thanks to her good writing, she's proved to be far more than that. Frostpaw embodies a favorite quote of mine, "You wear your convictions well, they suit you."
Frostpaw is steadfast and bloody well resolute in her quest, and that is so astonishing because of how she began. Frostpaw was an innocent, fragile and scared cat at the start. She wanted Peace, yet knew nothing of conflict. By the end, she kept her goal for Peace, even after experiencing the horrors of conflict.
From the day she lay bleeding on the moor, I saw a fire light in her heart that drove her in spite of her many wounds, mental and physical to distant lands. She befriended lost cats, rival Clans, and through it all, her trauma and experiences did not further weaken or shake her resolve, yet seemingly hardened it in bloody iron. That passive, gullible innocent Apprentice matured in a shockingly believable heartbeat. Through meditation, reflection, and accepting of truths most Warriors cannot tolerate, she earned a self respect and wisdom greater than many cats. Yet, through all the strength and firm nature of her new guarded, and stricter soul, she only gained determination and respect for what she lost, aiming to restore Riverclan against any odds.
From a cat with a foolish blind crush, to wisely sparring in a bloody game with the false Leader, she holds her own with terrifyingly skill. I hardly know if she can fight a single Warrior, yet somehow she seems to be more suited to this conflict than any cat yet. Nothing has wavered her for long, and whatever has, seems to further invigorate her resolve.
Frostpaw has dealt with the betrayal of cats she trusted as family. She has had cats die for her, lie for her, and cats be hurt and broken for her. And she took none for granted. Whenever something shakes her confidence and beliefs, she comes right back to shake it twice as hard. My admiration for such a strong cat is immeasurably high! Frostpaw has suffered more pain and loss than any cat to the Arc yet. But, for all she has gained, partnerships and family now from nearly ever Clan, Tiger, Whistle, Night, she is ready to forge herself into a cat unbreakable. A legendary contrast to her origins, and I am stoked to see how it plays out.

Splashtail.

Ah, this bastard. This cat is basically a real Clan Darktail, but he pulls it off well.
The last chapter of Wind seriously put the last few pieces of his personality together for me. And I actually have a sort of hotter take on his behavior than many might have.
I do not believe Splashtail is outright ruthless and cruel "just because." Partially, I believe he suffers from a form of trauma suppression that is making him this way. We see that Curlfeather was the instigator for this, that Splashtail genuinely just wanted Riverclan secure, and swore he could do it better than it had. He respected Reedwhisker, and he seemed initially disturbed by the idea of so much... ill means to secure his own position, yet also a slight insecurity or distain for Curlfeather's own degrading outlook of him. Splashtail is ambitious, yet in his own beliefs, also highly loyal. I honestly got the feeling by the end of Wind, Splashtail basically had crossed the blood red line. He went arguably insane, as the last chapter of Wind actually hints at, likely due to a form of regret, a suppression of trauma of what he did. Basically he keeps doing more chaotic and cruel things similar to an addiction, because the withdrawal would mean facing the truth of what you've done. It's possible a form of guilt or conscious bore away at his sanity until he snapped it himself.
Splashtail seems to have a warped personal truth that he genuinely wants Riverclan to be... Gods. So powerful, it feels he may want that specifically because he has to give himself a valid reason that all this bloodshed and madness must earn Riverclan SOMETHING, or else he's truly mad. It's a form of self hatred that is twisting his morality, and I can see it in every word he makes. After all, in his own words about the blood red line, "If I'm already staining my paws with blood, why stop at one?" With Frostpaw... Harelight... I don't think his mind is his own anymore. His terror and anguish has controlled who he is now. Whatever sense of justice or loyalty he wanted to bring to Riverclan, is now a demented passenger to his new self destruction. I wonder indeed what it will do to him before the end.

Squirrelstar.

