Bubble text

The Mob Vote as a concept is a really nice and great idea. Allowing the community to contribute to the game they love is amazing, but as we all know, it doesn't end up doing the best. Instead, why don't we get rid of mob votes, and instead do something else. My inspiration for this is what the Lego company does with Lego Ideas, and what the Big Blue Bubble Company did with the Ultimate Creator concepts for My Singing Monsters. Lego Ideas is a website where people can post their ideas for a new Lego set, and then (i think this is how it works) the community votes, some get eliminated, they vote again, and then it's the finals. Ultimate Creator is a thing the game My Singing Monsters did recently, where a group of people were chosen and got to talk to designers for the game to create their own creature! Something like this with a website where people can make posts describing their idea for a new mob would be amazing! Maybe you must provide its hostility level, damage and health, biome/dimension, interactions with other mobs, drops, and special features. Also maybe you must provide a simple sketch of your mob. Then, in the website, people vote for a week, and the top 100 are left. Then, people vote again, top 50, top 10, top 3, and then the winner is selected, and Mojang can add it to the game, also maybe an email is required to make a post so Mojang employees can talk with you so your vision is met, and also to make sure spamming isn't possible. Obviously rules would have to be put in place, people suck. I'll let Mojang figure those out. I hope you like my idea on how to include the community in Minecraft's development without the Mob Vote! Thank you, and sorry for all the text lol! 

I'm trying to make an animation when deleting one of the text boxes but it affects the whole thing instead of only the long pressed view, what could be happening? This is what happens:
https://reddit.com/link/1d8ua9a/video/yabp1aq95s4d1/player
This is the code:

import SwiftUI import SwiftData struct ContentView: View { //SwiftData @Environment(\.modelContext) var modelContext @Query var thoughts: [Thought] @State private var tPath = [Thought]() //Dates let isToday = Calendar.current @State private var newThought = "" //Scroll static let emptyScrollToString = "Empty" //TextBubble @State private var txtPadding:CGFloat = 0 @State private var inTxtPadding:CGFloat = 120 @State private var isStarred : Bool = false @State private var disableDateTap: Bool = true @State private var allowInteraction: Bool = true @State private var disableScroll: Bool = false @State private var delAnim: Bool = false var body: some View { ZStack { ScrollView{ ScrollViewReader{ proxy in VStack{ ForEach(thoughts){ thought in VStack{ tBubble(text: thought.body, timestamp: thought.tDate ?? Date(timeIntervalSince1970: 0), allowIneraction: allowInteraction, starred: thought.isStared ?? false, tapEnabled: disableDateTap, delT: delAnim) .highPriorityGesture(TapGesture(count: 2).onEnded { withAnimation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.5)){ thought.isStared?.toggle() disableDateTap.toggle() if thought.isStared == nil{ thought.isStared = true } } }).onLongPressGesture(minimumDuration:1.0){ withAnimation(.easeInOut){ modelContext.delete(thought) print("Deleted") } } onPressingChanged: { isPressed in withAnimation { delAnim = true } DispatchQueue.main.asyncAfter(deadline: .now() + 0.5){ withAnimation { delAnim = false } } } //more code struct tBubble: View { var text: String = "" var id: String = "" var timestamp : Date var allowIneraction: Bool @State private var showDate: Bool = false var starred: Bool @State var tapEnabled: Bool = true private var dateGesture: some Gesture { tapEnabled ? (TapGesture().onEnded {withAnimation(.easeInOut(duration: 0.25)){showDate.toggle()}}) : nil } //Animation var delT : Bool var body: some View{ VStack{ VStack{ Text(text).monospaced().foregroundStyle(Color("text_bb")).padding(22.5).background(Color("\(starred ? "starred" : "bubble_th")")).cornerRadius(25).overlay( RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 25) .stroke(Color("\(withAnimation(.easeInOut(duration: 1.0)){starred ? "starred_stroke" : "bubble_th"})"), lineWidth: 2) ).frame(maxWidth: 350).scaleEffect(delT ? 0 : 1) } Spacer() HStack { if starred == true { dateStamp(stamp: timestamp) } if showDate{ withAnimation{ dateStamp(stamp: timestamp) } } } } .onAppear{if starred == true{ tapEnabled = false } }.gesture(dateGesture) .allowsHitTesting(allowIneraction) } } 

Also I tried putting the scaleEffect modifier in the right next to the view in the ForEach loop, like this

var body: some View { ZStack { ScrollView{ ScrollViewReader{ proxy in VStack{ ForEach(thoughts){ thought in VStack{ tBubble(text: thought.body, timestamp: thought.tDate ?? Date(timeIntervalSince1970: 0), allowIneraction: allowInteraction, starred: thought.isStared ?? false, tapEnabled: disableDateTap, delT: delAnim).scaleEffect(delT ? 0 : 1) //the rest of the code 

And happens the same, also the same thing either adding self. to the delAnim (would be self.delAnim) and without it and same thing happens ☹️ what could be the solution, bc all the other interactions happen to the same particular view, the only thing that happens to all is anything that has to do with transformations (like .rotate3DEffect and stuff like that) and animations 😕

Chassis

• Sundy is slow, so Racer is the common pick. Combining existing chassis with half-effects makes Sundy even slower, which is less than ideal.

Deployment Slot

• Shield-Bubble looks fine as long as there are an option to pick regular Sundy Deployment-Shield instead for garage deployments. Don't remove default Deploy-Shield.

There are also could be readability issues for some people, because of bright yellow text (for Bubble's HP).

• Point Defense seems really strong. Prolonged Live-testing is required for tuning.

Defense Slot

• Nanite Autorepair has a broken build-in Fire-Supress (it doesn't give instant HP upon activation, but it does stop fire damage and let Autorepair do its thing).

Repair speed might be a little too fast? Not sure.
Visually on Sundy it looks kinda out of place. Visual feedback is necessary, but still.

• Reactive Armor is broken.

Completely blocks rockets and rocklets, but blowing it up with C4 may lock the vehicle from interaction entirely (can't get inside nor use terminal).
Cargo Slot

• All cargo items do not despawn after a new one is deployed (we could now have a whole repair fields). Not sure if it intentional.
  
• No way to tell which cargo item is loaded from looking at Sundy.
  
• Deployed items lack any map indicators.
  
• Shield Disruptor is tricky.
  

Sometimes you want to sink to the bottom/drop from a hill/ram somebody and Disruptor is your pick for that. But in not quite works with a stationary item that gives it's buff in proximity.
Solution: don't remove previous effect of Shield Disruptor - just let it apply temporarily to Sundy that triggered it as normal, alongside with dropping a Disruptor item as it does now on Test Server.

I really like it, I think they nailed it! Her original form has a deeper and distorted voice, and when she possesses Peach, her voice is a corrupted Peach voice which I really enjoy! Then when she goes to her true form, both of those voices overlap each other which is a very nice detail. I also love her dying shriek now that it's an actual voice clip! Shadow Queen will always be my favorite Paper Mario character, she's intimidating, all of her music is amazing, her designs are creepy and demonic looking which is awesome, and her new voice is so good. What do you guys think of the Shadow Queen voices and new shriek? :)
Here's a video of the final boss if people needs to listen to her voice closely by UTAGaming:

//rest of the code use ComponentWithFormTrait; use LiveCollectionTrait; protected function instantiateForm(): FormInterface { return $this->createForm(ParentFormType::class); } #[LiveAction] public function saveIt(): \Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\RedirectResponse { $this->submitForm(); $form = $this->getForm(); /** u/var FormDataEntity $formEntity */ $formEntity = $form->getData(); $this->entityManager->persist($formEntity); $this->entityManager->flush(); return $this->redirectToRoute('home'); } 

//rest of the code of ParentFormType $builder ->add('child', LiveCollectionType::class, [ 'entry_type' => ChildEmbeddedType::class, 'error_bubbling' => false, 'constraints' => [ new Valid(), ], ]) ; //rest of the code 

//rest of the code of ChildEmbeddedType ->add('name', TextType::class, [ 'label' => 'name', 'required' => true, 'constraints' => new Length( min: 2, ), ]); //rest of the code of ChildEmbeddedType 

 {{form_start(form) }} {{form_end(form) }} submit 

{% set formErrors = form.vars.errors.form.getErrors(true) %} {% if formErrorslength %} {% for error in formErrors %} {{ error["message"] }} {% endfor %} {% endif %} 

This value should not be blank. 

Hi there, I have a plumbing question that I’m hoping you might be able to help with before I call in my plumber. I’m hoping this is okay to post here as I’m looking for NZ-specific advice/experience.
About a week ago I started noticing a thumping sound in one of my pipes on and off. It’s not consistent and doesn’t seem to have any connection to me running water (e.g. it will happen late at night when I’m in bed and haven’t had any taps, appliances etc. running).
I’ve narrowed it down to being in the wall behind my toilet. It sounds like water filling and then a thump when that stops. Sometimes it happens once, sometimes several times - about five seconds apart.
I’ve gone around and run every tap and water appliance in my house to try remove any possible air bubbles.
I also texted my plumber and he suggested it could be the inlet valve on my toilet and to turn off the water to the cistern. I tried that with no success, but wasn’t very hopeful anyway as it doesn’t appear to have any relation to when the toilet is filling/flushed.
For some added context, I live in one of two units in a property and I’m at the back. I have little knowledge of how our pipes are connected and whether I should be asking my neighbour’s if they’ve noticed anything weird before contacting my plumber again.
Any suggestions on what this could be?

