Hi! So I worked in a BPO company for 8 months (my first job) and my previous team got absorbed by the client and I chose not to go with them and stay in the company to get better career opportunities. It was a WFH setup. Then 2 months ago, I got another client but this time, onsite and non nego. I accepted the JO even though the office is 2 hours away from my home kasi mataas ang offer from my previous salary and naisip ko baka kayanin ko naman ang commute and I was also scared na baka di na ako mabigyan ng client if hindi ko pa inaccept yung offer kasi bawal daw ang mag reject.
Then nalaman ng client yung setup ko na sobrang layo ko pala sa office and he was worried about my health and asked me if I will still continue with the role, I had hesitations kasi even though I like the job, I hated the commute too much. The client also thought na baka mag resign din ako in a few months and he will just waste his time training me. I wasn’t also ready to stay/rent sa malapit sa office kasi baka wala rin akong maipon dahil sa gastusin and some personal issues. And because of that, I had to resign and I never thought na di na ko mabibigyan ng another client pa doon sa BPO company. I know sobrang impulsive and mali na inaccept ko agad yung JO na hindi pa pala ako ready sa ganung setup. At naparesign ako without a backup plan.
Now I’m in my job hunt journey and my dilemma is, nakalagay sa COE ko yung last new role ko but given that ilang days lang tinagal ko doon, I didn’t put that role na sa resume ko. I am also willing to take onsite jobs as long as hindi ganoon kalayo. (The previous office site was 2 hours away, tapos tatlo pa ang sasakyan ko to get there)
How am I gonna explain this to the HR pag inask nila ang COE ko? Is this considered a red flag lalo na if onsite ang inaapplyan ko? Or is it okay not to explain further the reason bakit ganoon ang position na nasa COE ko?
I don’t know this might be a dumb question but please help and be kind! Thank you 😊

Hi ph professionals, not sure if this the right sub-reddit but this concern is more work related I think?
It's just that we have this new junior level employee. She has been asigned to be my partner sa task. Maybe dahil siguro ako yung youngest (1 year gap to her ) and they expect we'll be match.
3 years pa lang naman ako sa company (full WFH) and I appreciate the trust given to me by my lead. She undergo training naman, but yung training kase is more of knowing the parts and functionality ng product and hindi talaga ung "standard training" for me.
So sa current task namin medyo madami need prerequisite and totally zero knowledge sya. Problem is may sinusunod kaming sched so ang sistema ko ay tinuturuan sya and binubuhat at the same time. No complains at all kase kaya ko naman.
In her side medyo challenging kase it is all new to her pero I give my best to give the clearest step by step instructions so far.. I explain what it is all about kapag may question sya.
My problem is kapag may nag arise na issue, nacucurious sya duon. I looked for it naman pero kase sa pc nya lang nakikita so no biggie kako. Pero nag eexplore pa sya doon. Meaning na didivert yung attention nya sa unnecesary things as of the moment hanggang sa ako na lang talaga nagawa ng task.
Got a problem with her pc for a long time pero saka ko lang nalaman nung nagtanong lang ako kung bakit wala pa sya naproprogress. Siguro 3 hrs na nakalipas simula nung nag in naka stock lang sa ganun?
Valid ba na magalit ako? Hahahha. I told her na nakakailang na sya iguide gawa kako gumagawa sya sarili nyang task.
Dba kapag new employee dapat pakitang gilas? I don't see any drive from her kase. Then ung exploratory part ng work pwede naman after working hours? Or maybe it's just me thinking all about this.

This is my first time here. Situation I am describing is a very known situation at many households. But this is happening to me AGAIN and AGAIN.
So, I have an ailing Father in law, completely paralyzed with tracheostomy tube, feeding tube and a catheter, whom we are caregiving in a Tier 2 City since 5+ years, I work from home . I have suffered a missed miscarriage and had a D&E after that in September 2023 at around 12 weeks marks. SInce then we are trying and not had a success. My sister-in-law lives in same city so she comes to support the care. I am a secondary caregiver as I am the only one who is earning. My husband is on career break as the Staff is not permanent & load of caregiving is huge. My mother in law expired in 2020.
My sister in law since marriage was a person I always had doubts on. I make friends for life once I get to know them, but here even if the dynamic was weird, I gave her lots of benefit of doubt & she proved me wrong always. She and my MIL were best friends. They had never included me the way a daughter in law should have been included. So because of my mothe r in law, the home was always under her control. Whenever I used to come, I was being indirectly commented on our stuff lying here and there(we were not having any room, so obv it was to be taken in and out of bags), SIL used to say in a really really bad tone blabbering and going here and there " why do people bring stuff if they don't know how to place" the etc. in short I was never allowed to even touch or know things in house. It has to be done by my sister in law always. For smallest of things, she was always given preference. Please don't take me wrong, but I am from a home where we are 2 sisters and obv I was being trained to handle all the things so that I never ever become dependent. And here I am in a household, where I am being told, "you won't be able to do this" to everything I wanted to attempt. All what I had to do is cooking, which I didn't know much. Btw I was the only working lady that time.
Anyway I don't want to go to my MIL's drama because that was HORRIBLE and I thank God every day for relaxing me!
This is not the first time SIL has done maligning/ bitching, she has been involved to malign the image. It has never happened anywhere that people don't come to talk to me, because I generally listen to the problems and I am amicable! I have lived in Chennai, Mumbai, Pune, but it is only here that I couldn't foster any relationships with anyone! It always was a thought in me which I didn't know had a solid cause. I caught her tarnishing my image on camera (we kept it for FIL) blabbering things like : "She has eaten crab" (Kekde khati hai) which I haven't, I have had fish 2-3 times in my whole life, these guys are purely vegetarian, which I was as well, but I had just shared it with her as a thing! "She is putting pressure on my brother so that we have a fight, and now he came to beg sorry that I did a mistake"(Ary masi, ese hi koi nai karta, jab tak upar se pressure nai aata , and aaya tha maafi maangne fir, ki mujhe maaf kar do, ye to chahti hai ki humari ladai ho jaye and toot jaye relationship) (which I never ever do, I come from a joint family and such adjustments are inbuilt in my nature)
When my husband and herself caught covid, they were isolated, I was at my mother's place and rushed back to support them and fully supported them for 2 weeks managing my work alongwith. Later on during 3rd wave of covid, I had covid and I didn't even was asked for! I missed my parents a lot! She gave the most vile response in that conversation with her Masis. "She got Covid!, She got covid!, Now she will make sure to come to our father's room" (That had broken me that time) (Ab ho gaya usko!, ho gaya!, Ab to aur ayegi papa ke room me) (with an intention to kill him)(I have been dealing with a tough situation where it affected my marriage the most and I had to voice my needs to them as noone was paying any attention to my needs and I wanted to have a family of my own during that time. It was 2020-21, I was 33)
I was a scared bird, I was so so scared of confrontation previously that she exploited a lot out of me. Their home is in a place where people have never gone out of the city so the thoughts are so weird when they see me doing it! For example : employing a maid! Now Imagine ! Her masis are equally involved. When my mother in law was dead, and the rituals were happening, people flocked and populated our home. MIL had 5 sisters, all of them bombarded in the tiny home! and then one of them started saying, "We didn't even get tea! She gets up at 7!"
I am harmless creature, who has never picked up fights, She is argumentative and of a nature where she has to win always which is through talking. I avoid it. If I talk, by hook or crook she will manipulate so that things are in her favor and last sentence is hers. She even called my parents and said "aap logo ko thoda encourage jitna karte ho aur karna chahiye" without my knowledge , and they were speaking for me! and I was at a different city. That was my tipping point! I came back, ignored her for 3 days finally bursting on her. She argued that "are they nothing for me", I said you are not allowed to call without my knowledge, you have to go through ME!!
Coming to problem:
My sister in law just had a baby who is 6 months now. after my miscarriage! 2-3 days before, she left her phone at our place,and asked to forward a number from her mobile. My husband forwarded it and then sifted through her chats. He got into a chat with their cousin sister where my sister in law described me as
"I stopped you to go and made her (me) to go because she puts evil eye on my kid and my baby has stopped drinking milk, you are of pure heart, but not everyone is like that, we dont know what's going on in other's mind"
"Ary behna! Bura mat maniyo, wo nazar lagati hain HAMESHA, Ab bechari doodh bhi nai peeti dhang se, tera dil to saaf hai, lekin sabka nai hota"
I was aghasted by this chat comment. All I gave was a genuine love for the purest soul who is infront of us!
All I do is my job in the only room at this house. Previously I was so disturbed that I took psychologist's support! Can you believe it! SIL problems to psychologist!! And After she had a baby, she became better I thought so, so I forgave her and interacted, went to her home as well. Then I backtraced and found another incident where I could connect the dots:
I was deliberately asked to prepare tea while at her home, her masi were also there, and her masi said, Let me prepare the tea, and she said I want to have her from only her hands!! (While in kitchen I found it weird but I gave her space and didn't come out), Later in remembered that she was feeding her baby! HOW PATHETIC! I am so so hurt by such things happening around me! One of her masi, couldn't bear children and "her nazar" has been talk of town always, another masi she was seperate from all sisters and minded her own business, she has "money" according to all of them(which is for sure hard earned and they are jealous that she earned, kept up with sasural, she didn't give a f**k to such chalak sisters ) her nazar is considered "killing/deadly"! She has been a very kind person when I met ! So when I heard about them from SIL I couldn't believe she is saying all that about her own masi! and now when I heard something about me all I could think of is 20 years in future people will still not talk to me because I put nazar! I thought of confronting her husband as he is humble , talking to her is exhausting and I feel talking doesn't bring any conclusion. I thought of never going to their home, I don't know how feasible that is, so my action plan is to never handle her baby and comment on her like : "dont put your baby with me, she will get nazar" . Or if her husband asked why are you not coming, then I will reveal. But I don't know I am getting anxious, something has shifted inside me for good.
I know this is a difficult phase of my life and I am trying for pregnancy can't leave this place until his father's death. I had been away from family in past and that made me more depressed and abandoned as my husband is crazy for his father and he left everything for him! So I couldn't even ask him during all these years of my needs. He was faced by his mother's death and an ailing father so naturally he had a reaction. I had survived a very very difficult phase alone, we both had different journeys for past 4 years. God has been very kind that my job was there throughout to support my family!
Any suggestions on how to deal are appreciated.