I believe... I was damn well right. People told me her actions in ASC were ridiculous and wrong, hypocritical even. And I thought, "Well, what's the context?" And I was RIGHT.
Squirrelstar has quickly become of the best Leaders I have witnessed.
I seriously think the Writing team created a whole new personality type that finally gives Squirrelstar some serious personality, because she operates as Leader in a way I've hardly ever seen.
She is incredibly thorough and devoted.
Squirrelstar has shown a perfect mix of extreme unrelenting authority that commands obedience, and absolute respect and love for her Clan and family that balances it beautifully. In the same sentence, she'll formally scold a cat for doing something logically stupid, yet also reason and level so kindly with them on an unofficially level. With Night, Sun, Tiger, Wasp, Waffle, so many! Her compassion and control are expertly blended and I couldn't be more proud.
Squirrelstar is beyond correct regarding the Riverclan situation. People said it was hypocrisy, because she replaced Bramblestar when he was too "lenient." But that was a different time, and when she became Leader, she understood.
Bramblestar was traumatized. He would've advocated for unconditional peace, whereas Squirrelstar is advocating for absolute peace through resolution, on the condition that Riverclan is willing to make the leap.
Tigerstar is absolutely justified and partially correct about his desire to just fix Riverclan by force, yet Squirrelstar also has great wisdom.
She cautions that forcibly ripping Riverclan's Leader away who they've scratched and clawed after for Moons without them actually consenting to it, would lead to a useless war with most of Riverclan that would cause immense unnecessary bloodshed thay no degree of power could stop. It doesn't matter how many Clans join, if Riverclan chooses to fight for Splashtail, innocent and misguided or not, Riverclan will likely bleed itself dry like a cornered animal, and Squirrelstar understands that remarkably well. Riverclan needs to ensure it has a proper rebellion in wait, so that Splashtail will be alone in his War; to minimize conflict and waste of life.
Yet, for any who still perceive that Squirrelstar is too reserved, she has wisely shown her claws furiously when threatened. She did everything short of literally skinning that Riverclan party who stormed into Thunderclan camp. She did not give a single solitary fuck what they felt or didn't. She outright made it explicitly clear that Splashtail does not scare her, she's only concerned about needless bloodshed. Not a cat afraid of War... but one who knows how to fight one.
Squirrelstar is beyond ready to cut Splashtail into little pieces for the fish. She waits for Riverclan... and as of Wind... I should assume her final decision will be swift.
Her words, her mannerisms, they're so unique to her. I've seen Squirrelstar use words that Warriors has literally never bloody used. I still swear the Writing team is shockingly determined to do her justice, and I eagerly await her future!
That is all for now!

I took my vehicle to a mechanic for the transmission to be looked at. They determined that it would need a new transmission. The warranty company sent an inspector out to verify the concern and everything seemed to go smoothly. I did not see the estimate prior to the mechanic submitting it to the warranty company but I wish I had.
So the warranty company approved the mechanics shop full labor rate that they put on the repair estimate, which was $125 per hour, but they would not approved the markup that the mechanic had on the transmission. The mechanic quoted $6,500 for a transmission, but online from Chevrolet you could get a new one for $4,850. My car has 62k miles on it so a rebuilt transmission with 16k-28k miles were sold with warranties attached to them for $2,500 to $3,500 delivered. The warranty company approved $3,850.
The big issue is that the mechanic put down 31.0 hours of labor time. I am in the car industry, and I know that this is nowhere close to being accurate. The warranty company approved their full labor rate that they put in their estimate of $125 per hour, but they approved 14.0 hours for the time which drastically cut down on their payout price vs what the shop quoted. I went to a few other shops just to check and see what they would do and labor times and I was told 14.0 hours at one which matched the warranty company, then 2 other shops told me Mitchell book (I believe this was the name) was at 13.8 hours. I also verified that no other labor charges would need to be added and since I do not have the ceramic brakes there would not to be another 2 hours of labor added (I guess the larger brake size would require you to remove the brakes, possibly?).
So now, I tried to tell the mechanic thanks and it looks like the approved his full labor rate, but then he threw a fit saying that there is no way he would do the job for that amount. I asked how he could have possibly thought the warranty company would approve 31 hours which is more than double the amount of time any book lists as the hour time. The next issue is now since the estimate has been approved and setup, they will not allow it to be adjusted and said that's all they can do and it was based off the shop's recommendations. Now the shop wants me to pay even more money just to release my car, trying to charge storage fees and everything, and now I cannot find another mechanic to fix the issue because they all said they cant match the $125 per hour that the shop quoted. I even tried to tell the shop that I found a 18k mile transmission for $2,500 delivered, and that if he installs that he can just keep the extra amount as labor costs since it doesn't matter anyways and can save money there. He refused to put in any transmission other than what he could find, and my guess markup.
Can I please get some advice on what to do? 1st of all the 31.0 hours was just excessive and if he would have actually put his normal shop rate instead of inflating his total hours then this may not even have been an issue. Now since he won't even work with me on this where I thought I would get him more labor costs paid by spending less on a transmission he wants me to pay all these storage fees since the work is not being done at his shop and he is refusing to release the car to me since he does not want to do the work for what the warranty company approved (which I try to remind him they are paying his full labor rate he listed on his estimate). Also, on his estimate there was nothing else being done or completed that would cause there to be any additional hours added.