Previous case
Victor hadn't been kidding when he'd said that the mechanic was going to become more aggressive. The only reason why this week wasn't my last was because I'd had Orion behind me as well as a plethora of precautions in place.
(If you're not familiar with what Orion Pest Control's services are, it may help to start here.)
For example, at Orion, all employees are advised to get lockboxes for their mail rather than regular mailboxes. It would be far too easy for a Neighbor to follow one of us home and fish out a piece of mail to find our names. This is only recommended for people who've had frequent or unpleasant interactions with the Neighbors.
You could also ward off your mailbox with iron. Salt, as always, would work as well, but I'm sure your mailman wouldn't appreciate getting seasoned every time he simply tries to give you your junk mail.
When it comes to monetary transactions, cash or pre-loaded debit cards are the safest, unless you can be certain beyond a reasonable doubt that the person ringing you out is human.
Another precaution that I've taken when it comes to the mechanic is that I've bought a cast iron fire poker from an antique store. Iron is one of the most effective weapons against the Neighbors, though it's best to think of it as an allergy rather than a perfect repellant. Some Neighbors will crumple instantly if they're within a few feet of it while others need direct contact in order to cause anything worse than hive-covered burns.
Given that the mechanic must have frequent exposure to iron during his daytime profession, I have to wonder how effective it is against him. I do see him wearing gloves from time to time, so it must do something, even if it's a minor skin irritation. Either it's a pride thing or he's just that committed to the ‘mechanic’ bit.
I've been keeping the poker in the company truck. Even if it's not lethal to him, I’m sure that getting smacked over the head with it probably wouldn't feel too good. Along with that, I've restocked my salt shells. If the mechanic decides to try anything, he'll have an arsenal waiting for him.
I don't have any delusions about being able to kill him. I think that's something only a true hero could accomplish. I'm talking about legendary individuals like Cú Chullainn, Beowulf, or Māui. People whose deeds are so great that their stories live on to this day. Find someone like that in the modern age. (Though, I would argue that Marc-André Fluery comes close. Flyers fans, don't interact.)
Reyna suggested bathing the hagstone in saltwater to amplify its deterring effects. She also wrapped red thread along the outside of the ring, explaining that it should help enhance its protective properties.
It's a good thing, too. Since my last interaction with the mechanic, promptly at dusk, I would hear the beating of wings outside, and always from the west. I risked a glance out the window one night to find a murder of crows. Ever since I saw that the birds’ shadows move independently of their owners, I don't look at them. I ignore their calls. I know who they serve.
After Reyna's additions, the hagstone vibrates against my chest whenever they're near.
However, in my case, these were only temporary solutions, unless I wanted to be looking over my shoulder for the rest of my life and fearing death even more than I did before. But in the meantime… raccoons.
A client called about hearing scratching and chattering in her attic. Her uninvited guest also put a hole in her siding. In other words, it was enough of a mess to momentarily distract me from my own problems.
Raccoons are incredibly destructive, chewing up anything that they can get their little hands on. From the client's description, it sounded like we could be dealing with a nest. Mother raccoons can be especially feisty when it comes to protecting their young, so I had Reyna join me in case there were any kits.
At Orion, we are licensed to use humane trapping methods on smaller wildlife, so don't worry, no garbage kitties are being harmed. Though I want yinz to know that raccoons are not to be underestimated. They may not try to take your soul, like some pests out there will, but they can spread a variety of diseases, including rabies and roundworm among others. They also present a major fire hazard when they claw their way into a home since they can chew through wiring like nothing.
The first thing we had to do was identify the garbage kitties’ entry point. Reyna opted to go on the roof while I investigated the attic.
The first thing I noticed was the telltale stench of dried urine. Yup, those were droppings over there in the corner. Delightful. Looking around, I found that the raccoons had torn out a few chunks of the insulation, but nothing that wouldn't be too difficult or expensive to replace. All in all, it seemed like it'd be an easy call.
Then I felt the hagstone begin to tremble. Not long after, Reyna screamed.
I rushed out, my heart surging with panic as I was greeted with the frenzied calls of crows. Shit! They followed me.
She was on the ground, swinging her silver-tipped knife clumsily against the swarm of black feathers swirling around her. I heard her cry out again as I got closer to her, then suddenly, the cloud of feathers dispersed, twisting towards the sky with a cacophony of angered caws. Reyna had managed to get some salt on them before they could gouge her eyes out.
My hand was coated with blood as I guided Reyna towards the house. She'd managed to keep her eyes, but they’d shredded her with their beaks and talons. I could feel her shaking as we retreated from the horde. Reyna tried to hide it, but she was crying, the tears mingling with the blood covering her nose and cheeks like a bandit's mask.
The whole time, the hagstone didn't stop vibrating. I think that was the only thing keeping the horde from coming after us. Their calls were piercing as we took cover in the house.
The client was alarmed when she saw the state Reyna was in, “What psycho ass raccoons do I have?!”
I promised I'd explain later (I honestly don't remember what bullshit story I gave her) then asked her to watch over Reyna as I went out to get the emergency first aid kit we keep in the truck.
Reyna held me in a grip so tight that it left bruises, pleading, “Don't go out there! Please!”
Now that we weren't on the run, I could see the injuries on her face more clearly. The deepest one went through her right eyebrow towards the bridge of her nose. The rest were shallow, painful-looking cuts that criss crossed over her skin.
“They can't come near me. And I’ve got something in the truck that’ll make them think twice.” I assured her.
She didn't let go. I couldn't find it in me to pry her fingers off, so instead, I put my hand over hers, hoping that it was comforting.
The client gently pressed a paper towel to the side of Reyna’s face, her voice heart-achingly motherly as she uttered, “It's okay, honey. Everything's going to be alright.”
I'm not sure if it was from pain or something else, but Reyna noticeably stiffened when the client spoke to her in that maternal tone, closing her eyes as if to keep more tears from falling. Her clutch loosened until my wrist was freed, her hand dropping limply to her side.
The fucking birds sounded like they were laughing when I marched out to the truck. The sound grated on me as I snatched the fire poker and the first aid kit.
“Laugh at this!” I snapped as I swung the poker at the nearest crow.
It let out a squeal as the poker grazed its wing, hopping as far out of reach as it could afterwards. They didn't cackle after that.
After we cleaned Reyna's injuries up, they didn't look quite as terrible, but just to be safe, I dragged her to the hospital. Thankfully, the client was an absolute angel about the whole thing and understood that one of our employees being injured was going to be a setback. I called up Victor to inform him of the situation as well as the entry points that we’d found; he took over where Reyna and I left off.
On the way to the hospital, Reyna muttered, “So… does my little Alfred Hitchcock moment initiate me as an official Orion employee?”
Wearily, I gave her a small chuckle, “Yeah, you're one of us, now. Lucky you!”
“Hey, I’ll take the murder birds over Psycho Mantis.” She replied with a small smile.
Her nickname for the mechanic. I think it's from a video game. I don't know. Never quite got into them.
It was quiet for a moment. The smile faded away as she distantly said, “I think that's how they do it. They take your eyes, they take you, you know?”
I nodded, feeling a lump in the back of my throat, thinking about how the mechanic can control someone just by meeting their gaze. “I think you might be right about that.”
I couldn't help but wonder if the Hunt had attacked her simply because she's an Orion employee or if they were drawn to her because of something else. Was she grieving over something? I didn't know her well enough at that point to be able to tell. They hadn't hesitated to go for her eyes. If that was the case, that'd make her the most vulnerable of the three of us.
Another thing I want yinz to know when it comes to dealing with the atypical: if you or a loved one has been harmed, one of the best things you can do is to support the victim. And if you need support yourself, ignore that stupid little voice in your head that tells you not to bother anyone and reach out. Isolation will destroy you in more ways than one.
After I got Reyna settled at the hospital, I made a beeline to the river to find another hagstone. Clearly, Reyna was going to need one, too.
Naturally, the stupid birds followed me, causing my hagstone to quiver nonstop. I went into the woods armed with my toolbelt and the iron poker. I opted out of taking the shotgun simply because I was going to need a free hand to look for another hagstone. There was a part of me that hoped that one of them would try something so that I'd have the opportunity to smack the shit out of them.
While I was searching, among the crows’ calls, I heard whispers. They sounded close, like they came from behind some brush about twenty feet away, but I believed the False Egg when it said that the whispering thing likes to confuse its victims. Without listening to what they were saying, I glanced around as the river's cold water rushed around my boots, trying to figure out what was stalking me.
The whispers pretended to move further away. But still, I couldn't see the thing causing them. I clutched the poker tighter. The crows had stopped their chattering. They heard the voices, too. Hold on. What were they all looking at?
Gingerly, I pulled out the hagstone and held it to my eye in the direction of the crows' gazes. At first, it looked like one of the trees, until I was able to make out a triangular head with eyes the size of basketballs. It held up two massive, folded appendages that were lined with sharp spines. It looked to be as tall as a draft horse, yet it was so still that I couldn't even tell if this huge animal was breathing. The whispers were quieter than they'd ever been before.
Those huge eyes were fixed on me. I didn’t dare move.
One of the ‘crows’ glided to the ground near to the whispering thing, passing in front of my field of view. I stifled a shudder when I saw the state of its frail, humanoid body. Its skin clung like molten wax to its ribs and spine. Tattered wings extended from the sides of its torso, the feathers looking as if they were ripped from numerous other avians and fused to the miserable animal's stretched, contorted arms to make it fly. Where the eyes should have been were empty sockets. A curved beak had been forced onto the creature as well, driven into the skull hard enough to leave ridged, fleshy lumps.
Now that I've seen it, I think the crows were human, once. Transformed and disfigured to serve the Wild Hunt.
The crow shuffled a little too close to the whispering thing. Quicker than a blink, the whispering thing's folded appendage shot forward, curving around the crow's midsection, spikes driving into the crow's torso. My mind could barely keep up as the whispering thing then bit the crow's head clean off with a terrible crunch.