First time ko siya nakasama simula nung nag training kami back on '21 and everything is going well for 3 years ok kami, im currently 23 we've been talking about having a family all of that stuff pero there' s always a wall whether kung mag papa convert siya or ako and neither one of us wanted to, its gonna such a waste but di ko kaya ipagpalit yung one thing ano kinagawian ko.
Im sorry but sometimes good things doesnt last For some mababaw For me its more than that I cant think of anything bad because for me and looking back my past rs she's the best thing that ever happened.
Im sorry i loved you

Author's Note: Welp, I'm back. I'm going to be doing these super-short stories from now on instead of the multi-paged short stories that took several days to write. I tend to lose motivation in writing when I have long, drawn out stories. I just want to write these stories about my characters and focus on their character beats and emotions, rather than one long drawn out plot. I do intend on making an overarcing plot with these stories, but told over many, smaller instances.
This story introduces a new character that will not be recieving a character concept page. The reason why is because I simply am not interested in making game concepts and I'm not interested in Overwatch (The Game) anymore. I just want to focus on the stories of my characters.
Harvey King, the handsome, smooth-talking, knuckle-bruiser of Overwatch, now reduced to another ruffian locked behind steel bars. The once highly-esteemed son of New York Cities biggest tech conglomerate entrepenuer, Leonhard King, now another criminal locked away for life for the high crime of terrorism. Not only that, but he was thrown under the bus, used as a scapegoat to get pressure off of King Enterprises, the company that dad always loved more than his own son. His own son, dammit!
"I'm tellin you Harv," Sean muttered on from the top bunk. "you've gotta cool off or you'll get yourself killed!"
"Shut up!" Kingbursted out at his insolent cell mate. The New Worker was a fairly handsome man with a sharp jawline and beautiful nose, but his charcoal black hair had become ragged due to a profound lack of hair gel in prison. Harvey was looking into a glass shiv that he had stolen from the one-eyed punk down the isle, desperately trying to get the angle just right so that he could see his reflection in it. He ran is his fingers down his jaw line, feeling the creases and folds that had been left by Winston's Tesla Cannon. His perfect face, the face who's nose had never once been broken in all of Harvey's days of brawling, was now left with an electrical scar that he would have to live with for the foreseeable future, at least until he can break out of this hole and get it fixed with a healthy dosage of surgury. "That damn monkey, he ruined my face!" He turned to Sean. "Look at this, he ruined my face!"
"Yeah, I've been looking at it for the past month or so." Sean snickered.
"You realize I already have a life sentence?" King snarled, his tone had grew contempted.
"Yeah, so? Most people here d-"
"'That means it won't matter if I use your teeth for golf balls!"
"Oh please kid, you ain't the first young punk to threaten me li-"
"I'll be the first one to go through with it," King yelled at Sean. grabbing him by the collar and dragging him down from the top bunk. "If you don't shut your fu-"
"Shut up in there!" A guard banged his baton against the bars, interrupting King. "And get your hands off your cellmate!"
"Sorry officer," King put on a happy, personable tone of voice for the gaurd. He obediently dropped Sean. "Won't happen again, I promise."
"Yeah, yeah." The guard walked off, uninterested in King's crocodile smile.
The moment the guard turned his back, King's face switched like a lightbulb, going from bright and charismatic to dark and irritated in a mere moment. He turned back to his stupid cellmate and lashed out at him, grabbing his collar and pulling him in close. "I think we need to come to an understanding, you and I," Harvey spoke menacingly. "Look pal, I've already had to put up with a lotta bull lately. I do not need a dishevelled, ugly piece of crap, such as you, giving me more bull. So if you continue to irritate me, I'm gonna make you choke on your teeth. You get me?"
Sean, at a lost for words, simply nodded out of fear. Sean was ugly and dishevelled, Harvey was truthful when he said that, but he was also much smaller than Harvey and wouldn't be able to defend himself.
"Good." Harvey gave Sean a toothy grin. Even in the dimly lit, murkey prison cell, Harvey's teeth still glistened. He dropped Sean, who immediately crawled back onto the top bunk, hugging the wall this time as to avoid being pulled down again, and sat down on his cold, hard matress. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, trying to think of how to get out of this situation. Only he couldn't think of an escape plan, he had too much on his mind. He was trying to make sense of everything that's happened, the mistakes he made that lead to this point. He had everyone at Overwatch wrapped around his fingers like marionettes, his facade was perfectly crafted. He couldn't help but reminisce about when he first started, the conversation he had with his father to get the whole thing set up, the developing of squeaky-clean persona that would be irresistable to Winston and Sojourn, the persona that landed him a spot on Overwatch's small roster of agents and made everyone fall in love with him. Well, not literally fall in love with him, but he was a natural smooth talker and very easy to like upon first meeting.
He remembered the conversation with his father that got him introduced to the likes of Winston in the first place, the conversation between his father and the leaders of Overwatch. King Enterprises had promised to provide Overwatch with funding, but only so Harvey could get a chance within their ranks. Leonhard King, father of Harvey King, was the CEO of King Enterprises. The old man was an idealist, and so was his only son. They wanted to leave a good impact on the world, with King Enterprises having been nicknamed "The Company of the People"; at least, that's what the public saw. No, the real Leonhard King was a tyranical capitalist who valued money over human rights, a greedy old man who was born into a mafia family, but being the the second-born meant he never got a chance to take over the family when his father died. Instead, it was his elder brother, Everett King II, named after his and Leonhard's father, who got to take over the family. Unsatisfied with being second fiddle, Leonhard left the family completely to become an entrepanuer, and now, 50 years later, he was on top of New York's social hierarchy with the biggest tech conglomerate in New England. King Enterprises was built into many facets of life in America, they built all sorts of cars, home appliances, home security systems, but that's only what the media saw.
Of course, Leonhard never shook off his knack for crime. He was a King, and criminality flowed through the King Bloodline; taking money out of decent folks pockets was in their blood. The horrible truth of the matter was that King Enterprises, "The Company of the People", got into all sorts of shady business, such as illegally shipping arms overseas, racketeering, maintaining ties in the black market, and lobbying shady politicians. On top of that, King Enterprises was a major player in the Military Industrial Complex, producing all sorts of weapons for the government, and shipping all the surplus over seas to other countries; a good chunk of all equipment used by the U.S. military was manufactored by King Enterprises. And it is because of this influence on the Military Industrial Complex that Leonhard King also provides funding to terrorist organizations such as Talon, organizations who are keen on creating conflict and pushing the world to the edge of war. Corporate corruption ran through every level of King Enterprises, and everyone outside of the corporation was none the wiser.
It was yard time, and King was hanging out alone. He hadn't made any attempts to socialize with any of the other ruffians the populate the prison, for he isn't planning on staying very long, but he did intend on working out as much as he could while he was there. A long time ago, when King was a kid hanging out in the slums of New York, he had a buddy called Twig. He was called Twig because he was very skinny, but mostly because King wasn't a very imaginitive nicknamer. He got sent to prison at the age of 16 for accidentally killing a guy while trying to jack his car, and came out a few years later completely jacked. King ended up shooting and killing him a while after he got outta prison, mostly because Twig blamed King for getting locked up and wanted revenge, but King still remembered in high regards.
King was readying himself for the bench press, stretching and giving himself a mental preptalk, thinking along the lines of "just cuz you're in prison doesn't mean ain't King no more," and the like. While he was getting ready, a loud, gruff voice cut off his train of thought. "Hey, punk!" King swung his head around to see who was yelling at him, and beheld a man who was around his same height, but very, very prison-jacked. Not as prison-jacked as Twig was, but still very prison-jacked. "Your daddy wanted to give you a message." This man didn't seem particularly friendly.
"My daddy?" King was not happy about this. A message from his father? Really? That old bastard wanted nothing to do with his son, and if he wanted to send him a message, he could visit him on every other thursday! "The hell's the meaning of this?"
"He said you couldn't be naming any name, kid. Said you'd understand." The big man pulled out a shiv, swinging his arm forward while rushing at King.
"The hell!?" King exclaimed, caught off guard by the sudden attack. He managed to catch the man's wrist, stopping the shiv from plunging right into his guts. He had to act quickly, he wouldn't be able to hold this man's arm for very long before he got overpowered, so he had to resort to some dirty tactics. Spitting in the man's eyes then kicking him in the shin did the trick, causing the jacked man to faulter and drop his shiv. Harvey had been in many a street fight during his life, and with the shiv out of the equation he would be also to out-box this man. King was an experienced brawler, he learned how to tussle on the streets of New York City, and was once mentored by a prize-fighter how to box. If not for his father's interference, King would've spent his entire life living in slums, hanging around his Uncle's turf, instead of in the King's Estate with his father.
With his attacker instinctually wiping spit out from his eyes, King had the perfect opportunity to land his signature KO'ing right hook right into the man's dome. King wasn't the biggest, most intimidating fella on the block, but he knew how to throw a punch with a surprising amount of power. King threw several more punches, beating the man senseless with merciless intensity, just to let off some steam that he's been holding in since his incarceration. He would've beaten that man to death if he hadn't been hit in the shoulder by a gaurd's heavy baton from behind. King fell down and got tackled by a gaurd, ending the fight.
Thursday rolled around, and it was the other thursday. King, of course, didn't have any visitors, but he did have a phone call. King impatiently tapped on the tabletop, eagerly waiting for someone to pick up the phone. A wide, sparkling smile stretched across his face as the wheezy voice of an elderly smoker come out the phone. "Who is this?" The voice calmly asked.
"Hey, Uncle."

1. Freelancing is not a stable job- Mas madalas ang project based kesa sa regular gig. Hindi araw-araw pasko dito, walang 13th month pay and madalas unpaid ang holidays. Oo mas malaki sahod kesa sa minimum wage natin dito pero may mga pagkakataon na walang masungkit na client for weeks, months or years pag minamalas ka talaga.
   
2. It's not always sunny in Philadelphia- hindi totoo yung napapanood nyo na madali kumita ng 6 digits. May mga client na di ka babayaran at maglalaho na parang bula. Nakakabaliw yun lalo na kung yung sahod lang na yun ang inaasahan nyo. Kung may kupal na boss sa corporate jobs nyo, meron din dito. Pero hindi rin naman impossible na kumita ng 6 digits pero syempre depende yun sa skills mo at experience. Hindi naman pwede na wala kang experience mag-expect ka na agad ng malaking sahod. Parang dito lang yan satin magsisimula ka muna sa baba then work your way up. Unless yung skills mo eh hardcore talaga then achievable agad sayo yung 6 digits na yan. Hindi din sya parang dito satin na 15/30 may inaasahan kang papasok na pera. May times na nadedelay sahod, tapos delay pa irelease ng paypal kaya dapat malalim bulsa mo at wag mo uubusin yung sahod mo kasi anytime pwede umalis so client.
   
3. No one can tell you your niche- ikaw lang makakapagsabi nyan. Parang talent yan eh, kung saan ka magaling dun ka mag-eexcel. Hindi porket nalaman mo na yung kilala mo kumikita ng malaki sa niche A, iisipin mo ikaw din. Yes possible naman pero hindi palagi. So bago ka pumasok sa freelancing, alamin mo muna yung target niche mo at wag mong iasa sa iba.
   
4. No spoon feeding here- Sa totoo lang, mas madali dito sa atin kasi may training tayo bago sumabak. Sa freelancing, most clients expect you to know most of it, siguro ituturo lang sayo yung tools na gamit nila or yung sistema pero the rest ikaw na yun. May mga clients pa nga na walang alam at all at iaasa lahat sayo kaya hindi sya ganun kadali kagaya ng inaasahan nyo.
   
5. Hindi kami gatekeeper- minsan kasi ang hirap ng tanong nyo kaya di na lang sinasagot lalo na yung tanong na "Saan ba mag-aapply?" Kasi kami mismo naghahanap din ng client namin. Yes, we all want you to succeed pero it's a game of survival and you must learn how to paddle your own boat otherwise maiiwan ka talaga.
   
6. Hindi sya natutunan overnight- it took me 7 years to learn everything and hindi ko pa alam lahat. Hindi possible yung sinasabi ng iba na paturo naman paano maging va or paturo naman ng niche mo. Kasi kahir ituro namin kung wala namang hiring sa niche na yun, paano? Pareho lang tayo nagsayang ng oras natin.
   
7. Hindi sya para sa lahat- Again, no gate keeping here. Ganito na lang, kami bang mga VA pag lumapit sa mga RN, Seafarers, teacher etc na magpapasok sa field nyo maipapasok nyo ba kami kahit wala kaming relevant knowledge or experience? Hindi naman di ba? Minsan kasi baka pilit tayo ng pilit na makapasok eh hindi naman pala dito ang calling natin. Im not discouraging you, sinasabi ko lang ang possibilities.
   