If you are as well a fellow visionary I would like your help. I want words or a quote that is meaningful but not too corny. I feel that many people have quotes like “divine feminine” or “No rain, no flowers” which aren’t bad, but just a little too overused for me. I don’t mind length if it’s good enough. Megan fox has a tattoo that says “and those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music” which i think is sweet because there’s layers to the meaning. So I guess tattoos that are allegorical would be a way to sum up what I’m looking for but idk. Other cool tattoo quotes I thought of were “As above, so below” but the meaning behind that is everything you do in the physical world will still reflect itself in the spiritual realm. Also IM NOT RELIGIOUS so no religious stuff pretty please🙏 umm I like science things orrr history is cool. anyway yea im not that creative so I can’t think of much but help is appreciated thanks again

TLDR- Anakin Skywalker couldn't overcome Darth Vader or the Dark Side with the forgiveness of others. The only way to let go of his hate, return to the Light Side, and finally find peace was by forgiving himself.
From the moment he was first "consumed by Darth Vader", as Yoda put it, the greatest fundamental challenge for Anakin to return to the Light was never being forgiven by others. It wouldn't make enough difference if everyone he'd ever hurt or killed sincerely told him "I forgive you", if his mom appeared in a vision to console him, if Padme herself died still believing there was good in him, or even if his own son was willing to die believing there was good in him. Whatever they said or did wouldn't change his heart.
The core of Vader's hatred and pain was never about needing or wanting others' forgiveness or remorse, which is a major reason why he stayed a devout Sith for so long. Because the Sith's strength in the Force comes from their emotions, that way of life became an outlet for him to continue living in the personal Hell that, deep down, he thought he deserved (since all he had left for so long were self-imposed negative emotions). He was his own worst judge & critic. It wouldn't matter how much he did to atone for his crimes (except perhaps to the victims & their loved ones) if he still held himself in nothing but contempt.
In the Sith Lord's mind, even with all this power + the Empire's armies at his disposal, he felt like a failure who deserved his suffering. At every opportunity to repent, he chose to stay on the Sith's path because he didn't believe any other path was left to him. Quoting a review of the Darth Vader comics:
"The kyber crystal he’s trying to force into a Sith crystal, to crush its will beneath his own, fights back with throwing at him what Anakin Skywalker still wants to do, the right thing to do, saying that it’s still possible. It shows him that it’s still possible. But Vader refuses it. That path is no longer possible, it would go against everything he’s sacrificed to get where he is, his betrayal of the Jedi, his killing Padme (so he thinks), his turning his back on the Republic, the murders he’s committed, the monster he’s made himself, it would all have been for nothing if he turned back now. All he would have on that path is nothing, Vader thinks.
Never mind that he would have the right thing, never mind that Obi-Wan would see him as Anakin again and would have forgiven him, would have taken him back, never mind that he could have saved the galaxy from Sidious’ cruelty and horrors. Vader still forces himself to believe that all of that would be nothing. He has to keep moving forward, the sacrifices he made, the things he did and will do, have to be worth it, and that won’t happen on that other path. This new life is his only choice now. The only way out is through. This is all there is."
Vader was dead set on forcing this path to be worth everything he'd lost. He didn't believe he deserved any better after all he'd done. He convinced himself Anakin symbolized weakness from a failed past, but one could also interpret that he believed (even if he wouldn't admit it to himself) he was unworthy of the name.
Vader told Luke "There is no conflict. That name no longer has any meaning for me.", but the anger in his voice during that assertion suggested otherwise. The name Anakin Skywalker simultaneously served as: A) A reminder of his failure to save those closest to him. B) A reminder of when he had family, friends, and so much in his life to be grateful for (in spite of hardships & losses) that he took for granted. Self-loathing was all he understood anymore, and it was that hate that helped give him so much power even with his injuries.
The only way Anakin could find his way back to the Light, even for just one final self-sacrificial act, was to receive forgiveness from the most important person, the one at the root of his decades of hatred... HIMSELF. As long as that self-hatred continued fueling his immersion in the Dark Side, nobody could reach him regardless of who they were or how they approached the situation. Even when his inner conflict started to emerge thanks to Luke's influence, he still believed it was "too late" for him to turn back or be anything else.
He couldn't bear the thought of going back to the path of the Light when his most defining memory of being on it was when he betrayed everything/everyone that life had given him. For all these years, he adamantly believed he could have saved everyone if only he'd been stronger. If only he hadn't allowed the Jedi's dogma to hold him back from his full potential. That ambition led to him losing Padme. He may have even believed in some warped way that turning Luke (and/or Leia) to the Dark would allow them to be a family again.
Even if Luke killed Vader to take his place at Palpatine's side, they'd still be connected in that they'd be links in the chain of Sith history + legacy. It was only in the moment of seeing Luke about to be killed that Anakin finally broke through, screaming "ENOUGH! It's time to LET GO! Let go of the past, let go of your hate (echoing Luke)! Your family needs you! Your son needs you! He is the best of you and his mother! You're RIGHT HERE! You can make a different choice this time. It's NOT too late! You can still SAVE HIM! SAVE HIM!!!!!"
And so, at the cost of his life, he did. When Luke said "I'll not leave you here. I've got to save you." and his father replied "You already have. You were right about me.", Anakin was implying that Luke was right about letting go of hate. That would only be possible to do if Anakin forgave himself. THAT'S how he was able to die, ascend, and be reborn as a Force Ghost. THAT was the most vital step from the start to his redemption.
By accepting everything that had happened on his journey, acknowledging that the direction he went was wrong, realizing it was ultimately his own choice even when accounting for Palpatine's influence, and no longer letting his negative feelings hold him down, he'd finally achieved peace with himself and the Force.