The other crows began to frenzy, shrieking as they dove towards the whispering thing. Without having to take a step, it snatched another crow out of the air. Flesh ripped with a wet tearing sound.
Since the animals were all focused on each other, I took the opportunity to dig frantically around for a hagstone, holding my own against my eye in the hopes it would lead me to another one.
There was a low hum that I felt more than heard. Deep within my chest, as if I was standing next to an amp at a concert. This was followed by an enraged screech from one of the crows. Still, I kept looking.
There had to be one. There just had to be!
One circular, black rock stood out among the rest, the water seeming to outline it from the view of my hagstone. There! I plucked it out of the water, looking over my shoulder to see if either the crows or the whispering thing were paying attention to me. They were too engrossed with trying to tear each other apart.
I shoved the black hagstone into my pocket and made a break for it, poker at the ready. One of the crows noticed and let out an ear-splitting cry to alert the others.
As I ran, I checked back to see that three of the crows split off to pursue me. I wasn't worried about them catching me. The whispering thing was another matter. This was only my second time encountering it and I hadn't had enough information to identify it, so I didn't want to find out the hard way if the defenses I had on me would be enough to stop it from tearing me apart like it did the crows.
There was another low hum that rumbled against my ribs as the whispering thing used one of its forelegs to swipe a crow out of its way. It had lost interest in them, its huge amber eyes focused on me once again. I prayed that the crows swarming around it would be enough to slow it down.
As I raced through the trees back to where the company truck waited, the whispers started anew. They became louder and clearer the faster I went, interrupted by the shrill cries of the crows tailing me. I did my best not to listen to any of them. The last thing I needed was to get led astray by any of my pursuers.
A crow swooped close enough for me to smack it with the poker. The sound the bird made when the iron scalded its skin made my teeth clench. The others joined it, bringing me to my knees, my ears ringing. High pitched, grating, like broken glass against a chalkboard. Disoriented, I swung desperately with the iron poker again, not hitting anything.
And among all that, the whispers hadn't stopped. My head rang, ears going numb. I swung again. One of the shrieks stopped as the poker found its mark. Even as the auditory assault continued, I got to my feet, grabbing the trees closest to me to keep myself going. The whispers became even more frantic as its prey got further and further away. The truck was right there.
The two crows tailing me had finally stopped their dreadful screaming and simmered down to furious clicking sounds with their beaks, as if they could think of nothing but stripping the flesh from my bones.
When one tested the limits of the hagstone as I got close to the truck, I swatted at it with the poker, the tip colliding with the creature's skull. The crow’s body crashed against an oak’s trunk, then went still.
As soon as I cleared the treeline, the whispering stopped. I looked over my shoulder. The whispering thing was retreating, only visible for a brief moment before blending in among the trees.
It couldn't leave the forest. That was good to know.
I closed myself into the truck, leaving the furious crows outside. They glared at me from the branches of a nearby oak. After taking a moment to collect myself, I drove back to the hospital, wanting to hand the black hagstone off to Reyna before anything else.
At a stop sign, I got a text from Victor: he had finished setting traps for the client's raccoon infestation and was going to meet me at the hospital.
Reyna was chilling in her hospital bed, face bandaged, wearing a hideous blue hospital gown decorated with faded green and pink squares.
“Guess who got her rabies shots!” She announced with a sleepy grin, holding her hand up in a shaka.
Someone was clearly given the good painkillers.
Victor arrived a few minutes later, wearing a black mask that covered his mouth and nose, smelling strongly of lavender. It made my nose itch.
“Why do you smell like an old lady?” I complained.
The mask intensified his withering stare, voice muffled by the mask, “Lotta blood around here. Probably wouldn't be too good if I smelled it.”
Reyna chimed in, slurring slightly, “If you're gonna eat anyone, go for the receptionist. He was reading Anne Rice, so he'd probably be into it.”
It was Reyna's turn to get The Glare. He said flatly, “You're high as a kite, aren't you?”
Reyna flashed a peace sign.
To summarize Reyna's condition, she's as okay as she can be. They had to close up her eyebrow and cheek, and they gave her a plethora of shots to make sure that she didn't catch any diseases from the crows. The hospital doctor wanted to keep her overnight to make sure that she didn't have an infection, then afterwards, she was going to take some time off of work to recover.
Also, I slipped the black hagstone into her purse so that it wouldn't be misplaced.
After we discussed Reyna's injuries, I decided to address the elephant in the room, “So… what can we do about the mechanic?”
Reyna shrugged, “Grovel and plead for our lives?”
Victor rubbed his eyes. “We might be a bit past that point.”
I asked Victor about the specifics of his deal with the mechanic. I knew that there had to be some sort of condition that had to be fulfilled before the mechanic could take someone, otherwise I probably wouldn't be alive to type this right now. Reyna was equally curious.
The boss seemed reluctant to speak on this matter, at first. I told Victor that he didn't have to share anything if there was any possibility of retaliation. The last thing I wanted was for him to be punished in some horrific manner for trying to help me.
He eventually shrugged a shoulder in resignation, “Whatever happens, I can handle it. It didn't take him long to figure out that I was the one that helped you find the hagstone. That wasn't pleasant, but…” He went quiet for a second, his eyes glazing in a way that reminded me of when I first came home from active duty. He then shrugged again, “I'm willing to risk it if that means getting a chance to hurt him back someday. Lord knows it's been a long time coming.”
He didn't tell us what the consequences had been for assisting me, and neither Reyna nor I pressed the issue. Some mysteries are best left unsolved.
Even though I was nervous to hear the answer, I didn't pull any punches and straight up asked, “Why hasn't the mechanic sent you after me yet?”
Victor considered for a moment, then explained, “I'm not sure on the specifics, since the mechanic doesn’t tell me anything other than what I need to know to get the job done. But from what I can tell, he takes those who are dead, dying, or… ‘dead inside,’ I guess is the best way to put it. Some souls appear to be harder for him to take than others. The hard ones need to be… broken down first. As of right now, he says you're not ready.”
Reyna numbly asked, “So if the birds tried to nab me, does that mean that I am ‘ready’? That they could take me at any moment?”
Victor hesitated before replying, “We won't let that happen. Alright?”
Reyna nodded, eyes low.
I wanted to ask her what was going on. Figure out why she was suffering in a way that made her fair game to the crows. But she'd been through enough for one day. That discussion could wait for another time.
My next question was another one that I dreaded the answer to, “And where do you come into all of this, Vic?”
Regretfully, Victor admitted, “I bring him the ones that are ready if he can't get to them himself.”
He glanced at Reyna, “As of right now, keep that hagstone on at all times. Even wear it when you're sleeping. The mechanic didn't know who you were initially, but I guarantee the fucking Lessers tipped him off. I think he’s more focused on Nessa, at the moment, but if I get sent after you, hit me with iron, salt me, do whatever and don't feel bad about it. Same goes for you, Nessa.”
I hated this. I hated that he was being used like this. I hated that he spoke about someday being sent to drag one of us to meet our fate at the hands of the Wild Hunt as if it was unavoidable.
The air suddenly felt like it was much thinner in the room. Somehow, I got enough oxygen to ask, “What if I learned the mechanic's true name? Would that end this?”
Victor let out a soft scoff, rubbing the bridge of his nose over his mask, “Probably, but good luck with that.”
I had already figured that the mechanic wouldn't dance around a fire singing his true name all willy nilly like Rumpelstiltskin. But I couldn't accept that all of us were screwed. There had to be a way. I had to believe that there was a way.
I announced that I'd be back in the morning. Reyna looked as concerned as her painkillers would allow, while Victor jumped out of his seat.
“What are you going to do?” He demanded.
“I'm going to talk to him.” I replied. “One of us is in the hospital and another one of us is undead-”
“I know it's looking bad right now, but they can easily get worse if whatever you're thinking of doing goes south.” He cautioned.
“I'm just going to see if there's some way I can… I don't know, talk him down? I haven't gotten that far yet, but something needs to be done.”
He didn't look convinced, and with how terrible my argument was, I don't blame him. “I'll go with you.”
I motioned towards Reyna. “And leave her alone?”
Reyna, looking like she was fighting sleep, groggily said, “I got the adder stone and I'm in public. I'll be fine. If you're going to confront Psycho Mantis, you're going to need Vic around more than I will.”
Victor agreed, “Like it or not, you're not handling this alone. Remember what I told you when you got hired in?”
We're not heroes, we're pest control specialists.
You know that thing I said about not isolating yourself? I can be bad about not following my own advice sometimes, especially that one.
Going forward, I do want to note that the decisions that were made on that night were extremely risky and I don't recommend for anyone to repeat them. Believe it or not, we are professionals.
On our way to our destination, we stopped by the 24-hr convenience store. Victor was about to question me until he saw me go for the whipped cream. I also got s'mores supplies, thinking that maybe some bribery would make the mechanic more amiable. I figured that if he rejected them then, hey, I like s'mores, too.
Afterwards, we followed the path to the skull trees.
During our hike, Victor whispered, “That fucker is hubris incarnate, but he's not stupid. If he offers you a deal, know that it's not going to be in your favor. And be careful with the way that he twists words.”
Something noteworthy is that the hagstone doesn't react to Victor. I think it's because he doesn't have the same malicious intentions as his captors. He may have changed after his murder (hell, anyone would) but at his heart, he was still Victor. Meanwhile, as we got closer to the skull tree clearing, I felt the stone gradually begin to quake.
Up ahead, orange light flickered. The mechanic had a small fire going. He lay on a blanket next to it, that cursed banjo on the ground beside him, one arm folded under his head, legs crossed at the ankle. His eyes were closed.
He didn't open them as he greeted us, “I was wondering when you two would show up.”
Keeping my nerves buried beneath the surface, I held up the bag of sugary goodness. “I'm here to negotiate.”
He laughed, still not looking at me. “Are you, now? And what exactly do you think a little thing of cream will get ya?”
“Not much, I imagine.” I said evenly. “But I thought it'd be a good jumping off point.”
Even though I’d originally protested Victor coming with me, I was glad that he was there. I don't think I would've been able to be so level-headed if I'd met with the mechanic alone. It would probably be interpreted as a sign of weakness, but I was counting on that.