Please dont hate me for this, just want to shed some light kasi baka hindi kayo aware sa struggles kasi naka focus tayo lahat sa 6 digits income. Pero as I mentioned earlier, it would be nice if all of us will succeed so apply lang ng apply! 🫶

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Patreon Official Subreddit Series Wiki Royal Road
The Grand Dining Hall. Local time: 1210
Emma
The dining hall was, for all intents and purposes, the den of gossip.
[Grand Dining Hall. Add: Alternative Designator - DEN OF GOSSIP]
This was proven true by the incessant and rampant whispers, most of which were eventually hidden under privacy screens.But some of which were allowed to permeate through the air like a foul and sickening stench.
“What’s he trying to prove?”
“Usurpers. Tepid-blood minor nobles thinking themselves bigshots in their ill-gotten castles. This is all they know — power through brute strength.”
“Do you think this could be some sort of a roundabout statement for the House Choosing Ceremony?”
“Could be, or maybe the newrealmer is rubbing off on him. I heard those savages live in hunting-packs that deal exclusively in violence.”
“Poor Lord Ping… the man’s been dealt so many blows both to his ego and integrity. He truly is the victim in this upstart’s rebellion.”
“Let us hope the pious Ping prevails over his undeserving trials and tribulations. The man’s a saint, a pious soul that must hold fast for those of us adherent to the eternal truths.”
“Or perhaps we should wait and see how things develop. I, for one, wish to side neither with the narrow-minded bull nor the aggressive upstarts.”
“Lord Qiv may prove to be the more suitable candidate for class sovereign… but only time will tell.”
“Never in my wildest of imaginations would I have ever considered that the one to threaten our position, our place, our image, and our very survival in this sky of feral drakes to be you — Prince Thalmin.” Ilunor managed out incredulously, breaking me out of my long-range acoustic reverie. Though unlike his prior confrontations with myself, his current voice lacked the same intense vitriol. Instead, that was replaced with what I could only describe as a genuine sense of disappointment, as if confronting a friend who knew better than to commit to a dumb decision.
“That’s an understandable statement to make, Ilunor.” Thalmin replied uncharacteristically calmly, as if he hadn’t even registered the Vunerian’s assaults. Or at least, that seemed to be the case, until he shot the deluxe Kobold a predatory side-eye. “Because creatures that lack honor, integrity, and personal dignity, often conflate sacrifices and risk-taking, for foolishness and idiocy. For within the heart of a Nexian, lies only compromise for the sake of convenience. Whether that be the convenience of survival, the convenience of continuity, or the convenience of the status quo, you will sacrifice everything to maintain it — even if it means allowing your honor to remain sullied and trodden when there exists a pool to cleanse away that shame.”
Thacea’s eyes grew wary with concern at that statement, one of the few instances I’d seen her genuinely worried about an Ilunor-Thalmin interaction. In fact, even I didn’t dare to interrupt, especially after both parties had shot death-glares towards our elven waiter as he arrived with the lunch platter.
“Restraint, Prince Thalmin.” Ilunor responded with a deep and calculating breath. “This isn’t the adjacent realms, this isn’t Havenbrockrealm.”
“Oh that much is very clear to me, Ilunor.” Thalmin interjected with something just short of a growl. “In Havenbrockrealm, we would sooner slash, stab, flay, or lash our enemies in fair and open combat, than reduce ourselves to cowardly attempts at assassination or retreat with our tails between our legs at the earliest signs of defeat.”
Ilunor took another breath, placing a small hand atop of his snout. “I… empathize with your desires to follow through with what you believe is a morally sound decision.” The Vunerian responded in a surprising display of maturity. “However, and this goes for you as well, newrealmer—” He paused for a moment, taking the time to glare at me before shifting back to Thalmin. “—we are not acting as independent actors anymore. For better or for worse… which, mind you, I still strongly believe this is very much for the worse in my case… we are now a peer group. And as such, the actions we take and their resultant fallout, should represent the interests of us all.”
“These are bold claims.” Thalmin began with a restrained snarl. “Even bolder when considering your actions the week prior. If the measure of a man were dictated by his words alone, then I would be inclined to acquiesce. However, considering the measure of a man extends beyond the weightless chatter of an exhaled breath, I feel far more inclined to reserve such actions for those far more deserving of my respect.” At which point, the lupinor turned towards both Thacea and I, following that up with a dip of his head. “I apologize, Thacea, Emma, for conducting myself in the way I did.”
Thalmin took a moment to pause, side eyeing Ilunor as he acknowledged him once again. “Whilst his character may sully his words, there is some truth to them. I have, admittedly, overstepped my bounds in committing to an action which undeniably affects the group. However, I genuinely hope you understand the reasons behind my otherwise brash decision. For I must stand on principle, lest I decide to stand at all.”
“Given the crap Auris Ping pulled last night, I’m inclined to agree with you, Thalmin. More than that, I would’ve gladly taken your place and dueled him the good old fashioned way if I could. Besides, the look on his face when you chose him to be your dueling partner? It was just priceless.” I offered with a snide grin. “In all seriousness, I’m really not in a position to chastise anyone on the issue of just gunning it with your gut instinct anyways. Heck, the entirety of last week was one long drawn out escapade for my sake, which came at the expense of the group after all.” I chuckled nervously. “So… yeah, this is incredibly tame by those standards, Thalmin.”
“Whilst… unexpected, and indeed a risk, I can understand the reasons behind it, Thalmin.” Thacea nodded uneasily. “However, I do not advise any of you to make a habit out of this.” She commanded, making an effort to make individual eye contact with each and every one of us.
Thacea’s group-mom vibes were definitely showing at this point, which was probably for the better. Given the group seemed to be a magnet for this sort of thing, it was good to have an anchor of sorts.
Sure thing, mom. Was what my gut instinct screamed at me to say.
But instead, I decided to tone it down a notch.
“As you command, princess.” I dipped my head in acknowledgement, garnering a look of abashed confusion from Thacea, and just plain-old confusion from the other two.
“In any case… I… believe you wished to discuss matters outside of classroom priorities, Emma?” Thacea quickly attempted to shift past that little bit of prodding, which I obliged with an affirmative nod.
“Yep. Well, it’s more of a small change of plans that I think is worth discussing with you guys. So, you remember how I was planning on deploying an infil-drone on Mal’tory after the end of class right?”
All three nodded, urging me to continue.
“Well, since Mal’tory was a no-show, and with Larial taking the reins instead… I think it’s best if we stick with the plan anyways, just swapping out Mal’tory for Larial. I honestly don’t see any other way we can continue the library’s questline, or any other way to find evidence to support the Auris Ping-Mal’tory hypothesis we have going on. I know it’s a huge gamble since there’s no way of knowing if she’ll even head to Mal’tory’s office after class. But honestly? This is our best shot right now.”
“I concur, Emma.” Thalmin announced with a nod.
“Given her proximity to the professor’s orbit, we may in fact gain a greater bearing on his actual state. Which in itself may prove useful.” Thacea offered, more or less acknowledging my change of plans implicitly.
“We don’t seem to have any other choice, earthrealmer. So a shot in the dark is better than stowing your wand.” Ilunor acknowledged in a rare display of solidarity.
“It’s settled then. I’ll deploy the drone right after class is dismissed. Then, we wait and see what the drone comes up with.”