First Off: SPOILERS FOR THE STORY!
Even if it was not perfect, I highly recommend "A Study in Scarlet!" It's fascinating to see Sherlock Holmes' first literary adventure. Not only to compare and contrast it with how the character and its interpretations have evolved over the years, but to witness the craft and skill of Arthur Conan Doyle in crafting a gripping Victorian yarn (at about the tenth the size of the usual length of a serialized story of that period)
You've been warned!
"Study in Scarlet" is many things, but it certainly is no boring.
I had spent many years of my young life being exposed to many differing interpretation of iconoclastic consulting detective, and have loved almost every single one of them. But, in spite of there (usually) good quality, these were merely "echoes" of the actual thing.
As such, earlier this year, me and several friends of mine formed a sort of book club, intent on finally reading this famed novel. We would go about it a chapter every two days and hopefully finish it in about a month.
Well, life being what it is, delays in readings accrued. For some, it was a missed chapter on a particular day (guilty as charged).
For others, well, they're still reading it.
Which brings me to this review. Two months back I had finally finished my copy of the novel, a beautifully researched and annotated printed under the "Oxford World Classics" label. I would heartily recommend this version, as it helped clarify some of the misconceptions put forth by the book in its second half, shedding a light on some of Arthur Conan Doyle's politics in the process.
More on that later.
For now, let's get on with the show.
It's 1881 in Victorian Era England. John Watson, a 2nd Afghanistan War Doctor has been discarged back to his home country following injury. Quickly running out of money from the meager army pension he makes, he meets up with an old hospital colleague who introduces him to the titular Sherlock Holmes.
This introduction was utterly fascinating, portraying a Sherlock who is utterly giddy and quirky in a way that I've never seen him as in any other adaption. It immediately sheds a light on his eccentric nature, and I would be remissed if I didn't mention how it seems to feel reminiscent of those on the spectrum. I almost lament that this aspect of his character is largley absent in most adaptions. It's quite endearing.
Following this meet-up, Sherlock and Watson get on quite well. Enough so that they decide to purchase an apartment and become roommates on, you guessed it, 221b Baker Street.
(An address that doesn't actually exist, as my annotated copy pointed out. Shame.)
It is at this point, Watson notes, that he realizes just how eccentric Holmes really is.
We have the usual expected details, the ones adaptions tend to carry over. Is reading of police reports and "sensational literature," his immense knowledge of poisons and murder methods, and even a violin he strums to calm himself. Then there are the more... obscure aspects. Thankfully, Watson made a sort of list that can help. His uncommon knowledge of all things crime seems to have usurped the place of layman's knowledge in his "Mind palace." His awareness of politics is little, and his knowledge of normal literature, philosophy, and astrology is "nil," to quote Watson.
He doesn't even know that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Sherlock Holmes. Master detective. Doesn't know that the Earth revolves around the damn Sun.
Utterly, hilarious.
Anyways, after some rumination on the science of deduction, we are thrust into the story either an incoming telegram from Inspector Lestrade. Since Sherlock's occupation is being a consulting detective, he offers aid to the stumped police for a small fee. A man has been found dead from a supposed suicide in an abandoned building, with only a bloody word written above a mantelpiece as any indication of motivation.