As soon as I saw the mechanic begin to crane his neck towards us, I slammed my eyelids shut. He knew way more about me than I'd ever wanted him to know already, and I was afraid of giving him more.
Again, another potential sign of weakness. When it came to trying to get him to back off of Orion a bit, I figured it'd be best if he underestimated me.
I didn't have to see the mechanic to know that he had that wicked grin on his face, “Alrighty. Let's see what you've got.”
A hand that was as cold as the grave gently removed the bag of goodies from my grasp. Victor. Wordlessly, he brought the cavity-inducing offering over to the mechanic. I never realized how quiet his footsteps were until then. He moved like a shadow. He could've been five feet away or five hundred, for all I knew.
There was the rustling of plastic, followed by the trademark sound of whipped cream being sprayed from the nozzle. Sounding slightly less prick-ish, the mechanic told me I had his attention.
I had been trying to find the magic words that would make this whole situation blow over. Nothing that I came up with in my head fit that description.
So I decided to be straight forward, then go from there. “What will it take to de-escalate things between you and Orion?”
The whipped cream wailed once again. A moment later, the mechanic replied, “Why are you asking a question that you already know the answer to?”
“Other than my soul.”
He chuckled softly, the sound too casual and charming for this sinister discussion.
“You know, I’m curious, puppydog,” Fabric rustled. Without looking, I assumed he'd sat up, “Which o’ your parents are you most like?”
Here we fucking go.
I tried to redirect him, “With all due respect, that isn't relevant.”
“Oh, but it is.” His tone of voice brought chills to the back of my neck. “You see, I'd be willing to take a trade. Find a soul as mouth-waterin’ as yours, and all this goes away. Hell, I might even let you rest in peace! You know what choice your father would pick.”
I was hoping that the firelight wouldn't be enough for him to see my face flush and my jaw stiffen. That had touched a nerve, just as he knew it would.
That was also a horrible deal. One that I wouldn't even consider. There was no way that I could condemn someone else to an afterlife of torment. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, not even that weasel-faced client that I rescued the False Egg from. Not even my father.
Swallowing back the plethora of terrible emotions threatening to bubble up, I suddenly felt Victor subtly squeeze my shoulder supportively. Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't hesitate to give anyone who insulted his employees a piece of his mind, but the mechanic was the last Neighbor to mouth off to. That was the best he could do for me, in the moment.
When I informed the mechanic that I wouldn't sacrifice someone else to save my own skin, he laughed again, “If only you knew how many times I heard those exact words! Thing is, I ain't even got started on you, pup. Given enough time, you might find you're more like your old man than you thought.”
I took a deep breath to keep the mixture of dread and anger confined to my chest, then calmly replied, “Sounds like you know exactly how everything will play out. Isn't that boring for you?”
The tension that filled the air after those words left my mouth made my chest feel tight.
The whipped cream can wheezed thoughtfully before the mechanic mildly admitted, “A bit, yeah.”
There it is.
“You already have all of the advantages,” I started, “It’s not much of a hunt if your prey can't even run, is it? There's no challenge in killing something that's already baited and trapped.”
“So, what do you suggest?”
Oh boy. I was about to do one of many things I warned yinz not to do: “The only way I can bring you the excitement you're craving is if I have a fighting chance. And a good one. I'll be searching for your name, but I need to know where to look first.”
His laughter made me suppress a shudder. I remember thinking that I should've known that he'd see through my words like he saw through everything else.
The mechanic then said, “I know what you're trying to do, pup. But the problem is, you're right! It's too easy anymore, especially since y'alls names are just available on the internet for anyone to find. I've been getting kind of soft lately.”
This was his soft side?
The mechanic continued, “You really think you can pull this off, pup? I know you're a fighter and all, but you're not a warrior, not really. Being a soldier ain't the same thing.”
“I may not be Cú Chullainn, but I'm as close as you're going to get in Mercer County. We've got a bit of a warrior shortage around here.”
He snorted, “You seem awfully sure of yourself for someone who can't even look at me.”
“I'm not sure about anything. That's why I'm here, isn't it?”
It was quiet for a moment with only the frogs chirping in the forest able to find their voices. Not even the whipped cream broke up the silence this time. I was tempted to risk peeking through my eyelashes, but managed to resist.
Just as my nerves started getting to me, the mechanic said, “So, you want me to give you a hint. That's a lot to ask, but you knew that already.”
“You want something in return.”
“Hagstone. Smash it.”
No way. It was too valuable. If I gave that up, I was dead. I promptly shook my head.
He sounded amused. “Shoulda known you wouldn't fall for that.”
Looking back, I wondered how many he'd tricked like that. Giving up some form of protection after being misled into thinking the mechanic was going to let them go, only to regret it seconds later. Probably far too many.
He continued, “Alright then, we'll talk for real. I'll give you that hint, but I got some conditions. You get three chances to guess correctly. Each time you guess wrong, you have to give me one of your names starting with your first, middle, then last name. Don't try fucking with me by trying to pass your middle name off as your first.”
That made my throat tighten even more. If I agreed to that, failure wouldn't just spell disaster for me, but for everyone I knew as well. I'd be dragging my mom and anyone else associated down with me. I'd essentially be doing what he already requested: sacrificing others to save my own skin.
I heard Victor faintly, from my right, “Don't!”
The mechanic wasn't pleased, “This ain't about you, blue eyes. This is between me and her.”
The stakes were getting way too high. I couldn't do this. But then what? The Hunt wasn't going to wait around for me to find another way, assuming that there even was one. Victor clearly thought it was a terrible idea. For the record, I did, too. I could feel the boss' eyes on me, willing me not to forget what he'd said earlier about dangerous heroics.
Maybe there was another way and I just couldn't see it. But desperation has a way of messing with your head.
“If I agreed to this,” I started, knowing that I was probably digging my grave even deeper. “And I haven't agreed to anything. just to be clear. If I did this, I'd need the assurance that you won't send your crows or hounds or any others that serve the Wild Hunt after those that I care about. That includes my colleagues and me, for that matter. Like you said, this is between us two.”
The mechanic chuckled and I heard him shift again. “You're feeling awfully bold tonight, aren't you?”
I reminded him, “You want this to be interesting, don't you?”
He considered, then with a click of his tongue replied, “You hear that, blue eyes? Means you, as well. On both sides, mind you. Same with that witch doctor. Yeah, I know about her. I keep mine out of it, if you keep yours out. All's fair, right?”
I didn't feel right with any of this, but the alternative was for things to continue as they were. If that happened, we were all screwed anyway.
“And if I agreed, the hint that you provide will have to be both true and helpful. And it'll also be given in easily understandable American English, no riddles or puzzles or any other forms of confusing phrasing. You’d also have to give it to me tonight. The whole thing would begin after that.”
Once again, he laughed, “Shit, you're not messin' around!”
I know how the Neighbors do deals. If I hadn't mentioned it, he probably would've given me the hint in the form of a riddle spoken in backwards Gaelic.
“Alright, pup, I get the picture. You know what you're dealing with. I’ll play nice.”
His voice had a subtle sardonic edge. Nothing about this was going to be nice, if I chose to go this route, but that wasn't news.
“Oh, and one more thing!” The mechanic added a little too cheerfully. “You have until Samhain. I’m sure you know why.”
It's June already; still a good while away from October, but this year feels like it’s flying by fast, like every other year following 2020. He didn't have to explain why: the Wild Hunt are at their most powerful during Samhain, which for those who don't know, was a Celtic holiday that eventually gave birth to Halloween. It's when the veil between the atypical world and ours is thinnest.
In short, it's a busy day for Orion. Looks like it’s going to be even worse this year.
Victor spoke again, “Can I talk to her for a moment?”
“Nope. You don't get a say. Either she takes it or leaves it.” The mechanic answered curtly.
As I deliberated, there were subtle taps on a tree nearby. Hold on. Morse code. M-I-S-S-I-N-G. What was I missing? Maybe it was because I hadn't clearly spelled out what I wanted to happen if I correctly guessed the mechanic's identity.
“If I accept this bet, then if I find your name, you’ll relinquish your claim on my soul, as well as all other Orion employees, whether they're living, dead, or undead. Have I made that clear?”
After a moment, the mechanic answered, the smirk blatant in his voice, “You have now.”
Of course. It was so simple. If I had gone through with the deal without being specific about the outcome, the mechanic wouldn't have been obliged to release any of us. I would've done all the work to identify him for nothing. Tricky bastard.
Thanks, Victor.
With a heavy sigh, I politely asked the mechanic to repeat everything that we'd just discussed to make sure that he wasn't going to conveniently forget something. To my surprise, he did it without comment, though he sounded like he thought the whole thing was funny. He left nothing out.
When I say that agreeing to this deal was one of the hardest things I've ever done, I mean it.
I instantly had second thoughts the moment I heard the mechanic stand up and cheerfully say, “Well, you ready for that hint? You’re gonna wanna open your eyes for this. I can show you better than I can tell you.”
Oh God, I made a mistake! No. I could do this. I had to.
Black cherries. He was in front of me. Steeling myself, I opened my eyes. The mechanic stood as close as the hagstone would allow, a dark silhouette in front of the crackling flames.
“Blue eyes, would you mind holding puppydog’s hagstone for her? Wouldn't want that gettin’ lost, now, would we?”
What?!
“Don’t get all frantic, I can’t do shit to you until you get your hint, per our agreement,” The mechanic said dismissively as Victor approached me. “You’ll get it back after.”
Victor looked apologetic as he gently removed the most powerful defense I had. He had an odd glint in his eye. Was that defiance?
I’ll get you out of this, Vic. I promise.
The very moment that he was able to, the mechanic grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.
A church surrounded by black water… A great feast of viscera and wildflowers… Black thorns drinking the blood of the unworthy… The great antlered headdress of the White Son of Mist… Pricking his finger on those horns… He signed in blood…
Victor pulled me back, not giving the mechanic even a picosecond to take full advantage of being outside of the hagstone’s influence. If he hadn't been holding me up, I would've been on the ground, still recovering from what I'd just seen.
“You find that ledger, you find me.” The mechanic said coolly.
That church. It reminded me of something. In the morning, I’m going to check our records. For now, I just want to crash. I'll keep yinz updated.
On the bright side, there weren't any crows waiting for me when I got home.
(Here's an index of all the cases I've discussed so far.)