The Grand Concourse of Learning. The Hall of Light. Local Time: 14:00 Hours.
Emma
Mana field perception was, as one would expect, dry, bland, and utterly nonsensical.
Throughout most of it, the lesson was taught as if it was referencing something obvious, something mundane, something so typical that a lot of the topics were all but overlooked as ‘self evident’.
A lot of what was taught reminded me of a mix between perception-theory, and situational awareness training. However, instead of relying on your eyes, ears, heck, even your nose or sense of touch… it was instead relying on something completely outside of the human experience.
“Mana field perception, is at its core, a subject that is inherent to the sapient condition. However, the extent to which it is appreciated, understood, and most important of all — applied — varies exponentially. To an untrained mind, and an untempered soul, the world feels tepid.”
The apprentice paused, gesturing to Sorecar, who answered his cue by pulling out a massive painting of a beautiful mountainscape that seemed to play through a closed animation loop; the effect was like a high-definition e-ink display.
“To a trained mind, but an untempered soul, the world feels… distant, unaccommodating, and frustrating to emotionally comprehend.” Larial continued, prompting Sorecar to pull out yet another painting. This one, the exact same as the first, with literally no differences between them.
“To an untrained mind, but a tempered soul, the world feels… unpredictable, erratic, and frustrating to logically put together.” Once again, another painting was brought out. This one, just like the previous two, looked completely identical.
“But to a sufficiently trained mind, and a tempered soul, with enough time invested into both theory and practice… the world becomes open, expansive, and above all else… it becomes rich with sights and sensations that would be impossible to feel with the physical form alone.” Larial concluded, just as Sorecar pulled out what looked to be yet another identical painting.
The EVI’s analysis concluded that there were absolutely no differences between the four paintings. Moreover, the mana radiation signatures for each were likewise exactly the same.
It was only after slipping a note towards Thacea with a question written in High Nexian did I finally get my answer.
‘What’s the deal with these paintings? They’re all identical.’
Thacea quickly slipped me a blank piece of parchment in response.
Though it didn’t remain blank for long, as words and sentences started appearing on it; mirroring Thacea’s furious ‘note taking’ in her own notebook.
‘They’re artisanal pieces imbued with the purposeful manipulation of the subject’s aura, mana-field, and the surrounding mana. They were brought out in order to demonstrate the different degrees of mana-field perception by exaggerating the most common shortcomings found in those training in the magical arts. The first piece was, similar to your memory shards, lacking in any mana-fields or auras. The second and third pieces demonstrated a failure to imbue one or the other of the two fundamental tenets of mana-field perception. The fourth piece is representative of a perfect balance of both tenets, and is an exquisite work of art that completely outshines the first. It radiates beauty, whilst the first is flat and lifeless.’
It took a moment for me to really register all that. Longer still, as I eventually became fixated on that last line in particular.
Flat and lifeless… is that what the world is like from my eyes?
It was around that time that a thought hit me, and a realization truly sank deep into my very being.
The world that Thacea, Thalmin, Ilunor, and the rest of the magical beings across the interdimensional plane experienced… was one that I was utterly blind to.
It’d been referenced before.
In fact, it’d been drilled into me time and time again by the likes of Ilunor that I was lacking in something fundamental.
But up until now, everything was either circumstantial, or outside of my general focus. So much so that I never was able to digest the implications of it.
However, as much as a pit formed in my stomach, growing tighter by the second as Larial went on and on about the ebbs and flows of mana, so too did a very human resolve suddenly dawn upon me.
“I’m going to see what you guys see one day.” I wrote down on Thacea’s magic paper.
“How?” Was the message I received back.
To which I only had one thing to reply with.
“The same way we overcame all of our other shortcomings.” I wrote cryptically, garnering a look of confusion from Thacea as she read the note, to which I only had to point at my armor for added effect.
By once again defying nature. I thought to myself.
If we weren’t born with the ability to ‘see’ this beauty, we’d find a way to break it down into its fundamental components, dissect it, analyze it, and then reinterpret it for ourselves.
The class continued on after that exchange of notes, as we touched upon what Ilunor had so eloquently described on that second day of the grace period:
One: that manastreams were everywhere around us.
Two: that manafields generated by living organisms were akin to rocks that not only parted those streams, but at times, interacted with them.
Three: that using manafields, one could make out the presence of other manafields through the manastreams, and thus detect and extract information as is pertinent to the context of the situation.
And while Ilunor would’ve blabbered on and on about the ability to see and sense the emotional state of others through the manastreams, what Larial seemed to be focused on instead were the practical applications of this natural ability. Namely, she focused on exactly how to detect a spell being cast, what sort of spell was being cast, and most importantly — she focused on how it all tied back to Light Magic.
“In summary, only when one is proficient in the detection and analysis of manafields, can one finally start to dissect the intricacies of a manafield during spellcasting. And only once one masters the detection of spellcasting, can one even hope to begin the process of dispelling. The first step of which is to know exactly what a manafield looks like during spellcasting. Is there anyone in the class that can tell me what that looks like?” The professor asked, looking around, before picking one of the many raised hands.
This one belonged to Qiv.
“Yes, Lord Qiv?”
“Influxes and effluxes, Professor. One will see the influx of ambient mana through the manastreams into a manafield, and the potential efflux of mana through a manafield back into the manastreams in the form of a controlled mana-construct.”
“Very good, Lord Qiv! Five points! Now, hold your thoughts on that latter part, because that ties into my next question!” Larial responded with a giddiness and chipperness that seemed to be lacking in every other class up to this point. “The fundamental means of detecting a spell being cast is by looking out for a point of influx, and a point of efflux. Influx being the more difficult of the pair to detect, for what you have to look out for is mana is being funneled into a manafield. A weak spell being cast, will incur less disruptions in a manastream. However, the opposite is also true. As the more powerful the spell, and the more powerful the mage, the greater the rate of influx, as the amount of mana needed to fulfill the requirements of the spell increases. Paradoxically this would mean it will be easier to detect a powerful spell before it is cast, as the reduction in the concentration of ambient mana will be more palpable as a result. Efflux however, is rather straightforward, and will be the primary vehicle through which Mana-field Perception will be taught. As it is through efflux that we can ascertain the most useful details of a spell, or as Lord Qiv so eloquently puts it — the mana-construct. Does anyone know what this next point may be referring to?”
Surprisingly, and out of a clear bias towards Qiv, Larial once more called him up.
I couldn’t blame her though.
The man, despite being a certified bully and teacher’s pet, was one of the few students who didn’t openly doubt the apprentice’s capabilities during the start of class.
“Yes, Lord Qiv?”
“The mana-construct refers to the skeleton of a spell; the arrangement and unique form it takes before manifesting into a proper spell.” The gorn-like lizard responded confidently.
“Outstanding, Lord Qiv! Five points! Now, whilst a mana-construct is indeed a vital step in the process of spell casting, its manifestation is rarely the point in time in which a spell can be intercepted — save for those who have mastered the art of Light Magic. As a result, a spell can be halted before it even has the chance to form. To most however, the mana-construct acts as a cue to prepare. It is a signal that demonstrates the irrefutable start to a spell. And as a result, it provides major structural clues as to the form of Light Magic that must be employed to combat it. Which leads me to my next point.”
The apprentice once more paused, as she manifested literally nothing visible to the tune of more than a dozen mana radiation warnings.
“When broken down to their basic components, every spell is a complicated meshwork of mana, channeled and contained within a dynamic pattern that continuously evolves throughout the duration of a spell. Because unlike artificing, the casting of magic evolves with unpredictability and thrives on organic change. No offense to you, of course, Professor Pliska.” The apprentice turned towards Sorecar worryingly, who simply responded with a bellowing laugh.
“None taken, my aspiring understudy!”
With that, Larial continued, her hands moving through an empty section of air that everyone seemed to be focused on; as if manipulating a hologram that I wasn’t privy to. “However, in spite of this unpredictability, the goal of Light Magic and Mana-field Perception in particular is to untangle the aforementioned meshwork of mana. For every spell is a puzzle and a series of knots to untangle. Your goal in this class, if I am to be reductive, is to untangle the complex mesh that comprises a spell, unraveling it to a point in which it can no longer maintain its form — collapsing it and thus, rendering it inert.” The apprentice emphasized this by miming what looked to be tiny little motions with her fingers, before pulling both hands backwards, garnering a series of affirmative nods from the crowd. “And with that, we now reach the conclusion of today’s class.”
“Or more accurately, the leadup to the climax of this class.” Sorecar quickly chimed in with a wave of his hand, prompting the room to change once more. Section upon section of the front of the classroom’s floor was dragged down into the impossible void, only to be replaced just as quickly by an elevated stage resembling that of a fencing strip. “Will the aspiring duelists please rise and approach the stage?” Sorecar turned back towards the crowd, prompting both Thalmin and Auris to stand, the pair giving each other some strong side-eyes before both marching up and towards the front of the class.
From there, with not a single word exchanged, they took their places, Thalmin at the far right, and Auris on the far left.
“The purpose of this demonstration is simple.” The apprentice began, as Sorecar began moving towards both Thalmin and Auris, insisting them to pay attention. “It is to show that even in spite of the complicated principles behind Light Magic, that there exists far simpler, far more basic principles that can achieve similar means. A precursor to more contemporary methods; spell-breaking. A maneuver that involves overpowering the structure and flow of a spell using a concentrated burst of pure mana irregardless of the type. However, unlike traditional dispelling seen in contemporary Light Magic, spell-breaking oftentimes requires a user to concentrate a disproportionately larger amount of mana in order to properly break a spell. It is thus highly inefficient, and as a result becomes rapidly impractical upon encountering spellcrafts of sufficiently advanced tiers. This demonstration will be aptly limited to a simple barrier-spell for the likes of the reciprocator, so as to not overburden the initiator with this simple task.”
The apprentice quickly passed on the torch to Sorecar, who quickly took center stage with a few steps.
“Now, as this is not a traditional duel for dominance, nor is it a sporting duel for the purposes of victory, I will explain the narrow context by which this duel will be held.” Sorecar continued, his hands clapping together, generating an empty and resonant CLANG in the process. “To our right, is our initiator, who will be demonstrating the principles of spell-breaking in an active capacity. To our left, is our reciprocator, who will be taking on the role of demonstrative spellcaster, casting only barrier spells for the duration of this short demonstration. Remember, there is to be no additional spells cast or demonstrated outside of these parameters. Is that clear?” Sorecar paused, making sure to meet both of the opponents’ gazes with his empty helm.
“Yes, professor!” Both parties shouted simultaneously, barely containing their frustrations beneath a veneer of calm and restrained fury.
“Then we shall begin on the count of three.” The apprentice continued, taking the reins over from Sorecar, as she stood just a few steps away from the stage’s combat-lines. “One.” She began, as Auris began moving into position, practically grinding his booted hooves into the stage, and taking on the posture of some unknown martial art. “Two.” Thalmin reciprocated by taking a more aggressive posture, as if positioning himself to leap towards the bull in a ravenous rage at the drop of a hat.
“Three.”
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 225% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 350% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
Nothing seemed to happen.
At least, not to my eyes.
Within a matter of seconds, all I witnessed were two mana radiation warnings timelogged as only a few seconds apart from one another.
No physical effects were evident to me. Nothing, except for the flinching of a few muscles, and the waving of arms. As if they were conjuring make-believe magic spells, without the added special effects that came with it.
Ironically, this was how I was expecting most Nexians to react to the reveal of laser weaponry. Silent, invisible, but otherwise omnipresent and deadly threats.
Though despite the lack of any physical effects I could discern, there were certainly more than enough context-clues to go by when it came to exactly what had just occurred.
Auris’ features had more or less swelled up into a fury. His nostrils flared just short of snorting out fumes, and his teeth were bared clearly holding back a few choice words for the now-grinning Thalmin.
“Again.” He demanded, and barely a second after a nod of approval from the apprentice, came two more mana radiation warnings.
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 300% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 425% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
Once again, no noticeable physical effects had manifested. Though judging from the bewildered and shocked expressions of the crowd, something was definitely happening within the invisible world that was accessible through mana-vision.
“Again!” Ping announced, barely garnering approval from the apprentice this time, as things took a sudden enough turn that even I could notice them.
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 400% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
It started with that ‘barrier’ again.
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 500% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
Followed by Thalmin overpowering it.
However, instead of letting things go, Ping instead pushed towards a frenzied series of attacks.
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 375% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
As one—
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 400% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
—after another—
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 400% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
—after another—
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 400% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
—after another ‘barrier’ spell seemed to actually be causing Thalmin some pushback now. His movements now resembled someone attempting to dodge invisible projectiles, yet Auris made no moves to actually fling anything at him, only maintaining his prior stance.
Though of course, this came with the same expected response.
As Thalmin retaliated with his own attacks. Or rather, one, very large attack that truly outclassed what Auris could currently muster in his furious state.
ALERT: LOCALIZED SURGE OF MANA-RADIATION DETECTED, 550% ABOVE BACKGROUND RADIATION LEVELS
This spell that mildly shook the room seemed to be enough to ‘break’ the sudden incursion, prompting both Ping and Thalmin to turn towards the apprentice — the former blasting steam from his snout and the latter slashing his tail in the air — for yet another round of fighting, only to have Sorecar step in, placing a hand on both of the duelists who were barely a foot away from each other now.
“Wonderful! Excellent! Put your hands together for our introductory duelists, everyone!” The professor quickly coerced both of the parties to face the class, actively grabbing them by the small of their back, and thus effectively entrapping them with his iron grip — forcing them to face the class who cheered on with a series of applauses.
Not a second later, the pair of them bowed, though it was unclear how much of this was Sorecar’s doing, and how much of this was done out of their own will.
“In any case, seeing as both of our aspiring duelists have gone above and beyond in their demonstration, and seeing that this is merely a demonstration, and not a challenge—” Sorecar emphasized that last point, forcing the pair to sweat in his over-shoulder grip. “—I believe it would be prudent to award them each a fair share of this duel’s fifty points.”
“Given the enthusiasm shown, I am inclined to agree, Professor Pliska.” The apprentice quickly nodded, prompting the armorer to quickly push both of them off-stage, and back towards the staggered raised steps of the lecture hall.
“Twenty-five points for both of our duelist’s groups.” Larial reiterated, and with a final round of reluctant applause, barely overpowering the incoming band marking the end of class… the apprentice made her final statement. “This concludes this week’s first lesson. Considering the house choosing ceremony coming up this weekend, along with the Elaseer school supply shopping trip to town… I am inclined to grant this class some clemency. No homework will be required. So please, enjoy the rest of the day, and prepare yourselves for what could be the most decisive day in your academic career here in Transgracia. Class dismissed!”
No sooner were those words uttered did my eyes quickly turn towards my HUD, and a flash of commands came through without a second of delay.
INFIL-DRONE01a ACTIVE, STATUS: NOMINAL. OBJECTIVE: PRIORITY TRACKING AND RECONNAISSANCE OF SUBJECT A109. MISSION PARAMETERS: TRACK, OBSERVE, MAP, AND RETURN-TO-BASE WITHIN PREDETERMINED PARAMETERS. CONFIRM COMMAND Y/N?
“Command confirmed.” I replied vocally, prompting the newly-printed replacement drone to pop out of its docking bay, before charting a course parallel to that of the apprentice.
The drone’s signal was lost just as the apprentice left the room through that dark threshold behind the lectern, at which point, the entire class began shuffling out to the tune of the encroaching band.
Only time would tell what would come of this mission.
But hopefully, we'll get our answers sometime later this evening.
However, instead of blending right into the crowd, or more specifically… being ignored by said crowd, quite a few eyes managed to find their way onto our group. Moreover, the chatter seemed way too interesting to ignore.
“You were right, Cynthis… perhaps there is something about this mercenary prince after all.” A female voice spoke from an all-girl group, eliciting a series of giggles, which were promptly silenced by a privacy screen the moment Thalmin craned his head around.
“Lord Auris Ping has yet again demonstrated his integrity. Let us ensure his pure-hearted determination is lauded this evening, lads! The fearsome strikers shall band together with the most pious of intent!” A tortle-like-turtle jeered, moving strategically to position themselves around Auris Ping’s group, as the expected schmoozing began in full.
“Newrealmer.” Ilunor began, generating a privacy screen in the process.
“Yes, Ilunor?”
“How long do you expect your insect to take in its dastardly escapades?”
“Last time it took a good few hours. So, given this probably isn’t a one-and-done deal, I’d say… maybe three to four hours at the least this time around?” I offered.
“Well then. Splendid. I shall be off, and return within that time frame.”
“Wait wait wait wait. Hold up. Where do you think you’re going?” I inquired firmly.
“I have my own life to lead, newrealmer. Now please, I shall return to our group’s escapades in due time.”
“Where, Ilunor?” I reiterated.
To which the Vunerian could only sigh in response. “The student lounge. Top floor today, if I am to be interrogated for every ounce of information…”
“Then let’s go. Together.” I proclaimed, garnering a few looks of surprise from both Thacea and Thalmin. “Perhaps it’s time we start getting a feel for the lay of the land. We’ve been cooped up in our own little world for far too long, maybe, just maybe, we should all expand our horizons just by a little bit.”
First Previous Next
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(Author’s Note: The much anticipated round two between Thalmin and Auris has concluded! And following its conclusion, we also get quite a few reactions to Thalmin as a result of his daring display of magical prowess! We also get a pretty hands on demonstration of Light Magic this time around! This is perhaps one of the more hands on class, and indeed one of the more straightforward classes so far! Moreover, the end of classes marks not only the beginning of the little spy drone adventure, but also a little peak into exactly what Ilunor has been up to! I hope you guys enjoy! :D The next Two Chapters are already up on Patreon if you guys are interested in getting early access to future chapters!)
[If you guys want to help support me and these stories, here's my ko-fi ! And my Patreon for early chapter releases (Chapter 81 and Chapter 82 of this story is already out on there!)]