"RACHE"
However, rather than focusing on the crime itself, Sherlock focuses on the surrounding area, poking around and astutely Study every single little detail he comes across with utter focus. After an extended amount of time does he actually arrive at the main crime scene to study, and the bloody message. The police, of course, assume it's a name: "Rachel." However, Sherlock (in his boundless intelligence) surmises that it is actually the German word "Revenge." Not only that, but he figures out there was another man, working out his height, walk, and dress.
This isn't a suicide. It's murder.
The investigation continues, another murder occurs, a suprisingly exciting chase scene happens, and finally Sherlock lures the murderer right into the heart of 221b Baker Street.
Enter "The Killer Mormons."
It's at this point that the story takes an unexpected left turn, as we suddenly flash back 34 years ago in America, and a community of Mormons in Salt Lake City.
Look, before we proceed, I should clarify that I am not Mormon. At best, my exposure to Mormon culture was stumbling across a Mormon museum out in Albany, NY and that one South Park Episode.
All of that is to say that I don't know too much about the culture, so I was appreciative that my book helped clarify some misconceptions and biased viewings that Doyle sadly indulged in here. For what little Doyle got right, he got a lot wrong, with a lot of it seemingly being the result of fear mongering and disgust. It's kind of uncomfortable, seeing Doyle villianize an actual religion and community and portraying them as a murderous cult with a secret hit squad essentially.
It's weird, and it definitely sheds a light on why I've never seen a straight adaption of this story.
Still, we get a fascinating tragic love story. The murderer was an American cowboy simply avenging his dearly beloved, a young girl adopted by the Mormon community along with her own adoptive dad. She and her father intended to leave the community, but the Motmon Elder was having none of it, intending to marry her off to another Mormon member. After the girl and her father were murdered by the earlier murder victims of this story in retaliation, the cowboy set off on a trail of vengeance that would stretch on for decades, until the stars finally aligned for him to go in for the kills. And once he explains his side of the story to Holmes and the police, he dies of an aneurysm.
The next day, the papers credit the police for cracking the case, leaving Watson determined to set the record straight much to Holmes' bemusement.
And with that, our mystery comes to an end.
I walked away from the story feeling bowled over by the sheer scope of it all. What started off as a classic Holmes mystery, evolved into a western epic full of love, betrayal, death and... Killer Mormons.
It should probably be a testament to Doyle's immense skill as a storyteller that the deeply flawed second section was as compelling as it was. It's flawed view of Mormon culture definitely didn't help it, and one wonders if it were replaced with a generic commune/cult, it would have been the better for it. It certainly was interesting regardless, but perhaps my own love of western movies helped.
It was great to finally see Sherlock's "science of deduction" methodology in play, and it's as amazing as I've heard.
I also came away from the novel better appreciating what Doyle brought to the detective genre, and even Sherlock as a whole!
To those who have seen media based on Sherlock, and loved it, I implore you to check out the novels. At least then I'll have someone to talk about this crazy book with, heh.
Can't wait to read "The Sign of Four" next!