This is not about making new friends, but being a better one!
I would love to invest in some of my existing friendships and be better one-on-one friends outside of a couples or group setting, but I struggle to get to that point!
I'm so much cooler in a group setting where I can sit back some or riff off of others!! I feel so disregulated in a 1:1 setting with someone I want to be friends with because I want to mask so I'm not overwhelmingly weird, but I also want to unmask because I want an authentic and genuine relationship with these people! Instead of just enjoying my time with someone, it's like all of my hypervigilance and people-pleasing just bubbles to the top and I feel deeply self-conscious instead. [What's funnier still is that I have a job that requires 1:1 meetings with strangers all the time, and I'm perfectly fine with those because I'm performing (masking) as a representative of my organization. It's so much harder when I have to be myself!]
I have memory issues too so I'm always worried about asking people the same things over and over again, or not asking about something that had recently happened and deserves a follow-up. I overexplain sometimes, or I get self-conscious that I'm annoying someone.
I also have the "out of sight, out of mind" problem. I'm elated to see some of these people when we're at the same place and I do "miss" people, but I think it takes me longer to get there. I don't feel very consistent in my outreach, and I'm really bad at texting back. :(
My ADHD Friendship Tips

• Schedule outreach. I have a calendar event every 3 weeks to reach out to someone and schedule a 1:1 hang. I actually borrowed this from a neurotypical friend but I think it will be great for me to do a better job reaching out first.
• Have photos with/of your friends around: I have some cute photos with friends I want to put out on my vanity so the "out of sight, out of mind" feeling is less prominent. I find this is especially helpful for friends that live far away or don't pop up on social media as often.
• Take notes on what my friends are doing. It feels kind of creepy but I do put my friends' vacations and events in my calendar, and I sometimes keep a few notes on their work wins, etc.
• After a certain point, I do tell people that something's up with me. Depending on how close we have gotten, I'll tell them that I have memory issues, auditory processing issues, etc. or I'll just say that I have ADHD and x, y, z are some symptoms that they may notice.