I apologize if this is a dumb question I've only been playing a few weeks. I'm really interested in competitive online link battles so I want to get really good :)
So we were playing normal rules where everyone is level 50, it's only a casual battle.
My garganacl has decent stats l, I've trained him well and his HP is 343, defence 286, special defence 214, he's level 100( but I appreciate levels get put at level 50 for all pokemon with these rules).
Something happened that I don't understand. My special ability is being unable to be knocked out by one KO as garganacl has a sturdy body. I terasteralized him against my opponent who was also terasteralized. I had FULL HP on top of all this.
He went at me with Iron Head and I fainted immediately. (Sorry I don't know what his pokemon was it looked like some kind of khaki green dinosaur on its hind legs).
So my question is, if my ability is unable to be beaten with one KO, and I'm Rock type and I was terasteralized, how did this happen? If my defence against physical moves is 286 and regardless I'm not supposed to faint after one move?! I'm just really confused and my initial feeling is they must have been cheating and it's put me off
If they weren't cheating can you tell me what my best way to defend this move is please. I'm just really not going to play online battles if people are going to be spoil it with cheating :(
Thanks in advance

Hi I'm just wondering if people cheating or hacking link games is a thing, I apologize if this is a dumb question I've only been playing a few weeks. I'm really interested in competitive online link battles so I want to get really good :)
So we were playing normal rules where everyone is level 50, it's only a casual battle.
My garganacl has decent stats l, I've trained him well and his HP is 343, defence 286, special defence 214, he's level 100( but I appreciate levels get put at level 50 for all pokemon with these rules).
Something happened that I don't understand. My special ability is being unable to be knocked out by one KO as garganacl has a sturdy body. I terasteralized him against my opponent who was also terasteralized. I had FULL HP on top of all this.
He went at me with Iron Head and I fainted immediately. (Sorry I don't know what his pokemon was it looked like some kind of khaki green dinosaur on its hind legs).
So my question is, if my ability is unable to be beaten with one KO, and I'm Rock type and I was terasteralized, how did this happen? If my defence against physical moves is 286 and regardless I'm not supposed to faint after one move?! I'm just really confused and my initial feeling is they must have been cheating and it's put me off
If they weren't cheating can you tell me what my best way to defend this move is please. I'm just really not going to play online battles if people are going to be spoil it with cheating :(
Thanks in advance

New to modding here. I've played this game 3 times on mobile before and when I started again on PC I decided I should mod it to make it more enjoyable. With my first few attempts I encountered some issues and accumulated a few questions. It would be awesome if someone could help me out.

1. Do I need the TSLRCM if I'm using the steam version? I couldn't find an exact answer on google as some people say steam has restored and fixed some stuff but to what scale? Is there anything to be noted if I wanna install TSLRCM?
   
2. Did TSLRCM fix or improve the cutscenes and animations?
   
3. There are some mods for high-quality nebulas and stars that I really like but I'm not sure if it conflicts with some world re-texture mods.
   
4. I have been using KSE. Does that conflict with what I'm about to install?
   
5. People say steam workshop mods are not recommended as there's no guarantee for compatibility and if you wish to use multiple different mods it's likely to crash. But my game is steam version so I'm not sure if the mods on other platforms (e.g. nexusmods) are compatible with my game. I'm always confused and reluctant when the mods description from several years ago states the location of something like LucasArt/KoTOR 2 while in my case it's steamlibary/steamapps/common/Knights of the Old Republic II.
   
6. One type of mods requires you to drop the files in the override folder and I was wondering if I can simply drop the whole extracted folder to the override folder and it will work or do I need to drop them without the folder? Cuz when I tried to mod kotor1 I dropped the files along with the folder and some seem to have worked but some seem not.
   
7. Someone mentioned "compatibility patch" like this: UCO -> [Required mod] -> Compatibility patch (Overwrite if asked) But my poorly trained mind simply could not comprehend what actions are to be taken.
   

Reposting here for posterity
Summary: Greens hits out at policies tailored for the wealthy, not the people; saying they are devoid of care and evidence. They said if they were delivering this year's budget, they would deliver the following by taxing wealth:

• An income guarantee for everyone
• Lift every family out of poverty
• More support for students or people out of work
• Extra help if you're sick or disabled
• Payments for families so kids can thrive
• More resourcing for the public service
• Free dental care
• Cheaper power bills
• Solar panels and batteries for homes
• Climate pollution reduction

Mā te oranga o te taiao, ka ora ai te iwi. Mō te takitini, kāore mo te torutoru anake. Ki te mana whenua o tēnei rohe, tū mai rā Ngāti Whātua, tēnā koutou. Ki a tātou e huihui mai nei, ko ngā moemoeā o te Pāti Kākāriki te take, nau mai, haere mai, whakatau mai.
Tenā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā tātou katoa.
Sixteen million dollars.
That’s how much the coalition parties raised to win last year’s election.
Ten million for National.
Four million for Act.
Just under two million for New Zealand First.
Sixteen million dollars.
From property developers and business tycoons who have built their wealth by exploiting our natural environment.
To companies who profit from digging up our whenua and overfishing our oceans - activities that cause significant harm to our precious ecosystems.
Sixteen million dollars helped to put this government into power.
And in a little less than two weeks, the coalition government will unveil its first budget.
It has clearly been difficult for them to put it together.
To the right, Act is trying to fire all the people who make our public services work, while in their own cooker corner New Zealand First hoards 1.2 billion dollars for hand-chosen pet projects.
The Coalition has found half a billion dollars for new defence spending, but cancelled projects to improve buses and trains in Auckland and Wellington.
They’re borrowing billions to cover the cost of cutting taxes for wealthy property investors, because they’ve realised that the promises they made during the election campaign were slapdash and expensive.
Meanwhile, people with the least face ever higher costs.
Bus fares have already gone up.
Rents continue to rise, while the government is giving tax breaks to landlords instead of investing in more public housing.
So on Budget Day, when we see what the coalition has been able to cobble together, I want you to remember: sixteen million dollars.
What’s in the Budget for the people who paid for National’s election campaign?
And what could have been in the budget instead if Aotearoa had a Government that prioritised people and planet?
Because I am not here for the relative few who donated those sixteen million dollars.
I am here for the many, including the 330,000 people who trusted the Green Party with their votes last year.
And I want to thank you all once again.
Your voices will continue to be heard.
You told us you wanted us to fight for an Aotearoa where everyone can get by, where our native wildlife and oceans thrive, where we take bold climate action, and where we honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
That is what we are doing. And we will be loud. And we will be staunch as always.
I am here for those who cannot sit by while the government tries to take the country backwards on the issues that matter most.
While the goal of a smoke-free generation goes up in smoke.
While new coal mines are dug into our precious conservation land, even as the Prime Minister claims to want to achieve climate change targets.
While the few with extraordinary wealth get what they want, at the expense of everyone else.
The Greens have always been, and will always be, the voice for a different kind of politics.
A politics centred in justice through honouring te Tiriti o Waitangi, not using it to drive a wedge in our communities.
A politics that celebrates the potential our country could live up to if it was grounded in manaakitanga and equity.
That acknowledges the richness of generations of tangata whenua and tangata tiriti working together to care for our whenua and collectively enjoying the fruits of mahitahi.
Where we protect Papatūānuku out of aroha for her, and respect that her wellbeing is also what keeps us alive.
Where we share what we have so everyone in Aotearoa can live a good life.
Everything the Greens won over the last two terms in government with Labour was hard fought. Governments must make tradeoffs. But Governments are defined by their choices.
And right now, the coalition is making theirs clear.
If the Greens were delivering this year’s budget, I’ll tell you what would be in it.
An income guarantee, so no matter what, everyone has what they need to live a decent life.
We could lift every family in Aotearoa out of poverty, and give people the peace of mind that they’ll be supported if they fall on tough times.
More support for students and people out of work, extra help if you’re sick or disabled, and simple payments for families so all kids can thrive.
Free dental care.
Successive governments have let basic dental healthcare get so expensive, that forty percent - forty percent! - of people avoid going to the dentist.
It’s just too expensive.
In Aotearoa, we could choose to resource our public health services - funded by taxes on wealth, so that everyone can be looked after when they need it.
And if the Greens were putting together the Budget, it would fund our plan to make your homes warmer while cutting down your power bills AND climate pollution.
Solar panels and batteries for homes to store the sun’s free energy, taking pressure off the power grid.
But this year, with the help of sixteen million dollars from some of the wealthiest people in Aotearoa, National, Act, and New Zealand First have the privilege of making those decisions.
And I say to them, what are you going to do with it?
You have the choice to end poverty.
Or to give tax breaks to landlords.
To give back more to people who earn their living, instead of tax breaks for people who own more houses than they need, and who already get untaxed capital gains.
You have the choice to invest in solar power, or open up new coal mines.
The choices people make when they have power show us what they are motivated by. These choices define the world they want to create.
So today I want to talk with you about what motivates the Green Party.
Ko te mana o Te Tiriti.
Ko te oranga o te Taiao.
Ko ngā tūmanako mō ngā tamariki.
We are motivated by generations of movements and leaders who have pushed for the sovereignty of tangata whenua guaranteed by te Tiriti o Waitangi.
A partnership on which this country was built, despite the continuous breaches by the Crown partner.
The Green Party is a Tiriti party.
Our leadership is a partnership between tangata whenua and tangata tiriti.
Our work seeks to honour the commitments made generations ago, to prosper together.
Our commitment to Tiriti justice is absolutely integral to everything the Greens do - just as it is integral to the future of Aotearoa.
Tino rangatiratanga is at the heart of healing relationships across communities and reconnecting all of us with our seas, our rivers, our bush, our mountains, and our whenua.
And central to our vision for a Tiriti-based future, is our commitment to restoring and protecting nature.
Because nature is in crisis.
Just out these doors, and below our feet, in the Hauraki Gulf, the impacts of commercial overfishing and the pollution washing into the water from the land, has brought the ecosystem to the brink.
North and west of here, great kauri are critically threatened.
To the south, unique animals found in no other country, are at risk from the bulldozers of mining companies, unless we protect them.
Four thousand different native species are at risk of extinction in Aotearoa.
Four thousand.
We can turn that around, but it takes commitment. It takes effort. It takes mahitahi. And it takes choices. Choices that put people and planet first, instead of a cynical politics that serves the short-term interests of wealthy donors.
If the government chooses not to prioritise restoring the health of the natural world in its first budget, that shows what they are motivated by, and it shows what kind of world they are prepared to leave to our tamariki.
It is our tamariki and mokopuna that motivate the Greens.
Not just the ones born tomorrow, but those after that, for seven generations down the line.
Sustainability doesn’t just mean sustainability for nature, but for people too. This planet is our home. We need it to thrive.
The Greens have always been deeply motivated by care for other people, for communities, for those with us today and for those who will come after us.
We are motivated by every single child who goes to bed hungry tonight.
We are motivated by every single adult who isn’t sure how they’ll pay the rent or mortgage next week.
As winter hits, we are motivated by every person who sits in the cold, staring at the heater, knowing they can’t afford to turn it on.
Our challenge to the coalition government is to prove that you are motivated by this too.
Choose to do something about it.
The solutions to many of the problems we face in Aotearoa are clear. This week I had the privilege of meeting with rangatahi, and hearing about the solutions they want to see in their communities. They are THE experts in their own experience - and they know they need to be empowered and given better opportunities; not marginalised, patronised, ignored, and punished.
But the coalition government doesn’t like those solutions, because they don’t fit its agenda. They prefer catch phrases like “social investment”, to real data and lived experience.
A Government which says it is motivated by evidence-based solutions has cut funding to the world class Growing up in New Zealand study, and continues to ignore the evidence it provides. Like the evidence that 40% of children live in the most deprived areas.
If this government was truly invested in improving social outcomes, it would affirm and resource the experts who know best and have proven the most.
And that includes empowering the people with the lived experience of the systems failing them and their whānau. It requires removing all the barriers to wellbeing such as poverty and homelessness. We need to support whole whānau, instead of focusing on ‘fixing’ an individual after they’ve already been broken by poverty and neglect, and expecting them to rise above circumstances of deprivation that we should have all worked together to prevent in the first place. We need the solutions to be grounded in community knowledge and care. I hope this government is open to sitting with kai rangahau Māori and families to learn more about what really needs to change.
When the Crown has repeatedly failed to be accountable for the harm it has caused to whānau Māori, it is clear that we need an authentic transfer of power and resources - with a partnership of a strong public and social services sector working together, with communities, hapū and iwi, and whānau.
I have seen what works to support people off a destructive path in life. To instead become the best of themselves. There is a mountain of evidence about approaches that work where all other attempts have failed - particularly where there is deep trauma.
These approaches, like Kaupapa Māori interventions, build the strength of whānau and community.
Now for far too long, successive governments have been stuck on catch phrase politics, devoid of evidence or genuine care.
Policies like bootcamps for the young, benefit sanctions for the already struggling, higher criminal penalties - a punitive, petty politics that makes life harder for those already
excluded, and does nothing to keep communities safe and well. This is divisive, stale, cruel and ineffective.
When I have met and listened to the very people at the forefront of this cruelty, the impact has been clear.
Such punitive and dehumanising measures have instead caused even further disconnection and hopelessness. The Greens know that meeting trauma with punishment isn’t going to work. I want rangatahi to hear us loud and clear. You matter. Your whānau matters. You deserve dignity, a community and a country that sees your strength.
At a basic level, I think we all agree that identifying the causes of persistent hardship, and supporting people to get out of those situations, is a good idea.
And we all agree that the measure of a government’s success is whether it achieves outcomes, not how much money it spends on trying.
But the Government isn’t actually doing this.
Two weeks ago the Minister of Finance said her government will “use hard evidence to invest in what works.”
On that same day, the Minister of Social Development announced that people on a benefit will face financial sanctions if they don’t attend work seminars.
Let me be clear, work seminars don’t help people find jobs they’re suited for - let alone create meaningful work with decent pay and conditions. The Ministry of Social Development has told the Minister there is no evidence for the government’s cruel approach. Sanctions do not make a difference for the number of people moving into paid work.
And the evidence against sanctions is extremely clear.
Financial sanctions for beneficiaries, who already don’t have enough income to pay for life’s essentials, simply push people into further hardship.
That affects their children, their whānau, and their whole communities.
Instead, people need tailored support into work that matches their skills and interests, with a guaranteed income while retraining.
At the same time, the Government needs to invest in creating sustainable jobs that transition our economy away from fossil fuels.
Jobs with decent pay, secure hours and support for people to balance caregiving responsibilities. Jobs that support wellbeing for whānau, instead of seeing workers as just a cog in a labour machine.
When the Government rolls out policies like benefit sanctions, they are making a choice to ignore the evidence about the effect of their actions.
And it is our job to expose that.
I cannot say it enough: we have everything we need in Aotearoa for everyone to live a decent life.
We know what people need to rise up out of persistent hardship.
A warm, dry, affordable, and accessible home.
Healthy kai on the table.
The freedom to go to the doctor or the dentist when they need to, without having to worry about the cost.
And next week, the Government has a choice whether to put people at the heart of the budget - or not. If they don’t, they are holding back the potential of our people and our communities to thrive.
And we will ask, exactly who are they governing for?
The Greens are here for the many, not just the few.
We carry decades of political leadership with us, starting from the late Jeanette Fitzsimons and Rod Donald, through to our newest co-leader Chloe Swarbrick.
We are here thanks to the thousands upon thousands of volunteers over the last three decades.
The many grassroots-led movements who we are honoured to have worked with for the kaupapa.
We draw our strength from knowing we are powered by the many. This gives us the strength to oppose a government whose sixteen million dollars of political donations got them where they are today.
Thanks to our people-powered campaign, we have our largest Caucus ever.
And it represents Aotearoa more than it ever has before.
Green politics is the alternative to this cynical, cruel coalition government.
And we are only just getting started.