Now i know that most of the "high school research" is bogus. Some will help a professor with their and then proceed to call it "research" or write a lit review on a topic and then try to pass it as something of great creative value. I think in some smaller Unis the AOs are not that well equipped to determine exactly whose "research paper" is of actual legitimate value, but Ivy, hypsm or other top tier school definitely truly check for legitimate research and its quality.
So i have to ask. How much does it really help to have real legitimate research that one came up with themselves ? I started writing my paper several months ago, almost a year. To briefly explain it, it describes a new form of interstellar transportation. And as far as i have searched on the internet(while quoting sources/ referencing etc.) no one seems to have proposed similar ideas. Now am an International, and dont really have the firmest of grasp on the nature of College admissions, a lot of you will have a much better understanding of it.
At one of the Unis that I am keen on applying to (Caltech), I've heard that the professors themselves read the submitted research papers.
I could take my time and finish my paper at a slower pace or i could try to complete it as fast as i can then publish it to use it in my applications (November REA earliest) if i choose to apply.
Thanks!

I can't find this information anywhere - how long are you *allowed* to wait? The key information is that the proof of funds must reference 28 days from the Application Date, but to me this means that you could have a bank statement proving all that, but still go for your biometrics....3 months later? Since we used the longest possible window (6 months from arrival time) - there doesn't feel like a rush to get the biometrics done (especially since it gets things underway and means an IHS refund will never be possible even if we pulled out). But if there is a formal limitation on how long a gap you can leave between your Application Date (which has been done) and the actual Biometrics Appointment, it would be good to know. I've heard that it might be 2 months for Indefinite Leave to Remain but not sure about YMV. thanks
PS I have seen both 240 days and 45 days quoted somewhere. 240 days would be a strange number since it's more than 6 months.....

Hey guys,
So I'm creating a b2b subscription based app within the trade industry. The startup is a few months from soft launch and I have an idea to be able to make a bit of money back my investment by charging advertising space to the product manufacturer.
There are a few steps within the app in order to get to the digital quote stage in which the customer will be able to e-sign.
I cannot divulge too much into it at this stage but the industry only uses one product. This product has many different types and there are 5-10 manufacturers of the product.
At this stage, the quote only mentions the product type used for the job and its manufacturers name.
I am looking to go a little further here and add a few more things to the quote at a cost to the manufacturer in exchange for exposure/advertising.

1. Brief description of the product type
2. Manufacturers logo
3. Manufacturers website (hyperlink)

Hypothetical figures:

• Number of quotes submitted per day, per subscribing company: 1-5
• Number of potential subscribing companies in my region: 1,500
• Number of most commonly used manufacturers within my region: 6

Let's go with 2 quotes per day for this equation and drop the potential subscribing companies down to 1,000:
260 working days per year x 2 quotes = 520 quotes per year, per company.
520 quotes x 1,000 subscribing companies = 520,000 quotes per year
520,000 divided by 6 (number of manufacturers) = 86,666 ad exposures per year, per manufacturer.
I hope my working was correct here, please let me know if not. Also, some manufacturers may be more popular than others based on personal preference or product performance.
I think a manufacturer would be interested at the opportunity to advertise even half of this amount at 43K times per year.
What do you think about this idea? Can it generate some income? If so, how would you go about charging for this? Per annum? Per quote?
Thanks so much guys,

Hello! I have an ongoing idea that I’d like some help with. I attached an image. I have a Bible verse from my wife and I’s wedding along with a quote from her vows. I’m originally from Ohio and she’s originally from California. I’d love to put a background to what I have already. Something to tie Ohio and California together. Maybe a set of mountain ranges across it in the background. Maybe a buckeye tree to resemble Ohio. I’m not too sure but I’m open for suggestions! Thank you! Also Ohio is pretty known for corn. Or atleast that’s a joke between my wife and I! Haha. Thanks!