Any other tips along those lines?

93
I read this pages rules for about five seconds and didn’t see anything about double posting.
Truth is I made (compiled) this a bit ago and don’t have anyone else personally to benefit from it so I’d love to share it through here.
It can be said after Resh, as a meditation subject, which effectively reproduces the specific energy of the sun in the sign at the time of said Adoration.
(For Example at Midnight for Gemini, the verse is
“O what art Thou, O God my God, Thou forked tongue of the purple-throated thunder? O Thou silver sword of lightning! Thou who rippest out the fire-bolt from the storm-cloud, as a sorcerer teareth the heart from a black kid! O how can I possess Thee as the dome of the skies, so that I may fix the keystone of my reason in the arch of Thy forehead?”
This is the passage taken from Gemini of Pisces section. Further harmonizing the energy of Resh.
I hope this doesn’t take up too much space. If a moderator knows how to hide the text to expand please feel free.
93/93
Ps also curious if anyone has other ways they’ve adapted treasure house of images, as it’s extremely potent prose with a wide range of uses.
Maat ——
♈️
Aries 6am: O Thou snow-clad volcan of scarlet fire, Thou flamecrested pillar of fury! Yea, as I approach Thee, Thou departest from me like unto a wisp of smoke blown forth from the window of my house.
Cancer Noon: O Thou Sovran Lord of primaeval Baresarkers, who huntest with dawn the dappled deer of twilight, and whose engines of war are blood-crested comets. I know Thee! O Thou flame-crowned Self-luminous One, the lash of whose whip gathered the ancient worlds, and looseth the blood from the virgin clouds of heaven.
Libra 6pm: O Thou effulgence of burning love, who pursueth the dawn as a youth pursueth a rose-lipped maiden; rend me with the fierce kisses of Thy mouth, so that in the battle of our lips I may be drenched by the snow-pure fountains of Thy bliss.
Capricorn Midnight: O my God, suckle me with truth and be merciful unto me, as I humble myself before Thee; for all my agony of anguish is but as a quail struggling in the jaws of an hungry wolf.
♉️
Taurus 6am: O my God, Thou mighty One, Thou Creator of all things, I renounce unto Thee the kisses of my mistress, and the murmur of her mouth, and all the trembling of her firm young breast; so that I may be rolled a flame in Thy fiery embrace, and be consumed in the unutterable joy of Thine everlasting rapture.
Leo Noon: O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the countenance of my darling: Thou hast unclothed her of white lilies and crimson roses, so that she may blush forth the Glory of Thy Name.
Scorpio 6pm: O Thou God of the Nothingness of All Things! Thou who art neither the golden bull of the heavens; nor the crimsoned fountain of the lusts of men: O Thou who reclinest not upon the Waggon of Night; nor restest Thine hand upon the handle of the Plough! I deny Thee by the powers of mine understanding; Urge me in the unity of Thy might, and drench me with the red vintage of Thine all-pervading Nothingness; for Thou art all and none of these in the fullness of Thy Not-Being.
Aquarius Midnight [2am]: O woe unto me, my God, woe unto me; for all my labours are as weary oxen laggard and sore stricken with the goad, ploughing black furrows across the white fields of light. Yet in the scrawling trail of their slow toil do I descry the golden harvest of Thine effulgence.
♊️
Gemini 6am: O Thou Consuming Eye of everlasting light set as a pearl betwixt the lids of Night and Day; I swear to Thee by the formless void of the Abyss, to lap the galaxies of night in darkness, and blow the meteors like bubbles into the frothing jaws of the sun.
Virgo Noon: O Thou mighty God, make me as a black eunuch of song that is twin-voiced, yet dumb in either tongue; I beseech Thee, O Thou great God! That I may hush my melody in Thy Silence, and swell into the sweet ecstasy of Thy Song: O Thou God, my God!
Sagittarius 6pm: Ah! but I rejoice in Thee, O Thou my God; Thou unimperilled flight of joyous laughter; Thou eunuch glaive-armed before joy's veil; Thou dreadful insatiable One: Yea, I rejoice in Thee, Thou lofty gathering-point of Bliss; O Thou bridal-bed of murmuring rapture! I rejoice, yea, I shout with gladness! till I tangle the black tresses of the storm, and lash the tempest into a green foam of twining basilisks, in the Glory and Splendour of Thy Name.
Pisces Midnight: O what art Thou, O God my God, Thou forked tongue of the purple-throated thunder? O Thou silver sword of lightning! Thou who rippest out the fire-bolt from the storm-cloud, as a sorcerer teareth the heart from a black kid! O how can I possess Thee as the dome of the skies, so that I may fix the keystone of my reason in the arch of Thy forehead?
♋️
Cancer 6am: O Thou Sovran Warrior of steel-girt valour, whose scimitar is a flame between day and night, whose helm is crested with the wings of the Abyss. I know Thee! O Thou four-eyed guardian of heaven, who kindleth to a flame the hearts of the downcast, and girdeth about with fire the loins of the unarmed.
Libra Noon: O Thou thirsty charioteer of Time, whose cup is the hollow night filled with the foam of the vintage of day; drench me in the shower of Thy passion, so that I may pant in Thine arms as a tongue of lightning on the purple bosom of night.
Capricorn 6pm: O my God, fondle me with kisses and be merciful unto me, as I humble myself before Thee; for all my desires are as dewdrops that are sucked from silver lilies by the throat of a young god.
Aries Midnight: O Thou burning tempest of blinding sand, Thou whirlwind from the depths of darkness! Yea, as I struggle through Thee, through Thee, my strength is but as a dove's down floating forth on the purple nipples of the storm.
♌️ Leo 6am: O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the Lion Rampant of the dawn: Thou hast crushed with Thy paw the crouching lioness of Night, so that she may roar forth the Glory of Thy Name.
Scorpio Noon: O Thou God of the Nothingness of All Things! Thou who art neither the traces of the chariot; nor the pole of galloping delusion: O Thou who art not the pivot of the whole Universe; nor the body of the woman-serpent of the stars! I deny Thee by the powers of mine understanding; Lead me in the unity of Thy might, and draw me unto the threshold of Thine all-pervading Nothingness; for Thou art all and none of these in the fullness of Thy Not-Being.
Aquarius 6pm: O woe unto me, my God, woe unto me; for all the joy of my days lies dishonoured as the spangle-veil'd Virgin of night torn and trampled by the sun-lashed stallions of Dawn. Yet in the frenzy of their couplings do I tremble forth the pearly dew of ecstatic light.
Taurus Midnight: O my God, Thou Mighty One, Thou Creator of all things, I renounce unto Thee the whispers of the desert, and the moan of the simoom, and all the silence of the sea of dust; so that I may be lost in the atoms of Thy Glory, and be consumed in the unutterable joy of Thine everlasting rapture.
♍️
Virgo 6am: O Thou mighty God, make me as a fair virgin that is clad in the blue-bells of the fragrant hillside; I beseech Thee, O Thou great God! That I may ring out the melody of Thy voice, and be clothed in the pure light of Thy loveliness: O Thou God my God!
Sagitarrius Noon: Ah! but I rejoice in Thee, O Thou my God; Thou ambrosia-yielding rose of the World; Thou vaulted dome of effulgent light; Thou valley of venomous vipers: Yea, I rejoice in Thee, Thou dazzling robe of the soft rain-clouds; O Thou lion-voiced up-rearing of the goaded storm! I rejoice, yea, I shout with gladness! till my rapture, like unto a two-edged sword, traceth a sigil of fire and blasteth the banded sorcerers, in the Glory and Splendour of Thy Name.
Pisces 6pm: O what art Thou, O God my God, Thou almighty worker ungirded of slumber? O Thou Unicorn of the Stars! Thou tongue of flame burning above the firmament, as a lily that blossometh in the drear desert! O how can I pluck Thee from the dark bed of Thy birth, and revel like a wine-drenched faun in the banqueting-house of Thy Seigniory?
Gemini Midnight: O Thou intoxicating Vision of Beauty, fair as ten jewelled virgins dancing about the hermit moon; I swear to Thee by the peridot flagons of spring, to quaff to the dregs Thy chalice of Glory, and beget a royal race before the Dawn flees from awakening Day.
♎️
Libra 6am: O Thou green-cloaked Maenad in labour, who bearest beneath Thy leaden girdle the vintage of Thy kisses; release me from the darkness of Thy womb, so that I may cast off my infant wrappings and leap forth as an armed warrior in steel.
Capricorn Noon: O my God, measure me rightly and be merciful unto me, as I humble myself before Thee; for all my praise is but as a single letter of lead lost in the gilded scriptures of the rocks.
Aries 6pm: O Thou great labour of the Firmament, Thou tempest tossed roaring of the Aires! Yea, as I sink in the depths of Thine affliction, mine anguish is but as the smile on the lips of a sleeping babe.
Cancer Midnight: O Thou Sovran Might of the most ancient forests, whose voice is as the murmur of unappeasable winds caught up in the arms of the swaying branches. I know Thee! O Thou rumble of conquering drums, who lulleth to a rapture of deep sleep those lovers who burn into each other, flame to fine flame.
♏️
Scorpio 6am: O Thou God of the Nothingness of All Things! Thou who art neither the Formless breath of Chaos; nor the exhaler of the ordered spheres: O Thou who art not the cloud-cradled star of the morning; nor the sun, drunken upon the mist, who blindeth men! I deny Thee by the powers of mine understanding; Guide me in the unity of Thy might, and lead me to the fatherhood of Thine all-pervading Nothingness; for Thou art all and none of these in the fullness of Thy Not-Being.
Aquarius Noon: O woe unto me, my God, woe unto me; for all my joy is as a cloud of dust blown athwart a memory of tears, even across the shadowless brow of the desert. Yet as from the breast of a slave-girl do I pluck the fragrant blossom of Thy Crimson Splendour.
Taurus 6pm: O my God, Thou Mighty One, Thou Creator of all things, I renounce unto Thee the yearning for Paradise, and the dark fear of Hell, and the feast of the corruption of the grave; so that as a child I may be led unto Thy Kingdom, and be consumed in the unutterable joy of Thine everlasting rapture.
Leo Midnight: O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the riotous joy of the storm: Thou hast shaken the gold-dust from the tresses of the hills, so that they may chaunt forth the Glory of Thy Name.
♐️
Sagittarius 6am: Ah! but I rejoice in Thee, O Thou my God; Thou seven-rayed rainbow of perfect loveliness; Thou light-rolling chariot of sunbeams; Thou fragrant scent of the passing storm: Yea, I rejoice in Thee, Thou breath of the slumbering valleys; O Thou low-murmuring ripple of the ripe cornfields! I rejoice, yea, I shout with gladness! till, as the mingling blushes of day and night, my song weaveth the joys of life into a gold and purple Crown, for the Glory and Splendour of Thy Name.
Pisces Noon: O what art Thou, O God my God, Thou soft pearl set in a bow of effulgent light? O Thou drop of shimmering dew! Thou surging river of bewildering beauty who speedest as a blue arrow of fire beyond, beyond! O how can I measure the poisons of Thy limbeck, and yet be for ever transmuted in the athanor of Thine understanding?
Gemini 6pm: O Thou flame-tipped arrow of devouring fire that quiverest as a tongue in the dark mouth of Night; I swear to Thee by the thurible of Thy Glory, to breathe the incense of mine understanding, and to cast the ashes of my wisdom into the Valley of Thy breast.
Virgo Midnight: O Thou mighty God, make me as a green arrow of Lightning that speedeth through the purple clouds of Night; I beseech Thee, O Thou great God! That I may wake fire from the crown of Thy Wisdom, and flash into the depths of Thine Understanding: O Thou God, my God!
♑️
Capricorn 6am: O my God, behold me fully and be merciful unto me, as I humble myself before Thee; for all my searching is as a bat that seeks some hollow of night upon a sun-parched wilderness.
Aries Noon: O Thou steel-girdered mountain of mountains, Thou crested summit of Majesty! Yea, as I climb Thy grandeur, I find I have but surmounted one mote of dust floating in a beam of Thy Glory.
Cancer 6pm: O Thou Sovran Paladin of self-vanquished knights, whose path lieth through the trackless forests of time, winding athrough the Byss of unbegotten space. I know Thee! O Thou despiser of the mountains, Thou whose course is as that of a lightening-hoofed steed leaping along the green bank of a fair river.
Libra Midnight: O Thou wine-voiced laughter of fainting gloom, who art as a naked faun crushed to death between millstones of thunder; make me drunk on the rapture of Thy song, so that in the corpse-clutch of my passion I may tear the cloud-robe from off Thy swooning breast.
♒️
Aquarius 6am: O woe unto me, my God, woe unto me; for all my song is as the dirge of the sea that moans about a corpse, lapping most mournfully against the dead shore in the darkness. Yet in the sob of the wind do I hear Thy name, that quickeneth the cold lips of death to life.
Taurus Noon: O my God, Thou Mighty One, Thou Creator of all things, I renounce unto Thee the wine-cups of merriment, and the eyes of the wanton bearers, and all the lure of their soft limbs; so that I may be made drunk on the vine of Thy splendour, and be consumed in the unutterable joy of Thine everlasting rapture.
Leo 6pm: O Glory be to Thee, O God my God; for I behold Thee in the sparkling dew of the wild glades: Thou hast decked them out as for a great feast of rejoicing, so that they may gleam forth the Glory of Thy Name.
Scorpio Midnight: O Thou God of the Nothingness of All Things! Thou who art neither the Crown of the flaming storm; nor the opalescence of the Abyss: O Thou who art not a nymph in the foam of the sea; nor a whirling devil in the sand of the desert! I deny Thee by the powers of mine understanding; Bear me in the unity of Thy might, and pour me forth from out the cup of Thine all-pervading Nothingness; for Thou art all and none of these in the fullness of Thy Not-Being.
♓️
Pisces 6am: O what art Thou, O God my God, Thou snow-browed storm that art whirled up in clouds of flame? O Thou red sword of the thunder! Thou great blue river of ever-flowing Brightness, over whose breasts creep the star-bannered vessels of night! O how can I plunge within Thine inscrutable depths, and yet with open eye be lost in the pearly foam of Thine Oblivion?
Gemini Noon: O Thou Dragon-regent of the blue seas of air, as a chain of emeralds round the neck of Space; I swear to Thee by the hexagram of Night and Day, to be unto Thee as the twin fish of Time, which being set apart never divulge the secret of their unity.
Virgo 6pm: O Thou mighty God, make me as a silver fish darting through the vast depths of the dim-peopled waters; I beseech Thee, O Thou great God! That I may swim through the vastness of Thine abyss, and sink beneath the waveless depths of Thy Glory: O Thou God, my God!
Sagittarius Midnight: Ah! but I rejoice in Thee, O Thou my God; Thou who broodest on the dark depths of the deep; Thou lap of the wave-glittering sea; Thou bright vesture of the crested floods: Yea, I rejoice in Thee, Thou native splendour of the Waters; O Thou fathomless Abyss of surging joy! I rejoice, yeah, I shout with gladness! till the mad swords of my music smite the hills, and rend the amethyst limbs of Night from the white embrace of Day, at the Glory and Splendour of Thy Name.