This thread is for all SPM related discussions, may it be results, universities, courses etc. The intention is to help school leavers talk about the SPM in one central spot on the subreddit.
For both public school and private SPM candidates, you can check your results online at myresultspm.moe.gov.my or retrieve via SMS by sending SPM < space> IC number Examination number (Angka giliran) to 15888. Example: SPM 000527031234 WY189A123
Mental health resources

• If you are feeling intense emotional distress and need someone to talk to, please call (a) the Befrienders Suicide Hotline at +603-79568145, (b) Talian Kasih at 15999 any time 24/7, or (c) the Buddy Bear Childline at 1800-18-BEAR (2327) if you’re under 18
• More mental health resources

Links to relevant post-SPM posts

• Why aren't there many SPM graduates enrolling in government politeknik or TVET?
• A Discussion on Should You Take a Degree
• Almost done with STPM and here's my experience if anyone is interested in it
• I feel completely hopeless after secondary school
• It's been almost 2 years since I got straight As for SPM
• More posts

For young Nyets who are interested in TVET (Pendidikan Teknikal Dan Latihan Vokasional):

• Apply to TVET courses (Pendidikan dan Latihan Teknikal dan Vokasional) offered by 7 different ministries and over 15,000 spots through https://mohon.tvet.gov.my/
• Skills For Life programme by Youth and Sports Ministry that offers basic skills training to local youth through short-term courses. Registration link
• Apply to SKM (Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia) courses. Check out Group SKM on Facebook for opportunities
• Program Latihan Kompetensi Kemahiran Belia - sponsored fully by CIDB (Construction Industry Development Board) in 6 campuses; Kedah, KL, Johor, Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak

Education Fair Dates

• TheStar Education Fair in Penang, KL and Putrajaya
• StudyMalaysia Education Fair in Sabah and Sarawak - (22-23 June and 29-30 June)
• SureWorks Education and Further Studies Fair in KL and Johor
• Jelajah Jom Masuk U

Free courses to explore new/existing interest:

• National Training Week (NTW) 2024 from 24 – 30 June, when up to 150,000 free training courses covering essential life skills, future readiness, creativity, financial literacy, and sustainable development
• e-Latih - free e-Learning platform for Malaysians with over 1800+ courses
• Free digital tech training by MDEC
• 42KL - Learn to code for free (F2F classes)
• FreeCodeCamp - Learn to code for free
• EdX (choose free audit track)
• Coursera

Volunteering/internship after SPM:

• Kechara Soup Kitchen [Link]
• SPCA Selangor Link
• MNS (Persatuan Pencinta Alam Malaysia) [Link]
• WWF Malaysia Link
• MyKasih Link
• Free Tree Society Link
• AIESEC Link

General Scholarship info links

• Telegram channel for a list of scholarships, constantly updated
• Telegram channel for any questions regarding UPU, matriculation, STPM,asasi
• Afterschool.my
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Fully Sponsored Overseas Scholarships

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• Indian Council for Cultural Relations Scholarship - 3 slots for Malaysians
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• DAAD Malaysia: German Academic Exchange Service
• MOE Taiwan Scholarships

The moderation team will be removing any SPM-related posts - please share your advice threads, rants, and memes on , on the Daily Discussion Thread, or in this post.

Hi PubTips! My first post was deleted so hopefully now I'm formatting this correctly- I'm new to Reddit. A lifelong book lover I’ve just completed my first full manuscript. I’ve been researching query tips and after reading posts and comments on here have made some adjustments to my own. I am also currently restructuring my first chapter to start off with more current action while adding in backstory as needed (previously the first two pages were backstory which I thought made sense but then realized that I know that full story, an agent won’t). I've included my new first 300 words. Any tips on query are much appreciated!
* * *
Dear [agent],
The continent of Renika used to be ruled by evil witches, but centuries ago mortals defeated them, wiping magic out entirely; or so Rowan and her twin brother Rivan, her elder by mere minutes, have been told their entire lives. When the twins are eleven, their parents are killed, and the siblings are sent to live with their uncle in a neighboring village.
Six years later soldiers from the capital kidnap Rivan. When a rogue guard intentionally uses magic in front of Rowan, it reverses a curse on magic and awakens her own powers. She then learns that not only is magic alive and well, but that her parents were both powerful witches, killed by the king’s men in the mysterious Wildewood to prevent them from threatening the monarch’s rule. Her parents also had another secret- one that could change not only the course of Rowan’s future, but the future of the continent itself.
With the ability to finally conjure magic, Rowan joins a group of rebels- witches and mortals alike- to harness her powers. She meets Hawke, an air witch who, despite a tenuous start to their relationship, lights a fire in her heart and encourages the flames of her magic. While training with the rebels, Rowan learns that the king has captured not only her brother, but dozens of witches across the continent in an attempt to steal their magic for his own purposes.
If there is any hope of preventing magic from disappearing forever, Rowan must journey into the Wildewood to unlock the full extent of her powers. Then it’s a race against time to save her brother and the other witches imprisoned in the palace. But not all rebels want the same outcome after freeing the captives, and not all can be trusted.
INTO THE WILDEWOOD is a 130,000 word new adult fantasy, and can stand alone or serve as the first in a series. A story of familial bonds- both blood and chosen- it will appeal to fans of Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses series due to its strong female heroine and passionate enemies to lovers romance, as well as fans of Adrienne Young’s Spells for Forgetting due to its mysterious settings, deceitful undertones, and plot twists. Based on your own interest in —-, I believe that you will enjoy my novel.
* * *
I looked down at my palms, pale despite the gentle warmth pulsing through them. Ever since the soldiers had arrived from the capital, I had had an uneasy feeling in my gut. As if someone were watching me. Indeed the captain, Bane, and one of his men had paid close attention, eyes lingering on my own as I carried platters out into the dining hall. Behind me, a loud clang rang out, drawing me out of my reverie and back into the kitchen.
As I looked over my shoulder, hands dropping to my sides, I saw Briar wince. She quickly stooped down to retrieve the pot lid, but not before Jayne could scold her.
“I swear, if someone else makes another mistake Miss Fleurie will have our heads rotating over the fires.”
Jayne was the eldest female among us at the Windhaven institute, the local academy sponsored by King Blackwood that also doubled as the inn in town, and was known to criticize the younger females. Likely the only reason that she didn’t scold me was that because she, like all the other teenaged girls in town, hoped to one day be the lucky female to wed my brother. I had seen her stare longingly at Rivan during our history lessons, and even out of the inn’s windows when he was training in the ring with the other boys. Being his twin sister, I liked to give him a hard time, but I knew that females found my brother attractive, both in personality and physique.
“Come on, ladies!” Jayne barked. “Rowan, get those hens out to the guests.”
I quickly grabbed the platter of roasted hen and walked back down the hallway toward the dining room.