I just had the best birth experience of my life. This is my second child. Just for a backstory, I had my first child unassisted in the front seat of the car on the way to the hospital. So I was already aware of what an unassisted birth was like, and thankfully, everything was perfect and healthy with my first son. Unfortunately, I did not have a good experience with the hospitals last time or this time around. The labor and delivery departments that I have been to have treated me so terribly. I wanted to have a home birth with my first, but my care team at my doctors office bullied me out of it. Then my son was born in the car so I wished I had gotten my homebirth. Fast forward to this Thursday, I had the most amazing unassisted home birth anybody could ever ask for. It went exactly according to plan. I didn't let anybody bully me this pregnancy and I decided that I didn't want any medical “professionals” involved. I only put that in quotes because the ones I have been dealing with were absolutely not professional. My partner was fully supportive of me in this choice my entire pregnancy. We went over the plan hundreds of times and did so much research on what to do/supplies to have on hand in case anything went wrong. I bought a birthing pool and everything we needed, got the stuff to encapsulate the placenta, etc. My water broke at 6 AM and baby boy #2 was born at 3:45 PM in the birthing pool. It was perfect. He was born at 36+1. The pain was unimaginable, but the experience is one I will treasure for a lifetime. I am so proud of myself for trusting my body. This was my last pregnancy, so I'm just so relieved to have gotten the perfect birth that I wanted with only my family there to witness and be involved. I just wanted to share my experience. I understand not everyone agrees with home births or unassisted births and not everyone had a positive experience like me, but that is my story.

Hi everyone, I’ve run into a bit of an issue with an order and could use advice on how best to handle it. I ordered a piece of hardware for my dog’s collar on April 9, with an original delivery somewhere between April 18th-25th (scheduled delivery has now changed, I’m not sure where to find the original quoted date so I’m basing it on the sellers current shop turnaround time). It’s a small item, but is custom made, and I understand delays. Life happens. By May 4th, there was still no update on the progress. I contacted the seller, who explained that he had been away due to a loved one passing, and apologized for the delay. He said he was catching up now, which I totally understand and expressed this. On May 9th, I was excited when the progress was updated with a tracking number. Unfortunately, since then, it has not changed. It still says label created, USPS awaiting item. Having just lost a very close family member, I fully and completely understand the delay. It did throw me off when I saw his shop is still open and accepting orders, though. It’s now May 19th, and I’m wondering what the appropriate next step is? Thanks so much for any advice!

Hey everyone, just wondering why you get a little bit of advice here. So a few days ago, I bought a car and the car itself was fine It’s a 2009 Kia Sportage and I owe about 8K, it drove really nice when it started up. I got it from a used car dealership and it was running fine. I know that I should’ve taken Mechanic with me , I did not that was my fault. But I went to go check it in to get an oil change and the shop that I took it to you told me that it needs a lot of work done. they quoted me about $1700 and I do not have that amount of money right now. I have to pay the car payment and the insurance. And when I asked about a return policy, they don’t have one. so right now the car that I just bought a few days ago just sitting in my driveway not to be driven. I do have a warranty on the car for mechanical issues, but it doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions so I’m worried about what the shop is gonna say on Tuesday when I bring it in. I know surrendering your car is like the last resort thing that you want to do but I’m kind of at a loss here because I can’t get a personal loan because I just don’t have the funds to pay on a personal loan as well as everything else. so just wondering what you guys think here. I do admit that it was not the smartest decision on my part and voluntarily surrendering The car would mean that it would go on my credit, but I’m just wondering what you guys think thank you very much!