(So sorry in advance for how long this. There’s a lot of context i needed to cover, and I promise it’s juicy)
I (F19) have struggled with my sexuality since I could remember. I grew up in a VERY religious household, so I struggled with internalized homophobia until high school-ish. I came out to my best friend at the time in middle school (we will call her Lilly), and even tho I was extremely nervous since she was the first person I came out to, she sort of brushed it off, saying it doesn’t matter what I was, I’m still her friend and she accepts me.
Me and Lilly were CLOSE. I spent as much time at her house as possible, and we were THE duo in middle school. If you saw me, you saw Lilly. I hated being touched by people, but I would cuddle with her EVERYWHERE and let her playfully push me and stuff like that. She was the only person I let in my bubble. The gay couple rumors and ships started happening, but we just laughed it off. I wasn’t even sure what her sexuality was since she kind of made it clear she wasn’t interested in crushes and stuff.
Fast forward a couple years, we are still pretty close, but I did move less than an hour away. Despite this, I was at her house as much as possible. She would always got so agitated when I would get in some stupid high school relationship, practically encouraging me to break up with them no matter what. It was boys, shockingly, and looking back I truly just did it for fun and to be able to push down the gay feelings. She hated ANYONE that I was in a lil relationship with, but I liked how jealous it made her. I can only assume it was jealousy.
Well, even though I did dabble in high school boys, me and Lillys closeness got very much… closer. Games of truth or dare would lead us into wearing less clothes than we started with, and getting a bit frisky with each other. I had never done anything more intimate than kissing with these boys, but we would do a LOT more and play it off as part of the game (even if we weren’t technically playing anymore). We both had only done these experiences with each other at the time, and it felt really special to me. We were just really good friends, ya know? One night when we were around 15, one thing led to another and I ended up having my first lesbian experience (if you know what I mean). I was so nervous, but we both felt it come naturally to us, considering everything else we had done was just a few steps down.
And then we never talked about it again. It happened, she sent me a flirty text the next day saying she enjoyed it and she wouldn’t mind me doing it again to her, and that was that. And despite all of this, she still had not definitively told me her sexuality was anything but straight.
A month later, she got a boyfriend. I was taken by surprise, since I had been dwelling on our recent late night experience and realizing that I truly did have feelings for her this entire time. When I found out, it felt like my spine got ripped out of my back. I was so angry, and even though I had a couple short silly relationships in the midst of all our homoerotic hangouts, I felt betrayed. I hated him and I wanted to throw him off of a plane. She stopped being intimate with me, even just stopping having physical contact with me at all other than hugs. It felt like everything shifted so fast. A year later, she announced she was moving to Utah with him to attend a military school with him. I truly felt like everything came crashing down.
Fast forward to now. She is still in Utah, and I had moved out with a boyfriend (that I jumped into getting after I got cheated on in my first serious lesbian relationship) of mine. It didn’t take too long for me to realize that I despised him. Everything he did icked me out. I was so infatuated by being wanted by someone and now I’m realizing that I don’t see myself fulfilled and truly happy with men. That’s a whole story for another time, but yeah, I’m currently in the process of moving in with my mom again. I had drifted a LOT from Lilly since she moved, seeing her post her stupid military boyfriend and just assuming she didn’t think to much about our experiences with each other anymore. That hasn’t stopped me from thinking about her from time to time, my heart sinking every time, wishing things could’ve been different. Recently, we got back in touch, and talked for FIVE HOURS. She told me she’s very unhappy with her relationship, and she ended up getting engaged with him, but she feels like she HAS to make him happy and that the relationship does not feel like it did when it started. He’s also just a shitty person. She is stuck on a lease with him for another year and a half. I feel so incredibly bad, mostly because I definitely know how it is getting stuck in a lease with someone you’ve grown to despise. I told her my situation, and we laughed about the similar shit we ended up getting ourselves into. It was an overall normal conversation, but here and there she said things that made me look at my screen and go “hmm”. I told her how I hated her boyfriend from the start, bragging jokingly about how I “called it”, and telling her I got so angry when he would touch her. Her response was a simple “I’m sure that was for many reasons.” That made me flustered, cuz it almost sounded like she was acknowledging the fact I had evident feelings for her. Another point in that same conversation, when talking about how I hate her boyfriend and always did, she jokingly tells me I should’ve stopped her from moving, then when I say I definitely should’ve, she goes “I think I drive myself crazy thinking about all the what-ifs, you know?” I might just be delusional, but I’ve been constantly thinking about that. BECAUSE ME TOO. What if she didn’t move? What if she never met that guy and stayed here? What if she had feelings for me and just didn’t want me to know? Anyways, she bought a plane ticket on impulse that night to come see me for my birthday. (i could throw up from excitement)
After that conversation (and us having an inevitable gaming session), I now want to throw myself into a the sea and die, because my feelings for her truly never went away. Anytime I was single, I would think about her in passing. I’m very scared that she truly just wants to be friends and doesn’t give a care in the world about everything that happened between us. Which I have no problem with, but it’s so hard because my chest hurts thinking about how much I truly wished things could’ve worked out differently. I wish we could’ve been more than friends.
I don’t know. I feel like anyone would just say “get over her, it’s been so long, who cares” BUT I CARE. It’s been years and if she asked me to be her girlfriend I wouldn’t even hesitate. I just wonder if she also had the intense fear of embracing homosexuality like I did/still do. I don’t know. Can someone please tell me what I should do? Be brutally honest, I need it.

24 M here.. lightskin, 5’9 light brown eyes, Latin slim thick built just looking for masculine bros who potentially want to be texting friends. My phone be so fuccccin dry. We can talk shit, send voice messages, talk about rave music, health/fitness stuff.. if your into web3/DeFi that’s even better. Serious bro inquiries only! Masc bros only! Read my whole AD again before dm’ing please. I have to ignore hundreds of messages

24 M, just looking for laidback chill masculine bros who maybe want to be longterm texting friends. My phone is so dryyyy (probably my fault since I’ve been told I’m stuck up) lol but we can talk shit, make jokes, talk about EDM/rave music, health fitness stuff, get advice on stuff, etc. serious inquires only!

Just played a game of duos with someone by the screen name of Bubbles. They were on Alakir and I was on Onyxia. Neither of us were getting particularly lucky, but we communicated well for a while. I requested a card that would give me a triple with the intention of either using the reward or giving it to them if it would help, naturally. I got bad options. I requested input and got none. I selected one and moved on. After which they spammed the angry point emote and sold their board. They spammed emotes for the rest of the game trapping me into playing out a loss which was their fault. Super cool, Bubbles. Hope you're on reddit, assuming you can read.
That said. Text chat or something should be an option while in game. I'm sure they had a reason to be mad. Had they been able to express it in more than just cave paintings, I may have been able to do something other than waste my last game I get to play today.

Good day, dear forum members,
I wanted to share today's story with you. My husband and I had an incident that turned into a conflict because my husband was unhappy with the outcome and started yelling and blaming me for everything.
The situation: My husband, our daughter, and I were on our way home. On the way, my husband suggested we buy ice cream and mentioned we could check out a cafe that recently opened, run by Ukrainians.
I had sent him a message about this cafe earlier because I saw an ad that they offered a 20% discount for Ukrainians. It turned out he wanted to visit this cafe anyway.
So, the idea to go and check out the bubble tea was mutual.
On the way to the cafe, my husband and I agreed that I would speak with them since my husband speaks German, and I speak Ukrainian.
We almost reached the cafe. My husband went to the toilete, and I went in with our daughter to look at the menu. I told the bartender at the counter that I was just looking for the beginning. I spent about 5 minutes looking at the menu, and then my husband came.
Another woman came up behind us and started looking at the menu too, and I thought my husband needed time to decide what he wanted to order. I even asked the woman behind me if she wanted to go first. She said no and left. We were the only ones in the cafe, so I was surprised that my husband seemed to be in a hurry. In my eyes, it looked like this: He just came, quickly muttered what he wanted after I told him what I wanted, and he rushed to the counter.
He often worries about not wasting other people's time or about what others might think. But most of the time, when he rushes, he doesn't get the desired result and blames me. That's what happened this time, and in my opinion, we just didn't understand each other, but I wouldn't have made such a big deal out of it.
Continuing: My husband looked at the menu, approached me, and said, "If you've decided, you can place the order." I stated what I wanted and even pointed to it on the menu. And asked him what he wanted to order. He quickly and quietly (in my opinion) replied (something with blueberries), but I wasn't sure and decided to ask again, and started looking at the menu to find what he meant. At that moment, my husband turned to the counter and began placing the order. I thought: well, okay.
I automatically assumed he wanted to place the order for both of us. Like, why take away my husband's desire to take care of me?) Okay. He announced my order to the bartender and then added his own (and even at that moment, I didn't quite understand what he wanted. He wanted bubble tea with blueberries, while I wanted it with matcha). The bartender started asking many questions, and my husband began changing his order, not because he wanted to, but to accommodate the bartender who didn't quite understand what my husband wanted. The bartender asked, "Do you want two matcha bubble teas?" My husband said yes, although he wanted one with blueberries. Then the bartender asked, "Do you want it hot or cold?" My husband answered both hot and cold. In the end, he didn't even get bubble tea. The bartender kept asking: hot or cold, which syrup, etc. I stood next to my husband and even confirmed my order, saying I definitely wanted it cold, and was surprised why he ordered his hot. Even standing next to him and hearing their conversation, I couldn't fully understand what he wanted to order for himself and why he didn't get the same bubble tea as me. I immediately saw that we were given something different. I mean, I got what I wanted, but my husband got something completely different. As we walked home, I asked him if everything was okay. He suddenly exploded and said that he asked me to place the order, but I stood there and "didn't answer" and "looked at the menu for too long." To me, the phrase "if you've decided, you can place the order" sounded more just like a question about what I wanted. Or maybe I just misunderstood him. The point is, I wasn't the only one who didn't understand him. The bartender, who was speaking German (and according to my husband, didn't speak it well), also didn't understand what my husband wanted and gave him something completely different.
My husband started blaming me, saying that he asked me to place the order, and I didn't do it, that the bartender spoke poor German, that we had agreed I would talk, that I didn't offer my help...I didn't offer help, because he gave me impression, that he knew exactly what he wanted. (But as i found later how can I know what he wants when he doesn't know himself and changed his order just to accommodate the bartender?🤪)
I would have placed the order for both of us if I had known exactly what he wanted if he hadn't rushed and looked at the menu with me, and even pointed it out to me if necessary because I wasn't sure.
If I had ordered for him what I thought I heard and it turned out to be something he didn't want at all, I would have faced the same reaction, saying that I didn't listen to him and did everything my way.We got home, and he started yelling at me very loudly. In such situations, I just stand there and blink my eyes, unable to understand why such a strong reaction. The conflict was blown out of proportion. How can someone be so angry to be that furious and blame me for everything?
I told him that it wasn't my fault at all and that he was angry at himself because he always rushes, and when he doesn't get what he wants, he blames me. I mentioned divorce because I'm tired of constantly being blamed.
He said that I'm selfish and don't understand that it's partly my fault too. I don't think this is my fault. Yes, maybe we had different expectations and misunderstood each other. But. I misunderstood him just as much as he misunderstood me. No one forced him to rush to the counter and place the order. I expected we would calmly look at the menu together and clearly choose who wanted what.
In his expectations, he thought I was just standing there looking at one spot and not saying anything. Although it wasn't like that. I started announcing, trying to read from the menu, what he wanted. And he didn't hear me because he rushed to the counter. And he also blamed me for not talking to him and announcing my actions, that I wanted to make sure I understood him correctly, etc.In short, I don't know. I find all this yelling unpleasant and incomprehensible, especially in front of our daughter (who is 2 years old).
In my opinion, he doesn't talk to me calmly and normally, sometimes too quietly and quickly, other times he yells. Yes, I agree that I don't always hear him the first time. But that's due to lack of sleep, and by nature, I can often be inattentive. Therefore, it's important for me not to rush and discuss everything in advance, if necessary, to repeat more clearly.
I think it would have been my fault if he had told me three times what he wanted, and I brought him something completely different in the end. But he placed the order himself and saw with his own eyes what they were making/or not making, and he didn't ask the bartender or me, when I was standing next to him, to "help" by clearly stating what he wanted to the bartender if he "believed" I could explain better in Ukrainian.
P.S. I understand that this is a bit chaotic. But I hope the situation/conflict is more or less clear, and I'm looking forward to your opinions. Thanks in advance! And also, sorry for so much text, I wanted to describe everything in detail so as not to miss anything, because Reddit has become a kind of personal diary for me🩵.