Part 67 What kind of AI? (Part 1) (Part 65)
[Help support me on Ko-fi so I can try to commission some character art and totally not spend it all on Gundams]
“Yes, goko, I'm taking care of Nula every way I can.” Atxika had just turned off her shower and begun reaching for a towel when she heard Tens's voice. “She isn’t a child, just… Kinda naive, you know. But really smart once she's made aware of something. And I talked to that kahzo-nene gardener who was flirting with her. He seems like a nice enough guy. He's gonna ask her out on a proper date next time she stops by his greenhouse and I'm betting she’ll say yes.”
Though Admiral Atxika had been quite busy with the running of her Matriarch’s First Fleet just as she had always been, she had taken some time to personally ensure Nula'trula had everything a sapient being could desire. Under normal conditions, which these very much were not, one of the hundreds of highly trained members of her command staff would have seen to her new temporary crew member's needs. Room, board, and other such accommodations were usually far below her pay grade and something she could trust to her subordinates to handle. However, in this particular case, things required special attention to guarantee that information security was being upheld to the highest degree possible. While Atxika wanted to satisfy her drive to ensure the digital being bound to a physical form was comfortable, even going so far as to commission a private Roboticist who had taken up shop on The Hammer instead of relying upon the specialists directly under her command, there was a much more paramount concern weighing on her.
As happy as the Admiral was knowing that the artificial sapience under her care was getting along so well in her new body that she had even begun fraternizing, that was not something she had expected nor prepared for. If anything, Atxika had been hoping Nula would go all but unnoticed by the civilians who made up the majority of this ship's permanent population. It hadn't even crossed her mind that the android woman would catch anyone's eyes in that sort of way or that a digital being would or could reciprocate such organic feelings. Just like most other people throughout the galaxy, Atxika was under the impression that sapient AIs, despite how many of them would often gender themselves in manner similar to their creator species, had such foreign and unrecognizable forms of cognition that base biological instincts were simply beyond them. Though Atxika had spent decades of her life directly interacting with digital people as part of her job, even building a sufficient rapport with a few to consider them as friends, not once had she felt like she truly understood any of them in the way she could seemed to intuitively comprehend the motivations of organic beings. With all of that aside, even if an AI could experience love, or at the very least find enjoyment in a temporary fling, Atxika's mind returned to her concerns regarding Nula'trula's unique status brought upon by her relation to another, far less amiable, digital being.
As Atxika quickly toweled herself off, the moisture easily being whisked away from large and muscular body, she was already brainstorming ways to properly approach the rather touchy situation she was now aware of. Nula was created by the same species who birthed one of the most destructive forces that had ever laid waste to the galaxy afterall. While she may be just as friendly and copacetic as any other AI that peacefully lived in the modern day world, and the finer details of Hekuiv'trula Infinite Hegemony and the horrors it brought were largely lost from the public's eye with most considering it ancient history or a myth, that didn't matter. What mattered was the fact that some people, if they were to find out about Nula's origins and existence, would demand her elimination as a potential threat to galactic peace and stability. Regardless of who vouched for her, which government was willing to take her in as a protected citizen, or any promises to ensure she would never become the same kind of threat as her quasi-sentient brother, there would be people calling for her death. Above all else, if the man sitting on the Admiral's bed and lovingly chatting with his grandmother had vowed to protect Nula, then Atxika would do the same.
“Yes, goko, I'll make sure Binko and Hompta give you a call later.” Tens was just wrapping up his conversation with the woman who had raised him to be the noble man he was when Atxika began to stealthily peek through the doorway. When her eyes fell on the shirtless man, his long, dark hair resting unbraided on his chiseled back, the Admiral felt her heart skip a beat, her bioluminescent freckles light up, and her mind went blank except for thoughts of him. “Gbadan npe, goko! Bama pi.”
“Were you on the comms with your grandmother?” Atxika already knew the answer but didn't want to sound like she was eavesdropping.
“Yeah, she wanted to know how Nula was settling into her new body. Considering she's a citizen of the Nishnabe Confederacy now but isn't in a clan yet, my grandma volunteered to be her clan mother until we can take a vote and get her properly adopted.”
“Does…” The Qui’ztar Admiral paused for a moment as she struggled to think of how to ask her next question. “Does your grandmother know of Nula’trula’s… Well… What have you told her?”
“Oh, I didn’t really need to tell her anything.” Though Ten had a sudden urge to play coy with the beautiful woman standing in front of him clad in just a towel that was perfectly short, he also recognized the position Atxika was in and thought better of it. “Goko served as a Chief-Brave in a position roughly equivalent to one of your Sub-Admirals. Her security clearances are even higher than mine, so NAN was able to tell her everything she needed to know. But the only thing she’s concerned about is making sure Nula gets through this mission and is safely delivered to Shkegpewn, assuming we don’t figure out a way to unchain her from her shell before then.”
“I- I did not know that about your grandmother!” Having not had the opportunity to meet Tens's grandmother and only knowing that she was still quite active and spry in the last season of her life, Atxika was both shocked and impressed by that revelation. And while she still felt some apprehension about someone outside of her jurisdiction knowing any sensitive information about Nula, she still let out a deep sigh of relief. “If a Singularity Entity was the one who briefed her, then I have to assume she is more than trustworthy enough to be privy to classified information. However, that still leaves the issue of the gardener.”
“So you were listening to me talk to my goko!” Tens couldn’t stop himself shooting a playful smile and cheeky wink towards Atx that immediately elicited a scowl in return.
“Tens, I am the Fleet Admiral! There is nothing I do not know! And besides that, I need to know about anything that could potentially jeopardize a mission as sensitive as the one concerning Nula’trula. It is absolutely essential that the public at large does not find out that anything related to the Hekuiv’trula Infinitite Hegemony still exists. If people found out that Nula’trula’s brother nearly wiped out all Ascended life, some may see her as a potential threat and seek to cause her harm.”
“Well, I would normally say they’d have to get through me, three planet crackers, and about seven hundred and fifty million apex predator deathworlders first but… Well… No one’s gonna find out. At least not until we make sure of any trace if Nula's brother is destroyed and the galaxy knows that ancient threat is long dead.”
“And what if she discloses that information?”
“Like I told goko, Nula's naive but really smart. She already knows the cover story she and Tarki came up with by heart.”
“I was under the impression that AIs couldn’t lie.”
“I mean…” For just a brief moment, Tens was at a loss for words. He could tell that Atxika was incredibly serious about this and he didn’t want to seem dismissive towards her very real and justifiable concerns. However, the idea that Tarki had come up with, one which Nula seemed to have absolutely no issues with, was so simple that the man feared he would upset his lover, who was also his commanding officer. “Would it really be a lie to say that when she was found and recovered, her shell and data storage systems were in such a state that talking about her past would be difficult, if not impossible? And wouldn’t you consider a history as traumatic as Nula’s to be difficult, if not impossible, to talk about? Even with friends or people she’s grown close to? I wouldn’t say a lie to not talk about something, especially if it’s a sensitive topic.”
“There’s no way-!” Atxika cut herself off while starting to think through that deviously perfect lie that only a lawyer could cook up before redirecting her gaze towards the ceiling and calling out to her flagship’s AI Captain. “Hammer? Did you hear that? Is that the kind of lie an AI could actually tell?”
“Yes, Admiral Atxika.” The immediate response was automatic, a simple unconscious function of the automated subsystems Tylon utilized so that he could respect the individual privacy of the crew, but was quickly followed up by a much more enthusiastic and pleasant tone as the artificial man consciously entered the conversation. “Oh! Yes, actually, that very much will work. I was actually going to include this in my briefing for you this morning, Admiral. And I must agree with Lieutenant Tensebwse, this is not a lie, not even by omission. Nula’trula was severely traumatized by her experiences and, without a doubt, will need years of professional help to fully recover to a proper mental state. After spending some time talking with her again last night and getting a better glimpse of how she reacts to certain… Inputs… Well, I am sad to say that I think I know what kind of Artificial Intelligence she is.”
/---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“Hey, Tens!” As soon as Nula's cheerful, soft, and recognizably bark-like voice called out to the Nishnabe warrior as he stepped into the mech bay aboard The Hammer, he turned to see the android in a group with a couple of the Qui’ztar honor guards he had a training session scheduled with, few Kyim’ayik engineers, and one of Singularity Entity 139-621’s mantis-like drone bodies. “I was wondering if it would be ok if I participated in one of your combat simulations today. I already asked Captain Marzima and she told me I needed to get your approval as well.”
“Uh…” Tens shot a quick glance towards Marz who seemed to have a devious smile spread across her lips which made her prominent tusks look even more pronounced. “Yeah… Learning to operate a BD is pretty easy and I'm sure your new body can properly interact with the controls. It should take less than an hour for you to figure it out well enough. So… Sure, I have no problem with that.”
“Oh, I already got some practice time during my charging cycle last night.” The ornate micro paneling that constituted Nula's face distorted into a devilish and predatory grin. “139 and Tylon thought it may help me work through some things and they were right! It was really fun!”
“It will also be good experience for our upcoming mission.” 139 added in an almost proud tone. “We will need Nula on the ground with us at every stage to ensure we can rapidly react to and possibly shut down any Hekuiv'trula systems that may still be active. We may be soldiers but none of us, including myself, are as familiar with Artuv'trula based systems as Nula.”
“Hold on!” The Nishnabe warrior couldn't stop himself from letting his overly protective side kick in at full force. “What the hell do you mean she needs to get on the ground with us?!? I thought we were supposed to keep her and the Turts safe, not actively put either of them in harm's way!”
“She will be kept safe, Tensebwse.” The pride remained in 139's inflection as their ever-shifting liquid metal visage turned towards Tens. “I am constructing her an up-armored and slightly modified BD-6 as we speak. She will be our electronic warfare support.”
“Is that really necessary?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation in the Singularity Entity’s response, but a subtle note of ambivalence started to sneak through. “One of the reasons the War of Eons lasted as long as it did was because we were simply unable to crack the carrier code that Hekuiv'trula used to control his warforms. Even with the assistance of two Light-born AIs, one purposefully created for the task, we were never able to do much more than block out remote control. And with each warform having a limited form of independence capable of networking with nearby systems, all we could really do was prevent interplanetary coordination. But with Nula present, there's a very real possibility of cracking the encryption and fully taking over control of any still existing Hekuiv'trula warforms or defense systems.”
“No offense Nula but…” As soon as Tens saw his android friend's smile had turned into a melancholy expression, he hesitated. If two Light-born AI couldn’t defeat Hekuiv'trula, a non-sapient AI created by a species who hadn't even Ascended yet, what could Nula do? Even if Tylon, The Hammer's Captain and the controller for the entire fleet, was correct in his assessment concerning the category of sapient AI that Nuka fell into, there was no way she could be anywhere near as powerful as someone like Maser. However, that look on her face was quite familiar to him. Though he very much wanted to ensure that she would live a long and happy life, he also wasn't one to stand in the way of someone who wanted to do the right thing and help others.
“Tens…” Nula's smile, as well as her slightly dejected demeanor, had fully faded and the look of sheer determination that filled the space was unmistakable. “I know you want to keep me safe and I truly appreciate that. I really do. But it would be wrong for me to sit idly by while you, Melatropa, Marzima, and the rest of the Angels risked your lives to rid this galaxy of my evil brother's diabolical machinations. If I can help in any way, I absolutely will. Even if that means putting my own continued existence at risk.”
“I think I know why 139 sounded so proud a minute ago.” As soon as Tens made the comment, his grin grew wide and devilish while the doubts he was feeling instantly began to fade away. For a split second, he wondered if this was how his own parents had felt when he told them he was joining the Nishnabe Militia. “Alright, Nula… If you want to be a warrior and fight the good fight, then who am I to stand in your way? Lieutenant Luitatxuva's mech is open, right Marz?”
“Yes it is.” The Qui’ztar Captain replied, her devilish smirk remaining just as pronounced as it had been this entire time. “And Nula’trula here won't need to bond with control-AI since… Well… She is one. Ah-haha!”
“Thank you, Tens! I won't disappoint you!” Though that look of heartfelt resolve remained, Nula's smile returned with a subtle coyness to it. “And you're not mad at me, right?”
“Eee! I could never get mad at that face!” Tens retorted while shaking his head and letting out a soft chuckle which caused the artificial canine woman to begin bouncing in place while softly clapping her polymer and metal hands. “Besides… We actually really could use an electronic warfare expert. I just thought 139 could provide that for us. Your honor guard are truly impressive warriors, Marz. And you know way more about digital systems than I do, Mela. But… Well… BDs were never intended to fill that role.”
“Despite how I may look, Tensebwse, I am a soldier, not a digital systems expert.” Despite 139’s metallic insectoid form, their smirk was incredibly familiar to everyone in the group. “You would have better luck asking one of these Kyim’ayik engineers to develop digital countermeasures on the fly then you would with me.”
“And I may have studied computers and robotics in school but…” Melatropa let out a deep but soft and subtly embarrassed giggle as she looked over towards the massive multi-barreled laser cannon that rested next to her mech's weapons bay. “I am far better at shooting things than I am hacking into systems older than my species.”
“Alright, Nula, it's settled. Go hop in that mech so we can start practicing. If you're going to be on the ground with us, I need to know you can handle yourself. Just be sure to bring some weapons so you can fight back if we get separated.”
“Oh, I already have a load out in mind. And I think you'll love it, Tens!”