🌀 Safe —
Mr O
an object
Bromium
Text Bubble
( thank you all for ackshually doing the challenge )
🌀 UFE —
Emoji man
Helium Nucleus
Neutral Star
Boron
PFP
French Leaf
MISTY / FOGGY / MIST / FOG ( blud choose a name please )
Uranium Cookie
Pixel Cube
Pi Ball

You can read the first volume (chapters 1-5.5) as well as the second (chapters 6-11) right here:
https://mangadex.org/title/ae0cce3b-fb72-467c-812a-5bbf60269312/granblue-fantasy-bonds-of-the-twin-swords
Over a year ago I posted the first volume of my fan translation for the Dragons Knights man "Souken no Kizuna", and I'm happy to announce that volume 2 is now done! The first volume was my first time translating and typesetting anything so it was pretty amateurish but I've been working on this volume on and off for the past year and a half so I'd like to say the quality is a lot better!
I decided to put a lot more effort into this volume, and every single sound effect and smaller text has been translated! Because there were so many SFX to translate, and because of the nature of onomatopoeia I'm sure a lot of them aren't 100% accurate but I think most of them convey the right feeling for the context of the scene. I tried to be a lot more consistent with fonts and I think I improved with formatting as well.
Once again the scripts for the manga and the mobile game event are nearly identical so majority of this translation was simply cross referencing the scripts of both. There were times I had to take liberties/localize things differently, and for anything I was unsure about I asked for help from several friends who know japanese. This volume also had WAY more original scenes added that weren't in the mobile game, so translating those took extra time, and I hope they're accurate enough to be satisfying! A huge thanks to everyone who helped me out with translating those sections because I couldn't do it alone.
I am still open and looking for any critique on things like if the font is too big/small, if I should try to emulate the visuals of the SFX when I translate them or just leave them clean, did I use too many fonts, should I not put ellipses under text in small bubbles, and honestly anything else you can think of. I want it to be ready to translate the next volume. Also due to me working on this sporadically over the course of a year and a half, I'm sure some typos slipped through, or there were pages I forgot to translate a specific sound effect, so if you catch anything like this please let me know so I can correct it! I'm also just looking for advice and tips on typesetting/SFX for the next volume.
This volume wraps up the story for the first Dragon Knights mobile game event, Defender's Oath, so it can now be read as a complete story. I apologize for the long wait!
I hope you enjoy and the translation is up to par!

Hi there I’m new to bubble and I’m very happy to find this group.
I’m having trouble finding the formatting options for text elements. Specifically, I want to format a number with a suffix e.g 86k instead of 86,000.
Can anyone point me in the right direction please?

TLDR: I’m a general contractor. Just about to move into finish phase of a pretty significant remodel of a home. The client had started to become increasingly insane. Crossed so many boundaries, proven to be a liar. Ditched him yesterday. It nearly went violently sideways
I got a text on Thursday from my client (who’d decided he needed yet another two days of no interruptions, while complaining about the the job taking too long) asking why we had installed old beaten up caps (he called them plugs) on his exterior doors.
He sent me a pic, and I explained they were preexisting, and were through-bolt caps for the door handles. Thought nothing more of it.
At 10:30 that night I’m hit with a barrage of texts. The main gist was that I was a liar, had insulted him by telling him he didn’t know what his house was like, demanding an explanation. I is usually don’t need to set boundaries with my clients about not doing insane things, so I responded with the same explanation, and that he was confused. He escalated quickly, sending me pictures of the doors and stream of text outrage about being a liar, being insulting to his intelligence. I took one of his pictures of the door ajar, and drew an arrow showing how the lower part of the exterior handle was connected using a through bolt, the other side of which was the cap.
This was the culmination of a back and forth (mostly him ranting, like in a drunken fury) and at the end, when it was definitively proven, he just said, “Oh. I need a break from this. It’s too much dealing with you,” casting himself as my victim.
I’m somewhat adverse to the misuse and weaponization of pop-psychology terms, but this was yet another example of weird narcissistic behavior from him. There had been other stuff in the past, including him just lying about things.
However, navigating difficult clients is part of my job, so I just said to myself “Get through the project, move on, forget it.”
Fast forward a couple of nights to 2AM. I’m asleep in bed with my wife and my phone is on dnd. He sent a total of nine texts about his thoughts on paint color and hit “deliver anyway” making me think there was some sort of emergency happening. AT 2AM!
It was at this point the penny dropped. This was revenge for the six or seven mistakes he’d made during the project. A clap back at me for his embarrassment.
My work carries a one year warranty in my contract. The finish work (what we excel at) would be the easiest element to make a year of frivolous claims about. Having learned that I can’t trust him, I knew it was time to exercise my right to terminate the contract.
I contacted him the next day requesting he advise when had paid his (late) invoice and asking to meet. He said he’d process payment at 9AM and we could meet shortly after. I (for obvious reasons) didn’t want to walk without this invoice being paid. I should note that the invoice reflected wages I’d already paid, materials I’d already bought, and payments to subs. Of the $8k, perhaps >$1k was my earnings for the week, but I didn’t want to be exposed to the tune of eight grand.
The day started and I waited. By noon, nothing. At 1, I sent him a friendly message asking what his day was looking like, as we had plans to meet and have a discussion, along with requesting he notify BMW when he’d cleared his invoice. At 3 (so my whole working day, and that of my colleagues was wasted again) he notified me that he’d made the payment and could meet. I checked my account, saw a payment, and headed over.
My plan was to first remove all tools and materials from the site, then terminate. The first part of this went fine. Vehicle loaded. I went back inside to talk. He was at his dining room table with a bunch of swatches and papers in front of him and awkwardly, his elderly mother was sat on a recliner in the same room.
I wanted to be as gentle as possible about boundaries. I was willing to complete the project with a hold-harmless agreement from him too. I was not in a combative mood. I opened with saying that we needed to discuss boundaries around contacting me, but before I was able to finish my first sentence, he interrupted and snarled “I’m the client. You work for me. I’ll contact you whenever I feel I need to.”
My immediate instinct was to just smash his head into the table, something that may have happened had his mother not been there. Immediate blackout rage. When I came to, I was stood up, silent, and he was still talking.
I took a few breaths, reminded myself how losing my temper has never had a good outcome and told him we should take a walk outside. I just needed a moment to calm down and a change of scenery. The house is on the seafront. I didn’t wait for him to agree, I just started going and he followed.
The walk let me breathe, gather myself, calm down. Outside we sat down on a bench and I told him I was going to speak, and he was going to listen. Then he could speak and I would listen. He started to argue this point and a bubble of anger had me tell him firmly to shut the fuck up. I think it was at this point, our physical differences came into play. I’m a large strong person. He isn’t. It was obvious I was close to losing my temper. He did the math, was quiet.
I asked him if he had any other professional relationship in which he’d feel comfortable calling the other party a liar, or drunkenly contacting them at ridiculous hours. He wouldn’t answer so I just pushed until he said no. I explained to him that this is because he is a closet classist, and sees my work as beneath the work of other professionals. He actually agreed that he did! With my mind blown a little, I went on to explain that lying and harassing someone, then casting yourself as the victim (at the end of all his bullshit exchanges where he was proven wrong or his lies were called out, he’d say I was exhausting to deal with, and he needed a break. Never an apology, or even an acknowledgment that he’d acted highly inappropriately. Which is fine, I don’t need that. But casting yourself as the victim after victimizing someone? No!)
I told him he showed worrying narcissistic behaviors, had been proven untrustworthy and was highly disrespectful and I was terminating our agreement.
He started to go mad, which I found really relaxing and somewhat cathartic. It really took the edge off. His first reaction was to threaten to sue me. I advised him to read the “right to terminate” clause in his contract. With a smile, naturally. He then told me I had to complete the project, just because he needed it done. I smiled and just said no thanks.
His rage turned into a weird tantrum then. He went back and forth between pleading and threatening (legal action, attacks on review sites about my business, blah) - he then switched and asked if he could talk and I just listen. I said nope, we were done, I advised him to use his energy to find a new contractor rather than pick a fight with me, and I warned him that I would come after him full force if he attacked my credibility.
I left for my vehicle to the sounds of him yelling threats and insults and it took every bit of self-control not to turn around and throw his ass over the bluff.
Tuens out he underpaid his invoice by a grand and change, meaning that I basically pay ~$2.5k to have him out of my life forever and move on with one of the many clients I have who love and respect what we do. A fucking bargain.
I’m very friendly with the high end lumber yard here. We chose a bunch of the live edge woods together and it’s his name and address as the recipient, albeit paid for on my account. However, he did sign intent to receive delivery, so I’m going to have them refund me and bill him. I have a great reputation with them and they have enough on paper to make this switch. They also don’t fuck about and will put a lien on his home if he doesn’t pay. So all going to plan, I should come out of it a wash. He was an asshole (super embarrassing for me) while we were there and the guy I deal with, we have a 10 year relationship. So I know he’s going to get it.
I guess that’s it. Whatever you do for a living, don’t put up with crazy, don’t accept classism.

I have an unlocked Moto Edge+ (2023). The only new feature I've gotten from the slew of updates since they announced their user base record (it was a while ago, can't remember exactly why/when they started throwing out updates frequently) is changing bubble colors. No photo reactions, no text field change, voice recording change, full screen animation reactions, etc.
Does being on a factory unlocked phone mean I get less? Do carrier branded phones see more updates? I'm on the beta.