Har jagah k log kuch na kuch ulti sidhi chije krte hai. Hum desi bhi krte hai. To socha ek post share Kru. Offend nhi krne ka mujhe kisi Ko, bs jo observe Kia hai vo likha.. sahi aur galat aap decide kro.
India Mai humne observe krke yahi sekha hai patiently wait nhi krna. Jaha place mile ghus jao.. chahe vo tum ho, ya tumari gadi. Bs ghusa do. Jaha free ka kuch mile tott pado..
Fortunately maine kuch countries solo ghumi hui hai and Starting ke time Maine kuch ese cheje observe ki dusare countries Mai mujhe thodi odd lagi. Fir logically socha to sense banne lagi. Abhi bhi I'm not perfect but Haan thoda control/change Aya hai. Ye post likhne ka idea es liye aya kyuki abhi Mai Apne parents k sath West Mai hu and firse Wahi cheje dekhne Ko Mili jo maine ki thi. But this time ye thoda alag hai. Abhi Kuch cheje India k Metro cities Mai Hoti hai kuch nhi. maine points likhe hai, Aajo samjhata hu..
Waiting in queue - example deta hu: ek line hai, aur counter hai do. But line counter 1 ke aage hai. To hum assume krte hai ki "yaha aja, dekh 2 no. ke aage Khali hai"
Humme na sikhaya hai na bataya kisi ne ki bhai patience kya Hoti hai. Chahe vo Line Mai chup chap khade hona ya apni turn ka wait krna, ye I guess India Mai sirf airport checkin counter par he hota hai.
Sidewalk/footpath - Hum bc chalte hai jese hum Malik hai eske. West mai mostly log will not utter a single word. They'll just patiently wait ki Kahi se thoda rasta mile to cross kre. Otherwise vo apke piche chalte rahege.
Constant stare - Ye wali chej to bhai.. ladki, ladka, gay, trans, lesbian, homeless, kutta, bili, raincoat wala kutta, rubber shoes wali bili. Humko dekhna he hai jee bhar k, ache se. (Yes, pets ke bhi yaha pakade hote hai) Bhahar se nikale but Restaurant ke andar kya chal rha hai Humme dekhna he hoga Ruk ke. lol.
Greetings - kisi cafe mai gye. Counter par ladki: "hi, how are you guys?". We: "2 cappuccinos double double".
Usse pehle menu dekhna hai apun logo ko ekdam bich Mai khade hoke. Rasta block ho rha ho, koi baat nhi.
Loud burp (डकार लेना)- tum khana kha lo ya beer pi lo. डकार to ese Lena hai jese bc dushman desh ka tank udana ho. Restaurant ho, train mai, plane mai ya kahi open area. Kya kare Maza nhi ata bina liye. 2-3 funny stores bhi hai burp ki mere pas bta Dena if interested Mai share kr duga
Fukare/bloddy show off - Rear windshield par for some reason 'haryana' ya 'punjab' likha hoga. I'm sure local must assume ye car owner ka Naam hoga. And Custom number plates Apne surname ya cast ki (concept mast lagta hai mereko)
Rules - vo kya hai ji. Road wale ya pedestrian wale. Road wale I can't explain to Brampton driving subreddit dekh Lena. Pedestrian wale simple hai, J walk krna. Sidewalk pr bhi yaha signal hota hai ki kab kare road cross. And people follow. Road chahe Khali bhi kyu na hu. Par you know sab log signal ka wait nhi krte.
Phele aap - 500m counter ke piche khade ho jao ya building ka darwaja open krna ho. Yaha log chup krke door pakad lege apke liye. Counter se dur khade ho ese he, par vo tumare piche khade ho jayege and sayad he ye puche ki "are you guys in line?"
We so emotional - this is something that make us special I guess. Recent Ek incident share krta hu.. city cruise par gaya tha parents k sath. Waha bar counter par Indian ladka tha. Naam se notice kra parents ne. To baate krne Lage. Maine bhi bhai Ko hello kra. 1 hr baad jab exit k time usko parents ne bye bola and usne mere parents k feet touch kre. Then I thought humare sanskar har jagah sath rehte hai.
Homeless people - Humare wale Gareeb hath jodd k paise ya khane k mangte hai. Yaha walo Ko to govt paise k sath fresh Syringes bhi deti hai. Lol.
Neverending Thank you and sorry - Har ek chej par tumko thank you bolege and sorry bolne ka to Act bhi nikal Dia hai. 'The Apology Act' in Canada.
So that's it. Sayad kuch cheje apko pta bhi na pata ho ki aap unintentionally kr dete hai. Jese Mere liye Line toddna tha, lol.
Let me know if you have observed similar behaviour ya kuch aur chej jo mere se miss ho gyi ho.
Ek aur chej.. paise jodo aur ghumane jao. Duniya bhut badi hai. Bhut kuch Naza sekhne aur dekhne Ko milta hai :)

Help! I’ve tried a lot of methods to lose weight: low carb, calorie deficit, strength training, and cardio. But nothing worked.
I (F25) started focusing on my weight loss journey when I reached 75 kg. For context: my height is 5’4. I also have a regular period and don’t have any other health conditions (AFAIK) other than occasional heartburn.
Ang workout split ko naman: Monday- Quads and Glutes, Tuesday- Cardio, Chest and triceps, Wednesday- Hams and Glutes, Thursday- Cardio, Back and biceps, Friday- Cardio, and Saturday- Whole body
For my diet: 1,200-1,500 calories per day.
Four months have passed, and I still haven’t lost any weight. What should I do? I feel desperate since it’s expensive to buy new clothes because almost nothing fits me, and I’m starting to have insecurities about my body, especially my large belly.
Please, don’t bash or body shame me.
(EDIT: I just remembered. I was diagnosed late last year with a fatty liver. Not sure if isa siya sa factor kung bat nahihirapan din akong magpapayat)

Syempre, I did some researches about PMMA. Yung Pros po, aside from career opportunities, we will be provided board and lodging, free tuition fees, and assured training onboard international. Sobrang goods po nun sakin. Yung cons naman sobrang strict, pressured and sobrang hirap po sa loob. Okay lang din naman po yun sakin and naiintindihan ko naman po na need talaga yun para ma develop yung discipline namin. Actually, mas lalo ko pa pong nagustuhan na makapasok sa school na yun dahil Quality Education talaga.
So ganito po, I already graduated Senior highschool po nung year 2023. I just discovered that school nung nagwowork immersion na po kami. That's why hindi po ako updated sa admission nung school. Sobrang busy din po kasi talaga since working student po ako nun that time. So, I decided to stop school nalang muna this year dahil wala naman po akong ibang school na gustong mapasukan.
Sobrang invested na po ako sa pagiging isang marine engineer, ayun po talaga yung pangarap ko, and dahil PMMA ang Best, wala na po akong ibang school na gustong pasukan. I know that nothing can stop me, not until I get in there.
Nagtake po ako ng Entrance exam nung October 28, 2023 and thankfully napakasa po ako. May 13, 2024, nag Neuropsychological screening naman po ako, sadly dito hindi po ako nakapasa. (Sobrang hirap po talaga and tbh gusto ko pong irant yung naging experience ko dito) Though, may chance parin ako kasi magrereconsider daw sila and mag-i-email sila samin if ever, hindi na rin po ako umaasa. Grateful parin po ako, kahit hindi ako nakapasa kasi napakasupportive naman po sakin yung family and friends ko po.
Anyways, I take that failure as my experience po. Next year magttake po ulit ako, gagawin ko po yung best ko, hindi po ako titigil, sisiguraduhin ko pong makakapasok na po ako sa school na yun. I wanna grow and build myself, I'll take the time na meron ako ngayong taon para mas maging ready sa susunod.
Kung katulad kita na gusto makapasok sa school na yun, reach me out and lets be friends!
If ever naman po na isa kayong professional, any tips or advice will be much appreciated po.😊

Syempre, I did some researches about PMMA. Yung Pros po, aside from career opportunities, we will be provided board and lodging, free tuition fees, and assured training onboard international. Sobrang goods po nun sakin. Yung cons naman sobrang strict, pressured and sobrang hirap po sa loob. Okay lang din naman po yun sakin and naiintindihan ko naman po na need talaga yun para ma develop yung discipline namin. Actually, mas lalo ko pa pong nagustuhan na makapasok sa school na yun dahil Quality Education talaga.
So ganito po, I already graduated Senior highschool po nung year 2023. I just discovered that school nung nagwowork immersion na po kami. That's why hindi po ako updated sa admission nung school. Sobrang busy din po kasi talaga since working student po ako nun that time. So, I decided to stop school nalang muna this year dahil wala naman po akong ibang school na gustong mapasukan.
Sobrang invested na po ako sa pagiging isang marine engineer, ayun po talaga yung pangarap ko, and dahil PMMA ang Best, wala na po akong ibang school na gustong pasukan. I know that nothing can stop me, not until I get in there.
Nagtake po ako ng Entrance exam nung October 28, 2023 and thankfully napakasa po ako. May 13, 2024, nag Neuropsychological screening naman po ako, sadly dito hindi po ako nakapasa. (Sobrang hirap po talaga and tbh gusto ko pong irant yung naging experience ko dito) Though, may chance parin ako kasi magrereconsider daw sila and mag-i-email sila samin if ever, hindi na rin po ako umaasa. Grateful parin po ako, kahit hindi ako nakapasa kasi napakasupportive naman po sakin yung family and friends ko po.
Anyways, I take that failure as my experience po. Next year magttake po ulit ako, gagawin ko po yung best ko, hindi po ako titigil, sisiguraduhin ko pong makakapasok na po ako sa school na yun. I wanna grow and build myself, I'll take the time na meron ako ngayong taon para mas maging ready sa susunod.
Kung katulad kita na gusto makapasok sa school na yun, reach me out and lets be friends!
If ever naman po na isa kayong professional, any tips or advice will be much appreciated po.😊

The reason for this situation is dapat I will stop studying for this academic year since sakto lang money ng parents ko para mapaaral kapatid ko.
Then my mom told me like 2 days ago saying na naapprove yung loan nila para makapagaral ako ng isang semester. I just started 2 weeks ago sa work (training) and sa august pa ang pasukan sa school ko. They're really pushing me magstudy na lang and personally syempre nothing's better than having an opportunity to step forward hanggang sa makagraduate.
So now I don't know what to do since this is my first time job. Should I stop after training or continue until my first week of classes lang if ever magenroll ako? Sayang din kasi 1 extra month na I can work, but I don't know if pwede na resign agad. Thank you sa makakahelp po